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Scanned  from  the  collections  of 
The  Library  of  Congress 


Packard  Campus 
for  Audio  Visual  Conservation 
www.  loc.gov/avconservation 

Motion  Picture  and  Television  Reading  Room 
www.loc.gov/rr/mopic 

Recorded  Sound  Reference  Center 
www.loc.gov/rr/record 


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M  3v»  fct 
Sitae  pi  i  ■•• ;; '■' 


MOTION  PICTURE 

HERALD 


OP 


100  British  Pictures 
For  American  Market 

Regular  Television 
Broadcasts  Start 

Radio  Is  Threatened 
With  "Decency  Cleanup 

Academy  Tells  How  to 
Handle  2,000-Foot  Reel 

Film  Drive  to  Offset 
Political  Competition 


United  Artists  Will  Have  34  Features 


VOL.  1 24,  NO.  I 


JULY  4,  l<?' 


Entered  as  second-class  matter,  January  I  J,  1931.  at  the  fast  Office,  at  Sew  York.  S.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  11 
v  Ouialev  I'ublishina  LC.  Inc..  at    1-'"U   Si.r:l;   .Avenue.  Rockefeller   Center,  fieui  York.   Subscribtiim.  £3.00  n  vear. 


ardon 
for  \ntruding, 


—3 

5^ 


after  looking  at  the 
pretty  advertisements  of  all  the  nice  things 
that  are  going  to  happen  bye  and  bye, 
we  thought  that  maybe  some  exhibitors 
would  like  to  know  what  was  being  done 
to  help  their  profits  right  now.  It  struck 
us  that  that  was  kind  of  important!  That's 
why  we  think  that  you'll  be  pleased  to 
hear,  without  any  ifs  or  huts,  that 


A 


WARNER  BROS. 


ANTHONY  ADVERSE 

By  Hervey  Allen  starring  FREDRIC  MARCH  with 

OLIVIA  DEHAVILLAND,  Anita  Louise,  Donald  Woods,  Edmund 
Gwenn,  Claude  Rains,  Louis  Hayward,  Gale  Sondergaard, 
Steffi  Duna,  Billy  Mauch,  Akim  Tamiroff,  Ralph  Morgan. 

Directed  by  Mervyn  LeRoy 


FRANCIS 

as  FLORENCE  NIGHTINGALE  in 

THE  WHITE  ANGEL 


With  Ian  Hunter,  Donald  Woods,  Nigel  Bruce,  Donald  Crisp, 
Henry  O'Neill,  Billy  Mauch.  Directed  by  William  Dieterle 


as  ALEXANDER  BOTTS  in 


EARTHWORM  TRACTORS 

With  June  Travis,  Guy  Kibbee,  Dick  Foran,  Carol  Hughes, 
Gene  Lockhart,  Olin  Howland.  Directed  by  Raymond  Enright 


o  A  First  National  Picture 


will  definitely  release 


A  Fable  by  Marc  Connelly 
Directed  by  Marc  Connelly  and  William  Keighley 


PUBLIC  ENEMY'S  WIFE 


with  PAT  O'BRIEN  •  MARGARET  LINDSAY 

Robert  Armstrong,  Cesar  Romero,  Dick  Foran,  Joseph  King, 
Richard  Purcell,  Addison  Richards.  Directed  by  Nick  Grinde 


SATAN  MET 


ft 


LADY 


with  BETTE  DAVIS  •  WARREN  WILLIAM 

Alison  Skipworth,  Arthur  Treacher,  Winifred  Shaw,  Marie 
Wilson,  Porter  Hall  •  Directed  by  William  Dieterle 


CHINA  CLIPPER 


with  PAT  O'BRIEN 

Beverly  Roberts,  Ross  Alexander,  Humphrey  Bogart,  Marie 
Wilson,  Addison  Richards,  Jos.  Crehan.  Director,  Ray  Enright 


JULYWAUGUST 


0 


BROADWAY  S  MOST  MODERN  THEATRE 

CASHES  IN  ON  THE  PERSONALITIES 
OF  THE  ALL-STAR  NEWSREEL! 


w  Lehr  is 
it  one  of 
any  box- 
ice  names! 


\ 


****  ^\e*ce 


MOVIETONE 

Distributed  by  20th  Century- Fox 


THE  KEYSTONE 
OF  YOUR  FUTURE 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 


Vol.  124,  No.  I 


July  4,  1936 


BIRDS  OF  A  FEATHER! 

ONLY  a  few,  more  peculiarly  endowed,  makers  of  pic- 
tures can  hope  for  the  important  and  significant 
recognition  of  booking  at  the  Cameo  theatre  in  New 
York's  Forty-second  street,  where  Union  Square,  the  Red 
Square  of  Moscow  and  Times  Square  overlap  on  one  corner. 

The  Cameo  programs  have  been  highlighted  by  such  Soviet 
masterpieces  as  "Three  Songs  about  Lenin"  and  "Chapayev," 
along  with  sundry  other  outgivings  with  the  familiar  end  title: 
"The  Revolution  Marches  On." 


"Beg.  TOM'W,  9:30  A.  M.—OonUnuam" 

NEWSOFU.S.S.R. 


1.  Stents   from   th«    Lite   of  Maxim 
Gerfcy. 

2.  Complete  views  of  Msy  Day  Demon- 
stration 1936,  Moscow. 

*  t>a  r?.m  r.rtp.wwrz's  "the 


PARS  LORENTZ'3  "THE 
THAT...W  pj^g, 


mow 

hast  Times  Today:  "7  BRAVE  MEN" 
UAiVICU    Air-conditioned      £JC  p.  m 


Amusement  advertisement 
in  the  New  York 
Times 


In  fact  the  Soviet's  government  controlled  and  operated 
cinema  has  long  been  the  most  conspicuous  supply  of  box 
office  material  for  the  Cameo.  Now,  however,  there  is  a 
promising  rival  in  the  field,  none  other  than  the  cinema  of 
the  United  States  Government's  Administration's  WPA,  which 
has  made  its  debut  in  the  Red  sector  on  the  screen  of  the 
Cameo  with  "The  Plow  that  Broke  the  Plains." 

Great  interest  has  attached  to  the  rivalries  of  Moscow  and 
Washington  these  days,  and  now  that  it  is  coming  to  flower 
also  on  the  screen  it  may  be  expected  to  be  even  more  re- 
vealing and  artfully  animated. 

AAA 

SUNDAY  PIECE 

A WEEK  ago  Sunday  Mr.  Brooks  Atkinson,  dramatic 
critic  of  the  New  York  Times,  did  his  annual  screed  en- 
titled "No  Sunday  Article,"  this  one  being  a  disserta- 
tion on  his  Pekingese.  Last  Sunday  Mr.  Frank  S.  Nugent,  screen 
critic,  took  off  for  a  half  a  column  of  his  reflections  in  the  same 
paper  with  a  discussion  of  the  Pekingese,  and  some  alleged 
streptococci  on  the  critic's  tonsils. 

The  editor  of  Motion  Picture  Herald,  who  commonly  sub- 
merges in  The  Sunday  Times  all  the  way  from  the  last  break- 
fast coffee  to  the  first  mid-afternoon  julep,  sitting  in  the  maple- 


dappled  shade  of  the  garden-side,  has  given  the  issue  his  usual 
unhurried,  mature  consideration  and  has  decided  he'd  rather 
have  the  streptococci  than  a  Pekingese.  Angus  McTavish 
O'Dundee,  the  terrier  who  so  ably  assists  in  the  garden  sit- 
ting, ate  a  Pekingese  once  and  was  sick  for  two  days. 

Meanwhile,  it  develops  that  Mr.  Nugent  pridefully  harbours 
an  Airedale,  Briar  by  name.  It  would  be  an  Airedale,  with 
briars.  That  sets  us  wondering  what  kind  of  a  son-of-a-kennel 
Mr.  Richard  Watts  has? 


N  /  EANWHILE,  the  weather  and  the  landscape  being  what 
it  is,  there  would  appear  that  there  will  be  some  diffi- 
culty about  reaching  the  desk  betimes  of  a  Monday,  and 
The  Times  is  going  to  be  quite  a  help  to  this  page.  For 
instance,  there  is  a  joyous  piece  about  the  "appeal  to  men" 
policy  of  Mr.  Arthur  Mayer  of  the  Rialto  in  Times  Square 
calling  him  the  Merchant  of  Menace,  and  quoting  him:  "Fer 
tilized  by  the  libido  of  the  neurotic  female,  the  movies  have 
laid  an  egg."  The  Times  diagnoses  this  as  a  hybridization  of 
the  jargon  of  "Sig  and  Sime."  But,  continues  Mr.  Mayer: 
"An  adolescent  erogenic  art  has  developed  a  mother  fixa- 
tion— sic  nix  pix." 


I  NCI  DENTALLY,  right  half-way  down  a  Tom  Collins— that 
I  comes  before  the  julep  hour — we  found  some  evidence  of 
streptococci  —  or  could  they  be  saprophytic  diplococci?  — 
among  Mr.  Nugent's  statistics  whereby  he  proclaims  that  in 
the  first  six  months  of  the  year  "there  appeared  in  the  prin- 
cipal first  run  theatres  of  our  fair  city  275  feature  length  pic- 
tures of  which  120  were  foreign  made." 

The  implication  is  that  foreign  pictures  are  making  a  highly 
important  showing  on  the  screen  of  New  York.  Now  the  fact 
is  that  if  one  eliminates  the  21  British  productions  included, 
the  total  of  patron  attendance  hours,  or  circulation,  for  all  the 
foreign  product  would  scarcely  amount  to  a  week's  business  at 
the  Music  Hall.  The  British  material  for  a  lot  of  reasons  run- 
ning from  political  geography  to  corporation  structures  is  not 
properly  to  be  labeled  "foreign."  An  American  is  not  a 
"foreigner"  in  London  or  Montreal  and  a  British  picture  may 
be  an  imported  but  not  an  alien  product  here.  The  new 
International  Motion  Picture  Almanac,  now  on  the  presses,  our 
favorite  authority  in  this  field,  carries  a  British  section,  between 
the  American  and  Foreign  sections. 

The  anglophile  Times  might  take  cognizance. 

Which  reminds  us,  this  otherwise  faultless  Sunday  afternoon, 
near  the  bottom  of  the  Tom  Collins,  that  it  would  be  nice  if 
our  favorite  papers  had  a  policy.  The  Sunday  magazine  of  the 
revered  Times  and  the  book  review  section  of  the  able 
Herald  Tribune  today  are  as  red  as  a  fox  in  a  pokeberry  patch. 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  MARTIN  QUIGLEY,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher 

Incorporating  Exhibitor's  Herald,  founded  1915;  Motion  Picture  News,  founded  1913;  Moving  Picture  World,  founded  1907;  Motography,  founded  1909;  The  Film  Index, 
founded  1906.  Published  every  Thursday  by  Quigiey  Publishing  Company,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  City,  lelephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address  "Quigpubco,  New  York." 
Martin  Quigiey,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Colvin  Brown,  Vice-President  and  General  Manager;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Editor;  Ernest  A.  Rovelstad,  Ma-naging  Editor;  Chicago 
Bureau,  624  South  Michigan  Avenue,  C.  B.  O'Neill,  manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Postal  Union  Life  Building,  Boone  Mancall,  manager;  London  Bureau,  4,  Golden 
Square,  London  W  I,  Bruce  Allan,  cable  Quigpubco  London;  Berlin  Bureau,  Berlin -Tempelhof,  Kaiserin-Augustastrasse  28,  Joachim  K.  Rutenberg,  representative;  Paris 
Bureau,  19,  Rue  de  la  Cour-des-Noues,  Paris  20e,  France,  Pierre  Autre,  representative,  cable  Autre-Lacifral-20  Paris;  Rome  Bureau,  Viale  Gorizia,  Rome,  Italy,  Vittorio  Malpassuti, 
representative,  Italcable,  Malpassuti,  Rome;  Melbourne  Bureau,  Regent  Theatre,  191  Collins  St.,  Melbourne,  Australia,  Cliff  Holt,  representative;  Mexico  City  Burea'u,  Apartado  269, 
Mexico  City,  James  Lockhart,  representative;  Prague  Bureau,  Uhelny  trh  2,  Prague  I,  Czechoslovakia,  Harry  Knopf,  representative;  Budapest  Bureau,  3,  Kaplar-u,  Budapest,  Hungary, 
Endre  Hevesi,  representative;  Buenos  Aires  Bureau,  Corrientes  2495,  Dep.  8,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina,  Natalio  Bruski,  representative;  Shanghai  Bureau,  142  Museum  Road,  Shanghai, 
China,  J.  P.  Koehler,  representative;  Tokyo  Bureau,  880  Sasazuka,  Ichikawa-shi,  Chiba-Ken,  Japan,  H.  Tominaga,  representative;  Rio  de  Janeiro  Bureau,  Caixa  Postal  3358, 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil,  A.  Weissmann,  representative;  Barcelona  Bureau,  Harry  Chapin  Plummer,  Hotel  Ritz,  Plaza  de  las  Cortes,  Barcelona,  Saain.  India  Bureau;  K.  G.  Gidwaney, 
Post  Box  147,  Bunder  Road,  Karachi,  India;  Uruguay,  P.O.  Box  664,  Montevideo,  Uruguay,  Paul  Bodo,  representative.  Member  Audit  Bureau  of  Circulations.  All  contents  copyright 
1936  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Address  all  correspondence  to  the  New  York  Office.  Better  Theatres,  devoted  to  the  construction,  equipment  and  operation  of  theatres, 
is  published  every  fourth  week  as  section  2  of  Motion  Picture  Herald.  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Daily,  Motion  Picture  Almanac,  and  The  Box  Office  Check-up, 
both  published  annually. 


8 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4 ,  1936 


This  Week 


Balaban  Slated 

Barney  Balaban,  of  the  celebrated  Chicago 
circuit  of  Balaban  and  Katz,  was  scheduled 
to  be  elected  president  of  Paramount  Pic- 
tures, Inc.,  on  Thursday,  with  Adolph 
Zukor  slated  for  the  chairmanship  of  the 
board  of  directors. 

Latest  developments  in  Paramount 's  af- 
fairs, including  the  status  of  John  E.  Otter- 
son,  are  described  on  page  13. 


100  from  Britain 

British  studios  are  speeding  up  their  pro- 
duction schedules  to  a  new  pace,  with  their 
eyes  fixed  upon  the  vast  American  market. 
Advance  reports  indicate  that  100  features 
will  reach  this  country  this  season  from  the 
shores  of  Albion,  with  Gaumont  British  and 
United  Artists  leading  the  importers. 

The  assistance  that  the  machinery  set  up 
by  the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Dis- 
tributors of  America,  Inc.,  has  rendered  for- 
eign producers  of  pictures  intended  for  this 
country  has  also  been  utilized  and  is  being 
used  more  every  day,  in  the  light  of  figures 
at  the  end  of  the  first  year  of  operation. 

Details  of  the  British  activity  are  to  be 
found  in  the  story  on  page  15. 


Television  Starts 

Television  finally  reached  the  stage  this 
week  where  the  American  public  can  wit- 
ness the  results  to  date  from  the  experimen- 
tal laboratories,  RCA  launching  a  public 
test,  to  last  six  months,  broadcasting  from 
New  York. 

A  score  of  additional  developments  in  the 
new  field  are  described  starting  on  page  25. 


Long  Reel  Instruction 

The  Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and 
Sciences,  in  Hollywood,  set  out  this  week 
to  instruct  the  motion  picture  industry  on 
the  manner  and  method  of  changing  over 
on  September  1st  from  the  present  1,000- 
foot  reel  standard  to  the  new  2,000-foot 
reels.  The  reels  will  first  be  delivered  to 
exchanges  in  the  field  on  August  15th. 

See  page  24. 


Conflicting  Decisions 

Courts  in  two  states  ruled  favorably  on 
Bank  Night  this  week  while  test  cases  on 
the  legality  of  chance  games  were  threatened 
or  begun  in  four  other  instances.  There  are 
many  conflicting  court  decisions. 

Developments  in  the  situation  are  re- 
viewed on  page  44. 


Sticking  to  their  Guns 

German  subsidiaries  of  three  large  Amer- 
ican producing  companies  will  not  suspend 
operations  in  spite  of  increasing  censorship 
difficulties  and  the  impossibility  of  drawing 
any  revenue  from  the  country,  officials  of 
Paramount,  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  and 
Twentieth  Century-Fox  said  this  week.  The 
Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Distributors 
of  America  has  taken  the  stand  that  any 
action  in  the  matter  must  come  from  the 
individual  companies  concerned.  A  German 
newspaper,  attacking  the  Government's 
censorship  policy  in  a  series  of  articles,  de- 
clared that  the  threat  to  close  the  American 
distributing  offices  would  seriously  affect  the 
film  industry  in  that  country. 

A  survey  of  the  Nazi  situation  is  made  on 
page  38. 


Editorial  Page  7 

Pictorial  Preview:  "Ramona"  Page  16 

British  Studios  Page  35 

This  Week  in  Pictures  Page  10 

The  Hollywood  Scene  .                           Page  37 

Whet  the  Picture  Did  for  Me                   Page  63 

Showmen's  Reviews  Page  45 

The  Cutting  Room  Page  39 

Asides  and  Interludes  Page  31 

Managers'  Round  Table  Page  67 

The  Release  Chart  Page  77 

Technological  Page  59 

Chicago  Page  '66 

Box  Office  Receipts  Page.  50 


Counter-Campaign 

Publicity  and  advertising  executives  of 
the  major  companies  are  considering  the 
mapping  of  a  national  drive  to  support  sag- 
ging box  office  receipts  during  the  political 
campaign  this  year.  They  are  agreed  that 
the  competition  from  the  Democrats  and 
Republicans  in  the  amusement  field  will  be 
unusually  heavy. 

The  newsreels  this  week  estimated  that 
they  sent  to  exhibitors  some  3,100,000  feet  of 
positive  film  on  both  political  conventions, 
the  Republicans',  at  Cleveland,  and  the 
Democrats',  at  Philadelphia. 

The  story  is  on  page  14. 

Fund  Mystery 

Cancelled  checks  and  vouchers  for  more 
than  $1,000,000  in  funds  of  Local  306,  Mo- 
tion Picture  Operators  Union,  are  reported 
missing  in  a  story  this  week  in  the  New  York 
World  Telegram  which  has  been  campaign- 
ing against  alleged  "racket  politics"  in  the 
local.  The  records  are  being  sought  in  con- 
nection with  the  prosecution  of  Harry  Sher- 
man, former  head  of  the  local,  on  a  grand 
larceny  charge.  Union  officials  are  reported 
to  have  claimed  the  checks  disappeared  after 
the  books  of  the  union  were  confiscated  by 
Assistant  District  Attorney  William  Klein- 
man  in  1934. 

The  status  of  the  case  against  Mr.  Sher- 
man and  other  court  actions  involving 
unions  are  reviewed  on  page  44. 

Washington  Calls 

Applicants  for  the  positions  of  junior  mo- 
tion picture  directors  and  motion  picture 
specialists  with  the  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture are  sought  by  the  United  States  Civil 
Service  Commission.  An  age  limit  of  45 
has  been  set  by  the  Commission  and  several 
prospective  candidates  are  planning  to  pro- 
test to  senators  and  congressmen  that  this 
limit  is  too  low. 

Requirements  and  duties  of  the  posts  are 
given  in  the  story  on  page  36. 

Music  Publisher  Tilts 

Music  publishers  figured  in  three  battles 
this  week  in  their  relations  with  the  motion 
picture  business:  (1)  Federal  court  dis- 
missed the  suit  of  the  Music  Publishers 
Protective  Association  for  $150,000  claimed 
due  in  royalties  from  the  producers  and 
Electrical  Research  Products ;  (2)  Canada 
effected  strict  governmental  control  of 
charges  and  regulations  imposed  by  the 
Canadian  Performing  Rights  Society  on 
users  of  copyrighted  music;  and,  (3)  Amer- 
ican Society  of  Composers,  Authors  and 
Publishers  won  a  court  victory  against  new 
Georgia  tax  and  licensing  legislation. 

See  page  32. 


July    4,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


9 


Clash  over  Quota 

Out  of  a  200,000-word  Blue  Book  of  "evi- 
dence taken  before  the  Departmental  Com- 
mittee on  Cinematograph  Films"  in  Eng- 
land, testimony  from  producers,  exhibitors, 
technicians  and  makers  of  socalled  "docu- 
mentary films,"  outstanding  suggestions  are 
these :  the  Federation  of  British  Industries' 
Film  Group  wants  the  Quota  increased  to 
more  than  50  per  cent;  exhibitors  want  it 
lowered  to  10  per  cent. 

A  detailed  digest  of  the  report,  and  of 
other  developments  of  the  week  in  Britain, 
starts  on  page  55. 

Odds  and  Ends 

With  the  1935-36  season  rapidly  drawing 
to  a  close,  various  companies  are  rushing 
production  to  meet  final  release  dates,  others 
are  signing  new  directorial,  writing  and  act- 
ing talent  and  others  are  adding  producers 
to  their  ranks. 

Paramount  and  Twentieth  Century-Fox 
have  the  largest  number  of  pictures  in  the 
cutting  room  or  in  the  last  stages  of  actual 
shooting  so  that  they  should  all  be  clear  of 
the  exchanges  by  the  end  of  August. 

The  final  details  and  the  clearing  up  of 
the  odds  and  ends  of  the  current  season  are 
discussed  in  the  story  on  page  43. 

34  from  United  Artists 

Thirty-four  features,  nine  Mickey  Mouse 
cartoons  and  nine  Walt  Disney  Silly  Sym- 
phonies will  be  on  the  distribution  lineup  of 
United  Artists  next  season,  delegates  to  the 
company's  annual  sales  convention  at  the 
Ambassador  hotel  in  Los  Angeles  were  told 
this  week  by  George  Schaefer,  general  man- 
ager of  sales  and  company  vice-president, 
who  presided.  An  increased  advertising 
budget  was  also  announced  by  Mr.  Schaefer 
to  the  50  delegates  from  the  home  office, 
abroad  and  the  field. 

Details  of  the  gathering  are  found  in  the 
story  on  page  57. 

More  Trouble 

The  Federal  Government,  ace  creditor  of 
them  all,  has  joined  the  army  of  claimants 
demanding  an  accounting  of  the  assets  of 
William  Fox,  former  producer,  who  testified 
at  the  opening  of  his  bankruptcy  proceed- 
ings last  week  in  Atlantic  City.  The  Treas- 
ury Department  filed  a  lien  against  the  be- 
leaguered former  film  executive  for  $300,808 
in  taxes  for  1929  and  1930  and  for  $1,060,- 
922  in  penalties  and  interest.  Hiram  Steel- 
man,  Atlantic  City  attorney,  has  been  ap- 
pointed trustee  for  Mr.  Fox. 

The  troubles  of  Mr.  Fox  are  related  on 
page  62. 


Reception  to  Britons 

In  connection  with  the  forthcoming  visit 
to  the  United  States  of  a  group  of  British 
exhibitors,  members  of  the  Cinematograph 
Exhibitors  Association,  there  will  be  an 
especially  arranged  inspection  tour  of  Radio 
City  Music  Hall,  followed  by  a  reception  in 
the  private  salon  of  the  Music  Hall,  on  the 
afternoon  of  Tuesday,  July  28. 

Invitation  for  the  inspection  tour  was  ex- 
tended by  W.  G.  Van  Schmus,  managing 
director.  In  the  reception  and  entertain- 
ment following,  Martin  Quigley,  represent- 
ing Quigley  Publications,  will  be  associ- 
ated with  Mr.  Van  Schmns.  A  representa- 
tive list  of  New  York  theatre  and  film  com- 
pany executives  will  be  invited  to  attend 
and  to  join  in  the  reception  to  the  overseas 
visitors. 

The  British  exhibitors,  representing  Lon- 
don and  Home  Counties  branch  of  the 
C.E.A.,  are  scheduled  to  arrive  in  New  York 
on  the  Queen  Mary  on  July  26th.  Several 
weeks  will  be  spent  in  the  United  States  in 
a  tour  which  will  include  a  visit  to  Holly- 
wood. 

WPA  Film  Index 

Compilation  of  a  complete  "Bibliographical 
Index  of  the  Motion  Picture  in  America" 
has  been  launched  by  WPA  workers  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Federal  Writers'  Project 
in  New  York  City.  According  to  the  an- 
nouncement the  proposal  is  "impelled  by  the 
growing  importance  of  the  motion  picture  in 
American  life  and  the  need  for  organized 
knowledge  of  film  history."  The  plan  is  to 
compile  a  bibliography  and  after  that  a 
detailed  index  of  the  mass  of  material. 

The  project  has  an  imposing  list  of  spon- 
sors from  the  academic  and  film  worlds, 
among  them  Professor  Allan  Abbott,  Wilton 
A.  Barrett,  Professor  Walter  Barnes,  Iris 
Barry,  Marion  Beaufait,  Dr.  Fannie  Dunn, 
Dr.  Cicile  W.  Flemming,  George  Freedley, 
James  S.  Hamilton,  Dr.  Cline  M.  Coon, 
Dr.  William  L.  Lewin,  Dr.  Paul  Mann, 
Professor  Allardyce  Nicoll,  Frank  S.  Nugent, 
Terry  Ramsaye,  Professor  Milton  Smith  and 
Professor  M.  Thrasher. 

Quarterly 

So  widespread  has  been  the  interest 
accorded  the  announcement  by  Quigley 
Publishing  Company  of  the  forthcoming 
Teatro  al  Dta,  Spanish  language  publi- 
cation in  the  theatre  equipment  field, 
that  decision  has  been  made  to  issue 
Teatro  al  Dta  quarterly,  in  July,  Octo- 
ber, January  and  April. 


Exhibitor  Gathering 

The  Southeastern  Association  of  Allied 
Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  has  sched- 
uled its  annual  convention  and  frolic  for 
August  2nd,  3rd  and  4th  at  Jacksonville, 
Fla.  A  golf  tournament,  shore  dinner  and 
a  banquet  and  dance  are  included  in  the 
plans. 

Activities  of  Allied  affiliates  in  Omaha 
and  in  New  England  are  included  in  the 
story  on  page  56. 

Radio  "Cleanup" 

A  "Legion  of  Decency"  movement  in  radio, 
similar  to  that  which  caused  the  motion  pic- 
ture business  to  raise  its  standards  two  years 
ago,  was  threatened  by  Congressman  Con- 
nery,  as  a  result  of  the  broadcasting  of  pro- 
gram material  which  he  describes  as  being 
"objectionable." 

Congressman  Connery's  bitter  campaign 
on  this  issue  is  reported  on  page  18. 

Clergy  Protests  Ban 

The  action  of  Canada's  Premier  Mitchell 
F.  Hepburn  in  upholding  the  banning  of 
Warner  Brothers'  "Green  Pastures,"  on  the 
grounds  that  the  picture  is  sacrilegious, 
this  week  brought  a  storm  of  protests  both 
from  the  clergy  and  the  press. 

The  reverberations  are  described  on  tape 
49. 

At  British  Studios 

Latest  news  from  the  British  production 
centers  is  the  subject  matter  of  a  new  de- 
partment of  Motion  Picture  Herald 
starting  in  this  issue.  Among  highlights  of 
the  week  were  the  filming  of  the  first  color 
interior  on  British  soil,  by  Robert  T.  Kane's 
unit  making  "Wings  of  the  Morning"  at 
London  Films'  Denham  plant.  Another  event 
was  a  visit  of  Lord  Moyne  and  fellow  mem- 
bers of  the  Statutory  Committee  on  the 
Cinematograph  Films  Act  to  Denham,  Iver 
and  Sound  City. 

These  and  other  developments  in  Eng- 
land's film  capitals  are  reviewed  on  pages 
35  and  36. 

Newsreels  by  Air 

All  regular  issues  of  the  Gaumont  British 
newsreel  are  delivered  to  exhibitors  of  the 
United  Kingdom  by  the  company's  own 
aviation  service.  Schedules  are  in  the 
hands  of  the  showmen  and  code  telegrams 
referring  to  those  schedules  inform  the 
theatremen  just  when  the  prints  are  to 
arrive. 

How  the  system  works,  with  a  reproduc- 
tion of  one  of  the  schedules,  is  explained  on 
page  60. 


10 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


This  Week  in  Pictures 


July    4,    19  3  6 


NURSES  ATTEND  OPENING.  At  New  York  Strand  of 
Warner's  "White  Angel,"  story  celebrating  their  craft. 
Organizations  represented  were  the  American  Legion  nurses, 
Overseas  Nurses,  Ladies'  Auxiliary  of  the  Veterans  of  Foreign 
Wars,  Spanish-American  War  nurses,  and  nurses  of  St.  Vin- 
cent's Hospital. 


GIVEN  NEW  ROLE.  Anna 
Lee,  GB  featured  player, 
who  has  been  importantly 
cast  in  a  GB  production  be- 
ing directed  by  Raoul  Walsh. 


BACK  TO  WORK.  Dolores  Del  Rio 
arriving  in  New  York  on  the  Queen 
Mary,  returning  from  Europe  to  ap- 
pear in  her  first  Columbia  picture, 
"Continental." 


CARIBBEAN  BOUND.  Sidney  Rechetnik  (left),  Warner 
Brothers'  trade  paper  publicity  contact,  and  Albert  Arnold, 
his  assistant,  sailed  Saturday  aboard  the  Ponce  de  Leon  for 
a  tour  of  the  Caribbean  countries,  as  a  fortnight's  surcease 
from  home  office  labors. 

RETURN  TO  HOLLYWOOD.  (Right)  Hal  Home,  newly 
appointed  RKO  producer;  Sam  Briskin,  RKO  production  chief; 
and  Pandro  S.  Berman,  producer  of  Astaire-Rogers  musicals 
and  other  RKO  releases,  leaving  New  York  following  RKO 
convention.  Also  shown  is  Bobby  Breen,  Sol  Lesser  star,  who 
went  with  them. 


IT 
I 

July    4,    19  3  6  MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


CONTINUES  AS  NEWSREEL  "VOICE."  Luncheon  given  by 
Charles  Ford,  Universal  Newsreel  head,  to  mark  re-signing 
of  Graham  McNamee. 

Rear:  Paul  Guli.ck,  Charles  Leonard,  Sam  Sedran,  Charles  Paine,  W.  S. 
McKay,  R.  H.  Cochrane,  McNamee,  Ford,  J.  Cheever  Chowdin.  Front: 
James  R.  Grainger,  W.  J.  Heineman,  Herman  Stern,  Sidney  Singerman, 
William  Antival. 


HONORED  BY  NEWSMEN.  Sydney 
S.  Horen,  head  of  Hispano  Foxfilm, 
wearing  cape  given  him  by  Madrid 
newspapermen  during  luncheon  in  his 
honor  at  historic  Alcala  de  Henares. 


SIGNED.  Thirteen-year-old 
Edna  May  Durbin,  whom 
MGM  has  placed  under  con- 
tract. She  was  "discovered" 
singing  in  a  church  choir. 


HOST  TO  JAPANESE  STAR.  Sachike  Chiba,  called  "the 
Greta  Garbo  of  Japan,"  as  she  repaid  a  visit  to  Joe  E.  Brown, 
who  met  her  while  touring  the  Orient,  at  the  Warner  studio. 
They  are  shown  on  the  set  for  "Polo  Joe,"  Brown's  latest 
picture,  with  Carol  Hughes. 

COLLECTED  ATMOSPHERE.  (Left)  Frank  Lloyd,  who  has 
been  assigned  to  direct  "Maid  of  Salem"  for  Paramount,  pic- 
tured in  Boston,  having  come  to  New  England  to  absorb  local 
color.  Shown  with  him  is  Martin  J.  Mullin  (at  left),  who  pub- 
licized the  visit,  giving  the  film  advance  exploitation. 


12 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4 ,  1936 


SEA-SIDE-GLANCE.  Directed,  be- 
low, to  matters  less  worthy  of  our 
attention  than  Jean  Parker  herself. 
She's  prominently  on  MGM's  ros- 
ter of  featured  players. 


NAME  CONTEST  WINNERS.  Judges  in  March  of 
Time's  publicity  and  exploitation  contest,  passing  on 
campaigns  submitted  by  theatre  managers  following 
luncheon  at  the  Cloud  Club,  New  York. 

Standing:  Roy  E.  Larsen,  producer  of  March  of  Time;  Harry 
Michalson,  RKO  short  subjects  chief;  Ralph  Rolan,  vice-presi- 
dent of  March  of  Time;  Merlin  H.  Aylesworth,  chairman  of 
RKO;  Ned  E.  Depinet,  president  of  RKO  Distributing  Corpora- 
tion. Seated:  S.  Barret  McCormick,  head  of  RKO  advertising 
and  publicity;  Bruce  Barton,  prominent  advertising  executive; 
and  Jules  Levy,  general  sales  manager.  Eleven  theatre  man- 
agers won  awards — E.  M.  Hart,  Strand,  Plainfield,  N.  J.;  Stewart 
B.  Tucker,  Byrd,  Richmond,  Va.;  C.  D.  Beale,  Capitol,  Juneau, 
Alaska;  C.  B.  Craig,  Rex,  Seattle;  Roy  Bruder,  Chicago  theatre; 
Charles  Zinn,  Uptown,  Minneapolis;  J.  E.  Unger,  Arcadia, 
Temple,  Tex.;  Paul  Short,  Majestic,  Dallas,  Tex.;  Hardie  Meakin, 
Keith,  Washington;  Herb  Jennings,  Keith,  White  Plains,  N.  Y.; 
Dave  Martin,  Liberty,  Sydney,  Australia. 


TO  STUDY  ABROAD.  Gloria  Sileo, 
eight-year-old  daughter  of  James  V. 
Sileo,  New  York  motion  picture  news 
photographer,  embarking  for  Spain  to 
study  dancing  and  voice.  She  already 
has  appeared  in  a  number  of  Vitaphone 
shorts. 

ADD  CONVENTION.  (Right)  General 
view  of  the  Democratic  conclave  in 
Philadelphia,  showing  in  a  shot  by  Bill 
Montague,  Paramount  News  assignment 
editor,  how  the  newsreels  covered  this 
nominating  party. 


July   4,    19  3  6  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  .13 

BARNEY  BALABAN  SLATED 
PARAMOUNT  PRESIDENT 


Zukor  as  Chairman;  Corpora- 
tion to  Assume  Relations  with  Scheduled  to  Head 
Otterson,  Including  Salary,  Paramount  Pictures 
End  with  Close  of  Year  Term  — 


1 —  Barney  Balaban  of  Chicago  theatre 
fame  was  scheduled  to  be  elected 
president  of  Paramount  Pictures  Cor- 
poration Thursday. 

2 —  Adolph  Zukor  appeared  destined  to 
remain  in  his  post  of  chairman  of  the 
board  of  the  corporation. 

3 —  It  was  authoritatively  reported  that  the 
corporation  would  assume  that  rela- 
tions with  John  E.  Otterson,  including 
salary,  would  terminate  with  the  ex- 
piration of  his  year  term  as  president. 
This  appeared  to  guarantee  a  lawsuit 
on  Mr.  Otterson's  five-year  contract. 

4 —  The  much  discussed  and  never  revealed, 
and  also  yet  incomplete,  report  by 
Joseph  P.  Kennedy  on  the  state  of  the 
corporation,  seemed  to  be,  or  about 
to  be,  "tabled"  or  "filed"  sine  die. 

These  eventuations  arrived  Wednesday, 
the  ninth  day  of  the  Paramount  presidential 
stalemate  and  in  sequel  to  a  large  array  of 
proposals,  tentative  slates  and  brewings. 

There  was  discussion,  for  instance,  of  a 
plan  to  set  up  Mr.  Balaban  as  a  general 
manager  of  wide  authority,  officing  in  the 
East  and  specially  attending  to  distribution 
and  related  affairs,  while  the  presidency  and 
production  responsibility  in  the  West  was 
to  be  Mr.  Zukor's. 

Although  Mr.  Zukor  is  known  to  have 
had  strong  support  for  the  presidency,  he 
is  said  to  have  elected  to  continue  as  chair- 
man of  the  board. 

That  might  have  been  something  tanta- 
mount to  the  Paramount  situation,  in  some 
aspects,  when  the  celebrated  firm  of  Bala- 
ban &  Katz  was  represented  mightily  in 
the  corporation's  affairs  and  operations  by 
Sam  Katz,  now  a  producer  for  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  in  Hollywood.  Mr.  Bala- 
ban is  one  of  five  new  directors  added  to 
the  Paramount  board  two  weeks  ago. 

Debate  Over  Otterson  Situation 

The  election,  deferred  twice  since  a  special 
meeting  was  called  last  week,  was  scheduled 
for  late  Thursday  afternoon.  Until  Wednesday 
Mr.  Zukor  was  considered  the  leading  candidate 
for  the  presidency  and  it  was  believed  that  the 
only  reason  for  postponement  of  the  balloting 
was  the  problem  of  what  action  would  be  taken 
on  the  contract  held  by  John  E.  Otterson,  re- 
tiring president. 

The  situation  with  respect  to  Mr.  Otterson 
passed  through  much  debate  and  it  is  said  that 
the  ultimate  decision  to  assume  the  complete 
termination  of  relations  at  this  time  was,  and 
is,  based  on  the  contention  that  despite  his 
possession  of  a  five-year  contract,  he  could  not 
legally  be  employed  for  such  a  term  in  that 
post  since  the  board  of  directors  can  elect  a 
president  for  a  one-year  term  only. 


BARNEY  BALABAN 


The  adventures  of  Paramount  in  the  last  few 
years  have  included  a  considerable  array  of 
contract  settlements  running  into  large  figures. 

The  change  in  election  plans  came  also  in 
sequel  to  a  meeting  of  John  D.  Hertz  of 
Lehman  Brothers,  Charles  McCulloch  of  First 
National  Bank  of  Chicago,  Mr.  Balaban  and 
Edwin  Weisl  of  counsel  for  Paramount,  at 
Leona  Farms,  Mr.  Hertz's  estate  at  Cary,  111. 
The  four  are  members  of  a  directors  committee 
appointed  to  prepare  a  slate  of  officers  for  the 
board. 

The  calm  setting  of  the  Chicago  banker's 
green  pastures  which,  beside  being  his  home, 
are  the  site  of  his  internationally  known  horse 
breeding  farm,  was  a  change  of  scene  for  the 
Paramount  debate.  The  group  returned  to  New 
York  on  Monday  and  discussions  since  have 
been  held  with  the  other  directors. 

Mr.  Zukor  also  arrived  in  New  York  on 
Monday  to  continue  "a  habit  of  20  years  stand- 
ing by  spending  the  Fourth  of  July  with  his 
family  on  his  estate  in  New  York  City,  N.  Y.," 
according  to  the  Paramount  publicity  depart- 
ment, which  added  that  his  trip  was  undertaken 
solely  to  carry  out  this  family  tradition. 

Bid  to  Kennedy  Rumored 

The  continued  inaction  of  the  board  during 
the  week  brought  a  flood  of  rumors  concerning 
the  new  personnel.  The  New  York  Evening 
Journal,  a  Hearst  paper,  on  Monday  said  that 
informed  Wall  Street  observers  had  reported 
that  "Paramount  directors  have  made  another 
bid  to  Joseph  P.  Kennedy  to  become  identified 
with  the  corporation  as  one  of  its  top  officers." 

The  newspaper  quoted  the  opinion  of  "those 
in  authority  to  speak"  that  Mr.  Kennedy  fits 
the  reported  requirement  of  the  board  that  the 
new  president  must  be  "a  man  from  within  the 
organization."    The  story  pointed  out  that  the 


Joseph  P.  Kennedy's  Report 
on  State  of  Corporation 
Apparently  To  Be  "Ta- 
bled"  or  "Filed"   Sine  Die 

financier  could  be  considered  a  member  of  the 
organization  through  his  semi-official  office  as 
financial  adviser. 

The  Journal  added  that  "considerable  doubt 
was  apparent  whether  Mr.  Kennedy  would 
accept  since  reports  were  that  he  planned  to 
take  a  part  in  the  coming  Presidential  cam- 
paign." It  said  that  he  was  expected  to  attend 
Thursday's  meeting. 

Paramount  officials  said  they  were  unaware 
that  the  board  had  made  any  new  offer  to 
Mr.  Kennedy.  He  told  reporters  recently  that 
he  had  "definitely  decided"  that  he  would  take 
no  Paramount  post. 

The  theatre  end  of  the  financial  adviser's  re- 
port on  Paramount  operations  has  been  com- 
pleted but  work  is  still  progressing  on  the 
surveys  covering  the  foreign  department,  news- 
reel  and  personnel. 

Lasky  Return  Reported 

A  story  which  followed  Mr.  Zukor  from  the 
Coast  is  to  the  effect  that  Jesse  L.  Lasky  will 
leave  the  Pickford-Lasky  organization  to  re- 
join Paramount.  Daily  newspapers  in  Los 
Angeles  carried  reports  that  New  York  bankers 
interested  in  Paramount  are  insistent  on  the 
producer's  return  to  the  company,  thus  re- 
uniting him  with  Mr.  Zukor,  with  whom  he 
founded  the  organization. 

The  report  gained  substance  on  announce- 
ment that  the  production  activities  of  Pickford- 
Lasky,  Inc.,  will  be  suspended  after  completion 
of  the  current  picture,  "The  World  Is  Mine," 
because  Miss  Pickford,  who  is  an  executive  of 
United  Artists,  has  been  occupied  with  the 
affairs  of  that  company. 

The  board's  preoccupation  with  the  election 
tangle  has  prevented  official  action  on  three 
operating  agreements  which  were  scheduled  for 
action  at  the  regular  meeting  last  week.  The 
contracts  for  the  Wilby-Kincey,  Lucas  &  Jen- 
kins and  Hoblitzelle  circuits  expired  on  Wednes- 
day but  officials  of  Paramount  announced  they 
would  be  automatically  extended  for  a  year  to 
give  the  board  of  directors  additional  time  to 
study  the  new  agreements  recommended. 

It  also  was  announced  that  by  arrangement 
with  Karl  Hoblitzelle  the  operations  in  Gal- 
veston and  Austin,  Texas,  become  a  permanent 
part  of  the  Interstate  Circuit  in  which  Mr. 
Hoblitzelle  and  Famous  Theatres  Corporation 
are  equally  interested. 

Three  Carolina  Houses 
Purchased  by  Kincey 

Sale  of  one  theatre  in  North  Carolina  and 
two  in  South  Carolina  to  companies  headed 
by  H.  F.  Kincey  has  been  reported  by  L.  C. 
Sipe  of  the  L.  C.  Sipe  Theatres  Company. 
The  houses  are  the  Carolina  at  High  Point, 
the  Criterion  in  Spartansburg  and  the  Cri- 
terion in  Anderson. 


Fox  To  Build  in  Paris 

Negotiations  have  been  completed  by  Ben 
Miggins,  European  manager  for  Twentieth 
Century-Fox,  for  construction  of  a  1,000- 
seat  theatre  on  Champs  d'Elysees,  Paris. 


14  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  July    4,  1936 

FILMS  TO  FIGHT  POLITICAL  INROADS; 
NEWSREELS  TOP  CONVENTION  MARK 


Exhibitors  Get  3,168,000  Feet 
of  Newsreels  on  Conventions 


Estimating  that  the  five  newsreels — Paramount,  Fox  Movietone,  Hearst  Metro- 
tone,  Universal  and  Pathe — released  together  enough  positive  film  to  exhibitors 
on  the  Democratic  and  Republican  presidential  conventions  to  measure  3,180,000 
feet — some  600  miles — William  Montague,  Jr.,  assistant  editor  of  Paramount 
News,  this  week  added  that  the  Philadelphia  and  Cleveland  sessions  were  prob- 
ably the  most  economical,  from  the  standpoint  of  cost  to  the  newsreels,  of  all 
national  political  gatherings  to  date. 

Unlike  other  years  when  many  political  factors  viewed  the  camera  dubiously 
and  convention  managements  allowed  newsreels  to  shift  for  themselves  in  the 
matter  of  arrangements  and  accommodations,  Mr.  Montague  attributed  considerable 
of  the  savings  newsreels  were  able  to  effect  this  year  to  the  cooperation  and  con- 
sideration of  both  political  parties. 

The  convention  halls  in  Cleveland  and  Philadelphia,  first  of  all,  were  well  lighted. 
This  solved  a  major  problem  for  the  reels  as  well  as  eliminating  a  great  expense  in 
additional  arrangements  and  time. 

Secondly,  speeches  were  provided  each  newsreel  many  hours  in  advance  of 
their  delivery.  Editors  were  thus  able  to  scan  the  copy  for  highlights  and  instruct 
their  cameramen  to  shoot  accordingly,  thereby  cutting  negative  print  costs  con- 
siderably. 

As  early  as  January,  however,  newsreels  began  their  own  preparations  for 
covering  the  political  talk-fests.  Mr.  Montague  reports  that  virtually  all  of  the 
reels  were  able  to  work  according  to  these  plans. 

Nevertheless  newsreelmen  found  a  convention  day  was  "a  pretty  long  day," 
commencing  at  nine  in  the  morning  and  usually  terminating  at  three  the  following 
morning. 

Paramount  cameraman,  like  the  others,  shot  two  negatives  on  every  subject. 
While  one  negative  was  being  shipped  to  New  York  the  other  was  airmailed  to 
the  west  coast.  Thus  the  companies  were  able  to  realize  almost  simultaneous 
showings  on  both  coasts  and  throughout  the  country. 

In  all,  Mr.  Montague  figures,  the  newsreels  used  approximately  100,000  feet  of 
negative  film. 


Advertising  Executives  Suggest 
Committee  To  Lay  Out  Pro- 
gram to  Combat  Competi- 
tion of  Summer  Spellbinders 

Publicity  and  advertising  chiefs  of  the 
major  film  companies  are  considering  the 
mapping  of  a  special  campaign  to  bolster 
box-offices  late  this  summer  and  in  the  fall 
when  the  heat  of  the  political  campaign  in 
which  elaborate  showmanship  is  expected  to 
be  used,  will  draw  heavily  on  theatre  patron- 
age. 

Although  no  definite  steps  have  as  yet 
been  taken  by  any  of  the  companies  toward 
joint  action  on  a  campaign  of  institutional 
publicity  to  meet  the  competition  of  the 
political  parties  in  the  amusement  field,  nor 
have  any  preliminary  conferences  been  held, 
several  advertising  executives  have  agreed 
that  the  formation  of  a  committee  to  plan  an 
intensive  national  drive  would  prove  ef- 
fective in  meeting  the  problem. 

Such  a  committee  would  lay  down  a 
general  program  for  publicity  and  would 
work  out  a  schedule  of  contributions  from 
each  member  company  to  support  the  gen- 
eral drive  to  benefit  the  entire  industry. 

Spokesmen  for  the  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers and  Distributors  and  the  national  ex- 
hibitor organizations  already  have  issued 
warnings  that  exhibitors  must  be  prepared 
to  exert  their  most  expert  showmanship  ef- 
forts to  carry  on  even  normal  summer  busi- 
ness in  the  face  of  the  flood  of  attractions  to 
be  offered  by  politicians  to  catch  the  public's 
attention. 

The  Republican  and  Democratic  strate- 
gists have  not  completed  their  full  program 
but  they  have  announced  that  the  radio  and 
the  screen  will  plav  major  roles  in  the  gen- 
eral scheme  of  things.  At  GOP  headquar- 
ters it  was  said  that  radio  speakers  will  be 
introduced  on  programs  which  will  employ 
expensive  professional  talent,  and  the  Demo- 
crats are  considering  similar  procedure. 

Rehearing  Studied 
In  Sales  Tax  Case 

Major  distributors  in  New  York  were 
scheduled  to  come  to  a  decision  this  week  on 
procedure  in  their  announced  intention  of 
protesting  an  appellate  division  ruling  that 
local  film  rentals  are  subject  to  the  two  per 
cent  city  sales  tax.  They  may  move  to  ob- 
tain a  rehearing  in  the  original  court  instead 
of  carrying  the  case  to  the  court  of  appeals 
at  Albany. 

The  appellate  division  held  that  film  de- 
livered outside  the  New  York  city  limits  is 
not  subject  to  the  tax  but  that  film  delivered 
to  theatres  within  the  city  is.  About  $1,- 
000,000  is  expected  to  be  collected  by  the 
city  for  rentals  this  year  under  the  ruling. 

The  sales  tax  was  one  of  the  problems 
discussed  at  a  meeting  of  the  Allied  Theatre 
Owners  of  New  Jersey  on  Tuesday. 


Distributors  Sued 
InAnti-  Trust  Case 

Anger  &  Walsh  Amusement  Company  of 
Providence,  R.  I.,  has  filed  an  anti-trust  suit 
in  the  United  States  district  court  in  Boston 
against  all  large  distributors. 

Louis  Anger  and  George  W.  Walsh,  who 
formerly  operated  the  Metropolitan  in  Prov- 
idence, charge  monopoly  and  conspiracy 
which  is  claimed  to  have  resulted  in  the 
closing  of  the  theatre.  The  company  has  an 
option  to  lease  the  Metropolitan  again  when 
product  becomes  available.  George  S.  Ryan 
is  attorney  for  the  amusement  firm. 

Prizes  In  for  Connecticut  Golf 

The  Connecticut  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Owners  Association  has  received  prizes  for 
the  golf  tournament  on  July  14  at  the  Race- 
brook  Country  Club,  from  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury-Fox, National  Screen  Service,  Show- 
men's Trade  Review,  A.  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  of 
Warner  Brothers  and  GB. 


Tri-States  Circuit 
Adds  Six  in  Iowa 

With  one  swoop  of  the  pen,  A.  H.  Blank's 
circuit  of  Tri-States  Theatres,  inc.,  was  en- 
larged from  27  houses  to  33,  by  the  addition 
of  six  Souix  City,  Iowa,  theatres.  The 
deal  was  engineered  by  G.  Ralph  Branton, 
general  manager  for  A.  H.  Blank,  and  Evert 
R.  Cummings,  district  manager  at  Omaha, 
and  B.  H.  Friedman  and  Sol  Shulkin,  the 
latter  having  come  into  control  of  the  six 
theatres. 

The  deal  calls  for  a  partnership  arrange- 
ment with  the  Blank  circuit  being  in  active 
operation  of  the  houses.  The  six  houses  are : 
Granada,  Iowa,  Hipp,  Rialto,  Loop  and 
Circle.  To  complete  the  switch-over,  Eli  E. 
Seff,  who  operated  the  Circle,  Loop  and 
Rialto,  had  to  sell  out  his  interests  to  Fried- 
man and  Shulkin,  who  already  owned  and 
operated  the  Iowa  and  Hipp.  The  Granada 
was  taken  over  from  Abe  Sadoff  and  added 
to  the  group. 


July    4,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


15 


100  BRITISH  PICTURES 
FOR  U.S.  IN  1936-37 


All  Large  Companies  in  Eng- 
land Now  Aiming  at  American 
Market;  Competing  on  Their 
Merits,  Says  Major  Procter 

Production  schedules  in  foreign  studios 
have  been  stepped  up  to  a  volume  unsur- 
passed in  the  past  and  more  than  ever,  they 
are  addressing  their  effort  at  the  great 
American  market.  Especially  is  this  true  in 
England  where  practically  every  major  pro- 
duction unit  is  preparing  pictures  for  release 
in  America  as  well  as  in  the  British  Isles 
and  on  the  Continent. 

More  product  from  Great  Britain  will  be 
shown  in  this  country  in  1936-37  than  in  any 
previous  season,  advance  reports  indicate, 
with  100  features  to  be  offered  throughout 
America  as  contrasted  with  fewer  than  80 
which  in  itself  was  a  new  high,  that  achieved 
worthwhile  distribution  in  the  season  now 
closing. 

Executives  of  various  home  offices  in 
Manhattan  say  that  American  distributors 
depend  on  distribution  in  foreign  lands, 
largely  English  speaking  countries,  for  vir- 
tually one-third  of  the  total  revenue  of  all 
pictures  produced  by  their  companies.  This 
figure  amounts  to  approximately  $500,000,- 
000.  Therefore,  it  is  considered  a  logical 
development  to  see  these  same  companies 
now  arranging  for  distribution  here  of 
English  films,  particularly  in  view  of  the 
marked  improvement  in  product. 

Surveys  also  have  shown  that  the  re- 
turns from  English  pictures  in  America  this 
past  season  have  increased  because  the 
better  quality  has  brought  wider  distribu- 
tion. 

The  aim  of  every  British  producer  today 
is  to  deliver  pictures  which  will  be  judged 
on  their  merits  and  will  find  their  place  in 
world  markets  as  well  as  at  home  without 
the  aid  of  quota  laws  or  other  protective 
legislation,  Major  Henry  A.  Procter,  a  mem- 
ber of  Parliament  and  an  officer  of  six  Brit- 
ish producing  companies,  said  in  New  York 
this  week. 

"I  feel,"  he  said,  "that  heretofore  British 
pictures  have  received  fair  treatment  in  the 
American  market.  If  that  continues  and  the 
improvement  in  our  product  maintains  its 
present  pace,  I  am  confident  that  our  pic- 
tures can  compete  on  their  own  merits  with 
American  product,  not  only  at  home,  but 
also  in  this  country." 

Major  Procter  said  that  British  film  in- 
terests might  be  impelled  to  petition  for  new 
and  more  stringent  protective  legislation  at 
home  only  in  the  event  that  they  are  un- 
fairly "frozen  out"  of  the  American  market 
or  "shelved"  by  the  companies  who  handle 
their  distribution  here.  He  pointed  out  that 
British  production  todav  represents  a  tre- 
mendous investment  which  must  be  pro- 
tected now  as  never  before  from  discrimin- 
ation. 


OLD  COAST  THEATRE 
TO  BE  DEMOLISHED 

The  Hippodrome,  San  Francisco, 
one  of  the  oldest  theatrical  landmarks 
in  California,  is  being  torn  down  to 
make  room  for  an  office  building. 

The  theatre  has  been  dark  since 
1933,  when,  under  the  new  name  of 
the  Filmarte,  it  was  used  by  Ralph 
Pincus  to  roadshow  European  pictures. 

In  its  earlier  days  the  Hippodrome, 
a  1,400-seat  house,  introduced  the  old 
10-20-30  policy  to  California.  Melo- 
drama, musical  comedy,  farce  and 
vaudeville  had  their  turn  on  its  stage. 
A  new  name  and  policy  were  given 
the  theatre  by  the  firm  of  Ackerman 
and  Harris  in  1925  when  they  leased 
and  remodeled  it  as  the  Union  Square. 


Socalled  "quota  pictures"  made  in  Eng- 
land by  American  companies  were  blamed 
by  Major  Procter  for  whatever  odium  still 
is  attached  to  the  term  "British  picture"  in 
this  market.  English  producers  today,  he 
said,  are  attempting  to  overcome  that  handi- 
cap with  productions  which  will  make  the 
phrase  "British  picture"  connote  a  high 
type  of  product  characteristic  of  British 
workmanship  in  other  fields  of  industry. 

As  leading  in  the  advancement  of  British 
production  standards,  Major  Procter 
ranked  Alexander  Korda,  Max  Schach  and 
Karl  Grune  in  the  order  named.  Mr.  Schach 
and  Mr.  Grune  are  associated  with  com- 
panies in  which  the  Major  is  interested.  He 
is  president  of  Capitol  Film  Corporation, 
British  Cine  Alliance,  Cecil  Films  and  Som- 
lo ;  is  a  director  of  Trafalgar  Film  Com- 
pany and  one  of  the  founders  of  General 
Film  Distributors. 

Mr.  Korda's  producing  organization  is 
London  Films,  releasing  in  this  country  as 
well  as  in  England  through  United  Artists. 
He  plans  six  pictures  for  release  in  America 
next  season  as  well  as  in  England. 

United  Artists  also  will  handle  two  Doug- 
las Fairbanks,  Jr., -Criterion  Films  pro- 
ductions. The  first  is  "Accused,"  co-starring 
Fairbanks  and  Dolores  Del  Rio,  and  the 
second  "High  Treason,"  from  the  pen  of 
Adela  Rogers  St.  John,  with  the  producer 
also  starring. 

Elisabeth  Bergner  plans  one  production, 
"Dreaming  Lips,"  in  which  she  will  be 
starred  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Paul  Czin- 
ner.  United  Artists  also  will  handle  the  dis- 
tribution of  this  feature  here. 

British  companies  have  intensified  their 
activities  in  signing  American  stars,  writers 
and  technicians  for  work  in  pictures  aimed 
at  international  distribution.  Gaumont  Brit- 
ish has  been  one  of  the  leaders  in  acquiring 
American  acting  and  technical  talent,  this 
company  plans  a  larger  number  of  pictures 


Foreign  Producers  Show  Grow- 
ing Tendency  to  Utilize  Ser- 
vice of  American  Industry  in 
Advising  on  Scripts  and  Films 

for  American  release  than  any  other  English 
concern. 

The  sales  forces  of  the  American  branch 
of  the  organization,  in  convention  at  New 
York's  Hotel  Warwick  in  May,  were  told 
there  would  be  24  features  this  year. 

The  24  will  embrace  only  Class  A  pic- 
tures, according  to  production  head  Jeffrey 
Bernerd,  "and,  therefore,  have  been  budget- 
ed accordingly,"  including  the  appearance 
of  many  Hollywood  stars  and  the  work  of 
several  Hollywood  directors,  writers  and 
technicians.  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox  and  Walter  Wanger  Pro- 
ductions figure  prominently  in  the  loans  of 
talent  to  Gaumont-British. 

Some  29  players  will  appear  in  the  24  GB 
pictures,  among  them  the  following  recruited 
from  the  stellar  ranks  of  Hollywood :  Rich- 
ard Arlen,  George  Arliss,  Nils  Asther,  Noah 
Beery,  Constance  Bennett,  Clive  Brook, 
Mary  Carlisle,  Constance  Cummings,  Ed- 
mund Lowe,  Victor  McLaglen,  Douglass 
Montgomery,  Sylvia  Sidney,  Ernest  Truex, 
Helen  Vinson  and  Roland  Young. 

British  International  Pictures  has  com- 
pleted its  schedule  for  the  present  season 
and  now  is  lining  up  stars  and  stories  for 
1936-37.    Ten  pictures  are  in  preparation. 

At  the  same  time  it  is  to  be  noted  that 
the  machinery  established  in  New  York  by 
the  American  industry  to  advise  foreign 
producers  on  scripts  and  pictures  intended 
for  this  market,  in  order  that  they  might 
measure  up  to  Hollywood's  Production 
Code  standards,  this  week  completed  its 
first  year  of  operation  and  with  it  there 
becomes  recognizable  a  growing  tendency 
of  foreign  producers  to  utilize  the  service. 

In  1935,  only  one  country,  England,  made 
use  of  the  service  and  submitted  two  scripts 
on  which  suggestions  were  asked.  This 
year,  companies  in  three  additional  countries 
submitted  11  scripts,  for  a  total  of  13.  From 
England  and  Italy  came  five  each,  from 
France  two,  and  Spain  one. 

A  year  ago  the  organization  examined  44 
features  from  two  foreign  countries.  Eng- 
land, again,  led  with  all  but  one,  that  one 
from  Germany.  The  marked  progress  is 
evidenced  at  this  date,  32  pictures,  includ- 
ing one  short  subject,  having  been  submit- 
ted by  six  foreign  nations.  England  already 
has  sent  over  18,  France  and  Italy  five  each, 
Mexico  two,  Spain  one,  and  Austria  one 
short  subject. 

Using  the  figures  now  available  at  this 
early  stage  of  the  1936-37  season,  it  is  esti- 
mated that  more  than  100  features  from 
several  countries  will  have  been  submitted 
for  suggestion  and  approval  before  the  sea- 
son closes. 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,    I  936 


RAMONA"  FILMED 


T*HRICE  previously  "Ramona"  has 
been  the  subject  of  motion  pic- 
ture production.  D.  W.  Griffith 
pioneered  it  in  1910  with  Mary 
Pickford  starred.  Six  years  later 
W.  H.  Clune  made  it.  With  Dolores  Del 
Rio  and  Warner  Baxter  featured,  its  last 
appearance,  in  1928,  was  sponsored  by 
Inspiration  Pictures.  For  the  past  several 
months    "Ramona"    has    been  occupying 

the  attentions 

by  sus  McCarthy  of,So1  M- ,Wur+- 

zel  and  his 
in  Hollywood  Western  Ave- 

nue 20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox unit.  An  important  undertaking 
in  his  career,  certainly  one  of  the  most 
expensive,  the  confidence  which  Mr. 
Wurtzel  has  in  the  story  as  worthy  screen 
merchandise  is  reflected  by  a  growing 
Hollywood  opinion  that  in  the  modernized 
color  version  of  the  Helen  Hunt  Jackson 
novel  the  producer  has  something  of  vital 
interest  to  theatre  goers. 

The  book  upon  which  it  is  based,  like 
"Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  was  written  for  a 
purpose.  As  the  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe 
book  focused  attention  on  the  slavery 
question,  so  was  "Ramona"  influential  in 
centering  public  attention  on  the  cruelties 
and  injustices  practiced  upon  primitive 
California  Indians  by  unscrupulous  whites, 
to  become  an  effective  instrument  in  bet- 
tering those  conditions.   With  this  situa- 


tion as  background,  "Ramona"  is  an  en- 
gaging story,  ingredients  of  which  are  ro- 
mantic interest,  stark  drama,  high  adven- 
ture, comedy  and  pageantry. 

For  ten  weeks  the  company  recreating 
the  story  has  been  isolated  in  the  country 
that  is  the  original  locale.  Accompanying 
photographs  illustrate  the  beauty  and 
charm  of  its  rolling  mountain  meadows 
dotted  with  majestic  cottonwoods  and  the 
pastoral  atmosphere  of  its  hacienda.  So 
far  removed  from  other  habitation  that 
possibilities  of  production  interference 
were  at  a  minimum,  the  troupe  has  con- 
centrated on  the  mechanics  of  making  mo- 
tion picture  entertainment. 

As  "Ramona"  is  an  ambitious  undertak- 
ing in  which  great  store  is  set,  attention 
turns  toward  inspection  of  cast  selections. 
At  first  glance  Loretta  Young,  who  has 
established  a  definite  prestige  and  follow- 
ing, stands  as  the  most  prominent  name. 
Her  task  is  to  play  rhe  role  of  Ramona  as 
the  girl  lives  in  the  memories  of  the 
thousands  who  have  read  the  book  or  seen 
the  previous  pictures.  For  the  role  of 
Allesandro,  Wurtzel  chose  to  ignore  more 
prominent  screen  players  and  select  Don 
Ameche.  Widely  known  among  radio  list- 
eners, his  only  other  picture  appearance 
was  in  "Sins  of  Man."  Whatever  stature 
his  screen  debut  may  bring  him,  it  is  not 
hazardous  to  assume  that  after  "Ramona" 
Ameche  will  be  a  name  to  consider. 


July    4,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


17 


ON  STORY  SITE  IN  COLOR 


18 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4 ,  1936 


RADIO  IS  THREATENED 
WITH  "DECENCY  CLEANUP 


Britain  Continues  Bar  on  Ads 
On  Radio  for  Another  Ten  Years 

The  government  in  England  announced  on  Monday,  in  London,  that  direct 
advertising  and  sponsored  programs  in  British  radio  broadcasting  will  be  strictly 
forbidden  for  at  least  ten  years  more. 

Press  wireless  dispatches  to  New  York  quoted  Postmaster  General  G.  C.  Tryon 
as  accepting  most  of  the  recent  recommendations  by  Viscount  Ullswater's  com- 
mittee of  radio  inquiry,  Postmaster  Tryon  declaring  that,  "The  complete  exclusion 
of  advertisements  from  British  Broadcasting  Corporation  programs  is  widely  ap- 
proved." 

The  committee  had  suggested  that  sponsored  programs  might  pay  for  experi- 
mental television  programs,  but  even  this  was  ruled  out  by  the  government  with 
the  statement  that  "there  is  no  good  ground  for  making  any  exception."  The 
government,  moreover,  agreed  "to  take  all  steps  within  its  power"  to  prevent  the 
broadcasting  by  foreign  stations  of  advertising  programs  intended  for  British 
listeners. 

Broadcasting  in  Britain  is  made  possible  by  a  license  costing  10  shillings  paid 
annually  by  every  owner  of  a  radio  receiving  set.  The  revenue  from  this  modest 
tax  is  so  great  that  the  government  will  receive  and  keep  approximately  $5,250,000 
from  the  British  Broadcasting  Corporation  during  1936  exclusive  of  the  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  dollars  paid  in  income  taxes  by  the  broadcasting  division,  which 
the  government  controls. 

The  British  Broadcasting  Corporation,  which  succeeded  the  British  Broadcasting 
Company  in  1927,  operates  under  license  from  the  Postmaster  General.  The  num- 
ber of  receiving  sets  licensed  on  June  30,  1927,  was  2,307,000,  but  by  last  June  30 
it  had  grown  to  7,077,095. 


Representative  Connery  Warns 
That  Failure  to  Act  May  Pre- 
cipitate Public  Avoidance  of 
Offending  Sponsors'  Program 

Radio — motion  picture's  arch  competitor 
in  mass  entertainment — is  facing  a  "clean- 
up" by  the  American  citizenry  similar  to 
that  which  was  conducted  two  years  ago  by 
the  Legion  of  Decency  in  motion  pictures. 

That  was  the  warning  boomed  this  week 
from  the  top  of  Capitol  Hill  in  Washington 
by  William  Patrick  Connery,  fighting  New 
England  Legionnaire,  who  has  represented 
the  seventh  Massachusetts  district  in  Con- 
gress for  these  16  years,  and  who,  some  27 
years  ago,  was  himself  in  theatricals,  as  an 
actor  for  George  M.  Cohan. 

Backed  by  strong  support  in  Congress, 
standing,  as  he  does,  in  the  dual  role  of 
both  Republican  and  Democratic  favorite, 
Congressman  of  his  native  Massachusetts, 
the  Representative  openly  declared  that 
failure  of  the  government's  own  Communi- 
cations Commission  and  the  broadcasters 
— National  Broadcasting  Corporation  and 
Columbia  Broadcasting  System  being  the 
largest — to  "clean  up"  their  programs  in 
all  probability  will  precipitate  a  public 
avoidance  of  the  sponsoring  advertisers 
and  their  air  programs  by  such  a  popular 
movement. 

Smarting  under  the  refusal  of  the  leaders 
of  the  House  of  Representatives  to  give  con- 
sideration to  his  Congressional  resolution 
for  an  investigation  during  the  hectic  days 
of  the  closing  sessions,  the  Congressman,  in 
the  appendix  to  the  final  Congressional 
Record  for  the  74th  Congress,  this  week,  de- 
clared that  the  material  of  certain  broad- 
casts had  been  held,  by  the  legal  division  of 
the  United  States  Postal  Department,  to  be 
unmailable  under  the  penal  code.  Mr.  Con- 
nery did  not  specify  the  material  or  pro- 
grams which  he  declared  to  be  objectionable, 
and  a  telegraphic  request  to  his  home  in 
Lynn,  Mass.,  brought  no  response. 

His  introduction  of  the  resolution  was 
made  in  March,  after  a  so-called  "sensational 
broadcast." 

The  letter  to  Representative  Connery  of 
Karl  A.  Crowley,  Post  Office  Department 
solicitor,  holding  the  material  unmailable, 
referred  to  "a  dramatic  sketch." 

Launched  Campaign  Year  Ago 

Representative  Connery's  campaign 
against  the  issue  was  inaugurated  more  than 
one  year  ago,  following  a  broadcast  spon- 
sored by  the  Mexican  Government  in  which 
was  included  a  Spanish  song  said  to  be  of 
questionable  nature.  He  protested  to  the 
Federal  Communications  Commission  at  the 
time,  and  the  Commission  later  was  accused 
of  "whitewashing"  the  incident.  Since  then 
the  Congressman' quietly  has  been  collecting 
data  on  programs  he  considered  of-  unde- 


sirable character,  and  four  months  ago_  in- 
troduced the  resolution  for  a  full  investiga- 
tion. 

"Apparently  those  we  have  entrusted  with 
the  regulation  and  the  supervision  of  radio 
broadcasting  either  are  unwilling  or  are  un- 
able to  protect  the  American  people  from 
the  intrusion  into  their  homes  of  indecent, 
profane  or  obscene  radio  programs,  so  long 
as  someone  will  pay  the  radio  broadcasting 
stations  for  broadcasting  such  indecent  radio 
programs,"  the  Congressman  charged. 

Intimating  that  the  situation  was  due  in 
part  to  the  fact  that  two  "important  organ- 
izations"— NBC  and  CBS — own  or  control 
a  large  proportion  of  the  stations,  Mr.  Con- 
nery declared  that  although  Congress  speci- 
fically prohibited  a  radio  monopoly,  the  con- 
trol of  broadcasting  rapidly  is  passing  into 
the  hands  of  the  two  chains.  Every  one  of 
the  40  clear-channel  stations  in  the  country 
is  controlled  or  operated  by  one  of  the  large 
networks,  he  asserted.  The  Commission  is 
charged  by  the  Congressman  with  doing 
nothing  to  stop  the  "trafficking  in  radio 
franchises." 

Cites  Film  Legion  Movement 

"A  few  years  ago,"  he  continued,  "the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  aided  by  the  Pro- 
testant churches  and  those  representing  the 
Hebrew  people,  alarmed  at  the  indecency  of 
several  motion  pictures,  initiated  a  move- 


ment to  have  the  American  people  abstain 
from  patronizing  those  theatres  which  ex- 
hibited pictures  which  were  indecent  or  not 
fit  for  the  young  people  to  see. 

"The  result  of  that  campaign  was  that  but 
very  few  indecent  pictures  are  now  pro- 
duced, the  American  people  so  decidedly  in- 
dicating that  they  would  support  the  cam- 
paign initiated  by  the  Catholic  Church." 

"It  is  not  at  all  improbable,"  he  warned, 
"that  the  American  people  may  find  it 
necessary,  unless  the  Congress  acts — as  I 
expect  that  they  will — to  take  similar  action 
by  refusing  to  purchase  the  products  of 
those  concerns  who  use  the  radio  facilities 
of  such  radio  stations  as  permit  the  broad- 
casting of  indecent  or  otherwise  unfit  radio 
programs." 

Where  the  government  itself  owns  and 
operates  radio  broadcasting  stations,  as  in 
Great  Britain  and  Canada,  and  where  no 
advertising  is  permitted,  such  indecent  radio 
programs  are  unknown,  Representative  Con- 
nery concluded. 


To  Set  Playdate  Hearing 

A  date  for  the  hearing  of  the  appeal  on 
the  preferred  playdate  bill,  which  was  passed 
last  year  by  the  Ohio  legislature,  is  expected 
to  be  set  some  time  this  week,  according  to 
Rocker  and  Schwartz,  attorneys  for  the 
state. 


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WEEK! 

NEW  YORK  (Capitol) 

BOSTON 

ST.  LOUIS 
NEW  ORLEANS 
NASHVILLE 
HOUSTON 
LOUISVILLE 
KANSAS  CITY 
TOLEDO 
SYRACUSE 
PROVIDENCE 
RICHMOND 
READING 
INDIANAPOLIS 
HARRISBURG 
DAYTON 
BALTIMORE 
NORFOLK 
LOS  ANGELES 

(State  and  Chinese) 

—and  more  Hold 
Overs  as  we 
leap  to  press! 


Whoopee! 
Thanks  for 
taking  my 
tip  to  save 
plenty  of 
EXTRA 
PLAYING 
TIME!" 


Next  Page: 

What  to  do 
when  there's 
MUTINY  at 
the  box-office!") 


1 


NOTE: 

Use  this  ad  (at 
left)  to  start  your 
Second  Week! 
Substitute  name 
of  your  city  in 
headline! 


FLASH  FROM  FIRST  32 
SENSATIONAL  OPENINGS! 

(over  a  hot  Summer  week-end!) 

Rose  Marie"  in  19;  beats  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty" 
in  13;  beats  "China  Seas"  in  12;  beats  "Wife  Vs.  Secretary" 
in  11;  beats  "Tugboat  Annie"  in  10  —  iusr.  the  start! 


24 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,  1936 


INSTRUCTING  INDUSTRY 
ON  2,000-FOOT  REELS 


Will  Be  Delivered  for  Use  On 
and  After  September  I ;  Ex- 
changes to  Advise  Exhibitors 

Studios,  exchanges  in  the  field,  distribu- 
tion departments  in  New  York,  and  the  film 
laboratories  on  both  coasts  are  now  being 
provided  with  comprehensive  reports  and  in- 
structions for  making  the  changeover  on 
September  1st  of  reel  lengths  from  the  1,000- 
foot  standard,  that  has  prevailed  for  a 
quarter  century,  to  the  new  length  of  2,000 
feet.  The  reels  will  be  delivered  to  the  ex- 
changes on  August  15th,  for  use  on  and  after 
September  1st,  and  exhibitors  will  be  in- 
structed accordingly  at  that  time  by  the  ex- 
changes on  the  proper  method  of  handling. 

"It  is  anticipated  that  the  new  standard 
will  go  into  effect  smoothly  and  without  any 
confusion  or  disturbance  to  existing  rou- 
tine," declared  the  Research  Council  of  the 
Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and 
Sciences,  this  week,  in  Hollywood.  Reel 
manufacturers  are  now  building  reels  to 
meet  the  Council's  specifications,  the  Aca- 
demy having  sponsored  the  changeover. 

A  group  meeting  of  all  film  editors 
working  in  each  studio  will  be  held  on  each 
lot  during  the  next  ten  days  to  discuss 
final  instructions  for  changes  in  cutting 
procedure  necessary  as  a  result  of  the 
adoption. 

The  first  of  these  meetings,  all  of  which 
are  under  the  direction  of  Gordon  S. 
Mitchell,  manager  of  the  Academy  Research 
Council,  was  held  at  Warner  Brothers  First 
National  Studios  the  other  day,  with  Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox  Western  Avenue  Studio 
meeting  next,  followed  in  order  by  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  cutters  and  RKO-Radio 
cutters. 

Meetings  at  Columbia,  Twentieth  Century 
Fox  Westwood  Hills,  Paramount,  Universal, 
and  United  Artists  will  be  scheduled  within 
the  few  days. 

Many  Changes  Already  Made 

Many  of  the  necessary  alterations  and  ar- 
rangements already  have  been  completed  in 
anticipation  of  the  use  of  the  new  reel  stand- 
ard on  September  1st.  Although  most  re- 
lease print  laboratories  now  ship  prints  to 
the  exchanges  already  mounted  on  1,000-foot 
reels,  after  the  reel  standard  goes  into  effect 
all  laboratories  will  print  and  ship  film  to 
the  exchanges  in  1,000-foot  lengths  and  not 
mounted  on  reels,  where  the  two  1,000-foot 
lengths  will  be  spliced  together  and  then  be 
mounted  on  the  larger  reels. 

Where  under  the  old  procedure  all  reels 
for  each  company  have  been  purchased  from 
the  manufacturer  and  used  at  the  release 
print  laboratory,  where  all  of  the  product  of 
that  company  is  mounted  for  shipment  to 
the  exchanges,  after  the  new  standard  goes 
into  effect  reels  for  use  in  each  district  will 
be  shipped  to  and  used  at  the  exchange  cen- 
ter in  that  district. 

The  2,000-foot  reel  will  have  an  outside 
diameter  of  14^  inches,  and  a  hub  diameter 
of  four  inches,  so  that  practically  every  ex- 
isting projector  is  adaptable  to  the  innova- 


tion without  change  of  magazine  or  base. 
In  projection,  no  change  in  equipment  is 
necessary  except  in  possibly  two  or  three 
hundred  theatres  having  the  early  type 
Powers  6A  projectors,  which  require  new 
magazines  and  base.  Of  the  6,900  theatres 
represented  in  the  survey  returns  (45.5  per 
cent  of  the  theatres  queried),  only  800  re- 
ported equipment  unsuited  to  the  15-inch 
reel,  and  able  to  use  the  14^  inch  unit  with- 
out equipment  changes. 

Opposition  to  the  larger  reel  continues, 
however,  from  union  projectionists,  notably 
in  the  larger  cities.  Union  leaders  assert 
that  the  larger  reel  increases  fire  hazard. 

Lower  Cost  to  Distributor 

One  persuasive  factor  operating  to  make 
the  2,000-foot  reel  the  new  standard  unit  of 
film  is  the  reduction  in  costs  to  be  realized 
by  distributors,  and  the  greater  facility  in 
editing  permitted  the  producer.  A  total  of 
77  feet  of  film  for  leaders  and  comparable 
footage  will  be  saved  for  each  eight-reel 
subject.  In  addition,  a  large  saving  in  print 
replacement  is  expected  due  to  diminished 
depreciation  of  the  film,  particularly  in  open- 
ing and  final  footages.  William  Koenig, 
chairman  of  the  Research  Council,  has  pre- 
dicted a  total  saving  to  the  companies  of 
$250,000  a  year,  and  some  later  unofficial 
estimates  have  placed  the  saving  at  two  and 
three  times  this  amount. 

Greater  facility  in  editing  is  achieved  by 
elimination  of  the  necessity  to  provide  for 
from  six  to  eight  changeovers.  On  an  av- 
erage, only  three  will  be  necessary  with  the 
2,000-foot  unit  in  force. 

On  the  other  side,  the  change  will  impose 
an  initial  expenditure  on  distributors  of 
about  $12,000  for  reels  and  cases,  and  the 
seven  subscribing  distributors  estimate  that 
each  will  have  to  spend  this  amount  during 
the  first  year.  Part  of  this  outlay  will  be 
occasioned  by  physical  adjustments  in  their 
branch  offices. 


St.  Louis  Transfer 
Now  Set  for  Friday 

Harry  C.  Arthur  left  New  York  for  St. 
Louis  Monday  to  confer  with  local  repre- 
sentatives on  the  Warner  theatre  deal.  The 
deal  involves  the  turning  over  to  Fanchon 
and  Marco  of  three  theatres  held  by  War- 
ner Brothers  as  a  part  of  the  agreement 
which  settled  the  Government's  anti-trust 
suit  against  Warners,  RKO  and  Paramount, 
which  suit  was  instituted  on  complaint  of 
F  and  M. 

Unless  last  minute  complications  develop, 
F  and  M  will  take  over  the  Shubert-Rialto, 
Orpheum  and  Hi-Pointe,  all  in  St.  Louis,  on 
Friday.  The  boards  of  the  various  F  and 
M  companies  in  St.  Louis  met  Monday  to 
ratify  contracts  in  connection  with  the  deal. 


MICRO  FILMS 
STANDARDIZED 

The  Division  of  Simplified  Practice 
of  the  National  Bureau  of  Standards 
announces  that  the  proposed  simpli- 
fication program  for  film  used  in 
microphotography  has  been  approved 
by  representatives  of  those  at  interest, 
and  will  become  effective  August  1, 
1936. 

Students,  technicians,  librarians, 
and  others  have  found  it  practical  to 
copy  on  photographic  film,  minia- 
ture-size images  of  records,  manu- 
scripts, books,  newspapers,  fragile 
volumes,  and  rarely  accessible  docu- 
ments of  all  descriptions,  for  the 
purpose  of  future  examination  and 
study,  at  places  remote  from  the  loca- 
tion of  the  original  documents. 

Under  conditions  imposed  by  travel 
in  many  countries  these  copyists  have 
found  it  convenient  to  adapt  to  their 
specialized  use  the  readily  available 
"movie"  films  of  }5mm.  As  a  nat- 
ural concomitant  of  this  practice, 
cameras  and  reproduction  devices  are 
being  used  to  an  ever  -  increasing 
extent.  This  has  resulted  in  the  need 
for  careful  and  accurate  design  of 
necessary  apparatus,  to  insure  an  or- 
derly advancement  of  the  art  of 
copying. 

The  simplified  practice  recommen- 
dation, which  is  intended  to  serve  as 
the  first  step  in  the  direction  of  or- 
derly advancement  of  the  art  of 
copying,  establishes  two  standard 
stock  widths  of  motion  picture  film 
for  use  in  the  process  of  copying, 
namely,  16mm.  and  35mm,  respec- 
tively. 


Ace  in  London  Gets 
Educational  Product 

Distribution  of  Educational  Pictures'  short 
subject  product  throughout  the  United  King- 
dom will  hereafter  be  handled  through  Ace 
Films,  Ltd.,  of  London.  The  new  agreement 
was  reached  between  E.  W.  Hammons,  Edu- 
cational president,  and  Frank  Green,  head 
of  Ace  Films,  and  takes  effect  on  the  ex- 
piration of  the  contract  between  Educational 
and  Gaumont-British,  applying  to  the  1936- 
1937  output.  The  new  distribution  contract 
is  for  five  years. 

Ace  Films  has  distributed  a  limited  num- 
ber of  Educational's  pictures  through  the 
British  Isles  during  the  last  season. 


Kahane's  Contract 
Extended  by  RKO 

B.  B.  Kahane's  contract  as  president  of 
the  RKO  Radio  Studios,  Inc.,  was  extended 
last  week  at  a  regular  meeting  of  the  board 
of  Radio  Pictures. 


South  Africa  Adopts 
16  MM.  Film  Standard 

The  standard  for  16  millimeter  sound  films 
developed  by  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture 
Engineers  of  America  has  been  adopted  by 
the  South  African  Standards  Institution,  ac- 
cording to  a  report  from  Johannesburg.  The 
decision  to  adopt  the  American  standard  in 
preference  to  the  German  is  said  to  have 
been  based  on  the  fact  that  the  British  Stan- 
dards Institution  with  which  the  South 
African  body  is  affiliated,  has  decided  to  fol- 
low the  American  specifications. 


July    4,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


25 


TELEVISION  "ARRIVES"; 
GIVEN  PUBLIC  TEST 


Million  Dollar  Field  Experiment 
Started  by  RCA  from  Atop 
Empire  State  Building  As  Film 
Protection  Is  Strongly  Urged 

New  York  on  Monday  tuned  in  on  tele- 
vision, in  the  first  public  test  conducted  in 
America.  Television,  then,  has  arrived,  with 
limitations. 

As  the  Radio  Corporation  of  America 
started  unreeling  images  into  space  from 
atop  the  102-story  Empire  State  Building 
near  Herald  Square,  starting  a  $1,000,000 
field  test,  the  United  States  Government  con- 
tinued its  hearings  at  Washington  to  deter- 
mine television's  future  and  its  competitive 
relationship  to  the  motion  picture,  radio  and 
the  news  press.  Out  of  this  week's  hearings, 
being  conducted  by  the  Federal  Communi- 
cations Commission,  came  the  following 
highlight  testimony : 

Robert  Robins,  of  New  York,  pleaded 
for  protection  of  the  motion  picture  busi- 
ness by  placing  in  its  control  the  new  tele- 
vision medium. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  and  the  Acad- 
emy of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences 
asked  that  four  television  frequencies  be 
set  aside  for  motion  picture  use. 

New  York  school  authorities  testified 
that  television  is  to  be  adopted  for  edu- 
cational purposes. 

James  M.  Skinner,  chairman  of  the 
Radio  Manufacturers  Association,  declared 
that  television  has  arrived,  and,  accord- 
ingly, advanced  a  five-point  program  for 
its  regulation. 

Nor  did  the  interest  in  television  this  week 
involve  only  RCA's  tests  and  the  Government's 
inquiries,  what  with  New  York  hearing  reports 
of  a  television  newsreel  theatre  coming  for  its 
fashionable  Park  Avenue,  David  Sarnoff,  RCA 
executive,  predicting  costly  test  periods  ahead 
for  television,  and  Trans-Lux  Newsreel  The- 
atres casting  an  eye  toward  the  English  tele- 
vision market,  where  actual  broadcasting  was 
to  start  this  week. 

Ten  Kilowatt  Station  Opens 

A  10-kilowatt  $1,000,000  radio  station  atop 
the  Empire  State  Building  began  the  first  regu- 
larly scheduled  television  broadcast  in  America, 
on  Monday. 

The  Radio  Corporation  of  America,  staging 
the  broadcasts  and  likewise  employing  more 
than  100  observers  over  a  35-mile  radius  to 
report  on  reception,  said  their  program  was 
purely  experimental,  but  might  be  the  last  step 
in  making  television  available  for  home  use. 

Engineers  working  on  the  test  indicated  that 
they  expect  the  field  test  to  iron  out  the  kinks. 

They  said  television  may  not  be  ready  for 
mass  production  for  years,  but  they  also  said  it 
might  be  ready  in  one  year. 

Three  Difficulties  Cited 

Three  difficulties  are  outstanding  in  the  obsta- 
cles to  wholesale  production  of  television  units 
now,  it  was  indicated:  (1)  receiving  sets  are  not 
perfect ;  (2)  a  receiving  set  costs  $500  or  more 
to  build;  (3)  television  waves  seem  to  travel 


TELEVISION  AND 
MOTION  PICTURES 

"Who  will  guide  the  destiny  of 
television  when  it  does  come?"  asked 
the  New  York  Times,  in  an  editorial 
expression  published  this  week.  This 
inquiry  was  made:  "Will  the  radio 
companies  assume  control,  as  their 
affiliation  with  sound  pictures  seems 
to  indicate?  Or  will  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry  simply  evolve  into  a 
television  organization  which  will 
concern  itself  with  the  transmission 
of  images  and  leave  the  making  and 
selling  of  receivers  to  the  radio  com- 
panies? Even  now  the  strategists 
must  be  laying  their  plans  to  wage 
a  struggle  that  will  decide  which  of 
two  conflicting  groups  is  to  enter- 
tain a  continent." 


off  the  earth  at  the  horizon,  restricting  the 
effective  radius  of  a  broadcasting  station  to  ap- 
proximately 30  miles. 

RCA  engineers  hope  that  the  broadcasts  be- 
gun this  week  will  enable  them  to  end  the  first 
difficulty ;  they  think  that  mass  production  then 
would  eliminate  the  second,  and  they  have  hopes 
that  their  new  broadcasting  station,  said  to  be 
the  most  powerful  in  the  world,  would  solve 
some  mysteries  about  the  behavior  of  the  tele- 
vision waves. 

The  Empire  State  station  uses  a  six-meter 
wave.  It  is  based  upon  inventions  of  Dr. 
Vladimir  K.  Zworykin.  Its  "heart"  is  an 
"iconoscope,"  a  large  cathode  ray  bulb  installed 
in  what  looks  like  a  camera.  It  transforms 
what  it  "sees"  into  radio  waves  in  much  the 
same  manner  in  which  a  microphone  acts  on 
sound  waves. 

Receiving  sets  scattered  in  homes  and  offices 
about  New  York  and  in  automobiles  which 
tested  reception  in  every  section  of  the  city, 
have  33  tubes  and  14  control  dials.  The  tele- 
vision "picture"  appears  in  a  mirror  on  the  in- 
side of  the  cabinet  lid,  which  is  tilted  at  an  an- 
gle to  reflect  it  from  a  tunnel-shaped  cathode 
ray  inside. 

Television's  New  York  debut  was  favored 
with  an  ideal  day  in  which  the  image  might 
smile  through  space  without  being  blurred  by 
static. 

Telephone  calls  which,  according  to  a  repre- 
sentative of  RCA,  "swamped  the  operators," 
were  said  by  the  New  York  Times  to  have 
revealed  widespread  interest  in  the  test,  many 
of  the  inquiries  asking  where  they  might  go 
to  watch  the  "performance."  They  were  told 
that  only  a  few  receivers  have  been  set  up 
as  observation  outposts  and  that  the  sites  had 
not  been  made  public. 

It  is  understood  restaurant,  department 
stores,  night  clubs  and  other  public  gather- 
ing places  have  requested  that  receivers 
be  installed  so  that  their  guests  and  clients 
may  look  in  on  the  experimental  "enter- 
tainment." 

While  amateur  experimenters  eavesdropped 
on  the  six-meter  wave  band  to  "hear"  what 
television  sounded  like,  the  engineers  affiliated 


20th  Century-Fox  and  Academy 
Ask  Federal  Commission  to 
Set  Aside  Four  Television 
Frequencies    for    Film  Use 

with  the  project  held  fast  to  their  policy  of 
secrecy.  They  assert  they  do  not  expect  to  learn 
much  in  a  few  days  or  weeks,  and  contend  it 
may  be  six  months  before  a  report  can  be 
written  on  the  results. 

Those  with  all-wave  receivers  which  can  tune 
down  to  six  meters  reported  the  signal  strong 
in  the  metropolitan  area,  but  they  had  only 
sound  receivers  and  could  not  "see." 

Visibility  at  Maximum 

No  report  was  available  as  to  how  far  the 
images  traveled,  but  the  perfect  June  day  was 
considered  to  be  a  clue  that  the  broadcast  cov- 
ered a  wide  radius.  The  visibility  from  the  top 
of  the  Empire  State  Building  was  reported  at 
maximum,  and  tower  attendants  said  that  meant 
between  25  to  40  miles. 

It  is  known  that  the  ultra-shortwave  tele- 
vision signals  projected  from  the  10-kilowatt 
transmitter  have  sufficient  strength  to  cover  as 
far  as  the  eye  can  see.  With  atmospheric  con- 
ditions ideal,  radio  men  said,  there  was  no  doubt 
that  television  in  this  debut  reached  at  least  to 
the  horizon  that  visitors  in  the  lofty  tower 
could  see. 

Although  official  spectators,  many  of  them 
technical  radio  men,  "look  in,"  it  is  understood 
their  observations  on  the  quality  of  the  images 
will  be  kept  secret.  The  only  indication  that 
the  tests  reveal  signs  of  success  is  found  in  the 
fact  that  licensees  of  the  Radio  Corporation  of 
America  will  be  invited  to  see  the  "show"  and 
apparatus  on  July  7.  The  demonstration  of  the 
33-tube  receiving  instrument  will  be  held  in 
studios  at  Radio  City  or  in  a  hotel,  according 
to  a  representative  of  the  corporation. 

The  entire  85th  floor  of  the  Empire  State 
Building  is  devoted  to  the  television  transmitter. 

Up  to  the  Images 

Comment  reported  in  the  New  York  press 
from  engineers  connected  with  the  project  indi- 
cated they  expected  television  to  develop  so 
rapidly  in  the  field  test  that  prophecy  would  be 
dangerous  at  this  time.  They  said  they  expected 
to  learn  much  about  the  new  science  within  the 
next  year ;  and  if  all  goes  well  they  may  then 
know  when  and  how  television  will  be  intro- 
duced as  home  entertainment. 

Much  will  depend  upon  how  images  behave 
amid  the  skyscrapers  when  it  comes  to  deciding 
whether  or  not  television  is  to  reach  the  mass 
production  scale  within  a  year  or  five  years, 
according  to  the  experts  who  for  years  have 
been  developing  the  apparatus  in  the  labora- 
tories. 

There  are  no  retail  price  tags  on  the  tele- 
vision sets.  They  are  estimated  to  cost  $500  or 
more.  Reduction  of  the  cost  and  of  the  number 
of  control  knobs  from  the  present  14  constitutes 
two  of  the  additional  problems  the  engineers 
hope  to  solve  as  a  result  of  this  experiment  in 
the  field. 

Urges  Protection  of  Film  Industry 

The  plea  for  protecting  the  film  industry  by 
placing  in  its  .control  the  new  television  soon 
to  be  offered,  was  made  before  the  Federal 
Communications  Commission  late  last  week  by 
Robert  Robins  of  New  York.   Mr.  Robins  has 

(Continued  on  following  page) 


26 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,    19  3  6 


RADIO  MANUFACTURERS  OFFER  PLAN 


Present  Patent  Office  Laws 
Are  100  Years  Old  This  Week 


The  American  patent  system  under  which  hundreds  of  motion  picture  film 
processes,  projectors  and  sound  devices  have  been  developed,  is  100  years  old  this 
week. 

On  July  4,  183  6,  all  existing  patent  laws  were  revoked  and  the  nation  started 
with  a  clean  slate.  The  century  since  that  date  has  seen  the  most  remarkable  era  of 
mechanical  and  material  progress  in  human  history. 

The  system  adopted  at  that  time  and  in  use  today  required  the  submission  of 
models  and  provided  for  a  strict  examination  of  the  claims  to  determine  whether 
the  ideas  really  were  worthwhile  and  original.  Since  the  office  started  to  function 
the  world  has  been  given  the  telegraph,  telephone,  automobile,  airplane,  radio,  motion 
picture,  machine  manufacturing  of  all  kinds,  and  mechanized  farming,  most  of 
which  have  been  developed  in  America. 

Present  records  of  the  Patent  Bureau  hold  plans  for  thousands  of  odd  devices  in 
addition  to  the  ideas  on  which  the  trappings  of  modern  civilization  are  based.  In 
1828  Isaiah  Jennings  of  New  York  City  received  a  patent  for  a  means  of  producing 
"fire  and  light"  by  means  of  chemicals  sealed  in  a  glass  tube.  Book  matches  and 
13  cent  cigarettes  came  later.  Something  more  practical,  although  too  early  to  be 
really  useful,  was  a  "method  for  distilling  alcohol  from  Indian  corn." 


(Continued  from   preceding  page) 

figured  prominently  in  attacks  on  the  "big  elec- 
trics" in  films. 

Only  by  taking  such  action,  Mr.  Robins  de- 
clared, can  the  Government  protect  the  many 
millions  of  dollars  invested  by  the  motion  pic- 
ture companies. 

Mr.  Robins'  testimony,  together  with  a  brief 
filed  by  E.  H.  Hanson  on  behalf  of  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  and  the  Academy,  marked  the 
closing  of  nearly  two  weeks  of  hearings  on  the 
engineering  problems  of  frequency  allocations 
to  television  and  other  services. 

Declaring  that  his  own  group  of  independent 
picture  interests  have  plans  and  capital  for  the 
introduction  of  a  television  service,  if  assured 
that  it  is  not  to  be  turned  over  to  the  large 
radio  companies,  Mr.  Robins  submitted  to  the 
Commission  a  three-point  plan  for  television 
operation. 

In  its  early  stages,  under  this  plan,  tele- 
vision would  be  confined  to  entertainment 
and  educational  purposes,  such  as  are 
offered  by  motion  pictures,  and  should 
be  kept  free  from  advertising.  Second, 
television  programs  would  be  a  separate 
and  distinct  service,  offered  to  users  on 
a  service-charge  basis.  Third,  the  rates, 
rules  and  regulations  for  the  service  so 
offered  would  be  determined  by  a  gov- 
ernmental body. 

"The  essential  features  of  our  plan,"  he  said, 
";n  no  way  injure  or  render  precarious  the 
status  and  scope  of  operations  or  social  bene- 
fits of  radio,  the  newspaper  industry  or  the 
printed  word.  Past  experience  in  the  motion 
picture  industry  demonstrates  that  it  is  un- 
economic to  combine  advertising  with  a  visual 
program.  Audiences  find  this  even  more  objec- 
tionable than  an  audible  advertising  announce- 
ment in  connection  with  radio  broadcasting." 

"Moreover,"  he  pointed  out,  "it  is  doubtful 
whether  an  advertiser,  in  order  to  obtain  the 
real  value  of  his  advertising — because  the  bene- 
ficial effects  of  advertising  are  obtained  by  con- 
stant repetition — could  afford  the  enormous  ex- 
pense entailed  by  providing  programs  accepta- 
ble for  the  eye." 

Mr.  Hanson's  statement  was  offered  in  sup- 
port of  his  previously  filed  suggestion  that  four 
frequencies  in  as  many  bands  be  set  aside  for 
motion  picture  use,  and  pointed  out  that  radio 
has  been  very  valuable  for  communication  by 
production  units  on  location  with  their  head- 
quarters, particularly  where,  as  frequently  oc- 
curs, no  other  means  of  communication  is 
available. 

The  two  weeks  of  hearings  developed  a  mass 
of  testimony  and  suggestions  for  the  best 
method  of  allocating  radio  frequencies  as  be- 
tween the  various  services  which  now  must  be 
digested  by  the  Commission.  Before  making 
any  decision  as  to  allocation,  however,  it  is 
anticipated  that  further  hearings  will  be  held, 
probably  late  in  the  summer,  at  which  other 
problems  of  television,  broadcasting,  etc.,  will 
be  discussed. 

"Expert  technical  opinion  holds  that  tele- 
vision services  are  ready  for  commercial  ex- 
ploitation," Mr.  Robins  testified,  adding :  "The 
introduction  thereof  threatens  the  capital  struc- 
ture of  the  moving  picture  industry,  as  well  as 
its  very  existence. 

"Briefly  stated,  according  to  the  U.  S.  De- 
partment of  Commerce,"  he  continued,  "the 
vital  statistics  of  the  motion  picture  industry 
are  as  follows : 

"1.  The  motion  picture  industry  represents 
a  capital  investment  of  $2,000,000,000. 


"2.  The  motion  picture  industry  provides  em- 
ployment for  270,000  people. 

"3.  The  motion  picture  industry  has  an  an- 
nual revenue  of 

(a)  $700,000,000  from  paid  admissions  ; 

(b)  $220,000,000  from  film  rentals. 

"4.  It  pays  the  government  $100,000,000  per 
year  in  taxes,  exclusive  of  state  and  municipali- 
ties' taxes  on  real  estate  and  land  values. 

"6.  The  annual  expenditures  for  its  advertis- 
ing are  : 

(a)  $70,000,000  domestic; 

(b)  $30,000,000  foreign. 

"7.  Insurance  paid  by  this  industry  is  $30,- 
000,000  annually. 

"8.  13,386  theatres  are  now  operating 
throughout  the  United  States. 

Cites  Cultural  Factor 

"Finally,  the  talking  motion  picture  is  one  of 
the  major  cultural  factors  of  American  life.  Up- 
wards of  80,000,000  people  go  to  the  movies 
every  week.  Their  habits  of  thought,  their 
tastes,  their  standards  of  living,  are  consciously 
and  subconsciously  affected  by  what  they  hear, 
but  overwhelmingly  determined  by  what  they 
see. 

"The  introduction  of  combined  visual  and 
aural  programs  into  the  home,"  continued  Mr. 
Robins,  "places  the  entire  investment  repre- 
sented by  the  exhibition  phase  of  the  talking 
motion  picture  industry  in  a  very  precarious 
position. 

"Who,  but  those  with  substantial  investments 
in  the  motion  picture  industry,  can  claim  a 
greater  moral  and  economic  priority  to  assume 
the  development  of  television,"  concluded  Mr. 
Robins,  who  then  advanced  his  plan  for  control. 

Sees  Aid  to  Employment 

With  further  development,  television  will  pro- 
vide a  stimulus  to  increased  employment  and 
national  prosperity,  James  M.  Skinner,  chairman 
of  the  Radio  Manufacturers  Association,  told 
the  Federal  Communications  Commission  at  the 
conference. 

Mr.  Skinner,  who  is  also  president  of'  the 
Philadelphia  Storage  Battery  Company,  laid 
before  the  Commission  a  basic  five-point  pro- 


gram to  plan  for  the  successful  development  of 
television. 

Mr.  Skinner  urged  the  Commission  to  adopt 
the  following  television  policies  : 

1.  Establishment  of  a  single  set  of  television 
standards  for  the  United  States  so  all  receivers 
shall  be  capable  of  receiving  the  signals  of  all 
transmitters. 

2.  Development  of  pictures  free  from  dis- 
tortion and  blur,  approaching  ultimately  the  dis- 
tinctness and  clarity  obtainable  in  home  movies. 

3.  Provision  for  services  giving  as  near  na- 
tion-wide coverage  as  possible,  so  that  the  bene- 
fits of  television  may  be  available  to  all  sec- 
tions of  the  country. 

4.  Provision  for  a  choice  of  programs,  that 
is  simultaneously  broadcasting  of  more  than  one 
television  program  in  as  many  localities  as  pos- 
sible, to  avoid  monopoly  and  to  provide  variety 
of  educational  and  entertainment  features. 

5.  Lowest  possible  receiver  cost  and  easiest 
possible  tuning,  to  stimulate  domestic  installa- 
tions of  television  receivers,  both  of  which  are 
best  achieved  by  allocating  for  television  as 
nearly  a  continuous  band  in  the  airwaves  as 
possible. 

Cost  Less  Than  Average  Auto 

While  it  is  not  possible  at  present  to  deter- 
mine exactly  what  the  selling  price  of  a  tele- 
vision receiver  will  be,  Mr.  Skinner  said,  it  will 
most  likely  cost  less  than  the  average  automo- 
bile. 

Samuel  E.  Darby,  Jr.,  representing  indepen- 
dent radio  manufacturers,  urged  upon  the  Com- 
mission an  investigation  of  what  he  termed 
a  "monopoly"  held  by  RCA  in  the  radio  indus- 
try through  its  system  of  patent  pooling.  He 
asserted  that  "RCA  can  grant  or  refuse  to 
grant  permission"  for  companies  to  engage  in 
the  manufacture  and  sale  of  radio  equipment 
through  the  license  system. 

New  York  City  school  officials  told  the 
Communications  Commission  that  schools 
of  the  metropolis  intended  to  use  television 
for  education  as  soon  as  it  was  perfected. 

Albert  L.  Colston  of  Brooklyn  Technical 
High  School  said  that  television  would  permit 

(Continued  on  page  29) 


NOW  HE'S  A 


1 


ON  THE  SCREEN! 

Warner  Bros.  Gleefully  Give 
You  the  Hilarious  Hero  of 
the  Saturday  Evening  Post's 
Most  Celebrated  Story  Series 

in 


DICK  FORAN  •  CAROL  HUGHES  •  GENE 
LOCKHART  •  OLIN  HOWLAND  •  JOSEPH 
CREHAN  •  Directed  by  Raymond  Enright 

x  A  First  National  Picture 


There  are  no  buts  about  Botts-Wm.  Hazlett  Upson's 
famous  'natural  born  salesman'  is  the  long-run 
laugh-record  holder  of  the  age!  Ten  years  in  the 
Post  and  a  steady  following  of  over  10-million 
readers  give  you  a  self-starting  ticket  turnover  for 

Another  Swell  Box  Office  Number 


nip 


from 


WARNER  BROS. 


July    4,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


29 


SCHOOLS  PLAN  USE  OF  TELEVISION 


(Continued  from  page  26) 

use  of  "master  teachers"  and  bring  "master 

blackboards"  into  the  700-odd  schools  of  the 

largest  city  and  before  more  than  1,000,000 
students  simultaneously. 

Asked  to  Open  Channels 

The  Commission  was  asked  to  open  up  radio 
channels  for  experiment  with  television,  by 
Ralph  A.  Clark,  New  York  City  radio  engi- 
neer, who  accompanied  the  new  transmission 
request  with  a  prediction  that  it  could  be 
"launched  commercially  before  many  months." 
Mr.  Clark  disputed  the  opinions  of  other  radio 
technicians,  as  given  previously  before  the  fact- 
finding investigation  that  television  sets  and  sta- 
tions would  be  costly. 

"Television  stations  will  be  cheaper  to  build 
than  present  broadcasting  stations,"  he  said, 
"and  will  consume  less  power." 

Mr.  Clark,  who  represented  the  Television 
Corporation  of  America,  asserted  that  receiv- 
ing sets  could  be  manufactured  to  "cost  the 
public  the  price  of  two  ordinary  radios."  He 
said  a  television  receiver  was  "simply  two  radio 
sets  with  two  additional  sweep  circuits  tubes, 
one  set  for  sound  and  the  other  for  sight." 

He  said  that  if  the  Commission  would  give  to 
television  the  same  freedom  that  was  granted 
to  sound  radio  the  former  would  develop  nat- 
urally, improve  in  quality  and  finance  itself. 

Proposes  News  Periods 

The  Twentieth  Century-Fox  and  Academy 
representative,  Mr.  Hanson,  also  recommended 
that  definite  periods  of  the  day  be  set  aside  for 
the  radio  broadcasting  of  news,  because  "It 
must  be  confessed  that  the  manner  in  which  the 
broadcast  stations  today  handle  news  leaves 
much  to  be  desired."  Mr.  Hanson  spoke  in  this 
connection  as  the  delegate  for  the  American 
Newspaper  Publishers  Association. 

Philo  T.  Farnsworth,  president  of  Farns- 
worth  Television,  Inc.,  pleaded  with  the  Com- 
mission to  permit  radio  amateurs  to  partake  in 
the  development  of  television. 

He  expressed  confidence  that  television  would 
be  commercially  usable  within  "a  very  short 
time,"  but  pointed  out  that  certain  technical 
problems  must  still  be  worked  out. 

Mr.  Farnsworth  also  endorsed  the  view  of 
previous  witnesses  that  television  should  be  in- 
troduced gradually  on  the  commercial  market, 
and  remarked  that  at  first  it  would  be  tech- 
nically impossible  to  produce  television  sets  for 
the  public  at  less  than  $250  apiece. 

Suggests  Modest  Field 

John  V.  L.  Hogan,  New  York  City  consult- 
ing engineer,  told  the  FCC  that  television 
should  not  attempt  too  large  a  field  at  the  start. 
Mr.  Hogan  said  that  most  of  the  motion  pic- 
tures now  were  "close-ups"  and  suggested  that 
television  should  start  with  simple  transmission 
subjects,  such  as  the  head  and  shoulders  of  a 
speaker. 

The  engineer  said  that  it  was  not  at  all  cer- 
tain that  television  could  ever  transmit  a  large 
spectacle,  such  as  a  football  game,  with  good 
definition  to  a  home  receiving  set.  He  urged 
the  commission  to  allow  experimental  trans- 
mission in  limited  fields. 

Mr.  Hogan  pointed  out  that  television  could 
not  succeed  if  it  attempted  to  offer  a  spectacle 
"as  great  as  a  motion-picture  production  for 
each  broadcast"  because  the  cost  would  be 
prohibitive. 

Others  appearing  before  the  Commission  ex- 
pressed the  opinion  that  television  will  be  lim- 
ited to  large  cities  at  the  start.  Its  present  limit 
seems  to  be  about  40  miles. 

Relay  stations  can  be  constructed,  it  was  ex- 
plained, but  these  require  new  radio  channels, 


"Red"  Kami 
Goes  Abroad 


COSMO-SILEO  PHOTO 


Maurice  Davila  Kann,  known  to  Broad- 
way as  "Red,"  and  as  the  editor  of  Motion 
Picture  Daily,  sailed  on  Wednesday  morning 
aboard  the  SS.  Normandie,  his  "typewriter 
primed,"  so  his  publication  reported,  "for  a 
whirlwind  survey  of  British  industry." 

and  an  extension  of  television  for  200  miles 
would  use  up  all  the  available  channels. 

RCA  spokesmen  said  a  broadcasting  station 
costs  about  $600,000  and  present  indications  are 
that  receiving  sets  will  retail  for  about  $400. 

Theatre  Plan  Reported 

Reports  that  a  television  theatre  would  be 
constructed  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Park 
Avenue  and  Fifty-ninth  Street,  New  York,  by 
the  Columbia  Broadcasting  Company,  and  that 
the  Henry  Phipps  Estate  would  lease  the  north- 
east corner  of  Madison  Avenues  and  Sixty- 
second  Street  to  the  Fabian  theatre  chain  of 
New  Jersey,  financing  the  conversion  of  the 
present  structure  into  a  motion  picture  play- 
house, were  circulated  in  real  estate  circles  this 
week. 

The  Park  Avenue  corner,  formerly  occupied 
by  the  Anderson  Galleries,  passed  to  the  owner- 
ship of  the  Central  Savings  Bank  in  foreclosure 
proceedings  last  December,  and  the  broadcast- 
ing company  is  understood  to  be  negotiating 
the  purchase  of  the  property  from  the  bank.  It 
is  also  said  that  opposition  of  property  owners 
to  a  Madison  Avenue  theatre  project  is  not  ex- 
pected to  be  sufficient  to  interfere  with  the  con- 
templated improvement. 

David  Sarnoff,  president  of  the  Radio  Cor- 
poration of  America,  in  an  address  on  Mon- 
day in  Boston  before  the  32nd  annual  conven- 
tion of  the  Advertising  Federation  of  America, 
denied  that  television  is  even  approaching  "just 
around  the  corner." 

"Television  is  now  in  the  earphone  stage 


of  radio,"  said  Mr.  Sarnoff.  "As  a  commercial 
operation,  television  has  not  yet  arrived.  It 
is  not  around  the  corner,  nor  even  around  the 
block.  But  we  have  advanced  sufficiently  far 
to  say  that  the  technical  obstacles  are  not  in- 
superable. The  Radio  Corporation  of  America 
has  invested  millions  of  dollars  and  an  incal- 
culable sum  of  scientific  genius  in  bringing 
television  to  the  point  where  it  can  be  moved 
from  the  seclusion  of  the  laboratory  to  the 
freedom  of  experimental  service  in  the  field. 

"The  test  period  may  be  a  long  and  costly  one. 
Critical  technical  problems  must  still  be  solved. 
The  present  range  of  television  transmission 
from  a  single  station  is  scarcely  more  than  25 
miles  and  existing  wire  facilities  are  not  suita- 
ble for  interconnecting  television  stations.  Radio 
relays  or  a  modified  wire  system  must  be  de- 
veloped to  enlarge  the  range  and  potential  audi- 
ence for  a  single  costly  program. 

Size  of  Picture  a  Problem 

"There  is  also  the  problem  of  further  in- 
creasing the  size  of  the  television  picture  with- 
out loss  of  clarity.  The  experimental  television 
observer  today  watches  the  stage  from  the  back 
row  of  the  second  balcony.  We  want  to  give 
him  a  seat  in  the  front  row  of  the  orchestra. 

"The  new  medium  will  not  supplant  nor 
detract  from  the  importance  of  present- 
day  broadcasting.  Rather,  it  will  supple- 
ment this  older  medium  of  sound  and  add 
a  new  force  to  the  advertiser's  armament 
of  salesmanship. 

"Television  will  add  little  to  the  enjoyment 
of  the  symphony  concert  as  it  now  comes  by 
radio  to  your  living  room.  Sound  broadcasting 
will  remain  the  basic  service  for  the  programs 
particularly  adapted  to  its  purpose.  On  the  other 
hand,  television  will  bring  into  the  home  much 
visual  material — news  events,  drama,  paintings, 
personalities — which  sound  can  bring  only  par- 
tially or  not  at  all. 

"The  benefits  which  have  resulted  from  the 
industrial  sponsorship  of  sound  broadcasting 
indicate  that  major  television  programs  will 
come  from  the  same  source." 

Furber  Considers  Theatres 

Word  reached  New  York  this  week  from 
London  that  Percy  N.  Furber  is  conferring  with 
Jack  Davis  in  connection  with  Mr.  Davis'  plans 
for  an  expansion  of  newsreel  theatres  on  lines 
of  his  Monseigneur  in  Picadilly  Circus.  The 
plan  is  to  open  in  London  at  Trafalgar  Square, 
Marble  Arch,  Leicester  Square  and  in  Sheffield 
and  Manchester,  followed  by  other  large  cities. 

Mr.  Furber's  rear  projection  system,  it  was 
said,  interests  Mr.  Davis  and  he  does  not  deny 
the  possibility  of  a  commercial  deal  with  Fur- 
ber and  his  British  associates  in  Trans-Lux, 
Will  Evans  and  Lord  Beaverbrook. 

Mr.  Davis  will  go  to  New  York  next  month, 
via  Canada.  He  is  dickering  with  the  British 
Broadcasting  Corporation  for  exclusive  rights 
on  the  screen  to  any  news  film  made  by  it  for 
television. 

B.  B.  C.  admitted  considering  several 
such  requests  for  television  concessions. 
Television  to  theatre  screens  is  impractical 
at  present,  as  the  maximum  picture  size  is 
about  six  inches  wide,  with  possible  mag- 
nification to  12  inches.  B.  B.  C.  transmission 
will  be  strictly  experimental  from  early  July 
to  September,  with  October  as  "dress  re- 
hearsal month." 

Regular  television  service  with  entertainment 
value  is  scheduled  to  begin  in  November,  with 

(Continued  on  following  page) 


30 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4  ,  1936 


ANNOUNCERS  SELECTED 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

three  shows  daily  from  3  o'clock  to  4  o'clock, 
6:15  to  7:15,  and  9:00  to  10:30.  The  plan  is  to 
have  a  half-hour  cabaret  or  variety  show,  10 
minutes  of  news  films,  and  the  balance  illus- 
trated talks  on  "How  to  Play  Golf"  and  other 
subjects.  Transmission  will  be  by  Baird  and 
E.  M.  I.,  each  fortnightly  in  turn.  Receivers 
will  be  dual,  switching  to  either  system. 

Broadcasting  will  be  limited  to  London  at 
first,  but  perfection  of  a  coaxial  cable  will  per- 
mit later  relays  to  provincial  towns,  each  serv- 
ing 30-mile  areas.  Birmingham  will  be  the  first 
of  these. 

BBC  Names  Announcers 

Rapidly  pushing  forward  their  plans  for  the 
opening  this  weekend  of  the  first  television 
experiments  the  British  Broadcasting  Company 
this  week  announced  the  selection  of  two  women 
announcers  whose  features  will  soon  be  appear- 
ing daily  on  the  vision  screens  of  the  nation. 
From  1,100  applicants  Miss  Jasmine  Bligh,  22, 
a  former  stage  star,  and  Miss  Elizabeth  Cowell, 
23,  a  manikin,  were  chosen  for  this  new  voca- 
tion. 

To  bring  out  the  "photogenic  features"  of 
television  announcers  and  performers,  the  BBC 
explained  that  the  lipstick  must  be  yellow  and 
the  checks  lighter  yellow  with  eyelids  of  green- 
ish tint. 

Seven  other  posts  in  the  BBC  television  ser- 
vice have  been  filled.  The  music  director  is 
Hyam  Greenbaum.  The  producers  are  Stephen 
K.  Thomas  and  Dallas  Bower  and  the  assistant 
producer,  G.  More  O'Ferrall.  The  two  stage 
managers  are  Harry  Pringle  and  Peter  Bax, 
and  the  film  assistant,  Major  L.  G.  Barbrook. 

The  structural  work  at  Alexandra  Park  is 
now  nearly  completed  and  the  installation  of 
the  apparatus  is  proceeding.  Following  the  en- 
gineering tests,  shortly  to  take  place,  there  will 
be  a  period  of  trial  programs. 

Department  Stores  Interested 

Already  London  department  stores  and  other 
interests  are  becoming  interested  in  television 
and  are  making  inquiries  regarding  it.  The  first 
television  theatres  may  be  established  in  the 
Charing  Cross  and  Paddington  stations.  They 
will  be  limited  to  five  rows  of  eight  seats  each. 

Receiving  sets,  it  is  now  estimated,  will  cost 
from  $300  to  $400. 

Scophony,  Ltd.,  has  issued  a  statement  in  Lon- 
don that  it  can  produce  a  receiver  "capable  of  pro- 
jecting pictures  of  a  size  suitable  for  both  home 
and  theatre  entertainment."  Sir  Maurice  Bon- 
ham-Carter,  a  director  of  the  banking  firm  of 
C.  T.  Falk  and  Co.,  is  head  of  this  company. 
Arthur  Levey,  an  American,  is  on  the  board  of 
directors. 

The  British  Broadcasting  Corporation  is  con- 
sidering a  plan  of  breaking  in  the  public  to  the 
idea  of  televised  screen  programs  by  means  of 
demonstration  sets  in  radio  and  other  stores. 
It  is  expected  that  the  previous  plan,  to  open  a 
television  theatre  in  Broadcasting  House  in 
Portland  Place  here,  will  be  abandoned. 


New  Theatre  Premiere 
Is  Set  in  Buenos  Aires 

Buenos  Aires  this  month  will  witness  in- 
auguration of  the  new  motion  picture  palace 
to  be  knoWn  as  Gran  Teatro  Opera.  Said 
to  be  the  most  luxurious  theatre  in  South 
America  the  new  house  will  be  dedicated  to 
motion  pictures  and  eventually  vaudeville. 
The  house,  which  is  owned  by  Clemente 
Lococco  and  Oscar  Carbone,  will  present 
"Showboat"  on  the  opening  night  at  $10  a 


ticket.  The  second  picture  to  be  shown  will 
be  "Modern  Times,"  at  the  same  price  for 
the  first  night.  The  gala  shows  will  be  dedi- 
cated to  two  benefit  societies. 

The  new  offices  of  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox  were  opened  on  June  15  in  Buenos 
Aires.  Victor  J.  Schochet,  managing  di- 
rector for  the  company  in  Argentina,  greeted 
visitors  to  the  ceremonies,  who  signed  an 
artistic  memorial,  which  will  be  delivered 
to  Sidney  R.  Kent,  president  of  the  com- 
pany. The  new  building  represents  an  in- 
vestment of  250,000  pesos. 


Clark  Succeeds  Pettey 
In  MPPDA  News  Post 

Kenneth  Clark,  former  chief  of  the  Wash- 
ington Bureau  of  Universal  News  Service, 
has  been  appointed  by  Will  H.  Hays  to  su- 
pervise news  relations  in  New  York  for 
Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Distributors 
of  America.  In  his  new  post  Mr.  Clark 
succeeds  Tom  Pettey,  who  has  been  trans- 
ferred to  take  charge  of  the  Association's 
news  relations  in  Hollywood. 


National  Decency  Legion 
Reviews  14  New  Pictures 

Of  the  14  new  pictures  reviewed  and 
classified  by  the  National  Legion  of  Decency 
in  its  list  for  the  current  week  12  were 
classed  as  unobjectionable  for  general  pa- 
tronage and  two  were  noted  as  unobjection- 
able for  adults.  The  new  pictures  and  their 
classification  follow. 

Class  A-l,  "Unobjectionable  for  General 
Patronage" :  "Arizona  Raiders,"  "B  i  g 
Noise,"  "Das  Maedchen  Johanna,"  "Der 
Traum  Vom  Rhein,"  "Die  Csardasfuerstin," 
"Earthworm  Tractor,"  "Hot  Money,"  "Kelly 
of  the  Secret  Service,"  "Prison  Shadows," 
"Romeo  and  Juliet,"  "San  Francisco,"  "So 
Ein  Maedel  Vergisst  Man  Nicht."  Class 
A-2,  "Unobjectionable  for  Adults": 
"Doomed  Cargo,"  "Seven  Brave  Men." 

Court  Upholds  Dismissal 
Of  Suit  Against  Loew 

Dismissal  of  a  suit  for  $1,967,611  damages 
brought  by  Theatres  Holding  Company 
against  Loew's,  Inc.,  was  upheld  last  week 
in  the  appellate  division  of  the  New  York 
supreme  court.  The  suit  was  over  an  al- 
leged breach  of  lease  contract  between 
Yaarab  Temple  Building  and  Fox  Theatres 
Corporation  entered  into  in  January,  1928, 
to  extend  over  21  years.  The  claim  was 
assigned  to  the  plaintiff  after  it  was  claimed 
the  lease  had  been  broken. 


World  Trip  for  Hutchinson 

Walter  J.  Hutchinson,  head  of  foreign 
activities  for  Twentieth  Century-Fox,  will 
leave  for  the  coast  August  11  on  the  start 
of  a  'round  the  world  tour. 


McKenzie  Goes  East 

Maurice  McKenzie,  executive  assistant  to 
Will  H.  Hays,  is  on  his  way  to  New  York 
from  Hollywood. 


Warners  Believed 
Ready  to  Rejoin 
ASCAP  Ranks 

A  report  this  week  that  Warner  Brothers 
may  rejoin  the  American  Society  of  Com- 
posers, Authors  and  Publishers  in  the  near 
future  has  been  confirmed  by  persons  close 
to  both  parties,  although  it  was  denied  that 
direct  negotiations  have  been  started. 

Spokesmen  for  ASCAP  emphasized  the 
fact  that  no  hostility  or  animosity  is  felt  on 
either  side.  The  general  feeling  is  that  the 
producing  company  withdrew  from  the  so- 
ciety to  conduct  an  experiment  as  a  matter 
of  business.  If  results  of  the  move  have  not 
come  up  to  expectations  it  is  believed  there 
will  be  no  difficulty  over  the  resumption  of 
previous  relations. 

It  appears  certain,  however,  that  no  con- 
cessions will  be  made  by  ASCAP  in  order 
to  regain  Warner  Brothers.  Opinion  among 
ASCAP  membership  is  that  the  return  of 
the  company  would  be  in  accordance  with 
existing  conditions  within  the  society  and 
that  none  of  the  demands  on  the  part  of 
Warners  which  led  up  to  its  withdrawal  last 
January  1  would  be  met  now  as  a  condition 
of  their  return  to  membership. 

The  situation  appears  to  be  that  Warners 
will  be  reinstated  at  any  moment  that  the 
request  is  made,  but  that  no  inducements  are 
being  proffered  by  the  society. 

ASCAP  members  have  declared  that  the 
society  has  not  suffered  financially  by  the 
loss  of  the  Warner  membership  during  the 
first  six  months  of  the  current  year.  The 
organization  is  scheduled  to  declare  a  divi- 
dend next  week  and  it  is  expected  to  be  one 
of  the  largest  in  the  society's  history. 


New  York  Circuits  Sign 
For  Paramount  Posters 

Harry  Brandt,  president  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  Association  of 
New  York,  and  Laurence  Bolognino  of  Con- 
solidated Amusements  last  week  end  signed 
up  with  Paramount  for  the  distributor's 
rental  plan  on  accessories.  Mr.  Brandt  has 
about  55  theatres  in  his  circuit  while  Con- 
solidated operates  about  24  houses.  The 
pact  was  signed  in  spite  of  a  10-year  con- 
tract the  Association  has  with  New  York 
poster  rental  houses  whereby  the  exhibitor 
receives  50  cents  a  week  for  every  member 
theatre  using  the  rental  service. 

Protests  against  the  new  Paramount  ad 
sales  plan  of  giving  credit  for  return  of  ac- 
cessories has  been  decided  upon  by  the 
board  of  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Own- 
ers group  of  North  and  South  Carolina. 


R.  E.  Griffith  President 
Of  New  Texas  Company 

Westex  Theatres  with  R.  E.  Griffith  as 
president  has  been  formed  in  Dallas,  Texas, 
following  Mr.  Griffith's  partnership  agree- 
ment with  the  H.  T.  Hodge  circuit.  The 
company  will  operate  houses  in  Odessa. 
Merkel,  Anson,  Ballinger,  Eldorado,  Stam- 
ford and  Winters.  R.  I.  Payne  is  secre- 
tary-treasurer of  the  new  circuit;  Lynn 
Stocker,  vice-president;  Henry  Lockhart. 
head  booker  and  Joe  Caffro,  comptroller. 


July    4,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


31 


ASIDES  &  INTERLUDES 


By  JAMES  CUNNINGHAM 


Arriving  a  little  late  at  a  golf  course  near 
Hollywood,  one  of  the  cinema  city's  well 
known  producers  explained  that  he  tossed 
a  coin  to  determine  whether  he  should  play 
golf  or  go  to  work  at  his  studio. 

"I  had  to  toss  12  times,"  he  confided,  "be- 
fore deciding  to  play  golf." 

V 

Brenda  Forbes,  Ralph  Forbes'  sister,  appear- 
ing on  the  stage  with  the  Old  Vic  company  in 
London,  once  had  a  line  to  say — -"Honored 
Hoppolyta,  most  dreaded  Amazonian,  who  hath 
slain  the  scythe-tusked  boar."  That  tongue- 
twister  turned  the  trick,  getting  her  a  bid  from 
films  in  Hollywood. 

V 

The  Birmingham,  England,  Sunday  Dispatch 
claimed  half  a  column  for  a  description  of  a 
private  showing  of  "immoral"  films,  attended 
by  hundreds  of  men  conveyed  thither  in  cars 
with  drawn  blinds.  "Ices  were  served  during 
the  intervals,"  it  said. 

So  we  should  think.  , 


Harpo  Marx  attended  a  prize  fight  the 
other  night  that  turned  into  a  gory  slugfest. 
While  women  shrieked  and  men  turned  their 
faces,  the  bloody  battlers  fought  blindly. 
Then,  amid  the  bedlam,  Harpo  arose  and 
shouted:  "Fake!  Fake!" 

V 

Last  week's  Democratic  convention  at  Phila- 
delphia was  not  without  its  touch  of  Broadway, 
injected  therein  by  President  Roosevelt's  per- 
sonal friend,  Eddie  Dowling,  of  Times  Square 
and  Pawtucket.  Mr.  Dowling's  job  this  year, 
though,  was  not  quite  as  important  as  at  Chi- 
cago in  1932,  when  Roosevelt  lacked  a  two- 
thirds  majority  and  an  inside  deal  was  under 
way  with  Jack  Garner.  It  was  imperative  that 
Alfred  Emanuel  Smith's  forces  have  no  access 
to  delegates  to  steal  them  from  Roosevelt. 

"Tom,"  said  Jim  Farley  to  the  late  Senator 
Walsh,  permanent  chairman,  "you  can't  adjourn 
until  you  get  word  from  me.  Eddie  is  going  to 
keep  'em  happy." 

Dowling  put  on  a  stream  of  theatrical  stars 
and  vaudevillians  that  kept  the  crowds  in  their 
places  for  hours.  The  inside  deal  was  swung  and 
with  it  the  Rooseveltians  had  Franklin  Delano's 
nomination  cinched.  Finally  Walsh  tapped 
Eddie  on  the  shoulder. 

"Young  man,"  he  said,  "that's  very  good. 
Now  we'll  get  back  to  the  business  of  politics." 

V 

"Post  Road,"  opening  production  of  Robert 
Porterfield's  summer  stock  company  at  the 
Barter  theatre,  in  Abingdon,  Virginia,  brought 
the  countryside  out  to  barter  for  admission  zvith 
a  vengeance.  When  the  Porterfield  box  office 
clerk  counted  up  the  day's  receipts  he  calculated 
seven  different  varieties  of  jams,  jellies  and 
preserves,  and  baskets  piled  high  with  onions, 
radishes,  eggs,  lettuce,  postage  stamps,  sauer- 
kraut and  a  baby  lamb. 

V 

Leonard  Lyons  hears  from  London  that  Ben- 
nett Cerf,  the  publisher,  is  on  hand  at  England's 
capital  attending  the  Conference  of  International 
Publishers.  A  mutual  friend  had  secured  for 
Cerf  an  invitation  to  dine  with  King  Edward, 
who  promised  a  real  surprise  in  that  two  charm- 
ing American  ladies  also  would  be  present. 
Mr.  Cerf  really  was  surprised — more  than  he 
ever  had  expected  to  be. 

The  first  of  these  young  American  ladies  was 
Miriam  Hopkins — to  whom  Mr.  Cerf  once  had 
been  affianced.  The  second  charmer  was  Sylvia 
Sidney — from  whom  he  recently  was  divorced. 


"Dear  Sir,"  writes  W.  F.  McBride,  of  Del 
Rio,  Texas:  "Calling  your  attention  to  your 
article  in  Asides  and  Interludes  referring  to 
Miss  Lois  De  Fee,  who  was  said  to  have 
first  attained  fame  by  throwing  a  jockey  from 
the  balcony  of  an  Austin,  Texas,  theatre  into 
the  San  Antonio  River,  I  wish  to  state  that 
this  17-year-old  girl,  who  hails  from  this 
Lone  Star  state,  has  accomplished  something 
unbelievable — for  the  San  Antonio  River  is 
about  70  to  80  miles  from  the  City  of  Austin! 
This  would  make  it  a  real  throw  even  for  the 
centerfield  gardener  of  the  New  York  Yan- 
kees.   Wouldn't  it?" 

It  would. 

Then,  to  make  us  unhappier,  the  same  mail 
brought  the  following,  from  P.  J.  Poag,  of 
the  Del  Rio  Amusement  Company,  likewise 
of  Del  Rio,  Texas: 

"My  Dear  Mr.  Cunningham: 

"Marihuana  is  the  name  of  a  weed  that  is 
smoked  by  some  of  the  Mexicans  along  the 
border,  and  it  gives  them  funny  ideas  at  the 
time.  Colonel  J.  C.  Jenkins  has  been  run- 
ning around  down  on  this  Mexican  border, 
and  I'm  wondering  if  he  slipped  any  of  this 
weed  to  you,  after  I  read  your  article  in  the 
Herald,  which  said,  in  part:  'Miss  De  Fee 
unblushingly  told  reporters  she  became  bored 
in  Austin  and  threw  the  jockey  into  the  San 
Antonio  River.' 

"All  I  can  unblushingly  add  to  this  is  I 
hope  she  don't  throw  the  Statue  of  Liberty 
into  Hollywood." 

The  Texans,  it  seems,  take  their  geography 
all  too  seriously,  and  evidently  unnecessarily 
so  in  view  of  the  wide  expanse  of  territory 
surrounding  them  A  little  mistake  of  80 
miles  in  Texas  should  not  bother  the  natives 
any  more  than  80  millimeters  should  bother 
Rhode  Islanders,  or  Delawareans.  Anyway, 
a  third  exhibitor  reader  likewise  rushes  to 
New  York  in  the  mails  with  a  protest,  Mr. 
Irwin  Waite,  of  the  Melba  theatre,  Dallas, 
inquiring  "Why  couldn't  you  have  Miss  De 
Fee  booting  the  jockey  out  of  the  Austin 
theatre  balcony,  and  landing  in  the  Esplan- 
ade at  the  Texas  Centennial  Exposition  in 
Dallas? — that's  only  169  miles  as  the  jockey 
would  fly." 

We  admit  that  the  feat  seems  impossible, 
this  throwing  of  a  jockey  from  an  Austin 
theatre  balcony  into  the  San  Antonio  River, 
some  80  miles  distant.  But,  then,  neither 
Mr.  McBride,  nor  Mr.  Poag,  nor  Mr.  Irwin 
Waite  evidently  has  ever  met  Bouncing 
Baby  De  Fee,  six  feet  two.  We  have  seen 
that  broad  and  tall  expanse  of  female,  and, 
therefore,  we  refuse  to  print  a  retraction. 

V 

In  a  manner  that  sort  of  competes  with  the 
motion  picture's  freak  marquee  billings,  Elias 
Sugarman's  sawdust-trail  amusement  paper, 
knozvn  as  Billboard,  offered  Ms  week  a  com- 
pilation of  the  best  disc  dance  records  of  the 
day,  bearing  in  mind  that  each  record  has  tzvo 
dance  selections : 

MOTHER  CAME  TO  GET  HER  BOY  FROM  JAIN 
JUST  AS  THE  SUN  WENT  DOWN 


IT'S  A  SIN  TO  TELL  A  LIE 
WE'RE  DRIFTING  TOO  FAR  FROM  THE  SHORE 


THERE'S   A   SMALL  HOTEL 
IT'S  GOTTA  BE  LOVE 


HOME 
ALL  OF  ME 


And  then  there's  the  late  Percy  Ham- 
mond's pet  story  about  the  two  brothers  who 
were  New  York's  biggest  theatrical  tycoons. 
One  night  they  were  riding  home  in  their 
town  motor  and  all  of  a  sudden  one  of  them 
let  out  a  horrible  shriek.  "We're  ruined! 
We're  ruined!"  he  bellowed.  "I  left  the  door 
of  the  safe  open/' 

"That's  all  right,"  answered  the  brother. 
"We're  both  here,  ain't  we!" 

V 

The  Hollywood  touch  is  infectious.  Mary, 
Queen  of  Scots,  was  actually  executed  in  the 
comparative  privacy  of  the  council  hall  of 
Carlisle  Castle  in  Scotland.  However,  in  the 
forthcoming  film,  "Mary  of  Scotland,"  we 
understand  that  RKO  beheads  her  in  a  spacious 
courtyard  in  a  massive  setting,  before  howling 
thousands. 

Intimate  executions  are  simply  taboo  in  the 
land  of  spectacle. 

V 

Broadway's  latest  Scotch  story,  as  told  by 
Charley  Halley,  concerns  the  Scot  who  went 
into  a  Western  Union  office  and  inquired  as 
to  the  rate  of  a  telegram.  The  blonde  clerk 
told  him  it  was  50  cents  for  ten  words.  And 
five  cents  for  each  additional  word.  But  that 
there  was  no  charge  for  the  signature. 

"Well,"  piped  the  Scotsman,  "I  may  not  look 
it,  but  I'm  an  Indian  and  my  name  is  I-Won't- 
Be-Home- U  ntil-Friday." 

'  V 

Dave  Rubinoff  has  pressed  his  inventive 
genius  into  play  in  the  creation  of  a  collapsible 
violin  which  he  uses  for  finger  practice  to  save 
wear  and  tear  on  his  famous  $100,000  Stradi- 
varius.  Rubinoff's  new  contraption  is  a  full- 
sized  violin  which  folds  and  fits  in  a  camera 
case.  It  has  a  small  tone  box  and  sounds  like 
a  muted  fiddle  when  played.  The  maestro  not 
only  uses  it  for  finger  workouts  but  also  takes 
it  along  on  "party"  dates.  He  had  it  patented 
and  has  sold  the  idea  to  one  of  the  leading 
instrument  manufacturers. 

V 

Motion  picture  Director  Sergei  M.  Eisen- 
stein  sent  a  picture  postcard  of  the  English 
crown  jewels  to  Stalin  in  Moscow  for  Stalin's 
birthday. 

V 

While  the  motion  picture  both  in  Holly- 
wood and  New  York  searches  for  bright, 
new  executive  ability,  there  reposes  some- 
place within  the  four  borders  of  these  United 
States  a  self -admitted  genius  far  greater  than 
any  of  the  self-admitted  geniuses  of  either 
Hollywood  or  Broadway.  To  General  Wil- 
liam Harrison  Hays  and  to  Louie  Burt 
Mayer,  to  Mr.  Aylesworth,  Mr.  Spitz  and 
Mr.  Depinet,  to  the  bankers  at  Paramount 
and  the  bankers  at  Fox,  to  Sidney  Raymond 
Kent,  Joseph  Michael  Schenck,  Solomon  Max 
Wurtzel  and  Darryl  Francis  Zanuck,  to  the 
Cochranes  and  the  Cohns,  and  any  others 
interested  in  finding  new  executive  talent, 
this  department  places  in  nomination  the 
candidate  who  inserted  the  following  adver- 
tisement in  Ballyhoo: 

INTELLIGENT  YOUNG  THINKER: — Of  very  high 
type, 

Thorough  as  Ptolemy, 

Aggressive  as  Plato, 

Resourceful  as  Aristotle, 

Capable  as  Pythagoras, 

Inventive  as  Nero, 

Conscientious  as  Eudoxus, 

Enthusiastic  as  Epicurus, 

Human  as  Socrates, 

Trustworthy  as  Diogenes, 
Desires  position.  Address  Box  29. 
P.S.:  I  am  not  a  Greek. 


32 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4  ,  1936 


PUBLISHERS  OF  MUSIC  FIGURE 
IN  FIGHTS  ALONG  THREE  FRONTS 


Federal  Court  Dismisses  $150,- 
000  Action  Brought  by  Pro- 
tective Association  for  Royal- 
ties from  Producers  and  Erpi 

The  organized  music  publishing  industry 
this  week  figured  prominently  in  three  con- 
troversies, in  the  courts  and  elsewhere,  in 
connection  with  their  contractual  and  other 
relations  with  the  organized  motion  picture 
business,  as  follows : 

1.  Federal  court  dismissed  the  suit  of 
the  Music  Publishers'  Protective  Associa- 
tion for  $150,000  claimed  due  in  royalties 
from  producers  and  Electrical  Research 
Products,  Inc. 

2.  Canada  effected  strict  governmental 
control  of  charges  and  regulations  imposed 
by  the  Canadian  Performing  Rights  Society 
on  users  of  the  copyrighted  music  of  its 
members. 

3.  American  Society  of  Composers, 
Authors  and  Publishers  won  a  court  victory 
against  new  Georgia  tax  and  licensing 
legislation. 

Federal  Judge  John  C.  Knox  in  New 
York  dismissed  the  suit  of  John  G.  Paine 
against  Electrical  Research  Products,  the  ac- 
tion having  been  brought  by  Mr.  Paine  as 
agent  and  trustee  for  a  group  of  music  pub- 
lishers. It  asked  for  royalties  of  approxi- 
mately $150,000  which  Mr.  Paine  claimed 
to  be  owing  the  publishers  whom  he  repre- 
sents to  cover  the  distribution  in  foreign 
territories  of  American  made  motion  pic- 
tures, the  music  rights  for  which  were  con- 
trolled in  the  United  States  by  his  prin- 
cipals. 

Suit  is  Dismissed 

Erpi,  for  the  benefit  of  its  motion  pic- 
ture producer  licensees,  had  contracted  with 
the  Paine  interests  for  the  use  of  his  prin- 
cipals' copyright  music  in  the  United  States 
and  abroad,  and,  in  order  to  insure  world- 
wide distribution  for  these  pictures,  it  also 
entered  into  some  200  similar  contracts  with 
foreign  publishers  to  secure  such  music 
rights  as  were  not  controlled  by  the  Paine 
group.  Erpi  paid  Mr.  Paine  for  the  use 
of  his  principals'  music,  and  it  contended 
that  he  could  not  collect  for  the  foreign  use 
of  any  music  the  foreign  rights  in  which 
they  did  not  control. 

Judge  Knox  ruled  that  the  complaint 
failed  to  state  a  cause  of  action.  There  was, 
he  said,  no  specification  of  the  compositions 
with  respect  to  which  Erpi  was  claimed  to 
be  in  default,  and  there  was  no  proper  al- 
legation of  ownership  and  control  on  the 
part  of  the  plaintiff  of  the  copyrights  con- 
stituting the  subject  matter  in  the  suit.  Mr. 
Paine,  the  decision  said,  had  not  shown  him- 
self qualified  to  hold  Erpi  to  accountability 
for  its  acts,  and  supporting  allegations  for 
the  damages  asked  were  wholly  lacking. 

He  dismissed  the  suit  with  leave  to  the 
plaintiff  to  amend  his  complaint  within  20 
days. 

Strict  government  control  of  copyright 


charges  and  regulations  imposed  by  the 
Canadian  Performing  Rights  Society  is  pro- 
vided in  a  bill  passed  in  the  closing  hours 
of  Parliament  at  Toronto. 

The  new  law  is  the  outcome  of  the  in- 
vestigation into  the  fees  imposed  by  the 
Canadian  Performing  Rights  Society  of 
Toronto,  and  the  passing  of  the  bill  is  a  dis- 
tinct victory  for  theatre  men,  radio  broad- 
casters and  other  amusement  operators  of 
the  Dominion. 

The  legislation  provides  for  the  setting 
up  of  a  permanent  board  of  appeal  with 
headquarters  at  Ottawa  for  the  hearing  of 
complaints  or  protests  that  annual  or  tem- 
porary license  fees  of  the  society  are  exces- 
sive. The  society  is  required  to  register  its 
scale  of  levies  for  a  year  with  the  Dominion 
Government  prior  to  January  1  and  such 
charges  cannot  be  increased  during  the  12 
months.  The  board  of  appeal  is  empowered 
to  order  a  downward  revision  of  rates  for 
performing  rights  if  a  protest  is  considered 
justified. 

ASCAP  Wins  Tax  Case 

The  American  Society  of  Composers,  Au- 
thors and  Publishers  this  week  won  a  court 
victory  against  new  state  tax  legislation, 
said  to  have  been  designed  to  prohibit  the 
society  from  collecting  music  taxes,  in  a  test 
case  brought  against  the  State  of  Georgia, 
according  to  Schwartz  and  Frohlich,  attor- 
neys for  the  society  in  New  York. 

The  law  required  the  society  to  ob- 
tain a  $1,000  license  for  every  county  in 
the  state  in  which  it  sought  to  collect  a  tax 
for  the  public  performance  of  its  copy- 
righted music.  There  are  approximately 
160  counties  in  the  state  and  the  $160,000 
license  fee  would  have  greatly  exceeded 
Ascap's  collections  in  Georgia.  In  deciding 
the  case  brought  to  test  the  law,  the  state 
court  held  that  only  one  license  was  re- 
quired by  the  Ascap  agent  for  the  entire 
state.  Although  Ascap's  attorneys  said  they 
were  of  the  opinion  that  any  license  re- 
quirement for  their  agents  was  illegal,  no 
appeal  will  be  taken  from  the  Georgia 
decision. 

Several  other  southern  states  have  recent- 
ly enacted  licensing  legislation  designed  to 
make  it  financially  impossible  for  Ascap  to 
operate  within  the  state  boundaries  and  the 
Georgia  decision  is  regarded  by  the  society 
as  an  important  precedent  in  invalidating 
the  legislation  in  the  other  states.  Indica- 
tions are  that  Ascap  agents  in  these  states 
will  refuse  to  take  out  licenses  and  thus 
bring  other  test  cases. 


Roscoe  Fawcett  Passes 

Roscoe  Fawcett,  vice-president  and  gen- 
eral manager  of  Fawcett  Publications,  died 
Tuesday  at  Rochester,  Minn.  In  connection 
with  his  brother,  William,  Mr.  Fawcett  had 
been  active  in  the  magazine  publishing  field 
for  the  past  15  years,  printing  numerous 
fan  publications. 


Brands  Acquires  Five  Houses 

P.  W.  Brands  who  recently  bought  and 
reopened  the  Bethalto  Theatre  in  Bethalto, 
111.,  also  has  acquired  houses  in  Brighton, 
Brussels,  Eldred  and  Elsah,  111. 


Erpi  Puts  in  Effect 
Sharply  Reduced 
Recording  Royalty 

A  sharply  reduced  scale  of  recording  roy- 
alties was  finally  announced  on  Wednesday 
by  Electrical  Research  Products,  Inc.,  to  all 
its  producer  licensees  in  the  United  States. 

The  new  rates  are  effective  as  of  July  1. 
On  Wednesday  Erpi  advised  its  licensees  of 
an  equipment  credit  plan  by  which  modifica- 
tion of  studio  recording  equipment  now  in 
use  as  well  as  other  recording  facilities  and 
services  can  be  secured  by  the  licensee  with- 
out further  investment. 

Under  the  new  royalty  plan  a  single 
royalty  covers  recording  and  distribution 
throughout  the  world  except  Canada.  The 
royalty  on  feature  pictures  having  a  nega- 
tive cost  of  more  than  $50,000  will  be  $54 
a  minute  of  playing  time.  A  royalty  of 
half  as  much  is  provided  for  features  cost- 
ing less  than  $50,000  and  for  short  subjects. 
Serial  pictures  will  pay  a  royalty  of  $13.50 
a  minute.  Original  foreign  language  ver- 
sions will  bear  royalty  at  one-half  the  rate 
which  would  apply  to  pictures  in  the  Eng- 
lish language.  There  will  be  no  royalty  pay- 
able on  trailers  or  dubbed  pictures  if  Erpi 
has  received  a  royalty  in  connection  with 
the  original  picture. 

No  increase  in  the  minimum  annual  roy- 
alties will  be  made  regardless  of  the  amount 
of  Western  Electric  recording  equipment 
used  by  the  licensee,  it  was  said.  A  sepa- 
rate royalty  will  be  made  to  cover  Canadian 
distribution,  but  the  new  rate  will  be  sub- 
stantially below  that  which  has  been  in 
effect  for  Canada. 

Complete  overhaul  of  recording  equipment, 
together  with  supplementary  new  studio 
equipment,  special  recording  services  and 
spare  parts,  will  be  furnished  on  open  ac- 
count to  the  licensee  as  it  requires  them.  The 
open  account  will  be  liquidated  by  credits  ap- 
plied to  it  by  Erpi  based  on  the  amount  of 
royalties  the  licensee  pays  each  year.  Dur- 
ing the  time  of  the  contract  such  credits  can 
be  accumulated  by  any  licensee  in  sufficient 
volume  to  cover  any  recording  equipment 
program  the  licensee  could  require. 

The  reductions,  which  had  been  planned 
some  time  ago,  were  not  announced  until 
after  the  recent  closing  by  RCA  of  new  10- 
year  recording  license  agreements  with 
Twentieth  Century-Fox,  Columbia  Pictures 
and  Warner  Brothers. 

The  RCA  terms  represented  many  conces- 
sions to  producers  in  computation  of  charges 
for  recording,  the  use  of  equipment,  free 
servicing,  replacements  and  availability  of 
new  developments.  Despite  the  drastic  re- 
ductions in  Erpi's  rates  the  over-all  cost  is 
still  said  to  be  more  than  that  e^'ablished 
in  the  new  RCA  agreements. 

The  first  agreement  under  the  new  Erpi 
rates,  it  is  believed,  will  be  closed  with 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 


POOR  LITTLE 
RICH  GIRL 


ROVES  SHIRLEY  TEMPLE 


AS  TERRIFIC  WEEK-END 
FORCES  HOLD-OVER  AT 
RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HAL 


Shirley,  in  pre-release  engagement,  runs  up  her 
biggest  Music  Hall  gross!  Reviewers  rave: "The 
little  star  at  her  entertaining  best"  (N.  Y.  Daily 
Mirror)!  Audiences  go  completely  nuts! 

There  is  no  summer  slump  for  20th  Century- Fox 
exhibitors! 


THE  KEYSTONE 
OF  YOUR  FUTURE 


34 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,  1936 


WARNER,  TECHNICOLOR 
PROFIT  RUNNING  AHEAD 


Estimates  of  Warner  Earnings 
Place  Them  Well  Ahead  of 
Third  Quarter  a  Year  Ago 

Considerable  advances  over  last  year  in 
the  present  earnings  capacities  of  both  War- 
ner Brothers  and  of  Technicolor  were  esti- 
mated this  week  by  Wall  Street  Journal,  of 
the  Dow,  Jones  financial  news  service. 

Earnings  of  Warner  Brothers  Pictures, 
Inc.,  for  the  third  quarter  ended  about  May 
30,  were  reported  to  be  somewhat  less  than 
the  $944,929  or  23  cents  a  share  on  the 
3,701,091  shares  earned  in  the  preceding 
quarter  (13  weeks  ended  February  29),  but, 
were  said  to  be  well  ahead  of  the  third  quar- 
ter a  year  ago  when  net  was  $505,107,  or  11 
cents  a  share  on  3,801,091  shares. 

In  the  first  half  of  the  current  fiscal  year, 
net  was  $1,976,245,  or  48  cents  a  share  on 
the  common  stock. 

Cites  Pictures  Held  for  the  Fall 

"Warner  Brothers  has  been  holding  back 
a  number  of  its  most  important  film  produc- 
tions from  release,  which  has  had  some  ad- 
verse effect  on  current  income  and  will  de- 
tract even  more  from  theatre  and  film  profits 
during  the  summer,"  the  Wall  Street  Journal 
said.  "The  purpose,  of  course,  is  to  get  the 
full  benefit  of  fall  attendance  for  a  number 
of  leading  pictures  expected  to  have  large 
earning  power.  The  principal  pictures  held 
back  are  'Anthony  Adverse'  and  'Green 
Pastures.'  They  will  not  be  released  until 
late  summer,  or  early  autumn.  'White  Angel' 
is  just  being  released  to  the  key  theatres 
and  will  not  reach  neighborhood  houses  until 
fall. 

"If  these  films  are  as  successful  as  is 
hoped,  Warner's  earnings  should  recover 
again  sharply  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  new 
fiscal  year,  the  12  weeks  ending  about 
November  25. 

"Plans  are  still  being  formulated  for  the 
refunding  of  Warner's  $31,924,000  six  per 
cent  convertible  debentures  due  in  1939,  call- 
able at  102,"  the  paper  continued.  "It  is  un- 
likely that  this  operation  can  be  completed, 
however,  before  the  fall.  Some  form  of 
convertible  debenture  at  lower  interest  rates 
probably  will  be  offered.  At  the  same  time 
it  would  appear  likely  that  consideration  will 
be  given  to  restoring  dividend  payments  on 
Warner's  103,107  shares  of  $3.85  no  par 
preferred,  which  as  of  June  1,  1936,  had 
$16.36  a  share  accruals. 


Techr 


Orde 


Orders  now  held  by  Technicolor,  Inc.,  for 
delivery  during  the  balance  of  1936  total 
more  than  37,500,000  feet,  the  Journal  said. 
"With  deliveries  for  the  first  half  of  this 
year  placed  at  12,500,000  feet,  the  total  sales 
of  1936  should  exceed  50,000,000  feet,  com- 
pared with  approximately  22,000,000  feet  de- 
livered during  1935." 

Present  cost  of  Technicolor  films  to  pro- 
ducers is  five  and  one-half  cents  a  foot,  so 
that  sales  for  1936  should  amount  to  about 
$2,750,000,  they  estimate.  This  would  com- 
pare with  sales  of  $1,499,845  for  the  year 
ended  December  31,  1935,  when  operations 


resulted  in  a  net  loss  of  $3,472,  after  all 
charges. 

That  further  increased  volume  is  anti- 
cipated is  indicated  by  the  recent  action  of 
directors  in  authorizing  appropriation  for 
the  erection  of  a  plant  and  laboratory  doub- 
ling Technicolor's  present  capacity  of  75,- 
000,000  feet  a  year.  The  new  addition  is 
expected  to  cost  about  $1,500,000,  and  will 
be  started  as  soon  as  the  site  is  selected  and 
engineers  complete  plans  for  the  structure. 
The  company's  cash  position  obviates  the 
necessity  for  any  additional  financing  in  con- 
nection with  expenditures  for  the  new  plant, 
according  to  Dr.  Herbert  T.  Kalmus,  presi- 
dent. 

"With  the  marked  increase  in  volume  in- 
dicated for  1937,  it  is  considered  highly  pos- 
sible that  the  print  price  of  Technicolor  may 
be  reduced  from  its  present  base  level  of 
five  and  a  half  cents  a  foot,"  the  Journal 
said. 


Dramatists '  Guild 
Agrees  on  Rules 
For  Play  Selling 

Objections  of  film  companies  to  the  new 
Dramatists'  Guild-producers  contract  are 
reported  to  have  been  removed  with  the  ap- 
proval this  week  by  the  joint  committee  of 
guild  and  producing  managers  of  supple- 
mentary rules  stabilizing  the  provisions  gov- 
erning the  sale  of  film  rights  to  stage  plays. 

The  producers  had  threatened  to  with- 
draw their  financial  backing  of  Broadway 
plays  because  the  rules  were  not  incorpor- 
ated in  the  new  five  year  contract.  The 
companies  held  that  unless  the  rules  were 
made  a  part  of  the  agreement  they  would 
be  subject  to  change  at  any  time  and  con- 
sequently, a  film  company  which  had  backed 
a  stage  production  never  could  be  sure  of 
obtaining  the  rights  to  the  play  which  car- 
ried its  investment. 

The  new  provision  specifies  that  the  same 
conditions  prevailing  at  the  time  that  a 
backer  becomes  financially  interested  in  a 
stage  production  must  prevail  for  him  at  the 
time  of  the  disposal  of  the  film  rights. 

The  guild  was  opposed  to  the  inclusion 
of  the  rules  in  the  five  year  contract  on  the 
ground  that  they  should  be  kept  flexible  to 
meet  seasonal  changes  in  the  theatre  mar- 
ket. 


Prudential  Head  Obtains 
Six  Long  Island  Houses 

Joseph  Seider,  head  of  Prudential  Play- 
houses, is  reported  to  have  bought  the  fee, 
subject  to  outstanding  leases,  on  six  Long 
Island  theatres  formerly  affiliated  with  Pru- 
dential and  recently  taken  over  by  Sam 
Strassberg  and  Jack  Hattem  of  the  Inter- 
boro  circuit. 


0.  Henry  Briggs 
Leaves  DuPont 
To  Head  Pathe 


O.  Henry  Briggs,  sales  manager  for 
DuPont  Film  Manufacturing  Company,  re- 
signed from  his  post  late  last  week  in  order 
to  accept  the  presidency  of  Pathe  Exchange, 
Inc.,  to  succeed  Frank  F.  Kolbe.  His  elec- 
tion was  expected  Wednesday  and  the 
board  evidently  postponed  action. 

No  successor  has  been  named  as  yet  at 
DuPont  to  Mr.  Briggs,  who  left  immedi- 
ately after  tendering  his  resignation  for 
Hollywood.  He  is  to  be  gone  two  weeks  and 
will  take  up  his  new  duties  at  Pathe  imme- 
diately on  his  return.  Mr.  Kolbe,  of  Kolbe 
and  Young,  representing  the  principal  finan- 
cial interests  in  Pathe,  is  understood  to  have 
desired  to  be  Relieved  of  the  Pathe  presi- 
dency in  order  to  spend  more  time  in  his 
brokerage  business. 

Mr.  Briggs  was  first  with  the  New  York 
Telephone  Company  and  Federal  Telephone 
and  Telegraph  Company,  as  district  commer- 
cial representative  in  western  New  York. 
In  1918  he  entered  the  technical  training 
school  established  by  E.  I.  duPont  de  Ne- 
mours and  Company  at  Wilmington,  Del.  In 
the  same  year  he  was  assigned  to  the  posi- 
tion of  supervisor  of  transportation  at  the 
Carney's  Point  plant  of  the  DuPont  com- 
pany. In  1919  he  was  transferred  to  the 
home  office  of  the  company  at  Wilmington, 
where  he  stayed  until  1922  when  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Parlin  Works  headquar- 
ters as  manager  of  the  promotion  depart- 
ment. While  he  was  in  charge  of  this  de- 
partment the  company  had  completed  build- 
ing its  $4,000,000  motion  picture  plant  at 
Parlin. 

At  this  time  it  was  decided  to  incorporate 
the  DuPont  film  business  as  a  subsidiary 
company,  and  accordingly  DuPont  with  a 
controlling  interest,  together  with  (Pathe 
Freres  of  Paris  and  Pathe  Exchange,  Inc., 
of  New  York,  formed  the  DuPont  Film 
Manufacturing  Corporation  in  1924.  Mr. 
Briggs  then  joined  the  new  company  as 
sales  manager. 

Meanwhile,  it  is  reported  that  Pathe  will 
exercise  its  subscription  right  to  32,000  ad- 
ditional shares  of  Grand  National  stock,  giv- 
ing it  a  total  of  48,000  shares,  or  eight  per 
cent  of  the  600,000  shares  of  Grand  National 
outstanding. 

Grand  National  stockholders  can  acquire 
two  shares  for  each  share  held,  at  a  sub- 
scription price  of  $1.79  per  share. 


Master  Art  Products 
Quits  Accessories  Field 

Master  Art  Products,  Inc.,  will  go  out  of 
the  accessory  business  in  accordance  with 
agreements  for  withdrawal  of  a  suit  brought 
against  National  Screen  Service  and  Na- 
tional Screen  Accessories,  it  was  announced 
this  week. 


Herman  Schaad  Dies 

Herman  Bismarck  Schaad,  57,  of  New 
York,  manager  for  leading  radio  artists, 
who  was  formerly  secretary  of  the  Aeolian 
Company  and  manager  of  Aeolian  Hall,  died 
unexpectedly  last  week  in  Lenox,  Mass. 


July    4,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


37 


THE  HOLLYWOOD 
SCENE 


Quick  reference  information  on  prod- 
uct started  and  completed  and  a 
panorama  of  the  news  of  the  week 


Summer  Pace 


Production  wheels  turned  at  average  sum- 
mer pace  as  nine  pictures  started  in  the  last 
week  and  six  finished.  As  six  studios  par- 
ticipated in  new  work,  production  was  even- 
ly distributed.  On  the  finishing  productions 
side  of  the  ledger,  however,  Paramount  led, 
checking  in  with  three. 

Columbia  started  two  features.  In 
"Craig's  Wife"  Rosalind  Russell  and  John 
Boles,  making  his  first  picture  under  new 
contract  to  this  company,  are  starred.  Sup- 
port includes  Alma  Kruger,  Jessie  Busley, 
Dorothy  Wilson,  Nydia  Westman,  Elispeth 
Risdeon,  Thomas  Mitchell,  Robert  Allen  and 
Raymond  Walburn.  Direction  is  by  Dorothy 
Arzner,  Hollywood's  ranking  woman  di- 
rector. The  second  picture,  "Outlaws  of 
Palouse,"  will  present  Jack  Holt,  Robert 
Allen,  Guinn  Williams  and  John  McGuire. 
Erie  Kenton  is  directing. 

Two  pictures  also  started  at  Paramount. 
More  important  of  the  pair  as  a  prospective 
audience  entertainment  and  showman's  ex- 
ploitation feature  is  "The  Big  Broadcast  of 
1937."  Though  the  cast  is  far  from  com- 
plete, personalities  currently  listed  are  Jack 
Benny,  George  Burns,  Gracie  Allen,  Bob 
Burns,  Jane  Froman,  Ray  Milland,  Frank 
Forrest,  Martha  Raye,  Benny  Fields,  Sam 
Hearn,  Benny  Goodman  and  band,  Leopold 
Stokowski  and  symphony,  Louis  DaPron 
and  Eleanore  Whitney.  Mitchell  Leisen  is 
directing.  "Three  Married  Men,"  which 
features  Lynne  Overman,  Roscoe  Karns, 
William  Frawley,  Mary  Brian,  George 
Barbier,  C.  S.  Collins,  Marjorie  Gateson  and 
Mabel  Colcord,  also  got  the  starting  gun. 
Eddie  Buzzell  is  directing. 

At  Warner's,  "Loudspeaker  Lowdown" 
started.  The  cast  currently  lists  Ross  Alex- 
ander, Glenda  Farrell,  Frank  McHugh.  Gor- 
don Oliver,  Norman  Willis,  John  T.  Mur- 
ray and  John  Sheehan.  William  Clemons 
directs. 

At  United  Artists  studio,  Goldwyn  started 
"Come  and  Get  It."  Under  Howard  Hawks' 
direction  are  featured  Edward  Arnold  and 
Frances  Farmer,  with  Walter  Brennan, 
Mary  Nash,  Andrea  Leeds,  Clem  Bevens, 
Edwin  Maxwell  and  Agnes  Anderson  in 
support. 

Universal  started  "A  Fool  for  Blondes." 
Victor  McLaglen  is  starred.  The  support 
presently  includes  Binnie  Barnes,  Nan  Grey, 
Jean  Dixon,  Henry  Armetta  and  Billy  Bur- 
rud.    John  Blystone  is  the  director. 

"See  America  First,"  a  unit  in  the  Ameri- 
can Family  series,  was  started  by  Twentieth 
Century-Fox.  The  cast  lists  Jed  Prouty, 
Spring  Byington,  Dixie  Dunbar,  Tony  Mar- 
tin, Shirley  Deane,  Florence  Roberts  and 
Kenneth  Howell.  James  Tinling  is  directing. 

At  Radio,  "Second  Wife"  started.  Walter 
Abel,  Gertrude  Michael  and  Erik  Rhodes 
head  the  cast.   William  Killy  directs. 

During  the  week,  "Spawn  of  the  North," 


a  Paramount  picture  on  which  considerable 
preliminary  work  already  had  been  done  in 
Alaska,  was  cancelled.  Ill  health  of  Carole 
Lombard,  who  was  to  have  been  starred, 
prevented  her  making  the  trip  north. 

Paramount  nevertheless  completed  a  trio 
of  features  that  appear  to  be  more  than  or- 
dinarily attractive.  Most  important  of  the 
group  is  "Texas  Rangers,"  an  historical 
western  produced  in  grand  scale  and  a  pic- 
ture that  has  already  been  widely  publicized 
by  the  studio  and  state  of  Texas.  Direction 
credited  to  King  Vidor  and  with  hundreds 
of  extras  appearing,  the  important  names  in 
the  cast  are  Fred  MacMurray,  Jack  Oakie, 
Jean  Parker,  Lloyd  Nolan,  Bennie  Bartlett, 
Edward  Ellis,  Dora  Early,  Elean  Marinez, 
Frank  Shannon  and  Irving  Bacon.  Similar 
to  "The  Covered  Wagon"  and  "Cimarron" 
in  theme  and  scope,  the  picture  is  a  tribute 
to  the  men  who  founded  Texas.  The  second 
film,  "My  American  Wife,"  also  possessing 
a  western  atmosphere,  features  Francis 
Lederer,  Ann  Sothern  and  Billie  Burke. 
In  the  third  of  the  completed  trio,  "Holly- 
wood Boulevard,"  which  dramatized  the 
towering  ambitions  and  tragic  failures  of 
the  colony  of  picture  makers,  many  early 
screen  pioneers  will  be  seen.  Listed  in  im- 
porfiant  roles  are  John  Halliday,  Marsha 
Hunt,  Robert  Cummings,  C.  Henry  Gordon, 
Frieda  Inescourt,  Esther  Ralston,  Esther 
Dale,  Betty  Compson,  Charles  Ray,  Maurice 
Costello,  Bryant  Washburn,  Roy  d'Arcy, 
Francis  X.  Bushman,  Albert  Conti,  Her- 
bert Rawlinson  and  Purnell  Pratt.  Robert 
Florey  directed. 

At  Universal,  "Boss  Rider  of  Gun  Creek" 
was  finished.  The  cast  includes  Buck  Jones, 
Muriel  Evans,  Harvey  Clarke,  Mahlon 
Hamilton,  Lester  Phelps  and  Tom  Chatter- 
ton.    Les  Selander  directed. 

National  Pictures  completed  "Wings  over 
San  Antonio."  Lloyd  Hughes  and  Rosalind 
Keith  are  the  principals,  supported  by  Wil- 
liam Janney,  Jason  Roberts,  George  Regas, 
Russell  Hicks,  Glen  Boles,  Joseph  Girard 
and  Frank  Hagney.    Stuart  Paton  directed. 

In  the  final  picture  of  the  complete  group, 
"Lady  Luck,"  Chesterfield  features  Patricia 
Farr  and  William  Bakewell  with  Lulu  Mc- 
Connell,  Duncan  Renaldo,  Jamison  Thomas. 

ABC  of  a  Guild 

In  a  pamphlet  which  takes  the  form  of  a 
question  and  answer  catechism,  the  Screen 
Actors'  Guild  makes  public  its  aims  and  in- 
tentions. Prefaced  by  an  article  by  presi- 
dent Robert  Montgomery,  Guild  says  that 
high  among  its  objectives  are  "economic 
security  and  better  working  conditions  for 
extras  and  bit  players,  fully  50  per  cent  of 
whom  earn  less  in  a  year  than  an  unskilled 
laborer." 

Then  in  dialogue  question  and  answer  the 
ABC  of  the  Guild  is  established.     It  is  a 


union  of  motion  picture  actors  and  actresses 
incorporated  under  the  laws  of  California 
as  a  non-profit  corporation,  and  it  is  a  labor 
union.  It  operates  under  a  charter  from  the 
Associated  Actors  and  Artistes  of  America, 
a  federation  of  actors  affiliated  with  the 
American  Federation  of  Labor.  A  member 
of  the  California  State  Federation  of  Labor, 
one  of  the  Guild's  representatives  holds  a 
seat  on  the  executive  board  of  the  Los  An- 
geles Central  Labor  Council. 

The  Actor's  Guild  was  formed  to  obtain 
through  collective  bargaining  adequate  com- 
pensation and  fair  working  conditions  for 
its  members  and  to  foster  the  dignity  of  the 
screen  acting  profession.  Membership  is 
open  to  anyone  who  acts  in  pictures,  and  is 
divided  into  two  classes,  junior  and  senior. 
Extras,  stunt  men,  dancers,  bit  and  small 
part  players  are  eligible  to  junior  member- 
ship. Senior  membership  includes  part  play- 
ers, freelance  and  feature  players,  contract 
players  and  anyone  who  has  acted  on  the 
stage  in  a  speaking  part  for  at  least  three 
years. 

There  is  a  close  working  agreement  be- 
tween the  Guild  and  Actors  Equity  Asso- 
ciation, but  the  Guild  has  complete  control 
over  its  own  affairs.  Yet  Equity  members 
are  required  to  join  the  Guild  when  work- 
ing in  pictures. 

The  Guild  points  out  that  it  has  obtained 
material  wage  adjustments  for  bit  and  extra 
players  in  more  than  200  cases,  and  in  many 
instances  has  further  protected  them  by  pre- 
venting non-professionals  from  taking  jobs 
which  belong  to  extras. 

Pigskin  Dramas 

Last  year,  Universal's  "Fighting  Youth" 
was  the  solitary  football  picture  to  make  a 
general  bid  for  attention  from  the  game 
crowds.  With  the  field  all  to  itself,  the  pic- 
ture scored  a  handsome  number  of  touch- 
downs with  the  result  that,  this  year,  at  least 
four  other  companies  are  bidding  for  part  of 
the  gate  with  football  stories. 

Within  two  weeks  Radio  puts  into  pro- 
duction "The  Big  Game,"  which  will  fea- 
ture the  new  contract  player,  Phil  Huston. 
Already  signed  are  four  all-Americans  from 
Stanford :  Bones  Hamilton,  Monk  Moscrip, 
Keith  Topping  and  Frank  Alustiza.  This 
production  quite  likely  will  be  the  first  of  the 
pigskin  dramas  to  reach  the  screens,  but 
others  will  not  be  far  behind. 

Columbia  is  preparing  "College  Hero,"  an 
original  story  by  Robert  Buckner,  with  no 
principals  signed  yet. 

Paramount  is  polishing  the  script  for 
"Rose  Bowl,"  which  will  feature  the  an- 
nual struggle  between  star  east  and  west 
elevens. 

Mark  Kelly,  ex-sports  editor  of  the  Los 
Angeles  Examiner,  is  writing  "Pigskin 
Parade"  for  Twentieth  Centurv-Fox. 


38 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,    I  936 


AAAJORS  NOT  QUITTING  GERMANY, 
DESPITE  NAZI  RESTRICTIVE  ACTS 


Foreign  Managers  of  Para- 
mount, 20th  Century-Fox  and 
MGM  Say  They'll  Ride  the 
Present  Storm  of  Rejections 

Three  large  American  film  companies 
which  have  distributing  subsidiaries  in  Ger- 
many are  not  contemplating  any  immediate 
action  toward  liquidating  them  in  spite  of 
the  new  and  increasingly  harsh  restrictive 
action  by  the  Reich  Government.  Foreign 
managers  of  Paramount,  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury-Fox and  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  de- 
clared this  week  that  they  will  not  with- 
draw from  the  Nazi  field  unless  further 
definitely  hostile  moves  are  made  by  the 
Hitler  Government. 

It  had  been  reported  in  Germany  and 
in  this  country  that  the  companies  are 
planning  to  drop  their  distributing  units 
at  once,  but  executives  here  said  that  no 
such  move  is  being  considered  at  the  pres- 
ent time  and  that  no  collective  action  will 
be  taken  through  the  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers and  Distributors  of  America.  The 
MPPDA  is  understood  to  have  taken  the 
stand  that  any  move  to  vacate  the  Nazi 
market  must  come  from  the  individual 
companies  concerned. 

The  Essener  National  Zeitung,  the  lead- 
ing and  semi-official  newspaper  of  western 
Germany,  publishing  a  series  of  articles  on 
what  it  calls  the  "present  crisis,"  reported 
that  the  three  companies  will  dispose  of  their 
German  subsidiaries.  Immediate  occasion 
for  the  series  was  the  recent  banning  by  the 
censorship  board  of  several  American  pic- 
tures on  what  the  distributors  called  ex- 
tremely flimsy  grounds.  The  barring  of  nine 
films  in  the  last  few  months,  combined  with 
the  difficulty  of  drawing  any  revenue  from 
the  country  because  of  the  foreign  currency 
embargo,  was  given  by  the  newspaper  as  the 
reason  for  its  reports  of  a  planned  suspen- 
sion of  the  American  units. 

The  articles,  surprisingly  frank,  are  con- 
sidered a  bold  attack  on  the  censorship  poli- 
cies of  Dr.  Paul  Joseph  Goebbels,  Reich 
Minister  of  Propaganda  and  Public  Enlight- 
enment. The  Zeitung  is  controlled  by 
Colonel  General  Herman  Wilhelm  Goering, 
Reich  Air  Minister  and  Premier  of  Prussia. 
In  addition  to  the  list  of  nine  prohibited 
films,  which  included  "The  Prisoner  of 
Shark  Island,"  listed  as  "too  cruel,"  and 
"The  Country  Doctor,"  banned  because  the 
censors  asserted  Jean  Hersholt  is  partially 
"non-Aryan."  the  newspaper  reported  that 
since  the  beginning  of  1935,  nineteen  Ameri- 
can pictures  have  been  turned  down  by  the 
Propaganda  Ministry. 

The  articles  pointed  out  that  the  affected 
films  are  mostly  super-productions,  original- 
ly designed  by  the  companies  to  revive  the 
slowly  flowing  revenue  from  the  country. 

A  complete  survey  of  the  market  was  con- 
tained in  the  series  and  it  was  said  that 
American  films  are  preferred  by  exhibitors 
to  those  of  anv  other  country.  The  sup- 
position that  the  withdrawal  of  American 


Overhead  of  Subsidiaries 
Totals  3,355,000  Reichsmarks 


Wages    in  Reichsmarks 
Fox  Metro  Paramount 

1933   424,000  475,000  282,000 

1934   350,000  432,000  340,000 

1935   349,000  337,000  300,000 

Prints  (inland) 

1933   238,000  468,000  60,000 

1934   240,000  365,000  250,000 

1935   230,000  357,000  121,000 

Prints  (foreign  countries) 

1933   306,000  91,000  70,000 

1934   70,000  81,000  82,000 

1935   154,000  47,000  39,000 

Dubbing  charges 

1933   404,000  362,000  35,000 

1934   268,000  353,000  198,000 

1935   228,000  335,000  116,000 


Total  of  the  three 
companies  1935 


986,000 


708,000 


240,000 


679,000 
news  reels,  742,000 


Total  expenses  in  1935  Reichmarks   3,355,000 


competition  would  result  in  increased  reve- 
nue for  the  product  of  any  other  country  or 
for  German-made  films  was  called  a  fallacy. 
Even  British  productions  were  classified  as 
not  equal  to  the  American  product.  Apart 
from  two  or  three  pictures  including  "The 
Private  Life  of  Henry  VIII"  and  "The  Scar- 
let Pimpernel"  it  was  declared  that  no  Brit- 
ish film  had  been  an  outstanding  success 
in  the  Reich. 

The  possible  contention  by  the  Propaganda 
Ministry  that  the  importation  of  American 
films  is  bound  to  the  export  of  foreign  cur- 
rencies was  also  branded  as  erroneous  by 
the  newspaper.  It  pointed  out  that  prac- 
tically the  entire  receipts  from  German  ex- 
ploitation of  foreign  films  are  left  in  Ger- 
many because  of  the  difficulty  of  obtaining 
permission  to  transfer  them,  even  in  re- 
stricted form,  to  the  home  offices  of  the  sub- 
sidiaries. Even  when  Sperrmark  credits 
are  obtained  they  involve  a  loss  of  from  60 
to  65  per  cent  for  the  companies. 

Capital  also  was  made  of  the  fact  that  the 
American  units  spend  more  than  3,000,000 
Reichsmarks  a  year  in  the  operation  of  their 
offices.  Not  only  do  theatre  owners  profit 
from  foreign  pictures  but  German  employees, 
actors,  authors,  printing  plants  and  studios 
which  cooperate  with  the  American  com- 
panies draw  immense  revenue  which  would 
be  lost  it  the  threatened  suspension  is  car- 
ried out,  it  was  declared.  Total  expenses  for 
the  three  subsidiaries  for  1935  in  wages, 
dubbing  charges  and  taxes  are  placed  at 
3,355,000  Reichsmarks. 


Analysis  of  the  expenditures  revealed  that 
wages  alone  comprise  45  per  cent  of  the 
total  and  that  the  combined  overhead  ex- 
penses take  33.8,  37.6  and  40.4  percent  of 
the  total  receipts  for  the  three  companies. 
The  figures  quoted  were  based  on  state- 
ments for  the  five  years  from  1931  to  1935. 

Although  officials  of  the  three  com- 
panies agreed  that  the  present  outlook  is 
bleak  and  that  further  restrictive  action  by 
the  German  Government  would  make  the 
market  unprofitable  and  almost  untenable, 
they  said  they  will  not  withdraw  unless  the 
Reich  Propaganda  Ministry  bars  almost 
every  film  scheduled  for  exploitation  in 
the  country. 

Walter  W.  Hutchinson,  foreign  manager 
for  Twentieth  Century-Fox,  pointed  out  that 
only  16  American  films  were  exhibited  in 
Germany  through  the  three  American  sub- 
sidiaries during  the  1935-36  season  and  that 
there  is  a  possibility  that  this  quota  may  be 
cut  in  half  for  the  next  season.  If  this  should 
happen,  he  declared,  his  company  would  be 
willing  to  liquidate  its  German  interests. 

George  Vallar,  manager  for  Paramount 
in  Germany,  declared  on  his  arrival  in  New 
York  last  Saturday  that  his  company  will 
not  move  to  suspend  its  subsidiary  this  vear. 
He  announced  that  he  had  received  kon- 
tingents  from  the  Reich  Government  for  the 
release  of  eight  dubbed  and  two  super-im- 
posed pictures.  He  regarded  the  stories 
about  increased  restrictions  as  exaggerated. 


^*bo7^* tVve 


i 


ALL  IN  THIS  ONE 
GRAND  ATTRACTION  a 

SPARKLING,  ROMANTIC  COMEDY  OF  LOVE 
ON  A  BUDGET . . .  OPENING  IN  DOZENS  OF 
KEY  SPOTS  THIS  WEEK! 


THE 


DIRECTED  BY  LEIGH  JASON 

AN  EDWARD  SMALL  PRODUCTION 

RKO  RADIO  PICTURE 


42 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4  ,  1936 


N  C   ROOM  ^rance->  Germany 
 Sign  Film  Pact 


THE  CUTTI 


(Continued  from  page  39) 
topical  twist  to  give  it  a  potential  news  head- 
line character. 

Jimmy  Dunn  will  be  seen  as  the  fighter,  with 
June  Clayworth  as  the  young  lady  who  first 
takes  him  under  her  management,  marries  him 
and  finally  rescues  him  from  the  job  of  short 
order  restaurant  cook  to  restore  him  as  a  cham- 
pionship contender.  Included  among  the  fea- 
tured principals  are  George  McKay,  John  Gal- 
laudet,  Victor  Kilian,  Sara  Edwards,  Arthur 
Loft,  Thurston  Hall  and  Harry  Tyler. 


China  Clipper 

(Warner) 
Topical  Drama 

Two  of  man  s  greatest  transoceanic  aviation 
conquests  form  the  production  background  and 
dramatic  entertainment  basis  of  this  story.  As 
the  drama  of  man's  vision,  courage  and  confi- 
dence are  the  underlying  forces,  the  first  chap- 
ter is  devoted  to  the  Clipper  ship  conquest  of 
the  Caribbean  Sea,  a  historical  event  that  was 
of  much  topical  interest  in  its  time,  and  the 
second,  from  which  the  picture  derives  its  title, 
is  based  upon  the  recent  transpacific  flights. 

These  phases  of  the  production  naturally  be- 
ing the  angles  that  most  effectively  can  be 
adapted  to  interest  creating  exploitation,  a  sales- 
manship effort  in  which  there  are  possibilities 
for  unusual  contacts  with  many  influential  busi- 
ness stimulating  groups,  the  substantiating 
story  in  a  combination  of  personal  character 
drama  and  romantic  love  interest. 

The  story,  which  is  entirely  headline  inspired, 
is  an  original  screen  play  by  Lieutenant  Com- 
mander Frank  Wead,  a  writer  who  has  been 
associated  with  some  of  the  most  outstanding 
thrill  action  aviation  pictures.  Direction  is  by 
Ray  Enright,  maker  of  the  recent  "Earthworm 
Tractor"  and  most  of  the  pictures  in  which  Joe 
E.  Brown  appeared  for  Warner. 

Name  value  of  the  cast  is  of  exceptional  value. 
Pat  O'Brien  is  starred.  Though  his  name  is 
well  down  in  the  list  of  credits,  the  late  Henry 
B.  Walthall  is  one  of  the  story's  most  impor- 
tant characters.  In  it,  as  the  designer  and 
builder  of  the  Clipper  ship,  he  dies  in  a  manner 
closely  paralleling  his  actual  death.  The  ro- 
mance, which  is  a  part  of  O'Brien's  drama,  is 
shared  with  Beverly  Roberts  seen  in  "The  Sing- 
ing Kid."  Other  names  of  more  than  ordinary 
appeal  to  patrons  are  those  of  Humphrey  Bo- 
gart,  Ross  Alexander,  Marie  Wilson,  Addison 
Richards,  Joseph  Crehan  and  Joseph  King. 


Sing,  Baby,  Sing 

(20th  Century -Fox) 
Comedy  Romance 

Though  there  are  many  deviations,  a  sugges- 
tion of  the  recent  widely  headlined  cross- 
country romantic  escapades  of  a  noted  Holly- 
wood picture  actor  seem  to  be  the  basis  for  this 
story.  It  is  essentially  a  music  tinged  comedy 
romance  which  has  a  light  dramatic  contrast, 
but  which,  nevertheless,  is  continually  comic. 
The  topical  experiences  of  the  star  who  con- 
tinually called  for  his  Ariel  form  the  entertain- 
ment backbone  of  the  story  and  the  exploita- 
tion angle  which  any  showman  cannot  miss. 

The  vehicle  is  an  original  by  Milton  Sperling 
and  Jack  Yellen,  who  had  the  collaboration  of 
Harry  Tugent  in  preparing  the  screen  play. 
The  same  combination,  producer  B.  G.  DeSylva 
and  director  Sidney  Lanfield,  who  accounted  for 
"King  of  Burlesque,"  are  shaping  it  into  screen 
realism. 

The  cast  undoubtedly  was  selected  for  its 


ability  to  emphasize  the  story's  comedy  content. 
All  many  times  have  demonstrated  their  fun- 
making  talents,  particularly  effective  when  they 
are  aimed  at  a  burlesque  objective.  Adolphe 
Menjou,  remembered  for  many  roles  but  par- 
ticularly for  his  work  in  "The  Milky  Way," 
plays  the  part  of  the  continually  inebriated 
Shakespeare  mouthing  actor.  Gregory  Ratoff 
and  Ted  Healy  are  the  pair  who  contrive  to 
make  Alice  Faye  his  Ariel.  The  comedy  which 
this  pair  contribute,  working  to  the  chagrin  of 
Miss  Faye  and  causing  her  legitimate  sweet- 
heart in  the  picture,  Michael  Whelan,  much 
heart-ache,  is  furthered  by  the  inclusion  of 
Patsy  Kelly  and  the  introduction  to  the  screen 
of  the  Ritz  Brothers.  The  picture  also  will  pre- 
sent Dixie  Dunbar,  Tony  Martin,  a  new  sing- 
ing discovery,  Paul  Stanton  and  Douglas 
Fowley. 

Being  produced  smartly,  and  with  an  idea  to 
good  taste,  the  production  promises  to  be  a 
topical  exploitation  feature  to  arouse  patron 
interest  to  an  unusual  pitch  long  before  its 
presentation. 


Postal  Inspector 

(Universal) 
Thrill  Action  Drama 

As  the  work  of  another  branch  of  government 
detectives,  the  postal  inspectors,  is  dramatized, 
this  is  a  story  of  how  Uncle  Sam  keeps  the 
mails  going  despite  any  disaster  and  protects  it 
safely  from  a  gang  of  crooks.  While  concen- 
trating almost  entirely  on  that  subject  it  also 
relates  a  pungent  story  of  conflicting  romance 
told  against  a  background  of  unusual  and  thrilling 
circumstances.  Production  backgrounds  for  the 
story  depict  the  floods  that  swept  many  eastern 
communities ;  thieves  stage  the  greatest  mail 
robbery  in  history,  grabbing  $3,000,000  while 
the  flood  rages  and  the  populace  is  thrown  into 
panic.  Essentially  dramatic  entertainment,  the 
story  is  also  semi-educational  in  character  inas- 
much as  it  reveals  uses  which  the  Post  Office 
Department  makes  of  modern  inventions,  par- 
ticularly two-way  radios,  in  its  operations. 

A  fresh  subject,  but  nevertheless  one  which 
makes  possible  the  inclusion  of  dramatic,  ro- 
mantic and  other  appealing  elements  of  topically 
based  thrill  action  yarns,  the  production  appar- 
ently has  a  potential  cooperative  contact  value 
that  should  be  beneficial  in  exploiting  it. 

The  story  is  an  original  by  Robert  Presnell 
and  Horace  McCoy,  for  which  McCoy  did 
the  screen  play.  Otto  Brower,  one  of  Holly- 
wood's younger  directors,  specializing  in  thrill 
action  properties,  is  the  director.  Among  his 
recent  credits  is  the  handling  of  the  battle  se- 
quences in  "Under  Two  Flags." 

The  cast,  while  not  highly  impressive,  is  ac- 
ceptable. Ricardo  Cortez  is  featured  in  the  title 
role.  Patricia  Ellis  is  the  girl,  object  of  his 
affections  and  at  same  time  the  one  innocently 
broadcasting  information  that  leads  to  the  at- 
tempted robbery  engineered  by  Bela  Lugosi. 
Two  newcomers,  Michael  Loring,  stage  actor, 
and  David  Oliver,  former  wisecracking  Uni- 
versal newsreel  cameraman,  have  important 
parts.  Others  to  be  seen  include  Wallis  Clark, 
Guy  Usher,  Henry  Hunter,  Billy  Burrud, 
Harry  Beresford,  Hattie  McDaniel  and  Arthur 
Loft. 


Isley-Moran  to  Expand 

The  Isley-Moran  circuit,  operating  in 
Oklahoma,  Missouri  and  Kansas,  is  contem- 
plating addition  of  several  houses  to  the 
17  which  it  now  operates,  Phil  Isley  said 
this  week. 


by  J.  K.  RUTENBERG 

in  Berlin 

A  special  agreement  just  completed  be- 
tween France  and  Germany,  provides  for 
the  free  importation  of  films  originating  in 
^either  country.  It  is  a  one-year  arrange- 
ment, effective  from  June  1  last.  It  is  the 
intention  to  discuss  the  formulation  of  new 
regulations  at  the  expiration  of  this  agree- 
ment. 

Under  the  terms  of  the  arrangement,  films 
made  in  Germany,  either  in  German  or 
French,  may  be  exported  to  France  without 
duty,  and  without  limit  with  respect  to  na- 
ture and  length.  The  number  so  exported 
will  be  subject  only  to  French  legislation 
relative  to  the  reproduction  of  films  of 
foreign  origin.  No  conflict  is  seen  with  the 
provisions  of  the  new  French  laws  on  cen- 
sorship. 

•  An  important  phase  of  the  agreement  pro- 
vides that  the  German  Government  will  per- 
mit the  transfer  of  foreign  currencies  which 
have  been  collected  in  Germany  by  the  ex- 
ploitation of  French  films.  Each  country 
will  compile  a  list  of  the  films  shown  within 
its  boundaries,  and  forward  it  to  the  other 
country.  If  a  film  is  to  be  suppressed  in 
either  country,  the  reason  must  be  given 
within  two  weeks,  according  to  the  agree- 
ment. 

Frohman  On  Committee 
For  Federal  Theatre 

Daniel  Frohman  will  head  an  advisory 
committee  for  the  Federal  Theatre  Project, 
composed  of  men  and  women  prominent  in 
social,  public  and  theatrical  life,  according 
to  a  list  released  by  George  M.  Gatts,  New 
York  State  director  of  the  project.  The 
group  will  function  as  patrons  and  patron- 
esses of  the  theatre  work,  which  is  financed 
through  the  Works  Progress  Administra- 
tion. Others  on  the  list  are  Mayor  Fiorello 
LaGuardia  of  New  York,  Miss  Alma  Clay- 
burgh,  Joseph  P.  Day,  Herbert  Bayard 
Swope,  Henry  Breckenridge,  Fannie  Hurst, 
S.  Stenwood  Menken,  Edwin  Denby, 
George  Gordon  Battle,  Mrs.  Frederick 
Steinway,  Mrs.  James  Lee  Laidlaw  and  Miss 
Irene  Lewisohn. 


Frohman  Lauded  by  Hays 

Daniel  Frohman's  work  for  the  Motion 
Picture  Fund  was  praised  by  Will  H.  Hays 
in  a  speech  before  the  Los  Angeles  Break- 
fast Club  in  that  city  last  week.  He  re- 
ferred to  Mr.  Frohman  as  the  "ambassador 
of  entertainment." 


Deep  Sea  Films  Made 

Otis  Barton,  inventor  of  the  bathsphere,  a 
deep-sea  diving  bell,  returned  to  New  York 
last  week  with  thousands  of  feet  of  motion 
picture  film  showing  submarine  life.  He 
plans  to  release  the  pictures  in  one  sequence. 


"Pastures"  Premiere  Set 

"The  Green  Pastures,"  Warner  Brothers' 
film  version  of  the  Pulitzer  Prize  Play  by 
Marc  Connelly,  will  open  in  New  York  at 
the  Radio  Citv  Music  Hall  on  July  16th. 


July    4  ,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


43 


COMPANIES  LARGE  AND  SMALL  FINISH 
PLANS  FOR  NEW  SEASON  PRODUCT 


AT  THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  RKO  RADIO  SALES  CONVENTION  at  the 
Waldorf  Astoria  in  New  York.  {Left  to  right)  A.  Christiansen  of  Irving  Trust 
Company,  receiver  for  Radio-Keith-Orpheum  Corporation;  Ned  E.  Depinet,  presi- 
dent of  RKO  Radio  Distributing  Corporation,  and  Martin  Quigley. 


Columbia  Signs  Jules  White 
to  New  Contract  to  Head 
Short  Subjects;  New  DeLuxe 
Pictures   Elects  Callaghan 

With  the  termination  of  the  United 
Artists  annual  sales  convention  at  the  Hotel 
Ambassador  in  Los  Angeles  this  week  (see 
page  57),  the  last  of  the  large  companies 
has  given  its  final  instruction  on  next  sea- 
son's product  to  its  field  forces.  Both  large 
and  small  distributors  and  producers  are  now 
drawing  together  the  final  unfinished  busi- 
ness details  of  the  new  programs. 

Several  companies  are  signing  new  talent 
for  their  player  rosters,  writing  stafifs  and 
directorial  ranks.  Others  have  taken  new 
associate  producers  into  the  fold,  and  all  are 
closing  distribution  deals.  New  product  and 
sales  policy  developments  this  week  follow : 

British  International 

British  International  Pictures  in  London  is 
launching  one  of  its  most  ambitious  programs, 
with  10  productions  scheduled  to  go  into  work 
shortly.  Included  in  the  group  are  "Stars  of 
the  Circus,"  "Hunt  the  Pearls"  with  Buddy 
Rogers,  "The  Lilac  Domino,"  "Sensation," 
"Glamorous  Night,"  "Treachery,"  "The  Dom- 
inant Sex,"  'The  Luck  of  the  Navy"  and  a 
series  based  on  the  well  known  character,  Bull- 
dog Drummond. 

Burroughs-Tarzan 

George  W.  Stour,  secretary  and  treasurer  of 
Burroughs-Tarzan  Pictures,  who  heretofore 
confined  his  activities  to  the  financial  and  ex- 
ecutive operation  of  that  company,  is  personally 
supervising  the  production  of  "Tundra."  Ash- 
ton  Dearhold,  vice-president  in  charge  of  pro- 
duction, is  concentrating  his  efforts  on  the  com- 
pletion of  "The  Phantom  of  Santa  Fe"  and  in 
the  preparation  of  the  company's  serial,  "Sky 
Fighters." 

Majestic  Pictures  Corporation  of  Western 
Pennsylvania,  Burroughs-Tarzan  franchise 
owner  for  that  territory,  has  been  sold  by 
Joseph  S.  Skirboll  to  Lew  and  Milton  Lefton, 
operators  of  the  Monarch  Pictures  Corporation 
in  Pittsburgh. 

Columbia 

Under  a  new  plan  put  into  effect  at  Columbia 
Pictures  at  the  recent  sales  convention  at  Chi- 
cago, divisional,  district  and  branch  sales  heads 
in  the  field  will  make  periodic  trips  to  New 
York  for  conferences  with  home  office  execu- 
tives. This  is  in  line  with  the  decentralization 
of  the  sales  force  in  the  field. 

J.  H.  Seidelman,  foreign  manager  of  Colum- 
bia, plans  conventions  in  Madrid,  Rome  and 
Paris  within  the  next  six  weeks.  Joseph 
Friedman,  managing  director  of  Columbia  in 
London,  will  accompany  him  on  his  visit  to 
Continental  territories. 

Columbia  has  signed  Jules  J.  White,  head  of 
the  short  subject  department,  to  a  new  long 
term  contract.  At  the  same  time  it  announced 
that  the  13  short  subjects  based  on  the  John 
Hix  newspaper  and  radio  feature,  "Strange  As 
It  Seems,"  will  be  released  by  Columbia.  Clos- 
ing of  the  deal  has  been  announced  by  Richard 
Kahn,  president  of  the  recently  organized 
Screen  Classics,  Inc.,  producers  of  the  series. 

Prior  to  his  return  to  New  York  from  the 
company's  sales  convention  in  Chicago  last 
week,  Abe  Montague,  general  sales  manager, 


revealed  that  his  company  is  spending  approxi- 
mately $2,000,000  on  "The  Lost  Horizon."  He 
said  that  "to  date  more  than  2,000,000  feet  of 
film  have  been  taken  and  more  than  a  year  of 
preparation  has  gone  into  its  making." 

DeLuxe  Pictures 

DeLuxe  Pictures,  Inc.,  newly  formed  in  Hol- 
lywood, has  elected  George  H.  Callaghan  pres- 
ident, in  charge  of  distribution,  with  Jed  Buell 
secretary  and  treasurer  in  charge  of  production. 
The  board  of  directors  includes  Mary  K.  Suter, 
Jed  Buell,  Hugh  W.  Darling  and  E.  M.  Mor- 
tensen.  Headquarters  will  be  at  the  Talisman 
studios. 

Educational 

Educational  Pictures  temporarily  will  dis- 
continue its  production  activities  in  the  east  for 
about  four  weeks  beginning  July  10.  Before  the 
vacation  period  begins  the  company  will  pro- 
duce a  short  with  Bert  Lahr  at  the  Astoria 
studio. 

Guaranteed 

Guaranteed  Pictures  has  closed  with  Cameo 
Screen  Attractions,  Boston,  for  distribution  of 
"Just  My  Luck"  and  "Women  in  White"  in 
New  England. 

M.  H.  Hoffman 

M.  H.  Hoffman,  who  has  just  returned  from 
England,  plans  to  spend  some  time  in  New 
York  arranging  a  new  production  program  be- 
fore returning  to  Hollywood.  Although  re- 
ports have  linked  Mr.  Hoffman  with  planning 
to  produce  30  next  season,  he  said  that  the 


number  has  not  been  determined  but  it  will  not 
be  that  many. 

Imperial 

"High  Hat,"  from  the  Alma  Sioux  Scarberry 
novel,  has  been  completed  by  Imperial  Pictures 
in  Hollywood.  The  picture  will  be  released  in 
September.  Clifford  Sanforth  directed,  and  the 
cast  includes  Frank  Luther,  Dorothy  Dare, 
Gavin  Gordon,  Lona  Andre  and  Ted  Dawson's 
Orchestra. 

Paramount 

To  wind  up  the  current  season's  releases, 
Paramount  now  has  seven  pictures  in  the  cut- 
ting room  to  receive  final  editing  in  preparation 
for  release  in  the  next  six  weeks.  The  pictures 
are  "Three  Cheers  for  Love,"  "Yours  for  the 
Asking,"  "Rhythm  on  the  Range,"  "My  Amer- 
ican Wife,"  "A  Son  Comes  Home,"  "Hollywood 
Boulevard"  and  "Texas  Rangers." 

RKO  Radio 

Albert  Lewis  has  severed  an  association  of 
many  years  with  Paramount  as  a  producer  to 
accept  a  similar  position  with  Radio.  He  leaves 
for  his  new  office  in  two  weeks.  The  company 
has  also  signed  George  and  Ira  Gershwin  to  do 
the  tunes  for  "Watch  Your  Step,"  the  next 
Astaire-Rogers  film. 

Harry  Goetz,  president  of  Reliance,  has  ar- 
rived in  New  York  for  conferences  with  Radio 
executives  regarding  his  next  season's  product 
which  will  be  distributed  by  that  company.  At 
the  same  time,  A.  J.  Balaban  is  en  route  to  the 
coast  to  join  the  studio  production  staff  under 
Samuel  J.  Briskin. 

"Trinidad,"    the    first   release    in   the  new 

(Continued  on  following  page) 


44 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,  1936 


NEW  SEASON  PLANS 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

"World  on  Parade"  series  produced  by  Van 
Beuren  for  Radio,  has  been  completed. 

Republic 

Ned  Dobson,  New  York  agency  operator,  has 
been  signed  by  Republic  to  act  as  talent  scout. 
He  succeeds  Dick  La  Marr,  resigned. 

Spectrum 

Spectrum  Pictures  has  signed  Fred  Scott, 
cowboy  who  sang  with  Maria  Jeritza,  for  a 
series  of  six  musical  westerns  to  be  produced  by 
the  newly  formed  DeLuxe  Pictures  headed  by 
George  Callaghan.  The  first  will  be  "Romance 
on  the  Range." 

Stage  and  Screen 

Stage  and  Screen  Productions,  Inc.,  has 
closed  a  deal  for  distribution  of  its  serials  in 
Puerto  Rico  by  the  Puerto  Rico  Film  Service 
Company. 

Twentieth  Century  -  Fox 

Darryl  F.  Zanuck  has  cut  short  his  vacation 
and  returned  to  the  Twentieth  Century-Fox 
studios  in  Hollywood  to  speed  up  production. 
On  his  first  day  back  he  signed  director  Nor- 
man Taurog  to  a  long  term  contract  and  pur- 
chased J.  P.  Marquand's  story,  "That  Girl  and 
Mr.  Moto"  and  Charles  Francis  Coe's  "Ran- 
som." 

Eight  of  the  company's  pictures  are  in  the 
cutting  room  or  near  completion  for  early  re- 
lease. "Ramona,"  Technicolor  picture  being 
directed  by  Henry  King,  is  nearing'  completion, 
as  is  "The  Holy  Lie."  "Sing,  Baby,  Sing," 
"Girls'  Dormitory,"  "To  Mary— With  Love," 
"The  Bowery  Princess,"  "Charlie  Chan  at  the 
Racetrack"  and  "Pepper"  are  being  edited. 

Warner 

A.  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  eastern  and  Canadian  gen- 
eral sales  manager  for  Warners,  has  left  New 
York  for  a  tour  of  the  New  England  branch 
offices. 

"The  Making  of  O'Malley"  goes  into  produc- 
tion at  Burbank  early  next  month,  with  Pat 
O'Brien  and  Sybil  Jason  co-starred. 


Test  Cases  Begun 
On  Chance  Games 


Test  cases  on  the  legality  of  cash  gifts  to 
theatre  patrons  in  any  form  of  alleged  lot- 
tery were  ■  started  in  four  states  this  week 
and  Bank  Night  was  given  the  stamp  of 
approval  in  two  others.  Exhibitors  are 
showing  a  difference  of  opinion  on  the  value 
of  the  various  plans,  a  circuit  on  the  west 
coast  having  dropped  the  scheme  in  11  of 
its  houses  while  an  eastern  circuit  will  in- 
stall it  in  three  large  New  York  City  houses 
for  the  summer. 

Jury  Acquits  Manager 

By  a  jury  verdict  of  "not  guilty"  brought 
in  the  trial  of  R.  T.  LaMarre,  manager  of  the 
President,  San  Francisco,  a  precedent  for  the 
legality  of  Screeno  in  California  has  been  set. 
Mr.  LaMarre  was  arrested  five  times  in  as 
many  nights  before  the  case  was  brought  to 
trial. 

The  Fox  West  Coast  circuit  has  announced 
that  it  will  suspend  Bank  Night  in  11  neighbor- 
hood houses  in  the  Hollywood  and  Beverly 


Hills  district,  claiming  that  the  patrons  are 
tired  of  the  plan.  An  usherette  in  a  San  Fran- 
cisco theatre  is  suing  the  manager  to  compel 
him  to  pay  her  $300  which  she  claims  she  won 
in  a  drawing  when  she  was  attending  as  a  pay- 
ing patron. 

The  state  attorney  general  for  Iowa  has 
ruled  that  Bank  Night  in  theatres  is  a  lottery 
and  hence  a  violation  of  state  laws.  The  de- 
cision is  a  reversal  of  one  rendered  last  year. 

Commonwealth  Attorney  E.  Poe  Harris  of 
Kentucky  has  started  suits  against  two  Ashland 
operators  to  force  them  to  discontinue  Sweep- 
stakes Night,  Bank  Night  and  other  forms  of 
alleged  lotteries. 

The  giveaway  plan  has  been  labeled  as 
"dangerous"  by  Attorney  General  Clyde  R. 
Chapman  of  Maine  who  has  started  a  renewed 
fight  to  force  test  cases.  He  has  declared  his 
intention  of  stamping  it  out  completely  in  the 
state. 

Certain  Massachusetts  owers  are  considering 
running  Bank  Night  despite  legal  difficulties  as 
the  state  supreme  court  continues  to  delay  de- 
cision on  the  legality  of  the  plan.  The  giveaway 
is  being  run  in  Quincy  on  a  merchant-news- 
paper tie-up  and  other  attractions  including 
Beano  and  horse  and  dog  pari-mutuels  are 
grossing  heavily  without  restraint. 

Intake  Same  Despite  Giveaways 

Operators  of  the  Tower,  Kansas  City,  re- 
ported that  business  remained  on  a  par  with 
previous  weeks  during  a  promotion  campaign 
last  week  in  which  they  gave  away  seven  fur 
coats.  Bank  Night  was  held  not  a  violation 
of  Missouri  lottery  laws  in  a  circuit  court 
which  upheld  a  demurrer  of  R.  W.  McEwan, 
Bank  Night  distributor. 

I.  J.  London  has  been  arrested  in  Detroit, 
Mich.,  for  running  Skillful  Screeno  games  in 
three  theatres.  Hearing  was  set  for  later  this 
week. 

The  plan  was  ruled  illegal  in  a  test  case 
in  the  city  court  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and  po- 
lice were  ordered  to  arrest  any  manager  offer- 
ing a  money  giveaway.  Loew's  Metropolitan, 
Valencia  and  Paradise  Theatres  in  New  York 
City  have  contracted  for  Bank  Night  and  will 
start  with  a  $500  gift. 

Claiming  infringement  of  their  copyrighted 
Bank  Night  and  Treasury  Night,  Affiliated  En- 
terprises of  Denver  filed  a  $25,000  suit  in  the 
United  States  district  court,  New  York,  against 
Par-Land  Theatres,  Inc.,  Landon  Realty  Com- 
pany, and  Harry  Schiffman. 

Bank  Night  was  given  legal  approval  in  Wis- 
consin when  a  district  court  jury  in  Milwaukee 
found  Eugene  Van  Norman,  manager  of  Saxe's 
Uptown  Theatre,  not  guilty  of  operating  a 
gambling  device.  A  case  against  Milton  Har- 
man,  manager  of  the  Garfield,  is  pending  and 
the  city  attorney's  office  announced  that  prosecu- 
tion would  be  pressed  despite  the  verdict. 


Imperial  Sets  30 
Features,  26  Stories 

Imperial  Distributing  Corporation  an- 
nounces 30  feature  pictures  for  release  in 
1936-37,  and  26  short  subjects. 

The  26  shorts  will  be  released  in  two 
series,  13  one-reel  "Color  Classics,"  pro- 
duced in  a  new  vari-colored  process,  and  13 
one-reel  Edgar  A.  Guest  "Poetic  Gems." 


Missing  V wchers 
For  Union  Funds 
Sought  in  Suit 

Disappearance  of  cancelled  checks  and 
vouchers  involved  in  expenditures  of  more 
than  $1,000,000  in  funds  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Operators  Union,  Local  306,  was 
charged  by  Frederick  Woltman,  staff  writer, 
in  a  story  in  the  New  York  World  Tele- 
gram this  week.  It  was  declared  that  the 
matter  is  being  investigated  by  the  office  of 
District  Attorney  William  C.  Dodge. 

The  Scripps  Howard  newspapers,  of 
which  the  World  Telegram  is  a  member, 
have  been  campaigning  for  more  than  two 
years  against  alleged  "racket  politics"  in 
Local  306. 

The  story  of  the  lost  vouchers  is  an  echo 
from  the  confiscation  of  all  the  union's  rec- 
ords in  1934  by  William  Kleinman,  assistant 
to  District  Attorney  William  F.  X.  Geoghan 
of  Brooklyn.  Union  officials  claim  the 
checks  were  not  returned  with  other  records 
after  a  supreme  court  justice  termed  the 
raid  "a  clear  and  definite  invasion"  of  the 
union's  constitutional  rights. 

The  missing  records  are  wanted  by  Irving 
Mendelson,  assistant  to  Mr.  Dodge,  who  is 
conducting  a  grand  larcency  prosecution  of 
Harry  Sherman,  former  head  of  Local  306. 
He  is  said  to  be  conferring  with  Mr. 
Geoghan  in  an  effort  to  find  them. 

A  motion  by  counsel  for  Mr.  Sherman  for 
permission  to  inspect  the  minutes  of  the 
grand  jury  which  indicted  him  last  month 
on  a  grand  larceny  charge,  was  denied  in 
general  sessions  court  this  week.  The  in- 
dictment alleges  theft  of  $150,961.75  of  the 
local's  funds.  In  an  affidavit  Mr.  Sherman 
has  asserted  that  the  evidence  upon  which 
he  was  indicted  was  based  on  a  "grudge" 
held  by  friends  of  his  predecessor  as  presi- 
dent of  the  local,  Samuel  Kaplan.  The  lat- 
ter has  been  convicted  of  conspiracy  in  con- 
nection with  the  management  of  the  local  and 
sentenced  to  the  penitentiary. 

Locals  of  the  International  Alliance  of 
Theatrical  and  Stage  Employees  are  in- 
volved in  two  other  court  actions  in  New 
York  and  California.  Application  has  been 
made  in  the  New  York  supreme  court  to 
punish  officers  of  Local  306  and  others  for 
alleged  violation  of  an  injunction  order 
against  picketing  in  front  of  the  Star  Thea- 
tre in  the  Bronx.  The  petition  has  been  filed 
by  the  Burt  Amusement  Corporation  and 
the  New  Star  Exhibitors  and  Art  Amuse- 
ment Corporation. 

Also  named  as  defendants  are  the  Theatri- 
cal Stage  Hands  Pfotective  Union  No.  1, 
Musicians'  Local  302  and  Theatre  Amuse- 
ment Employees  Union  Local  95. 

Local  150  of  the  Alliance  won  the  first 
victory  in  its  picket  campaign  against  the 
Rob  &  Rowley  circuit  in  Pasadena  when  the 
appellate  division  reversed  a  previous  con- 
viction of  Emil  Schwetzer,  newsboy,  for 
selling  union  papers  on  Pasadena  streets. 


Vern  Scott  to  Build  Two  Houses 

Plans  for  the  erection  of  two  new  houses 
in  Roxbury  and  Barnesboro,  Pa.,  have  been 
announced  by  Vern  Scott,  president  of  the 
Scott  Theatre  Circuit. 


July    4,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


45 


SHOWMEN'S 
REVIEWS 


This  department  deals  with  new 
product  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  exhibitor  who  is 
to  purvey  it  to  his  own  public 


San  Francisco 

(MGM  -Emerson  &  Hyman) 
Romantic  Drama  with  Music 

Any  analysis  of  this  picture  reveals  that  it 
possesses  elements  that  make  for  wide  popular 
appeal  and  ready  commercial  exploitation  adap- 
tation. The  title  quickly  identifies  it  as  being 
associated  with  one  of  the  world's  most  colorful 
cities.  The  cast  is  headed  by  two  high  ranking 
screen  names.  Clark  Gable  is  of  long  duration. 
Jeanette  MacDonald  has  come  with  a  rush  the 
last  year  or  so.  Supporting  players  are  well- 
known  personalities.  Human  interest  keynotes 
the  motivating  love  story  that  has  a  quasi- 
spiritual  and  religious  counterpart  to  its  virile 
drama  and  heart  touching  romance.  The  spec- 
tacle is  an  amazing  demonstration  of  technical 
achievement.  Many  may  consider  this  feature 
the  show's  real  star.  Music  is  an  artistic  treat. 

The  time  is  early  1906.  Ambitious  for  an 
operatic  career,  Mary  Blake  comes  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. Circumstances  cause  her  to  accept  an 
entertainer's  position  in  Blackie's  ribald,  rois- 
terous  Barbary  Coast  Paradise  Cafe.  Grateful 
to  the  man  who  has  befriended  her,  but  fearful 
of  him  because  all  his  intentions  toward  her 
have  a  lustful  premise,  she  finds  confidence  in 
the  counsel  of  Father  Mullin.  Heard  singing 
by  Burley,  aristocratic  scion  of  a  goldrush  pio- 
neer family,  Mary,  upon  Father  Mullins'  advice, 
accepts  his  bid  for  an  operatic  opportunity. 
Thus  a  situation  is  established  whereby  Blackie 
and  Burley  determine  to  destroy  each  other, 
with  the  love  of  Mary  as  the  reward  to  the 
victor.  Temporarily  Burley  triumphs  as 
Blackie's  growing  honest  affection  for  the  girl 
permits  him  to  take  it  on  the  chin.  Her  engage- 
ment to  Burley  announced,  Mary  learns  at  the 
Chicken  Ball,  one  of  the  old  Coast's  historic 
affairs,  that  Burley's  affections  toward  her  have 
a  dishonest  intent.  Courageously  taking  the 
stage  to  win  the  first  prize  for  the  now  ruined 
Blackie,  her  reward  is  an  insult  from  the  man 
whom  she  had  helped. 

Then  comes  the  show's  real  drama.  The  city 
shudders.  Earthquake,  fire  and  explosion  raze 
it.  Blackie  stalks  through  the  destruction  seek- 
ing Mary.  As  production  effects  lift  the  pre- 
view audience  out  of  their  seats,  Blackie  finds 
her  with  Father  Mullin,  ministering  to  the  in- 
jured and  dying.  A  regenerated  man,  he  sinks 
to  his  knees  thanking  God  that  the  girl  has 
been  spared  for  him. 

A  bare  story  outline  cannot  convey  the  pic-  . 
ture's  completeness  or  the  values  with  which 
skillful  application  of  production  detail  endows 
it.  In  character  Gable  returns  to  the  forceful, 
dynamic  role  vividly  similar  to  the  many  in 
which  he  won  great  favor.  Miss  MacDonald 
becomes  an  accomplished  dramatic  artist.  She 
plays  her  part  with  sure  and  understanding  con- 
viction. Spencer  Tracy  appears  in  a  role  that 
probably  will  win  as  much  acclaim  for  him  as 
the  picture's  stunning  spectacle.  That  feature, 
running  approximately  10  minutes,  is  thrill  to 
the  nth  degree. 

While  exhibitors  can  do  plenty  of  talking  in 
regard  to  the  film's  personalities,  scope  and 
class  of  production  detail,  worth  of  story  as 
solid  substantial  entertainment,  the  musical 
content  is  something  that  should  not  be  over- 
looked. Jeanette  MacDonald's  singing  alone 
would  justify  billing  the  show  as  a  worthwhile 
musical.  The  range  of  numbers  provided  for 
her  runs  all  the  way  from  the  sacred  "Holy 


City"  and  "Nearer  My  God  to  Thee,''  the  last 
named  sung  as  earthquake  survivors  are  uncer- 
tain of  what  new  disaster  may  strike  them, 
through  the  title  theme  song  and  sentimental 
"Would  You"  to  a  choral  rendition  of  "Battle 
Hymn  of  the  Republic,"  sung  as  the  survivors 
look  down  upon  the  ruins  and  vision  the  San 
Francisco  of  today.  Additionally  there  are  arias 
from  "Faust"  and  "II  Traviata." 

Previewed  in  Fox  Westwood  Village  Theatre. 
The  reaction  was  what  might  be  termed  ter- 
rific. Acting,  singing  and  production  features 
were  applauded  many  times.  The  disaster  spec- 
tacle had  the  audience  on  its  feet  cheering. 
The  applause  at  the  finish  lasted  nearly  two 
minutes.  McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Metro-Goldwyn-Maver. 
A.  W.  S.  Van  Dyke  production,  produced  by  John 
Emerson  and  Bernard  H.  Hyman.  Screen  play  by 
Anita  Loos.  From  the  story  by  Robert  Hopkins. 
Musidal  direction,  Herbert  Stothart.  Song  "San 
Francisco"  by  Gus  Kahn,  Bronislau  Kaper  and  Wal- 
ter Jurmann.  Song  "Would  You"  by  Nacio  Herb 
Brown  and  Arthur  Freed.  Dances  staged  by  Val 
Raset.  Recording  director,  Douglas  Shearer.  Art 
director,  Cedric  Gibbons.  Associates.  Arnold  Gillespie, 
Harry  McAfee,  Edwin  B.  Willis.  Gowns  by  Adrian. 
Photographed  by  Oliver  T.  Marsh.  Operatic  sequences 
staged  by  William  von  Wymetal.  Montage  sequences 
by  John  Hoffman.  Film  editor,  Tom  Held.  Assistant 
director,  Joe  Newman.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2180. 
Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood.  115  minutes. 
Release  date,  June  26,  1936.  General  audience  classi- 
fication. 

CAST 

Blackie    Clark  Gable 

Mary  Blake    Jeanette  MacDonald 

Father  Mullin   Spencer  Tracy 

Jack  Burley    Jack  Holt 

Mrs.  Burley    Jessie  Ralph 

Mat    Ted  Healy 

Trixie    Shirley  Ross 

Delia  Bailey    Margaret  Irving 

"Babe"    Harold  Huber 

Sheriff    Edgar  Kennedy 

Professor    Al  Shean 

Signor  Baldini   William  Ricciardi 

"Chick"    Kenneth  Harlan 

"Alaska"    Roger  Imhof 

Tony    Charles  Judells 

"Red"  Kelly    Russell  Simpson 

Freddie  Duane    Bert  Roach 

Hazeltine    Warren  B.  Hymer 


Three  Cheers  for  Love 

(Paramount) 

Musical  Comedy 

This  is  a  light  and  gay  little  musical  comedy. 
Not  a  pretentious  picture  but  one  that  is  accept- 
able entertainment  if  one  is  careful  not  to  make 
any  too  extravagant  claims  for  it,  its  ingredi- 
ents are  music,  dancing,  romantic  love  interest 
and  a  bit  of  light  drama,  all  presented  against 
a  production  background  that  is  more  engaging 
than  the  story,  which  nevertheless  has  a  spirited 
tempo. 

In  the  yarn,  Skippy,  daughter  of  Hollywood 
picture  maker  Charles  Dormant,  can't  get  along 
with  mother-in-law  Consuelo.  A  modern  miss, 
she  agrees  with  her  father  that  she  attend  an 
exclusive  finishing  school.  Actually  the  school 
is  a  threadbare  affair,  devoid  of  pupils.  With 
the  notice  that  Skippy  is  coming,  arrives  Milton 
Shakespeare,  old  hoofer  pal  of  owner  Wilma 
Chester,  to  suggest  an  idea.  He  moves  in  his 
musical  comedy  troupe,  temporarily  at  libertv, 
with  the  idea  that  while  running  an  institution 
that  is  a  recreation  of  the  "Charm  School" 
idea,  they'll  stage  a  play  starring  Skippy  that 
will  attract  Dormant's  attention  and  get  them 
all  iobs  in  Hollywood. 

With  complications,  that  idea  works  out  all 
right.    Skippy,  at  first  believing  that  all  is  on 


the  up  and  up,  falls  in  love  with  Professor  Tut- 
tle,  erstwhile  song  writer.  But  when  he  comes 
under  the  spell  of  her  charm,  he's  all  for  giving 
the  gag  away.  Skippy  stops  him  by  telling  him 
that  she  knew  all  about  the  plot  all  along.  The 
show  goes  on,  with  all  its  music  and  dancing. 
Dormant,  in  attendance,  thinks  it's  great. 
Shakespeare  and  his  stooge,  Doc  Wilson,  mas- 
querading as  stage  producers,  connive  to  make 
him  bid  an  exorbitant  price  and  agree  to  un- 
usual conditions  prior  to  the  whole  melange's 
migration  to  Hollywood. 

Lacking  any  outstanding  names,  but  with  a 
coterie  of  veterans  exerting  a  leavening  influ- 
ence on  the  youngsters,  the  show  glows  with 
the  spirit  of  youth.  The  music  is  tuneful,  the 
dancing  rhythmic,  and  the  comedy  content 
makes  for  light  amusement. 

Previewed  at  the  Alexander  Theatre,  Glen- 
dale.  The  audience  didn't  appear  to  get  very 
much  excited,  nor  did  it  feel  that  the  evening 
ivas  misspent.  McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Paramount.  Produced 
by  A.  M.  Botsford,  Supervisor,  M.  A.  Shauer.  Directed 
by  Ray  McCarey.  Assistant  director,  Edgar  Ander- 
son. Based  on  a  story  by  George  Marion,  Jr.  Screen 
play,  Barry  Trivers.  Music  and  lyrics,  Ralph  Rain- 
ger  and  Leo  Robin.  Songs  "These,"  "Long  Ago  and 
Far  Away,"  "Where  Is  My  Heart,"  "Swing  Tap" 
and  "Light  Up  Your  Face"  by  Rainger  and  Robin. 
"Learn  to  Be  Lovely,"  by  Gordon  and  Revel.  Dances 
by  Danny  Dare.  Sound,  Jack  Goodrich.  Film  editor, 
Edward  Dmytryk.  Art  directors,  Hans  Dreier  and 
John  Goodman.  Photographed  by  Harry  Fischbeck. 
Musical  direction,  Boris  Morros.  Interior  decorations, 
A.  E.  Freudeman.  Musical  arrangements  by  Phil 
Boutelje.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2246.  Running  time, 
when  seen  in  Hollywood,  63  minutes.  Release  date, 
June  26,  1936.  General  audience  classification. 
CAST 

Skippy  Dormant    Eleanore  Whitney 

Jimmy  Tuttle    Robert  Cummings 

Milton  Shakespeare    William  Frawley 

Wilma  Chester    Elizabeth  Patterson 

Doc  "Short  Circuit"  Wilson   Roscoe  Karns 

Charles  Dormant    John  Halliday 

Eve  Bronson    Grace  Bradley 

Consuelo  Dormant    Veda  Ann  Borg 

Elmer    Louis  Da  Pron 

Frenchy    Olympe  Bradna 

Johnny    Billy  Lee 


Three  of  a  Kind 

(Invincible) 
Comedy 

Showmen  here  have  the  wellknown  old 
standby,  "mistaken  identity,"  as  the  basic  ele- 
ment on  which  to  mount  their  exploitation  cam- 
paigns. It's  the  old  story  of  the  confidence  men 
in  the  luxurious  hotel  posing  as  Kentucky  colo- 
nels and  real  estate  operators  while  the  hero 
is  thought  to  be  the  real  crook. 

The  picture,  although  not  a  pretentious  one 
by  any  means,  has  good  character  portrayals, 
suitable  production  values  and  photography,  and 
several  deft  directorial  touches  that  keep  the 
action  moving  right  along  to  the  logical  climax. 

Name  value  is  supplied  by  Berton  Churchill, 
Evalyn  Knapp,  Richard  Carle,  Bradley  Page 
and  Patricia  Farr,  who  paces  the  others  his- 
trionically with  her  portrayal  of  a  daughter 
of  old  Kentucky  who  keeps  forgetting  her 
Southern  dialect  to  lapse  into  one  slightly  Rus- 
sian. 

As  the  picture  opens,  Chandler  is  driving  a 
delivery  truck  for  Penfield's  Peerless  Laundry, 
run  by  Carle,  who  is  having  trouble  with  his 
daughter,  Miss  Knapp,  since  she  wants  to  marry 
a  man  known  to  be  a  fortune  hunter.  Chandler 

( Continued  on  page  48) 


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NEW   YORK  RAVES: 

GRIPPING  STORY  WELL  TOLD  .  .  .  TIMELY,  LIVELY  AND 
MELODRAMATIC,  THE  FILM  HAS  PUNCH  AND  SPEED! 

—  N.  Y.  Mirror 

MOVES  ACROSS  THE  SCREEN  WITH  A  FORCE  THAT  SENDS  A 
STRONG  WAVE  OF  SYMPATHY  OVER  THE  AUDIENCE  ! 

—  N„  Y.  Daily  News 

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48 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,    19  3  6 


wins  the  Penfield  prize  for  efficiency,  $1,000  in 
cash,  and  quits  his  job  for  some  fun.  At  the 
same  time  Miss  Knapp  loses  her  car  while  try- 
ing to  sell  it  to  raise  funds  to  marry  Page. 
Chandler  buys  the  stolen  machine. 

All  the  participals  wind  up  at  a  swanky  hotel 
where  they  are  joined  by  Miss  Farr  and 
Churchill,  posing  as  a  Kentucky  tobacco  grower 
and  out  to  trim  any  and  every  one.  Complica- 
tions set  in,  but  not  before  romance  starts  to 
bud  between  Chandler  and  Miss  Knapp,  who  is 
fast  losing  confidence  in  her  fiance  and  his  busi- 
ness schemes. 

When  a  detective  recognizes  Churchill,  things 
start  to  hum  with  arrests  and  counter-arrests, 
followed  by  escapes  and  recaptures.  Chandler  is 
thought  to  be  Page  and  even  the  hotel  manager 
manages  to  get  caught  in  the  web.  All  is 
straightened  out,  however,  with  the  real  crooks 
locked  up,  and  Miss  Knapp  and  Chandler  head 
for  the  altar  and  the  laundry  where  Chandler 
gets  an  executive  position. 

Reviewed  at  the  Loew's  Ziegfeld  theatre, 
first-class  subsequent-run  where  the  picture  was 
appreciated  by  a  mid-afternoon  audience,  if  the 
laughter  that  sprang  up  now  and  then  may  be 
taken  as  evidence.  Baehier,  New  York: 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Invincible  Pictures. 
Directed  by  Phil  Rosen.  Production  executive,  Lon 
Young.  Photographer,  M.  A.  Anderson.  Recording 
engineer,  Richard  Tyler.  Art  director,  Edward  C. 
Jewell.  Film  editor,  Roland  D.  Reed.  Assistant  direc- 
tor, Melville  Shyer.  Running  time,  65  minutes.  Re- 
ease  date,  June  15,  1936.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No. 
2260.    General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Jerry  Bassett    Chick  Chandler 

Barbara  Penfield    Evalyn  Knapp 

"Con"  Cornelius    Berton  Churchill 

Prudence  Cornelius    Patricia  Farr 

Thorndyke  Penfield    Richard  Carle 

Rodney  Randall    Bradley  Page 

Sergeant  Cogarty    Lew  Kelly 

"Beef"  Smith    Pat  West 

Mr.  Grimwood    Bryant  Washburn 

Mr.  Fash    Harry  Bradley 

The  tailor    Billy  Gilbert 


Where  There's  a  Will 

C  Gaumont-British) 
Farce 

Here  is  a  whole-hearted  farce ;  genuinely 
funny  story  material  made  the  most  of  by  brisk 
direction.  Will  Hay,  British  variety  star,  is 
character  actor  as  well  as  comedian ;  his  range 
may  be  limited,  but  within  it  he  is  brilliant. 
Backed  by  the  American  expertness  of  William 
Beaudine  and  by  a  liberal  supply  of  American- 
isms in  the  dialogue,  the  film  is  one  which  un- 
doubtedly can  be  sold  to  American  audiences. 
Much  of  its  effect  is  due  to  action  and  to  indi- 
vidual comedy  episodes  in  which  speech  is  of 
secondary  importance. 

Benjamin  Stubbins  is  a  lawyer  whose  business 
has  gone  to  pieces  owing  to  his  easy-going  and 
somewhat  drunken  habits.  His  daughter,  Bar- 
bara, has  been  given  a  home  by  Stubbins' 
brother-in-law,  the  pompous  Lord  Wimpleton. 
She  is  engaged  to  the  son  of  a  peer  and  Wim- 
pleton is  very  anxious  to  hide  her  father  from 
the  fiance,  owing  to  a  somewhat  unfortunate 
occurrence  when  Stubbins,  on  a  visit,  leads  the 
butler  into  a  drunken  escapade. 

In  town,  Stubbins  is  picked  out  by  a  gang  of 
American  crooks  who  want  to  rob  a  bank 
occupying  premises  underneath  his  office.  They 
give  him  a  job  to  search  for  an  imaginary  "an- 
cestor," in  order  to  get  access  to  his  office. 
Stubbins  butts  in  when  they  are  breaking 
through  to  the  bank.  Scared  stiff  by  the  fact 
that  the  only  fingerprints  left  were  made  by 
him,  Stubbins  decides  not  to  tell  the  police  the 
truth  but  to  do  a  little  police  work  himself. 

The  girl  member  of  the  gang  has  succeeded 
in  ingratiating  herself  with  Wimpleton  and  en- 
gineers a  Christmas  invitation  to  his  country 
house  for  herself  and  her  confederate  "brother" 
in  the  fashionable  name  of  Van  Deusen.  Two 
other  members  of  the  gang  get  in  as  waiters. 
In  the  midst  of  the  festivities,  with  all  the 
guests  arrayed  in  fancy  dress,  there  is  a  holdup. 
Stubbins  makes  a  dramatic  "Father  Christmas" 
descent  of  the  chimney  and,  aided  by  an  oppor- 
tune appearance  of  the  police,  turns  the  tables. 


To  sell  is  the  whimsical  personality  of  Will 
Hay  and  a  story  with  exceptional  comedy 
values.  There  is  one  extraordinarily  good  scene, 
though  perhaps  it  is  best  left  to  come  as  a  sur- 
prise :  this  is  when  a  squad  of  police  are  seen 
marching  to  the  house,  while  the  holdup  is  in 
progress.  Just  when  the  capture  of  the  crooks 
seems  imminent,  the  cops  form  on  the  terrace — 
and  begin  to  sing  Christmas  carols !  As  a  side 
angle,  note  that  the  story  can  be  sold  as  a  bur- 
lesque of  the  crook  drama. 

Apart  from  Hay,  there  is  good  acting  from 
Gina  Malo  and  Hartley  Power  as  the  feminine 
and  male  crooks  and  from  H.  F.  Maltby  as 
Wimpleton.  Allan,  London. 

Produced  by  Gainsborough  Pictures  and  distributed 
by  Gaumont-British.  Original  story  by  Leslie  Arliss 
and  Sydney  Gilliat.  Adaptation  by  Ralph  Spence. 
Scenario  and  dialogue  by  Will  Hay  and  Leslie  Arliss. 
Screen  play  by  Will  Hay,  R.  Edmunds  and  William 
Beaudine.  Directed  by  William  Beaudine.  Photogra- 
phy, Charles  Van  Enger.  Sound,  Michael  Rose.  Art 
direction,  A.  Vetchinsky.  Running  time,  81  minutes. 
General  audience  classification.  Release  date  in 
United  States  to  be  determined. 

CAST 

Benjamin  Stubbins    Will  Hay 

Duke    Hartley  Power 

Goldie  Kelly    Gina  Malo 

Office  boy    Graham  Moffatt 

Sir  Roger  Wimpleton    H.  F.  Maltby 

Lady  Margaret  Wimpleton    Norma  Varden 

Barbara  Stubbins    Peggy  Simpson 

Martin    Gibb  McLaughlin 

Slug    Eddie  Houghton 

Nick    Hal  Walters 

Detective  Collins    John  Turnbull 

Landlady    Sybil  Brooke 

Lucy    Davinia  Craig 

Jimmy    Mickey  Brantford 

Pawnbroker    Henry  Adnes 

Finger-print  expert    Frederick  Piper 

Parole 

(Universal) 
Melodrama 

As  the  title  suggests,  this  is  essentially  a  topi- 
cal drama  of  the  convict  parole  system  in  this 
country  today.  Through  it  is  woven  a  romantic 
theme,  used  here  more  to  illustrate  an  evil  of 
the  system.  There  is  an  apparent  lack  of  comedy, 
save  for  the  opening  few  feet  of  the  picture. 

Nevertheless,  for  showmen,  it  is  the  work  of 
those  who  sought  to  provide  something  sub- 
stantial to  create  interest  on  the  part  of  audi- 
ences. The  subject  treated  is  currently  the  ob- 
ject of  much  attention  on  the  part  of  news- 
papers, clergymen,  welfare  leaders  and  other 
opinion  makers  in  any  community,  and  exploita- 
tion campaigns  may  be  aimed  at  those  audiences 
who  desire  to  get  away  from  prosaic  routine. 

With  one  central  group,  the  picture  tells  two 
stories ;  the  difficulties  encountered  by  paroled 
prisoners  in  reestablishing  themselves  in  the 
modern  social  and  business  world,  and  the  dan- 
gers and  hazards  to  which  they  are  subjected 
by  incorrigible  criminals  who  endeavor  to  use 
them  to  keep  the  heat  away  from  themselves 
as  they  continue  their  law-defying  careers. 

Two  new  players  are  presented  in  the  leading 
roles,  Henry  Hunter  and  Ann  Preston.  Hunter 
is  a  graduate  of  the  New  York  Theatre  Guild 
and  Miss  Preston  a  product  of  the  Institute 
Players  of  Chicago.  The  young  players  are  sup- 
ported by  a  group  of  wellknown  screen  person- 
alities, including  Alan  Dinehart,  Grant  Mitchell, 
Alan  Hale,  Berton  Churchill,  Alan  Baxter, 
Charles  Richman,  Noah  Beery,  Jr.,  Christian 
Rubb  and  Frank  McGlynn,  Sr. 

The  picture  opens  at  the  state  penitentiary 
where  three  prisoners,  Hale  the  cruel  killer, 
Mitchell  the  former  lawyer  serving  time  for 
fixing  a  jury  to  aid  a  man  he  believed  innocent 
of  murder,  and  Hunter,  serving  time  for  killing 
a  man  while  driving  an  automobile,  are  ready 
to  appear  before  the  parole  board.  Hale  kills 
a  fellow  prisoner,  but  escapes  detection  and  is 
freed.  Hunter  also  is  released,  but  Mitchell  is 
detained  on  the  belief  he  knows  the  murderer 
of  the  prisoner. 

Hale  and  Hunter  arrive  in  the  city  and  Hale 
deliberately  returns  to  work  for  racketeer  Dine- 
hart while  Hunter  takes  a  job  from  him  while 
not  knowing  the  nature  of  his  employer's  busi- 
ness. Not  a  criminal  at  heart,  Hunter  breaks 
away  and  tries  to  live  down  his  past  by  deny- 


ing a  criminal  record  in  applying  for  a  job  in 
Churchill's  factory. 

At  this  point  all  is  going  along  smoothly, 
Mitchell  is  released  and  romance  is  blossoming 
between  his  daughter,  Miss  Preston,  and 
Hunter.  Dinehart,  however,  reveals  to  Churchill 
that  Hunter  has  a  record  and  the  boy  loses  his 
job,  but  not  before  he  shows  the  high  percentage 
of  ex-convicts  working  honestly  and  trying  to 
earn  a  decent  living.  The  newspapers  pick  up 
the  expose  and  when  he  blames  the  whole  sys- 
tem on  Dinehart,  killers  are  sent  out  to  get 
him.  He  manages  to  escape  them,  however,  and 
in  a  smashing  climax  in  which  the  governor, 
district  attorney  and  grand  jury  take  part,  the 
crooks  are  rounded  up  and  the  corrupt  system  ex- 
posed and  remedied  along  Hunter's  suggestions. 
The  finale  has  Mitchell  and  Hunter  ready  to 
start  law  practice  together  and  the  two  young- 
sters headed  for  the  altar. 

Reviewed  at  New  York's  Roxy  on  Broaduwy 
where  a  mid-afternoon  audience  composed 
mostly  of  women  and  children  sat  silently 
through  the  entire  film. 

Baehler,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Universal  Pictures. 
Directed  by  Louis  Friedlander.  Story,  screen  play 
and  dialogue  by  Kubec  Glasman,  Joel  Sayre  and 
Horace  McCoy.  Associate  producer,  Robert  Presnell. 
Photographed  by  George  Robinson.  Running  time,  65 
minutes.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2230.  Release  date, 
June  14,  1936.  General  audience  classification. 
CAST 

Russ  Whalen    Henry  Hunter 

Frances  Crawford    Ann  Preston 

Richard  Mallard    Alan  Dinehart 

Bobby    Noah  Beery,  Jr. 

Marty  Crawford    Grant  Mitchell 

Okay  Smith    Alan  Baxter 

Borchard    Alan  Hale 

Joyce    Bernadine  Hayes 

Rex  Gavin    Berton  Churchill 

Driscoll    Charles  Richman 

The  governor    John  Miltern 

Bigbee    Selmar  Jackson 

Gregory    Cliff  Jones 

Dummy    Frank  Mills 

Zingo    Anthony  Quinn 

The  warden    Wallis  Clark 

District  attorney    Edward  Keane 

Parole  chairman    Douglas  Wood 

Patton    Frank  McGlynn,  Sr. 

John    Christian  Rub 

Police  chief    John  Kennedy 


When  Fish  Fight 

(Vitaphone) 
Marlin  Fishing 

The  camera  goes  a-fishing  in  the  Southern 
waters  of  the  United  States  and  is  at  the  scene 
when  a  giant  Marlin,  hard-fighting,  obstinate 
fish,  is  outfought  by  a  fast-wearying  fisherman. 
Clem  McCarthy,  well  known  sports  announcer, 
is  the  narrator  of  this  subject,  which,  besides 
the  actual  capture  of  the  Marlin,  includes  a  shot 
of  the  fish  swallowing  the  bait.  Running  time, 
10  minutes. 


Clyde  Lucas  and 

His  Orchestra 

(Vitaphone) 
Tuneful 

A  tuneful  number  of  the  "Melody  Master" 
series,  this  short  subject  offers  music,  dance 
and  song  with  novelty  arrangements.  The 
orchestra,  a  versatile  one,  contributes  a  num- 
ber of  specialties.  Dave  and  Dorothy  Fitzgib- 
bons,  dance  team,  and  Lyn  Lucas,  together  with 
the  three  Symphonettes,  songsters,  complete  the 
roster.  Running  time,  11  minutes. 


Blatt  Circuit  Now  Has  14 

The  Blatt  Brothers  Circuit  with  head- 
quarters in  Corry,  Pa.,  has  acquired  J.  F. 
Smith's  Russell  and  Smith  theatres  in 
Barnesboro,  Pa.,  bringing  the  circuit's  total 
to  14  houses. 


Robinson  Seeking  Office 

Harold  C.  Robinson,  president  of  Film 
Truck  Service  is  a  candidate  for  sheriff  hi 
Wayne  County,  Michigan. 


July    4,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


49 


ONTARIO'S  BANNING  OF  "PASTURES" 
BRINGS  AVALANCHE  OF  PROTESTS 


Clergymen  Line  Up  with  In- 
dustry in  Protest  Against 
Censor  Board's  Ruling  That 
Film  Is  "Sacrilegious" 

by  J.  A.  COWAN 

in  Toronto 

"Strangest  news  of  the  year,"  as  the 
Canadian  critics  dubbed  it,  was  the  banning 
of  the  film  version  of  "The  Green  Pastures" 
(Warner)  in  Ontario  by  order  of  the  pro- 
vincial board  of  censors,  backed  up  by  the 
personal  opinion  of  Premier  Mitchell  F. 
Hepburn.  Certainly,  it  has  boiled  up  as  the 
most  curious  celluloid  controversy  yet  listed 
on  Canadian  records. 

The  picture  had  been  barred  throughout 
England  by  order  of  the  Lord  Chamberlain. 
The  objection  was  based  on  the  fact  that  the 
film  portrays  the  Deity  in  human  form.  The 
Pulitzer  Prize  winning  stage  play  by  Marc 
Connelly,  from  which  the  picture  was 
adapted,  was  banned  in  England  in  1930  for 
the  same  reason. 

The  Ontario  Premier's  decision  is  based 
on  his  belief  that  the  film  is  "an  insult  to  the 
Christian,  church-going  people."  The  Board 
of  Censors  has  forbidden  showings  because 
it  was  of  the  belief  that  the  picture  would 
be  offensive  to  clerical  and  religious  circles. 

Announcement  of  the  decision  produced 
a  whole  series  of  protests  which,  almost 
without  exception,  came  from  clergymen, 
social  service  workers  and  churchmen  of 
all  sorts. 

Ontario  therefore  has  been  treated  to 
the  amazing  spectacle  of  the  Legion  of 
Decency  and  preachers  of  many  denomina- 
tions rising  to  the  defense  of  a  picture 
banned  on  the  grounds  that  it  was  sup- 
posedly sacrilegious. 

The  distributors,  Vitagraph  Limited,  Warner 
Brothers'  Canadian  subsidiary,  have  taken  no 
part  in  the  furore.  They  have  made  no  state- 
ment to  the  press  beyond  saying  that  no  official 
notification  of  the  ban  had  been  received.  The 
avalanche  of  protests  was  entirely  spontaneous, 
without  precedent  in  Canada,  and  originated 
among  individuals  who  lined  up  on  the  side  of 
the  industry. 

Given  Top  Place  in  the  News 

The  amount  of  newspaper  attention  to  the 
subject  also  sets  up  a  record.  In  the  largest 
Canadian  daily,  the  protests  rated  the  8-column 
front  page  streamer,  thus  lifting  the  affair,  as  a 
news  story,  to  the  position  of  the  most  impor- 
tant censorship  yarn  yet  to  break. 

Announcement  of  the  ban  was  made  by  the 
Ontario  Censor  Board.  Members  of  the  clergy 
protested  immediately.  Premier  Hepburn,  how- 
ever, said  he  had  seen  the  film  and  was  per- 
sonally in  favor  of  the  ban.  He  did  not  think 
that  when  the  film  was  referred  to  the  Appeal 
Board,  of  which  he  is  a  member,  the  ban  would 
be  lifted.  He  described  "The  Green  Pastures^ 
as  "silly,  ridiculous,  insulting  to  church  ^people," 
selecting  the  "ten  cent  segar"  and  "kag  of 
likker"  lines  as  examples.  But  as  the  volume 
of  protests  from  clerical  and  church  spokesmen 
grew  in  intensity,  the  Premier  intimated  that  a 
private  showing  would  be  staged  for  representa- 


CLERGY  PROTESTS 
"PASTURES"  BANNING 

The  action  of  the  board  of  censors 
of  the  Province  of  Ontario,  Canada, 
in  banning  "The  Green  Pastures"  on 
the  grounds  that  it  is  "sacrilegious," 
has  provoked  a  storm  of  condemna- 
tion throughout  the  Dominion,  ac- 
cording to  Warner  Brothers  in  'New 
York,  where  it  was  announced  that 
leaders  of  many  faiths  have  united  in 
a  vigorous  protest  and  a  demand  that 
the  board  rescind  its  ban. 

Reverend  Dr.  Stanley  Russell,  one 
of  Toronto's  leading  clergymen,  de- 
clared: "The  board  is  inflicting  a 
great  wrong  on  the  public." 

The  Reverend  Father  M.  /.  Mc- 
Grath,  secretary  of  the  Ontario  Legion 
of  Decency,  also  protested  and  pointed 
out  that  the  Legion  in  New  York  City 
had  given  it  a  rank  of  "Class  A-l," 
the  highest  rating  possible.  He  quoted 
the  Legion's  official  report  on  the  pic- 
ture as  follows: 

"The  story  of  God,  heaven,  crea- 
tion and  Biblical  incident,  as  conceived 
by  negroes  of  the  deep  south,  has  been 
brought  to  the  screen  with  reverent 
humor  and  rich  satisfaction.  The 
wide  scope  of  the  camera  has  made 
possible  a  more  interesting  interpreta- 
tion than  the  original  version,  which 
was  confined  to  the  limits  of  the 
stage." 


tive  clergymen  and  religious  leaders.  He  care- 
fully avoided  binding  himself  to  follow  or  be 
influenced  by  their  decision  but  he  did  admit 
that,  should  they  whole-heartedly  approve  of  the 
film,  that  might  carry  some  weight  with  the 
Appeal  Board. 

Saw  Stage  Version 

Most  of  the  clergymen  quoted  based  their 
opinions  on  the  stage  version,  and  a  great 
majority  had  seen  this.  Censorship  spokesmen 
intimated  that  the  stage  and  screen  versions 
differed  materially.  Another  point  put  forward 
was  that  the  audiences  were  different,  the  film 
audiences  "not  as  intelligent,"  and  that  the 
story  itself  was  suited  to  a  limited,  not  a  mass 
clientele.  On  the  other  hand,  several  of  those 
who  protested  the  ban  quoted  from  Legion  of 
Decency  and  social  service  reports  on  the  film 
already  issued  in  the  United  States. 

If  the  ban  is  lifted,  showings  of  "The  Green 
Pastures"  in  Ontario  will  provide  a  fine  oppor- 
tunity to  get  some  real  concrete  evidence  on 
this  much-debated  problem  of  the  "difference" 
between  film  and  stage  audiences.  The  impli- 
cation was  that  the  $2  seat  buyers  were  men- 
tally equipped  to  appreciate  the  deep  religious 
motive  of  the  story,  its  authentic  representation 
in  all  sincerity  of  the  simple  Negro's  ideas  of 
"De  Lawd,"  and  to  accept  it  all  in  the  spirit 
in  which  it  was  presented.  But  the  35-cent 
neighborhood  theatre  fan,  it  was  intimated, 
would  titter. 


Premier  Concurs  with  Board 
but  Intimates  That  Ministers' 
Indorsement  Might  Carry 
Weight  with  Appeal  Board 

Reverend  Father  A.  T.  B.  Haines,  Catholic 
Vicar-General,  addressed  an  open  letter  to  the 
Premier  urging  him  to  "rescind  the  ban,  for  I 
do  not  believe  the  picture  contains  anything 
more  unedifying  than  the  antics  of  certain 
types  of  preachers." 

"From  what  I  saw  of  the  dramatic  presenta- 
tion, there  was  nothing  that  might  be  termed 
sacrilegious  in  any  part  of  it,"  said  Dr.  John 
Cockburn,  field  secretary  of  the  Department  of 
Evangelism  and  Social  Service  of  the  United 
Church,  who  added  that  he  could  see  no  reason 
for  the  film  ban. 

Plans  Second  Sermon 

"I  will  prepare  a  sermon  on  this  latest  move 
to  ban  the  moving  picture  version  and  will 
preach  on  the  subject  Sunday  evening,"  de- 
clared Rev.  George  A.  Dickson  of  Metropolitan 
United  Church.  He  already  had  preached  one 
sermon  on  the  play. 

One  view  in  opposition  was  that  of  Rev.  G. 
A.  Leichliter,  a  Baptist  parson,  who  favored 
the  ban  because  "the  whole  tendency  of  such  a 
movie  with  movie  audiences  would  be  irreverent 
in  the  extreme." 

Mrs.  Adelaide  Plumptre,  feminine  member  of 
Toronto's  Board  of  Aldermen  and  wife  of 
Canon  Plumptre  of  the  Anglican  Church,  said 
that  "The  Green  Pastures"  was  not  an  ir- 
reverent play. 

"A  reverent  and  thoughtful  audience  would 
see  in  it  only  a  form  of  reverent  expression  but 
an  irreverent  and  thoughtless  one  could  make 
it  very  obnoxious,"  she  said.  "I  can  see  the 
possible  objection  to  it  in  an  ordinary  movie 
show.  I  can  imagine  how  it  would  be  a  very 
irreverent  performance  with  laughing,  giggling 
people." 

Dr.  Edmund  T.  Guest,  member  of  the  Board 
of  Education,  was  quoted  along  somewhat  simi- 
lar lines. 

As  for  "Intelligence" — 

"I  did  think  at  the  time  I  saw  the  play  that 
you  had  to  have  a  certain  amount  of  intelli- 
gence to  appreciate  it,"  Dr.  Guest  said. 
"Whether  the  Premier  judges  his  own  reaction 
to  it  or  whether  a  lot  of  people  haven't  suffi- 
cient intelligence  to  appreciate  it,  I  don't  know. 
If  there  must  be  censorship  and  censorship  of 
this  particular  picture,  I  could  understand  it  on 
the  ground  that  it  might  be  beyond  the  under- 
standing of  a  great  many  people  who  might  see 
it  in  movie  theatres.  I  don't  see  anything  in- 
consistent in  banning  the  moving  picture  and 
not  the  play  on  the  legitimate  stage,  on  account 
of  the  difference  of  audiences.  In  the  theatre, 
you  have  more  thoughtful  audiences.  In  the 
movies,  you  have  thousands  of  children  and 
different  types  of  grown-ups  altogether." 

There  is  no  connection  between  the  ban  in 
England  and  the  present  Canadian  furore  over 
the  film.  The  English  order  was  made  because 
of  the  strict  regulation  which  forbids  repre- 
sentation of  the  character  of  the  Deity  in  a 
public  performance. 

An  unofficial,  private  screening  was  arranged 
by  the  exhibitors  in  Toronto.  The  comment, 
after  this,  was  unanimously  in  favor  of  the  film 
and  against  the  ban. 

"It  would  have  a  wholesome  influence  on 
those  who  see  it,"  said  J.  L.  Rutledge,  editor  of 
Canadian  Magazine.  "If  there  is  any  heresy 
or  sacrilege  in  that  picture,  then  we  have  been 
taught  the  same  thing  at  our  mothers'  knees." 


50 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,    19  3  6 


THEATRE  RECEIPTS 


The  total  of  theatre  receipts  for  the  calendar  week  ended  June  27,  1936,  from 
107  theatres  in  18  major  cities  of  the  country  was  $978,408,  an  increase  of  $55,908 
over  the  total  for  the  preceding  week  ended  June  20,  1936,  when  97  theatres  in  17 
large  cities  aggregated  $922,500. 


{Copyright , 

Theatres 

Boston 

Boston   3,246  35c-65c 

Fenway    1,382  30c-S0c 

Keith's  Memorial  2,907  25c-65c 

Loew's  Orpheum.  2,970  25c-55c 

Loew's  State  ....  3,537  25c-5Sc 

Metropolitan    4,332  35c-65c 

Paramount    1,793  25c-50c 


1936.    Reproduction  of  material  from  this  department   without  credit  to  Motion  Picture  Herald  expressly  forbidden) 


Buffalo 

Buffalo   3,489 

Century   3,000 

Great  Lakes  ....  3,000 

Hippodrome   2,500 

Lafayette   3,300 

Chicago 

Apollo    1,400 

Chicago    4,000 


Erlanger 
Garrick  . 


1,2 


900 


Oriental   3,490 

,     Palace    2,509 

Roosevelt    1,591 

State-Lake    2,776 

United  Artists...  1,700 

Cleveland 

(^AUen    3,300 

Hippodrome    3,800 

RKO  Palace   3,100 


30c-50c 
25c 

25c-40c 

30c-50c 

25c 

30c-60c 
35c-68c 

50c-$l-50 
30c -60c 

25c -40c 

25c-50c 

30c-60c 
20c-35c 
30c -60c 

30c-42c 
30c-42c 
30c -60c 


State    3,400  30c-42c 

Stillman    1,900  25c-35c 

Denver 

Aladdin    1,500  25c-50c 

Broadway    1,500  25c-40c 

Center    1,500  20c-35c 

Denham    1,500  25c-40c 

Denver    2,500  25c-50c 

Orpheum    2,600  25c-40c 

Paramount    2,000  25c-40c 


Current  Week 


Picture 


Gross 


10,000 


"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)  and.... 
"Two  in  Revolt"  (Radio) 
(2nd  week)  (25c-65c) 
(Louis-Schmeling  fight  pictures) 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  and   4,000 

"Fatal  Lady"  (Para.) 


'Chatterbox"   (Radio)  and   9,000 

'It's  Love  Again"  (GB) 

'Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  9,000 

"Half  Angel"  (20th  Cent. -Fox) 

'Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  8,000 
!'Half  Angel"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


"Hearts  Divided"   (F.N.)    20,000 

(on  stage:    Robert  Ripley) 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  and   5,000 

'Fatal  Lady"  (Para.)  (25c-65c) 


"Poppy"  (Para.) 


11,800 


"Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM)  and..  5,600 
"Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path" 
(Radio) 

"Sins  of  Man"   (20th  Cent.-Fox) .. .  5,000 


'Florida  Special"  (Para.)  and   5,500 

"Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 

"The  Pride  of  the  Marines"  (Col.)  5,500 
and  "The  Lone  Wolf  Returns"  (Col.) 


"Trouble  for  Two"  (Para.). 


5,000 


"Fury"  (MGM)    35,000 

(on  stage:  Wini  Shaw  and  revue) 
(9  days) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   10,700 

(11th  week) 
"Road  Gang"  (W.B.)    5,800 


"Moonlight  Murder"  (MGM)    14,200 

(vaudeville  revue  on  stage) 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   26,500 

(on   stage:     Paul   Haakon  and 
revue)      (3rd  week) 
(Louis-Schmeling  fight) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  10,000 
(2nd  week) 

"Absolute  Quiet"  (MGM)  and   14,000 

(on  stage:   Maxine  Doyle  revue) 

"The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)   11,000 


'Special  Investigator"  (Radio)    11,250 

and   Schmeling-I.ouis  fight 
"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.- Fox)  13,500 

"Little  Miss  Nobody"   15,000 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(on  stage:  Major  Bowes  unit) 

"Fury"  (MGM)    11,000 


'The  Princess  Comes  Across"  .... 
(Para.)  (30c-42c)  (2nd  week) 


3,800 


Previous  Week 


Picture 


Gross 


"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)  and   8,000 

"Two  in  Revolt"  (Radio)  (25c-50c) 
(1st  week) 

"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)  and....  8,000 
"Sky    Parade"  (Para.) 
(8  days — 2nd  week) 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio)  and   8,000 

"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio) 

"Fury"  (MGM)  and    11,000 

"Speed"  (MGM) 

"Fury"  (MGM)  and    10,000 

"Speed"  (MGM) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  28,000 
(on  stage:  Pickens  Sisters 
and  revue) 

"Bullets  or  Ballotts"  (F.N.)  and....  6,500 

"Sky  Parade"  (Para.) 
(8  days — 2nd  week) 


"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  8,500 

(35c-M)c) 

"The  Walking  Dead"  (W.B.)  and  6,000 
"O'Malley  of  the  Mounted" 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Fury"  (MGM)    9,000 


"Sons  O'  Guns"  (W.B.)  and   6,600 

'Two  in  Revolt"  (Radio)  (35c-50c) 

"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)  and  5,800 
"Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.) 


"Under  Two  Flags"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  7,200 
(10  days) 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)    13,900 

(plus  stage  show)  (5  days) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   9,400 

(10th  week) 

"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)   6,300 


"Exclusive  Story"  (MGM)   15,200 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   19,200 

(on  stage:  Paul  Haakon  and 
revue)  (2nd  week) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  11,300 
(1st  week) 

'Pride  of  the  Marines"  (Col.)....  14,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
"Trouble  for  Two"  (MGM)   9,500 

(2nd  week) 


"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)   5,200 

"The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)  11,000 

"Times  Square  Playboy"  (W.B.)...  13,000 
(on  stage:  Louis  Armstrong 
and  Orch.) 

"The  Princess  Comes  Across"   13,000 

(Para.)  (30c-42c) 


"The  Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"   3,500 

(Para.) 


"One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)....    3,500    "Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  4,000 


"The  Golden  Arrow"  (F.N.).. 


"Convention    Girl"    (F.D.). . . 
(stage  show) 


1,500 
3,000 


"Things  to  Come"  (U.A.)   1,501 


"House  of  a  Thousand  Candles".. 
(Rep.)    and    "Born    to  Gamble' 

(Rep.)  (4  days) 


'And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)   6,500 

(25c-50c)    (stage  show) 
"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)   7,500 

"The  Last  Outlaw"  (Radio)  and...  6,000 
"Three  Live  Ghosts"  (MGM) 

"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)  and  3,500 
"Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.) 


1,500 


1,000 


"Palm  Springs"  (Para.)  and  

"Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.) 

"The  Golden  Arrow"  (F.N.)   8,500 

(plus  stage  band) 
"The  Garden  Murder  Case"  (MGM)  5,000 
and  "Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 

"Snowed  Under"  (F.N.)  and   2,500 

'Brides  Are  Like  That"  (F.N.) 


4,000 
8,000 
2,500 


j  9,000 
..  24,500 

S  7,500 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  9-7  "Hot  Tip"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show  "Folies  Bergere") 
Low  6-13-36  "The  Harvester"  and  ) 
"Abdul  the  Damned  ] 
High  3-14-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Fas-  1 
teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  ) 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  ( 
"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"  J 

High  2-29-36  "Follow  the  Fleet"   37,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"    5,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   25,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"  and  ) 

"Half  Angel" 
High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty". 
Low  7-6  "Sanders  of  the  River"  and 
"Unknown  Woman" 

High  4-6  "Private  Worlds"  .'.  56,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  7-20  "Men  Without  Names"   14,000 

High  3-14-36  "The    Story    of  Louis  Pas- 1 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  (  15,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  j 

"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"     \  4,000 


High  4-27  "Mississippi"   23.S00 

Low  7-27  "Broadway  Gondolier"   6,600 

High  1-11-36  "King  of  Burlesque"   9,500 

Low  8-3  "Mad  Love"  and  ( 

"Dog  of  Flanders"  )  3,800 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   22,000 

Low  4-11-36   "Three   Godfathers"  and) 

"Her  Master's  Voice"     J  4,900 

High  2-9  "David  Copperfield"   17,200 

Low    4-11-36    "Timothy's    Quest"    and  ( 

"My  Marriage"  J  3,800 

High  1-12  "Broadway   Bill"   17,100 

Low  7-27  "A  Notorious  Gentleman"  and  1 

"Strange  Wives"  \  4,100 


High  3-21-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pasteur"  11,800 

Low  5-25  "The  Devil  is  a  Woman"   1,000 

High  1-18-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  56,600 
Low  4-27  "Living  on  Velvet"   24,000 


High  1-4-36  "The  Man  Who  Broke  the 

Bank  at  Monte  Carlo"  

Low  5-4  "One  New  York  Night"  

High  11-2  "Woman  Wanted"  

(on  stage.  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs 
Low  9-21  "Man  on  the  Flying  Trapeze" 
High  5-30-36  "Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path" 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor  and  Radio 

Show) 

Low  4-11-36  "Love  Before  Breakfast".. 

High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"  

Low  11-23  "O'Shaughnessy's  Boy"  

High  3-23  "The  Little  Minister"  

Low  7-20  "Alias  Mary  Dow"  

High  2-29-36  "Modern  Times"  

Low  4-13  "Vanessa:    Her  Love  Story".. 


9,700 
3,000 
25,500 

13,400 
35,200 


6,000 
27,000 

7,000 
17,000 

8,000 
35,500 
10,000 


High  1-12  "Bright  Eyes"   9,000 

Low  6-22  "The  Daring  Young  Man"   1,300 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"   27,500 

Low  8-24  "Dante's  Inferno"   5,250 

High  4-6  "Transient  Lady"    39,000 

Low  6-8  "Break  of  Hearts"   5,500 

High  4-18-36  "Petticoat  Fever"   40,500 

(on  stage:  Jack  Benny  and  Mary 
Livingston) 

Low  3-16  "Folies  Bergere"   6,000 

High  2-9  "David  Copperfield"   11,000 

Low  5-9-36  "Too  Many  Parents"   2,000 


High  3-28-36  "Little  Lord  Fauntleroy". .  5,000 
Low  6-22  "Nell    Gwyn"   and  ) 

"My  Heart  Is  Calling"           J  600 

High  5-16-36  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"   8,000 

(50c-$1.36) 

Low  12-28  "Unfinished  Symphony"   300 


High  2-29-36  "Klondike  Annie"   13,000 

Low  8-24  "Without  Regret"   1,750 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"  15,000 

Low  12-28  "Here  Comes  the  Band"   1,500 

High  5-18  "Romance  in  Manhattan"   16.000 

Low   12-28   "The   Perfect   Gentleman"...  2,000 

High  5-11  "Bride  of  Frankenstein"   7,000 

Low  11-30  "Bad  Bov"    800 


UNEQUALLED 


THE  record  of  Super  X  is  unequalled . . .  both 
as  to  the  photographic  quality  it  sends  to 
the  screen,  and  the  resulting  acceptance  it 
enjoys  in  the  industry.  Not  only  in  this  coun- 
try, but  abroad  as  well,  it  rates  as  the  pre- 
mier motion  picture  negative  of  the  day. 
Eastman  Kodak  Company,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
(J.  E.  Brulatour,  Inc.,  Distributors,  Fort  Lee, 
New  York,  Chicago,  Hollywood.) 


EASTMAN  SUPER  V 

PANCHROMATIC  NEGATIVE 


52 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,    19  3  6 


t  THEATRE  RECEIPTS—CONT'D  J 


Theatres 


Current  Week 


Previous  Week 


Picture 


Gross 


Picture 


Gross 


Hollywood 

Chinese                  2,500  30c-5Sc 

Pantages                3,000  25c-40c 

W.  B.  Hollywood  3,000  25c-40c 

Indianapolis 

Apollo                 ..  1,100  25c-40c 

Circle                      2,800  25c -40c 

Loew's                    2,800  25c-40c 

Lyric                     2,000  25c-40c 

Kansas  City 

Mainstreet              3,100  25c-40c 

Midland                  4,000  25c -40c 

Newman                  1,900  25c-40c 

Tower                     2,200  25c-35c 

Uptown                   2,000  25c-40c 

Los  Angeles 

Carthay                   1,518  50c-$1.50 

Four  Star                900  30c-55c 

Grand  Intern't'l..     750  35c-40c 

Hillstreet                2,700  25c-40c 

Loew's  State  ...  2,500  30c-55c 

Paramount             3,596  30c-55c 

W.  B.  Downtown  3,400  25c-40c 

Minneapolis 

Lyric                       1,239  20c-25c 

Minnesota                4,000  25c -55c 

RKO  Orpheum...  2,900  25c-40c 

State                       2,300  25c-40c 

World                        400  25c -35c 

Montreal 

Capitol.                  2,547  25c-60c 

Loew's                   3,115  25c-50c 

Palace                    2,600  25c-65c 

Princess                  2,272  25c-65c 

New  York 

Astor   1,141  55c-$2.20 

Capitol                    4,700  25c-85c 

Palace                    2,500  25c-75c 

Paramount              3,700  35c-99c 

Rialto                       594  25c-65c 

Rivoli                      2,200  40c-99c 

RKO  Music  Hall  5,954  40c-$1.65 

Roxy                      6,200  25c -55c 

Strand                     3,000  25c- 55c 


"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent. -Fox)  12,000 
and  "Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM) 

"Parole"  (Univ.)  and    10,500 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 

"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)    4,000 

"Sins  of  Man"   (20th  Cent. -Fox)   1,600 

"Poppy"  (Para.)  and    8,000 

"Palm  Springs"  (Para.) 

"Things  to  Come"  (U.A.)  and   5,500 

"And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.) 

"Smart  Money"   (W.B.)   7,800 

(plus  vaudeville) 


"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.)..  10,700 
and  Louis-Schmeling  Fight  (6  days) 

"Grand  Hotel"  (MGM)    7,500 

"Poppy"    (Para.)    10,200 

"Speed"  (MGM)    6,300 

(plus  stage  show)  (25c) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)  and   7,000 

"The  Country  Beyond" 
(20th  Cent. -Fox) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   15,832 

(10th  week) 
"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) . . . .  2,000 

(2nd  week) 
"The  Royal  Waltz"  (Ufa)    1,900 

(2nd  week) 

"Parole"  (Univ.)  and    11,000 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 
"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  16,500 
and  "Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM) 
"Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  (Para.)  9,126 

(5  days)  (on  stage:  George 
Olsen    and    Ethel  Shutta 
and  F.  &  M.  revue) 
"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)   3,800 

"Florida  Special"  (Para.)    1,500 

"Poppy"   (Para.)   10,000 

"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.)..  6,000 

"The  Wise  Guys"  (MGM)   5,000 

"Rhodes,  the  Empire  Builder"   700 

(GB)    (2  days) 
"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)    3,000 

(5  days) 

"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) .. .  8,500 
and  "Champagne  Charlie" 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 
"Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  (Para.)..  10,000 
(plus  stage  revue)  (30c-60c) 


"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  10,000 
(20c-60c) 

"And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.)  12,000 
and  "Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.) 
(Louis-Schmeling  fight) 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   17,300 

(12th  week) 

"Fury"    (MGM)    18,000 

(3rd  week) 

"The  Ex-Mrs.  Bradford"  (Radio)..  12,000 
and  "Educating  Father"  (Para.) 
(Louis-Schmeling  fight) 

"Poppy"   (Para.)    45,000 

(on  stage:   Harriet  Hilliard  and 
Ozzie  Nelson) 

"Border  Flight"  (Para.)    14,000 

"Dancing  Pirate"  (RKO  Radio)....  10,000 

"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) ... .  55,000 
(plus  stage  show) 

"Secret  Agent"  (GB)    22,100 

(plus  stage  show)  (2nd  week) 


"Fury"   (MGM)   and   11,200 

"The   First   Baby"   (20th  Cent.- 
Fox) 

"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)  and..  6,200 
"Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.) 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)   5,800 


"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  3,700 
(2nd  week) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)  and  ....  5,500 

"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.) 


'Fury"   (MGM)   and   6,000 

'Absolute  Quiet"  (MGM) 

'Little  Miss  Nobody"  (20th  Cent.-  11,000 
Fox)  (on  stage:  Ina  Ray  Hutton 
and  her  Band) 


'Bullets  or   Ballots    (F.N.)   10,100 

(9  days) 

'Fury"  (MGM)    9,900 

'The  Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"..  5,600 
(Para.) 

"Times  Square  Playboy"  (W.B.)..  6,300 
(plus  stage  show) 


'Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  4,600 
(2nd  week) 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   14,200 

(9th  week) 
"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)....  3,700 
(1st  week) 

"The  Royal  Waltz"  (Ufa)    2,700 

(1st  week) 

"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)  and  6,700 
"Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.) 

"Fury"  (MGM)  and    10,500 

"The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

'The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)   10,501 

(plus  F.  and  M.  stage  show) 
(2nd  week) 


'Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.).. 


  7,000 


"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.) 
(5  days  -  2nd  week) 


9,000 


"Desert  Gold"  (Para.)    1,500 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)   10,000 

(Plus  stage  show) 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   6,000 

"Trouble  for  Two"  (MGM)   5,500 

"Things  to  Come"  (U.A.)   3,000 

(3rd  week) 


"The  Princess  Comes  Across"  (Para.)  8,500 
and  "Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.) 

"The  Robin  Hood  of  El  Dorado"..  10,500 

(MGM)  and 
"Doughnuts  and  Society"  (Mascot) 

(on  stage:  Ripley's  "Believe 
It  or  Not)  (25c-60c) 
"Things  To  Come"  (U.A.)   9,500 


"One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)  and  6,500 
"Road  Gang"  (F.  N.) 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   17,400 

(11th  week) 
"Fury"  (MGM)    27,000 

(2nd  week) 
"Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.)..  7,000 
and  "Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.) 

"The  Princes  Comes  Across"  (Para.)  24,000 
(On  stage:  Russ  Morgan  and 
Orch.)  (2nd  week) 

"The  Last  Outlaw"  (Radio)   8,500 

"The  Ex-Mrs.  Bradford  (Radio)....  11,000 

(3rd  week) 
"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  79,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Secret  Agent"  (GB)   37,500 

(plus  stage  show) 
(1st  week) 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)   20,000 

(1st  week) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 


High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"   26,000 

Low  5-4  "West  Point  of  the  Air"   4,900 


High  9-7  "Top  Hat"  

Low  4-13  "Mister  Dynamite"  and 
"Great  God  Gold" 

High  9-7  "Page  Miss  Glory"  

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"   


..  19,000 

}  2,500 
..  15,300 
...  4,000 


High  3-14-36  "The  Country  Doctor"....  8,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"    1,600 

High  4-25-36  "The  Moon's  Our  Home"  ) 

and   "Silly   Billies"            J  9,700 
(in   place   of    "Silly    Billies,"    on  stage 
Lum  'n'  Abner  for  Saturday  and  Sunday) 

Low  3-16  "Transient  Lady"   2,000 

High  2-15-36  "Exclusive  Story"   15,000 

(on  stage:  Cab  Calloway  and  band) 

Low  4-6  "Casino  Murder  Case"   2,750 

High   3-28-36   "The   Leathernecks  Have 

Landed"   13,300 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 

Low  2-7  "Murder  of  Dr.  Harrigan"   5,700 

(on  stage:  vaudeville) 

High  11-23  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs"  22,000 
Low  1-12  "I  Sell  Anything"   2,000 

High  8-24  "China  Seas"   25,000 

Low  9-14  "Bonnie  Scotland"   6,000 

High  5-25  "Goin'  to  Town"   14,000 

Low  5-18  "Dinky"    3,000 

High   1-18-36  "Magnificent  Obsession"..  14,500 

Low  3-14-36  "Lady  of  Secrets"   5,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  9-7  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"..  11,000 
Low  7-27  "Black  Sheep"    2,100 


High  5-18  "Les  Miserables"   7,800 

Low  12-17  "The  Return  of  Peter  Grimm"  2,400 


High  9-7  "Top  Hat"  17,000 

Low  11-2  "Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"....  2,800 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   24,500 

Low  10-26  "Way  Down  East"   6,200 

High  8-10  "Paris  in  Spring"   32,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  9,126 
(plus  stage  show) 


High  1-11-36  "Captain  Blood"... 
Low  4-27  "Strangers  All"  and 

"I'll  Love  You  Always" 


...  17,100 
}  5,000 


High  1-4-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  31,326 

Low  4-4-36  "Klondike  Annie"    8,000 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"    18,000 

Low  6-13-36  "The  Golden  Arrow"   3,000 

High  11-2  "Broadway  Melody  of  1936"..  7,000 

Low  5-30-36  "The  Unguarded  Hour"   5,000 

High  6-8  "Thunder  in  the  East"   5,000 

Low  11-16  "Born  for  Glory"   2,000 


High  2-9  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"  15,500 

Low  8-3  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"  and  ) 

"College   Scandal"  f  7,000 

High  1-11-36  "Broadway   Hostess"  and) 

"The  Rainmakers"  f  15,000 

Low  6-15  "Mark  of  the  Vampire"  and) 

"Baby   Face   Harrington"       )  5,500 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   15,000 

Low  7-20  "Drake  of   England"  and  ) 

"The  Nitwits"  )  7,500 

High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"  and  ) 

"Guard  That  Girl"  (  12,500 

Low  12-28  "Remember  Last  Night?"  ) 

and  "East  of  Java"  )  3,000 

High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"   87,400 

Low  5-30-36  "Three  Wise  Guys"   7,000 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"   ••  15,000 

Low  5-23-36  "Champagne  Charlie  '  and  I 

"Human  Cargo"  )  5,000 
High  1-19  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"..  65,300 
Low  12-21  "Millions  in  the  Air"   10,000 

High  2-15-36  "Modern  Times"   65,000 

Low  6-29  "Nell  Gwyn"    8,100 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"  131,200 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low   11-30  "Crime   and   Punishment  ...  45,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  1-4-36  "If  You  Could  Only  Cook  ..  62,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  4-20  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   17,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

High  5-11  "The  G  Men"....   60,138 

Low  4.4-36  "Snowed  Under    b,lW 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 

MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 

BETTER  THEATRES 

TEATRO  AL  DIA 

BOX  OFFICE  CHECK-UP 

and  International 

MOTION  PICTURE  ALMANAC 


QUICLEY  PUBLICATIONS 
HAVE  THE  HONOUR  TO 
ANNOUNCE  THE  OPENING 
OF  NEW  OFFICES  AND 
AN  ENHANCED  SERVICE 
TO  THE  INTERESTS  OF 
THE  MOTION  PICTURE 
AT  FOUR  GOLDEN 
SQUARE  IN  LONDON 


54 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,     19  3  6 


[THEATRE  RECEIPTS— CONT'D] 


Theatres 


Oklahoma  City 

Capitol                    1,200  10c-41c 

Criterion                  1,700  10c-55c 

Liberty   1,500  10c-36c 

Midwest                  1,500  10c-55c 

Omaha 

Brandeis                  1,200  25c-40c 

Omaha                   2,200  25c-40c 

Orpheum                 3,000  25c-40c 

Philadelphia 

Arcadia                    600  25c -50c 

Boyd                       2,400  40c-55c 

Earle                      2,000  25c-55c 

V-Tc-x                         3,000  40c-65c 

Karlton                   1,066  25c-40c 

Keith's                    2,000  30c-50c 

Stanley                    3,700  40c-55c 

Stanton                   1,700  '  30c-50c 

Portland,  Ore. 

Blue  Mouse             1,700  30c-40c 

Broadway                1,912  30c-40c 

Mayfair                   1,700  30c-40c 

Orpheum                 1.700  30c-40c 

Paramount              3,008  30c-40c 

United  Artists...     945  30c-40c 

San  Francisco 

Clay                          400  15c -35c 

Embassy                 1,400  15c-35c 

Fox                       5,651  10c-35c 

Geary                     1,400  55c-$1.65 

Golden  Gate  ....  2,800  15c-40c 

Orpheum                 2,440  15c-40c 

Paramount              2,670  15c-40c 

St.    Francis           1,430  15c-40c 

United   Artists...  1,400  15c-65c 

Warfield                  2,700  15c-40c 

Seattle 

Blue  Mouse              950  25c-55c 

Fifth  Avenue....  2.500  25c-55c 

Liberty                    1,800  15c-55c 

Music  Box                950  25c -55c 

Orpheum                 2,450  25c-40c 

Paramount              3,050  15c-30c 


Current  Week 

Picture  Gross 

"Things  to  Come"  (U.A.)   2,600 

"Half  Angel"   (20th  Cent. -Fox)   5,300 

(plus  stage  revue) 

"Charlie  Chan  at  the  Circus"   ....  1,800 
(20th  Cent. -Fox)  (4  days) 

"Silly  Billies"  (Radio)    900 

(3  days) 

^Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)    3,000 

"And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.)  6,200 
and  "The  Law  in  Her  Hands" 
(F.N.)   Scbmeling-Louis  fight 

"Fury"  (MGM)  and    5,200 

"Times  Square  Playboy"  (W.B.) 

"The  Princess  Comes  Across"    7,800 

(Para.)  and  "Speed"  (MGM) 

"Small  Town  Girl"  (MGM)    2,600 

"Dancing  Pirate"  (Radio)    8,000 

(6V2  days) 

"Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.)    18,500 

(on  stage:  Phil  Baker)  (6  days) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  20,000 
(4th  week)  (stage  show  and 
Schmeling-Louis  fight) 

"Murder  by  An  Aristocrat"  (F.N.)  2,000 
(6  days) 

"Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  (Para.)  2,400 

"Fury"  (MGM)    7,000 

(5  days  -  2nd  week) 

"And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)   6,500 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"   (Col.)  2,000 
and  "Till  We  Meet  Again" 
(Para.)    (6th  week) 

"Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM)   5,000 

(Schmeling-Louis  fight) 

"Mine  With  the  Iron  Door"  (Col.)  8,000 
(on  stage:    Olsen  and  Johnson) 

"And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.)  6,000 
and  "Special  Investigator"  (Radio) 

"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)....  7,000 
and  "Florida  Special"  (Para.) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    6,000 


"Gypsy  Baron"  (Vienna  Films)   800 

(2nd  week) 
"Pace  That  Kills"  (Roadshow)  and  3,000 
"Thoroughbred"  (All-Star) 

"Connecticut  Yankee"  (20th  Cent.-  8,200 
Fox)  and  "Border  Flight"  (Para.) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   7,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio)    15,000 

(plus  stage  band  and  Olsen  and 
Johnson) 

"The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)   6,000 

"Fury"  (MGM)  and    12,000 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  (2nd  week) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  6,500 
and  "Human  Cargo" 
(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Things  to  Come"  (U.A.)    6,000 

(3rd  week) 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N'.)    16,000 


"Dancing  Pirate"  (Radio)  and   1,700 

"Fatal  Lady"  (Para.)   (4  days) 

"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)   2,400 

Louis-Schmeling   fight   (3  days) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    7,200 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)..  3,450 
(11th  week) 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)    2,800 

(4th  week) 

"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)  and....  5,450 
"The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent- Fox) 

"One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)  and  4,100 
"Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.) 


Previous  Week 


Picture 


"Three    Wise  Guys 


Gross 


(MGM)   2,300 

(U.A.)....  7,000 


"One  Rainy  Afternoon" 

(plus  stage  show) 
"O'Malley  of  the  Mounted"   1,300 

(20th  Cent.-Fox)    (4  days) 
"Two  in  Revolt"  (Radio)   2,500 

(3  days) 

"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)   4,000 


"Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.)  and   4,700 

'Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio) 

'The  Robin  Hood  of  El  Dorado"  5,500 
(MGM)  and  "Palm  Springs"  (Para.) 


"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  7,800 
and  "Woman  Trap"  (Para.)  (8  days) 


"One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)   2,300 

'The  Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"..  9,500 
(Para.) 

"Speed"  (MGM)    12,000 

(plus  stage  show)  (6  days) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  18,000 
(on  stage:  Vincent  Lopez  and 
Orch.  (3rd  week) 

"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)   3,000 

"The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)   2,400 

"Fury"  (MGM)    14,500 

(1st  week) 

"Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.)    5,500 


"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)..  2,000 
and  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 
(5th  week) 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)  and   6,000 

"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.) 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   5,000 

(2nd  week) 


"The  Princess  Comes  Across"   6,000 

(Para.)  and 

"The  Country  Beyond"  (20th  Cent.- 
Fox) 

"The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)  and..  8,000 
"Too  Many  Parents"  (Para.) 

(2nd  week) 

"Road  Gang"  (F.N.)   6,000 


'Gypsy  Baron"  (Vienna  Films)....  800 
(1st  week) 

'The  Ex-Mrs.  Bradford"  (Radio)..  2,500 
and  "Spy  77"  (Grand  National) 
(5  days — 2nd  week) 

"Speed"  (MGM)  and   5,000 

"Little  Red  Schoolhouse"  (Chester- 
field) 

'The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   7,500 

(1st  week) 

"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)   14,900 

(plus  stage  band) 


"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)  and  7,000 
'Trapped  by  Television"  (Col.) 

"Fury"  (MGM)  and    14,000 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  (1st  week) 


"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)  and....  6,000 
"Palm  Springs"  (Para.) 

(2nd  week) 
"Things  to  Come"  (U.A.)   8,000 

(2nd  week) 
"Private  Number  (20th  Cent.-Fox)..  14,000 
"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


'Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  3.100 


"Fury"  (MGM)    5,300 

(6  days) 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)..  4,200 
(10th  week) 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)    3,350 

(3rd  week) 

"Trouble  for  Two"  (MGM)  and....  5,850 
"Florida  Special"  (Para.) 
(25c-55c) 

"Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM)  and....  4,200 
"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1S35  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  3-9  "  Wings  in  the  Dark"   3,700 

Low  5-9-36  "Big  Brown  Eyes"   1,300 

High  9-14  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"  10,000 

Low  11-2  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs".  2,500 
High  1-19  "Gentlemen  Are  Born"  and) 

"Crime  Doctor"                       |  4,200 
Low  10-26  "Little  Big  Shot"  and  1 

"I  Live  for  Love"                )  1,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   8,800 

Low  8-24  "The  Farmer  Takes  a  Wife"..  1,800 

High  9-14  "Top  Hat"    9,500 

Low  6-6-36  "Dancing  Pirate"  and  / 

"Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path")  2,600 
High  3-28-36  "The  Trail  of  the  Lone-  ( 

some   Pine"   and  j  10,600 

"Every  Saturday  Night"  ( 
Low  10-5  "Dante's    Inferno"    and  j 

"She  Gets  Her  Man"  J  3,600 

High  2-29-36  "Exclusive  Story"  21,150 

(on  stage:  Ted  Lewis) 
Low  12-28  "Mister    Hobo"    and  ) 

"Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"  J  5,800 


High  1-4-36  "A  Tale  of  Two  Cities"....  30,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"    6.000 

High  1-4-36  "Miss  Pacific  Fleet"   22,000 

Low  10-5  "I  Live  for  Love"   9,500 

High  5-9-36  "Under  Two  Flags"   31,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  9-28  "Redheads  on  Parade"   7,500 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"    6,300 

Low  6-1  "Dinky"    1,200 

High  4-13  "Roberta"    5,800 

Low  1-2  "The  Right  to  Live"   900 

High  2-29-36  "Follow  the  Fleet"   27,000 

Low  5-11  "Stolen  Harmony"   4,000 

High  1-11-36  "Riffraff"    10,000 

Low  3-23  "Captain  Hurricane"   1,800 

High  8-17  "Life  Begins  at  Forty"   2,700 

Low  6-22  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   1,400 

High  5-16-36  "The  Singing  Kid"   8,500 

Low  7-27  "Calm  Yourself"  and  ) 

"Chinatown  Squad"             J  4,000 
High    1-25-36    "A    Midsummer  Night's 

Dream"    12,000 

Low  1-19  "Behold  My  Wife"  and  ) 

"Defense  Rests"                  J  1.600 

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   9,500 

Low  11-23  "To  Beat  the  Band"   and  ) 

"Wanderer  of  the  Wasteland"  S  4,000 

High  4-20  "Private  Worlds"   11,500 

Low  5-2-36  "The   Witness   Chair"  ) 

and  "Big  Brown  Eyes"         f  5,000 

High   5-4   "Cardinal    Richelieu"   9,000 

Low  6-8  "Age  of  Indiscretion"   4,000 


High  4-11-36  "Penitente  Murder  Case"...  6,500 
Low  12-7  "Two  Sinners"  and 

"$1,000  a  Minute" 
High  8-3  "Champagne  for  Breakfast 
Low  11-30  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and 
"Freckles" 


2,000 
.  14,800 


S  4,000 


High  3-28-36  "The    Leathernecks  Have 

Landed"   

(on  stage;  Burns  and  Allen) 

Low  5-23-36  "Dancing  Pirate"  

(plus  stage  band) 

High  7-20  "Love  Me  Forever"  

Low  10-26  "King  Solomon  of  Broadway"  ) 


and  "Fighting  Youth" 
High  6-8  "Our  Little  Girl"  and 

"Alibi  Ike" 
Low  3-2  "Living  on  Velvet"  and 

"All  the  King's  Horses" 
High  1-19  "The  County  Chairman". 
Low  6-29  "No  More  Ladies"  


29,000 
9,000 

16,780 
4,800 

23,000 

8,500 
11,000 
5,000 


High  10-26  "Barbary  Coast"   15,000 

Low  12-28  "Mimi"    2,500 

High  10-5  "I  Live  My  Life"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  3-28-36  "Colleen"  and  ( 

"Too  Many  Parents"         )  13,000 

High  11-30  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty".....  6,100 
Low  2-16  "Million  Dollar  Baby"  and  ) 

"Notorious   Gentleman"          )  2,900 


High  5-11  "Naughty  Marietta"  

Low  4-25-36  "The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome 

Pine"   

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"...... 

Low  4-13  "White   Lies"   and  1 

"Happy  Landing"  J 

High  3-16  "Roberta"    ........... 

Low  1-26  "The  Man  Who  Reclaimed  His 

Head"   

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"  •  •• 

Low  8-31  "Dante's  Inferno     and  I 

"Lady  Tubbs"  ) 

High  12-14  "Annie  Oakley"  ■  -■• 

Low  6-6-36  "Till  We  Meet  Again  and  ) 
"Times  Square  Playboy  1 


10,200 

2,600 
7,900 

2.700 
6,100 

2,850 
10,400 

4,800 
9.200 

3,250 


July    4,    19  3  6 


British  Films  Act  Committee 
Publishes  200,000-Word  Blue 
Book  of  Testimony  of  Various 
Branches  of  Local  Industry 

by  BRUCE  ALLEN 

in  London 

Published  as  a  Blue  Book  of  96  pages,  at 
the  price  of  9/-,  the  "Minutes  of  Evidence 
taken  before  the  Departmental  Committee  on 
Cinematograph  Films"  is  one  of  the  most 
massive,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant, official  publications  ever  to  be  issued 
in  connection  with  the  British  industry. 

Even  without  the  evidence  of  the  Kine- 
matograph  Renters  Society,  which  has  still 
to  be  presented,  and  with  its  contents  lim- 
ited to  the  first  four  sittings  of  the  Com- 
mittee, the  Blue  Book  contains  something 
like  200,000  words,  covering  formal  state- 
ments from  various  interested  bodies  and  a 
verbatim  report  of  the  examination  of  their 
delegates  by  the  Committee.  Added  are  de- 
tailed tables  and  masses  of  statistics  cover- 
ing every  aspect  of  the  industry. 

Statements  From  Five  Groups 

The  statements  reproduced  were  submitted 
by: 

The  Board  of  Trade,  the  official  depart- 
ment responsible  for  the  administration  of 
the  Films  Act. 

The  Film  Group  of  the  Federation  of 
British  Industries,  representing  British  pro- 
duction companies. 

The  Cinematograph  Exhibitors  Associa- 
tion, which  includes  practically  every 
theatre  owner  in  the  U.  K. 

The  Association  of  Cine-Technicians, 
speaking  for  skilled  studio  labor. 

Associated  Realist  Film  Producers  a 
group  of  "Documentary"  producers. 

Omitting  the  Board  of  Trade,  which  presented 
a  historical  statement  of  the  inception  of  the 
Films  Act  and  official  data  as  to  the  conditions 
created  by  its  operation  since  1927,  each  of  these 
bodies  made  definite  suggestions  for  the  exten- 
sion, limitation  or  revision  of  the  Act. 

The  F.B.I.  Suggestions 

The  F.B.I.  Film  Group  suggests : 

Extension  of  the  Act  for  a  further  ten  years. 

Revision  of  the  incidence  of  the  Quota  from 
a  percentage  of  all  films  distributed  or  exhibited 
to  a  percentage  of  the  foreign  films  so  handled. 

Films  to  be  classified  as  eligible  for  renters' 
quota  or  exhibitors'  quota  or  both. 

Feature  films  registered  for  renters'  quota  to 
cost,  subject  to  a  reservation  to  be  mentioned, 
as  a  minimum  £2,500  per  1,000  feet  reel,  or 
£15,000  as  a  whole. 

Shorts  to  be  governed  by  a  minimum  cost  of 
£500  per  reel. 

Any  film  registered  for  renters'  quota  which 
has  cost  less  than  the  above  amounts  to  carry, 
as  a  trailer  at  its  beginning  and  end,  a  notice 
to  the  effect  that 

"This   picture   is   a   Renters'    Quota  Film 

acquired  by  Messrs   to  enable 

them  to  distribute  foreign  films." 

A  similar  description  to  appear  on  all  pub- 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


CONSULS  PROTEST 
DUBBED  FILM  SKIT 

A  motion  picture  designed  to  pre- 
cede the  appearance  of  the  vaudeville 
team  of  Olsen  and  Johnson,  appear- 
ing at  the  RKO-Golden  Gate  theatre, 
San  Francisco,  has  brought  protests 
from  the  acting  German  constd  gen- 
eral and  the  Italian  consul  general. 

The  picture  is  a  series  of  newsreel 
performances  of  Queen  Marie  of 
Rumania,  Hitler  and  Mussolini,  with 
voices  of  screen  and  radio  stars  dubbed 
in  on  the  sound  track.  Queen  Marie 
is  shown  making  an  address  from  a 
balcony  but  her  voice  is  distinctly 
that  of  Mae  West.  Mussolini,  also  on 
a  balcony,  bursts  forth  in  violent  ora- 
tory but  the  voice  belongs  to  Andy 
of  Amos  'n'  Andy.  Hitler  extols  the 
Olsen  and  Johnson  show  in  a  Jewish 
dialect. 

The  consuls  general  complained  to 
Mayor  Rossi,  who  referred  the  matter 
to  the  police  department.  A  morals 
squad  office  viewed  the  picture  but 
decided  the  film  did  not  come  under 
the  department's  jurisdiction. 


licity  matter,  invoices,  etc.,  referring  to  the  film. 
Renters'  Quota  to  be  increased  as  follows : 


Equivalent  on 

New  Quota 

Present  Basis 

Under  New  Act 

Percentage 

Percentage 

1st  year  

29 

22.5 

33 

25 

3rd  year  

38 

27.5 

4th  year  

43 

30 

5th  year  

48 

32.5 

6th  and  subsequ* 

;nt  54 

35 

Exhibitors'  Quota: 

1st  year  

25 

20 

29 

22.5 

3rd  year  

33 

25 

4th  year  

38 

27.5 

43 

30 

6th  year  

50 

33.3 

Various  other  suggestions  of  less  importance 
were  made  by  the  Film  Group,  including  abo- 
lition of  the  clause  demanding  that  the  scenario 
writer  of  a  British  film  shall  be  British,  and 
of  the  present  right  of  films  made  in  the  British 
Dominions  to  rank  for  British  quota. 

The  CEA  suggestions  are,  in  main : 

Reduction  of  the  present  exhibition  quota  of 
20  per  cent  to  10  per  cent. 

Establishment  of  the  principle  that  a  2:1 
ratio  should  exist  between  distribution  and  ex- 
hibition quotas. 

No  minimum  cost  clause,  on  the  grounds  that 
it  would  put  the  small  producer  out  of  business, 
but  a  standard  of  quality  in  British  quota  films 
to  be  secured  by  a  special  Committee,  which 
would  approve  the  entertainment  standard  of 
all  films  previous  to  registration. 

No  new  Act  to  be  for  a  longer  period  than 
five  years,  or  the  Board  of  Trade  to  be  given 
powers  to  vary  the  quota. 

Chief  points  advocated  by  the  Technicians 
were : 

A  minimum  cost  of  £12,000  for  features  of 


55 

10  TO  50% 
EMPIRE  UNIT 

Several  Witnesses  and  Officials 
Debate  the  Charges  of  Anti- 
British  Bias  of  the  American 
Producers  and  British  Public 

6,000  feet  or  over  and  of  £2  a  foot  for  shorter 
films. 

The  existing  clause  demanding  that  75  per 
cent  of  production  salaries  shall  go  to  British 
subjects  to  be  revised  to  apply  to  technicians 
only,  excluding  carpenters,  electricians,  etc. 

Not  more  than  one  foreign  technician,  of 
any  type,  to  be  employed  on  any  picture.  (If  a 
foreign  cameraman  is  employed,  for  instance, 
all  other  technicians  to  be  British.) 

Renters'  quota  to  increase  progressively  to 
25  per  cent  in  1942.  Exhibitors'  quota,  to  \2y2 
per  cent  in  same  period. 

"Documentary"  Interests'  Proposals 

The  Documentary  producing  interests  ask: 
That  full  quota  status  should  be  granted  to 
documentary  films  of  all  length  where  they 
have  "National,  Empire  and  Cultural  values." 
Suggested  for  exclusion  from  quota  are  news- 
reels,  advertising  films  and  trailers,  as  at  pres- 
ent. 

During  the  examination  of  the  various  wit- 
nesses there  were  several  references  to  a  sug- 
gestion that,  in  buying  cheap  British  pictures, 
American  companies  had  a  desire  definitely  to 
damage  British  production. 

Problem  of  "Empire"  Films 

R.  D.  Fenelly,  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  on 
being  asked  why  socalled  "Empire"  films, 
cheaply  made  and  acquired  for  quota,  were  not 
bought  by  British  but  by  foreign  controlled 
companies,  answered  that  "they  are,  in  general, 
poor  films." 

Dr.  Mallon,  a  member  of  the  Committee, 
then  asked : 

"About  these  American  companies ;  they  are 
not  interested  in  the  production  of  good  English 
films ;  that  we  can  understand.  Would  you  put 
it  higher  than  that  and  say  they  are  interested 
in  the  production  of  bad  English  films? 
Answer:  "No,  I  would  not  put  that  against 
them." 

"Then  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  they 
do  desire  to  go  about  and  secure  that  the  repu- 
tation of  the  English  film  is  lowered  ?"  Answer : 
"That  has  been  alleged,  but  it  is  difficult,  of 
course,  to  get  any  proof  of  a  thing  like  that 
.  .  .  We  are  always  hearing  that  American 
renters  are  to  make  good  films  here.  At  times 
some  of  them  have  made  an  effort." 

"So  far  as  bad  British  films  go  about  the 
world,  the  Americans  have  no  responsibility 
for  them?"  Ansiver:  "I  have  no  doubt  they 
export  their  poor  British  films  to  the  Do- 
minions." 

Further  questions  of  alleged  American 
animus  against  British  films  were  raised  in 
regard  to  the  practice  in  some  West  End 
theatres  of  showing  the  British  quota  foot- 
age first  thing  in  the  morning,  with  only 
scrub-ladies  in  the  theatre  and  last  thing 
at  night,  but  it  seemed  that  the  practice 
was  one  also  adopted  by  British  exhibitors 
who  had  found  a  shortage  of  good  British 
films. 

A  similar  passage  took  place  during  the  hear- 
ing of  evidence  from  T.  H.  Fligelstone,  presi- 
dent, and  W.  R.  Fuller,  secretary,  of  the  CEA, 

{Continued  on  following  page) 


VARYING  PROPOSALS  OF 
QUOTA  PLACED  BEFORE 


56 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4 ,  1936 


WIDE  RANGE  OF  QUOTA  PROPOSALS 


{Continued  from  preceding  page) 

who  had  quoted  a  definite  prejudice  against 
British  films  in  Scotland  and  in  certain  districts 
of  London.    The  question  was  asked : 

"How  far  would  it  be  right  to  say  that  it  is 
the  foreign  and  Jewish  elements  in  these  parts 
of  London  which  are  mainly  responsible  for 
that  particular  feeling?"  Answer:  "That  is 
not  so.  I  have  a  theatre  at  Walthamstow.  I 
believe  that  the  population  of  Walthamstow  is 
practically  99  per  cent  non-Jewish  and  they 
resent  British  films  there." 

"Is  it  fairly  accurate  to  say  that  most  Jews 
in  all  branches  of  the  industry  here  and  abroad 
trace  their  origin  to  a  common  mid-European 
bloc  and  they  have  a  natural  antipathy  to  the 
British  outlook  as  represented  in  the  films?" 
Answer  (by  Mr.  Fuller)  :  "No,  the  British  films, 
a  good  many  of  them,  are  produced  by  these 
people." 

Major  Bell  on  America 

Providing  something  of  a  refreshing  change 
from  the  returned  British  traveler  who  goes  all 
lyrical  about  Hollywood  and  other  places  your 
side,  Major  Charles  H.  Bell  had  some  critical 
things  to  say  about  American  film  institutions, 
as  a  result  of  his  recent  trip  over.  Writing  in 
the  Cinematograph  Times  he  declared,  in  the 
first  instance,  that  "admission  prices  are  de- 
finitely too  low  for  economic  operation,"  leading 
to  the  situation  that  theatres  more  elaborate 
than  any  we  have  are  "suffering  terribly  from 
the  want  of  new  carpets,  chairs  and  decoration," 
and,  in  the  second,  that  many  houses  "were  not 
even  kept  in  what  we  would  call  a  clean  con- 
dition, due  to  the  necessity  of  employing  the 
minimum  amount  of  staff." 

"Consequential,  at  least  partly,  on  these  facts, 
was  the  fact  that  he  "found  little  or  no  prog- 
ress" technically,  because  "there  has  been  prac- 
tically no  building  of  theatres  in  the  United 
States  for  the  past  five  years." 

Contrasting  the  theatre  and  the  studio  sides, 
he  found  that  in  Hollywood  "enormous  progress 
has  been  made  during  the  same  period." 

After  investigating  the  American  television 
situation  he  expressed  the  view  that  "it  is  not 
going  materially  to  affect  the  existing  form  of 
cinematograph  entertainment  for  some  time  to 
come." 

Major  Bell,  for  many  years  consulting  engi- 
neer to  Paramount  British  Theatres,  is  one  of 
the  principals  of  the  Amalgamated  Studios  now 
in  erection  at  Elstree  and  scheduled  on  com- 
pletion to  offer  serviced  floor  space  at  rates 
which  may  give  the  existing  plants  food  for 
thought. 

Feature  Cuts  a  Problem 

The  practice  of  some  exhibitors  of  eliminating 
footage  in  order  to  bring  two-feature  programs 
within  reasonable  time  limits,  recently  attacked 
in  the  Cinema,  is  now  attracting  the  attention 
of  the  general  press,  and  patron  views  are  forth- 
coming which  indicate  the  development  of  a 
possibly  dangerous  situation. 

Outstanding  are  the  assertions  that  as  much 
as  2,500  feet  has  been  eliminated  from  a  feature 
and  that  discrepancies  between  the  same  film  as 
seen  in  the  West  End  and  in  the  neighborhoods 
are  well  recognized  by  London  fans,  and  are 
the  subject  of  complaint  from  them. 

It  is  likely  that  the  Kinematograph  Renters' 
Society  will  take  steps  to  cope  with  the  prac- 
tice, which  obviously  threatens  to  affect  public 
confidence  very  seriously.  Contract  conditions 
forbid  mutilation  of  any  sort  and,  in  the  In- 
spection Department  created  to  check  up  ex- 
hibitors' takings,  the  KRS  appears  to  possess 
machinery  to  deal  with  this  problem. 

V 

When  J.  H.  Seidelman,  Columbia  foreign 
manager,  talked  to  the  trade  press  this  week 


he  added  another  definition  to  the  many  which 
his  hearers  recently  had  heard  applied  to  color. 
In  the  eyes  of  Harry  Cohn,  he  said,  color  was 
a  "technical  necessity"  in  the  case  of  certain 
scenes  and  it  should  be  used  like  any  other 
inevitable  accessory,  that  is  to  say,  strictly  in 
accord  with  the  demands  of  subject  matter. 
Obviously,  this  implies  a  very  much  more  re- 
served policy  on  the  part  of  Columbia  than  has 
been  implied  by  most  of  our  other  recent  visi- 
tors, who  seem  to  differ  only  as  to  the  exact 
date  at  which  the  "all-color"  epoch  will  dawn. 

Mr.  Seidelman  did  not  avoid  the  logical  de- 
duction to  be  made  from  this  statement  of 
policy ;  Columbia,  he  said,  certainly  would  not 
make  a  feature  all-color  simply  because  certain 
scenes  would  be  better  in  color,  but  would  mix 
black  and  white  and  color  in  the  same  picture. 

Accompanied  by  Joe  Friedman,  managing 
director  of  Columbia  in  London — whose  con- 
tribution to  the  color  discussion  was  a  pertinent 
request  to  be  told  of  a  poor  picture  made  into 
a  good  one  by  color — Mr.  Seidelman  is  starting 
immediately  a  Continental  tour  with  Columbia 
conventions  in  Madrid,  Rome  and  Paris  as  its 
high  spots.  He  will  be  in  Europe  for  three  or 
four  months. 

Empire  Quota  Talks  Due 

Conferences  in  regard  to  the  quota  situation 
in  Australia  between  B.  S.  D.  Stevens,  Prime 
Minister  of  New  South  Wales,  and  the  Film 
Group  of  the  Federation  of  British  Industries, 
are  seen  likely  during  Mr.  Stevens'  current  stay 
in  London.  There  already  have  been  informal 
talks  between  the  Australian  statesman  and 
Neville  Kearney,  secretary  of  the  Film  Group. 

An  outstanding  grievance  of  British  pro- 
ducers is  that,  for  purposes  of  exhibition  quota, 
British  films  and  American  alike  rank  as  "im- 
ported," and  have  to  be  covered  by  Australian 
footage.  In  England,  for  purposes  of  British 
quota,  Australian  films  rank  as  British.  Hints 
that  this  classification  might  be  revised  were 
heard  when  the  Australian  quota  was  imposed ; 
unfortunately  for  British  producers,  Australian 
films  have  no  British  market  to  lose. 

Possibly  to  be  discussed  between  the  FBI 
and  Mr.  Stevens  is  the  "Empire  Quota"  system 
recently  advocated  by  Ernest  Turnbull  of  Brit- 
ish Dominions  Films  of  Australia.  This  pro- 
vides for  a  25  per  cent  quota,  of  which  5  per 
cent  must  be  local  footage  and  the  other  20 
per  cent  produced  in  any  part  of  the  British 
Empire. 

37  Billion  Feet  of  Film 

Official  figures  issued  by  the  Board  of  Trade, 
summarizing  returns  made  by  exhibitors  under 
the  provisions  of  the  Cinematograph  Films  Act, 
show  that  the  footage  of  film  exhibited  in  the 
year  ended  Sept.  30,  1935,  was  37,520,000,000. 
This  figure  covers  the  4,700  theatres  in  the 
United  Kingdom  and  represents  not  actual  film 
used  but  footage  exhibited,  counting  each  run 
on  its  footage  basis. 

Of  this  total  9,575,000,000  feet  exhibited  was 
British ;  the  percentage  of  the  total,  25.5,  com- 
pares with  26.1  in  1934.  The  legal  exhibition 
quota  was  only  15  per  cent.  Feature  footage 
exhibited  was  33,498,000,000,  and  of  this  9,406,- 
000,000  was  British,  a  percentage  of  28.1  against 
28.4  in  1934. 


Marx  Brothers  On  Tour 

The  Marx  Brothers  are  on  a  personal  ap- 
pearance tour  with  scenes  which  will  be 
incorporated  in  their  next  vehicle,  "A  Day 
at  the  Races."  Sam  Wood  will  direct  the 
picture,  which  has  a  racetrack  and  a  lunatic 
asylum  as  settings. 


Theatre  Owners 
In  Southeastern 
Group  Plan  Frolic 

The  Southeastern  Association  of  Allied 
States  Association  of  Motion  Picture  Ex- 
hibitors affiliates  include  announcement  of 
the  annual  convention  and  frolic  of  the 
Southeastern  Association  at  Jacksonville, 
Fla.,  for  August  2nd,  3rd  and  4th.  The  af- 
fair is  being  held  in  Florida  for  the  second 
consecutive  year  and  an  attendance  even 
better  than  the  total  of  300  who  were  present 
last  year  is  expected. 

The  program,  incomplete  at  present,  in- 
cludes registration  for  Sunday,  August  2nd; 
speeches  and  the  business  session  for  Sunday 
evening;  a  golf  tournament  on  Monday  at 
Ponte  Vedra  and  a  shore  dinner  and  dance 
Monday  night.  Tuesday  evening  there  will 
be  a  banquet  and  dance  at  the  Carling  Hotel. 
Milton  C.  Moore,  Riverside  Theatre,  Jack- 
sonville, is  general  chairman  and  Nat  Wil- 
liams, Rose  Theatre,  Thomasville,  Ga.,  is 
in  charge  of  publicity. 

The  latest  bulletin  of  the  New  England 
branch  of  Allied  urges  members  to  contract 
for  the  18  Chesterfield-Invincible  pictures 
this  season.    The  bulletin  said  in  part : 

"The  present  shortage  of  pictures,  which 
has  created  a  sellers'  market,  must  be 
cracked  down  upon  by  every  independent  ex- 
hibitor if  he  expects  to  have  a  profitable 
business  investment  in  the  future.  We  state 
most  emphatically  that  failure  on  your  part 
to  go  for  this  deal  will  convince  Allied  that 
you  are  satisfied  with  present  market  condi- 
tions and  that  you  no  longer  have  need  of  an 
organization." 

Nebraska  and  Iowa  exhibitors  meeting  at 
Omaha,  Neb.,  this  week  discussed  the  ten 
point  plan  proposed  by  Edward  Kuykendall, 
national  president  of  Allied.  Mr.  Kuyken- 
dall, in  an  address  to  the  exhibitors,  told  of 
the  progress  made  during  his  three  months 
of  negotiations  with  distributors  and  ex- 
plained how  much  the  organization  hopes  to 
accomplish  as  a  result  of  the  parleys.  David 
Palfreyman  of  Affiliated  Theatres,  who  ac- 
companied Mr.  Kuykendall  from  Chicago  to 
the  meeting,  gave  a  short  informal  talk. 

Emanuel  Rolsky,  president  of  Independent 
Theatre  Owners,  has  called  a  meeting  of 
members  and  former  members  for  July  6th 
in  Kansas  City  to  discuss  clearance  for  the 
new  season's  product.  The  organization  has 
not  been  active  for  several  months. 

Legislation  was  the  theme  of  the  18th  an- 
nual convention  of  the  Kansas  and  Missouri 
Theatre  Association  in  Kansas  City  this 
week.  President  John  Staped  addressed  the 
gathering,  as  did  Harry  Sharpe,  secretary  of 
Associated  Industries  of  Kansas.  Ed  Kuy- 
kendall spoke  on  dual  bills  and  Dave  Pal- 
freyman's  talk  concerned  problems  of  inim- 
ical legislation. 

Regional  meetings  are  probable  this  fall 
on  legislation  obstacles  in  both  Kansas  and 
Missouri. 


July    4,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


57 


34  UNITED  ARTISTS  FEATURES 

COMING  FOR  THE  NEW  SEASON 


Election  of  Mary  Piclcford  as 
Permanent  President  Expected 
to  Follow  Sales  Convention 
This  Week  in  Los  Angeles 

United  Artists  will  release  34  features,  9 
Walt  Disney  Mickey  Mouse  cartoons  and  9 
Silly  Symphonies  in  the  new  season,  dele- 
gates to  the  company's  annual  sales  conven- 
tion in  the  Hotel  Ambassador  at  Los  An- 
geles were  told  Wednesday  at  the  three-day 
meeting  by  George  Schaefer,  vice-president 
in  charge  of  sales.  Mr.  Schaefer  presided 
over  the  sessions.  The  producers  who  will 
contribute  to  the  new  lineup  include  Samuel 
Goldwyn  with  plans  for  seven,  Walter 
Wanger  with  eight,  Selznick  International, 
which  is  absorbing  Pioneer,  with  six  or  so, 
Pickford-Lasky  with  five  or  six,  and  Alex- 
ander Korda's  London  Films  will  send  over 
six  from  England.  Among  other  possibil- 
ities is  a  Paulette  Goddard  vehicle  produced 
by  Charles  Chaplin  as  one  of  two  he  will 
present.  Douglas  Fairbanks  is  not  expected 
to  be  represented. 

Miss  Pick-ford,  who  has  been  serving  as 
temporary  president  of  the  company,  is 
expected  to  be  elected  to  the  post  per- 
manently at  a  board  meeting  immediately 
following  the  sales  meeting.  The  board 
usually  meets  in  July.  At  the  same  time,  it 
was  announced  that  following  completion 
of  the  second  picture  of  the  company, 
"The  World  Is  Mine,"  Pickford-Lasky  Pro- 
ductions temporarily  will  suspend  activities. 
Miss  Pickford  plans  a  trip  to  Europe  on 
business  for  United  Artists.  Mr.  Lasky  will 
maintain  his  offices  at  the  United  Artists 
studio  in  Hollywood. 

Closely  following  repeated  denials,  John 
Hay  Whitney  said  late  last  week  that  plans 
for  the  absorption  of  Pioneer  Pictures  by 
Selznick  International  rapidly  were  drawing 
to  a  consummation.  Mr.  Whitney  is  slated 
to  be  chairman  of  the  board,  David  O.  Selz- 
nick, president,  and  Merian  C.  Cooper,  vice- 
president.  Henry  Ginsberg  will  continue  as 
general  manager  of  production.  All  the 
product  will  bear  the  Selznick  International 
trademark  and  will  be  divided  half  in  Tech- 
nicolor and  half  in  black  and  white.  Except 
for  a  single  Technicolor  feature  which  is 
due  RKO,  all  product  will  revert  to  the  dis- 
tribution channels  of  United  Artists. 

More  than  50  representing  both  domestic 
and  foreign  sales  territories  were  present  for 
the  opening  session,  on  Tuesday.  Five  dis- 
trict managers  and  32  branch  managers  were 
included  in  this  total,  as  well  as  the  home 
office  contingent  consisting  of  Arthur  W. 
Kelly,  vice-president  in  charge  of  foreign 
sales ;  Harry  D.  Buckley,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  corporate  affairs ;  Harry  Gold, 
assistant  to  Mr.  Schaefer;  James  Mulvey, 
eastern  representative  for  Samuel  Goldwyn ; 
Lowell  Calvert,  eastern  representative  for 
Selznick  International  and  Pioneer ;  Edward 
Raftery,  member  of  the  United  Artists  board 
of  directors ;  Paul  Lazarus ;  L.  Jack  Schlat- 
ter, eastern  district  sales  manager ;  Monroe 


2*  9  JK. 

mm 


NEW  YORK  CONTINGENT  AT  UNITED  ARTISTS  CONVENTION  IN 
HOLLYWOOD.  (Left:  to  right)  Nat  Brier  and  Mrs.  Brier,  Jack  Schlaifer, 
Emanuel  Silverstone  and  Mrs.  Silverstone,  Paul  Lazarus,  Moe  Streimer,  Charles 
Steele  (kneeling),  Harry  Bodkin,  Haskell  Masters  and  Lou  Wechsler  and 
Mrs.   Wechsler   and   their  son. 


Greenthal,  advertising  and  publicity  mana- 
ger ;  Sam  Cohen,  foreign  publicity  director ; 
Hal  Sloane,  Disney  New  York  representa- 
tive, and  Morris  Helprin  of  the  publicity  de- 
partment. Maurice  Silverstone,  managing 
director  of  United  Artists  in  England  also 
is  attending,  as  are  Haskell  Masters,  Charles 
M.  Steele,  and  N.  A.  Thompson,  and  Eman- 
uel Silverstone,  American  representative  of 
Alexander  Korda. 

Crediting  newspaper  advertising  for  a  40 
per  cent  increase  in  theatre  attendance  for 
the  current  year,  Mr.  Schaefer  made  the  pre- 
convention  announcement  that  his  company 
would  spend  $2,500,000  in  newspaper  adver- 
tising during  the  forthcoming  year. 

"I  cannot  emphasize  too  strongly  the  value 
of  newspaper  advertising,"  he  said,  "for  in 
my  recent  survey  of  key  cities  of  the  east  I 
found  that  where  liberal  newspaper  space 
was  taken  to  advertise  our  productions,  thea- 
tres within  a  radius  of  100  miles  of  those 
cities  showed  an  increase  in  receipts." 

Six  pictures  will  be  released  between 
August  15  and  October  1.  The  pictures  are 
"The  Last  of  the  Mohicans,"  produced  by 
Reliance;  "Dodsworth,"  from  Samuel  Gold- 
wyn; "The  Man  Who  Could  Work 
Miracles,"  from  Alexander  Korda ;  "Come 
and  Get  It,"  from  Goldwyn ;  'The  World  Is 
Mine"  from  Pickford-Lasky  and  "The 
Garden  of  Allah,"  Selznick-International. 

Players  to  appear  mi  the  United  Artists 


roster  for  the  coming  season,  all  under  con- 
tract to  the  various  producer  members  of  the 
company  for  one  or  more  pictures  are : 

Goldwyn 


Eddie  Cantor 
Miriam  Hopkins 
Merle  Oberon 
Walter  Huston 
Ruth  Chatterton 
Edward  Arnold 
Paul  Lukas 
Mary  Astor 
Frances  Farmer 
Joel  McCrea 
Walter  Brennan 


Br 

Pickford-Lasky 

Nino  Martini 
Ida  Lupino 
Leo  Carrillo 

Walter  Wanger 

Charles  Boyer 
Sylvia  Sidney 


Mary  Nash 
Ella  Logan 
Mady  Christians 
Andrea  Leeds 
Maria  Ouspenskaya 
Kathryn  Marlowe 
John  Payne 
Jerome  Cowan 
Frank  Shields 
David  Niven 
Odette  Myrtil 
Aherne 


James  Blakely 
Harold  Huber 
Mischa  Auer 


Henry  Fonda 
Madeleine  Carroll 
Spencer  Tracy 


Selznick-International 

Marlene  Dietrich 
Ronald  Colman 
Jean  Arthur 
C.  Aubrey  Smith 
Tilly  Losch 


Charles  Boyer 
Edward  Arnold 
Ruth  Chatterton 
Basil  Rathbone 
David  Scott 


(Continued  on  following  paiic) 


58 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,  1936 


34  FEATURES  FROM  UNITED  ARTISTS 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

Robert  Fraser  Irene  Franklin 

John  Carradine  Frederick  Gottschalk 

Barry  Downing  Joseph  Schildkraut 

Alan  Marshal  Henry  Brandon 


Alexander  Korda 

Charles  Laughton 
Robert  Donat 
Miriam  Hopkins 
Roland  Young 
Gertrude  Lawrence 


Marlene  Dietrich 
Merle  Oberon 
Conrad  Veidt 
Elsa  Lanchester 
Laurence  Olivier 


Flora  Robson 


lance 


Rel 

Randolph  Scott 
Bruce  Cabot 
Henry  Wilcoxon 
Hugh  Buckler 


Heather  Angel 
Binnie  Barnes 
Phillip  Reed 
Robert  Barrat 


Criterion 

Doug  Fairbanks,  Jr.        Dolores  Del  Rio 

Elisabeth  Bergner 

Elisabeth  Bergner 

The  directors  who  will  handle  the  new 
product  are  as  follows : 


Goldwyn 

William  Wyler 


Henry  C.  Potter 
Howard  Hawks 


Pickford-Lasky 

Rouben  Mamoulian 

Selznick-lnternational 

Richard  Boleslawski 

Alexander  Korda 

Alexander  Korda 
Walter  Ford 
Rene  Clair 

Reliance 

George  B.  Seitz 

Bergner 

Dr.  Paul  Czinner 

Criterion 

Thornton  Freeland 

The  writers  who  will 
screen  plays  include : 

Goldwyn 

Sidney  Howard 
Sinclair  Lewis 
Joseph  F.  Dineen 
Martin  Mooney 


William  K.  Howard 
Robert  Flaherty 
Lothar  Mendes 


handle   the  various 


Edna  Ferber 
Jane  Murfin 
Kubec  Glasman 
Sam  &  Bella  Spewak 


John  Balderston 

Selznick-lnternational 

Oliver  H.  P.  Garrett      Oliver  Lipscomb 

London  Films 

H.  G.  Wells 
James  Hilton 


Robert  Graves 
Frances  Marion 


Pickford-Lasky 

Leo  Birinski 

Reliance 

Philip  Dunne 

Wanger 

Gene  Towne 
Alfred  Batson 
Graham  Baker 


Wallace  Smith 


Ben  Hecht 
Charles  MacArthur 


Criterion 

A.  Rogers  St.  John         Zoe  Atkins 
John  Balderston  George  Barrand 

Richard  Fisher 

Practically  all  the  individual  producers  have 
tentative  programs  already  lined  up  for  pro- 
duction during  the  coming  season.  Those  pic- 
tures which  already  are  down  on  the  schedules 
are  as  follows : 

Charles  Chaplin 

Paulette  Goddard  starring  vehicle  to  be 
directed  and  produced  by  Charles  Chaplin. 

Goldwyn 

Dodsworth,  based  on  the  novel  by  Sinclair 
Lewis  and  the  stage  play  by  Sidney  Howard 
who  has  also  adapted  the  work  for  the  screen. 
Walter  Huston,  Ruth  Chatterton,  Paul  Lukas 
and  Mary  Astor  are  in  the  cast.  William 
Wyler  is  directing. 

Come  and  Get  It,  from  Edna  Ferber's  novel 
with  the  leading  roles  played  by  Edward 
Arnold,  Frances  Farmer,  Mady  Christians, 
Walter  Brennan,  Andrea  Leeds  and  Mary 
Nash.  Howard  Hawks  is  directing  the 
screen  play  by  Jane  Murfin  and  Jules 
Furthman. 

Pony  Boy,  starring  Eddie  Cantor  and  with  the 

Goldwyn  Girls  featured. 
Shake  Hands  With  Murder,  by  Joseph  F. 

Dineen,    prominent    newspaperman.  Kubec 

Glasman  and  Martin  Mooney  did  the  screen 

play.  . 

Women  Can  Be  Wrong,  starring  Miriam 
Hopkins. 

In  Love  and  War,  starring  Merle  Oberon, 
written  by  John  Balderston.  Miriam  Hop- 
kins will  also  be  starred  in  another  unnamed 
film. 

Pickford-Lasky 

The  World  Is  Mine,  a  romance  of  Mexico 
with  Nino  Martini,  Ida  Lupino  and  Leo 
Carrillo.   Directed  by  Rouben  Mamoulian. 

Selznick  International 

The  Garden  of  Allah,  in  Technicolor  and 
starring  Marlene  Dietrich  and  Charles  Boyer 
with  a  supporting  cast  of  Basil  Rathbone,  C.  , 
Aubrey  Smith,  Joseph  Schildkraut  and  Tilly 
Losch.    Richard  Boleslawski  is  directing. 

Tom  Sawyer,  taken  from  Mark  Twain's 
classic  of  American  literature. 

The  Man  With  A  Young  Wife,  with  Ed- 
ward Arnold. 

Julius  Caesar,  or,  The  World's  Illusion, 
with  Ronald  Colman  to  star  in  whichever 
story  is  chosen. 

Completing  the  Selznick  schedule  will  be  a 
Technicolor  story  to  be  selected  and  two  un- 
named films  in  black  and  white. 

Alexander  Korda 

Rembrandt,  starring  Charles  Laughton  with 
Gertrude.  Lawrence  and  Elsa  Lanchester  in 
prominent  roles.  Alexander  Korda  himself 
directs. 

Knight   Without   Armor,    story   by  James 

Hilton  starring  Marlene  Dietrich. 
I,  Claudius,  starring  Charles  Laughton  and 

Merle  Oberon. 
The   Divorce   of    Lady    X,    starring  Merle 

Oberon. 

The  Man  Who  Could  Work  Miracles,  star- 
ring Roland  Young. 

Dark  Journey,  starring  Miriam  Hopkins  and 
Conrad  Veidt  and  produced  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Victor  Saville. 

Walter  Wanger 

History  Is  Made  At  Night,  by  Gene  Towne 


and  Graham  Baker,  will  have  Charles  Boyer 
as  its  star. 

Vogues  of  1937,  a  behind-the-scenes  story  of 

the  world  of  fashions. 
Three  Times  A  Loser,  with  Spencer  Tracy, 

Sylvia  Sidney  and  Henry  Fonda. 
Arabian  Nights,  Technicolor  production  with 

Charles  Boyer,  Sylvia  Sidney,  Henry  Fonda 

and  Madeleine  Carroll. 
A  Woman  Loves  Once. 

Desert  Intrigue,  from  the  novel  by  Alfred 
Batson. 

Wuthering  Heights,  from  the  novel  by  Emily 
Bronte,  with  Sylvia  Sidney  and  Charles 
Boyer. 

Reliance 

The  Last  of  the  Mohicans,  from  James 
Fenimore  Cooper's  novel.  Directed  by 
George  B.  Seitz,  the  cast  includes  Randolph 
Scott,  Binnie  Barnes,  Heather  Angel,  Henry 
Wilcoxon,  Phillip  Reed,  Bruce  Cabot,  Hugh 
Buckler  and  Robert  Barrat. 

Bergner 

Dreaming  Lips,  starring  Elisabeth  Bergner 
and  directed  by  Dr.  Paul  Czinner. 

Criterion 

Accused,  starring  Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.,  and 

Dolores  Del  Rio. 
High  Treason,  original  story  by  Adela  Rogers 

St.  John,  starring  Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr. 

Walt  Disney  will  be  represented  on  the 
United  Artists  schedule  by  his  annual  output 
of  nine  Mickey  Mouse  productions  and  nine 
Silly  Symphonies,  all  produced  in  Technicolor. 


General  Theatre 
Plan  Completed 

Newly  issued  securities  of  the  reorgan- 
ized General  Theatres  Equipment,  Inc.,  are 
scheduled  to  be  ready  for  distribution  on 
.Monday  according-  to  Arthur  W.  Loasby, 
chairman  of  the  reorganization  committee. 
The  governing  committee  of  the  New  York 
Stock  Exchange  this  week  approved  the  ap- 
plication of  the  company  to  list  754,105^ 
shares  of  no-par  capital  stock. 

The  reorganization  plan  which  has  been 
approved  by  the  Chancery  Court,  Wilming- 
ton, provides  that  for  each  $1,000  principal 
amount  of  debentures  and  for  each  $1,024  of 
secured  indebtedness  there  will  be  issued  10 
shares  of  capital  stock  of  the  corporation 
and  an  option  warrant  to  purchase  \Va 
units  of  capital  stock  of  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox  Film  Corporation.  These  units  consist 
of  two  shares  of  preferred  and  one  com- 
mon. 

Mr.  Loasby  said  that  approximately  92 
per  cent  of  the  holders  of  the  company's 
debt  are  participating.  Voting  trust  certi- 
ficates for  about  81  per  cent  of  the  preferred 
stock  and  about  70  per  cent  of  the  common 
have  been  deposited. 


Trailer  Interest  To  Be  Sold 

The  rights  and  interests  of  David 
O'Malley  as  assignee  in  DeLuxe  Trailers, 
Inc.,  will  be  sold  at  auction  in  the  offices  of 
his  attorney,  Alfred  Englander,  at  11 
Broadway,  New  York  City,  on  July  8th. 


July    4,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


59 


TECHNOLOGICAL 


The   BLUEBOOK  School 

By  F.  H.  RICHARDSON 

(To  join  the  Bluebook  School  merely  send  in  answers.    Place  name  and  question  number  upon  first  sheet.   Address  F.  H.  Richardson,  No.  3  Tudor  Lane,  Scarsdale  NY] 


BLUEBOOK  SCHOOL  QUESTION  NO.  30.— (A)  Why  are  temporary  repairs  often  necessary?  When  should 
they  be  avoided?  (B)  May  dust  accumulations  be  expected  to  reduce  generator  efficiency?  Explain.  (C)  Is  the 
sound  impression  on  film  always  in  perfect  synchronism  with  accompanying  motion? 

Answers  to  Question  No.  25 


Question  No.  25  was:  {A)  Name  the  impor- 
tant requirements  in  circuits  carrying  alternat- 
ing current.  (B)  What  is  an  electrical  filter? 
(C)  What  test  should  be  made  before  starting 
to  paint  an  old  screen? 

The  following  made  creditable  answers : 
C.  Paul  and  S.  Evans ;  D.  Danielson ;  G.  E. 
Doe ;  B.  DeVietti ;  W.  Limmroth  ;  H.  Edwards  ; 
J.  R.  Prater;  F.  Bochert ;  W.  H.  Edmons ;  C. 
L.  Loft ;  F.  H.  and  L.  Klar  and  T.  H.  Morton ; 
S,  Galbey ;  O.  L.  Daris  and  F.  Simms ;  D.  Pol- 
lock ;  P.  and  L.  Felt ;  C.  Champney ;  C.  Lonie ; 

C.  G.  Jones;  H.  B.  Smith;  R.  and  K.  Wells; 
W.  Burns  and  T.  R.  Fanning;  R.  Thompkins 
and  H.  K.  Abernathy ;  D.  Pollock ;  B.  L.  Bris- 
sac,  L.  C.  Kent  and  H.  B.  Schontz ;  W.  Winkle 
and  R.  R.  Robins;  R.  and  K.  Wells;  H.  T. 
Todd  and  L.  A.  Dodson;  F.  L.  and  N.  Saylor 
and  G.  N.  Guidotti ;  W.  V.  Cramer;  P.  L. 
Lott;  C.  and  S.  E.  Gay;  J.  T.  McGuire  and 
A.  L.  Long;  U.  O.  Banning;  D.  Emmerson ;  J. 
Jones  and  R.  B.  Shephert;  V.  Sanders  and  J. 
Jensen ;  L.  B.  Smith  and  H.  Snow ;  T.  G.  Greg- 
erson ;  J.  Pracer,  B.  L.  Jennings  and  R.  W. 
Williams;  H.  B.  Maulding;  G.  A.  Lomax ;  M. 
and  J.  Devoy;  J.  N.  Saperton;  B.  B.  Horn- 
stein  and  R.  R.  Jacobs;  P.  L.  Smith;  K.  R. 
Holt  and  D.  L.  Maxwell ;  A.  L.  Leonard ;  D.  L. 
Slinger  and  W.  H.  Remmick ;  J.  R.  Price ;  G. 
H.  Anderson;  L.  D.  Bolton;  H.  J.  Billings- 
worth  ;  F.  Maden,  P.  L.  Price,  F.  I.  Daniels 
and  W.  B.  Maxwell;  L.  N.  Morgan;  W.  R. 
Cohn,  S.  T.  Lane;  D.  N.  Richards  and  R.  T. 
Tomlinson  ;  R.  W.  Robertson  ;  A.  R.  Gordon  ; 
H.  W.  Morehouse ;  G.  Thompson ;  R.  C. 
Mason ;  O.  Hunt,  W.  Morrison  and  D.  D.  Lilly ; 

D.  McGee  and  N.  E.  Olliver;  W.  N.  Bolton; 
G.  Sargent  and  S.  G.  Sanders ;  G.  W.  Elvey ; 
M.  F.  Singleton  and  H.  T.  Appleton ;  L.  T. 
Davis,  H.  D.  Lilly  and  B.  M.  Comeford ;  S. 
Littleton;  G.  H.  Daniels;  F.  T.  Snell ;  D. 
Bernhard  and  H.  Burkhart. 

(A)  I  am  afraid  many  of  you  did  not  look 
up  this  matter  in  your  Bluebook.  This  is  a 
Bluebook  school  first  of  all,  gentlemen,  and  is 
carried  forward  largely  for  the  purpose  of 
helping  you  to  use  the  book  efficiently.  Rau  and 
Evans  answer  correctly,  as  follows : 

"It  is  important,  in  a  circuit  carrying  alter- 
nating current,  that  the  impedance  of  the  input 
circuit  be  equal  to  that  of  the  output  circuit. 
If  the  impedances  be  equal,  the  maximum  of 
power  will  then  be  transmitted,  which  is 
especially  important  where  both  voltage  and 
current  is  extremely  low,  as  is  the  case  in 
certain  sound  circuits." 

J.  R.  Prater  answers,  "In  order  to  obtain 


maximum  efficiency  in  a  circuit  carrying  a.  c, 
it  is  necessary  that  the  impedance  of  the  circuit 
from  which  the  power  comes,  match  that  of  the 
circuit  to  which  it  is  delivered.  For  instance, 
in  a  sound  amplifier  circuit  transferring  power 
from  the  secondary  of  an  output  transformer 
of  one  stage,  to  the  primary  of  the  input  trans- 
former of  the  next  stage,  if  the  input  primary 
has  either  more  or  less  impedance  than  the 
output  secondary  to  which  it  is  connected,  there 
then  will  be  less  power  in  watts  flowing  into 
the  input  primary  than  would  be  the  case  were 
the  impedance  of  both  equal.  Since  every  am- 
plifier of  size  used  in  projection  has  several 
voice  a.  c.  circuits,  connected  together  in  the 
form  of  a  complete  chain  of  amplification,  a 
slight  loss  of  power  due  to  mismatch  impe- 
dance in  each  separate  circuit  would  result  in 
large  total  power  loss." 

(B)  It  did  not  seem  to  me  that  any  one'  of 
the  great  mass  of  answers  to  this  question  fully 
filled  the  bill,  though  several  possessed  consid- 
We  therefore  offer  you  our  definition  and  ex- 
planation, as  follows : 

"Definition :  An  electrical  filter  is  a  device 
for  separating,  selecting,  or  rejecting,  electrical 
currents  or  voltages  on  the  basis  of  frequency 
difference. 

"Operation :  An  electrical  filter  usually  con- 
sists of  inductors  or  capacitors,  or  a  combination 
of  both.  Its  operation  is  based  upon  two  prin- 
ciples:  (1)  that  the  current  through  an  indue- 


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tor  is  impeded  directly  proportional  to  the  fre- 
quency and  displaced  90  electrical  degrees  be- 
hind the  applied  voltage;  (2)  that  the  current 
through  a  capacitor  is  impeded  inversely  pro- 
portional to  the  frequency  and  displaced  90 
electrical  degrees  in  advance  of  the  applied 
voltage.  By  judicious  connection  and  selection 
of  capacitor  and  inductor  values  the  individual 
components  of  an  electrical  current  comprising 
of  two  or  more  frequency  components,  can  be 
separated,  selected  or  rejected  as  desired.  The 
frequency  of  direct  currents,  as  applied  to  elec- 
trical filters,  is  considered  to  be  zero. 

(C)  F.  H.  and  L.  Klar  reply,  "Before  paint- 
ing or  recoating  a  screen,  it  is  first  necessary  to 
determine  whether  or  not  the  material  to  be 
used  will  adhere  to  the  old  surface.  In  making 
this  test,  one  corner  of  the  screen  (preferably, 
for  convenience,  a  lower  one)  should  be  se- 
lected and  some  of  the  material  (paint  or  what- 
ever it  is)  applied,  which  may  be  washed  off 
with  a  cloth  moistened  with  "turpentine  if  re- 
sults are  unsatisfactory. 

"Upon  some  old  surfaces  new  paint  will,  as 
painters  say,  'crawl,'  which  means  it  will  re- 
treat from  some  sections  as  soon  as  applied, 
gathering  on  other  sections.  This  also  is  true 
of  water  colors  if  the  old  surface  have  the 
least  tendency  to  oiliness.  In  such  case  it  is 
best  to  coat  something  other  than  the  screen 
with  a  light  coating  of  white  shellac,  let  it  dry 
out  thoroughly  (which  it  will  do  in  a  short 
time)  and  apply  the  proposed  screen  coating. 
If  it  adheres,  O.  K. ;  then  coat  the  whole  screen 
with  shellac  and  then  coat  the  same  with  the 
paint,  or  what-have-you.  Warning:  Do  not  use 
brown  shellac.  Use  white  instead,  as  the  brown 
is  hard  to  cover  with  white.  At  the  dealers 
just  ask  for  'white  shellac." 

Diplomas  To  Be  Given 

For  a  considerable  while  it  has  seemed  to 
me  "students"  of  the  Bluebook  School  should 
have  some  material  evidence  that  they  have 
passed  through  the  course  of  study  and  emerged 
with  honor.  Therefore,  after  consultation  with 
Mr.  Martin  Quigley,  it  has  been  agreed  that 
a  suitable  "diploma,"  handsomely  made  up  and 
of  suitable  size  for  framing,  will  be  issued  to 
each  "student"  who  has  consistently  sent  in 
acceptable  answers. 

I  therefore  ask  that  each  present  Bluebook 
School  "student"  transmit,  on  a  separate  sheet 
of  paper,  with  his  next  answer,  the  date  (ques- 
tion number  will  do)  of  his  entry  in  the 
"school." 


60 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,     193  6 


Contact!  Caumont-British  Flies 
All  Its  Newsreels  to  First-Runs 

Code  Telegrams  to  United  Kingdom  Exhibitors  Flash  Time  on  Arrival 


Twice  weekly  Gaumont-British  fleet 
planes  take  off  from  Heston  Airport,  Lon- 
don, carrying  the  company's  newsreel  by 
three  air  routes  to  first-run  exhibitors  of  the 
United  Kingdom  as  delivery  telegrams  flash 
to  subscribers  key  letters  denoting  exact 
time  of  arrival. 

Thirty  minutes  later  the  pilot  on  Route 
3  lands  his  ship  at  Portsmouth,  sets  out  films 
for  theatres  in  Southampton,  Cosport, 
Southsea  and  Gosham,  wings  on  to  land- 
ing fields  at  Bournemouth,  Bristol,  Cardiff, 
Torquay  and  Plymouth.  Plane  No.  2, 
covering  the  most  mileage,  flutters  to  its 
hangar  in  Glasgow,  last  of  nine  stops,  3 
hours  and  50  minutes  out  of  London.  Flight 
1  serves  53  towns  'round  about  Birmingham, 
Leicester,  Nottingham,  Sheffield,  Doncaster, 
Manchester,  Liverpool,  Chester,  Stoke, 
Blackpool  and  Lancaster  in  a  total  lapsed 
time  of  2  hours  and  45  minutes. 

Planes  leave  London  on  time  schedules 
lettered  A  to  K.  The  letters  correspond  to 
the  hours  from  9  a.m.  to  5  p.m.,  takeoffs 
being  determined  by  shipping  availability  of 
the  semi-weekly  releases  (which  the  British, 
with  equal  authority,  describe  as  bi-weekly). 
All  regular  editions  are  handled  in  this  man- 
ner. A  convenient  time  table,  a  portion  of 
which  is  reproduced  herewith,  tells  ex- 
hibitors— who  quickly  learn  the  hours  the 
key  letters  stand  for — precisely  when  he  may 
expect  his  newsreel,  conditions  being  ordi- 
nary. For  this  is  ordinary  service.  The 
planes  are  not  idle  between  editions. 

The  Gaumont-British  News  breaks  down 
the  United  Kingdom  into  six  zones.  It 
masquerades  as  the  Gaumont-Irish  News  in 
a  seventh.  Events  of  sufficient  sectional  in- 
terest are  filmed  for  newsreel  supplements 
and  flown  to  theatres  in  the  affected  areas 
for  addition  to  the  generally  distributed  foot- 
age. Events  of  national  importance  break- 
ing between  normal  deadlines  call  for  special 
squadron  flights.  In  these  cases  delivery 
telegrams  notifying  of  dispatch  and  arrival 
times  also  describe  the  new  material,  en- 
abling exhibitors  to  advertise  it  if  they  will. 
Some  of  them  do.  Gaumont-British  awards 
prizes  for  superior  exploitation  of  its  news- 
reel,  also — such  is  Albion — for  superior 
projection. 

Does  all  this  pay? 

Jeffery  Bernerd,  in  charge  of  all  G-B 
production,  says  it  does. 

The  company  claim  as  to  distribution 
is  the  servicing  of  1,5  00  theatres  out  of  a 
possible  4,000,  not  counting  the  kinemas 
{their  word  for  them)  of  the  Gaumont- 
British  circuit  itself.  Minimum  first-run 
rental  is  $50  throughout  the  United  King- 
dom, $75  in  the  West  End  section  of 
London.  The  multiplication  table  operates 
in  the  same  way,  gives  the  same  total  re- 
sult, on  either  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

Regular  editions  of  the  newsreel  come  in 
900  feet  (10  minutes)  and  contain  15  sub- 


Sample  of  CB  News  Air  Time  Table: 
Route  No.  2  — London  to  Glasgow 


A 

B 

C 

AERODROME 

TELEPHONE 

LONDON  dep 

9.00  a.m. 

10.00  a.m. 

1  1.00  a.m. 

HESTON  AIRPORT 

HOUNSLOW  4174 

LEEDS 

10.35  a.m. 

1 1.35  a.m. 

12.35  p.m. 

YEADON 

ROWDEN  134  and  165 

HALIFAX 

BRADFORD 

BARNSLEY 

HUDDERSFIELD 

HARROCATE 

SALTAIRE 

10.35  a.m. 
10.35  a.m. 
10.35  a.m. 
10.35  a.m. 
10.35  a.m. 
10.35  a.m. 

11. 35  a.m. 
11.35  a.m. 
11.35  a.m. 
11.35  a.m. 
11.35  a.m. 
1  1.35  a.m. 

12.35  p.m. 
12.35  p.m. 
12.35  p.m. 
12.35  p.m. 
12.35  p.m. 
12.35  p.m. 

GRIMSBY 

1  1.25  a.m. 

12.25  p.m. 

1.25  p.m. 

THE  AIRPORT 

WALTHAM  1 

HULL 

1 1.45  a.m. 

12.45  p.m. 

1.45  p.m. 

HEDON 

HULL  CENTRAL  34560 

YORK 

.    12.15  p.m. 

1.15p.m. 

2.15  p.m. 

UNDER  CONSTRUCTION 

NEWCASTLE 

1  1.25  a.m. 

12.25  p.m. 

1.25  p.m. 

WOOLS  INCTON 

NEWCASTLE  69217 

NORTH  SHIELDS 
SUNDERLAND 

11.25  a.m. 
11.25  a.m. 

12.25  p.m. 
12.25  p.m. 

1.25  p.m. 
1.25  p.m. 

MIDDLESBROUGH 

11.55  a.m. 

12.55  p.m. 

1.55  p.m. 

THORNABY 

STOCKTON  66182 

STOCKTON 

HARTLEPOOL 

DARLINGTON 

lT.55a.m. 
1 1.55  a.m! 
1  1.55  a.m. 

12.55  p.m. 
12.55  p.m. 
12.55  p.m. 

1.55  p.m. 
1.55  p.m. 
1.55  p.m. 

EDINBURGH 

12.20  p.m. 

1.20  p.m. 

2.20  p.m. 

TRANENT  (MACMERRY) 

TRANENT  84 

LEITH 

12.20  p.m. 

.1.20  p.m. 

2.20  p.m. 

PERTH 

12.40  p.m. 

1.40  p.m. 

2.40  p.m. 

SCONE 

SCONE  212 

DUNDEE 
ABERDEEN 

12.40  p.m. 
12.40  p.m. 

1.40  p.m. 
1.40  p.m. 

2.40  p.m. 
2.40  p.m. 

.GLASGOW 

12.50  p.m. 
12.50  p.m. 

1.50  p.m. 
1.50  p.m. 

2.50  p.m. 
2.50  p.m. 

RENFREW 

RENFREW  191 

jects  on  an  average.  More  feet  and  fewer 
subjects  are  provided  when  King  Edward 
VIII  dedicates  a  bridge  or  something  like 
that.  But  you  needn't  take  the  regular  edi- 
tion, if  you're  a  small  operator,  because  the 
company  turns  out  a  500-foot  edition  (they 
wouldn't  say  tabloid)  for  your  special  bene- 
fit. Big  or  little,  you  have  five  weeks  in 
which  to  exhibit  the  reel  before  it  is  with- 
drawn, and  if  you  don't  want  it  at  all,  long 
or  short,  there  are  four  competitor  reels  to 
choose  from. 

Competition  in  England  is  not  quite  what 
it  is  in  the  United  States.  The  pooling  sys- 
tem of  news  coverage,  discussed  on  this  side 
prior  to  the  national  political  conventions 
and  dismissed  as  impracticable  just  now,  is 
in  effect  in  England.  Newsreels  take  ap- 
pointed turn  in  covering  events  unsusceptible 
to  "scoop"  technique  and  prints  are  dis- 
tributed among  them  impartially. 

How  fast  does  the  system  function?  The 
company  cites  two  favorite  examples : 

Best,  perhaps,  is  that  of  the  Queen  Mary 
and  the  English  Derby.  The  boat  left 
Southampton  at  noon  of  the  day  on  which 
the  race  was  run  at  3  o'clock  at  Epsom 
Downs.  The  company  developed,  printed 
and  titled  the  film  in  its  own  laboratory,  dis- 
patched it  by  plane  to  Cherbourg  in  time 
to  catch  the  Queen  Mary  as  it  touched  there 
and  give  the  merry  passengers  a  screening 
of  the  race  at  10  o'clock  that  evening.  Nice 
— eh,  what? 

Not  so  good,  on  points,  is  the  case  of  the 
Derby-winner  picked  by  Carleton  Knight, 
while  substituting  for  Mr.  Bernerd  during 


his  stay  in  this  country.  Mr.  Knight  saw 
the  newsfilm  showing  Mahmout  left  at  the 
post  in  the  Two  Thousand  Guineas  race 
and  coming  on  to  finish  second  by  a  neck. 
He  included  the  shots  in  a  pre-Derby  release 
and  tipped  (touted  is  a  fine  old  Anglo-Saxon 
word)  the  horse  to  win,  which  it  did  at  12 
to  1,  establishing  a  first  for  that  sort  of  thing 
in  newsreel  history.  The  planes  had  noth- 
ing to  do  with  that,  turning  out  as  it  did,  but 
would  have  been  mighty  convenient  for  Mr. 
Knight  if  Mahmout  had  let  him  down. 

Thomas  Campbell  Black,  aviation  man- 
ager of  Gaumont-British  News,  won  the 
Mansfield  Trophy  in  1929  and  1930  for  the 
most  meritorious  flights  in  East  Africa,  re- 
ceived the  Royal  Aeronautical  Society 
Silver  Medal  and  the  Royal  Aero  Club  Gold 
Medal,  not  to  mention  various  cups  and 
decorations  tending  to  indicate  that  he  i/ught 
to  know  how  to  get  a  picture  punctually  to 
the  Empire  Kinema  at  Barrow-in-Furness. 
The  sales  manager,  Squadron  Leader 
Richard  G.  Shaw,  won  the  Distinguished 
Flying  Cross  during  the  last  war  and  can 
write  A.A.F.  (Auxiliary  Air  Force)  after 
his  name  when  he  signs  a  letter.  He's  the 
gentleman  exhibitors  complain  to  if  some- 
thing goes  wrong  with  the  gas  line  of  the 
plane  on  Flight  1  between  Leicester  and 
Nottingham. 

The  use  of  planes  for  newsreel  delivery 
is  not  precedential  of  course.  American 
newsreels  use  the  airlines  frequently,  but 
maintenance  of  a  plane  squadron  in  this 
country  would  involve  considerations  made 
up  in  more  or  less  equal  parts  of  overhead 
(no  pun)  and  distance. 


July    4,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


61 


lie  II 


3.  C.  Jenkins—His  CcLyuM 


Butler,  Missouri 

Dear  Herald: 

If  you  should  ever  want  to  see  Missouri 
(and  everybody  ought  to  see  her)  you 
should  do  it  on  rubber  tires  as  we  have  and 
not  try  to  hitch-hike  as  we  saw  a  few  doing. 
We  started  in  the  state  at  the  southwest 
corner  and  went  to  the  northeast  corner. 
We  traveled  the  Ozarks  for  two  days  and, 
we  also  traveled  the  northern  and  central 
parts  and  are  now  in  the  middle  western 
part  and  are  still  running  at  large,  which 
would  indicate  that  the  officers  are  a  little 
slack  in  their  duties. 

Washington  is  what  one  might  call  a 
solid  town.  It  is  solid  in  several  ways.  It 
is  located  on  solid  ground  on  the  south  bank 
of  the  Missouri  river  and  the  buildings  are 
almost  entirely  build  of  brick.  The  business 
houses  are  of  brick,  the  residences  are 
mostly  of  brick,  and  it  impressed  us  as  a 
brick  town  of  something  like  six  thousand 
Missourians,  not  counting  the  mules,  al- 
though we  didn't  see  any  mules.  It  looked 
like  a  good  town  to  us  and  no  doubt  does 
to  the  Washington  folks. 

V 

We  called  at  Warrenton  and  had  a  very 
nice  visit  with  W.  T.  Zimmerman,  who 
operates  the  Vita  theatre.  We  could  not 
remember  having  ever  been  in  the  town 
be-fore  but  Mr.  Zimmerman  recollected  that 
we  had  called  on  him  sometime  back.  He 
was  busy  putting  in  a  washed  air  cooling 
system  in  his  theatre  and  making  other 
improvements  for  the  comfort  of  his  cus- 
tomers, although  we  thought  he  had  al- 
ready provided  for  that,  as  he  had  a  very 
fine  theatre,  but  his  theory  seemed  to  be 
that  nothing  was  too  good  for  his  patrons. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  is  a  very  strong  booster 
for  the  HERALD  and  he  expressed  the 
opinion  that  nobody  could  very  well  oper- 
ate a  theatre  as  if  should  be  operated 
without  it.  We  have  found  a  lot  more  of 
the  boys  who  hold  to  that  same  view. 
Warrenton  is  undoubtedly  a  good  show 
town,  as  it  has  several  factories  which  em- 
ploy quite  a  number  of  men,  in  addition 
to  the  agricultural  feature.  Our  guess  is 
that  he  will  do  a  very  good  business. 
V- 

Bowling  Green  isn't  the  Bowling  Green 
mentioned  in  our  history  of  the  eastern 
states,  but  it  is  the  Bowling  Green  of  Mis- 
souri and  it  has  a  theatre  operated  by  T. 
J.  Bankhead,  and  T.  J.  was  putting  in  a 
cooling  system  when  we  called.  T.  J.  Bank- 
head  and  W.  T.  Zimmerman  were  two  the- 
atremen  we  found  working,  strange  as  that 
may  sound  to  you,  but  it  is  a  fact.  Our  im- 
pression is  that  when  T.  J.  gets  through  re- 
modeling his  theatre  Bowling  Green  will 
have  a  playhouse  to  be  proud  of. 

V 

Jevver  cross  the  Mississippi  River  at 
Louisiana,  Missouri  ?  Well,  when  you  get  to 
Louisiana  don't  cross,  but  stop  at  the  Clark 
theatre  and  visit  Russel  Armentrout,  for 
you  will  find  a  theatre  and  a  manager  that 


you  will  want  to  write  home  about.  Not 
only  that  but  you  will  find  Russel  about  the 
swellest  guy  you  ever  met  and  you  will  see 
a  picture  in  his  theatre  that  will  be  the  best 
that  Hollywood  can  put  out,  and  then  maybe 
Russsel  will  go  catfishing  with  you,  too. 
He  didn't  go  catfishing  with  us,  but  he  did 
go  down  to  the  bank  and  identified  us,  or 
otherwise  we  might  have  had  to  walk  part  of 
the  way  home. 

V 

We  never  expect  to  visit  this  state  again 
without  coming  to  this  town  of  Butler, 
and  when  we  get  here  we  will  most  surely 
visit  the  Fisk  theatre,  for  it  is  a  theatre  one 
should  never  miss  and  one  that  Missouri 
should  be  proud  of.  Charles  L.  Fisk,  who 
manages  it  and  Mrs.  Fisk,  who  presides  at  the 
box  office,  are  two  very  delightful  folks  that 
make  one  feel  right  at  home  and  glad  that 
he  is  connected  with  the  business.  Mr. 
Fisk  is  an  oldtime  theatrical  trouper  and 
has  been  on  the  stage  with  many  of  the 
famous  stars  in  bygone  days.  He  told  us 
that  he  is  contemplating  building  another 
theatre  in  Butler  and  this  would  indicate 
that  business  was  sufficient  to  warrant  it. 

V 

Mrs.  Rolla  Booth  operates  the  Booth 
opera  house  at  Rich  Hill.  We  didn't  get 
to  see  Mrs.  Booth  but  we  did  meet  and  had 
a  very  nice  visit  with  her  son,  who  is  her 
assistant.  Mrs.  Booth  is  the  oldest  opera- 
tor, in  point  of  service,  there  is  in  Missouri. 
She  owned  and  operated  the  first  theatre 
in  the  state  at  Rich  Hill  and  has  continued 
In  the  theatre  business  there  ever  since. 
She  opened  her  theatre  there  in  1908,  and 
if  any  others  can  beat  that  we'd  like  to  hear 
from  them.  Her  theatre  is  one  of  the  shin- 
ing spots  of  the  state. 

V 

La  Plata  is  another  town  in  Missouri 
you  shouldn't  miss,  not  that  it  is  such  a  very 
big  town,  but  because  of  the  very  nice  the- 
atre there  that  is  operated  by  G.  Green. 
We  found  Mr.  Green  in  the  dentist's  chair 
with  the  dentist  working  over  him  with  a 
pair  of  tongs  and  a  sledge-hammer  trying  to 
locate  which  tooth  ought  to  be  extracted. 
We  had  a  dentist  work  on  our  jaw  once 
until  he  yanked  'em  all  out  before  he  found 
the  one  that  ought  to  be  extracted.  Since 
then  we  haven't  cared  very  much  how  many 
of  them  they  sent  to  the  penitentiary.  We 
hope  Green  lives.  Mrs.  Green  took  us  down 
and  showed  us  their  theatre,  which,  by  the 
way,  is  a  very  nice  theatre  for  a  town  the 
size  of  La  Plata.  We  had  a  very  lovely 
visit  with  them  and  we  wish  them  good  luck 
and  hope  to  see  them  again  some  time. 

V 

We  found  a  theatre  named  "Pal."  Jevver 
hear  of  a  theatre  by  that  name  before  ?  Over 
at  Viborg,  South  Dakota,  we  found  a  theatre 
named  "Glud."  Well,  the  Pal  theatre  is 
located  at  Palmyra  and  is  operated  by  James 
H.  Wesley.  Mr.  Wesley  is  going  to  make 
some  very  important  improvements  in  his 
theatre,  and  by  the  way  these  Missouri,  boys 


are  improving  their  theatres  one  is  led  to 
the  conclusion  that  either  business  is  good 
or  they  have  a  hopeful  outlook  for  the 
future. 

V 

We  wish  we  could  remember  the  name 
of  the  man  who  operates  the  Civic  theatre 
at  Brookfield,  but  remembering  names  is 
one  of  the  thousands  of  things  we  can't  do, 
and  we  failed  to  set  his  name  down  in  our 
address  book.  The  time  we  met  him  before 
he  was  operating  a  theatre  in  Monett,  Mis- 
souri, and  Monett  is  down  where  they  grow 
strawberries,  and  other  good  things.  Meet- 
ing him  was  just  like  meeting  our  long  lost 
Uncle  from  South  Africa,  although  we  never 
had  an  Uncle  in  South  Africa.  We  wish 
that  all  theatres  were  managed  by  as  swell 
managers  as  he  is.  Doggone  this  thing  of 
not  being  able  to  remember  names  anyhow. 

V 

Kansas  City,  Missouri 

Dear  Herald: 

This  town  has  something  like  350,000 
folks,  mostly  Missourians.  The  village  was 
built  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Kaw  river  and 
the  south  bank  of  the  Missouri  creek. 
Both  streams  are  well  stocked  with  catfish 
and  that  made  it  an  ideal  place  for  a  town. 
Kansas  City,  Kansas,  is  located  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Kaw  river  and  the  river 
divides  the  two  towns,  which  made  it  neces- 
sary to  build  a  bridge  across  the  Kaw  so 
the  folks  on  the  east  side  could  get  over 
there  to  do  their  trading. 

Kansas  City,  Kansas,  has  something  like 
150,000  people,  mostly  Jayhawkers,  and 
both  towns  wave  the  Stars  and  Stripes  on 
July  4th  while  the  small  boys  are  shooting 
firecrackers  in  the  alleys. 

If  they  had  built  Kansas  City,  Missouri, 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Kaw,  just  see  what 
a  town  it  would  have  been,  but  Missouri 
might  not  have  liked  that,  and  maybe  Kan- 
sas would  have  kicked  about  it,  too.  Well, 
anyhow,,  they  are  both  good  towns  and  it 
was  none  of  our  business  where  they  located 
'em,  so  we  will  take  it  all  back. 

We  drove  into  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  to 
meet  some  old  friends  we  used  to  know,  and 
while  they  pretended  to  be  glad  that  we 
called,  we  wonder  if  they  were  not  glad 
when  we  left,  although  we  didn't  touch  'em 
for  anything. 

Frank  Hensler,  manager  of  M-G-M,  used 
to  manage  the  Omaha  office,  and  we  had 
a  habit  of  making  Frank's  office  our  head- 
quarters when  in  Omaha  and  when  the 
authorities  weren't  looking.  Frank  seemed 
about  the  same  as  of  old  and  he  seemed  glad 
we  called  on  him.  He  offered  to  go  our 
bail,  should  we  require  any,  and  we  pre- 
sume he  would  have  furnished  us  with  beans 
and  sowbelly  if  we  would  have  mentioned 
it,  but  we  didn't,  although  we  hadn't  had 
anything  to  eat  since  day  after  tomorrow. 
We  also  met  John  A.  Muchmore,  office 
manager  and  general  adviser  of  Frank,  who 
impressed  us  as  a  pretty  fine  boy,  although 
we  had  never  met  him  before.  Our  foggy 
judgment  inclines  us  to  the  belief  that 
MGM  couldn't  have  made  a  better  selection 

{Continued  on  following  page) 


62 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,  1936 


J.  C.  JENKINS  AND  HIS  COLYUM 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 
for  their  Kansas  City  office  than  these  two 
boys,  but  we  wish  Frank  would  come  back 
to  Omaha. 

Then  we  met  two  others,  C.  A.  Schultz 
and  O.  K.  Mason,  owners  of  the  Common- 
wealth Theatre  Corp.,  with  theatres  in  Kan- 
sas, Missouri  and  Iowa  (twenty-eight  in 
all)  and  neither  of  them  showed  us  any  vio- 
lence when  we  called.  C.  A.  spent  a  part  of 
his  early  life  in  Omaha  and  the  record 
shows  that  he  knew  the  address  of  every  red- 
headed girl  in  town,  although  we  doubt 
that.  Anyhow,  he's  a  mighty  square  boy 
and  a  theatrical  man  of  wide  experience, 
and  we  had  a  very  delightful  visit  with  him. 

O.  K.  Mason,  the  other  head  of  Common- 
Wealth,  got  his  early  theatrical  experience  in 
our  town.  His  grandparents  used  to  live  across 
the  street  from  us  and  O.  K.  often  came  there 
to  visit  Grandpa  and  Grandma,  while  on 
one  of  his  visits  he  staged  a  theatrical  per- 
formance in  the  hayloft  of  our  barn.  He, 
with  his  cousin,  Vern  McPherson,  who  is 
now  a  dentist  with  a  wide  reputation  in  our 
town,  and  some  other  small  boys,  put  on 
"Uncle  Tom's  Cabin"  and  O.  K.  played 
one  of  the  principal  parts,  but  theatrical 
history  doesn't  disclose  whether  he  played 
Simon  Legree  or  Little  Eva.  Anyhow,  the 
performance  gave  universal  satisfaction 
and  the  net  results  at  the  box  office  was 
seven  beans,  six  washers,  two  marbles  and 
a  ball  of  twine. 

It  was  this  theatrical  performance  that 
shaped  the  life  of  O.  K.  He  was  bitten  by 
a  theatrical  bug,  although  we  didn't  know 
there  were  any  such  bugs  around  the  barn. 
We  knew  we  had  plenty  of  other  bugs,  rats, 
cockroaches  and  fleas,  but  we  didn't  know 
there  was  a  theatrical  bug  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. Vern  was  bitten  by  a  dentist  bug, 
our  son  Merl  was  bitten  by  a  telegraphic  bug 
and  is  now  an  agent  and  telegrapher  for  the 
Burlington  railroad  at  Powder  River, 
Wyoming.  Fred  Sellery  got  tangled  with 
a  merchant's  bug  and  is  now  selling  overalls 
and  socks  in  our  town,  and  the  fleas  got  on 
very  unfriendly  relations  with  us. 

The  bug  that  bit  O.  K.  certainly  got  a 
good  hold,  for  he  has  developed  into  one 
of  the  very  prominent  theatrical  magnets 
of  Kansas  and  Missouri,  and  the  only 
remedy  to  cure  the  bite  is  a  fishing  trip  to 
the  lakes  of  northern  Minnesota.  In  fact, 
that  will  cure  about  everything. 

Doggone  the  doggone  luck  anyhow,  we 
wish  these  boys  would  come  back  to  Omaha 
where  they  belong,  but  then  what  would 
Missouri  do? 

Oh,  yes,  we  forgot  to  tell  you  about  O.  K. 
and  Vern  practicing  shooting  at  a  knothole 
in  Vern's  father's  barn  with  a  twenty-two 
rifle,  and  when  they  quit  Vern's  father 
found  that  they  had  shot  out  the  glass  in 
fourteen  storm  windows,  and  after  that 
Vern  didn't  have  any  twenty-two,  but 
maybe  we  shouldn't  have  mentioned  that. 

V 

We  didn't  stop  at  St.  Jo,  because  the 
boys  down  there  all  take  the  Herald  and 
they  don't  like  us  very  much  anyhow,  but 
they  are  strong  for  the  Herald. 

Our  next  stop  was  at  Savannah,  where 
we  wanted  to  meet  our  old  friend,  M.  B. 


Presley,  who  manages  the  Savannah  the- 
atre, but  he  had  gone  to  St.  Joe.  That  was 
just  too  bad  for  both  of  us. 

V 

Our  next  stop  was  at  Mound  City,  where 
we  met  Mr.  Yost,  who  manages  Mound 
City's  popular  playhouse.  He  wanted  us 
to  stay  over  and  go  down  to  his  fishing 
lodge  on  the  Missouri  river  with  him,  but 
of  course  we  couldn't  do  it.  We  wish  the 
boys  would  stop  asking  us  to  stay  over  and 
go  fishing  with  them,  when  we  can't  do  it, 
for  it  just  makes  life  one  damthing  after 
another. 

V 

Two  theatre  boys  wanted  the  Herald 
and  sent  us  their  checks  and  asked  us  to 
attend  to  the  matter  for  them — Joe  Lucas  of 
Central  City,  Nebraska,  and  Ray  Hingst  of 
Emmerson,  Nebraska.  All  right,  boys — 
thanks — your  checks  have  already  gone  in 
to  the  Herald  at  Rockefeller  Center,  New 
York  City.  Who's  next? 

V 

Omaha,  Nebraska 

If  you  ever  go  to  Omaha  (and  everybody 
ought  to  go  there)  we  would  advise  you 
to  go  up  to  the  Fontenelle  hotel  and  visit 
the  rooms  of  the  Variety  Club.  If  you  will, 
you  will  be  surprised  at  the  elegant  furnish- 
ings of  this  room.  We  say  "room" — we 
mean  several  rooms,  and  those  boys  will 
make  you  feel  right  at  home. 

As  we  understand  it,  everyone  connected 
with  the  theatre  business  is  welcome  to 
make  these  rooms  their  headquarters  while 
in  Omaha.  We've  got  to  hand  it  to  those 
exchange  managers,  film  hounds  and  exhibi- 
tors of  Omaha,  for  these  elegant  rooms  and 
their  courtesy  in  extending  their  hospitality 
to  all  visitors.  As  we  remember  it  now,  the 
opening  date  of  the  Variety  Club  is  set  for 
June  27  and  it  is  expected  that  a  large  gath- 
ering of  theatre  men  will  attend  and  the 
members  of  the  Club  are  arranging  an 
elaborate  program  of  entertainment  for  the 
boys  which  will  make  all  other  entertain- 
ments seem  like  a  high  school  exhibition  in 
comparison.  Wish  we  could  attend  but  we 
can't.  Doggone  the  doggone  luck  anyhow. 

COLONEL  J.  C.  JENKINS 
The  HERALD's  Vagabond  Colyumnist 

The  Herald  Covers  the  Field  Like  an 
April  Shower. 


Writers  Elect  Officers 

The  directors  of  Screen  Playwrights,  Inc., 
in  an  election  held  this  week  in  Hollywood 
named  Grover  Jones,  president ;  William 
Slavens  McNutt,  first  vice-president;  Bess 
Meredyth,  second  vice-president;  Frank 
Buter,  treasurer,  and  William  Conselman, 
secretary. 


Elected  to  Council 

Herman  H.  Hable,  owner  of  the  Palace 
Theatre,  Winchester,  Va.,  has  been  re- 
elected to  the  City  Council  of  Winchester. 
The  theatre  man  is  the  oldest  member  of  the 
legislative  body  in  point  of  service,  having 
been  in  office  since  1916. 


Income  Tax  Lien 
Ties  Fox  Assets; 
Trustee  Is  Named 

The  troubles  of  William  Fox,  former  mo- 
tion picture  producer,  who  faced  an  army 
of  skeptical  creditors  last  week  as  his  pro- 
ceedings in  bankruptcy  opened  in  Atlantic 
City,  reached  an  anti-climax  this  week  when 
the  Federal  Government  took  steps  to  assert 
its  priority  over  other  creditors. 

Joseph  T.  Higgins,  Collector  of  Internal 
Revenue  for  the  Third  District,  tied  up  all 
but  about  $600,000  of  Mr.  Fox's  listed  assets 
by  filing  a  lien  against  him  in  federal  court 
in  New  York  for  $1,361,730.  The  claim  is 
for  unpaid  income  tax  of  $300,808  for  1929 
and  1930  and  for  penalties  and  interest  to- 
talling $1,060,922. 

Previously  this  week  the  appointment  of 
Hiram  Steelman,  Atlantic  City  attorney,  as 
trustee  for  Mr.  Fox  in  the  proceedings  was 
announced  by  Federal  Referee  Robert  E. 
Steedle  who  presided  at  the  preliminary 
hearings.  In  making  the  appointment  Mr. 
Steedle  pointed  out  that  every  claim  filed, 
except  one  not  represented  at  the  meeting, 
was  disputed  by  some  other  creditor.  He 
concluded  that  weeks  and  weeks  of  testimony 
would  have  to  be  taken  before  the  validity  of 
the  43  claims  could  be  passed  upon  and  that 
a  trustee,  therefore,  should  be  appointed  be- 
fore the  conclusion  of  the  hearings. 

The  Government's  claim,  if  valid  as  con- 
tended by  the  Treasury  Department,  further 
complicates  the  situation  because  it  must 
have  priority  in  the  bankruptcy  court  over 
the  general  creditors  who  ask  more  than 
$8,000,000.  The  lien  temporarily  ties  up 
virtually  all  of  Mr.  Fox's  listed  assets  and 
the  receiver  may  not  distribute  them  to  any 
person  or  corporation  other  than  the  Gov- 
ernment without  approval  of  the  court. 

Mr.  Fox  received  $15,000,000  in  cash  from 
the  Chase  National  Bank  in  1930  for  his 
personal  holdings  in  the  Fox  Film  Com- 
panies and  it  is  charged  that  in  December, 
1930,  he  transferred  $6,000,000  and  later 
$850,000  to  the  All-Continent  Corporation 
of  which  Mrs.  Fox  and  their  daughters, 
Mona  and  Belle,  are  officers.  All-Continent 
is  listed  in  Mr.  Fox's  bankruptcy  petition  as 
claimant  for  $417,258. 

The  petition  lists  assets  of  about  $2,000,- 
000  and  liabilities  of  $9,535,261  including 
amounts  sought  in  a  group  of  suits  in  which 
he  is  defendant.  The  hearings  before  the 
referee  are  scheduled  to  resume  on  July  10. 


Newsreel  Men  Get  Plaques 

A  plaque  for  his  scenes  on  the  Pennsyl- 
vania floods  was  awarded  W.  C.  Thomas  of 
Pittsburgh,  Pathe  News  cameraman,  at  the 
National  Headliners  dinner  held  in  Atlan- 
tic City,  N.  J.,  last  week  end.  John  Dored 
of  Paramount  received  an  award  for  the 
best  foreign  coverage  for  his  scenes  of  Ad- 
dis Ababa. 


July    4,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


63 


111 


WHAT  THE  PICTURE 
DIE)  EC  I  ME 


Atlantic 


BIG  HOUSE  FOR  GIRLS,  THE,  or  SILVER  LIN- 
ING, THE:  Maureen  O'Sullivan,  Betty  Compson— 
This  is  one  of  those  pictures  which  are  a  puzzle  to 
the  exhibitor:  pictures  which  are  very  bad  entertain- 
ment but  are  nevertheless  pleasing  to  the  patrons  and 
strong  at  the  box-office.  Several  seasons  ago  when 
this  picture  from  an  independent  source  was  released 
by  United  Artists  under  the  title  "The  Silver  Lining" 
it  was  hailed  at  being  above  the  average  for  an  in- 
dependent picture,  and  it  was  all  that.  Since  its  in- 
ception, however,  production  standards  of  most  inde- 
pendent producers  have  become  considerably  higher, 
and  this  picture  therefore  shows  its  age.  It  is  weak 
in  every  department.  The  lighting  is  poor  and  the 
sound  is,  to  say  the  least,  ghastly.  Constant  atten- 
tion is  required  to  keep  it  at  an  audible  level  and 
then  it  sounds  as  though  coming  from  a  barrel.  The 
story  is  of  New  York  tenement  life,  yet  the  introduc- 
tory theme  music  combines  "Turkey  in  the  Straw" 
and  similar  tunes.  Despite  all  these  shortcomings, 
it  was  a  box  office  success,  so-oo-oo. — J.  W.  Noah, 
New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Fort  Worth,  Texas. 
General  patronage. 


Columbia 


CATTLE  THIEF,  THE:  Ken  Maynard,  Geneva 
Mitchell — A  typical  Maynard  western.  Among  the 
western  stars  we  have  found  only  three  dependable 
names,  Gene  Autry,  Buck  Jones  and  Ken  Maynard 
who  are  listed  in  their  respective  drawing  power. — 
J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Fort 
Worth,  Texas.    General  patronage. 

DON'T  GAMBLE  WITH  LOVE:  Ann  Sothern, 
Bruce  Cabot — Another  program  picture  which  is  best 
described  as  not  being  particularly  good  or  bad.  Just 
a  harmless  time  killer  that  we  played  on  a  double  bill 
to  satisfactory  business. — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty 
and  Ideal  Theatres,  Fort  Worth,  Texas.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

HELL  SHIP  MORGAN:  George  Bancroft,  Ann 
Sothern — Only  fair  story.  Gets  monotonous  when  you 
realize  you've  seen  it  all  before.  Its  the  same  old 
story  of  two  men  in  love  with  one  girl  with  the  usual 
sacrifice  that  provides  the  so-called  happy  ending. 
Cast  tries  hard  to  inject  new  life.  Played  June  9. — 
L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General 
patronage. 

IF  YOU  COULD  ONLY  COOK:  Jean  Arthur,  Her- 
bert Marshall — Played  this  late  due  to  postponement 
during  the  March  floods  but  glad  we  left  it  in.  Its 
good  entertainment  and  was  average  on  box  office 
strength.  Played  June  16.— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  The- 
atre, Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

IF  YOU  COULD  ONLY  COOK:  Jean  Arthur,  Her- 
bert Marshall — A  very  satisfactory  screen  offering, 
but  our  business  was  considerably  below  normal. 
Played  June  6— C.  W.  Mills,  Arcade  Theatre,  Sodus, 
N.  Y.    Family  patronage. 

LADY  OF  SECRETS:  Ruth  Chatterton,  Otto  Kru- 
ger,  Marian  Marsh,  Lloyd  Nolan— It  will  take  Colum- 
bia a  long  time  to  live  this  down,  and  Ruth  Chatter- 
tion  will  probably  never  fully  recover  from  it.  A  weak 
and  aged  story  has  been  listlessly  produced  with  a 
cast  which  is  unsuited  for  its  assignment.  In  a  flash- 
back portion  of  the  picture  the  star  is  shown  as  a 
girl  of  about  eighteen  years  of  age  all-a-twitter  over 
her  first  romance.  It  was  during  one  of  Miss  Chatter- 
ton's  cooing  moments  that  a  gallery  rascal  yelled 
"Chase  me,  I'm  a  butterfly."  That  gives  you  an 
idea.— T.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres, 
Fort  Worth,  Texas.    General  patronage. 

PANIC  ON  THE  AIR:  Lew  Ayres,  Florence  Rice— 
A  pleasing  program  picture  with  a  good  title.  Our 
patrons  thought  it  thrilling  and  came  in  above  average 
numbers.— J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Thea- 
tres. Fort  Worth,  Texas.    General  patronage. 

PRIDE  OF  THE  MARINES:  Charles  Bickford, 
Florence  Rice,  Billy  Barrud— Only  fair  story.  Gets 
by  on  merits  of  its  cast.  Billy  Barrud  helps  plenty. 
Flayed  June  12-13.— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre, 
Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

SECRET  PATROL:  Charles  Starrett,  Finis  Barton 
—This  action  picture  could  not  overcome  the  deficien- 
cy of  a  nameless  cast  which  made  it  poor  boxoffice. — 
J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Fort 
Worth,  Texas.    General  patronage. 


IN  this,  the  exhibitors'  own  de- 
partment, the  theatremen  of  the 
nation  serve  one  another  with 
information  on  the  box  office  per- 
formance of  product  for  their  mu- 
tual benefit.  It  is  a  service  of  the 
exhibitor  for  the  exhibitor.  Address 
all  communications  to— 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me 

MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 

Rockefeller  Center,  New  York 


very  well  principally  on  account  of  its  title.  We 
were  agreeably  surprised  at  the  ticket  office  and  heard 
no  complaints  whatever.  Play  this  one  and  you  can 
promise  a  picture  both  entertaining  and  instructive. 
Played  June  13-14. — O.  Ingmar  Oleson,  Sons  of  Nor- 
way Theatre,  Ambrose,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 


GB  Pictures 


CLAIRVOYANT,  THE:  Claude  Rains,  Fay  Wray- 
This  program  picture  has  neither  class  nor  mass  ap- 
peal. Its  subject,  psychic  research,  is  not  presented 
in  an  entertaining  manner  and  the  picture  is  further 
handicapped  by  a  weak  cast.  The  audience  response 
was  quite  poor. — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal 
Theatres,  Fort  Worth,  Texas.    General  patronage. 


Liberty 


First  National 


STORY  OF  LOUIS  PASTEUR,  THE:  Paul  Muni, 
Josephine  Hutchinson,  Anita  Louise — A  very  good 
picture  but  one  that  we  were  afraid  would  not  draw 


SWEEPSTAKE  ANNIE:  Tom  Brown,  Marian  Nix- 
on— A  show  that  holds  your  interest  after  the  first 
reel  is  over.  Slow  start  but  finishes  O.  K.  Good 
enough  for  any  house.  Running  time,  seven  reels. 
Played  June  12- 13.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kim- 
ball, S.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

Metro-Gold  wyn-Mayer 

ABSOLUTE  QUIET:  Irene  Hervey,  Lionel  Atwill— 
A  program  picture.  Lacks  drawing  power.  Running 
time,  71  minutes. — Mrs.  P.  J.  Zorn,  Hippodrome  The- 
atre, Julesburg,  Col.    Small  town  patronage. 

AH,  WILDERNESS!:  Wallace  Beery,  Lionel  Bar- 
rymore — A  very  good  comedy.  Running  time,  96  min- 
utes.—P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

GARDEN  MURDER  CASE,  THE:  Edmund  Lowe, 
Virginia  Bruce — Not  a  very  interesting  Philo  Vance 
yarn.  Gets  by  with  no  complaints  but  certainly  didn't 
gather  any  applause.  Average  business  for  this 
calibre  picture.  Played  June  10-11. — L.  A.  Irwin, 
Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

LAST  OF  THE  PAGANS:  Mala,  Lotus  Long- 
Here's  an  unusual  picture  that  pleased  most  of  the 
people.  The  players  seemed  to  have  been  acting  all 
their  lives  in  this  picture.  Of  course,  they  were  just 
acting  natural.  There  is  not  too  much  talking  and 
when  there  is  a  title  on  the  screen  you  don't  seem  to 
notice  it.  If  this  picture  is  played  up  as  something 
different  and  emphasize  the  wonderful  scenery  and 
photography  it  should  do  above  average  business. 
Running  time,  84  minutes.  Played  June  9-10. — Rex 
Flint,  Lake  Theatre,  Baker,  Mont.  Small  town  and 
rural  patronage. 

MOONLIGHT  MURDER:  Chester  Morris,  Madge 
Evans — A  fair  mystery.  Running  time,  68  minutes. — 
P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 

PETTICOAT  FEVER:  Robert  Montgomery,  Myrna 
Loy — Crackerjack  dialogue  put  across  by  a  nifty  cast. 
The  result  is  dandy  film  fun.  Better  draw  than  we 
expected  at  the  box  office.  Played  June  14-15. — L.  A. 
Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

RIFFRAFF:  Jean  Harlow,  Spencer  Tracy— Not 
much  of  a  Sunday  picture.  Seemed  to  leave  the  pat- 
rons with  a  depressed  feeling  owing  to  the  continuous 
quarreling  in  the  picture.    The  cast  is  very  good  and 


the  picture  well  acted  but  something  seems  wrong. 
Maybe  it's  the  story.  Some  of  the  patrons  like  it 
but  as  a  rule  they  thought  it  was  below  the  average. 
Running  time,  94  minutes.  Played  May  31 -June  1. — 
Rex  Flint,  Lake  Theatre,  Baker,  Mont.  Small  town 
and  rural  patronage. 

ROSE  MARIE:  Jeanette  MacDonald,  Nelson  Eddy— 
A  natural.  Well  liked  by  all.  They  compared  this 
picture  with  "Naughty  Marietta"  and  the  opinions 
were  about  equally  divided  as  to  which  picture  they 
liked  best.  Would  seem  like  it  would  draw  a  lot  of 
extra  business  but  it  wasn't  much  above  average  for 
us.  Everybody  that  saw  it  raved  over  the  song  "In- 
dian Love  Call."  Give  us  some  more  similar  to  this 
with  these  stars.  Running  time,  103  minutes.  Played 
May  28-30.— Rex  Flint,  Lake  Theatre,  Baker,  Mont. 
Small  town  and  rural  patronage. 

ROSE  MARIE:  Jeanette  MacDonald,  Nelson  Eddy 
— A  beautiful  picture.  The  singing  was  grand,  the 
scenery  wonderful  and  the  story  fine.  But  it  did  not 
do  any  business  for  us.  Maybe  it  was  because  we  did 
not  play  "Naughty  Marietta."  We'll  see  what  their 
next  one  does.  Running  time,  113  minutes.  Played 
June  7-8. — Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay 
Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 

TOUGH  GUY:  Jackie  Cooper,  Joseph  Calleia,  Rin 
Tin  Tin,  Jr. — Good  action  picture.  Suitable  for  Fri- 
day and  Saturday.  Running  time,  77  minutes. — P.  G. 
Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  General 
patronage. 

WHIPSAW:  Myrna  Loy,  Spencer  Tracy— Good  pro- 
gram picture  that  drew  a  little  extra  business  at  the 
box-office.  Running  time,  85  minutes. — P.  G.  Held, 
New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 


Paramount 


BIG  BROWN  EYES:  Joan  Bennett,  Cary  Grant— 
Another  of  the  programmers  which  fills  the  bill  to 
perfection.  If  we  could  have  programs  of  this  quality 
all  the  time,  our  people  would  be  thoroughly  satisfied. 
Running  time,  76  minutes.  Played  June  5-6. — Horn 
and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb. 
Small  town  patronage. 

COLLEGIATE:  Joe  Penner,  Jack  Oakie— Good  pro- 
gram picture  that  did  not  draw  at  the  box  office. 
Running  time,  92  minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand 
Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

DESERT  GOLD:  Larry  Crabbe,  Marsha  Hunt- 
Played  this  one  on  our  Bank  Nights.  Did  extra  busi- 
ness and  guess  should  give  the  picture  credit  for  it. 
But  producers  of  Western  should  make  a  better  price 
on  them  because  they  are  always  short  and  the  pro- 
gram has  to  be  built  up  with  extra  shorts,  which  in- 
creases the  cost  on  a  Western  program,  and  that  isn't 
right.  Running  time,  58  minutes.  Flayed  June  12-13. 
— Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs, 
Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 

DRIFT  FENCE:  Larry  Crabbe,  Katherine  De  Mille 
— Here's  a  real  surprise  western  that  should  go  over 
anywhere  that  they  like  them.  The  scenery  is  beauti- 
ful and  the  photography  perfect.  Why  don't  they  put 
as  good  camera  work  in  some  of  the  big  pictures? 
The  story  was  good  and  was  one  that  could  really 
happen.  The  characters  were  faithfully  portrayed  and 
true  to  life.  There  was  lots  of  comedy  and  kept 
moving  right  along.  Excellent.  Running  time,  58 
minutes.  Played  June  4-6. — Rex  Flint,  Lake  Theatre, 
Baker,  Mont.    Small  town  and  rural  patronage. 

KLONDIKE  ANNIE:  Mae  West,  Victor  McLaglen 
— Pretty  good  program  picture  that  did  fair  at  the 
box  office.  Running  time,  80  minutes. — P.  G.  Held, 
New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

MARY  BURNS,  FUGITIVE:  Sylvia  Sidney,  Mel- 
vyn  Douglas — Good  program  picture.  Running  time, 
65  minutes.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Gris- 
wold, Iowa.    General  patronage. 

MOON'S  OUR  HOME,  THE:  Margaret  Sullavan, 
Henry  Fonda — Another  excellent  Walter  Wanger  pro- 
duction. Since  this  producer  has  given  Paramount 
nearly  all  of  its  best  pictures  this  season  we  hope 
they  can  carry  on  as  well  when  he  leaves  their  ban- 
ner as  reported  in  the  trade  papers.  Excellent  work 
by  the  star  and  Henry  Fonda.  Played  June  12-13. — 
L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

ROSE  OF  THE  RANCHO:  Gladys  Swarthout,  John 
Boles — Fair  program  picture.  Running  time.  82  min- 
utes.—P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

13  HOURS  BY  AIR:  Fred  MacMurray,  Joan  Ben- 
nett— Very  thrilling  and  interesting  story,  well  played. 
This  is  one  of  those  ideal  program  pictures  which  al- 


64 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4 ,  1936 


ways  pleases  our  patrons.  Running  time,  77  minutes. 
Played  June  3-4. — Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Thea- 
tre, Hay  Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 

TRAIL  OF  THE  LONESOME  PINE,  THE:  Sylvia 
Sidney,  Henry  Fonda,  Fred  MacMurray — An  excellent 
picture.  Drew  extra  business.  Well  liked  by  every- 
one. Running  time,  106  minutes. — Mrs.  P.  J.  Zorn, 
Hippodrome  Theatre,  Julesburg,  Col.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 


Republic 

SINGING  COWBOY,  THE:  Gene  Autry,  Lois 
Wilde,  Smiley  Burnette — This  picture  recaptures  the 
mood  of  the  earlier  Autry  westerns  in  emphasizing 
music  and  novelty  situations.  It  received  a  perfect 
audience  response  and  withstood  the  onslaught  of  a 
heat  wave.  We  recently  had  the  pleasure  of  becom- 
ing personally  acquited  with  Autry,  whose  quiet,  un- 
assuming manner  makes  him  just  as  impressive  off 
screen  as  on. — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal 
Theatres,  Fort  Worth,  Texas.    General  patronage. 

RKO-Radio 

BECKY  SHARP:  Miriam  Hopkins,  Cedric  Hardwicke 
— O  Boy,  what  a  surprise!  First  biggest  walkout  on 
the  talkies;  get  rid  of  it  if  you  can.  We  thought  the 
color  very  good,  but  the  draggy  start  sent  'die  few  out 
that  we  did  get.  About  30%  left  after  the  first  three 
reels.  Running  time,  nine  reels.  Played  June  14. — 
Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small 
town  patronage. 

CHATTERBOX:  Anne  Shirley,  Philip  Holmes- 
Better  shelve  this  if  you  can.  Had  more  walkouts  on 
this  picture  than  any  in  months.  Might  stand  up  in 
a  double  bill  if  the  other  feature  was  very  strong. 
Running  time,  68  minutes.  Played  May  24-25. — Rex 
Flint,  Lake  Theatre,  Baker,  Mont.  Small  town  and 
rural  patronage. 

MURDER  ON  A  HONEYMOON:  James  Gleason, 
Edna  May  Oliver — This  team,  of  Gleason  and  Oliver 
are  sure  a  good  one  to  work  together;  they  are  im- 
plicated in  many  situations  that  one  likes  to  beat  the 
other  to  solve  the  murder  first;  however  they  both 
work  just  in  each  other's  hand  and  when  the  end 
comes  they  succeed  in  their  efforts  and  all  ends  well. 
Running  time,  eight  reels.  Played  June  9-10. — Rudolf 
Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S  D.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

SEVEN  KEYS  TO  BALDPATE:  Gene  Raymond, 
Margaret  Callahan — As  nice  a  little  mystery  picture 
as  anyone  could  want.  Played  it  on  our  Bargain 
Nights  and  received  many  favorable  comments.  A  lot 
of  good  comedy  and  a  plausible  story.  Acting  by  all 
very  well  done.  Running  time,  74  minutes.  Played 
May  26-27.— Rex  Flint,  Lake  Theatre,  Baker,  Mont. 
Small  town  and  rural  patronage. 

SILLY  BILLIES:  Wheeler  and  Woolsey— A  good 
comedy  drama  with  a  lot  of  hokum  in  it.  Every 
Wheeler  and  Woolsey  that  we  have  played  has  made 
a  little  money  for  us.  Running  time,  65  minutes. — F. 
G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

TWO  IN  THE  DARK:  Walter  Abel,  Margot  Gra- 
hame — Interesting.  Running  time,  76  minutes. — P.  G. 
Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  General 
patronage. 

TWO  IN  REVOLT:  Warrior,  Lightning,  John  Ar- 
ledge,  Louise  Latimer — Good  horse  and  dog  picture. 
Running  time,  64  minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand 
Theatre,   Griswold,   Iowa.    General  patronage. 

WE'RE  ONLY  HUMAN:  Preston  Foster,  Jane 
Wyatt — Another  good  programmer.  Was  well  received 
by  the  typical  Bargain  Night  crowd.  Story  moved 
right  along  and  was  well  acted  and  directed.  Not  a 
big  picture,  but  one  you  won't  be  ashamed  to  run. 
Some  spots  that  seem  to  be  impossible,  but  they  will 
let  that  go.  Running  time,  74  minutes.  Played  June 
2-3.— Rex  Flint,  Lake  Theatre,  Baker,  Mont.  Small 
town  and  rural  patronage. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox 

CAPTAIN  JANUARY:  Shirley  Temple,  Guy  Kibbee 
— A  generally  excellent  Temple  picture.  Too  bad  they 
didn't  include  more  atmospheric  shots  of  the  sea. 
Folks  kind  of  expected  "to  see  the  sea."  Played  June 
7-8. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H. 
General  patronage. 

CHARLIE  CHAN'S  SECRET:  Warner  Oland,  Ro- 
sina  Lawrence — This  gave  satisfaction  to  the  lovers 
of  mystery  drama.  Business  normal.  Played  June  13. 
— C.  W.  Mills,  Arcade  Theatre,  Sodus,  N.  Y.  Family 
patronage. 

COUNTRY  DOCTOR,  THE:  Dionne  Quintuplets, 
Jean  Hersholt,  Slim  Summerville — Here's  another  fine 
small  town  picture.  Didn't  do  so  much  business  as 
Rogers  or  Temple  pictures,  but  was  well  liked.  We 
spent  quite  a  lot  of  extra  money  advertising  this,  but 
didn't  seem  to  pay.  The  story  is  a  small  town  nat- 
ural and  Hersholt  surely  played  his  part  well.  The 
babies  were  fine  and  probably  the  best  acting  in  the 
picture  was  turned  in  by  Slim  Summerville.  Play 
him  up.  Running  time,  94  minutes.  Played  Tune  9- 
10.— Rex  Flint,  Lake  Theatre,  Baker,  Mont.  Small 
trtwn  and  rural  patronage.  ;-< 


COUNTRY  DOCTOR,  THE:  Dionne  Quintuplets, 
Jean  Hersholt — Were  forced  to  play  this  late  and  be- 
lieve lost  money  by  it  but  better  late  than  never. 
Believe  any  small  town  should  play  this  picture  if 
they  have  to  wait  a  year  or  two.  It  is  one  of  the 
greatest  human  interest  pictures  we  have  ever  played 
in  our  16  years  in  the  game.  The  birth  scene,  we 
believe,  to  be  as  fine  in  audience  appeal  as  was  ever 
shown  here.  It  is  so  natural.  And  the  Quints !  Where 
in  the  world  again  will  such  an  adorable  bunch  of 
youngsters  be  born.  Personally  just  seems  to  ooze 
right  out  of  them  all.  Running  time,  94  minutes. 
Played  June  14-15. — Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star 
Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 

FARMER  TAKES  A  WIFE,  THE:  Janet  Gaynor, 
Henry  Fonda — Good  family  picture.  Running  time,  91 
minutes. — F.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

GENTLE  JULIA:  Jane  Withers,  Tom  Brown— This 
pleased  extra  well.  Running  time,  63  minutes. — Mrs. 
P.  J.  Zorn,  Hippodrome  Theatre,  Julesburg,  Col. 
Small  town  patronage. 

IN  OLD  KENTUCKY:  Will  Rogers,  Dorothy  Wil- 
son— Very  good.  Running  time,  84  minutes. — P.  G. 
Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  General 
patronage. 

KING  OF  BURLESQUE,  THE:  Warner  Baxter, 
Alice  Faye — One  of  the  best  musicals  of  the  year. 
Running  time,  91  minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand 
Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

LITTLEST  REBEL,  THE:  Shirley  Temple,  John 
Boles,  Jack  Holt — Very  satisfactory  in  every  respect. 
Shirley  Temple  usually  draws  will  in  Sodus,  but  busi- 
ness for  her  pictures  has  shown  some  falling  off. 
Played  June  10-11.— C.  W.  Mills,  Arcade  Theatre, 
Sodus,  N.  Y.    Family  patronage. 

SONG  AND  DANCE  MAN:  Paul  Kelly,  Claire 
Trevor — A  good  program  picture.  Audience  was 
pleased.  Running  time,  72  minutes. — Mrs.  P.  J.  Zorn, 
Hippodrome  Theatre,  Julesburg,  Col.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

THUNDER  MOUNTAIN:  George  O'Brien,  Barbara 
Fritchie — Good  Zane  Grey  action  picture.  Running 
time,  64  minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre, 
Griswold,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 


United  Artists 


SPLENDOR:  Miriam  Hopkins,  Joel  McCrea— No 
kicks  at  all  on  picture  but  lost  money.  No  drawing 
power  for  me. — Sammie  Jackson,  Jackson  Theatre, 
Flomaton,  Ala.    General  patronage. 


Universal 

MAGNIFICENT  OBSESSION:  Irene  Dunne,  Rob- 
ert Taylor — Here  is  a  great  picture  as  everyone  knows. 
We  did  better  than  average  business  despite  rain. 
Everyone  satisfied.  Played  June  17-18.— C.  W.  Mills, 
Arcade  Theatre,  Sodus,  N.  Y.    Family  patronage. 

NEXT  TIME  WE  LOVE:  Margaret  Sulla  van,  James 
Stewart — Nice  picture  with  A-l  performances  from 
Miss  Sullavan  and  the  newcomer  James  Stewart. 
Played  June  17-18.— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre, 
Penacook,  N.  H.   General  patronage. 

STORMY:  Rex,  Noah  Beery,  Jr.,  Jean  Rogers- 
One  of  the  best  action  pictures  of  the  season.  Whole- 
some and  well  produced. — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty 
and  Ideal  Theatres,  Fort  Worth,  Texas.  General  pat- 
ronage. 


Warners 

BOULDER  DAM:  Ross  Alexander,  Patricia  Ellis, 
Lyle  Talbot— We'll  never  tell  you.  But  for  some 
unaccountable  reason  this  picture  did  swell  business 
on  our  Pal  Nights.  Unlike  the  trailer  on  "Walking 
Dead,"  this  trailer  really  did  a  lot  of  business  for 
us.  And  guess  it  was  the  name  too  because  so 
many  wanted  to  see  the  Dam.  Then,  when  they  did 
not  see  much  of  that,  still  they  were  satisfied.  It 
was  just  one  of  those  things.  Running  time,  65  min- 
utes. Played  June  10-11.— Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc., 
Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 


Short  Subjects 

Columbia 

BIRD  STUFFER,  THE:  Krazy  Kat  Cartoons- 
Better  than  some  in  this  series.— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace 
Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

Educational 

ALADDIN'S  LAMP:  Paul  Terry-Toons— Very  good 
cartoon.  Running  time,  eight  minutes.— P.  G.  Held, 
New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

HILLBILLY  LOVE:  Song  and  Comedy  Hits— Okay 


reel  of  hillybilly  singing.— L.  A.  Irwm,  Palace  Thea- 
tre,   Penacook,    N.    H.     General  patronage. 

LADIES  LOVE  HATS:  Star  Personality  Comedies 
—Just  fair;  nothing  to  write  home  about.— C.  A.  Jor- 
dan, Opera  House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

ROLLING  STONES:  Paul  Terry-Toons— A  very 
good  black  and  white  cartoon.— C.  L.  Niles,  Niles 
Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

SORORITY  BLUES:  Song  and  Comedy  Hits— One 
of  the  best  musical  and  dance  reels  that  we  have 
played  for  a  long  while.  Running  time,  eight  min- 
utes.—P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

TRIPLE  TROUBLE:  Ernest  Truex— Another  poor 
comedy.  Truex  is  so  sappy !— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace 
Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.   General  patronage. 

WESTERN  TRAIL,  THE:  Paul  Terry-Toons- 
Funny  cartoon— L.  A:  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Pena- 
cook, N.  H.    General  patronage. 

WHITE  HOPE,  THE:  Joe  Cook-Awfully  bad! 
Not  a  laugh  in  a  carload  of  Joe  Cook  comedies. — L. 
A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General 
patronage. 


Metro-Gold  wyn-Mayer 

BEAUTIFUL     BANFF    AND     LAKE  LOUISE: 

FitzPatrick  Travel  Talks — A  wonderful  color  scenic, 
an  asset  to  any  program,  interspersed  with  several 
vocal  selections.  Running  time,  1  reel. — C.  A.  Jordan, 
Opera  House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

CALICO  DRAGON:  Harman-lsing— These  Happy 
Harmonies  go  over  very  good  with  us. — P.  E.  Braun, 
Cairo  Theatre,  Cairo,  Neb.  Village  and  rural  patron- 
age. 

COUNT  TAKES  THE  COUNT,  THE:  Charley 
Chase — An  excellent  Chas.  Chase  comedy.  Audience  in 
an  uproar. — 0.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

CREW  RACING:  M-G-M  Sports  Parade— Good  — 
Sammie  Jackson,  Jackson  Theatre,  Flomaton,  Ala. 
General  patronage. 

EARLY  BIRD  AND  THE  WORM,  THE:  Harman- 
lsing — A  fine  colored  cartoon.  Will  please  all. — C.  L. 
Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

FARMING  FOOLS:  Oswald  Cartoons— A  dandy 
black  and  white  cartoon.  Clever  and  full  of  laughs. — 
C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  General 
patronage. 

FOLLIES  OF  1936:  Our  Gang— The  kids  put  on  a 
show,  everything  from  a  leg  show  to  a  skull  dance. 
I  believe  it  is  the  best  comedy  we  have  ever  shown. 
Played  it  with  "Ah,  Wilderness!"  Nobody  said  any- 
thing about  the  feature,  but  some  came  twice  to  see 
the  comedy. — P.  E.  Braun,  Cairo  Theatre,  Cairo,  Neb. 
Village  and  rural  patronage. 

HEY,  HEY,  FEVER:  Harman-lsing— Very  good 
color  cartoon.  Running  time,  eight  minutes. — P.  G. 
Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  General 
patronage. 

HOW  TO  SLEEP:  M-G-M  Miniatures— Another 
fine  reel  released  by  M-G-M.  Running  time,  1  reel. 
— C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera  House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.  Small 
town  patronage. 

LA  FIESTA  DE  SANTA  BARBARA:  Musical  Re- 
vues— An  excellent  colored  musical.  Deserves  your 
best  spot.  Full  of  stars.  Beautiful,  clever. — C.  L. 
Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

LIFE  HESITATES  AT  40:  Charley  Chase— Hope 
Charley  hesitates  before  he  makes  another  one  like 
this  one.  The  only  time  they  laughed  was  when  it 
was  over.  Running  time,  20  minutes.— Gladys  E.  Mc- 
Ardle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kansas.  Small  town 
patronage. 

LUCKY  CORNER,  THE:  Our  Gang— An  excellent 
short  by  the  Gang.  Everybody  pleased.  Great  for 
Saturday. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 

MANHATTAN  MONKEY  BUSINESS:  Charley 
Chase — Two  reels  of  nothing.  I  sat  through  the  whole 
two  reels  and  watched  the  reaction  of  the  audience 
and  it  registered  one  laugh.  Running  time,  18  min- 
utes.— P.  G.  Held.  New  Strand  Theatre.  Griswold, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

PAN  HANDLERS:  Kelly -Kelton— This  _  two-reel 
comedy  has  entertaining  as  well  as  amusing  situa- 
tions. Running  time,  20  minutes.— Mrs.  P.  J.  Zorn, 
Hippodrome  theatre,  Julesburg,  Col.  Small  town 
patronage. 

PIRATE  PARTY  AT  CATALINA  ISLE:  Musical 
Revues — An  excepionally  good  short  from  Metro.  Very 
beautiful  and  several  musical  stars  perform. — P.  E. 
Braun,  Cairo  Theatre,  Cairo,  Neb.  Village  and  rural 
patronage. 

PUBLIC  GHOST  NO.  1:  Charley  Chase— An  aver- 


July    4,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


65 


age  comedy. — P.  E.  Braun,  Cairo  Theatre,  Cairo,  Neb. 
Village  and  rural  patronage. 

RUN,  SHEEP,  RUN:  Harman-Ising— Very  good 
comedy.  Running  time,  nine  minutes. — P.  G.  Held, 
New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

SECOND  CHILDHOOD:  Our  Gang— Would  class 
this  as  the  best  laugh-getter  Our  Gang  comedy  we 
have  run.  Running  time,  two  reels. — Roy  C.  Irvine, 
Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash.    General  patronage. 

TABLE  TENNIS:  M-G-M  Sports  Parade— A  fillet 
on  the  game  of  table  tennis.  Nothing  out  of  ordinary 
but  O.  K.— C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

TRAINED  HOOFS:  M-G-M  Miniatures— Nice  sub- 
ject; most  M-G-M  singles  are.  Running  time,  9  min- 
utes.—G.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio. 
Family  patronage. 

VICTORIA  AND  VANCOUVER:  FitzPatrick 
Travel  Talks — One  of  the  best  travel  talks  I  have 
run.  Coloring  is  beautiful  and  views  of  Victoria  are 
very  natural.  A  drill  by  the  Royal  North  West 
Mounted  Police  is  one  of  the  best  spots  in  this  one. 
Educational  and  interesting.  Running  time,  10  min- 
utes.—Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon, 
Kansas.    Small  town  patronage. 


Paramount 

COUNTRYSIDE  MELODIES:  Paramount  Varieties 
— A  very  fine  musical.  Running  time,  nine  minutes. — 
P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 

LITTLE  NOBODY:  Betty  Boop  Cartoons— Good. 
Running  time,  nine  minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand 
Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

MUSICAL  MEMORIES:  Color  Classics— A  very 
pleasing  colored  cartoon  of  old  time  songs.  Not  for 
the  kids  or  Saturdays. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre, 
Anamosa,  Iowa.   General  patronage. 

RADIO  RHAPSODY:  Headliners— Very  good.  Run- 
nuing  time,  eight  minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand 
Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 


RKO-Radio 

BEACH  MAKERS:  Struggle  to  Live  Series— A  very 
interesting  and  educational  subject.  Tells  the  story  of 
the  seal. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N. 
H.    General  patronage. 

MOLLY  MOO  COW  AND  THE  BUTTERFLIES: 

Rainbow  Parade  Cartoons— Very  good  color  cartoon. 
Running  time,  eight  minutes. — F.  G.  Held,  New  Strand 
Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

NEPTUNE  NONSENSE:  Rainbow  Parade  Cartoons 
— Excellent  color  cartoon  with  a  different  story  to  tell. 
Clever  cartoon  antics  among  the  fish. — L.  A.  Irwin, 
Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.   General  patronage. 

QUIET  FOURTH,  A:  Smart  Set— Very  good  com- 
edy. Lots  of  excitement  and  the  six-year-old  boy  gets 
plenty  of  kick  out  of  shooting  the  firecrackers,  but 
is  surprised  when  the  U.  S.  artillery  starts  the  bom- 
bardment at  target  practice.  Running  time,  two 
reels— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D. 
Small  town  patronage. 

SALESMANSHIP,  AHOY:  Walter  Catlett— Fun 
from  start  to  finish  and  Walter  makes  a  good  sales- 
man. O.  K.  Running  time,  two  reels. — Rudolf  Duba, 
Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

TICKET  OR  LEAVE  IT:  Ruth  Etting— Fair  sub- 
ject with  Miss  Etting's  song  it's  only  highlight.  She 
sings  several  old  Irving  Berlin  numbers. — L.  A.  Irwin, 
Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

TRIP  THROUGH  FIJILAND:  Travelogue  Special- 
Well  worth  anyone's  playing  time.  Done  in  Sepia  tones 
it  reveals  many  beautiful  scenes  and  contains  much  of 
interest. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N. 
H.    General  patronage. 

Vitaphone 

ALL  AMERICAN  DRAWBACK:  Edgar  Bergen— 
This  ventriloquist  act  is  okay.  Well  done  so  that  the 
dummy  appears  very  realistic.  Quite  comical. — L.  A. 
Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

KING  OF  THE  ISLANDS:  Broadway  Brevities^ 
Good  picture  of  Hawaiian  dances.    Some  thought  it 
ather  daring.    Played  June  12-13. — O.  Ingmar  Oleson, 
Sons  of  Norway  Theatre,  Ambrose,  N.  D.   Small  town 
patronage. 

RED  NICHOLS  AND  HIS  ORCHESTRA:  Melody 
Masters — Very  pleasing  Melody  Master.  Good  music, 
good  dancing.  Running  time,  10  minutes. — Gladys  E. 
McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kansas.  Small  town 
patronage. 

REGULAR  KIDS:  Meglin  Kids— Fine  two  reeler. 
— Sammie  Jackson,  Jackson  Theatre,  Flomaton,  Ala. 
General  patronage. 

SLIDE,   NELLIE,    SLIDE:    Big   V.  Comedies— A 


fine  two-reel  comedy  that  will  please  all.  The  story 
of  a  girls'  soft  ball  team.  Plenty  of  comedy  and  an 
eyeful  of  girls.  Play  it  anywhere  and  it  will  please.— 
C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  General 
patronage. 

WASH  YOUR  STEP:  Hal  LeRoy,  Preisser  Sisters 
— A  fair  musical.  Numbers  okay  but  story  idea  flat! 
Contains  one  catchy  song. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Thea- 
tre, Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

Miscellaneous 

HAUPTMANN    FROM    KIDNAP    TO  CHAIR: 

Bruno  Richard  Hauptmann — Very  interesting.  All 
about  Hauptmann  from  the  day  of  kidnaping  of  Lind- 
bergh's baby  to  the  electric  chain.  Running  time,  two 
reels.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D. 
Small  town  patronage. 

Serials 
Universal 

FLASH  GORDON:  Buster  Crabbe,  Jean  Rogers— 
We  have  played  five  chapters  so  far  and  think  its  a 
very  good  serial,  especially  for  the  children.  Running 
time,  19  minutes.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre, 
Griswold,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 


Elected  to  Academy 

Erno  Metzner,  art  director  for  Gaumont 
British  Pictures,  has  been  elected  to  the 
Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and 
Sciences  in  Hollywood.  He  is  the  only  art 
director  in  England  to  have  achieved  this 
distinction.  Mr.  Metzner  at  present  is 
designing  sets  for  the  GB  production, 
"Strangers  on  a  Honeymoon,"  in  London. 


French  Author  Signed 

Warner  Brothers  have  signed  Romain 
Rolland,  noted  French  author,  to  write  the 
screen  play  for  "Danton,  the  Terror  of 
France"  which  will  be  directed  by  Max 
Reinhardt.  Paul  Muni  will  play  the  title 
role. 


Sound  Trucks  Banned 

Sound  trucks  have  been  ordered  off  the 
streets  of  Joplin,  Mo.,  by  police  because  of 
complaints  against  noise. 


SHORT  PRODUCT 
PLAYING  BROADWAY 


Week  of  June  27 
CAPITOL 

Two  Little  Pups  MGM 

MUSIC  HALL 

Row,  Mr.,  Row  RKO  Radio 

Along   the    Lifeline   of  the 

British    Empire   Harold  Auten 

PARAMOUNT 

More  Pep   Paramount 

Wonderland  of  the  Gaspe.  .  Dynamic 
Paramount  Pictorial  No.  12.  Paramount 

RIALTO 

What,  No  Spinach?  Paramount 

Schmeling-Louis  Fight  Film.  Super  Sports 

RIVOLI 

Three  Little  Wolves  United  Artists 

Normandy  and 

Mount  St.  Michael .  Harold  Auten 

ROXY 

Spinach  Overture   Paramount 

Stranger  Than  Fiction  No.  22. Universal 
The  Peppery  Salt  Columbia 

STRAND 

Pictorial  Review   Vitaphone 

I  Love  To  Singa  Vitaphone 


Kilroe  Will  Attend 
Copyright  Convention 

E.  P.  Kilroe  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox 
has  been  designated  as  the  observer  for  the 
United  States  motion  picture  industry  at  the 
meeting  in  Brussels,  Belgium,  of  the  Inter- 
national Copyright  Union,  which  starts 
September  7th. 

The  International  Copyright  Union  is 
meeting  to  consider  and  pass  on  proposed 
revisions  in  the  Berne  copyright  convention. 
These  changes  are  considered  important  to 
the  film  industry  because  of  pending  legis- 
lation proposing  to  enable  the  United  States 
to  adhere  to  the  international  group. 

Union  Control  Shift 
Sought  by  Holmden 

The  correction  of  what  he  regards  as 
weaknesses  in  the  International  Alliance  of 
Theatrical  and  Stage  Employes  setup  in  the 
studios  and  strengthening  of  control  over 
union  men  is  reported  as  the  chief  objective 
of  Harlan  Holmden,  I.  A.  T.  S.  E.  third 
vice-president,  who  arrived  in  Hollywood 
this  week.  Union  officials  will  shift  the 
control  of  manpower  to  locals  from  the  stu- 
dios which  heretofore  have  executed  the 
closed  shop  agreement. 


DAR  Film  Program 
Extended  to  Orient 

The  film  program  sponsored  by  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  has 
been  extended  to  China,  according  to  the  an- 
nual report  of  Mrs.  Leon  A.  Mclntire, 
chairman  of  the  Motion  Picture  Committee. 
A  joint  committee  composed  of  16  different 
nationalities  functioning  under  the  direction 
of  the  Daughters  in  America,  has  been 
formed  in  China.  Special  children's  pro- 
grams are  its  chief  objective. 


New  Booking  Office 
Started  on  Coast 

An  independent  booking  office  has  been 
opened  in  Los  Angeles  under  the  name  of 
Pacific  States  Theatres  Service  Company. 
The  organization  will  be  in  charge  of  Sam 
Blowitz,  former  Fox  West  Coast  booker, 
and  Harry  Rackin,  formerly  with  Principal 
Theatres. 


To  Study  Film.  Storage 

A  group  including  George  Crane,  Alan 
Freedman,  Sidney  Lund,  Hugh  McClung, 
J.  M.  Nickolaus  and  John  Swain  has  been 
appointed  by  William  Koenig,  chairman  of 
the  Academy  Research  Council  to  aid  in 
preparing  a  report  on  various  types  of  avail- 
able preservative  processes  for  film. 


Two  Houses  Sold 

Carolina  Amusement  Company  has  bought 
Criterion  at  Spartanburg,  South  Carolina, 
and  the  Criterion  at  Anderson,  S.  C,  from 
L.  C.  Sipe  Theatres  Company.  Carolina 
Amusement  operates  three  other  houses  in 
Spartanburg,  the  Carolina,  State  and 
Strand. 


Booker  Promoted 

Ralph  Olson  has  been  promoted  to  road 
representative  for  Universal,  his  post  as 
booker  at  Omaha  having  been  filled  by  Bob 
Morrison,  formerly  poster  clerk. 


66 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,    19  3  6 


B  &  K  DROPS  PLANS 
FOR  DOUBLE  BILLING 


And  Thereby  Avoids  Court 
Fights  by  Independents, 
Says  Chicago's  Film  Row 

by  WILLIAM  F.  CROUCH 

in  Chicago 

Plans  that  Balaban  &  Katz  may  have  had 
for  starting  double  features  in  Chicago  this 
summer  evidently  have  been  dropped.  Many 
are  those  who  say  this  was  a  very  wise 
move,  as  it  did  away  with  the  possibility  of 
much  legal  tiffing.  That  would  have  been 
the  independents'  weapon.  Present  film  con- 
tracts are  such  that  the  independents  can- 
not play  duals  unless  the  distributors  grant 
them  the  privilege.  The  distributors  gen- 
erally were  willing  to  grant  this  favor  to 
B  &  K  if  the  circuit  wished,  but  inde- 
pendents' charges  of  conspiracy  would  have 
flown  right  and  left. 

1+  is  the  opinion  of  some  that  B  &  K 
felt  that  a  fight  for  duals  at  this  time 
would  have  jeopardized  its  chances  for 
getting — without  a  fight — an  "extra  week 
of  clearance" 

A  good  sign  that  the  dual  problem  is  over 
for  the  time  being,  as  well  as  the  clear- 
ance problem,  is  that  large  distributors  are 
not  planning  to  sell  product  to  any  Chicago 
theatres  until  fall,  or  at  least  until  after 
B  &  K  has  made  its  agreements.  City  selling 
is  practically  nil  here  during  the  summer 
months,  as  everyone  waits  to  see  what  B  & 
K  will  buy  and  on  what  terms.  Exchanges 
now  have  their  city  salesmen  working  in  the 
downstate  territories. 

All  this  indicates  a  quiet  summer  and  a 
boisterous  fall.  On  top  of  the  dual  and  clear- 
ance problems  will  come  the  operators  union 
demands  for  increased  wages  in  a  new  con- 
tract. 

*    *  * 

Jack  Miller,  former  president  of  the  Chi- 
cago Exhibitors  Association,  was  the  hon- 
ored guest  at  the  long  planned  testimonial 
dinner  last  Friday  evening  in  the  Red 
Lacquer  Room  of  the  Palmer  House.  More 
than  300  honored  Mr.  Miller  for  his  12 
years  of  very  active  service  in  behalf  of  the 
exhibitor  organization  and  exhibition  in 
general.  The  guests  presented  Mr.  Miller 
with  a  star  sapphire  ring. 

V 

Felix  Mendelssohn  was  toastmaster. 

From  out-of-town  and  seated  at  the  speak- 
ers table  were  Dave  Palfreyman  of  New 
York,  Dick  Biechle  of  Kansas  City,  Fred 
Wehrenberg  of  St.  Louis  and  Ed  Kuyken- 
dall  from  New  York.  Others  who  spoke 
were  Aaron  Saperstein,  Clyde  Eckhardt, 
Henry  Herbel,  Calvin  Hermer,  Morris 
Leonard,  Sid  Spiegel,  Sam  Myers  and  Edw. 
Alcock. 

Entertainment  was  provided  by  Charles 
Ryan  of  Warner  Bros,  theatres  and  Louis 
Lipstone  of  the  Balaban  &  Katz  theatres. 

A 

Larry  Stein  spent  Sunday  judging  a 
beauty  contest  at  Racine.  He  assisted  in 
picking    "Miss    Wisconsin."  Incidentally 


Stein  is  wearing  tinted  glasses  this  week. 

Ben  Judell  leaves  the  last  part  of  the 
summer  for  Hollywood,  where  he  will  start 
production.  Judell  also  will  continue  to  op- 
erate his  five  midwestern  exchanges,  mak- 
ing periodic  trips  here.  Although  his  group 
of  exchanges  will  serve  as  a  nucleus  for 
distribution  of  his  pictures,  deals  are  under- 
way for  other  independent  exchanges  to  han- 
dle the  product  as  well. 

Judell  said  he  will  make  "bread  and  but- 
ter" pictures. 

The    distributor-producer    already  has 
made  arrangements  for  enrolment  of  his 
children  in  college  on  the  Coast  and  he  will 
move  his  family  there  late  this  summer. 
V 

John  Balaban  and  Barney  Balaban  sur- 
rendered to  their  desire  to  travel  this  week 
and  boarded  planes  for  cities  in  opposite  di- 
rections. Barney  headed  for  New  York  to 
confer  with  Paramount  officials  regarding 
his  new  position  on  the  Paramount  Board 
and  John  hied  westward  for  conferences 
with  producers.  Both  will  return  to  spend 
the  Fourth-of-July  with  their  families. 
V 

Charles  Ryan  and  George  Singer  of  War- 
ner theatres,  together  with  their  families, 
left  this  week  for  a  three  weeks  vacation 
trip  in  the  East.  They  will  visit  New  York 
City,  Washington  and  other  cities  before 
returning  westward. 

V 

Balaban  &  Katz  will  spend  $100,000  in 
remodeling  the  Mainstreet  theatre  in 
Evanston.  Work  of  rebuilding  the  house 
is  underway,  with  the  opening  set  for  this 
fall. 

V 

William  "Bill"  Boyd,  film  star,  and  Harry 
Sherman,  producer  of  "Hop-A-Long  Cas- 
sidy"  pictures,  were  visitors  at  the  Para- 
mount exchange  last  week.  "Bill"  has  been 
in  New  York  for  the  past  month  attending 
shows,  "the  fight"  and  having  a  vacation. 
V 

The  suit  filed  by  Affiliated  Distributors, 
Inc.,  owners  of  Bank  Night,  against  the 
Alger  theatre  circuit  in  this  state,  in  fed- 
eral court,  will  be  dropped. 

This  cessation  of  legal  activity  against 
the  Alger  theatres  came  about  when  E.  E. 
Alqer,  manager  of  the  circuit  and  its 
affiliates,  dropped  their  cash  giveaway 
plan  called  "cash  Nite"  and  started 
Bank  Night.  The  Alger  circuit  has  theatres 
in  eight  downstate  cities. 

V 

Badminton,  which  heretofore  has  been 
confined  to  outdoor  and  indoor  courts  in 
gymnasiums,  burst  forth  this  week  in  a  new 
setting.  On  the  stage  of  the  Chicago  thea- 
tre, deluxe  loop  house,  one  can  see  Bad- 
minton played  by  experts  as  part  of  the 
stage  show.  Games  are  played  and  special 
trick  shots  make  them  one  of  the  most  en- 
tertaining stage  attractions  to  play  here. 
V 

Herman  Marx,  sales  representative  for  a 
local  trailer  concern,  was  married  last  Sun- 
day to  Miss  Ida  Krichiner  of  this  city.  At 
a  reception  following  the  ceremony,  at  the 


Parkway  hotel,  a  large  number  of  local  film 
personages  gathered  to  shower  their  con- 
gratulations on  the  couple.  Following  the 
reception  the  bride  and  groom  left  for  a 
honeymoon  trip  in  the  northern  lake  country. 
V 

"Collusion,"  a  picture  made  more  than 
a  year  ago,  has  been  approved,  finally,  by 
the  Chicago  censors  and  opens  this  week 
at  the  State-Lake  theatre.  Edward  Arnold 
heads  the  cast  of  the  picture,  which  is  a 
sensational  story  about  divorce.  B.  F. 
Judell  exchange  is  handling  it. 

V 

"Elwynn,"  a  ghost  show  of  the  novelty 
type,  will  be  brought  to  Chicago  in  a  few 
weeks  to  play  engagements  at  the  Warner 
theatres.  The  show  is  now  booked  into  the 
Warner  theatres  in  Wisconsin.  Current  at 
local  Warner  houses  for  engagements  are 
the  Kentucky  Ridge-Runners,  a  novelty  hill 
billy  act  that  has  a  wide  radio  following 
locally. 

V 

Phil  Baker  comes  to  the  Palace  theatre 
here  for  one  week  starting  July  10th.  On 
the  screen  the  Palace  will  have  the  latest 
Jessie  Matthews  picture,  "It's  Love  Again." 
Baker  has  played  three  engagements  with 
this  film  as  part  of  the  program. 

V 

Thomas  Burns  is  the  new  manager  of  the 
Blackstone  hotel.  Mr.  Burns  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  Blackstone  several  months, 
coming  here  from  the  South  where  he  man- 
aged a  number  of  well  known  hotels. 

Arriving  this  week  on  the  Santa  Fe  Chief 
enroute  to  New  York  were  Al  Jolson  and 
Ruby  Keeler,  Adolph  Zukor,  Jean  Howard 
and  Constance  Collier.  Among  those  who 
took  the  Santa  Fe  westward  were  William 
Boyd,  Harry  Sherman,  George  O'Brien  and 
Marguerite  Churchill. 


French  Film  Booked 

The  French  film,  "La  Maternelle"  ("Chil- 
dren of  Montmartre"),  will  be  roadshown 
in  80  summer  resorts  in  New  York,  Con- 
necticut, Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire, 
Vermont  and  Maine  during  the  summer. 

Schwartz  on  Board 

Charles  Schwartz  has  been  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  United  Artists  board  of  directors 
on  behalf  of  Charlie  Chaplin  for  whom  he 
will  be  general  counsel.  Mr.  Schwartz  was 
a  member  of  the  former  Nathan  Burkan 
law  firm  and  is  now  a  partner  in  Schwartz 
and  Frohlich. 


Fanchon  and  Marco  Moves 

Offices  of  the  amusement  firm  of  Fanchon 
and  Marco  were  transferred  this  week  from 
the  Bond  Building  to  the  RCA  Building  in 
Radio  City,  New  York.  The  firm  will  stress 
radio  activity  in  their  new  quarters  with 
sound  studios  and  control  rooms  installed. 


Pensacola  House  Opened 

George  Fuller,  formerly  of  Fairhope,  Ala., 
has  opened  a  new  theatre,  the  Warrington, 
in  Pensacola,  Fla.  Two  houses  in  the  Flor- 
ida city,  owned  by  Saenger  Theatres,  have 
been  dark  for  several  weeks  because  of  a 
disagreement  between  the  owners  and  the 
City  Council  over  an  amusement  tax. 

"Carrie"  Approved 

The  Paramount  script  for  "Valiant  Is  the 
Word  for  Carrie"  has  been  approved  by  the 
Hays  office. 


July    4,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


67 


MANAGE 


ROUND  TABLE  CLUB 


<^4n  international  association  of  showmen  meeting  weekly 
in  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  for  mutual  aid  and  progress 


op 


WHY  POUND  THE  SAME  TARGET? 

Some  weeks  back,  a  study  of  the  line  at  the  box  office  of  a 
nearby  neighborhood  theatre  revealed  that  while  some  of  the 
folks  "shopped"  around  the  lobby  display  and  stills  before 
buying  or  not  buying  tickets,  there  were  others  who  walked 
directly  to  the  ticket  window,  took  their  admissions  and  pro- 
ceeded inside  without  further  ado. 

Conversation  with  the  manager  brought  out  that  this  per- 
centage of  business  was  regular,  that  these  patrons  had  been 
sold  and  evidently  to  their  satisfaction  on  the  theatre  and  the 
merits  of  its  attractions,  that  they  expected  a  reasonable  even- 
ing's entertainment  and  their  steady  attendance  indicated  the 
effectiveness  of  the  advertising  job  done  by  the  manager  to 
attract  this  regular  percentage. 

Having  gotten  to  this  point,  the  next  logical  step  on  the 
theatreman's  part  was  to  switch  his  advertising  attack  and  to 
concentrate  his  drive  upon  the  folks  who  shop  around  so  that 
they  too  would  line  up  with  the  regulars.  But  further  discus- 
sion disclosed  that  the  manager  had  not  changed  his  "sights" 
to  reach  out  especially  for  the  new  business  he  was  not  get- 
ting. He  continued  to  pound  at  the  same  target  upon  which 
he  had  already  scored. 

The  above  situation  is  not  an  isolated  instance.  It  repre- 
sents a  cross-section  of  current  theatre  advertising  procedure 
that  is  not  flexible  enough  to  allow  sufficiently  for  proper  cover- 
age in  those  directions  where  more  business  is  most  certainly 
to  be  had. 

V,  V  V 

GOING  TO  THE  PEOPLE 

Though  the  influence  of  the  newspaper  motion  picture  re- 
view is  not  to  be  discounted,  there  is  also  much  to  be  said 
for  the  opinions  of  the  "folks  next  door."  Campaigns  are 
of  course  aimed  to  secure  sizable  openings  but  in  the  final 
analysis  success  for  most  any  date  depends  to  an  extent  upon 
the  invaluable  word-of-mouth  advertising  spread  from  one  spot 
to  another  by  folks  who  have  seen  a  show  and  hasten  to  tell 
their  friends. 

Thus  are  to  be  complimented  Manager  George  Laby,  of 
the  Paramount,  Springfield,  Mass.,  and  circuit  ad  director 
Bill  Powell,  who  adapted  the  idea  to  what  they  called  a  test 
preview  in  advance  for  "Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames,"  to  which 
were  invited  sundry  local  folk  and  whose  comments  and  names 
were  used  in  the  theatre  newspaper  advertising.  The  slant 
was  reported  to  have  been  highly  successful,  bringing  the  best 


opening  in  months.  Interested  members  will  find  the  story 
of  these  activities  detailed  on  a  following  page. 

By  going  direct  to  the  people,  the  theatremen  found  that 
folks  not  apt  to  be  swayed  by  endorsements  of  newspaper 
"by-liners"  may  often  be  completely  won  over  by  the  en- 
thusiasm of  their  neighbors. 

V  V  V 
PERFECTING  A  TECHNIQUE 

With  the  recent  successes  of  the  class  picture  due  in  no 
small  part  to  the  unique  and  skillful  merchandising  campaign 
on  Warner  Bros.'  "Dream",  an  expected  development  in  the 
coming  season  is  the  release  of  further  pictures  by  that  studio 
and  others,  aimed  also  to  attract  classes  of  patronage  not 
usually  responsive  to  motion  picture  advertising.  And  now  that 
these  new  business"  veins  have  been  uncovered,  there  is  high 
hope  they  will  be  kept  open  by  the  fine  grade  of  such  screen 
entertainments  and,  as  important,  selling  campaigns  in  keep- 
ing with  the  quality  of  these  attractions. 

The  increase  of  class  pictures  allows  the  understanding 
manager  who  would  try  his  wings  in  loftier  altitudes,  a  rare 
opportunity. 

The  combination  of  his  own  special  talents  reserved  for 
these  occasions  plus  the  assistance  of  carefully-weighed  home- 
office  campaigns  should  mean  much  in  the  perfection  of  a 
technique  to  bring  this  class  business  more  frequently  to  the 
ticket-window. 

V  V   V  i 
THE  SIMONS  ILLUSIONS 

Pitchmen  and  circus  barkers  recognize  as  an  old  and  valued 
aid  the  hocus-pocus  of  some  sleight  of  hand  or  other  simple 
illusion  in  stopping  the  passing  throngs — the  first  principle  in 
making  any  kind  of  a  sale.  The  idea  is  not  often  used  for  the 
same  purpose  in  theatre  advertising  which  may  be  traced  to 
the  general  lack  of  savvy  in  this  direction. 

Of  interest  therefore  is  the  illustrated  article  in  this  issue  on 
illusions  in  displays  by  Manager  Jack  Simons,  of  Loew's  Poli, 
in  Hartford.  They  have  proven  to  be  real  crowd-stoppers  for 
this  Round  Tabler  and  should  serve  as  well  in  other  situations. 


68 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,  1936 


THE  FLEET  FOLLOWS.  Naval  minded  Londoners  found  much  to  admire  in  the  mag- 
nificent lobby  display  reproduced  above  on  "Follow  the  Fleet"  at  the  Plaza  Theatre, 
London.  Designed  by  Silver  Grand  Award  winner,  John  Armstrong,  Radio  Pictures,  Ltd., 
publicity  head,  the  flash  drew  the  attention  it  deserved. 


Student  Angle  Stressed 
By  Benford  for  "Pasteur" 

For  his  "Pasteur"  date  at  the  Orpheum, 
Philadelphia,  Stan  Benford  contacted  dis- 
trict supervisor  of  schools,  who  granted  per- 
mission to  bring  the  picture  to  the  attention 
of  the  principals.  Special  attention  was 
paid  to  students  of  the  high  schools,  heads 
of  the  science  department  were  personally 
contacted  and  announcements  were  made  in 
all  classrooms. 

Branches  of  the  public  libraries  distrib- 
uted bookmarks  and  placed  stills  in  strategic 
spots.  Women's  clubs,  doctors  and  dentists, 
and  boy  and  girl  scout  organizations  were 
circularized  and  largest  drug  store  in  the 
locality  of  the  theatre  devoted  entire  window 
to  special  "Pasteur"  display,  with  theatre 
credits. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


LOBBY  BOARD.  For  weeks  ahead  of  his  opening 
of  "It  Happened  in  Harrisburg,"  Sam  Gilman, 
Loew's  theatre  there,  used  the  above  display  to 
sell  the  picture.   Actual  scene  stills  were  shown. 


Questions  and  Answers  Stunt 
Sells  Rivoli  "Ex-Mrs.  Bradford" 

Under  the  direction  of  Frank  Brunner, 
publicist  of  the  New  York  Rivoli,  a  novel 
campaign  was  put  on  theme  of  which  was 
"Who  is  the  Ex-Mrs.  Bradford?"  Calling 
cards  carrying  the  phone  and  address  of 
the  theatre  with  the  title  name  were  dis- 
tributed city-wide  in  advance  and  through- 
out engagement. 

Another  feature  of  the  exploitation  cam- 
paign was  the  use  of  a  "question  and 
answer"  stunt  arranged  with  a  mike  placed 
in  front  of  theatre  and  sign  inviting  passers- 
by  to  aSk  any  question  pertaining  to  the 
film,  which  were  answered  immediately  by 
a  hidden  announcer.  This  was  reported  as 
being  very  effective  and  attracted  a  great 
number  of  persons. 

Rivoli  front  was  dressed  for  the  occasion 
with  six  enlarged  photos  planted  under 
marquee. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Kid  Cartoon  Club 
Staged  by  Conner 

Marlowe  Conner,  Grove  Theatre,  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  reports  a  successful  cartoon  club 
for  his  kids  held  on  Saturdays.  Mimeo- 
graphed sheets  are  handed  out  with  instruc- 
tions and  three-inch  capital  letter.  Kids  are 
told  to  make  the  letter  into  a  funny  face  by 
just  adding  lines.  To  the  twenty  best  car- 
toonists tickets  are  awarded  and  contestants 
invited  on  the  stage  to  perform  for  the  rest 
of  the  kids. 

Another  stunt  that  Conner  uses  is  to  send 
his  usher  out  on  the  streets  as  a  hitchhiker. 
Lad  wears  an  oversized  cutout  thumbing 
hand  attached  to  his  arm,  palm  of  which 
reads,  "Take  me  to  the  Grove  to  see,"  etc., 
etc.,  the  stunt  proving  a  honey. 


City  Editors  Review 
"Pastures"  Premiere 

Importance  of  the  world  premiere  of 
Warner  Bros.  "Green  Pastures"  at  the  Ritzr 
Tulsa,  Okla.,  was  stressed  by  Ralph  Talbot 
who  had  the  city  editors  of  all  local  dailies 
on  hand  to  view  the  picture  and  to  write 
enthusiastic  endorsements  of  the  feature.  In 
advance,  special  screening  was  held  for  min- 
isters of  all  denominations,  cultural  leaders 
and  civic  officials,  to  whom  was  first  mailed 
four-page  booklets  presenting  picture  high- 
lights. Comment  cards  were  enclosed  for 
their  opinions  after  the  showing. 

Radio  programs  were  featured  by  appear- 
ance of  Mayor  Penney  who  spoke  on  the 
opening  and  urged  local  attendance.  Further 
civic  encouragement  was  given  with  a  "first 
time"  permission  by  the  police  department 
for  the  hanging  of  a  giant  banner  across 
street,  the  flash  flooded  at  night  by  spots. 

Downtown  department  stores  gave  full 
windows  to  the  Bradford  novel,  "Old  Man 
Adam  and  His  Chillun"  from  which  the 
picture  was  adapted  and  art  work,  stills  and 
other  accessories  from  the  picture  were  used 
generously  for  added  decoration. 

Co-op  newspaper  advertising  included 
congratulatory  messages  from  heads  of  local 
businesses,  a  special  "Green  Pastures"  sec- 
tion and  much  more  than  the  usual  amount 
of  publicity  was  given  over  to  signalize  the 
first  engagement  of  the  feature. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Rotsky  Ties  Up  Railway 
For  "Follow  the  Fleet" 

Canadian  Pacific  Railway  cooperated  with 
George  Rotsky,  Palace,  Montreal,  on  "Fol- 
low the  Fleet"  when  they  loaned  six  models 
of  the  Company's  Empress  fleet,  electrically 
illuminated  for  exhibition  in  the  lobby  with 
title  letters  pointing  to  the  cars.  Auto  dealer 
staged  a  parade  featuring  their  new  model 
cars,  all  of  which  were  bannered  with  title, 
cast  and  playdates. 

For  "Show  Boat,"  George  went  to  town 
with  a  calliope  which  played  "Here  Comes 
the  Show  Boat"  as  it  toured  the  streets, 
Highlight  of  campaign  was  tieup  with  bus 
company  which  turned  over  four  busses  to 
the  theatre  during  showing,  offering  to 
drive  patrons  to  the  theatre  from  different 
spots  in  town,  busses  were  bannered  and 
stunt  landed  newspaper  breaks. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


PRISON  FRONT.  Instruments  of  torture,  man  in 
cell  with  ball  and  chain  and  entire  front  covered 
to  represent  prison  was  the  way  Louie  Charninslcy, 
Capitol,  Dallas,  Tex.,  handled  "Road  Gang"  date. 


July    4,     19  3  6 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


69 


Test  Preview  Idea 
Clicks  on  "Ames" 


Deciding  that  in  that  location,  features 
other  than  sensationalism  could  be  more 
effective  in  advertising  "Case  Against  Mrs. 
Ames,"  Manager  George  Laby,  of  Para- 
mount, Springfield,  Mass.,  with  Bill  Powell, 
circuit  ad  head,  worked  out  a  test  preview 
idea  that  clicked  well  enough  to  return  an 
out  of  the  ordinary  opening  on  the  date. 

In  this  instance  the  preview  was  brought 
right  close  to  patrons  by  having  an  invited 
list  of  25  representative  locals  at  a  special 
showing  and  their  comments  were  suffi- 
ciently enthusiastic  to  encourage  George 
and  Bill  to  put  these  together  in  the  shape 
of  a  two-column  newspaper  ad,  reproduced 
below.  As  to  be  noted,  no  art  work  or  urge 
copy  was  used.  The  ad  was  used  day  ahead 
and  other  picture  copy  carried  further  refer- 
ences to  the  comments  from  the  locals. 

Despite  a  heavy  rainstorm  on  the  open- 
ing day,  Laby  reports  most  excellent  busi- 
ness and  recommends  the  idea  especially  in 
spots  where  other  than  the  sensational  in 
copy  is  found  more  fruitful. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Prominents'  Endorsements  Used 
In  "Show  Boat"  Advertising 

Three  private  screenings  were  held  in  ad- 
vance of  the  "Show  Boat"  opening  at  the 
Rialto  Theatre  in  Lewistown,  Pa.,  by  Paul 
P.  Klinger  to  which  prominent  locals  were 
invited  and  their  endorsements  used  for  ad- 
vertising purposes. 

Local  soft  drink  manufacturer  and  friend 
of  Wininger  supplied  all  soda  fountains 
in  town  using  his  product,  cards  with  Win- 
inger's  tertimonials  of  the  drink  and  photo. 
Five- foot  letters  made  of  plywood  spelling 
out  title  were  mounted  atop  marquee,  flasher 
motor  attached  iluminating  the  display  at 
night. 

"Show  Boat"  sundaes  were  featured  at 
fountains,  largest  store  featured  bathing 
suits  tying  up  with  film,  and  music  store 
gave  window  over  to  Irene  Dunne  music 
display. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


'Kr^      IN  ADVANCE 

By  a  representative  group 
of  Springfield  theatre  goers! 

'—And  This  Is  What  They  Said!— 


"Exceptionally  well  done! 

....Mrs.  W.  Farre- 


rtlii"' 


our" 
„  (ti°te 

^•....ar.« 

..nl   Oia*^ 


I  MADELEINE  CARROLL  and  GEORGE  BRENT 

1  eS»*  og«tiwi  Mr,,  ^  I 

STARTS  THURSDAY 

I    MM        AT  THE  AIR-CONDITIONED  r? 

Sprimgfieldi  Only  Rolngcralod  Thsstre 

Laby's  "Test  Preview"  Newspaper  Ad 


ELECT  GRACE  MOORE.  Squad  of  boys  carrying  election  signs  on  "The  King  Steps 
Out"  at  the  Hippodrome,  Cleveland,  were  sent  out  to  do  their  stuff  around  head- 
quarters at  the  recent  Republican  party  convention.  Stunt  comes  from  those  busy 
Warner  Theatres  publicists,  Sid  Dannenberg  and  Mort  Goodman. 


Round  Table  Members  Win 
"March  of  Time"  Awards 

Many  of  the  1 1  winners  of  the  main  prizes 
and  a  majority  of  those  voted  honorable  men- 
tions in  the  recently  completed  March  of 
Time  exploitation  contest  are  members  of 
the  Round  Table,  according  to  the  results 
recently  announced.  Two  winners  were  se- 
lected from  each  of  five  regional  groups  in 
the  United  States  and  possessions  for  the  top 
prizes  of  radios.   They  finished  as  follows : 

Ed  Hart,  Strand,  Plainfield,  N.  J. ;  Stew- 
art B.  Tucker,  Byrd,  Richmond,  Va. ;  C.  D. 
Beale,  Capitol,  Juneau,  Alaska;  C.  B.  Craig, 
Rex.  Seattle,  Wash. ;  Ray  Bruder,  Chicago, 
Chicago,  111.;  Charlie  Zinn,  Uptown,  Minne- 
apolis, Minn. ;  J.  E.  Unger,  Arcadia,  Tem- 
ple, Texas;  Paul  Short,  Majestic,  Dallas, 
Texas;  Hardie  Meakin,  RKO  Keith's, 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  Herb  Jennings, 
Keith's,  White  Plains,  N.  Y.  Eleventh  prize 
went  to  Dave  Martin,  Liberty,  Sydney, 
Australia.  The  "Honorables"  received  sub- 
scriptions to  Fortune. 

Contestants  were  judged  for  best  tieups 
in  regular  advertising,  lobbies  general  pub- 
licity and  special  stunts  or  tieups.  Judges 
were  adman  Bruce  Barton,  Jules  Levy  and 
S.  Barret  McCormick  of  RKO. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Huffman  Theatres  Tie  In 
On  New  Train  Publicity 

New  streamline  train  named  "City  of 
Denver"  started  service  between  that  city 
and  Chicago  some  weeks  back  and  the  Harry 
Huffman  theatres  in  Denver  hooked  into 
the  general  publicity  by  awarding,  via  draw- 
ing, five  free  round  trips  on  the  new  train 
and  two  days  in  Chicago. 

Drive  started  three  weeks  ahead  with 
trailers  at  the  various  theatres  of  the  cir- 
cuit and  was  built  up  further  at  the  exhibi- 
tion of  the  new  train  at  the  Union  Station 
with  coupons  distributed  to  the  thousands 


who  inspected  the  latest  type  streamliner. 

As  a  result,  business  on  the  night  of  the 
draw  was  capacity,  it  was  said,  with  railroad 
reported  more  than  pleased  with  the  pub- 
licity gained  through  the  tiein  and  wide 
open  for  more  like  it. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

"Wife  Versus  Secretary" 
Campaign  Put  On  by  Gals 

To  the  front  once  more  comes  the  "petti- 
coat aggregation"  of  Walt  Davis'  Capitol 
Theatre,  Regina,  Sask.,  with  Mrs.  Ella  Davis 
and  Misses  Mary  Graham,  Heda  Summers 
and  Lenore  Williams  putting  over  a  swell 
job  on  "Wife  versus  Secretary"  by  tying 
up  local  typewriter  company  that  supplied 
ediphone  set  in  foyer  and  a  girl  typist  (see 
photo). 

Another  swell  tieup  was  arranged  with 
department  store  to  supply  demonstrator  and 
display  of  cosmetics  in  foyer.  Small  folders 
on  office  etiquette  carrying  toiletries  ad  were 
distributed  to  all  offices  and  places  of  busi- 
ness, invitations  were  distributed  to  all 
homes  calling  attention  to  the  demonstration 
and  local  beauty  shop  carried  cut  of  Myrna 
Loy  and  Jean  Harlow  with  theatre  message. 


Davis'  Lobby-Typewriter  Tieup 


70 

Attractive  Lobby  Display 
Constructed  by  Salmon 

For  his  "Captain  January"  date  at  the 
New  York  City  Riverside  Theatre,  Joe  Sal- 
mon covered  entire  width  of  lobby  over  the 
doors  with  plush  trimmed  beaverboard  on 
which  were  mounted  cutouts  of  Shirley 
Temple  (see  photo). 

To  the  left  was  a  lighthouse  with  trans- 
parent glass,  light  behind  it  showed  up  ex- 
cellently. Center  of  picture  shows  small 
stage  cutout  of  miniature  musicians  as 
orchestra  and  cut  of  Shirley  and  Slim  Sum- 
merville.  Joe  reports  the  display  as  a  real 
eye-attractor  and  credits  his  electrician, 
Mr.  Baron,  for  his  help. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Diaper  Hanging 
Attracts  Crowds 

Leon  Back,  Broadway  Theatre,  Balti- 
more, Md.,  secured  plenty  of  comment  on  his 
"Country  Doctor"  date  a  week  ahead  by 
hanging  a  diaper  valance  under  his  marquee 
on  Saturday  night  when  he  was  assured  of 
crowds.  Opening  day  usher  toured  streets 
asking  what  was  playing  at  the  theatre  and 
proffering  passes  to  those  who  supplied  the 
correct  information;  those  who  didn't  know 
received  a  herald. 

Drug  store  featured  window  of  papier 
mache  stork  carrying  five  babies,  five  and 
ten  came  through  with  front  window  display 
entitled  "Babies  Must  Play"  with  every  con- 
ceivable kind  of  toy  and  rattle  shown.  Con- 
test was  run  in  paper  offering  tickets  to 
those  sending  in  best  letters  on  which  Quin 
they  would  chose  as  their  favorite  and  why. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Forsyth  Stages  Search 
For  Golden  Voices 

As  a  good-will  builder  for  the  Gaumont 
British  Theatres  in  London,  J.  Forsyth, 
publicity  chief  for  GB,  put  over  a  news- 
paper contest  sponsored  by  the  London 
News  Chronicle,  endeavoring  to  find  a 
"golden-voiced  girl"  and  a  "silver-voiced 
crooner."  One  of  each  was  chosen  from 
fifteen  different  sections  of  the  city  for  the 
semi-finals.  The  grand  finals  were  held  at 
the  circuit's  New  Victoria  and  Dominion 
Theatres. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Blackstone's  Coloring  Contest 

Merchant  in  town  cooperated  with  Harry 
Blackstone,  Regent  Theatre,  Arlington, 
Mass.,  offering  prizes  to  kids  for  a  "Littlest 
Rebel"  coloring  contest.  Blanks  were  dis- 
tributed at  stores,  each  of  which  featured  a 
Temple  display  week  ahead  of  playdate. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Essay  Contest  Planted 

By  Morrison  for  "January" 

Through  tieup  with  schools  and  news- 
paper, Mel  Morrison,  Strand,  Dover,  N.  H., 
planted  a  contest  for  "Captain  January"  on 
"Why  I  like  Shirley  Temple."  Tickets  go- 
ing to  winners,  with  English  supervisor  of 
schools  encouraging  and  aiding  the  children. 

Postcards  commending  the  picture  were 
mailed  from  New  York  City  hotel,  promoted 
lithographed  heralds  were  distributed,  as 
were  cards  paid  for  by  merchant's  ad  on 
reverse  side,  selling  the  picture  two  weeks 
ahead.  Bakery  devoted  window  to  display  of 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


Orphenm  Staff  Receiving  Reward  Checks 


Salmon's  "Captain  January"  Lobby  Display 


Fountain's  "Robin  Hood"  Street  Singers 


Holland's  "Bullets  or  Ballots"  Front 

a  Shirley  birthday  cake  plus  stills  and  play- 
dates. 

A  kiddie  doll  carriage  parade  was  held; 
first  prize  a  Temple  doll,  second  $2  in  cash 
and  next  five  received  guest  tickets.  Dress 
shop  tied  in  on  the  starlet  dresses,  featuring 
large  cutout  of  Shirley  wearing  one  of  the 
dresses  and  carried  picture  mention  in  ads. 


July    4 ,  1936 

Orpheum  Staff  Receives 
Checks  for  Bravery 

Accompanying  photo  shows  Victor  J. 
Morris,  managing  director  of  Loew's  Or- 
pheum, Boston,  presenting  checks  to  Fred 
Perry,  Vaughn  O'Neil  and  Gerald  Pelrin 
of  the  theatre  staff  for  their  bravery  in 
frustrating  an  attempted  holdup  at  the  the- 
atre recently.  Both  Perry  and  O'Neil  were 
each  given  $100,  while  Pelgrin  received 
$25.  Checks  were  sent  by  J.  R.  Vogel,  gen- 
eral manager  in  charge  of  theatre  operation 
for  Loew's,  who  paid  the  boys  glowing 
tribute  for  their  unusual  bravery. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Fountain  Uses  Street 
Singers  for  "Robin  Hood" 

For  his  advance  bally  on  "Robin  Hood 
of  El  Dorado,"  Lester  Fountain,  Broadway 
and  West  Coast  Theatres,  Santa  Ana,  Cal., 
used  his  house  staff,  which  included  a  trio 
of  instrumentalists  and  singers,  to  parade 
streets  serenading  merchants,  cafes  with 
Mexican  songs.  All  costumes,  acoutrements, 
etc.  were  promoted  by  his  staff  at  no  cost 
to  the  theatre. 

Les  says  the  stunt  was  very  colorful  and 
caused  much  comment  with  raids  on  banks 
and  sundry  gags. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Safety  Commissioners 
Tiein  with  Bechtoldt 

E.  C.  Bechtoldt,  Sanford  Theatre,  Irv- 
ington  N.  J.,  for  his  "Hit  and  Run  Driver" 
date,  contacted  Commissioner  of  Public 
Safety,  who  cooperated  on  the  campaign. 
Officer  in  charge  of  Irvington  junior  police 
and  safety  controls  assumed  responsibility 
of  having  announcements  made  in  all  four- 
teen schools. 

Police  traffic  Judge  Thomas  Holleran,  in 
addition  to  imposing  regular  punishment  and 
fines  to  traffic  violators  during  run  of  pic- 
ture, imposed  an  extra  fine — that  all  viola- 
tors must  attend  the  theatre. 

Papers  were  generous  with  breaks  and 
imprinted  safe  driving  rules  were  distrib- 
uted. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Unusual  "Times"  Contest 
Put  Over  by  Steffy 

A  reported  very  successful  contest  was 
put  on  by  Frank  Steffy  and  publicist  Don 
Alexander  at  the  State  in  Minneapolis  for 
"Modern  Times."  With  Minneapolis  Jour- 
nal tying  in,  a  six-day  contest  was  planted 
in  paper  for  which  cash  prizes  and  tickets 
were  awarded. 

First  day  pictures  of  various  kinds  of  der- 
bies were  run,  next  mustaches,  then  coats, 
hats,  canes,  etc.,  until  the  whole  outfit  had 
appeared  in  the  paper.  Contestants  were 
instructed  to  cut  out  each  day  what  they 
considered  the  correct  piece  of  attire  or 
feature,  save  them  and  assemble  a  whole 
Chaplin  at  the  end  of  the  contest. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Holland's  "Ballots"  Front 

An  attractive  front  was  created  by  Sid 
Holland,  Elco  Theatres,  Elkhart,  Ind.,  for 
"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (see  photo).  _  News- 
paper tear  sheets,  blowups  of  editorials, 
stills  and  cutouts  from  three  and  six  sheets 
formed  the  basis  of  the  display. 


July    4,  1936 

ILLUSION 


Up  in  Hartford,  Manager.  Jack  Simons  at 
Loew's  Poli  Theatre  attracts  plenty  of  atten- 
tion to  his  current  and  coming  attractions 
with  a  number  of  animated  illusion  displays 
in  the  lobby  and  prominent  windows.  Being 
especially  skilled  in  this  form  of  advertising, 
Simons  has  kindly  consented  to  describe 
some  of  his  most  successful. 

On  this  page  are  detailed  and  illustrated 
various  moving  illusions,  Jack  explaining 
how  they  are  put  together  and  operated. 

The  Dancing  Slippers 

The  dancing  slippers  is  accomplished  by 
setting  five  or  six  pairs  of  ladies  evening 
shoes  on  a  platform.  Behind  the  platform 
is  a  jet  black  drop.  Across  the  top  of  the 
set  and  out  of  sight  is  a  long  thin  iron  rod, 
connected  by  pulleys  to  a  motor  also  out 
of  sight.  A  black  thread  is  fastened  behind 
each  shoe  and  runs  up  to  the  top  of  the  rod. 
As  the  rod  revolves  by  means  of  the  pulley 
connected  to  the  motor,  it  automatically  lifts 
the  shoes  up  and  down  and  gives  them  the 
appearance  of  dancing. 

The  Floating  Cigar  Box 

This  is  a  highly  complicated  mechanical 
set-up  that  takes  a  lot  of  work.  As  the 
spectator  looks  upon  the  illusion  he  sees  a 
large  metal  frame  with  a  glass  front.  Behind 
this  a  box  of  cigars,  or  what  not,  appears 
to  be  floating  in  mid-air.  What  actually 
happens  is  this.  The  box  of  cigars  is  attached 
to  a  second  pane  of  glass  cut  in  an  oval 
shape.  This  oval  moves  in  a  circle  by  means 
of  a  small  motor  and  pulley.  Thus  the  box 
has  the  appearance  of  floating  in  mid-air. 
Looking  at  the  box  through  the  front  glass 
it  cannot  be  detected  that  the  box  is  at- 
tached to  a  second  pane  of  glass  directly 
behind  it  and  that  the  glass  moves  and  not 
the  box. 

Light  Bulb  on  Shoe  Lace 

A  very  effective  illusion  and  not  difficult 
to  make  is  the  electric  light  bulb  suspended 
from  a  shoe  string.  The  bulb  is  lit,  yet  there 
is  no  visible  connection.  To  accomplish  this, 
drill  through  the  metal  part  of  a  bulb  of  any 
wattage  and  run  the  finest  kind  of  silk  wire 
obtainable  into  the  bulb  and  fasten  the  ter- 
minals to  the  base  of  the  filaments.  Any 
house  electrician  can  do  this  in  five  minutes. 
Then  run  the  wire  up  through  the  center 
of  a  shoe  lace.  Tie  the  one  end  of  the  shoe 
lace  around  the  base  of  the  bulb  ending  up 
in  a  knot.  The  other  end  of  the  shoe  lace 
can  be  suspended  anywhere  but,  of  course, 
the  electric  wire  must  be  concealed  from  that 
point  on.  The  ends  of  this  wire  are  fastened 
to  a  male  plug-in  and  the  whole  thing  is 
then  ready  for  use. 

As  illustrated  in  the  photo  the  frame  from 
which  the  shoe  string  hangs  is  made  of  thin 
scrap  wood.  The  wire  coming  out  of  the 
upper  end  of  the  shoe  lace  is  then  pasted 
on  back  of  the  frame,  down  the  left  hand 
side  and  on  through  the  base  of  the  pedestal 
on  which  the  frame  stands.  From  that  point 
it  is  carried  to  a  wall  plug.  A  piece  of  heavy 
sticking  paper  is  then  run  over  the  entire 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 

IN  PICTUR 


Connecticut  Theatreman  Details 
Workings  of  Animated  Displays 
Found  Effective  At  the  Boxoffice 


The    Dancing  Shoes 


I 

The  Moving  Cigar  Box 


The  Light  Bulb  on  Shoe  Lace 


The  Crystal  Ball  Illusion 


71 

E  DISPLAY 


back  of  the  frame,  thus  concealing  the  wire. 
The  frame  is  then  painted  white,  front  and 
back  and  absolutely  defies  detection.  It  is 
a  fool-proof  illusion  that  gets  'em  every  time. 

The  Crystal  Ball  Illusion 

The  crystal  ball  illusion  is  accomplished 
in  the  following  manner.  On  a  platform 
sits  a  box-like  affair  with  a  hole  cut  out  of 
the  center.  A  good-sized  bottle  with  a  round 
bottom  or  belly  is  set  on  a  platform  behind 
the  face  of  the  box.  Thus,  only  the  lower 
part  of  the  bottle  shows  in  the  hole,  giving 
it  the  appearance  of  a  crystal  ball.  The  bottle 
is  filled  with  water.  Behind  this  is  a  heat 
wheel  with  coming  attractions  or  any  read- 
ing matter  pasted  onto  the  part  that  revolves. 
This  piece  of  mechanism  is  nothing  more 
than  an  electric  light  bulb  mounted  on  a  base 
with  a  piece  of  wire  extending  above  it  so 
that  cone  can  ride  on  top  of  it.  It  is  noth- 
ing more  than  the  novelty  lamps  that  are 
being  sold  everywhere,  depicting  Niagara 
Falls  in  action  or  a  forest  fire.  The  bottle 
is  filled  with  water,  which,  when  one  looks 
into  it  at  the  heat  wheel  in  the  back,  the 
reading  is  greatly  magnified.  Of  course, 
everything  is  out  of  view  and  it  is  difficult 
to  observe  how  the  reading  matter  fades  in 
and  out  of  the  "crystal"  ball. 

Sure  Winners 

Also  found  effective  by  Simons  was  a 
horse  race  slant  labeled  "Sure  Winner"  con- 
structed as  follows :  A  shadow  box  of  con- 
siderable depth  is  constructed  in  the  form 
of  a  horse  shoe.  The  cutouts  of  the  horses 
and  jockeys  are  in  front.  By  means  of  an 
electric  fan  and  pulley  arrangement  the 
horses  move  up  and  down  and  are  con- 
stantly in  motion,  this  requiring  nothing 
more  than  a  small  electric  fan  and  pulleys. 

Harold  Lloyd  Head 

In  front  of  a  jet  black  background  a  giant 
Harold  Lloyd  head  is  suspended  by  heavy 
black  threads.  If  the  scene  is  darkened  the 
thread  will  not  show.  Neon  glasses  are 
fastened  on  the  face  in  the  regular  way,  but 
the  electrical  apparatus  is  out  of  view,  the 
wire  for  the  connection  coming  out  from 
behind  the  back  drop.  The  tire  too  is  a 
deep  black. 

Something  to  Crow  About 

Using  a  photo  of  a  rooster  and  making 
the  head  and  leg  move  is  accomplished  by 
small  electro  magnets.  After  the  cutout  is 
made,  the  head  and  leg  or  whatever  part 
it  is  desired  to  have  move,  is  fastened  from 
behind  to  small  electro  magnets  with 
pendulum  arm. 

Floating  Cigar 

The  onlooker  sees  a  huge  object  sus- 
pended in  midair  with  a  hoop  continually 
passing  over  and  around  it  to  prove  there 
are  no  supports.  The  suspended  object  is 
held  in  place  by  a  rod,  attached  to  the  rear 
wall.  The  hoop  is  carried  on  a  belt  driven 
by  a  small  electric  motor.  While  the  spec- 
tator is  of  the  opinion  that  the  hoop  actually 
passes  around  the  object,  he  fails  to  see  that 
the  hoop  goes  only  as  far  as  the  supporting 
bar,  reverses  itself  and  then  goes  back. 


72 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


July    4  1936 


ON  OVERSEAS  PUBLICITY 


Says  That  Continental  Publicist 
Must  Be  Mentally  Acrobatic  and 
Endowed  with  Elephant  Memory 

by  EMILE  LUCAS 

Radio  Pub.  Dir.  for  Continental  Europe 


I  wish  I  could  find  a  snappy,  illuminating 
sentence  such  as  would  inform  a  busy  man, 
in  a  flash,  what  constitutes  publicity,  adver- 
tising and  exploitation  in  this  part  of  the 
world  without  his  having  to  read  the  whole 
of  this  article.  All  I  can  say  is  that  it  con- 
stitutes harder  work  than  most  people 
imagine  and  that  a  Publicity  man  in  charge 
of  Continental  Europe  and  the  Far  East 
must  be  capable  of  mental  acrobatics  en- 
dowed with  the  memory  of  an  elephant. 

With  roughly  28  nations  at  his  beck  and 
call,  each  one  speaking  a  different  language, 
it  stands  to  reason  that  an  Egyptian  editor 
can  hardly  claim  to  have  much  in  common 
with  his  colleague  in  the  city  of  the  Boule- 
vards. Likewise  a  Prague  editor  may  turn 
down  an  interview  of  a  potential  star  or 
a  thundering  film  magnate,  offered  him  for 
exclusive  publication,  whereas  some  of  his 
Scandinavian  colleagues  may  snatch  it  up . 
without  regret,  but  on  one  point  they  all 
seem  to  be  of  a  uniform  mind,  i.e. :  that 
stills  of  female  stars  suggesting  the  eerie 
or  the  deshabille"  are  considered  good  print- 
able material  almost  everywhere.  On  the 
other  hand,  stills  of  men  stars  receive  a 
lukewarm  reception  and  are  seldom  published 
unless  a  "peppy"  feminine  figure  happens 
to  adorn  the  background.  This,  very  prob- 
ably, is  due  to  the  predominance  of  the  male 
over  the  female  population,  which  in  most 
European  countries  still  prevails. 

Publicist  Must  Be  Multi-Lingual 

A  knowledge  of  various  languages  is  an 
absolute  necessity  for  a  successful  Conti- 
nental publicity  man.  Without  it  he  may 
just  as  well  pack  up  and  go  home.  Half 
of  his  battle  is  won  if  he  has  some  literary 
ability  of  his  own.  Editorial  fortresses,  im- 
pregnable otherwise,  open  their  doors  to  him 
and  he  seldom  finds  his  publicity  material 
thrown  to  the  four  winds. 

A  rough  idea  of  the  progress  made  by 
RKO-Radio's  publicity  in  Continental 
Europe  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that 
when  this  Department  started  its  activities 
we  had  a  total  of  2,000  lines  of  free  pub- 
licity in  December,  1934,  whereas  that  total 
reached  the  creditable  sum  of  120,000  by 
the  end  of  May,  1936.  Figures,  even  for 
the  non-statistically  inclined,  speak  for 
themselves  and  I  claim  that  the  name  of 
RKO-Radio  is,  at  this  writing,  at  the  top 
of  the  Continental  tree. 

Extensive  merchandising  tie-ups  such  as 
carried  out  in  America,  are  practically  un- 
known in  Continental  Europe  where  chains 
of  the  1,000,  or  2,000  stores,  do  not  exist. 
You  have  to  overcome  the  prejudices  of 
complex-ridden  and  old  fashioned  individual 
store  owners  before  you  can  achieve  a  tie-up 
worth  writing  home  about.  You  have  to 
talk  yourself  hoarse,  get  under  the  skin  of 
a  born  diplomat,  stand  on  your  head,  walk 
sideways,  swear  like  a  sailor,  drink  like  a 
fish  and  bring  flowers  to  bulbous  females, 
and  even  then  your  troubles  will  not  be 


over.  You  may  still  find  yourself,  heaven 
forbid,  holding  the  baby. 

On  the  side  of  advertising  I  hold  truth 
to  be  the  mainstay  of  our  policy.  We 
strive  to  avoid  inaccurate  and  bombastic 
statements,  descriptions  and  designs.  We 
contend  that  to  advertise  any  of  our  pic- 
tures, however  outstanding,  and  attract  the 
genuine  response  of  the  Continental  film- 
goer — who  no  longer  believes  in  the  fairy- 
tales of  yesterday — a  maximum  result  can 
only  be  achieved  by  restraint  and  simplicity 
in  our  copy.  Misrepresentation,  to  my 
mind,  is  a  fatuous  and  futile  weapon.  It 
may  have  worked  in  the  past,  but  it  is 
hopelessly  outclassed  by  the  more  progres- 
sive advertising  technique  of  today. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Films  Council  Aids 

Lewis  on  "Country  Doctor" 

Dionne  basket  standees  were  planted  in 
windows  about  town  by  Milton  Lewis,  city 
manager,  Majestic,  East  St.  Louis,  111.,  for 
"Country  Doctor."  Catchline  "The  screen's 
most  Blessed  Event"  was  used.  • 

Better  Films  Council  was  contacted  for 
cooperation,  giving  their  wholehearted  sup- 
port, devoting  entire  fifteen  minutes  of 
their  broadcasting  program  to  the  picture. 
Council  also  arranged  to  have  the  picture 
announced  in  schools,  and  medical  societies 
reminded  of  the  playdates. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

"Darkest  Africa"  Bally'd 

By  Youngsters  in  Panama  City 

Cooperating  with  the  Strand  Theatre  in 
Panama  City,  Lynn  Yost,  manager  of  the 
Republic  exchange  there,  sponsored  an  ex- 
ploitation campaign  in  connection  with  the 
serial  "Darkest  Africa."  Dressing  several 
youngsters  as  bat-men  with  huge  wings,  a 
truck  paraded  the  streets  with  orchestra  and 
the  boys  cutting  capers. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


24-SHEET  CURTAIN.  Sam  Shafer,  Dixie,  Roches- 
ter, N.  Y.,  cut  out  the  Quins  and  title,  from  a 
24-sheet  reassembled  them  and  sewed  the  paper 
to  his  curtain.     Entire  display  nine  by   15  feet. 


WINDOW  DISPLAY.  This  mighty  attractive  and 
conservative  window  display  was  secured  in  lead- 
ing department  store  by  Harvey  Cocks,  Strand, 
Akron,  for  "Golden  Arrow". 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Dick  Wright  Offers 
Some  "Cool"  Slants 

It's  true,  says  Dick  Wright,  Ohio  Warner 
district  manager  in  "Ohio  Mouthpiece," 
house  organ,  that  the  manager,  staff  and 
regular  patrons  are  aware  of  the  theatre's 
comforts  during  the  hot  days,  "but  are  you 
satisfied  in  your  own  mind  that  your  com- 
munity at  large  is  aware  of  the  fact," 
queries  the  Warner  head  who  sets  down 
some  angles  he  has  found  practical. 

Institutional  stories  in  papers  with  photos 
of  cooling  plant  under  the  caption,  "Here's 
What  Keeps  the  Blank  Theatre  Cool  These 
Days."  Use  of  lobby  board  with  photos  of 
plant  showing  various  important  points  with 
card  under  each  offering  brief  explanation. 

Window  display  card  at  drug  stores, 
fountains,  with  blow-up  of  girl  drinking  soda 
plus  stills  from  theatre  attraction  and  lead- 
off  copy — "Two  Places  to  Keep  Cool — At 
Our  Fountain  and  the  Blank  Theatre." 
Another  co-op  idea  is  tiein  with  beverage 
company  to  serve  soft  drinks  in  lobby.  An- 
other is  tiein  with  stores  on  ads  presenting 
summer  merchandise  and  services  with 
hookin  plugging  shopping  in  the  morning 
and  attendance  at  theatre  afterwards. 

Have  Doctors  Endorse  Plant 

By  mail  invite  leading  physicians  to  enjoy 
comfort  of  theatre  and  to  inspect  air-condi- 
tioning system.  Get  letters  from  them  stress- 
ing excellence  of  the  system  in  preventing 
colds,  etc.,  and  post  letters  in  lobby.  Have 
director  of  Weather  Bureau  pose  at  the  air- 
plant  and  plant  this  with  story  on  how 
he  envies  theatre  manager,  from  the  angle 
that  theatre  weather  is  manufactured. 

Announcements  in  ice  on  street  corners  as 
tiein  with  ice  company  with  delivery  trucks 
bannered  and  ads  carrying  copy — "Two 
Ways  to  Keep  Cool."  Place  attractive  bath- 
ing-suit girl  in  prominent  window  with 
camera  against  background  of  enlargement 
of  cooling  plant  with  "cool"  copy.  Have 
girl  snap  pictures  of  those  stopping  to  look 
in  window  and  post  some  of  the  snaps  next 
day  for  theatre  tickets. 

Front  porches  in  residential  districts  are 
the  popular  gathering  place  after  evening- 
dinner  and  to  take  advantage  of  this,  boys 
might  distribute  at  that  time  folders  with 
institutional  copy  with  photos  of  the  cool 
plant  with  urge  copy,  such  as  "C'Mon  Down 
and  Relax  in  Cool  Comfort,  etc." 


July    4,     19  3  6 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


73 


Barcelona  Papers  Stress 
Motion  Picture  Publicity 

All  Dailies  Reported  Giving  More  Space  to  Films  Than  Do  American  Sheets 


by  HARRY  CHAPIN  PLUMMER 

from  Barcelona 

Not  only  is  Barcelona  Spain's  greatest 
city  and  principal  seaport,  but  it  is  her  major 
industrial  center.  Not  less  than  60  per  cent 
of  the  manufacturing  in  the  staple  indus- 
tries of  this  country  is  concentrated  in  this 
city,  which  is  the  Peninsula's  chief  point  of 
mass  production.  Machinery,  textiles,  food- 
stuffs, glassware,  china,  porcelain  and  auto- 
motive vehicles  and  parts  and  almost  every 
phase  of  motion-picture  projection,  sound- 
recording,  studio  and  laboratory  and  theatre 
equipment  and  furnishings  are  but  items  in 
the  vast  industrial  program  of  Barcelona. 
Despite  its  superb  situation  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  Mediterranean,  however,  Bar- 
celona enjoys  relatively  inconsiderable  export 
outlets.  Other  centers  of  Spain's  agricultural 
areas,  such  as  Sevilla,  for  olives,  olive-oil 
and  wines,  Malaga,  Huelva,  Cadiz,  Valencia, 
Almeria,  Vigo,  Corruha,  Santander  and  Bil- 
bao— and  especially  the  latter — are  more 
favored  by  foreign  consumption,  and  in  the 
case  of  Bilbao,  not  alone  agrarian  products, 
but  coal,  iron  and  steel  and  many  high-grade 
manufactures  find  their  markets  overseas  or 
overland,  beyond  the  country's  frontiers,  in 
France  and  elsewhere.  However,  the  ex- 
cellent standard  of  quality  and  time-honored 
reputation  of  Barcelona's  industrial  produc- 
tion hold  for  the  city  its  long-established 
markets  throughout  the  region  of  Catalunya 
of  which  it  is  the  capital,  and  all  over  Spain, 
and  for  this  reason  imports  from  abroad  find 
it  exceedingly  difficult  to  penetrate,  let  alone 
hold,  the  national  or  regional  markets  in 
competition  with  "made  in  Barcelona"  goods. 
Motion-picture  films  and,  to  a  limited  extent, 
thus  far,  picture  equipment  and  theatre  in- 
stallations, provide  the  exception.  It  is  a 
well  known  fact,  of  course,  that  up  to  the 
moment  films  of  American  production  are 
preferred  by  the  Spanish  and  Catalan  pub- 
lic— original  English-language  versions  with 
screen-titling  in  Spanish  in  the  first-run  the- 
atres of  the  larger  capitals  and  dubbed  Span- 
ish-language versions  in  the  second-run  and 
lower-classes  houses  of  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, while  Spanish-language  pictures  filmed 
under  American  producers  and  directors  in 
Hollywood  and  in  Mexico  always  find  quick 
response,  despite  the  admitted  ascendancy  of 
Spanish  home  production. 

City  Is  Bi-Racial 

One  may  not  estimate  Barcelona's  position 
as  a  consumption  center  for  films  or  any 
other  foreign  product  without  taking  into 
account  the  city's  bi-racial  and  bi-lingual 
heritage.  Catalunya,  of  which  it  is  the  capi- 
tal, is  a  region  composed  of  several  provinces 
whose  people  are  of  distinct  ethnological 
origin  and  speak  a  language — not  a  dialect — 
that  is  related  to  Spanish,  as  it  is  to  French 
and  to  Italian,  but  that  is  different  in  its 
grammatical  construction  and  forms  of 
speech,  as  in  vocabulary,  from  Spanish  and 


Your  Showman's  Travelogue  series 
now  current  in  the  Round  Table  takes 
a  broad  jump  this  week  with  a  visit 
to  Spain  and  particularly  to  metro- 
politan and  cosmopolitan  Barcelona 
where  exploitation-minded  theatre- 
men  have  for  a  long  time  turned  out 
a  highly  commendable  grade  of  show- 
manship on  their  various  attractions. 

As  in  other  European  situations, 
the  trend,  according  to  correspondent 
Harry  Plummer,  is  to  high-power 
American  publicity  methods  and  these 
are  employed  frequently  in  cam- 
paigns comparable  in  effectiveness 
with  the  exploitations  on  this  side. 

—A-MIKE  VOGEL 


the  other  Romance  languages. 

Physically  and  in  temperament  the  Cata- 
lan is  more  akin  to  the  Nordic  races  than 
to  the  Latin,  and  although  there  is  on  every 
hand  evidence  of  admixture  through  suc- 
ceeding generations,  this  has  not  lessened 
one  whit  the  preponderant  influence  of  the 
Catalan  language,  which  is  the  official  me- 
dium of  the  regional  Parliament  and  of  the 
Ayuntamiento  de  Barcelona,  and  of  some  of 
the  courts,  as,  likewise,  of  all  divisions  of 
the  local  government  within  the  region.  Col- 
legiate and  public-school  curricula  are  bi- 
lingual— in  Spanish  and  Catalan.  Thus,  in 
Barcelona  and  throughout  Catalunya,  one 
finds  a  parallel  of  the  status  of  Quebec 
Province  and  city  to  the  rest  of  Canada — a 
people  of  French  origin,  speaking  the  of- 
ficially recognized  French,  within  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  mass  of  a  British  dominion.  Or  that 
of  the  Celtic  Bretons  maintaining  their  ra- 
cial traditions  and  tongue  within  the  Gallic 
majority  of  the  French  republic. 

Barcelona  counts  a  population  of  approxi- 
mately 1,500,000,  of  which  75  per  cent  are 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


ADVANCE  LOBBY.  Special  advance  lobby  dis 
play  of  newspaper  leaser  ads  and  publicity  squibs 
was  used  by  Herman  Starr,  Fox  Hackensack 
Theatre,  Hackensack,  N.  J.,  for  "Country  Doctor." 


working  elements  of  varying  grades  and  de- 
grees. Another  10  per  cent  of  the  population 
would  account  for  the  suburban  areas  from 
which  the  city's  larger  and  more  important 
cinemas  draw  their  attendance — the  neigh- 
borhoods of  the  metropolis  and  each  subur- 
ban "pueblo,"  or  town  or  village,  have  their 
abundance  of  local  picture-theatres,  so  that 
only  the  big  first-run  houses  in  the  city's 
center  may  count  upon  a  clientele  from  the 
outlying  sections.  Naturally  that  clientele 
is  limited  to  outstanding  film  offerings  and 
attractions  of  a  special  character.  While 
Barcelona  is  an  outlet  and  market  center  for 
vast  agricultural,  as  well  as  manufacturing, 
areas,  but  a  minor  proportion  of  the  popu- 
lation of  these  ever  finds  its  way  into  the 
city  cinemas  or  legitimate  houses.  Local 
cinemas,  in  particular,  are  sufficient  to  meet 
the  need  for  entertainment  and  the  lack  of 
any  organized  drama  movement  in  the  Cata- 
lan tongue  either  within  or  without  Barce- 
lona precludes  the  possibility  of  a  "theatre 
commuting"  public  such  as  has  proved  to  be 
a  box-office  factor  in  the  major  American 
cities. 

Transportation  Called  Excellent 

Unskilled  workers  constitute  by  far  the 
majority  of  the  employed  population  of  Bar- 
celona and  its  environs — 60  per  cent  would 
be  a  conservative  estimate,  but  technical 
and  skilled  workers  would  make  up  another 
20  per  cent,  confined  principally  to  the  city 
proper  and  another  15  per  cent  would  be 
accounted  for  by  the  "white  collar"  em- 
ployee, leaving  five  per  cent  for  "intellec- 
tuals"— artists,  newspaper  and  research 
workers,  professors,  teachers,  librarians  and 
those  assisting  them  and  representing  a 
higher  standard  of  education. 

Since  the  March  Spanish  elections,  the 
Region  of  Catalunya  enjoys  an  autonomous 
form  of  government,  with  the  regional  Par- 
liament centered  at  Barcelona.  The  control 
of  theatre  operation  is  vested  chiefly  in  the 
Ayuntamiento,  or  municipality,  of  Barce- 
lona, which  assesses  a  direct  tax  of  ten  per 
cent  upon  gross  receipts,  while  houses  hav- 
ing an  admission  scale  of  more  than  one 
peseta  (7.36c  at  current  U.  S.  exchange) 
pay  a  regional  tax  of  three  per  cent  upon 
seating  capacity.  Thus  a  house  of  1,000 
seats  presenting  four  shows  daily,  with  an 
admission  price  of  three  pesetas,  would  be 
assessed  at  12,000  seats  and  pay  a  tax  of 
360  pesetas  par  day,  which  is  passed  on  to 
the  attending  public.  In  addition  to  these 
are  a  mendicity  tax  (for  infant  relief)  of 
five  per  cent  of  receipts  while  the  authors' 
royalties  for  Catalunya  are  fixed  at  1.25  per 
cent  on  seating  capacity.  A  50  per  cent 
discount  is  allowed  upon  the  payment  of  the 
governmental  taxes  in  advance. 

Barcelona  enjoys  exceptionally  good  and 
frequent  transportation  service.  There  are 
metro  (subway)  systems  tapping  the  main 
avenues  of  pedestrian  traffic  and  trolley  sys- 

(Continued  on  following  fiape) 


74 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,    193  6 


MORE  ON  BARCELONA  HOUSES 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

tern  gridirons  the  city  and  the  nearer 
suburbs,  while,  in  turn,  'bus  lines  are  active 
competitors  with  the  electric  railways  both 
within  and  without  the  city  limits.  All  fares 
are  gauged  by  zone  systems,  with  0.15 
peseta  for  the  first  zone — a  distance  about 
equivalent  to  that  from  South  Ferry  to  14th 
Street  in  New  York — and  subsequent  zones 
on  the  same  trip  scaled  at  five  to  10  centi- 
mos,  according  to  the  character  of  the  runs. 
The  taxi  operation  is  both  complete  and 
inexpensive,  and  many  cinema  patrons  pro- 
ceed to  their  first-run  or  second-run  house 
in  family  or  "Dutch  treat"  groups  and, 
dividing  their  taxi  fare  equally,  find  the 
transportation  but  a  nominal  addition  to  the 
collective  admission  charge. 

Low  garage  space  for  the  theatre  hours 
and  abundant  free  space  in  the  streets  in 
front  or  immediately  adjacent  provide  park- 
ing accommodations  for  motorists  attending 
the  cinemas  in  both  the  central  and  outly- 
ing sections  of  the  city.  Owing  to  the  situa- 
tion upon  congested  traffic  arteries  of  the 
Capitol  and  the  Catalunya,  two  of  the  larger 
downtown  first-run  theatres,  the  parking  of 
cars  presents  more  of  a  problem,  but 
within  a  block  or  two,  in  the  ample  spaces 
of  the  Plaza  Catalunya,  accommodations  are 
available  for  the  cars  of  patrons  of  both. 

Managers'  Outside  Activities  Limited 

There  are  less  than  ten  first-run  houses 
and  a  slightly  greater  number  of  second- 
runs,  but  there  are  145  cinemas  of  lesser 
category  and  these  range  from  small  neigh- 
borhood establishments  seating  an  average 
of  500  to  big  caravanseries,  one-time  legiti- 
mate theatres  of  the  second  or  third-class 
and  now  converted  into  what  the  trade 
styles  "shooting-galleries." 

The  Femina,  the  Coliseum  and  the  As- 
toria, leading  first-run  cinemas  more  nearly 
comparable  to  the  de-luxe  houses  of  the 
United  States,  and  under  the  direct  control, 
respectively,  of  the  Metro,  Paramount  and 
Radio  Spanish  affiliate  companies,  have 
resident  managers,  whose  operation  policy, 
naturally,  is  governed  by  those  entities. 
Rarely  does  any  of  the  three  show  films 
other  than  those  distributed  by  the  con- 
trolling factors  and  the  publicity  and  adver- 
tising policy  of  each  dove-tails  with  that 
of  the  distributing  unit  it  represents.  All 
other  houses,  first-run  and  subordinate,  are 
independent  of  distributor  control,  although 
present  indications  point  to  the  acquirement 
by  the  principal  American  distributors  of 
second-run  outlets  with  the  beginning  of  the 
1936-37  season.  The  Catalunya,  while  occa- 
sionally showing  20th  Century-Fox  produc- 
tions, is  generally  accepted  as  the  teatro  de 
estreno  for  native  Spanish  productions  and 
this  theatre  was  the  scene  of  the  premieres, 
this  season,  of  two  outstanding  Spanish- 
produced  films — "Nobleza  Batura"  and  "Mo- 
rena  Clara" — each  of  which  enjoyed  a  four 
weeks'  run  there.  The  Capitol  about  divides 
its  American  bookings  between  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox and  Warner  Brothers-First  Na- 
tional attractions,  with  Columbia  and  Uni- 
versal closely  following,  while  the  Maryland 
shows  Warner  Brothers-First  National  and 


Columbia  pictures  and  the  Urquinaona 
Metro,  Fox,  Warner  Brothers-First  Na- 
tional, United  Artists  and  Universal  attrac- 
tions. Warner  films  have  recently  appeared 
also  in  the  Poliorama,  a  former  legitimate 
theatre  famous  for  its  stage  successes,  but 
now  converted  into  a  cinema.  The  Fantasio 
is  a  frequent  scene  of  Fox  first-runs.  Be- 
sides the  Urquinaona,  United  Artists  books 
its  attractions  at  the  Coliseum,  of  which 
S.  D.  Romano  is  manager,  but  which  is 
devoted  mainly  to  Paramount  films,  with 
occasional  French  importations. 

The  Capitol,  a  leading  first-run  house,  and 
the  Kursaal,  one  of  the  largest  and  best- 
situated  second-runs,  are  key  theatres  of 
syndicate  chains,  the  proprietor  of  the 
former,  Antonio  Sole,  heading,  also,  the 
Excelsior,  Audion,  Condal,  San  Andres  and 
two  smaller  houses  in  the  Pueblo  Nuevo, 
and  Jose  La  Farga,  operating  also  the  Iris 
Park,  Cine  Barcelona,  Padro  and  Bohemia. 
Two  other  important  chains  are  headed  re- 
spectively by  Francisco  Benages  and,  as  a 
co-partnership,  Francisco  Fernandez  and 
Otto  Lehman. 

Community  and  social  activities  of  the 
proprietors  or  managers  of  theatres,  large 
or  small,  for  the  express  purpose  of  fur- 
thering their  business  objectives,  are  not 
developed  in  Barcelona  or  elsewhere  in 
Spain  as  in  the  United  States.  Many  of  the 
executives  of  the  more  important  houses 
are  members  of  leading  clubs  and  various 
social  and  business  organizations,  but  their 
influence  is  rarely  exerted  in  a  community 
sense,  although  virtually  all  are  members  of 
the  Asociacion  de  Empresarios  de  Especta- 
culos  de  Catalunya,  the  exhibitor  organiza- 
tion, with  headquarters  in  this  city. 

Theatres  Are  Nicely  Appointed 

The  city's  chief  first-run  houses  and  the 
better-known  second-runs  are  nicely  ap- 
pointed. Scrupulous  cleanliness  and  excel- 
lent ventilation  prevail,  with  heating  in  the 
winter  months  and  refrigeration  in  the  sum- 
mer, but,  excepting  the  Astoria,  Femina 
and  Coliseum,  none  is  in  any  way  compar- 
able, for  luxurious  and  super-scientific 
standards,  with  the  principal  picture  theatres 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?' 


BABY  HEADQUARTERS.  This  snappy  drugstore 
window  was  promoted  by  G.  N.  Turner,  Family 
Theatre,  Pine  City,  Minn.,  for  "Country  Doc- 
tor".   Store    also    prepared    display    for  lobby. 


of  American  cities.  Western  Electric  and 
R.  C.  A.  Photophone  sound  and  projection 
systems  prevail  in  the  distributor-controlled 
houses  and  in  many  other  first  and  second- 
run  theatres,  while  many  of  the  houses  of 
lesser  rank,  including,  even,  some  of  the 
"shooting-galleries"  are  equipped  with  the 
former.  Tobis  Klang-film  and  Orpheo- 
Sincronic,  respectively  German  and  Spanish, 
prevail  in  most  of  the  others,  while  make- 
shift sound-projection  still  rasps  the  ears 
and  nerves  of  the  patrons  of  smaller  units 
where  the  admission  prices  are  nil. 

The  first-run  theatres  have  an  average 
top  of  5.50  pesetas,  (about  72  cents)  with 
slight  advances  for  Sundays  and  the  more 
important  holidays  —  Easter,  Christmas, 
April  14  (the  Birthday  of  the  Republic) 
and  October  12  (The  Day  of  the  Iberian 
Race),  but  such  outstanding  attractions  this 
season  as  "Top  Hat,"  "Midsummer  Night's 
Dream,"  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty,"  "The 
Milky  Way,"  "Desire,"  "The  Littlest  Rebel," 
ran  much  higher,  two  or  three  of  them 
scaling  to  10  pesetas,  a  good  figure  for  first 
class  stage  attractions  in  this  city  and 
approaching  the  grand  opera  level.  Second- 
run  and  neighborhood  cinemas,  however, 
fall  away  below  these  figures  and  from  one 
peseta  to  as  low  as  0.30  peseta  for  the  "gen- 
eral" section  are  fair  averages  in  the  ma- 
jority of  houses  of  lesser  rank. 

Legitimate  theatre  competition  in  Barce- 
lona is  not  a  serious  factor  in  cinema  cal- 
culations, except  when  an  outstanding  pro- 
duction with  ranking  stars  comes  from 
Madrid.  Then,  despite  the  advanced  price 
scale,  the  attendance  drawn  away  from  the 
picture  theatres  is  to  be  reckoned  with.  But 
the  outdoor  attractions,  peculiarly  favored 
by  Spain's  splendid  climate  —  bull-fights, 
football  and  baseball,  rapidly  increasing  in 
popular  favor,  golf,  swimming  and  motor- 
boating  and  all  manner  of  sports — as  well  as 
wrestling  and  boxing  matches  and  the 
fronton  (pelota)  indoor  arena  attractions, 
all  well  organized  here,  show  an  ever-ad- 
vancing competition. 

Papers  Stress  Publicity 

The  Barcelona  newspapers  feature  the 
cinema,  both  in  news  and  advertising  to  an 
infinitely  greater  extent  than  do  metropoli- 
tan dailies  in  the  United  States.  The  38-page 
"Vanguardia,"  the  city's  principal  morning 
issue,  runs  from  three  to  four  full  pages  of 
film  news,  none  of  it,  however,  syndicated, 
but,  apart  from  the  reviews,  virtually  all 
supplied  by  the  distributor  and  exhibitor 
units,  American,  Spanish  and  European, 
and  some  of  it  directly  coming  from  Holly- 
wood and  New  York.  Interspersed  with  this 
news  are  one  and  two-column  displays  of 
the  week's  first-runs  and  even  some  second- 
runs,  while  virtually  all  of  the  syndicate 
and  individual  third,  fourth  and  fifth  run 
cinemas,  even  to  those  of  lowest  admission 
level,  are  represented  in  an  advertising  di- 
rectory of  film  attractions.  All  of  the  morn- 
ing and  evening  newspapers  devote  a  greater 
proportion  of  space  to  the  motion-picture 
theatres  than  do  the  American  papers.  For 
this  reason  the  weekly  spread  familiar  to 
readers  in  America  is  unknown,  due  mainly 

(.Continued  on  following  page) 


July    4,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


75 


•  p  er«oniiliticf 


BERNARD  CALDWELL 
assistant  of  the  Carolina,  Spartanburg, 
S.  C,  has  been  made  manager  of  the 
Criterion,  succeeding  PAT  McSWAIN. 
JUDSON  B.  JOHNSON  replaces  Caldwell 
at  the  Carolina. 

V 

RALEIGH  SHARROCK 
at  the  Palace  in  Morrilton,  Ark.,  dropped 
in  to  get  acquainted  and  we  sure  were  glad 
to  see  him. 

V 

MAX  SILVER  WATCH 
from  the  Warner  house  in  Waverly,  Mass., 
was  another  Round  Tabler  to  drop  in  and 
say  hello. 

V 

GUY  MARTIN 

district  manager  headquartering  at  the  Col- 
fax in  South  Bend,  Ind.,  paid  us  a  long 
anticipated  visit. 

V 

BOB  MALLON 

has  gone  to  Parsons,  Kan.,  as  manager  of 
the  Dickinson  and  Uptown  theatres. 

V 

HOWARD  WALTER 

formerly  at  Paola  is  now  managing  the 
Dickinson  at  Osawatomie,  Kan. 

V 

J.  C.  WEIGAND 

formerly  at  Osawatomie  goes  to  the  Dickin- 
son at  Osage  City,  Kan.,  and  R.  D.  BUR- 
DICK,  formerly  assistant  at  the  Dickinson 
at  Lawrence,  Kan.,  has  taken  over  the 
Dickinson  at  Paola,  Kan. 

V 

WALTER  ROSE 

former  manager  of  the  Paramount  in  North 
Adams,  Mass.,  is  now  managing  the  Palace 
in  Pittsfield,  Mass. 

V 

GILBERT  F.  McKEON 

has  succeeded  Jack  Diver  at  the  Avalon 

Theatre  in  the  Bronx. 

V 

JOE  WALLACE 

formerly  assistant  at  the  State  in  Paterson, 
N.  J.,  is  now  managing  the  Wyckoff  in 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

V 

D.  B.  AUSTELL 

formerly  manager  of  the  Strand  in  Spartan- 
burg, S.  C,  has  been  transferred  to  the 
Paramount  in  Concord,  N.  C. 

V 

EDWARD  DOWLING 
formerly  manager  of  the  Palace,  Pittsfield, 
Mass.,  has  been  named  resident  manager  of 
the  Capitol. 

V 

HARRY  S.  McLEOD 

for  the  past  three  years  manager  of  the  St. 
Charles  in  New  Orleans,  La.,  has  resigned 
to  accept  a  similar  position  at  the  New 
Strand. 

V 

HANK  HAROLD 

of  Warner  Brothers  Cleveland  Theatres 
dropped  into  club  headquarters  to  see  us. 

V 

EDWARD  HARRISON 

former  resident  manager  of  the  Capitol  in 

Pittsfield,  Mass.,  has  resigned. 

V 

ANNA  BELL  WARD 
assistant  general  manager  and  director  of 
the  Phoenix  Amusement  Co.  in  Lexington, 
Ky,  announces  that  they  have  purchased  the 
Tabb  Theatre,  in  Mt.  Sterling,  Ky. 


Created  by  C.  M.  Griepenburg,  Elks  Theatre, 
Rapid  City,  S.  D.,  is  this  attractive  poster  of  Jean 
Harlow,  background  done  in  black,  face  in  dark 
red  down  to  yellow,  hair  in  oranges,  yellows  and 
white  with  the  dress  in   blues  and  white. 

Showmen 's 
Calendar 

AUGUST 

1st  Beginning  of  World  War— 1914 
Colorado  Admitted  to  Union — 
1876 

2nd        Myrna   Loy's  Birthday 

3rd        Dolores  Del  Rio's  Birthday 

5th       Tennyson,  Poet,  Born — 1809 

Francis  Scott  Key,  Poet,  Born — 

1780 

7th       Ann  Harding's  Birthday 
8th       Sylvia  Sidney's  Birthday 
1 0th        Missouri    Admitted    to    Union — 
1821 

Norma  Shearer's  Birthday 
Nth        Hobart  Bosworth's  Birthday 

Jean  Parker's  Birthday 
12th       Ann  Dvorak's  Birthday 
13th        Gene  Raymond's  Birthday 
14th        Robert  Woolsey's  Birthday 
15th       Panama  Canal  Opened — 1914 

Sir  Walter  Scott  Born— 1771 

Napoleon  Bonaparte  Born — 1769 
17th       Mae  West's  Birthday 

1st  Atlantic  Cable  Message  Sent 

—  1858 

19th        Mme  Du  Barry  Born— 1587 
20th        Benjamin    Harrison — 23rd  Presi- 
dent Born — 1833 
26th        1st  Kindergarten  in  America  Est. 
in  St.  Louis— 1873 
19th   Amendment   gave  suffrage 
to  Women — 1920 
28th       Alice  White's  Birthday 
29th       Oliver  Wendell   Holmes   Born — 
1809 

31st        Fredric    March's  Birthday 
Bert  Wheeler's  Birthday 


Barcelona  Theatres 
Have  Ace  Publicists 

{Continued  from  preceding  page) 

to  the  fact  that  no  one  day  of  the  week,  such 
as  Sunday,  is  featured  by  an  issue  of  un- 
usual size.  All  newspaper  publication  is  sus- 
pended on  Monday  morning  and  Sunday 
evening  throughout  Spain  and  a  four-page 
"Hoja  Oficial"  (Official  Sheet),  with  lim- 
ited cinema  advertising  and  virtually  no 
reading  matter,  issued  by  the  local  press 
association  of  each  of  the  principal  cities, 
presents  the  national,  foreign  and  local  news. 

While  all  of  the  distributor  organizations 
and  exhibiting  chains  and  major  units  are 
equipped  with  publicity  departments  headed 
by  experienced  "live  wire"  newspaper  men 
and  while  these  keep  the  press  fully  supplied 
with  propaganda  material,  the  "tie-up," 
either  with  newspapers  or  with  organiza- 
tions and  retail  merchants  does  not  represent 
the  advanced  stage  of  development  that  it 
does  in  the  United  States  and  Canada,  due 
to  the  traditional  conservatism  of  the  Span- 
ish and  Catalan  peoples.  Despite  this  in- 
herent handicap,  however,  attractions  of  the 
principal  American  distributors  and  those, 
also,  of  the  Spanish  Cifesa  and  Iberica,  the 
latter  now  releasing  through  United  Artists, 
through  the  season  now  closing,  in  particu- 
lar, showed  a  distinct  trend  to  the  "high- 
power"  publicity  methods  of  American 
showmanship. 

Exploitation  Is  High-Powered 

Outstanding  examples  of  this  trend  were 
to  be  seen  in  the  publicity  attending  the  re- 
cent estrenos  of  "The  Littlest  Rebel,"  with 
a  nation-wide  "Shirley  Temple  double"  con- 
test offering  a  5,000-peseta  and  silver-cup 
award  that  gained  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
dollars  of  free  newspaper  and  radio  pub- 
licity; of  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty,"  featured 
by  an  exhibition  under  quasi-official  aus- 
pices with  genuine  buccaneer  relics,  models 
and  charts  and  stills  of  the  coming  and  cur- 
rent attraction  and  those  to  follow  at  the 
Femina  and  including  a  branch  box-office ; 
of  "Top  Hat,"  "Roberta"  and  "Gay  Di- 
vorcee" with  veritable  climax-building  cam- 
paigns that  had  for  their  principal  motif 
the  public  registering  of  the  Astaire-Rogers 
songs  and  dances ;  of  "The  Milky  Way," 
"Wings  in  the  Night"  and  "Desire"  and,  by 
way  of  appropriate  contrast  in  technique,  of 
"A  Midsummer  Night's  Dream,"  which,  for 
superlatively  good  taste  and  restraint,  won 
the  admiration  of  the  discriminating  musical 
and  artistic  elements  of  this  city  and  Madrid 
and  the  major  centres  of  the  republic. 

All  first-runs  are  covered  by  ample  re- 
views in  the  leading  newspapers  by  com- 
petent and  experienced  critics  specializing 
in  cinema  history  and  evolution  and  while 
the  reviewers  patriotically  strive  to  encour- 
age the  national  production  of  the  Spanish 
studios,  they  do  not  hesitate  to  bear  heavily 
upon  mediocre  offerings  in  acting  and  tech- 
nique. In  the  main  they  treat  justly  and 
fairly  the  average  run  of  American  and 
European  films  and  not  infrequently  acclaim 
unstintedly  the  bigger  features  coming  from 
Hollywood. 


76 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


July    4 ,  1936 


MEET  UP  WITH  SOME  MEMBERS 


Jack  Albertson 
(above) 

Indiana  Theatre 
Indiana  Harbor,  Ind. 


Arlie  Crites 
(below) 

Rig,  Rex  and  Circle 
Borger,  Texas 


Sid  Levine 
(below) 

Division  Manager 
Randforce  Circuit 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


Raymond  Hasselo 
(above) 

Palace  Theatre 
Alton,  Iowa 


Mel  Scott 
(above) 

Moorhead  Theatre 
Moorhead,  Minn 


Lou  Smith 
(below) 
Ritz  Theatre 
Bronx,  N.  Y. 


Harry  Davey 
Division  Manager 
Randforce  Circuit 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


Clarence  Bosch 
Granada  Theatre 
Milwaukee,  Wis. 


George  Heliotes 
Rialto  Theatre 
Ft.  Wayne,  Ind. 


Mort  Margulies 
College  Theatre 
Toronto,  Ont. 


Al  Swett 
Empire  Theatre 
Salem,  Mass. 


Frank  Shaffer 
Virginia  Theatre 
Harrisonburg,  Va. 


Mort  Goodman 
Warner's  Hippodrome 
Cleveland,  Ohio 


Oscar  Brotman 
Avaloe  Theatre 
Chicago,  111. 


Max  Cadwalader 
Rialto  Theatre 
Bushnell,  111. 


William  Herron 
Victor  Theatre 
McKeesport,  Pa. 


Marvin  Harris 
Orpheum  Theatre 
Springfield,  111. 


George  Langbart 
Division  Manager 
Randforce  Circuit 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


R.  E.  Richardson 
Roxy  Theatre 
Yorkton,  Sask.,  Can. 


David  Schaer 
Imperial  Theatre 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


Carl  Sherred 
Strand  Theatre 
Cumberland,  Md 


John  Tucker 
Park  Theatre 
Roselle  Park,  N.  J. 


Don  Smith 
Royal  Theatre 
St.  Paul,  Kan. 


Tikis  Valos 
Retlaw  Theatre 
Fond  du  Lac,  Wis. 


July    4,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


77 


THE  RELEASE  CHART 


Productions  are  listed  according  to  the  names  of  distributors  in  order  that  the  exhibitor  may  have  a  short-cut  towards  such 
information  as  he  may  need,  as  well  as  information  on  pictures  that  are  coming.  Features  now  in  work  or  completed  for  release 
later  than  the  date  of  this  issue  are  listed  under  "Coming  Attractions."  Running  times  are  those  supplied  by  the  companies. 
Asterisk  indicates  running  time  as  made  known  by  West  Coast  studio  before  announcement  by  home  office  in  New  York.  Varia- 
title  denotes  audience  classification  of  production:  (A)  Adult,  (G)  General.  Numerals  following  audience  classification  are  pro- 
tions  also  may  be  due  to  local  censorship  deletions.  Dates  are  1935,  unless  otherwise  specified.  Letter  in  parenthesis  after 
duction  numbers.    Dagger  symbol  indicates  picture  is  of  the  1935-36  season. 


ACADEMY  Running  Tim* 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi  Duna   ..Jan.    24,'36t  70. Jan.   25, "S» 

Revolt  of  the  Zombies  Dorothy  Stone-Dean  Jagger  May   20,'36t. ..  .60. June  I3,'36 


Coming 


Inter-national  Crime  .... 

Millions  for  Defense  

Murder  in  Chinatown  

Secret  of  Scotland  Yard. 
Slave  Ship   


AMBASSADOR-CONN 


Title  Star 

Black  Gold   Frankie  Darro-Berton  Churchill 

Born  to  Fight  Frankie  Darro-Jack  La  Rue  

His  Fighting  Blood  Kermit  Maynard- 

Polly  Ann  Young  Oct. 

Phantom  of  Death  Valley  Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. .  .May 

Phantom  Patrol   Kermit  Maynard- Joan  Barclay  May 

Song  of  the  Trail  Kermit  Maynard -Evelyn  Brent. 

Timber  War   Kermit  Maynard-Lucllle  Lund. 

Valley  of  Wanted  Men  Frankie  Darro-Grant  Withers.. 


Rel. 

.Jan. 
.  Apr. 


Feb. 
.  Nov. 
.Oct. 


Running  Time 
Date  Minutes 

20/36t  

I3,'36t  


Wildcat  Trooper   Kermit  Maynard-H.  Bosworth  June 

Coming 

China  Flight   July 

Racing  Blood   Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond ...  Aug. 

Robin   Hood,  Jr  Aug. 


5  

I5,'36t... 

3/36t... 
24,*36t... 

20  

20t  

I0,'36t..  . 


I5,'36t. 
I,'36t. 
I,'36t. 


BURROUGHS-TARZAN  Running  Time 
Title                                    Star                                  Ret.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Drag   Net.   The  Rod   LaRocaue-Marian   Nixon  Apr.  I5,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  15, '36.) 

Phantom  of  Santa  Fe,  The  Nina  Quartaro- Norman  Kerry  June  30/361  

(all  color) 

Tundra   Del  Cambre   July  20,'36t  

Coming 

3  Wise  Monks  Aug.  l/36t  


Title 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


CELEBRITY 

Star 

Coming 

For  Love  of  You  Franco    Foresta    -    Riscoe  and 

Wayne   60  

Kiss  Me  Goodbye  (G)  Magda  Schneider  -  Riscoe  and 

Wayne   62  Dec.  14 


CHESTERFIELD 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

August  Week-end   Valerie  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley, 

Jr  Apr.  25,'36  

Below  the   Deadline  Cecilia  Parker- Russell  Hopton. . . .  June  l,'36t  

Dark  Hour,  The  Ray  Walker-Irene  Ware  Jan.    I5,'36t  64  

False  Pretenses  (G)  Sidney  Blackmer- Irene  Ware  Oct.    22  66  Nov.  23 

Lady  in  Scarlet,  The  Reginald  Denny-Patricia  Farr....Oct.    15  62  

Little  Red  Schoolhouse  Dickie  Moore-Junior  Coghlan . .  . .  Mar.  2.'36t....66  

Ring  Around  the  Moon  (G)  Erin  O'Brien-Moore-Donald 

Cook   Dec.    I5t  64. Mar.  28.'36 

Coming 

Lady    Luck   Patricia  Farr-Wm.  Bakewell   


COLUMBIA 


Title 

And    So   They   Were  Married 

(G)  

Avenging  Waters   

Calling  of  Dan  Matthew  (G).. 
Case  of  the  Missinp  Man,  The. 

Cattle  Thief,  Th»   

Counterfeit   

(See  "Queer  Money,"  "In 
Crime  aid  Punishment  (A)  

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25. '36. 

Dangerous  Intrigue   

Devil's  Squadron  (G)  

Don't  Gamble  with  Love  (G).. 
Eeeape  from  Devil's  Island  (G). 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


Mary  Astor-Melvyn    Douglas. ....  May 

Ken   Maynard -Beth   Marlon  ..May 

Richard  Arlcn -Charlotte  Wynters . .  Dec. 

Roger  Pryor-Joan  Perry  Oct. 

Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell ...  Feb. 
Chester  Morrls-Margot  Grahame. .  June 
the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2, '36.) 

Peter  Lorre-Edward  Arnold  Nov. 

p.  63.) 

Ralph  Bellamy-Gloria  Shea  Jan. 

Richard  Dix- Karen  Morley  May 

Bruce  Cabot-Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Victor  Jory- Florence  Rice  Nov. 


I0.'36t. 
8,'36t. 
I0t.... 
1 5t  


.  75 .  Apr. 

.56  

.65. Feb. 
.58  


18. '36 


I, '36 


28,'36t  57. 

I2.*36t  74. 


20t  89....  Nov.  SO 

4,'36t.. .  .57  

I.'36t  80.  May  16/36 

l5.'36t....63.Mar.  I4,'36 
I0t  65....0ee.  14 


Title  star  Rel 

Feather  In  Her  Hat,  A  Pauline   Lord-Louis   Hayward. .  .  .Oct. 

Final  Hour,  The  M.  Churchill-Ralph  Bellamy  July 

Fugitive  Sheriff,  The  Ken  Maynard-Beth  Marion  June 

Gallant   Denfender   Charles  Starrett-Joan  Perry  Nov. 

Grand  Exit   Ann  Sothern-Edmund  Lowe  Oct. 

Heir  to  Trouble  Ken  Maynard-Joan  Perry  Sept. 

Hell  Ship  Morgan  (G)  George  Bancroft-Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Heroes  of  the  Range  Ken   Maynard-June   Gale  Mar. 

If  You  Could  Only  Cook  Jean  Arthur-Herbert  Marshall. ..  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25, '36.  p.  64.) 

King  Steps  Out,  The  (G)  Grace   Moore- Franchot   Tone  May 

Lady   of   Secrets  Ruth  Chatterton-Otto  Kruger  Jan. 

Lawless  Riders  (G)  Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell. ..  Dec. 

Lone  Wolf  Returns,  The  (G).Melvyn  Douglas-Gail  Patrick.  ..Dec. 
Mine  With  the  Iron  Door,  The 

(G)   Richard  Arlen-Cecilia  Parker.. 

Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town  (G)..Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  


.  .May 
. .  Apr. 

(Exploitation:    May  30, '36,  p.  90;  June  6, '36,  p.  120;  June  20, 
June  27, '36,  p.  80.) 
Music  Goes  'Round,  The  (G).Rochelle  Hudson-Harry  Richman. .  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7, '36,  p.  95;  Mar.  21, '36.  p.  96;  Mar.  28, '36. 
May  2, '36,  p.  94;  May  9, '36,  p.  90;  May  16, '36,  p.  82;  June  6,' 

Mysterious  Avenger   Charles  Starrett-Joan   Perry  Jan. 

One  Way  Ticket  Lloyd  Nolan-Peggy  Conklin  Nov. 

Panic  on  the  Air  (G)  Lew  Ayres-Florence  Rice  Apr. 

Pride  of  the  Marines  Charles  Bickford  Florence  Rice... Apr. 

Roaming  Lady    Fay  Wray-Ralph   Bellamy  Apr. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  April  4,'36.) 

Secret  Patrol   Charles  Starrett-Finis  Barton. ...  May 

She  Couldn't  Take  It  (G)  George  Raft-Joan  Bennett  Oct. 

Stampede   Charles  Starrett-Finis  Barton  June 

Too  Tough  to  Kill  Victor  Jory-Sally  O'Neill  Nov. 

Trapped  by  Television  Lyle  Talbot-Mary  Astor   ..June 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23, '36.) 

Western  Courage   Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell.  .. Nov. 

You  May  Be  Next  (G)  Ann  Sothern-Lloyd  Nolan  Feb. 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 
17  73  

7,  '36t  

I,'36t....58  

30t  57  

25t  67  

26t  59  

8,  '36t...  .65.  Mar.  21, '36 

28,'36t  51  

30t  72  

28,'36t....86.May  23,*36 

25,'36t....73  

28t  57.  May  2.'36 

31 1  69. Feb.  I5.*36 

6,'36t...  .66. Apr.  25/36 
l2.'36t...ll8.Apr.  25,*36 
36,  pp.  1 18,  120,  122; 


27,'36t. . .  .88.  Feb.  29,'36 
p.  84;  Apr.  1 8, '36.  p.  78: 
36,  p.  123.) 

I7,'36t  55  

25t  72  

IO,'36t....56.May  2,'J6 

2,'36t  66  

I2,'36t  69  


20,'36t  60  

20t  77.... Nov.  16 

8,*36t  56  

23t   58.  . 

I5,'36t.   •  64. 

I5t  58  

6,'36t....67.Mar.  28,'36 


Coming 

Adventure  in  Manhattan  Jean  Arthur-Joel  McCrea   

Blackmailer   William  Gargan- Florence  Rice. ..July    1 0,*36t .... 66 . 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  28,'36.) 

Continental   Dolores  Del  Rio-Melvyn  Douglas   

Craig's  Wife   John  Boles   

Fighter,  The   James  Dunn-June  Clayworth  

Find  the  Witness  Marguerite  Churchill   

I  Promise  to  Pay  Leo  Carrillo-Marian  Marsh  - 

Geo.  Bancroft   

Lost  Horizon   Ronald  Colman-Jane  Wyatt- 

Edward  Everett  Horton  

Meet  Nero  Wolfe   Edward  Arnold-Joan  Perry  Aug.     I ,'36t . .  .  .72 . 

(See  "Fer  de  Lance,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2,'36.) 

Nightingale  Flies  Home,  The.. Grace  Moore   

Outlaws  of  Palouse  

Road  to  Nowhere,  The  Jack  Holt   

Shakedown   Lew  Ayres-Joan  Perry  July  I7,'36t  

Theodora  Goes  Wild  Irene  Dunne   

There  Goes  the  Bride  Chester  Morris-Fay  Wray  


COMMODORE 


Title 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Aces  Wild   Harry  Carey   Jan. 

Ghost  Town    Harry  Carey   Feb. 

Pecos  Kid,  The  Fred  Kohler,  Jr  Feb. 

Rider  of  the  Law,  The  Bob  Steele   Oct. 

Ridin'  Through   Tom  Tyler   Nov. 

Shadow  of  Silk  Lennox  Lon  Chaney,  Jr  Nov. 

Toll  of  the  Desert  (G)  Fred  Kohler,  Jr.-Betty  Mack  Nov. 

Wolf   Riders   Jack  Perrin   Dec. 

Coming 

Scream  in  the   Dark  Lon  Chaney,  Jr  


2,'36t  6  rls  

I5,'36t....6  rls  

I5,'36t. ..  .6  rls  

28t  6  rls  

26t  6  rls  

It  6  rls  

It  60....  Oct. 

26t  6  rls  


28 


DANUBIA 


(Hungarian  Dialogue) 
Title  Star 

Empress  and  a  Soldier  Gozon-Dajbukat   

Keep  Smiling  Szoeke  Szakall   Feb. 

New  Squire,   The  Paul  Javor   Mar, 

Queen  of  Roses  Zita  Pertzel   Nov. 

Sweet  Stepmother   Maria  Tasnedl   Nov. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

.Dec.     It  77  

2l,'S8t....77  

l5,'S6t...l06  

lOt  90  

22t  90  


Be  Good  Unto  Death. 


Coming 

.  Lacri  Deveny   


Sept.  10/36. 


78 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT~C€NT»E) 


DU  WORLD 

Star 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Frasquita    (G)   Franz  Lehar   Jan.    I7.'36t  87. Feb.  1/36 

Hello  Paris   Oct.  I5t  

Legong:  Dance  of  the  Virgins. . Technicolor   Nov.    I5t  60  

Scandal  in  Budapest  Nov.  It  

Wedding  Rehearsal   Roland  Young-Merle  Oberon  Dec.  It  

Coming 

Amok   Marcel  Chantel   

Kliou,  the   Killer  Technicolor   


Nobody's  Boy   Robert  Lynen 


Opera  of  Paris  Georges  Thill 


Oct. 

Oct. 

1/36. . . 

..60.... June  1 

Oct. 

Sept. 

..81  

Oct. 

1/36 

..58  

Oct. 

EMPIRE  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Crime  Patrol   Ray    Walker-Geneva  Mitchell   

Fire  Trap  (G)  Evalyn  Knapp-Norman  Foster    *63  Dee.  7 

Shadows  of  the  Orient  (G)  Regis  Toomey- Esther  Ralston  *65.Feb.  15/36 


FIRST  NATIONAL 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Brides  Are  Like  That  (G)  972.  Ross  Alexander-Anita  Louise. .  .  Apr.   I8.'36f . . .  .67.  Jan.  23/36 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36.  p.  117.) 

Broadway  Hostess  (G)  963  Winifred  Shaw-Lyle  Talbot  Dee.     7t  69  Nov.  23 

Bullets  or  Ballots  (G)  961  Edw.  G.  Robinson-Joan  Blondell. .  June    6/36f . . .  .81 .  May  23/36 

(Exploitation:    June  I3,'36,  p.  123:  June  27/36,  p.  86.) 
Captain  Blood  (G)  855  Errol  Flynn-Olivia  De  Havilland.  .Dec.    28t  119. Jan.  11/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36.  p.  69;  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83,  86;  Feb.  29/36,  pp. 

74,  76;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Ceiling  Zero  (G)  953  James  Cagney-Pat  O'Brien  Jan.   25/36t  95  Dee.  28 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  i/36,  p.  62;  Feb.  8/36.  p.  83;  Feb.  29/36,  p.  73;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99; 

Apr.  18/36.  pp.  81,  82:  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  23/36,  p.  88.) 
Golden  Arrow.  The  (G)  959..  .  Bette  Davis-George  Brent  May  23/36t  68. May  9/36 

(Exploitation:  May  16/36,  p.  85.) 

Hearts  Divided  955  (G)  Marion    Davles-Dick   Powell  June  20/36t  70. June  13/36 

I  Found  Stella  Parish  (A)  958  Kay  Francis- Ian  Hunter  Nov.    I6t  84  Nov.  2 

Law  in  Her  Hands,  The  (G) 

973   Margaret  Lindsay- Warren  Hull.. May    I6,'36t. .  .  .58. Apr.  18/36 

Man  of  Iron  (G)  969  Barton  MacLane-Mary  Astor  Dec.    21 1  61  Nov.  16* 

Murder  by  an   Aristocrat  (G) 

974   Marguerite  Churehill-L.  Talbot.  .June   I3.'36t  60. Apr.  4/3* 

Murder  of  Dr.   Harrlgan,  The 

(G)  970   Kay  Linaker-Ricardo  Cortez  Jan.    Il/36t  67. Feb.  1/36 

Payoff,  The  (G)  968  James  Dunn-Claire  Dodd  Nov.     9t  64  Nov.  30 

Road  Gang  (A)  964  Donald   Woods-Kay   Llnaker  Mar.  28/36t  62. Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:    Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  121;  June  27/36,  p.  88.) 
Shipmates  Forever  (G)  952...  Dick  Powell-Ruby  Keeler  Oct.    I2t  109  Sept.  28 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  96.) 
Singing  Kid.  The  (G)  954  Al  J olson- Beverly  Roberts  Apr.   Il.'36t.  ..84. Mar.  21/36 

(Exploitation:  May  2/36,  p.  99.) 

Snowed  Under  (G)  971  George  Brent-Genevieve  Tobln  ..Apr.     4/361  63. Mar.  21/36 

Song  of  the  Saddle  (G)  978..  Dick  Foran-Alma  Lloyd  Feb.  29,'36t.  ..56. Apr.  11/31 

Story  of  Louis  Pasteur,  The  (G) 

956   Paul  Muni-Josephine  Hutchinson.  .Feb.   22/36t  87  Nov.  30 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  96;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  25/36, 

p.  96;  May  2/36.  p.  92;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36,  p.  85.) 
White,  Angel,  The  960  (G)...Kay  Francis-Ian   Hunter  July     4/36t. .. .91 . June  6/36 

Coming 

Case  of  the  Caretaker's  Cat. . .  Ricardo  Cortez-June  Travis  

Case  of  the  Velvet  Claws,  The 

(G)  965   Warren  William-Claire  Dodd.. ..Aug.     l/36t  63. May  23/36 

China  Clipper  957  Pat  O'Brien-Beverly   Roberts  Aug.  15/36  

Earthworm  Tractors  (G)  962. ..Joe  E.  Brown-June  Travis  July    l8/36t..-*68.June  20/36 

God's  Country  and  the  Woman.  Bette  Davis-George  Brent  

Let's  Pretend   Ruby  Keeler-James  Melton  

Love    Begins   at   Twenty  (G) 

962   Warren  Hull-Patricia  Ellis  Aug.  22/36  72. May  30/36 

Mountain  Justice   Bette  Davis   

Nowhere   Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts  

Polo  Joe   Joe  E.  Brown-Carol  Hughes  

(See  "In  The  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Shrinking   Violet   Ross  Alexander-June  Travis  

Slight  Case  of  Murder,  A  Edward  G.  Robinson  

Stage  Struck   Joan  Blondell-Dick  Powell  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  6/36.) 
Two  Against  the  World  (G)  977  Humphrey  Bogart-Beverly  Rob- 
erts  July    ll/36t  57. May  23/36 

FRANK  NORTON 

(Greek  Dialogue — English  Titles)     Running  Tin 

Star 


Title 


Crucified  Love   Helen  Pades 


Voskopoula   Sophea  Damoglou 


Rel.  Date  Mi 

inutes  Reviewed 

.  Nov.    25  v 

.  Dec.  25t 

..95  

Jan.  I5,'36t 

Feb.  I6,'36t.. 

Nov.  I8f 

.Jan.  5/36t 

..95  

SB  PICTURES  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

First  a  Girl  (A)  3512  Jessie  Matthews-Sonnie  Hale  Dee.    3lf  78  Nov.  30 

It's  Love  Again  (G)  Jessie  Matthews-Robert  Young. ..May  30,'36t  79. May  16/38 

King  of  the  Damned  (A)  3504. Conrad  Veldt-Helen  Vinson  Jan.    l5/36t  75. Jan.  2S/38 

Mister  Hobo  (G)  3416  George  Arliss-Gene  Gerrard  Nov.   22    80  Oct.  10 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "The  Guv'nor.")    (Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36, 

p.  84;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  83.) 
Passing  of  the  Third  Floor 

Back,  The  (G)  3510  Conrad  Veidt-Rene  Ray  Dec.    I5t  80. ...Oct.  10 

Rhodes,  the  Diamond  Master 
(G)  3514   Walter  Huston   Apr.   I5,'36t  88. Mar.  7/38 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  72.) 
Transatlantic  Tunnel  (G)  3513.  Richard  Dix-Madge  Evans  Oct.    27t   94  Nov.  t 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  64.) 

Coming 

Doomed  Cargo   Edmund   Lowe-Constance  Cum- 

mings   Aug.   I5,'36t  70  

East  Meets  West  George  Arllss   

Everything  Is  Thunder  C.  Bennett-D.  Montgomery   

His  Majesty's  Pyjamas  (A) 

3623   Clive  Brook-Helen  Vinson-Mary 

Carlisle   78. May  30/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Love  in  Exile.") 

King   Solomon's  Mines  3618..  Roland  Young-Paul  Robeson  

Man  Who  Lived  Again  3507. ..Boris  Karloff-Anna  Lee  

Nine  Days  a  Queen  (G)  3610..  Nova  Pilbeam-Cedric  Hardwi eke.  .Sept.    l/36t  80. May  16/38 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Lady  Jane  Gray.")  (See  production  article,  June  20/36,  p.  10.) 

Paris    Love   Song  Jessie  Matthews   

Secret  Agent  (A)  3515  Madeleine  Carroll-Peter  Lorre  83. May  23/30 

Soldiers  Three   Victor  McLaglen   

Strangers  on  a  Honeymoon... Constance  Cummings-Hugh  Sin- 
clair-Noah Beery   

GEORGE  HIRLIMAN  ENTERPRISES 

Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Title 


Star 


coming 

Bristol,  the  Blunderer  George  O'Brien   Nov.  1/36  

Captain  Calamity   George  Houston-Marian  Nixon  ..Aug.  15/36  66  

Daniel  Boone   George  O'Brien   Sept.  1/36  

Devil  en  Horseback,  The  Lili  Damita   

Gorgeous   

Pending  Justice   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  

Rest  Cure  (G)  Reginald  Denny-Esther  Ralston .. Oct.    15/36         64. Feb.  15/36 

Romance  on  the  Rio  

Yellow  Cargo   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  Sept.  15/36  65  

GRAND  NATIONAL  DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

(Release  First  Division  Productions  and  in  certain  territories  Alliance,  Diversion, 
Normandy,  Associated  Talking,  Monogram,  Liberty,  Chesterfield  and  Invincible  Pictures.) 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

August  Week-end   Valerie  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley, 

Jr  


25/36t.. 

..62'/2. 

I5t  

..65... 

.JulM 

13 

I5.'36t.. 

..7oy2 

l/36r.. 

.78... 

.June 

1 

I5.'36t.. 

..66>/2 

22t  

..66... 

.Nov. 

23 

l5/36t.. 

..6l'/2, 

.89....  Feb. 
.76  


I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi  Duna   Feb.     1/3(1  67. Jan.  25/36 

Lady  in  Scarlet,  The  Reginald  Denny-Patriela  Farr. . .  Nov.    20t  65  

Lady  Luck  Patricia  Farr — Wm.  Bakewell. . . . July  3/36t  

Law  of  45's  Big  Boy  Williams-Molly  O'Day. .  Dec     It  56  

Little  Red  School  House  Junior  Coghlan-Dickie  Moore. ...  Mar.  I0,'36t....59  

Living  Dead,  The  Gerald  Du  Maurier-Geo.  Curzon  . Feb.  29,'36t....65  

Lucky  Terror,  The  Hoot   Gibson   Feb.  20,  36t.  ..61  

Murder  at  Glen  Athol  John  Miljan-lrene  Ware  Nov.     It  69. May  9/36 

Old  Curiosity  Shop  (G)  Elaine  Benson-Ben  Webster  Dec.  25t 

Red  Wagon   Charles  Bickford-Raquel  Torres.  .Dec.  8t. 

Riding  Avenger   Hoot  Gibson   June   1 5/36t .... 69'/2  

Ring  Around  the  Moon  Erin   O'Brien-Moore   -  Donald 

Cook   Jan.    23/36t  57.  Mar.  28/36 

She-Devil  Island   C.  Guerrero-J.  J.  Martinez 

Casado   June     l/36t  63  

Southern  Maid   Bebe   Daniels-Clifford   Mollisen.  May     l/36t  60  

Spy  77  (G)  Greta  Nlssen-Don  Alvarado  Jan.  I5,*36t. . .  .77. Feb.  29/38 

Swifty   Hoot  Gibson-June  Gale  Dec.    I5t  60  

Tango   Marian  Nixon-Chick  Chandler. . .Jan.    I0,'36t  70  

Three  of  a  Kind  Chick  Chandler-Evalyn  Knapp  May   20/36t  75  

Too  Much  Beef  Rex  Bell-Connie  Bergen  Apr.  20/36t  59  

West  of  Nevada   Rex  Bell   June  22/36f  ...59  


HOFFBERG 


Running  Time 

Title  star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Fighting  Playboy   Lucile  Browne-Nick  Stuart  Nov.    lOf  55  

Old  Spanish   Custom,  An  Buster  Keaton   Jan.  2/36t....60  

Wanted  Men   Charles  Laughton- Dorothy  Glsh..June     1/36  62  

Coming 

Monday  at  Ten  Virginia  Cherrill-Garry  Marsh  ....60  

Crime  of  Voodoo  Fredl  Washington   July     1/36  63  

Girl  from  Maxim's  Leslie  Henson-Frances  Day  July    15/36  65. Oct.  14/33 

Song  of  the  Scarlet  Flower  Swedish   June  15/36  80  

Voice  of  India  ....Hoefler  Expedition   Aug.     1/36  70  

Womanhood   Eve  Gray-Esmond  Knight  60  


July   4,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


7C 


CTHE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


HUNGARIA 

(Hungarian  Dialogue)  Running  Time 
Title                                    Star                                   Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Addressee  Unknown   Irene  Agai   Nov.    20t  85  

Heart  Specialist   B.  Somegyl   Dec.    30t  90  

I  Cannot  Live  Without  Music.  Gyula  Csortos   Dec.    20t  95  

One  Night  in  Venice  Gyula  Csortos   Jan.     I,'36t  —  85  

Three  Men  Under  the  Snow...Jeno  Torzs   Nov.    20t  85  


IMPERIAL 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

May    I5,'36  71  

25t  71  

25t  62  


Title  Star 

Mad  Parade   Irene  Rich-Evelyn  Brent  

Manhattan  Butterfly   Dorothy  Grainger- Wm.  Bakewell . .  Nov, 

Murder  by  Television  Bela  Lugosi-June  Collyer  Oct. 

Soviet  Russia  Thru  the  Eyes  of 

an  American  (G)  Norman    Brokenshire   Oct.      It  72  Oct.  26 

Coming 

High   Hat   Frank   Luther- Dorothy   Dare  Sept.    I, '36  

Rich  Relations   Ralph  Forbes- Frances  Grant  Oct.    15. '36  68  

Second  Choice   Betty  Burgess-Lloyd  Hughes  Nov.  I,'36t  


INVINCIBLE 

(Distributed  through  Chesterfield) 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens- Dorothy  Tree. ....  Feb.   I5.'36t  64  

Brilliant  Marriage   Joan  Marsh-Ray  Walker  Mar.  25,'36t  

Hitch-Hike  to  Heaven  Henrietta  Cresman-Anita  Page. ..Dec.  It  

Murder  at  Glen  Athol  (A).. ..John  Miljan-lrene  Ware  Oct.      1  68. May  9.'36 

(Reviewed  and  released  in  New  York  territory  under  the  title,  "The  Criminal  Within.") 

Society  Fever   Lois  Wilson-Lloyd   Hughes  Oct.  I  

Tango   Marian   Nixon-Chick  Chandler. .  .Jan.     I.'36t. . .  .66  

Coming 

Easy  Money   Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker...  

Murder  Will  Out  

Three  of  a  Kind  Chiek  Chandler-Evalyn  Knapp  


29t  98....  Nov.  23 


I7.'36t. 
p.  90.) 
5,'36t. 


.72.  Mar. 
..73. Jan. 


7/36 
I8.'36 


MASCOT  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Confidential  (G»   Donald  Cook-Evalyn  Knapp  Oct.     16  65  Oct.  26 

Doughnuts  and  Society  Louise  Fazenda-Maude  Eburne . . .  Mar.  27,'36t  63  

Waterfront  Lady  (G)  Ann  Rutherford- Frank  Albertson.  .Oct.      5  68  Oct.  26 

METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 

Running  Time 

T't|e  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Absolute  Quiet  (G)  609  Irene  Hervey-Lionel  Atwill  Apr.  24,'36t..  .71. Apr.  Il,'36 

Ah,  Wilderness!  (G)  628  Wallace  Beery-Lionel  Barrymore .. Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18. '36,  pp.  82,  83;  Feb.  22, '36,  p.  98.) 

Bohemian  Girl,  The  (G)  521..  Laurel  and  Hardy  Feb.  I4,'36t 

Exclusive  Story  (G)  621  Franchot  Tone-Madge  Evans..  ..Jan. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  28. '36.  p.  82;  Apr.  II, '36,  p.  95;  May  30,'36, 

Fury  (G)   610  Sylvia  Sidney-Spencer   Tracy  June 

(Exploitation:   June  20,'36,  p.  117;  June  27,'36,  pp.  80,  81.) 
Garden  Murder  Case,  The  (G) 

622   Edmund   Lowe-Virginia   Bruce. ..Feb.  2l,'36t 

I  Live  My  Life  (G)  512  Joan  Crawford-Brian  Aherne..  ..Oct.  4t... 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1 5. '36,  p.  83.) 

It's  in  the  Air  (G)  616   Jack    Benny-Una   Merkel  Oct.  lit... 

Kind  Lady  (G)  619  Aline   MacMahon-B.   Rathbone. . . Dec.  Gt... 

Last  of  the  Pagans  (G)  617. . .Mala-Lotus   Long   Dec.  20t... 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7. '36,  p.  95.) 
Moonlight  Murder  (G)   624. ..Chester  Morris-Madge   Evans. ...  Mar.  27,'36t 
Mutiny  on  the  Bounty  (G)  536Clark  Gable-Charles  Laughton- 

Franchot  Tone   Nov.  8t... 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/35,  p.  80;  Jan.  25. '36.  p.  68;  Feb.  I,'36,  p.  65;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  82; 
Feb.  22,'36,  pp.  95,  98;  June  27,'36,  p.  81.) 

Night  at  the  Opera,  A  (G)  644  Marx    Brothers   Nov.    I5t  96  Oct.  26 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  80,  82;  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  94,  100;  Feb.  29/36,  p.  74;  Mar. 
7/36,  p.  100;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88.) 
Perfect  Gentleman,  The  (G) 

615   Frank  Morgan-C.  Courtneidge  Nov.    22 1  73  Dec.  28 

Petticoat  Fever  (G)  645  Rob't  Montgomery-Myrna  Loy  Mar.  20/361  81.  Mar.  21/36 

(Exploitation:   Apr.  18/36,  p.  79;  May  30/36,  p.  90:  June  13/36;  p.  122.) 

Rendezvous  (G)  529  Wm.  Powell-Rosalind  Russell  Oct.    25t  96  Nov.  9 

Riffraff  (G)  517  Jean  Harlow-Spencer  Tracy  Jan.     3/36t  90  Dec.  28 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84,  89.) 
Robin  Hood  of  El  Dorado,  The 

608   Warner  Baxter-Ann  Lorlng  Apr.   I7,'36t  86  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  7/36.)   (Exploitation:    May  30/36,  p.  85.) 

Rose  Marie  (G)  643  J.  MacDonald-Nelson  Eddy  Jan.    3l,'36t - . ■  1 13. Jan.  18/36 

(See  musical  analysis,  Feb.  22/36,  p.  23;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  14/36, 
p.  87;  Mar.  21/36,  p.  92;  Apr.  4/36.  p.  89:  Apr.  11/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  78: 
May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  30/36,  p.  86.) 

San   Franeisco  636  Clark  Gable  -  J.  MacDonald  - 

Spencer  Tracy-Jack   Holt  June  26/36t . .  .  1 1 1  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Apr.  4/36.) 

Small  Town  Girl  (G)  607  Janet  Gaynor-Robert  Taylor  Apr. 

(Exploitation:   June  13/36,  p.  122;  June  27/36,  p.  80.) 

Speed  652  (G)  Wendy  Barrie-James  Stewart  May 

Tale  of  Two  Cities,  A  (G)  604.  Ronald  Colman-Elizaheth  Allan..  Dee. 


.94.  May  30/36 


...62.  Feb.  8/36 
...98.  ...Oct.  5 

..80  Nov.  16 

...78....  Dec.  7 
...84  Dec.  14 

...68. Mar.  28/36 

..133  Nov.  9 


IO/36t.  .106. Apr.  11/36 


8/36t...  .72. May  2/36 
27t  126  Dec.  7 


Title 

Three  Godfathers  (G)  623 

Three  Live  Ghosts  (G)  618  

Three  Wise  Guys  (G)  653..... 

Tough  Guy  (G)  620  

Trouble  for  Two  (G)  646  

Unguarded  Hour,  The  (G)  551. 
Voice  of  Bugle  Ann,  The  (G) 

630   

We  Went  to  College  (G)  626.. 

Whipsaw  (G)  513  

Wife  vs.  Secretary  (G)  606... 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18/36, 


Star  Rel.  C 

Chester  Morris-Irene  Hervey  Mar. 

Richard  Arlen-Cecilia  Parker  Jan. 

Robert  Young-Betty  Furness  May 

Jackie  Cooper-Joseph  Callela  Jan. 

Robert  Montgomery- R.  Russell. .. May 
Loretta  Young- Franchot  Tone  Apr. 

Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sullivan. .  Feb. 

Walter  Abel-Edith  Atwater  June 

Myrna  Loy-Spencer  Tracy  Dec. 

Clark  Gable- Myrna  Loy-Jean 

Harlow   ...Feb. 

p.  77.) 


Running  Time 

Minutes  Reviewed 


6/36t. 
IO/36t. 
I5.'36t. 
24/36t. 
29/36t. 

3/36t. 

7/36t. 
I9.'36t. 
I3t.... 


..82. Feb. 
.62. Jan. 
..75.  May 
.77. Feb. 
..75. May 
.  .88.  Apr. 


22/36 
4/36 

16/36 
8/36 

30/36 
4/36 


.72. Feb.  15/36 
*85.June  27/36 
.82  Dee.  14 


28,'36t....89.Feb.  22/36 


Coming 


Devil  Doll,  The  631  Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sullivan.  .July  I7,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  6/36.) 

Good  Earth,  The  Paul  Muni-Luise  Rainer  

Gorgeous  Hussy,  The  Joan  Crawford-Robert  Taylor- 

Mclvyn   Douglas-Jas.  Stewart.  .Aug.  21/36  

Great  Ziegfeld,  The  (G)  William    Powell  -  Myrna    Loy - 

Luise   Rainer   180. Apr.  4/36 

(Pictorial:    Jan.  25/36,  p.  16;    exploitation:    Apr.  18/36,  p.  76;  June  27/36,  p.  82.) 

His  Brother's  Wife  Robt.  Taylor- Barbara  Stanwyck. . .Aug.  14/36  

Kelly  the  Second  Patsy   Kelly-Pert  Kelton  

Mister  Cinderella   Jack  Haley-Betty  Furness  

Neighborhood  House  (G)          Charley  Chase-Rosina  Lawrence  58. May  9/36 

Old  Hutch   Wallace    Beery-Cecilia   Parker.. .Aug.  7/36  

Our  Relations   Laurel  and  Hardy  

Piccadilly  Jim   Robt.  Montgomery-Madge  Evans.. July  31/36  

Romeo  and  Juliet....  Norma  Shearer-Leslie  Howard- 
John  Barrymore   

(See  production  article,  Mar.  28/36,  p.  16.) 

Suzy  518   .Jean  Harlow- Franchot  Tone  July  IO/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  13/36.) 

Sworn  Enemy   Robert  Young-Florence  Rice  

Tarzan  Escapes   Johnny  Weismuller-Maureen 

O'Sullivan   

Woman  Are  Trouble  (G)  Stuart   Erwin-Florence    Rice  *60.June  20/36 

MITCHELL  LEICHTER-BEAUMONT 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Desert  Guns   Conway  Tearle   Jan.     2,'36t  65  

Judgment  Book   Conway  Tearle   Sept.  I6t  67  

Riddle  Ranch    Black  King   Dec.    I6t  56  


Coming 


Devil's  Gold   Conway  Tearle   

Hell's  Hacienda   Conway  Tearle   

Senior  Jim   Conway  Tearle-Barbara  Bedford. 

Three  Fingers   Conway  Tearle   

Whistling  Skull   Conway  Tearle   


PARAMOUNT 

Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Arizona  Raiders,  The  Buster  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  June  26,'36t . . . . 57 


Big  Brown  Eyes  (G)  3548  Joan  Bennett-Cary  Grant  

Border  Flight  (G)   3558  John  Howard-Frances  Farmer. 

Bride  Comes  Home,  The  (G) 
3530   Claudette  Colbert-F.  MacMurra 


Call  of  the  Prairie  (G)  3541. .Wm.   Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  

Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames,  The 

(A)  3555   Madeleine  Carroll-George  Brent 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  121.) 
Collegiate  (G)  3529  Joe  Penner-Jack  Oakie  


Apr.  11/36,  p.  92;  May  16/36,  p.  82.) 

Coronado  3524   Betty   Burgess-Johnny  Downs.. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Oct.  19.)  (Exploitation:  Feb 
Crusades,  The  (G)  3508  Loretta  Young-Henry  Wilcoxon. 


Desert  Gold  3546  Larry  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt. 


(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  121.) 
Drift  Fence  (G)  3536  Larry  Crabbe-Kath.  De  Mille.. 


Early  to  Bed  3560  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 


F  Man  (G)  3544  Jack  Haley-Adrienne  Marden.. 

Forgotten  Faces  (G)  3556  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael.. 

Girls  of  the  Ozarks,  The  (G) 

3561   Virginia  Weldler-G.  Erickson. 

Give  Us  This  Night  (G)  3542.. Jan  Kiepura-Gladys  Swarthout. 

(See  musical  analysis.  Mar.  14/36,  p.  18.) 
Hands   Across   the  Table  (A) 
3515   C.  Lombard-Fred  MacMurray.. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66.) 
Her  Master's  Voice  (G)  3531.  Edw.  E.   Horton-P.  Conklin... 


(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64;  Feb.  I5/3G,  p.  83;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  86;  May  2/36,  p.  94.) 


(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 


.June 

I9.'36t.... 

68. June  13/36 

24/36t... 

.92. 

Feb.  22/36 

26,'36t 

57 

I3t  

.63. 

. . .  Dec.  7 

3,'36t... 

.76. Apr.  11/36 

.May 

29,'36t... 

.59.  Apr.  25/36 

.Jan. 

3,'36t... 

.83. 

...Nov.  23 

!/36,  p.  98:  Apr. 

25/36.  p.  92.) 

Mar. 

6,'36t. .. 

.67. 

Feb.  1/36 

.  May 

8/36t... 

*85. 

May  9/36 

27t  

.81. 

. . .  Dec.  28 

2/36,  p.  94;  Mar.  14 

,'36,  p.  89; 

.  Nov. 

29t 

.  1/36, 

P.  66.) 

.Oct. 

25t  

125. 

...Aug.  10 

80,  85;  Feb.  22/36, 

P.  97.) 

.  Mar. 

27,'36t... 

.58. 

.Feb. 

28/36t... 

.95. 

Feb.  8/36 

.Feb. 

I4.'36t... 

.56. 

May  30/36 

25t  

.60. 

...Oct.  12 

.June 

5/36t... 

73 

May 

I5,*36t... 

76 

May  23/36 

l/36t... 

.67 

Apr.  25/36 

.Mar. 

I3.'36t... 

.72 

May  16/36 

..May 

I5.'36t. .. 

72 

May  2/36 

.June 

l2/36t... 

,68, 

June  6/36 

.Mar. 

6/36t... 

.73. 

Mar.  7/36 

.  .Oct. 

I8t  

.80 

...Oct.  It 

I7,'36t... 

.76 

Feb.  22/16 

20t 

80 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,     19  3  6 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT—CONT'E) 


I3t  72....  Nov.  30 


5,'36t. 
St.... 


IO,'36t....83.Apr.    1 1, '36 

28t  59. ...Nov.  16 

..72.  June  6,'36 

.85  Nov.  9 

19/38  73. June  13,'36 

28,'36t  65.  Feb.  15/36 

22,'36t....76.May    16, '36 

3,'36t...*68.June  20/36 
IO/36t...82.Jan.  11/36 
p.  84;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83.) 

..73  Dee.  21 

..66  Nov.  2 

.70. Apr.  4/36 
.87. Feb.  15/36 
..83  Nov.  16 


20t.... 

It  

I7,*36t. 
I7,'36t. 
22f.... 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Klondike  Annie  (A)  3538  Mae  West-Victor  McLaglen  .Feb.   2l/36t  81 . Feb.  15/36 

(See  news  article,  Mar.  7/36,  p.  19;  exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  1/36,  p.  92; 
June  20/36,  p.  118.) 

Mary  Burns,  Fugitive  (G)  3521. Sylvia  Sidney-Melvyn  Douglas. ..  Nov.    I5t  84  Nov.  10 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  86;  Mar.  28/36,  p.  84.) 

rflilky  Way.  The  (G)  3535  Harold  Lloyd-Adolphe  Menjou. . . .  Feb.    7/36t. ..  .88.  Feb.  1/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  pp.  93,  95;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  82,  87;  May  2/36,  p.  99;  May  23/36, 
p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  116;  June  27/36,  pp.  82,  85.) 

millions  in  the  Air  (G)  3526.. John  Howard-Wendy  Barrle  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83.) 
boon's  Our  Holme,  The(G)3549. Margaret  Sullavan-Henry  Fonda  .  Apr. 

liivada  (G)  3523  Larry  Crabbe- Kathleen  Burks  Nov. 

.-aim  Springs  (G)  3559  Frances  Langford-Smith  Ballew.  .June 

iter  Ibbetson  (G)  3518  Gary  Cooper-Ann  Harding  Nov. 

«ppy    (G)    3562  W.  C.  Fields-Rochelle  Hudson. .  .June 

, 'review  Murder  Mystery  (G) 

J540   Gail  Patrick- Reginald  Denny  Feb. 

.Tincess  Comes  Across,  The  (G) 

4557   D.  Lombard-Fred  Mac  Murray  May 

i<et>irn   of  Sophie  Lang,  the 

,G)  3586   Gertrude  Michael-Ray  Milland. . .  July 

irtsse  of  the  Rancho  (G)  3516.. John  Boles-Gladys  Swarthout  Jan. 

(See  musical  analysis,  Jan.  11/36,  p.  45;  exploitation:  Jan'.  18/36, 

rfsrooge   (G)   3527  Seymour  Hicks-Donald  Calthrop. .  Dec. 

JJhip  Cafe  (G)  3520  Carl  Brisson-Arline  Judge  Nov. 

jky  Parade  3550  Jimmy  Allen-Katharine  DeMiile. . Apr. 

«oak  the  Rich  (A)  3532  Mary  Taylor- Walter  Connolly  Jan. 

8*  Red  the  Rose  (G)  3522  Margaret  Sullavan-R.  Scott  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  76.) 

id  Hours  by  Air  (G)  3547  Fred  MacMurray-Joan  Bennett.. . Mar.  27/36t  77.  Mar.  21/36 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

fhree  Cheers  for  Love  Eleanore  Whitney-Robt.  Cuni- 

mings   June  26/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  13/36.) 

Three  on  the  Trail  (G)  3553.  .William   Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  Apr. 

Till  We  Meet  Again  (G)  3551.  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael  Apr. 

Timothy's  Quest  (G)  3534  Eleanore  Whitney-Dickie  Moore.. Jan. 

Too  Many  Parents  (G)  3545. .  .Frances  Farmer-Colin  Tapley  Mar. 

Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine, 

The  (G)  3543  Henry  Fonda-Sylvia  Sidney  Mar.   I3,'36t . . .  106.  Feb.  29/36 

(See  production  article,  Jan.  18/36,  p.  36;  exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  73;  May  2/36,  p.  98; 
May  23/36,  p.  86;  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  6/36,  p.  118;  June  13/36,  p.  122;  June 
20/36,  p.  122.) 

Two  Fisted   (G)  3513  Lee  Tracy-Grace  Bradley  Oct.      4t  65  Nov.  2 

Wings  Over  Ethiopia  (G)  3518  October  Special  .52. ..  .Oct.  26 

Woman  Trap  (G)  3537  Gertrude  Michael-Geo.  Murphy. ..  Feb.   I4,'36t . . .  .63.  Feb.  8/36 

Coming 

General  Died  at  Dawn,  The... Gary  Cooper-Madeleine  Carroll  

Heart  of  the  West  3567  Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  July  I0,'36t  

Hollywood  Boulevard   John  Halliday-Robt.  Cummlngs  

Johnny  Gets  His  Gun  Ralph  Bellamy- Katherine  Locke  

Lady  Be  Careful  Lew  Ayres-Mary  Carlisle  

My  American  Wife  Francis  Lederer-Ann  Sothern  

Rhythm  on  the  Range  Bing   Crosby- Frances  Farmer  July  3l/36t  

Son  Comes  Home,  A  Mary  Boland-Donald  Woods  July  3l/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 

Spendthrift  (G)   Henry  Fonda-Pat  Paterson  July    I7,'36t. .  *78.  June   20', 36 

Texas  Rangers,  The  Fred  MaeMurray-Jean  Parker  •  

Valiant  Is  the  Word  for  Carrie. Gladys  George-Arline  Judge  

Yours  for  the  Asking  George    Raft  -  Dolores  Costello 

Barrymore   July  24,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 

PRINCIPAL  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


24,'36t. ..  .67. Apr. 
l7/36t....72.Apr. 

3l,'36t  65. Jan. 

20/36t...  .74.  Mar. 


18/36 
11/36 
25/36 
14/36 


Front  Page  Madness  Richard  Bird-Nancy  Burns  Oct. 

Let's  Sing  Again  (G)  Bobby  Breen-Henry  Armetta  June 

PURITAN 

Title  Star 

Border  Caballero   Tim   McCoy-Lois  January  Mar. 

Bulldog  Courage   Tim   McCoy-Lois  January  Dec. 

I'll  Name  the  Murderer  Ralph  Forbes-Marion  Schilling. . .Jan. 

Llghtnin'   Bill  Carson  Tim   McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  Apr. 

Reckless  Way,  The  Marian  Nixon-Kane  Richmond  Apr. 

Roarin'  Guns   Tim   McCoy-Rosalinda  Price  Jan. 

Rogues  Tavern,  The  Wallace  Ford-Barbara  Pepper  Mar. 

Suicide  Squad   Norman  Foster-Joyce  Compton. . . .  Dec. 

Coming 

Aces  and  Eights  Tim  McCoy-Luna  Walters  

Ghost  Patrol   Tim  McCoy-Claudia  Dell  

Lion's  Den,  The  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  

Traitor,  The   Tim  McCoy-Frances  Grant  


I2,'36t. 


.60  

.68.  Apr. 


25/36 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

l,'36t  59  

20t  60  

27/36t....76  

I5,'36t  

20,'36t....68  

27/36t....67...  

I  ,'36t ....  61  

25t  60  


REGAL 


Title 


Running  Time 


Scandals  of  Paris  Wendy  Bam'e-Zelma  O'Neill.. 

Thunderbolt   Kane  Richmond- Bobby  Nelson. 


Rel. 

Date 

Minutes  Reviewed 

l,'36t 

.  Dec. 

4t.... 

.Jan. 

2,'36t 

....54  

4t... 

....55  

REPUBLIC 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Burning  Gold  3550   William  Boyd   Dec.      It  60  

Comin'  Round  the  Mountain 

(G)  3571   Gene   Autry-Ann   Rutherford  Apr.    I3.'36t  55. Apr.  11/36 


Title  Star  Rel. 

Crime  of  Doctor  Crespi,  The  Erich  von  Stroheim  -  Harriet 

3504    Russell   Oct. 

Dancing  Feet  (G)  3525  Ben  Lyon-Jcan  Marsh  Jan. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81.) 

Federal  Agent  3548  William  Boyd-lrene  Ware  Apr. 

Forbidden  Heaven  3502  Charles  Farrell -Charlotte  Henry.. Oct. 

Forced  Landing  3524  Esther  Ralston -Onslow  Stevens. ..  Dec. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Oct.  5.) 
Frankie  and  Johnnie  (A)  3555.  Helen  Morgan-Chester  Morris  May 

(Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p.  85.) 

Frisco  Waterfront  (G)  3518...  Ben  Lyon-Helen  Twelvetrees  Dec. 

Girl  from  Mandalay,  The  3525.  Kay  Linaker-Conrad  Nagel  Apr. 

Go-Get-'Em  Haines  3549  William   Boyd   June 

Guns  and  Guitars  3573  Gene  Autry-Dorothy  Dix  June 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  16/36.) 

Harvester,  The   (G)  3506  Alice  Brady-Ann  Rutherford  May 

Hitch  Hike  Lady  (G)  3509  Alison  Skipworth-James  Ellison. .  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  62.) 
House  ef  a  Thousand  Candles 

(G)  3505   Mae  Clarke-Phillips  Holmes  Apr. 

King  of  the  Pecos  (G)  3559. ..John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Mar. 

Laughing  Irish  Eyes  (G)  3522.  Evelyn   Knapp-Phil  Regan  Mar. 

Lawless  Nineties,  The  (G)  3557.  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Feb. 

Lawless  Range  3562  John  Wayne-Sheila  Mannors  Nov. 

Leathernecks  Have  Landed,  The 

(G)  3501   Lew  Ayres-lsabel  Jewell  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p  .76.) 
Leavenworth  Case,  The  (G) 

3526   Norman  Foster-Jean   Rouverel. . .  .Jan. 

Lonely  Trail,  The  3563  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  May 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 

Melody  Trail  (G)  3567  Gene  Autry-Ann  Rutherford  Oct. 

Navy  Born  (G)   William  Gargan-Claire  Dodd  June 

New  Frontier,  The  3558  John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

Oregon  Trail  3560  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Jan. 

Racing  Luck  (G)  3547  William   Boyd   Oct. 

Red  River  Valley  3570  Gene  Autry-Frances  Grant  Mar. 

Return  of  Jimmy  Valentine, 

The  (G)  3531   Roger  Pryor-Charlotto   Henry  Feb. 

Sagebrush  Troubadour  3568  Gene  Autry-Barbara  Pepper  Dec. 

Singing  Cowboy,  The  (G)  3572. Gene  Autry-Lois  Wilde  May 

Singing  Vagabond,  The  (G) 

3569   Gene  Autry-Ann   Rutherford  Jan. 

Spanish  Cape  Mystery,  The  3530.  Helen  Twelvetrees- Donald  Cook. ..Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 
$1,000  a  Minute  (G)  3532  Roger  Pryor-Leila  Hyams  Nov. 


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

2lt  63  

3l/36t....72.Apr.  4/36 

IO/36t....58  

5t  67  

2t  61  

l/36t....66.May  23/36 

7t  66  Dec.  7 

20/36t....68  

I5,'36t  

22/36t  

5/36t. ..  .65. Apr.  25/36 
28t  76.... Dec.  21 


6/36t....7l  .Mar.  7/36 
9/36t....54.Apr.  II/3S 
I5,'36t...  .73. Mar.  14/36 
l5,'36t....55.Mar.  7/36 

4t  59  

22,'36t....67.Feb.  29/36 


20,'36t. ..  .68.  Jan.  11/36 
25/36t  

I4t  60. ...Oct.  19 

l5/36t....65.June  27/36 

5f  54  

I8,'36t....59  

28t  60  Dee.  7 

2/36t....58  

l4/36t....72.Feb.  15/36 

2t  54  

ll,'36t....56.May  16/36 

5,'36t....52  Dee.  14 

I7t  73  

I5t  69  Nov.  9 


Coming 

Down  to  the  Sea  Russell  Hardie-Ann  Rutherford  

(See  "Beneath  the  Seas,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Follow  Your  Heart   Marion  Talley-Michael  Bartlett  

Gentleman  from  Louisiana,  The. Eddie  Quillan-Charlotte  Henry  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 

Hearts  in  Bondage  (G)   James  Dunn-Mae  Clarke  Aug.   15/36  *70.June  6/36 

Ticket  to   Paradise  3508  Roger  Pryor-Wendy  Barrie  July    IO/36t  a  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 
Winds  of  the  Wasteland  3561. .John  Wayne-Phyllis  Fraser  July  6/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23,36.) 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
Nov.  I5t. 


.Nov.  9 


RKO  RADIO 

Title  Star 
Annie  Oakley  (G)  608  Barbara  Stanwyck-Preston  Foster 

(Exploitation:    Mar.  14/36,  pp.  88,  90.) 
Another  Face  (G)  615  Wallace  Ford-Phyllis  Brooks  Dec. 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Two  Faces.") 
Bunker   Bean  630  Owen  Davis,  Jr.-Louise  Latimer.  .June  26/36t. 

(See  "His  Majesty,  Bunker  Bean,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Chatterbox    (G)    617  Anne  Shirley-Phillips  Holmes  Jan.  I7,'36t. 

Dancing  Pirate  (G)  670  Charles  Collins-Steffi   Duna  May  22/36t. 

(Exploitation:    June  6/36,  pp.  117,  121.) 

Ex-Mrs.  Bradford.  The  (G)  628.William   Powell-Jean  Arthur  May 

Fang  and  Claw  (G)  543  Frank  Buck   Dec. 

(Exploitation:   Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  June  13/36,  p.  127.) 

Farmer  in  the  Dell  (G)  624. ..Fred  Stone-Jean   Parker  Mar.  27/36t  67. Mar 

Follow  the  Fleet  (G)  613  Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  Feb.   21  ,*36t. . .  1 10.  Feb.  22/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  94:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  May  16/36,  p.  82: 
p.  82;  May  23/36,  p.  93:  May  30/36,  p.  84;  June  13/36,  pp. 
Freckles   (G)   536  Carol  Stone-Tom  Brown.... 


20t. 


I5,'36t.. 
20  


90 1/2 
68....  Nov.  23 


.68  Dec.  28 

.85.  May  16/36 


.81  .May 
.74. Jan. 


2/36 
4/36 


14/36 


125,   129,  130.) 


(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  17.) 
)ream  Too  Much  (G)  610. ..Lily  Pons-He 
(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36.  pp.  82,  83.) 


(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.  127.) 
Lady  Consents.  The  (G)  622..  Ann  Hardi 
Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The  (G) 
501   Preston  Fo 


Let's  Sing  Again  (G)  646. 


Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path  . 


Oct. 

4  

...68. 

. . .  Oct.  5 

lit.... 

. . .59. 

27t.... 

95. 

. . .  Nov.  23 

.  Nov. 

22f  

...87. 

...Not.  t 

Feb. 

7/36t.. 

..76'/2  Jan.  18/36 

Oct. 

18  

..96. 

...Oct.  12 

June 

I9.'36t.. 

.*73. 

May  30/38 

June 

I2,'36t.. 

..68. 

Apr.  25/36 

Mar. 

6/36t.. 

..77.  Feb.  8/36 

Apr. 

I7.'36t.. 

.66. Apr.  I8/S8 

Feb. 

I4,'36t.. 

.  .68/2  Jan.  25/36 

Oct. 

25t.... 

...78. 

...Oet.  12 

.  Dec. 

ISt  

...68. 

. . .  Dee.  7 

Mar. 

20/3Bt.. 

..  .64'/,  Mar.  7/Sf 

July    4,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


81 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT--CCNT9D) 


Title  Star 
Special  Investigator  (G)  627. .  Richard  Dlx-Margaret  Callahan 

8ylvia  Scarlett  (G)   614  Katharine  Hepburn-Cary  Grant. 

Three  Musketeers,  The  (G). 544.  Margot  Graharae-Walter  Abel. 
Tet  Beat  the  Band  (G)  607...  Helen  Broderick-Hugh  Herbert. 

Two  in  the  Dark  (G)  616  Walter  Abel-Margot  Grahams.. 

Two  in  Revolt  (G)  621  Louise  Latimer- John  Arledge.. 

We're  Only  Human  (G)  612..  Preston   Foster-Jane  Wyatt.... 

Witness  Chair,  The  (G)  626. .Ann    Harding-Walter  Abel  

Yellow  Dust  (G)  618  Richard   Din-Leila  Hyams  

Coming 

Bride  Walks  Out,  The  631  Barbara  Stanwyck-G.  Raymond.  .  .July  I0,'36t. 

(See  "Marry  the  Girl,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Grand  Jury  633  John   Arledge-Louise    Latimer. ...  July  24,'36t. 

Mary  of  Scotland  Katharine  Hepburn-Fredric 

March   

(See  production  article,  Apr.  1 1, '36,  p.  16.) 
M'Liss  632   Anne  Shirley-John  Beal  July  I7,'36t. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  May  23/36.) 
Mummy's  Boys   Wheeler  and  Woolsey  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36) 
Swing  Time   Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  

(See  "Never  Gonna  Dance,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

May     8/361  61.  May  2/36 

.Jan.     3/36t. .  .94'/2  Jan.  18/36 

.Nov.     1  96. ...Oct.  12 

.Nov.     8t  67'/2..Oet.  28 

.Jan.    IO/36t  74. ...Dee.  21 

.Apr.     3/36t  65.  May  2/36 

.Dec.    27t  68  Dec.  14 

.Apr.  24/36t  64. Apr.  11/38 

.Mar.   I3.'36t  68'/2  Mar.  28/36 


Running  Time 


Running  Time 

Minutes  Reviewed 


STATE  RIGHTS 

Title                               Star                     Dist'r  Rel.  Date 

Angels   in   White..  Tala  Birell   Zeidman   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  29/36.) 

Custer's   Last   Stand  Rex  Lease   Stage  4  Screen.  .  .Apr.  2/36t..9rls 


SUPREME 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Courageous  Avenger   Johnny   Mack   Brown  Dec.  I2t  

Desert   Phantom,  The  Johnny   Mack   Brown  Mar.  IO/36t  

Kid   Ranger,  The  Bob    Steele   Feb.  5/36t  

Last  ef  the  Warrens  Bob   Steele   May  l0/36t....58  

Rogue  of  the  Range  Johnny   Mack   Brown  Apr.   25,'36t. . .  .58  

Sundown  Saunders   Bob    Steele   Mar.  25/36t  


Trail  of  Terror  Bob    Steele   Dec. 

Valley  of  the  Lawless  Johnny   Mack   Brown  Jan. 

Coming 

Brand   of   the   Outlaws  Bob  Steele   

Everyman's  Law   Johnny   Mack  Brown  

Law   Rides,  The  Bob  Steele   


20t. 
25/36t. 


TWENTIETH  CENTURY-FOX 


Title  Star 

Bad    Boy*    615  James   Dunn-Dorothy  Wilson.. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Border  Patr3lman,  The*  (G)  650  Geo.  O'Brien-Polly  Ann  Young 

Captain  January*  (G)  635  Shirley  Temple-Guy  Kibbee... 

(Exploitation:    June  6/36,  pp.  117,  122;  June  27/36,  p. 

Champagne  Charlie  629  Paul   Cavanagh-Helen  Wood... 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Dec.  14.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Circus* 

(G)    640   Warner  Oland-Keye  Luke  

Charlie   Chan   in  Shanghai* 

(G)   610   Warner  Oland-lrene  Hervey... 

Charlie  Chan's  Secret*  (G)  626. .  Warner  Oland-Rosina  Lawrence 

Connecticut  Yankee,  (A)*  699. Will   Rogers-Myrna  Loy  

(re-issue) 

Country  Beyond,  The*  (G)  643.Rochelle  Hudson-Paul  Kelly.. 
Country  Doctor,  The*  (G)  636.Dionne  Quintuplets-Jean 

Hersholt   

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  pp.  93,  97:  Mar.  28,36,  p.  83; 
p.  96;  May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  23/36, 
June  6/36,  p.  124.) 
Everybody's  Old  Man*  (G)  634.  Irvin  S.  Cobb-Rochelle  Hudson 

Every  Saturday  Night*  (G)  637.  .June   Lang-Thomas  Beck  

First  Baby,  The*  (G)  646  Shirley  Deane-Johnny  Downs. . 

Gentle  Julia*  (G)  641  Jane   Withers-Tom  Brown  

Half  Angel  (G)  647  Frances   Dee-Brian  Donlevy... 

Here  Comes  Trouble*  (G)  633..  Paul   Kelly-Arline  Judge  

Here's  to  Romance*   (G)  600.  Nino  Martlni-Genevieve  Tobln. 

High  Tension*   (G)   653  Brian   Donlevy-Glenda  Farrell. 

Human  Cargo*  (G).  652  Claire   Trevor-Brian  Donlevy.. 

In  Old  Kentucky*  (G)  601  Will  Rogers- Dorothy  Wilson... 

It  Had  to  Happen  (G)  631  George  Raft- Rosalind  Russell.. 

King  of  Burlesque,  The*  (G) 
825   Warner   Baxter-Alice  Faye  

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  36;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87.) 
Little  Miss  Nobody"  (G)  651. .Jane  Withers-Ralph  Morgan... 
Littlest  Rebel,  The*  (G)  624.. Shirley  Temple-John  Boles.... 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb. 
Man  Who  Broke  the  Bank  at 

Monte  Carlo,  The  (G)  620..  Ronald  Colman-Joan  Bennett.. 
Message  to  Garcia,  A  (G)  632.  Wallace  Beery  -  John  Boles  - 

Barbara  Stanwyck  

Metropolitan    (G)    618  Lawrence  Tibbett- Virginia  Bruce 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  98.) 

Music  Is  Magic*  (G)  619  Alice  Faye-Ray  Walker  

My  Marriage*  (G)  630  Claire  Trevor-Kent  Taylor  

Navy  Wife*  (G)  606  Claire  Trevor-Ralph  Bellamy... 

O'Malley  of  the  Mounted*  (G) 

639   George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware... 

Paddy  O'Day  (G)  627  Jane  Withers-Pinky  Tomlln.... 


Rel.  Date 
.Oct.  25t 


Running  Time 

Minutes  Reviewed 
 56  


..July  3/36t. 
..Apr.  I7/36T. 


60. June  27/36 
.77. Mar.  21/38 


May 

8/36t 

..59  

27,'36t.. 

..71. Mar.  28/36 

lit  

.70. ...Sept.  14 

. .Jan. 

I0,'36t. 

.71  Oct.  26 

. .  Apr. 

24/36t. 

.  85.  Mar.  21/31 

..Apr. 

24/36t.. 

..68.  Apr.  11/36 

..Mar. 

6/36t.. 

..94. Mar.  21/36 

Apr. 

4/36,  p. 

83;  Apr.  25/36, 

pp.   87,   95;   May  30,36,   p.  86 

..Mar. 

20/36t. . 

.84. Mar.  14/36 

. .  Feb. 

7/36t.. 

..62. Feb.  8/36 

..May 

I5,'36t.. 

.74. Apr.  18/36 

.  .Apr. 

3/36t.. 

.63. Feb.  29/36 

22/36t. 

.  66  .  May  9/36 

. . Feb. 

2l/36t. 

..62. Feb.  15/36 

..Oct. 

4t.... 

..86. ...Aug.  31 

..July 

I7,'36t.. 

.*62.June  20/36 

..May 

29/36t.. 

..66. Apr.  25/36 

22t  

..84.. ..July  19 

. .  Feb. 

I4,'36t.. 

.79. Feb.  I5/3S 

3/36t. 

88.  Jan.  4/M 

I2,'36t. 

..72.  May  28/36 

27t  

..73  Nov.  30 

22/36 

p.  97;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  96.) 

.  .Nov. 

29t . . .  . 

66.... Nov.  16 

. .  A  pr. 

I0,'36t. 

..85.  Mar.  14/36 

. .  Nov. 

8t.... 

..79.... Oct.  28 

It.... 

..66... .Oct.  12 

3l/36t. 

..68  Nov.  23 

29t  

..72. Jan.  25/36 

..Mar. 

27/36t.. 

..59. Mar.  28/36 

I7,*36t. 

..76  Nov.  7 

Title  Star 
Prisoner  of  Shark  Island,  The 

(G)  638   Warner  Baxter-Gloria  Stuart... 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  11,36,  p.  97;  Apr. 

Private  Number*  (G)  645  Loretta  Young-Robert  Taylor  

Professional  Soldier  (G)  628. ..Victor   McLaglen- Freddie  Bar- 


Show  Them  No  Mercy  (G)  62I.Rochelle  Hud 


Song  and  Dance  Man*  (G)  642. Paul  Kelly-Claire  Trevor... 


25t... 


20t... 
I3t... 


I6,'36t. 


2l,'36t. 


(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  82;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83; 

This  Is  the  Life*  614  Jane  Withers-John  McGuir 

Under  Two  Flags  (G)  644  Ronald  Colman- Victor  McLaglen- 

Claudette  Colbert-R.  Russell. .. May  l/36t 
(See  production  article,  Mar.  14/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp. 

Way  Down  East*  (G)  616  Rochelle  Hudson-Henry  Fonda  Oct. 

Whispering  Smith  Speaks*  (G) 

623   George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware  Dec. 

Your  Uncle  Dudley*  (G)  622.. Edward  Everett  Horton  Dec. 

Coming 

Across  the  Aisle*  656  Brian  Donlevy-Gloria  Stuart  July  24/36t 

As  You  Like  It  Eliz.  Bergner-Laurence  Olivier  

(See  production  article,  June  13/36,  p.  16.) 

Bowery  Princess,  The*  Shirley  Temple-Frank  Morgan. .  .Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race 

Track*   Warner  Oland-Helen  Wood  Aug, 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Juno  27/36.) 

Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes,  The 

(G)  655   Gloria  Stuart-Robert  Kent  June 

Educating  Father*   (G)  645. ..Jed   Prouty-Shirley   Deane  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23,36.) 

Girls'  Dormitory   Ruth    Chatterton- Herbert  Mar- 

shall-Simone  Simon   Aug.  I4,'36t 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  13/36.) 

Holy  Lie,  The  Jane  Darwell-Claire  Trevor  Aug. 

Pepper*   Jane   Withers-lrvin  S.  Cobb  Sept. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 
Poor    Little    Rich    Girl,  The* 

(G)  657   Shirley  Temple-Alice  Faye  July 

Ramona   Loretta  Young-Don  Ameche  Sept. 

Road  to  Glory,  The  (G)  Fredric   March-Warner  Baxter- 
Lionel  Barrymore-June  Lang. ..Sept. 

Sing,   Baby,  Sing  Alice  Faye- Adolphe  Menjou  Aug. 

To  Mary — With  Love  Warner  Baxter-Myrna  Loy  Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 
White  Fang  649  Michael  Whalen-Jean  Muir  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 

[Asterisk  (*)  denotes  Fox  Pictures.    Others  20th  Century  Productions.] 


Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Feb. 

28/36t. 

.  95  .  Feb.  22/36 

18/36, 

p.  77.) 

5,'36t. 

.  79.  May  30/36 

24,'36t. 

..78. Jan.  4/38 

.  Dec. 

6t.... 

..76  Nov.  2 

I9,'36t. 

...79. May  16/36 

.Mar. 

I3,'36t. 

..72. Feb.  22/36 

I5t.... 

..87....  Nov.  2 

22/36, 

p.  100;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  96.) 

.110. May  9/36 

16.  117.) 

..84  Aug.  24 


..67....  Dec.  21 
..68....  Nov.  23 


26,'36t. . 
IO/36t.. 


•75. June  20/36 
.57.  May  30/36 


28/36t. 
I8,'36t. 


24,'36t. ..  79.  June  6/36 
ll,'36f  

4/36t. .. 101 .June  6/36 

7,'36t  

I,'36t  


3,'36t. 


UNITED  ARTISTS 


Rel. 


Title  Star 
Amateur  Gentleman,  The  (G).. Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.  •  Elissa 

Landi   Apr. 

Barbary  Coast  (G)  Miriam   Hopkins  -  Edward  G. 

Robinson  -  Joel  McCrea   Sept. 

Ghost  Goes  West,  The  (G)  Robert  Donat-Jean  Parker  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36, 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy  (G)  Freddie  Bartholomew  -  Dolores 

Costello  Barrymore   Mar. 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


!3/36t...*75.May  2/36 


I3t. 
23t. 


.78. . . 
.77... 


Sept.  21 


I7,'36t. . .  100.  Feb.  22/36 

27t  90  Oct.  5 

7,'36t  85. Jan.  4/36 

p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  89.) 

6/36t...l02.Feb.  29/36 
(Explitaotion:    Mar.  14/36,  p.  84;  May  16/36,  p.  80:  June  6/36,  p.  117;  June  13/36, 
p.  132.) 

Melody  Lingers  On,  The  (G) .. Josephine  Hutchinson  -  George 

Houston   Nov.     9t  87  Nov.  9 

Modern  Times  (G)  Chas.  Chaplin-Paulette  Goddard . . Feb.  2l,'36t  87. Feb.  8/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  8/36,  p.  18;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  22/36 
p.  100;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  84;  Mar.  28/36,  pp.  83,  84;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84, 
89;  Apr.  11/36,  pp.  93,  96;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92:  May  2/36,   p.  99;  May  9/36,   p.  84;  May 

84;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36;  pp.  84,  86;  June  6/36,  pp.  116,  118;  June  13/36. 
pp.  122,  132;  June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

One  Rainy  Afternoon  (G)  Francis  Lederer-lda  Lupino  May 

(Exploitation:   June  13/36,  p.  122.) 

Red  Salute  (G)  B.  Stanwyck- Robert  Young  Sept. 

Splendor   Miriam  Hopkins-Joel  McCrea. ...  Nov. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Nov.  2.)    (Exploitation:   Feb.  29/36,  p.  78.) 

Strike  Me  Pink  (G)  Eddie  Cantor-Ethel   Merman  Jan.    24/36t. . .  100.  Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81 :  Feb.  29/36,  pp.  72, 
75;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  21/36,  pp.   94.  97;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

These  Three  (G)  Miriam  Hopkins-Merle  Oberon- 

Joei  McCrea   Apr.  IO/36t. 

(Exploitation:    May  9/36,   pp.  90,  94:  May  23/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36 
27/36,   p.  88.) 

Things  to  Come  (G)  Raymond  Massey   Apr.  24/36t. .  .  .99. Mar.  7/36 

(See  production  article,  Mar.  7/36.  p.  16;  exploitation:   Apr.  18/36,  p.  77;  June  13/36, 
p.  132.) 

Coming 

Come  and  Get  It.  Edward  Arnold-Frances  Farmer  

Dodsworth   Walter  Huston-Ruth  Chatterton  

Garden  of  Allah.  The  Marlene  Dietrich-Charles  Boyor  

(See  production  article,  June  6/36,  p.  14.) 
I  Stand  Condemned  (A)  H.  Baur-Lauronco  Olivier-Pen- 
elope Dudley  Ward  July    I0,'36t . .  .  .76. .  . .  Nov.  30 

Last  of  the  Mohicans,  The  Randolph  Scott-Heather  Angel. 

Bruce   Cabot-Binnie  Barnes  

(Exploitation:    June  27/36,  p.  80.) 
Man  Who  Could  Work  Miracles. 

The   Roland  Young   

World  Is  Mine,  The  Nino  Martini- Ida  Lupino  


.93.  Feb.  29/36 
p.   122;  June 


82 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,    19  3  6 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT—CCNT'D) 


UNIVERSAL 


Running  Time 


Title                                    Star  Rel.  Date 

Affair  of  Susan,  The  9034  Zasu  Pitts-Hugh  O'Connell  Oct.  7f.. 

(See  "Alone  Together,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

Cowboy  and  the  Kid,  The  9046.  Buck  Jones-Dorothy  Revier  May  25,'36 

Dangerous  Waters  (G)  9032... Jack  Holt-Robert  Armstrong  Feb. 

Don't  Get  Personal  (G)  9025.. James  Dunn-Sally  Eilers  Feb. 

Dracula's  Daughter  (A)  9006. .Otto  Kruger-M.  Churchill  May 

(Exploitation:  June  20. '36.  p.  120.) 
East  of  Java  9029  Chas.  Bickford-Elizabeth  Young.. Dec.  2t. 


Minutes  Reviewed 

...63  


3/36t....67.Feb.  8/36 
l7,'36t....64.Feb.  29,'36 
ll/36t....70.May  9,'36 


.72. 


(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.)    (Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  84.) 


30 1  66  Dee. 

6,'36t...  .65  

9t  67  


Fighting  Youth  (G)  9017  Charles  Farrell-June  Martel  Sept. 

For  the  Service  9045  Buck  Jones-Beth  Marlon  May 

Great  Impersonation,  The  9014.  Edmund  Lowe-Valerie  Hobson. .. .  Dec. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

His  Night  Out  (G)  9021  E.  E.  Horton-lrene  Hervey  Oct.    2lt  74  Nov.  2 

Invisible  Ray.  The  (G)  9015. .  Karloff-Beta  Lugosi   Jan.   20/36t  75. Jan.    25. '36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  I8,'36,  p.  82;  Jan.  25,'36,  p.  63;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  88.) 

Ivory  Handled  Gun  9042  Buck  Jones-Charlotte  Wynters  Nov.    lit  59  

Love  Before  Breakfast  (G)9007.  Carole  Lombard-Preston  Foster.. .  Mar.    9/36t  70.  Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:   Apr.  18/36,  p.  81;  May  23/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  117;  June  13/36, 
P.  132.) 

Magnificent  Obsession  (G)  8006. Irene  Dunne-Robert  Taylor  Jan.  6,'36f ...  1 1 2.  Jan.  11/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  82;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  81,  83,  -84;  Mar.  7/36,  pp.  86.  99;  Mar. 

21/36,  pp.  92,  96;  Apr.  11/36,  p.  96;  May  23/36,  pp.  87,  95;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Next  Time  We  Love  (G)  8004.Marg't  Sullavan-James  Stewart. .  .Jan.    27/36t  87.  Feb.  8/36 

Nobody's  Fool  9033  E.  E.  Horton-Glenda  Farrell  May  3l/36t  

(See  "Unconscious,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Apr.  4/36.) 
Parole!  9036   Ann  Preston- Henry  Hunter  June  I4,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  9/36.) 
Remember  Last  Night?  (A) 
9011   Edw.  Arnold-C.  Cummings  Nov.     4t  81  Oct.  12 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  90.) 

Show  Boat  (G)  8001  Irene  Dunne-Allan  Jones  May  I7,'36t 


May  9/36,   p.   65;    exploitation:    June  20/36, 


.H2.May  9/36 
PP.   117,  121; 


I8,'36t  

I6t  84. ...Oct.  19 

lit  68. ...Oct.  19 

23t  


(See   musical  analysis, 
June  27/36.  p.  80.) 

Silver   Spurs  9044  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Feb. 

Storm  Over  the  Andes  (G)  9026.Jack  Holt-Mona  Barrie  Sept 

Stormy  (G)  9016  Noah  Beery,  Jr.-Jean  Rogers  Nov. 

Sunset  of  Power  9043  Buck  Jones-Dorothy  Dix  Dec. 

Sutter's  Gold  (G)  8002  Edward  Arnold  -  Lee  Tracy  ■ 

Binnle  Barnes   Apr.   I3,'36t  95. Mar.  28/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  15/36,  p.  14;  exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  18/36,  p. 
77;  Apr.  25/36,  pp.  91,  92;  June  27/36,  p.  85.) 

Sweet  Surrender  9012  Frank  Parker-Tamara   Nov.    25t  78  

Three  Kids  and  a  Queen  (G) 

9023   May  Robson-Henry  Armetta  Oct.    28t  90  Oct.  26 

Throwback,  The  9041  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Sept.  I8t  60  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  10.) 

Coming 

Boss  Rider  of  Gun  Creek  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  

Crash  Donovan  9031  Jack   Holt-Nan  Gray  July  I2,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

My  Man  Godfrey  (G)  William  Powell-Carole  Lombard.  .Aug.  30/36t.  ..*95.June  20/36 

Postal  Inspector   .  Ricardo  Cortez- Patricia  Ellis..  .Aug.  2.'36t  

Ride  'Em,  Cowboy  Buck  Jones-Luana  Walters  Sept.  I3,'36t  

Two  in  a  Crowd  Joel  McCrea-Joan  Bennett  Aug.  23  /36  

Yellowstone   Aug.  I6,'36t  


VICTORY 


Running  Tim* 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Bars  of  Hate  Regis  Toomey-Sheila  Terry  Nov.     It  63  

Face  in  the  Fog,  A  June  Collyer-Lloyd  Hughes  Feb.  I,'36t  

Fighting   Coward   Ray  Walker-Joan  Woodbury  Dec.    I5t  70  

Hot  Off  the  Press  Jack  La  Rue-Virginia  Pine  Sept.  I5t  57  

Rio  Grande  Romance  Eddie  Nugent-Maxine  Doyle  Mar.  I5,'36t  

Taming  the  Wild  Rod  La  Rocque-Maxine  Doyle  Feb.  I5.'36t  


Coming 


Kelly  of  the  Secret  Service  

Prison  Shadows   Eddie  Nugent-Lucille  Lund. 


WARNER  BROTHERS 


Title  Star  Rel.  Date 

Big  Noise,  The  (G)  925  Guy  Kibbee-Warren  Hull  June  27/36t 

Boulder  Dam  (G)  815  Ross  Alexander-Patricia  Ellis. ...  Mar.  7/36t 

Colleen  (A)  903  Ruby  Keeler-Joan  Blondell-Jack 

Oakie-Dick  Powell   Mar.  2l/36t 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92:  May  23/36,  p. 

Dangerous  (A)  910  Bette  Davis-Franchot  Tone  Jan.  4,'36f 

(Exploitation:    Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36.  pp.  83,  86;  Apr.  20/36,  p. 
p.  123.) 

Dr.  Socrates  (G)  909  Paul    Muni-Ann    Dvorak  Oct.  I9t  

Freshman  Love  (G)  922  Patricia   Ellis-Warren    Hull  Jan.  I8,'36t. 

Frisco  Kid  (A)  907  James  Cagney-Marg't   Lindsay. ..  Nov.  30f  

I  Live  for  Love  (G)  919  Dolores  Del  Rio-E.  Marshall  Sept.  28t  

I  Married  a  Doctor  (G)  906...  Pat  O'Brien-J.  Hutchinson  Apr.  25/36t. 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Man  Hunt  (G)  923  Marguerite  Churchill-W.  Gargan  .  Feb.  I5,'36t. 

Miss  Pacific  Fleet  (G)  916  Joan  Blondell-Glenda  Farrell  Dec.  I4t  

Moonlight  on  the  Pralrle(G)928.  Dick  Foran-Sheila  Mannors  Nov.  2t  

Page  Miss  Glory  (G)  905  Marion  Davies-Dick  Powell  Sept.  7t.... 

(Pictorial:  July  13/35,  p.  33.) 

Personal  Maid's  Secret  (G)  920.  Margaret  Lindsay-Warren  Hull. ..Oct.  26t  

Petrified  Forest,  The  (G)  904. Leslie   Howard-Bette   Davis  Feb.  8/36t. 

(Exploitation:   May  2/36,  p.  92.) 

Sons  O'Guns  (G)  911  Joe.   E.  Brown-Joan   Blondell  May  30/36t. 

Special  Agent  (G)  908  George  Bront-Bette  Davis  Sept.  I4t  

Stars  Over  Broadway  (G)  917. Pat  O'Brien-Jane   Froman  Nov.  23t.... 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36.  p.  63.) 


Running  Time 


Minutes  Reviewed 
...58. Apr.  25/36 
....70. Apr.  4/36 

,...89. Feb.  1/36 
86.) 

...78  Nov.  30 

96;  June  13/36, 

.70  Oct.  19 

.65.  Feb.  1/36 
77....  Nov.  2 

.64  Oct.  12 

.83.  Apr.  4/36 

.65. Jan.  1 1, '36 
66....  Nov.  30 
.63.... Oct.  21 
.92  July  13 

.58  Dec.  21 

.83. Jan.  18/36 

.79.  May  2/36 
.78.... Aug.  24 
.89.... Nov.  » 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
.May     9/36t...  .62. Mar.  21/38 


Title  Star 

Times  Square  Playboy  (G)  924. Warren  William-June  Travis. 
Treachery  Rides  the  Range  (G) 

929   Dick  Foran- Paula  Stone  May     2/36t. ..  .56. Mar.  7/36 

Walking  Dead,  The  (G)  914. . .  Karloff-Marguerite  Churchill  Mar.  I4,'36t . ..  .76.  Mar.  7/36 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Widow  from  Monte  Carlo,  The 

(G)  921   Dolores  Del  Rio-W.  William  Feb.     l/36t. . . .60. Jan.  4/36 

Coming 

Another  Dawn   Errol  Flynn-Bette  Davis  

Anthony  Adverse   (G)   801  Fredric  March-O.  De  Havilland. .  Aug.  29/36. .  .'138. May  23/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  1/36,  p.  16.) 

Bengal  Tiger,  The  Barton   MacLane-June  Travis  

Cain  and  Mabel   Marion  Davies-Clark  Gable  

Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade. .  Errol  Flynn-O.  De  Havilland  

Down  the  Stretch  Patricia  Ellis-Dennis  Moore  

(See  "Blood  Lines"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Draegerman  Courage   Jean  Muir-Barton  MacLane  

Give  Me  Your  Heart  Kay  Francis-George  Brent  

(See  "I  Give  My  Heart,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  13/36.) 

Green  Light   Errol  Flynn-O.  De  Havilland  

Green  Pastures,  The  (G)  Rex   Ingram   93. May  30/36 

(See  production  article,  May  2/36,  p.  16.) 

Guns  of  Pecos  Dick  Foran-Anne  Nagel  

Hot  Money  926   Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts.  .July    I8,'36t  68  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,  May  2/36.) 
Invitation  to  a  Murder  Marguerite  Churchill- 
Gale  Sender gard   

Jailbreak  (G)  927  Craig  Reynolds-June  Travis  Aug.     l/36t  60. May  16/36 

Loudspeaker  Lowdown   Ross  Alexander-Anne  Nagel  

Making  of  O'Malley,  The  Pat  O'Brien-Sybil  Jason  

Marriage    Clause  Robt.  Montgomery-Olivia  De 

Havilland   

Midsummer  Night's  Dream  (G).  All   Star   132  Oct.  12 

(Pictorial:    Aug.  3/36,  p.  15;    exploitation:  Apr.   11/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  118; 
June  27/36,  p.  82.) 

Mistress  of  Fashion   Kay  Francis-Claude  Rains  

Pony    Express    Rider  Dick  Foran-Linda  Perry  

Public  Enemy's  Wife  (G)  913. .Pat  O'Brien-Margaret  Lindsay. .  .July  25/36t . . .*65.June  27/36 
Satan  Met  a  Lady  912  Warren  William-Bette  Davis. ..  .Aug.  8/36t  

(See  "Men  on  Her  Mind,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Jan.  11/36.) 

Slim   Pat  O'Brien-Henry  Fonda  

Three   in    Eden  Marg't  Lindsay-Donald  Woods- 
Ian  Hunter   

Three  Men  on  a  Horse  Frank  McHugh   

Trailin'   West   Dick  Foran-Paula  Stone  

(See  "On  Secret  Service,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  16/36.) 
Way  for  a  Pirate  Guy  Kibbee-Sybil  Jason  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

OTHER  PRODUCT  (FOREIGN) 


Star 


Dist'r. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Title 

A  Star  Fell  from  Heaven 

(G)   ...Florine  McKinney. . .Assoc.  British  70. June  27/36 

Broken   Blossoms   (A)  Dolly  Haas   Twickenham   June  6/36 

Cloistered    (G)   Best   May   19/36. .  .65. May  30/36 

Come  Out  of  the  Pantry  (G)  .J.  Buchanan-F.Wray. United  Artists  ...70  Dec.  14 

Dubrovsky   Boris   Livanov   Amkino   Mar.  28/36t .  .72. Apr.  11/36 

Everything  Is  Rhythm  (G). Harry  Roy   Assoc.  British  75. June  27/36 

Heart's  Desire   (G)  Richard  Tauber   Assoc.  British  87  Oct.  I 

I  Give  My  Heart  (A)  GItta  Alper  Assoc.  British  85  Nov.  16 

interrupted  Honeymoon,  The 

(A)   Claude   Hulbert   British   Lion  73. June  27/36 

Invitation  to  the  Waltz(G). Lillian  Harvey   Assoc.  British  80  Nov.  16 

La  Maternelle  (A)   Paulette  Elambert. ..  Metropolis   Oct.    14  80  Nov.  16 

Land  of  Promise,  The  (G)   Zionist  Org.  of 

America   ..Nov.    20  57  Dec.  7 

Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The..  Maria  Corda- 

V.  Varconl   Trans-America. ...  Dec.    14  65  

Le  Bonheur  (A)   Gaby  Morlay   Franco-American  ..  Mar.    3/31. .  1 10.  Mar.  21/36 

Liebelel    (A)   Paul  Hoerbiger   General   87. Mar.  14/JS 

Living  Dangerously  (A). ..Otto  Kruger   Assoc.  British  80. Mar.  21/36 

Marriage    of    Corbal,  The 

(A)    Nils  Asther   General   80. June  13/36 

Milizia  Territoriale  (G) ...  Antonio  Ganduslo  ..Nuovo    Mondo  Apr.    4/36. .  .77.  Apr.  25/36 

Once  in  a  Million  (G) ....  Buddy  Rogers- 

M.  Brian   Assoc.  British  75. Apr.  4/36 

Ourselves  Alone  (G)  Antoinette  Cellier  ..Assoc.  British  70. May  16/38 

Pension  Mimosas  (A)  Francoise  Rosay  Franco-American  .May     5/36. . .93. May  16/36 

Private  Secretary,  The  (G).Edw.  Everett  Horton. Twickenham   75  Oct.  5 

Public  Nuisance  No.  I  (G).. Frances  Day   General   79. Mar.  14/36 

Raggen — Det  Ar  Jag  Det 

(A)     N.  Wahlbom   Scandinavian   May   21/36. .  .83.  May  30/36 

Re  Burlone,    II  (G)  Armando  Falconi  Nuovo    Mondo  Mar.  25/36 ..  .98. Apr.  4/36 

Robber  Symphony,  The  (G)  .George  Graves  Concordia   125. May  9/36 

Royal   Waltz,    (G)  Paul    Hoerbiger  Ufa   Apr.    9/36. .  .81  .Apr.  25/36 

She  Shall  Have  Music  (A)  June  Clyde   Twickenham   75  Dec.  21 

Skargards  (A)   Gideon  Wahlberg  Scandinavian   Apr.    7/36. .  .90. Apr.  18/36 

Soviet   News   (G)  Amkino   Apr.   10/36. .  .70.  Apr.  25/JB 

Tempo  Masslno  (G)   Milly   World   Mar.  12/36. .  .78. Mar.  21/36 

Turn  of  the  Tide  (G)  J.  Fisher  White  Not   determined  80  Nov.  2 

Two's  Company  (G)  Ned  Sparks- 
Mary  Brian   B.  &  D  .-  May  16/36 

We    Are    From  Kronstadt 

<G)   V.  Zalehlkov   Amkino   Apr.  30/36t .  .93.  May  ll/3t 

Wedding  March,  The  (A)..Tulllo  Carmlnati  Franco-American  92. Mar.  14/38 

When   Knights  Were  Bold 

(G)   J.  Buchanan-F.Wray.  General  76. Mar.  7,'St 

Woman  Alone,  A  (A)  Anna  Sten-H.  Wil- 

coxon    General   90. June  t.'tt 


July    4,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


83 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


SHORT 
El  EMS 

[All  dates  are  1935  unless 
otherwise  stated\ 


CELEBRITY 

Title  ReI-  Date  Min" 

COMICOLOR  CARTOONS 

Balloon  Land   Sept.30t . . .  .1  rl. 

Simple  Simon   Nov.  I5t  •  r>- 

Humpty  Dumpty   Dec.  30t  1  rl. 

Ali  Baba   Jan.  30,'36t.9. . . 

Tom  Thumb   Mar.  30/36t  .7. . . 

Dick  Whittington's  Cat  May  30.'36t.7.. . 

Little   Boy   Blue  July  30,'36t  


COLUMBIA 


Title 


Min. 


Rel.  Date 
BARNEY  GOOGLE 
No.  | — "Tteched  in  th' 

Haid"   Oct.  24t....7.... 

do.  2— "Patch  Man 

Britches"   Dec.  I9t  7  

No.  3 — "Spark  Plug"   Apr.  I2,'36t  .6'/2  . . 

No.  4— Major  Google   May  24,'36t  .6'/2 . . 

BROADWAY  COMEDIES 

Ants  in  the  Pantry  Feb.  6,'36tl8'/2 . . 

(3  Stooges) 

Caught  in  the  Act  Mar.  5,'36tl8.... 

Andy  Clyde 

Champ's  a  Chump.  The. ..  .June  20,'36t  

(All  Star) 

Disorder  in  the  Court  May  30,'36f  17. . . . 

(3  Stooges) 

Double  Trouble   

Andy  Clyde 

Half  Shot  Shooters   Apr.  30,'36tl9. . . . 

(3  Stooges) 

His  Marriage  Mixup  Oct.  31 1 ...  18  

Harry  Langdon 
Hoi    Polloi   Aug.  29t...l9.... 

(3  Stooges) 

Honeymoon  Bridge   Oct.  3t..l9  

Leon  Errol 

Hot  Paprika   Dec.  l2t...!8'/2. 

Andy  Clyde 
I  Don't  Remember  Dec.  26t . . .  !8'/a . . 

Harry  Langdon 
It  Always   Happens  Sept.  I5t.-~.I9.... 

Andy  Clyde 

Just  Speeding   Jan.  23,'36tl8  

Midnight  Blunders   Apr.  2l,'36tl7  

(All  Star) 

Movie  Maniacs   Feb.  20,'36tl8  

(3  Stooges) 

Oh    My    Nerves  Oct.   17". ..17  

(All  Star) 

Pain  in  the  Pullman,  A  

(3  Stooges) 

Peppery  Salt,  The  May  IS.'36f  18  — 

Andy  Clyde 

Share  the  Wealth  Mar.  19,'36tl7'/a . 

Andy  Clyde 
Star  Gazing   Sept.  26t...l9... 

(Radio  Rogues) 
Three  Little  Beers  Nov.  28t...l7... 

(3  Stooges) 
Unrelated  Relations   Jan.  9,'36tl8... 

(All  Star) 

Yoo  Hoo  Hollywood  Nov.  I4f...l8... 

(All  Star) 

COLOR  RHAPSODIES 

Bon  Bon  Parade  Dec.   5t  8'/2. 

Dr.  Bluebird   Feb.  5,'36t.8... 

Football   Bugs   Apr.  29,'36t.7. . . 

Glee  Worms   June  24,'36t  

Monkey  Love   Sept.  I2t  8... 

Neighbors   Aug.  I5t  8... 


KRAZY  KAT  CARTOONS 

9.  Happy  Family,  A  Sept.  26t  7... 

10.  Kannibal  Kapers   Dec.  27t  7... 

11.  Bird  Stuffer,  The  Feb.  I.'36t.7... 

12.  "Lil  Ainjil"   Mar.  I9.'36t  .6. . . 

13.  Peace  Conference   Apr.  1 0,'36t .7. . . 

(re-issue) 

14.  Highway  Snobbery   


NEW  WORLD  OF  SPORT  SERIES 

Feminine  Invasion,  The  Oct.  26t...ll... 

Golfing    Rhythm   May  I5,'36tl0... 

Hunters'  Paradise   Nov.  30t  ...II... 

Ice  Cut-Ups   Feb.  6,'36tl0... 

Jump,   Horse,  Jump  Sept.  27t  ...II... 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Speed  Mad   Apr.  I7.'36tl0  

Stop.  Look  and  Guess  Mar.  9,'36tl0  

Thrills  with   Daredevils.... Mar.  I9,'36tl0  

Sport   Magic   June  l3.'36t.9'/2. . 

SCRAPPY  CARTOONS 

Let's  Ring  Doorbells   Nov.    7t  7  

Playing  Politics   June.27,'36t  

Scrappy's  Boy  Scouts  Jan.  2,'36t.7  

Scrappy's  Camera  Troubles. June  5,'36t.7  

Scrappy's  Pony   Mar.  I6,'36t.7. . , . 

SCREEN  SNAPSHOTS 

No.  2—   Oct.   lit.  ..10.... 

No.  3—   Nov.    8t . . .  1 0  

No.  4 —   ..Dec.  6t...l0  

No.  5—   Jan.   2,'36t  IO'/2 . . 

No.  6—   Jan-  3l,'36tl0'/2. . 

No.  7—   Feb.  28,'36tl0'/2. . 

No.  8—   Mar.  27,'36tl0  

No.  9—   Apr.  24,'36t.9'/2.. 

No.  10—   May  29,'36tl0  

No.   II    .June  26,'36t  

STARS  OF  TOMORROW 

No.  2—   Sept.  7t..-H  

No.  3—   Nov.  27t...H  

No.  4—   Nov.  Hit. ..10.... 

No.  5 —   Jan.  15.'36tl  I- .... 

No.  6—   Jan.  I7,'36tl0  

VOICE  OF  EXPERIENCE 

No.   I—   Sept.  1 5t  -  -  - 1 0  '/a  - 

No.  2—   Sept.  29t..  .IO'/2.. 

No.  3—   Oct.  I3t...l0'/a.. 

No.  4—   Oct.  28t . . .  1 0  </a  . . 

No.  5—   Nov.  I2t...l0'/a.. 

No.  6—   Nov.  27t ...  1 0'/2  -  - 

No.  7—   Dec.  l2t...!0'/2.. 

No.  8 —   Jan.  2,'36tll  

No.  9—   Feb.  25,'36tl0'/2.. 

No.  10—   Mar.  26,'36tl0'/2. . 

DU  WORLD 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

POPULAR   SCIENCE  FOREIGN 
(Cinecolor) 

No.   I —   Sept.  15, '36.  .9  

No.  2—   10  

No.  3—   8.... 

No.  4 —   8  

No.  5—   9.... 

No.  6—   10  

SEMI-FEATURES  AND  SHORTS 
Cathedrals   Oct.     It...  19  

EDUCATIONAL 

[Distributed  through 

Twentieth  Century-Fox] 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

CORONET  COMEDIES 

Brain  Busters,  The  Jan.  I0.'36tl8  

Fresh  from  the  Fleet  Apr.  24,'36tl8  

He's    a    Prince  Oct.   1 8t ...  1 8  

Just  Another  Murder  Oct.  4t...l7  

Mixed  Policies   Jan.  I7,'36t20  

Sleepless  Hollow   May  8,'36tl6  

Where  Is  Wall  Street  Apr.  I0.'36fl9  

FROLICS  OF  YOUTH 

Choose  Your  Partners  Dec.  I3t. .  .20  

Flicker  Fever   Sept.  26t . .  .20  

Knockout  Drops   Dec.  6t..l9  

MIRTHQUAKE  COMEDIES 

Bashful    Buddies   Aug.  I4,'36.  .2  rls. 

It  Happened  All  Right  May  I5.'36tl9  

Peaceful  Relations   June  I9,'36tl8  

MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Home  on  the  Range  June  5,'36t2l  

Moonlight   and   Melody  Oct.   I  It... 21  

Perfect  Thirty-Sixes   Dec.  20t...l8  

Rhythm  of   Paree  Sept.  27t . .  .21  

Thanks,  Mr.  Cupid   Jan.  24,'36tl8  

SONG   AND  COMEDY  HITS 

College  Capers   Sept.  27t. . .  12  

Easy  Pickin's   Dec.  27t...l0  

Going  Native   Aug.  21  ,'36. 1 1  

Hillbilly  Love   Oct.  lit. ..II  

Queen's  Birthday,  The  Aug.  28,'36tl0  

Ring  Goes  'Round,  The  Aug.  14. '36. 10  

Rodeo  Day   Sept.  I3t...ll  

Seeing   Nellie   Home  Dec.  20t ...  1 1  

Sorority    Blues  Dec.    6+ ...  1 1  

Spooks   Apr.  I7.'36t.9  

Way  Out  West  Oct.  25t...ll.... 

SPECIAL 

Wings  Over  Mt.  Everest  July  I9t. .  .22  

STAR    PERSONALITY  COMEDIES 
Giv'lm  Air   Feb.  I4.'36tl8  


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Gold  Bricks   Mar.  20,'36t2O  

Grand  Slam  Opera  Feb.  2l,'36t2l  

Ladies  Love  Hats  Nov.    It. ..20  

Penny  Wise   Sept.  6t...l6  

Three  on  a  Limb  Jan.  3,'36tl9  

Timid  Young  Man,  The  Oct.  25t...20  

Triple  Trouble   Apr.  3,'36tl6  

White   Hope,  The  Mar.  27,'36tl9. . . . 

PAUL  TERRY-TOONS 

Aladdin's   Lamp   Nov.  I5t  6  

Alpine  Yodeler   Feb.  2-.'36t  .6. . . . 

Barnyard  Amateurs   Mar.  6,'36t.6.... 

Busy  Bee,  The  May  29,'36t.6  

Circus  Days   Sept.  6t  6  

Farmer   AI    Falfa    in  the 

Hot  Spell   July  I0.'36t.6  

Farmer  AI   Falfa  and  the 

Runt   May  I5,'36t.6  

Feud,   The  Jan.  I0.*36t.6  

Foiled  Again   Oct.    4t  6  

Football   Oct.   I8t  6  

Hey  Diddle  Diddle   Sept.  20t . . .  .6  

Home  Town  Olympics  Feb.  7,'36t.6  

June  Bride,  A  Nov.    It  6  

Kiko  and  the  Honey  Bears. .Aug.  2l,'36t.6. ... 

Kiko  the   Kangaroo   July  3l,'36t  ■  I  rl. . 

Mayflower,    The  Dec.  27t....8.... 

19th   Hole  Club,  The  Jan.  24.'36t.6. . . . 

Off  to  China  Mar.  20.'36t.6  

Puddy   the    Pup    and   the  .  July  24,'36t . I  rl. . 

Gypsies   

Rolling  Stones   May  l,'36t.6  

Sailors'  Home,  The  June  I2,'36t.6  

Southern    Horse-pitality  Nov.  29t  6  

Tough  Egg,  A  June  26,'36t  .6. . . . 

Western  Trail,  The  Apr.  3.'36t.6  

Wolf  in  Cheap  Clothing,  A.Apr.  I7.'36t.6  

Ye  Oldo  Toy  Shop  Dec.  I3t  6  

TOPNOTCH  COMEDIES 

Happy  Heels   Aug.    I, '36. .2  rls. 

Parked  in  Paree  Aug.  28, '36.  .2  rls. 

TREASURE  CHEST 

Animal  Cunning   May  I,'36tl0  

Clever  Critters   Sept.  20t  8  

Fast  Friends   June  5,'36t.9  

Feminine  Form   Aug.  7,'36. .  I  .rl.. 

Fisherman's  Luck   Jan.  3l,'36t.9  

Gangsters  of  the  Deep  Nov.    It  8  

Hold  That   Line  Oct.  lit.. ..7.... 

Game  of  Jai-Alai,  The  Dec.  27t  9  

Manhattan  Tapestry   Jan.  3l,*36tl0  

Seeing    Eye,    The  Jan.  I7,'36tl0  

Ski-Scrapers   May  24  8  

Sunday  Sports  in  Mexico. ...  Nov.  8t.--l0  

TUXEDO  COMEDIES 

Just  Plain  Folks   Mar.  I3.'36fl9  

Kiss  the  Bride   Sept.  I3t...2l  

One  Big  Happy  Family   Nov.  I5t...2l.... 

Rail   Birds   May  22,'36tl8  

YOUNG  ROMANCE 

Beware  of  Blondes  Feb.  7,'36t20  

Love  in  a  Hurry  May  17.... 16.... 

Love  in  September  Mar.  6,'36t2l  

Way  Up  Thar  Nov.    St ■  -  - 1 8  


GRAND  NATIONAL 
DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

MUSICAL  MOODS 
(Technicolor) 

Ave   Maria   Mar.  25,'36t . I  rl. , 

Irish  Melody   Mar.  9,'36t.  .8. . . 

Italian  Caprice   Dec.    It  8  

Liebestraum   Apr.  20,'36t. I  rl. 

Mediterranean  Songs   Nov.    It  7... 

NEWSLAUGHS 

No.    I   Oct.  I2t  I  rl. 

No.    2   Nov.  26t  I  rl. 

No.    3   Dec.  30t  I  rl. 

No.   4   Jan.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

No.    5   Feb.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

No.    6   Mar.  20,'36t.  I  rl. 

6  THRILLING  JOURNEYS 

Craters  of  the  Moon   Nov.  I5t  I  rl. 

Deep  Sea  Harvest  Jan.  I5,'36t.l  rl. 

Ride  Along  Dude  Feb.  I5,'36t.l  rl. 

City  of  Proud  Memories. ...  Dec.  luf....l  rl. 
Realm  of  Ghosts  Mar.   I ,*36t  


Title  Rel*  Date  Min. 

Life  of  Theodore  Roosevelt. . Feb.  I,'36tl9.... 

Tough   Breaks   Mar.  I,'36tl8.... 

Symphony  of  the  Seasons. . .Jan.  27,'36t.9.... 
Young  Explorer   Mar.  2,'36tlO.... 

INTERNATIONAL  VARIETIES 

No.  I—   Feb.  I4,'36t.8.... 

No.  2—   Feb.  28,'36t.8  

No.  3—   Mar.  8,'36tl0  

No.  4—   Mar.  22,'36tl0. . . . 

No.  5—   Apr.  I0,'36t.7  

No.  6—   Apr.  22,'36t.7'/a.. 

PERSONALITIES  ON  PARADE 

No.  I—   Feb.  5,'36t.9.... 

No.  2—   Mar.  6,'36t.9  

No.  3—   Apr.  Il,'36t.9  

No.  4 —   May  4,'36t.9.... 

WORLD  EXPLORATIONS 

1.  Nomads  of  the  Jungle  Feb.  3,'36t.6  

2.  Nomads  of  the  South  Seas. Feb.  I7.'36t.6  

3.  Nomads  of  the  Past  Mar.  3,'36t.6.... 

4.  Nomads  of  the  Air  Mar.  l7,'36t.5'/2.. 

5.  Nomads  in  the  Making. .  .Apr.  3,'36t.6  

6.  Nomads  of  the  River  Apr.  I7,'36t.6  

7.  Nomads  of  the  Plains. ...  May  3,'36t.5'/2 . . 

8.  Nomads  of  the  Sea  May  l7,'36t.5'/2 . . 

IMPERIAL 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

COLOR  CLASSICS 

Towers   of    Melody  8  

Hidden  Treasures   8.... 

Southern  Beauties   8  

EDGAR   GUEST   POETIC  GEMS 

After  the  Storm   

Boyhood   6.... 

Couldn't  Live  Without  You  , 

Old  Prospector,  The  8  

Sea  Dreams   8  

Early  in  the  Mornin'  8  

NOVELTIES 

Cities  of  the  Past  

Nero   8... 

Every  Dog  Has  Its  Day  9  

Napoleon's   Waterloo   9. . . 

Hobo  Hero   9... 

PORT  0'  CALL 

Peacock  Throne   9... 

City  of  the  Sun  9. . . 

Jungle  Bound   

Last  Resort   9... 

Love's  Memorial   

Mother  Ganges   9... 

Children  of  the  Nile  9. . . 

Seventh  Wonder   9... 

WORLD    IN  COLOR 

Beneath  Coral  Seas  8... 

Inspiration  of  Old  Love 

Songs   8... 

Isle  of  June   

Dream   Harbor   8... 

Street  of  Memory   8... 

Maori   8... 

Melody  Isle   

Under  the  Southern  Cross  8... 


HOFFBERG 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Beautiful    Blue    Danube. ...  Feb.  4,'36t.9.. 

Golden  Harbor   Mar.  I6,'36tl0. . 

It's  a   Bird   Jan.  20.*36t  17. . 

Sport  of  Flying  Aug.   I  .'36 .12.. 

Carillon  Makers   Aug.  1 5. . . .  14. . 


MGM 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 
CHARLEY  CHASE 
Count  Takes  the  Count,  The. .  Feb.  22,'36t20. . . 

Life  Hesitates  at  40  Jan.  I8.'36tl5... 

Manhattan  Monkey  Business. Nov.  9t...2l... 

Neighborhood  House   May  9,'36t20... 

Nurse  to  You  Oct.  5t...20... 

On  the  Wrong  Trek  Apr.  I8,'36tl9.., 

Public  Ghost  No.    I  Dec.  I4t . .  .20. . 

Vamp  'Til   Ready  Mar.  28,'36t20. . 

CRIME    DOESN'T  PAY 

No.  2— Alibi  Racket   Sept.  I4t  18. . 

No.  3— Desert  Death   Oct.  I9t...2l.. 

No.  4 — Thrill  for  Thelma, 

A   Nov.  23t. . .  18. . 

No.  5— Hit  and  Run  Driver.  Dec.  28t...20.. 

No.  6 — Perfect  Setup   Feb.  I,'36t2l.. 

FITZPATRICK  TRAVEL  TALKS 
Honolulu,   Paradise  of  the 

Pacific   Nov.    2t  8.. 

Japan  in  Cherry  Blossom 

Time   Mar.  2l,'36t.9.. 

Modern  Tokyo   Dec.  28t  9.. 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  City  of 

Splendor   Apr.  I8,'36t.8.. 

Rural  Mexico   Nov.  30t  8.. 

Sacred  City  of  the  Mayan 

Indians   Feb.  22,'36t.7. . 

St.  Helena  and  Its  Man  of 

Destiny   May  I6,'36t.8.. 

Victoria  and  Vancouver  Jan.  25,'36t.9.. 


34 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    4,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

HARMAN-ISING 
(Happy  Harmonies) 

15 —  Honeyland   Oct.  I9t  . .10. . 

16—  Alias  St.  Nick  Nov.  I6t  10. . 

17 —  Run.  Sheep,   Run  Dec.  Ut . . .  10. . 

18—  Bottles   ..Jan.  Il,'36tl0.. 

19 —  Early  Bird  and  the 

Worm,  The   Feb.  8,'38t.9.. 

20—  Old  Mill  Pond,  The...  Mar.  7.'36t.8.. 

21—  Two  Little  Pups  Apr.  4,'36t.8.. 

M-G-M  MINIATURES 

Great  American  Pie  Com- 
pany  Nov.  9t...ll.. 

How  to  Behave  Apr.  25.'3CtlO. . 

Important  News   Feb.  29,'36tl0.. 

Jonker  Diamond   Mar.  28,'36tl0. . 

Let's  Dance   Jan.  4,'36t.8.. 

Little  Boy  Blue  May  23,'36t  II . . 

Master  Will  Shakespeare ...  June  I  3, '36t  1 0. . 

Primitive  Pitcairn   ..Dec.    7t  9.. 

Trained  Hoofs   Oct.  I2t  9.. 

West  Point  of  the  South. .. Feb.  I,'36t.8.. 
M-G-M  SPORTS  PARADE 

Air  Hoppers   Jan.  I8,'36t  10. . 

Aquatic  Artistry   ....Apr.   II, '36. 9.. 

Crew  Racing   Dec.  21 1 ...  1 0. . 

Gymnastics   Oct.  26t  9.. 

Polo   May  9,'36t.8.. 

Table  Tennis   Feb.  I5,'36tl0.. 

Racing  Canines   Mar.  I4,'36fl0. . 

Water  Sports   Oct.  26t....8.. 

MUSICAL  REVUES 

La  Fiesta  do  Santa  Bar- 
bara  Dee.    7t- . .  19. . 

Pirate  Party  on  Catalina 

Isle   .Nov.  21  20.. 

OUR  GANG 

Arbor  Day   May  2,'36fl8.. 

Divot  Diggers   Feb.  8,*36tl5.. 

Follies  of  1936  Nov.  30t ...  18. . 

Little  Sinner   Oct.  26t...l8.. 

Lucky  Corner,  The  Mar.  I4,'36tl6.. 

Pinch  Singer   Jan.  4,'36tl8.. 

Second  Childhood   Apr.  I  I,'36tl9. . 

SPECIAL 

Audioscopiks   8.. 

TODD-KELLY 

Ail-American  Toothache  Jan.  25,'36t20.. 

Hill   Tillies  Apr.  4,'36H8.. 

Hot  Money   Nov.  I6t  -  - .  18. . 

Pan  Handlers   Feb.  29'36t20. . 

Top  Flat   Dec.  2lt...20.. 

Twin  Triplets   Oct.  1 2t-  -  .21 . . 

PARAMOUNT 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

BETTY  BOOP  CARTOONS 
Betty  Eoop  and  Little 

Jimmy   ;  Mar.  27,'36f.7. . 

Betty  Boop  and  the  Little 

King   Jan  3l,'36f.7. . 

Henry,  The  Funniest  Living 

American   Nov.  22f... .7... 

Judge  for  a  Day  Sept.20t  8.. 

Little  Nobody   Dec.  27t  7.. 

Making  Stars   Oct.  I8t  7.. 

More  Pep   June  I9,'36t  

Not  Now   Feb.  28,'36t.7.. 

Song  a  Day,  A  May  22,'36t.7. . 

Wo  Did  It  Apr.  24,'36t.6.. 

You're  Not  Built  That  Way. July  I7,'36t.l 
COLOR  CLASSICS 

Cobweb   Hotel,   The  May  I5,'36t.8 

Greedy  Humpty  Dumpty  July  I0,'36t 

Little  Stranger   Mar.  I3,'36t.8 

Musical  Memories   Nov.  8t....7 

Somewhere  in  Dreamland. .  .Jan.  I7,'36.9 

(Technicolor) 

Time  for  Love  Sept.  6t  7 

HEADLINERS 
Accent  on  Girls  Dec.  27t  

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 

Melodears 

Babes  In  Hollywood  Oct.  I8t...l0 

Breezy  Rhythm   Apr.  10/36110 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 

Cavalcade  of  Music,  The  Oct.    4t  8 

Lucky  Starlets   May  22,'36tl0 

Baby  Leroy-Bennle  Bart- 

lett  -  David    Holt  -  Betty 

Holt  -  Billy  Lee-Vlrglnla 

Weldler 

Magic  of  Music,  The  Aug.  2t...ll 

Richard  Hlmber  and  His 
Orchestra 

Midnight  Melodies   Mar.  20,'36HI 

Ed  Paul  and  Orehestra- 
Babs  Ryan  -  Loretta  Lee 


rl.. 


rl. 


Title                         Rel.  Date  Min. 
Moscow  Moods   Jan.  I7,'36tll . ... 

Yasha  Bunchuk  and  Orch. 
Movie  Melodies  on  Parade.. Feb.  7,'36tll  

Andre  Kostelanetz-Mary 

Eastman 

Musical  Fashions   July  3,'36t.lrl.. 

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  her 
Melodears 

Music  in  the  Morgan  Manner.  June  I2,'36t  

Russ  Morgan  and  Orch. 
Parade  of  the  Maestros  Nov.  I5t...l0  

Red  Nichols,  Ferde  Grofe, 

Emery  Deutsch  and  Their 

Orchestras 

Radio  Rhapsdoy   Dec.  6t...l0  

Johnny  Green  and  Orch. 

Star  Reporter,  The  Feb.  28,'36t.9  

Betty  Jane  Cooper-Don- 
ald Novis-lna  Ray  Hutton 

Yankee  Doodle  Rhapsody. .. May  l,'36tll  

Ferde  Grofe  and  His 
Orchestra 

PARAMOUNT  PICTORIAL  NEW  SERIES 
No.  3— Nesting  Time — Re-. Oct.  lit  9  

flections — Song  Makers  of 

the  Nation  (Tot  Seymour 

and  Vee  Lawnhurst)  

No.  4  —  Jewelry  —  Made  to.  Nov.    3t . . .  10  

Order  —  Let's    Listen  to 

Latin  America   

No.  5 — Manhattan  Rhapsody.  Dec.  6t...l0  

— Animal  Buddies — Man 

of  Many  Faces  

No.   6  — The   Latest   from. Jan.  3,'36tl0  

Paris — Shifting    Sands — 

Nature's  Sideshow   

No.  7 — Mountain  Moods — .Jan.  3l,'36t.7  

Camera   Hounds  —  Song 

Makers    of    the  Nation 

(Ralph  Rainger  and  Lee 

Robin)   

No.  8— Frederic  W.  Goudy .  Feb.  28,'36t  II.... 

— Sails  Over  Sydney  Har- 
bor —  The  Voice  of  tha 

Animals   

No.  9 — Trailing  the  Birds  .Mar.27,'36t.9  

— Lake   of  Enchantment 

— Swanee     River  Goes 

High  Hat 

No.    10— Toilers     of     the  .Apr.  24,'36tl0  

Deep  —  Where  Beauty 

Reigns — Make-up  Magic 
No.   II — Champagne — Girls  .May  22,'36t  

Will  Be  Boys— Up  Mont 

Blanc 

No.  12—   June  I9,'36t  

No.   13—   July  I7,'36t.l  rl 

PARAMOUNT  VARIETIES 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  4  .Sept.  27t . . .  10. . 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  5. Dec.  1 3t . . . 1 0 . . 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  6. Apr.  3,'36t-9.. 

Collie,  The   Feb.  2l,'36tl0.. 

Countryside  Melodies   Nov.  29t  6.. 

(Technicolor) 

Dangerous  Jobs   May    1. '361.9.. 

Fashions  in   Love  July  24,'36t.  I  rl 

Here  Comes  the  Zoo  Mar.  13, '361. 9.. 

March  of  the  Presidents...  .Sept. 27t . . .  10. . 

Movie  Milestones  (No.  I).. July  26  10.. 

Movie  Milestones  (No.  2).. Jan.  3l,'36fl0.. 

Nature  Speaks   July  12  10.. 

Popular  Science   May  31  10.. 

(Color) 

Poodle,  The   May  22,'36f  10. . 

Rhythm  Party,  The  June  26,'36t  

Rookie  Fireman,  The  Apr.  24,'36t  1 0 . . 

Shorty  at  Coney  Island  Jan.  I0.'36tl0. . 

Shorty  at  the  Seashore  July  I0,'36t.l  rl 

Shorty  Goes  South  Sept.  I3t . . .  10.  . 

Spring  Night   Nov.    It  8.. 

POPEYE  THE  SAILOR 
Adventures  of  Popeye,  The.  .Oct.    25t-..8. . 

Bridge  Ahoyl   May  l,'36t/.8.. 

Brotherly  Love   Mar.  6,'36t.7.. 

Clean  Shaven  Man,  A  Feb.  7,'36t.7.. 

I-Ski  Love-Ski  You-Skl  Apr.  3.'36f.6.. 

I  Wanna  Be  a  Lifeguard. .  .June  26,'36t  

King  of  the  Mardi  Gras...  .Sept. 27t  7.. 

Let's  Get  Movin'   July  24,'36t. I  rl 

Sinbad  the  Sailor  Jan.  3l,'36t.2  ris. 

(Special) 

Spinach  Overture,  The  Dec.    61. ...8.. 

Vim,  Vigor  and  Vitaliky. . .  Jan.  3.'36t.7.. 

What,  No  Spinach?  May  29,'36t.... 

PARAMOUNT  SOUND  NEWS 
Two  Editions  Weekly 

POPULAR  SCIENCE 
(Cinecolor) 

No.   I   Sept.  29t  9.. 

No.  2   Nov.  29t ...  1 0>/> 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

No.  3   Jan.  24,'36tll.. 

No.  4   Mar.27,'36tll.. 

No.  5   May  29,'36t.... 

No.  6   July  I7,'36t.l  rl 

SCREEN  SONGS 
Hills  of  Old  Wyomin',  The.  .July  24,'36t.  I  rl 

The  Westerners 
I    Don't  Want  to  Make 

History   May  22,'36t. . . . 

V.  Lopez  and  Orchestra 
I   Feel  Like  a  Feather  In 

the  Breeze   Mar.  27.'36t.7. . 

Jack  Denny  and  Orchestra 
It's  Easy  to  Remember  Nov.  29t...l0.. 

Richard  Himber  and  Or- 
chestra 

I  Wished  On  the  Moon  Sept.  20t  8.. 

Abe  Lyman  and  Orchestra 

No  Other  One  Jan.  24,'36t.8.. 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 

GRANTLAND  RICE  SPORTLIGHTS 
(NEW  SERIES) 

No.  16— Hooked  Lightning    Sept.  27t . . .  10. . 

No.  17 — Junmping  Champion. Oct.  25t ...10.. 

No.  18— Sport  on  the  Range. Nov.  22T...I0.. 

No.  19 — Sporting   Network  .Dec.  20f ...  10. . 

No.  20— What's  the  Answer. Jan.  I7,'36tl0.. 

No.  21— Finer  Points  Feb.  I4,'36tl0.. 

No.  22— Winged  Champions. Mar.  13. '36110.. 

No.  23— Sun  Chasers  Apr.  I0,'36tl0. . 

No.  24 — Catching  Trouble. .. May  8,'36tl0.. 

No.  25— River  of  Thrills  June  5,'36t  

No.  26 — Sporting  Compari- 
sons July  3,'36t  


RKO  RADIO 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

DUMBBELL  LETTERS 

No.  21   Jan.  3,'36t.5.. 

No.  22   Feb.  3l,'36t.5'/2 

No.  23   Apr.  3,'36t.5.. 

No.  24   May  29,'36t-5.. 

No.  25   July  I0.'36t  

EASY  ACES 

Capital  Idea   Oct.  4t...l0.. 

Debonair  New  Orleans  Mar.  27,'36t  10. . 

Etiquette   Nov.  29,'36t.9. . 

Fool  Your  Friends   June  9,'36t.... 

Job's  a  Job,  A  May  22,'36t . . . . 

Jolly  Old  London  Aug.  30  9'/2 

Old  Fashioned  Movie,  An. . .  Feb.  28,'36tl  I . . 

Tricks  of  the  Trade  Sept.  6t...l0.. 

Unusualities   Aug.   91  9</2 

Winter  at  the  Zoo  Jan.  3l,'36tl0'/j 

World  Within,  A  Nov.    It...  10.. 

FOUR  STAR  COMEDIES 

Salesmanship  Ahoy   July  19  18'/2 

HEADLINER  SERIES 

No.  5 — Drawing   Rumors  July  12  17.. 

No.  I— Night  Life   Sept.  21 1 . .  .21 . . 

No.  2— Tuned  Out   Nov.  1 51... 20.. 

No.  3 — Camera  Cranks  Jan.  17. '36119.. 

No.  4 — Wedtime  Story,  A..  . Mar. 20,'36t2l . . 

No.  5—  Bad  Medicine  May  22,'36tl5. . 

No.  6 — Sleepy  Time  July  24,'36t  

EDGAR  KENNEDY  COMEDIES 

Dummy  Ache    July  I0.'36t  

Gasoloons   Jan.  3,'26tl5'/s 

Happy  Tho  Married  Nov.    I  18.. 

High  Beer  Pressure  May   8, '36118.. 

In  Love  at  40  Aug.  301. . .  19. . 

Sock  Me  To  Sleep  May  17  20.. 

Will  Power   Mar.  6,'36tl5'/a 

MAJOR    BOWES'    AMATEUR  PARADE 

No.  I   May  l,'36t.9.. 

No.  2   June  5,'36t.... 

No.  3   July  3,'36t.... 

MAJOR  BOWES'  AMATEUR  THEATRE 
OF  THE  AIR 

No.  4   Oct.  1 8t ...  ■  8  '/a 

No.  5   Nov.    8t. . .  18. . 

No.  6   Nov.  22t...l8.. 

MARCH  OF  TIME 

No.  8   Nov.  I5t...20.. 

No.  9   Dec.  I3t\..23'/i 

[1936] 

No.  I  Jan.  l7,'36tl8'/2 

No.  2   Feb.  I7,'36t24 

No.  3   Mar.  13, '36. 21 

No.  4   Apr.  I7,'36t2l 

No.  5   May  I5,'36t.. 

No.  6   June  I2,'36t.. 

No.  7   July  I0,'36t. . 

MUSICALS 
Night  at  the  Biltmore 

Bowl,  A   June  21. ...I7'/, 

PATHE  NEWS 
Released  twice  a  week 

PATHE  REVIEWS 
Released  once  a  month 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

PATHE  TOPICS 

Released  seven  times  a  year 

RADIO  FLASH  COMEDIES 

Dog   Blight   June  I2.'36t  

Fight  Is  Right  Apr.  I0,'36tl7. . 

Radio  Barred   Feb.  7,'36tl5'A 

Where  There's  a  Will  Oct.  4t...l8.. 

Worm  Burns,  The  Dec.  6t...l7.. 

RADIO   MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Aladdin  from  Manhattan  Feb.  28,'36tl7. . 

Foolish  Hearts    Dec.  27t...l8.. 

Melody  In  May  May  l.'SStlt.. 

Metropolitan  Nocturne   Aug.  231.  .18 

Mismanaged   Oct.  25t ...  1 9 '/i 

Swing  It   July   3,'36t.  .. 

RAINBOW  PARADE  CARTOONS 

Bold  King  Cole  May  29,'36t  

Felix  the  Cat  and  the  Goose 
That  Laid  the  Golden  Egg. Feb.  7,'36t.7'/> 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  the 
Indians   Nov.  I5t  7>/t 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  Robin- 
son Crusoe   Mar. 20,'36t.7. . 

Neptune  Nonsense   Apr.  I7,'36t.8. . 

Toonerville  Trolley   Jan.  I7,'36t.7.. 

Trolley  Ahoy   |  

Waif's  Welcome,  A  June  I9,'36t  

SMART  SET 

All  Business   Feb.  I4.'36tt8'/i 

And  So  to  Wed  June  I9,'36t  

Framing  Father   Apr.  I7,'36tl6'/a 

Returned  Engagement,  A...  Oct.  I  It... 21.. 

Too  Many  Surprises  Dec.  3t...20'/i 

SPECIALS 

Going  on  Two  Sept.  17  17.. 

Headlines  for  25  Years  Mar.  27,'36t2l . . 

SPORTS  WITH  BILL  CORUM 

Bugles  from  Blue  Grass  Oct.  I!t...l0'/t 

Gentlemen's  Sports   Dec.  1 3 1 -  -  .11.. 

Inside  the  Ropes  Aug.  I6t . . .10. . 

Never  Catch  the  Rabbit  Apr.  24,'36tl  I . . 

Row  Mr.  Row  June  I9,'36t . . . . 

Tomorrow's  Halfbacks   Jan.  24,'36t.9.. 

Winter  Sport   Mar.  I3,'36tl0. . 

STRUGGLE  TO  LIVE 

Beach  Masters   Nov.  8t...l0'/2 

Living  Jewels   June  I2,'36t. ... 

Underground  Farmers  Apr.  I7,'36t.9. . 

Winged  Pageantry   Feb.  I4,'36f  10. . 

SUPERBA  COMEDIES 

Counselitis   Nov.  221.  ..18.. 

Down  the  Ribber  Mar.  27. '36121 . . 

Home  Work   Sept.  20t. . .  19. . 

Uppercutlets   Jan.  24,'36tl8'/j 

Listen  to  Freezin'   July  31. '361  

Wholesailing  Along   May  29,'36tl7. . 

VAGABOND  ADVENTRE  SERIES 

Quebec   Aug.   2  9'/2 

WORLD   ON  PARADE 
Coral  Isle  of  the  Atlantic  .  Mar.  27,'36tl  I  - . 

Land  of  Evangeline  Nov.  22t...l9'/2 

Morocco   Jan.  I0,'36|.... 

Prominent  Personalities  Feb.  21, '36111.. 

Spain's  Romantic  Isle, 

Majorca   Oct.  I8t...l9</, 

Venice  of  the  North  May  I5,'36  


STATE  RIGHTS 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

AL  BONDY 
(General  Electric) 

Excursions  in  Science  No.  1  8.., 

DYNAMIC 

Wonderland  of  Gaspe  II.., 

NORTON 

Alchemist's  Hourglass,  The  It.., 

PAT  GARYN 

O'Mahoney-George  Bout   17.. 

PHIL  BROWN 

Norwegian  Sketches   10.. 

REGAL 

Broadway  Nights   

20TH  CENTURY-FOX 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

ADVENTURES  OF  THE 
NEWSREEL  CAMERAMAN 

Filming  the  Fantastic  Jan.  31, '36110.. 

Filming  Feminine  Head- 
liners   Dec.  27t. . . 10. . 

Hazardous  Occupation   Oct.  1 8t  -  - .  10. . . 

Shooting  the  Record  Break- 
ers  Nov.  221...  10.. 

MAGIC  CARPET  SERIES 

Argentine  Argosy   Nov.  22t ...  10. . 

Geneva-by-the-Lake  Dec.  21 1 ...  1 0. . 

Hong  Kong  Highlights  Jan.  31. '36110.. 

Italian  Riviera   Sept. 27t. . .  10. . 

Morocco  Mirage   Aug.  30  10.. 


July    4,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


85 


(THE  RELEASE  CHALQT--CCNTeL) 


Title  Rcl-  Date  M,n- 

West  Indies  Cruise  Oct.  25t. . .  10. . 

Winter  Magic   Dec.  27t ...  10. . 

UNITED  ARTISTS 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 
MICKEY  MOUSE 

Pluto's  Judgment  Day..  .Sept.28t  9... 

On  Ice   Nov.  6t....8... 

Mickey's  Polo  Team. ...  Feb.  5,'36t.8... 

Mickey's  Grand  Opera  9... 

Through  the  Mirror  June  I8,'36t.9. . . 

Moving  Day   9... 

Mickey's  Rival   9... 

SILLY  SYMPHONIES 
Who  Killed  Cock 

Robin?   June  26+.. .10... 

Music  Land   Oct.  I0t  8'/a. 

Three  Orphan  Kittens. .. Nov.  2lt  9... 

Broken  Toys   Dec.  I9t  

Cock  of  the  Walk  Jan.    9/36+. 8... 

Orphans'  Picnic   Mar.  I2,'36t  .9. . . 

Elmer  the  Elephant  May  I4,'36t -Wi  ■ 

Three  Little  Wolves  May  27,'36tl0. . . 


UNIVERSAL 


Title 


Min. 


Rel.  Date 
CARTUNE  CLASSICS 
No.  6— Fox  and  the  Rabbit, 

The   Sept.  30  8.... 

GOING  PLACES  with  LOWELL  THOMAS 

No.   14   Nov.  25t....9.... 

No.   15   Dec.    9t  9  

No.  16   Dec.  23t ...  1 0  

No.  17   Jan.  20,'36t  

No.  18   Mar.  9,'36tl0'/j.. 

No.   19   Mar.  23/36+10.... 

No.  20   Apr.  20/36+.9.... 

No.  21   June  8,'36t  

No.  22   June22.'36t  

No.  23   July  6/36t  

No.  24   July  20,'36  

No.  25   Aug.  3,'36  

No.  26   Aug.  I7,'36  

MENTONE  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Carnival  Time   Jan.  22,'36tl9  

Jean  Sergent-Jack  Fulton 

Clubhouse  Party  (No.  6-B).Dec.  25t  2  rli. 

Ray  Perkins 

Flippen's  Frolics   July  I5,'36t  

Gus  Van's  Music  Shoppe 

(Ne.  5-B)   Dec.  4f...20  

Harlem  Bound  (No.  4)  Nov.  6t...20  

Marine  Follies   Apr.  29/36t.2  rlj. 

On  Your  Radio  Dial 

(No.  3)   Oct.  23t ...  1 0  

Playing  for  Fun  Mar.  I8,'36tl5  

Signing  Off   Feb.  I9.'36tl9  

Speedy  Justice  (No.  2-B) .  .Sept.  25t. .  .20  

Teddy  Bergman's  Inter- 
national Broadcast   June  3,'36t20  

Vaud-O-Mat,  The  Apr.  8/36+1*  

NOVELTIES 

Skits  'n'  Sketches  Feb.  24,'36t  

OSWALD  CARTOONS 

Alaska  Sweepstakes   Feb.  I7,'36t.8  

Amateur  Broadcast   Aug.  26  7  

Battle  Royal   Juno  22,'36t  

Barnyard  Five   Apr.  20/36+  

Beauty  Shoppe   Mar. 30,'36t .6'/2 . • 

Case  of  the  Lost  Sheep,  The. Dec.    9t  7  

Doctor  Oswald   Dec.  30t  

Farming  Fools   May  25,'36t  

Fun  House,  The  May  4,'36t  

Monkey  Wretches   Nov.  lit  1  rl.. 

Quail  Hunt,  The  Oct.    7  8  

Slumberland  Express   Mar.  9/36+  

Soft  Ball  Game  Jan.  27,'36t  

STRANGER  THAN  FICTION  SERIES 

No.  14— Novelty   Nov.  I8t  9  

No.  15— Novelty   Dec.    2+  9.... 

No.  16— Novelty   Dec.  I6t  9  

No.  17— Novelty   Jan.  13/36+. 9  

No.  18— Novelty   Mar.  30/36+. 9'/2.. 

No.  19— Novelty   Apr.  I3,'36t.9  

No.  20—  Novelty   June  1/36+  

No.  21— Novelty   June  15/38+  

No.  22— Novelty   June  29,'36t  

No.  23— Novelty   July  I3.'36r  

No.  24— Novelty   July  27,'36  

No.  25— Novelty   Aug.  I0,'36  

No.  26—  Novelty   Aug.  24,'36  

UNIVERSAL  COMEDIES 

Bring  'Em  Back  a  Lie  Aug,  14  2.rls. 

Sterling  Holloway 

Father  Knows  Best  July  20  2  rls. 

Sterling  Holloway 

His  Last  Fling  July  31  20  

(Van  Ronkel  No.  5) 
You  Can  Be  Had  Jan.  6,'3«tI3  


Title                          Rel.  Date  Min. 
UNIVERSAL  SPECIAL 
Camera  Thrills   Sept. 30. . .  .21 . . . . 

VITAPHONE 

BIG  TIME  VAUDEVILLE  REEL 
Vitaphone  Billboard   Feb.  15/36+1  1  

Jane  and  Katherine  Lee 
Vitaphone  Casino   10  

Buster  West-Radio  Rubes 
Vitaphone  Celebrities   Jan.  25,'36tll  

Remington  Singers 
Vitaphone  Entertainers  . . . .  June  27,'36t .  I  rl. . 

Sylvia  Froos 
Vitaphone  Headllners   Dec.  1 4t -  -.10  

Nick  Lucas-Four  Mullen 

Sisters 

Vitaphone  Highlight   Apr.  4/36+10  

Eddie  Peabody 

Vitaphone  Hippodrome   May  2,'36fll  

Molly  Picon-Johnny  Lee 

Vitaphone  Spotlight   Mar.  7,'36tll  

Conville-Dale 

Vitaphone  Topnotches   May  30/36+  

Vitaphone  Troupers   Jan.  4/36+10  

Four  Trojans- 
Aunt  Jemima 

Vitaphone  Variett   Nov.  16+  1  rl.. 

Louis  Prima  and  Orch. 

Vitaphone  Stageshow   July25,'36t  

BIG  V.  COMEDIES 
On  the  Wagon  Aug.  24    20  

Shemp  Howard-Roscoe  Ates 
Keystone  Hotel   Sept. 21 +  . . .20  

Old  Timers 

Vodka  Boatmen   Oct.  5+...20  

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Lonesome  Trailer   Oct.  26+... 20.... 

El  Brendel 

Officer's  Mess,  The  Nov.    9t  2  rls. 

Shemp  Howard 
Double  Exposure   Nov.  23t ...  2 1  

Bob  Hope 

Lucky  Swede,  The  Dec.  21 1 . . -21  

El  Brendel 

While  the  Cat's  Away  Jan.  4/36+20  

Shemp  Howard 
They're  Off   Jan.  I8,'36t2l  

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Slide,  Nellie,  Slide  Feb.  I,'36t2t  

Herman  Blng- 

Paula  Stone 
Shop  Talk   Feb.  I5,'36t2l  

Bob  Hope 
Joe  Palooka  In  for  the  Love 

of  Pete   Mar.  I4,*36t2l  

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 
Calling  All  Tars  Mar.  28,'36t2l . . . . 

Bob  Hope 

Slum  Fun   Apr.  I  1/36+21  

Johnny  Berkes- 

Charles  O'Donnell 
Dough-Nuts   Apr.  25, '36t  .2  rls. 

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Absorbing  Junior   May  9/36t2l  

Shemp  Howard- 
Johnny  Berkes 
Joe  Palooka  in  Here's  Howe. June  6,'36t2t  

Shemp  Howard  - 

Robert  Norton 
Wife  of  the  Party,  The  June  20,'36t22  

Ken  Murray 
Good  Old  Plumbertlme, 

The   July  ll,'36t  

Johnny  Berkes 
The  Oily  Bird  July  25,'36t  

Ken  Murray 

BROADWAY  BREVITIES 
Lady  In  Black,  The  Aug.  17  20  

Countess  Olga  Albanl 
Dublin  In  Brass  Sept.  7t...20  

Morton  Downey 
Oh,  Evallne   Sept.  I4t. . .20. ... 

Hal  LeRoy- 

Eleanore  Whitney 
Doorman's  Opera   Sept.  28t. .  .20  

Charlotte  Arren- 

Johnny  Broderlek 
Tickets  Please   Oct.  I2f...2l  

Georgle  Price 
Regular  Kids   Oct.   18+. ..20.... 

Meglln  Kids 
Check  Your  Sombrero  Nov.    2t . .  .21 . . . . 

Armlda-Tlto  Coral 
Rooftops  of  Manhattan  Nov.  1 6t . .  .21  

Doano  Janis-G II  Lamb 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Trouble  in  Toyland  Nov.  30+.. .20.. 

Gus  Edwards'  Stars  of 
the  Futuro 

Okay,  Jose   Dec.    7t . .  .21 . . 

El  Brandel 

Katz'  Pajamas   Dec.    14+.  21.. 

Fifl  D'Orsay 
Broadway  Ballyhoo   Dec.  2Bf. .  .21 . . 

Owen,  Hunt  and  Parco 
Carnival   Days   Jan.  Il,*36t2l.. 

Henry  Armetta- 

Felix  Knight 
Double  or  Nothing  Jan.  18/36+21.. 

Phil  Harris-Leah  Ray 

Study  and  Understudy          Jan.  25/36+22.. 

Between  the  Lines  Feb.  8/36+22.. 

Bernice  Claire 
King  of  the  Islands..  Feb.  22,'36t2l . . 

Winifred  Shaw- 
Warren  Hymer 
Stars  Can't  Be  Wrong,  The .  Feb.  29,'36t2l . . 

Carolyn  Marsh - 

Harris  Twins 
Wash  Your  Step  Mar.  7,'36t2l . . 

Hal  LeRoy- 

Preisser  Sisters 
Paris  in  New  York  Mar. 21/36+22. 

Irene  Bordon! 
Black  Network,  The  Apr.  4,'36t22.. 

Nina  Mae  McKinney- 

Nicholas  Bros. 
College   Dads   Apr.  II , '36121 . . 

Leon  Janney 
Double  Crossky,  The  Apr.  1 8, '36121 . 

Olga  Baclanova 
I'm   Much  Obliged  May  2/36+21., 

Vera  Van-George  Dobbs 
Maid  for  a  Day  May  23/36+20. 

Grace  Hayes 
City's  Slicker,  The  May  30/36+. 2  I 

Dawn  O'Day-Radio  Rubes 
Romance  in  the  Air  May  16/36+.. . 

Wini  Shaw-Phil  Regan 
Changing  of  the  Guard  June  6,'36f20. 

Sybil  Jason 
Rhythmitis    June  13, '36+. 2 

Hal  LeRoy-Toby  Wing 
Song  of  a  Nation,  The  July  4,'36f20. 

Donald  Woods- 
Claire  Dodd 

When  You're  Single  July  I8/36+.2  i 

Cross  and  Dunn 

LOONEY  TUNES 
No.  12 — Hollywood   Capers.. Oct.   19.  7. 


No.  13 — Gold  Diggers  of '49  7... 

No.  14 — Plane  Dippy   Dec.  21 1  7... 

No.  15 — Alpine  Antics   Jan.  4.'36t.7... 

No.  16 — Phantom  Ship,  The.  Feb.    I,'36t.7. .. 

No.  17— Boom!  BoomI   Feb.  29/36+. 7. . . 

No.  18— Blow  Out,  The  Apr.  4,'36t.7... 

No.  19— Westward  Whoa  Apr.  25,'36t.7. . . 

No.  20— Fish  Tales  May  23/36+  .7. . . 

No.  21 — Shanghaied  Ship- 
mates  June20,'36..l  rl. 

No.  22— Porky's  Pot   July  I1,'36t.:... 


MELODY  MASTERS 


Phil  Spitalny  All  Girl 
Orchestra  

Jack  Denny  and  Orchestra.. 

Johnny  Green  and  Orchestra. 

Claude  Hopkins  and  Orch. 

Red  Nichols  and  Orchestra. 

B,  A.  Rolfe  and  Orchestra. 

Jolly  Coburn  and  Orchestra. 

Little  Jack  Little  and 
Orchestra   

Ramon  Ramos  and  Orchestra 

Dave  Apotlon  and  Hit  Band 

Vincent  Lopez  and  Orches- 
tra   

Carl  Hoff  and  Orchestra.... 


Sept.  14  + 
Oct.  7t 
Oct.  I 
Nov. 
Jan. 
Feb. 


12+ 
9t 

4,'36t 
1/36+ 


Feb.  22,'36t 

Mar.  21, '36+ 
Apr.  I8,'36t 
.May  16/36+ 

June  6,'36+l 
July  14/36+. 


10.... 
10.... 
10.... 
10.... 
0..„. 
II.... 
II.... 


II.... 

II  

10.... 

0.... 


MERRIE  MELODIES 
(In  Color) 

No.  1 1— Lady  In  Red,  The.  .Sept.  21  7. 

No.  12— Little  Dutch  Plate. Oct.   I9t  7. 

No.  13— Billboard  Frolics  7. 

No.  14 — Flowers  for  Madame. Nov.  30t  7. 

No.  15—1  Wanna  Play 

House   Jan.  1 1  .'36+  .7. 

No.  16 — Cat  Came  Back, 

The   Feb. 

No.  17 — Miss  Glory   Mar. 

No.  18 — I'm  a  Big  Shot 

Now   Apr. 

No.  19— Let  It  Be  Me  May 

No.  20 — I'd  Love  to  Take 

Orders  from  You  May  1 6,'36+  .7. 


8,'36+.7. 
7. '36. 7. 


1.  '36+  .7. 

2.  '36t.7. 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

No.  21 — Bingo  Crosbyana..  . May  30,'36+.7. .. . 

No.  22— When  I  Yoo  Hoo. . .  Juno  27,'36t  

No.  23 — I   Love  to  Singa.  .July  I8,'36+  

OUR  OWN  UNITED  STATES 
No.  I — Curious  Industries. .  .Sept.  7+..  .11  

Harry  Von  Zell 
No.  2 — Playground   Oct.    5t ...  1 1  

James  Wallington 
No.  3— Camera   Hunting  Nov.    2+.. .11  

Paul  Douglas 

No.  4 — Nature's  Handiwork. Nov.  30+. ..II  

Ne.  5 — Odd   Occupations  Dec.  28+.. .12.... 

No.  6— Steel   and  Stone  Jan.  25,'36+M  

No.  7— Day's  Journey,  A. .  .  Feb.  22,'36+l  I  

No.  8— Harbor   Lights  Mar.2l, '36+11  

No.  9— We  Eat  to  Live  Apr.  18/36+10  

No.  10— Vacation  Spots  Mayl6,'36+ll  

No.  II— Irons  in  the  Fire.  .June  I3.'36t.l  rl.. 

PEPPER  POT 
Nutville   Sept.  7+.. .10  

Radio  Ramblers 
All  American  Drawback  Oct.    5+.. .10.... 

Edgar  Bergen 
'Wee'  Men   Nov.    2+.. .10  

Singer's  Midgets 
Seeln'  Stars  Nov.  30+. ..10  

Easy  Aces 

P's  and  Cues  Dec.    7t ...  1 1  

(Exploitation:  Mar.  28,'36,  p.  82.) 

Can  It  Be  Done?  Dec.  21+.. .10.... 

Wild  Wings   Jan.  1 1/36+1 1  

Some  Class   Feb.  8/36+10  

Charles  Ahearn 

Timber  Giants   Feb.  22/36+11  

Half  Wit-ness   Mar.2l,36+.l  rl.. 

Radio  Ramblers 

Beneath  the  Sea  Apr.  1 8. '36+  

Pictorial  Review   June  27/36t .  I  rl. . 

Nut  Guilty   10.... 

SERIALS 

12  Episodes  Each  Unless  Otherwise  Specified 
Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

BURROUGHS-TARZAN 

New  Adventures  of  Tarzan..June  10  2  rls. 

Herman  Brix  (each) 

MASCOT 

Fighting  Marines,  Tha  Nov.  23+  2  rls. 

Grant  Withers-George  Lewis 


REPUBLIC 


Darkest  Africa   

Clyde  Beatty 
(15  Episodes) 
Robinson  Crusoe 

Mala 

Undersea  Kingdom   

Ray  Corrigan-Lols  Wilde 

Vigilantes  Are  Coming.  The. 
Robert  Livingston- 
Kay  Hughes 


STAGE  and  SCREEN 


(Welss-Mlntz 
Black  Coin,  The  

(15  episodes) 
Clutching   Hand,  The  

Jack  Mulhall- 

Wm.  Farnum 

(also  feature  version) 


Serials) 

..Aug.  1/36.... 


Custer's  Last  Stand  

Rex  Lease-Lona  Andre 
(also  feature  version) 


.Apr.  I8/36+.2  rlt. 

(each) 

(1st  episode,  3  rls., 
followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 

..Jan.  2/36+  

(1st  episode,  5  rls., 
followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 


UNIVERSAL 


Adventures  of  Frank  Merrl- 

well   Jan.  13/36+  

Don  Briggs-Jean  Rogers 
Flash  Gordon   Apr.  6,'36t  

Buster  Crabbe-Jean  Roger* 

(13  episodes) 
Phantom   Rider   July  6,'36t  

Buck  Jones-Maria  Shelton 

(15  episodes) 
Rustlers  of  Red  Dog  Jan.  21  +  . .  .20  

John  Mack  Brown  (each) 
Tailspin   Tommy   In  the 

Great  Air  Mystery  Oct.  21+.. .20.... 

Clark  Williams — Jean  Rogers  (each) 


86 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July   4,    193  6 


CLASSIFIED 
ADVERTISING 


the  great 
national  medium 
for  showmen 


Ten  cents  per  word,  money-order  or  check  with  copy.  Count  initials,  box  number  and  address.  Minimum  insertion, 
$1.  Four  insertions  for  the  price  of  three.  Contract  rates  on  application.  No  borders  or  cuts.  Forms  close 
Mondays  at  5  P.M.  Publisher  reserves  the  right  to  reject  any  copy.  Film  and  trailer  service  advertising  not 
accepted.  Classified  advertising  not  subject  to  agency  commission.  Address  correspondence,  copy  and  checks  to 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD,  Classified  Dept.,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  City 


NEW  EQUIPMENT 


FLASH!  NEVER  MIND  THE  BALONEY— "BRING 
home  the  bacon,"  big  discounts  on  parts  for  Simplex 
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buy  and  you  will  be  sure  to  buy  right.  THEATRE 
EQUIPMENT  AND  SOUND  COMPANY,  845  Third 
Ave.,  New  York. 


SPEAKING  OF  INDEPENDENCE  DAY — WE'RE 
the  leaders — judge  us  by  our  catalog,  our  reputation 
and  our  institution — S.O.S.  will  stand  inspection.  Visit 
our  magnificient  showrooms  and  factories.  S.  O.  S., 
1600  Broadway,  New  York. 


books 


ORDER  NOW!  RICHARDSON'S  NEW  BLUE 
Book  of  Projection — 6th  edition  complete  in  one  vol- 
ume. 714  pages,  153  illustrations.  Full  text  on  projec- 
tion and  sound  combined  with  trouble-shooter,  $5.25 
postpaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rockefeller  Center, 
New  York. 


PUBLISHER  UNLOADED  1,700  at  big  sacrifice— 
Sloane's  famous  "Motion  Picture  Projection,"  303 
pages,  fully  illustrated.  Used  as  textbook  by  New 
York  Institute  of  Photography.  Handsomely  bound 
red  Morocco,  every  projectionist  should  have  it. 
Originally  $7.50,  special  98c.  Write  for  our  prices 
Richardson's,  Cameron's,  etc.  S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broadway, 
New  York. 


THEATRE  ACCOUNTING  BY  WILLIAM  F. 
Morris,  is  still  the  best  bookkeeping  system  for  thea- 
tres. It  not  only  guides  you  in  making  the  proper 
entries,  but  provides  sufficient  blank  pages  for  a 
complete  record  of  your  operations  for  each  day  of 
the  year.  Notable  for  its  simplicity.  Order  now — 
$3  postage  prepaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rocke- 
feller Center,  New  York. 


WANTED  TO  BUY 


READY  CASH  WAITING  FOR  ANY  NUMBER 
Powers,  Simplex  projectors,  mechanisms,  lenses,  gen- 
erators, reflector  arc  lamps,  rectifiers,  mazdas,  chairs, 
portables,  sound  outfits,  and  complete  theatre  equip- 
ment.   BOX  717,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


HIGHEST  PRICES  FOR  RCA  SOUND  SIMPLEX, 
Powers,  Motiograph,  arc  lamps,  rectifiers,  lenses,  port- 
ables, stocks  liquidated.  Strictly  confidential.  BOX 
721,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


CASH  PAID  FOR  OLD  SILENT  SIMPLEX 
machines.    F.  MERTZ,  Springfield,  111. 


SOUND  EQUIPMENT 


"INCOMPARABLE  —  FASCINATING  —  GIVING 
great  pleasure!"  writes  Cine  De  Cerro,  Tampico, 
Mexico.  Cinemaphone  sound  very  satisfactory.  You'll 
rave,  too,  after  free  trial.  Write  S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broad- 
way, New  York. 


GENERAL 
EQUIPMENT 


NEW  AND  RECONDITIONED  PROJECTORS, 
reflector  lamps,  rectifiers,  lenses,  sound  equipment, 
screens,  chairs,  mazdas,  portables  and  accessories. 
Bargain  bulletin  free.  MONARCH  THEATRE 
SUPPLY  CO.,  Memphis,  Tenn. 


MACHINE  PARTS:  SIMPLEX  HARDENED 
sprockets  W145D— $1.90,  W146D— $1.90,  E3— $1.25, 
H118E— 50c,  P102C— 90c,  C-112G— $3.50.  Special  prices  on 
all  parts.    CROWN,  311  West  44th  St.,  New  York. 


CELEBRATE  THE  FOURTH  SNAPPING  THESE 
up — acoustical  felt,  2754c  yd.;  Tweetex  speakers,  $17.95; 
Bausch  &  Lomb  Cinephor  lenses,  $6.95;  roll  or  machine 
tickets,  50  roll  lots,  25c;  chair  cement,  $2.75.  Order  from 
our  catalog.    S.  0.  S.,  1600  Broadway,  New  York. 


A1P  CONDITIONING 


AIR  CONDITIONING  CHARTS  THAT  REPRE- 
sent  standard  practice  in  air  conditioning  for  motion 
picture  theatres.  Practical  advice  on  how  to  attain 
the  best  atmospheric  conditions  for  your  house  winter 
and  summer.  Devised  to  be  put  on  the  wall  for  con- 
stant reference.  Available  until  the  supply  is  ex- 
hausted at  25c  each,  payment  direct.  BETTER 
THEATRES.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York. 


POSITIONS  WANTED 


PROJECTIONIST  —  EXPERIENCED  ON  SOUND, 
dependable,  reference.  CLYDE  BREDON,  1520  Mor- 
gantown  Ave.,    Fairmont,  W.  Va. 


SOUND  TECHNICIAN -PROJECTIONIST.  DE- 
sires  change  of  position.  Equipped  to  service  all  in- 
stallations. Excellent  references  —  sober.  BOX  719, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


AT  LIBERTY— PROJECTIONIST,  8  YEARS  Ex- 
perience, young,  married,  dependable,  sober.  Non- 
union, will  go  anywhere.  References.  BURAL  TALL- 
MAN,  Chetek.  Wis. 


THEATRES  FOP  SALE 


SMALL  THEATRE  TO  LIQUIDATE  A  PART- 
enrship.  Doing  nice  business  no  trades.  G.  A.  HART, 
Stratford,  Texas. 


USED  EQUIPMENT 


LEASED  THEATRE;  ENTIRE  EQUIPMENT,  Ex- 
cellent condition.  American  seats,  De  Forest  sound  for 
re-lease.  Michigan.  BOX  713,  MOTION  PICTURE 
HERALD. 


BARGAINS;  SIMPLEX  PROJECTORS,  LAMP- 
houses,  soundheads,  rectifiers,  generators,  lenses, 
speakers,  screens,  rewinds,  ticket  choppers,  etc.  We 
have  what  you  need.  Ask  us.  MIDWEST  THEATRE 
SUPPLY  CO.,  910  So.  Michigan  Ave.,  Chicago. 


HAVE  ON  HAND  10,000  AMERICAN  SEATING, 
late  type  with  spring  seats  at  low  prices.  RELIABLE 
SEATING  CO.,  353  W.  44th  St.,  N.  Y. 


TWO  WESTERN  ELECTRIC  555  UNITS,  $17.50 
each.  Perfect.  BOX  722,  MOTION  PICTURE 
HERALD. 


$850  TAKES  ENTIRE  THEATRE  EQUIPMENT. 
Powers  machines,  Deluxe  sound,  seats,  piano,  every- 
thing.   PRINCESS,  Saybrook,  Illinois. 


REBUILT  SINGLE  BEARING  INTERMITTENTS 
with  our  special  guaranteed  hardened  sprockets.  $25.00 
each.   CROWN,  311  West  44th  St.,  New  York. 


VENTILATING 
EQUIPMENT 


NEW  5,000  C.F.M.  blower  and  ventilating  fans  only 
$49.50  less  motor.  Send  for  catalog.  PROGRESSIVE 
REELTONE  CORP.,  Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 


HEAT  HURTS— WHY  DELAY  COOLING  YOUR 
theatre — blowers  complete,  no  extras,  $59.50.  Silent  air 
circulators,  $49.50;  oscillating  fans,  16",  $17.95;  large 
exhaust  fans,  $19.95.  You  can  afford  our  prices. 
S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broadway,  New  York. 


SCPEEN 
PEEINISMING 


SCREENS  REFINISHED.  WORK  EXECUTED  IN 
theatre  by  factory  experts;  white  or  silver. 
WILLIAMS  SCREEN  CO.,  Akron,  O. 


TRAINING  SOHCOL 


THEATRE  EMPLOYEES;  ADVANCE  TO  BET- 
ter  theatre  positions.  Free  booklet  shows  you  how. 
THEATRE  INSTITUTE,  315  Washington  St.,  Elmira. 
N.  Y. 


PUBLIC'S  FIRST  FOR  1936-1931 


A  BIG  ONE 


IRl 
MVI 


WITH 

JAMES  DUNN 
MAE  CLARKE 
DAVID  MANNERS 
CHARLOTTE  HENRY 

Henry  B.  Walthall 
Fritz  Leiber 
George  Irving 
Irving  Pichel 

Directed  by  Lew  Ayres  Supervised  by  Colbert  Clark 

Screenplay  by  Bernard  Schubert  and  Olive  Cooper 
Adaptation  by  Karl  Brown  Original  story  by  Wallace  McDonald 

PRODUCED    BY    NAT  LEVINE 


TE  YOUR  LOCAL  REPUBLIC  EXCHANGE  FOR  AR 
TATION    TO    SPECIAL    NATIONAL   TRADE  SHOWINt 


{4  GILT  EDGE  PACEMAKERS 


DOWN  TO  THE  SEA 
THE  COUNTRY  GENTLEMAN  j 
GANGS  OF  NEW  YORK  I 
STEAMBOAT  MARY  j 
LEGION  OF  THE  DAMNED  ! 
THE  BROADCASTING  MYSTERY 
BETWEEN  TWO  LOVES 
NAVY  BLUES 
BACHELOR  GIRL 
SKY  HOSTESS 
ISLE  OF  LOST  MEN 
WHY  WORRY 
TWO  MEN  AND  A  WOMAN 
SPECIAL  ORDER 
THE  BELOVED  BRUTE 
BULLDOG  EDITION 
THE  AFFAIRS  OF  CAPPY  RICKS 
\  THE  MIDNIGHT  ALARM 
\     SWIFT  LIGHTNING 
THE/CHINESE  ORANGE  MYSTERY 
/  DANGEROUS  PLEASURE 
MISSING  MEN 
MRS.  WALLACE  REID  EXPLOITATION  Special 
CALL  OF  THE  PRIMITIVE 


TWO  ANNIVERSARY  SPECIALS 

TWO  YEARS  BEFORE  THE  MAST 
Famous  Novel  by  Richard  Henry  Dana 

THE  PRESIDENT'S  MYSTERY  STORY 
Novel  Suggested  by  President  Roosevelt, 
by  Six  Famous  Authors 

THE  JUBILEE  SIX 

ARMY  GIRL 
fled  Book  Serial  by  Maj.  Chas.  L.  Clifford,  U.  S.  A. 

PORTIA  ON  TRIAL 
Cosmopolitan  Magazine  Story  by  Faith  Baldwin 

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY 
A  Musical  Extravaganza 

FOLLOW  YOUR  HEART 
Starring  Marion  Talley,  Music  by  Victor  Schertxinger 

JOIN  THE  MARINES 
A  Musical  Sequel  to  "Leathernecks  " 

HEARTS  IN  BONDAGE 
An  Epic  of  Civil  War  Days  with  an  all-star  cast 


2  GENE  AUTRY  SPECIALS 
6  GENE  AUTRY  MUSICAL  WESTERN 

Featuring  Headline  Radio, 
Stage  and  Screen  Personalities 
From  All  Over  the  Country. 


8  WM.  COLT  MacDONALD  WESTERN 

based  on  famous 
"Three  Mesquiteers"  Novels. 

4  REPUBLIC  SERIALS 

made  by  NAT  LEVINE,  King  of 
the  Serial-Makers. 


4  OUTDOOR  DRAMAS 
IN  NATURAL  COLOR 


Para  mount's 

RHYTHM 
ON  THE 

RANGE 


>u  sling  it! 


You  swing  it  ? 


A  Paramount  Picture  with 

BING  CROSBY 
FRANCES  FARMER 
BOB  BURNS 
MARTHA  RAYE 


VOL.  124,  NO.  2  JULY  II,  193/ 

Entered  as  secmd-claSS  mutter.  January  12.  1931,  ut  the  Post  Office,  al  .Vi'.r  York.  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  .!.  1 I'nblisheii  5<£,*l*i'. 
by   Quit/ley  Publishing   Co.,  Inc.,  at    1270   Sixth   Avenue,    Kvckcfelhtr    Center,  New  York     Subscription,  $3.00  a  year.    Single  copies,  2- 


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answer  to 

the  exhibitors 
praters  / 


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uCh  tetter  on  Ma  Earth- 
Exhibitors   are  all 
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for  another  Heavenly 
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heaven  So  I  could, 
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Ones  of  1936-37 
from  M-G-M.' 


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eomtojr  of  the  to  *ll  Efas: 

,   *af»l»  Mtd  Was  <lntry*e  w  ti» 


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cr«ek,  where  ti>e  fisft-in«  {,y  ^ 


^  "Green  Pastures"  ,  < 

Fm  R»ttto  City  Miwc  Hsfi'* 


IS 


THE  $5,000,(1 
STORY 

PAG 


ED  KUYKEN  DALL  SPEAKING  TO  THE  AMPA 


m  NEED  W 


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JJ 


J 

THE  KEYSTONE 
OF  YOUR  FUTURE 


IF  MR.  KUYKENDALL 
MEANS  WHAT  HE 

SAYS  (and  we  believe  he  does) 

HE'LL  FIND  A 
SMASHING  ANSWER 

ON  PAGES  87  to  92 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 


Vol.  124,  No.  2 


July  II,  1936 


THE  NATIONAL 
BOARD 

THE  story  presented  in  the  lay  press  of  New  York  on  the 
news  provocation  of  the  resignation  of  Dr.  Louis  I.  Harris 
from  the  National  Board  of  Review  of  Motion  Pictures, 
charging  that  old  and  honourable  organization  with 
futility,  is  to  be  regarded  at  once  remarkable — and,  alas, 
inevitable. 

It  is  one  of  those  stories  that  the  motion  picture  industry 
has  known  and  not  talked  about,  for  these  several  years,  just 
as  one  is  reluctant  and  gentle  about  pointing  to  the  foibles 
and  infirmities  of  an  old  friend. 

AND  a  friend  the  National  Board  has  ever  been,  and  is, 
despite  its  long  waning  vigour.  There  is  scarcely  a  pro- 
ducer who  has  been  active  more  than  a  decade  who  has 
not  a  debt  of  appreciation  to  the  friendly  and  intelligent 
services  of  the  National  Board  and  its  personnel.  Through 
years  in  which  the  motion  picture  industry  was  less  well 
organized,  the  National  Board  and  its  Mr.  William  D.  McSuire, 
Jr.,  and  his  assistant  and  successor,  Mr.  Wilton  A.  Barrett,  con- 
stituted the  most  intelligent  and  effective  defense  against  the 
unending  flow  of  censorship  agitations,  and  censorship  opera- 
tions. The  National  Board  and  its  leaders  have  ever  believed 
in  the  motion  picture,  sometimes  even  beyond  the  makers  of 
pictures. 

THAT  vital  element  of  belief  in  fact  accounts  for  the  very 
existence  of  the  Board.  It  was  born  of  a  group  of  public- 
minded  persons  attached  to  the  People's  Institute  of  New 
York  way  back  yonder  when  the  then  powerful  New  York 
stage  was  hell  bent  with  propaganda  and  influence  for  the 
suppression  of  the  screen  theatre.  It  got  its  support,  and 
nourishment,  from  within  the  industry  from  the  one  man  who 
above  all  the  rest  stood  for  order,  discipline,  the  business  of 
relating  the  product  to  American  mores — the  late  and  able 
Jeremiah  J.  Kennedy,  the  iron  boss  who  erected  and  operated 
the  Motion  Picture  Patents  Company.  Mr.  Kennedy  and  the 
Patents  Company  have  gone,  and  all  their  chieftains  with  them. 
The  National  Board  lingers  on.  It  was  the  National  Board  of 
Censorship  when  it  was  founded.  The  name  was  good  for  pub- 
licity purposes  then.  Sentiment  running  strongly  against  the 
pictures  from  pulpit  and  press,  it  suited  the  boss  of  the  movies 
then  to  have  a  friendly  censorship,  but  emphatically  and  most 
publicly  a  censorship.   It  was  considerably  a  censorship,  then, 


too.  It  ordered  deletions,  changes,  and  got  them  —  in  the 
United  States.  The  special  foreign  version  was  invented  in 
those  days.  But  presently,  in  a  bit  over  a  decade,  it  became 
somewhat  inconsistent  of  the  motion  picture  industry,  or  rather 
the  inconsistency  became  obvious,  to  be  ever  making  war 
against  the  crying  out  about  censorships  and  the  while  stamp- 
ing its  product  with  the  label  of  one,  even  though  internal 
and  friendly.  So  it  came  that  the  name  was  changed  to  the 
National  Board  of  Review  of  Motion  Pictures. 

~T~  HAT  was  good  publicity,  too,  and  none  was  a  more  per- 
sistent and  loud  contender  against  censorship  than  "The 
National  Board."  But  somewhere  about  then,  by  tacit  under- 
standing or  none,  the  line  "Passed  by  the  National  Board  of 
Review  of  Motion  Pictures"  was  as  a  matter  of  routine  placed 
on  the  main  title  of  the  pictures  in  the  studios,  east  and  west, 
long  before  they  went  to  the  reviewing  committees  of  the 
National  Board. 

It  was  a  comfortable  arrangement.  It  was  the  disposition 
of  the  National  Board  to  let  nature  take  its  course.  Pictures 
were  classified  "family  audience,"  "juvenile,"  and  the  like. 
"Exceptional  photoplays"  got  a  notice.  Hollywood  and  the 
rest  of  the  world's  studios  never  heard  much  about  it  all. 

Clubwomen,  social  workers  and  socially  minded  groups  did. 
Better  Films  Committees,  locally  important  but  not  very 
emphatic  in  New  York  and  Hollywood,  were  organized  by 
members  or  affiliates  of  the  National  Board,  and  operated, 
as  they  do  today,  on  the  basis  of  the  Board's  reports,  reviews 
and  bulletins. 

BUT  the  National  Board  that  had  been  the  answer  to  cen- 
sorship issues  in  the  days  of  the  Patents  Company  did  not 
prevail,  or  seem  to  seek  to  prevail,  against  the  rising  tide 
of  the  contaminations  that  came  from  the  stage  and  fiction  into 
the  sound  and  all  too  talking  picture.  Manifestations  were 
many  and,  to  a  few  observers,  obvious  indeed.  They  ranged 
from  the  censorship  projects  of  Canon  William  Sheafe  Chase, 
starting  in  1909,  through  many  mutations  to  the  never  quite 
completely  disclosed  program  of  the  late  William  Harrison 
Short  of  the  Motion  Picture  Research  Council.  Mostly  these 
movements  were  highly  personified  in  their  origin  and  diffuse 
in  their  administration. 

When,  however,  the  increasing  protests  against  invasion  of 
the  entertainment  of  the  millions  with  persistent  violation  of 
the  mores  of  the  articulate  portion  of  society  brought  into 
action  the  Legion  of  Decency,  founded  in  Catholic  solidarity 
and  carrying  with  it  the  support  of  Jewish  and  Protestant 
churchmen,  it  became  mayhap  a  bit  evident  that  the  prior 
{Continued  on  page  9] 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  MARTIN  QUIGLEY,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher 

Incorporating  Exhibitor's  Herald,  founded  1915;  Motion  Picture  News,  founded  1913;  Moving  Picture  World,  founded  1907-  Motography  founded  1909-  The  Film  Index 
founded  1906  Published  every  Thursday  by  Quigiey  Publishing  Company,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  City.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address  "Quigp'ubco  New  York'' 
Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Colvin  Brown,  Vice-President  and  General  Manager;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Editor;  Ernest  A.  Rovelstad  Managing  Editor-  Chicago 
Bureau,  624  South  Michigan  Avenue,  C.  B.  O'Neill,  manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Postal  Union  Life  Building,  Boone  Mancall,  manager;  London  Bureau  4  Golden 
Square,  London  W  I,  Bruce  Allan,  cable  Puigpubco  London;  Berlin  Bureau,  Berlin-Tempelhof,  Kaiserin-Augustastrosse  28,  Joachim  K.  Rut'enberg  representative-  Paris 
Bureau,  19,  Rue  de  la  Cour-des-Noues,  Paris  20e,  France,  Pierre  Autre,  representative,  cable  Autre-Lacifral-20  Paris;  Rome  Bureau,  Viale  Gorizia  Rome  Italy  Vittorio  Malpassuti 
representative  Italeable.  Malpassuti.  Rome;  Melbourne  Bureau,  Regent  Theatre.  191  Collins  St.,  Melbourne,  Australia,  Cliff  Holt,  representative;  Mexico  City  Bureau  Apartado  269' 
Mexico  City,  James  Lockhart,  representative;  Prague  Bureau,  Uhelny  trh  2,  Prague  I,  Czechoslovakia,  Harry  Knopf,  representative;  Budapest  Bureau  3  Kaplar-u  Budapest  Hungary' 
tndre  Hevesi,  representative;  Buenos  Aires  Bureau,  Corrientes  2495,  Dep.  8,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina,  Natalio  Bruski,  representative;  Shanghai  Bureau  142  Museum  Road  '  Shanghai' 
China,  J.  v.  Koehler,  representative;  Tokyo  Bureau,  880  Sasazuka,  Ichikawa-shi,  Chiba-Ken,  Japan,  H.  Tominaga,  representative;  Rio  de  Janeiro  Bureau  Caixa  Postal  3358' 
Kio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil,  A  Weissmann,  representative;  Barcelona  Bureau,  Harry  Chapin  Plummer,  Hotel  Ritz,  Plaza  de  las  Cortes,  Barcelona,  Spain.  India  Bureau-  K  G  Gidwaney' 
am  i  x  '  Bun°er LiRoad,  Karachi,  India;  Uruguay,  P.O.  Box  664,  Montevideo,  Uruguay,  Paul  Bodo,  representative,  cable  Argus  Montevideo.  Member  Audit  Bureau  of  Circulations' 
All  contents  copyright  1936  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Address  all  correspondence  to  the  New  York  Office.  Better  Theatres,  devoted  to  the  construction  equipment  and  opera- 
tion ot  theatres,  is  published  every  fourth  week  as  section  2  of  Motion  Picture  Herald.  Other  Quialey  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Daily,  Teatro  al  Dia  Spanish  language  quarterly 
in  the  theatre  and  equipment  field,  and  International  Motion  Picture  Almanac  and  the  Box  Office  Check-up,  both  published  annually 


8 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


This  Week 


The  Encyclical 


Board  Schism 


"Signal  success  in  the  greatest  of  the 
social  adjustments  of  the  motion  picture, 
achieved  for  it  by  the  American  industry  in 
its  adoption  of  and  operation  under  the  Pro- 
duction Code,  is  recorded  in  terms  destined 
to  become  historic  in  the  encyclical  letter 
discussing  the  screen  by  Pope  Pius  XI," 
writes  Terry  Ramsaye. 

Mr.  Ramsaye' s  article  starts  on  page  13 
and  the  text  of  the  papal  encyclical  on 
page  14. 

$29,000,000  Cain 

Motion  picture  stocks  gained  $29,000,000 
in  values  during  the  first  six  months  of 
1936,  rising  in  market  valuation  from  a  total 
worth  of  $692,897,500  at  the  end  of  1935, 
to  $721,668,250  on  July  1st. 

The  reasons  for  the  rise,  and  a  compari- 
son of  prices  of  stocks  and  bonds,  appear  on 
pages  64  and  65. 

Still  on  Warpath 

The  defeat  in  Congress  of  Representative 
Pettengill's  proposal  to  outlaw  block  booking 
and  blind  buying  is  by  no  means  the  end  of 
his  fight  to  control  motion  pictures  by  fed- 
eral law — his  constituents  willing.  The  Con- 
gressman conies  up  for  reelection  in  Indiana 
in  November. 

His  attitude  on  the  subject  is  discussed  on 
page  66. 


At  the  Reins 


A  bright  future  for  Paramount  was  pre- 
dicted by  the  directors  and  new  officers  of 
the  company  this  week  as  Barney  Balaban. 
head  of  the  Paramount-affiliated  Chicago 
circuit  of  Balaban  &  Katz,  took  over  the 
reins  as  president  of  Paramount  Pictures, 
Inc.  Adolph  Zukor,  chairman  of  the  board, 
who  will  be  in  complete  charge  of  produc- 
tion, left  for  Hollywood  expressing  great 
satisfaction  at  the  presidential  choice  of  the 
directors. 

How  the  nezvs  of  Mr.  Balaban's  election 
was  received  within  the  organization  and  in 
the  motion  picture  world  generally  is  told 
on  page  84. 

Rift  over  Censorship 

Large  distributing  companies  have  ignored 
the  "Cuban  Board  of  Censors  in  New  York" 
which  began  operations  on  July  1st  as  the 
second  of  two  bodies  authorized  to  review 
pictures  destined  for  the  Cuban  market. 
Film  executives  have  protested  the  censor- 
ship plan  on  the  grounds  that  there  is  ap- 
parently no  final  authority  to  give  permis- 
sion for  exhibition  in  Cuba  and  that  the  fee 
charged  for  review  is  excessive. 

The  deadlock  and  the  details  of  the  Cuban 
plan  are  outlined  on  page  132. 


In  a  letter  announcing  his  resignation  from 
the  executive  committee  of  the  National 
Board  of  Review  of  Motion  Pictures,  Dr. 
Louis  I.  Harris  charged  that  the  Board  can- 
not fulfill  its  expressed  aims  because  it  is 
"financed  largely  by  the  motion  picture  in- 
dustry itself."  In  Dr.  Harris'  opinion  the 
Board  "is  not  doing  anything  significant,  dy- 
namic or  progressive  to  give  effect  to  its  oft- 
expressed  ideals."  Answering  Dr.  Harris' 
charges,  Dr.  George  W.  Kirchwey,  chair- 
man of  the  Board,  said  that  he  and  others 
would  not  be  giving  many  valuable  hours 
to  the  work  if  they  felt  it  was  not  bringing 
results. 

The  charges  and  the  reply  are  reported 
on  page  85. 


Editorial 

Pictorial  Preview 

British  Studios 

This  Week  in  Pictures 

The  Hollywood  Scene 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me 

Showmen's  Reviews 

Asides  and  Interludes 

Managers'  Round  Table 

The  Release  Chart 

Technological 

Chicago 

Box  Office  Receipts 


Page  7 
Page  16 
Page  93 
Page  10 
Page  63 
Page  I  19 
Page  105 
Page  83 
Page  123 
Page  133 
Page  I  17 
Page  143 
Page  I  I  2 


British  Problems 

Out  of  the  Summer  Conference  of  tne 
British  Cinematograph  Exhibitors'  Associa- 
tion at  Eastbourne  have  come,  from  behind 
the  scenes,  several  developments  predicated 
upon  the  tendency  of  speakers  and  exhibitor 
units  to  accuse  American  companies  of  ex- 
cessive rentals,  coercive  methods,  and  over- 
building. A  propaganda  and  statistical  com- 
mittee was  decided  upon  to  study  methods  of 
combating  "redundancy,"  or  overseating. 

Other  highlights  of  the  Conference  are 
discussed  on  page  94. 


Politics  in  Films 


While  there  has  been  marked  improve- 
ment in  standards  of  pictures  in  both  the 
United  States  and  England,  the  censorship 
authorities  in  London  are  finding  a  problem 
in  the  infiltration  of  politics  into  films,  Lord 
Tyrrell,  president  of  the  British  Board  of 
Censors,  told  the  Eastbourne  gathering. 

These  and  other  highlights  of  Lord  Tyr- 
rell's observations  are  presented  in  an  article 
on  page  95. 

French  Dilemma 

The  wage  increase  all  along  the  line, 
coupled  with  reduction  of  working  hours, 
as  a  result  of  the  general  strike  in  France, 
will  mean  a  30  per  cent  increase  in  produc- 
tion costs,  according  to  Max  de  Vaucorbeil, 
director.  Of  even  greater  importance,  inter- 
nationally, in  his  eyes,  will  be  an  opening 
of  the  market  for  foreign  product  because 
the  French  producers  will  be  forced  to  make 
inferior  product. 

Details  of  wage  scales  and  working  con- 
ditions under  the  temporary  agreements 
reached  by  all  branches  with  the  Federation 
of  Trade  Unions  are  recorded  on  page  101. 

The  Chance  Came  Front 

Activities  along  the  national  chance  game 
front  were  noted  this  week  in  seven  states. 
There  were  decisions  in  favor  of  the  games 
as  well  as  resolutions  to  stamp  them  out,  by 
state  and  municipal  officials,  along  with  the 
decision  of  Loew's,  in  Manhattan,  to  install 
Bank  Night  in  three  of  its  more  important 
theatres. 

For  details  see  page  96. 

Australia's  Strides 

Production  is  looking  up  in  Australia, 
with  four  strongly  financed  companies  now 
actively  engaged  and  a  prospect  of  an  out- 
put of  30  features  within  another  year  if  the 
public's  liking  for  home  productions  con- 
tinues to  progress,  writes  Cliff  Holt  from 
Melbourne. 

Further  details  on  page  102. 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


9 


C  B-Fox  Progress 

Sale  of  its  49  per  cent  interest  in.  Gau- 
mont-British  Pictures  by  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury-Fox or  purchase  by  the  Fox  company 
of  a  further  and  controlling  interest  in  the 
British  concern  will  result  from  negotiations 
now  under  way  between  Joseph  M.  Schenck, 
chairman  of  the  Fox  board,  and  Isidor  Os- 
trer,  president  of  Gaumont.  Mr.  Schenck 
confirmed  the  fact  that  a  deal  is  contem- 
plated, but  would  not  give  further  details. 

Possible  eventuations  are  analysed  on 
page  18.  _ 

Lawyers  Puzzled 

Preliminary  questioning  of  Herbert  Leit- 
steen,  bookkeeper  for  William  Fox,  former 
motion  picture  producer  who  has  filed  a  pe- 
tition in  bankruptcy,  proved  of  little  help  to 
counsel  for  creditors  as  a  federal  referee  in 
Atlantic  City  resumed  proceedings  to  estab- 
lish the  bankrupt's  financial  status  and  the 
validity  of  claims  against  him.  Mr.  Leitsteen 
professed  inability  to  tell  from  his  records 
what  were  Mr.  Fox's  assets  on  any  given 
date,  claimed  that  books  and  records  for 
1926,  1927,  1928  and  1930  have  disappeared, 
and  admitted  he  could  not  give  an  account 
of  the  spending  of  a  $15,000,000  check  re- 
ceived by  the  former  multi-millionaire  in 
1930. 

The  proceedings  are  reviewed  on  page  118. 

Another  Suit 

An  echo  of-the  St.  Louis  anti-trust  actions 
of  recent  months  was  heard  this  week  when 
Judge  Merrill  E.  Otis  of  the  United  States 
District  court  of  Kansas  City  set  July  24th 
as  the  date  of  trial  of  the  suit  of  Emanuel 
Rolsky  versus  Fox  Midwest  and  major  dis- 
tributors. At  the  same  time,  Charles  Frank- 
lin, attorney,  revealed  he  had  filed  papers 
and  issued  summons  for  the  Franklin  The- 
atrical Enterprises,  Inc.,  of  Hawaii,  against 
Warner  Bros,  in  New  York,  charging  con- 
spiracy against  the  Hawaiian  concern.  He 
said  he  planned  to  produce  contracts  to  prove 
his  points. 

For  details  see  page  96. 

Preview 

Pearl  S.  Buck's  Pulitzer  prize-winning 
novel  of  1931,  "The  Good  Earth,"  rounds  in- 
to final  form  as  an  Irving  G.  Thalberg  pro- 
duction on  the  500-acre  location  in  the  Santa 
Suzanna  mountains  where  Paul  Muni  and 
Louise  Rainer  enact  the  Wang  Lung  and 
O-lan  of  the  story  under  Sidney  Franklin's 
direction  while  studio  comment  compares 
the  maturing  production  with  "Mutiny  on 
the  Bounty." 

Gus  McCarthy's  pictorial  preview  of  the 
picture  appears  on  pages  16-17. 


THE  NATIONAL' 
BOARD 


(Continued  from  page  7) 
devices  of  the  industry,  including  the  ex- 
parte  but  dependent  National  Board,  had 
been  somewhat  less  than  adequate. 

It  was,  in  sequel,  with  some  surprise  that 
a  meeting  of  the  Associated  Motion  Pic- 
ture Advertisers  in  February  heard  Mr. 
Wilton  A.  Barrett  of  the  board,  speaking 
from  that  motion  picture  rostrum,  remark, 
as  recorded  by  Motion  Picture  Daily,  that: 
"Neither  the  Legion  of  Decency  nor  any 
other  groups  with  an  axe  to  grind  have  im- 
proved films  one  bit." 

Dr.  Harris,  in  his  letter  of  resignation, 
charges  "the  board  has  failed  to  serve  as 
the  spokesman  of  the  American  com- 
munity .  .  ."  And  that  is  rather  a  more 
serious  matter  than  his  opinion  that  "it  was 
of  questionable  propriety  for  the  board  to 
accept  for  its  principal  source  of  mainten- 
ance and  support  money  paid  to  it  by  the 
motion  picture  industry  for  the  review  of 
pictures." 

The  question  before  the  motion  picture 
industry  is:  What  is  the  significance  of  the 
line  on  the  screen,  "Passed  by  the  Na- 
tional Board  of  Review?" 

Has  a  job  been  done  by  the  National 
Board  for  the  motion  picture,  the  motion 
picture  industry  and  for  the  public? 

The  answer  seems  to  be  in  the  papers. 

New  License  Tax 

The  City  Council  of  Los  Angeles  is  pre- 
paring a  new  schedule  of  city  license  fees 
that  will  tax  film  companies  an  estimated 
$15,050.  Calculated  production  costs  of 
$93,480,000  this  year  are  being  taken  as  a 
basis  for  the  schedule.  Elimination  of  the 
present  business  license  ordinance  asking  a 
flat  $400  annually  from  major  and  indepen- 
dent producers  will  be  sought  by  the  Ways 
and  Means  committee  of  the  Council.  The 
new  plan  will  adjust  the  tax  on  production 
from  $50  annually  for  studios  showing  pro- 
duction costs  of  less  than  $25,000,  to  $700 
annually  for  studios  exceeding  $500,000 
yearly. 


Exhibitors  Elect 


John  Stapel  of  Rockport,  Mo.,  was  re- 
elected president  of  the  Kansas-Missouri 
Theatre  Owners  Association  at  Kansas  City 
this  week  and  other  exhibitor  activities  in- 
cluded meetings  in  New  York,  Boston  and 
Denver. 

See  page  18. 


Ciannini  Heads  UA 

Dr.  A.  H.  Giannini  on  Wednesday  was 
unanimously  elected  president  and  chairman 
of  the  board  of  United  Artists  Corporation. 
At  the  meeting  were  Mary  Pickford,  Charles 
Chaplin,  Douglas  Fairbanks,  Samuel  Gold- 
wyn,  and  Murray  Silverstone  representing 
Alexander  Korda.  Mr.  Giannini  said  he 
will  retire  as  chairman  of  the  general  ex- 
ecutive committee  of  Bancamerica  but  will 
continue  as  director. 

Confidence 

Inspired  or  not  by  Warren  William's  pur- 
chase of  his  unexpired  Warner  contract  for 
a  reported  $10,000,  or  by  Fredric  March's 
similar  decision  to  travel  the  open  road, 
players  are  eyeing  with  enthusiasm  the  free 
lance  basis  of  operations,  many  of  them 
taking  it,  presumably  with  consent  of  agent. 
A  trend,  of  greater  or  less  duration,  is  fore- 
seen. 

The  matter  is  reported  on  page  63. 

Skouras  Auction 

Nelson  Cunliff,  federal  bankruptcy  trustee 
in  St.  Louis,  is  expected  to  set  a  date  shortly 
for  the  public  auction  of  the  assets  of  the 
bankrupt  estate  of  Skouras  Brothers  Enter- 
prises, Inc.,  and  the  principal  assets  of  the 
company  include  a  52  per  cent  interest  in  the 
St.  Louis  Amusement  Company.  It  is  this 
interest  which  will  attract  most  of  the 
bids,  the  strongest  of  which  is  expected  to 
come  from  Fanchon  and  Marco. 

For  full  details,  see  the  story  on  page  86. 

Minors  Bill  Signed 

Mayor  Fiorello  H.  LaGuardia  this  week 
fulfilled  an  election  promise  to  New  York 
theatre  men  when  he  signed  a  new  measure 
permitting  the  admission  of  children  to  the- 
atres unaccompanied  by  adults.  The  per- 
mission is  not  without  certain  restrictions, 
however,  chief  of  which  is  the  requirement 
of  a  matron  at  each  theatre  to  care  for  the 
children. 

These  details,  and  others  covering  legis- 
lation concerning  theatres  in  other  states, 
are  discussed  in  the  story  found  on  page  102. 

Business  Overseas 

Two  new  theatres  are  nearing  completion 
in  South  America  and  building  in  Egypt  and 
Panama  is  practically  at  a  standstill  al- 
though film  business  in  general  is  good,  ac- 
cording to  Louis  Lober,  Jack  Neal  and  Wil- 
liam Melniker,  representatives  for  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  in  the  three  territories. 

The  reports  of  the  three  men  who  are  in 
New  York  for  conferences  are  summarised 
on  page  1 18. 


10 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


This  Week  in  Pictures 


FIRST  PRODUCTION.  On  the  set  during  the  shooting  of  the 
first  Rowland-Paramount  release,  "I'd  Give  My  Life."  Left  to 
right:  Tom  Brown,  the  lead;  Edwin  L.  Marin,  director;  Richard 
A.  Rowland;  Sir  Guy  Standing,  and  Bert  Lytell,  associate 
producer. 


PLAY  IS  OVER,  and  so  Joan  Bennett 
returns  from  a  vacation  in  London  to 
start  work  at  Paramount's  studio  in 
"Wedding  Present,"  her  newest 
picture. 


GOING  PLACES.  And  she 
started  that  way,  too,  for 
Liili  Palmer,  GB  junior  star, 
was  born  on  a  train.  She's 
in  "The  Great  Barrier." 


HONORS  FROM  OVERSEAS.  "For  excellence  of  screen 
technique  and  general  photography,"  reads  the  citation  of  the 
Italian  Government  Cup  award  to  Paramount  presented  to 
John  W.  Hicks,  Jr.,  in  charge  of  the  foreign  department,  by 
Gaetano  Vecchiotti,  Italian  consul  general.  The  presentation 
was  made  in  Radio  City  at  the  Italian  Consulate. 

DANCING  IN  MID-AIR.  (Left)  Fred  Astaire  and  Ginger 
Rogers,  premier  dancer-playing  team  of  the  screen,  take  to 
the  air  in  a  sequence  of  their  new  RKO  Radio  film,  "Swing 
Time."  The  candid  camera  caught  them  doing  just  that. 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


CELEBRITY  AT  NINETEEN.  Jack  Dunn  (seated),  Olympic 
champion  free  and  fancy  skater,  has  been  signed  by  Universal. 
It  was  as  skating  partner  of  Sonja  Henie  that  he  came  to 
Hollywood's  attention.  Here  he's  seen  with  Gregory  LaCava, 
William  Powell,  Gail  Patrick,  Micha  Auer  and  Carole  Lombard. 


TALENT  HUNT.     Louis  F. 
Blumenthal,  of  Haring  and 
Blumenthal,    New   York  cir- 
cuit,  and   operator  of  the 
French  Casino,  goes  abroad. 


SKATES  INTO  FILMS.  When  Kit 
Klein,  women's  world  ice-skating 
champion,  took  a  trial  spin  in  a  news- 
reel  the  other  day,  MGM  brought 
her  to  New  York  for  feature  work. 


FIGHTS  A  NATIVE.  Maxie  Rosenbloom,  American  pugilist, 
shows  Chut  Kangaroo  a  few  pointers  (and  learns  a  few  himself, 
maybe)  at  the  Cinesound  Productions  studio  in  Australia. 

RECEIVING  HONORS.  (Right)  When  awards  of  the  Venice 
International  Film  Exposition  went  to  RKO  Radio's  "Becky 
Sharp"  and  "The  Informer,"  the  presentation  was  made  in 
Radio  City  by  the  Italian  consul  general,  Gaetano  Vecchiotti. 
(L.  to  r.)  Phil  Reisman,  vice-president  of  RKO  Export;  Mr. 
Vecchiotti;  M.  H.  Aylesworth,  chairman  of  RKO  Radio,  and 
Ned  E.  Depinet,  president  of  RKO  Distributing. 


12  MOTION  PI 


TO  CAPACITY  BUSINESS.  Walter  King  operates  the  New 
Rialto  theatre  at  27th  and  San  Pablo  avenue  in  San  Francisco. 
Here's  the  way  his  marquee  looked  to  the  passerby  when  he 
showed  "The  Man  Who  Reclaimed  His  Head"  and  "Million 
Dollar  Baby."    The  800-seat  house  was  packed. 


OUT  OF  THE  SILENTS.  Robert  Florey  (standing)  is  directing 
two  stars  of  the  days  before  sound,  Francis  X.  Bushman  (left) 
and  Charles  Ray,  in  Paramount's  "Hollywood  Boulevard,"  which 
has  to  do  with  the  lives  of  screen  players.  More  than  30  silent 
stars  appear. 


UREHERALD  July    II,  1936 


A  GOLFING  FAMILY.  Charles  C.  Pettijohn,  Jr.,  of  West- 
chester Country  Club,  won  the  Westchester  junior  championship 
last  weekend  at  the  Whippoorwill  Golf  Club.  Father  and  son 
play  hasn't  gone  quite  so  well,  but  the  Senior  Pettijohn  doesn't 
care  about  that. 


CONVENTIONS  CONTINUE.  But  it's  not  the  United  Artists 
gathering  just  concluded  in  Los  Angeles.  Monroe  Greenthal, 
director  of  advertising  and  publicity  calls  a  beaming  pair  of  the 
Goldwyn  Girls  to  order,  and  then  throws  away  the  gavel. 
This  week  he  is  in  Chicago  en  route  to  New  York. 


CT 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


1 3 


THE  ENCYCLICAL 

Its  Significance  to  the 
Motion  Picture  and 
the  Industry 

by  TERRY  RAMSAYE 


SIGNAL  success  in  the  greatest  of  the  social 
adjustments  of  the  motion  picture,  achieved  for 
it  by  the  American  industry  in  its  adoption  of 
and  operation  under  the  Production  Code,  is 
recorded  in  terms  destined  to  become  historic 
in  the  encyclical  letter  discussing  the  screen  by  Pope 
Pius  XI. 

The  encyclical  was  given  to  the  press  of  the  world 
from  Rome  July  2,  and  is  presented  in  full  in  its  official 
English  translation  in  this  issue  of  Motion  Picture 
Herald. 

This  document  and  occasion  marks  for  the  screen 
the  most  important  of  its  conscious,  purposeful  move- 
ments toward  the  integration  of  the  art  with  the  fabric 
of  civilization,  and  in  world  comprehending  terms. 

It  is  significant  indeed  to  read,  set  down  in  the  words 
of  the  supreme  pontiff  and  custodian  of  the  conserva- 
tive Christian  tradition  of  the  centuries,  his  judgment 
of  the  motion  picture  as  "the  greatest  of  the  arts." 

The  larger  import  of  this  expression  from  the  Holy 
See  is  to  the  world  audience,  a  declaration  of  appre- 
ciation and  acceptance  in  a  position  of  transcending 
religious  authority  to  many  millions  and  a  figure  of 
moral  and  social  significance  to  all  peoples. 

WITHIN   the   motion   picture  industry,   the  en- 
cyclical is  to  be  seen  as  of  significant  recog- 
nition, and  approval,  of  the  Production  Code 
adopted  in  March  of  1930,  concerning  which  the  letter 
observes: 

"It  is  promised  in  this  agreement  that  no  film  which 
lowers  the  moral  standard  of  spectators,  which  casts 
discredit  on  natural  or  human  law  or  arouses  sympathy 
for  their  violation  will  be  produced."  And  this  is 
judged  by  His  Holiness  as  "a  wise  and  spontaneously 
taken  decision." 

Those  words  will  be  viewed  with  special  satisfaction 
by  those  leaders,  members  and  servants  of  the  organ- 
ized industry  who  have  laboured  to  create,  supply  and 
maintain  the  spontaneity. 

Also  of  special  interest  to  the  organized  industry 
is  the  papal  approval  of  the  plan,  purposes  and 
methods  of  the  Legion  of  Decency  as  the  instrument 


of  the  American  Bishops  in  their  endeavour  to  assist 
in  attuning  the  moral  quality  of  the  motion  picture  to 
the  standards  of  society,  an  activity  conducted  under 
the  direction  of  Archbishop  John  T.  McNicholas  of 
Cincinnati,  vigorously  successful  in  support  of  a  com- 
mon objective  of  a  screen  both  wholesome  and  thor- 
oughly vital. 

THE  production  community  of  Hollywood  with  its 
international  audience  will  be  conscious  of  a  trib- 
ute to  attainment  significant  around  the  whole 
world  of  the  screen  and  its  audience,  in  the  words  of 
the  Pope  addressing  the  Bishops  of  the  United  States, 
saying  that  they  "will  be  able  to  insist  with  justice 
that  the  industry  in  your  country  has  recognized  and 
accepted  its  responsibility  before  society." 

In  substance  the  organized  American  industry's 
system  of  operation  under  the  Production  Code  is  held 
before  the  world  by  Pope  Pius  as  an  example  for  study 
and  guidance. 

It  is  not,  however,  to  be  gathered  that  there  is  any 
declaration  of  a  state  of  perfection,  and  the  encyclical 
sets  forth  to  the  churchmen  of  the  world,  including 
the  American  Bishops  first  addressed,  the  importance 
of  an  unrelenting  vigilance  against  invasions  of  the 
purposes  embodied  in  the  Code,  and  includes  provi- 
sions for  the  expression  of  the  moral  pressures  indi- 
cated. Provision  for  reviewing  committees  and  the  is- 
suance of  lists  of  approved  product,  in  the  general 
manner  of  the  Legion  of  Decency  operation,  is  in- 
dicated. There  is  also  significant  suggestion  that  in 
time  there  may  be  encouragement  and  inspiration  for 
production  more  specifically  addressed  to  the  audi- 
ences most  specifically  concerned. 

"Vigilant  care"  is  the  title  of  and  are  among  the 
most  emphatic  words  of  the  encyclical. 

IN  the  motion  picture  industry  the  encyclical  and  the 
matters  and  movements  to  which  it  relates  takes  a 
place  of  culminative  meaning  in  sequence  with  and 
sequel  to  sporadic  attentions  to  the  screen  from  the 
pulpits  and  from  clergymen  as  long  as  thirty  years 
[Continued  on  following  [>age} 


14 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


ago,  and  internal  endeavours  in  cooperation  with  so- 
cially minded  persons  in  the  People's  Institute  of  New 
York  in  1909.  The  organized  industry  of  the  era  was 
represented  by  the  Motion  Picture  Patents  Company. 
The  movement  for  the  interpretation  of  American 
mores  to  the  producers,  strong  for  its  day,  waned  with 
the  passing  of  the  Patents  company  and  the  all  too 
swift  fading  of  its  disciplinary  influences.  Authority 
went  out  of  the  "code"  of  that  day.  A  marked  social 
consciousness  in  the  motion  picture  machine  was  not 
to  significantly  assert  itself  again  until  the  formation 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Distributors  of 
America,  Inc.,  some  fourteen  years  ago,  installing  in 
leadership  Mr.  Will  H.  Hays.  It  was  to  this  associa- 
tion and  to  Mr.  Hays  that  Mr.  Martin  Quigley,  pub- 
lisher of  Motion  Picture  Herald  and  its  affiliated  con- 
temporaries, in  1930  presented  the  plan  and  document 
of  the  Production  Code,  which  became  of  enhanced 
and  re-recognized  utility  with  the  revision  of  its  plan 
of  enforcement  and  with  the  rise  of  the  Legion  of 
Decency  movement  in  1934. 

HISTORICALLY   the    encyclical    on    the  motion 
picture  coming  in  this  year  of  1936  is  in  con- 
tinuity  with    the    utterances    of   the  Roman 
Church  concerning  the  written  word  dating  from  the 
middle  of  the  fifth  century  and  coming  into  full  ex- 
pression with  the  arrival  of  the  art  of  printing  and  the 


flood  of  books,  resulting  in  the  publication  of  the  Index 
Librorum  Prohibitorum  in  1557,  with  the  approval  of 
Pope  Paul  IV. 

The  eighteenth  Council  of  Trent,  February  1562, 
finding  that  the  Index,  a  code  of  publication  in  effect, 
was  becoming  inadequate,  it  was  presently  revised, 
brought  down  to  date  and  fortified.  From  time  to 
time  later  councils  gave  the  Index  attention,  including 
new  materials.  The  last  important  attention,  mod- 
ernizing the  application  of  the  Index,  and  considerably 
liberalizing  its  related  provisions,  was  given  by  Pope 
Leo  XIII  in  1897,  when  the  motion  picture,  incidentally, 
was  but  a  year  old  on  the  amusement  screens  of  the 
world. 

If  one  seeks  to  discover  what  may  be  anticipated  of 
applications  of  the  attentions  to  the  motion  picture 
indicated  by  the  current  encyclical  in  the  future,  ex- 
cellent delineation  of  pattern  can  be  found  in  the 
canon  law  and  rules  pertaining  to  the  Index,  which  in 
its  modern  version  is  presented  to  its  audience  and  the 
churchmen  as  a  guidance  beyond  its  specific  provisions 
and  reposing  local  authority  to  deal  with  local  condi- 
tions and  problems  in  the  Ordinary — which  means  the 
Bishop  of  the  diocese,  or  such  person  as  may  exercise 
jurisdiction  in  his  name.  With  respect  to  administra- 
tion the  motion  picture  encyclical  is  of  a  piece  with 
the  rules  of  the  Index,  evolved  for  the  kindred  and 
prior  art  of  publication. 


TEXT  OF  PAPAL  ENCYCLICAL 


Encyclical  Letter 

To  our  Venerable  Brethren, 

Archbishops  and  Bishops  of  the  United  States 

of  America,  and 
To  other  Ordinaries  enjoying  peace  and  com- 
munion with  the  Holy  See : 
On  Motion  Pictures 
Pope  Pius  XI 

Venerable  brethren,  greetings  and  apostolic 
benediction : 

In  following  with  vigilant  eye,  as  our  pastoral 
office  requires,  the  beneficent  works  of  our 
brethren  in  the  episcopate  and  of  the  faithful, 
it  has  been  highly  pleasing  to  us  to  learn  of  the 
fruits  already  gathered  and  of  the  progress 
which  continues  to  be  made  by  that  prudent 
initiative  launched  more  than  two  years  ago  as 
a  holy  crusade  against  the  abuses  of  motion  pic- 
tures and  which  was  in  a  special  manner  en- 
trusted to  "The  Legion  of  Decency." 

It  is  an  excellent  experiment  that  now  offers 
us  a  most  welcome  opportunity  of  manifesting 
more  fully  our  thought  in  regard  to  a  matter 
which  touches  intimately  the  moral  and  re- 
ligious life  of  the  entire  Christian  people. 

First  of  all,  we  express  our  gratitude  to  the 
higher  hierarchy  in  the  United  States  of 
America,  and  to  the  faithful  who  cooperated 
with  them,  for  the  important  results  already 
achieved  under  their  direction  and  guidance,  by 
"The  Legion  of  Decency."  And  our  gratitude 
is  all  the  livelier  for  the  fact  that  we  were  deep- 
ly anguished  to  note  with  each  passing  day  the 
lamentable  progress,  "magni  passus  extra 
viam,"  of  the  motion-picture  art  and  industry 
in  the  portrayal  of  sin  and  vice. 

As  often  as  the  occasion  has  presented  itself 
we  have  considered  it  the  duty  of  our  high  office 
to  direct  to  this  condition  the  attention  not 
only  of  the  episcopate  clergy  but  also  of  all  men 


On  this  and  succeeding  pages 
appears  the  official  translation  into 
English  of  the  Latin  text  of  the 
papal  encyclical  on  motion  pictures 
issued  at  Rome  on  July  2nd. 


who  are  right  minded  and  solicitous  for  the 
public  weal. 

In  the  encyclical  "Divini  illius  magistri,"  we 
had  already  deplored  that  "potent  instrumentali- 
ties of  publicity  (such  as  the  cinema),  which 
might  be  of  great  advantage  to  learning  and 
education  were  they  properly  directed  by 
healthy  principles,  often  unfortunately  serve  as 
an  incentive  to  evil  and  passions  and  are  sub- 
ordinated to  sordid  gain." 

In  August,  1934,  addressing  ourselves  to  a 
delegation  of  the  International  Federation  of  the 
Motion  Pictures  Press,  we  pointed  out  the  very 
great  importance  which  the  motion  picture  has 
acquired  in  our  day  and  its  vast  influence  alike 
in  promotion  of  good  and  insinuation  of  evil. 
We  called  to  mind  that  it  is  necessary  to  apply 
to  the  cinema  a  supreme  rule  which  must  direct 
and  regulate  the  greatest  of  art  in  order  that  it 
may  not  find  itself  in  continual  conflict  with 
Christian  morality  or  even  simply  with  human 
morality  based  upon  natural  law. 

The  essential  purpose  of  art,  its  "raison 
d'etre,"  is  to  assist  in  the  perfection  of  moral 
personality  which  is  man,  and  for  this  reason 
art  must  itself  be  moral.  And  we  concluded 
amid  manifest  approval  of  the  elect  body — a 
memory  still  dear  to  us — by  recommending  to 
them  the  necessity  of  making  the  motion  picture 
"moral,  an  influence  for  good  morals,  an 
educator." 

And  even  as  recently  as  April  of  this  year, 


when  we  had  happiness  in  receiving  in  audience 
a  group  of  delegates  of  the  international  con- 
gress of  the  motion  picture  press  held  in  Rome, 
we  again  drew  attention  to  the  gravity  of  the 
problem  and  warmly  exhorted  all  men  of  good 
will,  in  the  name  not  only  of  religion  but  also 
of  the  true  moral  and  civil  welfare  of  the  peo- 
ple, to  use  every  means  in  their  power,  such  as 
the  press,  to  make  of  the  cinema  a  valuable 
auxiliary  of  instruction  and  education  rather 
than  of  destruction  and  ruin  of  the  soul. 

The  subject,  however,  is  of  such  paramount 
importance  in  itself  and  because  of  the  present 
condition  of  society  that  we  deem  it  necessary 
to  return  to  it  again,  not  alone  for  the  purpose 
of  making  particular  recommendations,  as  on 
past  occasions,  but  rather  with  a  universal  out- 
look, which  while  embracing  the  needs  of  your 
own  dioceses,  venerable  brethren,  takes  into 
consideration  those  of  the  entire  Catholic  world. 

It  is,  in  fact,  urgently  necessary  to  make  pro- 
vision that  in  this  field  also,  the  progress  of  art, 
sciences  and  human  technique  in  the  industry, 
since  they  are  all  true  gifts  of  God,  may  be 
ordained  in  his  glory  and  to  the  salvation  of 
souls,  and  may  be  made  to  serve  in  a  practical 
way  to  promote  the  extension  of  the  Kingdom 
of  God  upon  earth.  Thus,  as  the  Church  bids 
us  pray  that  we  may  all  profit  by  them  in  such 
manner  as  not  to  lose  the  goods  external :  "Sic 
transeamus  per  bone  temporalia  ut  non  amit- 
tamus  aeterna"  (unofficially  translated.  "Thus 
we  pass  along  the  ?ood  territory  bringing  to 
ourselves  the  eternal  good"). 

Now,  then,  it  is  a  certainty  which  can  readily 
be  verified  that  the  more  marvelous  is  progress 
of  the  motion-picture  art  and  industry,  the  more 
pernicious  and  deadly  has  it  shown  itself  to 
morality,  religion,  even  to  the  very  decencies  of 
human  society. 

The  directors  of  the  industry  in  the  United 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


15 


POINTS  TO  IMPROVEMENT  ACHIEVED 


Pius  XI  Applauds  Nation 
<  For  Censorship  0!  Its 
Pictures 

My  United  Press. 

VATICAN  CITY,  July  2 .-Deep 
satisfaction  and  approval  of  the 
American  clean  films  campaign  was 
expressed  todj^^*'^^^ius 


PE  ORDERS  BAN 
BAD  PICTURES 


Church  To  Conduct  Fight 
Against  Debasing 
Productions 


VATICAN  CITY,  July  2—(JP)—\ 
Pope  Pius  ordered  a  permanent,  or- 1 
ganized  fight  of  the  Roman  Catholic : 
Church  Thursday  to  save  the  world 
from  the  "debasing".,  influence  of 
"bad  films." 

To  that  end  he  told  his  bishops 
throughout  the  world  to  establish 
boards  of  review  to  advise  the 
faithful  of  the  fijj^^w  must  avoid 
or  those  whirf^  ^wfa4»g 


TO 


OF  MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD: 

two   competitive  news    services    gave    entirely    opposite    inter  pre- 


THE  EDITOR 
"The  fact  that 

tations  to  the  recent  letter  of  Pope  Pius  regarding  films  prompts  me  to  send  you  the 
enclosed  clippings  (reproduced  above)  and  ask  that  you  give  us  a  fair  interpretation 
of  the  letter. 

"We  feel  that  there  must  be  some  underlying  cause  for  the  AP  to  stress  the 
'bad'  angle  of  films  if  the  Pope  could  likewise  include  in.  his  letter  the  fact  that  the 
industry  has  made  progress  in  the  other  direction.  Nor  do  we  believe  this  industry 
should  sit  idly  by  and  allow  this  cause  to  go  uncorrected." — C.  B.  GRIMES,  Manager, 
Bama  Theatre,  Tuscaloosa,  Alabama. 


States  recognized  this  fact  themselves  when 
they  confessed  that  the  responsibility  before  the 
people  and  the  world  was  their  very  own.  In 
the  agreement  entered  into  by  common  accord 
March,  1930,  solemnly  sealed,  signed  and  pub- 
lished in  the  press,  they  formally  pledged  them- 
selves to  safeguard  in  the  future  the  moral  wel- 
fare of  patrons  of  the  cinema. 

It  is  promised  in  this  agreement  that  no  film 
which  lowers  the  moral  standard  of  spectators, 
which  casts  discredit  on  natural  or  human  law, 
or  arouses  sympathy  for  their  violation,  will  be 
produced. 

Nevertheless,  in  spite  of  this  wise  and  spon- 
taneously taken  decision,  those  responsible 
showed  themselves  incapable  of  carrying  it  into 
effect.  It  appeared  operators  were  not  dis- 
posed to  stand  by  principles  to  which  they 
obligated  themselves.  Since,  therefore,  the 
above-mentioned  undertakings  proved  they  have 
but  slight  effect,  since  the  parade  of  vice  and 
crime  continued  on  the  screen,  the  road  seemed 
almost  closed  to  those  who  sought  honest 
diversion  in  the  motion  picture. 

In  this  crisis  you  venerable  brethren  were 
among  the  first  to  study  the  means  of  safe- 
guarding the  souls  entrusted  to  your  care.  You 
launched  "The  Legion  of  Decency"  as  a  crusade 
for  public  morality  designed  to  revitalize  the 
ideals  of  natural  and  Christian  rectitude.  Far 
from  you  was  the  thought  of  doing  damage  to 
the  motion  picture  industry :  rather,  indeed,  did 
you  arm  it  beforehand  against  the  ruin  which 
menaces  every  form  of  recreation  which  in  the 
guise  of  art  degenerates  into  corruption. 

Cooperation  of  Other  Faiths 

Your  leadership  calls  forth  the  prompt  and 
devoted  loyalty  of  your  faithful  people.  Mil- 
lions of  American  Catholics  signed  the  pledge 
of  "The  Legion  of  Decency,"  binding  themselves 
not  to  attend  any  motion  picture  which  was 
offensive  to  Catholic  moral  principles  or  the 
proper  standards  of  living.  We  thus  were  able 
to  proclaim  joyfully  that  few  problems  of  these 
latter  times  have  so  closely  united  the  bishops 
and  the  people  as  the  one  resolved  by  coopera- 
tion in  this  holy  crusade.  Not  only  Catholic 
but  also  highminded  Protestants  and  Jews  and 
many  others  accepted  your  lead  and  joined  their 
efforts  with  yours  in  restoring  wise  standards, 
both  artistic  and  moral,  to  the  cinema. 

It  is  an  exceedingly  great  comfort  to  us  to 
note  the  outstanding  success  of  the  crusade.  Be- 
cause of  your  vigilance  and  because  of  the 
pressure  which  has  been  brought  to  bear  by 
public  opinion,  the  motion  picture  has  shown 
improvement  from  the  moral  standpoint ;  crime 
and  vice  are  portrayed  less  frequently ;  sin  no 
longer  is  so  openly  approved  or  acclaimed ;  false 
ideals  of  life  no  longer  are  presented  in  so 
flagrant  a  manner  to  the  impressionable  minds 
of  youth. 

Although  in  certain  quarters  it  was  predicted 
that  artistic  values  in  the  motion  picture  would 
be  impaired  seriously  by  the  reform  insisted 
upon  by  "The  Legion  of  Decency,"  it  appears 
quite  the  contrary  happened  and  "The  Legion 
of  Decency"  has  given  no  little  impetus  to  ef- 
forts to  advance  the  cinema  on  the  road  to 
noble  artistic  significance  by  directing  it  to- 
wards the  production  of  classic  masterpieces  as 
well  as  of  original  creations  of  uncommon  work. 

Nor  have  financial  investments  in  the  in- 
dustry suffered,  as  was  foretold  gratuitously  by 
many.  Those  who  stayed  away  from  the  mo- 
tion picture  theatre  because  it  outraged  morality 
are  patronizing  it  now  that  they  are  able  to 
enjoy  clean  films  which  are  not  offensive  to 
good  morals  or  dangerous  to  Christian  virtue. 

When  you  started  your  crusade  it  was  said 
your  efforts  would  be  of  short  duration  and  the 
effects  would  not  be  lasting  because,  as  the 


vigilance  of  bishops  and  the  faithful  gradually 
diminished,  the  producers  would  be  free  to 
return  again  to  their  former  methods.  It  is  not 
difficult  to  understand  why  certain  of  these 
might  be  desirous  of  going  back  to  sinister 
themes  which  pandered  to  base  desires  and 
which  you  have  proscribed.  While  repre- 
sentation of  subjects  of  real  artistic  value  and 
the  portrayal  of  vicissitudes  of  human  virtue 
require  intellectual  efforts,  toil  and  ability,  and, 
at  times,  considerable  outlay  of  money,  it  is 
often  relatively  easy  to  attract  a  certain  type 
of  person  and  certain  classes  of  people  to  the- 
atres which  present  picture  plays  calculated  to 
inflame  passions  and  arouse  lower  instincts 
latent  in  human  hearts. 

Permanent  Movement 

Unceasing,  universal  vigilance  must,  on  the 
contrary,  convince  the  producers  that  "The 
Legion  of  decency"  has  not  been  started  as  a 
crusade  of  short  duration,  soon  to  be  neglected 
and  forgotten,  but  that  the  bishops  of  the 
United  States  are  determined  at  all  times  and 
at  all  costs  to  safeguard  the  recreation  of  the 
people  in  whatever  form  that  recreation  may 
take. 

Recreation  in  its  manifold  variety  has  become 
a  necessity  of  people  who  labor  under  the 
fatiguing  conditions  of  modern  industry,  but 
it  must  be  worthy  of  the  rational  nature  of 
man  and  therefore  must  be  morally  healthy. 
It  must  be  elevated  to  the  rank  of  a  positive 


factor  for  good,  and  must  seek  to  arouse  a 
noble  sentiment.  People  who  in  time  of  repose 
give  themselves  to  diversions  which  violate 
decency,  honor  or  morality,  to  recreations  which, 
especially  to  the  young,  constitute  occasions  for 
sin,  are  in  grave  danger  of  losing  their  greatest, 
even  their  national,  power. 

It  admits  of  no  discussion  that  the  motion 
picture  has  achieved  in  these  last  years,  a  posi- 
tion of  universal  importance  among  modern 
means  of  diversion. 

There  is  no  need  to  point  out  the  fact  that 
millions  of  people  go  to  motion  pictures  every 
day ;  that  motion  picture  theatres  are  being 
opened  in  ever-increasing  numbers  in  civilized 
and  semi-civilized  countries ;  that  the  motion 
picture  has  become  the  most  popular  form  of 
diversion  which  is  offered  for  the  leisure  mo- 
ments, not  only  of  the  rich,  but  of  all  classes 
of  society. 

At  the  same  time  there  exists  today  no 
means  of  influencing  the  masses  more  potent 
than  the  cinema.  The  reason  for  this  is  to  be 
sought  for  in  the  very  nature  of  the  picture 
projected  upon  the  screens,  in  the  popularity 
of  the  motion  picture  plays  and  in  the  circum- 
stances which  accompany  them. 

The  power  of  the  motion  picture  consists 
in  this :  That  is  speaks  by  means  of  vivid  and 
concrete  imagery  which  the  mind  takes  in  with 
enjoyment  and  without  fatigue. 

Even  the  crudest  and  most  primitive  minds, 

(Continued  on  page  67) 


16  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  July    II,  1936 


BEST  SELLER  SCREENED  IN 


PEARL  S.  BUCK'S  "The  Good 
Earth"  was  not  written  for  per- 
sons who  like  to  read  themselves 
to  sleep.  It's  been  keeping  mul- 
titudes awake  since  March  of 
1931,  when  the  Book  of  the  Month  Club 
claimed  it  for  member  readers,  and  it's 
been  a  sort  of  Chinese  Bible  to  the  Eng- 
lish-speaking world  since  the  Pulitzer  com- 
mittee named  it  the  book  of  the  year. 
What  the  author's  twenty  years  in  China 
taught  her  about  the  country  her  book  has 
taught  so  widely  and  well  as  to  make  its 
accurate  picturization  a  quasi-public  re- 
sponsibility. Irving  G.  Thalberg  accepted 
it  as  such  and  studio  comment  has  re- 
ferred to  the  maturing  result  as  MGM's 
"Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"  for  this  year. 

Mr.  Thalberg  had  no  boats  to  build  this 
time,  but  he  did  have  to  rebuild  five  hun- 
dred acres  of  the  Santa  Suzanna  moun- 
tains, equip  them  with  rice  fields,  a  com- 
plete North  China  village,  a  liberal 
segment  of  the  Great  Wall  of  China  and 
people,  animals,  streams  and  trees  to  suit. 

He  sought  experience  and  versatility  in 
his  executive  personnel.  To  Sidney  Frank- 
lin, successful  with  such  diversified  material 
as  "Smilin'  Through"  and  "The  Guardian 
Angel,"  he  assigned  the  direction.  To 
Frances  Marion,  whose  writings  date  from 
the  evolution  of  the  scenario  and  embrace 
every  kind  thereof,  he  assigned  the  script. 

Paul  Muni,  fresh  from  brilliant  charac- 
terizations in  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pasteur" 
and  "Bordertown,"  was  given  the  role  of 
Wang  Lung,  the  Chinese  farmer,  and 
Luise  Rainer,  of  "Escapade"  and  "The 
Great  Ziegfeld,"  was  cast  as  O-lan,  his 
wife.  Walter  Connolly  and  Charley  Grape- 
win  were  placed  in  principal  support,  on 
the  American  side,  with  Chinese  players, 
recruited  from  many  sources,  performing 
sixty-eight  additional  speaking  roles. 

As  to  whether  the  "Mutiny"  comparison 
will  be  borne  out  by  the  box  office,  only 
time  and  the  paying  public  can  tell.  Mean- 
while the  camera  tells  the  story  of  the  pic- 
ture in  pictures,  ranged  hereabouts,  while 
the  work  of  production  goes  on. 


6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


17 


/~\  r\       r*    A    n  ~T  I     I  H       A  Herald  Preview 
f      CJ  CJ  \J       h  A  K        H  h  Gus  McCarthy 


in  Hollywood 


18 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


SCHENCK  HINTS  AIM  IS 
GAUMONT-BRITISH  HOLD 


20th  Century -Fox  Chairman  In- 
dicates Coming  Transfer  of 
$10,000,000  in  GB  Shares 

Transfer  of  $10,000,000  in  shares  of  Gau- 
mont-British  Pictures  Corporation  in  Eng- 
land, and  consequently  the  controlling  in- 
terest in  the  company,  is  expected  to  result 
from  negotiations  being  now  conducted  in 
Hollywood  by  Joseph  M.  Schenck,  chairman 
of  the  board  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox  Cor- 
poration, and  Isidor  Ostrer,  president  of  the 
British  company,  in  America  from  London, 
it  was  indicated  by  Mr.  Schenck  on  Tues- 
day. Both  companies  are  reported  willing 
either  to  buy  or  sell  their  share  in  G-B. 

The  Fox  company  holds  49  per  cent  of 
the  Gaumont  -  British  stock,  the  Ostrer 
brothers,  London  bankers,  controlling  the 
corporation  at  present  with  51  per  cent. 
For  a  year  persistent  reports  have  indi- 
cated that  the  Fox  company  might  be 
negotiating  with  the  English  bankers  for 
purchase  of  the  British  concern.  Mr.  Ostrer 
arrived  in  New  York  last  week  and  left  im- 
mediately for  Hollywood.  Mr.  Schenck's 
confirmation  of  the  conference  was  the 
first  definite  indication  of  the  impending 
sale  of  interests.  The  conferences  are  "in 
the  embryo  stage,"  he  said. 

Wireless  reports  from  London  this  week 
also  confirmed  the  fact  that  negotiations  are 
under  way,  but  emphasized  the  belief  that 
Mr.  Schenck  is  willing  to  sell  out  the  Fox 
shares  rather  than  buy  in  further  in  an  ef- 
fort to  control  Gaumont-British.  The  re- 
ports added  that  another  group  in  England 
connected  with  production  and  distribution 
on  a  large  scale  is  prepared  to  acquire  Mr. 
Schenck's  Gamont  stock  if  thcdeal  with  Mr. 
Ostrer  does  not  go  through,  and,  in  fact, 
already  has  approached  him  on  the  subject. 

Strong  Bond  of  Interest 

Purchase  of  control  of  Gaumont-British 
would  give  Fox  probably  the  strongest  for- 
eign film  organization  in  the  history  of  mo- 
tion pictures.  William  Fox,  at  the  height  of 
his  world-wide  expansion  program  in  the 
late  1920's,  purchased  the  Gaumont  shares 
which  constitute  Twentieth  Century-Fox's 
present  49  per  cent  interest  in  the  company. 
The  same  expansion  program  brought  Mr. 
Fox's  downfall  when  he  was  compelled  to 
bring  in  Wall  Street  bankers  and  his  sub- 
sequent economic  troubles  and  the  general 
business  depression  prevented  the  company's 
taking  advantage  of  the  hold  the  former 
executive  had  obtained  on  Gaumont. 

British  Law  Restrictions 

Since  that  time  there  has  been  a  strong 
bond  of  interest  between  the  Fox  company 
in  America  and  the  British  concern.  The 
Gaumont-British  schedule  of  24  features  for 
next  season  is  to  be  distributed  in  the  United 
States  through  the  Fox  organization.  The 
American  company  recently  founded  World 
Pictures  for  production  of  films  in  England, 
although  no  pictures  have  been  released. 

Assumption  by  Twentieth  Century-Fox  of 


complete  control  of  Gaumont-British  could 
only  be  accomplished,  it  is  reported,  by  the 
appointment  of  a  British  directorate  with 
complete  autonomy,  because  of  the  restric- 
tions of  British  law.  The  move  would  put 
Fox  in  control  of  a  series  of  enterprises 
which  extend  far  beyond  the  motion  picture 
field. 

Among  the  organization's  interests  are 
motion  picture  production,  distribution  and 
exhibition ;  newsreel,  vaudeville  and  legiti- 
mate theatres  and  productions  for  them; 
radio  stations  and  reception  equipment ;  pho- 
nographs ;  amateur  motion  picture  photogra- 
phy and  projection  equipment;  sound  and 
recording  equipment;  building  construction, 
hotels,  restaurants,  cafes,  "dance  palaces" 
and  television. 

The  company  has  announced  plans  for  the 
broadcasting  of  news  and  entertainment  by 
television  this  year. 


Loew  Legal  Director 
Marks  Anniversary 

Leopold  Friedman,  head  of  the  legal  de- 
partment of  Loew's,  was  honored  at  a 
luncheon  by  veterans  in  the  service  of  the 
company  at  the  Tavern  in  New  York  to 
mark  the  completion  of  his  25th  year  with 
the  company. 

The  men  joining  Mr.  Friedman  repre- 
sented a  total  of  154  years  of  service.  David 
M.  Bernstein  headed  the  list  with  31  years 
to  his  credit ;  Charles  C.  Moskowitz  has  24 
years;  E.  A.  Schiller,  21 ;  Judge  I.  Frey,  17; 
Louis  K.  Sidney,  15;  Eugene  Picker,  14, 
and  Oscar  Doob,  the  baby  in  point  of  time, 
seven  years. 

Bigger  Reel  Adoption 
Fought  in  Boston 

Action  against  the  adoption  of  2,000-foot 
reels  is  continuing  in  Boston  with  opponents 
of  the  larger  coils  centering  their  attack  on 
the  Massachusetts  film  regulations  of  the 
Department  of  Safety  which  are  being  sur- 
veyed with  a  view  to  bringing  them  up  to 
date. 


Critic  Turns  Playwright 

A  farce  comedy  written  by  Norman  Clark, 
film  and  dramatic  critic  of  the  Baltimore 
News-Post,  and  Louis  E.  Shecter,  head  of 
a  Baltimore  advertising  agency,  will  be  pre- 
sented under  the  direction  of  Bruce  Conning 
at  the  Stony  Creek  theatre,  Stony  Creek, 
Conn.,  the  week  of  July  20.  The  play  is 
titled  "I  Take  Care  of  My  Friends." 


W.  C.  Fields  Recovers 

W.  C.  Fields  on  Tuesday  was  discharged 
from  the  hospital  in  Riverside,  Cal.,  where 
he  has  been  ill  with  pneumonia  for  several 
weeks.  The  comedian  will  rest  in  a  sani- 
tarium in  Pasadena  for  a  fortnight  and  then 
plans  to  go  on  vacation  until  Paramount 
is  ready  to  start  production  of  his  next  film, 
"Bag  of  Tricks,"  scheduled  to  get  under  way 
in  September. 


Trade  Practice 
Action  Left  to 
Sales  Companies 

The  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  has  gone  as  far  as  it  can  in  its 
efforts  to  bring  about  a  set  of  fair  trade 
practices  within  the  industry,  Edward  Kuy- 
kendall,  president  of  the  association,  declared 
this  week  in  a  bulletin  in  which  he  intimated 
that  the  group  will  not  oppose  future  legisla- 
tion nor  refrain  from  a  policy  of  litigation, 
in  the  event  the  organization's  10-point  pro- 
gram for  trade  reform  is  not  adopted  by  dis- 
tributors this  season. 

The  bulletin  emphasized  that  from  this 
point  on  "the  responsibility  is  squarely  on 
the  distributors  as  to  whether  any  sort  of 
self-regulation  is  possible  in  this  business." 

Indicating  that  the  MPTOA  may  not  lend 
producers  and  distributors  the  aid  next  year 
which  was  given  during  the  past  session  of 
Congress  in  the  industry's  opposition  to  the 
Pettengill  and  Neely  bills,  if  the  industry's 
reform  program  is  not  put  into  effect  with 
the  opening  of  the  new  season,  Mr.  Kuy- 
kendall  said: 

"Distributors  must  decide  whether  the 
theatre  owners  of  this  country  can  hope  to 
have  their  complaints  and  grievances  taken 
care  of  to  a  reasonable  extent  within  the 
business,  or  must  look  to  the  courts  and 
the  legislatures  for  a  hearing  and  for  any 
sort  of  regulation  of  unfair  competitive  prac- 
tices." 

After  reviewing  the  work  accomplished 
by  the  MPTOA  trade  practice  committee 
in  a  series  of  recent  meetings  with  the  sales 
heads  of  nine  national  distribution  com- 
panies, Mr.  Kuykendall's  statement  asserts 
that  "nothing  further  can  be  done  by  us  to 
advance  the  trade  practice  proposals  until 
the  distributors  definitely  decide  and  an- 
nounce whether  or  not  they  will  cooperate 
with  us." 

Calling  upon  the  companies  for  immediate 
action,  Mr.  Kuykendall  intimates  that  a  fail- 
ure to  act  may  result  in  a  drift  toward  "liti- 
gation, legislation  and  Governmental  regu- 
lation." 

A  cancellation  clause  has  been  drafted  by 
the  exhibitor  committee,  according  to  the 
bulletin,  and  submitted  to  sales  companies 
together  with  a  short  form  of  exhibition  con- 
tract. The  adoption  of  these  and  other  parts 
of  the  exhibitors'  program,  including  the 
elimination  of  score  charges,  correction  of 
designated  play-date  complaints  and  the 
forcing  of  shorts  "require  nothing  more  than 
a  definite  modification  of  any  distributor's 
own  sales  policies  and  practices"  for  imme- 
diate solution,  the  statement  continues. 

New  England  Circuit 
Closes  Metro  Contract 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  has  concluded  an 
agreement  with  the  Mullin  and  Pinanski  cir- 
cuit for  next  season's  product  in  the  circuit's 
70  New  England  theatres. 


Art  Director  Appointed 

Frank  Spicker,  formerly  art  director  for 
Columbia  Pictures  has  returned  from  New 
Mexico  to  take  over  a  similar  cost  for 
Twentieth  Centutry-Fox. 


PARAMOUNT    PICTURES  1936-37 


//  takes  all  kinds  of people  to  make  a  world.,.  It  takes  all  kinds 
of  people  to  fill  a  theatre  ...It  takes  all  kinds  of  entertainment 
to  make  a  successful  box-office  season.  That's  zvhy  Paramount 
offers  you,  for  1936-1937,  the  biggest  and  most  diversified 
program  of  down-to-earth  pictures  in  motion  picture  history... 
INCLUDING  AT  LEAST  TWO  PICTURES 
OF  MAJOR  IMPORTANCE  EVERY  MONTH 


Personal  Appearance 


59 


Starring  MAE  WEST,  with  Lynne  Overman, 
Elizabeth  Patterson.  "Personal  Appearance"  is  more 
than  just  another  Mae  West  picture.  Since  Brock 
Pemberton,  one  of  the  country's  leading  playwrights, 
fashioned  "Personal  Appearance"  for  Broadway  produc- 
tion two  years  ago,  this  play  has  established  itself  as  one 
of  the  all-time  box  office  wonder-workers.  This  story  of 
the  Hollywood  actress  who  turns  a  small  Pennsylvania 
town  upside  down,  played  New  York  for  more  than  a 
year,  and  other  companies  enjoyed  triumphal  runs  in  all 
the  key  cities.  Here,  then,  is  a  Mae  West  picture  tailored 
for  her  by  one  of  the  best  brains  in  show  business,  and 
setting  her  in  a  completely  new  locale  .  .  .  small  town 
America.  So,  take  your  "Klondike  Annie"  figures  and 
start  multiplying.   An  Emanuel  Cohen  Production. 


Harold  Lloyd 


in  another  Big  Time  Comedy  Hit  .  .  . 

With  everyone  still  talking  about  "The  Milky  Way" 
as  one  of  the  biggest  comedy  successes  of  the  past 
season,  news  that  Harold  Lloyd  will  do  another  picture 
of  the  same  calibre  entertainment  for  Paramount  this 
year  is  Good  News  for  the  1936-1937  Box-Office. 
Although  Harold  has  yet  to  select  the  story,  he's  al- 
ready collected  a  group  of  top  comedies  from  which 
to  choose  "The  Milky  Way's"  successor.  And  he  prom- 
ises that  this  new  picture  will  have  a  supporting  cast 
even  stronger  than  the  big  name  cast  which  helped  him 
put  over  the  story  of  the  fighting  milkman. 


Don't  Look  Now 


•>*> 


W.  C.  FIELDS  in  a  picture  that  Bill  has  been 
wanting  to  do  for  years — it's  his  own  idea  of  the  real 
A  No.  1  Fields  vehicle  ...  so  you  can  guess  what  kind 
of  show  America's  Grand  Old  Man  of  Comedy  will  put 
on  for  you.  What's  the  story?  It's  Fields'  own  version 
of  one  of  the  real  classics  of  American  Humor — Julian 
Street's  famous  "Need  of  Change".  .  .  In  it  Fields  is  a 
retired  gadget  manufacturer  and  when  he  goes  nuts  in 
the  stuffed-shirt,  tea-with-the-vicar  life  of  British  aris- 
tocracy you  can  bet  it's  just  one  more  "Fields'  Day" 
for  the  box  office. 


Hotel  Haywire 


99 


with  Charlie  Ruggles,  Mary  Boland,  George 
Burns  and  Gracie  Allen,  the  "International  House" 
of  1936-37  combines  two  pairs  of  zanies  either  of  which 
could  put  over  a  big  picture.  The  Ruggles-Boland  com- 
bine are  definitely  tops  in  domestic  comedy,  as  "Early 
to  Bed"  is  proving  right  now  .  .  .  and  Burns  and  Allen 
have  had  America  wading  knee  deep  in  soup — and  gags, 
all  winter. 


The  Tightwad 


99 


Charlie  Ruggles  and  a  east  of  featured  players 

in  the  Paul  Gallico  Saturday  Evening  Post  story  of 
the  little  penny  pinching  auditor  in  the  business  office 
of  a  newspaper  who  gets  mixed  up  with  the  kind  of 
story  he  has  always  thought  too  expensive.  How  he 
turns  himself  into  one  of  the  biggest  spenders  in  the 
newspaper  game  is  the  stuff  box  office  is  made  of. 
"The  Tightwad"  is  just  the  kind  of  picture  Charlie 
Ruggles  can  make  into  an  hilarious  success. 


Wives  Never  Know 


99 


with  Charlie  Ruggles,  Mary  Boland,  Adolphe 
Menjou,  Veree  Teasdale.  What  a  foursome!  When 
any  movie  fan  thinks  of  hard-hitting,  fast  paced  do- 
mestic comedy,  he  thinks  of  either  the  Ruggles-Boland 
or  the  Menjou-Teasdale  combination.  Here  they  all  are 
in  one  picture,  directed  by  Elliott  Nugent  who  gave 
you  "She  Loves  Me  Not".  Mr.  and  Mrs.  America  are 
going  to  laugh  themselves  into  the  aisles  at  "Wives 
Never  Know".  Directed  by  Elliott  Nugent. 


Three  Married  Men 


99 


with  Lynne  Overman,  Roscoe  Karns,  William 
Frawley,  George  Barbier,  Gail  Sheridan,  Elizabeth 
Patterson,  Bennie  Bartlett,  Virginia  Weidler. 

Arthur  Hornblow,  Jr.,  who  produced  "The  Princess 
Comes  Across"  got  such  a  kick  out  of  Bill  Frawley's 
performance  as  the  beret  bonnetted  boldster  with  the 
cream  puff  heart  that  he  decided  Bill  rated  top  billing 
in  a  comedy  of  his  own.  Then  he  got  thinking  about 
those  other  two  lads  who've  put  laughs  into  Paramount 
pictures  every  time  they've  landed  a  good  part,  Lynne 
Overman  and  Roscoe  Karns.  This  picture  then  is  the 
once-in-a-lifetime  chance  for  all  three  to  go  to  town 
together.  Directed  by  Eddie  Buzzell. 


My  American  Wife 


99 


Francis  Lederer,  Ann  Sothern,  Fred  Stone,  Billie 
Burke,  Ketti  Gallian  in  that  ace  Saturday  Evening 
Post  yarn,  "The  Old  Timer",  the  story  about  the 
foreign  count  who  marries  the  grand-daughter  of  a  rough 
and  ready  old  Western  multi-millionaire.  The  old  lad 
doesn't  think  much  of  the  business,  having  a  pretty 
sour  opinion  of  "furriners",  until  the  count  turns  out 
to  be  as  swell  an  egg  as  the  old  man  himself.  .  .  .The 
story  has  the  same  background,  the  same  characters,  the 
same  appeal  as  "Ruggles  of  Red  Gap".  Directed  by 
Harold  Young. 


Give  cm  } 

Romance . 


"The  General  Died  at  Dawn" 


Starring 

GARY  COOPER  and  MADELEINE 

CARROLL  with  Akim  Tamiroff,  Porter 
Hall,  Dudley  Digges,  J.  M.  Kerrigan  and  William 
Frawley.  The  same  setting  that  made  "Shanghai 
Express"  a  box  office  smash!  The  thrilling  tale  of  a 
brash  Irish-American  adventurer  and  a  lovely  adven- 
turess caught  in  the  backwash  of  Chinese  revolution, 
fighting  for  their  lives  against  the  gold  lust  of  a  Chinese 
war  lord.  With  Gary  Cooper  at  the  very  peak  of  his 
popularity  after  "Desire"  and  "Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to 
Town",  and  Madeleine  Carroll,  the  beautiful  English 
star.  Written  by  Clifford  Odets,  the  great  new  playwright 
whose  hard  hitting  dialogue  is  the  talk  of  Broadway! 
Directed  by  Lewis  Milestone. 


Marlene  Dietrich 


A  glorious  Frank  Lloyd  production. 

With  "Desire"  giving  her  new  laurels  as  an  actress  of 
the  first  rank  and  "The  Garden  of  Allah"  adding  new 
power  to  her  name  at  the  box  office  any  Marlene 
Dietrich  picture  for  1936-1937  means  coin  at  the  till. 
But  when  you  think  of  her  in  a  Frank  Lloyd  production 
.. .well. . .you've  got  to  think  in  pretty  big  box-office 
terms  indeed.  This  picture  will  be  a  typical  Frank 
Lloyd  out-door  action  picture.  And  Miss  Dietrich  will 
have  a  chance  to  go  to  town  in  one  of  her  great  roles. 


Hard  To  Handle" 


CLAUDETTE  COLBERT'S  second  big 

picture  of  the  year.  When  "Hard  to  Handle"  showed 
up  in  the  Saturday  Evening  Post  a  few  weeks  ago, 
Paramount  took  just  one  look  at  it  and  said — "Colbert". 
This  romance  of  a  woman  novelist  (a  good  looking  one) 
and  a  literary  agent  (not  so  bad  looking  himself)  is  a 
natural  for  the  little  lady  who  rates  one  of  the  biggest 
names  in  pictures.  It  has  everything  that  put  over  "The 
Bride  Comes  Home".  With  Wesley  Ruggles  directing 
you  can  bank  on  "Hard  to  Handle"  to  get  you  results. 


Panama  Gal 


Fred  MacMurray  and  Carole  Lombard 

now  rate  as  one  of  the  top  romantic  comedy  pairs  in 
pictures.  "Hands  Across  the  Table"  sent  them  off  to  a 
flying  start,  and  now  "The  Princess  Comes  Across" 
has  recently  shown  that,  for  modern,  fast-stepping 
romance,  these  two  need  take  their  hats  off  to  no  one. 
"Panama  Gal"  is  right  up  their  alley.  It  seems  Fred  is 
a  hard-boiled  son  of  trouble  who's  doing  sentry-go  for 
Uncle  Sam  alongside  the  Panama  Canal.  Carole  is  a 
pretty  little  manicurist  on  a  cruise  liner.  When  the 
cruise  liner  goes  through  the  Canal,  Carole  happens  to 
poke  her  head  out  a  porthole  just  in  time  to  meet  Fred 
...and  a  series  of  adventures  which  end  up  with  the 
two  of  them  running  the  ace  night  club  of  Central 
America. 

P.  S.  There  will  be  music  in  the  picture  with  Fred  step- 
ping out  as  a  swing  cornet  player. 


"Wedding  Present 


JOAN  BENNETT,  CARY  GRANT 

and  GEORGE  BANCROFT  Starring 
in  a  B.  P.Schulberg  Production.  "Big  Brown  Eyes" 
with  Joan  and  Cary  in  it  was  one  of  the  year's  "sleepers". 
Starting  off  without  much  fanfare,  it  did  plenty  at  the 
box-office  wherever  it  played.  Here  are  the  two  leads 
in  a  far  better  story,  Paul  Gallico's  Saturday  Evening 
Post  yarn  of  the  newspaper  lad  who  gave  his  best  gal  a 
four  alarm  fire  for  a  wedding  present.  B.  P.  Schulberg 
who  gave  you  such  Paramount  smashes  as  "Morocco" 
starts  out  his  new  series  of  Paramount  productions  with 
"Wedding  Present".  .  .  miff  said.  Directed  by 
Richard  Wallace. 

\ 


That'sWhat  Girls  are  Made  of 


Starring  SYLVIA  SIDNEY  and  FRED 

MACMURRAY,  a  B.  P.  Schulberg  Production. 

Here's  the  winning  combination  that  sent  "The  Trail 
of  the  Lonesome  Pine"  into  the  top  money-making  class 
of  last  year.  This  time  these  box-office  stars  will  be 
under  the  capable  production  guidance  of  B.  P.  Schul- 
berg, and  the  story  will  give  Sylvia  Sidney,  one  of  the 
screen's  finest  dramatic  actresses,  a  chance  to  turn  in 
another  of  her  glorious  performances — the  kind  which 
made  "Mary  Burns,  Fugitive"  one  of  the  highlights  of 
the  screen  year.  Fred  will  have  another  of  those  hard- 
boiled  romantic  roles  which  set  the  gals'  hearts  aflame. 


Hideaway  Girl 


Frances  Farmer  and  a  cast  of  featured  players  in 

one  of  those  fast  moving  thrill-a-minute  adventure 
stories  with  plenty  of  class  .  .  .  plus  what  the  box-office 
fondly  labels  .  .  .  love. 


"The  Big  Broadcast  of  1937 


95 


Starring  JACK  BENNY  with  George  Burns 
and  Gracie  Allen,  Randolph  Scott,  Jane  Froman, 
Martha  Raye,  Sam  Schlepperman,  Ray  Milland, 
Frank  Forest,  Benny  Baker.  Specialties  by 
Leopold  Stokowski,  Bob  Burns,  Benny  Fields, 
Larry  Adler,  Stan  Kavanagh,  Benny  Goodman's 
Orchestra,  and  other  celebrities  of  Stage,  Screen 
and  Radio.  Jack  Benny,  the  highest  paid  star  of 
radio  . . .  George  Burns  and  Gracie  Allen  even  higher 
in  the  Crosley  radio  popularity  rating  than  last  year  . . . 
and  a  whole  lineup  of  Big  Timers.  Lew  Gensler,  builder 
of  a  dozen  Broadway  musical  hits,  will  produce  the 
show... Mitchell  Leisen,  director  of  "Hands  Across  the 
Table"  and  "13  Hours  by  Air",  will  direct.  Directed 
by  Mitchell  Leisen. 


Champagne  Waltz 


99 


starring  GLADYS  SWARTHOUT, 

FRED  MacMURRAY  and  Jack  Oakie, 
Veloz  and  Yolanda  (the  biggest-drawing  dance 
team  in  the  business),  Lyda  Roberti,  Frank 
Forest.  What  happens  when  promoter  Jack  Oakie 
takes  an  American  "swing"  band  to  Vienna  to  compete 
against  Europe's  finest  waltz  orchestra  ?  The  "swing" 
band  is  about  to  put  the  orchestra  on  the  skids  until 
the  "swing"  band  leader,  Fred  MacMurray,  takes  a 
gander  at  the  beautiful  singing  daughter  (Gladys 
Swarthout)  of  the  Viennese  waltz  king.  From  then  on 
it's  . . .  love.  Directed  by  Eddie  Sutherland. 


The  Count  of  Luxembourg 


with  IRENE  DUNNE,  JOHN  BOLES, 

W.  C.  FIELDS,  Frank  Forest.  Franz  Lehar's 
world  famous  operetta,  with  the  star  of  "Show  Boat" 
in  the  glorious  role  of  the  Paris  prima  donna  who  was 
married  to  the  Count  of  Luxembourg  (a  rich  man's  trick 
to  get  her  for  himself)  and  who  found  being  married  to 
this  dashing  gentleman  so  delightful  she  left  the  old  lad 
holding  the  bag  (a  part  ripe  to  the  genius  of  one  W.  C. 
Fields).  The  glorious  Lehar  music  will  be  supplemented 
by  a  typical  list  of  Paramount  song  successes. 


College  Holiday 


Starring  JACK  BENNY  with  Frances  Farmer, 
Louis  DaPron,  Robert  Cummings,  Johnny  Downs, 
Eleanore  Whitney,  Martha  Raye.  Here's  the  annual 
Paramount  Christmas  gift  to  Old  Man  box-office  .  .  . 
the  yearly  holiday  special  for  the  youngsters  .  .  .  the 
successor  to  those  big  box-office  hits,  "College  Humor", 
"College  Rhythm"  and  "Collegiate"!  We  don't  need 
to  describe  'em  to  you  .  .  .  you  know  'em  too  well  .  .  . 
the  big  music  show  with  the  college  background,  the 
show  with  plenty  of  laughs  .  .  .  plenty  of  songs,  plenty 
of  swing  and  plenty  of  gals!  An  exploitation  natural, 
the  most  timely  picture  of  the  year 


Follow  the  Sun 


99 


^\W!H//// 


Starring 

BING  CROSBY  with  George  Burns  and 
Gracie  Allen,  Lynne  Overman.  Made  to  the  measure 
of  that  Crosby  smash  "We're  Not  Dressing",  "Follow 
the  Sun"  shows  Bing  as  the  son  of  a  big  shot  ship  owner 
of  the  Northwest  who  leaves  one  of  his  old  man's  ships 
in  the  Orient  to  become  the  proprietor  of  the  swingiest 
night  club  from  Manhattan  to  Mandalay.  With  Bing  at 
the  top  of  his  popularity,  an  ace  cast,  an  ace  script,  and 
a  bunch  of  ace  tunes,  you  can  check  the  date  "Follow 
the  Sun"  hits  town  as  one  of  the  biggest  in  the  1936-37 
box-office  calendar.    Directed  by  Norman  Taurog. 


High,  Wide  and  Handsome 

with  IRENE  DUNNE  and  FRED 

MacMURRAY,  Randolph  Scott.  Here's  another 
"Show  Boat".  Music  and  lyrics  by  those  two  celebrated 
writers  who  wrote  the  never-to-be-forgotten  score  of 
"Show  Boat",  Jerome  Kern  and  Oscar  Hammerstein  II 
.  .  .  two  names  which  from  coast  to  coast  mean  box- 
office  wherever  they're  billed.  And  then,  playing  the 
lead,  the  girl  who  has  just  succeeded  in  making  the 
newest  version  of  "Show  Boat"  one  of  the  all-time  box- 
office  successes,  Irene  Dunne.  With  her  will  be  Fred 
MacMurray  in  the  kind  of  role  he  can  do  best . . .  how's 
that  for  a  lineup?  And  a  strong  supporting  cast. 


"Artists  and  Models 


59 


One  of  the  most  lavish  pictures  of  the  year — a  big 
r^-v  flashing  musical  set  in  the  studios  of  the  leading  artists 
°f  tne  country,  featuring  the  world's  most  beautiful 
women,  the  year's  leading  song  hits.  The  three  major 
roles  will  be  played  by  the  three  leading  stars  in  the 
business.  Katherine  Brush,  S.  J.  and  Laura  Perelman 
and  Keene  Thompson  collaborated  on  the  script  and 
it  will  be  a  picture  unique  among  picture  hits. 


"It  Happened  in  Paradise 


BING  CROSBY  and  IDA  LUPINO 

starring  in  a  typical  Crosby  winner.  This  particular 
Paradise  happens  to  be  a  mountain  lake  where  a  couple 
of  summer  camps,  one  full  of  lads  and  one  full  of  gals, 
hold  forth.  And  the  one  and  only  Bing  Crosby  is  the 
leading  lad  in  Camp  No.  1.  A  big  time  song  and  dance 
show,  this  picture  is  planned  to  catch  the  late  spring 
trade  with  a  real  summer  camp  musical .  .  .  and  with 
Ida  Lupino,  one  of  the  smoothest  gals  in  pictures,  to 
step  it  along  .  .  .  it's  sure  to  be  a  winner. 


"Lady  Be  Careful 


with  Lew  Ayres,  Mary  Carlisle,  Larry  Crabbe, 
Benny  Baker,  Grant  Withers,  Jack  Chapin,Wilma 
Francis,  Irving  Bacon.  Paramount's  group  of  young- 
sters in  another  of  their  fast  stepping  musicals,  with  the 
same  punch  and  pace  as  "Millions  in  the  Air".  Robert 
Cummings  is  one  of  the  most  popular  juveniles  in  the 
business  and  John  Howard  is  going  to  be  way  up  in  the 
big  star  class  this  year,  according  to  Frank  Capra,  who 
claims  Howard  shows  real  greatness  in  Capra's  "Lost 
Horizon",  a  picture  which  will  precede  "Lady  Be 
Careful".  Eleanore  Whitney  is  the  fastest  tap  dancer  in 
the  world.  Directed  by  Ted  Reed. 


Spawn  of  the  North 

CAROLE  LOMBARD,  CARY  GRANT,  M ^\ 

RANDOLPH  SCOTT  and  a  strong  sup-<dPP^^| 
porting  cast.  An  All-Technicolor  Outdoor  Action 
Picture.  Directed  by  Henry  Hathaway. 


DELIBERATELY  built  as  a  follow 
|  up  of  the  biggest  box-office 
attraction  of  the  year,  "The 
Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine",  "Spawn 
of  the  North"  presents  even  greater 
money-making  potentialities.  A  power- 
ful story  of  the  great  salmon  runs  of 
the  Alaskan  Coast  and  the  fierce  wars 
between  the  canneries,  salmon  pirates, 
and  poachers,  this  has  all  the  elements 
of  drama,  rivalry  between  families, 
blood  hates,  death  fights  that  made 
"The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine"  a 
winner,  plus  the  fact  that  the  action 
takes  place  in  the  mysterious  and  lovely 
waters  of  the  Alaskan  Coast. 

To  insure  a  repeat  on  the  tremendous 


success  of  "Trail",  Henry  Hathaway 
will  again  direct,  and  Grover  Jones, 
Paramount's  ace  writer,  the  lad  who 
wrote  the  punch  lines  for  "Trail",  is 
again  doing  the  script.  "Spawn  of  the 
North"  will  feature  songs  of  the  same 
hit  calibre  as  "Melody  from  the  Sky" 
and  "Twilight  on  the  Trail",  the  song 
smashes  of  "Trail". 

In  cast  strength  "Spawn  of  the  North" 
is  the  equal  of  "Trail"  and  in  color  it 
will  be  even  more  spectacular  .  .  .  with 
the  breath-taking  Alaskan  mountains 
and  sea  as  a  glamorous  background  for 
Carole's  blonde  beauty.  You  can  right 
now  rate  "Spawn  of  the  North"  as  one  ol 
your  biggest  catches  of  the  entire  year. 


Slave  Ship 

Starring  GARY  COOPER 

Paramount's  Second  Big  All- 
Technicolor  Picture  of  the  Year. 
Directed    by    Henry  Hathaway 


A GLORIOUS  "Bengal  Lancers"  of 
the  sea  .  .  .  the  story  of  two 
L.  seamen  who,  covered  with 
glory,  won  in  the  War  of  1812,  when 
America's  little  navy,  against  overpow- 
ering odds,  gained  the  United  States  the 
freedom  of  the  seas,  find  themselves  in 
a  bitter  clash  over  the  slavery  question. 
One  of  them  (Cooper)  enlists  on  a  slave 
ship  and  shanghais  his  pal  aboard,  hop- 
ing actual  contact  with  the  slave  trade 
will  alter  his  opinion  against  it.  After 
hundreds  of  thrilling  adventures,  the 
two  find  themselves  in  love  with  a 
beautiful  Spanish  girl,  whom  the  brutal 


ship's  captain  attempts  to  trade  for 
300  slaves.  How  Cooper  defies  the  slave 
ship  captain  and  his  murderous  crew 
and  at  the  sacrifice  of  his  own  life  gives 
his  rival  and  the  girl  a  chance  to  escape 
is  the  climax  of  a  great  picture.  Henry 
Hathaway  who  directed  "Bengal 
Lancer"  believes  "Slave  Ship"  written 
by  Grover  Jones,  who  did  the  "Lancer" 
script,  is  an  even  more  powerful  story 
than  "Lancer".  A  rough,  tough  he-man 
picture  with  the  surging  drive  of  the 
sea  in  its  fibre,  it  cannot  miss  being 
one  of  the  most  important  Technicolor 
pictures  ever  filmed. 


Coin  Out  of  Color 


"Last  February  'The  Trail  of  the  Lone- 
some Pine'  was  released",  says  Fortune 
Magazine  in  its  June  issue,  "and  it  be- 
came almost  over  night,  a  box  office  hit, 
but  more  astonishing  to  Hollywood  was 
the  fact  that  it  was  a  hit  in  color. 
Which  was  all  that  was  necessary  to 
start  Hollywood  producers  scrambling 
into  color  films  a  second  time. . .'Pine's' 
success  is  by  no  means  entirely  due  to 
its  color  for  the  3  main  ingredients  of  any 
hit  show  are  cast,  story  and  selling,  and 
'Pine'  is  well  enough  equipped  on  all  3 
counts  to  make  it  attractive  to  large 
masses  of  customers. .  .with  color  added 
to  these  orthodox  box  office  virtues, 


'Pine'  has  stepped  from  a  second  rank 
to  nearly  first  rank  picture  and  thus, 
judged  by  'Pine's'  experience,  color  may 
mean  the  difference  between  a  small 
gross  profit  and  a  large  one"  In  other 
words,  what  Fortune  is  trying  to  say 
is  that  Paramount  instead  of  trying  any 
trick  experiment  with  color,  built  a 
sure-fire  box  office  picture  and  by  intel- 
ligently adding  color  turned  it  into  one 
of  the  big  hits  of  the  year.  With  that 
experience  to  go  on,  you  can  be  sure 
"Spawn  of  the  North"and  "Slave  Ship" 
will  both  be,  not  only  triumphs  in  color, 
but  triumphs  in  coin. 


44 


The  Texas  Rangers 


99 


with 

FRED  MacMURRAY,  JACK  OAKIE, 

JEAN  PARKER,  Lloyd  Nolan,  Bennie 
Bartlett.  All  the  sweep,  the  drive,  the  appeal  of  "The 
Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"  plus  a  powerful  love  story! 
The  first  picture  ever  to  bring  to  the  screen  the  thrilling 
history  of  that  famous  band  of  Americans — "The  Texas 
Rangers";  the  drama  of  three  comrades  in  arms  whose 
unspoken  bond  of  brotherhood  leads  one  to  sacrifice  his 
life  for  the  others.  Told  against  the  old  glorious  back- 
ground of  the  old  West  (remember  the  box-office  appeal 
of  "Cimarron").  Directed  by  King  Vidor. 


44 


Pinkerton,  the  Detective 


99 


Stalling  EDWARD  ARNOLD  with  an  all- 

star  cast.  Another  B.  P.  Schulberg  picture  and  one  of 
the  biggest  news  stories  of  the  season.  Edward  Arnold, 
one  of  the  coming  stars  in  pictures,  as  the  famous 
Pinkerton,  greatest  detective  mind  America  ever  pro- 
duced, in  a  series  of  exciting  adventures  woven  together 
into  one  of  the  most  thrilling  dramas  ever  filmed  .  .  .  the 
drama  which  answers  to  box-office  demand  for  a  really 
big  star.  Produced  by  B.  P.  Schulberg. 


44 


Queen  of  the  Jungle 


99 


with  Ray  Milland,  Sir  Guy  Standing,  Akim 
Tamiroff,  Lynne  Overman.  Show  business  . .  .  that's 
our  job  .  .  .  and  here's  one  that  is  sure-fire  show  business 
stuff  .  .  .  the  same  kind  of  ballyhoo  buster  that  "King 
of  the  Jungle"  was  .  .  .  wild  animals  — "Chang"  style, 
wild  tribesmen  ...  in  fierce,  death-at-your-throat  battle 
.  .  .  plus  the  hottest  box-office  seller  there  is  .  .  .  jungle 
romance  ...  a  lithe  and  lovely  lass  of  the  jungle  going 
for  a  continental  playboy  and  snaring  him!  With  E. 
Lloyd  Sheldon  who  produced  "King  of  the  Jungle"  at 
the  producing  helm,  you  can  be  sure  this  is  one  more  to 
rate  up  with  good  money  makers  of  the  year.  Directed 
by  Max  Marcin. 


44 


Hollywood  Boulevard 


99 


with  John  Halliday,  Robert  Cummings,  Marsha 
Hunt,  Esther  Ralston,  Frieda  Inescort,  Betty 
Compson,  Maurice  Costello,  C.  Henry  Gordon, 
Bryant  Washburn,  Sr.,  Francis  X.  Bushman, 
Charles  Ray,  Roy  Darcy,  Creighton  Hale,  Frank 
Mayo.  The  glamour,  the  heart  throbs  of  the  picture  busi- 
ness told  in  the  story  of  a  Hollywood  star  of  yesterday, 
who,  broke,  but  still  stage  struck,  writes  his  memoirs  for 
a  New  York  publisher.  Directed  by  Robert  Florey. 

In  addition  to  that,  there  will  be  shots  of  many  of  the 
big  time  stars  and  directors  on  location,  making  all  told 
one  of  the  big  star  pictures  of  the  year. 


44 


Murder  with  Pictures 


99 


with  Gail  Patrick,  Grace  Bradley,  Benny  Baker, 
Porter  Hall,  Ernest  Cossart,  Irving  Bacon. 

"Murder  with  Pictures"  is  a  murder-mystery  told  in 
the  hard-boiled  lingo  of  "The  Thin  Man"  and  it  has  a 
love  story  with  the  same  punch.  When  the  ace  news 
^\  cameraman  of  a  Los  Angeles  paper  gets  mixed  up  in  a 
sensational  murder  of  the  town's  leading  criminal  law- 
yer, mouthpiece  for  a  big  time  racketeer,  and  finds 
himself  in  love  with  the  gal  who  he  thinks  has  done 
the  shooting,  there's  plenty  of  plot  to  work  with. 


44 


Broadway  Afternoon 


99 


with  a  cast  of  Paramount  featured  players.  This 
is  the  Saturday  Evening  Post  yarn,  that  took  prizes  as 
one  of  the  trickiest  mystery  stories  of  1935.  Speck 
Darrow,  a  killer  whom  the  police  have  just  about  in 
their  grasp,  trades  places  with  his  brother,  a  famous 
Broadway  character,  a  professional  beggar  who  does  a 
blindman  turn  every  day  on  the  main  stem,  in  an 
attempt  to  get  by  the  police  net.  He  almost  gets  away 
with  it.  But  Mallory,  headquarters  dick,  happens  to 
have  too  kind  a  heart. 


44 


Johnny^Gets  His  Gun 


with  Ralph  Bellamy,  Katherine  Locke,  David 
Holt,  Onslow  Stevens,  Purnell  Pratt.  Johnny,  be- 
ing an  American  lad  with  a  lot  of  old-fashioned  do  or 
die  in  him,  isn't  content  to  let  a  bunch  of  bad  men  make 
a  monkey  or  a  corpse  out  of  his  father. . .  a  swell  American 
yarn,  taken  from  a  Saturday  Evening  Post  Story  by 
one  of  America's  favorite  writers,  Lucian  Cary. 


44 


Everything  for  Sale 


99 


with  a  selected  cast  of  players.  Here  is  a  long  awaited 
yarn  made  from  the  great  dramatic  story  of  the  great 
produce  rackets  which  have  been  headline  news  in  the 
big  cities  of  the  country  for  the  past  few  years.  A  New 
York  plug-ugly  and  his  stooge  make  plenty  of  trouble 
for  the  independent  fruit  growers  of  the  West  coast  until 
the  plug-ugly  falls  for  a  lovely  lady  and  then  in  a  terrific 
thrill-a-second  action  sequence  beats  up  the  racketeers 
and  wins  her  love. 


"A  Gun  for  Hire 


99 


with  a  cast  of  featured  players.  A  thrilling  melo- 
drama... the  story  of  a  murderer,  whose  flaming  gun 
ends  the  life  of  a  great  statesman  and  is  about  to  bring 
war  to  the  world... and  of  the  beautiful  young  actress 
who  dares  his  fury  and  his  trickery  to  capture  him  and 
bring  peace  to  Europe. 


Km 


"Maid  of  Salem 


FRANK  LLOYD  directs  CLAUDETTE 

COLBERT  in  a  picture  of  tremendous  scope 

with  an  all-star  cast.  Frank  Lloyd's  first  picture  for 
Paramount  is  a  typical  Frank  Lloyd  story,  and,  by 
that,  we  mean  a  subject  as  new  to  pictures  as  "Caval- 
cade" and  "Sea  Hawk".  It  is  the  story  of  a  beautiful 
English  girl,  the  daughter  of  a  woman  burned  at  the 
stake  for  witchcraft,  who  is  herself  caught  in  the  evil 
tide  of  hysteria,  the  witchcraft  persecutions,  which 
swept  New  England  after  Cotton  Mather's  fanatical 
condemnation  of  this  Puritan-invented  crime.  The  story 
has  depth  and  greatness,  providing  the  greatest  dramatic 
role  Claudette  Colbert  has  ever  had.  The  background 
has  all  the  sweep  and  power — huge  mob  scenes — driving 
action  —  which  a  Frank  Lloyd  production  demands. 
Here's  a  picture  made  to  the  box-office  measure  of 
Frank  Lloyd. 


Marlene  Dietrich 


ERNST  LUBITSCH  directs  DIETRICH 

in  a  grand  romance  with  music.  Ever  since 
"Desire"  marked  a  new  high  for  that  famous  combina- 
tion Ernst  Lubitsch  and  Marlene  Dietrich,  you  have 
been  asking  when  you  were  going  to  have  another 
Dietrich  picture  with  the  "Lubitsch"  touch.  Here's  your 
answer.  Ernst  Lubitsch  right  now  is  reading  scripts  to 
select  the  ideal  romantic-comedy  role  for  the  heroine  of 
"Desire"  and  this  year  you  will  have  another  picture 
with  all  the  elements  of  high  comedy  and  box-office  that 
made  "Desire"  the  hit  picture  it  was.  In  addition  to 
this,  Miss  Dietrich  will  sing  a  group  of  songs  like  her 
famous  "Falling  in  Love  Again".  In  other  words,  this 
picture  will  be  a  1936-37  "Blue  Angel"  plus. 


"The  Plainsman 


Starring  GARY  COOPER  and  JEAN 

ARTHUR.  Think  of  Gary  Cooper  as  "Wild  Bill 
Hickok".  Think  of  Jean  Arthur,  Gary's  running  mate 
in  "Mr.  Deeds",  as  "Calamity  Jane".  Think  of  the  busi- 
ness Cooper  in  "The  Virginian"  did,  even  as  a  re-issue 
.  .  Think  of  the  grosses  rolled  up  by  Gary  and  Jean  in 
"Mr.  Deeds".  Put  these  things  together  and  you  will 
get  a  true  picture  of  the  stature  of  "The  Plainsman", 
the  box-office  giant  DeMille  is  making  for  you  .  .  .  This 
is  no  "western"  spectacle,  but  the  intimate,  personal- 
ized story  of  "Calamity  Jane,"  the  Lady  Wildcat, 
toughest  but  most  sought-after  girl  in  the  Golden  West, 
and  hard-to-get  Wild  Bill,  who  shot  faster,  thought 
quicker,  looked  quieter  than  any  man  on  that  far  flung 
frontier.  "The  Plainsman"  is  a  smash! 


A  CECIL  B.  DeMILLE  Production 


"Diamond  Rush 


Starring  either  GARY  COOPER  or  FRED 

MacMURRAY.  A  thrilling  action  picture  of  the 
1937  South  African  diamond  rush,  the  spectacle  of 
thousands  of  men  and  women,  wild  with  the  lure  of  easy 
money,  rushing  into  the  South  African  veldte,  defying 
the  thin  line  of  British  soldiers  to  stake  their  claims  in 
the  newly  opened  diamond  fields  .  .  .  and  in  the  center 
of  this  terrific  spectacle  is  set  the  story  of  a  tough  Iaddy- 
buck,  a  rolling  stone  of  the  world's  frontiers,  who  finds 
and  fights  his  way  to  something  he'd  never  dreamed  of 
before,  the  love  of  a  beautiful  English  girl. 


hatari 


with  EDWARD  ARNOLD  and  an  all-star 

cast.  Edward  Arnold  and  a  female  star  of  equal  great- 
ness in  a  story  which  will  rank  among  the  top  box-office 
builders  of  the  year  .  .  .  When  the  richest  man  in  the 
world  hires  the  finest  guide  in  Africa  to  lead  his  deluxe 
safari  into  the  African  hunting  country,  and,  as  an 
added  fillip  to  his  taste  for  excitement  of  the  deluxe 
kind,  takes  along  a  lovely  lady  whom  a  dethroned  con- 
tinental monarch  has  been  paying  homage  to  as  the 
j^s  prima  donna  of  the  expedition,  there's  bound  to  be 
drama.  A  picture  with  the  excitement  and  intrigue 
that  an  African  background  can  supply. 


The  Barrier 


by  Rex  Beach.  Of  all  Rex  Beach's  novels,  probably 
the  most  widely  read,  the  best  liked  by  the  masses  of 
Beach  readers  is  "The  Barrier".  For  "The  Barrier" 
actually  beats  with  the  thunder  of  great  drama.  And 
Harry  Sherman,  ace  producer  of  action  yarns,  will  see 
it  has  the  right  kind  of  production.  The  story  of  a  girl 
whose  love  for  a  dashing  young  army  officer  smashes 
against  the  barrier  of  race  pride  and  how  her  own  cour- 
age and  the  devotion  of  an  iron-willed  frontiersman  win 
her  freedom  from  this  bondage  and  send  her,  happy  at 
long  last,  into  her  lover's  arms,  makes  one  of  the  finest 
dramatic  chapters  ever  written  by  an  American  author. 
It  will  make  one  of  the  greatest  sequences  ever  filmed. 


44 


Stairs  of  Sand 


99 


a  Zane  Grey  Picture  with  Larry  Crabbe,  Marsha 
Hunt,  Raymond  Hatton,  Leif  Erikson.  Westerns 
may  come  and  Westerns  may  go... but  Zane  Grey's 
popularity  as  the  writer  of  big-time  "boots  and  saddle" 
sagas  goes  on  forever.  Wherever  Westerns  are  box- 
office,  a  Zane  Grey  yarn  means  business.  And  "Stairs 
of  Sand"  is  a  typical  Zane  Grey  done  in  the  big  pro- 
duction manner  that  has  made  Paramount  the  top 
ranker  in  the  Western  field  during  the  past  year. 


3  "Hopalong  Cassidys 


99 


with  William  Boyd  in  the  saddle  "The  Return  of 
Hopalong  Cassidy,"  "Trail  Dust,"  "Cottonwood 
Gulch."  Bill  Boyd,  in  his  first  year  as  a  Western  star, 
has  ridden  right  into  the  hearts  of  the  great  Western 
picture  public.  And  the  supporting  cast  always  main- 
taining a  high  level  of  box-office  value,  has  done  plenty 
to  push  the  Cassidy  yarns  into  the  top  bracket.  The 
new  Cassidy  series  will  have  even  bigger  productions, 
for  we  are  all  set  to  build  even  bigger  money-makers  out 
of  the  Cassidy  series  than  we  did  last  year.  These  pic- 
tures will  be  equally  spaced  in  release  date  during  the 
first  six  months  of  1936-37. 


44 


Rose  Bowl 


99 


with  Frances  Farmer,  John  Howard,  Larry 
Crabbe,  Nick  Lukats  (All- American  football  star), 
Benny  Baker.  Just  at  the  time  the  papers  are  full  of  it 

— The  Biggest  Sports  Story  of  the  Year... two  big 
teams,  the  ace  pigskin  thumpers  of  the  nation  lined  up  to 
fight  for  the  title  of  America's  football  champions  in  the 
annual  Rose  Bowl  game  in  California's  great  football 
stadium,  here's  Paramount  stepping  right  in  to  grab 
box-office  for  you  from  the  Rose  Bowl  game  with  A 
Smash  Action  Romance  based  on  the  big  event.  So  get 
right  up  there  in  the  announcer's  box  and  tell  the  world 
"Rose  Bowl"  is  a  sure  choice  for  ail-American  laurels  as 
The  Football  Picture  of  the  1936-37  Season. 


"Souls  at  Sea' 

GARY  COOPER  and  a  strong 
supporting  cast.  An  All-Technicolor 
Outdoor  Action  Picture.  Directed  by 
Henry  Hathaway. 


HERE  is  a  box-office  find  of  the 
year!  An  American  "Mutiny 
on  the  Bounty",  the  most 
amazing  story  in  the  history  of  our 
merchant  marine.  A  ship  load  of  im- 
migrants, Liverpool  to  Philadelphia,  is 
rammed  by  a  huge  iceberg.  The  ship  has 
only  two  life  boats.  One  swamps.  The 
second  mate  sets  out  in  the  smaller  boat 
with  two  sailors  and  forty  passengers. 

As  they  start  off,  the  second  mate  asks 
each  passenger  to  search  his  heart  in  the 
sight  of  God.  If  he  has  been  guilty  of 
sinful  living,  he  must  jump  overboard. 
Forty  search  their  souls.  Twenty  jump. 
When,  after  a  grueling  passage,  the  little 
boat  makes  port,  the  second  mate  is 
clapped  into  prison  and  tried  for  the  mur- 


der of  the  twenty.  Every  single  person 
he  has  saved  testifies  against  him.  He 
is  sentenced  to  life  imprisonment.  Yet 
public  opinion  sides  with  him,  and  after 
a  struggle  which  roused  the  feeling  of 
the  entire  nation,  his  sentence  is  at  last 
commuted  to  five  years. 

With  Gary  Cooper  in  the  lead,  with 
Henry  Hathaway,  who  gave  you  "The 
Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine"  and  "The 
Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"  directing. 
With  Grover  Jones  scripting  the  story 
by  Edward  Hale,  you  can  be  sure  that 
"Souls  at  Sea"  will  be  one  of  the  most 
exciting  pictures  of  this  or  any  year, 
and  another  tremendous  advance  for 
the  motion  picture,  completely  filmed 
in  natural  color. 


THIS  PICTURE  WILL  REPLACE  "SPAWN  OF  THE  NORTH" 
WHICH  IS  TEMPORARILY  CANCELLED 


"  Valiant  Is  the  Word  for  Carrie 


Starring  GLADYS  GEORGE  with  Arline 
Judge,  John  Howard,  Dudley  Digges,  Isabel 
Jewell,  Harry  Carey.  Gladys  George,  who  made 
"Personal  Appearance"  one  of  the  longest  runs  Broad- 
way has  ever  known  .  .  .  the  gal  all  the  companies  have 
been  fighting  for  .  .  .  has  been  captured  by  Paramount. 
How  did  we  pull  the  trick,  get  you  the  actress  who  is 
going  to  be  a  sure-fire  No.  1  picture  star  the  minute 
the  fans  get  a  glimpse  of  her  first  screen  job?  Wesley 
Ruggles  just  climbed  into  a  plane  and  headed  for 
'Frisco,  Miss  George's  home  town,  with  the  script  of 
"Valiant  Is  the  Word  for  Carrie"  under  one  arm.  A 
single  reading  of  this  yarn  and  Miss  George  said  "okay". 
And  no  wonder  .  .  .  for  Bennefield's  best-selling  novel 
has  enough  drama,  enough  woman  interest  (and  85% 
of  your  fans  are  women)  to  make  another  "Madame  X". 
The  story  of  a  great  woman,  who,  bowed  by  an  early 
life  of  degradation  and  shame,  rises  to  true  glory  through 
her  devotion  to  a  pair  of  youngsters  whose  fate  is  left 
in  her  hands.  "Valiant  Is  the  Word  for  Carrie"  is  great 
box-office.    Directed  by  Wesley  Ruggles. 


Golden  Era 


99 


Starring  CLAUDETTE  COLBERT... 

A  picture  that  will  tear  their  hearts  out... a  box-office 
sensation.  The  glamorous  days  of  the  early  century 
when  America's  big  fortunes  were  being  made . . .  the  days 
of  Jay  Gould,  " Bet -A- Million"  Gates,  and  Canfield 
...as  a  background  for  one  of  the  most  dramatic  stories 
Claudette  Colbert  has  ever  starred  in. .  .the  powerful 
drama  of  the  daughter  of  one  of  these  great  fortunes  in 
love  with  the  son  of  America's  richest  financiers... 
and  their  romance  shattered,  turned  into  stark,  heart- 
rending tragedy  when  the  sins  of  their  gold-grabbing 
fathers  are  visited  upon  the  children. 


I'd  Give  My  Life 


99 


with  Sir  Guy  Standing,  Frances  Drake,  Tom 
Brown,  Janet  Beecher.  This  is  Richard  Rowland's 
screen  version  of  the  famous  Willard  Mack  stage  play, 
"The  Noose."  As  a  stage  play,  "The  Noose"  was  one 
of  the  outstanding  melodramas  of  all  time.  As  a  picture 
it  gives  Tom  Brown  a  chance  to  go  to  town  in  a  really 
important  dramatic  role.  "I'd  Give  My  Life,"  frankly, 
is  a  Thriller,  a  Tear-jerker,  the  kind  of  picture  a  well- 
balanced  production  line-up  must  have.  Good  reliable 
bread  and  butter  box-office! 


The  Turning  Point 


99 


with  Julie  Haydon,  Paul  Kelly,  Douglas  Wood. 

A  thrilling  drama,  set  against  an  exciting  background 
of  life  in  smalltown  America... a  picture  that'll  have  all 
the  punch  and  human  appeal  that  go  to  make  up  box- 
office  ...  plus  a  cast  of  young  stars  who  can  put  over  this 
kind  of  story  with  a  bang. 


Our  Miss  Keane 


99 


with  Virginia  Weidler  and  Billy  Lee.  This  is  one  of 
those  pictures  that  year  in,  year  out,  stand  pat  as  good 
solid  box-office  bread  and  butter  winners.  A  Saturday 
Evening  Post  story  by  the  popular  woman's  writer, 
Grace  Sartwell  Mason... "Our  Miss  Keane"  tells  of  a 
woman  who  thought  business  and  a  career  were  every- 
thing until  a  bunch  of  kids  elbowed  their  rambunctious 
way  into  her  life  and  made  her  their  guardian. 


Claudette  Colbert  Gary  Cooper  Bing  Crosby  Marlene  Dietrich 


George  Archainbaud 


Charles  Barton 


Eddie  Buzzell 


Cecil  B.  DeMllle 


E.  A.  Dupont 


Robert  Florey 


William  Shea 


A.  Edward  Sutherland 


Norman  Taurog 


King  Vidor 


Harold  Young 


Writers 


Frank  R.  Adams 
Stuart  Anthony 
Duke  Atteberry 
George  Auerbach 
Nick  Barrows 
Harry  Behn 
Arnold  Belgard 
Dorothy  Bennett 
Claude  Binyon 
Ralph  Block 
Charles  Brackett 
John  Bright 

Frederick  Hazlett  Brennan 
Frank  Butler 
Alan  Campbell 


Franklin  Coen 

Bradley  King 

Seena  Owen 

Bobby  Vernon 

James  A.  Creelman 

Norman  Krasna 

Dorothy  Parker 

Francis  Wallace 

Walter  DeLeon 

Harold  Lamb 

Frank  Partos 

Harlan  Ware 

Herbert  Fields 

Melchoir  Lengyel 

William  Rankin 

Richard  Weil 

Edith  Fitzgerald 

Albert  Shelby  Le  Vino 

Marguerite  Roberts 

Robert  Yost 

Nina  C.  Fra6er 

Jeanie  Macpherson 

Harry  Ruskin 

Waldemar  Young 

Gilbert  Gabriel 

Philip  MacDonald 

Madeleine  Ruthven 

• 

Gerald  Geraghty 

Max  Marcin 

Sidney  Salkow 

Composers 

Eve  Greene 

Clarence  Marks 

Dore  Scharry 

Wid  Gunning 

Oscar  Hammerstein  II 

Joseph  Moncure  March 
Brian  Marlow 

Paul  Schofield 
Viola  B.  Shore 

and  Lyricists 

Don  Hartman 

Francis  Martin 

Michael  L.  Simmons 

Sam  Coslow 

Helen  Hernandez 

Edwin  Justus  Mayer 

Louis  Stevens 

Betty  Hill 

Patterson  McNutt 

Preston  Sturges 

Frederick  Hollander 

Harry  Hoyt 

Jack  Mintz 

Robert  Tasker 

Jerome  Kern 

Cyril  Hume 

Sam  Mintz 

Sylvia  Thalberg 

Erich  Wolfgang  Korngold 

Dan  Jarrett 

John  C.  Moffitt 

Keene  Thompson 

Ralph  Rainger 

Grover  Jones 

Thomas  Monroe 

Virginia  Van  Upp 

Leo  Robin 

July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


63 


THE  HOLLYWOOD 
SCENE 


Quick  reference  information  on  prod- 
uct started  and  completed  and  a 
panorama  of  the  news  of  the  week 


Production 


Studios  continued  to  hum  with  activity 
last  week,  the  production  level  remaining  at 
the  seasonal  peak,  registered  the  previous 
week,  of  46  features  and  six  short  subjects. 
Shorts  production  was  greater  than  last 
week.  Forty-seven  pictures  were  in  the  cut- 
ting rooms  and  19  were  in  preparation. 

Seven  features  were  placed  in  work  dur- 
ing the  week.  Columbia  put  "Craig's  Wife" 
and  "The  Road  to  Nowhere"  before  the 
cameras.  At  Paramount  work  started  on 
"Wives  Never  Know"  and  "Murder  With 
Pictures."  Work  began  on  "Second  Wife" 
at  Radio,  while  Universal  put  "A  Fool  for 
Blondes"  into  production.  Warners  showed 
the  greatest  activity  with  nine  features 
shooting.  In  the  independent  division  the 
Fanchon  Rover  company  started  on  "Pi- 
lot X." 

Columbia  had  five  features  in  work,  one 
in  preparation  and  scheduled  for  cameras 
within  two  weeks  and  one  editing.  Samuel 
Goldwyn  had  two,  zero  and  zero ;  M-G-M, 
six,  one  and  13  ;  Paramount,  seven,  three  and 
eight ;  Pickford-Lasky,  one,  zero  and  zero ; 
Republic,  one,  two  and  three;  Radio,  five, 
four  and  two;  Roach,  zero,  zero  and  two; 
Selznick  International,  one,  zero  and  zero ; 
Twentieth  Century-Fox,  four,  three  and  six; 
Universal,  three,  two  and  four ;  Warners, 
nine,  one  and  eight;  independents,  two,  two 
and  zero. 

In  the  short  subject  division  Columbia 
had  none  shooting,  two  in  preparation  and 
none  editing.  M-G-M  had  three,  one  and 
four ;  Radio  had  two,  zero  and  three ;  Roach, 
zero,  one  and  three ;  Warners,  one,  zero  and 
one,  and  the  independents,  zero,  one  and 
zero. 


Confidence 


Maybe  the  talent  doesn't  listen  to  political 
broadcasts,  which  would  be  in  conformity 
with  the  ancient  tradition  that  actors  don't 
read  anything  but  their  lines  and  live  in  a 
make-believe  world  of  their  own,  or  maybe 
their  predilection  for  lucid  utterance  and 
effective  diction  limits  their  tunings-in  to 
the  President's  addresses.  At  any  rate, 
there  appears  to  be  no  apprehension  in  the 
talent  sector  as  to  the  immediate  future  of 
the  nation  and  that  part  of  it  which  is  their 
own  especial  source  of  bread,  butter  and 
cake.  The  drift  from  contract  to  free  lance 
basis  is  proof  enough  of  that. 

It  is  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the 
trend  is  merely  a  fad  born  of  Warren  Wil- 
liam's somewhat  spectacular  purchase  of  his 
unexpired  contract  with  Warners  for  a  re- 
ported $10,000.  Actors  may  be  like  unto 
sheep  in  a  number  of  ways,  but  the  outright 
purchase  of  a  position  in  the  army  of  the 
unemployed  is  hardly  comparable  to  that  of 


EDUCATION  HELD  ROAD 
TO  "CLEAN"  PICTURES 

Education,  not  legislation,  is  the 
key  to  clean  motion  pictures,  in  the 
opinion  of  Dr.  William  Lewin  of 
Weequahie,  N.  J.,  chairman  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Committee  of  the  De- 
partment of  Secondary  Education  of 
the  National  Education  Association. 

"We  have  found  that  an  aroused 
public  opinion  as  exemplified  in  the 
Legion  of  Decency  drive  is  more  ef- 
fective than  such  measures  as  the 
Neely-Pettingill  Bill,  recently  intro- 
duced into  Congress,  with  a  view  of 
sectiring  better  pictures  through  the 
devious  methods  of  artificial  legis- 
lation. We  cannot  legislate  good 
taste,"  Dr.  Lewin  said. 


a  hill  top  bungalow  or  a  Hispano  Suiza. 
And  there  are,  of  course,  the  agents,  ex- 
tremely commercial  gentlemen,  who  have 
quite  a  lot  to  say  about  matters  pertaining 
to  the  mean  average  incomes  of  their  clients. 
Which  seems  to  make  the  agents  party  to  the 
general  belief  that  everything  is  going  to 
be  all  right  with  the  box  office  for  quite  a 
spell. 

Mr.  William's  action  differs  from  others 
preceding  and  following  it  mainly  in  the 
detail  of  payment.  Fredric  March  is  an- 
other who  has  chosen  the  open  road,  a  thor- 
oughfare already  familiar  and  profitable  to 
Lyle  Talbot,  Edward  Everett  Horton,  Basil 
Rathbone  and  others.  Something  like  eager- 
ness to  join  the  procession  is  being  displayed 
by  more  than  a  dozen  top  flight  stars  whose 
contracts  are  in  various  stages  of  progress 
and  the  customary  assumption  that  conver- 
sation in  this  vein  is  horse  trader's  language 
isn't  widely  credited  as  the  complete  answer. 

It  is  early  to  determine  the  extent  or  dura- 
tion of  the  trend,  but  quick  figures  indicate 
that  free  lancing  has  netted  a  profit,  on  the 
whole,  for  those  who  have  deliberately  de- 
tached themselves  from  the  relative  security 
of  contracts.  Hollywood  thrives  on  quick 
figures.  As  the  calendar  unfolds  the  re- 
mainder of  the  story,  other  figures,  bigger 
ones  spanning  more  pages  of  that  dependable 
work,  may  tell  another  story.  Until  then,  no 
doubt,  the  procession  may  be  expected  to 
continue  in  the  way  its  leaders  have  chosen. 


Itemization 


Light."  .  .  .  Ray  McCarey  has  been  loaned 
by  Paramount  to  Universal  to  direct  "Air 
Hostess."  .  .  .  Sol  Lesser  will  make  a  pic- 
ture based  on  the  life  of  Davey  Crockett. 
.  .  .  Joe  Rivkin,  casting  director  for  Hal 
Roach,  has  appointed  Joe  Collum  as  as- 
sistant. 

George  Nichols,  Jr.,  and  George  Stevens 
have  signed  new  term  contracts  to  direct  for 
Radio.  .  .  .  "Sally,  Irene  and  Mary"  will  be 
produced  by  Twentieth  Century-Fox.  .  .  . 
Lillian  Coogan,  Jackie's  mother,  will  work 
with  Winifred  Dunn  on  the  script  of 
"Everybody's  Boy,"  Sol  Lesser  production 
starring  Bobby  Breen.  .  .  .  Irving  G.  Thal- 
berg  will  produce  "Believed"  as  the  next 
Greta  Garbo  vehicle.  .  .  .  Mat  Levine  has 
45  writers  working  on  28  stories  in  a  drive 
to  finish  current  pictures  and  launch  the 
new  season's  program. 

Imperial  has  completed  "High  Hat."  .  .  . 
David  O.  Selznick  has  acquired  the  rights 
to  "The  Adventures  of  Tom  Sawyer."  .  .  . 
Alex  Yokel  is  in  conference  with  Mervyn 
LeRoy  regarding  the  picturization  of  his 
play,  "Three  Men  on  a  Horse."  .  .  .  Ro- 
maine  Roland,  •  French  novelist,  will  write 
the  screen  play  for  Warners'  "Danton,  the 
Terror  of  France."  .  .  .  "The  Bengal  Killer" 
will  bereleased  as  "The  Bengal  Tiger."  .  .  . 
Victor  McLaglen  has  started  work  on  "A 
Fool  for  Blondes"  for  Universal.  .  .  .  Radio 
has  borrowed  Bruce  Cabot  from  MGM  for 
"Don't  Turn  Them  Loose"  and  "The  Big 
Game." 


Juniors 


Frank  Lloyd  has  added  Lance  Baxter, 
research,  and  Silas  Prime,  story,  to  his  staff 
at  Paramount.  .  .  .  Warners  have  assigned 
Ann  Dvorak  to  a  major  role  in  "The  Green 


It's  long  and  long  since  a  serial  has  made 
major-  table  talk  in  the  production  colony, 
but  it's  longer  and  longer  since  human  in- 
terest failed  to  stir  a  people  dedicated  to  its 
manufacture  and  proportionately  responsive. 
"Ace  Drummond,"  the  Universal  chapter 
play,  is  getting  itself  talked  about,  especially 
by  the  mature,  as  a  potential  milestone  in 
the  professional  sense.  The  reason  is  that 
its  cast  includes  three  young  men  everybody 
would  like  to  see  do  well.  They  are  Lon 
Chaney,  Jr.,  House  Peters,  Jr.,  and  Noah 
Beery,  Jr. 

It  would  be  a  little  hard  to  get  a  Holly- 
wood sophisticate  to  confess  an  old-fash- 
ioned interest  in  the  second  generation  of 
screen  players,  but  that's  a  pose.  At  bottom 
the  gilded  and  glorified  are  as  sentimental 
in  this  respect  as  the  doctor,  lawyer  or 
clergyman  who  frankly  points  his  offspring 
toward  the  carrying  on  of  the  family  name 
in  the  calling  with  which  they  have  identi- 
fied it,  possibly  more  so.  And  the  record  of 
the  second  generation  in  this  regard  is  not 
sensational.  If  only  one  of  these  three  find 
the  serial  a  starting  point  from  which  to  go 
on  to  the  heights,  as  did  so  many  in  years 
agone,  the  colony  will  feel  pretty  good 
about  it. 


64 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


July    II,  1936 


$29,000,000  CAIN  MADE 
IN  VALUE  OF  FILM  STOCKS 


First  Six  Months  Show  Rise 
in  Shares'  Valuation,  Re- 
flecting Continuation  of 
Wall  Street's  Bullish  Outlook 

by  THE  ANALYST 

Motion  picture  stocks  pulled  both  ways  in 
the  first  half  of  1936,  affected  by  individual 
company  situations,  but,  as  a  whole,  the  film 
group  listed  on  the  stock  exchange  gained 
almost  $29,000,000  in  market  value  during 
the  six  months. 

The  collective  rise  from  a  market  valua- 
tion of  $692,897,500  at  the  end  of  1935  to 
$721,668,250  on  June  30,  1936,  was  in  keep- 
ing with  the  irregular  advance  of  the  gen- 
eral market  from  the  April-May  low  points, 
but  it  also  reflected  continuation  of  Wall 
Street's  bullish  outlook  on  the  industry,  so 
apparent  during  1935,  when  film  shares 
crossed  the  half-billion  mark  in  listed  value. 

This  optimism  was  based  on  further  im- 
provement in  the  general  business  picture, 
in  which  it  was  felt  that  the  film  industry 
could  not  help  but  participate,  both  be- 
cause of  the  nature  of  its  business  and  the 
successful  efforts  of  major  producers  to 
whet  the  public's  appetite  for  film  enter- 
tainment by  constant  improvement  of  their 
wares. 

Fitch  Service's  latest  report  on  the  motion 
picture  industry,  issued  in  June,  summarized 
well-informed  financial  opinion  with  the 
statement  that  "prospects  for  a  continuation 
of  the  general  industrial  and  economic  re- 


LOEWS,  INC.,  NETS 
$7,390,495  IN  40  WEEKS 

Loew's,  Inc.,  parent  corporation  of 
all  the  Loew  theatre  and  MGM  pro- 
ducing and  distributing  companies, 
netted  $7,390,495  in  the  forty  weeks 
ended  June  4th,  an  increase  of  $1,- 
5  50,144  over  the  same  period  in  1935, 
and  comparing  as  follows: 

40  Weeks      40  Weeks 

Ended  Ended 
June  4,  '36    June  6,  '35 

Company's  share 
operating  profit 
after  subsidiaries' 
preferred  divi- 
dends  $1  1,488,106  $9,596,570 

Depreciation  and 
taxes   4,097,61  I  3,756,219 

Company's  share  net 

profit   $  7,390,495  $5,840,351 

Per  Share — 

Preferred  stock.  .  .        $54.06  $42.72 
Per  Share — 
Average  common 

stock   4.47  3.50 


Film  Profits  Higher,  and  So  Are  Filming 
Costs,  Says  Wall  Street  Journal 


"Earnings  of  the  motion  picture  industry  so  far  this  year  have  been  well  ahead 
of  the  corresponding  period  a  year  ago,"  reports  Wall  Street  Journal,  "but  the 
industry  is  slow  in  getting  back  to  what  was  regarded  in  the  pre- 1 929  days  as 
normal  profits.  Attendance  is  good,  and  consumer  spending  power,  as  reflected 
in  reports  of  other  industries,  notably  motors,  is  apparently  back  to  about  normal, 
but  movie  profits  nevertheless  are  lagging,  due  to  the  mounting  costs  of  hitting 
the  public  taste  in  amusement. 

"The  difficulty  of  the  industry  is  an  obvious  one — to  get  enough  good  pic- 
tures— and  in  spite  of  efforts  toward  economy  good  pictures  seem  to  cost  more 
than  ever,"  the  Journal  opines.  "At  least  the  big  companies  are  spending  more 
than  ever  on  their  film  inventories. 

"Besides  this,  the  turmoil  in  the  industry  in  the  last  five  years  has  sent  many 
able  producers  out  to  make  their  own  productions  and  while  these  are  generally 
released  through  the  big  companies,  the  share  of  the  producer  is  of  course  large. 
The  main  object  of  the  industry  is  to  amuse  the  American  public,  and  apparently 
producers,  stars,  directors  and  writers  who  are  able  to  do  this  can  write  their  own 
salary  checks.  The  stockholders'  share  in  profits  is  reduced  accordingly  and  it  is 
difficult  to  see  how  'economy'  can  change  this  situation." 


covery  .  .  .  augurs  well  for  the  amusement 
field.  .  .  ." 

"Coupled  with  a  further  betterment  in  the 
improved  income  of  the  general  public,  oper- 
ations of  the  major  motion  picture  producing 
companies  have  in  recent  months  been  on  a 
more  successful  plane  and  there  is  every 
reason  to  believe  that  this  development  will 
be  maintained  over  the  medium  term." 

Retail  Gains  Marked 

General  business  at  the  end  of  the  first 
half  was  auspicious  in  its  possibilities  of 
bringing  further  prosperity  to  the  film  in- 
dustry. 

Sharp  gains  in  retail  trade,  stimulated  by 
payment  of  the  soldier  bonus,  promised  to 
continue  well  into  the  summer.  Activity  in 
the  heavy  industries  that  are  the  barometers 
of  the  nation's  financial  condition  was  even 
more  marked.  The  steel  industry  blazed 
away  at  74  per  cent  of  capacity,  highest 
operating  rate  since  1930. 

Business  failures  for  the  week  ended  June 
25,  according  to  Dunn  &  Bradstreet,  Inc., 
were  the  fewest  in  16  years.  The  average 
American  citizen  in  May,  said  the  Investors' 
Syndicate  of  Minneapolis,  in  a  study  of  cur- 
rent national  income,  had  the  best  income 
since  the  recovery  started.  Freight  carload- 
ings,  a  pertinent  index  of  business  condi- 
tions, were  far  above  a  year  ago. 

Continued  Advance 

Despite  uncertainties  of  an  election  year, 
foreign  difficulties  and  domestic  labor  trou- 
bles in  some  fields,  the  business  viewpoint 
reflected  well-grounded  optimism,  with  con- 
sequent enhancement  of  the  outlook  for  films. 
This  was  justified  by  the  continued  advance, 


however  spotty,  of  picture  shares  over  1935 
levels. 

Columbia  Picture  stocks,  while  they  lost 
ground  during  the  first  half,  climbed  back 
strongly  from  the  lows.  The  voting  trust 
certificates,  which  touched  a  low  of  34^4, 
recovered  to  43*^,  near  the  year's  top  of 
45j4.  The  company's  1936-37  schedule  of 
58  features,  three  series  of  two-reel  and  eight 
series  of  single-reel  subjects,  was  the  most 
ambitious  in  its  history. 

Loew's  eased  off  during  the  six  months, 
but  finished  near  the  year's  high  as  earnings 
for  the  12  weeks  to  June  6  were  estimated 
at  $1.50  a  common  share,  against  88  cents 
a  year  ago. 

Eastman  Kodak  made  a  sharp  rise  on 
continued  earnings  improvement.  The  big- 
gest gainer  was  Universal  preferred,  which 
touched  a  top  of  115  and  finished  at  101^ 
for  a  rise  of  A9y2  points. 

Motion  picture  stocks  on  the  Curb  Ex- 
change were  uniformly  higher,  with  bull 
activity  in  Technicolor  because  of  rising  in- 
terest in  color  treatment  of  films.  Leading 
picture  bond  issues  advanced. 


Wisconsin  Unemployment 
Law  Goes  Into  Effect 

All  employers  of  eight  or  more  persons 
for  18  weeks  a  year,  including  motion  pic- 
ture theatre  operators  in  the  state,  are  sub- 
ject to  the  provisions  of  the  Wisconsin  un- 
employment insurance  law  which  went  into 
effect  on  July  1st.  The  maximum  amount 
per  employee  for  which  employers  are  liable 
is  $15  a  week  for  eight  and  two-thirds  weeks 
or  a  total  of  $130  in  any  one  year.  The 
minimum  benefit  is  $5  a  week  for  13  weeks. 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


65 


MOTION  PICTURE  STOCKS  IN  1936 


by  THE  ANALYST 


High  and  Low  in  Stock  and  Bond  Trading  in  1936 

(Closing  Prices  Are  as  of  June  30,  1936) 


NEW  YORK  STOCK  EXCHANGE 


Stocks  and  Dividends  High 

Columbia  Pictures  vtc.  (1A)   45% 

Columbia  Pictures  preferred  (2%)   51% 

Consolidated  Film   :  7% 

Consolidated  Film  preferred  (%B)   20% 

Eastman  Kodak  (5C)   172 

Eastman  Kodak  preferred   165 

Keith-Albee-Orpheum  preferred    91%, 

Loew's,  Incorporated   (2C)   54% 

Loew's,  Incorporated  preferred   108% 

Paramount    12 

Paramount   1st  preferred   87% 

Paramount  2nd  preferred   12% 

Pathe  Film  Corporation   11% 

Radio-Keith-Orpheum    9% 

20th  Century -Fox    32% 

20th  Century-Fox  preferred  (V/2)   41 

Universal  Pictures  preferred   115 

Warner  Brothers   14% 

Warner  Brothers  preferred   57% 

A — Plus  stock  extras;  B — Paid  this  year  (dividends  in  arrears);  C — Plus  cash  extras. 


1936 

 A  

Low 

31 

4254 
4% 

15% 
156 
158 

80 

43 

1041/5 
7s/8 
59 


5 

2254 
31% 
50 
9% 
44 


Last 

Close  1935 

Net  Change 

3454 

43J4 

■-  8% 

46 

48% 

-  254 

5 

5% 

-  X 

17% 

18J4 

—  1 

170% 

156% 

+14% 

164 

160 

+  4 

91 

80 

+11 

48% 

52 

-  3% 

107 

107 

unch. 

8% 

10% 

-  W 

70 

78 

—  8 

9J4 

12 

-2}4 

754 

8 

-  % 

554 

5 

+  % 

24% 

22% 

+  m 

343% 

32 

+  2% 

10154 

52 

+4954 

-  Vt 

9% 

9% 

47/2 

51 

-  354 

CURB  EXCHANGE 


1936 


Stock  and  Dividends  High 

Columbia  Pictures  Common   45 

Sentry  Safety  Control   1% 

Technicolor    32% 

Trans-Lux  DPS  (.20)   5% 

Universal  Pictures    12% 


Low 

36 

54 
17% 
3% 
454 


Last 

36 

v$ 

27 
4 

9% 


Close  1935 

42% 

54 

18% 

354 
554 


Net  Change 

—  6% 
+  % 
+  8Ji 

+  54 
+  3% 


BONDS  ON  STOCK  EXCHANGE 


1936 

_^  


Bond  and  Maturity  High 

General  Theatre  Equipment  6s  '40    30% 

General  Theatre  6s  '40  ctfs   30 

Keith  6s  '46   96% 

Paramount  6s  '55   97% 

Paramount-Broadway  3s  '55  :     61% 

Radio-Keith-Orpheum  6s  '41   82% 

Warner  Brothers  6s  '39   98% 


Low 

19 
19 

92 

83 
55 
63 


Last 

2454 

26% 

93% 

90 

58% 

69 

93% 


Close  1935 

19% 

19 

95 

92 

5654 

77% 


Net  Change 

+  5% 
+  754 

—  154 

—  2 
+  2% 

—  8% 
+  7% 


Comparison  of  Valuations  of  Stock  Issues,  Close  1935— June  30,  1936 


Approx.  Shares  Close 

Stock  Outstanding  1935 

Columbia  Pictures  vtc   145,000  4354 

Columbia  Pictures  preferred   17,000  4854 

Consolidated  Film    530,000  5% 

Consolidated  Film  preferred   400,000  18% 

Eastman  Kodak    2,500,000  156% 

Eastman  Kodak  preferred   60,000  160 

Keith-Albee-Orpheum    preferred   60.000  80 

Loew's,  Incorporated    1,500.000  52 

Loew's,  Incorporated,  preferred   150,000  107 

Paramount    1,600,000  1054 

Paramount  1st  preferred   250,000  78 

Paramount  2nd  preferred   650,000  12 

Pathe  Film  Corporation   600,000  8 

Radio-Keith-Orpheum    2,500,000  5 

20th  Century-Fox    1,300,000  2254 

20th  Century-Fox  preferred   1,300,000  32 

Universal   Pictures  preferred   20.000  52 

Warner  Brothers    3,900,000  9% 

Warner  Brothers  preferred   103,000  51 


Valuation 

$  6,307,500 
824,500 
3,047,500 
7,300,000 
390,312,500 
9,600,000 
4,800,000 
78,000,000 
16,050,000 
16,400,000 
19,500,000 
7,800,000 
4,800,000 
12,500,000 
29,250,000 
41,600,000 
1,040,000 
38.512,500 
5,253,000 


June  30, 
1936 

34% 
46 
5 

1754 

164 
91 

4S% 
107 

m 

70 

954 

7% 

554 
24% 
34% 
101% 

9% 
47}4 


$<>l>_'.897,500 


Valuation 

$  5,038,750 
782,000 
2,650,000 
6,900,000 
426,875,000 
9,840.000 
5,460.000 
72,937,500 
16,050.000 
12,200.1X10 
17,500,000 
6,175,000 
4.350.000 
13,750,000 
31,525,000 
44.NS7, 500 
2.030.000 
38,025,000 
4.S92.500 

$721,668,250 


Net  Change 


-  2% 

-  % 

-  1 
+14% 
+  4 
+11 

-  3% 
unch. 

-  m 

-  8 
-2% 

-  H 

+  54 
+  1% 
+  2% 
+4954 

-  'A 

-  354 


— $  1,268,750 

—  42,500 

—  397,500 

—  400.000 
-f  36,562,500 


240,000 
66O.00O 
5.062.500 
unch. 
4,200,000 
2,000,000 
1.625,000 
450.000 
1 ,250.000 
2.275,000 
3,087,500 
990.000 
487.500 
360.500 


+$28,770,750 


66 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


PETTENCILL  WARNS  THAT  HIS  FIGHT 
FOR  FILM  CONTROL  HAS  JUST  BEGUN 


Congressman  Says  He'll  Rein- 
troduce Bill  to  Bar  Block  Book- 
ing If  He  Is  Reelected;  Tells 
Committee's  Divergent  View 

Reelection  to  the  75th  Congress  in  No- 
vember of  Representative  Samuel  Barrett 
Pettengill — if  and  when — will  signal  a  re- 
newed attack  on  the  motion  picture  by  the 
Indiana  Congressman,  who  was  defeated  in 
the  recent  session  in  his  vigorous  efforts  to 
have  enacted  a  federal  law  prohibiting  com- 
pulsory block  booking  and  blind  buying. 
The  legislator  was  backed  in  his  fight  prin- 
cipally by  Allied  States  Association,  and 
some  clubwomen  and  others  outside  of  the 
business. 

Declaring  this  week  that  the  fight  for 
federal  control  of  the  motion  picture  in- 
dustry has  "just  begun,"  Representative 
Pettengill  promises  that  "if  I  am  returned 
to  Congress,  the  bill  will  be  reintroduced." 

Mr.  PettengilPs  challenge  to  the  industry 
was  laid  down  in  a  "report"  on  the  history 
of  the  legislation  printed  in  the  Con- 
gressional Record  under  the  general  "leave 
to  print"  granted  members  of  the  House. 

Hearings  held  by  the  House  subcommittee 
of  which  he  was  chairman  ran  from  March 
9th  to  26th,  developing  testimony  which 
filled  a  volume  of  526  printed  pages. 

"Thereafter,"  he  continued,  "the  subcom- 
mittee went  into  executive  sessions  on  the 
bill  and  reported  it  favorably  to  the  full 
committee,  with  the  exception  that  the  para- 
graph on  blind  selling  was  not  recom- 
mended." 

Wants  Blind  Selling  Barred 

"A  majority  of  the  subcommittee,"  Mr. 
Pettengill  now  explains,  "felt  that  with  block 
booking  prohibited,  so  that  exhibitors  would 
not  be  compelled  to  buy  films  in  a  block  be- 
fore they  were  produced,  the  paragraph  on 
blind  selling  could  be  omitted  on  the  theory 
that  exhibitors  would  then  have  an  oppor- 
tunity, in  many  instances,  to  see  a  preview 
of  films  before  becoming  bound  to  produce 
them. 

"I  did  not  favor  the  elimination  of  the 
blind-selling  feature.  I  am  simply  reporting 
what  the  majority  did. 

"This  brought  the  bill  before  the  full  com- 
mittee. I  made  an  earnest  effort  to  have 
them  report  it  favorably.  The  opposition 
toward  its  consideration  at  this  Congress 
was,  however,  too  great." 

Parallel  Case  in  Senate 

A  somewhat  similar  report,  he  said,  could 
be  made  about  the  Neely  bill  in  the  Senate. 
"There  also  a  subcommittee  was  named 
which  considered  hearings.  The  subcommit- 
tee reported  it  favorably  to  the  full  com- 
mittee, and  I  am  informed  the  full  com- 
mittee reported  it  favorably  to  the  Senate. 
This  gave  us  ground  to  hope  the  Senate 
would  pass  the  bill  and  get  it  over  to  the 
House,  but  in  the  rush  of  closing,  it,  with 
many  other  important  bills — for  example, 


EARTHQUAKE  SEQUENCE 
CALLED  LIBEL  ON  CITY 

San  Francisco  is  libelled  in  the 
earthquake  scenes  from  the  produc- 
tion "San  Francisco"  according  to  a 
member  of  the  city's  legislature,  who 
proposed  a  formal  resolution  asking 
Will  H.  Hays  to  delete  the  offending 
sequences.  His  motion  was  laughed 
down  by  his  fellow-legislators  but  a 
resolution  was  passed  authorizing  a 
member  of  the  body  to  "officially  view 
and  report  on  the  picture." 


the  pure  food  and  drugs  bill — failed  of  en- 
actment. 

"I  wish  a  better  report  could  be  made. 
However,  the  resistance  to  the  bill  was 
formidable.  It  might  be  said  also  that  im- 
portant legislation  seldom  is  enacted  the  first 
session  it  is  introduced. 

"If  I  am  returned  to  Congress,  the  bill 
will  be  reintroduced.  The  battle  will  go  on. 
The  matter  of  better  movies  and  community 
freedom  of  choice  is  too  important  to  be 
lost  in  the  first  engagement. 

"  'We  will  fight  this  out  on  this  line  if  it 
takes  all  summer.'  " 

Commends  Support 

Paying  tribute  to  the  civic  organizations 
and  others  who  supported  him,  and  specify- 
ing particularly  Abram  F.  Myers,  H.  A. 
Cole,  Sidney  Samuelson  and  H.  M.  Richey, 
of  Allied  States,  and  E.  L.  Kuykendall,  of 
the  MPTOA,  the  Indiana  Congressman  de- 
clared that  much  good  has  already  come  of 
the  effort.  [Editor's  Note:  Edward  L. 
Kuykendall  appeared  as  a  witness  on  the 
producers'-distributors'  side,  which  opposed 
enactment  of  the  bill.] 

Mr.  Kuykendall,  he  pointed  out,  "did  not 
defend  block  booking  or  the  evils  which  have 
grown  up  under  it,  but  felt  that  the  remedy 
was  a  more  liberal  cancellation  clause."  In 
fact,  he  revealed,  while  the  bill  was  under 
consideration  many  conferences  took  place 
within  the  industry  looking  toward  ways  and 
means  to  meet  the  evils  which  the  bill  seeks 
to  cure. 

"Disappointing  as  is  the  situation  to  my- 
self and  the  splendid  men  and  women  who 
gave  their  time,  their  efforts  and  their  means 
to  this  struggle,  we  can,  nevertheless,  take 
comfort  in  two  things,"  Mr.  Pettengill  said. 
"First,  we  did  our  duty  by  our  country  and 
our  children  as  we  saw  it;  and,  second,  the 
mere  introduction  of  the  bill  and  the  battle 
that  was  made  for  it  has  unquestionably  had 
a  good  effect  on  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try. That  is  apparent  from  common  ob- 
servation ;  and,  second,  it  is  testified  to  in 
private  conversation  by  men  prominent  in 
the  industry — -even  among  those  who  fought 
the  bill's  passage.  The  proprieties  forbid 
me  to  state  names,  but  this  is  the  fact." 

"The  motion  picture  industry  is  not  unlike 
many  others,"  he  commented.  "There  are 
men  in  it  who  may  not  wish  any  supervision 


Report  on  History  of  Block  Sales 
Fight  Says  Promises  of  Self- 
Regulation  Are  "Frail  Reed" 
But  Recognizes  Improvement 

or  regulation  by  government,  yet  are  fully 
aware  of  the  men  and  practices  which  have 
given  it  a  bad  name  and  themselves  wish 
to  see  improvement  in  the  conditions  under 
which  films  are  produced  and  marketed. 

"The  struggle  for  the  enactment  of  the 
Pettengill-Neely  bill  has  strengthened  the 
hands  of  those  in  the  industry  as  well  as 
those  outside  it  who  recognize  that  it  cannot 
defy  public  opinion  and  succeed. 

"  'Say  not  the  struggle  naught  availeth.' 
It  has  already  accomplished  much  good.  The 
history  of  the  movies,  however,  is  that  prom- 
ises of  self-regulation  are  a  frail  reed  to  rely 
upon." 

Stapel  Is  Renamed 
Leader  of  KMTO 

The  Kansas-Missouri  Theatre  Owners 
Association  at  Kansas  City  has  elected  John 
Stapel  of  Rockport,  Mo.,  president  for  an- 
other year  and  all  other  officers  have  been 
returned,  including  E.  B.  Danielson,  Rus- 
sell, Kan.,  vice-president;  R.  R.  Biechele, 
Kansas  City,  secretary-treasurer,  and  the 
following  directors :  Frank  Cassil,  Tom  Ed- 
wards, George  Hartmann,  Emanuel  Rolsky 
and  Clarence  Schultz. 

Resolutions  denouncing  radio  appearances 
of  screen  stars  were  passed,  one  of  which 
called  upon  exhibitors  everywhere  to  pro- 
test to  the  studios  by  wire  and  letter  imme- 
diately against  the  practice,  which,  it  was 
resolved,  "kills  their  popularity,  destroys 
their  prestige  and  cheapens  themselves." 

In  New  York,  film  buying  for  next  sea- 
son's product  will  be  the  topic  of  discus- 
sion at  the  Independent  Theatre  Owners' 
Association  board  of  directors  meeting  this 
week.  Although  complaints  have  been  reg- 
istered within  the  organization  of  alleged 
malpractices  by  distributors,  a  committee 
appointed  some  time  ago  to  take  the  matter 
to  Washington  has  not  yet  done  anything 
about  it. 

In  Boston,  members  of  Independent  Ex- 
hibitors, Inc.,  New  England  Allied  unit,  are 
being  urged  by  mail  to  communicate  with 
the  secretary  regarding  any  problems  which 
can  be  remedied  by  legal  action. 

The  roadshowing  of  films  by  United 
Artists  in  towns  where  exhibitors  have  not 
yet  purchased  them  has  been  condemned  in 
resolutions  passed  by  the  Theatre  Owners 
and  Managers  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Re- 
gion, Inc. 


Forum  Has  Conference 

The  Hollywood  Motion  Picture  Forum  is 
conducting  a  three-day  conference  at  the 
Bell  &  Howell  studios. 


July     II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


67 


CITES  POTENTIAL  MORAL  INFLUENCE 


{Continued  from  page  15) 

which  have  neither  the  capacity  nor  the  desire 
to  make  the  efforts  necessary  for  the  abstrac- 
tion or  deductive  reasoning,  are  captivated  by 
the  cinema.  In  place  of  the  efforts  which  read- 
ing or  listening  demand,  there  is  the  continued 
pleasure  of  a  succession  of  concrete  and,  so  to 
speak,  living  pictures. 

This  power  is  still  greater  in  the  talking 
picture  for  the  reason  that  the  interpretation 
becomes  even  easier  and  the  charm  of  music  is 
added  to  the  action  and  drama.  The  dances  and 
variety  acts  which  sometimes  are  introduced 
between  films  serve  to  increase  the  stimulation 
of  the  pageant. 

Since,  then,  the  cinema  is  in  reality  an  object 
lesson  which,  for  good  or  evil,  teaches  the 
majority  of  men  more  effectively  than  by  ab- 
stract reasoning,  it  must  be  elevated  to  con- 
formity with  the  aims  of  the  Christian  con- 
science and  saved  from  depraving  or  demoral- 
izing effects. 

Everyone  knows  what  damage  is  done  to  the 
soul  by  bad  motion  pictures.  They  are  oc- 
casions of  sin ;  they  seduce  young  people  along 
the  ways  of  evil  by  glorifying  the  passions ; 
they  show  life  under  a  false  light,  they  cloud 
ideals,  they  destroy  pure  love,  respect  for  mar- 
riage and  affection  for  the  family.  They  are 
capable  also  of  creating  prejudices  among  in- 
dividuals, misunderstandings  among  nations, 
among  social  classes  and  among  entire  races. 

On  the  other  hand,  good  motion  pictures  are 
capable  of  exercising  a  profoundly  moral  influ- 
ence upon  those  who  see  them.  In  addition  to 
affording  recreation,  they  are  able  to  arouse 
noble  ideals  of  life,  to  communicate  valuable 
conceptions,  to  impart  better  knowledge  of  the 
history  and  beauties  of  the  fatherland  and 
other  countries,  to  present  truth  and  virtue 
under  attractive  forms,  to  create  at  least  the 
flavor  of  understanding  among  nations,  social 
classes  and  races ;  to  champion  the  cause  of 
justice,  to  give  new  life  to  the  claims  of  virtue 
and  to  contribute  positively  to  the  genesis  of  a 
just  social  order  in  the  world. 

These  considerations  take  on  greater  serious- 
ness from  the  fact  the  cinema  speaks  not  to 
individuals  but  to  multitudes,  and  does  so  in 
circumstances,  time,  place  and  surroundings 
which  are  the  most  likely  to  arouse  unusual  en- 
thusiasm for  good  as  well  as  for  bad  and  to 
conduct  that  collective  exultation  which,  as 
experience  teaches  us,  may  assume  the  most 
morbid  form. 

At  Center  of  Popular  Life 

A  motion  picture  is  viewed  by  people  who 
are  seated  in  a  dark  theatre  and  whose  faculties, 
mental,  physical  and  often  spiritual,  are  re- 
laxed. One  does  not  need  to  go  far  in  search 
of  these  theatres ;  they  are  close  to  home,  to 
church,  to  school,  and  they  thus  bring  the 
cinema  to  the  very  center  of  popular  life. 

Moreover,  the  acting  of  the  plot  is  done  by 
men  and  women  selected  for  their  art,  for  all 
those  natural  gifts,  and  for  the  employment  of 
those  expedients  which  can  become,  for  youth 
particularly,  the  instruments  of  seduction. 
Further,  the  motion  picture  has  enlisted  in  its 
service  luxurious  appointments,  pleasing  music, 
the  vigor  of  realism  and  every  form  of  whim 
and  fancy.  For  this  very  reason  it  attracts  and 
fascinates  particularly  the  young,  adolescent  or 
even  the  child. 

Thus,  at  the  very  age  when  moral  sense  is 
being  formed,  when  notions  and  sentiments  of 
justice  and  rectitude,  or  duty,  obligations  and 
ideals  of  life  are  being  developed,  the  motion 
picture  with  its  direct  propaganda  assumes  a 
position  of  commanding  influence. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  in  the  present  state  of 
affairs  this  influence  is  frequently  exerted  for 
evil.    So  much  so  that  when  one  thinks  of  the 


"In  particular  you,  venerable 
brethren  of  the  United  States, 
will  be  able  to  insist  with  jus- 
tice that  the  industry  in  your 
country  has  recognized  and  ac- 
cepted its  responsibility  before 
society." 

— Pope  Pius  XI 


havoc  wrought  in  the  souls  of  youth  and  child- 
hood, of  the  loss  of  innocence  so  often  suffered 
in  motion  picture  theatres,  there  comes  to  mind 
the  terrible  condemnation  pronounced  by  our 
Lord  upon  the  corrupters  of  little  ones :  "Who- 
soever shall  scandalize  one  of  these  little  ones 
who  believe  in  Me,  it  were  better  for  him  that 
a  millstone  be  hanged  about  his  neck  and  he  be 
drowned  in  the  depths  of  the  sea." 

Urges  Use  for  Education 

It  is  therefore  one  of  the  supreme  necessities 
of  our  time  to  watch  and  to  labor  to  the  end 
that  the  motion  picture  be  no  longer  a  school 
of  corruption  but  that  it  be  transformed  into  an 
effectual  instrument  for  the  education  and  ele- 
vation of  mankind. 

And  here  we  record  with  pleasure  that  cer- 
tain governments  in  their  anxiety  over  the  in- 
fluence exercised  by  the  cinema  in  the  moral 
and  educational  fields  have  with  the  aid  of 
upright  and  honest  persons,  especially  fathers, 
mothers  and  families,  set  up  reviewing  com- 
missions and  constituted  other  agencies  which 
have  to  do  with  motion  picture  production  in 
an  effort  to  direct  cinema  for  inspiration  to 
national  works  of  great  poets  and  writers. 

It  was  most  fitting  and  desirable  that  you 
venerable  brethren  should  have  exercised  a  spe- 
cial watchfulness  over  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try which  your  country  so  highly  developed 
and  which  is  a  great  influence  in  other  quarters 
of  the  globe.  It  is  equally  the  duty  of  bishops 


"It  admits  of  no  discussion 
that  the  motion  picture  has 
achieved  in  these  last  years  a 
position  of  universal  importance 
among  modern  means  of  diver- 
sion. 

"There  is  no  need  to  point 
out  the  fact  that  millions  of 
people  go  to  motion  pictures 
every  day;  that  motion  picture 
theatres  are  being  opened  in 
ever-increasing  numbers  in  civ- 
ilized and  semi-civilized  coun- 
tries; that  the  motion  picture 
has  become  the  most  popular 
form  of  diversion  which  is 
offered  for  the  leisure  moments 
not  only  of  the  rich  but  of  all 
classes  of  society." 

— Excerpt  from  the 

papal  encyclical 


of  the  entire  Catholic  world  to  unite  in  vigilance 
over  this  universal  and  potent  form  of  enter- 
tainment and  instruction,  to  the  end  that  they 
may  be  able  to  place  a  ban  on  bad  motion  pic- 
tures because  they  are  an  offense  to  moral  and 
religious  sentiment  and  because  they  are  in 
opposition  to  Christian  spirit  and  to  its  ethical 
principles. 

There  must  be  no  weariness  in  combating 
whatever  contributes  to  lessening  the  people's 
sense  of  decency  and  honor. 

This  is  the  obligation  which  binds  not  only 
bishops,  but  also  the  faithful,  and  all  decent 
men  who  are  solicitous  for  the  decorum  and 
moral  health  of  the  family,  nation  and  human 
society  in  general. 

In  what,  then,  must  this  vigilance  consist? 

The  problem  of  the  production  of  moral 
films  would  be  solved  radically  if  it  were  pos- 
sible for  us  to  have  the  production  wholly  in- 
spired by  the  principles  of  Christian  morality. 
We  can  never  sufficiently  praise  all  those  who 
have  dedicated  themselves,  or  who  are  to  dedi- 
cate themselves,  to  the  noble  cause  of  raising 
the  standard  of  the  motion  picture  to  meet  the 
needs  of  education  and  the  requirements  of 
Christian  conscience. 

For  this  purpose  they  must  make  full  use 
of  the  technical  ability  of  experts  and  not  per- 
mit the  waste  of  effort  and  money  by  the  em- 
ployment of  amateurs. 

But  since  we  know  how  difficult  it  is  to  or- 
ganize such  an  industry,  especially  because  of 
considerations  of  a  financial  nature,  and  since 
on  the  other  hand  it  is  necessary  to  influence 
the  production  of  all  films  so  they  may  contain 
nothing  harmful  from  the  religious,  moral  or 
social  viewpoint,  pastors  of  souls  must  exercise 
their  vigilance  over  films  wherever  they  may 
be  produced  or  offered  to  Christian  peoples. 

Appeal  to  Industry's  Personnel 

As  to  the  motion  picture  industry  itself,  we 
exhort  bishops  of  all  countries,  but  in  particu- 
lar you,  venerable  brethren,  to  address  your  ap- 
peal to  those  Catholics  who  hold  important 
positions  in  this  industry.  Let  them  take  serious 
thought  of  their  duties  and  the  responsibility 
which  they  have  as  children  of  the  church  to 
use  their  influence  and  authority  for  the  promo- 
tion of  the  principles  of  sound  morality  in  the 
films  which  they  produce  or  aid  in  producing. 

The  number  of  Catholics  who  are  executors, 
directors,  authors  or  actors  is  not  inconsiderable 
and  it  is  unfortunate  their  influence  has  not 
always  been  in  accordance  with  their  faith  and 
their  ideals.  You  will  do  well,  venerable  breth- 
ren, to  pledge  them  to  bring  their  profession 
into  harmony  with  their  conscience  as  respect- 
able men  and  followers  of  Jesus  Christ. 

In  this  as  in  every  other  field,  apostolate  pas- 
tors of  souls  will  surely  find  the  best  collabora- 
tors in  those  who  fight  in  the  ranks  of  Catholic 
action,  and  in  this  letter  we  cannot  refrain  from 
addressing  to  them  a  warm  appeal  that  they 
give  this  cause  their  full  contribution  and  their 
unwearying  and  unfailing  activity. 

From  time  to  time,  bishops  will  do  well  to 
recall  to  the  motion  picture  industry  that  amid 
the  cares  of  their  pastoral  ministry  they  are 
under  obligation  to  interest  themselves  in  every 
form  of  decent  and  healthy  recreation  because 
they  are  responsible  before  God  for  the  moral 
welfare  of  their  people,  even  during  their  leisure. 

Their  sacred  calling  constrains  them  to  pro- 
claim clearly  and  openly  that  unhealthy  and  im- 
pure entertainment  destroys  the  moral  fiber  of 
the  nation.  They  will  likewise  remind  the  mo- 
tion picture  industry  that  the  demands  they 
make  regard  not  only  Catholics,  but  all  who 
patronize  the  cinema. 

In  particular,  you  venerable  brethren  of  the 
{Continued  on  following  page) 


68 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


REVIEW  OFFICE  FOR  EACH  COUNTRY 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 
United  States  will  be  able  to  insist  with  justice 
that  the  industry  in  your  country  has  recognized 
and  accepted  its  responsibility  before  society. 

The  bishops  of  the  whole  world  will  take  care 
to  make  clear  to  leaders  of  the  motion  picture 
industry  that  the  force  of  such  a  power  of  uni- 
versality as  the  cinema  can  be  directed  with 
great  utility  to  the  highest  ends  of  individual 
and  social  improvement.  Why,  indeed,  should 
there  be  a  question  of  merely  avoiding  evil? 
Why  should  the  motion  picture  simply  be  a 
means  of  diversion  and  light  relaxation  to  oc- 
cupy an  idle  hour?  With  its  magnificent  power, 
it  can  and  must  be  a  light  and  a  positive  guide 
to  what  is  good. 

Practical  Indications 

And  now,  in  view  of  the  gravity  of  the  sub- 
ject, we  consider  it  timely  to  come  down  to  cer- 
tain practical  indications. 

Above  all,  all  pastors  of  souls  will  undertake 
to  obtain  each  year  from  their  people  a  pledge 
similar  to  the  one  already  alluded  to,  which  was 
given  by  their  American  brothers  in  which  they 
promised  to  stay  away  from  motion-picture 
plays  which  were  offensive  to  truth  and  Chris- 
tian morality. 

The  most  efficacious  manner  of  obtaining 
these  pledges  and  promises  will  be  through  the 
parish  church  or  school  by  enlisting  the  earnest 
cooperation  of  all  fathers  and  mothers  of  fami- 
lies who  are  conscious  of  their  grave  responsi- 
bility. 

The  bishops  will  also  be  able  to  avail  them- 
selves of  the  Catholic  press  for  the  purpose  of 
bringing  home  to  the  people  the  moral  duty  and 
effectiveness  of  this  promise. 

The  fulfillment  of  this  pledge  supposes  that 
the  people  will  be  made  clearly  aware  which 
films  are  permitted  to  all,  which  are  permitted 
with  reservations  and  which  are  harmful  or 
positively  bad.  This  requires  prompt,  regular 
and  frequent  publication  of  classified  lists  of 
motion  picture  plays  so  as  to  make  the  informa- 
tion readily  accessible  to  all.  Special  bulletins 
or  other  timely  publications  such  as  the  daily 
Catholic  press  may  be  used  for  this  purpose. 

Review  Office  for  Each  Country 

Were  it  possible,  it  would  in  itself  be  desira- 
ble to  establish  a  single  list  for  the  entire  world, 
because  all  live  under  the  same  moral  laws. 
Since,  however,  there  is  here  a  question  of  pic- 
tures which  interest  all  classes  of  society,  the 
great  and  the  humble,  the  learned  and  the  un- 
lettered, the  judgment  passed  upon  the  film  can- 
not be  the  same  in  each  case  in  all  respects. 

Indeed,  circumstances,  usages  and  forms  vary 
from  country  to  country,  so  it  does  not  seem 
practical  to  have  a  single  list  for  all  the  world. 
If,  however,  films  were  classified  in  each  coun- 
try in  the  manner  indicated  above,  the  resultant 
list  would  offer  in  principle  the  guidance  needed. 

Therefore,  it  will  be  necessary  that  in  each 
country  the  bishops  set  up  a  permanent  national 
reviewing  office  in  order  to  be  able  to  promote 
good  motion  pictures,  classify  others  and  bring 
this  judgment  to  the  knowledge  of  the  priests 
and  the  faithful.  It  will  be  very  proper  to 
intrust  this  agency  to  the  central  organization 
of  the  Catholic  action  which  is  dependent  on 
the  bishops.  At  all  events  it  must  clearly  be 
laid  down  that  this  service  of  information,  in 
order  to  function  organically  and  with  efficiency, 
must  be  on  a  national  basis,  that  is,  it  must  be 
carried  on  by  a  single  central  responsibility. 

Should  grave  reasons  really  require  it,  their 
excellencies,  the  bishops,  in  their  own  dioceses 
through  their  diocesan  reviewing  committees 
will  be  able  to  apply  to  a  national  list — which 
must  use  standards  adaptable  to  the  whole  na- 
tion— such  severer  criterions  as  may  be  de- 


"The  directors  of  the  industry 
in  the  United  States  recognized 
this  fact  themselves  when  they 
confessed  that  the  responsi- 
bility before  the  people  and 
the  world  was  their  very  own. 
In  the  agreement  entered  into 
by  common  accord  March  30, 
solemnly  sealed,  signed  and 
published  in  the  press,  they 
formally  pledged  themselves  to 
safeguard  in  the  future  the 
moral  welfare  of  patrons  of  the 
cinema. 

"It  is  promised  in  this  agree- 
ment that  no  film  which  lowers 
the  moral  standard  of  specta- 
tors, which  casts  discredit  on 
natural  or  human  law  or  arouses 
sympathy  for  their  violation  will 
be  produced." 
— From  the  encyclical  of 
Pope  Pius  XI 


manded  by  the  character  of  the  region.  They 
may  even  censor  films  which  are  admitted  to 
the  general  list. 

The  above  mentioned  office  likewise  will  look 
after  organization  of  the  existing  motion  picture 
theatres  belonging  to  parish  Catholic  associa- 
tions so  they  may  be  guaranteed  reviewed  ap- 
proval of  films.  Through  organization  of  these 
halls,  which  often  represent  a  considerable  cli- 
entele for  the  industry,  it  will  be  possible  to 
advance  a  new  demand,  namely,  that  the  indus- 
try produce  motion  pictures  which  correspond 
entirely  to  our  principles.  Such  films  then  may 
readily  be  shown  not  only  in  Catholic  halls  but 
also  in  others. 

We  realize  the  establishment  of  such  an  office 
will  involve  a  certain  sacrifice,  a  certain  ex- 
pense for  Catholics  of  the  various  countries. 
Yet  the  great  importance  of  the  motion  picture, 
the  necessity  of  safeguarding  the  morality  of 
Christian  people  and  the  entire  nation  makes 
this  sacrifice  more  than  justified.  Indeed,  the 
effectiveness  of  our  schools,  of  our  Catholic 
associations  and  even  of  our  churches  is  lessened 
and  endangered  by  the  plague  of  evil  and  per- 
nicious motion  pictures. 

Supervision  Provided 

The  office  force  must  be  composed  of  persons 
who  are  familiar  with  the  technique  of  the 
motion  picture  and  who  at  the  same  time  are 
well  grounded  in  the  principles  of  Catholic 
morality  and  doctrines.  They  must  in  addition 
be  under  the  guidance  and  direct  supervision  of 
a  priest  chosen  by  the  bishop. 

Opportune  understandings  for  the  exchange 
of  that  information  among  offices  of  the  various 
countries  will  conduce  to  greater  efficiency  and 
harmony  in  the  work  of  reviewing  films  while 
due  consideration  will  be  given  to  varying  con- 
ditions and  circumstances. 

It  will  thus  be  possible  to  achieve  unity  of 
outlook  in  the  judgments  and  communications 
appearing  in  the  Catholic  press  of  the  world. 

These  offices  will  profit  not  only  by  the  ex- 


periments made  in  the  United  States  but  also 
by  the  accomplishments  of  Catholics  of  other 
countries  in  the  motion  picture  field. 

Even  if  employees  of  the  office — with  the  best 
good  will  and  intentions — should  make  an  oc- 
casional mistake,  as  happens  in  all  human 
affairs,  the  bishops  in  their  pastoral  prudence 
will  know  how  to  apply  effective  remedies  to 
safeguard  in  every  possible  way  the  authority 
and  prestige  of  the  office  itself.  This  may  be 
done  by  strengthening  the  staff  with  more  in- 
fluential men  or  by  replacing  those  who  have 
shown  themselves  less  capable  of  performing 
their  delicate  duties. 

International  Force  for  Ideals 

If  the  bishops  of  the  world  assume  their  share 
in  the  exercise  of  this  painstaking  vigilance  over 
the  motion  picture — and  of  this  we,  who  know 
their  pastoral  zeal,  have  no  doubt — they  will 
certainly  accomplish  a  great  work  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  morality  of  their  people  during 
their  moments  of  leisure  and  recreation. 

They  will  win  the  approbation  and  approval 
of  all  right-thinking  men,  Catholic  and  non- 
Catholic,  and  they  will  help  assure  that  this 
great  international  force — the  motion  picture — 
shall  be  directed  toward  the  noble  end  of  pro- 
moting the  highest  ideals  and  the  truest  stand- 
ard of  life. 

That  these  desires  which  well  in  our  paternal 
heart  may  be  realized  we  employ  the  help  of  the 
grace  of  God,  and  in  pledge  thereof  we  impart 
to  you,  venerable  brethren,  and  to  the  clergy 
and  the  people  intrusted  to  you,  our  affectionate 
and  apostolic  benediction. 


Legion  of  Decency 
Lists  14  Pictures 

Of  14  new  pictures  reviewed  and  classi- 
fied by  the  National  Legion  of  Decency  in 
its  list  for  the  current  week,  11  were  listed 
as  unobjectionable  for  general  patronage 
and  three  as  unobjectionable  for  adults.  The 
new  pictures  and  their  classifications,  follow. 

Class  A-l,  "Unobjectionable  for  General 
Patronage":  "Die  Csardasfuertin,"  "Easy 
Money,"  "High  Tension,"  "Ich  und  die 
Kaiserin,"  "The  Lion's  Den,"  "Public 
Enemy's  Wife,"  "The  Return  of  Sophie 
Lang,"  "Ticket  to  Paradise,"  "Wellington 
Pike  Goes  West,"  "We  Went  to  College," 
"White  Fang."  Class  A-2,  "Unobjectionable 
for  Adults":  "Anthony  Adverse,"  "The 
Crime  of  JDr.  Forbes,"  "Leichte  Kavallerie." 


William  Lyon  Phelps 
Attacks  "Pastures"  Ban 

William  Lyon  Phelps,  professor  emeritus 
of  English  literature  at  Yale  University  and 
considered  an  authority  on  the  drama,  has 
joined  in  the  protest  against  the  banning  of 
the  Warner  picture,  "The  Green  Pastures," 
in  Quebec  on  the  alleged  ground  that  it  is 
"sacrilegious." 


Better  Film  Heads  Named 

Chairmen  for  the  Wilmington,  Del.,  Bet- 
ter Films  Council  for  the  coming  year  are: 
Mrs.  Edmund  M.  Barsham,  in  charge  of  con- 
tact with  exhibitors  and  production  com- 
panies; Mrs.  E.  T.  Higgins,  in  charge  of 
Catholic  groups;  Mrs.  Ernest  R.  Caro,  in 
charge  of  membership ;  Mrs.  D.  B.  Coxe, 
telephone  committee,  and  Mrs.  James  K. 
Stack,  recording  secretary. 


u  I  y 


I  I 


9  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


69 


Teatro  Al  Dia 
Is  Published  for 
Spanish  Owners 

The  first  issue  of  Teatro  Al  Dia,  the  new 
Quigley  Publication  in  Spanish,  for  all 
Spanish-speaking  countries,  appeared  this 
week,  further  internationalizing  the  mo- 
tion picture  publishing  enterprises  of  Mar- 
tin Quigley. 

Within  the  orange-colored  cover  which  is 
characteristic  of  the  Quigley  Publications 
are  some  84  pages  of  editorials,  articles, 
pictorial  displays  and  advertising  pertaining 
to  theatre  architecture,  theatre  technology 
and  equipment,  addressed  to  the  Spanish 
theatre  owners,  their  staffs  and  theatre 
technicians. 

Featured  among  the  new  Spanish  theatres 
described,  pictorially  and  otherwise,  is  the 
new  Almeda  theatre  in  Mexico  City.  New 
air-conditioned  equipment  and  processes 
are  explained  by  John  T.  Knight,  Jr.,  who 
conducts  the  equipment  and  operating  de- 
partments in  Better  Theatres,  the  companion 
publication  to  Teatro  Al  Dia,  published  in 
English  nearly  a  decade  and  a  half  by 
Quigley  Publications. 

There  is  an  equipment  index  in  the  form 
of  a  directory  of  American  sources  of  the- 
atre equipment  manufacturing,  and  a  release 
chart  listing  American  pictures  that  are 
suitable  for  the  Spanish  speaking  countries. 

Created  in  the  same  standard  size  as 
Quigley  Publications'  Motion  Picture 
Herald  and  Better  Theatres,  the  new  Tea- 
tro Al  Dia  is  fabricated  in  the  same  format 
as  Better  Theatres. 

The  new  export  publication,  while  devoted 
primarily  to  maintenance  of  equipment  and 
construction  of  motion  picture  theatres, 
will  also  appeal  editorially  to  kindred  phases 
of  the  motion  picture  in  the  Latin  American 
countries,  and  elsewhere  where  Spanish  is 
spoken  predominantly.  Its  creation  came 
only  after  an  extensive  survey  was  made 
among  exhibitors  in  the  Spanish  countries, 
and  among  theatre  supply  dealers,  motion 
picture  producers  and  importers  and  ex- 
porters. 

Harry  Rubin,  in  charge  of  projection  for 
the  Paramount  theatre  circuit,  is  another 
contributor  in  the  first  issue,  writing  exten- 
sively on  the  advantages  of  certain  new 
styles  of  carbons  and  lamps  over  old  styles, 
and  telling  how  the  new  developments  in 
this  branch  of  operations  has  contributed 
greatly  towards  the  betterment  of  projection 
for  sound  motion  picture  theatres.  An 
article  on  acoustics,  written  by  C.  C.  Pot- 
win  and  S.  K.  Woolf,  both  of  Electrical 
Research  Products,  Inc.,  describes  how  the- 
atres hampered  by  improper  acoustics  can 
remedy  their  troublesome  situation  by  ap- 
plying the  latest  scientific  processes  to  the 
present  constructed  theatre. 

An  article  on  trouble-shooting  in  the  pro- 
jection booth,  and  how  to  better  obtain  the 
required  results  in  the  projection  of  sound 
films  was  written  by  O.  C.  Schirmer,  of 
Audio  Equipment.  There  are  several  edi- 
torials on  maintenance  and  remodeling, 
enabling  the  Latin  exhibitor  to  better  plan 
his  purchases  in  theatre  equipment  ware  as 
well  as  to  deal  with  reliable  sources  for 
necessary  equipment. 

Originally  Teatro  Al  Dia  was  intended  to 


be  a  semi-annual  publication,  but  due  to 
the  unusually  cordial  reception  accorded  the 
announcement,  it  was  decided  to  issue 
Teatro  Al  Dia  quarterly  beginning  with  the 
July  issue. 

The  first  issue  includes  eighty  advertisers 
representing  more  than  thirty  pages  of  mer- 
chandising messages.  Among  the  important 
manufacturers  and  motion  picture  film  con- 
cerns represented  are : 

Artcraft     Sign     Co.,     International  Projec- 

The  tor  Corp. 

C.  C.  Ashcraft  Manu-     Kliegl  Bros. 

facturing  Co.  Ferdinand  V.  Lupor- 

Automatic  Coil  Win-        ini,  Inc. 

der     &     Electrical     Ernest  Mattsson 

Equipment  Co.,  Ltd.,     Modern    Film  Sales 

The  Corp. 
Brenkert  Light   Pro-     National  Theatre  Sup- 

jection  Co.  ply  Co. 

Cincinnati   Time  Re-     Neumade  Products 

corder  Co.  Corp. 
Dictograph    Products     RCA  Manufacturing 

Co.,  Inc.  Co.,   Inc.,  Division 

Andre  Debrie,  Inc.  International 
Eastman  Kodak  Co.        Strong  Electrical 
Thomas    A.    Edison,        Corp.,  The 

Inc.  U.  S.  Air  Condition- 

Capitol  Film  Co.,  Ltd.        ing  Corp. 
Guaranteed     Pictures     U.  S.  Gypsum  Co. 

Co.,  Inc.  York  Safe  &  Lock  Co. 

The  countries  in  which  Teatro  Al  Dia 
will  circulate  principally,  are : 
Argentina  Mexico 
Bolivia  Nicaragua 
Brazil  Panama 
Chile  Paraguay 
Colombia  Peru 
Costa  Rica  Portugal 
Cuba  Porto  Rico 

Dominican  Republic  Spain 
Ecuador  Uruguay 
El  Salvador  Venezuela 
Guatemala  Philippines 
Honduras 

Martin  Quigley  is  editor-in-chief ;  Pablo 
Colon  is  editor ;  Raymond  Gallo,  advertising 
manager,  and  Bob  Harrison  and  C.  B. 
O'Neill  are  eastern  and  western  advertising 
representatives,  respectively. 


Industry  Drive  Plans 
To  Be  Set  in  August 

Final  plans  for  a  campaign  by  advertising 
and  publicity  heads  of  the  film  industry  to 
offset  the  competition  of  fall  political  activi- 
ties are  to  be  decided  upon  in  Hollywood 
early  in  August.  Several  ideas  for  large- 
scale  exploitation  of  the  outstanding  new 
Hollywood  product  scheduled  for  release 
during  September  and  October  are  being 
studied  now  but  decisions  on  the  type  of 
industry-wide  campaign  to  be  employed  are 
not  expected  for  another  three  weeks.  Ad- 
vance indications  are  that  a  large  number 
of  outstanding  productions  will  be  released 
during  September  and  October  and  given 
unusual  exploitation  throughout  the  country. 


"Old  Kate,"  Famed  Actress, 
Dies  as  Match  Peddler 

Katherine  Lucille  Foote,  United  States 
born  actress,  died  in  London  this  week, 
having  spent  the  last  15  years  of  her  life 
selling  matches  for  pennies  on  London's 
Strand.  "Old  Kate,"  as  she  was  known  to 
London  theatre  patrons,  was  married  three 
times  and  three  times  she  gambled  away  the 
fortunes  left  her  by  her  husbands. 


Regional  Meetings 
Called  This  IV >ek 
By  United  Artists 

United  Artists  home  office  executives  and 
sales  force  members,  home  from  the  conven- 
tion in  Hollywood,  are  busy  this  weekend 
with  five  regional  sales  meetings  in  New- 
Orleans,  Boston,  New  York,  Cleveland  and 
San  Francisco. 

Harry  Gold  is  conducting  the  New  Or- 
leans session  at  which  salesmen  and  bookers 
from  Atlanta,  Charlotte,  Dallas  and  New 
Orleans  are  present. 

Haskell  Masters  is  scheduled  to  speak  to 
the  Boston,  New  Haven  and  Canadian  forces 
at  Boston  and  Charles  Stern  is  set  to  discuss 
the  new  lineup  with  the  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia, Washington  and  Buffalo  exchange 
personnel  in  New  York.  Bert  Stearn,  former 
Pittsburgh  manager,  recently  promoted  to 
division  head,  is  meeting  in  Cleveland  with 
the  Pittsburgh,  Cleveland,  Cincinnati  and 
Indianapolis  men,  and  L.  J.  Schlaifer  is  con- 
ducting the  meeting  of  coast  members  at  San 
Francisco. 

The  first  release  for  the  company  next 
season  will  be  "The  Last  of  the  Mohicans" 
some  time  in  August.  The  second  release 
will  be  "The  Man  Who  Performed  Mira- 
cles," which  is  being  completed  by  Alexander 
Korda. 


$481,944  Payment  Ord  ered 
In  Theatres  Equipment  Case 

The  chancery  court  at  Wilmington,  Del., 
has  ordered  payment  of  $481,944.78  for  ex- 
penses incurred  in  the  organization  of  Gen- 
eral Theatres  Equipment  Corporation 
which  evolved  from  the  receivership  of 
General  Theatres  Equipment,  Inc. 

Assets  of  the  old  company  recently  were 
sold  to  a  reorganization  committee  repre- 
senting a  group  of  debenture  holders  who 
organized  the  new  corporation.  All  parties 
interested  in  the  receivership  consented  to 
the  order  which  permits  the  new  corpora- 
tion to  make  payments.  The  largest  allow- 
ance goes  to  Bred,  Abbott  and  Morgan  of 
New  York,  counsel  for  the  reorganization 
committee,  who  were  allowed  $110,000  less 
$11,250  previously  paid. 


Radio  Licensees  Shown 
Television  Demonstration 

Licensees  of  the  Radio  Corporation  of 
America  witnessed  a  demonstration  of 
television  on  Wednesday  afternoon  in  Radio 
City,  New  York.  Pictures  of  RCA  officers, 
of  moving  trains  and  of  a  dance  ensemble 
were  among  the  features  shown  in  the  ex- 
hibition. Transmission  was  from  a  labora- 
tory in  the  Empire  State  Building.  The  225 
invited  guests  were  told  that  there  are  no 
plans  for  designing  commercial  sets  this  year. 


Maynard  Circus  Closed 

Ken  Maynard  has  closed  his  circus  for  the 
season  and  has  started  one-day  or  week-end 
dates  in  towns  near  Lincoln,  Neb. 


Copyright  Suit  Brought 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Distributing  Cor- 
poration has  been  made  a  party  defendant  in 
the  copyright  infringement  suit  of  Mar- 
garetta  Tuttle  who  charges  that  "Kingdoms 
of  the  World"  was  infringed  by  "The  Un- 
guarded Hour."  The  suit  was  brought  in 
United  States  district  court  in  Cincinnati. 


7C 

JV anger  IVill 
Produce  in  Italy 

Walter  Wanger  will  produce  from  one  to 
three  pictures  a  year  in  Cinema  City,  just 
outside  of  Rome,  Italy,  as  part  of  his  pro- 
gram for  United  Artists  starting  June  15 
next,  the  producer  said  this  week  on  his 
arrival  in  New  York  from  Europe.  All  pro- 
ductions will  be  made  with  All-American 
casts.  Mr.  Wanger  has  not  yet  decided 
whether  he  will  make  Italian  versions  of  the 
pictures.  The  first  picture  will  be  "Three 
Times  Loser,"  with  Sylvia  Sidney  and 
Henry  Fonda  and  either  Gregory  LaCava  or 
William  Howard  will  direct. 

Mr.  Wanger  said  he  looks  upon  produc- 
tion in  Italy  as  ideal  in  many  respects,  with 
the  climatic  conditions  good  and  the  his- 
toric cities  lending  themselves  easily  to  col- 
orful backgrounds.  The  producer  added 
that  while  in  Italy  he  had  an  audience  with 
Premier  Mussolini  who  is  anxious  to  revive 
film  production  to  a  top  position  in  Italy  as 
it  held  many  years  ago.  Special  tax  ar- 
rangements have  been  concluded  by  Wanger 
with  the  Italian  Government  whereby  pro- 
duction can  proceed  on  a  money  saving 
basis. 

United  Artists  and  Mr.  Wanger  himself 
will  finance  the  Italian  productions,  the  pro- 
ducer declared,  for  under  his  contract  with 
United  Artists  the  company  finances  50  per 
cent  of  his  pictures  and  he  puts  up  the  other 
half.  The  new  company  formed  in  Rome 
for  the  productions  is  Societe  Anonyme 
Companie  Cintematographie  Italiano  Walter 
Wanger,  with  Mr.  Wanger  as  president, 
Count  Parlo  de  Frasso,  vice-president,  Dr. 
A.  H.  Giannini  and  Lloyd  Wright,  direc- 
tors, and  Mario  Luprino,  general  manager. 

Mr.  Wanger  returns  to  Hollywood  late 
this  week  and  takes  with  him  Lillie  Zehner, 
Broadway  stage  star,  who  he  signed  to  a 
five-year  contract. 


Van  Beuren  -  Pathe 
Case  Before  Court 

A  report  by  a  special  arbitrator,  Theodore 
Kiendl,  on  the  Pathe  claim  against  the  Van 
Beuren  Corporation,  filed  in  the  New  York 
supreme  court  this  week,  held  that  Van 
Bueren  must  pay  $240,000  to  Pathe  as 
money  due  on  a  series  of  notes.  The  report 
also  held  that  under  an  agreement  made 
in  1924,  Pathe  was  not  required  to  advance 
money  to  Van  Beuren  in  order  to  extend 
the  maturity  dates  of  the  notes  which  were 
to  have  been  paid  up  on  December  31,  1935. 

The  arbitrator  also  reported  that  Pathe 
is  entitled  to  the  chattel  mortgage  which 
has  been  delivered  to  it  by  Van  Beuren. 
He  also  redelivered  to  Pathe  a  release  and 
cancellation  of  the  chattel  mortgage  cover- 
ing 1935-36  product. 

Dunphy  Joins  Paramount 
In  Publicity  Department 

Christopher  Dunphy,  new  director  of  ad- 
vertising and  publicity  for  the  Paramount 
studios  in  Hollywood,  has  reorganized  his 
department  into  two  divisions.  Cliff  Lewis 
heads  the  advertising  section  and  Terry  De- 
Lapp  is  in  charge  of  publicity.  Rufus  Blair 
will  head  the  staff  which  will  service  out-of- 
town  newspapers. 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


"BROADCAST"  TO  SHOW 
NEW  "VISUAL  MUSIC" 

"Visual  music,"  produced  by  means 
of  animated  geometrical  designs  illus- 
trating music  playing  on  a  sound 
track,  will  be  shown  in  the  Paramount 
picture,  "The  Big  Broadcast  of  1937." 

The  innovation  is  the  work  of  Oscar 
Fischinger,  who  has  been  experiment- 
ing with  the  novelty  in  Germany.  The 
inventor's  first  product  in  this  country 
is  included  in  the  forthcoming  picture. 

Spanish  Dialogue 
Films  Held  Vital 

The  steady  growth  of  the  Argentine  film 
industry,  and  the  enthusiastic  reception  ac- 
corded to  Argentine  and  Spanish  talking 
pictures  in  that  country,  are  factors  which 
doubtless  will  cause  the  American  film  in- 
dustry further  to  consider  presentation  of 
features  in  Spanish  dialogue,  according  to 
Assistant  Trade  Commissioner  Joe  D.  Wal- 
strom  in  Buenos  Aires. 

In  1935,  the  report  states,  three  or  four 
Argentine  production  companies  released  10 
featured  pictures.  This  year  the  number  of 
companies  has  increased  to  eight,  and  eight 
pictures  have  been  released  in  six  months. 
By  the.  end  of  the  year  the  total  is.  expected 
to  approach  25  and  observers  predict  that 
there  will  be  50  releases  from  national  com- 
panies in  1937. 

The  success  of  these  Argentine  and  Span- 
ish features  has  been  found  particularly  pro- 
nounced in  the  territory  outside  of  Buenos 
Aires,  where  a  relatively  large  portion  of  the 
audience  is  not  able  to  read.  It  is  not  un- 
usual for  such  pictures  to  earn  10  times  as 
much  as  an  average  American  film,  Mr. 
Walstrom  is  informed. 

Superimposed  titles  and  "dubbed  in" 
Spanish  dialogue  have  not  proved  successful, 
says  the  Government  representative. 

Cameramen  to  Receive 
$  1 00  Minimum  Under  Pact 

An  increase  in  minimum  salaries  from  $90 
to  $100,  a  40-hour  week  and  the  right  to  hire 
apprentice  cameramen  are  the  chief  pro- 
visions contained  in  a  new  two-year  pact 
signed  by  Local  644  and  the  newsreel  com- 
panies. The  agreement  went  into  effect  this 
week. 


Stevenson  Addressing  Institute 

Edward  F.  Stevenson,  for  many  years 
president  of  Visugraphic  Pictures,  will  speak 
at  the  annual  convention  of  the  Technical 
Advertisers  Institute  at  the  Buck  Falls  Club, 
in  Pennsylvania,  the  weekend  of  July  18th. 
Mr.  Stevenson  has  been  lecturing  for  many 
years  on  the  use  of  motion  pictures  in  edu- 
cation and  in  industry.  The  New  York 
branch  of  the  Institute  has  chartered  a 
special  train  to  the  convention. 


Universal  Gets  Contract 

A  contract  to  supply  features,  short  sub- 
jects and  newsreels  for  34  New  York  State 
institutions  and  agencies  has  been  awarded 
by  the  state  to  Universal  Pictures. 


July     II,  1936 

St.  Louis  Theatre 
Contracts  Ready 

Attorneys  for  Fanchon  and  Marco  and  for 
Warner  Brothers  were  scheduled  to  sign 
contracts  in  connection  with  the  St.  Louis 
theatre  and  product  deal  on  Friday.  Fanchon 
and  Marco  is  to  take  over  leases  on  the 
Orpheum,  Shubert-Rialto  and  Hi-Pointe  in 
addition  to  acquiring  Warners'  42  per  cent 
interest  in  the  St.  Louis  Amusement  Com- 
pany. 

F.  &  M.  is  planning  construction  of  seven 
new  theatres  in  the  city,  each  of  which  will 
seat  over  1,000.  Some  of  the  houses  will 
replace  obsolete  St.  Louis  Amusement  Com- 
pany buildings. 

The  United  States  district  court  in  St. 
Louis  has  dismissed  an  indictment  charging 
conspiracy  to  violate  the  Sherman  anti-trust 
law  against  Abel  Cary  Thomas,  former  sec- 
retary and  general  counsel  of  Warners,  who 
resigned  this  week.  The  charge  grew  out  of 
a  dispute  between  Warners  and  F.  &  M. 
over  the  furnishing  of  pictures  for  first-run 
exhibition  in  three  St.  Louis  theatres. 


Amendment  Requested 
In  Fox  Detroit  Claim 

An  amended  proof  of  claim  for  $4,437,366 
against  Fox  Theatres  Corporation  was  filed 
in  federal  court  in  New  York  this  week  by 
the  Union  Guardian  Trust  Company  of  De- 
troit as  trustee  of  the  first  mortgage  bonds 
of  the  Colwood  Company,  owner  of  the  Fox 
Theatre  Building  in  Detroit.  The  Colwood 
Company  leased  the  Fox  Theatre  Building 
to  Fox  Theatres  in  1931  and  the  lease  was 
broken  in  July,  1932,  it  was  stated.  The 
claim  covers  the  period  from  1932  to  the  end 
of  1936. 

Grand  National  Head 
To  Sign  New  Contracts 

Edward  L.  Alperson,  president  of  Grand 
National,  is  en  route  to  Hollywood  this 
weekend  with  Carl  Leserman,  general  sales 
manager,  to  conclude  agreements  now  being 
drawn  whereby  several  new  producers  will 
join  the  company. 


Adler  Named  to  City  Post 

Bert  Adler,  theatrical  press  agent  since 
1918,  has  been  appointed  Deputy  Commis- 
sioner of  Sanitation  for  •  New  York  City. 
Mr.  Adler  has  done  exploitation  work  for 
many  producers  and  for  many  years  con- 
ducted an  independent  publicity  agency 
which  served  the  major  producers  and  dis- 
tributors. 


Emanuel  Cohen  In  Hollywood 

Emanuel  Cohen  has  returned  to  Hollywood 
from  New  York  and  starts  his  first  picture 
for  Paramount  distribution  this  week  with 
Mae  West  starred.  His  deal  with  Paramount 
calls  for  eight  features  a  year. 


Sanforth  in  Manhattan 

Clifford  Sanforth,  who  just  completed  di- 
rection of  Imperial's  "I  Demand  Payment," 
has  arrived  in  New  York  from  Hollywood 
for  conferences  on  production  plans  for 
1936-37. 


ON  THE  STAGE! 


4s  Liberty  Magazine 


2,000,000  PEOPLE  paid  $5,000,000 

CITIES,  covering  39  STATES,  during  t 


A  Fable  by  Marc  Connelly,  Directed  by  Marc  Connelly  and  Wm.  Keighley 


to  see  1779  PERFORMANCES  in  203 


HE  PHENOMENAL  5YEAR  STAGE" RUN  OF 


-BUT  THAT'S  JUST  THE  START  OF  THE  RECORDS  IT'S 

MAKING  FOR  WARNER  BROS. 


f 


f 


STORY  OF  STIRRING  RESCUE  TOLD  IN  HIS  OWN  WORDS 


^  Pastures w 

-.         closes  a  »    tYie  Mil161 
"       --    '  ga6«»f * a  n0i»al- 

iv  plays  Pic^6.  ^itn  tTae  e      „  Qut 

0f  one  Pic,  Attraction  snow  of 
sroesed  any  attra       ugfct       £0t  rega- 
ttaV»  *o5#  ^eat ^xtapTct  is  a 
People  ttend  and  in        t£eatre  pW- 
laxly  a^®  asset  to  any  »    ^at  any 
i  \    tremendous  as|ve  &  picture      ^  0*e 

^  ^1;  Ian  oe  pxoud  to  sno  faVGratoie 
1    manager  can       cQ  n0  enQ 

tnat  wi11  pl 

en  simple  sentences  UJ,,> 

-  and  another  great     COt^eiQ  .     ,3ft.V  UXg^^ 

/arner  Bros,  triumph  «r^i  tiBE   XOCLW»J  imtnCOLl— 

that  y°VS*ekL  BbowinS-  *n  neea  °* 
^^itors^^^lotioS  xiB^  bo. 


..says  famous  H.  E.  Jameysor 
of  Fox  Mid-West  Theatres 


BY  NOTED  KANSAS  SHOW! 


,*  nice  it  fo1  ftK?  i*  *°uld 
and  1  ^ll^dittely.  if*  part  of 

*^eX  Bros. |y  need  it. 

tree  no*  ^  me  t0 

mv««lcs  fox  P^^^aSement  in 
U^P^uxe  a^eet  engag  ^ 

*x  Sincexely* 


(AJt  t&trnCttcr 


TULSA 


Nice  country  out  Tulsa  way,  es- 
pe c\ ally  its  wonderful  'Pastures1 


WORLD  PREMIERE  ■ 
THE  GREEN  PASTURES 


Ritz  Theatre 
Tulsa,  Okla. 


And  this ,  qentlemen . 
is  the  historic  site  where 
a  few  weeks  aqo  THE 

CREEK  PA5TURE5 'plaited 
to  *.«  bi-qest  basine* 
since  Cold  Diqqers  of  1933 ! 


Extended  time!  Lobby  holdouts! 
Records  broken  daily!  — test 
No.  2  is  proof  No.  2  that  it's  a 
100  per -cent  solid -gold  SMASH! 


STOP  HERE  IF  YOU'RE 
CONVINCED  --IF  NOT 


what  would  you  do  to  get  your  share  of  the  tremendous  Centen- 
nial entertainment  money?  You'd  look  for  the  biggest  show  on 
the  market  today  and  grab  it!  That's  what  they  did — and  that's 
why  'The  Green  Pastures'  starts  its  Texas  clean-up  July  10th! 


lYte  boys  ore  u*: 

c  w'«  >nQ  THIS 

..So  we  resv^o 

orders  for  tL>,  " 

fS.t* 


★SPECIALLY  REDUCED  ACCES- 
SORY PRICES  MAKE  IT  EASY  TO 

POST!  POST!  POST! 


OH,  BOY,  WHAT  A 
SHOW!— AND  WHAT  A 
WAY  TO  SHOW  'EM!... 
— See  the  pressbook 
(en  route)  for  45  big 
ad  ideas  in  a  range  of 
special  shapes  and  sizes 
never  offered  before! 


ONE  SHEETS 

1  to  JO  15c  ea. 

11  to  25  13c  ea. 

26  to  50  11c  ea. 

51  &  over   9c  ea. 

TWO  SHEETS 

1  to  10  30c  ea. 

11  to  25    26c  ea. 

26  to  50  22c  ea. 

51  &  over  18c  ea. 

THREE  SHEETS 

1  to  10  40c  ea. 

11  to  25    36c  ea. 

26  to  50  32c 

51  &  over  28c  ea. 

THREE  SHEET  STREAMER 

1  to  10  40c  ea. 

11  to  25    36c  ea. 

26  to  50  32c  ea. 

51  4  over  28c  ea. 


SIX  SHEETS 

1  to    5  75c  ea. 

6  to  10  70c  ea. 

II  to  20   65c  ea. 

21  to  50   55c  ea. 

51  &  over  50c  ea. 


EIGHT  SHEETS 

1  to    5  85c  ea. 

6  to  10  80c  ea. 

11  to  20  75c  ea. 

21  &  over  65c  ea. 

14-SHEET  STREAMER 

1  to    5  $1.40  ea. 

6  to  10                            1.30  ea. 

11  &  over                         1.20  ea. 


24-SHEETS 

1  to    5  $2.00  ea. 

6  to  15   1.75  ea. 

16  &  over   1.50  ea. 


A  wow  of  a  TRAILER,  too! 

We're  almost  as  proud  of  it  as  we  are  of  the 
picturel  Get  it  started  early,  keep  it  going 
often  and  what  a  giant  of  a  job  it'll  do  I 


Give  thanks,  brothers! 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


83 


ASIDES  &  INTERLUDES 


By  JAMES  CUNNINGHAM 


THE  SEEMING  inevitability  of  two-feature 
programs  and  the  extent  of  conflicting  opinion 
on  their  desirability  has  led  Jerry  Baker,  a 
Fox  Midwest  Theatre  manager  in  Kansas  City, 
Kansas,  to  propose  what  he  considers  the  ideal 
arrangement  for  showing  double  bills — so  Senn 
Lawler  reports  in  "Contact,"  Fox  Midwest 
house  organ. 

In  effect,  Mr.  Baker  would  build  a  two- 
story  theatre,  or  remodel  all  present  single- 
floor  structures  to  utilize  balconies,  in  order  to 
show  his  two  features  concurrently. 

There  would  be  but  one  box  office,  and  a 
single  admission  would  permit  the  patron  to 
see  either  or  both  features  as  time  and  inclina- 
tion allowed. 

The  advantages  in  Jerry's  plan,  he  explains, 
are  that  continuous  runs  could  be  given  both 
pictures ;  if  the  patron  were  not  entertained 
by  the  picture  showing  on  the  bottom  floor  he 
wouldn't  be  forced  to  sit  through  it  in  order 
to  see  the  other,  but  could  immediately  "change 
theatres"  by  walking  up  to  the  second  floor. 
On  family  nights,  Pa  and  the  kids  could  eat 
red  meat  with  Wallace  Beery  on  one  floor, 
while  Ma  mooned  over  Bing  Crosby  on  the 
other. 

There's  really  no  limit  to  Jerry's  idea.  Pur- 
suing it  further,  one  imagines  that  if  com- 
petition got  tough,  one  could  merely  add  an- 
other feature  to  the  program  simply  by  adding 
another  story  to  the  theatre ;  and  so  on  up  as 
far  as  the  building  code  and  the  sky  permitted. 
Another  thought  is  that  one  section  of  seats 
could  be  sandwiched  midway  between  the  floors, 
so  that  the  patron  in  a  hurry  could  see  both 
pictures  at  once ! 

V 

The  Fox  Granada  theatre  in  Kansas  City, 
Kansas,  expressed  an  old  truth  in  a  new 
form  on  "Father's  Day,"  the  other  Sunday, 
when  they  put  on  their  marquee  the  double 
billing : 

EVERYBODY'S  OLD  MAN 
SNOWED  UNDER 

V 

Illinois'  Governor,  Henry  Horner,  likes  the 
movies,  but  he  will  not  accept  any  passes,  on 
the  ground  that  the  exhibitors  help  pay  his 
salary,  in  taxes,  and,  therefore,  are  entitled  to 
his  admission  payment.  However,  his  chauffeur 
and  bodyguard,  always  accompanying  him,  fol- 
lows him  into  the  theatre,  not  on  a  paid  ad- 
mission, but  on  the  flash  of  his  police  badge. 

V 

Twenty  women  and  children  died  when  fire 
destroyed  a  motion  picture  theatre  at  Hyderabad 
City  in  India.  Hundreds  of  others  were  saved 
freakishly  when  the  wife  of  a  state  official  tore 
off  her  long,  gayly-colored  scarf  wrapped  about 
her  waist,  and  had  them  slide  down  the  gar- 
ment from  the  balcony  to  the  street. 

V 

Lord  Moyne,  in  London,  is  one  of  the  British 
commission  entrusted  with  a  study  of  quota  sins 
of  foreign  distributors.  He  zvas  called  back 
from  New  Guinea  and  a  search  for  pygmies  to 
take  over  the  new  job. 

"Was  that  a  change  of  occupation?"  hisses 
London's  Weekly  Era. 

V 

John  P.  Medbury's  favorite  gag  of  this  day 
concerns  a  scenario  writer  who  was  trying  to 
sell  a  producer  an  original  story. 

"It  hasn't  a  routine  finish,"  the  scenarist  ex- 
plained. "It  has  an  unhappy  ending.  The  last 
scene  is  in  Venice,  and  the  hero  is  killed  by  a 
gondolier !" 

"You  mean,"  responded  the  producer,  "it  falls 
right  from  the  ceiling  on  him?" 


Lest  any  of  the  great  minds  in  motion 
pictures  have  been  worrying,  we  hasten  to 
advise  that  Colleen  Moore's  priceless  doll 
house  has  just  completed  its  50,000th  mile  of 
tour  without  a  single  injury  or  breakage  of 
any  kind,  or  the  missing  of  a  single  schedule 
on  the  itinerary  of  its  exhibition. 

Not  one  of  its  more  than  400  small-watt 
electric  bulbs,  most  minute  in  the  world,  has 
been  broken.  Its  solid  gold  cathedral  organ, 
electrically  played,  still  recalls  "the  horns  of 
Elfland."  The  miniature  electrical  system  is 
in  perfect  order.  The  little  fountains  con- 
tinue to  spread  silver  veils  across  the  courts, 
and  the  tiny  chimes  ring  beautifully  in  the 
steeples.    All  is  still  fresh  and  bright. 

The  feathered  nightingale  still  sings  in  the 
magic  tree,  while  the  fairy  princess  dances 
in  her  grotto.  The  ivory  horses  of  Cinder- 
ella's coach  drink  at  the  fountain  in  the  little 
court,  before  their  wild  dash  over  the  tiny 
pin-head  cobbles  of  fairyland. 

The  fairy  palaces  were  produced  by  more 
than  700  artists,  workmen  and  master  crafts- 
men, working  for  more  than  nine  years,  un- 
der the  direction  of  Miss  Moore's  father, 
C.  M.  Morrison,  an  engineer — Colleen's  name 
is  not  Colleen  Moore,  but  Kathleen  Morrison. 

The  castle  is  made  of  aluminum  and  cop- 
per, is  nine  feet  long  and  nine  feet  wide,  and 
resting  on  the  edge  of  its  rugged  precipice, 
towers  14  feet  in  height.  It  contains  some 
200,000  original  pieces,  not  counting  rivets. 
Packed  in  17  large  cases  for  shipping,  it 
weighs  6,585  pounds,  approximately  three 
and  one  quarter  tons. 

The  doll  house  has  been  Miss  Moore's 
dream  and  hobby,  since  her  father  made 
her  first  doll  house,  out  of  an  old  cigar  box, 
when  she  was  two  years  old,  32  years  ago, 
at  their  home  in  Port  Huron,  Michigan.  Its 
tour  will  continue  for  years. 


Mr.  Roosevelt's  Works  Progress  Administra- 
tion is  setting  out  to  out-pasture  Warner 
Brothers'  "Green  Pastures,"  a  la  boondoggle, 
having  become  engaged  in  erecting  a  large  and 
authentic  Negro  village  in  Lincoln  Ball  Park 
in  New  Orleans,  where  thousands  of  seats  will 
be  set  up  for  the  accommodation  of  an  ex- 
pected audience  to  see  and  listen  to  1,000 
negroes  ranging  in  occupation  from  college 
professors  to  ice-wagon  drivers,  washwomen  and 
disappointed  bettors  on  Joe  Louis.  They  will 
sing  spirituals,  Voodoo  incantations,  chants, 
dirges  and  moans.  (The  moans  presumably 
will  be  by  the  backers  of  Joe  Louis.) 

There  will  be  performances  in  pantomime  of 
Negro  convicts,  a  murder  (not  real),  and  many 
other  exciting  events,  all  tied  together  in  a 
potpourri  of  play,  written  by  a  white  man,  a 
southern  university  professor.  The  author  hails 
it  as  a  classic  that  will  back  the  late  Hon.  Wil- 
liam Shakespeare  off  the  boards,  to  say  nothing 
of  Tony  Pastor,  Lincoln  Carter,  Eugene  Wal- 
ter, Jack  Warner  and  Marc  Connelly. 

V 

"What  price  education  among  movie  stars?" 
zvonders  London  Laird,  zvho  critics  the  movies 
in  Kansas  City,  in  his  "About  Toivn"  column. 

"There  lies  on  your  zvriter's  desk  a  letter 
from  one  of  the  Hollyzfood  greats,  regretting 
her  inability  to  attend  a  recent  function  held 
in  these  parts. 

"We  didn't  mind  so  much  zvhen  she  spoke  of 
'receiveing,'  spelled  just  that  zvay,  our  'kind  in- 
vitation,' but  a  line  that  really  proved  sur- 
prising started,  'Mother  and  I  have  been  hap- 
pily  reminiensing  our  memories,'  etc..  etc. 

"What  is  life  without  its  'reminienses?' " 


SHADES  OF  THE  PEERLESS  John  Drew. 
For  that  matter,  Shades  of  the  Florodora 
Sextette,  W.  C.  Fields,  Houdini,  Bosco,  the 
Strong  Man,  and  other  members  of  the  grease 
paint  and  footlight  clan.  Who  ever  heard  of  a 
well-digging  machine  on  the  stage  of  a  theatre  ? 

Probably  no  one  ever  did  until  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Strand  theatre,  at  Crawfordsville, 
Indiana,  installed  a  sure-enough  full-sized  well- 
digging  machine,  like  the  one  that  used  to  work 
on  Uncle  Hoke's  farm,  right  in  the  middle  of 
the  Strand  theatre's  stage  where  it  was  started 
pounding  into  the  earth  to  tap  a  fresh  'water 
vein. 

Probably  never  before  in  theatre  history  has 
a  well-digging  machine  been  placed  behind  the 
footlights,  even  as  a  prop. 

Each  morning,  at  four  o'clock,  the  well  dig- 
ging crew  starts  operating  the  machine,  and 
they  continue  boring  into  the  earth  below  the 
stage  until  noon.  Then  the  workmen  call  it 
a  day,  in  time  to  allow  the  matinee  crowds  to 
enter  to  watch  Clark  Gable  and  Joan  Crawford 
turn  on  the  heat. 

The  well  will  be  dug  to  a  depth  of  112  feet. 
At  that  bottom  water  will  be  tapped  through 
a  four-inch  pipe,  which  will  spout  from  the 
ground  at  a  temperature  of  54  degrees. 

The  shades  of  long  dead  Thespians  may  slip 
up  through  the  piping  and  on  to  the  stage,  shak- 
ing their  heads  in  wonderment  at  seeing  a  well- 
digging  machine  at  work  before  the  footlights. 
They  may  even  scoff,  in  ghostly  tones,  at  the 
new-gangled  didoes  which  they  got  along  very 
well  without  in  their  days  of  glory.  Be  that 
as  it  may,  Manager  Guy  Hammitt  is  installing 
a  cooling  system  in  his  Strand  theatre  and  he 
needs  to  dig  a  well  112  feet  under  the  stage 
to  do  it. 

V 

The  other  morning  a  zvoman  visited  Rocke- 
feller Center  who  started  out  thumbs  down  on 
the  entire  project  on  the  grounds  that  there 
used  to  be  such  nice  little  restaurants  around 
here,  and  now  they  are  gone,  superseded  by 
a  quarter  of  a  billion  dollars'  worth  of  towers 
of  white  stone  and  steel. 

The  next  day  another  lady,  pert  and  old  and 
elegantly  attired  in  the  furbelows  of  the  nineties, 
entered  the  revolving  doors  of  the  RCA  Build- 
ing (Universal  Pictures,  NBC,  et  al).  in  a 
gingerly  and  disapproving  manner. 

"What  is  this  place?"  she  demanded.  It  zvas 
explained  that  this  place  is  Rockefeller  Center. 
She  looked  very  indignant. 

"My  dentist  used  to  have  an  office  on  this 
very  spot,"  she  said.  "And  how  am  I  going  to 
find  him  now?  I've  come  all  the  zvay  from 
Pasadena,  California,  to  have  him  fix  my  teeth." 

Tzvo  attendants  in  the  full  regalia  of  a  Chin- 
ese general  were  on  the  job  by  this  time  and 
she  looked  at  both  of  them  as  if  they  had  the 
dentist  tucked  under  their  gold  braid  that  very 
moment. 

They  rustled  up  some  city  directories  and 
telephone  books,  but  the  dentist's  name  zvasn't 
in  any  of  them. 

"Well,"  remarked  the  old  lady  acidly,  "so 
he's  gone.  Nozv  I  suppose  I'll  just  have  to  take 
the  next  train  back  to  California."  And  she  did. 
V 

Wonderful,  Wonderful  Us  Department: — 
Mrs.  Thomas  G.  Winter,  past  president  of 
the  General  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  and 
Will  Hays'  contact  between  Hollywood  and 
community  organizations,  the  other  day  urged 
ladies  of  the  land  to  remember  that  America 
has  the  only  government  today  which  is  based 
on  ideals.  "Across  the  sea  we  watch  whole 
populations  compelled  to  say  'Yes'  to  dictators," 
she  explained,  "but  ill  America  we  need  only 
say  'O,  yeah.'  " 
O,  yeah? 


64 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


BALABAN  IN  PARAMOUNT  PRESIDENCY, 
ZUKOR  IS  GENERAL  OF  PRODUCTION 


Solution  to  Company's  Post- 
Reorganization  Problems  Seen 
in  Combination  of  Home 
Office  and  Coast  Executives 

Barney  Balaban  is  the  new  president  of 
Paramount  Pictures,  Inc.,  taking  a  hold  on 
the  reins  of  the  company  this  week  after  a 
weekend  spent  in  Chicago  with  his  family. 
The  action  of  the  board  of  directors  in  re- 
turning an  experienced  showman  to  the 
presidency  of  the  film  company  came  ■  as 
Adolph  Zukor  was  reelected  chairman  of 
the  board.  Mr.  Zukor,  after  the  directors' 
meeting  last  week,  returned  to  Hollywood 
to  continue  supervision  of  production  activi- 
ties. 

Under  a  policy  designed  to  give  manage- 
ment a  greater  voice  in  the  administration 
of  Paramount,  vice-presidents  of  the  com- 
pany may  be  elected  to  board  membership 
in  filling  vacancies  which  may  occur  in  the 
future,  it  was  indicated  this  week.  Present 
reports  are  that  a  company  man  will  be 
elected  to  fill  the  director's  seat  left  vacant 
by  the  resignation  of  Floyd  B.  Odium  of 
Atlas  Corporation.  The  board  may  act  on 
Mr.  Odlurh's  resignation  at  its  next  meeting. 
Several  other  resignations  are  regarded  as 
hkely  in  the  near  future. 

Opinion  in  the  trade,  emphatically  ex- 
pressed since  the  election,  regards  the 
combination  of  Mr.  Balaban  as  the  new 
head  of  home  office  activities  and  Mr. 
Zukor  in  charge  of  the  west  coast  studios 
as  a  highly  effective  one,  providing  the 
solution  to  Paramount's  post-reorganization 
problems. 

Both  men  emphasized  the  phase  of  co- 
operation in  statements  issued  after  the  elec- 
tion in  which  they  expressed  satisfaction 
with  the  results. 

Post  Vacant  Since  June  16 

Before  leaving  for  Hollywood,  Mr.  Zukor 
said :  "The  entire  industry  is  obviously  in 
accord  with  the  election.  As  for  myself,  I 
can  only  repeat  that  it  was  my  personal 
wish  that  Mr.  Balaban  assume  this  post  and 
I  look  forward  to  a  long  future  of  whole- 
hearted cooperation  between  the  east  and 
west  coast  branches  of  our  organization. 

"Planning  as  I  am  to  devote  my  time  and 
energies  to  the  production  end,  I  feel  I  can 
continue  these  duties  with  a  feeling  of  con- 
fidence and  security  that  the  affairs  of  the 
corporation  are  in  the  hands  of  a  capable 
showman  and  a  loyal  Paramount  executive. 

"With  the  confidence  within  the  organi- 
zation which  the  selection  of  Mr.  Balaban 
already  has  inspired,"  Mr.  Zukor  said,  "the 
leadership  which  the  company  consistently 
has  maintained  in  the  industry  is  immeasur- 
ably strengthened." 

The  feeling  of  satisfaction  in  the  Para- 
mount ranks  was  marked  especially  because 
of  the  ending  of  the  uncertainty  over  the 
selection  of  officers  prevalent  after  the  ad- 
journment of  the  special  meeting  of  the 
board  called  on  June  24th.  For  nine  days, 
during  which  time  the  regular  meeting  for 


SECESSION  THREATENS 
BROADCASTERS'  GROUP 

The  National  Association  of  Broad- 
casters holding  its  annual  meeting  in 
Chicago  this  week,  heard  Isaac  D.  Levy 
of  Philadelphia,  announce  that  he  will 
form  a  new  organization  after  he  had 
assailed  the  association's  leadership, 
particularly  managing  director  James 
W.  Baldwin,  and  demanded  more  con- 
fidential treatment  of  the  body's  in- 
ternal troubles. 

Much  of  Mr.  Levy's  attack  con- 
cerned difficulties  over  music  rights 
which  cropped  up  last  December  when 
Warner  Brothers  withdrew  from  the 
American  Society  of  Composers, 
Authors  and  Publishers,  forcing  radio 
stations  to  make  individual  arrange- 
ments for  the  use  of  music. 


June  was  called  and  dismissed  several  times 
without  action,  various  candidates  were  re- 
ported under  consideration  by  the  board. 

The  post  had  been  vacant  since  the  stock- 
holders, at  their  annual  meeting  on  June  16, 
failed  to  reelect  John  E.  Otterson  a  direc- 
tor, automatically  disqualifying  him  under 
corporate  bylaws  for  reelection  to  the  presi- 
dency which  he  had  filled  for  one  year  under 
a  five-year  contract.  Joseph  P.  Kennedy, 
who,  as  special  financial  adviser  to  the  com- 
pany, has  prepared  a  comprehensive  report 
on  its  affairs,  was  reported  to  have  re- 
fused an  offer  of  the  presidential  office. 
Mr.  Zukor  then  was  reported  the  leading 
candidate  for  the  post  but  is  understood  to 
have  preferred  to  remain  in  charge  of  pro- 
duction, in  which  he  has  been  engaged  for 
two  months. 

Officers  named  at  the  meeting  besides  Mr. 
Balaban,  Mr.  Zukor  and  Stanton  Griffis, 
who  was  appointed  chairman  of  the  execu- 
tive committee  at  the  June  24  meeting,  are : 
Neil  F.  Agnew,  R.  Earl  Anderson,  Y. 
Frank  Freeman,  John  J.  Hicks,  Jr.,  and 
Austin  C.  Keough,  vice-presidents ;  Walter 
B.  Cokell,  treasurer;  Austin  C.  Keough, 
secretary ;  Fred  Mohrhardt,  comptroller,  and 
Norman  Collyer,  assistant  secretary. 

Close  Working  Contact  Seen 

Mr.  Balaban,  Mr.  Zukor  and  Mr.  Agnew, 
the  last  named  in  charge  of  distribution,  are 
also  members  of  the  executive  committee, 
insuring,  according  to  observers,  a  close 
working  contact  between  the  management 
and  the  board.  Indications  are  that  the 
committee  will  absorb  the  work  of  the 
finance  committee  to  expedite  action  on  ex- 
penditures and  hence  will  be  an  even  more 
potent  factor  in  board  policy  and  action  than 
it  has  been  in  the  past.  With  the  company 
heads  of  production  and  distribution  as  well 
as  the  new  president,  who  is  one  of  the 
highest  ranking  exhibitors  in  the  country, 
among  its  members,  all  three  operating 
branches  have  authoritative  voices  within 
the  executive  committee. 

It  has  been  announced  that  Mr.  Balaban 


Close  Working  Contact  Be- 
tween Management  and 
Board  Called  Assured;  Otter- 
son  Silent  on  Legal  Action 

will  remain  as  president  of  Balaban  and 
Katz,  theatre  circuit  affiliate  of  Paramount, 
for  the  time  being  at  least,  supervising  the 
subsidiary's  operations  from  New  York. 

The  new  president  is  to  bring  his  family 
to  New  York,  taking  over  Mr.  Zukor's 
estate  at  New  City,  N.  Y.,  for  a  summer 
home. 

Mr.  Kennedy  has  completed  his  study  of 
the  affairs  of  the  corporation  which  he  un- 
dertook two  months  ago  at  the  request  of 
the  board  of  directors.  The  board  said  that 
it  has  expressed  to  Mr.  Kennedy  its  "deep 
appreciation  of  his  valuable  services."  The 
remuneration  voted  him  was  not  announced. 
The  directors  have  refused  to  divulge  the 
nature  of  Mr.  Kennedy's  recommendations 
and  present  indications  are  that  the  report 
has  been  tabled  and  will  not  be  made  public. 
No  official  comment  has  been  made  on 
rumors  circulated  in  the  trade  that  Mr. 
Kennedy  was  voted  $50,000  for  his  work, 
with  an  additional  amount  for  his  assistants. 

Otterson  Silent 

Mr.  Otterson,  whose  five-year  contract 
was  reported  to  be  one  of  the  problems 
which  delayed  the  election  of  a  president, 
has  refused  to  make  any  statement  on  what 
action  he  might  be  considering  on  his  con- 
tract. Financial  interests  identified  with 
Paramount  discount  all  reports  of  a  settle- 
ment being  made  by  the  company.  Final 
action,  it  is  indicated,  will  be  in  the  form  of 
a  breach  of  contract  suit  brought  by  Mr. 
Otterson  against  the  company.  He  con- 
tinues to  occupy  the  Paramount  offices  which 
were  his  during  the  past  year,  although  it 
has  been  stated  by  company  officials  that  his 
salary  was  discontinued  as  of  July  1st. 
Max  D.  Steuer  and  Charles  Schwartz,  at- 
torneys for  Mr.  Otterson,  are  out  of  town. 

Operating  Contracts  Renewed 

Settlement  this  week  of  suits  for  damages 
totaling  $5,000,000  which  were  filed  against 
Paramount  Publix  in  its  bankruptcy  pro- 
ceedings, made  possible  a  quick  reorganiza- 
tion of  the  Olympia  circuit,  last  of  the  large 
Paramount  theatre  properties  to  remain  in 
bankruptcy. 

Under  the  settlement  authorized  by  the 
federal  court  in  New  York,  Paramount  and 
Olympia  agree  to  carry  out  the  provisions 
of  the  general  leases,  to  aid  in  a  speedy 
reorganization  of  the  theatres  and  to  pay 
$25,000  in  further  settlement. 

Renewal  of  theatre  operating  contracts, 
delayed  by  the  confusion  which  preceded 
the  election  of  Mr.  Balaban,  has  been  cleared 
up  by  action  on  the  agreements  for  the 
Wilby-Kincey  and  Lucas  &  Jenkins  circuits 
according  to  the  Paramount  board.  The 
Wilby-Kincey  operating  contract  was  ex- 
tended for  one  year  from  July  1st  and  the 
Lucas  &  Jenkins  contract  for  three  years 
from  the  same  date.  No  changes  were  made 
in  any  of  the  existing  agreements. 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


85 


BOARD  OF  REVIEW  IS  A  FAILURE, 
DR.  HARRIS  CHARGES,  RESIGNING 


"Pulled  Hard  on  the  Oars  but 
Stood  Still,"  Declares  Former 
Health  Commissioner;  Kirch- 
wey  Defends  Board  Activity 

Charges  that  the  National  Board  of  Re- 
view of  Motion  Pictures  defeats  its  own 
ends  because  "it  is  top-heavy  with  a  variety 
of  committees  and  is  financed  largely  by  the 
motion  picture  industry  itself,"  were  made 
by  Dr.  Louis  I.  Harris,  former  New  York 
City  Health  Commissioner  in  a  letter,  last 
weekend  announcing  his  resignation  from 
the  executive  committee  of  the  Board.  The 
criticisms  were  answered  in  a  statement 
issued  during  the  week  by  Dr.  George  W. 
Kirchwey,  chairman  of  the  National  Board. 

Describing  the  Board  as  a  "front"  for 
the  industry,  Dr.  Harris  charged  that  the 
industry's  interest  extended  to  the  point 
of  corralling  actors  and  actresses  to  at- 
tend the  Board's  conferences  and  pay  for 
the  food  at  its  luncheons. 

Dr.  Kirchwey  answered  the  accusation 
that  the  organization  is  financed  from  Hol- 
lywood by  declaring  that  the  fee  of  $6.25, 
which  the  Board  charges  per  reel  for  re- 
viewing of  product,  has  not  been  changed 
since  it  was  established  in  1909. 
Says  Board  Achieves  Nothing 

One  reason  cited  by  Dr.  Harris  for  his 
resignation  was  his  opinion  that  the  Board 
is  "not  doing  anything  significant,  dynamic 
or  progressive  to  give  effect  to  its  oft-ex- 
pressed ideals." 

Dr.  Harris  in  his  letter  summed  up  the 
Board's  activities  as  follows :  "Rhetorically, 
we  pulled  hard  on  the  oars,  but  actually,  we 
stood  still. 

"Approximately  ten  years  ago,  I  was 
persuaded  that  I  might  be  helpful  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  executive  committee,  in  further- 
ing ideal  aims,  to  which,  I  was  assured, 
the  National  Board  was  dedicated. 

"During  my  association  with  it  the  Board 
has  failed  to  serve  as  a  spokesman-body  for 
the  American  community  to  help  in  realiz- 
ing the  recreational,  educational  and  social 
possibilities  of  the  motion  picture. 

"Also,  in  my  opinion,  as  I  have  from 
time  to  time  stated,  it  was  of  questionable 
propriety  for  the  board  to  accept  for  its 
principal  source  of  maintenance  and  support 
money  paid  to  it  by  the  motion  picture  in- 
dustry for  the  review  of  pictures.  How 
could  the  Board,  beholden  as  it  has  been  to 
the  industry  for  the  money  thus  received, 
feel  free  and  with  good  grace  criticize  the 
program,  achievements  and  activities  of 
those  in  control  of  the  industry?" 

The  letter  of  resignation  further  charged, 
that  "the  executive  committee  luncheon 
meetings  have  concerned  themselves  with 
discussions  of  streotyped  details  such  as  the 
annual  conference  of  the  Board,  the  annual 
bridge  party,  the  discussion  of  finances  of 
the  Board,  and  other  matters  which  to  me 
seem  unrelated  to  primary  objectives  of  the 
Board  as  I  was  given  to  understand  them." 

The  National  Board  of  Review,  organized 
in  1909  by  the  Peoples  Institute  to  select 


the  better  type  of  pictures  for  recommenda- 
tion to  affiliated  Better  Films  Councils,  prin- 
cipally women's  organizations,  has  little  in- 
fluence in  proportion  to  its  complicated 
structure,  Dr.  Harris  said.  He  asserted 
that  the  circulation  of  The  National  Board 
of  Review  Magazine  is  only  500  copies  and 
that  the  publication  carries  reviews  of  pic- 
tures after  they  have  been  released  for  gen- 
eral exhibition. 

Before  issuance  of  the  statement  by  Dr. 
Kirchwey  in  answer  to  the  accusations  con- 
tained in  the  letter,  Carl  E.  Milliken,  secre- 
tary of  the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and 
Distributors  of  America,  pointed  out  that 
the  reviewing  of  pictures  by  the  National 
Board  is  optional  with  the  producing  com- 
panies and  that  the  reviewing  fee  is  what  it 
always  has  been. 

Factor  in  Sunday  Showings 

In  several  states  and  communities,  while  the 
label  "Passed  by  the  National  Board  of  Re- 
view" is  not  required  on  the  pictures  exhibited, 
the  classification  of  the  picture  and  information 
on  it  contained  in  the  Board's  weekly  bulletin 
must  be  in  the  hands  of  the  civil  authorities  be- 
fore the  film  is  exhibited.  In  Rhode  Island  the 
legislature  repealed  the  prohibition  of  Sunday 
shows  provided  exhibitors  followed  the  guidance 
of  the  Board  in  selection  of  pictures.  When 
state  censorship  threatened  in  Florida  a  bill  was 
passed  by  the  legislature  which  required  that  all 
films  exhibited  in  the  state  be  approved  by  the 
New  York  State  Board  of  Censors,  now  inop- 
erative, or  the  National  Board  of  Review.  A 
mayor's  order  in  Boston  requires  that  all  films 
exhibited  be  previously  reviewed  by  the  Na- 
tional Board. 

Officials  of  the  Board  have  stressed  the  ob- 
jective announced  at  its  founding  that  its  activi- 
ties are  to  be  considered  a  defense  against 
censorship  rather  than  a  censoring  movement. 


Kirchwey  Answers 
Harris'  Charges 

The  following  statement  was  issued  by 
Dr.  George  W.  Kirchwey,  chairman  of  the 
National  Board  of  Review  of  Motion  Pic- 
tures, in  reply  to  charges  made  by  Dr.  Louis 
I.  Harris  in  resigning  as  a  member  of  the 
executive  committee  of  the  Board: 

"When  Dr.  L.  I.  Harris  recently  retired  from 
eight  years  of  service  as  a  member  of  the 
Executive  Committee  of  the  National  Board 
of  Review  of  Motion  Pictures,  the  Committee 
expressed  its  sincere  regret  at  his  resignation. 
Now  the  Board  wishes  to  express  its  pained 
regret  at  the  eminent  Doctor's  announced  rea- 
sons for  such  retirement. 

"Evidently  he  has  expected  too  much  of  us. 
He  has  failed  to  find  the  'significant,  dynamic 
and  progressive'  action  which  he  looked  for 
while  he  was  being  called  upon  to  participate 
in  the  unwearied  but  undramatic  process  of 
educating  the  American  community  in  the  wise 
utilization  of  the  motion  picture. 

"This  process  of  public  education  was  its 
original  purpose  when,  under  the  wise  guidance 
of  Charles  Sprague  Smith,  the  National  Board 
came  into  being  in  1909  as  a  function  of  the 
Peoples  Institute  of  New  York  City,  and  from 
this  aim  it  has  never  wavered.    There  are,  in- 


deed, dramatic  moments.  These  are  not  at 
headquarters,  however,  and  around  the  com- 
mittee table,  but  in  the  wide  areas  of  com- 
munity activity  where  such  work  as  the  Na- 
tional Board's  Young  Reviewers  Club,  with  a 
membership  drawn  from  more  than  150  public 
and  private  schools  in  and  around  New  York 
City,  the  work  of  the  Committee  on  Exceptional 
Photoplays,  comprised  of  outstanding  students 
and  critics  of  the  motion  picture  and  the  first 
body  in  this  country  to  draw  attention  to  the 
artistic  possibilities  of  the  motion  picture,  and 
the  work  of  the  many  affiliated  Motion  Picture 
Councils,  touch  the  life  of  the  community.  Not 
to  mention  the  volunteer  services  of  upwards  of 
300  men  and  women  engaged  in  the  review, 
selection  and  classification  of  films  in  New  York 
City.  An  example  of  the  Board's  interest  in  the 
field  of  education  as  it  pertains  to  the  motion 
picture  is  witnessed  by  the  course  which  for 
two  years  has  been  conducted  at  New  York 
University  under  the  auspices  of  the  University 
and  the  National  Board  of  Review — the  first 
credit-giving  university  course  dealing  with  the 
subject  of  motion  pictures. 

At  9  of  24  Meetings 

"Without  reflection  on  Dr.  Harris,  who  of 
course  is  entitled  to  his  own  opinions  and  to 
share  those  opinions  with  the  reading  public, 
the  Executive  Committee  luncheon  meetings 
which  have  'concerned  themselves  with  discus- 
sions of  stereotyped  details'  have  weighed 
enough  with  my  associates  on  the  Executive 
Committee,  who  are  devoting  their  lives  to 
serious  effort,  to  have  engrossed  many  hours  of 
their  valuable  time — and  for  a  tenure  of  asso- 
ciation with  the  National  Board  of  much  longer 
duration  than  that  of  Dr.  Harris.  The  press 
of  Dr.  Harris'  duties,  fortunately  for  himself 
in  view  of  his  statement,  made  it  impossible  for 
him  to  participate  in  many  of  these  discussions, 
since  he  was  present  at  only  nine  of  twenty-four 
regular  Executive  Committee  meetings  held 
during  the  past  two  and  a  half  years. 

"Certainly  I  have  not  the  time  nor  do  I  be- 
lieve my  associates  on  our  Executive  Commit- 
tee have  the  time  to  devote  valuable  hours  each 
week  and  over  a  period  of  years,  to  any  or- 
ganization or  activity  which  is  'not  doing  any- 
thing significant,  dynamic  or  progressive  to  give 
effect  to  its  oft-expressed  ideals.' 

Answers  Charge  of  Subservience 

"When  Dr.  Harris  accepted  election  to  the 
Executive  Committee  of  the  National  Board  of 
Review,  he  was  fully  cognizant  of  the  fact  that 
the  Board  charges  a  fee  of  $6.25  a  reel  to  every 
motion  picture  company  submitting  its  product 
to  the  Board.  This  fee  was.  set  by  the  Board 
in  1919  and  has  been  publicized  in  all  of  the 
Board's  literature  dealing  with  the  purposes  and 
operation  of  the  organization  since  then.  With 
knowledge  of  this  he  became  a  member.  Dr. 
Harris  asks :  'How  could  the  Board,  beholden 
as  it  has  been  to  the  industry  for  the  money 
thus  received,  feel  free  and  with  good  grace  to 
criticise  the  program,  achievements  and  activi- 
ties of  those  in  control  of  the  motion  picture 
industry?'  The  answer  is  that  the  function  of 
the  Board  from  the  beginning  has  been  to  ex- 
ercise a  critical  faculty  upon  films  as  films,  not 
upon  the  program,  achievements  or  activity  of 
those  who  control  the  industry. 

"Dr.  Harris'  question  implies  that  the  many 
volunteers  in  New  York  and  elsewhere  who 
have  given  years  of  service  in  community 
groups  affiliated  with  the  Board,  in  all  cases 
without  compensation  of  any  kind,  have  been 
subservient  to  the  motion  picture  industry.  The 
Board  stands  on  its  long  record  as  a  volunteer 
citizen  body  seeking  the  best  accomplishment 
and  development  of  a  new  medium  of  human 
expression." 


86 

Return  to  ASCAP 
Up  to  Warners 

Conferences  looking  to  renewal  of  the 
Warner  music  publishing  companies'  mem- 
bership in  the  American  Society  of  Authors, 
Composers  and  Publishers  have  been  car- 
ried to  Harry  M.  Warner  in  Hollywood, 
it  was  reported  in  New  York  this  week. 
While  no  decision  has  been  made,  it  was  in- 
dicated that  a  definite  move  may  be  expected 
almost  daily.  Both  groups  were  said  to  be 
desirous  of  renewing  relations,  but  each  was 
waiting  for  the  other  to  move  first. 

Officials  of  ASCAP  said  that  they  would 
like  to  see  the  Warner  companies  back  in 
their  organization,  but  asserted  at  the  same 
time  that  there  was  no  possibility  of  the 
society  making  any  of  the  changes  in  broad- 
casting licenses  sought  by  the  Warner  com- 
panies prior  to  their  resignation  from 
ASCAP.  The  officials  said  they  were  inter- 
ested in  giving  the  maximum  amount  of  ser- 
vice to  their  licensees  and  this  aim  could  be 
only  partially  realized  without  the  member- 
ship of  the  Warner  companies. 

The  Society  declared  that  its  revenues  had 
not  been  affected  by  the  withdrawal  of  the~ 
Warner  companies  and  the  music  catalogues, 
and  added  that  the  next  quarterly  dividend 
of  the  organization,  which  will  be  voted  on 
late  this  week,  will  be  the  largest  in  the 
organization's  history.  The  second  quar- 
terly dividend  was  estimated  at  $1,200,000. 

Some  opposition  to  reinstatement  of  the 
Warner  companies  was  in  evidence  within 
ASCAP  membership  ranks.  One  member 
said  that  if  Warner  returned  to  the  society 
he  would  head  a  movement  to  have  its  appli- 
cations treated  like  those  of  new  members 
and  made  subject  to  the  approval  of  the 
membership  committee. 


R  CA  Closes  Plant 
After  Picketing 

In  order  to  forestall  possible  acts  of  vio- 
lence, officials  of  the  RCA  Manufacturing 
Company's  plant  at  Camden,  N.  J.,  where 
sound  reproducers  for  studios  and  sound  re- 
corders for  motion  pictures,  besides  radios, 
tubes  and  the  like  are  manufactured,  shut 
down  the  huge  factory  shortly  after  noon 
last  Friday  while  strikers  picketed  the  gates. 

The  unexpected  closing,  which  sent  5,000 
workers  out  to  the  street,  followed  the  an- 
nouncement that  2,200  members  of  the  In- 
dustrial Union  of  Marine  and  Shipbuilding 
Workers,  Local  No.  1,  had  voted  to  sup- 
port the  RCA  strike. 

The  plant  reopened  Monday  and  the  pick- 
eting was  still  going  on,  but  in  a  peaceful 
vein.  No  arrests  were  made  over  the  week- 
end, but  10  employes  of  the  company,  ar- 
rested last  week  in  strike  demonstrations, 
were  reported  on  a  hunger  strike  against  the 
food  served  in  the  Camden  County  jail. 

Meanwhile,  a  Grand  Jury  investigation  in- 
to recent  rioting  and  disturbances  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  plant  as  a  result  of  the  strike 
has  been  determined  upon.  Justice  Lloyd  of 
the  supreme  court  declared  that  "we  will 
have  anarchy  if  the  rights  of  persons  to 
safety  and  the  rights  of  property  to  protec- 
tion" were  not  given. 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


FROM  READERS 


PINKISH  TINGES 
ON  THE  SCREEN 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Herald  :' 

In  your  anxiety  to  tie  together  the  So- 
viet pictures  shown  at  the  Cameo  Motion 
Picture  Theatre  in  New  York  City  and  the 
very  excellent  picture  made  by  the  Resettle- 
ment Administration,  entitled,  "The  Plow 
That  Broke  the  Plains,"  I  wish  to  call  your 
attention  to  an  error  which  you  have  made 
on  page  7  of  your  issue  of  July  4,  1936,  in 
which  you  state  that  this  picture  was  made 
by  Works  Progress  Administration.  I  re- 
gret to  say  that  this  is  not  the  case. 

Since  the  motion  picture  industry  refused 
to  aid  in  the  booking  of  Resettlement  Ad- 
ministration's film  hundreds  of  exhibitors 
all  over  the  United  States  have  requested  it 
for  showings  to  the  public  by  public  demand, 
and  I,  as  one  who  has  grown  up  in  the  in- 
dustry, fail  to  detect  even  the  slightest  pink- 
ish tinge  in  its  arguments. 

I  believe  in  all  fairness  to  an  already  much 
criticized  branch  of  the  Administration  you 
should  publish  a  correction  in  your  statement 
that  this  is  a  WPA  film. — Horace  Ashton, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

EDITOR'S  NOTE:  The  "pinkish  tinge"  that 
Mr.  Ashton  has  been  unable  to  discover  is 
more  in  evidence  in  the  principle  and  pro- 
cedure of  the  sponsors  of  the  picture  than 
in  the  product  itself.  Vast  outcry  has  been 
raised  because  the  established  motion  pic- 
ture industry  has  not  seen  fit  to  welcome 
governmental  invasion  of  the  screen.  The 
pretext  is  unimportant,  invasion  is  invasion. 
Also  the  fact  that  the  re  are  many  worthy 
causes  to  be  promulgated,  many  move- 
ments to  be  furthered,  many  educational 
campaigns  to  be  waged,  does  not  properly 
imply  that  any  part  of  the  obligation  to 
do  these  things  rests  upon  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry.  The  business  of  the  motion 
picture  is  entertainment — also  that  is  its 
sole  obligation. — T.  R. 

"Angry"  at  Producers, 
Bet+e  Davis  Leaves 

Bette  Davis,  holder  of  the  last  award  of 
the  Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and 
Sciences  for  acting,  has  brought  her  con- 
tract "war"  with  Warners  to  a  culmination 
by  walking  out  of  the  company's  Burbank 
studios  and  refusing  to  report  back  for  work. 

Miss  Davis  said  she  would  go  to  court,  as 
did  James  Cagney  several  months  ago,  if 
she  feels  circumstances  warrant  such  a  move. 
Her  salary,  reported  to  be  $2,000  per  week, 
is  not  the  only  difficulty,  she  said. 

Studio  executives,  however,  are  reported 
refusing  to  regard  the  situation  as  serious. 


Judgment  for  $81  Given 

A  judgment  for  $81  has  been  filed  in  the 
New  York  supreme  court  on  behalf  of 
Springer  and  Cocalis  as  a  result  of  an  un- 
successful suit  against  them  by  Fox  Film 
Corporation  for  $9,598  claimed  to  be  due  on 
a  group  of  pictures  under  a  contract  dated 
Oct.  24,  1934.  The  complaint  was  dis- 
missed and  tbe  judgment  was  for  costs. 


July     II,  1936 

Skouras  Bankrupt 
Sale  Date  Soon 

Nelson  Cunliff,  federal  bankruptcy  trustee 
for  the  Skouras  Brothers  Enterprises,  Inc., 
in  St.  Louis,  will  set  a  date  within  the  next 
four  weeks  for  the  public  auction  of  the  as- 
sets of  the  bankrupt  estate  of  the  company. 
He  has  been  granted  authority  to  make  the 
sale  by  Referee  in  Bankruptcy  Hope.  The 
assets  have  been  appraised  at  $267,611. 

The  principal  assets  of  the  company  are  a 
52  per  cent  interest  in  the  St.  Louis  Amuse- 
ment Company,  which  owns  and  operates 
some  20  second  run  and  neighbor  houses  in 
various  parts  of  St.  Louis  and  St.  Louis 
County,  and  also  the  West  End  Lyric  the- 
atre. 

The  company's  financial  interest  in  the 
Ambassador,  Missouri  and  New  Grand  Cen- 
tral theatres  was  wiped  out  through  the  fore- 
closure on  those  properties  some  time  ago. 
The  general  claims  against  the  company  ag- 
gregate $4,500,000.  If  the  properties  should 
bring  their  appraised  value  the  amount  avail- 
able for  payment  of  claims  would  amount  to 
about  6  per  cent.  Aside  from  the  West  End 
Lyric  theatre  and  the  stock  in  the  St.  Louis 
Amusement  Company  the  assets  of  the  com- 
pany are  considered  of  little  value. 

The  bondholders  committees  for  the  Am- 
bassador, Missouri  and  New  Grand  Central 
theatres  hold  claims  against  the  Skouras 
Brothers  Enterprises  aggregating  $4,385,- 
000.  These  claims  are  based  on  the  com- 
pany's guarantees  on  bond  issues  against  the 
first  run  theatres. 

It  is  anticipated  that  the  Fanchon  and 
Marco  interests  will  be  an  active  bidder  at 
the  auction  sale  to  be  conducted  by  Mr. 
Cunliff.  Fanchon  and  Marco  through  nego- 
tiations with  Warner  Bros.  Pictures,  Inc., 
has  acquired  a  42  per  cent  interest  in  the 
St.  Louis  Amusement  Company.  The  pos- 
sibility of  making  a  bid  was  discussed  at 
a  conference  of  Fanchon  and  Marco  offi- 
cials held  in  St.  Louis  on  June  30. 

GB  to  Release 
Two  Monthly 

Two  releases  a  month  regularly  will  be 
forthcoming  hereafter  from  GB  Pictures,  ac- 
cording to  Arthur  A.  Lee,  vice  president. 
With  24  productions  on  the  1936-37  pro- 
gram, two  pictures  will  be  released  monthly 
for  the  next  12  months.  The  first  release 
of  the  new  season  will  be  "Doomed  Cargo," 
which  co-stars  Edmund  Lowe  and  Con- 
stance Cummings.  This  will  be  followed  by 
"Nine  Days  a  Queen,"  with  Cedric  Hard- 
wicke  and  Nova  Pilbeam  in  the  stellar  roles. 

"Activity  at  Shepherd's  Bush  in  England 
has  been  geared  to  keep  comfortably  ahead 
of  release  schedule,"  said  GB.  "Everything 
Is  Thunder,"  co-starring  Constance  Bennett 
and  Douglass  Montgomery,  has  already  been 
completed,  while  production  is  under  way  on 
"The  Great  Barrier,"  and  on  "Strangers  on 
a  Honeymoon,"  which  is  nearing  completion 
with  Constance  Cummings  and  Hugh  Sin- 
clair. Also  in  the  final  stages  of  production 
is  "Everybody  Dance,"  the  new  "Chuck" 
Reisner  comedy  with  music. 


BY 


SEPTEMBER  1st 


THE  NATION 


WILL  BE 


ALKING  ABOUT 


»»» 


*(and  in  a  nice  way,  too!) 


HERE'S  WHAT  SHE'LL 


MEAN  TO  YOU! 


er  now: 


A  0° 


V  £  <*» 

At**        ,«*°*  n«^e 

HERBERT 


RUTH 


MARSHALL  •  CHATTERTON 

in 

GIRLS'  DORMITORY 

introducing 

SIMONE  SIMON 

with 

CONSTANCE  COLLIER  •  J.  EDWARD  BROMBERG 
DIXIE  DUNBAR  •  JOHN  QUALEN  •  SHIRLEY  DEANE 

Directed  by  Irving  Cummings 


Associate  Producer  Raymond  Griffith. 

Screen  play  by  Gene  Markey.   From  a 
play  by  Ladislaus  Fodor 


sat 

Darryl  F.  Zanuck 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


93 


BRITISH  STUDIOS 


by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 


B-D  Family 

A  few  weeks  ahead  of  the  transference  of 
British  &  Dominions  production  activities 
to  the  new  Pinewood  studios  at  Iver,  Buck- 
inghamshire, details  of  the  board  of  direc- 
tors and  officers  of  Pinewood  Studios,  Ltd., 
are  released.  The  chairman  is  J.  Arthur 
Rank,  vice-chairman,  E.  Ronald  Cram- 
mond;  managing  director,  Capt.  the  Hon. 
Richard  Norton;  directors,  C.  M.  Woolf, 
Charles  Boot,  Herbert  Wilcox,  John  Cor- 
field,  Spencer  Reis  and  W.  H.  Cockburn. 
All  these  appointments  reflect  the  recently 
announced  deal  whereby  British  &  Domin- 
ions becomes  partner  in  Pinewood  and  un- 
dertakes the  management  of  the  studio,  the 
B  &  D  representatives  on  the  board  being 
Messrs.  Norton,  Crammond,  Wilcox  and 
Cockburn. 

C.  M.  Woolf,  managing  director  of  Gen- 
eral Film  Distributors,  is  associated  with 
both  B&D  and  the  J.  A.  Rank-Charles  Boot 
interests  which  built  the  studio. 

John  Corfield  is  managing  director  of 
British  National  Films,  another  Rank  com- 
pany, and  another  user  of  Pinewood  floor 
space.  Executive  appointments  announced 
at  the  same  time  include  James  B.  Sloan 
as  general  manager;  A.  L.  Dugon,  general 
secretary ;  H.  G.  Coward,  studio  manager ; 
L.  Murray,  chief  sound  engineer ;  L.  P. 
William,  art  director,  and  T.  Heathcoat, 
chief  electrical  engineer. 

Denhatn  Busy 

Denham  studios  go  into  full  commission 
this  month,  twelve  months  after  London 
Film  Productions  began  to  plan  there.  More 
than  28  acres  of  studio  floor  space,  labora- 
tory and  workshop  buildings  and  accessory 
departments  are  available,  and  something 
like  $5,000,000  has  been  spent  on  the  whole 
plant.  Already  active  are  stages  1  to  5. 
Stages  6  and  7,  damaged  by  fire  in  March, 
will  be  in  work  soon. 

In  production  at  Denham  at  the  present 
time  are  the  following  pictures :  On  stages 
1  and  4,  "Rembrandt,"  with  Charles  Laugh- 
ton,  directed  by  Alexander  Korda,  for  Lon- 
don Films.  The  picture,  in  its  third  week, 
has  Elsa  Lanchester  and  Gertrude  Lawrence 
in  support  of  Laughton. 

On  stage  2,  "Wings  of  the  Morning," 
the  New  World  first  British  all-Technicolor 
has  Annabella,  the  French  star,  opposite 
Henry  Fonda,  newly  arrived  from  Holly- 
wood. Leslie  Banks  is  another  name  in  the 
Bob  Kane  picture,  jointly  directed  by  Glenn 
Tryon  and  Harold  Schuster,  with  Natalie 
Kalmus  supervising  the  colour  work. 

On  stage  5  is  the  Tom  Walls  Capitol 
production,  "Dishonor  Bright,"  with  Eugene 
Pallette,  Betty  Stockfeld,  Dianna  Churchill 
and  Henry  Oscar. 

On  stage  3,  Fred  Zelnik  is  completing 
"Southern  Roses,"  with  George  Robey, 
Malo  and  Neil  Hamilton,  for  Grafton  Films. 

Scheduled  for  stages  6  and  7  are  "Dark 


ROYAL  ELEPHANT 
STARS  IN  FILM 

Chandrasekharen,  reputed  the  big- 
gest elephant  in  India,  will  play  the 
star  role  in  a  motion  picture  to  be 
shot  in  his  native  state  of  Travancore. 
The  animal  for  over  fifty  years  has 
been  one  of  the  most  important  mem- 
bers of  the  Travancore  Royal  Stables. 
He  is  the  leader  of  the  state  elephants 
and  heads  all  state  and  temple  pro- 
cessions in  Trivandrum,  the  capitol, 
carrying  the  Nijan  flag  of  his  howdah. 

The  royal  elephant  will  play  the 
chief  animal  part  in  the  film  "Til 
Nishin"  or  "He  Who  Rides  An  Ele- 
phant" by  the  Franklin  Granville 
Expedition.  The  story  is  built  around 
the  exploits  of  an  elephant  and  its 
mahout,  and  it  has  India's  jungles  for 
its  background. 

An  educational  picture  of  Travan- 
core also  will  be  made  by  the  ex- 
pedition with  the  scenery  and  native 
life  of  the  country  and  the  ancient 
temple  architecture  as  its  chief  fea- 
tures. The  film  will  be  climaxed  by 
scenes  from  the  birthday  celebration 
of  His  Highness  the  Maharaja  of  Tra- 
vancore to  be  held  in  November. 


Journey,"  directed  by  Victor  Saville  for 
London,  with  Miriam  Hopkins  and  Conrad 
Veidt,  and  the  Pall  Mall  production, 
"Paderewski,"  directed  by  Lothar  Mendes. 

Also  on  the  Denham  schedule  are  "Thun- 
der in  the  City,"  Alexander  Esway  produc- 
tion for  Atlantic  Films,  Marion  Geriner. 
director,  and  Edward  G.  Robinson,  star, 
having  just  arrived  from  Hollywood ;  "Ele- 
phant Boy"  interiors;  Robert  Flaherty  and 
Zoltan  Korda  are  back  from  India,  bringing 
with  them  the  Indian  boy  star,  Sabu. 

Completed  is  the  200-seated  private  the- 
atre in  which  London  Films  will  shortly 
inaugurate  the  practice,  new  to  England,  of 
studio  press  previews. 

Canada-Bound 

The  Gaumont-British  "Great  Barrier" 
unit  is  en  route  to  Canada.  The  party 
traveling  with  Milton  Rosmer,  director,  and 
Bob  Martin,  cameraman,  include  Richard 
Arlen,  Lilli  Palmer,  Barry  Mackay  and  Roy 
Emerton.  Barbara  Greene,  originally  loaned 
for  the  picture  by  Fox-British,  could  not 
sail,  the  postponement  of  the  trip  from  the 
original  date  causing  a  clash  with  other 
engagements. 

G-B  has  been  improving  the  84-acre  lot 
which  it  acquired  twelve  months  ago  at 
Northolt  for  exteriors.  The  whole  area  has 
been  drained,  permanent  roads  built  and 
dressing-room  and  workship  facilities  up  to 


studio  standards  installed.  During  the  sum- 
mer the  lot  will  be  in  continuous  use  for 
"The  Northing  Tramp,"  "The  Nelson 
Touch,"  "Sabotage,"  "Head  Over  Heels," 
"Soldiers  Three"  and  "King  Solomon's 
Mines,"  many  of  them  calling  for  big  street 
scenes  and  crowd  effects. 


75%  Exteriors 


"Beauty  and  the  Barge,"  which  has  gone 
into  production  for  Twickenham  under 
Henry  Edward's  direction,  will  be  75  per 
cent  exteriors,  the  story  offering  a  legiti- 
mate opportunity  of  providing  a  practically 
continuous  background  of  some  of  the  very 
beautiful  English  waterways.  The  unit  is 
at  present  working  on  the  river  at  Wey- 
bridge.  In  the  cast  are  Gordon  Harker, 
Judy  Gunn,  Jack  Hawkins,  George  Carney, 
Margaret  Yards  and  Margaret  Rutherford. 

Henry  Oscar  has  joined  the  cast  of 
Twickenham's  "Fall  of  an  Empire,"  Dolly 
Haas-Richard  Barthelmess  vehicle  directed 
by  Maurice  Elvey. 

Wilcox  Changes  Plan 

Herbert  Wilcox,  acknowledging  the  prior 
rights  of  Warner  Bros,  to  make  a  Lady 
Hamilton  subject  owing  to  their  rights 
in  "The  Divine  Lady,"  has  abandoned  his 
project  starring  Anna  Neagle  in  the  role 
and  instead  will  use  her  in  "On  with  the 
Dance,"  Tuillo  Carminati  co-starring  as  an 
impresario.  London,  Paris  and  Budapest 
backgrounds  are  being  placed.  Before  the 
"Lady  Hamilton"  project  was  abandoned, 
an  attempt  was  made  to  get  together  with 
Warner  on  a  joint  production,  but  it  fell 
through. 

The  current  feature  for  Herbert  Wilcox 
Productions,  "This'll  Whistle,"  from  the 
Jack  Buchanan  stage  success,  is  in  early 
scenes  at  BIP,  Elstree.  Wilcox  is  direct- 
ing personally.  Supporting  Buchanan  are 
manv  members  of  the  original  stage  cast. 


Crooks  Brings  Concert 
Competition  to  Australia 

Richard  Crooks,  the  only  American  Met- 
ropolitan Opera  star  of  any  consequence  who 
has  not  invaded  Hollywood  and  motion  pic- 
tures, brought  a  new  form  of  competition 
this  week  to  theatre  owners  in  Australia, 
in  the  form  of  a  series  of  concerts  which 
Australian  owners  have  not  had  to  contend 
with  heretofore,  unlike  exhibitors  in  the 
States.  Mr.  Crooks  started  this  week  with 
a  series  of  seven  concerts  in  Sydney,  and 
will  give  four  more,  all  in  halls  in  direct 
opposition  to  regular  established  theatres, 
sponsored  by  Fitzhugh  Haensel,  of  Colum- 
bia concerts,  in  New  York  and  the  Tait 
Brothers  in  Australia. 


Authors  Win  Film  Suit 

A  civil  court  in  Paris  has  ordered  United 
Artists  to  pay  6,000  francs  ($3,900)  to  the 
authors  of  the  French  operetta  "Chanson 
d'Amour"  for  using  the  same  title  for  the 
French  version  of  the  film  "Blossom  Time." 


94 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


BRITISH  EXHIBITORS  BLAME  U.S. 
RENTALS,  OVERBUILDING,  COERCION 


Hint  of  Appeal  to  Board  of 
Trade  Follows  Complaint  of 
Threat  of  Distributor  to 
Build  a  Competing  Theatre 

by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 

Beginning  with  a  small  fire  on  one  of  the 
trade  exhibition  stands  and  concluding  it? 
business  sessions  to  the  accompaniment  of 
a  resounding  thunderstorm,  the  Summer  Con- 
ference of  the  Cinematograph  Exhibitors 
Association  at  Eastbourne  was  not  nearly 
so  inflammatory  an  affair  as  these  incidents 
might  suggest.  Politeness  was  the  outstand- 
ing feature  of  the  discussion  on  papers,  and 
the  visible  signs  of  deeply  felt  trade  griev- 
ances were  limited  to  two  occasions.  It, 
however,  would  be  a  very  big  mistake  to 
assume  that  the  Conference  was  unfruitful. 
Things  said  and  done  behind  the  scenes 
which  may  have  a  very  definite  influence  on 
the  activities  of  American  distributors. 

The  real  highlight  of  the  meeting  was 
the  General  Council's  discussion  of  coercive 
trading  methods.  From  this  gathering  the 
press  was  excluded,  but  both  from  the  offi- 
cial report  later  issued  and  from  personal 
impressions  obtained  from  some  of  those 
present,  it  is  very  obvious  that  exhibitor 
policy  is  tending  to  shape  itself  on  two 
assertions;  there  is  felt  to  be  a  possible 
need  of  Government  protection  against 
trade  abuses,  and  those  abuses  are  laid, 
for  the  most  part,  at  the  door  of  American 
companies. 

There  were  two  specific  grievances  before 
the  Council,  on  communications  from 
branches.  The  first  was  a  threat  alleged  to 
have  been  made  by  an  American  company 
representative  that,  unless  its  films  were 
booked,  it  would  inspire  the  erection  of  a 
competing  theatre  by  "one  of  the  circuits 
in  which  we  are  interested."  The  second 
was  a  "confidential"  circular  from  the  Kine- 
matograph  Renters  Society  to  its  members 
indicating  that,  in  specific  stations  where 
conditions  favored  the  exhibitor  as  a  buyer, 
flat  rate  bookings  be  refused  and  percent- 
age rentals  universally  imposed. 

May  Go  to  Board  of  Trade 

In  regard  to  the  first  incident  it  was  de- 
clared by  C.  P.  Metcalfe,  vice-president  of 
the  CEA,  that  it  might  be  necessary  to  go  to 
the  Board  of  Trade,  through  the  Films  Act 
departmental  committee,  to  ventilate  the 
problem  of  "how  far  foreign  interests 
should  have  control  over  British  cinemas." 
There  was  also  a  suggestion  that  exhibitors 
as  a  body  cease  to  trade  with  the  offending 
company.  Meanwhile,  the  matter  was  re- 
mitted to  the  legal  committee  of  the  CEA. 

On  the  second  point,  the  decision  was  that 
the  association  should  demand  an  official 
withdrawal  of  the  KRS  policy,  failing 
which  the  Council  should  take  "necessary 
action  against  certain  renters."  Unofficially 
it  is  believed  the  action  contemplated  may 


COMMISSION  POSTPONES 
POLICE  RADIO  ORDER 

A  Federal  Communications  Com- 
mission order  allocating  radio  frequen- 
cies for  use  in  a  nationwide  police 
broadcasting  network  has  been  post- 
poned at  the  request  of  Ptirdue  Uni- 
versity and  the  National  Television 
Corporation  of  New  York  who  pro- 
tested against  removal  of  the  frequen- 
cies from  use  by  television  experiment- 
ers. 

Commission  officials  said  the  entire 
set-tip  of  frequencies  for  the  projected 
police  network  woidd  be  restirveyed 
with  a  view  to  determining  whether 
it  could  be  successfully  operated  with- 
out the  frequencies  now  in  use  for 
television. 


be  a  joint  boycott  of  offending  distributors 
singly  in  turn. 

Significant  in  the  report  of  the  debate 
were  the  statement  from  the  president,  Theo. 
H.  Fligelstone,  that  the  officers  regarded 
the  handling  of  the  matter  as  "an  acid  test" 
of  the  CEA,  and  the  assertion  by  S.  K. 
Lewis,  one  of  the  "blacklisted"  exhibitors, 
that  renters  were  operating  a  booking  com- 
bination after  refusing  the  right  of  exhibi- 
tors to  do  the  same.  Of  importance  also 
was  K.  A.  Nyman's  insistence  that  the  mat- 
ter must  be  fought  out  on  the  general  ques- 
tion of  principle,  with  a  refusal  of  conces- 
sions in  individual  cases. 

Second  in  importance  to  the  Council  meet- 
ing was  the  paper  on  "Redundancy  or 
Progress  ?"  delivered  by  Ken.  A.  Nyman 
on  the  last  morning  of  the  Conference.  It 
led  to  the  only  definite  resolution  passed 
in  open  Conference,  the  decision  being  to 
set  up  a  Propaganda  and  Statistical  Com- 
mittee to  investigate  the  three  methods  of 
combating  overbuilding  listed  by  the 
speaker ;  an  appeal  to  the  Government,  a 
joint  CEA-KRS  tribunal  to  pass  on  all 
new  theatre  plans,  or  a  continuance  of  the 
present  policy  of  action  through  local  licens- 
ing authorities. 

Hints  Official  Action 

Significant  in  Mr.  Nyman's  reply  to  the 
debate  was  his  assertion  that  "something 
fundamentally  rotten  is  going  on  in  this 
business,"  and  that  government  aid  might  be 
necessary  to  check  it,  and  his  further  hint 
that,  although  the  KRS  previously  had  re- 
fused to  cooperate  in  a  tribunal  to  combat 
overbuilding,  the  possibility  of  official  action 
might  cause  distributors  to  change  their 
minds.  Quoted  also  by  this  speaker  was  the 
recent  pronouncement  of  the  Premier  of 
New  Zealand  against  the  domination  of 
theatres  in  that  country  by  alien  interests.- 

Still  more  specific  labeling  of  the  Ameri- 
can distributor  as  the  main  source  of  the 
evils  afflicting  the  British  independent  ex- 
hibitor was  a  feature  of  J.  X.  Prendergast's 
talk  on  "Scientific  Buying  and  Selling"  at 


Withdrawal  of  Implied  Ob- 
ligatory Percentage  Rental 
Policy  Demanded  at  Summer 
Conference  at  Eastbourne 

an  earlier  Conference  session.  The  text  of 
this  speaker  was  the  high-powered  Ameri- 
can salesmanship  found  less  resistance  from 
British  than  from  American  buyers  and  that 
there  must  be  separate  organization  of  the 
independent  group,  within  the  CEA,  coupled 
with  a  plea  for  reasonable  trading  methods 
to  American  companies,  who  are  supposed  to 
be  representatives  of  a  "friendly  country." 

Proposes  Clearing  House 

The  Prendergast  solution  of  the  rentals 
problem  was  the  old  Sliding  Scale — a  mini- 
mum percentage  governing  receipts  up  to 
house  average,  and  a  cut  of  the  surplus  on 
an  agreed  basis.  He  also  wanted  a  Clearing 
House  established  through  which  independ- 
ent exhibitors  as  a  group  might  offer  a  price 
for  a  film  which  would  be  competitive  with 
that  offered  by  the  circuits.  Unlike  many 
other  speakers  he  deprecated  appealing  for 
Government  protection  in  regard  to  prices, 
on  the  ground  that  it  would  entail  discovery 
of  all  details  of  the  exhibitor's  affairs. 

Undoubtedly  the  week's  proceedings  as 
a  whole  left  a  definite  impression  that  the 
British  exhibitor  is  beginning  to  think  it 
necessary  to  mobilize  resources  against  the 
American  companies  for  the  purpose, 
firstly,  of  reducing  rentals,  and,  secondly, 
of  obtaining  guarantees  that  overbuilding 
is  not  encouraged  by  American  invest- 
ments. 

This  in  ordinary  circumstances  might  be 
dismissed  as  just  Conference  talk,  but  the 
present  temperature  of  the  British  trade 
is,  in  plain  fact,  definitely  feverish.  Im- 
portant, in  its  bearing  alike  on  the  price 
problem  and  on  the  problem  of  theatre  con- 
trol, is  the  fact  that  the  Moyne  Committee 
has  shown  a  very  definite  interest  in  the 
possible  "Americanization"  of  the  British 
industry,  that  it  is  plainly  determined  to 
probe  the  possibility  of  "quickie"  produc- 
tion being  designed  definitely  for  the  pur- 
pose of  discrediting  British  production  and 
that  the  Board  of  Trade  undoubtedly  will 
give  a  very  careful  hearing  to  any  case  the 
CEA  may  lay  before  it  suggesting  that  the 
exhibitor  is  being  victimized  by  American 
interests  in  either  of  the  two  directions 
just  mentioned. 

Problems  Involved 

With  this  atmosphere  prevailing,  it  is  un- 
fortunate that  the  relations  of  American 
distributors  to  organized  British  exhibitors 
should  be,  to  the  outside  observer,  epitom- 
ized in  the  facts  that  an  organized  attempt 
has  been  made  to  dictate  prices  higher  than 
can  be  obtained  by  ordinary  competitive 
methods ;  that  theatre  building  threats  have 
been  used,  and  that  actual  theatre  erection, 
regarded  as  overbuilding  by  existing  estab- 

(Continucd  on  following  page,  column  1) 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


95 


Rowson  Advocates 
Co-op  Advertising 


POLITICS  IN  PICTURES 

IRKS  BRITISH  CENSORS 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

lishments,  has  been  inspired  very  largely  by 
a  circuit  in  which  there  is  an  open  invest- 
ment by  American  distributor  interests. 

It  is  true  that  this  is  not  a  complete 
statement  of  the  position.  There  are  British 
as  well  as  American  interests  in  the  KRS. 
A  salesman's  threats  do  not  necessarily  re- 
flect his  company's  policy.  Many  "redund- 
ant" theatre  plans  are  all-British.  All  these 
things  are  known  within  the  industry 
Whether  they  are  understood  in  Whitehall 
is  rather  more  doubtful.  There  is  undoubt- 
edly a  danger  that  the  British  Government 
will  be  led  to  regard  the  British  exhibitor 
as  a  struggling  independent,  paying  an  un- 
economic price  for  his  films  and  threatened 
with  the  loss  of  his  theatre  to  "foreigners." 
From  the  American  point  of  view  it  is  un- 
fortunate that  representations  to  this  effect 
are  being  made  to  official  ears  rendered  re- 
ceptive to  suggestions  of  American  machia- 
vellianism  by  what  they  have  already  heard 
of  American  tactics  in  the  matter  of  British 
production. 

V 

Co-op  Advertising  Urged 

In  his  paper  before  the  Conference,  on 
"It  Pays  to  Advertise,"  Simon  Rowson 
based  an  argument  for  a  cooperative  adver- 
tising campaign  by  the  industry  on  the  ex- 
perience of  other  industries.  He  estimated 
that  the  weekly  film  attendance  in  Great 
Britain  is  20,000,000,  but  for  every  two 
patrons  there  are  three  who  do  not  attend. 

"An  increase  in  the  average  attendance 
of  one  per  cent  would  produce  additional 
revenue  of  £370,000  ($1,850,000)  a  year, 
and  would  avoid  the  necessity  of  a  capital 
expenditure  in  building  and  equipping  new- 
theatres,"  he  declared.  He  cited  the  in- 
stance of  campaigns  conducted  on  beer,  milk 
and  fruit,  and  said  that  if  the  British  ad- 
vertising expenditure  were  up  to  the 
American  level  of  $7  per  seat,  the  total 
gross  would  be  £5,000,000  yearly,  or  nearly 
treble  th°  present  total. 

He  suggested  an  annual  budget  of  £100,- 
000,  leaving  details  of  a  campaign  for  later 
discussion.  He  called  it  a  small,  experi- 
mental first  step  toward  bringing  the  British 
annual  receipts  from  $42  per  seat  to  the 
American  figure  of  $74. 

V 

Possibility  is  seen  of  drastic  action  by  the 
Kinematograph  Renters'  Society  to  cope 
with  the  evil  of  film  mutilation  by  exhibi- 
tors in  order  to  fit  a  top-heavy  two-feature 
program  into  schedule. 

-'  V 

Lord  Luke  Joins  GCF 

Lord  Luke  of  Pavenham,  chairman  of 
Bovril,  Ltd.,  a  director  of  the  Daily  Ex- 
press and  a  governor  of  the  Polytechnic  in 
Regent  Street,  has  joined  the  board  of  GCF 
Corporation,  Ltd.,  the  holding  company 
which  acquired  a  90  per  cent  interest  in 
General  Film  Distributors,  Ltd.,  the  C.  M. 
Woolf  company,  at  the  time  the  deal  was 
put  through  giving  GFD  British  distribu- 
tion of  Universal.  Capital  of  GCF,  header! 
by  Lord  Portal,  is  £1,225,000. 


Marked  Improvement  in  Stand- 
ards  of  U.  S.  and  British 
Product  Noted  by  Lord  Tyrrell 

Marked  improvement  in  the  standard  of 
motion  pictures,  both  in  the  United  States 
and  in  England,  is  reflected  by  the  large  in- 
crease in  the  number  of  subjects  passed  for 
"universal"  exhibition  and  a  concomitant 
decline  in  total  of  rejected  productions,  Lord 
Tyrrell,  president  of  the  British  Board  of 
Film  Censors,  told  the  Cinematograph  Ex- 
hibitors' Association  at  its  Summer  Confer- 
ence, which  ended  last  week,  at  Eastbourne. 

Lord  Tyrrell,  who  became  president  of  the 
Board  following  the  death  of  the  Rt.  Hon. 
Edward  Shortt,  K.  C,  in  November  last 
year,  coupled  with  his  commendation  of  ele- 
vated plane  of  production  a  warning  against 
certain  tendencies  crystalized  as  follows : 

Politics  is  creeping  into  the  films,  and 
"nothing  would  be  more  calculated  to 
arouse  the  passions  of  the  British  public 
than  the  introduction  on  the  screen  of 
subjects  dealing  either  with  religious  or 
political  controversy." 

Small  and  unrecognized  distributors  are 
stringing  together  parts  of  old  films  with 
scenes  from  past  topical  pictures  and  re- 
leasing them  as  original  productions,  while 
actually  they  are  "primarily  intended  for 
some  form  of  propaganda." 

There  is  an  increasing  number  of  pro- 
ductions "in  which  hospital  scenes  are  in- 
troduced, showing  intimate  details,  which 
can  hardly  be  said  to  be  either  entertain- 
ment or  amusement." 

Twenty-one  hundred  subjects  (6,130,115 
feet  of  film)  have  been  examined  by  the 
British  Board  in  the  past  year,  350  subjects 
being  passed  with  the  "A"  (adult)  certificate 
and  1,750  with  the  "U"  (universal)  certifi- 
cate, which  is  more  than  83  per  cent  of  the 
total  number  submitted. 

"The  examiners  took  exception  to  360  pro- 
ductions, which  is  about  50  per  cent  less 
than  was  the  case  during  the  previous  year, 
and  is  a  smaller  proportion  by  far  than  has 
been  the  case  for  many  years,"  Lord  Tyr- 
rell told  the  convention. 

"This  proves,"  he  added,  "that  the  stand- 
ard of  film  production  today,  both  in  this 
country  and  in  America,  is  much  higher 
than  ever  before,  and  the  subjects  produced 
are  far  less  contentious  than  they  were  but 
a  few  years  ago.  .  .  .  This  is  a  step  in  the 
right  direction." 

"Horrific"  Films  Protested 

The  censorship  authority  called  attention 
to  the  passing  of  the  so-called  "horrific"  pic- 
ture from  the  British  scene.  "Local  licens- 
ing authorities  throughout  the  country,"  he 
explained,  "expressed  themselves  in  no  un- 
certain language  that  they  were  determined 
not  to  allow  the  exhibition  of  these  films  in 
the  kinemas  under  their  jurisdiction,  and  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  the  Board  has  always 
considered  such  films  to  be  unwholesome,  the 


'horrific'  category  has  now  ceased  to  exist- 
The  suggestion  that  there  should  be  such  a 
classification  was  no  doubt  well  meant,  but 
it  was  never  considered  desirable  by  the 
Board,  although  we  gave  way  to  the  deter- 
mined pressure  of  the  few  that  it  should  be 
inaugurated  and  given  a  trial. 

"It  is  gratifying  to  find  that  those  who 
advocated  this  innovation  have  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  was  wrong  in  principle, 
and  that  the  Board  was  correct  in  opposing 
the  introduction  of  this  third  form  of  cer- 
tificate." 

Submitting  Scenarios 

There  is  a  growing  tendency  on  the  part 
of  film  producers  to  submit  their  scenarios 
to  the  Board  "for  our  comments  and  ob- 
servations prior  to  commencing  operations 
in  the  studios,"  the  censors'  president  said. 
Coupling  this  development  with  the  improve- 
ment of  standard  of  product,  he  added,  "I 
consider  we  may  take  a  certain  part  of  the 
credit  for  this,  due  to  the  increasing  num- 
ber of  scenarios  which  are  submitted 
to  us.  .  .  . 

"During  the  first  five  months  of  this  year 
we  have  dealt  with  80,  which  works  out  at 
the  rate  of  approximately  200  in  the  year. 

"This  number  is  well  in  advance  of  any 
previous  year's  figures.  One  important  Eng- 
lish producer  who,  so  far,  has  held  aloof, 
announced  last  week  his  intention  of  sub- 
mitting all  his  scenarios  in  future." 

European  "Artistic"  Films 

Lord  Tyrrell  declared  that  the  Board  "has 
been  caused  a  considerable  amount  of 
anxiety  during  the  year  in  connection  with 
certain  European  films."  He  said  there  had 
been  a  noticeable  increase  of  such  cases. 
"Several  of  these  films,"  he  added,  "have 
proved  to  be  quite  prohibitive,  and  one,  at 
least,  was  banned  in  its  country  of  origin. 
Many  of  these  films  require  drastic  cutting 
before  they  can  be  said  to  be  suitable  for 
public  exhibition  in  this  country." 

Pointing  out  that  for  the  most  part  the 
pictures  are  intended  for  showing  in  a  few 
theatres  on  socalled  specialized  programs, 
and  that  in  some  cases  they  are,  as  claimed, 
of  some  outstanding  artistic  merit,  Lord 
Tyrrell  at  the  same  time  had  nothing  to  say 
for  the  "quite  objectionable  and  prohibitive" 
scenes  and  incidents  depicted  in  them. 

Lord  Tyrrell  made  known  that  the  free- 
hold to  Carlisle  House  in  Soho  had  been 
purchased  to  provide  a  larger  home  for  the 
Board  in  keeping  with  its  expanding  ac- 
tivities. 


BJS  Pictures  Formed 
To  Make  12  Features 

BJS  Pictures,  Inc.,  has  been  formed  in 
Hollywood  with  C.  C.  Burr,  as  president ; 
Harold  Stretz,  treasurer ;  Ray  E.  Johnson, 
vice-president,  and  Robert  Sherwood,  secre- 
tary. Present  plans  call  for  the  production 
of  six  outdoor  musicals  and  six  comedy 
melodramas.  Space  has  been  taken  in  the 
Equitable  Building  and  International  Stu- 
dios, Hollywood. 


96 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


CHANCE  CAME  FICHT 
ON  IN  SEVEN  STATES 


Action  Against  Practice  Taken 
in  Four  States;  Policy  Wins 
Round    in    Three  Localities 

Action  against  chance  games  was  as  in- 
tensively fought  this  week  as  last,  with  de- 
cisions opposing  the  practice  in  Florida, 
Kentucky,  Ohio  and  Oregon.  The  games 
won  rounds  in  Massachusetts,  New  York 
and  Wisconsin. 

In  Tampa,  Florida,  crowding  at  local  the- 
atres on  the  nights  when  Bank  Night  draw- 
ings are  held  has  drawn  the  fire  of  city 
authorities,  led  by  chiefs  of  the  fire  and 
police  departments.  Theatre  men  were  or- 
dered so  to  arrange  the  attendance  that 
crowding  of  theatres  is  ended  or  drastic 
action  will  be  taken. 

Further  north,  in  Kentucky,  civil  suits  de- 
signed to  force  Ashland  theatres  to  dis- 
continue Sweepstakes  Night,  Bank  Night 
and  other  forms  of  alleged  lotteries  have 
been  instituted  in  the  Boyd  circuit  court 
by  the  commonwealth  attorney,  E.  Poe 
Harris.  One  suit  has  been  filed  against 
Capitol  Amusement  Company,  Inc.,  oper- 
ator of  the  Grand  and  Paramount  the- 
atres. Listing  three  separate  alleged 
offenses,  the  suits  ask  that  the  common- 
wealth recover  the  maximum  fine  of 
$5,000  for  each  offense  from  each  of  the 
defendants. 

In  Boston  Bank  Night  has  been  ruled  not 
a  lottery  by  the  supreme  court.  The  winning 
of  the  lengthy  case  by  Attorney  George  S. 
Ryan  follows  similar  victories  by  the  same 
lawyer  in  the  Maine  and  New  Hampshire 
courts.  The  victory  clears  up  a  situation 
that  has  been  confusing  Massachusetts  ex- 
hisitors  for  some  time.  Following  a  recent 
police  crusade,  practically  no  houses  in 
Boston  have  been  using  the  plan.  One  or 
two  theatres  in  surrounding  towns  have 
taken  chances. 

In  New  York  Loew's  will  give  Bank 
Night  its  first  trial  in  its  large  deluxe 
houses  the  week  of  July  20,  when  the  game 
will  be  introduced  at  the  Metropolitan, 
Brooklyn ;  Valencia,  Jamaica,  and  the  Para- 
dise in  the  Bronx.  A  prize  of  $500  will  start 
the  game  in  these  three  theatres  and  $250 
will  be  added  each  week  until  a  winner  col- 
lects or  a  maximum  figure  is  reached.  At. 
present  the  circuit  is  using  either  Bank 
Night  or  Screeno  in  35  houses  in  Manhat- 
ton,  all  in  neighborhoods  of  lesser  import- 
ance. For  a  time  the  Paradise  was  featur- 
ing Screeno  but  the  game  was  removed 
when  encounters  with  authorities  forced  all 
Bronx  theatres  to  discontinue  chance  games. 

Meanwhile,  exhibitor  members  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  of  Ohio  have  been 
warned  by  Peter  J.  Wood,  secretary,  that 
they  should  be  guided  by  the  advice  of  their 
attorneys  on  the  use  of  the  term  Bank 
Night  in  that  state,  where,  it  seems,  the 
word  "bank"  is  limited  to  actual  bankers, 
under  law.  The  ITO  already  has  sought 
legal  advice  on  the  subject  and  has  been 
informed  by  counsel  that  anyone  using  the 


word  "bank"  unlawfully  is  subject  to  a  fine 
of  $100  for  each  day  of  use. 

William  E.  Minshall,  attorney  for  Affili- 
ated Enterprises,  which  controls  Bank 
Night,  brands  the  exhibitor  group's  notice 
as  "silly  and  an  attempt  to  stir  up  a  con- 
troversy and  confuse  theatre  owners." 

Terming  Bank  Night  "dangerous,  for  it 
attracts  persons  who  are  financially  unable 
to  attend,  but  who  are  drawn  solely  by  the 
gambling  inducement,"  Attorney  General 
Clyde  R.  Chapman  in  Portland,  Ore.,  has 
renewed  his  fight  against  the  giveaway. 
Some  time  ago  he  lost  a  case  in  the  supreme 
court,  but  now  he  says  that  he  "is  determined 
to  stamp  it  out  completely  in  the  state." 

On  the  other  hand,  in  Milwaukee,  Bank 
night  in  a  theatre  has  been  again  upheld  as 
no  violation  of  the  lottery  law  by  a  jury 
in  District  Judge  Howard  Harberle's  court. 
Milton  Harman,  manager  of  Saxe's  Gar- 
field, was  acquitted  of  the  charge  of  operat- 
ing a  lottery. 

V an  Beuren,  RKO 
Renew  for  Year 

The  Van  Beuren  Corporation,  producer 
of  short  subjects,  has  renewed  its  releasing 
contract  with  RKO  Radio  for  one  more  year 
and  under  terms  of  the  new  deal  will  supply 
32  shorts  for  the  1936-37  season. 

In  the  new  lineup  there  will  be  13  Bill 
Corum  Sport  specials,  produced  under  the 
supervision  of  the  sports  columnist,  an  in- 
crease of  six  over  the  number  made  last 
season ;  six  in  the  Struggle  to  Live  series, 
and  13  World  on  Parade  reels. 

The  Rainbow  Color  Cartune  series  and  the 
Easy  Aces  group  have  been  discontinued  by 
the  company,  and  it  is  planned  to  change  the 
World  on  Parade  group  so  that  besides  the 
usual  travelogue  material  there  will  be  in- 
cluded noted  personalities  and  novelties. 


Dunas  and  Taylor 
Head  Districts 

Phil  Dunas,  Chicago  branch  manager  for 
Columbia  Pictures,  and  Harry  Taylor,  Kan- 
sas City  sales  head,  have  been  promoted  to 
district  managers,  the  former  to  have  charge 
of  mid-central  sales  which  will  include  his 
present  territory  along  with  Milwaukee  and 
Minneapolis,  while  Taylor  will  supervise  the 
Omaha  and  Des  Moines  territories  as  well 
as  remain  in  charge  at  Kansas  City. 

Both  men  have  been  with  the  company  for 
five  years.  The  territories  taken  over  by 
Dunas  and  Taylor  formerly  came  under  one 
district  until  Max  Roth  resigned.  The  pro- 
motions are  in  line  with  Abe  Montague's 
policy  of  advancing  men  from  within  the 
ranks. 


Rolsky-Fox  Trial 
A  t  Kansas  City  to 
Be  Heard  July  24 

Anti-trust  movements  this  week  included 
the  setting  of  July  24  by  Judge  Merrill  E. 
Otis  of  the  United  States  district  court  in 
Kansas  City  as  the  date  of  trial  of  the  suit 
of  Emanuel  Rolsky  et  all  versus  Fox  Mid- 
west and  major  distributors,  and  the  filing 
of  initial  papers  in  New  York  by  Franklin 
Theatrical  Enterprises,  Inc.,  of  Hawaii, 
against  Warner  Bros. 

Rolsky  and  the  owners  of  11  other  inde- 
pendent subsequent-runs  in  Kansas  City  filed 
against  Fox  Midwest  and  the  distributors 
February  25,  this  year,  charging  conspiracy 
and  violation  of  the  anti-trust  laws  in  con- 
nection with  clearance  and  zoning  on  1935- 
36  product.  The  plaintiffs,  besides  Rolsky, 
are  E.  S.  Young,  Charles  E.  Esterly,  Frank 
T.  Mountjoy,  H.  F.  Pautz  and  H.  C. 
Rhode,  Abe  and  Rosa  Baier,  C.  H.  Potter 
and  H.  H.  Barrett. 

Later,  eight  exhibitors  filed  a  motion  to 
intervene,  contending  that  any  decision  of 
the  court  in  the  original  suit  would  affect 
their  business.  This  motion  to  intervene 
also  has  to  be  ruled  on  by  Judge  Otis.  The 
intervening  exhibitors  are  Rube  Finkelstein, 
Clarence  A.  Schultz,  J.  W.  Cotter,  Jay 
Means,  J.  F.  Rigney,  William  Parsons  and 
Ed  Dubinsky. 

Fox  Midwest  and  the  four  large  distribu- 
tors answered  the  suit  some  time  ago.  When 
Fox  Midwest  filed  its  answer,  it  was  deter- 
mined to  try  the  case  on  its  merits. 

In  New  York,  initial  papers  and  summons 
have  been  filed  and  issued  in  an  action 
charging  conspiracy  in  restraint  of  trade  by 
Franklin  Theatrical  Enterprises,  Inc.,  of  Ha- 
waii, against  Warners,  according  to  Charles 
Franklin,  attorney  for  the  complainant.  The 
action  will  be  brought  in  the  federal  court 
in  Manhattan.  Mr.  Franklin  declared  the 
action  against  Warners  will  be  brought  sep- 
arately, with  a  combined  suit  of  a  similar 
nature  against  all  major  distributors  except 
Paramount  to  be  filed  later. 

Mr.  Franklin  declared  a  contract  had  been 
signed  in  Los  Angeles  for  Warner  product 
in  the  six  Hawaiian  theatres  and  that  the 
Warner  home  office  later  had  advised  the 
circuit  that  the  contract  would  not  be  car- 
ried out,  after  another  deal  had  been  closed 
with  Consolidated  Amusement  Company  of 
Hawaii.  The  contract  situation,  Mr.  Frank- 
lin said,  will  be  used  as  evidence  in  the  con- 
spiracy action  against  Warner  Bros. 

At  the  Warner  home  office,  however,  a 
member  of  the  legal  staff  declared  he  had 
no  knowledge  of  such  an  action  and  that  no 
papers  had  been  served. 


Restraining  Order  Issued 
In  Bankruptcy  Action 

An  order  restraining  Crelian  Amusement 
Corporation  and  Gemma  Amusement  Cor- 
poration from  paying  $16,728  to  a  number 
of  firms  has  been  signed  in  federal  court  in 
New  York  on  petition  of  Columbia  Pictures. 
The  move  was  in  connection  with  involun- 
tary bankruptcy  proceedings  against  Jaydo, 
Inc.,  operating  theatres  in  the  Bronx. 


Full  speed  ahead  with  the 


NEW  UNIVERSAL 


THE  NEW!  UNIVERSAL  HAS  NO  SECRETS.  WHAT  IT 
HONESTLY!  TELLS  ITS  SALESMEN,  IT  PROUDLY  TELLS 
YOU!  ...  UNIVERSAL  IS  THE  FIRST  COMPANY  IN 
THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  INDUSTRY  TO  PUBLISH  ITS 


'SA1  £  AAA  JA  VJoA  C  A\  AA 


THEATRE 

CITY  OR  TOWN 

STATE 

ZONE 

POP. 

SEATING  CAPACITY 

ADM.  PRICES 

NO.  CHANGES  WEEKLY 

SUN.  OPERATION:    YES  —  NO  — 

OWNERSHIP 

MANAGEMENT 

SHIP  VIA  — 

IRENE  DUNNE  in  "MADAME  CURIE" 

From  the  amazing  novel  by  her  daughter,  Eve  Curie  —  the  book 
that  will  sweep  the  world.  A  true  life  story  of  the  woman  whose 
love  was  as  deep  as  humanity,  whose  career  was  more  thrilling 
than  fiction  and  whose  achievement  will  never  be  forgotten. 


HIPPODROME 

Produced  with  the  great  R.  H.  BURNSIDE  himself  as  collaborator 
and  technical  adviser.  Brilliant,  spectacular  musical  suggested 
by  the  glamorous  history  of  the  famous  N.  Y.  Hippodrome, 
which  was  a  world  landmark  and  legend.  


TIME  OUT  OF  MIND 

RACHEL  FIELD'S  prize-winning  book,  just  elected  the  most  dis- 
tinguished novel  of  1936  by  American  critics  and  bookdealers. 
.  .  .  Story  of  a  Maine  town  girl  who  lived  a  whole  lifetime  of 
devotion  and  sacrifice  for  one  little  hour  of  love.  Screenplay 
by   Humphrey  Pearson. 


EVERYBODY  SINGS 

All-star  musical  with  hit  tunes  and  gorgeous  girls  .  .  .  LOU 
BROCK,  Associate  Producer.  Academy  award  winner  last  year 
for  his  musical  novelty  "So  This  Is  Harris?"  He  was  the  first  to 
team  Fred  Astaire  and  Ginger  Rogers.  Directed  by  Ralph 
Murphy.    Music  and  lyrics  by  Frank  Loesser  and  Irving  Actman. 


RENO  IN  THE  FALL 

The  lowdown  on  the  gayety  and  the  heartbreak  in  America's 
most  famous  matrimonial  hot-spot!  Story  by  Grace  Norton. 
E.  M.  Asher,  associate  producer. 


UNTITLED 


MY  CHILDREN 

The  true  and  hitherto  unrevealed  story  of  the  DIONNE  family 
.  .  .  the  story  the  world  has  been  waiting  for  .  .  .  drama  based 
on  facts  by  Lillian  Barker,  with  screenplay  by  Miss  Barker  and 
Samuel  Ornitz.     Subject  to  Approval  of  Canadian  Gov't.  


THE  LUCKIEST  GIRL  IN  THE  WORLD 

LADIES  HOME  JOURNAL  story  ("Kitchen  Privileges"),  voted 
by  women  one  of  the  best  stories  of  years  .  .  .  read  by  millions 
.  .  .  ANN  JORDAN,  author.  WALTER  LANG,  director.  Story 
of  girl  who  knew  love  when  she  saw  it  and  was  willing  to  prove 
that  two  can  live  on  nothing  at  all  .  .  .  if  necessary. 


HELLO,  BEAUTIFUL 

She  dressed  him,  fed  him,  made  him  love  her — by  telephone. 
It  was  a  crazy  business,  but  that  was  her  job!  Story  by  Ethel 
F.  Matheson.    With  Doris  Nolan  and  Louis  Hayward. 


Novel  by  CLARENCE  BUDINGTON  KELLAND,  author  of  "Mr. 
Deeds  Goes  To  Town,"  "The  Cat's  Paw"  and  "Strike  Me  Pink" 
.  .  .  appeared  first  as  a  serial  in  Sat.  Eve.  Post  and  now  a 
popular,  best-selling  novel. 


UNTITLED 


CLASS  PROPHECY 

McCALL'S  MAGAZINE  success  by  Eleanor  Griffin  —  the  story 
of  the  girl  they  all  forgot  on  graduation  day  —  but  the  girl  box 
offices  will  long  remember. 


FOUR  DAYS'  WONDER 

From  the  world-famous  A.  A.  MILNE  story  just  purchased,  with 
an  all-star  cast  including  Jeanne  Dante.  


UNTITLED 


LESSONS  IN  SOCIETY 

The  school  where  they  learned  to  be  high-hat  and  set  folks  back 
on  their  heels.  You  can  teach  them  to  be  ladies,  but  when  love 
comes  along  the  best  of  them  forget. 


UNTITLED 


RICH  AND  RECKLESS 

Story  of  a  debutante  who  takes  over  a  business  and  in  turn  is 
taken  over  by  her  most  unmanageable  employee.  .  .  .  It's  a 
fight  from  the  word  'go'  ...  A  woman's  wit  against  a  man's 
strength.  With  Edmund  Lowe  and  Gloria  Stuart.  Story  by 
Roy  and  Marjorie  Chanslor.  Screenplay  by  Alice  D.  G.  Miller 
and  Albert  Perkins. 


UNTITLED 


DAYS 


RENTAL  TERMS 


MY  MAN  GODFREY 

Starring  WILLIAM  POWELL  and  CAROLE  LOMBARD— Cast 
includes  Alice  Brady,  Eugene  Pallette,  Gail  Patrick,  Mischa  Auer, 
Alan  Mowbray,  Jean  Dixon — GREGORY  LA  CAVA  director  and 
associate  producer.  Screenplay  by  Morrie  Ryskind  and  Eric 
Hatch. 


JAMES  WHALE  PRODUCTION 

ANOTHER  SMASHING  BOX-OFFICE  RELEASE  from  the  man 
who  directed  "SHOW  BOAT".  Watch  the  coming  announce- 
ments! 


MELODY  LADY 

A  JEROME  KERN  MUSICAL  PRODUCTION  with  new  num- 
bers by  the  composer  of  "SHOW  BOAT,"  from  story  by  EARL 
DERR  BIGGERS.  A  big,  all-star  super  musical — Screenplay  by 
Herbert  Fields  and  lyrics  by  Dorothy  Fields. 


TWO  IN  A  CROWD 

Directed  by  ALFRED  GREEN  who  directed  Bette  Davis  in  her 
Academy-award  performance  in  "Dangerous"  —  with  JOAN 
BENNETT  and  JOEL  McCREA.    E.  M.  Asher,  associate  producer. 


EDWARD  ARNOLD  PRODUCTION 

A  special  release  starring  the  man  who  established  one  of  the 
screen's  finest  characterizations  in  "DIAMOND  JIM."  Watch 
the  coming  announcements! 


AS  GOOD  AS  MARRIED 

They  got  married  deliberately  for  protection  against  others. 
Great  story  from  pen  of  NORMAN  KRASNA  who  wrote  "Small 
Miracle"  and  "Han,ds  Across  the  Table"  —  Morrie  Ryskind,  as- 
sociate producer,  Pulitzer  prize  winner  of  "Of  Thee  I  Sing"  fame 
and  co-author  of  "Night  at  the  Opera"  and  numerous  other 
Marx  Brothers  stage  and  screen  hits. 


A  FOOL  FOR  BLONDES 

Starring  Victor  McLaglen  with  an  all-star  cast.  McLaglen  was 
last  year's  Academy  prize  winner  for  his  performance  in  "The 
Informer."  From  the  story  "BIG,"  a  LIBERTY  MAGAZINE  sen- 
sation by  Owen  Francis.  Edmund  Grainger,  associate  producer. 
John  G.  BIystone  directing. 


FLYING  HOSTESS 

Romance  in  the  clouds  .  .  .  breath-taking,  heart-stopping  drama 
...  a  story  with  echoes  in  the  headlines  ...  a  bow  to  the 
glorious  girls  who  risk  their  lives  daily  on  the  great  passenger 
planes  and  whose  story  has  never  been  told.  Edmund  Grainger, 
associate  producer. 


KARLQFF — "MAN  IN  THE  CAB"  , ...  J . 

A  new  Karloff  in  a  different  and  surprising  role — He  chilled  em 
before — Now  he'll  thrill  them  anew.  A  picture  that  gives  him 
added  lustre  and  pulling  power. 


UNTITLED 


CHILDREN  OF  BROADWAY         L  L  , 

A  rich,  riotous  and  romantic  rhapsody  about  two  wise  babies  of 
Broadway  who  turned  children  of  nature — naturally  it's  a  natural! 
Story  by  M.  Coates  Webster.    Screenplay  by  Harry  Clork. 


COAST  GUARD 

Fast  action,  thundering  romance,  and  an  inside  story  of  the 
adventure  and  heart  affairs  of  the  men  who  stand  guard  at 
Uncle  Sam's  front  doors.  .  .  . 


UNTITLED 


THREE  SMART  GIRLS 

Father  may  know  best  .  .  .  but  these  three  girls  knew  better. 
They  saw  dad  heading  for  a  fall  and  showed  him  how  to  put  on 
the  brakes.  Director,  Henry  Koster.  Jos.  Pasternak,  associate 
producer.  With  Jeanne  Dante,  youthful  sensation  of  Broadway 
and  a  hand-picked  cast. 


CALIFORNIA  STRAIGHT  AHEAD  .„ 

3,000  miles  of  action  romance — whizzing  with  speed  and  thrills 
and  zipping  along  with  youthful  adventure  all  the  way! 


UNTITLED 


UNTITLED 


SON  OF  A  CHAMPION 

From  JACK  LONDON'S  famous  story — drama  for  the  roaring 
crowds — *  crashing  love  story  for  the  women.  One  of  this 
great  writer's  greatest! 


DAYS 


RENTAL  TERMS 


6  BUCK  JONES 

The  greatest  Western  and  action  star  of  all  time  in  six  knock-out 
features  .  .  .  stories  selected  from  best  writers  and  aimed 
straight  at  the  cash  register.  The  boy  that  rides  the  red  out  of 
the  box  office! 


NO. 
DAYS 


PRICE  PER  SUBJECT 


TOTAL  RENTAL 


PLAYING  ARRANGEMENT 


I  IK.IIV/CDC  A  I   kirw/CDrri  the  real  news  power  of  _  graham 

UNIVERSAL  NtWSKttL  THE  MOTION  PICTURE  SCREEN   w"h  McNAMEE 

104 

ISSUES 

NO.  ISSUES 

PRICE  PER  ISSUE 

TOTAL  RENTAL 

STARTING  DATE 

THE  SUPER  POWER  SERIALS ! 


NO.  EPISODES 

PRICE 

TOTAL 
RENTAL 

PLAYING 
ARRANGEMENTS 

NO.  EPISODES 

PRICE 

TOTAL 
RENTAL 

PLAYING 
ARRANGEMENTS 

15 

BUCK  JONES  IN 
PHANTOM  RIDER 

Buck  Jones,  the  Icing  of  all  serial  stars, 
in    another    rip-roaring,    hard  riding 
thrill-adventure  chapter-play. 

12 

JUNGLE  JIM 

By  Alex   Raymond,  creator  of  "Flash 
Gordon"  —  a  famous  King  Features 
Newspaper  Cartoon   Strip  —  Jungle 
adventures  in  darkest  Africa! 

13 

ACE  DRUMMOND 
With  JOHN  KING 

From    King    Features    amazing  Thrill 
Cartoon  strip  by  Capt.  Eddie  Riclten- 
backer;  running  in  hundreds  of  coun- 
try's  greatest   newspapers   and  read 
by  the  millions  —  young  and  old! 

12 

SECRET  AGENT  X-? 

The    outstanding    newspaper  mystery 
strip   of   them   all!   —   From  Charles 
Flanders   King  Features  popular  news- 
paper Cartoon  Strip  —  another  great 

serial  scoop! 

HIGH  POWER  SHORTS 


13  SENSATIONAL  MUSICAL  MENTONES 

The  market  demanded  one-reel  musicals — so  Universal  will  make  them.  They  will  be  powerful  musical  shorts,  featuring  the  leading  stars 
of  stage,  radio  and  screen,  handsomely  made  and  adding  new  prestige  to  that  already  enjoyed  by  the  Mentone  releases. 

PRICE 

TOTAL 
RENTAL 

PLAYING 
ARRANGEMENTS 

NO.  ISSUES 

GOING  PLACES 

Exciting,  inviting  and  always  entertaining  .  .  .  The  screen's  roving  adventurer  finds  amazing  scenes  in  the  world's  far  places  .  .  .  with 
comment  by  LOWELL  THOMAS,  who  makes  these   travel-adventures  come  to  life  before  your  eyes.  .  .  . 

26 

STRANGER  THAN  FICTION 

Fantastic  people  and  unusual  things  from  the  corners  of  the  world.  .  .  .  Each  one  different — all  intensely  interesting — will  highlight 
any  program.    Reported  by  the  talented  and  popular  JIMMY  WALLINGTON  and  other  well-known  commentators. 

26 

LAUGHTER-JAMMED,  MUSIC-PACKED 
OSWALD  CARTOONS 

The  Funny  Bunny  Cartoon  that  has  won  its  way  to  tarn*  through  the  hearts  of  movie  audiences  all  over  the  world 
—  Oswald,  the  Lucky  Rabbit,  funnier  than  ever  before  —  New  stories,  new  tricks  and  new,  snappy  music. 

"YOU  CAN'T  GET  AWAY  WITH  ITI" 

A  SPECIAL  TWO-REEL  SUBJECT  which  takes  you  behind  the  scenes  with  the  Dept.  of  Criminal  Investigation.  —  Amazing  revelations 
of  Uncle  Sam's  crook-catchers  at  work!     Produced  by  Charles  E.  Ford,  who  gave  you  "Camera  Thrills." 

h 

J   ^        This  is  a  SALESMAN'S  GUIDE  as  to  contemplated  productions  and  has  been  prepared  for  his  use  only.  It  is  not  a  part  of  the  contract.  All  questions  regarding  substitution  shall  be  deter- 
mined solely  on  the  basis  of  the  contract. 

OWER  FORI 
THE  ROZ  OFFICE  ■ 

T  IS  A  FINE  THING  that  new  financial  power  has  come  to  Universal,  because  it 
means  more  power  for  the  box  offices  of  Universal  customers.  In  all  my  years  with 
Universal  I  have  never  had  more  confidence  than  now  in  the  company's  ability  to 
deliver  the  pictures  that  exhibitors  want. 

Exhibitors  who  buy  Universal  this  year  will  get  even  more  value  in  the  way  of  box  office 
power  than  our  announcement  indicates  because  we  are  not  ready  at  this  time  to  tell  our 
whole  story.  As  the  worksheet  goes  to  press  we  are  in  the  midst  of  signing  up  several 
other  mighty  important  picture  personalities  and  properties.  We  will  announce  them 
as  fast  as  they  are  closed. 

The  new  Universal  is  backed  up  with  what  it  takes  to  make  money-making  entertain- 
ment —  stars,  stories,  players,  producers,  directors  and  technical  experts. 

In  Charles  R.  Rogers  and  William  Koenig  and  their  staff  of  associates,  the  new  Universal 
has  one  of  the  most  alert  producing  forces  in  the  industry  -  men  who  have  proven  by 
past  performances  that  they  recognize  box  office  values,  and  know  how  to  make  the 
most  of  translating  them  into  showmanship  power. 

With  James  R.  Grainger  and  his  aides  continuing  in  charge  of  distribution,  the  new 
Universal  retains  some  of  its  most  valuable  assets  —  men  whose  integrity,  whose 
understanding  of  exhibitors'  problems,  and  whose  fairness  in  all  matters  pertaining  to 
releases  and  bookings  are  well  known  to  theatre. people. 

The  new  Universal  will  be  in  the  foreground  in  1936-37  and  thereafter. 

The  new  Universal  will  be  the  new  power  in  the  box  office  —  and  this  means  more 
box-office  power  for  all  exhibitors  purchasing  Universal. 

Go  with  the  new  Universal  —  full  speed  ahead! 

R.  H.  COCHRANE,  President, 
Universal  Pictures  Corporation 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


101 


TERMS  OF  STRIKE  SETTLEMENT 
CALLED  BLOW  TO  FRENCH  FILMS 


Increase  of  30  Per  Cent  in 
Cost  of  Production  Esti- 
mated Result  of  40  -  Hour 
Week    Barring  Overtime 

Out  of  the  details  of  the  temporary  agree- 
ments under  which  the  general  strike  in 
Paris  came  to  a  close,  with  resumption  of 
activities  at  studios,  distributing  offices  and 
laboratories,  heavy  burdens  upon  the 
branches  of  the  film  industry  have  come  to 
light,  among  them  these : 

Producing  companies  and  studios  were 
forced  to  pay  indemnities  to  employees  to 
cover  the  period  of  idleness,  and  these 
indemnities  ranged  as  high  as  $30,000  for 
some  concerns. 

Distributors  agreed,  under  protest,  to 
pay  50  per  cent  of  wages  to  employees 
for  the  period  affected  by  the  strike,  which 
lasted  1 6  days. 

Theatres  not  only  lost  the  patronage 
shut  off  by  the  strike  but  are  required  to 
hand  out  increased  waqes  to  their  staffs. 

Three  temporary  agreements  were  signed,  one 
for  the  studios  and  laboratories,  another  for 
distribution,  *and  a  third  for  exhibition.  In 
general  the  labor  unions  won  out  in  their  de- 
mands, achieving  a  40-hour  week,  two  weeks 
paid  vacation,  abolition  of  overtime,  the  right 
to  have  delegates  in  places  of  employment,  and 
establishment  of  specified  health  and  safety 
regulations.  Details  of  the  temporary  agree- 
ments follow : 

Studios,  Laboratories 

It  was  only  after  arbitration  by  the  Minister 
of  Labor  that  an  agreement  was  signed.'  The 
trade  unions  had  demanded  exclusive  control  of 
engagement  of  employees.  All  would  have  had 
to  be  members  of  the  Confederation  Generale 
du  Travail  (Confederation  of  Trades  Unions). 
In  the  cinema  industry,  as  in  the  other  French 
industries,  a  high  percentage  of  employees  and 
workers  do  not  belong  to  the  CGT  and  have 
always  refused  to  be  members.  The  reason  is 
that  nearly  all  members  of  the  CGT,  in  itself 
non-political,  are  also  members  of  the  Com- 
munist or  Socialist  political  parties.  In  the 
film  industry  the  representative  of  the  CGT 
who  was  leading  the  strike  was  a  young 
Communist. 

The  Minister  of  Labor  agreed  with  the  em- 
ployers upon  full  liberty  of  engagement  and  the 
trade  union  delegates  conceded  that  point. 

Many  are  the  advantages  obtained  by  the 
workers,  however,  as  evinced  by  the  following : 

All  work  paid  under  8  francs  65  (57  cents) 
an  hour  will  be  raised  0  francs  70  (4%  cents). 

Work  paid  over  8  francs  65  (57  cents)  an 
hour  will  have  a  7  per  cent  increase. 

Weekly  wages  under  430  francs  ($28.00) 
will  be  raised  $2.00  a  week.  Weekly  wages 
above  430  francs  ($28.00)  will  be  increased  7 
per  cent. 

Monthly  wages  will  be  increased  according 
to  the  following  scale : 

Between  0  and  800  francs  ($53.00),  increased 
15  per  cent ; 

Between  800  francs  ($53.00)  and  1,500  francs 
($100.00),  10  per  cent; 

Over  1,500  francs  ($100.00),  5  per  cent. 

For  instance,  for  an  employee  who  was  earn- 
ing 1,200  francs,  a  month  ($80.00),  the  increase 
will  be  calculated  as  follows : 


That  part  of  the  wages  up  to  800  francs : 
15  per  cent  on  803  francs  or  120  francs. 

Between  800  and  1,200  francs :  10  per  cent  on 
400  francs  or  40  francs. 

Total  new  wage:  1,200  +  120  +  40  or  1,360 
francs  ($90.67),  an  increase  of  160  francs  or 
$10.67.  An  employee  who  was  getting  $120  a 
month  will  now  have  $135,  or  a  $15  increase. 

All  workers  will  be  paid  weekly.  For  each 
of  them  the  weekly  wages  will  be  48  times  the 
hour  wage. 

Temporarily  the  weekly  hours  of  work  will 
be  48,  but  the  collective  contract  will  reduce 
the  number  to  40  hours. 

No  extra  hours  will  be  permitted ;  previously 
employees  in  the  studios  sometimes  worked  up 
to  72  hours  a  week. 

In  addition  to  the  wage  increases,  representa- 
tives of  the  Employers'  Associations  agreed  to 
grant  employees  indemnity  for  the  days  of 
strike.  This  indemnity  will  be,  for  each  day  of 
strike:  10  francs  (66  cents)  for  bachelors; 
15  francs  ($1.00)  for  married  employees;  20 
francs  ($1.33)  for  heads  of  families. 

Distributors'  Agreement 

Following  the  signing  of  a  temporary  agree- 
ment, negotiations  are  now  being  carried  on 
for  establishment  of  a  collective  contract  for 
the  whole  of  the  French  Territory,  French 
colonies,  and  protectorates. 

The  temporary  agreement  is  obligatory  for  all 
distributing  companies  as  well  as  the  adminis- 
trative staffs  of  studios  and  laboratories,  as  will 
be,  later,  the  collective  contract. 

A  200  francs  ($13.33)  raise  in  monthly  wages 
is  granted  to  everyone  whose  pay  was  under  800 
francs  ($53.33).  For  the  previous  scale  of 
800  to  1,200  francs  the  increase  is  150  francs 
($10.00).  A  100  francs  ($6.66)  raise  is  granted 
those  with  wages  over  1,200  francs  ($80.00). 

The  terms  of  the  forthcoming  collective  con- 
tr-irt  v-;H  be  retroactive  to  the  day  work  was 
resumed. 

1  he  employers  agreed  to  pay  all  employees, 
as  indemnity,  50  per  cent  of  their  wages  for 
the  time  they  were  on  strike. 

This  agreement  affects  employees  of  dis- 
tributing companies  in  the  departments  of  Seine, 
Seine  et  Oise,  Seine  et  Marne. 

Exhibitors'  Agreement 

Representatives  of  the  exhibitors  met  with 
delegates  of  the  projectionists,  electricians  and 
ushers  and  usherettes. 

It  has  been  customary  for  ushers  to  pay  the 
management  a  fixed  share  of  their  tips.  That 
is  over.  The  ushers  may  work  for  the  tips 
alone,  without  other  pay,  but  they  will  retain 
the  whole  of  these  tips. 

Wages  of  first  projectionists  (Paris  and  sub- 
urb) are  now  fixed  at  450  francs  ($30.00)  week- 
ly ;  assistant  projectionists,  250  francs  ($16.66), 
this  for  a  40-hour  week ;  girl  cashiers,  275 
francs  ($18.33)  for  40  hours;  check-taker  and 
controller,  255  francs   ($17.00)   for  40  hours. 

While  the  strike  is  ended,  exhibitors  still  are 
feeling  the  effects  of  it. 

The  Paramount  theatre  reopened  with  a  new 
policy  on  the  times  of  showing.  Previously  it 
had  continuous  performances  from  9.30  a.m.  to 
2.30  a.m.  The  hours  now  are  only  from  1  p.m. 
to  1  a.m.,  with  reduced  rates  of  7  francs  or 
44  cents  before  2  p.m.  and  after  11  p.m. 

The  Cineac  Newsreels  circuit  reopened  after 
the  management  had  increased  the  wages  of 
projectionists,  ushers  and  girl  cashiers. 

The  decision  that  ushers  are  not  to  turn  in 
anv  of  the  money  from  tips  is  expected  in  the 
GFFA  circuit  of  32  theatres  alone  to  mean 
more  than  one  million  francs  loss  to  the  man- 
agement. 

Until  adjustment  to  the  new  order  of  things 


Necessary  Extension  of  Produc- 
ing Period  with  Consequent  In- 
crease in  Studio  Rental  Called 
Road  to  Greater  Imports 

has  been  made,  it  is  believed  that  the  companies 
will  have  to  be  helped  by  the  state. 

The  first  logical  reform  is  a  concentration  of 
all  the  branches  of  the  industry  in  one  asso- 
ciation. The  two  rivals,  Chambre  Syndicale  and 
the  Comite  du  Film  must  be  reunited.  The  strike 
conditions  required  their  cooperative  action ; 
this  situation  must  be  made  permanent. 

See  Loss  to  Studios 

Working  hours  are  fixed  at  8  to  12  a.m.  and 
2.30  to  6.jS0  p.m.  When  the  40-hour  week  is 
applied,  it  is  probable  that  the  same  hours  of 
work  will  be  kept,  with  a  five-day  week.  In- 
terviewed in  the  conservative  Le  Figaro,  Max 
de  Vaucorbeil,  director,  said  he  felt  that  most 
of  the  demands  made  by  the  employees  of  the 
studios  were  legitimate  but  he  could  not  under- 
stand how  the  40-hour  week  would  be  applied. 
He  pointed  out  that  productions  sometimes  ne- 
cessitated working  night  and  day,  but  with 
double  pay  as  well  as  meals,  and  then  plentv 
of^time  to  rest  after  completion  of  the  picture. 

"The  40-hour  week  will  be  a  real  disaster  in 
studio  work,"  M.  de  Vaucorbeil  said.  "Instead 
of  making  a  film  in  four  weeks,  six  or  eight 
will  be  necessary.  Producers  will  have  to  pay 
more  rent  for  the  studios.  They  will  have  to 
make  longer  time  contracts  with  directors  and 
players.  The  cost  of  the  pictures  will  increase 
at  least  30  per  cent. 

"For  years  we  were  fighting  against  the  com- 
petition of  foreign  pictures.  Now  we  shall  be 
obliged  to  introduce  more  German  and  Ameri- 
can films.  For  French  producers  will  be  forced 
to  make  fewer  pictures  (perhaps  half  of  the 
former  number). 

"I  know  that  many  workers  did  not  want  this 
strike.  In  a  well-known  studio,  workers  had 
refused  to  obey  orders  coming  from  outside. 
Result  was  the  arrival  in  cars  of  one  hundrded 
people  they  did  not  know  and  not  belonging  to 
the  cinema  industry,  who  threatened  to  throw 
them  out. 

"No  more  freedom  of  work,  no  more  rights 
for  property.  This  is  just  what  the  films  sent 
from  U.S.S.R.  have  shown  us  for  a  long  time. 
Now  the  French  market  is  wide  open  to  these 
films.  In  this  way  perhaps  Soviet  Russia  will 
be  able  to  recover  its  cost  for  propaganda  in 
France." 

Technical  experts  say  studio  expenses  will 
be  increased  between  35  and  40  per  cent. 

Some  French  producers  are  considering  mov- 
ing to  Germany  or  Czechoslovakia.  Studio 
costs  in  Prague  are  called  the  world's  lowest. 

All  the  decrees  concerning  importation  of 
foreign  pictures,  or  French  pictures  made  in 
foreign  countries,  are  effective  until  Tune  30 
1937. 

French  production  has  been  losing  more 
money  every  year.  On  one  French  picture  ex- 
hibited in  France,  what  with  taxes  on  exhibition 
and  all  the  other  kind  of  taxes  the  State  takes 
more  money  than  the  price  of  the  film. 

The  secretary  of  the  trade  unions  federation, 
Leon  Jouhaux,  said  in  a  broadcast  speech : 

"It  is  not  a  small  diminution  of  individual 
profits  which  may  be  a  disaster.  Recovery  of 
our  economy  will  be  a  result  of  increased  French 
consumption.  Our  exports  will  be  improved  by 
an  expanded  market." 

These  theories  cannot  be  applied  to  the  cinema 
industry.  Exportation  of  French  pictures  de- 
pends only  on  quality,  and  quality  depends  upon 
profits  and  steady  operation. 


102 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July     II,  1936 


AUSTRALIAN  STUDIOS 
EXPANDING  ACTIVITIES 


National  Studios  Takes  Advan- 
tage of  Quota  by  Increasing 
Capital;  Home  Product  Liked 

by  CLIFF  HOLT 

in  Melbourne 

Australia  is  making  rapid  strides  as  a  pro- 
ducing country.  Four  strongly  financed 
companies  are  actively  engaged  in  produc- 
tion at  the  moment,  and  several  others  are 
taking  definite  shape.  There  is  every  in- 
dication that  within  another  year  Australia's 
feature  total  will  rise  to  30  a  year,  with  the 
industry  established  on  a  firm  basis  if  the 
output  meets  with  the  public  reception  which 
is  anticipated. 

One  of  the  most  important  recent  de- 
velopments is  the  decision  of  National 
Studios,  Ltd.,  to  take  advantage  of  the 
quota  by  increasing  its  capital  to  $1,250,- 
000  and  making  immediate  plans  to  em- 
bark on  an  ambitious  production  schedule. 
The  company's  directorate  includes  some 
of  the  most  influential  financial  men  in 
Australia. 

Heretofore  National  has  operated  its 
highly  modern  studio  merely  as  a  rental 
plant.  It  was  here  that  the  Gaumont  British 
unit  produced  "The  Flying  Doctor,"  at  a 
cost  of  $175,000.  The  film  will  be  released 
in  Australia  by  Twentieth  Century-Fox,  the 
plans  calling  for  a  selling  campaign  com- 
parable to  that  for  any  strong  American 
film. 

Although  few  Australian  films  have  met 
with  any  notable  success  outside  of  the  coun- 
try, they  have  found  considerable  favor  with 
the  audiences  at  home. 

Cinesound,  which  brought  Helen  Twelve- 
trees  from  Hollywood  for  "Thoroughbred," 
has  opened  the  picture  to  record  attendances 
in  the  first  city  presentations.  It  is  now 
working  on  "Wilderness  Orphan,"  from  the 
Cosmopolitan  story,  with  Gwen  Munro. 

V 

Improved  Film  Standards 

In  his  11th  annual  report,  Cresswell 
O'Reilly,  Commonwealth  Film  Censor,  de- 
clared "the  improved  standard  of  imported 
films  is  revealed  in  the  figures  which  show 
that,  compared  with  previous  years,  the  per- 
centage of  films  which  have  been  passed 
with  eliminations  was  considerably  less  in 
1935,  not  quite  24  per  cent,  as  against  an 
average  of  40  per  cent  for  the  preceding 
three  years." 

The  total  of  481  films  imported  into  Aus- 
tralia in  1935,  according  to  the  report,  was 
the  highest  since  1932,  when  495  were  im- 
ported. 


Standard  Purchases  Theatres 

The  newly  organized  Standard  Theatres, 
Inc.,  with  principal  office  in  Charlotte,  N.  C, 
has  purchased  the  Criterion  theatres  in  Dur- 
ham, Greensboro  and  Charlotte,  according 
to  official  announcement  by  N.  A.  Gregg, 


president  of  the  Criterion  chain  organization. 
Officials  of  the  new  corporation  are :  S.  W. 
Craver,  Charlotte,  president ;  F.  H.  Bedding- 
field,  Charlotte,  vice-president,  and  J.  M. 
Gregg,  also  of  Charlotte,  secretary. 


Briggs  Is  Named 
Pathe  President 

The  expected  formal  election  of  O.  Henry 
Briggs  to  the  presidency  of  Pathe  Exchange, 
Inc.,  was  held  in  New  York  late  last  week. 
Mr.  Briggs,  who  is  now  in  Hollywood  on  a 
combined  business  and  vacation  trip,  suc- 
ceeds Frank  F.  Kolbe,  who  will  continue 
with  the  company  as  chairman  of  the  board. 

Following  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Briggs 
as  general  sales  manager  of  DuPont,  C.  D. 
Ford,  who  has  been  with  that  company  since 
1918,  has  been  named  to  the  post  and  will 
make  his  headquarters  in  New  York. 

Mr.  Ford's  experience  in  the  film  business 
with  DuPont  dates  back  to  1920.  He  had 
been  in  charge  of  the  x-ray  and  portrait  de- 
partment for  four  years  and  also  had  been 
head  of  plant  operations  at  Parlin,  N.  J. 

Meanwhile,  a  judgment  for  $1,816  has 
been  filed  in  the  New  York  supreme  court 
on  behalf  of  Pathe  Film  Corporation  against 
Frederick  L.  Gerte.  This  represents  an 
amount  due  as  royalty  on  a  series  of  pic- 
tures. 

Story  of  "Sing,  Baby,  Sing" 
Called  Entirely  Fictitious 

The  following  statement  was  issued 
Wednesday  by  the  home  office  publicity  de- 
partment of  Twentieth  Century-Fox,  for  the 
studio : 

"Denying  a  recently  published  statement 
in  the  Motion  Picture  Herald,  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  Film  explains  that  the  story  of 
'Sing,  Baby,  Sing,'  new  musical  picture 
reviewed  in  the  July  4th  edition  of  that  mag- 
azine, is  entirely  fictitious  and  has  no  refer- 
ence to  any  actual  event  or  living  person. 

"The  script  for  'Sing,  Baby,  Sing'  was 
prepared  by  Harry  Tugent  with  Milton 
Sperling  and  Jack  Yellen.  The  latter  wrote 
the  original  story.  Adolphe  Menjou,  Alice 
Faye,  Gregory  Ratoff,  Patsy  Kelly  and  the 
Ritz  Brothers  are  among  the  featured  artists 
in  the  cast." 

Louisville  Trailers 
Attack  New  Tax  Law 

All  Louisville  first-run  theatres  are  run- 
ning trailers  protesting  the  new  admissions 
tax.  The  trailers  point  out  that  the  patron 
had  to  pay  the  tax  which  was  no  doubt  dis- 
tasteful to  him,  that  theatre  interests  had 
exerted  every  known  means  to  stop  passage 
of  the  bill,  and  that  it  was  just  as  distaste- 
ful for  the  house  to  collect  as  it  was  for  the 
patron  to  pay. 

The  trailers  wind  up  with  the  suggestion 
that  if  the  patron  thinks  the  tax  should  be 
removed,  he  should  "write  to  the  Governor." 


Minors  Film 
Bill  Signed 
In  New  York 

Mayor  Fiorello  H.  LaGuardia  this  week 
fulfilled  a  promise  made  to  New  York  the- 
atre men  at  the  time  of  his  election,  when 
he  signed  the  Stand  Bill,  permitting  the  ad- 
mission to  theatres  of  unaccompanied  chil- 
dren under  16  years  of  age,  but  under  cer- 
tain restrictions. 

The  law  is  expected  to  be  put  actively  into 
effect  in  about  a  week,  following  the  setting 
up  of  the  necessary  machinery.  The  meas- 
ure, which  was  introduced  by  Alderman 
Murray  Stand,  was  passed  recently  by  the 
Board  of  Aldermen  and  the  Board  of  Esti- 
mate. 

Under  the  terms  of  the  law,  theatres  wish- 
ing to  take  advantage  of  its  provisions  must 
obtain  a  license  from  License  Commissioner 
Paul  Moss,  at  a  fee  of  $10.  A  special  section 
of  the  theatre  is  to  be  set  aside  for  the  use 
of  children,  and  no  adults  are  to  be  per- 
mitted in  that  section.  A  matron  must  be 
in  that  section  and  she  must  qualify  before 
the  Board  of  Health  relative  to  her  physi- 
cal condition.  The  matron's  license  fee  will 
be  $2.  According  to  the  provisions,  children 
may  be  admitted  unaccompanied  on  week- 
days from  opening  to  6  P.  M.  provided  the 
child's  school  hours  have  been  completed. 
During  July  and  August,  the  summer  recess 
period,  they  will  be  admitted  from  opening 
to  7  P.  M.  On  Saturdays  and  Sundays  and 
holidays,  children  will  be  admitted  from 
opening  to  6  P.  M. 

Children  accompanied  by  an  adult  may  be 
admitted  to  the  theatre  at  any  time. 

Meanwhile,  at  Valdosta,  Ga.,  a  permanent 
injunction  restraining  the  county  commis- 
sioners of  Brooks  County  from  levying  and 
collecting  a  tax  of  $25  annually  on  film  the- 
atres has  been  granted  by  Superior  Court 
Judge  W.  E.  Thomas. 

In  Louisiana,  the  state  legislature  has  ex- 
tended the  1934  amusement  tax  for  another 
two  years,  the  1934  law  being  reenacted 
without  change. 

In  Boston,  however,  with  the  adjourn- 
ment of  the  Massachusetts  legislature  it  has 
been  noted  that  during  its  tenure  no  bill 
unfavorable  to  the  film  industry  was  passed. 

A  crippling  regulation  was  removed  from 
the  operators  of  San  Francisco  theatres  this 
week  with  the  passage  by  the  Board  of 
County  Supervisors  of  a  new  law  giving  lo- 
cal police  authority  to  regulate  the  number 
of  patrons  who  might  stand  in  theatre  lob- 
bies, foyers  and  mezzanines  while  waiting 
for  seats. 


Scott  Building  Theatres 

V.  F.  Scott  Circuit  has  announced  plans 
to  erect  a  new  theatre  at  Roxbury  and  an- 
other at  Barnesboro,  both  in  Pennsylvania. 
The  circuit's  Ideal  Theatre  at  Johnstown  is 
being  reconstructed. 


Swozzo  Opens  Third  House 

Opening  of  the  Ditmars  theatre  in  As- 
toria, L.  I.,  has  been  announced  by  Charles 
Swozzo,  operator  of  the  Palace  in  Corona 
and  the  Newtown  in  Elmhurst. 


EARTHQUAKE  FLASH! 
HELD  OVER  3rd  WEEK! 

("San  Francisco"  sets  LONG  -RUN  RECORD.') 

Baltimore,  Boston,  (State  and  Orpheum),  Dayton, 
Harrisburg,  Reading,  Richmond,  Syracuse,  Toledo, 
Kansas  City,  St.  Louis,  Houston,  Nashville,  New  Orleans 

2nd  WEEK:  Springfield,  Hartford,  Bridgeport, 
Memphis,  Buffalo,  Cincinnati,  Los  Angeles  (Chinese 
and  State),  Milwaukee,  Albany,  Denver,  Cleveland, 
Worcester,  Columbus,  Rochester,  Wilmington, 
Atlanta,  Springfield,  Tulsa 

INDEFINITELY:  Spokane, 
Chicago,  Portland 

EXTRA  DAYS:  Seattle, 
Evansville,  Knoxville, 
Oklahoma  City 

CAPITOL,  N.  Y.  AND 

STANLEY,  PHILA. 
3rd  WEEK  OF  EXTENDED  RUN! 


Yes,  "San  Francisco"  has  done  the  impossible!  (See  amazing  list 
above  of  the  unprecedented  3rd  Week  Hold-Overs!  Never  happened 
before!  Perhaps  never  again!)  Leo  the  Lion  thumbs  his  nose  at 
Summer  and  writes  NEW  WORLD -SHATTERING  FILM 
HISTORY  as  exhibitors  write  their  name  on  the  dotted  line 

for  36-37!  (Heavenly  Talk  on  Next  Page) 


EXPLOIT 
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1  1  l^  _..^r,^^,kJl.pi-MAG!L,s^^ 


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( A  showman's 
show  with  real 
possibilities  at 
the  Box'Office!) 


of 


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with 
Henrv 


B  Wait*""1 


Robert  Gte|9 


ABOVE  AND  AT 
RIGHT:  Special  news- 
paper ads  in  reduced 
size. 


METRO-GOLDWYN-MaYER 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


105 


SHOWMEN'S 
REVIEWS 


This  department  deals  with  new 
product  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  exhibitor  who  is 
to  purvey  it  to  his  own  public 


Bengal  Tiger 

(Warner) 
Circus  Drama 

A  thrill  action  circus  story,  the  ingredients  of 
this  picture  are  melodrama,  conflicting  romance 
and  sacrifice.  Well  put  together,  capably  pro- 
duced, its  action  featured  by  several  exceptional 
character  performances,  feature  seems  to  be 
of  the  character  that  will  create  much  audience 
interest.  As  a  commercial  enterprise,  it  places 
in  exhibitor  hands  many  opportunities  for  dif- 
ferent showmanship. 

The  villain  in  the  show  is  a  tiger.  A  bad 
animal,  he  is  feared  by  everyone  in  the  circus 
save  Ballenger,  who  is  determined  that  he  will 
tame  the  beast.  Going  into  Satan's  cage,  while 
drunk,  Ballenger  is  mauled  by  the  cat  and 
months  later  when  he  leaves  the  hospital  he  is 
minus  a  leg.  Rejoining  the  circus,  his  kind- 
nesses to  Laura,  daughter  of  his  old  partner 
Homan,  in  getting  her  out  of  a  jam,  wins  her 
sympathy  to  such  an  extent  that  they  are  mar- 
ried. Almost  immediately  romantic  conflict  is 
engendered  as  Ballenger  becomes  aware  th,at 
Laura  actually  is  in  love  with  aerialist  Larson 
and  the  only  reason  she  had  for  marrying  him 
was  to  repay  a  debt  of  gratitude.  Driven  to  rage 
and  fury,  Ballenger  hurls  Larson  into  a  cage 
full  of  tigers  only  to  undergo  a  change  of  heart 
to  dash  in  and  save  the  boy  and  lose  his  own 
life  to  Satan. 

Production  sequences  featuring  the  man-tiger 
battles  and  the  sequence  depicting  a  fire  in  win- 
ter quarters  in  which  the  terrorized  animals  go 
frantic  are  exceptional  bits  of  stark  dramatic 
thrill  action.  The  realism  which  this  detail 
gives  the  film  is  consistently  furthered  in  all 
other  phases.  Circus  atmosphere  which  under- 
lies all  action  is  colorful. 

Previevtred  in  studio  projection  room. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Warner  Bros.  Directed 
by  Louis  King.  Assistant  director,  Carrol  Sax.  Story 
and  screen  play  by  Roy  Chanslor  and  Earl  Felton. 
Supervisor,  Bryan  Foy.  Photographed  by  L.  Wm. 
O'Connell.  Art  director,  Esdras  Hartley.  Film  edi- 
tor, Harold  McLernon.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2276. 
Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  62  minutes. 
Release  date,  to  be  determined.  General  audience 
classification. 

CAST 

Cliff  Ballenger    Barton  MacLane 

Laura    ..   June  Travis 

Joe  Larson    Warren  Hull 

Carl  Homan   Paul  Graetz 

Hinsdale    Joseph  King 

Clown    Don  Barclay 

Superintendent  at  hospital  Gordon  Hart 

Ambulance  driver    Carlyle  Moore.  Jr. 

Down  to  the  Sea 

(  Republic  ) 
Melodrama 

Though  this  picture  tells  an  engaging  melo- 
dramatic tinged  romantic  story,  the  substantiat- 
ing production  backgrounds  and  features  are 
the  novel  entertainment  and  potential  commer- 
cial assets.  Localed  off  the  Florida  Keys,  all 
the  characters  being  Greek  sponge  fishermen, 
the  production  is  highly  educational  in  the 
manner  in  which,  at  great  peril  to  the  fishermen, 
this  product  is  gathered. 

Two  factions  are  at  war  for  supremacy.  The 
deep  sea  divers,  headed  by  boastful  Londos, 
consider  themselves  the  onlv  real  divers.  They 
look  upon  the  hookers,  headed  by  Kaminas  and 


fishing  with  rods  and  poles  from  boats  in 
shallow  waters,  as  weaklings.  The  rivalry  be- 
comes tensely  dramatic  when  both  men  fall  in 
love  with  Helen,  daughter  of  Gregory  Pappas, 
the  big  boss.  Highlighted  by  an  illustration 
of  one  of  the  fishermen's  ceremonies,  diving  for 
a  trophy,  underwater  photography  effectively 
pictures  the  skill  of  divers. 

As  the  conflict  for  Helen's  affections  grows, 
a  poaching  fisherman,  Fotakis,  is  murdered. 
Londos  is  suspected.  To  preserve  the  clan's 
own  law  within  itself  Pappas  contrives  to  have 
Londos  appear  to  be  accidentally  drowned. 
Though  Kaminas  makes  an  attempt,  full  of 
suspense  and  thrill  action,  to  save  him,  his 
effort  is  ineffectual. 

Production  is  well  mounted,  acted  and  moves 
rapidly.  Balancing  the  elements  of  drama  and 
romance,  together  with  slight  comedy,  that 
make  for  acceptable  secondary  entertainment, 
picture  is  also  one  that  lends  itself  to  fresh  and 
unique  promotion. 

Previewed  in  studio  projection  room. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Distributed  by  Republic  Pictures.  A  Nat  Levine 
production.  Directed  by  Lewis  D.  Collins.  Super- 
vised by  Armand  Schaefer.  Screen  play  by  Wellyn 
Totman  and  Robert  Lee  Johnson.  Original  story  by 
Eustace  L.  Adams.  Wellyn  Totman  and  William  A. 
Ulman,  Jr.  Supervising  editor,  Murray  Seldeen.  Film 
editor,  Charles  Craft.  Musical  supervision,  Harry  Grey. 
Photographed  bv  Harrv  Neuman.  Sound  engineer, 
Terry  Kellum.  P.C.A.  Certificate  No.  2283.  Running 
time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  60  minutes.  Release 
date,  not  yet  set.  General  audience  classification. 
CAST 

John  Kaminas   Russell  Hardie 

Steve   Londos   '  Ben  Lyon 

Helen  Pappas   Ann  Rutherford 

Alex  Fotakis   Irving  Pichel 

Gregory   Pappas   Fritz  Leiber 

Hector   Vince  Barnett 

Luis   Maurice  Murphy 

Demetrius   Nigel  De  Brulier 

Vasilios   Paul  Porcasi 

Andy   Vic  Potel 

Toe   Karl  Hackett 

George   Francisco  Maran 

Pete   Frank  Yaconelli 

Cimos   Mike  Tellegen 

Easy  Money 

( Invincible  ) 
Drama 

This  picture  deals  with  fake  automobile  acci- 
dents, a  subject  that  is  a  matter  of  topical  news 
headlines  in  many  sections  of  the  country  While 
entertaining  in  its  dramatic,  romantic  and  light 
comedv  contrast  phases,  it  primarily  is  an  ex- 
pose film.  As  such  it  is  an  exploitation  feature, 
lending  itself  readily  to  cooperative  contacts 
with  automobile  insurance  companies,  police 
departments  and  newspapers. 

In  the  story,  Eddie  Adams  is  a  member  of  a 
gang  that  has  been  defrauding  insurance  com- 
panies by  means  of  the  fake  accident  racket. 
Caught  redhanded,  he  escapes  conviction  because 
his  brother,  prosecuting  attorney  Dan  Adams, 
presents  a  faultily  prepared  case.  Criticized 
and  abused.  Dan  resigns  his  post,  gets  a  position 
as  special  investigator  and  determines  to  break 
up  the  racket.  From  information  supplied  by 
crooked  attorney  Rusnick,  Dan  obtains  informa- 
tion pointing  to  Trotti  as  the  head  of  the  gang. 
He,  thinking  that  Eddie  has  double  crossed 
him,  contrives  to  have  the  boy  killed  and  make 
it  appear  that  his  death  was  caused  by  an  auto 
accident  involving  Carol  Carter.  As  the  film 
takes  on  a  dramatic  mystery  atmosphere,  Dan. 
with  the  help  of  Carol,  discovers  how  Trotti 
killed    Eddie.      Obtaining    his    conviction,  he 


breaks  up  the  ring  and  with  Carol  as  an  incen- 
tive he  is  restored  to  his  position  as  prosecutor. 

Previewed  in  Belmont  Theatre,  Los  Angeles. 
Audiences,  undoubtedly  familiar  with  details  of 
a  fake  auto  racket  case  now  featured  in  Los 
Angeles  papers,  watches  the  film's  unreeling 
with  close  attention. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Invincible.  Produced 
by  Maury  M.  Cohen.  Production  executives,  Herbert 
Cohen  and  Lon  Young.  Directed  "by  Phil  Rosen. 
Original  story  by  Paul  Perez  and  Ewart  Adamson. 
Adaptation  and  screen  play,  Arthur  T.  Horman.  Pho- 
tographed by  M.  A.  Andersen.  Recording  engineer, 
Richard  Tyler.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2333.  Running 
time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  68  minutes.  Release 
date,  June  14,  1936..  General  audience  classification. 
CAST 

Dan  Adams   Onslow  Stevens 

Carol   Carter   Kay  Linaker 

"Duke"  Trotti   Noel  Madison 

Eddie  Adams   Alan  Vincent 

Tonia   Barbara  Barondess 

Mr.  Curtis   Wallis  Dark 

Harrison   Selmer  Jackson 

Sam  Beldon   Robert  Homans 

Sillsby   Robert  Graves 

Carney   John  Kelly 

Chick   Alan  Woods 

Moxey   Monte  Vandergrift 

Elmer  Johnson   Henry  Hebert 

Phone   Girl   Betty  Mack 

Little  Johnny   Dickie  Walters 

Mrs.  Turner   Barbara  Bedford 

Laboratory   Man   ,..  Robert  Frazier 

Judge   Broderick  O'Farrell 

The  Bride  Walks  Out 

(Radio) 
Comedy 

This  is  romantic  comedy  of  the  first  order, 
with  general  appeal  of  the  type  that  abounds 
in  exploitation  angles  to  help  showmen.  Re- 
volving around  the  matrimonial  adventures  of 
a  meagerly  paid  civil  engineer,  who  is  convinced 
that  two  can  live  on  his  wages,  and  a  manne- 
quin, who  does  not  hold  the  same  opinion  but 
who,  nevertheless,  marries  him,  the  dialogue  is 
funny,  the  situations  hilarious  and  the  action 
speedy. 

Barbara  Stanwyck,  recently  in  "A  Message 
to  Garcia,"  Gene  Raymond,  New  Sparks,  Helen 
Broderick  and  Robert  Young  head  the  cast, 
with  the  latter  cast  as  a  rich  young  scapegoat 
who  forms  the  third  end  of  the  dramatic  tri- 
angle but  who,  instead  of  being  a  menace, 
keeps  the  lovers  together. 

It  might  do  well  for  showmen  to  see  the  pic- 
ture before  playing  it  to  pick  out  themselves 
those  elements  best  suited  for  their  particular 
situations  for  the  material  presented  is  of  the 
type  typical  of  modern,  everyday  American  life. 

As  the  picture  opens  Raymond  is  having 
trouble  convincing  Miss  Stanwyck  she  should 
give  up  her  job  as  a  model  in  a  dress  shop  and 
marry  him  on  his  $35  per  week.  After  much 
haggling  and  hilarious  situations,  to  which 
Sparks  and  Miss  Broderick,  cast  as  a  long- 
married  couple,  add  their  suggestions,  Miss 
Stanwyck  gives  in  and  the  wedding  takes  place. 

The  bride  leaves  her  job  and  tries  to  run  the 
apartment  on  a  budget.  Nothing  seems  to  go 
right,  however,  and  although  she  manages  to 
keep  the  true  state  of  things  from  her  husband, 
it  all  comes  to  a  head  finally  and  the  lovers 
separate.  But,  however,  not  before  Young  steps 
into  the  picture  as  a  delightful  drunk  and  a 
source  of  one  howl  of  laughter  after  another. 

When  Miss  Stanwyck  and  Raymond  sepa- 

( Continued  on  papc  108) 


WITH 


ROBERT 

RAYMOND  •  YOUNG 

NED  HELEN 

SPARKS  BRODERICK 


July  II 


19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


109 


Sworn  Enemy 

(MGM) 

Dramatic  Romance 

Story,  production  detail,  quality  of  acting  and 
character  of  direction  combine  to  make  this 
picture  substantial  entertainment  and  gives  it 
unusual  exploitation  value.  In  theme  film  is  a 
gangster  menaced  dramatic  romance.  It  moves 
fast,  creating  interest  early  and  holding  it  con- 
tinually. Dialogue  and  action  are  well  balanced 
and  the  situations  developed  are  fresh  and 
different. 

Desire  for  revenge  upon  a  common  enemy  is 
the  premise  of  the  story.  Crippled  but  vicious 
gangster  Joe  Emerald  is  the  sworn  enemy  of 
four  people.  Hank  Sherman  knows  that  he  is 
responsible  for  the  killing  of  his  brother.  Doctor 
Gattle  and  his  daughter  are  determined  to 
square  accounts  with  Emerald  for  his  part  in 
having  Gattle  railroaded  to  jail  as  a  cover  up 
for  one  of  his  crimes.  Dumb  prize  fighter  Krupp 
is  convinced  that  Emerald  caused  his  manager's 
death.  As  believable  gangster  menace  drama, 
contrasted  by  appealing  love  interest  involving 
Hank  and  Margaret  Gattle  and  hilarious  comedy 
mainly  provided  by  Krupp,  is  developed  to  the 
tempo  of  suspense  laden  thrill  action,  excep- 
tional acting  and  intelligent  direction  merge 
to  give  the  film  an  attention  holding  character. 

Using  the  familiar,  but  effective,  features 
common  to  gangster  inspired  entertainment, 
story  builds  an  unique  and  different  climax.  In 
that  Emerald's  determination  to  be  supremely 
powerful  in  the  underworld  is  secondary  to  his 
ambition  for  physical  perfection.  A  cripple,  he 
is  pathetically  envious  of  Krupp's  strength. 
When  he  tries  to  get  the  fighter  under  his  man- 
agement, he  sets  the  stage  leading  to  his  own 
downfall  and  the  elimination  of  his  mobsters. 

Production  gives  ample  evidence  of  careful 
preparation  with  a  particular  eye  towards  pro- 
viding something  different  in  a  stock  pattern  to 
make  for  interesting  entertainment  and  at  the 
same  time  have  more  than  the  usual  amount  of 
showmanship  availability. 

Previewed  in  Ritz  Theatre.  Audience  reac- 
tion was  favorable.  While  early  impression 
seemed  to  be  that  show  was  considered  an  ordi- 
nary run  of  the  mill  attraction,  this  changed  to 
enthusiastic  appreciation  once  the  story  really 
got  going.  McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 
Produced  by  Lucien  Hubbard.  Directed  by  Edwin  L. 
Marin.  Screen  play  by  Wells  Root.  Based  on  a  story 
by  Richard  Wormser.  Musical  score  by  Edward 
Ward.  Recording  director,  Douglas  Shearer.  Art 
director,  Fredric  Hope.  Associates,  Eddie  Imazu,  Ed- 
win B.  Willis.  Wardrobe,  Dolly  Tree.  Photographed 
by  Lester  White  Film  editor,  Frank  Hull.  Assistant 
director,  Tom  Andre.  Reviewed  before  Production 
Code  Seal.  Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood, 
80  minutes  (to  be  cut).  Release  date,  to  be  deter- 
mined.   General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

"Hank"  Sherman    Robert  Young 

Margaret   Florence  Rice 

Joe  Emerald   Joseph  Calleia 

Dr.  Simon  Gattle    Lewis  Stone 

"Steamer"  Krupp    Nat  Pendleton 

Paul  Scott    Harvey  Stephens 

Decker    Samuel  S.  Hinds 

"Dutch"  McTurok    Edward  Pawley 

Lang    John  Wray 

Simmons    Cy  Kendall 

Steve    Leslie  Fenton 

Hinkle    Robert  Gleckler 


M'Liss 

(RKO  Radio) 
Romance,  Drama 

Essentially  this  is  a  simple  moving  story 
that  relies  on  its  dramatic  presentation  to  sus- 
tain interest.  The  setting  is  in  a  small  town 
in  California,  so  typical  of  the  mining  com- 
munities that  sprang  from  nowhere  with  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  the  far  west.  The  story, 
from  the  pen  of  Bret  Harte,  who  is  to  the  west 
what  O.  Henry  is  to  the  east,  might  as  well 
have  happened  in  the  south,  in  New  England, 
or  in  any  very  small  community  having  the 
same  industry.  It  is  a  tale  of  romance,  suffer- 
ing and  gossip. 

While  never  scaling  the  heights  of  emotional 
feeling,  the  production  often  is  compelling  by 


the  erudition  of  its  simple  drama.  The  picture 
suffers  at  times,  however,  from  slow-moving 
sequences  that  fail  to  coordinate  the  story  as 
a  whole,  in  respect  to  action.  There  is  a  modi- 
cum of  comedy  but,  in  the  spirit  of  the  pro- 
duction, never  raucous.  There  is  value,  too,  in 
the  other  production  features,  such  as  the 
photography  and  recording. 

Emphasizing  the  fact  that  the  story  is  by 
Bret  Harte  and  that  it  is  a  combination  of 
romance  and  drama  in  the  mining  camp  days 
of  California,  would  appear  to  be  the  most 
likely  selling  endeavors.  Anne  Shirley  and  John 
Beal  play  the  leads  with  the  assistance  of  a 
supporting  cast  containing  such  names  as  Guy 
Kibbee,  Douglass  Dumbrille,  Moroni  Olsen, 
Frank  M.  Thomas,  Ray  Mayer  and  Barbara 
Pepper. 

M'Liss  and  old  Washoe  Smith,  her  father, 
are  forcibly  ejected  from  their  home,  the  larg- 
est one  in  Smith's  Pocket,  as  Morpher,  the 
town  mayor,  forecloses.  Smith's  claim  peters 
out  and  he  gives  himself  to  drunkenness.  He 
and  M'Liss  go  to  an  old  shack  on  his  mining- 
grounds  to  live.  Returning  to  her  old  home  to 
pick  up  something  forgotten,  M'Liss  is  con- 
fronted by  Stephen  Thorne,  the  new  school 
teacher,  who  is  quartered  there. 

Reluctantly  M'Liss  consents  to  go  to  school 
on  the  pleading  of  Thorne.  She  becomes  self- 
conscious  when  Morpher's  daughter  is  caught 
snickering,  and  leaves  the  school,  but  Lou  Ellis, 
her  father's  friend,  persuades  her  to  go  back. 
M'Liss  obtains  a  job  in  a  saloon  to  help  sup- 
port her  and  her  father.  Thorne  objects  and 
M'Liss  promises  him  never  to  go  there  again. 
Jack  Farlan,  a  relative  of  Morpher,  arrives  in 
town  and  brands  Thorne  a  coward. 

When  M'Liss  enters  the  saloon  to  seek  ad- 
vice from  an  old  friend  and  Farlan,  drunk, 
attempts  to  embrace  her,  Thorne  prevents 
him.  Farlan  challenges  Thorne  to  a  fight  but 
Thorne  refuses.  Later  Farlan  is  wounded  by 
Ellis  and  Thorne  is  blamed.  Farlan  recovers 
and  M'Liss  and  Thorne  plan  their  marriage. 

Previeived  in  projection  room. 

Mooney,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  RKO  Radio.  Asso- 
ciate producer,  Robert  Sisk.  Directed  by  George 
Nicholls,  Jr.  Screen  play  by  Dorothy  Yost.  From 
the  novel  by  Bret  Harte.  Photography  by  Robert  de 
Grasse.  Musical  director,  Alberto  Columbo.  Art 
director.  Van  Nest  Polglase.  Recorded  by  George  D. 
Ellis.  Edited  by  William  Morgan.  P.  C.  A.  Certifi- 
cate No.  2,272.  Running  time,  66  minutes.  Release 
date,  July  17,  1936.    General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

M'Liss   Smith  Anne  Shirley 

Stephen  Thorne   John  Beal 

Washoe  Smith   Guy  Kibbee 

Lou  Ellis   Douglass  Dumbrille 

Jake   Moroni  Olsen 

Alf  Edwards   Frank  M.  Thomas 

Whitey   Ray  Mayer 

Clytie  Morpher  Barbara  Pepper 

Archie    Morpher  William  Benedict 

Mayor  Morpher  Arthur  Hoyt 

Mrs.  Morpher   Margaret  Armstrong 

Jack  Farlan   James  Bush 

Rose   Esther  Howard 

Judge  Weinner   Louis  Mason 

Clem  Larkin   Arthur  Loft 

Mrs.  Larkin   Fern  Emmett 

Shake  Mr.  Shakespeare 

(Vitaphone) 
Comedy 

A  take-off  on  the  present-day  Shakespeare 
tendencies  of  producers,  this  is  fair  comedy. 
A  producer  orders  his  assistant  to  read  all  of 
the  Bard's  works  in  one  night  and  to  report  on 
them  in  the  morning.  In  the  midst  of  his  labors 
the  assistant  falls  asleep  and  dreams  of  a  revolt 
of  Shakespeare's  characters  from  their  own  era 
to  modern  times.  Appearing  are  Cleopatra, 
Puck,  Marc  Anthony,  Romeo  and  Juliet,  Henry 
VIII,  Macbeth  and  a  score  of  lesser  lights. 
Running  time,  20  minutes. 

Stranger  Than  Fiction  No.  23 

(Universal) 
Oddities 

Eight  more  oddities  are  recorded  by  the 
camera  in  No.  23  of  this  entertaining  series. 
They  are :  mass  marriage  in  China,  as  57 
couples  are  married  at  the  same  time ;  a  fire 


engine  84  years  old  and  still  pumping ;  a  bar 
in  Mexico  that  cashes  all  checks  and  trusts  they 
will  be  made  good ;  Torey  pines  in  California ; 
a  machine  to  test  the  strength  of  silk  stockings  ; 
a  motor  run  by  the  sun's  rays ;  fish  in  Florida 
that  are  most  friendly,  and  pictures  created  by 
a  sand-blasting  machine.  Running  time,  10 
minutes. 


Vitaphone  Entertainers 

(Vitaphone) 
Average 

An  average  aggregation  of  acts  of  vaudeville 
proportions.  Included  are  Gautier's  Toy  Shop, 
an  animal  act  with  ponies,  dogs  and  a  monkey ; 
Sylvia  Froos  singing,  with  a  dance  routine  for 
a  background ;  Hunter  and  Percival,  comedy 
lasso  team,  and  Mangean's  Internationals  in  a 
variety  of  acrobatic  stunts.  Running  time,  ID 
minutes. 


Flippen's  Frolics 

(  U  niversal ) 
Entertaining 

An  entertaining  short  featuring  Jay  C.  Flip- 
pen  as  master  of  ceremonies  to  a  group  of  artists 
with  the  setting  laid  in  a  night,  club.  Rose 
Marie,  radio  and  screen  star  since  she  was  five, 
sings  two  numbers.  Jay  and  Lou  Seiler,  ec- 
centric dancers ;  the  Manhattanites,  novelty 
singing  trio  and  Sid  Walker,  comedian,  com- 
plete the  roster.  The  music  is  played  by  Bill 
Power's  Steppers.    Running  time,  18  minutes. 

The  Lyin'  Tamer 

(Vitaphone) 
Fair  Comedy 

A  Pepper  Pot  novelty,  this  subject  features 
George  Jessel  and  allows  the  comedian  full  sway 
in  some  typical  Jessel  humor,  including  a  con- 
versation with  his  mother  and  other  relatives, 
over  the  telephone.  Jessel  is  induced  to  address 
a  banquet  on  the  subject  of  Africa  when  the 
originally  scheduled  speaker  is  unable  to  ap- 
pear. In  the  midst  of  a  fantastic  story  Jessel 
picks  up  the  phone  to  speak  to  his  mother.  Run- 
ning time,  10  minutes. 


Going  Places  No.  23 

(Universal) 
Excellent 

A  very  interesting  study  of  modern  Egypt 
and  the  Egypt  of  ancient  days  that  time  has 
failed  to  erase.  The  Pyramids  and  the  Sphinx 
built  centuries  ago  by  the  Pharaohs  still  are 
among  the  wonders  of  the  world.  The  temples 
of  Karnak  and  Luxor,  while  not  so  well  pre- 
served, are  concrete  examples  of  the  past.  Of 
modern  Egypt  there  are  the  world  famous 
Shepards  Hotel,  the  huge  Assuan  dam  and  other 
examples.   Running  time,  10  minutes. 


Band 


Emil  Coleman  and  His 

(Vitaphone) 
Tuneful 

A  "Melody  Master"  number,  this  short  sub- 
ject is  tuneful  and  melodious.  The  band  plays 
several  selections  including  a  tango  by  Emil 
Coleman.  The  vocal  refrain  is  ably  handled  by 
three  Nightingales,  girl  harmony  trio.  The 
short  is  climaxed  with  a  waltz  by  Johann 
Strauss  and  a  dance  couple  performing  against 
a  background  of  mirrors.  Directed  by  Roy 
Mack.    Running  time,  10  minutes. 


Pearl  of  the  Pacific 

(Vitaphone) 
Very  Good 

One  of  the  E.  M.  Newman  "Color  Tour  Ad- 
venture" series,  this  short  subject,  a  trip  to 
Hawaii  in  natural  color,  is  a  pleasurable  expe- 
dition. Shown  are  the  features  of  the  pic- 
turesciue  island,  the  historic  landmarks,  the  well 
attended  beaches,  and  a  surfboard  tour  with 
accompanying  Hawaiian  melodies.  Running 
time,  10  minutes. 


LIONEL  STANDER 

Joan  Perry  •        Victor  Jory 

Dennie  Moore      •      John  Qualen 

Directed  by  Herbert  Biberman  •  a  B.  P.  SCHULBERG  Production 


A  SURPRISE  HIT  ARRIVES! 
. . .  BEAT  THE  HEAT  WITH  A 

PERFECTLY  SWELL  PICTURE! 


"NEW  AND  NOVEL!  OUR  IDEA  OF  A  DETECTIVE! 
CAPITALLY  PLAYED  BY  EDWARD  ARNOLD  !" 

—  cheered  Norman  Clark 
in  the  Baltimore  News-Post 

"THE  SCREEN  HAS  DISCOVERED  A  NEW  TYPE  OF 
DETECTIVE !  REFRESHING !"       _applauded  Gilbert  Kaaoui 

in  the  Baltimore  Evening  Sun 

"A  NOTABLE  ADDITION  TO  THE  COMPANY 
OF  SCREEN  SLEUTHS!"  .boomedDonaldKilley 

in  the  Baltimore  Morning  Sun 


NERO  WOLFE 


A  COLUMBIA 

la    %0  %Jf  Md  UP  Aw*  MM  M>  aa 

Pi  r  T  IT  ft  F 


. . .  and  second  pre-release  engage- 
ment echoes  grand  reports  from 
Baltimore  as  Syracuse  gets  set  for 
smash  business! 


12 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


THEATRE  RECEIPTS 


The  total  of  theatre  receipts  foij  the  calendar  week  ended  July  4,  1936  from  108 
theatres  in  I  8  major  cities  of  the  country  was  $1,101 ,796,  an  increase  of  $  I  23,388  over 
the  total  for  the  preceding  week  ended  June  27,  1936,  when  107  theatres  in  18  large 
cities  aggregated  $978,408. 


(Copyright,  1936.    Reproduction  of  material  from  this  department  without  credit  to  Motion  Picture  Herald  expressly  forbidden) 


Theatres 


Boston 

Boston 


3,246  35c-65c 


Fenway                   1,382  30c -50c 

Keith's  Memorial  2,907  25c-65c 

Loew's  Orpheum.  2,970  25c-55c 

Loew's  State          3,537  25c-55c 

Metropolitan           4,332  35c-65c 

Paramount              1,793  25c- 50c 


Buffalo 

Buffalo   3,489 

Century   3,000 

Great  Lakes   3,000 

Hippodrome   2,500 

Lafayette    .......  3,300 

Chicago 


30c-50c 
25c 

25c-40c 
30c-50c 
25c 


1,400 

30c-60c 

4,000 

35c-68c 

1,200 

50c-$1.50 

,  900 

30c -60c 

.  3,490 

25c -40c 

.  2,509 

25c-60c 

,  1,591 

30c-60c 

,  2,776 

20c-35c 

United  Artists.. 

.  1,700 

30c-60c 

Cleveland 

Allen   

3,300 

30c -42c 

3,800 

30c -42c 

RKO  Palace 

,  3,100 

30c-60c 

3,400 

30c -42c 

1,900 

25c-35c 

Denver 


1,500 

25c -50c 

1,500 

25c- 40c 

Center   

..  1,500 

20c-35c 

1,500 

25c-40c 

2,500 

25c-50c 

2,600 

25c-40c 

2,000 

25c-40c 

Current  Week 

Picture  Gross 

"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)..  8,500 
and  "Three  of  a  Kind"  (Invincible) 


"Palm  Springs"  (Para.)  and   3,500 

"The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


"Little  Miss   Nobody"    (20th  Cent.-  7,000 
Fox)  and  "Parole"  (Univ.) 
'San  Francisco"  (MGM)    23,000 


'San  Francisco"  (MGM)    17,000 


'The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)    20,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

'Palm  Springs"  (Para.)  and..   5,000 

'The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


'Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.). 


6,775 


"Special  Investigator"  (Radio)  and  6,100 
"Sky  Parade"  (Para.) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   17,700 


"Snowed  Under"  (F.N.)  and   5,300 

"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio) 

"The  Calling  of  Dan  Matthews"..  5,400 
(Col.)   and   "I  Conquer   the  Sea" 
(Academy) 


"Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.)  and   5,800 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Films 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   32,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   10,200 

(12th  week) 
"Fury"   (MGM)    6,300 


"Florida  Special"  (Para.)    15,300 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)    16,000 

(on  stage:  Paul  Haakon  and  re- 
vue) (4th  week) 
(Louis -Schmeling  Fight  Films) 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  and   13,200 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Films 

"Sky  Parade"  (Para.)    14,300 

(plus  stage  show) 
"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    25,700 


"Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.)  5,700 
and  Schmeling-Louis  Fight  Films 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  6,200 
(5  days  -  2nd  week) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   18,500 

(on  stage:    Phil  Baker  and  his 
Radio  Revue) 
"Poppy"   (Para.)    11,000 


'Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.)    2,800 

'Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)    3,000 

'One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)....  1,500 


"Frankie  and  Johnnie"  (Republic)..  2,000 
and  "The  Leavenworth  Case" 
(Republic) 

"Poppy"   (Para.)    5,000 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)    7,000 

(plus  stage  band) 
"The  Girl  of  the  Ozarks"  (Para.)..  5,500 
and  "Border  Flight"  (Para.) 
"Little  Miss  Nobody"   (20th  Cent-  3,000 
Fox)  and  "Trapped  by  Television" 
(Col.) 


Previous  Week 

Picture  Gross 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)  and   10,000 

"Two  in  Revolt"  (Radio) 
(2nd  week)  (25c -65c) 
(Louis-Schmeling  fight  pictures) 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  and   4,000 

"Fatal  Lady"  (Para.) 


"Chatterbox"   (Radio)  and   9,000 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB) 

"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  9,000 

"Half  Angel"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  8,000 
"Half  Angel"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)    20,000 

(on  stage:    Robert  Ripley) 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  and   5,000 

"Fatal  Lady"  (Para.)  (25c-65c) 


'Poppy"  (Para.) 


11,800 


'Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM)  and..  5,600 
'Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path" 
(Radio) 

'Sins  of  Man"   (20th  Cent.-Fox) .. .  5,000 


'Florida  Special"  (Para.)  and   5,500 

"Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 

"The  Pride  of  the  Marines"  (Col.)  5,500 
and  "The  Lone  Wolf  Returns"  (Col.) 


"Trouble  for  Two"  (Para.)   5,000 

"Fury"  (MGM)    35,000 

(on  stage:  Wini  Shaw  and  revue) 
(9  days) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   10,700 

(11th  week) 
"Road  Gang"  (W.B.)    5,800 


"Moonlight  Murder"   (MGM)    14,200 

(vaudeville  revue  on  stage) 

:'Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   26,500 

(on  stage:    Paul  Haakon  and 
revue)      (3rd  week) 
(Louis-Schmeling  fight) 
"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  10,000 
(2nd  week) 

"Absolute  Quiet"  (MGM)  and   14,000 

(on  stage:  Maxine  Doyle  revue) 
"The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)   11,000 


'Special  Investigator"  (Radio) 
and  Schmeling-Louis  fight 


11,250 


'Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  13,500 

(1st  week) 

'Little  Miss  Nobody"   15,000 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(on  stage:  Major  Bowes  unit) 
'Fury"  (MGM)    11,000 


'The  Princess  Comes  Across"    3,800 

(Para.)  (30c-42c)  (2nd  week) 


'One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)   3,500 

'The  Golden  Arrow"  (F.N.)   1,500 


"Convention    Girl"    (F.D.)   3,000 

(stage  show) 

"And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)   6,500 

(25c-50c)   (stage  show) 

"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)   7,500 

"The  Last  Outlaw"  (Radio)  and...  6,000 
"Three  Live  Ghosts"  (MGM) 

"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)  and  3,500 
"Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.) 


4,000 
8,000 
2,500 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  9-7  "Hot  Tip"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show  "Folies  Bergere") 
Low  6-13-36  "The  Harvester"  and  ) 
"Abdul  the  Damned  (. 
High  3-14-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pas-  \ 
teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  j 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  i 
"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"  J 

High  2-29-36  "Follow  the  Fleet"   37,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"    5,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   25,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"  and  ) 

"Half  Angel"  J  9,000 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   24,500 

Low  7-6  "Sanders  of  the  River"  and  1 

"Unknown  Woman"  S  7,500 

High  4-6  "Private  Worlds"   56,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  7-20  "Men  Without  Names"   14,000 

High  3-14-36  "The    Story   of  Louis  Pas- 1 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  (  15,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and) 

"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"     )  4,000 


High  4-27  "Mississippi"   23,800 

Low  7-27  "Broadway  Gondolier"   6,600 

High  1-11-36  "King  of  Burlesque"   9,500 

Low  8-3  "Mad  Love"  and  ) 

"Dog  of  Flanders"                  \  3,800 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   22,000 

Low   4-11-36   "Three   Godfathers"  and) 

"Her  Master's  Voice"     J  4,900 

High  2-9  "David  Copperfield"   17,200 

Low   4-11-36   "Timothy's   Quest"   and  I 

"My  Marriage"               j  3,800 

High  1-12  "Broadway  Bill"   17,100 

Low  7-27  "A  Notorious  Gentleman"  and  ) 

"Strange  Wives"                    j  4,100 

High  3-21-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pasteur"  11,800 

Low  5-25  "The  Devil  is  a  Woman"   1,000 

High  1-18-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  56,600 
Low  4-27  "Living  on  Velvet"   24,000 


High  1-4-36  "The  Man  Who  Broke  the 

Bank  at  Monte  Carlo"  

Low  5-4  "One  New  York  Night"  

High  11-2  "Woman  Wanted"  

(on  stage.  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs 
Low  9-21  "Man  on  the  Flying  Trapeze" 
High  5-30-36  "Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path" 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor  and  Radio 

Show) 

Low  4-11-36  "Love  Before  Breakfast".. 

High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"  

Low  11-23  "O'Shaughnessy's  Boy"  

High  3-23  "The  Little  Minister"  

Low  7-20  "Alias  Mary  Dow"  

High  2-29-36  "Modern  Times"  

Low  4-13  "Vanessa:   Her  Love  Story".. 


9,700 
3,000 
25,500 

i 

13,400 
35,200 


6,000 
27,000 

7,000 
17,000 

8,000 
35,500 
10,000 


High  1-12  "Bright  Eyes"   9,000 

Low  6-22  "The  Daring  Young  Man"   1,300 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"   27,500 

Low  8-24  "Dante's  Inferno"   5,250 

High  4-6  "Transient  Lady"    39,000 

Low  6-8  "Break  of  Hearts"   5,500 

High  4-18-36  "Petticoat  Fever"   40,500 

(on  stage:  Jack  Benny  and  Mary 
Livingston) 

Low  3-16  "Folies  Bergere"   6,000 

High  2-9  "David  Copperfield"   11,000 

Low  5-9-36  "Too  Many  Parents"   2,000 


High  3-28-36  "Little  Lord  Fauntleroy". .  5,000 
Low  6-22  "Nell   Gwyn"  and  \ 

"My  Heart  Is  Calling"           J  600 

High  5-16-36  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"   8,000 

(50c-$1.36) 

Low  12-28  "Unfinished  Symphony"   300 


High  2-29-36  "Klondike  Annie"  13,000 

Low  8-24  "Without  Regret"   1,750 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"  15,000 

Low  12-28  "Here  Comes  the  Band"   1,500 

High  5-18  "Romance  in  Manhattan"   16,000 

Low   12-28   "The   Perfect   Gentleman"...  2,000 

High  5-11  "Bride  of  Frankenstein"   7,000 

Low  11-30  "Bad  Bov"    800 


UNEQUALLED 


THE  record  of  Super  X  is  unequalled  . . .  both 
as  to  the  photographic  quality  it  sends  to 
the  screen,  and  the  resulting  acceptance  it 
enjoys  in  the  industry.  Not  only  in  this  coun- 
try, but  abroad  as  well,  it  rates  as  the  pre- 
mier motion  picture  negative  of  the  day. 
Eastman  Kodak  Company,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
(J.  E.  Brulatour,  Inc.,  Distributors,  Fort  Lee, 
New  York,  Chicago,  Hollywood.) 


EASTMAN  SUPER  X 

PANCHROMATIC  NEGATIVE 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


[THEATRE  RECEIPTS— CONT'D! 


Theatres 


Current  Week 


Previous  Week 


Picture 


Gross 


Picture 


Gross 


Hollywood 

Chinese                  2,500  30c-55c 

Pantages                3,000  25c-40c 

W.  B.  Hollywood  3,000  25c-40c 

Indianapolis 

Apollo                 •■  1,100  25c-40c 

Circle   .-.  2,800  25c -40c 

Loew's                    2,800  25c-40c 

Lyric                       2,000  25c-40c 

Kansas  City 

Mainstreet              3,100  25c-40c 

Midland                  4,000  25c-40c 

Newman                 1,900  25c-40c 

Tower                     2,000  25c 

Uptown                   2,000  25c-40c 

Los  Angeles 

Carthay                   1,518  50c-$1.50 

Four  Star  ......    900  30c-55c 

Grand  Intern't'l..    750  35c-40c 

Hillstreet                2,700  25c-40c 

Loew's  State  ...  2,500  30c-55c 

Paramount              3,596  30c-55c 

W.  B.  Downtown  3,400  25c-40c 

Minneapolis 

Lyric                       1,239  20c-25c 

Minnesota               4,000  25c-55c 

RKO  Orpheum...  2,900  25c-40c 

State                      2,300  25c-40c 

World                        400  25c-35c 

Montreal 

Capitol                   2,547  25c-60c 

Loew's                   3,115  25c-50c 

Palace                    2,600  25c-65c 

Princess                 2,272  25c-65c 

New  York 

Astor                     1,141  55c-$2.20 

Capitol                    4,700  25c-85c 

Palace                    2,500  25c-75c 

Paramount              3,700  35c-99c 

Rialto                      594  25c-65c 

Rivoli                      2,200  40c -99c 

RKO  Music  Hall  5,954  40c-$1.65 

Roxy                       6,200  25c-55c 

Strand    3,000  25c-55c 


"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    15,000 

"Parole"   (Univ.)   and   5,488 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 

(2nd  week) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   8,000 


'The  White  Angel"  (F.N.) 


3,500 


"Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.)  and   11,000 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Films 


"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    13,000 


"Educating  Father"  (20th  Cent-Fox) 
(on  stage:  "Fats"  Waller  and 
band) 


9,000 


"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)  and   6,800 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Films 
(6  days) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    23,500 

'Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)   5,600 

"Here  Comes  Trouble"  (20th  Cent-  6,100 
Fox)  (plus  stage  show) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)  and   3,200 

"The  Country  Beyond"  (20th  Cent- 
Fox)  (5  days  -  2nd  week) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   12,600 

(11th  week) 
"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)    4,800 

"Sluby  Ulanskie"   (Foreign)   1,350 

(4  days) 

"Parole"   (Univ.)   and   8,933 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 
(2nd  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    20,250 

"The  Princess  Comes  Across"   15,000 

(Para.)  (plus  stage  show) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   8,200 

"Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.)   1,000 

(4  days) 

"Speed"  (MGM)   700 

(3  days) 

"One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)   10,000 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)   6,000 

"Fury"  (MGM)    5,500 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   4,000 

(2nd  week) 


"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)  and...  8,000 
"Dancing  Pirate"  (Radio) 

"Speed"  (MGM)  and    9,500 

'The  Leathernecks  Have  Landed".. 
(Republic) 
(on    stage:    Roger    Pryor  and 
revue)  (20c-60c) 
'Fury"   (MGM)    9,500 


"An.i  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.)  5,000 
and  "Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.) 
(Louis-Schmeling  fight)  (2nd  week) 


'The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   16,500 

(13th  week) 
"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   65,000 

"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)  and....  6,000 
"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 
(Louis-Schmeling  fight) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    34,000 

(on  stage:   Harriet  Hilliard  and 
Ozzie  Nelson)  (2nd  week) 
"The  Lawless  Nineties"  (Republic)  7,000 
(plus  Louis-Schmeling  fight) 

"Dancing  Pirate"   (Radio)   4,000 

(2nd  week) 
"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  Cent-  83,500 
Fox)  (plus  stage  show) 

"Parole"  (Univ.)    23,300 

(on  stage:  Edgar  Kennedy) 


"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent. -Fox)  12,000 
and  "Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM) 

"Parole"  (Univ.)  and    10,500 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 

(1st  week) 

"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)    4,000 

"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent. -Fox)   1,600 

"Poppy"  (Para.)  and    8,000 

"Palm  Springs"  (Para.) 

"Things  to  Come"  (U.A.)  and   5,500 

"And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.) 

"Smart  Money"  (W.B.)   7,800 

(plus  vaudeville) 


"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.)..  10,700 
and  Louis-Schmeling  Fight  (6  days) 

"Grand  Hotel"  (MGM)    7,500 

"Poppy"    (Para.)    10,200 

"Speed"  (MGM)    6,300 

(plus  stage  show) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)  and   7,000 

"The  Country  Beyond" 

(20th  Cent. -Fox)  (1st  week) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   15,832 

(10th  week) 
"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent. -Fox)....  2,000 

(2nd  week) 
"The  Royal  Waltz"  (Ufa)    1,900 

(2nd  week) 

"Parole"  (Univ.)  and    11,000 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 

(1st  week) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  16,500 
and  "Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM) 
"Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  (Para.)  9,126 
(5  days)  (on  stage:  George 
Olsen    and    Ethel  Shutta 
and  F.  &  M.  revue) 
"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)   3,800 

"Florida  Special"  (Para.)    1,500 

"Poppy"   (Para.)    10,000 

"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.)..  6,000 

"Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM)   5,000 

"Rhodes,  the  Diamond  Master"   700 

(GB)   (2  days) 
"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)    3,000 

(5  days-lst  week) 

"Sins  of  Man"   (20th  Cent.  -  Fox) .. .  8,500 
and  "Champagne  Charlie" 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 
"Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  (Para.)..  10,000 
(plus  stage  revue)  (30c-60c) 


"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  10,000 
(20c-60c) 

"And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.)  12,000 
and  "Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.) 

(Louis-Schmeling  fight)  (1st  week) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"   26,000 

Low  5-4  "West  Point  of  the  Air"   4,900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"    19,000 

Low  4-13  "Mister  Dynamite"  and  } 

"Great  God  Gold"  J  2,500 

High  9-7  "Page  Miss  Glory"   15,300 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"    4,000 

High  3-14-36  "The  Country  Doctor"....  8,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"    1,600 

High  4-25-36  "The  Moon's  Our  Home"  1 

and   "Silly   Billies"            J  9,700 
(in   place   of   "Silly   Billies,"   on  stage 
Lum  'n'  Abner  for  Saturday  and  Sunday) 

Low  3-16  "Transient  Lady"   2,000 

High  2-15-36  "Exclusive  Story"   15,000 

(on  stage:  Cab  Calloway  and  band) 

Low  4-6  "Casino  Murder  Case"   2,750 

High   3-28-36   "The   Leathernecks  Have 

Landed"    13,300 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 

Low  2-7  "Murder  of  Dr.  Harrigan"   5,700 

(on  stage:  vaudeville) 

High  11-23  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs"  22,000 
Low  1-12  "I  Sell  Anything"   2,000 

High  8-24  "China  Seas"   25,000 

Low  9-14  "Bonnie  Scotland"   6,000 

High  5-25  "Goin'  to  Town"   14,000 

Low  5-18  "Dinky"    3,000 

High   1-18-36  "Magnificent   Obsession"..  14,500 

Low  3-14-36  "Lady  of  Secrets"   5,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  9-7  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"..  11,000 
Low  7-27  "Black  Sheep"    2,100 

High  5-18  "Les   Miserables"   7,800 

Low  12-17  "The  Return  of  Peter  Grimm"  2,400 

High  1-4-36  "The  New  Gulliver"    3,200 

Low  12-7  "Such  a  Girl  You  Never  Forget  900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"    17,000 

Low  11-2  "Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"....  2,800 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   24,500 

Low  10-26  "Way  Down  East"   6,200 

High  8-10  "Paris  in  Spring"   32,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  9,126 

(plus  stage  show)  (5  days) 

High  1-11-36  "Captain  Blood"   17,100 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"    3,800 

High  12-14  "Show  Them  No  Mercy"....  2,000 
Low  8-17  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and) 

"Sanders  of  the  River"         J  1,200 

High  1-4-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  31,326 

Low  4-4-36  "Klondike  Annie"    8,000 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"    18,000 

Low  6-13-36  "The  Golden  Arrow"   3,000 

High  11-2  "Broadway  Melody  of  1936"..  7,000 

Low  5-30-36  "The  Unguarded  Hour"   5,000 

High  6-8  "Thunder  in  the  East"   5,000 

Low  11-16  "Born  for  Glory"   2,000 


High  2-9  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"   15,500 

Low  8-3  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"  and  ) 

"College  Scandal"                   f  7,000 
High  1-11-36  "Broadway   Hostess"  and) 

"The  Rainmakers"             |  15,000 
Low  6-15  "Mark  of  the  Vampire"  and) 

"Baby   Face   Harrington"       j  5,500 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   15,000 

Low  7-20  "Drake  of   England"  and  ) 

"The  Nitwits"                        (  7,500 
High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"  and  ) 

"Guard  That  Girl"            |  12,500 
Low  12-28  "Remember  Last  Night?"  ! 

and  "East  of  Java"             )  3,000 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   17,300 

(12th  week) 

"Fury"    (MGM)    18,000 

(3rd  week) 

"The  Ex-Mrs.  Bradford"  (Radio)..  12,000 
and  "Educating  Father"  (Para.) 
(Louis-Schmeling  fight) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    45,000 

(on  stage:   Harriet  Hilliard  and 
Ozzie  Nelson)  (1st  week) 

"Border  Flight"  (Para.)    14,000 

"Dancing  Pirate"  (RKO  Radio)....  10,000 

(1st  week) 

"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) ... .  55,000 
(plus  stage  show) 


"Secret  Agent"  (GB)    22,100 

(plus  stage  show)  (2nd  week) 


High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others'*  

Low  5-30-36  "Three  Wise  Guys"  

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"   

Low  5-23-36  "Champagne  Charlie"  and 

"Human  Cargo" 
High  1-19  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer" 
Low  12-21  "Millions  in  the  Air"  


87,400 
7,000 
15,000 

5,000 
65,300 
10,000 


"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.). 


..  35.000 


'Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.) 
(5  days  -  2nd  week) 


9,000 


High  2-15-36  "Modern  Times"  

Low  6-29  "Nell  Gwvn"  ..:  

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"   

(plus  stage  show) 
Low   11-30  "Crime  and  Punishment". 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  1-4-36  "If  You  Could  Only  Cook" 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  4-20  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"  

(plus  stage  show) 

High  5-11  "The  G  Men"  

Low  4-4-36  "Snowed  Under"   


.  65,000 
.  8,100 
.131,200 

.  45,000 

.  62,000 

.  17,500 

.  60,138 
6,100 


Who's 
Who 

Complete  biogra- 
phies of  13,112 
players,  directors, 
artists,  writers, 
technicians  and 
executives  —  a 
feature  of  the 
Almanac  that  is 
valued  all  over  the 
world. 


QP 


A 


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The  new  1936-37  International  Motion  Picture  Almanac  will  soon  be  off  the  press.  Bigger, 
better  and  more  useful  than  ever,  it  will  contain  over  1400  pages  of  authentic  information  on 
every  phase  of  the  motion  picture  industry.     Edited  by  Terry  Ramsaye. 

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MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


[THEATRE  RECEIPTS—CONT'D  J 


Theatres 


Oklahoma  City 

Capitol                    1,200  10c-41c 

Criterion                 1,700  10c-55c 

Liberty                  1,500  10c-36c 

Midwest                  1,500  10c-55c 

Omaha 

Brandeis                  1,200  25c-40c 

Omaha                    2,200  25c-40c 

Orpheum                 3,000  2Sc-40c 

Philadelphia 

Arcadia                     600  25c-50c 

Boyd                      2,400  40c-55c 

Earle                      2,000  25c-55c 

Fox                       3,000  40c -65c 

Karl  ton                   1,066  25c -40c 

Keith's                   2,000  30c-50c 

Stanley                  3,700  40c-55c 

Stanton                   1,700  30c-50c 

Portland,  Ore. 

Blue  Mouse            1,700  30c-40c 

Broadway                1,912  30c-40c 

Mayfair                   1,700  30c-40c 

Orpheum                 1,700  30c-40c 

Paramount              3,008  30c-40c 

United  Artists...     945  30c-40c 

San  Francisco 

Clay                          400  15c-35c 

Embassy                1,400  15c-35c 

Fox                       5,651  10c-35c 

Geary                    1,400  55c-$1.65 

Golden  Gate  ....  2,800  15c-40c 

Orpheum                2,440  15c -40c 

Paramount             2,670  15c-40c 

St.    Francis           1,430  15c-40c 

United  Artists...  1,400  15c-65c 

Warfield                 2,700  15c-40c 

Seattle 

Blue  Mouse             950  25c-55c 

Fifth  Avenue....  2,500  25c-55c 

Liberty                  1,800  15c-55c 

Music  Box               950  25c-55c 

Orpheum                2,450  25c-40c 

Palomar                 1,500  15c-30c 

Paramount             3,050  15c-30c 


Current  Week 

Picture  Gross 

"Speed"   (MGM)    1,800 

(6  days) 

"Sons  O'  Guns"  (W.B.)    4,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)    2,200 

(4  days) 

"Times  Square  Playboy"  (W.B.)...  500 
(3  days) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    8,200 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)  and    5,200 

Louis  -Schmeling  Fight  Films 
(5  days) 

"The  Country  Beyond"  (20th  Cent-  3,800 
Fox)  and  "It's  Love  Again"  (GB) 
(5  days) 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  and   7,150 

"I  Married  a  Doctor"  (W.B.) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)    2,200 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   17,000 

(7y2  days) 

"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)   12,000 

(plus  stage  show)  (6  days) 
"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)...  17,000 
(plus  Schmeling-Louis  Fight  Films 
and  stage  show) 
"Private  Number"    (20th  Cent.-Fox)  4,100 

"Fatal  Lady"  (Para.)    1,800 

(6  days) 

"Hearts   Divided"    (F.N.)   11,000 

"Parole"  (Univ.)    5,000 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)  2,000 
and  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 

(7th  week) 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   6,0)0 

"Big  House"  (MGM) 

"Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.)  and   3,000 

"Moonlight  Murder"  (MGM) 

"Private  Number"    (20th  Cent.  -  Fox)  7,000 
and  "Little  Miss  Nobody" 
(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)  and    6,000 

"Fatal  Lady"  (Para.) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    7,000 

(2nd  week) 

"We  Are  from  Kronstadt"    1,200 

(Amkino) 

"The  Harvester"  (Republic)  and..  3,000 
"Born  to  Gamble"  (Liberty) 

"Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.)  5,800 
and  "Bar  20  Rides  Again"  (Para.) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   8,000 

(3rd  week) 

"And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.)  23,500 
and  Louis- Schmeling  Fight  Films 
(plus  stage  band) 

"The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)   7,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Little  Miss  Nobody"  (20th  Cent..-  11,000 
Fox)  and  "It's  Love  Again"  (GB) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  5,500 
and  "Human  Cargo" 

(20th  Cent.-Fox)  (2nd  week) 

"One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)....  7,500 

"Poppy"  (Para.)  and    14,500 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes" 
(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)  and   5,600 

Louis -Schmeling  Fight  Films 
(2nd  week) 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)   4,100 

(5  days) 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)..  3,150 
(12th  week) 

"Poppy"   (Para.)    3,200 

"The  Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"..  5,650 
(Para.)   and   "Let's   Sing  Again" 
(Radio) 

"Absolute  Quiet"  (MGM)    4,750 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)  and..  3.8C0 
"Half  Angel"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


Previous  Week 

Picture  Gross 

"Things  to  Come"  (U.A.)   2,600 

"Half  Angel"   (20th  Cent.-Fox)   5,300 

(plus  stage  revue) 
"Charlie  Chan  at  the  Circus"   ....  1,800 
(20th  Cent.-Fox)  (4  days) 

"Silly  Billies"  (Radio)    900 

(3  days) 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)    3,000 

"And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.)  6,200 
and   "The  Law  in  Her  Hands" 
(F.N.)   Schmeling-Louis  fight 

"Fury"  (MGM)  and    5,200 

"Times  Square  Playboy"  (W.B.) 

"The  Princess  Comes  Across"    7,800 

(Para.)  and  "Speed"  (MGM) 

"Small  Town  Girl"  (MGM)    2,600 

"Dancing  Pirate"  (Radio)    8,000 

days) 

"Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.)    18,500 

(on  stage:  Phil  Baker)  (6  days) 
"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  20,000 
(4th  week)  (stage  show  and 
Schmeling-Louis  fight) 
"Murder  by  An  Aristocrat"  (F.N.)  2,000 
(6  days) 

"Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  (Para.)  2,400 

"Fury"  (MGM)    7,000 

(5  days  -  2nd  week) 
"And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)   6,500 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)  2,000 
and  "Till  We  Meet  Again" 
(Para.)    (6th  week) 

"Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM)   5,000 

(Schmeling-Louis  fight) 

"Mine  With  the  Iron  Door"  (Col.)  8,000 
(on  stage:    Olsen  and  Johnson) 

"And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.)  6,000 
and  "Special  Investigator"  (Radio) 

"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)....  7,000 
and  "Florida  Special"  (Para.) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    6,000 

(1st  week) 

"Gypsy  Baron"  (Vienna  Films)   800 

(2nd  week) 

"Pace  That  Kills"  (Roadshow)  and  3,000 
"Thoroughbred"  (All-Star) 

"Connecticut  Yankee"  (20th  Cent.-  8,200 
Fox)  and  "Border  Flight"  (Para.) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   7,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio)    15,000 

(plus  stage  band  and  Olsen  and 
Johnson) 

"The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)   6,000 

(1st  week) 

"Fury"  (MGM)  and    12,000 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  (2nd  week) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  6,500 
and  "Human  Cargo" 

(20th  Cent.-Fox)  (1st  week) 
"Things  to  Come"  (U.A.)    6,000 

(3rd  week) 
"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)    16,000 

"Dancing  Pirate"  (Radio)  and   1,700 

"Fatal  Lady"  (Para.)   (4  days) 

"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)   2,400 

Louis-Schmeling  fight  (3  days- 

lst  week) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    7,200 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)..  3,450 
(11th  week) 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)    2,800 

(4th  week) 

"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)  and....  5,450 
"The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent-Fox) 

"One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)  and  4,100 
"Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  3-9  "  Wings  in  the  Dark"   3,700 

Low  5-9-36  "Big  Brown  Eyes"   1,300 

High  9-14  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"  10,000 

Low  11-2  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs".  2,500 
High  1-19  "Gentlemen  Are  Born"  and  1 

"Crime  Doctor"                      f  4,200 
Low  10-26  "Little  Big  Shot"  and  f 

"I  Live  for  Love"                )  1,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   8,800 

Low  8-24  "The  Farmer  Takes  a  Wife"..  1,800 

High  9-14  "Top  Hat"    9,500 

Low  6-6-36  "Dancing  Pirate"  and  / 

"Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"  J  2,600 
High  3-28-36  "The  Trail  of  the  Lone-  ( 

some   Pine"  and              ?  10,600 
"Every  Saturday  Night"  | 
Low  10-5  "Dante's    Inferno"    and  \ 

"She  Gets  Her  Man"          J  3,600 

High  2-29-36  "Exclusive  Story".   21,150 

(on  stage:  Ted  Lewis) 
Low  12-28  "Mister    Hobo"    and  ) 

"Three  Kids  and  a  Queen")  5,800 

High  1-25  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"....  4,800 

Low  9-21  "Bonnie  Scotland"    800 

High  1-4-36  "A  Tale  of  Two  Cities"....  30,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"    6,000 

High  1-4-36  "Miss  Pacific  Fleet"   22,000 

Low  10-5  "I  Live  for  Love"  '.   9,500 

High  5-9-36  "Under  Two  Flags"   31,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  9-28  "Redheads  on  Parade"   7,500 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"    6,300 

Low  6-1  "Dinky"    1,200 

High  4-13  "Roberta"    5,800 

Low  1-2  "The  Right  to  Live"   900 

High  2-29-36  "Follow  the  Fleet"   27,000 

Low  5-11  "Stolen  Harmony"   4,000 

High  1-11-36  "Riffraff"    10,000 

Low  3-23  "Captain  Hurricane"   1,800 

High  8-17  "Life  Begins  at  Forty"   2,700 

Low  6-22  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   1,400 

High  5-16-36  "The  Singing  Kid"   8,500 

Low  7-27  "Calm  Yourself"  and  ) 

"Chinatown  Squad"             J  4,000 
High    1-25-36    "A    Midsummer  Night's 

Dream"    12,000 

Low  1-19  "Behold  My  Wife"  and  ) 

"Defense  Rests"                  j  1,600 

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   9,500 

Low  11-23  "To  Beat  the  Band"   and  ) 

"Wanderer  of  the  Wasteland"  J  4,000 

High  4-20  "Private  Worlds"   11,500 

Low  5-2-36  "The  Witness   Chair"  } 

and  "Big  Brown  Eyes"        ]  5,000 

High   5-4   "Cardinal   Richelieu"   9,000 

Low  6-8  "Age  of  Indiscretion"   4,000 

High  12-28  "Peasants"    2,500 

Low  8-10  "The  Youth  of  Maxim"    800 

High  4-11-36  "Penitente  Murder  Case". ..  6,500 
Low  12-7  "Two  Sinners"  and    '  \ 

"$1,000  a  Minute"                  )  2,000 

High  8-3  "Champagne  for  Breakfast"....  14,800 
Low  11-30  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  ) 

"Freckles"                             )  4,000 

High  3-28-36  "The    Leathernecks  Have 

Landed"    29,000 

(on  stage;  Burns  and  Allen) 

Low  5-23-36  "Dancing  Pirate"   9,000 

(plus  stage  band) 

High  7-20  "Love  Me  Forever"   16,780 

Low  10-26  "King  Solomon  of  Broadway"  ) 

and  "Fighting  Youth"            (  4,800 
High  6-8  "Our  Little  Girl"  and  ) 

"Alibi  Ike"                           (  23,000 
Low  3-2  "Living  on  Velvet"  and  ( 

"All  the  King's  Horses"        J  8,500 

High  1-19  "The  County  Chairman"   11,000 

Low  6-29  "No  More  Ladies"   5,000 

High  10-26  "Barbary  Coast"   15,000 

Low  12-28  "Mimi"    2,500 

High  10-5  "I  Live  My  Life"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  3-28-36  "Colleen"  and  ) 

"Too  Many  Parents"        J  13,000 

High  11-30  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   6,100 

Low  2-16  "Million  Dollar  Baby"  and  1 

"Notorious   Gentleman"  J  2,900 

High  5-11  "Naughty  Marietta"   10,200 

Low  4-25-36  "The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome 

Pine"    2,600 

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   7,900 

Low  4-13  "White  Lies"  and  ) 

"Happy  Landing"  j  2,700 

High  3-16  "Roberta"    6,100 

Low  1-26  "The  Man  Who  Reclaimed  His 

Head"    2,850 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"    10,400 

Low  8-31  "Dante's  Inferno"  and  ) 

"Lady  Tubbs"  j  4,800 

High  12-14  "Annie  Oakley"   9.200 

Low  6-6-36  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  and? 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


117 


Hiiiii;!. 


TECHNOLOGICAL 


The   BLUEBOOK  School 

By  F.  H.  RICHARDSON 

[To  join  the  Bluebook  School  merely  send  in  answers.    Place  name  and  question  number  upon  first  sheet.    Address  F.  H.  Richardson,  No.  3  Tudor  Lane,  Scarsdale,  N.  Y. 


BLUEBOOK  SCHOOL  QUESTION  NO.  31. — (A)  Why  may  power  be  transported  more  cheaply  at  high  than 
at  low  voltage?  (B)  Why  are  inspection  forms  necessary  and  what  is  their  value?  Explain  fully. 

Answers  to  Question  No.  26 


Bluebook  School  Question  No.  26  was :  (A) 
What  is  a  watt?  A  kilowatt?  What  do  they 
represent  and  how  are  they  used?  (B)  What 
should  be  the  limit  of  projection  distance? 
Name  the  objections  to  a  too-short  or  too-long 
p-rojectioyi  distance. 

The  following  made  answers  that  were  either 
correct  or  approximately  so :  C.  Rau  and  S. 
Evans;  D.  Danielson;  G.  E.  Doe;  B.  DeVietti ; 
W.  C.  Brown;  W.  Limmroth ;  A.  L.  Cooper; 
Nic  Granby;  A.  L.  Cooper;  T.  F.  Bochert;  C. 
L.  Loft;  P.  and  L.  Felt;  J.  R.  Prater;  E.  H. 
Toedte;  W.  Edmonds;  R.  and  K.  Wells;  H.  B. 
Smith;  C.  Champney;  C.  Lonie;  C.  G.  Jones; 
S.  E.  and  C.  Gay ;  C.  Hawkens ;  M.  and  J.  De- 
voy ;  O.  L.  Harris  and  S.  Myers ;  F.  L.  and  L. 
Savior;  R.  D.  Oberleigh  and  J.  Lansing;  D.  D. 
Orr;  M.  J.  O'Brien;  R.  Holmes  and  C.  J. 
McCabe;  G.  L.  Snow,  R.  Galley,  R.  T.  Digby 
and  J.  F.  Seidman;  W.  D.  Samuels;  H.  H. 
Langtry ;  D.  Pollock ;  L.  R.  Spooner  and  G. 
Johnson;  N.  R.  Tomlinson ;  I.  C.  Croft;  F.  T. 
Hamilton  and  J.  S.  Knight ;  J.  T.  McGuire  and 
H.  V.  Nathan;  L.  and  F.  H.  Klar  and  T.  H. 
Morton;  H.  Martin;  T.  B.  Danielson;  F.  C.  and 
H.  Winkle;  L.  A.  Keller;  J.  R.  Perkins  and 
R.  Mills;  R.  Morris;  R.  Tomkins  and  H.  K. 
Abernathy;  D.  Emmerson;  J.  W.  Ruther,  M. 
L.  Lawrence  and  D.  J.  Green ;  M.  Wentworth ; 
F.  S.  King;  H.  T.  Bell,  L.  Nathan,  S.  D. 
Singer  and  E.  N.  Quinn ;  R.  Hubbell ;  R.  J. 
Mayhew;  J.  B.  Roth  and  A.  Garlock;  L.  B. 
Hardy;  H.  D.  Lally;  G.  W.  Scott;  W.  D. 
Wagner;  L.  T.  Hunt;  L.  L.  Lewis  and  O.  E. 
Parker;  N.  G.  Kilgen  and  P.  Redman;  N.  T. 
Brown  and  T.  N.  Powell;  R.  L.  Norton;  J. 
Farraro;  F.  K.  Monroe;  L.  A.  Dodson  and 

H.  T.  Todd;  V.  Burton;  L.  W.  Morgan  and 
P.  Larcher ;  J.  Jacobs;  G.  D.  Jones;  T.  R. 
Fanning  and  W.  Burns;  H.  F.  Stacy;  B.  L. 
Shaw. 

Various  answers  to  Section  A  are  as  fol- 
lows : 

D.  Danielson :  "The  watt  is  a  unit  of  elec- 
trical power,  the  equation  of  which  is  P  =  EI. 
It  represents  the  power  produced  by  a  current 
of  one  ampere  under  pressure  of  one  volt.  It 
is  equal  to  one  joule  per  second.  [Not  pre- 
cisely correct  in  that  last,  but  it  is  made  right 
by  what  follows.— F.  H.  R.]  It  is  approxi- 
mately equal  to  l/746th  of  one  horsepower. 
The  joule,  in  turn,  is  equal  to  the  amount  of 
power  produced  when  one  coulomb  of  electricity 
moves  under  one  volt  pressure,  whereas  the 
coulomb  is  the  quantity  of  current  delivered 
by  a  current  of  one  ampere  during  one  second 
of  time.    One  international  watt  is  equal  to 

I.  00034  absolute  watts.  The  kilowatt  is  a 
unit  of  electrical  power  equal  to  1,000  watts. 


The  above  named  units  are  terms  used  to  ex- 
press electrical  power  and  to  compute  problems 
relating  to  it  and  its  expenditure." 

W.  H.  Edmunds  replies :  "The  term  watt  is 
used  to  express  the  amount  of  electrical  power 
used.  It  comes  nearer  to  expressing  the  amount 
of  work  performed  than  does  any  other  single 
electrical  term  in  general  use.  We  may  speak 
of  100  volts,  but  unless  it  be  connected  with 
amperes  flowing  we  have  not  expressed  the 
amount  of  power  produced,  which  would  apply 
equally  did  we  name  100  amperes  but  make  no 
mention  of  voltage.  If,  however,  we  speak  of 
100  watts  we  express  a  certain  definite  amount 
of  power  available  or  produced  or  work  per- 
formed. One  watt  is  the  amount  of  energy 
produced  by  a  current  of  one  ampere  flowing 
under  a  one  volt  pressure.  Watts  is  the  product 
of  voltage  times  amperes  flowing,  thus  two 
amperes  times  100  volts  would  produce  or 
represent  200  watts  of  power,  or  4  amperes 
at  50  volts  would  equal  200  watts." 

To  his  answer  Brother  Edmonds  appends 
this  note:  "When  it  comes  to  learning  things 
by  means  of  our  BB  School,  I  can  say  it 
teaches  me  something  every  week,"  which  com- 
ment is  printed  to  permit  me  to  remark  that  the 
amount  of  knowledge  gained  depends  upon  how 
much  real  study  is  devoted  to  each  question. 

(B)  D.  Pollock  answers,  "Limits  of  projec- 
tion distance  largely  center  in  the  projector  op- 
tical train  itself.  It  is  quite  true  that  if  the 
distance  be  long  and  the  air  filled  with  dust  or 
smoke,  a  considerable  amount  of  light  will  be 
scattered  by  contact  with  the  floating  particles, 


F.  H.  Richardson's 
BLUEBOOK  of 
PROJECTION 

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but  the  amount  of  loss  is  not,  after  all,  a  very 
serious  matter.  Turning  to  page  247  of  my  pro- 
jection bible,  the  Bluebook  of  Projection,  I  see 
that  'the  projection  room  should  not  be  too 
close  to  the  screen  or  it  will  require  a  pro- 
jection lens  of  less  than  four  inches  E.F. ;  nor 
should  it  be  too  distant,  or  it  will  require  the 
use  of  a  lens  exceeding  7  inches  E.F.'  Analyz- 
ing the  objections  to  these  lenses,  the  first 
named  prohibition  is  because  of  the  fact  that 
with  a  projection  lens  of  less  than  four  inches 
E.F.,  it  becomes  increasingly  difficult  to  secure 
flatness  of  field,  for  the  reason  that  lenses  give 
critical  definition  at  only  one  exact  distance 
from  their  optical  center. 

"With  a  screen  of  any  given  width,  as  pro- 
jection distance  is  made  less,  the  distance  from 
lens  to  center  and  sides  of  the  screen  becomes 
increasingly  different.  On  one  end  of  a  table, 
say,  six  feet  long,  draw  a  straight  line  one 
foot  in  length.  At  right  angles  thereto  draw 
a  straight  line  down  the  center  of  the  table, 
with  marks  at  each  foot  of  its  length.  Now 
using  a  pencil  with  a  string  attached  thereto, 
place  the  pencil  at  the  first  mark,  one  foot  from 
the  screen  line  and  the  pencil  point  at  one  end 
of  the  screen  mark.  Now,  holding  the  string  on 
the  mark,  draw  the  segment  of  a  circle  from 
one  end  of  the  screen  mark  to  the  other,  ob- 
serving how  far  the  pencil  mark  is  from  the 
screen  mark  center. 

"Next  place  the  pencil  at  one  end  of  the 
screen  mark  and  hold  the  string  at  the  mark 
furthest  away,  repeating  the  pencil  movement, 
and  you  will  instantly  see  the  relation  of  long 
and  short  focal  length  projection  lenses  to  the 
screen,  remembering  that  critical  focus  is  not 
obtained  except  at  one,  fixed  distance  from  any 
lens;  also  that  'critical  focus'  means  the  very 
best  focus  or  definition  a  lens  can  provide. 
You  will  observe  the  difference  in  flatness  of 
field  as  between  the  long  and  short  focal  length 
lens  as  exemplified  by  the  relative  curvature  of 
the  pencil  marks. 

"There  are  other  minor  reasons  why  lenses 
of  too  long  focal  length  are  objectionable,  the 
chief  one  of  which  is  that  with  projector  optical 
systems  as  planned  today,  it  may  be  difficult,  or 
even  impossible,  to  get  the  light  beam  from  the 
aperture  all  into  the  lens,  failure  of  which 
not  only  means  loss  of  light,  but  also  increased 
unevenness  of  screen  illumination,  since  under 
that  condition  the  light  lost  will  all  be  taken 
from  the  outer  margins  of  the  picture,  the  ef- 
fect of  which  is  illustrated  on  page  126  of  our 
Bluebook  of  Projection.  In  that  illustration  the 
light  almost  all  enters  the  lens,  but  the  terrific 
drop  [24.3  to  5.9  candle  power— F.  H.  R.l 
from  center  to  side  is  still  further  increased  if 
it  does  not." 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


PRODUCTIONS  IN  WCEK 


TITLE 
COLUMBIA 
"Loft  Horizon" 

"There  Goes  the  Bride" 
"Adventure  in  Manhattan" 
"Craig's  Wife" 

"The  Road  to  Nowhere" 

METRO-GOLDWYN -MAYER 

"Old  Hutch" 

"His  Brother's  Wife" 
"The  Devil  Is  a  Sissy" 

PARAMOUNT 

"Lady  Be  Careful" 

"Valiant  Is  the  Word  for 
Carrie" 

"Three  Married  Men" 
"Wives  Never  Know" 

"The  Big  Broadcast  of  1937" 

RKO  RADIO 

"Grand  Jury" 

"Second  Marriage" 

TWENTIETH  CENTURY- 
FOX 

"Ramona" 

"Across  the  Aisle" 
"See  America  First" 

UNITED  ARTISTS 

"The  Garden  of  Allah" 

"Dodsworth" 
"Come  and  Get  It" 

UNIVERSAL 

"Fool  for  Blondes" 

"Yellowstone" 


WARNER  BROS.- 
FIRST  NATIONAL 


"Three  in  Eden" 


"Loudspeaker  Lowdown'1 


WRITER  AND  DIRECTOR 


From  the  novel  by  James  Hilton.  Screen  play, 
Robert  Riskin.  Producing  Director:  Frank 
Capra. 


Story,  Octavus  Roy  Cohen.  Screen  play,  Howard 
J.   Green.     Director:    Alfred   E.  Green. 

From  the  novel  by  May  Edginton.  Director: 
Edward  Ludwig. 

From  the  play  by  George  Kelly.  Screen  play, 
Mary  McCall,  Jr.    Director:    Dorothy  Arzner. 

Original,  Zane  Grey.  Screen  play,  Harold  Shu- 
mate.   Director:    Erie  Kenton. 


Original,  Garrett  Smith.  Screen  play,  George 
Kelly,  Margaret  Echard.  Director:  J.  Walter 
Ruben. 

Screen  play,  Leon  Gordon,  John  Meehan.  Direc- 
tor:   W.  S.  Van  Dyke. 


Original, 
Brown. 


Roland     Brown.      Director:  Roland 


Original,  Kenyon  Nicholson,  Charles  Robinson. 
Screen  play,  Dorothy  Parker,  Alan  Campbell, 
Harry  Ruskin.    Director:    J.  T.  Reed. 

Screen  play,  Claude  Binyon.  Director:  Wesley 
Ruggles. 

Director:    Eddie  Buzzell. 


Director:   Harlan  Thompson. 


Director:   Mitchell  Leisen. 


Story,    Tom    Lennon,    James    Edward  Grant. 

Screen    play,    James    Edward    Grant,  Joseph 

Fields.    Director:  Albert  Rogell. 
From  the  play  by  Fulton  Oursler.    Screen  play, 

Tom  Lennon.     Director:    Edward  Killy. 


From  the  novel  by  Helen  Hunt  Jackson.  Screen 
play,  Lamar  Trotti.   Director:  Henry  King. 


Based  on  an  original  story,  W.  R.  Burnett. 
Screen  play,  Lou  Breslow.  Director:  Eugene 
Forde. 

Original  screen  play,  Katharine  Kavanaugh,  Rob- 
ert Ellis,  Helen  Logan.  Director:  James  Tin- 
ling. 


Novel,  Robert  Hitchens.  Adaptation,  Willis 
Goldbeck.  Screen  play,  W.  P.  Lipscomb,  Dia- 
logue, Lynn  Riggs.  Director:  Richard  Bolei- 
lawski. 

From  the  novel  by  Sinclair  Lewis.  Screen  play, 
Sidney  Howard.    Director:    William  Wyler. 


Novel  by  Edna  Ferber.  Screen  play,  Jane  Murfin, 
Jules  Furthman.    Director:    Howard  Hawks. 


From  Liberty  Magazine  story  by  Owen  Francis. 

Screen  play,  Owen  Francis,  Lewis  R.  Foster. 

Director:    John  G.  Bly stone. 
Screen  play,  Jefferson  Parker,  Renaud  Hoffman. 

Director:    Arthur  Lubin. 


From  an  idea  by  Somerset  Maughan.  Screen 
play,  Robert  Andrews,  William  Jacobs.  Direc- 
tor:   Frank  McDonald. 

Screen  play,  Roy  Chanslor.  Director:  William 
Clemens. 


CAST 


Ronald  Colman,  Jane  Wyatt,  Isabel  Jewell,  Edward 
Everett  Horton,  Thomas  Mitchell,  John  T.  Murray, 
Hugh  Buckler,  Norman  Ainsley,  Lawrence  Grant, 
John  Burton,  H.  B.  Warner,  Margaret  McWade, 
David  Clyde,  Neil  Fitzgerald,  Margo. 

Chester  Morris,  Fay  Wray,  Lionel  Stander,  Raymond 
Walburn,  Henry  Mollison. 

Joel  McCrea,  Jean  Arthur,  Thomas  Mitchell,  Charles 
Wilson,  John  Gallaudet. 

Rosalind  Russell,  John  Boles,  Billie  Burke,  Alma  Kruger, 
Dorothy  Wilson,  Nydia  Westman,  Elizabeth  Risdon, 
Thomas  Mitchell,  Robert  Allen,  Raymond  Walburn. 

Jack  Holt,  Johnny  McGuire,  Guinn  (Big  Boy)  Williams, 
Louise  Henry. 


Wallace  Beery,  Eric  Linden,  Cecilia  Parker,  Elizabeth 
Patterson,  Robert  McWade,  Donald  Meek. 

Robert  Taylor,  Barbara  Stanwyck,  Jean  Hersholt,  Edgar 
Edwards,  Phyllis  Clare,  John  Eldredge,  Joseph  Calleia, 
Samuel  Hinds. 

Freddie  Bartholomew,  Jackie  Cooper,  Mickey  Rooney, 
Dorothy  Peterson,  Shirley  Ross,  Mary  Doran,  Etiennc 
Girardot,  Gene  Lockhart,  Jonathan  Hale,  Peggy 
Conklin. 


Benny  Baker,  Larry  Crabbe,  Lew  Ayres,  Mary  Carlisle, 
Grant  Withers,  Jack  Chapin. 

Gladys  George,  Arline  Judge,  Dudley  Digges,  Isabel 
Jewell,  Harry  Carey,  Hattie  McDaniels,  William  Col- 
lier, Sr.,  John  Wray. 

Mabel  Colcord,  William  Frawley,  Bennie  Bartlett,  Lynne 
Overman,  Marjorie  Gateson,  Mary  Brian,  George  Bar- 
bier,  Roscoe  Karns,  Gail  Sheridan,  Cora  Sue  Collins. 

Charles  Ruggles,  Mary  Boland,  Adolphe  Menjou,  Claude 
Gillingwater,  Fay  Holden,  Louise  Beavers,  Constance 
Bergen,  Don  Rowan,  Nancy  Lee,  Porter  Hall,  Irving 
Bacon,  Alice  Ardell. 

Jack  Benny,  George  Burns  and  Gracie  Allen,  Bob  Burns, 
Jane  Froman,  Ray  Milland,  Frank  Forest,  Martha 
Raye,  Benny  Fields,  Sam  Hearn,  Stan  Kavanaugh. 


John  Arledge,  Harry  Jans,  Louise  Latimer,  Fred  Stone, 
Owen  Davis,  Jr.,  Frank  M.  Thomas. 

Gertrude  Michael,  Walter  Abel,  Erik  Rhodes,  Lee  Van 
Atta,  Emma  Dunn,  Ann  Shoemaker,  Maxine  Jennings, 
George  Breakstone,  Florence  Fair. 


Loretta   Young,    Don    Ameche,    Kent   Taylor,  Pauline 

Frederick,  Katherine  DeMille,  Jane  Darwell,  Pedro  de 
Cordoba,  Paul  Stanton,  J.  Carroll  Naish,  Donald  Reed, 

Russell  Simpson,  Chief  Thundercloud,  Del  Campo. 

Gloria  Stuart,  Brian  Donlevy,  Douglas  Fowley,  Isabel 
Jewell,  Stepin  Fetchit,  Romaine  Callender,  James 
Burke,  Warren  Hymer,  Julius  Tannen. 

Jed  Prouty,  Spring  Byington,  Dixie  Dunbar,  Tony  Mar- 
tin, Shirley  Deane,  Florence  Roberts. 


Marlene  Dietrich,  Charles  Boyer,  Tilly  Losch,  Basil 
Rathbone,  Joseph  Schildkraut,  Henry  Kleinbach,  John 
Caradine,  Frank  Pugli,  Adrian  Rosley,  C.  Aubrey 
Smith. 

Walter  Huston,  Ruth  Chatterton,  Mary  Astor,  Paul 
Lukas,  David  Niven,  Gregory  Gaye,  Odette  Myrtil, 
Kathryn  Marlowe,  John  Payne,  Spring  Byington, 
Harlan  Briggs,  Charles  Halton. 

Edward  Arnold,  Frances  Farmer,  Walter  Brennan,  Mary 
Nash,  Andrea  Leeds,  Clem  Bevens,  Edwin  Maxwell, 
Agnes  Anderson. 


Victor  McLaglen,  Binnie  Barnes,  Nan  Grey. 


Henry  Hunter,  Judith  Barrett,  Andy  Devine,  Paul  Har- 
vey, Russell  Wade. 


Donald  Woods,  Margaret  Lindsay,  Ian  Hunter,  Paul 
Graetz,  E.  E.  Clive,  George  Regas,  Micki  Morita, 
Tetsu  Komai. 

Ross  Alexander,  Anne  Nagel,  Glenda  Farrell,  Craig 
Reynolds. 


STAGE  OF 
PRODUCTION 


Shooting 

Editing 
Shooting 
Shooting 

Shooting 

Shooting 
Shooting 
Shooting 

Shooting 
Shooting 
Shooting 
Shooting 

Shooting 

Shooting 

Shooting 

Shooting 

Shooting 
Shooting 

Shooting 
Shooting 

Shooting 

Shooting 
Shooting 

Shooting 

Shooting 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


WHAT  THE  PICTURE 
DID  FOR  ME 


Columbia 


DEVIL'S  SQUADRON:  Richard  Dix,  Karen  Mor- 
ley — A  swell  show.  The  roaring  of  the  planes  can  be 
heard  for  a  block  if  you  leave  a  window  open,  which 
helps  to  bring  them  in.  Running  time,  75  minutes. 
Played  June  20-21.— H.  M.  Gerber,  Roxy  Theatre, 
Hazelton,  N.  D.    Small  town  and  rural  patronage. 

MR.  DEEDS  GOES  TO  TOWN:  Gary  Cooper,  Jean 
Arthur — Columbia  is  up  and  down  but  on  this  one 
they  were  up  plenty.  Not  as  good  as  "It  Happened 
One  Night,"  but  it  is  very  good  entertainment  and 
the  two  stars  are  great  in  their  respective  roles. 
Jean  Arthur  does  splendid  work  in  this  one  and  the 
picture  finishes  with  a  bang  in  the  courtroom  scenes. 
Cooper  was  good,  too,  as  was  his  supporting  cast. — 
A.  E.  Hancock,  Columbia  Theatre,  Columbia  City, 
Ind.    General  patronage. 

MR.  DEEDS  GOES  TO  TOWN:  Gary  Cooper,  Jean 
Arthur — Had  more  favorable  comments  on  this  pic- 
ture than  any  I  have  played.  Word  of  mouth  adver- 
tising caused  it  to  build  for  second  and  third  days 
after  slow  start  and  we  did  strong  average  business. 
Running  time,  115  minutes.  Played  June  14-15. — Roy 
C.  Irvine,  Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash.  General 
patronage. 

MR.  DEEDS  GOES  TO  TOWN:  Gary  Cooper,  Jean 
Arthur — A  good  picture  that  done  above  average 
business,  but  not  up  to  "Broadway  Bill"  or  "It  Hap- 
pened One  Night."  Running  time,  118  minutes. — J.  B. 
Weddle,  Walnut  Theatre,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.  Average 
patronage. 

PANIC  ON  THE  AIR:  Lew  Ayres,  Florence  Rice- 
Just  another  program  picture  not  long  enough  to 
stand  up  unless  played  with  plenty  of  short  subjects. 
Running  time,  56  minutes.  Played  June  6-7. — H.  M. 
Gerber,  Roxy  Theatre,  Hazelton,  N.  D.  Small  town 
and  rural  patronage. 


First  National 


SINGING  KID,  THE:  Al  Jolson— Somewhat  of  a 
disappointment.  No  musical  dance  numbers  of  any 
consequence  and  a  very  obvious  story.  Good  cast  does 
its  best,  including  Al.  Another  thing:  Warner's  "off 
the  air"  radio  arrangement  makes  all  their  songs  un- 
known quantities.  It's  hard  to  get  their  rhythm  in 
one  showing,  consequently  they  seem  flat.  Played 
June  21-22. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Fenacook, 
N.  H.    General  patronage. 

SNOWED  UNDER:  George  Brent,  Genevieve  To- 
bin — Very  nice  program  picture  which  should  satisfy 
any  audience  looking  for  amusement  and  good  hearty 
laughs.  This  Tobin  girl  is  getting  better  every  pic- 
ture. Running  time,  63  minutes.  Played  June  17-18.— 
Horn  and  Morgan,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb. 
Small  town  patronage. 

STORY  OF  LOUIS  PASTEUR,  THE:  Paul  Muni, 
Josephine  Hutchinson — Splendid.  Very  much  appreci- 
ated by  audience.  Running  time,  87  minutes.  Flayed 
June  19-20. — M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Lark  Theatre,  Mc- 
Minnville,  Ore.   Local  patronage. 

GB  Pictures 

THE  THIRTY-NINE  STEPS:  Robert  Donat,  Mad- 
eleine Carroll— This  English  production  fell  short  of 
our  expectations.  Sound  was  very  bad  and  the  story 
quite  conflicting.  Did  below  average  weekend  busi- 
ness.—Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  On- 
tario, Can.    General  patronage. 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 

AH,  WILDERNESS:  Lionel  Barrymore,  Wallace 
Beery— Good  picture.  Terrible  business.  I  haven't 
done  as  well  as  expected  on  MGM  pictures.  Perhaps 
my  people  do  not  appreciate  a  good  picture  or  some- 
thing !— Sammie  Jackson,  Jackson  Theatre,  Flomaton, 
Ala.    General  patronage. 

AH,  WILDERNESS:  Lionel  Barrymore,  Wallace 
Reery—  A  swell  picture  that  was  ruined  at  the  box 
office  by  a  terrible  title.  If  you  can  get  them  in,  here 
is  a  picture  that  will  please  100  per  cent.  Running 
time,  97  minutes.  Played  June  21-22.— C.  A.  Jordan, 
Opera  House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

CHINA  SEAS:  Clark  Gable.  Jean  Harlow,  Wallace 
Beery— A  real  cast  and  a  real  show  to  the  best  busi- 
ness since  the  first  of  the  year.  This  picture  will  back 
up  anything  you  have  to  say  about  it.  Don't  be  afraid 
to  boost  it.   Running  time,  89  minutes.  Flayed  March 


IN  this,  the  exhibitors'  own  de- 
partment, the  theatremen  of  the 
nation  serve  one  another  with 
information  on  the  box  office  per- 
formance of  product  for  their  mu- 
tual benefit.  It  is  a  service  of  the 
exhibitor  for  the  exhibitor.  Address 
all  communications  to — 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me 

MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 

Rockefeller  Center,  New  York 


7-8.— C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera  House,  Cogswell,  N.  D. 
Small  town  patronage. 

EXCLUSIVE  STORY:  FAnchot  Tone,  Madge  Evans 
— Gee,  here  is  a  dandy,  too.  Stu  Erwin  had  a  role  in 
this  equally  as  good  if  not  better  than  he  ever  had 
before.  And  did  he  do  it  to  perfection?  Tone  is  al- 
ways fine  and  that  Evans  girl  is  swell.  The  acting 
honors  must  be  shared  though  with  C'alleia  (you  pro- 
nounce it)  who  did  a  fine  job.  Running  time,  73  min- 
utes. Played  June  26-27. — Horn  and  Morgan,  Star 
Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 

MURDER  MAN:  Spencer  Tracy,  Virginia  Bruce— 
A  well-produced,  interesting  picture,  handicapped  by 
a  poor  title.  The  title  would  indicate  a  horror  pic- 
ture, but  it  is  not.  Running  time,  70  minutes.  Played 
February  22-23. — C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera  House,  Cogs- 
well, N.  D.   Small  town  patronage. 

NIGHT  AT  THE  OPERA,  A:  Marx  Bros.— Drew 
above  the  average  and  seemed  to  please.  The  piano 
playing  of  Chico  and  harp  playing  of  Harpo  fine.  Flay- 
ed June  14-15. — C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera  House,  Cogswell, 
N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

ROBIN  HOOD  OF  EL  DORADO,  THE:  Warner 
Baxter,  Ann  Loring — Warner  Baxter  at  his  best.  A 
great  picture  in  all  respects,  it  has  romance,  action 
and  all  that  goes  with  a  good  outdoor  picture.  Well 
supported  the  first  day  run  but  did  not  get  the  play 
that  it  should  have  done  on  the  second  day. — A.  E. 
Hancock,  Columbia  Theatre,  Columbia  City,  Ind.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

ROSE  MARIE:  Nelson  Eddy,  Jeanette  MacDonald— 
One  of  the  grandest  musical  pictures  we  have  ever 
had  the  privilege  of  playing.  Although  we  did  not  do 
a  sellout  business,  we  always  take  pride  in  meeting 
out  patrons  at  the  door,  who  always  come  out  satis- 
fied.— Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  On- 
tario,   Can.     General  patronage. 

SMALL  TOWN  GIRL:  Janet  Gaynor,  Robert  Tay- 
lor— A  very  satisfactory  picture.  Pleased  all.  Miss 
Gaynor  shows  she  only  needs  a  good  part  and  a  little 
production  back-up  to  be  really  a  fine  actress.  Play- 
ed June  28-29.— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Fena- 
cook, N.  H.    General  patronage. 

SMALL  TOWN  GIRL:  Janet  Gaynor,  Robert  Tay- 
lor— Story  well  told  and  picture  enjoyed.  A  lot  of 
very  favorable  comment.  Running  time,  107  minutes. 
Played  June  14-16. — M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Lark  Thea- 
tre, McMinnville,  Ore.    Local  patronage. 

SMALL  TOWN  GIRL:  Janet  Gaynor,  Robert  Tay- 
lor— This  picture  is  a  surprise  package  after  the  last 
two  or  three  flops  this  star  made.  This  is  greatly 
due  to  the  support  of  Robert  Taylor,  who  has  just 
nosed  out  Gable  in  popularity  with  the  ladies.  Above 
average  business  and  everybody  pleased. — J.  B.  Wed- 
dle, Walnut  Theatre,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.  Average 
patronage. 

THREE  GODFATHERS:  Chester  Morris,  Irene 
Hervey— This  one  satisfied  the  majority.  A  few  of 
the  folks  marveled  at  the  baby's  fine,  neat  appear- 
ance following  his  harrowing  desert  escapade,  but 
maybe  it  livened  up  the  rather  drear  atmosphere.  In 
any  event  we're  all  glad  the  little  fellow  turned  out 
so  well!  Played  June  26-27.— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  The- 
atre, Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

UNGUARDED  HOUR:  Loretta  Young.  Franchot 
Tone — Very  good.  Well  directed  and  plenty  of  sur- 
pense.  It  was  liked  very  much  by  the  audience.— A. 
E.  Hancock,  Columbia  Theatre,  Columbia  City,  Ind. 
General  patronage. 

VOICE  OF  BUGLE  ANN,  THE:  Lionel  Barrymore, 


Maureen  O'Sullivan — Another  excellent  one  which  was 
well  received  here  on  account  of  the  dog  angle.  Did 
not  have  one  complaint.  Running  time,  72  minutes. 
Played  June  21-22.— Horn  and  Morgan,  Star  Theatre, 
Hay  Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 

VOICE  OF  BUGLE  ANN,  THE:  Lionel  Barrymore, 
Maureen  O'Sullivan — Was  disappointed  with  this.  Pic- 
ture is  pretty  good  but  not  as  good  as  we  expected. 
Business  less  than  feature  rental! — Sammie  Jackson, 
Jackson  Theatre,  Flomaton,  Ala.   General  patronage. 

VOICE  OF  BUGLE  ANN,  THE:  Lionel  Barrymore, 
Maureen  O'Sullivan — For  a  family  picture  this  is  the 
best  one  for  years,  nothing  big  but  just  darn  good 
entertainment.  Business  above  average.  — J.  B.  Wed- 
dle, Walnut  Theatre,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.  Average 
patronage. 


Paramount 


DESERT  GOLD:  Larry  Crabbe,  Marsha  Hunt- 
Very  good  Zane  Grey  western  for  weekend.  Average 
business.  Running  time,  58  minutes.  Played  June  19- 
20.— Roy  C.  Irvine,  Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash. 
General  patronage. 

EAGLE'S  BROOD,  THE:  William  Boyd,  Jimmy 
Ellison — Fair  Western  program.  Should  be  played  as 
a  double  feature  because  of  its  being  very  short.  Will 
please  all  western  fans.  Running  time,  seven  reels. 
Flayed  June  19-20.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kim- 
ball, S.   D.    Small  town  patronage. 

EVERY  NIGHT  AT  EIGHT:  George  Raft,  Alice 
Faye — I  wouldn't  rate  this  better  than  program;  the 
amateur  hour  broadcast  sequence  was  interesting  and 
there  was  several  good  vocal  selections.  Business 
average.  Flayed  Tune  12-13. — C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera 
House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.   Small  town  patronage. 

HERE  COMES  COOKIE:  Burns  and  Allen— Will 
get  by,  but  nothing  to  write  home  about.  Got  lots 
of  laughs,  but  some  said  too  silly.  Business  average. 
Played  June  19-20.— C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera  House,  Cogs- 
well, N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

13  HOURS  BY  AIR:  Fred  MacMurray,  Joan  Ben- 
nett— MacMurray  very  popular  here  and  an  air  story 
always  clicks.  Result  good  average  business.  Pic- 
ture okeh  but  nothing  big.  Running  time,  77  min- 
utes. Played  June  21-23.— Roy  C.  Irvine,  Ritz  Thea- 
tre, Ritzville,  Wash.    General  patronage. 

13  HOURS  BY  AIR:  Fred  MacMurray,  Joan  Ben- 
nett— A  very  fine  picture.  Pleased  everyone  and  drew 
in  a  few  extras.  Played  June  26-27. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Pal- 
ace Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  patronage. 

TOO  MANY  PARENTS:  Frances  Farmer,  Colin 
Tapley — A  programmer  of  unusual  merit.  Played  on 
dual  but  will  stand  alone  in  the  smaller  spots.  Run- 
ning time,  70  minutes.  Played  June  17-18.— Roy  C.  Ir- 
vine, Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash.  General  patron- 
age. 

WOMAN  TRAP:  Gertrude  Michael,  George  Murphy 
Better  than  average  program  picture,  holding  the  in- 
terest to  the  very  end.  This  Tamiroff  was  a  scream 
and  held  our  audiences  in  roars  most  of  the  time.  The 
suspense  was  fine  too.  Running  time,  63  minutes. 
Played  June  24-25.— Horn  and  Morgan,  Star  Theatre, 
Hay  Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 


Republic 


HARVESTER,  THE:  Alice  Brady.  Ann  Rutherford 
—It  doesn't  do  us  any  good  to  get  new  customers  in 
the  house  on  the  strength  of  a  popular  book  when 
it  can  hardly  be  recognized  from  the  picture.  We 
have  had  the  same  thing  from  several  companies  and 
it  never  fails  to  bring  complaints.  If  they  are  going 
to  pay  for  the  book  and  use  the  title,  why  not  follow 
the  story  more  closely?  Running  time.  65  minutes 
Played  May  26-28.— Elaine  S.  Furlong.  Star  Theatre, 
Heppner,  Ore.    Small  town  patronage. 

HOUSE  OF  A  THOUSAND  CANDLES:  Phillips 
Holmes.  Mae  Clarke — A  lot  of  French  and  English 
jabber  that  no  one  could  understand.  More  walkouts 
than  all  others  in  past  year.  Running  time,  65  min- 
utes. Played  June  23-24.— J.  R  Weddle.  Walnul 
Theatre,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.    Average  patronage 


RKO  Radio 


CHASING  YESTERDAY:  Anne  Shirlev— A  good 
picture  good  for  any  day  including  Sunday".  Business 
poor  account  hot  weather.  Running  time,  nine  reels 
Played  June  23-24.— Rudolf  Duba.  Royal  Theatre,  Kim- 
hall,  S.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 


120 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


DANCING  PIRATE:  Charles  Collins,  Steffi  Duna— 
Technicolor  without  real  stars  and  a  good  story  don't 
mean  a  thing.  This  was  a  terrible  Sunday  bust. — E. 
C.  Arehart,  Princess  Theatre,  Odebolt,  Iowa.  General 
patronage. 

FARMER  IN  THE  DELL:  Fred  Stone,  Jean  Parker 
— Fine  program  picture. — Sammie  Jackson,  Jackson 
Theatre,  Flomaton,  Ala.    General  patronage. 

FOLLOW  THE  FLEET:  Fred  Astaire,  Ginger 
Rogers — This  pair  always  draw  extra  business,  al- 
though in  my  opinion  that  is  not  as  good  as  some  of 
their  previous  releases.  It  lacks  Irene  Dunne,  whose 
singing  made  "Roberta"  the  success  it  was.  Running 
time,  110  minutes.  Played  May  29-31.— H.  M.  Gerber, 
Roxy  Theatre,  Hazelton,  N.  D.  Small  town  and  rural 
patronage. 

I  DREAM  TOO  MUCH:  Lily  Pons,  Henry  Fonda- 
Much  better  than  expected.  Played  on  "Money  Night." 
— Sammie  Jackson,  Jackson  Theatre,  Flomaton,  Ala. 
General  patronage. 

LET'S  SING  AGAIN:  Bobby  Breen,  Henry  Ar- 
metta — Believe  you  are  a  real  comer,  Bobby,  if  they 
give  you  good  snappy  stories  and  not  too  much  sing- 
ing.— E.  C.  Arehart,  Princess  Theatre,  Odebolt,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 

LOVE  ON  A  BET:  Gene  Raymond,  Wendy  Barrie— 
A  good  story  and  well  liked.  Running  time,  77  min- 
utes. Played  June  12-13.— M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Lark 
Theatre,  McMinnville,  Ore.    Local  patronage. 

MUSS  'EM  UP:  Preston  Foster— Okay  melodrama. 
No  great  shakes  but  can  get  by.  No  complaint  at 
any  rate.  Played  June  23. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Thea- 
tre, Fenacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

SILLY  BILLIES:  Wheeler  and  Woolsey— This  is 
the  poorest  picture  this  pair  has  turned  out,  not  due 
to  their  acting,  but  the  story  they  had  to  work  with. 
But  they  still  brought  in  more  shekels  than  some 
of  the  socalled  specials.  Running  time,  64  minutes. 
Played  June  13-14.— H.  M.  Gerber,  Roxy  Theatre, 
Hazelton,  N.  D.    Small  town  and  rural  patronage. 

SILLY  BILLIES:  Wheeler  and  Woolsey— The  sil- 
liest thing  about  this  one  is  that  RKO  chooses  to 
throw  away  a  good  comedy  team  in  trash  like  this. 
No  story  value,  few  really  funny  incidents,  no  mu- 
sical numbers,  no  production  values.  In  short,  every- 
thing's against  the  stars  before  they  even  started. 
Too  bad!.  Played  June  19-20. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace 
Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

SILLY  BILLIES:  Wheeler  and  Woolsey— 64  minutes 
too  long.  They  ought  to  horsewhip  these  two  boys 
for  allowing  themselves  to  be  put  into  such  a  bum 
picture.  Running  time,  64  minutes.  Played  June  19- 
20.— M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Lark  Theatre,  McMinnville, 
Ore. 


Twentieth  Century -Fox 

CONNECTICUT  YANKEE,  A  (Re-Release):  Will 
Rogers,  Myrna  Loy — Only  a  fair  draw  compared  to 
the  former  late  pictures. — E.  C.  Arehart,  Princess 
Theatre,  Odebolt,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

CONNECTICUT  YANKEE,  A.  (Re-Release):  Will 
Rogers,  Myrna  Loy — This  reissue  was  rather  disap- 
pointing. Did  not  do  any  such  business  as  the  former 
Rogers  pictures.  The  poorest  Rogers  picture.— Har- 
land  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Can. 
General  patronage. 

EVERYBODY'S  OLD  MAN:  Irvin  S.  Cobb,  Johnny 
Downs — Irvin  S.  Cobb  is  good  in  this.  The  really  fine 
playing  of  Johnny  Downs,  though,  is  deserving  of 
producer  attention.  The  boy  has  lots  of  appeal  and 
creates  a  good  audience  reaction.  We  should  see  more 
of  him.  This  is  a  nice  picture  for  your  family  trade. 
Played  June  24-25. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Pena- 
cook, N.  H.    General  patronage. 

GENTLE  JULIA:  Jane  Withers,  Tom  Brown— A 
fair  program  picture.  Good  drawing  card  on  account 
of  the  story.  Running  time,  seven  reels.  Played  June 
21.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D. 
Small  town  patronage. 

HERE  COMES  TROUBLE:  Paul  Kelly,  Arline 
Judge— A  good  program  picture.  Should  please  the 
majority.  Good  acting  by  the  entire  cast.  Running 
time,  seven  reels.  Played  June  17.— Rudolf  Duba, 
Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.   Small  town  patronage. 

KING  OF  BURLESQUE,  THE:  Alice  Faye,  War- 
ner Baxter — One  of  the  best  musical  pictures  we  have 
played  this  year,  however  the  box  office  returns  were 
not  up  to  our  expectations.— Harland  Rankin,  Plaza 
Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Can.    General  patronage. 

MESSAGE  TO  GARCIA,  A:  Wallace  Beery,  Bar- 
bara Stanwyck.  John  Boles— Took  a  beating  on  this 
on  a  Sunday  date,  but  it  still  looks  like  good  enter- 
tainment to  us.  Played  June  21-22. — Elaine  S.  Fur- 
long, Star  Theatre,  Heppner,  Ore.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

PRISONER  OF  SHARK  ISLAND,  THE:  Warner 
Baxter.  Gloria  Stuart— Splendid  picture  to  good  mid- 
week business.  Running  time.  95  minutes.  PlayeVl 
June  16-18.— Elaine  S.  Furlong,  Star  Theatre,  Heppner, 
Ore.    Small  town  patronage. 

THUNDER    MOUNTAIN:     George   O'Brien— Zane 


".  .  .  the  Motion  Picture 
Herald's  box-office  check-up 
.  .  .  the  Herald  is  a  weekly 
journal  whose  status  in  the 
film  industry  may  be  com- 
pared to  the  importance  else- 
where of  the  Encyclopedia 
Britannica  or  the  Bible  .  .  ." 


®fjp  $m  fork  (Etmea. 

July  5.  1936 


Grey's  name  as  the  author  is  a  help  at  the  box  of- 
fice, but  the  picture  could  hardly  be  given  more  than 
a  one  star  rating.  Running  time,  58  minutes.  Played 
February  29-March  1.— C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera  House, 
Cogswell,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

WAY  DOWN  EAST:  Rochelle  Hudson,  Henry 
Fonda — With  two  unknown  stars  in  the  leading  roles 
a  really  fine  picture  for  the  family  failed  to  do  better 
than  an  average  business  under  the  best  weather 
conditions  since  January  1.  While  the  work  of  Miss 
Hudson  and  Mr.  Fonda  left  nothing  to  be  desired,  the 
draw  at  box  office  was  missing.  So  far  this  year  we 
have  played  only  one  Fox  picture  that  made  us 
money;  that  was  "The  Farmer  Takes  a  Wife."  Run- 
ning time,  84  minutes.  Played  March  14-15.— C.  A. 
Jordan,  Opera  House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.  Small  town 
patronage. 


United  Artists 


DARK  ANGEL,  THE:  Frederic  March,  Merle  Obe- 
ron,  Herbert  Marshall — Flayed  second  time.  '  Picture 
is  very,  very  good. — Sammie  Jackson,  Jackson  Thea- 
tre, Flomaton,  Ala.    General  patronage. 

MELODY  LINGERS  ON,  THE:  Josephine  Hutchin- 
son, George  Houston — This  picture  was  not  suitable 
for  our  situation  and  proved  a  colossal  box  office  flop. 
— Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario, 
Can.    General  patronage. 


Universal 


DANGEROUS  WATERS:  Jack  Holt,  Robert  Arm- 
strong— So-so  melodrama.  Jack  Holt  is  deserving  of  a 
decidedly  better  production  than  this.  Charlie  Murray 
helps  fine  in  the  comedy  part.  Played  June  19-20. — L. 
A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General 
patronage. 

NOBODY'S  FOOL:  Edward  Everett  Horton,  Glenda 
Farrell — Too  much  Horton  unfunny  dialogue  and  not 
enough  action.  Not  nearly  as  good  as  "His  Night 
Out."  However,  it  got  by  on  Screeno  Nights.  Run- 
ning time,  63  minutes. — E.  C.  Arehart,  Princess  Thea- 
tre, Odebolt,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

OUTLAWED  GUNS:  Buck  Jones— Good  western 
but  business  off.  Something  has  just  about  ruined 
Jones  in  my  town. — Sammie  Jackson,  Jackson  Thea- 
tre, Flomaton,  Ala.    General  patronage. 

PAROLE:  Henry  Hunter,  Ann  Preston— Different, 
timely  and  a  knockout  story  of  its  type.  The  blond 
girl,  whose  name  escapes  me,  stole  the  show. — Run- 
ning time,  80  minutes. — E.  C.  Arehart,  Princess  Thea- 
tre, Odebolt,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

SHOW  BOAT:  Irene  Dunne,  Allan  Jones— A  swell 
picture  that  failed  to  do  business  expected,  but  no 
fault  of  picture. — J.  B.  Weddle,  Walnut  Theatre,  Law- 
renceburg,  Ind.    Average  patronage. 


Warner  Bros. 


BOULDER  DAM:  Ross  Alexander,  Patricia  Ellis- 
One  of  the  best  program  pictures  in  a  long,  long 
time.  Many,  many  fine  comments.  Thanks  Warner — 
Sammie  Jackson,  Jackson  Theatre,  Flomaton,  Ala. 
General  patronage. 

I  MARRIED  A  DOCTOR:  Pat  O'Brien,  Josephine 
Hutchinson — This  is  right  down  the  alley  for  a  small 
town.  They  can  see  some  of  the  characters  that  fhey 
know.  A  small  town  story.  We  in  the  small  towns 
can  pick  some  of  these  snooty  picturizations  in  our 
vicinity.  I  say  this,  that  this  director  knew  small 
town  people  or  else  the  scenario  writer  did.  The 
characters  are  pretty  true  in  many  aspects  of  the 
story. — A.  E.  Hancock,  Columbia  Theatre,  Columbia 
City,  Ind.    General  patronage. 


I  MARRIED  A  DOCTOR:  Fat  O'Brien,  Josephine 
Hutchinson — Just  as  we  expected,  this  one  deserved  to 
be  on  our  "Must  See"  list  for  the  month  even  though 
it  did  not  rate  so  highly  in  most  places.  O'Brien 
and  Hutchinson  are  both  favorites  and  if  they  star 
them  again  in  married  roles  we  feel  sure  the  picture 
will  do  real  business  here.  Running  time,  83  minutes. 
Played  June  19-20.— Horn  and  Morgan,  Star  Theatre, 
Hay  Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 

SONS  O'  GUNS:  Joe  E.  Brown,  Joan  Blondell— Not 
near  as  good  as  some  previous  ones.  Very  silly  and 
patrons  don't  hesitate  to  say  so.  Business  average.— 
J.  B.  Weddle,  Walnut  Theatre,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind. 
Average  patronage. 

SPECIAL  AGENT:  Bette  Davis,  George  Brent- 
Fine  picture.  Business  off. — Sammie  Jackson,  Jackson 
Theatre,  Flomaton,  Ala.   General  patronage. 

TIMES  SQUARE  PLAYBOY:  Warren  William- 
See  report  on  "Treachery  Rides  the  Range." — Elaine 
S.  Furlong,  Star  Theatre,  Heppner,  Ore.  Small  town 
patronage. 

TREACHERY  RIDES  THE  RANGE:  Dick  Foran, 
Paula  Stone — Had  this  on  a  double  bill  with  "Times 
Square  Playboy"  and  if  we  had  been  looking  for  two 
miserable  pictures  to  give  our  customers  these  two 
would  have  filled  the  bill.  There  just  isn't  anything 
there. — Elaine  S.  Furlong,  Star  Theatre,  Heppner,  Ore. 
Small  town  patronage. 

Short  Features 

Columbia 

SCRAPPY'S  CAMERA  TROUBLES:  Scrappy  Car- 
toon— These  cartoons  have  not  kept  up  with  other 
companies.  Will  get  by. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre. 
Anamosa,    Iowa.     General  patronage. 

THREE  LITTLE  BEERS:  Three  Stooges— The  class 
of  the  slapsticks.  House  in  an  uproar  with  laughter. 
The  beer  kegs  rolling  down  the  hill  with  the  Stooges 
after  them  brought  the  house  down.  Don't  pass  this 
one. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 


Educational 

BUSY  BEE,  THE:  Terry-Toon— Not-so-hot  cartoon! 
— L.  I.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Fenacook,  N.  H.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

FRESH  FROM  THE  FLEET:  Buster  West,  Tom 
Patricola — These  boys  are  big  favorites  here — E.  C. 
Arehart,  Princess  Theatre,  Odebolt,  Iowa.  General 
patronage. 

GRAND  SLAM  OPERA:  Buster  Keaton— A  dandy 
comedy.  Keaton  dances  for  the  first  time  and  makes 
good.  Running  time,  two  reels. — Rudolf  Duba,  Royal 
Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

KISS  THE  BRIDE:  Buster  West  and  Tom  Patri- 
cola— These  two  boys  put  on  a  real  show  and  the 
comedy  was  one  laugh  after  another.  Running  time, 
two  reels. — C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera  House,  Cogswell,  N. 
D.   Small  town  patronage. 

MAGIC  WORLD,  THE:  Tom  Howard— Plenty  of 
laughs  all  the  way  through.  Say  it  is  a  good  comedy. 
Running  time,  two  reels. — Rudolph  Duba,  Royal  Thea- 
tre, Kimball,  S.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

PERFECT  THIRTY-SIXES:  Musical  Comedy— A 
good  musical  with  good  singing  and  dancing  and  some 
beautiful  girls.— C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa, 
Ida.    General  patronage. 

RHYTHM  OF  PAREE:  Musical  Comedy— We  find 
Educational  comedies  50  per  cent  good  and  50  per 
cent  mediocre  and  this  comes  under  the  latter  head. 
Running  time,  two  reels. — C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera  House, 
Cogswell,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

ROLLING  STONES:  Terry-Toon— Only  average 
cartoon.  Nothing  to  recommend  it. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Pal- 
ace Theatre,  Fenacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

SAILOR'S  HOME,  THE:  Terry-Toon— A  good  black 
and  white  cartoon. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Ana- 
mosa, Iowa.    General  patronage. 

WHERE  IS  WALL  STREET?  Tom  Howard— Aw- 
fully awful!  Once  again  we  had  to  insult  our  patron- 
age with  a  socalled  "spice  of  the  program." — L.  A. 
Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

WOLF  IN  CHEAP  CLOTHING,  A:  Terry-Toon— 
Only  a  fair  cartoon. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre, 
Fenacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 

BURIED  LOOT:  Crime  Doesn't  Pay  Series— An  in- 
teresting two-reel  subject  showing  how  the  cards 
are  stacking  against  the  criminal,  who  sooner  or  later 
must  pay.  Running  time,  two  reels. — C.  A.  Jordan, 
Opera  House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

HISTORIC  MEXICO  CITY:  Fitzpatrick  Travel  Talk 
—A  single  red  all  in  color  that  is  a  credit  to  any  pro- 
gram. Running  time,  one  reel. — C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera 
House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


121 


HIT  AND  RUN  DRIVER:  Crime  Doesn't  Pay  Ser- 
ies— Brought  favorable  comments.  Everybody  should 
see  one  of  these  once  in  a  while. — Elaine  S.  Furlong, 
Star  Theatre,  Heppner,  Ore.    Small  town  patronage. 

HIT  AND  RUN  DRIVER:  Crime  Doesn't  Pay  Ser- 
ies—Every house  should  play  this  picture  on  their  big 
night.  Excelllent  picture.  Pleased  and  taught  a  les- 
son.— C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

IMPORTANT  NEWS:  Chic  Sale— If  I  hadn't  been 
a  county  editor  for  25  years  I  probably  wouldn't  be  so 
critical  of  this  subject.  To  me  it  was  the  most  in- 
consistent, asinine  short  I  have  seen.  It  was  a  shame 
to  waste  Chic  Sale's  talents  on  such  an  absurdity. 
Running  time,  one  reel. — Roy  C.  Irvine,  Ritz  Thea- 
tre, Ritzville,  Wash,    General  patronge. 

JAPAN  IN  CHERRY  BLOSSOM  TIME:  FitzPat- 
rick  Travel  Talk — We  can  not  say  enough  for  these 
shorts.  Educational,  beautiful  and  entertaining. — C.  L. 
Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

LA  FIESTA  DE  SANTA  BARBARA:  Joe  Morri- 
son— Marvelous  coloring  and  good  music.  Joe  Morri- 
son singing  "The  Last  Roundup"  outstanding.  Run- 
ning time,  two  reels. — Roy  C.  Irvine,  Ritz  Theatre, 
Ritzville,  Wash.    General  patronage. 

LITTLE  PAPA:  Our  Gang— A  comedy  that  will 
please  any  audience,  young  or  old,  100  per  cent. 
Spanky  McFarland  and  a  sweet  little  two-year-old 
miss  carry  off  the  honors.  I  would  give  it  a  four 
star  rating.  Running  time,  20  minutes. — C.  A.  Jordan, 
Opera  House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

METROTONE  NEWS:  Newsreel— Always  good, 
none  better. — C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera  House,  Cogswell, 
N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

OLD  PLANTATION,  THE:  Happy  Harmony  Car- 
toon— All  color  with  southern  melodies  and  songs. 
Very  good.  Running  time,  10  minutes. — C.  A.  Jordan, 
Opera  House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

PAN  HANDLERS:  Patsy  Kelly,  Pert  Kelton— Kelly 
and  Kelton  a  great  team.  This  comedy  went  over 
with  a  bang  and  roars  of  laughter. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles 
Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

PERFECT  TRIBUTE,  THE:  Chic  Sale— As  fine  a 
short  as  has  been  made.  Drew  applause  every  show 
in  our  house  and  held  them  spellbound.  D'on't  miss 
it. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

RUN,  SHEEP,  RUN:  Happy  Harmony  Cartoon— A 
crackerjack  color  cartoon.  Up  to  the  fine  standard  of 
this  series. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook, 
N.  H.    General  patronage 

RUN,  SHEEP,  RUN:  Happy  Harmony  Cartoon— A 
splendid  cartoon.  Running  time,  10  minutes. — M.  W. 
Mattecheck,  Lark  Theatre,  McMinnville,  Ore.  Local 
patronage. 

SECOND  CHILDHOOD:  Our  Gang— I  rate  this  the 
best  "Our  Gang"  comedy  to  date.  Running  time,  two 
reels. — Roy  C.  Irvine,  Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash. 
General  patronage. 


Paramount 

HENRY,  THE  FUNNIEST  LIVING  AMERICAN: 

Betty  Boop  Cartoon — Fair  cartoon.  Will  interest  child- 
ren. It's  O.  K.  Running  time,  one  reel — Rudolf  Duba, 
Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

JUNGLE  WATERS:  Grantland  Rice  Sportlight 
reel.  Running  time,  10  minutes. — C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera 
House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.  Small  town  patronage. 

MAGIC  OF  MUSIC,  THE:  Headliner  Series— Just 
fair.  Running  time.  11  minutes. — C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera 
House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

POPULAR  SCIENCE:  While  these  are  sold  for 
extra  money  they  are  worth  it.  Running  time,  one 
reel. — Roy  C.  Irvine,  Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash. 
General  patronage. 


RKO  Radio 

IN  LOVE  AT  40:  Edgar  Kennedy — Just  a  comedy. 
Kennedy  always  scares  the  kids  with  his  loud  talking 
when  he  gets  mad.  Running  time,  two  reels. — Rudolf 
Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball.  S.  D.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

NEPTUNE  MYSTERIES:  Struggle  to  Live  Series— 
Fairly  interesting.  Not  as  good  as  we've  seen  from 
this  series. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook, 
N.  H.   General  patronage. 

PATHE  TOPIC  NO.  3:  Pathe  Topics— These  are 
very  fine  reels  for  fillers. — C.  L.  Niles.  Niles  Theatre. 
Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 


United  Artists 

THREE  LITTLE  WOLVES:  Silly  Symphony— An- 
other dandy  Silly  Symphony  from  Disney.  The  class 
of  the  cartoons. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 


Universal 

CAMERA  THRILLS:  Special— And  they're  still 
talking  about  it.  This  one  rates  high  in  our  audience's 
favor.  About  the  best  action  subject  to  date. — L.  A. 
Irwin.  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General 
patronage. 


Vitaphone 

BETWEEN  THE  LINE:  Bernice  Claire—  Miss  Claire 
sings  and  looks  lovely  in  this  rather  witty  bit  of  cel- 
luloid. Production  value  is  fine  and  all  in  all  a  good 
subject. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N. 
H.    General  patronage. 

DOUBLE  EXPOSTURE:  Bob  Hope— Poor.  Nothing 
to  it.  Running  time,  21  minutes. — M.  W.  Mattecheck, 
Lark  Theatre,  McMinnville,  Ore.    Local  patronage. 

P'S  AND  CUES:  Pepper  Pot  Series— Billiard  cham- 
pions, male  and  lemale,  show  how  they  do  it.  Okay! 
— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

VITAPHONE  HIPPODROME:  Molly  Picon,  Johnny 
Lee — An  excellent  vaudeville  reel. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles 
Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

WASH  YOUR  STEP:  Hal  LeRoy— Just  fair.  Run- 
ning time,  21  minutes. — M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Lark  The- 
atre, McMinnville,  Ore.    Local  patronage. 


Serials 

Stage  and  Screen 

CUSTER'S  LAST  STAND:  Rex  Lease— On  fourth 
episode  and  not  going  over  so  hot.  It  takes  about 
half  of  each  first  reel  to  introduce  its  fifty  characters. 
— E.  C.  Arehart,  Princess  Theatre,  Odebolt,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 


Universal 

FLASH  GORDON:  Buster  Crabbe— The  last  of  Uni- 
versale serials  on  present  contract  and  this  is  a 
honey,  the  only  serials  from  this  company  this  year 
that  got  any  extra  business.  "Flash  Gordon"  will 
make  up  for  the  other  three  that  failed  to  draw  any 
extra  business. — J.  B.  Weddle,  Walnut  Theatre,  Law- 
renceburg,  Ind.    Average  patronage. 


Detroit  Delivery  Suit 

In  Commissioner's  Hands 

Taking  of  testimony  before  a  circuit  court 
commissioner  has  been  completed  in  the 
case  of  the  Film  Truck  Service  against  In- 
dependent Theatre  Owners  of  Michigan, 
Inc.,  an  association  formed  to  deliver  films 
for  its  members.  Harold  C.  Robinson,  presi- 
dent of  the  Film  Truck  Service,  seeks  to 
stop  the  association  from  soliciting  new 
members  and  to  prevent  delivery  of  films  by 
the  association  to  its  present  members. 


Gordon  To  Produce 
Plays  On  His  Own 

Max  Gordon  will  produce  three  or  four 
plays  next  season  without  Metro-Goldwyn- 
Mayer  participating  in  the  financing,  he 
said  last  Friday  upon  his  arrival  in  New 
York  from  a  six  week  trip  to  England, 
France  and  Scotland. 

"The  fact  that  MGM  has  withdrawn  from 
participation  doesn't  alter  my  plans  any," 
Mr.  Gordon  said.  "If  the  film  company  had 
continued,  several  additional  plays  would 
have  been  scheduled,"  the  producer  said. 


A.  J.  Balaban  Starts 
At  Radio's  Studios 

A.  J.  Balaban  starts  work  this  week  with 
the  production  staff  at  the  Radio  Studios 
under  Samuel  J.  Briskin.  It  is  believed 
that  at  a  later  date  he  will  produce.  Mr. 
Balaban  is  a  brother  of  Barney  and  John 
Balaban  and  has  been  spending  most  of 
his  time  the  past  few  years  in  Europe. 


Film  Business  found 
Lively  in  Australia 

The  film  industry  is  moving  forward 
rapidly  in  Australia  and  theatre  construc- 
tion in  the  Antipodes  is  very  active,  ac- 
cording to  Elton  Wild,  secretary-treasurer 
of  Twentieth  Century-Fox  in  Australia,  and 
Ralph  Doyle,  head  of  RKO  Radio  activities 
in  the  same  country,  both  of  whom  were 
in  New  York  last  week. 

All  the  1,567  houses  in  New  Zealand- and 
Australia  are  in  operation  and  all  -  have 
sound  equipment,  the  officials  said. 

Two  independent  companies  will  produce 
from  10  to  12  pictures  next  year  on  the 
Continent,  they  added.  Zane  Grey  is  re- 
ported to  have  formed  a  syndicate  to  pro- 
duce a  story  centered  about  life  on  the  Great 
Barrier  Reef,  in  which  he  also  will  appear. 
He  also  will  do  one  on  the  life  of  the  Aus- 
tralian aborigines. 


Associated  Theatres 
Will  Open  28th  House 

The  new  Mayfield  Center  in  Cleveland,  a 
1,500-seat  house  to  be  opened  in  August, 
will  be  the  28th  unit  in  Associated  Theatres 
of  Ohio.  Meyer  Fine,  head  of  the  circuit, 
was  in  New  York  last  week  conferring  with 
MGM  executives  on  a  product  deal  for  next 
season. 


Skirboll  In  Production 

Joseph  H.  Skirboll,  manager  of  the  First 
Division  exchange  in  Pittsburgh,  will  leave 
for  Hollywood  in  July  to  join  the  Para- 
mount production  unit  headed  by  Frank 
Lloyd. 


FAR-AWAY  SCREENS 

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screens  —  in  many  localities  on  today's 
screens  —  by  super-swift,  nation-tvide  Air 
Express.  •  Air  Express  puts  the  continent 
under  your  thumb:  215  U.  S.  and  Canadian 
cities  reached  overnight  directly.  32  Latin 
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command  through  swift  hook-in  witli  23,000 
Railway  Express  offices. 

sfc  Night  and  day  service,  free  pick-up 
and  delivery,  $50  insurance  on  each 
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R  A  I  1.  W  AY     K  X  P  It  E  «  S     .A.  <:  E  N  C  Y 


122 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


J.  C  JENKINS-HIS  COLYUM 


Sioux  Falls,  S.  D. 

Dear  Herald: 

We  presume  the  most  of  you  boys  know 
what  hot  weather  is.  Hot  weather  is  the 
reverse  of  cold  weather,  in  other  words, 
when  it  is  hot  it  can't  be  cold.  For  instance, 
when  it  is  30  below  zero  and  there  is  a 
strong  wind  blowing,  wise  people  will  wear 
an  overcoat  instead  of  B.V.D.'s.  Nature 
has  some  funny  rules,  like  a  political  con- 
vention, but  they  are  not  subject  to  amend- 
ment. 

Speaking  of  hot  weather  reminds  us  to 
say  that  for  several  days  now  the  mercury 
has  been  pushing  pretty  hard  on  the  top  of 
the  tube  while  we  have  known  it  to  push 
pretty  hard  on  the  bottom.  Down  in  Ne- 
braska ("the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home 
of  the  brave")  Nature  has  been  trying  to 
find  out  just  how  much  the  natives  can 
stand  without  offering  an  amendment.  We 
are  going  to  introduce  one  right  now.  Down 
there  "98  in  the  shade"  has  become  so  com- 
mon that  people  are  beginning  to  refer  to 
the  hard  winter  of  '"49"  in  order  to  cool  off. 
You  remember  that  it  was  in  '"49"  that  Cali- 
fornia went  on  a  gold  basis  and  a  lot  of 
Californians  went  on  the  rocks,  and  some 
eastern  folks  too.  When  we  read  of  the 
"gold  rush  of  '49"  we  are  reminded  of  the 
rush  when  the  quarterback  of  the  home  team 
called  "26-33-41-62-shift"  and  the  rush  was 
on  but  it  stopped  about  six  feet  behind  the 
line  of  scrimmage.  Doggone  such  doggone 
playing  anyhow. 

V 

Sherm  Fitch,  the  R.K.O.  manager  at 
Sioux  Falls,  says  he's  got  the  hives.  We 
don't  know  what  the  "hives"  are  but  we 
presume  the  hives  are  closely  related  to  the 
heaves,  and  we  know  what  the  heaves  are. 
Our  father  used  to  have  a  buckskin  pony 
that  got  the  heaves  every  time  we  fed  him 
musty  clover  or  timothy  hay,  and  we  hope 
Sherm  hasn't  been  eating  musty  hay.  There 
is  a  remedy  for  the  heaves  but  we  have 
forgotten  just  what  it  is,  so  we  will  have  to 
turn  on  the  radio,  that  will  tell  us  all  about  it. 

Sherm  said  to  us,  "Say,  Colonel,  the  two 
old  parties  have  had  their  conventions  and 
nominated  candidates  and  adopted  their  plat- 
forms and  now  what  do  you  think  about  it  ?" 
We  lit  a  convention  cigar  and  said : 

"Well,  Sherm,  just  to  be  honest  about  it, 
and  looking  at  it  from  out  here  in  'the 
prairie  state,'  it  is  our  belief  that  if  they 
will  continue  to  tell  us  of  the  excellent 
qualities  of  gasoline,  face  powder,  soap, 
cosmetics,  cure-all  remedies,  etc.,  etc.,  and 
if  the  old  lady  will  continue  to  manufac- 
ture her  vegetable  compound  for  falling 
arches,  we  ought  to  be  able  to  continue 
for  at  least  'three  long  years'  in  spite  of 
hellandhighwater,  or  words  to  that  effect." 
Sherm  threw  a  paper  weight  at  us  and 
said,  "Oh,  you  doggone  bonehead." 
V 

Hot  weather  gets  under  our  B.V.D.'s  and 
sometimes  we  don't  know  whether  we  are 
going  north  or  south,  but  generally  sidewise. 
Our  doctor  says  we  must  "take  it  easy." 
Just  what  he  means  by  "taking  it  easy"  we 


don't  know.  If  he  had  said  "You  must  go 
bass  fishing"  we  would  have  understood 
him  and  probably  would  have  added  a  little 
something  to  his  bill,  although  that  looked 
like  it  was  plenty  high  enough  already.  But 
this  will  probably  be  plenty  of  bull  about 
the  weather,  but  the  weather  up  here  in 
Dakota  is  about  the  same  it  is  "down  where 
the  alfalfa  grows"  and  in  Alf  Landon's 
state,  and  you  know  it  is  pretty  hot  down 
there  and  it  is  getting  hotter. 

V 

Last  night  we  went  and  saw  "Splendor" 
and  we  have  been  trying  to  figure  out  just 
what  connection  that  title  had  with  the  story 
and  just  how  much  of  a  draft  that  title 
would  have  with  the  public.  In  fact,  it 
didn't  have  any  at  the  theatre. 

"Splendor"  is  another  of  those  triangle 
themes  wherein  the  "heavy"  tries  to  win  the 
bride  away  from  her  husband  by  offering 
him  a  palatial  home  and  then  tries  to  send 
him  to  South  America  in  the  interest  of  his 
oil  company.  All  of  which  was  a  lot  of 
horseradish,  but  it  served  as  a  basis  for  a 
story  which  we  presume  the  producers 
thought  would  be  new  to  the  American 
audiences. 

This  triangle  story  is  one  that  Noah 
brought  over  with  him  and  it  has  been  used 
ever  since  he  landed,  and  was  adopted  in 
the  early  stages  of  the  cinema  and  by  some 
excellent  players  who  ought  to  have  rebelled 
against  using  it.  It  isn't  what  the  American 
people  want  in  entertainment;  their  prefer- 
ence runs  rather  to  "horse  opera." 

It  is  to  be  said  of  the  players  in  "Splen- 
dor" that  they  did  excellent  work  with  what 
they  had  to  work  with.  We  knew  a  fellow 
once  who  was  an  excellent  artist,  and  would 
have  painted  an  excellent  picture,  but  he 
used  a  whisk  broom  instead  of  a  brush. 


SHORT  PRODUCT 
PLAYING  BROADWAY 


Week  of  July  6 

CAPITOL 

Two  Little  Pups  MSM 

MUSIC  HALL 

Row,  Mr.,  Row  RKO  Radio 

Along  the   Lifeline   of  the 

British  Empire  Harold  Auten 

PARAMOUNT 

I  Wanna  Be  a  Lifeguard.  .  .  Paramount 
Wonderland  of  the  Gaspe.  .  Dynamic 
Paramount  Pictorial  No.  12  Paramount 

RIALTO 

Fool  Your  Friends  RKO  Radio 

RIVOLI 

Movie  Melodies  on  Parade .  Paramount 
Through  the  Mirror  United  Artists 

ROXY 

Mickey's  Polo  Team  United  Artists 

It  Happened  All  Right  Educational 

Going  Places  No.  23  Universal 

STRAND 

Pictorial   Review   Vitaphone 

I  Love  to  Singa  Vitaphone 


From  the  chair.  "Will  the  delegates  please 
be  seated  that  we  may  proceed  with  the  busi- 
ness of  the  convention."  (Voice  from  the 
Nebraska  delegation,  "Hurrah  for  the  Platte 
river  valley.") 

V 

When  we  left  Nebraska  she  was  badly 
in  need  of  rain,  and  if  they  don't  get  rain 
down  there  pretty  soon  we  will  all  have  to 
go  on  relief.  The  small  grain  crop  is  prac- 
tically out  of  consideration  but  the  corn 
is  still  doing  fairly  well  in  most  places,  but 
even  corn  needs  a  drink  once  in  a  while, 
just  like  a  prohibitionist. 

V 

"The  chair  now  recognizes  Sally  Smithers 
from  Coon  creek  holler."  (Voice  from  the 
California  delegation :  "Mr.  Chairman,  Cali- 
fornia wishes  to  inform  the  convention  of 
our  wonderful  climate  and  our  sunkist 
oranges."  A  cowpuncher  from  the  Rio 
Grande  valley:  "Oh,  applesause,  sit  down.") 
V 

The  weather  is  so  doggone  hot  that  we 
are  going  to  comply  with  the  doctor's  or- 
ders and  "take  it  easy."  There  are  several 
reasons  for  this.  One  is  the  doctor's  orders 
and  another  is  that  Ernie  wants  to  use  the 
space  for  his  advertisers,  therefore  the  con- 
vention will  recess  until  the  delegates  sober 
up.  The  readers  (if  there  are  any)  may 
now  start  a  demonstration. 

COLONEL  J.  C.  JENKINS 
The  HERALD's  Vagabond  Colyumnist 

The  Herald  covers  the  field  like  an 
April  shower. 


Golf  Tournament  Set 
By  Monday  Nighters 

The  Monday  Nighters,  a  social  organiza- 
tion of  New  York  exhibitors  and  exchange 
men  will  stage  its  first  annual  golf  tourna- 
ment on  Tuesday,  July  14,  at  the  Elmsford 
Country  Club,  Elmsford,  N.  Y. 


Berk  Is  New  Fox  Attorney 

An  order  of  substitution  has  been  entered 
in  federal  court  in  New  York  by  Fox  Thea- 
tres designating  Herbert  D.  Berk  as  at- 
torney in  place  of  the  late  Henry  Brill  in 
connection  with  the  suit  brought  by  Chi- 
cago Title  &  Trust  Company  against  the 
theatre  company. 


Skouras  Men  Join  Peskay 

Three  Skouras  Theatres  men  have  re- 
signed to  join  Edward  J.  Peskay's  theatre 
project.  The  men  are  George  Rich,  super- 
visor of  the  Queens  County  Theatres ;  Moe 
Baranco,  Jersey  City  supervisor ;  and  Wil- 
liam Brown,  assistant  and  secretary  to  Mr. 
Peskay. 


Newman  Goes  to  Imperial 

Steve  Newman  now  is  handling  advertis- 
ing and  publicity  for  Imperial  Distributing 
Corporation  under  the  company's  program 
of  30  features.  Mr.  Newman  has  served 
with  Warner  Brothers  and  First  Division. 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


123 


MANAGE 
ROUND  TABLE  CL 

zAn  international  association  of  showmen  meeting  weekly 
in  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  for  mutual  aid  and  progress 


'.  .  .  the  Motion  Picture  Herald's  box  -  office 
check  -  up  .  .  .  the  Herald  is  a  weekly  journal 
whose  status  in  the  film  industry  may  be  com- 
pared to  the  importance  elsewhere  of  the 
Encyclopedia    Britannica    or   the    Bible.    .    .  .' 


2ta  fork  (Htmw 

July  5,  1936 


HORSE  CHESTNUT— CHESTNUT  HORSE 

"High  pressure"  has  by  today's  generally  accepted  definition 
come  to  be  identified  with  a  false  forcing  in  selling,  an  intensity 
in  endeavor  that  does  not  stick  entirely  to  the  facts.  It  applies 
as  well  to  the  merchandising  of  motion  pictures.  Therefore, 
as  an  opposite  to  "high  pressure"  and  to  emphasize  virile,  con- 
sistent delivery  in  showmanship  that  takes  advantage  of  every 
sound  selling  point,  this  pen  favors  the  term  "high  power,"  and 
as  such  has  used  it  frequently.  Most  recently  it  can  be  found 
in  the  issue  of  June  27,  last  paragraph  of  our  editorial  headed 
"Christine  Knows  Her  Bally." 

But  the  same  meaning  is  evidently  not  accepted  by  every 
reader  for  in  a  recent  mail  is  the  following  communication  from 
a  long-time  Round  Tabler  objecting  to  such  usage.  He  pre- 
fers his  name  not  be  used. 

Dear  Mike: 

Christine  showed  damn  good  showmanship  in  her  desire  to 
get  her  dog  back  and  the  manner  in  which  she  handled  her 
own  private  little  campaign. 

But  I,  personally,  don't  agree  with  you  when  it  comes  to  "the 
necessity  of  high-power  plugging."  At  least  not  in  the  sense 
that  the  term  indicates  in  this  business. 

I'll  wager  Christine  didn't  advertise  the  loss  of  Westchester 
County's  greatest  English  setter  with  gorgeous  twinkling  brown 
eyes,  the  most  intelligent  and  finest  setter  ever  bred  in  the 
county,  Champion  of  Champions,  the  one  and  only,  etc. 

She  just  let  the  community  know  in  an  honest-to-goodness 
fashion  that  she  had  a  message  to  deliver,  a  favor  to  ask  no 
doubt.  And,  her  sincere  efforts  were  rewarded  with  the  return 
of  her  pet. 

High-power  connotes  high-pressure.  Spirited  exploitation 
and  advertising  is  something  different.  Just  tell  the  boss  you 
put  on  a  spirited  campaign  and  what  would  he  say?  You  know 
as  well  as  anyone  else.  Tell  him  "high-power"  and  he'll  think 
it  great. 


Let's  lay  off  that  high-power  selling.  There's  too  much  of  it 
in  the  merchandising  of  every  picture  these  days.  Barnum  was 
right.    But  so  was  Lincoln.  Ask  Billy  Rose. 


Yes,  we  agree  that  there  is  too  much  of  an  intensity  in  selling 
every  picture,  in  advertising  every  attraction  with  the  force 
that  belongs  behind  only  those  features  that  deserve  it.  But  we 
also  maintain  there  is  no  disputing  the  application  of  "high 
power"  when  called  upon  to  obtain  honestly  the  maximum  of 
boxoffice  possibilities,  week  in  and  week  out,  from  any  theatre's 
attractions  and  to  obtain  such  without  recourse  to  the  high- 
pressure  practices  to  which  our  correspondent  objects. 

No,  indeed,  high  power  does  not  necessarily  connote  high 
pressure.  We  desire  to  establish  as  much  difference  between 
them  as  there  is  between  a  horse  chestnut  and  a  chestnut  horse. 

V    V  V 
WONT  TAKE  5  TO  I 

Discoursing  on  some  present  day  weaknesses  in  the  industry, 
visiting  theatreman  got  this  off  his  chest. 

Some  years  back  he  operated  a  house  later  taken  over  by 
the  circuit  with  which  he  is  now  affiliated.  In  its  independent 
era  the  theatre  consistently  grossed  a  thousand  dollars  more 
a  week  than  it  is  doing  today.  Reason  seems  to  be  that  the 
spot  is  not  receiving  the  attention  necessary  and  it  further 
appears  that  very  few  dollars  are  being  allowed  for  proper 
advertising. 

So  this  executive  knowing  the  situation  down  to  the  ground 
is  firm  in  his  conviction  that  an  added  expenditure  of  a  couple 
of  hundred  a  week  plus  some  knowing  effort,  which  he  is  well 
able  to  supply,  will  bring  the  house  back  to  the  former  much 
more  profitable  state.  But  the  Big  Boys  solidly  entrenched  be- 
hind columns  of  figures  ignore  the  tempting  odds  and  refuse  to 
lay  down  two  to  pick  up  ten. 

Not  so  long  ago  there  were  plenty  of  fast-steppers  around 
who  offered  the  same  opportunity  would  slap  down  plenty  of 
bankroll  before  you  could  say  Clark  Gable.  But  that  seems  all 
in  the  past. 

Too  much  showbusiness  today  is  cut-and-dried.  And  that, 
kind  friends,  goes  both  ways. 


124 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


UNUSUAL  FLOAT.  For  date  on  "Show  Boat,"  at  the  Gem,  Osceola,  Ark.,  Raymond 
Cartwright  created  this  unusual  float  featured  in  parade  that  was  highlight  of  local 
celebration  of  State  Centennial.  After  the  parade,  the  boat  was  tied  up  to  its  "pier" 
in  front  of  theatre  during  run  of  the  picture. 


Gets  Quarter-Page  Ad 
On  Classified  Plug 

Credit  George  Spaeth,  Lyric,  Duluth, 
Minn.,  says  Minnesota  Amusement's  ad 
chief,  Charley  Winchell,  for  the  clever 
adaptation  of  the  slant  praising  local  paper 
for  want  ad  results.  George  was  playing 
"World's  Fair"  and  could  not  locate  a 
barker  for  out  front,  it  seems,  until  he  ad- 
vertised in  the  paper.  Results  were  imme- 
diate. 

Letter  of  endorsement  to  the  publisher  on 
theatre  letterhead  was  strong  enough  for 
quarter-page  house  ad  reproduction  with 
plenty  of  plug  for  the  theatre. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Burlesk  Bathing  Revue 
Clicks  for  Griffithmen 

Working  with  the  local  Lions  Club  in 
each  instance,  three  Griffiths  Circuit  man- 
agers reported  highly  successful  the  pres- 
entation of  a  men's  burlesk  bathing  revue. 
Here  are  highlights  of  the  stunt  as  put  over 
by  Dick  Klein,  of  Seminole,  Okla.,  J.  How- 
ard Hodge,  of  Midland,  Texas,  and  J.  E. 


JULY  DEADLINE; 
JULY  JUDGES 

Midnight  of  Saturday,  August  8,  is 
the  deadline  date  for  entries  in  the 
Ouigley  July  Awards.  So,  please,  have 
those  campaigns  at  headquarters  by 
that  time. 

The  July  judges  are  as  follows: 
Robert  M.  Gillham,  Paramount  Pic- 
tures Corp.,  C.  C.  Moskowitz,  Loew's, 
Inc.,  and  Andy  W.  Smith,  Warner 
Bros.  Pictures. 


Stribling,  of  Hugo,  Okla. 

Each  cooperating  merchant  paid  $1.50  en- 
trance fee  for  representation  in  the  contest 
by  costumed  club  member  appearing  in  the 
revue  for  the  store,  this  money  plus  percent- 
age of  the  night's  receipts  going  to  the  club's 
crippled  children  fund.  Every  member  of 
the  club  was  required  to  "model"  on  the 
stage  of  the  theatre.  Lions  paid  for  window 
cards,  heralds,  photos  for  display  and  cuts 
for  newspapers,  the  latter  going  heavily  with 
page  one  stories. 

Wax  figures  dressed  in  old-time  bathing 
suits  were  placed  in  windows  of  prominent 
stores  and  in  Hugo,  editor  of  local  paper 
dressed  in  suit,  vintage  of  1889,  appeared  on 
the  stage  of  the  Erie  Theatre  to  make  an- 
nouncement of  the  gag. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Contests  Sell 

"El  Dorado"  Date 

A  movie  star  contest  was  put  on  by 
Arnold  Gates,  Loew's  Park,  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  for  "Robin  Hood  of  El  Dorado" 
with  guest  tickets  going  to  those  who  could 
supply  the  full  names  of  stars'  photos  shown 
in  lobby  display.  Only  clue  given  by  Gates 
was  that  each  of  the  stars'  last  names  began 
with  one  of  the  first  letters  in  the  title  of 
the  film  shown  and  he  says  there  were 
plenty  of  entrants  in  the  contest. 

Sky  ad  company,  whose  plane  was 
equipped  with  a  p. a.  system  for  advertising 
purposes  gave  picture  a  plug  to  demonstrate 
their  novelty,  and  pet  shop  cooperated  by 
displaying  a  certain  type  police  dog,  offer- 
ing tickets  to  those  who  named  the  particular 
breed  and  explained  in  not  more  than  fifteen 
words  why  they  wanted  to  see  the  picture. 
School  principals  were  circularized,  stress- 
ing the  historical  background  of  the  picture 
and  library  attendants  were  guested  for 
plugging  the  date. 


Quigley  Awards 
Information  ♦  .  . 

A  QUIGLEY  AWARD  to  be  known 
as  a  "Quigley  Silver"  will  be  pre- 
sented each  month  during  1936  for 
the  campaign  selected  as  best  by 
the  Judges  from  all  those  submitted 
to  Managers'  Round  Table  Club  on 
single  pictures  played  during  that 
month.  .  .  . 

V 

A  QUIGLEY  AWARD  to  be  known 
as  a  "Quigley  Bronze"  will  be  pre- 
sented each  month  during  1936  for 
the  campaign  selected  as  second 
best  by  the  Judges  from  all  those 
submitted  to  Managers'  Round  Table 
Club  on  single  pictures  played  dur- 
ing that  month.  .  .  . 

V 

QUIGLEY  GRAND  AWARDS  will 
be  presented,  these  to  be  selected 
from  among  the  entries  that  have 
been  awarded  plaques  during  1936. 
V 

QUIGLEY  FIRST  MENTIONS  and 
HONORABLE  MENTIONS  will  be 
presented  each  month  during  1936 
for  meritorious  campaigns  which  are 
not  awarded  the  Silver  or  Bronze 
Plaques.  .  .  . 

V 

THEATREMEN  EVERYWHERE  in 
the  world  are  eligible  for  the  Plaques, 
the  First  and  Honorable  Mentions. 
Campaigns  may  be  entered  on  do- 
mestic or  foreign  product  from  ma- 
jor or  independent  producers.  En- 
tries from  foreign  countries  will  be 
accepted  for  consideration  during 
the  month  they  are  received.  .  .  . 

V 

VISUAL  EVIDENCE,  such  as  tear 
sheets,  heralds,  photos,  etc.,  must 
accompany  all  entries.  .  .  . 

V 

EQUAL  CONSIDERATION  will  be 
given  every  entry.  Theatremen  with 
small  budgets  will  receive  the  same 
break.  It's  "what  you  do,  not  what 
you  spend."  .  .  . 

V 

ENTRIES  should  be  forwarded  as 
soon  after  completion  as  possible. 
They  may  be  mailed  after  the  last 
day  of  the  month  on  pictures  that 
have  played  during  that  month.  This 
includes  dates  played  on  the  last 
days  of  any  month  and  first  days  of 
following.  Monthly  deadlines  will  be 
announced  sufficiently  in  advance. 

V   V  V 
ENTRIES  should  be  mailed  to: 
Quigley  Awards  Committee 
Motion  Picture  Herald 
Rockefeller  Center   -    -    New  York 


July    II,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


125 


Sells  Cool  Plants 
With  Smart  Booklet 

"How  to  Keep  Cool  in  Washington"  is 
the  attractive  title  of  a  sixteen-page  booklet 
which  is  now  being  distributed  to  the  patrons 
of  Warner  Bros,  five  air-conditioned  the- 
atres in  the  District  of  Columbia  as  an  ex- 
periment in  the  indirect  selling  of  cooling 
plants. 

The  booklet,  part  of  the  institutional  work 
done  by  Frank  La  Falce,  Director  of  Ad- 
vertising for  Warners'  Washington  Zone, 
contains  among  other  features  a  brief  his- 
tory of  man's  efforts  to  keep  cool,  a  long  list 
of  attractive  places  in  and  around  Washing- 
ton for  hikers  and  motorists,  Hot  Weather 
Health  Hints  prepared  by  the  U.  S.  Public 
Health  Service,  some  advice  on  How  to  Avoid 
Sunburn,  a  page  of  facts  about  air-condi- 
tioning, and  four  pages  of  recipes  for  sum- 
mer menus,  prepared  for  the  booklet  by  Mrs. 
Frances  Troy  Northcross,  director  of  the 
Washington  Herald's  Home  Makers  Club. 

Advertising  for  the  five  theatres — the 
Earle,  Metropolitan,  Ambassador,  Tivoli 
and  Penn— has  been  held  to  a  minimum.  In- 
clusion of  the  recipes  assures  the  book  being 
taken  into  the  home.  The  preparation  of  the 
booklet  was  publicized  and  resulted  in 
numerous  requests  for  copies  being  received 
before  actual  distribution  began. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Class  Appeal  Aimed  For 
In  "White  Angel"  Front 

Distinctive  treatment  of  the  lobby  decora- 
tions at  the  New  York  Strand  for  the  date 
on  "White  Angel"  was  stressed  in  the  de- 
sign by  B.  F.  Moore,  managing  director, 
and  constructed  by  Sid  Nagler,  to  sell  the 
historical  importance  of  the  theme,  adapted 
from  the  life  of  Florence  Nightingale.  Dig- 
nity and  popular  appeal  were  combined  to 
bring  out  the  picture's  high  points  as  fol- 
lows : 

Ten-foot  hand-tinted  enlargement  framed 
in  manner  of  a  portrait  was  utilized  as  a 
nucleus,  balance  of  front  constructed  of  pas- 
tel tints  with  white  silk  for  backgrounds 
of  the  display  frames  which  were  treated  in 
the  same  manner,  using  oval  cut  portrait 
moulding  mats.  The  cutouts  in  the  frames 
also  were  hand-tinted,  mounted  on  white  silk 
backgrounds  to  achieve  a  cameo  effect. 
Title  was  flitter-faced  cutout  letters  set 
against  panels  of  frosted  glass  illuminated 
from  behind  with  trough  lights. 

Unusual  publicity  on  the  date  at  Atlantic 
City  was  obtained  by  Sid  Blumenstock,  local 

"Have  Yon  Contributed  Lately}" 


WAR  STUFF.  In  addition  to  artillery,  sandbags,  guns  and  marquee  fort,  house 
staff  at  the  Sooner,  Norman,  Okla.,  wore  helmets  about  town  carrying  picture 
credits.  From  the  left  above  are  Manager  L.  A.  Chatham,  assistants  Sus  Hoen- 
scheidt  and  J.  B.  Rhea,  service  chiefs  Leon  Smith  and  James  Borjes,  cashiers,  door- 
men, ushers  and  ad  department  personnel. 


Strand  Front  for  "White  Ansel" 


Warner  Theatres'  exploiteer.  In  place  of  the 
regular  publicity,  Sid  planted  in  the  Atlantic 
City  Press,  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow's 
poem,  "The  Lady  With  a  Lamp,"  illustrated 
with  a  photo  of  Kay  Francis,  as  Florence 
Nightingale.  Following  the  poem  was  a 
paragraph  plugging  date  and  announcement 
of  its  showing  locally. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

'Buy  British'  Campaign 
Used  by  Egan  for  "Rhodes" 

A  "buy  British"  campaign  was  put  on  by 
Pete  Egan  in  connection  with  his  "Rhodes" 
date  at  the  Palace  in  Calgary,  highlight  of 
which  was  a  double  truck  spread  featuring 
$25  in  prizes  to  those  supplying  the  names 
of  the  merchants  whose  ads  were  run  minus 
any  clue  as  to  who  they  were,  other  than 
plugging  some  article  for  which  they  were 
known. 

First  page  called  attention  to  the  contest, 
editorial  on  Rhodes  was  run  and  various  pic- 
ture mention  scattered  throughout  paper. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Muchmore  Hosts  Kids 
Of  Traffic  Club 

Every  year  Tom  Muchmore  picks  the 
most  worthy  group  of  boys  and  girls  and 
entertains  them  at  his  theatre.  This  year, 
before  leaving  the  Settos  Theatre,  Indian- 
apolis, Ind.,  for  the  Alamo  in  Louisville, 
Ky.,  Tom  contacted  the  Traffic  Boys  and 
Girls,  an  organization  that  protects  the  little 
kiddies  from  injury  while  attending  school 
and  hosted  them  at  his  house. 

Tom  reports  that  he  obtained  widespread 
publicity  from  various  city  officials  as  well 
as  newspaper  critics  who  came  through  with 
stories.  He  further  says  this  is  one  of  the 
best  good-will  stunts  he  has  ever  used  and 
in  the  new  situation  intends  if  possible  to 
arrange  similar  tieups. 


Murphy  Holds  Preview 
For  "Mr.  Deeds" 

An  invitational  preview  of  "Deeds"  was 
held  Sunday  ahead  of  opening  by  David 
Murphy,  Rialto,  Allentown,  Pa.,  attended 
by  approximately  250  persons  from  all 
walks  of  life,  selected  mainly  because  of  their 
wide  range  of  contact.  Murphy  says  Allen- 
town  doesn't  have  Sunday  shows  and  so  far 
as  he  can  learn  this  was  the  first  Sunday 
preview  ever  held  there. 

Day  following  preview  and  for  ten  suc- 
ceeding days  the  Allentown  Chronicle  and 
News  conducted  a  humorous  column  ex- 
plaining the  meaning  of  the  term  "pixilated" 
and  inviting  readers  to  submit  short  letters 
telling  of  a  habit  they  had  observed  in 
others.  Tickets  were  given  to  writers  of  let- 
ters run  in  paper  each  day. 

Fashion  strip  of  Jean  Arthur  in  various 
ensembles  worn  during  making  of  picture 
was  used,  window  displays  planted  and  imi- 
tation dollar  bills  with  copy  imprint  were 
distributed  at  night  clubs,  restaurants,  etc. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


SPOOK  STUFF.  Foyer  walls  were  covered  by  John 
McKay,  Garden  Theatre,  Davenport,  Iowa,  for  his 
"Walking  Dead"  date.  Large  display  boards  with 
Karloff  silhouette  gave  playdates  and  cast. 


126 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


Sleeping  Girl  Stops 
Pittsburgh  Pedestrians 

Pittsburgh  office  workers  became  vampire 
conscious  when  they  passed  show  window 
of  leading  store  and  saw  beautiful  girl  asleep 
in  window  supposedly  under  spell  of 
"Dracula's  Daughter."  Stunt  was  put  on 
by  Ken  Hoel  and  Bill  Zeiler  at  the  Alvin 
Theatre. 

Tying  up  with  the  window  stunt  was  a 
midnite  spook  premiere.  Just  before  the 
show,  the  girl  was  taken  from  the  window, 
moved  to  the  Theatre  on  an  operating  table 
where  she  came  to  life  in  the  theatre  with 
the  first  appearance  of  "Dracula's  Daughter" 
on  the  screen.  Papers  played  up  the  spook 
show  and  window  stunt  and  spot  announce- 
ments were  received  on  radio. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Hadaway  Dispenses  Beer 
For  "Frankie  and  Johnnie" 

When  "Frankie  and  Johnnie"  came  to  the 
Colonial  Theatre  in  Winston-Salem,  N.  C, 
the  whole  town  went  for  beer  and  pretzels. 
Manager  Norris  Hadaway  tied  up  with 
local  beer  parlor,  imprinted  envelopes  filled 
with  pretzels  were  distributed  about  town, 
"Frankie  and  Johnnie"  song  cards  were 
handed  out  and  section  of  lobby  (see  photo) 
was  turned  into  an  old-fashioned  beer  par- 
lor with  promoted  drinks  dispensed  by 
usher. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Amateur  Critics  Contest 
Staged  by  Stevens 

Twenty-five  stores  cooperated  with  A. 
Stevens,  Imperial  Theatre,  Ottawa,  Canada, 
on  an  amateur  critics  contest  for  which  cash 
prizes  and  tickets  were  awarded. 

Merchants  came  through  with  a  co-op 
page  and  each  criticism  had  to  have  a 
coupon  attached,  these  available  only  at  the 
cooperating  merchants'  stores.  Window 
cards  were  placed  in  all  stores,  advertising 
space  was  sold  by  the  theatre  staff,  news- 
paper donated  the  prize  money  and  theatre 
paid  for  printing  of  window  cards  and 
coupons. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

"Petticoat"  Thermometer 

A  twenty-five  foot  thermometer  made  of 
beaver  board  and  wood  strips  was  stationed 
in  the  lobby  of  the  Blaine  Theatre,  Henry- 
etta,  Okla.,  by  T.  H.  Wilson  to  sell  "Petti- 
coat Fever."  The  red  mercury  line  crowding 
the  top  was  lettered  to  title  and  proved  a 
real  attention-getter. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Store  Sponsors  Temple 
Club  for  Stroud 

Leading  department  store  in  Hamilton, 
Ontario,  cooperated  with  George  Stroud, 
manager  of  the  Palace  Theatre  on  "Captain 
January"  by  erecting  a  booth  in  store  and 
inviting  all  kids  to  join  the  Shirley  Temple 
club.  Each  child  possessing  a  Temple  doll 
bad  to  bring  it  with  her  to  the  booth  and 
register  her  name,  address  and  age  in  a 
large  book,  she  then  received  ticket  to  see 
the  picture.  Store  featured  the  club  in  their 
ads  and  needless  to  say,  there  were  plenty 
of  kids  not  owning  dolls,  who  purchased 
them  at  the  store. 


Hoel-Zeiler  "Dracula's  Daughter"  Window 


Hadaway's  "Frankie  and  Johnnie"  Barroom 


Wright's  "Country  Doctor"  Lobby  Display 


Stroud  Presenting  Temple  Doll 


Lucky  number  stubs  were  distributed  and 
accompanying  photo  shows  Stroud  with  the 
lucky  miss  to  whom  he  presented  a  Temple 
doll  donated  by  the  store.  Various  mer- 
chants devoted  windows  to  displays,  18 
three  sheet  boards  were  planted  about  town 
and  front  and  lobby  were  especially  deco- 
rated two  weeks  ahead. 


Displays  Merchants'  Wares 
In  Lobby  for  "Country  Doctor" 

Accompanying  photo  shows  the  way  Jack 
Wright,  Liberty  Theatre,  Walla  Walla, 
Wash.,  reciprocated  by  allowing  merchants 
to  display  their  wares  in  his  lobby  as  an  ex- 
change for  their  window  displays  on  "Coun- 
try Doctor."  Savings  and  loan  association 
came  through  with  excellent  window  tying 
up  with  picture  and  featuring  the  kiddies. 

Highlight  was  teaser  campaign,  the  words 
EHA  being  carried  in  all  ads  and  copy, 
breaking  in  tabloid  section  of  regular  Sun- 
day paper  announcing  that  the  letters  stood 
for  "everybody  happy  administration"  and 
a  message  from  the  president  of  the  circuit, 
Frederick  Mercy,  that  every  theatre  em- 
ployee was  a  member  of  the  "EHA"  and 
ready  to  make  patrons  happy  with  enter- 
tainment. 

Serialization  ran  in  papers,  gas  company 
imprinted  all  bills  and  banners  represent- 
ing diapers  were  strung  across  Main  Street. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Kempton  Entertains  Seniors 
At  Free  Kiddie  Show 

A  good-will  builder  was  used  recently  by 
Jack  Kempton,  Sherman  Theatre,  Goodland, 
Kansas  when  he  wired  the  president  of  the 
senior  class  at  graduation  congratulating  the 
young  people  on  their  achievement,  and  sym- 
pathizing with  them  on  the  ending  of  their 
kid  days. 

Jack  invited  them  all  to  attend  the  show 
where  they  were  admitted  at  children's 
prices.  Those  who  presented  themselves 
dressed  in  children's  clothes  were  given  free 
popcorn  and  lollypops.  Kempton  reports  the 
seniors  came  in  a  body  and  a  great  time 
was  had  by  all. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

"Mr.  Deeds"  Checks  In 
At  Hotel  for  Thames 

Tying  up  with  local  auto  dealer,  Jimmy 
Thames,  Ritz  Theatre,  Corpus  Christi, 
Texas  for  "Deeds"  dressed  a  man  in  after- 
noon attire  and  had  him  driven  by  chauffeur 
throughout  town.  "Mr.  Deeds"  visited  all 
prominent  stores  and  arrangements  were 
made  for  him  to  register  at  leading  hotels, 
where  he  was  paged  in  lobby  and  dining 
room  at  regular  intervals  during  the  day. 
Bally  was  used  week  ahead  for  three  days. 

Western  Union  placed  inserts  in  all  tele- 
grams, dress  shop  paid  for  photos  of  Cooper 
and  Arthur  with  store  ad  and  private  screen- 
ing was  held  for  newspaper  staff  and  local 
prominents. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Recently  Closed  Cambria 
Opens  with  "Two  Flags" 

A  double  truck  was  secured  by  Bill 
Decker,  manager  and  Charlie  Schiffhauer, 
publicist  at  the  Cambria  Theatre,  Johns- 
town, Pa.,  on  "Under  Two  Flags"  which 
included  sock  newspaper  copy  on  the  re- 
opening of  the  theatre.  Stories  with  art  on 
Colman  and  Colbert  were  run  in  papers  as 
were  stories  on  the  remodeling  of  the  thea- 
tre, closed  due  to  recent  flood  damage. 

Local  restaurant  came  through,  paying 
for  cost  of  printing  heralds  carrying  their 
ad,  and  stories  were  planted  on  the  new 
radio  control  featured  in  the  film. 


July    II,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


127 


Shannon  Uses  Various 
Gags  for  "Anything  Goes" 

Telegraph  poles  around  Pittsburgh  were 
tacked  with  Chuck  Shannon's  "Anything 
Goes"  copy  for  his  date  at  the  Belmar,  cards 
reading  "Found — an  explosion  of  merri- 
ment, the  best  show,"  etc.,  etc.  Three  boys 
paraded  about  town,  each  carrying  a  banner, 
one  with  "Any,"  the  other  "Thing"  and  the 
third  "Goes."  Boys  would  scatter  and  then 
get  together  spelling  out  the  picture  title. 

Merchant  was  promoted  to  take  ad  on 
reverse  side  of  novelty  throwaway  upon 
which  different  letters  of  the  title  were 
printed.  These  were  placed  at  different 
counters  in  merchant's  store,  clerks  giving 
one  with  each  purchase  and  to  those  pre- 
senting complete  sets  spelling  out  title, 
tickets  were  awarded.  Another  contest  was 
planted  with  shoppers  paper  in  which  title 
letters  were  scattered  throughout  the  ads, 
the  first  six  entrants  to  find  the  words  were 
guested  at  the  theatre. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Nurse  Bally  for  "Angel" 

As  part  of  the  exploitation  campaign  for 
"The  White  Angel"  current  at  the  New 
York  Strand,  six  girls  garbed  in  full  nurses' 
uniforms  were  stationed  on  busy  Broadway 
corners  distributing  envelopes  containing 
cards  with  following  message:  "Warner 
Bros,  proudly  present  Miss  Kay  Francis  as 
Florence  Nightingale  in  'The  White  Angel' 
with  Ian  Hunter,"  etc. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Gag  Street  Stunt 
Sells  "Doctor" 

The  folks  in  Tuscon,  Ariz.,  were  treated 
to  a  laugh  by  Roy  Drachman,  Fox  Theatre 
who  sent  a  fellow  out  on  the  streets  wheel- 
ing five  baby  carriages  (see  photo)  to  bally 
"Country  Doctor."  Another  gag  was  the 
distribution  of  colored  cards  each  bearing  a 
cut  of  one  of  the  babes  with  the  caption 
"I  am  Yvonne  (or  whichever  one  she  was), 
find  four  persons  having  the  cards  with 
the  pictures  of  my  sisters,  and  all  five  of 
you  will  be  my  guests  to  see,"  etc.,  etc.  Roy 
arranged  it  so  that  there  weren't  too  many 
sets  presented. 

Arrangements  were  made  with  hospital, 
whereby  they  bought  tickets  for  all  at- 
tendants in  one  block,  papers  carried  story 
on  this  and  letters  were  written  to  all  doc- 
tors and  nurses  acquainting  them  of  the  en- 
gagement. Jeweler  came  through  with  nice 
window  of  baby  cups,  bracelets,  spoons,  etc., 
copy  reading  "no  matter  how  many  babies 
are  left  at  your  house,  we  have  the  ideal 
gift  for  them." 


Drachman's  "Country  Doctor"  Street  Bally 


Above  is  reproduction  of  two  -  column 
newspaper  ad  and,  left,  adaptation  of 
same  for  lobby  display  poster  as  utilized 
by  Les  Pollock,  at  Loew's,  Rochester, 
N.  Y.  Ads  are  blown  up  to  make  posters 
which  are  not  cluttered  with  too  much 
copy  and,  says  Les,  the  idea  saves  wear 
and  tear  on  the  house  artist. 


Contests  Highlight  Lykes' 
"Sky  Parade"  Campaign 

Local  oil  distributors  formed  a  Jimmie 
Allen  Cadet  Club  for  Jack  Lykes'  "Sky 
Parade"  date  at  Loew's  Stillman,  Cleveland, 
featuring  a  contest  whereby  every  child  sell- 
ing fifty  gallons  of  gasoline  received  a  ticket 
to  see  the  picture.  Company  reimbursed 
theatre  for  each  ticket  used  and  Jack  re- 
ports over  a  thousand  were  given  out. 

Special  screening  was  held  for  oil  com- 
pany attendants  and  newspaper  critics. 
United  Air  Lines  devoted  a  window  display 
to  large  glass  container,  offering  prizes  to 
those  guessing  number  of  drops  of  gas  in 
container.  Line  also  furnished  display  of 
air  trophies  for  lobby. 

Newspaper  sponsored  an  essay  contest  on 
"What  was  your  greatest  model  airplane 
thrill" ;  first  prize  was  bicycle  and  tickets 
for  runnersup.  Jack  promoted  airplane  with 
loud  speaker  for  thirty  minute  flight  over 
city  making  picture  announcements  and  spe- 
cial lobby  display  consisted  of  compo  board 
replica  of  airplane  hangar,  illuminated  bea- 
con lights  and  model  planes  furnished  by 
airlines. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Special  Lobby  Display 
Built  for  "Road  Gang" 

Among  various  displays  that  .were  built 
for  his  "Road  Gang"  lobby  at  the  Lyric  in 
Watertown,  S.  D.,  Mike  Wainstock  used  an 
electric  sign  spelling  out  title  and  built  a 
torture  rack  with  dummy  hanging  from 
same.    Shot  guns,  shackles,  handcuffs,  bull 


whip  and  reward  posters  promoted  from 
sheriff's  office  and  local  police  were  made 
into  neat  setpieces. 

Heralds  were  distributed  opening  day, 
illuminated  shadow  box  was  hung  directly 
under  screen  and  used  with  trailer  and  spot 
announcements  planted  over  radio  two  days 
in  advance  of  opening. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Scott's  "Ziegfeld"  Ad 

A  nice  full  page  co-op  ad  was  secured  by 
Sid  Scott,  Tivoli  Theatre,  Hamilton,  Canada, 
for  "The  Great  Ziegfeld."  Each  merchant's 
ad  tied  in  some  way  with  glorifying  the  dol- 
lar or  purchaser.  Center  of  page  contained 
cut  of  Powell  and  Rainer. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


ATMOSPHERIC  LOBBY.  Real  rustic  display  with 
pines,  log  cabin  and  all  the  trimmings  was  used 
for  the  "Sutter's  Gold"  engagement  at  the  Para- 
mount  Theatre,   Atlanta,   Ga.,   by   Tommy  Read. 


128 


FRONT  PAGES.  To  tiein  directly  with 
actual  newspaper  crime  stories  for  "Bul- 
lets or  Ballots,"  Mort  Goodman,  of  Sid 
Dannenburg's  Warner  theatres'  Cleveland 
publicity  staff,  utilized  a  lot  of  page  one 
stories  for  decoration  on  advance  lobby. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Crites  Boxing  Match 
Bally  on  "Milky  Way" 

A  little  different  "Milky  Way"  street 
bally  was  used  by  Arlie  Crites,  Rig  The- 
atre, Gorber,  Texas,  when  he  rigged  up  a 
ring  on  the  back  of  a  truck  for  a  boxing 
match  between  two  small  boys.  Referee  was 
dressed  in  white  and  wore  horn-rimmed 
spectacles  a  la  Lloyd  and  the  gag  created 
plenty  of  comment  as  it  toured  the  streets. 

Three  days  ahead  small  bannered  beaver- 
board  cow,  mounted  on  wheels  with  cowbell 
around  its  neck,  was  pulled  through  streets 
by  boy  and  a  "mechanical"  man  performed 
in  front  of  the  theatre  during  engagement. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


ANIMATED  BOAT.  Designed  by  Rodney 
Pantages  and  J.  Lloyd  Dearth  for  the  "Show 
Boat"  at  the  Pantages,  Hollywood,  Cal.,  the 
above  lobby  animation  created  attention 
with    wheel    on    boat    revolving    in  water. 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 

Vote  for  Joe  Brown 
Ad  Sells  "Sons-O-Guns" 

Ken  Grimes,  Warner  Theatre,  Morgan- 
town,  West  Va.  for  "Sons-O-Guns"  ran  a 
special  ad  in  the  political  section  of  paper 
with  copy  "vote  for  Joe  E.  Brown,"  etc.; 
stilt  walker  dressed  as  Uncle  Sam,  paraded 
streets  carrying  back  banner  and  special 
stories  were  run  in  paper  calling  attention  to 
courtesy  tickets  which  would  be  dropped  in 
parachutes  from  plane  circling  city. 

Cough  drops  were  distributed  by  boys, 
bags  carrying  copy  "for  that  husky  voice 
you  will  have  after  seeing,"  etc.,  etc.  Spe- 
cial letters  were  mailed  to  all  members  of 
the  American  Legion,  various  stores  came 
through  with  neat  window  displays  and  local 
five  and  ten  featured  a  Blondell  sundae  and 
distributed  cards  to  all  patrons. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Realistic  Lobby  Sells 
Ryan's  "Road  Gang" 

For  his  "Road  Gang"  lobby,  Joe  Ryan, 
Grand  Theatre,  St.  Cloud,  Minn.,  built  a 
special  display  consisting  of  tear  gas  bombs, 
black  snake  whip,  leg  irons,  mouth  gags, 
"wanted  for  Murder"  stills  and  cards,  etc., 
etc.  Contest  was  planted  in  papers  offering 
guest  tickets  to  those  submitting  the  most 
number  of  smaller  words  from  the  picture 
title. 

Street  bally  was  man  in  striped  convict 
uniform  who  not  only  covered  main  streets, 
but  visited  offices  and  department  stores. 
Cards  were  planted  on  fire  plugs  reading 
"don't  park  here,  or  you  may  land  in  a  Road 
Gang."  Girl  using  the  wrong  number  gag 
called  suburbanites  giving  dope  on  picture 
and  special  preview  was  held  to  which  local 
prominents  were  invited;  stunt  covered  by 
newspapers. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Inquiring  Photographer 
Contest  Used  on  "Deeds" 

A  reported  first  time  was  the  inquiring 
photographer  stunt  used  by  manager  Rudy 
Kuehn  and  publicist  Bob  Dietch  at  the  Stan- 
ley Theatre,  Jersey  City  for  "Mr.  Deeds," 
when  cooperating  newspaper  tied  in  on  a 
ten  day  publicity  contest.  Photographer 
covered  streets  stopping  folks  at  random  and 
distributing  cards  with  space  alloted  to 
answer  of  question  "What  would  you  do  if 
you  inherited  20  million  dollars?"  If  pic- 
ture of  contestant  together  with  answer  was 
printed  in  the  paper,  guest  tickets  were 
awarded.  Each  day  during  date  one  was 
used,  thus  insuring  all  watching  particular 
column  in  which  contest  was  run. 

Theatre  boys  distributed  "fake"  money 
with  picture  copy,  parade  of  magazine  boys 
with  police  escort  was  staged  mile  from  the- 
atre, marching  through  town  to  house, 
where  they  lined  up  for  pictures  to  be  run 
in  papers. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Broadcasts  Louis  Fight 

Anticipating  the  opposition  that  the  Louis- 
Schmeling  fight  would  prove,  Harry  Moller, 
Wicomico  Theatre,  Salisbury,  Md.,  stepped 
out  and  tied  up  a  local  radio  concern  to 
place  a  radio  in  the  booth  connected  to  the 
p.  a.  system.  Heralds  were  distributed  city- 
wide  and  Moller  reports  he  had  them  liter- 
ally hanging  from  the  rafters. 


July    II,  1936 


THE  MILKMAN  WAITS.  For  "Milky  Way" 
opening  at  Loew's  Paradise,  New  York  City, 
Manager  Jerry  De  Rosa  and  zone  publicist 
Perry  Spencer  planted  this  "milkman"  out 
front.  No  doubt  to  tell  the  folks  he  was 
on  hand  for  the  opening. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Cheyenne  Bank  Ballys 
"Custer's  Last  Stand" 

F.  G.  Roberts,  Rialto  Theatre,  Clinton, 
Okla.,  went  out  into  the  country  and  scouted 
around  until  he  found  a  Cheyenne  buck  to 
bally  his  "Custer's  Last  Stand"  date.  Fel- 
low was  dressed  in  war  paint  and  full  regalia 
and  stationed  in  front  of  the  theatre  beat- 
ing a  torn  torn.  Stunt  was  repeated  at  fifteen 
minute  interval  during  engagement. 

For  "Country  Doctor"  Roberts  tied  up 
local  baker  who  donated  birthday  Dionne 
cake  and  to  first  100  kids  entering  theatre 
cake  was  distributed. 


"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


PINE  TREES.  For  the  front  on  "Lonesome 
Pine"  at  the  Fox  Gillioz,  in  Springfield,  Mo., 
Manager  John  D.  Johnson  and  artist  Claud 
Ferguson  created  this  interesting  front  of 
blue    and    green    bordered    with  pines. 


July    II,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


129 


City  of  Shanghai  Callec 
Best  Show  Town  in  China 

Motion  Pictures  Said  to  Hold  First  Place  in  Public  Indoor  Entertainment 


by  J.  P.  KOEHLER 

from  Shanghai 

In  considering  the  cinema  business  in 
Shanghai,  one  must  bear  in  mind  that  popu- 
lation figures  have  only  a  minor  relation 
to  cinema  attendance.  It  is  the  economic 
and  educational  status  of  the  inhabitants 
that  determine  the  result  at  the  box-office. 
Shanghai  is  credited  with  a  teeming  popu- 
lation of  some  3,500,000  souls  in  its  3  dis- 
tricts, but,  so  far  as  motion  pictures  are 
concerned,  its  cinema-going  population 
should  be  reckoned  at  about  equivalent  to 
an  American  city  of  250,000. 

The  Central  Government  of  China  is  con- 
stantly endeavoring  to  bring  the  screen  to 
the  masses  by  affording  free  educational 
shows,  by  the  exhibition  of  educational  pic- 
tures made  by  and  for  Chinese  people,  and 
through  the  screen  service  of  some  45  por- 
table projection  sound  equipments. 

And  yet  it  will  be  some  years  before  the 
earning  power  and  education  of  the  lower 
classes  is  such  that  the  box-office  will  really 
feel  the  effect. 

*    *  * 

Shanghai,  China's  greatest  seaport,  indus- 
trial and  manufacturing  center  is  the  movie 
capital  of  China.  Ninety-five  per  cent  of 
foreign  motion  pictures  have  their  first  re- 
lease in  Shanghai.  Practically  all  Chinese- 
made  pictures  for  commercial  exhibition  re- 
ceive first  release  in  Shanghai  since,  with 
few  exceptions,  all  native  films  with  sound 
track  are  in  the  official  Mandarin  language. 

Shanghai  presents  problems  peculiar  only 
to  this  city  and  China  as  regards  motion 
pictures.  The  city  is  divided  into  three 
areas.  The  International  Settlement  of  eight 
and  three-quarter  square  miles,  is  controlled 
by  the  Shanghai  Municipal  Council,  whose 
censorship  by  the  Film  Censor  Committee  of 
all  films  shown  in  this  area  is  absolute.  The 
French  Concession  of  approximately  four 
square  miles,  controlled  by  the  French 
Consul-General  and  Commission  Provisoire 
d'Administration  Municipalite  Francais  has 
its  own  censorship  committee,  and  also 
passes  on  all  films  shown  in  these  two  areas. 
The  Chinese  area  of  the  City  of  Greater 
Shanghai  comprises  some  30  districts  sur- 
rounding the  two  foreign  areas,  and  is  about 
320  square  miles  in  area.  Film  censorship 
in  the  Chinese  area  is  controlled  entirely  by 
the  Central  Government  of  China  in  Nan- 
king through  the  Film  Censorship  Com- 
mittee. 

Censorship  Rulings  Differ 

Theoretically,  each  area  needs  only  to 
observe  its  own  censorship  rulings,  but  for 
practical  purposes  close  cooperation  is  main- 
tained" in  all  film  censorship.  Thus,  should 
a  film  be  ruled  out  by  the  French  censors, 
it  will  not  receive  the  approval  of  the  Inter- 
national Settlement  censors,  and  will  be 
carefully  surveyed  by  the  Chinese  before  it 
is  allowed  exhibition  in  purely  Chinese  ter- 


Whether  the  Chinese  and  foreign 
patrons  go  to  the  cinejna  because  they 
like  pictures  or  are  there  to  kill  a  few 
hours  before  the  night  clubs  open,  it 
seems  that  there  is  quite  a  lot  of  mo~ 
tion  picture  activity  in  Shanghai,  ac- 
cording to  correspondent  Koehler 
who  relates  for  the  membership,  the 
why  and  what  of  the  situation  in  this 
Chinese  metropolis. 

The  article  is  another  in  the  inter- 
esting Showman's  Travelogue  series 
now  current  in  your  Round  Table  by 
which  readers  of  this  journal  have  an 
opportunity  to  learn  how  they  do  it 
in  other  key  spots,  domestic  and  for- 
eign. 

A-MIKE  VOGEL 


ritory.  The  same  applies  to  bans  placed  on 
films  by  the  International  Settlement  author- 
ities.   There  is  one  exception. 

Films  banned  by  the  Chinese  censors  are 
by  courtesy,  never  exhibited  in  the  Inter- 
national Settlement  or  French  concession, 
but  films  banned  by  the  foreign  censors, 
may,  if  approved  by  Nanking  be  exhibited 
in  Chinese  areas.  Thus,  a  cinema,  located 
close  to  the  foreign  areas,  often  will  receive 
heavy  patronage  on  the  exhibition  of  foreign 
banned  film.  ("I  Am  a  Fugitive,"  "Ras- 
putin," "Road  Gang,"  "Hell's  Highway" 
and  others  including  numerous  U.S.S.R. 
films.) 

There  is  no  charge  for  censorship  in  the 
foreign  areas.  The  Chinese  government  has 
set  a  fee  of  C.  $20.00  (about  $6.50)  per  500 
meters  or  fraction  thereof  for  all  film  sub- 
mitted plus  C$3. 10  for  license  certificate 
and  tax.  Fees  are  not  returned  when  films 
are  banned.  For  the  extension  of  a  three- 
year  license  the  fee  is  doubled,  and  there 
are  numerous  and  varied  fines  laid  on  cine- 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


ATMOSPHERIC  BOXOFFICE.  To  advertise  his 
"Lonesome  Pine"  engagement  at  the  Lindell  The- 
atre in  St.  Louis  Milton  Bishop  designed  and 
built  this  attractive  boxoffice  front  on  the  date. 


mas  for  exhibition  without  Chinese  license, 
or  for  advertising  a  film  in  Chinese  publica- 
tions before  censorship  has  approved,  or  ad- 
vertising under  a  title  contrary  to  the  official 
one  on  the  license  certificate.  Films  banned 
by  the  Chinese  must  be  re-exported  at  once. 
All  cuttings  are  retained  by  the  Chinese 
censors.  When  submitting  a  film  to  the 
Chinese  censors  several  copies  of  the  com- 
plete translation  of  the  story  and  dialogue 
must  be  made  and  handed  in  with  the  film 
for  censorship. 

First  Run  Draw  Limited 

In  Shanghai  the  drawing  power  of  the 
two  first-run  cinemas  located  in  the  Inter- 
national Settlement  and  the  two  first-run 
cinemas  located  in  the  French  concession 
(by  first-run  is  meant  cinemas  primarily 
exhibiting  all-foreign  pictures  without  Chi- 
nese subtitle  or  slides)  is  limited  to  about 
50,000  people  who  understand  English  suffi- 
ciently not  to  require  explanatory  titles,  and 
about  25,000  more  who  attend  high  priced 
first  runs  as  a  matter  of  choice.  The  type 
of  pictures  decides  largely  the  draw  upon 
non-English  understanding  people. 

The  attendance  at  these  four  cinemas  is  all 
a  matter  of  income.  Prices  are  from 
C.  $0.60  to  C.  $2.00  (30  cents  to  65  cents)  ; 
total  seating  about  6,200.  Up  to  three  years 
ago,  few  foreigners  occupied  the  lower- 
priced  stalls,  but  today,  partly  due  to  greater 
comforts  in  seating  and  to  the  reduced  eco- 
nomic position  of  many  foreigners,  the 
lower-priced  stalls  are  extremely  well  pa- 
tronized by  the  foreign  residents  in  Shang- 
hai. At  least  75  per  cent  of  the  income  of 
these  four  first-run  theatres  is  from  Chinese 
patronage,  consequently  a  film  must  appeal 
to  the  Chinese  people  to  have  a  successful 
run. 

Subsequent  run  cinema  prices  run  from 
C.  $0.20  to  C$1.00  (about  seven  cents  to 
35  cents)  depending  upon  class  of  patronage 
and  locality.  The  attendance  in  subsequent 
run  cinemas  is  97  per  cent  Chinese,  clerks, 
higher  paid  mechanics,  and  shop  attendants, 
etc.,  with  the  grade  of  patronage  running 
down  the  scale  to  illiteracy  as  the  theatre  is 
graded  in  admission  price  and  order  of  run. 
In  a  very  few  subsequent  run  cinemas — 
mainly  second  run — the  patronage  has  a 
high  percentage  of  foreigners  who  prefer  to 
wait  and  pay  the  lower  admission  price  be- 
cause of  their  economic  condition. 

Cinemas  in  Shanghai  are  all  well  served 
with  tram  lines,  bus  service,  taxis,  rickshas, 
and  private  motor  cars  and  all  classes,  both 
foreign  and  Chinese  utilize  these  transpor- 
tation facilities.  Shanghai  has  no  specific 
"down-town"  section,  unless  it  be  the  Cen- 
tral district  of  the  International  Settlement, 
which  contains  only  one  second-run  cinema. 
Two  large  first-run  cinemas,  2,000  and  1,600 
seats  respectively,  are  located  in  what  is 
gradually  becoming  the  heart  of  the  foreign 

{Continued  on  foUoivinq  pane) 


130 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


CHINESE  PAPERS  CO  FOR  TIEUPS 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

business  and  recreation  center — the  Race 
Course  Area — with  one  other  first-run  house 
located  within  five  minutes  walking  distance 
of  these  two  cinemas.  A  first-run,  1,000- 
seat  cinema  is  located  in  the  heart  of  the 
French  Concession,  business  and  social  cen- 
ter, about  one  mile  from  the  above  three 
cinemas. 

Parking  facilities  are  not  excellent,  but 
space  has  been  reserved  in  all  cases  for 
private  cars,  all  within  a  minute  or  two 
walk  of  the  cinemas'  entrances.  It  cannot 
be  said  that  parking  facilities  have  any 
noticeable  effect  upon  attendance. 

Bus  lines,  in  one  or  two  cases,  run  spe- 
cial buses  after  evening  performances,  as 
public  transportation  practically  ceases  after 
11 :00  p.m.,  but  rickshas  and  taxis  are  avail- 
able at  all  hours  and  the  largest  taxi  com- 
panies have  stations  close  to  these  large 
cinemas.  However,  on  rainy  nights  trans- 
portation difficulties  of  congestion  arise,  and 
patrons  often  must  await  15  to  20  minutes 
for  an  available  taxi.  On  certain  Chinese 
holidays  taxis  are  sometimes  impossible  to 
obtain  owing  to  the  use  of  these  by  "parties" 
of  visiting  Chinese.  The  cost  of  all  trans- 
portation bears  directly  on  the  admission 
price,  running  from  10  to  100  per  cent  of 
the  admission  charges  in  first  runs,  as  the 
minimum  charge  for  a  taxi  is  C.  $1.00 
(about  35  cents).  As  a  consequence,  bad 
weather  affects  attendance -very  much,  espe- 
cially in  subsequent  run  cinemas,  where  the 
patronage  consists  mostly  of  people  who 
walk  and  to  whom  even  tram  or  ricksha 
fare  is  of  consequence. 

Distributors  Aid  Exploitation 

As  far  as  the  cinemas  themselves  are  con- 
cerned, operation  of  the  first  runs  is  on  the 
whole  efficient,  orderly  and  with  a  minimum 
of  discomfort  to  the  patrons.  Crowding  a 
box-office  is  a  major  difficulty,  as  it  seems 
almost  impossible  to  get  a  Shanghai  crowd 
to  line  up  in  orderly  fashion.  Consequently, 
one  never  sees  a  line  extending  outside  of 
lobbies,  no  matter  how  great  the  rush.  Part 
of  this  is  due,  as  has  been  asserted  by  local 
exhibitors,  to  the  objection  of  guiding  rails 
in  the  lobbies  by  the  Fire  Departments  and 
also  to  the  lack  of  real  insistence  to  "line-up." 

Managers  as  a  rule,  have  limited  author- 
ity, and  confine  their  efforts  to  maintaining 
order,  attending  to  the  general  welfare  of 
the  house  and  assisting  in  exploitation  and 
advertising.  There  is  no  manager's  club  as 
such.  Exploitation  is  in  nearly  all  cases 
assisted  by  the  distributor  and  much  is  in 
part  financed  by  the  distributors.  In  the 
last  year,  outdoor  exploitation  has  taken  a 
large  step  towards  improvement.  Interview 
of  several  managers  indicates  little  attempt 
to  utilize  social  or  personal  opportunities  to 
increase  attendance,  except  where  such  may 
result  in  the  use  of  large  shop  windows,  etc. 

One  must  give  main  attention  to  the  first- 
run  cinemas  when  it  comes  to  service,  etc., 
as  subsequent  runs  give  little  more  than  a 
seat,  a  fairly  clean  auditorium,  and  a  fair 
degree  of  sound  and  picture  presentation. 
First  runs  do  offer  the  patrons  air-condition- 
ing, cooling  systems,  comfortable  seats,  or- 
derly audiences,  with  a  fair  share  of  restful 


surroundings,  clean,  modern  retiring  rooms, 
and  courteous  attention,  and  as  good  sound 
as  heard  anywhere  in  the  world,  since  all 
are  equipped  with  wide  range  or  high  fidelity 
sound  systems,  high  intensity  arcs  and  mod- 
ern projection  equipment.  Shanghai's  best 
first  run  house  is  probably  not  as  good  in 
its  entirety  as  a  first-class  neighborhood 
2,000-seat  theatre  built  within  the  last  three 
years  in  New  Yorjc,  Chicago  or  other  large 
American  city.  Subsequent  run  houses  in 
Shanghai  are  little  more  than  "picture 
houses"  with  conditions  in  some  bordering 
on  a  mere  place  to  sit  and  see  the  picture. 

Chinese  Theatres  Heavy  Competition 

Newspaper  advertising  for  the  past  three 
years  has  been  limited  by  agreement  among 
the  first  run  exhibitors  and  the  newspapers. 
There  are  two  English  morning  papers,  one 
Chinese-owned  English  language  morning 
paper,  one  American  evening  paper  and  at 
least  three  large  Chinese  daily  papers.  The 
newspapers  as  a  whole  have  cooperated  in 
exploitation  in  return  for  advertising,  and 
have  for  the  most  part  lent  themselves  heart- 
ily to  merchant  tie-ups,  etc.,  and  give  a  gen- 
erous space  allotment  to  pictures.  All  for- 
eign papers  run  daily  motion  picture  space, 
and  are  quite  free  with  information  as  to 
what's  playing  and  where  in  reviews,  pre- 
announcements  and  syndicated  articles  and 
Hollywood  letters. 

The  cinemas  do  not  yet  spend  heavily  on 
general  exploitation,  one  reason  being  its 
cost,  and  another,  being  an  apparent  disin- 
clination to  do  anything  more  than  to  in- 
form the  public  what  is  coming  through  the 
ordinary  channels  of  newspaper  ads  and  bill- 
boards. In  the  last  few  months,  however, 
out-door  exploitation  has  taken  a  spur,  due 
mainly  to  the  quality  of  the  new  product 
being  exhibited.  Window  cards,  shop  win- 
dows in  large  department  stores,  tramcar 
and  busses,  sniping  of  walls  and  dead  areas, 
hand-bills,  direct  mail,  and  in  one  recent 
case  dance  contest  and  special  outdoor  dis- 
plays have  come  out  this  past  half  year,  to- 
gether with  double  truck  merchant  ad  tie- 
ups  in  newspapers. 

It  can  be  stated  that  theatre  operators 
and   managers   are   generally   disposed  to 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


NEW  SETPIECE.  Designed  by  Diclt  Pritcha'rd, 
Fox  Tower,  Pasadena,  Calif.,  is  this  shadow  box. 
Little  modernistic  panels  have  varicolored  lights 
and   display  was  constructed   by  art  department. 


take  advantage  of,  or  to  create  opportunities 
for  exploitation  within  reasonable  limits,  and 
that  merchants  are  also  willing  to  cooperate 
in  the  use  of  windows,  etc;  One  large  de- 
partment store  makes  an  almost  weekly  prac- 
tice of  a  window  tie-up  with  a  picture  as  a 
good  business  draw. 

*  ^ 

Cinema  competition  in  Shanghai  is  fairly 
heavy.  Numerous  large  Chinese  playhouses 
cater  to  great  numbers,  and  it  is  not  un- 
common to  see  hundreds  of  motor-cars 
parked  in  the  surroundings  of  a  theatre  at 
which  a  popular  Chinese  stage-play  or  artist 
is  being  presented.  However,  such  plays 
have  no  effect  upon  the  attendance  of  for- 
eigners in  the  cinemas.  A  Chinese  motion 
picture,  with  a  popular  star  or  feature  player 
will  draw  heavily  in  a  Chinese  first  run 
cinema  of  which  Shanghai  has  at  least  one 
of  1,600  seats. 

While  there  are  plenty  of  night  clubs  and 
cabarets,  such  places  usually  come  to  life 
after  the  cinemas  close  for  the  day.  Oc- 
casional travelling  shows,  or  artists,  of 
which  Shanghai  now  has  very,  very  few, 
will  bear  on  a  night  or  two,  and  race  days 
will  affect  matinees.  Legitimate  shows  are 
almost  limited  to  the  productions  of  amateur 
companies,  though  these  shows  charge  com- 
paratively much  larger  admission  prices  than 
cinemas,  and  in  general  have  but  small  effect 
upon  picture  attendance  and  draw  largely 
only  foreign  patronage.  Sports  are  numer- 
ous, and  a  fine  day  with  popular  sport  teams 
playing  will  affect  matinee  trade. 

Attendance  in  Shanghai's  first  runs  is 
strongly  affected  by  product  suitable  for  the 
locality,  and  no  amount  of  competitive 
amusement  will  deter  patrons  from  attend- 
ance at  one  of  the  average  of  21  perform- 
ances per  picture  in  these  cinemas  if  the 
picture  appeals.  Some  part  of  the  cinema 
trade  in  the  evening  performance  which 
starts  at  9:15  P.  M.  consists  of  patrons  who, 
not  wishing  to  go  to  a  night  club  until  11 :00 
P.  M.  or  later  attend  the  cinema  simply  be- 
cause there  is  nothing  else  to  do  to  fill  in 
the  time  between  dinner  and  night  club. 

Shanghai  is  the  best  show  town  in  China. 
Stage  shows  in  connection  with  films  are 
limited,  and  it  is  very  seldom  that  a  picture 
theatre  offers  anything  but  the  picture  pro- 
gram in  the  first  run  house.  Some  of  the 
subsequent  run  cinema  catering  to  20-cent 
and  40-cent  class  run  stage  shows  of  crude 
artistry,  ballets  of  poorly  paid  and  poorly 
trained  girls  whose  main  appeal  to  the  audi- 
ence is  their  ability  to  disclose  as  much  of 
their  person  as  the  law  permits.  To  the 
extent  of  public  indoor  amusement,  the 
cinema  in  Shanghai  holds,  by  far  and  large, 
first  place  in  box  office  returns. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Kids  Aid  Conley 
To  Sell  "Flags" 

E.  D.  Conley,  Cairo  Theatre,  Gallup, 
New  Mexico,  put  his  kids  to  work  selling 
"Under  Two  Flags"  by  offering  guest 
tickets  to  each  child  getting  twenty-five  dif- 
ferent persons  to  write  the  name  of  the 
picture,  theatre  and  cast  on  cards  provided 
for  the  purpose. 


July    II,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


131 


FURTHER  "BEST"  EXPLOITATIONS 


Adlman  Ties  Theatre 
to  Bridge  Opening 

Situated  in  the  Washington  Heights  dis- 
trict of  New  York  City,  Manager  Archie 
Adlman,  Loew's  175th  Street  Theatre,  has 
obtained  nice  results  from  cooperation  with 
various  civic  projects  and  among  the  more 
effective  reports  tiein  with  the  local  neigh- 
borhood chamber  of  commerce  for  the  grand 
opening  of  the  George  Washington  Bridge 
in  that  neighborhood  a  few  years  back. 
Adlman  was  allowed  to  plant  huge  banners 
across  important  Heights  thoroughfares, 
copy  including  plugs  for  current  attractions. 
Parade  of  civic  and  patriotic  organizations 
was  also  organized  with  band  concerts  held 
in  front  of  theatre  and  on  stage. 

The  parade  idea  was  used  by  Adlman  also 
for  the  celebration  of  the  theatre's  fourth 
anniversary  which  fell  on  a  Washington's 
Birthday  and  for  this  reason  he  was  able  to 
secure  some  1,500  boy  and  girl  scouts  to 
take  part  together  with  six  bands  furnished 
by  the  Scouts,  American  Legion,  etc. 

Merchants  Aid  Christmas  Tiein 

During  the  pre-Christmas  season  of  1934, 
Adlman  arranged  a  four-week  tieup  with 
some  125  stores,  members  of  local  mer- 
chants' association.  Purchase  coupons  were 
distributed  by  each  merchant,  many  of  the 
coupons  entitling  holders  to  gifts  and  guest 
tickets.  In  exchange  for  the  tickets  during 
the  four  weeks,  the  manager  secured  win- 
dows and  displays  in  the  cooperating  stores. 

Stores  were  also  tied  in  on  this  member's 
campaign  for  "Palmy  Days"  some  years 
back  wherein  10-foot  drapes  were  placed 
over  the  doors  of  some  100  stores,  copy 
reading;  "Buy  Now.  Enjoy  'Palmy  Days' 
Here  and  at  Loew's  175th  St." 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Crawl  Through  Fence  Hole 
And  Receive  Free  Ticket 

Besides  being  unique,  the  stunt  reported 
by  Manager  K.  K.  King,  Melba,  Batesville, 
Ark.,  sounds  very  amusing,  King  tieing  in 
with  his  public  schools  on  "Hoosier  School- 
master" in  this  wise.  Fence  was  built  in  the 
entrance  with  a  small  hole  and  admission 
given  to  any  boy  or  girl  who  could  crawl 
through  it.  Laughs  were  furnished  by  the 
larger  children  who  just  could  not  make  it. 

Also  helpful  to  King  was  an  ice-melting 
contest  on  "Little  America,"  cake  of  ice 
planted  out  front  with  tickets  to  those  who 
came  closest  to  the  time  it  would  take  the 
block  to  melt. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Rosy  Runs  for  Office 
On  "Politics"  Date 

While  serving  at  the  Capital  in  Wilkes- 
Barre  at  the  time  "Politics"  was  current, 
Rosy  Rosenthal,  now  at  Loew's  Majestic, 
Bridgeport,  Ct,  decided  to  run  for  office 
as  a  build  up  on  the  picture.  Pennsylvania 
law  allows  any  one  to  run  for  office  if  en- 
dorsed by  12  signatures,  so  Rosy  got  the 
Mayor  interested  in  the  gag  and  between 
the  two,  they  dug  up  the  office  of  Superin- 
tendent of  Docks  and  Piers,  a  non-existent 


Inaugurated  in  the  issue  of  May  23 
and  continued  in  that  of  June  6,  on 
this  page  are  detailed  additional  top- 
line  exploitation  ideas  put  over  by 
various  of  the  members  and  which 
have  proven  themselves  ace  money- 
getters  at  the  boxoffice.  Names  are 
alphabetically  arranged. 

Round  Tablers  were  asked  to  con- 
tribute what  they  considered  their 
"bests"  put  over  during  their  years  in 
showbusiness,  to  disregard  whether  the 
stunts  were  old  or  new  just  so  long  as 
they  carried  the  wallop.  The  response 
has  been  very  encouraging  and  fur- 
ther pages  of  the  same  will  be  carried 
in  early  issues.  Managers  who  have 
not  as  yet  forwarded  their  ace  stunts 
are  invited  to  join  the  party. 

—A-MIKE. 


position,  as  Wilkes-Barre  is  an  inland  city. 
The  Mayor,  his  assistant  and  other  promi- 
nents  in  on  the  gag,  all  signed  the  application, 
it  was  filed  legally  and  the  campaign  got 
under  way  with  the  slogan  "A  New  Candi- 
date for  a  New  Position"  and  announced 
that  the  Capitol  Theatre  was  in  "Politics." 
Papers  all  went  for  it  and  Rosy  promised 
he  would  build  docks  and  piers  if  he  was 
elected. 

Campaign  speeches  were  written  and  de- 
livered, and  week  before  election  trailer  on 
the  picture  was  run  featuring  a  political 
parade  which  gave  the  Round  Tabler  an 
opportunity  to  make  speeches  from  the  stage 
tieing  in  with  the  picture.  Folks  out  front 
caught  on  and  went  out  talking.  Day  ahead 
of  opening,  band  was  planted  on  float  with 
red  fire,  etc.,  and  followed  by  hundreds  of 
kids  with  noise-makers  stopped  at  the  pub- 
lic square  where  Rosy's  assistant  in  prop 
mustache  and  frock  coat  made  a  "Com- 
munist" speech. 

Police,  tipped  off,  pulled  an  arrest  and 
with  forthcoming  publicity  on  every  front 
page  in  town  all  tieing  in  the  gag  with  the 
picture  which  opened  on  same  day,  with 
business  away  up  as  a  result  and  Rosenthal 
winning  an  MGM  prize  for  high-power  ex- 
ploitation on  the  date. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


Harris'  Wet  Paint  Telegraph  Pole  Cards 


Francis  Peering  Stages 
Lobby  Refrigeration  Show 

Most  recent  of  Manager  Francis  Deering's 
highspot  exploitations  was  the  one  reported 
from  Loew's,  in  Houston,  Texas— the  sec- 
ond annual  refrigeration  show  in  the  lobby 
of  the  theatre.  Six  leading  companies  par- 
ticipated in  displaying  their  latest  models 
and  in  exchange  for  the  space  participated 
in  a  special  eight-page  special  newspaper 
section  of  the  Houston  Post  in  which  most 
of  the  publicity  was  given  over  to  the  the- 
atre's air  conditioning  system  and  dope  on 
current  and  coming  attractions. 

Cover  Cutouts  With  Silk  Panties 

While  at  Loew's,  Richmond,  Va.,  working 
with  Elmer  Brient,  Deering  recalls  the  date 
on  "Footlight  Parade"  when  cutouts  of 
lightly-clad  females,  taken  from  the  24-sheet, 
were  tacked  around  the  box-office.  An  an^ 
cient  Virginia  law  giving  local  censors  the 
right  to  also  supervise  advertising  was  re- 
vived by  the  authorities  and  the  theatremen 
ordered  to  cover  the  figures  or  remove  them. 

So  seizing  upon  this  order  to  grab  a  bit 
of  front-page,  the  boys  covered  the  figures 
with  silk  panties  purchased  from  the  five- 
and-ten,  with  the  newspapers  hopping  aboard 
to  keep  the  argument  alive  for  three  days 
with  page  one  stories,  photos,  etc. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Obtains  Rare  Publicity 
With  "Wet  Paint"  Signs 

To  spruce  up  Cleveland  for  the  current 
Great  Lakes  Exposition,  the  city  fathers 
voted  to  repaint  all  the  city  light  poles,  and 
the  Loew  houses,  via  publicist  Milt  Harris, 
tied  right  in  on  this  by  receiving  an  ex- 
clusive to  furnish  the  city  with  signs  placed 
on  each  repainted  pole  (see  photo)  reading: 
"Keep  Away.  Wet  Paint.  Keep  Cool  at 
Loew's  Theatre  in  Cleveland.  Home  of  the 
Great  Lakes  Exposition."  Signs  remained 
on  the  poles  for  three  days. 

Another  such  slant  was  put  on  with  the 
recent  Republican  party  convention,  Loew's 
furnishing  small  memo  books,  front  cover 
carrying  convention  and  exposition  copy  and 
the  back  cover  "Cool"  copy  for  the  two 
Loew  downtown  houses,  the  State  and  Still- 
man.  Memos  were  distributed  by  assistant 
sergeant-at-arms  to  all  delegates,  given  out 
at  downtown  hotels,  department  stores,  etc. 

Ace  Clark  Gable  Letter  Contest 

Just  finished  in  Cleveland  is  another  honey 
by  Harris  and  associates  on  a  contest  tiein 
sponsored  by  the  Nezus,  Loew's  State  and 
the  Cleveland  &  Buffalo  Transit  Co.,  first 
prize  being  an  all-expense  Great  Lakes  boat 
cruise.  Entrants  were  asked  to  write  a 
letter  in  50-words  or  less  on  "Who  Would 
Be  Clark  Gable's  Perfect  Leading  Lady." 

Exploitation  was  aided  by  all  local  travel 
agencies  by  the  cooperating  paper  editorially 
and  with  cards  on  newsstands,  banners  on 
delivery  trucks.  Boat  companies  carried 
banners  on  lake  steamers,  in  waiting  rooms, 
etc.  Other  prizes  were  given  including  an 
all-expense  trip  to  Niagara  Falls. 


132 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


July    II,  1936 


COMPANIES  AND  CUBA 
AT  ODDS  OVER  CENSORS 


Majors  Refuse  to  Submit  Prod- 
uct to  New  Board;  Cuban 
Consul    Withholds  Invoices 

The  "Cuban  Board  of  Censors  in  New 
York,"  which  began  operations  on  July  1st, 
has  had  very  little  to  do  since  its  inaugura- 
tion, according  to  spokesmen  for  large  dis- 
tributors and  for  the  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers and  Distributors  of  America.  The 
board  was  set  up  in  accordance  with  an  an- 
nouncement by  the  Cuban  Secretary  of  the 
Interior  that  two  censorship  authorities 
henceforth  would  operate,  one  in  New  York 
and  one  in  Havana. 

Film  companies  in  New  York  have  re- 
fused to  submit  their  product  to  the  new 
board  for  censorship,  partly  on  the  ground 
that  the  fee  to  be  charged  is  excessive, 
but  principally  because  the  Cuban  plan 
leaves  much  doubt  as  to  who  will  have  the 
final  judgment  on  whether  the  pictures  can 
be  exhibited  in  the  West  Indian  island. 
The  situation  is  deadlocked  by  the  refusal 
of  the  Cuban  consul  in  New  York  to  grant 
invoices  for  film  export  until  the  New  York 
board's  seal  of  approval  is  attached  to  the 
pictures  and  by  the  rejection  in  Havana 
last  week  of  a  shipment  of  American  films 
which  lacked  the  seals. 

Major  Frederick  L.  Herron  of  the 
MPPDA  office  has  sent  a  protest  to  the 
State  Department  at  Washington,  and  a 
committee  of  distributors  in  Havana  has  sub- 
mitted a  formal  protest  to  the  Cuban  Film 
Board  of  Trade. 

Effects  of  the  refusal  to  submit  film  to 
the  new  board  and  the  decision  by  distribu- 
tors not  to  ship  films  to  Cuba  until  the 
situation  is  straightened  out  will  not  become 
apparent  for  several  days,  it  is  predicted, 
as  there  are  sufficient  pictures  on  hand  in 
Cuba  to  keep  theatres  there  supplied  with 
American  product  for  a  short  time. 

The  New  York  censorship  unit,  which  has 
been,  placed  under  direction  of  Roberto 
Hernandez  with  offices  at  1775  Broadway, 
New  York,  has  announced  that  the  fee  for 
reviewing  pictures  will  be  $10  per  1,000 
feet  of  film  and  $7.50  per  1,000  feet  for 
each  duplicate  of  the  original  picture  re- 
viewed. Distributors  consider  this  out  of 
proportion  with  fees  charged  by  various 
state  boards  in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Hernandez,  in  a  statement  this  week, 
emphasized  that  the  New  York  approval  is 
final.  He  said  that  the  Havanan  board  of 
censors  has  been  stripped  of  any  authority 
over  American  films  which  have  received 
the  approval  of  the  board  in  New  York  and 
maintained  that  the  new  ruling,  when  fully 
in  effect,  actually  will  facilitate  the  ship- 
ment of  film  to  Cuba.  He  claimed  that  the 
plan  would  result  in  a  saving  to  American 
distributors,  who  will  have  their  product  ac- 
cepted or  rejected  in  New  York. 


Court  Orders  Examination 

Examination  before  trial  of  officers  of 
Eureka  Products  Company,  asked  by  coun- 
sel for  Intimate  Theatres,  Inc.,  and  other 


defendants,  has  been  ordered  in  the  New 
York  State  supreme  court.  The  examination 
is  in  connection  with  an  injunction  suit 
brought  by  Eureka  Products  over  the  title 
of  ''Ecstasy." 


Theatre  Building 
Reported  Slow  in 
Egypt)  Panama 

Theatre  building  in  Egypt,  Panama  and 
South  America  is  practically  at  a  standstill, 
according  to  Louis  Lober,  Jack  Neal  and 
William  Melniker,  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 
representatives  who  are  in  New  York  to  con- 
fer with  Arthur  M.  Loew. 

Mr.  Melniker,  who  will  take  over  his  new 
post  as  foreign  theatre  head  for  the  com- 
pany, said  that  MGM  is  building  a  1,100 
seat  house  in  Montevideo  and  a  1,500  seat 
theatre  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  both  to  be  ready 
for  opening  in  September.  Outside  of  these 
there  is  no  building  activity,  he  said. 

Despite  a  lack  of  new  construction  Mr. 
Lober  stated  that  there  is  a  marked  increase 
in  American  and  British  films  over  the 
French  product  in  Egypt.  About  10  pictures 
in  Arabic  were  produced  in  Egypt  last  year 
by  local  companies,  he  said.  The  natives 
have  an  appreciation  of  American  humor, 
he  added,  and  they  are  particularly  fond  of 
American  film  stars,  event  to  the  extent  of 
naming  their  camels  after  them. 

The  representative  said  that  there  are 
about  75  theatres  in  Egypt,  mostly  in  Cairo 
and  Alexandria.  Censorship  is  normal  and 
there  are  no  laws  affecting  distribution,  he 
added. 

Approximately  35  MGM  pictures  are  re- 
leased annually  in  the  country.  They  are 
shown  with  superimposed  French  titles  and 
in  most  theatres  there  is  a  side-screen  trans- 
lating the  French  into  Arabic  and  Greek. 
When  the  cotton  crops  are  good  the  gain  is 
immediately  reflected  in  the  theatres,  Mr. 
Lober  said. 

According  to  Mr.  Neal  there  are  40  the- 
atres in  the  Republic  of  Panama,  including 
the  Canal  Zone.  A  theatre  in  Panama  City 
which  is  being  remodeled  for  a  first-run 
house  marks  the  only  activity  current  in  that 
territory. 

In  the  Canal  Zone  pictures  in  the  English 
language  as  shown  in  the  United  States,  are 
the  rule  while  in  the  Republic  all  pictures 
are  shown  with  superimposed  Spanish  titles. 
There  is  no  production  locally. 

Business  has  increased  due  to  the  steady 
growth  of  the  Army  forces,  according  to 
the  representative.  Of  the  40  theatres  the 
Army  operates  12  and  the  Bureau  of  Clubs 
and  Playhouses  has  nine,  five  of  which  are 
for  white  and  four  for  negroes. 

La  Empresa  Barrios  has  control  of  Colon 
City,  which  has  three  theatres.  He  recently 
bought  out  his  opposition,  giving  him  a  clear 
field.  The  city  has  35,000  inhabitants.  Pa- 
nama City  with  79,000  has  seven  theatres. 


Bankruptcy  Books 
Of  IVilliam  Fox 
Puzzle  Lawyers 

A  battery  of  lawyers  began  threading  their 
way  through  the  intricate  mazes  of  the  ac- 
counts of  William  Fox,  former  motion  pic- 
ture producer,  whose  bankruptcy  proceedings 
were  resumed  this  week  before  a  referee  in 
Atlantic  City,  N.  J. 

Counsel  for  Mr.  Fox's  many  creditors 
spent  this  week  questioning  Herbert  Leit- 
steen, bookkeeper  for  the  former  multi-mil- 
lionaire since  1909,  as  efforts  were  begun  to 
establish  the  validity  of  the  more  than  $9,- 
000,000  in  claims  which  Mr.  Fox  listed  in  a 
voluntary  bankruptcy  petition  filed  May 
29th. 

In  his  first  day  on  the  stand  Mr.  Leitsteen 
admitted  his  inability  to  tell  from  his  books 
what  were  Mr.  Fox's  assets  and  liabilities  at 
any  given  date,  or  to  trace  the  spending  of  a 
$15,000,000  check  which  Mr.  Fox  received 
April  7,  1930.  He  insisted  that  books  and 
correspondence  for  1926,  1927,  1928  and 
1930  were  lost  when  he  and  Mr.  Fox  moved 
from  their  offices  at  Tenth  Avenue  and  55th 
Street,  New  York,  in  1930.  He  said  he  had 
no  idea  who  had  taken  the  records. 

At  one  point  during  the  testimony  Fred- 
erick W.  Pride,  one  of  the  claimants' 
lawyers,  stated  for  the  record  that  "we  are 
making  an  effort  to  secure  records  for  1929 
and  previous  years  without  which,  we  be- 
lieve, the  investigation  into  the  Fox  affairs 
will  be  greatly  hampered,  if  not  stopped.  We 
believe  those  records  are  in  existence." 

Mr.  Leitsteen  maintained  all  during  the 
testimony  that  the  records  have  disappeared. 

Several  times  protests  were  made  to 
Referee  Robert  E.  Steedle  about  Mr.  Leit- 
steen's  loss  of  memory  and  the  referee  re- 
minded the  bookkeepr  that  "  'I  don't  remem- 
ber', if  it  is  not  true,  is  just  as  much  perjury 
under  oath  as  an  outright  false  statement." 

Unable  to  gain  any  definite  answer  from 
Mr.  Leitsteen  on  where  a  list  of  the  bank- 
rupt's assets  as  of  May  29th  could  be  ob- 
tained from  the  records  introduced,  the  at- 
torneys swung  into  questioning  on  the  re- 
cent affairs  of  the  All-Continent  Corpora- 
tion, which,  according  to  previous  testi- 
mony, is  owned  by  Mrs.  Eva  Fox,  wife  of 
the  former  motion  picture  executive,  and 
their  daughters,  Mrs.  Mona  Tauszic  and 
Mrs.  Belle  Schwartz.  The  corporation  is 
listed  as  a  creditor. 

Libel  Suit  Proceeds 
To  Go  to  Charities 

Three  charities  will  receive  the  proceeds 
of  a  judgment  received  by  Gabriel  L.  Hess, 
counsel  for  the  Motion  Picture  Producers 
and  Distributors  of  America,  from  the 
Churchman  in  an  action  for  libel  against 
that  publication.  Mr.  Hess,  through  his  at- 
torney, announced  division  of  the  proceeds 
among  the  Will  Rogers  Memorial  Hospital, 
the  American  Red  Cross  and  the  Salvation 
Armj'. 


Rowe  Enters  Politics 

Roy  Rowe  of  the  Rowe  Amusement  Com- 
pany, Burgaw,  N.  C,  has  been  nominated 
for  state  senator  on  the  Democratic  ticket. 


July     II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


133 


THE  RELEASE  CHART 


Productions  are  listed  according  to  the  names  of  distributors  in  order  that  the  exhibitor  may  have  a  short-cut  towards  such 
information  as  he  may  need,  as  well  as  information  on  pictures  that  are  coming.  Features  now  in  work  or  completed  for  release 
later  than  the  date  of  this  issue  are  listed  under  "Coming  Attractions."  Running  times  are  those  supplied  by  the  companies. 
Asterisk  indicates  running  time  as  made  known  by  West  Coast  studio  before  announcement  by  home  office  in  New  York.  Varia- 
title  denotes  audience  classification  of  production:  (A)  Adult,  (G)  General.  Numerals  following  audience  classification  are  pro- 
tions  also  may  be  due  to  local  censorship  deletions.  Dates  are  1935,  unless  otherwise  specified.  Letter  in  parenthesis  after 
duction  numbers.   Dagger  symbol  indicates  picture  is  of  the  1935-36  season. 


ACADEMY  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

I   Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi   Duna   ..Jan.    24/36t  70. Jan.    25, 'Si 

Revolt  of  the  Zombies  Dorothy  Stone-Dean  Jagger  May   20.'36t...  .60. June  I3,'36 


Coming 


Inter-national  Crime   

Millions  for  Defense  

Murder  in  Chinatown.... 
Secret  of  Scotland  Yard. 
Slave  Ship   


AMBASSADOR-CONN     Ru„„infl  Ti„. 

Tit,»  star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Black  Geld   Frankie  Darro-Berton  Churchill.  .Jan.  20,'S6t  

Born  to  Fight  Frankie  Darro-Jack  La  Rue  Apr.  I3,'36t  

Phantom  of  Death  Valley  Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. .. May  I5,'36t  

Phantom  Patrol   Kermit  Maynard-Joan  Barclay  May  3,'36t  

Song  of  the  Trail  Kermit  Maynard-Evelyn  Brent.. .Feb.  24/36t  

Timber  War   Kermit  Maynard- Lucille  Lund... Nov.  20  

Wildcat  Trooper     Kermit  Maynard-H.  Bosworth  June  I0,*36t  

Coming 

Avenging  Angels   Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond  .  Aug.  20, '36  

China  Flight   Oct.  I, '36  

Racing  Blood   Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond..  .Aug.  I, '36  

Robin  Hood,  Jr  Sept.  1 5. '36  " 

Wild  Horse  Roundup   Kermit   Maynard   Aug.  8, '36  


BURROUGHS-TARZAN         Running  Time 
Title  Star  >  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Drag  Net,   The  Rod   LaRocque-Marian  Nixon  Apr.  I5,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  15/36.) 

Phantom  of  Santa  Fe,  The  Nina  Quartaro- Norman  Kerry..  .June  30,'36f  

(all  color) 

Coming 

Tundra   Del  Cambre  July  30,'36t  

White    Glove,    The  Aug.  l/36t  


CELEBRITY 

Star 

Coming 


Running  Tine 

Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


For  Love  of  You  Franco    Foresta   -    Riscoe  and 

Wayne   

Kiss  Me  Goodbye  (G)  Magda  Schneider  -  Riscoe  and 

Wayne   62  Dec.  14 


.60. 


CHESTERFIELD 


Running  Tint 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

August  Week-end   Valerie  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley, 

Jr  ..Apr.  25/38..  

Below  the  Deadline  Cecilia  Parker- Russell  Hepton  June  l,'36t  

Dark  Hour,  The  Ray  Walker-Irene  Ware  Jan.    I5,'36t  64  

Little  Red  Schoelhouse  Dickie  Moore-Junior  Coghlan. . . .  Mar.  2,'36t....66  

Ring  Around  the  Moon  (G)  Erin  O'Brien-Moore-Donald 

Cook   Dec.    I5t  64. Mar.  28, '36 

Coming 

Lady   Luck   Patricia  Farr-Wm.  Bakewell   July  6,'36  


COLUMBIA 

Title  Star  Rel.  D; 

And    So    They   Were  Married 

(G)    Mary  Astor-Melvyn    Douglas. ....  May 

Avenging  Waters   Ken   Maynard-Beth   Marlon  May 

Blackmailer   William  Gargan- Florence  Rice... July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  28,'36.) 
Calling  of  Dan  Matthew  (G). .Richard  Arlen-Charlotte  Wynters . .  Dec. 

Cattle  Thief,  The   Ken   Maynard-Geneva   Mitchell.  Feb. 

Counterfeit   Chester  Morrls-Margot  G  rename .  June 

(See  "Queer  Money."  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2,'36.) 
Crime  aid  Punishment  (A)  Peter  Lorre-Edward  Arnold  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63.) 

Dangerous  Intrigue   Ralph  Bellamy-Gloria  Shea  Jan. 

Devil's  Squadren   (G)  Richard  Dlx- Karen  Morley  May 


Running 
Minutes 


Time 
Reviewed 


8/36t 


I0t. 


20t.. 


 75. Apr.  18 

.'36 

56  

. .  .66  

65. Feb.  1 

,'36 

57  

 74  

 89  Nov. 

30 

Title  Star  Rel. 

Don't  Gamble  with  Love  (G) . .  Bruce  Cabot-Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Escape  from  Devil's  Island  (G) .  Victor  Jory-Florence  Rice  Nov. 

Final  Hour,  The  M.  Churchill-Ralph  Bellamy  July 

Fugitive  Sheriff,  The  Ken  Maynard-Beth  Marion  June 

Gallant   Denfender   Charles  Starrett-Joan  Perry  Nov. 

Hell  Ship  Morgan  (G)  George  Bancroft-Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Heroes  of  the  Range  Ken   Maynard-June   Gale  Mar. 

If  You  Could  Only  Cook  Jean  Arthur- Herbert  Marshall. ..  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64.) 

King  Steps  Out,  The  (G)  Grace   Moore-Franchot  Tone  May 

Lady   of  Secrets  Ruth  Chatterton-Otto  Kruger  Jan. 

Lawless  Riders  (G)  Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell. ..  Dec. 

Lone  Wolf  Returns,  The  (GK.Melvyn   Douglas-Gail  Patrick  Dec. 

Mine  With  the  Iron  Door.  The 

(G)   Richard  Arlen-Cecilia  Parker. ...  May 

Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town  (Gh.Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  Apr. 

(Exploitation:    May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  6/36,  p.  120;  June  20, 
June  27/36,  p.  80.) 
Music  Goes  'Round,  The  (G).Rochelle  Hudson-Harry  Richman. . Feb. 
(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  95;  Mar.  21/36,  p.  96;  Mar.  28/36, 
May  2/36,  p.  94;  May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  June  6/ 

Mysterious  Avenger   Charles  Starrett-Joan   Perry  Jan. 

One  Way  Ticket  Lloyd  Nolan-Peggy  Conklin  Nov. 

Panic  on  the  Air  (G)  Lew  Ayres- Florence  Rice  Apr. 

Pride  of  the  Marines  Charles  Bickford- Florence  Rice. ..Apr. 

Roaming  Lady   Fay  Wray-Ralph   Bellamy  Apr. 

(See  "In  tlie  Cutting  Room,"  April  4/36.) 

Secret  Patrol  Charles  Starrett-Finis  Barton. ...  May 

Stampede   Charles  Starrett-Finis  Barton. ...  June 

Too  Tough  to  Kill  Victor  Jory-Sally  O'Neill  Nov. 

Trapped  by  Television  Lyle  Talbot-Mary  Astor  June 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23/36.) 

Western  Courage   Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell.  .. Nev. 

You  May  Be  Next  (G)  Ann  Sothern-Lloyd  Nolan  Feb. 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 
l5/36t....63.Mar.  14/38 

I0t  65....  Dee.  14 

7,'36t  

l/36t....58  

30t  57  

8/36t....65.Mar.  21/38 

28/36t....5l  

30t  72  

28/36t....86.May  23/36 

25/36t....73  

28t  57.  May  2/36 

Sit  69. Feb.  15/36 

6,'36t. ..  .66. Apr.  25/36 
l2/36t...H8.Apr.  25/36 
'36,  pp.   118,   120.  122; 

27,'36t....88.Feb.  29/36 
p.  84;  Apr.  18/36.  p.  78; 
36,  p.  123.) 

I7.'36t  55  

25t  72  

10/361. ...56. May  2,'SI 

2/36t  66  

!2/36t....69  


20/36t  60. 

8/36t  56. 

23t  58. 

I5,'36t  64.. 


I5t.... 
6/36t. 


.58  

.67. Mar.  28/36 


Coming 

Adventure  in  Manhattan  Jean  Arthur-Joel  McCrea   

Continental   Dolores  Del  Rio-Melvyn  Douglas   

Craig's  Wife   John   Boles-Rosalind  Russell  

Fighter,  The   James  Dunn-June  Clayworth  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Find  the  Witness  Marguerite  Churchill   

I  Promise  to  Pay  Leo  Carrillo-Marian  Marsh- 

Geo.  Bancroft   

Lost  Horizon   Ronald  Colman-Jane  Wyatt- 

Edward  Everett  Horton  

Man  Who  Lived  Twice,  The...  Isabel  Jewell-Ralph  Bellamy  

Meet  Nero  Wolfe   Edward  Arnold-Joan  Perry  Aug.     I ,'36t ...  .72 . 

(See  "Fer  de  Lance,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 

Nightingale  Flies  Home,  The.. Grace  Moore   

Pennies  from  Heaven  Bing  Crosby- Edith  Fellows  

Road  to  Nowhere,  The  Jack  Holt-Louise  Henry  

Shakedown    Lew  Ayres-Joan  Perry  July  I7,'36t  

Theodora   Goes   Wild  .....Irene  Dunne   

There  Goes  the  Bride  Chester   Morris-Fay  Wray  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 


Title 


COMMODORE 

Star 


Aces  Wild  Harry  Carey   

Ghost  Town    Harry  Carey   Feb. 

Pecos  Kid,  The  Fred  Kohler,  Jr  Feb. 

Ridin'  Through   Tom  Tyler   Nov. 

Shadow  of  Silk  Lennox  Lon  Chaney,  Jr  Nov. 

Toll  of  the  Desert  (G)  Fred  Kohler.  Jr. -Betty  Mack  Nov. 

Wolf   Riders   Jack  Pen-in   Dec. 

Coming 

Scream  in  the   Dark  Lon  Chaney,  Jr  


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

..Jan.     2,'36t..  ..6  rls  

I5,'38t  6  rls  

I5,'36t. ..  .6  rls  

26t  6  rls  

It  6  rls  

It  60.... Oct.  28 

26t  6  rls  


.6  rls. 


Title 


DANUBIA 

(Hungarian  Dialogue) 
Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Empress  and  a  Soldier  Gozon-Dajbukat   Dee.      It  77. 

Keep  Smiling   Szoeke  Szakall   Feb.  2l/36t. . .  .77. 

New  Squire,   The  Paul  Javor   Mar.  IS.'SUt ...  1 06. 

Queen  of  Roses  Zlta  Pertzel   Nov.    lot  98. 

Sweet  Stepmother   Maria  Tasnedi   Nov.    22 1  98. 


l/36t....80.May  16/36 


Coming 

Be  Good  Unto  Death  Lacrl  Deveny   


Sept.  10/36. 


134 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


9  3  6 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART—CCNT'D) 


DU  WORLD 

Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Frasquita    (6)   Franz  Lebar 


Coming 


Seacdal  In  Budapest. 


Coming 

Aeaak   Mantel  Chantel   

Klleo,  the  Killer   Technicolor   

L'EsHlpBage  » . Aanabella   

Nobody's  Bey   Robert  Lynen   


Opera  ef  Paris  Geernes  Thill 


l7/3«t.. 

..87.  Feb.  t.'S6 

I5t  

Oct. 

I.'36... 

.60  June  1 

I.'36  , 

EMPIRE  Running  Time 

Titl«  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Crime  Patrel   Ray    Walker-Geneva  Mitchell   

Fire  Trap  (fl)  Evalyn  Knapp-Norraan  Foster..  *63  Dee.  7 

Shadows  ef  the  Orient  (G)  Regis  Toemey-Esther  Ralston  *65.Feb.   1 5/36 


FIRST  NATIONAL 


Running  Time 

Title                                    Star                                   Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Brides  Are  Like  That  (G)  972.  Ross  Alexander-Anita  Louise  Apr.  I8.'36t. .  . .67. Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  June  20, '36.  p.  117.) 

Broadway  Hostess  (G)  963  Winifred  Shaw-Lyle  Talbot  Dec.     7t  69  Nev.  23 

Bullets  or  Ballots  (G)  S6I  Edw.  G.  Robinson-Joan  Blondell. .  June     6,'S6f  81.  May  23/36 

(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.  123;  June  27/36,  p.  86.) 
Captain  Blood  (G)  855  Enrol  Flynn-Olivla  De  Havlllaad.  .Dec.    28t  119.  Jan.  11/36 

(Explanation:  Jan.  25/33,  p.  69;  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83,  86;  Feb.  29/36,  pp. 

74,  76:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Ceiling  Zero  (G)  953  James  Casney-Pat  O'Brien  Jan.   25/36t  95  Dec.  28 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  62;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  29/  36,  p.  73:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99: 

Apr.  18/36,  pp.  81,  82;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  23/36,  p.  88.) 
Golden  Arrow,  The  (G)  959...Bette  Davis-George  Brent  May   23/36t  68. May  9/36 

(Exploitation:    May  16/36,  p.  85;  July  4/36,  p.  72.) 

Hearts  Divided  955  (Q)  Marion   Davies-Dick   Pewell  June  20/36t  70. June  13/36 

I  Found  Stella  Parish  (A)  958  Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter  Nov.    I6t  '..84  Nov.  2 

Law  in  Her  Hands,  The  (G) 

973   Margaret  Lindsay- Warren  Hull. .May  I6,'36t. . . .58. Apr.  18/36 

Man  of  Iron  (G)  S69  Barton  MaeLane-Mary  Aster  Dec.    2lt.  61. ...Nev.  16 

Murder  by  an  Aristocrat  (G) 

974   Marguerite  Churcbill-L.  Talbot.. June   I8,'36t  60. Apr.  4/36 

Murder  ef  Dr.   Harrlgan,  Tbe 

(G)  970   Kay  Linaker-Ricardo  Cortez  Jan.    Il/36t  67. Feb.  1/36 

Payoff,  The  (G)  968  James  Dunn-Claire  Dodd  Nov.     9f  64  Nov.  30 

Read  Gang  (A)  964  Donald  Woods-Kay   Llnaker  Mar.  28/S»t  62. Fob.  29/36 

(Exploitation:    Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,   p.   121;  June  27/36,  p.  88;  July  4/36, 
p.  68.) 

Singing  Kid,  The  (G)  954  Al  Jolson-Beverly  Roberts  Apr.  tl/36t.  ..84. Mar.  21/36 

(Exploitation:  May  2/36,  p.  99.) 

Snowed  Under  (G)  971  George   Brent-Genevieve  Tobln ...Apr.     4/36r  63. Mar.  21/36 

Song  of  the  Saddle  (G)  978..  Dick   Foran-Alma  Lloyd             ..Feb.  29/36t.  ..56. Apr.  11/36 

Story  of  Louis  Pasteur,  The  (G) 

956   Paul  Muni-Josephine  Hutchinson.  .Feb.  22/36t  87  Nev.  30 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  96;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  25/36. 
p.  96;  May  2/36,  p.  92;  May  9/36,   p.  94;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36,   p.  85; 
July  4/36,  p.  68.) 
Two  Against  the  World  (G)  977.  Humphrey  Bogart-Beverly  Rob- 
erts  July  ll/36t....57.May  23/36 

V/hite,  Angel,  The  960  (G)...Kay   Francis-Ian   Hunter  July     4/36t  91. June  6/36 

Coming 

Case  of  the  Caretaker's  Cat. . .  Ricardo  Cortez-June  Travis  

Case  of  the  Velvet  Claws,  Tbe 

(G)  965   Warren  William-Claire   Dodd.  .  .  .Aug.    I5,'36t  63. May  23/36 

China  Clipper  960   Pat   O'Brien-Beverly    Roberts  Aug.  22/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Earthworm  Tractors  (G)  962. ..Joe  E.  Brown-June  Travis  July    I8,'36t. . -*68. June  20/36 

God's  Country  and  the  Woman.  George  Brent-Beverly  Roberts  

Let's  Pretend   James  Melton-Patricia  Ellis  

Love    Begins   at   Twenty  (G) 

962   Warren  Hull-Patricia  Ellis  Aug.  22/36  72. May  30/36 

Mountain  Justice   Bette  Davis   

Nowhere   Ross  Alexander- Beverly  Roberts  

Polo  Joe   Joe  E.  Brown-Carol  Hughes  

(See  "In  The  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Shrinking   Violet   June  Travis-Richard  Purcell  

Slight  Case  of  Murder,  A  Edward  G.  Robinson  

Stage  Struck   Joan  Blondell-Dick  Powell  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  6/36.) 


FRANK  NORTON 


(Greek  Dialogue — English  Titles)     Running  Time 

Star                                Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
25t  115  


Title 

Aute  in  Zoe  Reta  Karmen   Nov. 

Blue  Candles   Reta  Myrat   Dec. 

Crucified  Love   Helen  Pades   Dee. 

Depression   Is  Over  Beatrice  Emanuel   Jan. 

Independence   Phillip  Alexander   Feb. 

Makrea  Anton  Kosmo  Athena  Olympia   Nov. 

News  from  Greece  Travelogue   Feb. 

Voskopeula   Sophea  Damoglou   Jan. 


25t  95. 

I5t  115. 

l5/36t....9S. 
I6.'36t..  .100. 
I8t  75. 

9/SSt  80. 

5/S6t....95. 


GB  PICTURES 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

First  a  Girl  (A)  3512  Jessie  Matthews-Sonnie  Hale  Dec.    31 1  78  Nov.  30 

It's  Love  Again  (G)  Jessie  Matthews- Robert  Young   .  .May    30/36t . .  .  .79.  May  16/36 

King  of  the  Damned  (A)  3504.  Conrad  Veidt-Helen  Vinson  Jan.    I5,'36t  75. Jan.  25/36 

Mister  Hobo  (G)   3416  George  Arliss-Gene  Gerrard  Nov.    22  80.  .. Oct.  10 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "The  Guv'nor.")   (Exploitation:  Jan.   18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36, 

p.  84;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  83.) 
Passing  of  the  Third  Floor 

Back,  The  (G)  3510  Conrad  Veidt-Rene  Ray  Dec.    15t  80  Oct.  10 

Rhodes,  the  Diamond  Master 
(G)  3514   Walter    Huston   Apr.    I5,'36t. .  .  .88. Mar.  7/36 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  72.) 

Secret  Agent  (A)  3515  Madeleine  Carroll-Peter  Lorre  June    I5,'36t . .  .  .83.  May  23/36 

Transatlantic  Tunnel  (G)  3513.  Richard   Dix-Madge  Evans  Oct.    27t  94  Nov.  9 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  64.) 

Coming 

Doomed  Cargo   Edmund    Lowe-Constance  Cum- 

mings   Aug.    I5,'36t. .  .  .70  

East  Meets  West  George  Arliss   

Everything  Is  Thunder  C.   Bennett-D.  Montgomery  

His  Majesty's  Pyjamas  (A) 

3623   Clive  Brook-Helen  Vinson-Mary 

Carlisle   78.  May  30/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Love  in  Exile.") 

King  Solomon's  Mines  3618....  Roland  Young-Paul  Robeson  

Man  Who  Lived  Again  3507...  Boris   Karloff-Anna  Lee  

Nine  Days  a  Queen  (G)  3610..  Nova  Pilbeam-Cedric  Hardwicke  .  .Sept.    I,'36t  80. May  18/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Lady  Jane  Gray.")  (See  production  article,  June  20/36,  p.  10.) 

Paris   Love  Song  Jessie  Matthews   

Soldiers  Three   Victor  McLaglen   

Strangers  on  a  Honeymoon  Constance  Cummings-Hugh  Sin- 
clair-Noah Beery   

GEORGE  HIRLIMAN  ENTERPRISES 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  pate       Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Bristol,  the  Blunderer  George  O'Brien   Nov.  (,'36  

Captain   Calamity   George  Houston-Marion  Nixon. ..  .Aug.    15, '36  66  

Daniel    Boone   George    O'Brien  Sept.     I, '36  

Davil  on   Horseback,  The  I_ 1 1 ■  Damita   

Gorgeous  

Pending  Justice   Conrad  Nagel  -  Eleanor  Hunt..  

Rest  Cure  (G)  Reginald   Denny-Esther  Ralston  ..  Oct.    15/36  64.  Feb.  15/36 

Romance  en  the  Rio  

Yellow   Cargo   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  Sept.  15, '36  65  

GRAND  NATIONAL  DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

(Release  First  Division  Productions  and  in  certain  territories  Alliance,  Diversion, 
Normandy,  Associated  Talking,  Monogram,  Liberty,  Chesterfield  and  Invincible  Pictures.) 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

August  Week-end   Valerie  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley, 

Jr  ..Apr.  IO/36t....67  

Below  the   Deadline  Cecilia  Parker- Russell   Hopton. . .  June  8,'36t....69  

Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens- Dorothy   Tree.. ..Mar.  5,'36t....66  

Brilliant  Marriage   Joan  Marsh-Ray  Walker  ..Mar.  25/36t. .  .  .62'/2 

Dance  Band  (G)  Buddy  Rogers-June  Clyde  ..Nov.    I5t  65.. 

Dark  Hour,  The  Irene  Ware-Ray  Walker  Jan.    I5,'36f . .  .  .70'/2 


False  Pretenses  (G)  Sidney  Blackmer-lrene  Ware  Oct.  22t  

Feud  of  the  West  Hoot  Gibson-Joan   Barclay  Apr.  I5,'36t. 

Hitch-Hike  to  Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman-Anita  Page...  Dec.  It.... 


.6l'/2 
.63. . 


.  .June 

15 

.  .June 

1 

..Nov. 

23 

.Steffi   Duna   Feb.     I,'36t. .    .67.  Jan.  25/36 

.65  


I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G) . 

Lady  in  Scarlet,  The  Reginald   Denny-Patricia   Farr.  ..Nov.  20f. 

Lady  Luck   Patricia  Farr — Wm.  Bakewell. .  . .  July  3,'36t  

Law  of  45's  Big  Boy  William-Molly  O'Day.  ..Dec.    I   t  ..56  

Little  Red  School  House  Junior  Coghian-Dickie   Moore. ...  Mar.   1 0.'36t . .  ..59  

Living   Dead,  The  Gerald  Du  Maurier-Geo.  Curzon  . .  Feb.    29,'36t . .  .  .65  

Lucky  Terror,  The  Hoot  Gibson   Feb.  20/36t....6l  

Murder  at  Glen  Athol  John  Miljan-lrene  Ware  Nov.      It  69. May  9/36 

Old  Curiosity  Shop  (G)  Elaine  Benson-Ben  Webster  Dec.    25t  89. ...Feb.  2 

Red  Wagon   Charlies  Bickford- Raquel  Torres. .Dec.      8\  76  

Riding  Avenger   Hoot  Gibson   June    15/361..  . . 57  

Ring  Around  the  Moon  Erin   O'Brien  -  Moore  -  Donald 

Cook   Jan.  23,'36t. .  .  .69'  2Mar.28,'36 

She-Devil  Island   C.   Guerrero-J.  J.  Martinez 

Casado   ...June  l/36t....63  

Southern  Maid   Bebe  Daniels-Clifford  Mollison .  . .  May     I ,'36t -  -  .60  

Spy  77  (G)  Greta    Nissen-Don    Alvarado  Jan.  I5,'36t. .  .  .77.  Feb.  29/36 

Swifty   Hoot  Gibson-June  Gale  Dec.    I5f  60  

Tango   Marian    Nixon-Chick   Chandler.  .  .Jan.  IO/36t....70  

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)  Chick  Chandler-Evalyn  Knapp....May    20,'36t  75. July  4/36 

Too  Much  Beef  Rex  Bell-Connie  Bergen  Apr.   20,'36t . .  . . 59  

West  of  Nevada  Rex   Bell   June  22,'36t...,59  

HOFFBERG 


Running  Time 


Title 


Star 


Rel. 

Date 

Minutes  Reviewed 

July 

1/36 

 63  

Nov. 

Jan. 

2/36t 

June 

15/36 

 80  

June 

1/36 

'.  ..62  

Coming 

Monday  at  Ten  Virginia   Cherrill-Gary    Marsh  60  

Girl  from  Maxim's  Leslie   Henson- Frances   Day  July    1 5, '36  65. Oct.  14/36 

Voice  of  India  Hoeffer  Expedition   Aug.     I, '36  70  

Womanhood   Eve  Gray-Esmond  Knight  60  


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


135 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


HUNGARIA 


(Hungarian  Dialogue)  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Addressee  Unknown   Irene  Agai   Nov.    20t  85  

Heart  Specialist   B.  Somegyl   Dec. 

I  Cannot  Live  Without  Music.  Gyula  Csortos   Dec. 

One  Night  In  Venice  Gyula  Csortos   Jan. 

Three  Men  Under  the  Snow...Jeno  Torzs   Nov. 


30t  90.. 

20t  95. . 

l/36t....85.. 
201  85.. 


IMPERIAL 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewer! 

Mad  Parade   Irene  Rich-Evelyn  Brent  ..May   IS,'36  71  

Manhattan  Butterfly   Dorothy  Grainger-Wm.  Bakewell . .  Nov.    25t  71  

Soviet  Russia  Thru  the  Eyes  of 
an  American  (G)  Norman    Brokenshire   Oct.      It  72  Oct.  26 


Coming 


High   Hat   Frank   Luther- Dorothy   Dare  Sept.    I, '36.. 

Rich  Relations   Ralph  Forbes- Frances  Grant  Oet.  I5,'36.. 

Second  Choice   Betty  Burgess-Lloyd  Hughes  Nov.  I,'36t. 


.68. 


INVINCIBLE 

(Distributed  through  Chesterfield) 


Title  Star 

Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens- Dorothy  Tree .....  Feb. 

Brilliant  Marriage   Joan  Marsh-Ray  Walker  Mar. 

Easy  Money   Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker  June 

Hlteb-Hike  to  Heaven  Henrietta  Cresman-Anita  Page...  Dec. 

Murder  at  Glen  Athal  (A). ...John  Miljan-lrene  Ware  Oct. 

(Reviewed  and  released  In  New  York  territory  under  the  title,  "The  Criminal  Within. 

Tango   Marian  Nixon-Chick  Chandler.  . .Jan.     l/36t  66  

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)  Chick   Chandler- Evalyn    Knapp  ..  May     2.'36t  75. July     4, '36 

Coming 

Murder  Will  Out  Aug.     I, '36  


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

I5.'36t....64  

25,'8§t  

IO,'36t....66'/2  

It  

1  68.  May  9/36 

) 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Three  Live  Ghosts  (G)  618  Richard  Arlen-Cecilia  Parker  Jan.  I0.'36t . ..  .62.  Jan.  4,'M 

Three  Wise  Guys  (G)  853  Robert  Young-Betty  Furness  May  I5,'36t  75. May  16/JS 

Tough  Guy  (G)  620  Jackie  Cooper-Joseph  Callola  Jan.  24,'S6t  77.  Feb.  I/M 

Trouble  for  Two  (G)  646  Robert  Montgomery- R.  Russell. .  .May  29/36t  75. May  80, '88 

Unguarded  Hour,  The  (G)  55I.Loretta  Yeung-Franchot  Tone.. ..Apr.  3,'S6t. .. .88. Apr.  4/86 
Voice  of  Bugle  Ann,  The  (G) 

630   Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sullivan. .  Feb.     7,'36t . . . . 72 .  Fob.  IB/3* 

We  Went  to  College  (G)  626. .Walter  Abel-Edith  Atwater  June   I9/S6t . .    69. June  27, '36 

Whipsaw  (G)  513  Myrna  Loy-Spencer  Tracy  Dec.  ISt  82  Dec.  14 

Wife  vs.  Secretary  (G)  606  Clark  Gable-Myrna  Ley-Jean 

Harlow   Feb.  28/36t . . .  89. Feb.  22/86 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18, '36,  p.  77;  July  4,'36,  p.  69.) 

Coming 

Devil  Is  a  Sissy,  The  Freddie  Bartholomew-Jackie 

Cooper   

Good  Earth,  The  Paul  Muni-Luise  Rainer  

Gorgeous  Hussy,  The  Joan  Crawford -Robert  Taylor- 

Mclvyn   Douglas-Jas.  Stewart.  .Aug.  21  .'38  

Great  Ziegfeld,  The  (8)  William    Powell  -  Myrna    Ley  - 

Luise   Rainer   188. Apr.  4/88 

(Pictorial:    Jan.  25. '36.  p.  16;   exploitation:    Apr.  18, '36,  p.  76;  June  27,'SS,  p.  82.) 

His  Brother's  Wife  Robt.  Taylor-Barbara  Stanwyck... Aug.  I4,'S8  

Kelly  the  Second  Patsy   Kelly-Pert  Kelton  

Mister  Cinderella   Jack  Haley-Betty  Furness  

Neighborhood   House   (G)  Charley  Chase-Rosina  Lawrence  58. May  8/88 

Old  Hutch   Wallace    Beery-Cecilia   Parker.. .Aug.  7/86  

Our   Relations   Laurel  and  Hardy  

^icadilly  Jim   Robt.  Montgomery-Madge  Evans.. July  31/86  

Romeo  and  Juliet  Norma  Shearer-Leslie  Howard- 
John  Barrymore   124  

(See  production  article,  Mar.  28/36,  p.  16.) 

Suzy  518   Jean  Harlow- Franchot  Tone  July    1 7,'36t .... 98  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  13/36.) 

Sworn  Enemy   Robert  Young-Florence  Rico  

Tarzan  Escapes   Johnny  Weismuller-Maureen 

O'Sullivan   

Women  Are  Trouble  (G)  Stuart    Erwin-Florence    Rico   60. June  20/36 


MASCOT 

Title  Star 

Confidential  (G>   Donald  Cook-Evalyn  Knapp  

Doughnuts  and  Society  Louise  Fazenda-Maude  Eburne.. 

Waterfront  Lady  (Q)  Ann  Rutherford-Frank  Albertson. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Oct.     16  ....65.... Oct.  26 

Mar.  27. 'S6t.... 63  

Oet.      5  68  Oct.  26 


MITCHELL  LEICHTER-BEAUMONT 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Desert  Guns   Conway  Tearle   Jan.     2/S6t  65  

Judgment  Book   Conway  Tearle   Sept.  I6t  67  

Riddle  Ranch    Black  King   Dee.    I6t  56  


METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Absolute  Quiet  (G)  609  Irene  Hervey-Lionel  Atwill  Apr.  24/36t  71. Apr.  11/36 

Ah,  Wlldernessl  (G)  628  Wallace  Beery- Lionel  Barrymore  .  .Nov.    29t  98  Nov.  23 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  82,  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  98.) 

Bohemian  Girl,  The  (G)  521. .Laurel  and  Hardy  Feb.    I4/S6t.  ..72. Mar.  7/36 

Devil  Doll,  The  631  Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sullivan  .  .July    I0.'36f  79  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  6/36.) 
Exclusive  Story  (6)  621  Franchot  Tone-Madge  Evans..  ..Jan.    I7/S6t  73. Jan.  18/38 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  82;  Apr.  11/36.  p.  95;  May  30/36,  p.  90.) 
Fury  (G)   610  Sylvia  Sidney-Spencer   Tracy. .. .June    5,'36t  94. May  38/38 

(Exploitation:   June  20/36,  p.  117;  June  27/36,  pp.  80,  81.) 
Garden  Murder  Case,  The  (Q) 

622   Edmund   Lowe- Virginia   Bruce.. .Feb.  2l/36t  62. Feb.  8/36 

I  Live  My  Life  (G)  512  Joan  Crawford -Brian  Aherne..  ..Oct.     4t  98  Oot.  5 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83.) 

It's  In  the  Air  (G)  616   Jack    Benny-Una    Merkel  Oot.    lit  80  Nov.  16 

Kind  Lady  (G)  619  Aline  MacMahon-B.   Rathbone. . .  Dec.     8t  78  Dec.  7 

Last  of  the  Pagans  (G)  617. .  .Mala-Lotus   Long   Deo.    20f  84  Dec.  14 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  95.) 

Moonlight  Murder  (G)   624 ...  Chester  Morris-Madge   Evans. ...  Mar.  27/36t  68. Mar.  28/36 

Mutiny  en  the  Bounty  (Q)  536Clark  Gable-Charles  Laughton- 

Franchot  Tone   Nov.     8t  133  Nov.  9 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  80;  Jan.  25/36.  p.  68;  Feb.  1/36,  p.  65;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  82; 
Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  98;  June  27/36,  p.  81.) 
Night  at  the  Opera,  A  (G)  644  Marx    Brothers   Nov.    ISt  96  Oet.  26 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  80,  82;  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  94,  100;  Feb.  29/36,  p.  74;  Mar 

7/36,  p.  100;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88.) 
Perfect  Gentleman,  The  (G) 

615   Frank  Morgan-C.  Courtneidge  Nov.    22t  73  Dee.  28 

Petticoat  Fever  (G)  645  Rob't  Montgomery-Myrna  Loy  Mar.  20/38t  81. Mar.  21/36 

(Exploitation:   Apr.  18/36,  p.  79;  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  13/36;  p.  122.) 

Rendezvous  (G)  529  Wm.  Powell- Rosalind  Russell  Oct.    25t  96  Nov.  9 

Riffraff  (G)  517  Jean  Harlow-Spencer  Tracy  Jan.     3/36t  90.. ..Dec.  28 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36.  pp.  84,  89.) 
Robin  Hood  of  El  Dorado,  The 
608   Warner  Baxter-Ann  Lorlng  Apr.   I7,'36t  86  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  7/36.)   (Exploitation:    May  30/36,  p.  85.) 
Rose  Marie  (G)  643  J.  MacDonald-Nelson  Eddy  Jan.    3I/S6t . . .  1 13.  Jan.  18/36 

(See  musical  analysis.  Feb.  22/36,  p.  23;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  14/36. 
p.  87;  Mar.  21/36,  p.  92:  Apr.  4/36.  p.  89;  Apr.  11/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  78: 
May  9/36.  p.  90:  May  30/36.  p.  86.) 

San  Francisco  (G)  636  Clark  Gable  -  J.  MacDonald  • 

Spencer  Tracy-Jack   Holt  June  26/361. ..  f  1 1  .July  4/36 

Small  Town  Girl  (G)  607  Janet  Gaynor- Robert  Taylor  Apr.    I0,'36t . . .  106.  Apr.  11/36 

(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.  122:  June  27/36.  p.  80.) 

Speed  652  (G)  Wendy  Barrle-James  Stewart  May     8,'S6t  72. May  2/36 

Tale  of  Two  Cities,  A  (G)  604.  Ronald  Colman-Elizabeth  Allan  .  Dec.    27t  126  Dec.  7 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83:  Mar.  14/38,  p.  86;  May  2/36,  p.  94.) 
Three  Godfathers  (G)  623  Chester  Morris-Irene  Hervey  Mar.    6/36t..     ..82.  Feb.  22/86 


Coming 

Devil's  Gold   Conway  Tearle   

Hell's  Hacienda   Conway  Tearle   

Senior  Jim   Conway  Tearle-Barbara  Bedford. 

Three  Fingers   Conway  Tearle   

Whistling  Skull   Conway  Tearle   


PARAMOUNT  Running  Time 

Title                                    Star                                   Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

And  Sudden  Death  (6)  Randolph  Scott-Frances  Drake. ..Juno   18/861  68. June  IS/86 

Anything  Goes  (Q)  3533  Bing  Crosby-Ethel  Merman  Jan.    24/Stt  92. Feb.  22/86 

Arizona  Raiders,  The  Buster  Crabbe- Marsha  Hunt  Jane  28/S6t....57  

Bar  20  Rides  Again  (G)  3525. Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  Deo.    ISt  83  Dae.  7 

Big  Brown  Eyes  (G)  3548  Joan  Bennett-Cary  Grant  Apr.     3/36t  76. Apr.  11/88 

Border  Flight  (G)   3558  John  Howard-Frances  Farmer  May   29/S6t  59. Apr.  28/16 

Bride  Conies  Home,  The  (G) 
3530   Claudette  Colbert-F.  Mac  Murray. .  Jan.     3/361  83  Nov.  28 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36.  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36.  p.  98;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92.) 

Call  of  the  Prairie  (G)  3541. .Wm.   Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  Mar.  6/361. ..  .67.  Fob.  I/S6 

Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames,  The 

(A)  3555   Madeleine  Carroll-George  Brent.  .  May  8/861 ...  *85.  May  9/86 

(Exploitation:    June  6/36.   p.   121;  July  4/36,   p.  69.) 
Collegiate  (Q)  S529  Joe  Penner-Jack  Oakie  Dec.    27t  81  Deo.  24 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36.  p.  83:  Ffb.  22/36.  p.  94;  Mar.  14/36.  p.  89; 
Apr.  11/36,  p.  92;  May  16/36,  p.  82.) 

Coronado  3524   Betty  Burgess-Johnny   Downs  Nov.    29t  76  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Oct.  19.)    (Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66.) 
Crusades,  The  (G)  3508  Loretta  Young-Henry  Wileoxon. .  .Oot.    25t  125  All-  16 

(Pictorial:  June  29/35,  p.  47;  exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  80,  85;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  97.) 

Desert  Gold  3546  Larry  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  Mar.  27,'36t  58  

Desire  (A)  3539  Marlene  Dietrich-Gary  Cooper  Feb.  28,'86t. ..  .95. Feb.  8/36 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

Drift  Fence  (G)  3536  Larry  Crabbe- Kath.  Do  Ml  lie  Feb.    I4,'36t  56.  May  30/36 

Eagle's  Brood,  The  (G)  3517.. Wm.   Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  Oot.    25t  60  Oct.  12 

Early  to  Bed  3560  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland  Juno     5,'36t  73  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 

Fatal  Lady  (G)  3552  Mary  Ellis-Walter  Pidgeon  May    I5,'36t  76. May  23/36 

Florida  Speolal   (G)  3554  Jaok  Oakle-Sally  Ellers  May     l,'36t  67. Apr.  25/36 

F  Man  (G)  3544  Jack  Haley-Adrlenne  Marden  Mar.  13/361  72. May  16/86 

Forgotten  Faces  (G)  3556  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael. ...  May  I5,'36t . . .  .72.  May  2/36 

Girls  of  the  Ozarks,  The  (G) 

3561   Virginia  Weidler-G.   Erlckson.. .  June   l2.'3Gt  68. June  6/36 

Give  Us  This  Night  (G)  3542.  .Jan  Kiepura-Gladys  Swarthout.. .  Mar.  6,'36t..  .73. Mar.  7/36 

(See  musical  analysis.  Mar.  14/36,  p.  18.) 
Hands   Across   the  Table  (A) 
3515   C.  Lombard-Fred  MacMurray  Oct.     I8t  80  Oet.  It 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66.) 

Heart  of  the  Wost  3567  Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  July  IO/36t  

Her  Master's  Voico  (G)  3531.. Edw.  E.   Horton-P.  Conklln  Jan.    I7,'36t  76. Feb.  22/36 

It's  a  Great  Life  3528  Joe  Morrison-Rosalind  Keith  Dec.    20t  63  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 


36 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


July    II,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAkQT--CCNT*E) 


lit  72. ...Nov.  30 


I0,'36t.. 
28t  

5/36t . . 

8t  


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Klondike  Annie  (A)  3538  Mae  West-Victor  McLaglen  Feb.  2l,'36t  81. Feb.  15/36 

(See  news  article.  Mar.  7. '36.  p.  19;  exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  1/36,  p.  92; 
June  20/36,  p.  118.) 

Mary  Burns,  Fugitive  (G)  3521. Sylvia  Sidney-Melvyn  Douglas. ..  Nov.    I5t  84  Nov.  10 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  86:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  84.) 
Milky  Way.  The  (G)  3535  Harold  Lloyd-Adolphe  Menjou  Feb.     7/36t . ..  .88.  Feb.  1/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  pp.  93,  95;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  82.  87;  May  2/36,  p.  99;  May  23/36. 
p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  116;  June  27/36,  pp.  82,  85.) 
Millions  in  the  Air  (G)  3526.. John  Howard-Wendy  Barrie  Dee. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83.) 
Moon's  Our  Home,  The(G)3549. Margaret  Sullavan-Henry  Fonda.  .Apr. 

Nevada  (G)  3523  Larry  Crabbe- Kathleen  Burke  Nov. 

Palm  Springs  (G)  3559  Frances  Langford-Smith  Ballew.  .June 

Peter  Ibbetson  (G)  3518  Gary  Cooper-Ann  Harding  Nov. 

Poppy   (G)    3562  W.  C.  Fields-Rochelle  Hudson  ..June    19/38  73. June  13/36 

Preview   Murder  Mystery  (G) 

3540   Gail  Patrick- Reginald   Denny  Feb.  28/36t  65.  Feb.  15/36 

Princess  Comes  Across,  The  (G) 

3557   C.  Lombard-Fred  MacMurray. .. .  May  22/36t. 

Return  of  Sophie  Lang,  The 

(G)  3566   Gertrude  Michael-Ray  Milland. .  July 

Rose  of  the  Rancho  (G)  3516.  John  Boles-Gladys  Swarthout. . . . .  Jan. 

(See  musical  analysis,  Jan.  11/36,  p.  45;  exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  84:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83.) 

Scrooge   (G)  3527  Seymour  Hicks-Donald  Calthrop. .  Dec.    20t  73  Dee.  21 

Ship  Cafe  (G)  3520  Carl  Brisson-Arllne  Judge  Nov.     It  66.... Nov.  2 

Sky  Parade  3550  Jimmy  Allen-Katharine  DeMille. .  Apr.   I7.'36t. ..  .70. Apr.  4/36 

Soak  the  Rich  (A)  3532  Mary  Taylor-Walter  Connolly. ..  Jan.    I7.'36t . . .  87.  Feb.  15/36 

So  Red  the  Rose  (G)  3522  Margaret  Sullavan-R.  Scott  Nov.    22t  83. ...Nov.  18 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  76.) 
13  Hours  by  Air  (G)  3547  Fred  MacMurray-Joan  Bennett.. .  Mar.  27/36t . .  .77.  Mar.  21/36 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Three  Cheers  for  Love  (G)  Eleanore  Whltney-Robt.  Cum- 

mings   J«lv 

Three  on  the  Trail  (G)  3553.  .William  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison. ..  .Apr. 

Till  We  Meet  Again  (G)  3551 .  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael  Apr. 

Timothy's  Quest  (G)  3534  Eleanore  Whitney-Dickie  Moore.  Jan. 


.83.  Apr.  11/36 
.59. ...Nov.  16 
.72. June  6/36 
.85  Nov.  9 


.76.  May  16/36 


3/36t...*68.June  20/36 
IO/36t. ..  .82. Jan.  11/36 
p.  84;  Feb.  8/36,  p. 


I0,'36t. 

.*63, 

July 

4/36 

24/36t . 

..  .67 

Apr. 

18/36 

I7.'36t. 

...72 

Apr. 

11/36 

3l/36t. 

. .  .65 

Jan. 

25/36 

20/36t. 

.. .74. 

Mar. 

14/36 

I3,'36t. 

. .  1 06 

Feb. 

29/36 

I,  P.  73: 

May  2/36, 

p.  98: 

.65. 
.52. 


. .  Nov.  2 
..Oct.  26 
8/36 


3l.'36t. 
3l,'36t. 


7.'36t. 


I7.'36t.. 

14/36. . 


24/36t. 


*78June   20' ,36 


Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine, 

The  (G)  3543  Henry  Fonda-Sylvia  Sidney  Mar 

(See  production  article,  Jan.  18/36,  p.  36;  exploitation:  Feb.  29/; 
May  23/36.  p.  86;  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  6/36,  p.   118;  June  13/36,  p.   122;  Juno 
20/36,  p.  122.) 

Two  Fisted   (G)  3513  Lee  Tracy-Grace  Bradley  Oct.  4t  

Wings  Over  Ethiopia  (G)  3518  October  Special 

Woman  Trap  (G)  3537  Gertrude  Michael-Geo.  Murphy. ..  Feb.   I4.'36t .. ■  .63. Feb 

Coming 

Big   Broadcast  of   1937,  The.. Jack  Benny-Burns  &  Allen  

General  Died  at  Dawn.  The. ..Gary  Cooper-Madeleine  Carroll  

Hollywood  Boulevard   John  Halllday-Robt.  Cummlngs  .  Aug.  14/36  

Johnny  Gets  His  Gun  Ralph  Bellamy- Katherine  Locke  

Lady  Be  Careful  Lew  Ayres-Mary  Carlisle  

My  American  Wife  Francis  Lederer-Ann  Sothern..  July 

Rhythm  on  the  Range  Bing   Crosby- Frances  Farmer. ..  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  July  4/36.) 
Son  Comes  Home,  A  Mary  Boland-Donald  Woods  Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  June  27/36.) 

Spendthrift  (G)   Henry  Fonda-Pat  Paterson  July 

Texas  Rangers.  The   Fred  MacMurray- Jean  Parker  Aug. 

Three  Married  Men  Lynne  Overman-Wm.  Frawley  

Valiant  Is  the  Word  for  Carrie. Gladys  George-Arline  Judge  

Wives  Never  Know  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland  

Yours  for  the  Asking  George    Raft  -  Dolores  Costello 

Barrymore   July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 

PRINCIPAL  Running  Time 

Tjt)e  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Front  Page  Madness  Richard  Bird-Nancy  Burns  Oct.    II  60  

Let's  Sing  Again  (G)  Bobby  Breen-Henry  Armetta  June   I2,'38t  68. Apr.  25/36 

PURITAN  Running  Time 

-r|tl6  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Border  Cabal lero   Tim  McCoy-Lois  January  Mar.  l/36t....59  

Bulldog  Courage   Tim  McCoy-Lois  January  Dec. 

I'll  Name  the  Murderer  Ralph  Forbes-Marion  Schilling. .  Jan. 

Llghtnin'  Bill  Carson  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  Apr. 

Reckless  Way,  The  Marian  Nixon-Kane  Richmond..  .Apr. 

Roarin'  Guns   Tim  McCoy-Rosalinda  Price  Jan. 

Rogues  Tavern,  The  Wallace  Ford-Barbara  Pepper  Mar. 

Suicide  Squad   Norman  Foster-Joyce  Compton  Dec. 

Coming 

Aces  and  Eights  Tim  McCoy-Luna  Walters  

Ghost  Patrol   Tim  McCoy-Claudia  Dell  

Lion's  Den.  The  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  

Traitor.  The   Tim  McCoy-Frances  Grant  

REGAL 

Title  Star  Rel. 

Daredevils  of  the  Earth  Ida  Lupino-Cyril  McLaglen  Jan. 

Scandals  of  Paris  Wendy  Barrie-Zelma  O'Neill  Dee. 

Thunderbolt   Kane  Richmond-Bobby  Nelson  —  Jan. 

Wolves  of  the  Underworld  Godfrey  Tearle   Dec. 

REPUBLIC 

Title  Star  Rel. 

Burning  Gold  3550   William  Boyd   Dec. 

Comln'   Round  the  Mountain 

(G)  3571   Gene  Autry-Ann  Rutherford  Apr. 

Crime  of  Doctor  Crespl,  The  Erich  von  Strohelm  -  Harriet 

3504    Russell   Oct. 


20t  60. 

27/36t....76. 

I5,'36t  

20/36t.. ..68. 
27/36t....67. 

l/36t....6l. 
25t  60. 


Running  Time 


Date 

Minutes  Reviewed 

l/36t 

4t.... 

.  ..63  

2/36t 

4t 

 55  

Running  Time 

Date 

Minutes  Reviewed 

It... 

 60  

I3.*36t 

 55.  Apr.  11/36 

2lt... 

Title  Star 

Dancing  Feet  (G)  3525  Ben  Lyon-Joan  Marsh  

(Exploitation:  Feb.  15/36.  p.  81.) 

Federal  Agent  3548  William  Boyd-lrene  Ware  Apr. 

Forbidden  Heaven  3502  Charles  Farrell -Charlotte  Henry.. Oct. 

Forced  Landing  3524  Esther  Ralston-Onslow  Stevens. ..  Dec. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Oct.  5.) 
Frankie  and  Johnnie  (A)  3555.  Helen  Morgan -Chester  Morris  May 

(Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p.  85.) 

Frisco  Waterfront  (G)  3518...  Ben  Lyon-Helen  Twelvetrees  Dec. 

Girl  from  Mandalay,  The  3525.  Kay  Linaker-Conrad  Nagel  Apr. 

Go-Get-'Em  Haines  3549  William   Boyd   June 

Guns  and  Guitars  3573  Gene  Autry-Dorothy  Dlx  June 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  16/36.) 

Harvester,   The   (G)   3506  Alice  Brady-Ann  Rutherford  May 

Hitch  Hike  Lady  (G)  3509  Alison  Skipworth-James  Ellison. .  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  62.) 
House  of  a  Thousand  Candles 

(G)  3505   Mae  Clarke-Phillips  Holmes  Apr. 

King  of  the  Pecos  (G)  3559. ..John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Mar. 

Laughing  Irish  Eyes  (G)  3522.Evalyn  Knapp-Phil  Regan  Mar. 

Lawless  Nineties.  The  (G)  3557.  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Feb. 

Lawless  Range  3562  John  Wayne-Sheila  Mannors  Nov. 

Leathernecks  Have  Landed,  The 
(G)  3501   Lew  Ayres-lsahel  Jewell  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p  .76.) 
Leavenworth  Case,  The  (G) 

3526   Norman  Foster-Jean  Rouverel  Jan. 

Lonely  Trail,  The  3563  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  May 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 

Melody  Trail  (G)  3567  Gene  Autry-Ann  Rutherford  Oct. 

Navy  Born  (G)   William  Gargan-Claire  Dedd  June 

New  Frontier,  The  3558  John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

Oregon  Trail  3560  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Jan. 

Racing  Luck  (G)  3547  William   Boyd   Oct. 

Red  River  Valley  3570  Gene  Autry- Frances  Grant  Mar. 

Return  of  Jimmy  Valentine, 

The  (G)  3531   Roger  Pryor-Charlotte   Henry  Feb. 

Sagebrush  Troubadour  3568  Gene  Autry-Barbara  Pepper  Dec. 

Singing  Cowboy,  The  (G)  3572. Gene  Autry-Lols  Wilde  May 

Singing  Vagabond,  The  (G) 

3569   Gene  Autry-Ann   Rutherford  Jan. 

Spanish  Cape  Mystery,  The  3530. Helen  Twelvetrees-Donald  Cook. ..Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

$1,000  a  Minute  (G)  3532  Roger  Pryor-Leila  Hyams  Nov. 

Ticket  to   Paradise  3508  Roger  Pryor-Wendy  Barrie  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 
Winds  of  the  Wasteland  3561.  John  Wayne-Phyllis  Fraser  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23,36.) 

Coming 

Down  to  the  Sea  Russell  Hardie-Ann  Rutherford  

(See  "Beneath  the  Seas,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Follow  Your  Heart   Marion  Talley- Michael  Bartlett  

Gentleman  from  Louisiana,  The. Eddie  Quillan-Charlotte  Henry  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 
Hearts  in  Bondage  (G)   James  Dunn-Mae  Clarke  Sept. 


Runni 
Rel.  Date  M 
Jan.  3l,'36t 


IO/36t.. 

5t  

2t  


ng  Time 

inutes  Reviewed 
..72. Apr.  4/36 

..58  

..67  

..61  


l/36t....66.May  23/3« 


7t  

20/36t... 
I5,*36t... 
22/36t... 


66  Dee. 

68  


5/36t... 
28t  


6/36t... 

9/36t... 
I5,'36t... 
I5.'36t... 

4t  


65. Apr.  25/36 
.76....  Dee.  21 


71.  Mar.  7/36 
.54. Apr.  11/36 
.73.  Mar.  14/36 
.55.  Mar.  7/38 
.59  


22,'36t....67.Feb.  29/3* 


20/36t.. 
25/36t.. 

I4t  

l5/36t.. 

5t  


.68  Jan.  11/36 


.60.... Oct.  19 
.65 June  27/36 
.54  


l8/36t.. 

28t  

2/36t.. 


.59  

.60  Dee.  7 

.58  


l4/36t.. 

2t  

Il/36t.. 

5,'36t.. 
I7t  


.72.  Feb.  15/36 

.54  

.56. May  16/36 

.52....  Dee.  14 
.73  


I5t.... 
IO/36t. 


6/36t. 


1/36. .  ,.*70. June  6/36 


RKO  RADIO 

Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Title 

Annie  Oakley  (G)   608  Barbara  Stanwyck-Preston  Foster. .  Nov.    I5t  90'/2..Nov.  9 

(Exploitation:    Mar.  14/36,  pp.  88,  90.) 
Another  Face  (G)  615  Wallace  Ford-Phyllis  Brooks  Dec.    20t  68  Nov.  23 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Two  Faces.") 
Bride  Walks  Out,  The  631  Barbara  Stanwyck-G.  Raymond ..  July    IO/36t  80  

(See  "Marry  the  Girl,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 
Bunker  Bean  630  Owen  Davis,  Jr.-Louise  Latimer.  June  26/36t  67  

(See  "His  Majesty,  Bunker  Bean,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Chatterbox    (G)    617  Anne  Shirley-Phillips  Holmes.  ..Jan.  I7,'36t.. 

Dancing  Pirate  (G)  670  Charles  Collins-Steffi   Duna  May  22/36t.. 

(Exploitation:   June  6/36,  pp.  117,  121.) 
Ex-Mrs.  Bradford,  The  (G)  628.William   Powell-Jean  Arthur  May  I5,'36t.. 

(Exploitation:    July  4/36,   p.  68.) 
Fang  and  Claw  (G)  543  Frank  Buck   

(Exploitation:   Feb.  22/36,  p.  96:  June  13/36,  p.  127.) 

Farmer  In  the  Dell  (G)  624...  Fred  Stone-Jean  Parker  

Follow  the  Fleet  (G)  613  Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  94:  Mar.  28/36, 
p.  82;  May  23/36,  p.  93;  May  30/36,  p. 
p.  68.) 

Freckles   (G)   536  Carol  Stone-Tom  Brown 

HI  Gaucho  606  John  Carroll-Steffi  Dun 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  17.) 


68  Dec.  28 

85.  May  16/36 


..81. May  2/36 


.Dee.    20  74. Jan.  4/36 


.67. Mar. 
1 1  O.Feb. 


14/36 
22/36 


...Mar.  27/36t.. 
.Feb.  2l/36t.. 
P.  83:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  May  16/36,  p.  82 
84;  June  13/36,  pp.   125,   130;  July  4/36, 


(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  82,  83.) 

In  Person  (G)  609  Ginger  Rogers-George  -Brent  

(Exploitation:   June  13/36.  p.  127.) 
Lady  Consents,  The  (G)  822. .  Ann  Harding- Herbert  Marshall.. 
Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The  (G) 

501   Preston  Foster-Dorothy  Wilson.. 

Last  Outlaw.  The  (G)  629. ....  Harry  Carey-Hoot  Gibson  

Left  Sing  Again  (G)  646  Bobby   Breen-Henry  Armetta... 

Love  on  a  Bet  (G)  620  Gene  Raymond-Wendy  Barrie... 

Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path 

(G)  825   Helen  Broderlck-James  Gleason.. 

Muse  'Em  Up  (G)  619  Preston  Foster-Marg't  Callahan. 

Rainmakers,  The   (G)  605. ...  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  

Seven  Keys  to  Baldpate  (G)  611.  G.  Raymond- Margaret  Callahan. 
Silly   Billies   (G)   623  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  


Oct. 

4  

..68.. 

..Oct.  5 

Oct. 

.  Dec. 

27t  

..95.. 

..Nov.  23 

Nov. 

22t  

..87.. 

..Nov.  I 

Feb. 

7/S8t.. 

..76'/, 

Jan.  18/38 

Oct. 

18  

..98.. 

..Oct.  12 

June 

I9,'36t.. 

."73.  May  30/38 

June 

l2/3flt.. 

.68.  Apr.  25/38 

Mar. 

6/36t.. 

.77.  Feb.  8/S4 

Apr. 

(7/3<tt.. 

.66. Apr.  18,'Sf 

Feb. 

I4/S6t.. 

..68'/2 

Jan.  25/38 

Oct. 

25t  

..78.. 

..Oct.  12 

.  Dee. 

ISt  

..88.. 

..Dm.  7 

Mar. 

20/3tt.. 

..64'/, Mar.  7/f» 

July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


137 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT--CONT*E) 


Title  Star  Rel. 

Special  Investigator  (G)  627. .  Richard  Dix- Margaret  Callahan  .  .May 

Sylvia  Scarlett  (G)   614  Katharine  Hepburn-Cary  Grant.. Jan. 

Three  Musketeers.  The  (G). 544.  M argot  Grahame- Walter  Abel.. .Nov. 
To  Beat  the  Band  (G)  607...  Helen  Broderick-Hugh  Herbert. .. Nov. 

Two  in  the  Dark  (G)  616  Walter  Abel -M argot  Grahame. ..  .Jan. 

Two  In  Revolt  (G)  621  Louise  Latimer-John  Arledge. .  . . Apr. 

We're  Only  Human  (G)  612. .Preston   Foster-Jane  Wyatt  Dec. 

Witness  Chair,  The  (G)  626. .Ann    Harding-Walter   Abel  Apr. 

Yellow  Dust   (G)  618  Richard   Dix-Leila   Hyams  Mar. 

Coming 

Count   Pete   Gene   Raymond-Ann  Sothern  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4,'36.) 

Grand  Jury  633  John   Arledge-Louise   Latimer  July 

Mary  of  Scotland  Katharine  Hepburn-Fredric 

March   

(See  production  article,  Apr.  1 1, '36,  p.  16.) 
M'Liss  632   Anne  Shirley-John  Beal  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23, '36.) 
Mummy's  Boys   Wheeler  and  Woolsey  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  June  20. '36) 

Second    Wife   Walter  Abel -Gertrude  Michael  

Swing  Time   Fred  Astaire-G inger  Rogers  

(See  "Never  Gonna  Dance."  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20, '36 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

8,'36t  61. May  2/3* 

3,'36t..  .  .94'/2  Jan.  18/36 

I  96. ...Oct.  12 

8t  67'/j..Oct.  28 

IO/36t  74. ...Dec.  21 

3/36t  65.  May  2/36 

27t  68....  Dee.  14 

24/36t  64. Apr.  11/36 

!3/36t....68'/2Mar.  28/38 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


24,'36t. 


I7.'36t. 


.) 


STATE  RIGHTS 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Dist'r  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Angels   in   White  Tala  Birell   Zeldman   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  29/36.) 
Custer's   Last   Stand  Rex  Lease   Stage  &.  Screen.  .  .Apr.  2,'36t..9rls  


SUPREME 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Courageous  Avenger   Johnny   Mack   Brown  Dee.  I2t  

Desert   Phantom,  The  Johnny  Mack   Brown  Mar.  IO/36t  


Kid   Ranger,  The  Bob    Steele   Feb. 

Last  ef  the  Warrens  Bob    Steele   May 

Rogue  of  the  Range  Johnny  Mack  Brown  Apr. 

Sundown  Saunders   ..Bob    Steele   Mar. 

Trail  of  Terror  Bob    Steele   Dec. 

Valley  of  the  Lawless  Johnny  Mack  Brown  Jan. 

Coming 

Brand   of   the   Outlaws  Bob  Steele   

Crooked  Trail,  The  Johnny  Mack  Brown  

Everyman's  Law   Johnny  Mack  Brown  

Law   Rides,  The  Bob  Steele   


5/36t  

IO/36t  58. 

25,'36t  58. 

25/36t  

20t  

25/36t  


TWENTIETH  CENTURY-FOX 


Running  Time 


Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Bad    Boy*    615  James   Dunn-Dorothy   Wilson. .. .Oct.    25t  56  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

Border  Patrolman,  The*  (G)  650  Geo.  O'Brien-Polly  Ann  Young.  .July  3/36t. .  .*60.  June  27/36 

Captain  January*  (G)  635  Shirley  Temple-Guy  Kibbee  Apr.   I7,'36t  77. Mar.  21/36 

(Exploitation:    June  6/36,  pp.  117,  122;  June  27/36,  p.  82;  July  4/36.  p.  70.) 
Champagne  Charlie  629  Paul   Cavanagh- Helen  Wood  May     8/36t. .  .  .59  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Dec.  14.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Circus* 

(G)    640   Warner  Oland-Keye   Luke  Mar.  27/36t. .  .  .71 . Mar.  28/38 

Charlie   Chan    In  Shanghai* 

(G)   610   Warner  Oland-lrene   Hervey  Oct. 

Charlie  Chan's  Secret*  (G)  626. .  Warner  Oland-Rosina  Lawrence  .  .Jan. 


lit. 

IO/36t. 


...70. ...Sept.  14 

.71  Oct.  26 

Apr.    24/36t  85. Mar.  21/31 


.  ..68. Apr.  11/36 

6/36t  94.  Mar.  21/38 

i.  83;  Apr.  25/36, 
May  30.36,   p.  86 


Connecticut  Yankee,   (A)*  699.  Will    Rogers-Myrna  Loy... 
(re-issue) 

Country  Beyond,  The*  (G)  643.  Rochelle    Hudson-Paul    Kelly. ..  .Apr.  24/36t. 
Country  Doctor,  The*  (G)  63G.  Dionne  Quintuplets-Jean 

Hersholt   Mar. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  pp.  93,  97;  Mar.  28,36,  p.  83;  Apr.  4/36.  p 
p.  96;  May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  16/36.  p.  82;  May  23/36,    pp.   87,  95 
June  6/36,   p.   124;  July  4/36,   p.  70.) 
Crime  of   Dr.   Forbes,  The 

(G)  655   Gloria  Stuart-Robert  Kent  Juno  26/36t. .  .*75.  June  20/36 

Educating   Father'    (G)   645. ..Jed   Prouty-Shirley    Deane  July  IO/36t . .  .  .57.  May  30/36 

Everybody's  Old  Man*  (G)  634.  Irvin  S.  Cobb- Rochelle  Hudson. .Mar.  20/36f  84. Mar.  14/36 

Every  Saturday  Night*  (G)  637. .  June   Lang-Thomas   Beck  Feb.  7/36t. .  .  .62. Feb.  8/38 

First  Baby,  The*  (G)  646  Shirley  Deane-Johnny  Downs.. ..May  I5,'36t . .  .74 . Apr.  18/36 

Gentle  Julia*  (G)  641  Jane   Withers-Tom   Brown  Apr.  3/36t..  .63. Feb.  29/38 

Half  Angel  (G)  647  Frances   Dee-Brian   Donlevy  May  22/36t. . .  .66 .  May  9/36 

Here  Comes  Trouble*  (G)  633..  Paul   Kelly-Arline  Judge  Feb.  2l/36t  62. Feb.  15/36 

Here's  to  Romance*   (G)  600.  Nino  Martlnl-Genevleve  Tobln...Oct.      4t  86  Aug.  31 

High   Tension*    (G)    653  Brian    Donlevy-Glenda    Farrell.  . .  July  I7,'36t. .  .*62.  June  20/36 

Human  Cargo*  (G).  652  Claire   Trevor-Brian    Donlevy. ...  May   29/36t  66.  Apr.  23/36 

In  Old  Kentucky*  (G)  601....  Will  Rogers-Dorothy  Wilson  Nov.   22t  84.. ..July  IS 

It  Had  to  Happen  (G)  631  George  Raft-Rosalind  Russell. ...  Feb.    I4/36t  79.  Feb.  15/38 

King  of  Burlesque,  The*  (G) 

(23   Warner  Baxter-Alice   Faye  Jan. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  36;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87.) 

Little  Miss  Nobody"  (G)  651.. Jane  Withers-Ralph  Morgan  June  I2.'36t 

Littlest  Rebel,  The*  (G)  624.. Shirley  Temple-John   Boles  Dec.  27f... 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  97; 
Man  Who  Broke  the  Bank  at 

Monte  Carle,  The  (G)  620. .Ronald  Colman-Joan   Bennett. ...  Nov.  29t  

Message  to  Garcia,  A  (G)  632.  Wallace  Beery  -  John  Boles  - 

Barbara  Stanwyck   ...Apr.  IO/36t. 

Metropolitan   (G)   618  Lawrence  Tibbett- Virginia  Bruco  ..Nov.  8t  

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  98.) 

Music  Is  Magic*  (G)  619  Alice  Faye-Ray  Walker  Nov.  It.... 

My  Marriage*  (G)  630  Claire  Trevor-Kent  Taylor  Jan.  3l/36t. 

Navy  Wife*  (G)  606  Claire  Trevor- Ralph  Bellamy  Nov.  29t  


3/36t..  .88. Jan.  4,'l 


 72.  May  28/36 

 73  Nov.  30 

Mar.  7/36.  p.  96.) 


.66. ...Nov.  16 

.85.  Mar.  14/36 
.79.... Oct.  28 

.66.... Oct.  12 
.68....  Nov.  23 
.72. Jan.  25/36 


27,'36f.. 
17.'36t.  . 

28/36t.. 
p.  77.) 
5,'36t.. 


.59.  Mar.  28/36 
76.. ..Nov.  2 


.95. Feb.  22/36 


.79.  May  30/36 


24,'36t. 
6t.... 


I5t.. 


.78. Jan.  4/36 

.76  Nov.  2 

.79.  May  16/36 
.72.  Feb.  22/36 

.87  Nov.  2 

p.  100;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  96.) 
I8t  65  


.67  Dec. 


.68  Nov.  23 


Title  star  Rel. 

OMalley  of  the  Mounted*  (G) 

639   George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware  Mar. 

Paddy  O'Day  (G)  627  Jane  Withers-Pinky  Tomlin  Jan. 

Prisoner  of  Shark   Island,  The 

(G)  638   Warner  Baxter-Gloria  Stuart  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  11.36,  p.  97:  Apr.  18/36 

Private  Number*  (G)  645  Loretta  Young-Robert  Taylor  June 

Professional  Soldier  (G)  628. ..Victor    McLaglen-Freddie  Bar- 
tholomew  Jan. 

Show  Them  No  Mercy  (G)  621 .  Rochelle  Hudson-Cesar  Romero.  ..  Dec. 

Sins  of  Man  (G)  648  Jean  Hersholt- Done  Ameche  June  l9/36t. 

Song  and  Dance  Man*  (G)  642.Paul   Kelly-Claire  Trevor  Mar.  I3,'36t. 

Thanks  a  Million  (G)  617  Dick  Powell-Ann   Dvorak  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  82;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36 

This  Is  the  Life*  614   Jane  Withers-John  McGuire  Oct. 

Under  Two  Flags  (G)  644  Ronald  Colman- Victor  McLaglen- 

Claudette  Colbert-R.  Russell. ..  May     I  ,'36t . .  .  1 1 0.  May  9/36 

(See  production  article.  Mar.  14/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp.  116,  117.) 

Way  Down  East*  (G)  616  Rochelle  Hudson-Henry  Fonda  Oct.    25t  84  Aug.  24 

Whispering  Smith  Speaks*  (G) 

623    George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware  Dec.    20t. ... 

White   Fang  649  Michael  Whalen-Jean   Muir  July  3/36t. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  May  2/36.) 
Your  Uncle  Dudley*  (G)  622..  Edward  Everett  Horton  Dec.  I3t  

Coming 

Across  the  Aisle*  656  Brian   Donlevy-Gloria  Stuart  July  24/36t. 

As  You   Like   It  Eliz.  Bergner- Laurence  Olivier  

(See  production  article,  June  13/36,  p.  16.) 
Bowery  Princess,  The*  Shirley  Temple-Frank  Morgan..  Oct.  16/36.. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  June  27/36.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race 

Track*   Warner  Oland-Helen  Wood  Aug.  21/36.. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  June  27/36.) 

Girls'  Dormitory   Ruth    Chatterton- Herbert  Mar- 

shall-Simone  Simon   Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  13/36.) 

Holy  Lie,  The  Jane  Darwell -Claire  Trevor  Aug. 

Pepper*   lane   Withers- Irvin   S.   Cobb  Sept. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 
Poor    Little    Rich    Girl,  The* 

(G)  657   Shirley  Temple-Alice  Faye  July    24,'36t  79. June 

Ramona   Loretta  Young- Don  Ameche  Sept.  11/36  

(See  production  article,  July  4/36,  p.  16.) 
Road  to  Glory,  The  (G)  Fredric   March-Warner  Baxter- 
Lionel  Barrymore- June  Lang... Sept. 

See  America  First  Jed  Prouty-Spring  Byington  

Sing,   Baby,  Sing  Alice  Faye-Adolphe  Menjou  Aug.  14/36. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 
To  Mary — With  Love  Warner  Baxter-Myrna  Loy  Aug.  1/36. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

[Asterisk  (*)  denotes  Fox  Pictures.    Others  20th  Century  Productions.] 


7/36. 


28/36. 
18/36. 


6/36 


4/36  101. June  6/36 


UNITED  ARTISTS 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


.Apr.    I7,'36t.  .100.  Feb.  22/36 


..76. 


.Nov.  30 


Title  Star 
Amateur  Gentleman,  The  (G)..  Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.  -  Elissa 

Landi   

Barbary  Coast  (G)  Miriam   Hopkins  -  Edward  G. 

Robinson  -  Joel  McCrea   Sept.  27t  90  Oct.  5 

Ghost  Goes  West,  The  (G)  Robert  Donat-Jean  Parker  Feb.     7,'36t . .  .  .85.  Jan.  4/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36.  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  89.) 
I  Stand  Condemned  (A)  H.  Baur-Laurence  Olivier-Pen- 
elope Dudley  Ward  July  I0,'36t 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy  (G)  Freddie  Bartholomew  -  Dolores 

Costello  Barrymore   Mar.  6,'36t 

(Explitaotion:    Mar.  14/36,  p.  84;  May  16/36,  p.  80;  June  6/36,  p.  I 
p.  132.) 

Melody  Lingers  On,  The  (G) . . losephine   Hutchinson  -  George 

Houston   Nov.  9t... 

Modern  Times  (G)  Chas.  Chaplin-Paulette  Goddard . . Feb.  2l,'36t  87. Feb.  8/36 

(See  production  article.  Feb.  8/36,  p.  18:  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  22/36 
p.  100;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  84;  Mar.  28/36,  pp.  83,  84;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84. 
89;  Apr.  11/36,  pp.  93,  96;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92;  May  2/36,   p.  99; 

84;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36;  pp.  84  ,  86;  June  6/36,  pp. 
pp.  122,  132;  June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

One  Rainy  Afternoon  (G)  Francis  Lederer-lda  Luplno  May 

(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.  122.) 

Red  Salute  (G)  8.   Stanwyck- Robert   Young  Sept.   I3t  78 

Splendor   Miriam   Hopkins-Joel   McCrea  Nov.    23t  77  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Nov.  2.)    (Exploitation:   Feb.  29/36,  p.  78.) 

Strike  Me  Pink  (G)  Eddie   Cantor-Ethel   Merman  Jan.    24,'36t ...  1 00.  Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  29/36.  pp.  72. 
75;  Mar.   14/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  21/36,  pp.   94.  97;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

These  Three  (G)  Miriam   Hopkins-Merle  Oberon- 

Joel  McCrea   Apr.  IO/36t.. 

(Exploitation:    May  9/36,   pp.   90,  94;   May   23/36,   p.  94:  June  6/36, 


May 
116, 


...102.  Feb.  29/36 
17;  June  13/36. 


.87....  Nov.  9 


9/36,  p.  84;  May 
118;  June  13/36, 


I3.'36t..  .'75. May  2/36 


Sept.  21 


.93. Feb.  29/36 
p.  122;  June 


27/36,   p.  88.) 

Things  to  Come  (G)  Raymond  Massey   Apr.   24/36t. .  .  .99.  Mar.  7/38 

(See  production  article,  Mar.  7/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:    Apr.  18/36,  p.  77;  June  13/36, 
p.  132.) 

Coming 

Come  and  Get  It  Edward  Arnold-Frances  Farmer  

Dodsworth   .  Walter   Huston-Ruth  Chatterton  

Garden  of  Allah,  The  Marlene  Dietrich-Charles  Boyer  

(See  production  article,  June  6/36,  p.  14.) 

Last  of  the  Mohicans,  The  Randolph  Scott-Heather  Angel. 

Bruce    Cabot-Binnie  Barnes  

(Exploitation:    June  27/36,   p.  80.) 
Man  Who  Could  Work  Miracles, 

The   Roland  Young   

World  Is  Mine.  The  Nino  Martini-Ida  Lupino  


38 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


I  I 


9  3  6 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT—CCNT'D) 


UNIVERSAL 


Running  Tin* 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Affair  of  Susan,  The  9034  Zasu  Pitts-Hugh  O'Connell  Oct.     7t  63  

(See  "Alone  Together,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

Cowboy  and  the  Kid,  The  8046.  Buck  Jones-Dorothy  Revler  May  25,'36  

Crash  Donovan  9031  Jack   Holt-Nan  Gray  July  l2,'S6t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Dangerous  Waters  (G)  9032... Jack  Holt-Robert  Armstrong  Feb.     3.'3tt  67. Feb.  8,'36 

Don't  Get  Personal  (G)  9025.. James  Dunn-Sally  Eilers  Feb.    I7,'36t  64. Feb.  29,'36 

Dracula's  Daughter  (A)  9006. .Otto  Kruger-M.  Churchill  May    ll,'36t  70. May  9/36 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  120.) 
East  of  Java  9029  Chas.  Bickford-Elizabeth  Young.. Dec.     2t  72  

(See  "Is  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.)    (Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  84.) 

Fighting  Youth  (G)  9017  Charles  Farrell-June  Martel  Sept.  30t  66  Dee.  7 

For  the  Service  9045  Buck  Jones-Beth  Marion  May     6/36t  65  

Great  Impersonation,  The  9014.  Edmund  Lowe-Valerie  Hobson  Dec.     9t  67  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

His  Night  Out  (G)  §021  E.  E.  Horton-lrene  Hervey  Oct.    2 1 1  74  Nov.  2 

Invisible  Ray,  The  (G)  9015. .  Karloff-Bela  Lugosl   Jan.    20/S6t  75.  Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  82;  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  (8.) 

Ivory  Handled  Gun  9042  Buck  Jones-Charlotte  Wynters  Nov.    lit  59  

Love  Before  Breakfast  (G)90O7.  Carole  Lombard-Preston  Foster..  .Mar.    9/36t  70. Feb.  29/86 

(Exploitation:   Apr.  18/36,  p.  81;  May  23/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  117;  June  13/36, 
p.  132.) 

Magnifloent  Obsession  (G)  8006. Irene  Dunne-Robert  Taylor  Jan.  6/38t.. .  112. Jan.  11/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  82;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  81,  (3,  84;  Mar.  7/36,  pp.  86,  99;  Mar. 

21/36,  pp.  92,  96;  Apr.  11/36,  p.  96;  May  23/36,  pp.  87,  95;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Next  Time  We  Love  (G)  8004.  Marg't  Sullavan-James  Stewart. .  .Jan.    27/36t  87. Feb.  8/36 

Nobody's  Fool  9033  E.  E.  Horton-Glenda  Farrell  May  3l/36t  

(See  "Unconscious,"  "In  the  Cutting  Roam,"  Apr.  4/36.) 

Parole  (G)  9036  Ann  Preston-Henry  Hunter  June   I4.'36t  65. July  4/36 

Remember  Last  Night?  (A) 
9011   Edw.  Arnold-C.  Cummings  Nov.     4t  81  Oet.  12 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  90.) 

Show  Boat  (G)  8001  Irene  Dunne-Allan  Jones  May  l7/36t. . .  1 12. May  9/36 

(See  musical  analysis,   May  9/36,  p.  65;    exploitation:    June  20/36,   pp.    117,  121; 
June  27/36,  p.  80;  July  4/36,  p.  69.) 

Silver  Spurs  9044  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Feb.  I8/S6t  

Storm  Over  the  Andes  (G)  9026.Jack  Holt-Mona  Barrio  Sept.  I6t  84  Oet.  It 

Stormy  (G)  9016  Noah  Beery,  Jr.-Jean  Rogers  Nov.    lit  68  Oet.  19 

Sunset  of  Power  9043  Buck  Jones-Dorothy  Dlx  Dee.  23t  

Sutter's  Gold  (G)  8002  Edward  Arnold  •  Lee  Traey  • 

Blnnle  Barnes   Apr.   I3/S6t  95. Mar.  28/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  15/36,  p.  14;  exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  18/36,  p. 
77;  Apr.  25/36,  pp.  91,  92;  June  27/36,  p.  85.) 

Sweet  Surrender  9012  Frank  Parker-Tamara   Nov.    25t  78  

Three  Kids  and  a  Queen  (G) 

9023   May  Robson-Henry  Armetta  Oct.    28t  90  Oct.  26 

Throwback,  The  9041  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Sept.  I8t  60.  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Aug.  10.) 

Coming 

Boss  Rider  of  Gun  Creek. ...  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  

Fool  for  Blendes.  A  Victor  McLaglen-Binnie  Barnes.  

My   Man   Godfrey   (G)  William  Powell-Carole  Lombard.  .Aug.   30.'36t .  .  ."95.  June  20/36 

Postal  Inspector   .  ...Ricardo  Cortez-Patricia  Ellis..  .Aug.  2,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Ride  'Em,  Cowboy  Buck  Jones-Luana  Walters  Sept.  I3,'36t  

Two  in  a  Crowd  Joel  McCrea-Joan  Bennett  Aug.  23/S6  

Yellowstone   Henry   Hunter-Judith   Barrett  Aug.  I6,'36t  


VICTORY 

Title  Star 

Bars  of  Hate  Regis  Toomey-Sheila  Terry. 

Face  in  the  Fog,  A  June  Collyer-Lloyd  Hughes.. 


Running  Tina 

Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

.Nov.     It  63  

.Feb.     I  ,'S6t  


Fighting   Coward   Ray  Walker-Joan  Woodbury  Dec.    I5t  70. 

Hot  Off  the  Press  Jack  La  Rue-Virginia  Pine  Sept.  I5t  57. 

Kelly  of  the  Secret  Service  Lloyd  Hughes-Sheila  Mannors  June  I5,'36t  

Prison  Shadows   Eddie  Nugent-Lucille  Lund  June     I ,'36f  

Rio  Grande  Romance  Eddie  Nugent-Maxine  Doyle  Mar.  I5,'36t  

Taming  the  Wild  Rod  La  Rocque-Maxine  Doyle  Feb.  !5/36t  


WARNER  BROTHERS  Running  Time 

Tit,e  s,ar  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Big  Noise.  The  (G)  925  Guy  Kibbee-Warren  Hull  June   27/36t. . .  .58.  Apr.  25/36 

Boulder  Dam  (G)  815  Ross  Alexander-Patricia  Ellis. ...  Mar.    7/36t. ..  ,7o!Apr!  4/36 

Colleen  (A)  903  Ruby  Keeler-Joan  Blondell-Jaek 

Oakie-Dick  Powell   Mar.  2l/36t. .. .89. Feb.  1/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89:  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92;  May  23/36,  p.  86.) 

Dangerous  (A)  910  Bette  Davis-Franchot  Tone  Jan.     4/36t  78  Nov  30 

(Exploitation:    Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83,  86;  Apr.  20/36,  p.  96;  June  13 '36 
p.  123.) 

Dr.  Socrates  (G)  909  Paul   Muni-Ann   Dvorak  Oct.    I9t  70.... Oct.  19 

Freshman  Love  (G)  922  Patricia   Ellis-Warren    Hull  Jan.    I8.'36t. ..  .65.  Feb.  1/36 

Frisco  Kid  (A)  907  James  Cagney-Marg't   Lindsay. .. Nov.    30t  77  Nov.'  2 

I  Live  for  Love  (G)  919  Dolores  Del  Rio-E.  Marshall  Sept.  28t  64  Oct.  12 

I  Married  a  Doctor  (G)  906. ..Pat  O'Brien-J.  Hutehinsen  Apr.   25/36t. .. .83. Apr.  4/38 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Man  Hunt  <G>  923  Marguerite  Churchill-W.  Gargan. . Feb.   I5/S6t. .. .65. Jan.  11/38 

Miss  Pacific  Fleet  <G>  916.. ..Joan  Blondell-Glenda  Farrell  Dec.    I4t  66. .. . Nov.  30 

Moonlight  on  the  Pralrle(G)928. Dick  Foran-Sheila  Manners  Nov.     2t  63..°.!o*t.  M 

Page  Miss  Glory  (G)  905.       Marion  Davies-Dick  Powell  Sept.    7t  92.. V.July  13 

(Pictorial:  July  13/35,  p.  33.) 

Personal  Maid's  Secret  (G)  920. Margaret  Lindsay-Warren  Hull.. .Oct.    26t  58. ...Dee.  21 

Petrified  Forest,  The  (Q)  904. Leslie   Howard-Bette   Davis  Feb.     8/36t  83. Jan.  18/39 

(Exploitation:    May  2/36,  p.  92.) 

Sons  O'Guns  (G)  911  Joe.  E.  Brown-Joan  Blondell  May  30/36t. . . .79. May  2/36 

Sneclal  Agent  (6)  908  George  Brent-Bette  Davis  Sept.  I4t  78  Aug.  24 

Stars  Over  Broadway  (G)  917. Pat  O'Brien-Jane  Froman  Nov.   23t  ...89....Hn.  9 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63.) 
Times  Square  Playboy  (Q)  924.  Warren  William-June  Travis ....  May     9/36t. . .  .62.  Mar.  21/36 


Running  Tim* 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Treachery  Rides  the  Range  (G) 

929   Dick  Foran-Paula  Stone  May     2/36t . .. .56. Mar.  7/36 

Walking  Dead,  The  (G)  914...  Karloff- Marguerite  Churchill  Mar.  !4/36t . .. .76. Mar.  7/36 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Widow  from  Monte  Carl*,  The 

(G)  921   Dolores  Del  Rio-W.  William  Feb.     I ,'36t . . . . 60.  Jan.  4/36 

Coming 

Another  Dawn   Errol  Flynn- Bette  Davis  

Anthony  Adverse   (G)   801  Fredrlc  March-O.  De  Havilland. .  Aug.  29/36. ..' 138.  May  23/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  1/36,  p.  16.) 

Bengal  Tiger,  The  Barton   MacLane-June  Travis  

Cain  and  Mabel   Marion  Davies-Clark  Gable  

Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade. .  Errol  Flynn-O.  De  Havilland  

Down  the  Stretch  Patricia  Ellis-Dennis  Moore  

(See  "Blood  Lines"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Draegerman  Courage   Jean  Muir-Barton  MacLane  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 
Give  Me  Your  Heart  Kay  Francis-George  Brent  

(See  "I  Give  My  Heart,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  13/36.) 

Green  Light   Errol    Flynn-Anita  Louise  

Green  Pastures,  The  (G)  Rex   Ingram   Aug.     1/36  93. May  30/39 

(See  production  article.  May  2/36,  p.  16.) 

Guns  of  Pecos  Diok  Feran-Anne  Nagel  

Hot  Money  926   Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts.  .July  l8/36t..-.68  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,  May  2/36.) 
Invitation  to  a  Murder  Marguerite  Churchill- 
Gale  Sendergard   

Jailbreak  (G)  927  Craig  Reynolds-June  Travis  Aug.    l/SSt  60. May  18/8* 

Loudspeaker  Lowdown   Ross  Alexander-Anne  Nagel  

Make  Way  for  a  Pirate  Guy  Klbbee-Sybil  Jason  

(See  "Way  for  a  Pirate,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Making  of  O'Malley,  The  Pat  O'Brien-Sybil  Jason  

Marriage    Clause  Rebt.  Montgomery-Olivia  De 

Havilland   

Midsummer  Night's  Dream  (G).AII  Star   132  Oct.  12 

(Pictorial:    Aug.  3/36,  p.  15;    exploitation:  Apr.  11/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  118; 
June  27/36,  p.  82.) 

Mistress  of  Fashion   Kay  Francis-Claude  Rains  

Pony   Express    Rider  Dick  Foran-Linda  Perry  

Public  Enemy's  Wife  (G)  913. .Pat  O'Brien-Margaret  Lindsay. .  .July  25,'36t . . .  .69 . June  27/36 
Satan  Met  a  Lady  912  Warren  Wllliam-Bette  Davis  Aug.  8/36t  

(See  "Men  on  Her  Mind,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Jan.  11/36.) 

Slim   Pat  O'Brien-Henry  Fonda  

Three    In    Eden  Marg't  Lindsay- Donald  Woods- 
Ian  Hunter   

Three  Men  en  a  Horse   Frank  McHugh-Joan  Blondell  

Trailln'   West   Dick  Feran-Paula  Stone  

(See  "On  Secret  Service,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  16/36.) 

OTHER  PRODUCT  (FOREIGN) 


Dist'r. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Title  Star 
A  Star  Fell  from  Heaven 

(G)   Florine  McKinney. .  .Assoc.  British  70. June  27/36 

Broken  Blossoms   (A)  Dolly  Haas   Twickenham   June  6/36 

Cloistered    (G)   Best   May   19/36. .  .65.  May  39/36 

Come  Out  of  the  Pantry(G)  .J.  Buchanan- F.Wray.  United  Artists  70....D*e.  14 

Dubrevsky   Boris   Llvanov   Amklno   Mar.  28/3lt .  .72. Apr.  II/S6 

Everything  Is  Rhythm  (G). Harry  Roy   Assoc.  British  75. June  27/36 

Heart's  Desire  (G)  Richard  Tauber   Assoc.  British  87  Oet.  I 

I  Give  My  Heart  (A)  Gltta  Alper  Assoc.  British  85  Nov.  It 

Interrupted  Honeymoon,  The 

(A)   Claude  Hulbert   British  Lion  73. June  27/36 

Invitation  to  the  Waltz(G). Lillian  Harvey   Assoc.  British  80  Nov.  It 

La  Maternelle  (A)   Paulette  Elambert. ..  Metropolis   Oct.    14  80  Nov.  16 

Land  of  Promise,  The  (G)   Zionist  Org.  of 

America   Nov.    20  57  Dee.  7 

Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The. .  Maria  Corda- 

V.  Varconl   Trans-America. ...  Dec.    14  65  

Le  Bonheur  (A)   Gaby  Morlay   Franco-American  .Mar.    5/St. . 1 10. Mar.  21/36 

Llebelel    (A)   Paul  Hoerbiger   General   87.  Mar.  14/t* 

Living  Dangerously  (A). ..Otto  Kruger   Assoc.  British  80. Mar.  21/16 

Marriage    of    Corbal,  The 

(A)    Nils  Asther   General   80. June  13/36 

Milizia  Territorials  (G) ...  Antonio  Gandusle  ..Nuovo    Mondo  Apr.    4/31. .  .77.  Apr.  25/36 

Once  In  a  Million  (G)  Buddy  Rogers- 

M.  Brian   Assoc.  British  75. Apr.  4/36 

Ourselves  Alone  (G)  Antoinette  Celller  ..Assoc.  British  ..70. May  It/St 

Pension  Mimosas  (A)  Francoise  Rosay  Franco-American  .May     5/36. . .93. May  16/36 

Private  Secretary,  The  (G).Edw.  Everett  Horton. Twickenham   ..75  Oct.  5 

Public  Nuisance  No.  I  (G).. Frances  Day   General   ..79. Mar.  14/36 

Raggen — Det  Ar  Jag  Dot 

(A)   N.  Wahlbom   Scandinavian   May   21/36. .  .83.  May  30/36 

Re  Burlone,    II  (G)  Armando  Falcon)  Nuovo    Mondo  Mar.  25/36  .  .98.  Apr.  4/36 

Robber  Symphony,  The  (G)  .George  Graves  Concordia   125. May  9/36 

Royal   Waltz,    (G)  Paul    Hoerbiger  Ufa   Apr.     9/36  .  81. Apr.  25/36 

She  Shall  Have  Muslo  (A)  June  Clyde   Twickenham   75  Des,  21 

Skargards  (A)   Gideon  Wahlberg  Scandinavian   Apr.     7/36. .  .90.  Apr.  11/36 

Soviet   News   (G)  Amkine   Apr.   10/36. .  .70. Apr.  25/16 

Tempo  Masslas  (•)   Mllly   World    ..Mar.  12/36. . .78. Mar.  21/St 

Turn  of  the  Tide  (G)  J.  Fisher  White....  Not   determined  80....N*v.  2 

Two's  Company  (G)  ..Ned  Sparks- 
Mary  Brian   B.  &  D  May  It/36 

We    Are    From  Kronstadt 

(G)   V.  Zaiohikov   Amkine   Apr.  SO/Stt .  .93. May  IS/36 

Wedding  March,  The  (A)..Tulllo  Carmlnatl  Franco-American  92. Mar.  14/36 

When   Knights  Were  Bold 

(G)   J.  Buchanan-F.Wray. General   76. Mar.  7/31 

Where  There's  a  Will  (G) ..  Will  Hay   Gaumont-British  81.  July  4/36 

Woman  Alone.  A  (A)  Anna  Sten-H.  Wil- 

coxon   General   90. June  «-'** 


July     II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


139 


(THE  RELEASE  CIHALQT-- CONT'D) 


SHORT 
FILMS 

I  All  dates  are  1935  unless 
otherwise  stated} 


CELEBRITY 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

COMICOLOR  CARTOONS 

Balleei  Land   Sept.30t ....  I  rl . 

Simple  Simon   Nov.  I5t  I  rl. 

Humpty  Dumpty   Dee.  30t  1  rl. 

AM  Baba   Jan.  30/36t.9. . . 

Ten  Thumb   Mar.  S0,'36t.7... 

Dick  Wblttlnatea's  Cat  May  30/36t.7.. . 

Little   Bey   Blue  July  30,'36t  


COLUMBIA 


Title 


Mln. 


Rel.  Date 
BARNEY  GOOGLE 
Ne.  I— "Tteehed  In  th' 

Hald"   Oct.  24t....7.... 

Ne.  Z— "Pateh  Mah 

Britches"   Dee.  I9t  7  

Ne.  3— "Spark  Plus"   Apr.  l2/36t.6'/2 . . 

Ne.  4— Majer  Google   May  24/36t.«'/». • 

BROADWAY  COMEDIES 

Ante  in  the  Pantry  Feb.  6/36tl8'/2 . . 

(3  Steenee) 

Caught  in  the  Aet  Mar.  5,'3Stl8  

Andy  Clyde 

Champ's  a  Champ,  The  June  20,'36t  

(All  Star) 

Diierder  In  the  Court  May30.'36tl7  

(3  Stoeges) 

Double  Trouble   

Andy  Clyde 
Half  Shot  Sheeters   Apr. 

(3  Stooges) 
His  Marriage  Mlxup  Oct. 

Harry  Langdon 
Hoi   Pelloi   Aug. 

(3  Stooges) 
Honeymoon  Bridge   Oct. 

Leon  Errel 
Het  Paprika   Dec. 

Andy  Clyde 
I  Don't  Remember  Dec. 

Harry  Langdon 

Just  Speeding   Jan. 

Midnight  Blunders   Apr. 

(All  Star) 

Mister  Smarty   

Andy  Clyde 
Movie  Maniacs   Feb.  20,'36tl8.. . 

(3  Stooges) 

Oh    My   Nerves  Oct.  I7t...l7... 

(All  Star) 

Pain  in  the  P oilman.  A  

(3  Stooge*) 

Peppery  Salt,  The  May  1 5,'36tl8  

Andy  Clyde 

Share  the  Wealth  Mar.  l9/36tl7'/2. 

Andy  Clyde 
Three  Little  Beers  Nov.  28f...l7. .. 

(3  Stooges) 

Unrelated  Relations   Jan.  9,'36tl8... 

(All  Star) 

Whoops,  I'm  an  Indian  

(3  Stooges) 

Yoo  Hoo  Hollywood  Nov.  I4f...l8... 

(All  Star) 

COLOR  RHAPSODIES 

Bon  Bon  Parade.  Dec.   5f  8'/2. 

Dr.  Bluebird   Feb.  5,'S6t.8... 

Football  Bags   Apr.  29,'36t.7... 

Glee  Worms   June  24,'36t  

Monkey  Leve   Sept.  I2t  8... 

Neighbors   Aug.  15+. ...8... 


30,'38f  19.... 

31+.. . I*.... 

29t. ..!».... 

3t...l9.... 

I2t...l8'/s. 

26t...l8'/2.. 

23,'S6tl8.... 
2l,'36tl7.... 


KRAZY  KAT  CARTOONS 

9.  Happy  Family.  A  Sept.  26t . . .  .7. . . 

10.  Kannlbal  Kapers   Dec.  27t  7... 

11.  Bird  Stufler.  The  Feb.  I,'36t.7... 

12.  "Lll  AlaJII"   ..Mar.  I9,'36t.6... 

13.  Peace  Cenferenee   Apr.  I0,'36t.7... 

(re-lesne) 

14.  Highway  Snebhery   


NEW  WORLD  OF  SPORT  SERIES 

Feminine  Invasion,  The  Oct.  21+. ..II... 

Golfing    Rhythm   May  I5,'38tl0... 

Hontere'  Paradise   Nov.  sot...  1 1... 

lee  Cut-Ups   Feb.  6,'38tl0... 

Jump,   Horse,  Jump  Sept.  27t  ...II... 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Speed  Mad   Apr.  I7,'36tl0  

Stop,  Leek  and  Guess  Mar.  9,'36tl0  

Thrills  with   Daredevils.... Mar.  I9,'36tl0  

Sport   Mngle   June  l3,'36t.9'/2 . . 

SCRAPPY  CARTOONS 

Let's  Ring  Doorbells   Nov.    7t  7  

Playing  Polities   June.27,'36t  

Scrappy's  Boy  Scouts  Jan.  2,'36t.7  

Scrappy's  Camera  Troubles. June  5,'36f.7  

Scrappy's  Peny   Mar.  I6.'36t7  

SCREEN  8NAPSH0TS 

No.  2—   Oet.   lit. ..10  

No.  3—   Nov.  8t...l0.... 

No.  4 —   Dec.  6t...l0  

No.  5—   Jan.  2,'36t IO'/j  . . 

No.  6—   Jan.  3l/36tl0'/2. . 

Ne.  7—   Feb.  28/36tl0'/2. . 

No.  8—  Mar.  27,'36tl0.... 

No.  9—   Apr.  24,'36t.0'/2.. 

No.  10—   May  29,'36tl0. . . . 

No.   II—   June26,'36t  

STARS  OF  TOMORROW 

No.  2—   Sept.  7t...H.... 

Ne.  3—   Nov.  27t ...  1 1  

No.  4—   Nov.  I6f  10  

Ne.  5—   Jan.  I5,'38tll.... 

No.  6—   Jan.  I7,'36tl0  

VOICE  OF  EXPERIENCE 

No.   I—   Sept.  l5t...l0'/2.. 

No.  2—   Sept.  29t ...  I  O'/a . . 

No.  3—   Oet.  !3t...l0'/2.. 

No.  4—   Oct.  28t...l0</2.. 

No.  5—   Nov.  l2t...l0'/».. 

No.  6—   Nov.  27t...l0'/2.. 

No.  7—   Dee.  I2t. . .  IO!/2  . . 

No.  8—   Jan.    2,'36tl  I  

No.  9—   .Feb.  25.'38tl 0'/».. 

No.  10—   Mar.  26/36tl0'/,.. 

DU  WORLD 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

POPULAR   SCIENCE  FOREIGN 
(Ciaeeolsr) 

Ne.  I—   Sept.  I5,'36. .9  

No.  2—   10.... 

Ne.  3—   8.... 

No.  4—   8  

No.  5—   9  

Ne.  6—   10.... 

SEMI -FEATURES  AND  SHORTS 
Cathedrals   Oet.     It...  19.... 

EDUCATIONAL 

[Distributed  through 

Twentieth  Century-Fox] 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

CORONET  COMEDIES 

Brain  Busters,  The  Jan.  I0,'36tl8  

Fresh  from  the  Fleet  Apr.  24,'36tl8  

He's    a    Prinee  Oet.  1 8t  18  

Just  Another  Murder  Oct.    4t . . .  17  

Mixed  Policies   Jan.  I7,'36t20  

Sleepless  Hollow   May  8,'36tl6  

Where  Is  Wall  Street  Apr.  I0.'36fl9  

FROLICS  OF  YOUTH 

Choose  Your  Partners  Dec.  I3t...20  

Flloker  Fever   Sept.  26t . .  .20. . . . 

Knockout  Drops   Dec.  6t...l9  

MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Home  en  the  Range  June   5. '36121  

Moonlight  and   Melody  Oct.  I  It... 21  

Perfect  Thirty-Sixes   Dec.  20t...l8  

Rhythm  of  Paree  Sept.  27t . . .21 . ... 

Thanks,  Mr.  Cupid   Jan.  24,'36f  18  

SONG   AND  COMEDY  HITS 

Alpine   Rendezvous   Aug.    I, '36.11.... 

College  Capers   Sept.  27t. .  ■  12  

Easy  Plckln's   Dec.  27t ...10  

Going  Native   Aug.  21  ,'36. 1 1  

Hillbilly  Leve   Oct.  I  It...  1 1.... 

Queen's  Birthday,  The  Aug.  28,'36tl0  

Ring  Goes  'Round,  The  Aug.  14, '30. 10  

Rodeo  Day   Sept.  I3t...ll  

Seeing   Nellie   Home  Dee.  20t ...  1 1  

Sorority   Blues  Dec.  6t...M  

Spooks   Apr.  I7,'36t.9.... 

Way  Out  West  Oct.  25t ...  1 1  

SPECIAL 

Wings  Over  Mt.  Everest  July  I9t...22  

STAR    PERSONALITY  COMEDIES 

Glv'lm  Air   Feb.  14/36+18  

Gold  Bricks   Mar.  20,'3fit20  

Grand  Slam  Opera  Feb.  2l,"36t2l  

Ladles  Love  Hats  Nov.    It.. .20  


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min 


Penny  Wise   Sept.  6t...l8... 

Three  on  a  Limb  Jan.  3,*36tl9  

Timid  Young  Man,  The  Oct.  25f...20... 

Triple  Trouble   Apr.  3,'38tl6... 

White   Hope,  The  Mar.  27,'30ti9. . . 

PAUL  TERRY-TOONS 

Aladdin's   Lamp   Nov.  I5t  6... 

Alpine  Yodeler   Feb.  2-,'36t.6. . . 

Barnyard  Amateurs   Mar.  8.'$8t.6... 

Busy  Bee,  The  May  29,'36t.8. . . 

Circus  Days   Seat.  6t  6... 

Farmer   AI    Falfa   in  the 

Hot  Spell   July  10,'36t.6... 

Farmer  AI   Falfa  and  the 

Runt   ..May  l5,'S6t.6... 

Feud,   The  Jan.  lO.'SSt.S... 

Foiled  Again   Oet.    4t  6... 

Football   Oet.  I8t....6... 

Hey  Diddle  Diddle   Sept.  20t  8... 

Home  Town  Olympics...  Feb.  7.'S6t.6. . . 

June  Bride,  A  Nov.    It. ...8... 

Klko  and  the  Honey  Bears. . Aug.  2l,'36t.6. . . 

Kiko  the  Kangaroo   July  3l,'38t.l  rl. 

Mayflower,    The  Dee.  27t. ....... 

19th   Hole  Club,  The. . . . . .  Jan.  24,'36t.8. . . 

Off  to  China  Mar.  20/36t.S. . . 

Puddy   the    Pup   and   the. July  24.'38t.l  rl. 

Gypsies   

Rolling  Stones   May  l.*38t.8  

Sailors'  Heme,  The  June  I2,'38t.8. . . 

Southern    Horse-pitallty  Nov.  29 1  6... 

Tough  Egg,  A  June  26,'36t  .6. . . 

Western  Trail,  The  Apr.  3.'36t.6... 

Wolf  In  Cheap  Clothing,  A.Apr.  I7.'38t.8... 
Ye  Oldo  Toy  Shea  Dee.  I  St  6... 

TREASURE  CHEST 

Animal  Cunning   May  1,'SStlO... 

Clever  Critters   Sept.  20t. .. .t. . . 

Fast  Friends   Juno  5,'36t.9... 

Feminine  Form   Aug.  7/36.. I  .rl. 

Fisherman's  Luek   Jan.  3t,'38t.9... 

Gangsters  of  the  Deep  Nov.    It. ...8... 

Hold  That  Line  Dot.  I  It.... 7... 

Game  of  Jai-Alal,  The. . . . . . Dee.  27t  9... 

Manhattan  Tapestry   Jan.  3l,'38tl0... 

Seeing   Eye,    The  Jan.  I7,'38tl0. .. 

Skl-8erapers   May  24  8... 

Sunday  Sports  in  Mexieo  Nov.  8f...l0... 

TUXEDO  COMEDIES 

Just  Plain  Folks   Mar.  I3,'36tl9. . . 

Kiss  the  Bride   Sept.  I3t  21  

One  Binj  Hassy  Family   Nov.  I5t...2l... 

Rail  Birds   May  22,'S6tl8... 

TWO-REEL  COMEDIES 

Bashful    Buddies   Aug.  14. '36.  .2  rl< 

Happy  Heels   Aug.    I. '36. .2  rlt 

It  Happened  All  Right  May  I5,'36tl»  

Parked  In  Paree  Aug.  28, '36.  .2 

Peaceful  Relations   June  I9,'36tl8. 

YOUNG  ROMANCE 

Beware  of  Blendes  Feb.  7/36t20 

Love  in  a  Hurry  May  17  16, 

Love  in  September  Mar.  6/S6t2!, 

Way  Up  Thar  Nov.  8t...l8 


GRAND  NATIONAL 
DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

MUSICAL  MOODS 
(Technicolor) 

Ave   Maria   Mar.  25,'36t. I  rl. 

Irish  Melody   Mar.  9,'36t.  .8. . . 

Italian  Caprice   Dee.    If.... 8... 

Liebestraum   Apr.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

Mediterranean  Songs   Nov.    It  7... 

NEWSLAUGHS 

No.    2   Nov.  26t  I  rl. 

No.    3   Doe.  30t....l  rl. 

No.    4   Jan.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

No.    5   Feb.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

No.    6   Mar.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

6  THRILLING  JOURNEYS 

Craters  of  the  Moon   Nov.  1 5t ....  I  rl . 

Deep  Sea  Harvest  Jan.  I5,'36t.l  rl. 

Old    Faithful   Speaks  Nov.  I5,'36  

Ride  Along   Dude  Feb.  I5,'36t .  I  rl. 

City  of  Proud  Memories...  .Dec.  lot  I  rl. 

Realm  of  Ghosts  Mar.  I,'36t  


ffc. 


HOFFBERG 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

Beautiful    Blue   Danube. ...  Feb.  4,'36t.9.. 

Golden  Harbor   Mar.  I6,'36tl0. . 

It's  a  Bird   Jan.  20,'36tl7.. 

Sport  of  Flying  Aug.  1/36.12.. 

Carillon  Makers   Aug.  15. . . .  14. . 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

Life  of  Theodore  Roosevelt. .  Feb.    t .'36+19. . . 

Tough   Breaks   Mar.  l/38tli.., 

Symphony  of  the  Seasons. .  .Jan.  27/36t.t... 

Young  Explorer   Mar.  2/36tl0... 

INTERNATIONAL  VARIETIES 

No.  I—   Feb.  14/SSt.t... 

No.  2—  Feb.  28/38t.».. 

No.  3—   Mar.  8/36tl0.., 

No.  4—  Mar.  22/S6tI0.. 

No.  5—   Apr.  IO/36t.7... 

No.  6—   Apr.  22/3St.7t4, 

PERSONALITIES  ON  PARADE 

No.  I—   Feb.  5/S6+.9.., 

No.  2—   Mar.  6/S8t.9... 

No.  3—   .Apr.  Il/36t.t.., 

No.  4—   May  4/38t,9.., 

WORLD  EXPLORATIONS 

1.  Nomads  of  the  Jungle...  .Feb.  3,'36t.6... 

2.  Nomads  of  the  South  Seas. Feb.  I7,'36t.0.., 

3.  Nomads  of  the  Past  Mar.  3/38t.6.. 

4.  Nomads  ef  the  Air  Mar.  I7.'36t  S'/i 

5.  Nomads  In  the  Making. .  .Apr.  S/36t,6. . 

6.  Nomads  of  the  River. . .  .Apr.  I7.'36f  .6. . 

7.  Nomads  of  the  Plains  May  3/36+. 5</2 

8.  Nomads  of  the  Sea  May  I7/36t.5'/2 

IMPERIAL 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

COLOR  CLAS8ICS 

Towers   of   Melody  (.., 

Hidden  Treasures   ,  8.., 

Southern  Beauties   8.. 

EDGAR   GUEST   POETIC  GEMS 

After  the  Storm   , 

Boyhood   8.., 

Couldn't  Live  Without  Yeu  

Old  Prospector,  The  8.., 

Sea  Dreams   

Early  in  the  Mornln'  8.. 

NOVELTIES 

Cities  of  the  Past  

Nero   8... 

Every  Dog  Has  Its  Day  9... 

Napoleon's   Waterloo   9. . , 

Hebo  Hero   §. ., 

PORT  0'  CALL 

Peacock  Throne   9. . , 

City  of  the  Sun  9.., 

Jungle  Bound   

Last  Resort   9.., 

Love's  Memorial   

Mother  Ganges   9... 

Children  of  the  Nile  9... 

Seventh  Wonder   9... 

WORLD    IN  COLOR 

Beneath  Coral  Seas  8... 

Inspiration  of  Old  Love 

Songs   8... 

Isle  of  June   

Dream  Harbor   8... 

Street  of  Memory   8.., 

Maori   

Melody  Isle   , 

Under  the  Southern  Cross  8... 


MGM 


Title 


Min. 


Rel.  Date 
CHARLEY  CHASE 
Count  Takes  the  Count,  The.  .Feb.  22,'36t20. 

Life  Hesitates  at  40  Jan.  I8,'36tl5. 

Manhattan  Monkey  Business. Nov.  9t...2l. 

Neighborhood  House   May  9/36t20. 

Nurse  to  You  Oct.    St. ..20. 

On  tho  Wrong  Trek  Apr.  I8.'36tl9. 

Public  Ghost  No.   I  Doe.  I4t...20. 

Vamp  'Til   Ready  Mar.  28,'36t20. 

CRIME    DOESN'T  PAY 

No.  2 — Alibi  Racket   Sept.  14+  ...18. 

No.  3 — Desert  Death   Oct.  1 9+ . .  .21 . 

No.  4— Thrill  for  Thelma, 

A   Nov.  23t...l8. 

No.  5 — Hit  and  Run  Driver. Dee. 

No.  6 — Perfect  Setup   Feb. 

FITZPATRICK  TRAVEL  TALKS 
Honolulu,   Paradise  ef  the 

Pacific   Nov.    2t  8. 

Japan  in  Cherry  Blossom 

Time   Mar.  2l,'36t.9. 

Modern  Tokyo   Dec.  28t  9. 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  City  ef 

Splendor   Apr.  I8/36+.8. 

Rural  Mexico   Nov.  30t  8. 

Sacred  City  of  the  Mayan 

Indians   Feb.  22/36t.7. 

St.  Helena  and  Its  Man  ef 

Destiny   May  !6/36t.8.. 

Victoria  and  Vancouver  Jan.  25/36t.9. 


28t..,20. 
l/36t2l . 


140 


MO!  ION    PICTU  RE    H  ERALD 


July    II,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


Title  Rei.  Date  MIn. 

HARMAN-1SING 
(Happy  Harmonies) 

15—  Honeyland   Oct.  I9t...l0... 

16—  Alias  St.  Nick  Nov.  I6t  10. . 

17 —  Run,  Sheep.   Run  Dec.  I4+...I0... 

18—  Bottles   Jan.  Il.'36tl0... 

19 —  Early  Bird  and  the 

Worm.  The   Feb.  8.'36t.9.., 

20—  Old  Mill  Pond.  The...  Mar.  7,'36t.8... 

21—  Two  Little  Pups  Apr.  4.'36t.8. .. 

M-G-M  MINIATURES 
Great  American  Pie  Com- 
pany  Nov.   9t  ...II. 

How  to  Behave  Apr.  25,'36tl0. 

Important  News   Feb.  29.'36t 1 0 . 

Jonker   Diamond   Mar.  28.'36t  1 0 . 

Let's  Dance   Jan.  4.'36t.8. 

Little  Boy  Blue  May  23,'36t  1 1 . 

Master  Will   Shakespeare ...  June  1 3. '36t  10. 

Primitive  Pitcairn   Dec.  7t....9. 

Trained  Hoofs   Oct.  I2t  9. 

West  Point  of  the  South... Feb.  f,'36t.8. 
M-G-M  SPORTS  PARADE 

Air  Hoppers   Jan.  I8.'36fl0. 

Aquatic  Artistry   Apr.   1 1, '36. 9. 

Crew  Racing   Dec.  21 1 ...  1 0. 

Gymnastics   Oct.  26t  9. 

Polo   May  9,'36t.8. 

Table  Tennis   Feb.  I5,'36tl0. 

Racine  Canines   Mar.  I4,'36tl0. 

Water  Sports   Oct.  26t  8. 


MUSICAL  REVUES 

La  Fiesta  de  Santa  Bar- 
bara Dec.    Jf. . .IB. ... 

Pirate  Party  on  Catallna 

Isle   Nov.  21  20... 

OUR  GANG 

Arbor  Day   May  2,'36tl8... 

Divot  Diggers   Feb.  8,'36tl5... 

Follies  of  1936  Nov.  30t...l8... 

Little  Sinner   Oct.  26t...l8... 

Lucky  Corner,  The  Mar.  I4,'36tl6. . . 

Pinch  Singer   Jan.  4,'36tl8... 

Second  Childhood   Apr.  Il.'36tl9... 

PATSY  KELLY  COMEDIES 

All-Amerlean  Toothache  Jan.  25,'36t20... 

Hill  Tillies   Apr.  4,*36fl8... 

Hot  Money   Nov.  I6t...l8... 

Pan  Handlers   Feb.  29'36f20... 

Top  Flat   Dec.  2ft.. .20... 

Twin  Triplets   Oct.  I2t...2l... 

SPECIAL 

Audioscopiks   8... 

PARAMOUNT 

Title  Rel.  Date  MIn. 

BETTY  BOOP  CARTOONS 
Betty  Boop  and  Little 

Jimmy   Mar.27,'36t.7... 

Betty  Boop  and  the  Little 

King   Jan  3l,'36t.7... 

Henry,  The  Funniest  Living 

American   Nov.  22t  7... 

Judge  for  a  Day  Sept.  20t . . .  .8. . . 

Little  Nobody   Dee.  27t  7... 

Making  Stars   Oct.  I8t  7... 

More  Pep   June  I9,'36t  

Not  Now   Feb.  28,'36t.7. . . 

Song  a  Day,  A  May  22,'36t .7. . . 

Wo  Did  It  Apr.  24,'36t.6... 

You're  Not  Built  That  Way. July  I7,'36t.l  rl. 
COLOR  CLASSICS 

Cobweb   Hotel,   The  May  I5.'36t.8... 

Greedy  Humpty  Dumpty  July  I0,'36t.l  rl. 

Little  Stranger   Mar.  I3,'36t  .8. . . 

Musical  Memories   Nov.    8t  7... 

Somewhere  in  Dreamland. .  .Jan.  I7,'36.9  

(Technicolor) 

Time  for  Love  Sept,  6t  7... 

HEADLINERS 
Accent  on  Girls  Dec.  27t  

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 

Melodears  , 

Babes  In  Hollywood  Oct.  I8t...l0... 

Breezy  Rhythm   Apr.  1 0.'36t  10. . . 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 

Cavalcade  of  Music,  The  Oct.    4t  8... 

Lucky  Starlets   May  22,'36tl0... 

Baby  Leroy-Bennle  Bart- 

tett  -  David    Holt  -  Betty 

Holt  -  Billy  Lee-VIrglnla 

Weldler 

Magic  of  Music,  The  Aug.  2t--.II... 

Richard  Himber  and  His 
Orchestra 

Midnight  Melodies   Mar.  20,'36f  1 1 . . . 

Ed  Paul  and  Orchestra- 
Babs  Ryan  -  Loretta  Lee 


Title                         Rel.  Date  Min. 
Moscow  Moods   ...Jan.  17. '3611 1  

Yasha  Bunchuk  and  Orch. 
Movie  Melodies  on  Parade.. Feb.  7,'36tll  

Andre  Kostelanetz-Mary 

Eastman 

Musical  Fashions   July   3,'36t  .1  rl . . 

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  her 
Melodears 

Music  in  the  Morgan  Manner.  June  1 2.'36t  

Russ  Morgan  and  Orch. 
Parade  of  the  Maestros  Nov.  1 5t ...  1 0 ... . 

Red  Nichols,  Ferde  Grofe, 

Emery  Deutsch  and  Their 

Orchestras 

Radio  Rhapsdoy   Dec.  6t...l0  

Johnny  Green  and  Orch. 

Star  Reporter,  The  Feb.  28,'36f.9  

Betty  Jane  Cooper-Don- 
ald Novis-lna  Ray  Hutton 

Yankee  Doodle  Rhapsody. ..  May  l,'36tll  

Ferde  Grofo  and  His 
Orchestra 

PARAMOUNT  PICTORIAL  NEW  SERIES 
No.  3— Nesting  Time— Re-. Oct.  lit  9  

flections — Song  Makers  of 

the  Nation  (Tot  Seymour 

and  Vee  Lawnhurst)  

No.  4  —  Jewelry  —  Made  to.  Nov.    3t . . .  10  

Order  —  Let's   Listen  to 

Latin  America   

No.  5 — Manhattan  Rhapsody  Dec.  6t...l0  

— Animal  Buddies  —  Man 

of  Many  Faces  

No.    6  —  The    Latest   from  Jan.  3,'36tl0.... 

Paris — Shifting  Sands — 

Nature's  Sideshow   

No.  7 — Mountain  Moods —  Jan.  3l,'36t.7  

Camera    Hounds  —  Song 

Makers    of    the  Nation 

(Ralph  Rainger  and  Lee 

Robin)   

No.  8—  Frederic  W.  Goudy .  Feb.  28,'36t  II.... 

— Sails  Over  Sydney  Har- 
bor —  The   Voice   of  the 

Animals   

No.  9— Trailing  the  Birds  .  Mar.  27,'36t.9  

— Lake    of  Enchantment 

— Swanee     River  Goes 

High  Hat 

No.    10— Toilers     of     the  .  Apr.  24.'36tl0. . . 

Deep  —  Where  Beauty 

Reigns — Make-up  Magic 
No.   II — Champagne — Girls   May  22,'36t  

Will  Be  Boys— Up  Mont 

Blanc 

No.   12—   Juno  I9.'36t  

No.   13—   July  I7.'36t.l  rl 

PARAMOUNT  VARIETIES 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  4  Sept.  27t . . .  10. . 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  5  Dee.  13+10. 
Proadwav  Highlights  No.  6. Apr.    3/36+. 9.. 

Collie.  The   Feb.  2l,'36fl0.. 

Countryside  Melodies   Nov.  29t  6.. 

(Technicolor) 

Dangerous  Jobs   May    I. '361.9.. 

Fashions   in   Love  July  24. '36+ .  I  rl 

Here  Comes  the  Zoo  Mar.  I3.*36t  .9. . 

March  of  the  Presidents...  .Sept.  27t . . .  10. . 

Movie  Milestones  (No.  I).. July  26  10.. 

Movie  Milestones  (No.  2)    Jan.  3l,'36tl0.. 

Nature  Sneaks   July  12  10.. 

Popular  Science   May  31 ....  10. . 

(Color) 

Poodle.  The   May  22.'36tl0. . 

Rhythm  Party.  The  June  26/36t... 

Rookie  Fireman,  The  Apr.  24.'36tl0. . 

Shorty  at  Coney  Island  Jan.  1 0.'3Bt  10.. 

Shorty  at  the   Seashore  July  I0,'36t.lrl 

Shorty  Goes  South  Sept.  1 3+ . . .  10. . 

Spring  Night   Nov.    It  8.. 

POPEYE  THE  SAILOR 
Adventures  of  Popeye,  The.  .Oct.    25+  .  .8. . 

Bridge  Ahoy!   May  l,'36t.8.. 

Brotherly  Love    Mar.  6/36t  7.. 

Clean  Shaven  Man,  A  Feb.  7/36+  7.. 

I-Skl  Love-Ski  You-Skl  Apr.  3.'36t.6.. 

I  Wanna  Be  a  Lifeguard. .  .  June  26/36+  

King  of  the  Mardl  Gras...  .Sept. 27+  7.. 

Let's  Get  Movin*   July  24,'36t.l  rl 

Slnbad  the  Sailor  Jan.  3l,'36t.2rls 

(Special) 

Spinach  Overture,  The  Dec.    6t  8... 

Vim,  Vigor  and  Vltaliky..  Jan.  3,'36t.7... 

What,  No  Spinach?  May  29,'36t  

PARAMOUNT  SOUND  NEWS 
Two  Editions  Weekly 

POPULAR  SCIENCE 
(Cinecolor) 

No.   I   Sept.29t...9.... 

No.  2   Nov.  29t . . .  IO«/i. . 


Title  Rel.  Date 

No.  3   Jan.  24,'36tll 

No.  4   Mar.27,'36tll 

No.  5   May29,'36t.. 

No.  6   July  I7,'36t.l 

SCREEN  SONGS 
Hills  of  Old  Wyomin',  The. . July  24,'36t .  I 

The  Westerners 
I    Don't  Want  to  Make 

History   May22,'36t.. 

V.  Lopez  and  Orchestra 
I   Feel  Like  a  Feather  In 

the  Breeze    Mar.  27.'36f  .7 

Jack  Denny  and  Orchestra 
It's  Easy  to  Remember  Nov.  29t...l0 

Richard  Himber  and  Or- 
chestra 

I  Wished  On  the  Moon  Sept.  20t  8 

Abe  Lyman  and  Orchestra 

No  Other  One  Jan.  24/36t8 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 

GRANTLAND  RICE  SPORTLIGHTS 
(NEW  SERIES) 
No.  16— Hooked  Lightning  Sept.  27t . . .  10 
No.  17 — Junmping  Champion. Oct.  25t...'0 
No.  18 — Sport  on  the  Pange.Nov.  22+.  ..10 
No.  19 — Sporting  Network  .Dec.  20+.. .10 
No.  20— What's  the  Answer.  Jan.  I7.'36tl0 

No.  21— Finer  Points  Feb.  I4.'36tl0 

No.  22— Winged  Champions.  Mar.  I3.'36tl0 

No.  23 — Sun   Chasers  Apr.  10. '36+ 10 

No.  24— Catching  Trouble. ..  May  8,'36+IO 

No.  25— River  of  Thrills  June  5,'36t.. 

No.  26 — Sporting  Compari- 
sons July  3,'36t.. 


RKO  RADIO 


Title  Rel.  Date  MIn. 

DUMBBELL  LETTERS 

No.  21   Jan.  3.'36t.5.. 

No.  22    .Feb.  3l.'36t.5'/i 

No.  23   Apr.  3.'36t.5.. 

No.  24   May  29,'36t.5. . 

No.  25   July  I0.'36f  

EASY  ACES 

Capital  Idea   .Oct.    4t . . .  10 . . 

Debonair  New  Orleans  Mar.  27,'36+IO. . 

Etloue+te   Nov.  29.'36+.9.. 

Fool  Your  Friends   June  9.'36t  

Job's  a  Job.  A  May  22,'36t  

Jolly  Old  London  Aug.  30  9'/j 

Old  Fashioned  Movie.  An . . .  Feb.  28.'36tl  I . . 

Tricks  of  the  Trade  Sept.  6t...l0.. 

U  mutualities   Aug.  9t  9'/i 

Winter  at  the  Zoo   .Jan.  3l.'36tl0'/a 

World  Within.  A  Nov.    It. ..10.. 

FOUR  STAR  COMEDIES 

Salesmanship  Ahoy   July  19. . . .  l8'/a 

HEADLINER  SERIES 

No.  5 — Drawing   Rumors  July  12  17.. 

No.  I — Niqht  Life   Sept.  21  + . .  .21 . . 

No.  2— Tuned  Out   Nov.  I5t...20.. 

No.  3 — Camera  Cranks  Jan.  17/36+19.. 

No.  4— Wedtime  Story,  A..  .Mar. 20.'36t2l . . 

No.  5 — Pad  Medicine  May  22,'36tl5. . 

No.  6 — Sleepy  Time  July  24/36+ ... . 

EDGAR  KENNEDY  COMEDIES 

Dummy  Ache   July  I0,'36t  

Gasoloons   Jan.  3.'26tl5'/i 

Haony  Tbo  Married  Nov.    I.... 18.. 

High  Beer  Pressure  May    8.'36tl8. . 

In  Love  at  40  Aug.  30+..  .19.. 

Sock  Me  To  Sleep  May  17  20.. 

Will  Power   Mar.  6.'36tl5'/j 

MAJOR    BOWES'   AMATEUR  PARADE 

No.  I   May  l,'36t.9.. 

No.  2   June  5.'36f  

No.  3   July  3.'36t.... 

MAJOR  BOWES'  AMATEUR  THEATRE 
OF  THE  AIR 

No.  4   Oct.  I8t...l8'/i 

No.  5   Nov.  8t...l8.. 

No.  6   Nov.  22t ...  18. . 

MARCH  OF  TIME 

No.  8   Nov.  15t...20.. 

No.  9   Dec.  I3t...23'/t 

[1936] 

No.  I   Jan.  I7,'36tl8'/i 

No.  2   Feb.  I7.'36t24.. 

No.  3   Mar.  13/36.21. . 

No.  4   Apr.  17/36+21.. 

No.  5   May  I5.'36t  

No.  6   June  I2.'36t  

No.  7   '..  .July  I0,'36f  

MUSICALS 
Night  at  the  Blltmore 

Bowl,  A   June  21....  17'/, 

PATHE  NEWS 
Released  twice  a  week 

PATHE  REVIEWS 
Released  once  a  month 


Title  Rel.  Date  MIn. 

PATHE  TOPICS 

Released  seven  times  a  year 

RADIO  FLASH  COMEDIES 

Dog    Blight   June  12/361  

Fight  Is  Right  Apr.  I0,'36tl7. . . 

Radio  Barred   Feb.  7,'36tl5Vi. 

Where  There's  a  Will  Oct.    4t . . .  18. . . 

Worm  Burns,  The  Dec.  6t...l7... 

RADIO    MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Aladdin  from  Manhattan  Feb.  28,'36tl7. . . 

Foolish  Hearts    Dec.  27t...l8... 

Melody  in  May  May  I,'36tl9... 

Metropolitan  Nocturne   Aug.  23t . . .  18. . . 

Mismanaged   Oct.  25t...l9'/j. 

Swing  It   July  3/36t  

RAINBOW   PARADE  CARTOONS 

Bold  King  Cole  May  29,'36t  

Felix  the  Cat  and  the  Goose 
That  Laid  the  Golden  Egg . Feb.  7/36t.7'/i. 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  the 
Indians   Nov.  151  T/t. 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  Robin- 
son Crusoe   Mar.  20/36t.7. . . 

Neptune  Nonsense   Apr.  17/36+. 8. . , 

Toonerville  Trolley   Jan.  I7,'36t.7... 

Trolley  Ahoy   

Waif's  Welcome,  A  June  I9,'36t  

SMART  SET 

All  Business   Feb.  14/36+ l8'/3 . 

And  So  to  Wed  June  19/36+  

Framing  Father   Apr.  I7,'36tl6'/i. 

Returned  Engagement,  A. ..Oct.  lit. ..21... 

Too  Many  Surprises  Dec.  3t...20'/i. 

SPECIALS 

Going  on  Two  Sept.  17. ..  .17,. . 

Headlines  for  25  Years  Mar.  27,'36t2l . . . 

SPORTS  WITH  BILL  CORUM 

Bugles  from  Blue  Grass  Oct.  Ilt...l0'/t. 

Gentlemen's  Sports   Dec.  1 3 1 . .  .11..- 

Inside  the  Ropes  Aug.  16+.. .10... 

Never  Catch  the  Rabbit  Apr.  24/36+1  1  .. . 

Row  Mr.  Row  June  I9/36+  

Tomorrow's  Halfbacks   Jan.  24,'36f.9... 

Winter  Sport  Mar.  I3,'36tl0. . . 

STRUGGLE  TO  LIVE 

Beach  Masters   Nov.  8t . . .  IO'/i  . 

Living  Jewels   June  I2,'36t  

Underground  Farmers   Apr.  I7,'36t .9. . . 

Winged  Pageantry   Feb.  I4,'36tl0... 

SUPERBA  COMEDIES 

Counselitis   Nov.  22t . . .  18. . . 

Down  the  Ribber  Mar.  27/36+21 . . . 

Home  Work   Sept.  20f. . .  19. . . 

Uppercutlets   Jan.  24/36tl8'/i . 

Listen  to  Freezin'   July  31. '36+  

Wholesaling  Along   May  29,'36tl7. .. 

VAGABOND  ADVENTRE  SERIES 
Quebec   Aug.   2  9'/a. 

WORLD  ON  PARADE 
Coral  Isle  of  the  Atlantic . .  Mar.  27,'36t  1 1  ■ . . 

Land  of  Evangeline  Nov.  22t...l9'/i. 

Morocco   Jan.  10/36+  

Prominent  Personalities  Feb.  2l,'36tll... 

Spain's  Romantic  Isle, 

Majorca   Oct.  I8t...l9'/t. 

Venice  of  the  North  May  15/36  


STATE  RIGHTS 

Title  Rel.  Data  Min. 

AL  BONDY 

(General  Electric) 

Excursions  In  Science  No.  1  8... 

DYNAMIC 

Wonderland  of  Gaspe  II... 

NORTON 

Alchemist's  Hourglass,  The  18... 

PAT  GARYN 

O'Mahoney-George  Bout   17... 

PHIL  BROWN 

Norwegian  Sketches   10... 

REGAL 

Broadway  Nights   


20TH  CENTURY-FOX 

Title  Rel.  Date  MIn. 

ADVENTURES  OF  THE 
NEWSREEL  CAMERAMAN 

Filming  the  Fantastle  Jan.  3l,'36tl0.. 

Filming  Feminine  Head- 
liners   Dec.  27t...l0... 

Hazardous  Oceupatlan   Oct.  I8+...I0... 

Shooting  the  Record  Break- 
ers  Nov.  22t...l0... 

MAGIC  CARPET  SERIES 

Argentine  Argosy   Nov.  22t...i0... 

Geneva-by-tba-Laka  Dee.  2lt...l0... 

Hong  Kong  Highlights  Jan.  31/36+10... 

Italian  Riviera   Sept.  27+. . .  10. . . 

Morocco  Mirage   Aug.  30  10... 


July    II,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


141 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART-- CONT'D) 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

West  Indies  Cruise  Oct.  25+. ..10... 

Winter  Magic   Dec.  27t . . .  10 — 

UNITED  ARTISTS 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

MICKEY  MOUSE 

17.  Pluto's  Judgment  Day..  .Sept.28t  9... 

18.  On  Ice   Nov.    6t  8... 

19.  Mickey's  Polo  Team  Feb.  5,'36t.8... 

20.  Mickey's  Grand  Opera  9... 

21.  Through  the  Mirror  June  I8,'36t.9... 

22.  Moving  Day   9... 

23.  Mickey's  Rival   9... 

SILLY  SYMPHONIES 
13.  Who  Killed  Ceck 

Robin?   June  26+. ..10... 

Music  Land   Oct.   lOt  Ws. 

Three  Orphan  Kittens. .. Nov.  21 1  9... 

Broken  Toys   Dec.  I9f  —  .8 — 

Cock  of  the  Walk  Jan.  9.'36t.8... 

Orphans'  Picnic   Mar.  I2,'36t  .9. . . 

Elmer  the  Elephant  May  I4.'36t.8'/a. 

Three  Little  Wolves  May  27,'36tl0. . . 


Title                        Rel.  Date  Mi 
UNIVERSAL  SPECIAL 
Camera  Thrills   Sept.  30  21 


UNIVERSAL 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

CARTUNE  CLASSICS 
No.  6— Fox  and  the  Rabbit, 

The   ....Sept.  30  8  

GOING  PLACES  with  LOWELL  THOMAS 


No.  14   Nov.  2St....9.... 

No.  15   Dec.    9t  9.... 

No.  16   Dec.  23t. . .  10  . 

No.  17   Jan.  20,'36t  

No.  18   Mar.  9,'36tl0'/a. . 

No.  19   Mar.23.'3StlO.... 

No.  20   Apr.  20,'36t  .§.... 

No.  21   June  8, '36+  

No.  22   June  22/36+  

No.  23   July  6,'36t  

No.  24   July  20,'36  

No.  25   Aug.  3/36  

No.  26   Aug.  I7.'36  .'. 

MENTONE  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Carnival  Time   Jan.  22,'36tl9  

Jean  Sergent-Jack  Fulton 

Clubhouse  Party  (No.  6-B).Dec.  2Sf  2rla. 

Ray  Perkins 

Fllppen's  Frolics   July  I5,'36t  

Gus  Van's  Music  Shoppc 

(No.  5-B)   Dec.  4t...20.... 

Harlem  Bound  (No.  4)  Nov.  6+...20  

Marine  Follies   Apr.  29.'36t.2  rli. 

On  Your  Radio  Dial 

(No.  3)   Oct.  23t...l0  

Playing  for  Fun  Mar.  I8,'36tl5. . . . 

Signing  Off   Feb.  I9.'36tl9  

Speedy  Justice  (No.  2-B) .  .Sept.  25+. .  .20. . . . 

Teddy  Bergman's  Inter- 
national Broadcast  June  3,'36t20  

Vaud-O-Mat,  The   Apr.  8,*3BtlB  

NOVELTIES 

Skits  'n*  Sketches  Feb.  24,'36t  

OSWALD  CARTOONS 

Alaska  Sweepstakes   Feb.  I7,'36t.8  

Amateur  Broadcast   Aug.  26  7  

Battle  Royal   June  22/36t  

Barnyard  Five   Apr.  20,'36t  

Beauty  Shoppe   Mar.  30/36+ .6'/2 . . 

Case  of  the  Lost  Sheep,  The. Dec.    9t  7  

Doctor  Oswald   Dec.  30f  

Farming  Fools   May  25,'36t  

Fun  House,  The  May  4,'36t  

Monkey  Wretches   Nov.  lit  1  rl.. 

Quail  Hunt,  The  Oct.    7  8.... 

8lumberland  Express   Mar.  9,'36t  

Soft  Ball  Game  Jan.  27,'36t  

STRANGER  THAN  FICTION  SERIES 

No.  14—  Novelty   Nov.  I8t. . .  .9  

No.  15—  Novelty   Dec.    2t  9  

No.  16— Novelty   Dec.  I6t  9  

No.  17— Novelty   Jan.  I3/36+.9  

No.  18— Novelty   Mar.  30/36+ .9'/a. . 

No.  19— Novelty   Apr.  I3,'36t.9  

No.  20—  Novelty   June  l,'36t  

No.  21— Novelty   June  I5,'36t  

No.  22— Novelty   June  29,'36t  

No.  23— Novelty   July  13/36+  

No.  24— Novelty   July  27,'36  

No.  25— Novelty   Aug.  10. '36  

No.  26— Novelty   Aug.  24,'36  

UNIVERSAL  COMEDIES 

Bring  'Em  Back  a  Lie  Aug..  14  2.rls. 

Sterling  Holloway 

Father  Knows  Best  July  20  2  rls. 

Sterling  Holloway 

His  Last  Fling  July  31.  ...20.... 

(Van  Ronkel  No.  5) 

You  Can  Be  Had  Jan.  8.'3«tU.... 


VITAPHONE 


BIG  TIME  VAUDEVILLE 


REEL 

5,'36tll.. 


Vitaphone  Billboard   Feb 

Jane  and  Katherine  Lee 
Vitaphone  Casino   10. . . 

Buster  West-Radio  Rubes 
Vitaphone  Celebrities   Jan.  25,'36tll... 

Remington  Singers 
Vitaphone  Entertainers  . . . .  June  27,'36t . I  rl. 

Sylvia  Froos 
Vitaphone  Headliners   Dec.  I4t--.I0... 

Nick  Lucas-Four  Mullen 

Sisters 

Vitaphone  Highlight   Apr.  4,'36tl0. .. 

Eddie  Peabody 
Vitaphone  Hippodrome   May   2,'36tl I  

Molly  Picon-Johnny  Lee 
Vitaphone  Spotlight   Mar.  7,*36tll... 

Conville-Dale 

Vitaphone  Topnotehes   May  30/36+  

Vitaphone  Troupers   Jan.   4,'36tI0 — 

Four  Trojans- 

Aunt  Jemima 
Vitaphone  Varlete   Nov.  I6t  I  rl. 

Louis  Prima  and  Oreh. 
Vitaphone  Stageshow   July  25,'3ot. I  rl. 

BIG  V.  COMEDIES 


Sept.2lt--.20.... 
Oct.  5+...20.... 
Oct.  26t...20.... 
.Nov.  9t....2rls. 
Nov.  23t ...21.... 

Dee.  21t  21 ... . 

Jan.  4.'38t20.... 

Jan.  IS.'SStZI  

Feb.  I,'36t2l  


Feb.  I5,'36t2l.... 

Mar.  I4,'36t2l.... 

Mar.28.'36t2l.... 
Apr.  1 1  .'36f2l  


Keystone  Hotel   

Old  Timers 
Vodka  Boatmen   

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Lonesome  Trailer   

El  Brendel 
Officer's  Mess.  The  

Shemp  Howard 
Double  Exposure   

Bob  Hope 
Lucky  Swede,  The  

El  Brendel 
While  the  Cat's  Away  

Shemp  Howard 
They're  Off  

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Slide,  Nellie,  Slide  

Herman  Bins- 
Paula  Stone 
Shop  Talk   

Bob  Hop* 
Joe  Palooka  In  for  the  Love 

of  Pete   

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 
Calling  All  Tars  

Bob  Hope 
Slum  Fun   

Johnny  Berkes- 

Charles  O'Donnell 
Dough-Nuts   

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Absorbing  Junior  ... 

Shemp  Howard- 
Johnny  Berkes 
Joe  Palooka  in  Here's  Howe 

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 
Wife  of  the  Party,  The 

Ken  Murray 
Good  Old  Plumbertime, 

The   

Johnny  Berkes 
The  Oily  Bird  

Ken  Murray 


BROADWAY  BREVITIES 
Dublin  In  Brass  Sept.  7t  ..20.. 

Morton  Downey 
Oh,  Evallne   Sept.  14t . .  .20. . 

Hal  LeRoy- 

Eleanore  Whitney 
Doorman's  Opera   Sept. 28t. .  .20. . 

Charlotte  Arren- 

Johnny  Broderlck 
Tickets  Please   Oct.  I2t...2t.. 

Georgle  Price 
Regular  Kids   Oct.   I8t...20. . 

Meglln  Kids 
Check  Your  Sombrero  Nov.    2t . . -21 . . 

Armlda-Tlto  Coral 
Rooftops  of  Manhattan  Nov.  I6t...2l.. 

Deane  Janls-GII  Lamb 
Trouble  In  Toyland  Nov.  30t...20.. 

Gus  Edwards'  Stars  of 

the  Future 


Apr.  25,'36t.2  rls. 
.May  9.'36t2l  

.  June  6,'36t2l  

June  20,'36t22.... 


July  1 1, '361.2  rls. 
July  25,'36t  .2  rls. 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Okay,  Jose   Dee.  7t...2l  

El  Brandel 

Katz'  Pajamas   Dec.    I4t.  21  

Fifl  D'Orsay 
Broadway  Ballyhoo   Dee.  28t...2l  

Owen,  Hunt  and  Parco 
Carnival  Days   Jan.  Il.'36t2l  

Henry  Armetta- 

Felix  Knight 
Double  or  Nothing  Jan.  I8,'36t2l  

Phil  Harris-Leah  Ray 

Study  and  Understudy  Jan.  25,'36t22  

Between  the  Lines  Feb.  8/36t22  

Bernice  Claire 
King  of  the  Islands  Feb.  22,'36t2l  

Winifred  Shaw- 
Warren  Hymer 
Stars  Can't  Be  Wrong,  The. Feb.  29,'36t2l . . . . 

Carolyn  Marsh  - 

Harris  Twins 
Wash  Your  Step  Mar.  7,'36t2l  

Hal  LeRoy- 

Preisser  Sisters 
Paris  in  New  York  Mar.  2l.'36t22. . . . 

Irene  Bordoni 
Black  Network.  The  Apr.  4/36t22... 

Nina  Mae  McKlnney- 

Nieholas  Bros. 
College   Dads   Apr.  1 1  ,'36t2l . . . . 

Leon  Janney 
Double  Crostky.  The  Apr.  I8,'36t2l  

Olga  Baelanova 
I'm  Much  Obliged.  May  2,'36t2l  

Vera  Van-George  Dobbe 
Maid  for  a  Day  May  23/36+20. . . . 

Grace  Hayes 
City's  Slleker.  The  May30.'36t.2  rls. 

Dawn  O'Day-Radla  Rubes 
Romance  In  the  Air  May  I6.'36t  

Wlnl  Shaw-Phil  Regan 
Chanting  of  the  Guard  June  6,'3(t20  

Sybil  Jason 

Rhythmltls    June  I3.'36t.2  rls. 

Hal  LeRoy-Toby  Wing 

Sang  of  a  Nation.  The  July  4,'36t20  

Donald  Woods- 
Claire  Dodd 

When  You're  Single  July  I8,'36t.2  rls. 

Cross  and  Dunn 

LOONEY  TUNES 

No.  12— Hollywood   Capers.  .Oet.   19  7  ... 

No.  13— Gold  Diggers  of  '4*  7.... 

No.  14— Plane  Dippy   Dee.  2lt  7  

No.  15— Alpine  Antics  ...  .Jan.  4.'36t.7  ... 
No.  IS— Phantom  Ship.  The. Feb.    l/36t.7. ... 

No.  17— Boom!  Boom!   Feb.  29.'36t.7. . . . 

No.  18— Blow  Out,  The  Apr.  4.'36t.7.... 

No.  19— Westward  Whoa  Apr.  25.'36t.7. . . . 

No.  20— Fish  Tales  May  23.'36t.7. . . . 

No.  21 — Shanghaied  Ship- 
mates  June  20/36. .  I  rl.. 

No.  22— Porky's  Pet   July  il,*36t  


MELODY  MASTERS 


Phil  Spitalny  All  Girl 
Orchestra   

Jack  Denny  and  Orchestra. 

Johnny  Green  and  Orchestra. 

Claude  Hopkins  and  Oreh. 

Red  Nichols  and  Orchestra. 

B.  A.  Rolfe  and  Orchestra. 

Jelly  Coburn  and  Orchestra. 

Little  Jack  Little  and 
Orchestra   

Ramon  Ramos  and  Orchestra 

Dave  Apollon  and  His  Band 

Vincent  Lopez  and  Orches- 
tra   

Carl  Hoff  and  Orchestra... 

Clyde  Lucas  and  Orchestra. 


Sept.  14+  10... 

Oet.  7t...l0... 

Oct.   12+..  .10  

Nov.  9t...l0... 

Jan.  4.'36tl0... 

Feb.  I.'36tll... 

Feb.  22.'36tll... 

Mar. 21, '36+1 1. .. 

Apr.  in.'36+ll  

.May  I6,'36tl0... 

June  6,'36+iO... 
July  ll,'36t.l  rl. 
 II... 


No. 
No. 
No. 
No. 


MERRIE  MELODIES 

(In  Color) 

11 —  Lady  In  Red,  The.   Sept. 21  7... 

12—  Little  Dutch  Plate. Oct.  I9t  7... 

13—  Billboard  Frolles  7... 

14 —  Flowers  for  Madame . Nov.  30t  7... 

No.  15—1  Wanna  Play 

House   Jan.  Il.'36t.7... 

No.  16 — Cat  Came  Back. 

The   Feb.  8.'36+.7... 

No.  17— Miss  Glory   Mar.  7,'36.7... 

No.  18 — I'm  a  Big  Shot 

Now    Apr.  ll.'36+.7... 

No.  19— Let  It  Be  Me   May    2. '36+. 7... 

No.  20 — I'd  Love  to  Take 

Orders  from  You  May  16/36+7... 

No.  21 — Bingo  Crosbyana. .  .  May  30,'36t  .7. . . 
No.  22— When  I  Yoo  Hoo. .  .  June  27,'36t  


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

No.  23—1   Love  to  Slnga.  .  July  18,'36+ .  I  rl. . 

OUR  OWN  UNITED  STATES 
No.  I — Curious  Industries. .  .Sept.  7+ ...  1 1  

Harry  Von  Zell 
No.  2 — Playground   Oct.  5t...H  

James  Wallington 
No.  3 — Camera   Hunting  Nov.  2t...ll  

Paul  Douglas 

No.  4— Nature's  Handiwork. Nov.  30+  II  

No.  5—  Odd   Occupations  Dec.  28+. .  .12  

No.  6 — Steel  and  Stone  Jan.  25,'36+U  

No.  7— Day's  Journey,  A. .  .Feb.  22/36+1 1  

No.  8—  Harbor   Lights  Mar.  2 1  ,'36+ 1 1  

No.  9— We  Eat  to  Live  Apr.  I8,'36tl0  

No.  10 — Vacation  Spots  May  16/36+1 1  

No.  II — Irons  in  the  Fire.  .June  13/361 . 1  rl.. 
No.  12 — Can  You  Imagine.  .July  1 1 ,'36+ . I  rl. 

PEPPER  POT 
Nutville   Sept.  7t. . .10  

Radio  Ramblers 
All  American  Drawback  Oet.    5+.. .10.... 

Edgar  Bergen 
'Wee'  Men   Nov.    2+ . . .  1 0  

Singer's  Midgets 
Seein'  Stars   Nov.  30+. ..10  

Easy  Aces 

P's  and  Cues  Dee.    7 1 ...  1 1  

(Exploitation:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  82.) 

Can  It  Be  Done?  Dee.  21 1 ...  1 0  

Wild  Wings   Jan.  11/36+11.... 

Some  Class   Feb.  8/38+10  

Charles  Ahearn 

Timber  Giants   Feb.  22/36+11  

Half  Wit-ness   Mar.2l.38t. I  rl 

Radio  Ramblers 

Beneath  the  Sea  Apr.  18/31+  

Pictorial  Review     June27/36t.  I  rl. . 

Nut  Guilty   10.... 

When   Fish   Fight  July  11/36. 10  

SERIALS 

12  Episodes  Each  Unless  Otherwise  8pe<l«jta 
Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

BURROUGHS-TARZAN 

New  Adventures  of  Tarzan..June  10  2  rls. 

Herman  Brix  (each) 


MASCOT 


Fighting  Marines,  The  Nov.  23t...  2rls. 

Grant  Withers-George  Lewis 


REPUBLIC 


Darkest  Afriea   

Clyde  Beatty 
(15  Episodes) 
Robinson  Crusoe 

Mala 

Undersea  Kingdom   

Ray  Corrigan-Lois  Wilde 

Vigilantes  Are  Coming,  The. 
Robert  Livingston- 
Kay  Hughes 


STAGE  and  SCREEN 


(Weiss-Mintz 
Black  Coin,  The  

(15  episodes) 
Clutching   Hand,  The  

Jack  Mulhall- 

Wm.  Farnum 

(also  feature  version) 


Custer's  Last  Stand  

Rex  Lease-Lena  Andre 
(also  feature  version) 


Serials) 
..Aug.  I 


'36.. 


.Apr. 


8/36+. 2  rls. 
(each) 


(1st  episode,  3  rls., 
followed  by  14  twe- 
reel  episodes.) 

..Jan.  2/36+  

(1st  episode,  5  rls., 
followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 


UNIVERSAL 


Adventures  of  Frank  Merrl- 

well   Jan.  I3,'36t. 

Den  Brlggs-Jean  Rogers 
Flash  Gordon   Apr.  6.'36t. 

Buster  Crabbe-Jean  Rogers 

(13  episodes) 
Phantom   Rider   July  6,'36t. 

Buck  Jones-Maria  Shelton 

(15  episodes) 
Rustlers  of  Red  Dog  Jan.  2ft  - 

John  Mack  Brown 
Tailspin  Tommy   In  the 

Great  Air  Mystery  Oct.  2 1  + ... 20  

Clark  Williams — Jean  Rogers  (each) 


20.... 
(each) 


142 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    II,  1936 


ClASSlFlED 
ADVERTISING 


the  great 
national  medium 
for  showmen 


Ten  cents  per  word,  money-order  or  check  with  copy.  Count  initials,  box  number  and  address.  Minimum  insertion, 
$1.  Four  insertions  for  the  price  of  three.  Contract  rates  on  application.  No  borders  or  cuts.  Forms  close 
Mondays  at  5  P.M.  Publisher  reserves  the  right  to  reject  any  copy.  Film  and  trailer  service  advertising  not 
accepted.  Classified  advertising  not  subject  to  agency  commission.  Address  correspondence,  copy  and  checks  to 
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alog — beware  of  fly-by-night  sharpers — no  more  shop- 
ping around — everything  you  need  now  from  one 
source — "World's  Largest  Theatre  Supply  Mail  Order 
House."  S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broadway,  New  York. 


doors 


ORDER  NOW1  RICHARDSON'S  NEW  BLUE 
Book  of  Projection — 6th  edition  complete  in  one  vol- 
ume. 714  pages,  153  illustrations.  Full  text  on  projec- 
tion and  sound  combined  with  trouble-shooter,  $5.25 
postpaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rockefeller  Center, 
New  York. 


BIGGEST  BOOK  BARGAIN  BEATS  ALL— 
Sloane's  famous  "Motion  Picture  Projection,"  303 
pages,  fully  illustrated,  handsomely  red  Morocco  bound, 
textbook  of  New  York  Institute  of  Photography. 
Originally  $7.50,  special  98c.  Ask  for  our  prices, 
Richardson's,  Cameron's,  etc.  S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broadway, 
New  York. 


THEATRE  ACCOUNTING  BY  WILLIAM  F. 
Morris,  is  still  the  best  bookkeeping  system  for  thea- 
tres. It  not  only  guides  you  in  making  the  proper 
entries,  but  provides  sufficient  blank  pages  for  a 
complete  record  of  your  operations  for  each  day  of 
the  year.  Notable  for  its  simplicity.  Order  now — 
$3  postage  prepaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rocke- 
feller Center,  New  York. 


POSITIONS  WANTED 


PROJECTIONIST  —  EXPERIENCED  ON  SOUND, 
dependable,  reference.    CLYDE  BREDON,  1520  Mor- 

gantown  Ave.,  Fairmont,  W.  V'a. 


SOUND  TECHNICIAN -PROJECTIONIST.  DE- 
sires  change  of  position.  Equipped  to  service  all  in- 
stallations. Excellent  references  —  sober.  BOX  719, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


MANAGER— WISHES  TO  LOCATE  WITH  RE- 
liable  organization.  PAUL  NEWMAN,  Sturgis,  Mich. 


THEATRES  ECR  SALE 


SMALL  THEATRE  TO  LIQUIDATE  A  PART- 
enrship.  Doing  nice  business  no  trades.  G.  A.  HART, 
Stratford,  Texas. 


MONEY-MAKER,  7  DAY  OPERATION.  COUNTY 
seat,  Michigan;  550  seats;  1,500  population,  trade, 
resort  center.  Building,  equipment  good.  $7,000.  Sale 
reason,  too  far  from  other  interests.  BOX  724, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


SOUND  EQUIPMENT 


"LETTER  PERFECT  ALL  RESPECTS,"  WRITES 
John  Taplin.  Wellesley,  Mass.  "Cinemaphone  sound 
good  as  highest  priced  outfits."  Write  for  free  trial. 
S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broadway,  N.  Y. 


GENERAL 
EQUIPMENT 


NEW  AND  RECONDITIONED  PROJECTORS, 
reflector  lamps,  rectifiers,  lenses,  sound  equipment, 
screens,  chairs,  mazdas,  portables  and  accessories. 
Bargain  bulletin  free.  MONARCH  THEATRE 
SUPPLY  CO.,  Memphis,  Tenn. 


TINSEL  TAPE,  SPARKETTE  STARS  AND  DOTS 
for  decorating  theatre  signs,  costumes,  drops;  also 
chromium  mouldings,  wood  and  transite  letters.  All 
sizes  and  styles.  Write  for  literature.  CROWN,  311 
W.  44th  St.,  New  York. 


AIR  CONDITIONING 


AIR  CONDITIONING  CHARTS  THAT  REPRE- 
sent  standard  practice  in  air  conditioning  for  motion 
picture  theatres.  Practical  advice  on  how  to  attain 
the  best  atmospheric  conditions  for  your  house  winter 
and  summer.  Devised  to  be  put  on  the  wall  for  con- 
stant reference.  Available  until  the  supply  is  ex- 
hausted at  25c  each,  payment  direct.  BETTER 
THEATRES,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York. 


WANTED  TO  BUY 


READY  CASH  WAITING  FOR  ANY  NUMBER 
Powers,  Simplex  projectors,  mechanisms,  lenses,  gen- 
erators, reflector  arc  lamps,  rectifiers,  mazdas,  chairs, 
portables,  sound  outfits,  and  complete  theatre  equip- 
ment. BOX  717,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


HIGHEST  PRICES  FOR  RCA  SOUND  SIMPLEX, 
Powers,  Motiograph,  arc  lamps,  rectifiers,  lenses,  port- 
ables, stocks  liquidated.  Strictly  confidential.  BOX 
721,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


CASH  PAID  FOR  OLD  SILENT  SIMPLEX 
machines.    F.  MERTZ,  Springfield,  111. 


TRAINING  SCHOOL 


THEATRE  EMPLOYEES;  ADVANCE  TO  BET- 
ter  theatre  positions.  Free  booklet  shows  you  how. 
THEATRE  INSTITUTE,  315  Washington  St.,  Elmira, 
N.  Y. 


USED  EQUIPMENT 


LOST  OUR  LEASE— MUST  SELL  2  SIMPLEX 
rebuilt  projectors  complete  with  soundheads,  amplifiers 
and  speakers — 2  Strong  low-intensity  lamps  like  new— 
2  Forest  rectifiers.  Will  allow  30  days  trial  to  re- 
sponsible party.  This  cost  us  $1,900.  Will  sacrifice  for 
$975.  No  dealers.  BOX  723,  MOTION  PICTURE 
HERALD. 


UNUSUAL  BARGAINS  IN  USED  OPERA 
chairs,  sound  equipment,  motion  picture  machines, 
screens,  spotlights,  stereopticons,  etc.  Projection  ma- 
chines repaired.  Catalogue  H  free.  MOVIE  SUPPLY 
COMPANY,  Ltd.,  844  So.  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago. 


HAVE  ON  HAND  10,000  AMERICAN  SEATING, 
late  type  with  spring  seats  at  low  prices.  RELIABLE 
SEATING  CO.,  353  W.  44th  St..  N.  Y. 


$850  TAKES  ENTIRE  THEATRE  EQUIPMENT. 
Powers  machines,  Deluxe  sound,  seats,  piano,  every- 
thing.  PRINCESS,  Saybrook,  Illinois. 


LARGEST  DEALERS  IN  USED  THEATRE 
chairs,  parts,  etc.  ALLIED  SEATING  CO.,  358  West 
44th  St.,  New  York  City. 


VENTILATING 
EQUIPMENT 


NEW  5,000  C.F.M.  blower  and  ventilating  fans  only 
$49.50  less  motor.  Send  for  catalog.  PROGRESSIVE 
REELTONE  CORP.,  Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 


POOR  PERSPIRING  PATRONS  APPLAUD 
S.  O.  S.  air  conditioners,  selling  at  $17.95  up.  Blowers 
for  small  theatres,  complete,  no  extras,  $59.50.  Fans 
at  cut  prices.    S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broadway,  New  York. 


BARGAINS  RECONDITIONED  ARCTIC  NU-AIR, 
Supreme,  American  Blowers,  noiseless  drives,  hydraulic 
variable  speed  pulleys.  New  air  washers.  Catalog 
mailed.  SOUTHERN  FAN  CO.,  11  Elliott,  Atlanta, 
Ga. 


SEVERAL  USED  SILENT  ARCTIC  NU-AIR 
blowers  and  air  washers  completely  rebuilt  by  manu- 
facturer. Write  ARCTIC  NU-AIR  CO.,  2101  Ken- 
nedy St.,  N.  E.,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 


SCREEN 
REEINISDING 


SCREENS  REFTNISHED.  WORK  EXECUTED  IN 
theatre  by  factory  experts;  white  or  silver. 
WILLIAMS  SCREEN  CO.,  Akron.  O. 


July    It,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


143 


CHICACOLAND  HONORS  JACK  MILLER 


More  than  300  friends  of  Jack  Miller, 
dinner  in  the  Red  Lacquer  Room  of  the 

C  OUR  of  Hollywood's  feminine  screen 
'  stars  gave  Chicago's  perspiring  news- 
paper photographers  a  good  workout  over 
the  weekend.  Arriving  from  Hollywood  and 
passing  through  on  the  way  East  were 
Katherine  DeMille,  Ruth  Etting  and  Gene- 
vieve Tobin.  On  the  City  of  Los  Angeles 
came  lovely  young  Kay  Griffith,  Chicago's 
own  pride  and  joy,  who  got  her  start  to 
stardom  singing  in  a  local  night  club. 
V 

Arthur  Dickinson  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Producers  and  Distributors  of  America  in 
town  for  a  discussion  of  practical  application 
of  the  2,000-foot  reel. 

V 

David  Palfreyman  was  in  Chicago  fol- 
lowing the  convention  of  the  Kansas-Mis- 
souri theatre  owners. 

V 

Harvey  Miller,  air-conditioning  expert 
in  the  Chicago  region,  left  for  a  week's 
vacation  in  New  York  State. 

V 

Ben  Elrod,  country  booker  for  the  local 
Paramount  office,  has  returned  with  his 
bride,  the  former  Lucy  Clark  from  their 
honevmoon  in  New  York. 

V 

Emma  Abplanalp  of  the  local  Film  Board 
of  Trade,  received  a  ruby  glass  cigaret  box 
for  her  birthday.  She  doesn't  smoke,  but 
it's  on  her  desk  for  visitors  to  her  office 
to  help  themselves. 

V 

Schoenstadt  Theatre  Company  on  Mon- 
day took  over  the  New  Regent  Theatre, 
69th  and  Halsted  Streets,  in  Chicago  from 
the  Van  Nomilcos  organization.  No  changes 
in  personnel  are  contemplated. 

V  . 

William  F.  Crouch  and  his  bride  took  the 
vows  Monday  and  left  for  a  two  weeks' 
honeymoon  in  a  quiet  retreat  in  Minnesota. 

V 

Ollie  Garver,  in  charge  of  production  for 
National    Screen    Service,   passed  through 


retiring  as  president  of  the  Chicago  Exhibito 
Palmer  House,  following  his  twelve  years  of 

Chicago  on   his  way   back  to  the  Coast 
from  a  New  York  business  trip. 

V 

Fred  Barrow  of  the  local  MGM  office 
said  that  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"  will  close 
in  Chicago  on  Saturday,  after  a  13  weeks' 
run  at  the  Erlanger  theatre.  Barrow  will 
beat  the  drums  in  advance  of.  "San  Fran- 
cisco" for  several  weeks  and  then  will  leave 
for  a  well-earned  vacation. 

JACK  GARBER 
(Pinch-hitting  for  William  F.  Crouch) 


Oldtime  Films  Shown 
As  Regular  Features 

Starting  last  Tuesday,  Flicker  Frolics, 
oldtime  pictures  of  the  "came-the-dawn"  era, 
are  being  shown  at  Tudor  City  Open  Air 
theatre  in  New  York.  Miss  Dorothy  Stone, 
sponsor  of  the  showings,  is  the  head  of  a 
film  library  comprising  an  extensive  col- 
lection of  pictures  from  nickeldeon  days. 
The  Frolics  will  continue  through  the  sum- 
mer and  will  comprise  a  four-reel  feature, 
a  two-reel  comedy,  one-reel  novelties  and 
newsreels,  all  of  ancient  vintage.  The  pro- 
gram will  change  weekly. 


Sabath  To  Continue 
Theatre  Lease  Study 

The  Sabath  Congressional  committee  is 
now  engaged  in  a  study  of  reasons  behind 
the  disaffirmance  of  theatre  leases  by  com- 
panies in  bankruptcy  or  reorganization  and 
the  methods  employed  by  companies  in  ob- 
taining reductions  under  leases  which  were 
renewed. 

RKO  officials  were  questioned  on  theatre 
lease  changes  during  the  past  week  and  offi- 
cials of  other  companies  may  be  called  in  the 
near  future.  A.  H.  McCausland,  trustee's 
representative  in  RKO  was  one  of  those 
called  for  questioning  by  the  committee's 
counsel  recently. 


rs  Association,  joined  in  the  testimonial 
active  service  in  exhibitor  organization. 

Court  Decision  Asked 
On  Securities  Plan 

A  federal  court  in  St.  Louis  will  decide 
shortly  on  the  problem  of  disposition  of  the 
$110,000  par  value  preferred  stock  and 
$110,000  par  value  in  debentures  of  Para- 
mount Pictures,  Inc.,  which  the  voting 
trustees  of  the  reorganized  Missouri  Thea- 
tre Building  Corporation  received  on  a  rent 
claim  against  Paramount.  A  petition  for  a 
ruling  was  filed  by  Boatmen's  National 
Bank,  as  trustee  under  the  $2,000,000  in- 
come mortgage  bond  issue  which  the  hold- 
ers of  the  original  bonds  received  in  the  re- 
organization. The  bank  asked  that  these 
assets  be  turned  over  to  it.  The  trustees,  in 
answer,  requested  authorization  of  an  ex- 
change whereby  the  Paramount  securities 
would  be  used  to  retire  some  of  the  new 
bond  issues. 


Seeks  Reorganization 

The  Coney  Island  Theatre  Corporation 
filed  a  petition  to  reorganize  under  Section 
77-B  of  the  Bankruptcy  Law  in  Federal 
court  at  Brooklyn  last  week.  The  company 
operates  the  Coney  Island  theatre  and  leases 
an  office  building  in  connection  with  the 
theatre.  The  company's  petition  said  that  its 
gross  receipts  had  declined  from  $360,000  in 
1930  to  $272,000  in  1935  and  that  rental  on 
the  office  space  had  declined  proportionately. 


Weiss  to  Aid  Benefit 

Joseph  M.  Weiss,  motion  picture  and  radio 
composer  and  arranger,  heads  the  Motion 
Picture  Division  of  the  Community  Councils 
,of  New  York  for  the  benefit  performance 
of  "Aida"  to  be  given  on  August  1st  in  the 
George  Washington  Stadium,  New  York. 
Proceeds  of  the  benefit  will  be  used  to  pro- 
vide additional  swimming  pools  and  hy- 
drotherapy service  for  physically  handi- 
capped children  of  the  city. 


SHOWMANSHIP  IN  SHORTS 


**** 


BUSTER  WEST  and  TOM  PATRICOLA 

in  two  rip-snorters 
HAPPY  HEELS"  "PARKED  IN  PAREE' 


and  snappy  dancing  toes 


with-^^Dc^  the  Wonder  Horse" 


SCREEN  COCKTAILS  WITH  A  DOUBLE  STRENGTH  KH 

One-reel  entertainment  loaded  with 
showmanship  . . .  Song  and  Comedy  Hits, 

mirth,  song,  dancing,  beauty;  Treasure  *J£y>: 


est  productions,  gems  of  human  inter- 
est...tops  in  their  lines. ..and  a  great  n 
i jcartoon  character,  "Kiko  the  Kangaro 

TERRY-TOONS 

"KIKO  AND  THE  HONEY  BEARS" 

Featuring  "Kiko  the  Kangaroo" 

TREASURE  CHEST 

"FEMININE  FORM" 

Story  and  narration  by  Ed  Thorgersen 

SONG  AND  COMEDY  HITS 

ALPINE  RENDEZVOUS"  "GOING  NA#if" 

with  with 
Roy  Halle      The  Buccaneers  Miriam  Verne      Bill  Bailey 

Don  Alberto  and  his  orchestra 

THE  RING  GOES  'ROUND"    "THE  QUEEN'S  BIRTHDAY 

with  with  /  // 

Henry  King  and  his  orchestra  Mary  Lou      Sugar  Nichols 

Phyllis  Claire      Dario  and  Diane  The. Bo  Brummels 

Coming:  "  Th*  Cabin  Kids  " 


.  with  Stars  that  Are  Sure  Fun 

Names  That  Are  News 

§^uaJwnid(Pidm£^  opens  the  new  season  with  the 
strongest  summer  featurettes  in  many  years  . . . 
a  star-studded  group  of  two-reel  comedies  and 
one-reel  cartoons  and  novelties  that  spell  news, 
entertainment  and  box-office  profits. 

Here  is  showmanship  in  the  production  of  short 
subjects ...  and  a  big  opportunity  for  showman- 
ship in  the  exhibition  of  short  subjects,  too.  Just 
look  over  these  August  releases.  Then  book  them 
. . .  and  Sell  Them.  That's  showmanship  in  shorts. 


r 


NIELA 
GOODELLE 


comedy 


Distributed  in  U.S.A.  by 
nnTH  Caai c~  c:l~  C  ' 


mm 


Turn  to  pages  19  to  62 
and  get  a  load  of  those  great 
Box- Office  pictures  Paramount 
has  lined  up  for  1936-1937. 


MOTION  PICTURE 

HERALD 


THE  NEW  DEAL 
ON  THE 
SCREEN 

"BULLETS  OR  BALLOTS 
JUNE  BOX  OFFICE 
CHAMPION 


BINGHAM  PRESENTS 
QUICLEY  AWARD  TO 
LONDON  SHOWMAN 


VOL  124,  NO.  3  JULY  18,  1936 

Entered    as   second-class    matter,    January    12,    1931,  at    the    Post  Office,  at  New  York,  .V.   Y..  under  the  act  of  March  3, 

1879.  Published  weekly  by  Quigley  Publishing  Co.,  Inc.,  at  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York,  Subscris 
tion,  $3.00  a  year.    Single  copies.  25  cents. 


PICTURE  OF  A 
PEN  RARIN' 
TO  GO! 

It  belongs  to  JOHN  P.  EXHIBITOR  and 
it's  headed  for  M-G-M's  DOTTED  LINE! 

Even  without  "SAN  FRANCISCO"  it  was  a  foregone  conclusion  that  M-G-M  in 
1936-37  was  the  intelligent  buy.  "SAN  FRANCISCO",  in  midsummer  actually 
outgrossing  "Mutiny  On  The  Bounty,"  settles  the  matter  definitely  for  thousands 
of  showmen.  There  is  no  secret  in  the  trade  about  the  success  of  M-G-M  produc- 
tions. M-G-M  makes  BIG  HITS  because  it  shoots  the  bankroll,  takes  chances,  puts 
heavy  dough  on  big-winning  possibilities.  The  M-G-M  Studio  is  clicking  with  a 
success-stride  unprecedented  in  history!  BIG  current-season  productions  are  still  to 
follow  "San  Francisco"  this  hot  summer!  Many  of  the  BIG  BUDGET  HITS  of 
the  NEW  SEASON  are  completed.  A  landslide  for  M-G-M  in  1936-37!  We  think 
so.  And  we  feel,  with  pardonable  pride,  that  it's  justified! 


BEFORE 


THE  MONTH 
IS  OVER  .  .  . 


THEY'VE 
GOT 

PRE-RELEASE 
DATES 


FOR 


Class 


OF  f 


'  All. 


""'-rate 

firam  Uni  wr  Cab/e. 


FROM 

WARNER 
BROS. 


netted  by 


suiCab7e 


A  Fable  by  Marc  Connelly  •  Directed 
by  Marc  Connelly  and  William  Keighley 


8  COLLECT 

'°  1936 


LT0« 


"rs"-««a.vs 


C0»e£iu,mG 


It's  happening  already! 

A  smash  opening  on  the  hottest  day  of  the 
summer  in  the  hottest  city  in  the  country! 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL,  N.  Y. 

JULY 

16 

UNITED  ARTISTS,  DETROIT  .  . 

JULY 

16 

PARAMOUNT, SALT  LAKE  CITY. 

JULY 

23 

MAJESTIC,  HOUSTON 

JULY 

10 

EARLE,  WASHINGTON 

JULY 

31 

MAJESTIC,  SAN  ANTONIO  .  . 

JULY 

31 

MAJESTIC,  PROVIDENCE  .  .  . 

JULY 

31 

ORPHEUM,  OMAHA  

JULY 

16 

BOYD,  PHILADELPHIA 

JULY 

22 

NEWMAN,  KANSAS  CITY  .  .  . 

JULY 

17 

ALABAMA,  BIRMINGHAM  .  .  . 

JULY 

31 

GARDEN,  CHARLESTON  .  .  , 

Hflft 

JULY 

13 

STATE,  SPOKANE  

JULY 

24 

WARNER,  WORCESTER .  |,  . 

JULY 

30 

STACEY,  TRENTON  ..... 

JULY 

31 

PARAMOUNT,  MONTGOMERY  . 

JULY 

26 

COLONY,  MIAMI  BEACH  .  .  . 

JULY 

10 

TIVOLI,  CHATTANOOGA  .  .  . 

JULY 

12 

LUCAS,  SAVANNAH  

JULY 

16 

SUNSHINE,  ALBUQUERQUE  .  . 

JULY 

24 

ELLANAY,  EL  PASO  

JULY 

17 

STRAND,  PORT  ARTHUR  .  .  . 

JULY 

12 

STATE,  JACKSON  

JULY 

12 

ORPHEUM,  LEAVENWORTH  .  . 

JULY 

12 

ASTOR,  READING  

JULY 

31 

METROPOLITAN,  BOSTON  . 

.  JULY 

24 

GREAT  LAKES,  BUFFALO  .  . 

.  JULY 

25 

MAJESTIC,  DALLAS  .... 

.  JULY 

11 

PENN,  PITTSBURGH .... 

.  JULY 

24 

HOLLYWOOD,  FT. WORTH.  . 

.  JULY 

10 

DES  MOINES,  DES  MOINES  . 

.  JULY 

9 

CIRCLE,  INDIANAPOLIS .  .  . 

.  JULY 

24 

WARNER,  MEMPHIS .... 

.  JULY 

18 

MIDWEST,  OKLAHOMA  CITY . 

JULY 

16 

-- 

FOX, ATLANTA.  .  .  . 

.  JULY 

10 

BROADWAY,  CHARLOTTE .  . 

JULY 

13 

WARNER,  MILWAUKEE 

.  JULY 

24 

KEITH'S  PALACE,  ROCHESTER 

.  JULY 

31 

CAPITAL.SPRINGFIELD,  MASS. 

JULY 

30 

WARNER,  ATLANTIC  CITY  . 

.  JULY 

24 

CAPITOL,  LITTLE  ROCK  .  . 

.  JULY 

12 

CAPITOL,  JEFFERSON  CITY  . 

.  JULY 

12 

TENNESSEE,  KNOXVILLE .  . 

.  JULY 

25 

PALACE,  LAKE  PLACID .  .  . 

.  JULY 

19 

PARAMOUNT,  AUSTIN  .  .  . 

.  JULY 

18 

JEFFERSON,  BEAUMONT  .  . 

.  JULY 

12 

SPRECKLES,  SAN  DIEGO  .  . 

.  JULY 

22 

FOX,  BILLINGS  

JULY 

12 

ALHAMBRA,  CANTON  .  .  . 

.  JULY 

31 

STATE,  RALEIGH  

.  JULY 

12 

YOU'LL  BE  SELLING  HER  NAME  IN  LETTERS 

^  (Pronounce  if  'Sea-MOAN'  See -MOAN')  I 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 


Vol.  124,  No.  3 


July  18,  1936 


TIME 

TWITTERS 
ON 


THE  cock  sparrow  journalism  of  Time  dressed  in  the  pomp 
of  a  drum  major  and  fancying  its  adolescent  strut  to 
be  a  grand  march  of  omniscient  authority,  last  week 
gave  demonstration  of  its  skill,  judgment  and  intent  with 
respect  to  both  the  printed  word  and  the  screen. 

Th  is  revealing  occasion  was  Time's  attention  to  the  En- 
cyclical letter  of  Pius  XI  on  the  subject  of  the  motion  picture, 
its  moral  and  social  responsibilities  as  a  world  art. 

Since  Time  is  both  a  publisher  and  a  producer  of  pictures, 
seeking  to  extend  its  scope  across  the  theatre's  screens,  its 
policies  and  methods  become  a  matter  of  interest,  perhaps 
concern,  to  all  showmen. 

IIME,  it  must  be  understood,  is  a  re-write  newsmagazine, 
gathering  its  materials,  raw  materials,  from  the  press, 
mainly  the  newspapers,  using  the  technique  of  the  twitter- 
ing sparrows,  hunting  the  pages  of  the  world  press  for  tasty 
bits  of  shockery  which  have  eluded  the  decencies  of  editors, 
even  as  the  birds  of  the  pavement  find  nourishment  in  the 
grains  that  have  escaped  the  digestive  functions  of  the  horse. 

This  process  inevitably  makes  available,  for  those  who  seek, 
everything  printed  that  is  not  fit  to  print.  By  assembling  the 
week's  editorial  indiscretions  and  infractions  of  civilized  taste 
the  world  around  it  is  possible  to  arrange  an  aromatic  bouquet 
of  great  appeal  to  the  coprophagous. 

SUCH  a  viewpoint  not  unnaturally  is  accompanied  by  some 
of  that  editorial  perspective  which  considers  good  news 
as  no  news.    In  that  school  of  thought  it  takes  trouble, 
vehemence,  innuendo,  grief  and  pain  to  make  headlines. 

Devastating  exemplification  of  the  method  and  taste,  in  an- 
other item,  in  the  same  issue  may  be  gathered  at  a  glance.  One 
of  America's  most  eminent,  and  incidentally  wealthy,  citizens 
is  ill  of  neuritis.  After  regaling  its  audience  with  a  tedious 
account  of  his  sick  bed  movements,  Time's  rewriter,  obviously 
turning  to  a  medical  reference  work,  finds  it  necessary  to 
enumerate  the  many  causes  of  neuritis,  and,  taking  pains  the 
while  to  include  syphilis  and  gonorrhea.  The  relevancy  is 
in  the  mind  of  the  writer. 

So  it  has  come  that  Time,  publisher  and  producer,  has  been 
able  to  find  in  the  Encyclical  from  Pius  XI  reproach  for  the 


American  screen.  Time  sees  the  Roman  Church  officially 
imposing  a  censorship  extraordinary  on  the  motion  picture 
to  the  surprise  and  confusion  of  the  "cinema  producers"  who 
were  thereby  "undeceived"  in  a  prior  assumption  that  "their 
wares  matched  the  highest  standard  of  Christian  morality." 

HE  fact  that  Pius  XI  substantially  held  up  as  a  world 
example  the  present  system  of  operation  of  the  Amer- 
ican industry  under  the  attentions  of  the  Production  Code 
Administration,  was  not  found  available  by  the  sparrow  doing 
the  rewrite  job  appearing  under  the  title  of  "Cinema"  and 
"Hollywood  Encyclical"  in  the  issue  of  Time  of  July  13, 
page  50. 

Time  found  Hollywood  mystified  and  "undeceived"  in  spite 
of  the  fact  that  the  Pope  in  addressing  the  American  Bishops 
said: 

You  .  .  .  of  the  United  States  will  be  able  to 
insist  with  justice  that  the  industry  in  your  country 
has  recognized  and  accepted  its  responsibility  before 
society. 

It  takes  a  cock-eyed  sparrow  to  see  a  note  of  mystery,  re- 
buke and  disaster  in  those  words.  So,  readily  enough,  the 
method  is  not  to  see  them,  positively  not  to  see  them.  Time 
has  officially  declined  to  set  that  portion  of  the  Encyclical  and 
matters  thereunto  related,  before  its  readers.  Who  was  it 
boasted  "Curt,  Concise,  Complete"? 

IN  simplest  terms,  Time  would  hold  up  to  its  public  a  repre- 
.   sentation  that  the  motion  picture  industry  and  Hollywood 
are  in  trouble  with  the  Church — this  despite  the  existence  of 
the  most  complete  adjustment  of  relations  that  the  industry  has 
seen  in  all  its  history. 

Just  incidentally,  this  "curt,  concise,  complete"  account  in 
Time  takes  equally  accurate  measure  of  the  Legion  of  De- 
cency and  its  operations,  including  also  the  statement  that 
the  "prime  mover"  of  the  Legion  has  been  Cardinal 
Daugherty  of  Philadelphia,  whereas  the  movement  took  its 
rise  in  St.  Louis  and  has  all  the  while  been  conducted  under 
the  express  supervision  of  Archbishop  John  T.  McNicholas  of 
Cincinnati. 

And  in  passing,  a  straw  to  denote  Time's  motion  picture 
attitude,  it  remarked:  "the  humble  U.  S.  trade  press  was 
expressing,  in  its  own  way,  thanks  for  the  compliment  of  so 
much  attention  from  the  Vatican." 

IT  is  just  possible  that  Time  is  slightly  confused  about  the 
quality  and  nature  of  humility,  too.  Time's  goose-stepping 
march,  ballyhooing  as  the  news  of  the  world  its  potpourri  of 

[Continued  on  page  9] 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  MARTIN  QUIGLEY,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher 

Incorporating  Exhibitor's  Herald,  founded  1915;  Motion  Picture  News,  founded  1913;  Moving  Picture  World,  founded  1907;  Motography,  founded  1909;  The  Film  Index, 
founded  1906.  Published  every  Thursday  by  Quigiey  Publishing  Company,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  City.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address  "Quigpubco,  New  York. 
Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Colvin  Brown,  Vice-President  and  General  Manager;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Editor;  Ernest  A.  Rovelstad,  Managing  Editor;  Chicago 
Bureau,  624  South  Michigan  Avenue,  C.  B.  O'Neill,  manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Postal  Union  Life  Building,  Boone  Mancall,  manager;  London  Bureau,  4,  Golden 
Square,  London  W  I,  Bruce  Allan,  cable  Ouigpubco  London;  Berlin  Bureau,  Berlin-Tempelhof ,  Kaiserin-Augustastrasse  28,  Joachim  K.  Rutenberg,  representative;  Paris 
Bureau,'  19,  Rue  de  la ' Cour-des-Noue's,  Paris  20e,  France,  Pierre  Autre,  representative,  cable  Autre-Lacifral-20  Paris;  Rome  Bureau,  Viale  Gorizia,  Rome,  Italy,  Vittorio  Malpassuti, 
representative,  Italcable,  Malpassuti,  Rome;  Melbourne  Bureau,  Regent  Theatre,  191  Collins  St.,  Melbourne,  Australia,  Cliff  Holt,  representative;  Mexico  City  Bureau,  Apartado  269, 
Mexico  City,  James  Lockhart,  representative;  Prague  Bureau,  Uhelny  trh  2,  Prague  I,  Czechoslovakia.  Harry  Knopf,  representative;  Budapest  Bureau,  3,  Kaplar-u,  Budapest,  Hungary, 
Endre  Hevesi,  representative;  Buenos  Aires  Bureau,  Corrienles  2495,  Dep.  8,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina,  Natalio  Bruski,  representative;  Shanghai  Bureau,  142  Museum  Road,  Shanghai, 
China,  J.  P.  Koehler,  representative;  Tokyo  Bureau,  880  Sasazuka,  Ichikawa-shi,  Chiba-Ken,  Japan,  H.  Tominaga,  representative;  Rio  de  Janeiro  Bureau,  Caixa  Postal  3358, 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil,  A.  Weissmann,  representative;  Barcelona  Bureau,  Harry  Chapin  Plummer,  Hotel  Ritz,  Plaza  de  las  Cortes,  Barcelona,  Sooin.  India  Bureau;  K.  G.  Gidwaney, 
Post  Box  147,  Bunder  Road,  Karachi,  India;  Uruguay,  P.O.  Box  664,  Montevideo,  Uruguay,  Paul  Bodo,  representative,  cable  Argus  Montevideo.  Member  Audit  Bureau  of  Circulations. 
All  contents  copyright  1936  by  Ouigley  Publishing  Company.  Address  all  correspondence  to  the  New  York  Office.  Better  Theatres,  devoted  to  the  construction,  equipment  and  opera- 
tion of  theatres,  is  published  every  fourth  week  as  section  2  of  Motion  Picture  Herald.  Other  Ouigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Daily,  Teatro  al  Dla,  Spanish  language  quarterly 
in  the  theatre  and  equipment  field,  and  International  Motion  Picture  Almanac  and  the  Box  Office  Check-up,  both  published  annually. 


8 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


This  Week 


New  Deal  on  Screen 

Screen  activities  of  agencies  under  the 
New  Deal  came  under  trade  scrutiny  this 
week  with  announcement  that  the  Works 
Progress  Administration  is  planning  to  pro- 
duce and  distribute  30  pictures  at  a  cost  of 
$6,000  each  and  word  that  the  Resettlement 
Administration  is  ready  to  accept  bids  for 
foreign  rights  to  its  "The  Plough  That 
Broke  the  Plains." 

A  detailed  news  discussion  of  these  and 
other  developments  starts  on  page  13. 

Paramount  Plans 

Indications  that  Paramount  Pictures,  Inc., 
plans  to  extend  simplification  of  its  corpo- 
rate structure,  begun  some  time  ago,  were 
stronger  than  ever  this  week  with  the  reve- 
lation that  the  company  shortly  will  dissolve 
Paramount  Productions,  Inc.,  now  that 
Adolph  Zukor  is  in  comp  ete  charge  of 
production. 

These  and  other  Paramount  matters  such 
as  action  toward  settlement  of  the  contract 
of  John  E.  Otterson  and  payment  to  Joseph 
P.  Kennedy  for  services  rendered,  are  to  be 
found  in  the  story  on  page  29. 

51  Stories  Bought 

There  was  a  sharp  decline  in  the  story 
buying  activities  of  various  Hollywood  stu- 
dios during  the  month  of  June,  with  only 
51  purchases  being  made,  including  25  ori- 
ginals, 21  books  and  five  plays.  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  and  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  led 
all  other  studios  in  purchases,  with  a  total 
of  eight  buys  each,  with  Paramount,  Col- 
umbia, Radio  and  other  following. 

Titles  of  the  purchases  together  with  all 
available  filming  credits,  are  to  be  found  in 
the  story  on  page  31. 

Net  Profits 

The  net  profit  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox 
Film  Corporation  for  the  13  weeks  ended 
June  27,  1936,  amounted  to  approximately 
$1,500,000,  Joseph  M.  Schenck  revealed  this 
week  prior  to  his  departure  from  Hollywood 
for  New  York.  At  the  same  time  it  was 
shown  that  the  earnings  of  Columbia  Pic- 
tures Corporation  and  RKO  were  ahead  of 
corresponding  periods  past. 

For  details,  see  page  27. 

Shopping  Publid 

The  end  of  the  first  year  of  resumption  of 
American  distribution  in  the  Czechoslovak  - 
ian  market  finds  Hollywood  product  pre- 
dominating but  the  public  had  learned  to 
shop  for  its  entertainment,  and  no  longer 
will  it  accept  everything  and  anything  on 
the  screen,  writes  Harry  Knopf,  Herald 
correspondent  at  Prague. 

Further  details  on  page  70. 


Delayed 

The  reported  three-cornered  deal  under 
which  Loew's,  Inc.,  would  acquire  a  25  per 
cent  interest  in  Gaumont  British  Pictures 
with  the  cooperation  of  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox,  owner  of  48  per  cent  of  the  British 
stock,  was  still  in  the  rumor  stage  early  in 
the  week  following  a  delay  of  conferences 
between  Joseph  and  Nicholas  Schenck  and 
Isidor  Ostrer,  president  of  Gaumont.  Mr. 
Ostrer  conferred  with  Joseph  Schenck  in 
Hollywood  last  week  and  was  scheduled  to 
continue  the  conversations  with  the  two 
brothers  in  New  York  but  stopped  over  in 
Chicago  on  his  way  east. 

Present  stage  of  the  negotiations  and  the 
possible  setup  are  outlined  on  page  28. 


Editorial  Page  7 

Pictorial  Preview  Page  16 

British  Studios  Page  68 

June  Box  Office  Champions  Page  40 

This  Week  in  Pictures  Page  10 

The  Hollywood  Scene  Page  58 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me  Page  75 

Showmen's  Reviews  Page  48 

Asides  and  Interludes  Page  51 

Managers'  Round  Table  Page  79 

The  Release  Chart  Page  87 

Technological  Page  47 

Chicago  Page-  78 

Box  Office  Receipts  Page  71 


Music  Problem 

Canadian  commercial  users  of  copyrighted 
music  owned  by  members  of  the  American 
Society  of  Composers,  Authors  and  Pub- 
lishers will  have  to  conduct  their  own  in- 
dividual negotiations  with  the  copyright 
owners  for  the  use  of  the  music  as  a  result 
of  the  impending  withdrawal  of  ASCAP 
from  the  Canadian  Performing  Rights  So- 
ciety, it  was  pointed  out  in  New  York  this 
week.  At  the  same  time  it  was  revealed 
that  the  Society  sent  out  dividend  checks 
to  members  totaling  $1,050,000,  the  largest 
quarterly  payment  in  the  history  of  the  or- 
ganization. 

The  story  is  on  page  70. 

Upheld 

The  circuit  court  of  appeals  at  St.  Paul, 
Minn.,  has  upheld  the  right  of  Judge  Al- 
bert L.  Reeves  of  the  federal  district  court 
at  Kansas  City  to  decline  to  assume  juris- 
diction of  the  suit  of  Jacob  Smith  and 
other  General  Theatres  Equipment  bond- 
holders against  the  Chase  National  Bank, 
Fox  Film  Corporation,  Fox  Midland  and 
Fox  Rocky  Mountain  last  spring.  At  the 
same  time  it  was  revealed  in  New  York 
that  the  Stock  Exchange  will  strike  from 
trading  on  August  7th  the  General  Thea- 
tres Equipment,  Inc.,  6's,  1940,  debentures. 

For  details,  turn  to  the  story  on  page 
29. 

Profits  in  Australia 

The  total  number  of  theatre  tickets  sold 
in  a  year  to  patrons  of  the  cinemas  of  Gen- 
eral Theatres  Corporation  and  Hoyts  Thea- 
tre, Ltd.,  in  Australia  exceeded  twenty-six 
millions,  or  more  than  four  times  the  entire 
population  of  Australia.  And  speaking  of 
statistics,  the  Hoyts  circuit  in  six  years  has 
paid  out  in  taxes,  including  the  entertain- 
ments tax,  almost  as  much  as  it  has  shown 
in  net  profit. 

The  business  picture  cinematic  in  Austra- 
lia, as  reported  by  Cliff  Holt,  appears  on 
page  18. 

Deadlocked 

The  deadlock  resulting  from  establish- 
ment of  a  Cuban  board  of  censorship  in 
New  York  continues  with  Senor  Roberto 
Hernandez,  head  of  the  new  organization, 
scheduled  to  go  to  Havana  this  week  to 
confer  with  Secretary  of  the  Interior  Carlos 
Pelaez.  Major  distributing  companies  are 
unalterably  opposed  to  the  board  and  are 
refusing  to  submit  their  product  to  it  for 
review.  A  shortage  of  American  product 
in  Cuba  looms  unless  the  matter  is  settled 
shortly. 

Senor  Hernandez'  statements  and  the  dis- 
tributors' stand  on  the  matter  are  detailed 
on  page  39. 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


9 


St.  Louis  Legion  Board 

Announcement  that  a  board  of  review  to 
supplement  the  work  of  the  National  Legion 
of  Decency  will  be  established  in  St.  Louis 
was  made  by  His  Grace  John  J.  Glennon, 
archbishop  of  the  diocese,  following  publica- 
tion of  the  encyclical  on  motion  pictures  by 
Pope  Pius  XL  The  group  will  give  attention 
to  motion  picture  theatre  advertising,  watch 
that  pictures  which  have  been  cut  by  censors 
elsewhere  are  not  shown  in  their  original 
version,  and  make  weekly  reports  on  its 
progress  to  the  national  headquarters  of  the 
Legion  in  New  York. 

The  announcement  is  quoted  on  page  32. 

Social  Values 

Increasing  public  interest  in  the  social  im- 
portance of  the  motion  picture  was  cited  by 
F.  W.  Allport,  of  the  Motion  Picture  Produ- 
cers and  Distributors  of  America,  as  basis 
for  the  prediction  of  rapidly  increasing  suc- 
cess for  the  efforts  of  the  film  industry  to 
solve  the  problem  of  what  effect,  if  any,  pic- 
tures produced  solely  for  entertainment  have 
on  the  characters  of  theatre  patrons,  in  an 
address  before  the  Institute  of  Public  Affairs 
at  the  University  of  Virginia. 

The  address  is  abstracted  on  paqe  33. 

March  of  Time  Birthday 

The  magazine  newsreel,  March  of  Time, 
has  issued  an  anniversary  booklet  in  which 
the  editors  candidly  relate  "confidential" 
sales  and  financial  data  for  the  company  for 
its  first  year,  an  unusual  procedure  in  the 
film  industry.  The  portfolio,  illustrated  with 
extraordinary  news  pictures  from  Time 
Magazine,  the  related  Fortune  magazine, 
and  the  March  of  Time  film  productions, 
also  takes  occasion  to  make  some  frank  criti- 
cisms of  the  regular  newsreels. 

The  booklet  is  reviewed  on  page  67. 

Producers  Divided 

Dissent  of  Associated  British  Pictures  and 
Gaumont-British  from  the  application  for  a 
more  stringent  quota  put  forward  by  the 
Film  Group  of  the  Federation  of  British 
Industries  is  causing  considerable  commo- 
tion in  Wardour  Street. 

What  it  is  all  about  is  discussed  on 
page  69. 

Chance  Game  Suits 

Chance  game  activities  this  week  con- 
cerned themselves  with  suits  in  three  states, 
and  two  of  the  three  actions  concerned  in- 
surance of  prizes  rather  than  the  games 
themselves.  However,  in  Ashland,  Ky.,  the 
commonwealth  attorney  is  seeking  to  have 
all  the  games  declared  lotteries  and  illegal. 

For  details,  see  page  64. 


TIME  TWITTERS  ON 


[Continued  from  page  7] 

sadisms,  rapes,  lynchings,  nudists,  infantile 
genitalia,  candid  caesarian  operations,  and 
executions,  would  .  not  indicate  it  as  an 
authority  on  the  subject  of  humility  or  any 
of  the  related  qualities. 

So  it  is  the  humble  opinion  of  this  editor 
that  Time,  and  its  policies  being  what  they 
are,  and  Time,  the  while  declaring  its 
periodical  topical  two  reel  release  to  be  in 
fact,  with  Fortune,  its  "third  major  publica- 
tion," it  may  be  well  to  consider  a  moment 
who  the  publisher  of  a  motion  picture 
really  is. 

A  considerable  experience  and  observa- 
tion, not  too  humbling  in  their  effect,  con- 
firm the  contention  that  the  motion  picture 
pertains,  in  the  consumer  mind,  consider- 
ably more  to  the  theatre  which  shows  it 
than  to  the  producer  who  makes  it. 

The  theatre  of  the  screen  has  not  been 
reduced  to  the  status  of  a  newsboy. 

The  motion  picture  exhibitor  is  the  pub- 
lisher and  with  the  publisher's  final  re- 
sponsibility, legally  and  socially,  of  that 
which  he  spreads  upon  his  screen. 

The  publisher  of  the  printed  page  can 
hunt  out,  please  and  serve  one  reader  at 
a  time,  and  he  who  is  offended  may  cast 
the  page  away.    But  the  publisher  of  the 


motion  picture,  the  exhibitor,  must  please 
and  serve  thousands  at  a  time,  offend  none. 
Let  even  a  few  protest  and  ask  for  their 
money  back  and  there  is  trouble,  alarm — 
and  action. 

Just  for  instance  Monday  of  this  week 
a  storm  of  protests  against  the  treatment 
of  the  Dominican  Republic  in  the  March 
of  Time  was  made  to  the  management  of 
the  nation's  greatest  theatre,  the  Music 
Hall  in  New  York.  Forthwith  the  subject 
was  cut,  by  the  Music  Hall,  without  argu- 
ment. The  point  is  the  protest  went  to 
the  Music  Hall,  the  publisher,  and  the  edit- 
ing by  deletion  was  done  there  too. 

The  exhibitor  must  inevitably  be  in- 
terested, mayhap  concerned,  with  the 
policies,  viewpoints  and  tastes  revealed  by 
the  publisher  who  as  a  producer  seeks  the 
screen,  the  attention  of  the  exhibitor's 
public  and  audience — and  who  would  share 
with  the  exhibitor  the  making  of  the  name 
and  repute  of  his  theatre. 

"The  editors  of  Time"  in  a  recent 
brochure  state  that  the  March  of  Time 
exists  "under  rules  quite  different  from 
those  which  ordinarily  govern  journal- 
ism. ..." 

It  is  the  customers  who  make  the  rules 
for  journalism,  and  the  motion  picture, 
too.    That  has  been  demonstrated. 


Production  Spurt 

In  keeping  with  custom,  the  production 
colony  dawdled  through  the  week  ending 
in  celebration  of  Independence  Day,  then 
plunged  seriously  into  the  important  busi- 
ness of  making  pictures. 

Gus  McCarthy's  complete  report  of  pro- 
ductions started  and  finished  during  the 
fortnight  is  published  on  page  58. 

Refusal 

Two  major  developments  featured  the 
bankruptcy  trial  of  William  Fox  in  Atlantic 
City,  N.  J.,  this  week.  The  first  was  the 
refusal  of  Mrs.  Fox  to  submit  her  All-Con- 
tinent Corporation  books  for  examination 
by  creditor  attorneys  and  the  second  was 
the  attempt  by  the  same  attorneys  to  ascer- 
tain from  Herbert  Leitsteen,  Fox  family 
bookkeeper  since  1909,  the  method  of  dis- 
persing more  than  $20,000,000  which  Mr. 
Fox  had  in  1930. 

Details  of  the  hearings  are  to  be  found  on 
page  57. 


Rebound 


Rebounding  from  the  effects  of  a  trade 
sanction  applied  to  eight  major  American 
distributors  during  the  year  preceding,  busi- 
ness in  Mexico  last  year  silenced  a  spread- 
ing belief  that  stage  theatres  were  on  the 
way  toward  replacing  cinemas  as  entertain- 
ment leaders.  These,  in  common  with  bull 
rings,  experienced  a  sharp  decline  in  popu- 
larity. 

James  Lockhart  supplies  the  statistics  for 
all  three  forms  of  entertainment  on  page  34. 


Meighan's  Death 

Death  overtook  Thomas  Meighan  last 
week  at  his  home  at  Great  Neck,  L.  I.,  fol- 
lowing a  lingering  illness  of  over  a  year. 
Mr.  Meighan  contracted  pneumonia  approxi- 
mately 12  months  ago  while  in  Hollywood. 
Star  of  stage  and  film.  Mr.  Meighan  rose  to 
his  greatest  triumphs  on  the  silent  screen  a 
decade  ago. 

For  details  of  his  career  see  page  66. 


10 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


This  Week  in  Pictures 


READY  FOR  THE  SEASON.  Warner  Theatres'  men  of 
the  Philadelphia  Zone,  in  annual  meeting,  hear  plans 
propounded  by  (I.  to  r.)  J.  Ellis  Shipman;  Lester  Kreiger; 
D.  E.  Weshner;  Ted  Schlanger;  Joseph  Bernhard,  gen- 
eral manager;  Leonard  Schlesinger;  Samuel  Schwartz  and 
Harry  Goldberg. 


DASHING.  Carol  Hughes  as 
a  senorita  at  a  Hollywood 
masguerade.  She  has  been 
cast  for  Warner's  forthcom- 
ing "Stage  Struck." 


RADIANCE  AND  RADIUM.  Irene  Dunne 
•  returns  from  Europe  where  she  visited 
Eve  Curie,  who  has  written  a  book  on  the 
life  of  her  mother,  subject  of  Universal's 
forthcoming  "Madam  Curie." 


BRITISH  THEATRE  ROYALTY.  Sir  Cedric  Hardwicke, 
star  of  the  English  screen  as  well  as  the  stage  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  arrives  on  the  SS.  Queen  Mary 
to  play  a  leading  role  in  "The  Green  Light"  at  the  War- 
ner studio. 

ACROSS  THE  SEA.  (Right)  James  J.  Walker  (left)  and 
Mrs.  Walker  (third  from  left)  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Louis 
Sterling,  at  a  trade  screening  of  RKO's  "Dancing  Pirate" 
in  London.  Mr.  Sterling  is  head  of  Electric  and  Musical 
Industries,  Ltd. 


July     18,     I  V  3  6 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


DOWN  TO  THE  SEA  ON  SURF  BOARD. 
Betty  Grable,  starlet  of  rapidly  widening 
recognition,  will  be  seen  in  "Swing  Time," 
a  new  Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  film 
musical  for  RKO. 


DARING.  Jean  Rogers  of 
the  serials,  recently  in  "Flash 
Gordon,"  co-stars  with  John 
King  in  "Ace  Drummond" 
for  Universal. 


AS  THE  IMMORTAL  LOVERS,  Romeo  and  Juliet,  in 
the  balcony  scene  of  MGM's  screen  production  of  the 
Shakespearean  play.  Norma  Shearer  and  Leslie  Howard 
are  starred.  Gus  McCarthy's  review  appears  in  the 
"Showmen's  Reviews"  department  of  this  issue  on  page 
48.  George  Cukor  directed. 

ANOTHER  KIND  OF  LAUNCHING.  (Left)  When 
Sammy  Cohen,  foreign  publicity  director  of  United 
Artists,  made  his  first  visit  to  Hollywood,  Merle 
Oberon  greeted  him  this  way,  while  Monroe  Greenthal, 
Jock  Lawrence,  Al  Vaughn  and  Morris  Helprin  showed 
their  approbation. 


I  2 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


July    18,  1936 


AT  BARCELONA  CONVENTION.  United  Artists' 
staff  at  the  center  of  film  activity  in  Spain  during  a 
sales  meeting.  Seated  (I.  to  r.):  Angel  Romo,  Enrique 
Arias,  Luis  Clot,  W.  B.  Morgan,  C.  W.  H.  Fenn, 
Francisco  Garcia.  Standing:  Jose  Calderon,  Migue 
Lopez,  Emilio  Betran,  Evaristo  Laguna,  Gregorio 
Tomas,  Augusto  Nobregas,  Emilio  Miralles,  Fernando 
O'Shanahan,  Enrique  Arias,  Jr.,  Jaime  Bonastre. 


CURLS.  Anita  Louise,  as  she  ap- 
pears in  the  role  of  Maria,  in 
Warner's  production  of  "Anthony 
Adverse,"  scheduled  to  open  soon 
at  the  Strand  theatre  on  New 
York's  Broadway. 


HAPPY  RETURN.  Helen  Vinson,  who 
has  just  completed  a  picture  tentatively 
entitled  "His  Majesty's  Pyjamas"  for 
Gaumont  British,  arrives  in  New  York 
from  Shepherd's  Bush,  outside  London, 
on  the  Normandie. 


VACATION  FLIGHT.  Bert  Wheeler  of  Wheeler  and 
Woolsey,  and  Owen  Davis,  Jr.,  one  of  RKO's  Lead- 
ing men,  arrive  at  Newark  Airport.  Here  their  holi- 
day paths  diverge,  Wheeler  to  idle  in  Europe,  Davis  to 
appear  in  his  father's  Pulitzer  Prize  play,  "Icebound." 


TO  WALTER  WANGER,  LEGIONNAIRE.  Members  of  the  S.  Rakin  Drew 
Post  of  the  American  Legion  were  hosts  to  Walter  Wanger,  producer,  at 
the  Hotel  Astor  in  New  York  on  Friday,  with  a  number  of  film  folk  in  at- 
tendance. Mr.  Wanger,  honorary  member  of  the  post,  home  from  Italy, 
contrasted  conditions  with  those  when  he  was  a  war  flier. 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


13 


NEW  DEAL  SCREEN  ACTIVITY 
SCRUTINIZED  BY  INDUSTRY 


Note  WPA  Plan  to  Make  and 
Distribute  30  Films  and  Sell 
Foreign  Rights  to  "Plough 
That  Broke  the  Plains" 

Governmental  production  of  motion  pic- 
tures portraying  activities  of  agencies  set 
up  under  the  New  Deal  came  under  trade 
scrutiny  this  week  as  Washington  dispatches 
revealed  new  and  elaborate  plans  for  dis- 
semination of  information  through  the  me- 
dium of  the  screen. 

Principal  interest  attached  to  announce- 
ment of  30  pictures  to  be  produced  and 
distributed  by  the  Works  Progress  Admin- 
istration at  a  cost  of  $6,000  each. 

Simultaneously  came  the  news  that  the 
WPA  is  to  accept  bids  from  commercial 
distributors  for  the  foreign  rights  to  its 
much  discussed  documentary  film,  "The 
Plough  That  Broke  the  Plains",  demand  for 
which  having  developed  in  other  countries 
as  a  result  of  general  interest  in  the  pro- 
longed American  drought. 

Recently  quiescent  apprehension  on  the 
score  of  possible  governmental  invasion  of 
the  screen,  long  predicted  by  New  Deal  an- 
tagonists, flared  in  home  offices  of  the 
major  film  companies  and  stirred  newsreel 
executives.  New  Deal  policies  and  views 
had  been  regarded  as  revealed  to  the  or- 
ganized industry  in  the  printed  forms  dis- 
tributed among  the  newsreels  by  the  Fed- 
eral Housing  Administration  under  date  of 
March  17,  1936.  These  included  the  stipu- 
lation that : 

"Producer  must  undertake  at  his  expense 
but  at  the  election  of  the  Federal  Housing 
Administration  to  photograph  with  sound 
at  such  points  within  the  United  States  as 
might  be  selected  by  the  Administration 
at  least  five  events  of  Better  Housing  News 
importance  and  secure  release  in  national 
newsreels  —  other  than  in  Better  Housing 
newsreels — prior  to  June  30,  1936." 

Here,  said  all  but  one  of  the  newsreel 
companies  circularized,  was  invasion  tanta- 
mount to  an  attempt  to  take  over  the  theatre 
screen,  and  that  one,  Pathe  News,  inter- 
preted "release"  and  "national"  to  its  own 
satisfaction.  FHA  films  were  made  and  ob- 
tained a  limited  distribution.  No  invitations 
to  bid  on  the  forthcoming  WPA  pictures 
have  been  received  to  date. 

Quotable  persons  in  the  motion  picture 
industry,  in  New  York  and  Washington, 
are  currently  not  to  be  quoted,  what  with 
the  industry's  endeavor  at  neutralities  on 
matters  that  may  be  political,  and  what  with 
the  notion  that  maybe  November's  election 
will  "like  as  not"  find  the  New  Deal  still 
dominant.  Meanwhile  the  New  York  Sun, 
certainly  no  partisan  of  the  Administration, 
has  been  having  some  of  its  industrious 
young  men  looking  into  what  might  be 
called  some  of  the  cinema  aspects  of  the 
current  government.    A  special  article  by 


TEST  CASE  CLEARS  WAY 
FOR  SUNDAY  SHOWING 

Theatres  in  Charlottesville,  Va., 
can  legally  exhibit  pictures  on  Sun- 
days as  the  result  of  the  acquittal  of 
R.  A.  Eason,  manager  of  the  Para- 
mount theatre,  by  a  jury  of  five  in  a 
test  case  in  the  corporation  court  in 
that  city.  Mr.  Eason  who  was  ar- 
rested for  opening  his  theatre  on  Sun- 
day, had  appealed  his  case  from  the 
police  court  where  he  had  been  fined. 

Senator  John  S.  Battle,  defense 
attorney,  based  his  plea  for  a  reversal 
on  the  ground  that  conditions  have 
changed  since  the  passage  in  1779  of 
the  state  statute  against  "unneces- 
sary" labor  on  Sunday.  He  pointed 
out  that  golf,  baseball  and  similar  ac- 
tivities are  permitted.  The  prosecu- 
tion called  the  police  chief,  school 
superintendents  and  ministers  who 
testified  that  Sunday  shows,  in  their 
opinion,  were  not  absolute  necessi- 
ties. 


that  newspaper's  Patrick  Lee  in  its  July 
8th  edition  trace  activities  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Record  Division  of  the  WPA  from 
its  acquisition  of  Sydney  H.  MacKean  as 
Director  in  June,  1935,  to  the  present. 

Mr.  McKean,  formerly  identified  with 
various  standard  newsreels,  was  summoned 
to  Washington  and  instructed  to  set  up  ma- 
chinery necessary  to  "keep  the  American 
people  informed  of  the  status  and  value  of 
projects  upon  which  funds  of  the  Works 
Progress  Administration  are  being  ex- 
pended" and  to  do  this  "objectively  by 
means  of  motion  pictures."  He  was  given 
an  operating  budget  of  $81,000  and  he  em- 
ployed 22  persons,  including  five  camera 
men,  former  employees  of  commercial  news- 
reels. 

It  was  Mr.  McKean's  assignment  to 
photograph  WPA  projects  and  submit  the 
footage  thus  obtained  to  the  standard  news- 
reels.  It  was  hoped  that  some  fifty  items 
could  be  put  into  exhibition  each  year  by 
this  method.  The  newsreel  editors  didn't 
care  much  for  the  idea.  They  consented  to 
receive  and  screen  the  footage  offered  them. 
About  a  dozen  bits  were  used  in  one  or 
more  reels  during  the  first  year.  For  the 
most  part,  it  appeared  that  the  material  just 
didn't  fit  in  with  current  needs.  Mr.  Mac- 
Kean's  men  shot  a  little  less  than  200,000 
feet  during  the  period. 

"Smacked  of  Propaganda" 

To  Mr.  MacKean  himself,  a  veteran  of 
commercial  newsreel  experience,  Reporter 
Lee  imputes  the  admission  that  the  material 
submitted  "smacked  too  much  of  propa- 
ganda." In  February  of  this  year  he  and 
his  department  were  transferred  to  the  con- 
trol of  Colonel  Laurence  Westbrook,  whose 
job  it  had  become  to  coordinate  WPA  pub- 


Record  Division  Given  Author- 
ity to  Let  Producing  Con- 
tracts to  Private  Concerns; 
Other  Agencies  Making  Films 

licity  units,  and  Col.  Westbrook  showed  Mr. 
MacKean  a  picture  entitled  "Making  a  Bet- 
ter Indiana"  which  had  been  produced  by 
Pathe  News  on  contract  and  exhibited  in  the 
state  named.  WPA  Administrator  Harry 
L.  Hopkins  also  saw  the  picture  and  asked 
Mr.  MacKean  whether  the  WPA  staff,  as 
constituted,  could  produce  20  of  like  charac- 
ter within  sixty  days.  (National  election  in 
November.) 

Mr.  MacKean  replied  to  Mr.  Hopkins  that 
it  might  be  possible  to  produce  10  such 
pictures  in  the  specified  time.  To  do  more 
would  require  more  men  and  money.  A  few 
days  later  he  was  informed  that  the  number 
had  been  raised  to  30  and  that  the  work 
could  be  let  out  on  contract  to  commercial 
companies. 

Republicans  Protest 

The  contract  provision  roused  a  storm 
of  protest  from  Republican  quarters.  Rep- 
resentative Bertrand  H.  Snell  publicly 
charged  the  Administration  with  political 
purposes  and  misuse  of  PWA  funds. 
"Whatever  this  project  costs,"  he  declared, 
"the  amount  represents  a  direct  diversion 
of  funds  from  the  WPA  appropriation  to 
the  campaign  chest  of  the  Democratic  Na- 
tional Committee.  I,  for  one,  vigorously 
protest  this  shocking  distortion  of  the  relief 
program  to  the  direct  services  of  the  New 
Deal  presidential  campaign." 

Administrator  Hopkins'  reply  to  Repre- 
sentative Snell  was  to  the  effect  that  "The 
War  Department  has  a  record  of  the  world 
war.  They  have  in  pictures  Vimy  Ridge, 
the  Argonne  and  all  that.  Anyone  can  see 
them.  Why  shouldn't  we  have  one?  Any- 
one can  see  ours  who  wants  to."  To  Rep- 
resentative Snell's  charge  that  newsreel 
scenes  of  local  WPA  projects  would  be  cap- 
tioned in  such  a  manner  as  to  include  the 
names  of  local  Democratic  congressmen  Mr. 
Hopkins  did  not  reply  directly. 

Nevertheless,  the  Motion  Picture  Record 
Division  of  WPA  had  obtained  authority 
to  let  contracts  to  private  concerns  for  the 
production  of  agency  films.  According  to 
Reporter  Lee  this  had  come  about  in  some- 
what unusual  manner. 

For  some  eight  months  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Record  had  been  in  operation  at  a 
total  expense  of  approximately  $90,000  and 
Comptroller  General  McCarl  had  declined 
to  approve  vouchers  covering  this  outlay. 
To  Mr.  McCarl's  inquiry  as  to  the  authority 
on  which  the  expense  had  been  incurred, 
Mr.  MacKean  quoted  Administrator  Hop- 
kins. Mr.  McCarl  said  he  knew  of  no 
authority  given  Mr.  Hopkins  to  expend 
monies  for  the  production  of  motion  pictures 
and  continued  to  withhold  approval. 

Mr.  MacKean's  subsequent  search  for 
{Continued  on  following  poor) 


14 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


NEW  DEAL  SCREEN  ACTIVITY  STUDIED 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

authority  covering  the  point  led  him  to  a 
study  of  the  executive  order  whereby  Presi- 
dent Roosevelt  had  established  the  Works 
Progress  Administration  and  he  found 
therein  a  provision  granting  Administrator 
Hopkins  authority  to  "formulate  and,  with 
the  approval  of  the  President,  to  require 
uniform  periodic  reports  of  progress  on  all 
projects ;  and,  where  any  avoidable  delay 
occurs,  forthwith  to  recommend  to  the 
President  appropriate  measures  for  elim- 
inating such  delay." 

Letter  Quoted 

On  February  3rd,  according  to  Mr.  Lee,' 
Mr.  MacKean  disclosed  this  paragraph  to 
his  superiors.  On  February  6th,  likewise 
according  to  Mr.  Lee,  the  following  letter 
was  signed  by  President  Roosevelt,  ad- 
dressed to  Administrator  Hopkins,  with 
photostatic  copies  sent  to  Comptroller  Mc- 
Carl's  office : 

"This  will  confirm  verbal  authority  given 
you  in  July,  1935,  relative  to  Executive 
Order  7034,  paragraph  1,  section  C-a,  to 
formulate  the  permanent  record  of  periodic 
progress  on  works  progress  by  means  of 
motion  picture  recordation. 

"The  above  instruction  was  given  to  you 
by  virtue  of  and  pursuant  to  the  authority 
vested  in  me  under  the  Emergency  Relief 
Act  of  1935,  approved  April  8,  1935  (Pub- 
lic Resolution  No.  11,  Seventy-fourth  Con- 
gress)." 

On  this  authority  Comptroller  McCarl 
okayed  the  accumulated  vouchers. 

Although  criticism  of  New  Deal  activities 
in  the  motion  picture  field  has  centered 
chiefly  about  the  various  WPA  enterprises, 
on  the  ground  that  WPA  funds  were  ob- 
tained from  the  Congress  for  the  prime 
purpose  of  providing  productive  employ- 
ment for  the  unemployed,  other  agencies 
have  been  more  or  less  steadily  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  and  release  of  screen 
material.  Outstanding  among  these  pro- 
ductions, in  point  of  publicity  given  it  and 
criticism  offered,  is  "Commerce  Around 
the  Coffee  Cup",  produced  by  Pathe  for 
the  Department  of  Commerce  and  exhib- 
ited at  the  Capitol  theatre,  New  York,  to 
a  mixed  reaction. 

"Commerce  Around  the  Coffee  Cup"  is 
a  nine-minute  production  featuring  Lowell 
Thomas  as  narrator.  By  means  of  charts, 
graphs  and  scenic  exhibits  Mr.  Thomas, 
seated  at  coffee  and  so  giving  the  picture 
its  title,  explained  various  intricacies  of 
commerce  in  a  manner  showing  the  opera- 
tions of  the  governmental  department  spon- 
soring the  subject.  Patrons  attending  the 
theatre  were  supplied  with  response  cards 
and  invited  to  indicate  whether  they  en- 
joyed the  picture,  whether  they  learned  any- 
thing from  it,  and  whether  they  would  care 
to  see  more  of  the  same  general  kind.  Par- 
tially because  of  this  provision,  critics  were 
prompt  to  label  the  subject  a  "trial  balloon." 

Less  comment  was  aroused  by  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture's  three-reel  silent  film, 
"Norris  Dam,"  detailing  construction  prog- 
ress of  the  TVA  project,  although  the  pic- 
ture, like  others  from  this  department,  was 


COOLING  PLANTS,  FILMS 
KEPT  GOING  ALL  NIGHT 

Twenty-four  Essaness  theatres  in 
Chicago  remained  open  ail  one  night 
last  weekend  to  accommodate  city 
residents  seeking  escape  from  the 
heat.  The  refrigerated  air  plants  and 
the  films  were  kept  going  all  night, 
as  long  as  patrons  came  in.  An  an- 
nouncement had  been  made  in  the 
press  and  people  thronged  to  the  the- 
atres until  the  early  hours  of  the 
morning.  Rules  of  silence  were  sus- 
pended and  patrons  were  permitted  to 
bring  lunches  and  move  about  freely. 
The  circuit  plans  to  continue  the  in- 
novation as  long  as  there  is  heat  and 
public  response. 


made  available  in  both  35mm  and  16mm 
prints  for  distribution  to  schools  and  other 
non-theatrical  outlets.  Prints  in  both  meas- 
ures were  supplied  likewise  for  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture's  "Stop  Forest  Fires," 
another  three-reel  subject,  and  "The  Life 
of  Plants,"  in  one  reel. 

A  Picture  With  a  History 

It  is  to  the  Resettlement  Administration's 
"The  Plough  That  Broke  the  Plains,"  now 
suddenly  become  an  at  least  theoretically 
salable  asset  through  force  of  climactic  cir- 
cumstance, that  critics  of  the  New  Deal 
point  with  most  alarm  as  a  precedent  sus- 
ceptible of  extensive  development.  The  RA 
itself  somewhat  proudly  describes  the  pic- 
tures as  "the  first  real  film  produced  by  the 
United  States  Government."  It  is  by  way  of 
becoming  a  picture  with  a  history. 

The  story  was  written  by  Pare  Lorentz, 
motion  picture  critic,  and  location  shots  in 
the  Great  Plains  were  made  by  Ralph 
Steiner  and  Paul  Strand,  cameramen,  with 
Leo  Hurwitz.  The  musical  score  was  com- 
posed by  Virgil  Thomson  and  was  recorded 
by  musicians  from  the  Metropolitan  Opera 
and  New  York  Philharmonic  orchestras  with 
Alexander  Smallens,  conductor,  wielding  the 
baton. 

Field  Force  Aids  Bookings 

Following  production,  Mr.  Lorentz  went 
to  Hollywood  in  an  attempt  to  interest  the 
major  producers  in  taking  over  distribu- 
tion, but  without  success.  Following  tenta- 
tive showings  in  Washington,  and  reports 
of  imminent  drought,  requests  for  the  pic- 
ture began  to  come  into  the  Resettlement 
Administration  from  independent  exhibitors. 

Without  distribution  organization  or  per- 
sonnel in  the  RA  with  motion  picture  dis- 
tribution background,  the  Tugwell  agency 
utilized  its  field  force  to  help  with  showings 
and  bookings,  copies  being  sent  to  each  of 
its  12  regional  offices  for  "preview"  before 
administration  employees.  Each  of  the  re- 
gional offices  has  an  experienced  publicity 
man  in  charge  of  information  work,  and 
these  agents  were  instructed  to  seek  bookings 
wherever  possible. 

In  Texas,  two  circuits,  Interstate  and 
Griffith,  took  over  distribution    for  their 


area,  which  includes  more  than  100  theatres 
in  key  cities  in  that  state  and  New  Mexico. 

But  not  all  was  rosy  in '  Texas  for  the 
Tugwell  film.  A  Texan  state  representative 
threatened  to  "punch  Tugwell  in  the  nose" 
if  he  permitted  the  film  to  be  distributed. 
Although  that  remark  was  said  to  have  been 
made  for  its  re-election  campaign  publicity 
value,  the  threat  was  picked  up  and  used 
from  coast  to  coast — good  publicity  from 
the  RA  point  of  view,  as  was  the  Texan's 
further  threat  at  the  Democratic  national 
convention  in  Philadelphia  to  introduce  a 
resolution  condemning  the  film. 

The  Resettlement  officials  believe  their 
cleverest  achievement  was  the  zoning  of  the 
United  States  into  four  principal  areas. 
The  New  York-New  England  sector  was 
placed  under  the  jurisdiction  of  George  C. 
Gercke,  regional  information  adviser  at 
New  Haven,  Conn.  The  mid-states  area,  in- 
cluding the  Mississippi  Valley,  was  placed 
under  Dean  S.  Jennings,  Chicago,  who  was 
the  central  figure  in  the  famous  case  back 
in  the  NRA  era  when  the  San  Francisco 
Examiner  mixed  with  the  American  News- 
paper Guild,  in  which  Jennings  was  active. 

Distribution  in  the  West  was  placed 
under  Paul  H.  Jordan,  another  guild  mem- 
ber, at  Lincoln,  Neb.,  and  the  Southeastern 
area  was  placed  under  the  Washington  head- 
quarters. All  the  work  of  exploitation  and 
booking  was  done  by  the  regular  staff  of  the 
administration. 

Publicity  on  "The  Plough"  exceeded  all 
expectations  and  RA  press  agents  cap- 
italized to  the  fullest  extent  the  Hollywood 
attitude  toward  handling  distribution.  They 
also  made  the  utmost  possible  use  of  re- 
views in  such  publications  as  "The  Nation", 
"Survey  Graphic",  and  magazines  like 
"Time"  and  "The  Literary  Digest",  but 
one  of  the  answers  to  a  press  agent's 
prayer  came  with  the  June  issue  of  the 
"National  Board  of  Review  Magazine", 
which  played  up  the  picture. 

The  picture  had  its  Broadway  opening 
at  the  Rialto  and  since  has  played  at  the 
Casino  de  Paris  and  Cameo. 

So  unexpectedly  favorable  was  the  re- 
sponse that  the  Resettlement  Administration 
was  caught  with  an  insufficient  number  of 
prints  to  supply  the  demand,  and  a  contract 
recently  was  made  with  DeLuxe  for  an  ad- 
ditional supply.  The  disastrous  drought  in 
the  Northwest  brought  the  picture  in  for  a 
lot  of  attention  and  resulted  in  numerous 
bookings,  the  tieup  of  drought  and  dust  with 
the  Tugwell  film  making  top  flight  exploita- 
tion. 


Permit  Sunday  Matinees 

The  Board  of  Selectmen  of  Westport, 
Conn.,  have  granted  George  Comden  per- 
mission to  operate  the  Fine  Arts  theatre  on 
Sunday  afternoons.  Previously  perform- 
ances had  been  allowed  only  on  Sunday 
nights. 


RKO  Schedules  Golf 

Committees  have  been  named  for  the 
annual  RKO  golf  tournament  July  21st  at 
the  Westchester  Biltmore  Countrv  Club, 
Rye,  N.  Y. 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


15 


MOTION  PICTURE  ALMANAC  FOR 
1936-37  SHOWS  TRADE  CAINS 


New  Edition,  Published  This 
Week,  Is  International  in 
Scope;  66  Text  Divisions 
Purvey    Vital    Trade  Facts 

Fat  with  facts,  heavy  with  significance  and 
broad  in  coverage  as  the  calendar  with  which 
it  coincides  to  a  split  second,  the  Internation- 
al Motion  Picture  Almanac  for  1936-37 
came  from  the  press  this  week.  A  year  in 
preparation  for  a  year  of  service  as  the 
prime  reference  book  of  the  motion  picture 
industry,  the  volume  is  international  in  scope 
and  infinite  in  detail.  In  more  than  1,350 
data-loaded  pages  it  makes  available  all 
there  is  to  know  about  the  motion  picture 
to  all  who  wish  to  know  it. 

The  Almanac  contains,  among  66  others, 
the  following  topical  subdivisions : 

The  Founding  of  the  Screen,  by  Terry 
Ramsaye. 

Biographies  of  more  than  13,000  film 
personalities. 

Box  Office  Champions  of  the  Year,  with 
review  of  each. 

Money-making  Stars  of  the  Year. 

All-time  Best  Sellers. 

Corporate  Personnel. 

Financial  Statements  of  the  Year — sum- 
marized. 

Product  for  1935  and  early  1936. 

Production  Staffs  on  Both  Coasts. 

Exchanges  and  Bookers. 

Exhibitor  Organizations. 

Circuits  and  Independents. 

Stories  and  Plays  Bought  for  Production. 

Company  Officers. 

The  Year  in  England.  A  special  section 
devoted  to  the  industry  in  the  United  King- 
dom. 

The  Foreign  Market,  covering  all  centers 
of  the  world.  Special  articles  on  Australia, 
Canada,  Argentina,  Austria,  Brazil,  China, 
Latvia,  Bulgaria,  France,  Germany,  Hun- 
gary, Japan,  Mexico,  Spain. 

Theatre  Equipment  Organizations 

Supply  Dealers. 

Pictures  for  1935-36. 

Screen  Organizations. 

Digest  of  Publications. 

New  York  Companies  and  Addresses. 

The  License  Agreement. 

Pertinent  Statistics. 

Subdivisions  range  from  6  to  50  pages  each 
and  each  is  broken  down  into  sub-subdi- 
visions pregnant  with  information  pertaining 
directly  to  the  operation  of  the  industry. 
Under  the  general  heading  of  "The  Foreign 
Market,"  for  instance,  an  American  exhibi- 
tor may  discover  with  a  modicum  of  perverse 
satisfaction  that  in  several  other  countries 
the  tax  collector  pays  his  initial  attention  to 
the  box  office,  where  he  takes  40  per  cent  of 
the  gross,  proceeding  thence  to  assessment 
of  the  seats,  the  hours  of  operation,  the 
length  of  the  various  films  constituting  a 
program  and  a  number  of  other  neat  devices 
not  yet  invoked  in  the  United  States.  Just 


Poignant,  hot 
with  fervour 
of  living 

And  the  loom  of  the  great  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  studios,  with  its  array  of 
creative  personalities,  has  brought  forth  a 
work  of  expression  embellished  with  ele- 
ments of  appeal,  with  mingled  charm  and 
thrill,  that  demonstrate  again  the  motion 
picture  as  the  dominant  art — the  best 
medium  of  narration,  re-creation  that  has 
yet  evolved. 

"The  perennial  modernity  of  the  love 
theme,  and  the  curious  capacity  of  the 
screen  to  make  all  that  ever  was  in  any 
yesterday  a  living  event  of  today  and  now, 
has  never  been  more  acutely  exemplified 
than  in  this  'Romeo  and  Juliet.' 

"That  relentless  hate  and  feud  of  Mon- 
tague against  Capulet,  and  Capulet 
against  Montague,  classic  of  the  long  ago, 
is  on  the  screen  of  'Romeo  and  Juliet' 
a  strife  of  today. 

"Yesterday  of  the  centuries  ago  is,  for 
the  hour  of  the  screening,  alive,  poignant, 
immediate,  hot  with  the  fervour  of  liv- 
ing and  the  desperation  of  dying  ..." 
— from  Gus  McCarthy's  Hollywood  pre- 
view review  of  Irving  Thalberg's  "Romeo 
and  Juliet,"  on  page  48. 


how  exhibitors  in  certain  of  those  countries 
manage  to  buy  bread  and  butter  not  even 
the  Almanac  makes  altogether  clear. 

Under  the  heading  of  Pertinent  Statistics 
the  Almanac  supplies  in  quick-figure  form 
a  mass  of  vital  information  well  to  have  at 
tongue's  end  when  asked  questions  or  invited 
to  address  the  Kiwanis.  Here  it  is  disclosed, 
for  instance,  that  the  weekly  Hollywood 
payroll  touches  the  handsome  total  of 
$1,500,000,  which  is  divided  among  28,000 
persons  regularly  employed  in  production, 
plus  10,000  others,  extras  and  casuals,  who 
work  now  and  then.  This  tidy  little  com- 
pany of  payrollers  compares  with  a  total  of 
236,500  employed  by  the  nation's  15,378 
operating  theatres  and  with  8,000  engaged 
in  the  distribution  of  product. 

Attendance  Has  Increased 

That  attendance  has  increased,  as  has  been 
no  secret  within  the  trade  save  in  the  matter 
of  degree,  is  borne  out  by  the  Almanac's 
statement  of  the  range  for  the  year  as  from 
80,000,000  to  85,000,000  ticket  sales  weekly. 
There  are  11  seats  to  a  citizen  in  the  country. 
The  United  States  supplies  65  per  cent  of 
the  world's  films,  by  volume,  and  85  per  cent 
by  value. 

Whom  to  call  up  or  write  to  when  some- 


Biographies  of  13,112  Person- 
alities in  the  Industry;  Spe- 
cial Section  Covers  British 
Market  Distinct  from  Foreign 

thing  happens,  or  doesn't,  is  a  monotonously 
recurrent  and  irksome  question  answered  for 
any  and  all  occasions  by  the  various  listings 
of  film  company  executives,  officers  and  per- 
sonnel. Be  he  of  Hollywood,  New  York, 
Shanghai  or  Amsterdam,  the  man  who  can 
do  something  about  the  matter  so  urgently 
at  hand  is  named  and  his  address  given.  Be 
he  company  president,  exchange  manager, 
director  or  equipment  distributor,  he  is  of 
record  in  the  Almanac  and  available  for 
proper  purpose. 

Player  Data  Given 

In  this  edition  of  the  Almanac,  as  in  pre- 
ceding numbers,  the  section  devoted  to  biog- 
raphies contains  a  vast  amount  of  essential 
and  sometimes  entertaining  information 
about  players  whose  press  agents  don't 
always  tell  all.  It  is  to  be  learned  from  this 
section  of  the  volume,  for  instance,  that 
Boris  Karloff's  real  name  is  the  not  at  all 
fearsome  Charles  Edward  Pratt  and  that  the 
Frederich  Ernest  Mclntyre  Bickel  nobody 
ever  heard  of  is  the  Fredric  March  known 
to  millions.  Lyle  Talbot  was  born  Lysle 
Hollywood  and  Rosita  Delmar  was  Rosita 
De  Los  Angeles  before  both  of  them  changed 
their  names  to  escape  being  accused  of  hav- 
ing changed  their  names.  Marlene  Dietrich 
was  Mary  Magdalene  Von  Losch,  Ginger 
Rogers  was  Virginia  Katherine  McMath, 
Ford  Sterling  was  George  Stitch,  Frank 
Morgan  traded  in  Wupperman  to  get  that 
name — the  list  is  interminable. 

The  average  age  of  feminine  players  is 
29  years  and  that  of  the  men  is  41,  with  the 
grand  average  34.  The  geographical  center 
of  stellar  nativity  is  Richmond,  Va.,  as  to 
men,  and  Pottsville,  Pa.,  for  women.  Women 
average  5  feet  2y2  inches  tall  and  weight 
111  pounds.  The  men  are  8  inches  taller 
over  all  and  weigh  169. 


Committees  for 
Exhibitor  Merger 

Committees  were  named  in  New  York 
Wednesday  by  Charles  L.  O'Reilly,  head  of 
the  Theatre  Owners'  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
and  Harry  Brandt,  president  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners'  Association,  to 
work  out  details  for  merging  the  two  ex- 
hibitor organizations,  a  formal  announce- 
ment of  which  was  made  at  a  special  meet- 
ing which  was  called  at  the  Hotel  Astor 
on  Broadway. 

Edward  Rugoff  is  chairman  of  the 
T.O.C.C.  group,  which  comprises  Irving 
Lesser,  Harry  Shiftman,  Louis  Geller  and 
Charles  Steiner.  The  I.T.O.A.  committee  is 
headed  by  Bernard  S.  Barr  and  includes 
Arthur  Rapf,  John  Benas,  Maurice  L. 
Fleischman  and  Louis  Shiftman. 


16 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


"MOHICANS"  AN  AMERICAN 


J ^  AMES  FENIMORE  COOPER'S  "The 
Last  of  the  Mohicans,"  a  blend  of 
historical  fact  and  imaginative  fic- 
tion, has  endured  as  a  classic  of 
early  America.  Entertaining  as  the 
novel  is  in  the  printed  original,  it  does  not 
lend  itself  readily  to  adaptation  for  screen 
purposes.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  neither  did 
"The  Count  of  Monte  Cristo,"  which  the 
same  organization  produced  with  more 
than  usual  success,  look  any  too  promising 
when  preliminary  work  was  begun.  "The 
Last  of  the  Mohicans"  was  produced  once 
before,  about  fifteen  years  ago,  and  it  is 
not  recalled  that  its  release  worked  any 
great  motion  picture  miracle. 

But  an  inspection  of  this  production  re- 
veals many  interesting  facts.  During  the 
many  months  the  story  was  in  preparation, 
the  large  group  of  writers  employed  by 
Reliance  advised  that  the  job  of  translat- 
ing Cooper's  narrative  to  script  form  would 
not  be  simple.  They  were  instructed  to 
make  an  intensive  study  of  the  characters 
and  incidents  dealt  with  and  shape  them  to 
screen  realism  in  a  manner  that  would 
accentuate  in  forceful,  convincing  fashion 
all  the  appeal  of  danger-menaced  love 
interest,  stark  melodrama,  stirring  personal 
and  martial  conflict,  suspense  and  action 
that  make  up  the  substance  of  the  original. 

The  screen  currently  is  glorifying  many 
American  characters.  The  ones  heroized  in 
this  film,  the  Indians  of  New  York  State, 
Hurons  and  Mohicans,  French  and  British 
colonial  soldiers,  the  men  and  women  who 
by  their  courage  and  sacrifice  marked  the 
first  frontiers,  familiar  to  all,  carry  a  uni- 
versal appeal.  The  story,  generally  known, 
needs  no  detailing.  Necessarily  condensed, 
yet  embracing  all  the  qualities  that  have 
made  excellent  reading,  it  is  romance 
drama  told  against  the  realism  of  French- 
Indian-British  warfare.  Two  white  girls  are 
hurled  by  circumstance  into  the  fury  of 
savage  warfare.  They  are  protected  by 
scout  Hawkeye  and  his  Indian  friends, 
Chincochook  and  Uncus,  and  menaced  by 
the  treacherous  Magua.  One  finds  death 
in  the  wilderness,  the  other  love  in  the 
heart  of  Hawkeye. 

The  producers  have  let  it  be  understood 
that  they  consider  the  story  a  matter  of 
more  importance  than  any  cast  they  could 
procure  to  interpret  it.  Naturally  they 
would  have  been  pleased  if  they  could 
have  had  a  lot  of  sure-fire  box  office  stars 
in  it.  Yet  they  went  about  making  their 
cast  selections  with  the  same  care  that 
marked  the  story's  preparation.  The  girls 
in  the  story,  Alice  and  Cora,  were  English. 
They  are  being  portrayed  by  two  English 
actresses,  Binnie  Barnes  and  Heather 
Angel,  who  met  with  success  in  British  films 
prior  to  coming  to  America.  Their  father 
is  the  English  Henry  Wilcoxon.  Likewise 
the  British  colonial,  Colonel  Munro,  is  played 
by  an  Englishman,  Hugh  Buckler.  The 
American  scout,  Hawkeye,  is  played  by  a 
typical  American,  Randolph  Scott.  Indians 


July    18,  1936 

CLASSIC 

by  gus  McCarthy 

/';/  Hollywood 

being  unavailable,  Bruce  Cabot,  who  has 
demonstrated  his  ability  to  handle  heavy 
roles  in  many  past  pictures,  was  selected 
to  be  the  treacherous,  murderous  Magua. 
Robert  Barrat  is  Chincachook  and  Phillip 
Reed  the  heroic  Uncas,  martyred  by 
Magua's  treachery. 

There  are  no  smash  names  in  that  cast. 
It  is,  rather,  a  group  hand  picked  for  fit- 
ness in  the  particular  role  performed. 
While  all  have  a  certain  prestige,  it  is  inter- 
esting, in  watching  them  working,  to  note 
that  all  seem  to  have  in  mind  the  fortune 
that  befell  Robert  Donat,  raised  to  star- 
dom  in   "The  Count  of  Monte  Cristo." 

Aimed  at  being  a  notable  addition  to 
the  current  crop  of  outstanding  attractions, 
the  competency  of  the  producers,  writers, 
director,  George  B.  Seitz,  players  and 
technical  crew  in  accounting  for  desirable 
entertaining  and  commercial  screen  mer- 
chandise is  a  matter  of  record.  The  pres- 
tige of  James  Fenimore  Cooper,  anniver- 
sary of  whose  death  will  fall  about  the  time 
of  the  picture's  release,  is  also  well  estab- 
lished. It  is  upon  these  that  the  success  or 
failure  of  the  United  Artists  production 
must  rest. 


MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  17 


18 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


TWO  AUSTRALIAN  CIRCUITS'  TICKET 
SALES  IN  YEAR  4  TIMES  POPULATION 


Patrons  of  GeneralTheatres  Cor- 
poration and  Hoyts  Buy  26,- 
152,000  Admissions  Despite 
Increase  of  Independents 

by  CLIFF  HOLT 

in  Melbourne 

Despite  an  increasing  number  of  radio 
licenses  and  independently  owned  theatres, 
audited  figures  show  that  attendances  over 
the  General  Theatres  Corporation  circuit 
increased  in  1935  compared  with  the  corre- 
sponding period  in  the  previous  year,  the 
combined  number  of  tickets  sold  being  127,- 
000  greater.  Over  the  Hoyts  circuit,  at- 
tendances improved  by  379,812;  and  the  total 
number  of  tickets  sold  by  both  General  The- 
atres Corporation  and  Hoyts  Theatres,  Ltd., 
reached  the  total  of  26,152,986,  or  more  than 
four  times  the  total  population  of  Australia. 

The  statistics  in  relation  to  GTC  were 
disclosed  in  the  annual  report  of  Wests, 
Ltd.,  which  showed  that  the  company  made 
a  profit  of  £3,980  ($19,940),  comparing  with 
£3,679  in  the  preceding  year. 

Presenting  the  report  to  shareholders, 
the  chairman,  W.  E.  Smith,  said  that  per- 
haps the  most  important  deal  consum- 
mated in  the  year  was  the  acquisition,  by 
British  Empire  Films,  Ltd.,  of  the  distribut- 
ing rights  for  Australasia  of  the  C.  M. 
Woolf  franchises. 

Many  advantages  were  expected  to  accrue, 
he  said,  from  the  trip  abroad  of  Stuart  F. 
Doyle,  "who  was  overseas  at  a  very  oppor- 
tune time,  for  certain  very  important  de- 
velopments took  place  shortly  after  his  ar- 
rival in  London  which  will  have  a  bearing 
on  the  future  of  our  distributing  and  ex- 
hibiting." 

Planning  New  Theatres 

Discussing  the  increased  attendances  over 
the  GTC  and  Hoyts  circuits,  Charles  E. 
Munro,  managing  director,  said  that  while 
there  was  still  a  long  way  to  go  before  a 
return  to  pre-depression  business  could  be 
anticipated,  the  additional  opposition  which 
the  two  circuits  faced  was  far  from  having 
a  detrimental  effect  upon  the  returns  of 
either  company;  and  Hoyts  already  had 
completed  plans  for  the  erection  of  several 
theatres  for  the  purpose  of  strengthening 
the  circuit  still  further. 

This  confident  expression  from  the  Hoyts 
chief  will  no  doubt  have  its  effect  on  intend- 
ing investors,  who  may  have  been  contem- 
plating the  operation  of  theatres  in  compe- 
tition to  Hoyts.  With  the  unassailable 
advantage  of  being  able  to  select  from  every 
service  except  Paramount  and  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer,  Hoyts  is  no  easy  victim  for 
independent  competitors  these  days,  as 
many  an  independent  has  found  out  to  his 
cost. 

V 

Taxes  Parallel  Profit 

Further  interesting  figures  concerning 
Hoyts  Theatres,  Ltd.,  and  tabled  in  the 
House  of  Representatives,  show  that  in  the 
six  years  ended  June  30,  1935,  the  company 


AGED  SISTERS  SEE 
FIRST  PICTURE  SHOW 

Miss  Mollie  Graham,  96,  and  her 
sister,  Mrs.  G.  W.  Kumbaugh,  octo- 
genarian, of  Willard,  Ohio,  have  at- 
tended their  first  motion  picture  show. 

H.  L.  Tracy,  manager  of  the 
Temple,  was  host  at  their  introduc- 
tion to  the  screen. 


returned  a  net  profit  of  £173,313,  yet  in  that 
period  paid  in  direct  taxation,  consisting  of 
federal  land,  federal  income  and  state  land 
and  state  income  taxes,  an  amount  of  £149,- 
196.  In  addition  to  this  it  collected  in  be- 
half of  the  Commonwealth  and  state  govern- 
ments the  sum  of  £450,000  in  entertainment 
tax,  making  a  total  of  £599,197.  Over  the 
same  period  the  preference  shareholders  con- 
tributed nearly  £1,000,000  of  capital  and 
received  only  £96,407  in  dividends.  The 
ordinary  shareholders  received  nothing. 

The  figures  were  presented  in  the  House 
as  the  basis  of  an  argument  for  a  reduction 
of  taxation  on  leaseholders  of  theatres,  the 
speaker  pointing  out  that  the  money  spent 
by  leaseholders  on  improving  their  proper- 
ties was  not  an  allowable  deduction  for 
taxation  purposes  by  way  of  depreciation. 
V 

Fox  Handling  Gaumont 

The  completion  of  negotiations  by  which 
the  physical  distribution  of  Gaumont-British 
will  be  handled  by  Fox  in  Australia  for  a 
further  term  of  years  puts  to  an  end  rumors 
that  have  intrigued  the  industry  here  for 
some  weeks.  Apart  from  outlining  the  bare 
facts,  Stanley  S.  Crick,  managing  director 
of  Fox  in  Australia,  has  no  comment  to 
make  on  the  transaction,  which,  however, 
washes  up  the  story  that  Associated  Dis- 
tributors would  get  the  franchise.  Asso- 
ciated is  the  company  formed  by  Stuart  F. 
Doyle  to  handle  the  C.  M.  Woolf  product; 
and  it  was  freely  tipped  here  that  if  Mr. 
Doyle  succeeded  in  obtaining  the  Gaumont- 
British  product,  he  also  would  have  every 
chance  of  landing  the  Universal  output  for 
Australasia,  by  reason  of  Mr.  Woolf's  nego- 
tiations with  that  company. 

The  release  of  Gaumont-British  in  the 
Commonwealth  and  New  Zealand  will  be 
distinct  from  the  release  of  the  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  product  in  that  it  will  go 
through  the  newly  formed  Dominion  Film 
Distributors,  of  which  it  is  reported  that 
Stanley  Crick  will  be  chairman  of  directors, 
Ernest  Turnbull  managing  director,  and 
Alan  Williamson,  local  representative  of 
G-B,  a  director.  Besides  handling  Gaumont- 
British  and  Gainsborough,  the  company  will 
release  Twickenham,  British  Lion,  and 
probably  Fox's  British  output.  Although 
previously  mentioned  in  the  negotiations, 
Hoyts  is  not  likely  to  be  directly  connected 
with  the  organization,  but  because  of  the 
Fox  influence  it  will  no  doubt  provide  a  very 
valuable  releasing  channel. 

Ernest  Turnbull,  who  has  figured  so 
prominently  in  the  deal,  and  who  made  a 
rush  trip  to  London  on  what  proved  a  suc- 


Taxes  Paid  Out  by  Hoyts  Cir- 
cuit in  Six  Years,  Including 
Entertainments  Levy,  Al- 
most Equal  Net  Profit 

cessful  mission,  formerly  had  charge  of  the 
distribution  on  this  market  of  the  British 
and  Dominions  Films  product. 

V 

Extensive  Advertisers 

Australian  city  theatres  always  have  been 
noted  for  their  extensive  newspaper  adver- 
tisements, and  taken  at  large,  65  per  cent  of 
a  theatre's  advertising  expenditure  goes  into 
this  medium.  In  the  past,  various  attempts 
have  been  made  to  place  a  limitation  on 
the  spaces  used;  but  whereas,  around  the 
conference  table,  competing  interests  have 
agreed  upon  such  limitations,  it  has  never 
been  very  long  before  someone  or  other  has 
broken  the  pact. 

Newspaper  rates  here  in  the  leading 
dailies  range  from  10/-  a  single  column  inch 
to  22/6,  and  while  full  pages  of  176  inches 
are  not  uncommon,  half-pages  and  full 
three-column  advertisements  are  the  routine 
thing.  These  large  spaces  frequently  have 
given  rise  to  charges  of  extravagance  by 
shareholders  and  others,  but  many  showmen 
still  maintain  that  they  are  necessary  and 
payable  investments. 

Indeed,  when  compared  with  the  spaces 
taken  by  the  leading  retail  stores,  they  ap- 
pear to  be  decidedly  conservative.  As  an 
example  of  this,  on  a  recent  Friday  evening 
(the  night  on  which  the  theatres  advertise 
most  heavily)  Melbourne's  leading  metro- 
politan daily  carried  two  and  a  half  pages  of 
picture  and  legitimate  theatre  advertising, 
representing  both  Melbourne's  city  and 
suburban  theatre  interests.  Yet  on  the  fol- 
lowing night,  in  the  same  newspaper,  Mel- 
bourne's biggest  retail  store  took  no  less 
than  10  full  pages,  an  investment  of  £1,144 
without  the  cost  of  cuts  and  art  work,  to 
advertise  its  winter  sale. 

A  decision  to  limit  spaces  to  a  maximum 
of  16  inches  over  three  columns  has  now 
been  undertaken  by  General  Theatres  Cor- 
poration, which  controls  the  majority  of 
the  leading  theatres  (and  biggest  adver- 
tisers) in  the  five  Australian  capitals.  Some 
of  GTC's  competitors  have  agreed  to  fall 
in  line  with  the  company's  policy,  but  on 
this  occasion  GTC  is  proceeding  with  the 
plan  irrespective  of  what  the  opposition 
does. 

Outlining  the  arrangement,  Charles  E. 
Munro,  managing  director  of  both  GTC 
and  Hoyts,  says  that  the  idea  is  to  spread 
the  expenditure  over  the  season  of  the  pic- 
ture, rather  than  throw  the  bulk  of  it  into 
preliminary  activity,  as  is  now  the  practice. 
His  comment  here  is  significant,  and  indi- 
cates a  gradual  or  eventual  reduction  of 
advertising  expenditures  if  business  does  not 
decline  as  a  result  of  these  economies,  for 
he  continues :  "That,  of  course,  will  lead 
us  to  a  more  sane  use  of  the  space  we  buy, 


3  SUPER  SMASHES  IN  A  ROW 


from  20th  Century-Fox 

START  YOU  OFF 


ON  YOUR  GREATEST  SEASON! 


WARNER 

BAXTER 


MYRNA 

LOY 


with 

IAN  HUNTER- CLAIRE  TREVOR 

JEAN  DIXON 

Directed  by  John  Cromwell 

Associate  Producer  Kenneth 
Macgowan.  Screen  play  by  Richard 
Sherman  and  Howard  Ellis  Smith. 
From  the  story  by  Richard  Sherman. 


Released 
AUGUST 

Is* 


SSI 


Darryl  F.  Zanuck 
in  charge  of  production 


DARING  TO  EXPLORE  . . . 
20th  BRINGS  YOU  THE 
SEASON'S  SENSATION! 

To  a  public  eager  for  new  entertainment  thrills, 
20th  Century- Fox  offers  this  drama  of  ecstatic 
young  love  awakened  by  the  first  kiss  ...  a 
title  that  rings  with  showmanship  .  .  .  two 
star  names  .  .  .  and  Simone  Simon,  warm, 
refreshing,  vital  .  .  .  the  most  distinct 
and  magnetic  personality  brought  to 
the  screen  in  years  .  .  .  whom 
this  picture  will  skyrocket  to 
the  top-money  star 


HERBERT 


RUTH 


MARSHALL  •  CHATTERTON 


GIRLS'  DORMITORY 


introducing  the  star  discovery  of  1936 


CONSTANCE  COLLIER  •  J.  EDWARD  BROMBERG 
DIXIE  DUNBAR  •  JOHN  QUALEN  •  SHIRLEY  DEANE 

Directed  by  Irving  Cummings 

Associate  Producer  Raymond  Griffith. 

Screen  play  by  Gene  Markey.    From  a 


in 


SIMONE  SIMON 


with 


play  by  Ladislaus  Fodor 


Darryl  F.  Zanuck 
in  charge  of  production 


***** 

5>"  ve-^^0'  ..AO*" 


-o- 


-AND  20th  CENTURY-FOX  IS  SET 
TO  FOLLOW  THROUGH  WITH 
PRODUCT  JUST  AS  POWERFUL 


Only  the  world's  largest  and  best-equipped  studio... 
staffed  by  the  industry's  keenest  and  most  alert  show 
minds... could  keep  up  the  pace  we've  started.  That 
20th  Century-Fox  can  do  it,  nobody  knows  better 
than  you. 

Coming  up,  for  instance:  Fredric  March,  Warner 
Baxter,  Lionel  Barrymore  in  "THE  ROAD  TO  GLORY" 
with  June  Lang,  Gregory  Ratoff;  "PIGSKIN  PARADE" 
smash  football  musical;  Janet  Gaynor  and  two  more 
great  stars  in  "LADIES  IN  LOVE";  Loretta  Young  in 
"RAMONA"  with  Don  Ameche  (and  in  100%  Techni- 
color to  heighten  its  spectacular  drama);  Shirley 
Temple  in  "THE  BOWERY  PRINCESS";  another  DIONNE 
QUINTUPLETS  box-office  sensation;  Irving  Berlin's 
musical  knockout,  "ON  THE  AVENUE."  And  plenty 
more. 

Surprises,  too. ..remember  how  "The  Country  Doctor" 
was  dropped  in  your  lap?  20th's  quick-thinking 
producers,  alert  to  the  newest  shift  in  public  fancy, 
will  time  your  screen  to  today's  swift  tempo. 

That's  why  we're  saying  . . . 

DRIVE  AHEAD  WITH  20th  CENTURY-FOX 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  27 


$1,500,000  20th  CENTURY-FOX  NET 
ESTIMATED  FOR  QUARTERLY  RECORD 

Columbia's   Net  for   Quarter  . 

nx^din?.  To^al  xfor  J9i5:    Ambassador  Bingham  Presents 

RKO  s    Six    Months    Better  ^ 

Than  aii  of  Last  Year    Quigley  Award  to  Armstrong 


Robert  W.  Bingham,  United  States  Ambassador  to  England,  presented  to 
John  Armstrong  last  week  at  the  American  Embassy  in  Grosvenor  Gardens, 
London,  the  1 935  Quigley  Silver  Grand  Award.  Armstrong,  now  publicity 
director  for  Radio  Pictures,  Ltd.,  was  voted  his  Award  for  his  campaign  on 
"Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"  at  the  Carlton  theatre,  while  serving  as  advertising 
director  of  the  Paramount  London  Theatres. 

Others  at  the  ceremony,  held  on  July  1 0th,  were  Ralph  Hanbury,  managing 
director;  G.  W.  Dawson,  secretary;  J.  J.  Kennedy,  director,  and  Jack  Griggs, 
press  manager,  all  of  Radio  Pictures;  M.  Neville  Kearney,  secretary  of  the  Film 
Group  of  the  Federation  of  British  Industries;  T.  H.  Fliegelstone,  president  of 
the  Cinematograph  Exhibitors  Association;  Arthur  Taylor,  secretary  of  the  London 
branch,  CEA;  D.  C.  Dobie,  sales  manager  of  First  National,  representing  D.  E. 
Griffiths,  president  of  the  Kinematograph  Renters  Society;  Red  Kann,  editor  of 
Motion  Picture  Daily;  Bruce  Allan  and  Hope  Williams  of  the  London  offices  of 
Quigley  Publications;  and  representatives  of  all  trade  papers. 

Luncheon  was  held  after  the  presentation  at  the  Park  Lane  hotel,  additional 
guests  being  Frank  Hill,  secretary  of  the  KRS;  Simon  Rowson,  Percy  Phillipson, 
Eddie  Klein  and  Mrs.  Armstrong.  (Picture  of  the  presentation  and  further  details 
in  the  Managers'  Round  Table  department  in  a  forthcoming  issue.) 


The  net  profit  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox 
Film  Corporation  for  the  13  weeks  ended 
June  27,  1936,  amounted  to  approximately 
$1,500,000  after  all  charges,  but  not  includ- 
ing any  dividends  from  affiliated  companies, 
according  to  Joseph  M.  Schenck,  chairman 
of  the  board,  in  the  Wall  Street  Journal  this 
week.  This  was  the  most  profitable  quarter 
since  the  present  corporation  was  formed  last 
year  and  more  than  20  per  cent  better  than 
the  first  quarter  of  1936." 

At  the  same  time  it  was  revealed  that 
Columbia  Pictures'  net  earnings  for  the 
final  quarter  of  the  fiscal  year  ending  in 
June  are  running  well  ahead  of  the  pre- 
ceding three  months  and  are  above  1935. 
It  is  predicted  that  they  will  run  to  about 
$1  a  share,  which  would  compare  with 
$177,306,  or  45  cents  a  share  in  the  March 
quarter  and  approximately  $242,000  in  the 
June  quarter  of  a  year  ago. 

RKO's  consolidated  net  profit  for  the 
first  six  months  of  1936  will  approximate 
the  company's  earnings  for  the  entire  year 
of  1935,  when  a  profit  of  $695,000  was 
shown,  it  was  estimated  this  week. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox's  net  profit  of 
$1,500,000  for  the  second  quarter  will  be 
equal  after  preferred  dividend  requirements 
for  the  period  to  about  80  cents  a  share  on 
the  1,226,529  shares  of  common.  This  com- 
pares with  $1,239,760  or  60  cents  a  common 
share  in  the  previous  quarter. 

On  this  estimated  basis,  net  profits  for  the 
first  26  weeks  of  this  year  will  approxi- 
mate $2,740,000,  equal  after  preferred  divi- 
dends to  $1.40  a  common  share.  This  is 
substantially  above  results  for  the  39  weeks 
ended  Sept.  28,  1935  (the  first  consolidated 
report  after  the  merger),  when  the  net 
amounted  to  $1,996,325,  equal  after  preferred 
dividends  to  38  cents  a  common  share. 

$48,000,000  Seen  1936  Gross 

Calculated  on  the  improved  business  to 
date  and  indications  for  the  remainder  of 
year,  Mr.  Schenck  estimates  that  the  com- 
pany will  show  a  gross  income  from  sales 
and  rentals  of  films  and  literature  of  approxi- 
mately $48,000,000  for  1936.  Last  year  the 
gross  amounted  to  $42,447,609.  The  gross 
for  the  last  week  of  June  was  $860,000,  well 
ahead  of  the  like  week  of  1935. 

Mr.  Schenck  has  continued  in  Hollywood 
conversations  begun  last  spring  in  England 
with  Isidore  Ostrer,  president  of  Gaumont 
British  Picture  Corp.,  looking  toward  either 
sale  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox's  42  per  cent 
interest  in  Gaumont  to  the  Ostrer  interests 
or  the  purchase  by  the  American  company 
of  the  Ostrer  58  per  cent  interest.  Mr. 
Schenck  left  Hollywood  over  the  weekend 
and  Mr.  Ostrer  is  leaving  this  week  for  New 
York,  where  they  will  join  Sidney  R.  Kent, 
president  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox  and 
continue  negotiations. 

Negotiations  started  late  last  year  whereby 


Twentieth  Century-Fox  would  acquire  Chase 
National  Bank's  58  per  cent  interest  in  Na- 
tional Theatres  Corp.  are  being  held  in  abey- 
ance until  settlement  of  litigation  involving 
Fox  West  Coast  Theatres,  a  subsidiary  of 
National  Theatres.  Twentieth  Century-Fox 
now  owns  the  other  42  per  cent  interest  and 
acquisition  of  the  Chase  holding  would  give 
the  company  complete  ownership  of  a 
profitable  theatre  chain. 

There  is  a  possibility  that  the  litigation 
will  be  settled  by  September  and  negotia- 
tions resumed. 

Mr.  Schenck  said  the  company  has  no 
need  of  doing  any  financing  at  the  present 
time. 

RKO  Cash  Position 

In  line  with  the  net  profit  for  the  first  six 
months  of  1936,  RKO's  cash  position  as  of 
June  30  is  believed  to  be  the  best  in  the  com- 
pany's history.  Consolidated  cash  in  May 
amounted  to  $6,600,000  and  June  operations 
are  known  to  have  ended  well  above  those 
for  the  same  month  last  year.  RKO's  June 
theatre  business  was  unusually  good  for  the 
month  and  distribution  receipts,  in  addition, 
are  believed  to  be  ahead  of  those  for  June, 
1935. 

Even  with  the  possibility  of  certain  re- 
serves being  set  up  out  of  earnings  for  the 
first  half  of  this  year  the  six  months'  net, 
it  is  believed,  will  exceed  $600,000.  RKO's 
net  profit  for  the  first  half  of  1935  was 
$245,000. 

The  improving  financial  position  of  the 
company  is  regarded  as  increasing  the  likeli- 
hood of  a  plan  of  reorganization  for  the  com- 
pany being  concluded  by  next  winter,  as  pre- 
dicted by  Leo  Spitz,  RKO  president,  at  the 
company's  recent  annual  sales  convention 
here. 


W ?stinghouse  Sues 
R  CA  on  Television 

Westinghouse  Electric  and  Manufactur- 
ing Company  has  filed  suit  in  the  United 
States  district  court  at  Wilmington,  Del., 
against  Radio  Corporation  of  America,  seek- 
ing exclusive  rights  to  television  inventions 
perfected  by  Vladimir  K.  Zworykin. 

The  plaintiff  asks  the  court  to  direct 
United  States  Commissioner  of  Patents  to 
issue  patents  on  television  systems  for 
which  Westinghouse  has  made  application. 
The  bill  alleges  the  commissioner  had  not 
issued  patents  to  Mr.  Zworykin  because  sev- 
eral inventors  had  filed  applications  on  the 
same  principles  after  Mr.  Zworykin  had  ap- 
plied. 

Westinghouse  further  claims  it  holds  full 
rights  to  Mr.  Zworykin's  inventions  and 
asks  that  he  be  declared  the  original  inven- 
tor. The  court  is  asked  to  assign  the  entire 
rights  to  the  inventions  to  Westinghouse 
and  to  direct  the  commissioner  to  issue  the 
patents. 


Quebec  Association 
Elects  B.  E.  Norrish 

B.  E.  Norrish  of  Montreal,  president  of 
Associated  Screen  News,  Ltd.,  has  been 
elected  president  of  the  Quebec  Allied  The- 
atrical Industries.  D.  A.  Burpee  was  re- 
elected secretary  at  the  annual  meeting. 
Exhibitors  at  the  meeting  agreed  to  carry 
on  their  campaign  against  increasing  taxes 
and  efforts  will  be  continued  to  have  the 
age  limit  of  16  for  child  theatre  patrons 
lowered. 


28 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,    19  3  6' 


CAINS  CITED  IN  FICHT     G-B-Ucw  Deal 
ACAINST  CENSORSHIP    Sesswm  Deia^ed 


Civil  Liberties  Union  Finds  Im- 
provement in  Fields  of  Pic- 
tures,    Stage     and  Radio 

More  gains  than  losses  in  the  fight  against 
legislative  and  political  censorship  in  the 
fields  of  motion  pictures,  radio  and  theatres 
are  claimed  by  the  American  Civil  Liberties 
Union  in  a  survey  of  its  year's  work  from 
July  1935  to  June  1936.  The  censorship 
activities  of  the  Union  are  handled  by  its 
affiliate,  the  National  Council  on  Freedom 
from  Censorship. 

The  most  significant  victories  cited  by 
the  report  are  in  the  theatre  field.  They 
include  the  decision  of  the  court  of  appeals 
in  New  York  State  holding  that  the  License 
Commissioner  of  New  York  City  cannot  re- 
voke a  license  on  his  own  personal  findings 
of  obscenity  but  must  wait  for  a  conviction 
in  the  courts;  amendment  to  the  Massachu- 
setts theatre  law  under  which  no  play  in 
Boston  will  be  banned  on  moral  grounds 
until  it  has  had  a  hearing  before  a  board  of 
three  persons,  and  effective  contesting:  of 
censorship  threats  against  "Tobacco  Road" 
in  a  number  of  cities.  This  play  was  banned 
outright,  the  report  said,  only  in  Chicago 
and  St.  Paul. 

The  anti-censorship  program  of  the  Union 
includes,  as  one  of  its  three  main  points, 
opposition  to  any  federal  censorship  of  mo- 
tion pictures  and  abolition  of  censorship 
boards  in  all  states,  leaving  sole  control  of 
motion  pictures  to  public  opinion  and,  in  ex- 
treme cases,  criminal  prosecution.  Other  ob- 
jectives are  greater  freedom  of  the  air  for 
radio  programs  by  the  setting  aside  of  time 
for  public  discussion  free  of  station  man- 
agers' control  and  by  the  requiring  of  equal 
facilities  for  all  sides  of  controversial  top- 
ics; and  a  change  in  post  office  regulations 
by  requiring  trial  by  jury  for  excluded  mat- 
ter. 

Motion  picture  censorship  cases  which 
arose  in  several  states  during  the  year  were 
reviewed  by  the  survey.  In  New  York  the 
Hungarian  film  "Marie"  was  banned  by  the 
censors  and  the  distributors'  appeal  to  the 
state  Board  of  Regents  was  unsuccessful. 
In  Ohio,  a  ban  on  the  "Amateur  Fire 
Brigade,"  a  film  attacking  the  New  Deal 
and  put  out  by  the  Sentinels  of  the  Re- 
public, was  modified  and  the  film  released 
when  the  Ohio  League  for  Constitutional 
Rights  intervened  at  the  suggestion  of  the 
American  Civil  Liberties  Union.  The  suit 
over  the  "Youth  of  Maxim"  brought  by  the 
Cinema  Guild  of  Detroit  when  it  was 
banned  in  that  city  as  "indecent  and  im- 
moral," is  still  pending  before  the  state  su- 
preme court. 

Listed  under  the  heading  of  censorship  by 
the  Union  was  the  refusal  of  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer  to  produce  Sinclair  Lewis'  "It 
Can't  Happen  Here"  and  the  fact  that  "sev- 
eral other  films  were  allegedly  emasculated 
or  refused  production  on  the  ground  that 
they  would  be  offensive  either  to  foreign 
countries  or  to  powerful  home  interests." 

A  state  motion  picture  censorship  board 
bill  was  enacted  in  Louisiana  as  one  of  the 
last  acts  under  the  late  Senator  Huey  Long, 
bringing  the  total  number  of  states  having 


such  laws  to  seven.  A  censorship  bill  in- 
troduced in  New  Jersey  was  defeated  and 
federal  censorship  proposals  were  killed  in 
Congress,  the  Union  reported. 

In  the  theatre  for  1935-36,  the  Union 
noted  the  censorship  in  the  WPA's  "Living: 
Newspaper"  of  references  to  the  heads  of 
foreign  governments  which  led  to  the  resig:- 
nation  of  the  New  York  director,  Elmer 
Rice.  "No  censorship  of  domestic  issues 
has  been  exercised  over  WPA  theatres,"  the 
Union  declared.  Court  cases  relating  to 
the  unsuccessful  suit  in  Boston  over  "The 
Children's  Hour"  in  which  the  Union  par- 
ticipated and  the  fight  over  "Tobacco  Road" 
in  Chicago  were  reported. 

The  survey  also  reported  that  there  were 
comparatively  few  instances  of  "known 
radio  censorship"  in  the  year.  The  Na- 
tional Broadcasting  Company  was  praised 
for  presenting  its  "Town  Hall  of  the  Air," 
a  program  "singularly  free  from  control  and 
thoroughly  representative  of  all  political 
viewpoints." 

Officers  of  the  National  Council  on  Free- 
dom from  Censorship  are  Hatcher  Hughes, 
playwright,  chairman ;  Barrett  H.  Clark, 
playwright  and  publisher,  Fannie  Hurst, 
author,  and  Elmer  Rice,  playwright,  vice- 
chairmen  ;  Harry  Elmer  Barnes,  journalist, 
treasurer;  and  Clifton  Read,  secretary. 

Fanny  Rice  Dies; 
On  Stage  50  Years 

Fanny  Rice,  who  played  important  roles 
in  many  comedies  and  musical  shows  in  her 
half-century  on  the  American  stage,  died 
this  week  at  the  age  of  77  in  the  Home  for 
Incurables,  the  Bronx,  N.  Y.  She  last  ap- 
peared on  the  stage  in  the  Belasco  Theatre, 
Los  Angeles,  in  "The  Barker,"  and  in  No- 
vember, 1930  she  entered  the  Actors  Fund 
Home  at  Englewood,  N.  J. 


Harry  Madison  Dead 

Harry  Madison,  vaudeville  actor,  who 
trouped  with  Eddie  Foy  and  later  acted  in 
films  with  Wallace  Beery,  died  last  week- 
end at  his  home  in  Los  Angeles.  He  was  59 
years  old. 


Manager's  Daughter  Killed 

Funeral  services  were  held  this  week  for 
Betty  Anstead,  15-year-old  daughter  of  Joe 
Anstead,  manager  of  the  Elm  Street  theatre 
in  Worcester,  Mass.  Miss  Anstead  was 
killed  last  week  in  an  automobile  accident. 


Noted  Negro  Actress  Dies 

Miss  Rose  McClendon,  Negro  actress,  a 
leader  in  the  organization  of  the  Negro 
People's  Theatre,  died  this  week  at  her  home 
in  Harlem.  Miss  McClendon,  who  was  51 
years  old,  retired  last  December  from  the 
cast  of  "Mulatto,"  her  last  Broadway  en- 
gagement. 


Harry  Madison  Passes 

Harry  Madison,  old-time  vaudeville  actor, 
who  appeared  in  films  with  Wallace  Beery 
and  others,  is  dead  in  Hollywood.  He  was 
59. 


Final  conferences  on  the  reported  pur- 
chase by  Loew's-MGM  of  a  25  per  cent 
interest  in  Gaumont  British  Pictures,  sched- 
uled for  early  this  week  in  New  York,  were 
delayed  when  Isidor  Ostrer,  president  of 
the  British  company,  who  has  been  in  Hol- 
lywood conferring  with  Joseph  M.  Schenck 
on  the  deal,  stopped  over  in  Chicago  on  his 
way  east. 

Latest  reports  on  the  negotiations,  which 
originally  had  Twentieth  Century-Fox  aug- 
menting its  48  per  cent  interest  in  the  com- 
pany by  purchase  of  part  or  all  of  the 
Ostrer  brothers'  51  per  cent  stock  majority, 
indicated  that  the  deal  will  be  three-cor- 
nered, with  Loew's  acquiring  25  per  cent  of 
the  Ostrer  brothers  interest  and  the  Fox 
company  cooperating  in  the  stock  transfer. 
Mr.  Schenck  has  Confirmed  the  fact  that  a 
transfer  of  control  in  the  British  company 
is  being  discussed  but  has  refused  to  give 
details.  He  conferred  with  his  brother 
Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  president  of  Loew's, 
Inc.,  at  the  latter's  home  in  Great  Neck, 
L.  I.,  over  the  weekend,  while  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  Mr.  Ostrer. 

When  Mr.  Ostrer  and  Mr.  Schenck  first 
were  reported  conferring  in  Hollywood  it 
was  said  that  Twentieth  Century-Fox  was 
prepared  to  buy  out  the  Ostrer  interests  for 
$10,000,000.  On  this  basis  it  is  now  in- 
ferred that  Loew's  would  have  to  pay  about 
$5,000,000  for  a  25  per  cent  stake. 

While  it  is  rumored  that  the  two  Ameri- 
can companies  plan  to  pool  their  resources 
to  operate  the  English  unit,  it  is  understood 
that  when  the  deal  is  completed  Mr.  Ostrer 
will  remain  the  head  of  the  company,  as 
under  British  law  it  is  necessary  that  the 
controlling  interest  be  held  by  Englishmen. 

Acquisition  of  Gaumont  by  the  two 
American  comanies  would  make  the  com- 
bine one  of  the  most  powerful  in  the  motion 
picture  world.  In  addition  to  the  produc- 
tion of  pictures  they  would  control  450  the- 
atres throughout  the  United  Kingdom,  a 
vast  newsreel  organization,  and  interests  in 
vaudeville,  legitimate  production,  radio 
broadcasting,  the  manufacture  and  distribu- 
tion of  motion  picture  equipment,  profes- 
sional and  amateur,  and  other  endeavors. 

The  combine  also  would  be  the  first 
American  unit  to  engage  in  television  broad- 
casting, a  plan  announced  some  months  ago 
by  Gaumont. 

Results  of  negotiations  between  Mr. 
Schenck  and  Mr.  Ostrer,  if  any,  have  not 
been  presented  to  the  board  of  directors  of 
Twentieth  Century-Fox  as  yet,  nor  has 
Nicholas  Schenck  presented  the  plan  for 
Loew  participation  to  the  board  of  that 
company. 


Dinner  To  Be  Given  Doyle 

Stuart  F.  Doyle,  managing  director  of 
Greater  Union  Theatres,  Sydney,  Australia, 
will  be  given  a  welcoming  dinner  in  the 
Hotel  Waldorf  Astoria,  New  York,  on  his 
arrival  there  next  week. 


Wilby-Kincey  Takes  Bijou 

The  Wilby-Kincey  circuit  has  taken  pos- 
session of  the  Bijou  theatre  in  Chattanooga, 
Tenn.,  ending  a  year-long  court  fight  with 
Dixie  Operating  Company. 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


29 


Sustains  Decision  in 
GTE  Court  Action 


PARAMOUNT  PLANNING 
FURTHER  SIMPLIFYING 


The  circuit  court  of  appeals  at  St.  Paul, 
Minn.,  this  week  upheld  the  right  of  Judge 
Albert  L.  Reeves  of  the  federal  district 
court  at  Kansas  City  to  decline  to  assume 
jurisdiction  of  the  suit  of  Jacob  Smith  and 
other  General  Theatres  Equipment  bond- 
holders against  the  Chase  National  Bank, 
Fox  Film  Corporation,  Fox  Rocky  Moun- 
tain, Fox  Midland  and  others. 

Shortly  before  the  court  approved  the 
sale  to  National  Theatres  Corporation  of 
the  bankrupt  theatre  properties  of  Fox  Mid- 
land and  Fox  Rocky  Mountain  last  spring, 
Mr.  Smith,  Lee  Hamlin  and  William 
Snower  filed  in  Judge  Reeve's  court  a  suit 
dependent  on  the  bankruptcy  proceedings. 
They  asked  that  the  adjudications  of  bank- 
ruptcy be  vacated,  charged  fraud,  and 
sought  a  lien  on  the  properties  of  the 
bankrupts  in  favor  of  themselves  as  Gen- 
eral Theatre  Equipment  bondholders.  Later 
Ray  D.  Jones,  Anna  Kupper  and  Katherine 
K,.  Mosher  joined  them  in  the  action. 
Judge  Reeves  declined  to  assume  jurisdic- 
tion in  his  bankruptcy  court,  and  the  bond- 
holders appealed. 

However,  the  appeals  court  did  not  pass 
on  the  merits  of  the  bondholders'  petition. 
It  simply  stated  that  the  fraud  alleged  to 
have  been  perpetuated  by  Chase  National 
on  the  appellants  did  not  and  could  not 
deprive  the  court  of  its  jurisdiction  of  these 
estates  or  of  its  right  to  terminate  the 
bankruptcy  proceedings  in  the  regular  way 
if  it  saw  fit. 

The  opinion  left  the  way  open  for  the 
bondholders  to  proceed  against  Chase  Na- 
tional, et  al.,  in  some  other  court  when  it 
said  the  federal  district  court  did  not 
authorize  the  sale  of  the  assets  of  the  bank- 
rupts free  of  liens,  but  authorized  only  the 
sale  of  the  interest  of  the  bankrupts  in  the 
assets,  "which  the  purchaser  takes,  subject 
to  any  rights,  equities,  or  liens  the  appel- 
lants may  have." 

C.  A.  Randolph,  one  of  the  attorneys  for 
the  bondholders,  said  that  they  have  not 
determined  their  next  step. 

Meanwhile,  it  was  revealed  in  Manhattan 
that  General  Theatres  Equipment,  Inc.'s, 
convertible  6's,  1940,  bonds  will  be  stricken 
from  trading  on  the  New  York  Stock  Ex- 
change on  August  7.  The  exchange  called 
the  attention  to  holders  of  the  undeposited 
debentures  to  the  fact  that  the  company  is 
in  equity  receivership  and  therefore  onlv 
debentures  deposited  with  the  reorganization 
committee  will  share  in  the  securities  al- 
lotted under  the  reorganization  plan  ap- 
proved by  the  Delaware  court  recently. 


Harris  Gives  a  Party 

State  Senator  Frank  J.  Harris  of  Penn- 
sylvania entertained  more  than  200  news- 
papermen, sports  figures,  business  associates 
and  friends  in  the  swimming  pool  of  his 
home  at  Pittsburgh  last  weekend  in  honor  of 
the  38th  birthday  of  his  nephew,  John  H. 
Harris,  active  head  of  the  Harris  Amuse- 
ment Company. 

Reisman  Sails  July  23 

Phil  Reisman,  vice-president  of  RKO  Ex- 
port Corporation,  has  booked  passage  on  the 
lie  de  France,  sailing  July  23,  for  a  Euro- 
pean tour  of  inspection  of  key  centers. 


Consolidations  of  Producing 
Subsidiary  Into  Parent  Com- 
pany Reported  Contemplated 

Paramount  Productions,  Inc.,  the  produc- 
ing subsidiary  of  Paramount  Pictures,  Inc., 
will  be  dissolved  and  its  operations  and 
assets  consolidated  with  the  parent  company 
under  plans  for  further  simplification  of 
Paramount's  corporate  structure,  it  was 
learned  in  New  York  this  week. 

Adolph  Zukor,  having  been  placed  in 
charge  of  Paramount  production,  will  ad- 
minister executive  authority  in  that  field  of 
the  company's  operations  while  continuing 
as  chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of 
the  parent  company.  The  earlier  plan  had 
been  to  elect  Mr.  Zukor  president  of  Para- 
mount Productions,  Inc. 

A  possibility  exists  that  other  subsidiaries 
of  the  company,  such  as  Famous  Theatres 
Corporation  and  Paramount  Pictures  Dis- 
tributing Corporation,  may  also  be  dis- 
solved and  their  operations  consolidated 
under  the  parent  company. 

In  addition  to  simplification  of  the  Par- 
amount corporate  setup,  the  objective 
would  be  to  effect  appreciable  tax  econo- 
mies for  the  company.  The  move  would  be 
in  line  with  the  new  Federal  tax  law  which 
provides  for  tax-free  consolidations  of  cor- 
porate structures. 

Warner  Brothers  availed  itself  of  the 
new  tax  law  late  last  week  when  stockhold- 
ers of  First  National  Pictures  voted  to  dis- 
solve that  Warner  subsidiary  to  gain  the 
benefits  of  the  new  tax-free  consolidation 
provisions. 

Might  Be  Added  to  Board 

In  the  event  that  other  subsidiaries  of 
Paramount  are  dissolved  and  their  func- 
tions consolidated  with  those  of  the  parent 
company,  it  is  believed  likely  that  the  heads 
of  the  subsidiaries,  who  are  already  vice- 
presidents  of  the  parent  company,  would  be 
elected  to  that  company's  board  of  directors 
as  vacancies  appear.  Neil  F.  Agnew,  vice- 
president  of  Paramount  Pictures  in  charge 
of  distribution,  is  already  a  member  of  the 
parent  company's  board.  Y.  Frank  Freeman 
is  vice-president  in  charge  of  theatre  opera- 
tions, but  is  not  a  member  of  the  parent  com- 
pany's board. 

Paramount  began  simplification  of  its  cor- 
porate setup  last  fall  when  five  subsidiary 
companies  were  dissolved  and  their  functions 
absorbed  by  the  parent  company  or  otlier 
subsidiaries.  The  largest  of  the  subsidiaries 
dissolved  at  that  time  was  Paramount  In- 
ternational Corporation,  which  embraced  the 
company's  foreign  operations.  John  Hicks. 
Jr.,  head  of  International,  was  elected  a 
vice-president  of  the  parent  company  short- 
ly thereafter. 

On  Tuesday,  following  a  meeting  of  the 
company's  board  of  directors,  it  was  an- 
nounced that  the  contract  between  the  cor- 
poration and  Mr.  Otterson  had  been  can- 
ce-tted-by  the  board. 

Meanwhile,  a  committee  of  three  Para- 


mount directors  had  been  appointed  to  dis- 
cuss a  settlement  of  John  E.  Otterson's 
contract  with  the  company.  The  move  was 
seen  as  lessening  the  likelihood  of  a  legal 
contest  between  the  company  and  its  for- 
mer president. 

The  committee  consists  of  Stanton  Griffis, 
Harry  O.  King  and  Harvey  D.  Gibson.  A 
first  meeting  is  reported  to  have  been  held 
already  with  Louis  Frohlich,  of  Schwartz 
and  Frohlich,  Mr.  Otterson's  attorneys. 
Nothing  decisive  in  connection  with  a  settle- 
ment or  the  abandonment  of  efforts  to  settle 
has  developed  as  yet,  it  was  stated  authorita- 
tively. Mr.  Otterson  on  Wednesday  vacated 
his  office  in  the  Paramount  Building,  which 
he  had  continued  to  occupy,  obviously  to 
fulfill  his  contract,  awaiting  the  move  by 
Paramount. 

Kennedy  Action  Delayed 

Joseph  P.  Kennedy  has  requested  the 
board  of  directors  to  distribute  copies  of  his 
reports  to  all  security  holders  of  the  com- 
pany "in  order  to  correct  an  impression" 
that  recommendations  contained  in  the  re- 
ports "may  be  the  basis  of  Paramount 
policies."  Paramount  officials  stated  there 
were  no  secrets  attached  to  the  report  and 
that  it  can  be  seen  by  stockholders  at  the 
company  offices.  Within  Paramount,  how- 
ever, it  was  indicated  that  the  amount  of 
Mr.  Kennedy's  compensation  was  $50,000, 
plus  $5,000  for  expenses.  Other  payments 
for  the  survey  were  $10,000  to  James  A. 
Fayne,  $2,000  to  J.  R.  Sheehan,  $3,500  to 
P.  Scollard,  $1,500  to  T.  E.  Ford,  $1,500 
to  Lucius  P.  Ordway,  $2,000  to  Isidor  J. 
Kresel  and  $3,500  to  Arthur  Poole. 

Russell  Holman  has  been  appointed  head 
of  all  production  activities  of  the  company 
in  the  east,  under  Mr.  Zukor,  including  the 
Paramount  News  and  short  subjects  depart- 
ments. 

The  Sabath  Congressional  Committee  is 
continuing  its  observation  of  Paramount  de- 
velopments and  does  not  expect  to  complete 
its  current  work  in  connection  with  the  com- 
pany for  another  week  or  10  days,  Murray 
W.  Garsson,  director  of  investigation  for 
the  committee,  revealed  this  week. 


Court  Schedules  Hearing 
On  Goelet  Theatre 

A  hearing  was  scheduled  in  the  New 
York  supreme  court  on  Friday  in  a  suit  in- 
stituted by  Robert  W.  Goelet  to  compel 
License  Commissioner  Paul  Moss  of  New 
York  City  to  permit  the  erection  of  a  the- 
atre building  at  53rd  Street  near  Park 
Avenue. 


Name  Maryland  Censor 

Mrs.  Harry  T.  Phoebus,  wife  of  the  Re- 
publican senator  from  Somerset  County,  has 
been  appointed  a  member  of  the  Maryland 
censor  board  by  Governor  Harry  W.  Nice 
to  replace  Asa  C.  Sharp. 

Barney  Briskin  in  New  Post 

Barney  Briskin  heads  the  newly-created 
sales  distribution  division  in  the  Sol  Lesser 
organization  in  Hollywood. 


30 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


COURT  REFUSES  TO  BAR 
USE  OF  ZIEGFELD  NAME 

Justice  Patterson  of  the  supreme 
court  at  White  Plains,  N.  Y.,  Tues- 
day refused  to  grant  the  application 
for  an  injunction  on  the  part  of  the 
estate  of  the  late  Florenz  Ziegfeld  to 
prevent  Metro -Goldwyn-Meyer  from 
exhibiting  the  picture,  "The  Great 
Ziegfeld".  The  estate  claimed  that  the 
"good  will"  of  the  name  "Ziegfeld" 
belonged  to  the  estate  and  therefore 
should  be  paid  for  if  used  by  others 
for  profit. 

The  court  pointed  out  that  the 
estate  has  sold  the  name  "Ziegfeld 
Follies"  to  Billie  Burke,  and  that  any 
good  will  attached  to  the  name  went 
with  it.  It  further  pointed  out  that 
MGM  had  spent  some  $2,600,000  on 
the  film  and  the  granting  of  the  re- 
quested injunction  would  jeopardize 
this  investment. 

R  CA  Consents  to 
NLRB  Ballot 

Approximately  80  per  cent  of  the  fac- 
tory's employees  needed  for  a  "revised  pro- 
duction program"  have  returned  to  work  at 
the  RCA  Manufacturing  Corporation's  plant 
at  Camden,  N.  J.,  where  motion  picture 
sound  recording  and  reproducing  equipment, 
radio  tubes  and  sets  are  manufactured,  ac- 
cording to  E.  T.  Hamilton,  vice-president. 
This  statement  came  during  the  third  week 
of  the  United  Electrical  and  Radio  Workers' 
Union  strike. 

The  company,  on  Wednesday,  agreed  to 
the  demands  of  workers  for  an  election  spon- 
sored by  the  National  Labor  Relations  board 
to  determine  the  collective  bargaining  agency 
of  a  majority  of  the  employes  of  the  Cam- 
den plant  provided  the  strikers  renounce 
their  demands  for  higher  pay. 

Eight  persons  were  arrested  for  fresh  dis- 
orders outside  the  factory  where  fighting 
took  place  over  a  five-block  front  as  some 
employees,  leaving  work,  were  bombarded 
with  eggs  and  paint.  Police  riot  squads  had 
some  difficulty  restoring  order ;  an  order 
prevented  them  from  using  their  nightsticks. 

Picketing,  however,  has  continued  in  front 
of  the  factory  and  has  even  been  extended 
to  New  York,  where  strikers  and  sympa- 
thizers were  parading  this  week  before  the 
RCA  Building  in  Rockefeller  Center. 

Delay  Akron  Buying 
To  Set  Dual  Policy 

Members  of  the  Akron  Independent  The- 
atre Owners  Association  have  agreed  to  de- 
lay booking  of  next  season's  films  for  30 
days  pending  a  decision  on  the  double  fea- 
ture policy. 

Corporation  Taxes  Raised 

The  Senate  Finance  Committee  of  the 
Pennsylvania  state  legislature  has  voted  an 
increase  of  the  state  6  per  cent  levy  on  the 
net  income  of  corporations  to  8  per  cent  and 
an  increase  in  the  state  one  mil  tax  on  per- 
sonal property  to  four  mils. 


IV.  Virginia  Unit 
Plans  Convention 

The  second  annual  convention  of  the  Ex- 
hibitors and  Managers  Association  of  West 
Virginia  has  been  set  for  August  12-13  at 
the  Greenbrier  Hotel,  White  Sulphur 
Springs.  J.  C.  Shanklin  of  Charleston  is 
chairman  of  the  convention  arrangements 
committee. 

At  the  same  time  it  was  revealed  that 
plans  for  expansion  of  the  Independent  The- 
atre Owners,  Inc.,  were  advanced  at  a  meet- 
ing Tuesday  in  Philadelphia,  when  a  sub- 
stantial fund  is  reported  to  have  been 
pledged  for  the  work.  Conferences  have 
been  held  between  the  local  unit  and  R.  F. 
Woodhull,  former  head  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  and,  according 
to  Charles  Segall,  president  of  the  Independ- 
ent Theatre  Owners,  the  negotiations  are 
still  under  way. 

In  New  York,  this  week,  directors  of  the 
Independent  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
held  a  discussion  of  the  product  of  all  major 
companies  but  no  action  was  taken.  The 
regular  membership  meeting  was  to  be  held 
this  Wednesday  at  the  Hotel  Astor  when 
the  topic  was  again  scheduled  to  be  dis- 
cussed. 


Damage  Suits  Filed 
As  Result  of  Strike 

As  an  echo  of  the  motion  picture  opera- 
tors' strike  in  Cincinnati  in  1932  which 
lasted  11  months,  damage  suits  totalling 
$54,000  have  been  filed  in  common  pleas 
court  in  that  city  by  former  officials  and 
members  of  the  old  Cincinnati  Operators 
Local  165  against  William  C.  Elliott,  then 
president  of  the  International  Alliance  of 
Theatrical  and  Stage  Employees,  18  mem- 
bers and  their  counsel. 

Motion  Picture  Academy 
Organizes  New  Section 

A  fifth  section  of  the  Academy  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Arts  and  Sciences,  Technicians 
branch,  has  been  authorized,  to  be  made 
up  of  technicians  affiliated  with  the  motion 
picture  supply,  service,  and  development 
companies  in  the  industry.  The  section  will 
function  similarly  to  the  Art  Directors,  Film 
Editors,  Photographic  and  Sound  Sections 
of  the  Branch. 


Receiver  for  Theatre  Asked 

Appointment  of  a  receiver  to  operate  the 
Rialto,  Cincinnati  subsequent  run  house, 
has  been  asked  by  Jack  S.  Jossey,  Republic 
franchise  holder,  of  Cleveland,  and  David 
W.  Levy,  Cincinnati  attorney,  in  a  suit  filed 
against  Thomas  Reilly,  operator  of  the  the- 
atre. 


Theatre  Owners  Plan  Show 

Mrs.  Abe  Maier  of  the  Lindbergh  and  Joe 
Green  of  W.  D.  Fulton's  theatres  in  Kansas 
City  have  been  named  by  the  Independent 
Theatre  Owners  to  arrange  for  a  midnight 
party  late  in  August. 


Sparks  Adds  Two  Theatres 

Leases  on  two  motion  picture  houses  in 
New  Smyrna,  Fla.,  have  been  acquired  by 
the  E.  J.  Sparks  interests. 


FILMS  STOP  MURDERS, 
SOCIOLOGIST  CLAIMS 

America  would  have  fewer  mur- 
ders if  more  people  attended  the  mo- 
tion picture  theatre.  That  observa- 
tion was  made  in  New  York  this 
week  by  Dr.  Harold  D.  Meyer,  pro- 
fessor of  sociology  at  the  University 
of  North  Carolina  and  regional  repre- 
sentative of  the  Community  Organ- 
ization for  Leisure. 

Dr.  Meyer  said  he  based  his  state- 
ment on  the  results  of  visits  he  made 
to  41  capital  offense  prisoners  in  the 
"death  rows"  of  three  Southern  peni- 
tentiaries. 

"I  asked  each  of  the  prisoners  the 
question:  'Are  you  a  movie  fan?' 

"Only  two  of  the  prisoners  said 
they  could  qualify  as  fans,  while  the 
other  39  said  they  seldom  if  ever 
went  to  a  movie." 


Former  Film  Star 
Drowning  Victim 

James  Murray,  motion  picture  actor  who 
rose  to  success  from  a  job  as  an  extra  and 
disappeared  from  Hollywood  after  a  brief 
career,  was  drowned  Friday  night  off  a 
North  River  pier  in  New  York  City.  Iden- 
tification was  made  this  week  by  his  mother, 
Mrs.  Christopher  J.  Murray. 

The  actor,  once  a  theatre  doorman  in 
New  York,  achieved  success  after  he  was 
picked  for  stardom  by  King  Vidor  in  "'The 
Crowd"  in  1928.  He  then  played  in  "Rose 
Marie"  and  "The  Big  City"  but  in  1930 
he  disappeared  from  the  studios.  Little  was 
heard  of  him  until  this  year  when  he  at- 
tempted a  comeback  on  the  vaudeville  stage. 
Last  March  he  played  at  Loew's  State  in 
New  York  during  a  "Spring  Festival." 

Walter  Hampden  Signs 
For  Film  Appearance 

Walter  Hampden,  veteran  stage  star  who 
has  steadfastly  refused  proposals  to  appear 
on  the  screen,  has  signed  a  flexible  contract 
with  Maxson  F.  Judell  under  which  Mr. 
Judell  will  either  produce  features  starring 
Mr.  Hampden  or  contract  him  to  other  pro- 
ducers. His  first  production  may  be  "Cy- 
rano de  Bergerac"  in  which  the  actor  has 
achieved  repeated  successes  over  a  period  of 
years. 

Twelve  Features  Included 
In  Hoffberg  Schedule 

Twelve  feature  pictures  of  the  exploita- 
tion variety,  plus  24  short  subjects  and  six 
foreign  language  films  are  included  in  the 
1936-37  schedule  for  release  by  J.  H.  Hoff- 
berg. 

Named  to  Film  Council 

Ethel  W.  Tileston,  vice-president  of  the 
New  Haven  Council  of  Theatre  Patrons,  has 
been  invited  to  serve  as  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Directors  of  the  Metropolitan  Mo- 
tion Picture  Council  of  New  York. 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


31 


51  STORIES  BOUGHT;  STUDIOS 
ROUND  OUT  PROGRAMS 


Only  Five  Plays  Purchased 
in  Month,  Half  the  Total 
of  Each  of  Two 
Previous  Months 

Story  buying  activity  of  the  Hollywood 
producers  shows  a  sharp  letdown  during  the 
past  few  weeks,  particularly  during  the 
month  of  June.  Only  51  purchases  were 
made  to  round  out  the  production  schedules 
of  this  year  and  to  lay  the  groundwork  for 
pictures  promised  early  next  year.  The 
months  of  April  and  May  saw  some  327 
manuscripts  acquired  by  the  various  stu- 
dios, the  largest  period  of  buying  in  some 
time,  so  it  may  be  assumed  that  the  drop  in 
purchases  was  caused  by  complete,  or  near- 
ly complete,  programs  already  in  prospect 
for  the  1936-37  season. 

The  stage  of  Broadway  appears  to  be 
growing  less  and  less  important  to  Holly- 
wood as  a  source  of  story  supply,  Holly- 
wood having  taken  only  five  plays  in  June, 
as  compared  to  the  10  in  May  and  12  in 
April,  and  none  of  the  five  is  a  current 
Manhattan  success. 

The  June  purchases  numbered  25  origin- 
als, 21  books,  one  cartoon  strip  and  one 
radio  script,  as  compared  with  86  originals 
and  74  books  the  previous  month.  Ten  plays 
also  were  purchased  in  May,  as  compared 
to  the  five  of  last  month. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  and  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer  participated  more  heavily  in 
acquiring  new  properties  for  screen  ve- 
hicles than  any  of  the  other  companies, 
each  making  eight  purchases.  Paramount, 
following  the  heavy  pace  it  set  the  last  two 
months,  is  right  up  with  the  leaders  with  a 
total  of  seven  new  acquisitions.  Columbia 
and  Radio  follow  and  then  come  Warner, 
United  Artists,  First  National,  Universal, 
Selznick-International,  Imperial  Distribut- 
ing Corporation  and  I.  E.  Chadwick. 

Titles  of  the  51  original  stories,  magazine 
yarns,  books  and  plays  bought  by  Hollywood 
producers  for  their  committments  of  this 
season  or  for  release  during  1936-37,  to- 
gether with  all  available  filming  credits,  are 
as  follows : 

Adventures  of  Tom  Sawyer,  novel  by 
Mark  Twain,  purchased  by  David  O. 
Selznick  of  Selznick-International.  Wil- 
liam H.  Wright  has  been  appointed  pro- 
duction assistant. 

All  Scarlet,  original  by  Damon  Runyon, 
purchased  by  Radio.  Heather  Angel  will 
be  featured  with  direction  by  William 
Sistrom.  Cortland  Fitzimmons  is  writing 
the  screen  play. 

Arm  of  the  Law,  original  by  Bert  Glen- 
non,  cameraman  under  contract  to  Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox.  Purchased  by  same 
company  for  production  by  Darryl  F. 
Zanuck  during  the  fall. 

Barely  A  Lady,  original  by  Lawrence 
Saunders,  purchased  by  Paramount. 

Beloved,  novel  by  Gasoir  Owski,  purchased 
by  MGM,  to  star  Greta  Garbo  and  Charles 


YEAR'S  COMPARISON 
OF  STORY  PURCHASES 


Month  O 

riginals 

Books 

Plays 

Totals 

May   

23 

19 

9 

51 

June   

24 

19 

7 

50 

July   

41 

12 

10 

63 

August   

21 

7 

4 

32 

September  .... 

34 

53(a) 

4 

91 

October  

7 

2 

14 

November   

22 

12(b) 

5 

39 

December   

22 

12(c) 

4 

38 

January,    1936.  . 

14 

18(d) 

5 

37 

February   

35 

38(e) 

4 

77 

March   

24 

19(f) 

2 

45 

107 

48(g) 

12 

157 

May   

86 

74(h) 

10 

170 

June   

25 

2l(i) 

5 

51 

TOTALS  FOR 
12  MONTHS 

503 

390(j) 

91 

964 

(a)  Including  4  published  magazine  stories. 

(b)  Including  I  published  magazine  story. 

(c)  Including  2  published  magazine  stories. 

(d)  Including  4  published  magazine  stories. 

(e)  Including  12  published  magazine  stories. 

(f)  Including  6  published  magazine  stories. 

(g)  Including  13  published  magazine  stories. 

(h)  Including  19  published  magazine  stories. 

(i)  Including  21  published  magazine  stories, 
(j)  Including  63  published  magazine  stories. 


Boyer.  Irving  G.  Thalberg  will  produce, 
with  work  scheduled  to  start  late  this 
summer. 

Border  Patrolman,  original  by  Dan  Jarett 
and  Ben  Cohn,  purchased  by  Columbia. 

By  the  Dawn's  Early  Light,  by  Stephen 
Roberts,  purchased  by  Radio  to  star  Fred 
Stone. 

Cavalier  of  Tennessee,  by  Meredith  Nich- 
olson, bought  by  Columbia. 

Case  of  the  Caretaker's  Cat,  by  Erie 
Stanley  Gardner,  acquired  by  First  Na- 
tional. Ricardo  Cortez  will  be  starred  as 
Perry  Mason,  detective. 

Davy  Crockett,  original  based  on  the  life 
of  Davy  Crockett,  acquired  by  Sol  Lesser 
for  release  through  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox.  Richard  Arlen  to  be  starred  under 
the  direction  of  Howard  Bretherton. 

Cartoon  Strip  Purchased 

Dick  Tracy,  cartoon   strip,  acquired  by 

Republic   Pictures   for   production   as  a 

15-chapter  serial. 
Dreaming  Lips,  starring  Elisabeth  Berg- 

ner,  to  be  produced  in  England  under  the 

direction  of  Paul  Czinner  for  release  by 

United  Artists. 
Enchanted  Voyage,  novel  by  Robert  Na- 

thanson,  acquired  by  Twentieth  Century- 

Fox. 

Fifteen  Maiden  Lane,  original  storv  by 
Paul  Burger,  bought  by  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury-Fox. Constance  Bennett  to  lie 
starred. 

Flying  Hostess,  story  by  George  Say  re. 
acquired  by  Universal  for  direction  In 
Ralph  Murphy  as  an  Edmund  Grainger 
production.    Doris  Nolan,  Broadway  star 


20th  Century-Fox  and  MGM 
Lead  with  Eight  Purchases 
Each;  Cartoon  Strip  and 
Radio    Script  Bought 

of  "The  Night  of  January  16,"  to  have 
the  lead. 

Green  Grow  the  Lilacs,  play  by  Lynn 
Riggs,  acquired  by  MGM  from  Radio  to 
star  Franchot  Tone. 

Zane  Grey  Story 

King  of  the  Royal  Mounted,  story  by 
Zane  Grey,  acquired  by  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury Fox.    Robert  Kent  will  be  starred. 

Knight  Without  Armour,  story  based  on 
the  novel  by  James  Hilton,  acquired  by 
Alexander  Korda  to  star  Marlene  Diet- 
rich. 

Lady  of  Song,  original  by  Houston  Branch 
and  Gene  Markey,  acquired  by  MGM. 

Lives  of  a  Texas  Ranger,  by  Bernard 
McConville,  for  Republic  Pictures  under 
the  direction  of  Joseph  Kane. 

Love  on  the  Run,  magazine  story  by  Alan 
Green  and  Julian  Brodie,  bought  by  MGM 
for  production  by  Joseph  Mankiewicz. 
Victor  Fleming  is  to  direct  and  Robert 
Montgomery  and  Jean  Harlow  are  to  be 
starred. 

Man  With  A  Young  Wife,  original  story 
by  Oliver  H.  P.  Garrett,  acquired  by 
Selznick-International  with  Edward  Ar- 
nold in  the  starring  role. 

Marie  Walewska,  novel  by  Gasior  Owski, 
acquired  by  MGM. 

Men  Behind,  original  by  Warners. 

Murder  on  the  Mississippi,  original  by- 
Arthur  Fred  Maclsaac,  acquired  by  Uni- 
versal. 

Off  Color,  Saturday  Evening  Post  story, 
acquired  by  I.  E.  Chadwick  for  Buster 
Keaton. 

One  Man's  Family,  NBC  radio  script  by 
Carleton  Morse,  bought  by  Paramount. 

Over  the  Wall,  original  by  Warden  Lewis 
E.  Lawes  of  Sing  Sing  Prison,  acquired 
by  First  National  to  star  Ross  Alexander. 

Pigskin  Parade,  original  by  Mark  Kelly, 
acquired  by  Twentieth  Century-Fox. 

Mark  Twain  Novel 

Prince  and  the  Pauper,  novel  by  Mark 

Twain,  bought  by  Warners  to  star  the 

Mauch  twins. 
Queen  of  the  Jungle,  original  story  by 

Max  Marcin,  bought  by  Paramount. 
Rivals,  The,  comedy  by  Richard  Brinsley 

Sheridan,  bought  by  Warners  for  Hup'h 

Herbert. 

Road  to  Nowhere,  original,  acquired  by 
Columbia  to  star  Jack  Holt. 

'Round  the  Town,  musical  by  Lew  Brown, 
Rian  James  and  Paul  Yawitz,  acquired 
by  Radio  to  star  Joe  Penner. 

Sally,  Irene  and  Mary,  Broadway  musical 
hit  of  seasons  back,  acquired  by  Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox. 

Second  Wife,  based  on  the  play  "All  the 

{Continued  on  following  papc.  column  1) 


32 

51  Stories  Bought; 
Studios  IVind  Up 
Program  Plans 

(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

King's  Men,"  acquired  by  Radio  to  star 
Walter  Abel  and  Gertrude  Michael. 
•  Secret  Garden,  based  on  Frances  Hodgson 
Burnett's  original  story,  bought  by  Para- 
mount to  star  Virginia  Weidler. 

Silent  Knight,  play  by  Jeno  Heltai,  ac- 
quired by  MGM. 

Soldier  of  Fortune,  by  George  Atwill, 
purchased  by  Imperial  Distributing  Cor- 
poration. 

Souls  at  Sea,  original  by  Ed  Hale,  bought 
by  Paramount,  to  star  Carole  Lombard 
and  Gary  Cooper. 

Sparkenbroke,  novel  by  Charles  Morgan, 
optioned  by  MGM. 

Haines  Novel  Purchased 

Slim,  novel  by  William  Wister  Haines, 
purchased  by  Warner  to  star  Pat  O'Brien 
and  Henry  Fonda. 

There  Goes  the  Bride,  original  by  Octavus 
Roy  Cohen,  purchased  by  Columbia  for 
Chester  Morris  and  Fay  Wray. 

Time  Out  of  Mind,  novel  by  Rachel  Field, 
bought  by  Universal. 

Toinette's  Philip,  from  the  estate  of  the 
late  Mrs.  C.  V.  Jamison,  by  Sol  Lesser  for 
Bobby  Breen  for  release  through  RKO 
Radio. 

Vogues  of  1937,  purchased  by  Walter 
Wanger  to  star  Joan  Bennet  for  release 
through  United  Artists. 

Wedding  Present,  original  by  Paul  Gal- 
lico,  bought  by  B.  P.  Schulberg  from  Col- 
umbia for  Paramount  release. 

Whispering  Window,  mystery  story  by 
Cortland  Fitzsimmons,  acquired  by  MGM. 

With  Banners  Blowing,  novel  by  Barry 
Benefield,  acquired  by  Paramount. 

Wooden  Kimona,  mystery  by  John  Floyd, 
acquired  by  Imperial  Distributing  Cor- 
poration. 

Years  Are  So  Long,  The,  novel  by  Mar- 
garet Lawrence,  acquired  by  Paramount. 

Orpheum  Theatre  Company 
Files  Bankruptcy  Plea 

A  voluntary  petition  in  bankruptcy  has 
been  filed  in  the  federal  court  of  New  York 
by  the  Orpheum  Theatre  Company,  which 
at  one  time  operated  the  St.  Louis,  Or- 
pheum and  Missouri  theatres  in  St.  Louis. 
It  was  explained  that  the  houses  have  long 
since  been  taken  over  by  landlords  and 
mortgage  holders. 

RKO  guaranteed  some  of  the  debts  of  the 
company,  and  they  are  listed  among  the 
claims  against  RKO,  which  is  now  being 
reorganized  under  Section  77-B.  A  referee 
in  bankruptcy  will  be  appointed,  and  a 
trustee  elected.  Six  months  will  be  allowed 
for  the  filing  of  claims.  The  Orpheum 
company  in  its  petition  stated  its  assets  con- 
sisted of  cash  in  the  Irving  Trust  Company, 
accounts  receivable  from  the  Grand  Opera 
House  Company,  the  Vandervanter  National 
Bank  of  St.  Louis  and  Mary  Hart  Casey. 
Other  assets  include  real  estate  and  theatre 
equipment,  none  of  which  is  in  the  peti- 
tioneers'  possession. 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


$300,000  ROCKEFELLER 
AID  TO  THEATRE,  RADIO 

More  than  $300,000  was  appro- 
priated for  the  advancement  of  the 
theatre,  radio  and  motion  pictures 
during  the  year  193  J  by  the  Rocke- 
feller Foundation,  according  to  the 
annual  report  released  this  week. 

The  largest  single  item  was  the 
appropriation  of  $120,000  for  the 
motion  picture  department  of  the 
Museum  of  Modern  Art. 


St.  Louis  to  Have 
Legion  of  Decency 
Board  of  Review 

Establishment  in  St.  Louis  of  a  local  mo- 
tion picture  review  board  for  the  Legion  of 
Decency  has  been  announced  by  His  Grace, 
John  J.  Glennon,  Archbishop  of  St.  Louis, 
following  publication  of  the  encyclical  letter 
of  Pope  Pius  XI  in  which  continance  and 
amplification  of  the  Legion's  campaign  was 
urged. 

The  new  board  is  to  be  incorporated  in 
the  diocesan  organization  and,  according  to 
the  announcement,  will  "promote  the  activi- 
ties of  the  Legion  and  do  everything  within 
its  power  to  promote  and  insist  upon  de- 
cency and  morality  in  motion  pictures."  The 
group,  which  will  include  laymen,  will  not 
attempt  to  censor  pictures  first  hand,  but  is  to 
supplement  the  work  of  the  National  Legion 
of  Decency,  which  issues  nationwide  lists 
of  classified  pictures  from  its  New  York  City 
headquarters  each  week. 

One  important  function  of  the  board  is 
expected  to  be  vigilance  against  any  effort 
to  show  scenes  or  other  parts  that  have 
been  deleted  by  censors  elsewhere.  The 
Archbishop  also  indicated  that  the  board  will 
give  attention  to  motion  picture  theatre  ad- 
vertising text  and  illustrations.  Weekly  re- 
ports are  to  be  made  to  the  national  head- 
quarters. 

The  Legion  of  Decency  activity  in  St. 
Louis  started  on  June  3,  1934,  when  Arch- 
bishop Glennon  addressed  a  letter  to  the 
pastors  of  all  churches  under  his  jurisdic- 
tion. Pledge  cards  were  distributed  to  a  re- 
ported 300,000  men,  women  and  children 
who  promised  to  remain  away  from  motion 
pictures  that  "offend  decency  and  Christian 
morality." 

200  Pages  of  Data  in 
Argentine  Year  Book 

The  1936  edition  of  the  Annuario  Cine- 
matografico  Argentino  has  been  issued  in 
Buenos  Aires  by  Argos.  The  book  contains 
nearly  200  pages  of  data  covering  distribut- 
ing companies,  films  released  in  the  coun- 
try, native  production  activity  and  other 
trade  information. 


Warner  Officers  in  Scranton 

Major  Albert  Warner,  Andy  Smith, 
Charles  Einfeld  and  Bob  Mochrie  of  War- 
ner Brothers,  are  in  Scranton  attending  a 
meeting  of  the  Comerford  Circuit. 


July    18,  1936 

Fox  Theatres 
Claims  Pared 
By  18  Millions 

Claims  against  Fox  Theatres  Corporation 
aggregating  approximately  $18,750,000  have 
been  disallowed  by  special  master  Courtland 
Palmer  following  hearings  held  during  the 
six  months  ended  June  30,  according  to  a  re- 
ceiver's report  for  the  period  filed  with  Fed- 
eral Judge  Martin  T.  Manton  in  New  York 
by  Milton  C.  Weisman,  receiver  for  the 
theatre  company. 

The  special  master  held  hearings  on 
claims  totaling  $24,285,000  during  the  half- 
year  period.  The  largest  of  the  approxi- 
mately $5,500,000  of  claims  allowed  against 
the  theatre  company  were  those  of  the 
Union  Guardian  Trust  Company,  $2,532,- 
819,  and  St.  Louis  Union  Trust  Company, 
$764,845.  A  new  claim  for  $1,074,028  was 
filed  for  rent  on  the  Fox  Theatre  and  Office 
Building,  St.  Louis,  making  a  total  of  $9,- 
711,206  in  claims  still  pending  against  Fox 
Theatres  Corporation.  The  company  esti- 
mates its  own  claim  against  William  Fox 
at  $17,000,000. 

The  receiver's  report  indicates  that  Fox 
Theatres  neither  gained  nor  lost  anything 
as  a  result  of  a  recent  report  made  by  Ref- 
eree Sol  Stroock  after  hearings  lasting  more 
than  a  year  on  the  liability  involved  in  de- 
faults on  Roxy  Theatre  stock  which  had 
been  guaranteed  up  to  $1,000,000  by  Wil- 
liam Fox.  Commenting  on  the  Stroock  re- 
port, the  Fox  Theatres'  receiver  says  "the 
referee  found  that  Fox  Theatres  was  en- 
titled to  judgment  against  William  Fox  in 
the  sum  of  $1,000,000,  interest  and  costs, 
and  that  William  Fox  was  entitled  to  a 
judgment  over  against  Fox  Theatres  for 
such  sums  as  he  should  pay  to  it  pursuant 
to  its  judgment.  Accordingly,  the  judgment 
against  Fox  Theatres  was  provisional  only 
and  not  collectible  until  William  Fox  should 
have  paid  the  company,  and  then  collectible 
only  to  the  extent  of  such  payments  as  he 
might  make." 

The  receiver  reports  consolidated  cash  on 
hand  of  $767,248  as  of  June  30,  a  decrease 
of  about  $13,000  in  the  cash  position  of  the 
receivership  estate  since  Jan.  1.  Receipts 
during  the  six-month  period  amounted  to 
$107,998  and  disbursements,  $164,792. 

Judge  Manton  approved  an  extension  of 
the  receivership  for  another  six  months. 


Fight  Atlantic  City 
Lease  for  "Ecstasy" 

Atlantic  City  amusement  men  are  rally- 
ing to  arms  as  a  result  of  the  leasing  of  the 
ballroom  of  the  Municipal  Convention  Hall 
to  Eureka  Pictures  for  an  eight-week  sum- 
mer run  of  the  Czechoslovakian  film, 
"Ecstasy,"  and  exhibitors  are  considering 
a  protest  to  Mayor  Charles  D.  White. 

The  ballroom,  seating  5,000,  is  equipped 
for  film  projection,  but  never  has  been  used. 
The  protesting  group  declares  the  lease  vio- 
lates a  gentlemen's  agreement  with  the  city 
authorities.  They  claim  there  are  too  many 
theatres  in  the  city  already,  but  the  city  is 
anxious  to  realize  as  much  income  as  pos- 
sible from  the  $15,000,000  hall. 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


33 


Production  Code 
Cited  as  Factor  in 
Films  "Social Place 

Intelligent  interest  in  the  social  importance 
of  the  motion  picture  is  more  in  evidence  to- 
day than  ever  before  and  a  critical  appraisal 
of  the  social  influence  of  the  film  industry, 
however  difficult  it  may  be  to  formulate,  will 
be  a  welcome  development  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  industry  itself,  F.  W.  Allport  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Distribu- 
tors of  America,  said  this  week  in  an  ad- 
dress before  the  Institute  of  Public  Affairs 
at  the  University  of  Virginia. 

A  broader  understanding  and  consequent- 
ly greater  success  for  the  effort  that  the  in- 
dustry is  making  to  anticipate  and  meet  the 
obligations  imposed  by  its  position  in  the 
social  order  is  foreshadowed  by  this  in- 
creasing interest,  Mr.  Allport  continued. 
Pointing  out  that  he  was  referring  to  enter- 
tainment films,  the  major  part  of  motion 
picture  output,  as  opposed  to  purely  educa- 
tional films,  the  speaker  emphasized  that 
the  primary  object  of'  such  pictures  is  to 
divert  and  amuse  rather  than  to  instruct. 

The  formation  of  the  MPPDA  under  the 
presidency  of  Will  H.  Hays  was  reviewed 
by  Mr.  Allport  in  citing  the  efforts  of  the 
industry  to  meet  this  social  problem.  Be- 
fore explaining  the  aims  of  the  association 
he  emphasized  that  its  fundamental  principle 
is  self-regulation.  "It  holds  that  the  futility 
of  statutory  ethics  has  been  abundantly  dem- 
onstrated and  that  self-discipline  is  the  only 
effective  form  of  social  control,"  he  said. 

"It  was  determined  at  the  outset  that  with- 
in the  framework  of  self-regulation  a  con- 
scious effort  would  be  made  at  all  times  to 
improve  the  standards  of  motion  picture 
production,  for  ethical  reasons  and  as  a 
means  of  avoiding  possible  adverse  influ- 
ences on  human  behavior,  which  were  as 
difficult  to  isolate  and  identify  then  as  now," 
he  continued. 

After  reviewing  the  drafting  of  the  Pro- 
duction Code  "to  insure  the  uniform  re- 
flection of  the  improvement  in  motion  pic- 
ture production"  and  to  set  forth  "specific 
standards  of  content  and  treatment,"  Mr. 
Allport  declared:  "The  gradual  evolution 
of  a  workable  Production  Code  and  of  a 
highly  effective  administrative  procedure 
is  reflected  today  in  an  uninterrupted  flow 
of  entertainment  pictures  of  a  higher  qual- 
ity, socially,  morally  and  artistically  than 
at  any  time  in  the  history  of  the  motion 
picture  industry." 

The  speaker  touched  on  the  varying  opin- 
ions among  scientists  of  the  social  effect  of 
motion  pictures  and  related  the  difficulties 
attendant  upon  the  obtaining  of  any  satis- 
factory data  on  the  problem. 

"Great  headway  has  already  been  made  to- 
ward higher  standards  of  film  production 
and  appreciation,"  the  speaker  said.  "The 
outlines  of  the  problem  are  well  known  and 
experience  has  indicated  successful  and  un- 
successful methods  of  dealing  with  it.  With 
the  help  of  men  and  women  of  broad  social 
vision  the  industry  is  moving  steadily  for- 
ward toward  better  forms  of  motion  picture 
entertainment." 


Dr.  A.  H.  Giannini  Assumes 
United  Artists  Leadership 


TO  the  presidency  and  board  chairmanship  of  United  Artists  corporation  sea- 
soned, stocky,  staccato  Attilio  Henry  Giannini,  M.D.,  brought  on  July  10th,  when 
he  presided  at  his  first  directors'  meeting,  sixty-two  years  of  experience  ripened 
by  close,  constant  application  to  banking,  motion  picture  and  human  values.  Born 
March  2,  1874,  at  Alviso,  Cal,  the  man  elected  by  Samuel  Goldwyn,  Douglas  Fair- 
banks, Charles  Chaplin,  Mary  Pickford  and  Murray  Silverstone  (proxy  for  Alexander 
Korda)  to  direct  the  affairs  of  their  jointly  owned  distributing  organization  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  University  of  San  Francisco  in  1894  and  completed  his  professional  edu- 
cation at  the  University  of  California  two  years  later. 

In  1908  Dr.  Giannini  became  vice-president  of  the  Bank  of  Italy,  founded  four  years 
previously  by  his  brother,  Amadeo  Peter  Giannini,  a  like  number  of  years  his  senior, 
and  he  continued  in  that  post  until  1919.  In  that  year  he  came  to  New  York  to  assume 
the  presidency  and  board  chairmanship  of  the  East  River  National  Bank,  the  National 
Commercial  Trust  Company  and  the  Bank  of  America.  In  1931  he  returned  west  as 
chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of   Bank  of  America,  National  Association. 

He  is  a  director  of  Selznick  International,  of  Fox  West  Coast,  and  a  voting  trustee 
of  Universal  corporation  and  Columbia  Pictures. 


34 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July     18,  1936 


Alaskan  Theatres 
Profit  by  Distance 


CINEMA  ATTENDANCE 
UP  IN  MEXICO  CITY 


Stage  Theatres,  Bull  Fights, 
Trail  Screen  in  Popularity, 
Official  Statistics  Reveal 

by  JAMES  LOCKHART 

in  Mexico  City 

The  contention  of  Mexico  City  exhibitors 
that  it  is  much  easier  for  a  Chinese  laundry- 
man  to  get  his  name  in  the  Blue  Book  than 
for  the  theatre,  bull  fighting  or  any  other 
paid  public  amusement  to  topple  the  popu- 
larity of  the  cinema  is  proven  by  the  report 
of  the  National  Statistics  Department  show- 
ing that  1935  was  the  biggest  year  in  the 
Mexican  capital's  film  industry.  Last  year, 
the  cinema  was  far  ahead  of  any  competitor 
in  public  favor. 

Mexico  City  cinemas  sold  21,861,831 
tickets  to  29, 1  I  I  shows  given  by  the  58 
houses  that  functioned  all  during  last  year 
and  looked  to  a  rather  small  percentage 
of  a  population  of  some  1 ,300,000  for 
patronage.  That  was  a  very  good  showing 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  strike  of  em- 
ployees against  the  eight  major  American 
distributors  in  this  field  crippled  business 
during  the  last  quarter  of  1935.  In  1934, 
55  cinemas  sold  21,138,358  tickets  to 
22,930  performances;  the  previous  year 
there  was  a  paid  attendance  of  18,123,748 
at  20,061  shows  given  by  52  cinemas. 
Mexico  City  has  63  cinemas  in  the  run- 
ning at  this  writing. 

Hopes  of  those  die  hards  who  think  that 
the  stage  theatre  is  bound  to  shove  the 
cinema  off  the  public  popularity  map  in  these 
parts  received  scant  nourishment  last  year. 
Only  eight  stage  theatres  were  functioning 
in  the  city  in  1935.  They  gave  3,712  shows 
(attendances  are  not  reported  by  the  De- 
partment, presumably  because  they  were 
pathetically  small).  Stage  houses  in  1935 
gave  310  more  shows  than  the  11  that  func- 
tioned in  1934,  but  313  less  than  the  ten  that 
operated  in  1933. 

Bull  fighting,  supposed  to  be  this  land's 
greatest  amusement,  only  attracted  555,644 
cash  customers  to  120  fights,  somewhat  of 
an  improvement  over  the  393,215  paid  ad- 
mittances to  97  performances  in  1934,  due 
in  a  considerable  extent  to  the  upset  movie 
situation  last  fall,  but  far  behind  the  busi- 
ness the  cinemas  did. 

Strike  Closes  Three  Theatres 

Three  large  neighborhood  houses  in  Mex- 
ico City  have  been  closed  by  striking  em- 
ployees who  are  demanding  higher  wages 
under  the  new  collective  work  contracts 
which  afford  them  numerous  concessions 
and  which  operators  say  they  cannot  grant 
owing  to  slow  business.  Film  circles  are 
discounting  reports  that  the  strike  has  spread 
to  other  theatres. 

V 

The  Mexican  government  likes  being  a 
movie  producer.    Having  gotten  its  program 


for  making  tourist-attracting  pictures  de- 
picting Mexico's  scenic  beauties,  folklore,  re- 
gional singing,  music  and  dancing  and  ruins 
under  way,  the  administration  is  giving  at- 
tention to  the  production  of  films,  many  with 
English  version,  showing  public  works  that 
have  been  accomplished  by  the  Revolution- 
ary governments  which  have  functioned  dur- 
ing the  past  quarter  of  a  century. 

The  first  of  the  latter  series,  designed  to 
inform  the  world  of  the  works  of  the  Revo- 
lution, is  "Irrigation  in  Mexico."  It  cine- 
matographically  reports  water  fertilization 
works  accomplished  and  in  progress.  The 
English  version  of  this  picture  was  exhib- 
ited at  the  convention  of  the  American  So- 
ciety of  Mechanical  Engineers  in  Dallas. 
Tex.,  and  is  to  be  shown  at  the  international 
meet  of  lands  and  irrigation  experts  Har- 
vard University  is  to  hold  in  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  late  this  month. 

The  government  has  assigned  a  pilot  and 
a  cameraman  to  make  a  movie  of  small  ir- 
rigation works  that  are  progressing  in 
Michoacan  and  Jalisco  states.  These  work 
pictures  are  being  exhibited  at  people's  cen- 
ters and  country  fairs  throughout  Mexico. 
V 

Stageshow  Revival  Urged 

Theatres  have  been  encouraged  to  revive 
stage  shows  as  a  result  of  the  reduction  in 
the  gross  receipts  tax  from  13  to  eight  per 
cent  by  the  Government.  The  objective  of 
the  cut  is  to  afford  jobs  for  vaudeville  and 
revue  players  who  were  thrown  out  of  work 
when  the  film  houses  dropped  orchestras  and 
stage  shows.  Under  the  terms  of  the  re- 
duction order,  theatres  not  using  stage 
shows  will  continue  to  pay  the  13  per  cent 
tax,  and  those  dropping  them  latet  must  re- 
sume payment  of  the  higher  rate. 

V 

The  first  local  exclusive  downtown  thea- 
tre, the  Cine  Rex,  seating  1,500,  has  been 
opened.  It  is  operated  by  a  Mexican  syn- 
dicate. Modernly  equipped  in  every  re- 
spect, and  comparing  favorably  with  the 
better  theatres  in  the  United  States,  it  is 
attracting  many  American  residents  and 
tourists,  directing  its  atention  to  a  class 
patronage. 

V 

Arrangements  are  being  completed  in 
Chihuahua  state  by  Miguel  Contreras  Tor- 
res, Mexican  actor-director,  for  the  produc- 
tion during  the  summer  of  "El  Apostol" 
("The  Apostle"),  a  story  of  Mexico's  armed 
revolutionary  period.  Torres  has  gathered 
Ins  cast  in  Mexico  City. 

'  V 

Rowland  Picture  Finished 

The  first  Richard  A.  Rowland  Production, 
"I'd  Give  My  Life,"  has  been  completed  foi 
Paramount  release.  The  cast  includes  Sir 
Guy  Standing,  Frances  Drake,  Tom  Brown, 
Janet  Beecher  and  Robert  Gleckler. 


Gillham  on  West  Coast 

Robert  Gillham,  director  of  advertising 
and  publicity  for  Paramount,  will  be  on 
the  coast  for  several  weeks  lining  up  cam- 
paigns for  the  new  product. 


Certain  factors  in  Alaska  make  for  greater 
theatre  attendance  there  than  in  correspond- 
ing centers  of  population  in  the  states,  ac- 
cording to  a  survey  made  by  the  Ross  Fed- 
eral Service,  Inc.,  in  connection  with  the 
establishment  of  a  theatre  checking  field 
force  in  the  territory.  The  factors  include 
the  lack  of  competition  from  other  sources 
of  entertainment,  the  relatively  poor  radio 
reception  and  the  fact  that  the  element  of 
distance  is  not  prohibitive  since  the  residents 
are  accustomed  to  driving  long  distances  for 
supplies. 

The  survey  covers  12  theatres  in  Douglas, 
Haines,  Petersburg,  Sitka,  Juneau,  Ketchi- 
kan, Skagway  and  Wrangell.  Exhibitors  are 
the  Gross  Circuit,  Alaska  Empire  Theatre 
Company,  B.  F.  Shearer  and  James  A.  Tro- 
pea. One  of  two  houses  in  Haines  is  main- 
tained by  the  Chilkoot  Barracks  of  the 
United  States  Army. 

The  two  largest  theatres,  with  capacities 
of  800  and  680,  according  to  the  survey,  are 
in  Juneau  and  both  are  operated  by  Mr. 
Shearer,  who  also  owns  two  houses  in 
Ketchikan  and  buys  product  for  the  single 
theatre  in  Wrangell,  owned  by  the  Empire 
company.  The  Gross  circuit  operates  houses 
in  Douglas,  Haines,  Petersburg  and  Sitka, 
and  the  theatre  in  Skagway  is  owned  by  Mr. 
Tropea. 

The  survey  also  reports  that  "Bank 
Night"  is  held  weekly  by  the  Capitol  in  Ju- 
neau and  a  "Silver  Night"  is  held  twice 
weekly  by  the  Coliseum  in  Wrangell. 


Jack  Wa  rner  Confirms 
Bette  Davis  Suspension 

Suspension  of  Bette  Davis  by  the  War- 
ner studio  for  refusing  to  report  for  work 
in  the  picture  "God's  Country  and  the 
Woman,"  to  which  she  had  been  assigned, 
was  confirmed  this  week  in  a  statement  by 
Jack  L.  Warner,  vice-president  in  charge 
of  production. 

"The  dispute,"  said  Mr.  Warner,  "in- 
volves the  principle  of  whether  or  not  Bette 
Davis  or  any  other  player  can  snap  their 
fingers  at  their  moral  and  legal  obligations 
to  the  studio  to  which  they  are  bound  by 
contract. 

"Warner  Brothers  have  lived  up  to  the 
terms  of  their  contract  with  Bette  Davis 
and  we  intend  to  make  her  live  up  to  her 
obligation  to  the  studio.  It  is  high  time 
that  something  was  done  to  make  people 
under  contract  to  the  studio  realize  that 
a  contract  is  not  a  mere  scrap  of  paper, 
to  be  thrown  aside  because  they  happen  to 
make  a  good  picture  or  two." 


Ohio  Censors  See  390  Reels 

Of  a  total  of  390  reels  of  films  reviewed 
in  June,  the  Ohio  censors  orderea  elimina- 
tions in  15.  This  is  the  smallest  number  of 
reels  submitted  in  a  single  month  this  year. 
For  the  first  six  months  of  1936  the  censors 
reviewed  a  total  of  3,148  reels  and  ordered 
165  eliminations. 


Woman  Lawyers  Resign 

Gertrude  Rosenstein  and  Anne  Rosenthal, 
members  of  the  Paramount  legal  staff,  have 
resigned. 


He's 
handin 


you  one 
big 
round 

up  of... 


RHYTHM  ON  THE  RANGE"  with  BING 


FRANCES  FARMER  *  BOB  BURNS  *  Martha  Raye 


Seven  Ringing  Swinging  Song  Hits 

"Empty  Saddles". . "I  m  an  Old  Cowhand" 
"Round-Up  Lullaby". ..."I  Can  t  Escape  From 
You".... "The  House  Jack  Built  for  Jill" 
"You'll  Have  to  Swing  It".. "Drink  It  Down" 


^       RHYTHM  ON  THE  RANGE 

BING  CROSBY •  FRANCES  FARMER* BOB  BURNS 

Martha  Raye  •  a  Paramount  Picture*  Directed  by  Norman  Taurog 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


39 


DROPPING  OF  CUBAN 


REVENUE  INCREASES 
FOR  CENSOR  BOARD 

An  increase  of  11  per  cent  in  the 
receipts  of  the  State  Division  of 
Motion  Picture  Censorship  in  Vir- 
ginia for  the  fiscal  year  ended  June  30 
has  been  announced  by  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Churchill  Chalkley,  director  of  the 
division.  Receipts  totaled  $33,051.50. 
More  than  5,000,000  feet  of  film  were 
examined  during  the  12  months.  Only 
four  or  five  films  were  rejected  and 
fewer  deletions  were  made  than  in 
previous  years. 


CoolingPlantsKeep 

New  York  Theatres 
Near  Normal  Gross 

Air  conditioning  plants  in  leading  motion 
picture  theatres  of  New  York  proved  their 
box  office  value  last  week  during  the  record 
heat  wave  which  seared  the  city,  according 
to  a  survey  made  by  the  Motion  Picture 
Daily.  While  thermometers  climbed  above 
the  100-degree  mark,  the  cooling  waves  of 
chilled  air  radiating  from  the  lobbies  of  the 
theatres  to  the  sidewalks  attracted  many 
pedestrians  and  were  instrumental  in  hold- 
ing grosses  at  or  close  to  normal,  according 
to  the  check-up. 

Over  the  week-end,  business  dropped 
slightly  owing  to  cooler  weather  and  the 
pull  of  beaches  and  resorts  but  receipts  held 
up  well  on  Wednesday,  Thursday  and  Fri- 
day, the  three  days  which  marked  the  peak 
of  the  hot  spell. 

Other  cities  in  the  country  were  seriously 
affected  by  the  heat,  only  outstanding  pic- 
tures returning  respectable  figures.  A  not- 
able exception  in  most  of  the  cities  in  the 
path  of  the  heat  wave  was  "San  Francisco." 

In  New  York,  Loew  executives  decided 
to  hold  the  picture  at  the  Capitol  for  the 
fourth  week  after  it  recorded  $48,000  in  its 
second  period.  The  theatre  reported  record 
business  Sunday  afternoon  and  Sunday  eve- 
ning and  theatre  heads  attributed  part  of 
the  success  to  the  cooling  plant.  Many  peo- 
ple, according  to  the  ushers,  remained  to 
see  the  picture  for  a  second  and  third  time 
and  others  remained  for  long  periods  in  the 
lounges. 

Most  other  large  houses  in  the  city  re- 
ported normal  or  better  than  normal  busi- 
ness in  spite  of  the  heat. 

National  Decency  Legion 
Reviews  9  New  Pictures 

Nine  new  pictures  were  reviewed  and 
classified  in  the  list  for  the  current  week 
of  the  National  Legion  of  Decency,  with 
seven  classed  as  unobjectionable  for  general 
patronage  and  two  noted  as  objectionable  in 
part.  The  new  films  and  their  classification 
follow : 

Class  A-l,  "Unobjectionable  for  General 
Patronage":  "Border  Patrolman,"  "The 
Bride  Walks  Out,"  "Meet  Nero  Wolfe," 
"M'Liss,"  "Private  Secretary,"  "Three 
Cheers  for  Love,"  "Trailin'  West."  Class 
B,  "Objectionable  in  part:  "La  Porteuse  du 
Pain,"  "Spendthrift." 


CENSOR 

Abandoning  of  New  York  Board 
Indicated  After  U.  S.  Embassy 
Protest,  But  Hernandez  Differs 

While  action  was  awaited  on  a  formal  pro- 
test filed  by  the  United  States  Embassy  in 
Havana  with  the  Cuban  Government,  large 
distributors  this  week  continued  to  withhold 
pictures  from  the  Cuban  board  of  censor- 
ship set  up  in  New  York  City  under  Roberto 
Hernandez. 

The  formal  protest,  said  to  be  unusual  in 
such  matters,  declared  that  establishment  of 
an  office  in  New  York  for  the  censoring  of 
American  product  destined  for  Cuba  would 
be  in  violation  of  the  Cuban-American  recip- 
rocal trade  treaty  and  would  result  in  dis- 
crimination against  American  films.  It  was 
further  pointed  out  that  no  such  censorship 
has  been  established  by  Cuba  in  any  other 
country. 

Reports  from  Cuba  after  the  protest 
was  filed  indicated  that  the  Government 
of  the  island  will  abandon  the  plan.  Senor 
Hernandez,  who  announced  last  week  that 
he  would  leave  for  Cuba  "within  the  next 
day  or  two,"  but  was  still  in  New  York  on 
Tuesday,  said  that  he  has  received  no  offi- 
cial word  from  Carlos  Pelaez,  Cuban 
Secretary  of  the  Interior,  concerning  the 
possibility  of  abandoning  the  plan.  He 
declared  last  week  that  he  was  told  by 
telephone  to  settle  all  disputes  on  his  own 
authority. 

The  head  of  the  new  but  as  yet  inactive 
board  insisted  when  the  announcement  was 
first  made  that  the  move  was  purely  "a  con- 
venience to  American  distributors.  Execu- 
tives of  distributing  companies,  however, 
have  observed  that  if  their  convenience  is  the 
sole  issue,  they  prefer  having  their  films  re- 
viewed by  the  Havana  censor  board,  as  has 
been  done  in  the  past. 

Sees  Dangerous  Precedent 

Major  Frederick  L.  Herron  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Producers  and  Distributors  of 
America  declared  that  the  American  com- 
panies are  unalterably  opposed  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  board  in  New  York  not  only 
because  of  the  $10  per  reel  fee  to  be  charged 
for  the  privilege  of  having  their  pictures 
censored,  but  because  it  would  initiate  a  dan- 
gerous precedent  for  other  countries.  Major 
Herron  also  denied  that  he  has  refused  to 
confer  with  Senor  Hernandez.  The  Cuban 
official  had  complained  last  week  that  the 
MPPDA  executive  "refused  to  see  me  or 
discuss  the  matter  at  all,"  and  had  declared, 
"I  am  willing  to  'play  ball'  with  him  if  he 
will  be  reasonable,  and  if  he  could  convince 
me  that  Havana  is  the  proper  place  for  the 
censor  board  I  could  stop  the  whole  thing 
in  24  hours." 

Surplus  for  Propaganda  Films 

Surplus  funds  collected  by  the  board  in 
New  York,  which  distributors  have  esti- 
mated would  be  about  $50,000  annually, 
would  be  used  for  production  of  propaganda 
films  for  Cuban  consumption,  Senor  Her- 
nandez later  said.    He  added  that  he  per- 


PLAN  SEEN 

sonally  would  be  in  charge  of  the  making 
of  the  pictures.  He  denied  that  establish- 
ment of  the  board  was  a  political  "plum,"  as 
had  been  suggested  by  distributors,  and  said 
that  the  reviewing  fee  of  $10  a  reel  is  not 
arbitrary,  but  would  be  subject  to  adjust- 
ment if  the  distributors  or  their  representa- 
tives could  convince  him  that  it  is  unreason- 
able. 

Asked  how  much  more  costly  the  new  ar- 
rangement might  be  for  American  distribu- 
tors than  the  old  plan,  Senor  Hernandez  re- 
plied that  he  did  not  know  how  much  Ameri- 
can companies  formerly  paid  members  of 
the  Havana  censor  board.  He  said  he  was 
certain  that  payments  were  made  to  members 
of  the  old  board,  although  not  required  under 
the  law. 

Aims  to  "Clean  Out"  Old  Board 

Announcing  his  scheduled  trip  to  Hanava, 
Senor  Hernandez  said  that  one  of  the  first 
tilings  he  would  do  on  his  arrival  would 
be  to  "clean  out"  the  old  Havana  censor 
board.  He  plans  to  appoint  five  women  to 
replace  the  five  men  of  the  board,  he  said. 
The  Havana  board,  under  the  new  arrange- 
ment, reviews  only  foreign  product. 

Senorita  Maria  Garrido  and  I.  M.  Beno- 
liel  have  been  appointed  to  the  New  York 
board  and  Senor  Hernandez  said  he  will 
ask  that  Pablo  Suarez  and  Joze  Bosch  be 
appointed  while  he  is  in  Havana. 

Meanwhile  major  distributors  are  not 
sending  pictures  to  Cuba  because  the  Gov- 
ernment there  has  refused  to  license  them 
for  exhibition  unless  they  have  been  ap- 
proved by  the  New  York  board.  The  supply 
of  American  films  in  Cuba  accepted  there 
before  establishment  of  the  New  York  board 
on  July  1st  is  said  to  be  running  low. 

Ban  on  '  'Pastures ' ' 
Lifted  in  Ontario 

In  deference  to  the  views  of  Canadian 
clergymen  who  had  protested  the  ban  on  the 
showing  of  the  Warner  picture  version  of 
Marc  Connelly's  fable,  "The  Green  Pas- 
tures," in  the  Province  of  Ontario,  Prime 
Minister  Mitchell  Hepburn  this  week  lifted 
the  proscription  against  its  public  showing. 
In  removing  the  ban  the  Premier  said : 

"I  have  not  altered  my  opinion  one  iota. 
I  still  think  the  picture  is  a  burlesque  of 
the  Scriptures,  but  in  the  face  of  opinions 
expressed  by  prominent  clergymen  I  am 
not  going  to  be  arbitrary  in  ihe  matter  and 
pit  my  judgment  against  theirs.  I  am  pre- 
pared to  let  the  public  judge  whether  my 
views  or  theirs  were  right." 


Louisiana  Measures  Killed 

The  majority  of  legislation  threatening 
theatres  and  films  in  Louisiana  is  automati- 
cally dead  as  the  legislature  adjourned  this 
week.  Among  other  bills  left  unapproved 
are  the  chain  theatre  tax,  definition  of  Bank 
Night  as  a  lottery,  anti-standing  room  and 
seat  sale  measures.  The  censorship  bill  is 
expected  to  remain  inoperative. 


July     18,  1936 


BOX  OFFICE 
CHAMPIONS 

for  June 

(1)  Bullets  or  Ballots:  Directed  by  William  Keighley.  Assistant 
director,  Chuck  Hanson.  Photographed  by  Hal  Mohr.  Art 
director,  Carl  Jules  Weyl.  Film  editor,  Jack  Killifer.  Supervisor, 
Lou  Edelman.  Screen  play  by  Seton  I.  Miller.  From  a  story  by 
Martin  Mooney  and  Seton  I.  Miller.  Cast:  Edward  G.  Robinson, 
Joan  Blondell,  Barton  MacLane,  Humphrey  Bogart,  Frank 
McHugh,  Joseph  King,  Richard  Purcell,  George  E.  Stone, 
Joseph  Crehan,  Henry  O'Neill,  Henry  Kolker,  Gilbert  Emery, 
Herbert  Rawlinson,  Louise  Beavers.   Released  June  6,  1936. 

(2)  The  King  Steps  Out:  Directed  by  Josef  von  Sternberg. 
Associate  director,  Wilhelm  Thiele.  Screen  play  by  Sidney 
Buchanan.  Story  by  Gustav  Holm,  Ernst  Decsey,  Hubert 
Marischka  and  Ernest  Marischka.  Music  by  Fritz  Kreisler.  Lyrics 
by  Dorothy  Fields.  Ballet  by  Albertina  Rasch.  Photographed 
by  Lucien  Ballard.  Film  editor,  Viola  Lawrence.  Art  director, 
Stephen  Goosson.  Cast:  Grace  Moore,  Franchot  Tone,  Walter 
Connolly,  Victor  Jory,  Raymond  Walburn,  Elizabeth  Risdon, 
Nana  Briant,  Frieda  Inescourt.   Released  May  28,  1936. 

(2)  Showboat:  Produced  by  Carl  Laemmie,  Jr.  Directed  by 
James  Whale.  Stage  play,  screen  play  and  lyrics  by  Oscar 
Hammerstein  II.  Cinematographer,  John  J.  Mescall.  Art 
director,  harles  D.  Hall.  Film  editors,  Bernard  Burton  and  Ted 
Kent.  Dance  numbers  staged  by  Le  Roy  Prinz.  Sound  super- 
visor, Gilbert  Kurland.  Music  by  Jerome  Kern.  Special  cine- 
matography, John  P.  Fulton.  Musical  director,  Victor  Baravelle. 
Assistant  director,  Joseph  A.  McDonough.  Sound  recorders, 
Mike  McLaughlin  (music)  and  William  Hedgecock  (production). 
Cast:  Irene  Dunne,  Allan  Jones,  Paul  Robeson,  Helen  Westley, 
Sammy  White,  Hattie  McDaniel,  Patricia  Barry,  Marilyn 
Knowlden,  Arthur  Hohl,  J.  Farrell  MacDonald,  Charles  Wilson, 
Charles  Winninger,  Helen  Morgan,  Queenie  Smith,  Donald 
Cook.  Released  May  17,  1936. 

(3)  The  Great  Ziegfeld:  Produced  by  Hunt  Stromberg. 
Directed  by  Robert  Z.  Leonard.  Story  and  screen  play  by 
William  Anthony  McGuire.  Dance  numbers  by  Seymour  Felix. 
Special  music  by  Walter  Donaldson.  Special  lyrics  by  Harold 
Adamson.  Ballet  music  by  Con  Conrad.  Ballet  lyrics  by  Herb 
Magidson.  Musical  direction  by  Arthur  Lange.  Orchestrations 
by  Frank  Skinner.  Photographed  by  Oliver  Marsh,  Ray  June, 
George  Folsey  and  Merritt  B.  Gerstad.  Cast:  William  Powell, 
Myrna  Loy,  Luise  Rainer,  Frank  Morgan,  Fanny  Brice,  Virginia 
Bruce,  Reginald  Owen,  Ray  Bolger,  Ernest  Cossart,  Joseph 
Cawthorne,  Nat  Pendleton,  Harriet  Hoctor. 


BULLETS  OR  BALLOTS  First  National 


THE  GREAT  ZIEGFELD  MGM 


(4)  Private  Number:  Directed  by  Roy  Del  Ruth.  Associate 
producer,  Raymond  Griffith.  Screen  play  by  Gene  Markey 
and  William  Conselman.  Based  on  a  play  by  Cleves  Kinkead. 
Photographed  by  Peverell  Marley.  Art  director,  Mark-Lee 
Kirk.  Settings  by  Thomas  Little.  Assistant  director,  William  J. 
Scully.  Film  editor,  Allen  McNeil.  Costumes  by  Gwen  Wake- 
ling.  Sound,  Eugene  Grossman,  Roger  Heman.  Musical  direc- 
tor, Louis  Silvers.  Cast:  Robert  Taylor,  Loretta  Young,  Basil 
Rathbone,  Patsy  Kelly,  Joe  Lewis,  Marjorie  Gateson,  Paul  Har- 
vey, Jane  Darwell,  Paul  Stanton,  John  Miljan,  Monroe  Owsley, 
Billy  Bevan,  Frank  Dawson,  George  Irving,  May  Beatty,  Alex 
Pollard,  Jack  Pennick,  John  Van  Eyck,  Kane  Richmond,  Lilyan 
Irene,  Maxine  Hicks,  Betty  Morris.   Released  June  5,  1936. 

(5)  Fury:  Produced  by  Joseph  L.  Mankiewicz.  Directed  by 
Fritz  Lang.  Screen  play  by  Bartlett  Cormack  and  Fitz  Lang. 
Based  on  a  story  by  Norman  Krasna.  Musical  score  by  Franz 
Waxman.  Recording  director,  Douglas  Shearer.  Art  director, 
Cedric  Gibbons.  Associates,  William  A.  Horning,  Edwin  B. 
Willis.  Wardrobe  by  Dolly  Tree.  Photographed  by  Joseph 
Ruttenberg.  Film  editor,  Frank  Sullivan.  Assistant  director, 
Horace  Hough.  Cast:  Sylvia  Sidney,  Spencer  Tracy,  Walter 
Abel,  Bruce  Cabot,  Edward  Ellis,  Walter  Brennan,  Frank  Albert- 
son,  George  Walcott,  Arthur  Stone,  Morgan  Wallace,  George 
Chandler,  Roger  Gray,  Edwin  Maxwell,  Howard  Hickman, 
Jonathan  Hale,  Leila  Bennett,  Esther  Dale,  Helen  Flint.  Re- 
leased June  5,  1 936. 


July     18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


41 


THE  KING  STEPS  OUT  Columbia 


PRIVATE  NUMBER  20th  Century- Fox 


POPPY  Paramount 

(5)  Poppy:  Produced  by  William  ■  LeBaron.  Associate  producer, 
Paul  Jones.  Directed  by  A.  Edward  Sutherland.  Assistant 
director,  Richard  Harlan.  Based  on  a  play  by  Dorothy  Don- 
nelly. Screen  play  by  Waldemar  Young  and  Virginia  Van  Upp. 
Sound,  Earl  S.  Hayman.  Film  editor,  Stuart  Heisler.  Art  direc- 
tors, Hans  Dreier  and  Bernard  Herzbrun.  Photographed  by 
William  Mellor.  Cast:  W.  C.  Fields,  Rochelle  Hudson,  Richard 
Cromwell,  Catharine  Doucet,  Lynne  Overman,  Granville  Bates, 
Maude  Eburne,  Bill  Wolfe,  Adrian  Morris.   Released  June  19. 


THE  PRINCESS  COMES  ACROSS,  Paramount 

(5)  The  Princess  Comes  Across:  Produced  by  Arthur  Hornblow, 
Jr.  Directed  by  William  K.  Howard.  Assistant  director,  Harry 
Scott.  Screen  play  by  Walter  DeLeon,  Francis  Martin,  Frank 
Butler  and  Don  Hartman.  Story  by  Philip  MacDonald.  Music 
and  lyrics  by  Phil  Boutelje  and  Jack  Scholl.  Sound,  Harold 
Lewis.  Film  editor,  Paul  Weatherwax.  Art  directors,  Hans 
Dreier  and  Ernest  Fegte.  Photographed  by  Ted  Tetzlaff.  Cast: 
Carole  Lombard,  Fred  MacMurray,  Douglass  Dumbrille,  Alison 
Skipworth,  William  Frawley,  Porter  Hall.    Released  May  22. 


42  MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


NEW  CONTRACT  PLAN 
ADOPTED  FOR  SPAIN 


Three  Leading  Exhibitors  Com- 
mend MGM  Plan  to  Protect 
First  -  Run  Release  Dates 

by  HARRY  CHAPIN  PLUMMER 

in  Barcelona 

Anticipating  the  revision  of  distributor 
contracts  that  must  result  from  the  agree- 
ment to  be  concluded  between  the  Camara 
Cinematografica  Espahola  and  the  Asocia- 
cion  de  Empresarios  de  Espectaculos  Pub- 
licos  de  Catalunya,  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 
Iberica  has  incorporated  a  "release  date 
clause"  in  its  1936-37  contracts.  Corollary 
to  the  new  clause  is  a  second  which  stipu- 
lates that  any  reduction  in  admission  price 
automatically  will  nullify  the  privileges  and 
advantages  accorded  by  the  first  clause 
which  has  a  special  applicability  to  cinemas 
in  communities  having  no  newspapers  and 
the  residents  of  which  are  readers  of  the 
major  metropolitan  dailies,  such  as  "La  Van- 
guardia,"  "La  Humanitat"  or  "El  Diluvio," 
of  this  city,  or  "El  Heraldo  de  Madrid," 
"El  Sol"  or  "A.B.C.,"  of  the  national  cap- 
ital. 

The  new  contract  has  a  particular  value 
for  both  distributor  and  exhibitor,  in  that 
•five  prints  each  of  a  picture  featured  in 
Barcelona  or  Madrid  may  be  simultaneously 
released  —  one  for  the  "primer  estreno" 
(first  showing)  and  the  other  four  for  towns 
outside  the  metropolitan  area  of  each 
major  city  but  within  the  circulation  reach 
of  the  large  daily  newspapers  of  both, 
which  have  carried  the  heavily  expensive 
advertising  and  publicity  incidental  to  the 
first  showing  within  the  city. 

Two  leading  exhibitors  of  Barcelona  and  one 
operating  two  first-class  cinemas  in  important 
agricultural  and  industrial  centers  near  this 
city  imparted  to  Motion  Picture  Herald  their 
opinions  as  to  the  outstanding  phases  of  the 
latest  departure  in  contracts. 

"While  this  clause  tends  to  put  the  booking  in 
the  hands  of  the  distributors,"  said  Don  Bar- 
tolome  Lafarga  Carbonell,  proprietor  of  the 
big  Kursaal  Cine,  in  the  heart  of  Barcelona's 
fashionable  Gracia  section,  "I  believe  in  other 
respects  it  will  prove  to  be  helpful  to  us,  for 
it  is  my  understanding  that  the  Metro  people 
have  undertaken  to  include  the  clause  in  all  their 
contracts  in  this  city  and  region.  Naturally  I 
could  not  accept  the  same  clause  from  all  dis- 
tributors, as  it  would  bring  about  many  simul- 
taneous bookings  on  the  same  date,  but  as  I 
consider  Metro  to  be  the  basic  product  in  our 
operation  here,  I  have  accepted  it." 

Finds  Provision  a  Protection 

E.  Marce,  who  heads  the  Cines  Goya  and 
Iris  Park,  both  centrally  located  in  Barcelona, 
declared:  "I  am  fully  in  accord  with  the  Metro 
effort  to  standardize  bookings  and  to  maintain 
admission  price  levels.  Indeed,  I  regard  the 
new  contract  as  a  definite  protection  against 
houses  subsequent  to  mine  in  picture  runs. 

"I  find  it  neither  inconvenient  nor  inconsistent 
with  my  business  policies  to  have  my  theatres 
at  Badalona  and  Mataro  included  in  the  Metro 
automatic  booking  plan,"  said  Joaquin  Nicolau, 
proprietor  of  the  Cine  Zorilla,  of  Badalona,  and 
the  Cinema  Moderno,  of  Mataro,  "for  I  realize 


that  the  revenue  from  a  picture  is  in  direct  re- 
lation to  its  release.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
in  the  provincial  areas  outside  of  Barcelona  the 
press  of  the  metropolis  is  the  only  means  of 
sustaining  the  interest  of  patrons  in  a  given 
picture.  Therefore,  the  contract  which  enables 
me  to  show  a  picture  right  after  its  primer  es- 
treno in  the  capital  (of  Catalunya)  affords  me 
a  distinct  advantage.  Naturally,  I  hope,  and  I 
have  the  fullest  confidence,  that  Metro  will  not 
abuse  the  controlling  element  this  clause  allows 
them.  Only  by  the  allotment  of  the  best  dates 
will  the  clause  work  to  my  advantage  and  con- 
tinue to  do  so  through  seasons  to  come." 

Text  of  Binding  Clause 

The  binding  clause  covering  release  dates,  as 
translated  from  the  original  Spanish,  reads  as 
follows : 

"Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Iberica  will  specify 
the  date  of  each  picture  covered  by  this  con- 
tract, the  exhibitor  binding  himself  to  accept 
such  specification.  If,  for  any  reason,  the  ci- 
nema fails  to  project  the  picture  upon  the  date 
specified,  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Iberica  will 
be  at  liberty  to  allot  the  picture  on  the  speci- 
fied or  the  following  dates  to  those  houses  to 
which  protection  or  rotation  of  subsequent  ex- 
hibition has  been  accorded ;  but  it  is  mutually 
understood  that  this  does  not  relieve  the  ex- 
hibitor of  cinema  ...  of  the  liability  of  payment 
for  such  retarded  picture  showing  on  the  date 
specified  by  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Iberica. 

"Considering  that  the  nearer  a  date  of  re- 
lease is  to  the  release  of  a  picture  in  Barce- 
lona the  greater  will  be  the  box-office  results, 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
difficulties  arising  from  the  availability  of 
prints,  the  contracting  parties  mutually  agree 
that  the  booking  of  the  pictures  specified  in  this 
contract  be  made  at  a  rate  of — pictures  per — 
counting  from  the  date  of  — . 

"Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Iberica  reserves  to 
itself  the  absolute  right  to  specify  the  titles  and 
the  dates,  with  the  necessary  preliminary  ad- 
vice covering  release  dates  in  Barcelona,  the 
said  provincial  cinemas  being  obliged  to  accept 
such  titles  and  dates  without  whatsoever  reser- 
vation or  limitation." 

The  new  contract  form  is  unique  in  motion 
picture  annals  in  Spain  and  is  regarded  as  es- 
tablishing new  standards  of  protection  for  the 
individual  cinema  nearest  to  the  first  showing 
of  a  feature. 

Committee  Named 

Enrique  Saenz,  president  of  the  Asociacion 
de  Empresarios  de  Espactaculos  Publicos  de  Ca- 
talunya, announced  that  organization's  commit- 
tee to  work  out  with  the  Camara  Cinemato- 
grafica Espanola  the  terms  of  the  new  pact 
between  the  two  bodies.  The  member  exhibitors 
and  their  theatres  are:  D.  Manual  Masmitja, 
Cine  Angora  de  Calella ;  D.  Fernando  Pascual. 
Metropol  de  Barcelona ;  D.  Modesto  Castafie, 
Astoria,  Avenida,  Salon  Victoria  de  Barcelona, 
and  D.  Jose  Montoli,  Casino  Alianza,  Proven- 
sals  of  Barcelona. 

Senor  Saenz  is  chairman. 

V 

Censors  Move  to  Barcelona 

Mutua,  the  organization  of  distributors  in 
Spain  has  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  Govern- 
ment decree  restoring  the  film  censorship 
center  to  Barcelona.  As  a  result  of  the 
move,  distributors  in  the  country  are  ex- 
pected to  realize  substantial  savings. 
A 

The  Government  arbitration  board,  acting 
in  the  mercantile  strike,  has  denied  the  de- 


mand of  theatre  operators  that  they  be  re- 
lieved of  all  other  work,  but  has  granted 
them  a  10  per  cent  wage  increase.  Film  in- 
terests will  appeal  the  grant,  it  is  under- 
stood, when  the  increase  is  officially  de- 
creed. The  appeal  is  expected  to  postpone 
a  settlement  by  six  months. 

A 

The    National    Cinematographic  Week 
Committee  has  awarded  first  prize  to  Cifesa, 
for  its  production,  "Morena  Clara." 
A 

Columbia  has  contracted  for  distribution 
of  the  product  of  Actualities  of  France, 
which  is  maintaining  a  sound  truck  in  Bar- 
celona and  will  film  at  least  25  per  cent  of 
its  newsreel  material  in  Spain. 

A 

MGM  bookings  for  the  new  season  in 
Spain  and  Portugal  are  so  nearly  complete 
that  the  company  has  abandoned  its  sche- 
duled sales  convention. 

A 

Sound  in  Portugal 

Statistics  just  compiled  at  Lisbon  of  motion 
picture  theatres  and  their  projection  and  sound 
equipment  throughout  the  Republic  of  Portu- 
gal indicate  that  of  a  total  of  42  first,  second 
and  third-run  houses  in  Lisbon,  the  capital,  and 
in  Oporto,  the  second  center  in  population,  ten 
have  American  apparatus.  Of  135  theatres  else- 
where in  the  country,  seventeen  have  equip- 
ment of  United  States  patent  or  importation 
from  that  country. 

Sound  equipments  installed  and  classified  by 
trademarks  in  all  Portuguese  cinemas  are  as 


follows : 

Western  Electric    5 

R.C.A   ...22 

Klang-Film    26 

Zeiss- Ikon    3 

Zeiss-Marconi   5 

Phillips    25 

Bauer    34 

Nitzche   7 

Imperial  Sound  System    5 

Gravox    6 

Kino-fag    3 

Universal    I 

Gaumont    3 

Ferm-Ton    I 

Pratofone   2 

Audalc   8 

De  Bry   2 

Royal  Zenit      I 

Selecton    4 

Survox   I 

Supra  Ton-film    I 


Out  of  the  26  Klang-Film  equipments  in- 
stalled, only  one  is  of  the  Europa  type,  en  Fi- 
gueira  da  Foz,  the  other  ones  being  of  the 
smaller  type.  The  RCA  equipments  are  all  of 
the  original  type,  none  being  of  the  last  High 
Fidelity  type.  The  three  Zeiss  Ikon  equip- 
ments, however,  are  the  latest  models. 

The  Pratofone,  Selectone  and  Audak  equip- 
ments are  of  national  manufacturing  and  are 
built  with  piece  parts  of  different  makes. 
V 

34  from  "U,"  38  Columbias 

Of  a  total  of  34  features  to  be  released  in 
Spain  by  Universal  the  coming  season,  six  will 
be  westerns.  Among  the  features  will  be  "Show 
Boat,"  "Sutter's  Gold"  and  "The  Invisible  Pow- 
er." At  least  12  of  the  34  will  be  dubbed  in 
Spanish. 

Columbia  will  release  38  features  the  coming 
season,  of  which  10  will  be  westerns.  One  of 
the  features  will  be  an  original  Spanish  film, 
"La  Familia  Dressel,"  made  in  Mexico.  Seven- 
teen of  the  features  will  be  dubbed  in  Spanish. 
There  will  be  50  shorts. 

Spanish  language  dubbing  of  Columbia  product 
is  done  at  La  Voz  de  Espana  studios  in  Bar- 
celona. 


July     18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


45 


Aylesworth  uOn  the  Air"  For 
Radio-Screen  Understanding 

Executive  of  NBC  and  RKO  Proposes  a  Working  Arrangement  to  Aid  Both  Industries 


by  JAMES  P.  CUNNINGHAM 

A  working  arrangement  between  radio 
and  the  motion  picture  to  enhance  the  busi- 
ness of  both  was  proposed  this  week  by  Mer- 
lin Hall  Aylesworth.  After  studying  both 
mediums  for  some  four  years  in  the  dual 
capacity  of  executive  of  National  Broadcast- 
ing Company  and  of  Radio-Keith-Orpheum 
Corporation,  Mr.  Aylesworth  has  concluded 
that  radio  is  the  motion  picture's  "best 
friend,"  and  that  the  motion  picture  inter- 
ests at  once  should  recognize  radio's  poten- 
tialities for  exploiting  their  films  over  the 
air  to  America's  125,000,000  inhabitants. 
That  realization  is  dawning,  he  observed. 

Mr.  Aylesworth  envisioned  the  following 
benefits  for  both  industries  by  such  an  under- 
standing : 

Radio  would  gain  a  more  friendly  entry 
to  the  motion  picture's  great  source  of 
talent  and  would  gain  the  aid  and  advice 
of  the  motion  picture's  greater  technical 
experience,  which  would  be  invaluable  in 
rounding  that  corner  to  commercial  tele- 
vision. 

The  motion  picture  would  be  given  a 
medium  for  publicizing  its  motion  pictures 
far  greater  than  any  existing  exploitation 
channel. 

Mr.  Aylesworth  called  on  Will  H.  Hays 
and  the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Dis- 
tributors of  America,  and  on  representatives 
of  the  organized  exhibition  industry,  to  sit 
in  friendly  round  table  discussion  with  the 
broadcasters  to  effect  a  tangible  plan  for 
bringing  together  America's  two  leading  en- 
tertainment instruments. 

Cooperation  on  Television  Urged 

Serving  the  Radio  Corporation  of  Amer- 
ica for  ten  years  as  an  executive  and  policy- 
moulder  of  National  Broadcasting,  and  for 
four  years,  first  as  president  and  now  as 
board  chairman,  of  Radio-Keith-Orpheum 
motion  picture  companies,  in  which  RCA 
has  has  an  important  interest,  Mr.  Ayles- 
worth has  been  preaching  all  the  while  the 
advisability  of  a  communion  of  spirit  of 
these  arts.  He  declared  frankly  and  with  a 
vigor  foreign  to  his  usual  placidness  that 
he  now  was  willing  to  stake  his  reputation 
on  both  the  practicability  and  the  advisabil- 
ity of  creating  a  working  arrangement  be- 
tween the  two. 

Mr.  Aylesworth  urged,  too,  that  the  mo- 
tion picture  cooperate  now  with  television 
broadcasters  and  experimenters,  lending  tal- 
ent and  technical  resources,  so  that  when 
commercial  television  arrives,  the  motion 
picture's  relation  to  the  new  medium  will  en- 
able it  so  to  guide  and  shape  television's 
policies  and  destinies  that  eventually  tele- 
vision will  work  for  the  screen,  and  not  on 
its  own  and  in  competition  to  it. 

He  fancied  a  great  television  art  covering 
the  whole  country  with  trailers  advertising 


"Television  cannot  be  stopped,  no 
more  than  we  can  stop  progress.  The 
motion  picture  stands  today  in  regard 
to  television  in  much  the  same  posi- 
tion as  the  ice  manufacturers  who 
fought  automatic  refrigeration  and 
the  railroads  who  opposed  interstate 
bus  invasion.  Both  would  now  be  in 
enviable  positions  if  they  had  had  the 
foresight  to  aid  and  encourage  and 
cooperate  with  the  new  developments 
in  their  fields." — M.  H.  Aylesworth. 


forthcoming  motion  pictures,  if  the  motion 
picture  has  the  "in." 

"Television  cannot  be  stopped,"  Mr. 
Aylesworth  said,  "no  more  than  we  can  stop 
progress.  The  motion  picture  stands  today 
in  regard  to  television  in  much  the  same 
position  as  the  ice  manufacturers  who  fought 
automatic  refrigeration  and  the  railroads 
who  opposed  interstate  bus  invasion.  Both 
would  now  be  in  enviable  positions  if  they 
had  had  the  foresight  to  aid  and  encourage 
and  cooperate  with  the  new  developments 
in  their  fields. 

"Television,  however,  is  not  for  sale.  The 
motion  picture  can  neither  buy  television 
nor  control  it  corporately.  But  they  can 
cooperate." 

Says  Radio  Helps  Films 

"The  radio  today  is  definitely  not  competi- 
tion to  the  motion  picture,"  Mr.  Aylesworth 
declared  flatly,  "but  rather  is  helping  to  build 
box  office  grosses  even  now." 

Radio's  invasion  of  the  Hollywood  talent 
field  is,  in  Mr.  Aylesworth's  opinion,  a  natu- 
ral development. 

Films,  he  charged,  have  taken  radio's  im- 
portant talent,  so  radio  has  been  forced  to 
move  to  Hollywood  to  be  adjacent  to  the 
supply.  "That  is  why  the  National  Broad- 
casting Company  recently  constructed  the 
modern  broadcasting  building  at  Holly- 
wood," said  Mr.  Aylesworth.  "The  motion 
picture  because  of  this  has  a  moral  obliga- 
tion to  cooperate,"  he  added.  Then,  too. 
advertising  sponsors  are  insisting  on  pick- 
ing up  the  great  names  of  the  screen  for 
their  commercial  broadcasts,  for  the  enter- 
tainment values  which  they  offer. 

For  the  most  part,  the  appearance  of  film 
stars  on  the  air  aids  their  own  personal  mer- 
chandising possibilities,  and  almost  always 
is  a  direct  "plug"  for  the  box  office  through 
the  mention  by  those  stars  of  their  current 
screen  appearances  or  forthcoming  film 
work.  Mr.  Aylesworth  conceded  that  a  few 
of  Hollywood's  players  are  hurt  by  the  air. 
in  the  cases  of  those  who  lack  "personality." 
"Hollywood's  stars  should  remember  that 
they  must  have  'personality'  for  radio  work," 
he  said,  "and  that  radio  cannot  carry  them 
unless  they  do."     This  has   worried  the 


Hollywood  producers  and  on  numerous  oc- 
casions has  caused  the  studios  to  effect  gen- 
eral bans  on  broadcasting  by  their  players. 

However,  the  producers  now  are  begin- 
ning to  realize  the  importance  of  the  radio 
connection  and  are  about  ready  to  admit 
that  they  cannot  control  the  air  appearances, 
it  was  pointed  out.  Aside  from  any  values 
that  the  radio  performances  may  have,  for 
either  star  or  for  the  box  office,  Mr.  Ayles- 
worth said  that  the  stars  themselves  are 
eager  for  the  new  opportunity.  "It  appeals 
to  their  reputation,  if  not  to  their  pocket 
books.  They  are  jealous  of  each  other's 
radio  calls." 

One  important  handicap  blamed  by 
Mr.  Aylesworth  on  radio  broadcasting  by 
film  celebrities  is  the  amount  of  time 
taken  from  regular  motion  picture  work 
by  the  preparations  made  by  the  stars 
for  their  radio  appearances.  He  told  of 
one  of  the  biggest  stars  in  Hollywood  re- 
fusing to  go  near  her  studio  for  a  week 
because  she  was  rehearsing  her  part  and 
writing  the  script  for  her  radio  debut. 

"Radio  today  is  paying  film  stars  huge 
sums  for  their  broadcasting  appearances. 
This,"  Mr.  Aylesworth  believed,  "will  be  a 
boon  to  the  studios  who  heretofore  have 
been  confronted  with  the  all  too  numerous 
financial  demands  of  stars  and  featured  play- 
ers who  feel  that  their  income  is  insufficient 
and  who  have  become  dissatisfied  generally 
as  a  result." 

Denies  "De-Glamoring"  of  Stars 

Mr.  Aylesworth  refuted  the  charges,  made 
principally  by  exhibitors,  that  commercial 
radio  broadcasts  "de-glamour"  Hollywood's 
glamorous  stars.  The  argument  has  been 
made  that  the  motion  picture  spends  millions 
to  build  up  a  personality  and  radio  uses 
that  romantic  or  glamorous  personality  to 
sell  tin  cans,  toilet  goods,  gasoline,  ice,  gro- 
ceries, hair  tonics  and  whatnot. 

The  NBC-RKO  executive  explained,  first, 
that  public  appearances  do  not  necessarily 
hurt  the  star,  citing  the  ambition  of  "every 
exhibitor  in  the  country"  to  have  stars  make 
personal  appearances  at  their  theatres,  if 
they  could  but  afford  to  book  them.  "The  ob- 
jections, then,  cannot  be  against  the  personal 
appearance." 

"Secondly,  none  of  the  glamour  of  the 
star  is  lost,  because  not  only  is  the  star  not 
tied  in  directly  with  the  commercialities  of 
the  program,  but,  and  more  important,  the 
public  already  has  a  definite  impression  of 
that  star,  and  they  visualize  the  star  on  the 
broadcast  in  accordance  with  their  impres- 
sion. That  impression  is  so  strong  and  the 
visualization  so  keen  that  there  can  be  no 
influence  such  as  that  complained  of  from 
the  mention  of  the  sponsor's  product." 

On  the  other  hand,  Mr.  Aylesworth  con- 
tinued, the  national'  advertisers  today  are 

(.Continued  on  follou-inq  pape) 


46 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


INSISTS  RADIO  HELPS  THEATRE  CROSS 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

spending  millions  of  dollars  in  direct  aid  to 
theatre  box  offices,  not  philanthropically,  of 
course,  but  because  they  know  the  values 
of  the  stars.  "But  these  advertisers  do  not 
complain  of  the  constant  reference  of  the 
stars  to  their  studio  work,  to  their  current 
productions,  to  their  forthcoming  screen  ap- 
pearances, and,  too,  they  are  willing  to  per- 
mit the  widespread  use  of  music  from  pic- 
tures on  their  programs,  with  full  credit  be- 
ing given  the  production." 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,"  Mr.  Aylesworth 
added,  "the  thought  has  been  expressed  that 
maybe  the  national  advertisers  should 
charge  the  motion  pictures  for  some  of  the 
free  advertising  their  pictures  and  people 
are  now  receiving  on  the  sponsored  pro- 
grams at  the  expense  of  the  advertisers. 

"What  greater  attention  can  motion  pic- 
ture stars  get  than  a  radio  build-up  for 
their  forthcoming  productions  ?"  asked  Mr. 
Aylesworth.  Answering  the  query  himself, 
he  said  that  several  feature  pictures  of  his 
own  RKO  company  have  been  given  strong- 
er box  office  power  by  steady  radio  "plug- 
ging." The  distributing  executives  of  RKO, 
like  most  other  executives  ki  motion  pic- 
tures, have  not  always  agreed  with  Mr. 
Aylesworth.  They,  too,  had  felt  that 
broadcasts  injured  box  office  ratings.  But 
now,  he  explained,  they  have  tangible  proof, 
from  certain  pictures,  of  the  benefits  that 
can  accrue  from  a  radio-film  understanding. 
"Radio  today  is  RKO's  greatest  exploita- 
tion asset,"  Mr.  Aylesworth  declared,  add- 
ing :  "And  if  I'm  wrong  I  might  lose  my 
job."  He  declared  that  "the  radio  can  make 
people  want  to  go  to  motion  pictures." 

Defends  Free  Broadcasts 

Mr.  Aylesworth  deprecated  the  oft-made 
complaint  that  the  admittance  of  the  public 
to  free  radio  broadcasts  is  unfair  competi- 
tion to  the  motion  picture  theatre  box  office. 
"The  records  show  that  theatre  business  is 
on  the  up,  so,  obviously,  these  so-called 
studio  radio  broadcasts  with  invited  audi- 
ences have  not  injured  the  box  office."  To 
the  contrary,  he  continued,  "We  of  NBC- 
RKO  recently  spent  a  whole  month  observ- 
ing persons  coming  from  NBC's  broadcast- 
ing studios  to  determine  where  they  go 
from  there,  and  in  50  per  cent  of  the  cases 
they  walked  directly  to  a  motion  picture 
theatre." 

"The  reasons,"  he  explained,  "are  that 
most  of  the  important  radio  broadcasts  are 
over  by  9:00,  or  9  :30  P.  M.,  and  the  public 
attending  the  broadcasts  find  themselves 
downtown  and  with  an  entertainment  appe- 
tite that  has  not  been  satisfied  by  a  half- 
hour  broadcast  that  cost  them  nothing.  We 
bring  them  out  of  their  homes." 

Mr.  Aylesworth  arose  from  his  deeply 
carved  desk  in  RKO's  offices  at  Rockefeller 
Center,  walked  meditatively  to  his  window 
overlooking  the  International  Gardens  in 
full  bloom,  then  abruptly  declared  that 
"the  motion  picture  is  grossly  mistaken 
when  it  says  that  the  radio  keeps  people 
in  their  homes,  thereby  cutting  off  poten- 
tial theatre  patronage." 

"Remember,"  he  advised,  "people  do  not 


"The  motion  picture  is  grossly  mis- 
taken when  it  says  that  the  radio 
keeps  people  in  their  homes,  thereby 
cutting  off  potential  theatre  patron- 
age. .  .  .  Except  in  the  summertime, 
Saturday  and  Sunday  evenings  are 
still  the  best  days  for  box  office 
grosses.  Yet  there  are  more  good  radio 
programs  broadcast  on  those  evenings 
than  any  other  night."  —  M.  H. 
Aylesworth. 


and  can  not  go  to  the  movies  seven  nights 
a  week.  They  usually  average  two  attend- 
ances weekly.  So,  the  radio  on  the  other 
five  nights  constantly  hammers  home  ex- 
ploitation and  publicity  aspects  of  the  mo- 
tion picture,  its  pictures  and  personalities, 
always  reminding  the  public  of  the  motion 
picture. 

"Except  in  the  summertime,  Saturday  and 
Sunday  evenings  are  still  the  best  days  for 
box  office  grosses.  Yet  there  are  more  good 
radio  programs  broadcast  on  these  evenings 
than  any  other  night.  How  can  you  ex- 
plain that?  The  argument  that  radio  keeps 
people  away  from  theatres  is  pure  bunk,  and 
everyone  will  admit  it  in  another  year. 

"Radio  now  gives  the  music,  a  synopsis, 
the  cast  and  other  exploitation  expressions 
for  and  in  behalf  of  a  motion  picture,  and 
yet  some  of  the  boys  in  the  film  business  are 
sitting  around  trying  to  figure  out  how  they 
can  stop  it." 

Theatre  Slogans  for  Radio 

Mr.  Aylesworth  returned  to  his  idea  of 
effecting  a  working  understanding  between 
the  radio  and  the  screen.  He  envisioned 
such  a  relationship  eventually  working  to 
the  point  where  a  slogan  such  as  "Attend 
the  movies  twice  a  week,"  will  be  commonly 
broadcast,  in  the  manner  of  Amos  'n'  Andy's 
"See  your  dentist  twice  a  year,"  "Brush 
your  teeth  twice  a  day."  He  said  that  the 
Amos  'n'  Andy  slogans  have  done  more  for 
the  toothpaste  business  and  dental  profes- 
sions than  any  other  medium  in  history. 

"  'Attend  the  movies  twice  a  week,'  "  he 
continued,  "should  be  the  air  slogan  personi- 
fying the  radio-film  cooperative  idea." 

"The  automobile  is  the  motion  picture's 
greatest  competitor,  not  radio,  except  that  in 
another  year  5,000,000  cars  on  the  road  will 
have  radios,  and  right  there  the  competition 
of  the  car  will  be  lessened  considerably  as 
the  car  radios  start  making  the  occupants 
'movie  conscious.'  " 

Calls  Television  Five  Years  Away 

"Television  still  is  in  the  laboratory,"  Mr. 
Aylesworth  explained.  "It  will  be  another 
five  years  before  it  goes  into  the  homes  of 
America  on  a  commercial  basis.  In  advanc- 
ing my  idea  for  radio-film  cooperation,  I 
suggest  that  the  motion  picture  business  now 
turn  their  attention  to  television  coopera- 
tively. They  could  let  the  experimenters  use 
old  films,  out  of  circulation,  to  televise.  Mo-' 
tion  pictures  will  be  the  first  form  of  enter- 
tainment to  be  televised  on  any  large  scale. 


"Television  will  never  be  a  competitor  to 
the  regular  theatre  screen.  They  will  not 
televise  feature  pictures  produced  express- 
ly for  the  purpose  of  a  single  television 
broadcast  because  of  the  enormous  sums 
required  for  production.  Imagine  any  ad- 
vertiser spending  $500,000  to  broadcast  a 
production  of  'Little  Women'  ? 

"The  only  way  to  get  one  industry  to 
work  with  another  is  for  both  to  work  to- 
gether." 

In  practically  all  other  countries,  Mr. 
Aylesworth  continued,  there  is  a  definite 
cleavage  between  radio  and  the  screen. 
There  is  almost  no  cooperation,  each  work- 
ing independently  of  the  other  and  in  direct 
competition.  It  is  impossible  in  Europe,  for 
instance,  for  exhibitors  and  the  film  busi- 
ness to  get  the  cooperation  from  their  radio 
systems  that  is  already  being  extended  films 
by  radio  in  this  country. 

"Let  there  be  an  understanding  between 
us !" 


Ecuador  Theatres 
Reported  Thriving 

His  friends  warned  him  that  "movies 
aren't  a  gentleman's  business,"  when  he  en- 
tered the  field  in  Ecuador  12  years  ago, 
Jaime  Puig  Arosemena,  representative  of 
Universal,  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  and  War- 
ner Brothers  in  that  country,  recalled  in 
New  York  this  week. 

In  contrast  with  the  state  of  the  industry 
then,  Senor  Arosemena  reported  that  the 
theatre  business  in  South  America  today  is 
in  a  very  healthy  condition,  being  the  least 
affected  of  any  business  by  economic  or  po- 
litical upheavals.  The  Ecuadorean  distribu- 
tor, who  also  handles  Universal  product  in 
Colombia,  Venezuela,  Curacao,  Porto  Rico, 
Santo  Domingo  and  Cuba,  is  in  New  York 
for  conferences  with  N.  L.  Manheim  and 
other  Universal  officials  on  new  season  con- 
tracts. 

Admissions  in  Ecuador  range  from  $1.50 
to  $2.00,  he  said.  About  90  per  cent  of  the 
distributor's  business  done  in  that  country 
is  on  percentage  with  first  runs  command- 
ing 50  per  cent  and  second  runs  40  per 
cent.     Ecuador  has  29  theatres. 


Utility  Sale  Seen 
In  Odium's  Trip 

Prospects  for  the  sale  of  the  British  prop- 
erties of  the  Utilities  Power  and  Light  Cor- 
poration, $405,000,000  utility-holding  com- 
pany, are  linked,  according  to  a  report  in 
the  financial  columns  of  the  New  York 
Times,  to  the  imminent  departure  for  Eng- 
land of  Floyd  B.  Odium,  president  of  the 
Atlas  Corporation.  Mr.  Odium  recently  re- 
signed as  a  director  of  Paramount  Pictures, 
Inc. 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


47 


TECHNOLOGICAL 


The   BLUEBOOK  School 

By  F.  H.  RICHARDSON 

[To  join  the  Bluebook  School  merely  send  in  answers.    Place  name  and  question  number  upon  first  sheet.   Address  F.  H.  Richardson,  No.  3  Tudor  Lane,  Scarsdale,  N.  Y.] 

BLUEBOOK  SCHOOL  QUESTION  NO.  32.— (A)  Name  two  types  of  "ground"  and  cite  examples  of  each. 
(B)  What  action  in  the  cell  causes  a  storage  battery  to  lose  voltage  in  course  of  discharging? 

Answers  to  Question  No.  27 


Bluebook  School  Question  No.  27  was : 
(A)  Name  the  important  points  with  regards 
to  commutator  brushes.  (B)  Does  an  ampli- 
fier act  to  convert  weak  currents  into  strong 
ones? 

Now  that  a  "diploma"  is  to  be  issued  upon 
completion  of  a  full  course  by  students,  I  will 
be  obliged  to  tighten  down  some,  so  be  care- 
ful. I  want  those  diplomas  really  to  mean 
something,  to  have  value  in  the  eyes  of  em- 
ployers. The  following  made  acceptable  re- 
plies to  Question  No.  27 : 

S.  Evans  and  C.  Rau ;  D.  Danielson;  B. 
DeVietti ;  A.  L.  Cooper ;  W.  C.  Brown ;  J.  R. 
Prater ;  W.  Limmroth ;  W.  H.  Edmonds ;  H. 

B.  Smith;  P.  and  L.  Felt;  E.  H.  Toetde;  C. 
L.  Loft;  K.  and  R.  Wells;  Thos.  F.  Bochert ; 

C.  Lonie ;  G.  E.  Doe ;  C.  Champney ;  C.  G. 
Jones ;  D.  Pollock ;  G.  Thompson ;  C.  and  S. 
E.  Gay;  L.  A.  Dodson  and  H.  T.  Todd;  L. 
N.  Morgan ;  M.  Mitchel ;  H.  K.  Tompkins  and 
H.  K.  Abernathy;  G.  N.  Guiditti,  F.  L.  and 
N.  Savior;  F.  Simms  and  O.  L.  Daris ;  M 
and  J.  Devoy;  F.  T.  Snell ;  L.  D.  Bolton;  P 
L.  Smith;  W.  V.  Cramer;  H.  B.  Schontz,  B 
L.  Brisac  and  L.  C.  Kent ;  G.  W.  Elvy ;  U.  O 
Banning;  R.  R.  Robins  and  W.  Winkle;  A 
L.  Long  and  J.  T.  McGuire;  R.  T.  Tomlin- 
son,  D.  N.  Richards  and  W.  G.  Mathews;  J 
N.  Saperton;  P.  L.  Lott;  H.  Burkhart  and  D 
Bernhard;  S.  T.  Lane  and  W.  R.  Cohn;  J 
Jensen  and  V.  Sanders;  W.  N.  Bolton;  H 
Snow  and  L.  B.  Smith ;  W.  Burns  and  T.  R 
Fanning;  J.  Jones  and  R.  B.  Shephert;  D.  D 
Lilly,  O.  Hunt  and  W.  Morrison ;  B.  M.  Come- 
ford,  L.  T.  Davis  and  H.  D.  Lilly;  R.  R.  Ja- 
cobs and  B.  B.  Hornstein ;  H.  B.  Maulding : 
A.  L.  Leonard ;  T.  Turk ;  F.  Madden ;  D.  Em- 
merson ;  D.  Porter;  G.  A.  Lomax ;  H.  T.  Ap- 
leton  and  M.  F.  Singleton ;  J.  R.  Price ;  R.  W. 
Williams,  J.  Pracer  and  B.  L.  Jennings ;  H.  J. 
Billingsworth ;  G.  H.  Daniels;  G.  V.  Long; 
W.  B.  Maxwell  and  F.  I.  Daniels;  H.  W. 
Munroe  and  T.  A.  Hoffman;  R.  W.  Robert- 
son; D.  L.  Maxwell  and  K.  R.  Holt;  G.  H. 
Anderson;  N.  E.  Olliver  and  D.  McGee ;  H 
W.  Morehouse ;  A.  G.  Thomas ;  S.  G.  Sanders 
and  G.  Sargent;  P.  N.  Davis;  H.  W.  Palmer. 

The  following  are  representative  answers  to 
Section  A.  Messers  Evans  and  Rau  say : 

"Important  points  with  regard  to  commu- 
tator brushes  are:  (1)  They  must  be  of  suf- 
ficient size  to  carry  the  current  output  with- 
out overload.  (2)  They  must  fit  their  holders 
with  sufficient  snugness  to  prevent  chatter,  but 
not  so  tightly  as  to  prevent  proper  movement 
of  the  brushes  at  all  times.  (3)  Face  of  brush 
must  make  proper  electrical  contact  with  com- 
mutator over  its  entire  surface.   (4)  They  must 


be  kept  clean.  (5)  They  must  have  sufficient 
tension  to  make  good  electrical  contact  with 
commutator  without  excessive  friction.  (6) 
Composition  should  be  of  -type  recommended 
by  manufacturer — they  must  be  neither  too  soft 
nor  too  hard.  (7)  Pig-tail  contacts  must  be 
kept  tight.  (8)  Position  on  commutator  must 
be  exactly  right  and  yoke  locked  securely  to 
maintain  that  position." 

B.  DeVietti  says,  "Use  best  grade  of  brus'i 
available.  Commutator  brushes  may  be  re- 
garded as  a  very  cheap  item  for  the  reason 
that  they  need  only  be  replaced  at  long  inter- 
vals of  time.  It  therefore  is  foolish  to  try  to 
economize  by  purchasing  cheap  brushes,  which 
will  not  only  give  inefficient  service,  but  also 
affect  the  operating  efficiency  of  the  machine 
itself.  If  no  specific  type  of  brush  be  recom- 
mended by  the  manufacturer,  get  the  best  that 
can  be  had.  Brushes  must  be  of  proper  type, 
remembering  that  different  makes  of  machine 
require  brushes  of  different  qualities.  They 
must  be  of  proper  dimensions  and  current 
capacity.  They  must  fit  in  holders,  but  with- 
out binding.  Sufficient  'play'  must  be  permitted 
to  insure  proper  movement  of  brushes  in  order 
to  obtain  and  maintain  proper  contact  with 
commutator.  All  electrical  contacts  must  be 
clean  and  firm.  Face  of  brush  must  fit  com- 
mutator, making  firm  electrical  contact  there- 
with at  all  points.  In  sanding-in  the  brush  face 
for  proper  fit  [or  cleaning]  it  is  wise  to  draw 
the  sandpaper  in  the  direction  of  rotation  onlv 
since  otherwise  slight  movement  of  brush  in 
holder  may  prevent  a  perfect  contact  surf- 
being  formed.  Brushes  must  receive  periodical 


F.  H.  Richardson's 
BLUEBOOK  of 
PROJECTION 

•  New  sixth  edition.  Pro- 
jection, sound  reproduction 
and  trouble-shooting  all  in 
one  handy  volume.  Also 
features  quick-finding  index 
system  for  instant  refer- 
ence.   Order  to-day. 

$5.25  Postpaid 


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ROCKEFELLER  CENTER        NEW  YORK 


inspection  and  all  points  checked  for  proper 
condition  and  operation." 

(B)  J.  R.  Prater  answers,  "Strictly  speak- 
ing, an  amplifier  does  not  convert  weak  cur- 
rents into  strong  ones,  though  that  is  what 
it  seems  to  do.  Amplifiers  do  produce  a  strong 
current  which  is  practically  identical  in  wave 
form  with  the  weaker  sound  current  flowing 
through  the  input  circuit,  but  the  stronger  or 
'amplified'  current  is  a  different  one,  flowing 
through  a  circuit  wholly  separate  from  the 
input  circuit.  In  fact,  in  large  amplifiers  there 
are  several  such  circuits,  one  for  each  'stage' 
of  amplification,  each  one  carrying  a  separa'" 
current  which  is  made  to  practically  duplicate 
the  sound  input  current  [Insofar  as  has  to  do 
with  modulations  that  permit  the  reproduction 
of  sound. — F.  H.  R.].  Amplifier  tubes  operate 
as  valves  by  means  of  which  a  weak  current 
is  made  to  control  the  flow  of  a  much  stronge'- 
current  [I  hesitated  over  this.  Seems  to  me 
the  better  way  of  expressing  the  action  would 
be  to  say  it  is  made  to  modulate  a  much 
stronger  current.  What  do  you  sound  engineers 
think  about  it? — F.  H.  R.],  thus  in  effect  pro- 
ducing a  new  current  [It  does  not  'produce'  it. 
— F.  H.  R.]  of  greater  strength,  but  having 
practically  the  same  fluctuations  as  has  the 
original,  weaker  one.  In  an  amplifier  the 
original  sound  current  merely  passes  through 
the  valve  of  the  first  tube  [First  stage.— F.  H. 
R.]  and  returns  to  its  source.  The  amplified 
duplicate  then  passes  through  the  valve  (tube) 
of  the  second  stage  and  returns  to  its  source, 
and  so  on  through  as  many  successive  stages 
of  amplification  as  may  be  employed." 

W.  Limroth  says,  "An  amplifier  does  not 
convert  a  weak  current  into  a  strong  one.  In- 
stead, it  employs  a  weak  input  current  to  con- 
trol or  regulate  a  stronger  one  having  a  dif- 
ferent source.  Thus  we  see  the  output  current 
is  not  the  input  current  made  stronger,  but  an 
entirely  different  one  flowing  in  an  entirely 
separate,  different  circuit.  The  output  current 
of  most  amplifiers  has  almost  exactly  the  in- 
put current  wave  form.  The  sound  current 
flowing  through  the  input  circuit  of  an  am- 
plifier completes  its  circuit,  flowing  back  to  its 
source,  just  as  does  any  other  normal  current. 
In  the  course  of  its  path,  it  flows  through  a 
valve  (tube)  in  which  it  is  able  to  and  does 
exercise  a  very  delicate  control  over  a  current 
having  much  greater  power.  In  practice,  nam- 
ing the  input  circuit  P,  and  the  stronger  cur- 
rent circuit  Q,  if  greater  amplification  be  re- 
quired, Q  can  be  made  to  operate  another  valve, 
R,  which  controls  another  and  still  more  pow- 
erful current,  and  so  on,  the  process  being  often 
repeated  as  many  as  six  or  seven  times." 


48 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


July     18,  1936 


SHOWMEN'S 
REVIEWS 


This  department  deals  with  new 
product  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  exhibitor  who  is 
to  purvey  it  to  his  own  public 


ROMEO  AND  JULIET 

MGM-Thalberg  production  of  the  Shakespearean  drama 

previewed  in  Hollywood 
by 

gus  McCarthy 


Stark  tragedy,  stiletto-sharp. 
Young  love,  tender,  fierce,  all  consuming, 
daring. 

Intrigue,  glamour,  hate  and  strife. 

Beauty,  the  poesy  of  old  Verona. 

All  this  suffused  with  the  glow  of  historic 
tradition  and  the  centuries'  acceptance  of 
the  mastery  of  William  Shakespeare. 

That  in  sum  is  the  rich,  rare  stuff  of 
which  Irving  Thalberg  has  woven  for  the 
screen  "Romeo  and  Juliet." 

And  the  loom  of  the  great  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  studios,  with  its  array 
of  creative  personalities,  has  brought 
forth  a  work  of  expression  embellished 
with  elements  of  appeal,  with  mingled 
charm  and  thrill,  that  demonstrate  again 
the  motion  picture  as  the  dominant  art — 
the  best  medium  of  narration,  re-creation 
that  has  yet  evolved. 

The  perennial  modernity  of  the  love 
theme,  and  the  curious  capacity  of  the 
screen  to  make  all  that  ever  was  in  any 
yesterday  a  living  event  of  today  and 
now,  has  never  been  more  acutely  ex- 
emplified than  in  this  "Romeo  and  Juliet." 

That  relentless  hate  and  feud  of  Mon- 
tague against  Capulet,  and  Capulet  against 
Montague,  classic  of  the  long  ago,  is  on 
the  screen  of  Romeo  and  Juliet  a  strife  of 
today. 

Yesterday  of  the  centuries  ago  is,  for 
the  hour  of  the  screening,  alive,  poignant, 
immediate,  hot  with  the  fervour  of  liv- 
ing and  the  desperation  of  dying. 

It  seems  that  Mr.  Thalberg  has  met 
with  exceeding  skill,  and  maybe  good 
fortune,  the  problem  of  making  this 
classic  acceptable,  appealing,  significant  to 
all  manner  of  the  folk  who  make  audi- 
ences. It  has  been  so  contrived  that  the 
production  can  face  the  critical  attentions 
of  the  erudite  and  still  by  the  untram- 
meled  manner  of  its  telling  deliver  in  full 
its  large  dramatic  content  to  those  who 
never  heard  of  Shakespeare  and  who  as 
often  as  not  internally  scorn  all  that  is 
suspected  of  art  and  culture. 

To  be  sure  the  decidedly  contemporary 
significance  of  the  personages  of  the  ex- 


traordinary cast  makes  an  important  con- 
tribution to  the  strong  elements  of  mass 
acceptance  that  every  showman  will  find 
in  this  production. 

This  vibrant,  vital,  contemporary  quali- 
ty of  the  picture,  makes  it  an  experience 
of  adventure,  a  story  of  thrill  and  sus- 
pense no  matter  how  familiar  one  may  be 
with  the  faithfully  recorded  plot  of  the 
classic. 

The  achievement  of  Mr.  Thalberg  has 
been  to  deliver,  enhanced  with  the  em- 
phasis and  accent  that  only  the  camera 
can  give,  the  timeless  human  drama  of 
the  piece,  those  intense  interests  of  life 
that  are  born  anew  when  every  man  is 
born. 

For  the  common  people,  of  whom  the 
box  office  and  Abraham  Lincoln  have  said 
there  are  so  many,  it  has  the  virtue  of 
being  a  great  motion  picture. 

Care  and  thought  devoted  to  the  pro- 
duction through  long  months  of  prepa- 
ration and  after  the  shooting  started  are 
reflected  in  every  department.  The  mu- 
sic score  by  Herbert  Stothart  is  rich,  sym- 
pathetic and  effective.  The  dialogue,  de- 
parting only  slightly  and  altogether 
judiciously  from  the  text  of  the  play,  re- 
tains in  full  measure  the  deft  imagery  of 
the  playwright.  Settings,  costumes  and 
photography  plainly  manifest  the  time 
and  money  expended  upon  them. 

Performances  by  the  principals 
shoulder  each  other  for  mention.  Norma 
Shearer's  Juliet  is  warmly  real  and  Leslie 
Howard's  Romeo  compares  more  than 
favorably  with  any  of  his  justifiably 
famous  previous  portrayals.  John  Bar- 
rymore's  Mercutio  amply  confirms  ad- 
vance reports  of  its  excellence  and  Basil 
Rathbone's  proud,  ruthless  Tybalt  is  a 
sound,  dramatically  powerful  character- 
ization. Ralph  Forbes,  C.  Aubrey 
Smith,  Violet  Kemble  Cooper,  Edna  May 
Oliver  and  Henry  Kolker  are  others  who 
distinguish  themselves  in  the  picture. 

Among  the  love  sequences  five  stand 
out  as  especially  notable.  They  are  the 
meeting  of   the  ill-starred  lovers,  the 


balcony  scene  by  which  the  play  is  most 
widely  identified,  the  marriage  chamber 
sequence,  Juliet's  soliloquy  as  she  con- 
templates the  death  potion,  and  the 
memorable  denouement  in  the  tomb. 
Contrasted  with  these  and  shrewdly 
ranged  between  them  are  the  duels,  street 
clashes  and  personal  conflicts  which  the 
production  has  in  common  with  the  most 
modern  screen  successes. 

From  the  showmanship  angle  the  pic- 
ture looms  as  extraordinary.  The  title 
is  among  the  half  dozen  of  all  time  most 
widely  and  favorably  known.  The  cast 
is  laden  with  names  of  definitely  calcula- 
ble sales  value. 

A  far  reaching  advance  exploitation 
campaign,  conducted  by  speakers  before 
clubs  and  other  bodies  throughout  the 
field,  has  put  the  English  speaking  world 
definitely  on  notice  with  respect  to  the 
magnitude  and  detail  of  the  production. 

By  the  nature  of  the  work  and  the 
tradition  it  represents,  it  is  reasonable  to 
assume,  doors  not  commonly  open  to  mo- 
tion picture  exploitation  will  be  wide  to 
the  exhibitor  seeking  cooperation. 

The  picture  will  support  the  exhibitor's 
best  promises. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 
Produced  by  Irving  Thalberg.  Directed  by  George 
Cukor.  Author,  William  Shakespeare.  Screen  adapta- 
tion, Talbot  Jennings.  Musical  score,  Herbert  Stot- 
hart. Art  director,  Cedric  Gibbons.  Settings  by 
Cedric  Gibbons  and  Oliver  Messel.  Associates,  Fred- 
ric  Hope,  Edwin  B.  Willis.  Costumes  by  Oliver  Mes- 
sel and  Adrian.  Dance  director,  Agnes  de  Mille. 
Artistic  consultant,  Oliver  Messel.  Literary  consult- 
ant, Professor  William  Strunk,  Jr.,  of  Cornell  Univer- 
sity Photographed  by  William  Daniels.  Film  editor, 
Margaret  Booth.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2216.  Re- 
lease date  to  be  determined.  Running  time,  124  min- 
utes. General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Juliet    Norma  Shearer 

Romeo   Leslie  Howard 

Mercutio    John  Barrymore 

Nurse    Edna  May  Oliver 

Tybalt    Basil  Rathbone 

Lord  Capulet    C.  Aubrey  Smith 

Peter    Andy  Devine 

paris   Ralph  Forbes 

Benvolio    Reginald  Denny 

Balthasar    Maurice  Murphy 

Prince  of  Verona    Conway  Tearle 

Friar  Laurence    Henry  Kolker 

Lord  Montague    Robert  Warwick 

Lady  Montague    Virginia  Hammond 

Lady  Capulet    Violet  Kemble  Cooper 

(Reviews  continued  on  pane  52) 


A  man  of  steel  meets  a  tuoman  of  fire ...  in  the  epic  romance  of  the  queen  who  dared  to  follow  the 
call  of  her  heart,  though  it  led  through  storm  and  strife  and  crimson  conflict ! 


KATHARINE  HEPBURN^FREDRIC  MARCH 

MARY  OF  SCOTLAND 

with 

FLORENCE  ELDRIDGE  .  DOUGLAS  WALTON  .  JOHN  CARRADINE 
AND   A  TREMENDOUS  CAST  OF  FAMOUS  STARS 

From  the  play  by  Maxwell  Anderson  •  Directed  by  JOHN  FORD 

RKO-RADIO  PICTURE 
Produced  by  Pandro  S.  Berman 


HISTORY'S  GREATEST  LOVE  STORY  .  .  .  told  on  a  screen  athrill  with 
pageantry  and  drama!  .  .  .  Two  nations  tremble  as  ttuo  women  clash  .  .  .  and  a  fighting 
son  of  Scotland  goes  to  war!  ...  in  the  sweeping  human  story  of  the  virgin  queen  whose 
passion  was  her  greed  for  power  .  .  .  and  of  the  fiery  queen  who  threw  away  her  throne  for  love! 


PANDRO  S.  BERMAN, 

Producer . . .  the  man  whose  solid 
business  sense  and  keen  box-office 
mind  have  given  this  industry 
some  of  the  biggest  money  pic- 
tures on  record. . .  He  was  the  pro- 
ducer behind  such  tremendous 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


5! 


1 II1, HI 


ASIDES  &  INTERLUDES 

 By  JAMES  CUNNINGHAM   


kA  ANY  a  motion  picture  or  theatrical 
'  '  press  agent  in  this  era  and  before  have 
repeatedly  credited  the  humorous  perform- 
ances of  a  picture  or  client  with  standing 
the  customers  on  their  heads  and  laying 
them  in  the  aisles.  Always  they  spoke  in 
the  figurative  manner  of  expression,  for  not 
once  has  any  tangible  evidence  of  such  an 
accomplishment  ever  been  presented,  that 
is,  until  Clyde  de  Vinna,  Hollywood  camera- 
man and  accomplished  member  of  the 
American  Society  of  Cinematographers, 
came  forward  this  week  with  the  sworn 
statement  that  he  actually  witnessed  such 
an  experience. 

"We  were  filming  'Trader  Horn'  for 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  in  Africa,  in  1931," 
relates  Mr.  de  Vinna.  "Our  laboratory  and 
general  field  base  was  in  the  pleasant  com- 
munity of  Nairobi.  Some  four  miles  distant, 
in  a  clearing  adjacent  to  desirable  locations, 
was  our  camp.  We  had  portable  electrical 
equipment,  projector  and  screen.  In  the 
balmy  cool  of  early  evening,  the  screen 
would  be  suspended  from  nearby  trees  and 
we  had  a  perfect  air-conditioned  projection 
room. 

"In  due  course,  our  first  rushes  came 
through  and  all  hands  gathered  about  to 
inspect  them.  Word  of  the  impending  event 
had  spread  among  the  natives  and  there 
must  have  been  several  hundred  of  them 
lurking  in  the  deepening  shadows  back  of 
us.  The  screen  came  to  life  and  we  settled 
back,  intently  studying  our  work.  As  the 
imaged  action  became  more  tense,  there 
came  an  amused  titter  from  the  horde  of 
uninvited  guests  who  were  viewing  their  first 
movie. 

"The  murmuring  wave  of  subdued 
chuckles  broke  into  a  roar  of  uproarious 
guffaws.  The  jungle  reverberated  with  these 
howls  of  unrestrained  merriment.  The  na- 
tives had  never  seen  anything  so  funny  in 
all  their  lives.  The  scene  would  have  glad- 
dened the  heart  of  any  comedy  director. 

"One  venturesome  G-stringed  buck  gave 
vent  to  his  inborn  curiosity  and  stood  on 
his  head  to  see  what  the  pictures  looked  like 
upside  down.  The  results  apparently  more 
than  justified  his  anticipations,  for  he 
screamed  peals  of  laughter  that  rang  out 
above  the  others. 

"His  playmates  noted  the  extra  enjoyment 
that  came  from  his  inverted  posture  and 
emulated  his  reverse  stance.  Their  laughter 
became  thunderous.  Majestic  lions  pinned 
back  their  ears  and  sulked  deeper  into  the 
mngle.  Maternal  elephants  trumpeted  their 
offsoring  into  sheltered  retreats. 

"We  took  our  attention  from  the  film  and 
gave  eye  to  our  volunteer  and  responsive 
audience.  What  we  saw  must  be  one  of  the 
most  amazing  sights  of  record — two  or  three 
hundred  natives  in  an  African  wilderness, 
standing  on  their  heads  and  bellowing  with 
glee.  When  they  could  stand  it  no  longer, 
they  toppled  over  and  writhed  on  the  ground 
in  merriment  holding  their  convulsing  sides, 
but  yowling  their  jov." 

V 

One  of  these  days  the  serious-minded  edi- 
tors of  Time  Maqazine  are  going  to  find  their 
pet  nezvsreel,  "March  of  Time,"  billed  on  the 
same  shozv  ivith  Universal's  forthcoming 
"Time  Out  of  Mind."  Then  the  marquee  lights 
will  read : 

TIME  OUT  OF  MIND 
MARCH  OF  TIME 
V 

Jack  Pearl  took  his  family  to  the  country 
for  a  vacation.  He  decided  to  "rough  it,"  so  he 
ordered  his  chauffeur  not  to  wear  his  uniform. 


Kelvin  Rodgers,  a  three-and-one-half-year- 
old  Australian  lad  arrived  in  New  York  the 
other  morning  from  Australia,  troweling  the 
9,000  miles  to  Temple  University  Hospital,  in 
Philadelphia,  to  liave  a  nail  removed  from  his 
right  lung.  The  kuudliness  of  those  sponsor- 
ing the  surgical  expedition  is  in  itself  a  tale, 
Sir  Charles  Conibere,  millionaire  of  Melbourne 
financing  the  trip,  the  American  Pioneer  Line 
furnishing  transportation,  the  ship's  sailors  buy- 
ing clothes  and  the  YWCA  in  New  York  car- 
ing for  both  child  and  mother  while  here.  What 
we  started  out  to  say,  however,  is  that  re- 
porters meeting  the  boat  interviewed  the  baby 
and  to  their  question,  "What  are  you  going  to 
do  in  America?"  three-year-old  Kelvin  replied, 
"I'm  gonna  see  Mae  West!" 

V 

Harry  Richman,  whose  claim  to  fame  in 
theatricals  is  divided  among  the  stage,  the  night 
club  and  motion  pictures,  is  amusing  Broad- 
way with  the  experience  of  a  "spiffed"  gentle- 
man on  the  subway  who  kept  looking  at  a  dig- 
nified passenger  opposite,  and  finally  lurched 
over  with,  "Ooh,  you're  awful  looking.  You're 
ugly.  You're  the  homeliest  person  I  ever  saw." 
The  offended  passenger  ignored  his  offender, 
but  again  the  inebriate  persisted :  "What  a 
face !  etc.,  etc."  Finally,  unable  to  stand  the 
humiliation  any  longer,  the  passenger  yelled : 
"Go  away.  Stop  bothering  me.  You  are  the 
drunkest  man  I've  ever  seen."  But  that  did 
not  discourage  the  pest.  "Year,"  he  growled, 
"well  lemme  tell  you  the  difference  between 
you  and  me.  Tomorrow  I'll  be  all  right,  but 
you'll  still  be  ugly." 

V 

Odd  Mclntyre  is  chuckling  these  days 
loudly  and  long  over  an  apartment-hunting 
expedition  on  which  Harry  Silvey  accom- 
panied a  friend  who  was  seeking  a  place 
in  which  to  live  in  New  York's  ultra  snooty 
Sixties.  The  tenant-to-be  was  asked  by  the 
manager  of  an  apartment  building  if  he  had 
children,  a  piano,  radio  or  victrola.  The 
friend  replied  in  the  negative.  Then  he  was 
asked  if  he  played  a  musical  instrument  or 
owned  a  dog,  cat  or  parrot.  The  rentee  pros- 
pect shook  his  head,  looked  about  furtively 
and,  with  a  violin-pluck  walk,  led  his  rental 
interrogator  into  a  far  corner  and  whispered : 
"But  I'm  going  to  be  honest  with  you.  My 
fountain  pen  scratches." 

V 

Ted  Cook  has  been  thinking  of  big  ideas  all 
his  life,  but  none  of  them  ever  turned  out  to 
be  really  very  big.  He  got  it  this  time  though. 
What  he_  suggests  is  that  the  Administration 
at  Washington  form  a  new  WPA  project  to 
handle  the  oiling  of  swivel  chairs.  Not  only 
will  it  stimulate  the  oil  industry,  for  there 
must  be  millions  and  millions  of  svuivel  chairs 
in  Washington,  but  it  will  also  make  things 
more  efficient  in  the  motion  picture  business. 
For  instance,  hozv  are  the  very  big  department 
heads  going  to  concentrate  on  new  season's 
product  and  sales  policies  and  nezv  rental  scales 
for  exhibitors  if  the  lesser  employes  are  al- 
zvays  szvivel  squeaking  in  their  chairs?  And 
everybody  probably  knozvs  that  there  is  noth- 
ing quite  so  distracting  as  a  szvivel  chair  that 
squeaks  zchen  you  lean  back  in  it  to  put  your 
feet  up  on  the  desk.  The  only  thing  thai  has 
Ted  Cook  zvorried  about  his  nezv  and  fancy  big 
idea  is  that  the  snorint,  night  be  even  more 
distracting  than  the  squeaking  which  hereto- 
fore has  drozmied  out  the  snoring. 

V 

Careless  Statement  Department  \ 

'Max  Baer  will  have  to  do  heavier  train- 
ing than  swinqinq  a  baton  before  I  take 
him  seriously." — Clark  (Heavy  Screen  Lover) 
Gable. 


I  T  SEEMS  TO  Chester  B.  Bahn,  cinema 
'  critic  of  the  Syracuse  (N.  Y.)  Herald, 
that  Hollywood's  most  urgent  need  is  a 
super-suppress  agent. 

A  super-suppress  agent,  if  you  please, 
who  will  not  call  it  a  day  with  the  ruthless 
use  of  a  blue  pencil  on  the  trivia  and  blurbs 
representing  some  of  the  praise  agents'  ver- 
bal dreams,  but  who  will  carry  on  as  a  pub- 
lic relations  counsellor. 

A  public  relations  counsellor,  explains 
Mr.  Bahn,  is  a  suave  and  brainy  chap  who 
puts  in  up  to  24  hours  a  day  saying,  "No, 
no,  no,  you  must  not  do  that!"  to  a  client. 
For  example,  a  public  relations  counsellor 
who  would  recognize  in  the  following 
Hollywood  publicity  piece — sent  out  from 
Hollywood  over  the  national  press  wires — 
a  potential  resentment  in  its  effect  upon  the 
millions  of  unemployed  in  these  United 
States : 

"Talkietown  dogs,  Jewel-collared,  steak-fed,  and 
aired  in  limousines,  now  have  a  vacation  resort  of 
their  own.  There  they  go  to  recover  from  nervous 
breakdowns  and  from  indigestion  brought  on  by 
too  much  caviar  and  French  pastry,  fed  them  by 
well-meaning  but  thoughtless  guests  at  cocktail 
parties. 

"There  is  a  Dude  Ranch  for  Dogs.  It  is  operated 
by  Gladys  Shipman,  blonde  niece  of  Playwright 
Nell  Shipman.  She  got  up  a  brochure  that  is 
as  fancy  as  the  pamphlets  issued  by  most  hotels, 
and  sent  copies  to  all  the  stars  in  Hollywood. 

"The  literature  is  embellished  with  cartoons  of 
dogs  fishing,  riding  horseback,  cooking  flapjacks, 
chopping  wood,  and  playing  tennis  and  golf. 

"It  got  results.  Pooches  owned  by  Ginger 
Rogers,  Katharine  Hepburn,  Richard  Dix,  Harold 
Lloyd,  Clark  Gable,  Mrs.  Thomas  Ince,  Alice 
White,  Walt  Disney,  and  Louise  Fazenda  already 
are  vacationing  at  the  dude  ranch. 

"Scores  of  other  pets  have  reservation.  They 
will  pack  their  favorite  bones  and  travel  to  the 
resort  as  the  summer  rolls  along,  and  actors  and 
actresses  flit  off  to  Europe  and  holiday  way-points. 

"The  ranch  is  in  the  mountains  at  Big  Bear  Lake, 
100  miles  from  Hollywood.  A  bus  fitted  up  with 
individual  compartments  calls  for  the  guests  and 
delivers  them  back  at  their  homes. 

"At  Big  Bear  the  dog  dudes  also  have  separate 
quarters. 

"Miss  Shipman  has  worked  out  a  social  pro- 
gram for  her  guests.  Every  day  there's  a  hike 
through  the  forest,  also  rabbit-chasing  rodeos. 
And  swimming  parties  for  the  ones  that  like  to 
paddle  in  the  lake." 

V 

De  luxe  vacations  on  dude  ranches  for 
pampered  canines  of  screen  stars  .  .  .  bare 
subsistence  at  public  bounty  for  the  fam- 
ilies of  millions  of  Americans.  It  represents 
a  major  handicap  for  the  extremely  popular 
Mickey  Mouse. 

Hollywood,  however,  is  not  alone  in  play- 
ing so  richly  to  its  canine  poofs.  Only  the 
other  day  Clay  Morgan  sent  Odd  Mclntyre 
one  of  the  dog  menus  of  the  paquebot  S.S. 
Normandie.  The  opening  salute  is  "Pour 
votre  Toutou — Madame.  Pour  votre  fidele 
compagnon — Monsieur."  Among  the  items 
listed  are:  Le  plat  de  Medor,  Le  Regal  de 
Sweekey,  Le  Preference  du  danois  and  Le 
Regime  Vegetarian  des  Chien."  But  out  in 
Hollywood  the  dog  lovers  have  a  periodical 
which  they  call  Barker's  Post,  filled  with 
canine  news.  The  subscriptiin  price  is  "10 
cents  per  copy  or  one  bone  a  year." 
V 

A  large  cutout  of  Joe  E.  Brozvn's  expansizv 
mouth,  advertising  "Sons  'O  Guns"  at  a  Cardiff. 
Wales,  theatre,  screamed  the  zvords:  "Come  in 
and  see  me,  you'll  laugh  like  hell!" 

A  fezv  hours  later  a  discreet  "Today"  zca\- 
pasted  oz'er  the  fiery  simile. 


52 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


Down  the  Stretch 

(Warner) 

Drama  , 

Both  a  character  drama  and  a  race  track 
thrill  action  picture,  this  is  a  combination  of  en- 
tertaining elements  for  the  regular  everyday 
theatre  goers.  Fast  moving,  its  engaging  human 
interest  story  told  against  an  exciting  back- 
ground, it  doesn't  provide  any  exceptional  names 
to  sell.  On  the  other  hand,  entertainment  as 
delivered  being  the  primary  requirement,  with 
a  sound  motivating  story  embellished  by  con- 
vincing acting.  Intelligent  direction  and  worthy 
production  contributing  effectively  to  the  film's 
appeal,  it  provides  much  that  can  be  used  to 
stimulate  patron  attention. 

The  story  is  simple.  Snapper  Sinclair  is 
saved  from  reform  school  by  Patricia  and  Cliff 
Barrington.  Given  a  job  in  their  stables,  he 
shows  a  great  understanding  of  horses,  but 
when  it  is  discovered  that  he  is  the  son  of  an 
old  barred  jockey,  his  life  becomes  none  too 
pleasant.  Overcoming  all  handicaps  he  _  be-, 
comes  an  ace  rider,  only  to  be  involved  in  a 
gambling  scandal  that  leads  to  his  disbarment  on 
American  tracks  for  a  year.  Going  to  England, 
he  again  becomes  a  foremost  rider.  Engaged  to 
ride  a  favorite  in  a  big  race,  he  learns  that  his 
benefactors  have  lost  their  fortune  and  they  are 
depending  upon  their  entry  in  the  race  to  recoup 
it  for  them.  Purposely  to  perpetrates  a  jam 
that  lets  the  Barrington  horse  win.  Again 
barred,  Patricia  learns  how  Snapper  sacrificed 
his  own  career  to  help  her.  She  engages  him  to 
ride  for  her  again  in  America  when  his  suspen- 
sion is  lifted. 

The  straight  human  interest  context  of  the 
story  is  logical  and  believable.  Furthering  its 
appeal  and  value,  it  is  acted  in  a  sincere  and 
convincing  fashion  as  artificial  theatrics  are 
eschewed.  For  the  action  backgrounds,  repro- 
duction of  several  exciting  races  give  the  pic- 
ture color  and  excitement  for  the  thrill  action 
fans. 

Previexved  in  studio  projection  room. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Warner  Bros. 
Directed  by  William  Clemens.  Story  and  screen  play 
bv  William  Jacobs.  Photographed  by  Arthur  Todd. 
Supervised  by  Bryan  Foy.  Reviewed  before  Produc- 
tion Code  Seal.  Release  date  to  be  determined.  Run- 
ning time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  65  minutes.  Gen- 
eral audience  classification. 

CAST 

Patricia   Barrington  Patricia  Ellis 

Cliff  Barrington   Dennis  Moore 

Snapper  Sinclair   Mickey  Rooney 

Aunt  Julia   Virginia  Brissac 

Tex  Reardon   Charles  Wilson 

Colonel  Carter   Raymond  Brown 

Robert  Bates   Gordon  Elliott 

Ben  the  Bookie  Frank  Faylen 

Arnold  Roach   Charles  Foy 

Sunny  Timmy  Eagles 

Nick   Robert  Emmett  Keane 


Pepper 

(20th  Century-Fox) 
Comedy 

A  comedy,  this  production  is  all  fun  from  first 
to  last.  Mixing  slapstick  fun  with  character 
comedy,  there's  hardly  a  serious  moment  in  the 
whole  film.  Even  when  a  situation  approaching 
the  serious  appears,  it  is  given  a  hilarious  twist 
that  adds  greatly  to  the  laugh  provoking  story 
content.  Aimed  directly  at  patrons,  adults  or 
youngsters,  who  want  to  laugh,  the  show  is 
roisterous  and  full  of  excitement  in  dialogue  and 
action. 

Pepper,  a  sore  trial  to  her  befuddled  uncle 
Ben  Jolly,  is  the  leader  of  a  gang  of  street 
gamins  who  believe  in  direct  action.  Like  kids 
all  over,  the  mischief  she  leads  them  into,  while 
bothersome  to  its  victims,  is  that  which  every 
grown-up  likes  to  boast  of  as  part  of  his  early 
life.  When  a  widow  is  threatened  with  evic- 
tion, Pepper's  mob  really  swings  into  action. 
Bent  on  raising  funds,  Pepper  invades  the  ex- 
clusive well  guarded  home  of  irascible  old 
millionaire  Wilkes.  A  chronic  grouch,  he'd  like 
to  kill  the  youngster,  but  she  goes  to  work  on 


him  and  convinces  him  that  what  he  needs  more 
than  medicine  is  a  day's  outing. 

Together  they  set  out  for  Coney  Island,  and 
in  a  series  of  gag  situations  Pepper  and  Wilkes 
give  all  the  rides,  slides  and  kindred  concessions 
a  going  over.  Forced  to  wash  dishes  because 
Wilkes'  wallet  has  been  lifted,  they  eventually 
arrive  back  in  town.  Meanwhile  Uncle  Ben  is 
frantic  wondering  where  his  wayward  ward  is. 
But  Wilkes  has  taken  Pepper  to  his  heart.  She 
is  the  instrument  that  brings  Wilkes  and  Ben 
together  for  the  rendition  of  a  burlesque  hill- 
billy jingle.  Then  to  top  off  the  excitement,  she 
busts  up  fake  nobleman  von  Stofel's  plan  to  wed 
Wilkes'  daughter  Muriel  as  hundreds  of  her 
kids  swarm  through  the  old  man's  mansion. 

A  harum  scarum  show,  geared  to  a  fast  and 
funny  pace,  it  is  one  of  the  potentially  excep- 
tional appeal  to  all  youngsters.  They'll  see  Jane 
Withers  doing  all  the  things  they'd  like  to  do 
or  dream  of  doing. 

Previeived  at  Uptown  Theatre,  Los  Angeles. 
Audience  could  not  conceal  its  appreciation  of 
the  hokum  tinged  amusement  provided. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox.  Associate  producer,  John  Stone.  Directed  by 
James  Tinling.  Original  screen  play  by  Lamar  Trotti. 
Photographed  by  Daniel  B.  Clark.  Art  director,  Dun- 
can Cramer.  Assistant  director,  William  Eckhardt. 
Film  editor,  Fred  Allen.  Costumes  by  Herschel. 
Sound,  Bernard  Freericks,  Harry  Leonard.  Musical 
direction.  Samuel  Kaylin.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No. 
2334.  Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  65  min- 
utes. Release  date,  September  18,  1936.  Genera!  audi- 
ence classification. 

CAST 

Pepper  Jolly    Jane  Withers 

Mr.  Wilkes    Irvin  S.  Cobb 

Uncle  Ben  Jolly    Slim  Summerville 

Bob  O'Ryan    Dean  Jaggrer 

Helen  Wilkes    Muriel  Robert 

Baron  von  Stofel    Ivan  Lebedeff 

Vegetable  vendor    George  Humbert 

Doctor    Maurice  Cass 

Butler    Romaine  Callender 

Jimmy    Tommy  Bupp 

Chauffeur    Reginald  Simpson 

Footman    Carey  Harrison 


Give  Me  Your  Heart 

(Warner-Cosmopolitan  ) 
Drama 

First,  "Give  Me  Your  Heart"  is  a  woman's 
picture.  Realizing  the  contributions  feminine 
patronage  makes  to  grosses,  this  is  not  an  item 
to  be  considered  lightly.  Second,  it  comes  in 
a  summer  of  too  few  good  pictures. 

The  picture  is  drama,  based  on  a  delicate, 
intimate,  but  always  human  topic.  Primarily  it 
is  a  class  feature,  almost  certain  to  be  of  im- 
pressive appeal  to  more  serious  minded  audi- 
ence contingents.  Nevertheless  it  is  eloquent 
in  the  quantities  that  make  for  general  mass 
understanding  and  appreciation.  Modern  in 
theme  and  character  of  presentation,  it  tells  an 
age  old  story.  It  tells  it  with  dignity,  sincer- 
ity and  honesty  that  automatically  precludes 
possibility  of  objection  even  on  the  part  of  the 
most  rigid,  uncompromising  minds.  Very  real 
and  human,  it  is  tastefully  prepared,  directed 
with  skillful  understanding  and  acted  by  the 
entire  cast,  but  especially  by  Kay  Francis,  in 
an  impressive  and  emotion  stirring  manner. 

Illusion,  graphic  pantomime,  initially  estab- 
lishes the  story  character  and  then  dialogue, 
completely  eschewing  action,  carries  it  through. 
Out  of  wedlock  a  child  is  born  to  Belinda 
Warren.  Robert,  husband  of  Rosamond  Mel- 
ford,  is  the  father.  Influenced  by  friend  Tubbs, 
Belinda  surrenders  the  baby  to  its  father's 
family.  She  meets,  falls  in  love  with  and  mar- 
ries Jim  Baker.  Haunted  by  a  hatred  of 
Rosamond,  and  a  fear  that  her  husband  will 
learn  of  her  sin.  her  life  becomes  a  seething 
mental  turmoil,  threatening  to  drive  her  to  dis- 
traction. Brutally  unresponsive  to  husbandly 
kindness,  convinced  that  she  has  been  cheated 
of  the  right  of  possession  of  the  man  she  loves 
and  her  child,  threatening  continually  to  blast 
all  hopes  for  happiness  for  all,  Kay  Francis 
gives  a  gripping  portrayal  of  a  woman  suf- 
fering heartaches  and  heartbreak. 

With  her  husband,  she  is  brought  together 
bv  Tubbs  with  the  man  she  loves  and  his  wife, 


the  woman  she  hates.  She  insults  her  host  and 
guests,  only  to  be  intercepted  by  Rosamond, 
who  takes  her  to  visit  the  child.  Though  he  is 
sleeping,  the  boy  is  the  instrument  that  works 
a  miracle  in  Belinda.  Begging  forgiveness  of 
Rosamond,  as  she  herself  forgives  Robert,  she 
finds  solace  from  her  tragedy  in  her  husband's 
affections. 

Essentially  dramatic,  with  Miss  Francis  and 
Brent  and  Miss  Inescort,  endowing  that  quan- 
tity with  a  believable  human  realism,  the  pic- 
ture is  not  without  a  full  quota  of  comedy 
content.  That  angle  is  expertly  handled  by 
Roland  Young  and  Helen  Flint.  For  the  heart 
throb  inspired  by  the  basic  drama,  there  is  a 
balancing  bit  of  comedy,  intelligently  applied 
to  bring  a  smile  or  laugh.  Both  combine  to 
give  the  picture  a  warmth  and  a  distinctive 
human  character  that  is  impressive  in  its  abil- 
ity to  make  its  auditors  believe  what  they  are 
seeing.  Under  such  circumstances  it  would  not 
seem  illogical  for  exhibitors  playing  to  au- 
diences who  are  not  averse  to  seeing  a  picture 
that  does  not  dash  and  flash  all  over  the  screen, 
to  recommend  "Give  Me  Your  Heart"  as  a 
sane  attraction  for  intelligent  persons. 

Previewed  in  the  Warner  Theatre,  Beverly 
Hills.  Patronised  by  persons  for  the  most  part 
in  the  upper  economic,  social  and  mental  brack- 
ets, the  picture  was  watched  attentively.  In  a 
house  that  was  crowded  to  capacity,  but  few 
zvalked  out.  Applause  following  the_  conclusion 
■ivas  not  of  the  hip-hip-hooray  fashion;  rather, 
it  was  not  difficult  to  note  that  the  audience 
zvas  impressed  by  the  story  and  the  intelligent 
manner  in  which  it  had  been  prepared,  acted 
and  directed. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

A  Cosmopolitan  production  distributed  by  Warner 
Bros.  Directed  by  Archie  L.  Mayo.  Screen  play  by 
Casey  Robinson.  From  the  play  by  Jay  Mallory. 
Photographed  by  Sidney  Hickox.  Assistant  director. 
Sherry  Shourds.  Supervised  bv  Robert  Lord.  Art 
directors,  Max  Parker  and  C.  M.  Novi.  Film  editor. 
James  Gibbons.  Gowns  by  Orry-Kelly.  Musical 
director,  Leo  F.  Forbstein.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No. 
2291.  Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  88  min- 
utes. Release  date,  to  be  determined.  General  audi- 
ence classification. 

CAST 

Belinda  Warren    Kay  Francis 

Jim  Baker   J3?01"? e  ,?rent 

Tubbs  Barrow    Roland  Young 

Robert  Melford    Patnc  Knowles 

Edward,  Lord  Farrington    Henry  Stephenson 

Rosamond  Melford    Frieda  Inescort 

Dr.  Florence  Cudahy    Helen  Flint 

0];ver    Halliwell  Hobbes 

Esther  Warren    Zeffie  Tilbury 


Suzy 

(MGM-Revnes) 
Comedy  Drama 

One  boast  which  picture  sponsors  delight  in 
making  is  that  their  attraction  "has  everything." 
This  one's  certainly  must  have  had  that  phrase 
in  mind  and  there  is  ample  evidence  that  they 
strove  strenuously  to  make  good  on  it.  If  diver- 
sity and  variety  have  anything  to  do  with  giv- 
ing the  term  structural  sense,  there's  enough  of 
both  qualities  to  provide  "everything"  for  half  a 
dozen  shows.  Quite  a  bit  of  the  diversity  has 
definite  entertainment  and  showmanship  worth. 
A  lot  of  it  hasn't  any  at  all. 

Enumerating  some  of  the  things  this  picture 
provides,  aside  from  personalities,  one  can  count 
a  comedy  romance  that  has  some  colorful  dabs 
of  London  backstage,  street,  boarding  house, 
machine  shop  and  racetrack  atmosphere.  Fur- 
ther, there's  a  hint  of  intrigue  that  culminates 
in  what  looks  like  a  murder  mystery.  Then 
there's  the  human  interest  of  an  innocent 
wife  fleeing  England  for  France  fearing  that 
she  may  be  accused  of  her  husband's  murder. 
Comes  then  a  tour  of  Parisian  night  clubs  and 
boulevards,  where  the  girl  meets  a  war  ace. 
falls  in  love,  and,  still  thinking  her  husband 
dead,  marries.  Naturally  there's  the  story  of 
the  wife  left  at  home  with  a  father-in-law  who 
tries  to  be  pleasant  while  friend  husband  varies 
his  fighting  the  enemy  with  romantic  philander- 
ing. Tying  all  situations  together,  the  girl  finds 
she's  married  to  two  men  when  her  first  hus- 
band shows  up.   Then  there's  the  drama  of  a 

(Continued  on  page  54) 


Vtlake  u/ai/ fot 


AND  GIVE  YOUR  PATRONS 

MORE  EXCITEMENT 

THAN  THEY'VE  HAD  IN  YEARS! 

Starring  JACK  HOLT  with  John  King,  Nan  Gray,  Eddie  Acuff,  Hugh  Buckler,  William  Tannen 

FULL  SPEED  AHEAD  WITH  THE 

NEW  UNIVERSAL! 


54 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


woman  scorned  by  both  husbands  that  turns 
into  a  spy  story  climaxed  by  the  shooting  of 
husband  number  two  by  the  same  woman  who 
the  girl  thought  had  once  before  made  her  a 
widow. 

Lastly,  the  picture  turns  into  a  war  story 
in  which  the  first  husband  takes  up  the  mur- 
dered flier's  plane  to  dish  out  a  horrible  fiery 
fate  to  the  spy  murderess  and  then  in  a  spec- 
tacular aerial  combat  with  a  flock  of  boche 
planes  add  much  to  the  glory  of  France's  favor- 
ite ace.  Finally  husband  number  one,  with  the 
assistance  of  the  girl,  places  the  dead  ace's  body 
in  the  crashed  plane  to  make  it  look  like  he 
died  an  honorable  death  instead  of  innocently 
trafficking  with  the  enemy  and  wilfully  chiseling 
on  his  mate.  As  France  pays  homage  to  its 
hero,  the  original  husband  and  wife  start  out  to 
make  over  their  lives  anew. 

It  all  happens  when  Jean  Harlow  marries 
Franchot  Tone  and  then,  thinking  him  dead, 
marries  Cary  Grant  under  the  circumstances 
described.  Up  to  the  time  the  picture  brings 
the  trio  together,  there's  pretty  much  every- 
thing ;  romantic  love  interest,  singing  and  danc- 
ing, comedy  and  what  not.  When  Harlow  un- 
derstands what  a  pickle  she  is  in,  the  show 
turns  to  and  concentrates  on  straight  drama. 
In  that  quality,  with  all  that  goes  before  serving 
as  so  much  character  and  situation  identifica- 
tion, the  show  really  hits  its  high  spots.  So 
well  are  the  last  reels  developed,  with  much  to 
inspire  audience  attention  and  interest  occur- 
ring, that  the  preveiw  audience  seemed  satisfied 
to  forget  all  that  had  preceded. 

Previewed  at  Loeixfs  State  Theatre,  Long 
Beach.  McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 
Produced  by  Maurice  Revnes.  Directed  by  George 
Fitzmaurice.  Screen  play  by  Dorothy  Parker,  Alan 
Campbell,  Horace  Jackson  and  Lenore  Coffee.  From 
the  novel  by  Herbert  Gorman.  Musical  score  by  Dr. 
William  Axt.  "Did  I  Remember,"  music  by  Walter 
Donaldson,  lyrics  by  Harold  Adamson.  Record- 
ing director,  Douglas  Shearer.  Art  director, 
Cedric  Gibbons.  Associates,  Gabriel  Scognamillo, 
Edwin  B.  Willis.  Wardrobe  _  by  Dolly  Tree. 
Photographed  by  Ray  June.  Film  editor,  George 
Boemler.  Assistant  director,  Sandy  Roth.  P.  C.  A. 
Certificate  No.  2383.  Running  time,  when  seen  in 
Hollywood,  95  minutes.  Release  date,  July  17,  1936. 
General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Suzy    Jean  Harlow 

Terry    Franchot  Tone 

Andre     Cary  Grant 

Baron    Lewis  Stone 

Madame  Eyrelle    Benita  Hume 

Captain  Barsanges    Reginald  Mason 

Maisie    Inez  Courtney 

Mrs.  Schmidt    Greta  Meyer 

"Knobby"    David  Clyde 

"Pop"  Gaspard    Christian  Rub 

Gaston    George  Spelvin 

Landlady    Una  O'Connor 

Producer    Charles  Judels 

Revue  producer   Theodore  Von  Eltz 

Officer    Stanley  Morner 


Charlie  Chan  at  the 
Race  Track 

(20th  Century-Fox) 
Detective  Mvsterv 

Charlie  Chan  is  a  pretty  well  known  screen 
character.  Warner  Oland,  who  portrays  him, 
is  equally  well  known.  So  are  the  stories.  In 
this,  there  is  the  same  Oland,  the  whimsical, 
courageous,  resourceful  Oriental  detective.  With 
him,  following  up  on  the  stock  assets,  is  Keye 
Luke  as  son  Lee.  There  anything  that  smacks 
of  any  previous  Chan  story  stops.  Like  wine 
and  spirits  the  quality  of  the  Chan  attractions 
appear  to  improve  with  age.  Not  only  is  this 
one  particularly  desirable  for  the  regular  Chan 
fans,  but  it  contains  a  lot  that,  if  adequately 
made  known  to  patrons,  should  intrigue  the  in- 
terest and  attention  of  those  who  like  freshness 
in  screen  entertainment. 

The  smartly  contrived,"  well  acted,  intelli- 
gently directed  production  is  a  blending  of 
drama,  romance,  comedy,  mystery,  skullduggery 
and  thrill  action.  The  principal  locales  are 
aboard  a  trans-Pacific  liner  and  at  the  Santa 
Anita  race  track.  Action,  embellished  by  up-to- 
date  dialogue  and  novel  situations,  is  equally 
distributed  in  both  places.  Excitement  begins 
with  the  opening.    In  Australia,  jockey  "Tip" 


Collins  throws  a  race  and  the  favorite  loses. 
With  the  horse,  its  owner,  Major  Kent,  boards 
the  boat  and  immediately  becomes  the  target  for 
threatening  letters.  After  appealing  to  Chan 
for  help  in  Honolulu,  Kent  is  mysteriously  mur- 
dered. Chester  has  come  into  ownership  of  the 
horse,  and  as  Chan,  abetted  and  hindered  in  his 
efforts  to  make  sense  of  the  weird  goings-on  by 
son  Lee,  is  baffled  temporarily,  fire  breaks  out 
on  board  to  add  to  the  excitement.  At  Santa 
Anita,  the  dramatic  skullduggery,  contrasted  by 
a  light  romance  involving  Alice  Fenton  and 
Bruce  Rogers,  continues.  Action,  supported  by 
suspense  born  of  mystery,  always  cleverly  con- 
cealed to  baffle  the  imaginations  of  the  amateur 
sleuths,  builds  to  an  excitement-packed  climax. 
The  heavies  make  use  of  a  camera  rigged  up 
to  shoot  a  poisoned  dart  into  the  horse,  hoping 
thereby  to  put  across  a  great  gambling  coup. 
But  the  heart  of  the  animal  carries  him  across 
the  finish  line  a  winner,  just  as  Chan  and  Lee 
step  in  to  nab  the  culprits. 

The  picture  provides  an  established  character 
and  established  personalities  to  sell.  It  also  per- 
mits one  to  do  quite  a  bit  of  talking  about 
romance,  drama,  mysterv,  comedy,  thrill  action 
and  surprise.  It  is  played  in  a  spirited  manner. 
Where  the  Chan  series  is  appreciated  entertain- 
ment, there  is  little  doubt  as  to  its  entertainment 
and  commercial  worth.  It  should  prove  more 
attractive  to  the  regular  Chan  fans  than  any  of 
its  predecessors.  If  there  are  places  where  Chan 
is  not  a  welcome  visitor,  this  feature  should 
prove  an  ideal  attraction  with  which  to  intro- 
duce him. 

Previewed  at  Alexander  Theatre,  Glendale. 
The  audience  quickly  was  swept  into  the  spirit 
of  the  film  and  watched  it  with  unabated  atten- 
tion. Applauding  several  times  during  the  run- 
ning, its  enthusiasm  at  the  end  was  comparable 
to  tltat  commonly  accorded  many  a  socalled  spe- 
cial or  important  picture. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Twentieth  Century - 
Fox.  Directed  by  H.  Bruce  Humberstone.  Associate 
producer,  John  Stone.  Screen  play  by  Robert  Ellis. 
Helen  Logan  and  Edward  T.  Lowe.  From  a  story 
by  Lou  Breslow  and  Saul  Elkins.  Based  on  the 
character  "Charlie  Chan,"  created  by  Earl  Derr 
Biggers.  Photographed  by  Harry  Jackson.  Art  direc- 
tor, Duncan  Cramer;  Assistant  director,  Aaron  Rosen- 
berg. Film  editor,  Nick  De  Mageio.  Costumes, 
Herschel.  Sound,  Alfred  Bruzlin.  Harry  Leonard. 
Musical  director,  Samuel  Kaylin.  F.  C.  A.  Certificate 
No.  2353.  Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood, 
70  minutes.  Release  date,  August  21,  1936.  General 
audience  classification. 

CAST 

Charlie  Chan   Warner  Oland 

Lee  Chan   Keye  Luke 

Alice  Fenton   Helen  Wood 

Bruce  Rogers   Thomas  Beck 

George  Chester  Alan  Dinehart 

Bagley   Gavin  Muir 

Catherine  Chester   Gloria  Roy 

Warren  Fenton   Tonathan  Hale 

Denny  Barton   G.  P.  Huntley,  Jr. 

Maior  Kent   George  Irving 

Eddie  Brill   Frank  Coghlan,  Jr. 

"Tip"  Collins   Frankie  Darro 

Mooney   John  Regers 

"Streamline"  Jones   John  H.  Allen 

Meers   Harry  Jans 


The  Glory  Trail 

( Crescent  Pictures-Derr ) 
Dramatic  Romance 

An  action  drama,  through  which  runs  a 
unique  and  interesting  romantic  story,  this  pic- 
ture affords  much  to  engage  exhibitor  and 
patron  attention.  The  well  prepared  story  in- 
telligently blends  dialogue,  action  and  situations. 
Though  the  production  has  a  semi-historical 
background,  it  does  not  hesitate  to  revert  to  old 
standby  entertainment  principles  to  embellish 
the  entertainment  and  commercial  worth  of  its 
motivation.  In  always  keeping  prominent  the 
menace  of  a  renegade  white  and  the  danger  of 
Indian  raids,  the  film  possesses  a  vein  of  sus- 
pense that  adds  considerable  to  the  effect  of  its 
straight  drama  and  romantic  love  interest. 

The  story  is  timed  to  a  period  directly  fol- 
lowing the  Civil  War.  Tom  Keene  is  the  leader 
of  a  band  of  Southern  soldiers  that  has  vowed 
never  to  accept  the  disgrace  of  surrender.  Their 
intent  is  to  establish  a  new  colony  along  the 
Bozeman  Trail.    First  brought  into  dramatic 


conflict  with  Frank  Melton,  lieutenant  in  com- 
mand of  a  Yankee  wagon  train,  Keene  comes 
into  romantic  conflict,  that  has  a  comedy  tinge, 
with  Joan  Barclay.  Recovering  an  ammunition 
wagon  stolen  by  raiding  Indians  while  Melton's 
troops  are  off  on  a  wild  goose  chase  inspired  by 
renegade  Walter  Long,  romance  grows  for 
Keene  and  Miss  Barclay.  A  second  bit  of  In- 
dian depredation,  inspired  by  Long,  results  in 
Keene  being  forced  to  order  the  execution  of 
his  second  in  command,  James  Bush.  The  dra- 
matic quality  of  this  sequence  leads  to  the  film's 
big_  punch,  in  which  Indians  attack  a  wagon 
train  bringing  families  and  prospective  wives 
of  the  southerners  to  the  new  settlement.  Union 
and  Confederate  soldiers  forget  their  enmity, 
and,  under  Keene's  leadership,  combine  to  fight 
off  the  marauders.  The  finale  is  a  mass  mar- 
riage, following  the  death  of  Keene's  sister,  Ann 
Hovey,  in  which  Miss  Barclay  stands  by 
Keene's  side  to  repeat  the  wedding  vows  he 
reads  to  his  followers. 

Not  a  pretentious  production,  but  one  that  is 
intelligently  made,  the  picture  blends  qualities 
that  have  proved  their  entertainment  and  com- 
mercial worth. 

Previewed  in  studio  projection  room. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Distributed  by  Crescent  Pictures.  Produced  by  E. 
B.  Derr.  Directed  by  Lynn  Shores.  Story  and  screen 
play  by  John  T.  Neville.  Production  manager,  Frank 
Melford.  Associate  producer,  Bernard  A.  Moriarty. 
Photographed  by  Arthur  Martinelli.  Recorded  by  J. 
S.  Westmoreland.  Art  director,  Paul  F.  Sylos.  Film 
editor,  Donald  Barrett.  Assistant  directors,  Fred 
Spencer,  Jack  Leonard.  Musical  director,  Abe  Meyer. 
P.  C._  A.  Certificate  No.  2378.  Running  time,  when 
seen  in  Hollywood,  65  minutes.  Release  date,  to  be 
determined.    General  audience  classification. 


Tom  Keene 
Joan  Barclay 
James  Bush 
Frank  Melton 
E.  H.  Calvert 
Walter  Long 


CAST 

Ann  Hovey 
William  Royle 
Allen  Greer 
William  Crowell 
Etta  McDaniel 
John  Lester  Johnson 


Crash  Donovan! 

(Universal) 


urama 

While  only  average  in  classification  as  en- 
tertainment, this  production  provides  much  op- 
portunity for  above  average  exploitation.  That 
possibility  is  found  more  in  the  production  fea- 
tures introduced  than  in  personnel  or  story 
quality.  Essentially  the  production  glorifies 
state  highway  motorcycle  policemen.  Picturing 
the  hazards  encountered  in  their  daily  routine, 
the  dangers  that  are  theirs  and  the  good  that 
they  do,  it  lends  itself  readily  to  tieups  with 
similar  departments  anywhere  as  well  as  con- 
tacts with  newspapers,  auto  clubs  and  safety 
organizations. 

The  substantiating  story  being  rather  sketchy, 
the  main  effort  of  the  production  to  capture 
general  interest  seems  to  be  confined  in  the 
thrill  action  tune  to  which  it  spins.  Officers 
Allen  and  Thomas,  watching  carnival  motor- 
bike rider  Crash  Donovan  go  through  his  rou- 
tine, suggest  that  if  thrills  are  what  he  is  look- 
ing for,  he  should  join  the  highway  patrol. 
Crash  can't  vision  anything  particularly  excit- 
ing in  the  life  of  a  speed  cop,  but  finally  con- 
sents. The  sequences  introducing  him  into  the 
force  authentically  picture  the  training  methods 
and  are  unusually  interesting.  Once  on  the  job, 
Crash  becomes  attracted  to  Doris,  daughter  of 
Captain  Tennyson,  and  the  adored  of  Allen. 
Romantic  conflict  which  this  situation  creates 
turns  dramatic  when  the  police  go  out  to  break 
up  a  gang  of  smugglers.  Action  builds  to  a 
fast  and  furious  pace  as  cops  and  smugglers  in- 
dulge in  wild  chases  and  battles.  As  Thomas 
is  cracked  up,  Crash  and  Allen  contrive  to 
crush  the  mobsters. 

Still  thinking  there  is  more  thrill  and  excite- 
ment in  the  life  of  a  crash  rider,  Donovan,  who 
also  comes  to  realize  that  Doris  prefers  Allen 
to  himself,  resigns  from  the  force  to  return  to 
the  breakneck  thrill  of  carnival  riding. 

Full  of  heroic  and  melodramatic  thrill  action 
and  excitement,  the  picture  is  one  quite  likely 

(Continued  on  pane  57) 


56 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


AUSTRO-GERMAN  AGREEMENT  IS 

SHROUDED  IN  STRICT  SECRECY 


Believed  German  Objections 
to  Non-Aryan  Technicians 
Employed  Have  Been  Lifted 
In  Case  of  Austrian  Films 

Although  elaborate  secrecy  continues 
painstakingly  maintained  as  to  precise  pro- 
visions of  the  agreement  resulting  from  this 
year's  Austro-German  film  negotiations,  im- 
port of  their  privately  exercised  privileges 
is  beginning  to  be  evident.  At  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  conferences  the  public  was  told 
only  that  the  agreement  was  to  be  valid 
from  July  I,  1936,  to  June  30,  1939,  that  14 
Austrian  films  could  be  imported  freely  into 
Germany  annually  without  further  confer- 
ence while  import  of  German  films  into 
Austria  would  be  without  limitation,  and 
that  money  transfer  between  the  countries 
would  be  regulated  by  the  Vienna  National 
Bank  and  the  Berlin  Reichsbank. 

Now  it  is  generally  believed  that,  under 
the  agreement,  Germany  will  make  certain 
allowances  for  limited  employment  of  Non- 
Aryan  assistant  cameramen,  technicians, 
musicians,  and  extras  working  in  such  Aus- 
trian films  as  are  to  be  shown  in  Germany. 
There  are  rumors  that  further  facilities  may 
be  granted  to  occasional  admission  of 
certain  Non-Aryan  directors  and  writers 
in  special  productions.  The  fact  that  the 
manuscripts  of  Austrian  films  intended  for 
export  to  Germany  must  be  submitted  to 
German  approval  remains  unchanged. 

Professor  Lehnich,  President  of  the  Ger- 
man Film  Chamber,  was  in  Vienna  in  April 
for  settlement  of  the  affair,  but  surprisingly 
the  agreement  has  not  been  ratified  yet. 
Negotiations  on  Austria's  behalf  were  led  by 
Dr.  Lanske,  who  is  at  present  travelling  in 
the  United  States  for  the  purposes  of  study. 

The  Press  Bureau  of  the  Austrian  Gov- 
ernment issued  special  prohibitions  for 
newspapers  against  mention  of  anything 
about  the  whole  matter  of  Austro-German 
film  relations. 

To  Teach  by  Film 

Up  to  date  only  five  per  cent  of  the 
Austrian  schools  have  applied  the  film  to 
teaching  purposes.  They  use  only  teaching 
films  on  standard  stock,  the  number  of  which 
is  very  limited.  As  only  a  few  schools  have 
their  own  projector  and  booth,  the  classes 
are  forced  to  attend  the  films  in  halls  outside 
the  schools,  or  in  picture  theatres. 

Now  the  Austrian  Ministry  of  Education 
has  decided  to  introduce  systematically  the 
teaching  film  in  all  elementary,  secondary 
and  high  schools.  To  this  end  an  official 
"Center  for  the  Teaching  Film"  ("Haupstelle 
fur  den  Unterrichts-film")  will  be  estab- 
lished. Only  16-mm  films  will  be  used,  and 
the  existing  types  of  sound  projectors  will 
be  examined  to  ascertain  those  suitable  for 
schools.  (Even  now  troubles  are  arising, 
due  to  the  fact  that  the  sound  track  of  Con- 
tinental 16-mm  films  is  on  the  opposite  side 
to  that  of  American  and  English  ones.) 


CITY  WOULD  LIMIT 
NUMBER  OF  THEATRES 

An  ordinance  limiting  the  number 
of  theatres  in  the  city  to  one  for 
each  5,000  population  has  been  passed 
by  the  City  Council  of  Oconto,  Wis. 
The  law,  if  upheld  as  constitutional, 
will  limit  the  number  of  theatres  in 
Oconto  to  exactly  one. 

The  Princess,  operated  by  A.  L. 
Merritt,  is  the  only  house  in  the  city. 
The  council's  action,  it  is  believed, 
will  halt  plans  announced  by  Oconto 
Operating  Company  to  construct  an- 
other theatre.  The  concern  is  reported 
affiliated  with  circuit  interests. 


Probably  the  schools  will  be  equipped  only 
with  sound  projectors,  although  a  great 
many  of  the  films  will  be  silent  ones.  The 
"Center"  will  work  out  a  production 
scheme,  but  it  is  possible  that  also  existing 
inland  and  foreign  teaching  films  will  be 
taken  over  as  far  as  they  fit  the  curriculum 
of  Austrian  schools.  The  Ministry  will  fix 
the  details  during  the  coming  months  and 
hopes  that  the  school  will  be  able  to  use 
films  in  the  Autumn.  The  scheme  is  to  be 
financed  by  a  subscription  of  about  2  schil- 
lings (40  cents)  a  year  to  be  paid  by  the 
pupils. 

"Modern  Times"  opened  in  Vienna  with 
a  gala  performance  on  March  30th.  It  prom- 
ises to  be  a  great  success  in  Austria.  Cen- 
sorship in  Vienna  ordered  3  cuts :  the 
famous  scene  with  the  red  flag,  the  killing 
of  a  workman  and  a  further  scene  showing 
police  methods ;  altogether  about  460  feet. 
The  picture  was  not  permitted  shown  to 
juveniles  under  16  years.  It  has  its  first  run 
in  the  "Apollo,"  seating  1,440,  Vienna's 
most  representative  picture  theatre,  which 
has  screened  \  only  Austrian  and  German 
films  in  this  season.  "Modern  Times"  was 
to  stay  there  3  weeks  and  be  followed  by 
"Top  Hat." 

"Stranger  than  fiction"  is  the  fact  that  a 
sales  manager  of  United  Artists  touring 
the  Austrian  province  found  an  exhibitor  in 
a  little  place  who  did  not  even  know  who 
Chaplin  is.  In  former  years  he  did  not  see 
films,  arid  when  "City  Lights"  was  shown, 
five  years  ago,  he  was  not  yet  an  exhibitor. 

Ministry  Makes  Concession 

In  February  the  Austrian  Ministry  of 
Commerce  demanded  of  the  distributors 
either  to  have  the  titling  of  foreign  talking 
films  done  in  Austrian  laboratories  or  to 
pay  the  full  contingent  fee  of  3,600  schillings 
($680)  for  each  film  instead  of  the  reduced 
fee  of  1.200  or  1,800  schillings  for  such 
foreign  ralking  films  as  are  released  only 
in  one  or  two  prints.  This  demand  would 
liave  hit,  above  all,  some  American  firms 
which  get  their  titled  prints  from  their 
headquarters  abroad. 

Now  the  Ministry  has  conceded  that 
every  distributing'  firm  only  needs  to  have 


Austrian  Schools  Encountered 
Mechanical  Difficulty  in  Use 
of  Educational  Films;  Now 
Supported    by  Subscription 

every  fifth  imported  foreign  talking  film 
titled  in  Austria.  Unfortunately  this  rather 
favorable  agreement  is  not  a  final  one,  and 
may  be  altered  by  the  Ministry  at  any  time. 
The  obligation  to  title  in  Austria  all  foreign 
films  or  even  a  considerable  part  of  them 
would  raise  the  expense  and  possibly  prevent 
the  import  of  less  profitable  American  films. 

For  the  first  time  in  Vienna  a  "Holly- 
wood Opening  Night"  took  place  when 
MGM  started  its  "Broadway  Melody  of 
1936."  A  jazz  orchestra  played  in  the 
lobby  of  the  Opernkino,  and  the  public  was 
treated  to  champagne  at  a  bar.  Almost  all 
of  Vienna's  prominent  film  and  stage  peo- 
ple were  present.  Some  of  them  were  put 
on  the  air  for  forty  minutes,  so  that  the 
picture  got  publicity  all  over  Austria  and 
the  neighboring  territories.  During  the 
broadcasting  silent  cartoons  were  screened 
in  the  dimly  lit  house.  "Broadway  Melody" 
was  very  much  applauded  by  the  animated 
audience.  This  midnight  "Gala  Premiere" 
proved  an  excellent  piece  of  showmanship, 
and  was  something  quite  new  for  Vienna. 

"Top  Hat,"  too,  advertised  itself  in  big 
style  in  opening  at  the  Apollo,  where  it  suc- 
ceeded the  first-run  of  "Modern  Times." 
When  the  audience  entered  the  theatre  they 
were  dazzled  by  numerous  spotlights  from 
the  stage  from  where  cameramen  were 
shooting  the  house.  After  the  performance 
the  public  was  retained  to  be  shown  their 
own  picture  and  were  much  pleased. 

"Singing  Youth" 

"Singende  Jugende"  (Singing  Youth), 
a  picture  with  the  famous  "Sangerknaben" 
(singing  boys)  choir,  Vienna — recently  re- 
turned from  a  tour  around  the  world — was 
released  here.  The  story  tells  of  a  little  boy, 
Toni,  who  runs  away  from  his  cruel  step- 
father and  gets  picked  up  by  a  street-singer. 
He  discovers  Toni's  beautiful  voice,  and 
finally  succeeds  in  getting  Toni  a  place  in 
the  choir  of  the  "Sangerknaben."  Here 
Toni  gets  closely  attached  to  Sister  Maria, 
who  is  in  charge  of  the  80  boys.  When 
Sister  Maria  is  unjustly  accused  of  having 
embezzled  a  large  sum  of  money,  he  gal- 
lantly confesses  to  be  the  malefactor,  as  a 
result  of  which  he  is  expelled  from  the 
group    of    the  "Sangerknaben." 

The  rather  artificial  story  shows  the  life 
of  the  "Sangerknaben"  at  their  gorgeous 
Vienna  place  and  at  their  rural  possession 
in  the  Alps.  It  is  true  that  the  film  shows 
mostly  superficial  scenes  of  their  lives, 
whereas  we  get  hardly  a  glimpse  of  their 
musical  education  and  serious  work.  We 
could  also  stand  a  little  more  of  their  sing- 
ing, which  really  is  their  outstanding  point. 
These  weaknesses,  however,  are  compen- 
sated by  the  convincing  play  of  the  boys — 
especially  of  Toni  and  tiny  Hans — and  by 
the  beautiful  background  of  Alpine  scenery. 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


57 


to  arouse  quite  a  bit  of  juvenile  enthusiasm. 

Previeived  in  studio  projection  room. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Universal.  Directed  by 
William  Nigh.  Associate  director,  Jean  Negulesco. 
Original  story  by  Harold  Shumate.  Screen  play  by 
Eugene  Solow,  Charles  Grayson  and  Karl  Detzer. 
Art  director,  Ralph  DeLacey.  Gowns  by  Brymer. 
Photographed  by  Milton  R.  Krasner.  Special  cinema- 
tographer,  John  P.  Fulton.  Film  editors,  Byron  Rob- 
inson and  H.  T.  Fritch.  Editorial  supervisor,  Mau- 
rice Pivar.  Sound  recorder,  Joseph  Lapis.  Sound 
supervision,  Homer  G.  Tasker.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate 
No.  2274.  Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  54 
minutes.  Release  date,  July  12,  1936.  General  audience 
classification. 

CAST 

"Crash"  Donovan    Jack  Holt 

Johnnie  Allen    John  King 

Doris  Tennyson    Nan  Gray 

"Dopey"  Thomas    Eddie  Acuff 

Captain  Tennyson    Hugh  Buckler 

The  drill  master  Ward  Bond 

"Smokey"    James  Donlan 

Harris    Douglas  Fowley 

Tony    William  Tannen 

Fizz    Huey  White 

Mike    Al  Hill 

Pete    Gardner  James 

Cafe  owner    Paul  Porcasi 

The  singing  cop    George  Stinson 

Also  Lane  Chandler,  Hal  Craig.  Stanley  King,  Lee 
Phelps,  Jack  Richardson,  Joseph  Sawyer,  Jack  Hat- 
field. 


Riding  Avenger 

(Grand  National) 
Western 

This  is  a  well  balanced  western  with  plenty 
of  action,  swiftly  paced  and  likably  performed 
by  Hoot  Gibson.  A  smilingly,  engaging  person- 
ality, Gibson  dominates  throughout  and  it  is 
to  him  most  of  the  credit  is  due  for  the  produc- 
tion's better-than-average  rating.  While  a  few 
sequences  stretch  the  imagination,  these  do  not 
detract  from  the  picture  as  a  whole.  It  is  fare 
for  both  the  inveterate  and  casual  western  audi- 
ence. 

A  love  theme  is  interluded,  also  a  little  jeal- 
ousy menace  to  pep  things  up  a  bit.  The  sup- 
porting cast  is  fair,  suitable  enough  for  the  pic- 
ture's needs.  Included  are  Ruth  Mix,  Buzz 
Barton,  June  Gale,  Stanley  Blystone  and  Roger 
Williams. 

Gibson,  a  former  United  States  marshal,  now 
retired,  is  persuaded  to  accept  a  special  deputy- 
badge  to  aid  the  sheriff  in  eliminating  cattle 
rustling  in  a  county  of  Texas.  Masquerading 
as  the  Morning  Glory  Kid,  a  notorious  bandit, 
Gibson  arrives  on  the  scene  in  time  to  prevent 
a  kidnaping  of  Miss  Gale  by  the  outlaw  gang. 
Preceding  the  girl  to  her  ranch,  Gibson  finds 
her  father  dead.  Comes  a  second  attempt  to 
kidnap  the  girl,  this  time  successful.  Finding 
the  outlaw  gang's  hideout,  Gibson  asks  for  a 
job  and  is  accepted.  He  makes  plans  to  escape 
with  the  girl,  his  identity  is  discovered  and  they 
have  to  run  for  it.  Gibson  and  the  girl  take 
refuge  in  an  old  ice  house.  The  outlaws  try  to 
smoke  them  out  but  Gibson,  by  a  trick  captures 
the  outlaws'  leader.  In  a  fist  fight  Gibson  wins, 
as  the  sheriff  and  posse  arrive. 

Reviewed  at  the  Arena  theatre,  New  York, 
where  a  mid-afternoon  audience,  mostly  men, 
favorably  received  the  picture. 

Mooney,  New  York. 

Distributed  by  Grand  National.  Produced  by  Walter 
Futter.  Directed  by  Harry  Fraser.  Story  by  Walton 
West.  Screenplay  bv  Norman  Houston.  Photography 
by  Paul  Tvano.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2,218.  Run- 
ning time,  57  minutes.  Release  date,  June  15,  1936. 
General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Buck  Connors    Hoot  Gibson 

Chita    Ruth  Mix 

Tony   Buzz  Barton 

Jessie  McCoy    June  Gale 

Mort  Ringer    Stanley  Blvstone 

Sheriff    Roger  Wi'liams 

Welch    Francis  Walker 

Slim    Charles  Whitaker 

Bud    Bud  Buster 

Neiahborhood  House 

(MGM) 

Very  Funny 

A  very  funny  comedy,  this  Charley  Chase 
production  has  as  its  theme  Bank  Night.  Chase, 
his  wife  and  their  little  daughter  attend  the 


theatre.  The  little  girl  offers  to  pick  the  win- 
ning number.  When  she  picks  Chase's  number 
the  audience  shows  its  displeasure.  When  she 
tries  again  and  picks  her  mother's  number  the 
audience  roars.  But  when  on  the  third  try 
Chase's  daughter  picks  her  own  number,  the 
audience  follows  the  Chase  family  home,  seem- 
ingly bent  on  a  lynching  party.  Chase  holds  a 
special  Bank  Night  but  gets  himself  in  deeper 
when  his  boss  wins  the  money.  Running  time, 
20  minutes. 


Porky's  Pet 

(Vitaphone) 
Comic  Cartoon 

A  "Looney  Tune"  cartoon  featuring  Porky 
and  his  pet  ostrich,  Lulu,  this  subject  is  good 
fare  and  is  fast  moving.  On  receipt  of  a  tele- 
gram inviting  Porky  and  Lulu  to  New  York 
to  take  part  in  a  show,  the  two  head  for  the 
train.  Lulu  is  refused  passage,  but  succeeds 
in  boarding  with  the  aid  of  Porky.  The  con- 
ductor throws  both  Porky  and  the  ostrich  off 
the  train,  but  with  the  help  of  a  handcar  and  a 
cow  they  pass  the  train.  Running  time,  7 
minutes. 


Stranger  Than  Fiction  No.  24 

(Universal) 
Of  Interest 

Places  and  persons  selected  for  the  unusual 
in  No.  24  of  this  series  include :  Reno,  Nevada, 
famed  for  its  divorce  courts,  Jo  Ann  Anderson, 
only  15  and  weighing  110  pounds  but  an  all- 
around  athlete  and  capable  of  tossing  her  170- 
pound  father,  an  albino  squirrel,  a  community 
wherein  each  family  has  its  own  gold  mine,  a 
circus,  an  alphabet  town,  a  port  in  the  desert, 
and  a  chap  who  produces  music  with  the  palms 
of  his  hands.   Running  time,  10  minutes. 


Goinq  Places  No.  24 

(Universal) 
Historic 

The  restoration  of  Williamsburg,  Va.,  to  the 
grandeur  it  knew  in  Colonial  days  is  here  de- 
picted in  No.  24  of  the  "Going  Places"  series. 
Since  1927  the  city  has  been  in  the  process  of 
restoration  through  the  interest  taken  in  the 
proceedings  by  John  D.  Rockefeller,  Jr.  Up  to 
the  present  time  67  Colonial  buildings  have  been 
restored,  91  have  been  rebuilt,  459  modern 
buildings  have  been  torn  down  and  33  shops 
and  stores  have  been  erected  to  provide  a  suit- 
able business  district.  The  college  of  William 
and  Mary,  second  oldest  in  America,  located 
in  Williamsbursr  is  also  a  subject  of  the  camera's 
lens.    Running  time,  10  minutes. 


Whale  Ho  • 

(Vitaphone) 
Interesting 

A  very  interesting  study  of  whale  fishing  and 
the  men  who  risk  their  lives  to  catch  them  is 
presented  here.  The  whale  boat  sights  two 
whales  and  is  after  them.  After  several  unsuc- 
cessful attempts,  the  boat  pulls  close  and  the 
harpoon  gun  is  fired.  A  direct  hit,  but  the  boat 
is  endangered  and  the  line  is  cut.  The  second 
effort  is  more  successful ;  after  a  hard  battle 
the  whale  is  overpowered  and  towed  to  shore, 
where  it  is  cut  into  strips  and  the  oil  extracted. 
Running  time,  1 1  minutes. 


Battle  Roval 

(Universal) 
Fair 

This  average  Oswald  cartoon  concerns  a  prize 
fight  between  the  rabbit  and  Punchy,  the  pig. 
Oswald  trains  for  the  fight  on  jazz  furnished  by 
three  monkeys.  On  the  night  of  the  fight 
Oswald  buzzes  about  Punchy  so  fast  the  pig 
becomes  dizzy  but  Oswald  is  made  cocky  by 
the  acclaim  of  the  crowd  and  the  pig  gets  in 
some  telling  blows.  The  three  monkevs  play 
some  jazz,  Oswald  is  revived  and  beats  Punchy. 
Running  time,  7  minutes. 


Mrs.  Fox  Re/uses 
To  Open  Books  for 
Bankruptcy  Trial 

Mrs.  William  Fox  will  flatly  refuse  to 
open  the  books  of  her  All-Continent  Cor- 
poration to  trustees  and  creditors  in  the 
bankruptcy  proceedings  of  her  husband,  Wil- 
liam Fox,  now  taking  place  in  Atlantic  City, 
N.  J.,  according  to  Walter  Hanstein,  one 
of  the  spokesmen  for  the  battery  of  creditor 
attorneys.  The  understanding  has  been  that 
if  Mrs.  Fox  permitted  the  inspection  of  her 
books  the  hearing  would  have  been  post- 
poned for  at  least  a  month,  but  with  her  re- 
fusal they  will  continue. 

That  the  situation  this  week  after  sessions 
that  came  close  to  hilarity  as  creditors'  law- 
yers, trying  to  trace  the  dispersing  of  more 
than  $20,000,000  which  Mr.  Fox  had  in 
1930,  followed  the  course  of  a  borrowed 
million  "  'round  and  'round." 

Herbert  Leitsteen,  Fox  family  book- 
keeper since  1909,  was  on  the  witness  stand 
before  Federal  Referee  Robert  E.  Steedle. 

Mr.  Hanstein,  spokesman  for  the  attor- 
neys, asked  him  to  tell  how  All-Continent 
was  formed.  Mr.  Leitsteen  related  that 
69,400  shares  of  preferred  and  1,000  shares 
of  common  were  issued  to  Mr.  Fox,  "for 
which  he  paid  $6,100,000  cash  and  turned 
over  brokerage  accounts  for  $841,844.61." 

"Mr.  Fox,"  he  said,  "gave  us  a  $100,000 
check;  then  another  for  $1,000,000." 

"What  did  you  do  with  that  million?"  he 
was  asked. 

"We  bought  stock." 

"From  whom?" 

"From  Loeb,  Alsberg  on  the  same  day." 
"And  Loeb,  Alsberg  thus  got  back  $990,- 
000  of  that  $1,000,000  loan?" 
"Yes." 

The  following  day,  Mr.  Leitsteen  said, 
Loeb,  Alsberg  loaned  another  million  which 
Mr.  Fox  again  paid  to  All-Continent,  which 
again  used  it  to  buy  Mr.  Fox's  stocks 
through  Loeb,  Alsberg,  the  money  finally 
being  "credited  on  Mr.  Fox's  loan." 

Mr.  Leitsteen  said  this  process  went  on 
until  the  total  was  around  $6,000,000,  and 
that  "all  this  money  was  used  to  buy  stock 
from  Mr.  Fox,  and  when  it  was  over  Mr. 
Fox  had  his  money  back.  He  started  with 
stock  and  finished  with  All-Continent  stock." 
He  insisted  that  this  all  came  out  of  the 
$15,000,000  Mr.  Fox  had  received  on  April 
7,  1930,  and  that,  "as  I  understand  it,  this 
was  done  to  establish  a  stock  loss  and  create 
a  trust  for  his  wife  and  children." 

Referring  to  All-Continent,  which  is 
listed  as  a  major  creditor  of  Mr.  Fox,  but 
which  Mr.  Hanstein  declares  is  the  "alter 
ego"  of  Mr.  Fox,  Referee  Steedle  remarked 
that  "the  All-Continent  books  are  to  a  cer- 
tain extent  the  crux  of  the  case,  if  there  is 
a  case. 

Murry  C.  Becker,  Mr.  Fox's  counsel,  ob- 
jected, and  maintained  that  the  Fox  books 
and  records  will  suffice  to  show  all  the  trans- 
actions disposing  of  "more  than  $20,- 
000,000." 

Meanwhile,  an  order  has  been  filed  in 
federal  court  in  New  York  in  which  the 
Capitol  Company,  which  holds  a  judgment 
for  $297,000  against  Mr.  Fox,  is  restrained 
from  anv  further  proceedings  on  its  claim 
against  Mr.  Fox  for  a  period  of  12  months 
from  the  date  of  adjudication  of  Mr.  Fox 
in  bankruptcv. 


58 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


THE  HOLLYWOOD 
SCENE 


Quick  reference  information  on  prod- 
uct started  and  completed  and  a 
panorama  of  the  news  of  the  week 


40tol 


Touring  the  studios  with  a  visitor  from  the 
midwest,  the  gentleman  made  a  remark  that  led 
to  some  interesting  discoveries.  Watching  Gary 
Cooper  and  Madeleine  Carroll  making  a  scene 
in  "General  Died  at  Dawn,"  he  said  that  he 
never  realized  it  took  so  many  people  to  make 
a  picture.  Although  Mr.  Cooper  and  Miss  Car- 
roll are  the  only  persons  who  will  be  seen  in 
the  sequence,  22  persons  were  actively  engaged 
on  the  set.  They  were  the  director  and  his  two 
assistants,  the  head  camera  man  and  his  helper, 
two  sound  men,  seven  electricians,  two  prop 
men,  four  grips  and  the  script  girl. 

Following  up  the  lead,  further  investigation 
revealed  that  in  addition  to  the  score  or  more 
who  will  be  given  screen  credit,  more  than  800 
persons  were  directly  engaged  in  making  the 
production,  not  counting  production  executives 
or  members  of  the  publicity  department  who 
were  at  one  time  or  another  associated  with 
the  film.  Some  of  the  interesting  facts  uncov- 
ered were  that  seven  girls  were  engaged  in 
research  aiding  the  writers  and  adapters  of  the 
Charles  G.  Booth  original  story.  Fourteen 
architects  prepared  plans  and  blueprints  for  the 
sets  and  Chinese  junks  that  are  important  fea- 
tures in  the  story.  More  than  200  carpenters, 
painters,  metal  workers,  sculptors,  electricians 
and  laborers  were  engaged  in  building  the  sets. 

Without  exception,  every  department  in  the 
studio  participated  in  making  the  picture.  The 
machine  shop  developed  a  new  type  of  genera- 
tor hood  that  eliminates  sound  interference.  The 
wardrobe  department  designed  and  made  scores 
of  Chinese  costumes  complete  from  wigs  to 
sandals.  The  property  department  gathered 
over  4,000  separate  items.  In  the  auditing  de- 
partment were  14  employees  engaged  in  check- 
ing details.  It  was  learned  that  already  80,000 
feet  of  film  had  been  shot.  Invoices  already  to- 
talled more  than  6,000  separate  items  with  an- 
other 2,500  expected  before  completion  of  the 
production.  Twenty-six  hundred  checks  had 
been  issued  for  salaries  and  wages. 

Twenty-one  players  will  receive  screen  credit. 
For  each  principal  who  will  be  seen  in  the  pic- 
ture, there  is  a  ratio  of  approximately  40  to 
one  behind  the  camera. 

Air  Publicity 

If  radio  broadcasters  must  have  motion  pic- 
ture material  to  satisfy  their  listeners,  say  the 
thoughtful  business  men  of  the  production 
colony,  let  them  have  the  right  kind.  Hearing 
these  words  and  finding  them  good,  producers 
have  gone  seriously  into  the  question  of  how 
much  and  what  kind  of  motion  picture  material 
is  good  for  radio  listeners  and,  at  the  same 
time,  for  the  box  office.  Already  available,  from 
all  studios  and  on  practically  all  product,  are 
15-minute  transcriptions,  some  of  them  scenes 
from  pictures,  others  interviews  with  players, 
what  not,  suitable  for  morning  programs. 

Reports  from  the  exhibition  field  thus  far  in- 
dicate that  this  type  of  advance  exploitation  is 
meeting  with  substantial  response  when  coupled 
with  the  usual  formal  advertising  via  standard 
media.  In  addition  to  the  direct  ticket  sales 
value,  of  course,  the  discs  serve  a  regulatory 
function  of  substantial  if  indirect  consequence. 
They  keep  incompetent  cinema  commentators 


from  cluttering  the  air  with  erroneous  and  ill 
considered  chatter  and,  by  the  terms  of  their 
availability,  they  confine  the  broadcasting  of 
screen  material  within  the  non-box  office  hours. 

As  yet  the  transcriptions  have  attained  no 
established  form  or  plan.  Producers  are  feeling 
their  way  and  watching  results.  All  the  old 
trailer  problems — how  much  plot  to  expose, 
how  much  sales  effort  to  exert,  whether  to 
spread  or  concentrate  the  buckshot — remain  to 
be  answered  for  the  new  medium.  Satisfaction 
with  progress  made  to  date  is  general. 


Itemization 


Adolph  Zukor  is  in  town  to  take  over  the 
production  helm  at  Paramount  Studios.  Neil 
Agnew  made  a  quick  trip  here  to  preview  all 
available  Paramount  product  and  left  again 
for  New  York.  .  .  .  Christopher  Dunphy  of  the 
Paramount  home  office  has  taken  over  the  stu- 
dio publicity  directorship  by  appointment  of 
Robert  M.  Gillham.  Cliff  Lewis  was  placed  in 
charge  of  advertising,  Terry  DeLapp  in  charge 
of  publicity,  Rufus  Blair  will  handle  out-of- 
town  contacts  and  Herbert  Moulton,  who  does 
West  Coast  short  reels,  will  also  handle  trailers, 
in  the  department  reorganization.  .  .  .  The  Gene 
Autry-Republic  salary  dispute  has  been  settled 
out  of  court.  .  .  .  RKO  Radio  has  signed  Jo- 
seph N.  Ermolieff  as  a  producer.  .  .  .  B.  J.  S. 
Pictures.  Inc.,  has  been  formed  on  the  coaast 
with  C.  C.  Burr,  president,  Harold  Stretz. 
treasurer.  Ray  E.  Johnson,  vice-president,  and 
Robert  Sherwood,  secretary.  .  .  .  Emanuel 
Cohen  arrived  from  New  York,  where  he  saw 
his  parents  off  for  Palestine.  .  .  .  Bette  Davis 
has  joined  the  list  of  players  suspended  by  War- 
ner Brothers.  The  company  subsequently  issued 
a  statement  stating  the  dispute  was  more  than 
a  question  of  salary  and  involved  a  principle, 
whether  or  not  players  can  snap  their  fingers 
at  moral  and  legal  obligations  to  studios.  .  .  . 
Charles  Rosenzweig  will  join  the  United  Art- 
ists sales  department.  .  .  .  James  Cowan,  gen- 
eral manager  of  Walter  Wanger  productions, 
left  for  New  York  by  plane  to  meet  Mr.  Wan- 
ger on  his  arrival  from  Europe.  .  .  .  Howard 
S.  Benedict  arrived  in  Hollywood  from  Balti- 
more by  plane  to  resume  his  duties  as  studio 
publicity  director  for  RKO.  ...  An  adjustment 
of  Merle  Oberon's  suit  against  Selznick  Interna- 
tional has  been  reached  out  of  court.  The  suit, 
which  ran  into  several  thousand  dollars,  cen- 
tered around  her  contract  to  appear  in  "The 
Garden  of  Allah."  .  .  .  Albert  Lewis,  pro- 
ducer on  the  Paramount  lot  for  many  years, 
has  resigned  to  accept  an  executive  production 
post  at  RKO  Radio.  .  .  .  Daniel  Thomas  O'Shea, 
former  assistant  secretary  and  resident  legal 
counsel  for  RKO  Radio,  has  resigned  his  post 
to  take  a  position  as  assistant  to  David  O. 
Selznick.  .  .  .  Watterson  Rothacker  has  said. 
"So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  there  is  not  a  word 
of  truth  to  the  report  that  I  plan  to  join  John 
E.  Otterson  and  Winfield  Sheehan  in  a  new 
producing  organization." 


Production 


Following  the  July  4th  siesta,  Hollywood's 
production  mill  whirled  at  a  dizzy  pace.  Eleven 
pictures  were  started.    Fifteen  were  finished. 


Included  in  the  completed  product  are  several 
films  that  have  been  long  in  work.  Also  there 
are  some  brought  in  by  directors  well  under 
schedule  of  days  allotted.  Even  though  an  un- 
usually large  number  of  features  came  off  the 
programs,  starting  of  eleven  elevated  the  pro- 
duction roster  to  approximately  fifty  pictures 
actually  in  work.  An  extraordinary  number 
for  this  season  of  the  year,  it  is  definite  indica- 
tion of  the  intensity  expected  to  mark  pro- 
duction during  the  coming  weeks. 

MGM  started  three  pictures.  The  most  im- 
portant, undoubtedly,  is  "Born  To  Dance."  It 
stars  Eleanor  Powell  and  James  Stewart.  The 
supporting  cast  lists  Una  Merkel,  Sid  Silvers, 
Frances  Langford,  Buddy  Ebsen,  Frank  Mor- 
gan, Virginia  Bruce  and  Juanita  Quigley. 
Many  additions  will  be  made.  Roy  Del  Ruth 
is  directing.  In  "The  Longest  Night,"  previ- 
ously announced  as  "Whispering  Windows," 
Robert  Young,  Florence  Rice,  Stuart  Irwin, 
Julie  Hayden,  Leslie  Fenton,  Janet  Beecher 
and  Ted  Healy  will  be  seen.  Errol  Taggart 
is  directing.  "Chained  Lighting"  is  also  in 
work.  Edmund  Lowe,  Betty  Furness,  Stuart 
Irwin  and  Ed  Brophy  are  the  principals,  with 
Edwin  L.  Marin  directing. 

Three  pictures  started,  likewise,  at  Warners. 
"Let's  Pretend,"  which  Ray  Enright  is  direct- 
ing, will  present  James  Melton,  Patricia  Ellis, 
Zasu  Pitts,  Hugh  Herbert,  Frank  McHugh, 
Allen  Jenkins,  Marie  Wilson  and  Hobart 
Cavanaugh.  The  cast  for  "God's  Country  and 
The  Woman"  includes  George  Brent,  Barton 
MacLane,  Robert  Barratt,  Minerva  Urecal  and 
Allan  Hale.  William  Keighley  is  directing. 
In  the  third  picture,  "The  Case  of  The  Care- 
taker's Cat,"  are  listed  Ricardo  Cortez,  Jane 
Bryan,  Warren  Hull,  June  Travis,  N-edda 
Harrigan,  Craig  Reynolds,  Daisy  DeVoe. 
Garry  Owen  and  Carlyle  Moore,  Jr.  William 
McGann  replaced  Alan  Crosland,  seriously  in- 
jured in  an  auto  accident,  as  director. 

Futter  Productions  started  "Pony  Express." 
Hoot  Gibson,  Rex  Lease,  Marion  Shilling  and 
Nina  Gilbert  are  featured.  Harry  Frazer  is  di- 
recting. 

Radio's  single  starting  feature,  "The  Plough 
And  the  Stars,"  went  into  work  earmarked  as 
an  important  feature  for  full  release.  Under 
John  Ford's  direction  the  following  cast  will 
be  seen :  Barbara  Stanwvck,  Preston  Foster, 
J.  M.  Kerrigan,  Brandon  Hurst,  Alary  Gor- 
don, Barry  Fitzgerald,  Dennis  O'Dea,  Bonita 
Granville,  Una  O'Connor,  Moroni  Olsen,  Erin 
O'Brien-Moore  and  Maxine  Jennings. 

At  Paramount,  "Girl  Of  The  Jungle"  was 
started.  Ray  Milland,  Dorothy  Lamour  and 
Guy  Standing  are  featured.  William  Thiele  is 
directing. 

"Thank  You,  Jeeves"  was  started  at  Twen- 
tieth-Century-Fox. Arthur  Treacher  is  fea- 
tured in  the  title  role.  The  support  includes 
David  Nevin,  Virginia  Field,  Lester  Matthews. 
Willie  Best  and  Colin  Tapley.  Arthur  Collins 
is  directing. 

Last  of  the  starting  group  is  "Divided,"  an 
Invincible  production.  Reginald  Denny,  Inez 
Courtney,  Jack  LaRue  and  Evelyn  Brent  arc 
the  principals.    Phil  Rosen  will  direct. 

Of  the  fifteen  pictures  completed,  Para- 
mount is  credited  with  four.  "Hollywood 
Boulevard"  will  present  John  Halliday,  Marsha 
Hunt,  Robert  Cummings,  C.  Henry  Gordon, 
Frieda  Inescort,  Esther  Ralston.  Esther  Dale. 
Betty  Compson,  Maurice  Costello.  Bryant 
Washburn,  Roy  d'Arcy,  Francis  X.  Bushman, 

(.Continued  on  pane  62,  column  1) 


IORE  THA 

No.  2  for 

AROUND  THE  WORLD  EACH 
JHE  MARCH  OF  TIME  PLA 

r5200 


theatres  in  the  United  States 

"  "  England 

"  "  Scotland 

"  "  Ireland 

"  "  Wales 

<«  "  Australia 

"  "  U.  S.  Possessions 

"  "  International  settler 
<•        "  Spanish  speaking  cj 

Total 


took 


to  sell.  .  :   YOU  HAVE  A  NEWS- 
FEATURE   PICTURE  WITH 
j^EN  BOX  OFFICE  DRAW! 
sf&es  i^^^E  MARCH  OF  TIME 

tea.  Today  it  is  a  fact, 
s  every  month  to  the  box 
thai^500^heatres. 
ou're  busy,  but  take  time 


Keel 


■ry,  f.. 


^&C»«C 7-oi 


^^L'tes  had  spread  from  41 7  * 


and 


 S*      '■  otSsSSg?-  ■ 

^™       >>»«•"<*  i„  this      ah"w,n"   !-  = 


e*toriS   ^f/}  6ee" 


Ltoeb  .6  r„    r*,™"  to,.,  Kuhn  &?, 


»,20(l 


»a>d  Roy  E 

m  the  S,"""*™ 


THE  DESK  of  one  oflQMMM), 
exhibitors -who  watches  reviews, 

follows  box-office  reports,  realizes 
Exploitation  possibilities -and 
'makes  money  each  month  on  THE 

MARCH  OF  TIME. 


showing 
^crease 
yer  dis- 
cording 

.March 
^Pieted 
week. 
ises  in 
[a  and 
Kries, 
said. 


THE  MARCH  OF  TIME  welcomes  the  seeming  confusion  of 
reports  continually  quoting  new  "highs"  for  the  number  of 
theatres  showing  the  subject  regularly  each  month.  The  variance 
of  figures  in  advertisements,  publicity  stories,  sales  manuals  and 
promotion  material  comes  not  from  a  lack  of  accuracy  but  from 
the  sheer  inability  of  the  printing  press  to  keep  pace  with  ex- 
hibitor recognition  and  RKO  sales  reports.  Onjuly  10th,  at  3  p.  m., 
there  were  6203  theatres  in  the  U.  S.  showing  THE  MARCH 
OF  TIME,  727  in  the  United  Kingdom,  310  in  Australia,  498 
in  Spanish-speaking  countries  and  51  in  other  parts  of  the  world 
— a  world  total  of  7789.  By  the  time  you  read  this  advertisement 
even  this  total  will  have  been  topped. 


NOW  SHOWING...  ALL  NEW  No.  7 

1.  ARE  HORSE  RACES  "FIXED"? 

2.  AN  AMERICAN  DICTATOR 

3.  REVOLT  IN  FRANCE 


March 
STIME 

\f/  PRODUCED  BY  THE  EDITORS  OF  TIME 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


THE  CUTTING 
ROOM 


Advance  outlines  of  produc- 
tions nearing  completion  as 
seen  by  the  Hollywood  staff 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Herald 


Piccadilly  Jim 


(MGM) 
Comedy 

Many  phases  of  this  production  indicate  more 
than  usual  entertainment  and  showmanship  in- 
terest. The  story  on  which  it  is  based  is  a 
product  of  the  fertile  humorous  mind  of  P.  G. 
Wodehouse,  who  in  addition  to  his  several 
earlier  screen  contributions  is  the  author  of 
"Thank  You,  Jeeves,"  now  in  production  at 
20th  Century-Fox,  also  the  widely  read  "Very 
Good,  Jeeves,"  "Bill,  the  Conqueror"  and  "The 
Little  Warrior,"  in  addition  to  numerous  short 
stories  that  have  made  his  name  exceedingly 
familiar.  While  not  a  special,  indication  of  the 
importance  the  sponsors  attach  to  it  is  seen  in 
the  selection  of  the  maker  of  "Ziegfeld,"  Rob- 
ert Z.  Leonard,  as  director. 

The  production  returns  its  leading  man, 
Robert  Montgomery,  to  the  type  of  happy-go- 
lucky  man-about-town  role  in  which  he  has 
scored  his  most  notable  screen  success.  It  sup- 
ports him  with  an  exceptional  cast,  which  in- 
cludes Madge  Evans  as  the  girl  to  whom 
Afontgomery  loses  his  heart  and  gets  into  so 
much  trouble  when  he  starts  a  comic  strip 
lampooning  the  odd  characters  in  her  family. 
Four  noted  comedy  performers  follow :  Robert 
Benchley,  whose  short,  "How  to  Sleep,"  as 
well  as  his  work  in  "China  Seas,"  is  still 
vividly  remembered ;  Frank  Morgan,  maker 
of  individual  hits  in  many  pictures ;  Billie 
Burke,  in  a  characteristic  role,  and  Eric  Blore, 
the  butler  in  "Top  Hat,"  again  buttling  in  his 
own  fashion.  Ralph  Forbes  is  the  "other  man" 
menace  to  Montgomery's  romantic  adventures, 
and  in  lesser,  but  still  important  parts,  will  be 
seen  Cora  Witherspoon,  Tommy  Bupp,  Aileen 
Pringle  and  Grant  Mitchell. 

The  story  is  all  comedy.  As  Piccadilly  Jim, 
Montgomery  is  famous  as  a  London  cartoon- 
ist. He  meets  Miss  Evans,  but  loses  her.  Un- 
knowingly he  also  meets  her  family,  one  of 
whom  his  father,  Morgan,  is  wooing.  They 
give  him  the  idea  for  a  comic  strip.  As  the 
Richwitches,  he  makes  Miss  Evans'  relatives 
famous,  but  when  she  gets  wise  to  the  fact 
that  he  is  the  perpetrator  of  the  scandalous 
limnings,  the  stage  is  set  for  situations  that 
develop  hectic  comedy  romance. 


'Craig's  Wife" 


(Columbia) 
Comedy 

The  story  told  in  this  production  concerns  a 
woman  who  fell  in  love  with  her  home  more 
than  she  did  with  her  husband.  It  tells  of  a 
woman  who  tried  to  conceive  and  create  the 
most  perfect  home  in  the  world.  However, 
instead  of  realizing  her  ideal  she  succeeded 
only  in  inciting  the  fury  of  her  servants,  the 
ridicule  and  hatred  of  her  neighbors,  and,  most 
of  all,  almost  suffered  the  loss  of  her  hus- 
band's love.  In  the  end,  however,  when  all 
•-ituitions  are  adjusted,  she  emerges  as  a 
heroic,  if  somewhat  serio-tragic,  figure.  En- 
tertainment and  commercial  possibilities  of  the 
situations  concocted  are  evident.  They  become 
more  poignant  when  the  cast,  particularly  the 
woman  who  is  featured,  are  considered. 

The  production  is  based  upon  a  play  by 
George  Kelly  that  enjoyed  considerable  suc- 
cess in   its   stage  presentations.     The  screen 


play  is  by  Mary  McCall,  Jr.,  remembered  for 
her  adaptation  of  "I  Found  Stella  Parish"  and 
the  more  recent  "Snowed  Under,"  also  for  her 
participation  in  preparation  of  "A  Midsummer 
Xight's  Dream,"  produced  by  Warner.  Direc- 
tion is  by  Dorothy  Arzner,  Hollywood's  only 
woman  director,  maker  of  such  pictures  as 
"Nana"  and  "Christopher  Strong." 

Rosalind  Russell,  recently  seen  in  "Under 
Two  Flags"  and  "Trouble  for  Two,"  appears  in 
the  title  role.  John  Boles,  popular  in  many  Fox 
and  20th  Century-Fox  pictures,  is  her  husband. 
The  supporting  cast,  in  which  practically  all 
who  appear  are  principals,  is  composed  almost 
entirely  of  wellknown  screen  names.  It  includes 
Billie  Burke,  Dorothy  Wilson,  Nydia  West- 
mas,  Thomas  Mitchell,  Robert  Allen,  Raymond 
Walbush,  Kathleen  Burke,  Alma  Kruger  and 
Jessie  Busley. 

A  human,  natural  story,  treated  from  a 
comedy  premise,  but  nevertheless  poignantly 
dealing  in  facts  of  direct  appeal  to  every  wom- 
an who  either  is  or  hopes  to  be  a  wife,  the 
production  appears  to  have  a  commercial  qual- 
ity potentially  paralleling  its  promise  of  novel 
and  intriguing  entertainment. 


Yellowstone 


My  American  Wife 

(Paramount) 
Comedy  Romance 

This  promises  to  be  a  different  kind  of  west- 
ern story  as  it  is  a  different  romantic  dramatic 
one.  Its  hero  is  the  reverse  of  the  customary 
similar  character.  He  is  an  aristocratic  for- 
eigner, weighted  down  by  titles  and  family 
prestige,  who  marries  an  American  girl. 
There's  nothing  rare  in  that,  but  plenty  rare 
and  also  potentially  valuable  as  novel  enter- 
tainment and  showmanship  follows  thereafter. 
The  titled  foreigner  wants  to  be  a  regular  he- 
man,  rooting,  tooting,  shooting  cowboy.  He 
has  a  tough  time,  all  of  which  seems  to  be  of 
the  character  that  will  make  desirable  enter- 
tainment, in  convincing  himself,  his  hard 
boiled,  flee-bitten  old  cow  country  father-in- 
law  and  the  boys  around  town  that  he's  built 
of  the  proper  stuff.  He  has  a  tougher  time 
with  his  exclusive  finishing  school  bred  wife  and 
her  socially  climbing  mother.  Even  the  wild 
horse  he  attempts  to  ride  and  finally  does  con- 
quer has  to  be  shown.  In  the  end,  he  convinces 
all,  saves  his  wife's  fortune,  makes  a  real  pal . 
of  the  oldtimer,  puts  the  skids  under  a  couple 
of  smart  crooks,  and  proves  to  one  and  all 
that  he  is  the  stuff  out  of  which  the  new  wild 
west  has  been  built. 

Based  on  an  original  by  Elmer  Davis,  the 
screen  play  is  by  Virginia  Van  Upp,  lately 
credited  with  participation  in  the  preparation 
of  "Poppy"  and  "Too  Many  Parents."  Direc- 
tion is  by  Harold  Young,  maker  of  "The 
Scarlet  Pimpernel"  in  England  and  more  re- 
cently "Without  Regret"  and  "Woman  Trap" 
in  this  country. 

Francis  Lederer,  now  in  "One  Rainy  After- 
noon," is  starred  with  Ann  Sothern.  Fred 
Stone  is  her  wild  and  wooley  grandfather  and 
Billie  Burke  is  the  girl's  fluttering  mother. 
This  group,  with  Grant  Mitchell  constituting 
the  principals,  the  supporting  roster  lists  Ern- 
est Cossart,  Hal  K.  Dawson,  Adrian  Morris, 
Helene  Millard,  Dora  Clement  and  Montague 
Shaw. 


(Universal) 
Mystery  Drama 

Though  the  story  told  in  this  production  is 
a  romance  tinged  mystery  drama  of  more  than 
ordinary  interest,  it  seems  that  the  locale  in 
which  the  action  takes  place  should  prove  to 
be  the  most  attractive  exploitation  feature. 
While  it  promises  to  provide  audiences  and 
showmen  with  an  acceptable  bit  of  theatrical 
entertainment,  the  essential  bit  of  novelty  in 
the  film  is  its  background.  In  that,  the  pic- 
ture's auditors  will  be  taken  on  a  complete 
tour  of  the  famous  Yellowstone  National  Park. 
Not  only  will  the  familiar  points  of  scenic  in- 
terest be  shown,  but  many  spots  not  usually 
visited  by  the  tourists  will  be  opened  up  to 
inspection  for  the  first  time.  As  the  picture 
was  made  in  cooperation  with  the  U.  S.  Na- 
tional Park  Service,  it  promises  to  be  a  thing 
of  photographic  and  scenic  brilliance,  radically 
differing  from  anything  current  on  the  screen 
that  has  the  great  outdoors  or  nature  as  its  set- 
ting. 

The  story,  which  has  a  dramatic  Yellow- 
stone Park  mystery  legend  for  its  inspiration, 
is  an  original  by  Arthur  Phillips,  adapted  by 
Renaud  Hoffman  with  screen  play  by  Jeffer- 
son Parker.  Arthur  Lubin  is  the  director. 
The  photography,  to  which  special  attention 
was  paid  both  in  an  advance  expedition  and 
during  the  time  the  regular  company  was  on 
the  ground,  is  by  Milton  Krasner. 

While  most  of  the  cast  is  composed  of  famil- 
iar screen  names,  the  two  leads  are  compara- 
tively new  to  the  screen.  Henry  Hunter,  pre- 
viously seen  in  "Parole,"  is  the  hero  and  Ju- 
dith Barrett,  a  grownup  child  player,  remem- 
bered for  her  part  as  Richard  Dix's  daughter 
in  "Cimarron,"  is  the  heroine.  Both  players 
have  had  extensive  stage  training  in  metropoli- 
tan centers.  Actually  the  most  important  play- 
er in  the  film  is  Ralph  Morgan,  about  whom 
the  theatric  story  really  centers.  While  this 
trio  is  featured,  Andy  Devine.  carrying  the 
comedy  relief  with  Raymond  Hatton,  and  Alan 
Hale,  Rollo  Lloyd,  Paul  Harvey  and  Paul  Fix 
have  important  roles. 


The  Holy  Lie 

(20th  Century-Fox) 
Comedy-Drama 

For  showmanship  purposes,  the  title  of  this 
production  has  more  significance  than  appears 
on  the  surface.  Designed  to  be  of  ready  appeal 
to  younger  audience  contingents,  but  not  with- 
out elements  that  are  of  interest  to  general 
patronage,  it  is  the  story  of  the  deception 
which  three  girls,  sisters,  practiced  upon  their 
mother  to  convince  her  that  her  favorite 
daughter  as  well  as  all  the  rest  of.  the  brood 
were  meeting  with  great  success  in  the  show 
world.  Built  upon  the  funny  gag-situation 
premise,  the  story  essentially  is  a  combination 
of  comedy,  music,  drama  and  pathos,  all  of 
which  are  embellished  by  a  gay  romantic  love 
interest  contrast.  Gay  in  character,  it  features 
younger  players  almost  exclusively  with  a 
sprinkling  of  more  mature  performers,  one  of 
whom,  Jane  Darwell,  if  everything  develops  in 
the  engaging  manner  in  which  the  story  now 

(Continued  on  paqc  62.  column  3) 


UNEQUALLED 


THE  record  of  Super  X  is  unequalled . . .  both 
as  to  the  photographic  quality  it  sends  to 
the  screen,  and  the  resulting  acceptance  it 
enjoys  in  the  industry.  Not  only  in  this  coun- 
try, but  abroad  as  well,  it  rates  as  the  pre- 
mier motion  picture  negative  of  the  day. 
Eastman  Kodak  Company,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
(J.  E.  Brulatour,  Inc.,  Distributors,  Fort  Lee 
New  York,  Chicago,  Hollywood.) 


EASTMAN  SUPER  V 

PANCHROMATIC  NEGATIVE 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18.  1936 


HOLLYWOOD  SCENE 


(Continued  from  page  58) 

Albert  Conti,  Herbert  Rawlinson  and  Purnell 
Pratt.  Robert  Florey  directed  the  cast  of 
"Lady  Be  Careful"  features  Lew  Ayres  and 
Mary  Carlisle  supported  by  Larry  Crabbe, 
Benny  Baker,  Grant  Withers,  Jack  Chapin, 
Josephine  McKim,  Wilma  Francis,  Nick 
Lukats,  Purnell  Pratt,  Terry  Ray,  Louise  Stan- 
ley, Irene  Bennett,  Henry  Arthur,  John  Mor- 
ley  and  Wesley  Barry.  J.  T.  Reed  directed. 
In  "Johnny  Gets  His  Gun"  Ralph  Bellamy, 
Katherine  Locke,  David  Holt,  Andy  Clyde, 
Purnell  Pratt,  Onslow  Stevens,  Chick  Chan- 
dler, Rollo  Lloyd,  Burt  Hanlon,  Paul  Fix,  Noel 
Madison,  Jack  Mulhall,  Russell  Hicks,  Pat 
O'Malley  and  Ann  Evers  will  be  seen  directed 
by  Stuart  Heisler.  The  fourth  picture,  "I'd 
Give  My  Life,"  a  Richard  Rowland  produc- 
tion, will  present  Guy  Standing,  Frances  Drake, 
Tom  Brown,  Janet  Beecher,  Robert  Gleckler, 
Helen  Lowell,  Paul  Hurst,  Charles  Wilson, 
Charles  Richman,  Tom  Jackson,  Charles  Ju- 
dells,  Robert  Elliot  and  James  Eagles.  Edwin 
L.  Marin  directed. 

Three  pictures  were  completed  by  Warners. 
Among  them  is  "The  Charge  Of  The  Light 
Brigade."'  Suggested  by  Tennyson's  poem  of 
soldierly  valor,  it  presents  a  lengthy  and  im- 
pressive cast  which  includes  Errol  Flynn,  Olivia 
de  Havilland,  Patric  Knowles,  Donald  Crisp, 
C.  Henry  Gordon,  Scotty  Beckett,  Princess 
Baigum,  J.  Carroll  Naish,  Nigel  Bruce,  Spring 
Byinton,  E.  E.  Clive,  Lumsden  Hare,  G.  P. 
Huntley,  Jr.,  David  Niven,  Robert  Barrat, 
Colin  Genny,  George  Hegas  and  Henry  Ste- 
phenson.  Michael  Curtiz  directed. 

"Polo  Joe,"  last  of  the  pictures  which  Joe 
E.  Brown  will  make  for  Warners,  also  was 
completed.  In  addition  to  the  star,  Carol 
Hughes,  Richard  "Skeets"  Galagher,  Gaby  Fay, 
Joseph  King,  Olive  Tell,  David  Newell,  Gor- 
don Elliott  and  Milton  Kibbee  will  be  seen. 
Direction  was  by  William  McGann.  The  third 
feature,  "Three  In  Eden,"  brought  in  by  di- 
rector Frank  McDonald  considerably  under 
schedule,  will  present  Margaret  Lindsay,  Ian 
Hunter,  Donald  Woods,  Paul  Graetz,  Tetsu 
Komai,  Miki  Morita,  George  Regaj,  E.  E. 
Clive  and  Gordon  Hart. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  finished  two  pic- 
tures. The  cast  for  "The  Holy  Lie"  includes 
Claire  Trevor,  Jane  Darwell.  Arline  Judge. 
Evelyn  Venable,  J.  Edward  Bromberg,  Alan 
Dinehart,  Dean  Jagger,  Joyce  Compton,  Susan 
Fleming,  Frank  Reicher,  Chick  Chandler  and 
Astrid  Alwyn.  Lewis  Seiler  directed.  Long 
in  production,  "Ramona,"  a  Sol  Wurtzell  fea- 
ture, also  was  completed.  Starring  Loretta 
Young  and  Don  Ameche,  it  further  presents 
Kent  Taylor,  Pauline  Frederick,  Jane  Darwell, 
Victor  Kilian,  Katherine  DeMille,  Paul  Stan- 
ton, Russell  Simpson,  John  Carradine,  J.  Car- 
roll Naish,  Fritz  Leiber,  Claire  DuBrey  and 
William  Benedict.    Henry  King  directed. 

Two  pictures  also  came  off  the  line  at 
Columbia.  In  "The  Fighter,"  which  Gordon 
Wiles  directed,  James  Dunn,  June  Clayworth, 
George  McKay,  Thurston  Hall,  Gene  Morgan, 
Sara  Edwards,  Ed  Le  Saint  and  Paul  Guilfoyl 
will  be  seen.  "They  Met  In  A  Taxi,"  pre- 
viously titled  "The  Gay  Bride,"  also  was  fin- 
ished. Directed  by  Alfred  E.  Green,  it  presents 
Chester  Morris,  Fay  Wray,  Lionell  Stander, 
Raymond  Walburn,  Henry  Mollison,  Kenneth 
Harlan,  Ward  Bond  and  Frank  Melton. 

"The  Garden  Of  Allah,"  Selznick  Interna- 
tional, which,  like  "Ramona"  and  "Light  Bri- 
gade," was  long  in  production,  was  finished  this 
week.  The  principals  are  Marlene  Deitrich, 
Charles  Boyer,  Tilly  Losch,  C.  Aubrey  Smith, 
Basil  Rathbone,  Joseph  Schildkraut,  Henry 
Kleinbach,  John  Carradine,  Robert  Fraser  and 
David  Scott.    Richard  Boleslawski  directed. 

At  Universal  "Postal  Inspector"  was  fin- 
ibhed.  The  cast  lists  Ricardo  Cortez,  Patricia 
Ellis,    Bela   Lugosi,    Michael    Loring,  David 


Oliver,  Wallis  Clark,  Guy  Usher,  Arthur  Loft, 
William  Hall,  Hattie  McDaniel,  Maria  Shel- 
ton,  Robert  Davis,  Henry  Hunter,  Billy  Bur- 
rud  and  Harry  Beresford.  Otto  Brower  di- 
rected. 

MGM  completed  "His  Brothers'  Wife." 
Robert  Taylor  and  Barbara  Stanwyck  are 
starred.  Support  includes  Jean  Hersholt,  Edgar 
Edwards,  Joseph  Calleia,  John  Eldredge,  Sam- 
uel Hinds,  Pedro  de  Cordoba  and  Leonard 
Mudie.  W.  S.  Van  Dyke  directed. 

Rounding  out  the  fifteen  completed  pictures 
is  Radio's  "Second  Wife."  In  it  Walter  Abel, 
Gertrude  Michael,  Eric  Rhodes,  Lee  Van 
Atta,  Emma  Dunn,  Ann  Shoemaker  and 
Maxine  Jennings  will  be  seen.  Edward  Killy 
directed. 

As  is  usual  in  any  week  during  which  a  holi- 
day falls,  the  first  week  of  July  saw  a  no- 
ticeable slump  in  production.  Only  five  pic- 
tures started.  A  like  number  finished. 

Two  pictures  went  into  work  at  Radio.  In 
"Don't  Turn  'Em  Loose"  Bruce  Cabot,  James 
Gleason,  Betty  Grable,  Louise  Latimer,  Lewis 
Stone,  Harry  Jans,  Fern  Emmett,  Arthur 
Hoyt  and  Maxine  Jennings  will  be  seen.  Ben 
Stoloff  is  directing.  "Portrait  Of  A  Rebel" 
features  Katherine  Hepburn  with  Herbert 
Marshall  and  Doris  Dudley.  Mark  Sandrich 
is  the  director. 

Paramount  also  started  two  pictures.  "Mur- 
der With  Pictures"  has  Lew  Ayers,  Gail 
Patrick  and  Paul  Kelly  in  the  principal  roles 
supported  by  Joyce  Compton,  Onslow  Stevens, 
Benny  Baker,  Ernest  Cossart  and  Joseph  Saw- 
yer. Charles  Barton  is  directing.  Charles  Rug- 
gles  and  Mary  Boland  again  are  teamed  in 
"Wives  Never  Know,"  which  also  includes 
Adolphe  Menjou,  Claude  Gillingwater,  Fay 
Holden,  Louise  Beavers,  Constance  Bergen, 
Don  Rowan,  Norma  Lee  and  Porter  Hall  in 
the  cast.   Elliott  Nugent  directs. 

At  Universal  "Ace  Drummond"  went  before 
the  cameras.  Codirected  by  Cliff  Smith  and 
Forde  Beebe,  the  cast  includes  John  King,  Jean 
Rogers,  Guy  Bates  Post,  William  Hall,  Diana 
Gibson,  Russell  Wade,  Jackie  Morrow,  House 
Peters,  Noah  Beery,  Jr.  and  Lon  Chaney,  Jr. 

MGM  is  credited  with  one  of  the  five  fin- 
ished features,  "His  Brother's  Wife,"  present- 
ing Robert  Taylor,  Barbara  Stanwyck,  Jean 
Hersholt,  Edgar  Edwards,  Joseph  Calleia  and 
Phyllis  Claire  in  the  featured  roles.  W.  S. 
Van  Dyke  directed. 

Paramount  completed  "A  Son  Comes  Home." 
Mary  Boland,  Donald  Woods,  Julie  Hayden 
and  Wallace  Ford  are  featured,  supported  by 
Anthony  Nace,  Roger  Imhoff,  Gertrude  Hoff- 
man, Herbert  Rawlinson  and  Tom  Kennedy. 
E.  A.  Dupont  directed  the  picture. 

A  Radio  "Mummy's  Boys"  was  finished. 
Bert  Wheeler  and  Robert  Woolsey  are  starred, 
with  Barbara  Pepper,  Moroni  Olsen,  Frank 
M.  Thomas,  Willie  Best  and  Francis  McDonald 
listed  in  support.  Fred  Guiol  directed. 

Two  pictures  were  finished  at  Warners.  The 
cast  of  "Stage  Struck"  is  headed  by  Dick 
Powell  and  Joan  Blondell.  A  lengthy  support- 
ing roster  includes  Jeanne  Madden,  Warren 
William,  Frank  McHugh,  Craig  Reynolds, 
Carol  Hughes,  Spring  Byington,  Johnnie  Ar- 
thur, Thomas  Pogue,  Lulu  McConnell,  Hobart 
Cavanaugh,  Val  Stanton,  Ernie  Stanton,  An- 
drew Tombes,  Libby  Taylor  and  Alice  Cassidy. 
Busby  Berkely  directed.  In  "Way  For  A 
Pirate"  Guy  Gibbee,  Sybil  Jason,  May  Rob- 
son,  Jane  Bryan,  Fred  Lawrence,  Maude  All, 
Dick  Purcell,  Granville  Bates,  Mary  Treen 
and  Vic  Potel  will  be  seen,  directed  by  Nick 
Grinde. 


Cohan  To  Receive  Medal 

Under  a  bill  signed  by  President  Roose- 
velt this  week  George  M.  Cohan  will  receive 
a  gold  medal  for  writing  "Over  There." 


IN  THE  STUDIO 
CUTTING  ROOM 

(Continued  from  page  60) 

is  being  produced,  promises  to  emerge  as  the 
real  star  of  a  commercial  value  much  more 
definite  than  her  name  currently  represents. 

The  story  is  an  original  screen  play  by 
Frances  Hyland  and  Saul  Elkins,  directed  by 
Lewis  Seiler,  recently  credited  with  the  hand- 
ling of  "The  First  Baby,"  "Here  Comes 
Trouble"  and  "Paddy  O'Day." 

Music  and  lyrics  are  by  Karin  Michaelis 
and  .tiarry  Akst,  in  collaboration  with  Sidney 
Claire. 

Jane  Darwell  is  the  mother  of  the  Lind  fam- 
ily. Claire  Trevor,  Arline  Judge  and  Evalyn 
Venable  are  the  three  children  who  aspire  in 
vain  to  stage  fame,  but  are  determined  that 
their  lack  ot  success  shall  never  be  known  to 
their  mother.  Additionally  the  cast  includes  J. 
Edward  Bromberg,  remembered  for  his  per- 
formance in  "The  Crime  of  Doctor  Forbes," 
Astrid  Allwyn,  Alan  Dinehart,  now  in 
"Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race  Track";  Dean  Jag- 
ger, Joyce  Compton,  Adrienne  Marden,  Susan 
Fleming,  Chick  Chandler,  Frank  Reicher  and 
Dickie  Walters. 

It  may  be  noted  that  in  line  with  the  pro- 
ducing company's  intent  to  make  the  film  of 
more  than  ordinary  attractiveness  to  younger 
adult  theatregoers,  the  cast  is  nrenonderantlv 
youthful. 

Adventure  in  Manhattan 

(  Columbia  ) 
Comedy  Romance 

Having  in  mind  the  popularity  that  has  ac- 
crued to  Jean  Arthur  as  the  result  of  her  ap- 
pearances in  "Ex  Mrs.  Bradford"  and  "Mr. 
Deeds  Goes  to  Town,"  Columbia,  undoubtedly 
wisely,  decided  to  cast  her  in  another  of  those 
comic  and  not  to  be  taken  seriously  dramatic 
tinged  romances  made  up  of  ingredients  poten- 
tially box  office  in  character.  Additionally  the 
producers  elected  to  feature  her  with  Joel  Mc- 
Crea,  who  in  his  series  of  pictures  made  for 
Goldwyn  has  elevated  his  entertainment  and 
commercial  worth.  Additionally  the  support- 
ing cast  was  chosen  with  a  particular  eye 
towards  its  box  office  value. 

The  story  told  in  the  picture  is  modern  and 
quite  novel,  although  it  follows  a  theme  and 
indulges  in  situations  that  have  demonstrated 
their  entertainment  appeal.  Told  against  the 
topical  background  of  newspaper  work,  it  con- 
cerns itself  with  a  young  author,  McCrea,  who 
seems  to  have  the  uncanny  ability  accurately  to 
prophesy  crimes.  His  reporter  brothers  decide 
to  gang  up  on  him  and  they  elect  Jean  Arthur 
as  the  personable  young  woman  who  shall  con- 
vince the  too  clever  amateur  criminologist  that 
there  are  facts  of  life,  particularly  feminine, 
about  which  he  knows  little.  Actual  crimes 
interlude  to  complicate  the  hoax,  the  result  be- 
ing that  the  leads  embroil  themselves  in  much 
journalistic  and  romantic  adventure,  zestful  in 
character,  that  promises  to  be  highly  comic  in 
character. 

The  story  upon  which  the  production  is 
based  is  an  original  by  May  Edington,  with 
screen  play  by  Sidney  Buchman,  Harry  Sauber 
and  Jack  Kirkland.  Direction  is  by  Edward 
Ludwig. 

In  support  are  Reginald  Owen,  featured  in 
many  recent  MGM  pictures,  particularly  "The 
Great  Ziegfeld,"  Herman  Bing,  Victor  Kilian, 
John  Gallaudet,  George  Cooper,  Emmett  Vo- 
gan  and  Charles  Wilson. 


Four  Warner  Theatres  Close 

Four  Warner  theatres  in  the  Pittsburgh 
area  have  been  closed  for  the  summer,  it  was 
announced  this  week.  The  houses  are  the 
Columbia,  Warren;  Columbia,  Erie;  Prince, 
Ambridge,  and  Liberty,  Donora. 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


63 


Paramount  Announces 
Foreign  Promotions 

The  following  promotions  in  the  French 
territory  have  been  announced  by  the  for- 
eign department  of  Paramount  Pictures, 
Inc. ;  Maurice  Poirier,  branch  manager  at 
Paris,  advanced  to  general  sales  manager 
of  France,  Belgium  and  northern  Africa ; 
Robert  Lenglet,  branch  manager  at  Mar- 
seilles, advanced  to  branch  manager  at 
Paris;  Edmond  Langneau,  from  branch 
manager  at  Strasbourg  to  the  same  post  at 
Bordeaux ;  Nicolas  Francais,  salesman  at 
Strasbourg,  advanced  to  branch  manager 
there,  and  Bruno  Legrand,  advanced  from 
special  representative  to  sales  supervisor  at 
the  Paris  Exchange. 


Danville  Opening  Success 

Most  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Danville, 
Pa.,  shared  in  the  opening  last  weekend  of 
the  new  Comerford  house  there.  A  com- 
munity dinner  at  noon  had  I.  E.  Wolf, 
president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  as 
toastmaster,  and  Reed  McCarty,  editor  of 
the  Morning  News,  as  principal  speaker, 
with  Frank  C.  Walker  and  M.  E.  Comer- 
ford  as  guests.  A  parade  and  daylight  fire- 
works preceded  the  formal  opening.  George 
A.  Nevin  is  managing  the  house. 


Barusch  Seeks  Office 

Walter  Barusch,  advertising  and  publicity 
man  and  a  San  Francisco  representative  of 
Motion  Picture  Herald,  is  a  candidate  for 
the  California  State  Assembly  from  San 
Mateo  County.  Mr.  Barusch  ran  for  the 
same  office  two  years  ago,  receiving  2,000 
votes  and  running  second  in  a  field  of  four 
candidates. 


"Bride"  Title  Is  Changed 

Chester  Morris  and  Fay  Wray's  new- 
vehicle ,  which  went  into  production  as 
"There  Goes  the  Bride,"  will  be  released 
under  the  title  "They  Met  in  a  Taxi,"  ac- 
cording to  an  announcement  made  this  week 
by  Columbia  Pictures. 


RKO  Signs  Ermolieff 

Joseph  N.  Ermolieff,  European  producer 
of  "Michael  Strogoff,"  has  been  signed  by 
RKO  Radio  as  technical  adviser  for  an 
English  version  of  the  picture  to  be  pro- 
duced by  Pandro  S.  Berman. 


"Adverse"  Opening  Set 

"Anthony  Adverse"  will  have  its  world 
premier  at  the  Geary  Theatre  in  San  Fran- 
cisco on  July  27th.  The  New  York  opening 
of  the  picture  will  probably  be  early  next 
month. 


Alexander  Series  Begun 

Ross  Alexander,  who  is  to  be  featured  by 
First  National  in  a  series  of  three  pictures, 
will  be  seen  first  in  "Over  the  Wall"  instead 
of  "The  Go-Getter,"  as  previously  an- 
nounced. 


Polly  Rowles  Gets  Screen  Test 

Mary  Elizabeth  (Polly)  Rowles,  Pitts- 
burgh amateur  actress,  will  go  to  Holly- 
wood for  a  screen  test  with  Universal  Pic- 
tures. 


Fox  Signs  Gordon,  Revel 

Mack  Gordon  and  Harry  Revel,  song- 
writing  team,  have  signed  a  one-year  con- 
tract with  Twentieth  Century-Fox. 


"Romeo  and  Juliet" 
To  Play  Road  Bookings 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  is  completing  ar- 
rangements for  the  booking  of  "Romeo  and 
Juliet"  in  roadshow  engagements  for  next 
fall  and  winter.  It  is  reported  that  the  film 
is  to  be  booked  through  United  Booking 
Offices  to  play  25  Shubert  and  Erlanger 
houses  beginning  Sept.  6  at  $2  top. 


Ohio  Censors  See  390  Reels 

Of  a  total  of  390  reels  of  film  reviewed 
in  June,  the  Ohio  censors  ordered  elimina- 
tions in  15.  This  is  the  smallest  number  of 
reels  submitted  in  a  single  month  this  year. 
For  the  first  six  months  of  1936  the  censors 
reviewed  a  total  of  3,148  reels  and  ordered 
165  eliminations. 


Republic  Sales  Gain 

100  Per  Cent,  Says  Millstein 

Republic  Pictures'  sales  are  up  more  than 
100  per  cent  as  compared  to  this  time  last 
year,  J.  J.  Millstein,  general  sales  manager 
said  this  week.  A  number  of  important  cir- 
cuit deals  have  been  closed,  including 
Loew's. 

Edward  M.  Schnitzer,  eastern  division 
sales  manager,  is  touring  Albany,  Buffalo 
and  Detroit  on  a  trip  which  will  keep  him 
away  from  the  home  office  until  late  next 
week. 

L.  E.  Kalker,  head  of  Republic  for  the 
United  Kingdom,  has  been  named  Continen- 
tal sales  manager  effective  August  1  by  Mr. 
Millstein  to  succeed  H.  Satori,  who  re- 
signed. 


oc 


chairs 


If  you  are  operating  with  old  or  uncomfort- 
able chairs,  worn  out  and  dirty  from  long 
service,  YOU  ARE  SUNK  so  far  as  box  office 
is  concerned.  RESEAT  WITH  SOLID  COM- 
FORT CHAIRS  and  ride  serenely  to  profits. 


Ask  Us, 


"How  can  I  reseat  and  pay  for  new  chairs  conveniently?' 


AMERICAN  SEATING  COMPANY 


COMFORT 

The  Greatest  Star  of  Them  All! 

BRANCHES 


Makers  of  Dependable  Seating  for 
Theatres  and  Auditoriums 


^^^^     General  Offices:  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan 
N      ALL      PRINCIPAL  CITIES 


64 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


FROM  READERS 

KILLING  THE  GOOSE 
WITH  RADIO  SHOWS 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Herald: 

Check!  .  .  ."Them's  my  sentiments  exact- 
ly !".  .  .  to  the  page  advertisement  appearing 
on  page  49  of  June  5th  issue  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Herald. 

I  do  not  know  who  stepped  forward  with 
this  splendid  idea  of  presenting,  in  such 
forceful  manner,  the  exact  state  of  affairs 
regarding  all  the  free  radio  shows  that  are 
costing  we  exhibitors,  but  I  offer  my  hearti- 
est congratulations  to  them  and  I  am  look- 
ing forward  to  next  week's  issue  regarding 
same. 

Personally,  I  think  it  high  time  that  a 
great  deal  of  "soap-suds"  be  raised  in  order 
to  show  those  stars,  made  by  the  screen, 
the  folly  of  their  radio  broadcasts,  as  th< 
are  not  only  detrimental  to  our  business,  by 
offering  free  competition,  but  it  will  eventu- 
ally be  their  own  downfall  if  we  do  not 
have  their  full  cooperation  in  drawing 
patrons  in  the  theatres,  which  is  their  so- 
called  "bread  and  butter,"  and  it  depends 
upon  their  ability  to  draw  at  the  box-office 
that  made  them  stars. 

Common  sense  will  show  that  keeping 
patrons  away  from  the  theatres  by  free- 
radio  broadcasts  given  by  screen-stars  is 
similar  to  "killing  the  goose  that  lays  the 
golden  egg." — Raleigh  W.  Sharrock,  Pal- 
ace Theatre,  Morrilton,  Ark. 


"I  ALWAYS 

SEND  PROTEST" 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Herald  : 

For  many  years  a  reader  and  lately  a 
subscriber  of  the  Motion  Picture  Herald, 
I  wish  to  inform  you  that  I  shall  not  renew 
my  subscription  next  year  if  you  keep  on 
printing  such  articles  on  French  business 
as  the  one  edited  in  your  issue  of  May  23rd. 

The  man  to  be  blamed  for  giving  such 
wrong  information  is  probably  your  Paris 
correspondent,  who  seems  to  be  much  more 
interested  in  politics  than  in  moving  pic- 
tures. 

I  have  spent  one-half  of  my  time  in 
France  and  the  other  half  in  the  U.  S.  A., 
and  I  pretend  to  know  both  countries  pretty 
well.  Every  time  I  notice  in  a  French  paper 
an  article  written  by  its  American  corre- 
spondent and  liable  to  give  the  French  reader 
a  wrong  impression  of  America,  I  always 
send  a  protest  to  the  editor.  Thus  I  feel 
obliged  to  act  the  same  way  with  you.  So 
may  I  inform  you  that : 

The  actual  French  government  is  not  a 
Socialist  but  a  Popular  Front  form  of  gov- 
ernment ;  to  take  one  for  another  would  be 
the  same  as  to  put  in  the  same  basket  Tam- 
many Hall  and  New  Deal  advocates. 

There  has  always  been,  even  under  Na- 
tionalistic governments,  newsreel  propa- 
ganda in  France. 

M.  Autre's  words.  "First  it  (the  Socialist 
cabinet)  must  gain  the  confidence  of  the  na- 
tion, and  that  will  not  be  easy,"  show  too 
well  that  he  is  politically  too  much  one- 
sided. He  may  not  like  Socialism,  and  it  is 
his  own  right  to  write  it,  but  not  in  an  arti- 
cle the  purpose  of  which  is  only  to  send  to 
America  information  about  the  French 
movie  market. 

I  should  also  like  to  call  M.  Autre's  at- 


tention to  the  fact  that  both  M.  Malvy  and 
M.  Petsche,  whom  he  said  "may  both  par- 
ticipate in  the  Socialist  government,"  are 
not  in  any  friendly  terms  with  the  Popular 
Front,  and  that  the  new  cabinet  does  not 
include  any  secretary  for  radio  and  cinema, 
socialist  or  no  socialist,  though  your  corre- 
spondent told  you  it  was  "reported  so."  M. 
Autre  should  learn  that  a  good  newspaper 
man  does  not  use  such  formulas  as  "it  is 
reported  that."  What  your  readers  want  is 
valuable  and  true  information,  not  "reports" 
or  "gossips." 

My  main  idea  in  writing  this  letter  is  to 
give  you  some  information,  and  I  should 
like  you  to  take  it  as  a  token  of  the  con- 
sideration in  which  I  hold  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Herald.  But,  whatever  you  think  of 
it,  I  do  not  want  it  to  be  the  origin  of  any 
argument  between  M.  Autre  and  myself.  I 
have  never  met  your  correspondent  and  do 
not  wish  to. — Charles  Farchy,  1  rue  Par- 
quet, Paris,  France. 

EDITOR'S  NOTE:  Subscriber  Farchy 
appears  to  have  read  too  little  of  or  too 
much  into  the  article  referred  to,  which  the 
turn  of  events  has  proved  an  especially  com- 
petent and  lucid  exposition  of  a  particularly 
complex  state  of  affairs.  His  solicitude  for 
Correspondent  Autre's  reportorial  technique 
and  the  integrity  of  this  publication's  news 
columns  is  no  less  accurately  evaluated  on 
both  sides  of  the  Atlantic. — T.  R. 

Protective  Group 
For  R  oxy  Theatre 

A  protective  committee  for  holders  of  the 
first  mortgage  bonds  of  Roxy  Theatres  Cor- 
poration has  been  formed  with  Chester  H. 
Tipton,  president  of  C.  H.  Tipton  Securities 
Corporation,  as  chairman.  Roxv  Theatres 
Corporation  went  into  receivership  in  May, 
1932  and  in  June,  1934,  petition  was  filed 
under  Section  77B  of  the  Bankruptcy  Act 
in  the  United  States  district  court. 

The  committee  proposes,  according  to  the 
announcement,  to  bring  about  the  adoption 
of  a  "sound  and  fair  plan"  of  reorganization 
which  will  permit  current  earnings  of  the 
Roxy  theatre  to  be  used  for  payment  of  in- 
terest on  the  first  mortgage  bonds.  These 
bonds  total  $3,598,208. 


Varbalow,  Shapiro  in  Pool 

The  Varbalow  amusement  interests  of 
Camden  have  made  an  agreement  with  David 
Shapiro  of  Philadelphia  for  operation  of 
four  Shapiro  houses,  two  in  the  Quaker  City, 
one  in  Oaklyn,  N.  J.,  and  another  in  Audu- 
bon, N.  J. 


Trinidad  Branch  To  Open 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  will  open  a  new 
branch  at  Trinidad,  B.W.I.  Carl  Knust,  as- 
sistant manager  at  Panama,  will  arrange  for 
the  opening. 

Deith  Heads  Booking 

Joe  Deith  has  returned  to  Des  Moines  as 
head  of  the  booking  department  of  Tri- 
States  Theatres. 


Mexico  Manaqer  in  New  York 

Carlo  Niebla,  head  of  the  Mexico  office 
of  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  is  in  New  York 
for  conferences  with  Arthur  Loew. 


Chance  Game  Suits 
Up  in  Three  States 

Activities  along  the  chance  game  front 
were  practically  at  a  standstill  this  week, 
with  action  taking  place  in  only  three  states. 
At  Tampa,  Fla.,  attorneys  for  theatre  inter- 
ests filed  demurrers  in  the  circuit  court  on 
Bank  Night  suits.  At  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  suit 
was  filed  for  non-payment  of  chance  game 
insurance  and  in  Kentucky  chance  games 
were  alleged  to  be  lotteries. 

Attorneys  for  the  Tampa  theatre  have 
filed  demurrers  in  the  circuit  court  at  Tampa 
on  the  two  pending  Bank  Night  suits  there. 
In  each  suit  the  plaintiff  claimed  damages 
because  the  theatre  allegedly  refused  to  pay 
the  prize  money.  In  the  demurrers  the  attor- 
neys declare  the  plaintiffs  have  no  right  to 
go  to  court  to  collect  the  prizes,  as  they  paid 
nothing  for  their  chance  to  win.  The  first 
suit  was  filed  by  Mrs.  Hazel  Greene,  the 
second  by  W.  A.  Rice,  who,  he  charged, 
had  been  refused  a  prize  of  $1,550  because 
he  had  taken  three  minutes  to  answer  to 
his  name,  while  the  time  limit  was  a  minute 
less. 

Dorothy  Wyatt  has  filed  suit  in  the  cir- 
cuit court  of  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  against  Abe 
Slusky  and  Louis  Slusky,  alleging  that  the 
two  declined  to  pay  her  $300  on  a  Bank- 
Night  "insurance  policy." 

Boyd  Theatres,  Inc.,  a  Cincinnati  corpora- 
tion composed  of  Abe  Libson,  Maurice 
White  and  others,  operating  the  Paramount, 
at  Ashland,  Ky.,  has  been  named  defendant 
in  a  civil  suit  filed  in  the  Ashland  circuit 
court  by  E.  P.  Harris,  commonwealth  attor- 
ney, asking  discontinuance  of  Bank  Night. 
Sweepstakes  and  similar  forms  of  "lottery." 
The  suit  cites  three  alleged  offenses  and 
seeks  to  recover  the  maximum  fine  of  $5,000 
for  each  offense. 

Wurtzel  Rushes  Program 
To  Finish  in  January 

With  two  pictures,  "Pepper"  and  "Char- 
lie Chan  at  the  Racetrack,"  already  com- 
pleted, Sol  M.  Wurtzel  will  finish  his  entire 
1936-37  program  for  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox  by  the  end  of  next  January.  Mr.  Wurt- 
zel plans  to  start  three  pictures  monthly  un- 
til January.  Currently  he  has  "Ramona," 
"The  Holy  Lie"  and  "Across  the  Aisle"  in 
work.  Next  month  he  will  start  "Thank 
You,  Jeeves,"  "See  America  First,"  and  a 
Jane  Withers  picture  yet  untitled. 

The  Wurtzel  unit  will  move  from  Western 
Avenue  to  Movietone  City  about  September 
15. 


Stockholders  Take  Theatre 

The  Penn,  Loew  house  in  Pittsburgh,  has 
been  acquired  by  the  Penn  Federal  Corpora- 
tion, a  group  composed  of  preferred  stock- 
holders who  took  charge  of  the  theatre  two 
years  ago  but  permitted  the  Loew  circuit  to 
operate  it.  Inability  to  negotiate  favorably 
with  tenants  in  the  theatre  building  was 
given  as  the  reason  for  the  change. 


Vancouver  Plant  To  Reopen 

Revival  of  Central  Films,  Ltd.,  producing 
pictures  at  Vancouver,  B.C.,  for  release  by 
Columbia  under  the  British  quota  regula- 
tions has  been  announced.  Two  pictures 
are  scheduled,  the  first  of  which  will  be 
"Vengeance  of  the  Forest." 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


65 


PRODUCTIONS  IN  WORK 


TITLE 
COLUMBIA 
"Loit  Horizon" 

"Adventure  in  Manhattan" 
"Pennies  from  Heaven" 

METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 

"His  Brother's  Wife" 

"The  Devil  Is  a  Sissy" 

"Born  to  Dance" 

PARAMOUNT 

"Wives  Never  Know" 

"The  Big  Broadcast  of  1937" 

"Murder  with  Pictures" 

"Girl  of  the  Jungle" 
"Champagne  Waltz" 

REPUBLIC 

"Follow  Your  Heart" 

RKO  RADIO 

"Count  Pete" 

"Portrait  of  a  Rebel" 

"Don't  Turn  'Em  Loose" 

"The  Plough  and  the  Stars" 

TWENTIETH  CENTURY- 
FOX 

"See  America  First" 

UNITED  ARTISTS 

"The  Garden  of  Allah" 

"Dodsworth" 
"Come  and  Get  It" 

UNIVERSAL 

"Fool  for  Blondes" 

"Ace  Drummond" 


WARNER  BROS.- 
FIRST  NATIONAL 

"Let's  Pretend" 


"God's  Country  and  the 
Woman" 

"The  Case  of  the  Caretaker's 
Cat" 


WRITER  AND  DIRECTOR 


From  the  novel  by  James  Hilton.  Screen  play, 
Robert  Riskin.  Producing  Director:  Frank 
Capra. 

From  the  novel  by  May  Edginton.  Director: 
Edward  Ludwig. 


Screen    play,   Jo  Swerling. 
McLeod. 


Director :  Norman 


Screen  play,  Leon  Gordon,  John  Meehan.  Direc- 
tor:  W.  S.  Van  Dyke. 

Original,  Roland  Brown.  Screen  play,  John  Lee 
Mahin,  D.  Richard  Schayer.  Director:  Roland 
Brown. 

Original,  Jack  McGowan,  Sid  Silvers.  Director: 
Roy  Del  Ruth. 


Director:   Harlan  Thompson. 


Director:   Mitchell  Leisen. 

Based  on  a  novel  by  George  Harmon  Cox.  Screen 
play,  Sidney  Salkow,  John  C.  Moffat.  Director. 
Charles  Barton. 

Director:  Walter  Thiele. 

Director:    A.  Edward  Sutherland. 


Story,  Dana  Burnett.    Director:   Aubrey  Scotto. 


Story,  Francis  M.  Cockrell.  Screen  play,  Harry 
Ruby,  Bert  Kalmer,  Viola  Brothers  Shore, 
Rian  James.    Director:  Joseph  Santley. 

From  the  novel  by  Netta  Syrett.  Screen  play, 
Ernest  Vajda,  Anthony  Veiller.  Director:  Mark 
Sandrich. 

Story,  Ferdinand  Reyher.  Screen  play,  Harry 
Segall.    Director:  Ben  Stoloff. 

From  the  play  by  Sean  OCasey.  Screen  play, 
Dudley  Nichols.    Director:   John  Ford. 


Original  screen  play,  Katharine  Kavanaugh,  Rob- 
ert Ellis,  Helen  Logan.  Director:  James  Tin- 
ling. 


Novel,  Robert  Hltchens.  Adaptation,  Willis 
Goldbeck.  Screen  play,  W.  P.  Lipscomb,  Dia- 
logue, Lynn  Riggs.  Director:  Richard  Bolei- 
lawski. 

From  the  novel  by  Sinclair  Lewis.  Screen  play, 
Sidney  Howard.    Director:    William  Wyler. 


Novel  by  Edna  Ferber.  Screen  play,  Jane  Murfin, 
Jules  Furthman.    Director:   Howard  Hawks. 


From  Liberty  Magazine  story  by  Owen  Francis. 
Screen  play,  Owen  Francis,  Lewis  R.  Foster. 
Director:   John  G.  Bly stone. 

Adapted  from  Capt.  Eddie  Rickenbacker's  car- 
toon strip  by  Wyndham  Gittens,  Ray  Trampe, 
Norman  Hall.  Directors:  Cliff  Smith,  Ford 
Beebe. 


Original,  Harry  Sauber.   Screen  play,  Sig  Herzig, 
Jerry  Wald.    Director:   Raymond  Enright. 


From  the  novel  by  James  Oliver  Curwood.  Screen 
play,  Norman  Reilly  _  Raine,  William  Jacobs. 
Director:  William  Keighley. 

Screen  play,  F.  Hugh  Herbert.  Director:  Alan 
Crosland. 


CAST 


Ronald  Colman,  Jane  Wyatt,  Isabel  Jewell,  Edward 
Everett  Horton,  Thomas  Mitchell,  John  T.  Murray, 
Hugh  Buckler,  Norman  Ainsley,  Lawrence  Grant, 
John    Burton,    H.    B.    Warner,    Margaret  McWade, 

David  Clyde,  Neil  Fitzgerald,  Margo,  Sam  Jaffee. 
Joel  McCrea,  Jean  Arthur,  Charles  Wilson,  John  Gallau- 

det,   Reginald   Owen,   Herman   Bing,   Victor  Kilian, 

George  Cooper. 
Bing  Crosby,  Edith  Fellows,  Donald  Meek,  John  Gal- 

laudet,  Charles  Wilson,  Howard  Hickman,  Tom  Dugan, 

Harry  Tyler. 


Robert  Taylor,  Barbara  Stanwyck,  Jean  Hersholt,  Edgar 
Edwards,  Phyllis  Clare,  John  Eldredge,  Joseph  Calleia, 
Samuel  Hinds. 

Freddie  Bartholomew,  Jackie  Cooper,  Mickey  Rooney, 
Dorothy  Peterson,  Shirley  Ross,  Mary  Doran,  Etienne 
Girardot,  Gene  Lockhart,  Jonathan  Hale,  Peggy 
Conklin,  Ian  Hunter,  Katherine  Alexander. 

Eleanor  Powell,  James  Stewart,  Una  Merkel,  Sid  Silvers, 
Frances  Langford,  Buddy  Ebsen,  Frank  Morgan,  Vir- 
ginia Bruce,  Juanita  Quigley. 


Charles  Ruggles,  Mary  Boland,  Adolphe  Menjou,  Claude 
Gillingwater,  Fay  Holden,  Louise  Beavers,  Constance 
Bergen,  Don  Rowan,  Nancy  Lee,  Porter  Hall,  Irving 
Bacon,  Alice  Ardell. 

Jack  Benny,  George  Burns  and  Gracie  Allen,  Bob  Burns, 
Jane  Froman,  Ray  Milland,  Frank  Forest,  Martha 
Raye,  Benny  Fields,  Sam  Hearn,  Stan  Kavanaugh. 

Lew  Ayres,  Gail  Patrick,  Paul  Kelly,  Joyce  Compton, 
Onslow  Stevens,  Ernest  Cossart,  Benny  Baker,  An- 
thony Nace,  Frank  Sheridan. 

Ray  Milland,  Dorothy  LaMour,  Sir  Guy  Standing. 

Gladys  Swarthout,  Fred  MacMurray,  Jack  Oakie,  Veloz 
and  Yolanda,  Lyda  Roberti. 


Marion  Talley,  Michael  Bartlett,  Alison  Skipworth, 
Margaret  Irving,  Mickey  Rentschler,  Eunice  Healy, 
Ben  Blue. 


Gene  Raymond,  Ann  Sothern,  Jessie  Ralph,  Henry 
Stephenson,  George  Meeker,  Maxine  Jennings,  Gordon 
Jones,  Alan  Curtis,  Anita  Colby,  Patricia  Wilder. 

Katharine  Hepburn,  Herbert  Marshall,  Elizabeth  Allan, 
Lucille  Watson,  Donald  Crisp,  Margaret  Seddou,  Eily 
Malyon,  Doris  Dudley. 

Bruce  Cabot,  James  Gleason,  Lewis  Stone,  Betty  Grable, 
Louise  Latimer,  Gordon  Jones,  Alan  Curtis,  Frank 
M.  Thomas,  Harry  Jans. 

Barbara  Stanwyck,  Preston  Foster,  Barry  Fitzgerald, 
Dennis  O'Dea,  Eileen  Crowe,  F.  J.  McCormack, 
Arthur  Shields,  Bonita  Granville,  Erin  O'Brien-Moore, 
Una  O'Connor,  Cyril  McLaglen. 


Jed  Prouty,  Spring  Byington,  Dixie  Dunbar,  Tony  Mar- 
tin, Shirley  Deane,  Florence  Roberts. 


Marlene  Dietrich,  Charles  Boyer,  Tilly  Losch,  Basil 
Rathbone,  Joseph  Schildkraut,  Henry  Kleinbach,  John 
Caradine,  Frank  Pugli,  Adrian  Rosley,  C.  Aubrey 
Smith. 

Walter  Huston,  Ruth  Chatterton,  Mary  Astor,  Paul 
Lukas,  David  Niven,  Gregory  Gaye,  Odette  Mjrtil, 
Kathryn  Marlowe,  John  Payne,  Spring  Byington, 
Harlan  Briggs,  Charles  Halton. 

Edward  Arnold,  Frances  Farmer,  Walter  Brennan,  Mary 
Nash,  Andrea  Leeds,  Clem  Bevens,  Edwin  Maxwell, 
Agnes  Anderson. 


Victor  McLaglen,  Binnie  Barnes,  Jean  Dixon,  Henry 
Armetta,  Ann  Preston,  Billy  Burrud. 

John  King,  Jean  Rogers,  Guy  Bates  Post,  Diana  Gibson, 
Noah  Beery,  Jr.,  Lon  Chaney,  Jr.,  House  Peters,  Jr., 
Louis  Vincenott. 


James  Melton,  Patricia  Ellis,  Hugh  Herbert,  Jerry 
Wald,  Allen  Jenkins,  Zasu  Pitts,  Dennis  Moore,  Nat 
Pendleton,  Ann  Sheridan,  Georgia  Parker,  Walter 
Catlett. 

George  Brent,  Beverly  Roberts,  Barton  MacLane,  Alan 
Hale,  Robert  Barrat. 

Ricardo  Cortez,  June  Travis,  Jane  Bryan,  Craig  Rey- 
nolds, Gordon  Elliott,  Carlyle  Moore,  Jr.,  George 
Rosener,  Harry  Davenport,  Nedda  Harrigan,  Gary 
Owen,  Lottie  Williams,  Harry  Hayden. 


STAGE  OF 
PRODUCTION 


Shooting 

Editing 
Shooting 

Editing 
Shooting 

Shooting- 
Shooting 

Shooting 

Shooting 

Shooting 
Shooting 

Shooting 

Editing 
Shooting 
Shooting 
Shooting 


Shooting 

Shooting 
Shooting 
Shooting 

Shooting 
Shooting 

Shooting 

Shooting 
Shooting 


oo 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


July     18,  1936 


MEICHAN  DEATH  TAKES 
STAR  OF  SILENT  SCREEN 


Started  in  Stock,  Entered  Pic- 
tures 20  Years  Ago;  Popu- 
larity Declined  with  Sound 

The  death  of  Thomas  Meighan  last  week 
at  his  home,  Grenwolde,  in  the  fashionable 
Kings  Point  section  of  Great  Neck,  Long 
Island,  removed  an  outstanding  star  of  the 
years  of  the  silent  screen.  He  had  been  ill 
for  two  years  and  was  57  years  old. 

Mr.  Meighan  was  stricken  with  pneu- 
monia in  Hollywood  in  January,  1935,  and 
the  illness  left  a  bronchial  tube  obstruction, 
for  the  removal  of  which  he  underwent  an 
operation  a  year  ago  at  Doctors'  hospital,  in 
New  York.  He  became  ill  again  last  month 
and  appeared  to  be  recovering,  but  a  relapse 
followed.  The  Reverend  Ronald  MacDon- 
ald,  of  St.  Aloysius  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
Great  Neck,  administered  the  last  rites  of 
the  church  to  him,  and  Wednesday  night  the 
actor  passed  away  quietly  after  two  hours 
of  coma. 

With  Mr.  Meighan  when  he  died  were 
his  wife,  Mrs.  Frances  Ring  Meighan,  sister 
of  Blanche  Ring;  a  brother,  James  E. 
Meighan ;  a  sister,  Miss  May  Meighan,  and 
Mrs.  Leon  Errol,  wife  of  the  comedian, 
Surviving  also  are  two  other  brothers,  John 
A.  Meighan,  of  Pittsburgh,  and  William  J. 
Meighan  of  Hagerstown,  Md.,  and  a  sister, 
Mrs.  M.  C.  Schneider,  of  Pittsburgh. 

2,000  at  Requiem  High  Mass 

Funeral  services  for  the  star  were  held 
last  Saturday  morning  in  St.  Patrick's 
Cathedral  in  Manhattan,  with  2,000  attend- 
ing the  celebration  of  a  requiem  high  mass 
by  the  Reverend  John  F.  White,  treasurer  of 
the  Catholic  Actors'  Guild  and  pastor  of  the 
Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  at 
Stapleton,  Staten  Island.  He  was  assisted 
by  the  Reverend  Matthew  Golden,  deacon, 
and  the  Reverend  Charles  O'Connor  Sloane, 
sub-deacon.  Also  on  the  altar  were  the 
Reverend  Timothy  Shannley  and  the  Rev- 
erend Edward  Leonard.  There  was  no 
eulogy. 

Honorary  pallbearers  at  the  service,  most 
of  whom  were  members  of  the  Lambs,  of 
which  Mr.  Meighan  served  two  terms  as 
Shepherd,  the  first  motion  picture  actor  to 
be  so  honored,  were  H.  H.  Buxbaum,  John 
C.  Jenks,  Robert  L.  Hague,  A.  O.  Brown, 
Major  Edward  Bowes,  Billy  DeBeck, 
Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  Gene  Buck,  Fred  Zim- 
merman, Jr.,  David  Warfield,  Joe  Connolly, 
Ed  Wynn,  Charles  Winninger,  Frank 
Crumit,  the  present  Shepherd  of  the  Lambs, 
and  Lewis  E.  Lawes,  Warden  of  Sing  Sing 
Prison. 

Ushers  were  Oscar  Shaw,  Earl  Benham, 
Donald  Brian,  Kenneth  Loane,  John  W.  Ali- 
coate,  Thomas  L.  Martin  and  Arthur  M. 
Nunn. 

Burial  was  in  Calvary  Cemetery,  Queens. 
Long  Island. 

The  rise  of  Thomas  Meighan  in  motion 
pictures  was  not  meteoric,  for  his  climb  from 
the  ranks  of  stock  company  actors  to  the 
crest  of  Hollywood's  fame  took  15  years. 
But,  when  he  finally  reached  the  top  he  was 
accepted  as  the  most  popular  motion  picture 


actor  in  America.  He  was  Paramount's 
outstanding  male  star  for  years,  his  pic- 
tures drawing  so  steadily  that  Adolph  Zukor 
regarded  him  as  a  good  luck  symbol. 

Mr.  Meighan's  first  appearance  as  an 
actor  was  in  Pittsburgh,  his  birthplace, 
where  Henrietta  Crosman  engaged  him  as 
an  extra  in  "Mistress  Nell."  Then  he  played 
three  seasons  with  David  Warfield,  and  ap- 
peared at  the  Manhattan  theatre,  New 
York,  as  Colonel  Gorda  in  "Her  Majesty, 
the  Queen  of  Nordenmark"  in  1900 ;  ap- 
peared in  the  all-star  cast  of  "The  Two 
Orphans" ;  played  Billy  Bolton  in  "The  Col- 
lege Widow"  both  here  and  in  London  in 
1908;  and  starred  as  Robert  Wallace  in 
"Broadway  Jones"  in  1914. 

Entered  Pictures  20  Years  Ago 

It  was  in  1916  that  he  entered  pictures. 
He  obtained  his  first  part  opposite  Laura 
Hope  Crews  in  "The  Fighting  Hope."  Sub- 
sequently he  appeared  with  Billie  Burke, 
Norma  Talmadge,  Mary  Pickford,  Elsie 
Ferguson,  Marguerite  Clark,  Pauline 
Frederick,  Blanche  Sweet,  Edna  Goodrich 
and  Charlotte  Walker.  Among-  the  pictures 
he  made  were  "Male  and  Female,"  "Our 
Leading  Citizen,"  "The  Prince  Chap," 
"Why  Change  Your  Wife,"  "The  Bachelor 
Daddy,"  "Coming  Through,"  "Man- 
slaughter," "Old  Home  Week,"  "The  Man 
Who  Found  Himself,"  "The  Racket," 
"M'Liss,"  "Out  of  a  Clear  Sky,"  and  many 
others.  His  greatest  success  was  in  "The 
Miracle  Man,"  with  Betty  Compson. 

Mr.  Meighan  was  the  only  star  who  con- 
sistently refused  to  go  to  Hollywood,  re- 
membering that  production  was  at  one  time 
centered  in  and  around  New  York.  Along 
with  Bebe  Daniels  and  Richard  Dix,  the 
Big-Three  of  Famous  Players,  he  refused 
to  move  west  when  the  company  shifted  its 
production  activities  to  California.  He 
stayed  at  the  Astoria,  L.  I.,  studios. 

Many  of  the  younger  players  and  a  long 
list  of  veterans  have  recollections  of  Mr. 
Meighan's  help  during  his  long  stardom,  for 
he  had  great  freedom  in  picking  his  casts. 

The  decline  of  his  popularity  followed  the 
advent  of  sound.  The  new  technique  dis- 
turbed him  at  first  and  he  preferred  to  spend 
more  and  more  of  his  time  at  his  Great 
Neck  home  rather  than  on  the  coast  after 
Paramount's  Astoria  studio  closed,  about 
eight  years  ago.  This,  in  spite  of  the  fact, 
as  associates  agreed,  that  he  had  an  excel- 
lent speaking  voice. 

His  last  picture  was  "Peck's  Bad  Boy" 
for  Sol  Lesser. 


RKO  Shifts  Jersey  Houses 

RKO  has  leased  the  Rialto,  West  New 
York,  N.  J.,  from  Irving  Margolies,  effect- 
ive in  February  1937,  when  the  circuit  will 
abandon  two  houses  in  Union  City  on  which 
it  has  been  unable  to  renew  leases. 


THOMAS  MEIGHAN  and  Mrs. 
Meighan,  the  former  Frances  King, 
at  the  height  of  his  screen  triumphs. 
The  photo  was  taken  in  1925  on  the 
deck  of  the  Leviathan  on  the  way 
to  Ireland  for  a  Paramount  picture 
adapted  from  "The  Imperfect  Im- 
postor". 

San  Francisco  Fire 
Rules  Are  Relaxed 


Regulations  limiting  standees  in  theatres, 
which  have  been  the  source  of  considerable 
irritation  to  exhibitors,  have  been  relaxed 
in  San  Francisco  by  the  board  of  aldermen. 
The  change  is  due  largely  to  the  fact  that 
the  police  recently  began  enforcing  the  old 
ordinance  prohibiting  the  sale  of  tickets 
when  any  patron  is  standing.  Under  the 
new  ordinance  theatres  will  be  permitted  to 
allow  as  many  standees  as  the  fire  depart- 
ment considers  proper  in  various  types  of 
buildings. 

The  Kansas  Senate  and  House  last  week 
voted  to  confine  the  special  session  entirely 
to  the  discussion  of  the  social  security 
amendment  and  this  decision  removed  any 
fears  exhibitors  might  have  had  of  the  pass- 
ing of  theatre  tax  bills. 

The  Louisiana  state  legislature  also  ad- 
journed last  week  with  many  bills,  unfavor- 
able to  the  industry,  still  in  the  Ways  and 
Means  Committee. 

Brooks  County,  in  Georgia,  seeking  to 
collect  a  $25  tax  from  the  Ilex  Theatre,  lost 
the  decision  in  a  hearing  before  Judge 
Thomas  in  Valdosta.  Counsel  for  the  the- 
atre claimed  the  law  under  which  the  coun- 
try tried  to  collect  the  tax  was  framed  be- 
fore motion  pictures  were  introduced. 


Managers  Drive  Scheduled 

Fox  West  Coast  has  designated  the  week 
of  July  19th  to  25th  as  "Managers'  Week" 
and  August  23rd  to  29th  as  "District  Man- 
agers' Week"  in  the  "Beat  Par"  drive. 


Press  Service  Formed 

National  Studios  Press  Service  has  been 
organized  in  New  York  City  by  Louis  Rosen- 
bluh,  former  Fox  executive.  The  new  unit 
is  designed  to  serve  all  of  the  major  com- 
panies and  independents,  concentrating  its 
activities  on  the  arrival  and  departure  of 
film  stars. 


July    18,     1936  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  67 

MARCH  OF  TIME  CRITICIZES  OTHER 
REELS,  CITES  $1,000,000  CROSS 


Subject  Cut  from  March  of  Time 
Release  on  Protest  from  Consul 

The  motion  picture  dramatization  of  Rafael  Trujillo,  President  of  Santo  Domingo, 
has  been  eliminated  from  the  current  release  of  The  March  of  Time  at  the  Radio 
City  Music  Hall  in  New  York  after  a  protest  by  the  local  Dominican  Consul. 

The  story  pictured  Senor  Trujillo  as  "dictator  of  the  tightest  little  tyranny  in  the 
Caribbean"  and  reenacted  one  murder  alleged  to  have  been  instigated  by  him. 

W.  G.  Van  Schmus,  managing  director  of  the  Music  Hall,  said  only  that  "we 
cannot  afford  to  offend  any  nation  friendly  to  the  United  States." 

March  of  Time  editors  declared  the  film  story  is  a  true  picture  of  conditions  in 
Santo  Domingo.  They  said  that  since  the  picture  was  made  they  have  not  been 
able  to  find  any  Dominican  who  could  point  to  an  error  of  fact  in  the  story. 

Their  facts,  they  said,  were  checked  by  their  own  investigators,  and  were  fully 
borne  out  by  reports  of  press  associations,  correspondents  and  by  the  Foreign 
Policy  Association. 


Scoops  Cancel  Each  Other,  with 
One  Newsreel's  Baby  Parade 
Equal  to  Another's  Sea-Lions, 
Says  Anniversary  Review 

The  editors  of  Time  Magazine  and  of  the 
related  Fortune  Magazine  take  occasion  on 
the  first  anniversary  of  their  March  of  Time 
newsreel  to  make  some  frank  assertions 
regarding  the  business  policy  and  proceeds 
of  the  production,  and  to  toss  some  equally 
frank  criticism  at  the  old  line  newsreels,  in 
a  lavishly  illustrated  folio  uniquely  titled 
"Four  Hours  a  Year." 

The  review  of  their  experiences  with  the 
production  and  distribution  of  the  films 
every  month  for  the  first  year,  and  with  the 
experiments  which  followed  the  inception 
of  the  idea,  is  labeled  in  a  foreword  by  the 
editors  as  "a  chapter  in  the  history  of  pic- 
torial journalism — in  the  use  of  a  new  lan- 
guage, difficult,  as  yet  unmastered,  but  in- 
credibly powerful  and  strangely  universal." 

In  a  section  of  the  book  called  "Price 
and  Prejudice"  it  is  claimed  that  the  March 
of  Time,  with  an  investment  of  $900,000 
in  its  first  year,  is  now  grossing  nearly 
$1,000,000  a  year.  On  an  accompanying 
sketch  map  of  the  United  States  it  is 
shown  that  on  February  I,  1935,  the  first 
issue  of  the  newsreel  played  417  theatres 
in  168  cities  and  that  on  April  15,  1936, 
each  monthly  edition  was  playing  5,236 
theatres  in  3,215  cities.  Such  candid  state- 
ment of  accounts  is  rarely  made  by  any 
film  company. 

In  the  autumn  of  1934,  says  the  review, 
a  number  of  major  distributors  were  willing 
to  take  the  March  of  Time  on  the  basis  that 
a  typical  short  subject  costs  about  $8,000  to 
make  and  is  intended  to  gross  about  $25,000, 
netting  a  small  profit.  The  publishers  of  the 
reel  claimed  that  a  monthly  gross  of  $25,000 
was  an  inadequate  sum  out  of  which  to  pub- 
lish and  distribute  a  photographic  journal 
such  as  they  planned.  A  goal  of  $100,000 
gross  per  issue  was  set. 

This  figure,  the  editors  relate,  was  looked 
upon  as  ridiculous  by  the  trade,  and  the 
March  of  Time  undertook  its  own  distribu- 
tion through  a  minor  independent  distribu- 
tor. From  the  start,  its  sponsors  say,  the 
prices  asked  were  entirely  out  of  line  with 
the  ordinary  market.  It  was  conceded  that 
these  prices  were  too  high  to  be  long  tenable, 
but  within  a  few  months  public  response  to 
the  pictures  had  demonstrated  that  the  reel 
had  box  office  value. 

Large  distributors,  the  review  adds, 
although  no  longer  unconvinced  of  the  possi- 
bility of  a  $100,000  gross,  were  still  shy  of 
the  new  short  because  they  were  afraid  its 
frankness  might  arouse  prejudice  in  varied 
audiences. 

In  June,  1935,  Radio-Keith-Orpheum 
agreed  to  distribute  the  product.  A  gross 
of  $75,000  now  is  claimed  to  be  a  reality. 
Besides  the  American  distribution  the  reels 
play    in    England,    Australia    and  South 


America,  although  world  exploitation  only 
recently  was  launched.  There  is  no  French 
language  edition  of  the  March  of  Time  be- 
cause "Frenchmen,  aware  of  their  low  boil- 
ing point,  have  imposed  upon  themselves 
some  of  the  world's  strictest  censorship  laws 
with  the  result  that  though  the  headquarters 
for  Europe  are  in  Paris,  the  film  is  not  yet 
released  for  that  country." 

Tracing  the  development  of  the  idea  for 
a  journalistic  motion  picture,  the  editors  tell 
the  results  of  their  study  of  the  existing 
newsreel.  They  found,  according  to  the 
story,  that  first  of  all  little  or  no  money  was 
being  made  in  the  newsreel  field  and  there 
was  little  competitive  effort  in  their  produc- 
tion. 

Scoops  Cancel  Each  Other 

"Cameramen  might  risk  their  necks  to  get 
an  occasional  scoopshot,"  the  story  says, 
"but  the  scoops  cancelled  each  other,  leaving 
one  newsreel's  baby  parade  almost  exactly 
equal  to  another  newsreel's  sea-lions. 

"Except  for  Pathe  in  the  early  days,  no 
reputation,  good  or  bad,  had  ever  been  made 
in  the  newsreels.  Mr.  Hearst  had  a  newsreel, 
but  none  of  his  vigor  was  reflected  in  his 
movie  product.  The  most  stultifying  self- 
imposed  censorship  ever  known  to  journal- 
ism blanketed  the  existing  output.  For 
nearly  a  year,  in  1934,  there  was  an  un- 
official but  strikingly  thorough  ban  on  Hit- 
ler's voice  and  picture  in  U.  S.  theatres. 
Controlled  by  the  fiction-magnates  of  Holly- 
wood, the  newsreel  was  required  only  to 
sidestep  trouble.  The  result  was  the  newsreel 
as  you  knew  it. 

"It  was  even  worse  in  1934  than  in  earlier 
years,  because  the  introduction  of  sound  had 
limited  the  mobility  of  the  camera,  with  the 
result  that  the  only  way  to  portray  a  U.  S. 
statesman  was  to  back  him  up  against  a  wall 
and  let  him  stand  there  jawing  at  you  for 
30  seconds. 

"Nevertheless,  it  was  not  the  dullness  of 
the  newsreels  which  impressed  Time :  it  was, 
in  spite  of  everything,  their  excitement,  their 
force.  Not  in  the  public's  boredom,  but  in 
the  public's  avid  appetite  for  newsreels,  Time 


saw  its  opportunity.  Either  the  lords  of 
Hollywood  had  totally  underestimated  the 
public's  appetite  for  newsreels,  or  they  felt 
themselves  for  various  reasons  incapable  of 
feeding  it.  Probably  the  latter." 

The  editors,  citing  their  claim  that  they 
have  put  real  news  in  the  newsreels,  note 
that  during  the  year  there  has  been  a  marked 
increase  in  the  significance  and  coherence 
of  the  traditional  newsreel.  "The  Ethiopian 
war,  for  example,"  they  say,  "has  been  ad- 
mirably portrayed  by  Fox,  Paramount, 
Hearst  Metrotone  in  sharp  contrast  to  their 
lame  handling  of  the  equally  exciting  Man- 
churia and  Shanghai  crises  of  1931-32." 

The  stcfry  explains  that  the  plan  for  the 
March  of  Time  grew  out  of  the  realization 
by  the  publishers  of  Time  of  the  increased 
value  of  news  pictures,  of  their  own  unusual 
method  of  handling  such  pictures  and  of  the 
development  of  candid  camera  shots.  Use 
of  special  camera  technique  in  illustrating 
Fortune,  particularly,  is  given  as  the  seed 
of  the  newsreel  idea. 

In  the  compilation  of  statistics  for  the  map 
the  editors  unearth  the  fact,  related  in  a 
digressing  label,  that  outside  of  proper 
names,  motion  picture  theatres  in  the  United 
States  have  only  about  25  different  names. 
The  Strand  is  the  most  frequent  nomencla- 
ture, according  to  the  map.  In  second  place 
is  Palace,  followed  by  the  rest  of  the  royal 
family,  Rex,  Empress,  Imperial  and  Prin- 
cess. 

"Genius  in  Hollywood" 

Aside  from  the  main  subjects  covered  in 
the  anniversary  book,  the  editors,  in  a  two- 
page  spread,  describe  Darryl  Zanuck,  32,  of 
Twentieth  Century-Fox;  Walter  Wanger, 
42,  United  Artists;  David  Selznick,  35, 
United  Artists,  and  Irving  Thalberg,  36, 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  as  "Genius  in  Holly- 
wood" and  quote  the  four  men  as  giving 
high  praise  to  the  achievements  of  the  March 
of  Time. 

The  book  illustrates  its  method  of  produc- 
tion with  stills  from  its  sequence  on  the 
Tennessee  Valley  and  status  of  the  Tennes- 
see Valley  Authority. 


68 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


BRITISH  STUDIOS 


by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 


Runaway  Ship 

Catching  history  on  the  hop  Michael  Bal- 
con,  director  of  production  for  Gaumont- 
British,  has  arranged  to  film  the  amazing 
adventures  of  the  trawler  The  Girl  Pat 
before  the  whole  details  of  these  adventures 
are  known,  let  alone  set  down  on  paper. 
What  is  already  known  is  thrilling  enough 
to  make  Mr.  Balcon's  quick  deal  look  a 
very  clever  one.  The  Girl  Pat,  first  run- 
away ship  in  history,  ranged  thousands  of 
miles  of  ocean  in  face  of  the  sea  power  of 
the  British  Empire  before  she  was  finally 
rounded  up,  with  difficulty,  by  armed  forces. 
Just  why  she,  or  her  captain  and  crew,  ran 
away  is  still  a  good  deal  of  a  mystery  but 
the  flight  looks  like  making  good  film  ma- 
terial. Whether  or  not  the  crew  are  used 
in  their  own  characters  the  most  important 
figure  in  the  episode  will  be  duly  featured — 
The  Girl  Pat  herself  has  been  bought  by 
GB. 

Most  important  current  studio  production 
by  G-B  is  the  Jessie  Matthews  "Head  Over 
Heels,"  directed  by  Sonnie  Hale.  It  went 
on  the  floor  at  Shepherd's  Bush  with  two 
Americans  in  important  parts.  One  of  them 
is  Whitney  Bourne,  who  played  with  Claude 
Rains  in  "Crime  without  Passion,"  and  the 
other  Romney  Brent,  currently  playing  in 
the  London  theatre  success,  "Three  Men 
on  a  Horse."  Brent  already  has  played  in 
the  Arliss  picture,  "East  Meets  West,"  for 
G-B.  Louis  Borrell,  Dutch  actor,  recently 
discovered  at  the  Embassy  theatre  here,  is 
also  in  the  "Head  Over  Heels"  cast. 

Arliss '  Next 

Scenes  for  George  Arliss'  next  for  G-B, 
"The  Nelson  Touch,"  have  been  shot  both 
on  the  Northolt  exterior  lot,  where  they  have 
built  a  big  set  of  an  Arabian  desert  city, 
and  on  the  Shepherd's  Bush  floor.  Arliss 
has  the  dual  role  of  a  British  foreign  min- 
ister and  his  scapegrace  brother  who  causes 
trouble  in  the  Near  East.  Dewan  Sharar, 
Hindu  playwright,  is  advising  on  Eastern 
settings. 

A  whole  battalion  of  British  infantry  was 
put  at  the  disposal  of  G-B  by  the  Army 
Council  for  first  scenes  at  Southampton  for 
"O.H.M.S.,"  directed  by  Raoul  Walsh,  with 
Anna  Lee  in  the  lead.  Also  used  was  the 
troopship  Dilware,  and  the  organization  of 
dock  facilities,  railway  transport  and  equip- 
ment was  handled  by  the  Royal  Army  Ser- 
vice Corps  and  the  Royal  Army  Ordnance 
Corps.  A  few  years  ago  any  British  pro- 
ducer who  set  up  a  camera  in  a  public  place 
was  certain  of  arrest. 

At  Loch  Lomond 

Twickenham's  "Fall  of  an  Empire"  unit 
left  on  Monday,  July  6th,  for  a  fortnight's 
location  work  on  and  about  Loch  Lomond, 
famous  Scottish  beauty  spot.  Maurice  El- 
vey,  director,  and  Curt  Courant,  cameraman, 
Dolly  Haas,  Marjorie  Mars,  Richard  Bar- 
thelmess  and  Henry  Oscar  of  the  leads  are 
in  the  party.  The  big  scene  to  be  filmed  on 


The  production  unit  getting  the  race 
sequence  at  Epsom  Downs  for  "Wings 
of  the  Morning",  New  World  pro- 
duction in  color  made  by  Robert  T. 
Kane  at  Denham  Studios  in  England 
for  release  by  Twentieth  Century-Fox. 
Starred  are  Annabella,  Leslie  Banks, 
Henry  Fonda  and  John  McCormack. 

the  water  is  one  in  which  Anna,  a  spy 
(played  by  Marjorie  Mars),  jumps  over- 
board after  losing  an  important  dispatch 
to  Gerard  (Richard  Barthelmess),  who 
dives  to  the  rescue.  Interiors  of  a  Swiss 
cafe,  with  more  atmosphere  of  espionage 
and  counter-espionage,  were  the  last  to  be 
filmed  at  Twickenham  studio. 

Julius  Hagen  has  signed  Flanagan  and 
Allen,  famous  variety  and  radio  duo,  for  a 
feature  entitled  "Undereath  the  Arches," 
after  their  most  famous  number.  It  will  be 
directed  for  Twickenham  at  the  Hammer- 
smith studios  by  Albert  de  Courville,  from 
a  script  by  Allison  Booth. 

Operetta  Starts 

Capitol  Film  Corporation,  the  Max 
Schach  organization,  has  started  produc- 
tion at  Denham  on  "Land  without  Music," 
an  adaptation  of  the  Oscar  Straus  operetta, 
directed  by  Walter  Forda.  Richard  Tauber, 
starring,  has  opposite  him  Diana  Napier, 
the  English  screen  actress  whom  he  very 
recently  married.  June  Clyde  and  Derrick 
de  Marney  also  are  featured.  Said  to  re- 
produce an  historical  episode  in  Italy, 
"Land  without  Music"  reads  like  fantasy, 
the  story  being  that  a  reigning-  Princess 
(Diana  Napier)  who  outlaws  music  in  her 
territory  and  then  falls  in  love  with  a  singer 
(Tauber).  Varied  talent  put  behind  the  pro- 


duction includes  Eric  Maschwitz,  of  the 
British  Broadcasting  Company,  as  addition- 
al dialogue  writer  to  the  screen  story  by 
L.  du  Garde  Peach  and  Marion  Dix,  and 
musical  direction  by  Van  Phillips  and  Boyd 
Neel.  "Costumes  by  the  Marchioness  of 
Queensbury"  is  another  credit  line. 

Troopship  in  Studio! 

Warner  Bros.-First  National,  at  Ted- 
dington,  is  giving  the  British  Army  more 
publicity  in  "Hail  and  Farewell,"  a  Claude 
Hulbert  and  Reginald  Purdell  comedy  ve- 
hicle which  Ralph  Ince  began  to  direct  this 
week.  Replicas  of  the  decks  of  a  troopship 
have  filled  the  whole  studio  floor  for  opening 
scenes  and  five  lifeboats,  specially  transport- 
ed from  the  Thames,  are  in  situ,  regulation 
davits  and  all  complete.  Two  hundred 
khaki-clad  warriors  and  a  score  of  Lascar 
sailors  are  the  crowd  background.  In  the 
cast  are  Bruce  Lister,  Moira  Reed,  Nicholas 
Hannen,  Joyce  Kennedy,  Henry  Caine, 
Wally  Patch,  Roy  Russell,  Philip  Ray  and 
Ivan  Sampson. 


Items 


J.  Elder  Wills  has  completed  "Sporting 
Love"  for  Hammer  Productions-British  Lion 
release  and  started  on  the  direction  of  the 
Gitta  Alpar  "Because  of  Love.".  .  .  New 
World's  "Wings  of  the  Morning,"  all-Tech- 
nicolor for  20th  Century-Fox  release,  has 
reached  modern  scenes  after  17th  Century 
scenes  of  gay  gipsy  revelling  in  Clontarf 
castle,  Ireland.  .  .  .  Jean  Gillie  has  her 
second  role  in  a  Jack  Buchanan  feature  in 
"This'll  Make  You  Whistle,"  now  in  its 
third  week.  .  .  .  Marie  Tempest,  famous 
British  stage  comedienne,  has  her  first  film 
role  in  "Monlight  Sonata,"  Pall  Mall  pro- 
duction to  be  made  at  Denham  with  the 
famous  violinist  Paderewski  starring  in  his 
own  character.  Lothar  Mendes,  who  directs, 
is  also  managing  director  of  Pall  Mall  Pro- 
ductions. He  made  "The  Man  Who  Could 
Work  Miracles"  for  London  and  is  sched- 
uled to  do  another  picture  for  them.  .  .  . 
Sabu,  Indian  native  boy  discovered  by  Rob- 
ert Flaherty  in  Mysore  for  London's  "Ele- 
phant Boy,"  has  been  sightseeing  in  Lon- 
don. He  is  likely  to  be  used  in  other  pictures 
at  Denham,  probably  with  Iravatha,  elephant 
star  of  the  film. 

Irving  Asher,  managing  director  of  War- 
ner Bros.,  has  placed  under  long  term  con- 
tract Bruce  Lister,  twenty-four  years  old, 
six  foot,  and  blue  eyed,  a  British  stage  and 
screen  player  who  has  a  small  part  in  the 
Teddington  "Head  Office,"  and  a  bigger  one 
in  "Hail  and  Farewell."  He  has  played  in 
the  stage  "White  Cargo"  and  the  screen. 
"Death  at  Broadcasting  House,"  among 
others.  .  .  .  The  Herbert  Wilcox  produc- 
tion "Millions,"  Gordon  Harker  directed  by 
Leslie  Hiscott,  has  been  retitled  "the  King 
of  Cloves."  .  .  .  Dave  Bader  has  signed  a 
sole  representation  contract  with  Barry 
O'Neill.  Leo  Britt,  theatre  relations  man- 
ager to  Mr.  Bader,  set  the  deal  with  the 
New  York  star.  .  .  . 


July     18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


69 


BRITISH  PRODUCERS  ARE  DIVIDED 
OVER  INCREASED  QUOTA  DEMANDS 


Government  Asked  to  Legislate, 
Finds  Exhibitors  and  Distribu- 
tors Solid  for  Greater  Re- 
strictions, Studios  at  Odds 

by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 

The  dissent  of  Associated  British  Pictures 
and  Gaumont-British  from  the  application 
for  a  more  stringent  Quota,  put  forward  by 
the  Film  Group  of  the  Federation  of  British 
Industries  to  the  Moyne  Committee  on  the 
Films  Act,  was  recorded  in  the  official  min- 
utes issued  by  the  committee.  The  fact  that 
the  subsequent  resignation  of  ABP  from  the 
group  is  still  a  matter  of  comment  and  sur- 
mise in  Wardour  Street  must  therefore  be 
ascribed  to  the  resignation  itself  rather  than 
to  its  cause.  Undoubtedly  it  came  as  a  sur- 
prise to  the  trade  and  there  is  a  deal  of 
speculation,  nearly  a  week  after  the  event,  as 
to  the  effect  of  John  Maxwell's  action  on 
other  companies. 

Obviously  expected  in  some  quarters  was 
that  G-B  would  follow  ABP's  example  and 
officially  range  itself  with  the  interests  in 
opposition  to  the  Film  Group.  This  step  has 
not  been  taken  and,  according  to  G-B  execu- 
tives who  should  know,  will  not  be  taken. 
G-B,  however,  continues  to  dissent  from  the 
Film  Group's  policy  on  the  Quota.  This 
curious  situation  is  perhaps  explained  by  the 
fact  that  G-B  has  always  been  a  strong  sup- 
porter of  the  FBI  Group,  while  ABP  re- 
signed on  a  previous  occasion  and,  after  re- 
joining, was  regarded  in  many  quarters  as 
a  formal  rather  than  enthusiastic  supporter 
of  its  policies. 

The  important  thing  that  emerges  is  that 
British  producers  have  failed  to  establish 
unanimity  in  regard  to  the  most  vital  sug- 
gestion put  before  the  Moyne  Committee, 
an  advisory  body  of  the  Board  of  Trade, 
appointed  for  the  specific  purpose  of  mak- 
ing recommendations  for  future  film  legis- 
lation. The  opposing  interests  of  exhibitors, 
through  the  Cinematograph  Exhibitors 
Association,  and  of  distributors  through 
the  Kinematograph  Renters  Society,  will 
each  present  a  unanimous  case,  with  the 
common  feature  of  asking  a  relaxation  in- 
stead of  an  intensification  of  quota  re- 
quirements. 

In  attempting  to  estimate  the  relative 
weight  which  will  be  attached  to  these  cases 
by  the  committee,  there  are  factors  which 
must  be  borne  in  mind.  It  is  certain  that 
attempts  will  be  made  to  discount  the  oppo- 
sition of  ABP  and  G-B  on  the  ground  that 
these  companies  have  theatre  interests  of 
greater  importance  to  them  than  their  studio 
holdings.  This  is,  at  the  best,  a  half  truth. 
It  is  less  true  of  G-B  than  of  ABP.  Whereas 
ABP  deliberately  has  kept  its  production  on 
a  modest  scale,  G-B  has  greatly  increased 
production  both  in  footage  and  scale  and,  as 
the  only  British  production  organization  to 
establish  a  direct  selling  branch  in  America, 
it  is  obvious  that  it  cannot  be  written  off  as 
a  theatre  company  making  films  as  a  side- 


DENHAM  PRODUCTION 
STALLED  BY  STRIKE 

Six  productions  in  work  at  the 
Denham  Studios  in  London  were  held 
up  by  the  walkout  last  weekend  of 
1,200  men  in  protest  against  the  em- 
ployment of  two  non-union  painters. 
Negotiations  to  settle  the  strike  were 
underway  this  week. 


line.  In  any  classification  on  an  accepted 
trade  basis  they  must  be  accounted  major 
producers,  in  a  market  in  which  less  than 
five  companies  at  present  can  be  strictly  so 
described. 

Strengthens  KRS  Case 

There  is  also  the  question  whether  the 
theatre  interests  of  G-B  and  ABP  should  not 
give  greater  rather  than  less  weight  to  their 
opposition  to  an  increased  quota.  It  is  assur- 
able  that  the  producer  who  has  to  handle 
the  quota  at  the  box  office  as  well  as  at  the 
studio  at  least  is  nearer  to  a  dispassionate 
viewpoint  than  one  whose  interest  in  the 
matter  begins  and  ends  with  footage  and 
floor  space. 

Another  result  of  the  split  in  the  Film 
Group  must  be  to  give  greatly  increased  im- 
portance to  the  case  presented  to  the  com- 
mittee by  the  Kinematograph  Renters  So- 
ciety. John  Maxwell  was  one  of  the  KRS 
spokesmen  and,  it  is  understood,  emphasized 
his  company's  opposition  to  the  suggestions 
of  the  Film  Group.  G-B  is  also  a  member 
of  the  KRS  and  in  agreement  with  its  policy. 
If  any  all-British  distributors  went  on 
record  as  dissenting  from  the  majority  policy 
the  fact  has  not  leaked  out.  The  KRS,  as  is 
known,  wants  a  drastic  revision  of  the  whole 
footage  basis  of  the  quota.  Making  an  appli- 
cation for  a  definite  reduction  in  percentage 
and  a  permanent  differentiation  in  scale  in 
favor  of  the  theatre  owner  is  the  Cinemato- 
graph Exhibitors  Association,  with  a  prac- 
tically hundred  per  cent  representation  in 
that  field. 

That  is  the  trade  line  up  as  it  appears 
with  the  Moyne  Committee  practically 
through  with  the  taking  of  evidence . 

Cooperative  Production 

Suggestions  made  during  the  CEA  Con- 
ference at  Eastbourne  that  liberal  finance 
would  be  available  to  produce  20  British  fea- 
tures a  year,  if  exhibitors  would  guarantee 
500  playdates,  have  been  carried  a  stage  fur- 
ther. There,  in  fact,  have  been  meetings  be- 
tween officers  of  the  CEA  and  the  authors 
of  the  plan,  who  include  Capt.  A.  F.  Dixey, 
associated  with  an  earlier  production  plan 
based  on  the  Consolidated  studio  at  Elstree. 

Envisaged  is  a  company  on  lines  similar 
to  the  original  First  National  Circuit  of 
America,  with  exhibitors  as  part  owners  of 
the  producing  and  distributing  organization 
and  contracting  to  take  the  product. 

Skeptics  already  are  pointing  out  that, 
apart  from  the  difficulties  inherent  in  co- 
operative ventures  in  this  industry,  the  Films 
Act  offers  a  serious  obstacle  in  that  its  Book- 
ing Restrictions  section  prohibits  the  book- 
ing of  any  film  until  it  has  been  trade  shown. 


Edward  Finney  at 
Grand  National; 


Edward  Finney  has  resigned  his  post  as 
advertising  and  publicity  director  of  Repub- 
lic Pictures  and  has  joined  Grand  National 
Films,  Inc.,  in  the  same  capacity.  The  ap- 
pointment was  made  by  Carl  Leserman, 
vice-president  and  general  sales  manager. 

Mr.  Finney  has  been  in  the  industry  more 
than  15  years,  having  been  with  United 
Artists  and  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  and  is 
a  past  president  of  the  Associated  Motion 
Picture  Advertisers. 

Al  Adams,  who  had  been  assisting  Mr. 
Finney  at  Republic,  has  been  promoted  to 
take  over  the  company's  advertising  and 
publicity  duties.  Prior  to  his  joining  Re- 
public several  months  ago,  Mr.  Adams  was 
with  United  Artists  for  a  number  of  years. 

Simultaneously  with  the  announcement  of 
Mr.  Finney's  joining  Grand  National  came 
word  that  the  company  has  signed  James 
Cagney  to  a  long-term  contract.  The  actor 
recently  won  an  action  to  have  his  contract 
with  Warners  set  aside  on  the  grounds  that 
it  had  been  breached  through  name  billing 
not  in  keeping  with  provisions  of  the  con- 
tract. Mr.  Cagney  will  leave  New  York, 
where  he  has  been  vacationing,  shortly  for 
Hollywood,  where  his  first  picture  for  the 
new  company  will  start  next  month.  No 
definite  vehicle  has  been  chosen  as  yet  and 
it  is  reported  that  the  actor  has  been  given 
the  privilege  of  aiding  in  the  selection  of 
the  story. 

Mrs.  Jacques  Martin,  73, 
Veteran  Actress,  Dies 

Funeral  services  were  held  this  week  un- 
der the  auspices  of  the  Actors'  Fund  of 
America  for  Mrs.  Jacques  Martin,  veteran 
character  actress,  who  died  last  week-end. 
She  was  73  years  old.  Mrs.  Martin  had 
been  on  the  stage  since  1885  and  achieved 
her  first  Broadway  role  in  1906.  From  that 
year  until  1929  she  starred  in  many  plays 
including  "Daddy  Long  Legs,"  "Shirley 
Kaye,"  "Shore  Leave,"  "The  Bride  Re- 
tires," and  "Tarnish." 

Edward  Smith  Resigns 
As  Boston  Manager 

Edward  A.  Smith  has  resigned  as  man- 
aging director  of  the  Metropolitan  Theatre 
in  Boston  after  three  years  in  that  position. 
The  resignation  came  after  the  announce- 
ment by  the  Mullin  and  Pinanski  circuit 
that  the  theatre  will  go  on  a  straight  picture 
policy  after  Sept.  1st. 


Songwriters  on  Western 

M.  K.  Jerome  and  Jack  Scholl.  composer 
and  lyricist  for  Warner  Brothers'  Pictures, 
Inc.,  are  preparing  music  for  a  new  western 
and  some  color  shorts  at  the  studios  in  Bur- 
bank,  Cal. 


70 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July     18,  1936 


U.S.  FILMS  LEAD  IN  CZECH  IMPORTS 
BUT  COMPETITION  IS  FOUND  STRONG 


End  of  First  Full  Year  of 
Resumption  of  American  Dis- 
tribution Shows  Public  Shop- 
ping  for    Its  Entertainment 

by  HARRY  KNOPF 

in  Prague 

All  distributing  offices  are  busy  with  prep- 
arations for  the  new  season,  which  will  start 
here  between  the  15th  and  31th  of  August. 
The  American  branches  especially  are  workr 
ing  with  full  speed.  They  have  completed 
their  first  year  following  the  three  years  of 
reorganization  of  this  market. 

The  year  has  brought  the  following  de- 
velopments : 

The  German  section  of  the  Czecho- 
slovalcian  Republic  is  refusing  to  play 
American  or  any  other  foreign  language 
pictures,  because  it  prefers  the  German 
product. 

Excessive  exploitation  of  average  films 
as  outstanding  product  does  not  pay. 

The  fact  that  a  picture  has  been  a  suc- 
cess in  other  countries  does  not  insure 
good  box  office  for  it  in  this  territory. 

More  than  160  American  pictures  were 
released  in  Prague  between  August,  1935, 
and  July,  1936— more  than  14  pictures  a 
month,  or  a  premiere  every  other  day.  The 
public  tired  of  this  mass  of  pictures,  some 
good,  some  weak.  A  picture  like  "Back 
Street,"  a  success  all  over,  could  not  run 
longer  than  one  week.  The  Charlie  Chan 
series  and  Shirley  Temple  pictures  were  well 
received,  as  were  "Modern  Times"  and 
"Queen  Christina,"  not  to  forget  Mickey 
Mouse. 

MGM  spent  a  large  amount  in  Czecho 
crowns  in  exploiting  its  product,  unusual  for 
this  country.  So  did  the  others. 

The  approximately  130  American  pictures 
will  be  shown  here  in  the  new  season  1936- 
37.  RKO  has  not  been  longer  represented 
here  for  two  months  and  Warner 
Brothers'  deal  with  the  Prague  representa- 
tive, Emil  Meissner-Film,  is  to  end  soon 
because  the  official  Film  Advisory  Board  is 
refusing  its  affirmation  of  the  prices  War- 
ner Brothers  is  asking,  owing  to  the  regula- 
tions of  the  import  prices  and  guarantees 
under  the  Import  Cartel. 

The  import  figures  for  the  new  season 
appear  as  follows :  Fox,  25  ;  United  Artists, 
23  features,  and  18  Mickey  Mouse  and  Silly 
Symphony  shorts  ;  MGM,  approximately  25  ; 
Paramount,  17;  Columbia,  15;  Universal,  18. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  MGM  led  the  last 
season  quantitatively  and  had  also  a  number 
of  very  good  pictures.  1936-37  will  see 
Twentieth  Century-Fox  in  the  foreground 
as  well  as  United  Artists,  too,  with  its  Alex- 
ander Korda  productions.  A  fine  selection 
of  very  good  features  is  indicated,  with  Par- 
amount, Columbia  and  Universal  also  par- 
ticipating. 

The  United  States  will  be  the  leading 
import  country  for  the  Czechoslovakian 
market  again  for  1937.  It  is  certain  that  we 
will  see  many  interesting  pictures,  but  also 
very  strong  competition.  It  is  not  like  last 
year,  when  theatre  owners  were  paying  for 


pictures  whatever  was  asked  because  Ameri- 
can pictures  had  been  forbidden  here  for 
three  years.  The  theatre  owners  today  are 
carefully  selecting  product.  Besides  Ameri- 
can films,  there  are  also  Austrian,  Ger- 
man, English,  French,  Russian  and  last,  but 
not  least,  the  Czecho  home  production,  which 
will  hp  better  than  last  year's. 

W arners  Dissolve 
First  National 
For  Tax  Economy 

First  National  Pictures,  Inc.,  subsidiary  of 
Warner  Brothers  Pictures,  has  been  dis- 
solved and  its  assets  are  to  be  consolidated 
within  Warners,  sole  owner  of  the  stock. 
The  dissolution,  which  took  place  at  a  meet- 
ing in  Wilmington,  Del.,  last  week  end,  is  in 
line  with  provisions  of  the  new  federal  tax 
law  which  provides  for  tax-free  consolida- 
tions and  it  will  result  in  substantial  tax 
economies  in  the  conduct  of  the  two  com- 
panies. 

First  National  was  founded  early  in  1917 
by  the  late  J.  D.  Williams  and  Thomas 
L.  Talley  through  a  coalition  of  exhibitors 
throughout  the  country  who  planned  their 
own  production  facilities  to  avoid  increas- 
ingly severe  distributors'  terms.  The  new 
organization  signed  such  stars  as  Charlie 
Chaplin,  Mary  Pickford,  the  Talmadges  and 
Thomas  H.  Ince,  producer.  It  expanded 
rapidly  and  for  many  years  was  a  dominant 
factor  in  the  industry,  being  ranked,  with 
Famous  Players-Lasky  and  Metro-Goldwyn- 
Mayer,  as  the  "Big  Three." 

It  operated  the  Strand  on  New  York's 
Broadway  and  this,  together  with  the  large 
Stanley  circuit  in  Philadelphia,  was  acquired 
by  Warner  when  it  gained  control  of  First 
National  in  1929. 

Warner  has  maintained  First  National 
as  an  active  subsidiary,  with  its  own  star 
list  and  the  brand  name  preserved  on  all 
its  releases. 


Walter  Wanger  Addresses 
S.  Rankin  Drew  Post 

Walter  Wanger,  back  from  Italy,  where 
he  is  scheduled  to  produce  from  one  to  three 
pictures  for  United  Artists,  was  principal 
speaker  at  a  luncheon  given  by  the  S.  Ran- 
kin Drew  Post  of  the  American  Legion  at 
the  Astor  Hotel,  New  York,  July  10th.  Mr. 
Wanger  addressed  his  fellow  members  of 
the  post  on  the  subject  of  living  conditions 
in  Italy  under  Fascist  rule,  contrasting  the 
present  state  of  the  country  with  that  of  the 
war  time  nation  he  knew  as  an  aviator 
guilty,  as  he  phrased  it,  of  smashing  five 
Dlanes.  He  did  not  refer  to  motion  pictures 
in  his  address. 


Stock  Units  Delayed 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's  plans  for  a  stock 
company  to  trv  out  new  shows  have  not  been 
completed,  it  was  announced  this  week. 


Canadian  Music 
Deals  Forced  hy 
ASCAP  Move 

Commercial  users  in  the  Dominion  of 
Canada  of  the  copyrighted  music  owned  by 
members  of  the  American  Society  of  Com- 
posers, Authors  and  Publishers  will  have 
to  conduct  their  own  individual  negotiations 
with  copyright  owners  for  the  use  of  their 
music  as  a  result  of  the  impending  with- 
drawal of  ASCAP  from  the  Canadian  Per- 
forming Rights  Society,  it .  was  stated  in 
New  York  this  week  at '  ASCAP  head- 
quarters. .      -  -  - 

The  action  has  a  direct  effect  on  all 
Canadian  theatres,  broadcasters,  orchestras 
and  other  public,  commercial  music  users. 
ASCAP's  decision  to  withdraw  from  the 
Canadian  society  was  made  some  time  ago 
as  a  result  of  the  enactment  in  the  Domin- 
ion of  new  legislation  regulating  charges 
for  the  commercial  use  of  copyrighted 
music.  It  was  stated  at  the  society  that 
while  negotiations  with  Canadian  authori- 
ties looking  to  a  modification  of  the  legisla- 
tion are  still  under  way  they  appear  to  be 
almost  "hopeless"  at  this  time. 

The  society  said  that  the  Canadian  situa- 
tion always  had  been  "unsatisfactory"  be- 
cause royalties  from  sources  within  the 
Dominion  were  insignificant  and  that  the 
passage  of  the  new  restrictive  rate  legisla- 
tion did  not  make  it  worthwhile  for  the 
society  to  continue  doing  business  there 
Indications  are  that  ASCAP  will  retire 
from  the  Canadian  Performing  Rights  So- 
ciety as  soon  as  its  licenses  with  that  or- 
ganization expire  in  the  near  future.  The 
society,  thereafter,  will  act  in  Canada  only 
as  a  "policing"  agency  for  its  American 
members,  obtaining  data  and  evidence  on 
the  unauthorized  performance  of  any  copy- 
righted music  owned  by  its  members  and 
turning  over  this  data  to  the  music  owners 
who  may  proceed  from  there  as  they  see 
fit. 

Meanwhile,  dividend  checks  were  sent  out 
this  week  to  members  of  the  society  from 
New  York  headquarters  following  their 
authorization  by  the  board  of  directors, 
which  met  last  Friday.  The  amount  of  the 
dividends  totaled  $1,050,000,  the  largest 
quarterly  payment  in  the  history  of  the 
organization.  The  payment  of  $950,000  for 
the  first  quarter  of  this  year  was  the  largest 
heretofore. 


Collum  To  Assist  Rivkin 

Joe  Rivkin,  casting  director  for  Hal 
Roach,  has  named  Joe  Collum  as  his  as- 
sistant to  replace  Ben  Chatman. 


Sieqal  In  Buffalo 

Ed  Siegal,  former  manager  of  the  Warner 
Etna  in  Mount  Etna,  Pa.,  is  now  managing 
Schine's  Granada,  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


7! 


THEATRE  RECEIPTS 


The  total  of  theatre  receipts  for  the  calendar  week  ended  July  I  I,  1936,  from  102 
theatres  in  I  7  major  cities  of  the  country  was  $  1 ,000,300,  a  decrease  of  $  1 0 1 ,496  from 
the  total  for  the  preceding  week  ended  July  4,  1936,  when  108  theatres  in  18  large 
cities  aggregated  $1,101,796. 


(Copyright,  1936.    Reproduction  of  material  from  this  department  without  credit  to  Motion  Picture  Herald  expressly  forbidden) 

Theatres  Current  Week  Previous  Week 

Boston  Picture  Gross      Picture  Gross 

^jjcrston   3,246  3Sc-65c 


High  and  Low  Gross 


6,000 


Fenway                  1,382  30c-50c 

Czekh's  Memorial  2,907  25c-65c 

^Loew's  Orpheum.  2,970  25c-S5c 

Lcew's  State  ....  3,537  25c-55c 

.Metropolitan           4,332  3Sc-65c 

^Paramount              1,793  2Sc-S0c 

Buffalo 

Buffalo                   3,489  30c-S0c 

Century                  3,000  25c 

Great  Lakes  ....  3,000  25c-40c 

Hippodrome            2,500  30c-50c 

Lafayette               3,300  25c 

Chicago 

Apollo                    1,400  30c-60c 

^.Chicago                  4,000  35c-68c 

Erlanger                 1,200  50c-$l-50 

Garrick                     900  30c -60c 

Oriental                   3,490  25c -40c 

(^^^PsTace                    2,509  25c-60c 

^--Roosevelt                1,591  30c-60c 

State- Lake             2,776  20c-35c 

^United  Artists...  1,700  30c-60c 

Cleveland 

Allen                      3,300  30c -42c 

Hippodrome            3,800  30c-42c 

30c-60c 


RKO  Palace   3,100 

State                      3,400  30c-42c 

Stillman                  1,900  25c -35c 

Denver 

Aladdin                    1,500  25c-50c 

Broadway                1,500  25c-40c 

Center                    1,500  20c-35c 

Denham                   1,500  25c-40c 


N^Denver    2,500  25c-50c 

Orpheum    2,600  25c-40c 

Paramount    2,000  25c-40c 


"High  Tension"  (20th  Cent.-Fox). 
and  "Below  the  Deadline"  (Ches- 
terfield) 

"Times  Square  Playboy"  (W.B.)....  4,000 
and  "And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.) 


"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)....  7,000 


"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)..  8,500 
and  "Three  of  a  Kind"  (Invincible) 


"San   Francisco"   (MGM)   10,000 

(2nd  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   9,00fl 

(2nd  week) 


"Palm  Springs"  (Para.)  and   3,500 

"The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


"Little  Miss  Nobody"  (20th  Cent.-  7,000 
Fox)  and  "Parole"  (Univ.) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    23,000 

(1st  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    17,000 

(1st  week) 


"Poppy"  (Para.)    19,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Times  Square  Playboy"  (W.B.)  and  6,000 
"And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.) 


'The  White  Angel"  (F.N.) 
(plus  stage  show) 


20,000 


'Palm  Springs"  (Para.)  and   5,000 

'The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


'The  White  Angel"  (F.N.). 


8,700 


"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.). 


...  6,775 


"The  Country  Beyond"  (20th  Cent.-  5.200 
Fox)  and  "Half  Angel"  (20th  Cent.- 
Fox) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   11,800 

(2nd  week) 

'One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)  and  4,800 
'The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.) 

'It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   7,200 


"Counterfeit"  (Col.)    4,700 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    35,000 

(on  stage:  Ted  Weems  and 
Band) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   10,000 

(13th  week) 
"I  Stand  Condemned"  (U.A.)   3,500 

"I  Married  a  Doctor"  (W.B.)   16,500 

(on  stage:  Duncan  Sisters  and 
revue) 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   15,000 

(on  stage:  Paul  Haakon  and  re- 
vue)  (5th  week) 
(Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Films) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   10,400 

"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)   14,000 

(plus  vaudeville) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   22,000 

(2nd  week) 


'Parole"  (Univ.)    5,200 

'The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   12,750 

(9  days) 

"The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  13,000 
(on  stage:  Charley  Chase) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   27,000 


'Poppy"  (Para.)    5,400 

(30c-42c) 


"Special  Investigator"  (Radio)  and  6,100 
'Sky  Parade"  (Para.) 

:'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   1.7,700 

(1st  week) 

'Snowed  Under"  (F.N.)  and   5,300 

'Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio) 

'The  Calling  of  Dan  Matthews"..  5,400 
(Col.)   and   "I.  Conquer   the  Sea" 
(Academy) 


"Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.)  and   5,800 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Films 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   32,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   10,200 

(12th  week) 

"Fury"  (MGM)    6,300 


"Florida  Special"  (Para.)    15,300 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)    16,000 

(on  stage:  Paul  Haakon  and  re- 
vue) (4th  week) 
(Louis-Schmeling   Fight  Films) 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  and   13,200 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Films 

"Sky  Parade"  (Para.)    14,300 

(plus  stage  show) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    25,700 

(1st  week) 


"Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.)  5,700 
and  Schmeling-Louis  Fight  Films 
"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  6,200 
(5  days  -  2nd  week) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   18,500 

(on  stage:    Phil  Baker  and  his 
Radio  Revue) 
"Poppy"   (Para.)   11,000 


'Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.)    2,! 


'Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)   4,000      "Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.) 


3,000 


'Private  Life  of  Henry  VIII"  (U.A.)  2,000 
(re-issue) 

"Morals  of  Marcus"  (GB)   2,000 

(plus  stage  show)  (15c-35c) 

"The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine"..  3,000 
(Para.) 

(4  days)  (return  engagement) 

"The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   2,000 

(Para.)  (3  days) 

'It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   14,000 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Ama- 
teurs) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)  and   14,500 

"Three  Godfathers"  (MGM) 

"Sons  O'Guns".  (W.B.)  and   6,000 

'Secret  Patrol"  (Col.) 


'One  Rainy  Afternoon"   (U.A.)....  1,500 


"Frankie  and  Johnnie"  (Republic)..  2,000 
and  "The  Leavenworth  Case" 
(Republic) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    5,000 


"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)    7,000 

(plus  stage  band) 


"The  Girl  of  the  Ozarks"  (Para.)..  5,500 

and  "Border  Flight"  (Para.) 
"Little  Miss  Nobody"   (20th  Cent-  3,000 

Fox)  and  "Trapped  by  Television" 


(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  9-7  "Hot  Tip"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show  "Folies  Bergere") 
Low  6-13-36  "The  Harvester"  and  ) 

"Abdul  the  Damned  S  4,000 

High  3-14-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Fas-  X 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  J  8,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  ( 

"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"    J  2,500 

High  2-29-36  "Follow  the  Fleet"   37,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"    5,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  25,000 
Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"  and  ) 

"Half   Angel"  J  9,000 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  24,500 
Low  7-6  "Sanders  of  the  River"  and  t 

''Unknown  Woman"  S  7,500 

High  4-6  "Private  Worlds"   56,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  7-20  "Men  Without  Names"   14,000 

High  3-14-36  "The    Story    of  Louis  Pas- 1 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  J  15,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and ) 

"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"     }  4,000 


High  4-27  "Mississippi"   23,800 

Low  7-27  "Broadway  Gondolier"   6,600 

High  1-11-36  "King  of  Burlesque"   9,500 

Low  8-3  "Mad  Love"  and  i 

"Dog  of  Flanders"                 )  3,800 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   22,000 

Low  4-11-36  "Three   Godfathers"  and) 

"Her  Master's  Voice"     J  4,900 

High  2-9  "David  Copperfield"   17,200 

Low   4-11-36    "Timothy's   Quest"   and  I 

"My  Marriage"               j  3,800 

High  1-12  "Broadway   Bill"   17,100 

Low  7-27  "A  Notorious  Gentleman"  and ) 

"Strange  Wives"                     J  4,100 


High  3-21-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pasteur"  11,800 

Low  5-25  "The  Devil  is  a  Woman"   1,000 

High  1-18-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  56,600 
Low  4-27  "Living  on  Velvet"   24,000 


High  1-4-36  "The  Man  Who  Broke  the 

Bank  at  Monte  Carlo"   9,700 

Low  5-4  "One  New  York  Night"   3,000 

High  11-2  "Woman  Wanted"   25,500 

(on  stage.  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 
Low  9-21  "Man  on  the  Flying  Trapeze"  13,400 
High  5-30-36  "Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"  35,200 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor  and  Radio 

Show) 

Low  4-11-36  "Love  Before  Breakfast"..  6,000 

High  1-5  ^'Forsaking  All  Others"   27,000 

Low  11-23  "O'Shaughnessy's  Boy"   7,000 

High  3-23  "The  Little  Minister"   17,000 

Low  7-20  "Alias  Mary  Dow"   8,000 

High  2-29-36  "Modern  Times"   35,500 

Low  4-13  "Vanessa:    Her  Love  Story"..  10,000 


High  1-12  "Bright  Eyes"   9,000 

Low  6-22  "The  Daring  Young  Man"   1,300 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"   27,500 

Low  8-24  "Dante's  Inferno"   5,250 

High  4-6  "Transient  Lady"    39,000 

Low  6-8  "Break  of  Hearts"   5,500 

High  4-18-36  "Petticoat  Fever"   40,500 

(on  stage:  Jack  Benny  and  Mary 
Livingston) 

Low  3-16  "Folies  Bergere"   6,000 

High  2-9  "David  Copperfield"   11,000 

Low  5-9-36  "Too  Many  Parents"   2,000 


High  3-28-36  "Little  Lord  Fauntleroy". .  5,000 
Low  6-22  "Nell    Gwyn"   and  ) 

"My  Heart  Is  Calling"          j  600 

High  5-16-36  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"   8,000 

(50c-$1.36) 

Low  12-28  "Unfinished  Symphony"   300 


High  2-29-36  "Klondike  Annie"   13,000 

Low  8-24  "Without  Regret"   1,750 


High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bountv"  15.000 

Low  12-28  "Here  Comes  the  Band"   1,500 


High  5-18  "Romance  in  Manhattan"   16,000 

Low    12-28   "The   Perfect   Gentleman"...  2,000 

High  5-11  "Bride  of  Frankenstein"   7,000 

Low  11-30  "Bad  Bov" 


72 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


C THEATRE  TECEBTTS—CCNT'TJ 


Theatres 


Current  Week 


Previous  Week 


Picture 


Gross 


Picture 


Gross 


L. 


Hollywood 

Chinese                 2,500  30c-55c 

Fantages                3,000  2Sc-40c 

W.  B.  Hollywood  3,000  25c-40c 

Indianapolis 

Apollo                    1,100  25c-40c 

Circle                    2,800  2Sc-40c 

Loew's                   2,800  25c-40c 

Lyric                     2,000  25c-40c 

Kansas  City 

Mainstreet              3,100  25c-40c 

Midland                  4,000  25c-40c 

Newman                 1,900  25c-40c 

Tower                   2,000  25c 

Uptown                  2,000  25c-40c 

Los  Angeles 

Carthay                  1,518  50c-$1.50 

Four  Star                900  30c-55c 

Grand  Intern't'l..    750  35c-40c 

Hillstreet               2,700  25c- 40c 

Loew's  State  ...  2,500  30c-55c 

Paramount             3,596  30c-55c 

W.  B.  Downtown  3,400  25c -40c 

Minneapolis 

Lyric                     1,239  20c-25c 

Minnesota               4,000  25c-55c 

RKO  Orpheum...  2,900  25c-40c 

State                     2,300  25c-40c 

World                      400  25c-35c 

Montreal 

Capitol                   2,547  25c-60c 

Loew's                   3,115  25c-60c 

Palace                    2,600  25c-65c 

Princess                 2,272  25c-65c 

New  York 

Astor   1,141  55c-$2.20 

Capitol                   4,700  25c-85c 

Palace                    2,500  25c-75c 

Paramount             3,700  35c-99c 

Rialto                       594  25c-65c 

Rivoli                    2,200  40c-99c 

RKO  Music  Hall  5,954  40c-$1.65 

Roxy                     6,200  25c-S5c 

Strand                    3,000  25c-55c 


"San  Francisco"   (MGM)   15,500 

(2nd  week) 
"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)  and  7,800 
"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Hot  Money"  (W.B.)   5,100 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   2,500 

(2nd  week) 

"Hearts   Divided"   (F.N.)   and   5,000 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Films 

"San  Francisco"   (MGM)   7,200 

(2nd  week) 

"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)   6,500 

(plus  stage  show) 


"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   9,500 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   13,800 

(2nd  week) 
"Florida  Special"  (Para.)   6,500 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.)    7,700 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Champagne  Charlie"   (20th  Cent.-  3,500 
Fox)    and   "Little   Miss  Nobody" 
(20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(6  days) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   10,500 

(12th  week) 
"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   3,500 

(2nd  week) 
"Men  on  Wings"  (Amkino)   1,900 

"The  Bride  Steps  Out"  (Radio)  and  7,200 
"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   16,500 

(2nd  week) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    20,800 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Hot  Money"  (W.B.)   5,000 

"Speed"  (MGM)    1,900 

(2nd  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   12,000 

"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)   5,000 

"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM)....  700 
(2  days) 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   2,000 

(3rd  week) 

"Trouble  for  Two"  (MGM)  and   8,000 

"Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM) 

"King  of  the  Damned"  (GB)  and...  8,500 
"Palm  Springs"  (Para.) 
(plus  stage  show) 

"Fatal  Lady"  (Para.)  and   9,000 

"Poppy"  (Para.) 

'Rhodes,  the  Empire  Builder"  (GB)  8,500 
and  "Pot  Luck"  (British) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   13,100 

(14th  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   48,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  6,000 
and  "The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.) 

'Poppy"  (Para.)    26,000 

(on  stage:  Harriet  Hilliard  and 
Ozzie  Nelson)  (3rd  week) 
'The  Lawless  Nineties"  (Republic)  6,000 
(2nd  week) 

T  Stand  Condemned"  (U.A.)   8,000 

'The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  50,000 
Cent.-Fox) 

(plus  stage  show)  (2nd  week) 

'The  Harvester"  (Republic)   23,500 

(On  stage;  Three  Stooges) 

'The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   19,000 

(2nd  week) 


"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    15,000 

(1st  week) 

"Parole"   (Univ.)   and   5,488 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 

(2nd  week) 
"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   8,000 


"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)    3,500 

(1st  week) 

"Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.)  and   11,000 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Films 


•San  Francisco"  (MGM)    13,000 

(1st  week) 

'Educating  Father"  (20th  Cent-Fox)  9,000 
(on  stage:    "Fats"  Waller  and 
band) 


"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)  and   6,800 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Films 
(6  days) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    23,500 

(1st  week) 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)   5,600 

"Here  Comes  Trouble"  (20th  Cent-  6,100 
Fox)  (plus  stage  show) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)  and   3,200 

"The  Country  Beyond"  (20th  Cent- 
Fox)  (5  days  -  2nd  week) 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   12,600 

(11th  week) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)    4,800 

1st  week) 

"Sluby  Ulanskie"  (Foreign)   1,350 

(4  days) 

"Parole"   (Univ.)   and   8,933 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 

(2nd  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    20,250 

(1st  week) 

"The  Princess  Comes  Across"   15,000 

(Para.)  (plus  stage  show) 


'The  White  Angel"  (F.N.). 


8,200 


"Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.)   1,000 

(4  days) 

"Speed"  (MGM)    700 

(3  days  -  1st  week) 

'One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)   10,000 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)   6,000 

"Fury"   (MGM)    5,500 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   4,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)  and...  8,000 
"Dancing  Pirate"  (Radio) 

"Speed"  (MGM)  and      9,500 

'The  Leathernecks  Have  Landed".. 
(Republic) 
(on    stage:    Roger    Pryor  and 
revue) 

'Fury"   (MGM)    9,500 


"And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.)  5,000 
and  "Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.) 
(Louis-Schmeling  fight)  (2nd  week) 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   16,500 

(13th  week) 
"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   65,000 

(1st  week) 

"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)  and   6,000 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 
(Louis-Schmeling  fight) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    34,000 

(on  stage:    Harriet  Hilliard  and 
O^zie  Nelson)  (2nd  week) 
"The  Lawless  Nineties"  (Republic)  7,000 
(plus  Louis-Schmeling  fight) 
(1st  week) 

"Dancing  Pirate"   (Radio)..'.   4,000 

(2nd  week) 
"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  Cent-  83,500 
Fox)  (plus  stage  show)  (1st  week) 

"Parole"  (Univ.)    23,300 

(on  stage:   Edgar  Kennedy) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 


High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"   26,000 

Low  5-4  "West  Point  of  the  Air"   4,900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"    19,000 

Low  4-13  "Mister  Dynamite"  and  \ 

"Great  God  Gold"  J  2,500 

High  9-7  "Page  Miss  Glory"   15,300 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"    4,000 


High  3-14-36  "The  Country  Doctor"....  8,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"    1,600 

High  4-25-36  "The  Moon's  Our  Home" ) 

and   "Silly   Billies"            )  9,700 
(in   place  of   "Silly   Billies,"   on  stage 
Lum  'n'  Abner  for  Saturday  and  Sunday) 

Low  3-16  "Transient  Lady"   2,000 

High  2-15-36  "Exclusive  Story"   15,000 

(on  stage:  Cab  Calloway  and  band) 

Low  4-6  "Casino  Murder  Case"   2,750 

High  3-28-36  "The  Leathernecks  Have 

Landed"   13,300 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 

Low  2-7  "Murder  of  Dr.  Harrigan"   5,700 

(on  stage:  vaudeville) 

High  11-23  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs"  22,000 
Low  1-12  "I  Sell  Anything"   2,000 

High  8-24  "China  Seas"   25,000 

Low  9-14  "Bonnie  Scotland"   6,000 

High  5-25  "Goin'  to  Town"   14,000 

Low  5-18  "Dinky"    3,000 

High  1-18-36  "Magnificent  Obsession"..  14,500 

Low  3-14-36  "Lady  of  Secrets"   5,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

High  9-7  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"..  11,000 

Low  7-27  "Black  Sheep"    2,100 


High  5-18  "Les  Miserables"   7,800 

Low  12-17  "The  Return  of  Peter  Grimm"  2,400 

High  1-4-36  "The  New  Gulliver"    3,200 

Low  12-7  "Such  a  Girl  You  Never  Forget  900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"    17,000 

Low  11-2  "Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"....  2,800 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   24,500 

Low  10-26  "Way  Down  East"   6,200 

High  8-10  "Paris  in  Spring"   32,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  9,126 
(plus  stage  show)  (5  days) 

High   1-11-36  "Captain  Blood"   17,100 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"    3,800 

High  12-14  "Show  Them  No  Mercy"....  2,000 
Low  8-17  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and) 

"Sanders  of  the  River"        j  1,200 

High  1-4-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  31,326 

Low  4-4-36  "Klondike  Annie"    8,000 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"    18,000 

Low  6-13-36  "The  Golden  Arrow"   3,000 

High  11-2  "Broadway  Melody  of  1936"..  7,000 

Low  5-30-36  "The  Unguarded  Hour"   5.000 

High  6-8  "Thunder  in  the  East"   5,000 

Low  11-16  "Born  for  Glory"   2,000 


High  2-9  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"  

Low  8-3  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"  and  ) 
"College  Scandal"  | 
High  1-11-36  "Broadway   Hostess"  and/ 
"The  Rainmakers"  | 
Low  6-15  "Mark  of  the  Vampire"  and  ! 

"Baby   Face   Harrington"  ) 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty" 
Low  7-20  "Drake  of  England"  and 

"The  Nitwits" 
High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"  and 

"Guard  That  Girl" 
Low  12-28  "Remember  Last  Night?" 
and  "East  of  Java" 


15,500 

7,000 
15,000 

5,500 
15,000 

7,500 
12,500 

3,000 


'The  White  Angel"  (F.N.). 
(1st  week) 


35,000 


High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"   87,400 

Low  5-30-36  "Three  Wise  Guys"   7,000 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"    15,000 

Low  5-23-36  "Champagne  Charlie"  and  ) 

"Human  Cargo"                  J  5,000 

High  1-19  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"..  65,300 

Low  12-21  "Millions  in  the  Air"   10,000 


High  2-15-36  "Modern  Times"   65,000 

Low  6-29  "Nell  Gwvn"    8,100 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"   131,200 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low   11-30  "Crime  and   Punishment"...  45,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  1-4-36  "If  You  Could  Only  Cook"..  62,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  4-20  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   17,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

High  5-11  "The  G  Men"   60,138 

Low  4-4-36  "Snowed  Under"    6,100 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


73 


[THEATRE  RECEIPTS—CONT'D] 


Theatres 


Oklahoma  City 

Capitol                    1,200  10c-41c 

Criterion                 1,700  10c-55c 

Liberty                   1,500  10c-36c 

Midwest                 1,500  10c-55c 

Omaha 

Brandeis                 1,200  25c-40c 

Omaha                    2,200  25c -40c 

Orpheum                 3,000  2Sc-40c 


Current  Week 


Picture 


Gross 


"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)   1,900 

"It's  Love  Again  (GB)   6,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Moonlight  Murder"  (MGM)   2,800 

(plus  stage  show)  (4  days) 
(10c-41c) 

"Brides  Are  Like  That"  (F.N.)   400 

(3  days) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   4,000 


"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)  and...  5,200 
"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)  and   11,600 

"The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent. -Fox) 


"Poppy"   (Para.)  and  

"Gentle    Julia"    (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


7,600 


Previous  Week 


Picture 


Gross 


"Speed"    (MGM)    1,800 

(6  days) 

"Sons  O'  Guns"  (W.B.)    4,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)    2,200 

(4  days) 

"Times  Square  Playboy"  (W.B.)...  500 
(3  days) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    8,200 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)  and    5,200 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Films 
(5  days) 

"The  Country  Beyond"  (20th  Cent-  3,800 
Fox)  and  "It's  Love  Again"  (GB) 
(5  days) 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  and   7,150 

"I  Married  a  Doctor"  (W.B.) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 


High  3-9  "  Wings  in  the  Dark"   3,700 

Low  5-9-36  "Big  Brown  Eyes"   1,300 

High  9-14  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"  10,000 

Low  11-2  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs".  2,500 
High  1-19  "Gentlemen  Are  Born"  and) 

"Crime  Doctor"                       )  4,200 
Low  10-26  "Little  Big  Shot"  and 
"I  Live  for  Love" 


High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty".. 
Low  8-24  "The  Farmer  Takes  a  Wife" 


1,500 

8,800 
1,800 


High  9-14  "Top  Hat"    9,500 

Low  6-6-36  "Dancing  Pirate"  and  / 

"Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"  f  2,600 
High   7-11-36   "San   Francisco"  and 

"The  First  Baby" 

Low  10-5  "Dante's    Inferno"  and 

"She  Gets  Her  Man" 
High  2-29-36  "Exclusive  Story"  

(on  stage:  Ted  Lewis) 
Low  12-28  "Mister    Hobo"    and  ) 

"Three  Kids  and  a  Queen" J  5,800 


1 

S  11,600 


3,600 
21,150 


Philadelphia 

Arcadia    600  25c-50c 

^oyd    2,400  40c-55c 

Earle    2,000  25c-55c 

Fox    3,000  40c -65c 

Karlton    1,066  25c-40c 

Keith's    2,000  30c-50c 

Stanley    3,700  40c-55c 

^Stanton    1,700  30c-50c 


•Trouble  for  Two"  (MGM)   2,000 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   8,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)   12,000 

(plus  stage  show)  (6  days) 
"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  24,000 
Cent.-Fox) 

(on  stage:  Paul  Ash  and  revue) 
"Palm  Springs"  (Para.)   1,800 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)   2,000 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   30,000 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.)    5,800 


"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)    2,200 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   17,000 

(7*4  days  -  1st  week) 

"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)   12,000 

(plus  stage  show)  (6  days) 
"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)...  17,000 
(plus  Schmeling-Louis  Fight  Films 
and  stage  show) 
"Private  Number"    (20th  Cent.-Fox)  4,100 

"Fatal  Lady"  (Para.)    1,800 

(6  days) 

"Hearts  Divided"   (F.N.)    11,000 

"Parole"  (Univ.)    5,000 


High  1-25  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"....  4,800 

Low  9-21  "Bonnie  Scotland"    800 

High  1-4-36  "A  Tale  of  Two  Cities"....  30,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"    6,000 

High  1-4-36  "Miss  Pacific  Fleet"   22,000 

Low  10-5  "I  Live  for  Love"   9,500 

High  5-9-36  "Under  Two  Flags"  31,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  9-28  "Redheads  on  Parade"   7,500 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"    6,300 

Low  6-1  "Dinky"    1,200 

High  4-13  "Roberta"    5,800 

'«w  1-2  "The  Right  to  Live"   900 

High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   30,000 

Low  5-11  "Stolen  Harmony"   4,000 

High  1-11-36  "Riffraff"    10,000 

Low  3-23  "Captain  Hurricane"   1,800 


San  Francisco 

Clay    400  15c-35c 

Embassy    1,400  15c-35c 

Fox    5,651  10c-35c 

Geary    1,400  55c-$1.65 

Golden  Gate  ....  2,800  15c-40c 


Orpheum                2,440  15c -40c 

Paramount              2,670  15c -40c 

St.    Francis           1,430  15c-40c 

United  Artists...  1,400  15c-65c 

Warfield                 2,700  15c-40c 


"Larsson's  Second  Marriage"  (Scan- 
dinavian)   800 

"The  Harvester"  (Republic)  and....  3,200 
"Born  to  Gamble"  (Liberty) 
(plus  Louis-Schmeling  Fight 
Films)  (2nd  week) 

"Crash  Donovan"  (Univ.)  and   6,500 

"The  Girl  of  the  Ozarks"  (Para.) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   4,500 

(5  days  -  4th  week) 

"Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.)   17,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

"The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)   5,200 

(3rd  week) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   23,000 

"Poppy"  (Para.)  and   6,500 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.   Forbes"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox) 

'One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)   5,000 

(2nd  week) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)  and   14,500 

"High  Tension"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


"We  Are  from  Kronstadt"    1,200       High   12-28  "Peasants"    2  500 

(Amkmo)  Low  7-11-36  "Larsson's  Second  Marriage"  '800 

The  Harvester     (Republic)  and..   3,000  High  4-11-36  "Penitente  Murder  Case"...  6,500 

Born  to  Gamble     (Liberty)  Low  12-7  "Two  Sinners"  and  ) 

(plus  Louis -Schmehng  Fight  "$1,000  a  Minute"  J  2,000 
Films)  (1st  week) 

"Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.)    5,800  High  8-3  "Champagne  for  Breakfast"....  14,800 

and  "Bar  20  Rides  Again"  (Para.)  Low  11-30  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  ) 

,™  "Freckles"                           f  4,000 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   8,000   ...... V„ 

(3rd  week)  ✓ 

"And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.)  23,503  High  3-28-36  "The    Leathernecks  Have 

and  Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Films  Landed"    29  000 

•  (plus  stage  band)  (on  stage;  Burns  and  Allen) 

Low  5-23-36  "Dancing  Pirate"   9,000 

,,r™             r.        ~    ,,  ,„  .  (plus  stage  band) 

The  King  Steps  Out    (Col.)   7,000      High  7-20  "Love  Me  Forever"   16,780 

(2nd  week)  Low  10-26  "King  Solomon  of  Broadway"  ) 

,.t         „■      „T  ,    j  „        ,    „  and  "Fighting  Youth"            (  4,800 

Little  Miss  Nobody"  (20th  Cent..-  11,000       High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   23,000 

hox)  and    Its  Love  Again'  (GB)  Low  3.2  "Living  on  Velvet"  and  ) 

„t     ,    „  ,„„  ,  „       „  "A|l  the  King's  Horses"        j  8,500 

Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)   5,500      High  1-19  "The  County  Chairman"   11,000 

and    Human  Cargo'  Low  6-29  "No  More  Ladies"   5  000 

(20th  Cent.-Fox)  (2nd  week) 

"One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)....    7,500      High  10-26  "Barbary  Coast"   15,000 

(1st  week)  Low  12-28  "Mimi"    2  500 

"Poppy"  (Para.)  and    14,500      High  10-5  "I  Live  My  Life"   35,000 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"  (plus  stage  show) 

(20th  Cent.-Fox)  Low  3-28-36  "Colleen"  and  ) 

"Too  Many  Parents"        )  13,000 


Seattle 

Blue  Mouse             950  25c-55c 

i^Fifth  Avenue        2,500  25c-55c 

(^.Liberty                   1,800  15c-55c 

Music  Box                 950  25c-55c 

Orpheum                 2,450  25c-40c 

Palomar                  1,500  15c-30c 

Paramount              3,050  15c-30c 


"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)  and   4,400 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Film 

(2nd  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   12,500 

(9  days) 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)..  3,600 
(13th  week) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   3,500 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  and   5,200 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.   Forbes"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox) 

"Gentle  Julia"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)   3,300 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Palm  Springs"  (Para.)  and   4,150 

"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(20c-30c) 


"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)  and   5,600       High  11-30  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   6,100 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Films  Low  2-16  "Million  Dollar  Baby"  and  J 

(1st  week)  "Notorious   Gentleman"  ]  2,900 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)   4,100      High  5-11  "Naughty  Marietta"   10,200 

(5  days)  Low  4-25-36  "The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome 

Pine"    2.600 

Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)..  3,150      High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   7,900 

(12th  week)  Low  4-13  "White   Lies"   and  ] 

<1T,       „  ,„      „  "Happy  Landing"  ]  2,700 

Poppy     (Para.)    3,200      High  3-16  "Roberta"    6,100 

Low  1-26  "The  Man  Who  Reclaimed  His 

„_,                                                                           Head"    2.850 

The  Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"..  5,650      High  9-21  "Top  Hat"    10,400 

(Para.)   and   "Let's   Sing  Again"  Low  8-31  "Dante's  Inferno"  and  | 

(Radio)  "Lady  Tubbs"  J  4,800 

"Absolute  Quiet"  (MGM)    4,750  

(plus  stage  show) 

"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)  and..  3.8CP      High  12-14  "Annie  Oakley"   9.200 

"Half  Angel"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  Low  6-6-36  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  and) 

"Times  Square  Playboy"      (  3,250 


74 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July     18,  1936 


P'niPlll 


J.  C  JENKINS-HIS  COLYUM 


Park  Rapids,  Minn. 

Dear  Herald: 

Boy,  oh  boy !  Yesterday  we  went  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sherm  Fitch  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  French  over  to  Leach  lake  and  yanked 
out  a  lotta  walleyed  pike.  That  is,  since 
there  is  no  one  to  dispute  it  or  furnish 
proof  to  the  contrary  we  will  say  that  we 
yanked  out  a  lotta  of  'em.  We  might  tell 
you  about  the  size  of  some  of  them  but 
then  you  know  walleyes  seldom  ever  get 
to  weigh  over  18  pounds,  avoirdupois. 

We  wouldn't  want  to  say  that  we  caught 
the  most  of  them  for  fear  they  might  hear  . 
of  it  and  that  would  start  an  argument,  and 
we  don't  like  arguments.  Anyhow  we  came 
home  to  Sherm's  lodge  with  enough  fish 
for  the  whole  neighborhood. 

But  maybe  you  don't  know  who  Sherm 
Fitch  and  Mr.  French  are.  Sherm  is  the 
RKO  branch  manager  at  Sioux  Falls,  South 
Dakota,  and  Mr.  French  is  a  Government 
postal  inspector  at  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  and 
the  two  ladies  who  came  with  them  are 
their  wives,  and  how  those  ladies  can  cook 
and  fish.   Oh  gosh.  Gee  whiz. 

V 

We  left  Sioux  Falls  early  in  the  morn- 
ing and  drove  over  to  Luverne,  Minnesota, 
to  see  Herman  Jochmans,  who  operates  the 
theatre  there,  but  Herman  was  still  in  bed, 
and  not  wanting  to  disturb  a  man  when 
he  was  asleep  we  drove  on  up  to  Pipestone 
to  see  Lou  Feldman,  who  operates  Pipe- 
stone's popular  theatre,  and  Lou  hadn't  got 
around  yet,  so  we  drove  down  to  his  house 
but  he  was  still  in  bed. 

Lou  has  a  dog  that  seemed  to  regard 
us  as  an  ordinary  tramp.  He  showed  us 
what  nice  white  teeth  he  had  but  we  would 
have  taken  his  word  for  it  without  so  much 
proof.  We  finally  persuaded  him  to  allow 
us  to  look  Lou's  rock  garden  over  with 
the  understanding  that  we  were  not  to  re- 
move any  of  the  rocks,  and  speaking  of 
rock  gardens,  we  want  to  give  you  boys 
a  tip. 

If  you  ever  go  to  Pipestone,  you  must 
be  sure  to  call  on  Lou  and  have  him  show 
you  his  rock  garden,  for  there  is  nothing 
equal  to  it  in  Minnesota.  Then,  besides 
that,  you  must  be  sure  to  see  his  theatre 
and  the  way  he  has  it  decorated.  He  has 
added  a  swell  canopy  since  we  were  there 
before. 

V 

We  stopped  at  several  theatres  after  we 
left  Pipestone  but  found  that  the  managers 
had  mostly  gone  to  visit  their  wife's  folks 
for  a  holiday.  At  Montevideo  we  had  the 
pleasure  of  meeting  our  old  friend  Jack 
McCarty,  who  operates  the  popular  theatre 
of  west  Minnesota. 

Jack  was  just  like  he  always  is,  sober  and 
sensible,  and  our  chief  regret  was  that  we 
couldn't  stop  and  visit  with  him  as  long 
as  we  would  have  liked  to  have  done,  but 
then  maybe  some  other  time.  We  told  Jack 
to  give  Mrs.  McCarty  our  kind  regards  and 
he  said  he  would  do  it,  and  now  we  are 
wondering  if  he  did. 

V 

The  manager  of  the  theatre  at  Benson 
had  gone  fishing  and  we  failed  to  see  him, 


but  who  could  blame  anyone  for  going 
fishing?  Anyone  who  won't  fish  might  even 
throw  rocks  at  your  bull  dog,  who  knows? 

Glenwood  is  located  on  the  bank  of  a 
beautiful  lake  and  is  surrounded  by  summer 
cottages  occupied  by  people  who  come  there 
to  escape  the  warm  weather  down  south. 
Glenwood  has  something  like  four  thousand 
people,  when  they  are  all  there,  and  when 
they  are  all  there  business  is  good  at  the 
Glenwood  theatre,  which  is  operated  by  H. 
J.  Longacre.  But  when  it  is  30  below  we 
have  our  doubts  about  them  all  being  there. 
We  stopped  over  night  at  Glenwood  to  see 
H.  J.  and  learned  that  he  was  at  his  summer 
cabin  on  a  lake  near  Alexandria  and  was 
sick  with  intestinal  flu.  However,  we  had 
a  nice  visit  with  his  son  Harry  and  wife 
who  operate  the  theatre  when  H.  J.  is 
away. 

The  next  morning  we  drove  up  to  Alex- 
andria and  met  Mr.  Jacobs  of  the  State 
theatre  but  didn't  get  to  visit  with  him 
very  long  because  had  more  important  busi- 
ness with  some  others.  Then  we  went  and 
saw  the  Andri  theatre,  a  new  one  that  had 
recently  been  built  by  the  Baer  Brothers 
one  of  whom  lives  in  Bemidji  and  the  other 
in  Minneapolis.  The  Andri  is  a  beautiful 
theatre  and  it  no  doubt  is  something  for 
Alexandria  to  be  proud  of,  in  fact  it  is 
about  as  pretty  a  theatre  as  we  have  seen 
in  a  long  time  and  it  seats  something  like 
950  customers  and  is  well  equipped  through- 
out. 

We  went  out  to  see  H.  J.  and  found  him 
in  bed,  but  on  the  road  to  recovery,  but  he 
said  the  road  was  pretty  long  and  rough, 
and  we  found  Mrs.  Longacre  acting  as  his 
special  nurse,  and  our  judgment  is  that  she 
is  some  nurse  too.   You  know,  Elmer,  it 


SHORT  PRODUCT 
PLAYING  BROADWAY 


Week  of  July  11 
CAPITOL 

Three  Little  Pups  MGM 

MUSIC  HALL 

Going  Places,  No.  22  Universal 

Sport  Magic   Columbia 

PARAMOUNT 

I  Wanna  Be  a  Lifeguard  ...  Paramount 
Paramount  Pictorial,  No.  12.  Paramount 
Wonderland  of  the  Gaspe.  .  Dynamic 

RIALTO 

Half  Shot  Shooters  Columbia 

RIVOLI 

Movie  Melodies  on  Parade .  Paramount 
Through  the  Mirror  United  Artists 

ROXY 

Betty  Boop  and  the  Little 

King   Paramount 

Wholesailing  Along  .  .  RKO  Radio 

Stranger  Than  Fiction,  No. 20. Universal 

STRAND 

Shanghaied  Shipmates  Vitaphone 

Whale  Ho!   Vitaphone 

I'm  Much  Obliged  Vitaphone 


is  pretty  easy  to  visit,  too  long  with  a  sick 
man,  and  we  are  afraid  we  did.  We  found 
it  easy  to  visit  with  him  but  pretty  hard 
to  get  away.  Our  hope  is  that  he  will  soon 
be  up  on  the  job  again. 

V 

There  is  just  one  thing  about  Minnesota 
that  we  don't  like:  their  Gopher  football 
team  skins  our  Cornhuskers  about  every- 
time  they  get  at  'em,  and  there  is  no  dog- 
gone sense  in  them  letting  'em  do  that. 
V 

We  recently  toured  Kansas.  We  went  as 
far  west  in  the  state  as  it  seemed  advisable 
to  go.  When  we  got  to  the  border  of  the 
"dry  belt"  we  were  advised  not  to  go  any 
farther  because  of  business  conditions.  We 
were  told  that  the  wheat  in  western  Kansas 
was  practically  gone  because  of  the  lack 
of  moisture.  From  what  we  have  been  able 
to  learn,  a  large  portion  of  the  wheat  belt 
of  the  middle  west  has  practically  been 
burned  up,  and  this  makes  us  wonder 
whether  we  will  have  to  eat  corn  pone 
instead  of  biscuits  this  winter.  It  won't  be 
necessary  for  the  government  to  pay  the 
farmers  to  plow  under  any  wheat  to  make 
a  scarcity,  nature  is  attending  to  that  job. 
We  also  learn  that  a  large  proportion  of 
the  wheat  section  of  Canada  is  affected  by 
dry  weather.  Wheat  is  just  like  us  Nebras- 
kans,  it  has  to  have  a  drink  once  in  a  while. 
V  _ 

Tomorrow  we  are  going  over  to  Detroit 
Lakes  to  see  Andy  and  Herb  Anderson. 
We  understand  these  boys  have  built  a  new 
and  a  very  beautiful  theatre  over  there. 
That's  just  the  way  it  is  with  these  two 
Anderson  boys,  they  are  always  doing  some- 
thing big  that  way,  but  then  Detroit  Lakes 
can  stand  a  nice,  new  theatre,  although 
she  already  had  a  good  one.  Then  we  ex- 
pect to  go  on  into  North  Dakota  to  see 
John  Piller  of  Valley  City  and  some  more 
of  the  boys,  but  we  are  told  that  North 
Dakota  is  even  worse  off  than  western 
Kansas.  Well,  there's  bound  to  be  a  letup 
some  time. 

COLONEL  J.  C.  JENKINS 
The  HERALD's  Vagabond  Colyumnist 

The  Herald  covers  the  FIELD  like  an 
APRIL  SHOWER. 


George  Rich  Joins  Peslcay 

George  Rich,  Long  Island  district  man- 
ager for  Skouras  Theatres,  left  the  circuit 
this  week  to  become  general  manager  for 
Edward  Peskay's  Palace  and  Strand  at 
Stamford,  Conn. 


"Zombie"  Title  Revised 

The  title  of  "Revolt  of  the  Zombies," 
over  which  there  has  been  a  court  suit  re- 
sulting in  an  injunction,  has  been  changed 
to  "Revolt  of  the  Demons"  by  Academy  Pic- 
tures. 


Branch  Office  To  Open 

National  Screen  Service  will  establish  a 
branch  office  in  Kansas  City  to  handle  ship- 
ments of  all  items  the  company  offers  to  ex- 
hibitors in  the  western  Missouri  and  Kansas 
territory.  The  office  will  open  in  August. 


July     18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


75 


WHAT  THE  PICTURE 
DID  FOR  ME 


Columbia 


DEADLINE,  THE:  Buck  Jones,  Loretta  Sayers— 
Played  on  hottest  Sunday  to  date.  So  can't  kick  on 
limited  business  it  drew.  Running  time,  63  minutes. 
Flayed  July  5-7.— C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre,  Ham- 
ilton, Ohio.   Familly  patronage. 

HEIR  TO  TROUBLE:  Ken  Maynard,  Joan  Perry- 
Fair.  Normal  business.  Played  June  20. — C.  W.  Mills 
Co.,  Inc.,  Arcade  Theatre,  Sodus,  N.  Y.  Family 
patronage. 

MINE  WITH  THE  IRON  DOOR,  THE:  Richard 
Arlen,  Cecelia  Parker — Just  an  average  program  pic- 
ture that  will  get  by  if  your  audience  is  not  too 
discriminating. — A.  E.  Hancock,  Columbia  Theatre, 
Columbia  City,  Ind.    General  patronage. 

MUSIC  GOES  'ROUND,  THE:  Harry  Richman, 
Rochelle  Hudson — The  audience  liked  it  but  I  thought 
the  music  went  'round  a  few  too  many  times. — C.  Mc- 
Kusick,  Assistant  Manager,  Community  Theatre, 
Guilford,  Maine.   Small  town  and  rural  patronage. 

PARTY  WIRE:  Jean  Arthur,  Victor  Jory— Excel- 
lent program  picture.  As  good  a  job  of  casting  as 
you  can  find.  Played  June  24-25. — C.  F.  Fismer,  Lyric 
Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio.    Family  patronage. 

TWO  FISTED  LAW:  Tim  McCoy,  John  Wayne, 
Alice  Day — Another  McCoy  reissue  that  clicked. 
John  Wayne  appears  enough  to  rate  billing  if  you 
are  using  his  pictures.  We  made  our  own  posters, 
using  stills  of  McCoy  and  Wayne,  and  did  excellent 
business  in  spite  of  hot  weather.  Running  time,  six 
reels.  Played  June  28-30.— C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  The- 
atre, Hamilton,  Ohio.    Family  patronage. 


First  National 


MURDER  OF  DR.  HARRIGAN,  THE:  Ricardo 
Cortez,  Mary  Astor,  Kay  Linaker — Very  good  mystery 
story.  For  once,  Ricardo  Cortez  does  not  play  the 
part  of  the  heavy  villain  and  it  is  rather  a  welcome 
change.  Running  time,  67  minutes.  Flayed  June 
10-11.— Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon, 
Kansas.    Small  town  patronage. 

SINGING  KID,  THE:  Al  Jolson,  Sybil  Jason, 
Allen  Jenkins,  Edward  Everett  Horton — If  ever  an 
audience  got  an  overdose  of  a  star,  this  picture  has 
it.  It  is  Jolson  all  the  way.  Every  gag  was  fed  to 
him.  Every  scene  had  him  in.  He  can't  forget  his 
Mammy.  How  a  star  can  get  an  idea  that  he  can 
carry  a  complete  show  is  beyond  me.  And  that  goes 
for  the  audience,  too.  They  got  each  a  plenty ;  some 
said  if  they  saw  him  any  more  that  would  be  too  soon. 
If  he  had  given  his  cast  ?  little  chance  and  the  Yacht 
Club  Boys  another  number,  it  would  have  taken  the 
curse  off  so  much  Jolson.  As  it  is  I,  like  another  ex- 
hibitor's comment,  think  that  he  is  all  washed  up. — 
A.  E.  Hancock,  Columbia  Theatre,  Columbia  City,  Ind. 
General  patronage. 

SNOWED  UNDER:  George  Brent,  Genevieve  Tobin 
— It  has  its  moments  but  there  was  too  much  dialogue 
and  not  enough  action.  A  rather  insipid  story  re- 
volving around  a  third  act  for  a  play.  Not  much  to 
the  picture.— A.  E.  Hancock,  Columbia  Theatre,  Col- 
umbia City,  Ind.    General  patronage. 

SNOWED  UNDER:  George  Brent,  Genevieve  Tobin. 
— Comedy  that  pleased.  Not  much  of  a  story  but 
plenty  of  laughs  and  that  is  what  they  want.  Run- 
ning time,  63  minutes.  Played  June  24-25.— Gladys  E. 
McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kansas.  Small  town 
patronage. 

SONG  OF  THE  SADDLE:  Dick  Foran,  Alma 
Loyd — Very  good  western  featuring  the  "Singing 
Cowboy."  Plenty  of  thrills  for  the  action  fans.  Run- 
ning time,  56  minutes.  Played  June  17-18.— Gladys  E. 
McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kansas.  Small  town 
patronage. 


Gaumont  British 

BORN  FOR  GLORY:  Barry  Mackay,  John  Mills 
—Just  fair.  Story  hard  to  follow.  Sea  battle  well 
staged  and  sound  best  we  have  had  so  far  from  GB. 
Running  time,  69  minutes.  Flayed  June  17-18.— C.  E. 
Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio.  Family 
patronage. 

M.  H.  Hoffman,  Jr. 

CLEARING  THE  RANGE:  Hoot  Gibson,  Sally 
Eilers— With  all  the  good  reissue  westerns  such  as 
this  available,  we  have  enough  to  pass  up  the  new 


IN  this,  the  exhibitors'  own  de- 
partment, the  theatremen  of  the 
nation  serve  one  another  with 
information  on  the  box  office  per- 
formance of  product  for  their  mu- 
tual benefit.  It  is  a  service  of  the 
exhibitor  for  the  exhibitor.  Address 
all  communications  to — 

What  the  "Picture  Did  for  Me 

MOTION   PICTURE  HERALD 

Rockefeller  Center,  New  York 


releases  that  are  average  or  below  par.  Running 
time,  57  minutes.  Played  June  21-23. — C.  E.  Fismer, 
Lyric  Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio.    Family  patronage. 

Metro-Gold  wyn-Mayer 

BOHEMIAN  GIRL,  THE:  Laurel  and  Hardy— This 
was  what  I  call  a  good  musical  slapstick  comedy. 
Lots  of  real  slapstick  comedy  in  the  good  old- 
fashioned  Laurel  and  Hardy  style  and  several  nice 
songs  that  we  all  remember.  Good  crowd  and  they 
all  laughed  aplenty.  That's  what  we  had  'em  here 
for,  so  we  are  all  satisfied.  Running  time,  eight  reels. 
— C.  McKusick,  Assistant  Manager,  Community  The- 
atre, Guilford,  Maine.  Small  town  and  rural  patronage. 

TOUGH  GUY:  Jackie  Cooper,  Joseph  Calleia,  Rin 
Tin  Tin,  Jr. — A  red  hot  melodrama  well  done.  For 
those  who  want  action  and  excitement  this  fills  the 
bill  nicely.  The  work  of  Rin  Tin  Tin,  Jr.,  is  outstand- 
ing. He  does  everything  his  Dad  did  plus.  Rin  Tin 
Tin,  Jr.,  may  revive  the  glory  of  the  famous  Rin  Tin 
Tin  if  properly  used.  Doubled  this  with  "Gentle 
Julia"  and  did  a  good  average  Sunday-Monday  busi- 
ness.—J.  E.  Stocker,  Myrtle  Theatre,  Detroit,  Mich. 
Neighborhood  patronage. 


Paramount 


CALL  OF  THE  PRAIRIE:  William  Boyd,  Jimmy 
Ellison — We  consider  this  one  of  the  weakest  of  the 
Hopalong  Cassidy  westerns  chiefly  because  of  poor 
direction  and  actings1.  However,  our  patrons  seemed 
to  enjoy  it  and  fhere  were  no  complaints. — J.  W. 
Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Fort  Worth, 
Texas.    General  patronage. 

COLLEGIATE:  Joe  Penner,  Jack  Oakie— A  swell, 
outstanding  picture.  Should  do  business  any  place 
and  satisfy  the  most  critical.  Our  business  off  on 
account  of  110  degrees  heat  and  crops  all  burned  to 
the  ground.  Step  on  the  gas,  boys,  here  is  a  honey. 
Running  time,  nine  reels.  Played  June  28-29. — Rudolf 
Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small  town 
patronage. 

SHIP  CAFE:  Carl  Brisson,  Arline  Judge— This  is  a 
fairly  amusing  picture  that  got  a  fine  audience  re- 
sponse and  did  nicely  at  the  box  office. — J.  W.  Noah, 
New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Fort  Worth,  Texas. 
General  patronage. 


Puritan 


BULLDOG  COURAGE:  Tim  McCoy,  Lois  January 
—Good  western.  With  this  new  series  and  the  Colum- 
bia reissues  we  play  McCoy  about  twice  a  month  but 
the  patrons  never  tire  of  him.  Running  time,  six  reels. 
Played  June  19-20.— C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre, 
Hamilton,  Ohio.    Family  patronage. 


Republic 


NAVY  BORN:  William  Gargan,  Claire  Dodd— This 
picture  is  a  little  below  the  Republic  standard  chiefly 
because  of  too  much  dialogue  and  routine  situations. 
Had  the  story  been  properly  developed  it  would  have 
made  a  corking  good  film  but,  as  it  is,  it  is  stilted 
and  not  particularly  exciting.  The  audience  response 
was  fair— J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  The- 
atres,  Fort   Worth,   Texas.    General  patronage. 

OREGON  TRAIL:  John  Wayne,  Ann  Rutherford- 


Finest  Wayne  we  have  had.  Beautiful  scenes  and  nice 
story.  Holiday  business  'way  off;  everyone  went  out 
to  become  hospital  customers.  Running  time,  60 
minutes.  Played  July  3-4. — C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  The- 
atre, Hamilton,  Ohio.    Family  patronage. 

RED  RIVER  VALLEY:  Gene  Autry,  Frances  Grant 
— All  I  can  say  is  that  this  what  they  wanted.  At 
any  rate,  it  grossed  more  money  than  any  of  the 
Big  Specials  that  we  have  shown  in  the  past  18 
months.  What  more  could  anyone  ask  of  it?  Run- 
ning time,  60  minutes.  Played  June  19-20. — G.  A. 
Van  Fradenburg,  Valley  Theatre,  Manassa,  Col. 
Farming  community  patronage. 

RETURN  OF  JIMMY  VALENTINE,  THE:  Roger 
Pryor,  Charlotte  Henry.  I  would  class  this  as  a  good 
average  program  picture.  Good  recording  and  photog- 
raphy and  did  a  fair  average  business  with  this.— 
J.  E.  Stocker,  Myrtle  Theatre,  Detroit,  Mich.  Neigh- 
borhood patronage. 


RKO  Radio 


ANNIE  OAKLEY:  Barbara  Stanwyck,  Preston 
Foster — A  corking  good  feature  which  lost  us  good 
money  because  of  high  school  festivities.  Played 
June  24-25.— C.  W.  Mills  Co.,  Inc.,  Arcade  Theatre, 
Sodus,  N.  Y.    Family  patronage. 

FOLLOW  THE  FLEET:  Fred  Astaire,  Ginger 
Rogers — Any  feature  whose  excuse  for  being  made 
is  to  find  a  place  to  have  the  stars  sing  another 
song  or  do  another  dance  is  ajmost  of  necessity  built 
around  a  more  or  less  unsatisfactory  plot,  but  this 
has  considerable  entertainment  value  and  will  please 
the  majority  and  will  be  received  with  enthusiasm 
by  dance  fans.  Running  time,  110  minutes.  Played 
July  3-4. — G.  A.  Van  Fradenburg,  Valley  Theatre, 
Manassa,   Col.     Farming  community  patronage. 

POWDERSMOKE  RANGE:  Harry  Carey,  Hoot 
Gibson — A  western  that  has  all  the  western  stars 
and  the  picture  is  of  the  best  that  we  have  run  for 
some  time.  Good  Friday  and  Saturday  program. 
Will  satisfy  most  all  the  customers.  Running  time, 
eight  reels.  Played  July  3-4. — Rudolf  Duba,  Royal 
Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D. 

SEVEN  KEYS  TO  BALDPATE:  Gene  Raymond, 
Margaret  Callahan,  Erin  O'Brien-Moore — This  is  an 
amusing  mystery  story  which  can  hold  its  own  alone 
or  be  the  strongest  half  of  a  double  bill.  The  audi- 
ence response  was  very  good. — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Lib- 
erty and  Ideal  Theatres,  Fort  Worth,  Texas.  General 
patronage. 


Supreme 


SUNDOWN  SAUNDERS:  Bob  Steele— A  fairly  en- 
tertaining western  of  the  cheaper  variety  that  got 
by  on  a  double  bill.  Our  patrons  had  very  little  to 
say  for  or  against  it. — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and 
Ideal  Theatres,  Fort  Worth,  Texas.  General  patron- 
age. 

Twentieth  Century- Fox 

COUNTRY  DOCTOR,  THE:  Dionne  Quintuplets, 
Jean  Hersholt,  Slim  Summerville — Here's  what  I  call 
a  real  show.  It  has  the  Dionnes  to  attract  the 
public  and  yet  it  had  a  strong  story  that  could  make 
you  laugh,  pull  at  your  heart  strings  or  put  you 
into  a  dozen  other  moods.  In  my  humble  opinion, 
Slim  Summerville  ran  away  with  every  scene  he 
meandered  into. — C.  McKusick.  Assistant  Manager. 
Community  Theatre,  Guilford,  Maine.  Small  town  and 
rural  patronage. 

COUNTRY  DOCTOR,  THE:  Dionne  Quintuplets, 
—Jean  Hersholt — Exceptional.  Not  a  complaint  from 
anyone.  Favored  with  delightfully  cool  weather,  the 
box  office  receipts  were  above  normal.  Played  July 
1-2.— C.  W.  Mills,  Co.,  Inc.,  Arcade  Theatre,  Sodus, 
N.  Y.    Family  patronage. 

EVERYBODY'S  OLD  MAN:  Irvin  S.  Cobb, 
Rochelle  Hudson — Everybody  liked  this  but  unfor- 
tunately everything  closed  the  4th  so  did  not  have 
the  patronage  the  picture  deserved.  This  has  plenty 
of  human  interest  and  is  made  to  order  for  the  small 
town._  Irvin  Cobb  is  going  to  be  a  very  popular  star. 
Running  time,  84  minutes.  Played  July  3-5.  Gladys 
E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kansas.  Small 
town  patronage. 

HUMAN  CARGO:  Claire  Trevor,  Brian  Donlevy— 
— A  program  picture  good  for  any  night.  Keeps  them 
guessing  till  the  very  last  end.  A  story  about  two 
newspaper  reporters,  a  girl  and  a  boy,  in  many  en- 
tanglements with  crooks,  but  the  boy  gets  his  men 
in  time  to  save  the  girl.    Must  say  excellent  program. 


76 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


Running  time,  seven  reels.  Played  June  26-27.— 
Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small 
town  patronage. 

MY  MARRIAGE:  Clair  Trevor,  Pauline  Frederick, 
Kent  Taylor — This  film  to  our  surprise  was  a  box 
office  success  and  stood  up  on  a  three  day  run. 
Everyone  enjoyed  it. — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and 
Ideal  Theatres,  Fort  Worth,  Texas.  General  patron- 
age. 

PRISONER  OF  SHARK  ISLAND,  THE:  Warner 
Baxter,  Gloria  Stuart — Another  horror  picture  that 
did  not  pay  expenses.  Warner  Baxter  is  wonderful 
in  this  one,  but  it  is  too  brutal.  Well  produced  and 
historically  correct  but  did  not  please.  Running  time, 
95  minutes.  Played  July  1-2.— Gladys  E.  McArdle, 
Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kansas.  Small  town  patron- 
age. 

United  Artists 

MODERN  TIMES:  Charlie  Chaplin,  Paulette  God- 
dard — About  as  "Modern"  as  the  horse  and  buggy. 
This  might  have  been  o.k.  ten  years  ago  but  so  far 
as  I  know  it  did  not  please  anyone  here.    The  press 


For  Close-up  Service 
use  Railway  Express 

They're  all  doing  it:  Hollywood's  feature 
magnates,  educational  and  short-subject 
producers,  amateurs  —  yes,  nearly  the 
whole  motion  picture  world — are  using 
Railway  Express  for  films  and  accessories. 
With  23,000  Railway  Express  offices 
spotting  the  continent,  you  can  reach 
almost  anybody  in  America,  sure-fire  and 
at  top  speed:  Quick  pick-up  by  fast 
Railway  Express  motor  truck  on  your 
phone  call,  forwarding  at  passenger  train 
speed,  delivery  promptly  on  arrival  with 
double  receipts  to  double  the  sureness 
and  clinch  the  records.  Merely  telephone 
the  nearest  Railway  Express  office  for 
service  or  information. 

Railway 
Express 

Agency  Inc. 
nation-wide  rail-air  service 


sheets  said  "no  one  but  Charlie  Chaplin  could  have 
produced  such  a  picture."  Well,  that  is  something 
to  be  thankful  for.  The  talkies  are  tops  now  and 
Charlie  might  as  well  make  up  his  mind  to  join  'em 
or  get  out,  at  least  so  far  as  this  theatre  is  con- 
cerned. Running  time,  87  minutes.  Played  June 
19-21. — Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon, 
Kansas.    Small  town  patronage. 

MODERN  TIMES:  Charlie  Chaplin,  Paulette  God- 

dard— Hats  off  to  the  master.  One  who  has  seen 
practically  all  the  Chaplin  pictures,  I  was  naturally 
anxious  to  see  the  latest  about  which  so  much  has 
been  written.  I  personally  term  it  a  masterpiece. 
The  more  I  saw  the  picture  the  greater  my  admira- 
tion for  Chaplin.  One  cannot  grasp  it  all  seeing  it 
once.  Some  critics  said  that  Chaplin  used  his  old 
tricks.  That  may  be  true  to  an  extent  but  there  was 
plenty  that  was  new.  The  feeding  machine  alone 
is  worth  the  admission  price.  The  two  sequences  in 
the  big  plant  are  outstanding  triumphs.  It  is  to  be 
regretted  that  Chaplin  is  so  rarely  seen.  This  is 
probably  his  last.  We  showed  this  July  3-4.  We  had 
a  lot  of  youngsters  who  had  never  seen  Chaplin. 
The  weather  being  cool  we  did  nice  business  with 
this.  This  had  drawing  power  for  us  and  everyone 
seemed  to  enjoy  it  immensely. — J.  E.  Stocker,  Myrtle 
Theatre,  Detroit,  Mich.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

SANDERS  OF  THE  RIVER:  Leslie  Banks,  Paul 
Robeson,  Nina  Mae  MacKinney — Held  off  on  booking 
this  as  long  as  possible  and  then  buried  it  on  mid- 
week double  show.  Mark  us  up  for  a  big  error.  For 
an  action  house  such  as  ours,  it's  a  natural.  Yes. 
we  are  goine  to  bring  it  back.  Running  time,  93 
minutes.  Flayed  July  1-2. — C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  The- 
atre,   Hamilton,    Ohio.     Family  patronage. 

THESE  THREE:  Joel  McCrea,  Miriam  Hopkins, 
Merle  Oberon,  Bonita  Granville,  Marcia  Mae  Jones — 
This  picture  may  be  a  little  hard  to  sell  in  situations 
like  mine.  But  make  no  mistake,  it  has  everything 
and  is  unusual  in  theme.  The  cast  does  magnificent 
work,  all  of  them,  Hopkins,  Oberon,  McCrea  and  the 
little  hell  cat  Bonita  Granville  that  does  all  the  dirty 
work.  I  think  the  entire  audience  would  like  to  have 
smacked  her.  That  was  the  kind  of  role  she  put  over. 
Not  forgetting  Marcia  Mae  Jones,  the  pitiful  little 
stooge  that  was  the  foil  for  the  Granville  brat. — 
A.  E.  Hancock,  Columbia  Theatre,  Columbia  City, 
Ind.    General  patronage. 

THESE  THREE:  Joel  McCrea,  Miriam  Hopkins, 
Merle  Oberon — Saw  this  one  out  of  town  and  can't 
forget  it.  McCrea's  acting  was  outstanding  and  there 
is  something  new,  different,  refreshing  about  Miss 
Hopkins'  acting.  They  are  my  favorite  team  from 
now  on. — C.  McKusick,  Assistant  Manager,  Com- 
munity Theatre,  Guilford,  Maine.  Small  town  and 
rural  patronage. 


Warner  Brothers 

MAN  HUNT:  Ricardo  Cortez,  Marguerite  Church- 
ill, William  Gargan,  Charles  "Chic"  Sales,  Maude 
Eburne — Just  a  small  town  story  that  was  liked. 
Plenty  of  thrills  and  laughs,  with  Chic  Sales  fur- 
nishing most  of  the  laughs,  ably  assisted  by  Maude 
Eburne.  Running  time,  65  minutes.  Played  June 
27-28.— Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon, 
Kansas.    Small  town  patronage. 

PETRIFIED  FOREST  THE:  Leslie  Howard,  Bette 
Davis,  Charley  Grapewin,  Humphrey  Bogart — This 
would  be  a  great  picture  with  a  happy  ending  but 
they  do  not  like  a  sad  picture.  Bette  Davis  and 
Leslie  Howard  give  excellent  performances  but  the 
real  star  of  the  show  is  Charley  Grapewin.  He  went 
over  big.  They  are  still  asking  when  I  am  going 
to  have  another  picture  with  him.  Humphrey  Bogart, 
as  Duke  Mantee,  is  very  good.  Just  another  picture 
that  did  not  click.  Running  time,  83  minutes.  Played 
June  13-14. — Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Leba- 
non,   Kansas.     Small   town  patronage. 

WIDOW  FROM  MONTE  CARLO,  THE:  Dolores 
Del  Rio,  Warren  William — A  pleasing  pice  of  fluff. 
Any  picture  that  takes  place  at  a  summer  resort 
with  amusement  devices  seems  to  find  favor.  As  a 
whole,  a  very  pleasing  hour's  diversion.  I  double 
billed  it  with  "Barbary  Coast."  This  double  bill  drew 
good  average  business. — J.  E.  Stocker.  Myrtle  The- 
atre,   Detroit,    Mich.     Neighborhood  patronage. 


Miscellaneous 

SKULL  AND  CROWN:  Rin  Tin  Tin,  Jr.— This 
action  film  received  a  splendid  audience  response  and 
was  a  good  box  office  attraction.  It  is  nice  entertain- 
ment for  the  not  too  discriminating  type  of  patron.— 
J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Fort 
Worth,  Texas.    General  patronage. 

TRAILS  OF  ADVENTURE:  Buffalo  Bill,  Jr.— Just 
a  cheap  clap-clap  western  that  received  a  poor  audi- 
ence response  from  the  easy-to-please. — T.  W.  Noah, 
New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Fort  Worth,  Texas. 
General  patronage. 


Short  Features 
Columbia 

"LIL  AINJIL"  Krazy  Kat  Cartoons — Poor  cartoon. 
The  one  series  of  Columbia  shorts  that  do  not  please. 


— C.    E.    Fismer,    Lyric    Theatre,    Hamilton,  Ohio. 
Family  patronage. 

Educational 

LIFE  OF  THE  PARTY,  THE:  Song  Hit  Stories— 
A  dandy  one-reeler  full  of  entertainment.  Running 
time,  one  reel.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball, 
S.  D.  Small  town  patronage. 

SKI-SCRAPERS:  Treasure  chest— Good  reel  of  snow 
skiing  in  winter.  Full  of  thrills  and  spills.  Running 
time,  one  reel.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball, 
S.  D.  Small  town  patronage. 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 

ALIBI  RACKET:  Crime  Doesn't  Pay  Series— Crime 
does  not  pay.  So  far  neither  has  this  series.— Run- 
ning time,  two  reels.— C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre, 
Hamilton,  Ohio.    Family  patronage. 

AUDIOSCOPICS:  Pete  Smith— A  novelty  reel  that 
caused  considerable  amusement.  Seemed  to  please. 
Running  time,  one  reel.— Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl 
Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan.    Small  town  patronage. 

DIVOT  DIGGERS:  Our  Gang— Not  quite  up  to  the 
Our  Gang  standard,  but  plenty  funny  at  that.  It 
pleased.  Running  time,  two  reels. — Gladys  E.  Mc- 
Ardle, Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

FOOTBALL  TEAMWORK:  MGM  Sports  Parade- 
Nice  reel.  Wish  we  could  get  early  bookings  on 
seasonal  subjects  such  as  this.  Imagine  football  in 
July.  Running  time,  one  reel.— C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric 
Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio.    Family  patronage. 

JONKER  DIAMOND:  MGM  Miniatures— A  most 
interesting  single  reel.  It  had  everyone  heaving  a 
huge  sigh  of  relief  when  the  diamond  was  success- 
fully cut.  Running  time,  10  minutes.— C.  McKusick, 
assistant  manager,  Community  Theatre,  Guilford, 
Maine.    Small  town  and  rural  patronage. 

NURSE  TO  YOU:  Charley  Chase— Good  comedy. 
Chase  always  pleases  here. — C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  The- 
atre, Hamilton,  Ohio.   Family  patronage. 

OLD  PLANTATION,  THE:  Harman-Ising—  Swell 
color  cartoon.  Running  time,  nine  minutes. — C.  E. 
Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio.  Family  pat- 
ronage. 

PERFECT  TRIBUTE,  THE:  Chic  Sale  Special- 
Played  on  4th  of  July  weekend.  MGM  should  keep 
a  few  prints  of  this  available  for  years  to  come.  Can 
and  should  be  replayed  by  all  exhibitors.  Running 
time,  18  minutes. — C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre,  Ham- 
ilton, Ohio.    Family  patronage. 

Paramount 

KING  OF  THE  MARDI  GRAS:  Popeye  the  Sailor 
— Another  Popeye  that  is  different  from  any  cartoon 
on  the  film  market.  It  simply  is  a  knockout  for  thrills 
on  a  rolling  coaster  track.  Running  time,  one  reel. — 
Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small 
town  patronage. 

POPULAR  SCIENCE:  Very  good,  all  in  color  and 
good  entertainment.  Running  time,  one  reel. — Rudolf 
Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

RKO  Radio 

MISMANAGED:  Radio  Musical  Comedies— A  musi- 
cal comedy  of  a  good  type.  Plenty  of  laughs.  Running 
time,  two  reels. — Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball, 
S.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

Vitaphone 

BORRAH  MINEVITCH  AND  HIS  HARMONICA 
RASCALS:  Melody  Masters— One  of  the  best  single 
— reels  I  have  seen  in  a  long  time.  And  how  those 
boys  can  play.  Running  time,  10  minutes. — C.  McKu- 
sick, assistant  manager,  Community  Theatre,  Guil- 
ford, Maine.    Small  town  and  rural  patronage. 

BLACK  NETWORK,  THE:  Broadway  Brevities- 
Very  good  musical  short  with  colored  stars.  Fine 
singing  and  dancing.  Running  time,  one  reel. — Gladys 
E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan.  Small  town 
patronage. 

I  WANNA  PLAY  HOUSE:  Merrie  Melodies- 
Colored  cartoon  that  is  very  good.  Running  time,  one 
reel.— Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon, 
Kan.    Small  town  patronage. 

JOLLY  COBURN  AND  ORCHESTRA:  Melody 
Masters — Another  fine  Melody  Master.  These  musical 
shorts  are  always  good.  Running  time,  one  reel. — 
Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan. 
Small  towm  patronage. 

RAMON  RAMOS  AND  ORCHESTRA:  Melody 
Masters — Excellent  Melody  Master.  Running  time,  10 
minutes. — Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon, 
Kan.    Small  town  patronage. 

STARS  CAN'T  BE  WRONG:  Broadway  Brevities- 
Very  good  two-reel  from  Vitagraph.  Running  time, 
20  minutes.— Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Leba- 
non, Kan.   Small  town  patronage. 

TIMBER   GIANTS:    Pepper   Pot— Very  interesting 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


77 


and  instructive  short  of  the  giant  Redwoods.  Run- 
ning time,  one  reel.— Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre, 
Lebanon,  Kan.   Small  town  patronage. 

VITAPHONE  BILLBOARD:  Big  Time  Vaudeville 
Reel— This  series  is  all  good.  Running  time,  one  reel 
each— Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon, 
Kan.   Small  town  patronage. 

VITAPHONE  TOPNOTCHES:  Big  Time  Vaude- 
ville Reel— This  series  is  all  good.  Running  time,  one 
reel  each.— Glayds  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon, 
Kan.    Small  town  patronage. 

Miscellaneous 

LOUIS-SCHMELING    FIGHT    PICTURES:  The 

best  fight  picture  I  have  ever  seen.  That  is  what  I 
heard  many,  many  people  say  after  they  had  seen  the 
show.  And  I  agree  with  them.  The  photography  was 
excellent.  Running  time,  30  minutes.— C.  McKusick, 
assistant  manager,  Community  Theatre,  Guilford, 
Maine.   Small  town  and  rural  patronage. 

Argentine  Production 
Planned  by  Paramount 

Negotiations  for  production  of  Spanish 
language  pictures  in  Buenos  Aires  have  been 
concluded  by  Paramount.  The  deal  was 
completed  by  John  B.  Nathan,  Paramount 
representative,  with  the  Association  Indus- 
trial Argentina  of  La  Plata,  which  controls 
an  important  circuit  in  the  capital  city. 
The  Argentine  company's  facilities  are 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  Paramount. 


French  Pictures  Schedule  Two 

The  French  Motion  Picture  Corporation 
has  announced  the  acquisition  of  two  films 
for  distribution  in  America.  They  are  "The 
Yellow  Cruise,"  a  documentary  of  the 
Ciroen  expedition  across  Central  Asia,  and 
"Janosik,"  produced  in  Czechoslovakia  and 
based  on  the  struggle  for  independence  of 
the  Czech  people  in  the  18th  century. 


Indian  Banker  in  New  York 

S.  C.  Cambata,  financier  of  Bombay,  In- 
dia, has  been  visiting  Dave  Blyth,  Warner 
Brothers  manager  for  India,  who  is  in  New 
York  on  vacation.  Mr.  Cambata  is  con- 
structing a  new  theatre  in  Bombay  which  is 
scheduled  to  open  about  the  first  of  next 
year. 


Greenwald  With  Warner 

Manuel  Greenwald  has  been  named  man- 
ager of  the  Strand  in  Pittsburgh  by  Warner 
Brothers.  The  theatre  has  been  closed  for 
several  years  but  will  reopen  shortly.  Mr. 
Greenwald  operated  the  Art  Cinema,  foreign 
film  house  in  Pittsburgh  last  year  and  be- 
fore that  was  on  the  exploitation  staff  of 
United  Artitsts. 


Briskin  Signs  Al  Lewis 

Al  Lewis  has  been  signed  to  produce  by 
Samuel  J.  Briskin,  vice-president  in  charge 
of  production  at  RKO  Radio,  thus  increas- 
ing the  ranks  of  new  RKO  producers  to 
seven.  The  others  are  Edward  Small,  Lew 
Brown,  Sid  Rogell,  Lou  Lusty,  Hal  Home 
and  A.  J.  Balaban. 


"Adverse"  Opens  July  27th 

The  Warner  Brothers  production,  "An- 
thony Adverse,"  will  have  its  premiere  on 
July  27th  at  the  Geary  Theatre,  San  Fran- 
cisco. The  film  has  been  set  for  an  indefinite 
run  on  a  two-a-day  roadshow  basis. 


O'Shea  Joins  Selznick 

Daniel  T.  O'Shea,  for  four  years  resident 
legal  counsel  at  the  RKO  studios  in  Holly- 
wood, has  resigned  his  post  to  become  as- 
sistant to  David  O.  Selznick,  president  of 
Selznick  International. 


IVarner  Theatres 
In  St.  Louis  Taken 
ByFanchon,Marco 

Fanchon  &  Marco  has  taken  possession 
of  three  theatres  in  St.  Louis,  Warner 
Brothers'  42  per  cent  interest  in  the  St. 
Louis  Amusement  Company  and  a  10-year 
franchise  for  Warner  product,  after  more 
than  two  months  of  preparation  following 
the  settlement  out  of  court  of  the  Govern- 
ment's civil  anti-trust  suit  against  Warner 
Brothers,  Paramount  and  RKO  in  New 
York.  With  the  change  in  management  in 
the  Orpheum,  Shubert-Rialto  and  Hi-Pointe, 
the  three  theatres  involved  in  the  deal,  War- 
ners abandon  the  Mound  City  theatre  field 
after  several  years. 

First  payment  by  F.  &  M.  of  approximately 
$4,500  will  be  made  on  Sept.  15th.  The  total 
payments  will  amount  to  $385,000,  plus  inter- 
est, to  be  paid  monthly  over  a  period  of  10 
years.  Robert  W.  Perkins,  general  counsel 
and  secretary  of  Warners,  acted  for  the 
company  and  Lambert  Walther  of  St.  Louis 
represented  F.  &  M. 

In  addition  to  the  10-year  franchise  for 
Warner  product,  negotiations  are  now  under 
way  for  a  similar  deal  for  RKO's  output 
and  a  term  arrangement  for  Paramount's 
pictures. 

Arrangements  have  been  concluded  where- 
by the  F.  &  M.  leases  on  the  Ambassador, 
Missouri  and  New  Grand  Central  theatres 
will  be  extended  two  years  to  conform  with 


the  expiration  date  of  the  film  deals,  Sept. 
1,  1946.  Negotiations  for  the  payment  of 
$105,000  in  back  rentals  on  the  three  the- 
atres were  completed  before  the  leases  were 
extended.  The  sum  will  be  paid  over  a  per- 
iod of  years.  The  deal  was  made  by  Harry 
C.  Arthur  representing  F.  &  M.  and  Clar- 
ence M.  Turley  and  Joseph  H.  Grand  of  the 
bondholders'  committee  of  Central  Proper- 
ties Corporation  and  the  corporations  own- 
ing the  three  theatres. 

Central  Properties  Corporation  is  the 
largest  creditor  of  Skouras  Brothers  En- 
terprises, which  controls  52  per  cent  of  the 
stock  in  St.  Louis  Amusement  Company,  a 
circuit  of  22  neighborhood  houses,  of  which 
two  are  closed.  The  claim  amounts  to  80 
per  cent  of  the  Skouras'  outstanding  obliga- 
tions. The  Skouras  company  will  be  liqui- 
dated at  a  public  sale  late  this  month  under 
a  federal  court  order  and  competitive  bid- 
ding for  the  52  per  cent  stock  of  the  amuse- 
ment company  is  expected.  The  Central 
Properties  committee  will  try  to  buy  the 
stock  with  its  80  per  cent  claim  and  F.  &  M. 
also  is  expected  to  make  an  offer. 

In  the  event  Central  Properties  is  suc- 
cessful, a  management  deal  with  F.  &  M. 
for  a  term  of  years  is  expected  to  be  made. 

All  theatres  operated  by  F.  &  M.  in  St. 
Louis  will  be  under  individual  corporations. 
There  will  be  no  holding  company.  With 
the  Missouri,  New  Grand  Central,  Shubert- 
Rialto  and  St.  Louis  closed,  Harry  C. 
Arthur,  vice-president  of  F.  &  M.,  plans  to 
darken  the  Ambassador  for  remodeling  pur- 
poses. Alterations  are  being  made  at  the 
closed  houses  and  all  are  expected  to  be  re- 
opened by  Labor  Day.  The  New  Grand 
Central  will  be  called  the  Guild  Cinema  and 
will  specialize  in  foreign  and  "unusual"  pic- 
tures. 


mmiimiiiiiiiijiii  iimii  iHinuiiiitiiinmi  iiiiiifflimi.uiiaiiiiiiumiiiNi!!! 

niiimiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiifiiiiiiiinNniiiKHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiuiMiiMiiMiiniiiiiii, 


IS  THIS  YOUR  THEATRE? 
THEN  COOL  WITH  ROTO-BEAMS 

When  a  great  theatre  chain  like  R.  K.  O.  uses 
Roto-Beams,  there  MUST  be  a  good  reason. 


To  assure  good  summer  box 
office  receipts  your  patrons 
must  have  comfort — there  must 
be  a  constant  flow  of  cooling, 
revitalized  air.  There  must  be 
no  prohibitive  costs  to  eat  your 
profits.  That  is  why  R.  K.  O. 


has  installed  Roto-Beams. 
•  Roto-Beam  eliminates  noise 
and  drafts.  Heat  is  expelled 
as  new  air  is  drawn  in— gentle 
air  movements  from  ceiling  to 
floor,  from  wall  to  wall,  keep 
your  audiences  refreshed. 


Let  us  demonstrate  the  efficiency  of 


AIR  BEAM  CIRCULATOR  CO. 

512   FIFTH  AVENUE,   NEW  YORK 


ROTO  BEAM  CORPORATION 

3300  INDIANA  AVENUE,  CHICAGO 


78 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


CHICAGO  PUBLICISTS 
ELECT  HARRY  SMYTH  E 


Theatre  Remodelings  Proceed 
in  Middle  West;  "Ziegfeld" 
Closes  After  1 3  Weeks  Run 

Harry  K.  Smythe  of  Affiliated  Enterprises 
is  the  new  president  of  the  Chicago  Amuse  - 
ment Publicists  Association.  He  was  elected 
by  unanimous  vote  of  the  membership  at  a 
meeting  in  the  Sherman  Hotel  last  week. 

Other  new  officers  are  Ted  Weber,  Chi- 
cago Daily  Times,  vice-president;  Louis 
Abramson,  Allied  Theatres  of  Illinois,  sec- 
retary; C.  E.  Dennison,  Neisser-Meyerhoff 
Agency,  treasurer,  and  Bellman  D.  Jones, 
Edgewater  Beach  Hotel,  publicity  director. 

Members  of  a  newly  created  executive 
committee,  comprising  representation  of  all 
branches  of  the  profession,  are:  Herb  Elis- 
berg,  Essaness  Theatres,  theatre  press  agents 
division ;  Duke  Hickey,  Universal  Film  Co., 
film  company  press  agents ;  Jack  McPher- 
son,  National  Screen  Service,  motion  picture 
trailer  division.  Other  branches  of  amuse- 
ment publicity  are  represented  by  the  offi- 
cers, who  were  also  elected  on  the  commit- 
tee. 

V 

Notes  on  train-hopping  Warner  theatre 
managers :  Gene  Hopson,  manager  of  the 
Orpheum,  on  his  way  to  Dallas ;  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Marcel  Brazee  (Avalon  theatre)  to 
California ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richard  Barry 
(manager  of  the  Capital  theatre)  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Harry  Ryan  (he's  chief  projec- 
tionist of  Warner  houses)  also  on  their 
way  to  the  West  Coast. 

V 

Walter  E.  Withers,  father  of  Jane  With- 
ers, juvenile  star,  came  into  Chicago  last 
Wednesday  to  attend  a  furniture  convention 
at  Chicago's  Furniture  Mart  and  was  met 
at  the  train  by  12  girls  from  the  B  &  K 
Oriental  theatre  and  presented  with  a  three- 
foot  key  to  the  city.  Jim  Luntzel,  B  &  K 
press  agent  who  was  recent  guest  of  the 
Withers  family  during  his  three-week  vaca- 
tion in  Hollywood,  arranged  the  affair. 
V 

The  local  Softball  craze  has  entered  the 
ranks  of  the  motion  picture  trade  here. 
Balaban  &  Katz  and  Paramount  Films,  with 
eight  victories  each,  met  over  the  week- 
end and  the  B  &  K  boys,  after  withstand- 
ing a  ninth-inning  rally  of  5  runs,  emerged 
victors  by  a  1 2  to  II  score. 

V 

Edward  Everett  Horton,  the  film 
comedian,  passed  through  Chicago  on  his 
way  to  England  to  fulfill  his  contract  with 
London  Films.  His  first  picture  there  will 
"The  Man  in  the  Mirror,"  in  which  Gene- 
vieve Tobin  will  have  the  leading  feminine 
role.  He  was  to  spend  several  days  at  his 
New  York  summer  home  at  Lake  George. 
V 

En  route  to  Hollywood,  Sir  Cedric  Hard- 
wicke,  his  lovely  blonde  wife  and  3-year 
old  son,  stopped  off  in  Chicago.  Sir  Hard- 
wicke  was  still  surprised  that  American 
directors  want  him  to  play  the  role  of  the 
cathedral  dean  in  Warner-Cosmopolitan's 


"The  Green  Light"  rather  than  the  villain- 
ous roles  in  which  he  has  made  his  greatest 
success. 

V 

Roy  Blass,  theatre  architect,  has  just 
completed  remodeling  the  lounge  rooms 
of  the  Tiffin  theatre  in  Chicago  and  is 
now  starting  the  refurnishing  of  the  Mar- 
shall Square  theatre. 

V 

Mrs.  Richard  M.  McClure  of  Chicago, 
president  of  the  Better  Film  Council,  has 
just  returned  from  an  extensive  tour  of  the 
studios  on  the  West  Coast. 

V 

James  Rennie,  Broadway  leading  man, 
former  film  luminary,  and  ex-husband  of 
Dorothy  Gish,  passed  through  Chicago  on 
his  way  to  a  West  Coast  vacation  and  busi- 
ness trip.  While  in  Chicago  he  visited  the 
Duncan  Sisters,  who  are  appearing  at  the 
Oriental  theatre. 

V 

The  Crown  theatre,  an  Essaness  house  on 
Chicago's  Northwest  side,  opens  every  Sat- 
urday at  7  A.  M.  for  an  all-day  Bank  Night 
pool.  Last  Saturday  between  7  and  8  A.M. 
more  than  200  cash  admissions  were  clocked 
into  the  theatre.  Another  Essaness  theatre, 
the  Norcenter,  has  a  Bank  Night  pool  run- 
ning to  $3,000  this  week. 

V  _ 

MGM's  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"  closed  in 
Chicago  with  a  roadshow  mark  of  13  weeks 
and  a  gross  exceeding  $135,000. 

V 

Dixon,  Illinois,  will  soon  have  its  second 
motion  picture  theatre.  Leonard  Rorer,  own- 
er of  the  Dixon  theatre,  is  building  a  sec- 
ond house  which  will  open  the  first  part 
of  September. 

Warner's  West  Englewood  closes  August 
8th  for  three  weeks,  for  remodeling. 

V 

The  Capital  theatre,  first-run  house  in 
Canton,  111.,  burned  to  the  ground  over  the 
weekend. 

V 

JACK  GARBER 
(Pinch-hitting  for  William  F.  Crouch) 

Pierce  Named  Manager 
Of  Milwaukee  Houses 

L.  Roy  Pierce  has  been  appointed  super- 
visor of  all  Fox  theatres  in  Milwaukee  ex- 
cept the  Strand  and  Miller.  Mr.  Pierce, 
who  joined  the  circuit  last  fall,  continues 
as  manager  of  the  Wisconsin  and  Palace  in 
Milwaukee.  Henry  Toilette  will  be  his  as- 
sistant. 


Equity  Plans  Closing 
Of  Office  on  Coast 

Actors'  Equity  will  close  its  office  in  Hol- 
lywood on  July  31st  according  to  Frank 
Gillmore,  president,  because  of  the  down- 
ward trend  of  theatrical  productions.  I.  B. 
Kornblum,  attorney,  will  handle  all  business 
for  Equity  in  the  territory  after  the  unit 
closes. 


U.  S.  Film  Showing 
Set  First  Time  at 
Salzburg  Festivals 

by  DR.  ADOLF  NICHTENHAUSER 

in  Vienna 

For  the  first  time  the  motion  picture  will 
participate  in  the  Salzburg  Festivals  this 
year.  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's  "Romeo  and 
Juliet"  will  have  its  world  premiere  there, 
and  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"  its  European 
premiere.  Each  picture  will  be  shown  only 
twice,  running  in  midnight  gala  perform- 
ances, to  which  the  lowest  admission  fee  will 
amount  to  20  schilling  (about  $4).  MGM 
will  give  these  performances  and  the  Festi- 
vals publicity  throughout  the  world. 

The  Festivals  at  Salzburg  (the  old 
Mozart-town)  were  established  by  Max 
Reinhardt  12  years  ago.  They  are  held 
every  summer  (this  year  from  July  25  till 
August  31),  and  are  acknowledged  as  the 
most  prominent  periodical  institution  of 
musical  and  stage  exhibition,  with  a  selected 
international  public.  Their  program  consists 
of  a  large  series  of  concerts  and  opera  per- 
formances (especially  of  Mozart's  operas) 
conducted  by  celebrated  masters,  such  as 
Toscanini,  Bruno  Walter,  de  Sabata,  and 
sung  by  singers  of  international  fame. 
Among  the  performances  of  dramas  are 
Goethe's  "Faust"  and  the  old  play  of  "Jeder- 
mann"  ("Everyman"),  directed  by  Rein- 
hardt. 

The  Festivals  are  not  a  private  enterprise, 
but  are  protected  by  the  Austrian  State. 
Therefore,  the  permission  of  the  Salzburg 
Provincial  Government  had  to  be  obtained 
in  order  to  show  films.  It  was  the  idea  of 
Felix  Bernstein,  MGM's  Vienna  branch 
manager,  to  introduce  the  motion  picture  to 
the  Festivals.  He  led  all  negotiations, 
worked  out  every  detail. 


Perkins  Named  Head 
Of  Warner  Legal  Staff 

Robert  W.  Perkins,  for  many  years  a 
member  of  the  legal  staff  of  Warner  Broth- 
ers has  been  named  general  counsel  and 
head  of  the  department.  He  succeeds  Abel 
Carey  Thomas  who  resigned  because  of  ill 
health. 

Arthur  Loew  Acquires 
353  Shares  in  Company 

The  semi-monthly  report  of  the  Securities 
and  Exchange  Commission  in  Washington 
shows  acquisition  by  Arthur  Loew's  holding 
company  of  353  shares  of  Loew  common 
stock,  bringing  its  holdings  to  3,530  shares. 


McConville  in  New  Post 

John  McConville  has  been  made  managei 
of  the  Davis  Square  theatre  operated  by 
E.  M.  Loew  at  Somerville,  Mass.  James 
Allen  recently  resigned  from  the  position. 


Advertising  Budget  Raised 

The  advertising  budget  for  the  Gaumont- 
British  production,  "Nine  Days  a  Queen," 
has  been  doubled  from  the  original  appropri- 
ation, according  to  an  announcement  by  G-B 
advertising  counsel. 


19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


79 


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MANAGERS' 
ROUND  TABLE  CLUB 


zAn  international  association  of  showmen  meeting  weekly 
in  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  for  mutual  aid  and  progress 


op 


THE  EVIDENCE  ACCUMULATES 

The  lasting  value  of  any  project  depends  in  the  final  analysis 
upon  what  good  it  actually  accomplishes  and  what  real  bene- 
fits it  bestows.  Much  has  been  reported  in  these  pages 
of  progress  made  with  the  aid  of  the  Quigley  Awards  by 
theatremen  voted  these  honors  in  the  first  two  years  of  the 
Competition.  And  now  with  the  Awards  entering  upon  the 
last  half  of  their  third  year,  this  is  a  good  spot  to  pause  and 
consider  if  the  Quigley  project  continues  in  1936  to  do  what 
it  set  out  to  do  originally — bring  the  efforts  of  the  able  theatre- 
man  more  forcefully  to  the  attention  of  his  superiors;  advance 
the  fortunes  of  the  man  in  the  field,  break  ground  for  avenues 
of  showmanship  hitherlo  closed. 

Through  the  following  recent  communications,  let  readers 
for  themselves  judge: 

From  W.  Clyde  Smith,  to  whom  warm  congratulations  are 
most  in  order  on  his  elevation  from  the  post  of  manager  of 
the  Paramount  Theatre,  Hot  Springs,  Ark.  Writes  Clyde: 

"For  your  information  I  have  just  recently  received  appoint- 
ment as  City  Manager  of  Malco  Theatres  in  Hot  Springs,  which 
includes  the  Paramount,  Central,  Spa  and  Roxy  Theatres.  1 
give  much  of  the  credit  for  this  promotion  to  Quigley  Awards 
Honorable  Mention  and  other  Round  Table  Club  activities." 

And  then  there  is  Louie  Charninsky,  able  Round  Tabler  and 
consistent  contributor  who  in  addition  to  his  duties  as  skipper 
of  the  Capitol,  Dallas,  Tex.,  has  been  designed  as  manager  of 
the  New  Rialto  Theatre,  another  interstate  Circuit  Dallas  unit. 
Writes  Louie: 

"The  promotion  I  received  resulted  from  the  publicity  given 
my  campaigns  in  the  Managers'  Round  Table  and  the  Quigley 
Awards.    I  am  grateful  to  you  all  and  Motion  Picture  Herald." 


Presentation  of  Quigley  Plaques  by  Governors,  national 
legislators,  Mayors  and  other  civic  heads  have  from  the  begin- 
ning been  a  part  of  the  honors  gained  by  theatremen.  And 
with  few  exceptions,  enthusiastic  cooperation  has  been  given 
by  the  winners'  superiors  to  make  possible  the  participation 
of  Big  Names  in  the  Award  ceremonies.  For  this  reason  is 
cited  the  most  recent  presentation,  detailed  on  a  following 
page,  of  the  Quigley  May  Silver  Plaque  to  R.  V.  Waterson, 
wherein  the  ceremony  was  followed  by  a  banquet  in  Water- 
son's  honor,  arranged  by  his  chief,  Alex  Manta,  Illinois-Indiana 
Theatres  Circuit  president.  Says  Waterson: 

"The  banquet  was  provided  by  the  boss  and  it  goes  without 
saying  the  occasion  marked  the  highest  point  in  the  writer's 


brief  history  in  the  business  of  motion   picture  exhibition." 

In  Shawnee,  Okla.,  according  to  publicist  D.  W.  Warner, 
there  has  always  been  a  strained  relation  between  the  local 
paper  and  the  Bison  Theatre,  that  is,  until  Warner  began  his 
campaign  on  "Exclusive  Story"  for  Quigley  Awards  considera- 
tion. A  determined  attack  on  the  editor  finally  brought  results 
and  the  long-sought  for  newspaper  cooperation  was  obtained. 
Writes  Warner: 

"1  would  like  to  say  here  that  all  the  time,  effort  and  money 
spent  on  this  campaign  was  more  than  justified  in  breaking 
down  the  newspaper  resistance  and  opposition  that  has  existed 
between  the  newspaper  and  the  theatre.  We  have  the  Quigley 
contest  to  thank  for  this." 

Thus  evidence  from  the  field  accumulates  to  offer  definite 
proof  of  the  strong  backing  the  Quigley  Awards  continue  to 
give  to  the  theatreman's  cause.  The  high  percentage  of  new 
names  that  appear  on  the  honor  list  each  month  is  further  indi- 
cation that  the  direct  benefits  to  be  obtained  from  partici- 
pation in  the  Competitions  is  being  brought  home  to  an  ever 
widening  circle  of  theatremen  interested  in  getting  ahead. 

V   V  V 

MUST  LEAD  TO  THE  BOXOFFICE 

Many's  the  crime  that  has  been  and  for  that  matter  is  being 
committed  by  showmen  under  the  misused  label  of  institu- 
tional publicity.  Managers  backed  into  a  deal  or  tiein  that 
leaves  them  holding  the  bag  often  alibi  the  error  by  charging 
off  losses  to  institutional  or  goodwill  advertising  and  hope 
that  the  boss  leaves  it  go  at  that.  Any  flat  statement  that 
this  form  of  advertising  is  wasteful  is  of  course  ridiculous.  But 
unless  such  tieins  lead  by  one  path  or  another  to  the  boxoffice 
they  rarely  are  worth  the  effort  put  behind  them. 

One  of  the  most  profitable  instances  of  this  hookin  to  the 
ticket-window  and  a  sterling  example  of  the  100  per  cent 
value  of  such  advertising  is  Walter  Wilson's  Rose  Growing 
campaign  described  in  this  issue;  an  idea  that  not  only  is  bring- 
ing Dominion-wide  fame  to  Edmonton,  Canada,  but  also  returns 
the  fattest  of  dividends  to  the  theatre. 

Wise  showmen  will  immediately  accept  Wilson's  kind  invi- 
tation to  supply  the  details  of  this  institutional  tiein  that  builds 
up  grosses  all  during  the  year. 


80 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July     18,  1936 


THE  WATERSON  SILVER  PLAQUE  PRESENTATION   AND  BANQUET  GIVEN   IN   HONOR  OF  THE  WINNER 


Invites  Inspection 
Of  Cooling  Plant 

Keeping  in  mind  that  the  average  theatre- 
goer has  no  idea  of  how  a  theatre  cooling 
system  functions,  Manager  Harold  Armi- 
stead,  Lyric-Avalon,  Easley,  S.  C,  runs  a 
trailer  as  follows:  "Would  you  like  to  see 
our  'Weather  Factory'  in  operation  ?  We'd 
be  glad  to  show  you  through  anytime."  Eas- 
ley reports  that  many  have  accepted  the  in- 
vite and  have  helped  spread  the  word  on 
the  theatre's  comfort. 

To  sell  the  cool  idea  via  lobby  display, 
Easley  forwards  shot  illustrated  below  of 
decoration  piece.  Appropriate  copy,  such 
as  "Cool  as  a  Mountain  Top"  is  used,  with 
lettering  cut  out  of  heavy  paper  with  tissue 
pasted  behind  the  letters.  Flasher  button  is 
utilized  behind  light  signs.  Stars  are  silver 
stick-ons  from  the  corner  stationery  store. 
Blue  bulbs  are  planted  between  sections  with 
blue  baby  spot  overhead. 

Display  is  of  wall-board,  with  background 
pale  blue,  the  mountains,  purple,  green  and 
white  and  trees  in  black. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Weinberg's  New  Post 

Herman  D.  Weinberg,  formerly  managing 
director  of  the  Little  Theatre  in  Baltimore, 
Md.,  has  been  appointed  director  of 
publicity  of  the  French  Motion  Picture 
Corp.  headquartering  in  New  York  City. 


Armistead's  Star-Studded  Lobby  Cool  Display 


Waterson  Receives 
Quigley  May  Plaque 

Theatremen  representing  Indiana-Illinois 
Theatres  Company  gathered  recently  in 
Whiting,  Ind.,  and  joined  with  national  leg- 
islators, local  chamber  of  commerce  heads 
and  publishers  as  guests  of  Alex  Manta,  cir- 
cuit president,  at  the  presentation  to  Mana- 
ger R.  W.  "Watty"  Waterson,  Hoosier  The- 
atre, Whiting,  of  the  Quigley  Silver  Plaque 
for  May  voted  him  on  his  "Klondike  Annie" 
date. 

The  actual  presentation  was  made  to  Wat- 
erson by  Congressman  Wm.  Schulte,  of  the 
First  District  of  Indiana.  Pictured  above, 
left,  at  the  ceremonies  are  Allen  Bradley, 
president,  Whiting  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
Waterson,  Manta,  the  Congressman  and 
Patrick  Griffith,  local  publisher. 

Winner  Lauded  at  Banquet 

Further  honors  were  conferred  upon  the 
winning  theatreman  at  banquet  that  followed 
and  presided  over  by  Mr.  Manta.  Speakers 
from  among  those  present  lauded  highly 
the  efforts  of  Waterson  in  creating  his  win- 
ning campaign,  mention  also  being  made  of 
the  excellent  cooperation  from  Bill  Loomis 
and  house  artist,  Norman  Johnstone. 

Guests  at  the  banquet,  pictured  above,  in- 
cluded: Mike  Evon,  Vic,  Indiana  Harbor; 
Jack  Albertson,  Indiana,  Indiana  Harbor; 
Norman  Johnstone ;  Art  Wartha,  Roxy,  La- 
porte,  Ind.;  Bill  Loomis,  Capitol,  Whiting; 
Harry  Rubin,  Tivoli,  Michigan  City,  Ind. ; 
R.  W.  Waterson,  Congressman  Schulte, 
Alexander  Manta,  Patrick  Griffith  and  Allen 
Bradley. 

Gayety,  South  Chicago,  111.;  Jack  Burhorn, 
Gayety,  South  Chicago;  S.  S.  Holland,  El- 
co  Theatres,  Elkhart,  Ind.,  and  Ferdi  Nessel, 
Jefferson,  Goshen,  Ind. 

The  Silver  plaque  for  May  was  Water- 
son's  first  winning  in  the  Quigley  Awards. 
His  entry  was  on  Paramount's  "Klondike 
Annie,"  the  theatre  being  a  450-seat  house 
with  a  subsequent  run  policy  and  situated 
just  a  short  distance  from  Chicago. 


Davis  Lobby  Display 
Credits  Depinet 

Advertising  from  the  producer  to  the  ex- 
hibitor, direct  and  through  the  trade  press, 
has  for  some  time,  as  readers  know,  been 
utilized  by  Manager  Walt  Davis,  of  the 
Capitol,  Regina,  in  Saskatchewan,  as  part 
of  his  lobby  display.  Placed  on  tables  con- 
veniently located,  patrons  have  gotten  into 
the  habit  of  stopping  to  examine  the  various 
broadsides,  inserts,  etc. 

Latest  of  the  Davis  activities  in  this  re- 
spect is  illustrated  below — a  showing  of 
recent  pieces  of  promotion  literature  on 
Radio's  product  mailed  to  exhibitors  by  Ned 
E.  Depinet,  RKO  Distributing  Co.,  presi- 
dent. On  card  in  rear  of  table  Davis  ex- 
plains to  the  folks  that  the  literature  is  ad- 
vance information  of  what  is  coming  from 
that  company  and  extends  a  bow  in  the 
direction  of  Depinet. 

Material  shown  included  message  on 
"Mary  of  Scotland,"  the  ticket  gag  individ- 
ualized letter  on  "Annie  Oakley,"  and  other 
advertising  literature. 


n€D€. 
D€PIH€T 

flEW  YORK  CITY 


Walt  Davis'  Lobby  Presentation 


July    18,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


81 


LAPINERE,  PADGETT  WIN  IN  JUNE; 
AWARDS  ENTER  LAST  HALF  OF  1936 


Paris  Theatreman  Takes  Down 
Quigley  June  Silver  Plaque; 
Committee  Votes  the  Bronze 
Plaque  to  Florida  Manager 

by  A-MIKE  VOGEL 

AS  Quigley  Awards  finish  the  sixth 
month  of  the  hard-fought  Compe- 
titions for  1936  and  with  July  are 
set  for  the  last  half  of  this  year's  strug- 
gle for  the  monthly  honors  and  the  Grand 
Awards,  France  again  comes  to  the  fore 
with  the  announcement  of  the  Judging 
Committee  for  June  that  the  Silver 
Plaque  has  been  voted  to  E.  Lapinere, 
Olympia  Theatre,  Paris,  for  his  entry  on 
M-G-M's  "Night  at  the  Opera." 

Just  a  step  behind  for  second  honors, 
Del  Padgett,  manager,  Capitol  Theatre, 
Clearwater,  Fla.,  is  awarded  the  Bronze 
Plaque,  for  his  entry  on  Universal's 
"Show  Boat." 

It's  a  first  time  for  both  of  these  show- 
men in  the  Quigley  Awards,  the  two  men 
being  new  comers  to  the  Competitions. 
It's  also  a  second-time  for  their  situa- 
tions in  the  Plaque  listing,  the  Silver 
for  January  of  this  year  having  been 
voted  to  Rene  Lebreton,  of  the  Para- 
mount Theatre,  Paris,  and  the  Silver  for 
April,  1934,  taken  down  by  Walter 
Golden,  of  the  Riverside  Theatre,  Jack- 
sonville, Fla. 

Though  the  winners  finished  definitely 
in  the  clear,  they  were  hard-pressed  every 
inch  of  the  way  and  the  laddie  who  made 
it  a  ding-dong  race  from  the  starting  bell 
was  none  other  than  that  able  Round 
Tabler  and  previous  Grand  and  monthly 
Award  winner,  Bill  Hendricks,  skipper 
of  the  Warner  Theatre,  Memphis,  who 
sent  along  a  corking  campaign  on  U.  A.'s 
"Things  to  Come"  that  almost  copped 
one  of  the  big  Prizes.  Bill  out-distanced 
the  rest  of  the  field  to  land  the  only  First 
Mention  given  in  June  and  be  well  de- 
serves it. 

V  V 

Seventeen  entrants  share  tbe  15  Hon- 
orable Mentions  given  this  month,  the 
additional  honors  going  to  Harry  Gold- 
berg, of  Philadelphia,  and  to  Perry 
Spencer,  of  New  York,  for  their  coopera- 
tion on  campaigns  from  the  Boyd  and 
Paradise  theatres,  respectively. 

New-comers  are  again  to  the  fore  with 
six  of  these  entrants  clicking  for  the  first 
time.  These  include  Lewis  Black,  John 
Judge,  Lou  Kussner,  R.  W.  Rhodes, 
Vern  Sicotte  and  Don  Williams.  Entries 
and  addresses  of  these  theatremen  as  well 
as  the  others  honored  this  month  will  be 
found  in  detail  on  this  page.  To  them  are 
awarded  the  Sheepskin  Certificates  and 
these  duly  inscribed  go  forward  shortly. 


The  Quigley  June  Runners-Up 


First  Mention 

Bill  Hendricks,  Manager,  Warner,  Mem- 
phis, Tenn.   "Things  To  Come" 

Honorable  Mentions 

Ray  Bell,  Publicist,  Palace,  Washington, 
D.  C.  "Under  Two  Flags" 

Lewis  Black,  Manager,  Queen,  Wilming- 
ton, Del.   "And  Sudden  Death" 

Harry  Botwick,  Manager,  M.  &  P.  State, 
Portland,  Me.   "And  Sudden  Death" 

Les  Bowser,  Manager,  Harris-Warren, 
Warren,  Pa.    "Show  Boat" 

Jerry  DeRosa,  Manager,  Perry  Spencer, 
Publicist,  Loew's  Paradise,  Bronx, 
N.  Y.   "Show  Boat" 

Douglas  George,  Manager,  Parker  The- 
atre, Darby,  Pa.  "Pasteur" 


Steve  Barutio,  Manager,  Harry  Gold- 
berg, Publicist,  Warner  Boyd,  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.  "White  Angel" 

George  Irwin,  Manager,  Lyceum,  Du- 
luth,  Minn.    "Show  Boat" 

John  Judge,  Manager,  Loew's  Lin- 
coln Sq.,  New  York  City.  "Mr. 
Deeds" 

Lou  Kussner,  Manager,  Apollo,  Mar- 
tinsburg,  W.  Va.   "Mr.  Deeds" 

Les  Pollock,  Manager,  Loew's  Roches- 
ter, Rochester,  N.  Y.  "Trouble  for 
Two" 

R.  W.  Rhodes,  Manager,  New  Weller, 

Zanesville,  O.   "Hit  and  Run" 
Raleigh    Sharrock,     Manager,  Malco 

Palace,  Morrilton,  Ark.  "Mr.  Deeds" 
Vern  Sicotte,  Manager,  Majestic,  Grand 

Rapids,  Mich.   "Great  Ziegfeld" 
Don     Williams,     Manager,  Colonial, 

Brooklyn,  N.  Y.   "Under  Two  Flags" 


The  Quigley  Awards  now  round  into 
the  back  stretch  as  entries  for  the  seventh 
month  begin  to  arrive.  In  but  a  few 
months  the  fast-flying  theatremen  will 
be  thundering  down  the  home  stretch  in  a 
great  race  to  decide  the  winners  of  the 
year's  Grand  honors.  Now  is  the  time  to 
bear  down. 

With  the  hot  weather  upon  us,  the 
winners  for  the  next  two  months  should 
most  certainly  be  remembered  for  their 
efforts  in  putting  over  the  campaign  to 
be  selected  by  the  Judges.  It's  a  cinch 
that  the  man  who  does  not  allow  the  heat 
to  beat  him  in  telling  the  folks  about  his 
shows  is  going  to  be  considered  tops  in 
any  man's  competitions,  and  that's  a  quiet 
tip  to  ambitious  showmen  hoping  to  win 
one  of  the  remaining  Quigley  Plaques  and 
now  laying  plans  to  do  so. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


Wihon,  at  Left,  and  Rose  Show  Lobby 


Theatre  Sponsors 
Annual  Rose  Show 

For  top  results,  nothing  put  over  at  the 
theatre  has  exceeded  the  results  obtained  by 
Manager  Walter  Wilson,  Capitol,  Edmonton, 
Alberta,  Can.,  from  his  annual  rose  show, 
started  five  years  ago  and  now  grown  to 
be  one  of  the  biggest  institutional  events. 

By  arrangements  with  leading  seedsmen, 
rose  bushes  are  available  for  40  cents  each, 
but  can  be  secured  at  this  price  only  by  fill- 
ing out  coupon  found  in  special  booklet  got- 
ten out  by  Ward  and  distributed  only  at 
the  theatre  to  patrons.  Booklet  is  12  pages 
and  in  addition  to  all  possible  information 
on  proper  growing  of  roses,  carries  art  and 
copy  on  the  Capitol.  So  far,  in  1936,  Ward 
reports  over  8,000  books  given  away. 

The  drive  is  a  year-round  proposition. 
During  the  winter  time,  regular  period  on 
theatre's  weekly  broadcast  is  allowed  for 
talk  on  rose  culture,  how  they  should  be 
cared  for  in  the  cold  weather  and  how  to 
secure  the  bushes  at  the  low  prices. 

Wind  up  each  year  is  a  Rose  Show  staged 
in  the  lobby  of  the  theatre  and  last  year  over 
2,000  entries  were  reported.  One  hundred 
dollars  in  prizes  was  donated  by  merchants 
and  for  this  year  newspaper  is  giving  silver 
trophy  for  best  rose  in  the  show.  Further 
plugs  were  given  with  co-op  page  containing 
ads  and  contest  information  and  there  were 
of  course  a  lot  of  prominently  placed  stories. 
Accompanying  photo  shows  portion  of  the 
lobby  at  one  of  the  shows  with  Wilson  to 
left,  who  reports  that  at  show  time,  held 
during  hottest  days  of  the  year,  average 
business  is  tripled.  Wilson  writes  that  in- 
terested managers  may  obtain  booklets  by 
writing  him  at  the  address  above. 


82 

Teaser  Ads  Used 

By  Cook  for  "Deeds" 

Scattered  through  the  classified  section, 
Earl  Cook,  Warner  Theatre,  San  Pedro, 
Cal.,  planted  his  "Deeds"  teaser  ads,  copy 
reading  "learn  about  entertainment  'Deeds' 
offers  at  Warners.  Acquire  a  'deed'  for 
any  of  the  properties  listed,"  etc.,  etc.  Serial- 
ization was  run  in  paper  and  traveling  bill- 
board was  used  on  street  two  days  ahead. 

On  all  main  arteries  entering  San  Pedro, 
Earl  posted  directional  arrows  (see  photo), 
a  five-foot  illuminated  title  sign  was  planted 
on  roof  of  building  rigged  on  flasher  and 
inserts  were  put  in  all  packages  leaving 
bakery.  Clerks  in  five  and  tens  wore  im- 
printed colored  chest  ribbons  and  cooperat- 
ing market  gave  away  autographed  photos 
of  Cooper  and  Arthur. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Merchants  Aid  Mead 
On  "Captain  January" 

Through  cooperation  of  local  bakery,  Ken 
Mead,  Main  Theatre,  Pueblo,  Colo.,  for 
"Captain  January"  promoted  a  Temple  cake 
and  the  distribution  of  fan  photos.  Wire  of 
thanks  from  Miss  Temple  was  received  and 
blown  up  for  window  display  purposes. 

Five  and  ten  aided  by  featuring  a  sundae 
named  for  the  starlet  and  dressing  all  wait- 
resses in  house  dresses  with  Shirley  Temple 
bows.  Hit  tunes  were  displayed  and  plugged 
in  all  music  stores,  beauty  shop  offered  a 
Temple  permanent  and  department  store  de- 
voted window  to  starlet  dresses. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Show  Boat  Manager 
Makes  Personal  for  Webster 

A  happy  coincidence  for  J.  H.  Webster, 
Carolina  Theatre,  Elizabeth  City,  N.  C,  was 
the  arrival  of  one  of  the  original  show  boats 
in  his  city  during  his  engagement  of  the 
film  bearing  the  same  name.  Webster  con- 
tacted Charlie  Hunter,  manager  of  the  boat 
and  from  whom  Edna  Ferber  had  received 
most  of  her  data  in  writing  the  story,  for  a 
personal  appearance  at  the  theatre. 

Heralds  were  distributed  from  the  theatre 
and  house  to  house  and  front  of  theatre  was 
dressed  up  with  bales  of  cotton  bearing  pic- 
ture copy. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Buy  British  Products 
Highlights  "Rhodes"  Date 

Highlight  of  Ernie  Petch's  "Rhodes" 
campaign  at  the  Strand  in  Brandon,  Canada 
was  a  "buy  British  Empire  products"  con- 
test in  cooperation  with  the  Brandon  Opti- 
mist. Contest  was  worked  as  follows :  Each 
merchant  took  two  ads  two  by  five  inches  in 
size.  In  one  of  each  merchant's  ad  appeared 
illustration  of  his  product,  minus  any  iden- 
tifying name.  The  other  ad  contained  name 
and  telephone  of  said  merchant.  It  was  the 
task  of  contestants  to  link  both  ads  and  send 
completed  list  to  paper.  Cash  prizes  were 
awarded  winners,  and  an  extra  five  cents  an 
inch  was  charged  to  the  participating  mer- 
chants for  their  ads  to  cover  cost  of  prize 
money. 

To  further  aid  the  campaign,  Ernie  per- 
mitted cooperating  merchants  a  display  in 
his  lobby.  Stunt  was  plugged  over  radio 
and  at  each  announcement  listeners  were 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


Cook's  "Deeds"  Directional  Arrows 


Athletic  Field  Dressed  for  "Rose  Marie" 


Eagles-Fi/zgibbons'    "Show   Boat"  Front 


Robertson's  Pixilation  Display  for  "Deeds" 


urged  to  see  the  display  at  the  theatre. 
Paper  wrote  editorial  on  the  picture  and 
campaign. 

Imprinted  book  marks  were  used  in  all 
libraries,  leading  diamond  merchants  fea- 
tured window  displays  carrying  picture  and 
theatre  copy  and  imprint  was  placed  on 
restaurant  menus  about  town. 


July     18,  1936 

Store  Ties  In  With 
Novak  on  "Rose  Marie" 

For  his  return  engagement  of  "Rose 
Marie"  at  the  Gaiety  Theatre,  Winnipeg, 
Can.,  Bill  Novak  contacted  leading  depart- 
ment store  which  featured  picture  announce- 
ments over  their  p. a.  system  at  peak  busi- 
ness hours,  blouse  department  plugged  a 
"Rose  Marie"  blouse,  tobacco  department 
a  "Nelson  Eddy"  pipe  and  sheet  music  win- 
dow was  planted  at  entrance  to  store. 

Accompanying  photo  shows  special  dis- 
play built  for  front  of  athletic  field,  drug- 
store featured  "Rose  Marie"  cosmetics  dis- 
playing them  in  window  with  large  cutouts 
of  MacDonald  and  Eddy  and  a  teaser  cam- 
paign with  catch  lines  was  planted  in  co- 
operating newspaper. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Clean  Up  Week  Planted 
By  Lavoy  for  "Mr.  Deeds" 

A  "clean  up,  paint  up,  fix  up  week"  was 
sponsored  over  Station  KFJM  in  Grand 
Forks,  N.  D.,  for  Eugene  Lavoy's  "Mr. 
Deeds"  campaign  at  the  Dakota  Theatre 
with  twelve  tickets  going  to  persons  send- 
ing in  the  twelve  best  household  helps  for 
spring  housecleaning.  On  opening  day 
newsies  wearing  "Welcome  Mr.  Deeds"  ban- 
ners sold  papers  with  red  overprint  on  first 
page. 

Directional  "Deeds"  arrows  were  spotted 
about  town,  transfer  company  trucks  were 
bannered  and  music  store  devoted  window  to 
display  plugging  the  tuba.  A  double  truck 
co-op  page  was  landed,  oversized  keys  with 
welcome  message  imprint  were  planted  in 
hotels  and  cafes  and  permission  was  granted 
from  Mayor  to  place  welcome  tack  cards  on 
all  lamp  posts. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Robertson  Summons 
Folk  to  See  "Deeds" 

When  the  new  parking  regulations  went 
into  effect  in  Athens,  Ga.,  city  manager 
Allan  Robertson  for  the  "Deeds"  date  at 
the  Palace  went  about  town  inserting  fake 
police  summons  under  window  shields  of 
parked  cars  ordering  them  to  see  the  pic- 
ture. 

Through  tieup  with  largest  restaurant 
small  cards  were  distributed  away  from  the- 
atre, copy  reading  "I  am  not  pixilated,  are 
you?  I  go  to  Blank's  when  I  am  hungry 
or  thirsty."  Seven  teaser  ads  were  inserted 
in  papers  day  ahead,  opening  day  story  was 
run  explaining  teasers,  and  spot  announce- 
ments were  landed  over  radio.  Accompany- 
ing photo  shows  how  Allan  stressed  the 
pixilation  angle. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Special  Front  Built 
For  "Show  Boat" 

For  their  "Show  Boat"  campaign  at  the 
Madison  Theatre  in  Peoria,  111.,  Manager 
Merle  Eagles  aided  by  publicist  Elmer 
Fitzgibbons  rigged  up  the  box-office  like  a 
pilot  house  (see  photo).  Paddle  wheel  in 
front  was  in  continual  motion,  each  paddle 
carrying  name  of  player  or  catch  phrase  on 
picture.  24  sheets  were  mounted  on  both 
sides  of  outer  lobby  with  still  panels. 

Window  display  was  secured  in  leading 
store,  featuring  original  gowns  worn  by 
Irene  Dunne,  store  supplementing  window 
with  full  page  ad. 


July    18,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


83 


St.  Louis  First-Runs  Divided 
Into  Two  Distinct  Districts 

Leading  Theatres  Are  Found  in  Downtown  and  Uptown  Business  Areas 


by  DAVID  F.  BARRETT 

from  St.  Louis 

St.  Louis,  a  metropolis  that  was  built 
without  either  a  boom  or  a  boomerang,  was 
making  motion  pictures  when  Hollywood 
was  a  vacant  lot,  and  collectively  knows 
more  about  good  motion  picture  entertain- 
ment than  any  community  of  a  million  souls 
anywhere  in  the  world.  Perhaps  that  sounds 
like  an  extravagant  statement,  but  as  your 
good  friend  Al  Smith  would  say :  Let's  go 
to  the  record.  And  there  you  will  find  that 
from  the  pioneer  days  of  "King"  Baggot 
down  to  "The  Great  Ziegfeld,"  the  current 
roadshow  sensation,  there  has  always  been  a 
St.  Louisian  at  the  very  top  of  the  produc- 
tion heap.  Even  the  Warner  Brothers  got 
their  start  as  film  manufacturers  right  here 
on  the  shores  of  the  Father  of  Waters. 
Harry  Warner  so  testified  under  oath  in  the 
Federal  Court  here  last  October. 

Home  of  the  Municipal  Opera 

It  has  been  said  and  repeatedly  that  "St. 
Louis  is  a  poor  show  town."  But  that  must 
be  amended  slightly.  It  is  a  poor  show  town 
for  poor  showmen  and  poor  entertainment. 
But  from  the  early  days  back  in  1906  when 
John  Kerzin  opened  his  200-seat  World's 
Dream  Theatre  at  1314  Market  Street  up  to 
this  very  moment,  St.  Louisians  have  readily 
put  their  cash  on  the  line  when  really  told 
that  the  show  was  good.  Prove  that — sure. 
They  said  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"  in  its  first 
week  here  grossed  more  real  coin  of  the 
realm  than  the  same  production  did  in  New 
York  City.  And  further,  in  its  first  run, 
second  run  and  subsequent  run  houses  St. 
Louis  is  supporting  almost  twice  as  many 
seats  per  1,000  population  as  such  hot  show 
towns  as  New  York,  Chicago,  et  al. 

A  poor  show  town!  Where  in  the  world 
can  you  match  the  continued  success  for 
a  period  of  16  years  through  storm  and 
depression  the  financial  showing  of  the 
St.  Louis  Municipal  Opera.  And  they  give 
away  3,000  free  seats  each  and  every 
night  of  their  12  weeks  run.  And  who  can 
say  that  the  brothers  Skouras  were  not  a 
success?  What  town  can  trot  out  a  com- 
bination to  beat  Spyros,  Charles  and 
George  Skouras  and  Reeves  Espy  at  their 
best?  They  set  a  pace  for  real  showman- 
ship among  motion  picture  exhibitors  that 
has  made  it  extremely  tough  for  all  that 
have  followed  them  here. 

Once  more,  we  must  prove  our  thesis. 
And  can  we  ?  Certainly !  The  Better  Films 
Council  of  Greater  St.  Louis  is  the  model 
for  the  world.  A  pioneer  in  community  co- 
operations for  the  betterment  of  an  indus- 
try that  actually  saved  it  from  pernicious 
busybodies  in  Washington  and  elsewhere 
who  would  have  destroyed  the  body  to  re- 
move a  wart.  Thanks  to  the  foresight  of 
Fred  Wehrenberg,  President  of  the  Mo- 


Having  put  in  a  very  pleasant  year 
exploiting  pictures  in  and  about 
St.  Louis,  your  Chairman  is  more  than 
willing  to  agree  with  correspondent 
Barrett  that  the  Missouri  metropolis 
is  indeed  a  good  showtown.  What 
makes  it  so  is  set  forth  in  this  article 
which  continues  the  Showman's 
Travelogue  series  now  current  in  this 
department. 

—A-MIKE  VOGEL 


tion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of  St.  Louis, 
Eastern  Missouri  and  Southern  Illinois, 
and  other  officials  of  that  organization,  the 
local  motion  picture  men  were  quick  to 
realize  that  the  helpful  assistance  of  several 
hundred  thousand  women  was  better  than 
their  antagonism.  The  result  was  the 
Family  Night  that  lifted  some  of  the  local 
neighborhood  houses  out  of  the  red. 

St.  Louis,  the  Rome  of  the  West,  has 
been  charitable  in  its  views  of  the  motion 
picture  industry.  The  dominant  religion 
among  the  white  population  is  Catholic. 
But  there  is  also  a  very  large  percentage 
of  Lutherans,  Baptists,  Christians,  Presby- 
terians, Methodists  and  Jews  residing  here. 
And  in  no  large  community  will  you  find  the 
real  understanding  and  friendliness  among 
the  various  creeds  as  here.  The  Better 
Films  Council  is  a  cross-cut  of  the  broad 
gauged  women  of  all  religions. 

St.  Louis  is  situated  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Mississippi  River,  just  a  few  miles  be- 
low the  junction  of  that  mighty  stream 
with  the  Missouri  River.  It  extends  some 
twenty  miles  along  the  river  and  some  ten 
miles  back  from  the  stream.  It  is  the  domi- 
nant trading  center  for  a  billion  dollar  area 
that  one  of  the  local  papers  has  styled  the 
Forty-ninth  State.  In  the  city  proper  there 
are  almost  one  million  men,  women  and 
children  and  they  are  surrounded  by  almost 
two  million  others  who  reside  in  the  nearby 
towns  of  St.  Louis  and  St.  Charles  coun- 
ties in  Missouri  and  St.  Clair,  Madison  and 
Monroe  counties  in  Illinois. 

Natural  Born  American  Dominates 

Founded  by  the  French,  St.  Louis  at  vari- 
ous times  has  been  under  the  rule  of  three 
countries — France,  Spain  and  the  United 
States.  One  of  the  historic  incidents  is  that 
we  were  under  three  flags  the  same  day — 
when  the  concluding  steps  were  taken  in  con- 
nection with  the  Louisiana  Purchase — the 
world's  greatest  real  estate  deal.  Originally 
French,  the  present  population  is  domi- 
nantly  native  born  American — mostly  of 
German,  Irish,  French,  Italian  and  Scotch- 
Irish  extraction.  About  10  per  cent  of  the 
population   in   the   city   proper   is  negro. 

Several  great  bridges  span  the  Mighty 
Mississippi  River,  making  St.  Louis  of  easy 
access  to  Illinois  and  other  states  to  the 


east.  Dozens  of  national  highways  con- 
verge here  and  the  world's  famous  Shaw's 
Garden  and  the  matchless  St.  Louis  Zoo  at- 
tracts millions  of  visitors  annually.  The 
Zoo  grounds  in  Forest  Park  is  the  meeting 
place  of  America.  One  day  last  Summer  I 
counted  automobiles  from  forty  states  on 
the  roads  adjacent  to  the  Zoo.  And  many 
of  these  visitors  also  find  time  to  visit  our 
motion  picture  theatres. 

Uptown  and  Downtown  First-Runs 

St.  Louis  has  the  best  surface  street  car 
system  in  the  country — if  not  the  world. 
The  St.  Louis  Public  Service  Company  gave 
the  country  its  first  co-ordinated  street  car 
and  bus  service  in  a  large  metropolitan  area. 
The  town  is  also  served  by  many  service 
car  lines,  operated  by  individuals  but 
banded  together  in  an  association  that  in- 
sists upon  each  member  giving  the  patrons 
real  transportation. 

Unlike  most  large  cities,  St.  Louis  has 
two  distinct  first  run  districts.  Downtown 
you  will  find  Loew's,  the  Ambassador  and 
Orpheum  within  a  few  blocks  from  Seventh 
to  Ninth  between  Locust  Street  and  Wash- 
ington Avenue.  All  are  exclusively  motion 
picture  houses  at  present  but  on  occasions 
the  Ambassador  uses  stage  attractions. 

On  the  edge  of  the  downtown  district 
on  Market  street  just  east  of  Sixth  street 
you  will  find  the  Grand  Opera  House  that 
depends  mostly  on  vaudeville  to  pull  in  the 
cash  customers,  but  also  showing  independ- 
ent pictures  first  run.  It  is  closed  for  the 
Summer.  That's  the  downtown  first  run 
layout.  Except  the  American  Theatre  at 
Seventh  and  Market  street  is  used  from  time 
from  time  to  time  for  road  show  attractions. 

Then  you  must  jump  more  than  a  mile 
westward  to  the  vicinity  of  Grand  and 
Washington  Boulevard  where  are  collected 
the  St.  Louis,  Grand  Central,  Guild  Cin- 
ema, Missouri,  Fox,  World,  Shubert-Rialto 
and  Empress  within  a  baseball  toss  of  each 
other.  The  Fox  is  operating  at  present  as 
first  run  house.  The  Missouri  Theatre  has 
reverted  to  a  second  run  house  because  of 
the  inability  of  the  Fanchon  &  Marco  inter- 
ests to  obtain  an  adequate  supply  of  desira- 
ble first  run  pictures.  The  St.  Louis  Shu- 
bert-Rialto and  Grand  Central  theatres  are 
dark.  The  World  is  also  dark.  The  Em- 
press is  a  second  run  house  operated  by  the 
Ansell  interests. 

Automobile  parking  is  a  real  problem  for 
the  downtown  first  runs  during  the  day  time, 
but  nevertheless  the  houses  get  a  real  play 
in  their  matinees.  They  are  conveniently 
located  for  the  patrons  of  the  bigger  depart- 
ment stores  and  office  buildings  and  the  bar- 
gain prices  that  prevail  prior  to  6  P.  M. 
catch  many  customers.  The  Ambassador's 
price  scale  is  25,  35  and  50  cents,  the  Grand 
Opera  House  charges  15,  25  and  35  and  the 
Loew's  and  Orpheum  scales  are  25,  35  and 

(Continued  on  following  paqe) 


84 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


ST.  LOUISANS  CO-OPERATIVE 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

55.  The  American  Theatre  for  "The  Great 
Ziegfeld"  charged  55,  84,  $1.10  and  $1.55. 

In  the  Grand  Boulevard  sector  the  Fox 
is  charging  25,  35  and  55,  while  the  Mis- 
souri's rates  are  25  and  40. 

Another  distinct  feature  of  St.  Louis  as 
a  motion  picture  exhibition  center  is  that  the 
community  has  a  number  of  outlying  sec- 
tions that  are  almost  first  run  spots  in  their 
own  right.  The  town's  10  second  run  houses 
are  strategically  located  to  take  full  advan- 
tage of  this  unusual  arrangement.  Few  towns 
have  separate  business  and  community  dis- 
trict such  as  Grand  boulevard  and  Arsenal 
street,  Grand  boulevard  and  Gravois  avenue, 
the  Wellston  section  on  Easton  avenue, 
Grand  boulevard  and  Natural  Bridge  road, 
Cherokee  street  and  Iowa  avenue,  West 
Florrisant  avenue  around  Warne  avenue, 
and  Gravois  avenue  and  Morganford  road. 

The  second  run  houses  will  average 
around  $3,000  a  week  each,  while  the  80 
subsequent  run  theatres  perhaps  will  take 
in  at  least  $150,000  per  week  among 
them.  An  indication  of  the  total  motion 
picture  theatre  receipts  here  was  an  esti- 
mate that  the  proposed  city  tax  of  one 
cent  on  each  theatre  ticket  costing  20 
cents  or  more,  which  was  killed  at  the 
last  session  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen 
would  have  cost  the  industry  $200,000 
annually. 

And  in  passing  it  must  be  said  that  the 
value  of  an  alert  and  efficient  trade  organ- 
ization for  the  protection  of  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry  has  been  proven  here  time  and 
time  again.  Up  to  this  moment  not  one  really 
adverse  bill  has  ever  passed  the  local  Board 
of  Aldermen  and  been  signed  by  the  Mayor. 
But  hundreds  have  been  thrown  into  the 
legislative  hopper.  A  special  committee 
composed  of  Harold  W.  "Chick"  Evens  of 
Loew's,  representing  the  first  runs ;  Leto 
Hill,  general  manager  of  the  St.  Louis 
Amusement  Company,  acting  for  the  second 
runs,  and  Clarence  Kaimann,  who  operates 
a  number  of  subsequent  runs  in  North  St. 
Louis,  has  been  serving  with  Fred  Wehren- 
berg,  as  president  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Theatre  Owners  local  organization,  to  watch 
legislation.  Three  proposed  bills  that  met 
defeat  at  the  last  session  would  have  tapped 
the  industry  for  $350,000  annually  if  passed. 

Company  Dominates  Second-Runs 

In  the  second  run  and  subsequent  run  field 
the  St.  Louis  Amusement  Company  is  the 
dominant  factor  with  some  20  houses  in 
operation. 

This  company  has  also  recently  let  con- 
struction contracts  for  two  new  houses. 
One  to  be  at  Goodfellow  boulevard  and  West 
Florissant  avenue  in  the  northwestern  part 
of  St.  Louis  and  the  second  on  Forsythe 
boulevard  west  of  Hanley  road  to  Clayton, 
the  county  seat  of  St.  Louis  County.  The 
St.  Louis  Amusement  Company  is  controlled 
by  Skouras  Brothers  Enterprises,  a  Warner 
Bros,  subsidiary,  which  at  present  is  in 
bankruptcy  court.  Nelson  Cunliff,  Federal 
trustee  for  Skouras  Brothers  Enterprises, 
is  President  of  the  St.  Louis  Amusement 
Company. 

Among  the  first  run  men  "Chick"  Evens 


and  Charley  Kurtzmann  and  Harry  Green- 
man  of  the  Ambassador  and  Fox  give  as 
much  time  to  civic  affairs  as  their  crowded 
duties  will  permit.  But  as  every  one  knows 
first  run  shows  are  very  exacting  in  their 
demands  on  executives  and  as  a  result  these 
first  run  officials  have  not  taken  the  real 
active  interest  in  community  affairs  as  have 
Cunliff,  Wehrenberg  and  Kaimann,  for  in- 
stance. 

First-Run  Situation  Differs 

However,  there  is  another  angle  to  the 
first  run  situation  here  that  is  perhaps  dif- 
ferent than  elsewhere.  The  companies  that 
actually  own  the  Ambassador,  Missouri  and 
New  Grand  Central  theatres  are  headed  by 
Thomas  N.  Dysart,  who  for  several  years 
has  been  the  ranking  official  of  the  St.  Louis 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  while  Ed  Koeln, 
who  was  co-trustee  for  the  Fox  Theatre 
property  before  its  reorganization,  was  for 
many  years  City  Collector  of  St.  Louis  and 
one  of  its  most  popular  officials.  In  the 
Carondelet  section  and  in  the  vicinity  of 
Kingshighway  and  Gravios  avenue,  where 
is  located  the  American  Exchange  National 
Bank,  which  he  heads  as  president,  there  is 
no  one  better  known  or  liked  than  Ed  Koeln. 
And  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  he  was  one 
of  the  pioneer  motion  picture  exhibitors  of 
St.  Louis.  He  was  in  the  syndicate  that 
originally  constructed  the  New  Grand  Cen- 
tral theatre  and  that  owned  the  First  National 
franchise  for  this  territory.  And  it  is  said  for 
him  that  he  was  the  first  exhibitor  to  suc- 
cessfully co-ordinate  motion  pictures  with 
flesh  and  blood  actors  to  produce  "talking 
pictures." 

Fred  Wehrenberg  also  occupies  a  very 
unique  position  along  Cherokee  street.  Not 
even  the  Skouras  boys  could  wrest  his  strate- 
gic hold  on  that  community  from  Fred — 
even  though  they  shot  the  best  men  in  their 
organization  to  compete  with  him.  And  in 
the  final  results  Fred  ended  up  with  the 
Cinderella  Theatre,  at  one  time  operated  by 
the  St.  Louis  Amusement  Company  under 
the  Skouras  regime.  As  goes  Wehrenberg 
so  goes  Cherokee  street,  it  has  been  said. 

Theatremen  Rated  High 

To  begin  with,  I  will  say  that  the  adver- 
tising rates  charged  by  the  St.  Louis  news- 
papers are  somewhat  out  of  line  compared 
to  rates  exacted  from  department  stores  and 
other  advertising.  But  these  high  rates  are 
explained  by  the  publishers  by  the  fact  that 
they  do  give  considerable  space  in  their  news 
columns  to  news  articles  dealing  with  the 
motion  picture  industry  and  its  people.  The 
three  papers  regularly  use  special  columns 
out  of  Hollywood  and  from  time  to  time 
drop  in  some  special  story.  But  in  each  in- 
stance the  article  in  question  has  real  news 
value  to  the  readers  of  the  papers.  Each  of 
the  papers  has  its  special  motion  picture 
critic  and  all  use  slides  in  the  local  theatres 
in  a  co-operative  tieup  on  advertising. 

In  the  exploitation  field  the  restrictions 
against  a  parade  downtown  and  aqainst 
hanging  heralds,  etc.,  on  lampposts,  handi- 
cap the  publicity  bovs  somewhat,  but  th<-re 
are  ways  of  accomplishing  the  desired  re- 
sults if  you  only  know  how. 

Local  merchants  are  also  very  co-opera- 


tive when  properly  approached.  Never  is  an 
important  new  house  opened  here  without  a 
special  advertising  section  in  one  of  the  local 
newspapers  and  various  business  houses  use 
generous  space  to  pay  their  compliments  to 
the  theatre  owners  and  managers.  Likewise, 
a  real  tie-up  can  always  be  depended  upon 
to  get  window  space  in  some  of  the  depart- 
ment stores  or  specialty  houses.  A  striking 
example  of  this  co-operation  was  the  recent 
advertising  carried  by  one  of  our  largest 
department  stores  for  various  articles  of 
wearing  apparel,  etc.,  used  by  Shirley  Tem- 
ple as  part  of  the  exploitation  campaign  for 
the  run  of  "Captain  January"  at  Fanchon  & 
Marco's  Fox  Theatre. 

To  sum  up,  St.  Louis  is  a  good  town  for 
good  pictures  and  good  showmen  and  we 
have  plenty  of  both  hereabouts.  And  it  is 
not  because  I  like  them.  Perhaps  all  of 
them  do  not  rate  with  the  Skouras  boys, 
Billy  Goldman,  Harry  Koplar  and  O.  T. 
Crawford  at  !heir  best,  but  on  the  whole 
they  will  compare  favorably  with  motion 
picture  men  in  other  metropolitan  areas. 
Personally  I  would  give  all  of  them  a  little 
more  leeway  to  expand  their  capabilities. 

The  older  generation  and  the  children  like 
the  neighborhood  houses.  There  they  find 
no  parking  problems,  can  go  dressed  as  they 
please  and  get  to  bed  at  a  reasonable  hour. 
The  price  scale  is  10  to  25  cents.  Mama 
takes  in  the  matinees  at  the  first  run  in  con- 
junction with  some  of  her  shopping  tours, 
but  on  the  whole  the  first  runs,  especially 
those  along  Grand  boulevard,  depend  almost 
entirely  on  the  younger  men  and  women  and 
visitors  to  the  city.  St.  Louis'  floating  popu- 
lation is  not  so  pronounced  as  in  New  York 
and  Chicago,  but  enough  to  be  considered. 

Many  Own  Homes 

Next  to  Philadelphia  there  are  more  homes 
occupied  by  owners  in  St.  Louis  than  any 
large  city  in  the  land.  This  is  an  important 
factor  in  the  patronage  of  our  theatres  and 
explains  the  pronounced  success  of  such  men 
as  Wehrenberg  and  Clarence  Kaimann,  and 
the  Ansell  boys. 

And  now  to  get  back  to  where  I  began — 
St.  Louis  was  making  motion  pictures  when 
Hollywood  was  a  vacant  lot.  It  will  jolt 
some  of  the  big  shots  out  in  California  to 
learn  that  St.  Louis  produced  the  first  two- 
reeler,  the  first  three-reeler  and  the  first  five- 
reel  feature  picture  ever  produced,  and  O.  T. 
Crawford  was  the  first  man  to  ever  send  a 
motion  picture  company  to  location. 

The  principal  competition  of  the  local  mo- 
tion picture  houses  are  the  various  attrac- 
tions in  the  Municipal  Auditorium's  Opera 
House  and  Convention  Hall,  the  Municipal 
Theatre  in  Forest  Park,  the  sports  attrac- 
tions at  the  Arena,  including  hockey,  boxing 
and  wrestling  matches ;  baseball  at  Sports- 
men Park  and  various  soft  ball  parks  in  the 
city  and  St.  Louis  County  and  an  occasional 
dramatic  attraction  at  the  American  The- 
atre. The  Meramec  River  and  swim  pools 
are  real  summer  competition.  But  week  in 
and  week  out  St.  Louisians  reach  into  their 
pocketbooks  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  million 
dollars  for  their  picture  shows.  That  means 
that  each  man,  woman  and  child  sees  a  pic- 
ture show  on  an  average  of  once  a  week. 


July    18,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


85 


Good  Evening: 

One  more  reminder  of  the  fact 
that  Bob  Taylor's  newest  pic- 
ture "Private  Number"  starts 
tomorrow  at  the  Fox  Theatre. 
I'm  quite  positive  that  there 
isn't  a  person  in  Pomona  "Val- 
ley who  won't  enjoy  this  show, 
since  the  story  is  paced  as 
fast  as  Bob's  own  meteoric 
rise  in  pictures  with  Loretta 
Young  adding  greatly  to  the 
attractiveness  of  the  program. 
The  preview  feature  should 
not  be  overlooked  either  be- 
cause it's  one  of  Damon  Kun- 
yon's  rollicking  comedies — "The 
Three  Wise  Guys"  and  fea- 
tures Robert  Young,  Betty 
Furness  and  Raymond  Wal- 
burn.  So  don't  miss  this  pro- 
gram. 

Bob  Cannom. 


Chatter  style  of  newspaper 
advertising  as  utilized  by 
Manager  Bob  Cannom  of 
the  Pomono  Theatre,  Po- 
mono,  Cal.  The  "good  eve- 
ning" head  is  used  regularly 
by  Cannom  in  these  one- 
column  displays  which  have 
built  up  quite  a  bit  of  reader 
interest. 


Good  Evening: 

Just  received  a  booking  con- 
firmation on  Bob  Taylor's  la- 
test picture,  "Private  Num- 
bers." It  seems  funny  to 
watch  Bob  on  the  screen  since 
during  most  of  his  College 
career  in  Pomona  he  was  a 
regular  member  of  our  aud- 
ience, particularly  on  Saturday 
nights.  But  even  though  the 
jump  was  a  long  one,  he 
seems  to  have  landed  on  both 
feet.  Loretta  Young  is  co- 
starred  with  Bob  in  "Private 
Numbers"  and  advance  no- 
tices give  it  plenty  of  good 
reviews  so  I  know  you'll  en- 
joy seeing  it  when  we  play  it 
at  the  Fox. 

BOB  CANNOM. 


Gag  Street  Bally  Used 
By  Rowberry  for  "Ray" 

For  his  street  bally  on  "Invisible  Ray," 
John  Rowberry,  Hunter  Theatre,  Elko, 
Nev.,  purchased  a  regular  cooking  pot  and 
attached  a  galvanized  stove  pipe  to  it,  im- 
printed it  and  slipped  it  over  his  "stooge's" 
head.  Man  wore  oversize  white  gloves, 
paraded  streets  and  stopped  to  peer  into 
shop  windows.  Prior  to  stage  showing,  all 
lights  were  turned  out  in  house,  green  foots 
turned  on  and  man  would  appear  on  stage 
and  in  trembling  voice  say  "I'm  coming 
here  on  Thursday." 

On  "Robin  Hood  of  El  Dorado"  entire 
staff  wore  Mexican  hats,  window  cards  were 
spotted  in  ace  stores  about  town  and  due  to 
large  Mexican  and  Spanish  population  in 
Elko,  ads  were  run  in  those  languages. 


How  They  Treated 
"Milky  Way"  Abroad 

In  Glasgow,  Scotland,  C.  Young  at  the 
Paramount  Theatre  staged  a  competition 
which  was  run  in  conjunction  with  the 
Glasgow  Evening  News,  for  which  a  radio 
firm  donated  two  of  their  sets  for  the  best 
reviews  turned  in  on  the  picture.  Contest 
was  held  during  entire  run  of  film  and  paper 
gave  it  plenty  of  space. 

Arrangements  were  made  for  milk  com- 
pany to  banner  all  their  trucks,  tieup  was 
made  with  department  store  which  displayed 
five-foot  cutouts  of  Lloyd  and  Helen  Mack 
and  a  15-foot  banner  was  planted  at  foot- 
ball club  ground. 

At  Newcastle,  England 

G.  G.  Sadler  for  his  date  at  the  Para- 
mount Theatre  there  tied  up  newspapers, 
which  were  induced  to  advance  date  of 
Tyneside  Milk  Week  to  coincide  with  week 
of  showing.  Procession  of  80  bannered 
milk  wagons,  carts,  etc.,  headed  by  lorry 
bearing  48  cutout  heads  of  Lloyd  covered 
city.  Milk  bottle  discs  were  used  by  all  local 
milk  distributors  and  milk  posters  occupying 
commanding  sites  all  over  city  bore  picture 
copy. 

And  At  Manchester 

Where  Harry  Murray  at  the  local  Para- 
mount opened  a  milk  bar  in  his  lobby 
through  aid  of  cooperating  dairy  (see 
photo).  Entire  staff  was  dressed  as  milk 
maids  and  men  and  for  further  lobby  display 
full  size  Lloyd  cutout  was  used  with  glass  of 
milk  in  extended  hand.  Front  of  theatre 
was  decorated  with  oversized  milk  bottle 
cutout  on  which  were  posted  scene  stills. 


Murray's  "Milky  Way"  Lobby  Bar 


Free  Permanent  Given 
For  "Invisible  Ray" 

Doubtless  figuring  that  the  patrons  of  the 
Wicomico  Theatre  in  Salisbury,  Md.,  would 
have  their  hair  standing  on  ends  after  seeing 
"Invisible  Ray,"  Harry  Moller  tied  up  lead- 
ing beauty  parlor,  which  offered  a  free  per- 
manent to  any  young  lady  who  would  sit 
alone  in  the  theatre  at  midnight  and  witness 
the  picture.  Announcements  were  run  that, 
before  entering  theatre,  the  young  lady 
would  be  subjected  to  a  thorough  physical 
examination,  all  lights  would  be  turned  out 
in  house  and  after  brief  prologue  she  would 
be  taken  to  "ghostland." 

Harry  reports  that  he  had  20  applicants, 
chose  the  most  likely  one,  and  that  after  due 
publicity  crowds  gathered  at  the  theatre  to 
watch  the  gal  enter.  Papers  grabbed  the 
stunt  and  played  it  up  much  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  the  beautician. 


"CYRANO  DE  BERGERAC" 

Cyrano  won  his  women  by  the  eloquence 
of  his  prose.  Alexander  Smith  wins  them 
by  the  beauty  and  luxuriance  of  its  floor- 
coverings  .  .  .  which  is  why  you  will  find 
Alexander  Smith  Carpets  in  the  majority 
of  the  country's  most  successful  theatres. 

ALEXANDER  SMITH  CARPET 


86 


MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  July    18,  1936 


liti 


ED  SIEGAL 

formerly  at  the  Etna  in  Mt.  Etna,  Pa.,  is 
now  managing  Schine's  Granada,  Buffalo, 
N.  Y. 

V 

HERMAN  WEINBERG 
former  managing  director  of  the  Little  The- 
atre, Baltimore,  Md.,  has  been  appointed 
director  of  publicity  of  the  French  Motion 
Picture  Corp.,  headquartering  in  New  York 
City. 

V 

E.  L.  HICKEY 

has  been  appointed  manager  of  the  Colonial 
Theatre  in  Brockton,  Mass. 

V 

BEN  REEVES 

owner  of  the  Spartan  in  Sparta,  N.  C,  has 
purchased  the  Jeffersonian  at  West  Jeffer- 
son, N.  C. 

V 

LIN  CURTIS 

has  been  named  manager  of  the  Star  in  St. 
Johnsbury,  Vt. 

V 

JOHN  McCONVILLE 

has  taken  over  the  managership  of  the  Davis 

Square  in  Somerville,  Mass. 

V 

GEORGE  HELTZER 

assistant  at  the  Metro  in  the  Bronx  has  been 
appointed  manager  of  the  house. 

V 

SIDNEY  GOTTLIEB 
manager  of  the  Bronx  Metro  Theatre  has 
been  transferred  to  the  Park  West,  replacing 
MOE  FARBER. 

V 

CLIFFORD  LINDBLOD 

is  managing  the  newly  remodeled  Strand 

Theatre  in  Atlantic,  la. 

t  v 

EDWARD  HARRISON 
recently  resigned  from  the  Capitol,  Pitts- 
field,  Mass.,  has  gone  to  Waterville,  Maine, 
to  become  district  manager  of  the  Gordon 
Theatres. 

V 

WALTER  ROSE 

formerly  at  the  Palace  in  Pittsfield  has  re- 
signed and  gone  to  Florida. 

V 

A.  H.  YEOMANS 

of  the  Mississippi  Theatres,  has  subleased 
the  Ritz  Theatre,  Natchez,  Miss.,  to  LOUIS 
FRY. 

V 

FRANK  A.  BAILEY 

has  purchased  the  Lyric  at  Bay  Springs, 
Miss. 

V 

H.  CLAY  HARRIS,  JR. 

is  the  new  manager  of  the  Ritz  Theatre  in 

Marianna,  Fla.,  succeeding  J.  A.  BIVINGS. 

V 

ELLIS  OUTLAW 

has  been  made  manager  of  the  Alabama, 
Dotha,  Ala. 

V 

LLOYD  EVANS 

is  the  manager  of  the  Maplewood  Theatre, 
Maplewood,  N.  J. 

V 

HARRY  BOTWICK 

of  the  state  in  Portland,  Me.,  dropped  in  on 
his  annual  visit. 


BASEBALL  TEAM.  Latest  member  to  sponsor  theatre's  own  baseball  team  is 
Jack  Markle,  Coolidge  Corner  Theatre,  Brookline,  Mass.  Front  row,  seated  (left  to 
right):  F.  Fahey,  Jack  Daley,  Joe  Ball,  Tom  Manning  and  P.  Lewis.  Back  row,  stand- 
ing, J.  O'Connor,  J.  Murphy,  W.  S.  Murphy,  A.  McDonald,  Ned  McEttrick,  Dan  Cooney 
and  P.  DeBruit. 


Birthday 
Greetings 


Nelson  S.  Amos 
L.  S.  Bach 
N.J.  Banks 
Carlton  L.  Beals 
Mark  Berkheimer 
Russ  A.  Bovim 
Murray  Bracker 
Harry  Briggs 
C.  J.  Brown 
Dan  C.  Clinton 
Merrill  Cowan 
George  Damon 
Jim  B.  Daugherty 
R.  V.  DeGruy 
James  Delaney 
Irving  Dreeben 
Henry  C.  Earle 
M.  A.  Edwards 
Ira  Eschay 
Paul  Fiset 
Harold  Gabrilove 
E.  V.  Gassaway 
E.  E.  Gentes 
Marsh  Gollner 
Ben  Griefer 
L.  P.  Hagermann 
Thor  Hauschild 
Ken  Henry 
Joe  Hewitt 
A.  R.  Hiland 


Paul  M.  Ketchum 
Joe  Klein 
Rupert  Kobelgard 
Mac  Krim 
Paul  Kunze 
Irving  Lambert 
Samuel  Leffler 
George  Littman 
Samuel  J.  London 
W.  R.  McCormick 
Robert  McGraw 
C.  W.  McHale 
Charles  H.  McKinney 
Stewart  Martin 
Harold  J.  Murphy 
Jack  Nelson 
James  O'Kelly 
Erik  Paulson 
Roy  O.  Pryti 
Thomas  N.  Pyke 
E.  H.  Rhines 
Cecil  B.  Rosson 
Chuck  Shannon 
William  Sherman 
C.  T.  Spencer 
Louis  Stone 
George  Stoves 
L.  Vaughan 
Bob  Waterson 
W.D.Yeakle 


AL  KARF 

has  been  shifted  to  Springfield,  Mo.,  by  Fox 
Midwest  as  city  manager.  Karf,  formerly  at 
Sedalia  was  succeeded  by  GLENN  CAR- 
ROLL, formerly  at  Coffeyville. 

V 

WALLY  ALLEN 

formerly  at  Schine's  in  Van  Wert,  Ohio,  has 
been  promoted  to  manage  the  Athena  in 
Athens,  Ohio.  HOLDEN  SWIGER  re- 
places Wally  in  Van  Wert. 

V 

FRANCIS  FAILLE 

has  been  appointed  manager  of  the  Palace, 
Pittsfield,  Mass.,  succeeding  EDWARD 
DOWLING  who  was  transferred  to  the 
Capitol  in  charge  of  all  the  Goldstein  the- 
atres there. 

V 

GORDON  CRAIG 

was  named  manager  of  the  Palomar,  newly 
opened  house  in  Seattle,  Wash. 

V 

CLIFF  BOYD 

assistant  of  the  Paramount,  North  Adams, 
Mass.,  has  been  promoted  to  manage  the 
Strand  in  Pittsfield. 

V 

AL  ZIMBALIST 

is  now  at  the  Regent  Theatre  in  Kearnev, 
N.  J. 

'  V 

PAT  McSWAIN 

former  manager  of  the  Criterion  in  Spar- 
tanburg, S.  C,  has  joined  radio  station 
WSPA  in  that  city  as  announcer. 


July     18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


87 


THE  RELEASE  CHART 


Productions  are  listed  according  to  the  names  of  distributors  in  order  that  the  exhibitor  may  have  a  short-cut  towards  such 
information  as  he  may  need,  as  well  as  information  on  pictures  that  are  coming.  Features  now  in  work  or  completed  for  release 
later  than  the  date  of  this  issue  are  listed  under  "Coming  Attractions."  Running  times  are  those  supplied  by  the  companies. 
Asterisk  indicates  running  time  as  made  known  by  West  Coast  studio  before  announcement  by  home  office  in  New  York.  Varia- 
tifle  denotes  audience  classification  of  production:  (A)  Adult,  (G)  General.  Numerals  following  audience  classification  are  pro- 
tions  also  may  be  due  to  local  censorship  deletions.  Dates  are  1935,  unless  otherwise  specified.  Letter  in  parenthesis  after 
duction  numbers.   Dagger  symbol  indicates  picture  is  of  the  1935-36  season. 


ACADEMY 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi  Duna   Jan.    24/36t  70. Jan.  25/SH 

Revolt  of  the  Demons  Dorothy  Stone-Dean  Jagger  May   20,'36t. .. .60. June  13/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title  of  "Revolt  of  the  Zombies.") 


Coming 


Inter-national  Crime  .... 

Millions  for  Defense  

Murder  in  Chinatown.... 
Secret  of  Scotland  Yard. 
Slave  Ship   


AMBASSADOR-CONN 


Title 


Running  Time 

Star  Ret.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Black  Gold   Frankie  Darro-Berton  Churchill.  .Jan.  20.'36t. 

Born  to  Fight  Frankie  Darro-Jack  La  Rue  Apr.  I3,'36t. 

Phantom  of  Death  Valley  Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. .. May  I5.'36t. 

Phantom  Patrol   Kermit  Maynard-Joan  Barclay  May  3,'36t. 

Song  of  the  Trail  Kermit  Maynard-Evelyn  Brent. ..Feb.  24,'36t. 

Timber  War   Kermit  Maynard-Lucille  Lund... Nov.  20  

Wildcat  Trooper   Kermit  Maynard-H.  Bosworth  June  I0.'36t. 

Coming 

Avenging  Angels   Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond..  .Aug.  20,'36.. 

China  Flight   Oct.  I, '36.. 

Racing  Blood   Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond..  .Aug.  I. '36.. 

Robin   Hood.  Jr  Sept.  I5.'36.. 

Wild  Horse  Roundup   Kermit   Maynard   Aug.  8/36.. 


BURROUGHS-TARZAN  Running  Tim. 

Title                                    Star                                  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Drag  Net,   The  Rod   LaRocque-Marian  Nixon  Apr.  I5.'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  15/36.) 
Phantom  of  Santa  Fe,  The  Nina  Quartaro-Norman  Kerry..  June  30/36t  

(all  color) 

Coming 

Tundra   Del  Cambre   July  30,'36t  

White   Glove,   The  Aug.  I5,'36t  


Title 


CELEBRITY 

Star 

Coming 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


For  Love  of  You  Franco    Foresta   -    Rlscoe  and 

Wayne  60  

Kiss  Me  Goodbye  (G)  Magda  Schneider  -  Riscoe  and 

Wayne   62  Dee. 


CHESTERFIELD 


Dark  Hour,  The. 


Star 

Rel. 

Date 

Valerie  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley, 

Jr.   

Cecilia  Parker- Russell  Hopton... 

.June 

l/36t 

Ray  Walker-Irene  Ware  

I5,'36t 

Dickie  Moore-Junior  Coghlan... 

.Mar. 

2/36t 

Patricia  Farr-Wm.  Bakewell 

6/36t 

Erin  O'Brien-Moore-Donald 

I5t... 

Running  Time 
Minutes  Reviewed 


COLUMBIA 

Title  Star  Re|.  D 

And   So   They   Were  Married 

<G>   Mary  Astor-Melvyn   Douglas. ....  May 

Avenging  Waters   Ken  Maynard-Beth  Marlon  ..May 

Blackmailer   William  Gargan- Florence  Rice... July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  28/36.) 


I5t  64.  Mar.  28/36 


Running  Time 
Minutes  Reviewed 


IO/36t....75.Apr. 

8/36t  56  

IO/36t.. ..66  


18/36 


(See  "Queer  Money,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 

mi  and  Punishment  (A)  Peter  Lorre- Edward  Arnold  

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63.) 


Title  Star  Rel. 

Don't  Gamble  with  Love  (G)..  Bruce  Cabot- Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Escape  from  Devil's  Island  (G).  Victor  J  «ry- Florence  Rice  Nov. 

Final  Hour,  The  M.  Churchill-Ralph  Bellamy  July 

Fugitive  Sheriff,  The  Ken  Maynard-Beth  Marion  June 

Gallant   Denfender   Charles  Starrett-Joan  Perry  Nov. 

Hell  Ship  Morgan  (G)  George  Bancroft-Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Heroes  of  the  Range  Ken   Maynard-June   Gale  Mar. 

If  You  Could  Only  Cook  Jean  Arthur-Herbert  Marshall. ..  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64.) 

King  Steps  Out,  The  (G)  Grace   Moore- Franchot  Tone  May 

Lady   of   Secrets  Ruth  Chatterton-Otto  Kruger  Jan. 

Lawless  Riders  (G)  Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell. ..  Dec. 

Lone  Wolf  Returns,  The  (Gh.Melvyn  Douglas-Gail  Patrick. ...  Dec. 
Mine  With  the  Iron  Door,  The 

(G)   Richard  Arlen-Ceeilia  Parker  May 

Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town  (G)..Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  Apr. 

(Exploitation:    May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  6/36,  p.  120;  June  20 
June  27/36,  p.  80;  July  11/36,  pp.  125,  128.) 
Music  Goes  'Round,  The  (G).Rochelle  Hudson-Harry  Richman. . Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  95;  Mar.  21/36,  p.  96;  Mar.  28/36, 
May  2/36.  p.  94;  May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  June  6 

Mysterious  Avenger   Charles  Starrett-Joan   Perry  Jan. 

One  Way  Ticket  Lloyd  Nolan-Peggy  Conklin. .. . .  .Nov. 

Panic  on  the  Air  (G)  Lew  Ayres- Florence  Rice  Apr. 

Pride  of  the  Marines  Charles  Blckford- Florence  Rice... Apr. 

Roaming  Lady    Fay  Wray- Ralph   Bellamy  Apr. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  April  4/36.) 

Secret  Patrol   Charles  Starrett- Finis  Barton. ...  May 

Shakedown   Lew  Ayres- Joan  Perry  July 

Stampede   Charles  Starrett-Finis  Barton  June 

Too  Tough  to  Kill  Victor  Jory-Sally  O'Neill  Nov. 

Trapped  by  Television  Lyle  Talbot-Mary  Astor  June 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23/36.) 

Western  Courage   Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell.  .. Nov. 

You  May  Be  Next  (G)  Ann  Sothern-Lloyd  Nolan  Feb. 


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
l5/36t....63.Mar.  14/31 
lOt  65  Dee.  14 

7/36t  

l/36t.. ..58  

30t  57  

8/36t....65.Mar.  21/38 

28/36t....5i  

30t  72  

28/36t....86.May  23/36 

25/36t....73  

28t  57. May  2/36 

31 1  69. Feb.  15/36 

6/36t....66.Apr.  25/36 
l2/36t...H8.Apr.  25/36 
•36,  pp.  118,   120,  122; 

27/36t....88.Feb.  29/36 
p.  84;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  78: 
36,  p.  123.) 

I7.'36t  55  

25t  72  

IO/36t...  .56. May  2/31 
2/36t  66  

!2/36t....69  


20/36t  60.. 

I7/36t  

8/36t  56.. 

23t  58. 

I5.'36t....64. . 


I5t.... 
6/36t. 


..58  

..67.  Mar. 


28/36 


Coming 

Adventure  in  Manhattan  Jean  Arthur-Joel  McCrea   

Continental   Dolores  Del  Rio-Melvyn  Douglas  

Craig's  Wife   John  Boles- Rosalind  Russell  

Fighter,   The   James  Dunn-June  Clayworth  Aug.  15/36. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Find  the  Witness  Marguerite  Churchill   

I  Promise  to  Pay  Leo  Carrillo-Marian  Marsh- 


Meet  Nero  Wolfe  

...   Edward  Arnold-Joan  Perrv.. 

Ana. 

1  »38t 

.  .72  

(See  "Fer  de  Lance,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 

Theodora   Goes  Wild  

They  Met  in  a  Taxi  

(See  "There  Goes  the 

Bride,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room," 

July  4, 

36.) 

Title 

Aces  Wild   

COMMODORE 

Star 

Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Ian.      9  '3Rt        A  rW 

Feb. 

I5,'36t.. 
!5/36t.. 
26t  

It  

..6  rls  

Toll  of  the  Desert  (G) 
Wolf  Riders   

 Fred  Kohler,  Jr. -Betty  Mack.. 

..Nov. 

It  

26t  

..60. ...Oct.  28 
..6  rls  

Scream   in  the  Dark  

Coming 

DANUBIA 

(Hungarian  Dialogue) 
Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Devil's  Squadron  (G)  Richard  Dix 


.  Dec. 

lot.... 

..65 

Feb.  1/36 

Empress  and  a  Soldier 

.Feb. 

Keep  Smiling  

2l/36t 

..77  

.June 

New  Squire,  The  

I5,'36t.. 
I0t  

.106  

Queen  of  Roses  

Nov. 

20t  

..89 

. . .  Nov.  30 

Sweet  Stepmother   

4/36t 

Coming 

May 

l/36t.. 

..80. 

May  16/36 

Be  Good  Unto  Death  

88 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,    I  936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


DU  WORLD 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date 

Coming 

Frasquita    (G)   Franz  Lehar   Jan. 

Legong:  Dance  of  the  Virgins. .  Technicolor   Nov. 

Scandal  in  Budapest  Nov. 

Wedding  Rehearsal   Roland  Young-Merle  Oberon  Dec. 


Running  Time 

Minutes  Reviewed 


l7/36t....87.Feb. 

I5t  60  , 

It  

It  


I. '36 


Coming 

Amok  Marcel  Chantel   Oct.  I5,'36. 

Kliou.  the   Killer  Technicolor                              ..Oct.  I, '36. 

L'Equlppage   Annabella   Oct.  15, '36. 

Nobody's  Boy  Robert  Lynen   Sept.  15. '36. 

Notre  Dame   Oct.  I. '36. 

Opera  of  Paris  Georges  Thill   Oct.  I .'36 . 


...84  

...60  June 

. ..79  

...81  

...58  

...50  


EMPIRE  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Crime  Patrol   Ray    Walker-Geneva  Mitchell   

Fire  Trap  (G)  Evalyn  Knapp-Norman  Foster  *63  Dee.  7 

Shadows  of  the  Orient  (G)  Regis  Toomey- Esther  Ralston  *65.Feb.  I5,'36 


FIRST  NATIONAL 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
Apr.    I8,'36t..  ..67. Jan.    25, '36 


.69.... Nov.  23 
.81 .  May    23. '36 


1 9. Jan.    1 1. '36 


Title  Star 
Brides  Are  Like  That  (G)  972.  Ross  Alexander-Anita  Louise 

(Exploitation:  June  20,'36.  p.  117.) 

Broadway  Hostess  (G)  963. ...  Winifred  Shaw-Lyle  Talbot  Dec.  7t... 

Bullets  or  Ballots  (G)  961  Edw.  G.  Robinson-Joan  Blondell. . June  6,'36t 

(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.  123;  June  27/36,  p.  86.) 
Captain  Blood  (G)  855  Erroi  Flynn-Olivia  De  Havilland. .  Dec.  28t... 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  69;  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36.  pp.  83,  86;  Feb.  29/36,  pp. 
74,  76;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  18/36.  p.  82.) 
Ceiling  Zero  (G)  953  James  Cagney-Pat  O'Brien  Jan.   25,'36t  95  Dec.  28 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  62:  Feb.  8/36.  p.  83;  Feb.  29/36,  p.  73:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99; 
Apr.  18/36,  pp.  81,  82;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  23/36,  p.  88.) 

Earthworm  Tractors  (G)  862.  ..Joe  E.  Brown-June  Travis  July    I8,'36t . .  .*68.  June  20/36 

Golden  Arrow,  The  (G)  959...Bette  Davis-George  Brent  May   23/36t  68. May  9/36 

(Exploitation:   May  16/36,  p.  85;  July  4/36,  p.  72.) 

Hearts  Divided  955  (G)  Marion    Davles-DIck   Powell  June  20/36f  70. June  13/36 

I  Found  Stella  Parish  (A)  958  Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter  Nov. 

Law  in   Her  Hands,  The  (G) 

973   Margaret  Lindsay-Warren  Hull.. May 

Man  of  Iron  (G)  969  Barton  MacLane-Mary  Astor  Dec.    21 1  

Murder  by  an   Aristocrat  (G) 

974   Marguerite  Churthill-L.  Talbot. .June  I3.'36t. 

Murder  of   Dr.   Harrlgan,  The 

(G)  970   Kay  Linaker-Ricardo  Cortez.  ...Jan. 

Payoff,  The  (G)  968  James  Dunn-Claire  Dodd  Nov, 

Road  Gang  (A)  964  Donald  Woods-Kay  Llnaker  Mar 


I6t  84. ...Nov. 


I6,'36t  58. Apr.  18/36 

.61.. ..Nov.  16 


.60.  Apr.  4,'H 


ll/36t. 

9t.... 
28/36t. 


121;  June  27/36,  p. 


67.  Feb.  1/36 
...64....  Nov.  30 
...62.  Feb.  29/36 
88;  July  4/36, 


.Apr.    Il/36t.   .  84. Mar.  21/3 


4/38t.. 


63. Mar.  21/36 
56. Apr.  11/36 


22/36t....87....Nov.  30 


(Exploitation:    Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p. 
p.  68;  July  11/36,  p.  128.) 

Singing  Kid,  The  (G)  954  Al  Jolson-Beverly  Roberts 

(Exploitation:  May  2/36.  p.  99.) 

Snowed  Under  (G)  971  George  Brent-Genevieve  Tobln...Apr. 

Song  of  the  Saddle  (G)  978.. Dick  Foran-Alma  Lloyd  Feb.  29,'36t 

Story  of  Louis  Pasteur,  The  (G) 

956   Paul  Muni-Josephine  Hutchinson .. Feb, 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  96:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  87:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  25/36. 
p.  96;  May  2/36,  p.  92;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  16/36.  p.  82;  May  30/36,  p.  85; 
July  4/36.  p.  68.) 
Two  Against  the  World  (G)  977  Humphrey  Bogart-Beverly  Rob- 
erts July    ll/36t....57.May  23/36 

White.  Angel.  The  960  (G)...Kay  Francis-Ian   Hunter  July     4/36t  91. June  6/36 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,   p.  125.) 

Coming 

Case  of  the  Caretaker's  Cat. . .  Ricardo  Cortez-June  Travis  

Case  of  the  Velvet  Claws.  The 

(G)  965   Warren  William-Claire  Dodd  Aug.   I5.'36t  63. May  23/36 

China  Clipper  960   Pat  O'Brien-Beverly   Roberts  Aug.  22/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

God's  Country  and  the  Wanu. George  Brent-Beverly  Roberts  

Let's  Pretend   James  Melton-Patricia  Ellis  

Love    Begins   at   Twenty  (G) 

962   Warren  Hull-Patrleia  Ellis  Aug.  22/36  72. May  30/36 

Mountain  Justice   Bette  Davis   

Nowhere   Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts  

Polo  Joe   Joe  E.  Brown-Carol  Hughes  •  

(See  "In  The  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Shrinking   Violet   June  Travis-Richard  Pureed  

Slight  Case  of  Murder,  A  Edward  G.  Robinson  

Stage  Struck   Joan  Blondell-DIck  Powell  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  6/36.) 


FRANK  NORTON 


Title 


(Greek  Dialogue 

Star 


-English  Titles) 

Rel.  Date 


Running  Time 
Minutes  Reviewed 


Aute  in  Zoo  Reta  Karmen   Nov. 

Blue  Candles   Reta  Myrat   Dee. 

Crucified  Love   Helen  Pades   Dee. 

Depression   Is  Over  Beatrice  Emanuel   Jan. 

Independence'  Phillip  Alexander   Feb. 

Makrea  Apton  Kosmo  Athena  Olympia   Nov. 

News  from  Greece  Travelogue   Feb. 

Voskopoula   Sophea  Dameglou   Jan. 


25t  115. 

25t  95. 

I5t  115. 

I5,'36t  98. 

l6/36t.. .100. 
I8t  75. 

9/36t  80. 

S/36t..  ..95. 


GB  PICTURES 


Title 

First  a  Girl  (A)  3512  

It's  Love  Again  (G)  

King  of  the  Damned  (A)  3504. 
Mister  Hobo  (G)  3416  

(Reviewed  under  the  title, 

p.  84;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  83.) 
Passing  of  the  Third  Floor 

Back,  The  (G)  3510  

Rhodes,  the  Diamond  Master 
(G)  3514   

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36. 

Secret  Agent  (A)  3515  

Transatlantic  Tunnel  (G)  3513. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p 


Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Jessie  Matthews-Sonnie  Hale  Dec.    31 1  78  Nov.  30 

Jessie  Matthews- Robert  Young.. .May   30/36t  79. May  16/36 

Conrad  Veidt-Helen  Vinson  Jan.    I5,'36t  75. Jan.  25/36 

George  Arliss-Gene  Gerrard  Nov.   22  80  Oct.  10 

"The  Guv'nor.")  (Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36, 


Doomed  Cargo  (A) . 


East  Meets  West  , 

Everything  Is  Thunder  

His  Majesty's  Pyjamas  (A) 

3623   , 


Conrad  Veidt-Rene  Ray  Dec.    1 5t -  -  -  - 

Walter   Huston   Apr.  I5,'36t. 

P.  72.) 

Madeleine  Carroll-Peter  Lorre  June  I5,'36t. 

Richard  Dix-Madge  Evans  Oct.  27t  

.  64.) 

Coming 

Edmund   Lowe-Constance  Cum- 

mings   Aug.  I5,'36t. 

George  Arliss   

C.  Bennett-D.  Montgomery  


.80. ...Oct.  10 
.88.  Mar.  7/36 


.83.  May  23/36 
.94  Nov.  9 


.70. July  11/36 


(Reviewed  under  the  title, 
King  Solomon's  Mines  3618... 
Man  Who  Lived  Again  3507.. 
Nine  Days  a  Queen  (G)  3610. 

(Reviewed  under  the  title, 

Paris  Love  Song  

Soldiers  Three   

Strangers  on  a  Honeymoon.... 


15/36  64.  Feb.  15/31 


.65. 


I0,'36t  67. 


.Clive  Brook-Helen  Vinson-Mary 

Carlisle   78.  May  30/36 

"Love  in  Exile.") 

.  Roland  Young-Paul  Robeson  

.  Boris   KarlofF-Anna  Lee  

.Nova  Pilbeam-Cedric  Hardwicke  .  .Sept.    l/36t  80. May  18/36 

"Lady  Jane  Gray.")  (See  production  article,  June  20/36,  p.  10.) 

.  Jessie  Matthews   

.  Victor  McLaglen   

.  Constance  Cummings-Hugh  Sin- 
clair-Noah Beery   

GEORGE  HIRLIMAN  ENTERPRISES 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Bristol,  the  Blunderer  George  O'Brien   Nov.  1/36  

Captain  Calamity   George  Houston-Marion  Nixon. ..  .Aug.  15/36  66  

Daniel  Boone   George    O'Brien  Sept.  1/36  

Davil  on  Horseback,  The  Lili  Damita   

Gorgeous   

Pending  Justice   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  

Rest  Cure  (G)  Reginald  Denny-Esther  Ralston. .Oct 

Romance  on  the  Rio  

Yellow  Cargo   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  Sept.  15/36 

GRAND  NATIONAL  DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

(Release  First  Division  Productions  and  in  certain  territories  Alliance,  Diversion, 
Normandy,  Associated  Talking,  Monogram,  Liberty,  Chesterfield  and  Invincible  Pictures.) 

Running  Time 

Title  star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

August  Week-end   Valerie  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley, 

Jr   .Apr. 

Below  the  Deadline  Cecilia  Parker- Russell  Hopton. .  .June 

Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens- Dorothy  Tree  Mar. 

Brilliant  Marriage   Joan  Marsh-Ray  Walker  Mar. 

Dance  Band  (G)  Buddy  Rogers-June  Clyde  Nov. 

Dark  Hour,  The  Irene  Ware-Ray  Walker  Jan. 

Drake  the  Pirate  (G)  Matheson   Lang-Jane   Baxter  Apr. 

Easy   Money   (G)  Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker  June 

False  Pretenses  (G)  Sidney  Blackmer-lrene  Ware  Oct. 

Feud  of  the  West  Hoot  Gibson-Joan  Barclay  Apr. 

Hitch-Hike  to  Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman-Anita  Page...  Dec. 

I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi   Duna   Feb. 

Lady  in  Scarlet,  The  Reginald   Denny-Patricia  Farr.  ..Nov. 

Lady  Luck   Patricia  Farr — Wm.  Bakewell. .  . .  July 

Law  of  45's  Big  Boy  William-Molly  0'Day...Dec. 

Little  Red  School  House  Junior  Coghian- Dickie   Moore. ...  Mar. 

Living  Dead,  The  Gerald  Du  Maurier-Geo.  Curzon  . .  Feb. 

Lucky  Terror,  The  Hoot  Gibson   Feb. 

Murder  at  Glen  Athol  John  Miljan-lrene  Ware  Nov. 

Old  Curiosity  Shop  (G)  Elaine  Benson-Ben  Webster  Dec. 

Red  Wagon   Charlies  Bickford- Raquel  Torres. .Dec. 

Riding  Avenger   Hoot  Gibson   June 

Ring  Around  the  Moon  Erin  O'Brien  -  Moore  -  Donald 

Cook   Jan. 

She-Devil  Island   C.  Guerrero-J.  J.  Martinez 

Casado   June 

Southern  Maid   ...Bebe  Daniels-Clifford  Mollison.  ..May 

Spy  77  (G)  Greta    Nissen-Don   Alvarado  Jan. 

Swifty   Hoot  Gibson-June  Gale  Dec. 

Tango   Marian   Nixon-Chick  Chandler. .  .Jan. 

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)  Chick  Chandler-Evalyn  Knapp....May 

Too  Much  Beef  Rex  Bell-Connie  Bergen  Apr. 

West  of  Nevada  Rex  Bell   June 

HOFFBERG 


8/36t. 
5,'36t. 


25/36t..  ..62'/2  

I5t  65. ...June  15 

I5,'36t  70'/2  

I,'36t....78  June  I 

66 '/2  July  1 1/36 
66.... Nov.  23 


I5,'36t.. . 
22t  


I5,'36t  6l'/2  

It  63  

I,'36t..  ..67. Jan.  25/36 

20t  65  

3/36t  

I  t... 
IO/36t 

29/36t  65  

20,'36t  61  

It...  69. May 

25t  89....  Feb 

8f  76  


.56. 
.59. 


9/36 
2 


I5,'36t.. 

..57  

23/36t.. 

.  .69'/2Mar.28/36 

I.'36t.. 

1/36+.. 

I5,'36t.. 

..77. Feb.  29/36 

20/36t.. 

..75.  July  4/36 

Title 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


I0t  55  

15/36  65.  Oct.  I4'35 

2/36t..  ..60  

15/36  80  

1/36  62  


Fighting   Playboy   Lucile   Browne-Nick  Stuart  Nov. 

Girl  from  Maxim's  Leslie  Henson- Frances  Day  July 

Old  Spanish  Custom,  An  Buster  Keaton   Jan. 

Song  of  the  Scarlet  Flower  Swedish   June 

Wanted  Men   Charles  Laughton- Dorothy  Glsh..June 

Coming 

Monday  at  Ten  Virginia  Cherrill-Gary  Marsh  

Crime  of  Voodoo  Fredi  Washington   Sept.    1/36    63. 

Voice  of  India  Hoeffer  Expedition   Sept.  15/36  70 

Womanhood   Eve  Gray-Esmond  Knight  60 


60. 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


89 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAET--CCNT»E) 


HUNGARIA 


(Hungarian  Dialogue)  Running  Time 
Tit|e                                    Star                                   Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Addressee  Unknown   Irene  Agai   Nov.    20t  85  

Heart  Specialist   B.  Somegyl   Dec.    30t  90  

I  Cannot  Live  Without  Music. Gyula  Csortos   Dec.    20t  95  

One  Night  in  Venice  Gyula  Csortos   Jan.     l.'36t  —  85  

Three  Men  Under  the  Snow...leno   Torzs   Nov.    20t  85  


IMPERIAL 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Mad  Parade   Irene  Rich-Evelyn  Brent  ..May    I5,'36  71  

Manhattan  Butterfly   Dorothy  Grainger-Wm.  Bakewell . .  Nov.    25t  71  

Coming 

High  Hat   Frank   Luther- Dorothy   Dare  Sept.    I. '36  

Rich  Relations   Ralph  Forbes-Frances  Grant  Oct.    i 5/36  68  

Second  Choice   Betty  Burgess-Lloyd  Hughes  Nov.  I,'36t  

Wooden   Kimono,  The  Sept.  15, '36  


INVINCIBLE 

(Distributed  through  Chesterfield) 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens- Dorothy  Tree .....  Feb.   I5,'36t  64  

Brilliant  Marriage    Joan  Marsh-Ray  Walker  Mar. 

Easy  Money  (G)  Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker  June 

Hitch-Hike  to  Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman-Anita  Page... Dec. 

Tango   Marian   Nixop-Chick  Chandler. .  .Jan. 

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)  Chick   Chandler- Evalyn    Knapp  .  May 

Coming 

Murder  Will  Out  Aug.  1,'36. 


25,'36t 
I0,'36t 

It  

l/36t....66  

2.'36t....75.July 


66'/2  July  1 1  .'36 


4.'36 


MASCOT 


Title 

Doughnuts  and  Society. 


Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
.Louise  Fazenda-Maude  Eburne. . .  Mar.  27/361:  63  


METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Absolute  Quiet  (G)  609  Irene  Hervey-Lionel  Atwlll  Apr.  24,'36t . . . .71 . Apr.   II. '36 

Ah,  Wilderness!  (G)  628  Wallace  Beery-Lionel  Barrymore . . Nov.    29t  98  Nov.  23 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36.  pp.  82,  83;  Feb.  22. '36.  p.  98.) 

Bohemian  Girl.  The  (G)  521. .Laurel  and  Hardy  Feb.    I4,'36t.  ..72. Mar.    7. '36 

Devil  Doll,  The  (G)  631  Lionet  Barrymore-M.  O'Sulllvan  . . July    I0.'36t  79. July    1 1, '36 

Exclusive  Story  (G)  621  Franchot  Tone-Madge  Evans..  ..Jan.    I7,'36t  73. Jan.  I8,'38 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  28.'36.  p.  82;  Apr.  1 1, '36,  p.  95:  May  30.'36.  p.  90.) 

Fury   (G)   610  Sylvia   Sidney-Spencer   Tracy. ..  .June     5,'36t  94. May  30/31 

(Exploitation:    June  20. '36.  p.  117;  June  27/36.  pp.  80,  81.) 
Garden  Murder  Case,  The  (G) 

622   Edmund    Lowe-Virginia   Bruce. ..Feb.   21,'36t  62. Feb.  8/36 

Kind  Lady  (G)  619  Aline  MacMahon-B.   Rathbene. . .  Dec.     6t  78  Dec.  7 

Last  of  the  Pagans  (G)  617. .  .Mala-Lotus   Long   Dec.    20t  84  Dec.  14 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  95.) 

Moonlight   Murder   (G)    624. .  .Chester   Morris-Madge   Evans  Mar.  27. "361.   ..68.  Mar.  28/36 

Mutiny  on  the  Bounty  (G)  536Clark   Gable-Charles  Laughton- 

Franchot  Tone   Nov.     8T  133  Nov.  • 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36.  p.  80;  Jan.  25/36,  p.  68;  Feb.  1/36,  p.  65;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  82; 
Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  98;  June  27/36,  p.  81.) 

Night  at  the  Opera.  A  (G)  644  Marx    Brothers   Nov.    I5t  96  Oct.  28 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  80,  82;  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  94.  100:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  74;  Mar 
7/36,  p.  100;  Apr.  4/36.  p.  88.) 
Perfect  Gentleman,  The  (G) 

615   Frank  Morgan-C.  Court neldge  Nov.    22t  73  Dee.  28 

Petticoat  Fever  (G)  645  Rob't  Montgomery-Myrna  Loy  Mar.  20/361  81. Mar.  21/38 

(Exploitation:   Apr.  18/36,  p.  79;  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  13/36;  p.  122.) 

Riffraff  (G)  517  Jean  Harlow-Spencer  Tracy          Jan.     3,'36t  90  Dee.  28 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36.  p.  96:  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84.  89.) 
Robin  Hood  of  El  Dorado,  Tha 

608   Warner  Baxter-Ann  Lorlng  Apr.    I7,'36t  86  

(Seo  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  7/36.)  (Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p.  85;  July  11/36. 
p.  124.) 

Rose  Marie  (G)  643  J.  MacDonald-Nelson  Eddy  Jan.    3l.'36t . . . 1 13.  Jan.  18/36 

(Seo  musical  analysis,  Feb.  22/36,  p.  23;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  14/36, 
p.  87;  Mar.  21/36,  p.  92:  Apr.  4/36.  p.  89;  Apr.  11/36.  p.  97;  Apr.  18/36.  p.  78; 
May  9/36,  p.  90:  May  30/36.  p.  86.) 

San  Francisco  (G)  636  Clark  Gable  -  J.  MacDonald  - 

Spencer  Tracy-Jack   Holt  June  26/36t. . .  1 1 1 .  July  4/36 

Small  Town  Girl  (G)  607  Janet  Gaynor-Robert  Taylor  Apr.   I0,'36t . . .  106. Apr.  11/36 

(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.  122:  June  27/36,  p.  80.) 

Speed  652  (G)  Wendy  Barrie-James  Stewart  May     8/36t  72. May  2/36 

Tnle  of  Two  Cities,  A  (G)  604.  Ronald  Colman-Elizabeth  Allan. .  Dec.    27t  126  Dee.  7 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36.  p.  64;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  86:  May  2/36,  p.  94.) 

Three  Godfathers  (G)  623  Chester  Morris-Irene  Hervey  Mar.    6,'36t  82. Feb.  22/36 

Three  Live  Ghosts  (G)  618  Richard  Arlen-Cecllia  Parker  Jan.    IO/36t  62. Jan.  4/36 

Three  Wise  Guys  (G)  653  Robert  Young-Betty  Furness  May   I5.'36t  75.  May  16/36 

Tough  Guy  (G)  620  Jackie  Cooper-Joseph  Callela  Jan.    24,'36t  77. Feb.  8/38 

Trouble  for  Two  (G)  646  Robert  Montgomery-R.  Russell. .. May   29,'36t  75. May  30/36 

Unguarded  Hour,  The  (G)  55I.Loretta  Young- Franchot  Tone  Apr.     3/36t  88. Apr.  4/38 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Title 

Voice  of  Bugle  Ann,  The  (G) 

630   Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'SuIlivan  .  Feb.     7/36t  72.  Feb.  15/36 

We  Went  to  College  (G)  626..  Walter  Abel-Edith  Atwater  June   I9,'36t  69. June  27/36 

Whipsaw  (G)  513  Myrna  Loy-Spencer  Tracy  Dec.    I3t  82  Dee.  14 

Wife  vs.  Secretary  (G)  606....  Clark  Gable-Myrna  Loy-Jean 

Harlow   Feb.   28/36t . . .  89.  Feb.  22/36 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p.  77;  July  4/36,  p.  69.) 

Coming 

Born  to  Dance  Eleanor  Powell-James  Stewart  

Devil  Is  a  Sissy,  The  Freddie  Bartholomew-Jackie 

Cooper   

Good  Earth.  The  Paul  Muni-Luise  Raiser  

(See  production  article.  July  11/36,  p.  16.) 

Gorgeous  Hussy,  The  Joan  Crawford- Robert  Taylor- 

Mclvyn  Douglas-Jas.  Stewart.  .Aug.  21/38  

Great  Ziegfeld,  The  (G)  William    Powell  -  Myrna    Loy  - 

Luise   Rainer   180. Apr.  4/36 

(Pictorial:    Jan.  25/36,  p.  16;    exploitation:    Apr.  18/36,  p.  76;  June  27/36,  p.  82.) 

His  Brother's  Wife  Robt.  Taylor-Barbara  Stanwyck... Aug.  14/36  

Kelly  the  Second  Patsy   Kelly-Pert  Kelton  

Mister  Cinderella   Jack  Haley-Betty  Furness  

Neighborhood   House  (G)  Charley  Chase-Rosina  Lawrence  58. May  9/36 

Old  Hutch   Wallace    Beery-Cecilia   Parker.. .Aug.  7/36  

Our   Relations   Laurel  and  Hardy  

Piccadilly  Jim  655  Robt.  Montgomery-Madge  Evans. .July  3l/36t  

Romeo  and  Juliet                    Norma  Shearer-Leslie  Howard- 
John  Barrymore   '2*  

(See  production  article.   Mar.   28/36,   p.  16.) 

Suzy  518   Jean  Harlow-Franchot  Tone  July    24,'36t  98  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  13/36.) 

Sworn   Enemy   (G)  Robert  Young- Florence  Rice  *80.July  11/36 

Tarzan  Escapes   Johnny  Weismuller-Maureen 

O'Sulllvan   

Women  Are  Trouble  (G)  Stuart   Erwin-Florence   Rice   60. June  20/36 

MITCHELL  LEICHTER-BEAUMONT 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Desert  Guns   Conway  Tearle   t  Jan.     2/36t  65  

Riddle  Ranch   Black  King   Dee.    I6t  56  

Coming 

Devil's  Gold   Conway  Tearle   

Hell's  Hacienda   Conway  Tearle   

Senior  Jim   Conway  Tearle-Barbara  Bedford  

Three  Fingers   Conway  Tearle   

Whistling  Skull   Conway  Tearle   


PARAMOUNT 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Revleweo 

And  Sudden  Death  (G)  Randolph  Scott-Frances  Drake. .June   I9.'36t  68. June  13/36 

Anything  Goes  (G)  3533  Bing  Crosby-Ethel  Merman  Jan.    24,'36t  92. Feb.  22/31 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Arizona  Raiders,  The  Buster  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  June  26,'36t  57  

Bar  20  Rides  Again  (G)  3525.  Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  Dec.    I3t  63  Dee.  7 

Big  Brown  Eyes  (G)  3548  Joan  Bennett-Cary  Grant  Apr.     3/36t  76. Apr.  11/31 

Border  Flight  (G)   3558  John  Howard-Frances  Farmer  May    29,'36f  59. Apr.  25/31 

Bride  Comes  Home.  The  (G) 
3530   Claudette  Colbert-F.  Mac  Murray. .  Jan.     3/36t  83  Nov,  tS 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36.  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36.  p.  98:  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92.) 

Call  of  the  Prairie  (G)  3541.. Wm.   Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  Mar.    6/36t  67. Feb.  1/36 

Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames,  The 
(A)  3555   Madeleine  Carroll-George  Brent  . May     8/36t . . . *85 . M ay  9/36 

(Exploitation:    June  6/36,  p.  121;  July  4/36,  p.  69.) 
Collegiate  (G)  3529  Joe  Penner-Jack  Oakie  Dec.    27t  81  Dee.  28 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Fob.  22/36,  p.  94;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89; 
Apr.  1 1. '36.  p.  92;  May  16/36.  p.  82.) 
Coronado  3524    Betty  Burgess-Johnny   Downs  Nov.    29t  76  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Oct.  19.)    (Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36.  p.  66.) 
Crusades.  The  (G)  3508  Loretta  Young-Henry  Wilcoxon. . . Oct.    25f  125  Aug.  16 

(Pictorial:  June  29/35,  p.  47:  exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  80,  85:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  97.) 

Desert   Gold  3546  Larry  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  Mar.  27/36t....58  

Desire  (A)  3539  Marlene  Dietrich-Gary  Cooper  Feb.  28/36t  95. Feb.  8/36 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

Drift  Fence  (G)  3536  Larry  Crabbe-Kath.  De  Mllle  Feb.   I4.'36t . . . . 56.  May  30/38 

Eagle's  Brood.  The  (G)  3517.. Wm.   Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  Oct.    25t  60  Oct.  12 

Early  to  Bed  3560  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland  June     5/36t  73  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 

Fatal  Lady  (G)  3552  Mary  Ellis-Walter  Pidgeon  May    I5,'36t  76.  May  23/38 

Florida  Special   (G)   3554  Jack   Oakie-Sally   Filers  May     l/36t  67. Apr.  25/38 

F  Man  (G)  3544  Jack  Haley-Adrlenne   Marden  Mar.  I3.'36t  72. May  18/38 

Forgotten  Faces  (G)  3556  Herbert   Marshall-G.   Michael.  ..May    I5.'36t .  .  .72.  May  2/36 

Girls  of  the  Ozarks,  The  (G) 

3561   Virginia   Weidler-G.    Eriekson.. .  June    I2.'36t  68.  June  6/36 

Give  Us  This  Night  (G)  3542.  .Jan  Kiepura-Gladys  Swarthout.. .  Mar.    6/36t. ..  .73. Mar.  7/38 

(See  musical  analysis,  Mar.  14/36,  p.  18.) 
Hands   Across   the  Table  (A) 
3515   C.  Lombard-Fred  MacMurray  Oct.     1 8 1  80  Oct.  If) 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66.) 

Her  Master's  Voice  (G)  3531.  Edw.  E.   Horton-P.  Conklln  Jan.    I7.'36t  76.  Feb.  22/36 

It's  a  Great  Life  3528  Joe  Morrison-Rosalind  Keith  Dec.    20t  63  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Sept.  28.) 
Klondike  Annie  (A)  3538  Mae  West-Victor  McLaglen  Feb.   2l/36t  81. Feb.  15/36 

(See  news  article,  Mar.  7/36.  p.  19;  exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  1/36,  p.  92: 

June  20/36,  p.  118.) 

Mary  Burns.  Fugitive  (G)  3521. Sylvia  Sldney-Melvyn  Douglas. ..  Nov.    I5t  84  Nov.  18 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  86;  Mar.  28/36,  p.  84.) 


90 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July     18,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT«C€NT'E) 


I3t  72....  Nov.  30 

IO.'36t....83.Apr.   1 1.'36 

28t  59  Nov.  16 

5,'36t....72.June  6.'36 
8t  85  Nov.  9 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Milky  Way,  The  (G)  3535  Harold  Lloyd-Adolphe  Menjou. . . .  Feb.     7/36t. .. .88.  Feb.     I, '36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21. '36.  pp.  93.  95;  Apr.  4. '36.  pp.  82,  87;  May  2.'36.  p.  99;  May  23,'36, 
p.  94;  June  6. '36.  p.  116;  June  27, '36,  pp.  82.  85.) 
Millions  in  the  Air  (G)  3526.. John  Howard-Wendy  Barrie  Dee. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25. '36,  p.  64;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83.) 
Moon's  Our  Home.  The (G) 3549. Margaret  Sullavan-Henry  Fonda.  .Apr. 

Nevada  (G)  3523  Larry  Crabbe- Kathleen  Burke  Nov. 

Palm  Springs  (G)  3559  Frances  Langford-Smith  Ballew.June 

Peter  Ibbetson  (G)  3518  Gary  Cooper-Ann  Harding  Nov. 

Poppy  (G)   3562  W.  C.  Fields-Rochelle  Hudson. .  .June   I9,'38  73. June   13, "36 

Preview  Murder  Mystery  (G) 

3540   Gail  Patrick-Reginald  Denny  Feb.  28,*36t  65. Feb.  I5.'36 

Princess  Comes  Across,  The  (G) 

3557   C.  Lombard-Fred  Mac  Murray. .. .  May   22,'36t  76. May  16/36 

Return  of  Sophie  Lang,  The 

(G)  3566   Gertrude  Michael-Ray  Milland. . . July 

Rose  of  the  Rancho  (G)  3516.. John  Boles-Gladys  Swarthout  Jan. 

(See  musical  analysis,  Jan.  11/36,  p.  45;  exploitation:  Jan.  18/36 

Scrooge  (G)  3527  Seymour  Hicks-Donald  Calthrop. .  Dec. 

Ship  Cafe  (G)  3520  Car)  Brisson-Arline  Judge  Nov. 

Sky  Parade  3550  Jimmy  Allen-Katharine  DeMllle.  .Apr. 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Soak  the  Rich  (A)  3532  Mary  Taylor-Walter  Connolly. ..  .Jan. 

So  Red  the  Rose  (G)  3522  Margaret  Sullavan-R.  Scott  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36.  p.  76.) 

Spendthrift  (G)   Henry  Fonda-Pat  Paterson  July 

13  Hours  by  Air  (G)  3547  Fred  MacMurray-Joan  Bennett.. .Mar. 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Three  Cheers  for  Love  (G)  Eleanore  Whltney-Robt.  Cun- 

mings   July 

Throe  on  the  Trail  (G)  3553.  .William  Boyd-Jimir.y  Ellison  Apr. 

Till  We  Meet  Again  (G)  3551.  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael  Apr. 

Timothy's  Quest  (G)  3534  Eleanore  Whltney-Dlckle  Moore.. Jan.  3l/36t. 

Too  Many  Parents  (G)  3545. . .Frances  Farmer-Colin  Tapley  Mar.  20/36t. 

Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine, 
The  (G)  3543  Henry  Fonda-Sylvia  Sidney  Mar.  !3/36t . . .  106. Feb.  29/36 

(See  production  article,  Jan.  18/36,  p.  36;  exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  73;  May  2/36, 


.64. June  20/36 
.82. Jan.  11/36 
p.  84;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83.) 

20t  73  Dee.  21 

..66. ...Nov.  2 
.70.  Apr.  4/36 


3/36t.. 
IO/36t.. 


It  

I7,'36t.. 


l7/36t. 
22f.... 


IO/36t. 
27/36t . 


..87. Feb.  15/36 
..83. ...Nov.  16 


. .77. June 
.  .77.  Mar. 


l7/36t....64.July 
24/36t....67.Apr. 
l7/36t..  ..72. Apr. 

.65. Jan. 
.74.  Mar. 


20/36 
21/36 


4/36 
18/36 
11/36 
25/36 
14/36 


p.  98; 


May  23/36,  p.  86;  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  6/36,  p.  118;  June  13/36,  p.  122;  June 
20/36,  p.  122.) 

Two  Fisted  (G)  3513  Lee  Tracy-Grace  Bradley  Oct.     4t  65  Nov.  2 

Wings  Over  Ethiopia  (G)  3518  October  Special.  .52. ..  .Oct.  26 

Woman  Trap  (G)  3537  Gertrude  Michael-Geo.  Murphy. .. Feb.   I4,'36t  63. Feb.  8/36 

Coming 

Big  Broadcast  of  1937,  The.. Jack  Benny-Burns  &.  Allen  

Champagne    Waltz   Gladys  Swarthout  -  Fred  Mac- 
Murray   

General  Died  at  Dawn,  The..  Gary  Cooper- Madeleine  Carroll  

Girl  of  the  Jungle  Ray  Milland-Dorothy  LaMour  

Heart  of  the  West  3567  Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison   ..July    24/36f  78  

Hollywood  Boulevard   John  Halliday-Robt.  Cummlngs .  Aug.  14/36  

Johnny  Gets  His  Gun  Ralph  Bellamy-Katherine  Locke  

Lady  Be  Careful  Lew  Ayres-Mary  Carlisle  

Murder  with   Pictures  Lew  Ayres-Gail  Patrick  

My  American  Wife  Francis  Lederer-Ann  Sothern..  July  3l/36t  

Rhythm  on  the  Range  Bing  Crosby-Frances  Farmer  July  3l/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 
Son  Comes  Heme,  A  Mary  Boland-Donald  Woods  July  3l/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 

Texas  Rangers,  The  Fred  Mac  Murray- Jean  Parker  Aug.  14/36  

Three  Married  Men  Lynne  Overman-Win.  Frawley  

Valiant  Is  the  Word  for  Carrie. Gladys  George-Arline  Judge  

Wives  Never  Know  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland  

Yours  for  the  Asking  George    Raft  -  Dolores  Costello 

Barry  more   July  24/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 

PRINCIPAL  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Front  Page  Madness  Richard  Bird-Nancy  Burns  Oct.    II  60  

Let's  Sing  Again  (G)  Bobby  Breen-Henry  Armetta  June   l2/36f  68. Apr.  25/36 


PURITAN 


Title  Star 

Border  Caballero   Tim  McCoy-Lois  January  Mar. 

Bulldog  Courage   Tim  McCoy-Lois  January  Dec. 

I'll  Name  the  Murderer  Ralph  Forbes-Marion  Schilling. .  .Jan. 

Llghtnln'  Bill  Carson  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  Apr. 

Reckless  Way,  The  Marian  Nixon-Kane  Richmond  Apr. 

Roarln'  Guns   Tim  McCoy-Rosalinda  Price  Jan. 

Rogues  Tavern,  The  Wallace  Ford-Barbara  Pepper  Mar. 

Suieide  Squad   Norman  Foster-Joyce  Compton  Dec. 

Coming 

Aces  and  Eights  Tim  McCoy-Luna  Walters  

Ghost  Patrol   Tim  McCoy-Claudia  Dell   

Lion's  Den,  The  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  

Traitor,  The   Tim  McCoy-Frances  Grant  


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


l/36t  59. 

20t  60. 

27/36t....76. 

I5,'36t  

20/36t  68. 

27/36t....67. 

l/36t....6l. 
25t  60. 


REGAL 


Title 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


l/36t  60. 

4t  63. 

2/36t  54. 

4t  55. 


Daredevils  of  the  Earth  Ida  Luplno-Cyril  McLaglen  Jan. 

Scandals  of  Paris  Wendy  Barrle-Zelma  O'Neill  Dec. 

Thunderbolt   Kane  Richmond-Bobby  Nelson. ..  .Jan. 

Wolves  of  the  Underworld  Godfrey  Tearle   Dec. 

REPUBLIC 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date 

Burning  Gold  3550   William  Boyd   Dee.  It.... 

Comln'  Round  the  Mountain 

(G)  3571   Gene  Autry-Ann  Rutherford  Apr.  I3,'36t. 

Crime  of  Doctor  Crespl,  The  Erich  von  Strohelm  •  Harriet 


Running  Time 

Minutes  Reviewed 

 60  


Title  Star  Rel. 

3504    Russell   Oct. 

Dancing  Feet  (G)  3525  Ben  Lyon-Joan  Marsh  Jan. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81.) 

Federal  Agent  3548  William  Boyd-lrene  Ware  Apr. 

Forbidden  Heaven  3502  Charles  Farrell-Charlotte  Henry.. Oct. 

Forced  Landing  3524  Esther  Ralston-Onslow  Stevens. ..  Dec. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Oct.  5.) 
Frankie  and  Johnnie  (A)  3555.  Helen  Morgan-Chester  Morris  May 

(Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p.  85.) 

Frisco  Waterfront  (G)  3518...  Ben  Lyon-Helen  Twelvetrees  Dec. 

Girl  from  Mandalay,  The  3525.  Kay  Linaker-Conrad  Nagel  Apr. 

Go-Get-'Em  Haines  3549  William   Boyd   June 

Guns  and  Guitars  (G)  3573...  Gene  Autry- Dorothy  Dlx  June 

Harvester,  The  (G)  3506  Alice  Brady-Ann  Rutherford  May 

Hitch  Hike  Lady  (G)  3509  Alison  Ski pworth- James  Ellison. .  Dee. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36.  p.  62.) 
House  of  •  Thousand  Candles 

(G)  3505   Mae  Clarke-Phillips  Holmes  Apr. 

King  of  the  Pecos  (G)  3559. ..John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Mar. 

Laughing  Irish  Eyes  (G)  3522.  Evalyn  Knapp-Phil  Regan  Mar. 

Lawless  Nineties.  The  (G)  3557. John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Feb. 

Lawless  Range  3562  John  Wayne-Sheila  Mannors  Nov. 

Leathernecks  Have  Landed,  The 
(G)  3501   Lew  Ayres-lsabel  Jewell  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p  .76.) 
Leavenworth  Case,  The  (G) 

3526   Norman  Foster-Jean  Rouverel  Jan. 

Lonely  Trail,  The  3563  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  May 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 

Melody  Trail  (G)  3567  Gene  Autry-Ann  Rutherford  Oct. 

Navy  Born  (G)   William  Gargan-Clalre  Dodd  June 

New  Frontier.  The  3558  John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

Oregon  Trail  3360  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Jan. 

Racing  Luck  (G)  3547  Wlliiam  Beyd   Oct. 

Red  River  Valley  3570  Gene  Autry-Frances  Grant  Mar. 

Return  of  Jimmy  Valentine, 

The  (G)  3531  Roger  Pryor-Charlotte  Henry  Feb. 

Sagebrush  Troubadour  3568  Gene  Autry-Barbara  Pepper  Dee. 

Singing  Cowboy.  The  (G)  3572.  Gene  Autry-Lois  Wilde  May 

Singing  Vagabond,  The  (G) 

3569   Gene  Autry-Ann   Rutherford  Jan. 

Spanish  Cape  Mystery.  The  3530. Helen  Twelvetrees- Donald  Cook. .  .Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

$1,000  a  Minute  (G)  3532  Roger  Pryor-Leila  Hyams  Nov. 

Ticket  to  Paradise  3508  Roger  Pryor-Wendy  Barrie  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  May  30/36.) 
Winds  of  the  Wasteland  3561. .John  Wayne-Phyllis  Fraser  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23,36.) 

Coming 

Down  to  the  Sea  Russell  Hardle-Ann  Rutherford  , 

(See  "Beneath  the  Seas,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Follow  Your  Heart   Marion  Talley- Michael  Bartlett  

Gentleman  from  Louisiana,  The. Eddie  Qui  Man -Charlotte  Henry  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 

Hearts  in  Bondage  (G)   James  Dunn-Mae  Clarke  Sept. 


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

2lt  63  

3l/36t....72.Apr.  4/36 

IO/36t....58  

5t  67  

2t  61  


!/36t....66.May  23/36 

7t  66....  Dee.  7 

20/36t....68  

l5/36t  

22/36t....56.July  11/36 
5/36t....65.Apr.  25/36 
28t  76....  Dee.  21 


6/36t.. 

9/36T.. 
!5/36t.. 
l5/36t.. 

4t  


.71.  Mar.  7/36 
.54. Apr.  11/36 
.73.  Mar.  14/36 
.55.  Mar.  7/36 
.59  


22/36t....67.Feb.  29/36 


20/36t....68.Jan.  11/36 
25/36t  

I4t  60....Oet  19 

l5/36t....65.June  27/36 
5f  54  

I8.*36t....59  

28t  60  Dee.  7 

2/36t....58  

l4/36t....72.Feb.  15/36 

2t  54  

ll/36t....56.May  16/36 

5/36t....52....Det.  14 
I7t  73  

I5t  69. ...Nov.  9 

IO/36t  


6/36t. 


1/36... .♦70. June  6/36 


RKO  RADIO 


Title 


Star 


.55. Apr.  11/36 


Annie  Oakley  (G)  608  Barbara  Stanwyck-Preston  Foster 

(Exploitation:   Mar.  14/36,  pp.  88,  90.) 
Another  Face  (G)  615  Wallace  Ford-Phyllis  Brooks... 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Two  Faces.") 
Bride  Walks  Out,  The  (G)     Barbara  Stanwyck-G.  Raymond. 

631   

Bunker  Bean  630  Owen  Davis,  Jr.-Louise  Latimer 

(See  "His  Majesty,  Bunker  Bean,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room," 

Chatterbox    (G)    617  Anne  Shirley-Phillips  Holmes.. 

Dancing  Pirate  (G)  670  Charles  Collins-Steffi  Duna  

(Exploitation:   June  6/36,  pp.  117,  121.) 
Ex-Mrs.  Bradford,  The  (G)  628. William  Powell-Jean  Arthur... 

(Exploitation:    July  4/36,  p.  68.) 
Fang  and  Claw  (G)  543  Frank  Buck   

(Exploitation:   Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  June  13/36,  p.  127.) 

Farmer  in  the  Dell  (G)  624... Fred  Stone-Jean  Parker  

Follow  the  Fleet  (G)  613  Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  Mar.  28/36,  p.  83;  Apr. 
p.  82;  May  23/36,  p.  93;  May  30/36,  p.  84;  June  13 
p.  68.) 

Freckles  (G)  536  Carol  Stone-Tom  Brown  

HI  Gaucho  606  John  Carroll-Steffi  Duna  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  17.) 
I  Dream  Too  Much  (G)  610... Lily  Pons-Henry  Fonda  

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  82.  83.) 
In  Person  (G)  609  Ginger  Rogers-George  Brent... 

(Exploitation:   June  13/36,  p.  127.) 
Lady  Consents,  The  (G)  622..  Ann  Harding- Herbert  Marshall., 
Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The  (G) 

801   Preston  Foster-Dorothy  Wilson.. 

Last  Outlaw,  The  (G)  629  Harry  Carey-Hoot  Gibson  

Lot's  Sing  Again  (G)  646  Bobby  Breen-Henry  Armetta... 

Love  on  a  Bet  (G)  620.  Gene  Raymond-Wendy  Barrio... 

M'LIss  (G)  632  Anne  Shirley-John  Beal  

Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path 

(G)  625   Helen  Broderlck-James  Gleason. . 

Muss  'Em  Up  (G)  619  Preston  Foster. Marg't  Callahan. 

Rainmakers,  The   (G)  605. ...  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  

Seven  Keys  to  Batdpate  (G)  61 1.  G.  Raymond- Margaret  Callahan 
Silly  Billies   (G)  623  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
Nov.    I5t  90%.. Nov.  9 

.Dee.    20t  68.. ..Nov.  23 

.July    IO/36t.. .  .80.  .July  11/36 

..June  26/36t....67  

May  30/36.) 

Jan.    I7,'36f  68....  Doe.  28 

.May   22/36t....85.May  16/36 


.May  l5/36t....8I.May  2/36 
.Dee.    20    74. Jan.  4/36 


..Mar.  27/36t....67.Mar.  14/36 
..Feb.  2l/36t...llO.Feb.  22/36 
4/36,  p.  87;  May  16/36,  p.  82; 
'36,  pp.  125,  130;  July  4/36, 


.Oct.  4.... 
.Oct.  lit... 


.Dee.  27t.... 

.Nov.  22t.... 

.Feb.  7/3et. 

.Oct  IS  

June  I9,'36t. 

June  l2/3It. 

.Mar.  6/36t. 

July  !7/36t. 


.Apr.  I7,'36t. 

.Feb.  l4/3et. 

.Oct.  25t.... 

.Dee.  I3t  

.  Mar.  20/361. 


..68..  .Oct.  5 
..59  

..95.. ..Nov.  23 

..87. ...Nov.  I 

..76'/2  Jan.  18/36 

..96. ...Oct.  12 
.*73.May  30/36 
..68. Apr.  25/36 
..77.  Feb.  6/M 
..66. July  11/36 

..66. Apr.  18/3* 
.  .68>/2  Jan.  25/36 
..78....  Oct.  12 
..68.  ...Dee.  7 
.  .64'/jMar.  7/36 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


91 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART—CONT'D) 


.Jan. 
.Nov 


Title  Star 
Special  Investigator  (G)  627..  Richard  Dix-Margaret  Callahan 

Sylvia  Scarlett  (G)   614  Katharine  Hepburn-Cary  Grant 

Three  Musketeers.  The  (G). 544.  Margot   Grahame- Walter  Abel. 
To  Biat  the  Band  (G)  607...  Helen  Broderick-Hugh  Herbert. .. Nov. 

Two  In  the  Dark  (G)  616  Walter  Abel-Margot  Grahame. ..  .Jan. 

Two  in  Revolt  (G)  621  Louise  Latimer- John  Arledge. .  . .  Apr. 

We're  Only  Human  (G)  612..  Preston   Foster-Jane  Wyatt  Dec. 

Witness  Chair.  The  (G)  626..  Ann    Harding-Walter  Abel  Apr. 

Yellow  Dust  (G)  618  Richard   Dix-Leila  Hyams  Mar. 

Coming 

Count  Pete    Gene   Raymond-Ann  Sothern  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4,'36.) 

Don't  Turn  'Em  Loose  Bruce  Cabot-Louise  Latimer... 

Grand  Jury  633  John  Arledge-Louise  Latimer 

Mary  of  Scotland  Katharine  Hepburn-Fredrie 

March   

(See  production  article,  Apr.  1 1, '36,  p.  16.) 

Mummy's  Boys   Wheeler  and  Woolsey  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20, '36) 

Plough  and  the  Stars,  The  Barbara  Stanwyck- Preston 

Foster   

Portrait  of  a  Rebel  Katharine  Hepburn-  Herbert   

Marshall   

Second   Wife   Walter  Abel-Gertrude  Michael  

Swing  Time   Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  

(See  "Never  Gonna  Dance,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20,'36.) 

STATE  RIGHTS 

Title                               Star  Dist'r 
Angels  In  White  Tala  Birell   Zeldman   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  29,'36.) 
Custer's   Last   Stand  Rex  Lease   Stage  &  Screen... Apr 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

May     8,'36t  61. May  2.'36 

3,'36t..    94'/2  Jan.  I8V36 

I  96. ...Oct.  12 

8t  67'/j..Oet.  M 

IO.'36t....74....Dec.  21 

3.'36t  65.  May  2,'36 

27t  68. ...Dee.  14 

24,'36t  64. Apr.  Il.'36 

1 3.'36t ....  68'/j  Mar.  28/36 


July  24,'36t. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


2,'36t..9  Ms. 


SUPREME 


Title  Star 

Courageous  Avenger   Johnny   Mack   Brown  Dee. 

Desert   Phantom,  The  Johnny   Mack   Brown  Mar. 

Kid   Ranger,  The  Bob    Steele   Feb. 

Last  of  tho  Warrens  Bob    Steele   May 

Rogue  of  the  Range  Johnny   Mack   Brown  Apr. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

I2t  

I0,'36t  

5,'36t  

I0.'36t  58  

25,'36t  58  


Sundown  Saunders   Bob    Steele   Mar.  25,'36t. 

Trail  of  Terror  Bob    Steele   Dee.  20t.... 

Valley  of  the  Lawless  Johnny  Mack  Brown  Jan.  25,'36t. 

Coming 

Brand  of  the  Outlaws  Bob  Steele   

Crooked  Trail,  The  Johnny  Mack  Brown  

Everyman's  Law   Johnny  Mack  Brown  

Law   Rides.  The  Bob  Steele   


TWENTIETH  CENTURY-FOX  RunningTime 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Bad    Boy*   615  James   Dunn-Dorothy   Wilson. .. .Oct.  25t  56  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

Border  Patrolman,  The*  (G)  650  Geo.  O'Brien-Polly  Ann  Young.  .July  3,'36t.. 

Captain  January*   (G)  635  Shirley  Temple-Guy  Kibbee  Apr.  I7,'36t. 

(Exploitation:    June  6,'36,  pp.   117,   122;  June  27, '36,  p.  82;  July  4, '36, 

Champagne  Charlie  629  Paul   Cavanagh-Helen  Wood  May  8,'36t. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Dec.  14.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Circus* 

(G)   640   Warner  Oland-Keye  Luke  Mar.  27,'36t. 

Charlie  Chan   In  Shanghai* 

(G)   610   Warner  Oland-lrene   Hervey  Oct.  lit.... 

Charlie  Chan's  Secret*  (G)  626..  Warner  Oland-Roslna  Lawrence  .  .Jan.  I0.'36t. 

Connecticut  Yankee,  (A)*  699.  Will   Rogers-Myrna  Loy  Apr.  24,'36t. 

(re-issue) 

Country  Beyond,  The*  (G)  643.Rochelle    Hudson-Paul    Kelly. ..  .Apr.  24,'36t. 
Country  Doctor,  The*  (G)  636.  Dlonne  Quintuplets-Jean 

Hersholt   Mar.  6,'38t. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21, '36,  pp.  93,  97;  Mar.  28,36,  p.  83:  Apr.  4,'36,  p 
p.  96;  May  9,'36,  p.  90;  May  I6,'36.  p.  82;  May  23/36.    pp.  87,  95; 

June  6/36,  p.  124;  July  4/36,  p.  70;  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 
Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes,  The 

(G)  655   Gloria  Stuart-Robert  Kent  June  26,'36t 

Educating   Father*   (G)   645...  Jed   Prouty-Shirley    Deane  July  I0,'36t 

Everybody's  Old  Man*  (G)  634.  Irvln  S.  Cobb-Rochelle  Hudson.. Mar.  20/36t. 

Every  Saturday  Night*  (G)  637.  .June   Lang-Thomas   Beck  Feb.  7,'36t. 

First  Baby,  The*  (G)  646  Shirley   Deane-Johnny   Downs....  May  I5,'36t. 

Gentle  Julia*  (G)  641  Jane   Withers-Tom   Brown  Apr.  3/36t. 

Half  Angel  (G)  647  Frances   Dee-Brian    Donlevy  May  22,'36t. 

Here  Comes  Trouble*  (G)  633. .  Paul   Kelly-Arline  Judge  Feb.  2l/36t. 

High   Tension*    (G)    653  Brian    Donlevy-Glenda    Farrell.  . .  July  I7,'36t. 

Human  Cargo*  (G).  652  Claire   Trevor-Brian   Donlevy. ...  May  29,'36f. 

In  Old  Kentucky*  (G)  601  Will  Rogers -Dorothy  Wilson  Nov.  22t  

It  Had  to  Happen  (G)  631  George  Raft- Rosalind  Russell. ...  Feb.  I4.'36t. 

King  of  Burlesque,  The*  (G) 
(25   Warner   Baxter-Alice   Faye  Jan 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  36;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87.) 

Little  Miss  Nobody"  (G)  651. .Jane  Withers-Ralph  Morgan  June  I2,'36t 

Littlest  Rebel,  The*  (G)  624. .Shirley  Temple-John   Boles  Dec.  27t... 


*60. June  27/36 
..77. Mar.  21/38 
P.  70.) 

..59  


..71. Mar.  28/36 

.  .70.... Sept.  14 
.71... Oct.  26 
..85.  Mar.  21/31 

.68.  Apr.  11/38 

..94. Mar.  21/36 
.  83:  Apr.  25/36, 
May  30,36,   p.  86 


.*75.June  20/36 
.57.  May  30/36 
.  .84.  Mar. 
..62. Feb. 
.  .74.  Apr. 
. .63. Feb. 

.66.  May 
. .62.  Feb. 
.*62.June 
.  66.  Apr.  25/36 
. .84....July  IS 
.79.  Feb.  13/38 


14/36 
8/38 
18/36 
29/36 
9, '36 
15/36 
20/36 


3,'36t..    88.Ja«.  4/1 


Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  97; 


(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  8 
Man  Who  Broke  the  Bank  at 

Monte  Carlo,  The  (G)  620. .Ronald   Colman-Joan   Bennett. ...  Nov.  29t  

Message  to  Garcia,  A  (G)  632.  Wallace  Beery  -  John  Boles - 

Barbara  Stanwyck   ...Apr.  I0,'36t. 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 
Metropolitan   (G)   618  Lawrence  Tibbett- Virginia  Bruce  .. Nov.  8t  

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  98.) 

Music  Is  Magic*  (G)  619  Alice  Faye-Ray  Walker  Nov.  It  

My  Marriage*  (G)  630  Claire  Trevor-Kent  Taylor  Jan.  3l/36t 

Navy  Wife*  (G)  606  Claire  Trevor-Ralph  Bellamy  Nov.  29t... 


...72. May  28/36 

 73  Nov.  30 

Mar.  7/36,  p.  96.) 


.66  Nov.  16 

.85.  Mar.  14/36 

 79  Oct.  28 

....66.... Oct.  12 
....68....N0V.  23 
 72. Jan.  25/36 


I 

Title  SU 
O'Malley  of  the  Mounted*  (G) 
639   George 


Runni 
Mi 


ng  Time 

nutes  Reviewed 


O'Brien-Irene  Ware. 


Prisoner  of  Shark  Island,  The 


(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36, 

Private  Number*  (G)  645  Loretti 

Professional  Soldier  (G)  628... Victor 


p.  97:  Apr.  11,36,  p.  97;  Apr. 
.oretta  Young- Robert  Taylor... 
McLaglen- Freddie  Bar- 


Song  and  Dance  Man*  (G)  642.Paul  Kelly-Claire  Trevor  

Thanks  a  Million  (G)  617  Dick  Powell-Ann  Dvorak  

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  82;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb. 

This  Is  the  Life*  614  Jane  Withers-John  McGuire.... 

Under  Two  Flags  (G)  644  Ronald  Colman- Victor  McLaglen- 

Claudette  Colbert-R.  Russell. 
(See  production  article,  Mar.  14/36,  p.  16;  exploitation 
11/36,  p.  125.) 

Way  Down  East*  (G)  616  Rochelle  Hudson-Henry  Fonda.. 

Whispering  Smith  Speaks*  (G) 


White  Fa 

(See 


In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 


..Mar. 

27/36t. 

. .  .59.  Mar.  28/36 

I7.'36t. 

...76. ...NOV.  2 

28/36t. 

...95. Feb.  22/36 

18/36. 

P.  77.) 

. .June 

5/36t. 

...79.  May  30/36 

24,'36t. 

...78.  Jan.  4/36 

. .  Dec. 

6t.... 

...76.... Nov.  2 

I9,'36t. 

...79.  May  16/36 

..Mar. 

I3.'36t. 

...72. Feb.  22/36 

Nov. 

I5t  

...87  Nov.  2 

22/36, 

p.  too: 

Mar.  7/36,  p.  96.) 

I8t.... 

.  ..65  

.  .  May 

I.'36t. 

.110. May     9. '3b 

:  June 

6/36,  pp.   116,   117;  July 

..Oct. 

25t.... 

...84  Aug.  24 

20t.... 

...67....  Dec.  21 

July 

3/36t. 

1 3t  

...68....  Nov.  23 

Title 

Amateur  Gentleman,  Tho  (G). 


Coming 

As  You  Like  It  Eliz.  Bergner-Laurence  Olivier 

(See  production  article,  June  13/36,  p.  16.) 
Bowery  Princess,  The*  Shirley  Temple-Frank  Morgan. .. Oct.  16/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race 

Track*   Warner  Oland-Helen  Wood  Aug.  21/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  June  27/36.) 

Girls'  Dormitory   Ruth    Chatterton- Herbert  Mar- 

shall-Simone  Simon   Aug.  7/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  13/36.) 

Holy  Lie,  The  Jane  Darwell-Claire  Trevor  Aug.  28/36  

Pepper*   lane   Withers-lrvin  S.   Cobb  Sept.  18/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 
Poor    Little    Rich    Girl,  The* 

(G)  657   Shirley  Temple-Alice  Faye  July   24,'36t  79. June  6/36 

Ramona   Loretta  Young-Don  Ameche  Sept.  1 1, '36  

(See  production  article,  July  4/36,  p.  16.) 
Road  to  Glory,  The  (G)  Fredric   March-Warner  Baxter- 
Lionel  Barrymore-June  Lang... Sept.    4/36  101. June  6/36 

See  America  First  Jed  Prouty-Spring  Byington  

Sing,   Baby,  Sing  Alice  Faye-Adolphe  Menjou  Aug.  14/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

36  Hours  to  Kill*  656  Brian   Donlevy-Gloria  Stuart  July  24,'36t  

To  Mary — With  Love  Warner  Baxter. Myrna  Loy  Aug.  1/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  June  20/36.) 

[Asterisk  (*)  denotes  Fox  Pictures.    Others  20th  Century  Productions.] 

UNITED  ARTISTS  RUn„inBTime 

Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

.Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.  •  Elissa 

Landi   ..Apr.   I7,'36t. . .  100.  Feb.  22/36 

Barbary  Coast  (G)  Miriam   Hopkins  -  Edward  G. 

Robinson  -  Joel  McCrea   ..Sept.  27t  90  Oct.  5 

Ghost  Goes  West,  The  (G)  Robert  Donat-Jeah  Parker  Feb.     7/36t  85. Jan.  4/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36.  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  89.) 
I  Stand  Condemned  (A)  H.  Baur-Laurence  Olivier-Pen- 
elope Dudley  Ward  July    I0,'36t  76  Nov.  30 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy  (G) ....  Freddie  Bartholomew  -  Dolores 

Costello  Barrymore   Mar.    6/36t . . .  1 02.  Feb.  29/36 

(Explitaotion:    Mar.  14/36,  p.  84;  May  16/36,  p.  80;  June  6/36,  p.  117;  June  13/36. 
p.  132.) 

Melody  Lingers  On,  The  (G) ..  Josephine  Hutchinson  -  George 

Houston   Nov.     9t  87  Nov.  9 

Modern  Times  (G)  Chas.  Chaplin-Paulette  Goddard . .  Feb.  2l/36t  87.  Feb.  8/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  8/36,  p.  18;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81:  Feb.  22/36 
p.  100;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  84:  Mar.  28/36,  pp.  83,  84;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84. 
89;  Apr.  11/36,  pp.  93,  96;  Apr.  25/36.  p.  92;  May  2/36,  p.  99;  May  9/36,  p.  84:  May 

84:  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36;  pp.  84,  86;  June  6/36.  pp.  116,  118;  June  13/36. 
pp.  122.  132;  June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

One  Rainy  Afternoon  (G)  Francis  Lederer-lda  Lupino  May    1 3/36t . .  .*75. May  2/36 

(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.  122.) 

Red  Salute  (G)  B.  Stanwyck- Robert  Young  Sept.  I3f  78  Sept.  21 

Splendor   Miriam  Hopkins-Joel  McCrea  Nov.    23t  77  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Nov.  2.)    (Exploitation:   Feb.  29/36,  p.  78.) 

Strike  Me  Pink  (G)  Eddie  Cantor-Ethel  Merman. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb 
75:  Mar.   14/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  21/36.  pp.   94,  97;  Apr. 

These  Three  (G)  Miriam  Hopkins-Merle  Oberon- 

Joel  McCrea   Apr.  I0,'36t.. 

(Exploitation:    May  9/36,   pp.  90,  94;  May  23/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36, 
27/36,   p.  88.) 

Things  to  Come  (G)  Raymond  Massey   Apr.   24/36t. .  .  .99. Mar.  7/38 

(See  production  article,  Mar.  7/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:   Apr.  18/36,  p.  77;  June  13/36, 
p.  132.) 

Coming 

Come  and  Get  It  Edward  Arnold-Frances  Farmer  

Dodsworth   Walter  Huston-Ruth  Chatterton  

Garden  of  Allah,  The  Marlene  Dietrich-Charles  Boyer  

(See  production  article,  June  6/36,  p.  14.) 

Last  of  the  Mohicans,  The  Randolph  Scott-Heather  Angel. 

Bruce   Cabot-Blnnie  Barnes  

(Exploitation:    June  27/36,  p.  80.) 
Man  Who  Could  Work  Miracles, 

The   Roland  Young   

World  Is  Mine.  The  Nino  Martini-Ida  Lupino  


...Jan.  24/36t...l00.Jan.  25/36 
15/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  29/36,  pp.  72. 
4/36,  p.  87;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 


.  93  .  Feb. 
P.  122; 


29/36 
June 


°2 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    18,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAKT—CONT'E) 


UNIVERSAL 


I7.'36t. 
II,'36t. 


2f. 


.67. Feb. 
.64.  Feb. 
.70.  May 

.72  


8,  '36 
29/36 

9.  '36 


Ruanlm  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Affair  of  Susan,  The  9034  Zasu  Pitts-Hugh  O'Connell  Oct.      7t  63  

(See  "Alone  Together,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

Cowboy  and  the  Kid,  The  9046.  Buck  Jones-Dorothy  Revler  May  25,'36  

Dangerous  Waters  (G)  9032. ..Jack  Holt-Robert  Armstrong  Feb.  3,'36t. 

Don't  Get  Personal  (G)  9025..  James   Dunn-Sally  Ellers  Feb. 

Dracula's  Daughter  (A)  9006..  Otto   Kruger-M.   Churchill  May 

(Exploitation:  June  20, '36,  p.  120.) 
East  of  Java  9029  Chas.  Bickford-Elizabeth  Young.. Dee. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.)    (Exploitation:  Feb.  S,'36,  p.  84.) 

Fighting  Youth  (G)  9017  Charles  Farrell-June  M artel  Sept.  30t  66. 

For  the  Service  9045  Buck  Jones-Beth  Marion  May 

Great  Impersonation,  The  9014.  Edmund  Lowe-Valerie  Hobson  Dee. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Sept.  28.) 

His  Night  Out  (G)  9021  E.  E.  Horton-lrene  Hervey  Oct. 

Invisible  Ray.  The  (G)  9015. .  Karloff-Bela  LugosI   Jan. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  I8,'36,  p.  82;  Jan.  25,'3S,  p.  63;  Mar.  7,'36, 

Ivory  Handled  Gun  9042  Buck  Jones-Charlotte  Wynters  Nov. 

Love  Before  Breakfast  (G)9007.  Carole  Lombard -Preston  Foster.. . Mar. 


.  Dee.  7 

6,'36t...  .65  

9t  67  

2lt  74.... Nov.  2 

20,'36t....75.Jan.  25/36 
p.  99;  Mar.  14. '36,  p.  88.) 

lit  59  

9,'36t....70.Feb.  29.'36 


..87.  Feb.  8/36 


l4/36t....65.July  4,'36 


.81..  ..Oct  12 


l7,'36t...H2.May  9/36 
117.  121; 


I8.'36t  

I6t  84....0et.  19 

lit  68. ...Oct.  19 

23t  

I3.'36t....95  Mar.  28,'36 
83;  Apr.  18. '36,  p. 


(Exploitation:    Apr.  18. '36.  p.  81;  May  23, '36.  p.  94;  June  6, '36.  p.   117;  June  13/36, 
p.  132.) 

Magnificent  Obsession  (G)  8006.  Irene  Dunne-Robert  Taylor. ....  .Jan.     6/36t. . .  112.  Jan.  11/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  82;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  81,  83,  84;  Mar.  7/36,  pp.  86.  99;  Mar. 

21/36.  pp.  92.  96:  Apr.  11/36,  p.  96;  May  23/36,  pp.  87,  95;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 
Next  Time  We  Love  (G)  8004.Marg't  Sullavan -James  Stewart. . .Jan.  27,'36t. 
Nobody's  Fool  9033  E.  E.  Horton-Glenda  Farrell  May  3l,'36t. 

(See  "Unconscious,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Apr.  4/36.) 

Parole  (G)  9036  Ann  Preston-Henry  Hunter  June 

Remember  Last  Night?  (A) 
9011   Edw.  Arnold-C.  Cummings  Nov.  4t.. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  90.) 
Show  Boat  (G)  8001  Irene  Dunne-Allan  Jones  May 

(See   musical  analysis.   May  9/36,   p.  65;    exploitation:    June  20/36,  pp 
June  27/36,  p.  80:  July  4/36,  p.  69;  July  11/36.  p.  124.) 

Silver   Spurs   9044  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Feb. 

Storm  Over  the  Andes  (G)  9026.Jack  Holt-Mona  Barrle  Sept, 

Stormy  (G)  9016  Noah  Beery,  Jr.-Jean  Rogers. ...  Nov. 

Sunset  of  Power  9043  Buck  Jones- Dorothy  Dlx  Dec. 

Sutter's  Gold  (G)  8002  Edward  Arnold  -  Lee  Tracy  - 

Binnle  Barnes   Apr. 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  15/36,  p.  14;  exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p, 
77:  Apr.  25/36,  pp.  91,  92;  June  27/36,  p.  85.) 

Sweet  Surrender  9012  Frank  Parker- Tantara   Nov.    25t  78  

Three  Kids  and  a  Queen  (G) 

9023   May  Robson-Henry  Armetta  Oct.    28t  90  Oct  28 

Throwback,  The  9041  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Sept.  I8t  60  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  10.) 

Coming 

Ace  Drummond   John  King-Jean  Rogers  

Boss   Rider  of  Gun  Creek  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  

Crash  Donovan  9031  Jack   Holt-Nan  Gray  July  26/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Fool  for  Blondes,  A  Victor  McLaglen-Binnie  Barnes  

My  Man  Godfrey  (G)  William  Powell-Carole  Lombard .  .Sept.  6/36. 

Postal  Inspector   Ricardo  Cortez-Patricla  Ellis..  .Aug.  2,'36f 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Ride  'Em,  Cowboy  Buck  Jones-Luana  Walters  Sept.  I3,'36t 

Two  in  a  Crowd  Joel  McCrea-Joan  Bennett  Aug, 

Yellowstone   Henry  Hunter-Judith  Barrett  Aug. 

VICTORY 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date 

Bars  of  Hate  Regis  Toomey-Shella  Terry  Nov. 

Face  In  the  Fog,  A  June  Collyer-Lloyd  Hughes  Feb. 

Fighting   Coward   Ray  Walker-Joan  Woodbury  Dee. 

Hot  Off  the  Press  Jack  La  Rue-Virginia  Pine  Sept  I5t  57 

Kelly  of  the  Secret  Service. ...  Lloyd  Hughes-Sheila  Manners  June  I5,'36t  

Prison  Shadows   Eddie  Nugent-Lucille  Lund  June  l/36t  

Rio  Grande  Romance  Eddie  Nugent-Maxine  Doyle  Mar.  I5.'36t  

Taming  the  Wild  Rod  La  Rocque-Maxlne  Doyle  Feb.  15/361  

WARNER  BROTHERS 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date 

Big  Noise.  The  (G)  925  Guy  Kibbee-Warren  Hull  June  27/36t 

Boulder  Dam  (G)  815  Ross  Alexander-Patricia  Ellis  Mar.  7/36t 

Colleen  (A)  903  Ruby  Keeler-Jean  Blondell-Jaek 


•95. June  20/36 


30/36  

I6,'36t  

Running  Tins 

Minutes  Reviewed 

It  63  

l/36t  

I5t  70  


Running  Time 

Minutes  Reviewed 

 58. Apr.  25/36 

.70. Apr.  4/36 


Oakie-Dick  Powell   Mar.  2l/36t 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92;  May  23/36.  p. 

Dangerous  (A)  910  Bette  Davis- Franchot  Tone  Jan.  4/36t 

(Exploitation:   Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83,  86;  Apr.  20/36,  p. 
p.  123.) 

Dr.  Socrates  (G)  909  Paul    Muni-Ann  Dvorak  

Freshman  Love  (G)  922  Patricia    Ellis-Warren  Hull... 

Frisco  Kid  (A)  907  James  Cagney-Marg't  Lindsay. 

Hot  Money  926   Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,  May  2/36.) 


....89.  Feb.  1/36 
86.) 

...78. ...Nov.  30 
96;  June  13/36, 


I  Married  a  Doctor  (G)  906...  Pat  O'Brlen-J. 
(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Man  Hunt  (G)  923  Marguerite  Cht 

Miss  Pacific  Fleet  (G)  916  Joan  Blondell-( 


(Pictorial:  July  13/35,  p.  33.) 
Personal  Maid's  Secret  (G)  920. Margaret  Lindsay-Warren  Hull.. 


(Exploitation:    May  2/36,  p.  92.) 

Sons  O'Guns  (G)  911  Joe.   E.   Brown-Joan  Blondell. 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  128.) 


Oct. 

I9t  

..70. 

...Oct  19 

.Jan. 

I8,'36t.. 

..65. 

Feb.  1/36 

Nov. 

30f  

..77. 

...Nov.  2 

July 

Sept. 

28t  

..64. 

...Oct.  12 

Apr. 

25/36t.. 

..83. 

Apr.  4/36 

Feb. 

I5.'36t.. 

..65. 

Jan.  It/St 

Dee. 

I4t  

.  .66. 

...Nov.  30 

Nov. 

2t  

..63. 

...Oct  26 

Sept. 

7t  

..92. 

...July  13 

Oct 

26t  

..58. 

. . .  Dee.  21 

Feb. 

8/36t.. 

..83. 

Jan.  18/36 

May 

30/36t.. 

..79. 

May  2/36 

.Sept. 

I4t  

..78, 

...Aug.  24 

Nov. 

23t  

..89, 

...  Nov.  • 

Title 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36.  p.  63.) 


Times  Square  Playboy  (G)  924. Warren  William-June  Travis  May     9/36t  62. Mar.  21/38 

Treachery  Rides  the  Range  (G) 

929   Dick  Foran-Paula  Stone  May     2/36t  56. Mar.  7/36 

Walking  Dead,  The  (G)  914. . .  Karloff- Marguerite  Churchill  Mar.  I4,'36t  76.  Mar.  7/38 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Widow  from  Monte  Carlo,  The 

(G)  921   Dolores  Del  Rio-W.  William  Feb.     l/SSt  60. Jan.  4/36 

Coming 

Another   Dawn   Errol  Flynn-Bette  Davis  

Anthony  Adverse   (G)   801  Fredric  March-O.  De  Havilland. .  Aug.  29/36. ..  *  138.  May  23/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  1/36,  p.  16.) 

Bengal  Tiger,  The  (G)  Barton   MacLane-June  Travis  *62.July  11/36 

Cain  and  Mabel   Marion  Davies-Clark  Gable  

Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade. .  Errol  Flynn-O.  De  Havilland  

Down  the  Stretch  Patricia  Ellis-Dennis  Moore  

(See  "Blood  Lines"  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  May  30/36.) 

Draegerman  Courage   Jean  Muir-Barton  MacLane  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  July  4/36.) 

Give  Me  Your  Heart  Kay  Francis-George  Brent  

(See  "I  Give  My  Heart,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  13/36.) 

Green  Light   Errol   Flynn-Anita  Louise  

Green  Pastures,  The  (G)  Rex  Ingram   Aug.     1/36  93. May  39/38 

(See  production  article.  May  2/36,  p.  16.) 

Guns  of  Pecos  Dick  Foran-Anne  Nagel  

Invitation  to  a  Murder  Marguerite  Churchill- 
Gale  Sendergard  

Jailbreak  (G)  927  Craig  Reynolds-June  Travis  Aug.     l/36t  60. May  18/M 

Loudspeaker  Lowdown   Ross  Alexander-Anne  Nagel  

Make  Way  for  a  Pirate  Guy  Kibbee-Sybil  Jason  

(See  "Way  for  a  Pirate,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Making  of  O'Malley,  The  Pat  O'Brien-Sybil  Jason  

Marriage    Clause  Robt.  Montgomery-Olivia  De 

Havilland   

Midsummer  Night's  Dream  (6)..  All   Star   132  Oct.  It 

(Pictorial:    Aug.  3/36,  p.  15;    exploitation:  Apr.   11/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  lit; 
June  27/36,  p.  82.) 

Mistress  of  Fashion   Kay  Francis-Claude  Rains  

Pony   Express    Rider  Dick  Foran-Llnda  Perry  

Public  Enemy's  Wife  (G)  913. .Pat  O'Brien-Margaret  Lindsay. .  .July  25,'36t . ..  .69. June  27/36 
Satan  Met  a  Lady  912  Warren  William-Bette  Davit  Aug.  8/36t  

(See  "Men  on  Her  Mind,"  "la  the  Cutting  Room,"  Jan.  11/36.) 

Slim   Pat  O'Brien-Henry  Fonda  

Three   In    Eden  Marg't  Lindsay-Donald  Woods- 
Ian  Hunter   

Three  Men  on  a  Horse   Frank  McHugh-Joan  Blondell  

Trailin'   West   Dick  Foran-Paula  Stone  

(See  "On  Secret  Service,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  16/36.) 

OTHER  PRODUCT  (FOREIGN) 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Dlst'r.  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Review** 

A  Star  Fell  from  Heaven 

(G)   Florlne  MeKlnney. . .Assoc.  British  70. Juno  27/36 

Broken  Blossoms  (A)  Dolly  Haas   Twickenham   June  6/36 

Cloistered    (G)   Best   May   19/36. .  .65. May  38, 'S» 

Come  Out  of  the  Pantry(G)  .J.  Buchanan-F.Wray. United   Artists  70  Dee.  14 

Dubrevsky   Boris   Llvanov   Amkino   Mar.  28/36t.  .72. Apr.  11/36 

Everything  Is  Rhythm  (G). Harry  Roy   Assoc.  British  75. June  27/36 

Heart's  Desire  (G)  Richard  Tauber  ....Assoc.  British  87  Oet  I 

I  Give  My  Heart  (A)  Gltta  Alper  Assoc.  British  85  Nov.  If 

Interrupted  Honeymoon,  The 

(A)   Claude  Hulbert   British  Lion  73. June  27/36 

Invitation  to  the  Waltz(G). Lillian  Harvey   Assoc.  British  80  Nov.  It 

La  Maternelle  (A)   Paulette  Elambert. ..  Metropolis   Oct.    14  80  Nov.  If 

Land  of  Promise,  The  (G)  Zionist  Org.  of 

America   Nov.   20  57  Dee.  7 

Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The. .  Maria  Corda- 

V.  Vareonl   Trans-America. .  . .  Dee.    14  65  

Le  Bonheur  (A)   Gaby  Morlay   Franco-American  .Mar.    5/38. .  1 10.  Mar,  21/16 

Llebelel    (A)   Paul  Hoerbiger   General   87. Mar.  I4/66 

Living  Dangerously  (A)... Otto  Kruger   Assoc.  British  80. Mar.  21/16 

Marriage    of   Corbal,  The 

(A)    Nils  Asther   General   80. June  13/36 

Milizia  Territorial  (G) ...  Antonio  Gandutlo  ..Nuovo    Mondo  Apr.    4/38.  ..77.  Apr.  25/38 

Once  In  a  Million  (G)  Buddy  Rogers- 

M.  Brian   Assoc.  British  75. Apr.  4/J6 

Ourselves  Alone  (G)  Antoinette  Collier  ..Assoc.  British  70. May  16/36 

Pension  Mimosas  (A)  Francolse  Rosay  Franco-American  .May     5/36. .  .93. May  16/36 

Private  Secretary,  The  (G).Edw.  Everett  Horton. Twickenham   75  Oet  S 

Public  Nuisance  No.  I  (G)..  Frances  Day   General   79. Mar.  14/38 

Raggen — Det   Ar  Jag  Det 

(A)   N.  Wahlbom   Scandinavian   May   21/36..  .83.  May  30/36 

Re  Burlone,    li  (G)  Armando  Falconl. ...  Nuovo    Mondo  Mar.  25/36 ..  .98.  Apr.  4/36 

Robber  Symphony,  The  (G) .George  Graves  Concordia   125. May  9/36 

Royal   Waltz,    (G)  Paul    Hoerbiger  Ufa   Apr.    9/36  ..81. Apr.  25/38 

She  Shall  Have  Musle  (A)  June  Clyde   Twickenham   75.... Dee.  21 

Skargards  (A)   Gideon  Wahlberg  Scandinavian   Apr.    7/36. .  .90.  Apr.  18/M 

Soviet   News   (G)  Amkino   Apr.   10/36. .  .70. Apr.  25/lt 

Tempo  Masslna  (Q)   Mllly   World   Mir.  12/36... 78. Mar.  21,'M 

Turn  of  the  Tide  (G)  J.  Fisher  White....  Not   determined  80.... Nov.  2 

Two's  Company  (G)  Ned  Sparks- 
Mary  Brian   B.  &  D  May  If/If 

We    Are    From  Kronstadt 

(G)   V.  Zalehikov   Amkino   Apr.  30/Sft.  .M.May  It/tf 

Wedding  March,  The  (AK.Tulllo  Carminatl  Franco-American  02. Mar.  14,'W 

When   Knights  Were  Bold 

(G)   J.  Buchanan-F.Wray.  General   78.  Mar.  7/M 

Where  There's  a  Will  (G)..  Will  Hay   Gaumont-British  81. July  4/36 

Woman  Alone,  A  (A)  Anna  Sten-H.  Wll- 

eoxon   General   M.Juat  *-•■* 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


93 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAET--CCNT'E) 


SHCET 
EILMS 

[All  dates  are  1935  unless 
otherwise  stated^ 


CELEBRITY 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

COMICOLOR  CARTOONS 

Balloon  Land   Sept.30t  I  tl. 

Simple  Simon   Nov.  I5t  I  rl. 

Humpty  Dumpty   Dec.  30t  I  rl. 

Ali   Baba   Jan.  30.'36t.9. . . 

Tom  Thumb   Mar.  30,'36t  .7. . . 

Dick  Whittington's  Cat  May  30,'36t.7. .  . 

Little   Boy   Blue  July  30,'36t  


COLUMBIA 


Title 


Min. 


Rel.  Date 
BARNEY  GOOGLE 
No.  I— "Tteched  in  th' 

Haid"   Oct.  24f....7.... 

No.  2— "Patch  Mah 

Britches"   Dec.  I9t  7  

No.  3— "Spark  Plug"   Apr.  I2,'36t.6'/a  . . 

No.  4 — Major  Google   May  24,'36t.6i/2. . 

BROADWAY  COMEDIES 

Ants  in  the  Pantry  Feb.  6,'36tl8'/2  . . 

(3  Stooges) 

Caught  in  the  Act  Mar.  5.'36tl8  

Andy  Clyde 

Champ's  a  Chump,  The  June  20,'36tl8.  .  . 

(All  Star) 

Disorder  in  the  Court  May  30.'36tl7  

(3  Stooges) 

Double  Trouble   

Andy  Clyde 

Halt  Shot  Shooters   Apr.  30,'36tl9  

(3  Stooges) 

His  Marriage  Mlxup  Oct.  31 1  -  -  - 18  

Harry  Langdon 
Honeymoon  Bridge   Oct.    3t  ■ . .  19  

Leon  Errol 

Hot  Paprika   Dec.  l2t...l8'/2. 

Andy  Clyde 
I  Don't  Remember  Dec.  26t. . .  l8'/2 . . 

Harry  Langdon 

Just  Speeding   Jan.  23,'36tl8  

Midnight  Blunders   Apr.  2l.'36tl7  

(All  Star) 

Mister  Smarty   July  I5.'36t IS  

Andy  Clyde 
Movie  Maniacs   Feb.  20,'36tl8  

(3  Stooges) 

Oh    My   Nerves  Oct.  I7t...l7  

(All  Star) 

Pain  In  the  Pullman,  A. . .  .  June  27.'36fl8. . . 
(3  Stooges) 

Peppery  Salt,  The  May  I5.'36tl8... 

Andy  Clyde 

Share  the  Wealth  Mar.  I9.'36t  l7'/2  . 

Andy  Clyde 
Three  Little  Beers  Nov.  28t...l7... 

(3  Stooges) 
Unrelated  Relations   Jan.  9,'36tl8... 

(All  Star) 

Whoops,  I'm  an  Indian  

(3  Stooges) 

Yoo  Hoo  Hollywood  Nov.  I4t...l8... 

(All  Star) 

COLOR  RHAPSODIES 

Bon  Bon  Parade  Dec.   5t  8'/a. 

Dr.  Bluebird   Feb.  5.'36t.8... 

Football   Bugs   Apr.  29,'36t  .7. . . 

Glee  Worms   June  24,'36t  .7. . . 

Monkey  Love   Sept.  I2t  8... 

Untrained  Seal,  The  July  26, '36.. 7... 

KRAZY  KAT  CARTOONS 

9.  Happy  Family,  A  Sept.  26t  7... 

10.  Kannlbal  Kapers   Dec.  27t  7... 

11.  Bird- Stuffer,  The  Feb.  I,'36t.7... 

12.  "Lll  Ainjil"   Mar.  I9,'36t.6... 

13.  Peace  Conference   Apr.  1 0,'36t  .7. . . 

(re-issue) 

14.  Highway  Snobbery   


NEW  WORLD  OF  SPORT  SERIES 

Feminine  Invasion,  The  Oct.  26t...ll.. 

Golfing    Rhythm   May  I5,'36tl0.. 

Hunters'  Paradise   Nov.  30t...ll... 

Ice  Cut-Ups   Feb.  6,'3«tl«.- 

Jump,   Horse,  Jump  ""ft.  "' 

Speed  Mad   Apr.  I7,'36t  10. . . 

Sport    Magic   June  I3,'36t  9'/j  . 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Stop,  Look  and  Guess  Mar.  9.*36tl 0  

Thrills  with   Daredevils  Mar.  I9.'36t>0  

Touring  the  Sport  World...  July  1 1, '36  

SCRAPPY  CARTOONS 

Let's  Ring  Doorbells   Nov.    7t  7... 

Playing  Politics   July  8,'36t  

Scrappy's   Boy   Scouts  Jan.  2.'36t.7... 

Scrappy's  Camera  Troubles. June  5,'36t.7... 
Scrappy's  Pony   Mar.  I6,'36t.7. . . 

SCREEN  SNAPSHOTS 

No.  2—   Oct.   lit. ..10... 

No.  3—   Nov.  8t...l0... 

No.  4 —   Dec.  6t...l0... 

No.  5—   Jan.  2,'36tl0'/2. 

No.  6—   Jan.  3l,'36tl0'/2. 

No.  7—   Feb.  28,'36tl0'/2. 

No.  8—   Mar.  27,'36tl0... 

No.  9—   Apr.  24,'36t.9'/2. 

No.  10—   May  29,'36tl0... 

No.  II—   June  26,'36tl0... 

No.  12—   July  I7,'36.I0... 

STARS  OF  TOMORROW 

No.  2—   Sept.  7f  II  

No.  3—   Nov.  27t...ll... 

No.  4—   Nov.  I6t...f0... 

No.  5—   Jan.  I5,'36tll... 

No.  6—   Jan.  I7.'36tl0... 

VOICE  OF  EXPERIENCE 

No.   I—   Sept.  l5t...l0'/2  . 

No.  2—   Sept.  29t..  .IO'/2. 

No.  3—   Oct.  l3t...!0'/2. 

No.  4—   Oct.  28t ...  1 0  '/a  . 

No.  5—   Nov.  l2t...!0'/2. 

Mo.  6—   Nov.  27t  IO'/a - 

No.  7—   Dec.  I2t. . .  10'/a . 

No.  8—   Jan.  2,'36tll... 

No.  9—   Feb.  25,'36tl0'/2. 

No.  10—   Mar.  26,'36tl0'/a. 


DU  WORLD 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

POPULAR   SCIENCE  FOREIGN 
(Cinecolor) 

No.   I—   Sept.  15, '36.. 9  

No.  2—   10.... 

No.  3—   8.... 

No.  4—   8.... 

No.  5 —   9  

No.  6—   10  

SEMI-FEATURES  AND  SHORTS 
Cathedrals   Oct.     It...  1 9  

EDUCATIONAL 

[Distributed  through 

Twentieth  Century-Fox] 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

CORONET  COMEDIES 

Brain  Busters,  The  Jan.  I0,'36tl8  

Fresh  from  the  Fleet  Apr.  24,'36tl8  

He's    a    Prlnee  Oct.  1 8T ...  1 8  

Just  Another  Murder  Oct.  4t...l7  

Mixed  Policies   Jan.  I7,'36t20  

Sleepless  Hollow   May  8,'36tl6  

Where  Is  Wall  Street  Apr.  I0.'36tl9  

FROLICS  OF  YOUTH 

Choose  Your  Partners  Dec.  1 3t ... 20 ... . 

Flicker  Fever   Sept.  26t . .  .20. . . . 

Knockout  Drops   Dec.  6t...l9  

MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Home  on  the   Range  June  5,'36t2l.... 

Moonlight   and   Melody  Oct.  lit.. .21.... 

Perfect  Thirty-Sixes   Dec.  20t  18. . . . 

Rhythm  of   Paree  Sept.  27t. . .21 .... 

Thanks,  Mr.  Cupid   Jan.  24,'36tl8  

SONG   AND  COMEDY  HITS 

Alpine   Rendezvous   Aug.    I, '36. II.... 

College  Capers   Sept.  27t. .  .12  

Easy  Pickin's   Dec.  27t...l0  

Going   Native   Aug.  21, '36.11., ,, 

Hillbilly   Love   Oct.   lit. ..II  

Queen's  Birthday,  The  Aug.  28,'36tl0  

Ring  Goes  'Round,  The  Aug.  14/36. 10  

Rodeo   Day   Sept.  I3t . .  .1 1  

Seeing   Nellie   Home  Dec.  20t ...  1 1  

Sorority    Blues  Dec.    St ...  1 1  

spooks   Apr.  I7,'36t.9  

Way  Out  West  Oct.  25t ...  1 1  

STAR    PERSONALITY  COMEDIES 

Giv'im  Air   Feb.  I4,'36tl8  

lold   Bricks   Mar.  20,'36t20  

Grand  Slam   Opera  Feb.  2l,'36t2l  

Ladies   Love   Hats  Nov.    It... 20  


Title 


Rel.  Date  Mln. 


Penny  Wise   Sept.  6t...l6... 

Three  on  a  Limb  Jan.  3,'36tl9... 

Timid  Young  Man,  The  Oct.  25t...20... 

Triple  Trouble   Apr.  3,'36tl6... 

White   Hope,  The  Mar.  27,'36tl9. . . 

PAUL  TERRY-TOONS 

Aladdin's   Lamp   Nov.  I5t  6... 

Alpine  Yodeler   Feb.  2-,'36t.6. .. 

Baruyard  Amateurs   Mar.  6,'36t.6... 

Busy   Bee,  The  May  29,'36t.6... 

Circus  Days   Sept.  6t  6... 

Farmer   Al    Falfa    In  the 

Hot  Spell   July  I0,'36t.6... 

Farmer  AI   Falfa  and  the 

Runt   May  I5,'36t.6... 

Feud,   The  Jan.  I0,'36t.6... 

Foiled  Again   Oct.    4t  6... 

Football   Oct.  I8t  

Hey  Diddle  Diddle   Sept.  201  

Home  Town  Olympics  Feb.  7,'36t. 

June  Bride,  A  Nov.  It  

Kiko  and  the  Honey  Bears.  .Aug.  2l,'36t. 

Kiko  the  Kangaroo   July  3t,'36t. 

Mayflower,    The  Dec.  27t  

19th   Hole  Club,  The  Jan.  24,'36t. 

Off  to  China  Mar.  20,'36t. 

Puddy   the    Pup   and   the  .July  24,'36t. 

Gypsies   

Rolling  Stones   May  l,'36t.6. 

Sailors'  Home,  The  June  I2,'36t.6. 

Southern    Horse-pitallty  Nov.  29t  6. 

Tough  Egg,  A  June  26,'36t  .6. 

Western  Trail,  The  Apr.  3,'36t.6. 

Wolf  in  Cheap  Clothing,  A  .Apr.  I7.'36t.6. 
Ye  Olde  Toy  Shop  Dee.  I3t  6. 


6... 
6... 
6... 
6... 
6... 
I  rl. 
6... 
6... 
6... 
I  rl. 


rl.. 


TREASURE  CHEST 

Animal  Cunning   May  I.'36tl0 

Clever  Critters   Sept.  20t  8 

Fast   Friends   June  5,'36t.9 

Feminine  Form   Aug.  7,'36..l. 

Fisherman's  Luck   Jan.  3l,'36t.9. 

Gangsters  of  the  Deep  Nov.    It  8. 

Hold   That   Lino  Oct.  lit  7. 

Game  of  Jai-Alal,  The  Dec.  27t  9. 

Manhattan  Tapestry   Jan.  3l,'36tl0. 

Seeing    Eye.    The  Jan.  I7,'36tl0. 

Ski-Scrapers   May  24  8. 

Sunday  Sports  In  Mexico..  .Nov.  8t...l0. 
TUXEDO  COMEDIES 

Just  Plain  Folks   Mar.  I3.'36tl9. 

Kiss  the  Bride   Sept.  1 3t ... 2 1 . 

One  Big  Happy  Family   Nov.  I5t...2l. 

Rail   Birds   May  22.'36tl8. 

TWO-REEL  COMEDIES 

Bashful    Buddies   Aug.  I4/36..2 

Blue  Blazes   Aug.  7,'36..2 

Boy,  Oh  Boy  Aug.  21, '36.. 2 

Happy  Heels   Aug.    I, '36.  .2 

It  Happened  All  Right  May  I5,'36tl9. 

Parked  In  Paree  Aug.  28,'36.  .2 

Peaceful  Relations   June  I9,'36tl8. 

YOUNG  ROMANCE 

Beware  of  Blondes  Feb.  7,'36t20. 

Love  In  a  Hurry  May  17....  16. 

Love  in  September  Mar.  6,'36t2l. 

Way   Up  Thar  Nov.  8t...l8. 


GRAND  NATIONAL 
DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

Ti"e  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

MUSICAL  MOODS 
(Technicolor) 

Ave   Maria   Mar.  25.'36t. I  rl. 

Irish  Melody   Mar.  9,'36t.  .8. . . 

Italian  Caprice   Dee.    It  8... 

Liebestraum   Apr.  20,'36t . I  rl. 

Mediterranean  Songs   Nov.    It  7... 

NEWSLAUGHS 

No.    2   Nov.  26t ....  I  rl. 

No-    3   Dee.  30t  I  rl. 

No-   4   Jan.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

No.    5   Feb.  20.'36t.l  rl. 

No.    6   Mar.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

6  THRILLING  JOURNEYS 

Craters  of  the  Moon    .Nov.  I5t  I  rl. 

Old   Faithful  Speaks   Nov.  I5t  

Deep  Sea  Harvest  Jan.  I5,'36t.lrl. 

Ride  Along   Dude  Feb.  I5.'36t.l  rl. 

City  of  Proud  Memories. ...  Dec.  lot  I  rl. 

Realm  of  Ghosts  Mar.  I.'36t  


HOFFBERG 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Life  of  Theodore  Roosevelt. . Feb.  I,'36t>9.. 

Tough   Breaks   Mar.  I.'36tl8.. 

Symphony  of  the  Seasons. .  .Jan.  27,'36t.9.. 
Young  Explorer   Mar.  2,'36tl0.. 

INTERNATIONAL  VARIETIES 

No.   I—   Feb.  I4.'36t.8.. 

No.  2—   Feb."28,'36t.8.. 

No.  3—   Mar.  8,'36tl0.. 

No.  4—   Mar.  22,'36tl0.. 

No.  5—   Apr.  I0.'36t.7.. 

No.  6—   Apr.  22.'36t.7yi 

PERSONALITIES  ON  PARADE 

No.  I—   Feb.  5,'36t.9.. 

No.  2—   Mar.  6,'36t.9.. 

No.  3—   Apr.  Il,'36t.9.. 

No.  4—   May  4,*36t.9.. 

WORLD  EXPLORATIONS 

1.  Nomads  of  the  Jungle. ...  Feb.  3,'36t-6.. 

2.  Nomads  of  the  South  Seas. Feb.  I7.'36t.6.. 

3.  Nomads  of  the  Past  Mar.  3,'36t.6.. 

4.  Nomads  of  the  Air  Mar.  l7,'36t.5Va 

5.  Nomads  In  the  Making. .  .Apr.  3.'36t.8. . 

6.  Nomads  of  the  River  Apr.  I7,'36t.6.. 

7.  Nomads  of  the  Plains  May  3,'36t.5</2 

8.  Nomads  of  the  Sea  May  l7,'36t.5'/2 


IMPERIAL 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

COLOR  CLASSICS 

Towers   of    Melody  8.. 

Hidden  Treasures   8.. 

Southern  Beauties   8.. 

EDGAR   GUEST   POETIC  GEMS 

After  the  Storm   

Boyhood   8. . 

Couldn't  Live  Without  You  

Old  Prospector,  The  8.. 

Sea  Dreams   8.. 

Early  in  the  Mornin'  8.. 

NOVELTIES 

Cities  of  the  Past  

Nero   8.. 

Every  Dog  Has  Its  Day  9.. 

Napoleon's   Waterloo   9.. 

Hobo  Hero   9.. 

PORT  0'  CALL 

Peacock  Throne   9. . 

City  of  the  Sun  9.. 

Jungle  Bound   

Last  Besort   9.. 

Love's  Memorial   

Mother  Ganges   9.. 

Children  of  the  Nile  9.. 

Seventh  Wonder   9.. 

WORLD    IN  COLOR 

Beneath  Coral  Seas  8.. 

Inspiration  of  Old  Love 

Songs   8.. 

Isle  of  June   

Dream  Harbor   8.. 

Street  of  Memory   8.. 

Maori   8.. 

Melody  Isle   

Under  the  Southern  Cross  8.. 


MGM 


Title 


Min. 


Ti,le  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

Beautiful    Blue    Danube. ...  Feb.  4,'36t.9.. 

Golden  Harbor   Mar.  I6,'36tl0 

It's  a   Bird   Jan.  20.'36tl7.. 


Rel.  Date 
CHARLEY  CHASE 
Count  Takes  the  Count,  The.  .Feb.  22,'36t20. 

Life  Hesitates  at  40  Jan.  l8,'36tlS. 

Manhattan  Monkey  Business. Nov.  9t...2l. 

Neighborhood  House   May  9,'36t20. 

Nurse  to  You  Oet.  5t...20. 

On  the  Wrong  Trek  Apr.  I8.'36tl9. 

Public   Ghost   No.   I  Dee.  I4t...20. 

Vamp  'Til   Ready  Mar.  28,'36t20. 

CRIME    DOESN'T  PAY 

No.  2 — Alibi  Racket   Sept.  1 4t ...  1 8. 

No.  3 — Desert  Death   Oct.  I9t...2l. 

No.  4— Thrill  for  Thelma, 

A   Nov.  23t...l8. 

No.  5 — Hit  and  Run  Driver.  Dec.  28t...20. 

No.  6 — Perfect  Setup   Feb.  I,'36t2l. 

FITZPATRICK  TRAVEL  TALKS 
Honolulu,   Paradise  of  the 

Pacific   Nov.    2t  8. 

Japan  in  Cherry  Blossom 

Time   Mar.  2l,'36t.9 

Modern  Tokyo   Dec.  28t  9 

Rio  de  Janeiro,   City  of 

Splendor   Apr.  I8,'36t.8 

Rural   Mexico   Nov.  30t  8 

Sacred  City  of  the  Mayan 

Indians   Feb.  22,'36t.7 

St.  Helena  and  Its  Man  of 

Destiny   May  1 6.'36t .8 

Victoria  and  Vancouver  Jan.  25.'36t.9 


94  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  Julyl8,l936 

(THE  RELEASE  CHACT—CCNT^E) 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

HARMAN-ISING 
(Happy  Harmonies) 

15—  Honeyland   Oct.  1 9t  10  

16 —  Alias  St.  Nick  Nov.  let*. .10..., 

17 —  Run,  Sheep,  Run  Dec.  I4t...l0... 

18—  Bottles   Jan.  I I,'36tl0. . . . 

19 —  Early  Bird  and  the 

Worm,  The    .Feb.  8,'36t.9..., 

20—  Old  Mill  Pond,  The...  Mar.  7.'36t.8... 

21—  Two  Little  Pups  Apr.  4,'36t.8.... 

M-G-M  MINIATURES 
Great  American  Pie  Com- 
pany  Nov.   9t . . .  1 1  ■  • . 

How  to  Behave  Apr.  25,'36tl0. . . 

Important  News   Feb.  29,'36tl0  

Jonker  Diamond   Mar.  28,'36tl0  

Let's  Dance   Jan.  4,'36t.8... 

Little  Boy  Blue  May  23,'36tll . . . 

Master  Will  Shakespeare. .  .June  I3,'36t  10. . . 

Primitive  Piteairn   Dec.    7t  9  — 

Trained  Hoofs   Oct.  I2t....9... 

West  Point  of  the  South. ..Feb.  I,'36t.8... 
M-G-M  SPORTS  PARADE 

Air  Hoppers   Jan.  I8.'36tl0  

Aquatic  Artistry   Apr.   1 1, '36. 9... 

Crew  Racing   Dec.  21?. ..10... 

Gymnastics   Oct.  26t....9... 

Polo   May  9,'36t.8... 

Table  Tennis  Feb.  I5,'36tl0. . . 

Racing  Canines   Mar.  I4.*36tl0  

Water  Sports   Oct.  26t....8... 

MUSICAL  REVUES 
La  Fiesta  do  Santa  Bar- 
bara  Dee.  7f...l9... 

Pirate  Party  on  Catallna 

Isle   Nov.  21.... 20... 

OUR  GANG 

Arbor  Day   ....May  2,'36tl8... 

Divot  Diggers   Feb.  8,'36fl5... 

Follies  of  1936  Nov.  30t...l8... 

Little  Sinner  Oct.  26t ...  1 8  

Lucky  Corner,  The  Mar.  I4,'36tl6. . . 

Pinch  Singer   Jan.  4,'36tl8... 

Second  Childhood   Apr.  Il,'36tl9... 

PATSY  KELLY  COMEDIES 

All- American  Toothache  Jan.  25,'36t20... 

Hill  Tillies   Apr.  4/36M8... 

Hot  Money   Nov.  I6t...l8... 

Pan  Handlers   Feb.  29'36t20... 

Top  Flat   Dec.  2lt...20... 

Twin  Triplet  Oct.  I2t...2l... 

SPECIAL 

Audioscopiks   8... 

PARAMOUNT 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

BETTY  BOOP  CARTOONS 
Betty  Beop  and  Little 

Jimmy   Mar.27,'36t.7... 

Betty  Boop  and  the  Little 

King   Jan  3l,'36t.7... 

Henry,  The  Funniest  Living 

American   Nov.  22t  7... 

Judge  for  a  Day  Sept.20t  8... 

Little  Nobody   Dec.  27t  7... 

Making  Stars   Oct.  I8t  7... 

More  Pep   June  I9,'36t  

Not  Now   Feb.  28,'36t.7... 

Song  a  Day,  A  May  22,'36t.7... 

We  Did  It  Apr.  24,'36t.6... 

You're  Not  Built  That  Way. July  I7,'36t.l  rl. 
COLOR  CLASSICS 

Cobweb   Hotel,   The  May  I5,'36t.8... 

Greedy  Humpty  Dumpty  July  I0,'36t.l  rl. 

Little  Stranger  Mar.  I3,'36t  .8. . . 

Musical  Memories   Nov.    8t  7... 

Somewhere  in  Dreamland. .  .Jan.  17/36.9... 

(Technicolor) 

Time  for  Love  Sept.  6t....7... 

HEADLINERS 
Accent  on  Girls  Dec.  27 1  

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 

Melodears 

Babes  In  Hollywood  Oct.  I8t...l0... 

Breezy  Rhythm   Apr.  I0,'36tl0. . . 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 
Cavalcade  of  Muslo,  The.... Oct.  4t....8... 
Lueky  Starlets   May  22,'36tl0... 

Baby  Leroy-Bennle  Bart- 

lett  -  David    Holt  -  Betty 

Holt  -  Billy  Lee-Vlrglnla 

Weldler 

Magle  of  Music,  The  Aug.   2t ...II... 

Richard  Hlmber  and  His 
Orchestra 

Midnight  Melodies   Mar.  20,'36tl  I . .., 

Ed  Paul  and  Orchestra- 
Bab's  Ryan  -  Loretta  Lee 


Title                         Rel.  Date  Min. 
Moscow  Moods   Jan.  I7,'36tl  I . . . . 

Yasha  Bunchuk  and  Orch. 
Movie  Melodies  on  Parade.. Feb.  7,'36tll  

Andre  Kostelanetz-Mary 

Eastman 

Musical  Fashions   July  3.'36f . I  rl.. 

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  her 
Melodears 

Music  in  the  Morgan  Manner. June  I2,'36t  

Russ  Morgan  and  Orch. 
Parade  of  the  Maestros  Nov.  1 5t ...  1 0 ... . 

Red  Nichols,  Ferde  Grofe, 

Emery  Deutsch  and  Their 

Orchestras 

Play,  Don   July  31, '36  

Don  Bestor  and  Orch. 

Radio  Rhapsdoy   Dee.  6t...l0  

Johnny  Green  and  Orch. 

Star  Reporter,  The  Feb.  28.'36f.9  

Betty  Jane  Cooper- Don- 
ald Novls-lna  Ray  Hutton 

Yankee  Doodle  Rhapsody. .. May  t,'36tll.... 
Ferde  Grofe  and  His 
Orchestra 

PARAMOUNT  PICTORIAL  NEW  SERIES 
No.  3— Nesting  Time— Re- .Oct.  lit. ...9.... 

flections — Song  Makers  of 

the  Nation  (Tot  Seymour 

and  Vee  Lawnhurst)  

No.  4  — Jewelry  — Made  to.  Nov.    3t  10  

Order  —  Let's   Listen  to 

Latin  America   

No.  5 — Manhattan  Rhapsody .  Dec.    6t. . .10. ... 

— Animal  Buddies  —  Man 

of  Many  Faees  

No.   6  —  The   Latest  from. Jan.  3.'36fl0.... 

Paris— Shifting  Sands- 
Nature's  Sideshow   

No.  7— Mountain  Moods— .Jan.  3l,'36t-7  

Camera    Hounds  —  Song 

Makers    of    the  Nation 

(Ralph  Rainger  and  Lee 

Robin)   

No.  8— Frederic  W.  Goudy .  Feb.  28,'36fl  I . . . . 

— Sails  Over  Sydney  Har- 
bor —  The  Voice  of  the 

Animals   

No.  9— Trailing  the  Birds  .  Mar.  27,'36t  .9  

— Lake   of  Enchantment 

— Swanee     River  Goes 

High  Hat 

No.    10— Toilers     of    the  .Apr.  24,'36tl0. .. . 

Deep  —  Where  Beauty 

Reigns — Make-up  Magic 
No.  II — Champagne — Girls  . May  22,'36t  

Will  Be  Boys— Up  Mont 

Blanc 

No.  12 — Meet  the  Pelican —  June  I9,'36t  

Viola   Mitchell  —  Steel 
Suits 

No.  13—   July  I7,'36t.l  rl. . 

PARAMOUNT  VARIETIES 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  4  Sept. 27t . . .  10. . . . 

Broadway  Highlights  No.  S.Dec.  1 3t  — 10  

Broadway  Highlights  No.  6. Apr.  3.'36t.9  

Collie,  The   Feb.  2l.'36tl0. .. . 

Countryside  Melodies   Nov.  29t  6  

(Technicolor) 

Dangerous  Jobs   May  l,'36t.9  

Fashions  in  Love  July  24,'36t.l  rl. . 

Here  Comes  the  Zoo  Mar.  I3,*36t.9  

March  of  the  Presidents. ..  .Sept. 27t. .  .10  

Movie  Milestones  (No.  2).. Jan.  3l,'36tl0  

Poodle.  The   May22.'36fl0  

Rhythm  Party,  The  June  26,'36t  

Rookie  Fireman,  The  Apr.  24,'36tl0  

Shorty  at  Coney  Island  Jan.  I0,'36tl0  

Shorty  at  the  Seashore  July  I0,'36t.l  rl.. 

Shorty  Goes  South  Sept.  I3t- ..10.... 

Spring  Night   Nov.    It  8  

POPEYE  THE  SAILOR 
Adventures  of  Popeye,  The.  .Oct.  25t...8.... 

Bridge  Ahoy!   May  l,'36t.8.... 

Brotherly  Love   Mar.  6,'36t.7.... 

Clean  Shaven  Man,  A  Feb.  7,'36t.7.... 

I-Skl  Love-Ski  You-Skl  Apr.  3,'36t.6  

I  Wanna  Be  a  Lifeguard. .  June  26. '36f  

King  of  th«  Mardi  Gras  Sept.27t  7  

Let's  Get  Movln'   July  24,'36t.l  rl.. 

Slnbad  the  Sailor  Jan.  3l,'36t.2  rls. 

(Special) 

Spinach  Overture,  The  Deo.  6t....8.... 

Vim,  Vigor  and  Vltallky. . .  Jan.  3.'36t.7.... 

What,  No  Spinach?  May  29,'36f  

PARAMOUNT  SOUND  NEWS 
Two  Editions  Weekly 

POPULAR  SCIENCE 
(Cinecolor) 

No.   I   Sept.29t....9.... 

No.  2   Nov.  29t...l0'/i.. 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

No.  3   Jan.  24,'36tl  I . . . . 

No.  4   Mar.27,'36tll.... 

No.  5   May29,'36t  

No.  6   July  I7,'36t.l  rl.. 

SCREEN  SONGS 
Hills  of  Old  Wyomln'.  The.  .July  24,'36t. I  rl.. 

The  Westerners 
I   Don't  Want  to  Make 

History   May22,'36t  

V.  Lopez  and  Orchestra 
I   Feel  Like  a  Feather  In 

the  Breeze   Mar.  27.'36t  .7  

Jack  Denny  and  Orchestra 
It's  Easy  to  Remember  Nov.  29t...l0  

Richard  Hlmber  and  Or- 
chestra 

I  Wished  On  the  Moon  Sept.  20t  8.... 

Abe  Lyman  and  Orchestra 

No  Other  One  Jan.  24,'36t.8  

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 

GRANTLAND  RICE  SPORTLIGHTS 
(NEW  SERIES) 

No.  16—  Hooked  Lightning    Sept. 27t . . .  10  

No.  17 — Junmping  Champion. Oct.  25t ...  10  

No.  18 — Sport  on  the  Range. Nov.  22t...l0.... 

No.  19— Sporting   Network  .Dec.  20t ...  10  

No.  20— What's  the  Answer. Jan.  I7.'36tl0... 

No.  21— Finer  Points  Feb.  I4.'36tl0  

No.  22— Winged  Champions. Mar.  I3,'36tl0  

No.  23— Sun  Chasers  Apr.  I0,'36tl0  

No.  24— Catching  Trouble..  .May  8,'36tl0  

No.  25— River  of  Thrills. .. .June  5,'36t  

No.  26 — Sporting  Compari- 
sons July  3,'36t  


RKO  RADIO 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

DUMBBELL  LETTERS 

No.  21   Jan.  3.'36t.5... 

No.  22    Feb.  3l.'36t .5'/,. 

No.  23   Apr.  3,'36t.5... 

No.  24   May29.'36t.5... 

No.  25   July  I0,'36f  

EASY  ACES 

Capital  Idea   Oct.  4t...l0... 

Debonair  New  Orleans  Mar.  27.  361 10. . . 

Etiquette   Nov.  29,'36t.9... 

Fool  Your  Friends   June  9,'36t  

Job's  a  Job.  A  May  22,'36t  

Jolly  Old  London  Aug.  30  9'/2. 

Old  Fashioned  Movie.  An. . .  Feb.  28,'36tl I . . . 

Tricks  of  the  Trade  Sept.  6t...l0... 

Unusuallties   Aug.  9t  9"A. 

Winter  at  the  Zoo  Jan.  3(.'36tl0'/a  . 

World  Within.  A  Nov.    It. ..10... 

FOUR  STAR  COMEDIES 

Salesmanship  Ahoy   July  19  1 8'/2 . 

HEADLINER  SERIES 

No.  5 — Drawing   Rumors  July  12  17... 

No.  I— Night  Life   Sept.2lt. .  .21 ... 

No.  2— Tuned  Out   Nov.  I5t . .  .20. . . 

No.  3 — Camera  Cranks  Jan.  I7.'36tl9... 

No.  4— Wedtlme  Story.  A. .  .  Mar.  20.'36t2l . . . 

No.  5—  Bad  Medicine  May  22,'36tl5. . . 

No.  6 — Sleepy  Time  July  24,'36t  

EDGAR  KENNEDY  COMEDIES 

Dummy  Ache   July  I0,'36t  

Gasoloons   Jan.  3,'26tl5*/i. 

Happy  Tho  Married  Nov.    I  18... 

High  Beer  Pressure  May  8,'36tl8... 

In  Love  at  40  Aug.  30t...l9... 

Sock  Me  To  Sleep  May  17  20... 

Will  Power   Mar.  6,'36tl5</2. 

MAJOR   BOWES'   AMATEUR  PARADE 

No.  I   May  l,'36t.9... 

No.  2   June  5,'36t  

No.  3   July  3.'36t  

MAJOR  BOWES'  AMATEUR  THEATRE 
OF  THE  AIR 

No.  4   Oct.  I8t...l8'/a. 

No.  5   Nov.  8t...l8... 

No.  6   Nov.  22t...l8... 

MARCH  OF  TIME 

No.  8   Nov.  I5t...20... 

No.  9   ...Dec.  I3t...23'/i. 

[1936] 

No.  I   Jan.  I7,'36tl8'/j. 

No.  2   Feb.  I7.'36t24... 

No.  3   Mar.  I3.'36.2I... 

No.  4   Apr.  I7.'36t2l... 

No.  5   May  I5,'36t  

No.  6   ...June  I2,'36t  

No.  7   July  I0,'36t  

MUSICALS 
Night  at  the  Blltmore 

Bowl,  A   June  21. ...17'/,. 

PATHE  NEWS 
Released  twice  a  week 

PATHE  REVIEWS 
Released  once  a  month 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

PATHE  TOPICS 

Released  seven  times  a  year 

RADIO  FLASH  COMEDIES 

Dog   Blight   June  I2,'36t  

Fight  Is  Right  Apr.  I0,'36tl7  

Radio  Barred   Feb.  7.'36tl5'/j . . 

Where  There's  a  Will  Oct.  4t...l8  

Worm  Burns,  The  Dee.  6t...l7.... 

RADIO   MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Aladdin  from  Manhattan  Feb.  28,'36tl7. ... 

Foolish  Hearts    Dee.  27t. . .  18  

Melody  in  May  May  l/SStl*  

Metropolitan  Nocturne   Aug.  23t ...  1 8  

Mismanaged   Oct.  25t.-.l9'/i.. 

Swing  It   July  3,*36t  

RAINBOW  PARADE  CARTOONS 

Bold  King  Cole  May  29,'36t  

Felix  the  Cat  and  the  Goose 
That  Laid  the  Golden  Egg. Feb.  7,'36t.7'/i . . 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  the 
Indians   Nov.  I3t  7J4-. 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  Robin- 
son Crusoe   Mar.20,'36t.7.... 

Neptune  Nonsense   Apr.  I7.'36t .8. . .. 

Toonervllle  Trolley   Jan.  I7,*36t.7...  • 

Trolley  Ahoy   

Waif's  Welcome,  A  June  I9,'36t  

SMART  SET 

All  Business   Feb.  I4,'36tl8'/a. . 

And  So  to  Wed  June  I9,'36t.  

Framing  Father   Apr.  l7.'36tl6'/4. 

Returned  Engagement,  A...  Oct.  I  It... 21  

Too  Many  Surprises  Dee.  3t...20'/i.. 

SPECIALS 

Going  on  Two  Sept.  17....  17. ... 

Headlines  for  25  Years  Mar.27,'36f2l . .. 

SPORTS  WITH  BILL  CORUM 
Bugles  from  Blue  Grass. ..  .Oct.  Ilt...l0ya. 

Gentlemen's  Sports   Dec.  I3t...ll... 

Inside  the  Ropes  Aug.  I  St ...  1 0  

Never  Catch  the  Rabbit  Apr.  24, '36 1 1 1 . . . 

Row  Mr.  Row  June  I9,'36t  , 

Tomorrow's  Halfbacks   Jan.  24,'36t.J... 

Winter  Sport  Mar.  I3.'36tl0... 

STRUGGLE  TO  LIVE 

Beach  Masters   Nov.  8t...l0'/e. 

Living  Jewels   June  I2,'36t  , 

Underground  Farmers  Apr.  l7/3Bt.8  

Winged  Pageantry   Feb.  I4,'36tl0... 

SUPERBA  COMEDIES 

Counselitls   Nov.  22t.. .IS  

Down  the  Ribber  Mar.  27,'36t2l . . . 

Home  Work   Sept.  20t. . .  19. . . 

Uppereutlets   Jan.  24,'36tl8'/4 . 

Listen  to  Freezin'   July  3l.'36t  

Wholesaling  Along   May  29,'36tl7  

VAGABOND  ADVENTRE  SERIE3 
Quebec   Aug.   2  9'/*- 

WORLD  ON  PARADE 
Coral  Isle  of  the  Atlantic..  .Mar.  27,'36t  1 1... 

Land  of  Evangeline  Nov.  22t. . .19%. . 

Morocco   Jan.  I0.'36t  

Prominent  Personalities  Feb.  2l.'36tll  

Spain's  Romantic  Isle, 

Majorca   Oct.  I8t...l9'/a.. 

Venice  of  the  North  May  15, '36  


STATE  RIGHTS 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

AL  BONDY 
(General  Electric) 

Excursions  in  Science  No.  1  8... 

DYNAMIC 

Wonderland  of  Gaspe  II... 

NORTON 

Alchemist's  Hourglass,  The  18... 

PAT  GARYN 

O'Mahoney-George  Bout   17... 

PHIL  BROWN 

Norwegian  Sketches   10... 

REGAL 

Broadway  Nights   

20TH  CENTURY-FOX 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

ADVENTURES  OF  THE 
NEWSREEL  CAMERAMAN 

Filming  the  Fantastle  Jan.  31  ,'36t 1 0 . . 

Filming  Feminine  Head- 
liners   Dec.  27t...lO... 

Hazardous  Occupation  Oct.  1 8t ...10... 

Shooting  tho  Reeord  Break- 
ers Nov.  22t...lO... 

MAGIC  CARPET  SERIES 

Argentine  Argosy   Nov.  22t...l0... 

Geneva-by-the-Lake  Dec.  21 1  10. . . 

Hong  Kong  Highlights  Jan.  3l,'36tl0... 

Italian  Riviera   Sept.27t. .  .10. . . 

Morocco  Mirage   Aug.  30  10  . . 


July    18,  1936 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


95 


(THE  RELEASE  CHARE— CCNE'R) 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

West  Indies  Cruise  Oct.  25t...l0  ... 

Winter  Magic   Dec.  27t ...10  

UNITED  ARTISTS 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

MICKEY  MOUSE 

17.  Pluto's  Judgment  Day..  .Sept.28t  9-... 

18.  On  Ice   Nov.  6t....8  

19.  Mickey's  Polo  Team  Feb.  5.'36t.8.... 

20.  Mickey's  Grind  Opera  9.... 

21.  Through  the  Mirror  June  I8.'36t.9... . 

22.  Moving  Day   9.... 

23.  Mickey's  Rival   9.... 

SILLY  SYMPHONIES 

13.  Who  Killed  Cock 

Robin?   June  26 1 ..  .10.... 

14.  Music  Land   Oet.  I0t  »'/*.. 

15.  Three  Orphan  Kittens. .. Nov.  2lt  9  

16.  Broken  Toys   Dec.  19?.... 8.... 

17.  Cock  of  the  Walk  Jan.  9/3»?.t.... 

18.  Orphans'  Plcnie   Mar.  12/36?. 9  

19.  Elmer  the  Elephant  May  14/36?. 8'/i. . 

20.  Three  Little  Wolves  May  27.'36tl0  

UNIVERSAL 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

CARTUNE  CLASSICS 
No.  6 — Fox  and  the  Rabbit, 

The   Sept.  30  8  

GOING  PLACES  with  LOWELL  THOMAS 

No.  14   Nov.  2S?.,.,9.... 

No.   15   Dec.  9t....9.... 

No.  16   Dec.  23t...l0  

No.  17   Jan.  20,'36t  

No.  18   Mar.  9/36tl0'/i.. 

No.  19   Mar.23,'36tl0.... 

No.  20   Apr.  20.'36t.9.... 

No.  21   June  8,'36t  

No.  22   June22.'36t  

No.  23   July  6,'36t  

No.  24   July  20,'36  

No.  25   Aug.  3,'36  

No.  26   Aug.  17/36  

MENTONE  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Carnival  Time   Jan.  22,'36tl9  

Jean  Sergent-Jack  Fulton 

Clubhouse  Party  (No.  6-B).Dec.  25t  2  rlt. 

Ray  Perkins 

Flippen's  Frolics   July  I5,'36t  

Gus  Van's  Music  Shoppe 

(Nn.  5-B)   Dec.  4t...20.... 

Harlem  Bound  (No.  4)  Nov.    St.. .20.... 

Marine  Follies   Apr.  29,'36t.2  rls. 

On  Your  Radio  Dial 

(No.  3)   Oet.  23t..  .10  

Playing  for  Fun...  Mar.  I8.'36tl5  

Signing  Off   Feb.  19. '36119  

Speedy  Justice  (No.  2-B) .  .Sept.  25f. .  .20  

Teddy  Bergman's  Inter- 
national Broadcast   June  3,'36t20  

Vaud-O-Mat.  The   Apr.  8,'36?I6  

NOVELTIES 

Skits  'n'  Sketches  Feb.  24,'36t  

OSWALD  CARTOONS 

Alaska  Sweepstakes   Feb.  I7,'36t.8  

Amateur  Broadcast   Aug.  26  7  

Battle  Royal   June  22,'36t  

Barnyard  Five   Apr.  20,'36t  

Beauty  Shoppe   Mar.  30/36?  .6'/i . 

Case  of  the  Lost  Sheep,  The  .Dec.    9t  7  

Doctor  Oswald   Dec.  30t  

Farming  Fools   May  25,'36t  

Fun  House,  The  May  4,'36t  

Monkey  Wretches   Nov.  lit  I  rl.. 

Quail  Hunt,  The  Oct.    7  8  

Slumberland  Express   Mar.  9,'36t  

Soft  Ball  Game  Jan.  27/36?  

STRANGER  THAN  FICTION  SERIES 

No.  14 — Novelty   Nov.  I8t  9.... 

No.  15—  Novelty   Dec.    2t  9.... 

No.  16— Novelty   Dec.  I6t  9  

No.  17— Novelty   Jan.  I3,'36t.9  

No.  18—  Novelty   Mar.  30/36t  .9'/2. . 

No.  19— Novelty   Apr.  I3,'36t.9  

No.  20— Novelty   June  l.'36t  

No,  21— Novelty   June  I5,'36t  

No.  22— Novelty   June  29/36?.  

No.  23— Novelty   July  I3,'36t  

No.  24 — Novelty   July  27. '36  

No.  25 — Novelty   Aug.  I0,'36  

No.  26 — Novelty   Aug.  24, '36  

UNIVERSAL  COMEDIES 

Bring  'Em  Back  a  Lie  Aug.  14  2. rls. 

Sterling  Holloway 

Father  Knows  Best  July  20  2  rls. 

Sterling  Holloway 

His  Last  Fling  July  31  20.... 

(Van  Ronkel  No.  5) 
You  Can  Be  Had  Jan.  R.'3B«I5 


Title                         Rel.  Date  Min. 
UNIVERSAL  SPECIAL 
Camera  Thrills   Sept.  30  21.. 


VITAPHONE 


BIG  TIME  VAUDEVILLE  REEL 

Vitaphone  Billboard   Feb.  I5,'36tll . .. 

Jane  and  Katharine  Lee 
Vitaphone  Casino  10... 

Buster  West- Radio  Rubes 
Vitaphone  Celebrities   Jan.  25,'36t  1 1 . . . 

Remington  Singers 
Vitaphone  Entertainers  ...  June  27,'36f.l  rl. 

Sylvia  Froos 
Vitaphone  Headllners   Dee.  14?... 10... 

Nick  Lucas-Four  Mullen 

Sisters 

Vitaphone  Highlight   Apr.  4,'36tl0... 

Eddie  Peabody 
Vitaphone  Hippodrome   May   2,'36tll. .. 

Molly  Picon-Johnny  Lee 
Vitaphone  Spotlight   Mar.  7/36? 1 1... 

Conville-Dala 

Vitaphone  Topnotehes  May  30/36?  

Vitaphone  Troupers   Jan.    4,'36tl0. . . 

Four  Trojans- 

Aunt  Jemima 
Vitaphone  Varlete   Nov.  I6f  I  rl. 

Louis  Prima  and  Orch. 
Vitaphone  Stageshow   July  25/3d?.  I  rl. 

BIG  V.  COMEDIES 
Keystone  Hotel   

Old  Timers 
Vodka  Boatmen   

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Lonesome  Trailer   

El  Brendel 
Officer's  Mess,  The  

Shemp  Howard 
Double  Exposure   

Bob  Hope 
Lucky  Swede,  The  

El  Brendel 
While  the  Cat's  Away  

Shemp  Howard 
They're  Off   

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Slide.  Nellie,  Slide  

Herman  Bing- 

Paula  Stone 
Shop  Talk   

Bob  Hope 
Joe  Palooka  In  for  the  Love 

of  Pete   

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 
Calling  All  Tars  

Bob  Hope 
Slum  Fun   

Johnny  Berkes- 

Charles  O'Donnell 
Dough-Nuts   

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Absorbing  Junior   

Shemp  Howard- 
Johnny  Berkes 
Joe  Palooka  in  Here's  Howe 

Shemp  Howard - 

Robert  Norton 
Wife  of  the  Party,  The  

Ken  Murray 
Good  Old  Plumbertlme, 

The   

Johnny  Berkes 
The  Oily  Bird  

Ken  Murray 


Sept.  21 1. 

..20.... 

Oet.  5t. 

. .20. . . . 

Oet.  26f. 

..20.... 

Nov.  9t. 

...2  rls. 

Nov.  23t. 

..21.... 

Dec.  21 1. 

..21.... 

Jan.   4,'38t20. ... 

Jan.  IB.'36t2l  

Feb.  I,»36t2l.... 

Feb.  I5,'36t2l  

Mar.  I4.'36t2l.... 

Mar.28,'36t2l.... 
Apr.  Il/36t2l.... 

Apr.  25/36?. 2  rls. 
May  9,*36t2l  

June  6.'36t2l  

June  20,'36t22. ... 

July  ll,'36t.2  rls. 
July  25,'36t.2rls. 


BROADWAY  BREVITIES 
Dublin  In  Brass  Sept.  7?. ..20.... 

Morton  Downey 
Oh.  Evaline   Sept.  I4t. .  .20  

Hal  LeRoy- 

Eleanore  Whitney 
Doorman's  Opera   Sept. 28t. .  .20. . . . 

Charlotte  Arren- 

Johnny  Broderlek 
Tickets  Please   Oet.  1 2t .  -  .21 . . . . 

Georgle  Price 
Regular  Kids   Oct.   I8t . .  .20  

Meglln  Kids 
Check  Your  Sombrero  Nov.    2?.. .21.... 

Armlda-Tlto  Coral 
Rooftops  of  Manhattan  Nov.  I6t...2l.... 

Doane  Janis-GII  Lamb 
Trouble  In  Toyland  Nov.  30t...20  

Gus  Edwards'  Stars  of 

the  Future 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Okay.  Jose   Dec.  7t...2l  

El  Brandel 

Katz'  Pajamas   Dec.    I4t.  21  

Fifl  D'Orsay 
Broadway  Ballyhoo   Dec.  28 1  -  .  .21  

Owen,  Hunt  and  Pareo 
Carnival   Days   Jan.  II/36?2I  

Henry  Armetta- 

Felix  Knight 
Double  or  Nothing  Jan.  IS.*36t2l  

Phil  Harris-Leah  Ray 

Study  and  Understudy  Jan.  25. ''36122  

Between  the  Lines  Feb.  8,'36t22  

Bernice  Claire 
King  of  the  Islands  Feb.  22,'36t2l . . . . 

Winifred  Shaw- 
Warren  Hymer 
Stars  Can't  Be  Wrong.  The .  Feb.  29,'36t2l  

Carolyn  Marsh- 
Harris  Twins 
Wash  Yoor  Step  Mar.  7/36?2l.... 

Hal  LeRoy- 

Preisser  Sisters 
Paris  in  New  York  Mar.  2l,'36t22. .. . 

Irene  Bordonl 
Black  Network,  The  Apr.  4/36 1 22.  .. 

Nina  Mae  MeKinney- 

Nicholas  Bros. 
College   Dads   Apr.  1 1  ,'36t2l . . . . 

Leon  Janney 
Double  Crossky,  The  Apr.  I8/36?2I  

Olga  Baelanova 
I'm  Much  Obliged  May  2,'36t2l  

Vera  Van -George  Dobbs 
Maid  for  a  Day  May  23,'36t20.... 

Grace  Hayes 
City's  Slicker,  The  May30,'36t.2  rls. 

Dawn  O'Day-Radlo  Rubes 
Romance  in  the  Air  May  16/36?  

Wlnl  Shaw-Phil  Regan 
Changing  of  the  Guard  June  6,'36t20  

Sybil  Jason 

Rhythmftls   June  13/36?. 2  rls. 

Hal  LeRoy-Toby  Wing 

Song  of  a  Nation,  The  July  4,'36t20  

Donald  Woods- 
Claire  Dodd 

When  You're  Single  July  I8.'36f  .2  rls. 

Cross  and  Dunn 

LOONEY  TUNES 

No.  14 — Plane  Dippy   Dee.  21 1  7  

No.  15—  Alpine  Antics   Jan.  4,'36t.7  

No.  16 — Phantom  Ship.  The. Feb.  I,'36t.7  

No.  17— Boom!  Boom!   Feb.  29/36?. 7  

No.  18—  Blow  Out,  The  Apr.  4.'36t.7  

No.  19— Westward  Whoa  Apr.  25,'36t.7  

No.  20— Fish  Tales  May  23, '36?. 7  

No.  21— Shanghaied  Ship- 
mates  June20.'36..l  rl.. 

No.  22— Porky's  Pet   July  ll,'36t  

No.  23 — Porky's  Moving      Aug.  I,*36  

Day 


MELODY  MASTERS 

Phil  Spitalny  All  Girl 
Orchestra   

Jack  Denny  and  Orchestra. 

Johnny  Green  and  Orchestra 

Claude  Hopkins  and  Orch. 

Red  Nichols  and  Orchestra. 

B.  A.  Rolfe  and  Orchestra. 

Jolly  Coburn  and  Orchestra. 

Little  Jack  Little  and 
Orchestra   

Ramon  Ramos  and  Orchestra 

Dave  Apolion  and  His  Band 

Vincent  Lopez  and  Orches- 
tra   

Darl  Hoff  and  Orchestra.. 

Clyde  Lucas  and  Orchestra 


Sept.  I4t 
Oct.  7t 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Jan. 
Feb. 


10... 
10... 
I2t...l0... 
9t...l0... 
4.'36tl0... 
I.'36tll... 


Feb.  22,'36tll... 

Mar.2!,'36tll... 

Apr.  1 8.*36tl  I  

May  I6.'36tl0... 


.June 
.July 


6,'36tl0... 
I,'36t.l  rl. 
 II... 


MERRIE  MELODIES 
(In  Color) 

No.  II— Lady  in  Rod,  The.  .Sept. 21  7... 

No.  12— Little  Dutch  Plate. Oct.  I9t  7... 

No.  13—  Billboard  Frolics  7... 

Mo.  14 — Flowers  for  Madame. Nov.  30t  7... 

No.  15—1  Wanna  Play 

H»"s«   Jan.  Il,'36t.7. .. 

No.  16 — Cat  Came  Back, 

The   Feb. 

No.  17 — Miss  Glory   Mar. 

No.  18— I'm  a  Big  Shot 

Now   Apr. 

No.  19— Let  It  Be  Me  May 

No.  20— I'd  Love  to  Take 

Orders  from  You  May  I6.'36t .7. . . 

No.  21— Bingo  Crosbyana. .  .  May  30,'36t  .7. . . 
No.  22— When  I  Yoo  Hoo. .  .  June  27,'36t  


8,'36t.7. 
7,'36.7. 


Il.'36t.7... 
2.'36t.7... 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

No.   23 — I    Love  to  Singa  .  July  I8.'36t .  I  rl 

OUR  OWN  UNITED  STATES 
No.  I — Curious  Industries. .  .Sept.  7t -  -  .11-. 

Harry  Von  Zell 
No.  2 — Playground   Oct.    5+.. .11.. 

James  Wallington 
No.  3 — Camera   Hunting  Nov.    2t ...II.. 

Paul  Douglas 

No.  4—  Nature's  Handiwork. Nov.  30t  I ■  - • 

No.  5 — Odd   Occupations. ...  Dee.  28t . .  .12. . 

No.  6 — Steel  and  Stone  Jan.  25,'36tll . . 

No.  7— Day's  Journey,  A. .  .  Feb.  22,'36tl  I . . 

No.  8—  Harbor   Lights  Mar. 2l,'36tl I . . 

No.  9— We  Eat  to  Live  Apr.  I8,'36tl0.. 

No.  10— Vacation  Spots  May  I6,'36tl  I.. 

No.  II— Irons  in  the  Fire  .June  I3.'36t.l  rl 
No.  12 — Can  You  Imagine.  .  July  1 1  ,'36t .  I  rl 

No.  13 — For  Sports  Sake. ..Aug.  8,'36  

PEPPER  POT 
Nutville   Sept.  7t 

Radio  Ramblers 
All  American  Drawback  Oct. 

Edgar  Bergen 
'Wee'  Men   Nov. 

Singer's  Midgets 
See  In'  Stars  Nov.  30 1. 

Easy  Aces 
P's  and  Cues  Dee.  7f. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  82.) 

Can  It  Be  Done?   .Dee,  21?. 

Wild  Wings   Jan.  Il/36tll 

Some  Class   Feb.  8/36tl0 

Charles  Ahearn 

Timber  Giants   Feb.  22/36tl  I 

Half  Wit  ness   Mar. 2l,36t . I 

Radio  Ramblers 

Beneath  the  Sea  Apr.  18/36?.. 

Pictorial  Review   June 27/36?.  I 

Nut  Guilty   10 

When  Fish  Fight  July  1 1  ,'36. 10, 


SERIALS 

12  Episodes  Each  Unless  Otherwise  Specified 
Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

BURROUGHS-TARZAN 

New  Adventures  of  Tarzan..June  10  2  rls. 

Herman  Brix  (each) 


.1®. 


5?. ..10. 


2?... 10. 


.10. 


.11. 


JO. 


MASCOT 


Fighting  Marines,  The  Nov.  23?  2  lis. 

Grant  Withers-George  Lewis 

REPUBLIC 

Darkest  Africa   

Clyde  Beatty 
(15  Episodes) 
Robinson  Crusoe 

Mala 

Undersea  Kingdom  

Ray  Corrigan-Lols  Wilde 

Vigilantes  Are  Coming,  The  

Robert  Livingston- 
Kay  Hughes 

STAGE  and  SCREEN 

(Weiss-Mintz  Serials) 
Black  Coin,  The  Aug.  1/36  

(15  episodes) 
Clutching   Hand,   The  Apr.  I8,'36t.2  rls. 

Jack  Mulhall-  (each) 

Wm.  Farnum 

(also  feature  version)     (1st  episode,  3  rls.. 

followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 

.Jan.  2/36?  

(1st  episode,  5  rls.. 
followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 


Custer's  Last  Stand  

Rex  Lease- Lona  Andre 
(also  feature  version) 


UNIVERSAL 

Adventures  of  Frank  Merrl- 

well   Jan.  13/36?  

Don  Brlggs-Jean  Rogers 
Flash  Gordon   Apr.  6/36?  

Buster  Crabbe-Jean  Rogers 

(13  episodes) 
Phantom   Rider   July  6/36?  

Buck  Jones-Maria  Shelton 

(15  episodes) 
Rustlers  of  Red  Dog  Jan.  21?... 20  

John  Mack  Brown  (each) 
Tailspln   Tommy   In  the 

Great  Air  Mystery  Oct.  21  ? . .  .20. . . . 

Clark  Williams — Jean  Rogers  (each) 


i 

96  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  July    18,  1936 


CLASSIFIED 
ADVERTISING 


the  great 
national  medium 
for  showmen 


Ten  cents  per  word,  money-order  or  check  with  copy.  Count  initials,  box  number  and  address.  Minimum  insertion, 
$1.  Four  insertions  for  the  price  of  three.  Contract  rates  on  application.  No  borders  or  cuts.  Forms  close 
Mondays  at  5  P.M.  Publisher  reserves  the  right  to  reject  any  copy.  Film  and  trailer  service  advertising  not 
accepted.  Classified  advertising  not  subject  to  agency  commission.  Address  correspondence,  copy  and  checks  to 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD,  Classified  Dept.,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  City 


NEW  EQUIPMENT 


WON'T  BE  HAPPY  'TIL  YOU  GET  OUR  NEW 
complete  theatre  supply  catalog — 50,000  copies  mailed 
to  forty  countries — if  you  were  overlooked,  write  or 
wire  S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broadway,  New  York. 


RAINBOW  MIST  SPRAY  NOZZLES,  WATER 
broken  to  the  finest  misty  spray  possible,  Foolproof. 
Special  offer.  New  territory.  PETERSON  FREEZEM 
SALES  CO.,  2620  Charlotte  St.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 


docks 


ORDER  NOW!  RICHARDSON'S  NEW  BLUE 
Book  of  Projection — 6th  edition  complete  in  one  vol- 
ume. 714  pages,  153  illustrations.  Full  text  on  projec- 
tion and  sound  combined  with  trouble-shooter,  $5.25 
postpaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rockefeller  Center, 
New  York. 


BOOK  THESE  BOOKS  PROFITABLY— SLOANE'S 
famous  "Motion  Picture  Projection."  303  pages,  fully 
illustrated.  Used  as  textbook  by  New  York  School 
of  Photography.  Beautiful  red  Morocco  binding — an 
asset  to  any  theatre.  Originally  $7.50,  our  special  98c. 
Send  for  list  of  Cameron's,  etc.,  at  special  prices. 
S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broadway,  New  York. 


THEATRE  ACCOUNTING  BY  WILLIAM  F. 
Morris,  is  still  the  best  bookkeeping  system  for  thea- 
tres. It  not  only  guides  you  in  making  the  proper 
entries,  but  provides  sufficient  blank  pages  for  a 
complete  record  of  your  operations  for  each  day  of 
the  year.  Notable  for  its  simplicity.  Order  now — 
$3  postage  prepaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rocke- 
feller Center,  New  York. 


PREDDEY  THEATRE  RECORD  LEDGER,  A  NEAT, 
concise,  well  bound  simple,  complete  year's  record  of 
every  detail,  carefully  classified.  Expense  and  receipts 
at  a  glance,  $2.    188  Golden  Gate,  San  Francisco. 


POSITIONS  WANTED 


SOUND  TECHNICIAN -PROJECTIONIST.  DE- 
sires  change  of  position.  Equipped  to  service  all  in- 
stallations. Excellent  references  —  sober.  BOX  719, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


EXPERIENCED  PROJECTIONIST  —  WESTERN 
Electric— RCA— excellent  references.  WM.  FORREST, 
Oswego,  Kan. 


YOUNG  EUROPEAN,  20  YEARS'  EXPERIENCE 
in  moving  picture  business,  coming  over  to  America 
in  September,  wants  representation  of  production 
companies,  apparatus  manufacturers,  etc..  for  Europe. 
Please  apply  to  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD,  BOX 
727. 


EXPERIENCED  THEATRE  DISPLAY  POSTER 
artist.  Excellent  references.  Offers  appreciated.  BOB 
ANDREWS,  Hays,  N.  C. 


TRAINING  SCHCCL 


THEATRE  EMPLOYEES;  ADVANCE  TO  BET- 
ter  theatre  positions.  Free  booklet  shows  you  how. 
THEATRE  INSTITUTE,  315  Washington  St.,  Elmira, 
N.  Y. 


SURPLUS  STOCKS 


DROUGHT  BE  D  D  SAY  EXHIBITORS  RE- 

freshed  by  these — changeable  admission  signs,  $1.95; 
poster  brushes,  $3.95;  chair  cement,  6  lb.,  $2.75;  color 
hoods,  19c;  foil  date  strips.  9c;  expansion  bolts,  100, 
$2.67;  chair  slip  covers,  39c.  Order  from  our  catalog. 
S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broadway,  New  York. 


SOUND  EQUIPMENT 


"PUBLIC  COMPLETELY  SATISFIED"  WRITES 
Chaparro,  Puento  Piedra,  Peru.  Cinemaphone  sound 
pleases  greatly.  Free  trial,  write  S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broad- 
way, New  York. 


USED  PORTABLE  SOUND  PROJECTORS;  RCA 
16mm  SOF  $200.00;  Cello  35mm  SOF  $225.00;  others. 
CINEMA    SUPPLY   CO.,   575   Eleventh  Ave.,  New 

York. 


GENERAL 
EQUIPMENT 


NEW  AND  RECONDITIONED  PROJECTORS, 
reflector  lamps,  rectifiers,  lenses,  sound  equipment, 
screens,  chairs,  mazdas,  portables  and  accessories. 
Bargain  bulletin  free.  MONARCH  THEATRE 
SUPPLY  CO.,  Memphis,  Tenn. 


EVERYTHING  REQUIRED  FOR  THEATRES, 
largest  and  oldest  dealers  on  coast.  Big  complete 
stock,  lowest  prices.  Lamps,  sound,  projectors,  recti- 
fiers, chairs.  lenses,  generators.  Get  bulletin. 
PREDDEY,  188  Golden  Gate,  San  Francisco. 


WANTED  TO  ELY 


READY  CASH  WAITING  FOR  ANY  NUMBER 
Powers,  Simplex  projectors,  mechanisms,  lenses,  gen- 
erators, reflector  arc  lamps,  rectifiers,  mazdas,  chairs, 
portables,  sound  outfits,  and  complete  theatre  equip- 
ment.   BOX  717,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


HIGHEST  PRICES  FOR  RCA  SOUND.  SIMPLEX, 
Powers,  Motiograph,  arc  lamps,  rectifiers,  lenses, 
portables,  stocks  liquidated.  Strictly  confidential.  BOX 
726,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


WILL  BUY  SIMPLEX  HEADS  OR  PROJECTORS, 
incomplete,  worn  or  otherwise.  Cash.  PREDDEY, 
188  Golden  Gate,  San  Francisco. 


CASH  PAID  FOR  OLD  SILENT  SIMPLEX 
machines.    F.  MERTZ,  Springfield,  111. 


AIP  CONDITIONING 


AIR  CONDITIONING  CHARTS  THAT  REPRE- 
sent  standard  practice  in  air  conditioning  for  motion 
picture  theatres.  Practical  advice  on  how  to  attain 
the  best  atmospheric  conditions  for  your  house  winter 
and  summer.  Devised  to  be  put  on  the  wall  for  con- 
stant reference.  Available  until  the  supply  is  ex- 
hausted at  25c  each,  payment  direct.  BETTER 
THEATRES,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York. 


THEATRES  FOR  SALE 


SMALL  THEATRE  TO  LIQUIDATE  A  PART- 
enrship.  Doing  nice  business  no  trades.  G.  A.  HART, 
Stratford,  Texas. 


MONEY-MAKER.  7  DAY  OPERATION,  COUNTY 
seat,  Michigan;  550  seats;  1,500  population,  trade, 
resort  center.  Building,  equipment  good.  $7,000.  Sale 
reason,  too  far  from  other  interests.  BOX  724, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


USED  EQUIPMENT 


LOST  OUR  LEASE— MUST  SELL  2  SIMPLEX 
rebuilt  projectors  complete  with  soundheads,  amplifiers 
and  speakers — 2  Strong  low-intensity  lamps  like  new — 
2  Forest  rectifiers.  Will  allow  30  days  trial  to  re- 
sponsible party.  This  cost  us  $1,900.  Will  sacrifice  for 
$975.  No  dealers.  BOX  723,  MOTION  PICTURE 
HERALD. 


UNUSUAL  BARGAINS  IN  USED  OPERA 
chairs,  sound  equipment,  motion  picture  machines, 
screens,  spotlights,  stereopticons,  etc.  Projection  ma- 
chines repaired.  Catalogue  H  free.  MOVIE  SUPPLY 
COMPANY,  Ltd..  844  So.  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago. 


HAVE  ON  HAND  10,000  AMERICAN  SEATING, 
late  type  with  spring  seats  at  low  prices.  RELIABLE 
SEATING  CO.,  353  W.  44th  St..  N.  Y. 


$850  TAKES  ENTIRE  THEATRE  EQUIPMENT. 
Powers  machines,  Deluxe  sound,  seats,  piano,  every- 
thing.   PRINCESS,  Saybrook,  Illinois. 


LARGEST  DEALERS  IN  USED  THEATRE 
chairs,  parts,  etc.  ALLIED  SEATING  CO.,  358  West 
44th  St.,  New  York  City. 


WILL  SACRIFICE:  PEERLESS  LAMPS,  ROTH 
generators,  rectifiers.  Simplex  projectors.  PENN 
THEATRE  EQUIPMENT  COMPANY,  309  North 
Thirteenth  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

SIMPLEX  PROJECTOR  REBUILT' (PAIR),  $325.00; 
Morelite  Deluxe  lamp  with  automatic  arc  control  and 
15  ampere  rectifier  $190;  Strong  low-intensity  lamp 
(pair)  rebuilt  $175;  manv  other  bargains.  CROWN, 
311  West  44th  St..  New  York. 


COMPLETE  RCA  PG-13  SOUND  SYSTEM.  FIRST 
'class  condition.  Will  sacrifice  for  cash.  BOX  729, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


VENTILATING 
EQUIPMENT 


DROUGHT  DRIVES  'EM  AWAY— BUT  COOL 
off — blowers  complete,  no  extras,  $59.50;  silent  air 
circulators,  $49.50;  oscillating  fans,  16",  $17.95;  large 
exhaust  fans,  $19.95.  You  can  afford  our  prices. 
S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broadway,  New  York. 


FOR  YOUR  PATRONS'  COMFORT  GET  OUR 
prices  on  blower  fans,  simple  installation  and  very 
auiet  in  operation.  CROWN.  311  West  44th  St.,  New 
York. 


BARGAINS  RECONDITIONED  ARCTIC  NU-AIR, 
Supreme,  American  Blowers,  noiseless  drives,  hydraulic 
variable  speed  pulleys.  New  air  washers.  Catalog 
mailed.  SOUTHERN  FAN  CO.,  11  Elliott,  Atlanta, 
Ga. 


THEATRES  WANTED 


SMALL  THEATRE.  SMALL  TOWN  IN  EASTERN 
territory.  Give  full  particulars.  No  brokers.  BOX  725, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


WANTED  TO  BUY  OR  LEASE  PAYING  THEA- 
tre  in  Maryland.  Give  full  particulars.  BOX  728, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


LEASE  PAYING  THEATRE.  WILL  IRWIN,  1012 
West  Monroe,  Springfield.  111. 


SCREEN 
RE  FINISHING 


SCREENS  REFINISHED.  WORK  EXECUTED  IN 
theatre  bv  factory  experts;  white  or  silver. 
WILLIAMS  SCREEN  CO.,  Akron.  O. 


JAMES  DUNN 
MAE  CLARKE 
DAVID  MANNERS 
CHARLOTTE  HENRY 
HENRY  B.  WALTHALL 
FRITZ  LEIBER  •  GEORGE 
IRVING  •  IRVING  PICHEL 
Produced  by  NAT  LEVINE 

Directed  by  Lew  Ayres  •  Supervised  by  Colbert  Clark  •  Screen  Play 
by  Bernard  Schubert  and  Olive  Cooper  •  Adaptation  by  Karl  Brown 
Original  Slorv  by  Wallace  MacDonald 


MOTION  PICTURE 


WPA  of  USA  says:- 

"Distribution. — The  contractor  shall  agree  to  cause  to  be  re- 
leased and/or  distributed  one  newsreel  story  on  the  subject 
of  WPA  activities  each  month  during  the  life  of  this  contract 
through  the  medium  of  a  nationally -distributed  newsreel." 


OP 


MCM  AND  20TH  CENTURY- 
FOX  AND  CAUMONT-BRITISH 
INTERNATIONALIZE 


VOL  124,  NO.  4 


In  Two  Sections  —  Section  One 


JULY  25,  1936 


Entered  as  second-class  matter,  January  12,  1931,  at  the  Post  Office,  at  Hew  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Published 
weekly  by  Quigley  Publishing  Co.,  Inc.,  at  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York.  Subscription,  $3.00  a  year.  Single 
copies,   25  cents. 


A    Reprint    from    SHOWMEN'S    TRADE  REVIEW 


Product  Analysis 


MGM  Should  Maintain  Lead 

111111,111111  11111111111111  1  1""""''™'"!!  '  i  iiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniii  i  i  ilium  mil  iiinmim  iiMiiiniiiiiniiiiiini  imiiimi  i  iiiinm  niimiiiiiiiuiiiiiniii  imiiiii  i  mimmiiinn  m 


IN  this  analysis  you  will  have 
to  place  yourself  in  one  of 
two  positions  or  classifications. 
Either  you  are  now  a  customer 
of  MGM,  or  not  a  customer  now 
but  expecting  to  be  one  next 
season. 

In  the  first  classification  we 
can  discuss  the  current  season 
and  how  it  fared  for  you  and 
your  theatres  STR,  in  the  last 
listing  of  the  Film  Derby  Chart 
on  May  2nd,  gave  MGM  a  rat- 
ing of  107%  on  31  pictures  list- 
ed up  to  that  date  These  31 
pictures  consisted  of  9  "A"  pic- 
tures, 13  "B,"  and  9  "C  " 

Since  that  date  four  more  pic- 
tures have  been  rated  as  fol- 
lows: "Speed" — C;  "Three  Wise 
Guys" — C;  "Fury" — B;  "Trouble 
for  Two" — B  Giving  them,  to 
date,  a  grand  total  of  35  pic- 
tures and  a  rating  of  102%  They 
still  have  enough  pictures  left 
on  the  current  season's  sched- 
ule to  make  a  radical  change, 
up  or  down,  when  the  Derby 
Chart  is  published  for  the  com- 
plete season. 

Those  who  played  the  prod- 
uct most  certainly  know  wheth- 
er they  made  money  or  lost 
money  with  it.  They  also  know 
full  well  whether  they  overpaid 
or  underpaid  or  if  they  bought 
the  product  at  fair  and  reason- 
able terms  to  both  parties  And 
we  assume  that  if  they  found 
the  product  profitable,  they  con- 
template signing  a  contract '  for 
the  next  season 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who 
did  not  play  MGM  during  1935- 
36  but  are  interested  in  secur- 
ing this  company's  product  for 
1936-37,  we  must  go  into  more 
detail.  Which  brings  us  to  the 
"A"  pictures  of  the  current  sea- 
son 

No  theatreman,  regardless  of 
whether  he  played  the  MGM 
lineup  or  not,  could  possibly  be 
ignorant  of  the  box-office  value 
of  such  pictures  as  ,  "Rose 
Marie,"  "China  Seas,"  "Mutiny 
on  the  Bounty,"  "Night  at  the 
Opera,"  "Tale  of  Two  Cities," 
"Ah  Wilderness,"  "Small  Town 
Girl,"  "Petticoat  Fever,"  "Broad- 
way Melody  of  1936  "  No  doubt 
such  exhibitors  envied  the  op- 
position when  they  were  playing 
them  As  for  the  "B"  pictures 
plenty  of  them  were  "A"  in  re- 
ceipts in  many  a  town  through- 
out the  country  Without  going 
into  further  listing  of  them  or 
the  "C"  pictures  which  were 
spotty  here  and  there,  we  sug- 
gest that  you  take  your  copy  of 
STR  of  May  2nd  and  glance 
through  them  yourself 

So  much  for  1935-36.  Let's 
take  a  look  at  1936-37  because  it 
happens  to  be  the  important 
point  of  discussion  at  this 
moment  and,  no  doubt,  of  vital 
importance  to  thousands  of  ex- 
hibitors who  know  the  necessity 
of  strong  backbone  product  as 
the  basis  of  their  entire  picture 
buy  for  the  season. 

We  recommend  that  you  se- 
cure a  copy  of  "Leo's  Candid 


This  analysis  of  MGM  1936-37  product  is  Hie  .econd  in  a  series 
which  began  last  issue  with  a  discussion  of  the  Paramount  lineup.  The 
remaining  majors  and  more  important  independents  will  follow. 

A  regular  annual  feature  of  Showmen's  Trade  Review,  these  analyses 
are  attempts  to  give  our  reactions  to  past  performances  and  future 
possibilities  with  a  weather  eye  to  the  box  office.  There  is  only  one 
way  to  make  these  analyses  mean  something.  You  must  compare  our 
reactions  with  your  own  box-office  statements  and  arrive  at  a  happy 
medium.  No  observer  can  prophesy  for  each  individual  theatre.  But 
we  can  tell  you  what's  on  our  mind  and  how  we  feel  about  the  various 
companies  under  discussion. 


Camera  Book"  right  away  Then 
lock  the  door  to  your  office  and 
thumb  through  it  slowly,  digest- 
ing each  little  morsel  of  food 
for  thought  presented  in  its  in- 
teresting and  entertaining  pages 
It  will  convey  far  more  than 
any  bare  analysis  could  possibly 
hope  to  cover  and  will  give  you 
a  closer  insight  into  exactly 
what  you  can  expect  from  MGM 
next  season. 

What't  To  Come! 

Heading  the  schedule  for  the 
new  season  is  "The  Great  Zieg- 
feld,"  and  of  this  picture  we 
don't  believe  we  need  to  say 
anything  It  is  one  of  the  high- 
light pictures  of  the  whole  in- 
dustry and  you  can  take  that 
from  the  time  of  its  inception. 
An  absolute  box-office  cleanup 
if  ever  there  was  one  "Romeo 
and  Juliet,"  we  pick  no  bones 
about  It  appears  from  this  ob- 
server's viewpoint  to  be  a  pic- 
ture designed  for  the  classes 
and  not  the  masses,  but  that 
does  not  detract  one  iota  from 
the  fact  that  it's  a  grand  picture 
and  may  fool  all  of  us  who  har- 
bor some  fears  about  its  ap- 
peal among  the  masses 

"Marie  Antoinette,"  with 
Shearer,  and  Laughton,  ought  to 
measure  up  to  the  high  stand- 
ards of  box-office  appeal  de- 
manded today  "The  Good 
Earth"  features  Paul  Muni  and 
Luise  Rainer  and  has  been  so 
definitely  pre-sold  that  it  can 
certainly  be  counted  upon  to  de- 
liver high  grosses.  "Prisoner  of 
Zenda,"  with  William  Powell 
and  Myrna  Loy,  presents  these 
two  favorites  in  a  vehicle  that 
has  much  popular  appeal  and  a 
story  that  has  been  proven  in 
the  dim  and  distant  past  as 
money  material. 

The  big  following  of  Eddy 
and  MacDonald  will  rejoice  over 
the  opportunity  of  seeing  these 
two  stars  in  "Maytime,"  and 
ever  though  it  has  been  years 
since  this  story  first  was  pre- 
sented on  the  stage,  it  has  been 
kept  alive  with  constant  and 
regular  revivals  all  over  the 
country  Actually  rated  as  the 
number  one  musical  romance  of 
the  stage  Marx  Brothers  will 
have  a  new  one  for  1936-37,  and, 
following  their  last  hit,  ought  to 
find  the  movie  public  keen  to  see 
more  of  them  Garbo  fans  will 
be  able  to  get  a  heavy  portion 
of  her  and  her  unique  personal- 
ity in  "Camille "  With  a  good 


supporting  cast  she  might  even 
pick  up  a  few  more  fans 

Another  Garbo  vehicle  is  "Be- 
loved," in  which  she  is  sched- 
uled to  star  with  Charles  Boyer, 
and  here  is  one  fan  who  thinks 
they  will  make  a  swell  combina- 
tion. "Broadway  Melody  of 
1937,"  with  many  of  the  out- 
standing stars  of  the  '36  Melody 
Our  prediction  is  that  it  will  top 
last  year's  by  several  heads  and 
shoulders 

"After  The  Thin  Man,"  with 
Powell  and  Loy,  ought  to  find 
favor  with  the  masses  who  went 
for  the  first  one  in  a  big  way 
"Born  to  Dance"  is  a  starring 
vehicle  for  Eleanor  Powell  and 
carries  about  the  same  cast  set- 
up, writers,  etc.,  as  "Melody  of 
'37,"  so  we  can't  make  out 
whether  it  is  the  same  picture  or 
not 

"Kim,"  starring  Freddie  Bar- 
tholomew, sounds  like  an  ideal 
picture  for  this  ever-popular 
youngster  A  Cole  Porter  musi- 
cal, "Easy  to  Love,"  with  again 
the  same  Eleanor  Powell  and 
cast  as  previously  announced 
for  her  other  pictures.  Clark 
Gable  is  set  for  "Great  Cana- 
dian," "No  Hero"  and  "Sara- 
toga," the  latter  with  Crawford 
Montgomery  and  Rainer  are 
teamed  in  one  or  more 

Hal  Roach  will  contribute 
some  features  in  addition  to  his 
short  schedule  Among  the  fea- 
ture-length films  will  be  "Girls 
Go  West"  with  Patsy  Kelly  and 
Lyda  Roberti,  and  we  call  this 
shot  as  being  right  in  the  bag. 
That  gal  Kelly  has  no  equal  for 
real  rowdy  fun  Laurel  and 
Hardy  will  head  three  of  which 
the  first  two  will  be  "Our  Re- 
lations" and  "You'd  Be  Sur- 
prised " 

Backing  Them  Up! 

We  have  jumped  here  and 
there  through  the  book  in  pick- 
ing the  titles  and  material  dis- 
cussed above  but  we  again  rec- 
ommend the  Candid  Camera 
Book  as  your  best  guide  in  get- 
ting the  real  lowdown  on  the 
MGM  product 

Say  what  you  like  about 
MGM,  pro  or  con,  about  their 
sales  policies  or  what  have  you, 
yet  you  cannot  take  away  from 
them  the  distinction  of  being 
the  one  company  that  spends  a 
fortune  attracting  attention  to 
their  outstanding  pictures  and 
actually  getting  patrons  to  your 
theatre  through  the  medium  of 


smashing  ad  campaigns  in  na- 
tional fiction  magazines,  bill- 
boards, and  other  angles  all  de- 
signed to  build  up  interest  in  the 
pictures  and  help  you  by  start- 
ing the  campaign  ball  arolling 

Smart  theatremen  gain  the 
greatest  amount  of  good  from 
the  MGM  sales  efforts  by  tying 
their  own  local  campaigns  to  the 
national  campaigns  And  no 
small  measure  of  credit  goes  to 
Howard  Deitz's  department  for 
the  ultimate  box-office  success 
of  many  of  the  MGM  pictures 

This  sales  effort,  made  to  or- 
der for  every  theatre  playing 
MGM  pictures,  costs  plenty  of 
money  and  unless  the  pictures 
return  big  grosses  and  returns  to 
MGM  they  would  be  crazy  to 
continue  them  Their  program 
for  this  type  of  activity  for 
1936-37  is  even  more  elaborate 
than  during  the  past  year  or  two 
and  ought  to  accourft  for  much 
of  the  business  that*  will  be  at- 
tracted to  the  lo^al  theatres 
throughout  the  country 

Sales  Policies! 

This  subject  has,  for  the  past 
five  years,  been  a  tough  nut  to 
crack  in  any  kind  of  a  trade- 
paper  discussion  and  to  STR's 
credit  is  the  fact  that  we  dare 
to  even  make  mention  of  it  in 
these  analyses.  But  whether  the 
comment  about  sales  policies 
has  been  favorable  or  unfavor- 
able, MGM  has  been  sport 
enough  to  "take  it,"  knowing 
full  well  that  it  is  meant  in  only 
the  most  constructive  spirit 

There  were  fewer  kicks  about 
the  company's  sales  policies  last 
year  than  ever  before,  our  con- 
tact with  the  field  reveals.  So 
we  assume  that  those  who 
bought  the  product  were  fairly 
well  satisfied  with  the  deals 
they  made  But  for  1936-37  you 
have  probably  all  heard  what 
they  are  asking 

One  thing  stands  out  in  all  of 
MGM's  trading  with  exhibitors: 
they  are  always  willing  to  adjust 
a  bum  deal  with  any  theatre- 
man  This  even  goes  to  their 
high  percentage  pictures,  or,  at 
least,  ha.s  in  the  past;  if  that 
high  percentage  pic  failed  to  de- 
liver proportionate  grosses  at 
the  b  o.,  it  was  adjusted  so  as  to 
cost  the  exhibitor  only  a  fair 
price  This  policy  has  won  for 
MGM  thousands  of  friends  who 
are  sports  enough  to  play  ball 
with  a  company  that  has  been 
delivering  the  type  of  pictures 
that  they  have  given  you 

To  boil  it  all  down  to  a  few 
words  of  conclusion:  the  terms 
are  your  worry  Ours  is  but  to 
convey  our  candid  opinion  about 
the  possibilities  of  the  product, 
and  that  opinion  is  that  MGM 
for  1936-37  ought  to  be  a  "must" 
in  any  representative  theatre. 
We  doubt  whether  any  exhibitor 
will  have  cause  for  complaint 
about  the  quality  of  the  pictures 
delivered. 

 "Chick"  Leuis 


AUheM  AND  \ 

0  L  load  of  what\ 

GOV  SAYS /LOOKS 

^  YOO  AND  Mfcs- 
V^.o.tOR-  will  Bf 

G^o^TS  NEXT  . 
0    WINTER,  / 


/  =>  1  know  youve  GOO^ 

L^oot  'G^k'  L^ 
a  me  -'  ive  seen  a 

0°?cT  WITS  for  1936- 
3"f  .  M^Exhlb,to''  to 


THANK  YOUR  LUCKY  STARS 


That  You're  Not  a  Movie  Critic! 

Suppose  you  had  written  g^l 
reviews  like  these  for  .  . 


ji 


What  would  you  have  left 
to  say  a  couple  of  weeks 
from  now  about 


BHBHBSBHUBHHH^BHHBBHHBIBEBIi^HiHi 


ADVERSE 


BHHBbHHH 


Two  of  the  greatest  shows  in  years 
released  in  a  single  month  by 

WARNER  BROS 


"Again  the  hat  of  this  department  goes 
hurtling  into  the  air  in  honor  of  the 
Warner  Bros.  Affords  ninety  minutes 
of  super-fine  delight.  A  film  which, 
make  no  mistake  about  it,  simply 
must  be  seen!"— N.  Y.  World-Telegram 

"Scores  triumph.  Thoroughly  delight- 
ful, completely  entertaining,  excel- 
lently produced.  A  vastly  enthusiastic 
packed  house  greeted  the  premiere 
showing  with  audible  applause— 
which  isn't  often  the  case  at  Radio 
City  Music  Hall!"    .   —New  York  Post 


"If  motion  pictures  needed  any  justi- 
fication, the  Music  Hall's  current 
picture  provides  enough  to  last  for 
a  decade!  A  vast  audience  cried  and 
chuckled  and  found  the  world  a 
cleaner,  happier  place  than  it  had 
seemed  an  hour  before.  Warner  Bros, 
can  point  with  pride  to  the  year's 
most  memorable  film!  Should  be 
missed  by  no  one!"  .  —  New  York  Sun 

"Impressively  beautiful  —  a  splendid 
film.  Don't  miss  it.  Sure  to  attract  an 
audience  not  regularly  addicted  to 
the  movies  —  and  the  regular  fan, 
too!"     .     .      — New  York  Daily  Mirror 

"Without  condition  and  without  re- 
serve we  report  that  on  the  screen 
of  Radio  City  Music  Hall  there  is 
presented  one  of  the  most  charming, 


one  of  the  most  humanly  inspiring 
photoplays  ever  produced!  Definitely 
an  achievement  for  everyone  con- 
nected with  its  production!  An  un- 
precedented achievement,  and  all  due 
congratulations  and  thanks  are 
extended  to  Warner  Bros,  for  their 
courage  and  foresight  in  pro- 
ducing it!"  .    .    .    —  New  York  Journal 

"That  noise  you  heard  around  the 
Music  Hall  yesterday  was  the  sound 
of  motion-picture  critics  dancing 
in  the  street!  The  occasion  was 
the  coming  at  last  of  Marc  Connelly's 
heartbreaking  masterpiece  of  Ameri- 
can folk  drama.  The  'divine  comedy 
of  the  modern  theatre'!"  —  NY.  Times 

"Will  doubtless  be  around  for  a  long 
time  and  will  be  seen  and  heard  by  rec- 
ord-breaking audiences!"— Daily  News 

"Greater  than  the  play.  Possesses  every 
element  of  drama,  the  laughs,  the 
thrills,  but  more  besides.  It  is  incon- 
ceivable that  even  the  most  unregen- 
erate  of  us  can  remain  unaffected  by 
it.  Laurels  for  the  valiant  Warner 
Bros,  who  once  more  demonstrate 
their  courage  in  elevating  the  motion 
picture  screen!"    —New  York  American 


"It  remains  the  beautiful,  moving  and 
stirring  work  that  it  was  upon  the 
stage.  The  quality  of  simple  magni- 
ficence that  the  drama  possessed  is 
never  lost,  and  the  whole  produc- 
tion is  a  tribute  to  the  courap^ 
of  Warner  Bros.!  Th^  ^ 
magnifies-  6 

^  0  —Herald-Tribun 


•HOW  WOULD  YOU  LI  WE  TO 
"PLAY  OPPOSITION  TO 
"TO  MAVY-  WITH  LO VI" 
*GtW  "DORMITORY* " 

all*  in  one 
montw 


/ 


*  WARNER  BAXTER  and  MYRNA 
LOY  in  "TO  MARY— WITH  LOVE" 
with  IAN  HUNTER  and  CLAIRE 
TREVOR,  Jean  Dixon.  Directed  by 
John  Cromwell.  Associate  Producer 
Kenneth  MacGowan. 

• 

HERBERT  MARSHALL  and  RUTH 
CHATTERTON  in  "GIRLS'  DORMI- 
TORY" introducing  SIMONE 
SIMON.  Directed  by  Irving  Cum- 
mings.  Associate  Producer  Raymond 
Griffith. 

"SING,  BABY,  SING"  with  ALICE 
FAYE,  ADOLPHE  MENJOU,  Gregory 
Ratoff,  Ted  Healy,  Patsy  Kelly, 
Michael  Whalen,  Ritz  Brothers. 
Directed  by  Sidney  Lanfield.  Associate 
Producer  B.  G.  De  Sylva. 


20th  Century -Fox  exhibitors  can  let 
the  other  fellow  do  the  worrying. 
Why  not?  .  .  .  with  three  sensational 
hits  to  start  the  new  season  .  .  .  and 
the  knowledge  that  the  rest  of  1936- 
37  will  be  just  as  crowded  with 
knockouts.  It's  a  thrill  to  have  a  20th 
Century -Fox  contract .  .  .  and  it's  a 
thrill  that  grows  with  each  month! 


Darryl  F.  Zanuck 

in  Charge  of  Production 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 


Vol.  124,  No.  4 


QP 


July  25,  1936 


FIGHT  FILM 
AND  THE  LAW 


THE  federal  law  against  interstate  traffic  in  prize  fight 
pictures  appears  to  have  been  repealed  by  public  senti- 
ment, or  what  passes  for  that,  but  it  still  stands  futilely 
among  the  statutes. 

If  the  dignity  of  the  law  is  to  be  maintained  it  would 
perhaps  be  reasonable  of  the  national  legislature  to  take 
steps  to  acknowledge  the  decision  of  the  public  and  write 
off  the  decision. 

The  law  now  on  the  books  was  written  against  John  Arthur 
Johnson,  negro,  who  ventured  to  become  a  champion,  and 
its  nullification  has  just  been  made  conspicuously  manifest, 
after  twenty-four  years,  by  the  nationwide  distribution  and 
acceptance,  without  legal  restraints,  of  the  fall  of  Joe  Louis, 
negro  near-champion,  before  Max  Schmeling.  The  story  seems 
to  be  in  the  nature  of  a  blackout. 

If  we  are  to  have,  and  it  seems  we  are,  a  traffic  in  fight 
films,  there  is  no  service  to  the  commonweal  in  driving  the 
interstate  movement  of  the  pictures  under  ground. 

IT  is  to  be  realized  the  while  that  courts  have  repeatedly 
I  held  that  it  is  not  unlawful  to  exhibit  fight  pictures,  no  matter 
I  how  transported. 

This  makes  the  matter  of  fight  picture  exhibition  a  policy 
question  for  each  exhibitor,  and  each  theatre.  Reports  on  the 
Schmeling-Louis  picture  indicate  that  they  have  been  helping 
many  a  boxoffice. 


FIGHT   films   of   the    period,    however,    as   the  pictures 
struggled  up  through  the  nickelodeon  period,  seemed  to 
give  the  business  no  kudos  or  prestige.     Prize  fighting, 
cocktails  and  lotteries  were  not  quite  so  respectable  then. 

So  it  came  that  the  Motion  Picture  Patents  Company, 
newly  formed  federation  of  the  masters  of  the  movies,  decided 
to  buy,  for  control  rather  than  for  exploitation,  the  rights  to 
the  Johnson-Jeffries  fight,  scheduled  for  July  4,  1910,  at  Reno. 
A  merry  recollection  comes  of  the  curious  session  in  which  the 
late,  august  and  dignified  Mr.  George  Kleine  found  he  had  to 
negotiate  with  Mistah  Johnson  in  a  backstage  crap  game  in  a 
Philadelphia  theatre.  Commodore  J.  Stuart  Blackton  made 
the  pictures  at  Reno — and  they  were  preserved  from  the 
attentions  of  the  "independents." 

JACK  JOHNSON,  it  will  be  recalled,  developed  a  heavy 
swagger,  opened  a  Chicago  cafe  with  silver  cuspidors  and 
gathered  in  a  white  wife.  The  public  indignation  came  to 
flower  in  the  Sims  Bill,  now  the  federal  law  against  fight  films, 
enacted  July  31,  1912.  A  futile  and  considerably  prosecuted 
effort  was  made  to  "optically  import"  the  Willard-Johnson 
pictures,  made  in  Havana  July  4,  1915,  by  projecting  them 
from  film  to  film  across  the  Canadian  border.  It  made  a 
story,  but  the  pictures  did  not  reach  the  American  screen. 
Thereafter  for  several  years  assorted  endeavours  at  evasion 
of  the  law  were  made,  resulting  at  last  in  the  rather  tasty 
affair  of  the  Dempsey-Carpentier  fight  pictures  pre-viewed  by 
a  select  Harding  Administration  audience  at  Edward  B. 
McLean's  little  green  house  in  Washington's  "K"  street,  sub- 
sequent general  release  and  an  assortment  of  federal  indict- 
ments and  fines  for  the  picture  men  concerned. 


PRIZE  fights  and  fight  films  have  had  some  important  parts 
in  picture  development.  James  Corbett  and  Pete 
Courtenay  in  six  one-minute  rounds,  fought  on  a  flat  car 
for  the  Edison  Kinetoscope,  started  it  all  in  1894.  That  picture 
sent  Otway  and  Grey  Latham  in  pursuit  of  a  projector,  led  to 
the  race  for  screen  presentation  of  the  peep  show  movies, 
and  brought  all  manner  of  consequences,  including  the  forma- 
tion of  the  American  Biograph  Company  and  the  great 
patents  war  that  raged  from  1897  to  1909.  The  first  camera 
equipped  to  take  really  long  pictures  was  Enoch  J.  Rector's 
Veriscope,  built  to  record  the  battle  between  Gentleman  Jim 
Corbett  and  Ruby  Robert  Fitzsimmons  in  Reno  on  St.  Patrick's 
Day  of  1897.  And  that  was  the  first  picture  to  roll  up  a  real 
gross,  something  close  to  three  quarters  of  a  million,  so  the 
story  goes.  Then  the  first  motion  picture  to  be  made  under 
electric  lights  was  the  Jeffries-Sharkey  fight  at  Coney  Island 
November  3,  1899,  photographed  by  Mr.  William  Bitzer  of 
Biograph,  with  enough  arcs  to  fry  the  fighters. 


FOR  the  last  several  years  there  has  been  a  substantially 
unhampered,  unprosecuted,  also  considerably  unmentioned, 
but  decided  national  and  international  traffic  in  American 
fight  pictures.  How  the  lid  came  off  is  not  of  official  record. 

The  fact  that  the  law  still  stands  prevents  the  business  of 
the  fight  picture  from  being  precisely  a  business — which  seems 
to  be  bad  business. 

AAA 

THE  Bar  Association  of  Hudson  County,  in  New  Jersey,  is 
resolving  and  deploring  against  the  portrayal  of  crook 
lawyers  on  the  screen.  At  such  time  as  it  is  discovered 
that  notorious  criminals  with  money  are  unable  to  employ 
imposing  attorneys  for  their  defense  or  at  such  time  as  such 
defenses  are  conducted  by  counsel  as  "an  officer  of  the  court" 
instead  of  as  an  enemy  of  society,  the  protesting  Bar  Asso- 
ciation will  stand  in  sounder  position.  That  will  be  quite  a  while 
yet. 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  MARTIN  QUIGLEY,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher 

Incorporating  Exhibitor's  Herald,  founded  1915;  Motion  Picture  News,  founded  1913;  Moving  Picture  World,  founded  1907;  Motography,  founded  1909;  The  Film  Index, 
founded  1906.  Published  every  Thursday  by  Quigiey  Publishing  Company,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  City.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address  "Quigpubco,  New  York.' 
Martin  Quigiey,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Colvin  Brown,  Vice-President  and  General  Manager;  Terry  Rarr.saye,  Editor;  Ernest  A.  Rovelstad,  Managing  Editor;  Chicago 
Bureau,  624  South  Michigan  Avenue,  C.  B.  O'Neill,  manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Postal  Union  Life  Building,  Boone  Mancall,  manager;  London  Bureau,  4,  Golden 
Square,  London  W  I,  Bruce  Allan,  cable  Quigpubco  London;  Berlin  Bureau,  Berlin-Tempelhof,  Kaiserin-Augustastrasse  28,  Joachim  K.  Rutenberg,  representative;  Paris 
Bureau,  19,  Rue  de  la  Cour-des-Noues,  Paris  20e,  France,  Pierre  Autre,  representative,  cable  Autre-Lacif ral-20  Paris;  Rome  Bureau,  Viale  Gorizia,  Rome,  Italy,  Vittorio  Malpassuti, 
representative,  Italcable,  Malpassuti,  Rome;  Melbourne  Bureau,  Regent  Theatre,  191  Collins  St.,  Melbourne,  Australia,  Cliff  Holt,  representative;  Mexico  City  Bureau,  Apartado  269, 
Mexico  City,  James  Lockhart,  representative;  Prague  Bureau,  Uhelny  trh  2,  Prague  I,  Czechoslovakia,  Harry  Knopf,  representative;  Budapest  Bureau,  3,  Kaplar-u,  Budapest,  Hungary, 
Endre  Hevesi,  representative;  Buenos  Aires  Bureau,  Corrientes  2495,  Dep.  8,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina,  Natalio  Bruski,  representative;  Shanghai  Bureau,  142  Museum  Road,  Shanghai, 
L.nina,  J.  P.  Koehler,  representative;  Tokyo  Bureau,  880  Sasazuka,  Ichikawa-shi,  Chiba-Ken,  Japan,  H.  Tominaga,  representative;  Rio  de  Janeiro  Bureau,  Caixa  Postal  3358, 
Kio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil,  A.  Weissmann,  representative;  Barcelona  Bureau,  Harry  Chapin  Plummer,  Hotel  Ritz,  Plaza  de  las  Cortes,  Barcelona,  Spain.  India  Bureau;  K.  G.  Gidwaney, 
a?i  t  t  Bunc!er  Road.  Karachi,  India;  Uruguay,  P.O.  Box  664,  Montevideo,  Uruguay,  Paul  Bodo,  representative,  cable  Argus  Montevideo.  Member  Audit  Bureau  of  Circulations. 
All  contents  copyright  1936  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Address  all  correspondence  to  the  New  York  Office.  Better  Theatres,  devoted  to  the  construction,  equipment  and  opera- 
lion  ot  theatres,  is  published  every  fourth  week  as  section  2  of  Motion  Picture  Herald.  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Daily,  Teatro  al  Dia,  Spanish  language  quarterly 
m  the  theatre  and  equipment  field,  and  International  Motion  Picture  Almanac  and  the  Box  Office  Check-up,  both  published  annually. 


8 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


This  Week 


The  WPA  Invites  Bids 

Specifying  that  "the  contractor  shall  agree 
to  cause  to  be  released  and/or  distributed  one 
newsreel  story  on  the  subject  of  WPA  ac- 
tivities each  month  during  the  life  of  this 
contract  through  the  medium  of  a  nationally- 
distributed  newsreel,"  forms  inviting  bids  on 
a  contract  to  produce  films  "to  consist  of 
subjects  and  sequences  of  State  and/or  city- 
wide  interest,  recording  the  story  of  Works 
Progress  Administration  activities"  were 
dispatched  under  date  of  July  17th  from  the 
WPA  headquarters  in  Washington,  D.  C,  to 
a  list  of  producing  companies  including  4 
of  the  5  standard  commercial  newsreels. 
Bids  were  returnable  July  24th. 

Complete  text  of  the  specifications,  de- 
scription of  product  and  method  of  award, 
is  published  on  page  13. 

Diplomats  See  "Time" 

Following  the  protest  against  the  current 
issue  of  the  March  of  Time  to  Secretary  of 
State  Cordell  Hull  by  the  Dominican  Min- 
ister at  Washington,  a  special  screening  of 
the  disputed  sequence  was  held  in  a  Colonial 
garden  on  a  private  Virginia  estate  before 
an  audience  composed  of  Washington  diplo- 
mats. The  screening  was  arranged  by  Time 
Magazine 's  Washington  correspondent  after 
the  state  department  had  "regretted"  the  in- 
cident to  the  Dominican  government  and 
had  refused  to  suppress  it  because  of  the 
American  principle  of  freedom  of  the  press. 

An  account  of  the  protest,  answer  and 
screening  is  found  on  page  26. 

Fox  Bankruptcy 

The  William  Fox  bankruptcy  hearings 
continued  this  week  in  Atlantic  City  and  the 
creditors  scored  a  semblance  of  a  victory  in 
their  attempts  to  examine  the  books  of  the 
All-Continent  Corporation  when  an  entire 
page  of  one  of  the  corporation's  ledgers 
reached  the  court  as  evidence.  Mrs.  Fox, 
and  her  daughter,  for  whom  the  corporation 
was  formed  six  years  ago  as  a  trust,  has  re- 
peatedly refused  to  allow  her  books  to  be 
opened  for  examination  and  creditor  attor- 
neys are  still  trying  to  get  the  ledgers  into 
court. 

For  details  of  the  hearings,  see  page  48. 

Process  Server 

Unconscious  humor  was  injected  in  the 
$5,000,000  damage  suit  which  Paramount 
Pictures  has  brought  against  Samuel  Gold- 
wyn  for  the  loss  of  the  Gary  Cooper  con- 
tract, when  Mr.  Goldwyn's  butler  mistook  a 
process  server  bearing  the  papers  for  the 
suit,  for  a  newly  elected  member  of  the  board 
of  United  Artists.  The  mistake  was  short- 
lived. 

Mr.  Zukor's  reasons  for  bringing  the 
damage  action  are  related  on  page  18. 


Film  Stock  Holdings 

The  Securities  and  Exchange  Commis- 
sion at  Washington  this  week  presented  a 
consolidated  report  of  holdings  of  officers, 
directors  and  principal  stockholders  of  cor- 
porations subject  to  the  securities  and  Ex- 
change Act,  in  its  annual  official  summary 
as  of  Dec.  31,  1935. 

Holdings  of  individuals,  with  classification  of 
stock,  are  listed,  by  company,  on  page  42. 

Alan  Crosland  Dead 

Alan  Crosland,  noted  motion  picture  di- 
rector, died  this  week  of  injuries  he  received 
in  an  automobile  accident  in  Hollywood  on 
July  10th.  The  director,  who  was  only  41 
years  old,  had  a  brilliant  career  in  the  mo- 
tion picture  world. 

Obituary  details  are  given  on  page  61. 


Editorial  Page  7 

Pictorial  Preview  Page  16 

British  Studios  Page  36 

This  Week  in  Pictures  Page  10 

The  Hollywood  Scene  Page  41 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me  Page  68 

Showmen's  Reviews  Page  62 

Asides  and  Interludes  Page  37 

Managers'  Round  Table  Page  73 

The  Release  Chart  Page  87 

Technological  Page  85 

Chicago  Page  56 

Box  Office  Receipts  Page  53 


The  Kennedy  Report 

Released  in  Wall  Street,  scene  of  a  back- 
stage battle  long  pertinent  to  the  affairs  of 
Paramount,  text  of  the  Joseph  P.  Kennedy 
report  on  the  condition  of  that  company, 
together  with  recommendations  and  sug- 
gestions for  the  improvement  thereof,  be- 
came public  property  last  week.  Denied  to 
stockholders  at  their  annual  meeting  and 
closely  shielded  since  submitted  to  the  board 
of  directors  on  June  12th,  the  report  co- 
incides substantially  with  forecasts  of  its 
contents  given  currency  in  informed 
quarters. 

A  summary  of  the  Kennedy  findings  and 
text  of  the  report  are  published  on  page  44. 

Strike  Concluded 

Striking  workers  at  the  Camden  plant  of 
the  Radio  Corporation  of  America  went 
back  to  work  on  Wednesday  after  members 
of  the  United  Electrical  and  Radio  Workers 
of  America  voted  unanimously  to  accept  an 
agreement  worked  out  by  officials  of  the  com- 
pany and  the  union.  The  agreement  provides 
for  an  election  to  be  held  under  the  auspices 
of  the  National  Labor  Relations  Board. 

The  report  of  the  settlement  is  on  page  28. 

Expensive  Visitors 

Cost  to  studios  of  entertaining  visitors,  al- 
ways an  item  as  summer  vacationists 
descend  on  the  production  colony  armed 
with  letters  of  introduction  from  exhibitors, 
newspaper  critics  and  people  who  know 
people  who  know  people,  touched  a  new 
high  this  year  with  one  studio  charging  off 
to  entertainment  of  a  convention  party  loss 
of  time  and  labor  equaling  $10,000. 

More  about  this  on  page  41. 

In  the  British  Studios 

Gaumont-British  is  well  along  on  its  in- 
creased schedule  of  product  for  American 
and  British  release,  with  five  pictures  in 
work  at  Shepherd's  Bush.  At  London  Films, 
the  signing  of  Walter  Reisch  to  write  and 
direct  a  special  feature  for  Vivian  Leigh, 
West  End  actress  signed  by  Alexander 
Korda,  was  a  development  of  the  week. 

Other  nezvs  of  British  production  centers  ap- 
pears on  page  36. 

Will  Day  Passes 

Will  Day,  managing  director  of  Will 
Day,  Ltd.,  an  accessory  company,  and  known 
for  many  years  as  the  unofficial  historian  of 
the  motion  picture  industry  in  England,  died 
this  week  at  his  home  in  London  after  a 
short  illness.    He  was  63  years  old. 

For  a  sketch  of  Mr.  Day's  career,  see 
page  42. 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


Internationalization 

The  alliance  of  the  Schenck  brothers, 
Nicholas  and  Joseph,  with  Gaumont  British 
through  a  stock  deal  to  be  made  by  reorgan- 
ization of  the  holding  company  which  con- 
trols GB,  is  regarded  as  a  spectacular  de- 
velopment of  the  trend  toward  international- 
ism in  the  industry.  Under  terms  of  the  deal, 
announced  by  Isadore  Ostrer,  president  of 
Gaumont  British,  Joseph  M.  Schenck,  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox, 
and  Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  president  of 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  Metro  will  buy  half 
of  the  Fox  company's  49  per  cent  interest  in 
the  Metropolis  and  Bradford  Trust.  After 
the  sale  the  holdings  of  the  three  parties  will 
be  equalized  so  that  none  will  have  control 
and  sufficient  stock  sold  to  the  public  in 
Great  Britain  to  insure  that  a  majority  in- 
terest is  held  in  that  country.  Possible  results 
of  the  alliance  are  far-reaching. 

Details  of  the  announcement  are  told  on 
page  23. 

Showmen's  Delight 

Motion  Pictures  of  the  Louis-Schmeling 
prize  fight  brought  joy  to  the  hearts  of  ex- 
hibitors in  the  New  York  area  a  recent 
survey  shows,  but  they  also  brought  a  meas- 
ure of  grief  to  those  who  failed  to  book  them 
before  the  event  took  place  because  of  fear 
that  the  film  would  be  a  washout.  The  un- 
expected victory  for  the  German  fighter 
more  than  doubled  the  value  of  the  picture 
the  morning  after  the  Yankee  Stadium 
debacle. 

Why  the  films  are  expected  to  bring  a 
record  gross  when  all  the  results  are  in  is 
told  on  page  61. 

Ascendency 

American  motion  pictures  are  in  comfort- 
able ascendency  in  Holland,  where  domestic 
production  movement  failed  through  failure 
to  avail  itself  of  expert  technical  services  and 
sustained  the  displeasure  of  the  public.  No 
quotas  are  imposed  upon  imports  and  an  ad- 
mission tax  is  the  only  substantial  burden 
borne  by  the  box  office. 

A  word  picture  of  the  industry  in  Holland 
is  given  by  the  resident  Ph.  De  Schaap  on 
page  38. 

Hammond  Successor 

The  New  York  Herald-Tribune  has  ap- 
poined  Richard  Watts,  Jr.,  to  the  post  of 
drama  critic,  succeeding  the  late  Percy 
Hammond,  who  died  in  April  of  this  year. 
Mr.  Watts  has  served  the  Herald-Tribune 
as  motion  picture  critic  for  the  past  eight 
years  and  will  be  succeeded  in  that  position 
by  Howard  Barnes,  identified  with  the 
drama  department  during  the  same  period. 


Religion  in  Films 

Philadelphia  clergymen  headed  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  David  Carl  Colony  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  are  utilizing  the  radio  to  promote 
interest  in  a  proposed  drive  to  stimulate  in- 
terest in  religion  via  a  motion  picture  cam- 
paign. The  clergymen  are  the  same  who 
not  long  ago  conducted  an  unsuccessful  fight 
against  Sunday  showings  in  Pennsylvania. 
Dr.  Colony,  in  his  radio  broadcasts,  deduces 
moral  lessons  from  current  pictures  and 
points  his  reasoning  with  references  to 
Biblical  texts. 

The  clergyman's  methods  are  reviewed  on 
page  30. 

Trade  Practice  Plans 

The  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  will  make  a  final  effort  next  month 
to  obtain  distributor  action  on  the  organiza- 
tion's 10-point  trade  practice  program  when 
Ed  Kuykendall,  president,  arrives  in  New 
York,  August  10.  The  failure  of  individual 
companies  to  take  the  initiative  in  granting 
outright  any  of  the  major  concessions 
sought  by  the  organization  is  held  to  be  the 
principal  reason  for  the  lack  of  action  on 
the  program  up  to  now. 

Detailed  discussion  of  the  organisation's 
plans  is  to  be  found  on  page  61. 

British  Overbuilding 

With  powers  to  "act  immediately  in  any 
direction  they  think  fit,"  a  committee  of 
British  exhibitors  is  undertaking  a  solution 
of  the  problem  of  overbuilding  as  a  result 
of  action  at  the  Conference  of  the  Cinema- 
tograph Exhibitors  Association. 

This  and  other  development  on  the  British 
scene,  including  the  crystallizing  of  plans  for 
the  visit  of  a  party  of  exhibitors  to  New 
York  and  Hollywood,  are  reviewed  in  the 
article  on  page  35. 

Tube  Ruling  Delayed 

Decision  in  Federal  court  has  been  re- 
served on  an  application  for  an  injunction  by 
the  Union  Radio  Tube  Company  seeking  to 
restrain  the  Radio  Corporation  of  America, 
the  General  Electric  Company  and  the  West- 
inghouse  Electric  and  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany from  canceling  a  license  agreement  un- 
der which  Union  manufactures  radio  tubes. 

The  suit  is  explained  on  page  26. 

Production 

Studios  maintained  during  the  week  the 
increased  tempo  of  production  gained  a  fort- 
night ago  and  a  net  of  fifty  pictures  were  in 
work  as  the  week  closed. 

Titles  of  pictures  started  and  finished,  to- 
gether with  names  of  players  and  directors 
of  each,  are  reported  by  Gus  McCarthy  on 
page  41. 


Nazi  Edict  Applied 

Direct  application  of  Nazi  Germany's 
emphatic  regulations  pertaining  to  films 
"detrimental  to  German  prestige"  was  made 
to  the  American  production,  "I  Was  a  Cap- 
tive of  Nazi  Germany,"  in  Hollywood  while 
the  picture  was  being  made,  according  to 
Producer  Alfred  T.  Mannon.  German  Con- 
sul Georg  Gyssling  notified  members  of  the 
cast,  through  the  mails,  Mr.  Mannon  says, 
of  the  German  law  governing  pictures  of  the 
specified  character  and  players  appearing 
therein  and  indicated  to  them  what  might 
be  possible  consequences  of  continuing  in 
the  production,  whereupon  some  of  the  play- 
ers withdrew  and  others  continued  under 
promise  that  their  names  would  not  be  in- 
cluded in  the  billing. 

Provisions  of  the  decree  and  the  warning 
issued  to  Miss  Steele  are  reported  on 
page  15. 

Pictorial  Preview 

Produced  in  part  on  the  biggest  set 
erected  in  Hollywood  since  Breezy  Eason 
reproduced  the  Coliseum  for  the  chariot 
race  sequence  in  "Ben  Hur,"  the  Warner 
production  of  "The  Charge  of  the  Light 
Brigade"  has  attracted  wide  attention  and 
is  the  subject  of  enthusiastic  comment  as  the 
shooting  progresses.  Olivia  de  Havilland 
and  Errol  Flynn  are  starred  and  Michael 
Curtiz  directs. 

A  pictorial  preview  of  the  picture  by  Gus 
McCarthy  is  presented  on  pages  16-17. 

Anti-Trust  Action 

Answers  denying  alleged  anti-trust  vio- 
lations in  the  distribution  of  motion  pictures 
in  the  state  of  New  Jersey  were  filed  this 
week  by  27  companies  and  officials  in  the 
federal  court  at  Newark  as  a  result  of  a 
$1,060,000  damage  suit  and  equity  action 
brought  by  the  Ledirk  Amusement  Company 
and  the  Strand  Operating  company  of  the 
Oranges. 

For  details  of  the  action  and  the  denials 
of  the  defendants,  see  the  story  found  on 
page  28. 

Hungary  Edict 

Because  of  the  new  edict  of  the  Hun- 
garian government  prohibiting  the  showing 
of  two  feature  pictures  on  one  program,  the 
importation  of  American  short  product  into 
that  country  is  expected  to  show  a  consider- 
able increase  next  year,  according  to  Endre 
Hevesi,  Motion  Picture  Herald  corre- 
spondent in  Budapest. 

A  general  discussion  of  the  industry  in 
that  country  is  found  on  page  48. 


10 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    193  6 


This  Week  in  Pictures 


YOU  TOO,  GUY.  The  little  lady  learning  about  small 
fish  and  big  stories  is  Shirley  Anne  Kibbee,  daughter  of 
Guy  Kibbee,  admittedly  the  ablest  angler  on  the  West 
Coast,  who  manages  to  get  away  now  and  then  from  work 
on  the  Warner  feature,  "Way  for  a  Pirate." 


QUORUM.  Fred  Stone,  Louise 
Latimer  and  Owen  Davis,  Jr., 
stars  of  RKO-Radio's  "Grand 
Jury,"  sit  in  judgment  on  the 
work  as  it  goes  along  with  Director 
Albert  Rogell  in  charge  of  the 
production. 


ELECTED.  B.  E 
aging  director 


Norrish,  man- 
of  Associated 
Screen  News,  Montreal,  was  re- 
cently elected  president  of  the 
Quebec  Allied  Theatrical  Indus- 
tries. 


GUESTS  OF  U.    Universal  studio  executives  were  hosts  to  managers  of  the  PRESENTATION.   Italian   Consul   Ernesto  Arrighi 

Cathart,  Inc.,  theatres,  called  together  by  Mike  Marco  and  Division  Manager  gives  King  Vidor,  in  Gary  Cooper's  dressing  room, 

Milton  Arthur  in  Hollywood.    Fred  S.  Meyer,  assistant  general  manager  of  the  the  trophy  awarded  by  the  Italian  government  for 

studio,  is  seen  at  left,  standing.    Mr.  Arthur  is  fourth  from  the  left.  his  direction  of  "The  Wedding  Night,"  Goldwyn. 


July    25,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


SIGNED.  James  Cagney,  signed 
to  a  Grand  National  contract  and 
given  a  cocktail  party  at  the  New 
York  Athletic  Club  forthwith, 
chats  with  Vice-President  R.  W. 
Atkins  (right)  and  a  reporter. 


DEBUT.  Marion  Talley,  opera 
star,  who  will  make  her  screen 
debut  in  the  Republic  musical 
production,  "Follow  Your  Heart," 
poses  in  a  studio  automobile. 


VACATION  BOUND.  Irving  Berlin  and  Mrs.  Berlin,  the 
former  Ellen  Mackay,  photographed  as  they  embarked  on 
the  Queen  Mary  for  a  vacation  abroad  following  comple- 
tion of  music  and  story  for  the  Twentieth  Century-Fox 
production,  "On  the  Avenue." 


BEST  SELLER.  James  Hilton,  author  of  the  best 
seller,  "The  Lost  Horizon,"  in  production  for  Colum- 
bia under  Frank  Capra's  direction,  pauses  in  New 
York  en  route  from  Hollywood  to  England. 


OPENING  DAY.  Midway  through  the  first  screening  of  Warners'  "The  Green 
Pastures"  at  the  Radio  City  Music  Hall,  New  York,  standees  lined  the  50th 
street  sidewalk  from  a  boxoffice  offering  standing  room  only  for  sale.  Box- 
office  receipts  for  the  first  four  days  were  reported  as  $56,000. 


12 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,     19  3  6 


HONESTLY.  June  Travis  has  been  trying  to  get 
i  away  from  the  First  National  unit  producing  "The 
m  Bengal  Killer"  so  she  can  go  to  the  beach  and  try 
m    out  her  rubberized  silk  bathing  suit.  Honestly. 


FOURSOME.  Ned  E.  De- 
pine!,  H.  Pimstein,  A. 
Murphy  and  Major  L.  E. 
Thompson  made  up  one 
of  50  foursomes  compet- 
ing in  the  annual  RKO 
tourney  at  Westchester 
Country  Club,  Tuesday. 


ENGAGED.  The  happy  couple  embarking  on  the 
Normandie  for  Europe  are  Bert  Wheeler,  who 
recently  completed  "Mumsy's  Boy"  for  RKO-Radio, 
and  Sally  Haines,  whose  engagement  has  been 
announced. 


REHEARSAL.  A  musical  contingent  mutually  engaged  in  the  production  of 
"Postal  Inspector"  for  Universal  go  over  their  stuff.  Patricia  Ellis,  who  plays 
the  lead  opposite  Ricardo  Cortez,  sings  "Let's  Have  Bluebirds"  for  the  approval 
of  Charles  Previn,  at  the  piano,  while  Composers  Irving  Actman  and  Frank 
Lcesser  listen. 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


13 


WPA  SETS  OUT  TO  BUY 
WAY  TO  THEATRE  PUBLIC 


Producer  Shall  Agree  to  Cause 
To  Be  Distributed  One  News- 
reel  Story  a  Month  Through  a 
Nationally  Released  Newsreel 

by  WILLIAM  R.  WEAVER 

The  Works  Progress  Administration  of 
the  U.  S.  A.  has  set  out  to  buy  its  way 
to  the  theatre  public. 

The  project,  with  its  invitation  to  sell 
film  to  the  government,  is  addressed  at  mak- 
ers of  pictures,  not  the  operators  of  theatres 
and  owners  of  screens. 

Specifying  that  "the  contractor  shall 
agree  to  cause  to  be  released  and/or  dis- 
tributed one  newsreel  story  on  the  subject 
of  WPA  activities  each  month  during  the 
life  of  this  contract  through  the  medium 
of  a  nationally  -  distributed  newsreel," 
printed  forms  inviting  standard  commer- 
cial newsreel  companies  to  submit  bids  on 
a  contract  for  production  of  films  "record- 
ing the  story  of  Works  Progress  Adminis- 
tration activities"  were  dispatched  to  these 
concerns  from  Washington  headquarters 
of  the  WPA  under  date  of  July  17. 
Forms  were  designated  as  returnable  at 
1 1  o'clock  A.M.,  July  24,  to  Chief  Clerk 
Harry  L.  Kinnear  at  the  WPA  offices, 
1734  New  York  Avenue,  N.W.,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  "to  be  publicly  opened". 

The  following  concerns,  all  of  New  York 
except  as  otherwise  indicated,  were  listed 
by  the  WPA  headquarters  staff  on  request 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald  as  those  circu- 
larized : 


General  Business  Films 
R.  O.  Bondy 
Pictorial  Films 
Pan  American  Photo 

Service,  Miami,  Fla. 
Celebrated  Pictures 
Yates  Sound -on -Screen 

Advertising  Company 
Bray  Pictures 
Irving  Browning  Studios 
Artcrest 

William  Vogel  Produc- 
tions 

Mason  Wadsworth 

Loucks  &  Nobling  Studio 

Winthrop  Productions 

Paramount  News 

Craftsman  Motion  Pic- 
ture Company 

William  J.  Ganz  Com- 
pany 

Ruby  Films 

McLarty  Motion  Picture 

Service,  Buffalo 
Threlkeld  &  Edwards 
Caravel  Films 
West  Coast  Service 

Studio 

Inquiry  as  to  why  Universal  Newsreel 
was  not  included  on  the  list  elicited  the  ex- 
planation that  it  "must  have  been  an  over- 
sight," to  which  was  added  the  information 
that  "since  the  WPA  is  required  only  to  in- 
vite three  bidders,  any  greater  number  of 


William  Pizor 

J.  H.  Skirball 

Film  Guild 

Bud  Pollard 

Castle  Films 

Pathe  News 

Fox  Movietone  News 

Screenart  Sales  Com- 
pany 

Lang  Brothers 

Films  of  Commerce 

Pictorial  Service,  Wash- 
ington 

Hearst  Metrotone  News 

Promotional  Films 

Peerless  Motion  Picture 
Bureau,  Springfield, 
Mass. 

The  March  of  Time 

Douglas  D.  Rothacker 

Olympic  Pictures 

Escar  Motion  Picture 
Service,  Cleveland 

Eugene  J.  Cour,  Chi- 
cago 

Cinelog  Corporation 


Newsreel  Distribution  Required 
In  Terms  of  WPA's  Contract 


/FANDARD  GOVERNMENT  FORM  OF  CONTINUATION  SCh 

(SUPPLIES) 


ARTICLES  OR  SERVICES 


amount  of  the  "bid. 

Distribution  -  The  contractor  shall  agree^ 
to  cause  to  be  released  and/ or  distribu- 
ted one  newsreel  story  on  the  subject  of  x 
WPA  activities  each  month  during  the  life 
of  this  contract  through  the  medium  of  a. 
nationally-distributed  newsreel. 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS 

Conditions  of  Contract  -  This  contractor 
shall  hold  and  save-  the  Government,  its 
officers,  agents,  servants  and  employees 
harmless  from  liability  of  any  natir' 3 
including  cost  and 


names  is  merely  to  secure  additional  com- 
petition." Charles  E.  Ford,  managing  di- 
rector of  Universal  Newsreel,  confirmed  on 
Tuesday  the  discovery  that  his  company  had 
not  been  invited  to  bid  on  the  contract. 

It  will  be  recalled  that  Universal  News- 
reel  expressed  itself  emphatically  as  "utterly 
independent"  and  warned  exhibitors,  "Don't 
let  your  screen  be  used  for  propaganda  by 
anyone  or  any  interest,"  in  an  advertisement 
addressed  to  the  trade  early  this  Spring. 

Dispatch  of  the  forms  inviting  bids  on  an 
"unknown  quantity"  of  films  followed  quick- 
ly upon  release  in  Washington  last  week  of 
the  news,  reported  in  last  week's  issue  of 
Motion  Picture  Herald,  that  WPA  plans 
contemplated  production  of  30  films  at  an 
estimated  cost  of  $6,000  each.  Forms  re- 
ceived by  the  newsreel  companies  contain 


the  statement  that  "as  the  quantity  of  films 
is  not  known,  one  film  will  be  used  as  a 
basis  for  the  period."  "One  film"  is  de- 
scribed as  a  "unit  or  reel  of  600  feet."  "The 
period"  is  defined  as  "from  the  date  of  ac- 
ceptance until  June  30,  1937." 

Item  8  of  the  specifications,  quoted  in  full 
above,  appears  under  the  heading  of  "Dis- 
tribution" on  the  eighth  of  13  pages  of  gen- 
eral and  technical  description  of  the  prod- 
uct. It  was  a  somewhat  less  definite  but 
similar  provision  in  the  text  of  invitations 
extended  newsreel  companies  under  date 
of  March  17th  to  bid  on  a  contract  to  pro- 
duce films  for  the  Federal  Housing  Admin- 
istration that  gave  rise  to  trade  apprehen- 
sion as  to  the  trend  of  New  Deal  agency 
plans  and  policies  with  relation  to  use  of 

(.Continued  on  followiiifl  page) 


14 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


WPA  SETS  REQUIREMENTS  FOR  FILMS 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

the  screen  for  the  dissemination  of  informa- 
tion. 

Investigation  Demanded 

When,  in  April,  first  intimation  was  made 
of  the  WPA's  intention  to  produce  films  on 
contract,  Republican  Representative  Bert- 
rand  H.  Snell  denounced  the  project  as  "bold 
and  flagrant  diversion  of  relief  funds  to  cam- 
paign purposes."  Quick  to  echo  his  opin- 
ion, Pennsylvania'  Senator  Davis  intro- 
duced a  resolution  calling  for  an  investiga- 
tion of  WPA  activities..  To  these  and  other 
protests  and  criticisms  WPA  Administra- 
tor Harry  L.  Hopkins  replied  that  the  War 
Department  had  compiled  a  motion  picture 
record  of  the  world  war  and  that  this  and 
other  precedents  amply  justified  his  organi- 
zation in  making  a  film  record  of  its  opera- 
tions. 

Representative  Snell's  charge  of  "diver- 
sion" was  predicated  on  the  text  of  the  leg- 
islation granting  funds  to  the  WPA  for  the 
purpose  of  providing  productive  employ- 
ment to  the  unemployed  and  upon  the  claim 
that  this  purpose  would  not  be  served  in  the 
case  of  films  produced  on  contract  by  com- 
mercial companies  employing  their  own 
staffs  for  the  work.  Administrator  Hopkins 
did  not  reply  directly  to  assertions  of  this 
kind,  and  no  further  announcements  relating 
to  contract  production  of  WPA  films  were 
immediately  forthcoming. 

Authority  to  expend  WPA  funds  for  the 
production  of  films  on  contract  by  commer- 
cial companies  derives,  as  disclosed  on  page 
13  of  the  July  18  issue  of  Motion  Picture 
Herald,  from  the  executive  order  by  which 
President  Roosevelt  created  the  Works 
Progress  Administration.  This  order  au- 
thorizes the  WPA  Administrator  to  "formu- 
late and,  with  the  approval  of  the  President, 
to  require  uniform  periodic  reports  on  all 
projects ;  and,  where  any  avoidable  delay 
occurs,  forthwith  to  recommend  to  the 
President  appropriate  measures  for  elimi- 
nating such  delay." 

Cameramen  Employed 

It  was  upon  this  authority  that  Sydney 
H.  MacKean,  former  employee  of  various 
commercial  newsreels,  had  been  assigned  to 
establish  a  Motion  Picture  Record  Division 
of  the  WPA  in  June,  1935,  and  to  employ 
cameramen  and  other  assistance  in  the 
production  of  films  depicting  the  work  of 
the  agency.  Also  recounted  in  last  week's 
issue  were  the  events  and  circumstances 
culminating  in  the  then  comptroller  general 
John  R.  McCarl's  refusal  to  approve  vouch- 
ers covering  approximately  $90,000  of  ex- 
pense incurred  by  the  Motion  Picture  Rec- 
ord Division  until  he  had  received  a  copy 
of  the  following  letter  addressed  to  WPA 
Administrator  Hopkins  by  President  Roose- 
velt under  date  of  February  6,  1936: 

"This  will  confirm  verbal  authority  given 
you  in  July,  1935,  relative  to  Executive 
Order  7034,  paragraph  1,  section  C-a,  to 
formulate  the  permanent  record  of  periodic 
progress  by  means  of  motion  picture  record- 
ation. 

"The  above  instruction  was  given  to  you 
by  virtue  of  and  pursuant  to  the  authority 
vested  in  me  under  the  Emergency  Relief 
Act  of  1935,  approved  April  8,  1935  (Pub- 


UNIVERSAL  NEWSREEL 
STRESSED  INDEPENDENCE 

Complete  text  of  a  page  advertise- 
ment placed  in  the  Motion  Picture 
Daily  of  May  21  by  Universal  News- 
reel,  the  only  standard  newsreel  com- 
pany not  invited  to  bid  on  the  WPA 
picture  project,  follows: 

"From  now  on  the  newsreel  you 
show  should  be  independent. 

"The  Universal  Newsreel  is  utterly 
independent  of  everything  except  your 
audience. 

"It  has  no  candidate  for  political 
preference. 

"It  does  not  care  a  rap  about  wets 
or  drys. 

"It  is  not  currying  favor  with 
peace  advocates  or  war  seekers. 

"From  now  on  until  election  time 
{and  forever  after)  it  is  smart  for 
you  to  watch  your  newsreel  —  and 
watch  your  step. 

"Don't  let  your  screen  be  used  for 
propaganda  by  anyone  or  any  inter- 
est. 

"Run  the  newsreel  which  entertains, 
thrills,  and  furnishes  laughs. 

"Run  the  newsreel  which  is  edited 
by  newspaper  men  who  are  cool  and 
independent  as  a  hog  on  ice. 

"Don't  let  your  own  political  lean- 
ings influence  your  show.  Most  of  all, 
don't  sponsor  any  newsreel  which  has 
any  axe  to  grind. 

"The  Universal  Newsreel  is  happy 
and  free.  It  is  the  best  newsreel  in  the 
world. 

"Universal  Newsreel." 


lie  Resolution  No.  11,  Seventy-fourth  Con- 
gress)." 

Terms  of  the  WPA  requirements  per- 
taining to  the  films  for  the  production  of 
which  newsreel  companies  were  invited  to 
bid  this  week  are  flexible  in  many  respects, 
inelastic  in  others. 

It  is  stipulated  that  "the  finished  produc- 
tion is  to  be  of  such  high  entertainment 
standard  as  to  be  acceptable  for  exhibition 
in  any  commercial  motion  picture  theatre 
within  the  United  States." 

It  is  stipulated  that  the  films  are  "to  con- 
sist of  subjects  and  sequences  of  State  and 
or  city-wide  interest." 

Subject  material  included  in  a  "Tentative 
Draft  of  Working  Script  for  Motion  Pic- 
ture Record"  ranges  from  the  fighting  of 
forest  fires  to  the  conducting  of  sewing 
projects. 

No  maximum  or  minimum  number  of 
films  is  stipulated. 

The  WPA  "will  furnish  a  liaison  man  in 
each  state  to  make  all  necessary  arrange- 
ments regarding  scenes  to  be  recorded,  ap- 
provals and  other  similar  matters." 

The  company  contracting  to  produce  the 
films  is  required  to  "furnish  a  qualified 


script  writer,  film  editor,  camera  crew, 
technicians,  director,  actors  and  actresses, 
the  use  of  studios,  lighting  equipment,  a 
competent  production  and  idea  man  in 
Washington  during  the  life  of  the  con- 
tract" and  related  personnel,  properties 
and  services. 

The  WPA  "will  furnish  automotive  trans- 
portation during  the  production  of  any  rec- 
ord or  information  unit  or  reel  at  the  call  of 
the  contractor  for  his  employees  within 
any  state  or  area  to  be  covered"  and  "the 
selection  of  music  to  be  used  in  each  record 
and  information  reel  shall  be  made  by  the 
contractor  and  approved  by  the  Works 
Progress  Administration." 

Item  3  of  the  forms  supplied  to  invited 
bidders  is  captioned  "Method  of  Award"  and 
contains,  among  others,  the  following  state- 
ments : 

"The  Government  reserves  the  right  to 
accept  or  reject  any  or  all  bids  or  any  part 
or  parts  thereof  and  to  award  the  contract 
or  any  parts  thereof  to  other  than  the  low- 
est bidder  as  the  interest  of  the  Government 
may  require." 

"All  other  factors  being  equal,  the  award 
will  be  made  to  the  bidder  who  is  better 
able  to  aid  in  distribution,  both  theatrical 
and  non-theatrical.  The  decision  of  the  con- 
tracting officer  shall  be  final." 

No  reference  is  made  to  the  16  mm.  prints 
commonly  used  for  non-theatrical  purposes 
in  the  paragraph  headed  "description," 
which  reads :  "One  negative  and  positive  of 
Dupont  or  Eastman  stock  or  equivalent  to  be 
35  mm.  complete  with  sound  print,  cans, 
reels  and  labels,  either  RCA  Photophone 
system,  Western  Electric  system  or  equal, 
of  600  feet  in  length."  Under  the  heading 
of  "General  Conditions,"  the  statement  is 
made  parenthetically  that  "the  RCA  has 
offered  to  waive  all  charges  for  royalty  on 
Government  films  where  no  charge  is  to  be 
made  against  the  exhibitor  for  showing." 


TEXT  OF  WPA  CONTRACT 


Herewith  is  the  text  of  the  Short 
Form  Contract  of  Invitation,  Bid  and 
Acceptance,  issued  by  the  Works 
Progress  Administration  at  Washing- 
ton to  the  newsreel  companies,  under 
date  of  July  17,  1936,  for  production 
of  WPA  films. 

(1)  Films — One  negative  and  one  positive,  each 
complete  in  accordance  with  specifications  and  con- 
ditions in  attached  pages  to  consist  of  subjects  and 
sequences  of  State  and/or  city-wide  interest,  record- 
ing the  story  of  Works  Progress  Administration  ac- 
tivities. This  contract  shall  be  in  effect  from  the  date 
of  acceptance  until  June  30,  1937.  As  the  quantity  of 
films  is  not  known  one  film  will  be  used  as  a  basis 
for  the  period. 

GENERAL  SPECIFICATIONS 
1.  Description — One  negative  and  positive  of  Du- 
pont or  Eastman  stock  or  equivalent  to  be  35  mm. 
complete  with  sound  print,  cans,  reels  and  labels, 
either  RCA  Photophone  system,  Western  Electric 
system  or  equal,  of  600  feet  in  length  (25%  variance 
payment  adjusted  accordingly),  containing  subjects 
of  the  character  set  out  under  topical  outline  (see 
paragraph  2)  and  similar  to  the  picture  titled  "Mak- 
ing a  Better  Indiana"  (which  may  be  viewed  upon 
request  at  the  Washington  Auditorium,  Washington, 
D.  C.),  which  represents  the  general  plan  to  be  fol- 
lowed in  each  of  these  record  and  information  units 
or  reels,  but  which  shall  not  be  regarded  as  a  criterion 
of  quality.  The  finished  production  is  to  be  of  such 
(Continued  on  page  49) 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


15 


NEW  GERMAN  FILM  EDICT  APPLIED 
TO  AMERICAN  PICTURE  AT  SOURCE 


Reproduction  of  a  letter  bearing  the  signature  of  German  Consul  Georg  Gyssling, 
Los  Angeles,  received  by  Isobel  Lillian  Steele,  author  and  star  of  "I  Was  a  Captive 
of  Nazi  Germany,"  accompanied  by  a  second  sheet  quoting  German  law  pertaining 
to  films  "detrimental  to  German  prestige"  as  reported  herewith. 


Miss  Isobel  Steele, 
6118  Glen  Holly, 
Hollywood,  Calif. 


IrutHrljPB  HCmtaulat 

(GERMAN  CONSULATE) 
117  WEST  NINTH  STREET 

ROOM  81  7 

IGos  Angelea,  (Salif. 

TEL.  VAndike  5865 


Bei  Beantwortunfr  bitte  foteendes 
Aktenzeichen  anzugreben: 
In  Answering  Please  Refer  To 


Film  1028. 


Dear  Miss  Stele: 

As  you  might  be  interested  in  it  with  regard 
to  your  participation  in  the  making  of  a  film  allegedly 
dealing  with  certain  experiences  of  yours  in  Germany, 
I  beg  to  send  you  herewith  copy  of  §  15  of  the  German 
decree  concerning  the  showing  of  foreign  films  published 
in  the  "Deutscher  Reichsanzeiger"  of  June  28th,  1932. 


(Dr. Georg  Gyssling) 
GERMAN  CONSUL. 


German  Consul  Cites  Law  to 
Author  -  Star  of  "I  Was  a 
Captive  of  Nazi  Germany" 
While  Film  Is  In  Making 

Nazi  Germany's  blunt  edict  pertaining  to 
films  "detrimental  to  German  prestige"  and 
players  appearing  in  them  is  being  applied 
directly  to  American  product  at  the  source 
by  German  Consul  Georg  Gyssling  in  Los 
Angeles. 

First  to  charge  the  German  representa- 
tive with  attempted  interference  in  pro- 
duction and  distribution  of  American  films 
is  Alfred  T.  Mannon,  producer  for  Malvina 
Pictures  Corporation  of  "I  Was  a  Captive 
of  Nazi  Germany,"  featuring  the  author, 
Isobel  Lillian  Steele,  whose  experiences  in 
Germany  in  1934  the  picture  purports  to 
depict. 

According  to  Mr.  Mannon,  Dr.  Gyssling  ad- 
dressed to  Miss  Steele  and  other  members  of 
his  cast,  during  the  production  of  the  picture, 
a  letter  on  the  stationery  of  the  German  Con- 
sulate directing  attention  to  the  text  of  the 
Nazi  edict,  quoted  on  a  sheet  accompanying  the 
letter,  as  follows : 

"The  allocation  of  permits  may  be  refused 
for  films,  the  producers  of  which,  in  spite  of 
warning  issued  by  the  competent  German 
authorities,  continue  to  distribute  on  the  world 
market  films,  the  tendency  or  effect  of  which 
is  detrimental  to  German  prestige.  .  .  . 

"The  same  applies  to  films  in  which  appear 
film  workers  who  have  previously  participated 
in  the  making  of  films  which  have  the  ten- 
dency or  effect  to  be  detrimental  to  the  German 
prestige." 

Cast  Members  Summoned 

Additionally,  says  Mr.  Mannon,  Dr.  Gyssling 
summoned  other  members  of  the  cast,  chosen 
for  their  Teutonic  nationality  and  many  of 
them  German  citizens,  to  the  Consulate  and 
there  personally .  informed  them  of  possible 
consequences  of  participating  in  the  production. 
Some  of  the  players,  he  says,  quit  the  cast 
following  these  conversations,  while  others  con- 
tinued under  promise  that  their  names  would 
not  be  used  in  the  billing.  Only  the  name  of 
Miss  Steele  is  to  appear. 

As  production  of  the  picture  continued,  the 
producer  asserts,  the  German  Consul  addressed 
a  letter  to  the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and 
Distributors  Association  asking  that  body  to 
intervene  to  prevent  its  completion.  When 
nothing  came  of  this,  the  picture  was  completed 
in  March  of  this  year  and  submitted  to  the 
Coast  office  of  the  organization  for  assignment 
of  a  Production  Code  certificate.  New  York 
representatives  of  Malvina  Pictures  said  this 
week  that  approval  has  been  given  and  a  cer- 
tificate is  forthcoming.  The  New  York  office 
of  the  MP  PDA  affirmed  that  the  picture  has 
been  submitted  and  "is  in  process  of  being  con- 
sidered." 

Nevertheless,  the  production  has  been  sched- 
uled for  a  New  York  opening  at  the  Globe 
theatre  on  August  1st  and  to  be  distributed  on 
a  roadshow  basis  throughout  the  country.  The 
Globe,  formerly  devoted  to  stage  purposes,  has 
been  operated  as  a  motion  picture  theatre  for 
the  past  five  years. 

Plans  for  a  similar  opening  in  Chicago,  for 
which  no  theatre  had  been  contracted,  were 
complicated  this  week  by  refusal  of  the  Chi- 


cago censor  board  to  issue  a  permit  for  its  ex- 
hibition. The  reason  given  for  withholding 
permission  to  show  the  film  in  what  the  war- 
time Mayor  (Big  Bill  the  Builder)  Thompson 
described  as  "the  sixth  German  city"  was  that 
the  picture  might  cause  resident  Germans  to 
start  a  demonstration  against  the  showing  of 
the  film.  A  representative  of  Malvina  is  to  go 
to  Chicago  in  an  effort  to  secure  passage  of  the 
production. 

Producer  Mannon,  one-time  president  and 
treasurer  of  Republic  Studios,  Inc.,  subsequently 
supervisor  of  production  for  Van  Beuren  cor- 
poration and,  later,  producer  of  several  features 
for  independent  distribution,  asserts  that  the 
story  of  the  picture  is  not  fiction  but  consists  of 
an  accurate  presentation  of  Miss  Steele's  arrest, 
incarceration  and  subsequent  deportation  by 
Nazi  authorities  in  the  period  between  August 
and  December,  1924.  A  reproduction  of  the 
letter  submitted  as  received  by  Miss  Steele  is 
published  herewith. 

Condition  Grave  Abroad 

Meanwhile,  reports  through  the  United  States 
Department  of  Commerce  indicate  approach  of 
a  crisis  in  the  position  of  distributing  companies 
handling  American  motion  pictures  in  Germany 
through  exercise  of  the  Nazi  Government's 
unlimited  power  to  accept  or  reject  motion  pic- 
tures of  all  kinds. 


The  reports  to  the  Department  of  Com- 
merce from  its  Berlin  offices  say  that  the 
American  motion  picture  interests,  chief  of 
which  are  the  distributing  subsidiaries  of 
Paramount,  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  and 
Twentieth  Century-Fox,  are  meeting  with 
increasing  difficulties. 

There  is  reason  to  believe,  according  to 
the  report,  that  some  of  the  large  first-run 
cinemas  will  be  forced  to  close  before  the 
summer  is  over  because  of  a  shortage  of 
films,  that  leading  motion  picture  theatres  in 
Berlin  are  showing  films  which  are  not  up 
to  their  standard.  Other  houses  are  re- 
viving films  of  earlier  dates.  The  repetition 
of  German  films  has  not  been  favorably  re- 
ceived by  the  public,  it  is  said,  and  the 
theatres  need  foreign,  particularly  American, 
films. 

The  principal  obstacle  hampering  opera- 
tions of  American  film  interests  in  Ger- 
many has  been  the  refusal  of  the  Propa- 
ganda Ministry  to  allow  importation  of  par- 
ticular pictures,  chiefly  on  the  grounds  that 
the  cast  is  unsatisfactory  or  the  story  is  un- 
suitable. The  latest  decree  gives  the  censors 
an  even  wider  field  for  exercise  of  prohibi- 
tions. 


16 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


FILM  "CHARGE  OF  LIGHT 


<A  LFRED  TENNYSON'S  noble  verses 
/^khave  kept  ever  green  in  mortal 
/  ^     memory  the  heroic  charge  of 

/  ^  the  Light  Brigade  "into  the 
_JL  valley  of  death,  into  the  mouth 
of  hell,"  and  Warners  are  trying  to  make 
their  "Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade"  a 
screen  record  of  commensurate  quality. 
Big  is  the  word  commonly  applied  to  it 
in  the  production  colony,  and  a  single  set, 
the  Chukoti  garrison,  is  the  biggest  built 
in  Hollywood  since  Brezzy  Eason,  called 
upon  by  Director  Michael  Curtis  to  erect 
it,  fabricated  the  reproduction  of  the 
Coliseum  for  "Ben  Hur." 

The  story  is  of  two  Englishmen,  brothers 
and  soldiers  in  love  with  the  same  girl,  and 
of  a  border  chieftain  who,  first  betraying 
the  British,  fled  to  the  Crimea,  joined  the 
Russian  forces  and  caused  to  be  issued  the 
order  which  sent  "the  noble  six  hundred" 
charging  into  death  and  glory.  Colorful, 
rich  in  action,  backgrounded  and  animated 
at  once  by  romance  and  martial  conflict, 
the  entertainment  potentialities  of  the  pro- 
duction loom  promisefully  in  prospect. 

The  time  of  the  picture  is  1850.  The 
story  traverses  India  from  the  northern 
border  to  Calcutta,  into  Arabia  and  the 
Crimea.  Battles  between  Lancers  and  bor- 
der tribesmen  are  frequent  and  dramatic. 
The  Cawnpore  massacre  (shown  at  lower 
right)  is  among  the  incidents  leading  up 
to  the  final  fatal  charge  (glimpsed  above). 
Because  there  are  so  many  battles,  sieges 
and  other  actionful  sequences,  Director 
Curtis  is  keying  in  contrasting  simplicity 
the  love  scenes  (left)  which  carry  on  the 
romantic  phase  of  the  drama. 

Choice  of  Olivia  de  Havilland  and 
Errol  Flynn  for  the  leading  roles  is,  of 
course,  in  direct  recognition  of  their  work 
in  "Captain  Blood."  To  Patrick  Knowles, 
English  actor  prominent  in  "Give  Me  Your 
Heart,"  was  assigned  the  role  of  the  other 
brother.  C.  Henry  Gordon  is  the  villainous 
Surat  Khan.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Donald 
Crisp,  J.  Carroll  Naish,  Nigel  Bruce, 
Spring  Byington,  E.  E.  Clive,  Lumsden 
Hare,  David  Niven,  Robert  Barrat,  Colin 
Kenny,  and  Henry  Stephenson,  players  of 


July    2  5,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


17 


BRIGADE"  ON  VAST  SCALE 


by  gus  McCarthy 

in  Hollywood 

definitely  demonstrated  suitability  for  the 
roles  assigned  them. 

Decision  to  produce  the  picture  traces 
to  Michael  Jacoby,  one  time  reviewer- 
reporter,  who  convinced  Jack  Warner  and 
Hal  Wallis  of  its  desirability  and  was  given 
the  assistance  of  Rowland  Leigh  and  Sam 
Bischoff  in  preparing  it  for  the  screen. 
Almost  a  year  was  spent  in  preparation, 
with  research  and  authentification  carried 
on  at  length  and  in  painstaking  detail. 
When  production  was  started  plans  were 
made,  properly,  to  emphasize  especially 
the  charge  sequence  from  which  the  pic- 
ture, like  the  poem,  takes  its  name.  It  was 
for  this  that  Mr.  Eason,  whose  handling 
of  the  chariot  race  in  "Ben  Hur"  and  the 
stampede  in  "The  Last  Frontier,"  is  among 
the  unforgettable  items  of  Hollywood  his- 
tory, was  called  in.  Eye  witnesses  to  this 
episode  have  described  it  as  among  the 
most  exciting  ever  filmed. 

Other  sets  and  scenes  are  scaled  in  ap- 
propriate dimension.  Surat  Khan's  palace 
and  the  ballroom  in  Calcutta  are  rich  in 
splendor  of  setting.  The  massacre  sequence 
has  magnitude,  melodrama  and  action. 
Off-setting  these  and  other  vigorous  ap- 
peals to  interest  are  the  relatively  calm 
and  contrastingly  effective  sequences  in 
which  the  love  story  is  told. 

It  is  to  be  conceded,  of  course,  that 
magnitude  in  itself  is  no  guarantee  of 
box  office  success.  That  has  been  demon- 
strated too  many  times  for  comfort  in 
any  quarter.  But  when  Warner  Brothers 
are  the  people  who  are  going  in  for  mag- 
nitude Hollywood  is  not  accustomed  to 
wagging  heads  in  that  knowing,  dubious 
manner,  because  the  succession  of  War- 
ner experiments  in  magnitude  have  had  a 
way  of  turning  out  well  and  there  is  no 
very  evident  reason  for  thinking  their 
string  of  successes  is  likely  to  be  broken 
at  this  time.  Maybe  that,  more  than  the 
attributes  and  size  and  scope  of  the  picture 
itself,  accounts  for  the  rising  enthusiasm 
for  "The  Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade." 


18 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


PARAMOUNT  SUES  SAM  COLDWYN 
FOR  LOSS  OF  COOPER  CONTRACT 


Adolph  Zukor  Asks  $5,000,000 
Damages  for  Paramount, 
Charging  "Interference  by 
Goldwyn  and  Goldwyn  Co." 

The  doorbell  rang  Monday  in  the  recesses 
of  the  Samuel  Goldwyn  mansion  on  its  high 
knoll  that  overlooks  the  surrounding  terri- 
tory in  Hollywood.  The  proper,  English- 
trained  butler  hastened  to  answer.  At  the 
portal  the  servant  found  a  well  groomed  man, 
the  cut  of  whose  clothes,  the  luster  of. well- 
polished  boots  and,  in  fact,  whose  appearance 
as  a  whole  was  that  of  a  well  turned  out  gen- 
tleman. So  effective  was  the  caller's  appear- 
ance that  the  butler  immediately  surmised 
the  gentleman  must  be  one  of  the  new  mem- 
bers of  the  United  Artists  board  of  direc- 
tors he  had  heard  the  master  and  mistress 
speak  of  while  dining. 

He  allowed  the  gentleman  to  enter,  took 
his  hat,  and  when  he  was  asked  to  inform 
Mr.  Goldwyn  he  had  a  caller,  the  well- 
trained  man  sought  out  Mrs.  Goldwyn  since 
he  knew  his  master  already  had  retired  to  his 
rooms  and  by  now  was  in  his  bed.  From  the 
confines  of  the  lavishly  furnished  living 
room,  where  all  of  Mr.  Goldwyn's  motion 
pictures  are  privately  shown  to  audiences 
of  friends  before  they  are  previewed,  came 
the  gracious  Mrs.  Goldwyn  to  welcome  the 
new  "member  of  the  board  of  United 
Artists." 

Great  was  her  surprise,  however,  when 
the  well-groomed  young  man  turned  out 
to  be  not  of  United  Artists,  but  a  representa- 
tive of  Paramount  Pictures,  Inc. — or  rather 
a  process  server  bringing  the  papers  of 
Adolph  Zukor  summoning  Mr.  Goldwyn  to 
court  to  answer  charges  of  luring  Gary 
Cooper  from  Mr.  Zukor's  company  and  to 
show  why  he  should  not  pay  some  $5,000,000 
for  so  doing. 

From  his  bed  upstairs  Mr.  Goldwyn  re- 
fused to  stir,  suggested  that  the  caller  be  put 
in  telephonic  communication  with  Abe  Lehr, 
his  personal  executive  assistant. 

Mr.  Lehr  finally  convinced  the  young  man 
he  could  deliver  his  papers  to  him  instead 
of  to  Mr.  Goldwyn  and  after  receiving  au- 
thorization to  do  this  from  the  federal  court 
clerk,  the  visitor  retrieved  his  hat  from  the 
ready  hand  of  the  butler  and  left. 

The  action  of  Mr.  Zukor  against  Mr. 
Goldwyn  was  not  wholly  unanticipated,  how- 
ever. The  suit  was  prepared  by  W.  K. 
Tuller,  Pierce  Works  and  Jackson  W. 
Chase  of  the  law  firm  of  Omelveny,  Tuller 
and  Myers  and  handed  to  the  clerk  of  the 
United  States  district  court  at  Los  Angeles 
at  9:15  Monday  morning. 

The  lengthy  complaint,  setting  forth 
Paramount's  list  of  grievances,  asked 
$4,000,000  damages  for  the  loss  of  Mr. 
Cooper  by  the  company,  and  $1,000,000 
punitive  costs  from  Mr.  Goldwyn. 

Mr.  Goldwyn  said  he  would  not  reply  un- 
til he  had  seen  the  complaint. 

Mr.  Cooper  declined  to  make  a  statement, 
but  his  manager,  Jack  Moss,  said : 

"Well,  we're  signed  with  Sam  Goldwyn, 


TRAFFIC  VIOLATORS  ARE 
FORCED  TO  VIEW  FILM 

Police  Judge  Twain  Michaelsen  of 
San  Francisco  passed  novel  sentences 
this  week  on  traffic  violators  brought 
up  before  him.  All  those  who  pleaded 
guilty,  or  were  found  so,  of  violating 
traffic  ordinances  were  sentenced,  in- 
stead of  the  usual  monetary  fines  or 
prison  sentences,  to  sit  through  a 
screening  of  Paramount's  "And  Sud- 
den Death,"  at  the  Fox  Theatre  and 
to  further  prove  they  had  seen  the 
picture. 


all  right.  But  as  for  trouble  between  the  two 
studios,  I  don't  know  anything  about  it.  It 
was  just  one  of  those  things  that  sent  us 
to  Goldwyn  instead  of  staying  with  Para- 
mount." 

Mr.  Zukor,  however,  accused  Mr.  Gold- 
wyn of  a  "breach  of  morals  and  ethics,"  as 
well  as  violation  of  the  law. 

"In  the  25  years  I  have  been  in  motion 
pictures  I  have  never  permitted  our  execu- 
tives to  interfere  with  the  negotiations  be- 
tween a  star  of  another  company  and  that 
company  for  continued  services  of  the  star. 
This  has  always  been  and  always  will  be  a 
matter  of  principle  with  our  organization," 
Mr.  Zukor  said. 

He  added  that  Paramount  began  negotia- 
tions with  Mr.  Cooper  for  a  new  contract 
in  October,  1935,  14  months  before  the  ex- 
piration of  his  present  ticket.  An  agreement 
was  reached  in  January,  he  said.  But  at  the 
same  time,  said  the  complainant,  and  with- 
out the  knowledge  of  Paramount,  "inter- 
ference by  Goldwyn  and  the  Goldwyn  com- 
pany" prevented  the  signing  of  the  contract. 
The  complaint  further  asserted  that  Mr. 
Cooper  was  persuaded  to  sign  up  with  Mr. 
Goldwyn  "by  means  of  false  and  fraudulent 
representations  and  statements." 

Say  First  Chance  from  Goldwyn 

Hollywood,  however,  was  inclined  to  be- 
lieve that  sentiment  played  quite  an  impor- 
tant part  in  the  star's  alignment  with  the 
Goldwyn  forces  instead  of  continuing  with 
Paramount.  His  friends  claimed  that  he  got 
his  first  chance  through  Mr.  Goldwyn  10 
years  ago  last  month.  Arriving  in  Los  An- 
geles from  his  native  Helena,  Mont.,  the 
actor  vainly  hunted  a  job  as  a  newspaper 
cartoonist  and  eventually  landed  in  Holly- 
wood as  a  cowboy  extra  in  "The  Winning 
of  Barbara  Worth,"  which  starred  Ronald 
Colman  and  Vilma  Banky. 

Mr.  Goldwyn  was  said  to  have  picked  the 
actor  out  of  the  crowd.  He  gave  him  the 
second  lead  in  the  film,  and  saw  him  go  on 
from  there  to  become  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant players  in  the  industry. 

Mr.  Cooper's  intimates  said  the  actor  had 
long  hoped  for  an  opportunity  to  go  back 
to  Mr.  Goldwyn.  Paramount,  however,  has 
had  him  under  contract  since  1926. 

Salary,  it  is  understood,  did  not  influence 
the  player  in  making  the  change  from  Para- 


Goldwyn  in  Bed  When  Process 
Server  Arrives;  Butler  Thinks 
He's  Member  of  Board  of 
Directors  of  United  Artists 

mount  to  Goldwyn.  He  is  reported  to  have 
been  receiving  "more  than  $100,000  a  pic- 
ture." 

Following  the  filing  of  the  suit,  Mr.  Zukor 
issued  a  statement,  which  read  in  part: 

"When  Gary  Cooper  came  to  Hollywood 
he  was  an  inexperienced  player  in  whom 
Paramount  saw  possibilities.  He  was  a  like- 
able, personable  young  man  and  it  was  our 
company  which  decided  to  take  a  chance  on 
him  as  star  material. 

"At  great  expense,  the  company,  through 
these  efforts,  has  developed  Mr.  Cooper  into 
one  of  the  most  important  and  highly  paid 
actors  in  motion  pictures. 

"Under  Paramount's  guidance  Mr.  Cooper 
has  come  to  the  screen  in  such  outstanding 
successes  as  'Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer,' 
'Morocco,'  'The  Virginian,'  'Farewell  to 
Arms,'  'Desire,'  'Design  for  Living'  and 
many  others. 

Cites  Current  Films 

"At  present  Mr.  Cooper  has  just  com- 
pleted 'The  General  Died  at  Dawn,'  a  pic- 
ture which  executive  previews  have  proven 
will  be  the  one  in  which  he  has  given  his 
best  performance  to  date.  And  again,  under 
Paramount's  direction,  he  is  ready  to  start 
in  a  picture  which  is  expected  to  equal  or 
surpass  his  past  screen  triumphs — Cecil  B. 
DeMille's  'The  Plainsman.' 

"In  October,  1935,  Paramount  entered 
into  negotiations  with  Mr.  Cooper  for  a  new 
contract  to  be  for  a  period  of  four  years, 
following  completion  of  his  present  contract 
which  expires  December  4,  1936. 

"Compensation  to  be  paid  him  was  agreed 
upon  by  Paramount  and  Mr.  Cooper  in 
January,  1936.  Both  were  ready,  willing  and 
able  to  execute  the  contract. 

"Our  complaint  alleges  that  at  this  time 
interference  by  Goldwyn  and  the  Goldwyn 
company  thwarted  and  prevented  the  sign- 
ing of  this  contract. 

"In  the  making  of  motion  pictures,  every 
producer  realizes  that  any  star  has  the 
right — as  does  a  man  or  woman  in  any  other 
profession — to  better  himself. 

"But  in  the  25  years  I  have  been  in  mo- 
tion pictures  I  have  never  permitted  our 
executives  to  interfere  with  the  negotiations 
between  a  star  of  another  company  and  that 
company,  for  the  continued  services  of  the 
star.  That  has  always  been  and  always  will 
be  a  matter  of  principle  with  our  organiza- 
tion. 

"Our  attorneys,  after  careful  study,  have 
advised  us  that  such  conduct  as  that  alleged 
in  our  complaint,  is  not  only  a  breach  of 
good  morals  and  ethics,  but  is  a  violation 
of  law  and  gives  us  a  legal  right  of  action 
against  Goldwyn  and  the  Goldwyn  company 
for  all  actual  damages  suffered  and  also  for 
punitive  damages  where  such  wrong-doing 
was  willful  and  malicious. 

"Under  the  circumstances,  we  will  fight 
for  the  rights  of  our  company." 


it 


PENTHOUSE  BROUGHT  THEM 
m      TOGETHER  FIRST! 


(A  thrill  the  customers  will  never  forget!) 


SWEETHEARTS  AGAIN  IN  BROADWAY  BILL 

(Definitely  establishing  them  at  the  top  of  money  combinations!) 


and  now— 


20th  BRINGS  THEM  BACK 


IN  THE  BEST  LOVE  STORY  THE 


TO  EACH  OTHER'S  ARMS 

SATURDAY  EVENING  POST  EVER  PRINTED! 


WARNER 


MYRNA 


HUNTER 
CLAIRE  TREVOR 

JEAN  DIXON 

Directed  by  JOHN  CROMWELL 

Associate  Producer  Kenneth  MacGowan.  Screen 
play  by  Richard  Sherman  and  Howard  Ellis  Smith 
From  the  story  by  Richard  Sherman. 

3  show  like  this  to  start  your  procession  of  new  season  hits! 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK 
in  Charge  of  Production 


20th  Century-Fox  offers  "To  Mary— with  Love41 
...typical  of  20th's  show-values  for  '36-'37. 
Two  knockout  co-stars  .  .  .  Warner  Baxter, 
Myrna  Loy.  Crackerjack  support .  .  .  up-and- 
coming  Ian  Hunter,  a  surprising  Claire  Trevor, 
popular  Jean  Dixon.  And  the  story  (man,  oh, 
man!)...  of  two  who  make  love  lightly,  yet 
love  deeply  .  .  .  gallantly  pretending  as  they 
laugh  off  hidden  hurts.  A  woman's  picture 
...a  man's  picture... a  showman's  picture! 
Start  your  new  season  with  holdovers...  with— 


KEYSTONE 
OF  YOUR  FUTURE 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


23 


SCHENCKS  BRIDGE  ATLANTIC 
BY  GAUMONT-BRITISH  DEAL 


London  Finds  "Alarming"  Note 
In  News  of  Gaumont  Merger 

by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

London  Bureau  of  Motion  Picture  Herald 

It's  Wednesday  in  London  and  Wardour  Street  is  mulling  the  press  reports  of 
the  Gaumont  British  -  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  -  Twentieth  Century-Fox  alliance,  from 
New  York,  in  considerable  excitement. 

No  statement  of  official  nature  has  been  issued  on  this  side,  yet,  but  there  is 
much  of  unofficial  discussion. 

The  Daily  Film  Renter  runs  scare  headings  suggesting  serious  sequels  in  Parlia- 
ment on  the  big  deal.  An  editorial  asserts  uneasiness  in  official  circles.  This  paper 
is  close  to  SB,  a  fact  which  in  the  circumstances  is  giving  rise  to  some  curiously 
diverse  speculations  as  to  the  significance  of  its  presentations  and  position. 

London's  discussions,  to  be  sure,  are  based  on  cable  reports  and  versions  of 
the  statements  given  out  in  New  York. 

It  is  certain  that  increased  pressure  will  be  brought  on  the  Moyne  Committee 
by  British  interests  to  strengthen  the  Act.  Fear  of  American  influence  by  the 
committee  shown  in  the  minutes  of  the  evidence  is  significant. 

An  important  executive's  view  on  the  distributing  problem  is  that  the  Gaumont 
selling  organization  must  be  scrapped  to  leave  Gaumont  British  films  free  for  Fox 
and  Metro  product  quota  cover. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  scrapping  of  the  Gaumont  organization  in  the  United 
States  will  mean  an  annual  saving  of  $500,000  to  $750,000.  Abandonment  of 
quickie  production  by  Metro  and  Fox  will  save  between  $200,000  and  $300,000 
for  each  company  yearly,  therefore  the  new  merger  can  start  with  an  approximate 
annual  cash  saving  of  between  a  million  and  a  million  and  a  half  dollars. 

It  is  noted  that  the  switch  of  Gaumont  productions  to  the  new  company  would 
have  a  perceptible  effect  on  the  statistical  results  of  the  Films  Acts,  representing 
a  definite  reduction  in  the  number  of  quota  films  available  to  exhibitors,  although 
the  loss  may  be  more  apparent  than  real  due  to  the  poor  quality  of  the  majority 
of  Fox  and  Metro  quota  films.  The  merger  may  also  offer  a  newsreel  problem, 
Gaumont  having  its  own  highly  successful  reel  and  Fox  its  Movietone  News,  con- 
trolled by  a  separate  company  in  which  the  Harmsworth  family  with  important 
associations  in  the  Daily  Mail  newspaper  group  are  interested. 

On  Monday  J.  R.  Remer,  M.P.,  will  ask  in  the  House  of  Commons  if  the  presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Trade  "will  take  steps  to  see  that  this  important  company 
does  not  pass  into  foreign  control." 


MGM,  20+h  Century-Fox  and  GB 
Reach  Agreement  in  Principle, 
Speeding  the  Movement  for 
Internationalizing  of  Industry 

M-G-M,  20th  Century-Fox  and  Gaumont- 
British  have  joined  corporate  hands  across 
the  sea. 

This  most  spectacular  manifestation  of  the 
long,  tediously  developing,  process  of  inter- 
nationalization of  the  motion  picture  in- 
dustry, on  its  way  since  the  beginnings  in 
1896,  interrupted  by  the  inhibitive  influences 
of  the  World  War,  to  America's  great  ad- 
vantage, delayed  again  by  the  revolutionary 
invasion  of  sound  and  language,  "broke  in 
the  news"  with  official  word  this  week. 

The  historic  occasion  was  Monday,  at  2 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  with  the  press  sum- 
moned to  hear,  in  the  Joseph  M.  Schenck 
suite,  Number  31,  in  the  tower  of  the  Sherry 
Netherlands,  looking  down  where  the  tides 
of  Manhattan  split  around  the  greenswards 
of  Central  Park. 

The  official  statement  was  the  minimum 
that  could  be  said  of  the  new  interlocking 
arrangements  and  cross  ownerships.  Some- 
where in  the  undiscussed  distance  were 
and  are  considerations  of  British  Empire 
controls  and  restrictions,  quotas,  television, 
and  even  more  vague  matters  of  the  to- 
morrows. 

This  week's  outward  expressions  and  con- 
cerns have  been  about  this  particular  tri- 
angular arrangement.  Parallels  and  sequels, 
presently  to  find  expression  in  other  align- 
ments, similarly  addressed  at  seats  in  a 
"world  court  of  the  cinema,"  are  in  the 
making. 

Cable  dispatches  from  Bruce  Allan  of  the 
London  Bureau  of  Motion  Picture  Her- 
ald on  Wednesday  indicated  that  the  tidings 
from  New  York  had  created  a  flurry  of  ex- 
citement and  questionings  in  Wardour 
street,  the  center  of  British  Empire  film  ar- 
fairs.  There  was  talk  of  Governmental  in- 
quiry, interference,  prohibitions  and  the  like. 

Interestingly  enough,  no  little  of  the  ex- 
citement and  questionings  was  recorded  by 
The  Daily  Film  Renter,  trade  publication 
usual  described  as  "close  to  GB"  and  said  to 
be  decidedly  "an  Ostrer  paper." 

In  New  York,  however,  it  was  observed 
that  the  negotiations  were  consummated 
here  and  the  official  announcements  issued 
by  the  parties  to  the  deal  in  person,  includ- 
ing Isadore  Ostrer. 

It  was  also  to  be  observed  that  all  parties 
to  the  negotiations,  including  Mr.  Ostrer, 
might  well  be  expected  to  have  weighed, 
anticipated  and  planned  to  meet  any  Gov- 
ernmental inquiry  or  proposal  of  action. 

Analysis  of  the  ultimate  results  of  the 
deal  in  terms  of  ownership,  graphically  pre- 
sented on  page  twenty-seven,  would  indicate 
a  decided  showing  of  a  preponderating  Brit- 
ish ownership,  implying  for  Britain  at  least 
a  diagrammatic  control. 

The  story  came  from  three  men  on  a 


divan,  in  that  suite  31.  They  were  Nicholas 
M.  Schenck,  president  of  Metro-Goldwyn- 
Mayer  Corporation,  Joseph  M.  Schenck, 
chairman  of  the  board  of  20th  Century-Fox, 
and  Isadore  Ostrer,  president  of  Gaumont- 
British — with  Joseph  M.  Schenck,  still  with 
the  laurels  of  the  Fox-20th  Century  merger 
upon  him,  in  the  middle  and  chief  spokes- 
man. 

The  onslaught  of  invited  foreign  corre- 
spondents and  other  press  representatives,  to 
a  total  of  thirty-odd  in  number,  were  counted 
in  and  checked  off  against  a  list  of  publica- 
tions, with  an  attendance  of  99  per  cent,  or 
thereabouts.  The  checking  was  by  exceed- 
ingly quiet  male  secretaries.  There  were  no 
press  agents,  none. 

The  affair  was  exceedingly  official.  The 
three  chieftains  were  to  do  the  talking,  all 
of  it.  Through  the  open  door  of  an  adjacent 
room  an  uncleared  table  indicated  that  they 


had  just  completed  luncheon.  Mr.  Ostrer 
was  dapperly  natty  in  the  English  manner 
with  a  most  perky  kerchief  in  breast  pocket, 
but  his  starched  and  attached  collar  was 
escaping  with  a  suggestion  of  weather.  The 
Brothers  Schenck  were  in  most  American 
business  garb,  and  Joseph's  haircomb  sug- 
gested he  had  been  emphatically  shaking  his 
head  about  something. 

Most  motion  picture  functions,  more  espe- 
cially those  that  have  to  do  with  pieces  in 
the  papers,  are  lubricated  by  attentive  but- 
lers with  tray  in  hand.  This  one  was  dry, 
but  interesting.    It  was  unhollywood. 

Joseph  Schenck  standing  in  the  middle  of 
the  deep  oriental  roomwide  rug,  with  the 
Chinoisierie  and  teak  tables  all  about, 
handed  brief  typewritten  statements  to  the 
gentlemen  of  the  press  and  introduced  his 
brother,  "whom  you  all  know,"  and  Mr. 

(.Continued  on  folloiving  page) 


24 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


COMPANIES7  HOLDINGS  EQUALIZED 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

Ostrer.  The  gentlemen  of  the  press  took 
one  glance  at  the  formal  "hand-out"  and 
proceeded  to  fire  from  the  hip,  a  score  and  a 
half  of  men  with  a  hundred  questions  at 
once. 

Mr.  Ostrer,  surveying  the  melee,  sug- 
gested that  the  spokesmen  sit  down  together 
and  organize  the  answers.  An  hour  later 
Nicholas  M.  Schenck  left  for  another  ap- 
pointment, summarizing  for  Metro  in  his 
opinion  that  the  arrangement  was  for  that 
concern  "good  business."  For  another  hour 
his  brother  and  Mr.  Ostrer  met  the 
questioners. 

They  explained  that  details  of  the  plan  are 
by  no  means  complete;  that  television  or 
pressure  from  the  British  Government  or 
the  desire  by  the  American  companies  to 
control  the  British  unit,  did  not  enter  into 
the  negotiations ;  and  that  the  present_  pro- 
posal is  only  an  "agreement  in  principle," 
the  result  of  a  "meeting  of  minds."  Mr. 
Ostrer  gave  illuminating  explanation  of  the 
corporate  convolutions  involved  in  the  pro- 
cedure but  seemed  annoyed  at  times  when 
reporters,  who  have  difficulty  in  budget- 
ing cigaret  money,  were  slow  in  following 
the  transactions  and  in  determining  the  in- 
terests to  be  benefited. 

Primary  facts  of  the  agreement  are  two. 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  of  which  Nicholas 
M.  Schenck  is  president,  will  buy  half  of 
the  49  per  cent  interest  held  by  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  in  the  Metropolis  &  Bradford 
Trust,  British  company  which  holds  57  per 
cent  of  the  voting  stock  of  the  Gaumont- 
British  companies.  All  stock  not  held  by 
Fox  in  the  trust  company  is  owned  by  the 
Ostrer  brothers. 

Secondly,  a  new  company  will  be 
formed  to  take  over  the  Metropolis  and 
Bradford  holdings  and  a  substantial  block, 
"more  than  half,"  of  the  new  company's 
stock  will  be  sold  to  the  British  public  so 
that  definite  control  will  remain  British.  At 
the  same  time  the  holdings  of  the  Ostrer 
brothers,  Fox  and  Metro  in  the  new  com- 
pany will  be  equalized  so  that  none  will 
have  a  controlling  voice  in  the  affairs  of 
the  company  and  hence  in  Gaumont- 
British. 

Effects  of  the  agreement  when  put  in  op- 
eration would  be,  they  said,  a  working  alli- 
ance between  the  three  companies.  Gaumont 
production  was  to  be  increased,  perhaps 
doubled,  according  to  Mr.  Ostrer,  the  dis- 
tribution and  sales  forces  of  the  three  com- 
panies would  be  "absorbed"  in  the  United 
States  and  in  England,  the  American  com- 
panies would  abandon  present  or  planned 
production  units  in  England,  and  the  tech- 
nical departments  of  Fox  and  Metro  would 
be  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  GB  produc- 
tion department. 

In  the  light  of  recent  discussions  of  the 
quota  situation  in  England  and  the  reported 
efforts  of  the  English  Government  to  limit 
exhibition  in  that  country  to  English-made 
pictures,  the  "agreement  in  principle,"  is 
especially  significant. 

During  the  questioning  which  followed 


MIAMI  FILM  RULING 
HELD  DISCRIMINATORY 

Ernest  Morrison,  general  manager 
of  Paramount  Enterprises,  Inc.,  and 
Mitchell  Wolfson  of  Wometco  Thea- 
ters, both  of  Miami,  Fla.,  told  the  city 
commission  this  week  that  Miami's 
charter  section  prohibiting  the  show- 
ing of  pictures  of  contests  between 
negroes  and  white  persons  "is  dis- 
criminatory now  where  it  was  not  at 
the  time  it  was  adopted."  They  pointed 
out  that  the  pictures  of  the  Max 
Schmeling-Joe  Louis  fight  were  shown 
in  cities  surrounding  Miami  and  ac- 
counts of  the  battle  were  broadcast 
to  Miami. 

The  appearance  of  Mr.  Morrison 
and  Mr.  Wolfson  before  the  commis- 
sion was  brought  about  by  the  ban- 
ning of  the  fight  pictures  in  Miami 
recently. 


the  handing  out  of  the  statements  Joseph 
Schenck  explained,  with  a  happy  smile,  that 
under  the  new  arrangement  the  two  Amer- 
ican companies  will  not  have  to  make  any 
quota  pictures  and  that  distribution  in  Eng- 
land will  be  handled  as  one  unit.  Mr. 
Ostrer  joined  him  in  pointing  out  that  quota 
pictures  up  to  now  have  been  of  obviously 
poor  quality.  The  new  set-up  will  change 
this,  they  declared.  The  British  executive 
proudly  emphasized  that  ■  "all  Gaumont 
British  pictures  are  of  fine  quality." 

The  quota  problem  was  mentioned  by 
Joseph  P.  Kennedy  in  his  recent  report  to 
the  Paramount  board  in  which  he  said, 
after  pointing  that  foreign  quotas  consti- 
tute a  serious  threat  to  the  industry:  "If 
the  current  move  to  limit  the  exhibition  of 
films  in  England  largely  to  English-made 
films  is  carried  out,  not  only  will  it  be  imi- 
tated in  other  countries,  but,  in  some  in- 
stances, it  might  make  all  the  difference 
between  profitable  and  unprofitable  oper- 
ations for  American  units. 

"Some  American  companies,  notably 
Twentieth  Century-Fox,  have  been  keenly 
aware  of  this  danger  and  have  made  recent 
affiliations  abroad  to  offset  the  consequences 
of  an  embargo.  .  .  .  Recent  events  seem  to 
foreshadow  a  determination  on  the  part  of 
British  authorities  to  take  important  action. 
Obviously  the  British  Government  is  plan- 
ning real  regulation  of  the  industry,  but  the 
thought  is  also  suggested  that  this  informa- 
tion may  be  sought  as  a  basis  for  decision 
as  to  the  measure  of  aid  the  government 
may  give  the  British  film  producers.  Eng- 
lish insurance  companies,  banks  and  invest- 
ment trusts  are  now  large  holders  of  secur- 
ities in  British  film  concerns  and  the  known 
tendency  of  Great  Britain  to  subsidize  its 
industries  gives  color  to  the  fear  that  when 


the  new  quota  is  announced  it  will  reveal 
further  difficulties  for  American  made  films." 

Capitalization  To  Be  Decided 

In  discussing  the  financial  structure  which 
will  be  erected  under  the  proposed  arrange- 
ment Mr.  Ostrer  and  the  Schenck  brothers 
emphasized  the  point  that  with  half  of  the 
stock  in  the  new  holding  company  owned  by 
the  public,  the  three  contracting  parties,  even 
together,  will  not  have  control.  Although 
Mr.  Ostrer  remarked  that,  naturally,  he  and 
his  brothers  are  part  of  the  British  public, 
he  and  Joseph  Schenck  stressed  the  fact  that 
the  three  parties  have  agreed,  again  "in 
principle,"  that  none  of  the  stock  to  be  sold 
to  the  public  will  be  bought  by  any  of  them. 

The  purpose  of  turning  control  of  the 
company  over  to  the  public,  according  to 
Mr.  Ostrer  and  Joseph  Schenck,  is  that 
none  of  the  three  parties  wanted  control  and 
thought  it  not  "healthy"  for  them  to  hold  it 
even  jointly.  The  holding  company's  capi- 
talization, number  of  shares,  par  value  and 
other  corporate  details  have  not  been  worked 
out  and  will  not  be  until  after  legal  agree- 
ments are  drawn  and  presented  to  the  boards 
of  the  various  companies.  All  three  men 
said  they  expect  this  phase  to  be  completed 
in  three  weeks. 

Ostrer  To  Be  Chairman 

The  statement  declared  that  no  change  in 
management  is  contemplated  but  questioning 
on  this  point  revealed  that  Mr.  Ostrer  will 
become  chairman  of  the  board  of  Gaumont- 
British,  that  the  post  of  president  which  he 
now  holds  will  be  abolished  and  that  his 
brother,  Mark,  who  is  now  chairman  and 
managing  director,  will  continue  in  the  last 
named  position.  Joseph  Schenck  said  that 
this  move  is  to  be  made  at  his  request  and 
his  brother's  because  they  both  wanted  Mr. 
Ostrer  to  take  a  more  active  part  in  the 
affairs  of  the  company  under  the  new  align- 
ment. 

Details  of  the  transfer  to  Metro-Goldwyn- 
Mayer  of  half  of  the  Twentieth  Century-Fox 
interest  appeared  to  be  the  simplest  phase 
of  the  proposal.  Neither  of  the  Schenck 
brothers  would  give  any  hint  of  the  price 
to  be  paid.  Nicholas  Schenck  denied  that 
Metro  will  have  to  make  any  financing  ar- 
rangements to  pay  for  the  stock  and  said, 
"When  the  time  comes  it  will  be  paid  from 
the  treasury."  Asked  what  the  holdings 
brought  when  William  Fox  bought  them 
during  his  whirlwind  expansion  program  in 
1929,  Joseph  Schenck  answered,  "About 
$18,000,000."  He  was  corrected  by  Mr. 
Ostrer,  who  said  that  the  figure  was  ap- 
proximately $16,000,000.  The  three  smiled 
at  the  suggestion  that  anything  like  this 
amount  would  figure  in  the  transfer  of  half 
of  the  stock. 

After  the  first  rush  of  questioning  the  re- 
porters discovered  that  the  third  point  on 
the  typed  statement  was  "that  Gaumont- 
British  shall  have  the  benefit  of  distribution 
of  their  pictures  in  the  United  States  and 
the  world  through  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 
and  Twentieth  Century-Fox  Film  Corpora- 
tion on  specially  favorable  terms,  thus 
greatly  reducing  the  cost  of  distribution  in 

(.Continued  on  page  28) 


SCREAMING  FRONT-PAGE  THRILLS 
TO  BLAZE  ACROSS  YOUR  SCREEN! 


26 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


DIPLOMATS  VIEW  "TIME"  REEL 
AS  HULL  ANSWERS  DOMINICANS 


Virginia  Garden  Is  Gathering 
Place  of  Diplomatic  Audience 
to  See  Sequence  Concern- 
ing the  Dominican  President 

Cooling  drinks  and  "warm"  pictures  were 
served  together  to  Washington's  diplomatic 
corps  in  the  Colonial  gardens  of  the  estate 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  Royce  Powell  at  Alex- 
andria, Va.,  Friday  night  following  an  ex- 
pression of  regret  by  Cordell  Hull,  secretary 
of  state,  to  the  Dominican  Minister  over  the 
sequence  in  the  current  March  of  Time  re- 
lease, to  which  the  Dominican  Government 
had  taken  exception.  The  sequence  had  been 
deleted  from  the  showing  last  week  at  the 
Music  Hall  in  Radio  City. 

Secretary  Hull  had  informed  Minister 
Pastoriza  that  there  was  nothing  he  could  do 
to  punish  the  offenders  or  prevent  a  further 
occurrence  of  such  an  incident  in  his  note 
to  the  Dominican  Ministry,  which  had 
charged  that  the  film  was  "devoted  exclu- 
sively to  attacking  the  personality  of  Presi- 
dent Trujillo  Molina  in  a  disrespectful  and 
unjust  manner  and  to  giving  a  completely 
false  impression  of  the  Dominican  na- 
tion and  the  political  situation  prevailing 
therein." 

Deprecating  the  exhibition  of  any  film 
which  causes  offense  to  any  foreign  gov- 
ernment, Secretary  Hull  pointed  out  that 
"such  actions  sometimes  occur,  however, 
for  the  reason  that  in  this  country,  unlike 
many  other  countries,  freedom  of  speech 
and  of  the  press  is  deeply  imbedded  in 
our  tradition;  is  cherished  by  every  citi- 
zen as  part  of  the  national  heritage,  and 
is  guaranteed  under  our  Constitution." 

Following  the  secretary's  reply  to  the  Do- 
minican government  and  through  the  efforts 
of  Harold  Horan,  Washington  correspon- 
dent of  Time  Magazine,  some  200  members 
of  the  diplomatic  corps  assembled  in  reply 
to  telegraphic  invitation  on  the  estate  of  Mr. 
Powell,  formerly  associated  with  the  Van 
Sweringens  of  railroad  note  and  now  in  a 
public  relations  capacity  with  a  Virginia 
utility  company,  to  see  the  disputed  reel 
along  with  other  films  provided  for  the 
occasion. 

Taken  Out  of  District  of  Columbia 

It  had  been  thought  advisable  to  take  the 
showing  into  Virginia  out  of  the  District  of 
Columbia  to  relieve  State  Department  of- 
ficials of  any  responsibility  which  might  be 
placed  upon  them  had  the  film  been  exhibited 
to  the  diplomatic  group  within  the  confines 
of  the  national  capital. 

Among  the  guests  were  Ambassador  Pat- 
terson of  Cuba,  Minister  Finot  of  Bolivia, 
Ambassador  Aranha  of  Brazil,  and  members 
of  the  secretariats  and  staffs  of  the  embas- 
sies and  legations  of  Chile,  Italy,  the  Nether- 
lands, Germany,  Greece  and  Spain ;  Mme. 
Sacasa,  wife  of  the  recently  deposed  presi- 
dent of  Nicaraugua;  John  L.  Lewis,  presi- 
dent of  the  United  Mine  Workers  of 
America;  William  C.  Bullitt,  American  Am- 


WH1TE-COLLAR  WPA 
AIDES  GET  HOLIDAY 

Orders  authorizing  vacations  with 
pay  for  several  thousand  Works 
Progress  Administration  employees 
were  issued  this  week  in  Washington 
by  Aubrey  Williams,  deputy  adminis- 
trator. The  order  applied  to  WPA 
supervisory  and  white-collar  employees 
who  previously  had  been  barred  from 
vacations  because  they  are  paid  from 
the  same  pay  roll  as  the  rank  and  file 
relief  workers. 

Theatre  units  are  included  in  the 
order  and  vacations  will  be  granted  to 
administrative  and  supervisory  em- 
ployees of  Federal  Project  1,  which 
includes  the  writing,  theatre,  art  and 
music  units. 


bassador  to  Russia,  and  officials  of  various 
government  departments  as  well  as  society 
leaders. 

Following  the  picture  a  buffet  supper  was 
served,  the  principal  subject  of  discussion 
was  the  Trujillo  sequence.  Several  com- 
mented that  there  were  many  other  "interest- 
ing" incidents  in  the  career  of  the  man  who 
rules  what  the  picture  calls  "the  tightest  little 
dictatorship  in  the  Caribbean,"  that  might 
have  been  included  in  the  film. 

No  statement  on  the  deletion  from  the 
release  was  issued  by  the  March  of  Time 
offices  in  New  York.  It  was  reported  that 
the  Music  Hall  in  Radio  City,  under  the 
control  of  the  Rockefellers,  who  have  con- 
siderable oil  markets  in  the  Dominican  Re- 
public, was  the  only  theatre  which  had 
eliminated  the  Trujillo  sequence. 

Secretary  Hull's  Note 

The  Dominican  Government  also,  appar- 
ently, decided  to  let  the  matter  rest  the 
while,  as  it  ponders  the  full  portent  of  the 
note  from  Secretary  Hull,  which  follows : 

July  15,  1936. 
"The  Honorable  Senor  don  Andres  Pasto- 
riza, Minister  of  the  Dominican  Republic. 
"Sir: 

"I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  re- 
ceipt of  your  recent  note  by  which  you  state 
that  a  film  of  'The  March  of  Time'  is  now 
being  exhibited  'devoted  exclusively  to  at- 
tacking the  personality  of  President  Tru- 
jillo Molina  in  a  disrespectful  and  unjust 
manner  and  to  giving  a  completely  false  im- 
pression of  the  Dominican  nation  and  the 
political  situation  prevailing  therein.'  You 
express  your  profound  displeasure  over  the 
'improper  manner  in  which  certain  Ameri- 
can journalists,  in  a  strange  alliance  with 
Dominican  revolutionaries  residing  here,  are 
devoting  themselves  to  the  task  of  defaming 
with  impunity  a  friendly  ruler  and  a  country 
which  has  always  striven  to  maintain  rela- 
tions of  sincere  cordiality  with  the  United 
States  and  to  perform,  despite  business  de- 
pressions and  unjustifiable  hostilities,  the 
duties  of  friendship  imposed  by  the  actuali- 


Secretary  of  State  Regrets  Reel 
But  Freedom  of  Press  Pre- 
vents His  Taking  Action  to 
Suppress  Its  Showing  Here 

ties  of  geographic  vicinity  and  the  spirit  of 
true  internationalism.' 

"In  conclusion  you  state  that  'it  is  the 
wish  of  this  legation  that  the  Department 
of  State,  basing  itself  so  much  on  your  cor- 
dial formulas  and  spirit  of  conciliation,  can 
find  a  way  to  keep  the  attacks  from  being 
repeated  which  are  being  made  systemat- 
ically and  in  a  community  of  petty  interests 
against  President  Trujillo  and  the  Domini- 
can people.' 

"There  is  no  one  more  than  I  who 
deprecates  the  publication  of  any  article 
or  the  exhibition  of  any  film  which  causes 
offense  to  any  foreign  government.  It  is 
the  policy  of  this  government  to  strengthen 
friendly  ties  between  this  and  other  coun- 
tries and  to  that  end  this  government  is 
conducting  its  foreign  relations  on  a  basis 
of  complete  respect  for  the  rights  and  sen- 
sibilities of  other  nations. 

"My  government,  therefore,  deplores  any 
action  of  private  citizens  that  are  in  discord 
with  this  policy  and  that  cause  offense  to 
the  peoples  of  other  countries.  Such  actions 
sometimes  occur,  however,  for  the  reason 
that  in  this  country,  unlike  many  other  coun- 
tries, freedom  of  speech  and  of  the  press  is 
deeply  imbedded  in  our  tradition ;  is  cher- 
ished by  every  citizen  as  part  of  the  national 
heritage,  and  is  guaranteed  under  our  Con- 
stitution. 

"Although  appreciating  your  desire  to 
prevent  any  occurrences  which  might  reflect 
upon  your  country's  name.  I  am  sure  you 
understand  that  for  the  reasons  just  ex- 
plained, this  government  is  not  in  a  position 
to  prevent  the  matters  complained  of  by  you. 
I  can  only  repeat  that  I  shall  deeply  regret 
any  such  occurrences  that  might  reflect  upon 
the  cordial  ties  of  friendship  that  unite  the 
people  of  our  two  countries,  particularly 
since  it  is  likely  that  representatives  of  the 
republics  of  this  hemisphere  will  soon  be 
meeting  in  a  common  effort  to  promote  the 
maintenance  of  peace  and  of  friendly  rela- 
tions on  this  hemisphere. 

"Accept,  sir,  the  renewed  assurances  of 
my  highest  consideration. 

"Cordell  Hull." 


Lye  Thrown  in  Theatre 

Police  in  Middletown,  Ohio,  are  holding 
a  16-year-old  youth  for  investigation  fol- 
lowing a  report  from  the  management  of 
the  Sorg  theatre  that  several  patrons  were 
slightly  injured  when  lye  was  thrown  in  the 
auditorium. 


New  Magazine  Scheduled 

Publication  of  Cinema  Arts,  a  new  month- 
ly in  the  motion  picture  field,  has  been 
scheduled  for  January,  1937,  by  A.  Griffith 
Grey,  president  of  Cinema  Magazine,  Inc. 


July    2  5,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


>7 


SCHENCKS-OSTRER  DEAL  AT  A  GLANCE 


PRESENT  ALIGNMENT 
Voting  Stock  of 
GAUMONT-BRITISH 


THE  NEW  PLAN 
(Agreed  Upon  in  Principle) 
GAUMONT-BRITISH 


METROPOLIS  AND 
BRADFORD  TRUST 
(Holding  Company) 
(57%) 


PUBLIC 
(43%) 


NEW  HOLDING  COMPANY 
(Succeeding  Metropolis  and 
Bradford  Trust) 
(57%) 


PUBLIC 
(43%) 


20TH  CENTURY- 
FOX 
(49%) 


OSTRERS 
(51%) 


20TH  CENTURY -FOX, 
MGM,  OSTRERS 
*(49%) 


Intermediate 
Stage  of  New 
Plan 


20TH  CENTURY- 
FOX 
*(I6.3%) 


PUBLIC 
(Agreed  that  Ostrers, 
Fox  and  MGM  buy  none 
of  these  shares) 

*(5I%) 


OSTRERS 
*(I6.3%) 


MGM   20TH  CENTURY - 
(24.5%)  FOX 
(24.5%) 


MGM 
*(I6.3%) 

Approximate  percentages. 


HOW  THE  VARIOUS  HOLDINGS  IN  GAUMONT-BRITISH  COMPARE  UNDER  THE  NEW  PLAN 


*  r""  MGM  d  S Participation  of  the  Public  in  Voting  Shares  Under  the  Realignment 
ury  -  Fox  Brothers  3  ^ 


The  two  segments  at  the  right  represent  the  public's  participation  in  the  new  plan  for  Gaumont-British  structure  under  the  agree- 
ment-in-principle  of  Nicholas  M.  Schenck  of  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  Joseph  M.  Schenck  of  20th  Century-Fox,  and  Isadore  Ostrer.  The 
segment  farthest  to  the  right  is  the  public's  43  per  cent  in  Gaumont-British.  The  segment  second  from  the  right  is  the  public's  hold- 
ing in  the  new  company  to  be  formed  to  supplant  Metropolis  and  Bradford  Trust,  agreement  having  been  made  that  none  of  this 
stock  be  held  by  Fox,  MGM  or  the  Ostrers. 


(In  New  York  it  was  indicated  on  Wednesday  that  the  final  phase  of  the  program  in  contemplation  would  find  the  Ostrer  interests 
ultimately  retired  from  an  ownership  position — the  American  companies  retaining  only  about  2  5%,  and  65%  reposing  with  the  British 
investing  public.) 


28 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


LARGER  PRODUCTION  OUTLAY  SEEN 


{Continued  from  page  24) 

the  United  States  and  the  world  and  in- 
creasing efficiency  and  the  gross  income." 

The  negotiators  insisted  that  the  ma- 
chinery under  which  these  aims  will  be 
effected  has  not  been  "thought  out."  They 
said  that  the  Gaumont-British  distribution 
and  sales  force  in  the  United  States  will 
be  "absorbed"  by  the  Metro  and  Fox  or- 
ganizations and  GB  product  distributed 
through  its  new  American  allies.  In  other 
world  markets  the  distribution  of  product 
of  the  two  American  companies  and  GB 
will  be  handled  together  or  separately  as 
requirements  or  good  policy  dictate. 

A  particular  source  of  satisfaction  to 
Joseph  Schenck  seemed  to  be  the  expectation 
that  both  Fox  and  Metro  will  drop  their 
present  production  units  in  England  as  soon 
as  present  work  is  cleared.  He  said  that  in 
all  about  eight  pictures  are  in  production. 

Mr.  Ostrer  pointed  out  that  the  aggregate 
amount  to  be  spent  on  production  in  Eng- 
land when  the  plan  goes  into  operation  will 
be  greater  than  the  total  now  spent  by  the 
three  companies  but  the  economies  to  be 
effected  will  more  than  compensate  for  the 
greater  expense.  The  increased  cost  will 
follow  chiefly  from  the  fact  that  GB  pro- 
duction is  to  be  increased  from  the  present 
total  of  24  features  a  year  to  more  than  40. 
All  of  these  productions,  he  emphasized,  will 
be  feature  productions  and  even  though  they 
will  be  used  as  quota  cover  for  American 
films  they  will  be  expensively  made  for  nor- 
mal earning  power. 

Asked  directly  what  benefits  the  Ostrer 
brothers  will  gain  by  relinquishing  their 
present  controlling  interest  in  Metropolis 
and  Bradford  and  reducing  their  shares  to 
equal  the  holdings  of  Metro  and  Fox,  Joseph 
Schenck  said,  "They  are  not  giving  up  some- 
thing for  nothing."  Mr.  Ostrer  interjected, 
"It  will  be  relinquished  because  Gaumont 
will  be  benefited  enormously  by  the  deal." 

The  statement  concluded  that  "in  the  opin- 
ion of  the  parties  to  the  negotiation,  the 
mutual  benefits  that  should  result  from  this 
consortium  of  interests  can  hardly  be  over- 
estimated." 

Although  a  controlling  interest  in  the 
Baird  Television  Company  is  one  of  the 
assets  of  Gaumont-British  which  will  be 
made  available  to  their  American  confreres 
under  the  terms  of  the  proposal,  that  factor 
did  not  enter  into  the  preliminary  discus- 
sions, all  three  men  insisted.  Mr.  Ostrer 
digressed  to  say  that  official  government 
broadcasting  of  television  programs  will 
start  from  Alexandria  Palace,  London,  on 
October  1st  and  that  GB  will  sell  the  re- 
ceiving sets. 

To  a  question  on  the  part  that  A.  C. 
Blumenthal,  reported  to  have  been  an  agent 
for  all  three  parties,  played  in  the  deal, 
Joseph  Schenck  declared  that  he  and  Mr. 
Ostrer  had  first  discussed  the  possibility  of 
such  an  agreement  in  June,  1935,  and  that 
the  entrance  of  Metro  was  one  feature  of  the 
plan  even  then.  He  added  that  Mr.  Blumen- 
thal "injected  himself"  into  the  deal  and,  "if 
he  did  anything  worthy  of  compensation,  he 
will  get  it." 

Mr.  Schenck  also  declared  that  the  agree- 


ment was  made  only  after  conferences  with 
Sidney  R.  Kent,  president  of  Twentieth 
Century-Fox. 

J.  Robert  Rubin,  general  counsel  for 
Metro,  arrived  in  England  this  week  and 
Richard  Dwight  of  Hughes,  Schurman  & 
Dwight,  attorneys  for  Fox,  will  sail  this 
weekend  to  complete  the  negotiations  in 
England.  Mr.  Ostrer  and  Beddington 
Behrens,  stock  broker,  were  scheduled  to 
sail  on  Thursday  on  the  He  de  France  to 
participate  in  the  final  negotiations. 


Decision  Reserved 
In  Radio  Tube  Suit 

Federal  Judge  Francis  G.  Caffey  reserved 
decision  Monday  in  New  York  on  an  appli- 
cation for  an  injunction  by  the  National 
Union  Radio  Tube  Company  seeking  to  re- 
strain the  Radio  Corporation  of  America, 
the  General  Electric  Company  and  the  West- 
inghouse  Electric  and  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany from  canceling  a  license  agreement 
under  which  the  plaintiff  manufactures  mil- 
lions of  tubes  a  year. 

The  tube  company  declared  that  the  de- 
fendants had  threatened  to  abrogate  the  con- 
tract because  it  had  failed  to  pay  $50,000 
royalties  under  patent  licenses  held  by  the 
electrical  companies.  Benjamin  A.  Javits, 
counsel  for  the  National  Union  company, 
argued  that  his  client's  claims  against  the 
defendants  exceeded  the  sum  of  the  royalties 
and  accused  RCA  of  price-fixing  and  of  giv- 
ing preferential  treatment  to  other  licensees. 

Opposing  the  suit,  John  T.  Cahill,  of 
counsel  for  RCA,  described  the  plaintiff's 
charges  as  "vicious  and  astounding."  He 
told  the  court  that  RCA  had  generously 
helped  the  tube  company  through  its  finan- 
cial difficulty  by  loans  and  otherwise,  and 
declared  that  the  filing  of  the  injunction 
action  comes  a  month  before  a  considerable 
debt  of  the  National  Union  to  RCA  becomes 
due.  He  also  questioned  the  plaintiff's  good 
faith. 


LaCossitt  Joins  Fox  Company 

Henry  LaCossitt,  well  known  in  the  mag- 
azine and  publishing  fields,  has  joined  the 
staff  of  the  New  York  scenario  department 
of  Twentieth-Century-Fox. 


REVOLT  IN  SPAIN 
CLOSES  THEATRES 

The  motion  picture  industry  in 
Spain  came  to  a  dead  stop  this  week 
as  rebellion  flared,  endangering  life 
and  property. 

Theatres  and  distributing  organiza- 
tions were  closed  by  government 
order  as  a  precautionary  measure 
while  suppression  of  the  revolt  was 
undertaken. 

Order  was  reported  as  being  re- 
stored on  Wednesday. 


Anti-  Trust  Action 

Answers  denying  alleged  anti-trust  viola- 
tions in  the  distribution  of  films  in  New 
Jersey  were  filed  in  the  federal  court  at 
Newark  this  week  by  27  motion  picture  com- 
panies and  four  officials,  as  the  result  of  a 
$1,060,000  damage  suit  and  an  equity  action 
instituted  by  independent  New  Jersey  oper- 
ators. 

The  action  was  started  in  April,  1935,  by 
the  Ledirk  Amusement  Company,  which 
operates  the  Palace  at  Orange,  and  the 
Strand  Operating  Company,  which  formerly 
operated  the  Strand  at  East  Orange. 

Direct  answers  denying  the  charges  have 
been  filed  by  Stanley  Company  of  America, 
Warner  Brothers,  the  Circuit  Management 
Corporation,  Warner  Bros.  Theatres,  Inc., 
and  Donald  Jacocks. 

Other  defendants,  not  only  denying  the 
allegations  of  the  two  complainants,  but 
questioning  the  court's  jurisdiction  as  well, 
include  Warner  Bros.  Pictures,  Inc.,  First 
National  Pictures,  Inc.,  First  National  Pro- 
ductions, Inc.,  Vitagraph,  Inc.,  Vitaphone 
Corporation,  Vitaphone  Distributing  Cor- 
poration, First  National  Pictures  Distribut- 
ing Corporation,  Stanley-Fabian  Corpora- 
tion, Harry  M.  Warner,  Albert  Warner  and 
Joseph  Bernhard. 

The  charges  were  also  denied  and  the 
court's  jurisdiction  questioned  by  four  other 
groups  of  defendants  known  as  the  Fox, 
United  Artists,  Paramount  and  RKO 
groups. 

The  plaintiffs  in  the  equity  suit  seek  an 
injunction  to  prevent  alleged  distribution  of 
feature  pictures  to  only  those  houses  con- 
trolled by  the  motion  picture  interests  and 
to  obtain  for  independent  houses  the  right 
to  compete  on  an  equal  basis  for  purchase  or 
rent  of  the  pictures. 

Merritt  Lane  and  Louis  Nizer  represent 
the  defendants,  while  Israel  Greene  is  the 
attorney  for  the  plaintiffs. 


British  Screen  Writers  Organize 

Organized  by  Kilham  Roberts,  the  British 
Screen  Writers'  Association  has  been  formed 
under  the  wing  of  the  Incorporated  Society 
of  Authors,  Playwrights  and  Musicians,  for 
the  special  purpose  of  presenting  a  case  to 
the  Moyne  Committee  on  the  Films  Act. 
Recommendations  from  the  FBI  Film  Group, 
including  the  abolition  of  the  existing  Films 
Act  clause  stipulating  a  British  scenario 
writer,  will  be  contested  by  the  new  associa- 
tion. 


Epidemic  Hits  Grosses 

Theatre  owners  of  the  Tennessee  Valley 
and  sections  of  northern  Alabama  are  re- 
ported to  be  feeling  the  effects  of  the  infan- 
tile paralysis  epidemic  now  prevailing  there. 
Swimming  pools,  motion  picture  houses, 
schools,  churches  and  public  gathering 
places  are  closed  indefinitely  in  Decatur, 
Athens  and  Hartselle. 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


29 


Agreement  Settles 
RCA  Plant  Strike 

The  strike  at  the  Camden,  N.  J.,  plant 
of  the  Radio  Corporation  of  America  was 
concluded  on  Wednesday  when  members  of 
the  United  Electrical  and  Radio  Workers  of 
America  voted  unanimously  to  accept  an 
agreement  worked  out  by  officials  of  the 
company  and  of  the  union. 

The  settlement  provides  for  an  election 
under  the  auspices  of  the  National  Labor 
Relations  Board  to  determine  the  question  of 
majority  representation  as  between  Local 
103  of  the  United,  the  Employees  Commit- 
tee Union  and  "any  other  employee  organ- 
ization in  the  Camden  plant." 

Following  announcement  of  the  settlement 
strike  activities  were  to  cease  immediately, 
the  striking  employees  were  to  be  re- 
employed as  rapidly  as  work  for  them  be- 
comes available,  without  discrimination. 

The  strike,  which  had  lasted  four  weeks, 
was  arbitrated  by  Major  General  Hugh  S. 
Johnson,  special  labor  relations  representa- 
tive, and  David  Sarnoff,  president  of  the 
Radio  Corporation,  both  of  whom  acted  for 
the  company.  John  L.  Lewis,  president  of 
the  United  Mine  Workers  of  America,  was 
chief  spokesman  for  the  strikers. 

Court  cases  growing  out  of  the  strike  were 
also  settled  on  Wednesday  when  a  common 
pleas  court  judge  dismissed  55  complaints 
against  strikers  for  lack  of  evidence  and  held 
37  for  the  grand  jury  on  charges  of  "engag- 
ing to  riot." 

Stephen  Roberts, 
Director,  Dies 

Stephen  Roberts,  motion  picture  director, 
died  in  his  sleep  last  Friday  from  a  chronic 
heart  ailment.  He  was  41.  A  native  of 
Summersville,  West  Virginia,  Mr.  Roberts 
studied  at  Ohio  State  University,  was  an 
aviator  during  the  World  War  and  first 
came  to  Hollywood  as  a  stunt  pilot.  He 
was  an  assistant  director  for  a  year  with 
William  S.  Hart  and  Thomas  H.  Ince. 

Among  the  motion  pictures  he  directed 
were:  "Sky  Bride,"  "Lady  and  Gent,"  "If  I 
Had  a  Million,"  "Night  of  June  13,"  "Little 
Orphan  Annie,"  "Story  of  Temple  Drake," 
"One  Sunday  Afternoon,"  "The  Trumpet 
Blows,"  "Star  of  Midnight,"  "The  Man 
Who  Broke  the  Bank  at  Monte  Carlo," 
"The  Lady  Consents"  and  "The  Ex-Mrs. 
Bradford." 

Streimer  Named  Special 
UA  Sales  Representative 

Moe  Streimer,  for  many  years  manager  of 
the  United  Artists  exchange  in  New  York, 
has  been  appointed  special  representative  out 
of  the  home  office  in  New  York,  it  was  an- 
nounced Tuesday  by  George  J.  Schaefer, 
vice-president  in  charge  of  sales  for  the  com- 
pany. 

The  branch  managership  of  the  New  York 
exchange  has  been  taken  over  by  Charles 
Rosenzweig,  who  recently  joined  the  staff 
of  United  Artists.  Mr.  Rosenzweig  has  been 
a  prominent  figure  in  the  sales  division  of 
the  motion  picture  industry  for  18  years, 
and  has  held  many  important  posts. 


Bingham  Presenting  Quigley  Award 
To  John  Armstrong  in  London 


Robert  W.  Bingham,  U.  S.  Ambassador  to  England,  presented  the  1935  Quigley 
Silver  Grand  Award  to  John  Armstrong,  now  director  of  publicity  for  Radio 
Pictures,  Ltd.,  at  the  American  Embassy  in  Grosvenor  Gardens,  London.  In  the 
photograph,  left  to  right,  are  G.  W.  Dawson,  secretary  and  director  of  Radio 
Pictures;  D.  C.  Dobie,  sales  manager  of  First  National  Pictures;  His  Excellency  the 
American  Ambassador;  Mr.  Armstrong;  Theo.  H.  Fligelstone,  president  of  the 
Cinematograph  Exhibitors'  Association;  M.  Neville  Kearney,  secretary  of  the  Film 
Group  of  the  F.  B.  I„  and  Hope  Williams,  of  the  London  Bureau  of  Quigley 
Publications. 


E.  J.  Sparks  Voices  Pride 
In  Padgett's  Award  Honors 

Not  the  least  of  the  accomplishments  of  the  Quigley  Awards  is  the  invariable 
recognition  given  the  winners  by  their  superiors.  The  following  from  E.  }.  Sparks, 
of  Sparks  Theatres,  is  an  acknowledgement  of  this  department's  wire  on  Del  Padgett's 
success  in  winning  the  Quigley  June  Bronze  plaque  for  his  campaign  on  "Show- 
boat", at  the  Capitol  Theatre,  Clearwater,  Via.: 

I  acknowledge  receipt  of  your  telegram  of  the  tenth  reading: 

"Del  Padgett  Capitol  Theatre  Clearwater  Florida  wins  Quigley  June  Bronze 
Plaque  on  quote  Show  Boat  unquote  Congratulations" 

This  has  been  forwarded  to  me  to  Asheville,  where  I  am  spending  a  few  days. 
I  am  indeed  very  happy  at  the  information  given  in  your  telegram. 

Mr.  Padgett  is  one  of  our  young  managers,  but  is  a  very  live-wire  fellow,  and 
is  plenty  competent. 

I  know  it  not  only  means  a  great  deal  to  him  to  receive  this  honor,  but  it  like- 
wise makes  the  officials  of  our  circuit  very  proud  to  know  that  one  of  our  men  won 
the  Quigley  June  bronze  plaque.  This  adds  very  greatly  to  the  happiness  of  my 
vacation,  and  I  assure  you  of  my  deep  appreciation  for  the  information  given. 

Mr.  Padgett  is  the  second  entrant  in  the  Quigley  Awards  from  Florida  to  win  a 
plaque,  the  first  going  to  Walter  Golden,  of  the  Riverside  Theatre,  Jacksonville,  in 
April,  1934,  for  his  campaign  on  "Nana".  Mr.  Padgett's  victory  is  his  first  in  the 
competitions  and  also  the  first  from  among  the  showmen  in  the  Sparks  theatres. 


30 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


Radio  Broadcasts  Trace 
Films  to  Scriptures 

Philadelphia  Clergyman's  Air  Reviews  of  Current  Pictures  Quote  Biblical  Text 


by  MORRIS  O.  ORODENKER 

in  Philadelphia 

Philadelphia  radio  audiences  are  witness- 
ing the  unusual  spectacle  of  a  clergyman 
utilizing  motion  pictures  to  stimulate  an  in- 
terest in  religion.  The  significance  of  the 
situation  carries  an  added  import  when  one 
recalls  the  concerted  drive  on  the  part,  of 
the  clergy  in  their  unsuccessful  fight  against 
Sunday  showings  in  Pennsylvania. 

The  central  figure  in  this  seemingly  para- 
doxical situation  is  the  Rev.  Dr.  David  Carl 
Colony  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 

Dr.  Colony  uses  his  radio  series  to  pro- 
pound a  theory  of  his  own  that  80  per  cent 
of  all  motion  pictures  teach  a  definite  moral 
lesson,  either  by  intent  or  by  chance.  On 
each  broadcast  he  reviews  a  current  film, 
points  out  the  moral  lesson  it  contains,  and 
traces  his  reasoning  directly  to  a  Biblical 
text. 

For  the  last  three  months  Dr.  Colony  has 
been  airing  his  series,  called  "Sermons  on 
the  Movies,"  over  WFIL,  Philadelphia,  on 
a  five-minute  daily  schedule.  Dr.  Colony 
believes  that  through  these  broadcasts  he 
will  arouse  in  the  masses  a  thirst  for  more 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures. 

Based  on  Long  Study 

Revolutionary  as  his  theories  may  appear, 
they  are,  says  Dr.  Colony,  based  on  sound 
thinking  and  years  of  painstaking  research. 
Religion,  the  clergyman  believes,  must  move 
forward  to  keep  faith  with  its  divine  trust. 

Pointing  out  that  the  church  is  beneficial 
only  to  those  sympathetic  with  religion,  Dr. 
Colony  said : 

"We  must  reach  those  outside  the  Church. 
Religion  must  be  brought  to  the  people ;  they 
must  be  attracted.  We  must  go  out  in  the 
highways  and  bring  them  in. 

"One  of  the  most  heavily  traveled  of  hu- 
man avenues  is  the  field  of  entertainment. 
Research  has  shown  me  that  80,000,000  peo- 
ple weekly  go  to  the  movies.  They  go  pri- 
marily for  entertainment,  and  to  escape  from 
life's  harsh  realities.  However,  it  is  possible 
for  entertainment  to  be  both  instructive  and 
inspiring.  Observation  has  proved  to  me 
that,  in  most  cases,  the  plot  of  a  cinema 
clearly  illustrates  a  text  of  the  Bible.  More 
so,  in  many  cases,  without  the  slightest 
stretch  of  the  imagination,  it  would  seem 
that  a  Biblical  text  had  inspired  the  film; 
that  its  decorative  scenes  had  been  built 
upon  a  framework  of  Holy  Writ. 

"It  is  my  intention,  then,  through  the 
medium  of  my  broadcast  column,  to  impress 
the  movie  fans  with  the  moral  and  religious 
implications  in  the  current  films.  This  with 
the  hope  that  having  seen  a  sermon  preached 
upon  the  screen,  the  people  will  be  inspired 
to  a  greater  curiosity ;  that  they  will  go  in 
search  of  the  God  from  whom  all  wisdom 


FLORIDA  SUPREME  COURT 
SEES  FILM  EVIDENCE 

The  Florida  supreme  court  at  Talla- 
hassee saw  its  first  motion  pictures 
this  tveek  when  attorneys  for  two 
insurance  companies  were  granted  the 
privilege  by  the  court  to  exhibit  films 
as  a  part  of  their  argument.  Attaches 
said  it  was  the  first  time  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  court  that  projection  ma- 
chines were  set  up  in  the  courtroom. 

The  insurance  lawyers  sought  by 
their  picture  to  help  prove  John  J. 
McCaskill  of  Marianna  was  not  en- 
titled to  disability  benefits  under  four 
policies.  Vieivs  of  Mr.  McCaikill, 
which  attorneys  said  were  taken  from 
a  hotel  window  with  a  tele  photo  lens 
showed  him  as  he  walked  about  the 
business  district  of  Marianna.  Coun- 
sel for  Mr.  McCaskill  protested  at  one 
point,  claiming  the  film  was  being 
run  too  fast,  and  the  justices  entered 
into  a  discussion  of  amateur  pho- 
tography. 


and  inspiration  flow,  and  that,  having  found 
him,  they  will  remain  to  worship." 

Response  Is  Favorable 

Stimulating  interest  in  religion  with  his 
film  sermons,  Dr.  Colony  already  has 
amassed  a  tremendous  listening  audience. 
Of  the  several  thousand  letters  received, 
only  30  have  taken  the  clergymen  to  task  for 
his  liberal  and  progressive  viewpoints.  All 
the  others  have  been  loud  in  their  praise  of 
what  most  of  them  termed  "sound  modern 
day  religious  thought."  And  many  of  the 
letters  of  commendation  were  written  by 
ministers,  representing  every  creed. 

These  "Sermons  on  the  Movies"  have 
been  indorsed  by  the  WFIL  Religious  Ad- 
visory Council,  a  group  of  Philadelphia 
clergymen  representative  of  the  various  de- 
nominations. Headed  by  Dr.  James  A.  Mac- 
Callum,  pastor  of  the  Walnut  Street  Presby- 
terian Church,  the  board  governs  all  of 
the  station's  religious  activities.  Despite  the 
unqualified  approval  voiced  by  this  body, 
both  Dr.  Colony  and  the  officials  of  the  radio 
station  anticipated  no  little  criticism  for  the 
campaign.  However,  with  the  importance 
of  the  goal  in  view,  all  parties  concerned  are 
confident  that  the  end  justifies  the  means. 

Exemplary  of  the  method  employed  by  Dr. 
Colony  in  his  sermonettes,  from  "The  Life 
of  Louis  Pasteur"  he  traced  the  theme  to  a 
text  from  the  gospel  of  St.  Matthew :  "Even 
the  Son  of  Man  came  not  to  be  administered 
unto  but  to  minister." 

He  knows  that  church  attendance  is  fall- 
ing off  in  the  United  States.   Likewise,  he 


knows  that  film  attendance  is  increasing. 
Two  and  two  make  four,  he  reasons.  Give 
the  people  what  they  want.  Teach  them  re- 
ligion with  movies.  Arouse  their  curiosity. 
Awaken  in  them  a  desire  for  the  Word. 
Then  maybe  they  will  go  to  church.  Having 
entered,  they  may  remain.  That  is  Dr. 
Colony's  philosophy  when,  in  simple  and 
direct  logic,  he  points  out  sermons  taught 
in  the  current  screen. 

In  addition  to  his  daily  broadcasts, 
Dr.  Colony  plans  to  present  a  15-minute 
radio  dramatization  in  which  a  current  film 
will  serve  as  the  subject  matter.  Another 
proposed  feature  will  be  a  "Mother's  Cor- 
ner," in  which  Dr.  Colony  will  volunteer  to 
answer  all  questions  pertaining  to  juvenile 
psychology  in  its  relation  to  the  screen. 
Although  his  present  broadcasts  are  con- 
fined to  radio  audiences  in  the  Philadelphia 
areas,  it  is  understood  that  his  "Sermons 
on  the  Movies"  soon  will  attain  national 
proportions  with  a  view  toward  reaching 
all  the  80,000,000  film  patrons  in  the 
United  States. 

Well  known  throughout  the  East  as  an 
educator  and  writer,  Dr.  Colony  was  for  10 
years  associated  with  the  faculties  of  Hav- 
erford  School  and  Episcopal  Academy,  near 
Philadelphia.  He  was  formerly  assistant 
rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd 
in  Rosemont,  Pa.,  relinquishing  this  post 
three  years  ago  to  devote  his  time  to  writing 
and  study.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a 
regular  contributor  to  Harper's,  Scribner's, 
Reader's  Digest  and  other  magazines. 

More  and  more,  Dr.  Colony  finds,  the 
current  releases  from  the  Hollywood  lots 
yield  themselves  to  the  treatment  he  gives 
them.  From  "Green  Pastures"  he  derived 
material  for  four  sermons,  tracing  the  theme 
each  time  to  a  different  Biblical  text. 

Dr.  Colony  is  of  the  opinion  that  motion 
pictures  are  definitely  on  the  upswing  from 
the  moral  point  of  view.  "At  their  present 
rate  of  progress,"  he  continued,  "there  is  no 
question  that  motion  pictures  can  be  made 
and  will  be  made  the  leading  agency  in  dis- 
seminating religious  and  moral  instruction ; 
both  through  educational  pictures  like  'The 
Life  of  Louis  Pasteur'  and  'The  White  An- 
gel,' and  through  inspirational  pictures  like 
'Green  Pastures.'  As  a  minister  of  religion, 
I  see  in  the  movies  a  greater  opportunity 
for  the  advancement  of  religion  than  I  do 
in  any  other  single  agency,  except  the  sacra- 
ments of  the  Church  itself." 


Washington  Closings  Light 

With  475  theatres  in  the  Washington  ter- 
ritory, which  includes  the  District  of  Colum- 
bia, Maryland  and  Virginia,  there  are  less 
than  a  dozen  houses  dark,  according  to 
Harry  Brown,  Grand  National  branch  man- 
ager, who  has  been  in  New  York  conferring 
with  Carl  Leserman. 


THESE  GOOD  PEOPLE  BOUGHT 

6,000  TICKETS  AN  HOUR, 
100  TICKETS  A  MINUTE 
ON  THE  OPENING  DAY, 
SO  NATURALLY  


At  3  P.  M.  On  Monday,  Fifth-Day  Receipts  Had  Already  Topped 


» «.  by  MARC  CONNELLY 
— - *  MARC  CONNELLY 


k    >  * 


and 


WM.  KEIGHLEY 


MUSIC 


Opening  Day  by  $300,  Second  Day  by  $900-ln  Driving  Rain!) 


And  If  s  the  Same  Sweet  Success  Story 

LOOK  HOW 

MAJESTIC,  DALLAS— Held  over!  Second  day 
20%  ahead  of  first! 

FOX,  ATLANTA— Second  day  50%  over  first! 

BROADWAY,  CHARLOTTE-New  high  for  the 
year  and  fourth  day  30%  higher  than  2nd! 

DES  MOINES,  DES  MOINES-Better  business 
than  industry's  biggest  competing  hit  on 
hottest  day  of  year! 


in  Every  One  of  the  First  Engagements! 
IT  BUILDS! 

CAPITOL,  TEXARKANA-Held  over  after  new 
opening  record  in  record  Texas  heat! 

MAJESTIC,  HOUSTON  -  Fifth  day  actually 
better  than  the  first! 

COLONY,  MIAMI -Third  day  25%  ahead 
of  2nd! 

HOLLYWOOD,  FT.  WORTH-Third  day  tops 
first  day  by  10%! 


In  other  words,  WARNER  BROS,  make  it  easy  for  you 
to  solve  that  pressing  "A"  time  product  problem  -  simply 

HOLDOVER  THE  GREEN  PASTURES ! 


New  York  Times  says  "that 

noise  you  hear  is  the  critics  dancing  in  the  streets  over 


THE 

GREEN 
PASTURES 

New  York  Sun  says 

"WARNER  BROS. 

can  point  with  pride  to  the  season's  most  memorable  film 
New  York  Evening  Journal  says  "Thanks  to 

WARNER  BROS. 

for  their  courage  and  foresight  in  producing  it!" 
Herald-Tribune  says  'It's  a  tribute  to  the  courage  of 

WARNER  BROS. 
It  is  beautiful  and  stirring!" 
New  York  American  says  "Laurels  for 
all— especially  the  valiant 

WARNER  BROS. 
Better  than  the  play!" 

N.  Y.  World-Telegram  says  "Once  more  this 
department's  hat  goes  hurtling  into  the  air  in  honor  of 

WARNER  BROS.!" 


July    2  5,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


35 


BRITISH  EXHIBITORS'  COMMITTEE 
TO  HANDLE  OVERBUILDING  ISSUE 


Special  Group  Empowered  to 
Act  at  Once  in  "Any  Direc- 
tion They  Think  Fit"  and  Re- 
port to  the  General  Council 

by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 

The  General  Council  of  the  Cinemato- 
graph Exhibitors'  Association  has  taken  a 
further  definite  step  to  meet  the  danger  of 
"redundancy,"  or  overbuilding,  which  was 
a  leading  subject  of  discussion  at  the  recent 
Summer  Conference  of  the  association  at 
Eastbourne. 

Following  on  a  paper  on  the  subject  by 
Ken  A.  Nyman,  chairman  of  the  London  & 
Home  Counties  branch  of  the  C.  E.  A.,  the 
conference  decided  unanimously  that  a 
special  committee  should  be  set  up,  to  collect 
data  and  consider  ways  and  means  of  deal- 
ing with  the  problem.  At  the  council  meet- 
ing the  General  Purposes  Committee  sug- 
gested names  for  such  a  committee,  which 
would  be  asked  to  examine  the  problem  and 
report  to  the  council.  This  proposal  was 
criticized  by  Major  A.  O.  Ellis,  one  of  those 
nominated,  who  thought  the  committee 
should  be  given  powers  without  reference  to 
the  council.  He  was  supported  by  C.  A. 
Mathes,  a  past  president,  and  eventually  a 
resolution  was  passed  that  the  committee 
should  "be  empowered  to  act  immediately 
in  any  direction  they  think  fit,"  and  that  a 
report  on  the  results  of  investigation  and  of 
any  action  taken  should  be  made  to  the  coun- 
cil meeting  in  September  or  earlier.  The 
committee  consists  of  the  officers  of  the 
association  and  Messrs.  E.  J.  Hinge,  Major 
A.  O.  Ellis,  J.  Pollard,  J.  Welsh,  E.  Troun- 
son,  Ken  A.  Nyman,  H.  Shanly,  E.  W.  P. 
Peall  and  A.  Mose. 

Undoubtedly  the  extension  to  a  com- 
mittee of  such  unusual  powers  is  evidence 
of  the  alarm  felt  by  all  classes  of  exhibitors 
in  regard  to  the  overbuilding  danger,  of 
which  several  lurid  instances  were  given  to 
the  Council.  Mr.  Pollard  quoted  a  situa- 
tion in  which  a  theatre  costing  £7,000 
($35,000)  had  been  erected,  followed  by 
another  costing  £17,000  ($85,000)  and  by 
the  grant  of  a  license  for  a  third,  of  super 
capacity,  although  neither  of  the  existing 
halls  could  gross  £90  ($450)  a  week.  Of 
another  area,  it  was  declared  that  it  had 
been  necessary  to  oppose  four  applica- 
tions for  new  licenses  in  twelve  months. 

Embodied  in  the  Nyman  paper  at  East- 
bourne was  the  suggestion  that  overbuilding 
could  be  fought  by  three  methods :  an  appeal 
for  Government  protection ;  action  in  combi- 
nation with  distributors  in  a  Joint  Tribunal 
to  pass  on  all  new  plans ;  or  local  opposition 
before  licensing  authorities.  In  regard  to  the 
first  it  may  be  significant  that  the  association 
already  has  submitted  further  evidence  to 
the  Advisory  Committee  on  the  Films  Act, 
supplementing  its  previous  statement  oppos- 
ing, chiefly,  an  increase  in  the  quota. 

Still  further  application  to  the  Board  of 
Trade,  asking  protection  against  American 


CHANCE  GAME  TRICK 
CAUGHT  BY  MANAGER 

Two  youths  are  in  jail  in  St. 
Joseph,  Mo.,  this  week  because  a  get- 
rich-quick  plan  designed  to  operate 
at  the  expense  of  theatres  using  Bank 
Night  went  haywire. 

The  scheme  of  Jack  and  James 
Stuart,  Cincinnati  brothers,  was  to  at- 
tend Bank  Night  drawings  with  a 
duplicate  set  of  tickets  printed  by 
themselves.  Another  person  would  be 
hired  to  volunteer  to  draw  the  stubs, 
the  winner  being  one  furnished  by  the 
schemers. 

A  theatre  manager  became  sus- 
picious when  a  defect  in  ticket  per- 
foration was  detected,  however,  and 
the  Stuarts  confessed  when  questioned 
and  confronted  with  the  evidence. 
The  plan  worked  well  in  Salt  Lake 
City  and  Lexington,  said  the  boys. 


investments  in  British  theatres  was  a  sug- 
gestion heard  at  Eastbourne.  The  atmos- 
phere of  the  current  agitation  against  over- 
building has  not  been  sensed  unless  it  is  un- 
derstood that,  in  the  view  of  the  British  ex- 
hibitor, the  chief  responsibility  for  the  evil 
lies  at  the  door  of  a  British  circuit  closely 
associated  with  an  American  distributing 
company.  Since  the  committee  was  ap- 
pointed the  news  has  been  published  of  a 
further  extension  of  American  financial 
control  of  British  theatre.  If  the  CEA  de- 
cides that  the  real  remedy  for  its  troubles, 
including  rentals  as  well  as  redundancy,  is 
to  be  found  in  legislation  it  is  perhaps  sig- 
nificant that  it  is  already  in  contact  with 
official  departments  believed  to  be  receptive 
to  the  theory  of  protecting  British  industries 
against  "alien"  control. 

Also  to  be  considered  is  the  fact  that  the 
CEA  undoubtedly  feels  itself  on  its  toes  in 
regard  to  its  most  spectacular  current  con- 
troversy with  the  Kinematograph  Renters 
Society,  on  the  society's  compilation  of  a 
"black  list,"  socalled,  of  exhibitors  to  be 
refused  flat  rate  bookings.  "If,"  says  the 
official  council  report,  "the  KRS  does  not 
abandon  its  policy,  your  Legal  Committee 
.  .  .  asks  for  authority  ...  to  put  the  counter- 
action which  the  General  Council  has  con- 
templated into  immediate  action."  The  KRS 
is  given  five  days  to  withdraw  the  policy  to 
which  objection  is  taken. 

See  Rights  Invaded 

It  is  generally  understood  that,  in  fact, 
the  KRS  already  has  decided  to  withdraw 
the  circular  which  caused  all  the  trouble. 
Some  distributors  are  understood  to  regard 
as  an  invasion  of  their  individual  trading 
rights  the  suggestion  that  percentage  terms 
should  be  made  compulsory  in  the  case  of 
theatres  in  solus  or  otherwise  favorable  situ- 
ations. The  interesting  question  as  to  just 
what  "counter-action"  would  be  taken  by 
exhibitors  is  therefore  unlikely  to  be  deter- 


Additional  Social  Gatherings 
Arranged  for  New  York  and 
Hollywood  Visit  of  Party  of 
British  Showmen  by  Quigley 

mined.  Hinted  was  a  joint  boycott  of  a  sin- 
gle distributor,  with  similar  action  regard- 
ing other  companies  in  due  time. 

Joint  Trade  Publicity 

Another  matter  raised  at  Eastbourne,  the 
inauguration  of  a  joint  advertising  campaign 
by  the  industry,  also  was  carried  a  stage  fur- 
ther by  the  council.  Simon  Rowson,  author 
of  the  original  paper,  and  also  of  a  more 
detailed  plan  circulated  to  delegates,  was 
present  by  invitation  and  once  again  quoted 
American  precedents  in  favor  of  "com- 
munity" advertising.  Incidentally,  he  said 
that  the  American  exhibitors'  lower  rental 
rates  were  "largely  a  reflex  of  the  fact  that 
they  earn  more  money."  His  suggestion  now 
took  the  form  of  a  fund  to  which  exhibitors 
and  distributors  should  contribute  on  a 
50-50  basis,  and  the  council  instructed  the 
officers  to  confer  with  other  sections  of  the 
industry  to  see  if  a  definite  plan  could  be 
constructed  on  some  such  basis. 

British  Trip  is  Shaping 

The  program  for  the  visit  to  New  York 
and  Hollywood  of  the  party  of  British  ex- 
hibitors organized  by  Arthur  Taylor,  secre- 
tary of  the  London  and  Home  Counties 
Branch  of  the  CEA,  gradually  is  taking  a 
definite  form.  Several  further  social  func- 
tions have  been  arranged,  including  a  cock- 
tail party,  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Percy 
Phillipson,  at  the  British  Club  on  July  27th, 
Mr.  Drew  being  the  host. 

In  addition  to  the  already  announced  re- 
ception by  Quigley  Publications  and  Mr. 
W.  G.  Van  Schmus  at  Radio  City  Music 
Hall  on  July  28th,  the  party  will  be  enter- 
tained in  New  York  on  the  return  journey 
by  Bill  Brenner  of  National  Screen  Service. 
Mr.  Brenner  will  meet  the  party  on  its 
arrival  in  New  York  and  invite  them  to  a 
luncheon  or  dinner  on  August  18th. 

Also  waiting  the  arrival  of  the  Queen 
Mary  on  July  27th  will  be  Dan  Hickson  of 
General  Service  Studios,  George  Pratt,  vice- 
president  of  Electrical  Research  Products 
and  Jeffrey  Bernerd  of  Gaumont-British 
Corporation. 

A  cable  has  been  received  from  Will  H. 
Hays  promising  the  official  cooperation  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Distribu- 
tors of  America,  during  the  party's  Holly- 
wood visit  and  Col.  John  A.  Cooper,  presi- 
dent of  the  MPDA  of  Canada,  has  confirmed 
plans  to  meet  them  at  Niagara  Falls  on  Au- 
gust 16th  and  conduct  a  motor  trip  to 
Toronto. 

Will  Remake  "Dreaming  Lips" 

Max  Schach  is  to  produce  an  English 
version  of  "Dreaming  Lips,"  the  German 
film  in  which  Elisabeth  Bergner  made  her 
reputation.  It  will  be  directed  by  her  hus- 
band, Dr.  Paul  Czinner,  at  Denham  studios 
as  a  Trafalgar  production  for  United  Art- 
ists world  release. 


36 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    25,  1936 


BRITISH  STUDIOS 


by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 


G-B  Work  Advanced 

With  five  productions  active  at  Shepherd's 
Bush,  on  the  Northolt  exterior  lot,  or  on  lo- 
cation, Gaumont-British  is  well  advanced 
with  the  increased  schedule  of  pictures  an- 
nounced for  American  as  well  as  for  British 
release.  The  current  features  are  "The  Nel- 
son Touch,"  "Head  Over  Heels,"  "Sabot- 
age," "O.  H.  M.  S.,"  and  "The  Great  Bar- 
rier," which  is  on  location  in  Canada,  while 
"The  Northing  Tramp"  has  been  completed 
on  the  dot  on  an  eight  weeks  shooting  sched- 
ule. Interesting  in  this  film  is  the  fact  that 
a  series  of  American  exterior  sets  were 
erected  at  Northolt,  the  last  a  reconstruc- 
tion of  a  railway  station  on  the  U.  S.-Cana- 
dian  border.  Constance  Cummings  and 
Hugh  Sinclair  were  the  leads  in  this  epi- 
sode. Albert  de  Courville  directed  from  an 
Edgar  Wallace  story. 

The  Jessie  Matthews  vehicle,  "Head  Over 
Heels,"  is  now  well  under  way  at  Shepherd's 
Bush,  first  backgrounds  being  those  of  a 
Montmartre  cafe.  "Bob,"  the  British  Rin- 
Tin-Tin,  is  making  his  thirty-third  screen 
appearance.  In  the  cast  proper  are  Louis 
Borrell,  Robert  Flemyng,  Whitney  Bourne 
and  Romney  Brent. 

Latest  news  of  the  Arliss  picture,  "The 
Nelson  Touch,"  is  the  selection  of  Rene  Ray 
for  the  important  part  of  secretary  to  Arliss 
in  the  political  potentate  half  of  his  dual 
role.  Miss  Ray  made  a  hit  as  the  servant 
girl  in  "The  Passing  of  the  Third  Floor 
Back"  for  G-B  and  had  Hollywood  offers 
which  she  rejected  for  stage  parts — latest 
of  them  in  Priestley's  "Bees  on  the  Boat 
Deck."  Arliss  himself  is  pretty  busy  with 
dual  appearance  scenes,  the  political  magnate 
in  altercation  with  his  ne'er-do-well  brother. 
The  cast  includes  Romilly  Lunge,  John 
Ford,  Allan  Jeayes,  Reginald  Tate,  Bernard 
Merefield,  John  Turnbull  and  Jessie  Winter. 

Alfred  Hitchcock's  "Sabotage"  is  half 
finished.  Sylvia  Sydney,  John  Loder,  Oscar 
Homolka,  Desmond  Tester,  Joyce  Barbour 
and  S.  J.  Warmington  are  the  chief  names. 

For  the  British  army  film  "O.  H.  M.  S.," 
three  thousand  regular  troops  are  being  used 
in  scenes  shot  on  the  War  Office  area  of 
Salisbury  Plain.  The  production  schedule 
calls  for  the  introduction  of  every  wing  of 
the  new  mechanized  army.  Anna  Lee  is  the 
star. 

London  Signs  Reisch 

London  Films  has  signed  Walter  Reisch, 
who  recently  completed  the  ballet  picture 
"Silhouettes"  in  Vienna,  to  write  and  direct 
at  Denham  a  special  feature  for  Vivian 
Leigh,  West  End  actress  recently  put  under 
long-term  contract  by  Alexander  Korda. 
Reisch's  story  will  be  titled  "Triangle,"  and 
will  be  the  first  of  a  Leigh  series.  Screen 
tests  made  of  this  young  artiste  make  her 
look  a  big  find,  according  to  London  Films. 

Reisch,  14  years  ago  an  assistant  director 
to  Korda  on  silent  films  in  Vienna,  made 
his  reputation  as  author  of  "Maskerade"  and 
"Unfinished  Symphony,"  and  wrote  and 
directed  the  Paula  Wessely  "Episode." 


Hymn  Is  Title 


BRUCE  LISTER 
young    film    artist    under    contract    to  — 
Warner -First    National    in    England,    is  JttetntZeCl 
now   appearing   in   "Hail   and  Farewell" 
at  the  Teddington  studios. 


Using  the  hymn  title  "Abide  with  Me" 
John  Baxter  is  making  a  feature  for  U.  K. 
Films,  Associated  Producers  and  Distribu- 
tors release,  with  an  unusual  type  of  hero,  a 
clergyman  forced  out  of  his  church  by  gos- 
sip, who  mixes  with  down  and  outs  in  Lon- 
don slums;  life  below  the  poverty  line  is 
illustrated,  among  other  episodes,  by  authen- 
tic reconstructions  of  London  police  court 
procedure.  A  new  leading  lady,  18-year-old 
Pamela  Randall,  is  supported  by  Cathleen 
Nesbit,  Eric  Portman  and  the  veteran 
Bransby  Williams,  playing  two  parts. 
V 

R.  B.  Wainwright's  production  at  Sound 
City,  "The  Secret  of  Stamboul,"  Andrew 
Marton  directing,  is  a  story  of  New  Turkey 
threatened  by  a  plot  to  restore  the  old  re- 
gime. A  unit  just  has  returned  from  Con- 
stantinople and  from  shots  obtained  there  a 
roof-top  set  has  been  constructed  in  which, 
against  a  background  of  minarets  and  spires, 
Frank  Vosper,  Valeria  Hobson  and  James 
Mason  have  played  a  scene  in  which  the  for- 
bidden fez  and  yashmak  are  worn. 


British  Lion  has  started  at  Beaconsfield 
the  first  of  the  starring  vehicles  scheduled 
for  Renee  Houston,  variety  celebrity.  Enti- 
tled "Fine  Feathers,"  it  was  especially  writ- 
ten by  Michael  Barringer  and  is  a  comedy 
with  Renee  as  a  be-spectacled  young  woman 
who  interrupts  a  secret  conclave  of  European 
statesmen  in  a  remote  English  country 
house.  Opposite  her  is  Donald  Stewart,  who 
came  from  the  States  and  played  a  small 
part  in  "Soft  Lights  and  Sweet  Music"  for 
BL,  making  a  hit.  Also  cast  are  Francis  L. 
Sullivan,  Jack  Hobbs,  Carl  Lacey,  Mary 
Sheridan  and  Henry  Victor.  Leslie  Hiscott 
is  directing. 

V 

Arthur  Maude  is  producing  a  series  of 
features  for  Morgan  Productions,  releasing 
through  National  Provincial  Film  Distrib- 
utors, at  the  Rock  Studios,  Elstree.  The 
first  on  the  list,  "Live  Again,"  went  on  the 
floor  July  9th,  with  Bessie  Love  and  Noah 
Beery  co-starred  and  John  Garrick  in  the 
juvenile  lead.  George  Windeatt  is  writing 
special  music. 

V 

For  the  James  FitzPatrick  production  of 
"David  Livingstone"  for  MGM  release  they 
staged  the  big  scene  of  the  meeting  of  Liv- 
ingstone and  Stanley  in  an  exterior  recon- 
struction at  Sound  City,  Shepper.ton,  based 
on  contemporary  newspaper  sketches  and 
drawings  by  a  member  of  Stanley's  party. 
About  an  acre  was  covered  by  an  African 
village  set  matching  up  to  exteriors  shot 
on  the  spot  last  year ;  a  hundred  natives 
were  used.  In  the  studio  is  a  reconstruction 
of  the  Scottish  village  church  in  which  Liv- 
ingstone worshipped.  FitzPatrick  is  direct- 
ing, with  Hone  Glendinning  at  the  camera 


Twickenham's  "Beauty  and  the  Barge" 
was  held  up  a  week  by  Gordon  Harker's 
throat  trouble.  .  .  .  Jack  Buchanan,  accom- 
panied by  his  own  orchestra,  used  in  pro- 
vincial stage  tours,  is  in  the  Herbert  Wil- 
cox "ThisTl  Make  You  Whistle."  Dave 
Bader  placed  five  of  his  clients  in  first  film 
parts ;  Michel  Morel,  French  comedian,  with 
Capitol's  "Dishonor  Bright,"  Leslie  Lindsy 
in  "Rembrandt,"  Marcella  Salzer  in  "The 
Secret  of  Stamboul,"  and  Sally  Stewart  and 
Cecilia  Eddy  at  other  studios.  .  .  .  Julius 
Hagen  is  going  back  to  the  original  Bar- 
oness Orczy  title,  "Spy  of  Napoleon,"  for 
the  Twickenham  feature  which  has  been  in 
work  as  "Fall  of  An  Empire."  .  .  .  The 
Flanagan  and  Allen  vehicle,  "Underneath 
the  Arches,"  is  to  be  made  at  Twickenham 
instead  of  Hammersmith  studio.  .  .  .  West- 
ern Electric  installed  a  Preview  Room 
double  projector  equipment  at  Riverside 
Studio,  Hammersmith.  .  .  .  Lesley  Waring 
completed  her  leading  part  in  the  British 
Lion  "It's  You  I  Want,"  opposite  Sir  Sey- 
mour Hicks,  and  returns  to  her  stage  con- 
tract with  Sydney  Carroll.  .  .  .  George  Pear- 
son is  finishing  "Murder  by  Rope"  at  Sound 
City,  for  Paramount  release.  .  .  .  "Cafe  Col- 
ette," for  ABFD  release,  is  in  its  last  stages 
at  Fox-British  studio  at  Wembley.  .  .  .  Gra- 
ham Cutts,  veteran  British  director,  joined 
O'Bryen,  Linnit  and  Dunfee,  agents,  as  ex- 
ecutive. .  .  .  Van  Phillips,  composer  and 
musical  director,  who  wrote  the  score  of  the 
Cochran  "Blackbirds,"  has  signed  with  Dave 
Bader  agency  and  will  do  the  orchestration 
of  Capitol's  "Land  Without  Music."  .  .  . 
Hoffman,  Sigler  and  Goodhart  are  writing 
special  numbers  for  "This'll  Make  You 
Whistle."  .  .  .  Steve  Donaghue,  famous  Eng- 
lish jockey,  was  booked  to  ride  the  Derby 
winner  in  New  World's  all-Technicolor 
"Wings  of  the  Morning." 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


37 


ASIDES  &  INTERLUDES 


By  JAMES  CUNNINGHAM 


Mrs.  J.  Borden  Harriman,  of  the  Harri- 
man  Harrimans,  is  being  joshed  in  New 
York  smart  society  circles  about  her  frank 
admiration  for  Eddie  Dowling,  the  Broadway 
song-and-dance  man  and  President  Roose- 
velt's glad-hander  in  theatricals.  Mr.  Dowl- 
ing and  several  others  were  invited  to  a  small 
dancing  party  at  Governor  Earle's  place  in 
Philadelphia.  Mrs.  Harriman  spent  the 
whole  evening  with  Eddie  Dowling.  They 
danced  most  of  the  time. 

"He's  marvelous,"  she  told  the  Governor 
— "so  bright,  such  a  keen  mind.  Ifs  amaz- 
ing for  a  politician^" 

"What!"  exclaimed  someone.  "A  politi- 
cian?" 

"Yes.    But,  of  course,  I  can  see  why  he 
was  made  a  leader." 
"A  what?" 

"A  leader.    He'll  do  a  lot  for  Tammany." 

"Who  do  you  think  he  is?"  Mrs.  Borden 
Harriman  was  asked. 

"Why,  James  J.  Dooling,  of  course,  the 
Tammany  leader." 

Eddie  probably  could  forgive  Mrs.  Harri- 
man for  confusing  him  with  Mr.  Dooling,  but 
we  doubt  if  he  ever  will  forgive  the  lady 
for  aligning  him — a  Rooseveltian  of  the 
deepest  order  and  ardor — with  the  very  anti- 
Rooseveltian  Tammany  Hall  of  New  York. 
V 

Bill  Farnsworth  admits  that  Eddie  Cantor 
is  a  terrific  ping  pong  player,  but  complains 
that  Eddie  confuses  his  opponents  when  he 
pops  his  eyes  and  hits  the  ball  at  the  same  time. 
The  opposition  always  finds  it  difficult  deter- 
mining which  ball  to  shoot  back.  They  see 
three  balls  coming  at  them  at  once,  two  of 
them  Mr.  Cantor's. 

V 

Broadway's  James  Barton  asked  Patsy 
Lee  Parsons,  RKO's  new  child  star,  how  old 
she  was,  to  which  little  Patsy  replied:  "My 
psychological  age  is  nine.  My  moral  age  is 
eight.  Anatomically,  I'm  six,  and  mentally 
I'm  nine.  Of  course,  in  years,  I  am  only 
five,  but  no  one  pays  any  attention  to  that 
any  more." 

V 

There's  a  "ham"  actor  on  Broadway,  so 
Whitney  Bolton  reports,  "who  has  been  trying 
for  four  years  to  get  a  screen  test.  Finally,  he 
wore  one  of  the  companies  down  and  they  ar- 
ranged for  a  test  last  week.  He  was  told  to 
prepare  for  the  scene  from  "Page  Miss  Glory" 
in  which  the  boys  toss  playing  cards  at  an  up- 
turned hat.  Promptly,  on  the  second,  he  ar- 
rived on  the  set.  But  there  were  no  playing 
cards. 

"I  assumed,"  admonished  the  test  director, 
"that  you  would  bring  your  own  cards." 

"Sir,"  answered  the  ham,  drawing  himself 
up  haughtily,  "I  am  an  actor,  not  a  property 
man!" 

His  four  years  of  effort  ended  there. 
V 

The  latest  Samuel  Goldwyn  story  comes 
from  Hollywood  via  Leonard  Lyons  and 
concerns  the  Hollywood  studio  executive 
who  attended  the  preview  of  Goldwyn's 
newest  picture.  "I'm  disappointed  in  it, 
Sam,"  the  executive  informed  Mr.  Goldwyn. 

"You're  disappointed!"  shouted  back  Gold- 
wyn. "Who  are  you  to  be  disappointed 
with?" 

V 

Motion  picture  theatre  owners  are  not  alone 
in  ^  complaints  about  poor  attendance.  The 
Wichita,  Kansas,  police  department  showed 
"Once  Upon  a  Time,"  safety  film.  Everyone 
in  town  was  invited  to  attend — free  of  charge. 

Harry  Van  Doren,  of  the  Wichita  police  de- 
partment, and  the  projectionist  hired  for  the 
occasion  were  the  sole  patrons. 


THE  gates  of  "heaven"  have  been  closed  and 
locked.  Celestial  pastures  are  no  longer 
green.  The  angels'  wings  have  been  folded 
away  in  mothballs,  and  the  heavenly  clouds 
have  been  dismantled  and  junked.  Sound  Stage 
Number  8  at  the  Warner  Brothers  studios  at 
Burbank,  in  California,  has  returned  to  its 
natural  state.  Even  the  odor  of  the  fish  fry  is 
gone. 

"De  Lawd,"  minus  his  white  whiskers  and  his 
grey  wig,  has  left  Hollywood,  to  travel  in- 
cognito in  a  flivver  across  the  United  States 
toward  New  York.  "Moses,"  having  led  his 
people  out  of  the  "wilderness,"  has  returned 
to  Harlem  to  resume  his  career  there.  "Noah," 
who  survived  the  best  flood  Hollywood  rain- 
makers have  devised  in  decades,  has  gone  into 
vaudeville.  "Cain"  is  gone,  too,  and  so  are 
"Eve"  and  "Adam,"  "Hosea,"  and  "Aaron," 
each  to  resume  a  career  elsewhere — or,  more, 
accurately,  to  look  for  a  job. 

The  "Angel  Gabriel,"  whose  oddly-curled 
trumpet  is  stored  in  the  studio  property  rooms, 
is  likewise  back  in  Harlem,  shuffling  his  long 
feet  in  the  rehearsals  of  "red  hot"  swing  dances 
for  a  sepia  revue.  The  "Archangel  of  Heaven" 
has  gone  back  to  his  regular  job — portering  on 
the  Santa  Fe  Railroad.  The  celestial  fish-fry 
cook  is  again  a  beauty  parlor  operator. 
"Heaven"  is  just  a  pleasant  memory  now  to 
that  gal.  Other  "angels"  are  floating  again  up 
and  down  Central  Avenue  in  Los  Angeles,  and 
the  cherubs,  too,  have  gone  back  home. 

And  so  ends  Hollywood's  Heaven,  as  pro- 
duced by  the  brothers  Warner  for  their  "Green 
Pastures,"  now  ready  for  public  viewing.  A 
large  number  of  Hollywoodites  are  happy  about 
the  end,  too,  for  many  a  home  out  there  was 
butlerless  and  chauffeurless  during  the  filming. 

Producer  Marc  Connelly's  "heaven"  is  no  or- 
dinary heaven,  no  city  with  gold-paved  streets 
and  pearl-tipped  towers.  It  is,  instead,  a  typical 
southern  picnic  ground,  with  wide  stretches  of 
green  fields,  running  brooks,  moss-hung  trees 
and  fleecy  clouds,  substantial  enough  for 
"angels"  to  ride  upon.  Tons  of  earth  were 
poured  over  the  re-inforced  studio  stage  floors 
for  Mr.  Connelly's  "heaven."  Huge  trees  were 
planted  and  festooned  with  moss.  Half  an  acre 
of  studio  lawn  was  denuded  of  sod  for  trans- 
planting on  the  set.  A  running  brook,  boast- 
ing of  real  catfish,  was  provided.  Warners 
"moved  heaven  and  earth"  to  please  Mr. 
Connelly. 

Two  hundred  Negroes  spent  six  weeks  in 
that  "heaven,"  singing  spirituals,  catching  live 
catfish,  riding  clouds  and  having  a  helluva 
good  time  in  general.  The  "fish  fry"  was  real, 
the  "clouds"  rode  comfortably,  and  free  five- 
cent  cigars  were  handed  out  with  abandon. 

The  wings  and  the  clouds  were  the  toughest 
problem,  next  to  restraining  the  sepians  from 
craps  shooting  and  gum  chewing  while  they 
were  walking  around  heaven. 

All  the  "angels"  wore  terry-cloth  robes,  dyed 
a  pale  yellow.  Their  wings  varied  in  size  ac- 
cording to  the  age  and  importance  of  the 
"angel."  A  fourth-rate  "angel"  had  only  little 
bits  of  ostrich  plumes  sprouting  from  their 
shoulder  blades.  Grown  up  second-class  "angels" 
had  stylized  wings  manufactured  from  layers  of 
cloth,  cut  feather-fashion,  and  mounted  on 
heavy  cardboard.  "Gabriel's"  wings  were  the 
biggest  and  best,  he  being  the  head  man. 

The  clouds  were  hung  by  wire  from  rollers 
on  tracks  high  in  the  rafters  of  the  stage,  and 
were  built  of  wood  and  steel.  After  numerous 
trials  with  various  materials,  crepe  hair,  usual- 
ly reserved  for  the  chin-whiskers  of  actors,  was 
fixed  as  the  best  material  to  give  the  fleecy 
cloud  effect.  All  is  now  gone  to  the  junk  pile 
or  to  the  moth-balled  closets  of  the  property 
warehouse. 


The  editors  of  Time  Magazine  have  pub- 
lished a  book  in  which  they  tell  how  their 
March  of  Time  newsreel,  now  on  its  first 
anniversary,  is  established  in  the  world,  how 
it  began  and  how  it  grew  in  its  first  year. 
It  is  a  chapter  in  the  history  of  pictorial 
journalism,  and  a  highly  dramatic  chapter  at 
that.  "The  greatest  newspicture  of  all  time," 
is  nominated  by  the  editors  in  the  nature  of 
a  still  that  was  snapped  on  the  deck  of  the 
sinking  S.S.  Vestris  by  a  Swedish  pantry- 
man, who  caught  the  fear  and  panic  of  both 
crew  and  passengers  and  standing  helpless 
among  them  is  a  cabin  steward  who,  with 
both  arms  broken,  clasped  his  hands  and 
prayed  for  his  life  until  finally  he  was  carried 
to  a  lifeboat. 

Of  several  hundred  thousands  of  still  pic- 
tures which  they  have  seen,  the  editors  of 
Time  and  the  related  Fortune  magazine  have 
published  a  few  thousands.  Out  of  those  few 
thousands  grew  a  sense  of  pictorial  journal- 
ism in  the  minds  of  the  editors.  Out  oi? 
that  sense  grew  the  March  of  Time.  Fol- 
lowing that  admission,  the  new  March  of 
Time  history-book  presents  some  random 
shots,  including  the  only  pictures  ever  made 
of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  judges 
sitting  in  session;  Jugoslavia's  King  Alex- 
ander lying  dying  in  a  pool  of  blood  in  the 
automobile  in  which  he  was  shot  by  an  as- 
sassin while  visiting  Marseilles;  pictures  of 
a  victim  of  a  lynching  party,  strung,  naked, 
high  from  a  tree  branch,  and  also  of  a 
"candid  caesarean"  operation.  There  are 
first-hand  shots,  too,  of  a  Mexican  priest 
slumping  dead  to  the  ground  from  the  bullets 
of  a  firing  squad,  and  of  a  nudist  wedding, 
showing  the  preacher,  bride,  groom  and  at- 
tendants in  the  "all-together." 

Time  does  march  on!    Candidly  so. 


The  exhibition  of  the  Catholic  world  press 
was  recently  inaugurated  in  Rome,  in  the  City 
of  the  Vatican.  The  opening  of  the  exhibition 
coincided  with  another  important  event,  the 
75th  anniversary  of  the  foremost  Catholic  news- 
paper, the  Osservatore  Romano.  Still  another 
Roman  event  occurred  at  the  same  time,  the 
release  there  of  Metro-Goldwyn's  "Mutiny  on 
the  Bounty."  Then  Pope  Pius  XI  visited  the 
exhibition.  A  "still"  picture  was  taken  of  His 
Holiness,  flanked  by  his  Cardinals  and  aides, 
and  from  the  copy  which  we  have  in  hand  we 
find  that  the  Pope  is  standing,  smilingly,  not  in 
front  of  any  of  the  many  displays  and  posters 
exhibited  on  behalf  of  the  Catholic  world  press 
and  the  Osservatore  Romano's  diamond  an- 
niversary, but  plump  in  front  of  a  large  poster 
advertising  Metro-Goldwyn-M'ayer's  "Mutiny 
on  the  Bounty,"  flanked  on  each  side  by  six 
large  heads  of  Leo  the  Lion. 

V 

Lou  Sobol  moralises  on  the  fact  that,  less 
than  one  year  ago,  when  two  boys  on  Broad- 
way zvrote  a  smash  song-hit  which  swept  the 
world  with  its  silly  lyrics  and  rhythm,  the 
sophisticated  New  Yorker  weekly  magazine 
assigned  a  writer  to  prepare  a  life-story.  The 
appointment  was  made  for  noon.  The  reporter 
waited  three  hours  and  finally  departed.  The 
songsters'  press  agent  collapsed  when  he  saw 
such  a  beautiful  publicity  break  walk  through 
the  door  and  tried  to  arrange  another  appoint- 
ment, only  to  be  coldly  informed  by  the  tune- 
smiths  that  they  zvere  getting  all  the  news  and 
magasine  breaks  they  needed! 

Now  "The  Music' Goes  'Round  and  Around" 
is  as  dead  as  last  month's  newsreel,  and  Broad- 
way has  even  forgotten  the  names  of  the 
authors. 


38 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


U.  S.  FILMS  DOMINATE 
INDUSTRY  IN  HOLLAND 


No  Quota  Restrictions  Are 
Being  Imposed;  Admission 
Tax  Only  Box  Office  Burden 

by  PH.  DE  SCHAAP 

in  Amsterdam 

Until  now  the  Dutch  government  has  not 
made  any  obstacle  against  importing  foreign 
film  productions  into  Holland.  Although 
such  is  the  case  with  a  great  deal  of  other 
"merchandise,"  no  laws  have  been  made  to 
moderate  the  current  of  foreign  pictures  in 
Holland,  and  American,  as  well  as  German, 
English,  French,  Austrian  and  other  com- 
panies are  releasing  their  productions  every 
season  without  meeting  with  any  obstacle 
from  the  part  of  the  government.  Only  for 
publicity  material,  as  stills,  posters,  mats, 
printed  matter,  etc.,  certain  restrictions  have 
been  made. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  foreign 
companies  did  their  utmost  in  order  to  reach 
the  first  place  and  a  free  competition  was 
the  result  of  it.  Undoubtedly  it  was  the 
American  industry  that  succeeded  in  reach- 
ing the  first  place  in  this  competition,  for 
some  years  already.  This  has  been  due  to 
several  facts.  Of  course,  the  American  com- 
panies took  care  of  an  extended  publicity 
campaign  in  order  to  make  the  U.  S.  product 
among  more  popular  Dutch  patronage,  but 
the  principal  cause  for  the  victory  of 
America  must  be  found  in  the  fact  that  Ger- 
many saw  its  influence  decreasing  steadily, 
qualitatively  as  well  as  quantitatively. 

America  has  made  substantial  use  of  the 
decrease  of  German  pictures,  and  the  French 
and  English  industries,  too,  made  progress 
in  releasing  their  productions  in  Holland. 
The  French  industry  has  become  more  popu- 
lar. Its  influence  has  been  stimulated  by  the 
tremendous  success  of  "La  Maternelle" 
(already  some  years  ago),  and  by  the  Harry 
Baur  pictures. 

The  most  popular  actors  and  actresses 
in  Holland  are  undoubtedly  the  American 
players.  Stars  such  as  Greta  Garbo,  Mar- 
lene  Dietrich,  Joan  Crawford,  Charles 
Laughton,  Dick  Powell,  Clark  Gable,  Clau- 
dette  Colbert,  Ruby  Keeler,  Charlie  Chaplin, 
Laurel  and  Hardy  always  meet  with  a  fair 
patronage. 

Know  English  Language 

The  fact  that  the  Dutch  public  often  can 
follow  the  English  dialogue  of  American 
pictures,  helped  of  course  by  the  superim- 
posing of  Dutch  titles  in  the  American  copy, 
has  proved  to  be  very  important  in  the  de- 
velopment of  American  pictures  in  Holland. 
As  the  Dutch  public  generally  much  better 
understands  a  German  dialogue,  the  victory 
of  American  pictures  over  the  German  pro- 
ductions, therefore  was  still  more  signifi- 
cant. Of  the  German  productions  only  one 
proved  to  be  a  big  hit,  "Mazurka,"  from 
Willi  Forst's  direction,  starring  Pola  Negri. 

Holland  is  a  country  with  about  7,500,000 
inhabitants.  It  has  four  important  towns: 
Amsterdam,  with  800,000  inhabitants;  Rot- 
terdam, with  about  600,000 ;  the  Hague,  with 


480,000,  and  Utrecht,  with  161,000  inhabi- 
tants. The  foundation  of  concerns  and  trusts 
marked  its  influence  on  the  Dutch  motion 
picture  trade.  Holland  counts  about  325 
cinemas.  Nearly  all  theatres  are  sound-the- 
atres, giving  one  performance  in  the  after- 
noon and  two  in  the  evening  in  the  most 
important  towns. 

Domestic  Industry  Founded 

The  progress  of  American  pictures  seemed 
to  decline  two  years  ago  by  the  fact  that 
domestic  production  began  to  develop.  Fol- 
lowing the  example  of  other  countries,  in 
Holland,  too,  a  motion  picture  industry  was 
founded,  and  the  country  now  has  two  stu- 
dios, one  at  "Filmstad,"  Wassenaar  (near 
the  Hague),  and  another  at  Duivendrecht, 
suburb  of  Amsterdam,  named  "Cinetone." 

Hereunder  follows  a  review  of  the  num- 
ber of  features  and  shorts  released  in  Hol- 
land by  foreign  countries  in  1935,  with  com- 
parative information  during  1934,  the  1934 
total  being  the  second  given  for  each 
country  in  each  case : 


COUNTRY 

YEAR 

FEATURES 

SHORTS 

34 

265 

733 

35 

240 

731 

Germany   

34 

91 

201 

35 

84 

185 

England   

34 

27 

52 

35 

25 

37 

34 

55 

230 

35 

48 

185 

34 

5 

3 

35 

4 

4 

Holland   

34 

1  1 

228 

35 

10 

398 

34 

9 

23 

35 

23 

28 

34 

2 

35 

4 

3 

Tsjecho-Slovakia    .  . 

34 

10 

13 

35 

18 

25 

Other  countries  .  .  . 

34 

7 

15 

35 

13 

26 

TOTAL   

34 

482 

1,498 

35 

469 

1,622 

or,  in  percentage: 

34 

55 

49 

35 

51.2 

45.1 

34 

18.9 

13.4 

35 

17.9 

11.4 

34 

5.6 

3.5 

35 

5.3 

2.3 

34 

1 1.4 

15.3 

35 

10.2 

1 1.4 

34 

1 

0.2 

35 

0.9 

0.2 

Holland   

34 

2.1 

15.2 

35 

2.3 

24.6 

34 

1.9 

1.5 

35 

5 

1.7 

34 

0.4 

35 

0.8 

0.2 

Tsjecho-Slovakia    .  . 

34 

2.1 

0.9 

35 

3.8 

1.5 

Other  countries    .  . 

34 

1.4 

1 

35 

2.8 

1.6 

Censorship  in  Holland  depends  upon  the 
government.  In  1935,  16  features  and  10 
shorts  have  been  disapproved,  the  same  num- 
bers as  in  1934.  Among  the  16  features  10 
were  American,  4  French,  1  English  and  1 
Tsjecho-Slowakian  productions. 

Taxes  are  raised  on  the  entrance  fees  of 
the  cinemas,  in  each  municipality.  These 


taxes  are  very  high;  at  Amsterdam,  for  in- 
stance, 20  per  cent  is  due.  The  Dutch  Mo- 
tion Picture  Federation  often  tried  to  dimin- 
ish this  high  percentage,  but  until  now  in 
vain.  This  federation  has  much  power  in 
Holland,  and  is  a  combination  of  Dutch 
cinema  owners  and  the  booking  offices.  All 
internal  differences  between  its  members  are 
solved  by  it,  and  problems  of  general  kind 
are  studied  by  the  federation. 

Next  to  the  board  of  theatre  owners  a 
department  exists  taking  to  heart  the  inter- 
ests of  the  booking  offices.  During  the  last 
years  the  Dutch  theatre  owners  have  been 
inclined  to  "close"  the  Dutch  trade,  viz.,  to 
prevent  foundation  of  other  cinemas  that 
would  enlarge  the  competition.  The  Dutch 
Federation  therefore  passed  a  measure  re- 
sulting in  a  ruling  that  no  new  cinemas  may 
be  founded  without  special  permission  of 
the  federation.  Out  of  this  point  of  view  the 
Dutch  motion  picture  trade  established  a 
condition  in  which  free  competition  is  im- 
possible. Some  American  companies  have 
made  objections  against  said  disposition. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  best  pictures 
from  foreign  industries  are  released  on  the 
Dutch  market,  the  general  situation  in  Hol- 
land steadily  becomes  less  favorable.  Pur- 
chasing power  of  the  Dutch  public  decreased 
considerably  and  the  economical  crisis  heav- 
ily marked  its  influence.  Entrance  fees  of 
the  cinemas  went  down  in  the  big  towns  as 
well  as  in  the  country,  and  the  future  has 
a  somber  aspect. 


400  Expected  at 
Southeast  Session 

An  attendance  of  400  exhibitors  is  ex- 
pected at  the  annual  convention  and  frolic 
of  the  Southeastern  Theatre  Owners  Asso- 
ciation to  be  held  August  2nd,  3rd  and  4th 
at  Jacksonville,  Fla.  Edward  Kuykendall, 
president  of  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Owners  of  America ;  Edward  Levy,  na- 
tional legal  counsel,  and  O.  C.  Lem,  south- 
ern director  of  the  M.P.T.O.A.,  have  been 
invited  to  attend.  Exchange  officers,  sales- 
men and  supply  dealers  also  are  expected 

The  tentative  program  includes  only  one 
business  session,  to  be  held  on  the  opening 
night,  followed  by  a  buffet  supper  at  the 
Hotel  Mayflower.  Golf,  a  beach  party,  a 
shore  dinner  at  Jacksonville  Beach,  a  dance 
and  a  banquet  are  scheduled  for  the  succeed- 
ing days. 

Milton  C.  Moore,  of  the  Riverside  The- 
atre, Jacksonville,  is  general  chairman. 


Youthful  Players 
Receive  First  Roles 

Judy  Garland  and  Edna  May  Durbin,  13- 
year-old  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  players  who 
have  been  attending  training  sessions  for 
the  past  year  under  Dave  Gould,  dance 
director,  and  Oliver  Hinsdell,  dramatic 
coach,  this  week  received  their  first  film 
assignments  with  parts  in  "Every  Sunday," 
short  feature  which  Felix  Feist,  Jr.,  is 
directing. 


Hamlin  Improves 

Tom  Hamlin,  editor  and  publisher  of 
Film  Curb,  who  is  seriously  ill  at  the  Post 
Graduate  Hospital,  in  New  York,  was  re- 
ported Tuesday  as  "very  slightly  improved." 


iff 

you  re  u  w 


"Sign  it ! "  they  thundered . . .  Written  in  the  blood  of  a  friend  and  the  tears  of  a 
queen  . . .  the  confession  of  a  uioman  who  loved  more  deeply  than  she  feared. 


KATHARINE  HEPBURN  ^FREDRIC  MARCH 

MARY  OF  SCOTLAND 

with 

FLORENCE  ELDRIDGE  .  DOUGLAS  WALTON  .  JOHN  CARRADINE 
AND  A  TREMENDOUS  CAST  OF  FAMOUS  STARS 

From  the  play  by  Maxwell  Anderson  •  Directed  by  JOHN  FORD 

RKORADIO  PICTURE 

Produced  by  Pandro  S.  Berman 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


41 


THE  HOLLYWOOD 
SCENE 


Quick  reference  information  on  prod- 
uct started  and  completed  and  a 
panorama  of  the  news  of  the  week 


Auditorium  Rebellion 

Exactly  who  runs  the  show — audience,  house 
manager  or  preview  producer — was  decided  em- 
phatically at  a  suburban  Los  Angeles  theatre 
one  night  recently.  Advertising  an  MGM  pre- 
view, the  manager  of  the  Alexander  theatre, 
Glensdale,  announced  that  "The  Princess  Comes 
Across"  would  also  be  shown  and  its  companion 
piece  on  the  double  bill  eliminated. 

When  studio  officials  arrived  on  the  scene, 
bringing  "Suzy"  with  them,  they  demanded  that 
"The  Princess"  not  be  shown  and  that  the  sec- 
ond feature  be  substituted. 

The  reason  for  this  was  and  is  that  preview 
producers  are  adverse  to  showing  a  picture 
which,  in  type  of  personalities,  character  of 
story  or  production  detail,  is  in  any  way  similar 
to  the  regular  attraction. 

When  the  house,  packed  with  people  lured  by 
the  appeal  of  "The  Princess"  and  an  MGM 
preview,  went  dark,  the  secondary  feature  went 
on  the  screen.  Immediately  the  house  echoed  to 
a  turbulent  storm  of  hissing,  booing,  foot  stamp- 
ing and  catcalls,  mingled  with  the  demand  that 
"The  Princess,"  which  was  advertised,  be 
shown.  A  reel  or  so  was  run  off  to  the  tune 
of  wild  excitement  and,  realizing  that  the  situa- 
tion was  becoming  menacing,  the  house  man- 
ager took  the  stage  and  tried  to  explain  to  the 
audience  why  the  announced  attraction  was  not 
being  run. 

Despite  his  earnest  pleas,  the  man  was  howled 
down  and,  as  he  sought  the  sanctuary  of  the 
wings,  the  secondary  feature  continued  from  the 
point  where  it  had  been  interrupted.  More  hec- 
tic excitement,  threatening  the  necessity  of  put- 
ting in  a  riot  call,  ensued.  Eventually  the  will 
of  the  people  prevailed.  Projectors  were 
threaded  with  "The  Princess"  and,  right  in  the 
middle  of  one  of  the  most  interesting  sequences 
in  the  secondary  picture,  the  Carol  Lombard- 
Fred  MacMurray  film  hit  the  screen  to  be  clam- 
orously welcomed  by  a  triumphant  audience. 


Annual  Headache 

Once  more  the  problem  of  what  to  do  about 
visitors  is  bringing  that  wild  look  into  pro- 
ducers' eyes.  Frantic  production  heads  are  mut- 
tering, "Whither  are  we  drifting?"  as  daily 
new  legions  are  added  to  the  invading  legions. 

Most  studios  start  the  season  resolutely 
enough.  Out  goes  a  ukase  that  only  those  hav- 
ing legitimate  business  on  the  sets  will  be  ad- 
mitted. But  along  about  the  middle  of  June 
something  happens  to  the  brave  intentions. 
Smiles,  once  happy  and  enthusiastic,  become 
pained  and  stretched.  Directors  stamp  angrily 
into  front  offices  and  demand  closed  sets.  Stars 
begin  to  talk  menacingly  of  nervous  breakdowns. 
Production  managers  bend  alarmed  glances 
upon  soaring  production  cost  sheets.  One  studio 
estimates  that  the  visit  to  the  lot  by  delegates 
to  a  recent  fraternal  convention  cost  $10,000  in 
cold  cash.  Ten  thousand  dollars  spent  in  the 
pursuit  of  good  will  is  a  lot  of  money,  opine 
the  auditors,  when  reports  of  the  day's  disrupted 
work  begin  to  roll  in. 

Average  visitors  have  little  idea  of  what  a 
trip  to  the  studio  costs.  In  the  first  place,  a 
rather  well  paid  man  from  the  publicity  depart- 
ment must  drop  his  routine  tasks  and  devote 
himself  to  a  sightseeing  routine. 

The  visitors  depart  happily.    They've  been 


thrilled  beyond  measure.  They're  so  profuse 
in  their  thanks  that  it's  embarrassing.  They've 
been  as  quiet  as  mice,  except  for  the  time  poor 
Uncle  Milt  tripped  over  a  cable,  and  little  Stan- 
ley demanded  a  nickel  in  the  midst  of  a  tense 
sequence,  and  they  haven't  made  a  sound  except 
for  the  time  Aunt  Lulu  sneezed.  They  leave 
thinking  Hollywood  is  a  grand  place  and  all  the 
studios  are  "so  cordial."  Studio  officials  extend 
one  final  strained  grin  and  write  off  another 
$500  or  more  of  loss  in  time  alone,  with  no 
estimate  of  the  cost  of  frazzled  nerves. 

No  other  business  in  the  world  places  itself 
so  much  at  the  mercy  of  the  ultimate  consumer. 


Montage 


Dr.  A.  H.  Giannini  has  moved  into  the  United 
Artists  studio  and  taken  up  his  new  responsi- 
bilities as  president.  .  .  .  Adolph  Zukor's  25th 
anniversary  in  the  motion  picture  business  was 
marked  by  his  statement  that  he  will  reside 
permanently  in  Hollywood  and  give  his  whole 
time  to  production.  .  .  .  Neil  Agnew  returned  to 
New  York  following  a  looksee  at  the  new  Par- 
amount product.  .  .  .  Grand  National  is  nego- 
tiating for  the  services  of  Producer  Douglas 
MacLean.  .  .  .  John  D.  Clarke  completed  a 
seven-day  conference  with  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox  studio  executives  and  returned  East.  .  .  . 
RKO-Radio  exercised  its  option  on  the  services 
of  Producer  Cliff  Reid,  who  is  going  on  as  co- 
producer  with  Robert  Sisk  of  "The  Plough 
and  the  Stars."  .  .  .  Universal  signed  John 
Harkrider  to  a  long-term  contract  as  art  direc- 
tor, heading  a  staff  of  12  with  Jack  Otterson 
as  assistant.  .  .  .  Charles  Skouras  is  back  from 
a  buying  sojourn  in  New  York.  .  .  .  Hollywood 
is  mourning  the  passing  of  Alan  Crosland  and 
Stephen  Roberts,  directors,  and  of  Orville 
Knapp,  band  leader. 


Production 


Nine  pictures  were  placed  before  the  cameras 
during  the  week  ending  July  17th  and  seven 
others  were  completed,  leaving  a  net  50  features 
in  work.  Several  of  the  new  films  and  at  least 
one  of  those  completed  are  of  the  kind  called, 
for  want  of  a  more  definite  term,  important. 

Two  pictures  were  started  at  the  Warner 
studio.  Of  particular  interest  is  "Golddiggers 
of  1937,"  Dick  Powell  and  Joan  Blondell  are 
the  leading  players.  The  supporting  cast  in- 
cludes Victor  Moore,  Glenda  Farrell,  Spring 
Byington,  Rosaline  Marquis,  Irene  Ware,  Wil- 
liam B.  Davidson,  Lee  Dixon,  Osgood  Perkins, 
Ann  Sheridan  and  Hobart  Cavanaugh,  with 
many  more  to  be  added.  Lloyd  Bacon  is  direct- 
ing. In  the  second  feature,  "Green  Light,"  Errol 
Flynn,  Anita  Louise  and  Cedric  Hardwicke  are 
the  principals.   Frank  Borzage  is  the  director. 

Columbia  also  started  two  productions,  "Pen- 
nies From  Heaven,"  being  produced  by  Em- 
manuel Cohen  with  Norman  McLeod  directing, 
stars  Bing  Crosby  with  Madge  Evans,  Edith 
Fellows,  Donald  Meek,  John  Gallaudet,  Charles 
Wilson,  Howard  Hickman,  Tom  Dugan  and 
Harry  Tyler.  In  "The  Man  Who  Lived  Twice," 
Ralph  Bellamy,  Marian  Marsh,  Isabel  Jewell, 
Ward  Bond  and  Willard  Robertson  will  be 
seen.  Harry  Lachman  directs. 

The  third  studio  to  be  credited  with  two  pic- 


tures started  during  the  week  is  Twentieth 
Century-Fox.  Directly  under  its  own  auspices, 
"Ladies  in  Love"  went  on  the  stages.  Four 
feminine  players,  Janet  Gaynor,  Constance  Ben- 
nett, Loretta  Young  and  Simone  Simon  are 
featured,  supported  by  Don  Ameche,  Brian  Don- 
levy,  Tyrone  Power,  Jr.,  and  Virginia  Field. 
E.  H.  Griffith  is  directing.  "King  of  the  Royal 
Mounted,"  a  Principal  production  which  Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox  will  release,  will  present 
Robert  Kent,  Rosalind  Keith,  Alan  Dinehart. 

Under  Edward  Sutherland's  direction,  Para- 
mount started  "Champagne  Waltz."  The  cast 
includes  Gladys  Swarthout,  Fred  MacMurray, 
Jack  Oakie,  Beloz  and  Yolanda,  Fritz  Leiber. 

Universal  started  "Casey  of  the  Coast  Guard," 
being  produced  by  Trem  Carr.  John  Wayne 
and  Nan  Grey  are  teamed  in  the  leads  with 
Fuzzy  Knight,  William  Bakewell,  Russell 
Hicks,  Harry  Worth,  Lotis  Long,  George  Irv- 
ing and  Ethan  Laidlaw  listed  in  the  cast.  Frank 
Strayer  is  directing. 

Continuing  its  regular  weekly  schedule,  Re- 
public started  "Oh,  Susannah."  It  will  present 
Gene  Autry,  Kay  Hughes,  Smiley  Burnette, 
Clara  Kimball  Young,  Earle  Hodgins,  Boothe 
Howard,  Donald  Kibbee  and  Snowflack.  Joseph 
Kane  is  directing. 

Outstanding  among  the  completed  pictures  is 
Paramount's  "The  General  Died  at  Dawn."  A 
dramatic  romance  told  against  the  background 
of  revolutionary  China,  it  stars  Gary  Cooper 
with  Madeline  Carroll.  Other  players  are  Wil- 
liam Frawley,  Dudley  Digges,  Akim  Tamiroff, 
Porter  Hall,  J.  M.  Kerigan,  Philip  Ahn,  Lee 
Tung  Foo,  Willie  Fung,  Leonid  Kinskey,  Val 
Duran,  Irene  Bennet,  John  O'Hara,  Del  Hen- 
derson and  Spencer  Charters.  Lewis  Milestone 
directed. 

Republic  checked  in  with  an  important  film 
as  "Follow  Your  Heart"  finished.  Marion  Tal- 
ley  and  Michael  Bartlett  are  featured,  supported 
by  Nigel  Bruce,  Luis  Alberni,  Henrietta  Cross- 
man,  Vivienne  Osborne,  Walter  Catlett,  Eunice 
Healy,  Ben  Blue,  Mickey  Rentschler,  John  Eld- 
redge,  Margaret  Irving,  Si  Jenks,  Josephine 
Whittell  and  Clarance  Muse.  The  Hall  Johnson 
Choir  also  will  be  heard  in  the  picture.  Aubrey 
Scotto  directed. 

Two  pictures  were  finished  at  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury-Fox. In  "Sing,  Baby,  Sing,"  which  Sidney 
Lanfield  directed,  Alice  Faye,  Adolphe  Menjou, 
Ted  Healy,  Gregory  Ratoff,  the  Ritz  Brothers, 
Michael  Whelan,  Dixie  Dunbar,  Tony  Martin, 
Paul  Stanton  and  Douglas  Fowley  will  be  seen. 
The  second  completed  picture,  "39  Hours  to 
Kill,"  will  present  Brian  Donlevy,  Gloria 
Stuart,  Douglas  Fowley,  Isabel  Jewell,  Julius 
Tannen,  Warren  Hymer,  Stepin  Fetchit,  Ro- 
maine  Callender,  James  Burke  and  Jonathan 
Hale.  Eugene  Forde  directed. 

Radio  finished  "Grand  Jury."  Fred  Stone, 
Louise  Latimer,  Owen  Davis,  Jr.,  Frank  M. 
Thomas,  Harry  Jans,  Russell  Hicks,  Guinn 
Williams,  Charles  Wilson,  Billy  Gilbert,  Harry 
Beresford,  William  Davidson  and  Margarett 
Armstrong  are  in  the  cast.  Al  Rogell  directed. 

Universal  finished  "Yellowstone."  It  will 
present  Henry  Hunter,  Judith  Barrett,  Ralph 
Morgan,  Alan  Hale,  Andy  Devine,  Monroe 
Owsley,  Paul  Fix,  Rollo  Lloyd,  Paul  Harvey, 
Raymond  Hatton  and  Russell  Wade.  Arthur 
Lubin  directed. 

Last  of  the  finished  pictures,"  Pony  Express," 
produced  by  Walter  Futter,  features  Hoot  Gib- 
son, Marian  Shilling,  Rex  Lease  and  Nina 
Gilbert.    Harry  Frazer  directed. 


42 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


FILM  STOCK  HOLDINGS 
FOR  '35  LISTED  BY  SEC 


Shares  Held  by  Officers  and 
Directors  Shown  in  Annual 
Summary  of  the  Commission 

Holdings  of  officers,  directors  and  princi- 
pal stockholders  of  corporations  subject  to 
the  Securities  and  Exchange  Act,  as  of  De- 
cember 31,  1935,  have  been  made  public  by 
the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  in 
its  annual  official  summary. 

All  information  contained  in  the  summary 
has  been  published  before  as  the  companies 
made  their  reports,  but  the  annual  publica- 
tion includes  it  for  the  first  time  in  one 
volume. 

Data  concerning  stockholders  in  motion 
picture  companies  were  reported  as  follows : 

Balaban  &  Katz  Corporation 

Preferred  : 

Barney  Balaban,  105  shares. 
Charles    A.    McCulloch,    Chicago,  3,000 
shares. 

Elmer  C.  Upton,  Chicago,  17  shares. 

Columbia  Pictures  Corporation 

Common  : 

Nathan  Burkan,  37  shares. 

Harry  Cohn,  Los  Angeles,  1,528  shares. 

Jack  Cohn,  New  Lork,  481  shares. 
Common  voting  trust  certificates  : 

Harry  Cohn,  69,238. 

Jack  Cohn,  32,544. 
Convertible  preferred: 

Jack  Cohn,  55  shares. 

Consolidated  Film  Industries 

Common  : 

Edmund  C.  Dearstyne,  Albany,  1,000  shares. 
Setay  Co.,  Inc.,  New  York,  155,673  shares. 
Walter  P.  Stevens,  Scranton,  406  shares. 
Martin  Taylor,  New  York,  3,000  shares. 
$2  cumulative  participating  preferred: 
Edmund  C.  Dearstyne,  600  shares. 
Setay  Co.,  2,098  shares. 
Walter  P.  Stevens,  500  shares. 

Keith-Albee-Orpheum  Corporation 

Seven  per  cent  cumulative  convertible 

preferred : 
Leon  Goldberg,  New  York,  200  shares. 
Malcomb  Kinsberg,  New  York,  200  shares. 
Michael  J.   Meehan,   New  York,  26,800 

shares. 

Loew's  Boston  Theatres  Company 

Common  : 
John  H.  Devlin,  Boston,  296  shares. 
Loews',  Inc.,  New  York,  83,957  shares. 
Victor  J.  Morris,  Boston,  503  shares. 

Loew's,  Incorporated 

Common  : 

George  N.  Armsby,  New  York,  100  shares. 
David  Bernstein,  New  York,  1,890  shares. 
Isador  Frey,  New  York,  400  shares. 
John  R.  Hazel,  Buffalo,  100  shares. 
David    L.    Loew   holding    company,  353 
shares. 

Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  New  York,  300 

shares. 

William  A.  Parker,  Boston,  100  shares. 
William   A.    Phillips,   New   York,  2,000 
shares. 

J.  Robert  Rubin,  New  York,  2,800  shares. 
Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  New  York,  2,817 
shares. 

Edward  A.  Schiller,  New  York,  500  shares. 


David  Warfield,  New  York,  7,000  shares. 
$6.50  cumulative  preferred: 
J.    Robert   Rubin  holding   company,  350 
shares. 

Trans-Lux  Daylight  Picture  Screen  Corp. 

Common  : 

Robert  L.  Daine,  New  York,  51  shares. 
George  H.  Eichelberger,  New  York,  1,100 

shares. 

A.  D.  Erickson,  New  York,  400  shares. 
Perry  E.  Furber,  New  York,  1,050  shares. 
Percy  N.  Furber,  New  York,  25,330  shares. 
H.  P.  Farrington,  New  York,  9,400  shares. 
Robert  L.  Gordon,  New  York,  400  shares. 
Edward  T.  Hoi  way,  New  York,  150  shares. 
Edwin  G.  Lauder,  Jr.,  New  York,  10,000 
shares. 

A.  T.  Mulcahy,  New  York,  300  shares. 
Arthur  C.  Payne,  New  York,  1,503  shares. 
George  H.   Robinson,  New  York,  7,950 
shares. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  Film 

Common  : 

H.  Donald  Campbell,  New  York,  share. 
Chase  National  Bank,  387,377  shares. 
Harold  B.  Clark,  New  York,  50  shares. 
John  R.  Dillon,  New  York,  one  share. 
Wilfred   James   Eadie,    New   York,  125 
shcircs 

William'  L.  Goetz,  Beverly  Hills,  214,643 
shares. 

Berkshire  Finance  Co.  (Sidney  R.  Kent), 
100  shares. 

William  C.  Michel,  New  York,  311  shares. 
William  P.  Philips,  New  York,  one  share. 
H.  G.  Place,  New  York,  %  share. 
Seton  Porter,  New  York,  251  shares. 
Joseph  M.  Schenck,  Beverly  Hills,  168,643 
shares. 

Sydney  Towell,  New  York,  309  shares. 
Darryl  F.  Zanuck,  Beverly  Hills,  183,980 
shares. 

Warrants  for  Class  A,  old: 

Chase  National  Bank,  7,381. 
$1.50  cumulative  preferred: 

H.  Donald  Campbell,  one-half  share. 

Chase  National  Bank,  774,754  shares. 

Harold  B.  Clark,  101  shares. 

John  R.  Dillon,  one  share. 

Wilfred  James  Eadie,  250  shares. 

William  Goetz,  55,284  shares. 

Berkshire  Finance  Co.,  5,884  shares. 
William  C.  Michel,  621  shares. 

H.  G.  Place,  one-half  share. 

Seton  Porter,  500  shares. 

Joseph  M.  Schenck,  24,284  shares. 

Sydney  Towell,  617  shares. 

Darryl  F.  Zanuck,  21,946  shares. 
Six  per  cent  convertible  debentures  : 

Sydney  Towell,  7,000. 

Universal  Pictures  Company 

Common  : 

R.  H.  Cochrane,  New  York,  22,746  shares. 

Carl  Laemmle,  New  York  (as  of  Nov.  30, 
1935),  7,016  shares. 

Willard  S.  McKay,  New  York,.  168  shares. 
Common  voting  trust  certificates  1 : 

P.  D.  Cochrane  (as  of  April  22,  1935),  668. 

Carl  Laemmle,  58,708. 
Voting  trust  certificates  2 : 

P.  D.  Cochrane,  1,408. 

Carl  Laemmle,  120,159. 
Eight  per  cent  cumulative  preferred: 

Helen  E.  Hughes,  New  York,  20  shares. 

Carl  Laemmle,  1,265  shares. 

Willard  S.  McKay,  347  shares. 

Wilkay  Holding  Corp.,  50  shares. 


Samuel  Sedran,  New  York,  four  shares. 
Second  preferred: 
P.  D.  Cochrane,  184  shares. 
Carl  Laemmle,  15,707  shares. 

Warner  Brothers  Pictures 

Common  : 

Samuel  Carlisle,  New  York,  2,000  shares. 
S.  P.  Friedman,  New  York,  600  shares. 
Sam  E.  Morris,  New  York,  3,000  shares. 
Herman  Starr,  New  York,  500  shares. 
Abel  Cary  Thomas,  New  York,  232  shares. 
Albert  Warner,  New  York,  59,260  shares. 
Holding  Company  A,  5,988  shares. 
H.  M.  Warner,  New  York,  62,860  shares. 
Holding  Company  A,  2,115  shares. 
Jack  L.  Warner,  Burbank,  Cal.,  85,060 
shares. 

Morris  Wolf,  Philadelphia,  through  trust, 

167  shares. 
$3.85  cumulative  preferred: 

Albert  Warner,  10,618  shares. 

Holding  Company  B,  4,786  shares. 

H.  M.  Warner,  10,618  shares. 

Holding  Company  B,  4,786  shares. 

Jack  L.  Warner,  10,618  shares. 

Holding  Company  B,  4,786  shares. 
Six  per  cent  optional  convertible  deben- 
tures : 

S.  P.  Friedman,  41,000. 

Sam  E.  Morris,  40,000. 

Albert  Warner,  1,731,333. 

Holding  Company  A,  269,460. 

H.  M.  Warner,  1,469,000. 

Jack  L.  Warner,  1,856,000. 


JVill  Day,  British 
Screen  Historian, 
Dies  in  London 

Will  Day,  managing  director  of  Will 
Day,  Ltd.,  an  accessory  company,  and  known 
for  years  as  the  unofficial  historian  of  the 
motion  picture  industry  in  England,  died  at 
his  home  in  London  late  last  week.  He  was 
taken  ill  suddenly  at  his  office  last  Monday. 
He  was  63  years  old. 

Mr.  Day  was  born  in  1873,  and  was 
taught  the  use  of  the  magic  lantern  at  the 
age  of  nine.  He  later  became  a  showman 
and  first  presented  animated  pictures  in 
1898.  He  founded  various  accessory  com- 
panies, forming  Will  Day,  Ltd.,  in  1913. 
He  was  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Photographic 
Society  and  the  Royal  Society  of  Arts.  He 
was  president  of  the  Kinema  Veterans  in 
1929-30,  and  a  vice-president  of  the  Magi- 
cians' Club.  He  was  the  first  patentee,  with 
J.  C.  Baird,  of  television.  Mr.  Day  owner 
a  notable  collection  of  historical  film  appa- 
ratus, which  is  housed  in  the  London 
Science  Museum. 


Exploitation  Unit  Formed 

In  line  with  the  special  handling  being 
given  Warner  Brothers'  "The  Green  Pas- 
tures," in  key  city  spots,  Clarence  Jacobsen 
and  William  Schneider,  formerly  of  the  pub- 
licity staff  of  the  stage  play,  and  Ned 
Holmes,  are  working  on  the  exploitation 
campaign  for  the  film  in  Buffalo,  Indian- 
apolis and  Boston. 


"Lonesome  Pine"  in  Contest 

Walter  Wanger's  all-color  production, 
"The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine,"  has 
been  selected  by  Paramount  as  its  entry 
in  the  International  Motion  Picture  Ex- 
hibition to  be  held  in  Venice,  Italy,  next 
month. 


July    2  5,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


43 


THE  CUTTING 
ROOM 


Advance  outlines  of  produc- 
tions nearing  completion  as 
seen  by  the  Hollywood  staff 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Herald 


Th 


ree  in 


Eden 


(Warner) 
Dramatic  Romance 

This  production  is  adapted  from  a  novel  by 
Somerset  Maugham.  The  screen  play  is  by 
Robert  Andrews  and  William  Jacobs.  Frank 
McDonald  is  directing.  The  cast  features 
Margaret  Lindsay,  Humphrey  Bogart,  Donald 
Woods,  Paul  Graetz  and  E.  E.  Clive. 

The  locale  is  a  South  Sea  island,  hideaway 
for  fugitives  from  justice  and  the  site  of  a 
small  pearl  fishing  industry.  Miss  Lindsay  and 
Bogard,  both  of  whom  are  on  the  island  for 
reasons  best  known  to  themselves  and  which 
they  keep  secret,  are  no  sooner  married  than 
the  story  turns  strictly  dramatic.  Two  men, 
Donald  Woods  and  Paul  Graetz,  are  rescued 
from  a  sinking  yacht.  Clive,  an  alcoholic- 
conscious  doctor,  immediately  becomes  sus- 
picious that  both  rescued  men,  particularly 
Woods,  are  agents  of  the  law.  Convinced  that 
Wood's  purpose  is  to  arrest  Miss  Lindsay  and 
take  her  away,  Clive,  after  packing  sailor 
Graetz  away  on  another  island,  plans  to  get  rid 
of  Woods  by  taking  him  to  still  another  isle 
where  striking  pearl  divers  are  causing  trouble. 
The  dramatic  highlight  of  the  following  episodes 
involves  Bogart's  rescue  from  the  clutches  of  an 
octopus  by  Woods,  the  outcome  being  Wood's 
decision  to  report  to  his  office- that  he  could  not 
find  Miss  Lindsay  and  had  killed  Bogart. 

Though  many  additional  persons  appear  in 
the  story  in  character  and  atmospheric  roles, 
the  only  other  players  of  any  familiarity  are 
Tetsu  Komai,  Miki  Morita,  George  Regas  and 
Gordon  Hart. 

While  the  prestige  of  the  principal  players 
has  undoubted  box  office  value,  it  seems  that 
the  fact  that  the  story  is  by  Maugham,  re- 
membered for  his  screen  contributions  which 
include  "Of  Human  Bondage,"  "The  Right  to 
Live"  and  "Painted  Veil,"  is  an  asset  of  con- 
siderable exploitation  value. 


The  General  Died  at  Dawn 

(Paramount) 
Drama 

This  is  undoubtedly  the  most  important  pro- 
duction Paramount  has  undertaken  in  months. 
Certainly  it  is  one  of  the  biggest  and  one  upon 
which  large  sums  of  money  and  great  effort  in 
preparation  and  production  have  been  spent. 
Not  in  a  long  time  has  the  studio  called  upon 
so  many  resources  to  make  a  picture. 

The  story  is  thrill  action  dramatic  romance.  It 
spins  to  the  tune  of  wild  adventure,  seething 
turmoil,  desperate  conspiracy,  appealing  love 
interest  and  whimsical  humor.  A  headline 
hunting  War  Lord  dreams  of  conquoring  all 
China.  He  needs  arms  and  ammunition  for  his 
rebel  army.  Powerful  forces  upholding  law  and 
order,  realizing  the  menace  of  the  War  Lord's 
depredations,  raise  a  vast  sum  to  purchase  arms 
with  which  to  combat  him.  They  hire  a  senti- 
mental American  adventurer  to  buy  them.  The 
War  Lord  learns  of  the  plan.  He  sets  out 
to  frustrate  it,  to  get  the  money  and  equipment 
for  himself.  Into  the  turmoil  of  this  situation, 
a  torrent  of  action,  intrigue  and  deviltry,  is 
hurled  the  American  who  is  to  be  the  in- 
strument to  end  a  reign  of  terror.  A  girl  whom 
he  loves  is  forced  to  ally  herself  with  his  ene- 
mies, to  lead  him  into  danger,  to  menace  his 


life,  though  she  herself  would  die  for  him  and 
his  ideal.  A  colorful  vivid  story,  it  seems  to  be 
of  the  same  dramatic,  romantic  and  eruptive 
quality  as  China  itself  is  today. 

The  production  is  based  on  a  story  by  Charles 
Booth  which  has  attained  considerable  popular 
circulation.  The  screen  play  is  by  Clifford 
Odets,  a  newer  playwright  who  has  zoomed  to 
high  popularity.  His  plays  "Waiting  for  Lefty" 
and  "Till  the  Day  I  Die"  are  well-known.  His 
more  recent  efforts  are  "Awake  And  Sing"  and 
"Paradise  Lost."  The  musical  score  accompany- 
ing the  theme  was  prepared  by  Boris  Morros. 
Adaptability  of  the  director  chosen  to  handle 
this  type  of  screen  material,  Lewis  Milestone, 
is  demonstrated  by  the  skill  with  which  he 
made  "All  Quiet  on  the  Western  Front." 

While  the  story  promises  to  be  entertainment 
of  a  different  and  unusual  character  and  con- 
siderable showmanship  exploitation  significance 
is  attached  thereto,  probably  one  of  its  most 
important  commercial  qualities  is  the  selection 
of  the  leading  player.  That  will  present  Gary 
Cooper,  and  it  is  interesting  in  this  connection 
to  note  that  practically  all  Cooper's  pictures  of 
the  past  several  years  have  been  Box  Office 
Champions.  With  him,  participating  in  all  the 
romantic  love  interest  and  a  key  figure  in  most 
of  the  drama,  is  Madeleine  Carroll,  British  act- 
ress seen  in  "39  Steps"  and  in  "The  Case 
Against  Mrs.  Ames."  Principal  supporting 
charactors  are  Akim  Tamiroff  as  the  war  lord ; 
Dudley  Digges,  a  friend  of  the  patriots  seeking 
to  defeat  Tamiroff ;  William  Frawley,  an  un- 
scrupulous gun  runner ;  Porter  Hall,  Miss  Car- 
roll's father  but  a  renegade  and  principal  men- 
ace in  the  story,  and  J.  M.  Kerrigan,  a  sinister 
character,  nobody's  friend  and  everybody's 
enemy.  Few  of  the  incidental  character  and  at- 
mospheric players,  including  Orientals,  have  any 
marquee  prestige,  yet  they  are  necessary  ad- 
juncts to  various  phases  of  the  drama,  romance 
and  action. 


36  Hours  to  Kill 

(20th  Century-Fox) 
Comedy-Drama 

In  relation  to  the  story  told,  the  title  of  this 
production  is  far  from  explanatory.  America's 
foremost  public  enemy  is  enjoying  the  safety 
of  an  idyllic  hideout  in  suburban  Los  Angeles. 
With  a  couple  of  his  pals  he  learns  from  news- 
paper reports  that  a  lottery  ticket  he  holds  is 
the  winner  of  a  $150,000  prize.  Unaware  of  it, 
he  is  surrounded  by  G-men  awaiting  opportun- 
ity to  grab  him.  With  his  minions  he  sets  out 
for  Kansas  City  to  claim  his  winnings.  There- 
upon the  production  settles  down  to  a  gang- 
ster-G-man picture,  alive  with  thrill  action, 
contrasted  by  intriguing  romance  involving  a 
government  operator  and  a  feminine  newspaper 
reporter  and  comedy  that  features  two  of  the 
screen's  funniest  characters. 

The  production,  at  first  titled  "Across  the 
Aisle,"  is  based  upon  W.  R.  Burnett's 
gangster-government  published  story.  The 
virile  character  of  Burnett's  writings  is  attest- 
ed by  such  screen  attractions  as  "Little 
Caesar,"  one  of  the  first  gangsters,  "Scarface," 
"Dark  Hazard"  and  "Dr.  Socrates."  The 
screen  play  is  by  Lou  Breslow  and  John  Pat- 
rick. The  director,  Eugene  Forde,  numbers 
among  his  dramatic  action  pictures  "Mystery 
Woman,"  "Charlie  Chan  in  London"  and  more 
recently  "The  Great  Hotel  Murder." 

The  cast  undoubtedly  was  selected  with  a 


particular  view  to  having  the  featured  players 
appear  in  typical  roles.  The  gangster  is  Doug- 
las Fowley,  who  in  several  recent  pictures  has 
demonstrated  his  ability  as  a  menace.  His  con- 
freres are  Isabel  Jewell  and  Warren  Hymer. 
Brian  Donlevy,  usually  a  heavy,  is  the  G-man, 
and  the  girl  with  whom  he  shares  the  story's 
romantic  contrast  is  Gloria  Stuart.  The  next 
most  important  principal  is  Julius  Tannen  and 
in  support  the  picture  presents  Stepin  Fetchit 
in  a  characteristic  dumb  comedy  role  as  a  Pull- 
man porter,  Romaine  Callender,  James  Burke 
and  Jonathan  Hale. 

Action  in  the  picture  takes  place  in  Los  An- 
geles, the  Kansas  City  railroad  station  and 
in  a  Midwest  gangster  hideout. 


Follow  Your  Heart 

(Republic) 
Musical  Romance 

More  than  ordinary  importance  attaches  to 
this  production.  Not  only  is  it  one  of  the  most 
costly  features  undertaken  by  this  company,  but 
it  also  marks  the  screen  debut  of  Marion  Talley, 
opera  singer.  The  character  of  the  story  is 
quite  topical  to  the  player's  personal  career.  It 
deals  with  a  talented  singer  who  refuses  to 
consider  a  stage  career  as  she  is  content  to 
play  marriage  with  a  home  town  business  man. 
But  a  stranded  operatic  company  arrives.  In- 
cluded in  it  are  the  girl's  aunt  and  uncle,  both 
of  whom  endeavor  to  pursuade  the  songstress 
to  join  the  troupe.  She  is  adamant  in  her 
decision  until  the  company's  star-director  sets 
her  heart  aflutter  and  when  he  stages  a  per- 
formance on  the  lawn  of  her  home,  she  is 
tricked  into  assuming  the  prima  donna  role.  A 
hit,  she  forgets  her  old  dislike  for*  the  stage 
and  signs  a  contract  to  star  for  the  company 
and  another  one  that  leads  to  marriage  to  its 
director. 

The  feature  is  being  given  elaborate  produc- 
tion. Though  there  are  several  operatic  num- 
bers, topical  songs  which  will  be  featured  were 
written  by  Victor  Schertzinger  and  musical  set- 
tings were  arranged  by  Hugo  Riesenfeld.  At- 
mospheric choral  dances  were  devised  by  Larry 
Ceballos.  The  story  is  based  on  an  idea  sup- 
plied by  Dana  Burnett  from  which  the  screen 
play  was  evolved  by  Lester  Cole,  Nathaniel 
West  and  Samuel  Ornitz.  Aubrey  Scotto  is 
the  director. 

As  Miss  Talley  is  starred,  Michael  Barrett, 
remembered  for  his  appearance  with  Grace 
Moore,  is  the  singing  director.  Nigel  Bruce  is 
Miss  Talley's  father  and  Luis  Alberni  and 
Margaret  Irving  are  the  girl's  aunt  and  uncle. 
John  Eldredge  is  the  first  love.  Others  com- 
posing the  exceptional  cast  are  Henrietta  Cros- 
man,  Vivienne  Osborne,  Walter  Catlett,  Eunice 
Healy,  Ben  Blue,  Si  Jenks,  Josephine  Whittell 
and  Clarence  Muse.  Featured  in  the  musical 
content  of  the  story  is  the  Hall  Johnson  Choir, 
heard  in  "The  Green  Pastures." 


McGeehan  Joins  Sporting  Club 

John  McGeehan,  former  publicity  agent 
for  large  picture  companies,  has  joined  the 
Twentieth  Century  Sporting  Club  staff  as 
publicist  and  new  business  representative  at 
their  new  Hippodrome  offices  in  the  Brill 
Building,  New  York. 


44 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,     19  3  6 


WALL  STREET  GETS  FIRST 
VIEW  OF  KENNEDY  REPORT 


Text  Denied  Stockholders  Is 
Made  Public;  Substantiates 
Forecasts;  Advises  Company 
to  Concentrate  on  Product 

The  bitter,  stubbornly  contested  battle  of 
Wall  Street  long  waged  in  the  background 
of  the  Paramount  situation  resulted  last 
weekend  in  publication  by  the  Wall  Street 
Journal  of  the  preliminary  and  final  reports 
on  the  condition  of  the  company  made  to 
the  board  of  directors  by  Joseph  P.  Kennedy 
on  June  12th. 

Coinciding  substantially  with  forecasts 
of  their  contents  which  had  gained  cur- 
rency in  informed  quarters,  the  Kennedy 
reports  recommend  concentration  of  com- 
pany control  in  the  hands  of  experienced 
motion  picture  showmen  and  set  forth  the 
opinion  that  ultimate  restoration  of  the 
corporation  to  a  profitable  operating 
status  comparable  to  its  own  condition  in 
past  years  and  that  of  certain  competitors 
today  must  depend  on  the  production  and 
distribution  of  good  motion  pictures. 

Release  of  the  text  of  the  report,  minus 
certain  portions  withheld  from  press  and 
stockholders  alike  as  relevant  to  operating 
details  of  a  competitive  nature,  followed  re- 
peated refusals  on  the  part  of  Stanton 
Griffis,  chairman  of  the  executive  committee, 
to  make  the  document  available.  Stockhold- 
ers attending  the  annual  meeting  on  June 
16th  were  told,  after  repeated  demands  for 
information  regarding  its  contents,  that  a 
summary  of  its  recommendations  would  be 
made  available  to  individual  stockholders  on 
application.  Various  individuals  subse- 
quently making  such  application  were  un- 
successful in  their  quests. 

Suggestions  Acted  Upon 

Meanwhile  certain  suggestions  contained 
in  Mr.  Kennedy's  report  were  being  acted 
upon.  Barney  Balaban  was  elected  to  the 
presidency  of  the  company  succeeding  John 
E.  Otterson.  Floyd  B.  "  Odium  of  Atlas 
corporation  resigned  from  the  board  of 
directors.  Adolph  Zukor  established  per- 
manent residence  in  Hollywood  in  order  to 
devote  his  whole  time  to  production,  singled 
out  by  Mr.  Kennedy  as  the  department  most 
acutely  in  need  of  experienced  management. 
E.  V.  Richards,  veteran  exhibitor  and  head 
of  Saenger  Amusement  company,  Paramount 
affiliate  in  New  Orleans,  was  added  to  the 
board  of  directors. 

Although  not  specifically  called  for  in  the 
Kennedy  recommendations,  each  of  these 
steps  was  in  direct  alignment  with  sugges- 
tions offered  in  the  report  for  which  Para- 
mount paid  a  total  of  $80,000  to  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy and  the  men  who  assisted  him  in  his 
investigation.  They  are  Arthur  B.  Poole, 
former  treasurer  of  Pathe,  Clinton  J.  Scol- 
lard,  former  Pathe  executive  vice-president, 
John  J.  Ford,  general  manager  of  the  Maine 
and  New  Hampshire  circuit,  James  A. 
Fayne  and  Joseph  R.  Sheehan,  associated 


PAY  CUT  TALK  "PIOUS 
GESTURE":  KENNEDY 

Competition  among  producers  for 
the  services  of  stellar  players  is  called 
uncontrollable  by  Joseph  P.  Kennedy 
in  his  Paramount  report.  He  says: 

"It  is  unfortunate  that  the  'talent' 
of  the  industry  is  organized  and  in 
consequence  the  actors  and  producers, 
writers,  et  al,  are  strengthened  in  their 
salary  grabbing  methods.  Meanwhile, 
disunion,  distrust  and  competition 
pervades  management.  As  long  as 
there  is  intense  and  uncontrollable 
competition  among  the  executives  of 
various  companies  for  the  services  of 
the  'artists'  of  the  industry,  so  long 
will  all  talk  of  lower  salary  scales  re- 
main mere  pious  gestures." 


with  Mr.  Kennedy  in  his  chairmanship  of 
the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission, 
Lucius  P.  Ordway,  investment  banker,  and 
Isidore  J.  Kresel,  financial  attorney. 

"Drastic  and  courageous  revision  of  man- 
agement is  called  for,"  says  Mr.  Kennedy 
in  his  report,  which  declares  that  "with 
quality  business  men  at  the  helm  and  on  the 
directorate  for  a  year,  starting  with  $20,- 
000,000  cash  and  no  current  obligations 
pressing,  the  company  is  at  a  crisis."  He 
adds  the  conclusion,  "It  would  seem  that 
Paramount's  present  problems  cannot  be 
solved  by  merely  condemning  the  practices 
of  the  picture  industry  and  calling  in  big 
names." 

Solution  In  Hollywood 

Bearing  on  the  relative  importance  of 
home  office  and  studio  activity,  the  report 
reads,  "The  fact  is  that  Paramount's  prob- 
lem must  be  solved  outside  of  New  York. 
That  is  where  the  overcosts  arise — that  is 
whence  big  money  pictures  must  come. 
Other  companies  derive  profits  consistently 
from  production  and  therefore  the  task  is 
not  insuperable,  even  if  the  trick  is  not  easy. 

"Thalbergs  and  Zanucks  cannot  be  bought 
or  manufactured.  Such  artists  are  born  few 
and  far  between.  If  lucky,  Paramount  may 
discover  a  sure  fire  money  making  pro- 
ducer, but  while  waiting  for  such  a  miracle, 
some  ordinary  methods  of  improving  con- 
ditions may  be  profitably  considered." 

Summary  of  Report 

The  Kennedy  report  is  summarized  as  fol- 
lows : 

(a)  Major  failures  in  recent  studio  opera- 
tions are:  (1)  Loss  on  1935-36  feature  pictures; 
(2)  Lack  of  progress  on  the  1936-37  feature 
pictures  program. 

(b)  Causes  of  these  failures  are:  (1)  Adding 
to  the  original  1935-36  studio  production  pro- 
gram without  due  consideration  of  the  result. 
(2)  Large  expenditures  on  stories,  scenarios 
and  artists'  salaries  subsequently  written  off. 


Excessive  Executive  Expense 
Scored;  Theatre  Branch  Is 
Declared  Sound;  Comparison 
With  Other  Companies  Drawn 

(3)  Extravagance  in  completing  acceptable 
scenarios.  (4)  Failure  to  prepare  scripts,  final 
cost  estimates  and  shooting  schedules  on  time. 
(5)  Failure  to  keep  shooting  schedules;  ex- 
travagance in  "takes."  (6)  Excessive  charge 
for  combined  New  York  production  department 
and  New  York  administrative  expense.  (7) 
Excessive  total  studio  overhead  expense.  (8) 
Unfortunate  experiences  with  producers  and 
directors.  (9)  Ineptitude  in  dealing  with  stars 
and  production  problems.  (10)  Defects  in  or- 
ganization. (11)  Influence  of  board  of  direc- 
tors on  studio  operation. 

(c)  Other  studio  items  calling  for  comment: 
(l)  "Back  Lot"  and  accounting  departments 
are  functioning  well.  (2)  General  studio  repu- 
tation and  artists'  contract  list  have  strength. 
(3)  There  is  no  trend  toward  improvement  of 
the  conditions  noted  under  "B"  above.  (4)  For- 
ward commitments  on  personnel. 

(d)  Conclusion:  Drastic  and  courageous  re- 
vision of  management  is  called  for. 

Cites  Earnings 

The  report  is  quoted : 

"The  Paramount's  earnings  statement  for 
the  first  quarter  of  1936  furnishes  a  convenient 
starting  point  of  discussions  since  it  is  com- 
parable with  the  statements  of  the  other  major 
units. 

"It  shows  a  nominal  'bookkeeping'  profit 
figure.  Earnings  of  approximately  $781,000  are 
shown  before  interest  and  administrative 
charges,  plus  a  small  contingency  reserve. 
After  such  charges,  which  are  necessary  charges 
against  income,  a  deficit  of  $81,078  results, 
which  deficit  is  avoided  in  the  final  showing  by 
transferring  to  profit  and  loss  surplus  account 
$800,000  out  of  a  special  inventory  reserve  of 
$2,500,000  appropriated  by  the  directors  as  of 
December  28,  1935.  This  transfer,  minus  the 
$81,000  deficit  above  referred  to,  makes  possible 
the  addition  to  profit  and  loss  of  $718,000,  the 
amount  actually  reported  as  net  income. 

"Incidentally,  it  is  interesting  to  note  that 
this  operating  deficit  resulted  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  the  theatres  division  earned,  after  in- 
terest, taxes,  depreciation  and  subsidiary  divi- 
dend charges,  a  net  profit  of  $1,073,000. 

"Charges  Eat  Into  Capital" 

"The  showing  makes  inevitable  the  conclu- 
sion that  Paramount's  management  which  took 
over  the  affairs  of  the  reorganized  company 
less  than  a  year  ago  has  never  succeeded  in 
getting  started  during  a  period  when  other 
companies  have  made  ample  profits.  In  conse- 
quence, the  rigid  charges  incident  to  a  large 
scale  business  operation,  threaten  to  eat  into 
Paramount's  capital  before  earning  power  can 
be  re-established. 

"Fortunately  the  record  shows  that  we  can 
count  upon  prosperity  in  our  industry  when- 
ever there  is  prosperity  in  general  business. 
The  fortunes  of  the  film  business  have  varied 
in  the  same  degree  and  direction  as  the  fortunes 
of  general  business. 

"The  highest  average  weekly  attendance  in 
the  moving  picture  theatres  of  the  country  was 
110,000,000  reached  during  the  fourth  quarter 
of  1929,  with  receipts  estimated  at  about 
$21,000,000. 

"Motion  picture  attendance  fell  off  steadily 

(Continued  on  page  47) 


KATHARINE  HEPBURN 
FREDRIC  MARCH 

MARY  OF  SCOTLAND  ] 

with 

FLORENCE  ELDRIDGE  .  DOUGLAS  WALTON  .  JOHN  CARRADINE 
AND   A  TREMENDOUS   CAST  OF   FAMOUS  STARS 

From  the  play  by  Maxwell  Anderson  •  Directed  by  JOHN  FORD 

RKO   RADIO  PICTURE 

Produced  by  Pandro  S.  Berman 


A  mighty  queen  steps  doiun —  and  a  glorious  woman  arises 
. . .  as  Mary  takes  her  stand  tuith  Bothtuell  against  the  tuorld ! 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


47 


POINTS  WAY  TO  SAVINGS  AT  STUDIOS 


(.Continued  from  page  44) 

from  late  1929  until  the  fourth  quarter  of  1933 
from  110,000,000  weekly  average  to  60,000,000, 
with  receipts  declining  from  approximately 
$21,000,000  to  $11,000,000. 

"Thus,  while  general  business  was  declining 
44%  during  the  depression,  gross  business  of 
the  moving  picture  industry,  as  measured  by 
attendance  at  theatres,  declined  45%,  and  re- 
ceipts fell  off  47^2%.  Similarly,  as  to  recovery; 
general  business  is  up  58%  from  the  low,  and 
movie  attendance  is  up  over  51%,  although  re- 
ceipts, due  to  lower  admission  prices,  have  been 
limited  in  recovery  to  40%. 

"Altering  operating  conditions  is  suggested 
with  a  view  to  bettering  the  ratio  of  operating 
expenses  to  gross  receipts  as  a  necessary  pre- 
cedent to  increased  future  profits.  Certainly 
there  is  ample  room  for  improvement  because 
results  could  hardly  be  worse,  and  experiment- 
ing cannot  do  much  harm.  Meanwhile,  the 
fact  that  less  than  half  the  expenses  of  the 
Picture  Industry  is  represented  by  'fixed'  items, 
leaves  a  long  list  of  items  in  which  some  real 
reductions  seem  possible. 

Company  Dollar  Analyzed 

"It  is  estimated  that  18%  cents  of  every  dol- 
lar spent  is  for  rent  and  like  charges ;  another 
28  cents  for  repairs,  lighting  maintenance,  etc. 
The  remaining  63  cents  is  used  in  actual  cost 
of  film  production  and  distribution.  Salaries  of 
actors,  directors  and  cameramen  constitute  40% 
of  production  cost.  Studio  overhead  is  the  next 
largest  item,  averaging  20%  to  35%  of  pro- 
duction expense.  Cost  of  distribution  is  rela- 
tively small  and  offers  little  chance  of  savings. 

"Salaries  and  studio  overhead,  then,  offer 
the  only  real  hope  of  savings  on  picture  costs 
and  while  everyone  begins  by  saying  these  can- 
not be  cut,  the  chief  reason  usually  given  is 
that  actors  will  not  stand  for  cuts  and  that  the 
industry  is  being  strangled  by  the  death  hand 
clutch  which  the  actors'  agents  have  upon  the 
producer.  This  matter,  however,  is  also  one 
affecting  every  unit  alike  and  is  not  the  par- 
ticular problem  of  any  one  unit.  But  when 
every  allowance  for  agents  is  made,  it  still  re- 
mains true  that  19  cents  out  of  every  dollar  of 
expense  now  goes  to  executives  for  salaries — 
to  people  not  directly  engaged  in  the  actual 
work  of  production  and  distribution,  a  factor 
which  brings  studio  overhead  to  an  actual  35%- 
45%  instead  of  the  theoretical  35%  claimed. 

"It  is  doubtful  if  executives  can  justify  their 
salaries  but  it  is  certain  that  the  salaries  paid 
to  actors  are  paid  to  compensate  for  peculiar 
talents  which  cannot  be  recruited  at  will  or 
pleasure.  Furthermore  such  salaries  are  not 
'permanent'  as  the  indirect  labor  costs  of  execu- 
tives are,  and  they  bear  at  least  some  relation 
to  box-office  receipts.  The  value  of  executive 
efforts  cannot  be  easily  appraised.  Therefore, 
the  suggestion  is  here  made  that  Paramount 
give  some  thought  to  adopting  the  salary-bonus 
basis  of  compensation  so  happily  employed  in 
the  motor  industry;  nominal  fixed  salaries  to 
executives  plus  bonus  payments  when  and  if 
net  earnings  exceed  certain  agreed  upon  totals. 

"Distrust  Pervades  Managements" 

"It  is  unfortunate  that  the  'talent'  of  the 
industry  is  organized  and  in  consequence  the 
actors  and  producers,  writers,  et  al.,  are 
strengthened  in  their  salary  grabbing  methods. 
Meanwhile,  disunion,  distrust  and  competition 
pervades  managements.  As  long  as  there  is 
intense  and  uncontrollable  competition  among 
the  executives  of  various  companies  for  the 
services  of  the  'artists'  of  the  industry,  so  long 
will  all  talk  of  lower  salary  scales  remain  mere 
pious  gestures. 

"There  is  no  settled,  dependable  practice  con- 
cerning film  production  costs  and  budgetary 
intentions  to  the  contrary,  probably  never  can 


REPORT  BREAKS  DOWN 
THE  FILM  DOLLAR 

The  Joseph  P.  Kennedy  report  on 
the  condition  of  Paramount  Pictures 
corporation  breaks  down  the  motion 
picture  dollar  in  the  following  lan- 
guage: 

"It  is  estimated  that  18%  cents  of 
every  dollar  spent  is  for  rent  and  like 
charges;  another  28  cents  for  repairs, 
lighting,  maintenance,  etc.  The  re- 
maining 6}  cents  is  used  in  actual  cost 
of  film  production  and  distribution. 
Salaries  of  actors,  directors  and  cam- 
eramen constitute  40  per  cent  of 
production  cost.  Studio  overhead  is 
the  next  largest  item,  averaging  20 
per  cent  to  35  per  cent  of  production 
expense.  Cost  of  distribution  is  rela- 
tively small  and  offers  little  chance  of 
savings." 


be.  Ever  since  the  picture,  'Four  Horsemen,' 
booked  over  $4,000,000,  producers  have  justified 
growing  costs  of  making  pictures  by  trying 
for  another  'Horsemen.'  Usually,  and  almost 
inevitably,  they  are  doomed  to  failure,  but  every 
once  in  a  while  a  company  picture  'rings  the 
bell'  with  a  'House  of  Rothschild'  or  'The 
Great  Ziegfeld,'  the  pace  of  spending  becomes 
furious  and  all  budgets  are  disregarded.  Re- 
cently Paramount's  president  returned  from 
Hollywood  with  the  announcement  that  there- 
after all  productions  would  havt  to  be  confined 
to  budgetary  estimates  of  around  $500,000,  and 
immediately  impartial  critics  of  the  industry  say 
maybe  that  is  why  the  'Ziegfeld'  film  which 
cost  MGM  $1,800,000,  is  packing  houses  at 
top  prices  while  Paramount  cannot  earn  its 
expenses.  And  MGM  indicates  $2,100,000  for 
'Romeo,'  and  $3,000,000  for  'Good  Earth' ! 

"Big  Job  Is  Yardstick" 

"No  matter  that  95%  of  all  pictures  will  fall 
far  short  of  the  total  predicted  by  the  ruthless 
spending  producer,  the  fact  that  the  ace  pro- 
ducers of  the  industry  spend  from  $1,500,000  to 
$2,000,000  on  a  big  job  is  the  yardstick  for 
every  small  producer  in  the  industry,  most  of 
whom  never  have,  and  probably  never  can  pro- 
duce a  box  office  hit,  regardless  of  expenditures. 
It  is  of  no  avail  as  argument  that  you  can  count 
upon  the  fingers  the  pictures  costing  over 
$1,250,000  that  have  made  big  money.  Deferred 
hope  makes  the  unsuccessful  producer  persist 
in  his  efforts  for  'just  one  big  hit,'  but  it  makes 
the  expense  account  look  sick. 

"This  is  the  real  danger  to  the  industry. 

"You  are  reminded  by  defenders  of  extrava- 
gance that  Columbia  Pictures  Corp.  was  'made' 
for  all  time  through  the  good  fortune  of  one 
picture  'It  Happened  One  Night.'  The  fact 
that  the  very  next  year  the  same  company  re- 
peated with  another  prize  picture,  'One  Night 
of  Love,'  suggests  that  its  success  was  not 
just  due  to  luck  and  a  big  expense.  Twentieth 
Century  Films  owes  its  good  start  to  Zanuck's 
luck  with  'Rothschild,'  and  Warner  Bros,  were 
helped  greatly  by  the  lucky  break  of  '42nd 
Street'  making  $1,500,000  for  them  just  at  the 
right  moment. 

"And  the  fact  that  any  company  at  any  time 
is  apt  to  'strike  gold'  in  a  picture  lends  some 
support  to  this  argument. 

"Indeed,  where  business  methods  have  been 
most  rigorously  adopted  the  best  results  have 


not  necessarily  followed.  Take,  for  instance, 
the  policy  of  amortization.  For  years  auditors 
and  accountants  imbued  with  instructions  from 
business  men  and  bankers  upon  the  directorates 
of  picture  companies  have  struggled  with  the 
problem  of  standardized  and  business-like  write- 
off policies  and  a  settled  practice  has  been 
evolved. 

"Charge-Off  Policy  Conservative" 

"Paramount's  practice  for  instance  in  charg- 
ing off  picture  costs — amortizing  82%  in  20 
weeks  —  has  been  commendably  conservative, 
but  it  has  not  created  profits.  Thus  far  at  least, 
settled  amortization  practices  have  resulted  in 
little  else  than  equitable  distribution  of  costs 
over  a  period  of  time.  Frankly,  something  more 
than  business-like  bookkeeping  methods  is 
needed  to  create  profits  and  that  'something'  is 
positively  and  definitely  good  pictures. 

"Another  serious  threat  to  the  industry  should 
be  pointed  out  before  considering  Paramount's 
particular  problem — foreign  quotas.  Estimates 
of  receipts  from  exhibitions  abroad  run  as  high 
as  30%  of  all  film  rentals.  If  the  current  move 
to  limit  exhibition  of  films  in  England,  largely 
to  English  made  films  is  carried  out,  not  only 
will  be  imitated  in  other  countries,  but  in  some 
instances,  it  might  make  all  the  difference  be- 
tween profitable  and  unprofitable  operations  for 
American  units. 

"Some  American  companies,  notably  20th 
Century-Fox,  have  been  keenly  aware  of  the 
danger  and  have  made  recent  affiliations  abroad 
to  offset  the  consequences  of  an  embargo. 
Paramount  is  thus  faced  with  the  necessity  of 
further  investment  abroad  as  an  additional  op- 
erating expense,  and  a  further  threat  to  income. 

"We  think  the  danger  is  real.  There  is  good 
opinion  in  London  that  the  quota  figure  may  be 
set  as  high  as  35%.  Recent  events  seem  to 
foreshadow  a  determination  on  the  part  of 
British  authorities  to  take  important  action. 

"British  Planning  Regulation" 

"Obviously  the  British  Government  is  plan- 
ning real  regulation  of  the  industry,  but  the 
thought  is  also  suggested  that  this  information 
may  be  sought  as  a  basis  for  decision  as  to  the 
measure  of  aid  the  government  may  give  the 
British  film  producers.  English  insurance  com- 
panies, banks  and  investment  trusts  are  now 
large  holders  of  securities  in  British  film  con- 
cerns and  the  known  tendency  of  Great  Britain 
to  subsidize  its  industries  gives  color  to  the 
fear  that  when  the  new  quota  is  announced,  it 
will  reveal  further  difficulties  for  American 
made  films." 

Mr.  Kennedy  also  points  out  that  of  the  total 
overhead  expense  at  the  studio  last  year  about 
40%  represented  provision  for  losses  in  respect 
of  stories  purchased  and  scenarios  written  and 
later  abandoned,  and  in  respect  of  artists'  sala- 
ries for  idle  time  and  excessive  time  spent  on 
pictures. 

It  is  not  easy  to  appraise  the  1936  situation 
as  to  these  reserves,  partly  because  the  auditors 
have  not  finished  examining  the  first  quarter's 
provision  for  losses  and  partly  because  the 
amounts  reserved  cannot  directly  be  matched 
against  write-offs  for  a  short  period.  However, 
up  to  the  present  time  it  does  not  appear  likely 
that  the  write-offs  for  the  full  year  1936  can  be 
kept  within  the  total  charged  to  the  operations 
for  such  losses  in  1935. 

Discussing  sound  equipment  contracts,  the 
report  says : 

"Paramount  has  a  contract  with  Electrical 
Research  Products  whereby  Paramount  is 
licensed  to  record  sound  pictures  under  patents 
owned  by  Electrical  Research  Products,  for  a 
period  ending  December  31,  1944,  in  return  for 
which  Paramount  pays  specified  fees.  Para- 
mount guarantees  that  the  fees  so  paid  will 
(Continued  on  following  page) 


48 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


ASKS  STUDY  OF  BOOKING 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

amount  to  a  minimum  of  $100,000  per  year. 
It  is  estimated  that  for  the  1936-37  program 
of  pictures,  Paramount  will  pay  license  fees 
aggregating  $730,453. 

Suggests  Rate  Reduction 

"RCA  Photophone  on  February  15,  1936, 
announced  revised  rates  which  are  much  lower 
than  the  rates  Paramount  is  now  paying  Elec- 
trical Research  Products.  Applying  the  revised 
RCA  rates  to  Paramount's  1936-37  program, 
the  total  license  fees  would  amount  to  $366,862, 
or  a  saving  of  $363,591.  We  suggest  that  a 
vigorous  effort  be  made  to  get  Electrical  Re- 
search Products  to  reduce  their  rates  to  con- 
form with  the  reduced  rates  published  by  RCA. 

"So  far  this  year  the  theatres  as  a  whole 
are  showing  a  very  healthy  improvement,  al- 
though the  foreign  theatres  are  showing  a  loss, 
which  loss  although  not  directly  a  part  of  the 
Theatre  Department,  is  being  directly  charged 
against  their  operations. 

"With  a  good  improvement  at  the  studio, 
insofar  as  pictures  are  concerned  (box  office 
values)  and  a  reduction  of  management  ex- 
penses, the  theatres  should  show  a  net  profit  of 
between  $5,000,000  and  $6,000,000  annually." 

Recommends  Industry  Man 

In  closing,  the  report  says : 

"Because  there  appears  to  be  an  irreconcilable 
conflict  between  certain  of  your  directors  which 
has  resulted  disastrously  to  the  morale  and 
efficiency  of  the  entire  organization,  I  recom- 
mend that  steps  be  taken  immediately  to  have 
those  responsible  for  this  irreconcilable  con- 
flict terminate  their  positions  on  the  Board. 

"I  recommend  that  you  elect  for  President, 
succeeding  its  present  incumbent,  a  man  of  out- 
standing reputation  from  the  industry,  'a  pic- 
ture man.'  I  recommend  that  you  appoint  a 
chief  of  production  with  headquarters  on  the 
West  Coast  and  that  you  permit  him  to  run 
production  without  interference  from  the  New 
York  office,  except  the  natural  supervision  of 
the  president  with  whom  he  should  be  in  sym- 
pathy." 

Additional  Disclosures 

Early  this  week  additional  disclosures  of  the 
report's  contents  brought  out  that  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy had  expressed  the  opinion  that  "while  the 
principle  of  decentralized  theatre  operation  may 
be  good  and  the  results  generally  satisfactory, 
it  is  quite  evident  that  there  is  a  very  weak  link 
in  the  setup  in  so  far  as  the  buying  and  booking 
of  pictures  is  concerned. 

"The  New  York  office  has  no  control  over 
the  buying  or  booking  of  pictures  wherever 
management  contracts  are  concerned.  We  feel 
that  the  problem  of  strengthening  this  weak 
link  could  be  met  to  some  extent  by  appoint- 
ing a  committee  to  classify  the  company's  the- 
atres for  buying  and  booking.  However,  be- 
cause of  the  intricacies  of  local  conditions  in- 
volved we  feel  that  nobody  outside  of  the  com- 
mittee such  as  recommended  can  satisfactorily 
suggest  working  methods  for  it." 

Nevertheless,  the  report  recommends  that 
"under  no  circumstances  should  any  attempts 
be  made  at  this  time  to  change  or  modify  the 
theatre  management  contracts  in  any  way  un- 
less the  request  should  originate  with  the  man- 
ager," and  the  theatre  report  concludes  with  the 
observation  that  "with  a  good  improvement  at 
the  studios  in  so  far  as  pictures  are  concerned 
and  a  reduction  of  management  expenses,  the 
theatres  should  show  a  net  profit  of  between 
$5,000,000  and  $6,000,000  annually." 

"We  are  faced  with  the  fact,"  Mr.  Kennedy 
says  in  his  report,  "that  the  organization  which 
you  directors  depend  upon  to  make  profits  for 
your  company  is  wholly  without  confidence  in 


you.  I  have  not  succeeded  in  my  attempt  to 
find  men  of  outstanding  rank  in  the  industry 
to  recommend  to  you  for  executive  positions 
with  Paramount.  Such  men  are  urgently  needed. 
Unfortunately,  those  whom  I  should  recommend 
to  you  are  not  interested  in  considering  posi- 
tions with  Paramount  while  directors  believed 
throughout  the  industry  and  throughout  your 
organization  to  be  responsible  for  dissension 
and  division  in  management  policies  continue  as 
members  of  the  board." 
The  report  concludes : 

"It  may  take  a  year  or  more  to  overcome 
existing  difficulties,  but  I  feel  that  there  is 
enough  prestige  still  clinging  to  the  Paramount 
name  to  restore  it  to  leadership  in  the  industry. 
It  would  be  little  short  of  criminal  if,  on  the 
threshold  of  a  period  of  prosperity  for  the  in- 
dustry, this  opportunity  to  eliminate  waste  and 
substitute  profits  were  to  be  passed  by  without 
action.  It  might  subsequently  be  difficult  to  ex- 
plain such  inaction  to  litigious  stockholders  or 
to  inquiring  Congressional  committees." 


Court  Permits  Use 
Of  Ledger  Page 
At  Fox  Trial 

An  entire  page  of  an  All-Continental  Cor- 
poration ledger  devoted  to  all  accounts  of 
Mrs.  Belle  Schwartz  was  admitted  in  evi- 
dence in  Atlantic  City  last  Thursday  in  the 
bankruptcy  hearing  of  her  father,  William 
Fox.  Creditors'  attorneys  considered  this 
important  in  their  task  of  tracing  All-Con- 
tinental transactions  by  extraction  of  scat- 
tered items. 

Mrs.  Fox  and  her  two  daughters  for  whom 
Mr.  Fox  created  and  financed  the  corpora- 
tion six  years  ago  as  a  trust,  have  refused  to 
allow  inspection  of  its  books  while  creditors 
are  fighting  to  establish  the  contention  that 
All-Continental  is  not  a  separate  organiza- 
tion, but  really  a  disguised  Fox  asset. 

Federal  Referee  Robert  E.  Steedle  ruled 
that  "if  ever  a  page  in  a  third  party's  books 
were  admissible  in  evidence,  this  is.  The 
first  six  items  are  cash  that  came  out  of  the 
Fox  safe  deposit  box.  The  first  item  is  ad- 
mittedly a  payment  on  his  obligation.  The 
last  six  items  admittedly  now  refer  to  a 
Fox  transaction  and  admittedly  the  status 
of  those  items  was  changed  after  the  filing 
in  bankruptcy." 

The  last  sentence  referred  to  an  ad- 
mission by  Herbert  Leitsteen,  Fox  family 
bookkeeper,  under  questioning  of  David 
Katz  of  New  York,  that  "at  the  time  I  had 
the  wrong  information.  Now  since  June 
29,  1936,  I  have  the  right  information.  This 
was  in  connection  with  numerous  changes 
and  later  notations  found  in  the  books.  Many 
pages  were  found  Thursday  on  which  the 
name  "Belle"  or  the  initial  of  "B.  F."  were 
written  over  an  erasure.  Mr.  Katz  tried  in 
vain  to  make  Mr.  Leitsteen  concede  that  the 
name  originally  erased  after  each  of  these 
items  was  "William  Fox"  or  "W.  F.." 


Miller  Manager  in  Omaha 

LeRoy  Miller  has  been  appointed  man- 
ager of  the  Universal  exchange  in  Omaha, 


Increase  of  U  S. 
Short  Product 
Seen  in  Hungary 

by  ENDRE  HEVESI 

in  Budapest 

The  new  season  in  Hungary  is  expected  to 
be  characterized  by  a  considerable  increase 
in  the  number  of  short  subjects  American 
distributors  will  send  here.  The  increase  is 
due  to  the  recent  edict  of  the  Hungarian 
Government  prohibiting  the  showing  of  two 
features  on  any  one  program. 

Releasing  plans  of  several  of  the  major 
American  companies  for  next  season  include 
the  following  totals :  Paramount,  50  features 
and  40  shorts;  M-G-M,  25  features;  War- 
ners, six  features  and  40  shorts ;  Twentieth 
Century-Fox,  24  features  and  18  shorts ; 
Universal,  10  features.  During  the  past  sea- 
son Paramount  released  20  features,  while 
Warners  released  10  last  year.  However, 
Warners  short  subject  output  last  year  to- 
taled 25,  compared  with  40  planned  next 
season. 

The  end  of  June  virtually  ends  the  film 
season  in  this  city.  Budapest  represents  the 
only  screen  public  of  any  consequence  in 
Hungary.  During  the  warm  summer  months 
theatres  make  no  attempt  to  show  the  better 
product,  exhibiting  only  the  weaker  features. 
Trends  of  Favor 

Indicating  to  some  extent  the  types  of 
film,  and  those  players  preferred  by  the 
Hungarian  public  are  the  results  of  some  of 
the  leading  American  films  during  the  past 
season  at  the  box-office. 

Among  Paramount  films,  "Desire"  and 
"The  Last  Outpost"  were  the  most  success- 
ful. "The  Devil  Is  a  Woman"  started  suc- 
cessfully but  could  not  be  properly  exploited 
because  of  the  intervention  of  the  Spanish 
Government.  "The  Milky  Way,"  Harold 
Lloyd  comedy,  was  not  received  favorably 
here. 

M-G-M's  "Anna  Karenina,"  "Mutiny  on 
the  Bounty"  and  "Broadway  Melody  of 
1936"  met  with  pronounced  favor,  while 
"David  Copperfield"  and  "Naughty  Mari- 
etta" were  received  indifferently.  Eleanor 
Powell  sprang  into  immediate  popularity. 
The  lack  of  success  of  "David  Copperfield" 
and  of  "Naughty  Marietta"  could  not  be 
attributed  to  the  stars,  since  both  Freddie 
Bartholomew  and  Jeanette  MacDonald  are 
very  well  liked  by  the  Hungarian  public. 

"A  Midsummer  Night's  Dream"  and 
"Captain  Blood"  were  the  Warner  films 
which  ran  high  at  the  box-office,  while  "Gold 
Diggers  of  1935"  fell  down. 

Other  Popular  Films 

Shirley  Temple  was  the  outstanding 
Twentieth  Century-Fox  favorite,  her  films, 
"Curly  Top"  and  "Bright  Eyes"  being  the 
two  most  successful  films  of  the  company. 

The  popularity  of  Ginger  Rogers  and  Fred 
Astaire,  especially  the  latter,  was  demon- 
strated in  the  box  office  results  achieved  by 
"Gay  Divorcee"  and  "Roberta."  "Becky 
Sharp"  and  "Last  Days  of  Pompeii"  met 
with  a  reception  indicating  that  costume  pic- 
tures are  not  appreciated  by  the  public  here. 

Columbia's  "Love  Me.  Forever"  did  well. 
Universal  had  success  with  "Magnificent 
Obsession"  and  "Storm  Over  the  Andes," 
but  the  biographical  films,  "Diamond  Jim" 
and  "Sutter's  Gold"  were  poorly  received. 


July    2  5,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


49 


TEXT  OF  CONTRACT  OFFERED  BY  WPA 


{Continued  from  page  14) 
high  entertainment  standard  as  to  be  acceptable  for 
exhibition  in  any  commercial  motion  picture  theatre 
within  the  United  States. 
2.  Outline 

TENTATIVE  DRAFT  OF 
WORKING    SCRIPT    FOR    MOTION  PICTURE 
RECORD 

The  purpose  of  each  WPA  Information  Service 
Motion  Picture  Record  is  to  present  to  the  citizens 
of  a  particular  State,  or  area,  information  about  the 
operations  of  WPA  in  that  state,  or  area. 

Certain  major  activities  must  be  included  in^  each 
unit  or  reel.  The  specific  examples  of  those  activities 
will  be  selected  in  accordance  with  the  best  possibili- 
ties in  each  state. 

The  subjects  that  must  be  included  are  the  follow- 
ing: 

(a)  Public  health. 

(b)  Accomplishment. 

(c)  The  emergency  education  program,  particularly 
as  it  is  reflected  in  improvement  of  educational  possi- 
bilities and  better  health  for  children.  In  most  cases 
this  can  best  be  worked  out  through  nursery  schools 
and  visiting  nurses.  . 

(d)  Public  Safety. 

(e)  Farm-to-Market  roads. 

Not  mandatory  but  still  important  projects  to  be 
treated  are: 

(a)  Flood  prevention. 

(b)  Public  buildings. 

(c)  Parks  and  playgrounds. 

(d)  Airports  and  other  transportation  facilities. 

(e)  Sewing  projects. 

(f)  Street  and  sidewalk  improvement. 

(g)  Institutional  improvement,  such  as:  Hospitals, 
infirmaries,  school  buildings,  colleges,  libraries,  audi- 
toriums, community  centers,  corrective  institutions, 
armories  and  arsenals. 

(h)  Soil  erosion,  land  reclamation,  and  drainage. 

(i)  Game  and  fish  conservation. 

(j)  Scientific  activity  (where  it  can  be  made  dram- 
atic). 

(k)  Improvement  of  historical  buildings,  shrines,  and 
places. 

TYPICAL  SAMPLE 
SUGGESTED  OUTLINE  FOR  MICHIGAN 

For  a  unit  or  reel  600  feet  to  900  feet  long,  four  to 
six  major  sequences,  and  from  15  to  25  single  shots 
are  required. 

MAJOR  SEQUENCES 

(a)  Forest  Fires. — WPA  workers  cutting  fire  lanes 
in  the  vicinity  of  Clare  and  also  cleaning  brush  from 
existing  fire  lanes.  Take  forest  fire  shots  from  film 
library  to  dramatize  this  sequence. 

(b)  Public  Health. — Whooping  cough  immunitization 
project  in  Grand  Rapids — "Trapping  the  Whooping 
Cough  Germ." 

(c)  Unusual     Women's     Work     Project.— Finnish 


Women  in  Keewenaw  County — Show  mother  of  four 
on  dole,  children  hungry;  she  is  assigned  to  a  WPA 
iob  as  a  weaver,  at  a  security  wage,  children  happy; 
she  resumed  her  craftsmanship,  enabling  her  to  sell 
the  products  of  her  loom  and  become  self-supporting. 

(d)  Farm-to-Market  Roads. — Use  a  farmer's  truck 
loaded  with  perishables,  such  as  strawberries,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Saginaw.  Truck  becomes  stuck  in  the  mud, 
his  crop  spoils.  Then  show  an  "after"  picture  of  an 
improved  road  over  which  the  truck  runs  to  market, 
enabling  the  farmer  to  obtain  the  highest  price  for 
his  produce.  Also,  show  scenes  of  the  infant  oil  indus- 
try around  Clare.  They  should  show  an  oil  truck 
stuck  in  the  mud  and  then  the  same  truck  on  an 
improved  road. 

(e)  Public  Safety. — Twenty -four  State  police  posts 
and  two  radio  stations — at  Paw  Paw  and  Houghton, 
costing  $500,000— are  being  built  by  the  WPA.  Sug- 
gested dramatization:  Radio  station  broadcasts  sig- 
nals about  gang  of  robbers  to  a  police  boat  on  the 
lake,  to  a  police  plane  in  the  air,  and  to  a  police  car 
on  the  road.  The  main  chase  to  be  in  boats  on  the 
lake.    Location  to  be  decided. 

(f)  WPA  nursery  schools  in  rural  districts.  Loca- 
tion to  be  decided.  School  lunches,  visiting  nurses, 
and  distribution  of  text  books  cleaned  and  rebound  in 
WPA  projects.  Also,  shots  of  gymnasium  constructed 
by  WPA  workers. 

(End  of  Sequences) 

SINGLE  SHOTS 

(a)  Iron  Mountain  Sewer  Project: 

(b)  Lansing  Biological  Laboratory. — Under  construc- 
tion— scientific. 

(c)  Keewenaw  County. — Brockway  Mountain  Drive 
and  rustic  gold  clubhouse — scenic. 

(d)  Ottawa  Indian  Village  at  Manistee  and  NYA 
project  for  restoring  old  Ft.  Holmes  built  by  the 
British  in  1812,  on  Mackinac  Island — historical. 

(e)  Reducing  traffic  accidents: 

1 —  $1,000,000  traffic  survey  of  main  highways  by 
WPA — State  Highway  Department. 

2—  $300,000  rural  traffic  survey  by  WPA— State 
Police — NYA  in  towns  under  18,000  population.  This 
latter  project  also  provides  for  the  building  up  of  a 
driver's  record  for  each  driver. 

(f)  Sewing  Projects. — Flint  or  Grand  Rapids. 

(g)  Sponsor  Endorsements. — Idea  to  be  worked  out. 

(h)  Airports. — A  map  showing  lighted  and  unlighted 
air  fields  available  in  1932  in  Michigan,  following  by 
another  map  showing  air  fields  and  landing  fields 
available  in  July,  1936,  as  a  result  of  work  by  the 
CWA,  FERA  and  WPA.  Also  shots  of  Bishop  Air- 
port at  Flint,  built  wholly  by  Work  Program,  and/or 
Kent  County  Airport  at  Grand  Rapids,  the  Detroit 
Municipal  Airport. 

(i)  Twenty-eight  (28)  Community  Colleges;  Rural 
Areas. — Education. 

(j)  City  Hall  at  Albion— Built  under  the  Works 
Program. 

(k)  WPA  Symphony  Orchestra — Open  Air  Concerts — 


Detroit  or  Grand  Rapids. — A  map  or  chart,  or  the 
announcer  to  say  that  free  concerts  were  attended  by 
9,000  people  in  six  cities  during  one  week  in  March. 

(1)  Samuel  Chaswan,  nationally  known  sculptor,  de- 
signing a  life-size  statue  for  the  Institute  or  Art. 

(m)  Murals  in  Children's  Library. — Highland  Park 
or  Dearborn. 

(n)   Braille  Library. — Lansing. 

(o)  Oil  aggregate  Road  Program  in  Jackson. — City 
Streets  (example  of  $5,000,000  oil  aggregate  program 
being  carried  out  in  Michigan  on  Streets  and  Roads). 

(p)  Shoreline  Highway  near  Alpena. — Blasting  road 
out  of  cliff  along  shore  of  Lake  Huron — scenic. 

(q)  New  school  building  completed  under  FERA  at 
Barridon  at  cost  of  $115,000. 

(r)  Recreation. — Grandnephew  of  Sitting  Bull  is 
Recreation  Director  in  Barroga  County — he  has  feath- 
ers, tomahawk,  war  paint  and  a  horse. 

(s)  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor. — Thera- 
peutic pool  for  infantile  paralysis  treatment  completed 
under  WPA. 

(t)  Detroit  Zoo. — Improvements  to  animal  cages 
and  animal  pictures. 

(u)  Wolf  Lake  Fish  Hatchery  near  Kalamazoo.— 
The  largest  fish  hatchery  in  the  world. 

(v)  Infirmary  at  Stanwood.— $200,000  hospital  built 
under  CWA  and  FERA. 

(w)  Hamtramck  High  School  Stadium — being  built  by 
WPA. 

3.  Technical  Requirements. — This  contractor  shall 
supply  record  and  information  units  or  reels  of  pro- 
fessional quality,  containing  suitable  introductory 
background,  music,  titles,  fades,  cuts,  pans,  art  work 
and  up  to  200  feet  of  animation,  maps  or  charts. 
(Bidders  must  furnish  with  their  bids  evidence  of 
their  ability  to  supply  animation  maps  and  charts, 
sound  recording  and  other  photographic  or  sound 
effects  generally  and  normally  a  part  of  professional 
productions.) 

4.  The  Contractor  Shall  Furnish  a  qualified  script 
writer,  film  editor,  camera  crew,  technicians,  director, 
actors  and  actresses,  the  use  of  studios,  lighting 
equipment,  a  competent  production  and  idea  man  in 
Washington  during  the  life  of  the  contract,  sound 
equipment  in  the  field  whenever  necessary,  and 
branch  office  facilities  or  contact  points  at  convenient 
locations  throughout  the  territory  to  be  served  for 
the  adequate  support  and  servicing  of  the  units  or 
reels  in  production,  and  in  localities  where  the  con- 
tractor has  facilities  for  storage  and  inspection  for 
film,  he  shall  furnish  such  services  without  additional 
cost  to  the  Works  Progress  Administration. 

5.  Transportation. — The  Works  Progress  Adminis- 
tration will  furnish  automotive  transportation  during 
production  of  any  record  or  information  unit  or  reel 
at  the  call  of  the  contractor  for  his  employees  within 
any  state  or  area  to  be  covered  on  any  picture  being 
made  under  this  contract. 

6.  Liaison. — The  Works  Progress  Administration 
will  furnish  a  liaison  man  in  each  state  to  make  all 

(Continued  on  following  page) 


REPRODUCTION  OF  HEADING  OF  WPA  CONTRACT  FORM  SENT  TO  NEWSREELS 


.  Standard  Form  38  (Revised) 
Apprtrol  by  the  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury  ' 
July  12, 1936 


Invitation  No. 
Contract  No. 


INVITATION,  BID,  AND  ACCEPTANCE 

(SHORT  FORM  CONTRACT) 

_forks  'Progress  Administration' 

(AddrW)  *"'  " " 

INVITATION 

Sealed  bids,  in  ..aM4*^U£ate   subject  to  the  conditions  on  the  reverse  hereof,  will  be  received  at  this  office 

until  —  o'clock   -9<n.,  ..A^J..&i._}9?6   and  then  pubHely  opened,  for  furnishing  the 

following  supplies,  and/or  services,  for  delivery  at  1^34  Hew  York  Avenue  ,  N.f . 

 HAR5Y  i.  JimSAS.  Z...  "Chief  Clerk  

(N&me)  *  (Title) 


ITEM 
NO. 

ARTICLES  OR  SERVICES 

QUANTITY 

UNIT 

UNIT  PRICE 

AMOUN 

T 

Cents 

'XL  : 

films  -  One  negative  and  one  positive,  each 
olete  in  *»■ — ~danoe  with   —  — 

50 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


SAMPLE  SCENARIOS  TO  BE  SUBMITTED 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 
necessary   arrangements  regarding  scenes  to  be  re- 
corded, approvals  and  other  similar  matters. 

7.  Bid  Bonds.— The  bidder  shall  submit,  together 
with  his  bid,  a  bid  bond  or  certified  check  made 
payable  to  the  Treasurer  of  the  United  States,  for 
25%  of  the  amount  of  the  bid. 

8.  Distribution. — The  contractor  shall  agree  to  cause 
to  be  released  and/or  distributed  one  newsreel  story 
on  the  subject  of  WPA  activities  each  month  during 
the  life  of  this  contract  through  the  medium  of  a 
nationally ■  distributed  newsreel. 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS 

1.  Conditions  of  Contract — This  contractor  shall 
hold  and  save  the  Government,  its  officers,  agents, 
servants  and  employees,  harmless  from  liability  of 
any  nature  or  kind,  including  cost  and  expenses,  for 
or  on  account  of  any  patented  or  unpatented  inven- 
tion, article,  or  appliance  manufactured  or  used  in 
the  performance  of  this  contract,  including  their  use 
by  the  Government.  (Note:  The  RCA  has  offered  to 
waive  all  charge  for  royalty  on  Government  •  films 
where  no  charge  is  to  be  made  against  the  exhibitor 
for  showing.) 

This  contractor  shall  submit  to  the  Works  Progress 
Administration  within  one  week  of  the  award  of  the 
contract,  a  sample  scenario  for  approval.  No  produc- 
tion shall  be  started  without  formal  approval  of  the 
working  script  or  scenario  by  the  Works  Progress 
Administration. 

After  each  information  unit  or  reel  is  edited  and 
before  the  sound  is  added,  the  contractor  shall  submit 
a  positive  print  of  edited  film  to  the  Works  Progress 
Administration  for  approval.  The  right  is  reserved 
to  reject  any  or  all  scenes  which  are  imperfect,  the 
decision  in  any  case  to  rest  with  the  Works  Progress 
Administration.  Sound  is  to  be  added  only  after 
formal  approval  in  writing  of  the  silent  print.  Be- 
fore final  acceptance  of  completed  film,  formal  written 
approval  shall  be  obtained  of  the  sound  tracks. 

The  selection  of  music  to  be  used  in  each  record 
and  information  reel  shall  be  made  by  the  contractor 
and  approved  by  the  Works  Progress  Administration. 

All  films,  negative  and  positive,  when  accepted  as 
completed  and  approved  by  the  Works  Progress  Ad- 
ministration, shall  become  property  of  the  United 
States  Government. 

The  conditions  contained  in  the  U.  S.  Standard 
Form  No.  33  together  with  other  conditions  set  forth 
herein  shall  govern  this  contract.  A  performance 
bond  or  certified  check  in  favor  of  the  Treasurer  of 
the  United  States  in  the  amount  of  25%  of  the  con- 
tract will  be  required. 

2.  Competency  of  Contractor. — Attention  of  bidders 
is  expressly  called  to  the  fact  that  proposals  will  be 
considered  only  from  individuals,  firms  or  corpora- 
tions regularly  engaged  in  the  respective  businesses 
covered  by  these  specifications  and  possessed  of 
satisfactory  financial  standing  and  with  the  equip- 
ment and  organization  sufficient  to  insure  satisfactory 
execution  and  completion  of  the  contract  and  who 
have  established  a  satisfactory  record  for  the  past 
three  years  for  completion  of  contracts  of  similar 
character  and  extent.  It  is  further  to  be  understood 
that  any  contractor  whose  product  is  included  under 
a  subcontract,  shall  meet  all  the  foregoing  and 
further  shall  have  a  plant  properly  equipped  for  the 
completion  of  the  respective  films  included  in  the  bid. 
Nothing  in  this  Article,  however,  is  to  be  construed 
as  preventing  a  duly  authorized  dealer  or  agent  of 
a  properly  qualified  manufacturer  or  manufacturers 
from  bidding  on  this  contract. 

The  term  "equipment  and  organization"  as  used 
above,  shall  be  construed  to  mean  a  fully  equipped 
and  well  established  plant  including  first  class  facili- 
ties and  personnel. 

In  addition,  this  contractor  must  supply  evidence 
that  he  owns  an  adequate  film  library. 

3.  Method  of  Award. — The  award  of  the  contract  or 
contracts  will  be  made  with  consideration  to  the 
following : 

The  ability  of  the  bidder  to  furnish  films;  the  cost; 
and  responsibility  of  bidders;  all  as  may  be  deter- 
mined by  the  contracting  officer.  It  is  the  intention 
to  make  the  award  in  such  manner  as  to  be  in  the 
best  interest  of  the  Government. 

The  Government  reserves  (a)  the  right  to  accept 
or  reject  any  or  all  bids  or  any  part  or  parts  thereof 
and  to  award  the  contract  or  any  parts  thereof  to 
other  than  the  lowest  bidder  as  the  interest  of  the 
Government  may  require;  (b)  the  right  to  judge  as 
to  the  competency  of  bidders  as  defined  above,  and 
(c)  all  other  rights  ordinarily  reserved  by  the  Govern- 
ment. The  fact  that  specifications  have  been  fur- 
nished to  attending  bidders  will  not  limit  the  Govern- 
ment's right  to  judge  as  to  their  competency  after 
bids  have  been  received. 

All  other  factors  being  equal,  the  award  will  be 
made  to  the  bidder  who  is  better  able  to  aid  in  dis- 
tribution, both  theatrical  and  non-theatrical.  The 
decision  of  the  contracting  officer  shall  be  final. 

4.  Delivery. — Delivery  shall  be  F.O.B.  contractor's 
laboratory,  for  shipment  at  the  direction  of  the 
Works  Progress  Administration  on  Government  Bill  of 
Lading. 

5.  Specifications  and  Conditions.— The  specifications, 
including  the  general  conditions,  will  be  made  a  part 
of  the  contract. 


WPA  SETS  OBJECTIVE 
IN  A  WORKING  SCRIPT 

exhibitioners.  . 

ture  theater  within  the  United TTtates-. 

Outline 

TENATIVE  DRAFT 
of 

WORKING  SCRIPT  FOR  MOTION  PICTURE  RECORD 

The  purpose  of  each  WPA  Information  Ser- 
vice Motion  Picture  Record  is  to  present 
to  the  citizens  of  a  particular  State,  or 
area,  information  about  the  operations  of 
WPA  in  that  state,  or  area. 

Certain  major  activities  must  he  included 
in  each  unit  or  reel.    The  specific  ex- 
amples of  those  activities  will  be  select- 
ed in  accordance  with  the  hest  possibili- 
ties in  each  state. 

_  subjects  that  must  he  included, _ar«  • 

Reproduced  from  the  contract  offered 
to  newsreels  and  others  by  the  Works 
Progress  Administration. 


The  general  conditions  and  the  specifications  accom- 
panying same  are  intended  to  provide  for  a  finished 
piece  of  work. 

This  contractor  shall  furnish  all  things  requisite 
and  necessary  for  the  proper  and  entire  finishing  of 
this  work,  notwithstanding  each  and  every  item  neces- 
sary may  not  be  particularly  shown  or  described 
excepting  as  referred  to  in  paragraph  5  concerning 
automotive  transportation  to  be  furnished  by  the 
Works  Progress  Administration  and/or  the  Works 
Progress  Administration  liaison  man  as  described  in 
paragraph  6,  that  the  films  as  a  unit  or  reel  may  be 
delivered  in  a  perfect  and  complete  condition.  De- 
tails shall  take  precedence  over  general  specifica- 
tions and  conditions.  Should  any  discrepancy  _  or 
ambiguity  be  found  in  the  specifications  or  conditions 
the  same  shall  be  reported  to  the  Chief  Clerk  of  the 
Works  Progress  Administration  at  once.  No  claim  for 
work  under  this  contract  will  be  allowed  unless  the 
work  in  question  has  been  ordered  in  writing  on  a 
Works  Progress  Administration  purchase  order  signed 
by  the  Chief  Clerk. 

6.  Definitions. — Throughout  this  document  the  fol- 
lowing terms  shall  be  construed  as  here  defined. 

The  word  "CHIEF  CLERK"  refers  to  the  Chief 
Clerk  of  the  Works  Progress  Administration,  or  in 
his  absence  to  the  duly  authorized  Acting  Chief  Clerk. 

The  words  "THIS  CONTRACTOR"  refer  to  the 
individual,  firm,  or  corporation  contracting  to  do  the 
work  herein  specified,  or  any  portion  thereof. 

7.  Alterations  to  Specifications  or  Conditions.— This 
Contractor  shall  make  no  alterations  in  the  specifica- 
tions or  conditions.  Should  any  error,  inconsistency  or 
omission  occur  in  them  he  shall  not  take  advantage 
thereof,  but  shall  refer  it  to  the  Chief  Clerk  for 
correction. 

8.  Protection  and  Transportation. — All  articles  shall 
be  properly  wound  on  reels  and  packed  in  cans,  and 
every  precaution  shall  be  taken  to  insure  safe  delivery. 
All  state  laws  regarding  the  shipment  of  films  shall 
be  complied  with  in  the  packing.  Anything  found 
damaged  from  insufficient  protection  or  otherwise 
shall  be  replaced  or  repaired  at  this  Contractor's  ex- 
pense. 

9.  Labels. — Each  can  is  to  be  properly  marked  to 
identify  the  reels  or  units  contained  therein. 

10.  Equivalents. — Whenever  or  wherever  an  article 
or  any  class  or  materials  is  specified  by  name  of  any 
particular  patentee,  manufacturer  or  dealer,  it  shall 
be  taken  as  intending  to  mean  and  specify  the  articles 
or  materials  described  or  any  other  equal  thereto 
in  quality,  finish  and  durability,  and  equally  as  ser- 
viceable for  the  purpose  for  which  it  is  or  they  are 
intended,  as  may  be  judged  and  determined  by  the 
Works  Progress  Administration,  which  decision  shall 
be  final  and  binding  on  both  parties  to  this  contract. 
Wherever  patented  appliances  or  materials  or  their 
equals  are  specified,  the  particular  make  intended 
to  be  used  in  the  performance  of  this  contract  must 
be  specifically  stated  under  the  items  affected. 

11.  Subcontractor. — No  part  of  this  work  shall  be 
sublet    by    the    successful    bidder    to    other  parties. 


except  on  the  written  consent  of  the  Works  Progress 
Administration  and  when  any  such  work  is  sublet, 
the  Works  Progress  Administration  shall  receive 
notification  of,  and  give  approval  of  same  in  writing 
before  such  contract  shall  become  binding. 

12.  General  Guaranty. — Everything  done  in  the  ful- 
fillment of  this  contract  must  be  done  without  addi- 
tional expense  to  the  Government.  The  opinion  of 
the  Contracting  Officer  as  to  the  liability  of  this 
Contractor  under  this  contract  or  as  the  satisfactory 
fulfillment  or  compensation  for  the  nonfulfillment 
thereof  shall  be  final. 

13.  Labor  Conditions. — This  Contractor  shall  pay 
prevailing  wages  to  employees  used  in  the  execu- 
tion of  this  contract.  This  Contractor  shall  provide 
Workmen's  Compensation  to  all  employees  in  any 
production  manufactured  under  this  contract. 

All  conditions  as  outlined  heretofore  are  to  become 
part  of  this  contract. 


Art  Development 
Of  Pictures  Urged 

A  plea  for  the  encouragement  of  poten- 
tialities of  the  motion  picture,  "the  newest, 
most  fluid  of  all  the  arts,"  so  that  it  may 
take  its  proper  place  with  literature,  music 
and  the  drama,  was  made  by  Alexander 
Markey,  executive  producer  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Foundation  of  America,  in  an  ad- 
dress before  the  Institute  of  Public  Affairs 
at  the  University  of  Virginia. 

Mr.  Markey  reviewed  the  development  of 
the  motion  picture  from  its  inception  "only 
yesterday"  and  pointed  out  some  of  the  in- 
dustry's short-comings  of  today,  chief  of 
which  he  labeled  the  double  feature  bill.  To 
eliminate  these  and  to  raise  the  motion  pic- 
ture to  the  niche  in  the  world  of  art  for 
which  he  emphasized  it  is  fitted  by  its  uni- 
versal appeal  to  the  emotions  of  man,  he 
proposed  the  establishment  of  an  independent 
organization  to  produce  "experimental  mo- 
tion pictures  under  the  guidance  of  outstand- 
ing film  experts  of  the  industry." 

The  proposal  urged  major  producers  to 
finance  the  experiment  along  lines  similar 
to  efforts  made  in  the  steel,  automotive  and 
electrical  industries.  By  means  of  the  product 
the  public's  response  to  films  in  general 
could  be  gauged. 


National  Decency  Legion 
Classifies  19  Pictures 

Of  19  new  pictures  reviewed  and  classified 
by  the  National  Legion  of  Decency  in  its 
list  for  the  past  two  weeks,  14  were  listed 
as  unobjectionable  for  general  patronage, 
four  as  unobjectionable  for  adults  and  one 
objectionable  in  part.  The  new  pictures  and 
their  classifications,  follow. 

Class  A-l,  "Unobjectionable  for  General 
Patronage":  "Blackmailer,"  "Crash  Dono- 
van," "Die  Csardasfuertin,"  "Easy  Money," 
"Everyman's  Law,"  "High  Tension,"  "Ich 
und  die  Kaiserin,"  "The  Lion's  Den," 
"Public  Enemy's  Wife,"  "The  Return  of 
Sophie  Lang,"  "Ticket  to  Paradise,"  "Well- 
ington Pike  Goes  West,"  "We  Went  to 
College,"  "White  Fang."  Class  A-2,  "Un- 
objectionable for  Adults" :  "Anthony  Ad- 
verse," "The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes," 
"Leichte  Kavallerie,"  "Road  to  Glory." 
Class  B,  "Objectionable  in  Part":  "Devil 
Doll." 


"  ner  feet  6U  . 

e  °*y  oth?r  Ze  ■  ■  ■ 


A  fighting  son  of  Scotland  hurls  the  challenge  of  his  clan  against 
the  might  of  greedy  men  luho  tuould  be  rulers  of  his  queen! 


KATHARINE  HEPBURN^FREDRIC  MARCH 

"MARY  OF  SCOTLAND 

with 

FLORENCE  ELDRIDGE  .  DOUGLAS  WALTON  .  JOHN  CARRADINE 
AND   A  TREMENDOUS  CAST  OF  FAMOUS  STARS 

From  the  play  by  Maxwell  Anderson  •  Direcied  by  JOHN  FORD 


RKORADIO  PICTURE 

Produced  by  Pandro  S.  Berman 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


53 


THEATRE  RECEIPTS 


MP 


The  total  of  theatre  receipts  for  the  calendar  week  ended  July  18,  1936,  from 
1 06  theatres  in  I  8  major  cities  of  the  country  was  $939,000,  a  decrease  of  $6 1 ,300  from 
the  total  for  the  preceding  week  ended  July  I  I,  1936,  when  102  theatres  in  17  large 
cities  aggregated  $1,000,300. 


(Copyright,  1936.   Reproduction  of  material  from  this  department  without  credit  to  Motion  Picture  Herald  expressly  forbidden) 


Theatres 


Boston 

Boston 


3,246  35c-65c 


Fenway                  1,382  30c-50c 

Keith's  Memorial  2,907  25c-65c 

Loew's  Orpheum.  2,970  25c-55c 

Loew's  State  ....  3,537  25c-55c 

Metropolitan            4,332  35c-65c 

Paramount               1,793  2Sc-S0c 

Buffalo 

Buffalo                  3,489  30c-50c 

Century                 3,000  2Sc 

Great  Lakes  ....  3,000  2Sc-40c 

Hippodrome            2,500  30c-50c 

Lafayette                3,300  25c 

Chicago 

Apollo                     1,400  30c-60c 

Chicago                  4,000  35c-68c 

Garrick                     900  30c-60c 

Oriental                  3,490  25c-40c 

Palace                    2,509  25c-60c 

Roosevelt                1,591  30c-60c 

State-Lake             2,776  20c-35c 

United  Artists...  1,700  30c-60c 

Cleveland 

Allen                      3,300  30c-42c 

Hippodrome             3,800  30c-42c 

RKO  Palace          3,100  30c-60c 

State                      3,400  30c-42c 

Stillman                  1,900  25c-35c 

Denver 

Aladdin                   1,500  25c-50c 

Broadway               1,500  25c-40c 

Center                   1,500  20c-35c 

Denham                  1,500  25c-40c 

Denver                  2,500  25c-50c 

Orpheum                2,600  25c-40c 

Paramount             2,000  25c-40c 


Current  Week 

Picture  Gross 

"Pride  of  the  Marines"  (Col.)   8,000 


Previous  Week 


'The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"  

(Para.)  and  "The  Song  and  Dance 
Man"  (20th  Cent. -Fox) 

'Secret  Agent"  (GB)  


'San  Francisco"  (MGM). 
(3rd  week) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM). 
(3rd  week) 


'Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  Cent. 
Fox)  (on  stage:  Rita  Rio  and  band) 

'The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"  

(Para.)  and  "The  Song  and  Dance 
Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


3,400 

8,000 
12,000 

11,000 

18,000 

4,500 


"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  13,900 
Cent.-Fox) 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   7,100 

"Call  of  the  Prairie"  (Para.) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   9,200 

(3rd  week) 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"  (20th  4,800 
Cent.-Fox)  and  "Brides  Are  Like 
That"  (F.N.) 

"Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.)  and   6,500 

'And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.) 


'Counterfeit"  (Col.)    4,000 

(2nd  week) 
'Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)....  34,000 
(on  stage:  Milt  Berle  and  revue) 


•The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)  


4,200 


'Boulder  Dam"  (W.B.)   15,500 

(on  stage:  Mitzi  Green  and  revue) 

'It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   24,000 

(on  stage:  Phil  Baker  and  Connie 
Boswell) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)   9,000 

"Collusion"  (Majestic)    11,000 

(on  stage:  Armida  and  vaude- 
ville) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   16,500 

(3rd  week) 


'Dancing  Pirate"  (Radio)   1,600 

(4  days) 

"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.)...  1,900 
(3  days) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)....  8,500 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)   12,000 

(on  stage:  Edgar  Kennedy  and 
Sylvia  Froos) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   15,000 

(2nd  week) 


"The  Moon's  Our  Home"  (Para.)...  4,000 

'Secret  Agent"  (GB)   2,000 

"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)   1,500 


The  Girl  from  Mandalay"  (Repub-  2,000 
lie)  (plus  stage  show) 
'Spendthrift"  (Para.)   3,500 


"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   8,500 


"San  Francisco"  (MGM)  and   10,000 

"Three  Godfathers"  (MGM) 

(2nd  week) 
"Times  Square  Playboy"  (W.B.)  and  3,500 
"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.) 


Picture 


Gross 


"High  Tension"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)..  6,000 
and  "Below  the  Deadline"  (Ches- 
terfield) 

"Times  Square  Playboy"  (W.B.)....  4,000 
and  "And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.) 


"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)....  7,000 

"San  Francisco"   (MGM)  10,000 

(2nd  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   9,000 

(2nd  week) 


"Poppy"  (Para.)    19,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Times  Square  Playboy"  (W.B.)  and  6,000 
"And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.) 


'The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)... 


8,700 


"The  Country  Beyond"  (20th  Cent.-  5,200 
Fox)  and  "Half  Angel"  (20th  Cent.- 
Fox) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   11,800 

(2nd  week) 

"One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)  and  4,800 
"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   7,200 


'Counterfeit"  (Col.)    4,700 

(1st  week) 

'Poppy"  (Para.)    35,000 

(on  stage:  Ted  Weems  and 
Band) 

"I  Stand  Condemned"  (U.A.)   3,500 


T  Married  a  Doctor"  (W.B.)   16,500 

(on  stage:  Duncan  Sisters  and 
revue) 

'Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   15,000 

(on  stage:  Paul  Haakon  and  re- 
vue) (5th  week) 
(Louis -Schmeling  Fight  Films) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   10,400 

"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)   14,000 

(plus  vaudeville) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   22,000 

(2nd  week) 


'Parole"  (Univ.)    5,200 


'The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)  12,750 

(9  days) 

'The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  13,000 
(on  stage:  Charley  Chase) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   27,000 

(1st  week) 


'Poppy"  (Para.)    5,400 

(30c-42c) 


'Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)   4,000 


'Private  Life  of  Henry  VIII"  (U.A.)  2,000 
(re-issue) 

"Morals  of  Marcus"  (GB)   2,000 

(plus  stage  show)  (15c-35c) 

'The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine"..  3,000 
(Para.) 

(4  days)  (return  engagement) 

'The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   2,000 

(Para.)  (3  days) 

'It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   14,000 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Ama- 
teurs) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)  and   14,500 

'Three  Godfathers"  (MGM) 
(1st  week) 

'Sons  O'Guns"  (W.B.)  and   6,000 

'Secret  Patrol"  (Col.) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  193S) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  9-7  "Hot  Tip"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show  "Folies  Bergere") 
Low  6-13-36  "The  Harvester"  and  ) 

"Abdul  the  Damned  J  4,000 

High  3-14-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pas-  \ 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  i  8,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  \ 

"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"    5  2,500 

High  2-29-36  "Follow  the  Fleet"   37,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"    5,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  25,000 
Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"  and  ? 

"Half  Angel"  ]  9,000 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  24,500 
Low  7-6  "Sanders  of  the  River"  and  I 

''Unknown  Woman"  (  7,500 

High  4-6  "Private  Worlds"   56,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  7-20  "Men  Without  Names"   14,000 

High  3-14-36  "The    Story    of  Louis  Pas- 1 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  (  15,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  j. 

"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"     J  4,000 


High  4-27  "Mississippi"   23,800 

Low  7-27  "Broadway  Gondolier"   6,600 

High  1-11-36  "King  of  Burlesque"   9,500 

Low  8-3  "Mad  Love"  and  ) 

"Dog  of  Flanders"  J  3,800 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   22,000 

Low  4-11-36  "Three   Godfathers"  and) 

"Her  Master's  Voice"     j  4,900 

High  2-9  "David  Copperfield"   17,200 

Low   4-11-36   "Timothy's    Quest"  and} 

"My  Marriage"  J  3,800 

High  1-12  "Broadway   Bill"   17,100 

Low  7-27  "A  Notorious  Gentleman"  and  \ 

"Strange  Wives"  ]  4,100 


High  3-21-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pasteur"  11,800 

Low  5-25  "The  Devil  is  a  Woman"   1,000 

High  1-18-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  56,600 
Low  4-27  "Living  on  Velvet"   24,000 

High  1-4-36  "The  Man  Who  Broke  the 

Bank  at  Monte  Carlo"   9,700 

Low  5-4  "One  New  York  Night"   3,000 

High  11-2  "Woman  Wanted"   25,500 

(on  stage.  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 
Low  9-21  "Man  on  the  Flying  Trapeze"  13,400 
High  5-30-36  "Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"  35,200 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor  and  Radio 

Show) 

Low  4-11-36  "Love  Before  Breakfast"..  6,000 

High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"   27,000 

Low  11-23  "O'Shaughnessy's  Boy"   7,000 

High  3-23  "The  Little  Minister"  17,000 

Low  7-20  "Alias  Mary  Dow"   8,000 

High  2-29-36  "Modern  Times"   35,500 

Low  4-13  "Vanessa:   Her  Love  Story"..  10,000 


High  1-12  "Bright  Eyes"   9,000 

Low  6-22  "The  Daring  Young  Man"....  1,300 


High  9-21  "Top  Hat"   27,500 

Low  8-24  "Dante's  Inferno"   5,250 

High  4-6  "Transient  Lady"    39,000 

Low  6-8  "Break  of  Hearts"   5,500 

High  4-18-36  "Petticoat  Fever"   40,500 

(on  stage:  Jack  Benny  and  Mary 
Livingston) 

Low  3-16  "Folies  Bergere"   6,000 

High  2-9  "David  Copperfield"   11,000 

Low  5-9-36  "Too  Many  Parents"   2,000 


High  3-28-36  "Little  Lord  Fauntleroy". .  5,000 
Low  6-22  "Nell   Gwyn"   and  ) 

"My  Heart  Is  Calling"          j  600 

High  5-16-36  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"   8,000 

(50c-$1.36) 

Low  12-28  "Unfinished  Symphony"   300 

High  2-29-36  "Klondike  Annie"   13,000 

Low  8-24  "Without  Regret"   1,750 


High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  15,000 
Low  12-28  "Here  Comes  the  Band"   1,500 

High  5-18  "Romance  in  Manhattan"   16,000 

Low   12-28   "The   Perfect   Gentleman"...  2,000 

High  5-11  "Bride  of  Frankenstein"   7,000 

Low  11-30  "Bad  Boy"    800 


54 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


E THEATRE  CECEIPTS—CONT'Tl 


Theatres 


Current  Week 


Previous  Week 


Picture 


Gross 


Picture 


Gross 


Hollywood 

Chinese    2,500  30c-55c 

Pantages    3,000  2Sc-40c 

W.  B.  Hollywood  3,000  25c-40c 

Indianapolis 

Apollo    1,100  25c-40c 

Circle   2,800  25c-40c 

Loew's    2,800  25c-40c 

Lyric    i.000  25c-40c 

Kansas  City 

Mainstreet    3,100  25c-40c 

Midland    4,000  25c-40c 

Newman    1,900  25c-40e 

Tower   2,000  2Se 

Uptown    2,000  2Sc-40c 

Los  Angeles 

Carthay    1,518  50c-$1.50 

Filmarte    800  30c-40c 

Four  Star    900  30c-55c 

Grand  Intern't'l..    750  35c-40c 

Hillstreet    2,700  25c-40c 

Loew's  State  ...  2,500  30c-55c 

Paramount    3,596  30c-55c 

W.  B.  Downtown  3,400  25c-40c 

Minneapolis 

Lyric    1,239  20c-25c 

Minnesota    4,000  J5c-55c 

RKO  Orpheum...  2,900  25o-40c 

State    2,300  25c-40c 

World    400  25c-35c 

Montreal 

Capitol    2,547  25c-60c 

Loew's    3,115  25c-60c 

Palace    2,600  25c-65c 

Princess    2,272  25c-65c 

New  York 

Astor   1,141  55c$2.20 

Capitol    4,700  25c-85c 

Palace    2,500  25c-75c 

Paramount    3,700  35c-99c 

Rialto    594  25e-65c 

Rlvoli    3,200  40c-99c 

RKO  Music  Hall  5,954  40c-$1.65 

Roxy    6,200  25c-55c 

Strand    3,000  25c-55c 


"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  7,250 
"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)  and  5,100 
"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

(2nd  week) 

"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)  and  10,000 
"Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.) 


"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)....  3,000 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)  3,500 
and  "Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio) 


"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM),  "The  Big  7,000 
House"  (MGM)  and  "It  Happened 
in  Indianapolis" 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)....  7,500 
(on  stage:  Roger  Pryor  and  revue) 


"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)....  9,600 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   10,500 

(3rd  week) 

"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)   8,050 

"Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.)   7,400 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Things  to  Come"  (U.A.)   1,500 

(3  days) 

"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)  and..  3,000 

"High  Tension"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(4  days) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   10,500 

(13th  week) 
"Song  of  China"  (Douglas  MacLcan)  1,600 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   2,700 

(3rd  week) 
"Lordagskvallar"  (Swedish)    1,700 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)  and  5,400 

"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

(2nd  week) 
"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  9,000 
"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 
"Poppy"  (Para.)    12,600 

(plus  stage  show) 

(2nd  week) 
"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)  and  10,500 
"Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.) 

"The  Country  Beyond"  (20th  Cent.-  1,900 
Fox) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   14,000 

(2nd  week) 
"The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)   8,500 

"Spendthrift"  (Para.)    5,503 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   2,500 

(4th  week) 

"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)  and....  8,000 
"Educating  Father"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)  and  8,500 
"Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.) 

(plus  stage  show)  (30c-60c) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   10,500 

"The  Lady  Consents"  (Radio)  and  6,500 
"Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"  (Radio) 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   13,600 

(15th  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   39,000 

(3rd  week) 

"High  Tension"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  5,000 
"Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    18,000 

(on  stage:  Harriet  Hilliard  and 
Ozzie  Nelson)  (4th  week') 
"Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.)   5,500 

"I  Stand  Condemned"  (U.A.)   4,500 

(2nd  week) 
"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)...  65,000 
(plus  stage  show) 

"Fatal  Lady"  (Para.)   20,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (F.N.)   15,000 


"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   15,500 

(2nd  week) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)  and  7,800 
"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

(1st  week) 

"Hot  Money"  (W.B.)   5,100 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   2,500 

(2nd  week) 

"Hearts   Divided"   (F.N.)   and   5,000 

Louis  -Schmeling  Fight  Films 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   7,200 

(2nd  week) 

"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)   6,500 

(plus  stage  show) 


"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   9,500 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   13,800 

(2nd  week) 

"Florida  Special"  (Para.)   6,500 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.)    7,700 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Champagne  Charlie"  (20th  Cent.-  3,500 
Fox)   and  "Little  Miss  Nobody" 
(20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(6  days) 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   10,500 

(12th  week) 

"Symphony  of  Love"  (Metropolis)..  1,650 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   3,500 

(2nd  week) 

"Men  on  Wings"  (Amkino)   1,900 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)  and  7,200 
"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

(1st  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   16,500 

(2nd  week) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    20,800 

(plus  stage  show) 

(1st  week) 

"Hot  Money"  (W.B.)   5,000 

"Speed"  (MGM)    1,900 

(2nd  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   12,000 

(1st  week) 

"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)   5,000 

"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM)....  700 

(2  days) 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   2,000 

(3rd  week) 

"Trouble  for  Two"  (MGM)  and   8,000 

"Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM) 

"King  of  the  Damned"  (GB)  and...  8,500 
"Palm  Springs"  (Para.) 
(plus  stage  show) 

"Fatal  Lady"  (Para.)  and   9,000 

"Poppy"  (Para.) 

"Rhodes,  the  Empire  Builder"  (GB)  8,500 
and  "Pot  Luck"  (British) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   13,100 

(14th  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   48,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  6,000 
and  "The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    26,000 

(on  stage:  Harriet  Hilliard  and 
Ozzie  Nelson)  (3rd  week) 

"The  Lawless  Nineties"  (Republic)  6,000 
(2nd  week) 

"I  Stand  Condemned"  (U.A.)   8,000 

(1st  week) 

"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  50,000 
Cent.-Fox) 

(plus  stage  show)  (2nd  week) 

"The  Harvester"  (Republic)   23,500 

(On  stage;  Three  Stooges) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)  19,000 

(2nd  week) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"   26,000 

Low  5-4  "West  Point  of  the  Air"   4,900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"    19,009 

Low  4-13  "Mister  Dynamite"  and  } 

"Great  God  Gold"  )  2,500 

High  9-7  "Page  Miss  Glory"   15,309 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"    4,008 

High  3-14-36  "The  Country  Doctor"....  8,009 

Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"    1,609 

High  4-25-36  "The  Moon's  Our  Home"  1 

and  "Silly  Billies"           )  9,700 
(in  place  of   "Silly   Billies,"   on  stage 
Lum  'n'  Abner  for  Saturday  and  Sunday) 

Low  3-16  "Transient  Lady"   2,008 

High  2-15-36  "Exclusive  Story"   15,000 

(on  stage:  Cab  Calloway  and  band) 

Low  4-6  "Casino  Murder  Case"   2,750 

High  3-28-36  "The  Leathernecks  Have 

Landed"    13,300 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 

Low  2-7  "Murder  of  Dr.  Harrigan"   5,700 

(on  stage:  vaudeville) 

High  11-23  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs"  22,009 

Low  1-12  "I  Sell  Anything"   2,000 

High  8-24  "China  Seas"   25,000 

Low  9-14  "Bonnie  Scotland"....,   6,000 

High  5-25  "Goin'  to  Town"   14,000 

Low  5-18  "Dinky"    3,000 

High  1-18-36  "Magnificent  Obsession"..  14,500 

Low  3-14-36  "Lady  of  Secrets"   5,009 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  9-7  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"..  11,000 
Low  7-27  "Black  Sheep"    2,100 

High  4-27  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   4,000 

Low  6-29  "Song  of  Happiness"   800 

High  5-18  "Les  Miserables"   7,800 

Low  12-17  "The  Return  of  Peter  Grimm"  2,400 

High  1-4-36  "The  New  Gulliver"    3,200 

Low  12-7  "Such  a  Girl  You  Never  Forget  900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"    17,000 

Low  11-2  "Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"....  2,800 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   24,500 

Low  10-26  "Way  Down  East"   6,200 

High  8-10  "Paris  in  Spring"   32,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  9,126 

(plus  stage  show)  (5  days) 
High  1-11-36  "Captain  Blood"  17,100 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"    3,800 

High  12-14  "Show  Them  No  Mercy"....  2,000 
Low  8-17  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and) 

"Sanders  of  the  River"        J  1,200 
High  1-4-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  31,326 

Low  4-4-36  "Klondike  Annie"    8,000 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"    18,000 

Low  6-13-36  "The  Golden  Arrow"   3,000 

High  11-2  "Broadway  Melody  of  1936"..  7,000 

Low  5-30-36  "The  Unguarded  Hour"   5,000 

High  6-8  "Thunder  in  the  East"   5,000 

Low  11-16  "Born  for  Glory"   2,000 

High  2-9  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"   15,509 

Low  8-3  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"  and  ] 

"College  Scandal"                   f  7,000 
High  1-11-36  "Broadway  Hostess"  and) 

"The  Rainmakers"            t  15,000 
Low  6-15  "Mark  of  the  Vampire"  and) 

"Baby  Face  Harrington"      j  5,500 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   15,000 

Low  7-20  "Drake  of  England"  and  ) 

"The  Nitwits"  f  7,500 

High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"  and  ) 

"Guard  That  Girl"  f  12,500 

Low  12-28  "Remember  Last  Night?"  ) 

and  "East  of  Java"  J  3,000 


High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"   87,400 

Low  5-30-36  "Three  Wise  Guys"   7,000 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"   15,000 

Low  7-18-36  "High  Tension"  and           )  c  nnn 

"Two  Against  the  World"     f  3fUW 

High  1-19  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"..  65,300 

Low  12-21  "Millions  in  the  Air"   10,000 

High  2-15-36  "Modern  Times"   65,000 

Low  6-29  "Nell  Gwyn"    8,100 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"  ,  131,200 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  11-30  "Crime  and  Punishment"...  45,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  1-4-36  "If  You  Could  Only  Cook"..  62,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  4-20  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   17,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

High  5-11  "The  G  Men"   60,138 

Low  4-4-36  "Snowed  Under"    6,100 


July    25,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


55 


[THEATRE  RECEIPTS— CONT'D  J 


Theatres 

Oklahoma  City 

Capitol                   1,200  10c-41c 

Criterion                1,700  10c-5Sc 

Liberty                  1,500  10c-36c 

Midwest                 1,500  10c-55c 

Omaha 

Brandeis                 1,200  25c -40c 

Omaha                   2,200  25c-40c 

Orpheum                3,000  25c-40c 

Philadelphia 

Arcadia                    600  25c- 50c 

Boyd                     2,400  40c-55c 

Earle                    2,000  25c-55c 

Fox                      3,000  40c -65c 

Karlton                  1,066  25c-40c 

Keith's                   2,000  30c-50c 

Stanley                   3,700  40c-55c 

Stanton                  1,700  30c-50c 

Portland,  Ore. 

Blue  Mouse            1,700  30c-40c 

Broadway               1,912  30c-40c 

Mayfair                   1,700  30c-40c 

Orpheum                1,700  30c-40c 

Paramount              3,008  30c-40c 

United  Artists...    945  30c-40c 

San  Francisco 

Clay                         400  15c-35c 

Embassy                 1,400  15c-35c 

Fox                       5,651  10c-35c 

Golden  Gate  ....  2,800  15c-40c 

Orpheum                 2,440  15c -40c 

Paramount             2,670  15c-40c 

St.    Francis           1,430  15c-40c 

Warfield                 2,700  15c-40c 

Seattle 

Blue  Mouse             950  25c-55c 


Fifth  Avenue....  2,500  25c-55c 

Liberty                  1,800  15c-55c 

Music  Box               950  25c-55c 

Orpheum                2,450  25c -40c 

Palomar                 1,500  15c -30c 

Paramount              3,050  15c-30c 


Current  Week 


Previous  Week 


Picture 


Gross 


Picture 


Gross 


"Dancing  Lady"   (MGM)   4,000 

(8  days-return  engagement) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)....  4,500 
(plus  stage  show) 

"Sky  Parade"  (Para.)   1,500 

(4  days) 

"Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"   600 

(Radio)  (3  days) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    3,800 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)  and   5,700 

"The  Harvester"  (Republic) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)  and   6,950 

"The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(6J-5  days  -  2nd  week) 

"The  Moon's  Our  Home"  (Para.)  and  7,500 
"Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM) 


"Fury"  (MGM)    2,300 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    11,000 

"And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.)  13,000 
(on  stage:  Three  Stooges  and 
revue)  (6  days) 
"The  Poor   Little   Rich   Girl   (20th  20,000 
Cent.-Fox) 

(on  stage:  Paul  Ash  and  revue) 
(2nd  week) 

"Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.)...  2,000 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   2,500 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)  21,500 

(2nd  week) 
"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)....  6,000 


'Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)  and  2,000 
'Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 

(11th  week) 
'Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and..  7,000 
'Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.) 

"Times  Square  Playboy"  (W.B.)  and  4,000 
"O'Malley   of  the   Mounted"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  6,000 

and   "Little   Miss   Nobody"  (20th 

Cent.-Fox)  (3rd  week) 
"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  Cent.-  8,500 

Fox)  and  "The  Return  of  Sophie 

Lang"  (Para.) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   5,000 

(4th  week) 


"Blue  Light"  (Du  World)   850 

"Frankie  and  Johnnie"  (Republic)..  1,800 
and  "The  Scarlet  Letter"  (Monogram) 
(5  days) 

"And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)  and..  6,800 
"Ticket  to  Paradise"  (Republic) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  17,500 
(plus  stage  band) 


'Parole"  (Univ.)  and   7,600 

'The  Mine  with  the  Iron  Door"  (Col.) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   16,000 

(2nd  week) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)  and....  6,500 
"High  Tension"   (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  16,000 
"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.  B.) 


"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)  and   2,200 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Film 
(4  days-3rd  week) 

"Hot  Money"  (W.B.)  and   2,400 

Steele  and  Risko  Fight  Film 
(3  days) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   9,400 

(2nd  week) 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)..  3,250 
(14th  week) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   2,800 

(2nd  week) 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  5,100 
"Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.) 

"Navy  Born"  (Republic)   3,600 

(plus  stage  show) 

"The  Last  Outlaw"  (Radio)  and   4,350 

"Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.1 


"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)   1,900 

'It's  Love  Again  (GB)   6,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
"Moonlight  Murder"  (MGM)   2,800 

(plus  stage  show)  (4  days) 
(10c-41c) 

"Brides  Are  Like  That"  (F.N.)   400 

(3  days) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   4,000 


"Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)  and...  5,200 
"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)  and   11,600 

"The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(1st  week) 

"Poppy"   (Para.)   and   7,600 

"Gentle  Julia"   (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Trouble  for  Two"  (MGM)   2,000 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   8,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)   12,000 

(plus  stage  show)  (6  days) 

"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  24,000 
Cent.-Fox) 

(on  stage:  Paul  Ash  and  revue) 

(1st  week) 

"Palm  Springs"  (Para.)   1,800 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)   2,000 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   30,000 

(1st  week) 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.)    5,800 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)  2,000 
and  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 
(10th  week) 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   6,000 

"The  Big  House"  (MGM) 

"The  Leathernecks  Have  Landed"  5,000 
(Republic)   and   "Absolute  Quiet" 
(MGM) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  6,000 
and  "Little  Miss  Nobody"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox)  (2nd  week) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)  and   6,000 

"Fatal  Lady"  (Para.) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   6,000 

(3rd  week) 

"Larsson's  Second  Marriage"  (Scan- 
dinavian)   800 

"The  Harvester"  (Republic)  and....  3,200 
"Born  to  Gamble"  (Liberty) 
(plus  Louis-Schmeling  Fight 
Films)  (2nd  week) 

"Crash  Donovan"  (Univ.)  and   6,500 

"The  Girl  of  the  Ozarks"  (Para.) 

"Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.)   17,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

"The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)   5,200 

(3rd  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   23,000 

(1st  week) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)  and   6,500 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"  (20lh 
Cent.-Fox) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)  and   14,500 

"High  Tension"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)  and   4,400 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Film 
(2nd  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   12,500 

(9  days-lst  week) 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)..  3,600 
(13th  week) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   3,450 

(1st  week) 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  and   5,200 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox) 

"Gentle  Julia"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)....  3,300 
(plus  stage  show) 

"Palm  Springs"  (Para.)  and   4,150 

"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  193S) 
(Dates  ere  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  3-9  "  Wings  in  the  Dark"   3,700 

Low  5-9-36  "Big  Brown  Eyes"   1,300 

High  9-14  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"  10,000 

Low  11-2  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs".  2,500 
High  1-19  "Gentlemen  Are  Born"  and) 

"Crime  Doctor"                       J  4,200 
Low  10-26  "Little  Big  Shot"  and  1 

"I  Live  for  Love"               j  1,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  8,800 

Low  8-24  "The  Farmer  Takes  a  Wife"..  1,800 

High  9-14  "Top  Hat"   9,500 

Low  6-6-36  "Dancing  Pirate"  and  I 

"Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path" )  2,600 
High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   and  ) 

"The  First  Baby"                 J  11,600 
Low  10-5  "Dante's    Inferno"  and 

"She  Gets  Her  Man"          J  3,600 

High  2-29-36  "Exchuive  Story"   31,150 

(on  stage:  Ted  Lewis) 
Low  12-28  "Mister   Hobo"    and  ) 

"Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"  J  5,800 

High  1-25  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"....  4,800 

Low  9-21  "Bonnie  Scotland"    800 

High  1-4-36  "A  Tale  of  Two  Cities"....  30,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"    6,000 

High  1-4-36  "Miss  Facino  Fleet"   22,000 

Low  10-5  "I  Live  for  Love"   9,500 

High  5-9-36  "Under  Two  Flags"   31,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  9-28  "Redheads  on  Parade"   7,500 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"    6,300 

Low  6-1  "Dinky"    1,200 

High  4-13  "Roberta"    5,800 

Low  1-2  "The  Right  to  Live"   900 

High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   30,000 

Low  5-11  "Stolen  Harmony"   4,000 

High  1-11-36  "Riffraff"    10,000 

Low  3-23  "Captain  Hurricane"   1,800 

High  8-17  "Life  Begins  at  Forty"   2,700 

Low  6-22  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   1,400 

High  5-16-36  "The  Singing  Kid"   8,500 

Low  7-27  "Calm  Yourself"  and  ) 

"Chinatown  Squad"             )  4,000 
High    1-25-36    "A    Midsummer  Night's 

Dream"    12,000 

Low  1-19  "Behold  My  Wife"  and  7 

"Defense  Rests"                 )  1,600 

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   9,500 

Low  11-23  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  7 

"Wanderer  of  the  Wasteland")  4,000 

High  4-20  "Private  Worlds"   11,500 

Low  5-2-36  "The  Witness  Chair"  ) 

and  "Big  Brown  Eyes"        S  5,000 

High   5-4  "Cardinal   Richelieu"   9,000 

Low  6-8  "Age  of  Indiscretion"   4,000 

High  12-28  "Peasants"    2,500 

Low  7-11-36  "Larsson's  Second  Marriage"  800 

High  4-11-36  "Penitente  Murder  Case"...  6,500 
Low  12-7  "Two  Sinners"  and  7 

"$1,000  a  Minute"                 )  2,000 

High  8-3  "Champagne  for  Breakfast"....  14,800 
Low  11-30  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  7 

"Freckles"                           )  4,000 
High  3-28-36  "The    Leathernecks  Have 

Landed"    29,000 

(on  stage;  Burns  and  Allen) 

Low  5-23-36  "Dancing  Pirate"   9,000 

(plus  stage  band) 

High  7-20  "Love  Me  Forever"   16,780 

Low  10-26  "King  Solomon  of  Broadway"  7 

and  "Fighting  Youth"            f  4,800 

High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   23,000 

Low  3-2  "Living  on  Velvet"  and  7 

"All  the  King's  Horses"        J  8300 

High  1-19  "The  County  Chairman"   11,000 

Low  6-29  "No  More  Ladies"   5,000 

High  10-5  "I  Live  My  Life"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  3-28-36  "Colleen"  and  1 

"Too  Many  Parents"        J  U.OOO 

High  11-30  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty".....  6,100 
Low  2-16  "Million  Dollar  Baby"  and  7 

"Notorious   Gentleman"         J  2^900 

High  5-11  "Naughty  Marietta"   10,300 

Low  4-25-36  "The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome 

Pine"    2,600 

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   7,900 

Low  4-13  "White  Lies"  and  7 

"Happy  Landing"                  J  2,700 

High  3-16  "Roberta"    6,100 

Low  1-26  "The  Man  Who  Reclaimed  His 

Head"    2,850 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"   10,400 

Low  8-31  "Dante's  Inferno"  and  7 

"Lady  Tubbs"                      J  4,800 

High  12-14  "Annie  Oakley"   9.200 

Low  6-6-36  "Till  We  Meet  Again'   and  7 


56 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


RETURN  TO  DOUBLE  BILLS  IN  CHICAGO 
AWAITED  ON  NEW  SEASON'S  OPENING 


Balaban  &  Katz  Called  Cer- 
tain to  Start  Dual  Featur- 
ing in  Fall;  Independents  Are 
Expected  to  Follow  Suit 

by  WILLIAM  F.  CROUCH 

in  Chicago 

That  Chicago  theatres  will  go  to  double 
features  this  fall,  as  soon  as  the  new  season's 
product  is  available,  is  the  consensus  of  Film 
Row,  though  exchange  managers  are  very 
reticent  about  it  all. 

This  attitude  is  based  upon  the  feeling 
B.  &  K.  has  toward  the  policy.  The  major 
circuit  is  understood  to  be  definitely  in  favor 
of  the  dual  plan  and  certain  to  start  it  this 
fall.  Had  it  been  possible  for  the  B.  &  K. 
circuit  to  play  dual  bills  this  summer,  with- 
out exposing  itself  to  suits  from  the  indepen- 
dent exhibitors,  it  probably  would  have  done 
so.  At  present  no  double  feature  clause  is 
expected  to  be  put  in  the  contracts  for  next 
season's  pictures,  thus  doing  away  with  the 
legal  entanglements  that  would  have  arisen 
had  the  present  pacts  been  violated. 

Without  the  double  feature  clause  in 
the  contracts  any  theatre  manager  may 
play  duals  if  he  so  desires.  This  makes  it 
possible  for  certain  independent  houses 
which  at  times  have  played  double  features 
to  play  them  whenever  they  wish  next 
year.  If  a  few  of  these  houses  start,  it 
probably  will  mean  that  all  Chicago  thea- 
tres will  take  up  the  practice.  Assuredly 
this  will  happen  if  B  &  K  does  it. 

Of  the  larger  groups  of  theatres  B.  &  K. 
is  the  only  one  that  wants  the  double  feature 
plan.  They  concede  it  is  perhaps  not  so  good 
from  the  showmanship  standpoint,  but  feel 
that  it  attracts  the  heaviest  business  and, 
after  all,  they  say,  it  is  the  box  office  receipts 
that  rule  the  business. 

So  far  little  if  any  selling  has  been  done  in 
the  city  this  summer  among  the  independent 
theatremen.  Local  exchanges  for  the  most 
part  have  been  ordered  to  hold  off  city  sales 
until  fall.  One  large  independent  group 
has  been  trying  to  get  several  of  the 
major  companies  to  make  deals,  but  so  far 
has  met  with  emphatic  statements  that  no 
sales  are  being  made  at  this  time. 

Deals  for  new  product  are  being  made  by 
distributors  with  B  &  K  however,  and  it  is 
understood  that  Warner,  MGM,  Paramount 
and  Fox  have  agreed  on  terms  and  contracts 
will  be  signed  soon.  The  Universal  deal  is 
expected  to  be  closed  this  week  with  the 
arrival  here  of  James  C.  Grainger,  general 
sales  manager. 

In  all  deals  made  to  date,  it  is  understood, 
but  unconfirmed,  that  B  &  K  is  being 
granted  the  long  sought  extra  week's  pro- 
tection between  "C"  week  and  the  first 
week  of  release.  Independent  theatre  men 
who  are  opposed  to  this  arrangement  may 
put  up  a  fight  but  such  action  cannot  be 
taken  until  the  new  pictures  are  released 
under  the  new  plan. 

V 

"Collusion,"  Edward  Arnold  starring  pic- 
ture, is  playing  here  with  a  "pink  ticket." 


The  local  operators'  union  is  awaiting 
the  ruling  of  the  International  Alliance  of 
Theatrical  Stage  Employees  which  will 
come  from  the  office  of  George  Browne, 
regarding  the  local  situation  on  2,000-foot 
reels. 

Whether  any  difficulties  will  come  up 
is  as  yet  unknown.  Present  rulings  are  not 
favorable  to  the  2,000-foot  reel  but  it  is 
expected  they  will  be  changed  to  conform 
to  the  necessary  specifications. 


Many  cuts  were  made  in  the  film  before  it 
was  sanctioned  for  showing.  Censor  board 
officials  were  undecided  about  the  film  for 
18  months. 

Warner  Brothers  is  planning  to  make  the 
cuts  desired  by  the  local  censor  board  on 
"Anthony  Adverse"  so  that  it  can  be  shown 
without  the  "pink  ticket"  which  will  be 
handed  it  when  a  permit  is  asked  if  it  is 
shown  in  its  present  form. 

V 

Ben  Katz,  manager  of  the  Warner  theatre 
in  Racine,  has  resigned  and  Harry  Mac- 
Donald  of  the  Paramount  in  Hammond  takes 
his  place.  Don  Malloy  takes  MacDonald's 
place  at  Hammond  and  Vance  Schwartz 
goes  into  Malloy's  job  as  manager  of  the 
Orpheum.  Schwartz,  was  formerly  man- 
ager of  the  State  theatre  in  Racine,  which 
has  been  closed  for  the  summer. 

V 

Barney  Barnard,  in  charge  of  city  sales 
for  Paramount,  is  vacationing  in  northern 
Minnesota.  He  took  along  wagonloads  of 
fishing  tackle  and  hopes  to  bring  back  sev- 
eral fifty-pound  muskelounge,  or  at  least 
a  few  perch. 

V 

At  the  end  of  ten  weeks  Milo  Comer  of 
the  Grove  theatre,  Bill  O'Connell  of  the 
Oakland  and  Stan  Lambert  of  the  Shore  are 
the  leaders  in  James  Coston's  baseball  busi- 
ness drive.  These  Warner  managers  have 
seven  more  weeks  to  go  before  the  winners 
will  be  announced. 

V 

William  G.  Eckhardt,  assistant  director 
for  Twentieth  Century-Fox  studios,  is  in 
Chicago  for  a  two  weeks'  vacation.  He 
drove  here  from  Hollywood  accompanied 
by  his  wife  and  daughter  and  will  spend 
his  holiday  with  his  father,  Clyde  W.  Eck- 
hardt, head  of  the  local  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox  exchange. 

Eckhardt's  latest  picture  assignment  was 
as  assistant  to  James  Tinley  on  "See 
America  First." 

V 

Maurice  Tombragel,  Chicago  writer,  has 
gone  to  the  Coast  as  one  of  the  new  scenario 
writers  for  Universal  Pictures. 

V 

George  Givot,  "Grik  Hembassadbr  of 
Good  Weel,"  now  packing  them  in  at  the 
College  Inn  in  Chicago,  says  he  has  turned 
down  several  Hollywood  offers  of  parts  in 
which  he  would  be  featured  as  a  Greek  or 
Russian.  He  plans  to  produce  a  play  in 
Chicago  in  which  he  is  cast  as  an  American 


Operators'  Local  Awaits  1ATSE 
Decision  on  2,000-Foot  Reel; 
Changing  of  Rulings  to  Con- 
form Is  Expected  to  Follow 

attorney  trying  to  defend  a  woman  on  trial 
for  murder.  Incidentally,  he  is  planning  to 
attend  John  Marshall  law  school  during  the 
run  of  the  play. 

V 

Joe  Lewis,  the  comic,  who  opened  last 
week  at  the  Chez  Paree  night  club  in  Chi- 
cago, is  in  for  several  weeks  only,  as  he  is 
scheduled  to  appear  in  a  new  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  picture. 

V 

Dave  Davidson  of  National  Screen  Ser- 
vice was  in  town  from  New  York  to  visit 
his  folks. 

V 

Essaness'  Crown  theatre,  on  Chicago's 
Northwest  side  goes  into  a  new  advance 
showing  picture  policy  this  week.  Pictures 
at  this  house  will  be  shown  in  "C"  pre- 
release week. 

V 

Comedian  Joe  E.  Brown  made  a  personal 
appearance  last  week  at  the  premiere  of 
Warners's  "Earthworm  Tractors"  at  the 
Madison  theatre  in  Peoria,  111. 

Warner  took  a  party  of  newspaper  people 
from  Chicago  down  to  Peoria  for  the  pre- 
miere. The  comedian  was  driven  into  Peoria 
from  the  Sante  Fe  station  at  Chillicothe 
with  an  escort  of  thirty  cars  and  fifty  police- 
men. Despite  a  temperature  of  over  100  de- 
grees, a  huge  crowd  lined  the  streets  outside 
the  Great  States  Madison  theatre  while  the 
picture  was  being  shown  inside.  Brown  had 
to  come  out  in  front  of  the  house  and  make 
a  speech  to  assemblage. 

For  the  world  premiere,  the  house  was 
scaled  at  $1.50  for  the  main  floor  and  mez- 
zanine and  $1.00  for  upper  balcony.  It  was 
a  complete  sell-out.  The  exploitation  job 
was  done  by  Sam  Clarke  of  Warner,  E.  G. 
Fitzgibbons,  Great  States  publicity  man, 
Leonard  Worley,  city  manager,  and  Tom 
Ronan,  district  manager. 

V 

Louis  Armstrong,  Negro  band  leader  and 
cornet  king,  now  appearing  at  the  Oriental 
theatre,  has  been  signed  for  Columbia's 
"Pennies  from  Heaven,"  which  will  star 
Bing  Crosby.  Armstrong  will  have  his  first 
speaking  part  in  this  picture  and  will  re- 
port at  the  Hollywood  studios  on  August  4th. 


Cup  Presented  to  Vidor 

Formal  presentation  of  the  gold  cup  won 
by  King  Vidor  at  last  year's  International 
Exhibition  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  in 
Venice,  has  been  made  in  Hollywood  by 
Ernesto  Arrighi,  Italian  consul  at  Los  Ange- 
les. The  award  was  made  for  Mr.  Vidor's 
direction  of  "The  Wedding  Night." 


Picture  Music  Published 

The  music  from  "Follow  Your  Heart," 
new  Republic  production,  is  being  pub- 
lished. 


IT'S  IN  THE  BAG  . . . 

the  first  big  money  picture 
of  the  '36  -'37  season 


2,000  POSTERS  . .  .  WITH  A  GENERAL  READING  PUBLIC  OF 
MORE  THAN  5,000,000  PEOPLE  A  DAY! 


Let 


a/ 


NATIONAL 

NEWSPAPER 
ADVERTISING 

Shared  with  Key  City  Theatres... 
Brings  "THE  TEXAS  RANGERS"  to 
the  Daily  Reading  Public  WHEN 
and  WHERE  the  Picture  Plays! 


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NO-COST  EXPLOITATION 


Half  a  dozen  NO-COST  tie-ups  that  guarantee  window  display 
space,  co-operative  advertising,  all  sorts  of  assistance  . . .  from  such 
firms  as  Quaker  Puffed  Wheat  and  Rice,  Knox  Hats,  Famous  Music 
Co.,  Midwest  Radio,  Packard  Lektro-Shaver,  Modern  Merchandising. 
All  these  firms  need  to  know  is  your  playdate  .  .  .  and  they  go 
to  town  with  you.  The  Special  Press  Book  tells  the  whole  story. 


.  "   on»v  -1 


<l>v,  ***! 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


61 


FIGHT  FILM  REPORTED 
BIGGER  THAN  THE  BOUT 


MPTOA  Seeking 
Quick  Action  on 
Trade  Practices 

The  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  will  make  a  final  effort  in  August 
to  obtain  distributor  action  on  the  organ- 
ization's 10-point  trade  practice  program,  it 
was  learned  in  New  York  this  week. 

Unwilling  to  see  the  self-regulation  pro- 
gram killed  by  distributor  inertia,  plans  are 
now  being  arranged  for  further  conferences 
with  sales  managers  of  national  distribution 
companies  and  indications  are  that  if  fav- 
orable action  on  the  program  does  not  result 
the  M.P.T.O.A.  may  go  directly  to  the  com- 
pany heads  in  a  final  move  to  obtain  the 
adoption  of  all  or  a  major  part  of  its  10- 
point  program.  In  line  with  these  develop- 
ments, Ed  Kuykendall,  M.  P.  T.  O.  A.  presi- 
dent, is  expected  in  Manhattan  August  10, 
following  the  convention  of  the  Southeast- 
ern Theatre  Owners  at  Jacksonville,  Fla., 
August  2-4,  which  he  will  attend. 

The  failure  of  individual  companies  to 
take  the  initiative  in  granting  outright  any 
of  the  major  concessions  sought  by  the  or- 
ganization is  held  by  spokesmen  for  the  ex- 
hibitors to  be  the  principal  reason  for  the 
lack  of  action  on  the  program.  They  be- 
lieve that  if  a  single  company  took  the  lead 
in  definitely  committing  itself  on  each  phase 
of  the  program  others  would  be  quick  to 
follow. 

The  lack  of  distributor  action  up  to  this 
point,  however,  is  not  regarded  as  being 
fatal  to  the  exhibitors'  program  despite  the 
fact  that  the  new  season  deals  are  being 
closed  under  contracts  which  incorporate 
none  of  the  concessions  sought  by  the  M.  P. 
T.O.A. 

Spokesmen  for  the  organization  point  out 
that  the  cancellation  and  score  charge  con- 
cessions which  have  been  asked  can  be 
either  written  into  the  contracts  at  a  later 
date  or  appended  by  them  by  riders.  Dis- 
tributor approval  of  the  local  conciliation 
boards  through  which  the  M.P.T.O.A.  hopes 
the  balance  of  its  program  could  be  affected 
can  be  given  independently  of  the  contract, 
it  is  pointed  out. 

Government  Asks 
Data  on  Business 

Lengthy  questionnaires  have  been  sent  to 
all  major  distributors  and  circuits  by  the  De- 
partment of  Justice,  seeking  detailed  in- 
formation regarding  various  properties  held 
by  the  theatre  interests  and  product  deals 
made  by  the  film  companies,  it  was  learned 
this  week. 

The  questionnaires  are  signed  by  Assistant 
Attorney  General  Dickinson  but  there  is  no 
"must"  order  attached  to  them,  the  Govern- 
ment stating  in  an  accompanying  letter  that 
it  would  appreciate  the  answers  to  the 
questions  without  giving  its  purpose  in  ask- 
ing them.  Among  some  of  the  questions 
asked  are  the  relation  between  the  distribu- 
tor and  its  circuit  or  other  circuits,  film  deals 
made  and  being  made,  the  exact  location  of 
theatres,  seating  capacity,  interested  part- 
ners and  definition  of  run. 


Exhibitors  Who  Booked  Picture 
Before  Louis-Schmeling  Bout 
Reap  Richest  Harvest  of  All 

The  Max  Schmeling-Joe  Louis  fight  pic- 
ture ranks  with  exhibitors  as  something  a 
trifle  more  colossal  than  the  Yankee  Stadium 
event  itself,  according  to  Sherwin  Kane  in 
an  article  in  last  Monday's  issue  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Daily. 

Most  gleeful  of  the  exhibitors,  the  story 
points  out,  are  those  who  bought  the  pic- 
ture prior  to  the  fight  when  it  was  a  long 
chance  that  the  fight  itself,  much  less  the 
pictures,  would  be  worth  seeing.  The  film, 
he  continues  turned  June  and  part  of  July 
into  January  for  every  house  which  played 
it  and  even  for  those  which  were  so  un- 
fortunate as  not  to  have  booked  it  before 
the  results  were  known. 

One  New  York  exhibitor,  for  instance, 
could  have  had  the  picture  for  his  neigh- 
borhood circuit  at  $1,600  if  he  had  signed 
on  the  day  of  the  fight.  He  couldn't  see  the 
price,  so  he  paid  $3,600  instead,  the  follow- 
ing morning.  The  experience  was  duplicated 
all  over  the  city. 

Outdraws  Features 

Circuit  bookers  credit  the  picture  with 
being  a  greater  draw  than  any  film  released 
during  the  first  two  weeks  following  the 
fight.  It  came  to  wilting  box-offices  every- 
where it  played  with  a  message  of  cheer  em- 
phatic enough  to  change  the  color  of  operat- 
ing statements  of  even  large  circuits  for  the 
first  six  months  of  the  current  year. 

The  cost  of  the  film  to  a  first-run  neigh- 
borhood house  which  had  booked  it  in  ad- 
vance averaged  about  $500  for  a  one-week 
run,  with  about  twice  that  figure  being  asked 
after  the  bout.  All  deals  were  set  for  a  flat 
rental  with  the  owners  of  the  picture  par- 
ticipating in  gross  receipts  over  a  certain 
figure  only  in  a  few  Broadway  houses.  The 
average  grosses  for  the  week  in  such  houses 
were  up  $1,500  to  $3,500  while  the  picture 
played.  It  had  second  week  hold-overs  in 
numerous  metropolitan  and  up-state  houses. 

Rights  Bought  for  $25,000 

Jack  Dietz  bought  the  film  rights  from 
Mike  Jacobs,  fight  promoter,  for  an  esti- 
mated $25,000.  Four  regular  cameras  and 
one  slow  motion  camera  were  used.  In  ad- 
dition, there  were  the  expenses  of  tech- 
nicians, electricians,  prints  and  distribution. 
It  is  estimated  that  800  prints  may  have  been 
made  in  the  three  laboratories  which  were 
utilized,  at  a  cost  of  about  $40  a  print,  or 
$32,000  for  that  item  alone.  The  total  over- 
head may  have  run  about  $90,000.  The  aver- 
age fight  picture  returns  to  its  owner  a  gross 
of  $150,000  to  $200,000.  This  one  is  ex- 
pected to  double  the  higher  figure,  due  to 
the  fact  that  so  many  exhibitors  "laid  off" 
until  after  the  fight,  by  which  time  the 
rentals  had  been  doubled. 

Schmeling  himself  bought  the  exclusive 
rights  to  the  picture  for  Germany  at  a  re- 
ported $60,000  in  American  dollars. 

The  fact  that  the  fight  was  a  sensational 


upset  with  international  interest  attached 
was  not  the  only  explanation  of  its  unusual 
drawing  record.  Cameramen  and  technicians 
collaborated  to  make  it  an  exciting  and  dra- 
matic 31  minutes  of  screen  fare.  Only  one 
mishap  occurred  to  detract  from  its  maxi- 
mum pictorial  possibilities.  The  slow  motion 
camera,  which  had  caught  Louis  being 
knocked  down  in  the  fourth  round,  jammed 
while  the  twelfth  round  was  under  way, 
causing  the  picture  its  loss  of  slow  motion 
shots  of  the  knockout  which  followed  shortly 
thereafter. 

Alan  Crosland, 
Noted  Director, 
Dies  on  Coast 

Alan  Crosland,  41,  noted  motion  picture 
director,  died  last  Thursday  night  in  Holly- 
wood of  injuries  he  received  in  an  automo- 
bile accident  on  July  10.  Mr.  Crosland  had 
been  connected  with  the  motion  picture  in- 
dustry since  1912  when  he  left  the  repor- 
torial  staff  of  the  New  York  Evening  World 
to  become  associated  with  the  old  Edison 
Company. 

Born  in  New  York  City,  August  10,  1894, 
Mr.  Crosland,  himself  an  actor  for  three 
years,  directed  most  of  the  Hollywood  stars 
of  the  past  and  present  generation  and  had 
many  a  notable  success  to  his  credit.  Fol- 
lowing his  association  with  the  Edison  Com- 
pany he  worked  for  Selznick,  Cosmopolitan, 
United  Artists  and  Warner  Brothers.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  Mr.  Crosland  was  directing 
"The  Case  of  the  Caretaker's  Cat"  for 
Warner  Brothers. 

Among  the  pictures  he  directed  were 
"General  Crack,"  "Scarlet  Lady,"  "Beloved 
Rogue,"  "Viennese  Night,"  "Midnight  Ali- 
bi," "Massacre,"  "Jazz  Singer,"  "On  With 
the  Show,"  "Glorious  Betsy,"  "The  Great 
Impersonation,"  "The  White  Cockatoo"  and 
"King  Solomon  of  Broadway." 

Mr.  Crosland  suffered  his  fatal  injuries 
when  his  automobile  apparently  struck  an 
obstacle  near  an  excavation  on  Sunset 
Boulevard,  in  Hollywood,  and  overturned. 
The  director  was  alone  in  his  car  when  the 
accident  happened.  Funeral  services  were 
held  Wednesday  morning  at  Pierce  Brothers 
Mortuary.  Burial  followed  in  Hollywood 
Cemetery. 


Philippine  Producers 
To  Export  Feature 

"Hagase  Tu  Voluntad"  ("Obey  That  Im- 
pulse"), produced  with  an  all-Filipino  cast 
and  by  a  native  director,  will  be  distributed 
in  South  and  Central  America  and  in  Spain, 
according  to  a  report  from  Trade  Commis- 
sioner J.  B.  Richards  in  Manila.  Tagalog 
films  have  been  exhibited  in  Hawaii  but 
this  is  the  first  time  that  a  feature  picture 
has  been  exported  from  the  Philippines  for 
world  distribution,  according  to  the  report. 


62 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    25,  1936 


SHOWMEN'S 
REVIEWS 


This  department  deals  with  new 
product  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  exhibitor  who  is 
to  purvey  it  to  his  own  public 


MARY  OF  SCOTLAND 


(RKO  Radio  Production) 
Drama  and  Romance 

It  was  a  land  and  time  for  tragedy,  the 
dour  Scotland  of  the  day  when  Mary  Stuart 
returned  in  1561. 

Greystone  castles  frowned  down,  their 
dark  corridors  reeking  with  intrigue,  clank- 
ing with  the  stride  of  men  at  arms  and 
echoing  by  night  with  whispers. 

North  and  south  the  clans  were  fighting 
as  the  warring,  scheming  lords  sought  to 
tear  the  nation  apart.  And  below  the  border 
was  Elizabeth,  redheaded  virgin  queen  of 
England,  jealous,  fearful,  ruthless,  greedy  of 
power. 

Into  that  Scotland  came  Mary  Stuart — to 
be  the  martyred  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  of 
history,  song  and  story — bringing  beauty, 
femininity,  daring  and  romance. 

It  is  that  Mary  Stuart,  Queen  of  Romance, 
who  comes  across  the  screen  and  this  page 
now,  in  the  person  of  Miss  Katharine  Hep- 
burn in  the  title  role  of  "Mary  of  Scotland," 
as  vivid  as  a  gypsy's  scarf  dropped  in  the 
heather. 

When  Mary  Stuart  went  to  the  block  her 
troubles  had  but  begun.  Partisan  historians 
have  worked  their  will  with  her  annals. 
Tradition  and  rumor  and  the  gossip  of 
backstairs  and  drawing  room  have  been  at 
work  nearly  four  centuries.  Then  not  so 
long  ago  Maxwell  Anderson  did  a  play  for 
the  stage  about  her,  and  took  up  where  the 
historians  left  off,  and  now  Hollywood  has 
been  at  the  matter  with  the  screen  play  from 
Mr.  Anderson's  stage  play,  this  time  by 
Dudley  Nichols,  and  subsequent  attentions 
by  John  Ford,  director,  and  Pandro  S.  Ber- 
man,  producer,  all  for  RKO. 

No  matter  what  has  happened  to  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots  in  the  process — and  the  lib- 
erties are  no  more  considerable  perhaps  than 
the  screen  generally  has  been  taking  with 
biography  of  late — the  motion  picture  audi- 
ence is  to  have  a  rare,  poignant  Hepburn, 
in  a  setting  of  thrill,  adventure,  suspense — 
and  debacle. 

The  picture  is  dominantly  Hepburn. 

One  comes  away  from  it  remembering  her 
vivid  Mary  Stuart  and  little  else. 

And  that,  however,  is  not  to  be  construed 
as  adverse  to  the  very  considerable  and 
capable  supporting  cast.  It  is,  by  the  Hep- 
burn dominance,  made  entirely  into  support. 
Maybe  Mary  Stuart  was  like  that.  The 
stories  say  she  was. 

The  billing  co-stars  Fredric  March,  in 
the  role  of  Bothwell,  suitor,  defender  and, 
lastly,  husband  of  Mary.  He  is  brave  in 
kilts.  And  up  and  down  the  long  array  of 
players  are  several  who  have  known  the 
fame  of  the  marquee  lights,  and  some  the 


triumphs  of  the  screen  before  the  movies 
ventured  to  have  marquees. 

Striking  impression  of  directorial  dis- 
cretion and  control  pervades  the  piece. 

Mr.  Ford  had  rampant,  desperate,  knife- 
fighting  melodrama  to  make.  His  materials 
were  love  and  hate  and  bloody  plot,  daggers 
in  the  dark  and  poisoned  purpose.  But  ever, 
it  seems,  he  had  them  in  control,  painting 
them  on  the  screen  with  restraint  and  within 
the  limits  of  the  dramatic  effect.  The  melo- 
drama of  Mary  of  Scotland  is  queenly  melo- 
drama. 

The  picture  is  rich  with  settings,  pre- 
tentious even  for  these  abundant  days  in 
Hollywood.  There  is  much  of  music,  the 
pipers  and  marching  men,  with  occasional 
interludes  of  happy  relief  that  the  grim  tale 
may  be  the  grimmer  as  Fate  and  Elizabeth 
close  in  upon  Mary  of  Scotland.  Extraor- 
dinary opportunities  for  sequences  of 
sadism,  which  all  so  often  have  figured  in 
kindred  historic  material,  have  been  passed 
with  commendable  judgment.  The  bitter, 
bitter  story  is  told  without  tortures,  and  it 
gains  in  the  artful  simplicity  of  its  telling. 
Nothing  and  no  one  comes  between  the 
audience  and  Miss  Hepburn's  Mary  of  Scot- 
land.   It  is  as  boxoffice  as  The  Hepburn. 

The  religious  phases  of  the  story,  while 
handled  for  the  screen  probably  as  lightly  as 
history  permits,  will  be  nothing  for  _  the 
showman  to  present  with  emphasis.  It  is  to 
be  observed  that  the  RKO  press  book  limits 
its  attentions  to  the  role  of  John  Knox, 
preacher,  to  a  one  column  cut. 

The  story  is  Hepburn. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  RKO  Radio.  Producer, 
Pandro  S.  Berman.  Director,  John  Ford.  Screen 
play  by  Dudley  Nichols.  Based  on  play  by  Maxwell 
Anderson.  Photographed  by  Joseph  H.  August, 
A.S.C.  Art  director,  Van  Nest  Polglase.  Associate, 
Carroll  Clark.  Musical  director,  Nathaniel  Shilkret. 
Costumes  bv  Walter  Plunkett.  Photographic  effects 
by  Vernon  Walker,  A.S.C.  Recorded  by  Hugh  Mc- 
Dowell, Jr.  Assistant  director,  Edward  Donahue.  Set 
dressing  by  Darrell  Silvera.  Production  Code  Cer- 
tificate No.  2,052.  Runing  time,  123  minutes.  Release 
date  in  August. 

CAST 

Mary  Stuart  Katharine  Hepburn 

Bothwell  Frednc  March 

Elizabeth  Tudor  Florence  Eldndge 

Darnley  Douglas  Walton 

Rizzio   John  Carradine 

Morton.  Robert  Barrat 

Leicester  Gavin  Muir 

Moray  Ian  Keith 

John  Knox  Moroni  Olsen 

Ruthven  William  Stack 

Randolph  Ralph  Forbes 

Throckmorton  Alan  Mowbray 

Mary  Beaton  Frieda  Inescort 

Huntly  Donald  Crisp 

Lindsay  David  Torrence 

Mary   Livingstone  Molly  Lamont 

Mary   Fleming  Anita  Colby 

Mary   Seton  Jean  Fenwick 

Burghley  Lionel  .  Pape 

Donal  Alec  Craig 

Nurse  Mary  Gordon 

Messenger  Monte  Blue 

Maitland  Leonard  Mudie 

Airan  Brandon  Hurst 

Lexington.'.'.'.'  Wilfred  Lucas 


Kirkcaldy  D'Arcy  Corrigan 

Douglas  Frank  Baker 

Faudoncide  Cyril  McLaglen 

Fisherman's  Wife  Doris  Lloyd 

Sir  Francis  Knollys  Robert  Warwick 

f  Murray  Kinnell 
|  Lawrence  Grant 

JUDGES   \  Ivan  Simpson 

I  Nigel  de  Brulier 
t  Barlowe  Borland 

Walsingham  Walter  Bryon 

Sergeant-at-Arms  Wyndham  Standing 

Earl  of  Kent  Earle  Foxe 

du  Croche  Paul  McAllister 

Fisherman  Lionel  Bellmore 

Fisherman  Gaston  Glass 

Nobleman  Neil  Fitzgerald 


To  Mary— With  Love 

(20th  Century  -  Fox) 
Romance  Drama 

No  one  should  find  it  necessary  to  struggle 
in  search  of  showmanship  angles  with  which 
to  sell  this  picture.  The  essentials  are  all  out 
in  the  open  for  anyone  to  recognize  and  adapt. 
The  title  suggests  the  play's  character,  dramatic 
and  not  without  pleasing  comedy  contrast  ro- 
mance. In  the  leading  roles  two  highly  popu- 
lar players,  Warner  Baxter  and  Myrna  Loy, 
are  presented.  The  two  principal  supporting 
players,  Claire  Trevor  and  Ian  Hunter,  are 
also  favorably  known.  Even  those  spotted  in 
minor  roles  are  name  values  of  more  than  or- 
dinary worth.  The  story,  a  topical  visaged 
study  of  the  problems  of  modern  life  and  mari- 
tal romance,  is  well  conceived.  Given  produc- 
tion values  commensurate  with  its  merit  as  not 
too  serious  entertainment,  the  picture  is  one 
abounding  in  elements  of  appeal  to  feminine 
patronage.  Yet  it  is  of  the  quality  to  inter- 
est general  adult  audiences. 

Essentially  the  yarn  is  a  quadrangular  ro- 
mance drama.  The  locale  is  New  York  and  time 
the  decade  of  1920-30.  The  spirit  of  the  play 
preserves  the  mood  and  spirit  of  those  years. 
Jock  and  Mary  are  married.  A  definite  bond 
of  friendship  and  affection  exists  between 
them  and  Bill  Hallam.  Struggling  for  busi- 
ness success,  Jock  forgets  Mary,  who  seeks 
comfort  in  the  companionship  of  Bill  and  re- 
laxation in  a  mad  round  of  social  and  sporting 
diversion.  Wise  Hallam,  seeing  the  romance 
going  on  the  rocks,  suggests  the  couple  have 
a  child.  Death  of  the  baby,  a  tragedy  to  Bill, 
sends  him  off  on  a  hectic  career  of  money 
making  and  reckless  diversion  with  Kitty 
Brant.  Faithfully  and  patiently,  Mary  waits 
for  him  to  come  to  his  senses.  Great  business 
success  is  followed  by  the  market  crash,  an 
event  which  widens  the  rift  between  husband 
and  wife.  Building  to  its  climax  as  Mary  con- 
templates divorce,  Bill,  in  a  sequence  expertly 
handled  by  Hunter,  forestalls  her  attempt  and 
by  talking  good  sound  common  sense  into  the 
ears  of  both  shows  them  the  error  of  their 
ways  and  points  out  the  manner  in  which  they 
can  find  happiness. 

The  atmosphere  of  the  show  is  always  hu- 
manly real.  While  the  theme  is  essentially  a 
serious  study  of  a  modern  problem,  yet  its  de- 
lineation is  not  somber.  Many  times  playing 
upon  the  more  sentimental  emotions,  its  com- 
edy contrast  sparkles  with  dialogue  and  action 
humor  which  should  account  for  more  smiles 
than  tears.  An  intelligent  show,  it  calls  for 
equally  intelligent  marketing.    The  things  most 

(.Continued  on  pape  64) 


CERTAINLY  IT'S  TRICK  PHOTOGRAPHY! 

Please  don't  ask  us  how  it's  done  on  the  screen!  It's  a 
secret!  Just  take  our  tip  that  this  is  the  grandest  novelty 
in  many  seasons  and  a  real  opportunity  to  profit! 

We're  thrilled  about  the  success  of  "The  Devil  Doll"  in  all 
|  its  opening  engagements!  We  advised  theatres  to  get  behind 
this  unusual  film  with  extra  advertising  and  peppy  showman- 
ship because  we  felt  it  had  all  the  excitement  and  novelty  of 
those  good  old  Lon  Chaney  thrillers!  M-G-M  likes  to  step  out 
of  the  beaten  track  of  entertainment  and  we've  been  fortu- 
nate the  way  "THE  DEVIL  DOLL"  turned  out.  It  really  merits 
the  quick  and  active  promotional  attention  of  alert  showmen! 

M-G-M's  "THE  DEVIL  DOLL"  stars  LIONEL  BARRYMORE  with  Maureen  O'Sullivan,  Frank  Lawton 

Directed  by  Tod  Browning 


64 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


(Continued  from  page  62) 

necessary  are  available,  and  made  known  to 
the  public  in  good  showmanship  style,  they  ap- 
pear to  be  capable  of  generating  unusual  inter- 
est. 

Previewed  in  Grauman  s  Chinese  theatre.  The 
audience  was  satisfied  with  the  entertainment 
provided  and  appreciative  of  the  work  contrib- 
uted by  Baxter  and  Myrna  Loy,  it  appeared 
to  be  particularly  enthusiastic  about  that  pro- 
vided by  Hunter.      McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox.  Associate  producer,  Kenneth  Macgowan.  Di- 
rected by  John  Cromwell.  Screen  play  by  Richard 
Sherman  and  Howard  Ellis  Smith.  From  the  story 
by  Richard  Sherman.  Photographed  by  Sidney  Wag- 
ner. Art  director,  Mark-Lee  Kirk.  Set  decorations 
by  Thomas  Little.  Assistant  director,  A.  F.  Erick- 
son.  Film  editor,  Ralph  Dietrich.  Costumes  by  Roy- 
er.  Sound,  E.  Clayton  Ward  and  Roger  Heman.  Mu- 
sical direction,  Louis  Silvers.  F.  C.  A.  Certificate 
No.  2306.  Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  90 
minutes.  Release  date,  August  1,  1936.  General  au- 
dience classification. 

CAST 

Jock  Wallace   Warner  Baxter 

Mary  Wallace   .'  Myrna  Loy 

Bill  Hallam  Ian  Hunter 

Kitty  Brant   Claire  Trevor 

Irene    Jean  Dixon 

Sloan  Potter   Pat  Somerset 

Switchboard  Nurse  Helen  Brown 

S  Wedgewood  Nowell 

Doctors   }  Harold  Foshav 

Drunk   Paul  Hurst 

(  Franklin  F'angborn 

Guests   |  Tyler  Brooke 

Bartender   ....Arthur  Aylesworth 

Salesgirl   — Florence  Lake 

Butler   Edward  Cooper 

,T  S  Margaret  Fielding 

Nurses   1  Ruth  Clifford 

Ticket  to  Paradise 

(Republic) 
Comedy 

This  is  an  inconspicuous  little  picture  that  is 
productive  of  quite  a  bit  of  fun  and  excitement. 
It  concerns  an  amnesia  victim  and  his  attempts 
to  recall  his  identity,  all  with  the  help  of  an 
attractive  girl  and  her  millionaire  father.  The 
complications  that  arise  to  confront  the  poor 
victim  and  the  situations  in  which  he  finds  him- 
self while  suffering  from  loss  of  memory  are 
numerous  and  hilarious,  but  the  fun  really  be- 
gins when  the  girl  and  boy  start  a  cross-country 
tour  of  exploits  aimed  at  getting  pictures  in 
newspapers  in  the  hope  of  recognition. 

Ingenious  showmanship  is  applicable  to  many 
sequences  and  the  cast  names  of  Roger  Pryor, 
Wendy  Barrie,  Gaude  Gillingwater,  Andrew 
Tombes  and  Luis  Alberni  should  mean  some- 
thing. Direction  is  by  Aubrey  Scotto,  known 
for  his  comedies. 

Terry  Dodd,  go-getting  young  financier,  is 
just  leaving  Chicago  for  Pittsburgh  on  a  big 
business  deal  when  he  loses  his  memory  follow- 
ing a  taxi  smashup.  Rushing  to  the  first  train, 
he  lands  in  New  York  with  $10,000  in  his 
pocket,  but  with  no  idea  of  who  he  is  or  where 
he  is  going.  The  police  turn  him  over  to  a 
group  of  alienists,  who  name  him  Jack  Doe, 
make  a  ridiculous  test  which  indicates  he  is  a 
taxi  driver  and  put  him  to  work  at  that,  urging 
him  to  ask  everyone  to  identify  him. 

Dodd's  first  passenger  is  a  wealthy  girl,  Jane 
Forbes,  and  he  winds  up  at  a  cocktail  party  at 
her  home.  This  leads  to  a  job  in  her  father's 
office,  but  when  Dodd  disrupts  the  routine  by 
sending  out  inquiries  through  the  business  chan- 
nels to  try  and  discover  his  identity,  he  is  fired. 

By  this  time,  Jane  is  in  love  with  Dodd,  and 
vice  versa,  so  the  two  start  a  ludicrous  tour 
across  the  country  seeking  newspaper  publicity 
in  the  hopes  Dodd's  picture  may  be  printed  and 
seen  by  a  friend.  The  tour,  interspersed  with 
hilarious  situations,  finally  takes  the  pair  to 
Chicago,  where,  following  another  series  of 
hijinks,  it  is  revealed  that  Dodd  is  quite  the 
honest  business  man  and  this  dissolves  Forbes' 
newly-aroused  objections,  so  that  the  way  is 
paved  for  "two  tickets  to  Paradise"  for  the  two 
lovers,  as  Miss  Barrie  puts  it. 

Reviewed  in  a  projection  room. 

Baehler,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Republic  Pictures.  Pro- 
duced by  Nat  Levine.  Directed  by  Aubrey  Scotto. 
Supervised  by  Victor  Zobell.  Screen  play  by  Jack 
Natteford  and  Nathaniel  West  from  an  original  story 
by  David  Silverstein.   Photographed  by  Ernest  Miller. 


Release  date,  July  10,  1936.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No. 
2282.  Running  time,  67  minutes.  General  audience 
classification. 

CAST 

Terry  Dodd    Roger  Pryor 

Jane  Forbes    Wendy  Barrie 

Forbes    Claude  Gillingwater 

Nirney    Andrew  Tombes 

Dr.  Munson    Luis  Alberni 

Barkins    E.  E.  Clive 

Taxi  driver    John  Sheehan 

Dawson     Harry  Woods 

Milk  man    Duke  Yorke 

Spotter    Harry  Harvey 

Shyster    Charles  Lane 

Merry-go-round  man    Harrison  Greene 

Dr.  Eckstrom    Eric  Mayne 

Interne    Wallace  Gregory 

Gracie    Shirley  O'Brien 

Taxi  dispatcher    Bud  Jamison 

Tony      Gavin  Gordon 


Early  to  Bed 

(Paramount) 
Comedy 

This  is  a  straight  comedy  without  the  slight- 
est attempt  to  infuse  dramatic  or  other  serious 
element  at  any  point  in  its  development.  The 
principal  roles  are  enacted  by  Charles  Ruggles, 
Mary  Boland,  George  Barbier  and  Lucien  Lit- 
tlefield,  who  is  also  credited,  in  collaboration 
with  Chandler  Sprague,  with  authorship  of  the 
story.  Their  roles  are  of  the  kind  in  which  they 
have  been  most  successful  at  the  box  office  in 
the  past,  and  the  placarding  of  their  names  in 
billing  serves  to  describe  the  picture  exactly. 

Exploitation  resting  principally  upon  these 
names  appears  to  be  indicated.  Such  effort 
would  seem  qualified  to  attract  audiences^  of 
appropriate  entertainment  preference.  Various 
stunts  suggested  by  the  extremely  animated 
action  in  the  picture  harmonize  with  expectan- 
cies born  of  the  cast  names  and  borne  out  by 
the  picture.  Sleepwalking,  honeymooning  and 
amateur  detecting  are  the  major  topical  ingre- 
dients, all  treated  lightly  and  with  exclusively 
comic  intent. 

The  story  is  of  Chester  Beatty,  middle  aged 
salesman,  and  his  middle  aged  bride,  who  go 
for  their  honeymoon  to  a  remote  lake,  site  of 
a  hotel  and  sanitarium,  to  be  near  and  sell  a 
bill  of  goods  to  Horace  Stanton,  manufacturer. 
A  golf  links  episode  puts  the  prospect  under 
obligations  to  the  salesman,  but  the  bride's  well 
intentioned  efforts  to  help  her  husband  result 
in  successive  placements  and  cancellations  of  a 
large  order. 

Beatty's  habit  of  walking  in  his  sleep  leads 
him  and  his  bride  to  believe  him  inadvertently 
guilty  of  a  jewel  robbery  and,  later,  a  murder. 
A  writer  of  detective  stories,  guest  of  the  hotel, 
attempts  to  solve  the  successive  mysteries. 
Beatty  consults  a  doctor,  who  prescribes  various 
unsuccessful  means  of  overcoming  his  somnam- 
bulism. It  is  through  their  failure  that  the 
mysteries  are  solved,  after  which  Beatty  is  em- 
ployed by  Stanton  and  moves  on  with  his  bride 
to  a  honeymoon  at  Niagara  Falls. 

Reviewed  at  the  Paramount  theatre,  New 
York,  where  a  mid-evening  weekday  audience 
of  capacity  proportions  laughed  so  loudly  and 
long  at  various  points  in  the  picture  as  to 
drown  out  portions  of  ensuing  dialogue  for  a 
reviewer  contributing  his  share  from  fourth 
row  center.  Weaver,  New  York. 

Produced  by  Harlan  Thompson.  Distributed  by 
Paramount.  Directed  by  Norman  McLeod.  Screen 
play  by  Arthur  Kober.  Story  by  Lucien  Littlefield 
and  Chandler  Sprague.  Art  direction  by  Hans  Dreier 
and  Robert  Odell.  Photographed  by  Henry  Sharp. 
P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2187.  Release  date,  June  5, 
1936.  Running  time,  73  minutes.  General  audience 
classification. 

CAST 

Tessie  Weeks    Mary  Boland 

Chester  Beatty    Charlie  Ruggles 

Horace  Stanton    George  Barbier 

Grace  Stanton  . .    Gail  Patrick 

Burgess  Frisbie    Robert  McWade 

Mr.  O'Leary    Lucien  Littlefield 

Doctor    Colin  Tapley 

Mrs.  Duvall    Helen  Flint 

Miss  Benson    Rae  Daggett 

Salesman    William  Wayne 

Salesman    Eddie  Borden 

Craig    Brooks  Benedict 

Joe    Tom  Watson 

Rex  Daniels    Sidney  Blackmer 

Smithers    Arthur  Hoyt 

Mrs.  Fosbinder    Jane  Gittleson 

Burger    Billy  Gilbert 

Miss  Barton    Sarah  Edwards 


White  Fang 

(20th  Century-Fox) 
Adventure  Romance 

Sequel  to  Jack  London's  "Call  of  the  Wild," 
this  story  of  adventure  and  romance  in  Alaska, 
with  a  motivating  dog  theme,  is  unpretentious  in 
plot  and  setting,  but  emerges  as  an  entertaining 
production.  Set  in  the  Yukon  country  during 
the  gold  rush  days  at  the  turn  of  the  century, 
the  story,  primarily,  relates  the  legend  of  a 
wolf-dog,  a  magnificent  animal,  who  befriends 
a  man,  later  demonstrates  fidelity  to  this  same 
man  and  is  his  constant  protector. 

The  title  derives  its  name  from  the  dog,  who 
otherwise  is  known  as  Lightning,  and  who 
should  be  a  great  favorite  with  the  children.  It 
is  to  them  the  campaign,  it  would  seem,  would 
be  best  directed.  Not  forgetting,  of  course,  the 
vast  public  who  are  readers  of  the  London 
stories. 

Jean  Muir  and  Michael  Whalen  head  a 
notable  cast  of  character  actors.  Miss  Muir 
especially  gives  a  very  excellent  performance 
with  Whalen,  a  comparative  newcomer,  show- 
ing evidences  of  future  stardom.  With  them  in 
the  picture  are  Slim  Summerville,  Charles  Win- 
niger,  John  Carradine,  Jane  Darwell  and 
Thomas  Beck. 

In  the  story,  Whalen,  on  the  pleadings  of 
Miss  Muir,  consents  to  act  as  a  guide  to  her 
brother  Beck,  in  his  quest  of  the  family  gold 
mine.  Bad  weather  and  lack  of  food  contribute 
to  the  downfall  of  Beck,  who  kills  himself. 
Whalen  staggers  on  but  gives  out  before  he 
reaches  the  mine.  White  Fang  watches  over 
him  and  attracts  the  attention  of  a  passing  sled 
by  his  howls. 

When  Whalen  recovers  in  the  small  com- 
munity that  adjoins  the  mine  he  poses  as  Beck 
and  ousts  Carradine,  who  has  been  robbing  the 
mine.  He  nurses  White  Fang,  who  had  been 
shot.  Miss  Muir  arrives  on  the  scene  and  falls 
in  love  with  Whalen.  Carradine  accuses  Whalen 
of  the  murder  of  Beck  and  is  about  to  hang  him 
when  Summerville  arrives  with  Beck's  dairy 
which  absolves  Whalen  of  the  crime. 

Reviewed  at  the  Roxy  Theatre  in  New  York, 
where  a  mixed  afternoon  audience  demonstrated 
its  appreciation  of  the  picture,  breaking  out  in 
applause  on  several  occasions. 

Mooney,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Twentieth  Century-Fox. 
Producer,  Darryl  F.  Zanuck.  Associate  producer,  Bo- 
gart  Rogers.  Directed  by  David  Butler.  Story  by 
Jack  London.  Screen  play  by  Hal  Long,  Gene  Fowler 
and  S.  G.  Duncan.  Photography  by  Arthur  Miller. 
Editor,  Irene  Morra.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2,253. 
Running  time,  70  minutes.  Release  date,  July  3,  1936. 
General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Sylvia  Burgess   Jean  Muir 

Weedon  Scott    Michael  Whalen 

Slats    Slim  Summerville 

Doc  McFane    Charles  Winniger 

Beauty  Smith    John  Carradine 

Maud  Mahoney    Jane  Darwell 

Hal  Burgess    Thomas  Beck 

Kobi  v   Joseph  Herrick 

Francois    George  Ducount 

Nomi    Marie  Chorie 

White  Fang    Lightning 

Rythm  on  the  Range 

( Paramount ) 
Comedy  with  Music 

A  different  Bing  Crosby  picture,  this  stacks 
up  as  worthy  audience  entertainment  material 
and,  because  of  character  of  story  and  person- 
alities presented,  is  an  exploitation  feature  of 
more  than  usual  quality.  With  music,  the  film 
moves  to  the  tune  of  comedy  action.  Novel  in 
theme,  it  moves  fast.  Diverting  from  customary 
production  technique,  it  introduces  several 
specialty  features  that  are  hilariously  amusing. 
Considerable  worth  is  added  to  the  show  inas- 
much as  Crosby's  part  is  always  comedy.  While 
for  necessary  contrasting  drama  purposes  some 
little  semblance  of  seriousness  is  worked  into 
the  yarn,  that  quality  is  always  secondary  to 
the  motivating  comedy. 

Opening  at  a  Madison  Square  Garden  rodeo, 
singing  cowboy  Jeff,  abetted  by  his  bazooka 
tooting  buddy  Buck,  wins  sufficient  money  to 
(Continued  on  page  66) 


STAND  CONDEMNED 


"As  vivid  a  characterization  as  any  screen  has  offered  this  season" — N.Y.  EveningSv 


"Exciting  spy  melodrama  .  .  .  excellent  acting  hy  cast  .  .  .  really  outstanding." 

—  N.  Y.  American 

"(Stirring  suspense  and  cinematic  heauty.'  —  N.  Y.  HeraU-Trilune 
Full  and  meaty  drama  .  .  .  penetrating  portrayal.'  — N.Y.  Journal 

"Imaginatively  directed  and  splendidly  acted.  —  N.Y.  Daily  Mirror 
Intriguing  story  extremely  well-played  and  unusually  'well  directed.'  —  N.Y.  Post 


HELD  OVER  SECOND  WEEK  RIVOLI  THEATRE,  NEW  YORK 


A    NEW  STAR 


FLASHES    INTO  PROMINENCE 


'Really  outstanding  interpretation  by  Harry  Baur.  " —  N.  Y.  American  .   .   .  "Alii  lties 
of  Trench  star  cannot  be  questioned.  — N.  Y.  Times  ...    Baur  gives  penetrating  portrayal. 
—  N.  Y.  Herald  Trih  une  .  .  .  'Baur  .  .  .  one  of  Europe  s  greatest  actors.    —  Brooklyn 
Times  Union  .  .  .  "Baur  plays  leading  role  magnificently.    —  N.  Y.  Daily  jMirror  .  .  . 

"Baur  is  superb.    —  N.  Y.  Post  .  .  .  "Baur  dominates  tke  film.'  —  N.  Y.  Evening  Sun. 


9 


STAND  CONDEMNED 


coast-to-coast  showmen  shower  great  campaigns  on  this  production  which  is 
proving  to  he  one  of  the  real  hits  of  the  hot  weather  season... hooked  day  and  date 
R.K.O.  Hillstreet  and  Pantages  Theatre,  Los  Angeles — Shea  s  Hippodrome 
Theatre,  Buffalo  entire  Loew  s  jMetropolitan  Circuit — R.K.O.  Keith  s  Mem- 
orial Theatre,  Boston — Keith's  Theatre,  Washington  —  Fox  Theatre,  St.  Louis 
—  Garrick  Theatre,  Chicago  —  Alhee  Theatre,  Providence  —  United  Artists 
Theatre,  Detroit — Aldine  Theatre,  Philadelphia — Paramount  Theatre,  Denver. 


Released    thru    UNITED  ARTISTS 


66 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


July    25,  1936 


buy  a  prize  steer  which  he  hopes  to  be  the  basis 
of  a  vast  western  cattle  herd.  In  the  meantime 
Doris  gets  into  a  jam  with  Ma  Holloway,  a 
rugged  western  cattlewoman,  because  she  has 
no  desire  to  marry  the  man  picked  out  for  her 
by  Ma.  Stowing  away  aboard  a  cattle  car  car- 
rying Jeff,  Buck  and  the  bull,  Doris  first  is 
accepted  by  Jeff  as  a  trouble  fleeing  crook. 
There's  a  thrill  action  twist  as  the  bull  escapes 
and  is  recaptured,  the  excitement  emphasized 
when  a  gang  of  potential  kidnapers  headed  by 
Big  Brain,  wise  to  who  Doris  is,  plot  to  abduct 
her.  The  bull  manages  to  prevent  that  tempo- 
rarily, but  as  the  gang  follows  by  auto,  its 
comedy  drama  again  is  picked  up  at  the  Hallo- 
way  ranch  to  effect  a  romantic,  music-embel- 
lished finale. 

Returning  Crosby  to  comedy  seems  to  have 
benefited  his  crooning  talents.  Several  of  his 
songs,  particularly  "Empty  Saddles,"  are  of 
the  popular  variety.  The  idea  also  makes  it 
possible  for  Bob  Burns  and  another  surprising 
newcomer,  Martha  Raye,  to  contribute  much 
that  is  amusing.  The  renewed  Crosby,  however, 
seems  to  be  the  chief  commercial  asset.  Though 
recent  pictures  may  have  caused  his  screen 
prestige  to  suffer,  this  one,  properly  sold,  should 
do  much  to  restore  his  drawing  power.  Under 
the  circumstances,  the  entertainment  being  of 
the  quality  desirable  to  average  theatergoers, 
it  appears  to  be  wise  to  exert  a  real  attempt 
to  attract  large  first  showing  audiences.  It  may 
be  expected  that  word-of-mouth  advertising  will 
considerably  benefit  subsequent  showings. 

Previewed  in  Westwood  Village  Theatre. 
Audience  ivas  enthusiastic  in  its  appreciation  of 
picture.  McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Paramount.  Produced 
by  Benjamin  Glazer.  Directed  by  Norman  Taurog. 
Assistant  director,  Joe  Youngerman.  Original,  Mer- 
vin  J.  Houser.  Screen  play,  Walter  DeLeon,  Francis 
Martin,  John  C.  Moffitt  and  Sidney  Salkow.  Sound, 
Eugene  Merritt  and  Don  Johnson.  Film  editor,  Ells- 
worth Hoagland.  Art  directors,  Hans  Dreier  and 
Robert  Usher.  Photographed  by  Karl  Struss.  Cos- 
tumes, Edith  Head.  Interior  decorations,  A.  E. 
Freudeman.  Musical  director,  Boris  Morros.  Special 
photographic  effects,  Gordon  Jennings  and  Dev  Jen- 
nings. Lyrics  and  music,  Leo  Robin,  Sam  Coslow, 
Frederick  Hollander,  Richard  A.  Whiting  and  Ralph 
Rainger.  Songs:  "Empty  Saddles,"  Billy  Hill  and  J. 
Keirn  Brennan;  "I'm  An  Old  Cowhand  from  the  Rio 
Grande,"  lyrics  and  music  by  Johnny  Mercer; 
"Roundup  Lullaby,"  Bager  Clark  and  Gertrude  Ross; 
"I  Can't  Escape  from  You,"  Richard  A.  Whiting  and 
Leo  Robin;  "The  House  That  Jack  Built  for  Jill," 
Frederick  Hollander  and  Leo  Robin;  "You'll  Have  to 
Swing  It,"  Sam  Coslow;  "Drink  It  Down,"  Ralph 
Rainger  and  Leo  Robin.  F.  C.  A.  Certificate  No. 
2321.  Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  85 
minutes.  Release  date,  July  31,  1936.  General  audi- 
ence classification. 

CAST 

Jeff  Larabee    Bing  Crosby 

Doris  Halloway    Frances  Farmer 

Buck    Bob  Burns 

Emma    Martha  Raye 

Robert  Halloway    Samuel  S.  Hinds 

Big  Brain    Warren  Hymer 

Penelope  Ryland    Lucille  Webster  Gleason 

Shorty   George  E.  Stone 

Wabash    James  Burke 

Constance  Hyde    Martha  Sleeper 

Gila  Bend  (cowboy)  Clem  Bevans 

Mischa  (cowboy)   Leonid  Kinskey 

Gopher  (cowboy)    Charles  Williams 

"Cuddles"    Beau  Baldwin,  50th 


My  American  Wife 

(Paramount) 
Comedy  Western 

Here's  a  show  that  seems  to  be  earmarked 
for  popular  success.  It  appears  to  have  those 
elements  necessary  to  a  surprise  feature.  The 
unique  story  is  novelly  premised  and  well  de- 
veloped, the  direction  sound,  the  acting  spir- 
ited. Moving  to  the  pace  of  intriguing  dialogue 
and  brisk  action,  the  hokum  flavored  show 
makes  smart  use  of  clever  conversation  and 
situation  gags.  All  elements  are  combined  for 
one  purpose,  that  of  providing  desirable  amuse- 
ment acceptable  to  specialized  as  well  as  gen- 
eral audiences. 

The  attraction  is  a  new  kind  of  domestic 
comedy  western.  Eschewing  formula,  the  odd 
and  pleasing  character  of  the  idea  is  made 
evident  in  a  prelude  episode  which,  instead  of 
being  blood  and  thunder  pioneer-Indian  melo- 


drama, turns  into  civic  celebration  pageant. 
Then  all  previous  ideas  are  reversed.  News 
of  granddaughter  Mary's  marriage  to  a  Count 
horrifies  fleabitten  old  gun  fighter  Lafe  Can- 
tillon.  Gagged  by  situation  and  dialogue  com- 
edy, Lafe  meets  the  "furriner"  and  decides  he 
wants  no  truck  with  him.  But  the  Count,  ambi- 
tious to  be  known  as  Spike  and  being  adverse 
to  wanting  to  exist  as  something  to  be  dis- 
played to  envious  friends  and  neighbors,  turns 
he-man  cowboy,  and  wins  the  respect  of  Lafe, 
who  thinks  the  rest  of  the  mob,  even  Mary, 
have  turned  into  sissies.  At  a  big  reception 
Count  "Spike  and  Lafe,  the  Count  dressed  in 
royal  uniform  and  later  accoutered  in  Rough 
Rider  costume,  show  up  plastered,  much  to  the 
amazement  of  Mary,  her  mother  and  others  of 
the  Cantillon  menage.  The  Count's  refusal 
to  play  a  peacock  role  brings  on  a  threat  of 
divorce,  a  situation  that  is  given  a  further  com- 
edy twist  when  rumor  has  the  Count  gadding 
around  with  a  red  headed  woman.  The  woman 
turns  out  to  be  valet  Adolph's  daughter  and 
when  Mary  ascertains  this  she  decides  to  settle 
down  to  primitive  ranch  life  with  her  tractor 
driving  Count. 

While  the  picture  affords  acceptable  names 
to  sell,  its  principal  showmanship  quality  seems 
to  rest  in  the  novelly  amusing  character  of  the 
story  to  be  sold  as  entertainment  assuring  any 
kind  of  audience  plenty  of  laughter. 

Previewed  in  the  Alexander  theatre,  Glen- 
dale,  to  an  audience  that  did  not  hesitate  about 
demonstrating  its  appreciation. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Paramount.  Pro- 
duced by  Albert  Lewis.  Directed  by  Harold  Young. 
Assistant  director,  Richard  Harlan.  Original  story, 
Elmer  Davis.  Screen  play,  Virginia  Van  Upp.  Sound, 
Earl  Hayman  and  Louis  Mesenkop.  Film  editor,  Paul 
Weatherwax.  Art  directors,  Hans  Dreier  and  Robert 
Odell.  Photographed  by  Harry  Fischbeck.  Original 
score,  musical  direction,  Boris  Morros.  Interior  deco- 
rations, A.  E.  Freudeman.  Costumes  designed  by 
Travis  Banton.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2309.  Run- 
ning time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  70  minutes.  Re- 
lease date,  July  31,  1936.  General  audience  classifi- 
cation. 

CAST 

Count  Ferdinand  von  und  zu  Reidenach 

Francis  Lederer 

Mary  Cantillon   Ann  Sothern 

Lafe  Cantillon   Fred  Stone 

Mrs.  Robert  Cantillon  Billie  Burke 

Adolph    Ernest  Cossart 

Robert  Cantillon   Grant  Mitchell 

Vincent  Cantillon  Hal  K.  Dawson 

Mrs.  Vincent  Cantillon  Helene  Millard 

Stephen   Cantillon  Adrian  Morris 

Mrs.  Stephen  Cantillon  Dora  Clemant 

Butler   Montague  Shaw 


Meet  Nero  Wolfe 

(  Columbia) 
Murder  Mystery 

Edward  Arnold  is  the  rotund,  beer  guzzling 
Nero  Wolfe  of  Rex  Stout's  widely  popular 
mystery  novel,  "Fer  de  Lance,"  which  this  pic- 
ture brings  to  screen  without  important  devia- 
tion from  text,  and  Lionel  Stander  is  the 
brusque,  abrupt  and  intellectually  stolid  Archie 
Goodwin  who  serves  the  immobile  detective 
as  eyes,  ears  and  legs.  The  roles  are  congenial 
to  both. 

Melodrama  and  comedy  are  adroitly  bal- 
anced under  Herbert  Biberman's  direction  and 
B.  P.  Schulberg's  production  is  wholly  ade- 
quate to  story  requirements  as  to  settings,  cast 
and  technical  aspects.  The  necessary  taking  of 
life  is  accomplished  without  bloodshed  and  the 
fatal  side  of  the  action  is  without  undue  em- 
phasis. 

Exploitation  of  the  picture  may  proceed  with 
confidence  that  the  claims  made  for  first  flight 
detective  fiction  are  borne  out  by  the  picture. 
The  name  of  the  principal  star  might  be  linked 
with  that  of  the  author  and  of  the  book  on 
which  the  picture  is  based  for  informative  pur- 
poses. A  number  of  others  in  the  cast  possess 
individual  followings.  Mystery  and  comedy  are 
the  principal  thematic  ingredients. 

The  picture  opens  with  the  death  of  a  col- 
lege professor  on  the  golf  links,  evidently  from 
heart  disease,  and  tightens  up  when  Nero 
Wolfe,  associating  this  with  another  apparent- 
ly  unrelated   death  also   imputed  to  natural 


causes,  declares  that  both  men  were  murdered 
and  proceeds  to  unravel  the  mystery  without 
leaving  his  home.  He  conducts  his  investiga- 
tions at  second  hand  through  the  aid  of  Archie 
Goodwin,  his  assistant,  who  postpones  his  mar- 
riage to  Mazie  Gray,  over  her  humorous  ob- 
jections, until  the  case  is  cleared  up.  This  is 
done  by  adroit  deduction  of  a  kind  and  on  the 
basis  of  fact  j  and  incidents  better  left  to  the 
picture  for  unveiling. 

Reviewed  at  the  Rivoli  theatre,  Nezv  York, 
as  shown  at  noon  on  Sunday  to  a  filling  au- 
ditorium, frequently  manifesting  approval  of 
the  comedy  sequences  by  spontaneous  laughter. 

Weaver,  New  York. 

Produced  by  B.  P.  Schulberg.  Distributed  by  Col- 
umbia. Directed  by  Herbert  Biberman.  Assistant 
director,  George  Rhein.  Story  by  Rex  Stout.  Screen 
play  by  Howard  J.  Breen,  Bruce  Manning  and  Joseph 
Anthony.  Photographed  by  Henry  Freulich.  Edited 
by  Otto  Meyer.  P.  C.  A.  certificate  No.  2212.  Re- 
lease date,  August  1.  Running  time,  72  minutes.  Gen- 
eral audience  classification. 

CAST 

Nero  Wolfe  Edward  Arnold 

Archie  Goodwin  Lionel  Stander 

Ellen  Barstow  Joan  Ferry 

Claude  Roberts  Victor  Jory 

Sarah   Barstow  Nana  Bryant 

Mazie  Gray  Dennie  Moore 

Manuel  Kimball  Russell  Hardie 

E.  J.  Kimball  Walter  Kingsford 

Professor  Barstow  Boyd  Irwin,  Sr. 

Olaf   John  Qualen 

O'Grady   Gene  Morgan 

Maria   Rita  Cansino 

Dr.  Bradford  Frank  Conroy 


Touring  the  Sport  World 

(  Columbia) 
Entertaining 

This  is  an  entertaining  short  on  sports  pecu- 
liar to  various  countries.  Starting  with  Eng- 
land's Rugby  football,  the  camera  transports  one 
to  Japan  and  its  wrestlers ;  Spain  with  its  mata- 
dors and  bulls ;  France  with  its  foot-and-fist 
fighting;  the  Philippines,  where  the  natives  play 
foot  tennis ;  Canada  with  its  hockey  and  finally 
to  the  United  States,  where  scenes  of  boxers  in 
the  prize-ring  are  shown.  The  narration  was 
written  by  Jack  Kofoed  and  described  by  Ford 
Bond.   Running  time,  10  minutes. 


Rio  de  Janeiro — 

City  of  Splendor 

(MGM-FitzPatrick  ) 
Excellent 

An  excellent  picturalization  in  color  of  one 
of  the  most  famous  cities  of  South  America, 
Rio  de  Janeiro.  Focal  points  of  the  city,  the 
buildings,  the  boulevards,  the  parks,  the  unique 
sidewalk  designs,  the  beaches  and  the  harbor  are 
all  splendidly  recorded  by  the  camera's  lens. 
James  FitzPatrick,  in  a  running  commentary, 
vividly  describes  the  scenes.  Running  time,  eight 
minutes. 


On  The  Wrong  Trek 

(MGM) 

Good  Comedy 

Charley  Chase,  his  wife  and  his  mother-in- 
law  are  motoring  to  California  during  Chase's 
vacation.  On  the  road  they  stop  to  inspect 
what  they  believe  is  an  accident.  Instead  their 
car  is  stolen  and  their  clothes  exchanged  for 
others  not  so  good.  Continuing  in  an  old  broken 
down  car  they  run  out  of  gas.  While  trying  to 
drain  gasoline  out  of  a  stranger's  car  they  push 
the  car  over  a  cliff.  Refused  admittance  into 
California  because  of  their  disreputable  car  and 
clothes  they  return  home.  When  Chase  returns 
to  the  office  he  finds  a  new  boss,  the  stranger 
whose  car  he  pushed  over  the  cliff.  It  all  adds 
up  to  good  comedy.    Running  time,  19  minutes. 


"Robin  Hood"  Scheduled 

The  first  all-color  production  on  the  new 
Republic  program  will  be  "Robin  Hood,"  a 
story  based  on  the  life  of  the  famous  English 
outlaw. 


An  Tmportant 

Aotice 

T 

Xhe  most  eventful  year  in  Frank  Capra's  career  is 
over.  Capra  has  finished  shooting  "Lost  Horizon".  .  . 
the  picture  that  has  already  created  more  conver- 
sation—  aroused  more  interest  —  than  any  single 
production  that  has  ever  emerged  from  Hollywood. 

The  incredible  Shangri-La  set  —  deserted  at  last 
by  the  cast  of  thousands  —  gleams  brightly  in  the 
California  sun.  In  guarded  vaults  repose  thousands 
upon  thousands  of  feet  of  the  most  valuable  motion 
picture  film  in  the  world  —  Capra's  photographic 
interpretation  of  the  brilliant  James  Hilton  novel. 

Frank  Capra  will  now  begin  the  titanic  task  of  assem- 
bling, cutting,  scoring,  editing.  Watch  for  further  news  of 

LOST  HORIZON 

A   COLUMBIA  PICTURE 


68 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


WHAT  THE  PICTURE 
DID  FOR  ME 


Columbia 


DEVIL'S  SQUADRON:  Richard  Dix,  Karen  Mor- 
ley — Good  picture.  Everyone  satisfied.  Above  aver- 
age business.  Very  thrilling  in  spots.  Running  time, 
80  minutes.  Played  June  7-8. — Wayne  T.  Jenkins, 
Peoples  Theatre,  Pleasant  Hill,  Mo.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

KING  STEPS  OUT,  THE:  Grace  Moore,  Fran- 
chot  Tone — Although  Grace  Moore  is  not  liked  here, 
triis  picure  was  liked.  This  is  the  best  one  she  has 
made.  The  comedy  is  good.  Played  June  4-6. — 
J.  E.  Palmer,  State  Theatre,  Presque  Isle,  Me. 
Town  and  country  patronage. 

MR.  DEEDS  GOES  TO  TOWN:  Gary  Cooper, 
Jean  Arthur — Good.  Rather  slow  getting  started,  but 
what  a  finish.  Will  please  100  per  cent  in  any  audi- 
ence. Running  time,  118  minutes.  Played  June  24- 
25. — Wayne  T.  Jenkins,  Peoples  Theatre,  Pleasant 
Hill,  Mo.    Small  town  patronage. 


First  National 


BRIDES  ARE  LIKE  THAT:  Ross  Alexander,  Ani- 
ta Louise — This  is  just  as  clever  a  little  comedy 
as  anyone  would  want  to  see.  Our  folks  liked  Ross 
Alexander  very  much.  This  held  up  its  end  of  a 
double  bill. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Emi- 
nence, Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 

BULLETS  OR  BALLOTS:  Edward  G.  Robinson, 
Joan  Blondell — We  are  sure  glad  to  see  Edward  G. 
Robinson  back  again.  He  is  a  real  he-man  and 
shows  his  stuff  in  "Bullets  or  Ballots."  It  pleases 
if  it  is  another  gangster  picture.  Running  time,  81 
minutes.  Played  June  28-29— C.  R.  Gregg,  Liberty 
Theatre,  Caney,  Kansas.    General  patronage. 

CEILING  ZERO:  James  Cagney,  Pat  O'Brien- 
One  of  the  most  dramatic  pictures  we've  had  on 
our  screen  for  a  long  time.  Business  was  off  on  ac- 
count of  high  school  commencement,  so  can't  really 
estimate  its  drawing  power. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence 
Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 

IN  CALIENTE:  Dolores  Del  Rio,  Pat  O'Brien,  Leo 
Carrillo — Average  show.  Average  attendance.  Leo 
Carrillo  good.  Good  music.  Running  time,  84  min- 
utes. Played  September  26-27.— H.  O.  Ekern,  Rex 
Theatre,  Thompson  Falls,  Mont.  Small  town  patron- 
age. 

SINGING  KID,  THE:  Al  Jolson,  Beverly  Roberts 
— Just  a   fair  to  middling  picture.     Jolson  no  draw 

at  the  box  office.  Played-  June  13.— B.  Hollenbeck, 
Rose  Theatre,  Sumas,  Wash.    Small  town  patronage. 

SINGING  KID,  THE:  Al  Jolson,  Edward  Everett 
Horton,  Sybil  Jason — When  will  this  organization 
realize  that  Jolson  is  fast  becoming  a  has-been? 
Here  is  a  picture  allocated  to  us  in  the  percentage 
group  and  we  hardly  took  in  expenses.  Many  people 
stayed  away  when  they  saw  that  it  was  Al  Jolson. 
Running  time,  84  minutes.  Played  June  28-29. — Horn 
and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb. 
Small  town  patronage. 

GB  Pictures 

IT'S  LOVE  AGAIN:  Jessie  Matthews,  Robert 
Young — Jessie  Matthews  makes  Ginger  Rogers  and 
Eleanor  Powell  look  like  amateurs;  she  is  the  only 
star  that  can  dance,  sing  and  act  at  the  same  time. 
The  music  was  very  good,  although  the  story  was 
the  same  as  "Evergreen"  and  "First  A  Girl."  Played 
July  5-7— J.  E.  Palmer,  State  Theatre,  Presque  Isle, 
Me.    Town  and  country  patronage. 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 

AH,  WILDERNESS!:  Wallace  Beery,  Lionel  Bar- 
rymore — Pretty  good  show.  Drew  quite  well.  Wally 
Beery  better  in  other  shows.  Running  time,  98  min- 
utes. Played  May  2-3.— H.  O.  Ekern,  Rex  Theatre, 
Thompson   Falls,   Mont.     Small   town  patronage. 

AH,  WILDERNESS!:  Lionel  Barrymore,  Wallace 
Beery — Very  fine  acting.  Played  it  during  a  hot  spell 
to  very  poor  business.  Cannot  blame  the  picture  al- 
together.— Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury, 
Ontario,  Canada.    General  patronage. 

ANNA  KARENINA:  Greta  Garbo,  Fredric  March 
— Good  story,  and  acting  pretty  good,  but  Garbo 
doesn't  go  well  in  this  town.  Let's  have  more  of 
Fredric  March,  though.  He  has  some  good  quali- 
ties and  he  goes  here.  Running  time.  95  minutes. 
Played  February  22-23.— H.  O.  Ekern,  Rex  Theatre, 
Thompson  Falls,  Mont.     Small  town  patronage. 

BOHEMIAN   GIRL,  THE:   Laurel   and   Hardy— If 


IN  this,  the  exhibitors'  own  de- 
partment, the  theatremen  of  the 
nation  serve  one  another  with 
information  on  the  box  office  per- 
formance of  product  for  their  mu- 
tual benefit.  It  is  a  service  of  the 
exhibitor  for  the  exhibitor.  Address 
all  communications  to— 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me 

MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 

Rockefeller  Center,  New  York 


you  haven't  played  this  picture  and  want  something 
to  make  the  gang  laugh  be  sure  and  play  it,  as  it 
sure  gets  the  job  done.  Running  time,  72  minutes. 
Played  June  16-17.— C.  R.  Gregg,  Liberty  Theatre, 
Caney,  Kansas.     General  patronage. 

BOHEMIAN  GIRL,  THE:  Laurel  and  Hardy- 
Good  comedy.  Running  time,  72  minutes. — P.  G. 
Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  Neigh- 
borhood patronage. 

BROADWAY  MELODY  OF  1936:  Jack  Benny, 
Eleanor  Powell — Very,  very  good  show  and  way 
above  average  crowd.  Eleanor  Powell  is  really  good. 
She  beats  Ruby  Keeler  by  far.  So  let's  have  more 
of  her.  Running  time,  103  minutes.  Played  March 
7,  8.— H.  O.  Ekern,  Rex  Theatre,  Thompson  Falls, 
Mont.    Small  town  patronage. 

CHINA  SEAS:  Jean  Harlow,  Wallace  Beery,  Clark 
Gable — Average  show  and  average  attendance.  Jean 
Harlow  not  up  to  her  average  but  Wally  Beery  good. 
Running  time,  89  minutes.  Played  January  11-12. — 
H.  O.  Ekern,  Rex  Theatre,  Thompson  Falls.  Mont. 

GARDEN  MURDER  CASE,  THE:  Edmund  Lowe, 
Virginia  Bruce — Another  murder  mystery.  They're 
about  all  the  same.  Average  business.  Played 
June  16. — B.  Hollenbeck,  Rose  Theatre,  Sumas,  Wash. 
Small  town  patronage. 

MUTINY  ON  THE  BOUNTY:  Clark  Gable,  Fran- 
chot  Tone,  Charles  Laughton — Excellent  show  and  ex- 
cellent attendance.  Gable  and  Tone  both  good  and 
Laughton  excellent.  Laughton  makes  you  hate  him 
in  the  show,  but  afterwards  you  realize  that  he  is 
a  superb  actor.  Good  story  also.  Running  time,  133 
minutes.  Played  April  18-19.— H.  O.  Ekern,  Rex 
Theatre,  Thompson  Falls,  Mont.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

MUTINY  ON  THE  BOUNTY:  Charles  Laughton, 
Clark  Gable,  Franchot  Tone — Good  picture.  Acting 
well  done.  But  running  time  too  long.  Played  May 
1-2. — Elmer  Hughes,  Elward  Theatre,  Mesquite,  Nev. 
General  patronage. 

PETTICOAT  FEVER:  Robert  Montgomery,  Myrna 
Loy — Patrons  thought  it  silly.  Story  weak, .  although 
did  above  average  business.  Good  drawing  title.  Run- 
ning time,  80  minutes.  Played  June  5-6.— Wayne  T. 
Jenkins,  Peoples  Theatre,  Pleasant  Hill,  Mo.  Small 
town  patronage. 

PETTICOAT  FEVER:  Robert  Montgomery,  Myrna 
Loy— Silly.  Played  June  18-19.— J.  E.  Palmer,  State 
Theatre,  Presque  Isle,  Me.  Town  and  country  pat- 
ronage. 

ROBIN  HOOD  OF  EL  DORADO,  THE:  Warner 
Baxter,  Ann  Loring — A  fair  picture.  Nothing  out- 
standing, but  average  entertainment.  Running  time, 
86  minutes.  Played  July  1-2.— M.  W.  Mattecheck, 
Lark  Theatre,  McMinnville,  Ore.    Local  patronage. 

ROSE  MARIE:  Nelson  Eddy,  Jeannette  MacDon- 
ald— Excellent  picture.  MacDonald  and  Eddy's  sing- 
ing wonderful.  Recording  No.  1.  Running  time,  112 
minutes.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold, 
Iowa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

ROSE  MARIE:  Jeanette  MacDonald,  Nelson  Eddy— 
Another  instance  where  the  trailer  not  only  does 
not  sell  the  picture;  it  actually  helped  kill  it.  We 
would  have  been  better  off  if  we  had  never  shown 
this  trailer.  Business  was  very  average  for  three 
days.— A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence, 
Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 

SMALL  TOWN  GIRL:  Janet  Gay  nor,  Robert  Tay- 
lor—Very good.    Played  to  just  average  business  due 


to  the  hot  weather.  Played  June  27. — B.  Hollenbeck, 
Rose  Theatre,  Sumas,  Wash.    Small  town  patronage. 

SMALL  TOWN  GIRL:  Janet  Gaynor,  Robert  Tay- 
ler — Right  up  our  alley.  More  favorable  reports  from 
patrons  than  on  any  other  picture  in  five  years.  Good 
draw.  Wish  we  had  many  more  like  it.  Running 
time,  106  minutes.  Played  June  21-23.— Wayne  T. 
Jenkins,  Peoples  Theatre,  Pleasant  Hill,  Mo.  Small 
town  patronage. 

SMALL  TOWN  GIRL:  Janet  Gaynor,  Robert  Tay- 
lor— Picture  very  well  liked.  Metro's  nationwide  ad- 
vertising on  this  helped  business.  Played  June  7-9. 
—J.  E.  Palmer,  State  Theatre,  Presque  Isle,  Me. 
Town  and  country  patronage. - 

TALE  OF  TWO  CITIES,  A:  Ronald  Colman,  Eliza- 
beth  Allan,  Blanche  Yurka— Super- excellent  show  ex- 
cept for  Elizabeth  Allan.  She  spoiled  the  whole  pic- 
ture. It's  beyond  me  how  she  ever  got  into  movies. 
Ronald  Colman  excellent.  This  whole  town  has  read 
the  book,  so  they  turned  out  well  for  it.  Madame 
De  Farge  good.  Running  time,  126  minutes.  Played 
May  23-24.— H.  O.  Ekern,  Rex  Theatre,  Thompson 
Falls,  Mont.   Small  town  patronage. 

THREE  GODFATHERS:  Chester  Morris,  Irene 
Hervey — Too  much  time  to  cross  the  desert  and  the 
same  story  has  been  put  into  pictures  too  many  times. 
Some  of  the  customers  came  out  and  said:  "I  thought 
they  were  never  going  to  get  through  the  desert." 
Running  time,  82  minutes.  Played  July  2-3. — C.  R. 
Gregg,  Liberty  Theatre,  Caney,  Kan.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

TOUGH  GUY:  Jackie  Cooper,  Joseph  Calleia— This 
drew  the  poorest  Saturday  business  for  1936.  I  believe 
the  absence  of  love  interest  killed  it  for  us,  because 
Friday  night  was  good  and  Saturday  night  was  just 
almost  nothing. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre, 
Eminence,  Ky.   Small  town  patronage. 

UNGUARDED  HOUR,  THE:  Loretta  Young, 
Franchot  Tone — I  must  have  had  an  unguarded  hour 
myself  when  I  dated  this  for  a  weekend.  Just  a  punk 
picture  with  a  swell  cast  wasted  on  it.  Did  no  busi- 
ness at  all  here.  Played  July  4. — B.  Hollenbeck,  Rose 
Theatre,  Sumas,  Wash.    Small  town  patronage. 

VOICE  OF  BUGLE  ANN,  THE:  Lionel  Barrymore, 
Maureen  O'Sullivan — Good  program  picture.  Running 
time,  70  minutes.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre, 
Griswold,  Iowa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

WHIPSAW:  Myrna  Loy,  Spencer  Tracy— This  pic- 
ture is  extremely  clever  and  holds  interest  to  the 
very  end,  but  Metro's  trailers  simply  don't  help  to 
sell  the  picture.  The  trailer  on  this  is  very  poor. — A. 
N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky.  Small 
town  patronage. 

WIFE  VS.  SECRETARY:  Dark  Gable,  Myrna  Loy, 
Jean  Harlow — Swell  story  and  wonderfully  acted. 
These  two  girls  certainly  are  the  tops  in  anything 
they  attempt.  Gable  is  always  good,  but  seems  like 
there  are  quite  a  few  people  who  do  not  like  him. 
Nevertheless,  they  come!  Running  time,  89  minutes. 
Played  July  5-6. — Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  The- 
atre, Hay  Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 

WIFE  VS.  SECRETARY:  Clark  Gable,  Jean  Har- 
low, Myrna  Loy — Started  off  to  good  Sunday  business, 
average  for  Monday  and  dwindled  to  very  poor  on 
Tuesday.  Even  with  three  outstanding  stars,  folks 
still  want  a  good  meaty  story. — A.  N.  Miles,  Emi- 
nence Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky.  Small  town  patronage. 


Paramount 


F  MAN:  Jack  Haley,  Adrienne  Marden — A  very 
silly  offering  that  is  so  goofy  even  the  socalled  hicks 
(if  there  are  any)  simply  won't  take  this;  they  get 
up  and  leave  the  theatre  like  it  was  on  fire. — W.  H. 
Brenner,  Cozy  Theatre,  Winchester,  Ind.  General 
patronage. 

FORGOTTEN  FACES:  Herbert  Marshall,  Gertrude 
Michael — A  good  cast  turn  in  swell  and  convincing 
performances,  but  the  picture  is  so  somber  and  heavy 
in  tone  that  it  is  limited  in  appeal.  We  starved  to 
death  with  it.  Played  July  7-9. — G.  E.  Lancaster, 
Jefferson  Theatre,  Huntington,  Ind.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

KLONDIKE  ANNIE:  Mae  West,  Victor  McLaglen 
— Just  a  fair  draw.  Seemed  to  please,  but  rather  dis- 
appointing to  the  West  fans.  Mae  West  done  in  this 
town.  Running  time,  80  minutes.  Played  June  3-4.— 
Wayne  T.  Jenkins,  Peoples  Theatre,  Pleasant  Hill, 
Mo.    Small  town  patronage. 

PALM  SPRINGS:  Frances  Langford.  Smith  Ballew 
— It  is  hard  to  believe  that  this  is  a  Walter  Wanger 
production,  for  it  is  so  slow  moving  and  has  a  shop- 
worn plot  that  fairly  squeaks  with  triteness!  On  the 
credit  side  let  it  be  said  that  Miss  Langford  sings 


REAL  PRODUCT! 


C  .    C  .  BURR 

whom  critics,  reviewers,  exchanges  and  major  distributors  recognize 
has  for  fifteen  years  consistently  produced  outstanding  product,  big 
features,  little  features,  shorts  and  even  super-features,  announces 
for  1936— 

"THE  LONE  PRAIRIE" 

Based  on  a  famous  American  Classic,  read  by  millions,  by  James  Fenimore  Cooper, 
author  of  "The  Last  of  the  Mohicans,"  "The  Deerslayer,"  etc. 

Blazing  action  against  backgrounds  of  classic  and  scenic  beauty — fast-riding  modern 
production  with  a  vast  ready-made  audience. 

The  cast  will  co-star  George  Eldredge  and  Queenie  Smith,  famous  youthful  stars  of 
opera,  musical  comedy  and  legitimate  stage  and  more  recently  in  pictures  and  radio, 
augmented  by  such  stars  as  Harry  Carey,  Tom  Tyler,  Lloyd  Hughes  and  a  nationally 
known  band. 

There  will  be  five  other  special  outdoor  musical  attractions,  each  one  with  a  special 
cast. 


"Roll  Along  Covered  Wagon" 
"Whistling  Cowboy" 

"Land  of  the  Sky  Blue  Water" 
"West  of  the  Great  Divide" 
"Saddle  Your  Blues" 

They  can't  miss!  They  will  make  you  a  factor  in  your  field.  You'll 
have  something  everybody  will  want  —  a  good  show  —  that  grand 
and  glorious  feeling. 

Well  backed  by  resources  and  man  power — these  quality  produc- 
tions will  be  made  and  delivered  according  to  schedule.  Significant 
casts — sparkling  stones.  You  know  we  make  real  pictures — why  not 
for  you? 

SIX  "CRIME  AND  COURAGE"  SERIES 

We  will  also  release  six  modern  manhunt  features  based  on  a 
nationally  advertised  series  of  detective  stories.  These  special  attrac- 
tions will  also  be  made  this  season. 

FOR  TERRITORIAL  DISTRIBUTION 

All  territory  is  open  with  exception  of  California,  Arizona,  New 
Mexico,  Georgia,  Florida,  Alabama,  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  North 
and  South  Carolina,  Tennessee,  Arkansas  and  Oklahoma. 

Our  representative  is  coming  to  your  city.  Wire  in  to  be  sure 
your  exchange  is  the  first  stop. 


B.  J.   S.   PRODUCTIONS,  INC. 

C.  C.  BURR,  Pres.  HAROLD  STROTZ.  Treas.  BOB  SHERWOOD,  V.-Pres.  R.  K.  JOHNSON.  Sec'y 
4376  Sunset  Drive                     Cable  Address:  Burtilm                    Tel.  OL-2978                                       Equitable  Bldg. 

HOLLYWOOD.  CALIFORNIA 


70 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


July    2  5,     19  3  6 


delightfully.  Played  July  S. — G.  E.  Lancaster,  Hunt- 
ington Theatre,  Huntington,  Ind.  General  patronage. 

SKY  PARADE:  Jimmy  Allen,  Katharine  DeMille— 
"Sky  Parade"  did  a  little  extra  business  on  Family 
Night,  but  a  lot  of  the  customers  kicked  on  it,  any- 
way. Said  the  story  was  too  weak.  Running  time,  70 
minutes.  Played  July  7-8— C.  R.  Gregg,  Liberty  The- 
atre, Caney,  Kan.    General  patronage. 

PRINCESS  COMES  ACROSS,  THE:  Carole  Lom- 
bard, Fred  MacMurray — Carole  Lombard  is  the  tops  in 
this  one!  Very  pleasing  summer  entertainment  that 
registered  with  our  patrons.  Played  July  2-4. — G.  E. 
Lancaster,  Huntington  Theatre,  Huntington,  Ind. 
General  patronage. 

TILL  WE  MEET  AGAIN:  Herbert  Marshall,  Ger- 
trude Michael — Very  interesting  spy  story  holding  in- 
terest to  the  very  end.  But  why  will  a  beautiful  girl 
make  herself  unsightly  with  such  a  hairdress  as  Miss 
Michael  used  in  the  opening  scenes  of  this  picture? 
Have  noticed  lately  that  many  of  the  stars  are  doing 
this.  They  are  hideous,  if  you  ask  us!  Running  time, 
72  minutes.  Played  July  8-9. — Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc., 
Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

TOO  MANY  PARENTS:  Frances  Farmer,  Colin' 
Tapley — "Too  Many  Parents"  pleased  the  few  who 
saw  it.  It's  hard  to  get  business  on  a  picture  with- 
out wellknown  stars.  Running  time,  74  minutes. 
Played  June  23-24— C.  R.  Gregg,  Liberty  Theatre, 
Caney,  Kan.    General  patronage. 

TRAIL  OF  THE  LONESOME  PINE,  THE:  Sylvia 
Sidney,  Henry  Fonda,  Fred  MacMurray — You  exhibi- 
tors who  have  not  yet  used  this  grand  box  office  pic- 
ture should  get  ready  and  double  the  playing  time. 
We  played  to  capacity  four  nights,  opening  on  Sun- 
day with  the  largest  box  office  in  the  history  of  this 
little  theatre.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  this  picture 
has  already  been  shown  in  all  my  neighboring  towns, 
it  is  proven  the  picture  will  never  be  old.  It  is  my 
opinion  it  is  the  best  and  most  successful  color  pic- 
ture ever  made. — W.  H.  Brenner,  Cozy  Theatre,  Win- 
chester, Ind.    General  patronage. 

Republic 

CAPPY  RICKS  RETURNS:  Robert  McWade,  Ray 
Walker,  Florine  McKinney — Good  entertainment  and 
well  enjoyed.  Running  time,  66  minutes.  Played  July 
3-4. — M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Lark  Theatre,  McMinnville, 
Ore.    Local  patronage. 

RKO  Radio 

DANCING  PIRATE:  Charles  Collins,  Steffi  Duna— 
Here  is  a  monotonous  mixture  of  melodrama  and 
music  that  never  seems  to  click.  The  story  is  utterly 
stupid  and  thin,  and  disgusting  to  the  average  patron. 
There  is  hardly  enough  material  here  for  a  decent 
short  subject.  Sold  as  a  special,  it  is  only  a  poor 
"weakie."  Running  time,  81  minutes.  Played  July  5. 
— G.  E.  Lancaster,  Huntington  Theatre,  Huntington, 
Ind.    General  patronage. 

EX-MRS.  BRADFORD,  THE:  William  Powell,  Jean 
Arthur — You  have  one  of  the  best  of  the  season  com- 
ing to  you,  if  you  have  not  yet  shown  this  one. 
When  you  have  two  good  players  like  these  two 
coupled  up  with  other  excellent  players  and  an  inter- 
esting story  like  this  one  is,  then  you  have  a  real 
movie.  Extraordinary  business  two  days,  Sunday  and 
Monday. — W.  H.  Brenner,  Cozy  Theatre,  Winchester, 
Ind.   General  patronage. 

FARMER  IN  THE  DELL:  Fred  Stone,  Jean  Parker 
— RKO  got  front  page  and  back  page  on  this  Fred 
Stone,  trying  to  tell  'em  the  second  Will  Rogers  had 
arrived,  so  if  you  believe  it,  give  this  one  to  your 
patrons  and  let  them  tell  you.  Front  page  notices 
will  not  make  a  second  Will  Rogers  out  of  a  comeback 
like  Fred  Stone.  Fred,  you  better  stick  to  secondary 
parts.— W.  H.  Brenner,  Cozy  Theatre,  Winchester, 
Ind.   General  patronage. 

FOLLOW  THE  FLEET:  Fred  Astaire,  Ginger 
Rogers — Some  said  better  than  "Top  Hat;"  others 
said  not  so  good.  This  team  have  never  meant  big 
money  to  me,  and  this  picture  was  no  exception. — 
A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky.  Small 
town  patronage. 

LADY  CONSENTS,  THE:  Ann  Harding,  Herbert 
Marshall — Pretty  good  program  picture.  Running 
time,  78  minutes.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre, 
Griswold,  Iowa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

MUSS  'EM  UP:  Preston  Foster,  Margaret  Callahan 
—"Muss  'Em  Up"  is  the  right  title  for  the  picture. 
It  was  so  mussed  up  one  didn't  know  what  it  was 
all  about.  Running  time,  71  minutes. — P.  G.  Held. 
New  Strand  Theatre.  Griswold,  Iowa.  Neighborhood 
patronage. 

NITWITS,  THE:  Wheeler  and  Woolsey— Terrible 
show  and  still  worse  crowd.  Wheeler  and  Woolsey 
are  getting  worse  in  every  show.  They've  had  their 
day  and  it's  over.  Running  time,  8154  minutes.  Played 
February  6-7.— H.  O.  Ekern,  Rex  Theatre,  Thompson 
Falls,  Mont.    Small  town  patronage. 

SILLY  BILLIES:  Wheeler  and  Woolsey— Just  fair. 
Slightly  above  average  draw.  No  comments  for  or 
against.  Running  time,  65  minutes.  Played  June  26- 
27.— Wayne  T.  Jenkins,  Peoples  Theatre,  Pleasant  Hill, 
Mo.    Small  town  patronage. 

THREE  MUSKETEERS,  THE:  Walter  Abel,  Mar- 
got  Grahame—  This  picture  had  many  walkouts.  Did 


SIX  MORE  SHOWMEN 
CONTRIBUTE  REPORTS 

Five  showmen  joining  the  ranks  of 
contributors  to  "What  the  Picture 
Did  for  Me"  this  week  hail  from  the 
northwest  and  the  far  northwest. 

Making  his  first  reports  to  the  de- 
partment is 

Elmer     Hughes,     Elward  Theatre, 

Mesquite,  Nevada. 

The  following  exhibitors  are  re- 
turning to  the  fold  after  a  year's 
absence: 

H.  O.  Ekern,  Rex  Theatre,  Thomson 

Falls,  Montana. 
C.  R.  Gregg,  Liberty  Theatre,  Caney, 

Kansas. 

G.  E.  Lancaster,  Huntington  and  Jef- 
ferson theatres,  Huntington,  In- 
diana. 

Wayne  T.  Jenkins,  People's  Theatre, 

Pleasant  Hills,  Missouri. 

Another  showman  who  recently  be- 
gan sending  in  reports  on  productions 
he  had  played  is  a  British  exhibitor. 
He  is 

Wilfred  G.  Brown,  Regal  Theatre, 
Barrow  -  in  -  Furness,  Lancashire, 
England. 

Read  the  reports  of  these  exhibitors 
as  they  appear  in  "What  the  Picture 
Did  for  Me". 


not  make  film  rental,  although  some  liked  it. — Har- 
land  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada. 
General  patronage. 

Twentieth  Century -Fox 

CAPTAIN  JANUARY:  Shirley  Temple,  Guy  Kib- 
bee — Did  25  per  cent  more  business  than  on  "Littlest 
Rebel."  Much  better  picture.  Although  Shirley  is 
slipping,  she  still  does  us  nice  business. — Harland 
Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada. 
General  patronage. 

CHARLIE  CHAN  AT  THE  CIRCUS:  Warner 
Oland,  Keye  Luke— Ho-hum.  Another  Charlie  Chan 
mystery  picture.  Not  much  at  the  box  office.  Played 
June  30.— B.  Hollenbeck,  Rose  Theatre,  Sumas,  Wash. 
Small  town  patronage. 

CHARLIE  CHAN  AT  THE  CIRCUS:  Warner 
Oland,  Keye  Luke — Very  pleasing  program  picture, 
equal  in  value  to  any  of  the  Chan  stories.  These 
seem  to  hold  up  very  well.  Running  time,  70  minutes. 
Played  July  3-4.— Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  The- 
atre, Hay  Springs,  Neb.  Small  town  patronage. 

COUNTRY  BEYOND,  THE:  Rochelle  Hudson,  Paul 
Kelly — Quite  good  story  of  the  Northland.  Don't  get 
excited  over  it.  Running  time,  69  minutes.  Played 
July  2. — Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay 
Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 

COUNTRY  BEYOND,  THE:  Rochelle  Hudson,  Paul 
Kelly — Well  liked  and  played  to  good  business.  Run- 
ning time,  68  minutes.  Played  July  3-4.— M.  W.  Mat- 
techeck, Lark  Theatre,  McMinnville,  Ore.  Local  pat- 
ronage. 

COUNTRY  DOCTOR,  THE:  Jean  Hersholt,  Dionne 
Quintuplets — The  most  pleasing  picture  of  the  year. 
Acting  and  directing  great.  Running  time,  95  min- 
utes.—P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold, 
Iowa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

EVERYBODY'S  OLD  MAN:  Irvin  S.  Cobb,  Ro- 
chelle Hudson — Irvin  S.  Cobb  is  okay,  but  will  never 
be  a  Will  Rogers.  Played  June  23.— B.  Hollenbeck, 
Rose  Theatre,  Sumas,  Wash.    Small  town  patronage. 

EVERYBODY'S  OLD  MAN:  Irvin  S.  Cobb,  Ro- 
chelle Hudson — Very  good.  Many  favorable  compli- 
ments on  Cobb's  acting.  Pleased  100  per  cent.  Played 
June  19. — Elmer  Hughes.  Elward  Theatre,  Mesquite, 
Nev.    General  patronage. 

IN  OLD  KENTUCKY:  Will  Rogers,  Dorothy  Wil- 
son— Wonderful  show.  Will  Rogers  best  he  had  ever 
been  in  a  picture.  People  liked  show  well.  Drew  very 
well.  Running  time,  84  minutes.  Played  May  9-11. — 
H.  O.  Ekern,  Rex  Theatre,  Thompson  Falls,  Mont. 
Small  town  patronage. 

MESSAGE  TO  GARCIA,  A:  Wallace  Beery,  Bar- 


bara Stanwyck,  John  Boles — I  think  it  a  damn  poor 
special.  Wallace  Beery  did  great  acting,  so  did  John 
Boles  and  Barbara  Stanwyck,  but  it  was  just  not  the 
type  of  story  that  pleases  small  town  audiences. 
Business  was  very  poor.  Running  time,  85  minutes. 
Played  July  3-4.— C.  R.  Gregg,  Liberty  Theatre, 
Caney,  Kan.    General  patronage. 

MESSAGE  TO  GARCIA,  A:  Wallace  Beery,  John 
Boles,  Barbara  Stanwyck — Poor  draw.  Satisfied  those 
that  came.  Should  have  been  in  low  allocation.  Run- 
ning time,  85  minutes.  Played  June  19-20. — Wayne  T. 
Jenkins,  Peoples  Theatre,  Pleasant  Hill,  Mo.  Small 
town  patronage. 

O'MALLEY  OF  THE  MOUNTED:  George  O'Brien, 
Irene  Ware — Very  good  action  picture  which  pleased 
all.  Played  July  3-4.— Elmer  Hughes,  Elward  The- 
atre, Mesquite,  Nev.  General  patronage. 

PADDY  O'DAY:  Jane  Withers,  Pinky  Tomlin— A 
fine,  entertaining  juvenile  picture.  Jane  Withers  has 
a  number  of  admirers  to  make  this  above  average 
picture. — Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  On- 
tario, Canada.    General  patronage. 

PADDY  O'DAY:  Jane  Withers,  Pinky  Tomlin— A 
very  pleasing  performance,  particularly  so  on  the  part 
of  Jane  Withers.  Business  was  satisfactory.  Played 
June  27.— C.  W.  Mills  Co.,  Inc.,  Arcade  Theatre, 
Sodus,   N.   Y.    Family  patronage. 

PRIVATE  NUMBER:  Robert  Taylor,  Loretta 
Young — In  spite  of  the  mystifying  title,  is  more  sat- 
isfactory at  the  box  office  chiefly  because  of  the  smash 
combination  that  play  the  leads. — G.  E.  Lancaster, 
Huntington  Theatre,  Huntington,  Ind.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

PRIVATE  NUMBER:  Loretta  Young,  Robert  Tay- 
lor— This  picture  is  one  of  the  best.  The  ladies  went 
wild  over  Taylor.  You  can't  go  wrong  on  this  one. 
Played  June  21-23.— J.  E.  Palmer,  State  Theatre, 
Presque  Isle,  Me.    Town  and  country  patronage. 

THUNDER  MOUNTAIN:  George  O'Brien— Played 
to  above  average  Saturday's  business.  O'Brien  a  big 
shot  with  us. — Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Til- 
bury, Ontario,  Canada.    General  patronage. 

UNDER  TWO  FLAGS:  Ronald  Colman,  Victor 
McLaglen,  Claudette  Colbert,  Rosalind  Russell— This 
was  not  quite  as  wonderful  as  Fox  thinks  it  is.  The 
men  liked  it  okay,  but  did  not  appeal  to  the  women. 
Personally,  I  was  bored  watching  it.  Some  said  it 
was  wonderful,  but  I  guess  they  must  like  horses. 
Played  June  27-29.— J.  E.  Palmer,  State  Theatre, 
Presque  Isle,  Me.    Town  and  country  patronage. 

WAY  DOWN  EAST:  Henry  Fonda,  Rochelle  Hud- 
son—Very good  program  picture.  Running  time,  87 
minutes.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold, 
Iowa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

United  Artists 

CALL  OF  THE  WILD,  THE:  Clark  Gable,  Lo- 
retta Young,  Jack  Oakie — Excellent  show.  Very  good 
attendance.  This  town  goes  big  for  this  type  of  show. 
Let's  have  more  of  them!  Running  time,  91  minutes. 
Played  November  30-December  1. — H.  O.  Ekern,  Rex 
Theatre,  Thompson  Falls,  Mont.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

LES  MISERABLES:  Fredric  March,  Charles 
Laughton — Good  show,  but  didn't  draw  as  many  as 
expected  it  to.  Was  advertised  as  big  show,  but 
didn't  go  so  big  here.  Played  October  26-27.— H.  O. 
Ekern,  Rex  Theatre,  Thompson  Falls,  Mont.  Small 
town  patronage. 

Universal 

HIS  NIGHT  OUT:  Edward  Everett  Horton,  Irene 
Hervey — Very  good  picture  that  did  no  business. — 
Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario, 
Canada.    General  patronage. 

MAGNIFICENT  OBSESSION:  Irene  Dunne,  Robert 
Taylor — No  doubt  one  of  the  best  pictures  of  the  year 
as  far  as  story  and  acting  are  concerned.  Irene  Dunne 
and  Robert  Taylor  very  good  in  this  picture.  Run- 
ning time,  120  minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand 
Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

SUTTER'S  GOLD:  Edward  Arnold,  Lee  Tracy, 
Binnie  Barnes — No  good.  Rather  disconnected  and 
jumpy  story  and  picture  ends  too  abruptly.  Poor  busi- 
ness. Running  time,  95  minutes.  Played  June  16-18. 
— Wayne  T.  Jenkins,  Peoples  Theatre,  Pleasant  Hill, 
Mo.    Small  town  patronage. 

Warner  Brothers 

BIG  NOISE,  THE:  Guy  Kibbee,  Warren  Hull— "The 
Big  Noise"  made  a  lot  of  noise  and  Bank  Night  gave 
good  satisfaction.  Don't  be  afraid  of  this  one  as  it 
surely  makes  them  laugh  if  you  can  get  a  good  crowd. 
Running  time,  58  minutes.  Played  July  9. — C.  R. 
Gregg,  Liberty  Theatre,  Caney,  Kan.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

BROADWAY  GONDOLIER:  Dick  Powell,  Joan 
Blondell — Very  good  show.  Good  crowd.  We  played 
this  just  at  the  right  time — when  the  whole  U.  S. 
was  Dick  Powell  crazy.  Running  time,  98  minutes. 
Played  December  7-8.— H.  O.  Ekern,  Rex  Theatre, 
Thompson  Falls,  Mont.    Small  town  patronage. 

BOULDER  DAM:  Ross  Alexander,  Patricia  Ellis- 
Good  action  picture  that  did  above  average  business. 
Played  June  9. — B.  Hollenbeck,  Rose  Theatre,  Sumas, 
Wash.  Small  town  patronage. 


UNEQUALLED 


THE  record  of  Super  X  is  unequalled . . .  both 
as  to  the  photographic  quality  it  sends  to 
the  screen,  and  the  resulting  acceptance  it 
enjoys  in  the  industry.  Not  only  in  this  coun- 
try, but  abroad  as  well,  it  rates  as  the  pre- 
mier motion  picture  negative  of  the  day. 
Eastman  Kodak  Company,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
(J.  E.  Brulatour,  Inc.,  Distributors,  Fort  Lee9 
New  York,  Chicago,  Hollywood.) 


EASTMAN  SUPER  A 

PANCHROMATIC  NEGATIVE 


72 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


COLLEEN:  Ruby  Keeler,  Joan  Blondell,  Jack  Oakie, 
Dick  Powell— This  has  plenty  of  star  names  and  by 
rights  should  have  been  a  good  drawing  card,  but  for 
some  reason  or  other  it  seems  to  miss  fire.  Average' 
business  here.  Played  June  20.— B.  Hollenbeck,  Rose 
Theatre,  Sumas,  Wash.    Small  town  patronage.  • 

COLLEEN:  Dick  Powell,  Ruby  Keeler,  Jack  Oakie, 
Joan  Blondell — A  50-50  proposition.  Did  not  draw  and 
story  was  very  poor.  Running  time,  89  minutes. 
Played  June  28-30. — M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Lark  Theatre, 
McMinnville,  Ore.    Local  patronage. 

COLLEEN:  Ruby  Keeler,  Joan  Blondell,  Jack  Oakie, 
Dick  Powell — Tiresome.  No  story  to  speak  of  and  not 
a  humable  tune  in  it.  It  was  a  shame  to  waste  this 
good  cast  in  such  a  very  poor  picture.  We  didn't 
gross  film  rental. — A.  N.  Miles.  Eminence  Theatre, 
Eminence,  Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 

SONS  O'  GUNS:  Joe  E.  Brown,  Joan  Blondell— 
Another  Joe  E.  Brown  picture  that  gave  great  satis- 
faction. Running  time,  79  minutes.  Played  June  19- 
20.— C.  R.  Gregg,  Liberty  Theatre,  Caney,  Kan.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 


Short  Features 
Columbia 

DR.  BLUEBIRD:  Color  Rhapsodies— We  repeated 
this  with  a  Shirley  Temple  picture  after  playing  it 
last  winter  with  another  picture.  It  is  certainly  one 
of  the  best  color  cartoons  produced  this  year,  in  our 
estimation.  Running  time,  eight  minutes. — A.  N. 
Miles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky.  Small  town 
patronage. 

STAR  GAZING:  Radio  Rogues — An  especially  good 
two-reeler  that  I  sent  my  personal  thanks  to  our 
Columbia  booker  for.  I  wrote  asking  him  to  pick 
out  a  good  comedy  for  a  special  date  and  he  sent 
this,  which  suited  my  folks  to  a  "T."  Running  time, 
two  reels. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence, 
Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 


Educational 

BIRD  LAND:  Paul  Terry -Toons— The  birds  and 
the  worms  contrive  to  make  this  average  entertain- 
ment. Running  time,  six  minutes. — A.  N.  Miles, 
Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

COLLEGE  CAPERS:  Song  and  Comedy  Hits— Very 


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good  singing  reel.  Running  time,  nine  minutes. — P.  G. 
Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  Neigh- 
borhood patronage. 

SORORITY  BLUES:  Song  and  Comedy  Hits— Very 
interesting  "girlie"  subject.  Maybe  that's  why  we 
liked  it.  Anyway,  it  had  youth  and  lots  of  pep  and 
believe  it  thoroughly  satisfied. — Horn  and  Morgan, 
Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.  Small  town 
patronage. 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 

PIRATE  PARTY  ON  CATALINA  ISLE:  Musical 
Revue — These  are  beautiful  subjects  and  seeing  a  mul- 
titude of  prominent  stars  might  be  a  little  help,  but 
we  cannot  see  where  the  big  increase  in  price  is 
justified.  Running  time,  20  minutes. — Horn  and  Mor- 
gan, Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.  Small 
town  patronage. 

WATER  SPORTS:  MGM  Sports  Parade— Pretty 
good.  Running  time,  nine  minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New 
Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  Neighborhood  pat- 
ronage. 

BILLBOARD  FROLICS:  Merrie  Melodies— One  of 
the  better  color  cartoons.  Running  time,  10  minutes. 
— A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky. 
Small  town  patronage. 

BLACK  NETWORK,  THE:  Nina  Mae  McKinney, 
Nicholas  Bros. — Good.  Has  a  finish  that  will  get  lots 
of  laughs.  Running  time,  20  minutes. — Wayne  T.  Jen- 
kins, Peoples  Theatre,  Pleasant  Hill,  Mo.  Small  town 
patronage. 

LITTLE    JACK    LITTLE    AND  ORCHESTRA: 

Melody  Masters  Series — The  best  in  the  series.  Run- 
ning time,  10  minutes. — Wayne  T.  Jenkins,  Peoples 
Theatre,  Pleasant  Hill,  Mo.  Small  town  patronage. 

MISS  GLORY:  Merrie  Melodies— Not  very  good. 
Running  time,  seven  minutes. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence 
Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 

RAMON  RAMOS  AND  ORCHESTRA:  Melody 
Masters  Series — Poor.  Worst  one  of  the  Melody  Mas- 
ters Series.  Running  time,  10  minutes. — Wayne  T. 
Jenkins,  Peoples  Theatre,  Pleasant  Hill,  Mo.  Small 
town  patronage. 

RED  NICHOLS  AND  ORCHESTRA:  Melody  Mas- 
ters Series — Good.  Moves  right  along  and  that's  what 
you  need  in  a  band  reel.  They  can  lefeve  out  the 
dragging  singing  for  me.  Running  time,  10  minutes. — 
Wayne  T.  Jenkins,  Peoples  Theatre,  Pleasant  Hill, 
Mo.   Small  town  patronage. 

RHYTHMITIS:  Hal  LeRoy,  Toby  Wing— Just  fair. 
Running  time,  20  minutes. — Wayne  T.  Jenkins,  Peo- 
ples Theatre,  Pleasant  Hill,  Mo.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

STARS  CAN'T  BE  WRONG:  Carolyn  Marsh,  Har- 
ris Twins — Just  fair.  Running  time,  20  minutes. — 
Wayne  T.  Jenkins,  Peoples  Theatre,  Pleasant  Hill, 
Mo.    Small  town  patronage. 

WILD  WINGS:  Pepper  Pot  Series— This  one-reel 
study  of  wild  birds  might  have  been  good  if  we  could 
have  understood  what  the  narrator  was  saying.  Run- 
ning time,  one  reel. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre, 
Eminence,  Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 

Paramount 

LUCKY  STARLETS:  Headliner  Series— Intimate 
shots  of  how  the  young  stars  of  Hollywood  live  and 
learn  along  with  their  work  are  very  interesting  to 
the  movie  public. — Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  The- 
atre, Hay  Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 

POPEYE  THE  SAILOR  SERIES:  Believe  these 
subjects  ,  are  as  popular  as  any  single  reel  we  run, 
but  cannot  see  where  there  is  any  added  value  in 
their  drawing  power.  Never  hear  of  anyone  coming 
to  see  this  subject  in  particular. — Horn  and  Morgan, 
Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.  Small  town 
patronage. 

RKO  Radio 

FOOLISH  HEARTS:  Radio  Musical  Comedies- 
Poor.  Nothing  to  this.  Running  time,  18  minutes. — 
P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa. 
Neighborhood  patronage. 

MAJOR  BOWES'  AMATEUR  PARADE,  No.  3— 

About  the  last  third  of  -  this  is  devoted  to  a  minstrel 
show  that  is  very,  very  good.  Running  time,  18  min- 
utes.— A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky. 
Small  town  patronage. 

Vitaphone 

BIG  TIME  VAUDEVILLE  SERIES:  All  good.  Add 
spice  to  any  program.  We  run  them  every  Sunday 
we  can  get  them.  People  ask  for  them.  Running 
time,  10  minutes. — Wayne  T.  Jenkins,  Peoples  The- 
atre, Pleasant  Hill,  Mo.    Small  town  patronage. 


Mealey  Joins  Atlantic 

Joseph  Mealey  has  been  appointed  branch 
manager  of  Atlantic  Film  Exchange  at  San 
Francisco. 


Brazilian  Develops 
Stereoscopic  Device 

Dr.  Sebastiao  Comparato  of  Sao  Paulo, 
Brazil,  has  perfected  equipment  for  stereo- 
scopic projection  of  motion  pictures,  accord- 
ing to  a  report  from  United  States  Trade 
Commissioner  J.  Winsor  Ives  at  Rio  de  Ja- 
neiro. The  first  public  exhibition  of  the 
apparatus  is  scheduled  for  an  early  date  in 
Rio  de  Janeiro. 

The  third  dimension  effect  is  said  to  be 
accomplished  through  use  of  a  special  screen 
built  of  copper  sheeting  mounted  on  a  steel 
frame.  The  surface  is  first  coated  with  a 
layer  of  gelatine,  then  a  layer  of  absorbent 
fibrous  material  treated  with  silver  salts  is 
applied.  Dr.  Comparato  explained  that  the 
variance  in  depth  of  absorption  of  light  rays 
by  the  screen  gives  the  effect  of  depth  in 
the  projected  image.  No  modification  is  said 
to  be  required  in  either  the  film  or  the  pro- 
jector. 


"World  Standard"  Picture 
Released  In  Australia 

The  first  Australian-made  motion  pic- 
ture which  included  an  American  star  in 
the  cast  has  been  released  in  Sydney,  ac- 
cording to  a  report  to  the  United  States  De- 
partment of  Commerce  from  its  office  in 
that  city. 

The  production,  entitled  "Thoroughbred," 
was  made  by  Cinesound  Productions,  Ltd., 
in  its  Sydney  studio  at  a  reported  cost  of 
$140,000.  It  is  described  by  the  producer  as 
"Australia's  first  world  standard  production" 
and  it  is  understood  that  efforts  will  be  made 
to  have  it  exhibited  in  the  United  States  and 
throughout  the  United  Kingdom. 

Eastman  Kodak  Has 
Newspaper  Projector 

Eastman  Kodak  Company  soon  will  be- 
gin delivery  of  a  film  projector  claimed  to 
be  capable  of  converting  libraries  of  news- 
paper files  into  film  collections.  The  proc- 
ess provides  for  the  photographing  of  each 
page  of  a  daily  paper  on  35  millimeter  film. 
It  then  can  be  projected  on  a  small  screen. 
The  cans  for  storage  measure  by  3^4  by 
V/2  inches.  Each  container  will  hold  about 
850  pages  of  newspapers  on  100  feet  of  film. 
The  film  is  of  the  safety  type. 


Publicity  Director  Named 

Herman  G.  Weinberg,  former  managing 
director  of  the  Little  Theatre,  Baltimore,  has 
been  appointed  director  of  publicity  of 
French  Motion  Picture  Corporation. 


Quintuplets  to  Appear  Again 

Jean  Hersholt  and  the  supporting  cast 
of  "The  Country  Doctor"  will  be  assigned 
roles  in  "Reunion,"  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox's  second  feature  with  the  Dionne  quin- 
tuplets. 


Ukranian  Picture  Planned 

"Natalka  Poltavka,"  a  Ukranian  film,  is 
to  be  produced  in  New  York  by  the  newly 
formed  Avramenko  Film. Studios,  headed  by 
Vasile  Avramenko  and  under  the  super- 
vision of  Michaele  J.  Gann. 


Fox  Signs  Leah  Ray 

Leah  Ray,  featured  singer  with  a  dance 
orchestra,  has  been  signed  by  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  and  will  begin  work  at  the 
studio  next  month. 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


73 


«T     MOTION  xT^v 

PICTURE 
U  HERALD 


MANAGERS 
ROUND  TARLE  CE 

<uin  international  association  of  showmen  meeting  weekly 
in  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  for  mutual  aid  and  progress 


op 


NO  MORTGAGE  NECESSARY 

The  Quigley  Awards  have  no  home. 

The  Silver  and  Bronze  plaques,  the  First  and  Honorable 
Mentions  have  been  voted  to  entrants  in  big  city  and  small 
town,  to  theatremen  in  first-  and  last-run  situations,  to  de  luxe 
managers  and  those  in  modest  neighborhood  houses.  They  have 
gone  to  those  who  shoot  the  advertising  bankroll  to  put  over 
a  date  and  to  those  who  have  no  other  publicity  weapons  than 
two-bits  in  cash  and  a  flock  of  fingernails. 

In  the  eyes  of  the  judges,  all  entries  start  from  scratch,  and 
the  winners  are  selected  because  their  campaigns  display  a 
superior  degree  of  showmanship,  an  ingenuity,  a  forcefulness, 
a  taking  advantage  of  every  possible  opportunity  to  bring  at- 
tention to  their  attractions,  over  and  above  those  things  done 
by  their  fellow-entrants. 

In  the  past  months,  winners  have  been  listed  from  cities  as 
large  as  Toronto,  Canada  (pop.  631,207),  from  Memphis,  Tenn. 
(pop.  253,143),  from  spots  as  small  as  Ellsworth,  Me.  (pop., 
3,557),  from  Clovis,  N.  Mex.  (pop.,  8,027).  And  entries  voted 
top  honors  have  come  also  from  houses  of  limited  capacities. 

All  of  which  is  set  forth  in  answer  to  a  query  from  a  Cana- 
dian theatreman,  operating  in  a  small  community  and  playing 
three  changes  a  week,  who  requests  a  Junior  Quigley  Contest 
for  managers  in  similar  situations  to  give  them  "a  chance  of 
winning  a  trophy  in  keeping  with  their  pocketbooks".  Sez  he: 

"We  have  often  wondered  if  it  could  not  be  worked  to  an 
advantage  to  have  a  Junior  Quigley  Contest,  giving  us  small 
town  exhibitors,  who  have  three  changes  of  pictures  per  week, 
a  chance  at  winning  a  trophy  in  keeping  with  our  pocketbooks. 
Although  we  realize  that  many  small  town  exhibitors  are  not 
as  aggressive  as  they  might  be  helpful,  there  is  only  a  limited 
field  for  the  amount  of  business  that  can  be  procured  in  theatre 
situations.  It  is  possible  to  do  a  lot  with  a  small  town  situation 
and  to  put  through  houses  on  a  profitable  basis,  as  it  has  been 
shown  repeatedly  by  new  blood  that  has  moved  into  the  theatri- 
cal field.  We  have  promoted  and  realized  a  good  business  by  co- 
operative advertising,  style-show,  theatre  parties,  merchants' 
night  and  street  ballyhoos.  We  would  have  to  put  a  mortgage 
on  our  theatre,  to  begin  to  enter  the  field  for  the  Quigley  Award, 
competing  with  houses  in  towns  and  cities  of  large  populations 
and  greater  seating  capacities  ..." 

No  ambitious  theatreman  need  mortgage  his  theatre  nor 
the  smallest  part  of  it  to  fashion  a  campaign  to  earn  the  votes 
of  the  Judging  Committees.  He  may  be  competing,  yes,  with 
houses  in  cities  of  large  population  and  greater  seating  capaci- 
ties, but  not  to  his  disadvantage  providing  he  has  the  savvy, 


that  certain  something  that  is  the  talented  showman's  heritage 
whether  he  runs  the  village  "movie"  or  the  world's  grandest 
motion  picture  de  luxe  "temple". 

From  what  our  correspondent  writes,  he  is  not  unfamiliar 
with  the  profitable  usages  of  cooperative  advertising,  style 
shows,  street  ballyhoos  and  other  exploitation  devices  upon 
which  he  reports  fine  business  forthcoming.  There  should  there- 
fore be  no  hesitancy  on  his  part  to  enter  the  lists  against 
others  even  from  larger  spots  who  are  no  better  equipped 
mentally  to  create  worthwhile  Quigley  Award  entries. 

Showmanship  is  where  you  find  it. 

The  sock  of  the  smart  campaign  is  heard  as  loudly  upon 
the  sparsely  populated  plain  as  it  is  in  the  congested  city. 

V  V  V 
THE  LACK  OF  COLOR 

Receipt  of  tearsheets  from  Boston  on  director  Frank  Lloyd's 
recent  visit  in  the  interests  of  his  new  picture,  "Maid  of 
Salem,"  discloses  as  fancy  a  job  of  coverage  as  these  aged 
orbs  have  gazed  upon  in  a  month  of  Sundays.  Under  the 
guiding  hand  of  Tod  Browning,  M  &  P  Theatres'  publicity  head, 
Mr.  Lloyd,  was  photoed  and  interviewed  in  a  manner  that 
nostalgically  recalls  the  handling  of  such  visitors  in  the  not  too 
distant  past. 

The  lack  of  color,  general  excitement  and  all-round  zowie 
that  was  so  much  a  part  of  theatre  publicity  is  revealed  em- 
phatically when  one  compares  the  usual  newspaper  drive  of 
today  with  such  campaigns  as  the  above. 

Color  in  motion  pictures  should  not  be  confined  exclusively 
to  the  screen. 

V  V  V 

Juveniles,  if  not  managers,  in  the  Empire  State  now  have 
cause  for  rejoicing  in  the  recent  passage  in  Albany  of  the 
Joseph  Bill.  This  "open  sesame"  allows  minors  in  New  York 
the  privilege  until  now  withheld  of  attending  motion  picture 
theatres  unaccompanied  by  adults  provided  special  sections 
are  set  aside  for  the  juvenile  patrons. 

Well  and  good,  but  more  interesting  to  harassed  managers 
putting  on  those  Saturday  morning  kid  shows  would  be  an- 
other law  that  would  fasten  the  youngsters  to  the  seats  already 
provided  for  them. 


INTERNATIONAL 

ROCKEFELLER  CEN 


ALL  THE  FACTS  FOR  1936 

ALL  THE  SIGNS  FOR  1937 

1,384    pages    of    vital     information  covering 

every  phase  of  production,  distribution,  exhibition 


The  new  INTERNATIONAL  ALMANAC  is  a  comprehensive  compilation  of  mo- 
tion picture  facts  and  figures,  providing  thousands  of  items  of  important  infor- 
mation conveniently  arranged  and  indexed  for  instant,  dependable  use.  It  is  the 
most  exhaustive  reference  of  the  screen — its  authority,  completeness  and  usability 
giving  it  a  place  of  daily  importance  in  the  motion  picture  and  allied  industries. 


WHO'S  WHO.     Biographies  of  13,112  players,  directors,  writers,  technicians  and  executives. 
CORPORATE  STRUCTURES,  capital  investments  and  annual  financial  summaries. 
ANNUAL  RELEASES,  dates  and  titles,  a  resume  of  thousands  of  pictures. 
THEATRE  CIRCUITS  and  Exhibitor  organizations. 

PRODUCING  AND  DISTRIBUTING   personnel  in  studio,  home  office  and  exchange  staffs. 

FILM  EDITORS  of  leading  newspapers  in  the  United  States. 

EQUIPMENT.  Theatre"  maintenance  plus  a  complete  list  of  theatre  vendors. 

ABROAD.    The  film  situation  in  foreign  countries  and  a  list  of  important  foreign  film  figures. 


EDITED  BY  TERRY  RAMSAYE 


OP 


PICTURE  ALMANAC 

NEW  YORK 


76 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


SHOWMEN'S     LOBBY     LAFFS!  First  Babies  Guests 

A  t  'First  Baby '  Show 

It  so  happened  that  there  was  a  baby  show 
put  on  in  cooperation  with  a  local  Pure  Food 
exhibit  in  De  Soto,  Mo.,  and  it  also  hap- 
pened that  Manager  L.  V.  Collins,  of  the 
New  De  Soto  Theatre,  in  that  spot,  had 
"The  First  Baby"  booked  in  to  start  the  day 
after  the  infant  contest.  To  tie  in  with  all 
the  publicity  on  the  food  exhibition  Collins 
invited  all  local  mothers  with  their  first 
babies,  two  years  old  or  less,  to  see  the 
show  on  the  house  at  the  matinee.  He  also 
offered  four  one-month  passes  to  the  moth- 
ers of  the  winning  boy  and  girl  in  each  of 
the  two  classes  at  the  baby  show,  these 
prizes  given  to  them  from  the  stage 
of  the  theatre. 

As  a  result,  much  unlooked  for  publicity 
was  forthcoming.  The  food  show  sponsors 
announced  the  offer  over  the  p. a.  system  at 
the  local  auditorium  and  the  papers  fell  in 
line  with  a  number  of  stories,  page  one 
and  otherwise,  to  build  up  more  interest. 

All  eligible  mothers  in  De  Soto  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  offer,  says  Collins,  and  for- 
wards photo,  reproduced  below,  of  some  of 
the  guests  lined  up  in  front  of  the  house. 
The  stunt  was  further  reported  to  have 
gathered  sufficient  word-of -mouth  to  help 
the  box  office  the  day  of  the  party  and  dur- 
ing the  rest  of  the  engagement. 


This  cartoon 
created  by 
Ca  rtoonist 
Rosenfeld 


was 
Club 
Milt 


Press  Agent:  He  had  me  worried  for  a  minute — they  told  me  he  wasn't  such  a  good 

speller! 


Limerick's  Gag  Campaign 
Sells  "Sons  O'  Guns'* 

Opening  morning  of  his  "Sons  o'  Guns" 
date  at  the  Yale  Theatre  in  Cleburne, 
Texas,  George  Limerick  staged  a  Joe  E. 
Brown  yelling  contest,  winners  rewarded 
with  passes.  Another  contest  was  planted 
in  window  containing  baseballs  with  ducats 
to  those  guessing  correct  number. 

For  street  gag  small  envelopes  were  dis- 
tributed containing  two  peanuts,  copy  read- 
ing, "Have  a  pair  of  nuts  with  the  compli- 
ments of  the  nuttiest  team  of  all — Joe  Brown 
and  Joan  Blondell,"  etc.,  etc.  Another  win- 
dow gag  was  boy  pedaling  bike,  card  an- 
nounced that  he  was  on  his  way  to  see,  etc., 
etc.  Two  boys,  dressed  as  doctors  worked 
streets  carrying  stretcher  on  which  dummy 
was  stretched  out,  banner  read  "Not  dead, 
just  unconscious  from  laughing."  Stunt 
created  plenty  of  comment. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


COOL  SIGN.  Each  letter  measuring  four  feet  in 
height  and  studded  with  green  six  watt  lamps  was 
the  way  Gil  C.  Brown,  city  manager,  Irvin  Theatre, 
Bloomington,  III.,  sold  his  cooling  plant. 


Giant  Cigar  Sells 
"Billies"  for  Cushing 

For  his  "Silly  Billies"  date  at  the  Dun- 
kin  Theatre,  Cushing,  Okla.,  C.  F.  Motley 
made  up  a  giant  cigar  (six  feet  long)  and 
suspended  it  under  the  marquee.  Cigar  was 
painted  and  looked  like  the  McCoy,  with 
band  and  everything.  Caricatures  of 
Wheeler  and  Woolsey  hung  from  each  end 
and  copy  attached  read:  "They're  at  it 
again,  Wheeler  and  Woolsey,  best  yet,  in 
Silly  Billies — they're  wrapped  in  cello- 
phane." Motley  reports  the  stunt  created  a 
lot  of  comment. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Music  Week  Celebrated 
By  Dougherty  at  Tower 

To  commemorate  recently  celebrated 
Music  Week,  Joe  Dougherty,  Tower  The- 
atre, Philadelphia,  put  on  a  varied  musical 
program  at  his  house  under  the  supervision 
of  Esther  Short,  director  of  the  school  of 
music  bearing  her  name.  Papers  ran  stories 
and  City  Manager  Monty  Salmon  reports 
the  stunt  went  over  very  well. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Special  Preview  Held 
For  Legion  Veterans 

Manager  Harold  Kaplan,  and  Advertising 
Manager  Ev  Siebel,  Minnesota  Theatre, 
Minneapolis,  Minn.,  advertised  in  the  paper 
for  French  Foreign  Legion  veterans  to  wit- 
ness a  special  preview  of  "Under  Two 
Flags."  Three  vets  responded  and  the  Star 
ran  a  story  of  the  search  and  comments  of 
the  men  on  their  past  experiences  and  the 
picture. 


"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

13  Exploitation  Pages 
In  "Pastures"  Pressbook 

Effective  pressbook  job  on  Warner  Bros. 
"Green  Pastures"  has  been  turned  out  by 
Charley  Einfeld's  department,  with  the  size 
of  the  book  larger  than  the  usual  and  laid 
out  for  quick  and  easy  reading.  Exploita- 
tion is  well  covered  from  various  angles  with 
13  pages  given  over  to  all  manner  of  ideas 
and  presentations.  Among  these  are  sections 
devoted  to  the  buildup  of  opening,  a  score 
of  ballyhood  stunts,  direct  selling  ideas, 
church  contact  groups,  club  and  civic  talks 
to  civic  organizations,  to  schools,  etc. 

Contests,  animated  displays,  spot  radio 
announcements,  half -hour  radio  show,  test 
ad  campaigns  and  mail  sales  campaign  are 
also  detailed.  Newspaper  ads  run  up  to  full- 
page  streamers,  stagger  ads  and  other  sizes 
and  publicity  includes  full-page  Sunday  fea- 
ture story. 

Little  seems  to  have  been  left  undone  to 
make  available  sufficient  material  for  most 
any  sized  situation  and  for  the  most  ambi- 
tious theatreman. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


Collins'  Guests  With  First  Babies 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


77 


PRIZE  WINNER.  One  of  the  smashing  fronts  that  counted  strongly  in  winning  for 
Manager  Harry  Fuchs,  Capitol,  Portchester,  N.  Y.,  first  prize  in  the  two-month  service 
drive  conducted  by  the  Skouras  Theatres.  Entire  summer  display  of  shrubbery,  shingles 
and  trellis  work  from  front  to  mezzanine  was  promoted  with  construction  done  by  mem- 
bers of  the  theatre  staff. 


Fox  Midwesterners 
Raise  Funds  for  Ice 

A  piece  of  extra-curricular  promotion 
which  won  the  participants  a  hand  from  the 
public  was  the  children's  show  conducted 
in  the  Fox  Midwest  theatres  in  Kansas  City, 
Mo.  Held  in  the  morning,  with  admission 
a  dime,  proceeds  of  the  show  went  to  the 
Salvation  Army's  "penny  ice  fund."  With 
this  fund,  which  is  backed  every  summer  by 
the  Kansas  City  Star,  the  Army  sends  its 
truck  with  ice  around  the  poorer  and  hotter 
sections  of  the  city.  Children  and  adults 
buy  the  ice  for  a  penny.  For  most  of  them, 
it  is  the  only  ice  they  have  from  one  year's 
end  to  the  other,  and  with  temperatures 
daily  soaring  above  100  in  the  hot  tenement 
districts  the  appearance  of  the  Penny  Ice 
truck  is  little  short  of  a  miracle. 

Martin  Finkelstein,  city  manager  for  Fox 
Midwest,  worked  the  idea  out  with  the  Star, 
and  Paramount,  M-G-R,  Warner  Brothers, 
Universal,,  RKO,  Fox  and  Midwest  Republic, 
contributed  film  for  the  shows,  which  were 
selected  for  a  young  audience.  Paper  cooper- 
ated with  news  items  and  a  large  art  layout 
of  scenes  from  the  pictures  the  day  the  show 
was  held. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Electric  Company  Aids 
Nutter  on  "Times" 

For  "Modern  Times"  at  the  Opera  House 
in  Millinocket,  Maine,  Al  Nutter  tied  up  the 
local  electric  company  which  netted  him  a 
window  display  with  large  card,  copy  read- 
ing "In  modern  times,  smart  people  cook 
with  electricity." 

Another  window  display  planted  by  Al 
was  use  of  an  oversized  pair  of  shoes  with 
copy  on  picture  and  profuse  use  of  stills  and 
playdates. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Hewitt's  Teaser  Stickers 

Joe  Hewitt,  Lincoln  Theatre,  Robinson, 
Til.,  used  a  little  paster  teaser  for  "Dracula's 
Daughter,"  upper  part  reading  "She's 
meaner  than  her  old  man"  was  pasted  on 
windows  about  town  week  ahead.  Later 
the  bottom  part  was  added  with  copy  carry- 
ing picture  title  and  playdates.  Joe  reports 
these  were  printed  on  the  theatre's  multi- 
graph  machine  and  proved  a  very  inexpen- 
sive gag. 

Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


BROWN  CUTOUTS.  This  attractive  front  was  con- 
structed by  L.  A.  Chatham,  Sooner  Theatre,  Nor- 
man, Okla.,  for  "Sons-o-Guns".  Brown  cutouts 
were  planted  at  either  side  of  boxoffice. 


"Adopt  A  Child"  Day 
Sponsored  by  Bowser 

Held  in  conjunction  with  the  County 
Children's  home,  the  newspaper  and  the 
merchants  in  his  town,  Les  Bowser,  Har- 
ris-Warren Theatre,  Warren,  Ohio,  recently 
held  his  second  annual  "Adopt  a  Child 
Day."  Held  last  year  for  the  first  time,  Les 
again  promoted  the  merchants  for  ice  cream, 
pop  corn  and  gifts  for  the  kiddies  in  ex- 
change for  credits. 

Children  were  conveyed  to  the  theatre  in 
busses  and  cars  donated  for  the  occasion, 
and  ladies  were  invited  to  adopt  a  child  for 
the  day,  calling  for  it  in  the  morning,  taking 
it  to  lunch,  then  the  theatre  and  returning 
at  the  end  of  a  happy  day.  Les  recommends 
the  stunt  as  being  one  of  the  best  good-will 
builders  he  has  ever  put  over. 

Publicist  Albert  T.  Johnson  aided  on  the 
campaign. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Choral  Groups  Contacted 
For  "Green  Pastures"  Date 

An  effective  campaign  was  put  on  by  Paul 
Short  and  Fred  McFayden,  Majestic  The- 
atre, Dallas,  for  "Green  Pastures"  with  two 
special  screenings  held  for  ministers  and 
comment  cards  distributed ;  clergy  recom- 
mending the  film  to  their  congregations. 
Choral  clubs  and  music  groups  were  con- 
tacted and  told  about  the  work  of  the  Hall 
Johnson  Choir  in  the  picture  and  book 
stores  devoted  window  displays  to  the  novel 
and  plugged  the  film. 

Busses  making  tours  of  the  centennial  ex- 
position carried  standard  size  car  cards  and 
bumper  strips,  sound  truck  playing  records 
of  negro  spirituals  toured  city  and  preview 
was  held  for  exposition  officials. 


Personality  Contest  Staged 
For  "San  Francisco"  Date 

District  manager  H.  E.  Jameyson  and  city 
manager  Ed  Haas  conducted  a  personality 
contest  through  the  Wichita  Eagle  for  the 
"San  Francisco"  date  at  the  Miller  Theatre 
in  Wichita,  Kansas,  the  winner  to  be  given 
a  screen  test  by  MGM  studios.  Through 
arrangements  made  by  Jameyson  and  the 
coast,  the  winner  was  sent  to  the  studios 
with  all  expenses  paid.  The  finals  were 
selected  on  the  stage  opening  day. 

Radio  station  came  through  with  spot  an- 
nouncements, main  entrance  of  theatre  car- 
ried a  large  illuminated  shadowbox  with 
pictures  of  Gable  and  MacDonald  and  outer 
lobby  was  devoted  to  two  five-foot  heads  of 
the  stars  mounted  on  each  side  with  large 
photos  of  balance  of  cast,  etc. 

Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


mm 


SPANISH  EXHIBIT.  To  sell  "Mutiny"  at  the 
Femina  in  Barcelona,  Rodrigo  Soler  and  S.  S. 
Cornfield  contacted  the  Barcelona  Naval  Museum 
for  models  to  use  in  exhibit  rooms. 


78 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    25,  1936 


Laugh  Show  Tops 
Paris  Campaign 
On  Marx  Picture 


Introducing  "A  Night  at  the  Opera"  and 
the  Marx  Brothers  to  Paris  at  the  Olympia 
Theatre,  E.  Lapinere,  publicist,  put  together 
a  number  of  clever  gags  in  his  campaign 
that  was  voted  the  Quigley  June  Silver 
Plaque. 

Two  weeks  ahead,  a  private  screening  was 
arranged  for  the  most  popular  French  come- 
dians of  stage  and  screen,  the  guests  re- 
quested for  their  opinions  with  the  puffs 
used  for  newspaper  and  lobby  advertising. 
This  was  followed  ahead  and  during  the  run 
by  the  creation  of  a  lobby  "Laugh  Gallery" 
decorated  in  the  burlesque  character  of  the 
picture  with  distorting  mirrors  humorous 
photo-montage  of  the  Brothers  in  various 
poses  as  illustrated  in  accompanying  photo. 

Other  laugh  exhibits  included  "Beauty 
Through  the  Ages"  (see  photo)  showing  re- 
productions of  works  of  art  representing 
classical  beauty  such  as  Venus  de  Milo, 
Mona  Lisa,  Mme.  Recamier  plus  a  colored 
enlargement  of  the  Brothers.  Also  good  for 
giggles  was  another  exhibit  called  "Famous 
Historical  Trophies"  showing  humorous 
takeoffs  of  articles  legendary  in  history,  such 
as  a  trumpet  of  Jericho,  King  Henry's  pink 
feather,  the  Groucho's  cigar,  etc. 

Invisible  fish-bowl,  laughing  gramaphone 
records  and  other  accessories  helped  roll  up 
the  laughs  not  the  least  of  which  was  a  quin- 
tet of  dolls  in  the  carriage  under  a  sign  read- 
ing "Alone  at  Last — Nurse  Is  Inside." 
Everyone  was  invited  into  the  lobby  to  see 
the  show  free  of  charge  and  large  crowds 
were  as  a  result  on  hand  at  all  times  with 
a  goodly  percentage  proceeding  inside  the 
theatre  to  see  the  picture. 

Night  Clubs  Cooperated 

Important  tieups  were  made  with  seven  of 
the  leading  Paris  night  clubs  whereby  from 
the  opening  day,  between  midnight  and  1 
A.  M.,  all  the  club  bands  played  only  hit 
tunes  from  the  picture.  To  build  this  up, 
Lapinere  sent  around  a  trio  of  eccentric 
musicians  wearing  special  papier  mache 
Marx  caricature  masks  and  also  arranged  to 
have  free  champagne  served  with  these  ap- 
pearances. Cards  on  all  tables  at  the  clubs 
announced  the  pictures. 

Top  street  stunt  was  a  three-seat  bicycle 
with  riders  in  Marx  costumes  and  masks  and 
carrying  back  banners.  Newspaper  cam- 
paign was  very  big  with  the  dailies  going 
strong  for  the  Laugh  Gallery.  Advertising 
and  posting  were  also  in  keeping  to  com- 
plete a  drive  that  brought  in  excellent 
grosses. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Baker  Donates  Cake 
For  "Follow  the  Fleet" 

Eddie  Selette,  Albany  Theatre,  Albany, 
N.  Y.,  for  "Follow  the  Fleet"  tied  up  local 
baker  who  made  up  cookies  in  the  shape  of 
lifesavers  which  went  on  sale  two  days 
ahead  of  opening.  In  addition,  baker  made 
up  cake  which  was  decorated  with  flags  and 
ships  and  was  given  to  person  writing  the 
best  letter  on  why  they  would  like  the  cake. 
Stunt  was  plugged  by  store  and  theatre. 


Lapinere's  Laugh  Gallery  Exhibit 


Lapinere's  Photomontage  Display 


Padgett's  "Show  Boat"  Street  Gangplank 


Padgett's  Bathing  Beach  Bally 


Many  IVater  Gags 
Used  by  Padgett 
For  "Show Boat" 


Located  right  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
Manager  Del  Padgett  sure  went  for.  water 
and  marine  tieups  on  his  Quigley  June 
Bronze  plaque  "Show  Boat"  entry  from  the 
Capitol  Theatre,  in  Clearwater,  Florida 
(pop.  7607),  starting  well  ahead  with  a 
large  docking  post  in  the  lobby  to  which  was 
attached  a  sign  reading,  "Show  Boat  Docks 
Here."    House  personnel  wore  sailor  hats. 

Interest  was  created  by  Padgett's  street 
gangplank  (see  photo)  run  from  the  safety 
zone  to  sidewalk  out  front,  with  side  ban- 
ners carrying  "All  Aboard"  copy.  Fishing 
boats  carried  the  same  copy  and  on  open- 
ing day  bather  in  trunks  made  the  beaches, 
his  back  lettered  (see  photo)  with  picture 
and  theatre. 

Marine  angle  was  carried  out  in  hard- 
ware store  tieup  plugging  marine  equip- 
ment sale  with  center  of  window  given  over 
to  prize-winning  ship  model.  Second  store 
advertised  small  boat  equipment  likewise, 
as  did  paint  store  plugging  marine  paint. 
Then  in  front  of  prominently  located  news- 
stand was  displayed  large  ship's  compass 
reading  "Steer  straight  for  Show  Boat." 

Organizations  Raffle  Tickets 

Newsboys  were  given  lettered  sailor  hats 
and  a  signature  idea  used  whereby  maga- 
zine juvenile  house-to-house  magazine  ven- 
dors were  given  autograph  pads  carrying 
theatre  copy.  To  each  boy  obtaining  100 
signatures,  two  tickets  were  given  free.  An- 
other slant  that  covered  a  lot  of  territory 
was  a  bannered  sound  truck  that  was  used 
to  furnish  free  amplification  at  ball  games 
and  also  at  countrywide  political  rally.  Truck 
made  all  the  surrounding  territory  playing 
hit  tunes  from  the  picture. 

Free  tickets  were  given  to  the  Elks,  Lions 
and  K  of  P  organizations,  the  ducats 
raffled  at  regular  meetings  for  the  benefit 
of  charity  funds. 

And  Padgett  availed  himself  of  another 
good  slant  by  calling  the  entry  from  the 
theatre  in  the  annual  high  school  beauty  con- 
test, "Miss  Showboat."  Contest  was  staged 
two  days  ahead  to  capacity  at  the  civic 
auditorium  with  much  publicity  obtaining 
for  the  theatre. 

Classified  page  tiein  featured  Padgett's 
newspaper  campaign  which  covered  all 
towns  in  the  drawing  area.  Special  permis- 
sion allowed  placing  cards  in  all  school  class- 
rooms and  outside  billing  was  more  exten- 
sive than  usual.  Window  displays  were 
topped  with  model  in  costume  of  the  pic- 
ture's period  as  compared  with  current 
styles  and  theatre  front  and  lobby  were  in 
keeping  with  the  rest  of  this  well-executed 
campaign. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Stein's  Flower  Show 

Plenty  of  publicity  was  garnered  by  Louie 
Stein,  Stanley  Theatre,  Newark,  for  his 
recently  staged  flower  show  at  the  theatre 
with  cooperating  nurseries  offering  cash 
prizes  to  those  submitting  best  samples  of 
home  varieties.  Merchants  in  town  also  came 
through  with  donated  prizes  of  merchandise, 
each  store  plugging  the  contest. 


* 

July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


79 


Omaha  Suburban  Managers 
Hold  Monthly  Meetings 

Co-operative  Car  Giveaways  Arranged  and  Theatre  Problems  Discussed  in  Harmony 


by  MARTIN  J.  CHICOINE 

from  Omaha 

The  chamber  of  commerce,  in  collabora- 
tion with  the  two  daily  newspapers,  the  three 
leading  radio  stations  and  an  outdoor  ad- 
vertising firm,  distributed  a  new  ballyhoo 
bulletin  recently  for  what  they  termed  "Ne- 
briowa."  Omaha  was  cited  as  the  capital 
of  this  new  "state." 

Nebriowa  is  the  junction  of  western  Iowa 
and  eastern  Nebraska  and  it  is  from  this 
combined  territory  that  Omaha  does  all  of 
its  major  business.  Living  within  a  one- 
hour  automobile  ride  of  Omaha  are  469,525 
Nebriowans.  Those  citizens  have  between 
them  118,286  automobiles. 

And  when  they  get  to  Omaha,  they  have 
the  somewhat  meager  choice  of  three  first- 
run  theatres  in  which  to  obtain  their  enter- 
tainment. The  three  houses,  two  owned  by 
the  A.  H.  Blank  circuit,  and  the  third  by  the 
Mort  H.  Singer  group,  have  been  grinding 
out  double  features  year  in  and  year  out, 
since  the  idea  first  bloomed  in  fact. 

With  competition  reduced  to  its  lowest 
possible  minimum,  the  three  houses  can 
point  to  almost  consistent  records  of  box- 
office  statements  written  in  black  ink. 
When  a  house  slips  near  the  red  ink  line, 
it's  news. 

The  combined  seating  capacity  of  the  first 
runs  touches  6,300.  In  Omaha  alone  there 
is  an  estimated  population  of  225,000 ;  in  its 
smaller  twin  city  across  the  river  in  Iowa, 
Council  Bluffs,  are  45,000  more  persons. 
The  same  tram  system  connects  the  two 
cities. 

That  leaves  6,300  seats  to  be  divided 
weekly  between  270,000  city  dwellers  alone, 
leaving  200,000  more  in  small  towns  and 
in  rural  areas  who  are  only  an  hour  away 
by  auto. 

Omaha  Is  Accessible  City 

Because  of  the  consistent  double  feature 
policy,  short  subjects,  outside  of  cartoons 
and  color  reels,  are  practically  unheard  of 
in  this  town.  A  generation  is  growing  up 
not  knowing  that  hundreds  of  short  subjects 
are  manufactured  annually  in  Hollywood 
and  New  York  and  quite  generally  shown  on 
the  screens  of  neighboring  cities. 

Independent  product  is  also  'neglected, 
with  only  a  rare  few  features  seeing  the 
light  of  local  screens. 

As  a  city,  Omaha  is  noted  for  its  stock- 
yards ;  for  its  railroads,  it  being  fourth  in 
the  nation  with  10  trunk  lines  feeding  it. 
However,  its  real  business  strength  is  de- 
rived from  agriculture,  though  the  chamber 
of  commerce  and  other  advertising  channels 
are  drumming  up  figures  to  show  Nebriowa 
is  strong  as  a  manufacturing  center.  Owing 
to  outlandish  freight  rate  schedules  facto- 
ries have  been  uprooting  and  moving  on  to 
other  cities  where  they  may  obtain  the  bene- 
fit of  river-barge  rates  in  competition  with 
rail  rates. 


If  for  no  other  reason,  Omaha 
stands  unique  as  one  of  the  few  spots 
in  this  country  where  opposition  the- 
atremen  get  together  regularly  to 
"sweep  out  and  keep  their  houses  in 
order."  That  theatre  business  is  gen- 
erally good  in  the  'Nebraska  metropo- 
lis is  no  doubt  sufficient  cause  for  a 
desire  to  keep  it  so  by  these  monthly 
convenings — all  of  which  is  gone  into 
in  this  stop  in  the  Showman's  Trave- 
logue series  of  your  Kound  Table. 

A-MIKE  VOGEL 


Omaha  is  the  originating  point  for  the 
great  Union  Pacific  system  and  its  numerous 
subsidiaries,  and  has  the  western  division 
offices  of  the  Burlington  and  Northwestern 
lines.  Likewise,  the  only  coast-to-coast 
hard-surfaced  highway  passes  through 
Omaha.  Found  here,  also,  is  the  home  office 
of  the  Interstate  Transit  Lines,  the  largest 
single  motor  bus  system  in  the  world.  And 
work  is  progressing  on  the  Missouri  river, 
thus  soon  to  give  Omaha  a  waterways  outlet 
to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  as  well  as  to  Chicago 
and  the  Great  Lakes. 

In  other  words,  Omaha  is  one  of  the  most 
accessible  cities  in  the  United  States.  It  is 
a  fairly  wealthy  town,  ranking  17th  in  bank 
clearings,  even  though  the  city  ranks  31st 
in  population.  Interesting  about  its  popula- 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


HOOVER  SAYS.  Featured  in  the  Lloyd 
Dearth  -  Jack  Gross  campaign  on  "Parole" 
at  the  Pantages-Hollywood  and  Los  Angeles- 
Hillstreet  was  poster  with  statement  on 
parole    conditions    by    J.    Edgar  Hoover. 


tion  is  the  fact  it  is  a  home-owning  popu- 
lace, nearly  60  per  cent  of  the  houses  being 
owned  by  the  dwellers. 

Taxes  are  fairly  reasonable  despite  a 
bungling  and  stupid  county  governmental 
system ;  state  taxes  are  sane  and  the  state 
government  is  in  the  finest  financial  shape 
of  any  commonwealth  in  North  America, 
bar  none.  Nebraska  is  not  only  debt-free, 
but  has  millions  stowed  away  in  the  bank 
and  in  sound  government  bonds. 

Omaha,  being  the  only  metropolitan  city 
in  Nebraska,  has  the  largest  percentage  of 
population  of  foreign  extraction  and  Negro 
blood  of  any  city  in  the  state.  Nearly  one- 
fifth,  or  38,788  persons,  are  foreign  born  or 
of  foreign  extraction,  and  there  are  11,123 
Negroes  here.  In  the  remainder  of  the  state 
there  are  scarcely  more  than  3,000  Negroes. 

Of  the  93,308  gainfully  employed  persons 
according  to  U.  S.  figures  in  1930,  about 
27,000  were  engaged  in  manufacturing  and 
mechanical  industries ;  14,000  in  transporta- 
tion ;  24,000  in  trade,  banking  and  insur- 
ance ;  8,000  in  professional  service,  and  the 
remainder  scattered  through  steel  and  iron, 
printing,  auto  factories  and  repair  shops, 
building  industries,  domestic  and  personal 
service,  and  agriculture. 

Theatre  Situation  Harmonious 

The  house  managers  attend  to  such  exploi- 
tation angles  as  lobby  displays,  local  window 
displays  and  each  have  small  budgets  to 
augment  the  advertising  service  as  given 
by  Schlaifer's  office.  The  system  is  rather 
effective  in  that  few  angles  are  missed. 

The  Singer  theatre,  the  Brandeis,  is  given 
considerable  leeway  in  its  operation  since 
Will  Singer,  local  manager,  is  a  brother  of 
Mort  H.  Singer,  head  of  the  circuit. 

With  a  Hearst  newspaper  on  the  scene, 
both  circuits  vie  in  accumulating  generous 
space  in  the  Bee-News.  The  more  dignified 
World-Herald  holds  down  film  space  to  a 
degree,  but  can  be  induced  to  join  in  co- 
operative pages  and  in  mutual  promotions. 
The  Bee-News  is  a  favorite  with  both  cir- 
cuits when  it  comes  to  staging  contests 
which  have  become  a  heavily  worked  but 
effective  means  of  attracting  attention. 

It  is  estimated  A.  H.  Blank  spends  be- 
yond $75,000  annually  advertising  in  the 
"World-Herald"  alone,  and  probably  the 
same  in  the  "Bee-News,"  though  some 
skeptics  regard  the  figures  as  high. 

As  it  was  stated  before,  the  theatre  situa- 
tion, as  far  as  exhibitor  fraternizing  is  con- 
cerned, is  probably  one  of  the  most  pleasant 
and  unique  in  the  country.  All  of  the  sub- 
urban managers  meet  monthly  on  the  mezza- 
nine in  the  Omaha  (A.  H.  Blank)  and  ar- 
range a  co-operative  car  give-away  and  gen- 
erally take  the  occasion  to  discuss  their  prob- 
lems in  harmonious  fashion.  The  co-opera- 
tive auto  give-away  was  adopted  right  after 
the  demise  of  the  NRA  in  order  to  forestall 
two-for-ones,  china  nights  and  other  arti- 
ficial b.  o.  stimulants.   Not  a  single  serious 

(Continued  on  following  page) 


80 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


FEW  CHANCES  IN  PERSONNEL 


{Continued  from  preceding  page) 

overt  act  or  ungentlemanly  deed  has  been 
recorded  against  a  single  exhibitor  since 
Jiniral  Johnson's  blue  eagle  bit  the  dust. 

As  for  the  theatres,  probably  no  town  of 
comparable  size  could  boast  of  a  more  peace- 
ful and  easy-going  atmosphere  than  is  found 
in  Omaha.  Admission  prices  have  hardly 
varied  a  nickel's  worth  in  five  years,  save 
for  occasional  stage  shows  when  the  ante 
is  hiked.  First  run  matinees  have  been  25 
cents  weekdays  since  the  talkies  began  talk- 
ing; 35  cents  on  Sundays;  while  night  shows 
get  40  cents.  The  so-called  deluxe  neighbor- 
hood houses  get  20  cents ;  the  next  group 
15  cents,  and  there  is  one  circuit  of.  three 
houses  charging  a  dime. 

Omaha  is  the  district  office  for  Nebraska 
and  western  Iowa  for  the  A.  H.  Blank  cir- 
cuit. District  manager  is  E.  R.  Cummings, 
who  oversees  five  towns  with  two  houses  in 
each. 

The  circuit  operates  its  own  advertising 
office  here  with  Charles  Schlaifer  as  man- 
ager. The  latter  takes  the  entire  burden 
of  advertising,  exploitation,  co-op  ads,  etc., 
for  both  Omaha  Blank  houses,  and  also  for 
the  Paramount,  2,900-seat  deluxer,  when 
open,  which  is  kept  dark  in  order  that  busi- 
ness can  be  kept  concentrated  in  the  two 
downtown  houses. 

There  are  only  three  or  four  suburban 
houses  that  rate  a  "deluxe"  classification, 
with  only  two  or  three  being  even  new  build- 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


MORE  PHOTOMONTAGE.  Another  of  the  unique 
photomontage  enlargements  used  by  publicist 
Lapinere  for  the  date  on  M-G-M's  "Night  at  the 
Opera"  at  the  Paris  Olympia  Theatre. 


ings.  To  the  credit  of  the  second  and  sub- 
sequent run  houses,  it  should  be  pointed  out 
they  have  been  operating  consistently  with 
hardly  any  turnover  in  management  or  own- 
ership for  a  long  period  of  years,  thus 
showing  them  to  be  stable  and  fair  money- 
makers. The  division  between  suburban  and 
downtown  business  has  been  at  an  even  keel 
with  little  variation  in  favor  of  either.  The 
suburbans  live,  and  live  well.  The  three 
downtown  circuit  houses  are  nearly  always 
in  the  profit  column. 

The  theatres,  both  downtown  and  in  the. 
suburbs,  suffer  keenest  from  competition 
from  outside  sources  in  the  late  spring  and 
summer.  The  biggest  drain  on  amusement 
money  comes  from  the  local  Ak-Sar-Ben 
race  track  which  operates  from  May  31  to 
July  4.  Immediately  after  that  is  over,  all 
the  local  bookies  and  gambling  houses  re- 
open (illegally),  having  shut  down  because 
of  a  gentlemen's  agreement  not  to  compete 
with  a  home  industry  during  its  short  season 
of  operation.  Bookies  operating  the  other 
10  and  a  half  months  do  an  enormous  gam- 
bling business. 

Night  Clubs  Called  Competitive 

Other  big  summertime  outlets  for  amuse- 
ment money  are  the  numerous  outdoor  night- 
clubs which  operate  all  around  the  city's 
borders.  Some  of  the  clubs  are  cheap  and 
prices  are  low  enough  to  permit  an  employe 
in  the  lowest  salary  brackets  to  pass  up  a 
15-cent  neighborhood  show  and  go  to  a 
"night  club"  and  spend  60  cents  on  six  large 
beers  with  dancing  free  for  himself  and  his 
gal. 

Showmen  have  come  to  know  the  night 
clubs  as  painful  competitors,  but  there's 
nothing  they  can  do  about  it.  They  just 
happen  to  head  a  list  of  the  other  summer- 
time diversions,  such  as  pools,  parks,  joy- 
riding, golf,  tennis,  etc. 

Somehow,  the  downtown  first  run  houses 
feel  the  pinch  less  than  the  suburbans,  possi- 
bly because  they  are  equipped  with  superior 
cooling  plants. 

Omaha's  parking  situation,  like  most 
cities,  is  in  something  of  a  mess,  year  in 
and  year  out.  To  begin  with,  some  of  the 
downtown  streets  could  be  wider.  Parking 
lots  are  not  handily  located  and  garages 
downtown  have  a  tendency  to  soak  night 
theatre  patrons. 

Transportation  Facilities  Criticized 

As  for  transportation  facilities,  before  last 
year's  disastrous  and  bloody  street  car  strike, 
the  local  system  of  trams  was  one  of  the  best 
in  the  country.  The  city  is  covered  ade- 
quately with  trolleys  and  busses  and  the  ser- 
vice was  fine  until  the  late  trouble  with  the 
union  and  company  staging  the  fireworks. 
The  tram  company  has  never  resumed  its 
former  fine  service,  though  it  is  adequate 
enough  even  now. 

Culturally,  Omaha  rates  as  a  rather  weak 
show  town.  Some  go  so  far  as  to  allege 
the  town's  taste  is  generally  below  par ;  that 
it  is  still  frontier  in  its  attitude.  It  once  sup- 
ported a  fine  symphony,  but  gave  it  up  after 
a  number  of  years.  Finer  photoplays  are 
quite  consistently  neglected  and  starved  out. 
Omaha  is  one  of  the  few,  if  any  key  cities, 
that  saw  fit  not  to  give  "The  Informer"  a 
second  run  following  its  being  given  the 


Academy  award.  Elizabeth  Bergner's  "Es- 
cape Me  Never"  set  a  new  low  at  the  Or- 
pheum,  a  glance  at  the  Motion  Picture 
Herald  theatre  receipts  section  will  show. 

Whether  the  show-going  public  reads  the 
reviews  or  not  can't  be  ascertained,  but  it  is 
a  known  fact  a  panning  has  never  been 
known  to  affect  grosses.  A  race  review  is 
helpful,  but  never  a  dominant  factor.  Han- 
dling picture  reviews  is  Keith  Wilson  for 
the  World-Herald,  and  Jake  (Jack  Reel) 
Rachman  for  the  Bee-News.  Wilson,  a  year 
out  of  college,  stepped  into  the  critical  shoes 
of  the  well-known  Keene  Abgott,  who  re- 
tired last  June  after  32  years  of  reviewing 
shows  of  every  kind.  Wilson  surprised 
everyone  with  his  capability  and  sound  judg- 
ment. For  a  youth  he  keeps  his  critical  blasts 
temperate.  Jake  Rachman  is  naturally  gov- 
erned by  the  well-known  Hearst  policy  re- 
garding motion  pictures.  Rachman,  despite 
his  imposed  handicaps,  has  a  definite  read- 
ing public.  He  conducts  a  column  of  breezy 
show  chatter  called  "Aisle  Say,"  which  is 
90  per  cent  film  stuff.  Likewise  he  edits  an- 
other column  called  "Round  the  Town"  in 
which  considerable  theatre  news  is  injected. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Birthday  Party  Given 
George  Rotsky 

It  has  just  come  to  the  attention  of  this 
department  that  a  birthday  party  was  given 
in  honor  of  George  Rotsky,  Palace  Theatre, 
Montreal,  invitations  being  extended  to  his 
family,  personal  friends,  local  press,  theatre- 
men  and  Montreal  film  lights. 

The  party  started  at  midnight  with  150 
on  hand,  leading  artists  of  night  clubs  and 
cabarets  entertained  and  two  orchestras 
played  dance  music. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Collins  Circularizes 
Nightingale  Club 

K.  T.  Collins,  Apollo  Theatre,  Indianapo- 
lis, Ind.,  began  his  "White  Angel"  cam- 
paign by  mailing  announcements  to  the  local 
Florence  Nightingale  Club  over  his  signa- 
ture urging  them  to  see  the  film.  Depart- 
ment stores,  bus  stations,  libraries,  cafes, 
etc.,  cooperated. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


ATMOSPHERIC  FRONT.  Ken  King,  Melba  The- 
atre, Batesville,  Ark.,  covered  his  entire  front  with 
compo  board  on  which  pine  trees  were  painted 
on  "Lonesome  Pine."    Note  display  of  scene  stills. 


July    2  5,     19  3  6 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


31 


Brown  Stencils  Streets 
For  "Mr.  Deeds"  Date 

Gil  Brown,  city  manager,  Irvin  Theatre, 
Bloomington,  111.,  on  "Mr.  Deeds"  put  his 
artist  to  work  making  a  two-foot  stencil  of 
a  pair  of  feet  and  stencil  same  on  streets 
leading  away  from  the  theatre,  copy  on  sole 
reading  "Mr.  Deeds  is  going  to  town,  but 
he  will  be  back  on  Sunday."  Stunt  was 
pulled  week  ahead  of  opening. 

Radio  station  cooperated  on  a  pixilation 
contest  and  station's  street  inquiring  re- 
porter approached  theatre's  perambulating 
stooge  who  would  talk .  into  mike,  say  he 
was  Longfellow  Deeds  and  that  he  had  just 
come  to  town,  etc.  Same  stooge  seated  in 
cooperating  auto  dealer's  car  was  driven 
through  town  with  motorcycle  escort.  En- 
tire staff  wore  pixilated  chest  bands,  taxi 
tire  covers  were  imprinted  and  Western 
Union  came  through  with  neat  display  with 
stills  and  copy  reading  "When  Mr.  Deeds 
wires,  he  insists  on"  etc.,  etc. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Palmer  Constructs  Front 
For  "King  Steps  Out" 

Accompanying  photo  shows  the  display 
constructed  by  J.  E.  Palmer,  State  Theatre, 
Presque  Isle,  Maine,  for  "The  King  Steps 
Out,"  made  of  California  Sweetwood,  bent 
to  fit  curve.  Frame  was  built  first  and  the 
veneer  screwed  on  later  and  all  accessories 
slide  in  on  the  sides  and  no  white  part 
shows.  Display  was  finished  in  stippled  gold 
and  trimmed  with  burnt  brown.  Box  office 
and  other  frames  were  finished  the  same. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Corkery  Made  Member 
Of  Park  Commission  Board 

Maurice  Corkery,  Central  Square  Theatre, 
Cambridge,  Mass.,  recently  came  in  for  some 
swell  publicity  for  himself  and  the  theatre 
when  Mayor  John  D.  Lynch  appointed  him 
as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Park  Com- 
missioners, the  only  theatre  man  to  be  so 
honored. 

Recently,  working  in  conjunction  with  the 
Cambridge  edition  of  the  Boston  Evening 
American,  Maurice  tied  in  the  theatre  to  the 
X-9  Club.  During  regular  Saturday  matinee 
performance,  Chief  of  Police,  Timothy 
Leahy  spoke  to  the  boys  and  presented  them 
with  their  membership  cards  and  badges. 
The  subject  of  his  talk  dealt  with  crime  pre- 
vention. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Airplane  Tieups  Highlight 
Rotsky's  "Things"  Engagement 

The  Montreal  Light  Aeroplane  Club  was 
lined  up  by  George  Rotsky,  Palace  Theatre, 
Montreal,  Canada,  on  "Things  to  Come," 
stunt  was  tied  up  with  a  contest  which  was 
featured  in  the  various  newspapers.  Plane 
flew  over  city  at  a  certain  height  and 
those  guessing  height  received  half-hour 
flight  over  city  together  with  tickets  to  see 
picture.  Stunt  was  pulled  opening  day. 

Another  air  tieup  was  arranged  with 
Canadian  Colonial  Airways  on  a  contest 
with  patrons  viewing  picture  at  theatre  and 
writing  reviews,  prize  was  a  free  return  trip 
on  one  of  their  planes  to  New  York.  Ac- 
companying photo  shows  window  display  in 
leading  department  store. 

On  "Under  Two  Flags"  chain  store  fea- 
tured a  blouse  worn  by  Claudette  Colbert 


Burbom  "Leathernecks"  Street  Bally 


1 


Palmer's  "King,  Steps  Out"  Front 


Spencer's  "Country  Doctor"  Birthday  Cake 


Rotsky's  "Things  to  Come"  Window 

using  prominent  window  displays,  each 
saleswoman  featuring  the  blouse. 

By  special  arrangement  with  the  Vali- 
quette  people  who  bought  the  rights  to  a 
foreign  legion  radio  serial  which  is  broad- 
cast twice  weekly,  mention  was  made  imme- 
diately after  broadcast  to  see  another  for- 
eign legion  playing  at  the  Palace. 


Burhorn  Stages  Parade 
For  "Leathernecks"  Date 

Several  civic  tieups  were  effected  by  John 
Burhorn,  Gayety  Theatre,  Chicago,  for  his 
"Leathernecks  Have  Landed"  engagement, 
amongst  which  was  the  drum  and  bugle 
corps  of  the  South  Chicago  Y.M.C.A., 
which  paraded  to  and  played  in  front  of  the- 
atre, as  did  the  high  school  band.  Repre- 
sentatives of  the  Legion  and  Marine  Corps 
were  stationed  in  front  of  house  during  en- 
tire run. 

One  of  John's  ushers  made  two  papier 
mache  heads  which  were  exhibited  in  lobby 
and  on  Saturday  worn  by  two  men  who 
paraded  through  the  streets  (see  photo). 
Several  neat  window  tieups  were  arranged 
and  the  Daily  Calumet  cooperated  by  plant- 
ing a  coloring  contest  for  kids. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Gag  Stunts  Highlight 
Barr's  "Fever"  Date 

For  "Petticoat  Fever"  at  the  Capitol  in 
Winchester,  Va.,  Stan  Barr  distributed  cap- 
sules with  "prescription  for  petticoat  fever" 
enclosed ;  part  of  these  were  sent  to  weekly 
mailing  list  and  balance  given  to  patrons  as 
they  left  theatre  week  ahead  of  opening. 
Cooperating  merchant  paid  for  cost  of  print- 
ing and  distribution. 

Pink  heralds  with  outline  of  upraised 
hand  with  the  letters  "stop"  and  picture 
copy  were  handed  out  all  autoists  stopping 
and  waiting  for  traffic  signals. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

"Fighting  Marine"  Club 
Sells  Date  for  Charninsky 

To  usher  in  his  "Fighting  Marines"  date 
at  the  Capitol  in  Dallas,  Texas,  Louie  Char- 
ninsky one  week  ahead  ran  special  plugs 
in  his  ads  inviting  kids  to  join  the  new 
"Fighting  Marines"  Club.  Special  stories 
were  run  in  all  papers  telling  the  youngsters 
how  to  join  up.  Club  was  played  up  in  trailer 
two  weeks  before  advising  that  membership 
cards  were  available  at  cooperating  candy 
store. 

For  his  lobby  display,  Louie,  promoted 
machine  guns,  steel  helmets  and  other  army 
equipment.  Schools  were  covered  with  her- 
alds, daily  announcements  were  made  over 
radio  and  ice  cream,  cookies  or  some  pro- 
moted novelty  was  given  to  each  child  at- 
tending the  early  showings. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Baker  Aids  Spencer 
On  "Country  Doctor" 

Through  cooperation  of  leading  baker, 
Art  Spencer,  Lonsdale  Theatre,  North  Van- 
couver, B.  C,  promoted  a  birthday  cake  for 
"Country  Doctor,"  cake  was  baked  in  five 
sections,  each  bearing  one  of  the  Quins' 
names.  Accompanying  photo  shows  the 
sweetmeat  display  in  lobby,  topped  by  photo 
of  the  babes.  Every  patron  attending  open- 
ing night  received  a  slice,  as  did  the  kiddies 
on  Saturday  matinee.  Florist  donated  dis- 
play and  stunt  was  advertised  on  programs 
and  blotters  which  were  distributed. 

Doctors  and  nurses  were  circularized, 
bookmarks  placed  in  all  lending  libraries, 
cutouts  of  the  babes  were  planted  about 
lobby  and  alcoves  in  theatre  and  various 
merchants  came  through  with  attractive 
window  displays. 


82 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


REPRESENTATIVE  NEWSPAPER  ADS 


July    2  5,     19  3  6 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


83 


YOU  ARE  INVITED  TO  JOIN  UP 


ALBERT  T.  JOHNSON 

is  the  advertising  and  publicity  assistant  at 
the  Harris-Warren  in  Warren,  Ohio,  and 
says  he  started  in  showbusiness  at  the  ten- 
der age  of  ten  when  he  had  a  kiddie  tent 
show.  During  the  summer  vacations  Al 
worked  for  the  Opera  House,  now  the  Har- 
ris-Warren, as  a  bill  poster.  After  two 
years  he  joined  the  Robins  Theatre  of  War- 
ren as  projectionist,  also  worked  as  adver- 
tiser for  the  County  Fair,  posting  all  paper. 
For  a  short  time  he  left  the  theatre,  work- 
ing as  press  agent  for  a  touring  show  and  in 
1933  assumed  his  present  job. 

V 

KENNETH  T.  KING 

manages  the  Melba  Theatre  in  Batesville, 
Ark.,  and  says  since  childhood  he's  always 
wanted  to  be  in  showbusiness,  and  he's  one 
member  that  signs  up  the  way  we  like  'em 
to.  Ken  sent  along  his  first  contribution 
with  his  application  for  membership  and 
we've  heard  from  him  since,  so  this  is  just 
a  formal  welcome  to  our  midst. 

V 

WALTER  KOGER 

is  the  assistant  manager  of  the  Liberty  The- 
atre in  Horton,  Kansas,  and  when  he  joined 
he  wrote  in  and  said  we  would  hear  from 
him  from  time  to  time  and  we're  still  wait- 
ing. We  only  have  a  few  members  from 
your  fair  city,  Walter,  so  it's  up  to  you  to 
keep  us  posted  on  what  you're  doing. 

V 

JIM  B.  DAUGHERTY 

is  the  assistant  manager  of  the  Apollo  in 
Peoria,  111.,  having  started  as  usher  at  the 
Madison  on  day  of  graduation  from  grade 
school.  From  usher  to  balcony  director,  and 
then  transferred  as  assistant  to  the  Apollo. 
Jim  started  as  a  singing  usher  with  the  or- 
ganist at  the  Madison  and  won  a  radio  im- 
personation contest  conducted  over  the  en- 
tire Great  States  Theatre  circuit. 

V 

NOLAN  S.  CRUISE 

is  down  in  New  Orleans,  La.,  at  the  Poplar 
Theatre  in  the  capacity  of  assistant  and  you 
know,  Nolan,  your  obligation  didn't  cease 
with  having  joined  the  Club,  we  shall  ex- 
pect that  contributions  on  your  activities 
shall  be  forthcoming  for  use  in  our  pages. 
How  about  it? 

V 

ANDY  SCHECTMAN 

assistant  manager  of  the  Colney  Theatre  in 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  certainly  ought  to  know 
what  his  obligations  to  us  are.  We  have 
plenty  of  Round  Tablers  in  Philly  who  are 
mighty  active  members  and  we'd  like  to 
swell  the  ranks  with  another  by  having  your 
reports  from  time  to  time. 

V 

HARRY  RINZLER 

is  the  assistant  manager  of  the  Culver  The- 
atre in  Brooklyn,  and  is  a  brother  of  our 
good  friend  Joe  at  the  Biltmore.  Harry 
started  as  usher  at  the  Commodore,  Brook- 
lyn, and  then  as  display  artist,  chief  of  staff 
and  was  then  transferred  to  the  Alba  and 
later  promoted  to  his  present  assignment. 


Above  poster  was  created  by  Louis  Chiaramonte, 
artist,  Loew's  State,  Boston.  Display  was  air  brush 
in  natural  colors  showing  application  of  cutout. 

V 

DONALD  L.  SMITH 

manages  the  Royal  Theatre  in  St.  Paul, 
Kansas,  and  since  he  is  the  first  member  to 
join  the  club  from  there,  it  shall  evolve  upon 
him  to  keep  us  posted  on  how  shows  are  put 
over  in  his  fair  city. 

Showmen 's 
Calendar 

SEPTEMBER 

1st  Richard  Arlen's  Birthday 

2nd  U.  S.  Treasury  Established— 1789 

4th  Hendrick     Hudson     Sailed  Up 

Hudson— 1609 
5th  Fay  Wray's  Birthday 

6th  Pres.  McKinley  Assassinated — 1901 

7th  Labor  Day 

9th  California  Admitted  to  Union — 

1850 

Colorado   Admitted   to   Union — 
1850 

13th  Star  Spangled  Banner  Written  in 

1814 

General  Pershing's  Birthday 

Claudette  Colbert's  Birthday 
14th  School  Opens 

15th  Wm.  Howard  Taft  Born— 1857 

Jackie  Cooper's  Birthday 
18th  Greta  Garbo's  Birthday 

19th  Ernest  Truex's  Birthday 

21st  First  Day  of  Autumn 

22nd  Nathan  Hale  Executed— 1 776 

Paul  Muni's  Birthday 

Emancipation  Proclamation  Issued 
by  Lincoln — 1862 
26th  Donald  Cook's  Birthday 

Pacific     Ocean     Discovered  by 
Balboa— 1513 

Yom  Kippur 
27th  Daylight  Saving  Time  Ends 

George  Raft's  Birthday 
30th  Ralph  Forbes'  Birthday 

George  Bancroft's  Birthday 


EUGENE  RUSSELL  HARDWICK 

is  certainly  well  known  to  all,  having  won  a 
plaque  recently  for  his  outstanding  cam- 
paign on  "Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine." 
For  the  records,  Russ  is  at  the  Lyceum  The- 
atre in  Clovis,  New  Mexico,  and  as  he  traces 
his  career,  it  has  been  mighty  interesting. 
Russ  says  in  1910  he  was  janitor,  operator, 
stage  hand  and  sometimes  stooge  of  the 
Majestic  Theatre  in  Roswell,  New  Mexico. 
In  1912  we  find  him  managing  and  operator 
of  the  Majestic  in  Artesia,  N.  M.,  thence 
around  with  Independent  or  Right's  Film 
Exchange  as  bookkeeper,  office  boy,  stenog, 
shipping  clerk,  general  flunkie,  etc.  In  1913 
Hardwick  became  manager  of  the  Grand 
Opera  House  in  Amarillo,  Tex.,  and  in  1933 
became  manager  of  the  Lyceum  and  Mesa 
Theatres,  where  he  is  now. 

V 

PAUL  A.  VOLKMAN 

is  in  Wapata,  Wash.,  managing  the  Liberty 
Theatre  and  started  as  projectionist  in  1920, 
later  left  to  enter  hotel  business  and  then 
taught  school  as  industrial  arts  instructor 
which  stood  him  in  good  stead  when  he  com- 
pletely remodeled  his  theatre.  Paul  says  he 
is  now  building  a  balcony,  erecting  a  new 
marquee  and  generally  fixing  up  the  whole 
building,  and  promises  as  soon  as  all  this  is 
completed  to  contribute  to  our  pages. 

V 

JOHN  TUCKER 

manager  of  the  Park  Theatre,  Roselle  Park, 
N.  J.,  needs  no  introduction  to  our  pages 
having  recently  won  a  Mention  on  his  very 
good  campaign  submitted  for  Award  con- 
sideration. John  started  as  an  usher  at  the 
Strand  Theatre  in  Birmingham,  Ala.,  later 
chief  and  then  treasurer  of  the  Metropolitan 
in  Houston,  Tex.,  assistant  at  the  same  the- 
atre and  was  transferred  to  M.  J.  as  man- 
ager of  the  Crescent  Theatre  in  Perth  Am- 
boy.  From  there  we  find  that  Tucker  was 
made  manager  of  Ed  Hart's  present  hang- 
out, the  Oxford  in  Plainfield,  thence  to  Long 
Island  and  Brooklyn  until  he  landed  back  in 
New  Jersey,  from  where  we  hope  he'll  keep 
in  touch. 

V 

HAPPY  HASSELO 

is  in  Alton,  Iowa,  managing  the  Palace 
Theatre  there.  Happy  who  has  contributed 
to  our  pages  has  gone  through  the  regular 
routine,  doorman,  assistant,  etc.,  and  has 
served  his  apprenticeship  at  the  Fox  State 
and  Fox  Palace  Theatres  in  Corning,  New 
York.  Well,  Happy,  you  say  you'll  keep 
your  activities  coming,  we're  waiting  for 
more. 

V 

E.  E.  CRABTREE 

is  certainly  one  of  the  boys  that  doesn't  need 
an  introduction,  but  we'll  tell  a  little  about 
his  background.  Ed,  now  managing  the 
Palace  in  Peoria,  111.,  worked  as  usher  in 
Decatur  houses,  advanced  to  assistant,  then 
to  Danville  as  assistant  and  later  transferred 
to  La  Salle  as  manager.  From  there  Ed 
went  to  the  Publix  Home  Office  as  front 
house  representative  covering  states  of  Iowa 
and  Nebraska,  returned  to  Danville  as  sec- 
retary to  Thomas  P.  Ronan,  district  man- 
ager. 


64 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


Eil  J.  C.  JENKINS-HIS  COLYUM  I| 


Fargo,  North  Dakota 

Dear  Herald: 

You  no  doubt  have  heard  preachers  and 
other  people  talk  about  hell.  Well,  this  place 
isn't  hell,  but  it  is  a  suburb  of  it.  We  drove 
in  here  today  in  a  blistering  south  wind  that 
felt  like  it  came  out  of  a  red  hot  oven  and 
the  government  thermometer  registered  114 
in  the  shade,  but  if  they  have  any  shade 
around  here  we  have  failed  to  find  it. 

Our  hotel  room  is  as  hot  as  a  bake  oven 
and  we'll  betcha  that  if  it  doesn't  cool  off 
before  morning  we  will  look  like  a  fried  cat- 
fish. We  have  about  worn  out  the  bellboy 
bringing  us  icewater.  When  we  got  in  here 
today  we  were  as  limp  as  a  dishrag  and  the 
only  dry  stitch  on  us  was — well,  there  wasn't 
any. 

We  heard  a  fellow  telling  about  North 
Dakota.  He  said  up  here  they  had  an  early 
fall,  a  long  winter,  a  late  spring  and  a  dry 
summer,  and  we  said  to  him,  "Well,  brother, 
outside  of  that  the  state  is  all  right,  isn't  it?" 
and  he  replid,  "Yes,  it  is,  if  you  don't  count 
the  grasshoppers." 

We  had  intended  to  go  on  into  the  state 
but  have  been  advised  not  to  go  any  far- 
ther because  they  told  us  that  the  farther 
we  went  the  worse  we  would  find  condi- 
tions, and  they  are  certainly  bad  enough 
around  here.  This  town  is  located  in  the 
Red  River  Valley  of  the  North,  and  the 
Red  River  Valley  has  been  the  backbone 
of  the  agricultural  section  of  the  state, 
but  this  year  they  won't  raise  enough  to 
feed  a  grasshopper,  unless  he  is  on  a  diet 
like  ourself,  and  who  ever  heard  of  a  grass- 
hopper being  on  a  diet. 

We  called  on  J.  W.  McCarthy,  who  has 
26  theatres  in  North  Dakota,  and  J.  W.  says 
he  has  never  known  conditions  as  bad  as 
they  are  this  year,  that  many  people  are 
leaving  the  state  and  that  the  cattle  are 
being  moved  to  wherever  they  can  find  feed 
for  them.  Putting  two  and  two  together,  we 
have  concluded  that  North  Dakota  is  in  a 
bad  way,  from  an  agricultural  standpoint, 
but  outside  of  that  we  would  say  that  she 
is  all  right,  which,  of  course,  includes  Sena- 
tor Lemke,  who  is  going  to  run  for  presi- 
dent on  some  kind  of  a  ticket,  but  we  don't 
know  what  it  will  be  yet.  Our  judgment  is 
that  a  lot  of  the  people  out  here  are  going 
to  need  some  help  from  their  Uncle  Ezra  or 
Uncle  Sam  or  they  will  have  a  hard  time 
getting  through  the  winter,  regardless  of 
who  is  president. 

V 

When  we  came  up  from  the  south  the 
other  day  we  stopped  at  Wadena  and  called 
on  J.  C.  Quincer,  who  operates  the  Wadena 
theatre,  and  right  here  we  want  to  warn  you 
boys  to  look  out  for  anybody  whose  ini- 
tials are  "J.  C."  He  may  be  all  right,  but 
as  a  rule  he  needs  watching.  This,  of  course, 
don't  go  for  J.  C.  Quincer ;  he  doesn't  need 
any  watching;  he  is  100  per  cent,  spring  or 
fall,  cold  or  hot,  wet  or  dry.  We  had  a  nice 
visit  with  him,  but  it  was  a  short  one  be- 
cause he  had  company  at  his  house  and  he 
couldn't  fool  away  any  time  with  a  Vaga- 
bond Colyumnist.   We  couldn't  blame  him, 


but  he  said  he  didn't  want  us  to  let  his  sub- 
scription expire  to  the  Herald.  That's  just 
the  way  it  is  with  these  theatre  boys :  they 
all  realize  they  need  the  Herald,  and  why 
shouldn't  they,  because  it  covers  the  field 
like  an  April  shower. 

V 

Today  we  called  on  Andy  and  Herb  An- 
derson at  Detroit  Lakes.  They  have  built 
a  beautiful  new  theatre  that  is  no  doubt  the 
pride  of  Minnesota.  They  already  had  a 
good  one,  but  that's  just  the  way  it  is  with 
these  Anderson  boys :  they  are  always  right 
out  in  the  front  rank  doing  things,  and  they 
realize  that  Detroit  Lakes  needed  something 
besides  her  beautiful  lakes  to  write  to  the  old 
folks  back  home  about,  so  they  put  up  a 
swell  theatre  that  is  the  talk  of  the  town, 
and  if  Detroit  Lakes  ever  needs  a  better 
theatre  they  will  build  it.  We  would  have 
liked  to  have  stayed  and  visited  with  them 
longer,  but  we  are  a  working  man,  even  if 

it  is  hotter  than         Oh,  gosh,  gee  whiz,  we 

will  have  to  call  the  bellboy  to  bring  us  some 
more  icewater. 

V 

Bemidji,  Minnesota 

This  is  where  the  Chippewa  Indians  used 
to  hunt  and  fish  and  where  Big  Chief  Be- 
midji and  his  squaw  lived  before  the  Waer- 
hauser  Lumber  Company  came  in  and  took 
possession  of  the  country  and  cut  off  the 
timber.  The  town  is  named  after  this  chief 
and  there  is  a  statue  of  Bemidji  erected  in 
a  park  on  the  edge  of  Bemidji  Lake  and  they 
have  the  old  chief  looking  northeast,  the 
first  one  we  ever  saw  looking  in  that  direc- 
tion. The  reader  has  our  permission  to  pro- 
nounce the  name  of  this  town  anything  he 
likes,  but  he  must  take  his  own  chances.  If 


SHORT  PRODUCT 
PLAYING  BROADWAY 


Week  of  July  18 


CAPITOL 

Three  Little  Pups  MGM 

MUSIC  HALL 

Living  Jewels  RKO  Radio 

Mickey's  Moving  Day  United  Artists 

PARAMOUNT 

Sporting  Comparisons  Paramount 

Greedy  Humpty  Dumpty ...  Paramount 
The  Rhythm  Party  Paramount 

RIALTO 

And  So  To  Wed  RKO  Radio 

RIVOLI 

Mickey's  Moving  Day  United  Artists 

Cities  of  North  Africa  Harold  Auten 

ROXY 

Vim,  Vigor  and  Vitaliky  Paramount 

Dummy  Ache  .  .  .  .  ........  RKO  Radio 

Going  Places,  No.  24  Universal 

STRAND 

Shanghaied  Shipmates  Vitaphone 

Whale  Ho  Vitaphone 

I'm  Much  Obliged  Vitaphone 


he  gets  the  lockjaw  that  will  be  his  fault. 
He  can  probably  pronounce  it  better  when 
he  has  the  mumps  and  takes  a  bite  of  lemon. 
Bemidji  has  a  population  of  something  like 
7,500,  quite  a  bunch  of  whom  come  here  to 
spend  the  summer.  It  is  a  pretty  good  town 
except  when  it  is  45  below  zero.  Right  now 
it  is  100  above  and  has  been  around  105 
all  day,  and  as  a  result  we  are  inclined  to 
go  down  and  jump  into  Bemidji  Lake. 

The  managers  of  the  two  theatres  here 
in  Bemidji  had  gone  away  when  we  called. 
Both  were  out  of  town  and  we  didn't  see 
them. 

There  is  no  doggone  sense  in  people  leav- 
ing a  town  like  this  one  with  a  fine  fishing 
lake  right  at  their  back  doors,  but  some  peo- 
ple will  do  it.  We  had  the  pleasure,  however, 
of  meeting  an  old  friend  who  used  to  play 
the  violin  in  the  orchestra  in  our  theatre 
with  the  Clint  and  Bessie  Robins  company, 
and  the  Clint  and  Bessie  Robins  company 
will  be  pleased  to  know  that  we  met  Bill 
Bender  and  that  Bill  sends  them  his  regards. 
Clint  and  Bess  now  operate  the  Pace  theatre 
at  Gordon,  Neb.,  for  the  Black  Hills  Amuse- 
ment Co. 

Coming  over  here  today  from  Fargo, 
N.  D.,  we  stopped  at  Ada.,  Minn.,  and  called 
on  Mr.  J.  Ulman  of  the  Orpheum  theatre 
and  had  a  very  delightful  visit  with  him,  J. 
says  we  were  there  and  called  on  him  once 
before,  but  we  had  forgotten  it. 

V 

Miss  G.  E.  Gannon  is  building  a  new 
theatre  at  Mcintosh.  She  said  she  thought 
it  would  be  ready  to  open  about  August 
1st.  She  already  had  one  but  she  says  she 
will  turn  that  one  into  something  else. 
Mcintosh  doesn't  impress  us  as  large 
enough  for  two  theatres  and  when  Miss 
Gannon  gets  her  new  one  open  it  will  be 
all  Mcintosh  will  require.  Our  call  on  her 
was  a  very  pleasant  one. 

V 

Mr.  Danielson  of  the  Liberty  at  Fosston 
was  out  of  town  when  we  called  and  we 
failed  to  meet  him.  Too  doggone  bad  for 
both  of  us. 

V 

E.  R.  Wright  still  operates  the  Family 
theatre  at  Bagley;  not  only  that,  but  he 
operates  a  drugstore  also,  and  this  keeps 
him  pretty  busy  and  keeps  him  from  doing 
anything  he  shouldn't  do.  Our  visit  with 
him  was  a  very  pleasant  one.  We  remember 
calling  on  him  last  year  when  we  were  on 
our  way  to  Winnipeg,  Canada.  Bagley  is 
located  right  in  the  deer  country  and  the 
people  of  Bagley  don't  have  to  go  hungry 
for  meat.  At  one  time  it  was  an  important 
lumber  point,  but  today  they  go  to  the  the- 
atre instead  of  the  sawmill. 

V 

It's  going  to  get  hotter  than — ;  well,  it  is 
going  to  get  hot  today,  and  so  we  are  going 
to  cut  this  off  and  get  on  the  road  while  it 
is  cool.  Some  sense  in  that,  isn't  there? 

J.  C.  JENKINS 

The  HERALD's  Vagabond  Colyumnist 

The  HERALD  covers  the  FIELD  like  an 
APRIL  SHOWER. 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


85 


Hill::" 


TECHNOLOGICAL 


The   BLUEBOOK  School 

By  F.  H.  RICHARDSON 

[To  join  the  Bluebook  School  merely  send  in  answers.    Place  name  and  question  number  upon  first  sheet.   Address  F.  H.  Richardson,  No.  3  Tudor  Lane,  Scarsdale,  N.  Y.] 


BLUEBOOK  SCHOOL  QUESTION  NO.  33.— (A)  What  is  good  maintenance  practice  with  respect  to  stocking 
spare  sound  equipment  parts?  (B)  Give  us  your  views  regarding  lens  ports.  This  is  an  important  matter  so  do 
not  be  too  sparing  of  words  and  ideas. 

Answer  to  Question  No.  28 


Bluebook  School  Question  No.  28  was:  {A) 
How  is  amplification  secured  in  a  three-element 
tube?  (B)  Name  the  essential  things  served  by 
projection  room  ventilation. 

The    following    made    acceptable    answers : 

C.  Rau  and  S.  Evans ;  D.  Danielson ;  G.  E. 
Doe;  B.  Devietti ;  J.  R.  Prater;  A.  L.  Cooper; 

D.  Pollock ;  W.  Limmroth  ;  F.  Bochert ;  H.  Ed- 
wards ;  C.  Champney ;  P.  and  L.  Felt ;  W.  C. 
Brown;  C.  A.  Ellison;  H.  B.  Smith; 
C.  Lonie ;  C.  L.  Loft ;  W.  H.  Edmonds ;  C.  G. 
Jones;  M.  and  J.  Devoy;  C.  and  S.  E.  Gay; 
J.  F.  Seidman,  G.  L.  Snow,  R.  Galley  and  R.  T. 
Digby;  C.  L.  Hauber  and  R.  B.  McCullough; 

G.  D.  Jones;  M.  J.  O'Brien;  C.  Hawkens;  S. 
Myers  and  O.  L.  Harris ;  E.  N.  Quinn,  H.  T. 
Bell,  N.  Nathan  and  S.  D.  Singer;  L.  A.  Kel- 
ler; T.  H.  Morton,  L.  and  F.  H.  Klar  _;  F.  K. 
Monroe ;  F.  H.  and  L.  Savior ;  J.  Lansing  and 
R.  D.  Oberleigh;  H.  K.  Abernathy  and  R. 
Tomkins ;  N.  R.  Tomlinson ;  H.  F.  Stacy  and 
C.  Stuart ;  J.  Jacobs ;  J.  S.  Knight  and  F.  T. 
Hamilton;  B.  L.  Shaw;  W.  D.  Samuels;  H.  T. 
Todd  and  L.  A.  Dodson ;  D.  Emmerson ;  T.  B. 
Danielson ;  R.  L.  Norton ;  C.  C.  Lowery,  M. 
Hicks  and  J.  L.  Durante ;  D.  J.  Green,  J.  W. 
Ruther  and  M.  L.  Lawrence ;  O.  R.  Johnson ; 
R.  E.  Hartmann ;  R.  Morris ;  C.  J.  McCabe  and 
R.  Holmes ;  R.  Mills  and  J.  R.  Perkins  ;  V.  Bur- 
ton ;  I.  C.  Croft ;  W.  Burns  and  T.  R.  Fanning ; 

H.  and  F.  C.  Winkle ;  L.  T.  Hunt ;  G.  Johnson 
and  L.  R.  Spooner;  H.  V.  Nathan;  H.  H. 
Lantry;  E.  B.  Hibbard ;  J.  E.  Smith;  G.  W. 
Scott;  P.  Larcher  and  L.  W.  Morgan;  H.  D. 
Lally ;  T.  N.  Powell  and  N.  T.  Brown ;  W.  D. 
Wagner  and  E.  C.  Moore ;  J.  Farraro ;  R. 
Hubbell ;  M.  Wentworth ;  L.  B.  Hardy ;  D.  D. 
Orr;  P.  Redman  and  N.  G.  Kilgen ;  A.  Gar- 
lock  and  J.  B.  Roth ;  M.  R.  Ray ;  H.  E.  Lytle ; 
0.  E.  Parker  and  L.  L.  Lewis. 

[Note  :  The  "diplomas"  will  be  issued  at  the 
completion  of  one  full  course  in  the  Bluebook 
School.  You  may  start  at  any  time,  but  must 
send  in  answers  every  week  unless  you  can 
supply  a  reasonable  excuse. — F.  H.  R.] 

Section  (A)  is  answered  by  B.  L.  Shaw  as 
follows : 

'What  we  call  'amplification'  is  not  really 
that  at  all,  but  in  reality  the  controlling  of  a 
strong  current  by  a  very  much  weaker  one. 
The  three-element  tube  has  three  electrically 
active  elements,  called  respectively  the  'plate,' 
'grid'  and  'filament,'  all  located  in  a  vacuum 
established  within  a  glass  enclosure  or  'tube.' 
The  action  is  as  follows : 

"The  filament  is  connected  to  two  wholly 
different  circuits,  one  of  which  supplies  d.  c. 
current  for  the  purpose  of  raising  its  tempera- 


ture to  incandescence,  in  which  condition  it 
throws  off  or  emits  clouds  of  negatrons  ener- 
gized by  each  of  the  two  before  mentioned  cir- 
cuits. Those  having  their  source  in  the  heating 
current,  which  we  will  call  current  A,  return 
to  the  filament,  since  electrical  action  is  always 
within  its  own  power  source  and  the  circuits 
connected  therewith. 

"A  second  circuit,  which  we  will  call  B,  has 
its  negative  side  attached  to  the  filament,  its 
positive  side  being  connected  to  the  'plate,'  a 
sheet  of  thin  metal,  though  for  the  purpose  of 
greater  coolness  some  manufacturers  use  a 
metal  ring  for  a  plate.  In  any  case  the  plate 
must  present  considerable  area  to  the  negatron 
action  I  shall  describe. 

"Thus  we  have  filament  and  plate  terminals 
of  a  circuit  separated  by  space  in  the  vacuum 
tube.  When  in  action  the  incandescent  filament 
fills  the  vacuum  with  negatively  charged  parti- 
cles of  electricity  called  'negatrons.'  This  is 
termed  a  'space  charge.'  Disregarding  the  fila- 
ment circuit  heating  current  negatrons,  those 
that  have  their  power  source  in  current  B,  being 
electrically  charged,  would  of  course  be  at- 
tracted to  the  plate  and  thus  a  current  would 
be  established  in  circuit  B  that  would  be  of 
even  voltage  and  strength  and  of  power  equal 
to  the  ability  of  its  power  course  to  overcome 
the  resistance  set  up  in  the  circuit,  including  the 
vacuum  space  itself. 

"However,  between  the  positively  charged 
plate  and  the  filament  that  is  negatively  charged 
in  so  far  as  has  to  do  with  circuit  B  is  a  'grid' 
that  is  connected  with  the  negative  side  of  the 


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very  weak  photo-electric  cell,  hence  is  nega- 
tively charged.  Now,  as  we  all  know,  positive 
attracts  negative,  whereas  negative  repels  neg- 
ative. Since  to  reach  the  plate  the  negatrons 
from  current  B,  which  form  the  B  current 
through  the  vacuum  space,  must  pass  through 
the  grid,  it  follows  that  more  or  less  of  them 
will  get  through  against  the  grid  negative  re- 
pulsion force,  according  to  the  instant-to-instant 
power  impressed  upon  the  grid  by  the  P.  E.  cell 
circuit.  That  action  should  be  easily  understood. 
When  the  negative  repulsion  power  (grid  volt- 
age) is  less,  more  negatrons  get  through  to  the 
plate ;  when  it  is  greater,  less  negatrons  can 
pass. 

"Remembering  that  at  each  instant  of  time 
the  P.  C.  cell  voice  current  alters  in  exact  pro- 
portion to  the  amount  of  light  reaching  its 
active  element  from  the  film  sound  track,  it  is 
evident  that  the  B  current  will  be  modified  by 
the  condition  described  exactly  in  accordance 
with  the  voltage  variations  in  the  voice  or  P.  E. 
cell  current.  In  other  words,  the  stronger  B 
current  voltage  will  be  made  into  an  exact 
duplicate  of  the  weaker  voice  or  P.  E.  cell  cur- 
rent voltage." 

[Note:  I  submitted  the  foregoing  to  two  of 
our  best  sound  engineers,  who  both  agreed  that 
while  perhaps  not  exactly  correct  from  the 
scientific  vSewpoint,  it  nevertheless  contains 
nothing  basically  wrong.  Personally  I  regard 
it  as  the  most  understandable  explanation  of 
amplification  I  have  yet  seen — understandable 
to  the  non-technical  man,  I  mean. — F.  H.  R.] 

J.  R.  Prater  explains  it  this  way : 

"In  a  three-element  vacuum  tube,  amplifica- 
tion is  secured  through  its  valve-like  action  that 
enables  a  weak  current  to  control  a  much 
stronger  one.  The  three  essential  elements  of 
the  tube  are  anode,  cathode  and  grid.  More 
complicated  tubes  have  other  elements  added, 
but  they  merely  serve  to  modify  or  assist  the 
three  essential  ones. 

"The  positive  wire  from  a  high  voltage 
(moderately  high  only. — F.  R.  H.)  pure  d.  c. 
power  source  is  connected  to  the  anode  (Plate. 
— F.  H.  R.)  and  the  negative  wire  to  the  ca- 
thode (filament. — F.  H.  R.).  This,  together 
with  its  power  source  and  wires,  forms  the  plate 
circuit. 

"When  the  cathode  is  heated  (brought  to  in- 
candescence.— F.  H.  R.),  negatrons  are  emitted 
from  it,  a  great  number  of  which  are  attracted 
to  the  positively  charged  anode,  or  plate.  This 
flow  of  negatrons  forms  the  plate  current 
(through  the  tube  vacuum  space. — F.  H.  R.) 
and  under  this  condition  the  current  flow  would 

{Continued  on  following  page) 


86 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


THE  BLUEBOOK  SCHOOL 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

be  steady,  its  strength  depending  upon  the  num- 
bers of  negatrons  reaching  the  anode.  This  lat- 
ter in  turn  depends  upon  the  number  of  nega- 
trons emitted  by  the  cathode  and  the  voltage 
supplying  the  anode  with  its  positive  charge. 

"The  grid,  which  is  located  between  anode 
and  cathode,  is  also  connected  to  a  pure  d.  c. 
power  source,  but  with  negative  to  grid  and 
positive  to  cathode,  thus  supplying  what  is 
termed  the  grid  or  'C  bias.  Grid  and  cathode 
form  a  condenser  through  which  the  grid  cir- 
cuit is  completed. 

"Now  when  the  negatrons  seek  to  pass  from 
cathode  to  anode  they  encounter  the  negatively 
charged  grid  and  are  repelled,  some  of  them 
being  forced  back  and  prevented  from  passing. 
The  stronger  the  grid  charge,  the  greater  the 
repulsion,  which  action,  it  is  obvious,  operates 
to  change  the  plate  current  exactly  in  propor- 
tion as  the  grid  charge  is  changed.  Actually  a 
very  small  change  in  grid  charge  controls  a 
relatively  large  number  of  negatrons,  and  it  is 
this  valve-like  action  that  gives  the  tube  its 
amplifying  power. 

"By  connecting  a  source  of  sound  current  in 
series  with  the  grid  circuit,  the  grid  bias  or 
charge  is  altered  in  response  to  the  frequency 
and  strength  of  the  sound  current,  which  fluctu- 
ation causes  a  corresponding  change  in  the  much 
stronger  plate  current,  thus  superimposing  on 
the  steady  plate  current  an  a.  c.  component 
which  is  a  powerful  duplicate  of  the  weaker 
original  sound  current  supplied  to  the  grid." 

A.  L.  Cooper  says : 

"The  three-element  amplifying  tube  consists 
of  a  cathode  and  an  anode  placed  in  a  vacuum 
tube,  and  a  control  grid  so  located  between  them 
that  negatrons  emitted  by  the  cathode  must  pass 
through  it  to  reach  the  anode.  One  wire  (the 
positive)  of  the  plate  circuit  is  connected  to  the 
anode ;  the  other  to  the  anode. 

"The  grid  circuit  has  two  wires,  one  of  which 
(the  negative)  connects  to  the  grid,  the  other 
to  the  cathode,  so  that  the  grid  and  anode  form, 
in  effect,  a  small  condenser.  The  grid  is  always 
kept  negative  with  respect  to  the  cathode,  so 
that  negatrons  cannot  contact  the  grid  and  short 
circuit  the  grid-cathode  capitance.  The  two 
sources  of  power  in  the  grid  circuit  are  con- 
nected in  series.  One  is  the  sound  current  to  be 
'amplified,'  which  may  be  from  the  secondary 
of  a  transformer.  The  other  is  plain  d.  c,  with 
negative  connected  to  grid  and  positive,  as 
aforesaid,  to  cathode.  This  is  called  the  grid  or 
'C  bias.  It  keeps  the  condenser  always  charged 
with  cathode  positive  and  grid  negative,  while 
the  sound  source  in  series  varies  the  strength 
of  the  charge  as  its  own  frequency  and  strength 
to  the  cathode.  Each  fluctuation,  no  matter  how 
slight,  in  the  grid  charge  is  instantly  duplicated 
by  a  corresponding  change  in  the  much  stronger 
plate  current,  making  an  a.  c.  ripple  that  exactly 
matches  every  fluctuation  in  the  grid  voltage 
that  created  it.  The  plate  current  ripple  thus 
produced  is  therefore  an  amplified  duplicate  of 
the  grid  ripple." 

There,  gentlemen.  You  wanted  the  chance  to 
know  how  different  ones  understood  things,  and 
here  you  have  an  example. 
(B)  W.  C.  Brown  says: 

"Projection  room  ventilation  serves  mainly 
to  provide  conditions  wherein  men  may  remain 
for  several  hours  without  fear  of  injury  to 
health,  and  to  remove  all  gasses  and  smoke  as 
fast  as  formed  in  case  of  fire.  Ventilation  serves 
other  things  of  value,  but  the  two  named  are 
the  essential  factors.  Men  cannot  do  their  best 
work  in  poorly  ventilated  quarters,  therefore 
since  box  office  income  depends,  in  some  meas- 
ure, at  least,  upon  good  work  by  the  projec- 
tionist, it  is  to  the  financial  interest  of  the  em- 


ployer to  provide  it.  Moreover,  did  a  fire  occur  in 
a  poorly  ventilated  room,  smoke  in  all  probability 
would  ooze  out  into  the  auditorium  around 
crevices  in  the  various  shutter-covered  open- 
ings, sight  of  which  might  well  cause  a  panic, 
with  possibly  very  serious  results. 

"We  then  may  say  that  good  ventilation  is  a 
safeguard  to  both  life  and  health." 

A.  Garlock  answers  thus :  "The  essential 
items  served  by  proper  projection  room  ventila- 
tion are:  (a)  To  provide  good  air,  thus  con- 
serving the  health  of  the  men  working  in  the 
room,  as  well  as  setting  up  a  condition  tending 
to  cause  them  to  produce  good  work,  (b) 
Proper  ventilation  is  a  decided  safeguard  in  case 
of  fire;  see  your  Bluebook.  (c)  A  proper  flow 
of  air  tends  to  cause  equipments  to  operate  at 
lower  temperature,  (d)  Proper  air  movement 
tends  to  carry  off  carbon  and  other  dust  which, 


The  following  new  companies  in  the 
motion  picture  field  have  been  incor- 
porated recently  in  the  localities  named: 

In  Arkansas: 

Ozark  Enterprises,  Inc.,  to  operate  theatres, 

By  W.  F.  Sonneman,  E.  H.  Sonneman,  M. 

A.  Lightman  and  M.  S.  McCord.  Capital 

stock  is  1,000  shares,  no  par. 
Payne  Amusement  Company,  Inc.,  by  E.  C. 

Payne,  Leila  Pyane  and  Hal  DeLongy. 
V 

At  Dover,  Del.: 

Fox  Southside  Theatres  Corporation,  to  operate 
theatres,  listing  a  capital  of  $1,000.  Incor- 
porators are  Orville  H.  Schell,  Jr.,  Charles 
G.  Tillinghurst,  Jr.,  and  H.  D.  Johnson. 

New  Cozy  Theatre  Company,  Inc.,  with  capital 
stock  of  1,000  shares,  no  par  value,  by  S. 
L.  Mackey,  J.  Skrivan  and  H.  Kennedy. 
V 

In  Florida: 

Myrna  Halifax  Theatres,  Inc.,  with  capital  of 
10  shares,  par  value  $100  each,  by  E.  J. 
Sparks,  M.  C.  Talley  and  L.  H.  Small. 

Pan  American  Pictures  Corporation  with 
capital  stock  of  400,000  shares,  no  par  value, 
as  producers,  by  A.  L.  Brown,  G.  H.  Bowles 
and  C.  D.  Benson. 

Perland  Company,  Inc.,  to  engage  in  the  mo- 
tion picture  business,  by  F.  Rogers,  F.  H. 
Kent  and  G.  A.  Kenimer,  Authorized 
capital  is  100  shares  at  par  value  of  $100 
each. 

Royal  Theatre  Enterprises,  Inc.,  to  operate 
theatres  under  an  authorized  capitalization  of 
100  shares,  no  par  value,  bv  J.  A.  Cunning- 
ham, D.  Scott  and  C.  L.  Perry. 

Veebee  Theatres,  Inc.,  bv  R.  N.  Kahlevard. 
Sr.,  R.  N.  Kahlevard,  Jr.  and  M.  C.  Talley, 
with  capital  stock  of  10  shares,  par  value 
$100  each. 

V 

In  Missouri: 

Fanchon  and  Marco  Enterprises,  Inc.,  to  carry 
on  general  theatre  and  amusement  business, 
by  Harry  Greenman,  Charles  E.  Kurtzman 
and  Rose  Wiptler. 

V 

At  Albany,  N.  Y.: 

Harley  Enterprises  Ltd.,  theatrical  business, 
with  a  capital  of  100  shares,  no  par  value. 


did  it  lodge  on  film  or  in  machinery  bearings, 
would  cause  serious  harm." 

G.  E.  Doe  holds  this  view : 

"Without  good  ventilation  during  hot  weather, 
at  least,  the  projection  room  is  a  hot,  uncom- 
fortable place  in  which  to  work,  to  say  nothing 
of  health  considerations.  Men  forced  to  work 
under  such  conditions  will  not  do  their  best, 
hence  the  box  office  will  suffer.  Accidents  are 
more  likely  to  happen  in  such  a  room.  Equip- 
ments will  not  receive  the  care  they  might  and 
should  have,  therefore  the  repair  and  replace- 
ment bills  will  be  higher  than  they  would  be 
were  better  working  conditions  provided.  I  am 
not  defending  poor  work,  even  when  the  em- 
ployer 'asks  for  it.'  I  am  only  telling  you,  or 
rather  him,  what  will  happen. 

"In  addition  to  all  this,  with  poor  ventilation 
the  air  will  be  more  dust  laden,  with  consequent 
injury  to  film  and  machinery  bearings  and  the 
greater  liability  of  ground  noise  in  sound,  and 
to  top  it  all  off,  when  or  if  a  fire  occurs  in  a 
poorly  ventilated  room,  almost  certainly  at  least, 
some  of  the  smoke  will  get  out  into  the  audi- 
torium, where  it  may  start  a  panic.  To  sum  up, 
good  health,  comfortable  working  quarters, 
clean  air  and  protection  from  possible  panic  in 
time  of  fire  are  the  essential  points." 


by  Solomon  Badesch,  Esther  Schutz,  Nathan 
Berman. 

Ionian  Theatre  Corporation,  to  operate  theatres. 
Capital  stock  is  100  shares,  no  par  value, 
by  John  Skouras,  James  Marcus,  Euther- 
mios  Coolis. 

Lake  Placid  Players,  Inc.,  for  theatrical  pro- 
ductions by  Elizabeth  W.  Stearns,  Marion 
Rooney,  Edith  B.  Stearns. 

V 

At  Charlotte,  N.  C: 

Standard  Theatres,  Inc.,  with  authorized  capital 
stock  of  $100,000  and  subscribed  stock  of 
$300,  to  own  and  operate  motion  picture 
theatres,  by  F.  H.  Beddingfield,  J.  M.  Gregg 
and  S.  W.  Craver. 

V 

In  Ohio: 

Cheviot  Theatre  Realty  Company,  Inc.,  by 
Dorothea  Gano  Loofbourow,  J.  E.  Crawford 
and  John  R.  Loofbourow,  with  capital'  stock 
of  250  shares,  no  par  value. 

Creation  Amusement  Inc.,  by  N.  R.  Simon, 
J.  M.  Barbour  and  G.  W.  Rosenberg. 

Fairfield  Amusement  Company,  Inc.,  by  Robert 
Dienst,  A.  B.  Miller  and  A.  F.  Miller, 

Valley  Amusement  Company,  Inc.,  with  au- 
thorized capital  stock  of  $10,000  by  David 
M.  Levy,  Alfred  H.  Myers  and  M.  H.  Koo- 
dish. 

V 

In  Rhode  Island: 

Columbia    Amusement    Corporation,    an  ex- 
hibitor   company,   by   William    J.  Carlos, 
Marshall  B.  Marcus  and  Irving  Winograd. 
V 

Rockport  Amusement  Company,  Inc.,  capital- 
ized at  $2,000,  by  A.  C.  Glass,  Charles  T. 
Picton  and  Fred  Johnson. 

V 

In  Virginia: 

Brink  Amusement  Corporation,  with  capital 
of  $10,000,  to  engage  in  a  general  entertain- 
ment business.  James  H.  Brink  of  Coving- 
ton, Ky.,  is  president. 

T.  &  P.  Company,  Inc.,  of  which  B.  T.  Pitts 
is  president,  has  been  granted  a  charter  to 
a  theatrical  business  under  capital  of  $50,000. 

Virginia  Theatre  Supply  Corporation,  with 
maximum  capital  of  $5,000,  to  manufacture 
and  deal  in  theatre  supplies.  IT.  Pollard 
Long  is  president. 


COMPANIES  INCORPORATED 


July    2  5,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


87 


THE  RELEASE  CHART 


Productions  are  listed  according  to  the  names  of  distributors  in  order  that  the  exhibitor  may  have  a  short-cut  towards  such 
information  as  he  may  need,  as  well  as  information  on  pictures  that  are  coming.  Features  now  in  work  or  completed  for  release 
later  than  the  date  of  this  issue  are  listed  under  "Coming  Attractions."  Running  times  are  those  supplied  by  the  companies. 
Asterisk  indicates  running  time  as  made  known  by  West  Coast  studio  before  announcement  by  home  office  in  New  York.  Varia- 
tions also  may  be  due  to  local  censorship  deletions.  Dates  are  1935,  unless  otherwise  specified.  Letter  in  parenthesis  after 
title  denotes  audience  classification  of  production:  (A)  Adult,  (G)  General.  Numerals  following  audience  classification  are  pro- 
duction numbers.   Dagger  symbol  indicates  picture  is  of  the  1935-36  season. 


ACADEMY  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi  Duna   ..Jan.    24/36t  70. Jan.  25/3W 

Revolt  of  the  Demons  Dorothy  Stone-Dean  Jagger  May   20,'36t. . .  .60.  June   13, "36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title  of  "Revolt  of  the  Zombies.") 


Coming 


Inter- national  Crime  .... 

Millions  for  Defense  

Murder  in  Chinatown  

Secret  of  Scotland  Yard. 
Slave  Ship   


AMBASSADOR-CONN 


Running  Time- 


Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Black  Gold   Frankie  Darro-Berton  Churchill.  .Jan.  20,'36t  

Born  to  Fight  Frankie  Darro-Jack  La  Rue  Apr. 

Phantom  of  Death  Valley  Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. ..  May 

Phantom  Patrol   Kermit  Maynard-Joan  Barclay... 

Song  of  the  Trail  Kermit  Maynard-Evelyn  Brent.. 

Timber  War   Kermit  Maynard-Lucille  Lund.. 

Wildcat  Trooper   Kermit  Maynard-H.  Bosworth... 


.  May 
.Feb. 
.Nov. 
June 


I3.'36t. 
I5,'36t. 
3,'36t. 
24/36t. 

20  

IO/36f. 


Coming 


Avenging  Angels   Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond..  .Aug.  20. '36. 

China   Flight   Oct.  I, '36. 

Racing  Blood   Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond ..  .Aug.  I, '36. 

Robin   Hood.   Jr  Sept.  I5,'36. 

Wild  Horse  Roundup   Kermit   Maynard   Aug.  8, '36. 


BURROUGHS-TARZAN 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Drag   Net,   The  Rod   LaRocque-Marian   Nixon  Apr.  I5,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  1 5, '36.) 
Phantom  of  Santa  Fe,  The  Nina  Quartaro- Norman  Kerry  July  7,'36t  

(all  color) 

Tundra   Del  Cambre   ...July  I5,'36t  

Coming 

White    Glove,   The  Sept.  I,'36f  


Running  Time 

Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


CELEBRITY 

Title  Star 

Coming 

For  Love  of  You  Franco    Foresta    -    Riscoe  and 

Wayne   60  

Kiss  Me  Goodbye  (G)  Magda  Schneider  -  Riscoe  and 

Wayne   62  Dee.  14 


CHESTERFIELD 


Running  Time 


Ring  Around  the  Moon  (G). 


Star 

Rel. 

Date 

Minutes  Reviewed 

Valerie  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley, 

Jr  

Cecilia  Parker- Russell  Hopton... 

.June 

l,'36t 

Ray  Walker-Irene  Ware  

I5,'36t 

...64  

Dickie  Moore-Junior  Coghlan... 

.Mar. 

2,'36t 

Patricia  Farr-Wm.  Bakewell 

July 

6,'36t 

Erin  O'Brien-Moore-Donald 

151. . . 

...64.  Mar.  28/36 

COLUMBIA 

Title  Star  Rel.  | 

And   So   They   Were  Married 

<G>   Mary  Astor-Melvyn   Douglas. ....  May 

Avenging  Waters   Ken   Maynard-Beth  Marlon  May 

Blackmailer   William  Gargan- Florence  Rice.. .July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  28,'36.) 
Calling  of  Dan  Matthew  (G).. Richard  Arlen-Charlotte  Wynters 

Cattle  Thief.  The  Ken  Maynard -Geneva  Mitchell. 

Counterfeit   Chester  Morris-Margot  Grahame. 

(See  "Queer  Money,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  May  2,'36.) 
Crime  and  Punishment  (A)  Peter  Lorre-Edward  Arnold  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25. '36.  p.  63.) 

Danjerous  Intrigue   Ralph  Bellamy-Gloria  Shea  Jan. 

Devil's  Squadron  (G)  Richard  Dlx-Karen  Morl»v  May 


Running  Time 
Minutes  Reviewed 


IO.'36t....75.Apr.  I8,'36 


Dec. 
Feb. 
June 


lot.. 


20t. 


4.'36t 


 56  

. .  .66  

... .65 

Feb.  1/36 

57 

.  .74  

.. . .89 

. . .  Nov.  SO 

 57 

....80. 

May  16/36 

Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 
l5.'36t....63.Mar.  14/38 
lOt  65  Dec.  14 


Title  Star  Rel. 

Don't  Gamble  with  Love  (G)..  Bruce  Cabot-Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Escape  from  Devil's  Island  (G). Victor  Jory-Florence  Rice   ..Nov. 

Final  Hour,  The  M.  Churchill-Ralph  Bellamy  July  7/36t 

Fugitive  Sheriff,  The  Ken  Maynard-Beth  Marion  June  l/36t 

Gallant   Denfender   Charles  Starrett-Joan  Perry  Nov.  30t... 

Hell  Ship  Morgan  (G)  George  Bancroft-Ann  Sothern  Feb.  8,'36t 

Heroes  of  the  Range  Ken    Maynard-June   Gale  Mar.  28,'36t 

If  You  Could  Only  Cook  Jean  Arthur-Herbert  Marshall ...  Dec.  30t... 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64.) 

King  Steps  Out,  The  (G)          Grace    Moore-Franchot  Tone  May  28/?6t 

Lady   of  Secrets  Ruth  Chatterton-Otto  Kruger  Jan.  25,'36t 

Lawless  Riders  (G)  Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell. ..  Dec 

Lone  Wolf  Returns,  The  (G).  Melvyn   Douglas-Gail  Patrick.  ..Dec.  Sit... 
Mine  With  the  Iron  Door,  The 

(G)    Richard  Arlen-Cecilia  Parker  May  6/36t 

Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town  (G)     Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  Apr.  I2,'36t 

(Exploitation:    May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  6/36.  p.  120:  June  20/36,  pp. 
June  27/36,  p.  80;  July  11/36,  pp.  125.  128;  July  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Music  Goes  'Round,  The  (G)   Rochelle  Hudson-Harry  Richman. .  Feb.  27,'36t 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  95:  Mar.  21/36.  p.  96:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  84;  Apr.  18/36, 
May  2, '36.  p.  94;  May  9/36.  p.  90;  May  16/36.  p.  82;  June  6/36,  p.  123.) 


 58  

.  ..57  

...65. 

Mar. 

21/36 

51 

72  

....86 

May 

23/36 

 73 

28t  57.  May 

. .69.  Feb. 

.  .66. Apr. 
.  1 18.  Apr. 
118,  120, 

. .88. Feb. 


2/36 
15/36 

25/36 
25/36 
122; 

29/36 
p.  78; 


.  Jan. 
. .  Nov. 
. .  Apr. 

.  A  pr. 
.  .  Apr. 


I7,'36t  55  

25t  72  

IO/36t....56.May 

2/36t  66  

I2.'36t  69  


.May 


20/36t  60.. 

I7,'36t  57.. 

8/36t  56.. 

23t  58. 

I5.'36t  64.. 


I5t.... 
6/36t. 


Mysterious  Avenger   Charles   Starrett-Joan  Perry.. 

One  Way  Ticket  Lloyd  Nolan-Peggy  Conklin... 

Panic  on  the  Air  (G)  Lew  Ayres-Florence  Rice.... 

Pride  of  the   Marines  Charles  Bickford- Florence  Rice 

Roaming  Lady    Fay  Wray-Ralph  Bellamy  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  April  4/36.) 

Secret  Patrol   Charles  Starrett- Finis  Barton. 

Shakedown   Lew  Ayres-Joan  Perry  July 

Stampede   Charles  Starrett- Finis  Barton ....  June 

Too  Tough  to  Kill  Victor  Jory-Sally  O'Neill  Nov. 

Trapped  by  Television  Lylo  Talbot-Mary  Astor  June 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23/36.) 

Western  Courage   Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell ...  Nov. 

You  May  Be  Next  (G)  Ann  Sothern-Lloyd  Nolan  Feb. 

Coming 

Adventure  in  Manhattan  Jean  Arthur-Joel  McCrea   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 

Continental   Dolores  Del  Rio-Melvyn  Douglas   

Craig's  Wife   John  Boles-Rosalind  Russell  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 

Find  the  Witness  Marguerite  Churchill   

I  Promise  to  Pay  Leo  Carrillo-Marian  Marsh- 

Geo.  Bancroft   

Lost   Horizon   Ronald  Colman-Jane  Wyatt- 

Edward   Everett  Horton  

Man  Who  Lived  Twice,  The...  Isabel  Jewell-Ralph  Bellamy  

Man  Without  Fear,  A  Jack   Hoit-Louise  Henry  

Meet  Nero  Wolfe   Edward  Arnold-Lionel  Stander . . .  Aug.  l/36t....72 

(See  "Fer  de  Lance,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 

Nightingale  Flies  Home,  The..  Grace  Moore     

Pennies  from  Heaven  Bing  Crosby-Madge  Evans  

Theodora   Goes   Wild  Irene  Dunne   

They  Met  in  a  Taxi  Chester    Morris-Fay  Wray  

(See  "There  Goes  the  Bride,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 
Two  Fisted  Gentleman  James   Dunn-June   CI  ay  worth  Aug.  15/36  

(Sec  "The  Fighter,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  July  4/36.) 
Two    Minute   Alibi  M.  Churchill-Wm.  Gargan  


58  

67.  Mar.  28/88 


COMMODORE 


Running  Time 


Title 

Star 

Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

2,'36t.. 
l5/36f.. 
I5,'36t.. 

.  .6  rls  

Feb. 

..6  rls.  

..6  rls  

Jr  

Nov. 

It  

..6  rls  

Toll  of  the  Desert  (G) 

Fred  Kohler, 

Jr.-Betty  Mack.. 

. .  Nov. 

It  

..60  Oct.  28 

Wolf  Riders   

 Jack  Perrln 

26t  

..6  rls  

Coming 

Scream  in  the   Dark  Lon  Chaney,  Jr  6  rls. 


Title 


DANUBIA 

(Hungarian  Dialogue) 
Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


Empress  and  a  Soldier  Gozon-Dajbukat   Dec.      It  77. 

Keep  Smiling   Szoeke  Szakall   Feb.  21  ,'36t .... 77. 

New   Squire,    The  Paul  Javor   Mar.  I5,'36t. . .  106. 

Queen  of  Roses  Zita  Pertzel   Nov.    1 0t  90. 

Sweet  Stepmother   Maria  Tasnedl   Nov.    22t  90. 


Coming 

Be  Good  Unto  Death  Lacrl    Deveny   Sept.  10/36. 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


2  5 


9  3  6 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART—CCNT'D) 


Title 


DU  WORLD 

Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Frasqulta    (G)   Franz  Lehar   Jan.    I7,'36t  87. Feb.  i,'36 

Legong:  Dance  of  the  Virgins..  Technicolor   Nov.    I5t  60  

Scandal  in  Budapest  Nov.  It  

Wedding  Rehearsal   Roland  Young-Merle  Oberon  Dec.  It  

Coming 

Amok   .Marcel  Chantel   

Kllou,  the   Killer  Technicolor   

L'Equlppage   Annabella   


Opera  of  Paris  Georges  Thill 


Oct. 

Oct. 

I.'36... 

..60.... June  1 

Oct. 

Sept. 

Oct. 

1/36  . . 

Oct. 

Title 


EMPIRE  Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Crime  Patrol   Ray    Walker-Geneva  Mitchell   

Fire  Trap  (G)..  Evalyn  Knapp-Norman  Foster  »63  Dee.  7 

Shadows  of  the  Orient  (G)  Regis  Toomey-Esther  Ralston  *65.Feb.  15/36 


FIRST  NATIONAL 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Brides  Are  Like  That  (G)  972. Ross  Alexander-Anita  Louise..  ..Apr.    1 8/36t  67. Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  117.) 

Broadway  Hostess  (G)  963  Winifred  Shaw-Lyle  Talbot  Dec.     7t  69  Nov.  23 

Bullets  or  Ballots  (G)  961  Edw.  G.  Robinson-Joan  Blondell. . June    6/36t  81. May  23/36 

(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.  123;  June  27/36,  p.  86.) 
Captain  Blood  (G)  855  Errol  Flynn-Olivia  De  Havilland. .  Dec.    28t  119. Jan.  11/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  69;  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83,  86;  Feb.  29/36,  pp. 
74.  76;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Ceiling  Zero  (G)  953  James  Cagney-Pat  O'Brien  Jan.   25/36t  95  Dec.  28 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  62;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  29/36,  p.  73;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99; 
Apr.  18/36,  pp.  81,  82;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  23/36,  p.  88.) 

Earthworm  Tractors  (G)  962. ..Joe  E.  Brown-June  Travis  July    !8/36t...*68.June  20/36 

Golden  Arrow,  The  (G)  959...Bette  Davis-George  Brent  May   23/36t  68. May  9/36 

(Exploitation:   May  16/36,  p.  85;  July  4/36,  p.  72.) 

Hearts  Divided  955  (G)  Marion    Davies-DIck   Powell  June  20/36t  70. June  13/36 

I  Found  Stella  Parish  (A)  958  Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter  Nov.    I6t  84  Nov.  2 

Law  in  Her  Hands.  The  (G) 

973   Margaret  Lindsay- Warren  Hull. .May    I6,'36t  58. Apr.  18/36 

Man  of  Iron  (G)  969  Barton  MacLane-Mary  Astor  Dec.    2ft  61  Nov.  16 

Murder  by  an  Aristocrat  (G) 

974   Marguerite  Churchill-L.  Talbot. .June   I3,'36t  60. Apr.  4/36 

Murder  of   Dr.   Harrlgan,  The 

(G)  970   Kay  Linaker-RIcardo  Cortez  Jan.    Il/36t  67. Feb.  1/36 

Payoff,  The  (G)  968  James  Dunn-Claire  Dodd  Nov.     9t  64  Nov.  30 

Road  Gang  (A)  964  Donald  Woods-Kay  Llnaker  Mar.  28/36t. . . .62. Feb.  29/38 

(Exploitation:    Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  121;  June  27/36,  p.  88;  July  4/36, 
p.  68;  July  11/36,  p.  128.) 

Singing  Kid,  The  (G)  954  Al  Jolson-Beverly  Roberts  Apr.   Il/36t.  ..84. Mar.  21/36 

(Exploitation:  May  2/36,  p.  99.) 

Snowed  Under  (G)  971  George   Brent-Genevieve  Tobln...Apr.     4/36f . .  .  .63. Mar.  21/36 

Song  of  the  Saddle  (G)  978. .Dick  Foran-Alma  Lloyd  ...Feb.  29/36t.   ..56. Apr.  11/36 

Story  of  Louis  Pasteur,  The  (G) 

956   Paul  Muni-Josephine  Hutchinson.. Feb.  22/36t  87  Nov.  SO 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  96;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  25/36, 
p.  96;  May  2/36,  p.  92;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36,  p.  85; 
July  4/36,  p.  68.) 
Two  Against  the  World  (G)  977.  Humphrey  Bogart- Beverly  Rob- 
erts  July    ll/36t....57.May  23/38 

White,  Angel,  The  960  (G)...Kay  Francis-Ian   Hunter  July     4/36t  91. June  6/36 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  125.) 

Coming 

Case  of  the  Caretaker's  Cat. . .  Ricardo  Cortez-June  Travis  

Case  of  the  Velvet  Claws,  The 

(G)  965  Warren  William-Claire  Dodd. ...Aug.   I5.'36t. . . .63. May  23/36 

China  Clipper  960   Pat  O'Brien-Beverly   Roberts  Aug.  22/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Down  the  Stretch  (G)  Patricia  Ellis-Dennis  Moore  Sent.  19/36  *65.July  18/36 

God's  Country  and  the  Woman. George  Brent-Beverly  Roberts  

Gold   Diggers  of  1937  nick  Powell-Joan  Blondell  

Heroes  of  the  Air  Jean    Muir-Warren  Hull  

Love    Begins   at    Twenty  (G) 

975   Warren   Hull-Patricia  Ellis  Aug.  22/36  58.  May  30/36 

Mountain  Justice   Bette  Davis   

Nowhere   Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts  

Polo  Joe   Joe  E.  Brown-Carol  Hughes  

(See  "In  The  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Shrinking   Violet   June  Travis-Richard  Pureell  

Sing  Me  a  Love  Song  James  Melton-Patricia  Ellis  

Slight  Case  of  Murder,  A  Edward  G.  Robinson  

Stage  Struck   Joan  Blondell-Dlck  Powell  Sept.  12/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  6/36.) 

FRANK  NORTON 

(Greek  Dialogue — English  Titles)     Running  Time 

Title  Star 
Aute  in  Zoe  Reta  Karmen    


Independence   Phillip  Alexander 


Rel.  Date  Minutes 

.  Nov. 

25t  

.  Dec. 

.  Dec. 

I5f  

.115.. 

.Jan. 

I5,'36t 

..98.. 

Feb. 

l6/36t.. 

.100 

Nov. 

Feb. 

5/36t. 

..95. 

GB  PICTURES  Running  Time 

Title                                    Star                                  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

First  a  Girl  (A)  3512  Jessie  Matthews-Sonnie  Hale  Dec.    3 1 f  78  Nov.  30 

It's  Love  Again  (G)  Jessie  Matthews-Robert  Young.. .May   30,'36t  79. May  16/36 

King  of  the  Damned  (A)  3504.  Conrad  Veidt-Helen  Vinson  Jan.    I5.'36f  75. Jan.  25/36 

Mister  Hobo  (G)  3416  George  Arliss-Gene  Gerrard  Nov.   22  80  Oct.  10 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "The  Guv'nor.")  (Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36, 
p.  84;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  83.) 
Passing  of  the  Third  Floor 

Back,  The  (G)  3510  Cenrad  Veldt-Rene  Ray  Dec.    I5t  80  Oct.  It 

Rhodes,  the  Diamond  Master 

(G)  3514   Walter   Huston   Apr.   I5,'36t  88. Mar.  7/36 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  72.) 

Secret  Agent  (A)  3515  Madeleine  Carroll-Peter  Lorre  June  I5,'36t . .  . .83. May  23/36 

Coming 

East  Meets  West  George  Arliss   

Everything  Is  Thunder  C.  Bennett-D.  Montgomery  

Great  Barrier,  The  Richard  Arlen-Lilli  Palmer  

Hidden   Power,   The  Sylvia   Sidney-John  Loder  

His  Majesty's  Pyjamas  (A) 

3623   Clive  Brook-Helen  Vinson-Mary 

Carlisle   78. May  30/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Love  in  Exile.") 

King  Solomon's  Mines  3618. ...  Roland  Young-Paul  Robeson  

Man  Who  Lived  Again  3507...  Boris   Karloff-Anna  Lee  

Nelson    Touch.    The  George  Arliss   

Nine  Days  a  Queen  (G)  3610..  Nova  Pilbeam-Cedric  Hardwlcke . .Sept.    I, '361'  80. May  18/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Lady  Jane  Gray.")  (See  production  article,  June  20/36,  p.  10.) 

Paris  Love  Song  Jessie  Matthews   

Seven  Sinners   Edmund    Lowe-Constance  Cum- 

mings   ...Aug.   I5,'36t  70. July  11/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Doomed  Cargo.") 

Soldiers  Three   Victor  McLaglen   

Strangers  on  a  Honeymoon  Constance  Cummings-Hugh  Sin- 
clair-Noah  Beery   ,  

GEORGE  HIRLIMAN  ENTERPRISES 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Bristol,  the  Blunderer  George  O'Brien   Nov.  1/36  

Captain  Calamity   George  Houston-Marion  Nixon. ..  .Aug.   15/36  66  

Daniel  Boone   George    O'Brien  Sept.  1/36  

Devil  on  Horseback,  The  Lili  Damita   

Gorgeous   

Pending  Justice   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  

Rest  Cure  (G)  Reginald  Denny-Esther  Ralston  .. Oct.    15/36          64. Feb.  15/31 

Romance  en  the  Rio  

Yellow  Cargo   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  Sept.  15/36  65  

GRAND  NATIONAL  DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

(Release  First  Division  Productions  and  in  certain  territories  Alliance,  Diversion, 
Normandy,  Associated  Talking,  Monogram,  Liberty,  Chesterfield  and  Invincible  Pictures.) 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

August  Week-end   Valerie  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley,        j(i  Hi! 

Jr  Apr.    IO/36f. .  .  .67  

Below  the  Deadline  Cecilia  Parker-Russell  Hopton. . .  June    8.'36t. . .  .69  

Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens- Dorothy  Tree..  ..Mar.    5,'36t. .  •  .66  

Brilliant  Marriage   Joan  Marsh-Ray  Walker  Mar.  25/36t. .  .  .62'/2  

Dance  Band  (G)  Buddy  Rogers-June  Clyde  ....Nov.    I5t  65  June  15 

Dark  Hour,  The  Irene  Ware-Ray  Walker  Jan.    15/361. ..  .70'/i  

Drake  the  Pirate  (G)  Matheson   Lang-Jane   Baxter  Apr.     l/36t  78. ...June  I 

Easy   Money   (G)  Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker  June   I5,'36t  66 %  July  1 1/36 

Feud  of  the  West  Hoot  Gibson-Joan  Barclay  Apr.    I5,'3fff ..  ..6I'/S  

Hitch-Hike  to  Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman-Anita  Page... Dec.     It  63  

I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi  Duna   Feb.     l/36t. .  .  .67. Jan.  25/38 

Lady  in  Scarlet,  The  Reginald  Denny-Patricia  Farr.  ..Nov.    20t  65  

Lady  Luck   Patricia  Farr — Wm.  Bakewell. . . .  July  3,'36t  

Law  of  45's  Big  Boy  William-Molly  0' Day.  ..Dec.   I   t  56  

Little  Red  School  House  Junior  Coghian-Dickle  Moore. ...  Mar.  I0,'36t....59  

Living  Dead,  The  Gerald  Du  Maurier-Geo.  Curzon..Feb.  29,'36t....65  

Lucky  Terror,  The  Hoot  Gibson   Feb.  20/36t....6l  

Murder  at  Glen  Athol  John  Miljan-lrene  Ware  Nov.     It  69. May  9/36 

Old  Curiosity  Shop  (G)  Elaine  Benson-Ben  Webster  Dec.    25t  89. ...Feb.  2 

Red  Wagon   Charlies  Bickford-Raquel  Torres. .Dec.     8f  76  

Riding  Avenger  (G)  Hoot  Gibson   June   I5,*36t  57. July  18/36 

Ring  Around  the  Moon  Erin  O'Brien  -  Moore  -  Donald 

Cook   Jan.    23/36t  69'/2Mar.28/36 

She-Devil  Island   C.  Guerrero-J.  J.  Martinez 

Casado   June  l,'36t....63  

Southern  Maid   Bebe  Daniels-Clifford  Molllson.  . .  May  l/36t....60  

Spy  77  (G)  Greta   Nissen-Don   Alvarado  Jan.    I5,'36t. . .  .77. Feb.  29/36 

Swifty   Hoot  Gibson-June  Gale  Dec.    I5t  60  

Tango   Marian   Nixon-Chick  Chandler. .  .Jan.  IO/36t....70  

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)  Chick  Chandler-Evalyn  Knapp. .  .  May   20/36t  75. July  4/36 

Too  Much  Beef  Rex  Bell-Connie  Bergen  Apr.  20/36 1.... 59  

West  of  Nevada  Rex  Bell   June  22,'36t....59  


HOFFBERG 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Fighting  Playboy   Lucile  Browne-Nick  Stuart  Nov.    I  Of  55  

Girl  from  Maxim's...:  Leslie   Henson-Frances   Day  July    15/36  65. Oct.  14/33 

Old  Spanish  Custom,  An  Buster   Keaton   Jan.     2/361.-  ..60  

Song  of  the  Scarlet  Flower  Swedish   June   15/36  80  

Wanted  Men   Charles  Laughton- Dorothy  Glsh..June     1/36  62  

Coming 

Monday  at  Ten  Virginia  Cherrill-Gary  Marsh  60  

Crime  of  Voodoo  Fredi  Washington   Sept.    1/36  63  

Voice  of  India  Hoeffer  Expedition   Sept.  15/36  70  

Womanhood   Eve  Gray-Esmond  Knight  60  


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


39 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAKT-- CCNT'E) 


Title 

Addressee  Unknown   Irene  Agai 

Heart  Specialist   B.  Somegyl 


HUNGARIA 

(Hungarian  Dialogue) 
Star 


Running  Time 


Three  Men  Under  the  Snow. . .  leno 


Rel.  Date  M 

inutes  Reviewed 

Jan.  l/36t.. 

.85  

Title  Star 
Voice  of  Bugle  Ann,  The  (G) 

630   Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sullivan.  .Feb. 

We  Went  to  College  (G)  626.. Walter  Abel-Edith  Atwater  June 

Whipsaw  (G)  513  Myrna  Loy-Spencer  Tracy  Dec. 

Wife  vs.  Secretary  (G)  606  Clark  Gable- Myrna  Loy-Jean 

Harlow   Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18, '36,  p.  77;  July  4,'36,  p.  69.) 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


7/36t 
l9/36t 
I3t... 


...72.  Feb.  15,'M 
...69. June  27.'S6 
...82. ...Dee.  14 


28/36t....89.Feb.   22,' J6 


IMPERIAL 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Mad  Parade   Irene  Rich-Evelyn  Brent  ..May    I5,'36  71  

Manhattan  Butterfly   Dorothy  Grainger-Wm.  Bakewell . .  Nov.    25t  71  

Coming 

Nigh  Hat   Frank  Luther- Dorothy  Dare  Sept.  1/36  

Rich  Relations   Ralph  Forbes-Frances  Grant  Oct.    I5,'36  68  

Second  Choice   Betty  Burgess-Lloyd  Hughes  Nov.  I,'36t  

Wooden   Kimono,  The  Sept.  I5,'36  


INVINCIBLE 

(Distributed  through  Chesterfield) 


Title 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens- Dorothy  Tree  Feb. 

Brilliant  Marriage   Joan  Marsh-Ray  Walker  Mar. 

Easy  Money  (G)  Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker  June 

Hitch-Hike  to  Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman-Anita  Page.. .Dec. 

Tango   Marian  Nixon-Chick  Chandler. . .Jan. 

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)  Chiek  Chandler-Evalyn  Knapp...May 

Coming 

On  the  Spot  Reginald  Denny-Jack  La  Rue  Aug. 


15."36t  64  

25/36t  

IO/36t.. .  .66'/2  July  1 1.'36 

It  

I,'36t...66  

2/36t  75. July  4/36 


I  ,'36. 


Coming 

Born  to  Dance  Eleanor  Powell-James  Stewart  

Chained  Lightning   Edmund  Lowe-Betty  Furness  

Devil  Is  a  Sissy,  The  Freddie  Bartholomew-Jackie 

Cooper   Sept.  I8,'36  

Good  Earth,  The  Paul  Muni-Luise  Rainer  

(See  production  article,  July  1 1, '36,  p.  16.) 

Gorgeous  Hussy,  The  633  Joan  Crawford -Robert  Taylor - 

Mclvyn   Douglas-Jas.   Stewart .  .Aug.  28,'36t  

Great  Ziegfeld,  The  (G)  700  .  William    Powell  -  Myrna    Loy  - 

Luise    Rainer   Sept.    4. '36  180. Apr.  4.'36 

(Pictorial:    Jan.  25, '36,  p.  16;    exploitation:    Apr.  I8,'36,  p.  76;  June  27. '36.  p.  82.) 

His  Brother's  Wife  657  Root.  Taylor-Barbara  Stanwyck. ..  Aug.  7,'36t  

Kelly  the  Second  702  Patsy    Kelly-Pert    Kelton  Aug.  26,'36  

Longest    Night.    The  Robert   Young-Florence  Rice  

Mister  Cinderella   Jack   Haley-Betty  Furness  

Neighborhood  House  (G)  Charley  Chase-Rosina  Lawrence  58. May  9,'36 

Old   Hutch   Wallace    Beery-Cecilia    Parker..  .Sept.  25, '36  

Our   Relations   Laurel  and  Hardy  

Piccadilly  Jim  655  Robt.  Montgomery-Madge  Evans  . Aug.  I4,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18. '36.) 
Romeo  and  Juliet  (G)  Norma  Shearer-Leslie  Howard- 
John  Barrymore   1 24. July    1 8, '36 

(See  production  article,   Mar.   28, '36,   p.  16.) 

Sworn   Enemy  (G)  703  Robert  Young-Florence   Rice  Sept.  II, '36  78. July    1 1  ,'36 

Tarzan  Escapes   Johnny  Weismuller-Maureen 

O'Sullivan   

Women  Are  Trouble  (G)  701... Stuart   Erwin-Florence    Rice  July    31, '36  59. June  20,'36 


MASCOT 


Title 

Doughnuts  and  Society. 


Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
.Louise  Fazenda-Maude  Eburne. . .  Mar.  27/36f  63  ,. 


METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 

Running  Tlma 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Absolute  Quiet  (G)  609  Irene  Hervey-Llonel  Atwlll  Apr.  24,'36t  71. Apr.  11/36 

Ah,  Wilderness!  (G)  628  Wallace  Beery-Lionel  Barrymore. .Nov.   29t  98  Nov.  23 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  82,  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  98.) 

Bohemian  Girl,  The  (G)  521.. Laurel  and  Hardy  Feb.    I4,*36t.  ..72. Mar.  7/36 

Devil  Doll,  The  (G)  631  Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sullivan  . .July    I0,'36t. ..  .79. July  11/36 

Exclusive  Story  (G)  621  Franchot  Tone-Madge  Evans  Jan.    I7,'36t  73. Jan.  18/38 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  82;  Apr.  11/36,  p.  95:  May  30/36,  p.  90.) 

Fury  (G)   610  Sylvia  Sidney-Spencer   Tracy  June    5/36t. . .  .94. May  30/38 

(Exploitation:   June  20/36,  p.  117;  June  27/36,  pp.  80,  81.) 
Garden  Murder  Case,  The  (G) 

622   Edmund   Lowe- Virginia   Bruce. ..Feb.  2l/36t  62. Feb.  8/36 

Kind  Lady  (G)  619  Aline   MacMahon-B.   Rathbsne. . .  Dec.     6t  78  Dec.  7 

Last  of  the  Pagans  (G)  6l7...Mala-Lotus   Long   Dee.    20f  84  Dee.  14 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  95.) 

Moonlight  Murder  (G)   624. .  .Chester  Morris-Madge   Evans. ...  Mar.  27/36t  68. Mar.  28/36 

Mutiny  on  the  Bounty  (G)  536Clark  Gable-Charles  Laughton- 

Franchot  Tone   Nov.     8t  133  Nov.  • 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  80;  Jan.  25  /36,  p.  68;  Feb.  1/36,  p.  65;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  82; 
Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  98;  June  27/36,  p.  81.) 

Night  at  the  Opera,  A  (G)  644  Marx    Brothers   Nov.    I5t  96  Oct.  28 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  80,  82;  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  94,  100;  Feb.  29/36,  p.  74;  Mar. 
7/36,  p.  100;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88.) 
Perfect  Gentleman,  The  (G) 

615   Frank  Morgan-C.  Courtneldge  Nov.    22t  73  Dae.  28 

Petticoat  Fever  (G)  645  Rob't  Montgomery-Myrna  Loy  Mar.  20/361  81. Mar.  21/38 

(Exploitation:   Apr.  18/36,  p.  79;  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  13/36;  p.  122.) 

Riffraff  (G)  517  Jean  Harlow-Spencer  Tracy  Jan.     3,'36t  90  Dee.  28 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84,  89.) 
Robin  Hood  of  El  Dorado,  The 

608   Warner  Baxter-Ann  Lorlng  Apr.  I7,'36t....86  

(Seo  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  7/36.)  (Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p.  85;  July  11/36, 
p.  124.) 

Rose  Marie  (G)  643  J.   MacDonald-Nelson  Eddy  Jan.    3 l.'36f ...  1 1 3.  Jan.  18/38 

(See  musical  analysis,  Feb.  22/36,  p.  23;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  14/36, 
p.  87;  Mar.  21/36.  p.  92;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  11/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  18/36.  p.  78; 
May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  30/36,  p.  86;  July  18/36,  p.  82.) 

San  Francisco  (G)  636  Clark  Gable  -  J.  MacDonald  - 

Spencer  Tracy-Jack   Holt  June  26,'36t. . .  1 1 1  .July  4/38 

Small  Town  Girl  (G)  607  Janet  Gaynor- Robert  Taylor  Apr.    IO/36t . . .  106.  Apr.  11/36 

(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.  122:  June  27/36,  p.  80.) 

Speed  652  (G)  Wendy   Barrie-James  Stewart  May  8/36t. 

Suzy   (G)   518  Jean  Harlow-Franchot  Tone  July  24/36t. 


.  .72.  May 
. .95. July 


2/36 
18/36 

Tale  of  Two  Cities,  A  (G)  604.  Ronald  Colman-Elizabeth  Allan. .  Dec.    27t  126  Dec.  7 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  86:  May  2/36.  p.  94.) 

Three  Godfathers  (G)  623  Chester  Morris-Irene  Hervey  Mar.    6/36t  82. Feb.  22/36 

Three  Live  Ghosts  (G)  618  Richard  Arlen-Cecilla  Parker  Jan.    IO/36t  62. Jan.  4/38 

Three  Wise  Guys  (G)  653  Robert  Young-Betty  Furness  May   I5,'36t  75. May  16/36 

(Exploitation:  July  18/36,  p.  85.) 

Tough  Guy  (G)  620  Jackie  Cooper-Joseph  Callela  Jan.    24/36f  77. Feb.  8/38 

Trouble  for  Two  (G)  646  i .  Robert  Montgomery-R.  Russell. .. May  29/36t  75. May  30/38 


MITCHELL  LEICHTER-BEAUMONT 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Desert  Guns   Conway  Tearle   Jan.     2/36t  65  

Riddle  Ranch    Black  King   Dec.    I6t  56  

Coming 

Devil's  Gold   Conway  Tearle   

Hell's  Hacienda   Conway  Tearle   

Senior  Jim   Conway  Tearle-Barbara  Bedford  

Three   Fingers   Conway  Tearle   

Whistling  Skull   Conway  Tearle   


Jan. 
'36,  p. 
Mar. 


Unguarded  Hour,  The  (G)  55I.Loretta  Young-Franchot  Tone  Apr.  3/36t. 


.Apr.  4/36 


PARAMOUNT 

Title  Star 

And  Sudden  Death  (G)  Randolph  Scott-Frances  Drake... 

Anything  Goes  (G)  3533  Bing  Crosby-Ethel  Merman  

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Arizona  Raiders,  The  Buster  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  

Bar  20  Rides  Again  (G)  3525. Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  

Big  Brown  Eyes  (G)  3548  Joan  Bennett-Cary  Grant  

Border  Flight  (G)   3558  John  Howard-Frances  Farmer  

Bride  Comes  Home,  The  (G) 
3530   Claudette  Colbert-F.  MacMurray.. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83:  Feb.  22, 

Call  of  the  Prairie  (G)  3541. .Wm.   Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  

Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames,  The 
(A)  3535   Madeleine  Carroll-George  Brent.. May 

(Exploitation:    June  6/36.  p.  121;  July  4/36,  p.  69.) 
Collegiate  (G)  3529  Joe  Penner-Jack  Oakie  

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22, 
Apr.  11/36,  p.  92;  May  16/36,  p.  82.) 
Coronado  3524   Betty  Burgess-Johnny  Downs... 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Oct.  19.)    (Exploitation:  Feb. 

Desert  Gold  3546  Larry  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  

Desire  (A)  3539  Marlene  Dietrich-Gary  Cooper... 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

Drift  Fence  (G)  3536  Larry  Crabbe-Kath.  Do  Mllle... 

Early  to  Bed  3560  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland... 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 

Fatal  Lady  (G)  3552  Mary  Ellis-Walter  Pldgeon  

Florida  Special  (G)  3554  Jack  Oakie-Satly  Ellers  

F  Man  (G)  3544  Jack  Haley-Adrienne  Marden... 

Forgotten  Faces  (G)  3556  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael... 

Girls  of  the  Ozarks,  The  (G) 

3561   Virginia  Weldler-G.  Erlekson.. 

Give  Us  This  Night  (G)  3542.. Jan  Klepura-Gladys  Swarthout.. 

(See  musical  analysis.  Mar.  14/36,  p.  18.) 

Heart  of  the  West  3587  Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  

Her  Master's  Voice  (G)  3531.. Edw.  E.   Horton-P.  Conklln  

It's  a  Great  Life  3528  Joe  Morrison-Rosalind  Keith.... 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Klondike  Annie  (A)  3538  Mae  West-Victor  McLaglen  

(See  news  article,  Mar.  7/36,  p.  19;  exploitation:  Feb.  22 

June  20/36,  p.  118.) 
Mary  Burns,  Fugitive  (G)  3521. Sylvia  Sldney-Melvyn  Douglas. ..  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  86;  Mar.  28/36,  p.  84.) 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

June   I9,'36t  68. June  13/36 

Jan.    24/36t....92.Feb.  22/36 

June  26/36t  57  

Dec.    I3t  63. ...Dee.  7 

Apr.  3/36f....76.Apr.  11/36 

May  29,'36t....59.Apr.  25/36 


3,'36t....83....Nov.  23 
98:  Apr.  25/36.  p.  92.) 
6/36t....67.Feb.  1/38 

8/36t...*85.May  9/36 


Dec.    27t  81  Dee.  28 

'36,  p.  94;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89; 


.  .Nov. 

29t 

.  1/36, 

p.  66.) 

Mar. 

27/36t.. 

..58. 

.Feb. 

28/36t.. 

.  .95. 

Feb. 

8/36 

.Feb. 

I4,'36t.. 

..56. 

May 

30/36 

.June 

5/36t.. 

..73 

May 

I5.'36t.. 

..76, 

May 

23/36 

l/36t.. 

..67.  Apr. 

25/36 

.Mar. 

I3.'36t.. 

.  .72, 

May 

16/38 

.  May 

I5,'36t.. 

.72. 

May 

2/38 

.June 

I2.'36t.. 

.  .68. June 

6/38 

.  Mar. 

6/36t.. 

.73. 

Mar. 

7/36 

July 

24/36t 

.Jan. 

I7,'36t.. 

.76. 

Feb. 

22/38 

20t 

Feb.  2l/36t....8I.Feb.  15/36 
,'36,  p.  96:  Apr.  1/36,  p.  92; 


I5t  84... Nov.  10 


90 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,     19  3  6 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT—CCNT'D) 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Milky  Way,  The  (G)  3535  Harold  Lloyd-Adolphe  Meniou. . .  .  Feb.     7/36t .  . .  .88.  Feb.  1/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21, '36,  pp.  93.  95;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  82.  87;  May  2/36,  p.  99;  May  23/36, 


(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64;  Feb.  8/36,  p. 


Preview  Murder  Mystery  (G) 
3540   G 

Princess  Comes  Across,  The  (G) 
3557   C 

Return  of  Sophie  Lang,  The 


Ship  Cafe  (G)  3520  Carl  Bri 

Sky  Parade  3550  Jimmy  A 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 


So  Red  the  Rose  (G)  3522  Margaret  Sullavan-R.  Scott. 

(Exploitatien:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  76.) 


18/36, 

p.  85.) 

I3t... 

...72....  Nov.  30 

.Apr. 

IO/36t 

...83. Apr.  11/36 

.Nov. 

28t... 

...59. ...Nov.  16 

.June 

5/36t 

...72. June  6/36 

Nov. 

8t. .. 

...85  Nov.  9 

.June 

19/36 

.Feb. 

28/36t 

...65. Feb.  15/36 

.May 

22/36t 

...76. May  16/36 

July 

3/36t 

...64. June  20/36 

.Jan. 

IO/36t 

...82. Jan.  11/36 

18/36, 

p.  84; 

Feb.  8/36,  p.  83.) 

.  Dec. 

20t... 

...73  Dee.  21 

Nov. 

It... 

...66. ...Nov.  2 

.Apr. 

I7.'36t 

...70.  Apr.  4/36 

.Jan. 

l7/36t 

...87. Feb.  15/36 

Nov. 

22t... 

...83.  ...Nov.  16 

July 

IO/36t 

...77. June  20/36 

.Mar. 

27/36t 

...77. Mar.  21/36 

.64. July  4/36 

.67. Apr.  18/36 

.72. Apr.  11/36 

.65. Jan.  25/36 

.74.  Mar.  14/36 


!3/36t...l06.Feb.  29/36 


(Exploitatien:  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Three  Cheers  for  Love  (G)  Eleanore  Whitney-Robt.  Cum- 

mings   July  I7,'36t 

Three  on  the  Trail  (G)  3553.  .William  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison. ..  .Apr.  24/36t 

TIM  We  Meet  Again  (G)  3551.  Herbert  Marshall -G.  Michael  Apr.  I7,'36t 

Timothy's  Quest  (G)  3534  Eleanore  Whitney- Dickie  Moore.. Jan.  3l/36t 

Too  Many  Parents  (G)  3545. ..  Frances  Farmer-Colin  Tapley  Mar.  20/36t 

Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine, 
The  (G)  3543  Henry  Fonda-Sylvia  Sidney  Mar. 

(See  production  article,  Jan.  18/36.  p.  36;  exploitation:  Feb.  29/36.  p.  73;  May  2/36,  p.  98; 

May  23/36,  p.  86;  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  6/36,  p.   118:  June  13/36,  p.   122;  June 

20/36,  p.  122.) 

Woman  Trap  (G)  3537  Gertrude  Michael-Geo.  Murphy. ..  Feb.  I4,'36t. . .  .63.  Feb.  8/36 

Yours  for  the  Asking  George    Raft  -  Dolores  Costello 

Barrymore   July  24/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 

Coming 

Big   Broadcast  of   1937,  The..  Jack  Benny-Burns  &  Allen  

Champagne   Waltz   Gladys  Swarthout  -  Fred  Mac- 
Murray   

General  Died  at  Dawn,  The... Gary  Cooper- Madeleine  Carroll  

Girl  of  the  Jungle  Ray  Milland-Dorothy  Lamour  

Hollywood   Boulevard   John   Halliday-Robt.   Cummings  .  Aug.  14/36  

I   Give  My  Life  Sir  Guy  Standing-F.   Drake  Aug.  14/36  

Johnny  Gets  His  Gun  Ralph  Bellamy-Katherine  Locke  

Lady  Be  Careful   Lew  Ayres-Mary  Carlisle  

Murder  with   Pictures  Lew  Ayres-Gail  Patrick  

My  American  Wife  Francis   Lederer-Ann  Sothern..  July  3l/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting   Room,"  July  18/36.) 
Rhythm  on  the  Range  Bing   Crosby- Frances   Farmer  July  3l.'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 
Son  Comes  Home,  A  Mary  Boland-Donald  Woods  July  3l/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 

Texas  Rangers,  The  Fred  MaeMurray-Jean  Parker    ..Aug.  14/36  

Three  Married  Men  Lynne  Overman-Wm.  Frawley  

Valiant  Is  the  Word  for  Carrie. Gladys  George-Arline  Judge  

Wives  Never  Know  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland  

PRINCIPAL 

Title  Star 
Let's  Sing  Again  (G)  Bobby  Breen-Henry  Armetta  June    I2,'36t  68. Apr.  25/36 

PURITAN 

Title  Star 

Border  Caballero   Tim  McCoy-Lois  January  Mar.  l/36t....59 

Bulldog  Courage   Tim  McCoy-Lois  January  Dec.    20f  60 

I'll  Name  the  Murderer  Ralph  Forbes-Marion  Schilling. .  Jan.  27/36t....76 

Lightnin'  Bill  Carson  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  Apr. 

Reckless  Way,  The  Marian  Nixon-Kane  Richmond..  .Apr. 

Roarin'  Guns   Tim   McCoy-Rosalinda  Price  Jan. 

Rogues  Tavern,  The  Wallace  Ford-Barbara  Pepper. ...  Mar, 

Suicide  Squad   Norman  Foster-Joyce  Compton  Dee. 

Coming 

Aces  and  Eights  Tim  McCoy-Luna  Walters  

Ghost  Patrol   Tim  McCoy-Claudia  Dell  

Lion's  Den.  The  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  

Traitor,  The   Tim  McCoy-Frances  Grant  

REGAL 

Title  Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


I5,'36t  

20/36t.. ..68... 
27/36t....67... 

l/36t....6l... 
25t  60... 


Running  Time 


REPUBLIC 

Title  Star 

Burning  Gold  3550   William  Boyd   

Comin'   Round  the  Mountain 


Rel. 

Date 

Minutes  Reviewed 

l/36t 

...60  

Dec. 

4t... 

Jan. 

2/36t 

.  ..54  

4t 

 55  

Running  Time 

Rel. 

Date 

Minutes  Reviewed 

It... 

I3.'36t 

...55  Apr.  11/36 

3l/36t 

...72.  Apr.  4/36 

Title  Star  Rel. 

Federal  Agent  3548  William  Boyd-lrene  Ware   ..Apr. 

Forbidden  Heaven  3502  Charles  Farrell-Charlotte  Henry.. Oct. 

Forced  Landing  3524  Esther  Ralston-Onslow  Stevens. ..  Dec. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Oct.  5.) 
Frankie  and  Johnnie  (A)  3555.  Helen  Morgan-Chester  Morris. ...  May 

(Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p.  85.) 

Frisco  Waterfront  (G)  3518...  Ben  Lyon-Helen  Twelvetrees  Dec. 

Girl  from  Mandalay,  The  3525.  Kay  Linaker-Conrad  Nagel  Apr. 

Go-Get-'Em  Haines  3549  William   Boyd   June 

Guns  and  Guitars  (G)  3573...  Gene  Autry-Dorothy  Dlx  June 

Harvester,  The   (G)   3506  Alice  Brady-Ann  Rutherford  May 

Hitch  Hike  Lady  (G)  3509  Alison  Skipworth-James  Ellison. .  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  62.) 
House  of  a  Thousand  Candles 

(G)  3505   Mae  Clarke-Phillips  Holmes  Apr. 

King  of  the  Pecos  (G)  3559... John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Mar. 

Laughing  Irish  Eyes  (G)  3522.  Evalyn  Knapp-Phil  Regan  Mar. 

Lawless  Nineties,  The  (G)  3557.  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Feb. 

Lawless  Range  3562  John  Wayne-Sheila  Mannors  Nov. 

Leathernecks  Have  Landed,  The 

(G)  3501   Lew  Ayres-lsabel  Jewell  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p  .76.) 
Leavenworth  Case,  The  (G) 

3526   Norman  Foster-Jean  Rouverel  Jan. 

Lonely  Trail,  The  3563  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  May 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 

Melody  Trail  (G)  3567  Gene  Autry-Ann  Rutherford  Oct. 

Navy  Born  (G)   William  Gargan-Claire  Dodd  June 

New  Frontier,  The  3558  John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

Oregon  Trail  3560  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford..  ..Jan. 

Racing  Luck  (G)  3547  William   Boyd   Oct. 

Red  River  Valley  3570  Gene  Autry- Frances  Grant  Mar. 

Return  of  Jimmy  Valentine, 

The  (G)  3531  Roger  Pryor-Charlotte   Henry  Feb. 

Sagebrush  Troubadour  3568.... Gene  Autry-Barbara  Pepper  Dec. 

Singing  Cowboy,  The  (G)  3572. Gene  Autry-Lois  Wilde  May 

Singing  Vagabond,  The  (G) 

3569   Gene  Autry-Ann   Rutherford  Jan. 

Spanish  Cape  Mystery.  The  3530.  Helen  Twelvetrees- Donald  Cook. ..Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

$1,000  a  Minute  (G)  3532  Roger  Pryor-Leila  Hyams  Nov. 

Ticket  to   Paradise  3508  Roger  Pryor-Wendy  Barrie  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 
Winds  of  the  Wasteland  3561.  John  Wayne-Phyllis  Fraser  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23,36.) 

Coming 

Down  to  the  Sea  Russell  Hardie-Ann  Rutherford  

(See  "Beneath  the  Seas,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Follow  Your  Heart   Marion  Talley-Michael  Bartlett  

Gentleman  from  Louisiana,  The. Eddie  Quillan-Charlotte  Henry  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 
Hearts  in  Bondage  (G)   James  Dunn-Mae  Clarke  Sept. 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

IO/36t....58  

5t  67  

2t  61  

l/36t...  .66. May  23/38 


7t  66....  Dee.  7 

20/36t....68  

I5,'36t  

22.'36t...  56  July  11/36 

5/36t....65.Apr.  25/36 
28t  76  Dee.  21 


6/36t. 

9/36t. 
I5,'36t. 
I5,'36t. 

4t.... 


.71.  Mar.  7/36 
..54.  Apr.  11/36 
..73.  Mar.  14/36 
..55.  Mar.  7/36 
..59  


22/36t....67.Feb.  29/ 


20/36t... .68. Jan.  11/36 
25/36t  

I4t  60. ...Oct.  19 

l5/36t....65.June  27/36 
5t  54  

I8,'36t....59  

28t  60....  Dec.  7 

2/36t....58  

l4/36t....72.Feb.  15/36 

2t  54  

ll/36t....56.May  16/36 

5/36t  52  Dee.  14 

I7t  73  

I5t  69. ...Nov.  9 

IO/36t  


6/36t . 


1/36...  .*70  June  6/36 


Title 


RKO  RADIO 

Star 


(Exploitation:  Feb.  15/36.  p.  81.) 


Annie  Oakley  (G)  608  Barbara  Stanwyck-Preston  Foster 

(Exploitation:    Mar.  14/36,  pp.  88,  90.) 
Another  Face  (G)  615  Wallace  Ford-Phyllis  Brooks... 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Two  Faces.") 
Bride  Walks  Out,  The  (G) 

631   Barbara  Stanwyck-G.  Raymond. 

Bunker   Bean   630  Owen  Davis.  Jr.-Louise  Latimer 

(See  "His  Majesty,  Bunker  Bean,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room," 

Chatterbox    (G)    617  Anne  Shirley-Phillips  Holmes. 

Dancing  Pirate  (G)  670   Charles  Collins-Steffi  Duna  

(Exploitation:    June  6/36.  pp.  117,  121.) 
Ex-Mrs.  Bradford.  The  (G)  628,William  Powell-Jean  Arthur... 

(Exploitation:    July  4/36,  p.  68.) 
Fang  and  Claw  (G)  543  Frank  Buck   

(Exploitation:    Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  June  13/36,  p.  127.) 

Farmer  in  the  Dell  (G)  624...  Fred  Stone-Jean  Parker  

Follow  the  Fleet  (G)  613  Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  Mar.  28/36,  p.  83:  Apr. 
p.  82;  May  23/36.  p.  93:  May  30/36,  p.  84;  June  13 
p.  68.) 

Freckles   (G)    536  Carol  Stone-Tom  Brown  

Grand  Jury  633  John   Arledge-Louise  Latimer.. 

Hi  Gaucho  606  John  Carroll-Steffi  Duna  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  17.) 
I  Dream  Too  Much  (G)  610. ..Lily  Pons-Henry  Fonda  

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36.  pp.  82,  83.) 
In  Person  (G)  609  Ginger  Rogers-George  Brent... 

(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.  127.) 
Lady  Consents,  The  (G)  622..  Ann  Harding-Herbert  Marshall. 
Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The  (G) 

501   Preston  Foster- Dorothy  Wilson.. 

Last  Outlaw,  The  (G)  629  Harry  Carey-Hoot  Gibson  

Let's  Sing  Again  (G)  646  Bobby   Breen-Henry  Armetta.. 

Love  on  a  Bet  (G)  620  Gene  Raymond-Wendy  Barrie.. 

M'Liss  (G)  632  Anne  Shirley-John  Beal  

Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path 

(G)  625   Helen  Broderlck-James  Gleason. 

Muss  'Em  Up  (G)  619  Preston  Foster-Marg't  Callahan 

Rainmakers.   The   (G)   605  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  

Seven  Keys  to  Baldpate  (G)  61 1  G.  Raymond -Margaret  Callahan 
Silly    Billies    (G)   623  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  


Rel. 
.  Nov. 


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


5t  90 Nov. 

Dec.    20t  68  Nov. 


July  I0.'36t. 
.June  26,'36t. 
May  30/36.) 
Jan.  I7.'36t. 
.May  22,'36t 


May  I5.'36t. 
.Dee.  20  


80.  July  11/36 

67  


68  Dee.  28 

85.  May  16/36 


81.  May  2/36 
74. Jan.  4/36 


..Mar.  27/36t....67.Mar.  14/36 
..Feb.  2l/36t...M0.Feb.  22/36 
4/36,  p.  87;  May  16/36,  p.  82: 
'36,  pp.   125,   130;  July  4/36. 


Oct. 

4  

..68  Oct.  5 

July 

24/36t 

Oct. 

lit.... 

Dec. 

27t.... 

.95  Nov.  23 

.  Nov. 

22t  

..87  Nov.  t 

Feb. 

7/3Bt.. 

.  .76'/2  Jan.  18/36 

Oct. 

18  

..98  Oet.  12 

June 

I9.'36t.. 

.*73.May  30/38 

June 

I2,'3«t.. 

..68. Apr.  25/86 

Mar. 

6/36t.. 

..77.  Feb.  8/sa 

July 

I7,'36t. 

..66.  July  11/36 

Apr. 

I7,'3«t.. 

.66.  Apr.  I8/Si 

Feb. 

I4,*36t.. 

.  .68'  2  Jan.  25/36 

Oct. 

25t.... 

..78.... Oet.  12 

.  Dee. 

I3t.... 

.68  Dee.  7 

Mar. 

20/3«t. 

.64'/,  Mar.  7,'M 

July    25,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


91 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT«C€NT»D) 


3/36t....94'/2  Jan.  I8.'36 

I  96. ...Oct  12 

8t  67'/2..Oet.  2» 

I0,'36t  74....  Dm.  21 

65.  May  2,'36 
68....  Dee.  14 
64.  Apr.  11/36 
68'/2Mar.  28/38 


3,'36t.. 

27t  

24,'36t.. 
!3/36t.. 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Special  Investigator  (G)  627. .  Richard  Dix-Margaret  Callahan  ..  May     8,'36t  61.  May  2/36 

Sylvia  Scarlett   (G)   614  Katharine  Hepburn-Cary  Grant.. Jan. 

Tkree  Musketeers,  The  (G). 544.  Margot  Graharae- Walter  Abel.. .Nov. 
Te  Beat  the  Band  (G)  607...  Helen  Broderick-Hugh  Herbert. .. Nov. 

Two  In  the  Dark  (G)  616  Walter  Abel-Margot  Grahams. .  . . Jan. 

Two  In  Revolt  (G)  621  Louise  Latimer-John  Arledge. .  . .  Apr. 

We're  Only  Human  (G)  612..  Preston   Foster-Jane  Wyatt  Dec. 

Witness  Chair,  The  (G)  626. .Ann    Harding-Walter  Abel  Apr. 

Yellow  Dust  (G)  618  Richard   Dix-Leila  Hyams  Mar. 

Coming 

Don't  Turn  'Em  Loose  Bruce  Cabot-Louise  Latimer... 

Mary  of  Scotland  Katharine  Hepburn-Fredric 

March   

(See  production  article,  Apr.  11/36,  p.  16.) 

Mummy's  Boys   Wheeler  and  Woolsey  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,'    June  20/36) 

Plough  and  the  Stars,  The  Barbara  Stanwyck- Preston 

Foster   

Portrait  of  a  Rebel  Katharine  Hepburn-  Herbert   

Marshall   

Second    Wife   Walter  Abel-Gertrude  Michael.  

Swing  Time     Fred  Astaire-G inger  Rogers  

(See  "Never  Gonna  Dance."  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Walking  on  Air  Gene    Raymond-Ann  Sothern  

(See  "Count  Pete,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 


STATE  RIGHTS 


Running  Time 


Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
.Apr.     2/36t..9  rls  


Title                                 Star  Dist'r 
Caster's   Last   Stand  Rex  Lease   Stage  &  Screen.. 

Coming 

Angels   In   White  Tala  Birell   Zeldman   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  29/36.) 
Glory  Trail,  The  (G)  Tom   Keene   Crescent    *65.July  18/36 

SUPREME 

Title  Star 

Courageous  Avenger   Johnny   Mack   Brown  Dee. 

Desert   Phantom,  The  Johnny   Mack   Brown  Mar. 

Kid   Ranger,  The  Bob    Steele   Feb. 

Last  of  the  Warrens  Bob    Steele   May 

Rogue  of  the  Range  Johnny   Mack   Brown  Apr. 

Sundown  Saunders   Bob    Steele   Mar.  25/36? . 

Trail  of  Terror  Bob    Steele   Dee.  20t  

Valley  of  the  Lawless  Johnny   Mack   Brown  Jan.  25/36t. 

Coming 

Brand   of   the   Outlaws  Bob  Steele  

Crooked  Trail,  The  Johnny  Mack  Brown  

Everyman's  Law   Johnny   Mack  Brown  

Law   Rides,  The  Bob  Steele   


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 
I2t  

IO/36t  

5/36t  

I0,'36t  58  

25/36t  58  


TWENTIETH  CENTURY-FOX 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date 

Bad    Boy*    615  James    Dunn-Dorothy  Wilson.. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Border  Patrolman,  The*  (G)  650  Geo.  O'Brien-Polly  Ann  Young 

Captain  January*  (G)  635  Shirley  Temple-Guy  Klbbee... 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp.  117,   122;  June  27/36,  p. 
p.  82.) 


Running  Time 

Minutes  Reviewed 


(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Dec.  14.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Circus* 

(G)   640   Warner  Oland-Keye  Luke. 

Charlie   Chan   In  Shanghai* 


Charlie  Chan's  Secret*  (G)  626. .  Warner  Oland-Rosina  Lawrence 

Connecticut  Yankee,  (A)*  699.  Will   Rogers-Myrna  Loy  

(re-issue) 

Country  Beyond,  The*  (G)  643.  Rochelle  Hudson-Paul  Kelly..  . 
Country  Doctor,  The*  (G)  636.Dionne  Quintuplets-Jean 


.Oct. 

July 

3,'36t..  . 

*60. 

June 

27/36 

.Apr. 

I7/36T.. 

..77 

Mar. 

21/38 

!;  July 

4/36,  p. 

70; 

July 

18/36, 

May 

8,'36t 

.Mar. 

27/36T.. 

..71 

Mar. 

28/36 

lit  

..70 

...Sept.  14 

.Jan. 

1 0.'36t . . 

.  .71 

 Oct.  26 

.Apr. 

24,'36t.. 

.  .85 

Mar. 

21/31 

.Apr. 

24,'36t.. 

.  .68. Apr. 

1 1/36 

6/36t.. 

.  .94 

Mar. 

21/36 

Apr. 

4. '36.  p. 

83; 

Apr. 

25/36. 

p.  96;  May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  23/36.  pp 
June  6/36,  p.  124;  July  4/36,  p.  70;  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 
Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes,  The 

(G)  655   Gloria  Stuart-Robert  Kent  Jun 

Educating   Father*   (G)   645...  Jed   Prouty-Shirley    Deane  July 

Everybody's  Old  Man*  (G)  634.  Irvin  S.  Cobb- Rochelle  Hudson.. Mar. 

Every  Saturday  Night*  (G)  637..  June   Lang-Thomas  Beck  

First  Baby,  The*  (G)  646  Shirley  Deane-Johnny  Downs 

Gentle  Julia*  (G)  641  Jane   Withers-Tom   Brown  A 

Half  Angel  (G)  647  Frances   Dee-Brian   Donlevy  May  22/36t 

Here  Comes  Trouble*  (G)  633. .Paul   Kelly-Arline  Judge  

High   Tension*    (G)    653  Brian    Donlevy-Glenda  Farrell 

Human  Cargo*  (G).  652  Claire   Trevor-Brian  Donlevy.. 


87,   95:    May  30.36.    p.  86 


It  Had  to  Happen  (G)  631  George  Raft-Rosalind  Russell.. 

King  of  Burlesque,  The*  (G) 


(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  36;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87.) 


(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb. 
Man  Who  Broke  the  Bank  at 

Monte  Carlo,  The  (G)  620..  Ronald  Colman-Joan  Bennett.. 
Message  to  Garcia,  A  (G)  632.  Wallace  Beery  -  John  Boles - 

Barbara  Stanwyck  

(Exploitation:  July  IV36,  p.  127.) 


(Exploitation:  Feb.  i2/36,  p.  98.) 
Music  Is  Magic*  (G)  619  Alice  F 


26,'36t. . 

.♦75. June  20/36 

July 

I0,'36t. . 

.57.  May  30/36 

..Mar. 

20/36t.. 

.  84.  Mar.  14/36 

. .  Feb. 

7/36t.. 

.62.  Feb.  8/36 

. .  May 

I5/36T.. 

.74.  Apr.  18/36 

3/36t.. 

.63. Feb.  29/36 

22/36T.. 

..66.  May  9/36 

. .  Feb. 

2I/36T.. 

.62.  Feb.  15/36 

..July 

I7,'36t.. 

.*62.June  20/36 

. .  May 

29,'36t.. 

.66.  Apr.  25/36 

Nov. 

22t  

.84.. ..Jul*  IS 

. .  Feb. 

I4/S6t.. 

.79.  Feb.  15,'M 

3/36t.. 

.88.  Jan.  4,'H 

I2,'36t.. 

.72.  May  28/36 

27t  

.73.... Nov.  30 

22/36, 

p.  97;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  96.) 

. .  Nov. 

29t 

66  Nov.  16 

. .  Apr. 

IO/36t.. 

.85.  Mar.  14/36 

. .  Nov. 

8t  

..79  Oct.  28 

It  

.66  Oct.  12 

3l/36t.. 

.68....  Nov.  23 

Nov. 

29t  

.72. Jan.  25/36 

Title 

O'Malley  of  the  Mounted* 

639   


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


(G) 


George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware. 


Poor    Little    Rich    Girl,  The* 

(G)  657   Shirley  Temple-Alice  Faye  

Prisoner  of  Shark  Island,  The 

(G)  638   Warner  Baxter-Gloria  Stuart... 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  11,36,  p.  97;  Apr. 

Private  Number*  (G)  645  Loretta  Young-Robert  Taylor... 

(Exploitation:  July  18/36, 


Professional  Soldier  (G)  628.. 
Show  Them  No  Mercy  (G)  62 


p.  85.) 

.Victor    McLaglen- Freddie  Bar- 


Rochelle  Hudson-Cesar  Romero. 


. .  Mar. 

27,'36t. 

.  .59. Mar.  28/36 

I7,'36t. 

...76.. ..NOV.  Z 

July 

24,'36t. 

...79. June  6/36 

Feb. 

28/36t. 

...95. Feb.  22/36 

18/36, 

P.  77.) 

5,'36t. 

...79. May  30/36 

24/36t. 

...78.  J  an.  4/3S 

. .  Dec. 

6t.... 

.  ..76.... Nov.  2 

I9,'36t. 

...79.  May  16/36 

Mar. 

I3,'36t. 

...72.  Feb.  22/36 

1 5t  

.  .  .87.  ...Nov.  2 

22/36, 

p.  100; 

Mar.  7/36,  p.  96.) 

July 

24/36t 

1 8t  

.  . .65  

O.May 
16,  117; 


9/36 
July 


25t.. 


20t.... 
3,'36t. 


.84....  Aug.  24 


I3t. 


16/36. 


7/36. 
28/36. 


18/36... 
11/36... 


.67. 


.68. 


.  Dee. 


.Nov.  23 


Thanks  a  Million  (G)  617  Dick  Powell-Ann  Dvorak  

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  82;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb 

36  Hours  to  Kill*  656  Brian   Den  levy -Gloria  Stuart.. 

This  Is  the  Life*  614  Jane  Withers-John  McGulre. ... 

Under  Two  Flags  (G)  644  Ronald  Colman- Victor  McLaglen- 

Claudette  Colbert-R.  Russell. ..  May  l/36t.. 
(See  production  article.  Mar.  14/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp 
11/36,  p.  125.) 

Way  Down  East*  (G)  616  Rochelle  Hudson-Henry  Fonda  Oct. 

Whispering  Smith  Speaks*  (G) 

623   George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware  Dec, 

White  Fang  649  Michael  Whalen-Jean  Muir  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 
Your  Uncle  Dudley*  (G)  622..  Edward  Everett  Horton  Dec. 

Coming 

As  You  Like  It  Eliz.  Bergner-Laurence  Olivier  

(See  production  article,  June  13/36,  p.  16.) 
Bowery  Princess,  The*  Shirley  Temple-Frank  Morgan. .  .Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race 

Track*    (G)   Warner  Oland-Helen  Wood  Aug.  21/36  *70.July  18/36 

Girls'  Dormitory   Ruth    Chatterton-Herbert  Mar- 

shall-Simone  Simon   Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  13/36.) 
Holy  Lie,  The  Jane  Darwell-Claire  Trevor  Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 

Pepper*  (G)   Jane   Withers-lrvin   S.   Cobb  Sept. 

Ramona   Loretta  Young-Don  Ameche  Sept. 

(See  production  article,  July  4/36,  p.  16.) 
Road  to  Glory,  The  (G)  Fredric    March-Warner  Baxter- 
Lionel  Barrymore- June  Lang... Sept. 

See  America  First  Jed  Prouty-Spring  Byington  

Sing,   Baby,  Sing   Alice  Faye-Adolphe  Menjou  Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Thank  You,  Jeeves  Arthur  Treacher   

To  Mary — With  Love  Warner  Baxter-Myrna  Loy  Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  June  20/36.) 

[Asterisk  (*)  denotes  Fox  Pictures.    Others  20th  Century  Productions.] 

UNITED  ARTISTS  Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.  -  Elissa 

Landi   ..Apr 

Barbary  Coast  (G)  Miriam   Hopkins  -  Edward  G. 

Robinson  -  Joel  McCrea   ..Sept.  27t  90 


♦65. July  18/36 


4/36.... 101. June  6/36 


14/36. 


Title 

Amateur  Gentleman,  The  (G) 


1/36. 


I7.'36t..  .100.  Feb.  22/36 


7,'36t  85. Jan. 

p.  96;  Apr.  4/36, 


4/36 
89.) 


...Mar.  6,'36t...l02.Feb.  29/36 
June  6/36,  p.  117;  June  13/36, 


..87....  Nov.  S 
..87.  Feb.  8/36 
81  ;   Feb.  22/36 


.Oct. 

Ghost  Goes  West,  The  (G)  Robert  Donat-Jean  Parker  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36, 
I  Stand  Condemned  (A)  H.  Baur-Laurence  Olivier-Pen- 
elope Dudley  Ward  July    IO/36t  76  Nov.  30 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy  (G)  Freddie  Bartholomew.  Dolores 

Costello  Barrymore   

(Explltaotion:    Mar.  14/36,  p.  84;  May  16/36,  p.  80; 
p.  132.) 

Melody  Lingers  On,  The  (G) .  Josephine  H utchinson  -  George 

Houston   Nov.  9t... 

Modern  Times  (G)  Chas.  Chaplin-Paulette  Goddard . . Feb.  2l,'36t 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  8/36,  p.  18;  exploitation:  Feb.    15/36,  p 
p.  100;  Mar.  7/36,  P.  99;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  84;  Mar.  28/36,  pp.  83,  84;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84. 
89:  Apr.  11/36,  pp.  93,  96;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92;  May  2/36,   p.  99;  May  9/36,   p.  84;  May 

84;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36;  pp.  84,  86;  June  6/36,  pp.  116,  118;  June  13/36, 
pp.  122,  132;  June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

One  Rainy  Afternoon  (G)  Francis  Lederer-lda  Luplno  May    I3.'36t . .  *75.  May  2/36 

(Exploitation:   June  13/36,  p.  122.) 

Red  Salute  (G)  B.  Stanwyck- Robert   Young  Sept.  I3t.. 

Splendor   Miriam   Hopkins-Joel   McCrea  Nov.    23t . . 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Nov.  2.)    (Exploitation:   Feb.  29/36,  p.  78.) 

Strike  Me  Pink   (G)  Eddie  Cantor-Ethel   Merman  Jan.    24,'36t. . .  100. Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  29/36,  pp.  72, 
75;  Mar.   14/36,  p.  85:  Mar.  21/36.  pp.   94,  97:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87:  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

These  Three  (G)  Miriam  Hopkins-Merle  Oberon- 

Joel  McCrea   Apr.    IO/36t . .  .  .93.  Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:    May  9/36.  pp.  90,  94:  May  23/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,   p.  122;  June 
27/36,   p.  88.) 

Things  to  Come  (G)  Raymond  Massey   Apr.  24/36t. 


.78  Sept.  21 

.77  


(See  production  article, 
p.  132.) 


.99.  Mar.  7/38 

Mar.  7/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:   Apr.  18/36,  p.  77;  June  13/36, 


Coming 

Come  and  Get  It  Edward  Arnold-Frances  Farmer  

Dodsworth   Walter   Huston-Ruth  Chatterton  

Garden  of  Allah,  The  Marlene  Dietrich-Charles  Boyer  

(See  production  article,  June  6/36,  p.  14.) 

Last  of  the  Mohicans,  The  Randolph  Scott-Heather  Angel. 

Bruce    Cabot-Binnle  Barnes  

(See  production  article,  July  18/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  June  27/36,  n.  80.) 
Man  Who  Could  Work  Miracles, 

The   Roland  Young   

World  Is  Mine,  The  Nino  Martini-Ida  Lupino  


92 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAET--C€NT*E) 


UNIVERSAL 


Running  Time 


2lt  74  Nov.  2 

20/36t....75.Jan.  25/36 


Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Affair  of  Susan,  The  9034  Zasu  Pitts-Hugh  O'Connell  Oct.     7t  63  

(See  "Alone  Together."  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

Cowboy  and  the  Kid.  The  9046.  Buck  Jones-Dorothy  Revier  May  25,*36  

Dangerous  Waters  (G)  9032... Jack  Holt-Robert  Armstrong  Feb.     3.'36t  67. Feb.  8,'36 

Don't  Get  Personal  (G)  9025.. James  Dunn-Sally  Eilers  Feb.   I7,'36t  64. Feb.  29, '36 

Dracula's  Daughter  (A)  9006..  Otto   Kruger-M.  Churchill  May    ll/36t  70. May  9.'36 

(Exploitation:  June  20, '36,  p.  120.) 
East  of  Java  9029  Chas.  Bickford-Elizabeth  Young.. Dee.     2t  72  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.)    (Exploitation:  Feb.  8,'36,  p.  84.) 

Fighting  Youth  (G)  9017  Charles  Farrell-June  Martel  Sept.  30t  66  Dee.  7 

For  the  Service  9045  Buck  Jones-Beth  Marion  May     6,'36t  65  

Great  Impersonation,  The  9014.  Edmund  Lowe-Valerie  Hobson  Dec.     9t  67  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

His  Night  Out  (G)  9021  E.  E.  Horton-lrene  Hervey  Oct, 

Invisible  Ray.  The  (G)  9015. .  Karloff-Bela  Lugosl   Jan, 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18, '36,  p.  82;  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  88; 
July  18/36,  p.  85.) 

Ivory  Handled  Gun  9042  Buck  Jones-Charlotte  Wynters  Nov.    lit  59  

Love  Before  Breakfast  (G)9007.  Carole  Lombard-Preston  Foster..  .Mar.    9/36t  70. Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:   Apr.  18/36,  p.  81;  May  23/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  117;  June  13/36, 
p.  132.) 

Magnificent  Obsession  (G)  8006. Irene  Dunne-Robert  Taylor  Jan.     6/36t ...  1 1 2.  Jan.  11/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  82;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  81,  83,  84;  Mar.  7/36,  pp.  86,  99:  Mar. 

21/36,  pp.  92,  96;  Apr.  11/36,  p.  96;  May  23/36,  pp.  87,  95;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Next  Time  We  Love  (G)  8004.Marg't  Sullavan-James  Stewart. .  .Jan.    27/36t  87.  Feb.  8/36 

Nobody's  Fool  9033  E.  E.  Horton-Glenda  Farrell  May  3l/36t  

(See  "Unconscious,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Apr.  4/36.) 

Parole  (G)  9036  Ann  Preston-Henry  Hunter  June   I4,'36t  65. July  4/36 

Remember  Last  Night?  (A) 
9011   Edw.  Arnold-C.  Cummlngs  Nov.     4t  81. ...Oct.  12 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36.  p.  83;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  90.) 
Show  Boat  (G)  8001  Irene  Dunne-Allan  Jones  May  I7,'36t. 

(See   musical   analysis,   May  9/36,   p.  65;    exploitation:    June  20/36,   pp.   117,  121; 
June  27/36,  p.  80;  July  4/36,  p.  69;  July  11/36,  p.  124;  July  18/36,  p.  82.) 

Silver   Spurs  9044  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Feb.  I8/36T  

Storm  Over  the  Andes  (G)  9026Jack  Holt-Mona  Barrie  Sept.  I6t  84  Oet.  19 

Stormy  (G)  9016  Noah  Beery,  Jr.-Jean  Rogers  Nov.  lit... 

Sunset  of  Power  9043  Buck  Jones-Dorothy  Dix  Dee.  23t... 

Sutter's  Gold  (G)  8002  Edward  Arnold  -  Lee  Traey  - 

Binnie  Barnes   Apr. 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  15/36,  p.  14;  exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  18/36,  p. 
77;  Apr.  25/36,  pp.  91,  92;  June  27/36.  p.  85.) 

Sweet  Surrender  9012  Frank  Parker-Tamara   Nov.    25t  78  

Three  Kids  and  a  Queen  (G) 

9023   May  Robson-Henry  Armetta  Oct.    28t  90  Oct.  26 

Throwback,  The  9041  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Sept.  I8t  60  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  10.) 

Coming 

Ace  Drummond   John  King-Jean  Rogers  

Boss   Rider  of  Gun  Creek  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  

Crash  Donovan  (G)  9031  Jack   Holt-Nan  Gray  July    26/36t. . .*54. July  18/36 

Fool  for  Blondes,  A  Victor  McLaglen-Binnie  Barnes  

My  Man  Godfrey  (G)  William  Powell-Carole  Lombard .  .Sept.    6/36..  .*95.June  20/36 

Postal  Inspector   Ricardo  Cortez-Patricla  Ellis  Aug.  9/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Ride  'Em,  Cowboy  Buck  Jones-Luana  Walters  Sept.  I3,'36t  

Two  In  a  Crowd  Joel  McCrea-Joan  Bennett.  Aug.  30/36  

Yellowstone   Henry  Hunter-Judith  Barrett  Aug.  I6,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minute*  Reviewed 

Times  Square  Playboy  (G)  924.  Warren  William-June  Travis  May     9/36t  62. Mar.  2I,*3* 

Treachery  Rides  the  Range  (G) 

929   Dick  Foran-Paula  Stone  May 

Walking  Dead,  The  (G)  914. . .  Karloff-Marguerlte  Churchill  Mar.  I4.'36t.. 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Widow  from  Monte  Carlo,  The 

(G)  921   Dolores  Del  Rlo-W.  William  Feb. 


1 1 2.  May  9/36 


3. ...Oet.  19 


!3/36t....95.Mar.  28/36 


VICTORY 


Title 


Star 


Running  Time 

Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


It.... 
l/36t. 
I5t  


63 . 


70. 


Bars  of  Hate  Regis  Toomey-Sheila  Terry  Nov. 

Face  In  the  Fog,  A  June  Collyer-Lloyd  Hughes  Feb. 

Fighting   Coward   Ray  Walker-Joan  Woodbury..  ..Dec. 

Hot  Off  the  Press  Jack  La  Rue-Virginia  Pine  Sept.  I5t  57 

Kelly  of  the  Secret  Service  Lloyd  Hughes-Sheila  Mannors  June  I5,'36f  

Prison  Shadows   Eddie  Nugent-Lucille  Lund  June 

Rio  Grande  Romance  Eddie  Nugent-Maxine  Doyle  Mar. 

Taming  the  Wild  Rod  La  Rocque-Maxlne  Doyle. ...  Feb. 


l/36t. 
I5,'36t. 
I5,*36t. 


WARNER  BROTHERS 


Title  Star  Rel.  Date 

Big  Noise.  The  (G)  925  Guy  Kibbee-Warren  Hull  June  27/36t 

Boulder  Dam  (G)  815  Ross  Alexander-Patricia  Ellis  Mar.  7/36t 

Colleen  (A)  903  Ruby  Keeler-Joan  Blondell-Jack 

Oakie-Dick  Powell   Mar.  2l/36t 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92;  May  23/36.  p. 

Dangerous  (A)  910  Bette  Davis-Franchot  Tone  Jan.  4/36t 

(Exploitation:   Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83,  86;  Apr.  20/36,  p. 
p.  123.) 

Freshman  Love  (G)  922  Patricia   Ellis-Warren    Hull  Jan.  I8.'36t, 

Frisco  Kid  (A)  907  James  Cagney-Marg't  Lindsay. .. Nov.  301..., 

Hot  Money  926   Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts.  .July  I8.'36t. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room.  May  2/36.) 
I  Married  a  Doctor  (G)  906...  Pat  O'Brien-J.  Hutchinson  Apr, 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Man  Hunt  (G)  923  Marguerite  Churchill-W.  Gargan. . Feb.  I5.'36t. 

Miss  Pacific  Fleet  (G)  916  Joan  Blondell-Glenda  Farrell  Dec.  I4t  

Moonlight  on  the  Pralrle(G)928.  Dick  Foran-Sheila  Mannors  Nov.  2t  

Petrified  Forest,  The  (G)  904. Leslie  Howard-Bette  Davis  Feb.  8/36t. 

(Exploitation:    May  2/36,  p.  92.) 
Public  Enemy's  Wife  (G)  913. .Pat  O'Brien-Margaret  Lindsay. ,  .July  25/36t. 
Sons  O'Guns  <G)  911  Joe.  E.  Brown-Joan  Blondell  May  30/36t. 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36.  p.  128.) 
Stars  Over  Broadway  (G)  917. Pat  O'Brien-Jane  Froman  Nov.  23t  

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63.) 


Running  Time 


Minutes  Reviewed 
....58. Apr.  25/36 
...70.  Apr.  4/36 

 89. Feb.  1/36 

86.) 

....78. ...Nov.  30 
96;  June  13/36, 

...65. Feb.  1/36 
...77....  Nov.  2 
. ..68  


25/36t....83.Apr.  4/36 


.65. Jan.  11/36 
.66. ...Nov.  30 
.63.... Oct.  28 
.83. Jan.  18/36 

.69. June  27/36 
.79.  May  2/36 


2/36t.. 


.56.  Mar. 
.76. Mar. 


7/36 
7/36 


l/36t....60.Jan.  4/38 

Coming 

Another  Dawn   Errol  Flynn-Bette  Davis  

Anthony  Adverse   (G)   801  Fredric  March-O.  Do  Havllland. .  Aug.  29/36.. . *  138. May  23/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  1/36,  p.  16.) 

Bengal  Tiger,  The  (G)  Barton   MacLano-June  Travis  Sept.    5/36  '62. July  11/36 

Cain  and  Mabel   Marion  Davies-Clark  Gable  Sept.  26/36  

Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade. .  Errol  Flynn-O.  Do  Havilland  

Draegerman  Courage   Jean  Muir-Barton  MacLane  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  July  4/36.) 

Give  Me  Your  Heart  (G)  Kay  Francis-George  Brent  *88.July  18/36 

Green  Light   Errol   Flynn-Anita  Louise  

Green  Pastures,  The  (G)  Rex   Ingram   Aug.     1/36  93. May  38/3« 

(See  production  article,  May  2/36,  p.  16.) 

Guns  of  Pecos  Dick  Foran-Anne  Nagel  

Invitation  to  a  Murder  Marguerite  Churchill- 
Gale  Sendergard   

Jailbreak  (G)  927  Craig  Reynolds-June  Travis  Aug.     l/36t  60. May  18/38 

Loudspeaker  Lowdown   Ross  Alexander-Anne  Nagel  

Make  Way  for  a  Pirate  Guy  Kibbee-Sybil  Jason  

(See  "Way  for  a  Pirate,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room/*  June  20/36.) 

Making  of  O'Malley,  The  Pat  O'Brien-Sybil  Jason  

Marriage    Clause  Robt.  Montgomery-Olivia  De 

Havilland   

Midsummer  Night's  Dream  (G).AII  Star   132  Oet  It 

(Pictorial:    Aug.  3/36,  p.  15;    exploitation:  Apr.  11/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36.  p.  118; 
June  27/36,  p.  82.) 

Mistress  of  Fashion   Kay  Francis-Claude  Rains  

Over  the  Wall  Ross  Alexander   

Pony   Express    Rider  Dick  Foran-Llnda  Perry  

Satan  Met  a  Lady  912  Warren  Willlam-Bette   Davis  Aug.    8/36t  74  

(See  "Men  on  Her  Mind,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Jan.  11/36.) 

Slim   Pat  O'Brien-Henry  Fonda  

Three   In    Eden  Marg't  Lindsay-Donald  Woods- 
Ian  Hunter   

Three  Men  on  a  Horse   Frank  McHugh-Joan  Blondell  

Trallin'   West   Dick  Foran-Paula  Stone  Sept.  5/36  

(See  "On  Secret  Service,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  16/36.) 

OTHER  PRODUCT  (FOREIGN) 


Star 


DIst'r. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Title 

A  Star  Fell  from  Heaven 

(G)   Florlne  McKlnney. ..Assoc.  British  70. June  27/36 

Broken   Blossoms  (A)  Dolly  Haas   Twickenham   June  6/36 

Cloistered    (G)   Best   May   19/36. .  .65. May  30/36 

Come  Out  of  the  Pantry(G). J.  Buchanan-F.Wray. United  Artists  70  Dee.  14 

Dubrovsky   Boris   Llvanov   Amkino   Mar.  28/36t .  .72. Apr.  11/36 

Everything  Is  Rhythm  (G). Harry  Roy   Assoc.  British  75. June  27, '36 

Heart's  Desire  (G)  Richard  Tauber  ....Assoc.  British  87  Oet.  I 

I  Give  My  Heart  (A)  Gitta  Alper  Assoc.  British  85  Nov.  18 

Interrupted  Honeymoon,  The 

(A)   Claude  Hutbert   British  Lion  73. June  27/36 

Invitation  to  the  Waltz(G). Lillian  Harvey   Assoc.  British  80  Nov.  16 

La  Maternelle  (A)   Paulette  Elambert. ..  Metropolis   Oct.    14  80  Nov.  16 

Land  of  Promise,  The  (G)  Zionist  Org.  of 

America   Nov.   20          57  Dee.  7 

Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The..  Maria  Corda- 

V.  Varconl   Trans-America..  ..Dee.    14  65  

Le  Bonheur  (A)   Gaby  Morlay   Franco-American  ..  Mar.    5/38. .  1 10.  Mar.  21/36 


14,'W 

21/36 


4/36 
16/38 


.89. ...Nov. 


Llebelel    (A)   Paul  Hoerbiger   General   87. Mar. 

Living  Dangerously  (A). ..Otto  Kruger   Assoc.  British  80. Mar. 

Marriage    of    Corbal,  The 

(A)    Nils  Asther   General   80. June  13/36 

Milizla  Territorial  (G) ...  Antonio  Ganduslo  ..Nuovo    Mondo  Apr.    4/38. .  .77. Apr.  25/36 

Once  In  a  Million  (G)  Buddy  Rogers- 

M.  Brian   Assoc.  British  75. Apr. 

Ourselves  Alone  (G)  Antoinette  Cell  lor  ..Assoc.  British  70. May 

Pension  Mimosas  (A)  Francoise  Rosay  Franco-American  .May     5/36. .  .93. May  16/36 

Private  Secretary,  The  (G).Edw.  Everett  Horton. Twickenham   75  Oct.  5 

Public  Nuisance  No.  I  (G).. Frances  Day   General   79. Mar.  14/36 

Raggen — Det  Ar  Jag  Det 

(A)   N.  Wahlbom   Scandinavian   May  21/36..  .83. May  30/36 

Re  Burlone,    II  (G)  Armando  Falcon!  Nuovo    Mondo  Mar.  25/36 .. .98. Apr.  4/36 

Robber  Symphony,  The  (G) .George  Graves  Concordia   125. May  9/36 

Royal   Waltz,    (G)  Paul    Hoerbiger  Ufa   Apr.    9/36. .  .81  .Apr.  25/36 

She  Shall  Have  Music  (A)  June  Clyde   Twickenham   75  Dee.  21 

Skargards  (A)   Gideon  Wahlnerg  Scandinavian   Apr.    7/36. . .90. Apr.  18/36 

Soviet  News   (G)  Amkino   Apr.   10/36..  .70. Apr.  25/38 

Tempo  Masslno  (Q)   Mllly   World   Mar.  12/36. .  .78. Mar.  21/38 

Turn  of  the  Tide  (G)  J.  Fisher  White  Not   determined  80  Nov.  2 

Two's  Company  (G)  Ned  Sparks- 
Mary  Brian   B.  &  D  May  16/98 

We    Are    From  Kronstadt 

(G)   V.  Zalchikov   Amkino   Apr.  30,'36t .  .93.  May  18/38 

Wedding  March,  The  (AK.Tulllo  Carmlnatl  Franco-American  92. Mar.  14/38 

When   Knights  Were  Bold 

(G)   J.  Buchanan-F.Wray. General   76. Mar. 

Where  There's  a  Will  (G)..WIII  Hay   Gaumont-British  81. July 

Woman  Alone,  A  (A)  Anna  Sten-H.  Wll- 

coxon   General    .90. June 


7,18 

4/38 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


93 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT«C€NT»E) 


SHCET 
FILMS 

[All  dates  are  1935  unless 
otherwise  stated] 


CELEBRITY 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

COMICOLOR  CARTOONS 

Balloon  Land   Sept.301 . . .  .1  rl. 

Simple  Simon   Nov.  I5t  1  rl. 

Humpty  Dumpty   Dee.  30t  1  rl. 

AM  Baba   Jan.  30,'36f  .9. . . 

Tom  Thumb   Mar.  30,'36t.7. .. 

Dick  Whlttington's  Cat  May  30,'36t.7. . . 

Little   Boy   Blue  July  30,'36t  


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 


Stop,  Look  and  Guess  Mar.  9,'36tl0... 

Thrills  with  Daredevils.... Mar.  I9.'36tl0... 
Touring  the  Sport  World. ..July  11. '36  


COLUMBIA 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 
BARNEY  GOOGLE 
No.  I—  "Tteched  in  th' 

Hald"   Oct.  24f....7.... 

Ne.  2— "Patch  Man 

Britches"   Dec.  I9t  7  

No.  3— "Spark  Plug"   Apr.  ^.'Set.S'/i . . 

No.  4 — Major  Google   May  24,'36t.6'/2.. 

BROADWAY  COMEDIES 

Ants  in  the  Pantry  Feb.  6.'36tl8'/a . . 

(3  Stooges) 

Caught  in  the  Act  Mar.  5,*36tl8  

Andy  Clyde 

Champ's  a  Chump,  The  June  20,'36t  18  

(All  Star) 

Disorder  in  the  Court  May30.'36tl7  

(3  Stooges) 

Double  Trouble   

Andy  Clyde 

Half  Shot  Shooters   Apr.  30,'36fl9  

(3  Stooges) 

His  Marriage  Mlxup  Oct.  31 1 -  -  - 18  

Harry  Langdon 
Honeymoon  Bridge   Oct.  3t...l9  

Leon  Errol 

Hot  Paprika   Dec.  I2t...l8'/a. 

Andy  Clyde 
I  Don't  Remember  Dee.  26t . . .  !8'/i. . 

Harry  Langdon 

Just  Speeding   Jan.  23,'36tl8  

Midnight  Blunders   Apr.  2l.'36tl7  

(All  Star) 

Mister  Shi  arty   July  I5,'36tl8  

Andy  Clyde 
Movie  Maaiaes   Feb.  20,'36tl8  

(3  Stooges) 

Ob   My   Nerves  Oct.  I7t. . .  17  

(All  Star) 

Pain  In  tbe  Pullman,  A  June  27,'36tl8. . . . 

(3  Stooges) 

Peppery  Salt,  The  May  I5,'36tl8  

Andy  Clyde 

Share  the  Wealth  M  ar.  1 9/36+ 1 7'/j . . 

Andy  Clyde 
Three  Little  Beers  Nov.  28t- .  .17  

(3  Stooges) 

Unrelated  Relations   Jan.  9.'36tl8  

(All  Star) 

Whoops,  I'm  an  Indian  , 

(3  Stooges) 

Yoo  Hoo  Hollywood  Nov.  I4t. . .  18  

(All  Star) 

COLOR  RHAPSODIES 

Bon  Bon  Parade  Dec.   5t  8Vi.. 

Dr.  Bluebird   Feb.  5,'36t.8.... 

Football  Bugs   Apr.  29,'36t .7. . . . 

Glee  Worms   June  24,'36t  .7. . . 

Monkey  Love   Sept.  I2t  8  

Untrained  Seal,  The  July  26, '36.. 7  

KRAZY  KAT  CARTOONS 

9.  Happy  Family,  A  Sept.  26t  7.... 

10.  Kaniibal  Kapers   Dee.  27t  7..., 

11.  Bird  Stuffer,  Tbe  Feb.    I,'36t.7. . . . 

12.  "Lll  Alnlll"   Mar.  I9.'36t.6. . . . 

13.  Peace  Conference   Apr.  I0,'36t.7  

(re-issue) 

14.  Highway  Snobbery   


NEW  WORLD  OF  SPORT  SERIES 

Feminine  Invasion,  The  Oct.  26t...ll... 

Golfing    Rhythm   May  I5,'36tt0  

Hunters'  Paradise   Nov.  30t ...II... 

Ice  Cut-Ups   Feb.  6,'36tl0  

Jump,    Horse,    Jump  Sept.  27t . .  - 1 1 . . '. 

Speed  Mad   Apr.  I7,'36tl0... 

Sport   Magic   June  I3.'36t.9'/i. 


SCRAPPY  CARTOONS 

Let's  Ring  Doorbells   Nov.    7t  7... 

Playing  Politics   July  8,'36t  

Scrappy's  Boy  Scouts  Jan.  2,'36t.7... 

Scrappy's  Camera  Troubles. June  5,'36t.7... 
Scrappy's  Pony   Mar.  I6,'36|.7... 

SCREEN  SNAPSHOTS 

No.  2—   Oct.   lit. ..10... 

No.  3—   Nov.  8t...l0... 

No.  4—   Deo.  6t...l0... 

No.  5—   Jan.  2,'36tl0'/j. 

No.  6—   Jan.  3l,'36tl0'/2. 

No.  7—   Feb.  28,'36tl0'/a. 

No.  8—   Mar.  27,'36tl0... 

No.  9—   Apr.  24,'36t.9'/i. 

No.  10—   May  29,'36tl0... 

No.  II—   June  26,'36tl0... 

No.  12—   July  17/36. 10. . . 

STARS  OF  TOMORROW 

No.  2—   Sept.  7t . . .  1 1  

No.  3—   Nov.  27t ...  1 1  

No.  4—   Nov.  I6t...l0... 

No.  5—   Jan.  I5,'36tll... 

No.  6—   Jan.  I7,'36tl0... 

VOICE  OF  EXPERIENCE 

No.   I—   Sept.  I5t...l0'/j. 

No.  2—   Sept.  29t..  .IO'/a. 

No.  3—   Oct.  I3t...l0'/,. 

No.  4—   Oct.  28t...l0</j. 

No.  5—   Nov.  I2t...l0'/i. 

No.  6—   Nov.  27t...l0'/,. 

No.  7—   Dec.  I2t...l0'/i. 

No.  8—   Jan.  2,'36tll... 

No.  9—   Feb.  25,'36tl0'/». 

Ne.  10—   Mar.  26.'36tl0'/a. 


DU  WORLD 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

POPULAR   SCIENCE  FOREIGN 
(Clnecolor) 

No.   I—   Sept.  I5.'36..g  

No.  2—   10.... 

No.  3—   8  

No.  4—  8.... 

No.  5—   9.... 

No.  6—   10  

SEMI-FEATURES  AND  SHORTS 
Cathedrals   Oet.     It...  1 9.... 

EDUCATIONAL 

[Distributed  through 

Twentieth  Century-Fox] 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

CORONET  COMEDIES 

Brain  Busters,  The  Jan.  I0.'36tl8  

Fresh  from  the  Fleet  Apr.  24,'36tl8  

He's   a   Prince  Oet.  1 8t ...  1 8  

Just  Another  Murder  Oet.    4t  17. . . . 

Mixed  Policies   Jan.  I7,'36t20. . . . 

Sleepless  Hollow   May  8,'36tl6  

Where  Is  Wall  Street  Apr.  I0,'36tl9  

FROLICS  OF  YOUTH 

Choose  Your  Partners  Dee.  1 3t ...  20  

Flicker  Fever   Sept.  26t . .  .20. . . . 

Knockout  Drops   Dec.  6t...l9  

MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Home  on  the  Range  June  5,'36t2l.... 

Moonlight  and  Melody  Oct.  I  It. ..21.... 

Perfect  Thirty-Sixes   Dee.  20t...l8.... 

Rhythm  of  Paree  Sept.  27t . . .21 .... 

Thanks,  Mr.  Cupid   Jan.  24,'36tl8. . . . 

SONG  AND  COMEDY  HITS 

Alpine  Rendezvous   Aug.   I, '36. 1 1  

College  Capers   Sept.  27t . . .  12  

Easy  Plckln's   Dec.  27t...l0.... 

Going  Native   Aug.  21, '36. 1 1  

Hillbilly  Love   Oct.  lit. ..II  

Queen's  Birthday,  The  Aug.  28,'36tl0  

Ring  Goes  'Round,  The  Aug.  14, '36. 10. .. . 

Rodeo  Day   Sept.  I3t. . .  1 1 .... 

Seeing   Nellie   Home  Dec.  20t ...  1 1  

Sorority   Blues  Dec.  6t...ll.... 

Spooks   Apr.  I7,'36t.9.... 

Way  Out  West  Oct.  25t...ll.... 

STAR    PERSONALITY  COMEDIES 

Glv'lm  Air   Feb.  I4,'36tl8. . . . 

flold  Brleks   Mar.  20,'S6t20  

Grand  Slam  Opera  Feb.  2l,'36t2l  

Ladles  Love  Hats  Nov.    It. ..20  


Penny  Wise   Sept.  6t...l6... 

Three  on  a  Limb  Jan.  3,'36tl0  

Timid  Young  Man,  The  Oct.  25t...20... 

Triple  Trouble   Apr.   3.'36t  16 . . . 

White  Hope,  The  Mar.  27,'36tl9. . . 

PAUL  TERRY-TOONS 

Aladdin's   Lamp   Nov.  I5t.  • . .6  

Alpine  Yodeler   Feb.  2-,'36t.6... 

Barnyard  Amateurs   Mar.  6,'36t  .6. . . 

Busy  Bee,  The  May  29,'36t.6. . . 

Circus  Days   Sept.  6t  6... 

Farmer   Al    Falfa   in  the 

Hot  Spell   July  I0,'36t.6... 

Farmer  Al   Falfa  and  the 

Runt   May  l5.'3Bt.6... 

Feud,   The  Jan.  I0,'36t.6... 

Foiled  Again   Oct.    4t  6... 

Football   Oct.   I8t  6... 

Hey  Diddle  Diddle   Sept.  20t  6... 

Home  Town  Olympics  Feb.  7,'36t.6... 

June  Bride,  A  Nov.    It  6... 

Kiko  and  the  Honey  Boars.  Aug.  2l.'36t.6. .. 

Klko  the  Kangaroo   July  3l,'36t.6. . . 

Mayflower,    The  Dee.  27t....8... 

19th   Hole  Club,  The  Jan.  24,'36t.6... 

Off  to  China  Mar.  20,'36t.6... 

Puddy   the    Pup   and   the. July  24,'36t.6... 

Gypsies   

Rolling  Stones   May  l,'36t.S... 

Sailors'  Home,  The  June  I2,'36t.6... 

Southern    Horse-pitallty  Nov.  29t  6... 

Tough  Egg,  A  June  26,'36t .6. . . 

Western  Trail,  The  Apr.  3,*36t.6... 

Wolf  in  Cheap  Clothing,  A.Apr.  I7,'36t.6... 
Ye  Olde  Toy  Shop  Dee.  13?  6... 


TREASURE  CHEST 

Animal  Cunning   May  l.'3*tll  

Clever  Critters   Sept.  20t....8.... 

Fast  Friends   June  5,'36t-9  

Feminine  Form   Aug.  7,'36.I0.... 

Fisherman's  Luek   Jan.  3l,'36t.9  

Gangsters  of  the  Deep  Nov.    It. ...8.... 

Hold   That   Line  Oct.  lit  7  

Game  of  Jal-Alal,  The  Deo.  27t....9.... 

Manhattan  Tapestry   Jan.  3l,'36tl0  

Seeing   Eye,    The  Jan.  I7,'36tl0  

Ski-Scrapers   May  24  8.... 

Sunday  Sports  In  Mexico.. .  .Nov.  8t...l0.... 
TUXEDO  COMEDIES 

Just  Plain  Folks   Mar.  I3,'36tl9  

Kiss  the  Bride   Sept.  I3t...2l  

One  Big  Happy  Family   Nov.  I5t...2l  

Rail  Birds   May  22,'36tl8  

TWO-REEL  COMEDIES 

Bashful    Buddies   Aug.  I4.*36.  .2  rls. 

Blue  Blazes   Aug.  7,'36..2rls. 

Boy,  Oh  Boy  Aug.  2I,'36. .2  rls. 

Happy  Heels   Aug.  I, '36. 18.... 

It  Happened  All  Right  May  I5,'36tl9  

Parked  In  Paree  Aug.  28/36.  .2  rls. 

Peaceful  Relations   June  I9,'36tl8  

YOUNG  ROMANCE 

Beware  of  Blondes  Feb.  7,'36t20  

Love  in  a  Hurry  May  17....  16.... 

Love  In  September  Mar.  6,'36t2l  

Way  Up  Thar  Nov.  8t...l8  


GRAND  NATIONAL 
DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

MUSICAL  MOODS 
(Technicolor) 

Ave   Maria   Mar.  25,'36t.l  rl. 

Irish  Melody   Mar.  9,'36t.  .8. . . 

Italian  Caprice   Dee.    It.... 8... 

Llebestraum   Apr.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

Mediterranean  Songs   Nov.    It  7... 

NEWSLAUGHS 

No.    2   Nov.  26t  I  rl. 

No.    3   Dee.  30t  I  rl. 

No.   4   Jan.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

No.    5   Feb.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

No.    6   Mar.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

6  THRILLING  JOURNEYS 

Craters  of  the  Moon   Nov.  1 5t ....  I  rl . 

Old   Faithful  Speaks   Nov.  I5f  

Deep  Sea  Harvest  Jan.  I5,'36t.l  rl. 

Ride  Along  Dude  Feb.  I5,'36t.l  rl. 

City  of  Proud  Memories...  .Dec.  lot  I  rl. 

Realm  of  Ghosts  Mar.  I,'36t  


HOFFBERG 


Title  Rel.  Data  Mln. 

Beautiful    Blue   Danube. ...  Feb.  4.'36t.9.. 

Carillon  Makers   Aug.  I5,'36tl2. . 

Golden  Harbor   Mar.  I6,'36tl0.. 


Title  Rel.  Date  Ml*. 

It's  a  Bird   Jan.  20.'36tl7... 

Life  of  Theodore  Roosevelt. .  Feb.   I ,'36flS  

Tough   Breaks   Mar.  I,'36tl8. .. 

Spanish  Interlude,  A  Sept.  1 5, '36.26. .. 

Sport  of  Flying  Aug.  I  l,'36t.9. . . 

Symphony  of  the  Seasons. .  .Jan.  27,'36t.9... 
Young  Explorer   Mar.  2,'36tl0... 

INTERNATIONAL  VARIETIES 

No.  I—   Feb.  I4,'36t.8... 

No.  2—   Feb.  28,'36t.8... 

No.  3—   Mar.  8,'36tl0... 

No.  4 —   Mar.  22, '36 1 10... 

No.  5—   Apr.  I0,'36t.7... 

No.  6—   Apr.  22,'36t.7'/i. 

PERSONALITIES  ON  PARADE 

No.  I—   Feb.  5,'36t.9... 

No.  2—   Mar.  6,'36t.9... 

No.  3—   Apr.  li,'36t.S... 

No.  4—   May  4,'36t.9... 

WORLD  EXPLORATIONS 

1.  Nomads  of  the  Jungle. ...  Feb.  3,'36t.t... 

2.  Nomads  of  the  South  Seas. Feb.  I7.'36t  .6  . . 

3.  Nomads  of  the  Past  Mar.  3,-36t.6. . . 

4.  Nomads  of  the  Air  Mar.  I7.'36t.5'/t. 

5.  Nomads  In  the  Making. .  .Apr.  3.'36t  .6. . . 

6.  Nomads  of  the  River  Apr.  I7,'36t.6... 

7.  Nomads  of  the  Plains  May  3.'36f.5'/j  . 

8.  Nomads  of  the  Sea  May  I7,'36t.5'/a . 


IMPERIAL 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

COLOR  CLASSICS 

Towers   of    Melody  8.. 

Hidden  Treasures   8.. 

Southern  Beauties   8.. 

EDGAR  GUEST   POETIC  GEMS 

After  the  Storm   

Boyhood   •.. 

Couldn't  Live  Without  You  

Old  Prospector,  The  8.. 

Sea  Dreams   8.. 

Early  in  the  Mornin'  8.. 

NOVELTIES 

Cities  of  the  Past  

Nero   i.. 

Every  Dog  Has  Its  Day  8.. 

Hobo  Hero   t. . 

PORT  0'  CALL 

Peacock  Throne   9.. 

City  of  the  Sun  9.. 

Jungle  Bound   , 

Last  Besort   9.. 

Love's  Memorial   , 

Children  of  the  Nile  9.., 

Seventh  Wonder   9.., 

WORLD    IN  COLOR 

Beneath  Coral  Seas  8.., 

Inspiration  of  Old  Love 

Songs   g.,, 

Isle  of  June   

Dream  Harbor   8.., 

Maori   8.., 

Melody  Isle   

Under  the  Southern  Cross  8.., 

MGM 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

CHARLEY  CHASE 
Count  Takes  the  Count,  The.  .Feb.  22,'36t20. . , 

Life  Hesitates  at  40  Jan.  l8.'36fJ5... 

Manhattan  Monkey  Business.  Nov.    9t. .  .21 . . . 

Neighborhood  House   May  9,'38f20... 

Nurse  to  You  Oct.  5t...20... 

On  the  Wrong  Trek  Apr.  I8,'38tl9... 

Public  Ghost  No.   I  Dee.  I4t...20.., 

Vamp  'Til   Ready  Mar.  28,'36f20. . . 

CRIME    DOESN'T  PAY 

No.  3 — Desert  Death   Oct.  I9t...2l... 

No.  4— Thrill  for  Thelma, 

A   Nov.  23t...l8... 

No.  5 — Hit  and  Run  Driver. Dee.  28t...20... 
No.  6 — Perfect  Setup   Feb.  I,'36t2l... 

FITZPATRICK  TRAVEL  TALKS 
Honolulu,   Paradise  of  the 

Pacific   Nov.  2t....t... 

Japan  In  Cherry  Blossom 

Time   Mar.  2l,'36t.9... 

Modern  Tokyo   Dec.  28t....9... 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  City  of 

Splendor   Apr.  I8,'36t .8. . . 

Rural  Mexico   Nov.  30t....8... 

Sacred  City  of  the  Mayan 

Indians   Feb.  22,'36t.7... 

St.  Helena  and  Its  Man  of 

Destiny   May  I6.'36t.8... 

Victoria  and  Vancouver  Jan.  25,'J6t.8... 


94 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    25,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART—CONT'D) 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

HARM  AN-ISING 
(Happy  Harmonies) 

15 —  Honeyland   Oct.  I9+...I0... 

16—  Alias  St.  Nick  Nov.  I6t...l0... 

17 —  Run,  Sheep,   Run  Dec.  I4f...i0  

18—  Bottles   Jan.  11/36+10... 

19 —  Early  Bird  and  the 

Worm,  The   Feb.   8/36+. 9... 

20—  Old  Mill  Pond,  The...  Mar.  7/36+.8... 

21—  Two  Little  Pups  Apr.  4,'36t.8  

M-G-M  MINIATURES 
Great  American  Pie  Com- 
pany  Nov.  9t...ll  

How  to  Behave  Apr.  25,'36tl0. . . 

How  to  Train  a  Dog  July  4,'36  

Important  News   Feb.  29,'36tl0  

Jonker   Diamond   Mar.  28,'36tl0  

Let's  Dance   Jan.  4.'36t.8... 

Little  Boy  Blue  May  23,'36fl I . . . , 

Master  Will  Shakespeare. .  .June  13,  '36t  10  

Primitive  Pitcalrn   Dec.    7t  9  

Trained  Hoofs   Oct.  I2t  9  

West  Point  of  the  South. ..Feb.   I .'36+.8  

M-G-M  SPORTS  PARADE 

Air  Hoppers   Jan.  I8,'36tl0  

Aquatic  Artistry   Apr.   1 1  ,'36.9  

Crew  Raeing   Dee.  2lt...l0.... 

Gymnastics   Oct.  26t....fl.... 

Polo   May  9,'36t.8  

Table  Tennis   Feb.  I5,'36tl0  

Racing  Canines   Mar.  I4,'36tl0  

Water  Sports   Oct.  26t  8  

MUSICAL  REVUES 
La  Fiesta  do  Santa  Bar- 
bara  Dee.  7t...l9  

Pirate  Party  on  Catallna 

Isle   Nov.  21  28  

OUR  GANG 

Arbor  Day   May  2,'36tl8  

Divot  Diggers   Feb.  8/361 1 5  

Follies  of  1936  Nov.  30+. ..18.... 

Little  Sinner   Oct.  28+... 18  

Lucky  Corner,  The  Mar.  I4,'36tl6  

Pinch  Singer   Jan.  4/36tl8  

Second  Childhood   Air.  I  l,'36f  19. . . . 

PATSY  KELLY  COMEDIES 

All-Amerlcan  Toothache  Jan.  25/36+20  

At  Sea  Ashore  Apr.  4,36+20  

HIM  Tillies   Apr.  4/36+18.... 

Hot  Money   Nov.  I6t  IS  

Pan  Handlers   Feb.  29'J8t20  

Top  Flat   Dec.  21+.;. 29.... 

SPECIAL 

Audioseopiks   8.... 

PARAMOUNT 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

BETTY  BOOP  CARTOONS 
Betty  Boop  and  Little 

Jimmy   Mar.27/36+.7  

Betty  Boor  and  the  Little 

King   Jan  3l,'36t.7.... 

Henry,  The  Funniest  Living 

American   Nov.  22t  7.... 

Judge  for  a  Day  Sept. 20t  

Little  Nobody   Dee.  27t  7  

Making  Stars   Oct.  I8t  7.... 

More  Pep   June  I9.'36t  

Not  Now   Feb.  28/36+. 7  

Song  ■  Day,  A  May  22/38t.7  

Wo  Did  It  Apr.  24.'36t.6  

You're  Not  Built  That  Way. July  I7.'36t.l  rl.. 
COLOR  CLA8SICS 

Cobweb   Hotel,  The  May  I5,'36t.8  

Greedy  Humpty  Dumpty. . . . July  I0.'36t . I  rt. . 

Little  Stranger   Mar.  I3,'36t.8  

Musleal  Memories   Nov.   St  7  

8omewhere  In  Dreamland. .  .Jan.  17/36.9.... 

(Teehnlcolor) 

Time  for  Love  Sept.  6t  7  

HEADLINERS 
Accent  on  Girls  Dec.  27t  

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 

Melodears 

Babes  In  Hollywood  Oct.  18+.. .10.... 

Breezy  Rhythm   Apr.  I0,'36tl0  

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 

Cavalcade  of  Musle,  The  Oct.    4t  8.... 

Lucky  Starlets   May  22/36+10  

Baby  Leroy-Bennle  Bart- 

lett  -  David    Holt  •  Betty 

Holt  -  Billy  Lee-Vlrglnla 

Weldler 

Magic  of  Music,  The  Aug.   2+.. .11.... 

Richard  Himber  and  Hit 
Orchestra 

Midnight  Melodies   Mar. 20/36+1 I  

Ed  Paul  and  Orchestra- 
Babs  Ryan  -  Loretta  Lee 


Title                         Rel.  Date  Min. 
Moscow  Moods   Jan.  I7.'36tll  

Yasha  Bunchuk  and  Oreh. 
Movie  Melodies  on  Parade.. Feb.  7,'36tll  

Andre  Kostelanetz-Mary 

Eastman 

Musical  Fashions   July  3,'36t.lrl.. 

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  her 
Melodears 

Music  in  the  Morgan  Manner. June  I2,'36t  

Russ  Morgan  and  Orch. 
Parade  of  the  Maestros  Nov.  I5t...l0.... 

Red  Nichols,  Ferde  Grofe, 

Emery  Deutsch  and  Their 

Orchestras 

Play,  Don   July  31/36  

Don  Bestor  and  Orch. 

Radio  Rhapsdoy   Dee.  6t...l0  

Johnny  Green  and  Orch. 

Star  Reporter,  The  Feb.  28/36t.9. . . . 

Betty  Jane  Cooper- Don- 
ald Novls-lna  Ray  Hutton 

Yankee  Doodle  Rhapsody. .. May  l/36tll  

Ferde  Grofe  and  His 
Orchestra 

PARAMOUNT  PICTORIAL  NEW  SERIES 
No.  3— Nesting  Time— Re- .Oct.  lit  9  

flections — Song  Makers  of 

the  Nation  (Tot  Seymour 

and  Vee  Lawnhurst)  

No.  4  — Jewelry— Made  to. Nov.  3t...l0  

Order  —  Let's   Listen  to 

Latin  America   

No.  5 — Manhattan  Rhapsody.  Dee.    6t . . . 1 0  

— Animal  Buddies — Man 

of  Many  Faces  

No.   6  — The   Latest  from. Jan.  3/36tl0  

Paris — Shifting  Sands- 
Nature's  Sideshow   

No.  7 — Mountain  Moods — .Jan.  3l,'36t.7  

Camera   Hounds  —  Song 

Makers    of    the  Nation 

(Ralph  Ralnger  and  Lee 

Robin)   

No.  8—  Frederic  W.  Goudy .  Feb.  28/38+11 . . . . 

— Sails  Over  Sydney  Har- 
bor —  The  Voieo  of  the 

Animals   

No.  9— Trailing  the  Birds  .  Mar.  27/36+. 9  

— Lake  of  Enchantment 

— Swanee     River  Goes 

High  Hat 

No.  10— Toilers     of    the  . Apr.  24/36+10  

Deep  —  Where  Beauty 

Reigns — Make-up  Magic 
No.  II — Champagne — Girls  .May  22/36+  

Will  Be  Boys— Up  Mont 

Blane 

No.  12— Meet  the  Pelican— .June  I9,'36t  

Viola   Mitchell  —  Steel 
Suits 

No.  13—   July  I7/36M  rl.. 

PARAMOUNT  VARIETIES 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  4  Sopt.CTt. . .10.... 

Broadway  Highlights  N*.  S.Det.  I3t..-10  

Broadway  Highlights  No.  6. Apr.  S/36t ...... 

Collie,  The   Fab.il/36tlf.'... 

Countryside  Melodies   Nov.  29t. 

(Technicolor) 

Dangerous  Jobs   May  l/3St.t.... 

Fashions  In  Love,  July  24,'36t.l  rl.. 

Here  Comes  the  Zoo  Mar.  13/361.9  

March  of  the  Presidents. ..  Sept.  27t ...  I®  

Movie  Milestones  (No.  2).. Jan.  3l/36tl8  

Poodle.  The   May22/36tl0  

Rhythm  Party,  The  June  26,'36t  

Rookie  Fireman,  The  Apr.  24,'3St 1 0  

Shorty  at  Coney  Island  Jan.  10/36+16  

Shorty  at  the  Seashore  July  I0,'36t.l  rl.. 

Shorty  Goes  South  Sapt.  I3t- .  .10  

Spring  Night   Nov.    It.. ..8.... 

POPEYE  THE  SAILOR 
Adventures  of  Popeye,  The.  .Oct.  25t...8.... 

Bridge  Ahoy!   May  l/36t.8  

Brotherly  Love   Mar.  6/36t.7.... 

Clean  Shaven  Man,  A  Feb.  7/36t.7.... 

I-Skl  Love-Ski  You-Skl . . . .  Apr.  3/36t.6.... 

I  Wanna  Be  a  Lifeguard. .  .Juno 26/36t  

King  of  tho  Mardl  Gras...  .Sept. 27t  7  

Let's  Get  Movln'   J uly  24/36t . I  rl . . 

Slnbad  the  Sailor  Jan.  3l/36t.2r!t. 

(Special) 

Spinach  Overture,  The  Dee.  6t....8.... 

Vim,  Vigor  and  Vltallky. . . Jan.  3.'36t.7.... 

What,  No  Spinach?  May  29/36t  

PARAMOUNT  SOUND  NEWS 
Two  Editions  Weekly 

POPULAR  SCIENCE 
(Clneeolcr) 

No.  I   Sept.29t....9.... 

No.  2   Nov.  29t...l0yi.. 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mi 

No.  3   Jan.  24,*36tll 

No.  4   Mar.27/36tll 

No.  5   May29,'36t.. 

No.  6   July  I7.'36t.l 

SCREEN  SONGS 
Hills  of  Old  Wyomin',  The.  .July  24/361 . 1 

The  Westerners 
I    Don't  Want  to  Make 

History   May  22/36t.. 

V.  Lopez  and  Orchestra 
I   Feel  Like  a  Feather  In 

the  Breeze   Mar.  27/36t.7 

Jack  Denny  and  Orchestra 
It's  Easy  to  Remember  Nov.  29t. .  .10 

Richard  Himber  and  Or- 
chestra 

I  Wished  On  tho  Moon  Sept.  20t  8 

Abe  Lyman  and  Orchestra 

No  Other  One  Jan.  24/36t.8 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 

GRANTLAND  RICE  SPORTLIGHTS 
(NEW  SERIES) 
No.  16—  Hooked  Lightning  .Sept.27t. . .10 
No.  17 — Junmplng  Champion  Oct.  25t ...10 
No.  18 — Sport  on  the  Range. Nov.  22t ...  10 
No.  19— Sporting  Network  .Deo.  20f ...  10 
No.  20— What's  the  Answer. Jan.  I7,'36tl0 

No.  21— Finer  Points  Feb.  I4,'36tl0 

No.  22— Winged  Champions. Mar.  I3,'36tl0 

No.  23 — Sun  Chasers  Apr.  I0,'36tl0 

No.  24— Catching  Trouble..  .May  8/36+10 
No.  25—  River  of  Thrills. ..  .Juno  5/36+.. 
No.  26 — Sporting  Compari- 
sons July  3/36t... 


Title 


RKO  RADIO 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

DUMBBELL  LETTERS 

No.  21   Jan.  3/36t.5... 

No.  22   Feb.  3l/36t.5'/j. 

No.  23   Apr.   3/36+. 5... 

No.  24   May29,'36t.S... 

No.  25   July  I0,'36t  

EASY  ACES 

Capital  Idea   Oet.  4t...l0... 

Debonair  New  Orleans  Mar.  27.'36tl0. . . 

Etiquette   Nov.  29/36t.9... 

Fool  Yeur  Friends   June  9/36t  

Job's  a  Job,  A  May  22/36t  

Jolly  Old  London  Aug.  30  9ft. 

Old  Fashioned  Movie,  An..  .Feb.  28,'36tll . . . 

Trleks  of  the  Trade  Sept.  6t...l0... 

Unusualltles   Aug.  9t....9'/j. 

Winter  at  tho  Zoo  Jan.  3l/36tl0ft. 

World  Within.  A  Nov.    It...  10... 

FOUR  STAR  COMEDIES 

Salesmanship  Ahoy   Joiy  19  18ft. 

HEADLINER  SERIES 

No.  5 — Drawing   Rumen  July  12  17... 

No.  I— Night  Life   Sept.2lt . . .21 . . . 

No.  2— Tuned  Out   Nov.  15+.. .20..., 

No.  3 — Camera  Crank*  Jan.  I7.'36tl9. . . 

No.  4— Wedtlmo  Story,  A.. . Mar. 20/36t2l . . . 

No.  5—  Bad  Medlelne  May  22/36tl5... 

No.  6— Sleepy  Tine  July  24.'36t  

EDGAR  KENNEDY  C0MEDIE8 

Dummy  Ache   July  I0,'36t  

Gasoloons   Jan.  3/26+ISft. 

Happy  Tho  Married  Nov.    I  18... 

High  Beer  Pressure  May  8/36M8. ... 

In  Love  at  40  Aug.  30t . .  .19. . . . 

Sock  Me  To  Sleep  May  17  20.... 

Will  Power   Mar.  6/36+19**. 

MAJOR   BOWES'   AMATEUR  PARADE 

No.  I   May  l.'36t.9... 

No.  2   June  5/36t  

No.  3   July  3/36t  

MAJOR  BOWES'  AMATEUR  THEATRE 
OF  THE  AIR 

No.  4   Oet.  I8t. . .  ISVa  - . 

No.  5   Nov.  8t...l8  

No.  6   Nov.  22t...l8.... 

MARCH  OF  TIME 

No.  8   Nov.  I5t...20.... 

No.  9   Dee.  I3t . .  .23'/s  . . 

[1936] 

No.  I   Jan.  l7/36tl8'/j.. 

No.  2   Feb.  I7,'36t24. . . . 

No.  3   Mar.  13/36.21.... 

No.  4   Apr.  I7.'36t2l  

No.  5   May  I5,'36t  

No.  6   June  I2,'36t  

No.  7   July  I0,'36t  

MUSICALS 
Night  at  the  Blltmore 

Bowl,  A   Juno  21. ...17'/,.. 

PATHE  NEWS 
Released  twice  a  week 

PATHE  REVIEWS 
Released  once  a  month 


Rel.  Date  Mln. 
PATHE  TOPICS 
Released  seven  times  a  year 

RADIO  FLASH  COMEDIES 

Dog   Blight   June  I2,'36t  

Fight  Is  Right  Apr.  IO/36tl7... 

Radio  Barred   Feb.  7,'36tl5Vs. 

Where  There's  a  Will  Oct.  4t...l8... 

Worm  Burns,  The  Dec.    6t- -  .17  

RADIO   MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Aladdin  from  Manhattan  Feb.  28/36tl7. . . 

Foolish  Hearts    Dec.  27t  18. . . 

Melody  in  May  May  I.'36tl9)  

Metropolitan  Nocturne   Aug.  23t . . .  18. . . 

Mismanaged   Oet.  25t...l9ft. 

Swing  It   July  3,'36t  

RAINBOW  PARADE  CARTOONS 

Bold  King  Cole  May  29/36t  

Felix  the  Cat  and  the  Goose 

That  Laid  the  Golden  Egg. Feb.  7/36+ .7ft. 
Molly  Moo  Cow  and  tho 

Indians   Nov.  I5t  7!&. 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  Robin- 
son Crusoe   Mar. 20,'36t.7... 

Neptune  Nonsense   Apr.  1 7,'36t  .8. . . 

Toonerville  Trolley   Jan.  I7,'36t.7... 

Trolley  Ahoy   

Waif's  Welcome,  A  June  I9,'36t  

SMART  SET 

All  Business   Feb.  14/38+ 18ft. 

And  So  to  Wed  Juno  19,'Stt  

Framing  Father   Apr.  1 7/38+ 1 ift. 

Returned  Engagement,  A...  Oet.  I  It... 21... 

Too  Many  Surprises  Dot.    3+.. .29ft. 

SPECIALS 

Going  on  Two  Sept.  17  17... 

Headlines  for  25  Years  M ar. 27/39 til ... 

SPORTS  WITH  BILL  CORUM 

Bugles  from  Blue  eras*  Oct  lit. ..19ft. 

Gentlemen's  Sports   Dee.  13+.. .11... 

Inside  tho  Rep**  Aug.  I6f  ...16... 

Never  Catch  the  Rabbit  Apr.  24/38tll... 

Row  Mr.  Row  Juno  I9,'39t  

Tomorrow's  Halfbacks   Jan.  24/38+. 9... 

Winter  Sport  Mar.  13/38+19... 

STRUGGLE  TO  LIVE 

Beach  Masters   Nov.  8t...l»ft. 

Living  Jewels   June  12/36}  

Underground  Farmers  Apr.  I7,'3(t.9... 

Winged  Pageantry  Feb.  14/36+19... 

SUPERBA  COMEDIES 

Counselltls   Nov.  22t...l8... 

Down  the  RIbber  Mar. 27/36+21... 

Homo  Work   Sept. 20+...  19... 

Uppereutlets   Jan.  24/36tl8y». 

Listen  to  Freezin'   July  31/36+  

Wholesaling  Along  May  29/36+17... 

VAGABOND  ADVENTRE  SERIES 

Quebec   Aug.   2  9ft. 

WORLD  ON  PARADE 
Coral  Isle  of  tho  Atlantis..  .Mar. 27/36+1 1... 

Land  *f  Evangeline  Nov.  22+.. .19ft. 

Morocco   Jan.  IO/39f  

Prominent  Personalities. ..: .Feb.  21/36+11... 
Spain's  Rsmantls  Isle, 

Majorca   Oct.  I»t...l9ft. 

Venice  of  the  North  May  15/39  


STATE  RIGHTS 

Title  Rel.  Data  Mln. 

AL  BONDY 
(General  Electric) 

Excursions  In  Seience  No.  1  8... 

DYNAMIC 

Wonderland  of  Gaspe  ||... 

NORTON 

Alchemist's  Hourglass,  The  18... 

PAT  GARYN 

O'Mahoney-Georg*  Bout   17... 

PHIL  BROWN 

Norwegian  Sketcbes   |0... 

REGAL 

Broadway  Nights   


20TH  CENTURY-FOX 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

ADVENTURES  OF  THE 
NEWSREEL  CAMERAMAN 

Filming  the  Fantastic  Jan.  31  .'38+10. . . 

Filming  Feminine  Head- 
liners   Dee.  27t...l8... 

Scouring  the   Skies  Aug.  14/36  

Shooting  the  Record  Break- 
ers  Nov.  22t...|8... 

MAGIC  CARPET  SERIES 

Argentine  Argosy   Nov.  22+...  19... 

Geneva-by-tho-Lake  Dee.  21+.. .19... 

Hong  Kong  Highlights  Jan.  31/36+10... 

Irish  Pastoral   Aug.  7/36  

Morocco  Mirage   Aug.  30. . .  .10. 


July    2  5,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


95 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CCNT'E) 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

West  Indies  Cruise  Oct.  25t...l0... 

Winter  Manic   Dec.  27t...l0... 


UNITED  ARTISTS 


Title 


Min. 


35. 

36. 

37. 

38. 

39. 

40. 
101. 
102. 


Rel.  Date 
MICKEY  MOUSE 

Pluto's  Judgment  Day.  .Sept.28t  9.. 

On  Ice   Nov.    6t  8.. 

Mickey's  Polo  Team... Feb.  5.'36t.8.. 

Orphans'  Picnic   Mar.  I2.'36t.9. . 

Mickey's  Grand  Opera  9.. 

Through  the  Mirror. ..  .June  I8,'36t. 9.. 

Moving  Day   9.. 

Mickey's  Rival   9.. 

SILLY  SYMPHONIES 
Who  Killed  Cock 

Robin?   June26t.. 

Music  Land   Oct.  lot. 

Three  Orphan   Kittens. Nov.  2lt. ....... 

Cock  of  the  Walk  Dec.  I9t  8... 

Broken  Toys   Jan.  9,'36t.8... 

Elmer  the  Elephant...  .May  l4/36t.8'/a. 
Three  Little  Wolves. .. May  27,'36tl0. . . 


..10... 
.8'/,. 


UNIVERSAL 


Title 


Min. 


Rel.  Date 
CARTUNE  CLASSICS 
No.  6—  Fox  and  the  Rabbit, 

The   Sept.  30  8  

GOING  PLACES  with  LOWELL  THOMAS 

No.   14   Nov.  251'  9  

No.   15   Dec.    9t  9  

No.  16   Dec.  23t  ...10  

No.  17   Jan.  20,'36t  

No.  18   Mar.  9,'36tl8'/t.. 

No.  19   Mar.23,'36tl0.... 

Ns.  20   Apr.  20.'36t.9  

No.  21   June  8.'3St  

No.  22   June22,'36t  

No.  23   July  6/36t  


No.  24   ...July  20, '36.10  

No.  25   Aug.  3/36  

No.  26   Aug.  I7.'36  

MENTONE  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Carnival  Time   Jan.  22,'36tlB  

Jew  Scrgent-Jatk  Fulton 

Clubhouse  Party  (No.  6-B).Dec.  25t  2ris. 

Ray  Perkins 

Flippen's  Froliea   July  I5,'36t  

Gin  Van's  Music  Shoppe 

(No.  5-B)   Dee.  4T...20.... 

Harlem  Bound  (No.  4)  Nov.   6t... »>.... 

Marino  Follies   Apr.  29/36 1. 2  rls. 

On  Your  Radio  Dial 

(No.  3)   Oct.  23T...I0.... 

Playing  for  Fun  Mar.  I8,'36tI5  

Signing  Off   Feb.  I9,'36tl9  

Speedy  Justice  (No.  2-B).  .Sept. 25t. . .20  

Teddy  Bergman's  Inter- 

national  Broadcast  June  3.'36t20  

Vaud-O-Mat.  The   Apr.  8,'36tl8.... 

NOVELTIES 

Skits  'n'  Sketches  Feb.  24,'36t...... 

OSWALD  CARTOONS 

Alaska  Sweepstakes   Feb.  I7.'36t.8  

Amateur  Broadcast   Aug.  26  7.... 

Battle  Royal   June  22,'36t.7.... 

Barnyard  Five   Apr.  20,'3tt  

Beauty  Shoppe   Mar.30.'38t.8yi.. 

Case  of  the  Lost  Sheep,  The. Dee.    9t  7.... 

Doctor  Oswald   Dee.  30t  

Farming  Fools   May  25,'36t  

Fun  House,  The  May  4,'36t  

Monkey  Wretches   Nov.  lit  I  if.. 

Quail  Hunt,  The  Oct.    7  •  

Slumberland  Express   Mar.  9,'36t  

Soft  Ball  Game  Jan.  27,'36t  

STRANGER  THAN  FICTION  SERIES 

No.  14—  Novelty   Nov.  I8t  9  

No.  15— Novelty   Dec.  2t....9.... 

No.  16— Novelty   Dec.  I6t  9  

No.  17— Novelty   Jan.  I3.'36t.9  

No.  18—  Novelty   Mar. 30,'36t -9</a. . 

No.  19— Novelty   Apr.  I3.'36t.9  

No.  20— Novelty   June  I/36T  

No.  21— Novelty   June  1 5.'36f  

22^Novelty   June  29,'36t  

23— Novelty   July  !3/36t  


No. 
No. 

No.  24— Novelty   July  27,'36.I0. . . . 

No.  25— Novelty   Aug.  10/36  

No.  26— Novelty   Aug.  24/36  

UNIVERSAL  COMEDIES 
Bring  'Em  Back  a  Lie  Aug.  14  2.rls. 

Sterling  Holloway 
Father  Knows  Best  July  20  2  rls. 

Sterling  Holloway 
His  Last  Fling  July  31. ...20.... 

(Van  Ronkel  No.  5) 
You  Can  Be  Had  Jan.  8/36tl8  


Title                          Rel.  Date  Min. 
UNIVERSAL  SPECIAL 
Camera  Thrills   Sept.30  21... 


VITAPHONE 

BIG  TIME  VAUDEVILLE  REEL 
Vitaphone  Billboard   Feb.  I5.'36tll  

Jane  and  Katherine  Lee 
Vitaphone  Casino  10.... 

Buster  West-Radio  Rubes 
Vitaphone  Celebrities   Jan.  25.'36t  II  

Remington  Singers 
Vitaphone  Entertainers   June  27/36f.l  rl.. 

Sylvia  Froos 
Vitaphone  Headliners   Dec.  I4t...l0.... 

Nick  Lucas-Four  Mullen 

Sisters 

Vitaphone  Highlight   Apr.  4/36tl0. ... 

Eddie  Peabody 
Vitaphone  Hippodrome   May   2/36TI I  

Molly  Picon-Johnny  Lee 
Vitaphone  Spotlight   Mar.  _7/36tll .... 

Conville-Dale 

Vitaphone  Topnotches  May  30.'36t  

Vitaphone  Troupers   Jan.  4/36tl0  

Four  Trojans- 

Aunt  Jemima 
Vitaphone  Varlete   Nov.  I6t  I  rl. . 

Louis  Prima  and  Oreh. 
Vitaphone  Stagoshow   July  25/36t.  I  rl. . 

BIG  V.  COMEDIES 

Keystone  Hotel   Sept.  21 1 . .  .20. . . . 

Old  Timers 

Vodka  Boatmen   Oct.    5f  .20  

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Lonesome  Trailer   Oct.  26t...20  

El  Brendel 

Officer's  Mess,  The  Nov.  9t....2rls. 

Shemp  Howard 
Double  Exposure   Nov.  23T...2I  

Bob  Hope 

Lucky  Swede,  The  Dec.  2lt...2l  

El  Brendel 

While  the  Cat's  Away  Jan.  4/36+20.... 

Shemp  Howard 

They're  Off   Jan.  I8.'36t2l.... 

Yaeht  Club  Boys 

Slide,  Nellie,  Slide  Feb.  I.*36t2l  

Herman  Bins- 
Paula  Stone 

Shop  Talk   Feb.  I5,'36t2l..  . 

Bob  Hope 

Joe  Palooka  In  for  the  Lave 

of  Pete   Mar.  I4,'36t2l.... 

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 

Calling  All  Tars  Mar.28/36t2l.... 

Bob  Hope 

Slum  Fun   Apr.  1 1  .'SOtSI  

Johnny  Berkes- 
Charles  O'Doanell 

Dough-Nuts   Apr.  25/36*.*  rls. 

Yacht  Club  Boys 

Absorbing  Junior    .May  9/36*21.... 

Shemp  Howard- 
Johnny  Borkos 

Joe  Palooka  In  Here's  Howe. June  6/36121  

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 

Wife  of  the  Party,  The  June  20/36*22  

Ken  Murray 

Good  Old  Plumbertime, 

The   July  ll/36t.2rls. 

Johnny  Berkes 

The  Oily  Bird  July  25/36t.2  rls. 

Ken  Murray 

BROADWAY  BREVITIES 
Dublin  In  Brass  Sept.  7t...20.... 

Morton  Downey 
Oh,  Evallna   Sept.  I4t. .  .20  

Hal  LeRoy- 

Eleanore  Whitney 
Doorman's  Opera   Sept. 28t. .  .20  

Charlotte  Arren- 

Johnny  Broderlck 
Tickets  Please   Oct.  I2t...2l  

Geergie  Price 
Regular  Kids   Oct.  I8+...20. ... 

Meglln  Kids 
Check  Your  Sombrero  Nov.  2t...2l.... 

Armida-Tito  Coral 
Rooftops  of  Manhattan  Nov.  16*. ..21.... 

Deane  Janls-GII  Lamb 
Trouble  in  Toyland  Nov.  30*... 20.... 

Gus  Edwards'  Stars  of 

the  Future 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 


Okay,  Jose   Dec.  7t...2l  

El  Brandel 

Katz*  Pajamas   Dec.    I4t .  21 ... . 

Fifl  D'Orsay 
Broadway  Ballyhoo   Dec.  28t . .  .21  

Owen,  Hunt  and  Pares 
Carnival   Days   Jan.  Il/36t2l  

Henry  Armetta- 

Felix  Knight 
Double  or  Nothing  Jan.  18/36*21  

Phil  Harris-Leah  Ray 

Study  and  Understudy  Jan.  25,*36t22  

Between  the  Lines  Feb.  8/36+22.... 

Bernice  Claire 
King  of  the  Islands  Feb.  22/36+21 . . . . 

Winifred  Shaw- 
Warren  Hymer 
Stars  Can't  Be  Wrong.  The  .  Feb.  29/36*21  

Carolyn  Marsh- 
Harris  Twins 
Wash  Your  Step  Mar.  7/36+21.... 

Hal  LeRoy- 

Preisser  Sisters 
Paris  in  New  York  Mar.  21/36+22. .. . 

Irene  Bordonl 
Black  Network,  The  Apr.  4/36+22.... 

Nina  Mae  McKinney- 

Nleholas  Bros. 
College  Dads   Apr.  11/36+2!.... 

Leon  Janney 
Double  Crossky,  The  Apr.  18/36+21  

Olga  Baclanova 
I'm  Much  Obliged  May  2/36*21.... 

Vera  Van-George  Oobbs 
Maid  for  a  Day  May  23/36+28. . . . 

Grace  Hayes 
City's  Slieker,  The  May  30/36*. 2  rls. 

Dawn  O'Day-Radla  Rubes 
Romance  in  the  Air  May  16/36*  

Win!  Shaw-Phil  Regan 
Changing  of  the  Guard  June  6/36*20  

Sybil  Jason 

Rhythmitls   June  I3/36+.2  rls. 

Hal  LeRey-Toby  Wing 
Song  of  a  Natloa.  The  July  4/36+20.... 

Donald  Woods- 

Claire  Dodd 
When  You're  Single  July  I8/36+.2  rls. 

Cross  and  Dunn 


LOONEY  TUNES 


No.  14— Plana  Dippy   

No.  15— Alpine  Antlea  

No.  16 — Phantom  Ship,  The 

No.  17 — Boom!  Booml   

No.  IS— Blow  Out,  The  

No.  19— Westward  Whoa... 

No.  20— Fish  Tales  

No.  21— Shanghaied  Ship- 
mates   

No.  22— Porky'e  Pot   

No.  23— Porky's  Moving 
Day   


Dee.  2lt....7. 
Jan.  4/36t.7. 
Feb.  l/36t.7. 
Feb.  29/36t.7. 
Apr.  4/3et.7. 
.Apr.  25/36t.7. 
.May  23/36t.7. 

.June  20/36.  .7. 
July  ll.'36t.7. 

Aug.  1/36.... 


MELODY  MASTERS 


Phil  Spltalny  All  Girl 
Orchestra   

Jack  Denny  and  Orchestra. 

Johnny  Green  and  Orchestra 

Claude  Hopkins  and  Oreh.. 

Red  Nichols  and  Orchestra. 

B.  A.  Relfe  and  Orchestra. 

Jolly  Cobum  and  Orchestra. 

Little  Jack  Little  and 
Orchestra   

Ramon  Ramos  and  Orchestra 

Dave  Apollon  and  His  Band 

Vincent  Lopez  and  Orches- 
tra  

Carl  Hoff  and  Orchestra... 

Clyde  Lucas  and  Orchestra. 


Sept.  I4t...l0... 
Oet.  7t...l0... 
I2t...l0... 
9t...l0... 
4/36tl0... 
I. '36*11... 


Oct. 
Nov. 
Jan. 
Feb. 


Feb.  22/36tll... 

Mar.2l/36tll... 

Apr.  I8.*36tf  f  

May  I6.'38tl0... 

June  6/36tl0... 
July  ll,'36t.l  rl. 
 II... 


MERRIE  MELODIES 
(In  Color) 

No.  12— Little  Dutch  Plate. Oct.  I9t....7... 

No.  13— Billboard  Frolles  7... 

Mo.  14 — Flowers  for  Madame. Nov.  30t  7... 

No.  15—1  Wanna  Play 

House   Jan.  il/36t.7... 

No.  16 — Cat  Came  Back, 

The   Feb.   8/36t  7... 

No.  17— Miss  Glory   Mar.  7/36.7... 

No.  18 — I'm  a  Big  Shot 

Now   Apr.  Il/36t.7... 

No.  19 — Let  It  Be  Me  May  2,'36t.7... 

No.  20 — I'd  Love  to  Take 

Orders  from  You  May  I6,'36t .7. . . 

No.  21 — Bingo  Crosbyana. .  .  May  30/36t  .7. . . 

No.  22— When  I  Yoo  Hoo. . .  June  27,'36t  

No.  23 — I   Love  to  Slnga.  . July  I8.'36f. I  rl. 


II... 


.11 


.11 . 


.11. 


OUR  OWN  UNITED  STATES 
No.  I — Curious  Industries. .  .Sept.  7t.. 

Harry  Von  Zell 
No.  2 — Playground   Oct.  St.. 

James  Wallington 
No.  3— Camera   Hunting  Nov.  2t.. 

Paul  Douglas 
No.  4 — Nature's  Handiwork. Nov.  30t.. 

No.  5 — Odd   Occupations  Dec.  28t ...  12. 

No.  6 — Steel  and  Stone. . . .  Jan.  25,'36fl  I . 
No.  7— Day's  Journey,  A . .  .  Feb.  22,'36t  1 1 . 

No.  8 — Harbor   Lights  Mar.2l/36tl I . 

No.  9— We  Eat  to  Live  Apr.  I8,'36tl0. 

No.  10—  Vacation  Spots  May  I6/36M  I . 

No.  II— Irons  in  the  Fire.. June  I3.'36t-I  I 
No.  12 — Can  You  Imagine.  .July  1 1/36+.  I  r 

No.  13 — For  Sports  Sake... Aug.  8/36  

PEPPER  POT 
Nutville   Sept.  7t. . .10. 

Radio  Ramblers 
All  American  Drawback  Oct.    St.. .10. 

Edgar  Bergen 
'Wee'  Men   Nov.  2t...l0. 

Singer's  Midgets 
Seein'  Stars  Nov.  30t...l0. 

Easy  Aces 

P's  and  Cues  Dee.   7t  ...II. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  82.) 

Can  It  Be  Done?  Dee.  21 1 . .  .16). 

Wild  Wings   Jan.  Il/iotll. 

Some  Class   Feb.  8/38110. 

Charles  Ahearn 

Timber  Giants   Feb.  22/86tll. 

Half  Wit-ness   Mar.2l.36t. I  i 

Radio  Ramblers 

Beneath  the  Sea  Apr.  I8,'36t... 

Pictorial  Review   June27.'36t. I  I 

Nut  Guilty  10. 

When  Fish  Fight  July  1 1  .'36. 10. 

Whale  Ho   II. 


SERIALS 

12  Episodes  Each  Union  Otherwise  Specified 
Title  Rel.  Date  Mia, 

BURROUGHS-TARZAN 

New  Adventures  of  Tarzaa . .  J  une  10  2  rls. 

Herman  Brix  (saoh) 

MASCOT 

Fighting  Marines.  The  Nov.  23t....trts. 

Grant  Witbers-Goorgo  Lewis 

REPUBLIC 

Darkest  Africa   

Clyde  Beatty 
(15  Episodes) 
Robinson  Crusoe 

Mala 

Undersea  Kingdom   

Ray  Corrigan-Lols  Wilde 

Vigilantes  Are  Coming,  The  

Robert  Livingston- 
Kay  Hughes 


STAGE  and  SCREEN 

Serials) 

..Aug.  1/36.... 


(Weiss- Mlntz 
Black  Coin,  The  

(15  episodes) 
Clutching  Hand,  The... 

Jack  Mulhall- 

Wm.  Farnum 

(also  feature  version) 


Custer's  Last  Staad  

Rex  Lease-Lona  Andre 
(also  feature  version) 


.  .Apr.  I8.'36t.2rls. 

(each) 

(1st  episode,  3  rls., 
followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 

..Jan.  2/36t  

(1st  episode,  5  rls., 
followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 


UNIVERSAL 


Adventures  of  Frank  Merrl- 

well   Jan.  !3/36t  

Don  Brlggs-Jean  Rogers 
Flash  Gordon   Apr.  6/36f  

Buster  Crabbe-Jean  Rogers 

(13  episodes) 
Phantom   Rider   July  6,'36t  

Buck  Jones-Maria  Shelton 

(15  episodes) 
Rustlers  of  Red  Dog  Jan.  21 1. .  .20. . . . 

John  Mack  Brown  (eaok) 
Tailspin   Tommy   In  the 

Great  Air  Mystery  Oct.  2lf...20.... 

Clark  Williams — Jean  Rogers  (each) 


96 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


July    2  5,     19  3  6 


CLASSIFIED 
ADVERTISING 


the  great 
national  medium 
for  showmen 


Ten  cents  per  word,  money-order  or  check  with  copy.  Count  initials,  box  number  and  address.  Minimum  insertion, 
$1.  Four  insertions  for  the  price  of  three.  Contract  rates  on  application.  No  borders  or  cuts.  Forms  close 
Mondays  at  5  P.M.  Publisher  reserves  the  right  to  reject  any  copy.  Film  and  trailer  service  advertising  not 
accepted.  Classified  advertising  not  subject  to  agency  commission.  Address  correspondence,  copy  and  checks  to 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD,  Classified  Dept.,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  City 


NEW  EQUIPMENT 


RAINBOW  MIST  SPRAY  NOZZLES,  WATER 
broken  to  the  finest  misty  spray  possible,  Foolproof. 
Special  offer.  New  territory.  PETERSON  FREEZEM 
SALES  CO.,  2620  Charlotte  St.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

THEY  ALL  LOOK  GOOD  IN  PRINT,.  BUT— 
judge  us  by  our  catalog',  our  reputation,  and  our 
institution — S.  O.  S.  will  stand  inspection.  Visit  our 
magnificent  showrooms  and  factories.  S.  O.  S.,  1600 
Broadway,  New  York. 


BOOKS 


ORDER  NOW!  RICHARDSON'S  NEW  BLUE 
Book  of  Projection — 6th  edition  complete  in  one  vol- 
ume. 714  pages,  153  illustrations.  Full  text  on  projec- 
tion and  sound  combined  with  trouble-shooter,  $5.25 
postpaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rockefeller  Center, 
New  York. 

THEATRE  ACCOUNTING  BY  WILLIAM  F. 
Morris,  is  still  the  best  bookkeeping  system  for  thea- 
tres. It  not  only  guides  you  in  making  the  proper 
entries,  but  provides  sufficient  blank  pages  for  a 
complete  record  of  your  operations  for  each  day  of 
the  year.  Notable  for  its  simplicity.  Order  now — 
$3  postage  prepaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rocke- 
feller Center,  New  York. 

PREDDEY  THEATRE  RECORD  LEDGER,  A  NEAT, 
concise,  well  bound  simple,  complete  year's  record  of 
every  detail,  carefully  classified.  Expense  and  receipts 
at  a  glance.  $2.    188  Golden  Gate,  San  Francisco. 

MANAGERS,  PROJECTIONISTS— EVEN  USHERS 
should  read — Sloane's  famous  "Motion  Picture  Projec- 
tion," 303  pages,  fully  illustrated.  Used  as  textbook 
by  New  York  Institute  of  Photography.  Handsomely 
bound  in  red  Morocco.  Originally  $7.50,  special  98c. 
Write  for  our  prices,  Camerons,  etc.  S.  O.  S.,  1600 
Broadway,  New  York. 


POSITIONS  WANTED 


MANAGER— 8  YEARS'  EXPERIENCE.  GO  ANY- 
where.    BOX    732,    MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD. 

PROJECTIONIST— DESIRES  CHANGE— DEPEND- 
able,  young,  married,  references.  Non-union.  $25.  BOX 
733,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


TRAINING  SCHOOL 


THEATRE  EMPLOYEES;  ADVANCE  TO  BET- 
ter  theatre  positions.  Free  booklet  shows  you  how. 
THEATRE  INSTITUTE,  315  Washington  St.,  Elmira, 
N.  Y. 


CAPITOL  WANTED 


WANTED— VERY  MUCH!  YOUNG  MAN,  WITH 
well  established  small  town  theatre,  doing  good  busi- 
ness, wishes  to  borrow  $2000  to  $3000  from  private 
party,  for  immediate  remodeling.  Can  repay  $100 
month  plus  6%.  Details  to  anyone  interested.  BOX 
734,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


SOUND  EQUIPMENT 


"ALL  YOU  SAID  IT  WAS"  WRITES  SAVANNAH 
Boy's  Club.  Delighted  with  Cinemaphone  sound.  Free 
trial.  Write  S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broadway,  New  York. 


OENEPAL 
EQUIPMENT 


NEW  AND  RECONDITIONED  PROJECTORS, 
reflector  lamps,  rectifiers,  lenses,  sound  equipment, 
screens,  chairs,  mazdas,  portables  and  accessories. 
Bargain  bulletin  free.  MONARCH  THEATRE 
SUPPLY  CO.,  Memphis,  Tenn. 

EVERYTHING  REQUIRED  FOR  THEATRES, 
largest  and  oldest  dealers  on  coast.  Big  complete 
stock,  lowest  prices.  Lamps,  sound,  projectors,  recti- 
fiers, chairs,  lenses,  generators.  Get  bulletin. 
PREDDEY,  188  Golden  Gate,  San  Francisco. 

MIDSUMMER  MADNESS  MAKES  COMPETITORS 
sweat — here's  why — fire  axe  with  holder,  $4.95;  flame- 
proofing  solution,  98c;  magnetized  tack  hammers,  29c; 
parking  signs,  extra  heavy,  $6.95;  galvanized  pails,  39c; 
seat  patching  kits,  $5.55 ;  chair  slip  covers,  39c.  Order 
from  our  catalog.  S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broadway,  New  York. 


WANTED  TO  BUY 


READY  CASH  WAITING  FOR  ANY  NUMBER 
Powers,  Simplex  projectors,  mechanisms,  lenses,  gen- 
erators, reflector  arc  lamps,  rectifiers,  mazdas,  chairs, 
portables,  sound  outfits,  and  complete  theatre  equip- 
ment.  BOX  717,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 

WILL  BUY  SIMPLEX  HEADS  OR  PROJECTORS, 
incomplete,  worn  or  otherwise.  Cash.  PREDDEY, 
188  Golden  Gate,  San  Francisco. 

CASH  PAID  FOR  OLD  SILENT  SIMPLEX 
machines.    F.  MERTZ,  Springfield,  111.  » 

HIGHEST  PRICES  FOR  RCA  SOUND,  SIMPLEX, 
Powers,  Motiograph,  arc  lamps,  rectifiers,  lenses,  port- 
ables, stocks  liquidated.  Strictly  confidential.  Box  731, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


AIP  CONDITIONING 


AIR  CONDITIONING  CHARTS  THAT  REPRE- 
sent  standard  practice  in  air  conditioning  for  motion 
picture  theatres.  Practical  advice  on  how  to  attain 
the  best  atmospheric  conditions  for  your  home  winter 
and  summer.  Devised  to  be  put  on  the  wall  for  con- 
stant reference.  Available  until  the  supply  is  ex- 
hausted at  25c  each,  payment  direct.  BETTER 
THEATRES,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York. 


THEATPES  EOP  SALE 


SMALL  THEATRE  TO  LIQUIDATE  A  PART- 

enrship.  Doing  nice  business  no  trades.  G.  A.  HART, 
Stratford,  Texas. 


USED  EQUIPMENT 


15  AMPERE  FOREST  RECTIFIERS  $25  EACH. 
30  ampere  Garver  rectifiers  $50.  THEATRE  SOUND 
SERVICE,  Box  395,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


$850  TAKES  ENTIRE  THEATRE  EQUIPMENT. 
Powers  machines,  Deluxe  sound,  seats,  piano,  every- 
thing.  PRINCESS,  Saybrook,  Illinois. 


LARGEST  DEALERS  IN  USED  THEATRE 
chairs,  parts,  etc.  ALLIED  SEATING  CO.,  358  West 
44th  St.,  New  York  City. 


WILL  SACRIFICE:  PEERLESS  LAMPS,  ROTH 
generators,  rectifiers.  Simplex  projectors.  PENN 
THEATRE  EQUIPMENT  COMPANY,  309  North 
Thirteenth  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


REPLACEMENT  PARTS  FOR  POWERS  PROJEC- 
tors  50%  discount.  Satisfaction  guaranteed.  THEATRE 
SOUND  SERVICE,  Box  395,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


UNUSUAL  BARGAINS  IN  USED  OPERA 
chairs,  sound  equipment,  motion  picture  machines, 
screens,  spotlights,  stereopticons,  etc.  Projection  ma- 
chines repaired.  Catalogue  H  free.  MOVIE  SUPPLY 
COMPANY,  Ltd..  844  So.  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago. 


RECONDITIONED  EQUIPMENT  AT  BARGAIN 
prices — (pair)  Simplex  projectors  $325;  Morelite  Deluxe 
lamp  with  automatic  arc  control  and  15  ampere 
rectifier  $190;  (pair)  Strong  lamps  $175;  Peerless  lamp 
$175.  Special  buy  on  new  15  ampere  rectifiers  with 
bulbs  $80  (pair);  18  ampere  generator  $75.  CROWN,  311 
West  44th  St.,  New  York. 


VENTILATING 
EQUIPMENT 


BARGAINS  RECONDITIONED  ARCTIC  NU-AIR, 
Supreme,  American  Blowers,  noiseless  drives,  hydraulic 
variable  speed  pulleys.  New  air  washers.  Catalog 
mailed.  SOUTHERN  FAN  CO.,  11  Elliott,  Atlanta, 
Ga. 


DON'T  CLOSE  UP— COOL  YOUR  THEATRE  IN- 
stead — blowers  complete  no  etxras,  $59.50;  silent  air 
circulators,  $49.50;  oscillating  fans,  16",  $17.95;  large 
exhaust  fans,  $19.95.  You  can  afford  our  prices. 
S.  O.  S.,  1600  Broadway,  New  York. 


TH EAT PES  WANTED 


SMALL  THEATRE,  SMALL  TOWN  IN  EASTERN 
territory.  Give  full  particulars.  No  brokers.  BOX  725, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


WANTED  TO  BUY  OR  LEASE  PAYING  THEA- 
tre  in  Maryland.  Give  full  particulars.  BOX  728, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


LEASE  PAYING  THEATRE.  WILL  IRWIN,  1012 
West  Monroe,  Springfield.  111. 


SHOWMANSHIP  in  SHORTS 

with 

BROADWAY'S  BIGGEST  and 


Established  screen  comedy  favorites,  of  course  . . .  you 
always  expect  them,  and  always  get  them,  in  Educational' s 
comedies  . . .  Buster  Keaton,  Buster  West  and  Tom 
Patricola . . . 

But  Educational  Pictures  bring  you  more.  They  search 
Broadway  constantly  for  its  biggest  and  best... both  old 
and  new  ...  on  stage  and  radio,  in  night  clubs  and 
wherever  great  entertainment  talent  is  to  be  found. 

Educational's  new  season  short  subjects  will  bring  you 
the  finest  line  of  big  Broadway  names  yet...  Bert  Lahr, 
Tim  and  Irene,  Jefferson  Machamer  and  his  "Gags 
and  Gals"... all  "tops"  in  their  lines... and  you'll  get 
Pat  Rooney  Jr.,  and  Herman  Timberg  Jr.,  Niela 
Goodelle,  Henry  King  and  his  orchestra,  the  Cabin 
Kids,  and  a  host  of  other  song,  dance  and  musical  hits. 

And  don't  forget  "Kiko  the  Kangaroo".  He'll  be 
Broadway's. ..and  the  world's. ..new  cartoon  favorite  in 
Terry-Toons. 

That's  Showmanship  in  Shorts. 


TRIBUTED  IN  U.S.A. 

20TH  CENTURY- 

X  FILM  CORPORATION 


WHEN  GOOD 
FELLOWS  GET 


found  a  simplicity  which  is  timely. 


It  makes  some  of  the  older  styles  seem 
fussy  and  overdone.  .  .  .  Nevertheless,  to 
throw  away  the  infinite  variety  which  is  pos- 
sible in  architectural  design,  and  to  repeat 
year  after  year  the  same  barren,  machine-like, 
"stream-line"  structures  which  we  are  now 
having  foisted  upon  us  as  the  "latest,"  would 
be  to  court  the  destruction  of  an  artistic  and 
aesthetic  appreciation  of  beautiful  buildings — 
a  taste  which  undoubtedly  needs  further  cul- 
tivation in  America." 

SEE    PASES  8-9 

1 

I  JULY   25,  1936 

j    In  Two  Sections  —  Section  2 


HIGH  INTENSITY  PROJECTION 


There  is  a  High  Intensity  Lamp, 
or  D.C.,  for  every  theatre, 
large  or  small. 

There  is  a 
National  Projector  Carbon 
for  every  Projection  Lamp. 


THEATRE  patrons  desire  enough 
supplementary  lighting  for  com- 
fortable vision  from  the  moment  of 
entrance.  They  are  annoyed  when 
a  dark  theatre  compels  them  to 
stumble  and  grope  blindly  for  their 
seats. 

High  Intensity  Projection  permits 
ample  side  lighting  for  a  comfortable 
level  of  general  illumination.  It  im- 
proves the  quality  of  black  and 
white  projection  and  brings  out  the 
full  beauty  and  realism  of  color 
productions. 

• 

INSTALL  HIGH  INTENSITY  LAMPS 
IN  YOUR  THEATRE 

They  Insure  Sustained  Patronage 

NATIONAL  HIGH  INTENSITY 
PROJECTOR  CARBON  COMBINATIONS 

D.C.,  High  Intensity  Lamps — Condenser  Type 


NATIONAL 


Amperes 

Positive  Carbon 

Negative  Carbon 

120-130 
140-160 

13.6  mm.  x  22  "  National  High 
Intensity  White  Flame 

16  mm.  x  20"  National  High 
Intensity  T\  hite  Plame 

H'orA'x9"  National 
Orotip  Cored  Projector 

ys"  x  9"  Extra  Heavy  Coated, 
National  Orotip  Cored 
Projector 

D.C.,  "High-Low,"  Reflector  Arc  Lamps 

60-85 

9  mm.  x  20"  National 

"High-Low"  White  Flame 

A"  x  6"  or  9"  National 
Orotip  Cored  Projector 

D.C.,  High  Intensity  Lamps  with  Non-rotating  Positives 

42-50 
56-65 

7  mm.  x  12  "  SUPREX  Cored 

8  mm.  x  12  "  SUPREX  Cored 

6  mm.  x  9"  SUPREX  Cored 
6.5  or  7  mm.  x  9"  SUPREX 
Cored 

A.C.,  High  Intensity  Lamps 


60-65  7  mm.  x  12  "  National  Copper  Coated  A.C.  High  Intensity 
75-80         8  mm.  x  12"  National  Copper  Coated  A.C.  High  Intensity 


CARBONS 


NATIONAL  CARBON  COMPANY,  INC. 

Carbon  Sales  Division,  Cleveland,  Ohio 
Unit  of  Union  Carbide  [I  |  g  |  and  Carbon  Corporation 
Branch  Sales  Offices 

New  York  •:•  Pittsburgh  •:•  Chicago  *  San  Francisco 


6. 


FEATURING 

Multi-unit  transformer  for  polyphase,  full-wave 
rectification,  delivering  extremely  smooth  output. 
Line  voltage  taps  to  permit  adjustments  for  any 
line  voltage  from  190  to  250  volts. 
Secondary  taps  to  permit  a  wide  range  of  adjust- 
ment in  arc-voltage  and  current  to  meet  indivi- 
dual needs. 

Copper  Oxide  Rectifier  Unit  assembly.  A  per- 
manent rectifying  device  of  proven  reliability  and 
safety,  which  will  operate  indefinitely  without 
attention  or  replacement. 

Blower  system  (patented)  for  forced  ventilation 
of  Copper  Oxide  Unit.  By  means  of  this  blower 
system,  the  units  are  maintained  at  approximately 
room  temperature.  This  feature  will  be  appre- 
ciated by  the  projectionist. 

Heavily  constructed  blower  motor,  equipped  with 
oversize  ball  bearings,  specially  lubricated  at  the 
factory  and  capable  of  giving  many  years  of 
service  without  further  lubrication  or  attention. 
Relays  to  provide  protection  in  event  of  line 
failure  and  also  permit  operating  the  unit  by 
remote  control,  if  desired. 

Substantial  steel  casing  with  attractive  baked- 
enamel  finish.  Plain  exterior,  free  from  switches 
and  controls.  Nothing  projecting  which  can  be 
accidentally  bumped  or  turned  causing  an  inter- 
ruption of  service.  Compact  design,  cool  and 
quiet  operation  permit  installation  in  booth  with 
safety. 


Hundreds  of  General  Electric  Copper  Oxide  Rectifiers  For  Projection 
Service  have  been  installed  in  theaters  the  country  over.  Improved  projection, 
reduced  current-costs  and  increased  profits  have  resulted  in  every  case. 

G-E  Copper  Oxide  Rectifying  Units  are  available  in  two  standard  sizes: 
40-50  amperes  for  6-7  mm  trim;  50-65  amperes  for  6.5-8  mm  trim.  Other 
ratings  may  be  built  to  order.  For  operating  a  spotlight,  two  units  can  be 
connected  in  series. 

Improve  projection  in  your  theater  to  increase  attendance  and  profits.  At 
the  same  time,  reduce  current-costs.  A  G-E  Copper  Oxide  Rectifying  Unit 
saves  from  5  to  10  cents  per  hour  in  cost  of  current.  For  more  complete 
details,  mail  coupon  today. 


Section  A-777,  Appliance  and  Merchandise  Department, 
General  Electric  Company,  Bridgeport,  Connecticut. 

Please  send  me  full  details  on  the  new  G-E  Copper  Oxide  Rectifier  For 
Projection  Service. 


NAME  

ADDRESS 
CITY  


GENERAL  »  ELECTRIC 


SPECIAL  RECTIFIERS 


MERCHANDISE    DEPARTMENT,    GENERAL    ELECTRIC    COMPANY,   RRIDGEPORT,  CONNECTICUT 


July  25,  1936 


3 


A  BRITISH  INTERPRETATION  OF  THE 


FUNCTIONAL"  FRONT 


•  Exterior  view  of  the  new  Odeon  theatre  at  Sutton 
Coldfield,  Warwickshire,  England,  the  latest  addi- 
tion to  the  circuit  operated  by  Oscar  Deutsch.  The  ex- 
terior presents  a  particular  novel  architectural  scheme 
with  a  circular  marquee  set  between  wing-masses  and 
surmounted  by  a  pylon-like  tower.  The  darker  material 
of  which  the  tower  is  constructed,  is  brown  facing  brick. 
The  remainder  of  the  tower,  and  the  entire  facade  is  of 
gray  tile.  The  base  is  of  black  faience  tiles.  The  name 
of  the  theatre  is  spelled  against  the  gray  tile  in  neon, 
while  neon  bands  encircle  the  upper  part  of  the  marquee. 
The  general  facade  treatment  represents  an  interprta- 
tion  by  the  architect,  Harry  W.  Weedon,  of  the  adver- 
tising functions  of  a  motion  picture  theatre  front,  calling 
for  a  striking  architectural  display,  achieved  through 
massing  as  well  as  colorful  materials  and  sign  elemens. 


MAINTENANCE 


EQUIPMENT 


VOLUME  124 


'Betteuheatres 


JULY    25,  1936 


CONSTRUCTION 


OPERATION 


NUMBER  FOUR 


Academy  May  Begin 
Screen  Survey  in  Fall 

negotiations'  with  elec- 
trical instrument  manufacturers  have  been 
opened  by  the  Research  Council  of  the 
Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sci- 
ences, for  the  development  of  equipment 
which  meet  the  council's  specifications  for 
the  purpose  of  investigating  the  illumina- 
tion of  theatre  screens  throughout  the 
country.  It  is  the  hope  of  the  committee 
in  charge  of  this  work  to  measure  the  il- 
lumination of  screens  in  ten  or  twelve 
thousand  theatres. 

The  interest  of  the  Academy  body  in 
screen  illumination  is  based  on  a  desire  for 
improved  presentation  of  product.  Ac- 
cording to  Gordon  Mitchell,  manager  of 
the  Research  Council,  if  a  suitable  illumi- 
nation measuring  instrument  is  developed 
in  time,  the  committee  will  undoubtedly 
proceed  with  its  plans  this  fall. 

Chicago  Theatre  Code 
Getting  Basic  Changes 

six  meetings  this  sum- 
mer of  the  Chicago  building  code  commit- 
tee, considering  an  ordinance  which  will 
supplant  the  one  which  has  existed  with 
only  relatively  slight  revisions  since  1906, 
indicate  the  enactment  this  fall  of  regula- 
tions fundamentally  changing  requirements 
for  theatres.  In  some  cases  the  proposals 
impose  limitations  upon  former  practices, 
in  the  interests  of  safety,  while  in  others 
they  represent  a  more  lenient  attitude,  in 
recognition  of  changes  in  architectural 
practices. 

At  the  outset,  the  proposed  code  makes 
no  general  distinction  between  types  of 
theatres,  though  motion  picture  theatres 
which  do  not  have  stages  suitable  to  full- 
sized  stage  performances  would  be  auto- 
matically exempt  from  certain  require- 
ments. The  new  ordinance  provides  for 
two  types  of  stages,  and  that  merely  for 
sound  equipment  (3  feet  deep  and  with  an 
area  of  180  square  feet  and  having  no 
movable  scenery)  does  not  require  a  fire 
curtain. 

Communications  between  theatres  and 
other  occupancies  is  not  permitted  under 
the  old  code.  The  new  ordinance  permits 
such  communication  on  the  main  floor  only 
through  fireproof  vestibules  equipped  with 
automatic  fire  doors. 

The  old  code  has  no  provisions  regulat- 
ing standing  space  in  lobbies.  The  new 
ordinance  provides  for  definitely  separated 


standing  spaces  in  lobbies,  not  to  exceed 
60%  of  the  lobby  width. 

The  old  code  uses  the  terms  "entrance" 
and  "exit"  interchangeably.  In  the  new 
ordinance  the  term  "normal  exit"  refers  to 
the  usual  means  of  exit  for  the  public 
which,  under  normal  conditions  are  also 
the  usual  means  of  entrance.  The  term 
"emergency  exits"  refers  to  exits  provided 
for  the  public  in  an  emergency ,  other  than 
the  normal  exits.  Under  the  new  ordinance 
the  total  width  of  outside  exit  doorways 
will  be  the  same  as  under  the  old  code. 
Aisle  widths  are  proportional  to  the  num- 
ber of  persons  served,  the  same  as  in  the 
old  code. 

The  old  code  limits  the  number  of  seats 
in  a  row  to  ten.  The  new  ordinance  per- 
mits twelve  seats  in  a  row.  The  new 
ordinance  also  provides  that  longer  rows 
of  seats  may  be  used  if  the  spacing  between 
rows  is  increased  in  the  proportion  of  one 
added  seat  for  each  inch  added  to  the 
minimum  required  spacing.  (A  similar 
provision  has  been  made  in  the  new  code 
proposed  for  New  York.) 

The  old  code  requires  exit  courts  to  be 
10  feet  in  width  regardless  of  the  capacity 
of  the  theatre.  In  the  new  ordinance  the 
required  width  of  exit  courts  will  be  deter- 
mined by  the  number  of  persons  served 
thereby.  The  minimum  width  to  serve 
300  persons  will  be  five  feet ;  for  800  per- 


sons, 10  feet;  for  each  additional  250  per- 
sons, 1  foot  additional. 

The  requirements  for  gas  lighting  of 
exit  signs,  contained  in  the  old  code,  has 
been  disregarded  for  years,  the  newer  Chi- 
cago theatres  making  use  of  an  independent 
electric  battery  set  for  emergency  use  as  is 
required  by  the  new  ordinance.  In  thea- 
tres, as  in  all  types  of  buildings,  the  new 
ordinance  requires  the  colors  for  exit  signs, 
directional  signs,  and  danger  signals  to  be 
as  custom  has  established  for  traffic  control1, 
viz.,  green  for  safe  means  of  exit,  and  red 
for  danger  signals  only. 

The  construction  of  small  theatres  of 
three  hundred  seats  or  less,  may,  under 
the  old  code  be  ordinary  construction,  and 
theatres  seating  more  than  three  hundred, 
fireproof.  The  new  ordinance  requires  all 
theatres  of  600  seats  or  less  to  be  of  at 
least  semi-fireproof  construction,  and  larger 
theatres  of  fireproof  construction.  Other 
provisions  of  the  new  ordinance  which  are 
not  contained  in  the  old  code  are : 

A  garage  is  permitted  in  the  same  build- 
ing if  separated  from  the  theatre  by  fire 
walls. 

Communication  with  adjoining  build- 
ings is  permitted  on  the  ground  floor  only. 

Self-raising  seats  are  required  on  the 
main  floor  opposite  side  wall  emergency 
exit  doorways. 

Drinking  fountains  and  the  location  and 


A  photographic  demonstration  of  a  victory  of  American  equipment  over  European,  as  reported  by  the 
firm  of  J.  Roe  &  Company,  British  distributors  of  the  projection  lamps  manufactured  by  the  C.  S.  Ash- 
craft  Manufacturing  Company  of  Long  Island  City.  This  display  in  the  window  of  Roe's  Wardour 
Street  store  in  London,  followed  the  selection  of  the  American  manufacturer's  product  over  European 
makes  of  lamps  after  tests.  Roe  also  supplied  Ashcraft  suprex  arc  equipment  for  the  first  installation  of 
television  apparatus  at  the   British   Broadcasting    Company  studios. 


5 


number  of  toilet  fixtures  are  required  and 
regulated. 

Sprinkler  heads  are  required  above  the 
proscenium  opening  on  the  auditorium  side 
of  the  fire  curtain  wherever  combustible 
draperies  are  used. 

In  the  old  code  the  main  floor  level  is 
limited  to  a  maximum  height  of  3  feet 
above  the  sidewalk.  In  the  new  ordinance 
the  elevation  of  the  highest  point  of  the 
main  floor  is  determined  by  the  limit  of 
rise  for  the  sloping  floor  from  the  entrance 
at  the  sidewalk  level. 

The  new  ordinance  also  permits  and 
regulates  the  plan  of  seating  now  installed 
in  the  Goodman  Theatre  in  the  Chicago 
Art  Institute  and  in  Thorne  Hall  on  the 
Northwestern  University  Campus.  This 
plan  of  seating,  sometimes  called  the  Ger- 
man or  Continental  Plan,  is  one  in  which 
rows  of  seats  extend  the  full  width  of  the 
auditorium  and  from  which  exit  is  directly 
to  openings  in  the  side  walls  or  to  aisles 
located  against  the  side  walls.  In  this  plan 
the  space  between  rows  is  increased  to 
facilitate  movement  toward  the  side  exits. 

The  ordinance  will  not  affect  theatres 
already  built  except  in  cases  where  inten- 
sive remodeling  work  is  done. 

New  Seating  Leads 
Cooling  Despite  Heat 

THEATRE  EQUIPMENT 

sales  at  the  Des  Moines  Theatre  Supply 
Company  has  run  more  largely  to  reseat- 
ing of  houses  than  to  the  installation  of 
cooling  systems,  despite  the  extremely  high 
temperatures,  with  a  total  of  over  $12,000 
in  the  last  month  for  new  seating  equip- 
ment, and  $8,164  in  new  cooling  systems, 
according  to  Arthur  Thiele,  manager.  He 
finds  the  installation  of  cooling  systems  this 
year  somewhat  under  the  about  $10,000 
worth  of  business  in  that  department  at 
this  time  last  year,  due  to  the  fact  that 
while  Iowa  has  had  some  hot  waves,  they 
have  been  alternated  with  cool  waves  that 
have  made  some  theatres  put  off  contem- 
plated cooling  system  installations. 

Abe  Frankel  installed  $4,200  worth  of 
seats  at  the  Casino  Theatre,  Des  Moines; 
L.  P.  Gilligan  of  the  Tall  Corn  at  Kana- 
waha,  la.,  300  seats;  The  Riviera  at  Rock 
Island,  111.,  400  chairs;  the  Lincoln  The- 
atre, Des  Moines,  500  chairs. 

Cooling  system  installations  reported  by 
Mr.  Thiele,  are:  L.  Kaplan,  for  his  Mason 
City  house,  and  for  two  Waterloo  houses; 
Ralph  Pratt,  for  the  State  Theatre  at 
Washington;  Jake  Bauma,  at  Pocohontas; 
Strand  at  Victor,  la. ;  J.  E.  Cass  for  four 
theatres;  and  L.  Cato,  Waukon,  la. 

New  Condensing  Unit 
For  Air-Conditioning 

AN      A  I  R-CONDITIONING 

condensing  unit  has  been  brought  out  by 
the  General  Electric  Company,  designed 
for  belt-drive  and  utilizing  a  V-8  arrange- 
ment of  cylinders,  all  mounted  on  a  cast- 
iron  base  together  with  a  40-horsepower 
electric  motor  and  a  cleanable  shell  and 


tube  condenser-liquid  receiver.  A  liquid 
refrigerant  strainer,  suction  strainer,  suc- 
tion pressure  control,  high  pressure  safety 


lockout,  and  water  regulating  valve  are 
also  included  as  integral  parts  of  the  unit. 

With  a  cooling  water  temperature  of 
75°,  a  suction  temperature  of  40°,  and  a 
water  temperature  rise  of  20°,  this  con- 
densing unit  is  rated  at  514,000  b.t.u.  per 
hour  cooling,  with  a  power  consumption  of 
40.6  kilowatts,  and  a  water  consumption 
of  3,880  gallons  per  hour. 

Rewinder  Designed 
For  2000-Foot  Reels 

a  rewinder  especially 
designed  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the 
projection  roorn  with  the  introduction  of 
the  2,000-foot  reels  September  1,  has  been 
added  to  the  line  of  the  Neumade  Prod- 
ucts Corporation  of  New  York.  There 

•  •  • 

FEATURES   OF  THIS  ISSUE 

July  25,  1936  Vol.  124,  No.  4 

Page 

What  Style  Theatre  for  America  ?  8 
Savar  Theater,  Camden,  N.  J.  10 
Determining  Seating  Plans  13 

By  Ben  Schlanger 
Interview:  Joe  Soetz  15 
About  People  of  the  Theatre  16 
Roofs,  Light  Shock,  Air  Comfort  19 

By  J.  T.  Knight,  Jr. 

Maintenance  Tabs  20 

Sound  With  2-Way  Horn  Systems  25 

F.  H.  Richardson's  Comment  27 

Catalog  Bureau  42 

Better  Theatres  is  published  by  the  Quigley 
Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  Rockefeller 
Center,  New  York,  every  fourth  week  as 
Section  Two  of  Motion  Picture  Herald. 
Contents  copyrighted  1936.  Martin  Quigley, 
publisher  and  editor-in-chief.  George  Schutz, 
editor.  Colvin  Brown,  general  manager. 
Ray  Gallo,  advertising  manager.  C.  B. 
O'Neill,  Western  advertising  manager.  624 
South  Michigan  Avenue,  Chicago.  Hollywood 
Bureau:  Postal  Union  Life  Building;  Boone 
Mancall,  manager.  London  Bureau:  No.  4, 
Golden  Square,  W.I,  England;  Bruce  Allan, 
manager.  Other  Quigley  publications:  Mo- 
tion Picture  Daily.  International  Motion 
Picture  Almanac,  The  Box  Office  Check-Up, 
Teatro  al  Dfa. 

CONTRIBUTING  CONSULTANTS 
J.  T.  KNIGHT  BEN  SCHLANGER 

Physical  Operation  Architectural  Form 


are  several  types — with  a  2^-to-l  or  4- 
to-1  ratio,  and  with  a  two-  or  three-point 
base.  It  is  equipped  with  ball  racers  and 
steel-cut  gears. 

The  models  available  include  three  types 
of  action — the  standard  geared  end,  ex- 
tension arm  brake,  or  handle  brake.  The 
spindle  or  reel  shaft  is  equipped  with  a 
large  reel  bumper  collar.  Lubrication  is 
not  required,  all  bearings  being  of  sealed 
type,  packed  with  grease. 

Ail-Metal  Blower 
Fan  for  Theatres 

A  blower  fan  entirely 
of  metal  construction  with  varying  capaci- 
ties of  from  2,800  to  5,500  cubic  feet  per 
minute,  has  been  placed  on  the  theatre 
equipment  market  by  the  Progressive  Reel- 
tone  Corporation  of  Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 
The  blower  wheel  has  64  blades,  die-cut, 
secured  to  one-piece  steel  retaining  rings, 
and  the  shaft  is  1-inch  steel  mounted  on 
adjustable  bearings  equipped  with  oil  cups. 
The  housing  is  of  pressed  steel  and  is  as- 
sembled into  one  unit.  Overall  dimen- 
sions are — height,  32  inches;  depth,  26 
inches;  width,  25  inches.  The  discharge 
opening  measures  18  inches  square. 

The  motor  supplied  with  the  fan  is  a 
General  Electric  capacitor  type  for  110- 
220  volt,  60-cycle  single-phase  alternating 
current  supply. 

Transformer  to  Adapt 
Low-Impedance  Mikes 

A  new  input  transform- 
er of  the  cable  type,  designed  to  operate 
low  impedance  public  address  system 
microphones  directly  into  amplifiers  having 
high-impedance  input,  has  been  placed  on 
the  market  by  the  Amperite  Corporation 
of  New  York.  It  permits  the  cable  of  the 
low  impedance  microphone  to  be  any 
length  up  to  2,000  feet,  and  as  many  as 
four  velocity  microphones  may  be  fed  into 
one  transformer. 

Hum  pickup  is  eliminated  by  hum-neu- 
tralization design  characteristics  of  the 
transformer.  Only  a  few  seconds  are  re- 
quired to  connect  the  input  of  the  trans- 
former to  the  microphone,  and  a  single 
conductor  shielded  cable  is  supplied  for  the 
output.  Either  a  50-  or  200-ohm  micro- 
phone can  be  fed  into  the  standard  input 
impedance  of  200  ohms,  while  other  impe- 
dances are  obtainable. 

F  &  M  Activity  Leads 
St.  Louis  Area  Building 

THE      REMODELING  and 

construction  program  recently  launched  by 
Fanchon  &  Marco,  consequent  to  their  ac- 
quisitions in  St.  Louis,  has  had  the  effect 
of  a  small  building  boom  in  that  area.  Be- 
tween twelve  and  fifteen  houses  are  in- 
volved. 

The  plans  as  perfected  provide  that  the 
Ambassador,  Fox,  Missouri  and  St.  Louis 
will   operate  as  first  run  houses.  The 


6 


Better  Theatres 


Grand  Central,  which  has  been  renamed 
the  Guild  Cinema,  is  to  be  devoted  to  un- 
usual foreign  and  educational  productions. 
About  $170,000  is  to  be  expended  in  re- 
furnishing and  redecorating  the  first  runs. 
The  Orpheum  is  to  drop  back  to  a  "con- 
tinued first-run"  policy.  That  is  it  will 
follow  immediately  after  one  of  the  other 
houses,  while  the  Shubert-Rialto  and  Hi- 
Pointe  are  to  be  second  run  houses. 

In  addition  to  seeking  absolute  control 
of  the  St.  Louis  Amusement  Company  the 
Fanchon  &  Marco  interests  also  contem- 
plate the  building  or  leasing  of  seven  new 
motion  picture  theatres. 

Harry  C.  Arthur,  Jr.,  vice  president  and 
general  manager  of  Fanchon  &  Marco,  in 
discussing  his  company's  plans,  said  that 
Fanchon  &  Marco's  entire  expenditures  in 
St.  Louis  will  aggregate  $1,000,000. 

The  St.  Louis  Theatre,  which  has  been 
dark  for  many  months,  was  bought  out- 
right from  the  bondholders  of  that  prop- 
erty.  This  transfer  took  place  on  June  30. 

Contemplated  improvements  for  the 
various  theatres  have  been  estimated  as  fol- 
lows :  Guild  Cinema,  upwards  of  $75,000 ; 
Missouri,  $40,000;  St.  Louis,  $30,000; 
Ambassador,  $15,000,  and  Fox,  $10,000. 
It  may  be  necessary  to  close  the  Ambassa- 
dor and  Fox  briefly  during  the  course  of 
these  improvements. 

Mr.  Arthur  stated  that  the  seven  new 
second-run  theatres  will  be  erected  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  following  intersections :  Del- 
mar  and  Kingshighway  Boulevard ;  Easton 
and  Hamilton  Avenues;  Grand  Boulevard 
and  Arsenal  Street,  Chippewa  and  Jeffer- 
son Avenues,  Grand  and  Hollywood 
Boulevards,  Kingshighway  Boulevard  and 
West  Florissant  Avenue,  and  Delmar 
Boulevard  and  Hanley  Road,  in  University 
City,  a  suburb.  Fanchon  &  Marco  pro- 
pose to  build  two  of  these  houses  outright 
and  will  lease  the  other  five  from  other 
interests.  Each  house  will  seat  approxi- 
mately 2,500  persons  and  have  air-condi- 
tioning. The  average  cost  will  be  $150,- 
000  for  structure  plus  $50,000  for  equip- 
ment. Arthur  said  he  hoped  these  houses 
would  be  ready  by  the  Spring  of  1937. 

Some  time  ago  the  St.  Louis  Amuse- 
ment Company  announced  the  awarding 
of  contracts  for  the  construction  of  two 
new  theatres.  One  of  these  houses  was 
to  be  located  on  Forsythe  Boulevard  near 
Hanley  Road  in  Clayton,  Mo.,  and  the 
other  at  West  Florissant  Avenue  and 
Goodfellow  Boulevard  in  the  Northwest- 
ern section  of  St.  Louis.  Both  of  the 
houses  were  to  be  erected  by  the  Audrey 
Realty  Company,  headed  by  Eugene  A. 
Freund,  and  leased  to  the  St.  Louis 
Amusement  Company.  The  Clayton  house 
is  to  have  1,100  seats  and  the  other  about 
1,000  seats.  Both  contracts  were  award- 
ed to  the  W.  H.  and  Nelson  Cunliff  Com- 
pany, 3320  Lindell  Boulevard. 

Fanchon  &  Marco  are  paying  rentals 
in  excess  of  $6,000  a  week  for  the  Ambas- 
sador, Fox,  Missouri,  Guild  Cinema,  Or- 
pheum and  Shubert-Rialto.  The  price 
scales  to  be  charged  have  not  been  finally 
decided.  There  may  be  some  revisions  in 
admission  rates,  but  Arthur  stated  they 


Peeling  'Em 
Off  the  Roll 

•  Every  so  often  one  observes  that 
tickets  are  still  being  torn  off  a 
roll.  It  is  incongruous.  More  than 
twenty  years  ago  the  motion  picture 
theatre  ceased  to  be  a  tentative  ex- 
ploitation of  a  novelty,  a  curious  type 
of  amusement,  characterized  by  the 
nickelodeon  and  properly  associated 
with  crudities.  Yet  we  still  have,  in 
more  instances  than  one  likes  to  be- 
lieve, the  dispensing  of  tickets  by 
tearing  them  off  a  roll! 

Even  did  ticket  issuing  machines 
have  no  other  function  than  to  dis- 
pense tickets  in  the  proper  number, 
quickly  and  with  business-like  pre- 
cision, the  practice  of  tearing  'em  off 
the  roll  would  be  one  that  should 
have  entirely  disappeared  long  ago. 
It  looks  bad.  It  has  no  place  in  the 
business  of  retailing  motion  picture 
entertainment  today.  It's  an  anach- 
ronism.   It's  as  absurd  as  a  counter 


cash  drawer  in  this  day  of  recording 
cash  registers.  It  belongs  to  the  day 
of  the  "Just-a-minute-please"  slide. 

It  is  obvious,  of  course,  that  ticket 
issuing  machines  are  part  of  the  en- 
tire cash  control  system  of  a  theatre. 
We  realize  that  primarily  the  mech- 
anism has  been  developed  to  com- 
bine facility  of  dispensing  with  sales 
registration  and  classification,  so  that 
management  can  have  its  finger  ac- 
curately on  the  box  office  pulse  at  all 
times,  to  prevent  losses  and  person- 
nel troubles  through  cashier-doorman 
collusion,  and  also  to  maintain  de- 
pendable operating  records. 

But  employe  peculations,  when  they 
occur,  are  each  operator's  own  loss, 
and  his  office  methods  are  peculiarly 
his  own  affair.  These  lines  are  aimed 
at  a  phase  of  ticket  dispensing  of  a 
general  significance.  It  bears  upon 
what  the  public  thinks  of  us.  Atti- 
tudes are  formed,  of  course,  by  a 
repetition  of  small  things.  And  peel- 
ing 'em  off  the  roll  in  this  day  and 
age  of  motion  pictures  is  assuredly 
not  conducive  to  the  kind  of  cus- 
tomer opinion  that  this  business 
wants. — An  Editorial. 


will  be  "popular."  The  Shubert-Rialto 
is  to  have  the  same  show  and  price  policy 
as  the  Empress  theatre  on  Olive  Street 
west  of  Grand  Boulevard,  which  is  operat- 
ed by  the  Ansell  interests. 

Outstanding  pictures  are  to  be  single- 
billed.  Either  the  Fox,  St.  Louis  or  Mis- 
souri will  have  a  stage  show  in  conjunction 
with  pictures,  if  satisfactory  arrangements 
can  be  made  with  the  musicians  and  stage 
hands. 

The  contract  for  the  construction  of 
Harry  E.  Miller's  new  theatre  and  office 
building  in  Festus,  Mo.,  has  finally  been 
awarded  to  N.  F.  Donald  &  Son  of  De 
Soto,  Mo.  The  building,  under  plans  pre- 
pared by  Bruce  F.  Barnes,  will  cost  about 
$40,000. 

Bids  have  been  taken  from  contractors 
on  the  construction  of  a  new  theatre  and 
office  building  for  the  Lyric  Theatre  Com- 
pany in  Salem,  Mo.  Plans  and  specifica- 
tions have  been  prepared  also  by  Bruce  F. 
Barnes.  They  call  for  a  two-story  build- 
ing with  part  basement  and  measuring  70 
by  112  feet.  The  theatre  will  seat  about 
500  persons.  There  will  be  a  shop  on  the 
first  floor  and  offices  on  the  second  floor. 

New  Disseminators 
And  Spray  Perfume 

perfume  disseminators 
or  wall  pockets  of  a  new  type,  and  a  spray 
perfume  have  been  added  to  the  line  of 
odor  eradicators  manufactured  by  the 
Rosco  Laboratories  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
The  disseminators,  which  are  available  in 
five  different  designs,  are  of  a  porous  com- 
position requiring  but  two  fillings  for  im- 
pregnation. 

The  perfume  for  use  with  a  spray  gun 
is  of  concentrated  type  and  is  available  in 
lilac,  narcisse,  rose,  trefle,  oriental,  gar- 
denia, bouquet  and  wild  clover. 

Make  Office  Changes 

The  Los  Angeles  office  of  Cutler-Ham- 
mer, Inc.,  of  Milwaukee,  manufacturers  of 
switchboards  and  other  electrical  equip- 
ment, has  been  removed  to  1331  Santa  Fe 
Avenue.  W.  G.  Tapping  remains  in 
charge. 

Several  new  representatives  have  been 
appointed  by  the  Transformer  Corporation 
of  America,  New  York,  manufacturers  of 
public  address  equipment.  Northwestern 
Agencies  of  Seattle  has  been  named  for  the 
Northwest ;  Conrad  B.  Strassner,  Los  An- 
geles, for  the  Southwest;  H.  Gerber,  Bos- 
ton, for  New  England ;  and  G.  O.  Tan- 
ner, Pittsburgh,  for  West  Virginia  and 
Western  Pennsylvania. 

Gets  Air  Patent  License 

ARRANGEMENTS  have 

been  made  by  the  General  Electric  Com- 
pany with  the  Auditorium  Conditioning 
Corporation  whereby  the  former,  now 
manufacturing  air-conditioning  equipment 
for  theatres,  may  use  the  patents  controlled 
by  the  latter  and  relating  to  certain  types 
of  air-conditioning  for  public  auditoriums. 


July  25,  1936 


7 


What  Style  of 
Fits  the  Varied 

f  An  Editorial  Inquiry 
Letters  to  and   from  an 

To  Mr.  Robert  Boiler,  Kansas  City,  Mo. — 

My  dear  Mr.  Boiler:  I  am  writing  to  ask  your  opinion 
about  a  matter  which  has  come  up  several  times  of  late 
in  conversations  with  theatre  architects  in  the  East.  I 
was  much  impressed  with  your  ideas  impinging  upon  this 
very  matter  when  you  addressed  the  MPTOA  conven- 
tion in  New  Orleans  something  over  a  year  ago,  and  I 
know  you  have  designed  theatres  for  just  about  every 
type  of  city  and  community.  I  therefore  should  greatly 
value  a  statement  of  your  reaction  to  these  notions: 

It  has  occurred  to  me  that  the  motion  picture  theatre 
business  has  become  rather  blindly  committed  to  a 
modernism  in  architecture  that  obscures  specific  possi- 
bilities in  other  styles,  and  that  also  is  resulting  in  a 
monotonous  repetition  of  pattern.  I  wonder  if  it  would 
not  be  far  better  to  fit  the  theatre  building  directly  into 
the  local  scene,  particularly  in  small  towns,  small  cities 
and  suburban  communities,  where  the  very  cultural 
character  of  the  locality  is  expressed  in  its  buildings  and 
streets,  and  where  a  distinctive  style  is  in  tradition. 

Suppose  we  visualize  some  town,  say,  in  your  own 
Midwest.  There  is,  we'll  say,  a  court  house  square  sur- 
rounded by  commercial  buildings  more  or  less  of  an 
architecture  prevalent  there  for  a  long  time.  These  and 
the  houses  and  the  shaded,  quiet  streets  reflect  the  very 
attitudes  and  customs  of  the  local  people.  Would  not 
one  of  these  modernistically  modern  theatres  (late  Mos- 
cow and  Berlin,  plus  folderol  from  the  Paris  exposition  of 
Art  Moderne?)  be  an  incongruous  element  in  the  local  j 
architectural  and  cultural  scheme? 

On  the  other  hand,  a  theatre  which,  while  erected  ac- 
cording to  sound  architectural  practices  with  respect  to 
structure  and  materials,  was  yet  of  an  architecture 
peculiarly  adapted,  in  its  forms  and  spirit,  to  this  green 
and  venerable  court  house  square,  might  well  be  in 
much  better  taste  and  probably  have  practical  advan- 
tages accruing  from  its  native  character. 

At  any  rate,  I  should  be  grateful  for  an  expression  of 
your  opinion. — George  Schutz. 

• 

My  Dear  Mr.  Schutz:  Your  letter  of  the  2d,  regarding 
current  trends  in  theatrical  architecture,  interested  me 
very  much  because  it  reflected  a  state  of  mind  in  which 
I  have  found  myself  for  over  a  year. 

For  some  time  I  have  viewed  with  considerable  con- 
cern and  distaste  the  wave  of  moderne  architecture 
which  has  attempted  to  submerge  America.  At  the  risk 
of  being  held  exceedingly  mid-Victorian,  I  have  had  the 
intestinal  fortitude  to  take  the  stand  that  while  this  new 


8 


Better  Theatres 


Theatre  Design 
American  Scene? 

Submitted  in  the  Form  of 
Eminent  Theatre  Architect 

type  of  design  may  have  a  real  and  lasting  place  in  the 
I  American  contemporary  architecture,  there  is  also  a 
j     continuing  place  for  other  types  of  design  as  well. 

For  communities  where  there  is  no  local  tradition  or 
j     particular  background  carrying  historical  significance,  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  new  moderne  style,  somewhat 
modified  from  the  barren  lines  of  the  German  and 
French  types,  is  very  satisfactory.    I  see  no  justification 
for  copying  and  re-copying  the  mistakes  and  abortions 
I     of  our  ancestors,  represented  in  many  of  the  older 
buildings  throughout  the  country,  simply  because  they 
'     are  hallowed  by  age. 

In  Boston,  Philadelphia,  Williamsburg,  or  other  com- 
munities rich  in  historical  lore,  it  would  be  an  architec- 
tural crime  to  place  a  moderne  design  next  door  to  the 
buildings  Americans  have  grown  to  love  as  an  integral 
part  of  their  national  background. 

;  Similarly,  the  owners  and  my  firm  felt  that  for  Colo- 
rado Springs,  a  tourist  town  which  entertains  visitors 
from  all  over  the  world,  the  pueblo  type  of  architec- 
ture, typical  of  the  early  buildings  of  the  Southwestern 
region,  was  most  appropriate. 

We  are  at  present  working  on  a  project  in  which  we 
hope  to  use  historical  material  revolving  about  West- 
port  Landing,  which  was  the  point  farthest  West  from 
which  early  settlers  bid  civilization  goodby  and  took  the 
Santa  Fe  trail  for  adventure  in  the  Northwest  and  Cali- 
fornia. We  also  hope  to  recall  some  incidents  of  the 
Battle  of  Westport  in  interior  treatment.  The  exterior 
we  are  planning  is  in  the  early  Colonial  style  so  popular 
in  the  older  mansions  and  churches  of  the  Midwest. 

While  I  do  not  care  for  "functional"  moderne,  I  do 
believe  that  in  the  classic  moderne  we  have  found  a  sim- 
!  plicity  which  is  timely.  It  makes  some  of  the  older  styles 
seem  fussy  and  overdone.  The  greatest  lesson  moderne 
exponents  have  taught  us  is  that  gingerbread  and 
unnecessary  ornament  are  things  which  belong  to  the 
past,  and  that  there  is  beauty  in  simple  line  and  mass. 

Nevertheless,  to  throw  away  the  infinite  variety  which 
is  possible  in  architectural  design,  and  to  repeat  year 
after  year  the  same  barren,  machine-like,  "stream-line" 
structures  which  we  are  now  having  foisted  upon  us  as 
the  "latest,"  would  be  to  court  the  destruction  of  an 
artistic  and  aesthetic  appreciation  of  beautiful  build- 
ings— a  taste  which  undoubtedly  needs  further  cultiva- 
tion in  America". 

With  every  good  wish,  I  am, 

Sincerely  yours, 
ROBERT  BOLLER. 

July  25,  1936 


9 


Camden's  Savar:  Designed  for  Display 


the  most  distinguish- 
ing feature  of  the  Savar  theatre,  which 
was  recently  opened  in  Camden,  N.  J.,  is 
its  facade.  Its  interior,  however,  is  also 
noteworthy  for  its  compactness  of  plan 
and  originality  of  decorative  treatment. 

The  Savar  is  owned  and  operated  by 
Samuel  and  Joseph  Varbalow,  getting  its 
name  from  a  combination  of  letters  in  the 
name  of  the  former.  It  is  a  two-floor 
house  seating  1,800.  W.  H.  Lee  of  Phila- 
delphia, was  the  architect.  Leon  H.  Bel- 
ber  is  the  manager. 

The  floor  plan  is  rectangular  with  the 
auditorium  in  a  direct  line  with  the  en- 
trance {see  plan  on  page  12).  The  en- 
trance lobby  is  treated  as  an  inner  lobby 
or  foyer,  there  being  no  foyer-proper,  mere- 
ly a  shallow  area  inside  the  auditorium  im- 
mediately behind  the  seats.  From  this  lobby, 
on  the  right  upon  entering,  stairs  lead  to 
the  balcony,  and  just  beneath  this  stair- 
case, other  stairs  lead  down  to  a  small  main 
lounge,  off  of  which  are  men's  and  wo- 
men's lounges  and  toilet  rooms. 

The  stairs  reach  the  lobby  at  a  cross- 
aisle  dividing  this  level  into  an  upper  and 
a  lower  section.     Behind  the  upper  tiers 


10 


Better  Theatres 


The  front  and  (below)  the  lobby.  The  darkness  in  the  night  scene  above  obliterates  the  colorful 
masses,  which  are  red  and  blue  Macotta.    The  ceiling  of  the  lobby  conceals  lighting  troughs. 


of  balcony  seats  is  another  cross-aisle,  which 
gives  access  to  toilet  rooms  on  one  side. 

Seats  on  the  main  floor  are  divided  into 
three  banks,  with  two  middle  aisles  and  a 
cross-over  at  the  center.  The  balcony  seat- 
ing is  arranged  in  four  banks  (except  for 
that  area  occupied  by  the  stair  well).  Seats 
are  by  the  American  Seating  Company. 

The  front  of  the  Savar  is  very  frankly 
treated  as  an  immense  sign.  The  struc- 
ture is  faced  in  Macotta,  a  material  con- 
sisting in  enamel  veneering  attached  to 
concrete  blocks.  This  material  is  used  in 
two  brilliant  colors,  blue  and  red,  in  shades 
especially  selected  for  the  Savar.  These 
contrasting  colors  define  the  massing  of  the 
front.  This  is  not  shown  in  the  accom- 
panying photograph,  which  was  taken  at 
night.  The  front  is  designed  in  two  planes, 
one  being  slightly  more  forward  and  low- 
er. This  section  is  red,  while  that  rising 
above  it,  a  little  to  the  rear,  and  also  show- 
ing at  one  side,  is  blue.  These  same  shades 
are  carried  in  all  the  sign  work,  which  is 
lighted  with  neon,  and  throughout  the 
marquee,  which  is  shaped  like  a  triangle  but 
with  the  apex  cut  off. 

The  box  office  is  at  one  side,  abutting 

July  25,  1936 


11 


The  main  lounge  below  the  lobby.     Off  of  this  are  men's  and  women's  rooms. 


the  sidewalk,  and  across  the  front  are  five 
sets  of  doors  leading  into  the  lobby.  The 
lobby  is  fully  carpeted.  The  design  is  in 
modern  patterns,  with  blended  tones  at  all 
plastered  surfaces  and  metal  trim.  The 
ceiling  is  stepped  into  lateral  bands,  one 
above  the  other,  each  step  concealing  trough 
lights. 

The  auditorium  is  ornamented  in  a  mod- 
ern scheme,  but  conservatively.  An  imme- 
diately distinguishing  feature  is  the  ceil- 
ing, which  is  vaulted  in  a  series  of  broad 
ribs  radiating  from  the  proscenium  arch. 
Walls  and  ceilings  are  entirely  of  plaster, 
which  is  painted.  The  only  part  of  the 
plastered  surfaces  carrying  a  pattern,  how- 
ever, are  the  side  walls.  These  are  rela- 
tively low,  the  ceiling  reaching  down  to 
a  low  point  and  terminating  in  a  stenciled 
band,  behind  which  are  lighting  troughs 
from  which  a  colored  glow  is  cast  along 
the  walls. 

The  air-conditioning  system  incorporates 
cooling  with  well  water.  The  system  is 
operated  according  to  zones  into  which  the 
the  theatre  has  been  divided  for  control. 
Air  is  introduced  as  well  as  exhausted  at 
the  rear  of  the  theatre.  Inlets  are  located 
across  the  ceiling  above  the  edge  of  the 
balcony  for  the  introduction  of  air  for  the 
main  part  of  the  auditorium.  The  balcony 
has  its  own  inlets  at  the  rear  cornice. 

The  projection  equipment  consists  in 
Simplex  projectors  and  RCA  Photophone. 

The  Savar  is  fully  equipped  for  stage 
shows,  with  full  rigging  and  switchboard 
equipment.  House  lighting  is  controlled 
from  the  projection  room,  on  a  pre-set  dim- 
mer system.  Color  in  three-tone  combina- 
tion, all  by  means  of  indirect  sources,  is  ex- 


tensively  used  and  forms  a  principal  deco- 
rative medium.  Certain  innovations  have 
been  introduced  in  the  lighting  scheme, 
which  have  been  explained  by  William  A. 
McAvoy,  Jr.,  of  Philadelphia  and  New 
York,  who  installed  it,  as  follows: 

"Color  and  its  application  has  long  been 
acknowledged  as  one  of  the  most  important 


elements  of  the  theatre.  Several  preliminary 
tests  were  made  of  various  types  and  sizes 
of  colored  lamps  for  the  Savar.  After  ex- 
haustive tests,  it  was  decided  to  use  clear 
lamps  of  the  standard  type  in  conjunction 
with  a  special  reflector.  The  reflector  was 
made  of  a  metal  called  Alzak,  a  product  of 
the  research  department  of  the  Aluminum 
Company  of  America.  This  reflector  has 
an  efficiency  of  83  to  86  per  cent.  It  is 
equivalent  to  the  reflection  factor  of  mirror 
glass,  with  the  advantage  of  a  permanent 
finish.  With  the  use  of  blue  heat  resisting 
color  roundels  over  these  reflectors,  it  was 
found  that  a  25-watt  standard  clear  lamp 
would  give  out  a  higher  intensity  of  light 
of  considerably  better  color  quality  than 
a  40  watt  sprayed  inside  standard  lamp, 
which  heretofore  was  used  for  this  pur- 
pose. Likewise,  the  red  color  was  reduced 
from  25  watts  to  15  watts  or  approximate- 
ly 40  per  cent  saving  in  current  consump- 
tion. This  also  applied  to  the  color  light- 
ing of  the  stage,  which  was  reduced  40 
per  cent  of  the  wattage  that  heretofore  had 
been  used  for  this  purpose  with  a  much 
more  even  distribution  of  color  illumination 
over  the  full  length  of  the  curtains  and  a 
much  improved  quality  of  color.  Savings 
were  brought  about  in  the  current  con- 
sumption of  the  signs  and  marquee  by  the 
unique  design  of  the  sign  control  panel. 
While  color  was  alternately  flashing  all 
over  the  signs  and  marquee,  it  was  so  ar- 
ranged that  as  some  controls  light,  the 
others  were  out,  and  as  these  were  timed 
of  even  duration,  it  was  possible  to  use 
twice  the  wattage  at  the  same  current  cost. 
Another  unique  feature  is  the  pilot  control 
panel,  which  controls  the  sign  from  the 
manager's  office  and  which  indicates  at  a 
glance,  through  the  use  of  pilot  lights, 
which  lights  are  on,  off  or  flashing." 


12 


Better  Theatres 


Determining  the  Best  Seating 
Plan  Allowed  by  the  Codes 


•  The  second  article  of  a 
applying  the  basic  visual 
the  conditions  imposed 


group  on  seating  plans, 
and  traffic  factors  to 
by  the  14-seat  limit 


By  BEN  SCHLANGER 


IN  a  previous  article, 
aisle  and  chair  arrangements  for  the  mo- 
tion picture  theatre  were  considered  as 
they  would  be  affected  by  applying  the 
"Continental  Plan"  of  seating,  a  plan  (ap- 
peared in  May  2d  issue)  whereby  the 
number  of  seats  across  the  width  of  any 
one  row  is,  to  a  reasonable  extent,  unlim- 
ited because  of  greater  back  to  back  meas- 
urements permitting  access  to  side  aisles 
only,  instead  of  the  intermediate  aisles  to 
which  we  are  accustomed. 

The  difficulties  in  applying  the  "Conti- 
nental Plan"  were  cited  as: 

1.  Passing  in  front  of  too  many  seat- 
ed patrons  in  circulating  to  any  one  seat, 
which  would  prove  annoying  in  any  con- 
tinuous performance ;  and 

2.  Most  existing  building  codes  in  this 
country  do  not  permit  more  than  14  seats 
in  a  row  from  aisle  to  aisle  or  seven  seats 
in  a  row  from  a  wall  to  an  aisle. 

A  modified  adaptation  of  the  "Conti- 
nental Plan"  was  proposed,  limiting  the 
rows  to  an  18-seat  width,  using  a  3-foot 
back-to-back  dimension.  This  system 
would  have  the  tendency  to  decrease  the 
depth  of  the  theatre  in  relation  to  its 
width,  a  result  which  would  bring  the 
spectators  farthest  from  the  screen  within 
a  more  desirable  viewing  distance. 

Since  most  motion  picture  theatres  are 
of  the  continuous  performance  type,  and 
building  codes  can  be  revised,  if  at  all, 
only  with  great  difficulty  due  to  lack  of 
concerted  action,  the  14  seat  aisle  to  aisle 
and  seven-seat  aisle  to  wall  chair  arrange- 
ments must  be  made  the  best  of.  There- 
fore it  is  necessary  to  investigate  if  current 
practices  in  motion  picture  theatre  plan- 
ning are  using  the  limits  now  set  to  the 
greatest  advantage. 

PLAN  FACTORS 

Proper  aisle  and  chair  arrangements 
can  be  determined  only  after  considering 
all  of  the  following  factors: 

1 .  Economy  of  space  and  structure. 

2.  Maximum  use  of  desirable  seating 
areas. 

3.  Sight  lines — (a)  distortion  lines, 
(b)  obstruction  lines. 

4.  Proper  screen  size. 


5.  Accessibility  to  seats  and  exits  with 
least  annoyance  to  seated  patrons  and  fac- 
tor of  safety. 

6.  Building  code  requirements. 

The  first  factor,  that  of  economy  of 
space  and  structure,  should  be  approached 
from  two   different  angles — to  obtain  a 


maximum  number  of  seats  per  cubic  foot 
of  structure,  and  at  the  same  time  to  ob- 
tain a  maximum  number  of  desirable  seats 
per  cubic  foot  of  structure.  Construction 
costs  must  be  kept  to  a  minimum,  but  not 
at  the  sacrifice  of  proper  screen  exhibition. 

The  following  diagrams  of  aisle  arrange- 
ment schemes  are  all  based  on  having  14 
seats  in  a  row  from  aisle  to  aisle  and  seven 
seats  from  a  wall  to  an  aisle.  To  have  a 
lesser  number  of  seats  per  row  would  re- 
sult in  producing  a  higher  ratio  of  aisle 
area  in  relation  to  seat  area,  which,  of 
course,  becomes  an  apparent  waste  of 
structure.  Figures  1,  2  and  3  may  be  ana- 
lyzed from  a  standpoint  of  space  efficiency 
and  other  factors  involved. 

Figure  1  shows  the  14-seat  in  a  row  type 
having,  in  Diagram  la,  one  center  aisle 
and  seven  seats  from  this  aisle  to  either 


PIAGRAM  3-A 


83  -O" 


DIAGRAM  3-E, 

Figure  3 


July  25,  1936 


13 


2  6-  IOtt 


Figure  I  I 


b 


side  wall;  and,  in  Diagram  lb,  a  center 
bank  of  14  seats  and  an  aisle  against  either 
wall.  Both  schemes,  la  and  lb,  are  limit- 
ed to  a  seating  capacity  of  approximately 
350.  To  exceed  this  capacity  would  in- 
troduce excessive  viewing  distances  and 
aisle  lengths,  and  difficulty  in  obtaining 
unobstructed  sight  lines. 

While  Scheme  la  requires  less  structure 
than  Scheme  lb,  the  single  aisle  in  the 
center  is  objectionable  in  la  because  it  oc- 
cupies valuable  seating  area,  it  causes  an- 
noyance to  seated  spectators  due  to  move- 
ment in  the  aisle  within  view  of  the  screen 
and  also  forces  a  narrower  screen  width 
than  Scheme  lb.  To  use  this  type  of  thea- 
tre plan  for  more  than  350  seats  on  one 
floor  is  just  turning  back  to  the  theatre  of 
the  original  "shooting  gallery"  type.  The 
addition  of  an  upper  level  of  seating  to 
increase  capacity  in  this  and  other  types 
shall  be  dealt  with  in  a  subsequent  article. 

WIDTH  ADJUSTMENTS 

Figure  2  shows  28  seats  in  a  row,  hav- 
ing, in  Diagram  2a,  a  center  bank  of  14 
seats,  an  aisle  on  either  side,  and  then  7- 
seat  banks  extending  from  each  aisle  to 


the  side  walls.  Diagram  2b  disposes  of 
the  28  seats  in  two  14-seat  banks,  utiliz- 
ing a  center  aisle  and  two  wall  aisles. 
Schemes  2a  and  2b  both  permit  a  seating 
capacity  up  to  approximately  700  for  a 
one  floor  plan,  recognizing  the  proper 
screen  size  and  proper  viewing  distance 
limits.  Scheme  2a  is  far  more  desirable 
than  Scheme  2b,  since  it  requires  less 
width  of  structure  and  eliminates  the  an- 
noying center  aisle.  The  efficiency  and 
qualities  of  Scheme  2a  have  made  it  a  most 
popular  aisle  arrangement. 

Figure  3  shows  42  seats  in  a  row  hav- 
ing, in  Diagram  3a,  a  center  aisle  flanked 
on  each  side  by  two  banks  of  14  seats  each, 
an  aisle  on  either  extreme  of  these  seats, 
and  seven  seats  from  these  aisles  to  the 
side  walls.  Diagram  3b  disposes  of  the  42 
seats  in  the  auditorium  width  by  utilizing 
three  banks  of  14  seats  each  with  two 
aisles  against  the  side  walls  and  two  aisles 
separating  the  three  banks  of  seating. 
Schemes  3a  and  3b  both  permit  a  seating 
capacity  up  to  approximately  1,100  for  a 
one-floor  plan,  using  the  proper  screen  size 
and  viewing  distances.  In  this  instance, 
Scheme  3b,  although  it  requires  slightly 


greater  width  in  structure,  is  more  desira- 
ble because  of  the  center  bank  of  seats  in- 
stead of  the  center  aisle  and  because  it  has 
only  two  aisles  within  the  seating  area 
instead  of  three,  as  in  Scheme  3a,  thus 
causing  less  annoyance  to  patrons  who  are 
already  seated. 

SPACE  ECONOMY 

If  space  efficiency  is  important,  and  it 
usually  is,  it  can  be  seen  that  for  a  one- 
floor  type  of  plan,  it  is  necessary  to  have 
a  seating  capacity  that  is  as  close  as  pos- 
sible to  350,  700  or  1,100  seats,  respec- 
tively, for  Schemes  1,  2  and  3,  to  have  a 
minimum  of  aisle  area  per  seat.  For  ex- 
ample, a  900  seating  capacity  would  re- 
quire aisle  Scheme  3b  for  proper  design, 
causing  a  greater  square-footage  of  struc- 
ture per  seat  than  if  the  capacity  were 
700  seats  using  Scheme  2a. 

The  limits  set  forth  in  these  diagrams 
are  a  compromise  with  what  might  be 
termed  ideal  viewing  conditions  for  every 
spectator,  and  the  practices  of  the  past. 
They  permit  good  viewing  conditions  in 
spite  of  economy  of  structure..  Many  ex- 
isting and  recently  constructed  theatres 
conform  to  these  limits ;  others  are  waste- 
ful in  aisle  arrangement,  or  on  the  other 
hand,  for  example,  utilize  Scheme  2a  for 
over  700  seats,  producing  poor  viewing 
conditions  for  rear  seats. 

To  those  exhibitors  who  would  desire 
even  more  ideal  quality  in  viewing  condi- 
tions, the  possibilities  of  upper  levels  of 
seating  and  a  greater  area  per  seat  must 
be  considered.  These  systems  will  be  dis- 
cussed in  a  subsequent  article. 

[The  author  is  a  New  York  theatre  ar- 
chitect whose  researches  in  the  planning  of 
theatres  specifically  for  motion  pictures 
have  been  frequently  reported  before  the 
Society  of  Motion  Picture  Engineers  as 
well  as  in  the  pages  of  this  publication.  He 
is  a  contributing  consultant  to  Better 
Theatres  on  architectural  form.] 


55:  5" 


5  6  L  2" 


D!/\6HkM  2-A      DUtf&kM  2-b 


Figure  2 


14 


Better  Theatres 


1 


Study  All  Processes  of  Operation 


ADVISES  RKO'S  JOE  COETZ 


joe  goetz  may  have  in- 
terpreted Horace  Greeley's  epic  injunc- 
tion as  "Go  Midwest,  young  man."  At 
any  rate,  Goetz,  a  young  man,  did  just 
that.  At  least,  he  got  there  eventually 
by  quick,  successive  stages.  And  Greeley 
couldn't  have  asked  for  more.  At  28, 
our  Mr.  Goetz  is  comfortably  perched 
near  the  top  rung  of  the  ladder.  He  is 
assistant  division  manager  of  the  RKO 
Midwest  division,  for  which  he  also  is 
feature  and  short  subject  booker.  And 
add  the  managerships  of  the  deluxe  Para- 
mount and  the  Orpheum  in  suburban 
Cincinnati. 

The  recently-formed  Cincinnati  Book- 
er's Club — said  to  be  the  only  organiza- 
tion of  its  kind  in  the  country — is  his 
brain-child.  Goetz  is  the  directing  head. 
The  club  was  formed  to  create  a  closer 
bond  of  personal  and  professional  rela- 
tionship among  members  of  the  booking 
fraternity,  a  place  where  mutual  problems 
could  be  discussed  and  constructive  criti- 
cisms and  suggestions  offered. 

In  addition,  Mr.  Goetz  acts  as  auditor 
for  the  Cincinnati  theatres  of  the  RKO 
circuit.  "Guess  I  might  be  compared  to 
a  bank  examiner,"  he  explained.  "I  drop 
in  at  unannounced  periods  and  make  a 
check.  No  mistrust  exists,  and  no  reflec- 
tion intended.  It's  merely  a  matter  of 
general  policy  to  keep  natural  accounting 
errors  down  to  the  minimum." 

Upon  further  question-,  Goetz  revealed 
to  the  writer  that  a  few  months  ago  he 
organized  a  managers'  school. 

"I  feel,"  he  said,  "that  this  is  the  one 
way  to  select  and  train  worthwhile  mana- 
gerial timber.  So  many  young  men  start 
in  with  high  aspirations  but  soon  perform 
their  duties  as  a  matter  of  routine,  doing 
only  what  is  set  out  for  them.  An  em- 
ployee must  use  his  head  to 
get  ahead — put  his  whole 
heart  and  soul  in  his  work, 
become  familiar,  through 
study  and  observation,  with 
all  branches  and  processes  of 
theatre  operation,  regardless 
of  his  position.  He  will  suc- 
ceed only  in  proportion  to  his 
enthusiasm,  application  and 
desire  to  go  places.  For  ex- 
ample, an  assistant  manager, 
when  reaching  that  post,  should  be  so 
thoroughly  qualified  that  he  can  immedi- 
ately step  into  the  manager's  place  and 
carry  on  in  case  of  an  emergency. 

The  school  is  conducted  weekly  at  the 
Palace  theatre  in  Cincinnati.  Each  house 
manager  selects  ushers  for  enrollment. 
Meetings  are  devoted  to  instructions  and 
discussions.  Lectures  on  some  phase  of 
theatre  operation  or  related  subject  are 
given  by  theatre  managers  or  other  compe- 


•  ONE  OF 
A  SERIES  OF 
INTERVIEWS 
WITH  • 
INTERESTING 
CINEMA  FOLK 


tent  authorities.  The 
Orpheum  theatre  is 
used  as  a  "training 
ground,"  where  the 
more  advanced  stu- 
dents are  assigned  for 
definite  periods  and 
placed  practically  "on 
their  own"  as  a  test  of 
their  potential  mana- 
gerial ability. 

Mr.  Goetz  has  also 
inaugurated  systems 
of  manager's  house  in- 
spection reports  and 
projectionist's  film  re- 
ports. The  former 
covers  the  theatre 
premises  under  21 
dis  t  i  n  c  t  headings, 
further  broken  down 
into  more  than  one 
hundred  individual 
items.  This  insures 
cleanliness,  ventila- 
tion, repairs  and  gen- 
e  r  a  1  maintenance. 
Projectionist's  reports, 
proportionately  com- 
plete, prevent  con- 
troversies when  film  is 
received  in  poor  or  mu- 
tilated condition,  which  permits  action  and 
adjustment  before  the  showing.  The  re- 
ports are  sent  to  the  local  executive  offices, 
with  copies  retained  by  house  managers 
and  projectionists. 

Despite  his  numerous  activities,  Mr. 
Goetz  finds  time  to  "sell"  continuously 
Cincinnati's  Paramount  theatre  to  the 
public.  For  example,  the  New  Thought 
congregation,  having  outgrown  its  previ- 
ous quarters,  holds  regular  Sunday  morn- 
ing services  at  the  theatre, 
from  1,500  to  1,800  attend- 
ing. Also,  Mr.  Goetz  never 
fails  to  hold  a  birthday  party 
on  the  anniversary  of  the 
opening  of  the  Paramount. 
This  has  become  a  city-wide 
event,  usually  attended  by 
the  mayor  and  members  of 
his  staff,  and  leaders  of  civic 
bodies.  There  are  refresh- 
ments, music,  sometimes 
dancing  in  the  lobby.  Pastors,  priests  and 
rabbis  are  there.  People  come  from  all 
walks  of  life.  It's  just  one  big,  happy 
family. 

An  activity  which  won  Mr.  Goetz 
much  praise  was  his  effort  to  popularize 
the  city  government  through  lobby  dis- 
plays depicting  various  functions  of  city 
government.  He  has  exhibited  fire  ap- 
paratus, ambulances  and  accessories,  etc., 
accompanied  by  signs  and  photos  exempli- 


fying the  work.  Sometimes,  a  city  em- 
ploye has  been  on  hand  to  explain  and 
answer  questions,  thus  familiarizing  the 
public  with  what  the  city  is  doing,  and 
how  and  why.  Moreover,  he  gratuitously 
furnishes  the  city  jail  with  films. 

However,  Mr.  Goetz  finds  his  real  hap- 
piness in  entertaining  poor  and  crippled 
children,  which  he  does  at  various  inter- 
vals, either  at  the  theatre  or  the  institu- 
tions where  the  wards  reside.  The  city 
provides  transportation  to  the  theatre,  and 
Society  leaders  act  as  chaperones.  Some 
of  the  kiddies  have  been  brought  to  the 
theatre  on  stretchers  and  in  casts. 

Joe  Goetz  started  as  an  usher  at  the 
old  Keith  theatre  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  while 
attending  school.  Five  years  later,  at  19, 
he  was  made  manager  of  Keith's  State 
there — probably  the  youngest  manager  in 
the  country.  When  RKO  took  over  the 
Keith  houses,  he  was  appointed  manager 
of  the  Capitol  in  Cincinnati.  In  less  than 
a  year  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Pal- 
ace, the  circuit's  second  largest  Cincinnati 
house.  Soon  thereafter  the  new  Paramount 
opened.  Goetz  was  named  manager.  His 
other  appointments  followed. 

Sometime,  he  confided  to  the  writer 
with  a  smile,  he  intends  taking  sufficient 
time  out  to  allow  his  little  daughter,  Bar- 
bara Joan,  to  become  acquainted  with 
"that  strange  man"  whom  she  occasionally 
sees  around  the  house. — E.  H.  Mayer. 


July  25,  1936 


15 


About  People  of  the  Theatre 


NEWS  OF  THEIR  ACTIVITIES  REPORTED   FROM  ALL  SECTIONS  AND  BRIEFLY  TOLD 


B.  P.  McCormick  of  Canon  City  and 
Florence,  Colo.,  has  opened  a  new  theatre, 
the  El  Cortez,  at  Hot  Springs,  N.  M. 

Contracts  have  been  awarded  for  the 
remodeling  of  the  El  Camino  theatre,  San 
Rafael,  Calif.,  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $20,- 
000. 

J.  L.  Farnsworth  has  sold  the  Jeffer- 
sonian  theatre  at  West  Jefferson,  N.  C,  to 
Ben  Reeves,  owner  of  the  Spartan  at 
Sparta,  N.  C. 

Cecil  Mullenix,  formerly  interested 
in  the  Varsity  theatre,  DesMoines  subur- 
ban house,  and  the  Beaver  Avenue  theatre, 
recently  opened  the  State,  a  new  theatre 
at  Memphis,  Mo. 

The  Bluebonnet  theatre,  Harrisburg, 
Tex.,  operated  by  Interstate  Circuit,  Inc.,  is 
being  enlarged  at  a  cost  of  approximately 
$15,000. 

Burns  Ellison  is  the  new  president  of 
the  North  Denver  Civic  Association,  as  re- 
sult of  a  recent  election.  Ellison  manages 
the  Rex  and  Federal  theatres. 

One  of  the  largest  major  theatre  deals 
made  in  the  Omaha  trade  territory  in  some 
years  went  into  effect  July  1,  when  A.  H. 
Blank,  head  of  the  Tri-States  Theatres, 
Inc.,  took  over  six  independent  theatres  in 
Sioux  City,  la.  Mr.  Blank  already  oper- 
ated the  Capitol  and  Princess  theatres 
prior  to  his  taking  over  the  Rialto,  Gran- 
ada, Loop,  Circle,  Iowa  and  Hipp.  The 
latter  six  will  be  operated  in  partnership 
with  A.  B.  Friedman  and  Sol  Shulkin, 
who  already  owned  the  Iowa  and  Hipp 
prior  to  the  deal.  The  other  four  were 
taken  over  from  Eli  E.  Seff  and  A. 
Sadoff,  who  will  drop  out  of  the  local 
scene.  The  eight  Sioux  City  houses  will 
come  under  Evert  R.  Cummings,  district 
manager  for  Mr.  Blank  in  Omaha. 

Raymond  Duport,  sales  manager  of 
the  General  Register  Corporation,  has 
added  two  representatives  to  his  staff. 
Jules  Sarzin  will  cover  New  York  City. 
Salvatore  Fiore  will  cover  the  New  Eng- 
land and  Middle  Atlantic  States.  George 
Heck  will  continue  as  sales  representative 
for  the  Southern  and  Southwestern  States. 

The  Palace,  Hamilton,  Ohio,  piloted  by 
Turberg  and  Silver,  has  been  outfitted 
with  new  seats. 

Bernard  Caldwell,  assistant  manager 
of  the  Carolina  theatre,  Spartanburg, 
S.  C,  has  been  transferred  to  the  Criterion 
there,    recently   acquired   by   the  Wilby- 


Kincey  interests,  as  manager,  succeeding 
Pat  McSwain.  Judson  B.  Johnson  will 
replace  Caldwell  at  the  Carolina. 

E.  Fangman,  owner  and  manager  of 
the  Rialto  theatres  at  Boone,  la.,  contem- 
plates erecting  a  1,000-seat  theatre  at  a 
cost  of  about  $100,000. 

Joe  Gerbrach  of  the  Ames  Theatre 
Company,  has  asked  the  City  of  DesMoines 
to  reconsider  a  permit  to  build  a  theatre 
on  the  north  side  of  Main  Street. 

Nick  Warren,  who  has  been  manager 
of  the  Criterion  at  Anderson,  S.  C,  has 
been  transferred  to  Durham,  N.  C. 

Cliff  Boyd,  at  the  helm  of  the  RKO 
Shubert,  Cincinnati,  recently  closed  for 
the  summer,  is  acting  as  relief  manager  for 
the  Cincinnati  RKO  houses  during  the  va- 
cation period. 

Tallulah,  La.  —  C.  J.  Hubley, 
manager  of  the  Cameo  theatre,  Tallulah, 
La.,  has  installed  a  new  cooling  system. 

John  R.  Elliott,  who  has  been  man- 
ager of  the  Keith-Palace,  Youngstown, 
Ohio,  and  active  in  theatre  circles  in  eastern 
Ohio  for  the  past  20  years,  has  charge  of 
the  Horticultural  Gardens,  at  the  Great 
Lakes  Exposition,  at  Cleveland. 

The  Cecil  theatre,  A.  H.  Blank  house 
at  Mason  City,  has  been  reopened  after 
being  close  for  redecorating,  reseating  and 
installation  of  a  cooling  system.  New 
equipment  cost  $40,000.  Tom  Arthur  is 
the  manager. 

Disastrous  fires  in  the  Omaha  territory 
endangered  several  theatres  recently.  At 
Remsen,  la.,  a  half-million  dollar  fire  that 
destroyed  most  of  the  business  section  and 


MODERN  FORMS  AND  MASSING  IN  JAVA, 
THE  CITY  OF  MAGELANGS  ROXY  CINEMA 


some  20  residences,  did  not  reach  the 
Grand  theatre,  managed  by  F.  Koch,  nor 
his  home.  At  Wahoo,  Neb.,  a  fire  that 
caused  $15,000  damage  to  a  bakery  next 
door,  practically  demolished  the  building, 
only  slightly  smoked  up  the  Wahoo,  man- 
aged by  Charley  Prokop. 

Frank  Milton,  operator  of  the  Ri- 
voli  theatre  in  Denver  for  several  years, 
has  sold  the  house  to  Bob  and  Ed  Maple 
of  the  Gem  theatre. 

The  Bijou  theatre  at  Knoxville,  Tenn., 
formerly  operated  by  the  Dixie  Operating 
Company,  has  been  taken  over  by  the 
Wilby-Kincey  chain  organization.  Dixie 
will  continue  to  operate  the  Roxy  and 
Crystal  theatres  at  Knoxville,  it  was 
stated. 

L.  E.  Hinkley  is  building  a  new  theatre 
at  Bernalillo,  N.  M. 

Granville  MacPherson  has  taken  a 
lease  on  the  Town  Hall  in  Quincy,  Calif., 
and  is  transforming  it  into  a  motion  pic- 
ture theatre. 

The  Bijou  theatre  at  Savannah,  Ga., 
operated  by  the  Savannah  Theatres  Com- 
pany, is  being  remodeled  at  a  cost  of  ap- 
proximately $8,000.  Hudson  Edwards 
is  manager. 

T.  A.  Whalen,  who  recently  purchased 
the  Kiva  theatre  at  Santa  Rosa,  N.  M., 
from  R.  L.  Riddle,  has  reopened  it  as  the 
Pecos  after  remodeling. 

A  new  terra  cotta  front  is  being  erected 
for  the  Grand  theatre  at  Estherville,  la., 
owned  by  Hubert  Shrock.  The  Grand 
seats  800. 

William  B.  Hart,  41,  former  manager 
of  the  Majestic  theatres  in  Fort  Worth 
and  Dallas,  Texas.,  died  recently  in  a  hos- 
pital at  Fort  Worth.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  Mr.  Hart  was  traveling  passenger 
agent  for  the  Texas  &  Pacific  Railroad. 

Sam  Epstein  is  erecting  a  new  motion 
picture  theatre  at  Lake  Village,  Ark. 

Lewis  Lepovitz,  who  has  been  operat- 
ing the  Iowa  at  Madrid,  la.,  has  taken 
over  the  Iowa  in  East  DesMoines.  He  is 
also  managing  the  State  theatre  at  Ogden. 

The  Jefferson  Amusement  Company  will 
erect  a  new  motion  picture  theatre  at 
Nederland,  Tex.,  at  a  cost  of  approximately 
$25,000,  according  to  announcement  by 
Sol  Gordon,  one  of  the  owners  of  the 
company.  The  new  house  will  have  a  seat- 


16 


Better  Theatres 


ing  capacity  of  600.  Nederland  has  no 
theatre  at  present. 

Walt  Bradley  of  the  Moon  theatre 
at  Neligh,  Neb.,  has  installed  a  Supreme 
cooling  system. 

Charles  Peterson  of  the  Windsor, 
Hampton,  la.,  is  completing  a  new  theatre 
at  Hampton  to  be  known  as  the  Lido.  The 
building  housed  a  theatre  ten  years  ago. 
The  Lido  has  300  seats. 

Carolina  Playhouses,  Inc.,  of  Ayden, 
N.  C,  with  authorized  capital  of  $25,000 
and  subscribed  stock  of  $300,  has  been 
chartered  to  operate  motion  picture  thea- 
tres. The  principals  include  Wilbur  C. 
Ormond  of  Ayden;  H.  C.  Ormond  and 
Mrs.  Ada  Hardee  Ormond,  of  Hooker- 
ton. 

The  Crockett  Theatre  Company,  Inc., 
has  been  incorporated  with  a  capital  of 
1,000  shares  of  no  par  value,  by  B.  E. 
Kragen  and  Clarice  Collister.  The 
firm  has  theatre  property  at  Crockett, 
Calif. 

Archie  Hurley  has  opened  a  new 
house  at  Tucumcari,  N.  M.  He  has  named 
it  the  New  theatre. 

Valley  Amusement  Company,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  with  authorized  capitaliza- 
tion of  $10,000,  has  been  incorporated  by 
David  M.  Levy,  Alfred  H.  Myers  and 
M.  H.  Koodish. 

Jack  Thomas  has  opened  a  theatre  on 
Clay  Street  in  San  Francisco. 

Ed  Conahan,  former  assistant  man- 
ager of  the  Isis  theatre  in  Denver,  has  been 
promoted  to  the  managership  of  the  Hia- 
watha theatre.  He  succeeds  Louis  Wil- 
liams, who  was  moved  to  Walsenburg  to 
take  over  the  position  of  city  manager,  suc- 
ceeding Wayne  Gossett,  who  resigned. 

F.  Rogers  and  others  have  organized 
the  Perland  Company,  Inc.,  Jacksonville, 
Fla.,  to  engage  in  the  motion  picture  busi- 
ness. The  authorized  capitalization  is  100 
shares,  par  value  $100  each. 

Tam  &  Pierovich  are  having  plans  pre- 
pared for  a  two-story  theatre  and  office 
building  at  Jackson,  Calif.  The  theatre 
will  seat  700. 

L.  P.  Langford,  former  manager  of 
the  Cleveland  branch  of  the  National  The- 
atre Supply  Company,  and  Ernest  Forbes 
of  Detroit,  have  purchased  the  active  stock 
of  the  Oliver  Theatre  Supply,  Inc.,  owned 
by  the  late  E.  E.  Oliver,  and  will  continue 
the  business  under  the  old  name.  The  name 
of  Forbes'  supply  company  in  Detroit  will 
take  on  the  same  name  as  the  Cleveland 
office.  Plans  will  include  another  branch 
in  Cincinnati.  Among  the  leading  stand- 
ard lines  distributed  by  the  Oliver  Supply 
Company,  Inc.,  are  Motiograph  projectors, 
DaLite  screens,  Brenkert  equipment. 


Dick  Wilbur  has  been  made  manager 
of  the  new  Queen  theatre,  opened  early 
in  July  at  Honolulu,  T.  H.,  by  Franklin 
Theatres.  This  house,  seating  800,  is  the 
seventh  in  a  chain  that  has  been  built  up 
in  the  past  year  and  a  half. 

Nate  Schultz  is  increasing  the  seating 
capacity  of  his  Union  theatre,  Cleveland. 
Other  parts  of  the  theatre  are  also  being 
remodeled. 

Jerry  Steel  is  enlarging  his  Apollo 
theatre,  Oberlin.  He  leased  the  adjoining 
store  room,  knocked  out  the  intervening 
wall  and  has  redecorated  the  entire  recon- 
structed house. 

T.  B.  Edwards  has  purchased  the  the- 
atre at  Marysville,  Calif.,  operated  by 
Harvey  Miller  and  associates. 

V.  T.  Touchett,  manager  of  the  Ret- 
law  and  Fond  du  Lac  theatres  in  Fond  du 
Lac,  Wis.,  has  installed  Western  Electric 
sound  equipment  in  both  houses. 

William  Gustine  has  arranged  to  re- 
model the  Sanger  theatre  Building,  Sanger, 
Calif. 

J.  B.  Lima  has  purchased  the  Lincoln 
theatre  in  Pleasanton,  Calif.,  from  Charles 
Chicazola. 

L.  M.  Neely,  owner  of  five  theatres  in 
western  and  north  central  Alabama,  has 
remodeled  his  Strand  theatre  in  Oneonta, 
Ala. 

The  Mayfield  Center  theatre,  Cleveland 
Heights,  being  built  by  Louis  Israel,  will 
be  opened  about  Labor  Day.  The  house 
is  now  being  decorated. 

Miss  Josephine  Oliver,  daughter  of 
the  late  E.  E.  Oliver  of  the  Oliver  The- 
atre Supply  Company,  has  been  on  the 
road  selling  theatre  supplies  since  the 
death  of  his  father. 

A.  G.  Basil  has  purchased  the  Tokay 


theatre  in  South  Bend.,  Wash.,  from  Joe 
Johnson,  Ernest,  Joe  and  William  Leber. 

Harry  Ulsh,  operating  the  Lane  and 
Rose  Theatres  in  Cle  Elum,  Wash,  has 
merged  with  L.  A.  Gillespie,  who  oper- 
ates houses  at  Tonasket,  Orville  and  Brew- 
ster. Since  the  consolidation  they  have 
purchased  the  Paramount  theatre  at  Oka- 
nogan, Wash. 

Asher  Levy,  president  of  Ashley  The- 
atres, owner  of  the  Garrick  in  Madison, 
Wis.,  announces  that  the  house,  dark  for 
many  months,  will  be  reopened  this  fall. 
New  seats,  carpeting  and  furnishings  will 
be  installed. 

Redwood  Theatres,  Inc.,  headed  by 
George  Mann  and  Morgan  Walsh,  has 
purchased  the  National  Theatre,  Marys- 
ville, Calif.,  from  Mrs.  I.  C.  Evans. 

Work  on  the  new  Bear  theatre  in  Berea, 
Ohio,  is  going  forward  rapidly.  It  is 
expected  to  be  completed  the  middle  of 
August.  Owners  are  P.  E.  Essick,  Dan 
Stearns  and  Henry  Fichensher,  all  of 
Cleveland,  and  Harry  Flinn  of  Berea. 

Michael  Lencione,  manager  of  the 
Falls  theatre  in  Sheboygan  Falls,  Wis.,  has 
erected  a  new  marquee,  redecorated  the  ex- 
terior of  the  theatre,  and  renovated  the 
lobby  with  new  carpeting  and  drapes. 

Fred  Dickinson  of  Brookfield,  Mo., 
is  constructing  a  new  "modernistic"  theatre 
at  Marceline,  Mo.,  which  will  be  operated 
by  the  Glen  W.  Dickinson  circuit.  The 
building  will  cost  $15,000,  exclusive  of 
equipment  and  fixtures,  and  the  house  will 
seat  around  500.  It  has  been  tentatively 
named  the  Chief  because  Marceline  is  a 
Santa  Fe  railroad  center.  Louis  Seibers 
of  the  Dickinson  circuit,  is  supervising  the 
planning. 

Morris  Hadelman,  and  his  son, 
Samuel,  operators  of  the  Shelton  theatre 
and  of  the  State  in  New  Haven,  Conn., 
have  leased  the  Capitol  theatre  in  Bridge- 
port, now  run  by  Lou  Anger,  beginning 
in  the  fall. 

Ground  has  been  broken  for  a  1100-seat 
theatre  in  La  Crosse,  Wis.,  by  Welworth 
Theatres,  Inc.,  of  Minneapolis. 

Jack  Gilead  has  opened  the  Vienna 
theatre  in  Vienna,  W.  Va. 

George  Ebeck  has  begun  extensive  re- 
modeling of  the  Capitol  theatre  in  Mt. 
Gilead,  Ohio. 

Dave  Freedman,  former  operator  of 
the  Jewel  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  is  erecting 
a  new  600-seat  house  in  that  borough  of 
New  York  City. 

W.  A.  Mendenhall,  head  of  Menmar 
theatres,  Boise,  Ida.,  has  purchased  a 
building  in  that  city  and  will  remodel  it 
into  an  800-seat  theatre. 


July  25,  1936 


17 


the  first  issue  of 


TEDTRO  PL  DID 

iiDminisTRncidn-EQuiPOPROVEccionncusTiiii 


A  NEW  QUICLEY  PUBLICATION 

Quigley  Publications  extends  its  internation- 
al service  in  the  interest  of  the  motion  picture 
with  the  publication  of  TEATRO  AL  DIA. 

Published  in  Spanish  and  circulated  to  all 
the  industry  in  the  Spanish  speaking  countries  of 
the  World,  it  is  devoted  to  the  maintenance, 
equipment,  construction  and  kindred  phases  of 
motion  picture  theatre  operation. 

PUBLISHED  QUARTERLY 

NEXT     ISSUE     OCTOBER  1936 


QUICLEY  PUBLICATIONS 


NEW  YORK 


HOLLYWOOD 


CHICAGO 


LONDON 


18 


Better  Theatres 


EQUIPMENT  and  OPERATION 

A  DEPARTMENT  OF  PRACTICAL  MAINTENANCE   AND   OPERATING  SERVICE 
•         0         CONDUCTED   RV   J.   T.    KNIGHT,  JR. 


Midsummer  Reminders  About 
Roofs,  Light  Shock,  Air  Comfort 


•  It  may  be  hotter'n  h-ot  where  you  are,  but 
now's  the  very  time  to  consider  these  matters,  so 
pull  up  a  chair  alongside  a  cool  drink  and- 


The  extreme  heat  that  we 
are  all  experiencing  this  summer  is  un- 
doubtedly going  to  be  remembered  this  fall 
during  the  rainy  season.  Extremely  high 
temperatures  do  great  damage  to  roofs,  par- 
ticularly the  built-up  type,  so  don't  be  sur- 
prised if  there  are  leaks  in  the  theatre  this 
fall.  Each  theatre  manager  is  warned  now 
to  check  and  see  for  himself  just  what  is 
happening  to  the  roof  of  his  theatre.  A 
few  dollars  spent  in  September  is  much  the 
wiser  policy  than  waiting  for  leaks  to  ap- 
pear. A  leak  may  do  a  good  deal  of  dam- 
age before  it  is  called  to  the  attention  of 
the  manager.  Suspended  plaster  once 
thoroughly  soaked  with  water  is  never  posi- 
tively safe,  even  though  there  have  been 
instances  where  it  has  remained  in  place 
for  some  years. 

In  discussing  roofs  with  managers,  I 
have  found  that  few  know  "what  it  is  all 
about."  To  start  with,  let's  be  sure  every- 
one knows  what  asphalt  is  and  what  tar 
is. 

ASPHALT 

Asphalt  is  a  product  of  nature  found  in 
large  deposits  sometimes  called  lakes,  in 
Trinidad  and  Venezuela.  It  is  a  hydro- 
carbon, but  it  has  some  quantity  of  clay 
and  water  in  it.  It  is  always  put  through 
a  refining  process  before  being  used  for 
roofing.  The  various  oils  contained  in  the 
asphalt  evaporate  more  slowly  than  those 
found  in  tar,  consequently  asphalt  remains 
more  plastic  for  a  longer  period  of  time, 
and  when  applied  to  roofs  has  a  longer  life 
and  greater  flexibility  than  tar. 

COAL  TAR 

Coal  tar,  or  just  tar,  is  the  deposit  ob- 
tained from  blast  furnaces,  or  by  distilling 


coal,  or  from  the  manufacture  of  coke  and 
gas.  The  crude  tar  as  it  comes  out  of  the 
furnace  is  again  distilled,  and  from  the 
second  process  we  obtain  benzene  and 
naphthalene.  The  remaining  substance, 
after  distilling  the  second  or  third  time,  is 
called  pitch,  and  this  is  the  material  we  use 
for  some  roofing.  Tar  pitch  is  also  a  hydro- 
carbon and  is  impervious  to  and  repels 
water. 

BUILT-UP  ROOFS 

Most  theatres  have  built-up  roofs.  Built- 
up  roofs  are  laid  on  wood  decks,  concrete 
decks,  or  gypsum  slabs.  Most  built-up 
roofs  are  composed  of  from  two  to  five 
layers  or  plys  of  felt,  sometimes  called  rag 
felt,  or  jute  saturated  with  coal  tar  pitch 
or  asphalt.  Each  layer  or  ply  is  laid  in  a 
mopping  of  hot  tar  or  asphalt.  The  final 
ply  of  felt  is  very  thoroughly  mopped  with 
tar  or  asphalt,  and  while  the  tar  or  asphalt 
is  still  hot  or  soft  it  is  covered  with  crushed 
slag,  stone  or  clean  gravel.  Built-up  roofs 
finished  with  slag,  stone  or  gravel  are  not 
intended  to  stand  much  traffic,  so  don't 
permit  ushers  or  any  employes  to  use  such 
roofs  as  places  of  rest  cr  recreation. 

In  laying  a  built-up  roof,  a  layer  of 
sheathing  paper  is  first  laid  down  on  the 
deck.  This  sheathing  paper  should  be 
lapped  at  least  2  inches.  On  top  of  the 
sheathing  is  laid  two  layers  of  tarred  felt ; 
if  the  roof  deck  is  of  wood,  these  layers 
should  be  nailed  to  the  deck.  The  two 
layers  should  be  lapped  from  15  to  18 
inches.  After  this  comes  the  first  mopping 
of  tar,  then  a  layer  of  felt  lapped  about 
20  inches,  another  mopping  of  tar  or 
asphalt,  another  layer  of  felt  lapped  from 
22  to  24  inches,  another  mopping  of  tar 
or  asphalt,  and  then  the  final  layer  of  felt 


lapped  24  inches.  A  final  mopping  of  tar 
or  asphalt  and  gravel  is  applied  and  you 
have  a  five-ply  roof  that  should  stand  up 
for  fifteen  or  twenty  years. 

I  have  been  told  that  theatre  men  won't 
read  much  during  the  summer.  Having 
been  forwarned,  you  may  wonder  why  a 
subject  like  roofs  was  selected  to  write 
about.  Well,  the  maintenance  man  knows 
no  seasons.  There  is  a  time  for  every  job, 
and  the  dry  season  is  the  time  to  think  of 
roofs.  Don't  wait  for  rain  to  tell  you  that 
your  roofs  needs  repairing!  Don't  be  like 
the  man  found  sitting  in  his  cabin  under  an 
umbrella  who,  when  asked  why  he  did 
not  fix  his  roof,  replied,  "Yes,  my  roof 
leaks,  but  when  it  ain't  rainin'  I  don't  give 
a  damn,  and  when  it's  rainin'  I  can't  fix  it 
anyhow." 

ILLUMINATION  OF 
THE  AUDITORIUM 

there  is  another  angle 
of  theatre  operation  that  to  me  is  always 
emphasized  in  the  summertime,  and  that 
is  the  general  running  illumination  in  the- 
atre auditoriums.  By  running  illumination 
I  mean  the  lights  that  are  burning  during 
the  time  when  pictures  are  being  projected 
on  the  screen.  Most  auditoriums  are  en- 
tirely too  dark.  The  contrast  between  the 
light  level  in  the  auditorium  and  the  bright 
sun  light  on  the  street  is  always  greater  in 
the  summer  than  in  the  winter.  The  con- 
trast is  so  sharp,  especially  in  the  theatre 
with  a  very  small  lobby  and  foyer,  that  the 
effect  is  almost  blinding. 

It  is  my  opinion  that  one  of  the  smartest 
showmanship  angles  of  summer  theatre 
operation  is  a  complete  re-adjustment  of 
the  theatre  lighting.  Many  an  old  the- 
atre could  be  greatly  improved  by  the  ex- 
penditure of  a  few  hundred  dollars  on 
the  revamping  of  the  auditorium  lighting 
scheme.  Instead  of  listening  to  some  local 
salesman  who  would  like  to  get  rid  of 
some  slow-moving  fixtures,  and  is  willing  to 
give  you  a  price  on  them,  why  not  send 
your  problems  to  the  largest  lighting 
laboratory  in  the  country  for  their  advice, 
[Nela  Park  Engineering  Department,  Gen- 
eral Electric  Company,  Cleveland]  ?  I, 


July  25,  1936 


19 


maintenance 


tabs 


Title  and  text  copyrighted     1936.  Reproduction  of  any  part  without  permission  is  expressly  forbidden 


AIR-CONDITIONING  COSTS:  Many 
operators  of  theatres  talk  of  air-condi- 
tioning, and  when  told  the  cost  are 
absolutely  astounded.  For  those  who 
are  interested  in  approximate  costs,  the 
following  data  is  given.  Though  I  don't 
like  to  pass  along  any  rules  of  thumb, 
nevertheless  if  this  will  make  some  the- 
atre operators  cost-conscious  before 
they  ask  three  or  four  companies  or 
engineers  to  survey  jobs,  it  is  worth 
while  in  this  instance.  The  following  may 
be  used  with  a  fair  degree  of  accuracy 
for  situations  north  of  Richmond,  Vir- 
ginia on  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  as  far 
west  as  Cleveland  or  Detroit: 

Based  upon  (I)  outside  design  con- 
ditions of  95°  dry  bulb  and  78°  wet 
bulb,  and  (2)  inside  conditions  of  80° 
dry  bulb  and  50%  relative  humidity, 
and  (3)  5  cubic  feet  of  fresh  air  per 
minute  per  person,  and  (4)  fan  capacity 
to  circulate  a  total  of  20  cubic  feet  of 
air  per  minute  per  person  (5  of  which 
is  fresh  air) — 

Sensible  heat  gain:  I  10  b.t.u.  per  seat 
for  light  and  wall  losses:  193  b.t.u.  per 
seat  for  people  heat;  75  b.t.u.  per  seat 
for  fresh  air,  equals  a  total  sensible  heat 
gain  of  378  b.t.u.  per  seat. 

Latent  heat  gain:  153  b.t.u.  per  seat 
for  people  moisture;  I  17  b.t.u.  per  seat 
for  fresh  air  moisture;  equals  a  total 
sensible  heat  gain  of  270  b.t.u.  per  seat 
for  moisture. 

Total  heat  gain  per  seat  equals  sen- 
sible heat  and  latent  heat,  equals  378 
plus  270,  equals  648  b.t.u.  per  seat  per 
hour. 

Therefore,  648  b.t.u.  per  seat  per 
hour  times  number  of  seats  in  theatre, 
divided  by  12,000  b.t.u.  per  hour  per 
ton,  equals  required  tons  of  refrigera- 
tion for  air-conditioning. 

Air-conditioning  for  summer  only 
(not  including  winter  heating  coils), 
completely  installed,  averages  about 
$15.25  per  seat.  Smaller  theatres  may 
exceed  this  unit  cost,  while  larger 
theatres  may  run  lower. 

Summer  air  conditioning  costs  com- 
plete averages  from  $225  to  $260  per 
ton  of  refrigeration.    Hence,  required 


tons  of  refrigeration  (as  obtained  with 
above  equation)  multiplied  by  $242.50, 
equals  approximate  cost  of  the  job. 

FAN  PULSATION:  Frequently  of  late 
I  have  had  theatre  managers  tell  me 
that  the  delivery  fan  in  their  theatres 
seems  to  pulsate,  that  is,  to  blow  air 
strongly  for  a  few  minutes,  then  seem 
not  to  be  blowing  any  air  at  all.  I  have 
encountered  this  situation  several  times 
myself,  and  here  is  my  analysis  of  it: 

Every  blower,  because  of  its  inherent 
design  and  the  r.p.m.  at  which  it  is 
operating,  has  a  certain  definite  pres- 
sure characteristic.  For  instance,  if  you 
connected  the  blower  to  a  large  balloon 
it  would  blow  air  into  that  balloon  until 
the  pressure  in  the  balloon  would  equal 
the  blower's  pressure  characteristic,  and 
after  that  it  would  just  churn  up  air  and 
not  put  any  more  into  the  balloon.  If 
some  air  gradually  escaped  from  the 
balloon,  thereby  lowering  the  pressure 
in  the  bag,  the  blower  would  again 
force  air  into  the  balloon  until  the  pres- 
sure inside  equaled  the  "pressure  ca- 
pacity" of  the  blower.  This  is  just  what 
happens  in  some  casts  in  theatres. 

This  condition  can  be  corrected  by 
any  one  of  several  methods:  (I)  Increase 
the  r.p.m.  of  the  blower,  thereby  in- 
creasing its  "pressure  capacity."  (2) 
Provide  gravity  vents  so  that  air  in 
greater  quantities  can  escape  quickly 
from  the  auditorium.  (3)  Provide  a  me- 
chanical exhaust  from  the  auditorium. 
(4)  If  the  existing  fan  is  delivering  more 
than  sufficient  air  into  the  auditorium, 
then  reduce  the  speed  of  the  fan  to 
balance  the  rate  at  which  air  escapes 
from  the  auditorium.  This  last  case  is 
encountered  rarely  but  is  possible. 

Another  possible  correction  in  a  case 
where  refrigeration  is  used  is  to  increase 
the  amount  of  recirculated  air,  and  de- 
crease the  amount  of  fresh  air.  The 
general  fault  causing  this  condition  is 
that  the  designing  engineer  selected  a 
fan  with  too  low  a  static  pressure  (indi- 
cated S.P.  in  fan  catalogs)  charac- 
teristic, or  "pressure  capacity,"  as  I 
have  used  the  term  here. 


personally,  have  never  known  of  them 
charging    anybody    for    their  service. 

REACTION    OF  EYES 

Let's  see  just  what  happens  to  a  per- 
son's eye  when  he  comes  into  a  dark  the 


atre  from  a  sun-lit  sidewalk.  When  on  the 
street  the  pupils  of  the  eyes  have  con- 
tracted because  of  too  much  light,  then 
upon  suddenly  entering  an  almost  unlighted 
auditorium,  the  pupils  try  to  enlarge  quick- 
ly to  get  all  the  light  they  can.  This  physi- 


cal reaction,  taking  place  so  quickly,  is  not 
only  blinding,  but  extremely  uncomfort- 
able. Then,  with  the  pupils  of  the  eyes  wide 
open,  the  person  finally  arrives  at  a  seat 
and  turns  his  eyes  on  a  brilliantly  lighted 
screen.  What  happens?  The  pupils  must 
quickly  contract  again.  This  contracting 
and  expanding  causes  a  shock  that  might  be 
campared  to  jumping  back  and  forth  be- 
tween a  very  hot  shower  and  an  ice  cold 
shower.  Some  people  are  so  sensitive  that 
they  just  can't  stand  it,  and  consequently, 
after  going  through  the  reverse  process 
upon  leaving  the  theatre,  they  complain  of 
headaches  or  a  tired  feeling  in  the  eyes. 

The  real  answer,  of  course,  is  to  light 
up  your  auditorium.  It  can  be  done  in 
four  out  of  five  theatres.  Is  your  theatre 
one  that  suffers  from  lightatosis?  One  of 
the  larger  lamp  manufacturing  companies 
has  placed  on  the  market  a  small  compact 
light  meter  which  costs  less  than  $15.  If 
you  can't  afford  to  buy  one  of  these,  it 
might  be  possible  to  borrow  one  in  order 
that  you  may  make  a  study  of  the  varying 
light  levels  you  subject  your  patrons'  eyes 
to  as  they  enter  or  leave  your  theatre. 

EXACT  OPERATION 
OF   AIR  SYSTEM 

i  could  not  feel  satisfied 
in  completing  a  discussion  of  summer  oper- 
ating problems  without  at  least  touching 
upon  my  pet  subject,  which  is  the  condition 
of  the  air  in  the  theatre.  Again,  I  want 
to  emphasize  that  there  are  only  a  small 
minority  of  managers  who  really  know  any- 
thing about  the  condition  of  the  air  in 
their  theatres.  I  am  not  talking  only  to 
or  of  those  managers  who  have  some  type, 
good  or  bad,  of  air  conditioning;  I  am 
talking  to  every  man  who  manages  a  the- 
atre. If  you  manage  a  theatre,  the  weather 
ouside  and  the  resulting  condition  inside 
should  be  vitally  interesting  to  you  every 
minute  of  the  day.  The  outside  and  inside 
conditions  in  general  terms,  mean  nothing; 
average  conditions  mean  nothing ;  exact 
readings-taken  at  least  four  times  daily  are 
of  the  utmost  value. 

DAILY  READINGS 

Every  theatre  should  have  some  person 
keep  a  record  of  the  conditions  each  day. 
The  average  type  of  thermometer  (dry 
bulb)  can  certainly  be  read  by  any  adult 
person  of  average  intelligence.  A  good  dry 
bulb  thermometer  can  be  purchased  for  less 
than  $2,  so  there  really  is  no  excuse  for 
not  having  dry  bulb  readings  at  least. 

In  addition  to  dry  bulb  readings,  wet 
bulb  readings  are  of  vital  importance. 
Relative  humidity  is  a  large  factor  in 
human  comfort.  If  you  don't  know  how 
to  take  wet  bulb  readings  or  interpret  wet 
bulb  readings,  it  is  certainly  high  time 
that  you  learned,  as  there  are  plenty  of 
sources  where  you  can  dig  up  this  knowl- 
edge, even  if  you  must  resort  to  thumbing 
over  some  of  your  back  issues  of  Better 
Theatres  ! 

Refer  now  to  the  comfort  chart  (Better 
Theatres  has  also  presented  you  with  one, 
and  one  mav  be  obtained,  along  with  others, 
from  the  publisher)  and  know  definitely 


20 


Better  Theatres 


just  the  condition  that  exists  in  your  thea- 
tre. 

OPERATING  ADJUSTMENTS 

All  of  this  is  leading  up  to  the  point 
of  adjusting  the  system  or  making  changes 
in  the  system — and  even  spending  money 
to  make  changes  in  the  system.  Too  many 
managers  are  "monkeying"  with  their  sys- 
tems, depending  on  a  sort  of  sense  of  feel 
to  determine  whether  it  is  improved.  The 
result  is  that  50%  of  the  ventilating  and 
air  conditioning  systems  in  the  theatres  of 
the  country  are  operated  inefficiently ,  which 
means,  with  less  effect  than  would  be  pos- 
sible if  they  were  properly  adjusted  and 
operated. 

Circuit  executives  frequently  make  the 
mistake  of  walking  into  a  theatre  after  a 
hearty  meal  and  a  few  glasses  of  beer  and 
ordering  this  or  that  done  to  the  system 
because  they  feel  over-heated.  If  they 
don't  order  specific  things  done,  they  criti- 
cize conditions  so  severely  that  the  man- 
ager, next  day  before  the  show  opens,  makes 
changes  which  are  not  beneficial  but  which 
he  feels  he  must  do  because  the  "big  boss" 
was  not  pleased. 

I  was  visiting  a  certain  theatre  right  at 
the  beginning  of  the  warm  weather,  and 
I  spent  about  twelve  hours  in  balancing 
that  system.  Two  months  later,  I  visited 
the  same  theatre  and  for  one  hour  listened 
to  complaints  about  the  system.  The  fol- 
lowing day  it  took  about  three  hours  to 
set  everything  just  where  I  had  placed  it 
two  months  before.  The  manager  was  loud 
in  his  praise  of  the  improvements,  but  who 
changed  the  adjustment  of  that  system  af- 
ter I  had  gone  ? 

Ventilation  and  air-conditioning  is  be- 
coming more  and  more  an  exact  branch  of 
engineering,  and  less  and  less  a  trial  and 
error  proposition.  If  you  don't  know  what 
to  do,  the  best  policy  is  to  ask  and  not 
waste  your  time  guessing.  The  chances  are 
you  will  draw  the  lucky  number  in  the 
sweepstakes  before  you  will  guess  the 
proper  setting  of  all  dampers,  louvers,  split- 
ters, and  the  speed  of  all  fans,  etc. — J-T.K. 

//A  All 


Model  of  circulating  fan  in  a  new  line  brought 
out  by  Propellair,  Inc.,  of  Springfield,  Ohio. 
Several  models  are  available,  all  similar  in  design 
and  construction,  with  two-speed  operation.  The 
finish  is  in  pearl  gray  baked  enamel. 


It's  Box  Office! 

IDEAL  CHAIRS 

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To  reseat  with  Ideal  Chairs  is  the  big- 
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AIR  CONDITIONING  CHARTS 

that  represent  standard  practice  in  air  conditioning  for  motion  picture 
theatres.  Practical  advice  on  how  to  attain  the  best  atmospheric  condi- 
tions for  your  house  winter  and  summer.  Devised  to  be  put  on  the  wall 
for  constant  reference.  Available  until  the  supply  is  exhausted  at  25  cents 
each,  payment  with  order.  Write  direct  to 

QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP 

ROCKEFELLER  CENTER  NEW  YORK 


July  25,  1936 


21 


The  Selection  and 
Maintenance  of  Marquees 


CLANCY 

Stage  Rigging 
and  Hardware 


For  half  a  century  the  name  "Clancy" 
has  been  foremost  in  the  field  of 
stage  hardware  and  stage  rigging 
equipment. 

Year  after  year  —  with  the  develop- 
ment of  the  theatre  and  in  coopera- 
tion with  America's  leading  stage 
engineers — new  items  have  been  de- 
veloped until  today,  Clancy  offers 
the  most  complete  line  available.  If 
you  need  any  type  of  stage  hard- 
ware, Clancy  can  furnish  it. 


Ask  your  supply 
house'— or  write 
us  direct.  Cata- 
log on  request. 


J.  R.  Clancy,  Inc. 

980  W.  Belden  Avenue 
SYRACUSE.  N.  Y. 


This  illustration  shows  the  Clancy  steel  frame 
counterbalance  lead  block. 


22 


•  What  the  modern  mar- 
quee should  have  (sex- 
appeal,  for  one  thing,  says 
the  author),  and  some 
pointers  on  its  maintenance 

By  MORTON  L.  CLARK 


not  so  long  I  heard 
a  very  interesting  talk  before  a  group 
of  advertising  men  on  the  subject  of  "Put- 
ting Sex  Appeal  into  Your  Advertising." 
The  thought  was  brought  out  that  no 
matter  what  you  were  selling,  whether  it 
might  be  soap  chips  or  automobiles,  you 
should  try  to  put  "sex  appeal"  into  the  ad- 
vertising in  back  of  the  product.  If  you 
will  run  through  any  national  magazine 
today,  you  will  find  that  this  is  unquestion- 
ably common  practice.  Obviously,  the  term 


is  here  used  figuratively  (no  pun,  of  course, 
intended) . 

There  are  many  theatres  today  spending 
good  money  to  put  up  a  front,  which,  when 
it  is  up,  is  already  five  or  ten  years  behind 
the  times.  While  many  theatre  operators 
throughout  the  country  are  pulling  down 
the  old  style   three-sided   marquees  and 


putting  in  V-type  marquees,  you  will  fre- 
quently see  another  theatre  operator  spend- 
ing good  money  to  put  up  a  three-sided 
marquee.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  working 
out  and  installing  the  first  V-type  marquee 
on  the  Omaha  theatre  in  Omaha,  for  Tri- 
States  Theatres  less  than  two  years  ago. 
I  predicted  this  would  be  the  most  widely 
imitated  front  installed  in  twenty  years, 
and  the  way  it  has  swept  the  country,  cer- 
tainly proves  my  point. 

About  the  same  time  I  was  having  some 
very  interesting  conversations  with  engi- 
neers at  Nela  Park  on  the  subject  and  got 
them  very  much  "sold"  on  the  idea  of 
the  V-type  marquee.  They  conducted  con- 
siderable research  work,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Mr.  Francis  M.  Falge,  engineer  in 
charge  of  theatre  lighting  research,  who  de- 
veloped the  data  set  forth  in  the  accom- 
panying comparative  diagrams.  You  will 
note  whereas  the  V-type  front  is  100% 
efficient  in  copy  space,  all  other  types  ranged 
only  from  20%  to  66  2/3%  efficient. 
When  I  say  20%,  I  mean  a  front  that  is 
12  feet  on  the  ends,  and  from  50  to  100 


feet  across  the  front,  as  you  will  frequently 
see.  All  too  often  across  the  street  from 
this  long  front,  you  will  find  a  shoe-shining 
parlor  or  some  other  group  of  low-grade 
stores  denoting  very  poor  circulation.  Yet, 
here  is  all  of  this  wasted  front.  Not  only 
is  it  wasted,  but  it  costs  a  substantial 
amount  of  money  forever  for  electricity  to 

Better  Theatres 


Relieve  your  patrons  of 
the  discomfort  caused  by 
stagnant   hot   air.    Cool  your 
theatre  economically  by  keep- 
ing the  air  circulating  with  a 

WOLVERINE 
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Equipped  with  Variable  Speed 
Control  and  Ball  Bearings  set  in 
Solid  Rubber  Pillow  Blocks. 

Quickly  installed.  Easily  changed  to  an 
exhaust  fan  in  winter.  Three  models  fur- 
nishing 5,100  to  10,000  cu.  ft.  per  min.  on 
1/3  to  1  H.P.  110  or  220  volt  motors. 
Prices  including  V-Belt  and  Pulleys  start 
at  $67.50. 

Write  for  folder  on  complete  line. 

WOLVERINE  BLOWER  WORKS 

412  Prospect  Avenue  N.E. 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan 


A 

-20'- 


B 

-20- 


C 

•20'- 


40'  OF  CHANGEABLE  LETTER 
SPACE.  20'EFFECTIVE 


28  OF  CHANGEABLE  LETTER 
SPACE.     ALL  SPACE  EFFECTIVE 


32' OF  CHANGEABLE  LETTER 
SPACE.     22' EFFECTIVE 


31' OF  CHANGEABLE  LETTER 
SPACE.       20*  EFFECTIVE 


32 '  OF  CHANGEABLE  LETTER 
SPACE  .     16'  EFFECTIVE 


36' OF  CHANGEABLE  LETTER 
SPACE  .     18'  EFFECTIVE 


Relative  efficiency  of  marquees  of  various  shapes,  accordin  gto  data  developed  by  Francis  M.  Falge, 
Nela  Park  Engineering  Department,  General  Electric  Company. 


operate  it,  which  is  a  thing  that  is  frequent- 
ly overlooked  by  the  theatre  operator.  Also, 
it  takes  a  great  deal  of  time  to  change  this 
copy,  which  is  frequently  done  by  high- 
priced  stage  hands  or  electricians  at  time 
and  a  half,  because  it  has  to  be  done  after 
the  house  is  filled,  in  the  late  evening. 

The  V  front  is  just  as  efficient  across  the 
street  as  a  three-sided  marquee  and  is  the 
only  shape  that  properly  reaches  that  im- 
portant factor — fast  moving  auto  traffic. 
Mr.  Falge  also  brings  out  the  thought 
in  his  article  that  in  changing  of 
fronts,  we  should  do  something  besides 
just  put  sheet  metal  over  the  same  old 
shape.  It  is  possible  to  spend  a  great  deal 
of  money  doing  this,  and  be  very  much  dis- 
appointed from  three  to  six  months,  in  the 
fact  that  your  front  looks  about  the  same. 

The  marquee  has  gone  through  a  great 
evolution  in  the  past  30  or  40  years; 
originally  put  up  to  shelter  the  elite  (who 
were  the  only  ones  who  could  afford  to  go 
to  the  theatre  before  the  advent  of  the 
movies)  while  passing  from  carriage  to 
theatre  entrance,  the  early  exhibitors  who 
took  over  legitimate  houses  found  mar- 
quees in  place.  Being  showmen,  they  started 
using  the  marquee  for  advertising  purposes. 
Also,  before  seating  capacity  reached  its 
present  state,  they  were  used  to  shelter  the 
lineups,  waiting  to  spend  their  money. 

Today  it  is  a  recognized  fact  that  the 
theatre  front  is  first  and  foremost  a  pro- 
motional medium,  as  necessary  as  good 
sound,  good  seats,  etc.  Not  only  is  it  nec- 
essary to  use  the  most  effective  design,  but 
change  in  appearance  is  of  great  import- 
ance. We  must  shed  our  depression  ap- 
pearance and  meet  the  public  with  a  new, 
shining,  carefree,  modern  identity. 

There  are  many  things  that  can  be  done 
to  put  this  so-called  sex-appeal  into  a  the- 
atre front.  One,  of  course,  is  to  use  the 
new  modern  shapes  such  as  I  have  just  been 
discussing.  The  same  as  new  modern  ideas 
are  used  in  lobbies  and  the  steel  furniture 
of  modernistic  design  that  is  used  in  a 
theatre  today  and  carpet  patterns  and  so 
on,  theatre  fronts,  by  all  means,  should 
reflect  modernism  and  modern  functional 
designing.  One  of  the  best  new  ideas  that 
has  been  brought  out  is  the  traveling  band 
of  lights  that  go  right  back  to  the  box 
office.  After  all,  the  box  office  is  the  heart- 
throb of  the  theatre,  and  the  more  atten- 
tion you  can  attract  to  same,  the  better 
your  results  are  going  to  be.  Therefore,  I 
feel  today  that  one  of  our  elements  that  can 
do  most  good  is  the  traveling  band  of 
lights,  preferably  in  V-shape,  back  to  the 
box  office. 

These  can  either  be  exposed  lamps  or  in- 
serted behind  opal  glass.  Strips  of  neon 
can  also  be  carried  back  to  the  box  office  if 
desired,  but  in  my  estimation,  they  are  not 
nearly  as  effective  as  the  lamps  because 
they  do  not  give  you  the  action  effect  of 
pointing  right  back  to  the  box  office.  Neon 
in  various  colors  can  be  used  very  effectively 
as  trim  and  for  settings,  but  I  still  believe 
the  traveling  border,  above  and  below  the 
copy  is  a  vital  factor  in  the  appearance  of 
a  theatre  front.  I  think  the  trend  is  defin- 
itely back  to  traveling  lamps,  as  a  theatre 


Better  Theatres  Service 

J.  T.  Knight,  Jr.,  will  be  glad  to  answer 
your  questions  about  equipment,  mainte- 
nance, operating  problems  with  respect  to 
the  physical  theatre. 

Peter  M.  Hjlsken  will  be  glad  to  advise 
concerning  the  planning  of  your  theatre 
project  or  the  remodeling  of  your  present 
theatre. 

Merely  write: 

BETTER  THEATRES 

ROCKEFELLER  CENTER  NEW  YORK 


THERE  IS  A  REASON 

WHY  U-16  Theatre  Chairs  are  being 
installed  by  leading  circuits!  Ask  the  fol- 
lowing users: 

Paramount  Pictures,  Inc.,  New  York  City 
R.K.O.  Theatres,  New  York  City 
Monarch  Theatres,  Inc.,  New  York  City 
Balaban  &  Katz,  Chicago 
Interstate  Circuit.  Inc.,  Dallas 
United  Detroit  Theatres,  Detroit 
J.  H.  Cooper  Enterprises,  Denver 
Tri-State  Theatres,  Des  Moines 
Central  States  Theatre  Corp.,  Des  Moines 
General  Theatres  Corp.,  Des  Moines 
Texas  Consolidated  Theatres  Corp.,  Dallas 
Dubinsky  Bros.  Theatres,  Kansas  City 
Griffith  Amusement  Co..  Oklahoma  City 
Minnesota  Amusement  Co..  Minneapolis 

Presented  by  J.  GEO.  FEI NBERG 

INTERNATIONAL  SEAT  CORP. 

UNION  CITY,  INDIANA 


July  25.  1936 


23 


IIIIIITOIA 


IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIMIIK 


IS  THIS  YOUR  THEATRE? 
THEN  COOL  WITH  ROTO-BEAMS 

When  q  great  theatre  chain  like  R.  K.  O.  uses 
Roto-Beams,  there  MUST  be  a  good  reason. 


To  assure  good  summer  box 
office  receipts  your  patrons 
must  have  comfort — there  must 
be  a  constant  flow  of  cooling, 
revitalized  air.  There  must  be 
no  prohibitive  costs  to  eat  your 
profits.  That  is  why  R.  K.  O. 


has  installed  Roto-Beams. 
•  Roto-Beam  eliminates  noise 
and  drafts.  Heat  is  expelled 
as  new  air  is  drawn  in— gentle 
air  movements  from  ceiling  to 
floor,  from  wall  to  wall,  keep 
your  audiences  refreshed. 


Let  us  demonstrate  the  efficiency  of 


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ROTO  BEAM  CORPORATION 

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for  2  years)  keeps  daily  and  weekly  records  of  your  receipts 
and  expenses  with  carry-over  columns.  Price  complete, 
S6.50.  Cash  with  order  or  sent  C.O.D.  (A  2-year  record 
for  less  than  2c  per  day.)  The  Federal  Income  Tax  pages 
alone  worth  many  times  the  price.  Special  prices  in  quan- 
tity lots. 

EASY  METHOD 
LEDGER  SYSTEM 

SEYMOUR,  INDIANA 


We  manufacture  a  most  complete  line  of 
modern  opera  chairs  and  all  accessories, 
combining  excellent  materials  with  the 
finest   of   workmanship,    at    low  prices. 

GENERAL  SEATING  COMPANY 

CHICAGO 


front  should  have  punch,  vim,  vigor  and 
life,  and  this  can  only  be  accomplished  with 
color  and  motion.  I  believe  that  most  the- 
atre operators  who  have  tried  using  neon 
borders  have  gone  back  to  the  lamps.  I 
think  the  neon  is  very  effective  for  the  trim 
and  setting,  and  also  for  the  name  of  the 
theatre,  but  the  border  and  striplight  should 
be  in  lamps. 

The  letters  in  the  changeable  copy  should 
also  be  modern  in  design  and  construction. 
They  should  be  mounted  to  insure  no  sag- 
ging, nor  rattle  and  no  rusting,  and  should 
be  of  a  finish  that  would  either  be  per- 
manent or  easily  renewed. 

The  light  in  back  of  these  letters  should 
be  just  right.  Too  much  light  causes  a 
glare  and  an  halation  that  makes  the  copy 
hard  to  read  and  throws  it  together  at  a 
short  distance  away.  Too  little  light,  of 
course,  gives  you  a  dead  appearance  and  an 
unreadable  message. 

One  very  valuable  factor  to  accomplish 
this  with  a  low  current  consumption  is  por- 
celain reflectors  in  back  of  the  changeable 
copy.  One  of  the  greatest  difficulties  in  the 
past  has  been  that  a  painted  reflector 
would,  within  a  short  space  of  time  (three 
to  six  months)  become  faded  and  dirty,  and 
the  part  of  the  finish  that  could  not  be 
successfully  cleaned  would  get  dirtier  and 
dirtier  as  time  went  on,  and  after  a  year 
or  two  the  operator  might  get  excited  and 
put  a  coat  of  paint  on  these  reflector  spaces, 
but  more  frequently  it  will  be  three  or 
four  years  before  he  will  do  so.  I  have 
seen  them  so  dirty  that  you  could  scrape 
the  dirt  off  them  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
thick.  Also,  I  have  seen  the  lamps  en- 
crusted with  dirt.  Actually  the  theatre 
operator  is  then  only  getting  about  10% 
efficiency  out  of  the  current  consumed  and 
his  front  presents  a  dirty,  smudgy  appear- 
ance that  is  a  disgrace  to  everyone.  With 
the  porcelain  reflector,  a  damp  cloth  will 
remove  all  the  dirt  in  a  few  moments  time, 
then  the  reflection  is  brought  back  to  100% 
efficiency.  There  can  be  a  great  saving  in 
current  as  well  as  a  more  equal  distribution 
of  light  and  the  complete  elimination  of  re- 
painting by  the  use  of  this  porcelain  enamel 
reflector.  However,  if  a  porcelain  reflector 
is  impossible  or  impractical  to  obtain,  then 
let  me  urge  you  to  keep  your  reflecting  sur- 
faces as  clean  as  possible  and  repainted  at 
flash  and  action. 

There  was  a  trend  several  years  back  to 
use  very  conservative  colors  on  theatre 
fronts.  For  instance,  a  great  deal  of  plain 
black  and  silver ;  however,  I  think  the  trend 
is  unquestionably  away  from  this  to  color, 
least  once  a  year. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  say  that  the  heart 
and  soul  of  your  business  is  showmanship, 
as  you  well  know,  and  certainly  the  place 
where  your  showmanship  can  most  profit- 
ably come  in  contact  with  the  public  is  not 
inside  your  house,  but  outside.  After  you 
have  them  in,  you  naturally  have  to  de- 
liver the  goods.  But  the  showmanship 
should  get  them  and  the  marquee  does  that. 

[  The  author  is  vice  president  of  the  Art- 
kraft  Sign  Company,  Lima,  Ohio. — The 
Editor.] 


RUSSIALOID 

REG.  TRADE-MARK 

Artificial  Leather  for  Seating 

Modern  theatre  designers  and  owners  are 
specifying  RUSSIALOID  because  it  is  smarter 
looking  and  wears  better. 

RUSSIALOID  insures  long  and  satisfactory 
service.  Cleans  easily.  It  comes  in  many  fast 
colors  and  varied  patterns. 

Write  us  for  samples. 

THE  PANTASOTE  COMPANY,  INC. 

250  PARK  AVENUE,  at  46th  Street,  NEW  YORK 


24 


Better  Theatres 


MODERN  PROJECTION 


PROJECTION     .      SOUND    REPRODUCTION     .  ACOUSTICS 


Actual  Theatre  Reproduction 
With  the  Two-Way  Horn  System 


•  Describing  the  special  arrangements  at  the 
Astor  Theatre  in  New  York,  installed  for  the  pre- 
sentation of  nThe  Great  Ziegfeld"  and  employing 
the  so-called  Shearer  method  recently  developed 


installed  originally  for 
improved  reproduction  desired  for  the 
MGM  production,  "The  Great  Ziegfeld," 
a  special  sound  system  incorporating,  for 
the  first  time  under  such  commercial  con- 
ditions, the  so-called  Shearer  two-way  horn 
system,  has  been  brought  to  perfection  at 
the  Astor  theatre  in  New  York  City. 
Possessing  a  number  of  new  characteristics, 
it  most  directly  represents  the  researches 
of  Shearer  himself,  and  of  Mr.  Lester 
Isaac,  director  of  projection  for  Loew's, 
Inc. 

Seated  down  front,  in  an  end  seat,  at 
about  a  45°  angle  to  the  screen,  the  writer, 
attending  a  performance  with  Mr.  Isaac, 
found  the  sound  of  an  unusually  high 
quality.  From  straight  in  front  of  the 
screen  it  is  as  nearly  perfect  as  one  could 
hope  sound  to  be.  Not  only  is  the  system 
itself  worthy  of  detailed  examination,  but 
the  story  behind  it  is  interesting.  In  tell- 
ing it,  after  the  performance,  Mr.  Isaac 
really  described  the  workings  of  the  sys- 
tem. His  account,  more  or  less  accurately 
quoted,  was  as  follows : 

"Some  two  years  ago  a  horn  system 
known  as  the  'Fletcher  System'  was  demon- 
strated, the  same  being  the  property  of  the 
Bell  Telephone  Laboratories.  Several 
demonstrations  were  given  by  means  of 
direct  monitoring,  whereby  the  perform- 
ance of  Stokowski's  Symphony  Orchestra, 
then  playing  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia, 
was  transmitted  to  New  York  City  and 
reproduced  through  the  'Fletcher  horn 
system.'  The  reproduction  was  so  excel- 
lent that  the  attention  of  various  techni- 
cians was  drawn  to  it. 

"I  immediately  took  the  matter  up  with 
a  certain  sound  equipment  company,  re- 
questing it  to  duplicate  the  Fletcher  horn 


system  for  theatre  use.  I  was  promptly 
assured  that  it  was  impossible,  due  to  phy- 
sical and  engineering  design  of  the  horn 
system  then  in  use. 

"Being  of  the  well  known  never-say-die 
type,  and  willing  to  take  reasonable 
chances  on  anything  that  gave  promise  of 
improvement  in  projection  results  and 
therefore  the  production  of  better  shows, 
I  discussed  the  matter  in  detail  with  Doug- 
las Shearer,  director  of  recording  for 
MGM  at  Culver  City. 

"During  the  discussion,  Mr.  Shearer 
conveyed  the  idea  that  he  was  not  satisfied 
with  reproducing  systems  then  in  use,  in 
which  view  I  was  in  complete  accord.  I 
informed  him,  however,  that  due  to  lack 
of  facilities  it  would  be  physically  impos- 
sible for  my  department  to  experiment  in 
the  construction  of  the  horns,  units,  etc., 
necessary  to  development  of  a  proper  sound 
reproduction  system,  whereupon  Mr. 
Shearer  agreed  to  attempt  the  development 
of  a  suitable  horn  for  theatre  use  along  the 
lines  of  those  designed  by  Dr.  Harvey 
Fletcher. 

"After  five  or  six  months  of  study  and 
laboratory  experiments,  Mr.  Shearer  re- 
quested my  presence  at  the  MGM  studios, 
in  response  to  which  myself  and  Mr.  F. 
W.  Boettecher,  chief  engineer  of  sound  in 
my  department,  made  a  flying  trip  to  Cul- 
ver City,  where  we  found  a  large  sound 
stage  used  by  Metro  for  their  music  re- 
cording, which  was  acoustically  suitable  for 
the  tests  about  to  be  made,  and  equipped 
with  all  known  horn  systems  from  the 
major  sound  equipment  manufacturing 
companies,  together  with  the  new  Shearer 
two-way  system. 

"After  very  careful  tests  of  them  all,  the 
horn   of   one   or   another   company  was 


eliminated,  the  conclusion,  after  much  care- 
ful work,  finally  boiling  down  to  two  sys- 
tems, namely  the  three-way  wide  range 
system  and  the  Shearer  two-way  system. 
Still  further  comparative  tests  proved  be- 
yond any  possible  shadow  of  doubt  that  the 
Shearer  two-way  system  gave  best  results. 
In  attempting  to  describe  this  system  in 
non-technical  terms  I  may  best  accomplish 
the  purpose  by  comparing  it  with  the  sys- 
tems now  in  use. 

"Present  day  systems,  as  you  know,  con- 
sist of  a  multiplicity  of  horns  carrying  mid- 
range  (which  includes  the  greater  part  of 
the  dialogue  range),  plus  one  or  more  high 
frequency  horns,  or  'tweeters,'  plus  one  or 
more  low  frequency  horns,  or  'woofers.' 
This  makes  up  the  horn  system  for  the 
present  three-way  wide  range.  Although 
upon  its  introduction  it  was  thought  to  be 
the  last  word,  the  fact  remains  that  it  is 
considerably  lacking  in  perfect  projection 
of  sound. 

ELIMINATING    'DEAD  SPOTS" 

"In  large  theatres,  as  well  as  in  some 
smaller  ones,  the  multiplicity  of  horns  has 
proved  to  be  unsatisfactory,  due  to  the  fact 
that  such  horns  are  too  directional — their 
beam  too  narrow — so  that  it  is  necessary 
that  they  be  flared  at  different  angles  to 
secure  proper  distribution  in  auditoriums 
of  different  dimensions. 

"Under  this  condition  it  follows  that 
between  the  end  of  the  beam  of  one  horn 
and  the  other,  there  is  a  so-called  dead  spot, 
and  in  theatres  where  extremely  wide 
angles  are  involved,  requiring  anywhere 
from  three  to  six  horns,  in  walking  across 
the  front  portion  there  would  be  a  sort  of 
'picket  fence'  effect  between  live  and  dead 
spots.  The  dead  spots  in  many  cases  con- 
tain a  goodly  number  of  seats,  from  which 
the  sound,  as  heard  by  persons  occupying 
them,  lacks  illusion  and  presence. 

"The  system  I  am  describing  completely 
eliminates  this  condition,  because  of  the 
fact  that  its  mid-  and  high-range  horn  is 
of  the  cellular  type,  so  designed  that  a 
horn  of  any  given  angle  may  be  supplied. 
For  example,  if  the  angle  of  sound  projec- 
tion be  45°  on  each  side  of  the  screen 
center  line,  then  a  90°  horn  would  be  in- 
stalled, thus  insuring  even  distribution  over 


July  25, 1936 


DOUBLE  INLET 
MULTI-BLADE  BLOWER 


All  metal  construction  —  positively 
noiseless.  Can  be  used  for  Blower 
or  Exhaust  Purposes  and  for  Heating 
as  well  as  Cooling.  Every  theatre 
should  be  equipped  with  a  DOUBLE 
INLET  MULTI-BLADE  BLOWER. 

10"  wheel  capacity,  1850  cu.  ft.  per  min. 
12"  wheel  capacity,  2250  cu.  ft.  per  min. 
16"  wheel  capacity,  5000  cu.  ft.  per  min. 

Prices  from  $23.95  to  $49.95. 

(Less  Motor  and  Pulley) 
F.O.B.  Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 

Shipped  C.O.D.  Subject  to  7-day  trial  offer. 

TAYLOR  MANUFACTURING  CO. 

314  MONROE  AVE.,  GRAND  RAPIDS.  MICH. 


U 

BETTER  PROJECTION 

•  "H  &  C"  is  the  accepted 
standard  throughout  the 
world  for  perfection  in  Pro- 
jection Lighting  —  assuring 
superior  projection  results  be- 
cause of  better  screen  illumi- 
nation. 

Writ*  for  Illustrated  Booklet 

HALL  &  CONNOLLY,  Inc. 

24  Van  Dam  Street,  New  York  City 


the  entire  90°  angle,  eliminating  all  dead 
spots.  It  is  comparable  to  a  narrow  stream 
of  water  from  a  hose,  and  the  same  stream 
widened  into  a  spray  by  readjustment  of 
the  nozzle.  The  spray  would  very  well 
represent  the  sound  distribution  obtained 
by  the  new  system  I  am  describing. 

"We  have  considered  the  mid-  and  high- 
range  elements.  Let  me  now  lay  before 
you  the  peculiarities  of  the  low-frequency 
units,  which  consist  of  a  very  carefully  de- 
signed wooden  baffle  or  so-called  'folded 
horn'  assembly,  attached  to  which  are  one 
or  more  low  frequency  cone  speakers,  or 
'drivers.'  It  is  in  fact  an  exponential  horn 
to  which  are  attached  several  low-fre- 
quency units,  thus  enabling  the  reproduc- 
tion of  all  low  frequencies  in  proper  phase 
with  the  mid-  and  high-frequency  ranges. 

"Mr.  Shearer's  department  in  Califor- 
nia has  expended  much  time,  energy  and 
money  in  developing  this  system.  Several 
were  installed  in  Loew  theatres  in  New 
York  City  for  actual  theatre  tests.  Through 
these  tests,  made  by  my  department  work- 
ing in  co-operation  with  Mr.  Shearer,  the 
faults  were  finally  ironed  out  and  the  de- 
sired system  perfected. 

"The  results  provide  such  naturalness  in 
sound  that,  with  the  exception  of  audio- 
perspective — which  we  expect  soon  to  add 
— we  feel  that  in  reality  the  proverbial 
'last  word'  is  obtained  so  far  as  sound  is 
concerned.  Moreover,  the  system  is 
available  to  all  theatres,  since  sound  equip- 
ment manufacturers  have  adapted  it  as  part 
of  their  future  sound  equipments. 

"However,  let  it  be  understood  that  the 
horn  system  does  not  embody  all  the  im- 
provements of  the  new,  complete  sound  re- 
producing system.  For  several  years  RCA 
has  been  supplying  a  sound  reproducing 
head  that  utilizes  the  so-called  rotary  sta- 
bilizers to  eliminate  flutter,  at  least  so  far 
as  it  is  detectable  by  the  human  ear.  It 
reduces  mechanical  flutter  to  a  fraction  of 
1  per  cent.  Erpi  has  designed  a  similar 
soundhead  that  will  be  available  very  soon 
now. 

AMPLIFICATION  INSUFFICIENT 

"Further,  the  type  of  sound  recording 
used  by  all  studios  during  the  past  year  is 
of  such  nature  that  much  higher  powered 
amplifier  systems  in  theatres  is  absolutely 
necessary  if  sound  is  to  be  properly  pro- 
duced. The  majority  of  theatres  are  still 
operating  with  1928  sound  equipments, 
with  which  it  is  wholly  impossible  to  prop- 
erly reproduce  1936  recording.  In  my 
opinion  all  theatres  are  under-powered,  so 
far  as  wattage  be  concerned.  When  we 
attempt  to  reproduce  such  splendid  voices 
as  Jeanette  MacDonald's,  Grace  Moore's 
or  Nelson  Eddy's  with  an  under-powered 
sound  system,  we  cannot  possibly  do  justice 
to  these  fine  artists  or  the  theatre-going 
public,  because  the  recorded  beauty  of  these 
voices  cannot  be  properly  reproduced. 

"For  example,  numbers  of  present-day 
theatres  are  powered  by  12-watt  ampli- 
fiers, which  in  some  cases  are  increased  to 
24  watts.  In  them  it  is  utterly  impossible 
to  reproduce  the  proper  acoustic  effect 
without  distortion.     In  the  new  systems 


this  wattage  is  increased  to  such  an  extent 
that  the  average  theatre  will  have  50  watts 
of  amplification  available,  whereas  houses 
such  as,  for  instance,  the  Capitol  in  New 
York  City,  will  have  150  watts,  with 
proper  driving  net  works  whereby  the  low- 
frequency  units  will  be  powered  at  100 
watts  and  the  high  frequencies  at  50  watts. 
The  division  in  frequencies  between  high- 
and  low-frequency  units  begins  at  300 
cycles,  so  that  all  frequencies  below  300  are 
carried  on  the  low-range,  and  all  above 
or.  the  high-  or  mid-range  unit. 

"The  new  type  soundhead  also  embodies 
an  additional  feature,  in  that  it  will  re- 
produce push-pull  (two-track)  or  the  pres- 
ent conventional  single-track  sound  record- 
ing. The  push-pull  method  is  now  avail- 
able. The  'Great  Ziegfeld'  carries  the 
push-pull  track.  Further,  the  new  sound- 
heads, being  designed  as  they  are,  and  ob- 
tainable from  both  major  companies,  will 
reproduce  a  new  sound  track  now  in  proc- 
ess of  development,  concerning  which  we 
will  soon  be  able  to  give  you  full  details. 

"All  in  all,  the  new  system  is  a  very 
big  step  in  advance.  Certainly  it  will  do 
much  to  improve  theatre  sound  presenta- 
tion. I  do  not  say  it  cannot  be  improved 
upon.  Everything  can  be  improved,  but 
certainly  it  does  reproduce  sound,  as  ap- 
plied to  motion  pictures,  to  the  extent  that 
music  is  really  music  and  dialogue,  natural 
and  fully  intelligible.  It  produces  results 
such  as  only  waits  the  advent  of  the  third 
dimension  to  actually  place  the  artists  on 
the  stage  in  truth. 

"I  want  to  give  Mr.  Shearer  full  credit 
for  the  hard,  faithful,  splendid  work  he  has 
done  to  bring  about  this  improvement." 

One  other  thing  noted  was  the  rather 
astonishing  apparent  lack  of  visual  distor- 
tion in  the  screen  angle,  though  the  Astor 
projection  angle  is  heavy,  as  also  was  the 
side  view  from  the  above  described  seat. 
The  writer  remarked  upon  this  to  Mr. 
Isaac  and  his  answer  was  both  interesting 
and  enlightening.    He  said: 

"Although  it  is  quite  true  the  angles  are 
both  high  and  the  distortion  in  reality  pres- 
ent, it  is  not  objectionably  visible  for  the 
reason  that  visual  results  upon  that  screen 
are  very  nearly  perfect.  The  elements  of 
the  optical  trains  of  the  projectors  are  all 
of  the  very  best  obtainable.  Not  only  that, 
but  they  are  in  perfect  alignment,  in  addi- 
tion to  which  I  have  the  very  finest  type 
of  diffusive  type  screen  surface  now  in  use. 
I  think  you  will  agree  with  me  that  all  this 
tends  to  make  distortion  due  to  angular 
projection  and  view  less  visible.  In  other 
words,  perfection  in  other  visual  effects 
tends  to  make  such  faults  less  visible." — 
F.  H.  Richardson. 


EDITORIAL  NOTE:  In  the  April 
4th  issue  of  Better  Theatres,  the 
Shearer  horn  system  was  the  subject 
of  an  article  based  on  a  technical  de- 
scription of  the  development  issued 
by  the  Research  Council  of  the  Acad- 
emy of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and 
Sciences. 


26 


Better  Theatres 


Maintain  your  projection  equipment  religiously ;  you'll  reap  reivards  in  the  world. — F.  H.  R. 

F.  H.  RICHARDSON'S  COMMENT 

AND  ANSWERS  TO  INQUIRIES 

ANSWERING  INQUIRIES 
CONCERNING  TELEVISION 


JOHN     L.     SIMMONS  of 

Jacksonville,  Fla.,  has  written  me  as  fol- 
lows : 

"I  note  your  expressed  disbelief  that 
television  will  be  unable  to  serve  motion 
picture  theatres  unless  or  until  radical 
changes  have  been  made  in  some  parts  of 
its  structure.  Will  you  be  good  enough 
to  tell  us  exactly  upon  what  you  base  that 
opinion  ? 

"Thus  far  everything  written  concern- 
ing television  has  been  couched  in  such 
highly  technical  terms  and  so  cluttered  up 
with  X,  Y  and  Z  formulas,  cube  roots  and 
symbols  that  have  no  meaning  to  any  but 
trained  engineers,  that  to  me,  and  I  think 
the  average  man,  they  mean  just  exactly 
nothing  at  all.  Would  it  be  possible,  Mr. 
Richardson,  for  you  to  reduce  all  this 
scientific  flub-dub  to  simple  language  that 
can  be  understood  by  average  humans — 
myself  for  example?" 

What  is  asked  for  here  is  really  out  of 
my  line.  I  could  write  but  very  little,  all 
by  myself,  that  would  not  cause  the  tele- 
vision experts  to  elevate  their  honorable 
noses  at  more  or  less  sharp  angles.  More- 
over, matters  like  television  are  not  easily 
"explained  clearly"  entirely  in  lay  terms. 
However,  with  the  help  of  some  persons 
more  familiar  than  I  with  the  mysteries  of 
television,  I  will  attempt  to  give  Mr.  Sim- 
mons and  others  who  have  made  similar 
inquiry  from  time  to  time,  some  idea  of 
"what  it  is  all  about." 

First  of  all,  did  you  ever  separate  an 
ordinary  photograph  into  tiny  squares,  each, 
say,  one  sixty-fourth  of  an  inch  on  each 
side,  and  then,  by  photography,  enlarge 
each  piece  and  reassemble  them,  each  in  its 
proper  place  upon  a  canvas  screen,  you 
would  have  an  enlarged  picture  exactly 
the  same  as  the  one  you  cut  to  pieces. 

That  is  about  what  television  does  so 
far  as  the  picture  itself  is  concerned.  A 
beam  of  light  "picks  up"  minute  successive 
"spots"  in  the  subject  of  the  television 
broadcast,  each  section  of  the  light  beam 
acquiring  an  intensity  in  accordance  with 
the  tone  (light)  characteristic  of  the  sub- 
ject. Exactly  as  in  sound  reproduction, 
this  beam  of  light,  its  brilliancy  constantly 
varying  in  accordance  with  the  successive 
spots  picked  up  (or  that  it  has  passed 
through,  if  that  makes  it  plainer)   as  it 


moves  in  a  straight  line  across  the  picture, 
is  transformed  into  electric  current,  the 
strength  of  which  varies  as  the  brightness 
of  the  beam  varies. 

This  enormously  weak  current  then  is 
stepped  up  to  a  very  high  level,  if  it  is  to 
be  transported  through  the  air,  or  to  a 
moderate  level  if  it  is  to  travel  by  wire. 
At  the  receiving  end  (this  might  be  a 
theatre)  it  will  be  picked  up  just  as  is  the 
radio  impulse,  retransformed  into  a  beam 
of  light,  and  by  a  suitable  optical  system, 
projected  on  a  screen  in  magnified  form. 

And  now  comes  the  next  big  item — so 
big  that  it  is  almost  beyond  belief  to  the 
uninitiated.  Upon  the  screen  only  just 
one  of  those  "spots"  picked  up  can  appear 
at  one  time,  the  remainder  of  the  screen 
being  blank.  How  then  does  the  whole 
picture  appear?  It  appears  because  the  eye 
has  persistence  of  vision  which  causes  it  to 
retain,  for  a  small  fraction  of  a  second, 
images  impressed  upon  it.  These  "spots" 
are  projected  to  the  screen  continuously. 
Persistence  of  vision  lasts  a  sufficient  time 
to  enable  the  retention  of  all  the  spots  in 
each  picture  until  the  whole  picture  is 
complete  and  the  next  one  is  under  way. 

Let  us  now  examine  a  few  of  the  various 
items  of  operation  involved.  Disregarding 
details,  of  which  there  are  plenty  and  to 
spare,  and  without  an  intent  to  describe 
actualities  of  practice  except  in  a  general 
way,  let  us  assume  we  are  to  broadcast  a 
motion  picture  positive  print,  with  a  beam 
of   light   focused    thereon    of   such  tiny 


Other  Articles 

In  addition  to  the  material  on  this 
page,  Mr.  Richardson's  columns  of 
this  issue  also  contain: 

Why  Screen  Illumination  Fades  Page  28 

Another  Old  Timer  Passes  Page  30 

Suitability  of  Mazda  Light  Page  30 

Making  Data  Available  Page  30 

Monopland  and  Biplane  Lamps  Page  31 

Prefers  Mazda  Lamps  Page  32 

Determining  Screen  Needed  Page  33 

One-Man  Rooms  Make  Jobs  Scarce  Page  33 

Vacuum-Clean  Lamphouses  Page  34 

Projection  in  Sing  Sing  Page  34 

Remarkable  Sound  Quality  Page  36 

New  Suprex  Arc  Lamp  Page  36 

Way  of  Light   Refraction  Page  36 

Projection  Room  Photos  Page  36 


diameter  at  the  point  of  contact  that  343 
of  its  diameters  will  just  equal  the  width 
of  the  picture  in  the  direction  it  is  to  be 
"scanned."  Let  us  assume  this  spot  to  be 
focused  upon  the  upper  left  hand  corner, 
and  that  it  moves  in  a  straight  line  across 
the  frame  (picture)  to  the  right  and  that 
upon  reaching  the  completion  of  its  travel 
it  drops  down  (the  movement  may  be  either 
horizontal  or  vertical)  a  distance  exactly 
equal  to  its  own  diameter,  flashed  across 
the  picture  again,  and  continues  that  opera- 
tion until  the  entire  picture  has  been  cov- 
ered, or  "scanned."  In  this  operation  for 
the  sake  of  clarity  we  will  regard  each 
diameter  of  the  beam,  as  it  moves  across 
the  picture,  as  a  separate  "spot,"  so  that  it 
is  no  large  jump  to  imagine  each  separate 
spot  in  the  photograph  as  being  picked  up 
separately,  even  though  the  picking  up  be 
rapid  and  continuous.  We  also  may  see 
that  the  length  of  the  light  beam  represent- 
ing each  "spot"  will  be  of  brightness  in  ac- 
cordance  with   its   photographic  density. 

In  ordinary  motion  picture  projection, 
the  beam  of  light  that  has  passed  through 
the  film,  carries  the  photographic  shading 
of  the  whole  picture  within  it,  while  the 
picture  is  over  the  aperture,  but  (try  to 
comprehend  this  clearly)  in  the  case  of 
television  the  variations  in  photographic 
density  are  carried  in  the  length  of  the 
beam  itself,  since  various  sections  of  its 
length  have  passed  through  various  sections 
or  "spots"  of  the  picture  area.  In  other 
words,  were  we  able  to  view  the  entire 
length  of  the  light  beam,  its  brightness  at 
various  sections  being  visible,  we  would 
discover  that  in  its  length  it  carried  the 
entire  photographic  shadings  of  the  picture 
it  had  scanned.  True  the  movement  of 
the  beam  is  extremely  rapid,  as  well  as 
continuous,  nevertheless  in  effect  it  has 
rested  upon  every  point  or  "spot"  in  the 
entire  picture  for  an  infinitesimal  fraction 
of  a  second.  Hence  we  may  say  that  every 
spot  has  been  viewed  (scanned)  separately. 

And  right  here  I  feel  competent  to  ex- 
plain the  basis  of  the  opinion  cited  by 
Friend  Simmons.    We  have  seen  that  only 


July  25,  1936 


27 


one  spot  in  the  picture  is  illuminated  or 
"scanned"  at  a  time.  We  have  seen  that 
the  spot  so  scanned  is  of  extremely  small 
area.  We  have  seen  that  after  the  beam 
of  light  has  been  changed  to  electric  cur- 
rent, traveled  to  its  destination  through  the 
air  or  by  wire  and  been  transformed  back 
into  a  light  beam,  it  is  projected  on  a 
screen.  Understand  clearly  that  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  such  "spots"  must  be  placed 
on  the  screen  to  make  up  each  picture,  with 
all  but  one  of  them  retained  until  comple- 
tion of  said  picture  by  persistence  of  vision. 
Right  here  is  the  crux  of  the  whole  matter. 

It  will  be  readily  understood  that  no 
very  large  amount  of  light  can  possibly  be 
forced  through  a  point  so  very  small  as  the 
area  of  the  scanning  beam,  at  its  point  of 
contact  with  the  film,  and  that  amount  of 
light  is  all  that  is  available.  Now  if  the 
receiving  screen  be  of  equal  dimensions  with 
the  scanned  subject  itself,  a  satisfactory 
screen  brilliancy  might  be  obtained.  A 
quite  acceptable  brilliancy  may  be  had,  I 
believe,  with  a  screen  one  foot  square.  But 
when  we  undertake  to  magnify  the  various 
"spots"  to  a  size  that  will  cover  a  theatre 
screen — well,  we  attempt  the  impossible, 
so  far  as  screen  brilliancy  is  concerned. 

Let  us  assume  the  scanned  picture  to  be 
one  foot  square  and  the  theatre  screen  to 
have  100  square  feet — a  very  small  theatre 
screen.  Is  it  not  evident  that  the  light  re- 
ceived upon  the  theatre  screen  will  be  one 
hundred  times  less  bright  than  was  the  sum 
total  of  light  impressed  upon  the  picture 
itself?  For  this  reason  I  have  said  that 
until  such  time  (television  engineers  believe 
it  some  day  will  be,  though  admitting  that 
it  is  wholly  in  the  future)  as  a  far  more 
powerful  device  for  picking  up  television 
pictures  is  discovered,  the  introduction  of 
television  into  theatres  is  wholly  impossible. 
I  might  add  that  in  this  opinion  I  am 
backed  by  very  eminent  television  engineers. 

And  now  here  is  some  interesting  infor- 
mation I  have  acquired  in  consulting  tele- 
vision   engineers    regarding    this  articlev 


Television  is  transported  through  air  en- 
tirely by  "short  wave,"  and  short  wave  is 
but  very  slightly  affected  by  static.  It 
would  probably  be  right  now  possible  to 
transport  acceptably  a  television  picture  by 
air  through  a  rather  sharp  electrical  storm. 
Oddly  enough  that  would  disturb  it  but 
little,  but  automobile  ignition  raises  hob 
with  it,  particularly  that  of  large  trucks 
and  machines  in  which  the  ignition  is 
faulty.  Steps  are  being  taken  right  now 
to  secure  shielding  of  ignition  on  autos. 

To  my  way  of  reasoning,  some  temporary 
competition  might  be  offered  by  television 
(if  it  would  offer  any  at  all)  if  it  became 
as  accessible  to  homes  as  radios.  Home 
receiving  sets  are  indeed  right  now  avail- 
able, but  only  at  a  price  in  advance  of 
$500,  with  a  5x7-inch  picture  the  limit.  It 
seems  to  me  that  such  tiny  pictures  could 
not  compete  with  the  theatre.  They  could, 
in  fact,  be  one  of  the  best  possible  advertise- 
ments for  motion  picture  theatres. 

As  to  projectionists  worrying  about  tele- 
vision, while  it  is  wise  to  post  yourselves 
so  far  as  possible,  I  would  not  do  too 
much  worrying  about  its  being  dumped  in- 
to your  hands  as  sound  was — not  for  a  good 
while  yet.  There  are  formidable  problems 
to  be  solved  before  television  can  adequately 
serve  theatre  screens. 

WHY  SCREEN 
ILLUMINATION  FADES 

h.  G.  samuels  of  Boston, 
writes,  "We  are  told  that  screen  illumina- 
tion is  not  nearly  so  bright  at  the  edges  as 
at  the  center,  and  that  the  fall-off  is 
gradual  from  center  to  edge.  We  are  as- 
sured that  on  all  screens  the  central  sec- 
tion is  from  three  to  four  times  as  bright 
as  the  edges.  If  all  this  is  true,  will  you 
favor  me,  and  I  am  sure  many  others,  by 
explaining  why  this  is?  I  have  asked  sev- 
eral Boston  projectionists,  but  to  date  none 
have  made  any  satisfactory  explanation." 
The    reason    why   screen    centers  are 


brighter  than  are  their  edges  is  that  all 
present  day  projector  optical  systems  pro- 
ject almost  the  full  brilliancy  of  the  center 
of  the  light  source  to  the  screen,  but  all 
other  light  source  zones  waste  a  portion  of 
their  brilliancy  on  the  cooling  plate,  and 
this  waste  is  progressive  as  the  center  of 
the  light  source  is  receded  from. 

Just  why  the  eye  is  largely  unable  to  dis- 
cern the  very  great  difference  in  illumina- 
tion in  various  sections  of  the  screen  I  am, 
myself,  not  able  to  understand,  but  am  well 
convinced  that  at  least  a  portion  of  it  is 
due  to  the  sharp  contrast  between  the  black 
or  very  dark  colored  border  and  the  reflec- 
tion surface  itself.  That  this  would  have 
considerable  effect  in  reducing  the  visibility 
of  the  fall-off  seems  fairly  evident.  How 
great  the  difference  is  may  be  viewed  by 
examining  page  126  of  your  new  Bluebook 
of  Projection,  where  you  may  observe  that, 
whereas  the  central  zone  shows  a  brilliancy 
of  24.3  candle  power,  the  next  zone  drops 
away  to  13.6,  and  the  outer  one  to  only 
5.9.  Incredible  but  true!  The  measure- 
ments were  made  for  me  by  an  engineer 
than  whom  this  great  industry  has  no  bet- 
ter— L.  A.  Jones  of  the  Eastman  Kodak 
Company. 

And  now  as  to  the  practical  demonstra- 
tion. Thin  some  coach  painter's  black, 
ground  in  Japan,  with  turpentine.  The 
materials  are  not  expensive  and  may  be  had 
at  any  paint  store.  Be  careful  to  get  none 
on  the  back  of  the  mirror.  Paint  the  glass 
surface  and  let  it  dry.  It  may  afterward 
be  washed  off  with  turpentine  and  after 
that  with  soap  and  water.  The  mirror 
will  not  be  in  any  degree  injured. 

In  this  paint,  using  a  sharp-pointed 
toothpick,  make  several  tiny  holes,  being 
sure  to  wipe  the  glass  perfectly  clean, 
which  will  require  several  toothpicks,  used 
one  after  the  other.  Make  these  holes  at 
different  distances  from  the  mirror  center 
and  at  different  points  in  its  circumference. 
Also  make  them  just  as  small  as  you  pos- 
sibly can.  Strike  the  arc  and  you  will  dis- 
cover that  there  will  be  a  succession  of 
spots  of  light  at  the  projector  aperture  and 
that  different  portions  of  each  spot  will 
pass  through  the  aperture.  The  farther 
away  from  the  center  of  the  mirror  the 
beam  comes  from,  the  less  the  amount  of 
each  beam  which  gets  through,  and  the 
more  that  which  is  wasted  on  the  cooling 
plate.  At  the  center  you  will  probably 
find  the  entire  beam  to  be  passing  through 
the  aperture. 

This  is  an  interesting  experiment.  It 
may,  with  variations,  be  applied  to  the 
condenser  type  arc,  with  approximately  the 
same  result. 

PANIC  PREVENTION 
IN  FILM  FIRES 

the  following  letter 
just  arrived  from  a  city  in  Missouri : 

"I  am  the  owner  of  three  theatres  close 
to  this  city,  but  outside  its  limits.  In  one 
of  them  I  am  having  an  argument  with  an 
official  who  insists  that  I  do  certain  things 
that  I  regard  as  useless.  I  have  always 
found  your  advice,  which  I  have  many 
times  followed  in  past  years,  with  benefit 


Snapshot  sent  in  by  Berry  B.  Simpson,  projectionist  of  the  Showed  theatre  in  Ocean  City,  Md.,  showing 
the  projection  room  of  that  house,  which  is  managed  by  Mrs.  E.  S.  Srrohecker.  The  projectors  are  Simplex, 
the  sound  Western  Eletcric.  Light  sources  are  30-30  mazda.  "The  projection  room,"  adds  Brother 
SimDSon,  "is  nothing  elaborate,  but  our  screen  image  and  sound  are  best  on  the  East  Shore,  bar  none!" 


28 


Better  Theatres 


LAMPS 

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LE  PARIS 

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July  25,  1936  29 


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to  myself,  to  be  based  not  so  much  on 
theory  as  upon  practical  work  and  actual 
theatre  practice,  which  so  many  writers 
seem  to  either  be  unadvised  of  or  to  wholly 
ignore.  I  have  shown  this  official  your 
Bluebook  (a  splendid  book  for  exhibitors 
and  managers  as  well  as  for  projectionists) 
and  your  Comment  in  Better  Theatres. 
He  has  agreed  that  if  I  submit  the  question 
to  you  he  will  abide  by  your  decision. 

The  question  is:  What  fire  prevention 
measures  are  necessary  in  motion  picture 
theatres?  What,  if  any,  fire  drill  is  ad- 
visable? I  will  deeply  appreciate  a  de- 
tailed answer  to  these  questions,  but  please 
do  not  use  my  name  or  name  of  city  if  your 
reply  is  printed." 

This  exhibitor  has  only  a  film  fire  in 
mind.  First  of  all  you  will  find  details  of 
this  matter,  insofar  as  concerns  the  projec- 
tion room,  on  pages  258  to  261,  inclusive, 
of  your  Bluebook.  They  include,  briefly, 
fireproof  construction,  fireproof  port  shut- 
ters so  suspended  that  within  half  a  second 
of  the  start  of  a  fire  they  will,  with  very 
little  noise,  fall  automatically.  Above  all 
things,  there  must  be  means  established 
to  provide  for  draining  out  all  smoke  and 
gas  as  fast  as  formed  by  the  fire,  and  that 
means  must  be  put  into  full  effect  auto- 
matically when  the  port  shutters  fall.  If 
this  be  done  and  well  done,  the  audience 
will  not  know  definitely  that  there  is  any 
fire,  regardless  of  its  size,  making  a  panic 
unlikely. 

This  may  be  done  and  panics  made 
highly  improbable,  but  it  is  not  what  can 
be  done  but  what  is  done  that  counts,  and 
in  a  very  large  number  of  our  theatres, 
what  I  have  set  forth  is  not  done  in  any- 
thing even  faintly  approaching  an  ade- 
quate manner. 

Conditions  in  different  theatres  vary 
widely,  of  course,  but  in  them  all  it  is 
highly  important  that  all  emergency  exit 
doors  be  opened  quickly.  The  natural 
tendency  is  to  go  out  by  the  main  entrance. 
Experience  has  demonstrated  that  in  the 
excitement  of  panic,  people  will  rush  past 
a  closed  emergency  exit  door  toward  the 
main  entrance,  where  congestion  may  and 
frequently  does  set  up  a  highly  dangerous 
condition. 

The  chief  use  of  a  fire  drill  therefore  is 
to  get  emergency  exits  open  in  the  least 
possible  space  of  time.  So  far  as  possible, 
assign  one  employe  to  each  emergency  exit 
door,  with  orders  to  open  it  wide  instantly 
the  fire  signal  sounds  or  shows,  and  to  stand 
beside  it  announcing  (not  yelling,  but  cooly 
announcing,  in  a  loud  tone  of  voice)  "This 
way  out."  The  periodic  drill  is  to  deter- 
mine how  promptly  and  efficiently  each 
employe  responds. 

ANOTHER  OLD 
TIMER  PASSES 

I  am  advised  by  Local 
No.  219,  IATSE  &  MPMO,  Minneapolis, 
that  Charles  R.  Wells,  one  of  its  or- 
ganizers and  old-time  projectionists,  has 
passed  on. 

Charles  R.  Wells  was  a  veteran  show- 
man. One  of  the  organizers  of  No.  219, 
he  was  its  first  business  representative  and 


financial  secretary.  He  has  ever  since  that 
time  been  active  in  its  affairs.  Charlie  was 
a  familiar  and  well  liked  figure  at  IATSE 
conventions,  most  of  which  he  attended  as 
representative  of  Local  219. 

As  an  old-time  projectionist,  he  ranked 
high  on  the  list,  having  become  projection- 
ist at  the  Minneapolis  Orpheum  theatre  in 
1905.  He  held  that  position  until  the 
final  roll  call. 

SUITABILITY  OF 
MAZDA  LIGHT 

LEONARD  A.  TRALL  of  the 

Sioux  theatre,  Anthon,  la.,  presents  the 
following  request  for  information: 

"Dear  Mr.  Richardson,  I  am  the  owner 
of  a  small  house  where  high  cost  of  elec- 
trical current  makes  economy  in  its  con- 
sumption imperative.  We  have  two  6-B 
Powers  projectors  equipped  with  the  old- 
fashioned  arc  using  the  near-vertical  car- 
bon setting.  We  use  a  motor  to  pull  a 
generator  which  converts  the  110-volt,  60- 
cycle  a.c.  to  d.c.  Projection  distance  72 
feet.  Screen  image  8x11  feet.  Will  you 
advise  us  as  to  whether  or  not  1,000-watt 
mazda  lamps  would  be  as  satisfactory  and 
could  they  not  be  used  on  a.c,  so  that  no 
rectifier  would  be  required?  In  the  event 
the  mazda  would  be  at  all  satisfactory,  we 
feel  that  the  reduction  in  electric  power 
consumption  would  justify  us  in  making 
the  change." 

Mazda,  properly  handled  (make  note  of 
that,  please),  with  projection  lenses  of 
proper  diameter,  can  be  made  to  supply 
plenty  of  illumination  for  an  11 -foot  pic- 
ture at  72  feet  projection  distance.  No 
rectifier  is  required. 

I  mention  projection  distance,  not  be- 
cause added  distance  causes  any  appreciable 
loss,  but  for  the  reason  that  if  a  too-long 
focal  length  projection  lens  is  necessary, 
the  working  distance  (distance  of  rear  sur- 
face of  projection  lens  to  film  when  screen 
image  is  in  focus)  will  perhaps  make  it  im- 
possible to  get  all  the  light  beam  (which 
diverges  between  lens  and  aperture)  into 
the  lens.  However,  your  condition  is  such 
that  by  using  projection  lenses  of  large 
diameter  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in 
this  respect.  But  don't  attempt  to  make 
small  diameter  projection  lenses  serve. 

As  to  whether  the  resultant  illumination 
will  be  "satisfactory"  or  not  depends  upon 
what  your  ideas  of  "satisfactory"  may  be. 
Mazda  light  does  not  have  that  rather 
harsh  brilliancy  provided  by  the  modern 
electric  arcs  now  in  general  use  for  projec- 
tion of  motion  pictures.  Its  light  is,  by 
comparison,  very  soft  and  slightly  amber- 
tinted,  though  viewed  alone  it  looks  per- 
fectly white. 

MAKING  EQUIPMENT 
DATA  AVAILABLE 

from  a  projectionist  in 
the  Middle  West  comes  this  letter,  with 
the  request  that  the  name  of  the  writer  be 
withheld : 

"Dear  Mr.  Richardson:  This  is  my 
first  letter  to  you,  though  I  have  been  a 
projectionist  since  1913,  in  which  days,  as 


RECT-O-LITE 

A   BETTER  RECTIFIER 


30 


Better  Theatres 


you  have  often  said,  we  were  really  only 
machine  operators.  But  just  the  same  I 
have  read  your  articles  through  all  the 
years,  which  carries  us  back  into  the  days 
of  the  well-remembered  Moving  Picture 
World,  of  which  I  still  have  all  the  old 
copies  on  file.  Also,  I  have  all  editions  of 
your  Bluebook  and  want  to  add  my  say  to 
the  others  that  they  are  the  best  in  the 
business.  [The  italics  are  his,  though  he 
used  capital  letters. — F.  H.  R.] 

"And  now  for  the  reason  for  this  letter. 
Why  are  not  we  men  who  have  to  put  on 
the  picture  and  reproduce  the  sound,  able 
to  obtain  more  detailed  information  from 
equipment  manufacturers  concerning  their 
various  equipments?  It  seems  that  for  some 
ununderstandable  reason  they  are  afraid  to 
supply  us  with  the  blue  prints,  etc.,  that 
we  want.  In  the  past  I  have  tried  hard 
to  gain  every  bit  of  information  possible 
concerning  the  machinery — electrical,  mag- 
netic, acoustical  and  mechanical — it  was 
possible  to  obtain,  but  the  big  job  seems  to 
be  to  get  the  desired  information. 

"I  am  a  union  man,  both  projectionist 
and  stage  hand,  and  want  to  be  efficient — 
in  other  words  to  be  "the  tops."  Can  you 
help  me?  I  want  a  membership  in  the 
Society  of  Motion  Picture  Engineers,  but 
understand  they  won't  consider  a  projec- 
tionist as  a  regular  member  unless  he  has 
in  some  way  been  an  outstanding  man." 

I  am  sending  the  good  brother  an 
SMPE  application  blank  which,  if  it  be 
returned  promptly,  I  will  properly  present. 
I  believe  such  a  man  as  this  should  be 
eligible  to  active  membership,  which  is 
next  to  the  "fellow"  grade.  It  is,  as  I 
understand  it,  right  to  regard  a  man  who 
really  studies  his  branch  of  the  business, 
whatever  it  may  be,  as  something  more 
than  an  associate  member,  one  who  merely 
wishes  to  receive  the  Journal  and  assist 
financially  with  dues.  A  fellow  is,  or 
should  be,  a  man  who  not  only  has  done 
good  work,  but  has  been  a  leader  in  the 
field. 

As  to  supplying  projectionists  with  blue- 
prints and  full  instructions,  I  am  in  thor- 
ough agreement.  It  is  very  difficult,  how- 
ever, to  get  some  equipment  manufacturers 
to  take  that  view. 

MONOPLANE  AND 
BIPLANE  LAMPS 

J.  R.  pate,  assistant  man- 
ager of  the  Royal  theatre  in  Samson,  Ala., 
writes,  "I  would  like  information  about  a 
matter  that  I  believe  will  also  interest  all 
your  theatre  manager  and  projectionist 
readers.  The  question  is:  What  is  the 
relative  advantages  of  biplane  and  mono- 
plane mazda  projector  lamps;  also,  the 
relative  value  of  lamps  containing  the 
granulated  tungsten  employed  to  scour  the 
deposit  off  the  interior  of  the  lamp  globe, 
and  the  lamps  that  do  not  contain  it? 

"As  to  the  value  of  Better  Theatres 
and  your  Comments  therein,  every  one 
knows  they  are  indispensable." 

The  monoplane  mazda  has  four  coils  of 
tungsten  metal,  between  which  is  a  small 
open  space  which  is  filled  by  an  image  of 


PROGRESS 

WITH 

BRENKERT 


BRENKERT  projection  lamps, 
each  year  for  the  past  four 
years,  have  shown  a  far 
greater  increase  in  actual 
number  in  use  throughout  the 
country  than  any  other  na- 
tionally known  make.  This  sig- 
nificant fact  definitely  proves 
the  trend  is  to  BRENKERT— 
a  reliable  guide  to  wise  pur- 
chasers— ■ 


The  BRENKERT  ENARC 


Sold  and  serviced  by  BRENKERT  distributors  across  the  continent. 


RENKERT  LIGHT  PROJECTION, 

ENGINEERS  and  MANUFACTURERS  { 
Detroit,  Michigan,  U.S.  A. 


"INDEPENDENT" 


. . .  and  you  know  you  are  buying  QUALITY! 

You  know  that  you  are  getting  standard,  trade-marked  merchan- 
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manufacturers.    You  know,  too,  that  you  are  availing  yourself 
of  the  experience  and  personal  attention  of  a  dealer  who 
owns  and  manages  his  own  establishment. 

You  know,  moreover,  that  the  facilities  of 
a  nation-wide  association  of  43  theatre 
supply  dealers  are  yours  to  com- 
mand in  every  purchase  you  make 
— whether  you  require  a  simple 
accessory  or  a  complete  theatre 
renovation. 


INDEPENDENT 

THEATRE    SUPPLY    DEALERS  ASSOCIATION 

1501  BROADWAY        J.  E.  ROBIN,  EXECUTIVE  SECRETARY        NEW  YORK  CITY 


July  25,  1936 


SI 


ADDRESSING  LETTERS 
TO  F.  H.  RICHARDSON 

Mr.  Richardson  does  most  of  the 
actual  writing  for  his  columns  at  his 
home  in  Scarsdale,  N.  Y.,  a  suburb 
of  New  York  City.  Therefore  mail 
addressed  to  him  there  usually  reaches 
him  a  little  sooner  than  that  addressed 
to  him  at  his  office.  His  home  ad- 
dress is  No.  3  Tudor  Lane. 


QUIETEST       SAFEST  SMOOTHEST 


GoldE 

AUTOMATIC  REWIND 

Standard  on  all  specifications — because  best.  Fool  proof  and 
proven  after  nine  years  operation  in  the  finest  theatres  thruout 
the  world. 

New  Low  Price  $45.00  less  motor.  $65.00  with  special 
enclosed  low  starting  current  G.  E.  motor  BUILT  IN  to 
GoldE  Rewind  case.  Special  resilient  mounting  makes  the 
GoldE  Mode!  H  absolutely  the  quietest  while  rewinding. 
Smoothness  of  rewinding  assured  by  novel  automotive  friction 
brake. 

DESIGN  and  FINISH — Sturdiness  and  power  (3000  ft.  of 
film  accommodated).  Quietness  and  Simplicity — All  in  the 
GoldE    Model  H. 

AT   ALL  DEALERS 

GOLDE  MANUFACTURING  CO. 

1730  N.  Damen  Avenue  Chicago,  III. 


SUPER-LITE 

LENSES 

and 

PRO-JEX 
SOUND  UNITS 

are    giving  universal 
satisfaction 

A  TRYOUT  WILL  CONVINCE  YOU 

Projection  Optics  Co.,  Inc. 

330  Lyell  Ave.,  Rochester,  N. Y.,  U.S.A. 


the  said  coils.  Thus  if  the  adjustment  be 
correctly  made  and  maintained,  a  solid  sur- 
face of  light  is  presented  to  the  collector 
lens,  which  surface  is  of  sufficiently  even 
brilliancy  to  serve  the  purpose. 

The  biplane  lamp  has  more  coils,  so  lo- 
cated that  they  themselves  present  very 
nearly  a  solid  surface  of  illumination  to  the 
collector  lens,  which  is  of  course  an  advan- 
tage. However,  this  is  largely  counter- 
balanced by  the  fact  that  such  lamps  con- 
sume approximately  double  the  wattage^ 
hence  not  only  are  just  that  much  more 
costly  in  operation,  but  also,  because  of  the 
greater  heat,  they  require  larger  bulbs. 

I  append  below  further  comment  by  Mr. 
F.  E.  Carlson  of  General  Electric: 

"Almost  twice  as  much  tungsten,  and 
therefore  twice  as  much  wattage,  can  be 
put  into  a  biplane  source  of  a  given  size. 
Therefore  if,  as  Mr.  Richardson  has 
pointed  out,  it  is  possible  to  increase  watt- 
age, the  substitution  of  a  biplane  source  for 
a  monoplane  source  makes  possible  increase 
in  screen  illuminations  of  the  order  of  60% 
to  80%,  while  such  increases  in  wattage 
of  the  monoplane  source  might  not,  and 
probably  wouldn't,  produce  any  worth- 
while improvement. 

"On  the  other  hand,  increasing  wattage 
in  a  projection  lamp  isn't  always  quite  so 
easy  as  it  sounds.  Such  lamps  are  designed 
to  work  with  optical  systems  in  which  the 
distance  from  source  to  condenser  is  fixed. 
This  limits  bulb  diameter  and  when  watt- 
age is  increased  without  a  proportional  in- 
crease in  bulb  size,  the  amount  of  blacken- 
ing on  the  bulb  increases  and  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  bulb  rises.  Unless  forced  ven- 
tilation is  provided,  the  bulb  temperature 
may  rise  to  a  point  where  the  glass  softens 
and  ultimately  fails. 

"Even  if  no  increase  in  wattage  is  pos- 
sible, it  is  still  quite  likely  that  the  sub- 
stitution of  a  biplane  source  will  produce 
an  improvement  in  screen  illumination. 
This  will  depend  upon  how  effectively  the 
optical  system  is  utilizing  the  light  from 
the  monoplane  source.  If  it  is  evident  that 
the  beam  from  the  monoplane  source  more 
than  fills  the  projection  lens,  then  it  is 
obvious  that  more  of  the  beam  from  the 
more  concentrated  biplane  source  will  be 
intercepted  by  the  projection  lens.  The 
improvement  may  represent  an  increase  in 
screen  illumination  of  as  much  as  50% 
or  even  more. 

"Just  about  the  only  time  when  the  bi- 
plane source  does  not  provide  an  appreciable 
improvement  in  screen  illumination  is  when 
the  beam  from  the  monoplane  source  either 
just  fills,  or  does  not  fill,  the  projection 
lens,  and  no  increase  in  wattage  is  pos- 
sible. In  this  case  it  is  evident  that  there 
has  been  no  increase  in  incandescent  tung- 
sten in  the  useful  area  and  therefore  the 
only  improvement  possible  is  from  con- 
centrating the  tungsten  nearer  the  optical 
axis  where  it  is  utilized  more  effectively." 

CIRCUIT  EXECUTIVE 
PREFERS  MAZDA  LAMPS 

kent  G.  buck,  vice  presi- 
dent and  treasurer  of  Bush  Theatres,  San 


Diego,  Calif.,  writes,  "I  feel  that  a  few 
words  of  sincere  appreciation  is  the  least 
that  can  be  offered  you  for  the  very  fine 
job  you  have  done  in  the  prepartion  of  your 
new  Bluebook.  Having  met  you  on  your 
first  visit  here  and  heard  your  lecture  when 
you  came  last  time,  I  feel  real  pride  in 
owning  an  autographed  copy. 

"During  a  period  of  almost  twenty  years 
as  theatre  owner  and  manager,  during 
which  time  I  had  much  experience  as  a 
practical  projectionist,  I  have  had  great 
benefit  and  help  from  your  writings  and 
teachings.  The  Bluebook  School,  in  Mo- 
tion Picture  Herald  is  fine,  and  your 
department  in  Better  Theatres  a  great 
improvement  over  your  work  of  years 
gone  by. 

"Your  statement,  pages  410  and  411  of 
the  Bluebook,  concerning  Mazda  projec- 
tion lamps,  is  of  particular  interest.  I 
demonstrated  its  truth  back  in  1926,  when 
we  built  our  Egyptian  theatre,  which  then 
was  one  of  the  finest  neigborhood  theatres 
in  this  section.  I  installed  Motiograph 
projectors,  with  the  special  Motiograph 
Mazda  lamps,  Cinephor  condensers  and 
the  small  aperture  lens  Matiograph  sup- 
plied with  this  outfit. 

"This  was  done  without  encouragement 
from  our  projectionists  and  against  the  ad- 
vice of  some  of  them.  However,  I  believed 
results  could  be  gotten  with  the  outfit.  We 
projected  a  16-foot  picture  at  about  95 
feet,  using  a  beaded  screen.  The  results 
were  so  excellent  that  in  a  number  of  in- 
stances it  was  necessary  to  take  men  to  the 
projection  room  to  convince  them  we  were 
using  Mazda.  Of  course,  when  sound  and 
its  perforated  screens  came,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  install  reflector  arcs." 

I  have  long  thought  that  it  really 
might  be  quite  possible  that  many  of  the 
smaller  theatres  would  be  able  to  use  Maz- 
da with  very  good  results  were  greater 
attention  paid  to  the  optical  system,  par- 
ticularly with  regard  to  paralleling  the 
light  beam,  or  at  least  narrowing  its  diver- 
gence between  the  aperture  and  projection 
lens. 

The  condition  with  Mazda  is  such  that 
the  divergence  there  is  wide.  A  properly 
designed  lens,  installed  either  ahead  of,  or 
immediately  at,  the  rear  of  the  aperture, 
surely  would  stand  the  temperature;  also 
surely  the  added  losses  at  its  surface  would 
be  much  more  than  counterbalanced  by  the 
parallel  or  near-parallel  beam  resulting.  If 
this   be   successfully   done,   then  Mazda 


Just  Off  the  Press 

ALL  THE  FACTS  FOR  1936 
ALL  THE  SIGNS  FOR  1937 

1,384  pages  of  vital  information  covering 
every  phase  of  production,  distribution, 
exhibition. 

The  new  INTERNATIONAL  ALMANAC  is 
a  comprehensive  compilation  of  motion 
picture  facts  and  figures,  providing  thou- 
sands of  items  of  important  information 
conveniently  arranged  and  indexed  for  in- 
stant, dependable  use.  It  is  the  most 
exhaustive  reference  of  the  screen — its  au- 
thority, completeness  and  usability  giving 
it  a  place  of  daily  importance  in  the  motion 
picture  and  allied  industries. 

Edited  by  TERRY  RAMSAYE 
$3.00  per  copy 

plus  postage 

INTERNATIONAL 
MOTION  PICTURE  ALMANAC 

A  Quigley  Publication 
Rockefeller  Center  New  York 


32 


Better  Theatres 


might  be  available  for  projection  at  almost 
any  distance,  provided,  of  course,  the  pic- 
ture be  not  too  large.  This  is  especially 
true  where  conditions  are  such  that  a  spec- 
ular screen  can  be  employed  without  ob- 
jectional  fadeaway. 

DETERMINING  TYPE 
OF  SCREEN  NEEDED 

dean  dresp,  projection- 
ist of  the  Fox  theatre  in  Beatrice,  Neb., 
desires  advice  as  to  the  type  of  screen  needed 
in  a  theatre  seating  525  persons,  all  on  one 
floor. 

"Distance  from  rear  row  of  seats  to 
front  row  is  63  feet,  6  inches;  seating  space 
is  48  feet  wide;  distance  of  19  feet,  6  inches 
from  front  row  of  seats  to  screen,  making 
the  total  distance  from  screen  to  rear  seats 
83  feet.  The  projection  angle  is  very 
slight,  the  lens  ports  being  almost  on  a  line 
with  the  top  of  the  screen.  Projection  dis- 
tance is  83  feet.  The  picture  is  16  feet 
wide.  Light  source  is  low-intensity  re- 
flector type  arcs,  now  pulling  30  amperes 
each." 

Friend  Dresp  has  done  something  few 
do — given  all  the  data  necessary  for  a 
competent  reply  to  his  question.  Presum- 
ably he  has  the  latest  Bluebook  of  Projec- 
tion. If  he  will  turn  to  page  154  he  will 
find  (Figure  49)  that  since  the  width  of 
the  seating  area  is  48  feet,  and  the  distance 
of  the  front  row  from  the  screen  is  19 
feet,  the  end  seats  of  the  front  row  will 
have  approximately  a  60°  viewing  angle  to 
center  of  screen,  and  considerably  more  to 
its  furthest  side.  Also,  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  seats  will  have  a  rather  large  view- 
ing angle,  which  demands  a  screen  surface 
that  is  highly  diffusive.  Unless  this  be  pro- 
vided, there  will  be  fade-away  at  all  seats 
falling  outside  a  30°  viewing  angle,  and 
heavy  fade-away  if  a  40°  viewing  angle 
be  exceeded. 

All  screen  manufacturers  are  or  should 
be  able  to  supply  a  screen  with  such  a  sur- 
face. Screens,  their  dimensions,  location, 
surfaces,  border  and  surroundings  form  a 
very  important  matter,  and  on  the  whole, 
one  that  is  treated  in  a  disgracefully  in- 
adequate manner. 

A  16-foot  picture,  under  the  conditions 
named,  cannot  be  criticized,  but  it  is  true 
that  one  2  feet  less  in  width  would  serve 
every  necessity,  so  far  as  rear  seat  patrons 
of  normal  eyesight  are  concerned,  and 
would  improve  matters  materially  for  all 
patrons  seated  outside  a  30°  viewing  angle. 
Not  only  that,  but  with  suitable  altera- 
tions in  the  projector  optical  systems,  it 
would  provide  either  a  considerably 
brighter  picture  at  the  same  current,  or 
equal  brightness  with  less  current. 

ONE-MAN  ROOMS 
MAKE  JOBS  SCARCE 

william  c.  brown,  pro- 
jectionist of  Sturgis,  S.  Dak.,  writes,  "As 
you  doubtless  know,  most  theatres  here 
have  one-man  projection  rooms  and  it  is 
pretty  difficult  for  us  single  men  to  get  in 
full  time.  The  married  men  have  the  jobs 
and  we  singlers  must  be  content  with  part 


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Your  fellow  exhibitor,  Mr. 
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time,  but  what  with  some  wiring,  some 
radio  servicing  and  some  projection  work 
manage  to  get  by.  Then,  too,  I  work  as 
part  time  man  in  the  Sturgis  postoffice. 

"I  would  like  to  tell  you  of  my  equip- 
ment, of  which  I  am  a  bit  proud.  I  have 
a  Supreme  491 -PA  analyzer,  which  is  a 
very  handy  piece  of  apparatus  for  projec- 
tionists to  own.  It  may  be  used  on  any 
a.c.  or  d.c.  circuit  up  to  1250  volts.  Cur- 
rent ranges  are  from  0  to  250  micro- 
amperes, and  0  to  1250  milliamperes,  in 
several  steps,  and  from  0  to  12  amperes. 
The  ohmeter  ranges  are  up  to  250  meg- 
ohms. The  outfit  also  checks  capacities 
and  has  a  decibel  meter  incorporated.  It  is 
arranged  to  provide  complete  facilities  for 
circuit  analysis,  as  well  as  point  to  point 
testing. 

"My  tools  include  a  large  assortment 
of  pliers,  a  soldering  iron,  midget  socket 
wrenches,  a  set  of  larger  socket  wrenches ; 
also  a  set  of  open-end  and  a  set  of  box 
wrenches,  plus  a  set  of  crescent  wrenches. 
I  have  a  variety  of  screwdrivers  and  ham- 
mers, a  drill  and  other  parts  and  tools  I 
find  use  for  in  the  modern  projection  room. 
I  hope  to  own  a  good  film  splicer  and  a 
test  reel  before  long,  at  which  time  I  will 
feel  well  equipped  to  take  care  of  any 
projection  room  and  do  any  ordinary  radio 
servicing  as  well." 

As  I  have  said  many  times,  the  one-man 
room  of  today  is  the  result  of  both  men  in 
two-man  rooms  letting  the  projector  run 
the  show  with  neither  of  them  beside  it, 
thus  getting  the  idea  firmly  fixed  in  the 
minds  of  exhibitors  and  managers  that  two 
men  were  unnecessary.  Unions  permitted 
this  to  be.    Warnings  were  disregarded. 

Giving  the  married  men  preference  is 
all  right  provided  they  be  as  competent  as 
the  single  men  available.  However,  I  hold, 
as  I  have  always  held,  that  competence  is 
the  one  right  guide.  It  should  determine 
who  is  employed  and  who  holds  the  best 
jobs.  I  shall  never  alter  my  views  in  that 
regard. 

Some  of  you  city  chaps  who  kick  like  a 
bay  steer  at  steady  work  and  a  wage  that 
men  like  Brown  would  consider  a  near- 
fortune,  take  note  how  this  good  brother 
digs  in,  fights  his  way  through  in  three  or 
four  part-time  jobs,  and  equips  himself 
with  knowledge  and  tools. 

VACUUM-CLEAN 
YOUR  LAMPHOUSES 

BARNEY       DE  VIETTI  of 

Helper,  Utah,  writes,  "Observing  what  a 
messy,  mussy  job  cleaning  the  lamphouses 
was,  I  worked  up  a  brain  storm.  As  you 
know,  the  light,  fluffy  ash  which  is  the 
residue  of  the  carbons,  collects  on  the  in- 
terior walls  of  the  lamphouses  and  scatters 
all  over  kingdom-come  when  one  tries  to 
wipe  it  off,  unless  a  wet  cloth  be  used,  and 
that  is  not  so  good.  My  idea  was  that  it 
could  be  sucked  out  by  using  the  vacuum 
cleaner  with  the  attachment  that  is  ordi- 
narily employed  to  clean  the  drapes,  etc. 

"Appropriating  one  of  the  theatre's  suck- 
'em-ins  and  the  right  attachment,  I  soon 
had  the  interior  of  my  lamphouses  looking 
as  immaculate  as  the  proverbial  hound's 


tooth.  They  almost  sparkled,  and  all  with- 
out a  single  flick  of  dust  in  the  air.  I  have 
always  tried  to  keep  my  lamphouses  re- 
spectable, but  never  were  they  as  clean  as 
they  now  are. 

"The  idea  may  be  old  as  Adam  to  you 
and  some  of  the  chaps,  but  to  me  it  was 
original,  hence  credit  me  a  couple  of  cred- 
its. Those  who  have  never  used  it  will  be 
as  tickled  as  a  small  boy  with  two  or  three 
lollypops." 

The  idea  is  not  new,  Brother  DeVietti, 
but  you  nevertheless  are  entitled  to  credit. 
You  used  your  brains  to  reason  out  a  better 
way  to  do  something,  and  that  is  the  mark 
of  a  good  man.  You  are  wholly  correct. 
The  vacuum  cleaner  is  the  only  right  tool 
with  which  to  clean  lamphouses.  Does  a 
bang-up  job,  leaving  everything  shipshape. 

But  that  is  not  the  end  of  it.  The 
vacuum  cleaner  should,  as  I  have  told  you 
all  many  times,  be  used  in  the  projection 
room  once  every  week.  First  clean  the 
lamphouses,  then  using  the  proper  attach- 
ment, clean  the  walls,  ceiling  and  floor. 
Such  cleaning  is  important.  It  reduces 
the  amount  of  dust  in  the  air,  which  not 
only  gets  on  the  film,  producing  minute 
scratch  marks  in  both  picture  and  sound 
track,  but  also  gets  in  bearings,  accelerat- 
ing the  rate  of  wear.  We  thank  Brother 
DeVietti  for  bringing  the  matter  again  to 
our  attention. 

PROJECTION  IN 
SING  SING  PRISON 

well,  iVe  been  in  jail — 
and  some  jail,  too,  if  you  ask  me!  No  less 
than  the  famous  Sing  Sing  prison  at 
Ossining,  New  York.  Mr.  Harry  Brewer, 
who  uses  motion  pictures  to  exploit  the 
product  of  the  Chevrolet  Motor  Company, 
had  been  invited  to  give  a  show  in  the  Sing 
Sing  prison  theatre.  By  invitation  I  ac- 
companied him,  watched  the  assembly  of 
the  complete  motion  picture-sound  outfit 
which  he  transports  in  his  motor  car,  and 
witnessed  a  performance  that  would  rival 
that  given  in  many  theatres. 

In  Sing  Sing  prison  there  is  a  really  nice 
theatre,  built  entirely  of  pressed  brick,  con- 
crete and  iron.  It  seats  1400.  There  is  a 
stage  of  good  dimensions.  Everything  was 
excellent  except  the  screen,  which  needed 
cleaning.  The  projection  room  is  lined 
with  pressed  brick,  some  of  which  is  in 
color.  It  is  spacious  and  is  equipped  with 
two  Simplex  projectors  and  RCA  Photo- 
phone.  One  of  the  men  acts  as  the  regular 
projectionist — I  withhold  his  name  because 
he  has  lived  in  Sing  Sing  for  some  while, 
rather  much  against  his  will.  He  will  be 
leaving  soon,  however. 

Here  is  the  odd  feature  of  the  whole 
thing.  It  was  shown  to  me  by  the  director 
of  recreation,  Mr.  Gerald  F.  Curtin.  From 
the  center  of  the  rear  Avail  of  the  audi- 
torium for  a  distance  of  perhaps  60  feet, 
a  brick  structure  runs  forward.  It  is  of 
considerable  width  and  advances  almost,  if 
not  quite,  the  length  of  the  auditorium. 
Between  the  walls  of  this  structure  is  the 
projection  room,  and  below  the  room  is  a 
passage  through  which  the  inmates  pass  to 
and  from  the  theatre. 


34 


Better  Theatres 


At  the  front  end  of  each  wall,  on  each 
side,  is  a  pocket  in  which  are  eight  huge 
sliding  doors,  each  fully  3  inches  thick, 
about  25  feet  high  (to  the  ceiling)  by  5 
feet  wide.   These  doors,  placed  side  by  side 
in  the  pocket,  form  a  thickness,  of  some- 
thing like  2  feet,  yet  they  may  be  pulled 
out  and,  by  a  most  ingenious  track  ar- 
rangement overhead  (concealed  except  for 
slots)   be  finally  arranged  in  a  perfectly 
straight  line,  thus  wholly  separating  the 
space  (perhaps  60x25  feet)  from  the  audi- 
torium.   On  Sundays  these  doors  are  ex- 
tended, huge  steel  curtains  at  the  opposite 
end  are  raised,  in  back  of  which  is  a  Roman 
Catholic  pulpit  on  one  side,  and  a  regula- 
tion protestant  pulpit  on  the  other,  and 
thus  two  complete  churches,  wholly  sepa- 
rated, from  the  theatre,  can  be  quickly 
effected. 

A  signal  was  given  and  some  2,000  men 
filed  in,  and  took  their  seats.  At  no  time 
were  more  than  two  guards  present  and 
they  bore  no  arms,  not  even  a  club.  The 
inmates  police  themselves.  All  wore  gray 
pants  and  most  of  them  wore  white  shirts. 
The  assemblage  certainly  showed  apprecia- 
tion of  the  show  put  on  by  Mr.  Brewer  and 
his  assistant,  Mr.  B.  Marsden. 

REMEMBERING  THOSE 
WHO  HAVE  HELPED 

during  the  twenty- 
seven  years  that  I  have  been  writing  on 
projection,  in  the  old  Moving  Picture 
World  and  in  Motion  Picture  Herald 
and  Better  Theatres,  I  have  tried  very 
hard  to  render  service  to  the  motion  picture 
industry,  particularly  to  exhibitors,  theatre 
managers  and  projectionists.  To  what  ex- 
tent success  has  crowned  my  efforts,  I  must 
leave  to  my  readers  to  decide.  Alone  and 
unaided,  however,  I  could  not  have  accom- 
plished very  much.  First  I  had  the  loyal 
backing  of  James  Chalmers,  owner  of  the 
Moving  Picture  World,  until  he  met  the 
Grim  Reaper  many  years  ago.  After  his 
demise,  his  successor,  John  Chalmers,  and 
John  Wiley,  general  manager  of  the 
W orld,  stood  firmly  behind  me  in  what 
was  in  those  days  a  very  real  fight  for  the 
improvement  and  recognition  of  projection 
as  an  important  part  of  motion  picture 
processes.  Then  the  Quigley  Publishing 
Company  absorbed  the  Moving  Picture 
W orld  and  me  with  it,  since  which  time 
I  have  been  able  to  carry  forward  my  work 
effectively,  and  perhaps  in  a  better  way. 

In  this  connection  I  must  name  my  co- 
worker, Mr.  George  Schutz,  editor  of 
Better  Th  eatres,  who  often  has  been 
called  upon  to,  and  has  exercised,  much 
patience  in  dealing  with  your  'umble  ser- 
vant, who  (no  one  knows  better  than  my- 
self) is  not  always  easy  to  get  along  with. 
But  we  always  "made  the  grade,"  adjust- 
ing our  not  infrequent  differences. 

In  addition  to  the  two  companies  and 
the  individuals  named  I  have  received  much 
valuable  aid  from  Herbert  Griffin,  who  re- 
cently was  named  vice-president  of  the  In- 
ternational Projector  Corporation.  Not 
only  has  "Herb"  been  always  ready  to  help, 
but  P.  A.  McGuire,  advertising  manager 


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35 


of  the  company,  has  been  at  all  times  glad 
to  co-operate.  (It  was  "Mac"  who 
evolved,  invented  or  what-have-you,  the 
slogan,  "Better  Projection  Pays,"  which 
was  very  effective  in  the  cause  of  improved 
projection. ) 

I  have  had  invaluable  aid  from  many 
companies.  John  Hertner,  president  of  the 
Hertner  Electric  Company,  is  another  who 
has  given  unstintingly  of  his  time  to  help. 
Larry  Porter  and  others  of  General  Elec- 
tric, the  Westinghouse  engineers,  Erpi, 
RCA  and  Bell  Laboratory  engineers  have 
responded  whenever  called  upon,  which  has 
been  many  times.  The  National  Carbon 
Company  engineering  department  has  also 
been  most  helpful  and  kindly. 

And  when  I  come  to  projectionists,  I 
hardly  knoAv  where  to  begin  or  where  to 
stop.  John  Griffiths  of  Ansonia,  Conn., 
surely  did  yeoman  service  in  aiding  in  the 
field  of  projection  optics.  Chauncey 
Greene  of  Minneapolis  is  another  who  has 
been  of  great  help,  and  that  young-old  war 
horse,  George  Edwards,  whom  you  all 
know,  did  likewise.  Lester  Isaacs,  director 
of  projection  for  Loew's,  and  M.  D. 
O'Brien,  his  very  able  assistant,  must  not 
be  overlooked,  while  Harry  Rubin  and 
Jessie  Hopkins,  who  hold  corresponding 
positions  with  Paramount,  are  likewise  to 
be  gratefully  remembered. 

Then  there  are  Harry  T.  Dobson  and 
Charles  Dentlebeck  of  Toronto;  G.  W. 
Bennewitz  of  Sioux  Falls,  S.  Dak. ;  the  late 
Arthur  Gray  of  Boston,  and  many  others. 
They  were  not  merely  of  help  to  me,  but 
they  contributed  generously  to  the  cause  of 
better  projection  that  I  was  working  in. 
Oh  yes,  I  almost  failed  to  mention  my  old 
friend,  W.  G.  Woods,  of  San  Francisco, 
who  years  ago,  when  help  was  needed  bad- 
ly) gave  of  his  time  and  energy  liberally. 
"Pop"  Woods  was  one  of  the  very  real 
pioneer  projectionists. 

And  many  others — too  many  to  be  read 
here.  Don't  want  any  of  'em  to  think  I'm 
one  of  those  take-and-forget  guys.  Hence 
this  little  reminder  of  my  gratitude. 

REMARKABLE 
SOUND  QUALITY 

the  other  day  Lester 
Isaac,  Director  of  Projection  for  Loew 
Theatres,  invited  friend  daughter  and  her 
dad  to  visit  the  Capitol  theatre  in  New 
York  and  witness  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's 
"San  Francisco."  It  was  one  of  those  par- 
boiling days  we  "enjoyed"  a  short  while 
back,  and  we  were  not  keen,  but  Mr.  Isaac 
assured  us  we  would  see  and  listen  to  some 
remarkable  effects.  So,  knowing  the  thing 
must  indeed  be  quite  out  of  the  ordinary 
to  cause  Mr.  Isaac  thus  to  enthuse,  we 
went — and  take  it  from  us,  we  are  glad  we 
did,  for  while  it  is  not  the  province  of  my 
department  to  describe  shows,  I  can  and 
should  compliment  Mr.  Isaac  and  his  able 
assistants,  as  well  as  the  projectionists  of 
the  Capitol  theatre. 

The  visual  effect  was  such  that  we  offer 
no  criticism  thereupon;  the  sound,  particu- 
larly in  earthquake  scenes,  was  unusually 
realistic  and  effective. 


The  sound  we  heard  at  the  Capitol  can- 
not as  yet  be  duplicated  in  all  theatres 
since  in  the  Capitol  there  has  just  been  in- 
stalled new,  highly  improved  sound  equip- 
ment. 

NEW  SUPREX  ARC 
PROJECTION  LAMP 

A  new  model  projection 
lamp  designed  for  use  of  suprex  carbons, 
has  been  developed  by  the  Morelite  Com- 
pany, Inc.,  of  New  York.  It  has  been 
given  the  trade-name  of  Morelite  Mon- 
Arc. 

The  lamphouse  is  of  sheet  steel  and 
aluminum.  On  either  side  is  a  large  door 
(both  are  open  in  the  illustration  to  show 
the  interior  mechanism)  held  normally  in 
closed  position  by  spring  action.  When 


raised  to  open  position  a  lamp  inside  is 
automatically  lighted  and  the  door  is  held 
in  open  position  until  pulled  shut,  which 
action  automatically  extinguishes  the  lamp. 

The  carbon  jaws  are  of  heat-resisting 
composition  metal ;  the  means  for  clamp- 
ing the  carbon  in  place  are  very  simple 
and  effective.  The  front  or  tip  end  of  each 
carbon  is  supported  by  a  V-shape  guider 
of  heat-resisting  metal,  the  one  supporting 
positive  adjustable  vertically;  the  other 
both  vertically  and  horizontally. 

The  14-inch  elliptical  reflecting  mirror 
may  be  moved  backward  or  forward 
horizontally,  or  tilted  as  may  be  required. 
Its  backing  is  of  imitation  stone.  Imme- 
diately in  front  of  the  reflector  is  a  metal 
dowser  designed  to  protect  the  mirror  sur- 
face from  pitting  by  incandescent  carbon 
or  copper  particles  when  the  arc  is  struck. 
This  dowser  is  so  connected  with  the  regu- 
lar lamphouse-cone  dowser  that  one  handle 
operates  both  simultaneously.  A  move- 
ment of  this  handle  opens  the  cone  dowser 
and  raises  the  one  in  front  of  the  mirror 
up  out  of  the  way.  An  opposite  movement 
of  the  handle  closes  both.  Directly  beneath 
the  arc,  on  the  lamphouse  floor,  is  a  metal 
tray. 

The  arc  control  is  ingeniously  planned. 
Near  the  lamphouse  floor,  immediately 
under  the  positive  carbon,  are  two  coarse- 
thread  rods  about  0.75  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  called  twin  feed  screws.  They 
are  separated  from  each  other  a  short  dis- 
tance and  are  approximately  10  inches  long. 

The  twin  feed  screw  furthest  from  the 
projectionist  carries  a  spur  gear  with  worm 
connected,  through  a  ratchet  device,  to  the 
motor.   It  therefore  rotates  whenever  the 


motor  is  in  operation.  The  second  of  the 
twin  feed  screws  is  connected,  through 
proper  gearing,  with  a  hand-wheel  out- 
side the  lamphouse,  which  latter  may  be 
turned  fast  or  slowly  without  interference 
with  operation  of  the  first  feed-screw.  Each 
movement  of  either  twin  feed  screw  moves 
a  freely  revolving  small  gear  that  is  in  mesh 
with  both  feed  screws,  in  such  manner  that 
any  movement  of  either  feed  screw  carries 
this  small  gear  forward  or  back,  whether 
the  movement  be  caused  by  the  motor  or 
by  the  before  described  hand-wheel.  The 
small  gear  is  attached  to  the  carbon  arm 
base,  hence  as  it  is  moved  backward  or 
forward  it  carries  the  carbon  arm  and 
carbon  along  with  it. 

At  the  rear  of  the  lamphouse  is  a  space 
enclosed  by  an  aluminum  metal  door  which, 
when  open,  gives  access  to  all  parts. 

There  are,  of  course,  all  necessary  con- 
trol knobs,  handles,  etc.,  conveniently  lo- 
cated. Speed  of  both  carbons  may  be  mech- 
anically adjusted  by  so-called  speed  regu- 
lators, in  such  manner  that  either  may  be 
made  to  feed  forward  faster  or  more 
slowly  while  the  arc  is  in  operation,  with- 
out in  any  way  affecting  the  speed  of  the 
arc  control  motor. 

As  extra  equipment,  a  "Mir-O-Guard" 
is  supplied,  consisting  of  a  sheet  of  glass 
about  3^ -inch  thick  and  bent  to  fit  the  face 
of  the  mirror,  shielding  it  from  pitting  or 
other  damage. 

There  is  a  double  screen,  visible  from 
either  side  of  the  projector,  upon  which 
an  image  of  the  arc  is  focused.  An  auto- 
matic cut-off  is  supplied  to  prevent  the 
burning   of   carbons   too  short 

THE  WHY  OF 
LIGHT  REFRACTION 

our  old  friend,  John 
Griffiths,  projectionist  and  author  of  "Dy- 
namic Ether,"  writes,  "Dear  Frank:  May 
I  offer  comments  upon  the  simplified  ex- 
planation of  light  refraction  contained  in 
June  27th  issue  of  Better  Theatres,  in 
which  John  Randall  writes,  'My  puzzle 
now  is  that  I  cannot  quite  understand  why 
the  direction  of  light  is  altered  when  it  en- 
ters glass  or  passes  out  of  same.  Have  read 
many  explanations,  but  none  seem  to  make 
the  matter  clear.'  May  I  suggest  that  the 
matter  still  remains  unanswered,  despite 
the  simple  explanation  offered. 

"A  column  of  soldiers  on  march  could 
cross  a  strip  of  deep  sand,  placed  diagonal 
to  the  line  of  march,  without  in  any 
degree  altering  the  direction  of  the  line  of 
march,  provided  it  be  not  required  that 
their  front  line  be  at  right  angles  to  the 
line  of  march.  The  actual  cause  of  the 
change  of  direction  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
light  can  only  travel  in  a  direction  normal 
to  the  wave  front  represented  by  the  front 
row  of  the  column  of  soldiers.  Were  the 
soldiers  in  single  file,  there  would  be  no 
alteration  in  their  direction.  There  would 
be  no  influence  to  change  direction,  hence 
we  cannot  assume  the  change  in  velocity 
and  incident  angle  to  .be  wholly  responsible 
for  the  alteration  in  direction. 

"The  only  reasonable  conclusion  that 


36 


Better  Theatres 


can  be  drawn  is  that  each  light  ray  carries 
or  has  its  own  wave  front,  and  until  sci- 
ence is  able  to  at  least  approximately  define 
a  'light  ray,'  it  cannot  be  certain  what  the 
answer  to  Brother  Randall's  question  is. 
The  answer  therefore  is  as  yet  unavailable 
from  the  viewpoint  of  the  scientist. 

"However,  this  writer  is  able  to  offer  a 
solution  to  the  question  for  the  reason  that 
he  believes  he  can  define  or  explain  what 
a  light  ray  is.  He  holds  himself  as  able  to 
do  this  by  reason  of  his  new  conception  of 
the  atom,  which  he  holds  to  be  a  perfectly 
balanced  mechanical  system  in  the  form  of 
a  bipolar  vortex,  the  same  having  a  mag- 
netic field  in  the  form  of  a  disk  encircling 
the  equator  of  the  vortex.  [And  this  from 
a  projectionist!  Phew! — F.  H.  R.],  the 
system  having  the  same  general  form  as 
the  planet  Saturn,  in  which  the  rings  of 
the  planet  represent  the  magnetic  field  of 
the  atom.  Note,  the  lighter  atoms  have  a 
magnetic  field  of  smaller  diameter  than  the 
heavier  ones. 

"Whenever  a  light  source  is  created,  the 
atoms  in  the  air  immediately  surrounding 
it  polarize  into  lines,  which  radiate  outward 
in  every  direction  from  the  light  source, 
the  positive  pole  of  each  atom  pointing  to- 
wards the  light  source.  Each  of  these  lines 
constitute  what  is  known  as  a  light  ray. 
It  is  composed  of  atoms  that  are  joined  to- 
gether by  their  opposite  poles  like  so  many 
tiny  magnets.  Each  of  these  rays  have  a 
wave  front  in  the  form  ofva  magnetic  field 
which  surround  the  nucleus,  the  plane  of 
which  is  at  right  angles  to  the  axis  of  the 
nucleus. 

"Note  that  this  conception  of  a  light  ray 
is  practically  a  counterpart  of  an  electric 
current,  with  its  magnetic  field,  but  involv- 
ing only  one  line  of  force.  It  represents 
the  indivisible  unit  of  electric  current. 

"A  ray  of  light  through  air  atoms  has  a 
magnetic  field  of  smaller  diameter  than  the 
same  ray  through  a  glass  medium.  When 
a  light  ray  passes  from  air  into  glass  there 
is  an  exchange  of  energy  between  the  air 
atom  and  the  glass  atom.  The  glass  atom 
absorbs  energy  from  the  air  atom  and 
causes  the  field  of  the  air  atom  to  increase 
in  diameter,  while  the  field  of  the  glass 
atom  decreases  in  diameter  until  the  fields 
of  both  are  of  equal  diameter.  When  the 
ray  leaves  the  glass  medium  and  enters  air, 
the  opposite  action  takes  place,  and  the  field 
around  the  ray  decreases  when  it  emerges 
from  the  glass.  It  is  this  increase  and  de- 
crease in  the  diameter  of  the  field  around 
the  ray  which  occurs  at  the  surface  of  the 
glass  that  causes  refraction. 

"The  bending  of  the  ray  occurs  in  the 
air  just  before  entering  the  glass,  and  also 
in  the  air  just  upon  leaving  the  glass. 
There  is  always  a  strain  present  in  the  ray 
if  it  does  not  enter  and  leave  the  glass  in 
a  direction  normal  or  perpendicular  to  the 
surface,  and  it  is  this  strain  that  causes  the 
refraction  at  the  emergence  surface  when 
the  field  around  the  ray  decreases  in 
diameter. 

"When  a  ray  enters  a  glass  surface  in  a 
direction  normal  to  the  surface,  the  field 
around  the  last  air  atom  is  parallel  to  the 
surface  of  the  glass  so  that  it  is  free  to  ex- 


pand and  contract  without  coming  into 
contact  with  the  glass  surface.  Such  a  ray 
will  therefore  not  be  refracted. 

"When  a  ray  enters  the  glass  at  an  angle, 
any  expansion  of  the  field  will  cause  the 
edge  of  the  field  in  the  acute  angle,  to  push 
against  the  surface  of  the  heavier  medium, 
causing  the  field  to  be  thrown  out  of  its 
parallel  position  to  the  other  fields  of  the 
ray.  The  nucleus  of  the  air  atom  will  fol- 
low so  as  to  keep  the  displaced  field  around 
the  equator  of  the  nucleus,  thus  changing 
the  direction  of  the  axis  of  the  nucleus. 
The  angle  of  refraction  will  depend  upon 
the  incident  angle  and  the  amount  by 
which  the  diameter  of  the  field  is  increased. 
We  thus  get  a  simple  mechanical  explana- 
tion of  refraction." 

Reflecting  upon  all  this,  I  am  forcibly 
reminded  that  away  back  about  1912  or 
1913,  when  John  Griffiths  entered  the  field 
as  a  contributor  to  my  "Trouble  Depart- 
ment" and  advanced  ideas  as  to  the  pro- 
jector optical  system,  he  was  more  or  less 
laughed  at  because  his  ideas  (they  more  or 
less  coincided,  I  must  confess,  with  my 
own)  were  quite  at  variance  with  those 
of  the  optical  engineers.  But  the  laugh  was 
finally  proven  to  be  ill-judged,  for  John's 
views  were  found  to  be  more  nearly  correct 
than  were  those  of  the  optical  engineers, 
whereupon  the  said  engineers  suddenly 
made  "discoveries"  which  were  strangely 
akin  to  the  views  set  forth  by  Brother  John 
Griffiths.  So,  gentlemen,  I  am  glad  to  lay 
his  views  concerning  light  refraction  be- 
fore you,  with  distinct  pride  that  a  man 
who  has  been  a  working  projectionist  for 
nearly  30  years,  and  an  off  and  on  con- 
tributor to  my  department  for  at  least  25 
of  them,  is  able  to  present  such  an  argu- 
ment. True,  they  are  at  variance  with  the 
views  of  scientific  men,  but  I  am  not  in  the 
least  inclined  to  question  the  possibility  that 
he  is  right. 

PHOTOGRAPHS  OF 
PROJECTION  ROOMS 

some  while  ago  we  sug- 
gested the  submission  of  photographs  of 
projection  rooms.  Many  snapshots  have 
been  received,  but  few  have  been  just  what 
is  wanted.  For  example,  Joseph  Dina  of 
the  Bijou  theatre  in  New  York,  sends  two 
photographs,  but  one  picture  is  merely  a 
view  of  his  sound  amplifier,  the  other  shows 
one  of  his  projectors.  Both  are  photo- 
graphically excellent,  but  they  are  not 
views  of  a  projection  room.  Instead  as 
stated,  they  are  merely  views  of  two  pieces 
of  equipment,  which  may  be  had  in  any 
manufacturer's  or  dealer's  catalogue. 

I  will  be  glad  to  have  views  of  projection 
rooms,  provided  a  good  view  of  the  general 
layout  is  shown.  I  well  know  the  difficulty 
of  obtaining  such  a  view  in  very  many  pro- 
jection rooms,  but  of  some  of  the  larger 
ones  excellent  shots  can  be  made.  I  prefer, 
where  possible,  to  have  the  projection  staff 
included. 

Most  everybody  has  a  camera  capable  of 
taking  such  pictures  in  time  exposures,  and 
with  a  little  ingenuity,  the  projection  arcs 
can  be  used  to  give  proper  light. 


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37 


PLANNING  THE  THEATRE 


A  SERVICE  DEPARTMENT  DEALING  WITH  ARCHITECTURAL 
DESIGN     AND      MATERIALS,     DECORATION     AND  FURNISHINGS 


ANSWERS  TO  INQUIRIES:  One  of  the  principal  functions  of  this  department  is  to  answer  inquiries  pertaining  to  preliminary  considera- 
tions in  the  planning  of  a  new  theatre  or  the  remodeling  of  an  existing  one.  All  questions  receive  the  personal  attention  of  Peter  M. 
Hulsken,  A.I. A.,  contributing  editor  of  this  department  and  a  practicing  architect  who  long  has  specialized  in  theatre  design.  He  will  be 
glad  to  offer  advice,  suggestions  and  criticism.  Working  plans,  however,  cannot  be  supplied.  All  communications  intended  for  this  depart- 
ment should  be  addressed  to  Better  Theatres,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York.    In  publishing  replies,  only  initials  are  used  for  identification. 


THE  QUESTION; 

I  have  a  theatre  room 
located  upstairs.  This  was  built  about 
30  years  ago  of  brick — plastered  and  wood 
floor.  The  room  is  56  feet  wide  by  100 
feet  long,  auditorium  ceiling  22  feet  high 
at  stage  arch,  and  about  20  feet  at  back 
of  room.  Three  banks  of  seats,  ten  seats 
in  each  bank,  eighteen  rows.  Back  of 
auditorium  to  stage  opening,  about  70 
feet.  Stage  opening,  32  feet  wide  by 
about  16  feet  high.  Screen  sets  back 
about  12  feet.  Sound  horns  in  tower 
dressing  rooms  under  stage. 

Have  a  big  cooling  fan  in  center  dress- 
ing room  with  air  ducts  opening  each  side 
of  stage  into  auditorium.  I  am  at  present 
just  using  outside  air  for  cooling.  My 
method  of  heating  is  very  poor — two  stoves 
in  back  of  auditorium,  a  floor  heater  in 
front  in  one  corner.  How  can  I  make  a 
combination  heating  and  cooling  system? 
Could  I  use  my  cooling  fan  to  advantage? 

Approximately  what  would  a  500-seat 


house  cost  to  build  on  the  ground  floor, 
using  cinder  blocks  and  the  cheapest  kind 
of  construction— building  alone,  including 
heating  and  cooling,  additional  for  equip- 
ment. Lot  40  feet  wide,  160  feet  long,  on 
corner. — J.  G.  S. 

THE  ANSWER: 

according  to  your  in- 
quiry, I  understand  that  no  heating  plant 
is  provided  for  in  your  theatre.  If  you 
want  to  make  a  combination  heating  and 
ventilating  system,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
install  a  boiler  to  provide  steam  for  the 
heating  coils.  If  natural  or  artificial  gas 
is  obtainable  in  your  community  at  a  low 
rate,  your  problem  could  be  easily  solved, 
as  combination  units  are  obtainable  so  that 
no  piping  except  for  gas  is  necessary. 

The  most  efficient  way  to  place  the  heat- 
ing and  ventilating  apparatus  would  be  to 
build  fan  rooms  on  each  side  of  the 
proscenium  arch  in  the  form  of  flare  walls. 
These  fan  rooms  should  be  about  8  feet 
above  the  floor  and  should  be  of  fireproof 


construction.  The  fresh  air  is  taken  from 
the  outside,  and  the  fans  blow  the  air 
through  the  heating  coils  into  the  audi- 
torium. Vent  ducts  should  be  provided 
to  exhaust  the  foul  air. 

For  cooling,  air  washers  could  be  in- 
stalled. 

The  minimum  cost  of  a  500-seat  theatre 
with  one  floor,  using  the  most  inexpensive 
materials  for  construction,  and  exclusive  of 
any  equipment,  would  be  $20,000. 

• 

THE  QUESTION: 

I  am  planning  to  buy  a 
building  which  is  36  feet  by  100  feet.  It 
faces  the  east,  and  on  the  north  half  of 
the  building  is  a  room  which  is  now  used 
for  a  theatre.  On  the  south  half  of  the 
building  is  a  room  now  occupied  by  a  bar- 
ber shop.  In  the  center,  dividing  the  theatre 
and  the  barber  shop  is  a  stairway  leading 
to  the  second  story  and  apartments.  Now 
what  I  should  like  to  do  is  tear  out  the 
stairway  and  move  it  over  to  the  extreme 
south  of  the  building,  throwing  the  rest 
of  the  barber  shop  into  the  theatre.  Al- 
lowing 6  feet  for  the  stairway  and  walls 
I  would  have  30  feet  of  front  left.  The 
new  building  would  be  30  by  100  feet. 

I  would  appreciate  your  telling  me  how 
to  arrange  the  theatre  to  these  specifica- 
tions and  how  many  seats  it  would  have. 
I  should  like  to  know  how  to  plan  the 
booth  and  how  high  the  ceiling  should  be, 
what  slant  to  the  floor,  how  to  arrange 
the  seats,  and  where  to  put  lounge  rooms 
and  furnace  room. 

Would  I  have  to  put  some  kind  of  a 
beam  in  where  I  tear  out  the  stairway,  or 
not?  If  so  what  kind  of  a  beam  would 
you  suggest.  Please  tell  me  about  what 
you  think  this  sort  of  a  job  would  cost. 
I  am  in  a  small  town  of  1,800,  but  we 
want  to  have  a  nice  theatre  within  our 
means. — W.  W.  R. 

THE  ANSWER: 

after  looking  over  your 
sketch,  I  find  that  the  plan  will  work  out 
quite  satisfactorily.  The  only  item  I  am 
afraid  of  is  the  present  stairhall,  which 
may  divide  the  building  into  two  separate 
parts,  with  the  floor  joists  supported  by 
the  stairhall  walls.  If  this  is  the  case,  the 
entire  upper  floor  construction  will  have 


The  new  foyer-lounge  of  Loew's  Sfate  theatre  in  Boston,  recently  remodeled.  Called  the  Audubon 
room,  the  upper  part  of  the  walls  are  decorated  with  murals  copied  from  the  John  James  Audubon 
collection  in  the  James  Pierpont  Morgan  library,  while  lithographs  of  birds  are  hung  about  the  wainscot. 


38 


Better  Theatres 


to  be  removed  and  I-beams  installed  across 
the  width  of  the  building.  This  would  be 
quite  an  expensive  proposition. 

For  the  seating  arrangement,  I  suggest 
that  you  place  fourteen  seats  in  a  row 
across  the  width  of  the  auditorium  with  a 
wall  aisle  on  each  side.  The  maximum 
seating  capacity  will  be  350  seats. 

The  minimum  floor  slope  should  be  4 
feet,  6  inches,  leaving  the  first  15  feet, 
beginning  at  first  row  level. 

The  projection  room  should  be  located 
over  the  lobby  and  foyer,  and  the  ceiling 
height  above  the  high  point  of  the  audi- 
torium floor  should  not  be  less  than  17 
feet,  unless  the  projection  room  can  be 
built  in  part  of  the  upper  structure.  In 
that  case,  15  feet  will  do. 

I  suggest  that  you  reverse  the  dimensions 
of  the  lobby  and  foyer — make  the  lobby  at 
least  10  feet  deep,  and  the  foyer  6  feet 
wide. 

The  men's  and  women's  toilet  rooms  can 
be  placed  on  each  side  of  lobby,  opening 
on  the  foyer  side. 

The  furnace  room  should  be  located  un- 
der the  stage;  however,  you  may  have  to 
widen  the  stage  a  little.  That,  however, 
is  the  most  economical  location. 

If  my  presumption  concerning  the  floor 
construction,  as  described  above,  is  cor- 
rect, I  advise  you  to  consult  a  contractor 
to  give  you  the  necessary  data  on  cost. 
Since  I  do  not  know  the  actual  details  of 
the  building  construction,  my  estimate 
would  be  nothing  else  but  guess  work. 

Before  purchasing  the  building,  make 
yourself  familiar  with  the  actual  construc- 
tion, since  if  the  upper  structure  has  to  be 
rebuilt,  you  may  just  as  well  build  a  new 
theatre,  as  all  you  actually  would  save 
would  be  the  outside  walls. 

• 

THE  QUESTION: 

I  AM  taking  over  a 
neighborhood  theatre  in  a  suburb.  The 
population  of  this  suburb  is  about  5000 
and  there  is  one  theatre.  The  building  is 
40  x  110  feet,  with  cement  block  construc- 
tion. A  10-foot  alley  runs  along  one  side 
of  the  building.  The  other  side  abuts  a 
two-story  brick  building.  The  front  was 
formerly  stuccoed,  but  the  stucco  has  been 
removed  except  for  an  arch  over  the  thea- 
tre entrance.  There  are  two  small  store 
buildings,  one  on  either  side  of  the  en- 
trance, a  restaurant  and  barber  shop.  There 
is  a  there-room  apartment  across  the  front 
upstairs,  and  just  in  back  of  the  apartment 
is  the  projection  room  on  one  side,  and  a 
small  balcony  for  colored  people  on  the 
other. 

The  outside  entrance  13  feet,  6  inches 
wide  by  9  feet  deep.  The  ticket  window 
is  in  the  center  of  the  entrance  to  the 
lobby,  with  doors  on  either  side  leading  in- 
to the  lobby.  The  lobby  is  13  feet,  6 
inches  wide  and  20  feet,  2  inches  deep, 
with  entrance  and  exit  doors  on  opposite 
sides  leading  into  a  foyer  or  cross-aisle  7 
feet  wide.  At  one  end  of  this  cross-aisle 
there  is  a  side  entrance  from  the  alley 
which  serves  as  a  fire  exit  and  also  as  an 
entrance  to  the  colored  balcony.  The  foyer 


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Are  You  Going  to  Remodel 
Your  Theatre  This  Summer? 

.  .  .  if  so,  you  may  find  the  Planning  the  Theatre  department 
of  Better  Theatres  helpful.  This  department  is  conducted  by  an 
experienced  theatre  architect,  Peter  M.  Hulsken,  and  he  will  give 
your  inquiries  his  personal  attention.  There  is  no  fee  .  .  .  and 
no  "trade  tie-ups."  Only  unbiased  advice  as  to  construction, 
decorative   treatment,    materials,    costs,    etc.    Merely  write: 

BETTER  THEATRES,  ROCKEFELLER   CENTER,  NEW  YORK 


July  25,  1936 


39 


CORKANSTELE 
RECOMMENDED 

Read  this  letter  from  a  more-than-satisfied 
manager — 

Gentlemen: 

The  Middleburg  Hollywood  theatre,  which 
you  built  in  1928,  is  in  first-class  condition 
and  the  upkeep  expense  has  been  neglible. 

The  heavy  corkboard  which  is  a  major 
structural  element  with  semi-fabricated 
steel,  serves  as  a  non-conductor  and  has 
sound-absorbing  qualities  which  lend  them- 
selves to  an  acoustical  condition  seldom 
equaled  and  never  excelled. 

I  am  therefore  pleased  to  recommend, 
without  reservation,  your  Corkanstele  The- 
atre Construction  to  anyone  interested  in 
building  houses  of  this  kind. — (signed) 
Mabel  E.  Waddell,  manager,  Hollywood 
Theatre,  Middleburg,  Va. 

Corkanstele  Theatre  Construction  can  do  as  much 
for  you.    Let  us  prove  itl 

CORKANSTELE 


270  MADISON  AVENUE 


NEW  YORK  CITY 


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is  separated  from  the  auditorium  only  by  a 
wall  about  4  feet,  6  inches  high  made  of 
matched  ceiling  lumber.  Over  this  wall  a 
cloth  about  18  inches  wide  is  hung  on  a 
wire. 

The  auditorium  is  62  feet  by  38  feet, 
6  inches.  The  stage  is  19  feet,  6  inches 
wide,  and  8  feet,  3  inches  to  screen,  as 
now  placed.  Ceiling  is  14  feet  at  back, 
and  18  feet  at  stage.  Walls  are  plastered 
and  ceiling  is  of  art  metal.   Ceiling  is  flat. 

I  would  like  to  have  foyer  covered.  How 
can  it  best  be  done  without  too  much  ex- 
pense ?  How  many  seats  can  I  put  in  ?  As 
now  arranged  there  is  a  center  bank  of 
10  seats  and  two  wall  banks.  One  aisle  is 
4  feet  wide,  and  the  other  is  3  feet  6  inches. 
Woodwork  of  entrance,  lobby  and  doors  i.-; 
now  painted.  Would  like  to  remove  paint 
on  woodwork  and  varnish.  Is  this  feasi- 
ble? What  acoustic  work  should  be  done? 
Is  jute  matting,  such  as  is  used  under  rugs, 
all  right  to  hang  on  walls?  What  size 
screen  should  I  use? — P.  J.  M. 

THE  ANSWER: 

the  least  expensive  way 
of  covering  the  foyer  walls  would  be  to 
use  a  16  x  32  inch  beveled  edge  sound-ab- 
sorbing tile,  cemented  to  the  present  plas- 
ter surface;  or  to  use  a  wood-grained  wall- 
board  held  in  place  with  chromium  snap- 
on  strips. 

If  I  understand  your  inquiry  correctly, 
the  space  38  feet,  6  inches  by  62  feet  is 
available  for  seats.  In  that  case,  I  suggest 
that  you  place  the  seats  as  follows: 

Plan  a  center  bank  of  twelve  seats 
across  with  an  aisle  on  each  side,  and  two 
wall  banks  of  three  seats  each  across.  This 
will  give  you  18  seats  across  the  width 
of  the  auditorium.  A  depth  of  62  feet 
will  accommodate  24  rows  of  seats,  so  the 
total  seating  capacity  will  be  432  seats. 

I  cannot  find  any  reason  why  you  should 
remove  the  paint  from  present  woodwork. 
One  obtains  better  decorative  effects  with 
paint  than  with  natural  wood  varnished. 
To  remove  the  paint  it  would  be  necessary 
to  burn  it  off  with  a  torch  and  sand  the 
woodwork  until  its  natural  grain  was  ob- 
tained. This,  of  course,  is  an  expensive 
method.   Why  not  use  a  good  paint? 

To  obtain  better  acoustic  conditions  it 
will  be  necessary  to  treat  the  metal  ceiling 
with  "soundproof"  paint,  and  you  might 
place  a  few  draped  wall  panels  along  the 
side  walls.  This  would  be  a  great  deal 
better  than  the  matting  which  you  sug- 
gest. 

According  to  the  size  given  for  stage, 
the  largest  possible  projection  screen  which 
you  could  install  would  be  10  feet,  4  inches 
by  14  feet  4  inches. 

The  standee  railing  may  be  improved 
by  covering  it  the  same  as  the  walls  in  the 
foyer.  Build  on  top  of  it  a  few  posts  with 
a  cornice  forming  open  spaces,  which  can 
be  provided  with  draw  curtains. 


THE  QUESTION: 

I  have  watched  and  read 
with  great  interest  your  columns  in  past 


issues  of  Better  Theatres.  Now  here 
is  my  problem. 

I  have  a  building  that  is  a  large  wooden 
frame  affair  that  I  want  to  change  into  a 
summer  affair.  Would  want  a  stage  where 
I  could  put  on  regular  shows  if  necessary. 
The  building  is  90  feet  long  and  40  feet 
wide,  with  overhead  beams  20  feet  off  the 
flat  floor.  On  each  side  there  are  wings 
10  feet  high  extending  16  feet  wider  on 
each  side,  making  the  total  width  of  the 
main  floor  72  feet. 

There  is  a  low  ceiling  "el"  on  the  rear 
of  the  building  of  approximately  14  feet, 
to  add  to  the  total  depth.  I  was  plan- 
ning on  pulling  out  the  rear  "el"  and 
building  a  stage  with  proper  height  there. 
As  there  are  posts  every  10  feet  separating 
the  side  wings  of  the  building  from  the 
main  center  space,  I  didn't  want  to  use 
these  wings  for  seating,  unless  necessary. 

I  would  like  to  get  close  to  a  thousand 
seats  in  if  possible.  How  high  should  my 
stage  be  off  the  present  floor?  What  pitch 
should  the  new  floor  be? — L.  R.  B. 

THE  ANSWER: 

as  far  as  your  problem 
is  concerned,  I  figure  that  the  space  40 
feet  by  90  feet  is  only  space  available  for 
seats,  as  the  16-foot  wings  are  not  very 
well  adapted  to  spectators  on  account  of 
the  interference  of  the  posts. 

It  will  be  impossible  to  obtain  1000  seats 
in  the  section  between  the  columns,  even 
if  you  were  allowed  to  run  a  continuous 
row  of  seats  between  columns  and  use  the 
side  wings  for  aisles.  The  maximum  seat- 
ing capacity  you  could  obtain  would  be 
864.  However,  I  doubt  if  even  this  num- 
ber would  be  permissible.  If  you  have  to 
have  a  center  aisle,  the  seating  capacity 
would  be  about  800.  (Of  course,  some 
additional  seats  may  be  placed  in  the  front 
part  of  the  wings  near  stage.) 

I  suggest  that  you  place  the  stage  floor 
3  feet  6  inches  above  the  low  part  of 
auditorium  floor.  Leave  the  first  20  feet  of 
the  auditorium  floor,  (near  stage)  level. 
The  minimum  slope  of  the  balance  of  the 
floor  should  be  4  foot  6  inches. 


THE  QUESTION: 

I  have  a  garage  building 
200  by  45  feet.  I  am  thinking  of  turning 
the  building  into  a  theatre.  My  problem 
is  this:  The  height  of  the  building  inside 
to  the  iron  beams  is  12  feet,  4  inches,  and 
to  the  ceiling  it  is  14  feet.  I  am  figuring 
on  putting  in  about  800  seats.  The  front 
of  the  building  is  two  stories;  it  runs  40 
feet. 

My  intention  is  to  place  the  booth  at  the 
end  of  the  lobby,  7  feet  from  the  floor  and 
dig  the  floor  for  elevation  for  a  100-foot 
auditorium.  After  I  leave  15  feet  for 
foyer,  and  30  feet  for  stage,  how  much 
elevation  will  I  need  ?  Do  you  think  8  feet 
too  much  for  100  feet?  Also,  I  intend 
to  make  two  exits  in  the  back — one  on  each 
side  of  the  stage.  But  these  exits  have  to 
be  elevated  to  the  street  on  a  35-foot  run, 
which  is  too  steep.    How  can  I  do  this? 


40 


Better  Theatres 


The  floor  is  level  with  the  street.  Is  there 
any  other  way  I  can  fix  the  height?  I 
don't  want  to  spend  much  money,  as  I 
don't  have  it.  Does  the  Government  loan 
money  for  this  purpose?  I  know  it  is  a 
paying  proposition. — H,.  N.  C. 

THE  ANSWER: 

the  best  seating  arrange- 
ment will  be  a  center  bank  of  13  seats  with 
aisle  on  each  side,  and  two  wall  banks  of 
four  seats,  making  the  total  of  21  seats 
across  the  width  of  the  auditorium.  The 
length  of  the  auditorium,  100  feet,  will  ac- 
commodate 38  rows  of  seats.  Allowing  for 
distance  between  apron  and  front  row  of 
seats,  the  capacity  will  be  798  seats. 

An  incline  of  8  feet  in  the  auditorium 
floor  is  just  about  the  minimum.  The  first 
20  feet  from  the  stage  may  be  level.  Make 
the  incline  for  the  next  first  15  feet,  9 
inches;  the  next  15  feet,  12  inches;  and 
so  on,  increasing  the  incline  3  inches  for 
every  15  feet  of  floor  space. 

A  ceiling  height  of  7  feet  for  lobby  is 
rather  low.  The  minimum  should  be  8 
feet,  6  inches.  You  may  obtain  this  by 
placing  the  top  of  the  projection  room 
ports  on  the  same  level  with  the  bottom 
of  the  beams  of  the  auditorium,  and  ex- 
tend the  upper  part  of  the  projection  room 
through  the  roof. 

Two  exits  near  the  stage  will  not  be 
enough  for  an  800-seat  house.  It  will  re- 
quire four — two  near  the  stage,  and  two 
near  the  rear  wall  of  the  auditorium.  Per- 
haps you  can  use  steps  inside  of  the  audi- 
torium to  reach  the  grade  line  for  exits. 

The  Federal  government  has  made  loans 
for  theatre  remodeling  purposes.  I  sug- 
gest that  you  consult  your  banker  or  write 
the  Federal  Housing  Administration,  U.S. 
Department  of  Commerce,  Washington, 
D.  C. 

THE  QUESTION: 

there  is  A  garage  build- 
ing here  which  I  am  considering  remodel- 
ing into  a  325-  to  350-seat  theatre.  It  is 
30x120  feet.  Side  walls  are  of  brick,  and 
it  has  a  level  cement  floor.  Of  course  the 
floor  will  have  to  be  taken  out  and  elevated. 
Kindly  advise  best  seating  arrangement, 
also  approximate  cost  for  heating  plant  and 
air  conditioning.  Give  me  your  advice 
about  layout  of  box  office,  lobby,  foyer, 
restrooms  and  distance  from  screen  to  first 
row  of  seats. — J.  D. 

THE  ANSWER: 

the  best  seating  arrange- 
ment for  a  theatre  30  feet  wide  is  a  center 
bank  of  13  seats  with  a  wall  aisle  on  each 
side.  To  obtain  a  seating  capacity  of  350 
seats,  you  will  require  27  rows,  or  a  mini- 
mum of  67  feet,  six  inches. 

Place  the  box  office  in  center  of  building 
at  sidewalk  line,  with  a  set  of  double 
entrance  doors  on  each  side.  Set  entrance 
door  flush  with  back  of  ticket  booth.  This 
will  prevent  doors  projecting  beyond  front 
of  building  when  open. 

The  width  of  the  lobby  will  be  15  feet, 
and  the  depth  15  feet.    This  will  leave 


space  on  each  side  of  lobby  for  men's  and 
women's  toilet  rooms.  These  toilet  rooms 
should  open  from  the  foyer.  The  width  of 
foyer  does  not  have  to  be  over  6  feet,  and 
the  foyer  should  extend  across  the  width 
of  auditorium,  connecting  with  wall  aisles. 

Locate  the  projection  room  and  man- 
ager's office  above  lobby  and  rest  rooms. 

The  minimum  distance  between  screen 
and  first  row  of  seats  should  be  20  feet. 

I  advise  you  to  consult  a  local  heating 
contractor  to  obtain  an  accurate  estimate 
for  heating  and  air  conditioning,  as  he  can 
inspect  the  premises  and  familiarize  him- 
self with  existing  conditions. 

THE  QUESTION: 

I  am  contemplating  build- 
ing a  new  house,  which  will  have  a  total 
seating  capacity  from  600  to  700,  in  the 
same  locality  where  my  present  theatre  is 
located.  I  would  appreciate  your  sending 
me  booklets  or  publications  containing  suit- 
able designs  for  buildings  of  this  capacity. 

Please  note  that  this  country  is  in  the 
tropical  zone  and  the  temperature  in  my 
locality  ranges  from  80°  to  100°.  I  would 
therefore  appreciate  your  giving  me  sugges- 
tions as  to  a  ventilation  system. 

You  may  send  me  also  suggestions  as  to 
the  appropriate  building  materials  to  be 
used  and  appropriate  cost  for  building  of 
outside  wooden  construction  or  concrete. 
Proposed  seats  for  balcony  150,  orchestra 
500.— N.  Q. 

THE  ANSWER: 

THIS    DEPARTMENT  may 

not  supply  actual  designs  for  theatres.  I 
suggest  that  you  look  over  carefully,  past 
issues  of  the  Better  Theatres.  You  will 
find  many  floor  plans  and  photographs  and 
descriptions  of  interiors  and  exteriors, 
which  should  give  you  some  of  the  ideas 
you  seek. 

For  building  in  tropical  zones,  it  is  para- 
mount that  the  building  be  properly  in- 
sulated, so  as  to  keep  the  heat  out ;  special 
study  should  be  given  in  regard  to  roof 
insulation. 

My  opinion  is  that  concrete  walls  should 
be  very  suitable  to  your  climate.  The  in- 
side of  these  walls  could  be  furred  for 
plaster,  and  the  space  between  the  furring 
could  be  filled  with  insulating  materials. 

Where  cold  water  is  obtainable,  airwash- 
ers  generally  can  cool  a  theatre  very  satis- 
factorily at  a  relatively  moderate  cost.  Of 
course,  the  best  results  are  obtained  by  me- 
chanical refrigeration  and  related  equip- 
ment, but  I  fear  this  method  is  too  ex- 
pensive for  you,  not  only  in  installation, 
but  also  in  operating  cost. 

Ventilating  and  air-conditioning  methods 
have  been  extensively  discussed  in  Better 
Theatres,  particularly  by  J.  T.  Knight, 
Jr.,  in  his  department,  Equipment  and 
Operation.  I  suggest  that  you  look  up 
these  articles,  or  perhaps  you  might  do 
well  to  write  this  publication  specifically 
concerning  your  air  supply  problems,  giv- 
ing all  information  possible  concerning 
climatic  conditions,  availability  of  cold 
well  water,  maximum  cost,  etc. 


The  finest  in  America 


0  DISTINCT/VE  FURNITURE  ^ 


makes  your  lobby 
or  lounge 

ROYALCHROME  distinc- 
tive furniture,  with  its  su- 
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lines — colorful  upholstery, 
tailored  and  built  to  with- 
stand hard  usage,  produces 
effects  that  appeal  —  and 
at  small  cost. 


OUR  CATALOG 

sent  on  request  will  give  you 
remodeling  suggestions  of  value. 

ij^rrMft#lf  METAL  MF6.  CO. 

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1150  S.  Michigan  Blvd.,  Chicago 
25  West  45th  Street,  New  York 

BRANCHES  IN 
Los  Angeles  Toronto  Boston 

Pittsburgh  San  Francisco 


July  25,  1936 


41 


BETTER  THEATRES 
CATALOG  BUREAU 

Detailed  information  concerning  products  listed  will  be  sent  to  any  theatre 
owner,  manager,  architect  or  projectionist.  Fill  in  coupon  below  and  mail. 
Readers  will  find  many  of  the  products  listed  are  advertised  in  this  issue. 


A 

Fire  extinguishers 

R 

Acoustic  materials 

Flashers,  electric  sign 

Rectifiers 

Air  filters 

Flood  lighting 

Reflectors,  projection  arc 

Air  conditioning,  complete 

Floor  surfacing  material 

Ketlector  shields 

Air  washers 

Fountains 

Regulators,  maxda 

Amplifiers 

rnmAt      Mnhu  <4icnlau 

rrarnyj,   iwDuy  ui>piay 

Amplifier  tubes 

S 

Rewinders,  film 

Architectural  materials 
(specify  purpose  for  which 

Grilles,  ventilating 

Rheostats 

material  is  wanted) 

H 

s 

Automatic  curtain  control 

Heating  systems 

Safes,  office 

D 

Horns 

Screens 

L 

Screen  masks  and  modifiers 

Batteries,  storage 

Ladders,  safety 

Screen  resurfacing  service 

c 

Lamps,  incandescent 

Seat  covers 

Carbom 

projection 

Signs,  directional 

Carpets 

Lamps,  projection  arc 

Signs,  theatre  name 

Carpet  cushion 

Lenses 

Shutters,  projection  port 

Chairs,  theatre 

Lighting,  emergency 

Soundheads 

Change  makers 

Lighting,  decorative 

Speakers 

Changeable  letters 

Lifts— organ,  orchestra 

Splicers,  film 

Changeovers 

M 

Marquees 

Mats  and  runners 

Microphones 

Stage  lighting  equipment 

Color  hoods 

Stage  rigging 

Cutout  machines 
D 

Stereopticons 
Switchboards 

Dimmers 

Motor-generators 

T 

Disinfectants 

Motors  (specify  purpose) 

Tickets 

E 

Music  stands 

Ticket  booths 

Effect  machines 

O 

Ticket  issuing  machines 

Electric  signal  and  control 

Organs 

Transformers 

devises 

P 

U 

Uniforms 

Emergency  lighting  plants 
Exciter  lamps 

Paints,  lacquers,  etc. 
Perfumers 

F 

Photo-electric  cells 

V 

Fans,  ventilating 

Portable  projectors 

Vacuum  cleaners 

Rim  rewinders 

Portable  sound  equipment 

Ventilating  systems 

Film  splicing  -  devices 

Projectors,  motion  picture 

Ventilation  control 

Fire  Prevention  Devices, 

(specify  kind) 

instruments 

projector 

Public  address  systems 

Vending  machines 

"BETTER  THEATRES"  DIVISION,  Motion  Picture  Herald,  «-®-3S] 
Rockefeller  Center,  New  York 

Gentlemen:  I  should  like  to  receive  reliable  information  on  the  following  items: 

(Refer  to  items  by  name,  as  listed  above) 

I   7  

2  :   8  

3   9  

4   10  

5   II  

6   12  


Remarks  (or  any  items  not  listed  above): 


Name   Theatre   City. 

State....   Seating  Capacity  


Index  to 
ADVERTISERS 


A 

Adler  Sign  Letter  Co   34 

Air  Beam  Circulator  Co   24 

Artkraft  Sign  Co.,  The   39 

Ashcraft  Manufacturing  Corp.,  C.  S.  35 
B 

Baldor  Electric  Co   30 

Ballantyne  Co.,  The   35 

Brenkert  Light  Projection  Co   31 

G 

Century  Electric  Co   23 

Clancy,  Inc.,  J.  R   22 

Corkanstele    40 

D 

Dictograph  Products  Co.,  Inc   35 

E 

Easy  Method  Ledger  System   24 

Electric-Air,  Inc   37 

Everbrite  Electric  Signs,  Inc   40 

G 

Garver  Electric  Co   30 

General  Electric  Co   3 

General  Seating  Co   24 

GoldE  Manufacturing  Co   32 

H 

Hall  &  Connolly,  Inc   26 

Hertner  Electric  Co.,  The   33 

Hoffmann-Soons  E.  &  E.  Corp   35 

I 

Ideal  Seating  Co   21 

Independent  Theatre  Supply  Dealers 

Assn.,  Inc   31 

International  Projector  Corp. 

Third  Cover 

International  Seat  Corp   23 

J 

Jackson  &  Co.,  Inc.,  O.  W   39 

K 

Kneisley  Electric  Co   33 

L 

Lavezzi  Machine  Works   37 

Mc 

McAuley  Manufacturing  Co.,  J.  E..  29 
N 

National  Carbon  Co.,  Inc..  .Second  Cover 
P 

Pantasote  Co.,  Inc.,  The   24 

Progressive  Reeltone  Co   34 

Projection  Optics  Co.,  Inc   32 

R 

RCA  Manufacturing  Co.,  Inc. 

Fourth  Cover 

Royal  Metal  Manufacturing  Co   41 

S 

S.  O.  S.  Corp   40 

Strong  Electric  Corp.,  The   33 

T 

Taylor  Manufacturing  Co   26 

Trimm  Radio  Manufacturing  Co. ...  37 

w 

Weber  Machine  Corp   30 

W olverine  Blower  W orks   22 

Wright-DeCoster,   Inc   34 


42 


Better  Theatres 


PROJECTORS  —  DISTRIBUTED   BY  NATIONAL  THEATRE   SUPPLY  COMPANY 

WRITE  FOR  FULL  PARTICULARS  OF  PART  PAYMENT  PLAN 


_      7cme  SOUND  PROJECTOR 

3nIw  All  range"  amplifier 

FIRST  ALL  RANGE"  AMPIIEIER  USING  LATEST  AIL  METAL  TIBES 


An  entirely  new  Speaker  Combination  reproducing  with 
>solute  fidelity  everything  that  is  recorded  on  the  film.  Any 
■arch  of  the  National  Theatre  Supply  Company  will  be  glad  to 
ipply  further  information  regarding  TA-62  40  Watt  "All  Range 
mplifier,  Speaker  System,  Filter  Network,  etc.,  for  Simplex  Acme 
aund  Projector. 


-  j 

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TA-62  "ALL  RANGE"AMPLIFIER 


Wk      TA-63  SPEAKER  AND  BAFFLE -TA-64  FLAR 


DOUBLE  LOW  RANGE.  SPEAKER  BAFFLE  -TA-67 


I 


INTERNATIONAL  PROJECTOR  CORPORATION 

88-  96  GOLD    ST.   NEW    YORK.  N  Y. 


FOR  A 

TREMENDOUS  ADVANCE  IN  SOUND! 


Columbia  Pictures,  20th  Century-Fox 
and  Warner  Brothers  have  joined  the 
select  group  of  producers  who  this  fall 
will  offer  you  features  recorded  by  RCA 
Photophone  High  Fidelity,  including 
the  amazing  new 
Ultra -Violet  proc- 
ess. Theatre  owners 
whose  houses  are 
equipped  with  RCA 
High  Fidelity  appa- 
ratus are  in  position 
to  get  the  most  from 


Look  for  High  Fidelity  recordings 
by  these  RCA  Photophonelicensees 
Columbia  Pictures  •  20th  Century-Fox 
Warner  Brothers  •  RKO  Corporation 
RKO  Pathe  News  •  Republic  Pictures 
Walt  Disney  Studios  •  Biograph  Studios 
Grantland  Rice  Sport  Pictures,  Inc. 
Selznick  International 


these  features.  To  get  all  the  realism, 
the  perfection  of  high  frequency  tones 
madepossiblebyUltra-Violet  recording, 
use  modern  reproducing  equipment  de- 
signed by  the  same  engineers  who  devel- 
oped Ultra -Violet. 

Get  in  touch  with 
us  and  learn  how 
simply,  quickly, 
and  easily  you  can 
have  modern  equip- 
ment to  match  mod- 
ern sound. 


RCA  TRANS- LUX 


RCA  SONOTONE 


RCA  Manufacturing  Company,  Inc.,  Camden,  New  Jersey        •        A  Service  of  Radio  Corporation  of  America 

RCA  Sound  Equipments,  Ltd.,  Montreal,  Canada 


Taxes  6Freezin 
Admission  Prices- 
Exhibitors  Find 


QP 


VISITING  BRITISH  SHOWMEN  WELCOMED 


VOL  124,  NO.  5 


Entered  as  second-class  matter.  January  12,  1931,  at  the  Host  Office,  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  t 
weekly  by  Quigley  Publishing  Co..  Inc.,  at  1270  Sixth  Avenue  Rockefeller  Ceuter,  New  York.  Su 
copies,   25  cents. 


AUGUST  I,  1936 


JUST 

WHEN  HE 


ROBERT  TAYLoi 
onel  Barn/mot^ 

HJGORG£OU 
HUSSV 


THOUGHT  THE 

EARTHQUAKE 

WAS  OVER! 

Isn't  it  lovely!  "SUZY"  is  a  SMASH  hit!  Big  everywhere! 
Right  after  "SAN  FRANCISCO"  too!  And  more  HITS  com- 
ing to  rock  the  indusrry!  Ain't  that  M-G-M  LION  a  PAL! 


tm* 

i  m 

HsBHHHhBHHBBBH 

A  Fable  by  Marc  Connelly  •  Directed 
by  Marc  Connelly  and  Wm.  Keighley 


W6f 


list  I 


ily 


©Or 
red 


»3  *** 


LAST  NIGHT 
at  the  Carthay  Circle, 
Los  Angeles,  the  most 
brilliant  premiere  in  cin- 
ema history  launched 

'ANTHONY 
ADVERSE' 

on  the  career  that  will 
establish  it  as  the  su- 
preme achievement  of 
WARNER  BROS 


THE  KEYSTONE 
OF  YOUR  FUTURE 


1 
M 


Wifh 


IAN  CLAIRE 

HUNTER  TREVOI 

JEAN  DIXON 

Directed  by  John  Cromwell 

Associate  Producer  Kenneth  Macgowan.  Screen 
play  by  Richard  Sherman  and  Howard  Ellis 
Smith.   From  the  story  by  Richard  Sherman. 

Darryl    F.   Zan  uck    in  Charge  of  Production 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 


EI 


Vol.  124,  No.  5  August  I,  1936 


THE  PUBLIC 
RELATIONS  JOB 
AND  THE  HERALD 

""HAT  sector  of  industrial  activity  known  as  public  rela- 
tions, always  a  concern  of  the  motion  picture,  has  been 

\  given  impetus  and  emphasis  for  all  business  by  the 
political  and  social  pressures  of  the  New  Deal  period. 

Corporations  of  all  sorts  and  operating  in  all  manner  of 
fields  and  markets  are  establishing  public  relations  offices. 
Most  conspicuous  among  them  is  the  staid,  stable  and  conser- 
vative United  States  Steel  Corporation,  with  a  new  publicity 
office,  a  press  representative  and  now  engaged  in  an  institu- 
tional campaign. 

Once  upon  a  time,  and  many  years  ago  as  the  motion  pic- 
ture counts  time,  the  public  relations  job  for  the  screen  was 
entirely  in  the  hands  of  a  little  group  of  press  agents — -"direc- 
tors of  publicity  and  advertising"  we  called  ourselves  then 
with  what  was  a  deal  of  daring  in  1915.  Issues  of  censorship, 
taxation,  the  women's  clubs,  the  militant  churchmen,  and  the 
great  basic  problem  of  making  the  motion  picture  the  accepted 
medium  of  entertainment — all  these  efforts  in  behalf  of  the 
whole  industry  were  the  concern  of  the  young  men  who  inci- 
dentally were  expected  to  do  mighty  things  toward  selling 
"the  program." 

TODAY's  picture  is  rather  different,  revealing  evolution 
into  a  highly  specialized  mechanism,  or  array  of  mechan- 
isms. 

The  broader  problems  affecting  the  whole  industry,  in  social, 
regulative  and  legislative  matters,  are  in  the  hands  of  the  big 
complex  machine  called  "The  Hays  Office."  Labour  is  the 
specialty  of  "The  Pat  Casey  Office."  And  there  are  some 
other  "offices,"  like  the  Copyright  Protection  Bureau  for  in- 
stance, seldom  in  print,  always  in  action.  Meanwhile  the  cor- 
poration publicity  men  have  tended  to  become  more  and 
more  super-showmen  working  in  terms  of  advertising  display 
and  roadshow  picture  promotions.  They  still  have  "programs" 
to  sell,  but  the  programs  are  made  of  vastly  bigger  units. 
Each  motion  picture  tends  to  be  a  business  unto  itself,  as  well 
it  may  with  production  budgets  what  they  are. 

A BROWSING  through  the  lengthening  aisles  of  the  files  of 
Motion  Picture  Herald  and   its  ancestors  and  ante- 
cedents reveals,  too,  a  closely  related  evolution  in  the 
operations  of  this  journal  of  the  industry. 

Way  back  yonder,  about  the  time  that  press  books  were 


born,  there  was  an  article,  by  the  present  editor  of  The  Herald, 
then  a  press  agent,  about  how  half-tones  were  made.  It  was 
just  a  broad  service  gesture  to  the  industry,  except  that  all 
the  illustrations  about  how  to  make  a  half-tone  were  pictures 
of  Mr.  Charles  Chaplin,  posed  for  the  Mutual  Film  Corpora- 
tion. There  were  pages  no  end  in  the  journals  to  state  and 
extend  the  glories  of  the  masters  of  the  movies.  A  star  was 
anyone  who  played  in  a  five  reeler,  and  directors  were  men- 
tioned now  and  then,  authors  rarely. 

TODAY'S  Herald,  with  its  twenty  years  a-growing,  has  come 
to  be  a  publication  as  different  from  the  beginnings 
as  the  industry  itself  is  from  Then  and  Now.  "Publicity" 
as  plain  publicity  is  not  a  factor  any  more.  The  line  of  de- 
marcation between  advertising  and  text,  has  become  the 
line  between  merchandising  and  service.  But  it  is  as  a  factor  of 
public  relations,  the  text  of  this  screed,  that  today's  Herald 
becomes  especially  significant.  Its  pages  reflect  a  conscious- 
ness of  the  eyes  of  the  world.  Its  material,  while  addressed 
acutely  to  the  industry's  own  audiences,  is  so  presented  that 
it  tells  a  story  to  that  important  audience  that  in  the  talk  of 
the  shop  we  call  "marginal  readers" — the  small  but  important 
circulation  among  editors,  social  leaders,  financiers,  writers. 
Motion  Picture  Herald,  like  its  own  motion  picture  reviews,  is 
not  written  to  be  quoted,  but  it  is  produced  with  a  conscious- 
ness that  it  will  be,  that  it  has  a  public  relations  job  to  do  for 
the  industry  it  serves. 

And  that  public  relations  function  has  brought  a  line  of 
specialized  supplementary  activities,  too,  as  for  instance 
Motion  Picture  Almanac,  which  again  is  ponderously  pouring 
from  the  presses,  with  its  who's  who  of  13,1  12  motion  pic- 
ture names,  its  record  of  all  the  pictures  and  all  the  picture 
corporations.  And  there's  the  Box  Office  Check-Up  now  in 
the  making  with  its  recordings  of  the  flow  of  fame  and  suc- 
cess, for  all  the  makers  of  pictures  in  all  capacities.  Both  are, 
besides  their  function  of  interior  service,  tools  of  industry, 
also  parts  of  the  public  relations  job — to  be  spread  over  the 
world  to  the  press  and  the  libraries,  the  reference  shelves  of 
the  bankers  and  economic  researchers. 

OSTLY  wherever  a  story  of  the  motion  picture  is  told 
there  can  be  found  in  it  contribution  that  has  been 
made  by  the  pages  of  Motion  Picture  Herald  and  its 
annuals,  the  Almanac  and  Box  Office  Check  -Up. 

When  the  other  day,  in  the  course  of  an  article,  the  New 
York  Times  observed  that  Motion  Picture  Herald  "is  a  weekly 
journal  whose  status  in  the  industry  may  be  compared  to  the 
importance  elsewhere  of  the  Encyclopedia  Britannica  or  the 
Bible,"  it  was  thereby  expressing  too  the  reason  that  the  press 
turns  to  the  Herald  and  its  related  publications  as  the  authority. 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  MARTIN  QUIGLEY,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher 

Incorporating  Exhibitor's  Herald,  founded  1915;  Motion  Picture  News,  founded  1913;  Moving  Picture  World,  founded  1907;  Motography,  founded  1909;  The  Film  Index, 
founded  1906.  Published  every  Thursday  by  Quigiey  Publishing  Company,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  City.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address  "Quigpubco,  New  York. 
Martin  Quigiey,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Colvin  Brown,  Vice-President  and  General  Manager;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Editor;  Ernest  A.  Rovelstad,  Managing  Editor;  Chicago 
Bureau,  624  South  Michigan  Avenue,  C.  B.  O'Neill,  manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Postal  Union  Life  Building,  Boone  Mancall,  manager;  London  Bureau,  4,  Golden 
Square,  London  W  I,  Bruce  Allan,  cable  Quigpubco  London;  Berlin  Bureau,  Berlin -Tempelhof,  Kaiserin-Augustastrasse  28,  Joachim  K.  Rutenberg,  representative;  Paris 
Bureau,  19,  Rue  de  la  Cour-des-Noues,  Paris  20e,  France,  Pierre  Autre,  representative,  cable  Autre-Lacif ral-20  Paris;  Rome  Bureau,  Viale  Gorizia,  Rome,  Italy,  Vittorio  Malpassuti, 
representative,  Italcable,  Malpassuti,  Rome;  Melbourne  Bureau,  Regent  Theatre,  191  Collins  St.,  Melbourne,  Australia,  Cliff  Holt,  representative;  Mexico  City  Bureau,  Apartado  269, 
Mexico  City,  James  Lockhart,  representative;  Prague  Bureau,  Uhelny  trh  2,  Prague  I,  Czechoslovakia,  Harry  Knopf,  representative;  Budapest  Bureau,  3,  Kaplar-u,  Budapest,  Hungary. 
Endre  Hevesi,  representative;  Buenos  Aires  Bureau,  Corrientes  2495,  Dep.  8,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina,  Natalio  Bruski,  representative;  Shanghai  Bureau,  142  Museum  Road,  Shanghai, 
China,  J.  P.  Koehler,  representative;  Tokyo  Bureau,  880  Sasazuka,  Ichikawa-shi,  Chiba-Ken,  Japan,  H.  Tominaga,  representative;  Rio  de  Janeiro  Bureau,  Caixa  Postal  3358, 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil,  A.  Weissmann,  representative;  Barcelona  Bureau,  Harry  Chapin  Plummer,  Hotel  Ritz,  Plaza  de  las  Cortes,  Barcelona,  Spain.  India  Bureau;  K.  G.  Gidwaney, 
Post  Box  147,  Bunder  Road,  Karachi,  India;  Uruguay,  P.O.  Box  664,  Montevideo,  Uruguay,  Paul  Bodo,  representative,  cable  Argus  Montevideo.  Member  Audit  Bureau  of  Circulations. 
All  contents  copyright  1936  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Address  all  correspondence  to  the  New  York  Office.  Better  Theatres,  devoted  to  the  construction,  equipment  and  opera- 
tion of  theatres,  is  published  every  fourth  week  as  section  2  of  Motion  Picture  Herald.  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Daily,  Teatro  al  D!a,  Spanish  language  quarterly 
in  the  theatre  and  equipment  field,  and  International  Motion  Picture  Almanac  and  the  Box  Office  Check-up,  both  published  annually. 


8 


M  OTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August     I  ,  1936 


This  Week 


Social  Survey 

Employes  in  all  branches  of  the  film  in- 
dustry— production,  distribution  and  exhibi- 
tion— will  be  included  in  a  national  census 
of  workers  in  all  fields  which  the  Social 
Security  Board  is  expected  to  undertake  late 
in  November  to  lay  the  groundwork  for 
application  of  the  social  security  act  passed 
at  the  last  session  of  Congress. 

The  survey  will  cover  some  30,000,000 
persons  working  for  wages  or  salaries,  each 
of  whom  will  be  given  a  number  which  in 
the  future  will  designate  him  in  the  Federal 
employment  records. 

The  collection  of  data  is  to  be  undertaken 
by  the  board  in  anticipation  of  the  inaugu- 
ration in  1942  of  the  payment  of  old-age 
pensions  to  persons  more  than  65  years  of 
age,  to  finance  which  it  is  expected  the  board 
will  have,  at  the  close  of  that  year,  a  reserve 
of  $60,000,000,000  accumulated  from  the 
payroll  taxes  which  will  be  initially  imposed 
next  year. 

The  census,  to  be  made  through  some  300 
offices  which  the  board  will  establish 
throughout  the  country,  will  give  the  Gov- 
ernment information  as  to  the  name,  ad- 
dress, sex,  race,  date  of  birth  and  employer's 
name  of  every  worker  eligible  for  pension 
listing.  This  data,  together  with  the  worker's 
signature,  will  be  filed  under  a  numerical 
system  devised  to  prevent  confusion  arising 
from  the  duplication  of  names. 

WPA  Film  Bids 

Five  out  of  more  than  40  companies  in- 
vited to  submit  bids  for  a  contract  to  produce 
films  for  the  Works  Progress  Administration 
were  represented  in  proposals  publicly  opened 
and  read  at  WPA  headquarters  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  on  July  24th.  Pathe  News 
was  the  only  newsreel  to  submit  a  bid.  The 
Tarn  Handy  Pictures  Company,  Detroit,  filed 
a  protest  against  a  specification  providing 
that  "contractor  shall  agree  to  cause  to  be 
released  and/or  distributed  one  newsreel 
story  on  the  subject  of  WPA  activities  each 
month  during  the  life  of  this  contract 
through  the  medium  of  a  nationally-distrib- 
uted newsreel.    Pathe  News  got  the  award. 

Complete  details  of  the  bidding  and  the 
bids  are  reported  on  page  15. 

Trade  Practice  Moves 

The  trade  practice  problems  of  the  motion 
picture  this  week  took  fresh  forms :  ( 1 ) 
Minority  exhibitors  in  Kansas  City  started 
the  trial  of  major  distributors  on  federal 
anti-trust  allegations;  and,  (2)  The  Depart- 
ment of  Justice  renewed  its  efforts  to  contact 
exhibitors  in  the  field  on  grievances. 

See  page  25. 


British  Goodwill  Tour 

A  group  of  British  exhibitors  made  their 
first  acquaintance  with  American  scenes, 
theatres  and  motion  picture  production  and 
distribution  in  a  visit  to  New  York  this  week. 
The  tour,  which  was  organized  by  the  Lon- 
don branch  of  the  Cinematograph  Exhibitors 
Association,  is  the  first  of  its  kind  and  it  is 
noted  as  one  expression  of  the  growing 
trend  toward  the  pooling  of  international 
cinema  problems,  particularly  by  British  and 
American  interests.  During  their  three-day 
stay  in  New  York  the  party  was  given  a 
luncheon  by  the  Photophone  Division  of 
RCA,  a  cocktail  party  by  Martin  Quigley 
of  Quigley  Publications  and  W.  G.  Aran 
Schmus,  managing  director  of  the  Music 
Hall,  and  were  taken  on  a  backstage  tour  of 
the  Music  Hall. 

Opinions  of  the  group  on  their  visit  and 
pictures  taken  at  the  ■various  functions  given 
in  their  honor  appear  on  page  19. 


Editorial  Paqe  7 

Pictorial  Preview  Paqe  16 

British  Studios  Page  43 

This  Week  in  Pictures  Page  10 

The  Hollywood  Scene  Paqe  39 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me  Paqe  81 

Showmen's  Reviews  Paqe  56 

Asides  and  Interludes  Paqe  41 

Managers'  Round  Table  Paqe  87 

The  Release  Chart  Paqe  97 

Technoloqical  Paqe  78 

Chicago  Paqe  96 

Box  Office  Receipts  Paqe  84 


Ultimatum 

Executives  of  Tokyo's  two  largest  ex- 
hibition circuits,  the  Shochiku  and  Takara- 
zuka  companies,  called  in  the  distributors  of 
foreign  productions  the  other  day  and  in- 
formed them  that  henceforth  they  were  go- 
ing to  buy  only  such  outstanding  product 
as  they  desired,  and  no  more  program  pic- 
tures than  their  theatres  required  to  fill  out 
programs.  The  decision  was  virtually  an 
ultimatum  that  they  no  longer  would  ac- 
cept lesser  product  on  a  block  booking  ar- 
rangement in  order  to  get  the  best  pictures. 

The  new  development  in  Japan  and  zvh-at 
it  may  signify  is  discussed  in  the-  article  on 
page  42. 

Ten  Companies  Profit 

Financially,  the  motion  picture  situation 
continues  to  look  favorable,  dividends  having 
been  declared  during  the  week  by  Keith-Al- 
bee-Orpheum,  Columbia,  Trans  Lux  and 
RCA,  while  substantial  profits  from  opera- 
tions were  reported  by  Western  Electric, 
Metropolitan  Playhouses,  American  Tele- 
phone, Consolidated  Film  Industries,  Pub- 
lix  Ohio  Theatres,  Trans  Lux,  Radio-Keith- 
Orpheum  Corporation,  KAO,  B.  F.  Keith, 
and  20th  Century-Fox.  However,  Para- 
mount reported  a  loss  of  $476,000  for  the 
second  1936  quarter. 

The  financial  reports  of  these  companies 
are  digested  on  page  79. 

Studios'  Running  Start 

Production  of  films  for  the  new  season's 
schedules  started  in  earnest  last  week  in 
Hollywood  with  many  important  pictures 
going  before  the  cameras  as  others  went 
to  the  cutting  room.  B.  P.  Schulberg  was  a 
center  of  interest  as  he  placed  in  work  the 
first  picture  called  for  in  his  recently  closed 
contract  to  produce  features  for  Paramount 
distribution  during  the  next  two  years. 

Complete  data  pertaining  to  pictures 
started,  and  completed  is  presented  in  "The 
Hollyzvood  Scene"  on  page  39. 

Production  Abroad 

While  production  proceeds  at  high  pitch 
in  England,  crowding  studio  stages  to  ca- 
pacity, American  professionals  vacationing 
overseas  are  being  detained,  when  contract 
provisions  permit,  to  participate  in  pictures 
on  terms  reported  altogether  favorable  to  all 
parties.  One-way  tickets  have  been  recom- 
mended as  economical  for  players  and  direc- 
tors contemplating  overseas  holiday. 

For  a  full  report  of  the  production  situa- 
tion in  England,  turn  to  "British  Studios" 
on  page  43. 


August     I  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


9 


Preview 

The  America  of  Andrew  Jackson,  no  less 
beset  by  political  differences  than  the  nation 
of  today  but  somewhat  more  leisurely  in 
manner,  public  and  private,  is  the  setting 
of  "The  Georgeous  Hussy,"  fresh  from  the 
cameras  with  Joan  Crawford  as  the  conse- 
quential young  woman  of  the  title  and  with 
Robert  Taylor,  Lionel  Barrymore,  Franchot 
Tone  and  others  enacting  the  characters  of 
Samuel  Hopkins  Adams'  historical  romance 
under  direction  of  Clarence  Brown. 

Gus  McCarthy's  pictorial  preview  of  the 
production  is  published  on  page  16. 

Dodging  Shells 

The  personal  safety  of  motion  picture 
representatives  in  war-torn  Spain  was  of 
greater  concern  this  week  to  American  com- 
panies than  the  heavy  money  loss  caused 
by  the  rebellion.  J.  H.  Seidelman  and  J. 
Friedman  of  Columbia  were  forced  to  hide 
for  two  days  in  a  suburban  theatre  before 
they  could  get  transportation  on  a  French 
steamer  for  Marseilles.  Jacques  Edelstein 
of  MGM  and  M.  J.  Messeri  of  Paramount 
were  marooned  at  seaside  resorts.  Most 
other  managers  left  for  other  European  cap- 
itals. 

Further  details,  by  Harry  Chapin  Plum- 
mer,  Herald  correspondent,  from  his  tem- 
porary headquarters  in  the  American  Con- 
sulate, arc  on  page  22. 

Admission  and  Taxes 

taxation,  particularly  on  the  part  of  the 
federal  government,  is  preventing  exhibitors 
throughout  the  country  from  increasing  their 
admission  scales,  a  detailed  study  of  theatre 
conditions  in  key  centers  showed  this  week. 

Twenty-three  of  29  centers  of  exhibition 
reporting  revealed  that  because  of  taxes,  fed- 
eral and  local,  showmen  were  finding  prices 
"frozen"  at  the  points  that  had  been  reached 
when  prices  were  forced  to  low  levels  during 
the  depth  of  the  depression. 

A  detailed  analysis  of  the  situation  with 
individual  reports  from  the  key  centers  is  to 
be  found  in  the  story  beginning  on  page  13. 

Theatre  Matrons  Licensed 

Children  under  16,  a  large  and  avid  por- 
tion of  the  motion  picture  patronage  in  New 
York  City,  will  be  admitted  to  theatres  with 
the  full  assent  of  the  law  starting  this  week. 
Licenses  are  now  being  issued  to  exhibitors 
who,  under  the  new  regulations,  must  pro- 
vide a  special  section  for  children. 

Provisions  of  the  new  law,  details  of  the 
license  applications,  and  possible  effects  of 
the  plan  are  outlined  on  page  23. 


British  Producers  Divided 

Although  the  Advisory  Committee  on  the 
Films  Act  has  officially  announced,  in  Lon- 
don, that  it  will  hear  no  more  testimony,  ad- 
journing until  October,  producers  are  re- 
ported in  Wardour  street  as  sharply,  if  not 
hopelessly,  divided  on  the  major  question 
of  the  quota.  Interest  in  the  possible  effect 
of  the  Schenck-Ostrer  negotiations  with  re- 
spect to  G-B  is  regarded  as  having  had  a 
part  in  the  failure  of  all  parties  to  see  eye- 
to-eye  in  the  matter  of  an  Anglo-American 
reciprocal  plan  under  consideration. 

Bruce  Allan's  account  of  the  situation  ap- 
pears on  page  44. 

Sound  Problems 

Lubrication  in  sound  equipment  is  among 
the  problems  discussed  this  week  in  F.  H. 
Richardson's  "The  Bluebook  School."  A 
number  of  projectionists  offer  their  replies 
to  the  questions  posed. 

The  technological  discussions  are  pre- 
sented on  page  78. 

Colyumnist  Gives  Up 

Minnesota's  heat  was  too  much  for  J.  C. 
Jenkins,  the  Herald's  "Vagabond  Colyumn- 
ist." Despite  cheery  visits  with  a  number 
of  exhibitors  from  Bemidji  to  New  Ulm  and 
fervent  invitations  to  join  them  in  quest  of 
the  wall-eyed  pike,  Mr.  Jenkins  headed 
April  Shower,  his  gentle  but  fidgety  motor, 
toward  home — if  the  mail  address  of  Neligh, 
Nebraska,  can  be  called  home. 

Mr.  Jenkins'  comment  on  the  theatre  situa- 
tion in  Minnesota  appears  on  page  58. 

Returns  to  Paramount 

S.  A.  Lynch,  formerly  head  of  the  far  flung 
Southern  Enterprises,  returned  to  the  field 
of  theatre  operation  this  week  when  he 
signed  a  contract  to  assume  charge  of  the 
Paramount  theatres  in  Miami,  Miami 
Beach,  Coral  Gables  and  Cocoanut  Grove, 
Florida,  about  twenty  theatres  in  all.  He 
withdrew  from  the  exhibition  field  several 
years  ago. 

The  story  is  on  page  46. 

Walker  Treasurer 

Frank  C.  Walker,  operating  head  of  the 
Comerford  theatre  circuit,  has  been  named 
chairman  of  the  finance  committee  of  the 
Democratic  campaign.  Mr.  Walker  is  a 
former  treasurer  of  the  Democratic  National 
Committee  and  was  later  executive  director 
of  the  National  Emergency  Council. 

Mr.  Walker  is  quoted  with  reference  to 
his  plan  on  page  22. 


C-B  Progress 

Progress  was  made  along  charted  channels 
in  the  tri-party  transaction  linking  MGM, 
Twentieth  Century-Fox  and  Gaumont  Brit- 
ish in  an  international  alliance  during  a 
week  which  saw  Isidore  Ostrer  returning  to 
England  and  Joseph  M.  Schenck  arriving 
in  Hollywood  prior  to  returning  to  New- 
York  early  next  month  to  sail  for  London 
to  participate  in  final  details  of  the  deal.  A. 
C.  Blumenthal,  whose  name  figured  in  early 
reports  of  the  negotiations,  also  sailed  for 
England.  All  parties  to  the  transaction  de- 
clared that  the  present  Gaumont-British  dis- 
tributing machinery  and  sales  force  in  the 
United  States  would  be  maintained  through 
the  present  season. 

A  complete  account  of  the  dez'elopm-euts 
in  the  deal  is  published  on  page  24. 


C-N  Established 

Grand  National  announced  this  week  the 
completion  of  its  distribution  setup,  with 
appointments  of  managers  in  various  ex- 
change centers  and  related  assignments. 
Production  plans  have  been  progressing 
steadily.  The  company  will  hold  sales  con- 
ventions in  New  York  on  August  10,  in 
Chicago  August  13,  and  in  San  Francisco 
four  days  later. 

An  account  of  the  developments  is  pub- 
lished on  page  46. 


Films  Without  Music 

Withdrawal  of  the  American  Society  of 
Authors  and  Composers  from  the  Canadian 
Performing  Rights  Society  directly  affects 
the  exhibition  in  Canada  of  pictures  contain- 
ing musical  works  of  the  American  com- 
posers represented,  according  to  an  inter- 
pretation made  this  week  when  representa- 
tives of  the  major  distributing  companies 
conferred  with  E.  C.  Mills,  general  man- 
ager of  ASCAP. 

A  detailed  report  of  the  situation  appears 
on  page  76. 


Millenium 

A  minor  millenium  dawned  this  week 
when  Dudley  Nichols,  whose  script  for  "The 
Informer"  won  him  Academy  recognition, 
told  reporters  during  a  visit  to  New  York 
that  what  motion  pictures  need  is  less  dia- 
logue. Hearers  reflected  that  Mr.  Nichols 
has  been  working  pretty  hard  and  forebore 
to  wisecrack.  He  was  serious,  though,  and 
gave  reasons. 

Mr.  Arichols'  remarks  are  quoted  on  page 
23. 


10 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I ,  1936 


This  Week  in  Pictures 


WARM  WELCOME.  To  Joe  E.  Brown  on 
his  personal  appearance  at  the  Madison 
theatre,  Peoria,  III.,  for  world  premiere  of 
his  Warner  picture,  "Earthworm  Tractors." 
Temperature:  atmosphere,  I  14  degrees. 


HOST  TO  "DE  LAWD."  Rex  Ingram,  who  has  the 
principal  role  in  Warners'  "The  Green  Pastures,"  as 
the  guest  of  Dr.  Christian  F.  Reisner,  pastor  of  the 
Broadway  Temple,  New  York,  at  services  at  which 
the  minister  discussed  the  picture. 


TEXAS  INVITATION.  For  Buck  Jones, 
Universal  Western  star,  in  the  form  of  a 
sombrero  which  makes  him  a  guest  of  the 
Texas  Centennial.  Presenting  it  is  Nan 
Grey,  Universal  starlet  and  Houston  girl. 


REST-WARD  HO!  Madeleine  Car- 
roll shipping  out  from  New  York 
for  Europe  on  a  vacation  which 
follows  completion  of  her  work  in 
the  Paramount  production,  "The 
General  Died  at  Dawn." 


At- 


IN  SPY  FILM.  Isobel  Steel,  who 
has  the  leading  role  in  "I  Was  a 
Captive  in  Nazi  Germany,"  based 
on  her  own  experiences  and  pro- 
duced by  Fred  Mannon. 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


AIMING  TO  KEEP  COOL.  Midsummer  greetings  to  a  sweltering  world  from  the  Warner  Star- 
lets. Admiring  them  from  left  to  right — Jane  Wyman,  Shirley  Lloyd,  Ann  Nagel,  Marie  Wilson, 
Linda  Perry,  Jane  Bryan,  Rosaline  Marquis  and  Carol  Hughes. 


SCREEN-WARD.  Lenore  Ulric, 
famed  stage  star,  as  she  left  New 
York  for  Hollywood  to  assume 
second  feminine  lead  in  MGM's 
"Camille,"  which  stars  Greta 
Garbo. 


SURVEYING  COPYRIGHTS.  Ed- 
win P.  Kilroe,  chairman  of  the 
MPPDA  copyright  committee, 
who  has  sailed  for  Europe  to 
study  world  copyright  conditions. 


HONOR  SALES  EXECUTIVE.  Dinner  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria  in  New  York  given  by  the  20th 
Century-Fox  for  R.  Sutton  Dawes,  director  of  sales  for  that  company  in  Great  Britain.  Shown 
are  C.  V.  Hake,  leader  of  foreign  Kent  drive;  F.  Irby,  M.  L.  Ahern,  W.  Eadie,  William  Sussman, 
Eastern  district  manager;  W.  C.  Michel,  executive  vice  president;  W.  J.  Hutchinson,  foreign 
manager;  Mr.  Dawes,  Harry  Buxbaum,  I.  A.  Maas,  foreign  department;  and  W.  J.  Kupper. 


12 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


FAMILIAR  BRITON.  Whom  America 
once  called  her  own — George  Arliss. 
The  noted  actor,  shown  below  at  the 
GB  studio,  is  soon  to  be  seen  in  GB's 
"East  Meets  West." 


ON  LONG  TOUR.  Phil  Reisman,  vice  presi- 
dent of  RKO  Export,  Inc.,  as  he  boarded  the 
lie  de  France,  beginning  a  trip  which  is  taking 
him  first  through  Europe,  then  South  America, 
to  study  market  conditions. 


VISIT  INTERRUPTED.  J.  N.  Ermolieff,  who 
recently  came  to  America  as  technical  advisor 
on  RKO  Radio's  "Michael  Strogoff,"  embark- 
ing on  the  Berengaria,  on  hurry  call  to  England. 
He  returns  the  middle  of  August. 


WITH  THE  SPOILS.  Of  war  on  the  links  whereon  Universal 
staged  its  1936  golf  tournament.  We  give  you,  first,  Ray  Robin- 
son, four  times  the  winnah,  holding  the  William  Koenig  Second 
Prize  trophy;  and,  second,  John  P.  Fulton,  who  won  this  year's 
competition,  holding  the  Charles  R.  Rogers  trophy. 


TIME  OUT  FOR  VISITORS.  On  the  set  of  the  forthcoming 
Capitol  Films  production,  "Dishonour  Bright,"  at  Denham,  England. 
The  guests — Mac  Schach,  managing  director  of  the  Capitol  Film 
Corporation;  and  C.  M.  Woolf,  managing  director  of  G.F.D. 
The  hosts — Tom  Walls,  Betty  Stockfield  and  George  Sanders. 


August    I,    1936  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  13 

TAXES  'FREEZE'  ADMISSION 
PRICES,  EXHIBITORS  FIND 


State  Taxes  Added  to  Federal 
Complicate  Theatre's  Problem 


Showmen  of  23  Key  Centers 
Blame  Federal  and  State 
Assessments  for  Holding 
Down   Box  Office  Receipts 

Taxes  are  preventing  exhibitors  from 
increasing  their  admission  prices,  a  de- 
tailed study  of  theatre  conditions  in  key 
centers  of  the  United  States  showed 
this  week. 

Twenty-three  of  29  centers  of  exhibition 
reporting  revealed  that  because  of  taxes, 
federal  and  local,  showmen  were  finding 
prices  "frozen"  at  levels  that  had  been 
necessitated  in  the  depression. 

Top  admission  in  most  of  the  situations 
covered  is  set  at  40  cents  because  the  10 
per  cent  federal  admission  tax  makes  any 
increase  beyond  this  figure  subject  to  as- 
sessment ;  if  the  price  is  increased  from  40 
cents  to  45  cents,  the  amount  of  the  increase 
goes  for  taxation.  Therefore,  to  gain  a 
five  cent  increase  in  theatre  net  the  exhibitor 
is  forced  to  double  the  amount  of  price  in- 
crease over  his  previous  40-cent  charge. 

Besides  the  federal  impost  which  is  levied 
in  every  state,  there  are  1 3  states  that  im- 
pose sales  taxes  which  include  admissions, 
five  with  taxes  on  gross  receipts  of  theatres 
and  four  states  with  straight  admission 
taxes.  In  addition,  many  special  sessions 
of  the  legislatures  are  expected  this  fall  to 
levy  other  assessments  against  theatres  for 
"welfare"  and  relief  measures. 

Those  situations  where  exhibitors,  de- 
sirous of  increased  admission  scales,  are 
barred  from  doing  so  because  of  taxes, 
include  Albany,  Atlanta,  Birmingham,  Bos- 
ton, Charlotte,  Cincinnati,  Cleveland, 
Denver,  Detroit,  Houston,  Kansas  City, 
Milwaukee,  Minneapolis,  New  Orleans, 
Omaha,  Philadelphia,  Richmond,  San  An- 
tonio, San  Francisco,  Seattle,  Tampa, 
Washington  and  Wilmington. 

Prominent  theatre  operators  and  exhibitor 
leaders  throughout  the  country  expressed 
a  common  conviction  that  admission  prices 
should  be  definitely  increased,  but  that  the 
problem  of  taxation  always  intervened  to 
make  such  a  step  inadvisable. 

E.  V.  Richards  of  the  Saenger  Theatre 
Corporation,  with  headquarters  at  New  Or- 
leans, expected  his  prices  to  remain  as  they 
were.  Tony  Sudekum,  president  of  the 
Crescent  Amusement  Company,  at  Nash- 
ville, was  of  the  same  opinion,  whereas  H. 
M.  Richey,  general  manager  of  Allied  The- 
atres of  Michigan,  Inc.,  at  Detroit,  saw  a 
general  tendency  toward  increases.  Mitchell 
Wolfson  of  Wometco  Theatres,  Inc.,  at 
Miami,  and  Walter  Reade,  head  of  the  cir- 
cuit bearing  his  name,  predicted  that  prices 
will  have  to  go  higher  in  a  short  while,  but 
Colonel  H.  A.  Cole,  president  of  Allied  The- 
atre Owners  of  Texas,  felt  they  are  quite 
well  standardized  at  this  point. 

A  spokesman  for  RKO  Service  Corpora- 


The  following  states  have 
Sales  Taxes  including  admis- 
sions: 

Ohio — 3  per  cent. 

Idaho — 2  per  cent. 

South  Dakota — 2  per  cent. 

Washington — 2  per  cent. 

Arkansas — 2  per  cent. 

Arizona — 2  per  cent. 

Wyoming — 2  per  cent. 

Iowa — 2  per  cent. 

Oklahoma — I  per  cent. 

North  Carolina — 3  per  cent. 

Mississippi — Sales  tax,  graduating 
percentages. 

Missouri — I  per  cent. 

Utah — 2  per  cent. 

The  following  states  have 
Sales  Taxes  not  including  ad- 
missions: 

Colorado — 2  per  cent. 

Connecticut — Graduated  tax  based 
on  seating  capacity — a  license  tax. 

Illinois — 3  per  cent  (increased  from 
2  per  cent  to  3  per  cent  until  Jan.  I , 
1937). 

New  York  City  —  City  Sales  Tax, 
2  per  cent. 

Michigan — 3  per  cent. 

California — 2'/2  per  cent  to  June 
30,  1935;  then  3  per  cent. 


tion,  physical  operating  corporation  of  the 
RKO  Theatres,  in  discussing  the  problem 
of  increased  admissions  and  federal  taxa- 
tion, said  that  a  further  raise  in  their  prices 
was  "for  the  time  being,  hardly  practical 
because  of  the  federal  tax  problem." 

Changes  Limited  at  Top 

"Within  the  last  year  or  so  we  have  given 
considerable  attention  to  our  price  schedule," 
the  executive  explained.  "We  have  found 
that  in  a  few  locations  it  was  possible  to 
increase  a  25  cents  price  to  a  30  cents  price; 
a  30  cents  price  to  a  35  cents  price,  or  to 
increase  a  35  cents  price  to  a  40  cents  price. 
As  a  result  of  these  adjustments,  our  average 
admission  prices  for  theatres  showing 
straight  pictures  has  increased  about  one  and 
one-half  cents  per  admission  over  what  it 
was  a  year  ago. 

"Obviously,  this  process  of  price  adjust- 
ment has  a  very  definite  upper  limit  at  the 
present  time.  I  know  that  you  are  well 
aware  of  the  fact  that  the  federal  admission 
tax  makes  any  increase  beyond  40  cents  sub- 


The  following  states  have 
Gross  Receipt  Taxes  affecting 
all  business: 

North  Dakota — 2  per  cent. 
West   Virginia  —  Reduction  from 
I  '/2  per  cent  to  1/2  Per  cent. 
Maryland — I  per  cent. 
Indiana — I  per  cent. 
New  Mexico — 2  per  cent. 

The  following  states  have 
State  Admission  Taxes: 

Mississippi — 10  per  cent  (I  cent  for 
each  10  cents). 

Pennsylvania — 4  per  cent  (I  cent 
for  each  25  cents). 

Kentucky — Graduated  scale  from 
I  cent  for  each  I  I  cents  admission 
to  3  cents  on  admissions  to  38  cents 
and  then  I  cent  tax  for  each  addi- 
tional 5  cents  in  excess  of  38  cents. 

Washington — I  cent  for  each  20 
cents. 

The    following    states  have 
repealed  Sales  Taxes: 
Vermont. 
Kentucky. 
New  Jersey. 

A  Sales  Tax  for  Oregon  was 
defeated  by  referendum. 


ject  to  very  definite  restrictions,  for  if  the 
price  is  increased  from  40  cents  to  45  cents 
the  amount  of  the  increase  goes  for  federal 
tax.  Thus,  in  order  to  obtain  an  increase 
in  gross  receipts  to  the  company,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  make  a  10  cent  jump.  In  most  cases 
such  an  increase  is  too  drastic  to  be  at- 
tempted under  present  economic  conditions. 
Being  a  first-run  circuit,  most  of  our  basic 
admission  prices  tend  to  approach  the  40 
cent  level  and,  therefore,  our  trend  of  in- 
crease appears  to  be  definitely  limited  for 
the  near  term  unless  the  federal  taxation 
limit  is  lifted  to  a  higher  bracket." 

Vincent  Urges  General  Increase 

Walter  Vincent,  of  Wilmer  and  Vincent 
Corporation,  commented :  "In  our  territory 
we  do  not  find  any  change  in  the  trend  of 
admissions,  except  in  those  theatres  that 
never  have  any  money  and  never  will  make 
any  money.  We  have  not  reduced  prices 
anywhere  and  we  are  endeavoring  to  get  our 
competitors  to  raise  prices,  believing  that  it 
(Continued  on  follozuin/j  paoe) 


14 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


EXHIBITORS  HESITATE  TO  RAISE  PRICE 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

will  have  no  ill  effect  on  attendance,  pro- 
vided the  increase  is  general  in  all  theatres." 

George  Skouras,  who  shares  the  operating 
duties  of  Skouras  Theatres  Corporation  with 
his  brother,  Charles  Skouras,  felt  that  the- 
atres in  the  metropolitan  area  of  New  York 
were  not  charging  the  proper  admission 
prices  and  that  the  scale  should  definitely  be 
higher,  though  no  change  was  looked  for  at 
present. 

Other  factors  besides  taxes  have  entered 
the  problem.  In  the  West  and  Midwest 
the  drouth  has  played  havoc  with  individual 
incomes,  with  some  effect  on  theatre 
grosses.  Business  conditions  in  certain  sec- 
tions of  Pennsylvania,  West  Virginia  and 
surrounding  territories  were  reported  such 
that  it  would  be  suicidal  for  exhibitors  to 
try  for  higher  admission  scales. 

In  Philadelphia,  it  was  generally  con- 
ceded that  the  admission  prices  are  far  below 
par,  that  patrons  are  getting  their  pictures 
and  entertainment  at  a  too  low  figure.  Dis- 
tributors and  exhibitors  said  it  is  evident 
that  admission  advances  have  not  kept  pace 
with  increased  costs  of  food,  clothing  and 
household  commodities,  but  added  that  con- 
tributing factors  will  tend  to  maintain  that 
lag  for  an  indefinite  period. 

The  Quaker  City  was  not  alone  in  this 
situation,  for  the  same  problem  prevailed  in 
the  majority  of  metropolitan  areas  through- 
out the  country.  New  Orleans  is  operating 
on  a  lower  scale  than  any  other  city  approxi- 
mating its  size.  Wilmington,  according  to 
price  standards  of  commodities,  could  easily 
stand  a  price  raise  in  theatres. 

Avoiding  Tax  Level 

Wage  levels  have  been  raised  in  the  San 
Francisco  area  and  admissions  could  well 
be  scaled  upward  accordingly,  it  was  felt. 
Aaron  Goldberg,  independent  operator, 
voiced  the  sentiment  of  others  when  he  said : 
"Almost  everyone  in  the  business  would  like 
to  see  theatre  admission  prices  increased. 
If  the  owners  of  the  larger  houses  were  to 
make  such  a  step,  others  would  fall  right 
into  line.  But  prospects  are  not  bright  for 
any  immediate  increase,  as  no  one  seems 
to  want  to  get  his  prices  up  to  where  an 
admission  tax  would  be  necessary." 

In  St.  Louis,  business  conditions  have 
helped  considerably  to  keep  first-run  as  well 
as  subsequent  run  houses  at  their  old  price 
scale.  In  Seattle,  there  is  in  addition  a  state 
admission  tax  of  2  cents  which  cannot  be 
absorbed  by  theatres,  so  to  increase  admis- 
sions would  be  to  place  an  additional  burden 
on  the  public,  one  that  it  cannot  well  carry. 

Expansion  at  Washington 

In  the  national  capital,  theatres  are  oper- 
ating at  scales  inaugurated  several  years  ago 
because  the  total  volume  of  money  there  de- 
creased but  little  in  the  early  days  of  the 
depression  and  then  began  to  increase  as  the 
Government  expanded  its  activities.  As  a 
result,  amusement  enterprises  suffered  but 
little  and  never  were  forced  to  cut  admis- 
sions. 

Besides  the  23  key  situations  previously 
mentioned,  two  cities  reported  definitely  in- 


PENNSYLVANIA  RELIEF 
ADDS  TAX  UPON  TAX 

The  state  of  Pennsylvania  partly 
solved  its  relief  problem  in  a  manner 
that  greatly  concerned  exhibitors.  In 
order  to  meet  relief  expenditures,  the 
state  has  affixed  a  tax  on  admissions, 
in  addition  to  the  regular  government 
tax.  Levying  one  cent  on  every  25 
cents  charged  at  the  box  office,  or 
fraction  thereof,  the  neighborhood 
manager  hesitates  to  raise  his  25  cents 
ticket  to  30  cents.  While  the  sum 
seems  insignificant  on  a  single  admis- 
sion, it  does  amount  to  an  appreciable 
sum  when  the  entire  family  steps  up 
to  the  theatre  for  an  evening's  enter- 
tainment. 


creasing  their  prices  this  fall ;  one  situation 
is  being  forced  to  cut  prices ;  two  probably 
will  be  forced  to  reduce  prices  if  attendance 
continues  to  fall  off ;  one  has  shown  a  defi- 
nite increase  in  admission  scales  the  last 
few  months.  These  six  key  cities  are  Des 
Moines,  Indianapolis,  Pittsburgh,  Portland, 
Ore.,  Salt  Lake  City  and  St.  Louis. 

Following  is  a  detailed  report  from  each 
of  the  29  situations  : 

No  Prospect  of 
Increase  in  Albany 

Admissions  in  Albany  are  the  same  as  a  year 
ago  with  no  prospect  of  an  increase.  Harry 
Blank,  manager  of  the  RKO  Palace,  said: 
"You  can  quote  me  as  saying  admissions  should 
be  higher.  Albany  gets  first-run  pictures 
cheaper  than  any  other  city  of  its  size." 

With  Albany  City  one  of  the  three  release 
centers  of  the  state,  pictures  are  often  shown 
simultaneously  with,  or  a  week  earlier,  than  in 
the  metropolitan  area  and  40  cents  is  the  top 
admission  price. 

Albany  is  overseated.  There  are  about  16,000 
seats  in  all  the  theatres,  with  a  population  of 
about  120,000.  This  means  168,000  paid  ad- 
missions for  seven  days  to  get  one  and  one-half 
houses  a  day. 

There  is  little  prospect  of  any  agree- 
ment being  reached  for  a  raise  in  prices. 
Two  circuses  would  not  think  of  showing  in 
Albany  on  the  same  day,  but  Warner 
Brothers  in  competition  with  the  Fabian 
houses  exhibits  feature  pictures  similar  to 
these  shown  by  competitors  the  same  week. 
Result,  poor  business  at  both  the  Palace 
and  Strand. 

The  Strand  recently  inaugurated  a  policy  of 
"Smoking  permitted  in  balconies  and  loges," 
which  has  given  it  some  pick-up  in  business. 

Albanians  object  to  the  holiday  and  Sunday 
advance  in  prices ;  thev  are  constantly  looking 
for  something  for  nothing  or  its  equivalent. 
Years  ago  the  big  circuses  stopped  showing  in 
the  city  limits,  the  demand  for  complimentary 
tickets  being  so  large  they  could  not  stand  the 
load.  If  the  motion  picture  theatres  would  give 
away  free  umbrellas  when  it  rains,  provide  free 
taxicabs  to  bring  patrons  to  the  shows,  make 
the  general  admission  price  a  nickel  and  serve 
free  lunches  in  the  lobby,  it  is  believed  their 
business  would  improve. 


Atlanta  Rates  Are 
Same  as  Decade  Ago 

Admission  prices  to  theatres  in  Atlanta  and 
its  vicinity,  with  a  40  cents  top  at  night  and  25 
and  30  cents  for  matinees,  have  been  at  that  rate 
for  a  decade,  and  there  is  no  probability  that 
any  advance  will  be  made  soon,  according  Xo- 
theatre  managers. 

There  are  four  de-luxe  theatres  downtown,, 
three  operated  by  Lucas  and  Jenkins*  and  one 
by  Loew's,  and  the  maximum  of  40  cents  has 
remained  so  long  that  it  will  be  practically  im- 
possible to  raise  the  rate  in  the  face  of  the 
theatre  going  public's  habit  of  paying  the  pres- 
ent prices.  Another  downtown  house,  the  Rialto, 
independently  operated  and  showing  Columbia 
product,  along  with  such  other  independent 
product  as  it  needs  to  space  out  the  52  weeks- 
in  the  year,  has  a  top  of  30  cents. 

It  is  believed  an  effort  would  be  made 
to  boost  the  top  to  50  cents  if  it  did  not 
entail  the  additional  trouble  and  book- 
keeping necessary  to  care  for  the  federal 
tax  which  begins  on  admissions  of  that 
rate  and  upwards. 

Practically  all  the  suburban  houses  have  a 
20  cents  night  and  15  cents  matinee  rate,  and 
all  theatres  admit  children  under  12  at  10  cents 
at  all  times. 

V 

Birmingham  Advance 
In  Subsequent  Runs 

The  general  scale  of  admissions  in  Birming- 
ham and  northern  Alabama  remains  practically 
the  same  now  as  in  1935  except  an  advance  on 
second  and  subsequent  runs. 

First  run  houses  average  25  cents  for  mati- 
nees and  35  cents  evenings.  The  second  and 
subsequent  run  houses  have  advanced  from  IS 
to  20  cents  admission  during  the  past  15  months. 
There  are  only  a  few  houses  left  which  charge 
less  than  20  cents  for  second  runs.  Two  years 
ago  a  charge  of  as  low  as  10  cents  in  many 
second  run  houses  was  not  uncommon  and 
double  features  flourished.  Double  featuring 
has  disappeared. 

There  seems  little  likelihood  of  further  im- 
mediate increase  in  admissions  here  unless  the 
special  session  of  the  legislature  expected  for 
this  fall  levies  an  admission  tax  on  motion  pic- 
ture houses. 

V 

Present  Admissions 
Stand  in  Boston 

Theatres  in  Boston  are  too  concerned  with 
retaining  their  present  patronage  to  increase 
prices.  Admission  scales  have  been  at  a  stand- 
still for  the  past  few  years.  Practically  the  only 
instance  in  which  box-office  jumps  have  been 
made  is  in  the  instance  oi  special  vaudeville 
nights,  a  practice  among  a  number  of  suburban 
and  outside  situations. 

Cash  giveaways,  dish  handouts,  free  jewelry,, 
and  whatnot  have  hit  the  Northeast  heavily. 
Bank  Night,  already  cleared  in  the  supreme- 
courts  of  Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire  and 
Maine,  is  by  far  most  popular  theatre  stimulant 
in  the  territory.  When  it  was  banned  in  the 
Bay  State,  for  instance,  the  gross  of  one  well 
known  exhibitor  dropped  from  $2,500  weekly 
to  $1,500.  Conditions  being  thus,  theatremen 
are  of  the  general  opinion  that  the  time  is  still 
not  ripe  for  hiking  the  prices. 

The  Boston  first-runs  average  between  a  35- 
cent  and  a  25-cent  low  and  a  65-cent  high.  This 

(Continued  on  pane  63) 


August    I  ,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


15 


PATHE,  ONLY  NEWSREEL 
BIDDER,  GETS  WPA  AWARD 


Jam  Handy  Company  Protests 
Distribution  Clause;  Says  Stip- 
ulation Limited  the  Award 
to   Single   Newsreel  Bidder 

Pathe  Newsreel,  Inc.,  was  selected  late 
Tuesday  by  the  Works  Progress  Adminis- 
tration of  the  United  States  as  the  contract- 
employed  medium  through  which  the  WPA 
seeks  to  reach  the  theatre  public. 

Ignoring  the  protests  of  some  minor  pro- 
ducing-distributing  interests  against  the 
WPA's  requirements  of  regular  theatrical 
newsreel  distribution  of  WPA  subjects  at 
the  rate  of  at  least  one  a  month,  the  Admin- 
istration awarded  the  contract  for  the 
making  of  a  series  of  project  pictures  to 
the  RKO-controlled  Pathe  newsreel,  headed 
by  Courtland  Smith,  president,  and  Jack  S. 
Connolly,  general  manager,  the  contract 
carrying  with  it  not  only  the  provision  to 
produce  WPA  subjects  but  also  to  release 
sequences  in  a  national  newsreel. 

Washington  had  long  before  heard  loud 
complaints  from  anti-New  Dealers  against 
any  film  presentation  of  public  projects  on 
the  grounds  that  they  too  closely  resembled 
"propaganda"  intended  by  the  Administra- 
tion for  use  in  the  Presidential  campaign. 

Only  one  newsreel  company — Pathe 
News — was  found  to  be  represented  when, 
on  July  24th,  in  the  office  of  Chief  Clerk 
Harry  L.  Kinnear,  at  the  headquarters  of 
the  WPA,  1734  New  York  Avenue,  N.  W., 
Washington,  D.  C,  bids  ranging  from 
$3,980  to  $6,600,  each  for  the  production  of 
600-foot  reels  "to  consist  of  subjects  and 
sequences  of  State  and/or  city-wide  interest 
recording  the  story  of  Works  Progress  Ad- 
ministration activities"  were  publicly  opened. 

Accompanying  the  high  bid  of  Jam 
Handy  Pictures,  of  Detroit,  was  a  pro- 
test against  a  specification  provision 
which,  it  was  charged,  made  it  possible 
for  only  one  company  to  submit  a  satis- 
factory bid. 

The  provision  attacked  specified  that 
"the  contractor  shall  agree  to  cause  to  be 
released  and/or  distributed  one  newsreel 
story  on  the  subject  of  WPA  activities 
each  month  during  the  life  of  this  contract 
through  the  medium  of  a  nationally- 
distributed  newsreel." 

Although  more  than  40  invitations  to  bid 
had  been  sent  out  to  film  companies  by  the 
WPA,  only  five  proposals  were  received  and 
the  only  bidder  having  the  necessary  news- 
reel  distribution  available  within  its  own 
organization  was  Pathe  News. 

The  protesting  Jam  Handy  company, 
which  has  no  newsreel  facilities,  is  one  of 
the  great  industrial  motion  picture  pro- 
ducers, numbering  among  its  clients  General 
Motors  and  allied  interests. 

And  while  Pathe  Newsreel  was  submitting 
bids  to  the  Democrats  to  produce  the  WPA 
"propaganda"  films  and  distribute  them, 
John  Begg,  a  former  Pathe  newsreel  con- 


OHIO  FEARS  RETURN  OF 
10%  ADMISSION  TAX 

Citing  the  possibility  of  reinstate- 
ment of  the  former  10  per  cent 
straight  admission  tax  to  make  up  a 
part  of  the  $12,000,000  loss  in  rev- 
enue to  the  state  by  the  proposed  ex- 
emption of  food  from  the  retail  sales 
tax,  }.  P.  Wood,  secretary  of  the  Ohio 
Independent  Theatre  Owners  Associa- 
tion, is  urging  exhibitor-members  to 
oppose  circulation  of  or  the  signing 
of  initiative  petitions. 

If  sufficient  signatures  are  obtained 
in  time  to  the  petitions  now  in  circu- 
lation, the  exemption  of  food  tax  and 
other  constitutional  amendments  will 
be  decided  upon  by  the  voters  at  the 
November  election. 


tact  representative,  got  the  assignment  to 
act  as  official  motion  picture  contact  man 
for  the  Republicans  in  their  presidential 
campaigning  against  the  Rooseveltians.  Mr. 
Begg  already  has  taken  up  headquarters  in 
that  division  of  the  Republican  national  party 
in  New  York's  Graybar  Building  where  the 
collection  of  electioneering  funds  is  concen- 
trated for  the  Landon-Knox  ticket. 

Broadway  this  week  heard  reports  that 
Mr.  Connolly,  holding  the  position  of  Pathe's 
general  manager,  would  act,  officially  or 
otherwise,  as  "official  motion  picture  con- 
tact" for  the  Democratic  presidential  cam- 
paigners. Mr.  Connolly,  however,  dismissed 
the  rumor  with  a  "how  the  hell  can  a  news- 
reel  man  act  as  a  contact  for  any  party?" 

Active  in  Washington 

Regardless,  Mr.  Connolly  has  continued 
his  service  to  the  motion  picture  industry  in 
legislative  matters  at  Washington,  which 
he  had  started  while  on  the  Washington  staff 
of  the  Motion  Pictures  Producers  and  Dis- 
tributors of  America,  in  1926.  Mr.  Con- 
nolly's most  recent  effort  in  this  connection 
was  witnessed  during  the  Pettengill  hear- 
ings. 

At  this  moment,  Solomon  Ariah  Rosen- 
blatt, who  will  be  remembered  for  his  NRA 
codification  of  the  motion  picture  and  other 
industries  under  the  Blue  Eagle,  holds  the 
title  of  motion  picture  representative  for  the 
Democrats  in  the  campaign. 

Officials  of  the  Works  Progress  Adminis- 
tration in  Washington  refused  to  discuss 
their  award  to  Pathe  other  than  to  say  that 
it  was  felt  that  Pathe,  while  not  the  lowest 
bidder,  was  the  lowest  bidder  which  could 
meet  the  requirements  of  the  specifications. 
It  was  indicated  that  Jam  Handy's  protest 
did  not  require  any  change  in  plans  because 
that  company  was  the  high  bidder  anyway, 
and,  accordingly,  was  out  of  the  running. 

"There  was  no  thought  on  the  part  of  this 
administration  to  confine  the  bidding  to  any 
limited  number  of  interested  parties,  but  the 


Five  Bids  Received,  Ranging 
from  $3,980  to  $6,600  Per 
Reel;  Award  Made  at  Wash- 
ington    Five     Days  Later 

proposal  was  submitted  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  obtaining  the  desired  result,"  it  was 
explained  by  Mr.  Kinnear,  the  WPA's  chief 
clerk. 

"It  was  definitely  felt  that  the  proposal 
was  restrictive  in  no  sense  of  the  word,"  Mr. 
Kinnear  added. 

"Five  bidders  submitted  proposals,"  Mr. 
Kinnear  further  explained,  "and  only  one 
protest  was  received  on  the  distribution  pro- 
vision. Bidding  was  therefore  open  to  who- 
ever desired  to  quote  prices  on  the  work 
required.  And  as  five  bidders  submitted  their 
proposals  it  is  contended  that  there  were  no 
particulars  or  phrases  of  the  contract  which 
were  proprietary." 

The  low  bid,  $3,980  per  reel,  was  sub- 
mitted by  Pictorial  Films,  New  York.  The 
Pathe  news  bid  was  next  lowest  at  $4,280. 
Other  bidders  were  Amphilco,  New  York, 
$5,250;  Mason  Wadsworth,  New  York, 
$6,500,  with  a  discount  of  2  per  cent  for 
payment  in  10  days  or  1  per  cent  in  20  days ; 
and  Jam  Handy  Pictures,  Detroit,  $6,600, 
with  2  per  cent  discount  for  payment  in  10 
days  or  1  per  cent  in  20  days. 

Government  Reserved  Rights 

Text  of  the  forms  inviting  bids  included 
the  wording :  "The  Government  reserves 
the  right  to  accept  or  reject  any  or  all  bids 
or  any  part  or  parts  thereof  and  to  award 
the  contract  or  any  parts  thereof  to  other 
than  the  lowest  bidder  as  the  interest  of  the 
Government  may  require.  All  other  factors 
being  equal,  the  award  will  be  made  to  the 
bidder  who  is  better  able  to  aid  in  distribu- 
tion, both  theatrical  and  non-theatrical.  The 
decision  of  the  contracting  officer  shall  be 
final." 

The  protest  against  the  specification 
which,  it  was  claimed,  made  the  bidding  a 
farce  since  only  one  company  could  qualify, 
was  filed  with  the  Jam  Handy  Pictures  bid. 

The  Jam  Handy  company  declared,  "This 
is  an  unfair  specification  because  it  auto- 
matically eliminates  all  but  one  bidder,  this 
bidder  being  the  only  newsreel  sponsors  who 
also  produce  commercial  films. 

"Pictures  are  not  for  sale,"  the  Jam 
Handy  representation  continued,  "and  are 
available  only  to  the  one  producer  who  pub- 
lishes them  and,  moreover,  if  said  producer 
uses  his  newsreel  in  order  to  gain  a  con- 
tract for  pictures  it  is  an  unethical  practice 
because  when  newsreel  space  is  for  sale  it 
ceases  to  be  a  newsreel  and  becomes  a  com- 
mercial advertising  medium.  The  bid  is  for 
the  manufacture  of  motion  pictures  and,  as 
we  understand  it,  under  Government  condi- 
tions it  is  impossible  to  put  manufacturing 
and  distribution  in  the  same  bid." 

Only  two  of  the  bidders  had  representa- 
tives present  at  the  opening  of  the  bids, 

{Continued  on  pape  18) 


16 

w 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


August     I,  1936 


GORGEOUS  HUSSY"  TELLS 


GAIN  motion  picture  production 
turns  to  the   pages  of  history 
for     material     out     of  which 
-  romance   and    drama    may  be 
wrought.  "The  Gorgeous  Hussy," 
MGM,  is  the  story  of  Peggy  O'Neale,  inn- 
keeper's daughter,  who  rose  to  a  position 
ot   political   power  and   influence  in  the 
White  House  during  the  turbulent  regime 
of  "Old  Hickory"  Andrew  Jackson.  Basi- 
cally, following  a  scheme  that  has  demon- 
strated its  entertainment  and  commercial 
worth  in  many  previous  pictures,  the  film 
is    an    intricate    blending    of  romantic 
dramatic  fact  and  fiction. 

The  story,  which  is  an  adaptation  of 
Samuel  Hopkins  Adams'  novel,  concerns 
men  and  women  whose  adventures  in  the 
romance  and  drama  of  life  caused  their 
names  to  be  written  boldly  in  the  chronicles 
of  their  time.  Providing  ample  opportunity 
for  forcefully  interesting  characterizations, 
the  production,  in  recreating  the  spirit  and 
atmosphere  of  its  locale  and  time,  brings 
to  the  screen  a  notable  list  of  players. 
Joan  Crawford  will  be  seen  as  Peggy 
O'Neale,  the  gorgeous  hussy,  a  woman  of 
dashing  charm  and  ambition,  adored  and 
hated  by  many  men  and  envied  by  women. 
As  the  production  takes  shape,  the  feeling 
is  spreading  that  in  this  role  Miss  Craw- 
ford's personality  and  artistic  talents  will 


blossom  into  full  bloom  and  that  as  Peggy 
O'Neale  she  will  achieve  the  high  spot  of 
her  career. 

Prestige  of  her  name  value  is  furthered 
by  the  guality  of  the  featured  players  and 
supporting  cast.  Robert  Taylor,  who, 
through  "Magnificent  Obsession,"  "Small 
Town  Girl"  and  "Private  Number"  zoomed 
to  popularity,  is  the  romantic  hero  who 
woos  and  wins  the  glamorous  Peg  in  a 
whirlwind  courtship.  Lionel  Barrymore 
plays  Andrew  Jackson  and  Melvyn  Doug- 
las is  one  of  many  men  who  pursued  the 
volatile  heroine  only  to  sacrifice  his  love 
and  life  on  the  altar  of  her  ambitions.  A 
fourth  personality  of  growing  importance 
is  James  Stewart,  recently  seen  in  "Next 
Time  We  Love"  and  "Small  Town  Girl." 
The  supporting  •  cast  includes  Franchot 
Tone,  Louis  Calhern,  Alison  Skipworth, 
Marjorie  Gateson,  Beulah  Bondi,  Sidney 
Toler,  Gene  Lockhart,  Nydia  Westman  and 
others. 

Direction  of  the  picture  is  in  the  hands 
of  Clarence  Brown,  who  has  directed  three 
previous  Joan  Crawford  features,  "Pos- 
sessed," "Sadie  McKee"  and  "Forsaking 
All  Others."  He  also  handled  the  recent 
"Ah  Wilderness."  Dramatic  physical  ac- 
tion is  combined  with  the  story  of  this 
alluring  woman  of  the  White  House.  The 
plot  threads  its  way  through  the  streets 


August     I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


TALE  OF  JACKSON'S 


of  Washington,  into  the  salons  of  stately 
old  homes,  into  the  Capitol,  the  Senate 
and  halls  of  Congress,  authentically  repro- 
duced as  they  were  during  the  colorful 
period  of  the  story.  Occasion  is  provided 
for  mass  spectacle,  exciting  thrill  and  grip- 
ping melodrama,  as  the  story  of  Peggy  and 
her  many  loves,  cabals,  disillusionments  and 
triumphs  is  welded  into  a  coherent  unit. 

In  the  story  of  a  tap-room  barmaid, 
who  through  her  charm  and  the  force  of 
her  personality  exerted  a  tremendous  influ- 
ence on  the  affairs  of  a  stripling  nation 
as  a  president  obeyed  her  slightest  wish 
and  persons  of  power  courted  her  favor, 
there  is  substance  for  engrossing  enter- 
tainment. Following  the  fact-fiction  theory 
and  applying  it  in  accordance  with  under- 
stood precepts,  "The  Gorgeous  Hussy"  is 
an  intimate  glimpse  into  heretofore  un- 
pictured  personal  and  political  history. 
Withal,  it  is  a  romantic  drama  of  actual 
people,  particularly  of  a  woman  who  de- 
layed the  Civil  War  for  nearly  twenty 
years  and  who  was  so  highly  regarded  by 
Jackson  that  he  dismissed  his  cabinet  be- 
cause its  members  gossiped  about  her. 

Scenes  from  the  picture,  reproduced 
herewith,  impart  the  color  of  the  period. 
In  the  small  still  at  lower  left  Joan  Craw- 
ford and  Melvyn  Douglas,  with  whom  she 
is  in  love  in  the  picture,  say  good  night  by 


in  Hollywood 

candle  light.  Above  them  is  shown  the 
slave  auction  at  which  the  senator  from 
Virginia  buys  a  servant  for  the  vivacious 
Peggy.  A  session  of  the  Senate  as  of  1823, 
with  a  debate  in  progress,  is  depicted  in 
the  photograph  divided  across  both  pages. 
At  upper  right,  in  a  reproduction  of  the 
courtyard  of  the  Franklin  Inn  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  old  southern  melodies  are  being 
sung  by  the  Crinoline  choir.  The  smaller 
picture  is  of  Andrew  Jackson,  as  played  by 
Lionel  Barrymore,  silencing  a  crowd  of 
hecklers. 

The  scene  of  the  Senate  chamber,  re- 
produced as  of  1823,  presents  Melvyn 
Douglas  and  Sidney  Toler  in  a  debate  that 
might  have  been  heard,  in  slightly  different 
language,  during  the  recent  session  of 
Congress.  Their  topic  is  none  other  than 
the  inviolability  of  that  famous  and  much 
contested  document,  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States.  In  common  with  other 
motion  pictures  derived  from  the  pages  of 
history,  "The  Gorgeous  Hussy"  lays  hold 
of  the  odd  public  interest  inherent  in  sub- 
jects that  portray  a  bygone  period  of  the 
nation's  or  the  world's  history  as,  in  one 
way  or  another,  possessing  attributes  in 
consonance  with  the  contemporary  scene. 


18 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I  ,  1936 


PROTEST  WPA  CONTRACT  CLAUSE 


{Continued  from  page  15) 

which  consisted  of  the  usual  formal  pro- 
cedure of  opening  and  reading  the  pro- 
posals, Fred  Ullman  attending  for  Pathe 
News  and  Patrick  Murphy,  manager  of  the 
Washington  office,  representing  the  Jam 
Handy  company. 

The  bids  were  taken  under  advisement 
and  consideration  with  announcement  of  de- 
cision in  a  week  or  ten  days  indicated. 

The  New  York  office  of  Pathe  News  indi- 
cated on  Monday  that  the  Jam  Handy  rep- 
resentations were  regarded  as  "one  man's 
opinion"  and  no  attention  would  be  paid  to 
them.  Jack  S.  Connolly,  general  manager, 
declined  to  be  quoted  on  the  subject  in  any 
way.  Courtland  Smith,  president,  is  in 
Europe. 

Executives  of  other  newsreels,  none  of 
them  bidders  for  the  WPA  contract,  ex- 
pressed themselves  bluntly  with  relation  to 
the  specification  protested  by  the  Jam  Handy 
company. 

Newsreels  Executives  Comment 

Said  M.  D.  Clofine,  managing  editor  of 
Hearst  Metrotone  News,  which  was  among 
the  companies  invited  to  bid  but  did  not 
submit  a  proposal :  "I  don't  consider  that  any 
newsreel  company  that  has  a  standard  of 
ethics  and  realizes  its  responsibility  to  ex- 
hibitors can  bid  on  any  proposition  which 
compromises  the  integrity  of  the  screen." 

Asked  why  his  company  had  not  re- 
sponded to  the  WPA  invitation  to  submit 
bids,  Truman  H.  Talley,  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  Fox-Movietone  News, 
replied :  "The  guarantee  of  distribution  of 
any  number  of  subjects,  per  month  or  per 
year,  would  be  unacceptable  to  us.  We  have 
had  occasion  to  use  WPA  and  other  gov- 
ernmental agency  subjects  and  have  used 
them  strictly  on  news  value  and  probably 
will  again  when  such  subject  matter  is 
newsworthy." 

Charles  E.  Ford,  managing  director  of 
Universal  Newsreel,  omitted  from  the  list 
of  companies  invited  to  bid  by  what  a  WPA 
headquarters  spokesman  declared  "must  have 
been  an  oversight,"  said :  "I  can't  imagine 
any  newsreel  selling  space  or  any  exhibitor 
buying  a  newsreel  that  would  do  so." 

Authority  Is  Traced 

Complete  text  of  the  WPA  invitation  to 
film  companies  to  bid  on  the  production  of 
an  undetermined  number  of  films  between 
date  of  contract  acceptance  and  June  30_, 
1937,  was  published  in  last  week's  issue  of 
Motion  Picture  Herald,  together  with 
excerpts  from  the  Presidential  executive 
order  creating  the  WPA  and  a  subsequent 
letter  from  President  Roosevelt  to  WPA 
Administrator  Harry  L.  Hopkins  authoriz- 
ing the  use  of  WPA  funds  for  this  purpose. 

News  that  the  invitations  had  been  dis- 
tributed followed  upon  publication  in  the 
lay  press  of  reports  that  production  and  dis- 
tribution of  30  such  reels  was  planned  by 
the  WPA.  First  published,  without  definite 
number,  in  April  of  this  year,  these  reports 
were  met  by  anti-New  Dealers  with  charges 
of  "diversion  of  relief  funds  to  campaign 
purposes." 

As  set  forth  in  the  specifications  furnished 


invited  bidders,  "the  purpose  of  each  WPA 
fnformation  Service  Motion  Picture  Record 
is  to  present  to  the  citizens  of  a  particular 
State,  or  area,  information  about  the  opera- 
tions of  WPA  in  that  State,  or  area."  The 
text  also  stipulates  that  "The  finished  pro- 
duction is  to  be  of  such  high  entertainment 
standard  as  to  be  acceptable  for  exhibition 
in  any  commercial  motion  picture  theatre 
within  the  United  States." 

"Subjects  that  must  be  included,"  accord- 
ing to  the  specifications,  "are  the  following: 
(a)  Public  health,  (b)  Accomplishment, 
(c)  The  emergency  relief  program,  particu- 
larly as  it  is  reflected  in  improvement  of 
educational  possibilities  and  better  health  for 
children,  (d)  Public  safety,  (e)  Farm-to- 
Market  roads." 

Listed  as  "not  mandatory  but  still  im- 
portant projects  to  be  treated"  are:  "(a) 
Flood  prevention,  (b)  Public  buildings,  (c) 
Parks  and  playgrounds,  (d)  Airports  and 
other  transportation  facilities,  (e)  Sewing 
projects,  (f)  Street  and  sidewalk  improve- 
ment, (g)  Institutional  improvement,  such 
as :  Hospitals,  infirmaries,  school  buildings, 
colleges,  libraries,  auditoriums,  community 
centers,  corrective  institutions,  armories  and 
arsenals." 

Product  Is  Described 

The  product  to  be  made  under  the  con- 
tract for  which  bids  were  invited  is  de- 
scribed in  the  invitation  as  "One  negative 
and  one  positive  on  Dupont  or  Eastman 
stock  or  equivalent  to  be  35  mm.  complete 
with  sound  print,  cans,  reels  and  labels, 
either  RCA  Photophone  system,  Western 
Electric  system  or  equal,  of  600  feet  in 
length  (25%  variance  payment  adjusted  ac- 
cordingly) containing  subjects  of  the 
character  set  out  under  topical  outline  and 
similar  to  the  picture  entitled  "Making  a 
Better  Indiana"  (which  may  be  viewed 
upon  request  at  the  Washington  Auditorium, 
Washington,  D.  C),  which  represents  the 
general  plan  to  be  followed  in  each  of  these 
record  and  information  units  or  reels,  but 
which  shall  not  be  regarded  as  a  criterion 
of  quality." 

Required  of  Contractor 

The  invitation  specified  that  "the  contrac- 
tor shall  furnish  a  qualified  script  writer, 
film  editor,  camera  crew,  technicians,  direc- 
tor, actors  and  actresses,  the  use  of  studios, 
lighting  equipment,  a  competent  production 
and  idea  man  in  Washington  during  the  life 
of  the  contract,  sound  equipment  in  the  field 
whenever  necessary,  and  branch  office  facili- 
ties of  contact  points  at  convenient  locations 
throughout  the  territory  to  be  served  for  the 
adequate  support  and  servicing  of  the  units 
or  reels  in  production,  and  in  locations 
where  the  contractor  has  facilities  for  stor- 
age and  inspection  for  film  he  shall  furnish 
such  services  without  additional  cost  to  the 
Works  Progress  Administration." 

The  invitations  were  dated  July  17th  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  were  returnable 
at  11  a.  m.  July  24th.  Forms  were  furnished 
in  quadruplicate.  It  was  stipulated  that  "as 
the  quantity  of  films  is  not  known,  one  film 
will  be  used  as  a  basis  for  the  period." 


Unions  Planning 
Roadshow  Revival 
For  Next  Season 

Revival  of  the  roadshow  during  the  com- 
ing season  may  result  from  plans  now  being 
discussed  by  theatrical  union  leaders.  Frank 
Gillmore,  president  of  Actors'  Equity  As- 
sociation, has  held  several  conferences  with 
executives  of  the  League  of  New  York 
Theatres  and  the  Dramatists  Guild  of  the 
Authors  League,  with  this  possibility  in 
view. 

No  definite  program  has  been  laid  down 
as  a  result  of  the  discussions  but  progress 
in  that  direction  is  reported. 

A  recent  editorial  in  the  Equity  maga- 
zine said: 

"This  is  the  opportunity  of  half  a  century 
for  the  theatre  to  make  a  comeback  such  as 
has  never  before  been  witnessed.  But  it 
can  be  made  only  if  differences  can  be 
buried;  if  producers,  playwrights  and  others 
can  plan  and  move  together. 

"Equity  believes  it  can  be  done.  It  be- 
lieves the  stakes  are  great  enough  to  justify 
the  attempt.  And  in  going  to  the  other  or- 
ganizations it  is  happy  in  the  belief  that  its 
own  membership  is  more  nearly  harmonious 
and  united  than  it  has  been  in  several 
years." 

In  the  past  10  years  Equity  has  proposed 
three  plans  for  a  revival  of  the  theatre,  but 
on  each  occasion,  according  to  the  editorial, 
"personal  opposition  or  the  reluctance  of 
one  group  or  another  to  forego  some  pos- 
sible advantage,  wrecked  those  plans." 


Writers'  Guild  Is 
Disbanded  on  Coast 

The  Screen  Writers'  Guild  has  been  dis- 
solved. According  to  an  announcement  by 
the  executive  board  of  the  organization  the 
dissolution  of  the  guild,  a  California  cor- 
poration, was  a  move  taken  in  accordance 
with  the  by-laws  of  the  guild  itself  and  the 
laws  of  the  State  of  California  and  upon  re- 
ceipt of  written  assent  to  the  dissolution  by 
a  majority  of  the  active  members  of  the 
organization. 

The  exit  of  the  guild  comes  as  an  after- 
math of  its  failure  to  negotiate  a  pact  with 
the  producers  and  the  subsequent  split-up 
of  factions  within  the  organization. 

20th  Century -Fox  Will  Move 
To  Westwood,  Sept.  1st 

The  moving  of  the  production  units  from 
the  Sunset  Boulevard  studio  to  Fox  Movie- 
tone City  will  begin  September  1.  It  is 
expected  that  the  transfer  of  the  properties 
will  be  completed  by  September  10.  The 
Fox  Movietone  City  plant  is  being  expand- 
ed at  a  cost  of  $2,500,000,  that  amount  to 
be  expended  to  construct  additional  stages 
next  year. 


August    I  ,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


19 


BRITISH  EXHIBITORS  VISITING  U.S. 
FIND  TRADE  PROBLEMS  IDENTICAL 


Group  of  37  Theatre  Owners 
Entertained  in  New  York; 
Leave  for  Hollywood  and 
Study    of    Studio  Methods 

British  and  American  leaders  in  the  in- 
dustry met  this  week  to  pool  ideas  and 
demonstrate  anew  that  fundamentally  their 
problems  are  identical,  when  executives  in 
New  York  were  hosts  to  a  party  of  English 
exhibitors,  accompanied  by  their  wives  and 
friends,  on  a  goodwill  tour  of  America. 

The  group  of  37  arrived  on  the  Queen 
Mary  on  Monday  and  were  to  leave  for 
Hollywood  and  the  studios  on  Thursday 
after  a  three-day  round  of  sight-seeing  and 
cocktail  parties  during  which  most  the 
group  caught  their  first  glimpses  of  New 
York  life  and  their  initial  first-hand  im- 
pressions of  American  exhibitors,  their 
theatres  and  their  methods. 

The  American  scale  of  doing  things 
and  particularly  the  impressive  scope  of 
the  film  industry  and  the  splendor,  size  and 
mechanical  perfection  of  our  theatres  as 
exemplified  in  the  Radio  City  Music  Hall 
which  they  visited  on  Tuesday,  seemed  to 
leave  the  most  vivid  impression  with  the 
visitors,  their  superlatives  being  interluded 
with  only  a  few  guarded  restrictions  ex- 
pressed by  "Don't  you  think  it  a  bit  too, 
well,  garish?" 

Concerning  problems  which  afflict  the  in- 
dustry in  England,  as  here,  the  exhibitors 
seemed  not  at  all  worried.  They  emphasized 
that  many  as  were  the  difficulties,  the  solu- 
tion was  to  be  had.  And  while  in  the  main, 
the  theatreman  has  the  same  difficulties  to 
overcome  as  his  American  cousin,  there  are 
also  conditions  peculiar  to  their  country 
alone  which  present  no  parallels  in  the 
American  market. 

Exploitation  Differences 

In  this  connection,  A.  H.  Reed,  of  the 
Union  Cinema  Company,  Ltd.,  and  Associ- 
ated Companies  of  London,  pointed  out  that 
the  limited  population  of  England,  and  hence 
the  potential  film  market,  prevent  the  ex- 
ploitation of  pictures  on  second  or  subse- 
quent-runs. When  a  feature  has  been  shown 
in  the  larger  houses  in  key  cities,  he  said, 
there  is  practically  no  sale  for  it  in  smaller 
houses,  most  of  the  patrons  having  seen  the 
film.  This,  he  pointed  out,  forces  the  smaller 
houses  to  exhibit  inferior  pictures. 

Mr.  Reed's  company  owns  or  controls 
about  100  theatres  in  London  and  southern 
England. 

Mr.  Reed  saw  in  the  Gaumont  British 
deal  with  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  and  20th 
Century-Fox  only  indirect  benefits  for  the 
independent  English  theatre  owner.  Others 
of  the  party  agreed.  Gaumont  British  fea- 
tures are  not  generally  released  to  inde- 
pendents, he  pointed  out,  being  shown  chief- 
ly in  the  company's  own  circuit.  Increased 
production  promised  under  the  terms  of  the 
deal,  however,  may  alter  this  situation,  he 
said.  In  addition,  "quickies"  made  by 
American  producers  in  England  for  quota 


Pictures  of  the  cocktail  party 
given  the  British  exhibitors  in 
the  studio  of  the  Music  Hall,  of 
the  luncheon  in  the  Waldorf  As- 
toria and  of  the  group  on  ship- 
board on  their  arrival  appear 
on  the  following  pages. 


consumption  will  no  longer  be  sold  to  ex- 
hibitors and  the  general  quality  of  the  prod- 
uct eventually  will  be  raised,  he  believed. 

A.  Howie,  of  the  Associated  British 
Cinema  Company,  second  only  to  the  GB 
theatre  circuit  in  England,  praised  the 
American  product  highly  but  added  the 
qualifying  statement  that  "after  all,  only 
the  best  of  your  pictures  are  submitted 
for  export."  He  commended  the  reviews 
published  in  Motion  Picture  Herald  for 
their  informative  content  and  said  that 
they  are  invaluable  to  him  in  determining 
the  quality  of  the  pictures  he  is  to  receive 
and  in  gauging  their  possibilities. 

Arthur  Taylor,  secretary  of  the  London 
branch  of  the  Cinematograph  Exhibitors 
Association,  sponsor  of  the  visit,  was  in 
charge  of  the  party.  Business  in  England 
has  improved  considerably  in  the  last  few 
months,  he  said.  On  the  pier  after  the  liner 
docked  Mr.  Taylor  expressed  as  his  great- 
est desire  a  longing  for  a  "good  Jewish 
meal"  while  in  New  York.  Up  until  Wed- 
nesday morning  he  had  not  obtained  it. 

The  group  was  given  a  welcoming  cock- 
tail party  in  the  British  Club  of  the  Hotel 
Gotham  on  Monday  afternoon.  On  Tuesday, 
after  a  sightseeing  tour  during  the  morn- 
ing they  were  luncheon  guests  of  the  Photo- 
phone  Division  of  RCA  Manufacturing 
Company  in  the  Janssen  Room  of  the  Wal- 
dorf Astor  hotel,  where  they  stayed  while 
in  New  York.  Host  for  the  company  was 
Van  Moss  Philip.  In  a  brief  talk  he  wel- 
comed the  British  visitors  and  promised 
them  an  interesting  tour  of  the  Hollywood 
studios.  Mr.  Taylor  thanked  him  for  the 
tourists. 

Guests  of  Van  Schmus  and  Quigley 

Immediately  after  the  luncheon  the  visitors 
were  taken  to  the  Music  Hall  where  they 
were  greeted  by  W.  G.  Van  Schmus,  man- 
aging director,  and  Martin  Quigley  of 
Quigley  Publications.  Attendants  of  the 
theatre  then  guided  them  through  the  maze 
of  corridors,  rehearsal  rooms,  projection 
rooms,  and  work  rooms  backstage.  After 
the  inspection  tour  they  watched  the  stage 
show  presentation  from  the  first  mezzanine. 

The  group  then  gathered  in  the  studio 
room  above  the  executive  offices  of  the 
theatre  for  a  cocktail  party  as  the  guests 
of  Mr.  Quigley  and  Mr.  Van  Schmus.  Dur- 
ing the  party  they  were  welcomed  by  ex- 
ecutives and  representatives  of  the  New 
York  offices  of  the  major  producing  and 
distributing  companies. 


Compare  Theatre  Conditions 
in  England  with  Parallel 
Situation  Here;  Optimism 
Is    Keynote    of  Spokesmen 

Expressions  of  opinion  at  the  party  varied 
between  admiration  for  the  vastness  and 
completeness  of  the  theatre  which  they  had 
just  inspected  and  praise  for  the  reception 
they  had  been  accorded  since  their  landing. 
Most  of  the  group  were  anxious  to  visit 
the  studios  in  Hollywood  and  expressed 
keen  anticipation  of  the  remainder  of  their 
tour.  They  were  unanimous  in  saying  that 
the  tour  of  the  Music  Hall  and  the  subse- 
quent reception  in  the  studio  was  the  high 
spot  of  their  stay  in  New  York. 

Members  of  the  overseas  party  included : 


D.  G.  Bliss,  London 
Mrs.  M.  E.  Brown,  Lon- 
don 

Miss  E.  P.  Brown,  Lon- 
don 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  Claff, 

London 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  Howie, 

London 
Mick  Hyams,  London 
Mrs.    W.    C.  Jeapes, 

London 
Clifford  Jeapes,  London 
Mrs.  M.  Johnson,  Shef- 
field 

Miss  E.  Levy,  Brighton 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  A. 
Manger,  London 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  Mar- 
tyn,  London 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  Mc- 
Dermott,  Bromsgrove, 
Worcestershire 

Mrs.  E.  McDonald,  Bir- 
mingham 


G.    F.    M.  McDonald, 

Birmingham 
Mr.    and    Mrs.  Martin 

Myers,  Brighton 
C.    W.    Perry,  Jersey, 

C.  I. 
A.  Pidgen,  London 
S.  B.  Prevezer,  London 
Mr.    and     Mrs.  Matt 

Raymond,  Broadstairs, 

Kent 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  H. 
Reed,  London 

F.  Reed,  London 

S.  T.  Smurthwaite,  Whit- 
stable,  Kent 

Mrs.  B.  Stewart,  Womb- 
well,  Yorkshire 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arthur 
Taylor,  London 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  de  Caux 
Tilney,  Cardiff 

Miss  J.  W.  Tilney,  Car- 
diff 


The  itinerary  of  the  party  after  leaving 
New  York  will  be :  Chicago,  Grand  Canyon, 
Los  Angeles,  Hollywood,  Santa  Barbara, 
Del  Monte,  San  Francisco,  Chicago,  Buf- 
falo, Niagara  Falls  and  return  to  New  York 
for  the  homeward  sailing  on  August  17th. 
Many  of  the  party  expect  to  remain  in  New 
York  for  several  days  after  the  scheduled 
sailing  returning  on  later  boats  to  England. 

Among  the  guests  at  the  cocktail  party  in 
the  studio  of  the  Music  Hall  were : 


Barney  Balaban 
Jeffrey  Bernerd 
Jack  Cohn 
M.  H.  Aylesworth 
Carl  Milliken 
Major  F.  L.  Herron 
Sam  Morris 
Gus  Eyssell 
Leon  Leonidoff 
Eugene  Braun 
Harry  Braun 
Robert  Henderson 
Russell  Markert 
Ned  Depinet 
Bert  Adler 
Andy  Smith 
Richard  Watts,  Jr. 
Stuart  Doyle 
Jack  Alicoate 
Monroe  Greenthal 
Spyros  Skouras 


Maurice  Silverstone 
William  Brenner 
Arthur  Lee 
Nate  Spingold 
Budd  Rogers 
Harry  Thomas 
Arthur  Fisher 
Norton  Richey,  Jr. 
Morris  Frantz 
Sidney  Samuelson 
P.  A.  McGuire 
Colvin  Brown 
James  R.  Grainger 
Herbert  Griffin 
Arthur  W.  Kelly 
J.  W.  Hutchinson 
Wm.  T.  Powers 
Carl  McDonald 
N.  L.  Manheim 
J.  J.  McCarthy 
E.  Silverstone 


20 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August     I,  1936 


NEW  YORK  FETES  BRITISH  SHOWMEN 

^TT    Executives  of  the  motion  picture  industry  in  the  United    States,  exhibitors,  producers,  distributors  and  the 
V       press,  entertained  visiting  British  showmen  in  New  York,  Monday  through  Wednesday,  with  visits  to  points 
of  interest,  parties  and  tours.  The  photographs  show  the  visitors  arriving  and  on  their  tour.  [Cosmo-s:ieo  Photos] 


The  group  of  British  exhibitors  and  their  wives  arrived  in  New  York  on  the  Queen 
Mary  on  Monday  morning  after  the  huge  liner  had  made  a  record  breaking  run. 
They  are  shown  on  the  deck  of  the  ship  on  the  way  up  the  bay  from  Quarantine. 


On  the  dais  at  the  luncheon  given  the  English  visitors  by  the  Photophone  Division 
of  RCA  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel  were:  left  to  right;  James  Frank,  Jr.  and 
Barton  Kreuzer  of  RCA;  Hal  Hode,  of  Columbia  Pictures;  Arthur  Taylor,  secretary 
of  the  London  branch  of  the  CEA;  Van  Moss  Philip,  export  manager  of  Photophone. 


Barney  Balaban,  new  president  of  Paramount,  and  JacK 
Cohn,  vice-president  of  Columbia  Pictures,  greeting 
David  Bliss  and  H.  A.  Manger  of  London  at  the  recep- 
tion given  by  Martin  Quigley  and  W.  G.  Van  Schmus. 


A 


u  s  t  I 


9  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


21 


s 


Shown  at  the  cocktail  party  given  by  Martin  Quigley  and  W.  G.  Van  Schmus  are 
Clifford  Jeapes,  Alex  Howie,  Maurice  Silverstone,  Mrs.  E.  de  Caux  Tilney  and 
Miss  Jean  Tilney,  H.  A.  Manger,  Arthur  Taylor,  David  Bliss  and  Mr.  Quigley. 


Talking  with  Arthur  Taylor,  secretary  for  the  party, 
(right)  are  Maurice  Silverstone,  London  managing 
director  for  United  Artists,  (left)  and  W.  G.  Van 
Sch  mus  of  the  Radio  City  Music  Hall,  (center). 


At  the  luncheon  given  in  the  Janssen  Room  of  the  Waldorf  are:  Left  to  right,  rear; 
George  Schultz  of  RCA;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Matt  Raymond,  Broadstairs,  Kent;  Mrs.  W. 
C.  Jaepes  and  Clifford  Jaepes,  London,  and  David  G.  Bliss,  London.  Left  to  right, 
front;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  de  Caux  Tilney,  Jean  Tilney,  and  J.  Wynborne  of  RCA. 


22 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    1  ,  1936 


SPAIN  CONFISCATES  ALL  ASSETS 
OF  AMERICAN  FILM  DISTRIBUTERS 


Columbia  Managers  Hide  in 
Theatre  for  Two  Days  Be- 
fore Being  Evacuated; 
Others  Leave  Country 

by  HARRY  CHAPIN  PLUMMER 

in  Barcelona 

The  Spanish  government  has  given  dis- 
tributors to  understand  that  all  of  their  as- 
sets are  now  technically  the  property  of  the 
Spanish  Anonymous  Society.  The  only  ex- 
ception to  this  confiscation  is  in  the  cases  of 
unpaid  film  stocks  which  will  remain  the 
property  of  the  subsidiaries  of  the  American 
and  European  home  organizations. 

For  the  protection  of  these  stocks  the  con- 
sul at  Barcelona  has  provided  a  display  cer- 
tificate countersigned  by  the  "Official  Gen- 
eralidad,"  which  says  in  effect : 

'American  interests  are  represented  by 
film  stock  in  this  establishment  and  must  be 
respected." 

The  distributors  in  Spain  were  notified 
Wednesday  to  be  prepared  for  an  inspection 
of  their  offices  and  plants. 

International  News  Service  reported  that 
Red  Labor  groups  have  invaded  all  factories 
and  taken  control. 

American  Film  Men 
Narrowly  Escape  Death 

J.  H.  Seidelman,  Columbia  foreign  man- 
ager, and  J.  Friedman,  London  manager 
for  the  company,  narrowly  escaped  with 
their  lives  from  Barcelona  during  the  most 
severe  fighting,  when  Barcelona's  streets 
were  red  with  blood.  Both  were  in  Spain 
attending  a  sales  convention  and  were  vir- 
tually trapped  in  the  beseiged  city  for  five 
days  before  they  were  allowed  to  leave 
with  the  French  nationals  and  embark  on 
a  French  steamship  for  Marseilles  where 
they  entrained  for  Paris.  They  had  hidden 
in  a  theatre  in  the  suburbs  for  two  days. 

On  Wednesday  the  only  American  dis- 
tributors' managers  on  hand  at  Barcelona 
were  William  B.  Morgan,  of  United  Artists  ; 
R.  Huet,  of  Warner  Brothers,  and  M. 
Aguilar  of  Universal.  Sydney  Horen  of 
Twentieth  Century-Fox  succeeded  in  ne- 
gotiating Marseilles,  and  others  left  for  other 
European  capitals. 

Reports  coming  by  cable  from  Barcelona 
on  Wednesday  indicated  that  employees  were 
taking  over  the  Arenas  circuit  of  theatres  in 
Barcelona's  suburbs,  reopening,  perhaps,  on 
Wednesday. 

The  outcome  of  the  recent  settlement  of 
the  general  strike,  which  involved  theatres 
and  other  lines,  returned  to  the  speculative 
stage,  following  the  opening  of  the  civil 
war.  The  regional  government  in  Barcelona 
had  decreed  a  40-hour  week  and  15  per  cent 
wage  increases  as  part  of  the  settlement,  but 
when  hostilities  started  the  Solidaridad 
Obrera,  leading  Syndicalist  newspaper, 
counseled  that  no  attempt  be  made  to  effect 
any  drastic  labor  reforms  until  the  Fascist 
movement  finally  is  crushed. 

Harrv   C.   Plummer,   Motion  Picture 


FEDERALS  TAKE  OVER 
BARCELONA  THEATRES 

The  Spanish  Government  on  Tues- 
day took  over  all  Barcelona  theatres, 
together  with  the  Ford  and  General 
Motors  plants. 

Control  of  them  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  National  Confederation 
of  Labor. 


Herald's  correspondent  in  Barcelona,  ad- 
vised Monday  that  Theatres  in  Madrid  were 
reported  to  have  reopened,  with  the  national 
regional  government  rapidly  reestablishing 
order.  Foreigners  were  receiving  the  ut- 
most consideration  during  the  rebellion. 
Cameramen  were  filming  the  events  under 
the  direction  of  the  Bureau  of  Propaganda 
of  the  Government.  The  Coliseum  and 
Femina  Theatres  in  Barcelona  had  been 
commandeered  as  headuarters  for  the  enlist- 
ment of  the  anti-Fascist  militia. 

The  American  Consulate  there  had  been 
broadcasting  for  information  concerning 
the  whereabouts  of  Bernard  J.  Gottlieb, 
managing  director  for  Columbia  in  Spain, 
his  wife  and  daughter.  It  was  reported  that 
the  three  had  reached  Barcelona  from 
Sitges,  nearby  resort,  and  sailed  on  a 
British  warship,  for  Europe. 

The  Spanish  managers  of  at  least  two 
other  American  distributing  companies  in 
Spain,  as  well  as  the  general  foreign  and 
European  managers  of  another,  were  they  to 
pool  their  experiences,  might  turn  out  a 
lively  scenario,  based  on  their  efforts  to  con- 
duct business  with  a  minimum  of  danger  in 
a  country  in  the  throes  of  an  armed  re- 
bellion. 

That  scenario  would  tell  of  being  ma- 
rooned in  the  Balaeric  Islands,  off  the  east 
coast  of  Spain,  of  the  discomforts  of  sleep- 
ing in  a  theatre  for  two  nights,  and  of  a 
hasty  flight  to  a  much  safer  port  than  is 
Barcelona  today. 
Moves  to  Consulate 

Out  of  cables  from  Correspondent  Plum- 
mer in  Barcelona  were  detailed  merely  the 
superficial  status  of  the  industry  in  Spain, 
and  sundry  facts  relating  to  the  difficulties 
resulting  from  the  sudden  military  uprising 
which,  from  its  source  in  Spanish  Morocco, 
has  torn  the  country  wide  open. 

At  the  close  of  Mr.  Plummer's  latest 
cable  was  the  advice  that  his  temporary  ad- 
dress is  "Consulado  Americano,"  which 
means,  in  English,  that  he  has  left  his  home 
and  headquarters  at  the  Ritz  Hotel  to  find 
shelter  and  a  typewriter  at  the  American 
Consulate. 

The  industry  in  Barcelona  for  a  while 
was  completely  paralyzed,  Mr.  Plummer  re- 
ported, with  business  communication  with 
the  interior  of  Spain  (Barcelona  is  situated 
on  the  northeast  coast)  entirely  cut  off.  No 
specific  information  was  available  from  the 
interior,  but  every  indication  pointed  to  a 
similar  situation  throughout  the  country. 

Jacques  Edelstein,  managing  director  for 


MGM  and  Paramount  Managers 
Marooned  at  Seashore  Re- 
sorts; Employees  Taking  Over 
Barcelona  Theatre  Circuit 

M-G-M  in  Spain,  was  marooned  at  Palma 
de  Mallorca,  resort  in  the  Balaeric  Islands. 
M.  J.  Messeri,  Paramount  managing  director 
in  Spain  and  Portugal,  was  in  a  like  posi- 
tion at  Sitges,  a  seashore  resort  close  to 
Barcelona.  But  there  was  no  indication 
that  they  were  enjoying  the  bathing. 

Fox  Movietone,  Mr.  Plummer  cabled,  was 
hard  at  it  in  Barcelona,  shooting  with 
cameras  at  the  shooting  with  guns,  the  re- 
sults eventually  to  reach  the  screens  of  this 
country,  if  all  goes  well. 

Directly  involved  in  the  business  signifi- 
cance of  the  struggle  are  some  3,450  motion 
picture  theatres  which  until  last  week  were 
operating  peacefully  and  for  the  most  part 
profitably. 

Frank  C.  JV ilker 
Heads  National 
Democratic  Fund 

Frank  C.  Walker,  operating  head  of  the 
Comerford  Theatre  circuit  and  close  friend 
of  President  Franklin  D.  Roosevelt,  this 
week  was  named  chairman  of  the  finance 
committee  of  the  Democratic  campaign.  Mr. 
Walker  is  a  former  treasurer  of  the  Demo- 
cratic National  Committee  and  was  later  ex- 
ecutive director  of  the  National  Emergency 
Council. 

"I  don't  know  how  much  we  will  try  to 
raise  as  yet,"  said  Mr.  Walker  when  his  ap- 
pointment was  announced  in  New  York  by 
National  Chairman  James  A.  Farley.  "At 
any  rate,  we  are  not  in  debt  as  we  were  in 
1932,"  continued  Mr.  Walker,  "and  it  will 
take  me  a  few  days  before  I  can  announce 
just  what  we  hope  to  do  in  the  way  of  money 
and  how  we  hope  to  get  it." 


Mexican  Industry 
Digs  Out  of  Strike 

by  JAMES  LOCKHART 

in  Mexico  City 

Mexico's  theatres  and  exchanges  have  re- 
turned to  normal  business  activity  follow- 
ing the  abrupt  settlement  Saturday  of  the 
10-day  strike  of  the  employees  of  the  coun- 
try's largest  electrical  company.  The  walk- 
out had  deprived  theatres  of  power  in  seven 
Mexican  states,  causing  them  to  close  and 
resulting  in  heavy  losses.  Film  studios  were 
closed  as  well. 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


23 


NEW  YORK  LAW  REQUIRING  MATRONS 
AND  MINORS'  SECTION  IS  IN  EEFECT 


Licensing  of  3,000  Women  Su- 
pervisors Starts  Under  Regu- 
lations to  Govern  Theatre  At- 
tendance of  Children  Under  1 6 

New  regulations  governing  the  attendance 
of  children  at  motion  picture  theatres  in 
New  York  City  went  into  effect  this  week 
with  the  issuance  of  the  first  licenses  to  ex- 
hibitors under  which  film  fans  younger  than 
16  may  be  admitted  to  theatres  without  adult 
escorts  provided  the  exhibitor  has  set  aside 
a  part  of  the  house  for  their  use  and  pro- 
vided also,  a  specially  licensed  matron  is  in 
attendance. 

Applications  for  the  exhibitor  licenses 
were  ready  on  Wednesday  after  weeks  of 
conferences  between  executives  of  the 
large  circuits  in  the  city  and  License  Com- 
missioner Paul  Moss.  In  their  final  form 
they  have  been  approved  by  all  parties 
concerned  and  are  considered  sufficiently 
flexible  to  insure  practicable  application  of 
the  law  under  all  conditions. 

The  chief  innovation  under  the  rules  is  the 
fact  that  the  theatre  owners  must  set  apart 
a  separate  section  for  children.  This  section 
may  vary  in  size  from  time  to  time,  but  it 
can  be  only  on  the  orchestra  floor,  may  not 
be  "too  near"  the  screen  and  a  seat  must  be 
available  for  every  child  patron. 

In  charge  of  the  section  will  be  a  matron 
whose  license  and  picture  must  be  displayed 
in  the  box  office  for  inspection  by  enforce- 
ment officers.  More  than  300  women  had  ap- 
plied for  licenses  before  the  theatre  applica- 
tions were  available  and  it  is  expected  that  a 
corps  of  3,000  will  be  ready  to  take  over  the 
job  within  a  few  weeks. 

Matrons  to  Wear  Badges 

The  Health  Department,  which  has  juris- 
diction over  the  new  attendants,  requires  that 
applicants  be  healthy,  strong,  intelligent  and 
must  know  how  to  take  care  of  children. 
They  will  wear  a  distinctive  badge  to  sup- 
port the  stern  air  of  authority  with  which 
they  will  be  expected  to  cow  the  more  restive 
of  their  y  ^\\g  charges.  Most  of  the  appli- 
cants so  '/.fimave  been  of  a  "superior  type," 
according  to  Dr.  William  F.  Best,  Health 
Department  official  who  has  interviewed 
them.  Their  duties  will  be  simply  to  oversee 
the  youthful  patrons  and  keep  order  in  the 
special  section.  They  must  be  in  attendance 
as  long  as  the  theatre  is  open  for  children, 
which,  according  to  the  law,  is  not  later  than 
six  o'clock  in  the  evening  and  after  school 
hours  in  the  winter  and  from  opening  time 
until  7  P.  M.  in  the  summer. 

Exhibitors  and  circuit  managers  refused 
to  predict  what  effect  the  operation  of  the 
plan  would  have  on  their  grosses,  but  they 
believed  it  would  be  a  great  improvement 
over  the  old  law  under  which  children  under 
16  were  barred  unless  accompanied  by  an 
adult.  In  recent  years  the  law  had  been 
widely  abused  and  a  sudden  drive  for  its 
strict  enforcement  last  year,  ordered  by 
Mayor  Fiorello  LaGuard'a  to  focus  atten- 


tion on  the  obsolete  statute,  was  instrumental 
in  enactment  of  the  Joseph-Swartz  bill  by 
the  State  Legislature  and  the  embodiment 
of  that  bill's  provisions  in  the  local  law  un- 
der which  the  present  licenses  are  being 
issued. 

Managers  who  admitted  the  children  in 
spite  of  the  old  law  found  their  troubles  just 
beginning.  Many  children  came  at  opening 
time  and  stayed  until  far  into  the  evening. 

In  one  house  on  Eighth  Avenue  which 
features  long  programs  and  westerns  the 
ushers  found  it  necessary  to  patrol  the 
aisles  with  a  flashlight  and  a  hook,  the 
hook  being  used  for  snaking  out  child  pa- 
trons who  scrambled  about  under  the  seats 
when  their  mothers  appeared  and  asked 
that  their  offspring  be  paged. 

With  the  matrons  in  charge  of  a  special 
section,  theatre  men  hope  that  much  of  this 
will  be  eliminated  and  without  recourse  to 
the  idea  of  a  Rhode  Island  exhibitor  who 
found  it  necessary  to  advertise  "free  ice- 
cream cones  to  every  child  who  leaves  the 
theatre  before  six  o'clock,"  in  order  to  clear 
the  auditorium  for  the  evening  crowds. 

Estimates  of  Costs  Vary 

Executives  of  the  major  circuits  said  early 
this  week  that  licenses  will  be  obtained  for 
all  their  theatres  with  the  exception  of  large 
houses  in  the  downtown  and  Times  Square 
districts.  Every  neighborhood  house  in  the 
city  is  expected  to  apply  for  the  permits. 

Estimates  of  the  cost  to  the  exhibitors  vary. 
The  annual  fee  for  the  license  is  $10,  but 
the  salaries  to  be  paid  the  matrons  are  ex- 
pected to  show  variation  in  different  houses. 
It  is  believed  that  the  average  will  be  about 
$25  a  week.  Managers  have  not  yet  worked 
out  plans  for  the  setting  apart  of  the  special 
sections  required,  but  the  rule  will  require 
no  more  than  the  roping  off  of  a  group  of 
seats.  The  rows  designated  for  children, 
however,  must  be  clearly  marked  with  signs. 

Commissioner  Moss,  in  announcing  that 
his  department  is  prepared  to  receive  appli- 
cations, declared  that  every  effort  was  made 
in  drawing  up  the  forms  to  make  them 
agreeable  to  all  concerned  and  that  the  reg- 
ulations were  designed  to  work  no  hardship 
on  the  exhibitor.  He  emphasized  that  the 
law,  now  that  it  is  in  operation,  will  be 
strictly  enforced. 

Federal  Court  Dismisses 
"Riptide"  Plagiarism  Suit 

The  plagiarism  suit  brought  by  Anvel 
E.  Athenson,  playwright,  against  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer,  Irving  Thalberg,  Norma 
Shearer,  Edmund  Goulding,  Jules  E.  Bru- 
latour  and  George  De  Feo  in  connection 
with  "Riptide"  has  been  dismissed  in  federal 
court.  The  judge  held  that  the  theme  "the 
woman  tempted"  cannot  be  copyrighted  and 
that  it  dates  back  to  the  time  of  Eve. 


Herman  Frommel  Dead 

Herman  Frommel,  67,  head  of  the  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  music  department  in  Hol- 
lywood, is  dead  following  a  heart  attack. 


Nichols  IVants 
Less  Dialogue 

Some  day  a  producer  will  make  a  pic- 
ture in  which  dialogue  will  be  reduced  to 
an  almost  irreducable  minimum,  and  there- 
by restore  to  the  screen's  least  common  de- 
nominator of  patronage  that  emotional  thrill 
which  was  part  of  the  original  basic  appeal 
of  the  silent  screen. 

That  is  the  opinion  of  Dudley  Nichols, 
screen  writer  for  Radio,  vacationing  at  his 
farm  in  New  Milford,  Conn.  Having  com- 
pleted the  script  for  the  screen  version  of 
the  Sean  O'Casey  play,  "The  Plough  and 
the  Stars"  recently,  he  is  keeping  his  hand 
in  on  "The  Robber  Barons."  It  will  tell 
the  story  of  the  high-handed  financial  and 
corporate  tangle  which  revolved  about  the 
railroads  of  an  earlier  day. 

In  order  to  complete  that  screenplay,  Mr. 
Nichols  has  postponed  his  scheduled  trip 
abroad  from  Aug.  8  to  Aug.  19,  when  he 
will  sail  on  the  Aquitania  with  Mrs.  Nich- 
ols. That  trip  will  take  him  to  the  Dramatic 
Festival  in  Moscow,  with  return  stops  on 
the  Continent  and  in  Great  Britain.  Mr. 
Nichols  is  of  the  opinion  that  Moscow  and 
New  York  are  the  two  most  active  the- 
atrical centers  in  the  world. 

That  picture  with  almost  no  dialogue,  the 
writer  is  convinced,  will  not  be  easy  and  it 
will  be  in  the  nature  of  a  gamble  on  the 
part  of  the  producer.  But  he  feels  that  the 
effort  will  be  worth  the  gamble. 

"To  write  good  dialogue  is  hard,  make 
no  mistake  about  that,"  he  said,  "but  it  is 
still  harder  to  write  a  situation  or  a  piece 
of  business  which  will  convey  an  entire  idea 
without  the  use  of  words." 

The  current  trend  toward  biographical 
and  historical  subject  matter  in  films  Mr. 
Nichols  attributes  to  a  large  extent  to  the 
activities  of  the  censors. 

Hays,  Hess  To  Talk 
Rockefeller  Pictures 

Gabriel  Hess,  of  the  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers and  Distributors  of  America,  Inc., 
New  York  office,  has  arrived  in  Hollywood 
for  meetings  with  Will  H.  Hays  to  devise 
a  system  for  allocation  of  the  $50,000  ap- 
propriation for  the  "Secrets  of  Success" 
film  series  sponsored  by  the  Rockefeller 
Foundation.  The  films  are  to  be  exhibited 
in  schools  and  universities  and  will  deal 
with  the  subject  of  character  training. 

Show-Cause  Order 
Issued  for  Empire 

John  Grimshaw,  Jr.,  referee,  has  issued 
an  order  calling  upon  creditors  of  Empire 
Laboratories,  Inc.,  and  13  subsidiary  cor- 
porations to  show  cause  why  the  assets  of 
all  should  not  be  adjudged  the  property  of 
Empire.  Showings  may  be  made  at  10  a.  m. 
August  4th  at  the  Bankruptcy  Court  Room, 
Post  Office  Building,  Jersev  City,  N.  J. 


24 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


HOUSE  OF  COMMONS  QUESTIONS 
EFFECTS  OF  SCHENCK.-CB  DEAL 


Members  of  Parliament  Seek 
Expression  of  Policy  from 
Board  of  Trade  President; 
Told  to  Await  Information 

While  boat,  plane  and  train  bore  princi- 
pals swiftly  and  in  divers  directions  from 
the  scene  of  its  announcement  last  week,  the 
tri-party  transaction  linking  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer,  Twentieth  Century-Fox  and 
Gaumont-British  in  an  international  pro- 
duction-distribution alliance  moved  steadily 
along  charted  channels  toward  a  variously 
conjectured  conclusion. 

Milestones : 

In  the  British  House  of  Commons  a 
spokesman  for  the  Board  of  Trade  declined 
to  answer  questions  pertaining  to  "Amer- 
ican steps  to  obtain  control  of  the  film  in- 
dustry in  the  United  Kingdom"  pending 
receipt  of  details. 

Isidore  Ostrer  returned  to  England  on 
the  lie  de  France  July  23rd.  A  fellow  pas- 
senger was  A.  C.  Blumenthal,  reported 
active  in  eariy  negotiations. 

Joseph  M.  Schenck  flew  to  Hollywood 
the  same  day. 

In  New  York  it  was  announced  that  the 
existing  GB  distribution  organization  would 
be  maintained  intact  through  this  season, 
although  consolidation  of  MGM  and  Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox  sales  forces  in  England 
would  take  place  within  five  weeks. 

Official  statements  dispelled  the  impres- 
sion that  the  transaction  would  affect  dis- 
tribution machinery  on  a  "world  wide" 
scale. 

Questioning  of  the  Board  of  Trade  com- 
menced in  the  House  of  Commons  on  Monday 
of  this  week  when  Brigadier  General  Spears 
interrogated  the  president  as  to  whether  he 
had  received  information  regarding  the 
acquisition  of  control  of  Gaumont-British 
by  American  interests  and  whether  he  was 
satisfied  that  information  of  a  holding  com-' 
pany  in  which  65  per  cent  of  the  shares  are 
held  by  British  interests  and  35  per  cent  by 
American  would  insure  that  control  would 
remain  in  British  hands. 

Captain  Cruickshanks,  Minister  of  Mines, 
spokesman  for  the  president,  replied  that  full 
details  of  the  agreement  were  not  yet  avail- 
able and  that  the  Government  was  not  in  a 
position  to  affirm  or  deny  that  British  con- 
trol had  been  maintained. 

His  interrogator  then  asked,  "Will  every 
endeavor  be  made  to  keep  this  important 
means  of  propaganda  under  British  con- 
trol ?"  He  received  no  reply. 

Questioning  Goes  On 

Member  Harry  Day  asked,  "Will  the 
Minister  consider  asking  the  president  of 
the  Board  of  Trade  to  refer  these  matters 
to  the  committee  that  is  at  the  present  time 
considering  the  amendment  of  the  Films 
Act?" 

Vice-Admiral  Taylor  asked  if  it  were  not 
a  fact  that  "American  interests  are  taking 


FLORADORA  BEAUTY 
QUITS  THEATRE  JOB 

Mrs.  Mabel  Miller  has  sold  her  last 
ticket  at  the  Fox  theatre  in  Watson- 
ville,  Cal.,  having  resigned  her  posi- 
tion there  after  1 5  years.  Mrs.  Miller, 
mother  of  Arthur  Miller,  long  asso- 
ciated with  Fox-West  Coast,  was  a 
member  of  the  "Ladies  Ensemble"  of 
the  original  New  York  "Floradora" 
production. 


definite  steps  to  obtain  control  of  the  film 
industry  in  the  United  Kingdom." 

Member  Harry  Hall  inquired  whether  the 
president  of  the  Board  of  Trade  was  satis- 
fied that  the  American-British  merger  would 
not  involve  breaches  of  the  Films  Act. 

To  all  questions  Spokesman  Cruickshanks 
reiterated  that  he  could  express  no  opinion 
pending  receipt  of  complete  details  of  the 
transaction. 

Ostrer  Returns  to  England 

Accompanying  President  Ostrer  of  Gau- 
mont-British to  his  boat,  Joseph  M.  Schenck, 
chairman  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox,  and 
Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  president  of  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer,  joined  him  in  announcing 
that  consolidation  of  the  three  companies' 
sales  forces  in  England  would  be  consum- 
mated as  soon  as  possible,  definitely  esti- 
mating that  the  operation  would  be  com- 
pleted within  five  weeks. 

It  was  at  the  same  time  and  place  that 
Joseph  Schenck  said,  in  reply  to  a  question, 
that  the  GB  sales  force  in  the  United  States 
will  be  continued  for  the  present  season. 

Mr.  Ostrer  declined  to  quote  figures  but 
said  that  the  agreement  worked  out  "will 
mean  enormous  savings  for  Gaumont-Brit- 
ish," adding,  "The  deal  also  is  of  consider- 
able value  to  both  MGM  and  Twentieth 
Century-Fox."  He  said  "the  deal  is  very 
simple,  and  I  don't  see  why  there  is  any 
speculation  about  it." 

Mr.  Schenck  likewise  declined  to  quote 
figures  as  to  the  amount  of  stock  the  Ameri- 
can companies  would  receive  in  the  new 
holding  company  for  GB,  saying  it  was 
impossible  to  do  so  while  the  deal  was  in 
what  he  defined  as  "embryonic  stages." 

Blumenthal  Also  Sails 

Arriving  at  the  dock  separately,  and 
speaking  only  briefly  with  the  Messrs. 
Schenck  as  the  boat  was  about  to  leave,  A. 
C.  Blumenthal  was  quoted  as  follows  by  the 
ship  reporter  of  a  morning  newspaper :  "I'm 
going  over  to  London  to  complete  the  pic- 
ture deal  I  just  engineered.  Metro  and  Fox 
have  bought  a  controlling  interest  in  British 
Gaumont.  I'm  just  going  to  put  the  finishing 
touches  to  the  agreement."  At  the  press 
conference  announcing  the  transaction, 
Joseph  Schenck  had  replied  to  a  question  re- 
garding Mr.  Blumenthal's  part  in  the  nego- 
tiations that  he  had  "injected  himself"  into 
the  proceedings  and  "if  he  did  anything 
worthy  of  compensation  he  will  get  it." 

Later  in  the  day  Mr.  Schenck  boarded  a 


Ostrer  Returns  to  England; 
Schenck  to  Coast;  Company 
to  Continue  U.  S.  Exchange 
System  Through  This  Season 

plane  for  Hollywood,  arriving  July  24th, 
with  indicated  intention  of  returning  early 
in  August  and  sailing  for  London  to  be 
present  at  the  working  out  of  the  details 
attendant  upon  formation  of  the  holding 
company  which  will  supplant  Metropolis  and 
Bradford  Trust.  Richard  Dwight,  of  Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox  counsel,  had  sailed  on  the 
Europa  July  22nd.  J.  Robert  Rubin,  vice- 
president  of  MGM,  has  been  in  London  some 
time. 

Terms  of  Deal  Outlined 

Terms  of  the  transaction  as  outlined  by 
the  Messrs.  Joseph  M.  and  Nicholas  M. 
Schenck  and  Isidore  Ostrer  to  the  press  on 
July  20th  in  New  York  specify  that  MGM 
shall  acquire  by  purchase  from  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  one-half  of  that  company's  49 
per  cent  interest  in  the  Metropolis  and  Brad- 
ford Trust,  the  holding  company  now  own- 
ing 57  per  cent  of  Gaumont-British.  By  a 
subsequent  operation,  a  new  holding  com- 
pany is  to  be  formed,  supplanting  the 
Metropolis  and  Bradford  Trust,  with  the 
two  American  companies  and  the  Ostrer  in- 
terests equally  represented  in  ownership  of 
the  49  per  cent  interest  in  Gaumont-British 
held  by  the  new  company,  and  with  the 
remaining  51  per  cent  held  by  the  public. 
Reports  gained  currency,  following  the  of- 
ficial statement,  that  the  Ostrer  interests 
ultimately  will  withdraw,  leaving  the  Ameri- 
can companies  owning  about  35  per  cent 
and  the  public  holding  65  per  cent. 

Announcement  of  the  transaction,  which 
is  yet  to  be  approved  by  the  directors  of  the 
companies  involved,  was  promptly  inter- 
preted in  the  trade  as  marking  formation 
of  an  international  alliance  which  would 
function  on  a  worldwide  scale.  To  offset 
this  interpretation,  the  New  York  office  on 
Thursday  of  last  week  issued  a  statement  to 
the  effect  that  the  seven-year  distribution 
arrangement  recently  entered  into  by  G-B 
and  Empire  Films,  in  Canada,  will  not  be 
affected.  The  company  says:  "'""he  state- 
ment is  intended  to  correct  tfce  i  npression 
that  the  Gaumont-British,  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury-Fox and  MGM  deal  would  encompass 
the  worldwide  distribution  setup  of  Gau- 
mont British." 

To  Tour  Exchange  Centers 

This  was  followed  closely  by  announce- 
ment that  Arthur  Lee,  vice-president  of  G-B, 
and  George  Weeks,  general  manager  of 
sales,  will  make  personal  tours  of  the  com- 
pany's branches  in  this  country.  Mr.  Weeks 
left  New  York  on  Friday  of  last  week  for 
Chicago  and  Kansas  City.  Mr.  Lee  was  to 
leave  this  week  to  make  a  circuit  of  the 
eastern  branches. 

Mr.  Weeks  told  the  press  in  Chicago  on 
Tuesday,  "There  will  be  no  changes  in  the 
GB  sales  personnel  of  any  kind,  despite  re- 
ports to  the  contrary." 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


25 


U.S.  AND  COURTS  EYE 
UNFAIR  TRADE  PRACTICES 


Department  of  Justice  Asks 
Data  for  Action  on  Com- 
plaints of  Small  Exhibitors; 
Studios  Answer  Questionnaire 

Industry  attention  centers  again  this  week 
on  the  persistent  fight  of  minority  interests 
to  obtain  what  they  deem  to  be  necessary 
in  the  matter  of  fair  trade  practices  in  their 
relations  with  the  major  distributors  and 
large  competitive  circuits. 

Emerging  from  a  quietness  that  has  pre- 
vailed for  weeks,  since  the  United  States 
Government  and  Fanchon  &  Marco  won 
a  victory  over  Warner  Bros,  in  the  St.  Louis 
anti-trust  conflict,  the  motion  picture's 
troublesome  problem  of  applying  proper 
trade  practices  bobbed  up  again  this 
week,  first  in  the  Department  of  Justice 
where  the  government  launched  new  efforts 
to  contact  aggrieved  exhibitors  in  the  field, 
and,  secondly,  in  federal  court  in  Kansas 
City,  where  the  majors  are  being  sued  on 
anti-trust  allegations  and  trial  commenced 
last  Friday. 

Nor  does  it  seem  likely  that  the  general 
trade  practice  situation  will  be  relieved 
for  at  least  another  three  weeks  by  the 
MPTOA's  ten-point  program,  for  it  be- 
came known  that  the  plan  will  rest  for 
more  than  a  fortnight — and  even  then  its 
final  disposition  is  speculative,  depending 
upon  distributor  action. 

Questionnaires  sent  by  the  Department  of 
Justice  from  Washington  to  distributors  and 
exhibitors  throughout  the  country  are  designed 
to  develop  information  as  to  availability  of 
product  to  round  out  the  information  gathered 
as  a  result  of  a  similar  questionnaire  previ- 
ously sent  to  the  Hollywood  producers,  it  was 
learned  this  week. 

Department  Uncommunicative 

Officials  of  the  Department  continue  to  main- 
tain an  uncommunicative  attitude,  but  it  was 
learned  from  trustworthy  sources  that  they  are 
seeking  to  round  up  data  to  use  as  a  guide 
in  deciding  the  action  to  be  taken  with  the 
large  number  of  complaints  which  have  been 
received  in  recent  months  from  small  exhibitors 
and  against  the  large  distributors  and  large 
circuits. 

The  Hollywood  questionnaire  was  sent  out 
some  time  ago  and  returns  are  all  in  at  Wash- 
ington. To  corroborate  or  rebut  the  showing 
that  there  is  adequate  product  which  is  said 
to  have  been  made  by  the  Hollywood  producers, 
the  Department  is  questioning  exchanges  and 
exhibitors  in  the  field  as  to  their  views.  The 
questionnaire  now  being  distributed  is  under- 
stood to  be  very  similar  to  that  sent  the  pro- 
ducers, but  asking  for  information  also  as  to 
contracts. 

Most  Complaints  from  West 

It  is  declared  that  while  a  large  number  of 
complaints  have  been  received  by  the  Depart- 
ment from  local  organizations  and  independent 
exhibitors,  they  are  nearly  all  from  west  of 
the  Alleghanies  and  few  or  no  protests  have 


THEATRE  BILLS  'TIME' 
AS  UNCENSORED 

A  formal  protest  to  the  State  De- 
partment against  a  San  Dominican 
sequence  in  the  latest  issue  of  "The 
March  of  Time"  and  deletion  of  the 
sequence  during  the  showing  at  the 
Music  Hall  in  New  York  prompted 
the  Embassy  theatre  in  Times  Square 
to  bill  the  show  on  the  marquee  this 
week  as  "March  of  Time,  Uncen- 
sored."  At  the  Music  Hall  the  se- 
quence reviewing  the  political  situa- 
tion in  the  Republic  of  San  Domingo 
and  the  administration  of  President 
Trujillo  Molina  was  eliminated  after 
a  protest  from  the  Dominican  Minis- 
ter, Andres  Pastoriza,  who  later  re- 
ceived a  formal  reply  from  Secretary 
of  State  Cordell  Hull. 


come  in  from  the  Atlantic  seaboard.  Also,  it  is 
said,  there  are  no  complaints  from  the  west 
coast. 

With  a  serious  loss  of  face  narrowly  averted 
a  few  months  ago  by  compromising  the  St. 
Louis  case  after  moving  it  to  New  York,  the 
Department  is  following  a  very  cautious  atti- 
tude with  respect  to  film  complaints,  and  appar- 
ently is  determined  to  undertake  no  further 
prosecutions  unless  it  is  practically  absolutely 
certain  of  a  favorable  court  decision. 

The  close-mouthed  attitude  taken  by  Justice 
Department  officials,  who  refuse  absolutely  to 
discuss  their  film  investigation  activities,  is  in 
keeping  with  the  policy  of  the  Department  to 
make  no  revelations  while  continuing  investi- 
gations which  might  lead  to  prosecutions. 

It  is  not  anticipated  that  the  department 
will  complete  its  study  of  product  availability 
for  some  months. 

Rolsky  Action  Underway 

The  anti-trust  suit  of  Emanuel  Rolsky,  inde- 
pendent owner,  vs.  Fox  Midwest  Theatres  and 
major  distributors  got  under  way  in  federal 
district  court  at  Kansas  City  last  Friday  after- 
noon, and  on  Saturday  morning  Judge  Merrill 
E.  Otis  recessed  until  Wednesday. 

Judge  Otis  denied  the  application  of  Leland 
Hazard,  attorney  for  C.  A.  Schultz  and  seven 
other  subsequent-run  exhibitors,  to  intervene. 
Mr.  Hazard  contended  that  intervening  exhibi- 
tors, neither  plaintiffs  nor  defendants  in  the 
case,  would  be  affected  by  a  decision  which 
might  change  the  present  clearance  setup,  inas- 
much as  their  theatres  have  purchased  product 
under  its  terms.  Otis  refused  the  application 
once  before,  at  the  time  he  denied  plaintiffs' 
application  for  a  temporary  injunction  in  March, 
this  year.  However,  Judge  Otis  allowed  Haz- 
ard to  continue  as  an  amicus  curiae. 

Opening  statements  by  W.  G.  Boatright  for 
the  plaintiffs,  who  are  seeking  a  permanent 
injunction  restraining  the  defendants  from  con- 
tinuing the  alleged  conspiracy  of  Fox  Midwest's 
zoning  and  clearance  plan ;  by  E.  C.  Raftery, 
New  York,  for  distributors,  and  Sam  Sawyer 
for  Fox  Midwest,  summarized  the  charges  of 
conspiracy  and  violation  of  the  anti-trust  laws 


Rolsky's  Anti-Trust  Suit  Against 
Fox  Midwest  and  Distributors 
Starts;  Action  on  MPTOA 
Program   Is  Delayed 

and  the  denials  contained  in  answers  filed  by 
defendants  since  the  preliminary  hearing. 

If  the  court  allows  the  sort  of  zoning 
and  protection  plan  Fox  Midwest  is  using 
to  continue,  independent  exhibitors  here 
and  elsewhere  cannot  compete  with 
affiliated  theatres,  Mr.  Boatright  said. 

Up  to  the  1935-36  season  exhibitors  have 
been  able  to  contract  for  pictures  openly,  but 
last  fall,  they  said,  they  found  the  market  closed 
by  agreement  between  Fox  Midwest  and  major 
distributors.  Theretofore  operators  of  equally 
priced  houses  could  play  the  same  picture  the 
same  day  if  they  wished,  preserving  active  com- 
petition between  such  theatres.  Last  fall  dis- 
tributors and  the  Fox  circuit  decided  that  when 
a  picture  reached  20-cent  availability,  Fox  the- 
atres should  have  the  first  opportunity  to  play 
them.  They  zoned  the  city,  each  zone  contain- 
ing at  least  one  Fox  house,  which  showed  pic- 
tures before  other  theatres  in  the  zone.  This 
agreement  was  reduced  to  writing.  Its  purpose 
was  to  stop  day  and  date  exhibition,  they  said ; 
actually  it  stopped  competition.  Fox  wanted 
prior  runs  in  order  to  habituate  the  public  to 
the  knowledge  pictures  would  be  shown  at  a 
Fox  theatre  first.  A  trust  thereby  was  created, 
Mr.   Boatright  declared. 

When  it  became  rumored  on  Film  Row  that 
something  was  in  the  air,  independents  went 
to  distributors,  who  said  they  weren't  ready  to 
sell  city  exhibitors  as  yet.  After  Fox  had 
bought  what  they  wanted,  independents  were 
offered  what  was  left. 

It  does  not  matter,  argued  Mr.  Boatright, 
that  Fox  did  not  take  first-run  in  every  zone : 
the  purpose  was  to  give  Fox  the  advantage 
and  independents  the  disadvantage. 

There  is  no  question  that  interstate  com- 
merce is  involved,  he  added,  because  pictures 
are  made  in  and  shipped  from  California ;  con- 
tracts finally  are  settled  in  New  York. 

Sees  Threat  to  Distribution 

"I  agree  with  Mr.  Boatright  that  this  case 
is  very  important,"  Mr.  Raftery  said  in  open- 
ing his  statement.  "For  if  his  contention  is 
upheld,  he  is  going  to  destroy  the  entire  eco- 
nomic side  of  motion  pictures — distribution." 

As  high  as  82  per  cent  of  all  revenue  paid 
for  a  picture  in  Kansas  City  has  come  from 
its  first-run,  Mr.  Raftery  continued,  which  pays 
that  much  for  the  right  to  show  the  picture 
exclusively — with  protection. 

That  principle  was  the  one  that  made  it  possi- 
ble for  the  development  of  the  motion  picture 
industry  from  the  nickelodian  to  its  present- 
day  position,  he  went  on.  And  the  principle  is 
the  same  down  to  the  15-cent  run. 

Several  years  ago  the  ITO,  by  agreement  or 
what  not,  went  out  and  convinced  everyone  they 
should  play  pictures  day  and  date.  They  forced 
the  day  and  date  issue  into  this  territory,  and 
took  from  the  public  choice  of  pictures.  In 
every  other  city  in  the  country  the  system  of 
prior  runs  obtains. 

When  Elmer  C.  Rhoden,  head  of  Fox  Mid- 
west, went  to  distributors  individually,  not  col- 
lectively,   distributors   had   their   first  oppor- 

(Contimtcd  on  followinp  parte) 


26 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


ANTI-TRUST  SUIT  OPENS 


'Continued  from  preceding  page) 

tunity  in  years  to  break  away  from  day  and 
date  booking. 

Exhibitors,  in  August,  1935,  injected  the  only 
concerted  action  when  they  came  along  with  a 
uniform  zoning  and  clearance  plan,  in  which 
they  literally  demanded  day  and  date  booking, 
Mr.  Raftery  said  in  countering  charges  of 
plaintiffs. 

Mr.  Rhoden  wanted  to  buy  clearance, 
and  was  willing  to  pay  for  it.  But  he  de- 
clined longer  to  pay  for  it  and  then  have 
to  play  day  and  date  with  exhibitors  who 
paid  less  for  the  same  pictures.  Starting 
in  April  with  Twentieth  Century  -  Fox,  he 
negotiated  with  various  distributors  until 
November.  That  was  not  concerted  effort, 
Mr.  Raftery  asserted.  Here  was  one  man, 
one  company,  dealing  with  a  number  of 
distributors  at  different  times  over  a  long 
period. 

The  plaintiffs,  with  their  day  and  date  book- 
ing, destroyed  the  element  of  competition  sec- 
ond in  importance  only  to  the  licensing  of  the 
copyrighted  article,  clearance — the  right  to  play 
exclusively,  and  to  bid  for  that  right  in  open 
market,  concluded  Mr.  Raftery. 

Fox  Midwest  Status  Described 

Fox  Midwest  is  an  exhibitor  only,  Mr.  Saw- 
yer told  the  court.  It  is  connected  with  no  dis- 
tributor of  film,  and  has  no  relation  with  pro- 
ducers except  Twentieth  Century-Fox,  which 
owns  42  per  cent  of  National  Theatres,  which 
owns  Fox  Midcentral,  which  owns  Fox  Mid- 
west. 

The  circuit  bears  the  same  relation  to  other 
producers  as  any  exhibitor,  he  said ;  other  pro- 
ducers are  competitive  to  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox,  making  self-evident  the  lack  of  a  con- 
spiracy motive. 

Cites  Prior  Run  Policies 

Mr.  Sawyer  explained  that  the  purchase  and 
exhibition  of  pictures  by  prior  runs  is  a  general 
custom.  Licensing  of  film  by  the  day  and  date 
method  in  Kansas  City  has  been  exceptional, 
and  it  eliminated  competition,  by  preventing  bid- 
ding for  pictures.  Day  and  date  booking,  in- 
stead of  stimulating,  depresses  competition,  be- 
cause all  theatres  show  the  same  picture  at 
the  same  time. 

Fox  Midwest  entered  no  agreement  or  gen- 
eral understanding  with  distributors,  and  it  has 
no  system,  he  said.  The  circuit  simply  stated 
that  it  desired  to  buy  certain  runs  and  clear- 
ances. It  started  and  concluded  contracts  at  dif- 
ferent times.  It  bought  the  same  run  from  sev- 
eral producers  because  that  was  the  run  it 
needed  to  maintain  a  uniform  policy  in  that 
theatre. 

Independents  Offered  Prior  Run 

Distributors  in  several  cases  offered  inde- 
pendents a  run  prior  to  that  of  Fox,  explained 
Mr.  Sawyer.  Last  fall  Rhoden  offered — and 
he  still  is  willing — to  cancel  all  contracts  and 
re-negotiate  so  as  to  give  exhibitors  an  equal 
chance  to  buy. 

Submitted  in  evidence  by  Mr.  Boatright  was 
a  map  of  the  city  showing  zones  and  theatres; 
the  letter  dated  April  30,  1935,  from  Rhoden  to 
Ward  Scott  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox  outlin- 
ing terms  on  which  Fox  Midwest  wanted  to 
buy  1935-36  product ;  a  transcript  of  Rhoden's 
testimony  at  the  preliminary  hearing,  and  1935- 
36  contracts  of  plaintiffs  with  distributors.  De- 
fense attorneys  objected  to  admitting  as  evi- 
dence the  consent  decree  in  the  case  of  Young- 
claus  vs.  Omaha  Film  Board  of  Trade,  and 
the  consent  decree  and  petition  in  the  case  of 
United   States   vs.   West   Coast  Theatres  on 


grounds  the  facts  in  those  cases  and  in  this 
one  differed.   But  Judge  Otis  overruled. 

E.  S.  Young,  operator  of  the  Central 
and  Roanoke  and  a  plaintiff,  placed  on  the 
stand  by  Mr.  Boatright,  revealed  that  at 
the  Roanoke,  where  he  has  three  changes 
a  week,  he  buys  approximately  275  pictures 
a  year,  and  at  the  Central,  where  he  has 
four  changes,  350  to  400.  He  buys  ap- 
proximately 10  per  cent  of  his  pictures 
from  independent  producers. 

In  the  Roanoke  Mr.  Young  has  approxi- 
mately |60,000  invested ;  in  the  Central,  where 
he  doesn't  own  the  building,  $20,000.  Mr. 
Young  objected  to  giving  a  comparison  of  gross 
receipts  because  so  many  exhibitors  give  away 
dishes  and  premiums,  which  makes  their  grosses 
high,  but  their  net  low.  Net  income  at  the  Cen- 
tral, January  1  to  July  4,  1936,  was  $49.18; 
January  1  to  July  6,  1935,  $2,901.91.  There  was 
no  change  in  the  method  of  operation,  wages, 
rent,  light.  Young  used  "stimulants"  both  years 
with  the  cost  practically  the  same. 

"How  do  you  account  for  the  decreased  earn- 
ings?" Mr.  Boatright  asked.  The  defense  ob- 
jected. 

"The  only  different  factor  is  the  one  that 
requires  me  to  exhibit  pictures  so  late  in  back 
of  other  theatres  that  they  reap  profits  and 
leave  me  none,"  Mr.  Young  testified. 

"Is  not  there  one  factor  that  can't  be  deter- 
mined ;  namely,  the  ability  of  the  public  to  at- 
tend the  theatre?"  the  court  asked,  but  the  ques- 
tion remained  unanswered. 

Earnings  Traced 

The  Roanoke,  January  1  to  July  4,  1936, 
earned  a  net  of  $707.80 ;  January  1  to  July  6, 
1935,  it  suffered  a  $1,396  loss.  Young  explained 
the  loss  as  due  to  the  fact  he  had  only  recently 
bought  the  theatre  in  a  condition  run  down  both 
physically  and  in  attendance.  It  had  been  losing 
$150  a  week  when  he  bought  it,  and  he  knew 
it  would  continue  to  lose  money  for  some  time. 

The  Central  operated  under  a  mixed  admis- 
sion policy,  as  Mr.  Young  explained  it,  to  keep 
certain  patrons  who  can't  afford  to  pay  15  cents 
coming  into  his  show  ;  when  business  improves 
he  will  have  retained  their  patronage. 

Companies  usually  announce  their  films  for 
sale  in  June  and  July.  In  1935,  Mr.  Young  tes- 
tified, he  asked  William  Warner,  branch  man- 
ager for  Warner  Brothers,  when  his  company 
was  going  to  offer  film.  Mr.  Warner  didn't 
know;  the  Fox  Midwest  deal  was  not  com- 
pleted in  New  York.  Mr.  Young  said  it  was 
Mr.  Warner's  comment  that  the  Fox  circuit 
with  its  hundreds  of  theatres  probably  would 
get  about  what  it  wanted. 

Managers  Called 

As  a  member  of  a  committee  of  indepen- 
dents, Mr.  Young  called  on  G.  C.  Diamond  of 
Warner  Brothers;  W.  W.  Benjamin,  exchange 
manager  for  Universal ;  T.  R.  Thompson,  RKO 
branch  manager ;  Joe  Manfre,  manager  for  Par- 
amount ;  Harry  Taylor,  Columbia  manager ;  W. 
E.  Truog,  United  Artists  manager,  and  Frank 
Hensler,  manager  for  MGM. 

The  committee  attempted  to  induce  Mr.  Tay- 
lor to  sell  independents  pictures  for  day  and 
date  booking  at  theatres  with  like  admission, 
it  was  testified,  but  Taylor  said  he  didn't  know 
how  his  company  was  going  to  sell  pictures 
the  coming  season,  and  indicated  Fox  Midwest 
had  not  yet  made  its  purchases. 

Mr.  Hensler  told  the  committee  that  he 
didn't  know  how  MGM  would  sell  in  the  city, 
but  that  he  did  know  they  would  be  sold  in 
runs. 

Mr.  Manfre  said  he  didn't  know  how  pic- 
tures were  going  to  be  sold  in  Kansas  City 


because  he  didn't  know  how  they  were  going 
to  be  released  to  Fox  houses. 

In  October-November  distributor  salesmen 
indicated  to  Mr.  Young  they  were  ready  to  do 
business  with  him.  (Mr.  Young's  testimony  in 
this  connection  was  not  received  against  Fox 
Midwest.)  He  called  on  various  companies  and 
made  contracts  with  Paramount,  Columbia,  Uni- 
versal, Warner  Brothers,  MGM,  United  Art- 
ists and  RKO. 

Objections  of  attorneys  for  the  defense  to 
allowing  Mr.  Young  to  relate  conversations 
with  salesmen  with  whom  he  dealt  on  contracts 
were  sustained. 

"We  offer  to  show  by  the  witness  that  the 
salesmen  in  substance  said  'this  is  the  only  way 
we  can  sell  you,' "  said  Mr.  Boatright. 

Mr.  Raftery  called  for  Mr.  Young's  gross 
receipts.  Central,  same  dates,  1936,  $13,236.55 ; 
1935,  $9,406.  Roanoke,  same  dates,  1936,  $11,- 
593;  1935,  $11,896.  Young  said  the  only  wages 
he  took  were  $60  a  week  from  the  income  at 
the  Central. 

"Does  zone  mean  to  you  a  competitive  area?" 
Raftery  asked. 

"It  doesn't  to  me,"  Young  replied.  "In  this 
case  zones  means  theatres  competitive  to  Fox 
theatres  and  not  to  mine." 

Zoning  Schedule  Presented 

The  committee  called  on  managers  and  pre- 
sented a  zoning  schedule,  Mr.  Raftery  recalled. 
He  cited  a  memorandum  dictated  at  that  time 
in  the  office  of  Universal  by  Young  saying  that 
the  schedule  contained  the  independents'  idea 
of  clearance,  that  under  it  they  had  operated 
successfully  prior  to  the  NRA.  Mr.  Raftery 
pointed  out  that  the  only  difference  was  in 
penalties  for  premiums  and  giveaways.  Inde- 
pendents delivered  one  or  more  requests  for 
this  schedule  to  every  branch  manager.  Plain- 
tiffs signed  the  clearance  proposal. 

"Do  you  recognize  clearance  as  a  general 
principle?"  Raftery  tried  again. 

"Only  as  between  houses  with  different  ad- 
mission prices,"  Young  answered. 

Young  testified  under  Raftery's  questioning 
that  he  played  "Top  Hat"  second  to  the  Fox 
Warwick,  on  December  22,  23  and  24.  Gross 
was  $170.60.  "Follow  the  Fleet"  Young  played 
after  the  Warwick,  Madrid  and  Westport,  on 
June  14,  15  and  16.  Gross  was  $194.70.  Raftery 
called  attention  to  Young's  making  more  on 
the  feature  on  which  he  had  no  clearance  than 
on  the  one  on  which  he  did  have. 

"I  certainly  do  not  recognize  the  right  of 
priority  of  run  between  equally  priced  theatres," 
Mr.  Young  reiterated. 

He  admitted  that  perhaps  the  day  and 
date  principle  embodied  in  the  inde- 
pendents' schedule  proposed  last  year  was 
not  the  happiest  one,  although  it  was  at 
least  fair  to  all  exhibitors.  But  perhaps  it 
would  be  better  to  stagger  pictures:  not 
give  one  house  a  chance  to  buy  first  run 
on  every  picture,  but  give  one  house  a 
chance  to  buy  first  run  from  several  pro- 
ducers, another  house  the  first  runs  of 
several  other  producers,  and  so  on. 

Practically  all  of  Film  Row,  and  most  ex- 
hibitors, were  in  the  court  room,  fanning  them- 
selves as  the  heat  soared  to  110  the  first  after- 
noon and  went  over  100  the  next  morning. 

Abe  Baier,  who  operates  the  Lindbergh,  ap- 
peared Friday  morning  without  a  coat,  and  the 
bailiff  told  him  he  had  to  have  it  to  get  into 
court.  He  went  down  and  rented  one,  getting 
back  to  court  just  in  time  to  hear  the  judge 
recess  till  afternoon. 

Besides  Rolsky  and  Young,  plaintiffs  are  C. 
E.  Esterly,  State  and  Prospect;  Frank  T. 
Mountjoy,  Circle;  Abe  and  Rosa  Baier,  Lind- 
bergh; Saline  Theatre  Corporation  (C.  H.  Pot- 
ter), Baltis,  Murray  and  Admiral;  Ritz  Amuse- 
ment Corp.,  Ritz,  and  H.  F.  Pautz  and  H.  C. 
Rhode,  Sun. 

Besides  Fox  Midwest  Theatres,  Inc.,  defend- 
ants are  Twentieth  Century-Fox,  Metro,  Co- 
lumbia, RKO,  Vitagraph,  Paramount  and 
United  Artists. 


INITED   ARTISTS   presents  the 

MANPOWER  behind  the  product!  MANPOWER 
enough  for  60  pictures  concentrated  on  30  pic- 
tures .  .  .  the  cream  of  motion  picture  producing 
talent     and     brains!    With    these  producers, 


directors,  writers  and  stars,  it  is  no  surprise 
that  each  United  Artists  picture  stands  as  a  superb 
individual  creation.  UNITED  ARTISTS  offers  you 
the  cream  of  the  industry's  product,  produced 
by    the    cream    of    the    industry's  MANPOWER! 


L*  RODUCERS  from  the  Blue   Book   of  the 

motion  picture  industry,  everyone  of  them  literally 
living  with  each  of  their  pictures  until  ready  for 
release.  The  very  highest  production  standards  are 
rigidly  maintained  by  the  producing  MANPOWER 
of  United  Artists, 


We—**     IRECTORS  ...  Endowed   with   that  rare 


combination    of    a    fine    artistic    expression   with  a 


shrewd    box-office    sense,    each    of    these  great 


directors   has   made    motion    picture    history.  Their 


achievements    of    the    past    and    present    are  but 


beacons    lighting    the    way    to    brilliant  accomplish- 


ment   during    the    coming    season.    The  directorial 


MANPOWER   of  United    Artists   is    a    money  power 


at    your  box-office. 


William  Wyler 

Remember:  THESE  THREE 

THE  GOOD  FAIRY 
COUNSELLOR  -  AT-  LAW 


George  li.  Seitz 

Remember: 
VANISHING  AMERICAN 
EXCLUSIVE  STORY 


Thornton  Freeland 


Remember : 
FLYING  DOWN  TO  RIO 
WHOOPEE 


llonard  Hawks 

Remember;  DAWN  PATROL 
BARBARY  COAST 
SCARFACE 


Rene  Clair 

who  drew  raves  with 
THE  GHOST  GOES  WEST 


William  Well  man 

Remember:,  PUBLIC  ENEMY 
CALL  OF  THE  WILD 
WINGS 


Rouben  Mamonlian 

RemembenlOVi  ME  TONIGHT 
DR.  JEKYLL  &  MR.  HYDE 
QUEEN  CHRISTINA 


George  Cnkor 

Remember:  LITTLE  WOMEN 
DAVID  COPPERFIELD 
DINNER  AT  EIGHT 


Dr.  Paul  Czinner 


Remember: 
CATHERINE  THE  GREAT 
ESCAPE  ME  NEVER 


Richard  Boleslawski 

Remember:  MEM  IN  WHITE 
CLIVE  OF  INDIA 
LES  MISERABLES 


John  Ford 

Academy  Award  Winner 
Best  Director  of  1935 

Wo  n    Academy    Awar  J 

Direction  of  THE  INFORMER 
MARY,  QUEEN  OF  SCOTS 
ARROWSMITH 


Frank  Borzage 

Remember    SEVENTH  HEAVEN 
FLIRTATION  WALK 
DESIRE 


UTHORS . . .  n  o  stone 


was  left  unturned,  no  price  was  too  great 


to  pay  in  order  to  obtain  the  finest 


story    properties     available  as    well  as 


SINCLAIR  LEWIS 
Author   of  Dodsworth. 
Wrote  Arrowsmith,  Main 
Street. 


JAMES  HILTON 
Author  of  Knight  W/ithout 
Armor.  Wrote  Lost  Hori- 
zon, Goodbye  Mr.  Chips. 


the   most   noteworthy  screen  writers 


in    the    industry.    Their   names  have 


been    associated    with    a  continuous 


parade  of  hits.  The  writing  MANPOWER 


ZOE  AKINS 

Working  on  Accused. 
Wrote  Morning  Glory, 
Christopher  Strong.  Out- 
cast Lady. 


of  UNITED  ARTISTS   will  write  box 


office    history    during    the  brightly 


promising    season    before  us. 


ROBERT  CRAVES 
Author  of  /  Claudius  and 
Claudius  the  God. 


H.  G.  WELLS 
Wrote  Man  Who  Could 
Work  Miracles,  Things  To 
Come,  Outline  of  History. 
One  of  the  greatest  of  con- 
temporary English  writers. 


EDNA  FERBER 
Author  of  Come  and  Get 
It.   Wrote   Cimarron,  So 
Dig,  Shoiv  Boat.  Collabo- 
rated Dinner  at -Eight. 


SIDNEY  HOWARD 
Adapting  Dodsworth 
Worked  on  Bengal  Lancer, 
Arrowsmith,  These  Three. 


ROBERT  HICHENS 
Author  of  The  Garden  of 
Allah,  Bella  Donna.  Latest 
Novel  The  Pyramid. 


BEN  HECHT  and  CHARLES  McARTHUR 
Adapting  Wuthering  Heights  by  Emily  Bronte.  Wrote  Front  Page. 
Produced  The  Scoundrel,  Crime  Without  Passion. 


FRANCES  MARION 
Writing  Scenario  for 
Knight  W  ithout  Armor. 
Wrote  Scenarios  for  Let 
us  Be  Gay,  The  Champ, 
Dinner  At  Eight. 


JOHN  BALDERSTON 
Author  of  In  Love  and 
War,  Wrote  Berkeley 
Square.  Collaborated  Ben- 
gal Lancer,  Dracula 
Frankenstein. 


CENE  TOWTNE  and  GRAHAM  BAKER  LILLIAN  HELLMAN  JANE  MURFIN 

Authors  of  History  is  Made  at  Night,  Three  Times  Loser.  Collabo-  Author  of  These  Three.  Ad apting  Come  and  Get 

rated  Mary  Burns,  Fugitive,  Shanghai.  Adapted  Broadway  Thru  a  Adapted  The  Dark  Angel.  ArS  Serial  § 
Keyhole. 


SAM  and  BELLA  SPEWACK 
Authors  of  Women  Can  Be  Wrong.  Wrote  Clear  All  Wires,  Boy 
Meets  Girl. 


Ti^e  Salute 

MARK  TWAIN'Sgrent  American  classic,  "Tom  Sawyer",  Emily 
Bronte's  tvell  beloved  "  Wuthering  Heights"  and  James  Fenimore 
Cooper's  immortal  "Last  of  the  Mohicans". 

ARTHUR  KOBERis  now  adapting  "Women  Can  Be  Wrong. 

KLBEC  GLASMONis  responsible  for  "Public  Enemy"  and  "Smart 
Money"  and  is  noiv  collaborating  on  "Shake  Hands  with  Murder. 

O.  H.  P.  GARRETT  who  wrote  "Street  of  Chance"— "If  I  had  a 
Million" — "Manhattan  Melodrama"  which  won  the  1934  Academy 
Award  for  the  best  original  story.  Author  of  "The  Man  with 
Young  Wife." 


MARTIN  MOONEV adapting  "Shake  Hands  with  Murder"  tvrote 
famous  and  spectacular  gang  expose  filmed  as  "Exclusive  Story". 


TP  A.  R.  S  •  •  •  Look  at  these  names  and 


faces  carefully  and  you  won't  need  very  much  mental 
arithmetic  to  find  out  that  they  all  add  up  to 
profits.  From  the  most  brilliant  star  to  the  most 
gifted  featured  player  appearing  in  United  Artists 
releases  each  is  a  decided  box-office  asset  to 
any  picture  and  a  formidable  addition  to  the 
MANPOWER  of  UNITED  ARTISTS! 


Charles  Lough  ton 


Marlene  Dietrich 


Eddie  Cantor 


9 


Ronald  Colman 


Merle  Oberon 

Mr  *^m\ 

Eg  *m  MKHa 

Sylvia  Sidney 


Charles  Boyer 


Miriam  Hopkins 


Robert  Donat 


Elisabeth  Bergner 


Edward  Arnold 


Dolores  Del  Rio 


Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.  Paulette  Goddard 


Nino  Martini 


Waller  Huston 


Ruth  Challerton 


Paul  Lukas 


Mary  Astor 


Walter  Brennan 


Mady  Christians 


Randolph  Scott 


Leo  Carillo 


Ida  Lit  pi  no 


Joel  McCrea 


7T 

Roland  Young 


Brian  Aherne 


Conrad  Veidt 


Binnie  Barnes 


Henry  Wilcoxon 


Madeleine  Carroll 


Joseph  Schildkraut 


ft 


Henry  Fonda 


Basil  Rathbone 


Joan  Bennett 


Mary  Nash 


Tilly  Losch 


Bruce  Cabot 


C.  Aubrey  Smith 


Heather  Angel 


Frances  Farmer 


Odette  Myrtil 


Flora  Robson 


Mickey  Mouse 


d  here  are  some  of  the  pictures  soon 


to  be  released  that  are  the  result  of  the  combined 


efforts  of  this  great  assemblage  of  MANPOWER. 


W^atch  for 


Marlene  Dietrich  and  Charles  Boyer 
in 

"THE  GARDEN  OF  ALLAH" 
in  Technicolor 


TV^atck  for 


Sinclair  Lewis'  "DODS WORTH" 
with 

Walter  Huston  and  Ruth  Chatterton 


James  Fenimore  Cooper's 
"THE  LAST  OF  THE  MOHICANS" 
with  Randolph  Scott  -  Binnie  Barnes 
and  Henry  Wilcoxon 


Edna  Ferber's 
"COME  AND  GET  IT" 
with  Edward  Arnold  and 
Frances  Farmer 


Charles  Laughton  in 
"REMBRANDT" 


Nino  Martini  in 
"THE  GAY  DESPERADO" 
with 

Leo  Carrillo  and  Ida  Lupino 


Merle  Oberon  and  Brian  Aherne 
in  "IN  LOVE  AND  WAR" 


Mark  Twain's  immortal 
"ADVENTURES  OF  TOM  SAWYER" 


Sylvia  Sidney  and  Henry  Fonda 
in  "THREE  TIME  LOSER" 


Eddie  Cantor  in 
"PONY  BOY" 


Charles  Laughton 
and  Merle  Oberon 
in  "I,  CLAUDIUS" 


Charles  Boyer 

in 

"HISTORY  IS  MADE  AT  NIGHT" 


Marlene  Dietrich  and  Robert  Donat 
in  "KNIGHT  WITHOUT  ARMOR" 


You  cannot  have  QUALITY  without  U.  A. 


Printed  in  U.S.A. 


August    i,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


39 


THE  HOLLYWOOD 
SCENE 


Production 

Hollywood's  new  season  production  pro- 
gram got  under  way  during  the  past  week 
with  several  important  pictures  both  started 
and  completed.  The  week  was  additionally 
notable  in  that  it  witnessed  the  starting  of 
the  first  picture  under  the  new  Schulberg 
Pictures,  Inc.,  banner. 

From  the  standpoint  of  productions 
started,  the  Warner  studio,  with  four  new 
efforts,  is  in  the  van.  In  "Mistress  of 
Fashion,"  which  Michael  Curtiz  is  directing, 
Kay  Francis,  Claude  Rains,  Ian  Hunter, 
Alison  Skipworth,  Frank  Reicher,  Frank 
Conroy,  Betty  Lawford,  Walter  Kingsford 
and  Alexander  D'Arcy  will  be  seen,  among 
many  others. 

"Heroes  of  the  Air"  will  present  Warren 
Hull,  Jean  Muir,  Howard  Phillips,  Gordon 
Oliver,  John  Litel,  Nedda  Harrigan,  John 
Kelly,  Joe  Cunningham,  Carlyle  Moore,  Jr., 
Mary  Treen,  Charles  Foy,  Gordon  Hart  and 
Winifred  Shaw.  Nick  Grinde  is  directing. 

Presently  cast  for  "Three  Men  on  a 
Horse"  are  Frank  McHugh,  Joan  Blondell, 
Carol  Hughes,  Sam  Levine,  Allen  Jenkins 
and  Teddy  Hart.  Many  more  additions  in 
featured  and  support  parts  are  to  be  made. 
Mervyn  LeRoy  is  directing. 

Fourth  of  the  Warner  group,  "The 
Shrinking  Violet,"  features  Dick  Purcell, 
Ann  Sheridan,  Ann  Gillis,  June  Travis, 
Wayne  Morris  and  George  E.  Stone,  with 
Noel  Smith  directing. 

Two  pictures  started  at  MGM.  "Libeled 
Lady"  is  a  vehicle  for  Jean  Harlow,  William 
Powell,  Myrna  Loy,  Spencer  Tracy,  Walter 
Connolly  and  Charles  Grapewin.  Jack  Con- 
way is  directing. 

"Chain  Lightning"  started  with  Stuart 
Erwin,  Betty  Furness,  Edmund  Gwenn  and 
E.  E.  Clive  as  principals.  Edwin  L.  Marin 
is  directing. 

Under  its  own  sponsorship,  Paramount 
started  "The  Plainsman,"  a  Cecil  B.  De 
Mille  production.  Gary  Cooper  and  Jean 
Arthur  are  starred  with  a  lengthy  support- 
ing cast  listing  Jimmy  Ellison,  Charles 
Bickford,  Helen  Burgess,  Johnny  Down, 
Porter  Hall,  Bruce  Cabot,  Purnell  Pratt, 
George  Hayes  and  Edwin  Maxwell. 

Marked  by  impressive  ceremonies,  Schul- 
berg Picture  started  "Wedding  Present," 
which  Paramount  will  release.  First  picture 
on  the  new  company's  program,  it  features 
Joan  Bennett,  Cary  Grant,  George  Bancroft, 
Inez  Courtney  and  Purnell  Pratt.  Richard 
Wallace  is  directing. 

Universal  started  "Way  For  a  Lady," 
with  Ralph  Murphy  directing.  The  cast  in- 
cludes Doris  Nolan,  Michael  Whelan,  Mar- 
jorie  Gateson,  Gerald  Smith,  Nigel  Bruce, 
Ferdinand  Gottschalk  and  Harry  Barris. 

With  D.  Ross  Lederman  at  the  helm, 
Columbia  started  "Two  Minute  Alibi."  It 
will  present  William  Gargan,  Marguerite 
'Churchill,  Gene  Morgan,  Egon  Brecher  and 


"I'd  Give  My  Life,"  produced  by  Rich- 
ard A.  Rowland  for  Paramount  release, 
went  over  with  what  Hollywood  calls  a 
bang  when  previewed  in  Long  Beach  last 
week.  Sir  Guy  Standing,  Frances  Drake 
and  Tom  Brown  have  principal  roles  in  the 
picture,  comment  on  which  was  marked 
by  frequent  reiteration  of  the  term  "box- 
office." 


Raymond  Lawrence  in  the  featured  roles. 

After  more  than  three  months  in  produc- 
tion, Columbia  finished  "The  Lost  Horizon." 
Ronald  Colman  is  starred,  supported  by 
Jane  Wyatt,  Isabel  Jewell,  Margo,  Edward 
Everett  Horton,  Thomas  Mitchell,  John 
Howard,  H.  B.  Warner,  Hugh  Buckler, 
Lawrence  Grant  and  Sam  Jaffee.  Frank 
Capra  directed  the  production. 

MGM  finished  "Good  Earth,"  which,  like 
"The  Lost  Horizan,"  was  a  long  time  in 
production.  It  stars  Paul  Muni  and  Luise 
Rainer  in  the  picturized  dramatization  of 
Pearl  Buck's  famous  novel. 

The  MGM  studio  also  finished  "The  Gor- 
geous Hussy,"  which,  because  of  its  his- 
torical backgrounds,  dramatic  theme  and 
quality  of  cast,  is  of  potentially  important 
attraction  caliber.  Joan  Crawford  and  Rob- 
ert Taylor  are  starred. 

Radio  completed  "Walking  on  Air,"  pre- 
viously titled  "Count  Pete."  Directed  by 
Joseph  Stantley,  the  cast  lists  Ann  Sothern, 
Gene  Raymond,  Harriet  Hilliard,  Jessie 
Ralph,  Henry  Stephenson,  Gordon  Jones. 

"See  America  First,"  a  chapter  in  the 
American  Family  Series,  was  completed  by 
Twentieth  Century-Fox.  It  will  present  Jed 
Prouty,  Dixie  Dunbar,  Shirley  Deane,  Tony 
Martin,  Spring  Byington,  Kenneth  Howell, 
George  Ernst,  June  Carlson. 

Warners  finished  "Draegerman's  Cour- 
age." Adapted  from  the  recent  experiences 
of  two  men  trapped  in  a  Nova  Scotia  mine, 
it  presents  Barton  MacLane,  Jean  Muir, 
Henry  O'Neill,  Helen  MacKellar,  Addison 
Richards,  Robert  Barrat,  Priscilla  Lyon, 
Walter  Miller,  Gordon  Oliver  and  Joseph 
Crehan.  Louis  King  directed  the  picture. 

At  Republic  "Oh  Susannah"  was  moved 
to  the  cutting  room.  Gene  Autry  is  featured. 

Itemization 

B.  P.  Schulberg  has  announced  that  he 
will  spend  $75,000  on  expansion  at  the  Pru- 
dential studios  which  he  recently  leased.  He 
simultaneously  announced  his  complete  pro- 
duction personnel  for  B.  P.  Schulberg  Pic- 
tures, Inc.  ...  J.  J.  Milstein,  Edward  Schnit- 
zer  and  Max  Roth,  Republic  sales  executives, 
planed  east  following  conferences  here.  .  .  . 
C.  C.  Burr  left  for  New  York  by  automo- 
bile to  set  distribution  for  six  features 
throughout  the  eastern  territory.  .  .  .  John 
LeRoy  Johnston,  publicity  director  for  Uni- 


versal studios  for  the  past  six  years  and 
chairman  of  the  publicity  director's  com- 
mittee of  the  Producers'  Association  for  the 
the  past  three  years,  has  resigned  his  posi- 
tion with  Universal.  Hubert  Voight,  for- 
merly publicity  chief  for  Warners  and  Co- 
lumbia, will  be  his  successor.  .  .  .  Mrs.  F.  B. 
Marston,  of  the  Authors'  League  of  America, 
is  the  new  secretary  of  the  Screen  Writers' 
Guild.  Miss  B.  Green  resigned  to  accept  a 
studio  post.  .  .  .  Eddie  Cantor  and  Samuel 
Goldwyn  are  having  their  annual  differences, 
but  this  time  it  appears  to  be  more  than 
ballyhoo.  Cantor  is  reported  planning  to 
sign  with  Twentieth  Century-Fox  and  at 
swords  points  with  Goldwyn  due  to  alleged 
inactivity  on  Cantor's  next  film.  .  .  .  Grand 
National  will  spend  $500,000  on  James  Cag- 
ney  features,  Edward  Alperson  has  an- 
nounced. .  .  .  The  Authors'  League  of 
America  has  secured  a  charter  in  California. 
.  .  .  James  Mulvey  and  Murray  Silverstone 
of  United  Artists  have  left  for  New  York. 
James  Dent  was  promoted  to  general  man- 
ager of  the  U.  A.  studio  with  Marvin  Ezzell, 
former  comptroller,  becoming  studio  man- 
ager. .  .  .  Howard  Dietz  also  has  left  for 
New  York.  ...  Harold  Lloyd  has  signed  a 
contract  as  independent  producer  with  Par- 
amount and  is  scheduled  to  do  one  film  a 
year  over  an  indefinite  period,  according  to 
the  terms  of  the  agreement.  .  .  .  Screen  Play- 
wrights, Inc.,  have  elected  a  committee  con- 
sisting of  Grover  Jones,  James  K.  McGuin- 
ness  and  Bess  Meredyth  to  work  out  a  pro- 
gram for  future  negotiation  with  producers. 

The  Press 

Newspapers  have  expanded  by  approxi- 
mately half  the  space  apportioned  to  news 
of  motion  pictures,  according  to  estimates 
of  the  press  departments  at  the  studios,  dur- 
ing the  past  year. 

A  number  of  factors  are  cited  as  explana- 
tory of  this  change,  but  major  among  them 
is  the  personally  conducted  educational  cam- 
paign (mutual)  carried  on  by  representatives 
of  various  companies. 

Tom  Bailey  of  Paramount  was  one  of  the 
first  to  act  as  personal  ambassador  to  the 
press  from  his  studio,  Paramount.  He  was 
chief  of  the  publicity  department  at  the  time, 
and  he  made  a  swing  around  the  country, 
interviewing  not  only  dramatic  critics  but 
city  editors. 

Recently  Barrett  Kiesling  of  MGM  com- 
pleted a  tour  of  17  weeks  in  which  he  dis- 
seminated advance  news  of  "Romeo  and 
Juliet."  Other  studios  are  following  suit. 
Important  correspondents  who  never 
dreamed  of  getting  nearer  to  Hollywood 
than  the  screens  of  their  local  theatres  are 
making  yearly  treks  to  Hollywood.  This 
summer  more  than  50  newspaper  representa- 
tives have  spent  from  two  to  four  weeks 
here  for  the  purpose  of  acquainting  studios 
with  their  individual  needs  and  arranging 
for  special  services. 


40 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    f,  1936 


ARBITRATION  COMMITTEE  FORMED 
BY  AUSTRALIAN  THEATRE  CROUPS 


New  South  Wales  Exhibitors  and 
Distributors  Appoint  Media- 
tion Board  After  Appeals 
to   Government   Fail  Twice 

by  CLIFF  HOLT 

/;/  Melbourne 

After  twice  failing  to  settle  their  disputes 
through  legislation  attempted  by  the  New 
South  Wales  Exhibitors  Association,  ex- 
hibitors and  distributors  will  endeavor  .  to 
reach  a  settlement  without  political  partici- 
pation. To  this  end  an  exhibitor-distributor 
committee  has  been  set  up,  consisting  of  N. 
B.  Freeman  (MGM),  Here  C.  Mclntyre 
(Universal),  and  Sir  Victor  Wilson  (presi- 
dent MPDA)  for  the  distributors  and  Wil- 
liam Harrop  (Exhibitors'  Association),  Ken 
Asprey  (General  Theatres  Corporation) 
and  Charles  E.  Munro  (Hoyts)  for  the  ex- 
hibitors. Dan  Carroll,  prominent  city  ex- 
hibitor, will  be  chairman. 

Although  Australian  independents  never 
have  expressed  a  very  high  regard  for  the 
Motion  Picture  Distributors'  Association, 
there  is  a  disposition  on  their  part  lately 
to  attack  the  association  so  flagrantly  and 
ridicule  it  so  openly  that  their  manner  bor- 
ders dangerously  close  to  hysteria.  While 
in  some  quarters  it  may  be  considered  that 
the  independents'  grievances  are  justified, 
such  methods  scarcely  lead  to  eventual 
harmony  between  the  two  factions,  and, 
indeed,  merely  invite  political  control. 

In  the  current  issue  of  the  independent 
exhibitors'  official  journal,  there  is  this 
passage : 

"The  decision  of  the  New  South  Wales 
Motion  Picture  Exhibitors  Association  to 
introduce  a  sixpenny  minimum  admission, 
and  to  approach  the  State  and  Federal  Par- 
liaments for  further  film  legislation,  is  pri- 
marily an  attempt  to  make  further  theatre 
building  in  areas  already  catered  for  a  haz- 
ardous venture.  But  it  is  also  an  expression 
of  resentment  towards  the  MPDA,  inasmuch 
as  that  organization  is  regarded  as  a  com- 
plete 'wash-out'  in  contributing  anything  to 
the  self-regulation  of  the  industry." 

Return  for  Arbitration 

Simultaneously  with  the  appearance  of 
this  item,  exhibitor  and  distributor  repre- 
sentatives were  in  conference  in  an  attempt 
to  remedy  a  number  of  trade  disputes  with- 
out the  assistance  of  governments ;  but  now 
it  was  found  necessary  to  return  to  the  New 
South  Wales  Government  for  arbitration  on 
the  issues  over  which  a  deadlock  had  arisen. 

The  same  publication  puts  it  this  way : 

"The  MPDA  officially  says :  'Everything 
is  all  right.  We  have  no  need  to  regulate 
anything.  There  is  plenty  of  competition 
among  distributors,  and  the  principle  of  bar- 
ter allows  the  exhibitor  to  take  care  of 
everything  and  run  his  theatre  at  a  profit. 
After  all,  Australia's  theatres  have  been 
built  with  profits  from  our  product.' 

"The  exhibitor,  in  effect,  says :  'There  is 


STAGE  PRODUCERS 
SUE  FILM  COMPANY 

by  CLIFF  HOLT 

in  Melbourne 

J.  C.  Williamson,  Ltd.,  stage  pro- 
ducer, has  obtained  a  supreme  court 
writ  for  an  interlocutory  injunction 
restraining  Metro  -  Goldwyn  -  Mayer 
from  showing  the  picture  "Rose- 
Marie."  The  point  at  issue  is  whether 
a  talking  picture  constitutes  an  in- 
fringement of  stage  play  rights. 
MGM  holds  the  opinion  that  a  legiti- 
mate show  and  a  sound  film  are  two 
distinctly  different  types  of  entertain- 
ment; that  the  stage  rights  only  were 
sold  by  the  author  for  Australia,  -snd 
that  the  rights  to  talking  picture 
production  and  presentation  remains 
with  MGM  as  the  owner  of  the  film 
rights. 

The  release  of  "Rose-Marie"  as  a 
silent  was  not  questioned  by  William- 
son's but  the  addition  of  dialogue  and 
music  in  their  opinion  alters  the  mat- 
ter. The  case  is  regarded  as  a  test 
because  Williamson's  holds  the  stage 
rights  for  many  plays  already  pro- 
duced or  in  the  course  of  production 
by  Hollywood  companies. 


.a  10  per  cent  rejection  right  in  America, 
but  we  are  told  here  that  we  do  not  need 
any.  There  is  a  Look-and-Book  Act  in  Eng- 
land, but  again  we  are  told  that  it  would  ruin 
the  business  in  Australia.  At  the  same  time 
producers  are  expanding  their  plants,  in- 
creasing their  profits  and  putting  more 
money  than  ever  into  their  top-class  product. 
The  MPDA  says :  'We  can  do  nothing  for 
you — but  don't  go  to  the  Government,  either. 
That's  suicidal !'  " 

Well,  they  have  been  going  to  the  Gov- 
ernment and  the  Government  has  been  send- 
ing them  back  home  again,  because  having 
inquired  twice  into  the  film  industry  within 
eight  years,  in  addition  to  the  Performing 
Right  Inquiry  in  which  film  interests  figured 
prominently,  political  administrations  are 
wearying  of  our  squabbles.  The  one  concrete 
plan  to  take  the  whole  unsavory  business  out 
of  the  Government's  hands  is  the  sugges- 
tion by  Charles  E.  Munro,  managing  direc- 
tor of  General  Theatres  Corporation,  for  the 
creation  of  a  tribunal  of  six  members  with 
equal  exhibitor  and  distributor  representa- 
tion. Such  a  tribunal  has  now  been  set  up. 
Decisions  will  be  dependent  on  a  majority 
agreement  on  both  sides. 

^  V 

New  Production  Company 

Latest  local  production  company  to  make 
its  appearance  here  is  Associated  Players, 
which  is  being  floated  on  a  nominal  capital 
of  £40,000  ($200,000),  with  Claude  Flem- 
ming,  Frank  Harvey  and  Gladys  Moncrieff, 
prominent  stage  names,  mentioned  as  the 


Independents  Attack  Stand  of 
Distributors'  Organization  on 
Admissions  and  Trade  Prac- 
tices; Revive  Interest  in  Color 

principals.  First  feature  scheduled  is  "Lit- 
tle Man,"  to  star  George  Wallace,  who  has 
already  proved  successful  on  the  local  mar- 
ket in  the  Efftee  productions,  "Harmony 
Row"  and  "His  Royal  Highness."  Miss 
Moncrieff,  who  is  one  of  Australia's  most 
highly-paid  stage  personalities,  will  star  in 
the  second. 

V 

The  Exhibitors  Association  here  will 
shortly  discuss  a  proposal  that  exhibitors 
should  pointblank  refuse  to  book  any  picture 
on  a  50-50  percentage  of  the  gross.  General 
opinion  among  members  is  that  such  a  rental 
prohibits  the  showman  from  returning  a 
profit  on  the  season,  but  others  contend  that 
so  long  as  there  are  exhibitors  who  are  pre- 
pared to  pay  high  prices  for  outstanding 
product,  even  at  a  loss,  they  will  continue 
to  do  so,  providing  they  are  buying  good- 
will from  their  patrons. 

\ 

Success  of  "Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine" 
here  and  in  Melbourne  has  revived  interest  in 
color,  which  threatened  to  become  a  definite 
box-office  liability  after  the  failure  of  "Becky 
Sharp."  Theatre-men  of  this  country  would 
like  to  see  producers  make  more  outdoor  sub- 
jects in  color,  and  leave  interiors  alone  until 
the  studios  are  more  conversant  with  the  tech- 
nique. 

V 

Acquisition  of  the  Melbourne  Lyceum  by 
Snider  and  Dean  Theatres,  Ltd.,  under  a  leas- 
ing arrangement  with  General  Theatres  Corpo- 
ration, adds  another  link  to  a  chain  that  has 
rapidly  gained  great  importance  and  signifi- 
cance on  this  market.  Besides  the  Lyceum, 
Snider  and  Dean  now  control  at  least  one  the- 
atre in  every  capital,  and  an  extensive  country 
circuit  in  N.  S.  W.  They  also  have  under  con- 
sideration ambitious  plans  for  expanding  their 
circuit  still  further,  and  there  are  definite  in- 
dications that  inside  1938,  the  company  will 
exercise  a  great  influence  on  the  marketing  of 
films  here.  Assuming  that  the  five-year  period 
under  which  General  Theatres  Corporation  is 
to  remain  the  holding  company  for  Hoyts  and 
Union  Theatres  is  not  extended,  and  these  two 
circuits  return  to  open  competition,  the  presence 
of  Snider  and  Dean,  Ltd.,  will  undoubtedly  be 
welcomed  by  distributors,  should  negotiations 
with  Hoyts  and  Union  not  proceed  too  smoothly. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  Snider  and  Dean  allied 
themselves  with  one  of  the  circuits  to  form  a 
buying  pool,  the  circuit  left  in  the  cold  wouldn't 
be  too  happy  about  it. 

The  men  in  the  control  of  Snider  and  Dean 
are  Sam  Snider,  former  general  manager  of 
Hoyts,  and  one  of  Australia's  most  capable  the- 
atre men,  and  George  Dean,  whose  city,  subur- 
ban and  country  theatre  experience  covers  a 
quarter  of  a  century.  Associated  Distributors, 
which  handles  the  C.  M.  Wolff  product  in  Aus- 
tralia, has  sold  to  33  independent  neighborhood 
houses  in  opposition  to  the  neighborhood  cir- 
cuit in  Melbourne  controlled  by  Hoyts.  As 
they  are  already  tied  up  with  MGM  and  Para- 
mount for  the  52  weeks,  the  trade  is  wondering 
how  the  indies  are  going  to  find  playing-time 
for  all  this  British  product. 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


41 


ASIDES  &  INTERLUDES 


By  JAMES  CUNNINGHAM 


Many  years  ago  the  motion  picture  and  the 
stage  had  on  their  boards  a  rather  successful 
comedian  in  the  person  of  Billy  B.  Van. 
Bom  in  1870,  some  66  years  ago,  Mr.  Van, 
whose  real  name  is  Vandergrift,  reached  the- 
atricals at  age  nine,  when  he  appeared  on  the 
stage  at  the  old  North  Broad  Street  theatre, 
in  Philadelphia,  in  the  chorus  of  the  juvenile 
"H.  M.  S.  Pinafore."  Subsequently  he  played 
"Dick  Deadeye"  in  the  same  production,  and 
that  started  him  on  a  career  that  lasted  for 
48  years,  through  the  theatre — in  the  circus,  vau- 
deville, burlesque  and  finally  reaching  Broad- 
way stage  headlights  in  1908.  Motion  pictures 
came  along  and  made  him  a  wo-reel  comedian. 

Retirement  eclipsed  Billy  Van  at  least  half- 
a-dozen  seasons  ago,  and  nary  a  word  has 
been  heard  of  him  since,  until,  the  other  day, 
he  bobbed  up  as  the  author  of  a  piece  on  "suc- 
cessful salesmanship,"  in  the  "Executives'  Ser- 
vice Bulletin,"  for  which  he  had  written  in 
the  capacity  of  president  of  the  Pine  Tree  Prod- 
ucts Company,  of  Newport,  New  Hampshire. 
Mr.  Van's  company  promises  exhilaration  with 
each  package  of  Pine  Tree  pine  salts  for  the 
bath. 

Evidently  the  old  comedian  lias  carried  with 
him  to  his  neiv  field  of  selling  some  of  the 
imaginations  of  the  theatre,  now  predicting,  in 
the  mind  of  an  H.  G.  Wells,  a  salesman  of 
the  future  who  will  make  calls  in  rocket  cars, 
at  Keokuk  in  the  morning  and  New  Guinea 
at  lunch.  "Before  he  can  say  'advertising  al- 
lowance,' the  customer  will  Iiave  an  order 
blank  and  pen  in  his  hand.  The  pen  will  be 
equipped  with  a  photoelectric  cell  and,  as  he 
signs,  the  customer's  order  will  be  automatically 
transmitted  to  the  home  office  and  the  mer- 
chandise in  turn  will  rocket  forth  and  arrive 
probably  before  the   salesman  leaves." 

V 

Conservative  residents  near  the  little  town 
of  Trail,  in  British  Columbia,  had  for 
months  turned  their  eyes  every  morning  to 
a  rock  on  the  roadside  on  which  some  gospel 
preacher  had  painted  the  message:  "Are  You 
Saved?"  Imagine  their  consternation  when 
the  other  morning  they  found  painted  over 
the  preachment  another,  and  less  spiritual 
message  advising  them  to  "Visit  the  Capitol 
Theatre — Cool  in  Summer.  Warm  in  Win- 
ter." 

Will  Harper,  the  enterprising  Capitol  the- 
atre manager,  said  he  was  unable  to  resist 
the  "ideal  location." 

V 

Lowell  Lawrence,  in  Kansas  City's  Journal- 
Post,  swears  that  a  certain  motion  picture  pro- 
ducer in  Hollywood  was  entertained  recently  at 
the  new  home  of  an  actor,  where  he  was  shown 
every  detail  of  the  palatial  residence,  listening 
attentively  the  while  the  actor  expressed  spe- 
cial pride  in  showing  his  new  grand  piano. 
"It's  a  swell  layout,"  commented  the  movie 
mogul,  "but  you  ought  to  trade  that  piano  in 
for  an  electric  one.  It  looks  ridiculous  for  a 
star  with  all  your  money  to  be  playing  a  piano 
by  hand." 


Motion  pictures  are  not  the  only  art 
that  sometimes  subjects  itself  to  merchandis- 
ing promotions  of  its  esthetic  accomplish- 
ments. Several  apprentice  Paderewski  pian- 
ists, competing  at  New  York's  Town  Hall 
for  the  Music  Week  Association,  survived 
many  eliminations  and  received  gold  medals 
allegedly  attesting  to  their  talents.  The  re- 
verse side  of  the  medal  is  completely  covered 
with  an  odd  V-shaped  design,  beneath  which 
is  inscribed:  "Donated  by  S.  Klein,  Ladies' 
Coats  and  Suits,  Union  Square." 


SHOW  BUSINESS 
DEBUNKED 

One  of  New  York's  pioneer  inde- 
pendent theatre  managers,  -whose  iden- 
tity must  remain  concealed  for  obvious 
reasons,  gives  to  this  department  the 
publication  rights  to  a  literary  "mas- 
terpiece" which  he  prefers  to  call 
"Theatrical  Terminology"  or,  in  short, 
"The  Show  Business  Debunked". 

"This  may  not  apply  to  all  houses, 
or  to  all  circuits,"  he  explains,  "but 
no  matter  what  the  coming  election 
may  bring,  we  independent  theatre 
managers  agree  that  there  is  no  Santa 
Claus."  And  with  that  rather  cynical 
introduction,  our  author  herewith 
presents  the  following  estimations  of 
theatre  circuit  executives: 

CHIEF  EXECUTIVE:  A  man  who  has  a  dozen 
or  two  morons  convinced  that  "thar's  gold 
in  them  thar  theatres!"  And  he  always 
gets  his. 

ASSISTANT  CHIEF:  He  tries  to  keep  the 
morons  convinced. 

DIVISION  MANAGER:  Lord  of  all  he  sur- 
veys— most  of  them  the  proof  of  "the 
survival  of  the  unfittest." 

DISTRICT  SUPERVISOR:  The  guy,  always 
in  spats,  who  shouts  loudly  and  long  at 
everybody  except  the  Chief  Executive's 
relatives. 

MANAGING  DIRECTOR:  One  who  buys  a 
car  to  carry  around  his  supervisor. 

RESIDENT  MANAGER:  A  sufferer  from  the 
Division  Manager's  inflated  ego  and  a 
victim  of  the  Managing  Director's  hali- 
tosis! 

ASSISTANT  MANAGER:  A  stooge  in  flannel 
pants,  blue  coat  with  white  buttons  and  a 
cabinet-file  of  reliable,  overworked  alibis. 

CHIEF  OF  STAFF:  A   rose   by  any  other 


ASSISTANT  CHIEF  OF  STAFF:  "Yes  man" 

for  the  blooming  rose. 
HEAD  USHER:  Usually  a  poor  relative  of 

the  Chief  Executive. 
USHER:  A  fellow  with  hope — and  heaps  of 

endurance. 

USHERETTE:  Something  dainty  

DOORMAN:  King  Tut's  rival. 
SHOWMAN:  That  unknown  quantity. 


Standard  Oil  Company  of  Indiana  an- 
nounces that  they  finally  had  to  travel  all  the 
way  to  Hollywood  to  get  pictures  of  "goofy" 
people  to  run  with  "goofy"  testimonials  in 
the  series  of  "goofy"  advertisements  now 
appearing  in  the  midwest  in  behalf  of  its 
Red  Crown  gasoline.  They  engaged  char- 
acter players  whose  names  and  telephone 
numbers  were  obtained  from  casting  di- 
rectors. 

There's  "Barney  Barnacle,"  who  boasts, 
"Already  this  Red  Crown's  saved  me  more 
than  I  paid  for  it — and  I've  still  got  it!";  and 
"Lester  Longbow,"  who  crowed  that  he  had 
traveled  four  miles  on  a  two-ounce  bottle 
of  the  gas;  and  "Janet  G.  String,"  who  had 
saved  so  much  gas  driving  and  stopping  and 
going  around  the  country  that  she  had  been 
compelled  to  rent  a  barn  to  store  it  all  in. 
"Lloyd  Legpull"  offered  the  prize  claim, 
however,  telling  how  he  did  16.3  miles  by 
merely  giving  the  carburetor  a  whiff  from  a 
gasoline-scented  handkerchief. 


Proof  of  the  extent  to  which  the  man  in  the 
field,  socalled,  can  muddle  the  purpose  of  such 
movements  as  the  Legion  of  Decency  is  sub- 
mitted by  Nelson  Creswell,  of  the  Cozy  the- 
atre, in  Cedarville,  Ohio. 

"We  played  one  of  those  ' shoot- em-up' 
westerns,"  writes  Mr.  Creswell,  "in  which 
everybody  is  killed  except  the  cameraman.  A 
young  farmer — a  regular  'hayseed,'  who  does 
not  get  to  town  very  often  and  who  does  not 
knozv  what  is  going  on  except  what  he  reads 
in  the  Sunday  School  papers,  atteyided  the 
shozving  of  this  picture.  He  seemed  to  be  very 
much  shocked  at  all  the  shooting,  and  so  re- 
marked to  me  after  the  show:  T  thought  this 
here  Legion  of  Decency  was  going  to  clean  up 
movin'  pictures,  but  all  that  shootin'  and 
killin'  don't  look  to  me  like  they're  doing  it.' " 


It  seems  that  the  New  York  "Times,"  in 
a  certain  sense  with  respect  to  their  status 
in  their  fields,  has  named  together  the  Bible, 
the  Encyclopedia  Britannica  and  Motion 
Picture  Herald.  May  it  not  be  observed 
that  Terry  Ramsaye,  editor  of  the  Herald, 
writes  for  two  out  of  the  three  of  them. 

V 

Mr.  W.  G.  Van  Schmus  must  have  his  prob- 
lems with  some  of  the  out-of-town  trade.  And 
we  find  charming  evidence,  too,  of  how  the 
double  bill  thing  goes  and  grows.  It  seems  that 
Mr.  William  R.  Weaver,  special  writer  on  the 
Herald  staff,  having  recently  brought  his  fam- 
ily on  from  Chicago,  was  showing  his  daughter, 
Patricia  Ann,  aged  nine  and  thoughtful,  around 
the  Radio  City  Music  Hall,  its  vast  vistas  of 
architecture,  its  heaven-high  auditorium,  and 
its  wonders  of  impressive  machinery,  acres  of 
elegance.  "It's  very  nice,  papa,"  Patricia  ob- 
served, after  they  had  reached  home  and  had 
time  for  reflection,  "but  they  only  had  one 
feature." 


Adjutant-General  of  the  Wyoming  National 
Guard,  Lieutenant-Colonel  R.  L.  Esmay,  is 
worried  for  fear  he  may  have  contributed 
$1,000  to  the  filming  of  "The  Plainsman"  by 
Paramount,  quite  involuntarily.  He  received  a 
check  for  that  amount  from  Paramount  and 
proceeded  to  pay  soldiers  of  his  encampment 
who  had  participated  in  several  sequences  of  the 
picture.  Later  when  it  was  found  that  some  of 
Par  amount's  costume  equipment  used  in  the 
filming  was  not  returned.  Paramount  stopped 
payment  on  the  check.  Now,  it  looks  like  the 
colonel  is  out  $1,000.  Any  attempt  on  his  part 
to  retrieve  the  money  from  his  soldier  boys 
would  precipitate  a  revolution  of  the  worst  kind. 


When  not  engaged  in  furthering  its  radio 
broadcasting  interests  in  NBC,  or  its  sound 
equipment  manufacturing  business  in  RCA  Vic- 
tor, or  the  affairs  of  producing,  distributing  or 
exhibiting  motion  pictures  through  RKO,  in 
which  it  has  a  50  per  cent  interest,  the  best 
brains  of  David  Sarnoff's  cohorts  at  the  Radio 
Corporation  of  America  give  attention  to  such 
vital  problems  as  "perfecting  delicate  instru- 
ments by'zvhich  the  neighborhood  garage  man 
can  diagnose  motor  car  ills  as  quickly  and  ac- 
curately as  a  doctor  diagnoses  human  ailments 
zvith  such  devices  as  the  stethoscope."  That 
obstacle  hurdled,  and  Mr.  Sarnoff  zvill  stand 
alone,  even  though  the  device  does  use  Rochelle 
salts  to  measure  the  vibrations  which  tell  what's 
zvrong  with  the  old  puddle-jumper.  Nor  is  that 
all,  for  Mr.  Sarnoff's  thinker-uppers  have  also 
contrived  a  device  by  which  the  operations  of  a 
tozuboat  may  be  directed  from  the  offices  of  the 
owners,  That's  zvell  nigh  the  acme  of  scientific 
perfection. 


42 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August 


19  3  6 


JAPANESE  CIRCUITS'  THUMBS  DOWN 
ON  BLOCK  BOOKING  PROGRAM  FILMS 


Shochiku  and  Takarazuka  Com- 
panies Inform  Distributors 
They'll  Buy  Only  Their  Best 
Pictures  for  First-Runs 

by  CHIKUSHI  TANI 

in  Tokyo 

Restriction  of  importation  of  foreign  mo- 
tion pictures,  though  supposed  to  come 
sooner  or  later,  was  broached  suddenly  by 
our  exhibiting-  parties  in  an  abrupt  action 
by  Tokyo's  two  biggest  film-theatrical  in- 
terests, the  Shochiku  and  Takarazuka  com- 
panies. 

The  two  concerns  called  the  sales  man- 
agers of  ten  foreign  picture  distributing 
units  in  Tokyo  to  a  gathering  held  at 
Tokyo  Kaikan,  and  gave  them  a  joint  state- 
ment verbally  and  in  writing  to  the  follow- 
ing effect. 

''We  used  to  contract  for  one  or  more 
additional  program  pictures  for  each  special 
feature  contracted  for  with  the  foreign  film 
distributing  companies.  In  order  to  hold 
our  own,  we  two  companies  have  had  to 
compete  with  each  other  for  the  purchase 
of  outstanding  productions  from  various 
distributors.  Out  of  such  necessity  of  com- 
petition, we  until  now  have  been  obliged  to 
buy  a  number  of  program  pictures  which 
we  often  have  had  great  difficulty  in  con- 
suming at  our  theatres.  We  have  had  to 
play  pictures  against  our  liking;,  and  our 
patrons  were  the  greatest  losers.  Now  we 
have  jointly  agreed  not  in  the  future  to 
contract  for  or  play  any  pictures  beyond 
the  practical  need  for  first-run  release  at  our 
theatres. 

"Our  men  will  be  present  for  previews 
at  the  customs  house  on  request  from  you, 
the  distributing  party.  This  plan  will  not 
only  mean  that  we  shall  get  the  best  pos- 
sible pictures  to  suit  the  patrons  but  will 
help  the  foreign  motion  picture  to  gain 
and  retain  popularity,  with  the  result  that 
there  will  be  more  increased  attendance, 
thus  contributing  much  to  the  prosperity  of 
our  motion  picture  industry. 

We  ask  the  cooperation  of  every  foreign 
film  distributing  company." 

According  to  Messrs.  S.  Kido  and  J. 
Yoshioka,  managing  directors  of  the 
Shochiku  and  Takarazuka  companies,  the 
aim  is  self-explanatory,  but  it  is  also 
obvious  that  on  one  hand  they  are  trying 
to  relieve  themselves  of  block  contract 
arrangements  for  program  pictures. 

This  move  is  a  matter  for  serious  con- 
sideration in  the  eyes  of  distributors,  par- 
ticularly such  as  Paramount.  RKO  and 
Towa  Shoji,  who  have  made  block  contract 
arrangements  with  the  two  big  exhibitors 
for  a  large  quantity  of  pictures. 

Every  distributor  faces  the  fact  that  the 
best  production  is  the  surest  to  win  on  the 
picture-to-picture  basis  of  sale.  The  fear 
entertained  by  some  managers  is  that  the 
public  will  demand  deluxe  productions  only. 

In  addition,  as  it  is  generally  presumed 
that  European  distribution  in  Japan  is  at 


PUBLIC  LIMITS  STAR 
TO  FIVE  FILMS  A  YEAR 

Francis  Lederer  took  his  production 
problems  to  the  public  in  a  question- 
tionnaire  which  he  sent  to  2,5  00  film 
patrons,  critics  and  theatre  managers, 
and  the  results  reveal  that  57  per  cent 
of  those  who  answered  believe  that 
too  many  pictures  a  year  are  injurious 
to  a  star's  standing;  that  Mr.  Lederer 
should  make  between  4  and  5  pictures 
annually  and  that  he  shoidd  appear  in 
light  romantic  vehicles. 

Of  a  total  of  2,413  answers  received 
by  Lederer,  1,3  68  expressed  the  belief 
that  too  many  films  were  harmful  to 
a  star.  The  critics,  particularly,  were 
against  overproduction,  85  per  cent 
of  them  voting  for  restriction  of  a 
player's  appearances  on  the  screen. 


the  point  of  saturation,  the  home  offices  in 
America  may  be  expected  to  raise  the  quota 
for  Japan  to  a  very  considerable  degree,  and 
their  Japan  offices  may  be  in  a  difficult 
position,  having  to  come  in  amicable  contact 
with  these  big  customers  on  one  hand,  and 
still  to  make  successful  attainment  of  the 
quotas  set. 

V 

Cultural  Films  Popular 

The  Japan  Motion  Picture  Association 
(The  Dai-Nihon  Eiga  Kyokai)  recently 
presented  a  petition  to  our  government  for 
compulsory  exhibition  of  cultural  pictures 
in  the  theatres.  In  keeping  with  this  move, 
the  majority  of  our  producing  companies 
have  now  established  at  their  studios  cul- 
tural picture  departments  to  take  care  of 
the  production  and  distribution  of  such 
product. 

Shochiku  Cinema  since  early  this  year 
has  had  a  special  motion  picture  section 
succeeding  its  former  newsreel  section.  Nik- 
katsu  newly  founded  a  cultural  picture  de- 
partment. So  did  Daito  Cinema,  while 
Shinko  Cinema  has  shown  activity  along 
this  line  by  having  released  "The  Police- 
man" and  "The  Great  Tokyo  Series,"  al- 
though it  has  no  section  at  the  studio  bear- 
ing such  a  title. 

Nearly  all  such  pictures  have  proved  very 
popular  with  the  public. 

Room  on  Programs 

Now  comes  the  question  whether  a  place 
should  be  allotted  on  each  week's  theatre 
program  for  cultural  pictures. 

According  to  a  survey  made  by  Kokusai 
Eiga  Shimbun  among  typical  theatres,  in- 
cluding high,  middle  and  low  classes,  99 
per  cent  of  them  replied  that  their  pro- 
grams had  room  for  cultural  pictures.  The 
remaining  1  per  cent  said  they  used. news- 
reels  on  current  events. 

Those  theatremen  who  replied  all  agreed 
that  producers  should  do  their  part  to  meet 
the  demand  of  general  exhibitors  by  sup- 


Cultural  Films  Wanted  by  99 
Per  Cent  of  Exhibitors  Reply- 
ing to  Questionnaire;  High 
Standards  Urged  on  Studios 

plying  such  productions  made  on  a  high 
standard  of  educational  content. 

Most  theatremen  favored  the  narrative, 
scenic  and  historical  pictures,  and  particu- 
larly musicals  in  the  foreign  picture  field. 

It  is  indicated  that  Ichizo  Kobayashi, 
theatre  magnate  and  importer  of  films,  short- 
ly will  launch  his  long  reported  large  scale 
production  venture.  He  returned  recently 
from  a  tour  of  Europe  and  the  United 
States,  during  which  he  studied  film  meth- 
ods. 

He  has  just  completed  plans  for  a  new 
distributing  organization,  in  association 
with  P.C.L.  and  J.  O.  Talkie,  which  will 
handle  the  distribution  of  Japanese  films.  A 
joint  investment  of  1,000,000  yen  has  been 
made  in  the  new  company,  it  is  said.  The 
plans  call  for  six  productions  monthly  from 
P.C.L.  and  J.  O.  Talkie. 

V 

Indication  of  the  intention  of  Japanese 
producers  to  impart  a  more  universal  ap- 
peal to  their  product  is  seen  in  the  fact  that 
the  Shochiku  Cinema  Co.  sent  a  unit  to  lo- 
cation in  Tibet  to  film  "Male  vs.  Female." 

A  second  production  of  the  same  charac- 
ter is  in  work  by  Yokohama  Cinema  Com- 
pany, which  has  sent  an  expedition  to  South 
America  for  six  months. 


Exhibitors  Freed  in 
Bank  Night  Cases 

Two  theatre  managers  in  Massachusetts 
were  acquitted  of  gambling  charges  in  con- 
nection with  the  operation  of  Bank  Nights 
and  a  test  case  on  a  similar  charge  was  be- 
gun in  A^irginia  this  week. 

In  Boston  Charles  S.  Wilson,  manager 
of  the  Dorchester,  and  Roy  Heffner,  man- 
ager of  a  theatre  in  Brighton,  Mass.,  were 
found  not  guilty  of  a  lottery  charge  in  su- 
perior court. 

Charles  A.  Somma,  theatre  operator  in 
Richmond,  Ya.,  has  been  arrested  and 
charged  with  operating  a  lottery  at  the  Hip- 
podrome theatre,  in  which  he  has  a  proprie- 
tary interest.  Mr.  Somma  denied  that  he 
was  violating  the  anti-gambling  laws  of  the 
state  and  announced  that  he  would  make  a 
fight  in  court  to  establish  his  right  to  award 
"attendance  prizes"  to  holders  of  lucky  num- 
bers. 

Affiliated  Enterprises,  Inc.,  is  suing  Rube 
Finkelstein  and  Robert  Rhodes  in  Kansas 
City  for  payment  of  royalties  on  the  use  of 
the  term  "Bank  Night."  The  defendants 
have  maintained  that  Bank  Night  is  a  lot- 
tery and  have  refused  payment  for  the 
scheme. 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


43 


IN  THE  BRITISH 
STUDIOS 


by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 


Impending 


At  B.  I.  P.,  Elstree,  plans  are  practically 
completed  for  the  lineup  of  subjects  already- 
announced.  First  to  go  on  the  floor  is  likely 
to  be  "Star  of  the  Circus,"  for  which  John 
Monk  Saunders  has  delivered  his  story. 
Buddy  Rogers,  Noah  Beery,  Clifford  Evans, 
George  Graves,  W.  H.  Berry  and  Steve 
Geray  have  been  cast  and  a  Hollywood 
feminine  lead  is  likely  to  be  announced. 
Brian  Desmond  Hurst  is  directing. 

Herbert  Brenon,  who  made  "Living  Dan- 
gerously" for  BIP,  is  to  direct  "The  Domi- 
nant Sex"  for  them.  The  Michael  Egan  play 
was  a  real  theatre  success  and  there  was 
heavy  competition  for  the  screen  rights. 
John  Lodge  will  be  the  lead.  Mr.  Lodge 
starred  in  "Ourselves  Alone"  for  BIP  and 
also  in  the  recently  completed  "The  Tenth 
Man,"  advance  reported  as  one  of  this  stu- 
dio's biggest  efforts ;  he  has  a  lengthy  con- 
tract with  BIP  which  will  probably  put  him 
in  "Bulldog  Drummond  at  Bay,"  and  "Mur- 
der Gang,"  the  latter  likely  to  be  retitled 
"Sensation." 

Gaumont-British  put  no  new  pictures  on 
the  floor  this  week,  for  the  good  reason  that 
the  five  current  productions  absorbed  space 
at  Shepherd's  Bush  and  on  exterior  lot  at 
Northolt.  These  films  are  "Head  Over 
Heels,"  "Sabotage,"  "The  Northing  Tramp," 
"The  Nelson  Touch,"  and  "O.  H.  M.  S." 
For  the  latter,  Raoul  Walsh  this  week  di- 
rected war  scenes  at  Amesbury,  using  a 
thousand  British  troops  from  the  Royal 
Warwicks,  the  Queen's,  Royal  Engineers 
and  Royal  Corps  of  Signals.  The  soldiers 
play  crowd  parts  as  Chinese  bandits  as  well 
as  figuring  in  their  regular  capacity. 

Antoinette  Cellier,  daughter  of  Frank  Cel- 
lier  and  J.  Farrell  MacDonald  have  joined 
the  cast  of  "The  Great  Barrier"  on  Cana- 
dian location. 


Production 


Erich  Pommer's  first  production  for  Lon- 
don Films,  "Fire  Over  England,"  went  into 
active  work  at  Denham  this  week.  From  a 
screen  play  by  Clemence  Dane,  of  "Will 
Shakespeare"  fame,  and  Sergei  Noldanov, 
this  is  the  long  schemed  feature  starring 
Flora  Robson  as  Queen  Elizabeth  and  it  is 
being  planned  on  very  ambitious  lines.  Di- 
rection is  in  the  hands  of  William  K.  How- 
ard, with  another  Hollywood  man,  James 
Wong  Howe,  at  the  camera,  and  the  cast 
includes  Raymond  Massey,  as  King  Philip 
of  Spain,  Leslie  Banks  as  the  Earl  of  Leices- 
ter, Laurence  Olivier,  Vivien  Leigh,  Law- 
rence Hanray,  Tamara  Desni,  Morton  Selten 
and  Henry  Oscar. 

The  high  spot  of  this  production  will  be 
the  coming  of  the  Spanish  Armada  to  Eng- 
land and  its  defeat  in  one  of  the  crucial 
naval  battles  of  history.  Such  famous  epi- 
sodes as  Drake's  game  of  bowls  and  the 
Queen's  address  to  her  troops  at  Tilbury 


are  also  likely  to  be  seen.  In  period  and  his- 
torical sequence  "Fire  Over  England,"  pic- 
turing the  life  history  of  Henry  VIII's  fa- 
mous daughter,  looks  like  a  logical  follow-on 
of  London's  greatest  picture.  It  is  being  pro- 
duced by  Pendennis  Productions. 

Alexander  Korda  is  in  the  fourth  week 
of  his  personal  direction  of  "Rembrandt," 
with  Charles  Laughton,  current  scenes  pic- 
turing the  painter  at  work  on  his  master- 
piece, "Saul,"  in  his  house  at  Amsterdam. 
Roger  Livesey  is  playing  the  part  of  the 
model  for  Saul.  Recently  shot  are  sequences 
of  the  banquet  in  honor  of  the  public  display 
of  that  other  famous  picture,  "The  Night 
Watch."  Gertrude  Lawrence,  playing  the 
part  of  Rembrandt's  housekeeper,  sings  an 
old  Dutch  song,  "The  Naughty  Girls  of 
Kield  recht,"  in  this  scene.  Songs  are  also 
provided  for  Elsa  Lanchester  and  Roger 
Livesey  and  a  period  musical  background 
is  schemed  for  such  scenes  as  the  reception 
of  the  Prince  of  Orange  by  the  Amsterdam 
burghers. 

The  next  big  star  on  the  London  lot  will 
be  Marlene  Dietrich,  booked  to  start  in 
"Knight  Without  Armor,"  with  Robert 
Donat,  within  seven  days.  Miriam  Hopkins, 
in  the  Victor  Saville  "Dark  Journey,"  Ed- 
ward G.  Robinson  in  Atlantic  Films'  "Thun- 
der in  the  City"  are  two  other  Hollywood 
stars  at  work. 

All  stages  at  the  big  Denham  plant  are 
now  active,  the  current  productions,  in  ad- 
dition to  those  mentioned,  being  the  New 
World  "Wings  of  the  Morning,"  Pall  Mall's 
"Paderewski,"  Tom  Wall's  "Dishonor 
Bright,"  and  the  Tauber  "Land  Without 
Music." 

Help  Wanted 

Illustrating  at  once  the  shortage  of  first- 
class  director  and  star  talent  in  England, 
and  the  advisability  of  a  vacation  in  London 
for  any  Hollywood  people  of  reputation 
whose  contracts  allow  of  an  outside  picture 
or  two,  are  two  stories  of  signings  this  week. 

Tay  Garnett,  dropping  in  at  Southampton 
on  the  good  ship  Athene,  on  a  world  cruise 
in  search  of  exteriors,  has  revised  the  itin- 
erary in  order  to  direct  a  picture  for  the 
Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.,  company,  Criterion, 
at  Worton  Hall.  James  Durante,  here  for  a 
variety  tour,  has  been  grabbed  by  Max 
Schach's  concern,  Capitol,  for  a  part  in 
"Land  Without  Music"  at  Denham,  and  just 
lately,  Richard  Barthelmess,  with  nothing 
but  a  vacation  in  mind,  found  himself  fitted 
with  a  Twickenham  contract  to  play  oppo- 
site Dolly  Haas,  in  his  own  old  picture, 
"Broken  Blossoms." 

The  moral  for  Hollywoodians  seems  to  be 
that  the  make-up  kit  should  go  in  every  bag 
packed  for  the  London  trip,  and  that  a 
roundtrip  booking  is  just  another  way  of 
wasting  time  for  the  steamship  companies. 

Mr.  Garnett's  feature  for  the  Fairbanks 
outfit  will  be  a  spectacular  piece  with  the 
battle  of  Flodden  as  its  big  moment,  and  it 


won't  go  on  the  floor  until  the  end  of  August 
because  the  War  Office,  already  lending  sol- 
diers and  munitions  for  two  British  pictures, 
will  be  asked  to  give  its  usual  assistance  for 
the  scenes  of  the  historic  English-Scottish 
battle.  John  Balderstone,  of  "Bengal 
Lancer"  and  "Berkeley  Square"  fame,  is 
writing  the  script  in  consultation  with  Rich- 
ard Fisher,  British  period  expert.  Sched- 
uled to  cost  £150,000,  "High  Treason" 
(working  title)  will  have  an  American  re- 
lease through  United  Artists. 

While  Messrs.  Garnet  and  Fairbanks  are 
picking  locations,  Criterion  will  start  at 
Worton  Hall  on  "Gang,"  the  Louis  de  Wohl 
novel  scripted  by  Norman  Alexander,  jointly 
produced  by  Fairbanks  and  Marcel  Hellman 
and  directed  by  Alfred  Zeisler,  lately  of 
UFA.  Harold  French  is  supervising  the 
dialogue.  Many  of  the  scenes  in  "Gang" 
occur  in  a  department  store  and  the  Sel- 
fridge  establishment  in  Oxford  Street  is 
being  used  for  authentic  backgrounds. 

Mr.  Durante's  part  for  Capitol  will  put 
him  into  costume  and  wig  for  the  first  time. 
He  plays,  in  "Land  Without  Music,"  a 
"special  European  correspondent"  of  the 
New  York  Evening  Echo  of  1830.  crossing; 
the  continent  by  donkey-cart  with  his 
daughter  Sadie  in  order  to  record  the  events 
consequent  on  a  Royal  ban  on  music  in  the 
principality  of  Lucca. 

How  They  Stand 

Twickenham  Film  Studios  is  beginning 
two  new  pictures :  the  Flanagan  and  Allen 
"Underneath  the  Arches"  and  the  Edward 
Everett  Horton-Genevieve  Tobin  "The 
Man  in  the  Mirror."  Originally  scheduled 
to  direct  the  former,  Albert  de  Courville  has 
had  to  relinquish  the  assignment,  due  to 
commitments  at  the  G-B  studio,  and  Redd 
Davies  will  now  be  in  control,  Sydney 
Blythe  acting  as  assistant  director.  Enid 
Stamp-Taylor,  Aubrey  Mather  and  Harvey 
Braban  have  been  added  to  the  cast. 

Maurice  Elvey  is  directing  "The  Man  in 
the  Mirror"  at  the  J.  H.  Studios,  Elstree. 
Genevieve  Tobin  got  in  on  July  13th,  and 
Everett  Horton  was  due  three  days  later, 
with  the  first  scenes  scheduled  for  July  22nd. 

Another  current  Twickenham  feature, 
"Beauty  and  the  Barge,"  is  still  held  up 
by  the  quinsy  from  which  Gordon  Harker 
is  suffering.  The  Cockney  star  appears  in 
practically  every  sequence. 

"Spy  of  Napoleon,"  Elvey's  current  fea- 
ture for  Twickenham,  had  one  day's  studio 
interiors  to  complete,  after  its  return  from 
Scottish  location.  With  heavy  rain  continu- 
ous in  London,  they  had  perfect  weather 
conditions  on  Loch  Lomond,  the  only  delay 
in  production  being  due  to  the  fact  that, 
using  the  model  village  on  Sir  Tan  Col- 
quhon's  estate  at  Luss,  they  had  to  lay  off 
work  for  the  Scottish  sabbath.  The  captain 
and  crew  of  the  river  steamer  Princess 
Patricia  were  put  into  eighteenth  century 
costumes  for  lake  scenes. 


44 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August.  I  ,  1936 


BRITISH  FILMS  ACT  COMMITTEE 

CLOSES  HEARINGS  OF  EVIDENCE 


Producers  Still  Divided  on 
Policy;  "Exhibitors  Only" 
Quota  and  Anglo-American 
Reciprocal  Scheme  Talked 

by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 

Although  the  Advisory  Committee  on  the 
Films  Act  has  officially  announced  that  it 
will  hear  no  more  evidence,  proposing  to  ad- 
journ until  October  for  a  final  consideration 
of  its  findings,  it  is  a  more  or  less  open 
secret  in  Wardour  street  that  the  production 
section  of  the  industry  is  divided,  perhaps 
hopelessly,  on  the  major  question  of  the 
quota. 

The  Film  Group  of  the  Federation  of 
British  Industries,  representing  every  pro- 
duction unit  of  importance,  submitted  an 
official  case  to  the  Committee.  An  in- 
creased quota  and  the  imposition  of  a 
minimum  cost  clause  were  its  chief  de- 
mands. From  this  policy,  G.-B.  and  A.B.P. 
dissented,  A.B.P.  resigning  from  the  Group. 

This  week  there  was  a  further  meeting  of  the 
producers'  group.  No  official  statement  has 
been  made  as  to  what  happened  on  this  occa- 
sion, but  unofficial  comment  suggests  that,  far 
from  healing  the  differences  among  members, 
the  discussion  emphasized  them  to  a  point 
which  makes  the  formal  withdrawal  of  the 
previous  official  policy  a  distinct  possibility. 
Such  an  announcement  might  seem  superfluous, 
in  view  of  the  recognized  split  in  the  camp,  but 
the  leading  fact  in  the  situation  is  that  this 
policy  was  put  up  to  the  Moyne  Committee  as 
that  of  the  Group,  was  printed  in  the  official 
Minutes  issued  by  the  Board  of  Trade,  and, 
presumably,  must  be  one  of  the  main  factors  in 
the  general  consideration  of  the  problem  on 
which  the  Committee  is  to  found  its  suggestions 
to  the  Government. 

Assuming  the  division  in  producer  opinion  to 
be  as  acute  as  is  suggested  by  all  available 
opinion,  the  intriguing  question  of  the  moment 
appears  to  be  whether  the  Moyne  Committee 
can  adhere  to  its  decision  to  hear  no  more  evi- 
dence. What  if  it  is  asked  to  hear  a  revised 
"case"  from  the  Group? 

New  Base  Is  Possibility 

This  is  definitely  a  possibility.  At  the  recent 
meeting  it  is  a  fact  that  several  alternatives  to 
the  bigger  quota — minimum  cost  proposals  were 
canvassed.  Among  them  was  the  proposal  that 
the  quota  should  be  imposed  on  exhibitors  only. 
Also  discussed  was  a  reciprocal  deal  with 
American  companies  whereby  the  latter  would 
agree  to  distribute  in  America  a  certain  foot- 
age of  British  films,  to  be  determined  by  their 
American  footage  released  in  England.  Both 
suggestions  are  believed  to  have  been  rejected, 
but  that  they  should  have  been  discussed  makes 
it  plain  enough  that  the  Film  Group  has  no 
agreed  policy  and  that  the  Moyne  Committee 
has  before  it  a  series  of  suggestions  which  can 
be,  and  undoubtedly  will  be,  challenged  by  im- 
portant producers  as  well  as  by  exhibitors  and 
distributors,  immediately  there  is  any  suggestion 
of  legislation  based  on  them. 

To  this  sufficiently  confused  situation  fur- 
ther confusion  has  been  added  by  another  trade 
happening  which  at  first  glance  has  no  connec- 
tion  whatever   with   the    Moyne  Committee's 


U.  S.  LEADS  IN 
BRITISH  IMPORTS 

The  Right  Hon.  Walter  Kunciman, 
president  of  the  Board  of  Trade, 
replying  to  a  question  to  Mr.  H. 
Day,  M.P.,  gave  the  following  figures 
of  imports  of  films  into  Great  Britain 
during  the  twelve  months  ended 
June  30,  1936: 

Country  of  Origin:  Films  Footage 

U.  S.  A   1,060  3,868,188 

Germany   12  70,492 

France    12  90,441 

Russia    6  42,494 

Austria  .  .   5  37,727 

Other  Countries   4  26,806 

From  British  Territories: 

Australia    15  58.100 

Canada    10  34,772 

South  Africa    I  3,606 

Rhodesia    2  2,392 

India   3  23,968 


activities ;  the  Schenck-Ostrer  deal  in  Gaumont- 
British  shares  is  alluded  to  here. 

No  one  who  read  the  minutes  issued  by  the 
Moyne  Committee  can  have  failed  to  notice  the 
indication  on  the  part  of  several  of  the  mem- 
bers of  a  desire  to  be  assured  about,  and  per- 
haps to  insure  against,  a  possible  domination  of 
the  British  industry  by  foreign  (meaning 
American)  interests.  In  this  attitude  they  un- 
doubtedly reflected  a  very  important  British 
official  policy.  In  recent  years  there  has  been 
action  by  the  Government  definitely  directed 
to  securing  that  financial  control  of  important 
British  industrial  concerns  shall  remain  in 
British  hands. 

What  the  British  Government  thinks  of  the 
Schenck-Ostrer  deal  will  not  be  known  until 
the  details  of  that  deal  are  released,  but  it  can 
be  taken  as  a  certainty,  first,  that  pressure  will 
be  brought  to  bear  upon  ministers  in  the  House 
of  Commons  and  secondly  that,  if  it  is  not 
thought  that  British  interests  demand  special 
action  in  this  case,  the  general  case  for  protect- 
ing the  British  film  industry  will  be  strength- 
ened by  the  fact  that  major  holdings  in  a  major 
British  company  have  been  allowed  to  pass  to 
another  country. 

V 

Directly  as  a  result  of  the  F.  B.  I.  Film 
Group's  recommendation  to  the  Moyne  Com- 
mittee in  favor  of  the  removal  from  the  Films 
Act  of  the  stipulation  of  a  British  scenario 
writer  for  quota  films,  a  British  Screen  Writers' 
Association  has  been  formed  under  the  aegis  of 
the  Incorporated  Society  of  Authors,  Play- 
wrights and  Composers.  Kilham  Roberts  is  the 
organizer  and,  it  is  believed,  hopes  to  persuade 
the  Moyne  Committee  to  relax  its  decision  to 
hear  no  more  evidence,  in  order  that  the  special 
case  of  British  screen  writers  may  be  presented. 

V 

London  &  Continental  Pictures,  Ltd.,  an  en- 
terprise of  John  W.  Gossage,  prominently  as- 
sociated with  Reunion  Films  for  some  time 
past,  is  making  its  first  picture,  "The  World 
Is  Mine,"  at  the  A.  T.  P.  studios,  Ealing,  Regi- 
nald Denham  directing  Frances  Day,  Nelson 
Keys  and  Hugh  Wakefield. 

Dillon  Damen  Production  Corporation,  Ltd., 
has  been  formed  for  the  purpose  of  production 
and  the  control  of  studios  with  Dillon  Damen, 


Schenck-Ostrer  Deal  Casts 
Shadow  Before  It;  Members 
of  Moyne  Committee  Fear- 
ful of  U.  S.  Domination 

recently  director  of  publicity  to  Columbia  Pic- 
tures as  its  active  principal  and  the  Hon.  James 
Benson  as  a  director. 

V 

Lord  Tyrrell  of  Avon,  president  of  the  Brit- 
ish Board  of  Film  Censors,  presented  the  Film 
Weekly  prize  for  the  Best  British  Film  of  1935 
to  Alfred  Hitchcock,  director  of  the  Gaumont- 
British  "The  Thirty-nine  Steps,"  at  a  luncheon 
at  the  Savoy  attended  by  many  leaders  of  the 
British  industry.  Michael  Balcon,  producer  of 
the  picture,  was  associated  in  the  presentation. 

The  award  for  the  best  acting  performance 
of  the  year  went  to  Elisabeth  Bergner  for  her 
work  in  "Escape  Me  Never." 

Ranked  closely  behind  the  Hitchcock  picture, 
in  patron  votes,  said  Herbert  Thompson,  editor 
of  Film  Weekly,  were  London  Films'  "Scarlet 
Pimpernel"  and  B.  &  D.'s  "Nell  Gwyn,"  while 
Robert  Donat  and  Leslie  Howard  ran  second 
and  third  for  the  acting  prize. 


The  Right  Hon.  B.  S.  B.  Stevens,  Prime 
Minister  of  New  South  Wales,  Australia,  re- 
ceived a  deputation  from  the  Film  Group  of  the 
Federation  of  British  Industries  during  his  cur- 
rent visit  to  London,  for  the  purpose  of  hearing 
objections  to  certain  features  of  the  N.  S.  W. 
Quota  Act,  which  came  into  force  on  July  1st. 
Outstanding  feature  of  the  act  is  the  provision 
that  imported  films  must  be  covered  by  a  per- 
centage beginning  at  4  per  cent  of  Australian- 
made  films.  The  British  group  objects,  in  chief, 
to  the  fact  that  British  films  are  classed  with 
American  as  "imported."  The  companies  repre- 
sented include  Gaumont-British,  Associated 
British,  British  Lion,  British  &  Dominions  and 
Sound  City,  and  they  reported  a  "receptive" 
attitude  on  the  part  of  the  Australian  premier. 
V 

Stating  that  "General  conditions  operating  in 
the  studios  are  highly  satisfactory,"  the  Na- 
tional Association  of  Theatrical  Employees,  in 
its  annual  report,  makes  a  pointed  comparison 
between  this  state  of  affairs  and  that  obtaining 
in  the  theatre  end  of  the  industry.  It  is  asserted 
that  in  certain  areas  exhibitors,  in  order  to 
evade  equitable  wage  agreements,  are  sheltering 
behind  the  Cinematograph  Exhibitors'  Associa- 
tion, while  the  CEA  branch  appears  to  shelter 
behind  individual  exhibitors.  Declaring  this 
policy  to  be  obsolete,  the  report  states  that  "If 
the  CEA  want  to  make  a  conflict  on  the  ques- 
tion of  trade  union  recognition,  we  are  quite 
prepared  to  meet  the  challenge  and  fight  it." 
V 

Kann  Speaker  at  Luncheon 

Red  Kann,  editor  of  Motion  Picture 
Daily,  was  called  on  for  a  speech  at  the 
monthly  meeting-  of  the  Trade  Luncheon 
Club  at  the  Trocadero  when  James  Max- 
ton,  M.P.,  leader  of  the  Glasgow  group  of 
Left  Wing  Laborites,  failed  to  keep  his  date 
as  guest  speaker. 

Mr.  Kann  confined  his  remarks  to  a  de- 
scription of  the  delightful  weekend  he  had 
had  in  Devon  with  Ken  Nyman. 

Arthur  S.  Moss  of  Associated  British  Pic- 
tures was  in  the  chair  and  the  only  other 
speaker  was  Tom  Groves,  M.P.,  Labor 
"Whip." 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


45 


THE  CUTTING 
ROOM 


Advance  outlines  of  produc- 
tions nearing  completion  as 
seen  by  the  Hollywood  staff 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Herald 


Come  and  Get  It 

(U.A  .-Goldwyn  ) 
Drama 

Adapted  from  an  Edna  Ferber  novel,  the 
story  told  in  this  production  is  elemental 
drama.  Being  played  by  a  large  cast  it  con- 
centrates its  plot  upon  one  man  whose  life  was 
a  long  turmoil  of  soaring  business  ambitions 
and  disillusioned  romantic  dreams.  Localed  in 
the  lumbering  sections  of  Wisconsin's  forests, 
it  tells  of  a  man  who  sold  his  hope  of  happi- 
ness for  wealth  and  power.  Grown  rich,  old 
and  influential,  he  sees  in  the  daughter  of  his 
old  sweetheart  a  girl  who  means  everything 
lovely  that  he  dreamed  of  and  lost.  His  do- 
mestic life  turned  into  a  chaos,  the  power  of 
the  situation  is  intensified  when  he  finds  that 
his  son  is  loved  by  the  child  he  adores.  Desper- 
ate, he  fights  with  his  boy,  and  as  he  hears  the 
girl  say  "Don't  hurt  him,  he's  an  old  man," 
he  comes  to  his  senses. 

Theatric  ingredients  of  story  and  substantiat- 
ing production  efforts  being  of  the  character 
that  definitely  have  proved  their  entertainment 
and  commercial  value,  the  cast  which  will  be 
seen  is  unique  inasmuch  as  it  presents  new 
personalities  with  established  players.  Edward 
Arnold,  lately  in  "Sutter's  Gold"  and  "Meet 
Nero  Wolfe,"  is  starred.  He  is  supported  by 
Frances  Farmer,  currently  in  "Rythm  on  the 
Range" ;  Mary  Nash,  a  newcomer  from  the 
stage;  Walter  Brennan,  remembered  particu- 
larly for  his  work  in  "Barbary  Coast" ;  Mady 
Christians,  seen  in  several  MGM  pictures ; 
Charles  Halton,  Andrea  Leeds,  Clem  Bevans, 
Edwin  Maxwell  and  Agnes  Anderson. 

Exploitation  potentialties  represented  by  the 
story,  character  and  cast  as  well  as  production 
features — all  action  occurring  about  lumber 
camps  and  realistic  in  conception  of  that  atmos- 
phere— are  furthered  by  additional  production 
credits.  Besides  her  other  screen  contributions, 
Edna  Ferber  is  a  widely  read  author.  Similar- 
ly the  scenarists,  Jane  Murfin  and  Jules  Furth- 
man,  have  definite  prestige.  Director  Howard 
Hawks'  recent  credits  include  "Barbary  Coast," 
"Ceiling  Zero"  and  the  forthcoming  "Road  to 
Glory." 


See  America  First 

(20th  Century  -  Fox) 
Domestic  Comedy 

Something  more  than  the  ordinary  incentive 
to  produce  a  wholesome  family  character  series 
appealing  to  wide  audiences  seems  to  be  inspir- 
ing _  the  production  of  the  American  Family 
Series.  Maybe  a  glance  at  the  fan  mail  re- 
ceived may  suggest  the  reason.  One  man  who 
writes  that  he  and  his  family  who  patronize  a 
Bronx  "insectorium"  lauds  it  highly.  Another, 
president  of  one  of  the  country's  biggest  mer- 
cantile concerns,  is  equally  enthusiastic  as  to 
the  quality  of  entertainment  provided. 

At  any  rate,  with  the  principal  familiar 
haracters  again  appearing,  this  third  episode 
in  the  chain  is  typical  all-family  entertainment. 
In  it,  as  the  title  indicates,  the  Jones  family, 
desirous  of  a  vacation  but  harassed  because 
finances  are  lacking,  attain  their  dream  by  tak- 
ing off  on  an  American  tour  via  auto  and  trailer. 
As  its  predecessors  did,  "See  America  First" 
concentrates  on  the  adventures,  comic  and  serio- 
dramatic,  which  befall  the  family  and  similar  to 


the  others  brings  in  two  youthful  twin  ro- 
mances. 

Based  on  a  story  by  Robert  Ellis  and  Helen 
Logan  which  is  topical  in  character,  the  pro- 
duction is  being  directed  by  James  Tinling, 
maker  of  the  other  two  pictures. 

Jed  Prouty,  Spring  Byington  and  Florence 
Roberts  again  are  father,  mother  and  grand- 
mother. The  three  younger  children,  William 
Mahan,  June  Carlson  and  George  Ernest,  again 
appear,  as  does  Kenneth  Howell  in  the  big 
brother  role  he  has  had  throughout  the  series. 
Shirley  Deane  and  Dixie  Dunbar,  featured  in 
"Bringing  Up  Father,"  are  included.  A  new- 
comer, Tony  Martin,  radio  favorite,  will  be 
seen.  He  is  also  in  the  forthcoming  "Sing, 
Baby  Sing." 


Divided  by  Two 

(Invincible) 
Mystery  Drama 

Much  of  the  action  of  this  picture  is  backstage 
and  upon  the  stage  of  a  theatre.  Thus  its  de- 
velopments involve  much  of  the  atmosphere  of 
a  theatre  and  the  staging  of  a  show. 

Though  the  story  is  essentially  mystery 
drama,  it  has  the  expected  romantic  and  comedy 
counterparts.  It  concerns  itself  with  a  writer 
of  mystery  plays  who  suddenly  finds  himself 
face  to  face  with  the  necessity  of  solving  an 
actual  twin  murder  case.  Technique  adapted 
in  writing,  preparation  of  the  screen  play  and 
in  acting  causes  the  author-sleuth's  investiga- 
tions to  take  on  the  character  of  a  play.  The 
method,  with  the  principal  suspect  as  the  audi- 
ence, is  to  reenact  the  crimes.  The  motive  for 
each  is  established  and  the  manner  in  which  they 
were  committed  is  portrayed.  The  writer-de- 
tective's methods  force  the  culprit  to  acknowl- 
edge guilt.  Departing  from  formula,  the  story 
is  unique  in  its  deceptive  character  inasmuch 
as  until  the  anti-climax  it  is  practically  impos- 
sible to  form  an  opinion  as  to  the  guilty  person. 

Based  on  an  original  story  by  Arthur  T. 
Horman,  directed  by  Phil  Rosen  and  produced 
by  Maury  Cohen,  the  production  has  a  cast 
made  up  of  well-known  personalities,  including 
a  group  of  veteran  performers.  Again  depart- 
ing from  formula,  all  the  players  are  featured. 
Reginald  Denny  is  the  fiction  writing  detective 
and,  save  Inez  Courtney  who  teams  with  him 
in  the  romantic  comedy  phases  of  the  story, 
the  roles  of  the  others  are  primarily  dramatic. 
Among  them  are  Evalyn  Brent,  Jack  LaRue, 
John  Marlowe,  Claude  King,  Bryant  Wash- 
burn, Robert  Etonians,  Crauford  Kent,  Robert 
Frazer  and  Miki  Morita. 


I'd  Give  My  Life 


(  Paramount ) 
Drama 

For  his  first  production  for  Paramount  re- 
lease, Richard  A.  Rowland  has  chosen  a  dra- 
matic story  in  which  he  will  present  a  cast 
composed  almost  exclusively  of  wellknown 
players.  The  screen  play  is  adapted  from  the 
stage  play  "The  Noose,"  a  popular  feature  of 
about  a  decade  ago.  In  1928  Warner  made  it 
as  a  motion  picture. 

Though  the  story  has  a  romantic  content,  it 
basically  is  drama.  It  concerns  itself  with  a 
boy  who  killed  in  self  defense.  The  man  he 
killed  was  his  father.    The  motive  for  the  slay- 


ing was  to  save  the  man  from  scandal  and  to 
avert  unhappiness  for  his  mother,  who  subse- 
quently married  the  governor.  As  the  secret 
is  known  only  to  the  boy  killer  and  his  mother, 
the  hero  accepts  a  death  sentence  rather  than 
to  talk  and  thereby  set  in  motion  influences  that 
would  save  his  life.  But  in  true  dramatic 
style  incidents  happen  which  compel  the  gov- 
ernor to  grant  a  stay  of  execution,  during 
which  further  melodramatic  events  take  place 
through  which  happiness  is  brought  to  a  woman 
to  whom  was  visioned  a  lifetime  of  sorrow  as 
is  exoneration  for  the  boy. 

Directed  by  Edwin  L.  Marin,  particularly 
adept  in  handling  material  similar  to  the  char- 
acter of  this  story,  the  film  features  Tom 
Brown,  Guy  Standing  and  Janet  Beecher.  They 
are  the  boy,  the  governor  and  his  wife.  Yet 
the  value  of  screen  names  is  not  confined  to 
this  trio.  Others  who  will  be  seen  in  parts 
11  important  to  the  story's  delineation  are 
Frances  Drake,  Robert  Gleckler,  Helen  Lowell, 
Paul  Hurst,  Charles  Richman,  Clarence  Wilson, 
Thomas  Jackson,  Charles  Judels,  Robert  Elliott, 
William  Buress,  Corbett  Morris,  Franklin 
Parker  and  James  Eagles. 


Man  Without  Fear 


(  Columbia  ) 

Action,  Romance,  Drama 

As  western  pictures  seemingly  continue  to 
rise  in  popular  and  exhibitor  favor,  a  con- 
tinual effort  is  underway  to  present  this  form 
of  entertainment  on  different  themes.  Generally 
the  trend  is  to  give  them  some  sort  of  his- 
torical background.  This  production  is  no  ex- 
ception. 

The  early  part  of  the  forthcoming  feature 
has  a  war  atmosphere  in  which  appear  several 
exceptional  action  sequences  of  the  Spanish- 
American  War  battle  of  San  Juan  Hill.  These 
incidents  serve  to  identify  the  characters,  the 
relation  they  have  to  each  other,  and,  tersely, 
form  the  basis  for  the  ensuing  western  story  de- 
velopment. As  the  initial  prologue  is  unortho- 
dox, the  substantiating  thrill  action,  romance- 
leavened  motivation  also  is  unusual.  Typical  of 
standard  western  themes,  this  moves  to  the  tune 
of  hard  hitting,  fast  riding  action  adventure, 
in  which  two  enemies,  one  a  lawbreaker  and 
the  other  a  supporter  of  law  and  order,  vie  for 
supremacy,  with  the  hand  of  a  girl  for  the 
victor. 

While  the  novel  entertainment  idea,  in  which 
all  that  has  proved  of  value  in  the  past  as 
well  as  much  that  is  unique  is  introduced,  seems 
to  be  the  outstanding  exploitation  quality,  the 
production  has  other  worthy  merits.  The  story 
on  which  it  is  based  was  written  by  Zane  Grey, 
whose  many  screen  contributions  are  familiar 
to  all.  The  screen  play  is  by  Harold  Shumate, 
and  direction  is  by  Erie  Kenton,  who  also  ap- 
pears in  the  film  as  the  rough  rider  Theodore 
Roosevelt. 

Jack  Holt,  currently  in  "San  Francisco,"  is 
the  leading  player.  Practically  all  the  action 
rotates  about  him,  Louise  Henry  and  Guinn 
Williams.  Others  contributing  to  its  effect  are 
such  players  as  Douglas  Dumbrille,  Gene  Mor- 
gan, George  McKay,  Tom  London  and  John 
McGuire. 

Variety  Picnic  Scheduled 

The  Variety  Club-Film  Row  picnic  in 
Kansas  City  has  been  set  for-  August  17. 


46 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August     I,  1936 


Grand  National 
Perfects  Setup 


LYNCH  IS  RETURNING  TO 
PARAMOUNT  OPERATION 


Will  HandleCompany'sTheatres 
in  Florida  Centers;  R.  E.  Ander- 
son Resigns  as  Para.  Vice-Pres. 

S.  A.  Lynch,  head  of  the  former  Southern 
Enterprises  theatre  holdings,  returns  again 
to  theatre  operation  this  week  with  the  ap- 
proval by  the  Paramount  board  of  directors 
of  a  five-year  management  contract  under 
which  Mr.  Lynch  will  operate  the  company's 
theatres  in  Miami,  Miami  Beach,  Coral 
Gables  and  Cocoanut  Grove,  Florida.  Ap- 
proximately 20  houses  are  involved  in  the 
operations. 

The  board  also  accepted  the  resignation  of 
R.  E.  Anderson,  financial  vice-president  of 
Paramount,  who  was  a  former  vice-president 
of  Electrical  Research  Products,  Inc. 

Paramount's  contract  with  Mr.  Lynch 
fixes  his  compensation  on  a  percentage  of 
the  theatres'  earnings,  the  company  said. 
The  theatres  being  turned  over  to  Mr. 
Lynch's  management  have  been  operated 
heretofore  by  E.  J.  Sparks,  although  they 
have  not  been  a  part  of  the  contract  opera- 
tions which  Mr.  Sparks  has  with  Paramount. 
With  the  exception  of  the  four  towns 
turned  over  to  Mr.  Lynch,  the  Sparks  op- 
erations remain  unchanged. 

Mr.  Lynch  built  up  the  huge  Southern 
Enterprises  circuit  which  dominated  the 
south  for  many  years  and  which  was  finally 
acquired  from  him  by  Paramount.  He  then 
went  into  retirement  and  lived  for  a  number 
of  years  on  the  French  Riviera.  He  reen- 
tered Paramount  following  the  company's 
bankruptcy  in  the  capacity  of  adviser  on 
theatre  reorganizations  to  the  Paramount 
bankruptcy  trustees,  a  post  which  he  held  for 
more  than  two  years.  The  present  type  of 
management  and  partnership  operating  con- 
tracts under  which  950  of  Paramount's  1,100 
theatres  are  operating  were  devised  by  Mr. 
Lynch  during  the  reorganization  period. 

He  withdrew  from  Paramount  about  a 
years  and  and  has  been  living  in  Miami 
where  he  was  also  interested  in  hotel  opera- 
tion. 

Mr.  Anderson's  resignation  came  as  a  sur- 
prise to  the  trade,  inasmuch  as  he  had  been 
reelected  financial  vice-president  of  the  com- 
pany only  three  weeks  ago.  The  post  of 
financial  vice-president  will  be  abolished,  it 
was  stated  within  Paramount,  with  the  bulk 
of  the  duties  of  the  office  being  absorbed  by 
Walter  B.  Cokell,  Paramount  treasurer. 

Mr.  Anderson  said  that  he  has  undisclosed 
negotiations  under  way  which  may  be  con- 
summated in  30  to  60  days  and  which  would 
involve  his  remaining  in  the  film  industry. 
He  is  not  returning  to  Erpi.  He  stated  that 
he  "greatly  appreciated"  the  confidence  in 
him  shown  by  the  board  in  reelecting  him  to 
his  post  for  another  year,  but  felt  that  the 
resignation  was  advisable  and  that  his  leav- 
ing was  an  "amicable"  one.  He  was  not  a 
member  of  the  Paramount  board. 

Several  Paramount  theatre  partners  have 
been  in  New  York  to  confer  on  new  product 
with  Y.  Frank  Freeman,  head  of  operations, 
among  them  Martin  J.  Mullin  and  Samuel 


Pinanski,  Robert  B.  Wilby,  M.  A.  Light- 
man,  Carl  Banford,  George  W.  Trendle, 
A.  H.  Blank  and  Ralph  Branton.  L.  J. 
Ludwig  and  John  Friedl  are  expected  next 
week. 

Meanwhile,  in  Hollywood,  it  was  revealed 
that  Harold  Lloyd  has  signed  a  Paramount 
contract  as  an  independent  producer.  The 
pact  calls  for  the  making  of  one  picture  a 
year  but  no  information  concerning  the  time 
limit  was  available.  Francis  Cockrell  has 
been  signed  to  prepare  the  first  story  on 
which  production  is  expected  to  start  short- 
ly at  the  General  Service  studios. 

60  to  70  Features 
Coming  from  Tobis 

by  J.  K.  RUTENBERG 

in  Berlin 

Tobis  Corporation,  largest  single  film  en- 
terprise in  Germany,  plans  a  total  of  60  to  70 
features  next  year.  Adolf  Engl,  former 
president  of  the  association  of  German  thea- 
tre owners,  has  joined  the  Tobis  board  of 
directors. 

Negotiations  are  underway  between  Dr. 
Homan,  Hungarian  Minister  of  Culture,  and 
the  German  Government  on  the  development 
of  an  agreement  on  films  which  would  fa- 
cilitate the  exchange  of  domestic  pictures 
between  the  two  countries. 

Suits  Against  Union 
Must  Go  to  Trial 

A  motion  made  by  Joseph  Basson,  presi- 
dent of  Local  306,  International  Association 
of  Theatrical  Stage  Employes,  to  have  eight 
independent  theatre  owners  amend  their 
complaints  in  suits  filed  for  an  aggregate 
amount  of  $650,000  for  damages,  has  been 
denied  in  the  New  York  Supreme  Court. 
The  court  expressed  no  opinion,  but  decided 
that  the  matter  should  go  to  trial. 


Boston  Columbians  at  Outing 

The  first  annual  outing  of  the  Boston 
Columbian  club  was  held  last  week-end  at 
the  Hotel  Mayflower  at  Plymouth,  Mass. 
The  club  is  a  social  and  mutual  benevolent 
organization  of  Columbia  Exchange  em- 
ployees. Mr.  T.  F.  O'Toole,  branch  manager 
of  the  exchange,  is  club  president. 


Wins  Scholarship 

Helene  S.  Bamberger,  daughter  of  Leon 
J.  Bamberger,  RKO-Radio  sales  promotion 
manager,  has  been  awarded  a  full  scholar- 
ship for  the  professional  training  course  of 
the  Lake  Shore  Theatre  Colony  in  West- 
ford,  Mass. 


Republic  Expands 

Republic  Pictures  has  arranged  for  dis- 
tribution of  its  product  in  Peru  by  the  Cine- 
matografica  del  Pacifico,  Lima,  with  branch 
offices  in  La  Paz,  Bolivia. 


Grand  National's  distribution  setup  has 
been  completed  100  per  cent  in  the  United 
States,  Edward  L.  Alperson,  president, 
said  as  he  arrived  in  New  York  from  Holly- 
wood this  week. 

With  52  features  scheduled,  of  which 
eight  will  be  westerns  and  eight  melo- 
dramas, the  first  three  months'  releases  will 
be  announced  next  month.  The  initial  at- 
traction will  be  ready  for  release  around 
the  middle  or  latter  part  of  August. 

The  pictures  will  be  sold  in  a  series  of 
groups  as  scheduled  by  the  various  pro- 
ducers it  was  stated  by  Carl  Leserman,  gen- 
eral sales  manager. 

Among  the  producers  lined  up  are  B.  F. 
Zeidman,  who  will  make  a  minimum  of  seven 
and  a  maximum  of  10;  George  Hirliman, 
scheduled  for  at  least  nine  ;  Douglas  McLean, 
six ;  Boris  Petrov,  four.  James  Cagney  will 
appear  in  two  or  three.  Contracts  for  five 
additional  producers  are  now  being  signed 
and  will  be  announced  next  week. 

Various  studios  on  the  coast  will  be  used, 
among  them  being  Talisman,  RKO  Pathe, 
the  Fox  Westwood  and  others. 

Releases  after  September  will  be  at  the 
rate  of  one  a  week.  The  first  will  be  the 
color  production,  "Devil  on  Horseback," 
with  Lili  Damita,  and  "Crusaders  in  White." 
Mr.  McLean's  first  Grand  National  picture 
will  be  "23  Hours  Leave."  Boris  Petrov's 
first  will  be  "Hat's  Off."  B.  F.  Zeidman  has 
completed  "Crusaders  in  White,"  and  will 
next  make  "In  His  Steps"  with  Eric  Linden 
and  Cecilia  Parker.  He  has  also  scheduled 
"The  Five  Little  Peppers." 

Changes  in  the  distribution  set-up  of 
Grand  National  include  the  appointment  of 
Bradley  Fish  as  San  Francisco  branch  man- 
ager. Jack  Kaplan  has  taken  over  the 
Buffalo  office ;  William  Shartin  will  manage 
the  Cleveland  branch,  and  Russell  Borg  will 
open  a  GN  exchange  in  Kansas  City. 

Mr.  Alperson  was  to  leave  this  week  for 
England  where  his  plans  call  either  for  set- 
ting up  a  Grand  National  distribution  system 
or  making  a  deal  with  a  local  company  to 
handle  the  52  pictures.  The  Grand  National 
president  denied  he  was  going  over  to  ac- 
quire any  English  films.  He  will  be  gone 
a  few  weeks. 


Legion  of  Decency  List 
Reviews  I  I  New  Pictures 

Pictures  placed  in  Class  A-Section  I  and 
open  to  general  favor  are :  "Charlie  Chan 
at  the  Race  Track,"  "Down  to  the  Sea," 
"Down  the  Stretch,"  "Hearts  in  Bondage," 
"Hearts  of  the  West"  and  "Mary  of  Scot- 
land." In  th«  adult  category  of  Class  A- 
Section  II  are  the  following  films :  "Give 
Me  Your  Heart,"  "Satan  Met  a  Lady," 
"Sworn  Enemy,"  "Suzy"  and  "The  Bengal 
Tiger." 


Retired  Critic  Dies 

Maurice  E.  McLaughlin,  who  retired  in 
1934  from  the  post  of  drama  critic  of  the 
Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle,  died  last  Thurs- 
day of  a  heart  attack  at  his  home  in  Brook- 
lyn. He  was  69  and  had  been  a  member  of 
the  newspaper's  staff  for  25  years,  leaving 
a  similar  position  on  the  staff  of  the  Dra- 
matic Mirror  in  1909. 


GREAT 


THAT  HAVE 
MADE  A 


GREAT 
ICTURE 

V    $1  4m 


CREATIVE  GENIUS,  COUPLED  WITH  THE 
MOST   SUPERLATIVE  CAST  EVER 

ASSEMBLED  IN  TRIBUTE  TO  THEM 

AND  THEIR  MASTERWORK,  RKO-  RADIO 
HONORS  ITSELF  AND  THE  INDUSTRY 


as  Elizabeth 


ROBERT  BARRAT 

as  Morton 


GAVIN  MUIR 

as  Leicester 


'**»»»«»»■ 


WILLIAM  STACK    ALAN  MOWBR 

as  Ruthven  as  Throckmorton 


IAN  KEITH 

as  Moray 


FRIEDA  INESCORT     DONALD  CRISP 

as  Mary  Beaton  as  Huntly 


ALEC  CRAIG 

as  Donal 


MOLLY  LAMONT 

as  Mary  Livingstone 


y\D  TORRENCE  MURRAY  KINNELL 

as  Lindsay  as  A  Judge 

RY  GORDON,  MONTE  BLUE,  DORIS  LLOYD,  ROBERT 
RWICK,  LAWRENCE  GRANT,  IVAN  SIMPSON, 
iEL  de  BRULIER,  BARLOWE  BORLAND,  WALTER 
ION,  WYNDHAM  STANDING,  EARLE  FOXE,  PAUL 
f.LLISTER,   GASTON   GLASS,  NEIL  FITZGERALD 


RALPH  FORBES 

as  Randolph 


WILFRED  LUCAS 

as  Lexington 


FRANK  BAKER       CYRIL  McLAGLEN 

as  Douglas  as  Faudoncide 


HEPBURN 


B 


RKO-RADIO  PICTURE 


r 


HISTORY'S 
GREATEST 
LOVE  STORY 

OPENS 

RADIO  CITY 
MUSIC  HALL  I 

THURSDAY,  JULY  30th  m 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


55 


RAMSAYE  WARNS  OF 
SCREEN  PROPAGANDA 


French  Exhibitors 
Meet  New  Laws 
In  10- Point  Plan 

by  PIERRE  AUTRE 

in  Paris 

Three  hundred  French  exhibitors  have 
adopted  unanimously  a  10-point  plan  by 
which  the  future  activity  of  exhibition  in  the 
country  will  be  governed.  The  meeting  was 
called  to  plan  a  course  of  action  based  on 
the  new  laws,  rules  and  agreements  affecting 
workers  which  were  adopted  following  the 
recent  French  strikes. 

Present  were  members  of  the  two  large 
exhibitor  organizations,  the  Exhibitors' 
Syndicate  and  the  Chambre  Syndicale,  as 
well  as  a  number  of  exhibitors  not  affiliated 
with  any  organization. 

The  resolutions  adopted  by  the  meeting 
were : 

1.  Approval  of  the  agreement  signed  be- 
tween the  two  exhibitor  organizations  and 
the  Cinema  Workers'  Trade  Unions. 

2.  Expression  of  confidence  in  the  exhibi- 
tor delegates  who  will  work  with  the  union 
representatives  in  the  establishment  of  new 
employment  contracts. 

3.  To  seek  to  further  the  plan  of  a  com- 
plete unification  of  industry  activity,  to  in- 
clude production,  distribution,  exportation 
and  all  technical  phases. 

4.  To  effect,  immediately  if  possible,  an 
affiliation  of  the  Chambre  Syndicale  of 
French  Exhibitors,  the  French  Syndicate  of 
Exhibitors  and  the  regional  federations  with 
the  Union  of  the  French  Chambres  Syndi- 
cales  of  Motion  Picture  Theatres. 

5.  Adherence  to  this  union  by  all  exhibi- 
tors who  are  not  members  of  any  organiza- 
tion. 

6.  Immediate  action  looking  toward  equal- 
ization of  taxation.  Exhibitors  demand  tax 
rates  which  are  no  higher  than  those  as- 
sessed on  other  types  of  business,  and  will 
fight  for  the  elimination  of  special  taxes  on 
entertainment. 

7.  The  formation  of  an  "inter-syndical" 
committee  which  will  be  actively  in  charge 
of  the  tax  reduction  fight.  The  committee 
will  be  headed  by  Raymond  Lussiez. 

8.  Promise  by  all  exhibitors  that  admis- 
sions will  not  be  increased  if  the  fight  for 
the  limitation  of  special  entertainment  taxa- 
tion is  successful. 

9.  Confirmation  of  previous  resolutions 
on  admission  prices  and  overbuilding. 

10.  Immediate  elimination  of  the  so-called 
"billets  de  faveur,"  tickets  obtainable  in 
various  stores  which  entitle  the  bearer  to  a 
substantial  reduction  from  the  established 
admission  price  at  designated  theatres. 

Another  meeting  of  exhibitors  is  to  be 
held  soon. 

James  Dent  Heads 
Goldwyn's  Studio 

Samuel  Goldwyn  has  promoted  James 
Dent  to  the  position  of  general  manager  of 
his  studio.  He  was  formerly  studio  mana- 
ger. Marvin  Ezzell,  who  in  the  past  has 
filled  the  position  of  comptroller,  was  pro- 
moted by  Mr.  Goldwyn  to  succeed  Mr. 
Dent  as  studio  manager. 


Trouble  Makers  Would  Make 
Motion  Picture  Instrument  of 
Dissention,  Bucknell  Is  Told 

"Beyond  all  other  great  industries  the 
motion  picture  is  interested  in  peace,  inter- 
national amity — no  industry  has  so  much  to 
lose  by  wars.  And  yet  those  who  make 
war,  foster  bitter  nationalisms,  create  hatred 
and  selfish  causes,  disturbances  of  organized 
society,  are  endlessly  striving  to  make  the 
screen  an  instrument  in  the  service  of  dis- 
sention." 

That  in  essence  was  the  message  that 
Terry  Ramsaye,  editor  of  Motion  Picture 
Herald,  delivered  in  a  lecture  in  the  course 
on  "Propaganda"  at  the  Bucknell  University 
summer  school  at  Lewisburg,  Pennsylvania, 
Monday. 

The  course  is  under  the  direction  of  Pro- 
fessor Hardwood  L.  Childs,  of  Princeton, 
and  managing  editor  of  the  newly  founded 
Public  Opinion  Quarterly  to  appear  this 
autumn.  Other  speakers  on  the  course  in- 
clude Elisha  Hanson,  attorney  for  the 
American  Newspaper  Publishers  Associa- 
tion ;  Edward  L.  Bernays,  of  New  York, 
public  relations  counsel,  and  Lawrence 
Westbrook,  assistant  administrator  of  the 
Works  Progress  Administration. 

Po'n+s  to  Pressures  from  Abroad 

In  his  discussion  Mr.  Ramsaye  pointed 
out  that  only  in  America  is  the  screen  even 
approximately  a  free  medium,  and  that  the 
pressures  of  strife-torn  and  dictator-ruled 
foreign  states  were  exerting  adverse  influ- 
ences even  here. 

"The  international  success  of  the  American 
picture  has  made  all  the  world  problems 
also  problems  of  the  organized  industry. 
What  happens  today  in  the  Balkans  or  on 
the  Bosphorus  is  something  for  Hollywood 
to  start  worrying  about  tomorrow. 

"Also  with  the  eyes  of  the  world  upon  the 
motion  picture,  international  as  an  art,  as 
merchandise,  in  its  personnel  and  even  to  a 
growing  degree  in  its  corporate  structures, 


GARBO  AND  SHEARER 
WIN  POLL  IN  INDIA 

Greta  Garbo  and  'Norma  Shearer 
arc  the  most  popular  American  film 
stars  in  India,  a  ballot  taken  by  the 
secretaries  of  the  Film  League  of 
Madras  reveals.  The  voting  also 
showed  Jeanefte  MacDonald  among 
the  first  ten  favorites  who  included 
Shirley  Temple,  Loretta  Young, 
Claudette  Colbert,  Merle  Oberon, 
Elissa  Landi,  Grace  Moore  and  Anna 
Sten. 

For  the  year  193  5  "Anna  Karen- 
ina"  was  voted  the  most  popular  film 
exhibited  in  India.  Fredric  March 
topped  the  list  of  ten  best  male  stars 
because  of  his  work  in  this  picture. 


the  screen  is  made  sensitive  to  and  respon- 
sible to  far  too  many  authorities. 

"A  condition  has  developed  under  which 
we  see  the  Secretary  of  State  of  the  United 
States  having  to  discuss  the  contents  of  a 
newsreel  in  terms  of  foreign  diplomacy. 

Problem  of  Its  Patrons 

"Never  before  were  there  so  many  persons 
about,  some  of  them  persons  of  power  and 
influence,  burdened  with  messages  and  spe- 
cial causes.  Practically  all  of  them  want  to 
enlist  the  motion  picture  and  to  get  atten- 
tion on  the  screen  of  the  theatre  because 
that  is  where  the  eyes  of  the  millions  are 
focused.  An  even  greater  number  of  per- 
sons, while  in  doubt  about  what  they  want 
the  screen  to  say,  are  very  sure  of  what 
they  do  not  want  it  to  say.  The  result  is  a 
rising  tide  of  restrictive  measures  in  most 
every  other  civilized  or  semi-civilized  land 
in  the  world.  The  screen  has  been  made 
substantially  an  instrument  of  the  govern- 
ment in  all  the  dictator  states. 
■  "If  the  screen  is  to  hold  for  itself  what 
freedom  it  still  enjoys  in  America  it  will 
have  to  defend  itself  with  zeal — and  that  is 
a  problem  of  its  patrons." 


Louis  Marcus  Dead 
In  Salt  Lake  City 

Louis  Marcus,  mayor  of  Salt  Lake  City 
and  Paramount  theatre  partner,  died  unex- 
pectedly this  week  at  his  home.  Mr.  Marcus 
operated  the  Paramount  theatre  at  Provo, 
Utah;  the  Capitol,  Victoria  and  Paramount 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  and  the  Orpheum  and 
Idaho,  Twin  Falls,  Idaho.  He  had  built  up 
his  own  independent  circuit  in  Utah  and 
Idaho  and  sold  it  to  Publix  in  1928.  After 
the  Paramount  bankruptcy  he  entered  into 
a  deal  with  the  trustees  to  operate  his  for- 
mer houses  on  a  partnership  basis. 

Maurice  Kann  Returns 
From  Month  in  England 

Maurice  Kann,  editor  of  Motion  Picture 
Daily,  arrived  in  New  York  Wednesday  on 
the  S.S.  Champlain  following  a  month's 
visit  to  England.  He  reported  that  England 
is  experiencing  considerable  theatre  building, 
especially  by  the  Odeon  circuit,  and  that  there 
is  great  production  activity  at  all  studios. 
Theatre  business  is  exceptionally  good  in 
the  British  Isles,  he  added. 

Michigan  Booking 
Unit  Being  Formed 

The  formation  of  a  new  buying  and  book- 
ing combine  for  state  theatres  only  is  now 
in  progress  at  Detroit,  with  James  M.  M in- 
ter, owner  of  theatres  in  Flint  and  Owosso, 
and  W.  A.  Cassidy,  who  has  houses  in 
Saginaw,  Midland  and  other  out-state 
towns,  as  the  leaders  in  the  move.  It  is 
reported  that  more  than  40  theatres  already 
have  signed  for  membership  in  the  organi- 
zation. No  Detroit  theatres  will  be  ad- 
mitted. 


56 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


SHOWMEN'S 
REVIEWS 


This  department  deals  with  new 
product  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  exhibitor  who  is 
to  purvey  it  to  his  own  public 


Girl's  Dormitory 

(20th  Century -Fox) 
Dramatic  Romance 

Any  picture  introducing  a  widely  exploited 
new  personality  is  naturally  a  matter  of  inter- 
est to  exhibitors  and  patrons.  As  such  "Girl's 
Dormitory,"  featuring  Simone  Simon,  becomes 
an  object  of  public  curiosity  and  showmanship 
attention.  The  newcomer  evinces  definite  pos- 
sibilities. In  appearance,  Miss  Simon  is  not 
similar  to  any  other  player  now  featured.  She 
possesses  a  distinctive  and  attractive  personal- 
ity. Though  her  diction  is  marked  by  a  slight 
French  accent,  it  is  not  unpleasing.  She  demon- 
strates a  flair  for  both  drama  and  comedy. 
The  producing  company  handled  her  debut  in- 
telligently. While  she  is  continually  the  center 
of  attention,  her  initial  appearance  is  aided 
greatly  by  Herbert  Marshall  and  particularly 
Ruth  Chatterton,  who  makes  noticeable  per- 
sonal sacrifices  to  assure  the  girl  of  an  auspi- 
cious start.  Additionally  the  capable  support- 
ing cast  devoted  its  efforts  to  helping  her. 
Handled  by  showmen  in  a  judicious  manner 
that  averts  the  temptation  to  become  too  en- 
thusiastic and  promise  too  much,  the  picture 
should  serve  as  a  favorable  beginning  for  Miss 
Simon's  American  screen  career. 

Continentally  localed  and  atmosphered,  the 
motivation  is  a  dramatic  study  in  infatuated 
adolescent  romance  versus  mature  judgment. 
The  main  setting  is  an  exclusive  and  rigidly 
disciplined  German  girls'  school.  Actually  it  is 
a  clear-cut  demonstration  of  how  impetuous 
and  menacing  youthful  ardor  can  triumph  over 
enduring  and  affectionate  devotion.  Accused 
of  writing  a  passionate  love  letter,  pupil  Si- 
mon, though  defended  by  Marshall  and  Ruth 
Chatterton,  is  persecuted  into  hysteria  by  Con- 
stance Collier  and  J.  Edward  Bromberg,  and 
confesses  she  had  Marshall,  the  school  princi- 
pal, in  mind  when  she  wrote  it.  She  confesses 
to  Chatterton,  who  long  has  borne  a  silent  love 
for  Marshall.  The  child  never  knew  of  this. 
When  she  hears  janitor  John  Qualen  upbraid- 
ing Marshall  to  Chatterton  following  the 
principal's  succumbing  to  Simon's  burning 
kisses,  she  realizes  what  a  tragedy  she  has 
brought  to  her  friend  and  counsellor  Chatter- 
ton. To  effect  a  remedy,  Simon  tells  the  swept- 
off-his-feet  Marshall  that  she  does  not  love 
him,  that  she  lied  when  she  said  she  did.  Grad- 
uation follows,  Marshall  gives  the  class  kindly 
and  practical  advice,  directing  his  remarks 
pointedly  to  Simone.  The  locale  shifts  to  a 
Paris  cafe.  Simone  refuses  her  escort's  invi- 
tation to  dance.  She  hears  a  voice.  It  is  Mar- 
shall's, and  she  falls  into  his  arms. 

The  picture  is  no  ordinary  dramatic  tri- 
angle romance.  Nor  is  it  an  ordinary  child  in 
arms-old  man  love  affair.  Basically,  it  is  men- 
tal, romantic  and  dramatic  conflict.  Sympathy 
rests  in  Miss  Chatterton.  If  it  were  an  ordi- 
nary love  story,  the  heroine  would  be  a  villain 
as  that  character  is  usually  accepted.  Miss 
Chatterton  is  the  One  who  stands  aside  and 
makes  the  sacrifice  just  as  silently  as  she  treas- 
ured her  dream  of  marriage  to  Marshall.  In 
this  departure  from  formula,  there  is  a  novelty 
and  difference  that  makes  possible  two  kinds 
of  interest  stimulating  campaigns.  A  drive  can 
be  made  to  center  attraction  on  Simon  if  be- 
lieved wise.    Another  can  take  the  theme  of 


the  story  for  its  premise.  Most  effective,  how- 
ever, would  seem  to  be  a  combination  of  both. 

Previewed  in  Grauman's  Chinese  Theatre 
jollowing  presentation  of  "Susy."  Audience 
reaction  to  the  theme  and  to  Simone  Simon 
was  favorable,  t  did  not  seem  to  expect  too 
much  of  her,  but  was  sympathetic  to  and  ap- 
preciative of  her  efforts.  It  was  distinctly 
noticeable,  however,  that  the  audience  had  a 
clear  understanding  of  the  cooperation  and  help 
that  Marshall  and  Ruth  Chatterton  were  giv- 
ing her. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox.  Associate  producer,  Raymond  Griffith.  Directed 
by  Irving  Cummings.  Screen  play  by  Gene  Markey. 
From  a  play  by  Ladislaus  Fodor.  Photographed  by 
Merritt  Gerstad.  Art  director,  Hans  Peters.  Set 
decorations  by  Thomas  Little.  Assistant  director,  Ad 
Schaumer.  Film  editor,  Jack  Murray.  Costumes  by 
Gwen  Wakeling.  Sound,  W.  D.  Flick,  Roger  Heman. 
Musical  direction,  Arthur  Lange.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate 
No.  2348.  Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  65 
minutes.  Release  date,  August  7,  1936.  General  audi- 
ence classification. 

CAST 

Dr.  Stephen  Dominik  Herbert  Marshall 

Prof.  Anna  Mathe  Ruth  Chatterton 

Marie  Claudel  Simone  Simon 

Prof.  Augusta  Wimmer  Constance  Collier 

Dr.  Spindler  J.  Edward  Bromberg 

Luisa   Dixie  Dunbar 

Toni   John  Qualen 

Fritzi   Shirley  Deane 

Count  Vallais  Tyrone  Power,  Jr. 

Dr.  Hoffenreich  Frank  Reicher 

Dr.  Wilfinger  ,  George  Hassell 

Dora   Lynne  Berkeley 

Greta   June  Storey 

Forester   Christian  Rub 

Prof.  Emma  Kern  Rita  Gould 

Prof.  Josephine  Penz  Lillian  West 

Prof.  Clotilde  Federa  Symona  Boniface 


Hot  Money 


(Warners) 
Comedy 

Discovery  of  a  substitute  for  gasoline,  long 
a  favorite  objective  of  get-rich-quick  schemers 
and  dreamers,  is  presented  as  an  accomplished 
fact  and  made  the  basis  of  a  stock-promotion 
campaign,  exclusively  for  comedy  purposes,  in 
this  swift,  coherent  and  sufficiently  convincing 
fabrication.  Enacted  by  players  unfamiliar  to 
electric-lighted  billing,  save  Joseph  Cawthorn, 
the  picture  relies  upon  speed,  comedy,  dialogue 
and  situation  for  attraction  power. 

Mr.  Cawthorn  is  cast  as  the  business  men 
persuaded  to  back  the  stock-selling  venture  and 
shares  prominence  in  the  cast  with  Ross  Alex- 
ander, who  portrays  the  glib  promoter,  former- 
ly a  get-rich-quick  artist  of  the  Wallingford 
school  here  engaged  in  his  first  honest  enter- 
prise and  calling  to  his  assistance  his  aides  in 
previous  shady  undertakings.  Beverly  Roberts 
is  the  girl  in  the  love  story,  Andrew  Tombes 
is  the  promoter's  first  assistant,  and  Paul 
Greatz  is  the  chemist  whose  discovery  gives 
rise  to  the  action. 

As  the  story  goes,  eccentric  Dr.  David  has 
discovered  a  substitute  for  gasoline  and  Max 
Dourfuss  is  persuaded  to  finance  its  marketing, 
an  operation  undertaken  by  Chick  Randall, 
fresh  out  of  the  penitentiary  by  reason  of  pre- 
vious dishonest  stock  promotions.  Randall  fits 
out  a  lavish  office,  employs  among  others, 
Grace  Lane,  and  sells  $300,000  worth  of  stock 
on  the  basis  of  an  option  to  buy  Dr.  David's 
formulae.  When  investors  and  investigators 
demand  proof  that  the  company  owns  the  prod- 
uct represented  it  turns  out  that  Dr.  David  has 


vanished.  Randall  has  fallen  in  love  with  Miss 
Lane  and  she  has  invested  her  father's  savings 
in  the  company.  He  staves  off  a  test  of  his 
representations  until,  when  search  for  Dr.  Da- 
vid has  failed  and  all  seems  lost,  the  eccentric 
inventor  returns  in  time  to  substantiate  the 
company  claims  and  bring  about  a  happy  end- 
ing- 

Reviewed  at  the  Palace  theatre,  New  York, 
where  it  shared  the  screen  with  "The  White 
Angel,"  and  where  a  Sunday  afternoon  audi- 
ence evidenced  approval  by  laughing  consistent 
response  in  the  correct  places. 

Weaver,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Warner  Brothers.  Di- 
rected by  William  McGann.  Story  and  screen  play 
by  William  Jacobs.  P.C.A.  certificate  No.  2,195.  Re- 
lease date,  July  18.    Running  time,  68  minutes.  General 

audience  classification. 

CAST 

Chick  Randall   Ross  Alexander 

Grace  Lane   Beverly  Roberts 

Max  Dourfuss   Joseph  Cawthorn 

Dr.  David   Paul  Graetz 

Willie   Andrew  Tombes 

Pasquale  Romenetti   Harry  Burns 

Antonio  Romenetti   Ed  Conrad 

Ruth  McElniney  Anne  Nagel 

Hank  Ford   Frank  Orth 

Joe  Morgan   Cy  Kendall 

Ed  Biddle   Andre  Beranger 

Gus  Vanderbilt   Joe  Cunningham 

Forbes   Addison  Richards 

Ratte   Charley  Foy 

Professor  Kimberly  R.  Emmett  Keane 

Joe  Thomas   Ed  Stanley 

The  Three  Maxims 

(Wilcox-GFD,  London) 
Melodrama 

This  subject  offers  definite  selling  values 
in  a  final  scene  picturing  a  trapeze  act  in  mid- 
air as  the  background  of  a  triangle  drama  in- 
volving the  men  and  girl  of  the  troupe.  Crazed 
with  jealousy,  one  of  the  men  intends  to  let 
his  successful  rival  fall  to  his  death.  Threats 
are  whispered  as  the  performers'  figures  fly 
through  the  air  to  the  applause  of  an  unsus- 
pecting audience;  the  doomed  man  tries  to 
keep  the  girl  up  to  her  act.  In  the  moment  of 
greatest  danger  she  faints  and  the  would-be 
murderer  swings  his  enemy  back  to  the  trapeze 
to  her  rescue. 

This  scene  is  admirably  produced,  directed 
and  acted.  Shots  of  an  actual  trapeze  perform- 
ance are  most  deftly  cut  with  closeups  of  the 
leads,  and  the  episode  is  likely  to  put  over  the 
picture  with  almost  any  audience.  Exploitation 
angles  suggest  themselves  in  connection  with 
this  scene. 

Also  box-office  values  are  the  names  of  Tullio 
Carminati  and  Leslie  Banks.  Anna  Neagle  is 
shapely  and  convincing  as  the  girl  athlete,  and 
acts  with  real  intelligence.  The  backstage 
atmosphere  of  the  whole  production  has  its  own 
appeal. 

The  girl  Pat,  Toni  an  Italian,  and  Mac  a 
Scotsman,  are  "The  Three  Maxims,"  a  high 
trapeze  act  with  a  small  French  circus.  They 
are  seen  and  engaged  by  the  American  man- 
ager of  a  big  theatre  in  Paris.  Mac,  in  love 
with  Pat  but  afraid  to  speak  to  her,  asks 
Toni  to  propose  for  him.  Pat's  response  makes 
it  clear  that  she  thinks  Toni  to  be  speaking 
for  himself  and  that  she  loves  him. 

Mac  believes  he  has  been  double-crossed,  gets 
drunk,  and  stabs  Toni  in  the  arm.  Pat,  in  order 
that  the  show  may  go  on,  pretends  that  she 
loves  Mac  and  promises  tc  marry  him.  He 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


57 


accidentally  learns  the  truth.  While  the  act 
is  in  progress,  without  a  net,  he  whispers 
threats  to  Toni,  while  swinging  in  mid-air,  and 
tries  to  let  him  fall.  The  audience  thinks  the 
near-accident  is  an  exceptionally  clever  piece 
of  work.  Pat  wants  to  end  the  performance, 
but  Toni  compels  her  to  go  on. 

When  the  big  moment  of  the  act  is  reached, 
Pat  senses  that  Mac  is  about  to  let  Toni  crash 
down.  She  faints.  Mac  swings  Toni  back  to 
the  trapeze  on  which  she  is  precariously  rest- 
ing. The  act  finishes  to  uproarious  applause. 
The  conclusion  suggests  that  Mac  has  been 
purged  of  his  jealousy  and  the  "Three  Maxims" 
will  continue. 

Over  and  above  the  realism  and  intense  sus- 
pense value  of  the  big  scene,  the  film  has  that 
attractive  backstage  atmosphere,  some  good 
crowd  scenes  and  very  fair  humorous  relief. 
Its  action  values  make  it  audience  material, 
apart  from  the  special  appeal  of  Tullio  Car- 
minati  to  women  patrons.  He  looks  good  in 
acrobat's  fleshlings  and  the  role  can  be  talked 
about  as  one  very  different  from  those  in  which 
he  previously  has  been  seen. 

Trade-shown,  Piccadilly  Theatre,  at  night. 
Well  received  by  an  invited  audience.  Un- 
doubtedly the  trapeze  act  climax  got  them  all 
and  got  them  good.  The  women  fell  heavily 
for  Tullio. 

Allan,  London. 

Produced   by  Herbert   Wilcox   Production  and  dis- 
tributed  in    the    United   Kingdom   by    General  Film 
Distributors.    Directed  by  Herbert  Wilcox.  Running 
time,  87  minutes.    General  audience  classification. 
CAST 

Pat   Anna  Neagle 

Toni  Tullio  Carminati 

Mac   Leslie  Banks 

Mike   Horace  Hedges 

Hiram  K.  Winston  Arthur  Finn 

Mrs.  Winston   Olive  Blakeney 

Valentine   Miki  Hood 

Val   Anthony  Ireland 

Niki   Nicolas  Koline 

Juggler   Gaston  Palmer 

Infant  Prodigy   Leonard  Smelling 

His  Mother   Winifred  Oughton 

Madame  Thomas   Beatrix  Fielden-Kaye 

Thomas   Lawrence  Hanray 

Doctor   Tarva  Penn.i 

Cafe  Proprietor   Vincent  Holmari 

Stage  Manager   Henry  Caine 

The  Twelve  Hippodrome  Girls. 


Anna 

(  Amkino  ) 
Russian  Drama 

A  topical  Russian  drama  with  the  inevitable 
injection  of  Communism  as  the  predominant 
theme,  this  latest  importation  from  Moscow  is 
by  way  of  being  more  melodrama  than  drama, 
with  the  acting  at  times  effective,  at  other  times 
obvious  and  stilted.  Inadequate  English  titles 
are  superimposed  on  the  film. 

The  story  concerns  the  love  of  Anna,  loyal 
Communist  Party  worker,  for  Pavel,  a  wan- 
derer from  Siberia,  of  whom  little  is  known. 
Yasha,  in  love  with  Anna,  and  like  her  a  party 
worker,  sponsors  Pavel,  obtaining  for  him  a 
position  in  a  machine  shop  and  presenting  him 
as  a  candidate  for  membership  in  the  party. 
Pavel,  in  truth  an  enemy  of  the  party,  resorts 
to  sabotage  when  suspected  by  Anna,  and 
emerges  as  a  hero  in  her  eyes  because  of  his 
trickery. 

Anna  and  Pavel  are  married  and  Yasha, 
heartbroken,  leaves  for  Siberia,  in  the  region 
where  Pavel  was  born.  Pavel  steals  Anna's 
party  card,  and  Anna  is  expelled  from  the  party. 
Yasha  returns  from  Siberia  and  exposes  Pavel 
as  a  traitor.  Pavel  is  led  off  to  whatever  fate  is 
awaiting  him. 

Revieived  at  the  Cameo  Theatre  in  Netv 
York,  the  theatre  specialising  in  Russian  im- 
portations, zvhere  an  afternoon  audience  mildly 
received  the  picture. 

M coney,  New  York. 

Distributed  by  Amkino.  Produced  by  Mosfilm. 
Directed  by  Piriev.  Scenario  by  Vinogradov.  Running 
time,  95  minutes.  Release  date,  July  16,  1936.  Gen- 
eral audience  classification. 

CAST 

Anna    Ada  Voitsik 

Pavel   Abraikosof 

Yasha   Tgor  Maleyef 

Feotlor   Anatol  Goryunof 


Border  Caballero 

(  Puritan  ) 
Western 

A  fast-moving  action  picture,  this  should 
please  the  western  fans.  A  G-Man  angle  gives 
the  picture  an  up  to  date  story  but  all  the 
trappings  of  the  oldtime  cowboy  are  retained. 
Interspersed  are  fighting  and  shooting,  the  de- 
nouement arriving  after  a  pitched  battle  in  the 
streets  of  the  town. 

Tim  McCoy  plays  the  lead  with  assistance 
from  Lois  January,  Ted  Adams,  J.  Frank 
Glendon  and  Ralph  Byrd.  Concentration  on 
combination  of  the  western  locale,  the  star 
and  the  G-Man  story  content  appears  to  be  the 
most  acceptable  selling  method  to  adopt,  with 
a  spotting  on  the  theatre's  action  days. 

McCoy,  a  former  government  man,  while 
roaming  the  range  is  of  assistance  to  a  stranded 
medicine  show.  He  joins  the  show  in  the 
capacity  of  an  expert  pistol  and  rifle  shot.  In 
one  of  the  towns  on  the  route  McCoy  meets  an 
old  G-man  comrade,  still  in  the  service,  who  is 
after  a  bank-robbing  gang. 

The  Federal  man  is  killed  and  McCoy  is 
granted  permission  to  continue  the  chase.  Dis- 
guised as  a  Mexican,  McCoy,  with  the  aid  of 
Lois  January,  sweetheart  of  the  slain  officer, 
learns  of  a  planned  bank  holdup.  The  stage  is 
set  and  when  the  gang  arrives  it  is  met  with 
bullets.  After  some  plain  and  fancy  shooting 
the  robbers  surrender. 

Reviewed  at  the  Arena  Theatre,  New  York. 
Audience  reaction  was  favorable  to  the  picture. 

Mooney,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Puritan.  Producers, 
Sig  Neufeld,  Leslie  Simmonds.  Directed  by  Sam 
Newfield.  Story  by  Norman  S.  Hall.  Screen  play  by 
Joseph  O'Donnell.  Photography  by  Jack  Green - 
haugh.  Editor,  Holbrook  Todd.  P.  A.  Certificate  No. 
2.031.  Running  time,  59  minutes.  Release  date,  March 
1,  1936.    General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Tim   Ross   Tim  McCoy 

Goldie  Ralph   Lois  January 

Tex  Weaver   Ralph  Byrd 

Buff  Brayden   Ted  Adams 

Doc  Shaw   Earl  Hodgins 

Wiley   J.  Frank  Glendon 

Stranger  Than  Fiction,  No.  25 

(Universal) 
Of  Interest 

In  this  the  25th  of  the  series  such  strange 
phenomena  are  recorded  as  a  spring  that  gives 
out  a  constant  supply  of  "chicken"  broth,  so  that 
tourists  with  crackers  and  a  bowl  can  have 
their  soup  direct  from  the  spring ;  a  collection  of 
clocks  worth  $150,000  on  display  at  New  York 
University ;  a  blind  sculptor  who  at  59  still  is 
carving  wood ;  a  meeting  of  the  Ancient  Order 
of  Cavemen;  a  car  bought  15  years  ago  put  in 
a  garage  and  never  used,  a  tree  blocking  the 
door,  and  a  man  who  performs  contortions  with 
his  face.    Running  time,  10  minutes. 

Mister  Smarty 

(  Columbia) 
Funny 

A  comedy  replete  with  funny  situations  and 
with  Andy  Clyde  grunting  and  groaning  in  his 
well  known  style.  This  is  entertaining  fare. 
Clyde  decides  to  do  the  spring  cleaning  in  his 
house  and  sends  his  wife  and  children  away. 
Then  his  troubles  start.  Clyde  orders  a  few 
boards  and  a  truckful  arrives.  Carrying  the 
wood  into  the  house  Clyde  cuts  down  furniture 
right  and  left.  Similar  situations  just  about 
wreck  the  house  when  his  wife  reappears.  Last 
scene  shows  Clyde  on  the  run,  his  wife  with  a 
rifle  in  her  hands.   Running  time,  18  minutes. 

Master  Will  Shakespeare 

(MGM) 

Very  Good 

A  very  interesting  short  subject  on  some  of 
the  highlights  in  the  life  of  William  Shake- 
speare, this  picture  is  the  first  of  a  new  series 
to  be  known  as  "Milestones  of  the  Theatre 
Miniature."    It  is  well  produced  and  d'Vected. 


Anthony  Kemble  Cooper  as  Shakespeare  gives 
a  thoroughly  convincing  performance.  He  is 
shown  on  his  way  to  London  by  foot,  taking 
care  of  horses,  as  a  prompter  in  the  Blackfriars 
Theatre,  amending  others'  plays  and  finally 
watching  scenes  from  his  own.  Romeo  and 
Juliet  as  produced  200  years  ago  and  also  scenes 
from  the  forthcoming  motion  picture  version  are 
a  study  in  contrast.    Running  time,  10  minutes. 


Screen  Snapshots  No.  1 1 

(  Columbia) 
Of  Interest 

This  number  of  the  entertaining  Screen  Snap- 
shots' series  presents  another  parade  of  the  stars 
as  caught  by  the  camera's  lens.  A  cricket  match 
with  C.  Aubrey  Smith,  Frank  Lawton,  H.  B. 
Warner  and  others  of  the  English  colony  as 
players ;  afternoon  tea,  players  at  work  on  the 
various  sets,  and  a  costume  party  in  honor  of 
Jackie  Coogan  with  a  host  of  actors  and 
actresses  making  an  appearance,  are  scenes  of 
interest.  Running  time,  10  minutes. 


Going  Places,  No.  26 

(Universal) 
Interesting 

This  subject  contains  an  interesting  journey 
through  Olvera  Street  in  Los  Angeles,  the 
street  having  been  rebuilt  to  the  quaintness  of 
its  frontier  days ;  a  trip  through  a  golf  ball 
factory,  wherein  is  shown  and  described  each 
step  in  the  making  of  a  golf  ball;  and  a 
sojourn  through  the  waters  of  Canyon  Lake  in 
the  wild  Superstition  Mountains  of  Arizona. 
Running  time,  10  minutes. 


Two  Little  Pups 

(MGM) 
Clever 

This  Harman-Ising  cartoon  in  color  has  to 
do  with  the  efforts  of  two  small  puppies  trying 
to  catch  a  red  hen.  Fortune  smiles  on  the  hen, 
however,  and  with  the  aid  of  a  lawn  mower,  a 
scarecrow  outfit,  a  spouting  fountain  plus  the 
ability  to  fly  in  crucial  moments,  she  has  all  the 
better  of  the  argument,  much  to  the  sorrow  of 
the  disconsolate  pups.  Running  time,  eight 
minutes. 


Untrained  Seal 

(  Columbia  ) 
Amusing 

This  Charles  Mintz  color  rhapsody  concerns 
the  little  seal's  difficulty  in  catching  a  fish,  while 
his  elders  stand  by,  laughing  at  his  predicament. 
The  fish  have  a  lot  of  fun  with  the  clumsy 
little  seal,  but  repent  when  it  appears  the  seal 
will  have  nothing  to  eat  and  it  is  the  fish  who 
help  the  tiny  seal  in  obtaining  his  dinner.  Run- 
ning time,  7  minutes. 


Playing  Politics 

(  Columbia) 
Fair 

This  cartoon  has  Scrappy  campaigning  for 
Oopy  for  President.  In  lieu  of  making  campaign 
speeches,  a  phonograph  is  used.  Complications 
arise,  however,  when  the  Tough  Guy  changes 
the  records  with  the  result  that  Scrappy  rapidly 
reverts  from  a  dance  to  sitting-up-exercises, 
back  to  a  dance  until  he  and  the  audience  be- 
come dizzy.  It  all  ends  up  in  a  free-for-all  with 
Ooopy  retiring  as  a  presidential  candidate.  Run- 
ning time,  seven  minutes. 


Found  Talent  Bureau 

Kertnit  K.  Schafer,  radio  producer,  and 
William  Slater,  exploitation  man,  have 
opened  an  office  at  1270  Seventh  avenue, 
New  York,  to  act  as  personal  representa- 
tives for  radio  and  picture  talent. 


58 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


M  i-  C  JENKINS-HIS  COLYUM  H 


St.  Cloud,  Minn. 

Dear  Herald: 

When  we  left  Bemidji  we  made  a  resolve, 
regardless  that  the  mercury  stood  at  102  and 
there  was  a  hot  south  wind,  to  conduct  our- 
self  like  a  good  boy.  We  stuck  to  this  pretty 
good  until  we  got  to  Cass  Lake  and  stopped 
to  see  Charlie  Perrizo  of  the  Lyric  theatre, 
and  from  then  on  we  won't  have  a  thing  to 
say.  Charlie  wanted  us  to  stay  over  and 
go  fishing  with  him,  but  we  told  him  we 
were  a  working  man  and  couldn't  do  it. 
(Doggone  the  doggone  luck,  anyhow.)  And 
he  said,  "But  you  will  have  to  be  awfully 
careful,"  and  we  asked  why,  so  he  said, 
"Well,  those  fish  are  so  big  that  if  you  don't 
watch  out  they  will  yank  you  right  out  of  the 
boat  into  the  lake.  I  have  been  yanked  out 
several  times  myself.  What  do  you  think  of 
that?"  And  we  replied,  "Well,  far  be  it  from 
us  to  question  anything  you  say  about  those 
fish,  for  we  are  something  of  a  liar  our- 
self."  He  missed  us  with  the  first  chair. 

Well,  anyhow,  when  you  go  through  Cass 
Lake  be  sure  to  stop  and  go  to  the  Lyric 
theatre  and  you  will  be  surprised  to  find  as 
nice  a  theatre  as  the  Lyric  in  so  small  a 
town.  Then  you  should  meet  Charlie,  too, 
but  don't  talk  to  him  about  fishing. 

When  you  get  to  Deer  River  don't  go  and 
eat  where  we  did.  There  was  plenty  of  it, 
such  as  it  was,  and  as  the  little  boy  said,  "It 
was  plenty  good  enough,  what  there  was  of 
it,"  and  they  only  charged  us  75  cents  for  it, 
but  don't  think  the  town  is  too  small  for  a 
theatre,  as  we  did,  but  look  up  the  Lyceum 
theatre — you  can  find  it  there  some  place — 
and  you  will  be  surprised  at  this  one  also. 

We  got  the  manager  on  the  phone  and  he 
came  down  to  the  theatre  to  meet  us  and 
we  had  a  very  lovely  visit  with  him,  and  we 
have  put  Deer  River  on  our  visiting  list  for 
all  future  occasions. 

V 

When  you  drive  50  miles  through  the  heat 
and  jackoak  scrub  brush  to  meet  a  guy  and 
then  find  that  he  is  out  of  town,  be  calm, 
boy,  be  calm,  for  that  is  one  of  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  the  trade  ("vicissitudes"  is  a  good 
word,  in  case  you  don't  know  what  it 
means). 

That  was  the  case  when  we  drove  clear 
down  to  Cloquet  to  meet  Bill  Miller,  who 
operates  the  "Leb"  theatre,  and  found  that 
he  had  gone  to  Rice  Lake,  Wis.,  and  all 
points  east,  and  his  wife  was  uncertain  when 
he  would  be  back  (some  people  never  tell 
their  wives  when  they  will  be  back),  but  we 
had  a  nice  visit  with  Mrs.  Miller  and  her 
lady  friend,  however,  so  we  didn't  miss  Bill 
so  very  much,  for  we  were  out  in  the  open 
air  court  over  the  canopy  of  the  theatre 
and  it  was  the  coolest  place  we  have  found 
in  Minnesota,  and  we  didn't  care  so  very 
much  if  he  never  came  back.  But  that's  just 
the  way  it  is  with  that  bohunk,  if  he  finds 
out  that  we  are  coining  he  strikes  out  for 
parts  unknown. 

V 

Down  at  Milaca  we  met  up  with  another,- 
surprise.  We  called  upon  the  manager  of  the 
Casino  theatre  and  he  didn't  show  us  any 
violence  when  we  called.   We  also  met  his 


son  and  they  were  both  busy  getting  ready 
for  the  coming  show.  Here  is  one  place 
where  we  found  the  theatre  manager  busy. 

The  town  was  named  Milaca,  probably 
because  it  is  quite  close  to  Milaca  Lake, 
and  Milaca  Lake  is  where  they  go  to  catch 
a  lot  of  wall-eyed  pike,  and  other  fish,  but 
they  are  not  as  large  as  those  fish  up  at 
Cass  Lake. 

Then  we  drove  down  to  Foley  and  met 
Mr.  Bettendorf  and  family  who  operate  the 
Opera  House,  and  we  spent  about  two  very 
pleasant  hours  with  them ;  in  fact,  we  stayed 
longer  than  we  should. 

There  were  two  young  ladies  there  and 
they  asked  me  if  we  had  ever  been  in  Holly- 
wood and  we  told  them  we  had.  One  of  them 
said  she  had  always  wanted  to  go  out  to 
Hollywood.  That  wasn't  so  very  strange 
because  about  all  young  ladies  have  a  desire 
to  go  to  Hollywood,  and  that's  probably  be- 
cause of  the  glamor  that  surrounds  the 
screen,  and  the  most  of  which  is  a  lot  of 
horseradish,  but  the  girls  don't  know  it. 

Thousands  of  young  girls  have  gone  out 
there  with  the  hope  of  getting  on  the  screen 
and  thousands  of  Papas  have  had  to  send 
them  money  to  come  back  home  on.  Holly- 
wood is  a  good  place  for  some  to  go  to  and 
it  is  also  a  mighty  good  place  for  a  lot  of 
others  to  stay  away  from.  There  has  been 
many  a  young  girl  gone  to  Hollywood  to  get 
on  the  screen  who  would  have  been  a  whole 
lot  better  off  at  home  with  mother.  Some 
people  out  in  the  studios  are  awfully  nice 
folks.  Well,  we  had  a  lovely  time  visiting 
these  folks  and  they  invited  us  to  come  back 
and  see  them  again  some  time,  which  might 


SHORT  PRODUCT 
PLAYING  BROADWAY 


Week  of  July  25 
CAPITOL 

St.  Helena  and  Its  Man  of 


Destiny  MGM 

At  Sea  Ashore  MGM 

MUSIC  HALL 

Living  Jewels  RKO  Radio 

Mickey's  Moving  Day  United  Artists 

PARAMOUNT 

Pictorial,  No.  13  Paramount 

Musical  Fashions   Paramount 

You're  Not  Built  That  Way.  Paramount 

RIALTO 

Never  Catch  the  Rabbit.  .  .  RKO  Radio 
I  Wanna  Be  a  Lifeguard ...  Paramount 

RIVOLI 

Music  in  the  Morgan  Manner. Paramount 
Mickey's  Moving  Day  United  Artists 

ROXY 

Mickey's  Grand  Opera  United  Artists 

A  Pain  in  the  Pullman  Columbia 

STRAND 

The  Song  of  a  Nation  Vitaphone 

Porkey's  Pet   Vitaphone 

Can  You  Imagine?  Vitaphone 


indicate  that  their  heads  were  not  working 
just  right.  We  hope  we  may  do  it. 

V 

New  Ulm,  Minn. 

When  we  left  St.  Cloud  the  mercury  was 
monkeying  around  the  100  mark.  At  three 
o'clock  it  stood  at  108  in  its  bare  feet  and 
a  hot  wind  was  blowing  that  would  cook  an 
egg.  Doggone  the  doggone  luck,  anyhow. 
Then  we  came  down  to  Litchfield  to  see  C. 
F.  Schnree  of  the  Unique  theatre  and  we 
found  him  in  his  car  just  ready  to  leave 
town,  so  we  had  but  a  short  visit  with  him, 
but  that  short  visit  was  a  very  pleasant  one. 

Then  we  came  down  to  Hutchinson  to  see 
E.  S.  Noreen  of  the  Rex  theatre.  We  are 
mighty  glad  we  did,  for  we  had  one  of  the 
most  pleasant  visits  we  have  had  since  we 
have  been  on  the  road. 

You  know  it  is  a  pleasure  to  meet  such 
people  as  Mr.  Noreen ;  he  makes  you  feel 
right  at  home  and  he  doesn't  try  to  impress 
you  with  the  thought  that  he  is  the  guiding 
brains  of  the  moving  picture  industry.  He 
wants  you  to  believe  that  there  are  others 
who  know  a  whole  lot  more  about  it  than 
he  does.  We  have  met  some  who  didn't  as- 
sume that  attitude,  and  they  are  generally 
those  who  pick  up  the  papers  and  wield  the 
broom  around  the  show  house. 

If  we  should  ever  get  within  driving  dis- 
tance of  Hutchinson  again  we  are  going  to 
drive  over  there  to  see  Mr.  Noreen,  darned 
if  we  don't. 

V 

This  room  is  so  hot  that  we'll  betcha  they 
could  cook  corned  beef  and  cabbage  in  it 
right  now.  Are  you  following  us,  Gertie  ? 
Well,  stick  close  to  us,  for  we  are  going  to 
reveal  something  to  you  that  may  sound 
astounding.  We  are  heading  April  Shower 
for  Neligh,  Neb.,  U.  S.  A.,  and  we  are  go- 
ing to  stay  there  until  this  hot  spell  is 
broken,  if  it  isn't  until  December  25,  1936, 
and  when  we  get  home,  and  if  it  is  still  this 
hot,  we  wouldn't  drive  40  rods  to  see  our 
grandmother  sick  in  bed  with  a  stummick- 
ache.   No,  sir,  by  gosh,  we  wouldn't. 

COLONEL  J.  C.  JENKINS 
The  HERALD's  Vagabond  Colyumnist 

The  HERALD  covers  the  FIELD  like  an  APRIL 
SHOWER. 


Slater  and  Schafer  Combine 

William  Slater,  formerly  connected  with 
major  and  independent  film  companies  as  a 
publicity  and  exploitation  man,  and  Kermit 
K.  Schafer,  identified  with  radio  broadcast- 
ing as  a  producer,  have  opened  an  office  in 
Radio  City,  New  York,  to  represent  talent 
for  radio,  stage  and  screen,  both  as  to  man- 
agement and  directing  publicity. 


Spandau  Succeeds  Patz 

With  the  resignation  of  Louis  Patz,  Uni- 
versal branch  manager  at  Des  Moines,  to 
join  Grand  National  as  exchange  head  in 
the  same  location,  J.  J.  Spandau,  manager 
of  Universal's  office  in  Omaha,  has  been 
appointed  sales  manager  at  Des  Moines. 
LeRoy  Miller,  former  salesman  in  the 
Omaha  office,  will  succeed  Mr.  Spandau. 


FRANCIS  LEDERER'S  BEST  PICTURE  •  ANN  SOTHERN'S  BEST  PICTURE 


than 


UGGLES 


F  RED  GAP 


Here's  what  the 
Trade  Critics  say: 

"Sparkling  fresh  comedy,  this 
picture  stacks  up  as  excep- 
tionally pleasing  all-audi- 
ence entertainment.  A  box 
office  surprise." 

— Motion  Picture  Daily 

"Enjoyable  comedy-drama 
with  Lederer  in  good  role. 
Splendid  cast  and  direction. 
Should  do  nicely  at  the  box 
office."  — Film  Daily 

"To  be  ranked  with  the  best 
of  clever  light  comedies.  Sure 
to  provide  an  hour  of  laugh- 
ter and  honest  entertain- 
ment wherever  shown." 

— Hollywood  Reporter 

"Reflects  production  intelli- 
gence in  every  department 
...should  be  able  to  hold  its 
own,  helped  by  a  cast  of 
recognizable  names,  in  any 
theatre."      — Daily  Variety 

"Earmarked  for  popular  suc- 
cess. A  surprise  feature,  as- 
suring any  kind  of  audience 
plenty  of  laughter." 

—  Motion  Picture  Herald 


ERNEST  COSSART'S  BEST  PICTURE 


GRANT  MITCHELL'S  BEST  PICTJU 


WE'RE  GONNA  WALK 
AWAY  WITH  THE 
AUGUSTS  BUSINESS! 


August    I  ,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


63 


STATE  SALES  TAXES  FOUND  FACTORS 


(Continued  from  t>acie  14) 

has  been  the  condition  for  the  past  few  years. 
Even  though  approximately  $125,000  was  spent 
in  remodeling  the  first-run  Loew's  State  and 
Loew's  Orpheum,  several  thousands  put  out  on 
refinishing  parts  of  the  de  luxe  4,332-seat  Met- 
ropolitan, and  new  sound  and  reseating  jobs 
down  on  the  Keith's  Memorial  and  RKO  Bos- 
ton, these  premier  spots  have  not  jumped  their 
tariffs. 

What  with  the  competition  by  day  of 
horse  racing,  baseball  and  the  battle  by 
night  with  pari-mutuel  dog  races  and  the 
perennial  beano,  theatres  are  thinking 
more  of  turning  to  premiums  of  various 
sorts  than  of  turning  up  the  price  scales. 

Theatre  tickets  are  lower  in  Boston,  if  any- 
thing. The  RKO  Boston,  for  example,  recently 
went  off  vaudeville  with  a  resultant  price  cut. 
The  Orpheum  has  also  been  off  vaudeville  for 
some  months.  Now  word  is  that  the  Metro- 
politan, which  has  produced  its  individual  shows 
for  years,  will  drop  stage  shows,  which  doubt- 
less means  a  coincident  price  drop. 

V 

No  Change  Expected 
In  Charlotte  Prices 

Managers  in  the  Charlotte,  N.  C,  territory 
expect  no  change  in  admission  prices  for  some 
time,  certainly  not  in  an  upward  direction.  The 
last  change  was  made  two  years  ago  and  seems 
to  be  still  working  in  a  manner  satisfactory  to 
both  exhibitors  and  patrons. 

The  average  price  at  the  two  first  run  houses, 
the  Carolina  and  State,  is  30  and  25  cents, 
respectively,  while  the  two  second  run  theatres, 
the  Strand  and  Criterion,  charge  15  cents,  both 
matinee  and  night. 

As  previously  reported  in  the  Herald,  the 
Wilby-Kincey  interests  recently  acquired  the 
Criterion  and  now  operate  four  houses  without 
opposition.  There  is  a  rumor  that  at  least  one 
of  the  two  second-run  houses  may  increase  its 
price  from  15  to  20  cents. 

V 

Cincinnati  Exhibitors 
Want  Higher  Prices 

Admission  prices  in  the  Cincinnati  territory 
have  been  constant  for  the  past  year  or  more, 
and,  according  to  present  indications,  are  likely 
to  remain  so,  despite  a  feeling  on  the  part  of 
many  film  men  that  prices  should  be  raised. 
This  feeling  has  found  articulate  expression 
among  a  limited  group  of  suburban  exhibitors, 
who  have  been  quietly  discussing  among  them- 
selves the  advisability  of  raising  prices  in  the 
fall,  to  be  more  in  line  with  the  advances  ob- 
taining or  about  to  be  inaugurated  in  other 
lines.  Whether  this  discussion  will  be  crystal- 
lized into  action  is,  at  present,  quite  problemat- 
ical. In  fact,  it  might  be  said  that  the  possi- 
bility is  considered  remote  in  view  of  the  exist- 
ing drouth  and  the  ultimate  effect  it  might 
have  on  the  theatre  business  when,  as  and  if 
the  full  extent  of  the  reaction  is  felt  by  the 
public  later  on. 

A  majority  of  the  suburban  and  neighboi  - 
hood  houses,  particularly  those  in  the  outlying 
districts,  operate  only  in  the  evenings.  Matinees, 
except  on  Saturdays,  Sundays  and  holidays, 
have  proved  unprofitable,  due  to  .the  first  runs 
downtown  drawing  heavily  from  the  suburban 
areas,  with  the  bigger  pictures  being  held  over 
for  extended  runs.  This,  of  course,  accordingly 
affects  the  availability  for  the  subsequents  and 


HARRY  BRANDT  URGES 
N.  Y.  ADMISSION  RAISE 

Harry  Brandt,  president  of  the  In- 
dependent Theatre  Owners  Associa- 
tion of  New  York,  Wednesday  urged 
every  New  York  circuit  and  inde- 
pendent theatre  to  increase  admissions 
by  5  cents  as  a  move  to  return  at 
least  partially  to  pre-depression  prices 
from  the  present  average  level  of 
17  cents  per  admission  prevailing  in 
New  York  and  called  the  lowest 
average  price  in  the  country. 


is,  therefore,  a  contributing  factor  in  the  part- 
time  operation. 

The  subsequent  runs,  with  exception  of  a  few 
of  the  very  small  houses,  charge  an  average  of 
25  cents.  The  excepted  houses  mentioned  charge 
10  cents. 

RKO  dominates  the  downtown  first  run 
situation.  The  ace  houses  maintain  a  35- 
and  42-cent  scale,  with  the  1,000-seat 
Family  prices  being  scaled  to  15  and  25 
cents.  Except  for  this  latter  house,  where 
prices  have  not  materially  changed,  the 
present  admissions  compare  with  an  aver- 
age of  40  and  50  cents  charged  about  a 
year  ago  when  the  straight  10  per  cent 
admission  tax  was  in  effect  through  a 
legislative  act,  and  which  the  theatres 
passed  on  to  the  public.  Subsequently, 
when  this  impost  was  suspended,  and 
afterwards  repealed,  in  favor  of  the  three 
per  cent  tax  on  theatre  grosses,  in  keep- 
ing with  the  three  per  cent  retail  sales 
tax,  the  major  scales  were  changed  to  the 
present  rate  of  35  and  42  cents,  which, 
in  effect,  constituted  a  reduction  of  the 
approximate  equivalent  of  the  difference 
in  the  tax  rates. 

In  the  Dayton  sector  prices  are  scaled  at  25 
and  30  cents  for  matinees  and  35  and  40  cents 
evenings,  with  pictures  usually  "played  on  the 
nose"  on  or  very  shortly  after  national  release 
dates.  The  subsequents  charge  on  an  average 
of  25  cents.  There  has  been  no  material  change 
in  prices  during  the  past  year  or  so. 

In  Columbus,  which,  incidentally,  is  badly 
overseated  in  the  downtown  district,  the  first- 
run  prices  are  and  have  been  for  the  past  few 
years,  scaled  at  30  and  40  cents  for  matinees 
and  nights.  Subsequent  charge  from  10  to  25 
cents,  the  majority  of  them  double  featuring  at 
least  part  of  each  week. 

Both  first-run  and  subsequent-run  exhibitors 
say  prices  should  be  higher  but  they  hesitate  to 
make  the  change. 

In  only  a  single  situation,  Hamilton,  have 
prices  been  reduced.  This  is  at  the  Paramount, 
a  Southio  unit,  where  the  evening  scale  dropped 
from  40  to  35  cents,  with  the  likelihood  of  the 
cut  being  restored  in  the  fall.  Matinee  price  of 
25  cents  was  not  changed. 

Few  Reductions 
In  Cleveland  Area 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  houses  located 
in  highly  competitive  situations,  the  admission 
price  range  of  motion  picture  theatres  in  Cleve- 


land is  practically  the  same  this  year  as  it  has 
been  for  the  past  three  or  four  years. 

These  exceptions  cover  fewer  than  a  half- 
dozen  theatres  which  have  reduced  their  prices 
from  25  cents  to  15  cents.  Another  small  group 
of  subsequent  run  houses,  playing  last  run  in 
their  respective  zones,  dropped  from  15  to  10 
cents  when  the  NRA  code  went  out.  The  re- 
ductions in  both  classifications  were  due  more 
to  clearance  and  competition  than  to  business 
conditions. 

First  run  downtown  major  circuit  houses  all 
maintain  a  single  feature  policy  and  are  holding 
to  their  present  admission  scales  of  42  cents  top 
for  straight  pictures  and  60  cents  top  for  a  com- 
bination stage  and  picture  show.  This  price 
includes  the  Ohio  tax  of  three  per  cent  on 
total  sales,  and  the  10  per  cent  federal  tax. 

The  RKO  Palace  is  the  only  Cleveland  house 
with  an  established  combination  policy  and  a 
set  top  price  of  60  cents.  Loew's  State,  regu- 
larly a  straight  picture  house,  with  a  42  cent 
top  price,  boosts  its  top  to  60  cents  whenever  it 
offers  a  stage  show. 

The  only  other  shift  in  downtown  prices 
is  in  the  case  of  a  continuous  run.  When 
a  picture  is  moved  from  Loew's  State  to 
Loew's  Stillman  for  an  extended  engage- 
ment, it  is  shown  at  the  scale  of  the  State 
theatre  and  not  at  the  regular  Stillman 
scale  which  is  35  cents  top  as  against  the 
42  cent  top  at  the  State. 

There  is  no  agitation  in  Cleveland  at  this  time 
for  a  boost  in  first  run  admission  prices.  Sub- 
sequent theatre  owners  claim  there  is  no  talk 
of  higher  prices  in  theatres  of  their  classifica- 
tions until  the  average  box  office  quality  of  pic- 
tures is  improved. 

Both  distributors  and  exhibitors  in  Cleveland 
agree  that  the  present  admission  scales  are  in 
line  with  today's  business  conditions. 

Exhibitors  operating  first  run  subsequent 
houses  feel  there  should  be  a  greater  price  dis- 
crepancy between  their  established  30  cent  top 
and  the  downtown  first  run  top  of  42  cents. 
They  do  not  believe  in  lowering  their  scale  to 
increase  this  discrepancy,  however.  They  would 
rather  see  the  downtown  price  increased. 

V 

No  Change  Is 
Expected  in  Denver 

Admission  prices  in  Denver  range  from  a 
dime  in  grinds  to  50  cents  top  in  one  of  the 
Harry  Huffman  houses,  the  Denver,  first  run. 
Others  of  the  first  runs,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Center,  charge  a  40-cent  top.  Most  of 
the  houses  in  Denver  have  a  lower  rate  for 
the  balcony  at  night  than  for  the  main  floor, 
although  the  Denver  gets  50  cents  for  balcony 
as  well  as  the  main  floor.  Most  of  the  neigh- 
borhoods use  a  25-cent  top,  although  some 
charge  as  low  as  15  cents. 

Exhibitors  in  Denver  think  prices  are  pretty 
much  stabilized  and  predict  little  or  no  change 
in  the  near  future.  The  principal  change  in  the 
past  year  has  been  a  general  lowering  of  top 
prices  in  first-runs  from  50  cents  to  40  cents, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Denver. 

V 

Increased  Admissions 
Help  Iowa  Grosses 

While  there  are  many  individual  houses  which 
have  had  no  change  in  prices  in  the  last  two 
years,  several  large  town  circuits  which  show 
the  same  price  level  since  1929-31  when  admis- 

(Continucd  on  following  t>a(ic) 


64 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


TREND  FOUND  UPWARD  IN  MICHIGAN 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 
sions  took  a  general  drop,  the  survey  of  business 
returns  as  made  by  the  film  companies  and  the 
consensus  of  opinion  of  Iowa  film  men  is  that 
there  is  a  25  per  cent  increase  of  business  partly 
due  to  an  increase  in  admission  prices. 

The  Des  Moines  houses  with  the  Roosevelt 
and  Des  Moines  showing  identical  runs  with  41 
cents  for  the  evening,  36  cents  for  the  afternoon 
and  26  cents  for  the  couple  of  hours  between 
the  opening  of  the  theatre  and  two  o'clock,  and 
the  Paramount  with  36  cents  evening,  26  cents 
balcony  at  night,  26  cents  matinee  until  6 :30,  26 
cents  until  two  in  the  afternoon,  top  the  ad- 
missions in  Iowa  territory. 

There  seems  no  indication  of  increase 
of  admission  price  now.  Occasional  pic- 
tures have  shown  at  advanced  prices. 
Des  Moines  never  paid  the  $5.00  prices 
for  road  shows  that  Eric  Von  Stroheim's 
or  Rudy  Vallee's  were  able  to  take  in 
Omaha. 

Sam  Elman,  owner  and  manager  of  the  Grand 
Theatre,  Des  Moines,  has  operated  the  east  Des 
Moines  house  for  22  years.  Admissions  have 
stayed  about  the  same  for  this  house.  And  Mr. 
Elman  persists  that  business  is  always  bad. 
Maybe  it  is  right  now  with  temperatures  over 
100  degrees. 

M.  A.  Fauver,  owner  of  the  theatre  at  Victor, 
Iowa,  which  seats  200  and  has  been  under  his 
charge  the  past  few  months,  also  owner  of  the 
Brooklyn,  Iowa,  theatre,  seating  400  which  he 
has  had  for  12  years,  gives  the  average  admis- 
sion for  theatres  of  somewhat  different  types, 
but  playing  for  the  same  admission.  Adults  at 
both  houses  pay  26  cents  with  25^  cents  for  the 
theatre  and  one-half  cent  for  state  tax  on  the- 
atre admissions.    The  children  pay  10  cents. 

Iowa  City,  college  town  of  largest  dimen- 
sions in  Iowa,  has  the  highest  admissions  of  a 
city  of  its  size.  It  ranks  with  Cedar  Rapids, 
Waterloo,  Davenport,  Rock  Island,  111.,  with  a 
36  cents  admission. 

A  survey  showing  a  25  per  cent  increase 
of  business  in  the  past  year  and  one-half 
was  attributed  to  be  more  largely  due  to 
increase  of  admission  prices  in  a  slow  up- 
ward trend  than  in  a  decided  increase  of 
theatre  patrons  in  number. 

Theatre  men  seem  to  feel  they  will  meet  op- 
position if  they  speak  of  increase  in  theatre 
admission  prices ;  there  is  some  opposition  to 
double  feature  programs  aside  from  the  feeling 
that  they  may  forerun  an  increase  of  price.  Iowa 
theatres  came  to  the  showing  of  double  features 
much  after  other  locations. 

Almost  every  theatre  has  a  bargain  night  of 
some  kind  one  day  of  the  week.  All  Des 
Moines  houses  contribute  to  one  of  two  lineups 
for  weekly  Bank  Nites  and  theatres  over  the 
state  show  every  variety  of  Family  Night  or 
Bargain  show. 

V 

Trend  Is  Upward 
In  Detroit  Sector 

Returning  prosperity,  improved  business  con- 
ditions, and  better  pictures  are  the  fundamental 
reasons  given  for  the  upward  trend  of  prices 
in  Detroit. 

Although  no  further  changes  are  now  con- 
templated at  the  large  first-run  houses  down- 
town, the  past  seven  months  saw  prices  advance 
at  the  Fox  theatre  from  25c  morning,  35c  after- 
noon, and  55c  evening,  to  30c  morning,  40c 
afternoon  and  65c  evening. 

Detroit's  United  Michigan  and  United  Artists 
theatres  also  raised  admissions,  three  months 


OUTSIDE  COMPETITION 
GREAT  IN  BOSTON  AREA 

Theatre  owners  in  the  Greater 
Boston  area  are  finding  outside  com- 
petition stronger  than  ever  this  sum- 
mer, now  that  horse  racing  has  been 
firmly  established  in  the  state  of  Mas- 
sachusetts by  means  of  pari-mutuel 
betting.  Dog  races  and  the  perennial 
beano  are  still  offering  their  share  of 
competition  and  theatres  are  thinking 
more  than  ever  of  turning  to  premiums 
of  various  sorts  as  a  means  of  main- 
taining or  increasing  patronage. 

The  height  of  the  horse  racing 
season  in  the  Bay  State  is  looming  be- 
fore showmen  and  all  efforts  now  are 
being  turned  toward  meeting  this 
latest  problem. 


ago,  to  35c  and  40c  afternoons  and  55c  and  65c 
evenings.  At  the  leading  second-run  downtown 
houses  (the  Madison,  for  instance)  and  the 
larger  "deluxe"  neighborhood  houses  (like  the 
Fisher  and  Riviera)  prices  remain  at  25c  until 
six  for  all  seats,  and  25c  for  balcony,  35c  for 
main  floor  after  six.  Admissions  at  second-run 
neighborhood  theatres  of  the  better  class,  of 
which  the  Northwest,  Ramona,  Cinderella, 
Hollywood,  Birmingham,  Alger  and  Annex  are 
typical,  range  from  20c  to  35c. 

Allied  Theatres,  of  which  there  are  a 
dozen  in  Detroit  and  four  outstate,  report 
that  except  for  a  few  instances  where 
Saturday  and  Sunday  prices  at  subsequent 
run  houses  were  raised  from  15c  to  20c, 
the  general  scale  remains  the  same  as  a 
year  ago.  Indications  that  the  general 
trend  is  upx  and  that  Allied  anticipates 
price  advances,  are  revealed  by  the  fact 
that  a  questionnaire  was  sent  last  week  to 
all  AHied  theatre  owners  (in  Michigan) 
asking  the  views  of  each  on  the  subject, 

Outstate,  the  trend  likewise  is  up,  according 
to  W.  S.  Butterfield  Theatres  management, 
which  operates  96  theatres  outside  of  Detroit. 
Prices  at  Butterfield  houses  have  been  moved 
upward  on  an  average  of  5c  to  10c,  and  al- 
though nothing  definite  in  the  way  of  further 
advances  is  available  at  this  time,  it  is  expected 
that  Butterfield  prices  will  parallel  the  upward 
trend.  Admissions  at  leading  first-run  nouses 
outstate  average  35c ;  second-run,  25c ;  subse- 
quent-run, 15c  and  20c. 

Occasionally,  as  with  "The  Great  Ziegfeld" 
and  "San  Francisco,"  prices  at  Butterfield's 
first-run  houses  are  advanced  for  big  pictures 
from  35c  to  40c. 

V 

Fair  Profit,  So  Why 
Change?  Says  Houston 

"Why  kill  the  goose  that  lays  the  golden 
egg?"  ask  Houston  exhibitors  when  price  raises 
are  mentioned. 

Prices  have  not  been  changed  in  Houston 
theatres  since  the  stage  show  era  "before  the 
depression,"  or  about  five  years  ago.  At'  that 
time,  in  the  Publix  theatres  where  stage  units 
were  a  weekly  feature,  top  price  was  60  cents. 

Since  that  time,  the  Publix  (now  Interstate 
Theatres,  Inc.),  Metropolitan  and  Majestic  have 


had  a  price  range  of  25  to  50  cents,  Loew's 
State  25  to  40  cents  and  the  Kirby  with  split 
week  programs  25  to  35  cents. 

All  subsequent-run  theatres  in  the  downtown 
and  best  residential  sections  are  15  matinee  and 
25  cents  night  prices,  and  other  small  subse- 
quent runs  in  the  suburbs  charge  5  and  15  cents. 

No  indication  of  price  raises  is  seen  in 
Houston  or  East  Texas,  according  to  Hous- 
ton exhibitors.  All  theatres  are  well  at- 
tended, and  make  a  fair  profit. 

"The  fact  that  'San  Francisco'  played  three 
weeks,  with  a  bigger  third  week  than  a  second, 
grossing  a  total  take  of  $30,000  for  the  three 
weeks,  proves  that  business  is  good  in  Hous- 
ton when  the  pictures  are  good,"  one  exhibitor 
explained.  It  might  be  added  that  the  same 
week  "San  Francisco"  grossed  $14,000  as  com- 
pared with  the  $7,000  normal  take  at  Loew's 
State,  the  Schmeling-Louis  fight  pictures  pulled 
$15,000  at  the  Majestic. 

"We'll  let  well  enough  alone,  as  I  see  it," 
this  exhibitor  continued.  "Prices  are  reasonable 
at  Houston  theatres,  and  we  make  a  fair  profit." 
V 

Slight  Advance  Seen 
For  Indianapolis 

Hints  are  appearing — not  very  big  and  not 
very  bold — that  admission  charges  in  Indian- 
apolis may  advance  a  little  late  this  fall. 

Whether  all  houses  will  join  in  an  advance, 
whether  the  first-runs  alone  will  make  it,  or 
some  of  the  neighborhoods  only,  can't  be  said 
with  certainty.  Apparently  none  of  the  man- 
agers have  come  to  a  decision  yet,  particularly 
because  of  the  widespread  belief  that  Indianapo- 
lis theatregoers  won't  hold  still  for  higher 
prices. 

If  admissions  go  up  they'll  represent  the 
first  change  in  six  years.  In  1930  the  first- 
runs  chopped  admissions  down  to  a  25c- 
40c  level.  The  old  standard,  35c-50c,  had 
been  in  force  many  years  and  was  de- 
parted from  when  the  full  force  of  the 
depression  hit  this  part  of  the  country, 
about  a  year  after  the  Wall  Street  crash. 
Neighborhoods  with  25c  top  and  occa- 
sional forays  into  35c  nights  receded  then 
in  many  instances  to  a  20c  top.  Now  the 
de  luxe  neighborhoods  have  a  quarter  top. 

A  year  ago  or  so,  one  or  two  dime  houses 
were  in  operation  among  the  downtown  grind 
lineup.  Now  the  "grinds"  mostly  have  a  15c 
to  all  basis.  The  neighborhoods,  however,  stick 
pretty  generally  to  a  10c  for  children  charge. 

In  the  first-runs  (Apollo,  Circle,  Indiana, 
Loew's  and  Lyric)  the  tariff  is  25c  to  6  P.  M., 
40c  thereafter,  with  25c  to  2  P.  M.  on  Sun- 
days, 40c  thereafter.  The  Apollo  and  the  Lyric 
charge  30c  for  balcony  seats  in  the  evenings ; 
the  other  houses  make  no  differentiation. 

Because  wages  generally  are  low  in  Indian- 
apolis and  expenses  are  high  in  comparison,  the 
managers  tend  to  look  askance  at  the  possibility 
of  a  rise  in  prices,  although  several  hold  that 
even  a  slight  increase  would  make  them  all 
breathe  more  easily.  It  seems  fairly  well  estab1 
lished  that  thousands  of  Indianapolis  theatre- 
goers never  step  foot  into  a  house  that's  going 
to  extract  more  than  15c  from  their  wallets. 

Somewhat  in  contrast  to  the  Indianapolis 
situation  is  that  of  the  small  cities  through 
central  Indiana,  where  35c  is  the  average  top. 

Economic  conditions  are  better  in  the  small 
cities  than  in  Indianapolis.   They  benefit  more 

(Continued  on  page  66) 


The  stamp  of  exhibitors'  approval 

When  we  inaugurated  the  new  Paramount  Advertising  Material  Rental 
Service  a  few  weeks  ago,  we  thought  we  were  on  the  right  track.  We 
believed  this  was  more  than  an  experiment,  that  it  was  the  one  efficient 
way  to  handle  a  major  service  problem. 

But,  frankly,  we  never  had  any  idea  that  you  were  going  to  eat  it  up  the 
way  you  have.  Naturally,  the  only  way  we  can  tell  you  how  delighted 
we  are  is  by  increasing  the  service,  adding  more  features.  And  that  we 
are  doing  right  now.  So  get  in  touch  with  your  local  exchange  and  make 
certain  you  are  getting  everything  that  goes  with  the  new  Paramount  plan. 

PARAMOUNT  PICTURES  ADVERTISING  MATERIAL  RENTAL  SERVICE 


l 


66 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I  ,  1936 


EXHIBITORS  "LET  WELL  ENOUGH  ALONE 


{Continued  from  page  64) 
directly  from  increasing  farm  prosperity  and 
attract  new  industries  and  industrial  expansion 
more  readily.  Working  folk  have  a  bit  more 
money  to  spend  on  the  picture  show  in  towns 
like  Muncie,  Columbus,  Anderson,  Greencastle, 
Richmond,  Marion,  Noblesville,  Newcastle, 
Connersville,  Shelbyville,  Tipton  and  Kokomo. 

V 

Kansas  City  Prices 
Holding  Their  Own 

Admission  prices  in  this  territory  are  holding 
their  own.  Compared  to  the  similar  season  a 
year  ago,  the  price  level  has  changed  very  lit- 
tle. It  ranges  from  35  cents  top,  in  the  terri- 
tory, to  a  low  of  15  cents.  Children,  as  always, 
are  a  dime. 

Only  in  a  few  spots  have  showmen  cut  the 
admission  prices,  these  being  smaller  situa- 
tions. In  the  city  proper  there  has  been  prac- 
tically no  price  cutting.  In  these  few  instances, 
it  is  pointed  out,  it  is  only  for  the  short  sum- 
mer season. 

Both  circuit  and  independent  exhibitors  are 
not  inclined  to  juggle  their  admission  prices 
at  the  present  time.  Despite  intensely  hot 
weather  and  dry  conditions  throughout  this 
area,  business  has  held  up.  This  is  attributed 
partly  to  air-cooled  houses. 

Immediate  prospect  of  any  raise  or  reduction 
in  prices,  is  slight.  What  will  come  after  the 
new  season's  product  is  released  was  not  made 
known  because  exhibitors  have  not  yet  made 
up  their  minds. 

V 

Milwaukee  Frowns 
On  Moves  Upward 

Several  efforts  to  effect  increases  in  Mil- 
waukee county  have  failed  to  take  and  prices 
remain  about  the  same  as  a  year  or  more  ago. 
The  average  for  downtown  first-run  continues 
at  25  cents  until  6  P.  M.  and  40  cents  there- 
after. Evening  subsequent  houses'  admissions 
average  about  20  cents. 

Effective  Easter  Sunday  of  this  year,  an 
agreement  was  reached  by  the  77  exhibitors 
in  Milwaukee  county  providing  for  the  elimina- 
tion of  early  admissions  on  Sundays  and  holi- 
days, with  the  top  admission  price  to  be  charged 
the  entire  day.  This  resulted  in  an  average 
increase  of  five  cents  in  admission  prices. 

Although  several  hundred  dollars  was 
spent  in  newspaper  advertising  announc- 
ing the  new  admission  policy,  the  agree- 
ment lasted  only  about  six  weeks. 

The  advanced  price  policy  had  resulted  in 
decreasing  business  at  the  box-office.  Various 
exhibitors  stood  ready  to  give  the  new  schedule 
a  fair  trial.  Others  maintained  they  were  un- 
able to  withstand  the  drain  for  any  great  length 
of  time. 

V 

Minneapolis  Theatres 
Hold  to  Old  Rates 

Admission  prices  at  Minneapolis  theatres  have 
remained  about  the  same  throughout  the  year 
with  occasional  changes  when  first-run  houses 
add  stage  shows. 

The  Minnesota,  Publix  house,  went  to  a  65 
cent  top  with  the  Marx  Brothers  stage  show 
here  (July  17th),  otherwise  25  cents  to  1  P.  M., 
40  to  5  P.  M.  and  55  to  closing.  The  change 
there  was  from  40  to  55  top,  recently  inaugu- 
rated. Children's  tickets  are  25  cents  at  all  time. 

The  Orpheum  (Singer  house)  sticks  to  40 
cent  top  except  with  stage  show,  no  change 


COMMODITY  PRICES 
RISE,  NOT  TICKETS 

Although  it  is  generally  conceded 
that  entertainment  prices  in  many 
territories  are  not  as  high  as  they 
should  be  when  compared  with  com- 
modities, theatre  operators  find  their 
hands  tied  as  far  as  raising  them  is 
concerned. 

During  the  depression  the  price  of 
foodstuff  and  clothing,  along  with 
other  commodities,  was  greatly  re- 
duced, and  later  increased  to  normal 
standards  or  even  higher,  in  some 
cases. 

Contributing  factors,  however,  are 
keeping  admissions  lagging  behind  the 
general  upward  trend  of  prices  and 
exhibitors  are  being  forced  to  xvait  in 
several  key  situations. 


from  last  year.  It  will  not  change  this  fall  un- 
less all  houses  agree. 

The  Century  (Publix  house)  has  been  turned 
into  a  second-run  theatre  with  15  until  1  P.M. 
and  25  till  close. 

The  Lyric  (Publix)  sticks  to  20  cents  up  to 
1  P.  M.  and  25  to  the  close,  all  year  'round. 

Pantages  remains  at  15  cents  all  the  time. 

The  Palace  gets  15  at  all  times,  tossing  in  an 
occasional  vaudeville  show  at  the  same  price. 
The  only  change  is  on  Saturday  and  Sunday 
after  5  :30  P.  M.,  when  adults  pay  20  cents. 

Most  neighborhood  houses  stick  to  15  and 
20  with  only  two  (the  Granada  and  Uptown, 
both  Publix)  asking  25  cents  after  5  P.  M. 
V 

New  Orleans  Wants 
To  Keep  Them  Low 

New  Orleans,  it  is  believed,  has  the  lowest 
admission  prices  of  any  city  of  its  size,  in  any 
section  of  the  country. 

For  the  past  three  or  four  years,  or  at  least 
since  the  death  of  vaudeville  in  the  three  major 
houses,  the  Saenger,  State  and  Orpheum  have 
maintained  an  even  admission  tariff,  25  cents 
till  6  P.  M.  and  from  6  till  closing  40  cents 
plus  the  city  welfare  tax  of  one  cent.  The 
Orpheum  collects  the  25  cents  during  the  day- 
light hours,  but  shades  the  night  admission,  after 
6  P.  M.,  to  35  cents  plus,  of  course,  the  one 
cent  welfare  tax. 

As  for  raising  prices,  a  well-known  ex- 
hibitor who  operates  in  the  neighborhood 
section  said  that  in  his  opinion  it  would 
be  an  unwise  procedure,  pointing  to  the 
Saenger,  State  and  Orpheum  which  de- 
liberately turned  down  "The  Great  Zieg- 
feld,"  "A  Midsummer  Night's  Dream"  and 
one  or  two  others,  and  last  but  not  least, 
"Grand  Hotel"  some  years  ago. 

"Grand  Hotel"  was  boomed  to  the  skies  at 
two  dollars  and  a  half,  and  was  shown  at  the 
Strand,  then  went  out  of  circulation  as  far  as 
a  going  house  was  concerned.  Business  was  off 
despite  newspaper  publicity. 

Local  managers  in  the  major  houses  shy  at 
"super"  films  with  their  higher  prices.  Imported 
publicity  men  and  the  local  exchanges  have 
made  a  wonderful  mistake  in  attempting  to  put 
a  hot  one  over  on  the  unsuspecting  exhibitors 
in  other  cities,  by  using  the  local  newspapers 


exclusively.  During  the  run  of  "Grand  Hotel" 
some  years  ago  local  newspapers  were  used, 
some  of  which  had  not  been  admitted  to  second- 
class  matter  privilege  by  the  Government  due  to 
insufficient  circulation.  But  they  were  eagerly 
gathered  up  by  the  publicity  men  and  mailed 
to  exhibitors  in  the  hope  of  unloading. 

Neighborhood  houses  are  enjoying  ex- 
cellent patronage,  for  many  reasons.  Men 
in  shirtsleeves  and  kiddies  are  welcomed; 
the  ladies  can  attend  in  ordinary  house 
dresses  for  21  cents  in  some  instances  in 
the  United  Chain,  and  ten  cents  in  many 
of  the  independent  houses.  In  addition 
they  have  the  privilege  of  anticipating  a 
cash  giveaway  of  three  figures;  and  a  cer- 
tainty of  a  piece  of  chinaware  on  a  speci- 
fied night.  Street  car  fare  also  is  taken 
into  consideration,  seven  cents  each  way, 
and  they  can  see  the  same  production, 
even  if  it  is  a  month  or  so  old. 

Upstate  prices  are  considerably  lower  than 
in  other  states,  and  are  likely  to  remain  so. 

In  New  Orleans  proper,  exhibitors  are  loath 
to  discuss  price  changes.  Most  believe  that  the 
present  prices  are  sufficient  to  make  a  fair  profit 
on  their  investment. 

V 

Withering  Sun  Wilts 
Price  Hopes  at  Omaha 

With  a  withering  sun  gleaming  down  in 
devastating  fashion  on  crops  and  livestock  in 
this  territory,  all  hopes  for  Autumn  price  in- 
creases at  theatre  boxoffices  have  practically 
curdled,  leading  showmen  said. 

When  a  season  was  promising  early  last 
spring,  owing  to  the  big  snows  that  melted  and 
soaked  the  soil,  theatre  men  envisaged  the  op- 
portunity to  up  prices  all  along  the  line. 

In  Nebraska  City,  for  instance,  one  of  the 
brighter  business  cities  in  the  state,  competing 
exhibitors  got  together  and  agreed  to  raise  their 
top  figures  to  30  cents.  The  two  showmen  had 
been  warring  for  several  years,  but  feeling  that 
better  times  would  be  here  by  fall,  agreed  to 
forget  their  differences  in  order  that  both  might 
cash  in  on  the  anticipated  heavy  harvest. 

At  West  Point,  Neb.,  Phil  Lannan,  manager 
of  the  Rivola  and  Nebraskan,  gambled  with 
price  increases  this  spring,  demanding  and  get- 
ting 40  cents  for  certain  special  features  such 
as  "Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  and  "The  Cen- 
tury Doctor."  It  was  his  plan  at  the  time  to 
educate  his  public  to  paving  the  increased  tariff 
on  a  slow  scale  so  that  by  fall  he  could  slip  the 
40-cent  sign  into  a  permanent  slot. 

But  with  crops  being  singed  daily  by 
the  hottest  sun  in  years,  dire  poverty  and 
desperate  need  will  be  the  lot  of  his  cus- 
tomers instead  of  the  bulging  snap-purses 
so  promising  five  months  ago. 

Evert  R.  Cummings,  district  manager  for  A. 
H.  Blank's  Tri-States  Theatres,  with  16  houses, 
managed  out  of  his  Omaha  office,  which  covers 
all  of  Nebraska  and  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  said  his 
company  had  planned  to  experiment  with  price 
increases  this  fall,  but  the  bleak  crop  outlook 
seemed  certain  to  shelve  these  plans  for  another 
season. 

In  Omaha,  where  27  circuit  and  independent 
houses  have  been  peacefully  operating  without 
a  single  fluctuation  in  prices  (except  in  special 
cases  where  stage  shows  are  brought  in),  no 
change  is  contemplated. 

The  Blank  circuit  has  been  getting  40  cents 
at  night  and  25  cents  for  matinees  at  the  Or- 

(Continued  on  pane  71) 


20th  s  SHOWMANSHIP  COURAGE 
OPENS  THE  DOORS  TO 


TO  GET  YOU  THOSE  EXTRA 
PROFITS  THAT  COME  FROM 

BEING  FIRST! 


DRAMA  OF  ECSTATIC  YOUNG  LOVE 


behind  walls  barred  to  men... where  feminine  youth... 


eager  to  live,  yet  half-afraid  . . .  dreams 


ninine  youth...     /  „ 


rules  forbid.  The  story  of  every  young  girl  knowing  the 


freshness... emotional  warmth ...  box-office  enticement! 


AWAKENED  BY  THE  FIRST  KISS 


MARSHALL  •  CHATTERTON 


in 


introducing 

SIMONE  SIMON 

with 

CONSTANCE  COLLIER  •  J.  EDWARD  BROMBERG 
DIXIE  DUNBAR  •  JOHN  QUALEN  •  SHIRLEY  DEANE 

Directed  by  Irving  Cummings 

Associate  Producer  Raymond  Griffith 

Screen  play  by  Gene  Markey.  From  a  play 

by  .Ladislaus  Fodor.  A 


Darryl  F.  Zanuck 
in  Charge  of  Production 


r 

w  entei 


The>v 
entertainment  \ 
sensation  of 
the  new  / 
season  V 


and  GIRLS'  DORMITORY 


Ik 


introduces  to  America 


HE  STAR  DISCOVERY  OF  1936 


{pronounced  See-MOAN'  See-MOAN') 


What  "7th  Heaven"  did  for  Janet  Gaynor  .  .  .  what  "The  Flesh  and 
the  Devil"  did  for  Greta  Garbo  .  .  .  what  "Bill  of  Divorcement"  di 
for  Katharine  Hepburn  .  .  ."GIRLS'  DORMITORY"  WILL  DO  FO 

SIMON E  SIMON  — the  most  exciting  and  distinctive  new  screen 

I  lil 
personality  in  years.  Here  is  the  glorious  answer  to  your  demand 


for  new  names  .  .  .  who  will  take  her  rightful  place  among  your 


1 


op-drawing  stars! 


T 


A 


u  g 


u  s  t  I 


19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


71 


INDEPENDENTS  WARY  OF  CHANCE 


Exhibitors  in  Drought  Area  Start 
Fight  to  Recover  Patronage 

Theatre  men  operating  in  the  western  and  mid-western  states  recently  affected 
by  the  drouth  found  their  business  increasing  at  first  under  the  heat  wave,  but 
the  prolonged  period  of  high  temperature  then  began  to  take  its  toll  at  the 
box  office,  and  showmen  in  the  area  say  it  will  be  some  time  before  business 
returns  to  normal.  Theatres  with  cooling  systems  best  withstood  the  blows  at 
attendance. 

"The  drouth  confronts  us  with  a  mighty  serious  problem,"  said  John  Friedl, 
general  manager  of  Minnesota  Amusement  Company,  operating  76  theatres  in 
Minnesota,  the  Dakotas  and  Wisconsin.  "Crop  conditions  all  through  the  territory 
appear  to  be  as  bad  as  they  were  two  years  ago  and  our  outlook  for  the  fall 
depends  a  great  deal  upon  what  the  Federal  Government  provides  in  the  way 
of  relief  to  distressed  farmers  whose  crops  are  burned  out." 

Reports  received  by  Stanley  P.  Kane,  secretary  of  Allied  Theatre  Owners  of 
the  Northwest,  indicated  severely  depressed  summer  business  as  a  whole  and  a 
dark  outlook  for  the  fall.  "If  we  get  no  crop  in  this  territory — and  that  seems 
almost  a  foregone  conclusion — theatres  will  suffer  great  hardships,  not  only  out 
in  the  country,  but  in  the  larger  towns  as  well." 

In  Indianapolis  temperatures  above  100  degrees  finally  boiled  theatre  business 
down  to  figures  estimated  by  some  as  half  of  normal.  In  western  Montana  and 
western  Wyoming  the  small  town  houses  were  virtually  closed  during  the  heat 
wave.  In  North  Dakota  many  theatres  shut  their  doors,  even  in  the  large  cities. 
In  South  Dakota  it  was  estimated  business  was  reduced  as  much  as  40  per  cent. 


(.Continued  from  page  66) 

pheum  and  Omaha  for  more  than  four  years 
without  variation.  The  Brandeis,  operated  by 
Mort  H.  Singer  circuit,  charges  25  cents  for 
matinees,  35  cents  at  night,  and  40  cents  on 
Sundays  and  holidays — and  these  prices  have 
prevailed  since  the  theatre  opened  three  years 
ago. 

Neighborhoods,  in  the  deluxe  situations,  get 
a  20-cent  top,  while  the  others  take  15  cents. 
One  circuit  of  three  houses  charges  a  dime. 
V 

Philadelphia  Prices 
Low,  But  What  Of  It? 

Although  it  is  generally  conceded  that  the 
admission  prices  for  the  Philadelphia  theatres 
are  far  below  par,  that  patrons  are  getting  their 
pictures  and  entertainment  at  a  too  low  figure, 
distributors  and  exhibitors  indicate  that  an  up- 
ward revision  in  prices  is  not  at  all  likely  for 
the  coming  season.  It  is  evident  that  the  ad- 
mission advances  have  not  kept  pace  with  in- 
creases in  food,  clothing  and  household  com- 
modities. However,  the  contributing  factors 
will  tend  to  maintain  that  lag  for  an  indefinite 
period. 

Distributors  all  agree  that  the  tickets  should 
be  raised.  However,  they  feel  that  the  inde- 
pendent motion  picture  owners  are  not  fully 
organized  to  the  degree  that  an  increase  can 
be  effected  in  an  immediate  period.  For  any 
one  or  a  group  of  independents  to  set  the  pace 
would  be  a  hazardous  move  in  face  of  the  keen 
competition.  Nor  has  the  increase  in  the  num- 
ber of  neighborhood  houses  helped  matters  any. 
The  past  year  has  found  any  number  of  old 
houses  being  remodeled  and  reopened,  most  of 
these  with  a  20-cent  maximum  ticket.  So  great 
is  the  concentration  at  this  figure  that  the  pub- 
lic at  this  time  hardly  can  be  made  to  appreciate 
the  need  for  an  increase.  So  the  20-cent  mark 
approximates  a  general  average  for  admission 
prices  throughout  the  city. 

George  Aarons,  secretary  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners 
Association,  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  in- 
dependents can  hardly  be  the  ones  to  set 
a  price  list.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  all 
the  first-run  houses,  save  one,  are  those 
of  the  Warner  Brothers  circuit,  all  the  in- 
dependents must,  of  necessity,  run  along 
with  the  circuit  houses.  If  the  Warner 
houses  raise  the  prices,  the  independents 
follow  suit,  and  in  like  manner,  any  box- 
office  decrease  is  followed  by  a  subsequent 
lowering  of  admissions. 

The  scale  is  determined  in  the  mid-city  zone 
where  all  the  theatres  except  the  first-run  Fox, 
operated  by  Al  Boyd  and  Frank  Buehler,  and 
Abe  Sablotsky's  Arcadia,  a  second-run,  are 
owned  or  operated  by  Warner  Brothers.  And 
due  to  the  protection  period  on  the  first  runs, 
from  seven  days  to  two  weeks,  the  indepen- 
dents maintain  a  differential  of  five  cents  in 
their  prices  as  compared  with  the  circuit  houses. 
The  scale  for  the  independent  neighborhood 
houses  ranges  from  15  cents  to  40  cents,  with  a 
23-cent  figure  approximating  a  general  average 
for  the  some  115  houses. 

The  circuit  houses  range  from  20  cents 
in  the  neighborhood  regions  to  59  cents 
in  the  downtown  section,  the  additional 
taxes  bringing  the  latter  figure  up  to  68 
cents.  Ted  Schlanger,  general  zone  man- 
ager for  the  Warner  houses,  is  of  the 
opinion  that  although  the  trend  in  admis- 


sions is  definitely  in  an  upward  swing,  the 
changes  have  not  kept  pace  with  the  gen- 
eral increase  in  the  cost  of  living. 

Two  years  ago  a  65-cent  top  was  cut  to  55 
cents,  and  brought  up  again  last  year  to  59 
cents.  Forty-cent  tickets  reduced  to  30  cents 
came  up  a  nickel.  The  general  raise  in  prices 
last  year  did  not  reach  the  original  mark,  the 
general  practice  was  to  bring  them  up  only 
50  per  cent  of  the  amount  originally  cut.  While 
the  circuit  has  found  it  continually  necessary 
to  decrease  the  admissions  in  some  houses,  the 
lowered  prices  solved  the  problem  in  some  in- 
stances, but  in  most  cases  only  meant  a  loss  in 
the  additional  revenue.  Although  Mr.  Schlan- 
ger feels  that  there  is  a  just  need  for  higher 
admissions,  no  general  increase  is  contemplated 

The  most  important  factor  in  the  way  of  any 
move  to  increase  prices,  according  to  Mr.  Schlan- 
ger, is  in  the  widespread  use  of  giveaways  in 
the  neighborhood  houses. 

Other  exhibitors  voice  the  suggestion  that  the 
movie  company  itself  is  in  part  responsible,  in 
its  contractual  dealings,  for  the  low  admission 
price  that  generally  prevails  throughout  the  city. 
While  most  percentage  contracts  stipulate  a 
minimum  admission  for  adults  to  cut  down  the 
chances  of  a  10-cent  ticket,  other  distributors, 
basing  their  percentages  on  a  sliding  scale  ac- 
cording to  gross  receipts  only,  afford  no  check 
on  boxoffice  prices,  and  depending  on  the  pic- 
tures bought,  the  scale  grows  wild. 

The  whole  question  of  amusement  taxes  plays 
an  important  factor  in  determining  admission 
prices.  In  order  to  meet  relief  expenditures,  the 
state  has  affixed  a  tax  on  movie  admissions,  that 
in  addition  to  a  government  tax.  Levying  one 
cent  on  every  25  cents  of  admission  or  fraction 
thereof,  the  neighborhood  manager  hesitates  to 
raise  his  25  cents  ticket  to  30  cents.  While  the 
sum  seems  insignificant  in  a  single  admission, 
it  does  amount  to  an  appreciable  sum  when  the 
movie-goer  brings  his  entire  family  to  the 
theatre  for  an  evening's  entertainment. 


No  Concerted  Move 
For  Rise  in  Richmond 

Although  theatre  business  in  Virginia,  and 
especially  in  Richmond,  is  reported  to  have  im- 
proved within  the  last  12  months,  within  which 
time  salaries  for  many  lines  of  work  have  ad- 
vanced, there  has  been  no  concerted  move  to 
increase  the  prices  of  theatre  tickets. 

Of  course,  when  double  bills,  stage  and  pic- 
ture attractions  figure  in  one  program,  there 
have  been  increased  prices  for  a  show  of  mag- 
nitude. 

Moderate  prices  continue  to  prevail  in  Rich- 
mond houses.  Such  places  as  Loew's,  the  Byrd, 
Capitol  and  National  charge  40  cents  for  night 
shows  and  30  cents  for  matinees.  In  places  in 
which  second-run  films  are  shown  the  prices  are 
10,  15  and  25  cents.  Several  theatres  admit 
children  both  day  and  night  for  10  cents. 

A  few  years  ago,  at  the  peak  of  the  business 
depression,  many  theatres  reduced  admission 
prices.  Such  places  as  Loew's  were  charging 
50  cents  for  night  shows.  Matinee  tickets  were 
40  cents  each. 

Sam  Bendheim,  Jr.,  prominently  identified 
with  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
Virginia,  Inc.,  said  he  knows  of  no  move  to 
change  the  prevailing  prices.  It  is  reported, 
however,  that  efforts  will  be  made  by  execu- 
tives of  certain  leading  houses  to  make  holiday 
prices  40  cents  for  all  day. 

V 

Slight  Rise  But  Still 
Low  at  Salt  Lake  City 

Although  the  general  run  of  admission  prices 
has  improved  slightly  in  the  Salt  Lake  City 
region,  as  a  whole  they  have  not  been  lower 
for  many  a  year. 

Two  of  the  Intermountain  Theatres,  Inc., 
houses  have  had  the  top  price  dropped  from  40c 
to  36c  within  the  past  several  months,  and  at 

{Continued  on  following  fianc) 


72 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


DOUBLE  FEATURES  AFFECT  PRICES 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

one  time  just  before  the  depression  hit  hardest, 
this  top  figure  was  SO  cents,  it  is  reported. 
Then  quite  a  drop  was  noted.  As  not  much  over 
a  year  ago  the  top  of  these  houses  was  40c,  it 
might  be  gleaned  that  the  trend  is  slightly 
downward,  but  a  general  satisfaction  seems  to 
prevail  among  most  exhibitors  contacted  in  this 
regard. 

Andy  Floor,  owner  and  operator  of 
three  Salt  Lake  City  theatres,  said  that 
to  his  mind  a  5  cent  raise  on  both  first  and 
second  run,  and  subsidiary  run  houses 
might  be  worth  considering  at  this  time, 
but  he  thought  the  present  scale  is  far 
from  unsatisfactory. 

Ed  Smith,  operator  of  the  local  Tower  the- 
atre, called  prices  slightly  higher. 

Manager  W.  W.  McKendrick,  of  Salt  Lake 
City  Distinctive  Screen  Attractions,  Inc.,  may 
be  quoted  as  saying  that  only  in  a  few  spots 
have  prices  seemed  to  "go  up"  a  little  through- 
out the  Rocky  Mountain  west,  thus  balancing 
the  score  pretty  well. 

Ralph  McGowan,  in  charge  of  theatre  direc- 
tion at  the  local  Orpheum,  a  Fanchon  and 
Marco  house,  said  prices  are  "just  right."  The 
houses  under  this  regime  through  this  territory 
are  numerous.  The  Salt  Lake  house  prices  now 
are  25c  to  40c,  the  top  price  being  for  loges. 
V 

San  Antonio  Prices  Low 
But  Rise  Is  Opposed 

Prices  in  San  Antonio  have  not  been  mate- 
rially changed  in  a  number  of  years  and  there 
is  little  likelihood  of  any  changes  in  the  near 
future.  All  managers  are  agreed  that  prices  are 
too  low,  but  they  also  agree  that  to  raise  them 
at  this  time  would  be  suicidal. 

Every  San  Antonio  theatre,  including  three 
suburban  houses,  is  operated  by  the  Interstate 
Circuit.  Local  ace  houses  are  the  Majestic  and 
Aztec  with  SO  cents  top.  When  occasionally 
there  is  a  stage  show  with  the  picture  the  Ma- 
jestic raises  its  top  to  65  cents. 

Grade  B  theatres  are  the  Texas  and  Empire 
with  a  40-cent  top.  The  Palace  and  State  the- 
atres, both  downtown,  have  a  25-cent  top,  as 
have  three  community  theatres  in  the  suburbs. 

Roadshows  like  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"  and  "A 
Midsummer  Night's  Dream"  brought  a  $1.10 
top. 

Theatre  managers  agree  that  the  city  is 
overseated.  The  theatregoing  population  is 
pitched  around  75,000.  With  bank  nights, 
Screeno  and  what  not  the  average  attendance 
during  the  summer  months  is  50,000  weekly. 
V 

Prices  Constant 
At  San  Francisco 

Admission  prices  in  the  San  Francisco  metro- 
politan district  remain  practically  the  same  as 
they  were  a  year  ago,  despite  increased  costs 
and  a  general  improvement  in  wage  levels. 
Attendance  has  improved,  but  exhibitors  credit 
considerable  of  this,  especially  in  suburban 
houses,  to  bank  nights,  Screeno  and  giveaways. 

Prices  in  first-run  downtown  houses  in  San 
Francisco  proper  are  quite  uniform,  being  30 
cents  until  one  o'clock,  35  cents  from  one  until 
five,  and  .40  cents  evenings.  This  price  sched- 
ule applies  to  the  Orpheum,  Golden  Gate,  Par- 
amount, Warfield  and  St.  Francis  theatres.  The 
three  last  named  are  operated  by  Fox-West 
Coast.  Prices  to  the  United  Artists  theatre  are 
25  cents  until  one  o'clock  and  40  cents  the  rest 
of  the  day  and  evening.    The  Embassy  has  a 


VETERAN  MANAGER 
PRAISED  BY  CITY 

J.  P.  Masters,  Bowling  Green,  Ky., 
manager  for  the  Crescent  Amusement 
Company,  is  celebrating  his  25th  year 
in  that  city  and  has  been  praised  in 
an  editorial  in  the  Park  City  Daily 
News  as  an  outstanding  example  of 
the  stature  to  which  an  exhibitor  can 
attain  in  his  community.  The  editorial 
says  in  part: 

"It  is  seldom  that  a  stranger  be- 
comes as  firmly  fixed  in  the  life  of  his 
adopted  community  as  quickly  as  did 
Mr.  Masters,  and  it  is  only  just  to 
attribute  much  of  the  success  of  his 
business  during  the  past  quarter  cen- 
tury to  his  energetic  and  unselfish  co- 
operation with  worthwhile  civic  pro- 
grams." Mr.  Masters  has  been  with 
the  Crescent  Company  under  Tony 
Sudekum,  president,  since  1909  and 
has  been  manager  in  Bowling  Green 
since  1911.  The  company  controls 
125  theatres. 


scale  of  25  cents  and  35  cents,  while  that  of  the 
California  is  20  and  25  cents. 

The  President,  recently  reopened  with  a 
double  bill  policy,  get  15  cents,  as  do  the 
Davies,  Powell,  Strand,  Egyptian  and  Circle. 
Admission  to  the  Fox,  the  largest  and  most 
elaborately  furnished  of  all,  is  25  cents. 

Practically  the  only  change  in  the  situ- 
ation during  the  past  year  has  been  in  the 
increased  number  of  downtown  houses 
operating  on  a  1 5  cents  admission  basis. 

"Almost  everyone  in  the  business  would  like 
to  see  theatre  admission  prices  increased,"  said 
Aaron  Goldberg,  who  conducts  five  small  down- 
town houses.  "If  the  owners  of  the  larger 
houses  were  to  make  such  a  step,  others  would 
fall  right  into  line.  But  prospects  are  not  bright 
for  any  immediate  increase,  as  no  one  seems  to 
want  to  get  their  prices  up  to  where  an  ad- 
mission tax  would  be  necessary." 

Robert  A.  McNeil,  of  the  Golden  State  The- 
atre Circuit,  operating  several  suburban  houses 
here  and  theatres  throughout  northern  and  cen- 
tral California,  held  similar  views.  "We  real- 
ize," he  said,  "that  theatre  admission  prices  are 
too  low,  considering  film  rentals  and  operating 
costs,  and  will  be  glad  to  readjust  our  sched- 
ules if  the  first-run  houses  will  do  likewise." 

V 

St.  Louis  Price  Change 
Upward  If  At  All 

First-run,  second-run,  subsequent-run,  neigh- 
borhood and  suburban  theatre  prices  in  the  St. 
Louis  metropolitan  area  seem  to  be  frozen  at 
the  existing  rates,  but  if  there  is  any  change 
in  the  immediate  future  the  revision  should  be 
slightly  upward. 

With  the  Fanchon  &  Marco  interests  now 
controlling  all  but  one  of  the  local  first-run 
theatres,  it  is  certain  there  will  be  no  price 
war  hereabouts  for  some  time  at  least  in  St. 
Louis  with  the  Ambassador,  Fox,  Missouri, 
Guild  Cinema   (formerly  the  Grand  Central), 


Orpheum  and  St.  Louis  theatres  under  Fan- 
chon &  Marco  banner  as  their  first-run  houses, 
and  Loew's  the  only  other  first-run  house.  It  is 
very  probable  that  the  first-run  price  rate  will 
continue  25,  35  and  55  cents.  Perhaps  if  the 
St.  Louis  or  the  Fox  adds  stage  shows  it  may 
raise  the  price  scale  to  65  cents  top  or  maybe 
75  cents. 

The  second-run  prices  will  not  be  adversely 
affected  by  the  fact  that  Fanchon  &  Marco  will 
have  the  Hi-Point  and  Shubert-Rialto  as  its 
second-run  houses.  The  Fanchon  &  Marco  in- 
terests are  considering  seven  additional  second- 
run  houses  for  the  Greater  St.  Louis  sector. 
Two  of  these  will  be  built  directly  by  the  F.  & 
M.  organization  while  the  other  five  are  to  be 
leased  from  various  real  estate  interests.  It  is 
very  probable  they  will  observe  the  existing 
second-run  price  scales  that  prevail  in  such 
houses  as  the  Hi-Pointe,  Empress,  Ritz.  Ava- 
ion  and  Granada. 

While  the  prevailing  admission  prices  in 
the  St.  Louis  area  will  probably  not  be  dis- 
turbed, it  is  certain  that  an  effort  will  be 
made  by  the  Fanchon  &  Marco  interests 
to  eliminate  double  feature  bills,  and 
there  may  be  a  decided  movement 
toward  obliteration  of  "bargain  hours," 
premium  giveaways  and  other  price-cut- 
ting methods  that  have  prevailed  here- 
abouts. Harry  C.  Arthur,  Jr.,  vice-presi- 
dent and  general  manager  of  Fanchon  & 
Marco,  is  said  to  be  favorable  to  the  elim- 
ination of  double-features  and  "cut  rates." 
And  he  should  have  the  cooperation  of 
the  majority  of  independent  theatre  own- 
ers. Fred  Wehrenberg,  president  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of  St. 
Louis,  Eastern  Missouri  and  Southern  Illi- 
nois, repeatedly  has  expressed  himself  as 
opposed  to  cut-rates. 

Elsewhere  in  southern  Illinois  and  eastern 
Missouri  exhibitors  feel  that  the  existing  ad- 
mission rates  should  not  be  disturbed. 

Most  of  the  neighborhood  theatres  in  St. 
Louis  charge  20  and  25  cents  for  adults  and  10 
cents  for  children.  The  second  runs  have  a 
rate  of  25  and  35  cents  for  adults  and  10  cents 
for  children.  Some  of  the  smaller  neighbor- 
hood and  suburban  houses  charge  10  and  20 
cents.  In  the  small  towns  20  and  25  cents  are 
the  prevailing  prices. 

There  has  not  been  much  change  in  admis- 
sion prices  the  last  year. 

The  present  prices  are  about  20  per  cent  to 
25  per  cent  below  the  admission  scales  that 
prevailed  in  the  peak  prosperity  dates.  For 
instance,  when  times  were  good  the  St.  Louis 
first-runs  charged  65  cents  for  their  night 
shows. 

Independent  exchanges  would  be  adversely 
affected  by  the  elimination  of  double  feature 
bills, -and  for  that  reason  they  are  opposed  to 
any  movement  to  eliminate  this  policy  that  now 
universally  prevails  hereabouts. 

V 

Conservative  Seattle 
Prices  Will  Remain 

Admissions  in  the  Seattle  sector,  now  very 
conservative,  are  destined  to  remain  at  present 
levels  for  the  coming  season.  With  very  few 
exceptions,  there  has  been  no  change  for  the  last 
year. 

In  the  downtown  field.  Hamrick-Evergreen 
and  Jensen-YonHerberg  control  the  first-run 

(Continued  on  pane  74) 


GENTLEMEN  IT'S  HERE!  THE  THRILL 
PACKED  EXPLOITATION  NATURAL! 


GO  TO  TOWN"  WITH  THE 
GREATEST  BUSINESS  STIMU 
LATOR  EVER  INVENTED... 
A  GREAT  STUNT  PICTURE! 

BOX  OFFICE  DYNAMITE! 


74 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I  ,  1936 


PRICE  LEVELS  STEADY 


(.Continued  from  page  72) 

situation,  and  have  established  an  average  ad- 
mission of  25  cents  for  matinees  and  40  cents 
at  night.  The  state  admission  tax  of  2  cents 
is  added  by  law,  and  cannot  be  absorbed  by  the 
theatres. 

Hamrick-Evergreen's  Paramount,  a  dual- 
feature  first-run,  operates  as  a  family  theatre 
at  30  cents  top,  and  John  Danz's  Palomar, 
vaudeville-film  house,  has  the  same  rate,  but 
the  Liberty,  Orpheum,  Fifth  Avenue,  Music 
Box  and  Blue  Mouse  have  established  the  40- 
cent  price  for  evenings. 

In  the  neighborhood  and  suburban  field,  Jen- 
sen-VonHerberg's  Bagdad,  Venetian  and  Roxy 
have  a  25-cent  top.  The  same  applies  to  Ever- 
green's Neptune  and  Egyptian,  and  a  few  other 
independent  de  luxe  neighborhood  theatres. 
More  of  the  smaller  theatres,  however,  have 
established  a  15-cent  or  20-cent  rate,  and  nearly 
all  of  these  houses  offer  dual  features. 

Downtown,  the  second-run  situation  is  con- 
trolled primarily  by  John  Danz,  with  an  aver- 
age admission  of  25  cents  top  for  his  Roose- 
velt, Capitol,  Winter  Garden,  Colonial  and 
State  theatres.  Matinee  rates  are  15  cents  top. 
All  houses  have  double  bills.  Hamrick-Ever- 
green's second-run  Coliseum  also  maintains  the 
same  price  scale. 

Leading  exhibitors,  when  interviewed, 
were  unanimous  in  expressing  the  opinion 
that  the  current  rates  probably  would  re- 
main in  force  throughout  the  coming 
season. 

Leroy  V.  Johnson,  general  manager  of  the 
Jensen-VonHerberg  circuit,  said  present  ad- 
missions reflect  the  approximate  level  of  cur- 
rent economic  conditions  in  this  territory,  and 
could  not  be  advanced  sufficiently  to  offset  the 
loss  of  patronage  that  would  follow  a  raise. 

The  federal  admission  tax  on  all  tickets  over 
40  cents  is  another  factor  mentioned  by  ex- 
hibitors as  tending  to  keep  prices  at  their  pres- 
ent levels.  With  a  state  admission  tax  already 
in  effect,  a  raise  over  40  cents  that  would  bring 
a  federal  tax  into  the  transaction  also  would 
mean  too  much  cost  for  patrons,  it  was  de- 
clared. 

With  few  exceptions,  such  as  big  stage  shows, 
the  Seattle  trend  will  be  toward  steady  price 
levels  for  fall,  and  local  circuits  even  are  pass- 
ing up  the  opportunity  to  book  large  stage 
attractions,  rather  than  advance  their  prices  to 
offset  the  expense. 

Distributors,  somewhat  loath  to  comment,  gen- 
erally expressed  the  opinion  that  they  are  prin- 
cipally interested  in  admission  rates  being  main- 
tained at  the  point  where  patronage  will  be 
the  greatest,  regardless  of  whether  their  product 
plays  on  percentage  or  straight  rental  deals. 

V 

Tampa  Admissions 
Not  Likely  to  Change 

Tampa  seems  to  be  satisfied  with  present 
prices.  At  least  the  theatre  managers  are  satis- 
fied with  the  present  scale,  and  the  fellow  who 
pays  the  freight,  old  John  Q.  Public  continues 
to  step  up  to  the  box  office. 

When  Uncle  Sam  set  the  tax  on  tickets  in 
excess  of  40  cents  the  two  de  luxe  houses 
here  dropped  to  that  price.  Prior  to  this  their 
top  scale  had  been  50c,  but  the  lower  price  did 
not  hurt  them  any  and  they  are  well  satisfied 
with  the  lower  scale.  The  40c  price  is  in  effect 
only  after  6  P.  M.   Matinees  go  for  35c. 

The  socalled  "second  run"  houses  in  the 
downtown  district  scale  from  25c  low  to  35c 
high.  The  children  pay  10  cents  in  all  houses. 

Out  in  the  neighborhood  houses  the  prices, 
up  to  two  years  ago,  ran  from  20c  to  25c.  Now 
one  of  the  houses  that  had  been  charging  20c 


dropped  to  15c,  and  20c  is  the  top  price  in 
neighborhoods.  From  what  managers  say,  there 
is  no  likelihood  of  any  change,  either  up  or 
down. 

Over  in  Ybor  City,  the  Latin  section  of 
Tampa,  the  Broadway  has  the  lowest  scale  in 
town.  Four  days  each  week  grownups  get  in 
for  a  dime.  The  other  three  it  costs  them  an 
extra  nickel,  but  the  children  are  admitted  at 
a  nickel  at  all  times. 

By  adding  the  adult  scale  of  all  houses,  from 
the  de  luxers'  40c  to  the  Broadway's  dime,  it 
figures  out  that  Tampans  are  paying  an  average 
of  25c  for  their  entertainment. 

V 

Admissions  Steady 
At  National  Capital 

Washington  admissions  are  remaining  steady, 
in  many  instances  at  pre-depression  levels,  with 
little  likelihood  of  any  change  in  the  near  fu- 
ture. This  is  due  primarily  to  the  fact  that, 
unlike  any  other  city  in  the  country,  Washing- 
ton has  been  affected  but  little  by  the  depres- 
sion. 

Washington  is  always  the  last  city  in  the 
United  States  to  feel  the  effect  of  adverse  eco- 
nomic conditions  and  among  the  first  to  reflect 
improvement. 

As  indications  of  the  manner  in  which 
Washington  has  escaped  the  worst  of  the 
depression,  advertising  lineage  in  the 
local  newspapers,  population  and  automo- 
bile registrations  all  have  shown  steady 
increases  over  the  past  few  years. 

On  the  whole,  the  total  volume  of  money  in 
Washington  decreased  but  little  in  the  early 
days  of  the  depression  and  then  began  to  in- 
crease as  the  Government  expanded  its  activi- 
ties. As  a  result,  amusement  enterprises  suf- 
fered but  little  and  never  found  it  necessary 
to  cut  admissions  to  depression  levels. 

In  this  they  were  aided  by  the  fact  that  the 
decrease  in  living  costs  during  the  depression 
period  was  probably  as  great  as  the  salary 
reductions  which  most  of  the  population  suf- 
fered. At  the  present  time,  living  costs  in  the 
Capital  are  increasing  rapidly  and,  because  of 
the  fact  that  Government  salaries  remain  at 
their  fixed  level,  the  general  view  is  that  ad- 
mission price  increases  might  be  unwise. 

V 

No  Change  Expected 
In  Delaware 

Few  theatre  admission  changes  have  been 
made  in  the  last  10  years,  even  during  the 
height  of  the  depression,  and  none  is  contem- 
plated for  some  time  for  theatres  in  Delaware 
and  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland  of  which 
Wilmington  is  the  metropolis,  theatremen  in 
this  section  indicated. 

Wilmington,  one  of  the  last  hit  by  depres- 
sion, has  seen  few  changes  in  theatre  prices. 
With  the  exception  of  Wilmington,  practically 
all  the  theatres  in  the  state  and  Eastern  Shore 
of  Maryland  are  in  towns  of  less  than  5,000 
population  and  they  operate  evenings  only,  ex- 
cept Saturdays. 

Nowhere  in  the  entire  area  are  prices 
above  the  40-cent  top.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  two  first-run  circuit  houses  in  Wil- 
mington all  others  keep  under  the  35-cent 
evening  limit,  including  theatres  in  lower 
Delaware  and  on  the  Eastern  Shore  of 
Maryland. 

Ten  Wilmington  theatres  have  an  evening 
price  average  of  28.5  cents  for  adults  and  12.5 


cents  for  children.  The  matinee  average  for 
adults  in  Wilmington  theatres  (not  including 
three  neighborhood  independents  open  Satur- 
day matinee  only)  is  26  cents  and  the  matinee 
average  for  children  11.9  cents.  The  matinee 
average  for  all  Wilmington  theatres  is  25  cents 
and  for  children  11.5  cents. 

Prices  in  down  state  theatres  and  houses  on 
the  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland  are  practically 
the  same  as  Wilmington,  with  the  exception  that 
tops  are  35  cents  with  an  average  of  about  27 
cents.  The  average  admission  for  children  is 
a  little  better  than  11  cents. 

A  number  of  years  ago,  prior  to  the  federal 
tax  on  all  admissions  50  cents  and  above,  several 
theatres  carried  50-cent  tops,  but  they  were 
abandoned  for  the  more  popular  admissions 
shortly  after.  Several  of  the  houses  absorbed 
the  taxes  themselves. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  admissions  in  Dela- 
ware and  on  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland 
were  not  cut  to  any  great  extent  during  the 
depression  years  and  whatever  small  cuts  were 
made  have  been  restored  since,  exhibitors  are 
of  the  opinion  that  admission  prices  will  remain 
at  their  present  figures. 

V 

Reduction  If  Anything 
In  Pittsburgh  Area 

Admission  prices  throughout  the  western 
Pennsylvania  and  West  Virginia  territory  are 
remaining  practically  the  same. 

With  more  theatres  now  operating  than  at 
any  time  during  the  past  10  years,  with  a  new 
building  boom  in  progress,  and  with  both  af- 
filiated and  independent  circuits  expanding,  the 
predictions  are  that  if  a  general  change  in  ad- 
mission prices  is  made,  the  trend  will  be  to- 
wards a  reduction. 

Officers  and  directors  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Theatre  Owners  of  Western  Pennsylvania,  Inc., 
an  Allied  organization,  say  that  they  contem- 
plate no  changes  in  present  admission  prices. 

Two  well  established  Pittsburgh  neighbor- 
hood theatres,  the  Melrose,  independently  oper- 
ated house,  and  the  Family,  a  Harris  Amuse- 
ment circuit  theatre,  announced  a  reduction  in 
admissions  the  week  of  July  12th.  ' 

City  exhibitors  say  that  these  two  admission 
price  reductions  are  due  to  local  neighborhood 
conditions  and  do  not  necessarily  indicate  that 
there  will  be  price  cutting  or  general  reduc- 
tions. 

V 

General  Advance 
At  Portland,  Ore. 

For  the  last  six  months  the  theatre  admis- 
sion prices  in  Portland,  Ore.,  following  a  gen- 
eral advance  of  5  cents  throughout  the  city, 
have  made  no  appreciable  decline  in  attendance 
figures. 

The  downtown  first-run  houses  with  a 
straight  picture  fare,  both  single  and  double, 
have  universally  maintained  25c-35c-40c  sched- 
ule, with  only  a  few  of  the  larger  attractions 
bringing  the  price  up  to  55c  on  loge  seats. 

According  to  J.  J.  Parker,  operating  the 
Broadway  and  United  Artists  theatres  in  Port- 
land, and  with  the  supervising  interest  in  the 
Mayfair  theatre,  this  is  the  best  price  scale 
obtained  in  the  last  five  years.  He  is  of  the 
opinion  that  prices  again  will  be  advanced,  prob- 
ably before  the  end  of  the  year. 

Albert  J.  Finkelstein,  head  of  the  Multnomah 
circuit  in  Portland — auxiliary  of  the  Evergreen 
theatres — with  the  Paramount  ace  house,  Or- 
pheum, in  the  first-run  column,  and  the  Music 
Box,  Blue  Mouse,  Oriental  and  Liberty  in  the 
subsequent-run  division,  h  well  satisfied  with 
the  same  price  scale  of  25c-35c-40c  on  the  ace 
houses  and  20c-25c  on  the  subsequent-run,  and 
has  noted  that  with  the  high  type  of  product 
now  being  run,  not  only  has  business  held  up 
well  but  holdover  pictures  have  been  the  rule 
this  year  rather  than  the  exception. 

Leading  managers  of  the.  distributors  are 
agreed  that  the  price  situation  is  much  improved 
over  a  year  ago,  but  they  also  believe  that  it 
is  possible  to  step  up  prices  at  least  another 
5c  on  first-runs,  and  predict,  too,  that  this  will 
happen  before  the  end  of  1936. 


MAINSTAY 


AS  THE  motion  picture  industry  grows,  so 
grows  the  importance  of  Eastman  Super  X 
Panchromatic  Negative.  This  world-fa- 
mous Eastman  film  guards  the  high  photo- 
graphic quality  of  the  hulk  of  today's 
feature  productions.  It  is  truly  a  mainstay 
of  one  of  the  country's  greatest  industries. 
Eastman  Kodak  Company,  Rochester, 
N.  Y.  (J.  E.  Brulatour,  Inc.,  Distributors, 
Fort  Lee,  New  York,  Chicago,  Hollywood.) 


EASTMAN  SUPER  A 

PANCHROMATIC  NEGATIVE 


76 

IVithdrawal  by 
ASCAP  Affects 
Canada  Films 

The  Canadian  marketing  of  all  pictures 
using  music  copyrighted  by  the  American 
Society  of  Authors,  Composers  and  Pub- 
lishers is  affected  by  the  impending  with- 
drawal of  the  music  licensing  organization 
from  the  Canadian  Performing  Rights  So- 
ciety and  efforts  are  now  being  made  to 
work  out  an  agreement  with  the  society 
which  would  permit  the  continued  exhibition 
of  such  pictures  in  Canada  even  though  the 
theatres  in  which  they  are  played  pay  no 
music  tax  to  A.S.C.A.P. 

Counsel  for  all  the  major  distribution  com- 
panies met  this  week  with  E.  C.  Mills,  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  society,  to  discuss  the 
situation  which  will  be  created  by  the  music 
organization's  withdrawal  from  Canadian  li- 
censing and  to  attempt  to  work  out  an  ar- 
rangement which  would  avoid  litigation  over 
copyright  infringement  against  Canadian 
theatres  which  bought  and  played  pictures  in 
which  society-controlled  music  is  used. 

Indications  are  that  the  society  will  not 
adopt  any  extreme  policy  insofar  as  Cana- 
dian theatres  are  concerned  while  the  at- 
tempts to  work  out  an  agreement  with  the 
distributors  in  New  York  are  underway.  It 
is  expected  that  no  final  understanding  with 
A.S.C.A.P.  can  be  reached  for  30  to  60  days, 
due  to  the  fact  that  many  distribution  offi- 
cials are  or  will  be  out  of  town  during  the 
next  few  weeks. 

In  addition  to  the  concern  of  all  major 
distributors  in  the  Canadian  situation,  com- 
panies such  as  Paramount  and  Loew's,  which 
have  important  theatre  interests  in  Canada, 
are  also  concerned  from  the  standpoint  of 
exhibition. 

A.S.C.A.P.  intends  to  withdraw  from  the 
Canadian  society  when  its  current  contract 
expires  within  a  few  weeks  because  of  the 
new  rate  restrictions  on  music  licensing 
which  are  being  imposed  by  the  Canadian 
government.  Mr.  Mills  stated  recently  that 
the  new  level  of  authorized  rates  no  longer 
makes  it  worthwhile  for  the  society  to  con- 
tinue doing  business  in  the  Dominion.  He 
said  that  in  the  future  Canadian  users  of 
copyrighted  music  would  have  to  make  their 
own  performing  arrangements  with  indi- 
vidual publishers  and  that  his  organization 
would  serve  only  as  a  "policing"  agency  in 
Canada  for  its  members.  Evidence  of  un- 
authorized performances  of  copyrighted 
music  would  be  gathered  by  agents  and 
turned  over  to  owners  of  the  copyrights  for 
action,  it  was  said. 

A  procedure  which  might  possibly  be 
adopted  by  American  distributors  to  solve 
their  problem  might  be  to  pav  A.S.C.A.P. 
the  music  tax  on  their  Canadian  sales  and 
recoup  it  through  equal  advances  in  film 
rentals  derived  from  the  Dominion. 

Minneapolis  Allied 
Fights  Preferred  Time 

Northwest  Allied  Theatres  will  wage  a 
strong  campaign  against  film  contracts  call- 
ing for  percentage  on  week-end  playing  time 
bookings  it  was  resolved  at  a  meeting  of  the 
board  of  governors  in  Minneapolis. 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


PASTOR  AND  TEACHER 
ARGUE  SUNDAY  LAWS 

Sunday  motion  pictures  has  become 
a  live  question  with  the  city  commis- 
sion at  Bristol,  Tenn.,  and  the  com- 
mision  has  taken  under  consideration 
a  request  from  Rollin  K.  Stonebrook 
of  the  Paramount  theatre  that  his 
house  be  allowed  to  operate  Sundays 
ivhen  churches  are  not  in  session. 

Mr.  Stonebrook  is  a  Sunday  School 
teacher  at  the  State  Street  Methodist 
church,  the  pastor  of  which  was  pres- 
ent to  oppose  Sunday  pictures. 

Sunday  motion  pictures  are  shown 
on  the  Virginia  side  of  the  town, 
however. 

Spitz  Completes 
RKO  Circuit  Shifts 

Realignment  of  the  RKO  circuit  under  the 
new  regime  of  Leo  Spitz  has  been  completed 
with  the  dropping  of  several  units  and  the 
conclusion  of  pooling  arrangements  in  Des 
Moines,  St.  Paul  and  Kansas  City. 

Houses  dropped  from  the  Loop  were  the 
Downtown,  Detroit ;  Victory,  Providence ;' 
Regent,  Kearney,  N.  J.,  and  Strand,  Ruther- 
ford, N.  J.  About  $50,000  is  being  spent  by 
RKO  on  alterations  for  the  Orpheum,  Des 
Moines,  which  is  a  part  of  the  Paramount 
pool.  Almost  $75,000  will  be  spent  for  the 
renovation  of  Keith's,  Boston.  The  Kansas 
City  pool,  which  includes  Fox  Midwest 
houses,  became  effective  on  July  31st.  On 
September  1st  RKO  will  take  over  the 
Rialto,  West  New  York,  N.  J. 

A. P.  GianniniGets 
Bank  Chairmanship 

A.  P.  Giannini,  Pacific  Coast  banker,  has 
been  elected  executive  board  chairman  of 
the  Bank  of  America  to  succeed  his  brother, 
A.  H.  Giannini,  who  recently  was  named 
head  of  United  Artists. 

The  new  president  and  chairman  of  United 
Artists  will  leave  the  Coast  for  New  York 
in  the  next  two  weeks  and  company  execu- 
tives are  planning  a  gathering  to  which  lead- 
ers of  the  industry  will  be  invited.  He  will 
continue  to  make  his  headquarters  in  Holly- 
wood but  will  make  periodic  trips  to  New 
York. 

TOCC-ITOA  Merger 
Plans  Are  Continued 

Committees  representing  the  Theatre 
Owners  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  New 
York  and  the  Independent  Theatre  Owners' 
Association  met  last  Tuesday  at  the  Hotel 
Astor  to  discuss  and  formulate  plans  for  the 
merging  of  the  two  exhibitor  groups.  An 
open  meeting  of  the  ITOA  was  scheduled 
for  Wednesday  at  which  the  plans  were  to 
be  outlined.  It  is  expected  that  negotiations 
will  continue  through  August. 


'August     I,  1936 

Fox  Creditors 
Gain  Point  in 
Solvency  Suit 

As  recently  as  1935,  the  year  All-Conti- 
nent Corporation  "sold  out,"  William  box 
collateral  for  defaulted  loans,  Mr.  Fox  con- 
tinued to  "give  some  directions"  in  the  All- 
Continent  management,  according  to  testi- 
mony of  Herbert  Leitsteen,  Fox  bookkeeper, 
at  the  Fox  bankruptcy  hearing  in  Atlantic 
City  this  week. 

Mr.  Leitsteen  insisted,  however,  that  Mrs. 
Eva  Fox,  wife  of  William,  also  had  a  fre- 
quent hand  in  the  management.  He  refused 
to  say  how  much  of  Mrs.  Fox's  time  was 
devoted  to  this. 

David  Katz  of  Proskauer,  Rose  and  Pas- 
kus,  New  York  counsel  for  a  major  credi- 
tor, extracted  the  information.  He  was  try- 
ing to  introduce  in  evidence  a  page  of  All- 
Continent  record  that  showed  Mrs.  Fox  re- 
ceived $25,000  in. salary  in  1935  for  serv- 
ices rendered.  Murray  C.  Becker,  Fox 
counsel,  objected  that  no  proof  has  been 
shown  that  William  Fox  had  any  connec- 
tion with  the  matter,  and  was  upheld.  Fed- 
eral Referee  Robert  E.  Steedle  conceded, 
however,  that  Mr.  Katz  may  argue  the  point 
further  when  the  hearings  continue  this 
week. 

Meanwhile,  in  New  York,  the  United 
States  court  of  appeals  decided  that  the  five 
brokerage  houses  which  handled  a  great  deal 
of  financial  transactions  of  Mr.  Fox  must 
produce  their  books  and  records  concerning 
these  accounts  in  supplementary  proceedings. 
The  brokerage  houses  are  H.  L.  Horton  and 
Company;  Loeb,  Alsberg  and  Company; 
J.  W.  Sparks  and  Company;  B.  J.  Kallen 
and  Company ;  Berliner  and  Company,  and 
Alexander  L.  Berliner,  as  an  individual. 
The  appeal  rose  out  of  the  action  brought 
by  the  Capitol  Company  of  California  in  an 
effort  to  collect  a  judgment  of  $245,000 
which  was  obtained  from  Mr.  Fox  in  de- 
fault of  theatre  leases. 

Cantor  Desertion 
Of  Goldwyn  Seen 

Possibilities  that  Eddie  Cantor  would 
desert  the  producing  banner  of  Samuel 
Goldwyn,  who  has  been  producing  his  pic- 
tures for  several  years,  for  that  of  Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox  appeared  in  Hollywood 
this  week  when  the  comedian  went  into  con- 
ference with  Joseph  M.  Schenck  immediate- 
ly following  Mr.  Schenck's  arrival  on  the 
west  coast. 

The  comedian  complains  that  Mr.  Gold- 
wyn's  delay  in  preparing  the  story  and  set- 
ting the  starting  date  of  his  scheduled  pic- 
ture has  caused  him  financial  loss  because 
the  star  has  to  pay  the  gag  writers  work- 
ing on  the  picture  out  of  his  own  pocket 
even  though  no  story  has  been  set. 

Mr.  Cantor  has  the  current  year's  film 
and  one  other  to  make  for  Mr.  Goldwyn 
under  a  contract  signed  in  1929,  which  calls 
for  one  picture  a  year  starting  within 
"reasonable  time  of  notification  to  Cantor." 


NOW  IN  CIRCULATION 


Edited  by 

TERRY  RAMSAYE 


The  International  Motion  Picture  Almanac 
of  the  show  year  of  1936-37  is  bigger  and 
more  comprehensive  than  ever  before.  In 
its  1,384  pages,  it  covers  accurately  and 
completely  every  significant  phase  of  inter- 
national industry  activities.    Here  are  pre- 


sented no  less  than  13,1  12  personalities  in 
the  Who's  Who  section  alone. 

For  producer,  distributor,  exhibitor  and  all 
allied  forces  of  the  motion  picture,  the  new 
International  Almanac  is  a  handy  reference 
authority  of  inestimable  value. 


$3.00    PER    COPY    plus  postage 


INTERNATIONAL 
MOTION  PICTURE  ALMANAC 


OP 


A       Q    U    I    C    L    E  Y 

ROCKEFELLER 


PUBLICATION 


CENTER 


NEW 


YORK 


78 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August     I,  1936 


TECHNOLOGICAL 


The   BLUEBOOK  School 

By  F.  H.  RICHARDSON 

[To  join  the  Biuebook  School  merely  send  in  answers.    Place  name  and  question  number  upon  first  sheet.    Address  F.  H.  Richardson,  No.  3  Tudor  Lane,  Scarsdale,  N.  Y.] 

BLUEBOOK  SCHOOL  QUESTION  NO.  34.— (A)  How  would  you  proceed  to  test  an  out-of-round  commuta- 
tor?   (B)  Names  those  various  things  that  result  or  may  result  from  sparking  at  the  commutator. 

Answer  to  Question  No.  29 


Question  No.  29  was:  (A)  What  two  com- 
mon constituents  of  oil  or  grease  must  be 
avoided  in  ball  bearing  lubrication?  (B)  What 
must  be  done  in  selecting  grease  for  ball  bear- 
ings f  (C)  Describe  three  methods  for  coupling 
the  sound  pick-up  to  the  system  amplifier.  (D) 
Why  does  water  encounter  resistance  in  flow- 
ing through  pipes? 

The  following  made  acceptable  answers :  S. 
Evans  and  C.  Rau;  D.  Danielson;  B.  DeVietti; 
W.  C.  Brown ;  J.  R.  Prater ;  W.  Limmroth ; 
H.  B.  Smith;  G.  E.  Doe;  R.  and  K.  Wells; 
A.  F.  Sprafke;  W.  H.  Edmonds;  T.  F.  Boch- 
ert;  A.  L.  Cooper,  C.  L.  Loft;  G.  Thompson; 

C.  A.  Ellison;  D.  Pollock;  C.  Lonie;  C.  A. 
Ellison;  G.  E.  Jones;  W.  N.  Bolton,  W.  G. 
Mathews,  R.  T.  Tomlinson  and  D.  N.  Rich- 
ards; G.  A.  Lomax;  W.  Winkle  and  R.  R. 
Robins ;  L.  N.  Morgan ;  O.  L.  Daris  and  F. 
Simms ;  P.  and  L.  Felt ;  G.  H.  Daniels ;  F. 
Birch;  T.  Turk;  H.  T.  Todd  and  L.  A.  Dod- 
son;  L.  D.  Bolton;  B.  Caldwell;  P.  L.  Iott; 

D.  McGee  and  N.  E.  Olliver ;  G.  W.  Wlvy; 
J.  J.  Hendershot ;  W.  R.  Cohn  and  S.  T.  Lane ; 
P.  N.  Davis;  R.  B.  Shephert  and  J.  Hones; 
W.  V.  Cramer ;  J.  R.  Price ;  B.  L.  Sanderson ; 
F.  T.  Snell;  C.  and  S.  E.  Gay;  J.  T.  McGuire 
and  A  L.  Long ;  M.  and  J.  Devoy ;  F.  I.  Dan- 
iels and  W.  B.  Maxwell;  G.  N.  Guidotti :  F. 
L.  and  N.  Savior;  W.  Morrison,  D.  D.  Lilly 
and  O.  Hunt;  G.  V.  Long;  G.  H.  Anderson; 
R.  Tomkins  and  H.  K.  Abernathy ;  L.  C.  Kent, 
H.  B.  Schontz  and  B.  L.  Brisac;  R.  R.  Jacobs 
and  B.  B.  Hornstein;  H.  W.  Palmer;  R.  Har- 
gan;  W.  Burns  and  T.  R.  Fanning;  J.  N.  Sap- 
erton;  D.  Bernhard  and  H.  Burkhart;  B.  L. 
Jennings  and  J.  Pracer ;  F.  Madden ;  D.  Porter  ; 
M.  F.  Singleton  and  H.  T.  Appleton;  T.  A. 
Hoffman  and  H.  W.  Munroe;  H.  D.  Lilly;  B. 
M.  Comeford  and  L.  T.  Davis ;  A.  L.  Leonard ; 
A.  G.  Thomas ;  L.  B.  Smith  and  H.  Snow ;  V. 
Sanders,  J.  Jensen  and  J.  W.  Davis ;  R.  W. 
Williams ;  K.  R.  Holt  and  D.  L.  Maxwell ;  T. 
N.  Blume;  E.  V.  Cupero ;  P.  L.  Smith. 

I  think  this  is  a  good  list  for  midsummer. 
Section  A  is  replied  to  by  the  following : 
"In  selecting  lubricant  for  ball  bearings  it  is 
of  the  utmost  importance  that  those  containing 
any  acid  or  animal  fat  be  avoided.  Oils  or 
greases  containing  either  will  act  upon  both 
the  balls  and  their  races,  roughening  their  pol- 
ished surfaces." 

W.  C.  Brown  says,  "Grease  that  contains 
acid  is  very  bad  for  ball  bearings.  An  effective, 
simple  way  to  test  grease  for  acid  content  is 
to  dissolve  a  small  quantity  of  the  grease  in 
alcohol,  dilute  slightly  with  water  and  add  a 
few  drops  of  phenothalien.  A  red  color  indi- 
cates it  is  basic  [alkaline?]  ;  no  color  means 


it  is  neutral ;  and  a  slightly  yellow  means  that 
it  is  acidic.  Litmus  paper  also  may  be  used." 

J.  R.  Prater  says,  "Ball  bearing  lubricant 
should  contain  no  acid,  as  acid  will  attack  and 
roughen  the  balls  and  races.  Obviously,  since 
the  bearing  surface  is  very  small,  any  roughen- 
ing is  serious.  All  animal  fats  contain  acid, 
therefore  any  grease  containing  it  must  be 
avoided." 

(B)  B.  Caldwell  answers,  "Follow  recom- 
mendations of  manufacturer  of  the  equipment 
involved." 

A.  L.  Cooper  replies,  "Use  the  lubricant 
recommended  by  the  manufacturer  of  the  equip- 
ment, not  some  cheaper  just-as-good  sub- 
stitute." 

M.  and  J.  Devoy  reply,  "If  the  manufacturer 
of  the  device  to  be  lubricated  has  made  recom- 
mendations as  to  the  kind  or  make  of  grease 
to  be  used,  follow  that  recommendation.  If  not, 
then  write  asking  what  non-acid  grease  may  be 
secured.  Or,  better  still,  if  you  can  get  the  ad- 
dress of  some  manufacturer  of  ball  bearings, 
communicate  with  him,  asking  what  grease  is 
best." 

(C)  A.L.Cooper  says,  "The  simplest  method 
is  to  use  a  short  length  of  shielded  cable  from 
each  photoelectric  cell  to  the  amplifier.  These 
cables  usually  extend  to  a  double-throw  switch 
in  the  amplifier  that  serves  as  a  fader,  selecting 
sound  from  either  pickup.  Volume  then  is  con- 
trolled by  a  potentiometer  in  one  of  the  ampli- 
fier circuits.  If  the  system  has  a  photoelectric 
cell  amplifier  mounted  on  the  projector,  the 
output  from  that  amplifier  to  the  main  ampli- 
fier may  go  through  a  fader  that  is  built  as  a 
double  potentiometer,  serving  both  as  volume 


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BLUEBOOK  of 
PROJECTION 


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control  and  fader.  A  system  with  or  without  a 
photoelectric  cell  amplifier  may  have  that  out- 
put go  to  a  double-throw  switch  fader  that  is 
separate  from  the  main  amplifier,  in  which  case 
the  volume  is  controlled  by  a  potentiometer  in 
one  of  the  amplifier  circuits." 

Messrs.  Evans  and  Rau  say,  "One  method  of 
coupling  the  sound  pickup  to  the  system  ampli- 
fier is  by  means  of  short  shielded  cables  run 
direct  from  the  photoelectric  cell  to  the  main 
amplifier  through  a  step-down  transformer 
which  steps  up  the  sound  current  at  the  projec- 
tor and  steps  it  down  again  to  its  original 
strength  at  the  amplifier.  Another  method  is 
by  the  use  of  a  head  amplifier  mounted  on  the 
front  of  the  soundhead.  This  amplifies  the 
sound  current  sufficiently  to  avoid  possibility  of 
interference  by  stray  currents." 

D.  Danielson  says,  "The  three  common  meth- 
ods employed  are  as  follows :  First,  direct — by 
this  method  the  P.  E.  cell  output  is  fed  directly 
to  the  system  amplifier  through  a  short,  shield- 
ed conductor.  Second,  the  transformer — by  this 
method  the  P.  E.  cell  output  is  fed  to  the  prim- 
ary of  a  transformer  from  the  secondary  of 
which  the  current  is  fed  to  the  system  ampli- 
fier. Lowering  the  impedance  of  the  transformer 
reduces  the  chances  of  extraneous  pickup. 
Third,  the  pre-amplifier — by  this  method  the 
sound  current  is  first  boosted  by  a  pre-amplifier 
located  either  on  the  projector  base  or  the  pro- 
jection room  front  wall  before  being  led  to  the 
system  amplifier." 

C.  A.  Allison  says,  "First,  there  is  the  trans- 
former coupling  from  pickup  to  primary  of  a 
step-down  transformer,  which  of  course  de- 
creases voltage  and  increases  amperage.  The 
impedance  of  the  secondary  circuit  usually  is 
from  20  to  500  ohms.  This  secondary  connects 
to  the  primary  of  another  transformer,  the 
primary  impedance  of  which  equals  that  of  the 
secondary  of  the  first  one.  The  secondary  of 
this  second  transformer  matches  the  impedance 
of  the  grid  circuit  of  the  first  speech  tube,  to 
which  it  is  connected.  Transformer  No.  2  is 
mounted  very  close  to  the  tube  which  it  excites. 
Second,  impedance  coupling  from  the  pickup 
to  the  system  amplifier  consists  of  connecting 
one  side  of  the  output  of  the  pickup  to  the  grid 
of  the  first  speech  tube  through  a  blocking 
condenser  in  order  to  keep  the  d.c.  grid  voltage 
away  from  the  pickup,  the  other  side  being  con- 
nected to  the  cathode,  thus  completing  the  cir- 
cuit. The  pickup  impedance  must  match  the 
input  impedence  of  the  tube. 

"Still  another  method  would  be  to  use  an  im- 
pedance-coupled preamplifier  with  the  pickup, 
and  to  transformer-couple  its  output  to  the 
main  amplifier.    Unless  the  main  amplifier  is 

(.Continued  on  pane  SO,  column  2) 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


79 


SEVEN  COMPANIES  REPORT  PROFITS; 
FOUR  OTHERS  DECLARE  DIVIDENDS 


Net  Recorded  by  RKO,  Trans 
Lux,  Publix  Ohio,  Consoli- 
dated Rim,  A.T.&T.,  20th- 
Fox,   Metropolitan,  W.  E. 

The  motion  picture  and  its  equipment 
affiliates  figured  prominently  in  the  financial 
news  this  week,  principally  in  a  favorable 
light.  Dividends  were  declared  by  the  direc- 
tors of  Keith-Albee-Orpheum  Corporation, 
Columbia  Pictures,  Trans  Lux  and  RCA, 
while  earnings  statements  from  Western 
Electric,  Metropolitan  Playhouses,  Ameri- 
can Telephone  (which  has  large  motion  pic- 
ture holdings),  Consolidated  Film  Industries, 
Publix  Ohio  Theatres,  Trans  Lux,  Radio- 
Keith-Orpheum  Corporation,  Keith-Albee- 
Orpheum,  B.  F.  Keith  Corporation,  and 
Twentieth  Century-Fox,  indicated  sub- 
stantial profits  from  operations.  Paramount 
Pictures,  however,  reported  a  $476,000  loss 
for  the  second  quarter. 

$1.75  Dividend  from  KAO 

The  board  of  directors  of  Keith-Albee-Or- 
pheum Corporation  declared  an  arrears  divi- 
dend, out  of  capital  surplus,  of  $1.75  per  share 
on  the  seven  per  cent  cumulative  convertible 
preferred  stock  for  the  quarter  ended  June  30, 
1932,  payable  Oct.  1,  1936,  to  the  holders  of 
record  at  the  close  of  business  Sept.  15,  1936. 

KAO  Net  Profit  $714,238 

For  the  52  weeks  ended  June  27,  1936,  RKO's 
Keith-Albee-Orpheum  Corporation  and  subsid- 
iary companies  show  a  net  profit  of  $714,238, 
after  all  charges.  This  is  equal  to  $11.10  a 
share  on  the  64,304  shares  of  7  per  cent  cumu- 
lative preferred  stock  now  outstanding. 

B.  F.  Keith  Net  $683,433 

For  the  52  weeks  ended  June  27,  1936,  RKO's 
B.  F.  Keith  Corporation  and  subsidiary  com- 
panies show  a  net  profit  of  $683,433,  after  all 
charges,  including  depreciation  and  provision  for 
income  taxes. 

Columbia  Dividend  is  68  Cents 

The  board  of  directors  of  Columbia  Pictures 
declared  a  quarterly  dividend  of  68^4  cents  per 
share  on  the  $2.75  convertible  preferred  stock, 
payable  August  15  to  stockholders  of  record 
on  August  3. 

RCA  Declares  87  Cent  Dividend 

General  J  ames  G.  Harbord,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  Radio  Corporation  of  America,  an- 
nounced that  a  dividend  on  the  outstanding 
shares  of  the  corporation's  new  $3.50  cumula- 
tive convertible  first  preferred  stock  was  de- 
clared by  the  board  of  directors.  RCA  owns 
a  50  per  cent  interest  in  the  RKO  theatre  and 
motion  picture  corporations  and  in  National 
Broadcasting,  besides  its  holdings  in  the  com- 
munications field. 

The  dividend  is  87^  cents  a  share,  covering 
the  period  from  July  1,  1936,  to  September  30, 
1936.  It  is  payable  on  October  1,  1936,  to  hold- 
ers of  record  at  the  close  of  business  on  Septem- 
ber 9,  1936. 

Fox  Reports  $2,769,190  Net 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  Films  carried  $2,769,- 
190,  after  all  charges,  for  the  26  weeks  ended 


MICKEY  MOUSE  CIRCUS 
TO  TOUR  EASTERN  CITIES 

The  Walt  Disney  -  Mickey  Mouse 
Circus,  in  which  Fanchon  and  Marco 
are  using  what  they  claim  to  be  the 
largest  troupe  of  Singer's  Midgets  in 
the  history  of  the  internationally 
known  little  people,  will  be  seen  in 
the  east  this  fall,  the  company  has 
announced.  At  the  present  time  the 
circus  is  playing  at  the  California- 
Pacific  International  Exposition  in  San 
Diego. 

The  Mickey  Mouse  circus  will  be 
booked  into  theatres  in  all  the  principal 
cities  in  the  east  and  will  probably 
be  seen  at  the  Roxy  in  New  York. 


June  27,  compared  with  $1,355,781  for  the  same 
half  year  of  1935.  The  earnings  were  equal  to 
$1.50  on  1,357,833  accumulative  convertible  pre- 
ferred shares  outstanding,  and  after  allowing 
for  preferred  dividends  of  75  cents  a  share  for 
six  months,  there  remained  a  profit  equivalent  to 
$1.43  a  share  on  the  1,228,039  common  shares 
outstanding. 

Western  Electric  Sales  Gain  3 1  % 

Western  Electric  sales  for  the  first  six  months 
of  1936  are  reported  at  $65,651,000  which  com- 
pares with  $50,057,000  in  the  corresponding 
period  last  year,  an  increase  of  31  per  cent. 

A.  T.  and  T.  Net  Rises 

Operations  of  American  Telephone  and  Tele- 
graph Company  and  23  associated  companies  of 
the  Bell  System  showed  substantial  improve- 
ment for  the  three  months  and  year  ended  May 
31  over  the  same  period  last  year,  according  to 
a  report  issued  last  week. 

Report  for  the  Bell  System,  including  all 
companies,  for  the  year  ended  May  31  shows 
net  income  of  $151,689,083  after  expenses, 
taxes,  depreciation,  interest,  subsidiary  divi- 
dends, minority  interest,  etc.,  equivalent  to 
$8.13  a  share  on  the  18,666,274  average  num- 
ber of  capital  shares  of  American  Telephone 
and  Telegraph  outstanding.  Report  of  A.  T.  & 
T.,  parent  company  only,  for  the  year  ended 
June  30,  shows  net  income  of  $138,047,778. 

Metropolitan  Playhouses  Profits 

Metropolitan  Playhouses,  Inc.,  showed  a 
profit  of  approximately  $39,000  for  the  five- 
month  period  from  September  3,  1935,  to  Jan- 
uary 31,  1936,  it  was  reported  to  the  board  of 
directors  last  week.  The  statement  is  the  first 
since  the  Fox  Metropolitan  circuit  was  organ- 
ized. 

Metropolitan  Playhouses  operates  a  large  cir- 
cuit of  theatres  in  and  around  the  metropolitan 
New  York  area. 

Consolidated  Nets  $185,024 

Consolidated  Film  Industries  showed  a  loss  in 
earnings  for  the  quarter  ending  June  30.  The 
net  was  $185,024  after  depreciation  and  Fed- 
eral income  taxes,  equivalent  to  46  cents  a 
share  on  400,000  no-par  shares  of  preferred 
stock.  This  compares  with  a  net  of  $265,121, 
or  12  cents  a  share  for  the  same  quarter  last 
year. 

The  net  for  the  previous  quarter  was  $290,- 
249.  For  the  six  months  ending  June  30  the 
net  was  $486,007. 

Consolidated  Film  Industries,  headed  by  Her- 


Dividends  Declared  by  KAO, 
Columbia,  Trans  Lux,  RCA; 
Paramount  Cites  $476,000 
Loss    for    Second  Quarter 

bert  J.  Yates,  besides  operating  the  largest  mo- 
tion picture  laboratory  system  in  the  industry, 
has  large  interests  in  Republic  Pictures  and 
elsewhere  in  the  business. 

Publix  Ohio  Has  $37,548  Balance 

The  final  report  of  Al  E.  Reuben,  trustee  in 
bankruptcy  for  the  Publix  Ohio  Corporation, 
shows  a  balance  on  hand  for  distribution  to 
creditors  of  $37,548.77.  The  trustee  asks  an 
allowance  for  himself  of  $1,944.63  for  commis- 
sions and  compensation.  Total  receipts,  accord- 
ing to  the  statement,  were  $98,263.28  including 
money  received  from  the  sale  of  leaseholds  and 
personal  property.  Disbursements  were  $60,- 
714.51.  Claims  approved  and  allowed  total  $1,- 
936,621.80  and  taxes  amounting  to  $276.45. 

Trans  Lux  Reports  Profit 

Trans-Lux  Daylight  Screen  declared  a  semi- 
annual dividend  of  10  cents,  payable  September 
1  to  stockholders  on  record  as  of  August  15.  Net 
income  for  the  six  months  of  1936  was  $127,- 
022,  after  all  charges.  This  is  equal  to  18  cents 
a  share  and  compares  with  six  cents  a  share  in 

1935  for  the  same  period,  when  the  net  income 
was  $46,954. 

Besides  its  "daylight  screen,"  used  principally 
in  brokerage  houses,  the  Trans  Lux  interests 
participate  in  motion  pictures  through  the  cir- 
cuit of  Trans  Lux  newsreel  theatres  in  New 
York  and  abroad. 

RKO  Earns  $734,492 

Radio-Keith-Orpheum  and  its  subsidiary  com- 
panies, for  the  26  weeks  ended  June  27,  1936, 
showed  a  net  profit  of  $734,492,  according  to  the 
third  report  of  Irving  Trust  Company,  as  trus- 
tee, which  was  filed  Monday  in  federal  court  in 
New  York. 

The  profit  compares  with  a  net  of  $141,376 
for  the  equivalent  period  in  1935,  and  a  net  of 
$684,732  for  the  entire  year  of  1935.  The  1936 
six-months  net  is  after  all  charges,  including  in- 
terest on  the  secured  indebtedness  of  RKO  and 
provision  for  estimated  federal  taxes,  but  before 
providing  for  dividends  in  arrears  on  cumula- 
tive preferred  stock  of  Keith-Albee-Orpheum,  a 
subsidiary. 

RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc.,  and  its  subsidiaries 
for  the  26-week  period  of  1936  reported  a  net 
profit,  after  all  charges,  of  $360,561,  which 
compares  with  a  net  profit  of  $235,099  for  the 
same  period  in  1935.  For  the  year  1935  the 
producing  subsidiary's  profit  was  in  excess  of 
$700,000. 

RKO  Pathe  Pictures,  Inc.,  which  owns  the 
RKO  Pathe  studio,  used  for  the  most  part  as 
a  leasing  plant,  showed  a  net  loss  for  the  1936 
period  of  $103,616,  which  compares  with  a  net 
loss  for  the  same  period  of  1935  of  $100,852. 

The  operations  of  Pathe  News,  Inc.,  for  the 

1936  period  resulted  in  a  net  profit  of  $3,165, 
against  a  net  loss  of  $8,615  for  the  same  period 
in  1935. 

The  operations  of  the  theatre  and  service 
subsidiaries  of  RKO  for  the  26-week  period  of 
1936  resulted  in  a  combined  net  profit  of  $384,- 
097,  against  a  combined  net  loss  of  $7,522  in 
the  equivalent  period  of  1935. 

For  the  1936  period  the  consolidated  state- 
ment reports  theatre  admissions  as  $10,385,570, 

(Continued  on  following  fiape) 


80 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


COMPANIES  LIST  PROFITS 


(Continued  from  preced'nn  pane) 

film  rentals  and  sales  as  $12,867,940  and  rents 
and  other  income  as  $1,299,812,  for  a  combined 
total  of  $24,553,322.  Other  income,  including 
subsidiaries'  profits,  dividends  from  other  com- 
panies and  the  like  totaled  $335,105.  Expenses 
totaled  $21,794,403,  and  other  charges  $2,- 
090,555.  The  provision  for  income  and  excess 
profits  taxes  (less  tax  on  bond  discount 
charged  to  surplus  account)  was  $268,417. 

The  statement  of  cash  receipts  and  disburse- 
ments from  January  1  to  June  30,  1936,  listed 
receipts  of  $184,845,  including  balances  on  hand 
at  Jan.  1  of  $60,730,  in  the  regular  account  and 
$25,578  in  the  special  account.  Disbursements 
for  the  period  totaled  $78,797.  The  balances  as 
of  June  30  equaled  $80,468  in  the  regular  ac- 
count and  $25,578  in  the  special  account. 

The  report  pointed  out  that  as  yet  no  plan  of 
reorganization  for  RKO  has  been  finally  com- 
pleted. Except  for  claims  based  on  the  funded 
debt  of  RKO,  10  other  claims,  aggregating  $2.- 
956,555  remain  to  be  accounted  for,  according 
to  the  report. 

The  date  for  the  hearing  on  the  new  report 
by  Federal  Judge  William  Bondy  has  not  yet 
been  set. 

Paramount  Loses  $476,000 

Paramount  Pictures,  Inc.  issued  the  follow- 
ing schedule  of  tentative  estimated  consolidated 
earnings  for  the  second  quarter  of  1936 : 

Operating  earnings  after  provision  for 
estimated  normal  income  tax  and 
after  applying  $800,000  of  the  inven- 
tory reserve  set  up  as  of  December 
28,  1935    $147,000 

Add :  Dividends  from  non-consoli- 
dated subsidiaries    160,000 


$307,000 

Add :  Profit  on  debentures  of  Para- 
mount Pictures,  Inc.,  purchased  for 
retirement   63,000 


$370,000 

Deduct :   Interest  on  deb- 
entures    of  Paramount 

Pictures,  Inc  $387,000 

Foreign  exchange  adjust- 
ments   34,000 

Reserve  provided  for  fed- 
eral undistributed  earn- 
ings tax,  foreign  invest- 
ments  and  other 
contingencies    425,000  $846,000 


Balance  transferred  to  sur- 
plus (loss)    $476,000 

"Of  the  excess  costs  of  certain  pictures  for 
which  a  reserve  was  provided  out  of  the  1935 
earnings,  as  referred  to  in  the  company's  an- 
nual report  for  that  year,  approximately 
$800,000,"  Paramount  declared,  "was  charged 
to  operations  in  the  current  quarter  in  accord- 
ance with  the  company's  regular  film  amortiza- 
tion tables.  Accordingly,  this  amount  of  the 
reserve  has,  as  above  stated,  been  credited  to 
operations." 

The  above  results  do  not  include  results  of 
operations  of  Olympia  Theatres,  Inc.,  and  its 
subsidiaries  in  receivership  throughout  the 
period,  and  whose  operations,  therefore,  do  not 
affect  the  current  earnings  of  Paramount  Pic- 
tures, Inc.  Operations  of  partially  owned  com- 
panies not  consolidated  are  included  only  to  the 
extent  that  dividend  income  has  been  received 
therefrom.  Paramount's  net  interest  as  a  stock- 
holder in  the  combined  undistributed  earnings  of 
such  partially  owned  companies,  available  to  it 
if,  when,  and  to  the  extent  that  dividends  are 


paid  to  it  therefrom,  amounted,  for  the  quarter, 
to  approximately  $305,000. 

As  Paramount  was  under  court  supervision 
until  mid-year  of  1935,  no  figures  are  available 
for  comparison  with  the  'second  quarter  of  last 
year.  The  company's  annual  statement  at  the 
year  end,  however,  reported  a  profit  of  $653,167 
for  1935  after  the  special  inventory  reserve  of 
$2,500,000  and  all  charges.  A  profit  of  $718,- 
921  was  reported  for  the  first  quarter  of  1936 
after  applying  $800,000  from  the  special  inven- 
tory reserve. 


BLUEBOOK  SCHOOL 


(Continued  from  pacie  78) 
located  close  to  the  pickup  or  pre-amplifier,  it 
is  best  to  use  a  low  level  line  between  them, 
say  20-500  ohms,  or  most  of  the  high  notes  will 
be  lost  owing  to  the  capacity  between  the  wires 
and  the  line." 

A.  F.  Sprafke  says,  "First,  transformer- 
coupled  to  the  plate  circuit  of  one  tube  and  the 
grid  of  the  next.  Second,  resistance-coupled,  a 
method  of  coupling  in  which  the  resistance  is 
connected  in  common  to  two  circuits.  Third, 
direct-coupled,  which  is  the  association  of  two 
circuits  by  having  an  inductor,  condenser  or 
resistor  common  to  both — two  circuits  joined 
by  a  metallic  association." 

I  might  add  the  remark  that  the  answer  of 
Brother  Danielson  is  pronounced  correct  in  all 
details  by  sound  engineers  to  whom  all  answers 
were  submitted,  whereas  all  others  were  marked 
"fair." 

(D)  G.  E.  Doe  replies,  "Contact  movement 
between  objects  of  whatever  nature  generates 
friction.  Water  flowing  through  a  pipe  of 
course  contacts  its  walls,  hence  there  is  fric- 
tion, which  represents  loss  proportional  to  speed 
of  movement  and  pressure  applied.  The  fric- 
tion thus  generated  is  not,  however,  comparable 
with  friction  as  between  two  solid  bodies,  for 
the  reason  that  the  'particles'  of  water  pass  the 
walls  with  a  rolling  movement,  it  being  ques- 
tionable whether  or  not  the  water  has  any  act- 
ual friction,  in  the  form  of  abrasive  effect,  with 
the  pipe  walls,  or  at  least  more  than  a  very 
slight  one.  The  other  particles  of  the  stream 
probably  remain  on  the  metal,  while  other  par- 
ticles pass  them,  the  frictiona!  effect  decreas- 
ing toward  the  stream  center.  Probably  I  have 
not  expressed  this  very  well,  Dad,  but  you 
perhaps  may  be  able  to  understand  and  put  it 
into  a  better  form  of  words." 

I  have  made  no  change.  Friend  Doe  seems 
to  have  expressed  the  matter  very  well.  Of  all 
the  hundreds  of  answers  his  was  the  only  one 
that  set  this  iden  forth  fully,  though  Danielson 
expressed  the  frictional  decrease  toward  the 
stream  center  in  a  drawing.  The  point  you 
missed  is  that  roughness  in  a  pipe's  wall  offers 
direct  impedance,  though  in  the  main  it  does 
not  effect  the  action  described  by  Brother  Doe, 
which  I  hold  to  be  correct. 

To  his  answer  to  Question  No.  29,  D.  Pol- 
lock appends  this  enlightening  statement :  "I 
have  only  recently  been  sending  occasional 
answers,  but  have  studied  every  one  of  your 
questions  for  more  than  a  year.  I  have  already 
received  at  least  ten  times  the  actual  benefit 
derived  from  a  correspondence  course  I  paid  a 
substantial  sum  of  money  for  two  years  ago. 
More  power  to  you,  Dad !  Keep  up  the  good 
work." 

Strong  Promoted 

Eugene  Strong,  assistant  to  Harry  Sher- 
man, has  been  advanced  to  the  position  of 
associate  producer  of  the  new  Hopalong 
Cassidy  series  for  Paramount  release. 


PAGE  J.  C.  JENKINS! 
APPLETON  CALLING 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Herald: 

Yes,  sir,  it  is  time  I  was  saying  something 
and  saying  it  out  loud.  Here  it  is.  On  the 
10th  of  June,  1910,  I  opened  up  the  Scenic 
Theatre  in  Appleton  (Minnesota).  Thus  it 
is  now  over  26  years  that  I  have  operated 
continuously  in  this  one  place  and  I  have 
yet  to  see  this  mysterious  person  in  the  name 
of  J.  C.  Jenkins,  supposed  to  be  working  for 
your  Colyum  and  not  his. 

Now-  this  would  not  be  strange  were  it  not 
for  the  fact  that  about  every  year  I  notice 
that  his  Colyum  carries  accounts  of  his  visit- 
ing all  the  towns  right  around  mine. 

Just  read  his  account  of  travels  in  your 
July  18  issue. 

He  arrives  in  the  great  State  of  Minne- 
sota and  calls  at  Luverne.  Then  he  travels 
north  (mind  you,  he  is  headed  north  toward 
the  Land  of  Ten  Thousand  Lakes)  and  calls 
at  Pipestone.  Then  to  Montevideo  and  to 
Benson.  Now,  as  it  happens,  both  of  these 
towns  are  24  miles  from  Appleton,  with 
mighty  good  roads  both  in  and  out. 

From  Benson  he  still  keeps  right  on  north 
and  the  last  he  reports  is  from  the  shores 
of  Detroit  Lakes.  He  mentions  that  he  ex- 
pects to  go  on  to  see  John  Piller  in  North 
Dakota,  but  I  doubt  if  he  has  yet  found  that 
state,  especially  as  the  weather  has  been  ex- 
ceeding warm. 

Yes,  year  after  year,  this  mysterious  Jen- 
kins vanishes  or  disappears  from  my  terri- 
tory without  even  giving  our  Main  Street  a 
smell  of  his  cheap  gasoline.  It  must  be  be- 
cause I  am  always  paid  up  with  The  Herald, 
for  I  have  taken  the  Herald  long  before  it 
was  The  Herald.  At  the  last  call  of  one  of 
your  real  representatives  I  told  him  that  I 
had  just  two  requests  to  make — (1)  Elimi- 
nate the  senseless  and  harmful  publishing  of 
Theatre  Receipts  and  (2)  ask  Jenkins  not 
to  pass  up  this  community. 

I  am  afraid  that  I  will  not  live  to  see  that 
either  of  these  requests  is  ever  carried  out. 

Yes,  sir,  Jenkins  covers  this  field  "like  an 
April  shower"  and  right  now  this  section  is 
Syi  inches  short  of  a  normal  rainfall. 

Now,  as  far  as  a  call  on  me  is  concerned, 

I  really  do  not  give  a   ,  but  I  hate  to 

have  him  tell  your  office  in  New  York  how 
hard  he  is  working  and  the  amount  of  gaso- 
line he  is  burning  for  the  good  of  the  paper. 

I  am  anxious  to  see  his  next  Colyum  and 
see  if  he  will  report  on  how  good  the  fish- 
ing was  in  northern  Minnesota — or,  should 
I  say,  is. — R.  G.  Risch,  New  Scenic  The- 
atre, Appleton,  Minn. 


Lou  Guimond  Joins 
Selznick-lnternational 

Lou  Guimond,  formerly  eastern  editor  of 
Box-Office  has  been  named  New  York  pub- 
licity head  for  Selznick  International  Pic- 
tures. He  starts  in  his  new  post  this  week 
and  will  work  with  Lowell  Calvert,  eastern 
representative  of  John  Hay  Whitney. 

Mr.  Guimond  is  a  former  advertising  di- 
rector for  Columbia  Pictures  and  was  at 
one  time  director  of  advertising  and  pub- 
licity for  Powers  Pictures.  In  1934  he  was 
director  of  advertising,  publicity  and  ex- 
ploitation for  Gaumont  British  and  later 
became  American  representative  for  The 
Cinema,  London  trade  journal. 

H.  B.  Swope,  Jr ,  In  Industry 

Herbert  Bayard  Swope,  Jr.,  will  assist 
Lou  Guimond  at  Selznick-lnternational. 


August     I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


WHAT  THE  PICTURE 
DID  FOR  ME 


Columbia 


AND  SO  THEY  WERE  MARRIED:  Melvyn 
Douglas,  Mary  Astor,  Edith  Fellowes — A  very  enter- 
taining picture  with  go-jcl  comedy  which  pleased  my 
patrons. — Leslie  F.  Smith.  Mayer  Theatre,  West- 
moreland.  Kan.     General  patronage. 

MR.  DEEDS  GOES  TO  TOWN:  Gary  Cooper, 
Jean  Arthur — Columbia's  checker  was  hot  on  the 
job  when  we  played  this  one  and  was  stung  plenty 
hard.  The  picture  was  okay  with  me  but  the  public 
stayed  away  and  Mr.  Deeds  looked  upon  an  empty 
room.  Played  June  30-July  1. — A.  H.  Edwards,  Or- 
pheum  Theatre,  Orwigsburg,  Pa.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

MR.  DEEDS  GOES  TO  TOWN:  Gary  Cooper, 
Jean  Arthur — Columbia's  only  picture  this  year  above 
program  class  and  it's  plenty  good  entertainment. 
But  it  takes  more  than  one  good  picture  to  make 
a  season's  program  of  any  company  worthwhile. 
Average  Sunday  business.  Played  July  5-6. — L.  A. 
Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General 
patronage. 

GALLANT  DEFENDER:  Charles  Starrett,  Joan 
Perry — A  very  good  western.  Young  Charles  Star- 
rett promises  to  be  a  real  western  star.  Our  pat- 
rons say  some  of  the  older  stars  are  getting  too  old 
and  fat.  Business  terrible  on  account  of  intense 
heat  wave  still  existing.  Played  July  11. — C.  W. 
Mills,  Arcade  Theatre,  Sodus,  N.  Y.  Family  patron- 
age. 

GALLANT  DEFENDER:  Charles  Starrett,  Joan 
Perry — Peter  B.  Kyne  story  with  Charles  Starrett. 
Charles  Starrett  is  good;  this  series  is  receptive  to 
our  patrons;  much  better  than  the  average  outdoor 
picture. — Leslie  F.  Smith,  Mayer  Theatre,  Westmore- 
land, Kan.    General  patronage. 

MINE  WITH  THE  IRON  DOOR,  THE:  Richard 
Arlen,  Cecilia  Parker— Harold  Bell  Wright  story  with 
Richard  Arlen  and  Cecilia  Parker.  A  good,  whole- 
some, entertaining  picture  by  an  eminent  author. — 
Leslie  F.  Smith.  Mayer  Theatre,  Westmoreland,  Kan. 
General  patronage. 

PANIC  ON  THE  AIR:  Lew  Ayres,  Florence  Rice 
— Good  program  attraction.  Ayres  plays  his  role 
smoothly.  Played  July  14. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  The- 
atre, Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

WESTERN  COURAGE:  Ken  Maynard,  Geneva 
Mitchell — This  comes  under  the  heading  of  cheap 
westerns.  No  continuity  to  story;  cheap,  shoddy 
stuff  with  Maynard  and  Tarzan  trying  their  darnd- 
est.  Columbia  had  better  wake  up  even  with  west- 
erns. Played  June  19. — A.  H.  Edwards,  Orpheum 
Theatre,   Orwigsburg,   Pa.     Small   town  patronage. 


First  National 


GOLDEN  ARROW,  THE:  Bette  Davis,  George 
Brent — This  is  one  picture  that  depends  mostly  on 
dialogue.  But  make  no  mistake;  that  does  not  de- 
tract from  the  swell  story.  Good  acting  and  about 
as  clever  a  picture  as  we  have  run  in  some  time. 
This  Brent  is  great  and  so  is  Miss  Davis.  But,  here 
is  where  the  rub  is,  and  one  reason  that  it  did  not 
get  the  play  that  it  deserves,  and  that  is  the  title. 
So  far  as  I  can  see,  it  had  no  bearing  on  the  pic- 
ture except  that  it  opens  with  some  arrows  being 
shot  into  a  bathroom.  I  am  very  certain  that  the 
title  was  the  reason  for  the  low  gross  that  it  got. — 
A.  E.  Hancock.  Columbia  Theatre,  Columbia  City, 
Tnd.    General  patronage. 

HEARTS  DIVIDED:  Marion  Davies,  Dick  Powell 
— Cosmopolitan  Productions  knows  full  well  that  Miss 
Davies  is  no  draw  without  a  strong  supporting  cast, 
but  in  spite  of  that  the  picture  is  poor.  The  picture 
should  have  ended  where  the  producers  originally 
intended  but  evidently  they  became  panicky  and 
tacked  op  another  reel.  I  can't  believe  that  Frank 
Borzage  directed  this  unless  he  was  on  vacation.  Oh, 
well,  he  probably  did  the  best  he  could  with  the  ma- 
terial. Running  time,  78  minutes.  Played  July  5-7. — 
Ralph  Cokain.  Indiana  Theatre,  Marion,  Ind.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

HEARTS  DIVIDED:  Marion  Davies,  Dick  Powell— 
You  expect  so  much  more  from  the  cast  that  this  pic- 
ture boasts  that  you  are  greatly  disappointed.  The 
picture  is  not  dull,  but  it  is  so  moderately  amusing 
that  it  gives  you  a  "lel-down"  feeling.  Played  July 
12-13. — G.  E.  Lancaster,  Jefferson  Theatre,  Hunting- 
ton, Ind.    General  patronage. 

SINGING  KID,  THE:  Al  Jolson,  Beverly  Roberts, 
Edward  Everett  Horton.  Allen  Jenkins.  Yacht  Club 
Boys,  Cab  Calloway  and  His  Orchestra.  Al  Jolson  with 
his  "I  Love  to  Singa"  spoils  th?  entire  picture.  There 


IN  this,  the  exhibitors'  own  de- 
partment, the  theatremen  of  the 
nation  serve  one  another  with 
information  on  the  box  office  per- 
formance of  product  for  their  mu- 
tual benefit.  It  is  a  service  of  the 
exhibitor  for  the  exhibitor.  Address 
all  communications  to — 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me 

MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 

Rockefeller  Center,  New  York 


is  an  excuse  for  Cab  Calloway,  but  not  for  Jolson. 
Horton.  Jenkins  and  the  Yacht  Club  Boys  are  the 
bright  spots  in  a  production  that  otherwise  is  wasted 
effort.  Business  aversely  affected  by  preceding  word- 
of-mouth  advertising.  Patrons  expect  Jolson  as  he 
was  in  his  early  hits,  so  naturally  when  he  co-stars 
with  Cab  Calloway,  and  "I  Love  to  Singa"  is  woven 
in  as  sort  of  a  theme  song,  well,  disappointment  runs 
rampant  and  why  not?  Played  June  16-17. — A.  H. 
Edwards,  Orpheum  Theatre,  Orwigsburg,  Pa.  Small 
town  patronage. 

SNOWED  UNDER:  George  Brent,  Genevieve  Tobin 
--Critical  reviews  may  not  rate  this  one  highly,  but 
it  went  over  in  this  small  town  in  great  shape;  a 
good  trailer  built  up  the  interest;  and  many  a  hearty 
laugh  was  had  by  all.  Just  another  good  program 
picture  from  Warner  that  they  like  out  here.  Run- 
ning time,  seven  reels.  Played  June  30-July  1. — Henry- 
Reeve.  Mission  Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.  Small  town 
patronage. 

WHITE  ANGEL,  THE:  Kay  Francis,  Ian  Hunter— 
A  picture  that  holds  the  interest  from  start  to  finish 
despite  its  lack  of  romance.  It  should  please  everyone. 
Press  book  has  many  valuable  exploitation  suggestions 
which  the  small  town  exhibitor  can  use  to  his  ad- 
vantage without  stretching  his  advertising  budget  too 
much.  Running  time,  91  minutes.  Played  July  12-14. — 
Ralph  Copain,  Indiana  Theatre,  Marion,  Ind.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 

ABSOLUTE  QUIET:  Irene  Hervey,  Lionel  Atwill— 
This  picture  is  a  good  semi-gangster  picture.  The 
cast  marooned  at  an  estate;  there  all  the  action  takes 
place  and  contrary  to  pictures  of  this  type  that  are 
largely  dialogue,  it  is  pat  to  the  story.  There  is  one 
little  lady  that  was  not  pegged  too  high  in  the  cast. 
Bernadene  Hayes,  the  gangster's  moll.  She  plays  the 
role  to  a  turn;  she  is  tough  and  added  a  lot  to  the 
picture;  she  was  plenty  good. — A.  E.  Hancock,  Co- 
lumbia Theatre,  Columbia  City,  Ind.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

BOHEMIAN  GIRL,  THE:  Laurel  and  Hardy- 
Pretty  good  comedy.  Running  time,  72  minutes. — P.  G. 
Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  General 
patronage. 

BOHEMIAN  GIRL,  THE:  Laurel  and  Hardy- 
Laughable  Laurel  and  Hardy  antics.  Good  music. 
Played  July  17-18.— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Pena- 
cook, N.  H.    General  patronage. 

BOHEMIAN  GIRL,  THE:  Laurel  and  Hardy— 
This  picture  will  completely  satisfy  children  and 
adults  of  the  mentality  not  far  removed  from  that  of 
childhood.  But  adult  opera  lovers  would  probably  vote 
a  jail  sentence  for  anyone  who  could  take  a  beautiful 
opera  and  dilute  it  with  50  per  cent  of  hokum.  But 
it  will  satisfy  a  majority  of  small  town  patrons.  Run- 
ning time.  72  minutes.  Played  July  10-11. — G.  A. 
Van  Fradenburg.  Valley  Theatre,  Manassa,  Col. 
Farming  community  patronage. 

FURY:  Sylvia  Sidney,  Spencer  Tracy — It  packs  a 
a  wallop  that  seldom  is  encountered  in  films.  So  com- 
pelling in  interest  that  those  who  shop  carefully  for 
their  entertainment  will  be  pleased  with  this  one. 
It  should  increase  at  the  box  office  on  word-of-mouth 
advertising.  Played  July  12-14. — G.  E.  Lancaster. 
Huntington  Theatre.  Huntington,  Ind.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

MOONLIGHT  MURDER:  Chester  Morris.  Madge 
Evans — So-so  murder  plot  holds  back  some  good 
players.  Considerable  portions  of  opera  fill  in  time 
while  unravelling  the  mystery.    Played  Ju'y   15-16. — 


L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General 
patronage. 

MOONLIGHT  MURDER:  Chester  Morris,  Madge 
Evans — Poor.  Just  made  to  be  used  as  a  double  bill 
picture.  Running  time.  67  minutes.  Played  July  10-11. 
— M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Lark  Theatre,  McMinnville,  Ore. 
Local  patronage. 

PETTICOAT  FEVER:  Robert  Montgomery,  Myrna 
Loy — Good  picture  and  very  well  liked.  Will  do  busi- 
ness. Running  time.  81  minutes.  Played  July  5-7. — 
M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Lark  Theatre,  McMinnville,  Ore. 
Local  patronage. 

RIFFRAFF:  Jean  Harlow,  Spencer  Tracy— Well 
named.  Nothing  to  it  but  a  lot  of  shouting.  Just 
riffraff.  Running  time,  94  minutes.  Played  July  15- 
16.— M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Lark  Theatre,  McMinnville, 
Ore.  Local  patronage. 

ROBINHOOD  OF  EL  DORADO,  THE:  Warner 
Baxter,  Ann  Loring — Excellent  picture.  Fair  draw 
for  us.  Star  great.  Played  July  3-4. — L.  A.  Irwin, 
Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

THREE  WISE  GUYS:  Robert  Young,  Betty  Fur- 
ness — Robert  Young  is  coming  to  the  top  at  a  fast 
clip.  This  picture  is  a  good  bet  for  mass  appeal. 
Business  average  despite  the  hot  weather.  Played 
July  9. — A.  H.  Edwards,  Orpheum  Theatre,  Orwigs- 
burg, Pa.    Small  town  patronage. 

TROUBLE  FOR  TWO:  Robert  Montgomery,  Rosa- 
lind Russell — A  very  foolish  attempt  at  entertainment. 
This  was  the  unanimous  opinion  of  myself  and  the 
several  cash  customers.  Business  bad.  Played  July 
14-15. — A.  H.  Edwards.  Orpheum  Theatre,  Orv/igsburg, 
Pa.    Small  town  patronage. 

TROUBLE  FOR  TWO:  Robert  Montgomery,  Rosa- 
lind Russell — One  of  those  mythical  kingdom  things 
and  who  do  you  think  was  Prince  Charming?  Why, 
no  other  than  Robert  with  his  little  trick  mustache. 
This  one  is  just  too  much  for  our  low-browed  audi- 
ence and,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  the  high -brows  were 
not  hot  and  bothered  over  it. — A.  E.  Hancock,  Co- 
lumbia Theatre,  Columbia  City,  Ind.  General  pat- 
ronage 


Paramount 


CASE  AGAINST  MRS.  AMES:  Madeleine  Carroll, 
George  Brent— A  good  courtroom  melodrama.  Should 
have  done  better  at  box  office.  Played  July  7. — L.  A. 
Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

DESIRE:  Marlene  Dietrich,  Gary  Cooper — Here's  a 
dandy  and  a  surprise  to  this  town.  Plenty  of  com- 
edy, superbly  mounted;  a  regular  Capra  type  of  pic- 
ture that  these  two  good  stars  made  the  most  of. 
Most  everybody  expected  to  see  a  bunch  of  sticky- 
love  stuff,  and  they  got  fooled  plenty.  We  liked  it; 
so  did  the  customers;  perhaps  your  folks  will,  too. 
But  don't  be  afraid  of  it;  it's  good  entertainment. 
Running  time.  10  reels.  Played  June  28-29. — Henry 
Reeve.  Mission  Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.  Small  town 
patronage. 

FATAL  LADY:  Mary  Ellis,  Walter  Pidgeon— A 
weak  one  for  the  box  office.  It's  a  hodgepodge  of 
entertainment  that  starts  out  as  a  musical  but  ends 
up  as  a  murder  mystery.  The  biggest  mystery  to  the 
exhibitor  is  why  it  was  ever  made!  Played  July  14- 
16. — G.  E.  Lancaster.  Jefferson  Theatre.  Huntington, 
Ind.    General  patronage. 

FLORIDA  SPECIAL:  Jack  Oakie,  Sally  Eilers— 
Weak  story  keeps  this  one  down.  Stars  have  hard 
time  holding  up  interest.  Played  July  8-9. — L.  A. 
Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

HER  MASTER'S  VOICE:  Edward  Everett  Horton. 
Peggy  Conklin — Fair  program  picture  that  did  not 
click  at  the  box  office.  Running  time,  76  minutes. — 
P.  G.  Held.  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold.  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 

KLONDIKE  ANNIE:  Mae  West,  Victor  McLaglen 
— After  all  the  fuss  and  censorship,  just  another 
rather  unpleasant,  far  from  amusing.  West  picture. 
She's  only  made  one  as  far  as  we  are  concerned: 
"Goin'  to  Town"  was  a  good  bit  of  entertainment. 
This  one  was  no  good  for  entertainment,  and  no 
good  for  the  box  office.  Running  time,  nine  reels. 
Played  June  16-17. — Henry  Reeve,  Mission  Theatre, 
Menard,  Texas.    Small  town  patronage. 

MOON'S  OUR  HOME,  THE:  Margaret  Sullavan. 
Henry  Fonda — Another  of  the  present  Hollywood  cycle 
of  exaggerated  alleged  comedy  and  continual  boy  vs. 
girl  fighting.  Not  one  of  these  has  gone  over  for  us. 
and  we  can't  help  but  wonder  why  the  review  raves 
over  this  one,  "Hands  Across  the  Table"  and  their 
many  cousins.   Tf  silliness  is  smartness,  then  the  small 


82 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August     I,  1936 


town  like  ours  is  far  from  smart,  yet  the  box  office 
apparently  tells  a  different  story  elsewhere,  and  the 
box  office  is  king,  but  ours  was  just  a  headache. 
Running  time,  eight  reels.  Played  July  12-13. — Henry 
Reeve,  Mission  Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.  Small  town 
patronage. 

PRINCESS  COMES  ACROSS,  THE:  Carole  Lom- 
bard, Fred  MacMurray — A  very  good  picture  and 
should  do  some  business,  but  it  would  not  bring  them 
in  for  me.  Gave  it  a  run  of  four  days;  should  have 
taken  off  at  end  of  first  day. — W.  H.  Brenner,  Cozy 
Theatre,  Winchester,  Ind.    General  patronage. 

PRINCESS  COMES  ACROSS,  THE:  Carole  Lom- 
bard, Fred  MacMurray— A  distinct  pleasure  for  any 
audience.  A  grand  combination  of  several  good  types 
of  picture  plot.  Played  July  10-11. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Pal- 
ace Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

SKY  PARADE:  Jimmie  Allen,  William  Gargan, 
Katherine  DeMille — Goes  off  with  a  good  start  and 
dies  hard  at  the  end.  Some  very  weak  dialogue,  or  it 
at  least  sounded  weak  to  me,  and  while  this  picture 
should  have  great  possibilities,  they  did  not  bring  it 
out. — W.  H.  Brenner,  Cozy  Theatre,  Winchester, 
Ind.    General  patronage. 

13  HOURS  BY  AIR:  Fred  MacMurray,  Joan  Ben- 
nett— A  very  satisfactory  feature  from  all  standpoints. 
Business  fair.  Played  July  4.— C.  W.  Mills,  Arcade 
Theatre,  Sodus,  N.  Y.    Family  patronage. 


Republic 


MELODY  TRAIL:  Gene  Autry,  Ann  Rutherford- 
Good  entertainment.  These  westerns  would  suit  tis 
100  per  cent  if  they  were  one  or  two  reels  longer.  A 
feature  that  is  55  or  60  minutes  long  needs  quite  a  bit 
of  padding  to  make  a  normal  show  with  it.  Of  course, 
these  short  ones  are  quite  the  thing  for  double -feature 
houses  and  their  production  gives  an  incentive  to  go 
double.  Running  time,  60  minutes.  Played  July  17-18. 
— G.  A.  Van  Fradenburg,  Valley  Theatre,  Manassa, 
Col.    Farming  community  patronage. 


RKO  Radio 


DANCING  PIRATE:  Charles  Collins,  Steffi  Duna— 
The  producers  missed  fire  here,  and  possibly  the  big- 
gest mistake  they  made,  they  must,  first  of  all,  before 
spending  a  lot  of  money  on  picture,  secure  some  well 
known  names.  If  I  bet  my  bank  roll  on  a  horse  at 
the  track,  I  want  to  be  sure  that  I  select  at  least  a 
horse  that  at  least  won  a  race.  So,  in  making  a  great 
big  picture  you  must  have  names  that  sell  at  the  box 
office.   A  fairly  good  picture  to  poor  business. — W.  H. 


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THREE  SHOWMEN 
JOIN  REPORTERS 

Adding  their  comment  on  "What 
the  Picture  Did  for  Me"  this  week 
are  three  exhibitors  as  jar  removed 
geographically  from  one  another  as 
Kansas,  Texas  and  Indiana. 

Reporting  for  the  first  time  is 
Leslie  F.  Smith,  Mayer  Theatre,  West- 
moreland, Kansas. 

Returning  to  the  reportorial  ranks 
after  a  year's  absence  are 
Ralph  Cokain,  Indiana  Theatre,  Marion, 

Indiana. 

Harry  Reeve,  Mission  Theatre,  Menard, 
Texas. 

Read  the  reports  of  these  showmen 
in  the  Department  this  week. 


Brenner,  Cozy  Theatre,  Winchester,  Ind.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

FOLLOW  THE  FLEET:  Fred  Astaire,  Ginger 
Rogers — Everyone  knows  this  is  one  of  the  best.  Un- 
fortunately, we  struck  the  hottest  weather  on  record 
and  lost  a-plenty.  Played  July  8-9.— C.  W.  Mills,  Ar- 
cade Theatre,  Sodus,  N.  Y.  Family  patronage. 

LADY  CONSENTS,  THE:  Ann  Harding,  Herbert 
Marshall — They  thought  this  one  the  best  from  Ann 
Harding  in  a  long  time.  It  is  a  bright,  clever,  so- 
phisticated piece  of  well  mounted  movie.  I've  read 
reports  that  said  it  was  too  "talky,"  but  it  didn't 
register  that  way  here.  Thoroughly  enjoyed  by  a  good 
crowd,  and  that's  something  new  for  Harding.  Run- 
ning time,  nine  reels.  Played  July  5-6. — Henry  Reeve, 
Mission  Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

LET'S  SING  AGAIN:  Bobby  Breen,  Henry  Ar- 
metta — Bobby  Breen's  voice  is  startling,  for  it  is  so 
unnatural  in  a  child  so  young.  It  is,  naturally  enough, 
the  chief  asset  in  a  movie  that  is  built  on  a  plot  that 
every  patron  has  seen  dozens  of  times.  Satisfactory 
for  the  average  audience.  Played  July  15. — G.  E.  Lan- 
caster, Huntington  Theatre,  Huntington,  Ind.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

RAINMAKERS,  THE:  Wheeler  and  Woolsey— This 
one  is  much  better  than  the  last  two  or  three  we 
played.  Plenty  of  laughs  and  excitement.  Give  the 
boys  good  story  and  they  will  put  it  over  for  you  and 
us.  Running  time,  nine  reels.  Release  date,  July  17- 
18.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D. 
Small  town  patronage. 

SILLY  BILLIES:  Wheeler  and  Woolsey— We  real- 
ize these  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  pictures  could  be  a 
lot  better,  but  they  do  business  and  please  a  small 
town  audience.  Personally,  we  do  not  care  for  them, 
but  they  get  the  money  and  that  is  why  we  operate 
a  theatre. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 

SILLY  BILLIES:  Wheeler  and  Woolsey— Too  silly 
for  our  folks  and  that's  saying  an  awful  lot  because 
these  boys  usually  go  over  pretty  well.  It  has  its  mo- 
ments, but  the  only  place  it  could  get  by  here  was 
just  where  we  ran  it:  one  day  for  the  Saturday  bunch. 
Running  time,  seven  reels.  Played  July  11. — Henry 
Reeve,  Mission  Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.  Small  town 
patronage. 

SPECIAL  INVESTIGATOR:  Richard  Dix— Good 
Friday  and  Saturday  picture.  Running  time,  61  min- 
utes.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold. 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

TOP  HAT:  Fred  Astaire,  Ginger  Rogers — A  good 
picture,  but  not  the  best  from  this  team.  RKO  better 
put  up  better  material  for  these  two  before  they  start 
to  fade  out  in  popularity.  Business  off  right  after 
the  Fourth.  Running  time,  11  reels.  Played  July  5-6. 
—Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small 
town  patronage. 

Twentieth  Century -Fox 

CHARLIE  CHAN  IN  SHANGHAI:  Warner  Oland— 
A  good  show  for  any  night.  We  played  it  to  small 
business  in  hot  weather.  Will  please  all  who  like 
Charlie  Chan  pictures.  Running  time,  seven  reels. 
Played  July  10-11.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre, 
Kimball,  S.  D.  Small  town  patronage. 

CONNECTICUT     YANKEE,     A     (reissue):  Will 

Rogers,  Myrna  Loy — As  usual,  there  was  considerable 
interest  in  a  Will  Rogers  picture.  With  the  weather 
assuming  normal  proportions,  our  attendance  picked 
up,  but  not  quite  up  to  the  usual  run  of  business. 
Played  July  15-16.— C.  W.  Mills,  Arcade  Theatre, 
Sodus,  N.  Y.  Family  patronage. 

COUNTRY  BEYOND,  THE:  Rochelle  Hudson,  Paul 


Kelly — Not  what  one  might  expect  from  the  pen  of 
James  Oliver  Curwood,  due  to  production  faults. 
Wonder  how  the  river  thawed  so  suddenly.  Played 
July  17-18. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook, 
N.  H.  General  patronage. 

GENTLE  JULIA:  Jane  Withers,  Tom  Brown— Hela 
up  for  average  business  in  the  face  of  record  heat 
wave.  Jane  Withers  is  a  drawing  card  and  justly  so. 
A  bright  kid.  Played  _  July  11-13. — A.  H.  Edwards, 
Orpheum  Theatre,  Orwigsburg,  Pa.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

GENTLE  JULIA:  Jane  Withers,  Tom  Brown— A 
very  good  picture  of  the  good  old  days.  Jane  and 
Tom  are  fine.  Will  satisfy  all  but  the  wise  guys. 
Played  July  10-11. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Pena- 
cook, N.  H.  General  patronage. 

HIGH  TENSION:  Brian  Donlevy,  Glenda  Farrell— 
Excellent  program  picture.  Having  seen  Donlevy  as 
a  villain  in  his  first  few  pictures,  it's  difficult  to 
reconcile  myself  that  he's  turned  hero.  But  then  typ- 
ing has  always  been  something  that  the  movies  could 
do  without.  Make  'em  a  hero  today,  a  villain  tomor- 
row. Running  time,  62  minutes.  Played  July  17-18. — 
Ralph  Cokain,  Indiana  Theatre,  Marion,  Ind.  General 
patronage. 

IT  HAD  TO  HAPPEN:  George  Raft,  Rosalind  Rus- 
sell, Leo  Carrillo.  This  one  went  over  with  a  bang. 
Dandy  good  entertainment  anywhere.  It  made  most 
of  the  Fox  percentage  masterpieces  hide  their  heads, 
but  that's  the  film  business.  Leo  Carrillo  was  fine,  and 
how  the  folks  like  him.  Best  bit  of  work  from  Raft 
in  a  long  time,  and  Miss  Russell  was  just  fine.  I  won- 
der if  she  reminds  others  of  the  perhaps  more  famous 
Miss  Loy.  Good  show,  good  business.  Wish  the  old 
days  were  back;  you  gave  a  real  boost  and  got  a  pic- 
ture and  letter  of  thanks.  These  three  people  did  a 
good  job  in  this  one.  Running  time,  nine  reels.  Played 
July  14-15. — Henry  Reeve,  Mission  Theatre,  Menard, 
Texas.   Small  town  patronage. 

MESSAGE  TO  GARCIA  A:  Wallace  Beery,  John 
Boles,  Barbara  Stanwyck — Good  show.  Should  please 
any  kind  of  audience  and  satisfy  the  most  critical. 
Beery,  Boles  and  Stanwyck  all  good  players.  Enough 
said.  Business  off  on  account  100  degrees  in  the 
shade.  Running  time,  10  reels.  Played  July  12-13. — 
Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small 
town  patronage. 

PRIVATE  NUMBER:  Loretta  Young,  Robert  Tay- 
lor— -Very  entertaining  picture.  Good  story.  _  Good 
cast.  Good  entertainment.  Running  time,  80  minutes. 
Played  July  12-14— M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Lark  Theatre, 
McMinnville,  Ore.    Local  patronage. 

UNDER  TWO  FLAGS:  Ronald  Colman,  Victor  Mc- 
Laglen, Claudette  Colbert,  Rosalind  Russell — A  very 
lavish  production  that  just  falls  short  of  being  a 
great  picture.  This  was  a  very  widely  read  novel. 
The  picture  was  changed  in  that  it  started  in  Eng- 
land and  it  left  the  audience  in  the  dark  until  later 
on  in  the  picture  as  to  the  reason  that  Colman 
joined  the  Legion.  It  is  well  directed  and  the  cast 
are  all  good  in  their  parts.  Colbert,  as  usual,  gave 
■  an  outstanding  performance  as  Cigarette.  Also,  Miss 
Russell  adds  to  her  laurels  in  this  one;  she  is  a  com- 
ing star  all  right.— A.  E.  Hancock,  Columbia  Theatre. 
Columbia  City.  Ind.    General  patronage. 

UNDER  TWO  FLAGS:  Ronald  Colman,  Claudette 
Colbert,  Victor  McLaglen,  Rosalind  Russell— A  first- 
class  production  that  didn't  do  as  much  business  as 
it  deserves.  Played  July  12-13. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace 
Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  patronage. 

UNDER  TWO  FLAGS:  Ronald  Colman,  Victor 
McLaglen,  Claudette  Colbert,  Rosalind  Russell— The 
Herald  rates  this  one  the  Box  Office  Champ  for  May. 
We  must  be  way  out  of  step  out  here;  great  cast,  lots 
and  lots  of  money  spent,  and  it  is  a  good  picture,  well 
lots  of  money  spent,  and  it  is  a  good  picture,  well 
directed,  well  produced  visually,  but  it  drags  plenty 
and  the  stars  were  pretty  much  wasted,  to  our  way 
of  thinking.  Countless  extras,  a  minion  gun  shots  and 
a  tremendous  expanse  of  sand  beautifully  photographed 
don't  all  together  make  up  for  a  trite  old  story  that 
frankly  bores  a  bit.  Didn't  go  well.  Running  time. 
12  reels.  Played  July  9-10.— Henry  Reeve,  Mission 
Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.    Small  town  patronage. 


United  Artists 


AMATEUR  GENTLEMAN,  A:  Douglas  Fairbanks. 
Jr.,  Elissa  Landi— The  extreme  hot  weather  made  it 
impossible  for  our  patrons  to  sleep  at  home.  This 
picture  made  it  possible  for  them  to  sleep  at  the  the- 
atre in  cool  comfort.  It  just  drags  and  drags.  Its  two- 
day  engagement  seemed  like  two  weeks.  Running  time. 
94  minutes.  Played  July  15-16.— Ralph  Cokain,  In- 
diana Theatre,  Marion,  Ind.    General  patronage. 

AMATEUR  GENTLEMAN,  THE:  Douglas  Fair- 
banks, Jr.,  Elissa  Landi— As  rank  as  three-year-old 
butter.  A  dud.  Heave  it  in  the  can.  Running  time. 
97  minutes.  Played  Julv  6-9. — M.  W.  Mattecheck, 
Lark  Theatre,  McMinnville,  Ore.   Local  patronage. 

KID  MILLIONS:  Eddie  Cantor,  Ann  Sothern— The 
name  brings  them  in  and  satisfaction  is  general, 
though  it  is  not  in  a  class  to  get  excited  about.  The 
color  section  "The  Ice  Cream  Factory"  is  fine  photog- 
raphy and  good  comedy.  Played  July  10-11.— O.  Ing- 
mar  Oleson,  Sons  of  Norway  Theatre,  Ambrose,  N.  D. 
Small  town  patronage. 

SPLENDOR:  Miriam  Hopkins.  Joel  McCrea— Pretty 
good  play.  Would  be  better  on  stage  than  screen. 
Still  gets  by  okav.    Small  draw.   Played  July  3-4.— L. 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


83 


A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General 
patronage. 

STRIKE  ME  PINK:  Eddie  Cantor,  Ethel  Merman— 
A  good  p.cture.  The  finale  had  the  folks  in  an  up- 
roar. Played  July  19-20.— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  The- 
atre, Penacook,  N.  H.  General  patronage. 


Universal 

SHOW  BOAT:  Irene  Dunne,  Allan  Jones,  Paul 
Robeson,  Helen  Morgan — Not  the  big  special  Universal 
tries  to  make  you  believe.  After  we  got  through  play- 
ing this  and  figured  up,  we  had  nothing  left.  Univer- 
sal Pictures  just  don't  make  money  for  us.  Running 
time,  112  minutes.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  The- 
atre, Griswold,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 


Warner  Brothers 

BOULDER  DAM:  Ross  Alexander,  Patricia  Ellis— 
An  interesting  action  play.  Many  expressed  disap- 
pointment that  there  were  not  more  shots  of  the 
jam  works.  Played  June  30. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace 
Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  patronage. 

DR.  SOCRATES:  Paul  Muni,  Barton  MacLane,  Ann 
Dvorak — Very  good  picture.  Scene  takes  place  in  an 
average  small  town  environment.  It  is  not  as  much 
■of  a  gangster  picture  as  it  is  played  up  to  be.  Many 
of  our  patrons  had  read  the  story.  For  some  reason 
it  did  not  show  up  at  the  box  office  as  we  had  ex- 
pected. Played  July  3-4. — O.  Ingmar  Oleson,  Sons  of 
-Norway  Theatre,  Ambrose,  N.  D.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

I  MARRIED  A  DOCTOR:  Pat  O'Brien,  Josephine 
Hutchinson — Fair  production.  Shows  up  small  towners 
at  their  worst.  Played  July  1-2. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace 
Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  patronage. 

PETRIFIED  FOREST,  THE:  Leslie  Howard,  Bette 
Davis — Very  well  liked  and  did  a  satisfactory  busi- 
ness. Running  time,  83  minutes.  Played  July  8-9. — 
M.  W.  Mattecheck,  Lark  Theatre,  McMinnville,  Ore. 
Local  patronage. 

SONS  O'  GUNS:  Joe  E.  Brown,  Joan  Blondell— Fit 
in  rather  nicely  for  the  toughest  holiday  of  the  year. 
Believe  it  or  not,  business  was  slightly  above  average. 
The  picture  was  not  quite  up  to  the  usual  Joe  E. 
Brown  standard.  Played  July  4-6. — A.  H.  Edwards, 
•Orpheum  Theatre,  Orwigsburg,  Pa.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

TIMES  SQUARE  PLAYBOY:  Warren  William, 
June  Travis — This  one  missed;  dialogue  too  heavy  and 
what  little  comedy  moments  there  were  did  not  offset 
the  incessant  talk,  and  not  too  much  to  the  scenario. — 
A.  E.  Hancock,  Columbia  Theatre,  Columbia  City, 
Ind.    General  patronage. 


Short  Features 
Columbia 

ANTS  IN  THE  PANTRY:  3  Stooges— A  funny 
though  insane  comedy. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre, 
Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

HIS  MARRIAGE  MIXUP:  Harry  Langdon— Poor 
■comedy.  Langdon  deserves  better  story  plot. — L.  A. 
Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

HUNTERS'  PARADISE:  New  World  of  Sport 
■Series — An  excellent  nature  reel. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles 
Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

MAJOR  GOOGLE:  Barney  Google— Not  so  hot.  Not 
in  the  class  with  the  others  in  this  series. — C.  L.  Niles, 
-Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 


Educational 

HE'S  A  PRINCE:  Tom  Howard— A  comedy  of  the 
oetter  class.  Will  please  them  all.  Running  time,  two 
Teels.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D. 
Small  town  patronage. 

IT  HAPPENED  ALL  RIGHT:  Tim  and  Irene— Silly 
comedy. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook, 
N.  H.  General  patronage. 


RHYTHM  OF  PAREE:  Musical  Comedies— A  dandy 
musical  comedy,  and  how  they  can  laugh.  Better  than 
average.  Running  time,  two  reels. — Rudolf  Duba, 
Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.   Small  town  patronage. 

RUNT,  THE:  Paul  Terry-Toons— Fair  cartoon  — 
— L.  A.  Irwin.  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  Gen 
eral  patronage. 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 

AQUATIC  ARTISTRY:  MGM  Sports  Parade— A 
fine  swimming  and  diving  reel. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles 
Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

LA  FIESTA  DE  SANTA  BARBARA:  Musical  Re- 
vues— Excellent  color  short.   Stars  at  play  with  music. 


— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

OLD  MILL  POND,  THE:  Harman-Ising— One  of 
the  cleverest  colored  cartoons  to  date.  The  frogs  put 
on  a  show:  the  Mills  Brothers,  Cab  Calloway,  Robin- 
son, etc.,  are  immense.  Will  please  all. — C.  L.  Niles, 
Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

RIO  DE  JANEIRO,  CITY  OF  SPLENDOR:  Fitz- 
Patrick  Travel  Talks — As  usual,  an  excellent  colored 
travel  reel,  beautiful,  educational  and  pleasing. — C.  L. 
Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 


Paramount 

TIME  FOR  LOVE:  Color  Classics— A  clever  colored 
cartoon. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 


RKO  Radio 

BOLD  KING  COLE:  Rainbow  Parade  Cartoons— A 
good  cartoon  that  will  get  by. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles 
Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

GENTLEMEN'S  SPORTS:  Sports  with  Bill  Corum 
— Bill  shows  and  describes  several  sporting  fads  that 
appeal  to  men. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Pena- 
cook, N.  H.  General  patronage. 

HERMITS    OF    CRABLAND:    Struggle  to  Live 

Series — Interesting.    Crabs  in  their  natural  sphere. — 

L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

HOME  WORK:  Leon  Errol— This  was  very  good. 
Lots  of  laughs  and  fun.  Running  time,  two  reels. — 
Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small 
town  patronage. 

MOLLY  MOO  COW  AND  THE  BUTTERFLIES: 

Rainbow  Parade  Cartoons — Another  dandy  cartoon  in 
beautiful  color. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Pena- 
cook, N.  H.  General  patronage. 

MOLLY  MOO  COW  AND  THE  INDIANS:  Rain- 
bow .Parade  Cartoons — Splendid  cartoon. — L.  A.  Irwin, 
Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

MOLLY  MOO  COW  AND  RIP  VAN  WINKLE: 

Rainbow  Parade  Cartoons — Not  quite  up  to  standard 
of  two  previous  Molly  Moo  Cows. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace 
Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  patronage. 


NIGHT  LIFE:  Headliner  Series — Very  good  musical 
comedy.  Just  went  by  with  "Top  Hat."  Running 
time,  two  reels. — Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kim- 
ball, S.  D.  Small  town  patronage. 

TOMORROWS  HALFBACKS:  Sports  with  Bill 
Corum — Okay  football  subject. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace 
Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

WILL  POWER:  Edgar  Kennedy  Comedies— Good 
Kennedy  comedy.— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Pena- 
cook, N.  H.  General  patronage. 


United  Artists 

THROUGH  THE  MIRROR:  Mickey  Mouse— An- 
other excellent  Mickey  in  color. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles 
Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

WISE  LITTLE  HEN,  THE:  Silly  Symphonies- 
Good  symphony,  but  missed  hearing  the  characters 
themselves  doing  the  talking.  Music  not  as  good  as 
that  with  average  Silly  S. — O.  Ingmar  Oleson,  Sons 
of  Norway  Theatre,  Ambrose,  N.  D.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 


Vitaphone 

MEET  THE  KERNEL:  Melody  Masters— A  fine 
musical  single  reel.— C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Ana- 
mosa, Iowa.    General  patronage. 

REGULAR  KIDS:  Broadway  Brevities— Okay  color 
reel  with  talented  youngsters  entertaining. — L.  A. 
Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  pat- 
ronage. 


Miscellaneous 

LOUIS-SCHMELING  FIGHT  FILM:  Best  fight 
film  yet  made.  You  know  what  it  has  done  in  the 
cities;  it  will  do  it  everywhere.  A  natural  and  it 
delivers  the  goods  in  clear  photography.  None  of  the 
usual  kicks  on  this  one.  Running  time,  three  reels. — 
Henry  Reeve,  Mission  Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.  Small 
town  patronage. 

METROPOLITAN  LIFE  INSURANCE  COM- 
PANY: Cartoon — An  excellent  colored  cartoon. — C.  L. 
Niles.  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 


IS  THIS  YOUR  THEATRE? 
THEN  COOL  WITH  ROTO-BEAMS 

When  a  great  theatre  chain  like  R.  K.  O.  uses 
Roto- Beams,  there  MUST  be  a  good  reason. 


To  assure  good  summer  box 
office  receipts  your  patrons 
must  have  comfort — there  must 
be  a  constant  flow  of  cooling, 
revitalized  air.  There  must  be 
no  prohibitive  costs  to  eat  your 
profits.  That  is  why  R.  K.  O. 


has  installed  Roto-Beams. 
•  Roto-Beam  eliminates  noise 
and  drafts.  Heat  is  expelled 
as  new  air  is  drawn  in— gentle 
air  movements  from  ceiling  to 
floor,  from  wall  to  wall,  keep 
your  audiences  refreshed. 


AIR  BEAM  CIRCULATOR  CO. 

512   FIFTH  AVENUE,   NEW  YORK 


Let  us  demonstrate  the  efficiency  of 


ROTO  BEAM  CORPORATION 

3300  INDIANA  AVENUE.  CHICAGO 


84 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


August    I,  1936 


111 


THEATRE  RECEIPTS 


The  total  of  theatre  receipts  for  the  calendar  week  ended  July  25,  1936,  from 
1 06  theatres  in  I  8  major  cities  of  the  country  was  $995,703,  an  increase  of  $56,703  over 
the  total  for  the  preceding  week  ended  July  18,  1936,  when  106  theatres  in  18  large 
cities  aggregated  $939,000. 


(Copyright,  1936.    Reproduction  of  material  from  this  department  without  credit  to  Motion  Picture  Herald  expressly  forbidden) 

Theatres 


Current  Week 


Previous  Week 


Boston 

Boston    3.246  35c-65c 

Fenway    1,382  30c-50c 


Keith's  Memorial 
Loew's  Orpheum. 

Loew's  State  .... 
Metropolitan   

Paramount   


Buffalo 

Buffalo 
Century 


Great  Lakes 
Hippodrome 
Lafayette 


Chicago 

Apollo  . . 
Chicago 

Garrick  . 
Oriental  . 
Palace  .. 


Roosevelt  .. 
State- Lake 


2,907 
2,970 

3,537 

4,332 

1,793 

3.489 
3.000 

3.000 

2.500 

3,300 

1.400 
4,000 

900 
3,490 

,  2,509 

1,591 
2,776 


United  Artists... 

Cleveland 

Allen    3,300 


Hippodrome    3,800 

RKO  Palace   3,100 


25c-65c 
25c-55c 

25c-55c 

35c-65c 

25c -50c 

30c -50c 
25c 

25c -40c 

30c-50c 

25c 

30c -60c 
35c -68c 

30c -60c 
25c -40c 
25c-60c 

30c-60c 
20c-35c 


1,700      30c -60c 


30c -42c 
30c-60c 


State                       3,400  30c -42c 

Stillman                  1,900  25c-35c 

Denver 

Aladdin                    1,500  25c-50c 

Broadway                1,500  25c- 40c 

Center                    1,500  20c-35c 

Denham                   1,500  25c-40c 


Picture 

"Yellow  Dust" '  (Radio)  and. 
Brilliant  Marriage"  (Inv.) 


Gross 


7,400 


"The  Crime  of  Doctor  Forbes"  (20th  3,000 
Century-Fox)  and  "The  Big  Noise" 
(W.B.) 

"I  Stand  Condemned"  (U.A.)  and..  8.000 
"M'Liss"  (Radio) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   9,600 

(4th  week) 


"San  Francisco"  (MGM). 
(4th  week) 


8,900 


"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)   18,000 

(plus  stage  band) 

"The  Crime  of  Doctor  Forbes"  (20th  4,800 
Century-Fox)  and  "The  Big  Noise" 
(W.B.) 


'The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  10,168 

"And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)  and..  4,835 
'Champagne  Charlie"  (20th  Cent. -Fox) 


'Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)... 


'Poor  Little  Rich  Girl" 
(20th  Cent. -Fox) 


'Parole"  (Univ.)  and... 
'Roaming  Lady"  (Col.) 


8,200 


8,200 


7,000 


"Devil  Doll"   (MGM)   6,000 

"Spendthrift"  (Para.)   25,000 

(On  stage :  Milton  Berle  and  Revue) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    5,000 


"The  Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"   17,600 

(Para.) 

(On  stage:  Louis  Armstrong  and  Band) 
"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  24,500 
(On  stage:  Herman  Timberg,  Dickie 
Moore  and  vaudeville)  (30c-60c) 

"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.  B.) . .  11,200 

"Special  Investigator"   (Radio)   14,300 

(On  stage:  Ooh  La  La  Paree  Revue) 


'San  Francisco"  (MGM) 
(4th  week) 


15,200 


30c-42c      "The  Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.)   4,250 


'Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   14,000 

(20th  Century-Fox) 

'Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   13,500 

(On     stage:     Harriet  Hoctor, 
Roger  Pryor) 
'Thirteen  Hours  By  Air"  (Para.)..  9,00') 


'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   11,000 

(30c-42c) 

"The  White  Angel"   (F.N.)   3,000 


"Secret  Agent"  (GB)   900 

(4  davs) 

"Educating  Father"  (20th  Cent. -Fox)  600 
and  "High  Tension"  (20th  Cent. -Fox) 
(3  days) 

"Doughnuts  and  Society"  (Mascot)  3,000 

(15c-35c)  (plus  stage  show) 
"Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.)...  4,500 


Picture  Gross 

"Pride  of  the  Marines"  (Col.)   8,000 


"The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   3,400 

(Para.)  and  "The  Song  and  Dance 
Man"  (20th  Cent. -Fox) 

"Secret  Agent"  (GB)   8.000 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   12.000 

(3rd  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   11.000 

(3rd  week) 

"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  Cent.  18,000 
Fox)  (on  stage:  Rita  Rio  and  band) 

"The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   4.500 

(Para.)  and  "The  Song  and  Dance 
Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


'The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  13,900 
Cent.-Fox) 

'Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   7,100 

'Call  of  the  Prairie"  (Para.) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   9,200 

(3rd  week) 

'The  Crime  of  Dr.   Forbes"   (20th  4,800 
Cent.-Fox)  and  "Brides  Are  Like 
That"  (F.N.) 

'Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.)  and   6,500 

'And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.) 


'Counterfeit"  (Col.)    4,000 

(2nd  week) 
"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)....  34.000 
(on  stage:  Milt  Berle  and  revue) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   4,200 


'Boulder  Dam"  (W.B.)   15,500 

(on  stage:  Mitzi  Green  and  revue) 

'It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   24,000 

(on  stage:  Phil  Baker  and  Connie 
Boswell) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    9,000 

"Collusion"  (Majestic)    11,000 

(on  stage:  Armida  and  vaude- 
ville) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   16,500 

(3rd  week) 

"Dancing  Pirate"  (Radio)   1,600 

(4  days) 

"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.)...  1,900 
(3  days) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)....  8,500 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)   12,000 

(on  stage:  Edgar  Kennedy  and 
Sylvia  Froos) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   15,000 

(2nd  week) 


"The  Moon's  Our  Home"  (Para.)...  4,000 

"Secret  Agent"  (GB)   2,000 

"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)   1,500 


"The  Girl  from  Mandalay"  (Repub-  2.000 

lie)  (plus  stage  show) 
"Spendthrift"  (Para.)   3,500 


2,500 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  9-7  "Hot  Tip"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show  "Folies  Bergere") 
Low  6-13-36  "The  Harvester"  and  ) 

"Abdul  the  Damned  j  4.600 

High  3-14-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pas-  ) 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  )  8,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  ( 
"Ladies  Crave   Excitement"  ( 

High  2-29-36  "Follow  the  Fleet"   37,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"    5,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   25,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"  and  1 

"Half   Angel"  )  9,000 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  24,500 
Low  7-6  "Sanders  of   the  River"  and  ) 

"Unknown  Woman"  (  7,500 

High  4-6  "Private  Worlds"   56,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  7-20  "Men  Without  Names"   14,000 

High  3-14-36  "The    Story    of  Louis  Pas-  ) 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  (  15,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  I 

"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"     )  4,000 


High  4-27  "Mississippi"   23,800 

Low  7-27  "Broadway  Gondolier"   6,600 

High  1-11-36  "King  of   Burlesque"   9,500 

Low  8-3  "Mad  Love"  and  ( 

"Dog  of  Flanders"                  j  3,800 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   22,000 

Low   4-11-36   "Three   Godfathers"   and  ) 

"Her   Master's   Voice"     (  4,900 

High  2-9  "David  Copperfield"   17,200 

l  ow    4-11-36    "Timothy's    Quest"    and  | 

"My  Marriage"               [  3,800 

High   1-12  "Broadway   Bill"   17,100 

Low  7-27  "A  Notorious  Gentleman"  nnd  ) 

"Strange  Wives"                    (  4,100 


High  3-21-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pasteur"  11,800 

Low  5-25  "The  Devil  is  a  Woman"   1,000 

High  1-18-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  56,600 
Low  4-27  "Living  on  Velvet"   24,000 

High  1-4-36  "The  Man  Who  Broke  the 

Bank  at  Monte  Carlo"   9,700 

Low  5-4  "One  New  York  Night"   3,000 

High  11-2  "Woman   Wanted"   25,500 

(on  stage.  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 
Low  9-21  "Man  on  the  Flying  Trapeze"  13,400 
High  5-30-36  "Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"  35.200 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor  and  Radio 

Show) 

Low  4-11-36  "Love   Before  Breakfast"..  6,000 

High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"   27.000 

Low  11-23  "O'Shaughnessy's  Boy"   7,000 

High  3-23  "The  Little  Minister"   17,000 

Low  7-20  "Alias  Mary  Dow"   8,000 

High  2-29-36  "Modern  Times"   35,500 

Low  4-13  "Vanessa:    Her  Love  Story"..  10,000 


High  1-12  "Bright  Eyes"   9,000 

Low  6-22  "The  Daring  Young  Man"   1,300 


High  9-21  "Top  Hat"   27,500 

Low  8-24  "Dante's  Inferno"   5,250 

High  4-6  "Transient  Lady"    39,000 

Low  6-8  "Break  of  Hearts"   5,500 

High  4-18-36  "Petticoat  Fever"   40,500 

(on  stage:  Jack   Benny  and  Mary 
Livingston) 

Low  3-16  "Folies  Bergere"   6,000 

High  7-25-36  "San  Francisco"   11,000 

Low  5-9-36  "Too  Many  Parents"   2,000 


High  3-28-36  "Little  Lord  Fauntleroy". .  5,000 
Low  6-22  "Nell    Gwyn"   and  / 

"My  Heart  Is  Calling"           J  600 

High  5-16-36  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"   8,000 

(50c-$1.36) 

Low  12-28  "Unfinished  Symphony"   300 


High  2-29-36  "Klondike  Annie"   13.000 

Low  8-24  "Without   Regret"   1.750 


Denver    2,500      25c -50c 


Orpheum    2.600  25c-40c 


"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl  (20th..  12,000 
Cent.-Fox)  (plus  stage  band) 


"San  Francisco"  (MGM)  and   8,500 

"Three  Godfathers"  (MGM) 
(3rd  week) 


"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.).... 


"San  Francisco"  (MGM)  and. 
"Three  Godfathers"  (MGM) 
(2nd  week) 


,500       High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   15.000 

Low  12-28  "Here  Comes  the  Band"   1.500 


10,000 


High  5-18  "Romance  in  Manhattan".  ..  16.000 
Low   12-28   "The   Perfect   Gentleman"...  2.000 


August     I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


35 


[THEATRE  RECEIPTS" CCNT'EJ 


Theatres 


Current  Week 


Previous  Week 


Picture 


Gross 


Picture 


Gross 


Hollywood 

Chinese    2,500  30c-55c 

Pantages    3.000  25c-40c 

W.  B.  Hollywood  3,000  25c-40c 

Indianapolis 

Apollo    1,100  25c-40c 

Circle    2,800  2Sc-40c 

Loew's    2,800  25c-40c 

Lyric    2,000  25c  -40c 

Kansas  City 

Mainstreet    3,100  25c-40c 

Midland    4,000  25c-40c 

Newman    1,900  25c-40c 

Tower    2,000  25c 

Uptown    2,000  25c-40c 

Los  Angeles 

Carthay    1,518  50c-$1.50 

Filmarte    800  30c-40c 

Four  Star    900  30c-55c 

Grand  Intern't'l..    750  35c-40c 

Hillstreet    2,700  25c-40c 

Loew's  State  ...  2,500  30c-55c 

i_    Paramount    3,596  30c-55c 

W.  B.  Downtown  3,400  25c -40c 

Minneapolis 

Lyric    1,239  20c-25c 

i^Minnesota    4,000  25c-55c 

RKO  Orpheura...  2,900  25c-40c 

State    2,300  25c-40c 

World    400  25c -40c 

Montreal 

Capitol    2,547  25c -60c 

Loew's    3,115  25c-60c 

Palace    2,600  25c-65c 

Princess    2,272  25c-65c 

I 

New  York 

Astor   1,141  55c-$2.20 

Capitol    4,700  25c-85c 

Palace    2,500  25c -75c 

Paramount    3,700  35c-99c 

Rialto    594  25c-65c 

r    Rivoli    2,200  40c -99c 

RKO  Music  Hall  5,954  40c-$1.65 

L    Roxy    6,200  25c -55c 

|    S'trand    3,000  25c- 55c 


"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   (20th  12.000 
(Cent. -Fox)  and  "Educating  Father" 
(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"  (20th  6,000 
Cent.-Fox)  and  "M'Liss"  (Radio) 


"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and. 
"Boulder  Dam"  (W.B.) 


9.500 


"State  Fair"  (20th  Century  -  Fox) . .  3,300 
"The   Green   Pastures"    (W.B.)   5.000 


'The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and. 
'We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 


'The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes". 
(20th  Century-Fox) 
(plus  vaudeville) 


6,200 
7,800 


8,000 


'Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.). 
(8  days) 

'The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)   10.000 

'The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)....  11,500 
(8  days) 

'The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)   7,000 

.  (plus  stage  show) 

"Dracula's  Daughter"   (Univ.)   and  3,400 
'High  Tension"  (20th  Century-Fox) 
(6  days -2nd  week) 


'The  Great  Ziegfe'id"  (MGM)   12,600 

(14th  week) 

'It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   1,750 

"Song  of  China"  (Douglas  MacLean) 

and   "The  Plow  That   Broke  the 

Plains" 

'Secret  Agent"  (GB)   4,800 

(6  days) 

•Ecstasy"  (Eureka)    4,500 

(6  days) 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"  (20th  6,000 
Cent.-Fox)  and  "M'Liss"  (Radio) 

"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  15,000 
Cent.-Fox)  and  "Educating  Father" 
(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  and   16,000 

"Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.) 

'Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and..  10.000 
'Boulder  Dam"  (W.B.) 

'Sons  O'  Guns  (W.B.)   2,10C 

"The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) .  19,000 

(on  stage:  Marx  Brothers)  (25c-65c) 
"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  6,250 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)   5,500 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   2,500 

(5th  week) 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)  and   7,500 

"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.) 

"The  Witness  Chair"  (Radio)  and..  9.000 
"Hot  Money"  (W.  B.) 

(plus  vaudeville  on  stage) 

"San   Francisco"   (MGM)   10.500 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)  and   6,500 

"Ourselves  Alone"  (British) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   14,700 

(15th  week) 
"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   26,000 

(4th  week) 

"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  4,800 
Cent.-Fox)  and  "Dancing  Pirate" 
(Radio) 

"Early  to  Bed"   (Para.)   24,000 

(on  stage:  Bob  Crosby  and  Orch.) 

"And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)   7,200 

"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)  20,000 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   94,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)....  22,000 
(plus  stage  show) 

"Public   Enemy's   Wife"    (F.N.)....  13.500 


"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  7,250 
"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 

'The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)  and  5,100 
'Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

(2nd  week) 

'Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)  and  10,000 
'Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.) 


"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)....  3,000 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)  3,500 
and  "Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio) 


'Dancing  Lady"  (MGM),  "The  Big  7,000 
House"  (MGM)  and  "It  Happened 
in  Indianapolis" 

'White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)....  7,500 
(on  stage:  Roger  Pryor  and  revue) 


"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)....  9,603 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   10,500 

(3rd  week) 

"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)   8,050 

"Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.)   7,400 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Things  to  Come"  (U.A.)   1.500 

(3  days) 

"Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)  and..  3,000 
"High  Tension"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(4  days-lst  week) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   10.500 

(13th  week) 

"Song  of  China"  (Douglas  MacLean)  1,600 


'It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   2,700 

(3rd  week) 
'Lordagskvallar"  (Swedish)    1,700 


"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)  and  5,400 
"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

(2nd  week) 
"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  9,000 
"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 

'Poppy"  (Para.)    12,600 

(plus  stage  show) 

(2nd  week) 
'Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)  and  10,500 
"Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.) 

"The  Country  Beyond"  (20th  Cent.-  1.900 
Fox) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   14,000 

(2nd  week) 
"The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)...   8,500 

"Spendthrift"  (Para.)    5,503 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   2,500 

(4th  week) 


'Bullets  or  Ballots"  (F.N.)  and....  8,000 
•Educating  Father"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

'Dracula's  Daughter"  (Univ.)  and  8,500 
'Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.) 

(plus  stage  show)  (30c-60c) 


'The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)... 


10,500 


'The  Lady  Consents"  (Radio)  and  6,500 
'Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"  (Radio) 


'The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   13,600 

(14th  week) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   39,000 

(3rd  week) 

'High  Tension"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  5,000 
"Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    18,000 

(on  stage:  Harriet  Hilliard  and 
Ozzie  Nelson)  (4th  week) 
"Mine  With  the  Iron  Door"  (Col.) . .  5.500 

"I  Stand  Condemned"  (U.A.)   4,500 

(2nd  week) 
"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)...  65,000 
(plus  stage  show) 

'Fatal  Lady"  (Para.)   20.000 

(plus  stage  show) 

"PnMir  Ftiemv',,  W,'f»"  fV  \T  1  i;nnn 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 


High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"   26,000 

Low  5-4  "West  Point  of  the  Air"   4,900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"    19,000 

Low  4-13  "Mister  Dynamite"  and  I 

"Great  God  Gold"  j  2,500 

High  9-7  "Page  Miss  Glory"   15,300 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"    4,000 


High  3-14-36  "The  Country  Doctor"....  8,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"    1,608 

High  4-25-36  "The  Moon's  Our  Home") 

and  "Silly   Billies"            (  9,700 
(in   place   of   "Silly    Billies,"   on  stage 
Lum  'n'  Abner  for  Saturday  and  Sunday) 

Low  3-16  "Transient  Lady"   2,000 

High  2-15-36  "Exclusive  Story"   15,000 

(on  stage:  Cab  Calloway  and  band) 

Low  4-6  "Casino  Murder  Case"   2,750 

High   3-28-36   "The    Leathernecks  Have 

Landed"   13,300 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 

Low  2-7  "Murder  of  Dr.  Harrigan"   5.700 

(on  stage:  vaudeville) 

High  11-23  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs"  22,000 

Low  1-12  "I  Sell  Anything"   2.000 

High  8-24  "China  Seas"   25,000 

Low  9-14  "Bonnie  Scotland"   6,000 

High  5-25  "Goin'  to  Town"   14,000 

Low  5-18  "Dinky"    3,000 

High   1-18-36  "Magnificent  Obsession"..  14,500 

Low  3-14-36  "Lady  of  Secrets"   5,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

High  9-7  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"..  11,000 

Low  7-27  "Black  Sheep"    2,100 


High  4-27  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   4,000 

Low  6-29  "Song  of  Happiness"   800 


High  5-18  "Les  Miserables"   7,800 

Low  12-17  "The  Return  of  Peter  Grimm"  2,400 

High  7-25-36  "Ecstasy"   4,500 

(5  days) 

Low  12-7  "Such  a  Girl  You  Never  Forget  900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"    17,000 

Low  11-2  "Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"....  2,800 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   24,500 

Low  10-26  "Way  Down  East"   6,200 

High  8-10  "Paris  in  Spring"   32,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  9,126 
( plus  stage  show)  (5  days) 

High   1-11-36  "Captain   Blood"   17,100 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"    3,800 

High  7-25-36  "Sons  O'  Guns"   2,100 

Low  8-17  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  ) 

"Sanders  of  the  River"         )  1,200 
High  1-4-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  31,326 

Low  4-4-36  "Klondike  Annie"    8,000 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"    18,000 

Low  6-13-36  "The  Golden  Arrow"   3,000 

High  11-2  "Broadway  Melody  of  1936"..  7,000 

Low  5-30-36  "The  Unguarded  Hour"   5.000 

High  6-8  "Thunder  in  the  East"   5,000 

Low  11-16  "Born  for  Glory"   2.000 

High  2-9  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"   15,500 

Low  8-3  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"  and  1 

"College    Scandal"                     (  7,000 
High  1-11-36  "Broadway    Hostess"  and) 

"The  Rainmakers"             j  15,000 
Low  6-15  "Mark  of  the  Vampire"  and) 

"Baby    Face   Harrington"       )  5,500 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on   the  Bounty"   15,000 

Low  7-20  "Drake  of   England"   and  ) 

"The  Nitwits"                         f  7,500 
High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"  and  ) 

"Guard  That  Girl"             (  12,500 
Low  12-28  "Remember  Last  Night?"  ) 

and  "East  of  Java"            J  3,000 


High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"   87,400 

Low  5-30-36  "Three  Wise  Guys"   7,000 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"    15,000 

Low  7-25-36  "The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  ) 

and  "Dancing  Pirate"  j  4.S0O 
High  1-19  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"..  65,300 
Low  12-21  "Millions  in  the  Air"   10,000 

High  2-15-36  "Modern  Times"   65,000 

Low  6-29  "Nell  Gwvn"    8,100 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"   131,200 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low   11-30   "Crime   and    Punishment"...  45,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  1-4-36  "If  You  Could  Only  Cook"..  62.000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  4-20  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   17,500 

(plus  stage  show) 


S6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I  ,    19  3  6 


[THEATRE  RECEIPTS— CCNT'CJ 


Theatres 


Current  Week 


'revious 


Week 


Picture 


Gross  Picture 


Gross 


Oklahoma  City 

Capitol    1,200  10c-41c 

Criterion    1,700  10c-55c 

Liberty    1,500  10c-36c 

Midwest    1,500  10c-55c 

Omaha 

Brandeis    1,200  25c-40c 

Omaha    2,200  25c-40c 

Orpheum    3,000  25c-40c 

Philadelphia 

Arcadia    600  25c-50c 

Boyd    2,400  40c-55c 

Earle    2,000  25c-55c 

Fox    3,000  40c-65c 

Karlton    1,066  25c-40c 

Keith's    2,000  30c-50c 

Stanley    3,700  40c-55c 

Stanton    1,700  30c-50c 

Portland,  Ore. 

Blue  Mouse    1,700  30c-40c 

Broadway    1,912  30c-40c 

Mayfair    1,700  30c-40c 

Orpheum    1,700  30c-40c 

Paramount    3,008  30c-40c 

United  Artists...     945  30c-40c 

San  Francisco 

Clay    400  15c-35c 

Embassy    1,400  15c-35c 

Fox    5,651  10c-35c 

Golden  Gate  ....  2,800  15c-40c 

Orpheum    2,440  13c -40c 

Paramount    2,670  15c-40c 

St.    Francis   1,430  15c-40c 

Warfield    2,700  15c-40c 

Seattle 

Blue  Mouse   950  25c-55c 


Fifth  Avenue....  2,500  25c-55c 

Liberty                  1,800  15c-55c 

Music  Box               950  25c-55c 

Orpheum                2,450  25c-40c 

Palomar                 1,500  15c-30c 

Paramount              3,050  15c-30c 


"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Century  -  Fox) . .  2,400 

"Florida  Special"  (Para.)   8,000 

(plus  stage  revue) 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Century-Fox)  1,600 

(4  davs) 

"Every  Saturday  Night"  (20th   400 

Century -Fox)  (3  days) 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   5,500 


'The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  5,700 
and  "The  Last  Outlaw"  (Radio) 

•The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   5,600 

(7J4  days) 


'The  Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"..  7,200 
(Para.)     and     "Everybody's  Old 
Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


•Hands  Across  the  Table"  (Para.)..  800 
(3  days) 

'Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine"  (Para.)  950 
(4  days) 

'The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  8,500 

'Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  13,000 

(on  stage:  Edgar  Kennedy  and 
other  acts) 
"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  Cent.-  14,500 
Fox) 

(on  stage:  Paul  Ash  and  Revue) 
(3rd  week) 

"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM)   2,100 

"Little  Miss  Nobodv"  (20th  Cent.-  2,700 
Fox) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   17,500 

(3rd  week) 
"Return  of  Sophie  Lang"  (Para.) . .  5,500 


'Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)  2,000 
and  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 

(12th  week) 
'Earthworm  Tractor"  (F.N.)  and..  6,000 
'Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.) 

(2nd  week) 
"The  Melody  Lingers  On"  (U.A.)  4,000 
and  "The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.) 


'White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  7,000 
'Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio) 

'The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  7,000 
Cent.-Fox)    and    "The   Return  of 
Sophie  Lang"  (Para.)    (2nd  week) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   6,000 

(5th  week) 


'Lost  on  the  Riviera"  (Europa)  


950 


'Amateur  Gentleman"  (U.A.)  and..  3,500 
'The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio) 


'Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Century-Fox)  7,650 
and  "We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 

"Shakedown"   (Col.)    16,300 

(plus  stage  band) 


"Private  Life  of  Henry  VIII"  (U.A.)  7,000 
and  "Blackmailer"  (Col.) 

"San   Francisco"   (MGM)  14,000 

(3rd  week) 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Century-Fox)  6,500 
and  "Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.) 

"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  Cent.-  16,000 
Fox)  and  "Educating  Father"  (20th 
Fox)  / 


"Hot  Money"  (W.B.)  and    3,350 

"Steele-Risko  Fight  Film" 


"San    Francisco"    (MGM)   7,100 

(3rd  week) 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)..  3,830 
(15  th  week) 

"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (F.N.)   2,950 


"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and..  5,200 
"Secret  Agent"  (GB) 

"The  Harvester"  (Republic)   3,650 

(plus  stage  show) 

"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM)  and  4,200 
"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

(20c -30c) 


'Dancing  Lady"   (MGM)   4,000 

(8  days-return  engagement) 

'The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)....  4,500 
(plus  stage  show) 

'Sky  Parade"  (Para.)   1,500 

(4  days) 

'Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"   600 

(Radio)  (3  days) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    3,800 

'The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)  and   5,700 

'The  Harvester"  (Republic) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)  and   6,950 

The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(6J/i  days  -  2nd  week) 

'The  Moon's  Our  Home"  (Para.)  and  7,500 
"Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM) 


'Fury"  (MGM)    2,300 


"Poppy"  (Para.)    11,000 

"And  So  They  Were  Married"  (Col.)  13,000 
(on  stage:  Three  Stooges  and 
revue)  (6  days) 
"The  Poor  Little  Rich   Girl   (20th  20,000 
Cent.-Fox) 

(on  stage:  Paul  Ash  and  revue) 
(2nd  week) 
"Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.)...  2,000 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   2,500 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   21,500 

(2nd  week) 
"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)....  6,000 


"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)  and  2,000 
"Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 

(11th  week) 
"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and..  7,000 
"Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.) 

(1st  week) 

"Times  Square  Playboy"  (W.B.)  and  4,000 
"O'Malley   of  the  Mounted"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox) 

"Private  Number"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  6,000 

and   "Little   Miss   Nobody"  (20th 

Cent.-Fox)  (3rd  week) 
"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  Cent.-  8,500 

Fox)  and  "The  Return  of  Sophie 

Lang"  (Para.)  (1st  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   5,000 

(4th  week) 


'Blue  Light"  (Du  World). 


850 


'Frankie  and  Johnnie"  (Republic)..  1,800 
and  "The  Scarlet  Letter"  (Monogram) 
(5  days) 

'And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)  and..  6,800 
"Ticket  to  Paradise"  (Republic) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  17,500 
(plus  stage  band) 


'Parole"  (Univ.)  and   7,600 

"The  Mine  with  the  Iron  Door"  (Col.) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   16,000 

(2nd  week) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)  and....  6,500 
"High  Tension"   (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  16,000 
"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.  B.) 


'The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)  and   2,200 

Louis-Schmeling  Fight  Film 
(4  davs-3rd  week) 

'Hot  Money"  (W.B.)  and   2,400 

Steele  and  Risko  Fight  Film 
(3  days) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   9,400 

(2nd  week) 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)..  3,250 
(14th  week) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   2,800 

(2nd  week) 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  5,100 
"Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.) 

"Navy  Born"  (Republic)   3,600 

(plus  stage  show) 

"The  Last  Outlaw"  (Radio)  and....  4,350 
"Murder  bv  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.I 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  193S  unless  otherwise  specified) 


High  3-9  "  Wings  in  the  Dark"   3,700 

Low  5-9-36  "Big  Brown  Eyes"   1,300 

High  9-14  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"  10,000 

Low  11-2  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs".  2,500 
High  1-19  "Gentlemen  Are  Bom"  and) 

"Crime  Doctor"                     f  4,200 
Low  10-26  "Little  Big  Shot"  and  1 

"I  Live  for  Love"               J  1,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  8,800 

Low  8-24  "The  Farmer  Takes  a  Wife"..  1,800 


High  9-14  "Top  Hat"    9,500 

Low  6-6-36  "Dancing  Pirate"  and  ) 

"Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"  J  2,600 
High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"  and  1 

"The  First  Baby"                  j  11,600 
Low  10-5  "Dante's   Inferno"   and  } 

"She  Gets  Her  Man"          )  3,600 

High  2-29-36  "Exclusive  Story".   21,150 

(on  stage:  Ted  Lewis) 
Low  12-28  "Mister    Hobo"    and  \ 

"Three  Kids  and  a  Queen")  5,800 

High  1-25  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"....  4,800 

Low  9-21  "Bonnie  Scotland"    800 


High  1-4-36  "A  Tale  of  Two  Cities"....  30,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"    6,000 

High  1-4-36  "Miss  Pacific  Fleet"   22,000 

Low  10-5  "I  Live  for  Love"   9,500 

High  5-9-36  "Under  Two  Flags"  31,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  9-28  "Redheads  on  Parade"   7,500 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"    6,300 

Low  6-1  "Dinky"    1,200 

High  4-13  "Roberta"    5,800 

Low  1-2  "The  Right  to  Live"   900 

High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   30,000 

Low  5-11  "Stolen  Harmony"   4,000 

High  1-11-36  "Riffraff"    10,000 

Low  3-23  "Captain  Hurricane"   1,800 

High  8-17  "Life  Begins  at  Forty"   2,700 

Low  6-22  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   1,400 

High  5-16-36  "The  Singing  Kid"   8,500 

Low  7-27  "Calm  Yourself"  and  ) 

"Chinatown  Squad"             J  4,000 
High    1-25-36    "A    Midsummer  Night's 

Dream"    12,000 

Low  1-19  "Behold  My  Wife"  and  ) 

"Defense  Rests"                  )  1,600 

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   9,500 

Low  11-23  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  ) 

"Wanderer  of  the  Wasteland")  4,000 

High  4-20  "Private  Worlds"   11,500 

Low  5-2-36  "The  Witness  Chair"  ) 

and  "Big  Brown  Eyes"        J  5,000 

High  5-4  "Cardinal  Richelieu"   9,000 

Low  6-8  "Age  of  Indiscretion"   4,000 


High  12-28  "Peasants"    2,500 

Low  7-11-36  "Larsson's  Second  Marriage"  800 

High  4-11-36  "Penitente  Murder  Case"...  6,500 
Low  12-7  "Two  Sinners"  and  ) 

"$1,000  a  Minute"                 J  2,000 

High  8-3  "Champagne  for  Breakfast"....  14,800 
Low  11-30  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  } 

"Freckles"                           J  4,000 
High  3-28-36  "The    Leathernecks  Have 

Landed"    29,000 

(on  stage;  Burns  and  Allen) 

Low  5-23-36  "Dancing  Pirate"   9,000 

(plus  stage  band) 

High  7-20  "Love  Me  Forever"   16,780 

Low  10-26  "King  Solomon  of  Broadway"  \ 

and  T'Fighting  Youth"            I  4.800 

High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   23,000 

Low  3-2  "Living  on  Velvet"  and  \ 

"All  the  King's  Horses"        J  8,500 

High  1-19  "The  County  Chairman"   11,000 

Low  6-29  "No  More  Ladles"   5,000 

High  10-5  "I  Live  My  Life"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  3-28-36  "Colleen"  and  1 

"Too  Many  Parents"        J  13,000 

High  11-30  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty".....  6,100 
Low  2-16  "Million  Dollar  Baby"  and  ) 

"Notorious   Gentleman"         )  2,900 


High  5-11  "Naughty  Marietta"   10,200 

Low  4-25-36  "The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome 

Pine"    2,600 

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   7,90u 

Low  4-13  "White  Lies"   and  ) 

"Happy  Landing"  (  2,700 

High  3-16  "Roberta"    6,100 

Low  1-26  "The  Man  Who  Reclaimed  His 

Head"    2,850 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"   10,400 

Low  8-31  "Dante's  Inferno"  and  ) 

"Lady  Tubbs"  J  4,800 


High  12-14  "Annie  Oakley"   9.200 

Low  6-6-36  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  and) 

"Times  Sana  re  Plavbov"      f  3,250 


August  I 


9  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


87 


MOTION 
PICTURE 
HERALD 


MANAGERS" 
ROUND  TARLE  CLUR 


zAn  international  association  of  showmen  meeting  weekly 
in  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  for  mutual  aid  and  progress 


op 


FITTING 

Pictured  in  the  news  section  of  last  week's  issue, 
the  presentation  of  the  1935  Quigley  Silver  Grand 
Award  by  Robert  W.  Bingham,  United  States  Am- 
bassador to  Great  Britain,  to  John  Armstrong  marks 
yet  another  signal  advance  in  the  international  pres- 
tige of  the  Competitions  and  their  influence  upon  the 
good  works  of  theatremen  everywhere,  intent  upon 
forceful,  profitable  showmanship. 

His  Excellency,  in  presenting  the  Plaque,  empha- 
sized that  it  had  been  won  by  an  Englishman  for  the 
first  time  in  competition  with  the  entries  of  Amer- 
ican theatremen.  The  Awards,  made  possible  by 
Mr.  Quigley,  were,  said  his  Excellency,  keenly  coveted 
and  Mr.  Armstrong's  success  an  illustration  of  the 
friendly  relations  of  the  British  and  American  film 
industries. 

It  is  fitting,  indeed,  and  also  gratifying  that 
Mr.  Bingham  should  lend  the  importance  of  his  high 
post  to  the  Quigley  Awards,  a  project  that  by  actual 
accomplishment  has  also  contributed  more  than  a 
little  in  earning  the  goodwill  and  esteem  of  our 
brother  showmen  across  the  water. 

V    V  V 

DRIVES,  DRIVES,  DRIVES 

What  ho,  friends,  to  horse — the  drive  is  on. 

Yes,  folks,  it's  Mountain  time,  Pacific  time  and  Eastern 
Standard  time — time  for  the  current  drives  announced  by  cir- 
cuits in  all  parts  of  the  country  to  bring  in  those  extra  bucks 
to  the  boxoffice. 

For  varying  periods,  managers  will  strive  with  might  and 
main,  with  every  ounce  of  ingenuity,  skill  and  sheer  guts,  work 
themselves  into  an  extra-fine  lather  to  gather  in  the  dollars. 
Grosses  will  be  whipped  up,  winners  awarded  with  money  prizes 
and  everything  is  then  supposed  to  be  fine  and  dandy  until 
the  next  drive — in  most  cases,  starting  almost  immediately. 

The  stimulation  of  theatremen  to  go  after  extra  receipts  is 
not  outside  the  picture,  but  the  weaknesses  as  are  observed 
from  this  end  of  the  table,  lie,  first,  in  the  shot-in-the-arm 
methods  employed  in  the  conventional  drive  and,  second,  in 


the  lack  of  provision  in  the  final  awards  for  the  men  who  work 
as  hard,  increase  their  grosses,  but  do  not  finish  in  the  money. 

Theatremen,  become  accustomed  to  the  artificial  stimuli  of 
drive  procedure,  sooner  or  later  begin  to  lose  their  perspective 
necessary  to  successful  week-in-and-week-out  operation.  Under 
the  strain  created  by  the  lash  of  home  office  urging,  your 
manager  will  work  at  such  fury  that  the  end  of  the  drive  will 
find  him  all-out  and  hardly  fitted  to  tackle  the  problems  of 
the  weeks  immediately  following.  Thus  all  that  might  be  gained 
during  the  Big  Push  is  in  danger  of  being  lost. 

As  to  the  second  point  in  question,  there  is  no  denying 
that  the  boys  who  give  their  all,  who  bring  in  extra  money 
but  do  not  land  among  the  winners,  are  not  getting  the  fairest 
kind  of  a  shake.  A  man  may  accomplish  everything  short  of 
a  miracle  and  still  finish  among  the  also-rans.  He,  too,  does 
his  share,  and  nobly,  but  his  only  consolation  is  that  he  may 
do  better  in  the  next  contest — but  you  can't  cross  knives  and 
forks  on  that. 

The  percentage  system  of  remuneration  in  force  by  some 
of  the  most  efficiently  operated  of  circuits,  a  plan  that  func- 
tions 52  weeks  a  year,  is  the  only  possible  method  of  coming 
anywhere  near  guaranteeing  higher  grosses  the  year  'round., 

The  manager  who  is  given  credit  for  knowing  his  business 
should  be  given  a  reasonable  slice  of  every  extra  dollar  his 
efforts  make  possible  and,  once  adopted,  the  plan  removes 
the  "drive"  evils  of  depleted  manpower  and  dissatisfied 
workers. 

:V   V  V 
A  PROFITABLE  MEDIUM 

The  increase  in  theatre  programs  carrying  merchants'  adver- 
tising backs  up  our  oft  expressed  opinion  that  here  is  a 
medium  to  be  utilized  profitably  by  theatremen  in  many  spots 
relying  too  much  on  newspaper  publicity. 

"Screen  News",  a  smart  16-page,  pocket-size  magazine,  is 
a  case  in  point.  Put  out  under  the  supervision  of  ad  chief 
Earl  Hudson  for  distribution  at  the  United  Detroit  Theatres, 
the  program  strikes  an  intimate  "chatter"  note  in  copy  that 
does  an  additionally  effective  job  of  selling  coming  shows. 

Keen-eyed  showmen  believe  in  spreading  their  ammunition 
over  as  wide  a  range  as  possible. 


88 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


August    I  ,  1936 


THEY  WIN  IN  JUNE 


Again  France  shares  honors  with  the  U.  S.  in  the  Quigley  Awards  with  the  win- 
ning of  the  June  Silver  plaque  by  Elias  Lapinere  (right),  Metro  -  Goldwyn  -  Mayer 
publicist,  for  his  excellent  campaign  on  "Night  at  the  Opera"  at  the  Olympia,  Paris.  The 
June  Bronze  was  voted  to  Del  Padgett  (left),  Capitol,  Clearwater,  Ph.,  for  his  fine 
entry  on  "Show  Boat".    Both  winners  are   first  timers  in  the  competitions. 


Ties  "Sudden  Death  " 
To  Safety  Campaign 

With  the  inauguration  of  a  statewide 
Safety  Month  drive,  Manager  Harry  Bot- 
wick,  State,  Portland,  Me.,  chose  that  time 
to  date  in  "And  Sudden  Death"  and  through 
the  booking  tied  in  to  a  raft  of  publicity  on 
the  civic  campaign,  getting  a  strong  sendoff 
through  the  direct  cooperation  of  Governor 
Brann's  office. 

Week  ahead,  Botwick  arranged  previews 
for  the  local  city  council,  police  chief,  news- 
paper and  radio  heads,  oil  company,  insur- 
ance and  auto  association  executives,  heads 
of  women's  organizations.  After  the  show- 
ings, discussions  were  held  with  these  groups 
to  utilize  the  picture  to  help  the  safety  drive, 
M  &  P  theatres  in  other  spots  in  the  state 
cooperating  as  follows :  Park,  Rockland ; 
Opera  House,  Bangor,  and  the  Haines,  in 
Waterville. 

In  the  four  cities  oil  companies  distributed 
co-op  heralds  and  used  one-sheets  at  filling 
stations,  insurance  companies  mailed  litera- 


Botwkk's  Safety  Parade  Stunt 


ture  containing  picture  copy  to  all  accounts, 
transportation  company  personnel  was  ad- 
vised of  the  picture  date.  Boy  Scouts,  auto 
associations,  public  libraries,  garages,  also 
aided. 

Police  departments  were  helpful,  squad 
cars  carrying  tire  covers  and  special  signs 
placed  on  all  traffic  posts,  sandwich  boards 
planted  throughout  the  city.  Featured  was 
a  Safety  Parade  (see  photo)  led  by  police 
chief  and  among  the  units  was  a  number 
of  wrecked  cars  suitably  bannered.  Radio 
stations  gave  15-minute  programs  with  lead- 
ing citizens  speaking  in  favor  of  the  drive 
and  the  picture,  billboard  companies  con- 
tributed special  24-sheet  boards  and  mer- 
chants carried  the  special  News  Flash  post- 
ers in  windows. 

Newspaper  cooperation  was  vigorous  and 
much  publicity  was  obtained  by  a  special 
screening  arranged  by  Botwick  of  the  pic- 
ture at  the  recent  NEA  Convention  held  at 
nearby  Poland  Springs.  Picture  was  intro- 
duced by  Secretary  of  State  Lewis  O.  Bar- 
row, who  also  served  as  the  chairman  of  the 
State  Safety  drive. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

DeLuxe  Pressbook  Created 
On  "Mary  of  Scotland" 

Enclosed  in  a  box  the  cover  of  which  is 
superimposed  with  scenes  from  the  picture, 
the  press  book  on  RKO  Radio's  "Mary  of 
Scotland"  put  out  by  S.  Barret  McCormick 
and  his  staff  impresses  as  a  very  smart  job 
of  work.  Book  is  15  inches  by  12  with 
black  and  white  scene  cut  occupying  most 
of  cover. 

Exploitation  promotions  are  various,  in- 
cluding such  tieins  as  publicizing  of  plaid 
woolen  fabrics  through  Associated  Wool  In- 
dustries, style  promotions  through  Modern 
Merchandising  Bureau  with  the  Velveteen 
Association  and  other  fashion  leaders  on 
the  Walter  Plunkett  gown,  hat  and  acces- 
sory designs. 


Quigley  Awards 
Information  ♦  .  . 

A  QUIGLEY  AWARD  to  be  known 
as  a  "Quigley  Silver"  will  be  pre- 
sented each  month  during  1936  for 
the  campaign  selected  as  best  by 
the  Judges  from  all  those  submitted 
to  Managers'  Round  Table  Club  on 
single  pictures  played  during  that 
month.  .  .  . 

V 

A  QUIGLEY  AWARD  to  be  known 
as  a  "Quigley  Bronze"  will  be  pre- 
sented each  month  during  1936  for 
the  campaign  selected  as  second 
best  by  the  Judges  from  all  those 
submitted  to  Managers'  Round  Table 
Club  on  single  pictures  played  dur- 
ing that  month.  .  .  . 

V 

QUIGLEY  GRAND  AWARDS  will 
be  presented,  these  to  be  selected 
from  among  the  entries  that  have 
been  awarded  plaques  during  1936. 
V 

QUIGLEY  FIRST  MENTIONS  and 
HONORABLE  MENTIONS  will  be 
presented  each  month  during  1936 
for  meritorious  campaigns  which  are 
not  awarded  the  Silver  or  Bronze 
Plaques.  .  .  . 

V 

THEATREMEN  EVERYWHERE  in 
tho  world  are  eligible  for  the  Plaques, 
the  First  and  Honorable  Mentions. 
Campaigns  may  be  entered  on  do- 
mestic or  foreign  product  from  ma- 
jor or  independent  producers.  En- 
tries from  foreign  countries  will  be 
accepted  for  consideration  during 
the  month  they  are  received.  .  .  . 

V 

VISUAL  EVIDENCE,  such  as  tear 
sheets,  heralds,  photos,  etc.,  must 
accompany  all  entries.  .  .  . 

V 

EQUAL  CONSIDERATION  will  be 
given  every  entry.  Theatremen  with 
small  budgets  will  receive  the  same 
break.  It's  "what  you  do,  not  what 
you  spend."  .  .  . 

V 

ENTRIES  should  be  forwarded  as 
soon  after  completion  as  possible. 
They  may  be  mailed  after  the  last 
day  of  the  month  on  pictures  that 
have  played  during  that  month.  This 
includes  dates  played  on  the  last 
days  of  any  month  and  first  days  of 
following.  Monthly  deadlines  will  be 
announced  sufficiently  in  advance. 

V   V  V 
ENTRIES  should  be  mailed  to: 
Quigley  Awards  Committee 
Motion  Picture  Herald 
Rockefeller  Center   -    -    New  York 


August    I,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


89 


Smart  Slants  Used 
On  Revival  Dates 


FAVORS  COMMERCIALS 


Now  that  so  many  theatres  are  using  suc- 
cessful revivals  of  former  hit  pictures,  Les 
Pollock,  at  Loew's,  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  has 
incorporated  a  radio  twist  to  stimulate  in- 
terest in  these  engagements  through  a  re- 
quest plan. 

Pollock  selected  a  list  of  top-line  features 
such  as  "Dinner  at  Eight,"  "Copperfield," 
"Men  in  White,"  "House  of  Rothschild," 
"Dancing  Lady,"  "Big  House,"  etc.  Station 
then  broadcast  requests  for  preference  of 
two  of  the  pictures  named  to  be  shown  on 
one  program  for  a  revival  week.  To  those 
suggesting  the  two  shown,  guest  tickets  are 
awarded.  Further  buildup  comes  from  lobby 
listing  of  eligible  pictures  with  radio  tiein 
announcement. 

Plugs  Five  Stars  in  "Lady" 

In  the  face  of  tough  current  opposition, 
Louie  Charninsky  worked  out  a  smart  cam- 
paign to  sell  a  revival  date  on  "Dancing 
Lady"  at  the  Rialto,  Dallas,  in  which  he 
plugged  in  all  his  advertising  those  players 
appearing  in  the  picture  who  had  since  be- 
come stars  on  their  own.  These  included 
Fred  Astaire,  Franchot  Tone  and  Nelson 
Eddy,  Charninsky  giving  them  the  same 
billing  as  Crawford  and  Gable. 

Artist  Bill  Elliott  used  this  angle  in  the 
ads,  copy  stating  that  the  picture  was  fa- 
mous for  having  brought  these  players  to 
star  notice.  Same  slant  was  carried  out  in 
all  publicity  lobby  and  marquee  copy  with 
added  cutout  of  Nelson  Eddy,  local  favorite, 
also  featured. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Treasure  Hunt  Put  On 
By  Harrison  and  Moon 

Eddie  Harrison,  city  manager,  reports  a 
treasure  hunt  put  on  by  manager  Roland 
Moon  at  the  State  in  Waterville,  Maine,  with 
cooperating  merchant  paying  for  trailer,  keys, 
chests,  merchandise,  full  page  co-op  ad, 
etc.  The  keys  were  distributed  at  the  the- 
atre and  each  participating  merchant  had 
a  chest  in  his  store.  Eddie  reports  the  stunt 
as  going  over  very  successfully  with  every- 
one well  satisfied  with  the  results  obtained. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


"ADVERSE"  ADVANCE.  Lobby  setpiece  in  form 
of  open  book  with  names  and  photos  of  leads 
in  "Anthony  Adverse"  was  created  as  above  by 
Sid  Dannenberg,  Warner's  Cleveland  zone  publicist. 


FINDS  PATRONS  INTERESTED 
IN  SPONSORED  SHORTS 

To  Editor  Round  Table  : 

Last  week  I  had  the  Chevrolet  Outdoor 
Free  Show  in  my  Town,  which  drew  a  lot 
of  people,  and  I  have  given  it  considerable 
thought  since. 

There  is  a  simple  and  direct  way  of  fight- 
ing the  free  admission  road  show — the  lat- 
est threat  to  the  established  exhibits — and 
that  is  by  giving  the  sponsors  a  lot  more 
real  advertising  value  for  their  money  on 
our  screens — and  banking  the  money  to  our 
account. 

It  can't  be  denied  that  an  elaborate  road 
show,  playing  to  open  doors  in  the  city  hall, 
would  lure  away  a  lot  of  our  regular  cus- 
tomers during  the  week.  But  a  large  part 
of  the  crowd  would  be  relief  workers — and 
they're  not  the  class  the  advertiser  wants  to 
reach. 

We're  making  it  interesting  for  the  big 
advertisers  to  interest  our  patrons  in  an  in- 
teresting way.  Yes,  they  do  it  with  one- 
minute  (or  less)  commercials  and  pay  us  for 
the  privilege.  We  get  the  cash — eliminate 
the  free  show  prospect  and  the  advertiser 
gets  far  better  coverage  at  a  fraction  of  the 
cost  of  staging  a  road  show. 

I  believe  it  will  pay  the  trade  as  a  whole 
to  cultivate   the    big    national  advertisers. 


Road  Show  Campaigns 
In  "Ziegfeld"  Manual 

Exploitation  that  covers  pages  and  pages, 
put  over  on  the  many  road  show  dates  on 
MGM's  "The  Great  Ziegfeld,"  make  up  the 
smart  manual  gotten  out  by  Billy  Ferguson 
for  the  benefit  of  the  subsequent  runs  on  the 
date. 

Highlights  of  the  individual  campaigns 
covering  every  possible  exploitable  angle 
are  included.  Fronts,  ballyhoos,  contests, 
newspaper  tieups,  co-op  pages,  dance  strips, 
etc.,  put  over  in  all  sections  of  the  country 
are  detailed.  Pages  of  photos,  composite 
newspaper  campaigns  are  all  set  forth.  The 
wealth  of  ideas  contain  sufficient  angles  for 
most  any  kind  of  drive  in  big  town  and 
small. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Special  "Parole"  Screening 
Held  for  Law  Agents 

For  his  "Parole"  date  at  the  Washington 
Theatre,  Chester,  Pa.,  Sol  Getzow  contacted 
local  prominents  and  held  private  screening 
for  all  county  law  enforcing  agencies.  Im- 
mediately following  screening  forum  was 
held  at  theatre  on  "what  is  wrong  with  our 
parole  system?"  with  entire  audience  in 
open  discussion. 

Local  newspaper  interviewed  Sol,  who 
was  formerly  a  State  Department  of  Jus- 
tice Agent  and  gave  the  date  a  swell  buildup 
in  paper.  Highlight  of  campaign  was  con- 
struction of  three  prison  cells  on  top  of  the 
marquee  which  drew  plenty  of  attention. 
Picture  received  swell  break  when  promi- 
nent judge  after  screening  gave  laudatory 
comments  to  reporter. 


Look  what  they  did  for  radio — lifting  it 
from  a  passing  fad  to  a  chief  entertainment 
for  half  the  population — and  something  of  a 
competitor  to  us. 

Legislative  bodies  haven't  made  a  move 
to  tax  radio  sets.  Yet  law-makers  can't  sit 
down  without  proposing  some  new  way  to 
milk  the  box  office.  Maybe  we  need  more 
influential  friends  ?  Big  advertisers  are  be- 
ginning to  find  the  screen  a  valuable  ad- 
junct— just  as  the  radio  is  to  them — and 
their  support  will  be  worth  having. 

Americans  have  shown  that  they  are  not 
adverse  to  good  advertising  by  their  very 
responsiveness  to  it.  To  my  notion,  a  well- 
conceived  commercial  of  30  to  90  feet  in 
length  will  get  more  interested  attention 
than  any  other  kind  of  ad.  You  can  tell  by 
looking  down  the  aisles  that  people  give  it 
an  alert  attention.  Most  of  our  patrons 
realize,  too,  that  they  are  enjoying  better 
pictures  because  of  the  revenue  our  ad  pro- 
gram brings  us.  Even  the  railroads  couldn't 
give  the  same  kind  of  passenger  service  if 
they  lost  their  mail  contracts. 

And  in  the  final  analysis,  exhibitors  who 
continue  to  cold-shoulder  the  commercials 
are  giving  a  lot  of  encouragement  to  the 
free  show  promoters,  I  believe,  and  are 
missing  a  good  chance  to  cash  in  on  the  big 
boom  in  advertising. — Sincerely  yours,  Tom 
Edwards,  Eldon's  Ozark,  Eldon,  Mo. 


Home  Building  Display 
Used  by  Cardas 

In  connection  with  the  Better  Housing 
News  Flashes,  Spyros  Cardas,  Loew's 
State,  Los  Angeles,  recognizing  the  fact 
that  Americans  are  interested  in  homes  and 
home  building,  arranged  a  unique  display 
(see  photo)  through  the  cooperation  of 
Arthur  Fox,  assistant  chief  of  the  motion 
picture  section  of  the  Federal  Housing  Ad- 
ministration that  created  unusual  attention. 
Patrons  viewing  the  exhibit  displayed  inter- 
est by  carrying  off  pieces  of  literature  and 
expressing  thanks  for  the  civic-minded 
stunt. 

To  sell  his  cooling  plant,  Spyros  had  spe- 
cial letter  printed  and  these  were  inserted 
in  all  packages  checked  in  theatre,  thus  in- 
suring his  cooling  message  being  brought 
right  into  the  homes. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


Cardas'  Home  Building  Lobby  Display 


90 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


WIRED  CAMPAIGNS  FROM  AFIELD 


Emil  Giffionella 
Century,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 
Paramount,  "Return  of  Sophie  Lang" 

In  connection  with  the  showing  of  "The 
Return  of  Sophie  Lang,"  at  Shea's  Cen- 
tury, the  Buffalo  Public  Library  used  5,000 
bookmarks  in  all  its  branches  and  every 
book  store  in  town  carried  a  window  dis- 
play. Ushers  distributed  5,000  heralds 
from  house  to  house  on  this  one. 

Earl  J.  Hudson 

United  Detroit  Theatres,  Mich. 
MGM,  "Suzy" 

For  "Suzy"  Michigan  Theatre,  with 
Shep  Fields  and  orchestra  on  stage,  we  ob- 
tained large  music  store  window  displays 
of  stills.  Picture  billing  surrounded  by 
copies  sheet  music  Harlow  songs,  also 
special  plugs  preceding  ten  days  by  lead- 
ing hotel  night  club  orchestras,  also  music 
played  identifying  picture  several  state- 
wide radio  broadcasts,  also  fashion  stills 
Harlow  daily  newspapers.  For  fourth  week 
"San  Francisco"  United  Artists  Theatre  used 
extra  radio  spot  announcements,  also  star 
stills  various  downtown  window  displays, 
also  special  newspaper  stories  emphasiz- 
ing record-breaking  attendance  and  run 
for  season  of  year.  Nothing  unusual  State 
Theatre. 

Morris  Mechanic 

New,  Baltimore,  Md. 

20th  Century -Fox,  "Poor  Little  Rich  Girl" 

In  a  city  wide  Hi  Li  contest  the  New 
Theatre  is  offering  a  specially  engraved 
Shirley  Temple  loving  cup  to  the  boy  or 
girl  selected  as  Baltimore  Hi  Li  champion. 
In  each  of  the  contests  held  in  playgrounds 
and  other  prominent  localities  throughout 
the  city,  the  entrants  who  hit  the  Hi  Li  ball 
the  greatest  number  of  times  without  miss- 
ing will  be  selected  for  the  semi  finals, 
which  will  be  held  at  a  later  date,  after 
which  the  final  winner  will  be  awarded  the 
Temple  prize. 


NAVY  VS.  NAVY.  Members  of  the  Navy  League 
of  Canada  paraded  through  town  to  the  Parkdale 
Theatre,  Toronto,  for  Maurice  J.  Doyle's  "Follow 
the   Fleet"   engagement,    performing   on  stage. 


Charles  B.  Taylor 

Shea's  Buffalo,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Paramount,  "Early  to  Bed" 

A  number  of  stunts  were  put  over  by 
the  Shea  theatres  the  past  week  in  Buffalo. 
In  connection  with  the  presentation  of 
the  first  of  the  season's  Major  Bowes' 
units  on  the  stage  of  the  Buffalo  there 
were  parades,  public  receptions,  spe- 
cial radio  broadcasts  through  WBEN,  the 
Evening  News  station;  half-page  spreads 
of  Candid  Camera  shots  in  the  newspapers 
and  interviews  galore.  A  fleet  of  ban- 
nered Plymouths,  fifty  trucks  of  the  Stand- 
ard Brands  Corporation,  two  drum  corps 
and  a  delegation  of  Eagles,  honoring  their 
own  local  harmonica  quintette  in  the  ama- 
teur show,  turned  out  to  welcome  the 
members  of  the  troupe  and  paraded  to  the 
theatre.  In  connection  with  "Early  to  Bed" 
several  tieups  were  made  with  local  August 
furniture  sales  with  the  gag  line  "You'll 
want  to  go  to  bed  early  if  you  buy  one 
of  these  bargain  bedroom  suites."  The 
same  idea  was  used  in  a  tieup  with  Sim- 
mons Mattresses.  Votes  are  pouring  in 
rapidly  to  Shea's  Buffalo  each  mail  for 
the  coming  "Buffalo's  Own  July  Hit 
Parade,"  which  is  scheduled  as  an  overture 
for  the  week  beginning  Friday,  July  31. 

Patrons  Vote  on  Songs 
In  "Hit  Parade"  Idea 

Theatregoers  and  music  lovers  have  re- 
sponded enthusiastically  to  the  first  an- 
nouncement requesting  votes.  The  over- 
ture, which  will  be  patterned  after  the 
highly  successful  semi-weekly  "Hit  Parade," 
will  be  offered  at  the  end  of  each  month 
by  the  Shea's  Buffalo  Orchestra  Ensemble, 
under  the  direction  of  "Arno."  Patrons 
are  urged  to  participate  in  the  formation 
of  the  Hit  Parade  overtures  by  sending 
a  letter  or  card  to  "Arno"  with  group  of 
two  or  three  numbers  they  would  like  to 
hear.  The  songs  receiving  the  highest 
number  of  votes  each  month  will  be 
selected  for  the  overture.  Vocal  and  in- 
strumental soloists  will  be  featured. 

Frank  L.  Newman,  Jr. 
Orpheum,  Portland,  Ore. 
20th  Century  -  Fox,  "White  Fang" 

On  "White  Fang"  we  are  using  an  over- 
all front  of  the  lob  cabin  type  with  snow 
and  icicle  effect.  Two-thirds  of  the  lobby 
is  used  for  an  outdoor  scene  using  grass 
mats,  evergreen  trees,  a  miniature  practical 
waterfalls,  backed  up  with  a  cyclorama  of 
a  winter  scene.  The  foreground  has  such 
stuffed  animals  as  sea  otter,  wolverine,  cub 
bear,  beaver,  in  addition  to  two  Eskimo 
kayaks,  paddles,  bear  claw  snowshoes,  .tree 
stumps,  Alaska  handweave  baskets  and  so 
forth.  It's  an  eye-catcher,  particularly  for 
the  summer  season. 


George  Mason 

Great  Lakes,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Warner,  "Earthworm  Tractors" 

At  Shea's  Great  Lakes,  where  Joe  E. 
Brown  in  "Earthworm  Tractors"  was  shown, 
a  tieup  was  made  with  the  local  agency 
of  the  Caterpillar  Tractor  Company 
through  which  that  company  put  a  huge 
trailer  truck  on  the  streets  with  a  tractor 
on  top.  Six-sheets  head  of  Joe  and  10- 
foot  banners  were  placed  on  the  sides  to 
herald  the  attraction.  The  truck  was  used 
on  the  street  three  days  in  advance  and 
parked  in  front  of  the  theatre  several  days 
during  the  presentation  of  the  picture. 
The  tractor  company  also  distributed  spe- 
cial heralds  all  through  western  New 
York  as  well  as  placed  several  hundred  pos- 
ters tying  up  the  picture  with  the  tractor. 

Nelson  Martin 

Hippodrome,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 
Warner,  "Two  Against  the  World" 

In  connection  with  "Two  Against  the 
World"  several  swell  ads  and  windows 
were  put  over  in  connection  with  Lektrolite 
and  the  stars  of  the  production.  Much  out- 
door billing  was  done  on  this  one. 

Herman  Weinberg 

Little  Theatre,  Baltimore,  Md. 

MGM,  "The  Guardsman" 

Have  inaugurated  policy  of  reviving  film 
hits  of  past  several  seasons  during  the  sum- 
mer months  and  have  been  very  successful 
with  these  return  engagements.  Whereas 
previous  summers  most  of  our  pictures 
played  one  week  only  we  have  gotten  ten 
weeks  of  playing  time  out  of  three  revivals. 
Latest  one  is  return  engagement  of  Metro's 
"The  Guardsman,"  which  ran  for  three 
successful  weeks.  Tied  up  with  women's 
clubs,  playing  up  Arty  Theatre  Guild  angle 
of  leading  players.  Also  planned  unique 
advertising  campaign  wording  all  ads  in 
form  of  personal  letter  to  patrons  signed 
by  stars  of  the  picture. 


EYE  ARRESTING  DISPLAY.  Entire  cashier's  cage 
of  the  Madison,  Peoria,  III.,  was  camouflaged  by 
E.  G.  Fitigibbons  into  a  Show  Boat  for  that  date. 
24s  flanked  by  scene  stills  completed  the  display. 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


91 


Parking  Restrictions  Affect 
Wilmington  Matinee  Crosses 

Bi-  Weekly  Farmers'  Curb  Markets  Also  Said  to  Discourage  Downtown  Attendame 


by  GEORGE  L.  PATZER 

from  Wilmington,  Delaware 

A  manufacturing,  commercial  and  resi- 
dential city,  Wilmington,  "First  City  of  the 
First  State,"  home  of  the  DuPonts,  is  lo- 
cated at  the  head  of  the  Delmarvia  Penin- 
sula, one  of  the  richest  fruit,  truck  and  farm- 
ing districts  in  the  country  and  within  24 
hours  by  train  of  one-half  of  the  population 
of  the  United  States.  It  is  the  commercial 
metropolis  of  Delaware  with  a  population  at 
present  of  110,000  persons.  Half  the  popu- 
lation of  the  State  lives  in  Wilmington;  its 
plants  make  nearly  two-thirds  by  value,  of 
the  products  manufactured  in  the  state  and 
its  banks  hold  more  than  two-thirds  of  the 
deposits  in  the  state's  banking  institutions. 

Wilmington  in  the  1930  census  had  a 
population  of  106,597  within  the  corporate 
city  limits,  and  an  immediate  estimated 
suburban  population  of  60,000.  The  addi- 
tional population  is  located  within  a  10-mile 
radius  of  the  city.  Ninety  per  cent  of  this 
population  is  native  born,  and  of  the  foreign 
born  the  majority  comes  from  England, 
Ireland,  Poland,  Italy,  Germany  and  Russia. 

Patrons  Called  Artistic 

Three  railroads,  the  Pennsylvania,  Bal- 
timore and  Ohio  and  Reading  enter  the  city. 
The  city  is  on  the  direct  route  of  several  of 
the  largest  passenger  bus  lines  and  direct 
bus  service  is  maintained  between  Wilming- 
ton and  practically  every  city  in  the  United 
States.  All  sections  of  the  city  and  sur- 
rounding suburbs  for  a  radius  of  about  seven 
miles  are  served  adequately  by  trolleys 
charging  fares  of  eight  cents,  free  transfers. 
Advantage  has  been  taken  of  the  fine  roads 
radiating  from  the  city  and  regular  bus  ser- 
vice is  available  to  a  large  part  of  the  trade 
territory.  Buses  have  replaced  trolleys  in 
many  instances  with  fares  practically  the 
same. 

From  a  recreational  standpoint  Wilming- 
ton is  conveniently  situated.  Within  two  or 
four  hours  are  the  seashore  resorts  of 
Delaware,  Maryland  and  New  Jersey. 
A  like  distance  away  are  the  mountains  of 
Pennsylvania  and  New  York.  Within  the 
city  the  municipality  has  afforded  many 
recreational  facilities.  Its  open  parks  have 
a  total  area  of  862.26  acres  and  there  is  one 
acre  of  park  to  each  126  inhabitants. 

The  city  affords,  also,  a  large  number  of 
supervised  playgrounds,  baseball,  football, 
soccer  and  hockey  fields,  tennis  courts  and 
basketball  floors,  five  large  public  swim- 
ming pools  and  an  18-hole  municipal  golf 
course.  There  are  six  other  golf  courses,  at- 
tached to  country  and  golf  clubs. 

The  present  crop  of  theatres  more  than 
take  care  of  the  film  needs  of  the  city  and 
with  a  discriminating  audience  Wilmington 
is  considered  just  a  fair  show  town  and 
in  many  quarters  hardly  rated  that.  Boast- 
ing a  very  artistic  type  of  audience  that  is 


Though  the  city  of  Wilmington 
enjoys  increased  benefits  at  the  box- 
office  through  its  increasing  popu- 
larity as  the  trading  center  of  the 
Delmarvia  Peninsula,  these  benefits  are 
discounted  to  some  extent  by  the  lack 
of  public  parking  space  in  the  down- 
town areas  and  the  restrictions  re- 
sulting therefrom,  according  to  cor- 
respondent George  Patzer,  who  de- 
scribes the  so-called  "First  City  in  the 
First  State"  in  this  instalment  of  the 
Showmen's  Travelogue  series  now  cur- 
rent in  the  Round  Table. 

—A-MIKE  VOGEL 


not  easily  fooled  into  patronizing  mediocre 
films,  Wilmington's  theatregoers  throng  the 
first  class  shows,  not  only  in  the  first  run 
houses,  but  second  and  even  third  run  as 
well.  Time  and  again  four-star  films  have 
forced  theatre  managers  to  hold  over  pic- 
tures from  two  to  five  weeks  and  in  some 
instances  bring  them  back  after  a  change  in 
program. 

Wilmington's  theatre  roster  includes  12 
houses,  six  of  which  are  chain  and  the  re- 
maining six  independents.  Warner  Brothers 
and  Loew's  are  the  only  chains  in  the  city 
and  State.  The  Warners  have  the  Aldine, 
Queen,  Arcadia,  Grand  and  Savoy  and 
Loew's  have  the  Parkway.  The  Parkway, 
Aldine  and  Queen  are  the  chain  first  runs 
downtown  with  seating  capacity  of  1,000, 
1,819  and  1,675,  respectively.  The  Arcadia 
and  Grand  are  the  second  runs,  seating  1,401 
and  1,372,  with  the  Savoy  a  third  run  hold- 
ing 700. 

The  Playhouse,  an  independent  house  up- 
town, seating  1,223,  is  the  only  legitimate 
theatre  in  the  state,  occasionally  presenting 
road  shows.  The  theatre  carried  the  highest 
type  of  plays. 

The  Rialto,  the  lone  other  downtown 
house,  is  an  independent  first  run  seating 
700.  The  neighborhood  houses,  all  rated  as 
second  runs,  are  the  Park,  seating  650 ; 
Strand,  600 ;  Avenue,  700,  and  the  National, 
600. 

Unlike  its  neighbor  state,  Pennsylvania, 
Delaware  does  not  recognize  "equal  rights," 
and  as  a  result  Negroes  are  prohibited  from 
all  white  theatres.  The  National,  a  neigh- 
borhood house  in  Wilmington,  is  the  only 
Negro  theatre  in  the  State  and  draws  excep- 
tionally well. 

Local  merchants  for  the  most  part  are 
not  exploitation  minded  and  local  theatres, 
with  the  exception  of  one  or  two,  do  not 
go  in  for  ballyhoo.  Roscoe  Drissel  of 
Loew's  Parkway  is  far  out  in  front  when  it 
comes  to  exploitation  and  in  addition  to  put- 
ting over  the  biggest  stunt  of  the  year  has 


had  displays  in  the  public  library,  Hotel 
DuPont  and  other  important  spots  down- 
town. Exploitation,  however,  could  hardly 
be  given  as  the  major  reason  for  the  lack  of 
support.  Class  of  pictures  seems  to  be  the 
big  reason. 

The  patronage  given  downtown  situations 
averages  only  slightly  more  afforded  de  luxe 
neighborhood  houses.  Regular  habitues  and 
those  who  miss  the  downtown  first  runs 
keep  the  neighborhood  houses  well  filled. 
All  the  neighborhoods  have  been  improved 
within  the  last  few  years  and  the  popular 
prices  along  with  the  fact  that  pictures  are 
only  21  days  behind  the  first  runs  down- 
town, draw  fairly  good  for  first  class  films. 
All  neighborhood  houses  are  under  indi- 
vidual control. 

The  spread  out  character  of  the  city  cre- 
ates a  natural  advantage  to  the  neighbor- 
hood theatres  which  are  situated  far  enough 
apart  to  prevent  competition.  The  inde- 
pendents have  picked  up  considerably  in 
attendance  in  the  last  few  years  but  the  in- 
crease in  attendance  at  the  numerous  beer 
spots  has  retarded  the  upward  climb  in 
neighborhood  houses  from  what  it  might  be. 

Wilmington  is  becoming  more  and  more 
the  buying  center  of  the  Delmarvia  Penin- 
sula, a  survey  of  the  trading  trends  in  the 
territory  of  which  the  city  is  the  natural 
metropolis  shows,  and  this  had  added  con- 
siderable to  the  box  office,  particularly  in 
the  downtown  houses.  Theatres  are  noting 
definite  increases  in  the  number  of  custom- 
ers attracted  from  nearby  communities  and 
rural  areas  of  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  New 
Jersey  and  Delaware. 

Stage  Shows  Unsuccessful 

The  Savoy,  a  Warner  Bros,  third  run 
down  town,  is  one  of  the  box  office  sur- 
prises of  the  year,  doing  a  landslide  busi- 
ness after  having  been  shut  down  during  the 
darkest  years  of  the  depression.  The  house, 
under  the  management  of  Earl  Finney,  for- 
mer manager  of  the  Playhouse,  is  drawing 
exceptionally  well  on  15  and  20  cent  ad- 
missions. The  Parkway,  once  a  White  Ele- 
phant until  Loew's  took  it  over,  is  drawing 
well  with  M-G-M  pictures  and  excellent 
exploitation  on  the  part  of  Manager  Drissel. 
The  Rialto,  first  run  downtown  independent, 
has  been  doing  great  business  with  the  Shir- 
ley Temple  and  Will  Rogers  films,  but  since 
the  death  of  Rogers  has  been  forced  to  de- 
pend largely  on  Temple  films  to  draw. 

Taking  past  box  office  records  into  con- 
sideration, Wilmington  has  proved  itself  a 
one  and  two-day  vaudeville  town.  Daily 
stage  shows  have  failed  to  click  after  a  num- 
ber of  attempts  over  several  years.  The 
Aldine  tried  the  stage  but  failed  to  draw 
and  the  Queen  has  since  cut  down  vaudeville 
from  daily  to  Saturday  shows  only.  It  is  the 
only  vaude  house  in  the  city  and  during  the 
warm  summer  months  stage  programs  are 

(.Continued  on  following  page) 


92 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


MANAGERS  ACTIVE  IN  CLUBS 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

dropped  until  the  fall.  Philadelphia  is  only 
28  miles  from  the  city  and  less  than  an  hour 
ride  by  motor  and  a  good  portion  of  the 
trade  is  taken  to  first  class  vaude  houses 
there. 

With  the  exception  of  the  legitimate 
stage,  the  Playhouse,  Wilmington  houses 
never  go  over  the  40-cents  tops.  First  runs 
open  with  matinee  prices  as  low  as  25  cents 
and  scale  up  to  40,  averaging  around  32 
cents,  while  the  second  runs  open  at  15  and 
scale  to  25  cents,  averaging  around  20  cents. 
Prices  change  at  two  and  six  o'clock. 
Neighborhood  houses  are  only  in  the  even- 
ings with  the  exception  of  Saturday,  when 
doors  open  at  noon. 

Wilmington's  parking  situation  is  a  head- 
ache to  the  downtown  houses,  while  the 
neighborhoods  are  neither  handicapped  by 
parking  regulations  nor  downtown  shop- 
ping throngs.  Beer  garden  trade  offers 
the  only  parking  opposition  for  the  neigh- 
borhood. 

In  the  downtown  area  parking  is  limited 
to  one  hour  up  to  six  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, after  which  the  regulations  are  lifted. 
The  restricted  area  makes  it  impossible  for 
downtown  patrons  to  take  in  shows  in  the 
afternoon  and  park  within  three  blocks  of 
any  of  the  theatres  without  violating  the 
parking  law. 

Parking  Spaces  Limited 

Another  problem  crops  up  in  the  down- 
town parking  situation  on  Wednesdays 
and  Saturdays  when  the  farmer  curb  mar- 
kets, extending  the  length  of  the  business 
district,  one  block  off  the  main  thorough- 
fare, runs  parallel  to  all  seven  of  the  down- 
town theatres.  Parking  spaces  are  limited 
and  few  and  in  most  instances  are  rented 
to  downtown  department  stores  who  in  turn 
permit  their  customers  to  park  free.  One 
large  downtown  parking  area  has  just  been 
cleared  and  another  is  under  way.  Parking 
spaces  bring  an  average  of  25  cents. 

Loew's  Parkway,  out  of  the  downtown 
area  but  located  on  one  of  the  main  streets, 
is  faced  with  a  shortage  of  parking  on 
Monday  nights  when  the  Auditorium,  two 
blocks  distant,  booking  wrestling  shows, 
attracts  big  crowds  and  numerous  automo- 
biles. The  Wilmington  High  School  and 
the  New  Century  Club,  also  in  the  neigh- 
borhood also  offer  a  big  parking  problem. 

Excellent  trolley  and  bus  service  to  the- 
atres in  all  parts  of  the  city  make  transpor- 
tation very  convenient,  but  this  service 
fails  to  compete  with  the  auto  in  spite  of 
the  parking  situation.  Fares  are  eight  cents. 

Wilmington  theatremen  encounter  terrific 
opposition,  particularly  from  the  beer  gar- 
dens, schools  and  summer  resorts.  While 
there  is  little  or  no  night  life  in  the  city 
after  midnight,  the  beer  spots  draw  excep- 
tionally well  Winter  and  Summer  in  spite 
of  the  fact  that  the  State  Liquor  Act  pro- 
hibits the  sales  of  liquor  after  12  o'clock. 

Plays  in  the  Wilmington  Public  Schools 
have  cut  deep  into  the  box  office,  according 
to  a  number  of  the  theatres.  Public  schools 


throughout  the  city  have  two  and  three 
plays  a  week  in  many  instances  and  nearly 
all  are  well  patronized. 

Summer  resorts  and  swimming  pools  take 
the  biggest  toll  in  warm  weather.  Wilming- 
ton takes  on  the  appearance  of  ghost  town 
on  Sundays  with  most  of  population  either 
to  a  beach  or  on  the  highway.  Public  swim- 
ming pools  were  opened  on  Sunday  for  the 
first  time  two  years  ago  and  since  have 
drawn  heavily  on  the  Sabbath. 

Sunday  motion  pictures  are  prohibited  in 
Delaware,  thus  Wilmington  theatres  are  not 
affected  by  Sunday  attractions.  The  legali- 
zation of  Sunday  sports  after  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  will  provide  a  big  form  of 
opposition  for  the  theatre  in  event  Sunday 
movies  are  ever  legalized.  Several  years 
ago  Sunday  movies  would  not  have  had  to 
contend  with  sports  and  public  swimming 
pools  but  today  these  two  forms  of  recrea- 
tion vie  with  the  resort  in  popularity. 

Carnival's  Tough  Opposition 

The  Delaware  Sports  Center  speedway, 
several  miles  south  of  the  city,  operating 
one  of  the  fastest  midget  automobile  tracks 
in  the  east  and  carding  races  weekly,  also 
provides  opposition. 

Carnivals  cut  deep  into  the  box  office  and 
between  the  last  of  May  and  late  in  Septem- 
ber they  come  and  go  in  one  endless  line. 
The  Brandywine  Hundred  carnival,  a  mile 
north  of  the  city,  billed  the  "World's 
Largest  Carnival,"  attracts  between  8,000 
and  10,000  persons  nightly.  Free  automo- 
biles awarded  each  night  of  the  11-night 
stand  draw  the  patrons.  Wilmington  is  rated 
an  excellent  dance  town  and  dances  at  the 
Hotel  DuPont  draw  weekly  crowds. 

Theatremen  in  Wilmington  are  divided 
on  Sunday  shows.  Some  are  of  the 
opinion  that  the  city  is  "cold"  to  Sunday 
pictures  and  that  there  is  no  big  demand, 
while  others  feel  that  the  population  pat- 
ronizes Pennsylvania  houses  and  Delaware, 
Maryland  and  New  Jersey  resorts  because 
of  the  failure  to  produce  Sunday  shows. 

Daylight  saving  time  is  another  form  of 
opposition  theatremen  vigorously  oppose. 
The  advanced  time  allows  but  one  good  show 
a  night,  the  last  show,  as  the  extra  hour  of 
daylight  attracts  the  population  to  the  out 
of  doors.  The  new  time  also  encourages 
the  suburban  beer  spot  trade  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  suburban  gardens  do  not  come 
under  the  advanced  time  and  are  thus  per- 
mitted to  remain  open  an  hour  later  than 
beer  gardens  within  the  city  limits. 

Wilmington  theatres  have  not  as  yet  been 
caught  in  the  mania  of  bank  nights  and 
double  feature  programs  which  are  sweep- 
ing community  theatres  throughout  the 
State  and  Delmarvia  Peninsula.  Only  one 
theatre  in  the  city,  the  Avenue,  an  inde- 
pendent neighborhood,  has  taken  to  the  give- 
aways and  double  features.  Wilmington 
theatremen  in  general,  chain  and  independ- 
ent, frown  on  the  practices  and  so  far  have 
successfully  "steered  clear"  of  them. 

Most  of  the  city's  theatre  advertising  is 
clone  on  Thursday  due  to  the  fact  that  a 


majority  of  the  programs  change  the  follow- 
ing day.  Theatres  use  the  Journal-Every 
Evening,  an  evening  paper  with  a  circula- 
tion of  over  40,000  copies ;  the  Wilmington 
Morning  News,  and  the  Sunday  Star,  the 
only  daily  and  Sunday  papers  in  the  State. 

There  is  very  little  advertising  and  bally- 
hoo compared  with  cities  of  the  same  size. 
All  newspaper  tieups  are  made  for  theatres 
as  a  group  and  not  so  much  individually. 
The  papers  cooperate  wholeheartedly  during 
Christmas  shows  for  the  children  and  the 
collection  of  toys  and  food  for  the  needy. 

Over  a  year  ago  the  two  daily  papers 
changed  their  policies  as  to  theatre  publicity. 
The  daily  "readers"  for  pictures  were  aban- 
doned and  in  place  the  Nevus-Journal  Com- 
pany (operating  the  two  daily  papers)  set 
aside  one  full  page  in  the  Thursday  editions 
of  both  evening  and  morning  publications 
for  theatre  publicity  and  advertising.  Mrs. 
Margaret  Merchant,  the  motion  picture  edi- 
tor for  both  papers,  is  doing  an  exceptionally 
fine  job  of  placing  the  pictures  before  the 
public  but  theatremen  seem  to  favor  the 
daily  "reader"  over  the  full  page  weekly. 

They  contend  that  each  picture  should  be 
exploited  individually,  particularly  in  the 
case  of  the  neighborhood  house  where  pro- 
grams change  daily.  The  present  set-up  of 
newspaper  publicity  does  not  keep  the  pic- 
tures before  the  public  at  all  times,  they 
point  out. 

Women's  Clubs  Classify  Pictures 

Daily  and  Sunday  papers  use  syndicated 
and  also  columns  of  fan  chat  by  the  motion 
picture  editors.  A  motion  picture  guide 
compiled  by  Mrs.  George  L.  Schwartz  of 
the  Better  Films  Council  of  the  City  Federa- 
tion of  Women's  Clubs,  giving  a  classifi- 
cation of  pictures  showing  in  Wilmington  as 
to  audience  suitability,  based  on  the  joint 
estimate  of  many  preview  groups,  carries  in 
the  Thursday  editions.  The  only  criticisms 
are  given  to  the  legitimate  stage  shows. 

Nearly  all  theatre  managers  are  members 
of  the  various  clubs  throughout  the  city  and 
take  active  part  in  the  programs. 

Both  chain  and  independent  theatremen 
get  the  best  of  cooperation  in  opposing 
laws  and  ordinances  affecting  the  theatre. 
Their  cooperation  to  date  has  been  very 
effective,  particularly  in  the  State  Legisla- 
ture at  Dover,  where  a  number  of  impor- 
tant measures  working  hardships  against 
the  theatre  were  killed  through  the  efforts 
of  the  independent  organization  and  the 
chain  houses. 

The  Independent  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Owners  Association  of  Delaware  and  the 
Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland,  of  which  A. 
Joseph  DeFiore,  manager  of  the  Park  The- 
atre, is  president,  has  a  membership  of  32 
theatres,  of  which  18  are  in  Delaware,  and 
is  constantly  on  the  lookout  for  any  legisla- 
tion which  may  tend  to  hurt  the  theatre. 
"The  organization  brings  theatre  operation 
to  a  better  plane,"  Mr.  DeFiore  stated  in 
pointing  to  a  number  of  instances  where 
the  organization  has  been  of  benefit. 


August    I,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


93 


Petch  Utilizes  Old  Photos 
Of  Quins  for  Lobby  Display 

Accompanying  photo  shows  attractive 
"Country  Doctor"  lobby  display  used  by 
Ernie  Petch,  Strand,  Brandon,  Canada,  con- 
structed on  beaver  board  from  a  collection 
of  photos  of  the  Quins  which  Ernie  has 
been  saving  over  a  period  of  months.  In 
addition,  for  his  street  bally  he  used  a  lit- 
tle bannered  buggy  drawn  by  Shetland 
ponies  and  kids  were  given  rides. 

Book  stores  cooperated  by  featuring  win- 
dow displays  of  all  books,  corresponding 
films  on  which  were  to  play  at  the  Strand. 
In  exchange  for  this,  Ernie  planted  glass 
case  in  lobby  with  copies  of  "The  Country 
Doctor"  and  sign  that  copies  were  available 
at  the  cooperating  stores. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Lyric  Contest  Staged 
By  Egberts  for  "Frisco" 

A.  Egberts,  press  agent  for  Loew's  The- 
atres in  Jersey  City  for  the  "San  Francisco" 
date  at  Loew's  Jersey  City  tied  up  the  Hud- 
son Dispatch  for  a  contest  offering  prizes 
to  those  submitting  best  lyrics  for  "Would 
You"  sung  by  Jeannette  MacDonald  in  the 
picture.  Stories  were  run  in  paper  stressing 
that  the  words  must  be  romantic  and  win- 
ning lyrics  appeared  daily. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Goldin  Asks  Patrons 
To  Choose  Pictures 

To  publicize  the  reissue  of  pictures  to  be 
shown  at  the  Star  Theatre,  Hong  Kong, 
China,  Constantin  Goldin  ran  a  series  of 
stories  in  paper  listing  various  films  and  in- 
viting readers  to  pick  their  favorites.  With 
each  list  run,  a  brief  resume  and  cast  was 
given. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Newspapers  Cover  "Parole" 
Preview  for  Police  Heads 

Baltimore  civic  leaders  gave  "Parole"  an 
official  sendoff  at  the  Keith  Theatre  when 
J.  L.  Schanberger  held  a  premiere  for  police 
officials,  lawyers,  doctors,  members  of  the 
local  crime  prevention  bureaus,  et  al.  Screen- 
ing brought  letters  of  endorsement  from 
prominent  people  and  police  department  gave 
its  wholehearted  support. 

Accompanying  photo  shows  display  pro- 
moted from  police,  including  safe-blowing 
equipment,  tear  gas  bombs,  tommy  guns, 
crime  photos,  etc.,  etc. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Allan  Jones  Sponsors 
"Show  Boat"  Contest 

Hopping  aboard  the  extra  publicity  they 
could  garner  on  the  fact  that  Allan  Jones, 
male  star  of  "Show  Boat,"  was  a  Syracuse 
University  graduate,  City  Manager  Gus 
Lampe  and  Manager  Jay  Golden  at  Schine's 
Keith  Theatre  in  Syracuse  contacted  the 
Syracuse  Herald,  which  sponsored  a  contest 
seeking  typical  success  stories  for  which  a 
$10  prize  was  awarded  and  tickets  to  run- 
ners-up.  Permission  was  secured  from  Uni- 
versal to  shoot  a  wire  to  the  paper  signed 
by  Allan  Jones  making  the  cash  offer. 

Tieup  was  arranged  with  25  leading  gro- 
cery stores,  each  of  which  displayed  a  large 
jar  of  coffee,  tickets  went  to  those  guessing 
correct  amount.  Each  store  carried  stills  and 
picture  copy.    Store  also  cooperated  with 


Cocks'  Dempsey  "Idol"  Display 

j 

* .  ....  •• 

Ju»     DKXlte  QUnTUPLCTJ  WuaT 

"  'obGOunm  doctor'  s-at 


Vetch's  "Country  Doctor"  Photos 


Schanberger' s  "Parole"  Police  Tieup 


Lampe-Golden  "Show  Boat"  Lobby 

lobby  display  (see  photo)  and  offer  of  cut 
of  Maxwell  House  coffee  and  sandwich  at 
their  store.  16  mm.  trailer  on  "Show  Boat" 
was  shown  in  department  store  window. 
Later  in  week  same  display  was  moved  to 
five  and  ten,  bookmarks  were  distributed  at 
libraries  and  parade  of  bannered  bikes  and 
cars  covered  streets. 


Various  Stunts  Highlight 
Caldwell's  "Flags"  Date 

New  fleet  of  autos  with  mounted  24  sheets 
paraded  the  streets  of  Toledo  for  Wally 
Caldwell's  "Under  Two  Flags"  date  at 
Loew's  Valentine  Theatre,  imprinted  paper 
napkins  were  distributed  by  leading  restaur- 
ants and  sashes  worn  by  entire  staff  week 
ahead. 

Newspapers  carried  long  and  enthusiastic 
review  comparing  Colbert's  version  with  that 
of  Priscilla  Dean's  in  the  silent  picture. 
Atmospheric  compo  front  entirely  covered 
front  of  theatre,  tieup  with  radio  netted  a 
15-minute  broadcast  and  cards  were  tacked 
to  electric  light  and  trolley  poles  throughout 
city. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Schools  Aid  Douglas 
On  "Pasteur"  Plug 

Highlight  in  Douglas  George's  "Pasteur" 
campaign  at  the  Parker  Theatre,  in  Darby, 
Pa.,  was  cooperation  of  schools  from  five 
different  towns  in  his  area.  Teachers  dis- 
tributed heralds  to  pupils  and  each  child 
purchasing  a  ticket  was  permitted  to  have 
the  afternoon  off. 

Sales  manager  of  local  medical  and  chem- 
ist laboratories  addressed  high  school  on 
"Pasteur"  and  what  he  meant  to  modern 
medical  science,  and  heralds  carrying  Doug's 
personal  endorsement  were  distributed,  ad 
on  reverse  side  paying  cost. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Phelps'  "Flags"  Bally 

For  his  street  bally  on  "Under  Two 
Flags,"  J.  Phelps,  Loew's  Vendome,  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.,  had  boy  and  girl  dressed  in  for- 
eign legion  costumes  covering  streets  week 
ahead.  Lobby  was  attractively  dressed  with 
French  and  British  flags,  front  converted 
into  a  French  fort  and  distributed  imprinted 
blotters  to  hotels,  banks  and  schools. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Pay  as  You  Leave  Show 
For  "Fauntleroy"  Premiere 

Three  weeks  ahead  of  his  "Fauntleroy" 
showing,  Ed  Dunn,  Strand  Theatre,  Water- 
loo, Iowa,  advertised  that  he  would  have  a 
special  midnight  preview  of  the  picture  an- 
nouncing also  that  patrons  would  pay  as  they 
left  the  theatre  and  those  who  didn't  feel 
that  they  had  gotten  their  money's  worth 
were  free  to  leave  without  paying.  Stunt 
broke  in  papers  with  stories. 

Through  tieup  with  local  dairy  imprinted 
bottle  caps  were  put  on  milk  bottles,  dairy 
distributing  heralds  offering  a  free  admis- 
sion to  each  kid  presenting  40  caps.  Window 
tieups  were  effected  in  several  department 
stores,  permission  was  granted  to  place 
jumbo  cards  on  street  trash  cans  and  chain 
drug  store  plugged  a  "Fauntleroy"  sundae. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Cocks'  Dempsey  Display 

A  week  ahead  of  the  opening  of  his  Jack 
Dempsey  short,  "The  Idols  of  Millions," 
Harvey  Cocks,  Strand  Theatre,  Akron, 
Ohio,  rigged  up  a  display  board  as  per  ac- 
companying photo.  K.  O.  Christner,  ex-pug 
and  local  resident,  was  promoted  for  old 
gloves  from  his  collection  and  these  properly 
captioned  were  included  in  the  eye-attracting 
display. 


94 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I  ,  1936 


Morning  Premiere 
Tops  "Things" Date 

Theatremen  are  accustomed  to  putting  on 
premieres  of  important  dates  either  at  night 
or  at  special  midnight  showings  but  Man- 
ager Bill  Hendricks  did  it  differently  by 
arranging  an  elaborate  opening  for  "Things 
to  Come"  at  the  Warner,  Memphis,  Tenn., 
at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Three 
stations  broadcast  the  unusual  event,  promi- 
nent citizens  broadcast  their  opinions,  and 
a  bathing  girl  revue  (entrants  wearing 
"things  to  come"  in  swim  styles)  was  held 
with  gals  doing  their  stuff  on  platform  in 
front  of  theatre.  Bands  were  on  hand  to 
add  color  and  bathing  beauties  also  were 
taken  around  town  on  special  float  with  men 
costumed  in  period  of  the  picture. 

Newspapers  of  course  came  in  on  the  stunt 
and  cooperated  further  with  three  contests. 
First  was  a  six-day  spread  on  how  Memphis 
would  look  in  100  years,  guessing  the  popu- 
lation of  the  city  in  that  time  and  other 
similar  questions.  Second  was  a  tiein  with 
paper's  juvenile  air  club,  members  building 
what  they  thought  would  be  the  kind  of 
model  planes  used  in  2036.  Third  contest 
was  a  jig-saw  puzzle,  the  scene  taken  from 
one  of  the  stills  with  entrants  asked  to  put 
it  together  to  see  what  the  city  of  the  future 
would  look  like.  Advertising  included  a 
co-op  page  and  a  series  of  large  co-op  ads. 

Television  Gag  Clicks 

Lobby  stunts  featured  a  "search  for  an 
adjective"  idea  with  patrons  submitting  a 
word  to  fit  their  opinion  of  the  picture. 
Sight  stuff  was  taken  care  of  with  an  ex- 
hibit labeled :  "Look  In  the  Crystal  Ball" 
wherein  scene  stills  were  placed  behind  a 
condenser  lens  used  for  a  crystal.  Another 
lobby  flash  was  a  television  gag  (see  photo) 
with  stills  attached  to  revolving  panel  behind 
opening  in  center  of  panel  of  display. 

Radio  buildups  were  worked  with  three 
stations — a  "man  on  the  sidewalk"  inquir- 
ing reporter  stunt  out  front ;  a  contest  to 
select  "Miss  2036"  in  conjunction  with  lead- 
ing night  club.  Third  radio  hookin  was  a 
half -hour  sketch  on  the  picture  produced  by 
Hendricks  himself. 

Costumed  men  on  the  streets,  girls  at 
swimming  pools  with  lettered  swim  balls,  co- 
operation of  Paul  Whiteman  in  town  for 
the  Cotton  Carnival  Ball,  tieins  for  windows 
at  grocers  and  filling  stations,  co-op  heralds 
at  markets  and  the  Ingo  bike  tieup  were 
some  of  the  other  smart  things  put  over  by 
this  Round  Tabler  to  earn  the  only  First 
Mention  given  in  the  Quigley  June  Awards. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Identification  Contest 

Held  by  Pierce  for  "  'Frisco" 

Through  the  cooperation  of  the  Wisconsin 
News,  Roy  Pierce,  Wisconsin  Theatre, 
Milwaukee,  put  on  an  old  time  movie  star 
identification  contest  to  sell  "San  Fran- 
cisco," contest  running  six  days  with  two- 
column  cut  each  day  of  some  old  star.  The 
prizes  were  two  round  trip  tickets  to  the 
coast  and  $25  each  to  the  two  winners,  plus 
a  tour  of  the  studios. 

Special  screening  was  held  for  newspaper, 
critics,  leading  department  store  devoted 
special  window  to  over-sized  photo  of  Mac- 
Donald  displaying  hose  and  Max  Factor 
cosmetics  were  planted  in  drug  stores. 


TELEVISION  GAG.  Fashioned  by  Bill  Hendrich 
for  "Things  to  Come,"  was  a  television  idea  for 
lobby    display    explained    in    column    to  left. 


GHOST  STUNT.  To  sell  his  "Ghost  Goes  West" 
campaign  at  the  Istrione  Theatre,  Jackson,  Miss., 
Marion  E.  Ferrera,  used  an  "animated"  ghost 
properly    bannered    to    tour    business  sections. 


UNIQUE  BALLY.  Out  in  Singapore  at  the  Roxy 
Low  Kee  Choe,  owner,  and  Manager  I.  I.  Salim 
rigged  up  these  boys  with  shields  and  spears  to 
cover    streets    selling    "Last    Days    of  Pompeii". 


AS  T A  1  RE  FOL  LOW  THE  FLEET 
i   HARD  I  NO  "THE    LADY  CONSENTS'" 


CADET  PARADE.  Joe  Lefave  (center),  Tivoli, 
Wallcerville,  Ont.,  Can.,  promoted  the  Windsor  Sea 
Cadets  for  two-mile  parade  to  theatre  carrying 
"Fleet"  banners.    Boys  later  entertained  on  stage. 


Manager  Cooperates 
With  Summer  Show 

by  CARL  BEALS 

Manager,  Strand,  Skowhegan,  Me. 

In  my  town  here  there  is  Lakewood, 
probably  one  of  the  best  known  summer  the- 
atres in  the  country,  giving  plays  every 
evening  throughout  the  summer  months  and 
starring  many  actors  and  celebrities  of  the 
stage,  screen  and  radio.  Frankly,  in  my  situ- 
ation I  do  not  try  to  compete  with  Lake- 
wood,  nor  they  with  us  here,  rather  we  try 
to  work  more  with  each  other  and  exchange 
publicity.  In  their  lobby  and  at  the  golf 
club  they  display  my  posters  and  cards.  Pro- 
grams are  circulated  among  the  people 
there.  Last  year  and  the  year  before  we 
were  given  a  half-page  ad  in  their  regular 
program. 

Perhaps  it  may  seem  odd  to  you  that  we 
do  not  worry  more  about  this  summer  the- 
atre and  rack  our  brains  and  tear  our  hair 
trying  to  find  some  method  of  competing 
with  them.  But  as  I  have  said,  we  both  get 
along  very  nicely  together  exchanging  ad- 
vertising, etc.,  and  doing  little  favors  for 
one  another.  They  are  really  no  competition 
whatsoever  in  this  particular  situation.  In 
the  first  place,  they  charge  $1.10  admission 
to  the  shows,  whereas  our  prices  are  10-25- 
35  for  pictures.  This  town  is  a  mill  and 
shoe-shop  town  and  those  people  as  a  whole 
do  not  patronize  Lakewood  as  the  price  is 
too  much  for  them  to  afford.  They  had 
rather  go  to  movies. 

Lakewood  does  not  draw  very  many  peo- 
ple from  this  town,  but  draws  mostly  from 
the  larger  cities  such  as  Bangor,  Lewiston, 
Auburn,  Augusta  and  Portland,  some  com- 
ing many  miles  to  spend  week-ends  and 
take  in  the  shows.  Prices,  of  course,  have 
a  lot  to  do  with  it  and  also  there  are  many 
people  who  would  rather  see  a  good  movie 
than  a  stage  drama  anyway. 

Sfars  Make  "Personals" 

Another  item  which  I  often  have  an  op- 
portunity to  cash  in  on  is  the  matter  of  per- 
sonal appearances  at  my  theatre  of  many 
of  the  stars  that  appear  at  Lakewood.  Of 
course,  they  do  not  charge  me  for  these  ap- 
pearances as  they  are  always  glad  to  oblige. 
I  usually  have  them  here  the  week  before 
they  are  to  appear  at  Lakewood  and  during 
the  course  of  their  appearance  permit  them 
to  get  in  a  plug  for  their  appearance  at 
Lakewood  the  following  week.  Often  their 
publicity  director  is  permitted  to  get  in  a 
plug  from  my  stage  as  he  introduces  the 
actor  or  actress  to  my  people. 

The  performers  only  work  evenings,  so 
attend  the  matinees  here  regularly  and  we 
get  quite  a  little  business  from  them.  In  my 
case  it  is  better  to  play  with  them  rather 
than  to  try  to  buck  them.  Their  shows  are 
entirely  different,  they  cater  to  a  different 
clientele,  their  prices  are  considerably  higher 
and  they  run  the  same  show  a  full  week, 
whereas  we  change  program  here  five  times 
a  week,  so  there  is  plenty  .opportunity  to  see 
both  their  offerings  and  ours.  A  good  pic- 
ture will  pack  them  in  regardless  of  a  sum- 
mer theatre  or  anything  else,  and  invest- 
ments the  size  of  Lakewood,  with  its  the- 
atre, inn,  stores,  club  house,  dancing  pa- 
vilion, bungalows,  golfing,  etc.,  cannot  be 
carried  off  on  your  back — it  will  always  be 
here,  a  fact  we  well  recognize. 


August    I,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


95 


YOU  ARE  INVITED  TO  JOIN  UP 


HOWARD  WEISS 

is  in  Rockville  Center,  L.  I.,  as  assistant 
manager  of  the  Fantasy  Theatre  and  he's 
close  enough  to  Club  headquarters  to  stop 
in  on  his  next  day  off  to  say  hello.  We've 
received  many  contributions  from  your  town 
and  hope  you'll  swell  the  ranks. 

V 

W.  LEE  JOHNSON 

is  in  Gauley  Bridge,  W.  Va.,  managing  the 
Gauley  Theatre.  Lee  says  he  got  his  first 
taste  of  showbusiness  when,  as  a  boy  of  six, 
he  was  constantly  taken  to  the  movies  by  his 
brother,  a  projectionist.  At  the  age  of  10 
he  was  selling  popcorn  and  then  at  the  door 
"catching  tickets."  At  the  age  of  17  he  was 
assisting  and  continued  there  until  he  as- 
sumed his  present  job. 

V 

CHARLES  C.  COOLBROTH 

manages  the  Rex  Theatre  in  Curwensville, 
Pa.,  starting  in  as  doorman  and  then  four 
years  as  projectionist.  Left  showbusiness  for 
a  year  to  engage  In  automobile  race  promot- 
ing, but  the  lure  of  showbusiness  was  too 
strong  and  he  came  back  to  assume  his  pres- 
ent connection. 

V 

ARLIE  CRITES 

is  certainly  no  stranger  to  us,  having  pub- 
licized plenty  of  his  exploitation  stunts  in 
our  section.  Arlie  manages  the  Rig,  Rex 
and  Circle  Theatres  in  Borger,  Texas,  and 
started  as  operator  at  Adelphus,  in  Ard- 
more,  Okla.,  becoming  affiliated  with  Grif- 
fith Amuse.  Co.  in  that  city  in  1926.  Since 
that  time  Arlie  has  been  transferred  as  pro- 
jectionist, advertising  man,  assistant  man- 
ager from  Stillwater  to  Oklahoma  City., 
Okla.,  various  other  cities  around  that  vicin- 
ity and  then  back  to  Borger. 

V 

VINCENT  GULLI 

manages  the  Sumner  Theatre  in  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  and  he  entered  this  business  in  the 
old  days  at  the  American  Biograph  Studios 
in  Brooklyn,  then  to  the  studio  in  Fort  Lee. 
Vincent  says  he  has  worked  in  every  capac- 
ity of  showbusiness,  but  publicity  is  his 
hobby  and  was  quite  active  in  the  days  of 
vaudeville  with  the  Loew  Theatres.  Re- 
member, we  shall  be  expecting  to  hear  what 
you  are  doing  in  the  line  of  publicity  as  long 
as  it  is  your  forte. 

V 

DAVID  S.  RUBIN 

manages  the  Plymouth  Theatre  in  Hamilton, 
Ont,  Canada.,  from  which  spot  we  have 
many  reports  from  active  members.  You'd 
better  get  aboard  the  band  wagon,  Dave,  and 
send  along  some  accounts  of  your  recent  ac- 
tivities at  the  Plymouth  so  that  the  rest  of 
your  brother  members  may  take  advantage 
of  them. 

V 

DICK  WARNER 

is  the  assistant  manager  of  the  Bison,  Cri- 
terion and  Rex  Theatres  in  Shawnee,  Okla., 
working  for  Bob  Browning.  Dick  is  no 
stranger  to  us,  having  sent  in  reports  of  his 
campaigns;  however,  this  is  just  a  formal 
welcome  to  our  midst  and  a  reminder  to 
keep  up  his  good  work  and  let  us  know 
what's  doing  out  in  Shawnee. 


The  above  poster  was  created  by  C.  M.  Griepen- 
burg,  Elks  Theatre,  Rapid  City,  S.  D.  Head  was 
airbrushed  in  blue  greens  and  white  with  letters 
in  black,  red  and  orange. 


EMMETT  H.  LYONS 

manages  the  Nordland  Theatre  in  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio.  Em  started  in  1933  and  has  been 
at  the  RKO  Capitol,  Lyric,  Palace,  Grand, 
Shubert  and  his  present  house,  all  the  the- 
atres are  in  Cincinnati,  too.  If  you've  been 
following  our  pages,  Lyons,  as  we  imagine 
you  have,  you  certainly  know  how  well  repre- 
sented your  city  is  in  our  section,  so  help 
swell  the  ranks  and  let's  hear  from  you. 


APPLICATION  FOR 
MEMBERSHIP 

MANAGERS'  ROUND 
TABLE  CLUB 

Rockefeller  Center,  N.  Y. 

Name  

Position  

Theatre   

Circuit  

Addrets   

City   

State   

Absolutely  No  Dues  or  Fees! 


WILLIAM  L.  HERRON 

manages  the  Victor  Theatre  in  McKeesport, 
Pa.,  having  started  as  usher  at  the  Warner 
Theatre  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  working  there 
part  time  while  he  finished  his  senior  year 
at  Pitt.  After  two  years,  Bill  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Memorial  in  McKeesport  as 
doorman  and  assistant  and  in  eight  months 
received  his  present  assignment. 

V 

JAMES  F.  DOYLE 

is  in  Fayette,  Mo.,  managing  the  Dickinson 
Theatre  for  Glenn  Dickinson.  Jimmy  has 
been  usher,  doorman,  cashier,  projectionist, 
advertising  man  and  maintenance  man.  Well, 
with  your  background  there  ought  to  be 
plenty  of  stunts  you  can  send  along  in  to 
us  and  we  shall  look  forward  to  the  receipt 
of  them. 

V 

JOHN  FOXE 

is  the  assistant  manager  of  Loew's  Colum- 
bia Theatre  in  Washington,  D.  C,  having 
started  as  usher  at  the  Fox  Theatre  there. 
John  was  later  promoted  to  assistant  at 
Loew's  Theatre  in  Richmond,  Va.,  and  re- 
mained here  in  that  capacity  until  six  months 
ago  to  take  over  his  present  job. 

V 

J.  E.  DORTON 

manages  the  Strand  Theatre  in  New  Bos- 
ton, Texas,  and  started  in  showbusiness  de- 
livering handbills,  later  ushering  and  then 
into  the  advertising  department  of  the  Malco 
Circuit.  From  there  Dorton  became  a  pro- 
jectionist, at  which  job  he  worked  for  over 
a  year,  after  that  he  became  connected  with 
his  present  employer  and  when  the  Strand 
opened  assumed  management  of  it. 

V 

HAROLD  GOLDMAN 

is  the  manager  and  part  owner  of  the  Park 
Theatre,  New  Hyde  Park,  L.  I.  Harold  at- 
tended the  Winona  Military  Academy  in 
Winona,  N.  J.,  and  more  lately  has  been 
connected  with  Minsky's  at  Miami  Beach, 
Fla.  Well,  Hal,  you  are  close  enough  to  club 
headquarters  to  come  in  and  get  personally 
acquainted,  so  we  shall  look  forward  to  your 
visit. 

V 

JOHN  R.  WILLADSEN 

manages  the  Fox  Strand  Theatre  in  San 
Pedro,  Cal.,  and  to  use  the  vernacular,  John 
has  been  around,  having  worked  for  Oliver 
Morosco  for  seven  years  handling  the  Lon- 
don engagement  of  "Peg  o'  My  Heart." 
Later  he  spent  two  years  in  China  and  India 
touring  the  world  with  a  repertory  company. 
John  is  a  member  of  the  Lambs  Club  in 
"New  York,  the  Masquers  in  Hollywood  and 
the  Elks  in  Hoboken. 

V 

MORT  MARGOLIUS 

is  in  Toronto,  Canada,  managing  the  Col- 
lege Theatre,  working  for  Famous  Players 
Canadian,  with  whom  he  has  been  for  six 
years.  Starting  in  the  statistical  depart- 
ment of  the  home  office,  later  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  ticket  department  and  record 
room.  From  there  Mort  went  into  the  ad- 
vertising and  publicity  department  under 
Ernie  Geyer  and  later  Jimmy  Nairn.  From 
there  he  assumed  the  assistant  manager's 
job  of  the  house  he  is  now  managing. 


96  MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


CHICAGO  ALLIED  FIGHTS 
CHANCES  IN  CLEARANCE 


Members  Decide  Not  to  Buy 
More  Product  Until  Present 
Issue  Is  Settled;  Define  Stand 

by  WILLIAM  F.  CROUCH 

in  Chicago 

Chicago  members  of  Allied  Theatres  of 
Illinois  decided  on  Tuesday  not  to  buy  any 
more  new  product  until  the  raging  conten- 
tion over  clearance  is  settled.  This  action 
precipitates  a  taut  situation,  as  major  dis- 
tributors had  planned  to  start  city  selling 
intensively  next  week. 

Allied  expressed  itself  as  definitely  op- 
posed to  distributors'  granting  Balaban  and 
Katz  an  extra  week  of  clearance  between 
the  C  week  and  first  week  of  release,  assert- 
ing that  such  a  grant  would  be  in  violation 
of  an  agreement  made  years  ago  to  the  effect 
that  no  one  circuit  and  distributors  could 
change  the  clearance  plan  without  obtaining 
the  agreement  of  independent  exhibitors  and 
other  circuits.  Conferences  have  been  set 
for  next  week  in  hope  of  ironing  out  the 
differences. 

Aaron  Saperstein,  head  of  Allied,  has  been 
authorized  to  start  court  action  against  Bala- 
ban and  Katz  over  the  clearance  matter 
unless  a  satisfactory  agreement  is  reached, 
but  has  said  he  hopes  matters  can  be  settled 
so  that  this  will  not  be  necessary. 

V 

Outstanding  among  the  numerous 
changes  announced  in  the  local  Paramount 
distribution  organization  is  the  promotion 
of  Barney  Barnard,  sales  manager  of  the 
Chicago  office,  to  branch  manager  of  the 
Indianapolis  exchange.  Eddie  Fontaine  is 
district  manager. 

Other  changes  in  the  personnel  are  as 
follows:  Otto  Bolle  has  resigned  as  branch 
manager  of  the  Detroit  exchange  to  join 
Twentieth  Century-Fox's  foreign  depart- 
ment. His  place  is  being  filled  by  John 
Howard,  Indianapolis  branch  manager. 
Barnard  takes  Howard's  Indianapolis  post 
after  12  years  in  the  local  exchange.  The 
Chicago  sales  manager's  job  goes  to  Harry 
Hamburg,  city  salesman  for  many  years, 
and  Harry  Wirthwein,  country  salesman, 
comes  into  the  city  office  while  Ben  Elrod, 
circuit  booker,  goes  downstate  in  a  sales 
capacity. 

A  testimonial  dinner  was  given  for  Bolle 
in  Detroit  last  Monday  night.  That  noon 
a  luncheon  was  given  in  Barnard's  honor  at 
the  Knickerbocker  hotel  here.  On  Friday 
night  the  Variety  Club  in  Indianapolis  paid 
tribute  to  Howard. 

V 

Excitement  no  end  greeted  the  announce- 
ment that  a  contest  to  select  the  "Queen 
of  the  CAPA  Midnite  Cruise"  was  being 
launched  by  the  members  of  the  Chicago 
Amusement  Publicists  Association  as  a  part 
of  the  many  festivities  in  their  voyage  on  the 
SS  Roosevelt  Tuesday  night,  August  18th. 

Tickets  for  the  cruise,  which  will  be  high- 
lighted by  all  sorts  of  entertainment,  fun 
and  frolic,  are  on  sale  at  the  CAPA  Cruise 


headquarters,  908  South  Wabash  avenue. 
Each  ticket  allows  the  purchaser  1,000  votes. 
A  $50  cash  award  will  go  to  the  winner  of 
the  title.  Accommodations  for  1,800  are 
available  on  the  Great  Lakes  luxurv  liner. 
V 

Members  of  Allied  Theatres  of  Illinois 
are  definitely  opposed  to  the  appearance  of 
first  rank  film  stars  in  radio  programs,  ac- 
cording to  Aaron  Saperstein,  president.  The 
independent  group  is  so  much  opposed  that 
decision  may  be  taken  within  the  next  few 
weeks  to  do  all  possible  towards  stopping  the 
big  Hollywood  radio  shows,  which,  accord- 
ing to  exhibitors,  keep  theatre  patrons  at 
home  nights.  Several  Illinois  showmen  have 
declared  that  on  the  nights  of  such  programs 
as  the  Lux  Radio  Theatre'  and  Hollywood 
Hotel  there  is  a  definite  falling  off  in  theatre 
attendance.  This  drive  against  the  "free" 
radio  shows  "is  expected  to  get  under  way 
early  this  fall. 

V 

Walter  Brown,  manager  of  the  Ross  Fed- 
eral office,  is  out  of  the  hospital  after  an 
operation  and  is  back  at  his  desk.  He  was 
laid  up  for  two  weeks. 

V 

Frederick   Martin,   local   distributor  for 
Screeno,  is  in  the  St.  Francis  hospital  in 
Evanston  suffering  from  a  fractured  leg. 
V 

The  drafting  of  a  new  fire  ordinance  re- 
garding local  film  handling  is  underway 
and  if  plans  materialize  a  clause  will  be 
inserted  to  cover  use  of  the  2,000-foot 
reel.  If  action  is  not  forthcoming  before 
September  1st,  an  appeal  to  the  Mayor 
will  be  made  in  order  that  Chicago  will 
not  be  behind  other  cities  in  adopting  the 
larger  reel. 

V 

Managers  of  Warner  Theatres  here  and 
their  assistants  were  the  guests  Monday  of 
James  Coston  at  his  Lake  Marie  summer 
home  near  Antioch,  111.  Prizes  were  given 
those  who  caught  the  biggest  fish  and  played 
the  best  golf. 

V 

From  the  total  of  1 1  new  pictures  reviewed 
under  the  date  of  July  30,  the  National  Le- 
gion of  Decency  has  listed  six  features  as 
worthy  of  general  patronage  while  the  re- 
mainder were  considered  unobjectionable 
for  adult  classification. 

V 

Local  theatre  circuits  now  are  stamping 
all  their  passes  "Not  Good  on  Bank  Night." 
V 

Terry  Turner  is  in  town  arranging  for 
an  appearance  of  the  Hilton  sisters  at  the 
State-Lake.  Turner  was  one  of  the  press 
agents  who  handled  the  marriage  of  one  of 
the  sisters  at  the  Texas  Centennial. 

V 

"Green  Pastures"  opens  Friday  at  the 
United  Artists  theatre  and  after  four  weeks 
Warner  expects  to  see  "Anthony  Adverse" 
go  into  the  same  house  August  29th.  TSTo 
change  has  been  made  in  the  recent  decision 
of  the  local  censor  board  that  "Anthony  Ad- 
verse" be  restricted  to  adult  attendance. 


From  Minneapolis  comes  word  that  Doro- 
thea Zelda  Blumberg,  formerly  secretary  to 
J.  F.  McFall  of  the  Warner  office  and 
daughter  of  L.  J.  Blumberg,  sales  manager 
of  Celebrated  Film  Exchange  and  well 
known  here,  was  married  recently  to  Merrill 
Lee  Johnston  of  Pasadena  and  will  make  her 
home  in  California. 

V 

Emma  Abplanalp  celebrated  a  birthday 
anniversary  on  Monday.  She  was  the  re- 
cipient of  many  fine  gifts. 

V 

Jack  Miller  with  his  family  left  last  week 
for  Macinac  Island  for  a  vacation.  As  no 
automobiles  are  allowed  on  the  Island  Jack 
took  his  riding  horses  along  for  transporta- 
tion. 

V 

B  &  K  has  taken  over  and  is  now  manag- 
ing the  New  Main  theatre  in  Evanston.  This 
house,  formerly  operated  by  John  Szant,  will 
be  thoroughly  remodeled  late  this  summer. 
It  has  800  seats. 


Southeast  Owners 
To  Hear  Leaders 

The  annual  convention  and  frolic  of  the 
Southeastern  Theatre  Owners  Association  is 
scheduled  for  this  weekend  at  Jacksonville, 
Fla.,  with  an  attendance  of  500  exhibitors 
from  Florida,  Georgia,  Tennessee  and  South 
Carolina.  The  program  opens  Sunday  with 
registration  at  the  Hotel  Mayflower,  head- 
quarters for  the  meeting,  and  a  deep  sea 
fishing  party  for  the  early  arrivals.  At  the 
first  business  session  on  Sunday  night  Mayor 
John  Alsop,  Jr.,  of  Jacksonville  will  welcome 
the  exhibitors.  He  will  be  introduced  by 
Hugh  Manning,  president  of  the  SETOA. 

Edward  Kuykendall,  president  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Theatre  Owners  of  America, 
will  be  the  guest  of  honor  and  will  make  the 
principal  address.  O.  C.  Lam,  a  director  of 
the  MPTOA,  also  will  speak.  A  buffet  sup- 
per will  follow  the  session. 

Monday  morning  the  annual  election  of 
officers  will  be  held  and  a  golf  tournament 
conducted  at  the  Ponte  Vedre  ocean  golf 
course.  E.  J.  Sparks  of  the  Sparks  circuit 
will  be  host  at  a  beach  shrimp  and  fish  fry 
in  the  evening,  to  be  followed  by  a  dance 
at  the  pier.  Deep  sea  fishing  and  swimming 
will  feature  the  program  for  Tuesday  and 
that  evening  a  banquet,  dance  and  floor  show 
at  the  hotel  will  close  the  convention. 


Pioneer  Exhibitor  Dead 

Mrs.  Eva  R.  Hawes  has  taken  over  the 
management  of  the  Puritan  theatre,  Boston, 
following  the  death  of  her  husband,  Frank 
A.  Hawes.  Mr.  Hawes  built  the  Puritan 
theatre  26  years  ago  and  was  one  of  the  pio- 
neer exhibitors  of  New  England. 


Law  Firm  Name  Changed 

The  law  firm  of  Sol  A.  Rosenblatt  has 
been  changed  to  Rosenblatt  and  Jaffe.  Wil- 
liam Jaffe  entered  the  firm  as  a  partner 
recently. 


European  Talent  Sought 

RKO  Radio  is  sending  Margot  Gragey, 
head  of  the  studio's  foreign  department,  to 
Europe  to  scout  for  screen  tahnt  and  stories. 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


97 


THE  RELEASE  CHART 


Productions  are  listed  according  to  the  names  of  distributors  in  order  that  the  exhibitor  may  have  a  short-cut  towards  such 
information  as  he  may  need,  as  well  as  information  on  pictures  that  are  coming.  Features  now  in  work  or  completed  for  release 
later  than  the  date  of  this  issue  are  listed  under  "Coming  Attractions."  Running  times  are  those  supplied  by  the  companies. 
Asterisk  indicates  running  time  as  made  known  by  West  Coast  studio  before  announcement  by  home  office  in  New  York.  Varia- 
tions also  may  be  due  to  local  censorship  deletions.  Dates  are  1935,  unless  otherwise  specified.  Letter  in  parenthesis  after 
title  denotes  audience  classification  of  production:  (A)  Adult,  (G)  General.  Numerals  following  audience  classification  are  pro- 
duction numbers.    Dagger  symbol  indicates  picture  is  of  the  1935-36  season. 


ACADEMY 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi  Duna   Jan.    24,'36t  70. Jan.  25,'36 

Revolt  of  the  Demons  Dorothy  Stone-Dean  Jagger  May    20,'36t  60. June    13, '36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title  of  "Revolt  of  the  Zombies.") 


Inter-national   Crime  ... 

Millions  for  Defense  

Murder  in  Chinatown  

Secret  of  Scotland  Yard. 
Slave  Ship   


Coming 


AMBASSADOR-CONN 


Title  Star  Rel. 

Black  Gold   Frankie  Darro-Berton  Churchill.  .Jan. 

Born  to  Fight  Frankie  Darro-Jack  La  Rue  Apr. 

Phantom  of  Death  Valley  Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond ...  May 

Phantom  Patrol   Kermit  Maynard-Joan  Barclay  May 

Song  of  the  Trail  Kermit  Maynard-Evelyn  Brent... Feb. 

Timber  War   Kermit  Maynard-Lucille  Lund... Nov. 

Wildcat  Trooper   Kermit  Maynard-H.  Bosworth. . . .  June 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 
20,'36t  

I3,'36t  

I5,'36t  

3,'36t  

24,'36t    

20  

I0,'36t  


Coming 

Avenging  Angels   Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. .  .Aug. 

China  Flight   Oct. 

Racing  Blood   Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. .  .Aug. 

Robin  Hood,  Jr  Sept. 

Wild   Horse  Roundup  Kermit  Maynard   Aug. 


20,'36. 

I, '36. 

I, '36. 
I5,'36. 

8, '36. 


BURROUGHS-TARZAN 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Drag  Net,  The  Rod  LaRocque-Marian  Nixon  Apr.    1 5,'36f  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  15, '36.) 
Phantom  of  Sante  Fe,  The  Nina  Quartaro-Norman   Kerry. ..  .July  7,'36t  

(all  color) 

Tundra   Del  Cambre   Aug.  I5,'36t  

Coming 

White  Glove,  The  Sept.  I,'36t  


CELEBRITY 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

For  Love  of  You  Franco    Foresta    -    Riscoe  and 

Wayne   60  

Kiss  Me  Goodbye  (G)  Magda  Schneider  -   Riscoe  and 

Wayne   62  Dec.  14 


CHESTERFIELD 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

August  Week-end   V.  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley,  Jr  Apr.  25,'36t  

Below  the  Deadline  Cecilia  Parker- Russell   Hopton . . .  June  l,'36t  

Dark  Hour,  The  Ray  Walker-Irene  Ware  Jan.    1 5.'36t .... 64  

Little   Red  Schoolhouse  Dickie  Moore-Junior  Coghlan  Mar.    2,'36t. . .  .66  

Lady  Luck   Patricia  Farr-Wm.  Bakewell  July  6,'36t  

Ring  Around  the  Moon  (G) ...  Erin  O'Brien-Moore-D.  Cook  Dec.    I5t  64  Mar.  28,'36 

Coming 

M issing  Girls   


COLUMBIA 


Title  Star 
And    So    They    Were  Married 

(G)   Mary  Astor-Melvyn    Douglas  May 

Avenging    Waters   Ken  Maynard-Beth  Marion  May 

Blackmailer   William  Gargan-Florence  Rice. ..July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  28,'36.) 
Calling  of  Dan  Matthew  (G) .  Richard  Arlen-Charlotte  Wynters 

Cattle  Thief,  The  Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell. 

Counterfeit   Chester  Morris-Margot  Grahame 

(See  "Queer  Money."  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2,'36.) 
Crime  and  Punishment  (A)  Peter  Lorre-Edward  Arnold  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63.) 

Dangerous  Intrigue   Ralph  Bellamy-Gloria  Shea  Jan. 

Devil's  Squadron   (G)   Richard   Dix-Karen    Morley  May 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


.  Dec. 
.Feb. 
.  June 


I0,'36t.. 
8,'36t. . 
I0,'36t. . 

I0t  

28,'36t.  . 


.75.  Apr. 

.56  

.66  


.65. Feb. 
.57  


I2,'36t  74. 


20t. 


.89....  Nov.  30 


4,'36t. . .  .57  

l.'36t....80.May 


Title  star  Rel- 

Don't  Gamble  with  Love  (G)..  Bruce  Cabot- Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Escape  from  Devil's  Island(G)  .  Victor  Jory-Florence  Rice  Nov. 

Final   Hour.  The  M.  Churchill-Ralph  Bellamy  July 

Fugitive  Sheriff,  The   Ken   Maynard-Beth   Marion  June 

Gallant  Defender   Charles  Starrett-Joan  Perry  Nov. 

Hell   Ship   Morgan    (G)  George  Bancroft-Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Heroes  of  the  Range  Ken    Maynard-June    Gale  Mar. 

If  You  Could  Only  Cook  Jean    Arthur-Herbert    Marshall.  .  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25,'36,  p.  64.) 
King  Steps  Out.  The   (G)  Grace  Moore-Franchot  Tone  May 

(Exploitation:    July  25,'36,  p.  81.) 

Lady  of  Secrets  ...Ruth  Chatterton-Otto  Kruger  Jan. 

Lawless   Riders   (G)  Ken   Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell ...  Dec. 

Lone  Wolf  Returns,  The  (GK.Melvyn   Douglas-Gail    Patrick  Dec. 

Meet  Nero  Wolfe  (G)  Edward  Arnold-Lionel  Stander. . .  Aug. 

Mine  With  the  Iron  Door,  The 

(G)   Richard    Arlen-Cecilia    Parker.  .  .  May 

Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town  (G)..Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  Apr. 

(Exploitation:   May  30,'36,   p.  90;  June  6, '36,  p. 
June  27,'36,  p.  80;  July  1 1, '36,  pp.  125,  128;  July 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 
I5,'36t. ..  .63. Mar.  I4,'36 
I0t  65  Dec.  14 

7,  '36t....58  

I,'36t  58  

30t  57  

8,  '36t....65.Mar.  21  ,'36 

28,'36t....5l..  

30t  72  

28,'36t. ..  .86. May    23, '36 


25.'36t...73  

28t  57.  May 

3  It  69. Feb. 

I,'36t.  .  .  .72. July 

6,'36t. ..  .66. Apr. 
1 2,'36t ...  1 18.  Apr. 
120;  June  20, '36,   pp.    118,  120, 
8,'36,  p.  82;  July  25, '36,  p.  81.) 


2,'36 
I5,'36 
25, '36 

25,'38 
25, '36 
122; 


Music  Goes  'Round,  The   (G).Rochelle  Hudson-Harry  Richman. .  Feb.    27,'36t  88. Feb.  29,'36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7, '36,  p.  95;  Mar.  2I,'36,  p.  96;  Mar.  28,'36,  p.  84;  Apr.  I8,'36,  p.  78; 
May  2, '36,  p.  94;  May  9, '36,  p.  90;  May  16, '36,  p.  82;  June  6,'36,  p.  123.) 

Mysterious  Avenger   Charles  Starrett-Joan  Perry  Jan.    I7,'36t  55  

One   Way  Ticket  Lloyd  Nolan-Peggy  Conklin  Nov.    25t  72  

Panic  on  the  Air  (G)  Lew  Ayres- Florence   Rice  Apr.    I0,'36t  56. May     2, '36 

Pride  of  the  Marines  Charles  Bickford-Florence  Rice. ..Apr.     2,'36t  66  

Roaming   Lady   Fay  Wray-Ralph  Ballamy  Apr.    I2,'36t  69  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  April  4, '36.) 

Secret   Patrol   Charles  Starrett- Finis  Barton      .May    20,'36t...  60  

Shakedown   Lew  Ayres-Joan  Perry  July    1 7,'36t ...  .57  

Stampede   Charles  Starrett- Finis  Barton ....  June    8,'36t..  56  

Too  Tough  to  Kill  Victor  Jory-Sally  O'Neill  Nov.    23t  58  

Trapped  by  Television  Lyle  Talbot-Mary  Astor  June    I5,'36t  64  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23, '36.) 

Western    Courage   Ken   Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell ...  Nov.    I5t  58  

You  May  Be  Next  (G)  Ann  Sothern-Lloyd  Nolan  Feb.     6,'36t  67. Mar.  28,'36 

Coming 

Adventure  in  Manhattan  Jean  Arthur-Joel  McCrea  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  I8,'36.) 

Continental   Dolores  Del  Rio-Melvyn  Douglas  

Craig's   Wife   John   Boles-Rosalind  Russell  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  I8,'36.) 

Find    the    Witness  Marguerite  Churchill  

I   Promise  to  Pay  Leo    Carrillo-Marian    Marsh  - 

Geo.  Bancroft  

Lost  Horizon   Ronald  Colman-Jane  Wyatt- 

Edward  Everett  Horton  

Man  Who  Lived  Twice,  The. ..  .Isabel  Jewell-Ralph  Bellamy  

Man  Without   Fear,   A  Jack   Holt-Louise  Henry  

Nightingale   Flies   Home,   The. Grace  Moore  

Pennies   from    Heaven  Bing  Crosby-Madge  Evans  

Theodora  Goes  Wild  Irene  Dunne   

They  Met  in  a  Taxi  Chester  Morris-Fay  Wray  

(See  "There  Goes  the  Bride,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4,'36.) 
Two    Fisted   Gentleman  James    Dunn-June   Clayworth  Aug.    15, '36  

(See  "The  Fighter,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  July  4,'36.) 
Two  Minute  Alibi  M.  Churchill-Wm.  Garaan  


COMMODORE 

Running  Time 

Title 

Star 

Rel. 

Date 

Minutes 

Reviewed 

Aces  Wild   

2,'36t 
I5,'36t 
I5,'36t 
26t 

.  .  .6  rls 

...  .6  rls 

.    6  rls 

Ridin'  Through   

..  .6  rls. 

Shadow  of   Silk  Lennox.. 

It... 

. .  .6  rls. 

Toll  of  the  Desert  (G) 

.  .  N  ov. 

It... 

...60.. 

Oct.  28 

Wolf  Riders   

.  ...Jack  Perrin   

26t 

....6  rls. 

Coming 

DANUBIA 

(Hungarian  Dialogue) 

Runni 

ng  Time 

Title 

Star 

Rel. 

Date 

Minutes 

Reviewed 

2l.'36t 
I5,'36t 

...77... 

New   Squire.  The  

.106 

Queen  of  Roses  

. .  .  Maria  Tasnedi   

22t 

Be  Good  Unto  Death  

Coming 

I0.'36 

. . .80. . . 

98 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I  ,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


DU  WORLD  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Frasquita  (G)   Franz  Lehar   ..Jan.    I7.'36t  87. Feb.     I .'36 

Legong:  Dance  of  the  Virgins. .Technicolor   Nov.    I5t  60  

Scandal   in  Budapest  Nov.  It  

Wedding   Rehearsal   Roland  Young-Merle  Oberon  Dec.  If  

Coming 

Amok   .Marcel   Chantel   Oct.    15. '36  84  

Kliou,  The  Killer  Technicolor   Oct.     I. '36  60  June  I 

L'Equippage    Annabella   Oct.    I5.'36  79  

Nobody's  Boy   Robert  Lynen   Sept.  I5.'36  81  

Notre  Dame   Oct.     I. '36  58  

Opera  of  Paris   Georges  Thill   Oct.      I. '36  50  


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


EMPIRE 

Title  Star 

Crime  Patrol   Ray  Walker-Geneva  Mitchell  

Fire  Trap  (G)   Evalyn  Knapp-Norman  Foster  *63....Dec.  7 

Shadows  of  the  Orient  (G)... .Regis  Toomey-Esther  Ralston  *65.Feb.    15, '36 


FIRST  NATIONAL 


Running  Time 

Title                                    Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Brides  Are  Like  That  (G)  972.  Ross  Alexander-Anita  Louise  Apr.   I8,'36t . .  .  .67. Jan.  25,'36 

(Exploitation:  June  20, '36,  p.  117.) 

Broadway  Hostess  (G)  963  Winifred  Shaw-Lyle  Talbot  Dec.     7t  69  Nov.  23 

Bullets  or  Ballots  (G)  961  Edw.  G.  Robinson-Joan  Blondell.  .June     6,'36t  81. May    23, '30 

(Exploitation:  June  13, '36,  p.  123;  June  27, '35,  p.  86.) 
Captain  Blood  (G)  855  Errol  Flynn-Olivia  De  Havilland. . Dec.    28t  119. Jan.    II, '36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25,'36,  p.  69;  Feb.  I, '36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8,'36,  pp.  83,  86;  Feb.  29,'36,  pp. 
74,  76;  Mar.  I4,'36,  p.  89;  Apr.  I8,'36,  p.  82.) 
Ceiling  Zero   (G)   953  James  Cagney-Pat  O'Brien  Jan.    25,'36t....95  Dec.  28 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  I, '36,  p.  62;  Feb.  8,'36.  p.  83;  Feb.  29,'36,  p.  73;  Mar.  7,'36,  p.  99; 
Apr.  18, '36,  pp.  81,  82;  May  9. '30,  p.  94;  May  23/36,  p.  88.) 

Earthworm  Tractors  (G)  962. ..Joe  E.  Brown-June  Travis  July    I8,'36t . .  .*68.  June  20/36 

Golden  Arrow,  The  (G)  959...Berte   Davis-George  Brent  May   23,'36t. .  .  .68.  May  9,'36 

(Exploitation:  May  I6,'36,  p.  85;  July  4, '30,  p.  72.) 

Hearts   Divided   (G)   955  Marion  Davies-Dick  Powell  June   20,'36f  70. June    1 3.'36 

I  Found  Stella  Parish  (A)  958. Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter   Nov.    I6t  84  Nov.  2 

Law  in  Her  Hands,  The  (G) 

973   Margaret  Lindsay-Warren  Hull.  ..May    I6,'36t  58. Apr.    1 8/36 

Man  of  Iron  (G)  969....  Barton  MacLane-Mary  Astor  Dec.    21 1  61  Nov.  16 

Murder  by  an  Aristocrat  (G) 

974   ...Marguerite  Churchill-L.  Talbot  .  .June  I3,'36t  60. Apr.  4,'36 

Murder  of  Dr.   Harrigan,  The 

(G)  970    Kay  Linaker-Ricardo  Cortez  Jan.    1 1 ,'36f  67.  Feb.  I,'36 

Payoff,  The  (G)  968  James   Dunn-Claire  Dodd  Nov.     9t  64  Nov.  30 

Road  Gang  (A)   964  Donald  Woods-Kay  Linaker  Mar.  28,'36f  62. Feb.  29,'36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7, '36,  p.  94;  June  6, '36,  p.  121;  June  27, '36,  p.  88;  July  4, '36,  p.  68; 
July  1 1, '36.  p.  128.) 

Singing  Kid,  The  (G)  954. ...Al  Jolson-Beverly  Roberts  Apr.   Il,'36t  84. Mar.  21, '36 

(Exploiation:  May  2, '30,  p.  99.) 

Snowed  Under  (G)  971  George  Brent-Genevieve  Tobin  Apr.    4,'36t  63. Mar.  21, '36 

Song  of  the  Saddle  (G)  978..  Dick  Foran-Alma  Lloyd  Feb.  29/36f  56. Apr.   1 1, '36 

Story   of    Louis    Pasteur,  The 

(G)  956   Paul  Muni-Josephine  Hutchinson. .Feb.   22,'36t  87  Nov.  30 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22,'36,  pp.  95,  96;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  25/36, 
p.  96;  May  2/36,  p.  92;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  16/36.  p.  82;  May  30/36,  p.  85;  July 
4/36,  p.  68.) 

Two  Against  the  World  (G)  977. Humphrey  Bogart- Beverly  Rob- 
erts  July    ll/36t....57.May  23/36 

White  Angel,  The  960  (Q)....Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter  July     4/36t. .  .  91 . June  6/36 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  125.) 

Coming 

Case  of  the  Caretaker's  Cat  Ricardo  Cortez-June  Travis  

Case  of  the  Velvet  Claws,  The 

(G)    965   Warren  William-Claire  Dodd  Aug.   I5,'36t..  .63. May  23/36 

China  Clipper  960  Pat  O'Brien-Beverly   Roberts  Aug.  22/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Down  the  Stretch  (G)  Patricia  Ellis-Dennis  Moore  Sept.  19/36  *65.July  18/36 

God's  Country  and  the  Woman. George  Brent-Beverly  Roberts  

Gold  Diggers  of  1937  .Dick  Powell-Joan  Blondell  

Heroes  of  the  Air  Jean  Muir-Warren  Hull  

Love    Begins   at    Twenty  (G) 

975   Warren  Hull-Patricia  Ellis  Aug.  22/36  58. May  30/36 

Mountain  Justice   Bette  Davis   

Nowhere   Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts  

Polo   Joe   loe  E.  Brown-Carol  Hughes  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Shrinking   Violet   June   Travis-Richard  Pureell  

Sing  Me  a  Love  Song  James  Melton-Patricia  Ellis  

Slight  Ca6e  of  Murder,  A  Edward  G.  Robinson  

Stage  Struck   Joan  Blondell -Dick  Powell  Sept.  12/36  .'. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  6/36.) 

Trailin'   West   Dick   Foran-Paula  Stone  Sept.  5/36  

(See  "On  Secret  Service,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  16/36.) 

FRANK  NORTON 

(Greek  Dialogue — English  Titles)  Running  Time 

Tlt,e  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Auto  In  Zoo   Reta  Karmen  Nov.    25t  M5  

Blue  Candles   Reta  Myrat   Dee.    2Jt  95  

Crucified  Love   Helen   Pades   Dee.    I5t  115  

Depression  Is  Over   Beatrice  Emanuel   Jan.    I5.*36t..  .98  

Independence   Phillip  Alexander   Feb.   I6.'36t..  .100  

News  from  Greece  Travelogue   Feb.  9.'36f....80  

Voskopoula   Sophea  Damoglou   Jan.     S/36t.  ..95  


GB  PICTURES 


Running  Time 

Title                                    Star                                  Rel.  Date      Minutes  heviewed 

First  a  Girl  (A)  3512  lessie  Matthews-Sonnie  Hale. ....  Dec.    31 1  78  Nov.  30 

It's  Love  Again  (G)  Jessie  Matthews -Robert  Young. ..May   30,'36t  79. May  16/36 

King  of  the  Damned  (A)  3504. Conrad  Veidt-Helen  Vinson  Jan.    I0,'36t  75. Jan.  25/36 

Mister  Hobo  (G)  3416  George  Arliss-Gene  Gerrard  Nov.    22  80  Oct.  10 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "The  Guv'nor.")  (Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36, 
p.  84;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  83.) 
Passing  of  the  Third  Floor 

Back,  The  (G)  3510  Conrad    Veidt-Rene    Ray  Dec.    I5t  80  Oct.  10 

Rhodes,    the    Diamond  Master 

(G)    3514   Walter  Huston   Apr.  I5,'36t. ..  .88. Mar.  7/36 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  72.) 
Secret  Agent   (A)   3515  Madeleine   Carroll-Peter  Lorre...June    I5,'36t  83. May  23/36 

Coming 

East  Meets  West  George  Arliss  

Everything   Is  Thunder  C.    Bennett-D.  Montgomery  

Great   Barrier,   The  Richard  Arlen-Lilli  Palmer  

Hidden  Power,  The  Sylvia  Sidney-John  Loder  

His   Majesty's  Pyjamas  (A) 

3623   Clive  Brook-Helen  Vinson-Mary 

Carlisle   78. May  30/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Love  in  Exile.") 

King  Solomon's  Mines  3618. .  .Roland  Young-Paul  Robeson  

Man  Who   Lived  Again  3507..  Boris   Karloff-Anna  Lee  

Nelson  Touch,  The  George  Arliss   

Nine  Days  a  Queen  (G)  3610.  .Nova  Pilbeam-Cedric  Hardwicke.  .Sept.    I,'36t. .  .  .80.  May  18/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Lady  Jane  Gray.")  (See  production  article,  June  20/36,  p.  10.) 

Paris   Love  Song   Jessie  Matthews   

Seven  Sinners   Edmund    Lowe-Constance  Cum- 

mings   Aug.   I5,'36t  70. July  11/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Doomed  Cargo.") 

Soldiers  Three   Victor  McLaglen   

Strangers  on  a  Honeymoon  Constance  Cummings-Hugh  Sin- 
clair-Noah  Beery   73  

GEORGE  HIRLIMAN  ENTERPRISES 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  B-vUwed 

Coming 

Bristol,    the    Blunderer  George  O'Brien   Nov.  1/36  

Captain  Calamity   George  Houston-Marian  Nixon... Aug.   15/36  66  

Daniel    Boone   George  O'Brien   Sept.  1/36  

Devil  on  Horseback,  The  Lili  Damita   

Gorgeous   -  

Pending   Justice   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  

Rest  Cure  (G)   Reginald  Denny-Esther  Ralston .  .Oct.    15/36  64. Feb.  15/36 

Romance   on  the  Rio  

Yellow  Cargo   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  Sept.  15/36  65  

GRAND  NATIONAL  DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

(Release  First  Division  Productions  and  in  certain  territories  Alliance,  Diversion, 
Normandy,  Associated  Talking,  Monogram,  Liberty,  Chesterfield  and  Invincible  Pictures.) 

Running  Tim? 

Title  star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

August    Week-End   Valerie  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley, 


I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi  Duna 


agon. 


Ring  Around  the  Moon  Erin  O'Brien  -  Moore  -  Donald 

Cook   • 

She-Devil    Island   C.  Guerrero-  J.  J.  Martinez 

Casado  


Three  of  a  Kind  (G). 


25/36t.. 

..62'/2  

I5.'36t. . 

..70'/2  

l/36t.. 

..78  June  1 

I5.'36t.. 

.  .66'/2  July 

11/36 

I5,'36t.. 

..6f'/2  

I,'36t.. 

. .67. Jan. 

25/36 

20t 

.65  

3/36+  

It  

.  .69. May 

9/36 

25t  

..89. ...Feb.  2 

8t  

..76  

!5/36t.. 

..57. July 

18/36 

23/36t.. 

.  .69'/2Mar.  28/36 

l/36t.. 

I5.'36t.. 

. .77. Feb. 

29/36 

I5t  

IO/36t. 

...70  

20/36t. 

...75. July 

4/36 

HOFFBERG 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Fighting  Playboy   Luclle  Browne-Nick  Stuart  Nov.    lot  55  

Girl  from  Maxim's  Leslie  Henson-Frances  Day  July    15/36  65. Oct.  14/33 

Old  Spanish  Custom,  An  Buster    Keatin   Jan.     2/36t  60  

Song  of  the  Scarlet  Flower  Swedish   June   1 5,'36f ....  80  

Wanted   Men   Charles  Laughton-Dorothy  Glsh.June     l/36t  62  

Coming 

Monday  at  Ten  Virginia   Cherrill-Gary  Marsh  60  

Crime  of  Voodoo  Fred!  Washington   Sept.    1/36  63  

Voice   of   India  Hoeffer  Expedition   Sept.  15/38  70  


Womanhood 


.Eve  Gray-Esmond  Knight  60. 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


99 


(THE  RELEASE  CtiACT—CCNT'E) 


HUNGAR1A 


(Hungarian  Dialogue) 
Title  Star 

Addressee   Unknown   Irene  Agai   

Heart  Specialist   B.   Somegyl   Dec. 

I  Cannot  Live  Without  Music. .  Gyula  Csortos   Dec. 

One  Night  in  Venice  Gyula  Csortos   Jan. 

Three  Men  Under  the  Snow  Jeno  Torzs   Nov. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Nov.    20t  85  

30t  90  ." 

20t  95  

l/36t..  .  85  

20t  85  


IMPERIAL 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Forgotten  Women   Irene   Rich-Evelyn   Brent  ..May    15/36  71  

Manhattan  Butterfly   Dorothy  Grainger-Wm.  Bakewell. .  Nov.    25t  71  

Coming 

High  Hat   Frank   Luther- Dorothy   Dare  Sept.    I, '36  

I  Demand  Payment  Betty  Burgess-Lloyd  Hughes  Nov.  I,'36t  

Rich  Relations   Ralph  Forbes-Frances  Grant  Oct.    15, '36  68  

Wooden  Kimono,  The  Sept.  1 5/36  


INVINCIBLE 

(Distributed  through  Chesterfield) 


Title  Star 

Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens- Dorothy  Tree 

Brilliant  Marriage   Joan   Marsh-Ray   Walker  Mar. 

Easy  Money  (G)  Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker  June 

H itch-Hike  to   Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman-Anita  Page. ..Dec. 

Tango   Marian  Nixon-Chick  Chandler. .. .Jan. 

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)  Chick  Chandler- Evalyn  Knapp  May 

Coming 

Ellis  Island   

On  the  Spot   Reginald  Denny-Jack  La  Rue. ...Aug.    I, '36. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Feb.    I5,'36t  64  

25,'36t  

I0,'36t..  . -66'/a  July  1 1  .'36 

It  

I  ,'36r. . .  66  

2,'36t  75. July  4,'36 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


7.'36t....72.Feb. 
I9,'36t 


Title 

Voice  of  Bugle  Ann,  The   (G)  1 

630   Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sullivan. .  Feb. 

We  Went  to  College  (G)  626..  Walter  Abel-Edith  Atwater  June 

Whipsaw  (G)  513  ..Myrna  Loy-Spencer  Tracy  Dec. 

Wife  vs.  Secretary  (G)  606  Clark    Cable-Myrna    Loy  -  Jean 

Harlow   Feb.   28,'36t . ..  89.  Feb.  22,'36 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18, '36,  p.  77;  July  4,'36,  p.  69.) 


I5,'36 
69.  June  27,'36 
82  Dec.  14 


Coming 


Born  to  Dance  Eleanor  Powell-James  Stewart  

Chained  Lightning   Stuart  Erwin-Betty  Furness  

Devil  Is  a  Sissy,  The  Freddie    Bartholomew- Jackie 

Cooper   Sept.  1 8, '36  

Good  Earth,  The  Paul   Muni-Luise  Rainer  

(See  production  article,  July  1 1, '36,  p.  16.) 

Gorgeous  Hussy,  The  633  Joan  Crawford  -  Robert  Taylor  - 

Melvyn  Douglas-Franchot  Tone.  .Aug.  28,'36t  

Great  Ziegfeld,  The  (G)  700..  William  Powell  -  Myrna  Loy  - 

Luise   Rainer   Sept.    4,'36  180. Apr.  4,'36 

(Pictorial:  Jan.  25, '30,  p.  16;  exploitation:  Apr.  I8,'36,  p.  76;  June  27,'36,  p.  82.) 

His    Brother's   Wife   657  Robt.  Taylcr-Barbara  Stanwyck  .  .Aug.  7,'36t  

Kelly  the  Second  702  Patsy   Kelly-Pert   Kelton  Aug.  21. '36  

Libeled   Lady   Jean  Harlow-William  Powell- 

Myrna  Loy   

Longest    Night,    The  Robert  Young-Florence  Rice  

Mister  Cinderella   Jack  Haley-Betty  Furness  

Old  Hutch   Wallace  Beery-Cecilia  Parker  Sept.  25,'36  

Our  Relations   Laurel  and  Hardy  

Piccadilly  Jim  655  Robt.  Montgomery-Madge  Evans  .Aug.  I4,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  I8,'36.) 
Romeo  and  Juliet  (G)  Norma  Shearer-Leslie  Howard- 
John    Barrymore    124. July  I8,'36 

(See  production  article,  Mar.  28, '36,  p.  16.) 

Sworn  Enemy  (G)  703  Robert  Young-Florence  Rice  Sept.  II, '36  78. July  ll,*36 

Tarzan   Escapes   Johnny    Weismuller- Maureen 

O  Sullivan   

Women  Are  Trouble  (G)  701. ..Stuart  Erwin-Florence  Rice  July    31, '36  59. June  20/36 


Title 

Doughnuts  and  Society. 


MASCOT 

Star 

.Louise  Fazenda-Maude 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
Eburne...Mar.  27/36t  63  


METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 


Title  Star  Rel. 

Absolute  Quiet  (G)  609  Irene  Hervey-Lionel  Atwill  Apr. 

Bohemian  Girl,  The  (G)  521...  Laurel  and  Hardy   Feb. 

Devil  Doll,  The  (G)  631  Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sullivan.  July 

Exclusive  Story  (G)  621  Franchot  Tone-Madge  Evans  Jan. 

Exploitation:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  82;  Apr.  11/36. p.  95;  May  30/36, 
Fury   (G)   610  Sylvia   Sidney-Spencer  Tracy...  .June 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  117;  June  27/36,  pp.  80,  81.) 
Garden  Murder  Case,  The  (G) 

622   Edmund   Lowe- Virginia   Bruce... Feb. 

Kind  Lady  (G)  619  Aline   MacMahon-B.   Rathbone. . .  Dec. 

Last  of  the  Pagans  (G)  617. .  Mala-Lotus  Long   Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  95.) 

Moonlight    Murder    (G)    624.  Chester   Morris-Madge   Evans  Mar. 

Mutiny  on  the  Bounty  (G)  536.  Clark  Cable  •  Charles  Laughton- 

Franchot  Tone   Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  80;  Jan.  25/36,  p.  68;  Feb.  1/36, 


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
24,'36t....7I.Apr.  11/36 

72.  Mar.  7/36 
79.  July  11/36 

73.  Jan.  18/36 


I4.'36t.. 
IO/36t.. 
I7.'36t.. 
p.  90.) 
5/36t.. 


2l/36t.. 

6  

20f  


.94. May  30/36 


.62.  Feb.  8/36 
.78....  Dec.  7 
.84  Dec.  14 


27/36t...  .68. Mar.  28/36 


8t.. 
P.  65: 


Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  98;  June  27/36,  p.  81;  July  25/36,  p.  77.) 


....133. ...Nov.  9 
Feb.  15/36,  p.  82; 


I5t  96. ...Oct.  26 

Feb.  29/36,  p.  74;  Mar. 


22t  73  Dec.  28 

20/36f ....8I.Mar.  21/33 
3/36,  p.  123;  July  25/36, 

90....  Dec.  28 


Night  at  the  Opera,  A  (G)  644.  Marx  Brothers   Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  80,  82;  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  94,  100; 
7/36,  p.  101;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88;  July  25/36,  pp.  78,  80.) 
Perfect  Gentleman,  The  (G) 

615   Frank  Morgan-C.  Courtneidge  Nov. 

Petticoat  Fever  (G)  645  Rob't   Montgomery-Myrna   Loy. ..Mar. 

(Exploitation:    Apr.   18/36,  p.  79;  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June 
P.  81.) 

Riffraff  (G)   517  Jean    Harlow-Spencer   Tracy  Jan.  3/36f. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84,  89.) 
Robin  Hood  of  El  Dorado,  The 

608   Warner  Baxter-Ann  Loring  Apr.  I7,'36t. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  7/36.)  (Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p. 
p.  124.) 

Rose  Mario  (G)  643  J.  MacDonald-Nelson  Eddy  Jan.    3l/36t. .. 1 13. Jan. 

(See  musical  analysis,  Feb.  22/36,  p.  23;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  85;  Mar. 
p.  87;  Mar.  21/36,  p.  92;  Apr.  4, '30.  p.  89;  Apr.  11/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  18/36, 
May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  30/36,  p.  86;  July  18/36,  p.  82.) 

San  Francisco  (G)  636  Clark  Gable  -  J.  MacDonald  - 

Spencer  Tracy  -  Jack  Holt  June  26/36t. ..  1 1 1 .  July 

Small  Town  Girl  (G)  607  Janet   Gaynor-Robert  Taylor  Apr.   I0/36|\  ..  106. Apr. 

(Exploitation:  June  13/36,  p.  122;  June  27/36,  p.  80;  July  25/36,  p.  77.) 

Speed  652  (G)   Wendy  Barrio-James  Stewart  May     8/36t  72. May 

Suzy  (G)  518   Jean  Harlow- Franchot  Tone  July 

Tale  of  Two  Cities,  A  (G)  604.  Ronald  Colman-Elizabeth  Allan.. Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Mar.  14/36, 

Three  Godfathers  (G)  623  Chester  Morris-Irene  Hervey  Mar. 

Three  Live  Ghosts  (G)  618  Richard  Arlen-Cecllia  Parker  Jan. 

Three  Wise  Guys  (G)  653  Robert  Young-Betty  Furness  May 

(Exploitation:  July  18/36,  p.  85.) 

Tough  Guy  (G)  620  Jackie  Cooper- Joseph  Callela  Jan. 

Trouble  for  Two  (G)  646  Robert  Montgomery-R.  Russell. ...  May 

Unguarded  Hour,  The  (G)  55I.Loretta  Young-Franchot  Tone  Apr. 


85;  July  11/36. 


18/36 
14/36, 
p.  78; 


4/36 
11/36 


2/36 

24/36t....95.July  18/36 

27t  126  Dee.  7 

p.  86;  May  2/36,  p.  94.) 
6/36t....82.Feb.  22/36 
IO.'36t....62.Jan.  4/36 
l5/36t....75.May  16/36 


24/36t...  .77. Feb. 
29/36t....75.May 
3/36t....88  Apr. 


8/36 
30/36 
4/36 


MITCHELL  LEICHTER-BEAUMONT 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Desert  Guns   Conway   Tearle   Jan.     2/36f . ..  .65.  

Riddle  Ranch   Black   King   Dec.    I6t  56  

Coming 


Devil's    Gold   Conway  Tearle   

Hell's    Hacienda   Conway  Tearle   

Senor  Jim   Conway  Tearle-Barbara  Bedford. 

Three  Fingers   Conway  Tearle   

Whistling  Skull   Conway  Tearle   


PARAMOUNT 


Title  Star 

And  Sudden  Death  (G)  Randolph  Scott-Frances  Drake. 

Anything  Goes  (G)  3533  Bing  Crosby-Ethel  Merman   

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Arizona   Raiders,  The  Buster  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  

Bar  20  Rides  Again  (G)  3525.  Wm.  Boyd- Jimmy  Ellison  

Big  Brown   Eyes  (G)  3548  Joan    Bennett-Cary  Grant  

Border  Flight   (G)   3558  John  Howard-Frances  Farmer... 

Bride   Comes    Home,   The  (G) 
3530   Claudette  Colbert-F.  MacMurray. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22 

Call  of  the  Prairie  (G)  3541.  .  Wm.    Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  

Case  Against   Mrs.   Ames,  The 

(A)  3555   Madeleine  Carrol 

(Exploitation:  Juno  6/36,  p.  121;  July  4/36 
Collegiate    (G)    3529  Joe  Penner-Jack 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36, 
Apr.  11/36,  p.  92;  May  16/36.  p.  82.) 
Coronado  3524  Betty   Burgess-Johnny  Downs.. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Oct.  19.)  (Exploitation:  Feb. 

Desert   Gold  3546  Larry  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  

Desire  (A)  3539  :  Marlene  Dietrich-Gary  Cooper  

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

Drift  Fence  (G)  3536  Larry  Crabbe-Kath.  De  Mille  

Early  to  Bed   (G)  3560  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland  

Fatal  Lady  (G)  3552  Mary  Ellis-Walter  Pidgeon  

Florida  Special  (G)  3554  Jack  Oakie-Sally  Eilers  

F  Man  (G)  3544  Jack  Haley-Adrienne  Marden.. 

Forgotten   Faces   (G)   3556  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael.. 

Girls  of  the  Ozarks,  The  (G) 

3561   Virginia  Weidler-G.  Erlckson.. 

Give  Us  This  Night  (G)  3542.. Jan  Kiepura-Gladys  Swarthout. 

(See  musical  analysis,  Mar.  14/36,  p.  18.) 

Heart  of  the  West  3567  Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  

Her  Master's  Voice  (G)  3531..  Edw.  E.  Horton-P.  Conklin  

It's  a  Great  Life  3528  Joe   Morrison-Rosalind  Keith.. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Klondike  Annie  (A)  3538  Mae  West-Victor  McLaglen  

(See  news  article,  Mar.  7/36,  p.  19;  exploitation:  Feb.  22 
June  20/36,  p.  118.) 
Mary  Burns,  Fugitive  (G)  3521  .Sylvia  Sidney-Melvyn  Douglas.. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  86;  Mar.  28/36.  p.  84.) 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

June   I9,'36t  68. June  13/36 

Jan.    24/36t....92.Feb.  22/36 

June  26/36t...-57  

Dec.    I3t  63  Dee.  7 

Apr.  3,'36t.  .  76. Apr.  11/36 

May  29,'36t....59.Apr.  25/36 

Jan.     3,'36t  83  Nov.  23 

'36.  p.  98;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92.) 
Mar.    6,'36t...  .67.  Feb.  1/36 


■  George  Brent.  .May     8/36t  85. May  9/36 

p.  69.) 

Oakie  Dec. 

p.  83;  Feb.  22/36, 


27t  81....  Dec.  28 

p.  94;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89; 


Nov. 
1/36, 
Mar. 
Feb. 

Feb. 
June 
May 
May 
Mar. 
May 

June 
Mar. 

July 
Jan. 
Dec. 

Feb. 
.'36, 

Nov. 


29t  

p.  66.) 
27/3Gt. . 
28,'36t.. 

14,  '36t.. 
5/36t.. 
15/36 1\. 

l/3Gt.. 
I3/36T.. 

15.  *36t.. 


.58  

.95.  Feb. 

.56.  May 
.73. July 
.76. May 
.67. Apr. 
.72. May 
.72. May 


l2/36t  68. June 

6,'36t  73. Mar. 


8/36 

30/36 
25/36 
23/36 
25/36 
16/36 
2/36 

6/36 
7/36 


24,'36t  78  

l7/36t....76.Feb.  22/36 
20t  63  

2l,'36t....8I.Feb.  15/36 
p.  96;  Apr.  1/36,  p.  92; 

I5t  84....  Nov.  10 


100 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August     I,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART—CONT'D) 


Title  Star 
Milky  Way,  The  (G)  3535  Harold  Lloyd-Adolphe  Meniou. 


Running  Time 

Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
.Feb. 


Millions  in  the  Air  (G)  3526. .  John  Howard-Wendy  Barrie  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25,'36,  p.  64;  Feb.  8,'36,  p.  83.) 
Moon's  Our  Home,  The(G)3549.  Margaret  Sullavan-Henry  Fonda  .  Apr. 

Nevada  (G)  3523  Larry  Crabbe- Kathleen  Burke  Nov. 

Palm  Springs  (G)  3559  Frances  Langford-Smith  Ballew  June 

Peter  Ibbetson  (G)  3518  Gary  Cooper-Ann  Harding  Nov. 

Poppy  (G)  3562  W.  C.  Fields-Rochelle  Hudson  .  .June 

Preview    Murder    Mystery  (G) 

4540   Gail   Patrick-Reginald   Denny  Feb. 

Princess  Comes  Across,  The  (G) 

3557   C.   Lombard-Fred   MacMurray  May 

Return    of    Sophie    Lang,  The 

(G)  3566   Gertrude  Michael-Ray  Milland.  July 

Rose  of  the  Rancho  (G)  3516  .  John  Boles-Gladys  Swarthout  Jan. 

(See  musical  analysis,  Jan.  I  I ,'36,  p.  45;  exploitation:  Jan.  18, '36, 

Scrooge   (G)   3527  Seymour  Hicks-Donald  Calthrop. .  Dec. 

Ship  Cafe  (G)   3520  Carl   Brisson-Arline  Judge  Nov. 

Sky  Parade  3550  Jimmy  Allen-Katharine  DeMille  . Apr. 

(Exploitation:  July  II, '36,  p.  127.) 

Soak  the  Rich  (A)  3532  Mary  Taylor-Walter  Connolly.  ..  .Jan. 

So  Red  the  Rose  (G)  3522  Margaret  Sullavan-R.  Scott  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29, '36,  p.  76.) 

Spendthrift  (G)   Henry  Fonda-Pat  Paterson  July 

13  Hours  by  Air  (G)  3547  Fred  MacMurray- Joan  Bennett.. .  Mar. 

(Exploitation:  June  6,'36.  p.  118.) 
Three  Cheers  for  Love  (G)  Eleanore    Whitney-Robt.  Cum- 


Three  on  the  Trail  (G)  3553. .  William  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison.. 
Till  We  Meet  Again  (G)  3551  .  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael... 


Too  Many  Parents  (G)  3545. 
Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine, 


Frances   Farmer-Colin  Tapley.. 


7,'36t. 

..88 

Feb. 

1  ,'36 

2, '36,  p 

.  99; 

May  23, '36. 

85.) 

|3f  

.  .72 

...Nov.  30 

I0,'36t. 

.  .83 

Apr. 

1 1  ,'36 

28t.... 

..  .59 

...Nov.  16 

5,'36t. 

.  .72 

June 

6, '36 

8t.... 

.  .85 

...Nov.  9 

19, '36 

73 

June 

13, '36 

28,'36t. 

..65 

Feb. 

I5,'36 

22,'36t. 

..  .76 

May 

I6,'36 

3,'36t. 

.  .64 

June 

20/36 

I0,'36f. 

...82 

Jan. 

1 1  ,'36 

p.  84;  Feb.  8 

,'36,  p.  83.) 

20t  

.  .73 

...Dec.  21 

It.... 

...66 

...Nov.  2 

I7.'36t. 

.  .70 

Apr. 

4,'36 

I7,'36t. 

...87 

Feb. 

15/36 

22f  

..83 

...Nov.  16 

I0,'36t. 

. .  .77 

June 

20, '36 

27.'36t. 

...77 

Mar. 

21, '36 

I7,'36t. 

..  .64 

July 

4,'36 

24,'36t. 

...67 

Apr. 

I8,'36 

I7,'36t. 

..  .72 

Apr. 

II, '35 

3l.'36t 

..  .65 

Jan. 

25,'36 

20,'36t. 

..  .74 

Mar. 

I4,'36 

I3,'36t. 

..106 

Feb. 

29,'3G 

■  P.  73; 

May 

2,'36, 

p.  98; 

118;  June  13, '36,  p.  122;  June  20, '36, 


I4,'36t  63  .  Feb.     8, '36 


May  23, '36,  p.  86;  May  30, '30,  p.  90;  June  6, '36,  p 
20, '36,  p.  122;  July  25,'36,  p.  80.) 

Woman  Trap  (G)  3537  Gertrude   Michael-Geo.    Murphy  . Feb 

Yours  for  the  Asking  George  Raft  -   Dolores  Costello 

Barrymore   July  24,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27,'36.) 

Coming 

Big  Broadcast  of  1937,  The  Jack  Benny-Burns  &.  Allen  

Champagne  Waltz   Gladys  Swarthout-F.  MacMurray  

General  Died  at  Dawn,  The...   Gary  Cooper-Madeleine  Carroll  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25, '36.) 

Girl  of  the  Jungle  Ray  Milland-Dorothy  Lamour  

Hollywood  Boulevard   John   Halliday-Robt.   Cummings   Aug.  I4,'36  

I'd  Give  My  Life  Sir  Guy  Standing-F.  Drake  Aug.  I4,'36  

Lady  Be  Careful  Lew  Ayres-Mary  Carlisle  

Murder  with  Pictures  Lew  Ayes-Gail  Patrick  

My  American  Wife  (G)  Francis   Lederer-Ann   Sothern. ..  .July    3l,'36t. .  .*70.  July    25, '36 

Plainsman,  The   Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  

Rhythm  on  the  Range  (G)  Bing  Crosby- Frances  Farmer  July  3l,'36t 

Son  Comes  Home,  A  Mary   Boland-Donald   Woods  July  3l,'36t 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27,'36.) 

Straight  from  the  Shoulder  Ralph  Bellamy-Katherine  Locke 

Texas   Rangers,  The....  Fred  Mac  Murray -Jean  Parker.. 

Three   Married   Men  Lynne  Overman-Wm.  Frawley.. 

Valiant  Is  the  Word  for  Carrie.  Gladys  George-Arline  Judge... 

Wedding  Present   Joan   Bennett-Cary  Grant  

Wives  Never  Know  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland.. 

PRINCIPAL 

Title  Star 


•85  July    25. '36 


.Aug.   14, '36. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


Let's  Sing  Again  (G)  Bobby  Breen-Henry  Armetta  June    I2,'36t  68. Apr.   25, '36 

PURITAN 

Title  Star  Rel 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


Border  Caballero   Tim   McCoy-Lois  January  |y|ar. 

Bulldog  Courage   Tim   McCoy-Lois  January  .Dec. 

I'll  Name  the  Murderer  Ralph  Forbes-Marion  Shilling.  ...  Jan. 

Lightnin'   Bill  Carson  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  Apr. 

Reckless  Way,  The  Marian   Nixon-Kane  Richmond. .  .  Apr. 

Roarin'   Guns   Tim  McCoy-Rosalinda  Price  Jan. 

Rogues  Tavern.  The  Wallace  Ford-Barbara  Pepper  Mar 

Suicide  Squad   i  Norman  Foster- Joyce  Compton  . . . .  Dec. 

Coming 

Aces  and   Eights  Tim  McCoy-Luna  Walters  

Ghost  Patrol   Tim   McCoy-Claudia  Dell  

Lion's   Den.   The  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  

Traitor,  The   Tim  McCoy-Frances  Grant  

REGAL 

Title  Star  Pel 

Daredevils  of  the   Earth  Ida  Lupino-Cyril  McLaglen  Jan. 

Scandals  of  Paris  Wendy  Barrie-Zelma  O'Neill  Dec. 

Thunderbolt   ....Kane  Richmond-Bobby  Nelson  Jan. 

Wolves  of  the  Underworld  Godfrey  Tearle  Dec. 

REPUBLIC 

T'tle  Star 

Burning  Gold  3550  William  Bovd   

Comin'   Round  the  Mountain 

(G)  3571   Gene  Autry-Ann  Rutherford  Apr 

Dancing  Feet  (G)  3504  Ben  Lyon-Joan  Marsh  Jan. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  15, '36,  p.  81.) 


'36t. 


. . .59. . 

20t  60.  . 

27,'36t....76.. 

I5,'36t  

20,'36t. . 
27,'36t.  . 
I,'36t. . 
25t  


.68. 
.67. 
.61  . 
.60. 


Rel. 
Dec. 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

1,  '36t  60  

4t  63  

2,  '36t. ..  .54  

4t  55  

Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

It  60.  


I3,'36t. 
3l.'36t. 


.55.  Apr.  II, '36 
.72.  Apr.     4, '36 


Title  Star  Rel 

Federal  Agent  3548   William   Boyd-lrene  Ware  Apr. 

Frankie  and  Johnnie  (A)  3555.  Helen  Morgan-Chester  Morris. ...  May 
(Exploitation:  May  30,'36,  p.  85.) 

Girl  from  Mandalay,  The  3525.  Kay  Linaker-Conrad  Nagel  Apr. 

Go-Get-'Em   Haines  3549  William   Boyd   June 

Guns  and  Guitars  (G)  3573  Gene  Autry-Dorothy    Dix  June 

Harvester,  The  (G)  3506  Alice  Brady-Ann   Rutherford  May 

House   of   a  Thousand  Candles 

(G)  3505   Mae  Clarke-Phillips  Holmes  Apr. 

King  of  the  Pecos  (G)  3559...  John  Wayne-Muriel   Evans  Mar. 

Laughing  Irish  Eyes  (G)  3522  Evalyn  Knapp-Phil   Regan  Mar. 

Lawless  Nineties,  The  (G)3557.John  Wayne-Ann   Rutherford  Feb. 

Lawless  Range  3562  John  Wayne-Sheila  Mannors  Nov. 

Leathernecks  Have  Landed,  The 

(G)  3501   Lew   Ayres-lsabel    Jewell  Feb. 

(Exploitation:    Apr.    18, '36,   p.  76;  July  25,'36,    p.  81.) 
Leavenworth  Case,  The  (G) 

3526   Norman   Foster- Jean   Rouverel.  . .  .Jan. 

Lonely  Trail,  The  3563  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  May 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  May  2,36.) 

Melody  Trail  (G)  3567  Gene  Autry-Ann    Rutherford  Oct. 

Navy  Born  (G)  William   Gargan-Claire   Dodd  June 

New  Frontier,  The  3558  John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Sept.  28.) 

Oregon  Trail,  The  3560  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Jan. 

Racing  Luck  (G)  3547  William    Boyd   Oct. 

Red  River  Valley  3570  Gene  Autry-Frances  Grant  Mar. 

Return  of  Jimmy  Valentine, 

The  (G)  3531  Roger   Pryor-Charlotte   Henry  Feb. 

Sagebrush  Troubadour  3568.  ...  Gene  Autry-Barbara   Pepper  Dec. 

Singing  Cowboy,  The  (G)  3572.  Gene  Autry-Lois  Wilde  May 

Singing   Vagabond,  The  (G) 

3569   Gene  Autry-Ann    Rutherford  Jan. 

Spanish  Cape  Mystery, The  3530.  Helen  Twelvetrees- Donald  Cook. ..Oct. 
(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Sept.  7.) 

$1,000  a  Minute  (G)  3532  Roger   Pryor-Leila   Hyams  Nov. 

Ticket  to  Paradie  (G)  3508.  ...  Roger  Pryor-Wendy   Barrie  July 

Winds  of  the  Wasteland  3561.  John  Wayne-Phyllis  Fraser  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23, '36.) 

Coming 

Bulldog    Edition   Ray  Walker-Evalyn  Knapp  Sept.  20, '36. 

Down  to  the  Sea  Russell    Hardie-Ann   Rutherford.  .Aug.  25,'36 

(See  "Beneath  the  Seas,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30, '36.) 
Follow  Your  Heart  Marion  Talley-Michael   Bartlett. . Sept. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25, '36.) 
Gentleman  from  Louisiana,  The 
3517   Eddie  Quillan-Charlotte  Henry. ..Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27, '36.) 

Hearts  in  Bondage  (G)  6008. .  .  James  Dunn-Mae  Clarke  Sept. 

Oh.  Susannah   Gene  Autry-Kay  Hughes   Aug.  I9,'36 

Sitting  on  the  Moon  3528  Winifred  Shaw-Pert  Kelton  Sept.  I5,'36 

Three  Mesquiteers   Ray  Corrigan   Sept.  10, '36 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

I0,'38t...  .58  

l,'36t....66.May  23,'36 


20,'36t....68  

I5,'36t  

22,'36t...  .56.July    1 1, '36 

5,  '36t.  ..  .65. Apr.    25, '36 

6,  '36t. ..  .71  .Mar.  7,'36 
9,'36t. ..  .54. Apr.    II, '36 

l5/36t....73.Mar.  I4,'36 
I5,'36t. ..  .55. Mar.  7,'36 
4t  59  

22,'36t....67.Feb.   29. '36 


20,'36t  68. Jan.    II.  '36 

25,'36t  58  

I4t  60...  Oct.  19 

I5,'36t. . .  .65.  June   27, '36 

5f  54  

I8,'36t  59  

28t  60  Dec.  7 

2,'36t  58  

I4,'36t. .  .72. Feb.    15, '36 

2f  54  

ll,'36t....56.May  I6,'36 

5,'36t....52....Dec.  14 
I7t  73  

I5t  69  Nov.  9 

IO,'36f....67.July  25/36 
6/36t  57  


5/36. 


10/36. 


1/36. 


*70.June  6/36 


RKO  RADIO  Running  Time 

T'tle  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Annie  Oakley  (G)  608  Barbara  Stanwyck-Preston  Foster.  .  Nov.    I5t  90'/2..Nov.  9 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  pp.  88,  90.) 
Another  Face  (G)  615  Wallace    Ford-Phyllis   Brooks  Dec.    20t  68  Nov.  23 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Two  Faces.") 
Bride  Walks  Out.  The  (G) 

631   Barbara  Stanwyck-G.  Raymond ...  July  I0.'36t.    .80. .July  11/36 

Bunker  Bean  630  Owen  Davis,  Jr.-Louise  Latimer. .  June   26,'36t. .  .  .67  

(See  "His  Majesty:  Bunker  Bean,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Chatterbox   (G)   617  Anne  Shirley-Phillips  Holmes. ..  .Jan.  I7.'36t. 

Dancing  Pirate  (G)  670  Charles  Collins-Steffi   Duna  May  22,'36t. 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp.  117,  121.) 

Ex-Mrs.  Bradford,  The  (G)  628.William  Powell-Jean  Arthur  May  I5,'36t. 

(Exploitation:  July  4/36.  p.  68.) 
Fang  and  Claw  (G)  543  Frank   Buck   Dec.  20  

(Exploitation:   July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Farmer  in  the  Dell  (G)   624..  Fred  Stone-Jean   Parker  Mar.  27,'36t  67.  Mar. 

Follow  the  Fleet  (G)  613  Fred  Astaire-Ginger   Rogers  Feb.  21  ,'36t ...  1 1 0.  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  Mar.  28/36.  p.  83:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  May  16/36, 


.68  Dec.  28 

.85.  May  16/36 


.81.  May  2/36 


.74. Jan.  4/36 


May  23/36.   p.   93;   May  30/36,   p.  84;   June  13/36, 

6p.  68;  July  25/36.   p.  78.) 

Freckles   (G)   536  Carol  Stone-Tom   Brown  Oct. 

Grand  Jury  633  John  Arledge-Louise  Latimer  July 

Hi  Gaucho  606  John  Carroll-Steffi  Duna..  Oct. 

(See  ,Tln  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  17.) 
I   Dream  Too  Much  (G)  610  .  Lily  Pons-Henry  Fonda  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  82.  83.) 
In  Person  (G)  609  Ginger  Rogers-George  Brent  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  June  13/36,  p.  127.) 
Lady  Consents.  The  (G)  622..  Ann  Harding-Herbert  Marshall. ..  Feb. 
Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The  (G) 

501   Preston  Foster- Dorothy  Wilson. .  .Oct. 

Last  Outlaw.  The  (G)  629  Harry  Carey-Hoot  Gibson  June 

Let's  Sing  Again  (G)  646  Bobby  Breen-Henry  Armetta  June 

Love  on  a  Bet  (G)  620  Gene  Raymond-Wendy  Barrie. ..  .  Mar. 

M'Liss    (G)    632  Anne  Shirley-John   Beal  July 

Murder  on  the   Bridle  Path 

(G)  625  Helen   Broderick- James  Gleason. .  Apr. 

Muss  'Em   Up   (G)   619  Preston   Foster-Marg't  Callahan. .  Feb. 

Rainmakers,  The  (G)   605  Wheeler   and   Woolsey  Oct. 

Seven  Keys  to  Baldpate  (G)  61 1.G.  Raymond-Margaret  Callahan ..  Dec. 
Silly  Billies  (G)  623  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  Mar. 

(Exploitation:    July  25/36.   p.  76.) 


PP.    125.    130;  July  4/36, 


4  

24,'36t. 
lit.... 


14/36 
22/36 
P.  82; 
p.  68.) 


27t. 


22t. 


7/36t. ..  .76'/iJan.  18/36 


18  

19,  '36t. 
I2,'36t. 

6,'36t. 
I7.'36t. 

I7,'36t. 
I4,'36t. 
25t .  . . . 
I3t.... 

20,  '36t. 


.96.... Oct. 

12 

*73.  May  30 

'36 

.68.  Apr.  25 

'36 

.77.  Feb.  8 

'36 

.66. July  II 

'36 

.66. Apr.  18 

'36 

68'/2Jan.  25 

'36 

.78. ...Oct. 

12 

.68  Dec. 

7 

.64'/2Mar.  7 

'36 

August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


101 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART--CCNT*E>) 


Star 


Rel. 
.May 
.Jan. 


. .Jan. 
.  .Apr. 


Title 

Special   Investigator  (G)   627. .  Richard   Dix-Margaret  Callahan 

Sylvia  Scarlett  (G)  614  Katharine   Hepburn-Cary  Grant 

Three  Musketeers,  The  (G)  544.  Margot   Grahame-Walter   Abel..  .Nov. 

To  Beat  the  Band  (G)  607  Helen  Broderick-Hugh  Herbert. .. Nov. 

Two  in  the  Dark  (G)  616  Walter  Abel-Margot  Grahame 

Two  in  Revolt  (G)  621  Louise   Latimer-John  Arledge 

We're  Only  Human  (G)  612. ..  Preston  Foster- Jane  Wyatt  Dec. 

Witness  Chair,  The  (G)  626. ..Ann   Harding-Walter  Abel  Apr. 

Yellow   Dust  (G)   618  Richard   Dix-Leila   Hyams  Mar. 

Coming 

Don't  Turn  'Em  Loose  Bruce  Cabot-Louise  Latimer  

Mary  of  Scotland  (G)  Katharine   Hepburn  -  Fredric 

March   Aug. 

(See  production  article,  Apr.  1 1, '36,  p.  16.) 
Mummy's  Boys   Wheeler   and  Woolsey  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,''  June  20, '36.) 

Plough  and  the  Stars,  The  Barbara  Stanwyck  -  Preston 

Foster   

Portrait  of  a  Rebel  Katharine  Hepburn  -  Herbert 

Marshall   

Second  Wife   Walter  Abel-Gertrude  Michael  

Swing  Time   Fred  Astaire-G inger  Rogers  

(See  "Never  Gonna  Dance,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20,'36 
Walking  on  Air  Gene  Raymond-Ann  Sothern  

(See  "Count  Pete,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4, '36.) 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

8,'36t. ..  .61  .May  2,'36 
3,'36t..    94'/2Jan.  I8,'36 

I  96  Oct.  12 

8t  67%..  Oct.  26 

I0,'36t. ..  .74  Dec.  21 

3,'36t...  .65. May  2,'36 

27t  68  Dec.  14 

24,'36t. ..  .64. Apr.  1 1  .'36 
l3,'36t....68'/2Mar.28;*36 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


28,  '36..   .123.  July    25. '36 


.) 


STATE  RIGHTS 

Title  Star 
Custer's  Last  Stand  Rex  Lease  .. 


Dist'r 
 Stage  & 

Coming 

Angels  in  White   Tala  Birell   Zeidman 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  29, '36.) 
Glory  Trail,  The  (G)  Tom   Keene   Crescent 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 
Screen  .  Apr.     2,'36t  -9rls  


."65.  July  I8,'36 


SUPREME 


Running  Time 


Title 

Star 

Rel. 

Date 
1 2t - .  - . 

Minutes  Reviewed 

Desert  Phantom,  The  

10, '361 
5,'36t 
I0,'36t 
25,'36t 
25,'36t 
20t 

Last  of  the  Warrens  

 Bob  Steele   

 58  

Rogue  of  the  Range  

...58  

Sundown  Saunders   

 Bob  Steele   

25,'36t 

Brand  of  the  Outlaws 

Coming 

 Bob  Steele   

Crooked  Trail,  The  

Everyman's  Law   

Law  Rides,  The  

 Bob  Steele   

Rel. 
.Oct. 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

25t  56  


July  3,'36t. 
Apr.  I7,'36t. 
;  July  4,'36,  p 


*60.June  27,'36 
77  .  Mar.  21  ,'36 
70;  July  I8.'36, 


8,'36f  ....59. 


TWENTIETH  CENTURY-FOX 

Title  Star 
Bad  Boy*  615  James  Dunn-Dorothy  Wilson  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Border  Patrolman,  The*(G)650.Geo.  O'Brien-Polly  Ann  Young.. 
Captain  January*  (G)  635  Shirley  Temple-Guy  Kibbee  

(Exploitation:  June  6,'36,  pp.  117,  122;  June  27,'36,  p.  82 
P.  82.) 

Champagne  Charlie  629  Paul  Cavanagh-Helen  Wood  May 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Dec.  14.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Circus* 

(G)  640    Warner  Oland-Keye  Luke  Mar.  27,'36f. 

Charlie  Chan's  Secret*  (G)  626. .  Warner  Oland-Rosina  Lawrence. .  Jan.  I0,'36t. 
Connecticut  Yankee  (A)*  699. .Will    Rogers-Myrna   Loy  Apr.  24,'36t. 

(re-issue) 

Country  Beyond,  The*  (G)  643.Rochelle   Hudson-Paul   Kelly  Apr 

Country  Doctor,  The*  (G)  636Dionne   Quintuplets   -  Jean 

Hersholt   Mar.    6,'36t....94.Mar.  21, '36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21, '36,  pp.  93,  97;  Mar.  28,'36,  p.  83;  Apr.  4,'36,  p.  83;  Apr.  25 '36 
p.  96;  May  9,'36,  p.  90;  May  I6,'36,  p.  82;  May  23.'36,  pp.  87,  95;  May  30/36,  p.' 86; 
June  6, '36,  p.  124;  July  4, '36,  p.  70;  July  II, '36,  p.  127;  July  25, '36,  p.  81.) 
Crime  of   Dr.    Forbes.  The 


71.  Mar.  28,'36 

71  Oct.  26 

85.  Mar.  21, '31 


24,'36t....68.Apr.    II, '36 


Educating  Father*  (G)  645  Jed    Prouty-Shirley  Deane  

Everybody's  Old  Man*  (G)  634.  Irvin  S.  Cobb-Rochelle  Hudson 

Every  Saturday  Night*  (G)  637.June  Lang-Thomas  Beck  

First  Baby,  The*  (G)  646  Shirley  Deane-Johnny  Downs... 

(Exploitation:    July  25, '36,  p.  76.) 

Gentle  Julia*  (G)  641  Jane  Withers-Tom  Brown  

Half  Angel  (G)  647  Frances  Dee-Brian  Donlevy  

Here  Comes  Trouble*  (G)  633.  Paul  Kelly-Arline  Judge  

High  Tension*  (G)  653  Brian    Donlevy-Glenda  Farrell. 

Human  Cargo*  (G)  652  Claire  Trevor-Brian  Donlevy... 

In  Old  Kentucky    (G)  601  Will   Rogers- Dorothy  Wilson... 

It  Had  to  Happen  (G)  631  George  Raft-Rosalind  Russell.. 

King  of   Burlesque,   The*  (G) 


(Exploitation:  Mar.  21, '36,  p.  36;  Apr.  4, '36,  p.  87.) 
Little  Miss  Nobody  (G)  651...  Jane  Withers- Ralph  Morgan.. 
Littlest  Rebel,  The*  (G)  624..  Shirley  Temple-John  Boles  

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8,36,  p.  81;  Feb.  15, '36,  p.  83;  Feb. 
Message  to  Garcia,  A  (G)  632.  Wallace    Beery  -  John    Boles - 


(Exploitation:  July  1 1. '36.  p.  127.) 
Music  Is  Magic*  (G)  619  Alice  Faye-Ray  Walker. 


Navy  Wife*  (G)  606  Claire  Trevor-Ralph  Bellamy.. 

O'Malley  of  the  Mounted*  (G) 

639   George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware... 

Paddy  O'Day  (G)  627  Jane  Withers-Pinky  Tomlin... 

Poor    Little    Rich    Girl,  The* 

<G)  657   Shirley  Temple-Alice  Faye... 


26,'36t. 

.  .*75. 

June 

20, '30 

1 0,'36f . 

.. .57. 

May 

30,'36 

.  Mar. 

20,'36t. 

. . .84, 

Mar. 

I4,'36 

.Feb. 

7,'36t. 

...  62 

Feb. 

8,'36 

I5,'36t 

...  74 . 

Apr. 

18/36 

■  Apr. 

3,'36t, 

...63 

Feb. 

29, '36 

.  May 

22,'36t. 

...66. 

May 

9,'36 

.Feb. 

2l,'36t 

... .62 

Feb. 

I5,'36 

.July 

I7,'36t 

,  ..*62 

June 

20,'36 

29,'36t 

 66.  Apr. 

25,'36 

22t  

.  .  .84 

 July  18 

.  Feb. 

I4,'36t 

...79 

Feb. 

15, '36 

3/36t 

....88 

.  Jan. 

4, '36 

I2.'36t 

. .. .72 

.  May 

28,'36 

Dec. 

27t... 

. . . .73 

..Nov.  30 

!2,'36, 

p.  97;  1 

Mar.  7,'36, 

p.  96.) 

I0,'36t 

...85 

Mar. 

14, '36 

...Oct.  12 

3l,'36t 

■ .  .68 

...Nov.  23 

.Nov. 

Jan. 

25, '36 

.Mar. 

27,'36t 

.  .  .59. 

Mar. 

28,'36 

.Jan. 

I7,'36t. 

...  76 . 

. . .  Nov.  2 

24,'36t. 

...79. 

June 

6,'36 

24,'36t. 
6t,... 


.95  .  Feb.  22,'36 


.79  .  May  30,'36 


78.  Jan.  4,'36 
76...  Nov.  2 
79  .  May  I6,'36 
72.  Feb.  22,'36 
87  Nov.  2 


Title 

Prisoner  of  Shark   Island,  The 

(G  )   638   Warner  Baxter-Gloria  Stuart  Feb.  28,'36t 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21. '36,  p.  97;  Apr.  1 1, '36,  p.  97;  Apr.  I8,'36,  p.  77.) 

Private  Number*  (G)  645  Loretta   Young-Robert  Taylor  June  5,'36t 

(Exploitation:  July  I8,'36,  p.  85.) 
Professional  Soldier   (G)   628..  Victor  McLaglen  -  Freddie  Bar- 
tholomew  Jan. 

Show  Them  No  Mercy  (G)  621  .  Rochelle  Hudson-Cesar  Romero.  .Dec. 

Sins  of  Man  (G)  648  lean    Hersholt-Don   Ameche  June  I9,'36t 

Song  and  Dance  Man*  (G)  642. Paul   Kelly-Claire  Trevor  Mar.  I3,'36t 

Thanks  a  Million  (G)  617  Dick   Powell-Ann    Dvorak  Nov.    1 5t -  -  - 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8,'36,  p.  82;  Feb.  15. '36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22,'36,  p.  100;  Mar.  7,'36,  p.  96.) 

36  Hours  to  Kill*  656  Brian   Donlevy-Gloria  Stuart  July  24,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25, '36.) 

This   Is  the  Life*  614  .Jane   Withers-John    McGuire  Oct.     I8t  65  

Under  Two  Flags  (G)  644  Ronald  Colman- Victor  McLaglen- 

Claudette  Colbert-R.  Russell.  .May      I ,'36t . . .  1 10. May  9,'36 
(See  production  article.  Mar.  14/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  June  6. '36.  pp.   116,  117;  July 
11/36,  p.  125;  July  25/36,  pp.  76,  81.) 

Way  Down  East*  (G)  616  Rochelle   Hudson-Henry   Fonda  Oct. 

Whispering  Smith  Speaks*  (G) 

623   George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware  Dec. 

White  Fang  (G)  649  Michael   Whalen-Jean   Muir  July 

Your  Uncle  Dudley"  (G)  622  .  Edward  Everett  Horton  Dec. 


25t. 


.84  Aug.  24 


20t  67  Dec.  21 

3/36t  70. July  25/36 

I3t  68...  Nov.  23 


Coming 

Ambassador  Bill  (G)  767  Will  Rogers   Oct.    16/36  70. Oct.  24/31 

As  You  Like  It  711  Eliz.    Bergner-Laurence   Olivier  .Sept.  18/36  

(See  production  article.  June  13/36,  p.  16.) 
Bowery  Princess,  The*  715. ..  Shirley  Temple-Frank   Morgan.  .  Oct.  16/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race 

Track*  (G)  704  Warner  Oland-Helen   Wood  Aug.     7/36  70. July  18/36 

Girls'   Dormitory  702  Ruth    Chatterton-Herbert  Mar- 

shall-Simone  Simon   Aug.  14/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  13/36.) 
Holy  Lie,  The  705  Jane   Darwell-Claire  Trevor  Aug.  28/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 
King    of    the    Royal  Mounted 

709   Robert   Kent-Rosalind   Keith  Sept.  11/36  83  

Ladies  in  Love  710  Janet  Gaynor-Constance  Bennett- 

Loretta  Young-Simone  Simon.     Sept.  18/36  

Pepper'  (G)  708  Jane  Withers-lrvin  S.  Cobb  Sept.   11/36  *65.July  18/36 

Ramona  707   Loretta  Young-Don  Ameche  Oct.  23/36  

(See  production  article.  July  4/36,  p.  16.) 
Road  to  Glory,  The   (G)  706. .  Fredric    March-Warner  Baxter- 
Lionel  Barrymore-June  Lang. ..Sept.    4/36  101. June  6/36 

See   America   First  Jed   Prouty-Spring  Byington  

Sing,  Baby,  Sing  703  Alice  Faye-Adolphe  Menjou  Aug.  21/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

State  Fair  (G)  766  Will  Rogers-Janet  Gaynor  Aug.     7/36  100 .Feb.  4/33 

Thank  You,  Jeeves,  712  Arthur  Treacher-Virginia  Field..  .Sept.  25/36  

To  Mary — With  Love  (G)  701..  Warner  Baxter-Myrna  Loy  Aug.     1/36  92. July  25/36 

[Asterisk  (*)  denotes  Fox  Pictures.    Others  20th  Century  Productions.] 

UNITED  ARTISTS 

Tltle  star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Amateur  Gentleman,  The  (G)  .  Douglas  Fairbanks.  Jr.  -  Elissa 

Landi   ..Apr.    l7,'36t...l00.Feb.  22/36 

Barbary    Coast    (G)  Miriam   Hopkins  -  Edward  G. 

Robinson  -  Joel   McCrea  Sept.  27t  90.... Oct.  5 

Ghost  Goes  West,  The  (G)  Robert  Donat-Jean   Parker  Feb.     7,'36t  85. Jan.  4/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  89.) 
I  Stand  Condemned  (A)  H.   Baur-Laurence  Olivier-Pen- 
elope Dudley  Ward  July    I0,'36t  76  Nov.  30 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy  (G)  Freddie    Bartholomew  -  Dolores 

Costello  Barrymore   Mar.     6/36t . . .  1 02.  Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  84;  May  16/36,  p.  80;  June  6/36,  p.  117-  June  13 '36 
P.  132.) 

Melody  Lingers  On.  The  (G) ..  Josephine    Hutchinson  -  George 

Houston   Nov.      9t  87.  ...Nov.  9 

Modern  Times  (G)  Chas.  Chaplin-Paulette  Goddard  .  Feb.    2l,'36t. ..  .87.  Feb.  8/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  8/36,  p.  18;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  22/36, 
P.  100;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  84;  Mar.  28/36,  pp.  83.  84;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84! 
89;  Apr.  11/36,  pp.  93,  96;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92;  May  2/36,  p.  99;  May  9/36,  p.  84;  May 
16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36,  pp.  84,  86;  June  6/36,  pp.  116,  118;  June  13/36,  pp.  122,  132- 
June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

One  Rainy  Afternoon  (G)  Francis  Lederer-lda  Lupino  May    I3,'36t .  .  .*75.  May  2/36 

(Exploitation:    June   13/36,   p.   122;  July  25/36,   p.  77.) 

Red  Salute  (G)  B.  Stanwyck- Robert  Young  Sept.   I3t  78.  .. Sept.  21 

Splendor   Miriam   Hopkins-Joel  McCrea  Nov.    23t  77  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Nov.  2.)  (Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  78.) 

Strike  Me  Pink  (G)  Eddie  Cantor-Ethel   Merman  Jan.    24,'36t.  . .  100. Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63;  Fob.  8/36.  p.  83;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  29/36,  pp.  72. 
75;  Mar.  14/36.  p.  85;  Mar.  21/36,  pp.  94,  97;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

These   Three    (G)  Miriam   Hopkins-Merle  Oberon- 

Joel   McCrea   Apr.    1 0/36t . . . .  93 .  Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:  May  9/36,  pp.  90,  94;  May  23/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p  122-  June  27 '36 
p.  88.) 

Things  to  Come  (G)  Raymond  Massey   Apr.    24.'36t . .  .99  May  7/3G 

(See  production  article,  Mar.  7/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p.  77;  June  13 '36 
p.  132;  July  25/36,  p.  81.) 

Coming 

Come  and  Get  It  Edward  Arnold-Frances  Farmer  

Dodsworth   Walter  Huston-Ruth  Chatterton  

Garden  of  Allah.  The  Marlene  Dietrich-Charles  Boyer  

(See  production  article,  June  6/36,  p.  14.) 

Gay  Desperado.  The  Nino  Martini-Ida  Lupino  

Last  of  the  Mohicans.  The  Randolph  Scott- Heather  Angel- 

Bruce  Cabot-Binnie  Barnes  

(See  production  article,  July  18/36,  p.  16:  exploitation:  June  27/36.  p.  80.) 

Man  Who  Could  Work  Miracles,  Roland  Young   

The   


102 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART™ CONT'D) 


UNIVERSAL 


Running  Time 


.67. 


.74....  Nov.  2 
.75. Jan.    25, '36 


Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Affair  of  Susan,  The  9034  Zasu  Pitts-Hugh  O'Connell  Oct.      7t  63  

(See  "Alone  Together,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

Cowboy  and  the  Kid,  The  9046. Buck  Jones-Dorothy  Revler  May  25,'36  

Dangerous  Waters  (G)  9032. ..Jack  Holt-Robert  Armstrong  Feb.     3,'36t  67. Feb.  8,'36 

Don't  Get  Personal  (G)  9025.  .James   Dunn-Sally   Eilers  Feb.    I7,'36t  64. Feb.  29,'36 

Dracula's  Daughter  (A)  9006. .Otto    Kruger-M.    Churchill  May    ll,'36t  70. May  9,'36 

(Exvploitation:    June  20,'36,  p.  120;  July  25,'36,  p.  77.) 
East  of  Java  9029  Chas.  Bickford-Elizabeth  Young. .  Dec.     2t  72  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.)  (Exploitation:  Feb.  8,'36,  p.  84.) 

Fighting  Youth  (G)  9017  Charles  Farrell-June  Martel  Sept.  30t  66  Dec.  7 

For  the  Service  9045  Buck   Jones-Beth   Marion  May     6,'36t  65..  

Great  Impersonation,  The  9014.  Edmund  Lowe-Valerie  Hobson  Dec.  9t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Sept.  28.) 

His  Night  Out  (G)  9021  E.  E.  Horton-lrene  Hervey  Oct.  2lt  

Invisible  Ray,  The  (G)  90l5..Karloff-Bela   Lugosi   Jan.  20,'36t.. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  82;  Jan.  25, '36,  p.  63;  Mar.  7, '36,  p.  99;  Mar.  14. '36,  p.  88; 
July  I8,'36,  p.  85.) 

Ivory  Handled  Gun  9042  Buck  Jones-Charlotte  Wynters  Nov.    lit  59  

Love  Before  Breakfast  (G)9007. Carole  Lombard-Preston  Foster.. .  Mar.    9,'36t  70.  Feb.  29, '36 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  I8,'36,  p.  81;  May  23. '36,  p.  94;  June  6,'36,  p.  117;  June  I3,'36, 
p.  132.) 

Magnificent  Obsession  (G)  8006.lrene   Dunne-Robert  Taylor.,  Jan.     6,'36t . . .  1 12.  Jan.    II, '36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  I8,'36,  p.  82;  Feb.  8,'36,  pp.  81,  83,  84;  Mar.  7,'36,  pp.  86,  99:  Mar. 
21. '36,  pp.  92,  96;  Apr.  II, '36,  p.  96;  May  23,'36.  pp.  87,  95;  June  6, '36,  p.  118.) 

Next  Time  We  Love  (G)  8004.Marg't  Sullavan-James  Stewart. .  .Jan.    27,'36t  87. Feb.  8,'36 

Nobody's  Fool  9033  E.   E.   Horton-Glenda  Farrell  May  3l,'36t  

(See  "Unconscious,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Apr.  4,'36.) 

Parole  (G)  9036  Ann  Preston-Henry  Hunter  June   I4,'36t  65. July  4,'36 

(Exploitation:  July  25,'36,  p.  79.) 
Remember  Last  Night?  (A) 

9011   Edw.   Arnold-C.  Cummings  Nov.     4t  81  Oct.  12 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  I8,'36,  p.  83;  Apr.  25,'36,  p.  90.) 

Show  Boat  (G)  8001  Irene   Dunne-Allan  Jones  May    I7,'36t. . .  1 12. May     9. '36 

(See  musical  analysis,  May  9. '36,  p.  65;  exploitation:  June  20, '36.  pp.  117,  121;  June  27. '36, 
June  27.-36,  p.  80;  July  4, '36,  p.  69;  July  1 1, '36,  p.  124;  July  I8.'36,  p.  82;  July  25,'36, 
p.  78.) 

Silver  Spurs  9044  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Feb. 

Storm  Over  the  Andes  (G)9026.Jack  Holt-Mona  Barrie  Sept 

Stormy  (G)  9016  Noah  Beery,  Jr.-Jean  Rogers  Nov. 

Sunset  of  Power  9043  Buck  Jones-Dorothy  Dix  Dec. 

Sutter's  Gold  (G)  8002  Edward  Arnold  -  Lee  Tracy  - 

Binnie  Barnes   Apr. 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  15. '36,  p.  14;  exploitation:  Apr.  4, '36,  p. 
77;  Apr.  25/36.  pp.  91,  92;  June  27/36,  p.  85.) 

Sweet  Surrender  9012  Frank  Parker-Tamara   Nov.    25t  78  

Throwback,  The  9041  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Sept.  18t  60  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  10.) 

Coming 

Boss  Rider  of  Gun  Creek  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Nov.     I, '36  

Casey  of  the  Coast  Guard  John  Wayne-Nan  Gray  

Crash  Donovan  (G)  9031  Jack  Holt-Nan  Gray  July   26/36t . . .*54. July  18/36 

Magnificent  Brute,  The  Victor  McLaglen-Binnie  Barnes.  .Sept.  13/36  

My  Man  Godfrey  (G)  William  Powell-Carole  Lombard.  .Sept.  6/36. 


I8,'36t  

I6t  84.... Oct.  19 

lit  68. ...Oct.  19 

23t  

I3.'36t...  .95. Mar.  28/36 
83;  Apr.  18, '36,  p. 


..*95.June  20/36 


Postal    Inspector   Ricardo  Cortez-Patricia  Ellis  Aug.  I6,'36t. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Ride  'Em,  Cowboy  Buck  Jones-Luana  Walters  Sept.  13,' 36 1 . 

Two  in  a  Crowd  Joel  McCrea-Joan  Bennett  Aug.  30,'36t. 

Way  for  a  Lady  Doris  Nolan-Michael  Whalen  

Yellowstone   Henry  Hunter-Judith  Barrett  Aug.  23,'36t. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  July  18/36.) 


VICTORY 


Title 


Star 


Runn 

Rel.  Date  M 


Bars  of  Hate  Regis  Toomey-Sheila  Terry  Nov.  It  

Face  in  the  Fog,  A  June  Collyer-Lloyd   Hughes  Feb.  l/36t. 

Fighting  Coward   Ray  Walker-Joan  Woodbury  Dec.  I5t  

Hot  Off  the  Press  Jack  La  Rue-Virginia  Pine  Sept.  I5t.... 

Kelly  of  the  Secret  Service  Lloyd  Hughes-Sheila  Mannors  June  I5,'36t. 

Prison  Shadows   Eddie  Nugent-Lucille  Lund  June  l.'36t. 

Rio  Grande  Romance  Eddie  Nugent-Maxine  Doyle  Mar.  I5."36t. 

Taming  the  Wild  Rod  La  Rocque-Maxlne  Doyle  Feb.  I5.'36t. 


ing  Time 

inutes  Reviewed 

..63  


.70. 
.57. 


WARNER  BROTHERS 


Title  Star  Rel.  Date  M 

Big  Noise,  The  (G)  925  Guy   Kibbee-Warren   Hull  June  27/36t.. 

Boulder  Dam  (G)  815  Ross  Alexander-Patricia  Ellis  Mar.  7/36t.. 

Colleen  (A)  903  Ruby  Keeler-Joan  Blondell-Jack 

Oakie-Dick  Powell   Mar.  2l/36t.. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  25/36:  p.  92;  May  23/36,  p.  86.) 

Dangerous  (A)  910  Bette  Davis- Franchot  Tone  Jan.  4/36t.. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83,  86;  Apr.  20/36,  p. 
p.  123.) 

Freshman  Love  (G)  922  Patricia  Ellis-Warren  Hull  Jan. 

Frisco  Kid  (A)  907  James  Cagney-Marg't  Lindsay. ..  Nov. 

Hot  Money  926  Ross  Alexander- Beverly  Roberts.  .July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,  May  2/36.) 

I  Married  a  Doctor  (G)  906... Pat  O'Brien-J.   Hutchinson  Apr.  25/36t. 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Man  Hunt  (G)  923  Marguerite  Churchill-W.  Gargan. .  Feb. 

Miss  Pacific  Fleet  (G)  916. ..Joan  Blondell-Glenda  Farrell  Dec. 

Petrified  Forest,  The  (G)  904. Leslie    Howard-Bette    Davis  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  May  2/36.  p.  92.) 

Public  Enemy's  Wife  (G)  913.. Pat  O'Brien-Margaret  Lindsay. . .July  25/36t 

Sons  O'Guns  (G)  911  Joe  E.  Brown-Joan  Blondell  May  30/36t 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  128:  July  25/36,  pp.  78,  77.) 
Stars  Over  Broadway  (G)  917. Pat  O'Brien-Jane  Froman  Nov, 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63.) 


Running  Time 

inutes  Reviewed 
..58. Apr.  25/36 
..70.  Apr.  4/36 


l8/36t.. 
30t.... 
I8,'36t. 


..89. Feb.  1/36 

..78....  Nov.  30 
96;  June  13/36, 

..65. Feb.  1/36 
.77....  Nov.  2 

..68  


..83.  Apr.  4/36 


I5/36N. 

I4t  

8/36t.. 


23t. 


.65. Jan.  11/36 

.66  Nov.  30 

.83. Jan.  18/36 

.69. June  27/36 
.79.  May  2/36 

.89. ...Nov.  9 


2,'36t....56.Mar. 
I4,'36f  76.  Mar. 


'36t. 


.60. Jan. 


7/36 
7/36 


4/36 


*62.July  11/36 


Running  Time 

Tjtle  star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Times  Square  Playboy  (G)  924.  Warren  William-June  Travis  May    9,'36t. . .  .62.  Mar.  21/36 

Treachery  Rides  the  Range  (G) 

929   Dick  Foran-Paula  Stone  May 

Walking  Dead,  The  (G)  914. . . Karloff- Marguerite  Churchill  Mar. 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Widow  from  Monte  Carlo,  The 
(G)    921   Dolores  Del  Rlo-W.  William. ...  Feb. 

Coming 

Another  Dawn   Errol  Flynn-Bette  Davis  

Anthony  Adverse  (G)  801  Fredric  March-O.  De  Havilland. .  Aug.  29/36  139. May  23/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  1/36,  p.  16.) 

Bengal  Tiger,  The  (G)  Barton  MacLane-June  Travis  Sept.  5/36.. 

Cain  and  Mabel  Marion  Davies-Clark  Gable  Sept.  26/36  

Captain's  Kid,  The  Guy  Kibbee-Sybil  Jason  

(See  "Way  for  a  Pirate,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 
Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade. .  Errol  Flynn-O.  De  Havilland  

(See  producton  artcle,  July  25/36,  p.  16.) 
Draegerman  Courage   Jean   Muir-Barton  MacLane  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Give  Me  Your  Heart  (G)  Kay  Francis-George  Brent  *88.July  18/36 

Green  Light   Errol  Flynn-Anita  Louise  

Green  Pastures,  The  (G)  Rex  Ingram   Aug.     1/36  93. May  30/36 

See  production  article.  May  2/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  77.) 

Guns  of  Pecos   Dick  Foran-Anne  Nagel  

Invitation  to  a  Murder  Marguerite  Churchill  -  Gale 

Sendergard  

Jailbreak  (G)   927  Craig  Reynolds-June  Travis  Aug.    I,'36t  60. May  16/36 

Loudspeaker  Lowdown   Ross  Alexander-Anne  Nagel  

Making  of  O'Malley,  The  Pat.  O'Brien-Sybil  Jason  

Marriage  Clause   Robt.  Montgomery-Olivia  De 

Havilland   

Midsummer  Night's  Dream  (G)  All  Star   132. ...Oct.  12 

(Pictorial:  Aug.  3,  p.  15;  exploitation:  Apr.  11/36,  p.  94:  June  6/36,  p.  118;  June 
27/36,  p.  82.) 

Mistress  of  Fashion  Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter  

Over  the  Wall  Ross  Alexander   

Pony  Express  Rider  Dick  Foran-Linda  Perry  

Satan  Met  a  Lady  912  Warren  William-Bette   Davis. .. .Aug.  8,'36t....74  

(See  "Men  on  Her  Mind."  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Jan.  11/36.) 

Slim   Pat  O'Brien-Henry  Fonda  

Three  in  Eden  Marg't  Lindsay-Donald  Woods- 
Ian  Hunter  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25/36.) 
Three  Men  on  a  Horse  Frank  McHugh-Joan  Blondell  


OTHER  PRODUCT  (FOREIGN) 


Star 


Dist'r 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Title 

A  Star  Fell  from  Heaven 

(Q)   Florine  McKinney. .. Assoc.    British  70. June  27/36 

Broken  Blossoms  (A)  Dolly  Haas   Twickenham   June  6/36 

Cloistered  (G)  Best   May   19/36. .. 65. May  30/36 

Come  Out  of  the  Pantry(G). J.  Buchanan-F.Wray. United   Artists  70  Dec.  14 

Dubrevsky   Boris  Livanov   Amkino   Mar.  28,'36t.  72  Apr.  11/36 

Everything  Is  Rhythm  (G). Harry  Roy   Assoc.    British  75. June  27/36 

Heart's  Desire   (G)  Richard  Tauber   Assoc.    British  87  Oct.  I 

I  Give  My  Heart  (A)  Gitta  Alper   Assoc.    British  ...85  Nov.  16 

Interrupted  Honeymoon,  The 

(A)   Claude  Hulbert   British  Lion  73. June  27/36 

Invitation  to  the  Waltz(G) .  Lilian  Harvey   Assoc.    British  ...80  Nov.  16 

La  Maternelle  (A)  Paulette  Elambert. ..  Metropolis   Oct.      14  80  Nov.  16 

Land  of  Promise,  The  (G)  Zionist    Org.   of  ! 

1   America   Nov.     20  57  Dec.  7 

Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The.. Maria  Corda- 

V.  Varconi   Trans-America  Dee.     14  65  

Le  Bonheur  (A)  Gaby  Morlay   Franco-American.. .  Mar.    5/36.  .110.  Mar.  21/36 

Liebelei   (A)   Paul  Hoerblger   General   87.  Mar. 

Living  Dangerously  (A). ..Otto  Kruger  Assoc.    British  80. Mar. 

Marriage   of    Corbal,  The 

(A)   Nils  Asther   General   80. June 

Milizia  Territorial  (G) ..  .Antonio  Gandusio  .  Nuovo   Mondo  Apr.    4/36. ..  77.  Apr. 

Once  in  a  Million  (G)  Buddy  Rogers- 

M.  Brian   Assoc.    British  75. Apr. 

Ourselves  Alone   (G)  Antoinette  Cellier  ..Assoc.    British  70. May 

Pension  Mimosas  (A)  Francoise  Rosay   Franco-American. .  .May    5/36. .  .93.  May 

Private  Secretary,  The  (G).Edw.  Everett  Horton. Twickenham   75  Oct.  5 

Public  Nuisance  No.  I  (G)  Frances  Day   General   79. Mar.  14/36 

Raggen — Det  Ar  Jag   Det  <. 

(A)   N.  Wahlbom   Scandinavian   May   21. "36... 83. May  30/36 

Re  Burlone,  II  (G)  Armando  Falcon!  ...Nuovo  Mondo   Mar.  25/36. . .98. Apr.  4/36 

Robber  Symphony,  The  (G). George  Graves   Concordia   125. May  9/36 

Royal  Waltz   (G)  Paul  Hoerblger   Ufa   Apr.    9/36. . .81  .Apr.  25/36 

She  Shall  Have  Music  (A)  .June  Clyde   Twickenham   75  Dec.  21 

Skargards  (A)   Gideon  Wahlberg  ..Scandinavian   Apr.    7/36. .  .90. Apr.  18/36 

Soviet   News   (G)  Amkino   Apr.   10/36. ..70. Apr.  25/36 

Tempo   Masslno   (G)  Mllly   World   Mar.  12/36. .  .78.  Mar.  21/36 

Turn  of  the  Tide  (G)  J.  Fisher  White  Not   determined  80  Nov.  2 

Two's  Company   (G)  Ned  Sparks- 
Mary  Brian   B.  &  D  May  16/36 

We    Arc    from  Kronstadt 

(G)   V.  Zalchlkov  Amkino   ..Apr.  30/36t. .93. May  16/36 

Wedding  March.  The  (A).Tulllo  Carmlnatl..  .Franco-American.  92. Mar.  14/36 

When   Knights  Were  Bold 

(G)    I.  Buchanan-F.Wray. General  76. Mar.  7/36 

Where  There's  a  Will  (G). Will   Hay   Gaumont- British.  81. July  4/36 

Woman  Alone,  A  (A)  Anna   Sten-H.  Wll- 

eoxon   General   90. June  6/36 


14/36 
21/36 

13/36 
25/36 

4/36 
16/36 
16/36 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


103 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT—CONT'E) 


SHORT 
FILMS 

[All  dates  are  1935  unless 
otherwise  stated] 


CELEBRITY 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

COMICOLOR  CARTOONS 

Balloon  Land   Sept.30t  1  rl. 

Simple  Simon   Nov.  I5t  I  rl. 

Humpty  Dumpty   Dec.  30t  1  rl. 

AM    Baba   Jan.  30,'36t.9. .. 

Tom  Thumb   Mar.  30,'36t  .7. . . 

Dick  Whittington's  Cat  May  30.'36t.7... 

Little  Coy  Blue   July  30,'36t  


COLUMBIA 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 
BARNEY  GOOGLE 
No.  I—  "Tteched  in  th' 

Haid"   Oct.  24t....7... 

No.  2— -'Patch  Mah 

Britches"   Dec.  I9t  7... 

No.  3 — "Spark  Plug"   Apr.  l2,'36t.6'/2. 

No.  4 — Major  Google   May  24/36t.6'/2. 

BROADWAY  COMEDIES 

Ants  in  the  Pantry   .Feb.  6,'36tl8'/2. 

(3  Stooges) 

Caught  in  the  Act  Mar.  5,'36tI8... 

Andy  Clyde 
Champ's  a  Chump,  The . . . .  June  20,'36tl8. . . 

(All  Star) 

Disorder  in  the  Court  May  30,'36f  17. . . 

(3  Stooges) 

Double  Trouble   , 

Andy  Clyde 
Half  Shot  Shooters   Apr.  30,'36t  19. . . . 

(3  Stooges) 

His  Marriage  Mixup  Oct.  3 1 1 ...  1 8  

Harry  Langdon 
Honeymoon  Bridge   Oct.  3t...l9  

Leon  Errol 

Hot  Paprika   Dec.  I2t . . .  l8'/2 . . 

Andy  Clyde 

I   Don't   Remember   Dec.  26t . . .  l8'/2 . . 

Harry  Langdon 

Just  Speeding   Jan.  23,'36tl8  

Midnight   Blunders  Apr.  2l,'36tl7  

(All  Star) 

Mister  Smarty   July  I5,'36tl8  

Andy  Clyde 

Movie   Maniacs   Feb.  20,'36tl8  

(3  Stooges) 

Oh  My  Nerves  Oct.  I7t...l7  

(All  Star) 

Pain  in  the  Pullman,  A. .  June  27,'36tl8  

(3  Stooges) 

Peppery  Salt,  The  May  I5,'36tl8  

Andy  Clyde 

Share  the  Wealth  Mar.  l9,'36tl7'/2. . 

Andy  Clyde 

Three  Little  Beers  Nov.  28t...l7  

(3  Stooges) 

Unrelated   Relations   Jan.  9/36tl8  

(All  Star) 

Whoops,  I'M  an  Indian  

.(3  Stooges) 
Yoo    Hoo    Hollywood  .Nov.  I4t...l8  

(All  Star) 

COLOR  RHAPSODIES 

Bon  Bon  Parade  Dec.    5t  8'/2.. 

Dr.  Bluebird   Feb.  5,'36t.8  

Football  Bugs  Apr.  29,'36t.7  

Glee  Worms   June  24,'36t  .7  

Monkey  Love   Sept.  I2t  8  

Untrained  Seal,  The  July  26,'36t.7  

KRAZY   KAT  CARTOONS 
9.  Happy  Family,  A. .  . . .Sept.  26t  7  

10.  Kannibal    Kapers  Dec.  27t  7  

11.  Bird  Stutter,  The  Feb.  I,'36t.7  

12.  "Lil  Ainjil"   Mar.  I9,'36f  .6  

13.  Peace   Conference  Apr.  I0,'36t.7  

(re-issue) 

14.  Highway  Snobbery  


NEW  WORLD  OF  SPORT  SERIES 
Feminine  Invasion,  The. ...Oct.  26+  ...It... 

Golfing  Rhythm   May  I5,'36tl0. . . 

Hunters'  Paradise  Nov.  30t ...II... 

Ice   Cut-Ups  Feb.  6,'36tl0... 

Jump,  Horse,  Jump  Sept.  27t.  ..II... 

Speed  Mad   Apr.  I7,'36tl0  

Sport  Magic   June  I3,'36t.9'/j. 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Stop,   Look  and  Guess  Mar.  0, '36110.., 

Thrills  with    Daredevils  Mar.  I9,'36tl0. .. 

Touring  the  Sport  World. ..July  ll, '36  10  , 

SCRAPPY  CARTOONS 

Let's  Ring   Doorbells  Nov.    7t  7... 

Playing  Politics   July  8,'36t  

Scrappy's  Boy  Scouts  Jan.  2,'36t.7... 

Scrappy's  Camera  Troubles. .June  5,'36t.7... 
Scrappy's  Pony   Mar.  I6,'36t.7... 

SCREEN  SNAPSHOTS 

No.  2—   Oct.   lit-  .10... 

No.  3—   Nov.  8t...l0... 

No.  4 —   Dec.  6t...l0... 

No.  5—   Jan.  2,'36fl0>/2. 

No.  6—   Jan.  3l,'36t  IO'/2  . 

No.  7—   Feb.  28/36tlO'/2. 

No.  8—   Mar.  27.'36f  10. . . 

No.  9—   Apr.  24,'36t.9'/2. 

No.  10—   May  29,'36f  10. . . 

No.  1 1—   June  26,'36tl0. . . 

No.  12—   July  17, '36. 10. .. 

STARS  OF  TOMORROW 

No.  2—   Sept.  7f  II  

No.  3—   Nov.  27t...ll... 

No.  4—   Nov.  16t  -  .  - 10. . . 

No.  5—   Jan.  I5,'36tll... 

No.  6—   Jan.  I7,'36tl0... 

VOICE  OF  EXPERIENCE 

No.  I—   Sept.  l5t...l0'/2. 

No.  2—   Sept.  29t...l0'/2. 

No.  3—   Oct.   1 3f  1 0'/2 . 

No.  4 —   Oct.  28t- . .  lO'/z. 

No.  5—   Nov.  l2t...l0'/2. 

No.  6—   Nov.  27t...l0'/2. 

No.  7—   Dec.  l2t...l0'/2. 

No.  8—   Jan.    2,'36t  I  ■  

No.  9—   •.  Feb.  25,'36tlOl/2. 

No.  10—  Mar.  26,'36tl0'/2. 


DU  WORLD 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

POPULAR    SCIENCE  FOREIGN 

(Cinecolor) 

No.   I—   Sept.l5,'36..9  

No.  2—   10  

No.  3—   8.... 

No.  4 —   8  

No.  5 —   9  

No.  6 —   10  

SEMI-FEATURES  AND  SHORTS 
Cathedrals   Oct.     If... 19  

EDUCATIONAL 

[Distributed  through 

Twentieth  Century-Fox] 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

CORONET  COMEDIES 

Brain  Busters,  The  Jan.  I0,'36tl8.. 

Fresh  from  the  Fleet  Apr.  24,'36t  18. . 

He's  a  Prince  Oct.  I8I...I8.. 

Just  Another  Murder  Oct.    4t. . .  17. . 

Mixed  Policies   Jan.  I7,'36t20.. 

Sleepless  Hollow   May  8,'36tl6.. 

Where  Is  Wall  Street  Apr.  I0,'36tl9.. 

FROLICS    OF  YOUTH 

Choose  Your  Partners  Dec.  I3t . .  .20. . 

Flicker  Fever   Sept.  26t . .  .20. . 

Knockout  Drops   Dec.    6f .  ..19.. 

MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Home  on  the  Range  June  5,'36t2l . . 

Moonlight  and  Melody  Oct.  lit. ..21.. 

Perfect  Thirty-Sixes   Dec.  20t  ...18.. 

Rhythm  of  Paree  Sept.  27t . .  .21 . . 

Thanks,  Mr.  Cupid  Jan.  24,'36fl8.. 

SONG   AND   COMEDY  HITS 

Alpine  Rendezvous   Aug.   I, '36. 1 1.. 

College   Capers   Sept.  27t. . .  12. . 

Easy   Plckin's   Dec.  27t...l0.. 

Going  Native   Aug.  28,'36. 1 1 . . 

Hillbilly  Love   Oct.   lit. ..II.. 

Oueen's  Birthday,  The  Aug.  I4,'36. 10. . 

Ring  Goes  'Round,  The. .. .Aug.  21  ,'36. 10. . 

Rodeo  Day   Sept.  I3t . . .  1 1 . . 

Seeing   Nellie   Home  Dec.  20t...ll.. 

Sorority  Blues   Dec.    6f  ...II.. 

Spooks   Apr.  I7,'36t -9. . 

Way  Out  West  Oct.  25t...ll.. 

STAR  PERSONALITY  COMEDIES 

Giv'im  Air   Feb.  I4,'36tl8. . 

Gold   Bricks   Mar.  20,'36t20. . 

Grand  Slam  Opera  Feb.  2l,'36f2l.. 

Ladies  Love  Hats  Nov.    It... 20.. 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 


Penny  Wise   Sept.  6t...l6. 

Three  on  a  Limb   Jan.  3,'36tl9 

Timid  Young  Man,  The  Oct.  25t...20. 

Triple  Trouble   Apr.  3,'36tl6. 

White   Hope,  The  Mar.  27,'36tl9. 

PAUL  TERRY-TOONS 

Aladdin's  Lamp   Nov.  I5t  6. 

Alpine  Yodeler   Feb.  2.'36t.6. 

Barnyard  Amateurs   Mar.  6,'36t.6. 

Busy   Bee,   The  May  29,'36t.6. 

Circus  Days   Sept.  6t  6. 

Farmer   Al    Falfa    in  the 

Hot  Spell   July  I0,'36t.6. 

Farmer  Al   Falfa  and  the 

Runt   May  I5,'36t 

Feud,  The   Jan.  I0,'36t 

Foiled  Again   Oct.  4t... 

Football   Oct.  I8t... 

Hey  Diddle  Diddle   Sept.  20f... 

Home  Town  Olympics  Feb.  7,'36t 

June  Bride,  A  Nov.  It... 

Kiko  and  the  Honey  Bears  Aug.  21  ,'36t 

Kiko  the  Kangaroo  July  3l,'36t 

Mayflower,  The   Dec.  27t... 

19th  Hole  Club,  The  Jan.  24,'36t 

Off  to   China  Mar.  20,'36t 

Puddy   the    Pup   and  the 

Gypsies   July  24,'36t 

Rolling  Stones   May  l,'36t 

Sailor's   Home,   The  June  I2,'36t 

Southern  Horse-pitality  Nov.  29t  

Tough  Egg,  A  June  26,'36t 

Western  Trail,  The  Apr.  3,'36t 

Wolf  in  Cheap  Clothing,  A . Apr.  I7,'36t 
Ye  Olde  Toy  Shop  Dec.  1 3f  . 


TREASURE  CHEST 

Animal    Cunning   May  I,'36fl0  

Clever  Critters   Sept.  20t  8  

Fast  Friends   June  5,'36t.9  

Feminine  Form   Aug.  7,'36.I0.... 

Fisherman's  Luck   Jan.  31  ,'36t  .9. . . . 

Gangsters  of  the  Deep  Nov.    It  8  

Hold  That  Line  Oct.   lit  7  

Game  of  Jai-Alai.  The  Dec.  27t  9  

Manhattan  Tapestry   Jan.  31  ,'36t  1 0 . . . . 

Seeing  Eye,  The  Jan.  1 7,'36f 1 0  

Ski-Scrapers   May  24  8  

Sunday  Sports  in  Mexico. .  .  Nov.  8t...l0  

TUXEDO  COMEDIES 

Just  Plain  Folks  Mar.  I3,'36tl9  

Kiss  the  Bride  Sept.  I3t . .  .21  

One  Big  Happy  Family  Nov.  I5t...2l  

Rail   Birds   May  22,'36tl8  

TWO-REEL  COMEDIES 

Bashful    Buddies   Aug.  7,'36..2rls. 

Blue  Blazes   Aug.  21/36.  .2  rls. 

Boy,  Oh   Boy  Aug.  14/36.  .2  rls. 

Happy  Heels   Aug.  1/36.18  

It  Happened  All  Right  May  I5,'36tl9  

Parked  in  Paree  Aug.  28/36.  .2  rls. 

Peaceful  Relations   June  I9,'36tl8  

YOUNG  ROMANCE 

Beware  of   Blondes  Feb.  7,'36t20  

Love  in  a  Hurry  May  17  16  

Love  in  September   Mar.  6,'36f2l  

Way   Up   Thar  Nov.  8t...l8  


GRAND  NATIONAL 
DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

MUSICAL  MOODS 
(Technicolor) 

Ave  Maria   Mar. 25/36t.l  rl. 

Irish   Melody   ..Mar.  9/36t.8... 

Italian   Caprice   Dec.    It  8... 

Liebestraum  Apr.  20,'36f .  I  rl. 

Mediterranean  Songs   Nov.    It  7... 

NEWSLAUGHS 

No.  2—   Nov.  26t  I  rl. 

No.  3—   Dec.  30t  I  rl. 

No.  4—   Jan.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

No.  5—   Feb.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

No.  6 —   Mar.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

6  THRILLING  JOURNEYS 

Craters  of  the  Moon  Nov.  I5t  I  rl. 

Old  Faithful  Speaks  Nov.  I5t..  

Deep  Sea  Harvest  Jan.  I5,'36t.lrl. 

Ride  Along   Dude  Feb.  I5,'36t.  I  rl. 

City  of  Proud  Memories  Dec.  lot  I  rl. 

Realm  of  Ghosts  Mar.  I,'36t  


HOFFBERG 

Titl«  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Beautiful  Blue  Danube  Feb.  4,'36t.9.. 

Carillon  Makers   Aug.  I5,'36tl2. . 

Golden  Harbor   Mar.  I6,'36tl0. . 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

It's  a   Bird   Jan.  20,'36tl7... 

Life  of  Theodore  Roosevelt.  .  Feb.    I.^t^  .. 

Tough  Breaks   Mar.   I ,'36tlS  — 

Spanish  Interlude,  A  Sept.l5/36t26. . . 

Sport  of  Flying   Aug.  Il,'36t.9... 

Symphony  of  the  Seasons. .Jan.  27,'36t.9... 

Young    Explorer   Mar.  2/36fl0... 

INTERNATIONAL  VARIETIES 

No.   I—   Feb.  I4,'36t.8... 

No.  2—   Feb.  28/36t.8... 

No.  3—   .'  Mar.  8/36tl0... 

No.  4—   Mar.  22,'36tl0... 

No.  5—   Apr.  j0/36t.7... 

No.  6—   Apr.  22/36t.7'/2. 

PERSONALITIES  ON  PARADE 

No.   I—   Feb.  5.'36t.9... 

No.  2—   Mar.  6,'36t.9... 

No.  3—   Apr.  I  l/36t.9... 

No.  4—   May  4,'36t.9... 

WORLD  EXPLORATIONS 

1.  Nomads  of  the  Jungle  Feb.  3,'36t.6... 

2.  Nomads  of  the  South  Seas.  Feb.  I7,'36t.6... 

3.  Nomads  of  the  Past  Mar.  3.'36t.6... 

4.  Nomads  of  the  Air  Mar.  l7/36t.5'/2. 

5.  Nomads  in  the  Making. .  .Apr.  3,'36t.6... 

6.  Nomads  of  the  River..  .Apr.  17/361.6... 

7.  Nomads  of  the  Plains  May  3/36t.5'/2. 

8.  Nomads  of  the  Sea  May  t7,'36t.5'/2. 


IMPERIAL 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

COLOR  CLASSICS 

Towers  of  Melody  8.. 

Hidden  Treasures   8.., 

Southern   Beauties   8... 

EDGAR   GUEST   POETIC  GEMS 

After  the  Storm   , 

Boyhood   8... 

Couldn't  Live  Without  You  

Old  Prospector,  The  8.. 

Sea   Dreams   8... 

Early  in  the  Mornin'  8... 

NOVELTIES 

Cities  of  the  Past  

Nero   8... 

Every  Dog  Has  Its  Day  9... 

Hobo  Hero   9... 

PORT  0'  CALL 

Peacock  Throne   9... 

City  of  the  Sun  9... 

Jungle  Bound  

Last  Resort   9... 

Love's  Memorial   

Children  of  the  Nile  9... 

Seventh  Wonder   9... 

WORLD    IN  COLOR 

Beneath  Coral  Seas   8... 

Inspiration  of  Old  Love 

Songs   8... 

Isle  of  June   

Dream   Harbor   8... 

Maori   8... 

Melody  Isle   

Under  the  Southern  Cross  8... 

MGM 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

CHARLEY  CHASE 
Count  Takes  the  Count,  The .  Feb.  22.'36t20. . . 

Life  Hesitates  at  40  Jan.  I8,'36tl5... 

Manhattan  Monkey  Business.  Nov.  9t...2l... 

Neighborhood  House   May  9,'36t  

Nurse  to  You  Oct.     St.. .20... 

On  the  Wrong  Trok  Apr.  I8,'36tl9. . . 

Public  Ghost  No.   I  Dec.  I4t  ..20... 

Vamp   'Til   Ready  Mar.  28,'36t20. . . 

CRIME   DOESN'T  PAY 

No.  3 — Desert  Death   Oct.  I9t...2l... 

No.  4 — Thrill   for  Thelma. 

A   Nov.  23t...l8... 

No.  5 — Hit  and  Run  Driver.  Dec.  28t...20... 

No.  6 — Perfect   Setup   Feb.  I,'36t2l... 

FITZPATRICK  TRAVEL  TALKS 
Honolulu,   Paradise  of  the 

Pacific   Nov.    2t  8... 

Japan    in    Cherry  Blossom 

Time   Mar.  2l/36t.9... 

Modern  Tokyo   Dec.  28t  9... 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  City  of 

Splendor   Apr.  I8.'36t,8... 

Rural   Mexico   Nov.  30t  8... 

Sacred  City  of  the  Mayan 

Indians   Feb.  22,'36f.7... 

St.  Helena  and  Its  Man  of 

Destiny   May  I6.*36t.8  

Victoria  and  Vancouver...  .Jan.  25,'36t.9. ... 


104 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAET«C€NT»E) 


Title                           Rel.  Date  Min. 
HARM  AN-1SING 
(Happy  Harmonies) 

15 —  Honeyland   Oct.  I9t..l0.. 

16—  Alias  St.    Nick  Nov.  I6t...l0.. 

17—  Run,  Sheep,  Run  Dec.  I4t  -  - 1 0 . . 

18—  Bottles   Jan.  Il,'36tl0.. 

19 —  Early  Bird  and  the 

Worm,  The   Feb.  8,'36t.9.. 

20—  Old  Mill  Pond,  The  Mar.  7,'36t.8  . 

21—  Two  Little  Pups  Apr.  4,'36t  8.. 

M-G-M  MINIATURES 

Great  American   Pie  Com- 
pany  Nov.  9t...M.. 

How  to  Behave  Apr.  25,'36tl0. . 

How  to  Train  a  Dog   July  4,'36t.8.. 

Important  News   Feb.  29,'36tl0.. 

Jonker  Diamond   Mar.  28,'36tl0. . 

Let's   Dance   Jan.  4,'36t.8.. 

Little  Boy  Blue  May  23,'36-fll.. 

Master  Will  Shakespeare.    June  13, '36tl0. . 

Primitive  Pitcairn   Dec.    7t  9.. 

Trained   Hoofs   Oct.  I2t....9.. 

West  Point  of  the  South...  .Feb.  I,'36t.8.. 
M-G-M  SPORTS  PARADE 

Air  Hoppers   Jan.  I8,'36t/I0.. 

Aquatic  Artistry   Apr.  1 1  ,'36f  .9. . 

Crew  Racing   :  Dec.  2U...I0.. 

Gymnastics   Oct.  26t  9.. 

Polo   May  9.'36t.8.. 

Table  Tennis   Feb.  I5,'36tl0. . 

Racing  Canines   Mar.  1 4,'36t  1 0 . . 

Water  Sports   Oct.  26f  8.. 

MUSICAL  REVUES 

La  Fiesta  de  Santa  Bar- 
bara  Dec.  7t...l9.. 

Pirate  Party  on  Catalina 

Isle   Nov.  21  20. . 

OUR  GANG 

Arbor  Day   May  2,'36tl8.. 

Divot  Diggers   Feb.  8,'36tl5.. 

Follies  of  1936  Nov.  30t ...18.. 

Little  Sinner   Oct.   26t- . .  18. . 

Lucky  Corner,  The  Mar.  I4,'36f  16. . 

Pinch  Singer   Jan.  4,'36tl8.. 

Second  Childhood   Apr.  Il,'36tl9.. 

PATSY  KELLY  COMEDIES 

All-American  Toothache  Jan.  25,'36t20  .  . 

At  Sea  Ashore  Apr.  4,'36t20.. 

Hill   Tillies   Apr.  4,'36tl8.. 

Hot  Money   Nov.  1 6t - . .  18 . . 

Pan  Handlers   Feb.  29,'36t20.  . 

Top  Flat   Dec.  2lf . .  .20. . 

SPECIAL 

Audioscopiks   8.. 


PARAMOUNT 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

BETTY   BOOP  CARTOONS 
Betty    Boop   and  Little 

Jimmy   Mar.  27,'36t.7. . 

Betty  Boop  and  the  Little 

King  Jan.  31  ,'36t  .7. . 

Henry,  the  Funniest  Living 

American   Nov.  22t  7. . 

Judge  for  a  Day  Sept.  20t  8.. 

Little  Nobody   Dec.  27t  7. . 

Making  Stars   Oct.    I  St  7.. 

More  Pep    .  .June  I9,'36t  

Not  Now   Feb.  28,'36t.7. . 

Song  a  Day,  A  May  22,'36t.7.. 

We  Did  It  Apr.  24,'36t.6.. 

You're  Not  Built  That. Way  July  I7,'36t.l  rl 
COLOR  CLASSICS 

Cobweb  Hotel,  The  May  l5,'36t-8. . 

Greedy  Humpty  Dumpty.  .  .  July  1 0,'36t .  I  rl 

Little  Stranger   Mar.  I3,'36t.8.. 

Musical  Memories   Nov.    8t  .  .7.. 

Somewhere  in   Dreamtand . .  .  Jan.    17, '36. 9.. 

(Technicolor) 

Time  for  Love  Sept.  6t....7.. 

HEADLINERS 
Accent  on  Girls  Dec,  27t  

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 

Melodears 

Babes  in  Hollywood  Oct.  I8t...l0.. 

Breezy  Rhythm   Apr.  1 0, '36t 1 0 . . 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 
Cavalcade  of  Music,  The...  .Oct.  4t....8.. 
Lucky  Starlets   May  22,'36tl0. . 

Baby  Leroy-Bennie  Bart- 

lett  -  David    Holt  -  Betty 

Holt  -  Billy  Lee  -Virginia 

Weidler 

Magic  of   Music.  The  Aug.  2t...ll.. 

Richard  Himber  and  His 
Orchestra 

Midnight  Melodies    .  Mar.  20,'36t  1 1 . . 

Ed  Paul  and  Orchestra- 
Babs   Ryan  -  Loretta  Lee 


Title                           Rel.  Date  Min. 
Moscow    Moods  Jan.  I7,'36tll  

Yasha  Bunchuk  and  Orch.  : 
Movie   Melodies  on   Parade  .  Feb.  7,'36tll  

Andre  Kostelanetz-Mary 

Eastman 

Musical  Fashions   July  3,'36t .  I  rl. . 

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 
Melodears 

Music  in  the  Morgan  Manner  June  I2,'36t  

Russ  Morgan  and  Orch. 
Parade  of  the  Maestros          Nov.  1 5 1 .  -  -10.... 

Red  Nichols,  Ferde  Grofe. 

Emery  Deutsch  and  Their 

Orchestras 

Play,  Don   July  3l,'36t  

Don  Bestor  and  Orch. 

Radio  Rhapsody   Dec.  6t-..IO... 

Johnny  Green  and  Orch. 

Star  Reporter,  The  Feb.  28,'36t.9  

Betty  Jane  Cooper- Don- 
ald Novis-lna  Ray  Hutton 

Yankee   Doodle   Rhapsody. ..  May  l,'36t/ll  

Ferde  Grofe  and  His 
Orchestra 

PARAMOUNT  PICTORIAL  NEW  SERIES 
No.  3 — Nesting  Time — Re-. Oct.   lit  9  

flections — Song  Makers  of 

the  Nation  (Tot  Seymour 

and  Vee  Lawnhurst)  

No.   4 — Jewelry  —  Made  to  Nov.  3t...l0  

Order  —  Let's    Listen  to 

Latin  America   

No.  5 — Manhattan  Rhapsody  .  Dec.  6t...l0  

— Animal    Buddies — Man 

of  Many  Faces  

No.  6  —  The    Latest    from  Jan.  3,'36tl0  

Paris — Shifting     Sands — 

Nature's  Sideshow   

No.   7— Mountain   Moods  —  Jan.  3l,'36t .7  

Camera  Hounds  —  Song 

Makers    of    the  Nation 

(Ralph   Rainger  and  Lee 

Robin)   

No.  8— Frederic  W.  Goudy  .  Feb.  28,'36tl  I  

— Sails  Over  Sydney  Har- 
bor —  The    Voice   of  the 

Animals   

No.  9— Trailing  the   Birds  .  Mar.  27,'36t.9  

— Lake  of  Enchantment — 

Swanee  River  Goes  High 

Hat   

No.    10  —  Toilers     of    the  .  Apr.  24,'36tl0  

Deep  —  Where  Beauty 

Reigns — Make-up  Magic 
No.    II — Champagne — Girls  May  22,'36t  

Will  Be  Boys— Up  Mont 

Blanc   

No.  12 — Meet  the  Pelican — June  I9,'36t  

Viola    Mitchell  —  Steel 

Suits   

No.  13—   July  1 7,'36t  - 1  rl.. 

PARAMOUNT  VARIETIES 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  4  .Sept. 27t . . .  10 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  5. Dec.  I3t...l0 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  6. Apr.  3,'36t.9 

Collie,  The   Feb.  21,'36tl0 

Countryside  Melodies   Nov.  29t  6 

(Technicolor) 

Dangerous  Jobs   May  l,'36t.9 

Fashions  in  Love  July  24,'36t .  I 

Here  Comes  the  Zoo  Mar.  I3,'36t  9 

March  of  the  Presidents...  .Sept.  27t . . .  10 
Movie  Milestones  (No.  2)..  Jan.  31  ,'36f 1 0 

Poodle,  The   May  22,'36tl0 

Rhythm  Party,  The  June  26,'36t. . 

Rookie  Fireman,  The  Apr.  24,'36fl0 

Shorty  at  Coney  Island  Jan.  I0,'36tl0 

Shorty  at  the  Seashore  July  1 0,'36t .  I 

Shorty  Goes  South  Sept.  I3t .  .  .10 

Spring  Night   Nov.    It  8 

POPEYE  THE  SAILOR 

Adventures  of  Popeye,  The.   Oct.  25f  8 

Bridge  Ahoy!   May    I ,'36t.8 

Brotherly  Love   Mar.  6,'36t.7 

Clean  Shaven  Man,  A  Feb.  7,'36t.7 

I -Ski  Love-Ski  You-Ski. . .  .Apr.  3,'36t.6 
I  Wanna  Be  a  Lifeguard..  June  26, '36t.. 

King  of  the  Mardi  Gras...   Sept.  27t  7 

Let's  Get  Movin'  July  24,'36t .  I 

Sinbad  the  Sailor  Jan.  3l,'36t.2 

(Special) 

Spinach  Overture,  The  Dec.    6t  8 

Vim,  Vigor  and  Vital  iky...  Jan.  3.'36t.7 

What,  No  Spinach?  May  29,'36t.. 

PARAMOUNT  SOUND  NEWS 
Two  Editions  Weekly 

POPULAR  SCIENCE 
(Cinecolor) 

No.   I   Sept.29t  9  

No.  2   Nov.  29t..  .  IO'/2.. 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

No.  3   Jan.  24,'36tll.. 

No.  4   Mar.  27,'36tll.. 

No.  5   May  29,'36t  

No.  6   July  I7,'36t.  I  rl 

SCREEN  SONGS 
Hills  of  Old  Wyomin',  The  July  24,'36t.  I  rl 

The  Westerners 
I    Don't  Want  to  Make 

History   May  22,'36t  

V.  Lopez  and  Orchestra 
I   Feel   Like  a  Feather  in 

the   Breeze   Mar.  27,'36t  .7. . 

Jack  Denny  and  Orchestra 
It's  Easy  to  Remember  Nov.  29t ...10.. 

Richard  Himber  and  Or- 
chestra 

1  Wished  On  the  Moon  Sept.  20t  8.. 

Abe  Lyman  and  Orchestra 
No  Other  One  Jan.  24,'36t.8.. 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 

GRANTLAND  RICE  SPORTLIGHTS 
(NEW  SERIES) 
No.  16 — Hooked  Lightning.  .Sept.  27f . . .  1 0. . 
No.  17 — Jumping  Champion  Oct.  25t ...  10. . 
No.  18 — Sport  on  the  Range. Nov.  22f...l0.. 
No.  19 — Sporting  Network.  .  Dec.  20t  ...10.. 
No.  20 — What's  the  Answer  Jan.  I7,'36tl0.. 

No.  21 — Finer  Points   Feb.  I4,'36tl0.. 

No.  22— Winged  Champions.  Mar.  I3,'36tl0. . 

No.  23— Sun    Chasers  Apr.  I0,'36tl0. 

No.  24 — Catching  Trouble. .  .May  8,'36t  10. . 
No.  25 — River  of  Thrills.  ..  June  5,'36f.... 
No.  26 — Sporting  Compari- 

sons   July  3,'36t.... 


Title 


Min. 


RKO  RADIO 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

DUMBBELL  LETTERS 

N»-  21   Jan.  3,'36t.5.. 

N<>-  22   Feb.  3l,'36t.5'/2 

No-  23   Apr.  3,'36f.5.. 

No-  24   May  29,'36t  .5. . 

No.  25   ju|y  r0,'36f  

EASY  ACES 

Capital  Idea  Oct.  4f...l0.. 

Debonair  New  Orleans  Mar.  27,'36tl0. . 

Etiquette   Nov.  29,'36t.9.. 

Fool  Your  Friends  June  9,'36t  

Job's  a  Job,  A  May  22,'36f.... 

Jolly  Old  London  Aug.  30  9i/2 

Old  Fashioned  Movie,  An..  .  Feb.  28,'36f  1 1 . 
Tricks  of  the  Trade  Sept.  6f...l0.. 


Aug.    9t  9'/s 


Unusualities 

Winter  at  the  Zoo  jan.  3l.'36tl0'/2 

World  Within,   A  Nov.    It. ..10.. 

FOUR  STAR  COMEDIES 

Salesmanship  Ahoy   ju|y  |g  tgy2 

HEADLINER  SERIES 

No.  5 — Drawing    Rumors. ..  July  12  17.. 

No.  I— Night  Life   Sept.  21 1 . .  .21 . . 

No.  2— Tuned  Out   Nov.  l5f.!.2o!. 

No.  3— Camera  Cranks   Jan.  I7,'36fl9.. 

No.  4— Wedtime  Story,  A .  .  Mar.  20/36t2l . 

No.  5 — Bad   Medicine   May  22,'36tl5. . 

No.  6 — Sleepy  Time   July  24,'36t. 

EDGAR    KENNEDY  COMEDIES 

Dummy  Ache   ju|y  ,0  ,36f 

Gasoloons  Jan  3,.36tl5,/2 

Happy  tho    Married  Nov.    I  18 

High  Beer  Pressure  May  8,'36fl8 

ln  Love  «  40  Aug.  30t...l9 

Sock  Me  to  Sleep  May  17  20 

Wi"  Power   Mar.  6,'36tl5'/2 

MAJOR   BOWES'   AMATEUR  PARADE 

'   May  l,'36t.9.. 

2   June   5,'36t  ... 

No-  3   July  3,'36t.. 

MAJOR  BOWES'  AMATEUR  THEATRE 
OF   THE  AIR 

N°-  4   Oct.  l8t...l8'/2 

 Nov.  8t...l8.. 

 Nov.  22t...l8 

MARCH   OF  TIME 

 Nov.  ISf . .  .20. . 

 Dec-  (3t...23'/2 

[1936] 

No-   '   Jan.  l7,'36tl8'/2 

No.   2   Feb.  I7,'36t24. . 

No.  3   Mar.  I3,'36t2l . . 

No.  4   Apr.  I7,'36t2l . . 

No.  5   May  I5,'36t  

No.  6   June  I2,'36t  

No.  7   ju|y  |0,'36t.... 

MUSICALS 
Night  at  the  Biltmore 

Bowl,  A   June  21  l7'/2 

PATHE  NEWS 
Released  twice  a  week 

PATHE  REVIEWS 
Released  once  a  month 


No.  5 
No.  6 


No.  8 
No.  9 


Rel.  Date 
PATHE  TOPICS 
Released  seven  times  a  year 

RADIO  FLASH  COMEDIES 

Dog  Blight   June  I2,'36t. . . 

Fight  Is  Right  Apr.  I0,'36tl7. 

Radio  Barred   Feb.   7,*36f  15'/s 

Where  There's  a  Will  Oct.  4t...l8. 

Worm  Burns,  The  Dec.  6f...l7. 

RADIO  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Aladdin  from  Manhattan  Feb.  28,'36tl7. 

Foolish  Hearts   Dec.  27t ...18. 

Melody  in   May  May  I,'36fl9. 

Metropolitan  Nocturne   Aug.  23t . . .  18. 

Mismanaged   Oct.  25f...l9'/s 

Swing  It   July  3,'36t. 

RAINBOW   PARADE  CARTOONS 

Bold  King  Cole  May  29,'36t. 

Felix  the  Cat  and  the  Goose 

That  Laid  the  Golden  Egg.  Feb.  7,'36t.7'/2 
Molly  Moo  Cow  and  the 

Indians   Nov.  I5t  7'/2 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  Robin- 
son Crusoe   Mar.  20,'36t.7 

Neptune  Nonsense   Apr.  I7,'36f  .8 

Toonerville  Trolley   Jan.  I7,'36t.7 

Trolley  Ahoy   

Waif's  Welcome,  A  June  I9,'36t.. 

SMART  SET 

All  Business   Feb.  l4,'36tl8'/2 

And  So  to  Wed  June  I9,'36t  

Framing  Father   Apr.  l7,'36tl6'/2 

Returned   Engagement,  A. ..Oct.   lit. ..21.. 

Too  Many  Surprises  Dec.  3t...20'/2 

SPECIALS 

Going  on  Two  Sept.  17  17.. 

Headlines  for  25  Years  Mar.  27,'36f2I . . 

SPORTS  WITH  BILL  CORUM 
Bugles  from  Blue  Grass  ...Oct.  Mt...l0'/2 

Gentlemen's  Sports   Dec.  I3t...ll 

Inside  the  Ropes  Aug.  I6t...l0 

Never  Catch  the  Rabbit  Apr.  24,'36tl  I 

Row    Mr.    Row  June  I9,'36t.. 

Tomorrow's  Halfbacks  ......Jan.  24,'36t.9 

Winter  Sport   Mar.  I3,'36tl0 

STRUGGLE  TO  LIVE 

Beach  Masters   Nov.  8t...l0'/2 

Living  Jewels   June  I2,'36t  

Underground  Farmers  Apr.  I7,'36t.9.. 

Winged  Pageantry   Feb.  I4,'36f  10. . 

SUPERBA  COMEDIES 

Counselitis   Nov.  22t...l8.. 

Down  the  Ribber  Mar.  27,'36t2l . . 

Home  Work   Sept.  20t . . .  19. . 

Uppercutlets   Jan.  24,'36tl8'/2 

Listen   to   Freezin'  July  3l,'36t  

Wholesailing  Along   May  29,'36tl7.. 

VAGABOND  ADVENTURE  SERIES 

Quebec   Aug.   2  9'/2 

WORLD   ON  PARADE 
Coral  Isle  of  the  Atlantic. ..  Mar.  27,'36tl  I . . 

Land   of   Evangeline  Nov.  22t ...  1 9'/2 

Morocco   Jan.  I0,'36t  

Prominent  Personalities  ..  .  Feb.  2l,'36tl  I . . 
Spain's   Romantic  Isle, 

Majorca   Oct.  l8t...l9'/2 

Venice  of  the  North  May  I5,'36  


STATE  RIGHTS 

T'tle  Rel.  Date  Min. 

AL  BONDY 

(General  Electric) 

Excursions  in  Science  No.  I  8.. 

DYNAMIC 

Wonderland  of  Gaspe  ||  . . 

NORTON 

Alchemist's   Hourglass,  The  18.. 

PAT  GARYN 

O'Mahoney-George   Bout   17.. 

PHIL  BROWN 

Norwegian  Sketches   |n.. 

REGAL 

Broadway  Nights   

20TH  CENTURY-FOX 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

ADVENTURES   OF  THE 
NEWSREEL  CAMERAMAN 

Filming  the  Fantastic  Jan.  3l,'36fl0.. 

Filming    Feminine  Head- 
liners   Dec.  27t  ...10... 

Scouring  the  Skies  Aug.  I4,'36  

Shooting  the  Record  Break- 
ers  Nov.  22t. . .  10. . 

MAGIC   CARPET  SERIES 

Argentine  Argosy   Nov.  22t...l0.. 

Geneva-by-the-Lake   Dec.  2lt...l0.. 

Hong   Kong   Highlights  Jan.  3l,'36fl0.. 

Irish  Pastoral   Aug.  7,'36  

Morocco  Mirage   Aug.  30. ...  1 0. . 


August    I,  1936 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


105 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

West  Indies  Cruise  Oct.  25T--.I0... 

Winter  Magic   Dec.  27t . . .  10. . . 

UNITED  ARTISTS 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

MICKEY  MOUSE 

35.  Pluto's  Judgment  Day.  .Sept.  28t  9... 

36.  On  Ice   Nov.    6t  8... 

37.  Mickey's  Polo  Team...  Feb.  5,'36t8... 

38.  Orphans'  Picnic   Mar.  I2,'36t.9... 

39.  Mickey's  Grand  Opera  9... 

40.  Through  the  Mirror  June  I8,'36t.9... 

101.  Moving  Day   9. . . 

102.  Mickey's  Rival   9... 

SILLY  SYMPHONIES 

28.  Who  Killed  Cock 

Robin?   June  26t . . .  10... 

29.  Music  Land   Oct.    lot  8'/2  . 

30.  Three   Orphan    Kittens  Nov.  21 1  9... 

31.  Cock  of  the  Walk  Dec.  I9t  8... 

32.  Broken  Toys   Jan.  9.'36t.8... 

33.  Elmer  the  Elephant  May  l4,'36t.8'/2  . 

34.  Three  Little  Wolves. ..  May  27, '36tl0. . . 


UNIVERSAL 


20 . . . 
20... 


Title                           Rel.  Date  Min. 
CARTUNE  CLASSICS 
No.  6 — Fox  and  the  Rabbit, 
The   Sept.  30  8.... 

GOING  PLACES  with  LOWELL  THOMAS 

No.  16   Dec.  23t. . . 10. . . . 

No.  17   Jan.  20,'36t  

No.  18   Mar.  9,'36t  lO'/i  . . 

No.  19   Mar.  23,'36tl0  

No.  20   Apr.  20,'36t.9. . . 

No.  21   June  8,'36t  

No.  22   June  22,'36t  

No.  23   July  6,'36t  

No.  24   July  20,'36.I0. .  . . 

No.  25   Aug.    3, '36  

No.  26   Aug.  17, '36  

No.  27   Aug.  21, '36  

No.  28   Sept.28,'36  

MENTONE  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Carnival  Time   Jan.  22,'36tl9  

Jean  Sergent-Jack  Fulton 

Clubhouse  Party  (No.  6-B).Dec.  25t  2  rls. 

Ray  Perkins 

Flippen's  Frolics   July  I5,'36f  

Gus  Van's  Garden  Party.  Sept.  2,'36..lrl.. 
Gus  Van's  Music  Shoppe 

(No.  5-B)   Dec.  4t.. 

Harlem  Bound  (No.  4)  Nov.  6t.. 

Marine  Follies   Apr.  29,'36t  2  rls. 

Musical  Airways   Sept. 30, '36.  .1  rl. . 

On  Your  Radio  Dial 

(No.  3)   Oct.  23t  ...10  

Playing  for  Fun  Mar.  I8,'36tl5  

Signing  Off   Feb.  I9,'36tl9  

Speedy  Justice  (No.  2-B) . .  .Sept.  25t .  ■  20  

Teddy  Bergman's  Inter- 
national Broadcast   June  3,'36t20... 

Vaud-O-Mat.  The   Apr.  8,'36tl6  

NOVELTIES 

Skits  'n'  Sketches  Feb.  24,'36t  

OSWALD  CARTOONS 

Alaska  Sweepstakes   Feb.  I7,'36f.8  

Amateur  Broadcast   Aug.  26  7.... 

Battle  Royal   June  22,'36t.7  

Barnyard  Five   Apr.  20,'36t  

Beauty  Shoppe   Mar.  20,'36t  .6'/2  .  . 

Case  of  the  Lost  Sheep,  The.  Dec.    9t  7  

Doctor  Oswald   Dec.  30t  

Farming  Fools   May  25,'36t  

Fun  House,  The  May  4,'36t  

Kiddie  Revue   Sept.  21, '36  

Monkey  Wretches   Nov.  1 1 1 . . . .  I  rl. . 

Music    Hath    Charms  Sept.  7,'36  

Quail  Hunt,  The  Oct.     7  8.  .. 

Slumberland  Express   Mar.  9,'36t  

Soft  Ball  Game  Jan.  27,'36t  

STRANGER  THAN  FICTION  SERIES 

No.  17— Novelty   Jan.  I3,'36t.9  

No.  18 — Novelty   Mar.  30,'36t  .9'/2  . . 

No.  19 — Novelty   Apr.  I3,'36t.9  

No.  20— Novelty   June  l,'36t  

No.  21— Novelty   June  I5,'36t  

No.  22— Novelty  June  29,'36t  

No.  23— Novelty   July  I3,'36t  

No.  24 — Novelty   July  27,'36.I0  

No.  25— Novelty   Aug.  10, '36  

No.  26 — Novelty   Aug.  24, '36  

No.  27— Novelty   Sept.  14. '36  

No.  28— Novelty   Oct.  1 2, '36  

UNIVERSAL  COMEDIES 

His  Last  Fling  July  31  20. . . 

(Van  Ronkel  No.  5) 

You  Can  Be  Had  Jan.  8,'36tl5  

UNIVERSAL  SPECIAL 

Camera  Thrills   Sept.  30. ..  .21  


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

VITAPHONE 

BIG  TIME  VAUDEVILLE  REEL 
Vitaphone  Billboard   Feb.  I5,'36tl  I  ■ . . . 

Jane  and  Katherine  Lee 
Vitaphone  Casino   10  

Buster  West- Radio  Rubes 
Vitaphone  Celebrities   Jan.  25,'36tll  

Remington  Singers 
Vitaphone    Entertainers  June  27,'36t .  I  rl.. 

Sylvia  Froos 
Vitaphone  Headliners   Dec.  I4t...l0.... 

Nick   Lucas-Four  Mullen 

Sisters 

Vitaphone  Highlight   Apr.  4,'36tl0  

Eddie  Peabody 
Vitaphone  Hippodrome  May  2,'36tll.... 

Molly  Picon-Johnny  Lee 
Vitaphone  Spotlight   Mar.  7,'36tll  

Conville-Dale 

Vitaphone  Topnotches   May  30,'36t  

Vitaphone  Troupers   Jan.  4,'36tl0  

Four  Trojans  - 

Aunt  Jemima 
Vitaphone  VarieW   Nov.  I6f  I  rl.. 

Louis  Prima  and  Orch. 

Vitaphone  Stageshow   July  25,'36t.l  rl. . 

BIG  V.  VOMEDIES 
Vodka  Boatmen   Oct.  5f...20  

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Lonesome  Trailer   Oct.  26f...20  

El  Brendel 

Officer's  Mess,  The  Nov.    9t  2  rls. 

Shemp  Howard 
Double  Exposure   Nov.  23t ... 21  

Bob  Hope 

Lucky  Swede,  The  Dec.  2lt...2l  

El  Brendel 

While  the  Cat's  Away  Jan.  4,'36t20  

Shemp  Howard 
They're  Off   Jan.  I8,'36t2l... 

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Slide,  Nellie,  Slide  Feb.  I,'36f2l  

Herman  Bing- 

Paula  Stone 

Shop  Talk   Feb.  I5,'36t2l  

Bob  Hope 

Joe  Palooka  in  for  the  Love 

of  Pete   Mar.  I4,'36t2l  

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 

Calling  All  Tars  Mar.  28,'36t2l  

Bob  Hope 

Slum  Fun   Apr.  Il,'36t2l  

Johnny  Berkes- 

Charles  O'Donnell 
Dough-Nuts   Apr.  25, '36t .2  rls. 

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Absorbing  Junior   May    9,'36f  21 . . .  . 

Shemp  Howard- 
Johnny  Berkes 
Joe  Palooka  in  Here's  Howe. June  6,'36t2l  

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 
Wife  of  the  Party,  The  June  20,'36t22  

Ken  Murray 
Good  Old  Plumbertime, 

The   .July   1  l,'36t.2  rls. 

Johnny  Berkes 
The  Oily  Bird   July  25,*36t  .2  rls. 

Ken  Murray 
Joe   Palooka  in  Punch  and 

Beauty   Aug.  15, '36  

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 

BROADWAY  BREVITIES 
Dublin  in  Brass  Sept.  7t- ..20... 

Morton  Downey 
Oh.  Evaline   Sept.  I4t. .  .20  

Hal  LeRoy- 

Eleanore  Whitney 
Doorman's  Opera   Sept.  28t . .  .20. . . . 

Charlotte  Arren- 

Johnny  Broderick 
Tickets  Please   Oct.  I2t...2l... 

Georgie  Price 
Regular  Kids   Oct.    1 8t -  - . 20 . . . 

Meglin  Kids 
Check  Your  Sombrero  Nov.  2t...2l... 

Armida-Tito  Coral 
Rooftops  of  Manhattan  Nov.  I6t...2l... 

Deane  Janis-Gil  Lamb 
Trouble  In  Toyland  Nov.  30t...20... 

Gus  Edwards'  Stars  of 

the  Future 

Okay,  Jose   Dec.  7t...2l... 

El  Brendel 

Katz'  Pajamas    Dec.  I4t...2l... 

Fifl  D'Orsay 


Title 

Broadway  Ballyhoo   

Owen,  Hunt  and  Parco 
Carnival  Days  

Henry  Armetta- 

Felix  Knight 
Double  or  Nothing  

Phil  Harris-Leah  Ray 

Study  and  Understudy  

Between  the  Lines  

Bernice  Claire 
King  of  the  Islands  

Winifred  Shaw- 
Warren  Hymer 
Stars  Can't  Be  Wrong,  The 

Carolyn  Marsh- 
Harris  Twins 
Wash  Your  Step  

Hal  LeRoy- 

Preisser  Sisters 
Paris  in  New  York  

Irene  Bordoni 
Black  Network,  The  

Nina  Mae  McKinney- 

Nicholas  Bros. 
College  Dads   

Leon  Janney 
Double  Crossky,  The  

Olga  Baclanova 
I'm  Much  Obliged  

Vera  Van-George  Dobbs 
Maid  for  a  Day  

Grace  Hayes 
City's  Slicker,  The  

Dawn  O'Day-Radio  Rubes 
Romance  in  the  Air  

Wini  Shaw-Phil  Regan 
Changing  of  the  Guard.... 

Sybil  Jason 
Rhythmitis   

Hal   Le Roy-Toby  Wing 
Song  of  a  Nation,  The  

Donald  Woods- 
Claire  Dodd 
When  You're  Single  

Cross  and  Dunn 


Rel.  Date  Min. 
Dec.  28t. .  .21  

Jan.  Il,'36t2l  

Jan.  I8,'36t2l  

Jan.  25,'36t22  

Feb.  8,'36t22.... 

Feb.  22.'36t2l  

Feb.  29,'36t2l  

Mar.  7,'36t2l  

Mar.  2l,'36t22  

Apr.  4,'36t22  

Apr.  I  I,'36t2l .  

Apr.  I8,'36t2l  

May  2,'36t2l  

May  23,'36t20  

May  30,'36t.2  rls. 

.  May  I6,'36t  

June  6,'36t20.... 
June  I3,'36t.2  rls. 
July  4,'36t20... 

July  I8,'36t.2  rls. 


LOONEY  TUNES 

No.  14 — Plane  Dippy   Dec.  21 1  7. 

No.  15 — Alpine  Antics  Jan.  4,'36t.7. 

No.  16— Phantom  Ship,  The. Feb.  I,'36t.7. 

No.  17— Boom!   Boom!  Feb.  29,'36t  .7. 

No.  18 — Blow  Out,  The  Apr.  4,'36t.7. 

No.  19— Westward  Whoa  Apr.  25,'36t  7. 

No.  20— Fish  Tales   May  23,'36t  .7 . 

No.  21 — Shanghaied  Ship- 
mates  June  20.'36.  .7. 

No.  22— Porky's  Pet   July  ll,'36t.7. 

No.  23 — Porky's  Moving 

Day   Aug.    I, '36  


MELODY  MASTERS 
Johnny  Green  and  Orchestra  Oct.  1 2t  -  - . 
Claude  Hopkins  and  Orch. ..Nov.  fit 
Red  Nichols  and  Orchestra  . Jan.  4,'36t 
B.  A.  Rolfe  and  Orchestra  . .  Feb.  I,'36t 
Jolly  Coburn  and  Orchestra. .  Feb.  22,'36t 
Little  Jack  Little  and 

Orchestra   Mar.  2l,'36t 

Ramon  Ramos  and  Orchestra.  Apr.  I8,'36t 
Dave  A  pel  Ion  and  His  Band.  May  I6,'36t 
Vincent  Lopez  and  Orches- 
tra  June  6,'36t 

Carl  Hoff  and  Orchestra  July  ll,'36t 

Clyde  Lucas  and  Orchestra  

Nick  Lucas  and  His  Trou- 
badours  Aug.  15, '36. 


10.. . 
10. . . 
10... 
H... 
II... 


10. . . 
.1  rl. 
II... 


36t.7. 


MERRIE  MELODIES 
(In  Color) 
No.  12 — Little  Dutch  Plate. Oct.  I9t 

No.  13 — Billboard  Frolics  

No.  14 — Flowers  for  Madame.  Nov.  30t 
No.  15—1   Wanna  Play 

House   Jan 

No.  16 — Cat  Came  Back, 

The   Feb.  8,'36t 

No.  17 — Miss  Glory   Mar. 

No.  18 — I'm  a  Big  Shot 

Now   Apr. 

No.  19 — Let  It  Be  Me  May 

No.  20 — I'd    Love  to  Take 

Orders  From  You  May  I6.'36t 

No.  21 — Bingo  Crosbyana. . .  May  30,'36t 
No.  23— When  I  Yoo  Hoo. . .  Juno  27,'36t 
No.  24 — I  Love  to  Singa...July  I8.'36t 
No.  25 — Sunday   Go  to 

Meetin'  Time   Aug.  8, '36. 

OUR  OWN  UNITED  STATES 
No.  I — Curious  Industries ...  Sept.  7t... 

Harry  Von  Zell 


7.'36. 


Il,'36t 
2,'36t 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

No.  2 — Playground   Oct.  5t...ll... 

James  Wallington 
No.  3— Camera    Hunting. ...  Nov.  2t...ll  

Paul  Douglas 
No.  4 — Nature's   Handiwork  . Nov.  30f...ll... 
No.  5 — Odd    Occupations. ...  Dec.  28t...l2... 

No.  6— Steel  and  Stone  Jan.  25,'36t  II  

No.  7— Day's  Journey,  A  Feb.  22.'36f  II  

No.  8 — Harbor   Lights  Mar.  2l,'36tl  I . . . 

No.  9 — We  Eat  to  Live  Apr.  I8,'36t  10. . . 

No.  10— Vacation  Spots  May  I6,'36tl  I  

No.  II— Irons  in  the  Fire.  .June  I3,'36t.l  rl. 
No.  12 — Can  You  Imagine.  .July  ll,'36t.lrl. 

No.  13— For  Sports  Sake  Aug.  8,'36  

PEPPER  POT 
Nutville   Sept.  7T...I0... 

Radio  Ramblers 
All  American  Drawback. ..  .Oct.    5t- -  - 10. . . 

Edgar  Bergen 
'Wee'  Men   Nov.    2t  -  - .  10. . . 

Singer's  Midgets 
Seein'  Stars   Nov.  30t...l0... 

Easy  Aces 

P's  and  Cues  Dec.    7t ...II... 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  28, '36,  p.  82.) 

Can  It  Be  Done?  Dec.  21  f  10  

Wild  Wings   Jan.  II,' 36t II... 

Some  Class   Feb.  8,'36tl0... 

Charles  Ahearn 

Timber  Giants   Feb.  22,'36tl I . . . 

Half  Wit-ness   Mar.  2l,'36t. I  rl. 

Radio  Ramblers 

Beneath  the  Sea  Apr.  I8,'36t  

Pictorial  Review  June  27,'36t .  I  rl. 

Nut  Guilty   10... 

When  Fish  Fight  July  1 1, '36. 10... 

Whale  Ho   II... 


SERIALS 

12   Episodes   Each  Unless  Otherwise  Specified 
Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

BURROUGHS-TARZAN 

New  Adventures  of  Tarzan  .June  10  2  rls. 

Herman  Brix  (each) 


MASCOT 

Fighting  Marines,  The  Nov.  23t  2  rls. 

Grant  Withers-George  Lewis 
(Exploitation:  July  25, '36  ,  p.  81.) 

REPUBLIC 

Darkest  Africa  3530  

Clyde  Beatty 
(15  episodes) 
Robinson  Crusoe  

Mala 

Undersea  Kingdom  3581  

Ray  Corrigan-Lois  Wilde 

Vigilantes  Are  Coming,  The 

3582   

Robert  Livingston- 
Kay  Hughes 

STAGE  and  SCREEN 


(Weiss-Mintz 
Black  Coin,  The  

(15  episodes) 
Clutching  Hand.  The  

Jack  Mulhall- 

Wm.  Farnum) 

(also  feature  version) 


Custer's  Last  Stand  

Rex  Lease-Lona  Andre 
(also  feature  version) 


Serials) 
.Aug.    I. '36. 


.Apr.  I8l'36t.2  rls. 

(each) 

(1st  episode,  3  rls., 
followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 

.Jan.  2,*36t  

(1st  episode,  5  rls., 
followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 


UNIVERSAL 

Ace    Drummond   Oct.  19, '36  

John    King-Jean  Rogers 
Adventures  of  Frank  Merri- 
well   Jan.  I3,'36t  

Don  Briggs-Jean  Rogers 
Flash  Gordon   Apr.  6,'36t  

Buster  Crabbe-Jean  Rogers 

( 13  episodes) 
Phantom  Rider   July  6,'36t  

Buck  Jones-Maria  Shelton 

(15  episodes) 
Rustlers  of  Red  Dog  Jan.  2 1 1 ... 20  

John  Mack  Brown  (each) 


106 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    I,  1936 


<  I  AWII ILI 

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BOX  735,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


AIP  CONDITIONING 


AIR  CONDITIONING  CHARTS  THAT  REPRE- 
sent  standard  practice  in  air  conditioning  for  motion 
picture  theatres.  Practical  advice  on  how  to  attain 
the  best  atmospheric  conditions  for  your  house  winter 
and  summer.  Devised  to  be  put  on  the  wall  for  con- 
stant reference.  Available  until  the  supply  is  ex- 
hausted at  25c  each,  payment  direct.  BETTER 
THEATRES,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York. 


USED  EQUIPMENT 


WILL  SACRIFICE:  PEERLESS  LAMPS,  ROTH 
generators,  rectifiers,  Simplex  projectors.  PENN 
THEATRE  EQUIPMENT  COMPANY,  309  North 
Thirteenth  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


UNUSUAL  BARGAINS  IN  USED  OPERA 
chairs,  sound  equipment,  motion  picture  machines, 
screens,  spotlights,  stereopticons,  etc.  Projection  ma- 
chines repaired.  Catalogue  H  free.  MOVIE  SUPPLY 
COMPANY,  Ltd..  844  So.  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago. 


RECONDITIONED  EQUIPMENT  AT  BARGAIN 
prices — (pair)  Simplex  projectors  $325;  Morelite  Deluxe 
lamp  with  automatic  arc  control  and  15  ampere 
rectifier  $190;  (pair)  Strong  lamps  $175;  Peerless  lamp 
$175.  Special  buy  on  new  15  ampere  rectifiers  with 
bulbs  $80  (pair) ;  18  ampere  generator  $75.  CROWN,  311 
West  44th  St.,  New  York. 


LARGE  QUANTITY  HEYWOOD  WAKEFIELD 
chairs.  Like  new.  Reasonable.  BOX  730,  MOTION 
PICTURE  HERALD. 


YOUR  OPPORTUNITY  TO  BUY  CHAIRS. 
Warehouse  chuck  full  of  veneer  back,  panel  back  and 
fully  upholstered  chairs.  Special  on  spring  cushions 
newly  covered  $1  each.  Don't  delay.  ALLIED  SEAT- 
ING CO.,  358  W.  44th  St.,  New  York  City. 


VENTILATING 
EQUIPMENT 


BARGAINS  RECONDITIONED  ARCTIC  NU-AIR, 
Supreme,  American  Blowers,  noiseless  drives,  hydraulic 
variable  speed  pulleys.  New  air  washers.  Catalog 
mailed.  SOUTHERN  FAN  CO.,  11  Elliott,  Atlanta, 
Ga. 


PERK  UP  PERSPIRING  PATRONS  WITH 
S.  O.  S.,  blowers  for  small  theatres,  complete,  no 
extras,  $59.50.  Silent  air  circulators,  $49.50;  oscillating 
fans,  16",  $17.95;  large  exhaust  fans,  $19.95.  S.  O.  S., 
1600  Broadway,  New  York. 


TUEATPES  WANTED 


SMALL  THEATRE,  SMALL  TOWN  IN  EASTERN 
territory.  Give  full  particulars.  No  brokers.  BOX  725, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


LEASE  PAYING  THEATRE.  WILL  IRWIN,  1012 
West  Monroe,  Springfield.  111. 


the  Sea"  .  ■.„,««»"? ^*s»*?.  | 


fie* 
deft 

th« 


to  a 


we1 


«T  a  drama"*-'  rtf  sU*T*u>  tw.  \»nM 

^confltct  «  £         off  ^tat\on  **jk 
surface  of  **,  if      ^  po***^ 

{OT  — 


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{or  the 


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Irving 


pic 


to 


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Lyon 


*^ISe  romance 


ibooVers 
a\nnnated 


'HRILLS! 

i--«4  *;inG  — the  am 


«t  and  cor. 
"""""  M  entertainment  *  hulg 


_  lashing  across 
,  _  -  --  --  ■  -  |r  -  -  ihp.  screen  for 

first  time  -  the  amazing  story  of 
:rho  dive  into  death  for  a  fortu- 

.    _,._.w- lilted  iathoms  below. 


greeted, 
minutes 


MOTION  PICTURE 

»0W"       THE  SEA 

'Republic) 
)r«ma 


Pry  ofTnnnL  c  2  the  F'orida  Kevs  it  if  I  Superv>s.on, . 
fcr*.  and  the  roLntl  wh°  Work  i„  sha^ST' 


Unusual  Subject 
Makes  Strong  Fare 

''DOWN  TO  THE  SEA 

(RepubHc)  Lev.ne 

Producer   -  Lewis  D.  Collins 

Direction  .  "l  Adams,  Welly" 
Story:    Eustace  A  Utman  Jr. 

Totmr-aWe^n  Totman  and  Rob- 
Screenplay.  Weuyn 

ert  Lee  Johnson. 

1 


iCt  )'^~~        — : — — — — —  :z— 


larry  Neumann 
,and  Schaefer 
>n  Lyon,  Ann 
n-g    Pichel,  Fritz 
Barnett,  Maunce_ 
""aul , 


J-e  that  Q^ 


to 


wis  D 

£JTit  rama  and  a"  the 
Hardie,  Ann  Ruth- 
,e*tmost  important 
fritz  Leiber  and 
il£LSrou£jnclu^s 

IND£PEND£N  - 

* r  r  w  B  r r  r  rX^TOR- 


d 


]"DOWN  TO  ThFsEA^Tr, 

-Down  to  the*  SeaT^nT^ii^l 

drama  of  the  sponge  divers  a^T 
the  Florida  coast,  ,  was  previej 
last  night  at  the  Forum  Theat 
with  Rusgjji  Hardie,  j^„,  mi 

Ruth^ 


( Republic^ 
sell  Hardie, 
Rutherford, 
Leiber,  Vine 
Murphv 


VIE  W 
TO  THE  SEA" 

Drama.  Cast:  Rus- 
Rvn    Lyon,  Ann 
Irving  Pichel, 


SrjSi!L^  Sea 


Original 
W'eJl 


Sch 

inns, 
nan  and  I 

i  "e'iyn  Tnim  '      *    tustar*   ¥  """"soj 
Jr-      MusJ^8"  an<»  Wmlam  » 
Musical    ;°„a'  sSor>ns  bv  ?rtd-  f'mon 


relea 


1,,ns-      Screen  ",lrrctt> 
Robert  Lee  tB,ay  b^ 


mm 


&  seeks  Wesyngon  ^ 
their    hazardous"qpi  o 
much  else  in  the 
many  remarkab^ 
was  filmed  m  ». 

The  story  idea 
liam  A.  Ulman  J 
Eustace  L.  Adams. 
Robert  Lee  Johr 


tyof 


litpie" 


varr.ng  f, 
3  boastful 


["g  power  b 
sponge  f 
»"  boats, 
of  the  s 

th  vm  ft*. 


FRANCIS  LEDERER  and  ANN  SOTHERN 

MY  AMERICAN  WIFE 

with  FRED   STONE  •  BILLIE  BURKE 

Ernest  Cossart   •   Grant  Mitchell   •    A  Paramount  Picture 
Directed  by  Harold  Young 


TURN  TO  PACES  59-62 


MOTION  PICTURE 

HERALD 


OP 


HITLER  DICTATES 
U.  S.  NEWSREELS' 
OLYMPICS  COVERAGE 

WARNERS  AND  ASCAP 
SETTLE  MUSIC  FIGHT 

FILM  FESTIVAL  TO 
LAUNCH  NEW  SEASON 


THE   BOX  OFFICE  CHAMPIONS  OF  SIX  MONTHS 


VOL  124,  NO.  6  AUGU: 

Entered   as   second-class    matter.   January    12,    1931,  at    tiie    Past    Ofict    at    Vc;i    1  Hrk.   \ .    i  .    Hilda    tki  act 

Published  tveekly  by  Quiuley  Publishing  Co.,  Inc.,  at  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  limkcfellcr  Center,  Actf  Vorl  Sui 
Sinale  copies.  25  cents. 


PERSONAL  FROM  LEO 
TO  M-G-M  SALESMEN  NOW 
SELLING  '36  '37  LINE-UP! 

Dear  Boys:  Tell  my  exhibitor  pals  they  ain't 
seen  nothin'  yet!  "'FRISCO"  Wow!  "SUZY"  Ooh4a4a! 
And  next:  "HIS  BROTHER'S  WIFE"  (Barbara  Stanwyck, 
Robert  Taylor).  Then  comes  "GORGEOUS  HUSSY" 
(Joan  Crawford,  Robert  Taylor,  Lionel  Barrymore,  etc.) 
They're  sensational  HITS!  Summer,  Winter,  Spring  or 
Fall  —  this  season  —  next  season  —  or  any  season  —  you 
know  who  does  the  ROARING  on  the  screen — and  at 
the  BOX-OFFICE! 

(Signed)  ^CU    %  MARK 


THEGREEN  PASTURES  HOLDS 

at  Radio  City  Music  Hall  in  New  York 

THE  GREEN  PASTURES  HOLDS  0 

at  the  Boyd  Theatre  in  Philadelphia 

THEGREEN  PASTURES  HOLDS  0 

at  the  Par.  &  Fenway  Theatres  in  Boston 

THEGREEN  PASTURES  HOLDS OV 

at  the  Uptown  Theatre  in  Toronto 

THEGREEN  PASTURES  HOLDS OVE 

at  the  Hippodrome  Theatre  in  Cleveland 

THEGREEN  PASTURES  HOLDS 0VCD 

at  the  Rialto  Theatre  in  Dallas         K*\  *\ 

I 

THEGREEN  PASTURES  HOLDS  OVER  J 

at  the    Ritz   Theatre   in  Albany 

THEGREEN  PASTURES  HOLDS  OVER 

at  the  State  Theatre  in  Spokane 

THEGREEN  PASTURES  HOLDS  OVER 

at  the  Warner  Theatre  in  Pittsburgh 

THE  GREEN  PASTURES  HOLDS  OVER 

at  the  Broadway  Theatre  in  Charlotte 

m 


A  FABLE  BY  MARC  CONNELLY— DIRECTED 
BY  MARC  CONNELLY  AND  WM.  KEIGHLEY 


OVER 

VER 

VER 

ER 


^^^^  ...j^i 


0$ 


AND 


ANTHONY 
ADVERSE 

IS  NEXT! 


FROM  COAST  TO  COAST! 
EVERY  REPORT  FLASHES... 


GRAUMAN'S  CHINESE 
AND  LOEW  S  STATE, 
LOS  ANGELES 

(DAY  and  DATE) 

New  house  records  loom 
as  sensational  business 
threatens  marks  of  big 
gest  hits  ever  played! 

APOLLO,  ATLANTIC  CITY 

Biggest  opening  day  of 
season!  Second  day  tops 
it  by  17%!  First  three  days 
bigger  than  entire  week's 
business  of  "Under  Two 
Flags"!  Held  over  for  two 
more  weeks  on  Boardwalk! 

—  and  other  record- 
wrecking  runs ...  at  the 

MAJESTIC,  DALLAS  .... 
MAIN  ST.,  KANSAS  CITY 
HIPPODROME,  CLEVELAND 
NEW,  BALTIMORE  .... 
STRAND,  LOUISVILLE  .... 

and  everywhere  else  it's 
opened! 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 


Vol.  124,  No.  6 


QP 


August  8,  1936 


HELL  BENT 

for 

CULTURE 

MOTION  PICTURE  promotion  is  these  days  running 
hot  on  the  trail  of  box  office  attention  through 
cultural  status.  "Photoplay  studies"  are  issuing  at  a 
great  rate  and  the  educational  institutions  of  the 
land  are  being  invited  to  discover  and  appreciate  the  large 
injections  of  ready-made  erudition  that  can  be  had  by  the 
young  on  observing  the  projection  of  this  and  that  imposing 
drama. 

So  far  the  results  have  been  considerable  and  important 
for  the  box  office,  although  not  exactly  colossal.  What  the 
results  have  been  or  are  going  to  be  educationally  we  shall 
perhaps  have  to  wait  a  generation  to  discover. 

Meanwhile  this  is  not  to  be  taken  as  any  lack  of  apprecia- 
tion of  the  potentialities  of  the  motion  picture  as  a  medium 
in  education,  at  such  time  as  the  motion  picture  may  be 
utilized  by  educators.  That  is  another  activity,  apparently  still 
remote  and  as  far  from  the  theatrical  business  as  Miss  Sally 
Rand  is  from  Dr.  Nicholas  Murray  Butler. 

T  is  safe  to  assume  that  the  musty,  dusty  halls  of  education 
have  not  suffered  any  loss  of  institutional  values  through 
the  breezes  of  the  cinema,  and  not  a  few  educators  have 
felt  and  evidenced  a  certain  enlivenment  by  their  contact  with 
this  most  vividly  active  business  of  the  great  world  outside 
their  cloistered  walls — the  motion  picture  of  the  millions. 

Meanwhile  it  would  appear  that  a  certain  caution  about  this 
merry  new  publicity  chase  might  well  be  exercised.  After  all, 
this  is  the  show  business,  purveying  entertainment  above  all 
else  and  mostly  regardless  of  all  else.  History,  fact  and  re- 
search are  used  where  they  help  to  produce  the  end  result 
of  the  customer  satisfied  with  his  emotional  pabulum. 

But  the  most  faithful  of  novels,  plays  and  pictures  have 
about  as  much  bearing  on  fact  and  human  forces  as  the  oper- 
atic version  of  "Wilhelm  Tell"  has  upon  the  history  of  Austria. 
Repeated  and  continued  emphasis  on  the  great  educational 
values  of  the  screen's  amusement  offerings  are  in  peril  of  be- 
coming in  time  invitations  to  unhappy,  unhelpful  check-ups  on 
the  fact.  When  the  educators  get  over  the  fun  and  thrill  of 
their  new  contact  there  may  be  a  period  of  analytical  con- 
sideration, an  audit  of  the  screen  alongside  the  dry  texts,  the 
records.  That  is  not  a  day  to  invite. 


The  situation  is  not  one  of  special  concern  to  the  producer, 
but  it  is  likely  to  mean  a  deal  to  the  sellers  and  purveyors. 
And  the  condition  presented  is  not  peculiar  to  motion  picture 
selling,  either.  Just  for  instance  there  is  one  cigarette  cam- 
paign which  promises  second  wind,  better  digestion  and  relief 
from  everything  but  falling  hair  to  the  smoker.  That  will  not 
justify  the  motion  picture  in  heading  toward  a  box  office 
promise  of  a  degree  of  M.A.  cum  laude  with  every  loge  seat, 

~T~  HE  motion  picture  got  itself  into  a  considerable  mess 
of  moral  issues  not  so  long  ago  by  following  the  pat- 
terns and  colors  of  box  office  pabulum  made  for  the 

sophisticated  metropolitan  minority  audiences  of  the  stage. 

It  was  basically  an  error  of  being  misled  in  the  name  of  kudos 

and  precedent.  The  educational  alley  has  as  many  perils. 
The  motion  picture's  job  is  to  be  first  class  entertainment — 

not  more,  not  less. 

When  the  motion   picture  does  that  job  its  position  is 

perfect. 

When  the  artists  get  to  playing  with  history  it  is  ever 
twisted  and  warped  by  what  may  well  be  called  the  propa- 
ganda of  heart's  desire.  The,  story  always  gets  better  than 
the  facts.  We  get  Parson  Weems'  silly  fiction  of  Washington 
and  the  cherry  tree.  We  get  General  Pershing  telling 
"Lafayette,  we  come."  We  get  Christopher  Columbus  doing 
parlour  tricks  with  a  soft  boiled  egg.  Also  we  have  such  a 
traditional  ridiculousness  as  making  Niccolo  Machiavelli,  who 
was  in  truth  a  mere  yes  man  and  clerk  to  a  Duke  of  Florence, 
into  a  symbol  of  world  intrigue.  Niccolo  wrote  much,  but  did 
nothing.  The  same  technique  gives  us  as  a  great  figure  of 
history  one  Samuel  Pepys,  who  in  truth  rated  in  the  reign  of 
Charles  II  in  about  the  ratio  of  a  script  holder  on  a 
DeMille  set. 

History  is  a  science.  The  motion  picture  is  the  amusement 
business. 

V    V  V 

CONNECTICUT  NOTES:  Silvermine  frogs,  we  find  after  years 
of  observation,  will  and  do  pursue  and  eat  goldfish,  fantails  pre- 
ferred.— Mr.  Martin  Quigley's  water-rimmed  Islandhearth  again 
produced  the  first  Golden  Bantam  corn. — Mr.  Colvin  Brown  of 
Mulberry  Ledge  is  breeding  White  Leghorns. — Mr.  Maurice 
McKenzie  of  Long  Ridge  has  gone  in  seriously  for  Sutton's  hy- 
brid Gaillardias  this  year.  Every  year  it  is  something. — Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Burton  Davis,  alias  Lawrence  Saunders,  have  a  serious  at- 
tack of  Leontopodium,  alias  edelweiss,  in  their  rock  garden.  It 
will  be  in  Burton's  next  script. — The  George  Byes  have  quit 
trying  to  make  two  blades  of  grass  grow  where  none  grew 
before  and  are  substituting  Vinca  Minor. — Mr.  Jack  Pegler 
is  moving  all  the  stones  on  his  New  Canaan  real  estate  again. 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  MARTIN  QUIGLEY,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher 

Incorporating  Exhibitor's  Herald,  founded  1915;  Motion  Picture  News,  founded  1913;  Moving  Picture  World,  founded  1907;  Motography,  founded  1909;  The  Film  Index, 
founded  1906.  Published  every  Thursday  by  Quigiey  Publishing  Company,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  City.  Telephone  Circle  7-3 1 00.  Cable  address  "Quigpubco,  New  York." 
Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Colvin  Brown,  Vice-President  and  General  Manager;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Editor;  Ernest  A.  Rovelstad,  Managing  Editor;  Chicago 
Bureau,  624  South  Michigan  Avenue,  C.  B.  O'Neill,  manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Postal  Union  Life  Building,  Boone  Mancall,  manager;  London  Bureau,  4,  Golden 
Square,  London  W  I,  Bruce  Allan,  cable  Quigpubco  London;  Berlin  Bureau,  Berlin-Tempelhof,  Kaiserin-Augustastrasse  28,  Joachim  K.  Rutenberg,  representative;  Paris 
Bureau,  29,  Rue  Marsoulan,  Pans  12,  France,  Pierre  Autre,  representative,  cable  Autre-Lacifral-12  Paris;  Rome  Bureau,  Viale  Gorizia,  Rome,  Italy,  Vittorio  Malpassuti, 
representative,  Italcable,  Malpassuti,  Rome;  Melbourne  Bureau,  Regent  Theatre,  191  Collins  St.,  Melbourne,  Australia,  Cliff  Holt,  representative;  Mexico  City  Bureau,  Apartado  269, 
Mexico  City,  James  Lockhart,  representative;  Prague  Bureau,  Uhelny  trh  2,  Prague  I,  Czechoslovakia,  Harry  Knopf,  representative;  Budapest  Bureau,  3,  Kaplar-u,  Budapest,  Hungary, 
Endre  Hevesi,  representative;  Buenos  Aires  Bureau,  Corrienfes  2495,  Dep.  8,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina,  Natalio  Bruski,  representative;  Shanghai  Bureau.  142  Museum  Road,  Shanghai, 
China,  J.  P.  Koehler,  representative;  Tokyo  Bureau,  880  Sasazuka,  Ichikawa-shi,  Chiba-Ken,  Japan,  H.  Tominaga,  representative;  Rio  de  Janeiro  Bureau,  Caixa  Postal  3358, 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil,  A.  Weissmann,  representative;  Barcelona  Bureau,  Harry  Chapin  Plummer,  Hotel  Ritz,  Plaza  de  las  Cortes,  Barcelona,  Spain.  India  Bureau;  K.  G.  Gidwaney, 
Post  Box  147,  Bunder  Road,  Karachi,  India;  Uruguay,  P.O.  Box  664,  Montevideo,  Uruguay,  Paul  Bodo,  representative,  cable  Argus  Montevideo;  Amsterdam  Bureau,  Zuider  Amstellaan 
5,  Amsterdam,  Holland,  Ph.  de  Schaap,  representative.  Member  Audit  Bureau  of  Circula  ions.  All  contents  copyright  1936  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Address  all  corres- 
pondence to  the  New  York  Office.  Better  Theatres,  devoted  to  the  construction,  equipment  and  operation  of  theatres,  is  published  every  fourth  week  as  section  2  of  Motion  Picture 
Herald.  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Daily,  Teatro  al  Dia,  Spanish  language  quarterly  in  the  theatre  and  equipment  field,  and  International  Motion  Picture  Almanac 
,and  the  Box  Office  Check-up,  both  published  annually. 


8 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,    I  936 


This  Week 


Newsreel  Muzzle 

Chancellor  Hitler  has  decreed  that  Amer- 
ican newsreels  covering  the  Olympic  games 
must  advertise  Germany.  American  news- 
reel  coverage  of  the  international  event  is 
barred  except  under  stringent  regulations 
supervised  by  Miss  Leni  Riefenstahl,  ap- 
pointed by  Der  Fiihrer  to  complete  control. 
American  companies  must  employ  German 
cameramen,  wearing  the  official  Nazi 
Olympic  uniform,  and  use  of  German  equip- 
ment is  specified.  All  footage  not  used  in 
newsreel  issues  is  the  property  of  Germany 
for  propaganda  films,  a  long  feature  and  a 
score  of  short  subjects  being  planned. 

Details  and  the  text  of  the  contract  start 
on  page  13. 


ASCAP-Warner 

End  to  the  seven  months  estrangement 
which  witnessed  Warner-controlled  music 
publishing  units,  withdrawn  from  the 
American  Society  of  Authors,  Composers 
and  Publishers,  entrenched  in  opposition  to 
the  society  was  written  by  the  organiza- 
tion's board  of  directors  on  August  3rd 
when,  by  unanimous  vote,  the  six  companies 
were  restored  to  membership.  Suits  brought 
for  infringement  of  copyright  were  to  be 
dropped  and  36,000  musical  works,  restricted 
during  the  period  of  strife,  made  available 
at  once  to  society  licensees. 

Details,  past  and  present,  are  published  on 
page  22. 


"Dodsworth" 


Sinclair  Lewis,  lately  in  the  headlines 
lamenting  that  his  novel,  "It  Can't  Happen 
Here,"  couldn't  happen  here,  is  again  in  the 
foreground  of  Hollywood  conversation  as 
the  Samuel  Goldwyn  production  of  his 
"Dodsworth"  goes  forward  with  Walter 
Huston  portraying  on  the  screen  the  name 
character  he  created  on  the  Broadway  stage. 
William  Wyler  is  director  of  a  cast  includ- 
ing well  knowns  and  unknowns. 

Gus  McCarthy's  pictorial  preview  of  the 
picture  is  presented  on  pages  16  and  1/. 


Earning  Prospects 

Wall  Street  this  week  rated  the  motion 
picture's  earning  prospects  for  the  fall  as  the 
best  in  years,  because  of  a  series  of  good 
pictures  and  the  fact  that  the  public  is  again 
spending  money  on  amusements.  Financial 
attention  was  directed  at  the  same  time  to  a 
study  of  the  Fox  Film  financial  condition. 
Also,  a  minority  stockholders'  suit  against 
Fox  for  an  appraisal  of  the  stock  was  dis- 
missed ;  Miles  Detroit  Theatre  Company, 
Detroit,  listed  its  stock  holdings  with  the 
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  in 
Washington;  Arthur  Loew's  stock  acquisi- 
tions were  reported  by  the  commission,  the 
while  Metropolitan  Playhouses  in  New  York 
reported  a  net  loss  of  $45,283. 
-  For  details,  see  the  story  starting  on 
page  63. 


Editorial 


Pictorial  Preview 


British  Studios 


This  Week  in  Pictures 


The  Hollywood  Scene 


What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me 


Showmen's  Reviews 


Asides  and  Interludes 


3ox  Office  Champions 


The  Cutting  Room 


J.  C.  Jenkins — His  Colyur 


Page  7 
Page  16 
Page  77 
Page  10 
Page  31 
Page  79 
Page  39 
Page  51 
Page  32 
Page  52 
Page  87 


Otterson  Settlement 

The  expected  court  battle  over  the  con- 
tract held  by  John  E.  Otterson  with  Para- 
mount Pictures,  Inc.,  failed  to  materialize 
when  it  was  announced  this  week  that  a 
settlement  between  the  former  president  and 
the  company  had  been  made.  The  announce- 
ment came  in  the  form  of  an  official  state- 
ment from  the  board  of  directors  of  the 
corporation  following  a  meeting  held  late 
last  week. 

Other  matters  taken  up  at  the  meeting, 
such  as  the  election  of  Henry  Herzbrun  to 
a.  vice-presidency  of  the  parent  corporation 
and  the  merger  of  that  organization  with 
Paramount  Productions,  Inc.,  arc  included 
in  the  story  found  on  page  67. 


Return  to  Glory 

Return  to  the  glory  that  was  the  Holly- 
wood premiere  in  pre-depression  years  was 
hailed  by  pleased  professionals  and  plain 
people  on  the  evening  of  July  29th  when 
"Anthony  Adverse"  opened  at  the  Carthay 
Circle  theatre,  Los  Angeles,  under  circum- 
stances glitteringly  indicative  that  the  "good 
old  days"  are  here  again.  Attendance  rec- 
ords were  broken  at  a  paid  price  of  $5.50 
per  seat. 

An  account  of  the  premiere  and  a  report 
of  the  significance  read  into  it  by  observers 
is  published  on  page  55. 


Jack  Cohn  vs  Aylesworth 

There  is  no  possibility  of  a  general  work- 
ing agreement  between  the  radio  and  the 
motion  picture  whereby  stars,  built  up  and 
supported  by  the  film  industry,  can  be  lent 
to  broadcasting  companies  for  entertainment 
via  the  air  waves,  Jack  Cohn,  vice-president 
of  Columbia  Pictures,  declared  this  week, 
in  answer  to  M.  H.  Aylesworth,  of  RKO 
and  NBC.  In  an  article  in  the  Herald  of 
July  18th  Mr.  Aylesworth  had  proposed 
such  an  understanding  between  the  two  in- 
dustries as  a  benefit  to  both. 

Mr.  Cohn's  strong  feeling  on  the  matter 
is  expressed  on  page  61. 


Movie  Festival 

Novel  promotional  ideas  will  be  put  to 
work  in  St.  Louis  by  Fanchon  and  Marco, 
Loew's  and  Ansull  Brothers  Circuit,  work- 
ing together,  to  make  3,000,000  persons  in 
that  vicinity  "motion  picture  conscious"  in 
an  elaborate  "movie  festival"  to  be  staged 
in  September,  as  "the  greatest  exploitation 
stunt  in  history." 

Details  of  the  campaign  appear  on  page 
18. 


Managers'  Round  Table 
The  Release  Chart 
Technological 
Chicago 

Box  Office  Receipts 


Page  89 


Page  99 


Page  85 


Page  56 


Page  83 


Cuba  Reconsiders 

Following  trade  protest  to  the  State  De- 
partment of  the  United  States  which  brought 
about  action  by  the  American  Embassy  in 
Cuba,  the  Cuban  cabinet  has  reconsidered  its 
plan  to  estalish  in  New  York  a  censorship 
headquarters  for  the  inspection,  at  $10  a 
reel,  of  American  made  films  exported  to 
that  country.  Major  distributors  had  with- 
held product  since  July  1st. 

Details  are  on  page  24. 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


9 


16mm.  Expansion 

Rapid  expansion  of  the  16mm.  non-the- 
atrical field  is  foreshadowed  by  the  report 
that  Warner  Brothers  will  follow  several 
other  companies  in  the  narrow  width  pro- 
duction and  will  make  its  film  library  avail- 
able to  manufacturers  of  16mm.  sound 
equipment.  The  report  brought  a  formal 
protest  from  Harry  Vinnicoff,  president  of 
the  Independent  Theatre  Owners  of  South  - 
ern California,  who  declared  that  the  ITO 
and  other  exhibitor  organizations  through- 
out the  country  are  preparing  to  combat  pos- 
sible competition  from  the  narrow  width 
product.  Progress  in  the  field  has  been,  stim- 
ulated by  partial  success  in  the  efforts  being 
made  by  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture  En- 
gineers to  obtain  uniform  international 
standards  for  the  16  mm.  film. 

Recent  developments  in  the  field  are  re- 
lated on  page  68. 

Filming  Spain's  War 

Disregarding  strict  photographic  censor- 
ship restrictions  imposed  by  both  sides, 
American  newsreel  cameraman  are  in  Spain 
filming  the  battle  between  the  rebels  and  the 
loyalists.  They  are  working,  of  course, 
under  cover,  but,  nevertheless,  their  experi- 
ences are  as  thrilling  as  if  they  were  openly 
riding  the  armored  tanks  of  either  side. 

Cables  from  the  revolt-torn  country  de- 
scribe the  coverage  by  American  cameramen 
of  Spain's  tragedy.    See  page  57. 

Schenck-GB 

Principals  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic 
emphatically  denied  reports  gaining  cur- 
rency this  week  to  the  effect  that  the  tri- 
party  transaction  aligning  Metro-Goldwyn- 
Mayer,  Twentieth  Century-Fox  and  Gau- 
mont-British  production  and  distribution  in- 
terests had  been  delayed  or  abandoned  as  a 
result  of  Parliamentary  and  financial  at- 
titude toward  details.  Recurrently  men- 
tioned, both  in  denials  and  persisting  re- 
ports, was  the  matter  of  British  control  of 
the  company. 

Aspects  of  the  situation  arc  reviewed  on 
page  26. 

British  Protection 

Out  of  the  myriad  discussions  and  sug- 
gestions precipitated  in  England  by  the 
Gaumont  British-MGM -Twentieth  Century- 
Fox  deal  one  heard  frequently  is  the  pre- 
diction that  a  more  stringent  Films  Act 
will  result,  for  protection  of  nationals'  em- 
ployment, in  the  interest  of  home  control  of 
film  companies,  and  to  guide  quota  opera- 
tion. 

Developments  in  these  and  other  direc- 
tions in  the  British  market  appear  on  page 
76. 


Double  Bill  Prescription 

Hollywood  producers  are  taking  the  first 
step  toward  gradual  elimination  of  the  double 
feature  evil  of  which  the  public  has  grown 
"sick  and  tired,"  according  to  Ralph  Cokain, 
advertising  manager  of  three  independent 
theatres  in  Marion,  Ind.  In  the  increased 
length  of  better  grade  features  he  sees  hope 
for  the  exhibitor  who  wants  to  drop  the  plan 
but  can  not  find  a  way  out.  If  picturevS  are 
made  longer  and  at  the  same  time  so  filled 
with  entertainment  value  that  they  will  not 
tire  the  patrons,  he  predicts  a  natural  death 
for  the  depression-born  practice. 

Mr.  Cokain's  views  on  the  matter  are 
quoted  on  page  44. 

Uruguay  Looks  Up 

Business  in  Montevideo  is  the  best  in  years, 
and  the  conditions  in  the  premier  city  of 
Uruguay  are  reflected  throughout  the  Re- 
public, writes  Paul  Bono  to  Motion  Pic- 
ture Herald.  Sellouts  are  no  longer  rare 
at  the  first-run  theatres  and  the  subsequent- 
runs  are  proportionately  happier.  The  im- 
provement is  attributed  to  the  increased 
importation  of  high-class  American  produc- 
tions. 

These  and  other  developments  in  the 
South  American  country  are  traced  in  the 
article  on  page  98. 

Federal  Tax  to  Stay 

Continuation  of  present  federal  amuse- 
ment levies  is  indicated  in  reports  from 
Washington  that  Treasury  officials  will  ask 
Congress  to  reenact  present  sales  and  nui- 
sance taxes  which  produce  about  $425,000,- 
000  annually.  Ohio  exhibitors  have  been 
warned  that  exemption  of  food  from  the  state 
retail  sales  tax  levy  may  mean  a  resumption 
of  a  10  per  cent  admission  tax  which  was 
repealed  last  year.  Theatre  owners  in  New 
Orleans  and  in  Nova  Scotia  received  boons 
in  the  form  of  amusement  tax  reductions. 

Details  of  the  tax  situation  developments 
arc  given  on  page  20. 

Production  Upturn 

Production  gained  volume  and  velocity 
last  week  as  Hollywood  completed  work  on 
12  pictures  and  started  13.  Three  of  the  13 
were  placed  in  work  by  RKO-Radio,  strik- 
ing a  pace  expected  to  be  maintained  for  sev- 
eral months.  They  are  "The  Big  Game," 
"Winterset"  and  "We  Are  About  to  Die." 
Seven  studios  accounted  for  the  dozen  com- 
pleted films. 

Gus  McCarthy's  report  of  the  production 
situation,  naming  titles,  casts  and  directors 
of  pictures  finished  and  started,  appears  on 
page  31. 


"Seeing"  Sound 

A  young  woman  evidencing  an  articulate 
knowledge  of  art  and  mathematics  and  a 
young  man  with  apparently  promising  ability 
in  motion  picture  photography  are  produc- 
ing what  they  claim  is  a  new  form  of  art, 
using  the  facilities  of  the  screen  for  expres- 
sion. Described  in  simple  words,  the  experi- 
ment results  in  ''seeing  sound."  The  latest 
of  their  reels,  called  "Synchromy  No.  2"  and 
based  on  the  music  of  Wagner's  "Evening 
Star,"  was  on  the  program  with  "Mary 
of  Scotland"  last  weekend  at  the  Radio  City 
Music  Hall  in  New  York. 

The  ideas  of  the  young  experimenters  and 
how  they  appear  in  the  finished  product  are 
detailed  on  page  62. 

Anti-Trust  Suit 

The  trial  of  independents  against  majors 
in  Kansas  City,  in  the  matter  of  Rolsky  vs. 
Fox  Midwest  and  large  distributors,  ended 
this  week  when  both  sides  rested  and  pre- 
pared for  summations  in  midweek. 

Testimony  in  the  trial,  and  other  impor- 
tant developments  involving  trade  practices, 
appear  on  pages  71  and  74. 

Admission  Prices 

Motion  picture  theatre  owners  are  begin- 
ning to  discuss  the  advisability  of  increasing 
their  admission  prices  and  to  seek  means 
of  solving  the  problem  offered  them  by 
federal  taxation,  which  is  aided  by  local 
imposts  in  many  situations.  In  Cleveland, 
this  week,  the  Cleveland  Motion  Picture 
Exhibitors'  Association  called  a  special 
meeting  to  discuss  the  matter.  In  New  York, 
prominent  theatre  executives  also  presented 
their  views  on  the  subject. 

For  details,  see  the  story  on  page  70. 

Italy  Invites  Films 

While  no  change  is  expected  im- 
mediately in  restriction  on  importation  of 
films  into  Italy,  indications  are  that  the  ban 
is  to  be  lifted  with  respect  to  pictures  from 
this  country,  Germany,  Austria  and  Hun- 
gary when  plans  of  companies  representing 
them  to  produce  in  Italy  materialize. 

A  thorough  survey  of  the  Italian  trade 
scene  is  presented  on  page  45. 

Consolidation 

Stuart  Doyle,  head  of  Greater  Union  The- 
atres of  Australia,  in  New  York  this  week 
revealed  that  while  in  London  he  had  com- 
pleted a  deal  with  British  financiers  for 
$2,500,000  which  he  will  use  in  a  consolida- 
tion of  all  his  Australian  theatrical  interests. 

Details  of  the  interview  with  Mr.  Doyle 
arc  niven  on  page  20. 


10 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,     I  936 


This  Week  in  Pictures 


LAUNCH  OPERATIONS.  Schulberg  Pictures  gets  under- 
way at  the  Prudential  Studios.  Shown  at  opening  are: 
B.  P.  Schulberg,  company  head;  Adolph  Zukor,  chairman  of  Para- 
mount; Cary  Grant  and  Joan  Bennett,  leads,  and  Richard  Wallace, 
director,  of  "Wedding  Present,"  the  first  picture;  William  LeBaron, 
production  manager;  Ralph  A.  Kohn,  vice  president;  and  George 
Bagnall,  Paramount  studio  head. 


OFF  TO  FILM  TALKS.  Milton  Black- 
stone  (below),  head  of  the  Blackstone 
Company,  advertising  representatives 
for  Walter  Wanger  and  other  pro- 
ducers, enplaning  at  New  York  for  the 
Coast  to  confer  on  coming  product. 


STAR  OF  NEW  SERIES.  Fred  Scott 
(left),  singing  Western  star,  whose  first 
picture,  "Romance  Rides  the  Range,"  is 
nearing  completion  by  De  Luxe  Pictures 
for  Spectrum  Pictures. 


PRE-VIEWERS.     Of  a  new  star's  first  effort.     Shown  DISCUSS  1936-37  PROGRAM.    Nat  Levine,  head  of  Republic  Pictures, 

arriving  at  Grauman's  Chinese  are  Darryl  Zanuck,  pro-  meeting  with  sales  executives  at  the  Republic  studio  in  North  Hollywood, 

■duction  head  of  20th  Century-Fox,  and  Mrs.  Zanuck,  to  on  the  company's  schedule  of  72  pictures  for  1936-37.     Left  to  right: 

see  Simone  Simon,  French  importation,  in  "Girls'  Dor-  J.  J.  Milstein,  general  sales  manager;  Levine,  Edward  Schnitzler,  Eastern 

.mitory,"  20th  Century  -  Fox  production.  sales  manager;  and  Grover  C.  Parsons,  Western  sales  manager. 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


'NAMED  ADVISOR.  A  recent  camera 
study  of  Mary  Garden,  long  one  of  the 
great  names  of  American  Opera,  who 
has  joined  MGM's  musical  staff,  to  ad- 
vise on  musicals  and  train  young  singers. 


VOICE  WINS  CONTRACT.  Deanna 
Durbin  (right),  13-year-old  Los  Angeles 
school  girl,  whom  Universal  has  signed 
for  singing  roles.  Her  first  assignment 
is  "Top  of  the  Town,"  in  which  music 
will  have  important  part. 


AN  EDITOR  PRESENTS.  Maurice  D.  ("Red")  Kann, 
editor  of  Motion  Picture  Daily,  presenting,  while  in 
England,  to  Jessie  Matthews,  GB  star,  a  bronze  of  her 
by  Lillian  Alperson,  wife  of  E.  L.  Alperson,  head  of  Grand 
National.  Others  shown  at  the  GB  ceremony  are  Sonnie 
Hale,  director,  and  Michael  Balcon,  production  manager. 


ARTISTS  OF  A  NEWER  DAY,  one  well  may  call  them,  observing  in  this 
jolly  group  in  proverbially  jolly  old  England,  Alexander  Korda,  who  is 
directing  "Rembrandt"  for  London  Films,  and  Charles  Laughton,  who  has 
the  title  role;  and  also  those  other  artists,  Rene  Clair,  who  directed  "The 
Ghost  Goes  West,"  and  Robert  Sherwood,  American  playwright. 


SYMBOL  OF  HIS  SUCCESS.  To  Cecil  B.  DeMille,  in 
this  manner,  a  miniature  bathtub,  from  Daniel  Frohman, 
the  stage  producer,  as  the  latter  appeared  on  DeMille's 
radio  program.  Witnesses  thereof  are  Rita  LaRoy  and 
Inez  Seabury,  member  of  DeMille's  "The  Plainsman"  cast. 


12 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,     I  936 


SIGNING  THE  PAPERS.  Which  b  ring  Douglas  MacLean 
into  the  Grand  National  fold  for  a  series  of  productions. 
At  MacLean's  right  are  Edward  L.  Alperson,  president  of 
Grand  National,  in  whose  office  these  doings  took  place; 
and  Philip  N.  Krasne,  Grand  National  counsel. 


CHOOSING  BY  PAIRS.  That  is  to  say,  selecting  dancers  for  the 
Warner  musical,  "Stage  Struck."  Chief  Selector,  Busby  Berkeley, 
Warner  dance  director.  Assistant  Selector  (for  this  vital  moment), 
Frank  McHugh.  And  down  in  front,  Cinematographer  Al  Roberts. 

BONNIE.  Was  Margaret 
MacLaren,  soprano  (left), 
in  gown  worn  by  Kath- 
arine Hepburn  in  "Mary 
of  Scotland"  at  Jones 
Beach,  L.  I.,  songfesf. 


TICKETS  BY  THE  FOOT.  To  take  William  J.  Heinemann, 
Universal  sales  executive,  on  a  36-day  air  tour  embracing 
every  key  city  in  the  United  States  and  Canada.  He  is 
shown  at  Newark  Airport,  with  the  plane  stewardess  aiding 
in  proper  photographic  notice  of  his  start. 


GRAND  WELCOME.  For  Bob  Burns,  fea- 
teured  in  Paramount's  "Rhythm  on  the 
Range,"  in  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  at  premiere  of 
the  picture  at  the  Pulaski  theatre.  Left  tc 
right,  Harvey  C.  Couch,  RFC  chairman; 
Senator  Joe  T.  Robinson,  Burns,  his  bazooka, 
and  Mayor  R.  E.  Overman. 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


13 


HITLER  MAKES  U.  S.  OLYMPIC 
FILMS  ADVERTISE  GERMANY 


Bars  Coverage  Except  Under 
Stringent  Regulations  Super- 
vised by  Actress;  Must  Use 
German  Camera  Staffs 

by  JAMES  P.  CUNNINGHAM 

Adolph  Hitler  decrees  that  American 
newsreels  must  advertise  Germany  at  the 
Olympic  Games,  and  on  his  terms.  All  else 
is'  streng  verboten. 

Der  Fuehrer  has  laid  down  an  absolute 
dictatorship  over  U.  S.  reels  at  the  Olympics, 
forbidding  them  to  photograph  the  world- 
owned  sports  property  except  under  the 
most  stringent  regulations,  and  then  only 
with  the  consent  and  under  the  close  super- 
vision of  his  friend,  Miss  Leni  Riefenstahl, 
pretty  German  motion  picture  actress,  to 
whom  he  has  given  complete  control  over  all 
filming  at  the  great  Reich  stadium,  and  who 
designates  the  subjects  to  be  filmed. 

Chancellor  Hitler  took  steps  to  make 
certain  that  there  would  be  full  compliance 
by  the  American  companies  when  he  com- 
pelled them  to  sign  a  contract  of  strong 
contents  governing  their  coverage  of  the 
event.  It  prescribes  the  when  and  where 
and  how  American  newsreels  may  make  a 
pictorial  record  of  the  games  and  the 
Americans  participating  therein.  Miss  Rie- 
fenstahl is  the  contractor. 

Mr.  Hitler's  action  was  pre-determined 
before  the  opening  of  the  games  last  Satur- 
day, and  had  no  bearing  whatsoever  on  the 
refusal  of  the  United  States  Olympic  en- 
trants to  salute  him  as  he  stood  in  his  state 
box  reviewing  the  long  athletic  procession 
winding  around  -  the  red  and  green  paths 
of  the  stadium. 

The  American  newsreels  even  were  for- 
bidden to  film  the  dazzling  scene  of  color 
and  splendor  at  last  Saturday's  opening  of 
this  eleventh  and  greatest  of  the  Olympics, 
the  while  110,000  spectators  heard  a  choir 
of  1,000,  all  in  white,  and  an  orchestra  of 
a  half-dozen  German  military  bands  render 
Wagner's  "Hymn  of  Praise." 

The  American  newsreels  as  such  are 
barred  from  filming  any  of  the  games  di- 
rectly, but  may  do  so  only  through  Actress 
Riefenstahl.  Then  they  must  place  all  of 
the  exposed  positive  and  negative  film  which 
they  arrange  for  at  the  disposal  of  Miss 
Riefenstahl,  for  Mr.  Hitler,  without  any 
cost  to  the  Nazis.  In  addition,  the  news- 
reels  are  obliged  to  furnish  to  Hitler,  at 
minimum  cost,  one  "lavender"  print,  which 
is  substantially  a  negative,  as  well  as  one 
black-and-white  print  of  each  Olympic,  news- 
reel  subject  which  they  release  in  American 
theatres,  or  elsewhere  in  the  world.  All 
such  material,  according  to  the  contract, 
must  be  delivered  to  Hitler's  agents  "directly 
and  in  first  class  condition"  by  August  25th, 
at  the  latest. 

Mr.  Hitler  took  from  the  International 
Olympic    Committeemen — representing  the 

(Continued  on  following  fiaac,  column  1) 


Text  of  Hitler's  Film  Contract  Controlling 
All  Actions  of  U.S.  Newsreels  at  Olympics 


A  translation  from  the  German,  done  in  Berlin,  of  the  contract  which  Adolph 
Hitler  prescribed  for  the  control  of  American  newsreels  at  the  Olympic  Games  in 
Germany,  shows  the  extent  to  which  Der  Fuehrer  has  imposed  a  dictatorship  that 
virtually  bans  the  reels  from  directly  filming  this  international  event,  except  through 
the  pretty,  blonde  German  film  actress,  Miss  Leni  Riefenstahl.  In  addition  to  the 
contract,  which  the  American  newsreels  must  sign  with  Miss  Riefenstahl,  and  the 
text  of  which  appears  below,  there  is  a  set  of  "working  rides"  which  are  even  more 
stringent: 


AGREEMENT 

Between 

the  Olympiade-Film  G.m.b.H.  represented 
by  Miss  Leni  Riefenstahl,  hereafter  called 
"G.m.b.H."  of  Berlin  Neukoelln,  Harzer- 
strasse  39 

and 

"Firma" 

the  following  contract  referring  to  the  coverage 
of  events  of  the  Olympic  Summer  Games  is  made. 

I. 

This  agreement  includes  all  events  as  mentioned 
in  the  official  time-schedule  of  the  Organization 
Committee  for  the  I  Ith  Olympic  Games,  as  well 
as  all  shots  which  may  be  taken  in  connection 
with  these  games  from  8  a.m.  of  August  1st,  1936. 
This  refers  especially  to  shots  taken  (e.g.)  of  the 
official  festival  in  the  Berlin  "Lustgarten"  at  12 
o'c;  the  run  of  the  torch-bearer  on  this  date;  the 
drive  of  the  Leader  (Mr.  Hitler)  and  the  Olympic 
Committee  through  the  triumphal-road,  etc.  Fur- 
ther this  agreement  includes  all  shots  taken  in  the 
Olympic  Village  before  and  during  the  games  and 
all  shots  taken  of  the  training  work  of  Olympic 
contestants. 

This  agreement  does  not  include,  however,  the 
torch  run  from  Athens  up  to  the  gates  of  Berlin; 
furthermore  it  does  not  include  any  governmental 
or  other  official  receptions  on  occasion  of  the 
games,  e.g.  art  events,  sail-flying  contests,  the 
meeting  of  the  international  youth  associations  in 
their  tent  camp,  etc. 

II. 

The  Minister  for  Popular  Enlightenment  and 
Propaganda  has  put  Miss  Leni  Riefenstahl,  manager 
of  the  Olympiade-Film  G.m.b.H.,  in  charge  of  the 
management  of  the  German  news  reel  companies 
in  the  same  manner  as  this  was  done  before  on 
occasion  of  the  turning  of  the  Party-Day-Film 
"Triumph  des  Willens." 

At  the  same  time  the  reel  companies  are  held 
to  put  the  total  of  their  positive  and  negative 
material — with  the  exception  of  the  cut  original 
negative  of  the  censored  newsreels — at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  "G.m.b.H."  without  pay.  In  addition 
hereto  the  reel  companies  are  obliqed  to  furnish  at 
cost  price  one  lavender  print  as  well  as  one  black 
and  white  print  of  each  newsreel  released  in  the 
theatres. 

Furthermore  the  reel  companies  have  to  deliver 
to  the  "G.m.b.H."  at  cost  price  a  first-class  laven- 
der print  of  all  footage  delivered  to  foreign 
countries. 

The  reel  companies  are  obliged  to  treat  the 
negative  as  carefully  as  possible  to  draw  a  black 
and  white  print  from  the  complete  negative  (i.e. 


from  all  shots  taken  by  them)  and  to  do  the 
cutting  on  the  positive  print.  The  cost  for  this 
positive  print  as  well  as  any  additional  expenses 
arising  from  the  cutting  job  on  the  positive  print 
are  being  borne  by  the  "G.m.b.H.".  This  does 
not  include  Emelka  News  Reel  Company,  because 
it  is  their  habit  to  do  the  cutting  on  the  positive 
print. 

The  total  of  the  material  as  mentioned  herein 
has  to  be  delivered  directly  and  in  first  class  con- 
dition to  the  "G.m.b.H."  until  August  25,  1936 
at  the  latest. 

III. 

The  "G.m.b.H."  has  been  appointed  by  the 
Olympic  Committee  as  the  Central  Organization 
for  all  filming  made  during  the  Olympic  Games. 
Therefore  "G.m.b.H."  grants  to  all  film  companies 
cooperating  at  the  Olympic  Summer  Games  the 
necessary  letters  of  authority;  assign  the  requested 
operation  space  (as  far  as  possible)  and  hold  the 
reel  companies  to  keep  strictly  to  the  orders  issued 
by  them  (G.m.b.H.) 

"G.m.b.H."  will  furnish  the  reel  companies  with 
the  fixed  program  schedules  as  soon  as  they  them- 
selves get  hold  of  such  information  from  the 
Olympic  Committee  and  will,  instead  and  on  be- 
half of  the  Olympic  Committee,  give  all  informa- 
tion necessary  for  the  taking  of  pictures  to  the 
reel  companies. 

In  order  to  guarantee  a  concordant  cooperation 
between  the  reel  companies  and  "G.m.b.H."  the 
following  details  must  be  submitted: 

a)  The  names  and  number  of  cameramen  and 
their  help,  number  and  details  of  the  motor  cars 
and  sound  cars  used; 

b)  Their  requests  regarding  the  individual  sport- 
ing events.  "G.m.b.H."  will  try  their  utmost  to 
fulfill  all  requests,  provided  that  the  consent  of 
the  Olympic  Committee  can  be  obtained.  In  case 
that  the  alloted  space  does  not  suffice  for  the 
activities  of  all  reel  companies,  and,  provided  that 
these  companies  do  not  come  to  an  agreement 
between  themselves,  the  Manager  of  the 
"G.m.b.H.",  Miss  Leni  Riefenstahl  will  act  as 
arbiter. 

c)  The  reel  companies  are  also  held  to  assign  a 
representative  who  has  to  attend  the  direction 
conferences.  These  conferences  will  be  held  as 
necessity  arises,  but  surely  once  a  day,  and  the 
reel  companies  are  bound  to  act  strictly  in  ac- 
cordance with  any  decisions  taken  at  these  con- 
ferences, as  to  avoid  differences  with  the  Olympic 
Committee,  The  "G.m.b.H."  asks  that  express  at- 
tention be  paid  to  the  fact  that  the  Olympic 
Committee  is  entitled  to  expell  any  cameraman 
or  operator  regardless  whether  he  be  a  member 

(Continued  on  following   Pacic,  column  2) 


14 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8  ,  1936 


SURPLUS  FOOTAGE  HELD  BY  GERMANY 


Text  of  Hitler's  Contract  with  Newsreels 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

sports  countries  of  the  world — all  authority 
on  American  and  other  newsreel  coverage, 
and,  through  his  newsreel  "contract,"  for- 
bade any  agency  other  than  that  which  he 
placed  in  the  hands  of  Miss  Riefenstahl  from 
giving  any  information  for  the  taking  of 
pictures  to  the  newsreel  companies. 

Must  Use  German  Cameramen 

The  American  newsreels  cannot  use  their 
own  cameramen,  but  must  employ  German 
nationals  from  Miss  Riefenstahl,  or  camera- 
men approved  by  her.  But  the  American 
companies  cannot  designate  how  these 
cameramen  are  to  work  for  them.  Miss 
Riefenstahl  has  full  control  of  assigning 
"space." 

"In  order  to  guarantee  a  concordant  co- 
operation" between  the  newsreels  and  Miss 
Riefenstahl,  the  newsreels  are  compelled  to 
submit  to  the  actress  the  names  and  number 
of  all  members  of  the  newsreel  staffs  work- 
ing on  the  event,  and  even  the  number  and 
details  of  motor  cars  used. 

The  newsreels  must  submit  to  Miss  Rief- 
enstahl "their  requests  regarding  the  in- 
dividual sporting  events"  which  they  desire 
to  have  photographed.  The  contract  says 
that  Miss  Riefenstahl  will  try  to  the  "utmost 
to  fulfill  all  requests."  In  case  the  alloted 
space  does  not  suffice  for  the  activities  of 
all  newsreel  companies,  "and,  provided  that 
these  companies  do  not  come  to  an  agree- 
ment between  themselves,"  then  Miss  Rief- 
enstahl will  act  as  "arbiter." 

Bound  by  "Conferences" 

Each  newsreel  is  compelled  by  the  contract 
to  assign  a  representative  to  attend  daily 
conferences  with  Miss  Riefenstahl,  "and  the 
reel  companies  are  bound  to  act  strictly  in 
accordance  with  any  decisions  taken  at  these 
conferences."  The  contract  reminds  the 
signers  that  "the  Olympic  Committee  is  en- 
titled to  expel  any  cameraman  or  operator 
.  .  .  from  further  activity  if  he  does  not 
comply  strictly  with  the  orders." 

The  American  newsreel  managements 
cannot  even  be  certain  that  their  staffs 
will  not  be  conscripted  by  the  Hitlerites, 
for  a  clause  buried  midway  in  the  contract 
provides  that  "the  newsreel  companies,  if 
so  requested,  have  to  put  at  the  disposal 
of  'G.m.b.H.'  (the  Riefenstahl  agency)  any 
of  their  cameramen  who  are  not  busy." 

One  of  the  clauses  in  the  document  which 
especially  irks  some  of  the  American  news- 
reel  companies  is  that  which  forbids  them 
from  using,  "themselves  or  through  the  me- 
dium of  third  parties,"  any  of  the  Olympic 
film  which  they  acquire  in  any  medium  other 
than  their  regular  newsreel  issues.  The 
newsreels,  for  example,  cannot  themselves, 
nor  may  their  parent  companies  or  affiliates, 
make  an  Olympic  Games  short  subject  or 
feature  or  other  film.  The  contract  says : 
"The  newsreel  firm  is  under  no  condition 
allowed  to  use  or  have  used  any  of  their 
shots  in  such  a  manner  that  by  compilation 
of  several  newsreels  or  sequences  thereof 
another  film  is  obtained ;  the  only  permitted 
use  of  their  coverage  is  to  compile  the  usual 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 
of  "S.m.b.H."  or  another  company — from  further 
activity  if  he  does  not  comply  strictly  with  the 
orders  issued  by  the  Olympic  Committee, 
d)  Furthermore  the  reel  companies  have,  if  so  re- 
quested, to  put  at  the  disposal  of  "G.m.b.H."  any 
of  their  cameramen  who  are  not  busy  on  work  for 
the  Olympic  Reels. 

IV 

"S.m.b.H."  is  not  allowed  to  use  any  of  the 
newsreel  shots  for  purposes  other  than  that  in  the 
Olympiade-Film. 

On  the  other  hand  the  reel  companies  are  bound 
to  use  any  of  their  prints — be  it  by  themselves  or 
through  the  medium  of  third  parties — only  and  ex- 
clusively for  projection  of  the  usual  newsreels.  The 
"Firma"  is  under  no  condition  allowed  to  use  or 
have  used  any  of  their  shots  in  such  a  manner  that 
by  compilation  of  several  newsreels  or  sequences 
thereof  another  film  is  obtained;  the  only  permitted 
use  of  their  coverage  is  to  compile  the  usual  news- 
reels  which  are  screened  together  with  program 
pictures.  It  is  not  allowed  to  use  any  Olympic 
newsreel  shots  for  the  compilation  of  program  pic- 
tures, educationals,  etc.  "S.m.b.H."  reserve  to 
themselves  all  copyrights  for  the  total  Olympic  cov- 
erage of  the  reel  companies  and  grant  solely  per- 
mission that  this  coverage  is  used  for  the  usual 
projection  (screening)  within  the  usual  newsreel. 

The  length  of  these  newsreel  films  to  be  screened 
in  Sermany,  is  not  to  exceed  250  metres  and 
"Firma"  is  only  allowed  to  compile  newsreels  within 
a  four-day  period,  respectively  twice  a  week. 
"Firma"  is,  however,  at  liberty  to  subdivide  the 
allowed  weekly  total  quantity  of  500  metres  into 
smaller  portions  than  250  metres.    The  length  of 


newsreels  which  are  screened  together  with 
program  pictures. 

If  any  American  newsreel  later  violates 
any  of  these  clauses,  the  Nazi  Government 
may  in  some  forceful  manner  express  its 
disapproval  to  the  German  branches  of  the 
American  newsreel  found  guilty  of  the  viola- 
tion, according  to  conclusions  drawn  in  New 
York  by  American  newsreel  representa- 
tives, who  do  not,  therefore,  expect  that 
there  will  be  any  violations  of  Mr.  Hitler's 
decree. 

In  order  further  to  assure  his  obtaining 
full  rights  to  all  of  the  Olympic  films  for 
use  in  a  propaganda  feature,  Mr.  Hitler's 
contract  provides  that  the  Reifenstahl 
agency  shall  "reserve  to  themselves  all 
copyrights"  for  all  of  the  film  taken  by  all 
of  the  American  newsreels. 

He  further  stipulates  that  no  more  than 
2,624  feet  (800  metres)  may  be  taken  out 
of  Germany  per  week,  covering  the  dozens 
of  events  staged  every  day. 

The  newsreels  are  bound  to  "force  any 
foreign  parties  handling  these  reels  to  com- 
ply strictly  with  all  conditions"  of  the  con- 
tract, and  Mr.  Hitler  will  hold  the  news- 
reels  accountable  for  any  violations  by  such 
"foreign  parties." 

Any  film  acquired  by  the  American  news- 
reels  which  is  not  sent  out  of  Berlin  by 
them  automatically  becomes  the  property  of 


newsreels  exported  to  foreign  countries  is  not  to 
exceed  400  metres  or  800  metres  per  week. 

These  quantities  refer  only  to  films  covering 
events  as  stipulated  in  No.  I  of  this  contract. 

"Firma"  is  expressly  bound  to  force  any  foreign 
parties  handling  these  reels — especially  those  par- 
ties handling  the  lavender  prints  abroad — to  com- 
ply strictly  with  all  conditions  as  specified  under 
No.  IV. 

V 

Concerning  all  events  connected  with  the  Olym- 
pic Sames  and  not  included  in  this  contract  (such 
as  the  torch  race  run  from  Athens  up  to  the  gates 
of  Berlin,  international  youth  meetings,  etc.)  the 
following   is  ordered: 

a)  "S.m.b.H."  reserve  to  themselves  the  right  to 
request  delivery  of  certain  films  of  these  events. 
In  the  case  of  such  a  request,  the  conditions  for 
its  use  are  equal  to  those  specified  under  No.  II 
of  this  agreement. 

b)  To  such  shots  No.  Ill  of  this  contract  cannot  be 
applied.  If  necessary  the  reel  companies  have  to 
obtain  themselves  all  required  identification  papers, 
letters  of  authority,  etc.,  etc. 

c)  No.  IV  of  this  agreement  refers  to  such  shots 
only,  if  "S.m.b.H."  should  request  delivery  of 
same. 

VI 

The  original  negative  of  the  cut  (finished)  news- 
reels  which  the  company  does  not  need  any  more 
(provided  same  has  not  been  delivered  to  foreign 
countries)  has  to  be  submitted  to  "S.m.b.H."  until 
September  15,  1936,  at  the  latest.  "S.m.b.H." 
will  pay  for  it  to  "Firma"  the  cost  price  of  the 
dupe  negative  which  has  to  be  kept  in  the  records 
of  "Firma." 


the  Nazis  on  and  after  September  15th. 

Mr.  Hitler's  contractual  regulations  ap- 
ply to  all  events  as  mentioned  in  the  official 
time-schedule  of  the  International  Olympics 
Committee,  as  well  as  all  shots  which  may 
be  taken  in  connection  with  these  games, 
effective  from  eight  o'clock  on  the  morn- 
ing of  August  1st,  the  opening  day.  "This 
refers  especially,"  the  contract  explains,  to 
shots  taken  of  the  official  festival  in  the 
Berlin  stadium  at  noon  of  the  opening  day, 
the  run  of  the  torch-bearer  on  that  date, 
the  triumphal  ride  of  Fuehrer  Hitler  and 
the  International  Olympic  Committee 
through  the  stadium  and  the  flag-draped 
arches.  Further,  "this  agreement  includes 
all  shots  taken  in  the  Olympic  Village  be- 
fore and  during  the  games  and  all  shots 
taken  of  the  training  work  of  Olympic  con- 
testants." Obviously,  then,  the  American 
newsreels  are  prohibited  even  from  making 
motion  pictures  of  the  American  teams  in 
training,  in  their  bungalows  or  elsewhere  as 
they  stroll  through  the  Olympic  Village, 
unless  they  adhere  strictly  to  Mr.  Hitler's 
dictates. 

The  agreement  admits  that  Mr.  Hitler 
could  not  control  the  filming  of  the  historic 
Olympic  torch  run  from  Athens  up  to  the 
gates  of  Berlin,  last  Saturday,  but  his  con- 
tract does  "reserve  the  right"  to  request  de- 
livery to  him  of  any  films  taken  of  this 
event  by  the  American  reels,  even  though 

(Continued  on  following  page) 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


15 

\ 


CAMERAMEN  USE  GERMAN  UNIFORMS 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

held  and  photographed  outside  the  borders 
of  Germany. 

Herr  Hitler,  in  addition,  has  had  Miss 
Riefenstahl  devise  a  set  of  "working  rules" 
which  apparently  are  not  available  to  the 
public,  but  which,  nevertheless,  are  being 
enforced  as  strenuously  as  the  contract  itself. 

These  provide  that  every  cameraman  film- 
ing the  Olympic  Games  must  wear  the  of- 
ficial Hitler-prescribed  Nazi  Olympic  uni- 
form. With  German  cameramen  doing  the 
shooting,  the  American  newsreels  find  them- 
selves in  the  position  of  being  represented 
by  Hitler-controlled  subjects,  wearing  the 
Hitler  uniform.  If  there  are  any  concessions 
made,  and  an  American  representative  is 
permitted  to  handle  the  camera  for  an 
American  reel,  the  "working  rules"  provide 
that,  "regardless  of  nationality,"  the  camera- 
man must  wear  the  Nazi  uniform. 

Each  cameraman  must  be  accompanied  by 
a  German  agent  who  will  act  as  an  in- 
dividual censor  on  the  spot,  whether  the  sub- 
jects are  photographed  in  action  or  are 
staged. 

A  second  censorship  of  the  American 
newsreels'  subjects  follows  when  the  reel 
turns  over  a  print  to  the  government. 

Too,  the  American  companies  must  use 
German  sound  equipment.  If  they  insist 
on  bringing  in  American  equipment  they 
are  compelled  by  Mr.  Hitler's  decree  to 
leave  the  equipment  in  Germany  for  a 
whole  year  at  the  disposal  of  the  Nazi 
Government. 

Motor  cars  and  other  transportation  media 
required  by  any  American  newsreel  staff 
must  be  engaged  through  or  from  Miss 
Riefenstahl. 

Admittedly  for  Propaganda  Reels 

One  of  the  admitted  reasons  for  Hitler's 
self-acquired  control  of  the  coverage  of  the 
Olympic  Games  by  American  and  other 
foreign  newsreels  at  Berlin  is  to  use  the 
film  thus  photographed  not  only  in  a  huge 
propaganda  motion  picture,  but,  subsequent- 
ly in  a  series  of  short  subjects,  to  use  in 
developing  sports  and  athletic  prowess  in 
Germany.  Repeatedly,  Miss  Riefenstahl 
warns  that  the  Americans  cannot  make  such 
use  of  any  of  the  film  which  their  news- 
reels  might  acquire,  but  that  the  Nazis  alone 
have  that  right. 

Miss  Riefenstahl,  in  an  interview  with  a 
Berlin  reporter  for  Universal  Service,  dis- 
closed that  her  plans  call  for  the  taking  of 
1,500,000  feet  of  film  during  the  fortnight's 
Olympics. 

Feature  and  20  Shorts 

Aside  from  the  main  Olympic  film,  which 
will  be  a  full  length  feature  and  take  18 
months  to  cut  and  assemble,  Miss  Riefen- 
stahl said  that  she  expected  to  make  some 
20  special  shorter  films,  each  of  which  will 
constitute  a  complete  record  of  the  more 
important  Olympic  sporting  events. 

The  sport  films  in  short  form  "are  being 
made  in  answer  to  a  demand  from  sport 
bodies  the  world  over,  especially  in  Ger- 
many and  Japan  and  some  of  the  other 
countries  where  certain  forms  of  sports  need 


"WIDER  LATITUDE," 
BUT  NOT  MUCH 

Motion  Picture  Daily  reported  on 
Wednesday  from  Berlin  that  Ameri- 
can newsreels  shooting  the  Olympic 
Games  were  benefiting  from  "a  new 
decision  changing  the  restrictive  reg- 
ulations" imposed  by  Adolph  Hitler 
on  the  American  reels.  It  appears, 
however,  that  the  revision  in  the 
stringent  regulations  extend  no  fur- 
ther than  the  permission  granted 
American  companies  to  export  from 
Berlin  a  few  feet  more  of  the  film 
than  originally  allowed. 

First  Olympic  Games  newsreel  ma- 
terial was  schedided  to  arrive  at  news- 
reel  headquarters  in  New  York  Friday. 


development,"  Universal  Service  reported 
in  the  New  York  American  of  William  Ran- 
dolph Hearst,  Jr. 

The  Hitler  cinematographic  expedition  at 
the  Olympics  is  taking  full  advantage  of 
the  latest  advancements  in  motion  picture 
science.  In  the  Olympic  Stadium  three  spe- 
cial towers  at  advantageous  points  as  well 
as  a  dozen  special  "trenches"  have  been  built 
for  the  use  of  camera  operators.  One  pho- 
tographer is  shooting  all  of  the  games  from 
a  balloon  overhead.  All  the  latest  gadgets 
of  the  industry  are  being  employed,  includ- 
ing a  special  track  at  the  finish  of  the  row- 
ing races  at  Grunau,  which  will  enable  the 
cameramen  to  keep  abreast  of  the  rowers 
for  the  last  100  yards. 

Strangely,  Mr.  Hitler's  own  camera  di- 
vision slighted  the  native  photographic 
manufacturers,  with  their  worldwide  repu- 
tation, by  placing  an  order  for  cameras  with 
Bell  and  Howell  Company  in  Chicago  for 
equipment  for  use  in  the  Olympic  Games. 

To  complete  a  last-minute  rush  order 
from  the  official  German  government  photog- 
raphers, Bell  and  Howell  on  July  24th 
shipped  from  New  York  two  portable  35 
mm.  "Eyemo"  motion  picture  cameras  on 
the  fast  steamer  Europa.  The  shipment 
reached  Berlin  just  in  time  for  the  Olympics' 
opening. 

Bell  and  Howell  had  shipped  two  "Eye- 
mos"  on  July  8th  by  steamship,  and  on  July 
14th  a  shipment  of  "Eyemo"  lenses  was 
sent  by  air  on  the  Zeppelin  Hindenburg. 

Some  of  the  newsreel  managements  in 
New  York  denied  the  existence  of  any 
Hitler  control  over  their  Olympic  Game 
coverage,  while  others  refused  absolutely  to 
discuss  the  situation  in  any  form.  This 
silence  might  be  understandable  in  view  of 
the  observation  of  one  newsreel  executive 
that  "any  violation  of  the  agreement,  or  any 
public  protest  against  Hitler's  tactics  at  the 
Olympics  might  be  felt  later  by  our  dis- 
tribution department  at  its  Berlin  branch." 

The  strong  hand  of  the  Nazis  in  Ameri- 
can motion  picture  matters  was  seen  quite 
perceptibly  last  month  when  Germany's  blunt 
edict  pertaining  to  films  "detrimental  to 
German  prestige"  and  players  appearing  in 


them  was  applied  directly  to  American  prod- 
uct at  the  source  in  Hollywood,  by  German 
Consul  Georg  Gyssling,  in  Los  Angeles. 

Consul  Gyssling  and  the  Nazi  Govern- 
ment were  charged  with  interference  in  the 
production  and  distribution  of  American 
films  by  Alfred  T.  Mannon,  independent  pro- 
ducer for  Malvina  Pictures  Corporation  of 
"I  Was  a  Captive  of  Nazi  Germany,"  fea- 
turing the  author,  Isobel  Lillian  Steele, 
whose  experiences  in  Germany  in  1934  the 
picture  purports  to  depict. 

According  to  Mr.  Mannon,  Dr.  Gyssling 
addressed  to  Miss  Steele  and  other  members 
of  the  cast  in  Hollywood,  during  the  pro- 
duction of  the  picture,  a  letter  on  the  sta- 
tionery of  the  German  Consulate  directing 
attention  to  the  text  of  the  Nazi  edict,  which 
was  quoted  on  a  sheet  accompanying  the 
letter  and  in  which  the  players  were  warned 
of  reprisals  in  Germany  for  those  par- 
ticipating in  pictures  "the  tendency  or  effect 
of  which  is  detrimental  to  German  prestige." 

Decree  Aimed  at  U.  S.  Films 

One  of  Germany's  latest  decrees  aimed  at 
American  films  comes  from  Dr.  Paul  Joseph 
Goebbels,  Reich  Minister  of  Propaganda 
and  Public  Enlightenment,  and  is  regarded  in 
American  distribution  quarters  as  a  possible 
weapon  with  which  the  German  censorship 
restrictions,  already  more  than  onerous,  may 
force  American  films  out  of  Germany  entire- 
ly. The  decree  permits  the  barring  of  any 
picture,  otherwise  unobjectionable,  if  the 
company  which  produced  it  or  the  actors 
concerned  in  it  have  at  some  previous  time, 
in  some  previous  film,  acted  in  such  a  way 
as  to  "injure  the  prestige  of  Germany."  The 
first  example  of  what  Mr.  Hitler  has  in 
mind  was  presented  when  his  consul,  Mr. 
Gyssling,  wrote  to  Miss  Steele  and  the 
others  in  Hollywood  warning  them  on  the 
Mannon  picture. 

American  distributors  in  Germany  have 
since  June  been  feeling  the  full  force  of  the 
Nazi  attitude,  the  majority  of  films  sub- 
mitted by  them  to  the  Minister  of  Propa- 
ganda in  past  weeks  having  been  prohibited 
from,  showing  in  Germany. 

Irving  Berlin  Songs  Barred 

Newspaper  dispatches  from  Berlin  in- 
dicate that  pretexts  for  banning  Hollywood 
films  are  many.  For  example,  a  motion 
picture  may  be  prohibited  because  a  Jewish 
writer  or  a  Jewish  director  participated  in 
its  making.  As  an  illustration,  no  motion 
picture  with  Irving  Berlin's  songs  ever  ap- 
pears in  the  Reich,  it  is  understood. 

One  large  American  distributing  branch 
in  Berlin  is  said  to  be  in  further  difficulties 
because  it  refuses  to  dismiss  the  non-Aryans 
in  its  employ  in  that  country. 

Mr.  Hitler  the  other  day  condescended  to 
allow  the  showing  of  motion  pictures  found 
unobjectionable  by  his  agents,  under  severe 
restrictions.  He  granted  permission  to  the 
Jewish  Culture  Union  at  Berlin  to  open  a 
"ghetto"  motion  picture  theatre  where  films 
barred  to  the  "Aryan"  public  may  be 
exhibited. 

Distributors  of  American  origin  now  op- 
erating on  large  scales  in  Germany  are 
Paramount,  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  and 
Twentieth  Century-Fox. 


\ 


16  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  August    8,  1936 

"DODSWORTH"  TYPICAL  OF 


August    8,  1936 

HUSTON 

A  HERALD 
PICTORIAL  PREVIEW 
IN    ADVANCE  STILLS 

by  gus  McCarthy 

in  Hollywood 

THE  gleefully  grinning  gentleman 
on  the  opposite  page  is  Sinclair 
Lewis,  the  author  whose  "It 
Couldn't  Happen  Here"  couldn't 
happen  here  and  whose  "Dodsworth"  is 
now  in  the  process  of  happening  here — that 
is  to  say  in  Hollywood — under  the  experi- 
enced auspices  of  Samuel  Soldwyn,  who 
will  distribute  his  picturization  of  Mr. 
Lewis'  generously  circulated  novel  through 
United  Artists  with  Walter  Huston  bring- 
ing to  screen  the  character  portrait  he 
created  on  the  Broadway  stage. 

What  the  wider  world  of  the  cinema 
will  make  of  the  Lewis-Huston  composition 
cannot  be  known,  of  course,  until  much 
later,  but  it  is  axiomatic  that  Mr.  Gold- 
wyn's  influence  will  be  discernible  in  the 
finished  product.  Mr.  Soldwyn's  produc- 
tion creed  has  one  inflexible  tenet:  Experi- 
ment judiciously  and  cautiously,  use  judg- 
ment and  common  sense,  take  no  flyers  and 
make  no  leaps  in  the  dark,  but  always  ex- 
periment. And  examination  of  his  record, 
highlighted  by  "Stella  Dallas,"  "Arrow- 
smith"  and  "These  Three,"  reveals  that 
past  experiments  have  not  been  without 
profit. 

In  the  case  of  "Dodsworth"  the  pro- 
ducer is  not  departing  from  policy,  al- 
though he  is  refraining  from  whatever 
temptation  may  be  his  to  alter  a  story 
that  gave  excellent  account  of  itself  as 
book  and  play.  Instructions  to  Sidney 
Howard,  who  prepared  it  for  the  screen, 
were  to  let  well  enough  alone  but  to  bear 
in  mind  the  requirements  peculiar  to  the 
filmic  form.  Consequently,  no  such  radical 
change  as  that  which  marked  the  produc- 
tion of  "These  Three"  is  to  be  wrought. 

Major  experimental  operations  have  per- 
tained to  cast  selection.  Choice  of  Walter 
Huston  for  the  name  role  was  a  natural, 
but  employment  of  Mme.  Maria  Ouspen- 
skaya  from  the  stage  cast  was  venturesome 
in  view  of  her  lack  of  screen  experience. 
There  were  those  who  said  he  was  experi- 
menting, too,  in  assigning  the  feminine  lead 
to  Ruth  Chatterton,  not  recently  seen  in 
notably  successful  roles,  but  her  perform- 
ance in  the  lately  previewed  "Girl's  Dormi- 
tory" upsets  that  idea.  Contrariwise,  he 
gave  the  important  part  of  "the  other 
man"  to  Gregory  Gaye,  a  young  Russian 
actor  of  whom  next  to  nothing  is  known, 
completing  his  cast,  the  while,  with  Paul 
Lukas  and  other  dependables  of  corre- 
sponding stature. 

Advance  stills  reproduced  herewith  are 
indicative  of  the  manner  in  which,  under 
direction  of  William  Wyler,  these  players 
are  putting  Mr.  Lewis'  printer's  ink  people, 
places  and  plot  on  film. 


MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  17 


18  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  August    8,  I93& 


ST.  LOUIS  DRIVE  IN  SEPTEMBER  TO 
MAKE  3,000,000  "FILM  CONSCIOUS 


Harry  Arthur,  Loew's  and  An- 
sull  Brothers  Enlist  All  Civic 
Units  in  Week's  Celebra- 
tion Starting  September  7th 

Independent  and  affiliated  theatre  interests 
in  St.  Louis  this  week  effected  a  plan  tor 
the  common  good  of  their  box  offices  by 
which  "the  biggest  exploitation  stunt  in 
the  history  of  this  country"  will  be  staged 
in  the  Mound  City  in  September  to  draw 
the  lasting  attention  of  3,000,000  persons 
in  that  area  to  the  motion  picture. 

Harry  C.  Arthur,  Jr.,  of  Fanchon  and 
Marco,  whose  exhibition  strength  in  St. 
Louis  recently  was  increased  considerably 
by  acquisition  of  theatres  from  Warner 
Brothers  in  settlement  of  its  anti-trust  suit, 
is  sponsoring  the  celebration  with  Loew's 
and  the  Ansull  Brothers  of  St.  Louis. 

They  have  combined  "to  make  this 
affair  definitely  draw  the  attention  of 
every  individual  in  the  section  to  the  fact 
that  our  business  is  entertainment,"  ex- 
plained Mr.  Arthur.  "Through  the  various 
media  that  we  have  in  mind  it  will  be 
almost  impossible  for  even  one  person  in 
this  section  not  to  become  theatre  con- 
scious. Cooperation  is  promised  by  the 
merchants  all  over  the  city.  The  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce  and  all  transportation 
lines  are  working  with  us  100  per  cent. 
Newspapers  and  all  the  surrounding  coun- 
try weeklies  are  putting  out  special  sec- 
tions for  this  event." 

The  festival  will  .commence  on  September 
7th  and  continue  through  September  12th. 
Some  of  the  projects  already  lined  up  in- 
clude dancing  on  the  streets  of  both  sections 
of  St.  Louis :  The  Grand  Avenue  section 
and  downtown.  All  department  stores  are 
giving  the  celebration  space  in  their  regular 
advertisements  as  well  as  participating  in 
the  special  festival  sections  of  20  pages  in 
each  of  the  three  meetropolitan  papers. 
There  will  be  goodwill  cartoons  and  stories 
placed  in  advance  and  during  the  celebra- 
tion. 

Broadcasters  Cooperate 

Spot  announcements  have  been  obtained 
on  all  radio  stations  guaranteed  to  reach  a 
listener  total  of  3,000,000  persons.  Street  car 
lines  have  donated  the  use  of  their  cars  for 
two  hours  each  night  of  the  celebration  at 
no  cost  to  the  festival.  All  taxicabs  will 
carry  appropriate  advertising.  It  is  expect- 
ed that  this  phase  of  the  campaign  will  draw 
to  the  theatre  districts  at  least  300,000  per- 
sons each  night. 

All  streets  will  be  bannered  with  festival 
signs  and  the  sidewalks  will  be  sprayed  for 
danc,ing.  Every  department  store  in  town 
will  keep  its  windows  illuminated  nightly  to 
add  to  the  spectacle.  Special  tieups  have 
have  been  made  with  the  Hollywood  studios 
for  special  displays  in  each  store.  Stars 
from  each  Hollywood  major  company  will 
be  brought  to  St.  Louis  to  participate.  All 
hotels  are  cooperating  in  the  project  and  are 


POPE  LAUDS  QUALITY 
OF  AMERICAN  FILMS 

American  films  have  improved  in 
moral  quality  as  a  result  of  action 
taken  by  American  bishops,  Pope  Pius 
told  Bishop  Joseph  Schrembs  of  Cleve- 
land in  a  private  audience  in  the  sum- 
mer residence  at  Castel  Gandolfo, 
Italy,  this  week.  The  Holy  Father 
congratulated  his  visitor  and  col- 
leagues in  the  United  States.  "Ameri- 
can bishops  paved  the  way  for  this 
improvement.  They  have  been  pi- 
oneers in  this  cause,"  he  said. 


giving  special  attention  to  the  theatre  dur- 
ing the  period.  The  Mayor  and  every  city 
official  are  cooperating.  All  highways  leading 
into  St.  Louis  will  be  bannered  and  arrows 
pointing  to  the  section  where  the  celebration 
will  be  held  will  direct  out-of-town  visitors. 

General  Outdoor  Company,  through  the 
cooperation  of  Loew's,  is  donating  billboards 
to  help  publicize  the  festival.  Most  of  the 
theatres  are  being  renovated.  New  mar- 
quees, new  fronts,  new  lighting  equipment 
and  other  additions  are  being  made  to  help 
convince  St.  Louis  that  "here  is  a  new 
movie  era,"  continued  Mr.  Arthur. 

Civic  Units  Participate 

All  empty  store  windows  are  to  be  decor- 
ated with  appropriate  festival  copy  herald- 
ing the  event.  The  Mayor  and  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce  are  issuing  special  bulletins 
calling  attention  to  the  festival.  All  schools 
and  colleges  in  the  vicinity  are  cooperating 

The  civic  committee,  headed  by  Tom  Dy- 
sart,  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, and  the  showman's  committee,  head- 
ed by  "Chick"  Evans,  of  Loew's  Theatres, 
are  holding  daily  meetings  to  make  further 
pLns  for  the  affair. 

"Conservative  estimates  allow  us  to  be- 
lieve that  more  than  300,000  people  will 
attend  the  affair  in  both  of  the  entertain- 
ment centers  and  past  performances  lead  us 
to  believe  that  many  thousands  of  these  peo- 
ple will  definitely  become  'movie  conscious' 
and  new  friends  for  the  picture  industry  will 
be  made,"  declared  Mr.  Arthur,  who  added : 

"It  is  very  seldom  that  all  movies  in 
one  city  feel  happy  enough  in  a  project 
to  unreservedly  lend  their  utmost  as- 
sistance in  putting  a  goodwill  project 
over.  In  St.  Louis  we  are  fortunate  to 
have  the  cooperation  of  every  social  or- 
ganization, civic  society,  the  municipal 
government,  all  of  whom  are  working 
hand  in  hand.  We  are  optimistic  about 
the  whole  thing  and  we  believe  that  this 
campaign  to  make  St.  Louis  entertain- 
ment conscious  will  revolutionize  the  en- 
tire amusement  business  in  this  section." 

Not  mentioned  by  any  of  the  principals, 
but  seen  as  a  possibility,  is  the  aim  to  re- 
gain the  goodwill  lost  by  the  St.  Louis  ex- 


Street  Dancing  Will  Launch 
City  wide  Party;  Arthur  Ex- 
tending Scope  of  Circuit; 
Operators   Plan  Set 

hibition  industry  as  a  result  of  the  widely- 
publicized  inside-the-trade  testimony  in  the 
Fanchon  and  Marco  anti-trust  suit  earlier 
this  year  against  Warner  Brothers,  Para- 
mount and  RKO. 

Arthur  Extending  Circuit 

The  idea  of  a  "movie  festival"  of  the  kind  ad- 
vocated by  the  St.  Louis  circuits  is  not  new.. 
Some  dozen  years  back,  the  entire  industry,, 
through  the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Dis- 
tributors of  America,  staged  "Greater  Movie 
Seasons"  simultaneously  in  all  of  the  principal 
centers  of  the  country. 

And  while  Fanchon  and  Marco's  staff  was. 
working  this  week  with  Loew's  and  the  An- 
sulls  to  complete  arrangements  for  the  festival, 
Mr.  Arthur  was  busily  engaged  in  extending 
the  scope  of  his  circuit  in  St.  Louis.  Arrange- 
ments whereby  F.  and  M.  will  operate  the  22 
neighborhood  theatres  in  the  St.  Louis  Amuse- 
ment Company  under  a  10-year  management 
deal  with  Central  Properties  Corporation  are 
expected  to  be  announced  shortly,  according  to 
Broadway  reports.  Mr.  Arthur  returned  over 
the  weekend  from  the  Mound  City  after  con- 
ferring with  the  bondholders  committee  of  Cen- 
tral Properties. 

By  virtue  of  the  recent  deal  with  Warners, 
F.  and  M.  owns  42  per  cent  of  the  stock  in  St. 
Louis  Amusement  Company.  Several  weeks 
ago  Mr.  Arthur,  his  Washington  attorney,. 
Ernest  L.  Wilkinson,  and  Lambert  Walther, 
St.  Louis  counsel  for  F.  and  M.,  conferred  with 
Clarence  M.  Turley  and  Joseph  Grand,  repre- 
senting the  bondholders'  committee  for  Central 
Properties,  in  New  York  on  the  deal  which 
was  tentatively  set  at  the  time. 

Management  Plan  Dropped 

F.  and  M.,  which  intended  to  bid  for  the 
neighborhood  circuit  at  a  public  auction  in  St. 
Louis,  has  withdrawn  the  plan  for  the  manage- 
ment contract.  Leto  Hill,  suoervisor  for  the 
22  theatres,  will  continue  in  that  post  under 
the  new  arrangement.    Two  houses  are  closed. 

Two  St.  Louis  neighborhood  houses  will  be 
built  by  F.  and  M.  and  local  real  estate  op- 
erators will  construct  five  others.  In  most 
situations,  the  new  structures  will  replace  ob- 
solete buildings.  The  Ambassador  is  now  being 
remodeled  without  interruption  of  shows.  New 
quarters  are  being  added  to  the  Fox,  where  Mr. 
Arthur  will  make  his  offices.  William  Ray- 
nor  is  now  managing  the  Fox. 

The  Missouri,  Fox,  Ambassador,  St.  Louis 
and  Orpheum  will  be  first  run  F.  and  M.  houses 
while  the  Shubert-Rialto  and  Hi-Pointe  will 
be  second  runs.  The  Guild  Cinema  will  play 
foreign  pictures  and  revivals.  The  Orpheum, 
Fox  and  Ambassador  are  the  only  first  run 
F.  and  M.  theatres  now  open. 


Stars  Invited  to  Festival 

Wallace  Beery,  Clark  Gable,  Joan  Craw- 
ford, William  Powell,  Ginger  Rogers,  Jean 
Harlow,  Evelyn  Knapp  and  other  stars  who 
formerly  lived  in  Kansas  City  will  be  invited 
to  attend  the  ceremonies  marking  the  open- 
ing of  the  new  municipal  auditorium  in  that 
city  during  the  Fall  Festival,  September 
26th  to  October  3rd. 


20 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,    I  936 


HOYTS-CREATER  UNION 
CROUPS  TO  REORGANIZE 


Stuart  Doyle  Arranges  English 
Financing  to  Form  New  Circuit 
to  Include  Various  Interests 

Upon  his  arrival  in  New  York  from 
London  late  last  week,  it  was  revealed  that 
Stuart  Doyle,  head  of  Greater  Union  The- 
atres of  Australia,  had  completed  a  deal 
with  British  financiers  for  $2,500,000  with 
which  he  will  consolidate  all  his  Australian 
theatrical  interests  into  a  separate  corpora- 
tion of  his  own.  This  does  not  mean  a 
breakup  of  General  Theatres  Corporation 
of  Australia,  of  which  Mr.  Doyle  is  the  co- 
director  with  Sydney  Munro  of  Hoyt's,  the 
former  explained.  "It  is  an  independent 
financial  condition  which  means  my  own 
holdings  will  be  more  firmly  consolidated," 
Mr.  Doyle  said. 

The  British  financing  obtained  by  Mr. 
Doyle  is  said  to  be  a  straight  stock  flota- 
tion proposition,  with  the  bankers  subscrib- 
ing on  the  condition  that  Mr.  Doyle  con- 
solidate all  his  various  Australian  holdings 
and  companies  into  one  unit.  There  will  be 
a  25-year  debenture  arrangement  at  a  low 
rate  of  interest,  with  the  Doyle  company 
getting  $500,000  for  developments. 

The  breakup  of  Hoyt's  and  Greater  Union 
has  been  rumored  for  some  time,  but  Mr. 
Doyle  revealed  that  no  action  will  be  taken 
in  this  direction,  if  any  at  all,  until  after 
conferences  which  are  scheduled  to  take 
place  upon  his  arrival  next  month  in  Aus- 
tralia. The  present  operating  set-up  of 
General  Theatres  still  has  another  year  to 
run,  Mr.  Doyle  said. 

Mr.  Doyle  is  president  of  Greater  Union 
Theatres,  operating  about  185  houses,  Cine- 
sound  Productions,  Cinesound  Newsreel,  As- 
sociated Distributors  and  British  Empire 
Films.  All  of  these  companies  would  be 
combined  under  the  new  set-up.  He  also 
heads  National  Theatre  Supply  and  Consoli- 
dated Broadcasting  Corporation,  but  it  is  be- 
lieved these  would  be  outside  the  merger. 

Fox  Agreement  Continues 

Upon  his  arrival  in  New  York,  Mr.  Doyle 
revealed  that  the  five-year  operating  agree- 
ment by  which  General  Theatres  operates 
a  combination  of  200  Hoyts-Twentieth  Cen- 
tury-Fox and  Union  Theatres  houses  in 
Australia  is  expected  to  be  extended  for  an- 
other five  years. 

Negotiations  looking  toward  the  renewal 
of  the  arrangement  will  not  be  discussed 
during  Mr.  Doyle's  stay  in  Manhattan,  he 
said,  but  will  be  taken  up  with  Walter  J. 
Hutchinson,  foreign  head  for  Twentieth- 
Century-Fox,  aboard  the  Monterey,  which 
sails  for  Australia  from  Los  Angeles  Aug- 
ust 19  and  on  which  both  will  be  aboard. 

The  Australian  executive  has  taken  a 
99-year  lease  on  a  site  in  Piccadilly  in  Lon- 
don's West  End,  where  he  proposes  to  erect 
a  theatre  to  serve  as  an  outlet  for  his  Aus- 
tralia produced  pictures,  he  reported. 

The  primary  reason  for  his  visit  to  New 
York,  Mr.  Doyle  said,  is  to  "shake  hands" 
with  friends  and  to  set  the  American  dis- 


tribution of  "Thoroughbreds,"  which  Cine- 
sound  Studios  made  in  Australia  with  Helen 
Twelvetrees  as  the  star.  Wardour  Films 
have  signed  for  the  English  rights  and  the 
rights  to  India  and  the  Continent  have  still 
to  be  disposed  of. 

Mrs.  Doyle,  who  has  been  accompanying 
her  husband,  has  been  under  a  doctor's  care 
since  they  left  London,  but  is  reported  now 
to  be  in  better  health.  They  are  scheduled 
to  leave  for  Hollywood  next  week. 

Australian  Business  Fair 

"Conditions  have  vastly  improved  in  Aus- 
tralia and  the  country  is  fairly  out  of  the  de- 
pression," Mr.  Doyle  commented.  Theatre 
business  is  very  fair,  he  said,  and  while  the 
scale  of  admissions  has  not  reached  pre-de- 
pression  days,  the  volume  of  patronage  has 
come  back  to  normal.  Prices  at  the  theatres 
are  gradually  being  increased,  but  have  some 
way  still  to  go  to  reach  the  pre-depression 
scale.  "It's  easy  to  knock  them  down,  but 
it's  mighty  difficult  to  raise  admissions,"  Mr. 
Doyle  said. 

"We  are  not  planning  to  expand  or  devel- 
op the  theatre  situation,"  the  managing  di- 
rector of  General  Theatres  asserted.  "The- 
atre development  has  reached  its  saturation 
point,"  he  said,  adding  that  many  of  the 
structures  in  Australia  are  comparable  to 
the  finest  theatres  in  America. 


Amusement  Levy 
Renewal  Indicated 

Reports  from  Washington  this  week  indi- 
cated that  Administration  fiscal  authorities 
plan  to  seek  Congressional  approval  for  a 
continuance  of  the  sales  and  nuisance  taxes 
which  are  now  producing  about  $425,000,- 
000  annually.  Amusement  levies  fall  into  the 
classification  of  nuisance  taxes.  Originally 
imposed  in  1932  and  renewed  twice,  the 
taxes  are  scheduled  to  expire  next  June. 
Treasury  officials  are  said  to  have  decided 
that  the  reenactment  of  the  entire  list  of 
taxes  is  essential. 

Admission  tax  developments  were  reported 
from  two  states  during  the  week.  J.  P.  Wood, 
secretary  of  the  Ohio  Independent  Theatre 
Owners,  warned  members  of  that  group  of 
the  possibility  of  the  reinstatement  of  the 
former  10  per  cent  straight  admission  tax 
in  Ohio  to  make  up  part  of  the  $12,000,000 
loss  in  state  revenue  which  will  result  from 
proposed  exemption  of  food  from  the  retail 
sales  tax.  The  10  per  cent  levy  was  re- 
pealed about  a  year  ago  and  exhibitors  since 
have  been  paying  three  per  cent  on  grosses 
to  conform  to  the  retail  sales  tax. 

In  New  Orleans,  La.,  the  former  tax  of 
two  per  cent  on  admissions  starting  at  10 
cents  has  been  cut  to  10  per  cent  on  ad- 
missions over  15  cents. 

Premier  J.  Macdonald  of  the  Province  of 
Nova  Scotia  has  declared  a  reduction  of 
approximately  50  per  cent  in  amusement 
levies,  effective  at  once.  The  reduction  was 
decided  upon  as  a  result  of  continued  com- 
plaints from  exhibitors  and  theatre  patrons. 


FINE  NEWSREEL  FOR 
KING  ATTACK  CAPTION 

The  iron  hand  of  overseas  govern- 
ment control  of  newsreel  affairs  was 
seen  last  week  in  London,  where 
King's  Bench  division  court  fined 
Gaum  on  t  British  newsreel  $2  50  and 
costs  on  a  charge  of  contempt  of 
court  for  supplying  newsreel  pictures 
of  the  recent  alleged  attempt  on  the 
life  of  King  Edward  which  contained 
the  caption — "Attempt  on  King's 
Life" — and  a  commentary  stating  that 
the  revolver  had  been  aimed. 

The  charge  also  included  the  sup- 
plying of  a  poster  stating  that  assassi- 
nation had  been  attempted. 

J.  H.  Hutchinson  and  Hendon 
Central  Cinemas,  held  for  showing  the 
film  and  poster,  were  not  fined  after 
an  apology,  but  were  ordered  to  pay 
costs. 

In  the  Gaumont  case  letters  of 
apology  were  read  from  Mark  Ostrer 
and  David  Ostrer  and  evidence  was 
submitted  showing  that  the  caption 
and  poster  had  been  withdrawn  from 
26  theatres  after  a  protest  from  so- 
licitors for  the  accused  man,  but  a 
letter  to  Hendon  Cinema  miscarried. 

In  similar  cases  against  the  London 
Evening  News  and  the  Daily  Express 
the  editors  and  proprietors  of  each 
paper  were  ordered  to  pay  $2,500  and 
costs. 

Johnston  Contract 
At  Republic  Ends 

W.  Ray  Johnston's  contract  as  president 
of  Republic  Pictures,  an  outgrowth  of  Mono- 
gram, has  been  terminated  according  to  a 
story  appearing  Thursday  in  Motion  Picture 
Daily.  The  move  leaves  Mr.  Johnston  free 
to  pursue  other  plans  which  by  persistent 
report,  provide  for  a  re-entry  into  the  in- 
dustry of  his  former  company  under  its 
former  name. 

His  contract,  which  had  until  December 
23,  1936,  to  run,  has  been  settled  following 
discussions  with  Herbert  J.  Yates,  president 
of  Consolidated  Film  Industries,  Inc.,  and 
chief  financial  factor  in  Republic.  For  sev- 
eral months  Mr.  Johnston's  sphere  of  active 
duty  as  head  of  Republic  has  been  curtailed. 
For  that  length  of  time  it  has  been  more  or 
less  taken  for  granted  in  the  New  York 
trade  that  severance  of  his  relations  with 
the  company  was  merely  a  matter  of  time 
plus  discussions  leading  to  an  amicable 
settlement  now  reached. 


Theatre  Permit  Denied 

Supreme  Court  Justice  Louis  A.  Valente 
in  New  York  this  week  denied  the  applica- 
tion by  Robert  W.  Goelet  to  compel  License 
Commissioner  Moss  to  approve  the  location 
of  a  motion  picture  theatre  in  a  building  to 
be  erected  by  Mr.  Goelet  at  61  East  53  St., 
Manhattan. 


22 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


WARNER-ASCAP  MUSIC  BATTLE 
CLOSES  WITH  REAFFILIATION 


Seven  Months  Estrangement 
Comes  to  Close  with  Six 
Warner  -  Controlled  Music 
Companies  Back  in  Fold 

You  can  play  "The  Star  Spangled  Ban- 
ner" again. 

And  again  a  Warner  Brothers  executive 
can  get.  a  Warner  song  played  for  him  by 
request  in  a  Broadway  night  club  or  else- 
where. 

Because : 

Directors  of  the  American  Society  of 
Composers,  Authors  and  Publishers  voted 
on  Monday  of  this  week  to  readmit  to 
full  membership  the  six  Warner-controlled 
music  publishing  houses  absent  from  the 
rolls  since  January  I,  1936. 

Warner  executives  announced  the  drop- 
ping of  some  200  suits  for  copyright  in- 
fringements aggregating  an  imponderable 
sum  of  money. 

Something  like  150  licenses  granted  in- 
dependent radio  stations  by  the  Warner 
affiliates  were  found  to  contain  wording 
facilitating  their  ready  translation  to 
ASCAP  licenses. 

With  the  realignment  of  Warner  and 
ASCAP  interests  is  brought  to  becoming 
close  a  struggle  as  weirdly  amusing,  despite 
the  box  car  figures  and  far  flung,  not  to 
say  boomeranging,  consequences  involved, 
as  any  that  ever  enlivened  a  Keystone 
comedy  or  the  motion  picture  industry. 
Time  after  time,  as  the  complexities  of  the 
controversy  revealed  themselves  throughout 
the  seven  months  of  assiduously  publicized 
policing  of  the  air  waves,  the  whole  serious 
business  threatened  to  vanish  in  a  gust  of 
diaphragmatic  laughter.  It  was  a  serious 
business,  nevertheless.  What  happened  was 
this: 

Warners  Withdraw  January  I 

On  November  26,  1935,  the  Warner- 
owned  Music  Publishers  Holding  company 
announced  withdrawal  of  its  six  subsidiaries 
from  membership  in  the  American  Society 
of  Composers,  Authors  and  Publishers,  ef- 
fective January  1,  which  would  be  the  day 
into  the  early  hours  of  which  all  the  jazz 
bands  in  the  country  would  toot,  at  first  hand 
and  by  radio,  the  glad  tidings  of  a  New 
Year.  The  companies  represented  were  and 
are  M.  Whitmark  &  Sons,  Remick  Music 
company,  T.  B.  Harms  company,  New 
World  Music  company,  Victoria  Publishing 
company  and  Harms,  Inc. 

Together,  between  and  among  them,  and 
all  under  Warner  dominion,  these  companies 
owned  or  controlled  copyrights  of  some 
36,000  musical  works,  popular,  not  so  popu- 
lar, classic,  standard  and,  as  the  musicians 
say,  incidental.  Prior  to  their  withdrawal 
from  membership  in  ASCAP  a  license 
granted  by  that  organization  entitled  the 
licensee  to  play,  perform  or  otherwise  make 
audible  use  of  any  and/or  all  of  these  com- 
positions, arrangements,  in  short,  tunes. 
Subsequent  to  the  date  specified,  that  day 
when  all  the  world  was  presumably  waiting 


for  the  sunrise  and  perhaps  a  pick-me-up, 
none  of  these  works  might  be  played,  etc., 
and/or.  etc.,  without  permission  (i.e. 
license)  of  the  Music  Publishers  Holding 
company  (i.e.  Warner  Brothers)  and  a  lot 
of  orchestra  leaders,  with  their  theme  songs 
shot  from  under  them,  rolled  over  in  bed 
and  declined  to  get  up  all  day.  New  Years 
morning  was  never  a  favorite  among  band 
leaders  anyway. 

Warners  Announce  Policy 

Warner  Brothers  started  the  New  Year 
with  a  bang,  in  fact  a  series  of  bangs,  by 
notifying  the  musicianly  world  that  licenses 
could  be  obtained  entitling  obtainers  to  the 
use  of  their  music,  professedly  the  best,  and 
that  non-obtainers  would  be  proceeded 
against,  legally,  in  the  manner  long  previ- 
ously established  as  practicable  by  ASCAP 
in  many  a  strife  torn  court  room. 

ASCAP's  announcements  of  even  date 
were  a  little  curt  and  not  especially  revela- 
tory. Reserve  was  the  treble  and  dignity 
the  bass  of  remarks  authorized  by  brusque, 
baritone  E.  C.  Mills,  general  manager  and 
dominant  keynoter  of  the  organization's 
policy. 

Subdued,  too,  but  firm,  was  the  duet 
voiced  by  National  Broadcasting  company 
and  Columbia  Broadcasting  system,  enunci- 
ating in  unison,  harmony  and  with  precisely 
emphasized  beat.  If  music  controlled  by  the 
Warner  holding  company  could  not  be 
broadcast  without  a  license  separately  come 
by,  it  would  not  be  broadcast  over  Columbia 
and  National  radio  stations  and  that  would 
be  that.  That  was,  in  fact,  to  be  that  for 
seven  months. 

Confusion  Is  Multiplied 

Staccato  was  the  tempo  of  successive  an- 
nouncements from  the  Warner  sector.  Not 
only  would  radio  broadcasting  be  affected, 
but  theatres,  night  clubs,  even  hotels,  dance 
halls,  and  by  inference  showboats  plying  the 
good  old  Mississip'  dear  to  every  musician's 
heart,  would  be  listened  into,  scouted, 
checked  up  on  and,  if  caught  in  the  act  of 
purveying  contraband  melodies,  sued,  prose- 
cuted and  in  all  other  lawful  ways  made  to 
sign  up  or  pay  up  or  both. 

Newspaper  columnists,  sidewalk  wits  and 
plain  people  thought  it  all  suitable  subject 
matter  for  jibe,  joke  and  jest,  but  none  of 
the  humor  in  the  situation  was  intentional. 
Among  those  who  did  not  enjoy  it  in  the 
least  were  a  very  great  many  persons  with 
theoretically  trained  ears  assigned  by  the 
big  broadcasting  companies  to  see  (or  hear) 
to  it  that  none  of  the  restricted  music  crept 
into  broadcasts  on  their  networks  and  a 
very  great  many  others,  similarly  equipped, 
assigned  by  the  Warners  to  the  dreary  busi- 
ness of  listening  for  violations.  Probably 
the  total  gross  of  radio  listening  in  these 
United  States  reached  its  apex  right  about 
then. 

Company  Policy  Explained 

To  quote  the  New  York  Herald-Tribune, 
which  performs  no  musical  compositions  in 
its  business  and  yet  spent  quite  a  bit  of  time 
in  compressing  the  subject  into  a  paragraph, 
"Net  receipts  of  the  society  are  divided 


Infringement  Suits  Started 
by  Warners  Dropped;  Vote 
to  Reinstate  Unanimous; 
"In  the   Public  Interest" 

equally  between  composer  and  publisher. 
Composers  are  classified  on  the  commercial 
value  of  their  works  to  ASCAP.  Fifty  per 
cent  of  what  the  publishers  receive  is  de- 
termined by  a  mathematical  analysis  of  songs 
used  on  100,000  radio  programs  during  the 
year,  20  per  cent  on  their  seniority  in  the 
society  and  30  per  cent  on  the  availability 
of  their  catalogues.  The  melon  is  cut  quar- 
terly."   It's  as  simple  as  that. 

To  the  Warners,  as  of  last  year's-end  is 
imputed  the  belief  that  the  availability  of  its 
catalogue,  and  other  things,  caused  it  to  be 
responsible  for  some  40  per  cent  of  the  in- 
come derived  by  ASCAP  from  licensees, 
whereas  its  portion  of  the  melon  had  not 
been  sliced  to  proportionate  dimensions. 
Quite  a  lot  of  talking  about  this  had  been 
done  and  the  Warners  decided  to  go  it  alone. 

During  the  seven  months  of  their  inde- 
pendent operation  the  Warners  started  suits 
against  some  200  alleged  infringers.  At  one 
time  Jack  Warner,  caught  between  trains 
in  Kansas  City  by  an  inspired  reporter,  was 
quoted  as  admitting  that  establishment  of  a 
major  broadcasting  system  was  contem- 
plated. He  was  not  quoted  in  connection 
with  the  widely  circulated  report  that  his 
request  for  a  certain  Warner  number,  made 
of  Abe  Lyman  in  a  Broadway  night  club, 
was  turned  down  because  it  was  a  Warner 
work  and  therefore  restricted.  And,  to  clear 
up  the  slightly  dazzling  introduction  to  this 
record,  there  was  nothing  very  serious  about 
the  banning  of  "The  Star  Spangled  Ban- 
ner," although  it  is  a  fact  that  a  Warner- 
controlled  arrangement  of  the  anthem  was 
among  the  restricted  numbers. 

Reinstatement  Follows  Conferences 

Readmittance  of  Warner-controlled  pub- 
lishers to  membership  in  ASCAP  was  upon 
petition  for  reinstatement  which  followed 
conferences  between  ASCAP's  general  man- 
ager and  his  counsel,  Charles  Schwartz,  and 
Max  Dreyfus,  of  the  ASCAP  board,  and 
Warners'  attorneys,  Joseph  Hazen  and  A.  M. 
Wallenberg.  Seniority,  theoretically  for- 
feited by  the  Warner  companies  on  with- 
drawal, was  restored  by  common  consent  of 
interested  parties. 

Official  announcement  released  by  ASCAP 
on  August  4th,  in  which  the  directors  are 
mentioned  as  unanimous  in  their  vote  to 
reinstate  the  Warner-controlled  companies, 
includes  the  assertion  that  "Both  the  Society 
and  the  Warner  Brothers  felt  that  there 
was  a  great  public  interest  involved,  as 
during  the  period  of  the  withdrawal  the 
works  of  such  famous  American  composers 
as  Jerome  Kern,  Sigmund  Romberg,  Otto 
Harbach,  George  Gershwin,  Victor  Herbert, 
Oscar  Hammerslein,  Vincent  Youmans  and 
many  others  were  not  heard  on  the  air. 
Upon  the  reinstatement  of  these  member- 
ships the  thousands  of  compositions  of  these 
and  other  allied  composers  will  now  be 
available  for  the  use  of  the  broadcasting 
stations  holding  the  license  of  ASCAP." 


24 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,     I  936 


RKO  to  Drop 
All  Theatres 


CUBAN  CABINET  CANCELS 
NEW  YORK  CENSORSHIP 


Action  Follows  Dual  Protests  of 
American  and  Cuban  Trade 
Interests;    Fee   Was  Asked 

Late  last  week  the  Cuban  cabinet  met  in 
Havana  and  voted  discontinuance  of  the 
New  York  office  established  for  the  purpose 
of  censoring  at  the  source,  and  at  $10  a  reel, 
American  made  motion  pictures  exported  to 
Cuba. 

Action  by  the  Cuban  cabinet  followed 
official  protest  from  the  U.  S.  Embassy, 
which  followed,  in  turn,  protests  to  the 
State  Department  of  the  United  States 
from  American  distributors,  who  had  with- 
held film  shipments  to  Cuba  since  July  1st. 

Establishment  of  the  New  York  censor- 
ship headquarters  at  1775  Broadway  under 
direction  of  Roberto  Hernandez  had  marked 
a  double  departure  from  practice.  Prior 
thereto  American  made  pictures  were 
shipped  to  Cuba  and  submitted  to  the 
Havana  censor  board,  which  levied  no  fee 
for  its  operations.  Under  the  new  scheme, 
American  producers  were  required  to  submit 
their  product  to  the  New  York  headquarters, 
where  they  would  have  come  under  the  in- 
spection of  Senor  Hernandez  at  a  flat  rate 
of  $10  per  reel. 

Propaganda  Film  Planned 

Inquiry  evoked  from  Senor  Hernandez  the 
information  that  monies  paid  into  his  office 
by  the  film  companies  for  this  service  would 
be  used  to  pay  the  expenses  of  operating  the 
office  and  that  any  surplusage  accruing  would 
be  used  to  produce  propaganda  films  for  the 
Cuban  government. 

Senor  Hernandez  explained  that  the  pri- 
mary purpose  of  establishing  the  New  York 
headquarters  was  to  supply  the  Cuban  cen- 
sorship to  American  companies  more  con- 
veniently. The  companies  did  not  consider 
this  convenience,  if  any,  as  worth  the  price 
asked  for  it,  and  did  consider  the  whole 
affair  as  constituting  a  precedent  capable 
of  sprouting  many,  various  and  altogether 
unnecessary  ultimate  results. 

Protests  Are  Filed 

Formal  protest  to  the  State  Department 
followed  immediately. 

Concurrently,  the  Cuban  Film  Board  of 
Trade  filed  a  protest  to  the  government 
in  Havana,  asserting  that  the  continuing 
lack  of  American  product  would  affect  the 
livelihood  of  6,000  Cuban  families. 

Meanwhile,  major  distributors  did  not 
submit  product  to  the  New  York  censorship 
office  nor  directly  to  the  Havana  board, 
which  Senor  Hernandez  had  said  would 
be  abolished  or  reconstituted  under  his  di- 
rection. 

Fees  Sustained  Office 

While  official  action  on  the  protest  hung 
fire,  Senor  Hernandez  returned  to  Cuba 
after  hearing  that  abolition  of  the  fee  for 
censoring  films  in  New  York  was  under 
contemplation.  It  was  pointed  out  at  that 
time  that,  since  the  office  had  been  so  con- 


stituted as  to  require  the  payment  of  fees 
to  finance  its  operation,  abolition  of  this 
feature  would  be  tantamount  to  abandonment 
of  the  project. 

Action  of  the  Cuban  cabinet  restoring 
former  practice  was  announced  in  dispatches 
early  this  week.  Resumption  of  exports  to 
Cuba  is  expected  to  follow  immediately 
upon  receipt  of  the  decree  in  this  country. 


Standard  Changed 
For  Print  Leaders 

Studios  and  commercial  release  printing 
laboratories  this  week  received  sample  prints 
from  the  Research  Council  of  the  Academy 
of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences  of 
the  new  Academy  standard  print  leader 
which  has  been  revised  to  meet  the  re- 
quirements of  the  2000-foot  reels. 

The  specifications  have  been  changed  to 
include  the  written  out  figures  "six"  and 
"nine"  in  the  appropriate  footage  frames 
to  avoid  the  confusion  which  sometimes  oc- 
curs when  the  projectionist  views  these  fig- 
ures inverted  through  the  projector.  In  ad- 
dition, the  wrap-around  protective  leader, 
blank  film  attached  to  the  beginning  and 
end  of  each  reel  to  protect  the  film,  has  been 
increased  from  six  to  eight  feet  in  place  of 
the  former  four  to  six  feet,  to  provide  suf- 
ficient protection  for  the  increased  diameter 
reels. 

Exhibitors  Demand 
Stars  Quit  Radio 

The  Independent  Theatre  Owners  of 
Southern  California  and  Arizona  has  sent 
to  producers,  studio  personnel,  exhibitor  or- 
ganizations and  newspapers  throughout  the 
country  copies  of  a  resolution  demanding 
an  end  to  the  practice  of  permitting  stars 
and  directors  to  appear  on  radio  programs. 
The  resolution  was  passed  at  a  meeting  of 
the  group  at  Los  Angeles. 

The  Connecticut  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Owners,  with  headquarters  at  New  Haven, 
recently  passed  and  sent  to  producing  com- 
panies' home  offices  similar,  resolutions 
The  communication  from  the  coast  I.T.O. 
points  out  that  the  star  name  power  has 
been  built  through  the  box-office  and  each 
radio  appearance  decreases  the  star's  popu- 
larity, thus  proving  a  detriment  to  exhibi- 
tors and  producers  alike. 


Congo  Film  Record 

The  Denis-Roosevelt  African  expedition 
returned  to  New  York  this  week  from 
Africa,  bringing  some  100,000  feet  of  film 
shot  in  the  Belgian  Congo.  Members  of  the 
party  included  Armand  Denis,  and  his  wife, 
Leila  Roosevelt;  Leroy  G.  Phelps,  chief 
cameraman ;  John  W.  Romspert  and  Bernard 
van  Dael. 


In  Dominion 

RKO  is  about  to  withdraw  from  theatre 
operations  in  Canada  under  terms  of  a  deal, 
pending  but  nearing  consummation,  which 
will  turn  over  its  properties  in  five  major 
Dominion  cities  to  Famous  Players  Cana- 
dian Corporation.  The  arrangement  ends 
a  pool  between  the  two  theatre  companies, 
but,  as  part  of  the  consideration,  involves 
a  long-term  franchise  on  Radio  Pictures' 
product  over  in  the  Famous  Players  chain. 
Various  members  of  the  old  Orpheum, 
Keith  and  Albee  circuits,  the  theatres  which 
are  about  to  change  hands,  are  located  in 
St.  John,  Montreal,  Ottawa,  Vancouver  and 
Winnipeg. 

Meanwhile,  contracts  for  the  pooling  of 
the  RKO  Orpheum  and  A.  H.  Blank's 
Paramount,  Des  Moines  and  Strand  in  Des 
Moines  have  been  signed  by  Nate  J.  Blum- 
berg  for  RKO  and  Mr.  Blank  for  his  cir- 
cuit. Under  the  arrangement,  Mr.  Blank 
will  operate  with  RKO  assisting  in  the  buy- 
ing and  booking. 

Federal  Judge  Bondy  in  New  York  this 
week  signed  an  order  permitting  Radio  Cor- 
poration of  America  to  be  represented  in 
all  of  the  reorganization  proceedings  of 
RKO  in  view  of  the  $9,000,000  claim  of 
Rockefeller  Center.  This  claim  is  being  dis- 
puted by  other  creditors  of  RKO. 

William  J.  Donovan,  as  attorney  for  Irv- 
ing Trust  Company,  trustee  for  RKO,  has 
filed  a  claim  for  $85,000  for  services  and 
$2,300  for  expenses  in  his  report  submit- 
ted to  the  United  States  district  court.  Au- 
gust 11  has  been  set  as  the  date  for  a  deci- 
sion by  the  court. 


Sheldon  and  Barnes 
Win  "Lynton"  Profits 

In  a  statement  Tuesday  awarding  legal 
victory  to  Edward  Sheldon  and  Margaret 
Ayer  Barnes,  playwrights,  in  their  suit 
against  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  charging 
plagiarism,  Federal  Judge  Knox  in  New 
York  ordered  the  defendants  to  deliver  to 
the  writers  all  profits  of  the  motion  picture 
"Letty  Lynton,"  the  plot  of  which,  the  plain- 
tiffs claimed,  was  taken  from  their  "Dis- 
honored Lady." 

The  plaintiffs  were  also  awarded  all  costs 
of  the  suit. 


Goldwyn  Cancels 
Cantor  Contract 

Samuel  Goldwyn  revealed  in  Hollywood 
Tuesday  that  he  had  given  Eddie  Cantor  a 
release  from  his  contract.  Asserting  that 
Mr.  Goldwyn  had  delayed  starting  a  picture 
starring  him  and  thereby  costing  him  money 
for  writers,  etc.,  who  were  not  working  but 
nevertheless  had  to  be  paid  by  the  comedian, 
Mr.  Cantor  recently  announced  he  intended 
to  ask  for  his  release  in  court. 

The  termination  of  the  seven-year  Cantor- 
Goldwyn  agreement  is  expected  to  be  fol- 
lowed quickly  by  a  deal  between  the  come- 
dian and  Twentieth  Century-Fox,  Mr.  Can- 
tor is  scheduled  to  confer  with  William 
Goetz  this  week. 


26 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


PRINCIPALS  DENY  SCHENCK-CB 
TRANSACTION  HAS  STRUCK  SNAG 


London  Hears  Governmental 
and  Financial  Opinion  of 
Deal  Has  Brought  Merger 
Machinery    to    Full  Stop 

Principals  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic 
this  week  denied  persistent  reports  that  the 
tri-party  transaction  linking  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer,  Twentieth  Century-Fox  and 
Gaumont-British  has  been  abandoned  on  ac- 
count of  governmental  disapproval,  fore- 
boding financial  attitude  or  other  causes 
suggested  by  pressmen  in  England  and  the 
United  States.  Nevertheless,  certain  sched- 
uled events  didn't  transpire  and  others,  un- 
scheduled, did. 

Events : 

Isidore  Ostrer,  in  London,  disappointed 
press  representatives  who  had  been  prom- 
ised a  statement  on  July  30th,  intimating 
it  would  be  forthcoming  later. 

David  Ostrer  contradicted  an  announce- 
ment made  in  New  York  by  Isidore  Ostrer 
and  Joseph  M.  Schenck  to  the  effect  that 
amalgamation  of  the  three  companies'  dis- 
tribution machinery  in  England  would  be 
begun  immediately,  declaring  such  a  step 
had  been  neither  planned  nor  discussed. 

Walter  Runciman,  president  of  the  Film 
Board  of  Trade,  declined  in  response  to 
further  interrogation  in  the  British  House 
of  Commons  to  add  to  previous  utterances. 

Joseph  M.  Schenck  returned  to  New 
York  from  Hollywood  by  plane  in  keep- 
ing with  his  announced  intention  of  sail- 
ing for  England  on  Wednesday  to  par- 
ticipate in  final  details  of  the  transaction. 

While  New  York  executives  gave  scant 
ear  to  reports  indicating  that  progress 
toward  consummation  of  the  negotiations 
had  come  to  a  full  stop,  and  while  Joseph 
Schenck  was  pointing  out  to  inquirers  on 
this  side  that  legal  counsel  is  in  England 
and  much  paper  work  must  be  done  pre- 
paratory to  the  actual  signing  of  documents, 
financial  services  in  New  York  were  ticking 
out  a  London  dispatch  reading  as  follows: 

"Isidore  Ostrer,  chairman  of  Gaumont- 
British,  stated  that  the  American  deal  which 
the  company  is  negotiating  has  not  yet  been 
closed,  but  he  was  hopeful  it  would  be  con- 
cluded next  week.  Ostrer  definitely  empha- 
sized that,  in  any  case,  Gaumont-British 
will  remain  an  entirely  British-Controlled 
company." 

Control  Dominant  Question 

It  was  the  "control"  aspect  of  the  trans- 
action that  animated  inquiry  in  the  House  of 
Commons  by  Member  E.  Sorenson  as  to  the 
government's  intentions  with  respect  to  "the 
danger  to  the  British  film  industry  in  the 
Schenck-Ostrer  combination."  Film  Board 
of  Trade  President  Runciman's  refusal  to 
reply  to  the  inquiry  was  interpreted  in  Lon- 
don film  circles  as  indicative  of  govern- 
mental action,  past  or  pending.  Member 
Sorenson's  question  was  the  tenth  thus  far 
addressed  to  President  Runciman,  whose 
only  direct  reply  has  been  to  the  effect  that 


FILM  SEEN  BENEFIT 
FOR  REPUBLICANS 

Harlan  J.  Bush  field,  Republican 
State  Chairman  for  South  Dakota,  has 
criticized  the  Resettlement  Admin- 
istration for  circulating  a  motion  pic- 
ture depicting  the  effects  of  drought 
and  dust  storms  in  the  Mains  states 
and  predicted  that  it  would  place 
South  Dakota  in  the  Republican  col- 
umn next  November. 

"The  picture  in  one  savage  blow 
ruthlessly  destroyed  all  that  South 
Dakotans  have  built  up  in  a  genera- 
tion by  picturing  the  state  as  a  waste- 
land. If  there  was  any  doubt  about  it 
before,  'The  Plow  That  Broke  the 
Plains'  has  made  South  Dakota 
definitely  Republican,"  he  said. 


reply  could  not  be  made  until  complete  de- 
tails of  the  transaction  had  been  made  avail- 
able to  the  Board  of  Trade. 

President  Runciman's  sustained  silence 
was  recalled  by  London  pressmen  assembled 
by  appointment  to  receive  from  Isidore  Os- 
trer a  statement  clarifying  the  status  of  the 
transaction.  Set  for  3:15  o'clock,  the  press 
session  had  been  cancelled  by  Mr.  Ostrer  at 
lunch  time,  but  telegraphed  notices  of  the 
cancellation  had  been  received  by  only  a  few 
and,  when  the  gentlemen  of  the  press  plied 
Publicity  Director  A.  E.  Newbould  with 
questions,  in  Mr.  Ostrer's  absence,  he  con- 
veyed to  them  Mr.  Ostrer's  assurances  that 
Gaumont-British  would  continue  to  be  Brit- 
ish-controlled. 

Ostrer  Reiterates  Assurances 

On  the  following  day,  while  rumors  of 
the  two-plus-two  variety  spread,  Mr.  0strer 
uttered  the  single  succinct  sentence,  "The 
rumor  that  the  deal  is  off  is  completely  un- 
true." He  did  not  embellish  the  negation 
with  positive  information. 

Most  persistent  among  the  interpretations 
given  currency  in  British  trade  and  financial 
quarters  was  the  assumption  that  the  trans- 
action had  grounded  on  the  probable  difficul- 
ty entailed  in  reconciling  with  the  stoutly 
reiterated  assertion  relative  to  perpetuation 
of  British  control  the  widely  shared  convic- 
tion that  this  assertion  is  being  made  as 
"window  dressing"  and  that  actual  control 
will  change  hands,  ultimately  if  not  at  once. 

Parallel  to  this  trend  of  popular  opinion 
runs  the  theory  that  agitation  in  the  House 
of  Commons,  unsatisfied  as  yet  by  public 
statement  of  governmental  attitude,  may  be 
counted  upon  to  have  its  direct  reflection  in 
the  City  (London's  Wall  Street)  and  that 
adverse  sentiment  in  that  sector  might  seri- 
ously affect  the  stock  flotation  contemplated 
in  connection  with  the  new  holding  company 
designed  to  replace  Metropolitan  and  Brad- 
ford Trust  in  the  final  corporate  structure. 

Abutting  on  these  considerations  is  the 
well  remembered  clause  in  the  Gaumont- 
British   articles   of   association  stipulating 


Isidore  Ostrer  Withholds  a 
Statement  Promised  Press; 
David  Ostrer  Contradicts 
Distribution  Announcement 

that  the  company  shall  continue  under  per- 
petual British  control.  Questions  as  to 
whether  this  clause  has  been  or  can  be  ne- 
gated by  subsequent  ac.tion  have  not  been 
answered. 

The  stipulation  was  made  prior  and  pre- 
paratory to  the  purchase  of  the  49  per  cent 
interest  in  the  Metropolis  and  Bradford 
Trust  by  William  Fox  on  behalf  of  the 
then  Fox  Film  Corporation.  The  Brad- 
ford Trust,  as  reported  previously,  controls 
57  per  cent  of  Gaumont-British.  Rumors 
have  long  persisted  that  the  two  per  cent 
set  aside  and  held  by  Lord  Lee  as  the  bal- 
ance of  power  between  the  Fox  and  Ostrer 
interests  were  later  purchased  by  the  Os- 
trers. 

Whether  or  not  such  a  shift  is  or  would 
be  possible  without  calling  a  general  meet- 
ing of  stockholders  also  appears  to  be  a 
moot  point,  but  many  in  the  British  trade 
believe  such  steps  could  be  and  may  have 
been  taken.  These  argue  that  any  word  of 
such  action,  seeping  through  the  secrecy 
that  enshrouds  the  whole  situation,  would 
be  a  potentially  troublesome  factor  as  ad- 
vertising actual  or  possible  intention  of  re- 
arranging the  Gaumont-British  status  for  a 
sale  at  some  time  of  the  dominant  interest 
in  Metropolis  and  Bradford  and,  there- 
fore, in  Gaumont-British. 

Other  Angles  Scrutinized 

Onlookers  also  speculated  on  the  possible 
significance  of  news  that  Sidney  R.  Kent, 
president  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox,  will 
arrive  in  England  shortly  on  what  is  de- 
scribed as  a  combination  business  and  health 
trip.  Simultaneously  it  became  known  that 
Jeffrey  Bernerd,  English  representative  for 
Gaumont-British  in  the  United  States,  had 
cancelled  his  announced  intention  of  return- 
ing to  England  this  week  and  will  stay  on 
in  New  York  indefinitely.  It  was  recalled 
that  Mr.  Kent,  in  his  last  trip  to  England, 
was  reported  seeking  to  interest  Lord  Por- 
tal in  a  purchase  of  the  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox  interest  in  Gaumont-British. 

Terms  of  the  tri-party  transaction  as 
originally  announced  specify  that  MGM 
shall  acquire  by  purchase  from  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  one-half  of  that  company's  49 
per  cent  interest  in  the  Metropolis  and 
Bradford  Trust,  the  holding  company  now 
owning  57  per  cent  of  Gaumont-British.  By 
a  subsequent  operation,  a  new  holding  com- 
pany is  to  be  formed,  supplanting  the 
Metropolis  and  Bradford  Trust,  with  the 
two  American  companies  and  the  Ostrer 
interests  equally  represented  in  ownership 
of  the  49  per  cent  interest  in  Gaumont-Brit- 
ish held  by  the  new  company,  and  with  the 
remaining  51  per  cent  held  by  the  public. 
Reports  gained  currency,  following  the  of- 
ficial statement,  that  the  Ostrer  interests  ul- 
timately will  withdraw,  leaving  the  Ameri- 
can companies  owning  about  35  per  cent 
and  the  public  holding  65  per  cent. 


WITH  THE  YEAR'S  GREATEST  OA 


. ft-'-;-,  ■  • 


OF  THE  GREAT  WAR  REGINS  ITS 


S7...THE  GREAT  LOVE  DRAMA 


MARCH  TO  BOX-OFFICE  GLORY! 


Fired  with  the  inspired  acting  of  its  mighty  stars . . . 
jolting  in  its  emotional  fury.. .the  strangest  drama 
ever  lived  is  delivered  to  you  by  the  hit-makers 
who  are  setting  the  pace  for  the  industry  I 


mmm 


GREGORY 

RATOFF 


DARRYL    F.  ZANUCK 

In  Charge  of  Production 


Directed   by  Howard  Hawks 

Associate  Producer  Nunnally  Johnson 

Screen  play  by  Joel  Sayre  and  William  Faulkner 


■ 


UNLIMITED 

SHOWMANSH 


POSSIBILITIES! 


Sell  every  element  it  s  got 
with  everything  you've  got 
SELL  STARS!  SELL  DRAMA! 
SELL  POWER!  SELL  LOVE! 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


31 


THE  HOLLYWOOD 
SCENE 


As  to  Juveniles 

What  with  the  upsurge  of  juvenile  talent 
and  the  long  dormant  condition  of  the  chil- 
dren's story  market,  competition  for  stories 
is  keen  among  the  producers  piloting  the  for- 
tunes of  the  young  stars  in  what  promises 
to  be  their  biggest  season.  The  feeling  is 
general  that,  powerful  as  may  be  the  appeal 
of  the  child  player,  a  lot  of  box  office  virtue 
resides  in  a  story  that  has  proved  itself  in 
published  form. 

Warners,  for  instance,  are  giving  Billy 
Mauch  Booth  Tarkington's  well  established 
"Penrod  and  Sam"  for  his  introduction  as  a 
full-fledged  star.  Mark  Twain's  "The  Prince 
and  the  Pauper"  will  be  his  second  picture. 
Sol  Lesser's  next  production  starring  Bobby 
Breen  will  be  the  standard  "Toinette's 
Phillip." 

Against  the  current,  David  O.  Selznick 
is  proceeding  with  the  production  of  "Tom 
Sawyer"  without,  thus  far,  having  named 
a  stellar  player  to  portray  the  role. 

The  case  of  Shirley  Temple  is  cited  by 
her  admirers  as  the  exception  required  to 
prove  the  rule.  A  number  of  her  vehicles 
have  been  fabricated  out  of  whole  cloth, 
while  others,  such  as  "Captain  January"  and 
"The  Littlest  Rebel,"  have  had  a  rich  back- 
ground of  success  as  plain  reading  material. 
Practical  showmen  feel  a  little  surer  of 
themselves,  though,  when  the  posting  of  the 
title  means  a  certain  very  definite  thing  tr« 
the  public. 


Production  Gains 

Production  turnover  mounted  to  unusual 
figures  during  the  last  week  in  July  as 
thirteen  pictures  were  started  and  twelve 
finished. 

Swinging  into  the  pace  that  will  mark  its 
activities  for  the  next  several  months,  Radio 
started  three  films.  In  the  work  is  "The 
Big  Game,"  a  football  picture,  which  will 
feature  June  Travis,  Philip  Houston,  Bruce 
Cabot,  Andy  Devine,  James  Gleson,  John 
Arledge,  Guinn  Williams,  Tyler  Brooke, 
Murray  Kinnell,  Eddie  Nugent  and  a  large 
group  of  gridiron  notables.  George  Nichols, 
Jr.,  is  directing. 

"Winterset"  started  with  Burgess  Mere- 
dith, Margo  and  Eduardo  Gianelli  in  the 
featured  roles.  Al  Santall  is  directing.  The 
third  Radio  picture,  "We  Who  Are  About 
To  Die."  will  present  Ann  Dvorak,  John 
Beal,  Preston  Foster,  Lyle  Talbot,  Ray 
Mayer  and  Florence  Rice.  Christy  Cabanne 
is  directing. 

As  executives  completed  plans  for  more 
expensive  production,  Republic  also  started 
three  pictures.  In  "Bulldog  Edition"  Regis 
Toomey.  Ray  Walker,  Evalyn  Knapp,  Betty 
Compson.  William  Newelk  Ruth  Gillette, 
Cy  Kendall,  Matty  Fain  and  Oscar  Apfel 


will  be  seen.    Charles  Lamont  is  directing. 

The  cast  for  "Three  Mesquiteers"  includes 
Robert  Livingston,  Ray  Corrigan,  Syd  Tay- 
lor, Kay  Hughes,  Al  Bridges,  Nina  Quar- 
tero,  Duke  Yorke  and  J.  P.  McGowan,  with 
Ray  Taylor  directing. 

"Dangerous  Trails"  features  John  Mack 
Brown,  Suzan  Kaaren,  Ted  Adams,  Frank 
Darien,  Lloyd  Ingraham,  Dick  Moorehead, 
Ed  Cassidy  and  Margaret  Mann,  Albert  Ray 
directing. 

Two  pictures  started  at  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury-Fox. Jane  Withers  is  starred  in  "Can 
This  Be  Dixie."  Her  support  includes  Slim 
Summerville,  Claude  Gillingwater,  Sarah 
Haden,  Arnold  Cook,  James  Burke,  Robert 
Warwich,  Ferdinand  Munier,  William  Bene- 
dict and  Otis  Harlan.  George  Mrashall  is 
directing. 

"15  Maiden  Lane,  which  Allan  Dwan  is 
directing,  will  present  Claire  Trevor  with 
Cesar  Romero,  Douglas  Fowley,  Aileen 
Lane,  Lester  Matthews,  Robert  McWade, 
Richard  Tucker  and  Russell  Hicks. 

Bringing  Greta  Garbo  back  to  the  screen, 
MGM  started  "Camille,"  the  supporting  cast 
listing  Robert  Taylor,  Lionel  Barrymore, 
Lenore  Ulric,  John  Bryan,  Russell  Hardie 
and  Barry  Norton.  George  Cukor  is  direct- 
ing the  production. 

Hal  Roach  started  "General  Spanky"  on 
location  in  Sacramento.  Spanky  MacFar- 
land  is  starred  with  Phillips  Holmes,  Rosina 
Lawrence,  Ralph  Morgan,  James  Burtis, 
Irving  Pichel,  Hobart  Bosworth,  Buck- 
wheat, Louise  Beavers  and  Robert  Middle- 
mass.  Fred  Newmeyer  is  directing  the  pic- 
ture. 

With  Edmund  Lowe,  Gloria  Stuart  and 
Reginald  Owen  as  principals,  Universal 
started  "Rich  and  Reckless."  Harry  Beau- 
mont is  directing. 

Warners  began  work  on  "The  Making  of 
O'Malley."  The  cast  includes  Pat  O'Brien, 
Humphrey  Bogart,  Sybil  Jason,  Ann  Sheri- 
dan, Donald  Crisp  and  Freider  Inescort. 

At  Paramount  work  started  on  "The 
Turning  Point."  Paul  Kelly,  Marsha  Hunt, 
Kent  Taylor,  Robert  Cummings  and  Ber- 
nardine  Hayes  are  currently  included  in  th* 
cast,  with  James  Hogan  directing. 

Seven  studios  accounted  for  the  twelve 
finished  pictures.  Five  had  groups  of  two 
and  Warners  and  Pickford-Lasky  each  con- 
tributed one. 

Universal  wound  up  "Casey  Of  The  Coast 
Guard."  It  will  present  Joan  Wayne,  Nan 
Grey,  Fuzzy  Knight,  William  Bakewell, 
Ethan  Laidlaw,  Russell  Hicks  and  Harry 
Worth.   Frank  Strayer  directed. 

"Ace  Drummond"  also  finished.  Co-di- 
rected by  Cliff  Smith  and  Forde  Beebe,  the 
cast  includes  John  King,  Jean  Rogers,  Guy 
Bates  Post,  William  Hall,  Diana  Gibson, 
Russell  Wilson,  Noah  Beery,  Jr.,  Lon 
Chaney,  Jr.,  House  Peters,  Jr.,  and  Frederic 
Vogeding. 

Columbia  finished  "A  Man  Without  Fear" 
and  "The  Man  Who  Lived  Twice."  Tn  the 
first    picture,    Jack    Holt,    Louise  Henry, 


Douglas  Dumbrille,  Gene  Morgan,  George 
McKay,  John  McGuire,  Guinn  Williams, 
Tom  London  and  Pat  Flaherty  will  be  seen. 
Erie  Kenton  directed  it.  The  second  picture 
will  present  Ralph  Bellamy,  Marian  Marsh, 
Isabel  Jewell,  Ward  Bond,  Willard  Robert- 
son, Kathryn  Ward,  Betty  Farrington,  Ann 
Doran,  Mary  Lou  Dix,  Bruce  Mitchell  and 
Nana  Bryant.  Harry  Lachman  directed. 

MGM  finished  "Old  Hutch."  The  cast 
lists  Wallace  Beery,  Elizabeth  Patterson, 
Cecelia  Parker,  Eric  Linden,  Robert  Mc- 
Wade, Donald  Meek,  Catherine  and  Julie 
Parkins,  the  Watson  Brothers  and  James 
Burke.  J.  Walter  Ruben  directed.  The 
second  completed  MGM  film,  "Piccadilly 
Jim,"  will  present  Robert  Montgomery, 
Billie  Burke,  Frank  Morgan,  Madge  Evans, 

At  Paramount  "Three  Married  Men"  was 
completed.  It  will  present  Lynne  Overman, 
Roscoe  Karns,  William  Frawley,  Mary 
Brian,  Gail  Sheridan,  Benny  Bartlett,  Mabel 
Colcord,  Marjorie  Gateson,  and  others. 

"Wives  Never  Know,"  directed  by  Elliott 
Nugent,  also  finished  at  Paramount.  The 
cast :  Charlie  Ruggles,  Mary  Boland, 
Adolphe  Menjou,  Claude  Gillingwater,  Vivi- 
enne  Osborne,  Fay  Holder,  Louise  Beavers, 
Don  Rowan,  Nancy  Lee  and  Porter  Hall. 

"Thank  You  Jeeves"  was  finished  at 
Twentieth  Century-Fox.  Arthur  Treacher 
is  featured,  supported  by  David  Nevin,  Vir- 
ginia Fields  and  Lester  Matthews. 

"King  Of  The  Royal  Mounted"  is  a  Sol 
Lesser  production  for  this  company's  dis- 
tribution. The  cast  features  Robert  Kent, 
Rosalind  Keith,  Alan  Dinehart,  Frank  Mc- 
Glynn,  Sr.,  Juch  Luden,  Grady  Sutton  and 
Arthur  Loft.    Howard  Bretherton  directed. 

Warners  completed  "The  Case  Of  The 
Caretaker's  Cat"  in  which  Ricardo  Cortez, 
June  Travis,  Jane  Bryan,  Craig  Reynolds, 
Gordon  Elliott,  Carlyle  Moore,  Jr.,  Nedda 
Harrigan,  Lottie  Williams  and  Warren  Hull 
will  be  seen,  directed  by  William  McGan. 

The  last  of  the  completed  pictures  is  "The 
Gay  Desperado,"  Pickford-Lasky.  It  will 
present  Nino  Martini,  Ida  Lupino,  Leo 
Carrillo,  Harold  Huber  and  many  more. 


Paragraphically 

Everybody  did  everything  they  could  think 
of  to  make  the  British  exhibitor  party  happy 
during  its  stay  in  Hollywood  and  the  guests 
expressed  themselves  as  charmed  with  all 
they  saw  and  did,  setting  a  neat  example  for 
a  people  not  commonly  overzealous  as  to 
amenities. 

Report  that  Dr.  A.  H.  Giannini  will  ad- 
minister the  affairs  of  United  Artists  in  an 
office  well  removed  from  studio  din  has  set 
executive  ears  tingling  and  the  precedent 
may  sprout  a  trend. 

John  Leroy  Johnston  has  resigned  as  Uni- 
versal publicity  chief  after  nine  years  of  ser- 
vice and  lias  been  succeeded  by  Hubert 
Voight. 


32 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8  ,    I  936 


THE  BOX   OFFICE  CHAMPIONS 


THE  GREAT  ZIEGFELD 
M  G  M 


M  ||  Citing  for  distinction  as 
^Ljl  the  Box  Office  Champions 
JJ  for  the  first  half  of  1936, 
those  productions  which  proved 
to  be  the  greatest  box  office 
attractions  at  the  nation's  key 
theatres  between  January  I  and 
June  30.  They  number  ten  —  a 
smaller  group  than  usual,  but  as 
diversified  in  type  as  any  semi- 
annual group  in  the  past.  Musi- 
cals lead  with  four.  Pictures  def- 
initely of  the  straight  dramatic 
type  come  next  with  three. 


The  Great  Ziegfeld:  Produced  by  Hunt 
Stromberg.  Directed  by  Robert  Z.  Leon- 
ard. Story  and  screen  play  by  William 
Anthony   McGuire.    Dance   numbers  by 


ROSE  MARIE 
M  G  M 


MODERN  TIMES 
United  Artists 


Seymour  Felix.  Special  music  by  Walter 
Donaldson.  Special  lyrics  by  Harold 
Adamson.  Ballet  music  by  Con  Conrad. 
Ballet  lyrics  by  Herb  Magidson.  Musical 
direction  by  Arthur  Lange.  Orchestra- 
tions by  Frank  Skinner.  Photographed  by 
Oliver  Marsh,  Ray  June,  George  Folsey 
and  Merritt  B.  Gerstad.  Cast:  William 
Powell,  Myrna  Loy,  Luise  Rainer,  Frank 
Morgan,  Faany  Brice,  Virginia  Bruce, 
Reginald  Owen,  Ray  Bolger,  Ernest  Cos- 
sart,  Joseph  Cawthorne,  Nat  Pendleton, 
Harriet  Hoctor. 


Follow  the  Fleet:  Produced  by  Pandro  S. 
Berman.  Directed  by  Mark  Sandrich. 
Screen  play,  Dwight  Taylor  and  Allan 
Scott.  Founded  on  play  "Shore  Leave," 
as  produced  by  David  Belasco.  Photo- 
graphed by  David  Abel.  Photographic 
effects  by  Vernon  Walker.  Musical  di- 
rector, Max  Steiner.  Musical  numbers 
by  Irving  Berlin.  Art  director,  Van  Nest 
Polglase.  Cast:  Fred  Astaire,  Ginger 
Rogers,  Randolph  Scott,  Harriet  Hil- 
liard,  Astrid  Allwyn.  Released  Feb.  21, 
1936. 


Rose  Marie:  Produced  by  Hunt  Strom- 
berg.  Directed  by  W.  S.  Van  Dyke. 
Screen  play  by  Frances  Goodrich,  Albert 
Hackett  and  Alice  Duer  Miller.  Based 
on  the  stage  production  of  Arthur  Ham- 
merstein.  From  the  play  by  Otto  A. 
Harbach  and  Oscar  Hammerstein  II. 
Music  composed  by  Rudolf  Friml  and 
Herbert  Stothart.  Musical  direction  by 
Herbert  Stothart.  Additional  lyrics  by 
Gus  Kahn.  Totem  pole  dance  staged  by 
Chester  Hale.  Photographed  by  Wil- 
liam Daniels.  Recording  director,  Doug- 
las Shearer.  Art  director,  Cedric  Gib- 
bons. Film  editor,  Blanche  Sewell.  Cast: 
Jeanette  MacDonald,  Nelson  Eddy,  Reg- 
inald Owen,  Allan  Jones,  James  Stewart, 
Alan  Mowbray,  Gilda  Gray,  George 
Regas,  Robert  Greig,  Una  O'Connor, 
Lucien  Littlefield,  David  Nivens.  Re- 
leased January  31,  1936. 


MAGNIFICENT  OBSESSION 
Universal 


STORY  OF  LOUIS  PASTEUR 
First  National 


Modern  Times:  Produced  by  Charles 
Chaplin  Film  Corp.  Directed  by  Charles 
Chaplin,  from  a  story  by  Charles  Chap- 
lin. General  production  manager,  Al- 
fred Reeves.  Assistant  production  man- 
ager, Jack  Wilson.  Settings  by  Charles 
Hall.  Music  composed  by  Charles  Chap- 
lin. Musical  director,  Alfred  Newman. 
Assistant  directors,  Carter  de  Haven  and 
Henry  Bergman.  Photographers,  Rollie 
Totheroh  and  Ira  Morgan.  Portrait  pho- 
tographers, Max  Munn  Autrey.  Film 
editor,  Charles  Chaplin.  Cast:  Charles 
Chaplin,  Paulette  Goddard,  Henry  Berg- 
man, Chester  Conklin,  Stanley  Sandford, 
Hank  Mann,  Louis  Natheux,  Allen  Gar- 
cia.   Released  February  21,  1936. 


Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town:  Produced  by 
Columbia.  Directed  by  Frank  Capra. 
Story  by  Clarence  Budington  Kelland. 
Screen  play  by  Robert  Riskin.  Edited 
by  Gene  Havlick.  Photographed  by 
Joseph  Walker.  Special  camera  effects 
by  E.Roy  Davidson.  Cast:  Gary  Cooper, 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


33 


FOR  FIRST    SIX  MONTHS,  1936 


Jean  Arthur,  George  Bancroft,  Lionel 
Stander,  Douglass  Dumbrille,  Raymond 
Walburn,  H.  B.  Warner,  Margaret  Mat- 
zenauer,  Warren  Hymer,  Muriel  Evans, 
Ruth  Donnelly.  Released  April  12,  1 936. 


Captain  Blood:  Producers,  Gordon  Hol- 
lingshead,  Harry  Joe  Brown.  Directed  by 
Michael  Curtiz.  Screen  play  by  Casey 
Robinson.  From  the  novel  by  Rafael 
Sabatini.  Edited  by  George  Amy.  Pho- 
tographed by  Hal  Mohr,  Ernest  Haller. 
Cast:  Errol  Flynn,  Olivia  de  Haviland, 
Robert  Barrat,  Lionel  Atwill,  Ross  Alex- 
ander, Forrester  Harvey,  Guy  Kibbee, 
David  Torrence,  Maude  Leslie,  Frank 
McGlynn,  Colin  Kenny,  Pedro  De  Cor- 
doba, George  Hassell,  Harry  Cording, 
Leonard  Mudie,  Ivan  Simpson,  Jessie 
Ralph,  Gardner  James,  Holmes  Herbert, 
Mary  Forbes,  Donald  Meek,  Hobart 
Cavanaugh,  Henry  Stephenson,  Basil 
Rathbone,  J.  Carroll  Naish,  Stuart  Casey, 
Dennis  D.  Auburn,  E.  E.  Clive.  Released 
December  28,  I935. 


Blanke.  Film  editor,  Ralph  Dawson.  Art 
director,  Robert  M.  Haas.  Gowns  by 
Milo  Anderson.  Musical  director,  Leo  F. 
Forbstein.  Cast:  Paul  Muni,  Josephine 
Hutchinson,  Anita  Louise,  Donald  Woods, 
Fritz   Leiber.    Released    Feb.  22,  I936. 


The  Bride  Comes  Home:  Directed  by 
Wesley  Ruggles.  Based  on  story  by  Elis- 
abeth Sanxay  Holding  .  Screen  play 
Claude  Binyon.  film  editor,  Paul 
Weatherwax.  Art  directors,  Hans  Dreier 
and  Robert  Usher.  Photographed  by 
Leo  Tovar.  Cast:  Claudette  Colbert, 
Fred  MacMurray,  Robert  Young,  William 
Collier,  Sr.,  Donald  Meek,  Richard 
Carle,  Johnny  Arthur,  Bob  McKenzie, 
Eddie  Dunn,  Jerry  Mandy,  A.  S.  Byron, 
Edgar  Kennedy,  Kate  MacKenna,  James 
Conlon,  Edward  Gargan.  Released  Jan- 
uary 3,  I936. 


FOLLOW  THE  FLEET 
RKO  Radio 


Magnificent  Obsession:  A  John  M.  Stahl 
production.  Directed  by  John  M.  Stahl. 
From  the  novel  by  Lloyd  C.  Douglas. 
Screen  play  by  George  O'Neil,  Sarah 
Y.  Mason  and  Victor  Heerman.  Associate 
producer,  E.  M.  Asher.  Photographed 
by  John  Mescall.  Art  director,  Charles 
D.  Ball.  Cast:  Irene  Dunne,  RobertTay- 
lor,  Charles  Butterworth,  Betty  Furness, 
Sara  Haden,  Ralph  Morgan,  Henry  Ar- 
metta,  Gilbert  Emery,  Arthur  Hoyt,  Low- 
ell Durham, Allan  Davis,  Crauford  Kent, 
Edward  Earle,  Inez  Courtney,  Marian 
Clayton,  Norma  Drew,  Beryl  Mercer, 
Cora  Sue  Collins,  Arthur  Treacher,  Mai- 
del  Turner,  Sidney  Bracy,  Frank  Reicher, 
Leonard  Mudie,  Walter  Walker,  Purnell 
Pratt,  Lucien  Littlefield,  Gino  Corrado, 
Mickey  Daniels.  Released  January  6, 
I936. 


Showboat:  Produced  by  Carl  Laemmle, 
Jr.  Directed  by  James  Whale.  Stage 
play,  screen  play  and  lyrics  by  Oscar 
Hammerstein,  II.  Cinematographer,  John 
J.  Mescall.  Art  director,  Charles  D. 
Hall.  Film  editors,  Bernard  Burton  and 
Ted  Kent.  Dance  numbers  staged  by  Le 
Roy  Prinz.  Sound  supervisor,  Gilbert 
Kurland.  Music  by  Jerome  Kern.  Special 
cinematography,  John  P.  Fulton.  Musical 
director,  Victor  Baravelle.  Assistant  di- 
rector, Joseph  A.  McDonough.  Sound 
recorders,  Mike  McLaughlin  (music)  and 
William  Hedgecock  (production).  Cast: 
Irene  Dunne,  Allan  Jones,  Paul  Robeson, 
Helen  Westley,  Sammy  White,  Hattie 
McDaniel,  Patricia  Barry,  Marilyn  Knowl- 
den,  Arthur  Hohl,  J.  Farrell  MacDonald, 
Charles  Wilson,  Charles  Winninger, 
Helen  Morgan,  0ueen'e  Smith,  Donald 
Cook.   Released  May  1 7,  I936. 


The  Story  of  Louis  Pasteur:  Directed  by 
Wm.  Dieterle.  Assistant  director,  Frank 
Shaw.  Story  and  screen  play  by  Sheri- 
dan Gibney  and  Pierre  Collings.  Dia- 
logue director,  Gene  Lewis.  Photograph- 
ed by  Tony  Gaudio.    Supervisor,  Henry 


MR.  DEEDS  GOES  TO  TOWN 

Columbia 


CAPTAIN  BLOOD 
First  National 


THE  BRIDE  COMES  HOME 
Paramount 


SHOWBOAT 
Universal 


34 


N.  Y.  U.  Continues 
Course  on  Screen 

An  address  on  "New  Trends  in  the  His- 
tory of  the  Movies"  will  be  given  by  Terry 
Ramsaye,  editor  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Herald,  as  the  opening  lecture  in  its  course 
on  "The  Motion  Picture:  Its  Artistic,  Edu- 
cational and  Social  Aspects,"  to  be  conduct- 
ed by  Associate  Professor  Frederic  M. 
Thrasher  in  cooperation  with  the  National 
Board  of  Review  of  Motion  Pictures  at  the 
New  York  University  School  of  Education 
in  Washington  Square,  New  York.  A  sim- 
ilar course  was  conducted  last  year. 

The  lecture  by  Mr.  Ramsaye  will  be  given 
on  September  24th.  Others  to  talk  for  the 
class  which  will  meet  Thursday  evenings 
are :  Russell  Clark  Holslag,  member  of  the 
Society  of  Motion  Picture  Engineers ;  Har- 
old Hendee,  director  of  research  for  RKO 
Radio  Pictures ;  George  Antheil,  composer 
and  musical  advisor  to  producers;  John  S. 
Martin,  managing  editor  of  the  March  of 
Time;  Wilton  A.  Barrett,  executive  secre- 
tary of  the  National  Board  of  Review  of 
Motion  Pictures;  Jean  Benoit-Levy,  French 
director ;  Pare  Lorentz,  director,  Docu- 
mentary Films  Section  of  the  Resettlement 
Administration;  Colonel  Roy  W.  Winton, 
managing  director  of  the  Amateur  Cinema 
League ;  Max  Fleisher,  creator  of  "Popeye 
the  Sailor" ;  Louis  Nizer,  executive  secre- 
tary of  the  New  York  Film  Board  of  Trade ; 
Howard  S.  Cullman,  trustee  and  director, 
Roxy  Theatres  Corporation;  and  Iris  Barry, 
curator  of  the  Museum  of  Modern  Art  Film 
Library. 

British  Exhibitors 
VisitingHollywood 

Members  of  the  Cinematograph  Exhibi- 
tors Association,  British  organization,  who 
are  visiting  America,  arrived  in  Hollywood 
this  week  after  a  train  trip  from  New  York 
which  included  stops  in  Chicago  and  at 
the  Grand  Canyon.  An  elaborate  program 
of  entertainment  has  been  arranged  for  the 
group  by  the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and 
Distributors  of  America. 

Inspection  of  various  studios  by  the 
group  occupied  Tuesday,  Wednesday  and 
Thursday.  A  motor  coach  tour  of  the 
California  coast,  scheduled  to  start  on  Fri- 
day, will  take  the  visitors  to  Santa  Barbara, 
Del  Monte  and  San  Francisco.  They  will 
start  the  return  trip  from  that  city  August 
12th,  going  directly  to  Chicago  and  then  to 
Niagara  Falls  and  Toronto.  They  expect 
to  be  back  in  New  York  on  August  17th 
and  they  will  sail  on  the  Normandie. 


Lazarus  to  Resume 
Post  at  Paramount 

Jeff  Larazus  will  return  to  Paramount 
as  head  of  the  story  department,  it  was  re- 
ported this  week.  He  left  the  company  as 
head  of  the  story  department  some  time  ago 
in  a  personnel  shakeup  and  has  just  returned 
to  Hollywood  from  a  European  vacation. 

The  status  of  Glendon  Allvines  with  the 
company  is  still  undetermined. 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


FROM  READERS 


ASKS  WHAT  HAPPENED 
TO  MPTOA'S  POINTS 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Herald  : 

What  has  become  of  the  Moses,  Mr.  Kuy- 
kendall,  that  was  going  to  show  us  the  prom- 
ised land  ?  Substantial  cancellation  and  the 
ten  point  program. 

Evidently  this  is  all  washed  up,  as  most  of 
us  knew  it  would  be. 

Well,  the  producers  are  asking  for  it,  and 
at  the  next  session  of  Congress,  they  will 
very  likely  get  it,  in  a  bill,  that  will  be  hard 
to  take.   From  their  viewpoint. 

The  Neely  bill  is  gaining  momentum,  that 
I  know,  for  I  had  a  visit  with  our  own  rep- 
resentative and  he  advised  me  that  it  had  a 
good  chance  of  passing  in  the  next  session. 

1  don't  hold  with  all  the  provisions  in  this 
bill  at  all. 

But  if  the  producers  will  not  listen  to  rea- 
son, what  they  get  will  be  on  their  own 
heads. 

And  frankly  I  think  that  this  bill  will  go 
through  flying,  and  nothing  will  stop  it,  not 
this  time. — A.  E.  Hancock,  Columbia  The- 
atre, Columbia  City,  Ind. 


ON  PIES,  TWO-REELERS 
AND  LONGER  FEATURES 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Herald: 

It  is  quite  noticeable  in  the  announce- 
ments of  new  short  subjects  product  that 
most  all  of  the  producers  are  eliminating 
two-reel  comedies  from  their  lineups  and 
seem  to  be  centering  their  attention  on  one- 
reelers. 

This  week  I  inquired  of  an  executive  of 
one  of  the  large  producers  as  to  the  reason 
of  this,  and  you  can  readily  imagine  my  sur- 
prise when  he  informed  me  that  it  was  hard 
to  make  good  two-reel  subjects  of  a  comedy 
nature.  He  further  told  me  that  there  was 
a  demand  for  two-reel  comedies,  and  I  be- 
lieve that  he  is  right  in  that  statement. 

But  this  week  I  am  playing  here  at  the 
Capitol  a  Warner  Brothers  two-reeler  en- 
titled "Keystone  Hotel."  It  features  a  cast 
of  the  old  Keystone  cops.  Young  movie 
patrons  don't  remember  the  good  old  pie 
throwing  days  with  these  cops.  However, 
the  comedy  in  question  was  made  along  the 
same  lines,  trick  photography,  pie  throwing 
and  all  the  elements  that  were  placed  into 
the  making  of  the  oldtime  comedies. 

The  reaction  of  each  and  every  audience 
that  has  seen  this  subject  on  our  screen  this 
week  has  been  amazing.  Young  and  old 
have  laughed  heartily,  laughed  at  this  com- 
edy more  than  any  two-reel  subject  we  have 
ever  presented  here.  And  it  was  quite  no- 
ticeable that  on  many  of  the  shows,  the 
audience  applauded  at  the  end  of  the  comedy. 

It  seems  to  me  if  the  producers  are  going 
to  eliminate  two-reelers  some  thought  is  go- 
ing to  have  to  be  given  as  regards  to  putting 
more  footage  in  feature  pictures. 

All  of  which  leads  down  to  my  own  per- 
sonal thoughts,  that  good  comedies  can  be 
made  if  enough  thought  is  given  to  them, 
that  the  present  day  audiences  still  like  pie 
throwing  in  their  comedy  bill  of  fare,  and, 
lastly,  that  two-reel  comedies  still  have  a 
place  on  any  theatre's  program. — Earle  M. 
Holden,  Capitol  Theatre,  Atlanta,  Ga. 


August    8,  1936 

IVPA'S  Shows 
Scored  by  IV nter 

An  attack  on  the  WPA  theatre  project 
which  is  termed  "doomdoggling,"  is  made  in 
an  article  in  a  current  magazine  by  Harri- 
son Grey  Fiske,  the  playwright.  This  week 
ended  the  first  six  months  of  existence  for 
the  project  and  an  official  resume  of  its 
progress  has  been  issued. 

The  release,  after  listing  as  successes  its 
production  of  "Murder  in  the  Cathedral," 
"Triple  A  Plowed  Under,"  and  the  Negro 
"Macbeth,"  stresses  the  fact  that  a  new 
audience  has  been  brought  to  the  theatre, 
the  patrons  of  the  Portable  Theatre  Unit. 
This  summer  the  unit  is  expected  to  attract 
over  2,000,000  people  to  the  plays  which  are 
given  in  parks  free  of  charge. 

Mr.  Fiske,  in  his  article,  accuses  the  proj- 
ect of  being  Red-colored  and  of  being  far 
below  the  standard  of  a  commercial  theatre 
which  produced,  during  the  last  season, 
such  plays  as  "Saint  Joan,"  "Winterest," 
"Victoria  Regina,"  "Pride  and  Prejudice," 
"Idiot's  Delight"  and  "Boy  Meets  Girl." 

Mrs.  Hallie  Flanagan  has  obtained  an 
extension  of  her  leave  of  absence  as  director 
of  the  Experimental  Theatre  at  Vassar  Col- 
lege to  continue  for  another  year  as  national 
director  of  the  Works  Progress  Administra- 
tion's Federal  Theatre  Project,  it  was 
learned  this  week. 

Mrs.  Flanagan's  decision  to  continue  as 
head  of  the  WPA  theatre  became  known 
following  reports  from  Washington  that 
President  Roosevelt  will  soon  approve  a  $7,- 
000,000  allotment  for  the  project  during  the 
coming  year.  The  director  has  announced 
several  new  appointments  to  the  staff"  of  the 
project.  Howard  Miller,  regional  director 
in  California,  has  been  named  as  Mrs.  Flan- 
agan's special  representative  in  the  west; 
John  McGee,  regional  director  in  the  south- 
east, has  been  appointed  special  representa- 
tive in  the  south,  and  William  Stahl,  until 
recently  connected  with  the  project's  experi- 
mental theatre  unit,  has  been  made  special 
representative  in  the  east. 


Exhibitors  Meet  Again 

The  second  meeting  of  the  Theatre 
Owners  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  In- 
dependent Theatre  Owners  Association  com- 
mittees in  New  York,  named  recently  to 
work  out  details  for  the  merging  of  both 
exhibitor  organizations,  was  to  be  held 
Thursday  at  the  Hotel  Astor.  Edward  Ru- 
goff,  chairman  of  the  T.  O.  C.  C.  group, 
and  Bernard  Barr,  head  of  the  I.  T.  O.  A. 
committee,  were  to  have  the  cooperating 
members  of  their  organizations  on  hand  in 
an  effort  to  work  out  basic  plans  for  the 
amalgamation. 


New  Lombard  Contract 

An  amicable  adjustment  of  the  situation 
between  Paramount  and  Carol  Lombard  and 
a  new  contract  following  the  current  pact 
which  expires  January  1  are  anticipated  by 
studio  officials  in  Hollywood.  The  actress 
is  understood  to  have  demanded  a  release 
from  her  current  contract  or  a  new  one  at 
a  higher  figure  than  specified  in  the  option 
clause  of  the  present  agreement.  She  claims 
she  can  earn  more  freelancing  and  asks 
$100,000  per  picture. 


stars/.  . .  sparkle  / . . . 


AUDIENCES  THANKED  YOU  A  MILLION  FOR  "THANKS  A  MILLION 
THEY'LL  g|A/G  A  MILLION  PRAISES  FOR 


ONE  MORE  REASON  FOR  20ths  BEING  FIRST! 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


39 


SHOWMEN'S 
REVIEWS 


This  department  deals  with  new 
product  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  exhibitor  who  is 
to  purvey  it  to  his  own  public 


They  Met  in  a  Taxi 

(  Columbia  ) 
Comedy 

There's  plenty  of  the  stuff  necessary  to  enter- 
tain and  amuse  audiences  of  average  character 
in  this.  Likewise,  other  than  personalities, 
there's  a  lot  of  exploitation  possibility  with 
which  to  sell  the  entertainment  provided.  It's 
not  a  big  picture.  It  probably  won't  set  any  new 
box  office  records  anywhere,  yet  if  patrons  are 
made  sufficiently  aware  of  its  quality,  it  should 
prove  pleasing. 

With  comedy  as  its  keynote,  the  film  is  a 
cleverly  contrived  combination  of  fun,  light 
drama,  intrigue,  mystery,  suspense,  romance  and 
surprise.  Making  no  pretenses  other  than  to  be 
acceptable  average  entertainment,  the  show 
moves  speedily,  and  though  it  mainly  depends 
upon  dialogue  for  explanation,  there  is  sufficient 
action  in  the  various  situations  to  provide  an 
engaging  appeal. 

Mainly  the  premise  follows  the  idea  that  when 
one  person  gets  into  trouble,  it  means  trouble 
for  many  and  consequent  amusement  for  the  wit- 
nesses. Mannequin  Mary  Trent  gets  into  trouble 
when  somebody  steals  a  pearl  necklace.  When, 
fleeing  the  crime  scene,  garbed  as  a  bride,  she 
leaps  into  taxi  driver  Jimmy  Donlon's  cab,  she 
gets  him  into  a  peck  of  trouble.  It's  worse  than 
ever  when,  after  being  convinced  the  girl  is  on 
the  level,  Jimmy  falls  in  love  with  her  and  de- 
cides to  help  her  out  of  the  mess.  Summoning 
his  pickpocket  pal,  Fingers,  and  newspaper  re- 
porter buddy  Clifton  to  his  aid,  they  all  manage 
to  get  into  more  trouble,  all  of  which  is  highly 
comic  in  character  until  Mary  gets  to  thinking 
society  pauper  Stewart  is  the  villain.  For  a 
while  the  film  turns  serio-dramatic  as  Jimmy 
and  Mary  take  Stewart  for  a  ride  and  Fingers 
and  Clifton  ransack  his  apartment  for  evidence. 
But  after  Jimmy  wallops  Stewart  into  uncon- 
sciousness for  getting  fresh  with  Mary,  the 
whole  menage,  with  a  detective  added  for  good 
measure,  gather  in  Stewart's  lodgings  where, 
in  a  laugh-packed  anticlimax  to  the  romantic 
fadeout,  the  loot  is  recovered  dropping  from  the 
lining  of  Stewart's  hat. 

Wisely  the  producer  invested  the  story  with 
a  lot  of  hokum.  A  desirable  element  in  any  show 
of  this  character,  it's  the  angle  that  gives  it  a 
fresh  appeal.  In  that  atmosphere,  the  picture 
is  played  with  spirited  enthusiasm.  The  work 
of  Chester  Morris  and  Fay  Wray  is  consistently 
good.  They  together  provide  lots  of  laughs,  but 
the  character  most  likely  to  have  audiences  up 
on  chair  edges  is  Lionel  Stander,  whose  dia- 
logue and  actions  are  amusing.  Similarly  Ray- 
mond_  Walburn  and  other  cast  members  are 
effective  in  making  the  show's  amusement  really 
amusing.  The  teaser  significance  of  the  title 
takes  on  a  further  meaning  when  what  happens 
after  the  first  meeting  is  understood.  That  used 
as  the  initial  showmanship  lead,  with  patrons 
requested  to  exercise  their  own  imaginations  as 
to  what  occurs  thereafter,  should  provoke  con- 
siderable pre-presentation  interest  and  it  can 
be  expected  that  word-of-mouth  advertising 
will  benefit  follow-up  exploitation. 

Previewed  in  the  Rits  Theatre,  Los  Angeles. 
Following  the_  seriously  toned  "The  White  An- 
gel," the  audience  succumbed  to  the  gay,  airy 
preview,  several  timies  interrupting  its  showing 


with  applause,  and  gave  the  picture  an  ovation 
at  the  end  that  seemed  to  surprise  its  sponsors. 

McCarthy,  Hollywod. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Columbia.  Producer, 
Howard  J.  Green.  Directed  by  Alfred  E.  Green.  Story, 
Octavus  Roy  Cohen.  Screen  play,  Howard  J.  Green. 
Assistant  director,  Sam  Nelson.  Photographed  by 
James  Van  Trees.  Sound  engineer,  George  Cooper. 
Film  editor,  Gene  Milford.  Art  director,  Stephen  Goos- 
son.  Musical  director,  Morris  Stoloff.  Costumes  by 
Lon  Anthony.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2361.  Running 
time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  70  minutes.  Release 
date,  September  1,  1936.  General  audience  classifica- 
tion. 

CAST 

Jimmy  Donlin    Chester  Morris 

Mary  Trenton    pay  Wray 

Ch£ton    Raymond  Walburn 

Fingers    Lionel  Stander 

Stewart    Henry  Mollison 

Andrews    Kenneth  Harlan 

Edna  Fletcher    Ann  Merrill 

Policeman    Ward  Bond 

sPecks    Frank  Melton 

Grand  Jury 

(  Radio  ) 

Melodrama 

Municipal  corruption,  murder  and  the  timidity 
of  grand  juries  in  bringing  indictments  against 
known  racketeers  keynote  the  theme  of  this  pic- 
ture, subjects  common  to  many  a  newspaper's 
front  page. 

Through  this  theme  is  woven  a  story  of  the 
help  a  newspaper  gives  in  aiding  honest  citizens 
to  crusade  against  crime  and  crooked  political 
machines,  but,  unfortunately,  here  the  journal 
is  represented  by  a  cub  reporter  who  is  more 
successful  as  a  comedian  than  a  newshound, 
despite  the  fact  he  does  get  stories,  and  the 
plausibility  of  the  situation  is  shaken  quite  a  bit. 

However,  there  is  drama  enough  for  those 
that  demand  it— in  the  murder  of  two  innocent 
persons  and  the  near  murder  of  the  two  heroes, 
which  one  expects  as  soon  as  the  story  begins 
to  unfold. 

The  comedy  has  been  placed  in  the  capable 
hands  of  Fred  Stone  and  Owen  Davis,  Jr. 

Other  cast  names  include  Lois  Latimer, 
Moroni  Olsen,  who  is  prominent  in  the  cur- 
rently released  "Mary  of  Scotland";  Frank  M. 
Thomas,  Guinn  Williams,  Harry  Beresford, 
Russell  Hicks,  Harry  Jans  and  Billy  Gilbert. 

As  the  story  opens,  Stone  appears  to  be  ac- 
tive in  the  city's  civic  affairs  because  he  umpires 
the  baseball  games  between  the  teams  of  the 
various  municipal  departments.  His  grand- 
daughter, Miss  Latimer,  is  also  shown  to  be  in 
love  with  an  aspiring  reporter,  Davis. 

Miss  Latimer's  father  delivers  a  tirade  against 
the  necessity  of  serving  on  juries  when  he  is 
called  by  the  foreman  of  the  city's  grand  jury, 
and  her  grandfather  upbraids  him  for  his  lack 
of  civic  pride. 

The  grand  jury  is  to  try  Williams,  racketeer, 
for  the  murder  of  the  son  of  one  of  Stone's 
cronies.  The  jury  acquits  the  mobster  and  the 
dead  boy's  father  takes  a  shot  at  Williams  in 
the  jury  room.  Davis,  keeping  an  eye  out  for 
the  regular  reporter  covering  the  court,  scores 
a  beat  on  the  story  and  gets  his  first  recognition 
from  the  city  editor. 

By  another  twist  of  circumstances,  Davis  is 
assigned  to  get  a  statement  from  the  prisoner 
and  here  Stone  helps  him  by  getting  to  see  his 
former  pal  where  a  ^newspaperman  could  not. 
Stone  further  plans  to  help  the  youngster,  and 
his  granddaughter  at  the  same  time,  by  slipping 
the  prisoner  out  the  rear  door  of  the  peniten- 
tiary. 

The  gangsters,  thinking  the  murdered  boy's 


father  may  know  too  much,  kill  him  as  he  is 
walking  with  Stone  and  Davis.  This  sets  the 
two  after  the  murdering  ring  and  throws  them 
into  situations  the  audience  seems  to  expect. 

In  the  meantime,  to  cover  up  their  real  ac- 
tivities, the  gansters  ally  themselves  with  Stone 
by  posing  as  a  committee  of  righteous  citizens 
bent  on  seeing  justice  done.  Stone,  with  the  aid 
of  Davis,  continues  to  blunder  about  seeking 
clues  until  he  finally  stumbles  on  the  crooks' 
hideout.  Coming  to  meet  him,  Davis  is  cap- 
tured, and  in  trying  to  rescue  him,  Stone  also 
is  taken. 

The  gangsters  all  show  themselves  to  the 
two  prisoners  and  are  about  to  kill  them,  when 
the  police  break  in.  Stone  becomes  the  public 
hero  and  Davis,  the  reporter  who  made  good, 
wins  his  raise  so  he  can  marry  the  girl  of  his 
dreams. 

All  through  the  action  are  interspersed  bits 
of  comedy  by  Stone  and  Davis,  with  Davis 
doing  his  share  to  amuse  the  audience  by  con- 
tinual brushes  with  his  editor,  Charles  Wilson. 

Revieived  at  the  Palace  theatre  on  Broadway, 
where  an  audience  apparently  seeking  relief 
from  the  heat  seemed  to  be  pleased  with  the 
moderate  fare  offered. 

Baehler,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Radio.  Directed  by 
Albert  S.  Rogell.  Associate  producer,  Lee  Marcus. 
Screen  play  by  Joseph  A.  Fields  and  Philip  G.  Epstein. 
Story  by  James  Edward  Grant  and  Thomas  Lennon. 
Photographed  by  Joseph  August.  Art  director,  Van 
Nest  Polglase.  Gowns  by  Edward  M.  Stevenson. 
Recorded  by  George  D.  Ellis.  Edited  by  Jack  Hively. 
Release  date,  August  7,1936.  Running  time,  61  minutes. 
P.  C.  A.  certificate  No.  2,369.  General  audience  classi- 
fication. 

CAST 

Commodore  Taylor  Fred  Stone 

Steve  O'Donnell  Owen  Davis,  Jr. 

Edith  Taylor   Louise  Latimer 

Bodyguard   Moroni  Olsen 

Tohn  Taylor   Frank  M.  Thomas 

Joe  Britt   Guinn  Williams 

Charles  Evans   Harry  Beresford 

Hanify  Russell  Hicks 

Sullivan   Harry  Jans 

Walters   Robert  Emmett  Keane 

Chief  Brady   Robert  Middlemass 

Martha   Margaret  Armstrong- 
Editor   Charles  Wilson 

Otto   Billy  Gilbert 

District  Attorney   Robert  Fiske 

Barnes   Hilly  Arnold 

Whalen   Harvey  Clark 

Stroble   Thomas  E.  Jackson 

Officer  Burke   Edward  Gargan 


Yours  for  the  Asking 

(Paramount) 
Comedy  Romance 

Showmen  who  like  to  sell  their  merchandise 
will  find  plenty  in  this  to  occupy  their  attention. 
A  lively,  fast  moving  comedy  romance,  it  pos- 
sesses the  qualities  that  please  average  audi- 
ences. Well  mounted,  capably  acted,  it  concen- 
trates on  comedy  in  action,  situations  and  dia- 
logue. Names  presented  are  fairly  good  for  sell- 
ing purposes,  but  the  story  itself  seems  to  be  the 
thing  on  which  to  concentrate. 

George  Raft,  characteristically,  is  a  suave  but 
hardboiled  gambling  house  operator.  Doing 
business  with  the  ordinary  run  of  folk,  he  has 
ambitions  to  crack  the  big  money  folk.  Taking 
a  trip  to  Florida  in  the  winter  season,  he  runs 
across  an  impoverished  socialite,  Dolores  Cos- 
tollo  Barrymore,  and  makes  a  deal  with  her 
whereby  they  will  use  her  mansion  for  head- 
quarters and  she  will  serve  as  a  lure  to  attract 
the  moneyed  crowd.  At  the  same  time,  he  gets 

(Continued  on  Paftc  42) 


ma 


'REVIEWED  .  .  .  REVIEWED  .  . 


GIVEN  A  GLORIOUS  OVATION! 


Hollywood  went  wild  I  An  unprece- 
dented preview  crowd  jammed  and 
jostled  into  Sid  Grauman's  Chinese 
Theatre  •  •  •  and  came  out  acclaim- 
ing a  brilliant  new  star,  a  box-office 
triumph,  another  entertainment 
sensation  from  Twentieth! 


on  ^ 


<Je  *«" 


UjMjMIMIIilil 


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W3SK 1—  fTCW 

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THE  KEYSTONE 
OF  YOUR  FUTURE 


42 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


romantically  wrapped  up  in  the  girl  and  goes 
highbrow. 

To  his  henchmen  pals  of  other  days,  James 
Gleason,  Edgar  Kennedy  and  Lynne  Overman, 
this  is  something  not  to  be  desired.  A  resource- 
ful trio,  they  decide  to  give  Raft  a  dose  of 
medicine  that  will  bring  him  to  his  senses. 
They  hire  Reginald  Owen  and  Ida  Lupino  to 
appear  as  English  nobility  and  take  Raft  for  a 
sleighride.  Also  they  hope  that  when  he 
awakens  to  the  trimming  they  give  him,  he  will 
consider  Dolores  of  the  same  ilk,  and  all  can 
return  to  the  happiness  of  the  pre-high  hat  days. 
Owen  and  Lupino  go  to  work  on  Raft,  but  just 
when  the  hook  is  well  baited,  Costeilo  con- 
trives to  reveal  them  as  a  couple  of  confidence 
workers.  Raft  escapes  their  trap  to  save  his 
money,  and,  much  to  the  consternation  of  his 
trio  of  would  be  saviors,  marries  Miss  Costeilo. 

Always  light  and  lively  amusement,  telling  an 
improbable  but  none  the  less  possible  story,  the 
picture  stacks  up  as  one  that  exhibitors  can 
have  a  lot  of  fun  with  in  exploiting. 

Previewed  in  the  studio  projecting  room. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Paramount.  Produced 
by  Lewis  E.  Gensler.  Directed  by  Alexander  Hall. 
Assistant  director,  James  Dugan.  From  story  by 
William  R.  Lipman  and  William  H.  Wright.  Screen 
play  by  Eve  Greene,  Harlan  Ware  and  Philip  Mac- 
Donald.  Sound,  Harry  Lindgren.  Film  editor,  James 
Smith.  Art  directors,  Hans  Dreier  and  Roland  An- 
derson. Photographed  by  Theodor  Sparkuhl.  Musical 
director,  Boris  Morros.  Costumes  by  Travis  Banton. 
Interior  decorations,  A.  E.  Freudeman.  P.  C.  A.  Cer- 
tificate No.  2320.  Running  time,  when  seen  in  Holly- 
wood, 68  minutes.  Release  date,  July  24,  1936.  General 
audience  classification. 

CAST 

Johnny  Lamb    George  Raft 

Lucille  Sutton    Dolores  Costeilo  Barrymore 

Gert  Malloy    Ida  Lupino 

Dictionary  McKmny  and  Col.  Evelyn  Carstairs— 

„  Reginald  Owen 

Saratoga    James  Gleason 

Bicarbonate    Edgar  Kennedy 

Honeysuckle      Lynne  Overman 

Perry  Barnes    Richard  "Skeets"  Gallagher 

*}F\  Crenshaw    Walter  Walker 

Slick  Doran    Robert  GIeck]ev 

Bened,ct    Richard  Powell 


I  Was  a  Captive  of  Nazi 
Germany 

(Malvina) 
Political  Preachment 

It  would  appear  that  one  Isobel  Lillian  Steele. 
Canada-born  American  girl,  music  student  and 
one-time  foreign  correspondent  of  a  magazine 
entitled  "Germany  and  You,"  was  arrested  by 
the  German  government  in  September,  1934, 
on  suspicion  of  espionage,  was  detained  suc- 
cessively in  two  jails  and  deported  in  December 
of  the  same  year  following  long-range  inter- 
vention by  Senator  William  E.  Borah  of  Idaho. 

It  further  appears  that  the  said  Isobel  Lillian 
Steele  wrote  up  her  experiences  and  decided 
they  constituted  material  for  a  motion  picture, 
which  was  produced  in  due  season  by  Malvina 
Pictures  corporation  under  direction  of  Alfred 
T.  Mannon. 

Wherefore,  actually,  "I  Was  a  Captive  of 
Nazi  Germany"  opened  at  the  Globe  theatre, 
46th  street  and  Broadway,  New  York,  on  Au- 
gust 1st,  for  what  was  advertised  as  its  world 
premiere,  with  the  marquee  shouting  "amazing" 
and  "astounded"  to  passersby  accustomed  to 
strong  adjectives  and,  on  occasion,  strong  en- 
tertainment. The  adjectives  turned  out  to  be 
the  stronger  in  this  instance. 

The  picture  which  Mr.  Mannon  managed  to 
construct  is  a  queer  admixture  of  personally 
conducted  interview  with  Miss  Steele,  stock 
shots  of  post-war  Germany,  newspaper  head- 
lines and,  finally,  staged  reenactment  of  in- 
cidents underwritten  as  factual  by  Miss  Steele 
or  Mr.  Mannon  or  both.  For  a  long  while  be- 
fore the  acting  begins  an  unnamed  narrator 
visible  in  silhouette  recites  history,  introduces 
Miss  Steele,  then  asks  her  questions  which  .she 
answers  by  way  of  leaving  no  one  in  the  dark 
as  to  how  she  feels  about  Herr  Hitler.  Fre- 
quently during  the  staged  portion  of  the  picture 
the  narrator  intrudes,  making  everything  clear 
to  the  just  possibly  puzzled  audience,  and  he's 


talking  again  when  the  picture  closes  with  a 
shot  of  the  Statue  of  Liberty.  The  flag  is 
omitted. 

Import  of  his  many  words,  which  are  inter- 
spersed with  scenes  in  which  Miss  Steele  acts 
the  part  of  Miss  Steele  in  company  with  un- 
named and  unknown  players,  is  that  Herr 
Hitler's  treatment  of  everybody  is  pretty  bad 
but  his  treatment  of  the  Jews  is  much  worse. 
It  is  possible  to  get  the  impression  that  the 
narrator  likes  to  have  a  bit  of  help  from  his 
audience  and  on  Monday  afternoon  he  got  it. 
As  German  script  scribbled  on  a  cell  wall  was 
interpreted  by  the  narrator  as  a  warning  to 
Der  Fuehrer  that  for  every  individual  he  im- 
prisoned a  hundred  others  were  at  liberty  and 
opposed  to  him,  abrupt  applause,  not  necessarily 
planted,  broke  out,  followed  by  a  gutteral  "Heil 
Hitler"  en  solo.  Then  the  picture  slouched 
along  in  silence  to  its  star-spangled  finish. 

As  to  the  showman's  problem  in  exploiting 
the  picture,  there  isn't  any.  The  situation  is 
quite  the  reverse.  The  problem  is  not  to  find 
the  exploitation  angles  but  to  find  the  picture. 
Factual  or  not,  and  intentionally  or  otherwise, 
the  film  is  a  gaudv,  underdone  and  ineffective 
attack  on  the  Hitler  government,  as  which  it 
compares  unfavorably  with  most  temperate 
utterances  of  the  daily  press  and  nightly  radio 
on  the  same  subject. 

Reviewed  at  the  Globe  theatre.  New  York, 
on  August  3rd,  which  zvas  a  warm  day. 

Weaver,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Malvina  Pictures  Cor- 
poration. Directed  by  Alfred  T.  Mannon.  Story  by 
Isobel  Lillian  Steele.  No.  P.  C.  A.  certificate.  Re- 
lease date.  August  1.  Running  time,  73  minutes. 
General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Isobel  Lillian  Steele  Isobel  Lillian  Steele 

Other  cast  names  unbilled  by  agreement  with  players. 


Desert  Cold 


(Paramount) 
Adventure  Romance 

A  Zane  Grey  story  of  the  old  West,  this  pic- 
ture concentrates  in  theme  on  the  struggle  of 
the  Indian  to  preserve  the  last  remnants  of  the 
lands  of  his  ancestors  from  the  invading  white 
man.  Buster  Crabbe  as  Moya,  the  young  and 
educated  chief  of  an  ancient  and  dying  tribe, 
injects  a  new  note  into  the  familiar  plot  of 
love  pitted  against  greed  in  a  fight  for  a  fabu- 
lous gold  mine.  The  colorful  figure  of  the  young 
Indian  chief  as  portrayed  by  Crabbe  is  the  key- 
note for  the  campaign. 

A  well-screened  gun  battle,  in  which  the 
defenders  of  the  mine  use  dynamite  when  their 
ammunition  gives  out,  and  a  charge  on  horse- 
back by  the  Indians,  who  in  this  case  are  the 
rescuers,  are  the  high  spots  of  the  picture  which 
piovide  groundwork  for  build-up.  Monte  Blue, 
veteran  Western  villain,  as  Kasedon,  deserves 
a  strong  play. 

The  film  opens  with  a  ceremonial  in  which 
the  tribe  is  initiating  Moya  as  chieftain.  The 
sages  of  the  tribe  warn  him  to  guard  the  hidden 
gold  mine  which  is  their  last  treasure.  Back 
in  the  settlement  Chet  Kasedon  makes  over- 
tures to  Moya,  but  the  Indian  refuses  to  dis- 
close the  site.  The  promoter  sets  his  outlaws 
on  the  Indian  chief,  who  is  captured  and  taken 
to  the  mountains  for  torture.  Meanwhile  the 
stage  coach  is  bringing  to  the  settlement  Dick 
Gale,  a  young  mining  engineer  imported  by 
Kasedon,  and  his  greenhorn  friend,  Fordyce 
Mortimer,  out  to  "see  the  West."  Other  passen- 
gers are  Jane  Belding  and  her  father,  Doc  Beld- 
ing. Dick  incurs  the  wrath  of  Jane  by  his  re- 
marks about  her  father's  professional  ability. 
Arrived  in  the  town,  Dick  is  surprised  to  learn 
that  Jane  is  engaged  to  Kasedon. 

Chet  orders  Dick  to  find  the  mine.  Out  on  a 
prospecting  trip  the  engineer  stumbles  on  the 
camp  where  Kasedon's  outlaws  are  trying  to 
extract  the  secret  of  the  mine  from  Moya.  That 
night  Dick  slips  back  and  rescues  the  Indian, 
who,  in  return,  makes  him  a  partner  in  the  gold 
venture  since  the  tribe  now  needs  technical 
help  in  mining  the  ore.  Dick  and  Fordyce  take 
samples  of  the  quartz  to  the  assayer,  who  be- 
trays the  pair  to  Kasedon.  Kasedon's  wedding 
to  Jane  is  set  for  that  night.  Just  as  the  cere- 


mony is  beginning  Dick  eludes  the  guards  Chei 
has  set  over  him,  kidnaps  Jane  in  a  Lochinvar 
gesture  and  carries  her  off  to  the  mine.  Chet 
and  his  outlaws  ride  out  to  seize  the  mine  from 
the  Indians  and  their  new  found  friends.  They 
surprise  the  group  and  a  desperate  battle  begins. 

Lifted  "above  the  more  ordinary  western  by 
the  Zane  Grey  name  and  by  the  unusual  treat- 
ment of  the  Indian  angle,  the  picture  is  inter- 
esting and  exciting.  As  a  study  in  history  it 
may  be  improbable  but  as  adventure,  it  rates. 

Seen  at  Loew's  Ziegfeld,  subsequent  run, 
where  the  action  picture  was  favorably  re- 
ceived by  the  neighborhood  audience. 

Ivers,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Paramount.  Produced 
by  Harold  Hurley.  Supervised  by  William  T.  Lackey. 
Directed  by  James  Hogan.  Screen  play  by  Stuart 
Anthony  and  Robert  Yost  from  a  novel  by  Zane 
Grey.  Art  direction  by  Hans  Dreier  and  Dave  Gar- 
ber.  Edited  by  Chandler  House.  Photographed  by 
George  Clemens,  A.  S.  C.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No. 
1931.  Running  time,  57  minutes.  General  audience 
classification. 

CAST 

Moya    Larry  "Buster"  Crabbe 

Fordyce  Mortimer    Robert  Cummings 

Jane  Belding    Marsha  Hunt 

Dick  Gale    Tom  Keene 

Glen  Kasedon    Glenn  Erikson 

Chetley  Kasedon    Monte  Blue 

Doc  Belding    Raymond  Ha.tton 

Ladd    Walter  Miller 

Lash    Frank  Mayo 

Sentry    Phillip  Morris 


Trapped  by  Television 

(  Columbia  ) 
Comedy-Drama 

Television,  currently  a  topic  of  newspapers, 
table  talk  and  official  utterance  on  both  sides  of 
the  Atlantic,  is  the  principal  subject  of  this 
comedy  drama,  which  has  to  do  with  the  suc- 
cessful invention  of  a  receiving  and  sending 
apparatus  on  the  basis  of  what  the  dialogue 
describes  as  a  "new  theory."  The  apparatus 
represented  as  constituting  the  device  is 
equipped  with  enough  gadgets  to  make  what 
transpires  appear  plausible  and  the  story  per- 
mits the  invention  to  work  out  its  own  and  the 
inventor's  salvation. 

Probably  the  general  interest  in  television 
suggests  exploitation  in  that  vein  as  the  basic 
promotional  factor.  With  this  technique  the 
title  and  the  action  of  the  story  are  in  accord. 
In  pattern  the  picture  is  of  the  comedy-to-drama 
type,  ending  in  a  melodramatic  sequence  of  con- 
siderable vigor. 

The  plot  presents  the  case  of  Fred  Dennis, 
impoverished  inventor  of  a  television  machine, 
befriended  by  one  Rocky,  bill  collector,  and  ulti- 
mately by  Bobby  Blake,  girl  promoter,  who  sets 
out  to  exploit  the  invention  and  falls  in  love 
with  the  inventor.  A  broadcasting  company  on 
the  verge  of  bankruptcy  is  the  sought  customer. 
Three  of  its  employees  who  have  engineered  a 
coup  to  sell  the  company's  own  television 
formulae  to  the  company  by  criminal  methods 
seek  to  frustrate  Dennis'  plans.  Successful  dem- 
onstration of  the  Dennis  apparatus  combines 
with  a  fist  fight  in  which  the  crooks  demolish 
the  sending  machine,  but  are  televisioned  (if 
that's  the  word)  in  the  act  of  doing  so.  They 
are  apprehended,  the  apparatus  is  purchased, 
and  Dennis  marries  the  girl. 

Reviewed  at  the  RKO  %lst  Street  theatre, 
New  York,  on  a  quiet  afternoon,  at  the  first 
show,  as  shown  to  a  filling  house  which  gave 
no  tangible  evidence  of  reaction  for  or  against. 

Weaver,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Columbia.  Directed  by 
Del  Lord.  Story  by  Sherman  Lowe  and  Al  Martin. 
Screen  play  by  Lee  Loeb  and  Harold  Buchman.  Edited 
by  James  Sweeney.  Protographv  by  Allen  G.  Seigler. 
Special  camera  effects  by  E.  Roy  Davidson.  P.  C.  A. 
Certificate  2115.  Release  date.  June  15,  1936.  Running 
time,  64  minutes.    General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Bobby   Mary  Astor 

Fred  Dennis    Lyie  Talbot 

R°cky    Nat  Pendleton 

2?ae.    Jovce  Compton 

£"tls    Thurston  Hall 

Thornton    Henry  Mollison 

J"rn.e.r,    Wyrley  Birch 

Starfish    Robert  Strange 

(,nmn    Marc  Lawrence 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


43 


Gypsy  Meiody 

(British  Artistic -War  dour) 
Romantic  Musical  Comedy 

The  Tzigani  Band  of  Alfred  Rode  is  deserv- 
edly featured  in  this  romantic  comedy  and  Lupe 
Velez  supplies  the  feminine  charm.  The  picture 
is  plentifully  supplied  with  comedy,  and  though 
Jerry  Verno  as  Madame  Beatrice,  modiste, 
seems  to  force  the  laughs  at  first,  the  comedy 
works  up  into  real  laugh-making.  The  continu- 
ity is  good,  the  story  entertaining  and  the  music 
excellent,  especially  the  2nd  Hungarian  Rhap- 
sody played  by  Rode's  Tziganis.  This  is  the 
high  spot  of  the  film.  Fred  Duprez  as  the 
American  impresario  gives  an  outstanding  per- 
formance, i 

Lupe  Velez  sings  and  dances  well  and  is 
excellently  cast  as  the  Gypsy  girl  in  love  with 
Rode,  who,  as  Captain  of  the  Guard  in  Ruri- 
tania,  is  imprisoned  after  wounding  the  referee 
in  a  duel.  Escaping,  he  is  then  driven  away 
from  a  Gypsy  camp,  which  he  had  joined,  on 
his  wanderings,  by  the  chief,  who  is  in  love  with 
Lupe.  He  takes  charge  of  a  Biergarten  Or- 
chestra and  is  engaged  by  an  American  im- 
presario. The  scenes  which  follow  in  a  London 
hotel  where  the  orchestra  is  engaged  provide 
the  comedy  high  spots  of  the  film  and  a  chance 
for  Lupe's  temperamental  outburst. 

Unexpectedly  returning  to  Ruritania  when 
the  airplane  in  which  they  are  traveling  to  the 
Continent  makes  a  forced  landing,  the  Captain 
of  the  Guard  is  welcomed  back  to  his  country 
because  of  his  success  abroad,  and  marries  his 
Gypsy  sweetheart  with  impressive  Gypsy  cere- 
monials. 

The  recording  in  the  earlier  portion  of  the 
film  was  noticeably  bad  and  the  earlier  dia- 
logue fell  flat.  The  music  is  delightful  and 
unusual  throughout. 

Night  trade  show  at  Piccadilly  Theatre,  Lon- 
don. The  house  loudly  applauded  the  Tzigani 
Band  numbers,  especially  the  2nd  Hungarian 
Rhapsody,  zvhich  wais  the  high  spot  of  the  pic- 
ture.   Comedy  got  over  very  well. 

Hope  Williams,  London 

Produced  by  British  Artistic  Films  and  Alfred  Rode. 
Distributed  by  Associated  British  Pictures.  Director, 
Edmond  T.  Greville.  Production  manager,  Leon  Hep- 
ner.  Supervised  by  Emil  Edwin  Reinert.  Photo- 
graph. Claude  Friese- Greene.  Art  director,  John 
Francis  Mead.  Recording,  Cecil  Thornton.  Lyrics, 
Bruce  Sievier.  Dialogue.  Irving  LeRoy  and  Dan 
Wellden.  Film  editor.  George  Grace.  Running  time, 
70  minutes.    Adult  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Mila    Lupe  Velez 

Captain  Eric  Danilo    Alfred  Rode 

Madame  Beatrice    Terry  Verno 

Herbert  P.  Melon   Fred  Duprez 

Grand  duke    Wyn  Weaver 

Grand  duchess    Margaret  Yarde 

Court  Chamberlain    Raymond  Lovell 

Marco   .'   Monti  de  Lyle 

Hotel  manager    Louis  Darnley 

Biergarten  manager    Hector  Abbass 

Doctor  Ipstein    G.  de  Joncourt 

And  Alfred  Rode's  Tzigane  Orchestra. 


Calling  the  Tune 

( Phoenix- ABFD,  London) 
Musical  Melodrama 

This  subject  at  least  has  an  original  story 
background.  Its  action  covers  twenty  years' 
progress  in  gramophone  technique  and  quite  a 
lot  of  the  incident  is  placed  in  the  recording 
studios,  which  are  illustrated  as  they  were  in 
the  days  when  a  German  Band  from  the  street 
was  good  enough  for  a  popular  number,  down 
through  the  days  of  the  first  Melba  recording 
to  the  perfection  of  electrical  recording  and  the 
promise  of  television. 

Incidental  to  this  survey  is  the  introduction  of 
such  famous  entertainers  as  Sir  Cedric  Hard- 
wicke,  George  Robey,  the  Philharmonic  String 
Quartet,  the  English  Singers,  and  Sir  Henry 
Wood  conducting  the  Queen's  Hall  Orchestra. 

In  this  aspect  of  the  subject  lies  the  best 
chance  of  putting  it  over.  The  story  is  not  too 
convincing.  Its  opening  shows  Stephen  Har- 
bord, inventor  of  a  new  record-pressing  process, 
tricked  out  of  his  formula  bv  a  crooked  em- 


ployee, Finlay,  in  collusion  with  Bob  Gordon, 
principal  of  a  gramophone  company ;  at  the 
same  time  Gordon  squeezes  out  his  more  scrupu- 
lous partner,  John  Mallory. 

Twenty  years  later  his  son,  Peter  Mallory, 
is  in  a  relatively  unimportant  position  in  the 
company,  in  which  Gordon  and  Finlay  are 
supreme.  Harbord  has  invented  an  electrical 
recording  system,  superior  to  one  on  which 
Peter  has  been  working.  Peter,  in  love  with 
Gordon's  daughter,  Margaret,  antagonizes  her 
by  his  attentions  to  Julia,  Harbord's  daughter, 
but  they  are  reconciled  after  Finlay,  attempting 
to  wreck  the  Harbord  factory,  is  killed  in  an 
explosion  and  his  dying  confession  is  recorded 
by  television. 

The  acting  is  very  uneven,  the  work  of  the 
juveniles  contrasting  badly  with  that  of  Sam 
Livesey  and  Eliot  Makeham  as  Gordon  and 
Harbord. 

Trade  shown  at  the  Cambridge  Theatre, 
afternoon.  Due  to  the  artificialities  of  the  story 
and  the  somewhat  stilted  acting  there  was  a 
deal  of  laughter  in  unscheduled  places.  The 
Robey  and  Hardwicke  items  and  the  orchestral 
and  other  musical  contributions  got,  and  de- 
served, applause. 

Allan,  London. 

Produced  by  Hugh  Percival  for  Phoenix  Films.  Dis- 
tributed in  Eigland  by  Associated  British  Film  Dis- 
tributors. Original  story  by  Basil  Mason.  Directed 
by  Reginald  Denham.  Camera,  Frank  Weihmayr. 
Art  director,  R.  Holmes- Paul.  Running  time,  70  mins. 
"G." 

CAST 

Bob  Gordon   Sam  Livesay 

Margaret  Gordon   Sally  Grey 

Stephen  Harbord  ,  Eliot  Makeham 

Julia  Harbord   Adele  Dixon 

John  Mallory   Lewis  Casson 

Peter  Mallory   Clifford  Evans 

Dick  Finlay   Donald  Wolfit 

Bramwell   Ronald  Simpson 

Jenkins   Robert  Wilton,  Jr. 

Stubbins   H.  F.  Maltby 

"Personalities":  Sir  Henry  J.  Wood  and  the 
Queen's  Hall  Orchestra;  Sir  Cedric  Hardwicke; 
George  Robey;  Philharmonic  String  Quartette;  Charles 
Penrose;  Reginald  Forsythe;  English  Singers  Quar- 
tette. 


Accused 


( Criterion  -  United  Artists) 
Backstage  Melodrama 

Combined  in  the  plot  of  this  British  produc- 
tion are  two  elements  sometimes  supposed  to 
guarantee  popular  appeal.  It  is  a  backstage 
story  and  it  climaxes  in  one  of  the  "big"  court 
scenes  in  which  the  heroine  is  saved  at  the  last 
minute  from  a  conviction  for  murder. 

Additionally  for  exploitation  are  the  facts  that 
French  court  procedure  is,  nominally,  pictured 
and  that  the  acquittal  is  obtained  by  "recon- 
struction of  the  crime."  This  procedure  has  a 
recognized  place  in  French  law. 

With  an  American  director  in  Thornton  Free- 
land  and  two  American  leads  in  Dolores  Del 
Rio  and  Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.,  the  subject  has 
further  values  for  the  use  of  showmen  who  do 
not  think  the  subject's  crudities  of  detail  and 
the  weakness  of  its  dialogue  disqualify  it  for 
use. 

In  Paris,  Tony  Seymour  and  his  Spanish 
wife  Gaby  obtain  a  dancing  engagement  in  a 
new  musical  show  to  be  put  on  by  Yvette  De- 
lange,  stage  star  with  a  temperament  and  a 
liking  for  young  men.  She  pursues  Tony  and 
arouses  the  angry  jealousy  of  Gaby.  On  the 
night  of  the  dress  rehearsal  she  insults  Gaby 
during  her  dance  and  after  an  angry  scene  Tony 
and  Gaby  walk  off  the  stage. 

Persuaded  by  the  manager,  Tony  agrees  to 
go  to  Yvette's  flat  to  patch  up  matters.  She 
fails  to  appear.  When  Tony  reaches  her  apart- 
ment he  finds  that  Gaby,  believing  him  with 
Yvette,  has  been  tramping  the  streets  for  hours. 
At  the  theatre,  meantime,  Yvette  has  been  found 
dead — stabbed  with  a  dagger  used  by  Gaby  in 
her  stage  dance.  There  are  witnesses  to  the  fact 
that  Gaby  visited  the  star  and  was  heard  quar- 
reling with  her,  and  she  cannot  account  for  the 
hours  spent  in  the  street. 

At  her  trial  for  murder  a  conviction  seems 
certain,  when  Tony  appears  with  a  new  wit- 
ness, the  ex-convict  husband  of  Yvette,  who 
admits  to  visiting  her  just  before  the  crime. 


In  clearing  himself  he  proves  that  the  night 
watchman  who  found  the  body  has  told  lies ;  the 
defending  counsel  seizes  the  clue  and  in  a  ver- 
bal re-enactment  of  the  crime  accuses  the 
watchman,  who  admits  his  guilt  by  hurling  a 
knife  at  the  lawyer,  exactly  as  he  did  at  the 
murdered  woman. 

Night  trade  show  at  the  Palace  Theatre.  The 
extraordinary  laxity  of  the  French  court  pro- 
ceedings caused  ironical  laughter  and  interest 
seemed  to  slacken  rather  often,  due  to  this  and 
other  story  crudities  and  to  poor  dialogue. 

Allan,  London. 

Produced  by  Marcel  Hellman  for  Criterion  Film 
Productions  and  distributed  by  United  Artists.  Direc- 
tor, Thornton  Freeland.  Production  manager,  Cecil 
Dixon.  Camera  and  lighting,  Victor  Arminese.  Art 
director,  Edward  Carrick.  Screen  play,  Zoe  Atkins 
and  George  Barraud.  Dialogue,  Zoe  Atkins.  Addi- 
tional dialogue.  George  Barraud.  Running  time,  70 
minutes.    Adult  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Tony  Seymour    Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr. 

Gaby  Seymour    Dolores  Del  Rio 

Yvette  Delange    Florence  Desmond 

Eugene  Roget    Basil  Sydney 

President  of  court    Athole  Stewart 

Prosecuting  counsel    Cecil  Humphreys 

Morel    Esme  Percy 

Alphonse    Edward  Rigby 

Dubec    George  Moor  Mariott 

Guy  Henry    Cyril  Raymond 

Ninette    Googie  Withers 

Henry  Cappelle    Roland  Cul^ — 


Stranger  Than  Fiction,  No.  26 

(Universal) 
Unusual  Turns 

Eight  more  unusual  bits  are  offered  in  this 
number.  They  include  a  street  car  pass  that 
does  duty  for  a  whole  family  with  a  homing 
pigeon  returning  the  pass  to  their  home  for 
further  use,  a  full-sized  candy  kitchen  in  a  bus, 
a  desert  forming  in  Big  Woods,  Me.,  a  drug 
store  for  chickens  only,  a  heating  system  to 
protect  tomatoes  in  cold  weather,  a  man  with 
eyes  that  shift  from  north  to  south  or  east  to 
west  on  the  slightest  provocation,  a  woman  who 
creates  designs  and  oranaments  with  tiny  flow- 
ers, and  a  boat  with  windmills  that  supply  the 
power  to  turn  the  propeller.  Running  time,  9 
minutes. 


Music  Hath  Charms 

(Universal) 
Average 

Oswald  the  rabbit  and  his  family  prepare  to 
drive  off  the  annual  invasion  of  the  grasshoppers 
with  hill-billy  music.  The  grasshoppers  come 
in  great  numbers  and,  undeterred  by  the  music, 
cut  quite  a  swath  in  crops,  trees  and  in  fact 
everything  in  sight,  including  houses  and  whis- 
kers. Then  Oswald,  in  desperation,  plays  jazz 
music  on  his  saxophone.  This  not  only  tames 
the  grasshoppers,  but  they  also  restore  the  de- 
pleted area  to  its  former  status.  Running  time, 
8  minutes. 


Screen  Snapshots  No.  12 

(  Columbia) 
Interesting 

An  interesting  camera  study  of  the  Holly- 
wood stars  during  play  and  relaxation  periods, 
covering  such  events  as  the  inauguration  of  a 
new  Diesel  engine,  a  swimming  party  aboard 
the  liner,  Santa  Paula,  a  new  transcontinental 
plane  and  a  Mayfair  party  at  the  Beverly- 
•  Wilshire  Hotel.  Various  wellknown  characters 
appear,  including  Eleanor  Powell,  Lionel  Bar- 
rymore,  Gladys  Swarthout,  Joan  Crawford  and 
42  others,  as  well  or  slightly  less  known.  Run- 
ning time,  10  minutes. 


Rosenbluh  Heads  Studios 

Louis  Rosenbluh,  former  Fox  executive, 
has  taken  over  operation  of  National  Stu- 
dios, Inc.  A  celebration  to  be  called  "Three 
Decades  of  Progress"  is  being-  planned  by 
the  photography  company. 


44 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    a,  1936 


PUBLIC  TIRED  OF  DOUBLE  BILLS,  SAYS 
SHOWMAN;  LONGER  FEATURES  URGED 


Ralph  Cokain,  Writing  in  Lib- 
erty Magazine,  Blames  Pro- 
ducers as  Well  as  Exhibitors; 
Warns  Against  Giveaways 

If  Hollywood  will  keep  on  increasing  the 
length  of  features,  double  billing  will  die  a 
natural  death,  in  the  belief  of  Ralph  Cokain, 
advertising  manager  for  the  three  Neall  and 
Conners  independent  theatres,  at  Marion, 
Ind.,  with  his  offices  in  the  Indiana  Theatre. 
The  independents  are  the  principal  users  of 
the  double  featuring  policy. 

Mr.  Cokain,  writing  in  Bernarr  Macfad- 
den's  Liberty  Magazine  under  the  caption 
"Double-Trouble  at  the  Movies  ...  A  Sym- 
pathetic Theatre  Man  Speaks  His  Uncen- 
sored  Mind,"  takes  the  stand  that  the  public 
is  tired  of  double  billing,  that  producers  have 
taken  note,  and  that  the  practice  soon  will 
disappear.  He  calls  the  practice  "the  great- 
est menace"  he  has  ever  seen  to  the  motion 
picture  industry  and  to  the  public. 

Quoting  "innumerable  complaints"  he  has 
heard  from  patrons,  he  declares  that  he  can- 
not blame  them.  "What  irks  me,"  he  con- 
tinues, "is  that  theatres  continue  week  after 
week  to  shove  such  an  entertainment  policy 
down  the  public's  throat  while  the  poor 
moviegoer  yells,  'Stop  !'  "  The  writer  points 
out  that  there  is  a  small  minority  who  think 
they  are  getting  more  for  their  money  simply 
because  they  sit  twice  as  long.  "However," 
he  says,  "very  few  can  recall  the  time  when 
both  features  on  the  same  program  were 
equally  outstanding.   One  was  bad." 

In  extenuation  of  this  he  points  out  that 
the  exhibitor  over  a  period  cannot  arrange 
double  features,  cannot  afford  to  operate  un- 
der such  a  policy,  unless  one  of  the  features 
is  cheap  and  mine-run. 

Of  the  theatre  manager's  side  of  the  prob- 
lem Mr.  Cokain  explains  that  during  the 
depression  the  exhibitor  had  to  evolve  some 
strategem  to  hold  up  his  receipts.  "At  the 
same  time,"  he  says,  "he  contracted  for  so 
many  pictures  that  in  order  to  play  them 
on  time  in  accordance  with  his  agreement 
with  the  producers  he  had  to  double  on  his 
program. 

"It  was  a  novelty  at  first,  but  the  public 
is  tiring  of  it.  No  greater  proof  of  this  is 
needed  than  the  fact  that  not  only  double 
features  are  necessary  to  attract  patron- 
age, but  bank  nights,  china-gift  nights, 
sweepstakes,  and  other  forms  of  giveaway 
inducements  as  well.  If  double  features 
were  satisfactory  from  the  patrons'  stand- 
point, these  other  schemes  to  get  more 
business  would  never  have  been  necessary. 
As  it  is,  the  poor  exhibitor,  along  with  his 
two  features,  has  so  many  special  give- 
away nights  that  entertainment  is  losing 
out  in  his  theatre."  And  patronage  is  de- 
creasing as  a  direct  result,  he  believes, 
when  the  public  would  rather  have  one 
good  feature,  balanced  with  the  proper 
amount  of  short  subjects. 

Mr.  Cokain  blames  the  producers  just  as 
much  as  the  theatre  manager.  "They  know 


well  enough  that  the  pairing  of  features  cuts 
down  on  their  revenue,"  he  says.  "They 
know,  too,  that  the  added  giveaway  induce- 
ments are  eating  into  their  profits.  Yet  they 
add  more  features  each  season  to  their 
lineup,  with  the  exhibitor  buying  so  many 
he  can't  fulfill  the  terms  of  his  contract  un- 
!ess  he  pairs  them." 

The  writer  draws  hope  from  the  fact  that 
producers,  in  a  study  of  their  grosses,  are 
discovering  that  in  almost  every  case  they 
have  made  more  money  from  playing  single 
features  that  were  too  good  to  pair  with 
others  of  lesser  value. 

"The  producers'  first  step  is  to  make 
longer  features,"  he  continues.  "It  was 
longer  pictures,  pictures  that  in  spite  of 
their  length  packed  an  entertainment  wal- 
lop in  every  foot,  that  won  Academy 
awards,  movie-magazine  medals,  blue  rib- 
bon awards  of  merit  from  trade  papers, 
and  box-office  medals  for  their  unusually 
high  grosses.  It  is  longer  features  that 
Hollywood  is  now  turning  out  in  the  first 
stage  of  its  war  on  'doubles'." 

Citing  as  an  example  the  Metro-Goldwyn- 
Mayer  film  "The  Great  Ziegfeld,"  Mr.  Co- 
kain answers  the  possible  contention  that 
such  a  picture,  running  a  little  over  three 
hours,  is  just  as  likely  to  tire  the  patron  as 
two  features  of  ordinary  length.  "Three 
things  must  be  taken  into  consideration,"  he 
declares.  "First,  Hollywood  does  not  intend 
to  increase  the  length  of  pictures  unless  they 
are  'meaty'  enough  with  entertainment  to 
sustain  the  interest.  Second,  the  public  has 
sat  through  two  features  for  so  long  that 
the  producers  believe  one  good  long  picture 
would  be  much  more  preferable  than  two 
mediocre  short  ones.  Third,  the  temptation 
to  add  another  feature  is  practically  aban- 
doned if  the  running  time  of  the  first  feature 
is  too  long." 

Mr.  Cokain  concludes  that  the  double  fea- 
ture plan  is  on  the  way  out,  but  cautions  that 
"it  will  be  a  lingering  death." 

"I  wish  all  the  theatre  managers  from  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  would  join  forces  to 
stop  the  practice,  and  all  do  it  at  the  same 
time,"  writes  the  showman.  "But  that  won't 
be  done.  It  will  take  time.  But  once  it  is  out 
of  the  way,  producers,  exhibitors  and  the 
movie-going  public  will  be  happier.  And  I, 
for  one,  will  sigh  with  relief  when  I  see 
one  of  last  night's  patrons  coming  toward 
me.  At  least  he  won't  be  complaining  about 
that  gosh-awful  double  feature  program  he 
endured  last  night." 

Butterfield  Theatres 
Announce  Expansion 

An  extensive  rebuilding  and  expansion 
plan  is  announced  for  the  fall  and  winter 
season  by  E.  C.  Beatty,  president  of  the 
W.  S.  Butterfield  Theatres,  Inc.,  and  the 
Butterfield  Michigan  circuit.  New  houses 
include  ones  in  Alpena,  Traverse  City,  Bay 
City  and  Grand  Rapids  and  the  leasing  of 
the  Whitney  in  Ann  Arbor.  New  seats  and 
equipment  will  be  installed  in  most  of  the 
other  theatres. 


Grand  National 
Certificates 
Are  All  Sold 

Edward  L.  Alperson,  president  of  Grand 
National  Pictures,  this  week  stated  that  of 
400,000  shares  of  new  stock  offered  to  the 
stockholders  of  Grand  National  384,296 
shares,  or  96.07  per  cent  have  been  sub- 
scribed. 

Mr.  Alperson  also  announced  that  Robin- 
son, Miller  and  Company,  on  behalf  of  the 
underwriting  group,  state  that  the  unsub- 
scribed stock,  amounting  to  15,704  shares, 
will  be  withdrawn  for  private  investment. 
No  stock  will  be  offered  to  the  public.  The 
company  has  approximately  9,000  stock- 
holders. 

Meanwhile,  in  Hollywood,  work  on  lining 
up  a  production  staff  continues.  This  week 
it  was  announced  that  Grand  National  had 
signed  Ed  Finney,  former  advertising  and 
publicity  director  of  Republic  Pictures,  to 
produce  eight  westerns,  to  star  Tex  Ritter, 
radio  singer,  under  the  direction  of  John 
McCarthy.  Mr.  Finney  is  also  advertising 
and  publicity  director  of  Grand  National 
and  will  continue  in  these  duties  besides 
producing. 

Others  signed  by  the  new  organization  in- 
clude Russell  Bell  as  art  director.  He  was 
formerly  connected  with  Warner  Brothers 
and  United  Artists.  Harry  Blair  will  handle 
special  publicity  and  Sam  Kestenbaum,  who 
recently  resigned  from  Republic  as  promo- 
tion manager,  has  been  signed  in  the  same 
capacity  by  Mr.  Finney. 

Friedlander  Settles 
With  Grand  National 

Al  Friedlander  this  week  settled  his  con- 
tract as  vice-president  in  charge  of  adver- 
tising, sales  and  distribution  of  First  Divi- 
sion Exchanges,  Inc.,  which  was  recently 
absorbed  by  Grand  National  Pictures. 

Mr.  Friedlander  for  years  bought,  cut, 
edited,  retitled,  publicized,  exploited  and 
sold  much  of  the  film  which  went  through 
Harry  Thomas's  First  Division  states  right 
exchanges.  "Goona-Goona"  was  one  of  his 
specials,  and  besides  he  introduced  to  this 
market  a  number  of  British  pictures  through 
independents,  then  concentrating  on  the  sale 
and  exploitation  of  the  original  March  of 
Time  issues  when  Time  Magazine  was  re- 
leasing its  films  through  First  Division. 

"Rhythm"  Holdovers  Cited 
Despite  Adverse  Weather 

In  its  first  14  key  city  engagements, 
"Rhythm  on  the  Range,"  Paramount's  latest 
Bing  Crosby  vehicle,  is  running  way  above 
average  business  despite  terrific  heat,  the 
company  reports.  In  many  instances  it  is 
being  held  for  additional  playing  time.  Re- 
ports indicate  the  theatres  are  enjoying  the 
best  business  since  the  first  of  the  year. 


% 


August    8,    1936  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  45 

EARLY  LIFTING  OF  RESTRICTIONS 
ON  FILM  IMPORTS  SEEN  IN  ITALY 


Four-Fifths  of  Italian  Film 
Imports  Are  American  Made 


At  the  end  of  193  5/36  season  the  Italian  film  market,  as  shown  in  the  table  below, 
is  still  composed  by  four-fifths  of  American  films. 


1934/35 

1 

935/36 

III*                        r~  » 

Italian  roreign 

Italian 

Foreign 

PITTALUGA  

12  35 

12 

22 

ARTISTI  ASSOCIATI   

2  13 

4 

10 

UNIVERSAL  (I.C.I.)   

3  10 

9 

TIRRENIA  

1  5 

2 

FOX   

27 

14 

PARAMOUNT  

24 

23 

WARNER  BROS  

21 

16 

EJA  

21 

4 

18 

COLOSSEUM   

7 

1 

5 

MANDER 

1  8 

S.  A.  L  

3 

METRO  

.  .  35 

i 

30 

FILM  IMPERO  

1  16 

S.  A.  GRANDI  FILMS  

5 

3 

4 

CAESAR  FILM  

2  5 

LURIA  FILM  

1  3 

MINERVA  FILM   

1              1 1 

i 

II 

OMNIS  

5 

5 

MONOGRAM  PICTURES 

8 

EIN  FILM   

3 

AUGUSTUS  FILM  

3 

CONSORZIO  VIS  

2 

CAPITANI  FILM   

2 

3 

4 

SARFI   

2 

SASA  FILM  

2 

S.  C.  1.  F.  R.  A.   

  2 

AQUILA  

2 

VARIE  

4  9 

5 

13 

TITANUS   

3 

LUX   

6 

SATURNIA  FILM  

6 

LOBI  FILM  

2 

31  285 

36 

201 

Tentative  Production  Schedules 
Ready  for  Next  Season  Show 
Large  Increases  at  All  Studios 
with   60   Features  Intended 

by  VITTORIO  MALPASSUTI 

in  Rome 

While  no  change  is  expected  at  present  in 
the  restrictions  on  the  importation  of  films 
into  Italy,  in  the  near  future  it  may  be  pos- 
sible that  such  restriction  on  films  coming 
from  the  United  States,  Germany,  Austria 
and  Hungary  will  be  cancelled,  that  the  ex- 
portation of  money  of  American  and  Ger- 
man companies  working  here  be  allowed  up 
to  a  certain  amount,  and  that  foreign  pro- 
ducers will  be  invited  to  use  profits  for  the 
making  of  Italian  films  in  Italy. 

English  and  French  productions  are  not 
yet  allowed  to  be  imported  and  the  German, 
Austrian  and  Hungarian,  which  are  ad- 
mitted, scarcely  amount  to  a  total  of  from 
25  to  30  features. 

In  this  regard  the  Paramount,  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer,  Columbia  and  United 
Artists  are  making  plans  to  produce  films 
in  Italy  with  Italian  actors  and  technicians, 
etc.  The  American  films  and  stars  are 
leading  the  market.  The  best-sellers  in 
America  are  also  the  best  here. 

A  good  picture  is  a  good  picture  every- 
where, generally  speaking.  American  stars 
are  the  most  appreciated  here  for  superb 
acting  and  "sex  appeal,"  but  Shirley  Temple 
is  the  greatest  attraction  all  over  Italy. 

The  greatest  artistic  success  of  the  season 
was  "A  Midsummer  Night's  Dream"  of 
Warner  Bros. 

Improving  Sound 

In  order  to  increase  the  rental  of  the 
Italian  production,  the  Ministry  of  Press 
and  Propaganda  is  taking  definitive  steps 
to  improve  the  projection  installations  in  all 
wired  houses  and  to  enlarge  its  number  all 
over  the  country.  In  Italy,  there  are  5,235 
cinemas,  but  only  2,175  are  really  equipped 
for  commercial  purposes  at  the  present ; 
4,395  communities  of  some  importance  are 
without  any  cinema  at  all,  while  Milan  has 
106,  Rome  104,  Turin  69,  Florence  50, 
Naples  49,  Genoa  39. 

V 

The  Italian  Film  production  for  1935-36 
season  has  been  36  features.  Considering 
that  the  Italian  producers  are  about  40,  the 
average  production  quota  is  very  low.  It 
may  be  possible  that  for  next  season  the 
Italian  films  will  range  to  about  60  features. 
For  the  moment  30  are  in  preparation  as 
follows : 

PER  LE  STRADO  DEL  MONDO 
("Along  the  Streets  of  the  World")  ;  pro- 
ducer, Forzano  Film ;  manager,  Jean  Ep- 
stein ;  Italian  and  French  versions.  BER- 
TOLDO  BERTOLDINO  E.  CACA- 
SENNO ;  producer,  Consorzio  Autori ;  man- 
ager, Baldassare  Negroni.  LA  DONNA 
FRA  DUE  MONDI  ("The  Woman  Be- 


tween Two  Worlds")  ;  producer,  Astra 
Film ;  manager,  Goffredo  Alessandrini ; 
Italian  and  German  versions.  A  stereoscopic 
edition  has  also  been  made  of  this  picture, 
the  first  instance  of  a  complete  feature 
treated  with  this  system.  These  three  pic- 
tures and  BALLERINE  ("Dancers")  are 
of  outstanding  importance  both  from  the 
financial  and  artistic  points  of  view. 

The  shooting  of  another  group  of  pictures 
has  been  completed  and  the  synchronization 
will  start  shortly.  They  are:  LA  DANZA 
DELLE  LANCETTE  ("The  Dance  of  the 
Watch  Hands")  ;  producer,  B.  M. ;  director, 
Mario  Baffico;  ANONIMA  ROYLOTT 
("Anonymous  Roylott")  ;  producer,  Fiorda ; 
director,  Raffaelle  Matarazzo;  and  AMAZ- 
ZONI  BIANCHE  ("White  Riders")  ;  pro- 
ducer, Abror  Film ;  director,  Gennaro  Rig- 


helli.  This  group  will  be  released  during  the 
coming  season. 

A  third  group  is  at  present  under  way 
which  comprises,  among  others,  a  work  of 
considerable  importance,  SQUADRONE 
BIANCO  ("The  White  Squadron")  ;  pro- 
ducer, Roma  Film ;  director,  Augusto  Ge- 
nina.  Besides  this  there  is  now  in  produc- 
tion: SETTE  GIORNI  ALL ' ALTRO 
MONDO  ("Seven  Days  in  the  Other 
World")  ;  producer,  Etrusca  Film;  director, 
Mario  Mattoli;  RE  DI  DANARI  ("Money 
King")  ;  producer,  Capitani  Film  Consor- 
zio I.  C.  A.  R. ;  director,  Enrico  Guazzoni. 

The  first  group,  which  was  started  on 
June  15,  comprises  many  works.  They  are: 

CAVALLERIA  ("Cavalry")  ;  producer, 
I.  C.  I. ;  director,  Goffredo  Alessandrini ;  a 

{.Continued  on  following  page) 


46 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


ITALIAN  STUDIOS  ACTIVE 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

film  of  spectacular  character  glorifying  the 
Italian  cavalry. 

ITALIA  ("Italy")  ;  temporary  title;  pro- 
ducer, Artisti  Associati ;  director,  Mario 
Camerini ;  a  subject  of  present  colonial  life 
which  will  be  taken  partly  in  East  Africa. 

LA  MASNADA  DEI  13  ("The  Band  of 
13");  producer,  Forzani  Film;  director, 
Giovacchini  Forzano ;  a  thriller. 

I  DUE  SERGENTI  ("The  Two  Ser- 
geants"); producer,  Mander  Film;  director, 
Nunzio  Malasomma;  a  popular  type  of  film 
suitable  also  for  foreign  markets. 

LOS  MEMERATO  ("Forgetful")  ;  a 
comical  film  to  feature  Angelo  Musco. 

L'ANTENATO  ("The  Ancestor")  ;  pro- 
ducer, Tiberia  Film ;  director,  Guido  Brig- 
none ;  taken  from  the  wellknown  play  by 
Carlo  Veneziani. 

LE  BANDENERE  ("The  Black  Gang")  ; 
producer,  Consorzio  Tobis-Enic ;  director, 
Luigi  Trenker ;  a  great  film  made  in  two 
versions,  Italian  and  German,  of  important 
historical  significance. 

The  second  group  was  to  be  started  dur- 
ing July.  It  includes : 

SCIPIONE  L'AFRICANO  ("Scipio,  the 
African");  producer,  Colombo  Film;  direc- 
tor, Carmine  Gallone  ;  the  ethical  and  artistic 
importance  of  which  it  is  superfluous  to 
illustrate. 

CORSARO  NERO  ("Black  Pirate")  ; 
producer,  I.  C.  I. ;  director,  Amleto  Palermi ; 
taken  from  the  novel  bv  Emilio  Salgari. 

VOGLIO  L'AUTOMOBILE  ("I  Want 
An  Automobile");  temporary  title;  pro- 
ducer, Mercurio  Film ;  director,  Alessandro 
Blasetti ;  a  sporting  film. 

LA  DAMIGELLA  DI  BARD  ("The 
Lady  of  Bard")  ;  producer,  I.  C.  I. ;  director, 
Mario  Mattoli ;  taken  from  the  play  by  Sal- 
vatore  Gotta. 

MADAMA  BONAPARTE  ("Madam 
Bonaparte")  ;  to  be  made  at  Tirrenia  in 
French  version  only ;  taken  from  the  subject 
by  Gino  Rocca  for  Elsa  Merlini ;  to  be  pro- 
duced by  Consorzio  E.  I.  A. 

To  Start  in  August 

Films  to  be  started  in  August  include: 
LA  MALIBRAN  ("Malibran")  ;  pro- 
ducer, Fauno  Film ;  from  the  subject  of  Gino 
Rocca  and  E.  Margadonna;  ETTORE  FI- 
ERAMOSCA ;  producer,  Giulio  Maneriti 
Film ;  director,  Alessandro  Blasetti ;  two 
films,  Pirandello  subjects,  one  the  very  im- 
portant, FU  MATIA  PASCAL;  producer, 
Ala  Film ;  director,  Pierre  Shenal,  and 
DOVE  ROMOLO  EDIFICO,  written  ex- 
pressly by  Pirandello  for  Roma  Film. 

The  schedule  for  September  and  October 
lists : 

E'TORNATO  CARNEVALE  ("Carni- 
val Returns")  ;  producer,  Astra  Film;  taken 
from  the  plav  by  Giulio  Cantini. 

NON  PIU'  NOMADI  ("No  More  No- 
mads") ;  producer,  Aprilia  Film;  colonial 
subject  bv  Corrado  Sofia. 

LA  VITA  DI  LUIGI  CAROLI  ("The 
Life  of  Luigi  Caroli")  ;  producer,  Aprilia 
Film  ;  historical  subject  of  Garibaldian  times 
by  Adele  Zanchi. 
'MADDALENA     ("Magdalene");  pro- 


ducer, Tiberia  Film ;  taken  from  a  play  by 
Giudo  Cantini. 

A  film  of  lyrical  character  from  a  subject 
of  Raffaele  Calzini,  having  La  Scala  the- 
atre as  a  background  to  be  produced  by 
Aprilia  Film. 

A  racing  film  by  Mario  Buzzichini. 

Three  films  without  definite  title,  one  for 
Elsa  Merlini  by  Consorzio  E.  I.  A. ;  one  by 
Vittoria  Film  and  one  for  the  De  Filippo 
Brothers  for  which  a  new  producing  com- 
pany is  being  formed. 

Another  Group  in  Preparation 

Organization  and  preparation  of  still  an- 
other group  is  in  work,  but  details  will  be 
discussed  before  production  is  decided  upon. 
In  this  group  there  will  be : 

SANTA  CATERINA  DA  SIENA 
("Saint  Catherine  of  Siena")  ;  an  important 
film  on  which  Giovanni  Papini  is  now  work- 
ing ;  producer,  Tiberia  Film  Sangraf . 
VILLA  CONFALONIERI  ("The  Confa- 
lonieri  Villa")  ;  from  the  romance  of  Rich- 
ard Voss,  to  be  made  in  two  versions,  Italian 
and  German  and  produced  by  Astra  Film. 
LA  DAMA  DI  PICCHE"  ("Queen  of 
Spades");  from  the  novel  by  Puskin;  pro- 
ducer, Manenti ;  director,  Corrado  d'Errico. 
Also  CRISTOFORO  COLOMBO,  FRAN- 
CESCA  DA  RIMINI,  UN  PEZZO  DI 
TERRA  ("Christopher  Columbus"), 
("Francesca  of  Rimini")  and  ("A  Piece  of 
Earth.") 

To  all  the  above  must  be  added  another 
film  which  is  exceptional  and  most  impor- 
tant, a  re-edition  of  Cabiria,  undertaken  by 
an  American  group  and  for  which  there  are 
extensive  preparations. 


Bolognino  and  Springer  Buyers 

Laurence  Bolognino  and  Jack  W.  Spring- 
er will  do  the  buying  for  the  Leff-Meyers 
circuit  in  New  York,  in  which  they  have 
just  purchased  a  half  interest,  it  was  re- 
vealed in  Manhattan  this  week.  The  physi- 
cal operation  of  the  circuit,  however,  will 
be  continued  by  Abe  Leff  and  Louis  Meyers. 


Reid  Retained 

RKO-Radio  has  exercised  its  option  on 
Cliff  Reid,  producer,  and  assigned  him  two 
features  for  early  production.  Reid  was 
credited  with  production  of  "The  Informer." 


Midwest  To  Convene 

The  Fox  Midwest  Theatres  annual  con- 
vention will  be  held  August  11-12  at  Ex- 
celsior Springs  with  90  theatres  represent- 
ed. Business,  golf  and  a  banquet  are  on  the 
schedule. 


New  Serial  Scheduled 

Ralph  Graves  has  been  signed  for  the 
leading  male  role  in  "The  Black  Coin"  a 
new  15-episode  Weiss-Mintz  serial  which 
was  to  go  into  production  this  week. 


Powers  National 
Theatres  Buyer 

William  T.  Powers  has  been  named  suc- 
cessor to  E.  L.  Alperson  as  head  of  film 
buying  for  National  Theatres,  Spyros  Skou- 
ras,  operating  head,  stated  last  weekend. 
The  appointment  in  no  way  affects  the 
standing  of  J.  J.  Sullivan,  F.  W.  C.  buyer. 

Mr.  Powers  already  has  assumed  his  new 
post.  George  Balsdon,  who  up  to  now  has 
been  exclusively  handling  short  subject  pur- 
chases, has  been  appointed  first  assistant. 
Milton  Hossfeld,  recently  on  the  F.  W.  C. 
staff,  will  be  permanently  located  in  New 
York.  During  the  past  few  months  Mr. 
Hossfeld  has  been  spending  most  of  his 
time  in  the  field.  Miriam  Detlefs  also  will 
assist  in  the  buying.  Miss  Detlefs  for  years 
was  New  York  exchange  booker  for  First 
National  and  Warners.  She  has  been  with 
National  for  about  three  years. 

Edward  Zabel,  assistant  to  Mr.  Skouras, 
will  act  as  "adviser"  to  Mr.  Powers  and 
his  staff.  He  recently  returned  from  the 
coast  where  he  spent  a  year.  His  post  in 
Los  Angeles  has  been  taken  over  by  Larry 
Kent,  brother  of  the  president  of  Twentieth 
Century-Fox.  Prior  to  his  being  transferred 
to  the  coast,  Mr.  Kent  was  assistant  to 
Edward  Peskay,  who  resigned  July  1  as 
buyer  for  Skouras  Theatres. 

National  Theatres  and  its  subsidiaries 
operate  more  than  400  houses  throughout 
the  country.  Among  National  subsidiaries 
are  F.  W.  C,  Evergreen  States,  Inter- 
mountain,  Fox  Midwest  and  Fox  Wiscon- 
sin circuits. 

Mr.  Sullivan,  who  was  compelled  to  re- 
turn to  the  coast  about  two  months  ago  due 
to  illness,  is  back  to  resume  negotiations  on 
pending  deals.  Harry  Cohen,  RKO  western 
division  sales  head,  has  been  in  the  east 
since  the  company's  convention  working  on 
final  details  of  a  deal  with  the  circuit.  The 
talks  are  expected  to  wind  up  in  a  few 
weeks,  following  which  the  National  buyers 
will  start  discussing  U.  A.  product  terms. 

Irving  Barry,  secretary  to  Mr.  Skouras, 
has  gone  to  Milwaukee  on  a  three  weeks' 
assignment. 


O'Rourke  Rejoins 
Exhibitor  Group 

Ray  O'Rourke,  operating  the  Doris  thea- 
tre, Philadelphia,  has  been  reinstated  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners 
of  Eastern  Pennsylvania. 


Buy  Oliver  Supply  Company 

L.  P.  Langford,  former  National  Theatre 
Supply  manager  in  Cleveland,  and  Ernest 
Forbes,  formerly  of  Theatre  Equipment 
Company  at  Detroit,  have  bought  control  of 
the  Oliver  Supply  Company,  Inc.,  in  Cleve- 
land. 


Earl  Carroll  To  Produce 

Earl  Carroll,  New  York  stage  producer, 
has  signed  a  long  term  contract  with  Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox  as  a  producer  and  his 
first  picture  will  be  "The  Twentieth  Cen- 
turv  Follies." 


Sparks  Joins  Republic 

Paul  Sparks  has  joined  Republic  Studios 
as  assistant  to  Harold  Dodds,  casting  di- 
rector. 


D'Arcy  Signs  With  Warner 

Alexandre  D'Arcy,  French  film  actor,  has 
signed  a  long  term  contract  with  Warner 
Brothers. 


AGAIN  WE'VE  ROPED 
A  WINNER  / 


Here's  a  typical  bunch  of 
the  figures  coming  in  on 
'RHYTHM  ON  THE  RANGE' 

NEW  YORK:  30%  Above  Average. 
LOS  ANGELES:  Best  Opening  in  1936. 
SALT  LAKE  CITY:  Best  Opening  in  Months. 
DES  MOINES:  Smashes  "Pine"  Record/ 
OKLAHOMA  CITY:  Tops  "Pine"  Record. 
HOUSTON:  Beats  "Pine"  Record. 
CHICAGO:  Biggest  in  Six  Months. 
NEW  ORLEANS:  Bigger  than  "Pine"  Record. 
FORT  WORTH:  35%  Above  Average. 
HARTFORD:  48%  Above  Average. 
MEMPHIS:  40%  Above  Average: 

*  Wire  from  Des  Moines  toys:  "Best  opening  of  entire  year. 
Finest  Crosby  picture  to  date.  Expect  tremendous  week." 


Sit 


TURN  PLEASE 


WE'VE  ROPED  THES 

--'•iiiiWTlinT^- 


m  ***** 

lO*  * 


BOB  BURNS 


"A  natural  for  pictures." — Film  Daily 
"Star  material." — Hollywood  Reporter 
"Headed  for  the  electric  lights."— New  York  Sun 


MARTHA  RAYE 

"Sends  audiences  into  gales  of  glee."— New  York  Mirror 
"A  female  Joe  E.  Brown."— Film  Daily 
"An  audience  favorite  from  her  first  entrance." 

— Hollywood  Reporter 

FRANCES  FARMER 

"She's  going  places." — Hollywood  Reporter 
"Lovely." — New  York  Journal 
"An  engaging  personality." — New  York  Sun 


RHYTHM  ON 


E  MEW  STARS,  TOO 

( 


BING  CLICKS 
AS  ALWAYS! 

Probably  Bing's  best  work 
to  date"  —  Motion  Picture  Daily 

Bing's  best  in  many,  many 
moons"    — Hollywood  Reporter 

The  matchless  Bingo  at  his 

best"  —N.Y.  Mirror 

Bing  at  his  best"  — N.  Y.  Sun 
Crosby  fans  will  go  nuts 

about  it"  —N.Y.  Journal 


THE 




WE'VE  ROPED 
THE  HIT  TUNES 


Aimi  ESCAPE  FROM  YQU 

r  „,.„,    bv  ,EO   ROB.N   ond   RICHARD   A.  WHITING 


Words   and   Wusic    by  LEO 


EMPTY  SADDLES 


feiv »•<-»  Y  Mill.  '<•'■  »**"'■»  I  "T^L 


ill     YOU    CAN'T    SING  IT) 

/OU'LL  HAVE  TO  SWING  IT 

Words   end   Music   by   SAM  COSIOW 


And  by  hits  we  mean  hits  .  .  ."I  Can't  Escape 
From  You"  and  "Empty  Saddles"  (we  quote 
last  week's  Variety  cross  country  radio  check) 
were  already  among  the  MOST  PLAYED 
SONGS  ON  THE  AIR..  "I'm  An  Old  Cowhand 
From  The  Rio  Grande",  "You'll  Have  To  Swing 
It",  "Drink  It  Down"  and  "Round  Up  Lullaby" 
are  on  their  way  ."Rhythm  on  the  Range", 
without  any  doubt,  has  the  strongest  musical 
score  of  any  picture-  this  year. 


RHYTHM  ON  THE  RANGE 

BING  CROSBY  •  FRANCES  FARMER  •  BOB  BURNS 

Martha   Raye  •  a  p  aramount  Picture  •  Directed  by  Norman  Taurog 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


51 


ASIDES  &  INTERLUDES 

by  JAMES  P.  CUNNINGHAM 


Dave  Rubinoff — without  his  fiddle — was 
lunching  on  Broadway  with  an  actor  friend, 
who  between  fish  scales  was  telling  Rubinoff 
of  his  "sumptuous"  suite  at  a  nearby  Times 
Square  hotel.  "Would  you  believe  it,"  the 
ham  exploded,  "the  sun  hits  through  my 
window  at  the  crack  of  dawn  just  like  a 
spotlight." 

"Yes,"  squelched  Rubinoff,  "and  I  sup- 
pose you  get  up  and  take  a  bow." 

V 

One  of  the  several  scenes  in  "The  Green 
Pastures"  which  stirred  ow  special  speculative 
interest  in  stagecraft  shows  Moses,  acting 
magic-wise ,  turning  a  wand  into  a  slimy,  slith- 
ering snake.  It  was  all  done  so  smartly  that 
■we  applauded  even  though  it  appeared  to  us  that 
the  scene  of  Moses  holding  the  wooden  wand 
had  been  cut  out  the  while  the  writhing  snake 
scene  was  cut  in.  But  now  we  are  told  that 
there  was  no  cut-out  or  cut-in.  The  effect  was 
accomplished  without  any  interruption  by  freez- 
ing a  real  snake  in  a  high-powered  refrigerator, 
handing  him  over  while  frozen  stiff  to  Moses 
for  use  as  a  wand  and  then  thawing  him  out 
under  blazing  arc-lights. 

V 

The  gradual  development  of  London  as  a  mo- 
tion picture  producing  center  has  already  had  its 
effect  in  bringing  forth  at  least  some  amusing 
tidbits  in  the  vein  of  our  own  Hollywood. 

One  concerns  the  extremely  dignified  Shake- 
spearean actor — and  there's  nothing  more  digni- 
fied than  a  Shakespearean  actor  in  London — 
who,  having  never  before  appeared  in  motion 
pictures,  humbled  himself  to  ask  for  $60  a  week 
to  play  the  part  of  a  full-blooded  Indian  "ex- 
tra." The  studio  casting  agent  offered  him  $30, 
which  the  thespian  declined.  Walking  haughtily 
to  the  exit,  however,  the  actor  evidently  recon- 
sidered the  opportunity  to  eat,  and,  turning  to 
the  agent,  declared,  "Very  well,  I'll  take  the 
part  for  $30,  but  I'll  act  only  as  a  halfbreed." 
V 

Bitingly  cynical  ol'  George  Bernard  Shazv  re- 
fused, on  his  80th  birthday,  the  other  afternoon, 
in  England,  to  accept  a  present  from  his  col- 
leagues in  the  Malvern  Players  of  the  stage,  on 
the  grounds  that  it  "would  only  be  the  pre- 
sentation of  some  silver  atrocity  of  no  use  to  me 
or  anybody  else."  Then,  turning  to  Hollywood, 
he  asserted  he  would  direct  one  of  his  plays  for 
the  movies  if  they  gave  him  $100,000.  It's  not 
the  silver,,  but  the  amount  that  counts. 
V 

Walter  Greenwood  reports  that  screen 
Americanisms  are  being  assimilated  even  in 
England's  Lancashire. 

Lancashire  children,  for  example,  have 
picked  up  our  "Sez  you!"  Except  that  they 
say:  "Says  thee!" 

V 

Then  there's  the  marquee  mirth-provoker 
which  Paul  Kneeland  postcards  from  Medford, 
Mass : 

BRIDES  ARE   LIKE  THAT 
Always    Cool    and  Comfortable 
V 

The  show  business  will  soon  be  bidding  for 
the  "Camp  Transparent  Woman."  It  was 
brought  to  this  country  last  week  direct  from 
the  famous  Hygiene  Museum  in  Dresden  to  be 
exhibited  first  at  Rockefeller  Center,  at  the  foot 
of  our  office  window,  and  later  to  tour  the  coun- 
try. This  scientific  machination  is  the  result  of 
some  20  years  of  laboratory  research.  It  pre- 
sents the  intricate  structure  and  functioning 
mechanism — transparently — of  the  female  body, 
lacking  only  one  gadget — namely,  something 
that  zvould  stop  women  from  talking  too  much. 


FRUSTRATION 

Editor,  Daily  News, 
New  York: 

The  rat  who  invented  movie  cen- 
sorship ought  to  be  shot.  Here  I  am, 
just  come  of  age  to  see  some  swell 
spicy  pictures,  and  now  there  aren't 
any.  Damn  it. 

Sexy-Wexy  Sid. 


BURIED  inconspicuously  in  newspaper 
obituaries  the  other  morning  was  a  no- 
tice of  the  death  at  Clementsport,  Nova 
Scotia,  of  one  Bernard  Goodman,  at  80  years. 
He  gave  to  the  motion  picture  the  subject  of 
the  most  preposterous  publicity  fiction  ever 
perpetrated  on  the  screen: — Miss  Theodosia 
Goodman,  his  daughter,  who  was  first  in- 
troduced to  theatricals  as  Theodosia  DeCop- 
pett,  finally  evolving  in  the  films  as  Theda 
Bara — Theda  being  a  rearrangement  of  the 
letters  of  "death,"  while  Bara  was  just  a 
mere  cypher,  of  Arab  spelled  backwards. 

Theda  Bara  became  a  box  office  hit  over- 
night for  William  Fox,  in  January,  1915,  in 
"A  Fool  There  Was."  Thus  began  the  build- 
ing of  the  great  Bara  screen  vampiring  myth. 

Plotters  and  compounders  of  the  Bara 
publicity  fiction  appeared  mostly  in  the  per- 
son of  Al  Selig,  press  agent,  who  now  is  with 
Abraham  Patrick  Waxman  at  GB  Pictures. 
Mr.  Selig  in  the  Bara  days  had  been  a  con- 
frere of  Winfield  Sheehan. 

Conscienceless  press  agents'  typewriters 
soon  began  to  ply  the  newspapers  with  Miss 
Goodman's  "most  amazing  past,"  announc- 
ing that  Theda  Bara  was  the  daughter  of  a 
French  artist  and  an  Arabian  mistress,  born 
on  the  sands  of  the  Sahara.  Thus  this 
"deadly"  Arab  daughter  of  poor  Tailor  Good- 
man was  pictured  as  a  crystal  gazing  seeress 
of  profoundly  occult  powers,  wicked  as  fresh 
red  paint  and  poisonous  as  dried  spiders. 
Little  girls  read  the  newspaper  copy  and 
swallowed  their  gum  with  excitement,  as 
they  studied  the  Underwood  and  Underwood 
poses  of  Theda  with  skulls  and  crossbones, 
glass  balls  and  all  the  trade  marks  of  Orien- 
tal desert  mysticism.  Theda  Bara  of  the 
screen,  working  her  willowy  way  with  men 
in  a  manner  that  would  make  Mae  West 
appear  to  be  the  best  behaved  pupil  at  the 
proverbial  Sunday  School  picnic,  became  the 
vicarious  and  shadowy  realization  of  several 
million  variously  suppressed  desires. 

She  received  awed  newspaper  reporters  in 
darkened  parlors  draped  with  black  and  red, 
in  the  tone  of  her  sweeping  gown.  She  was 
white,  languid  and  painfully  polite.  The  air 
was  always  heavy  with  turberoses  and  in- 
cense. But  when  the  door  closed  on  the 
last  interviewer  the  windows  went  up  with 
loud  laughter. 
"Give  me  air!"  commanded  Theodosia. 
V 

Paramount  Pictures  and  Kraft-Phenix  Cheese 
have  worked  out  a  cooperative  merchandising 
stunt  on  Bing  Crosby's  new  "Rhythm  on  the 
Range."  They  are  calling  it  "the  biggest  radio- 
motion  picture  merchandising  opportunity  of 
recent  years."  We  hope  that  air  listeners  will 
not  misunderstand  the  radio  announcers  when 
they  bellow :  "Buy  More  Cheese !  See  'Rhythm 
on  the  Range.' " 


Walter  Wanger's  blonde  English-born 
star,  Madeleine  Carroll,  for  years  had 
dreamed  of  owning  a  dream  castle  on  the 
Mediterranean.  Fulfillment  came  only  a  few 
months  ago  when  she  and  her  British  hus- 
band, Captain  Philip  Astley,  made  an  in- 
vestment in  the  acquisition  of  an  ancient 
estate  overlooking  the  blue  sea,  proceeding 
therefrom  to  modernize  the  structure  com- 
pletely, even  to  the  construction  of  a  swim- 
ming pool — the  addition  of  a  modern  pool  to 
a  colorful  old  castle  dating  back  centuries 
being  an  exertion  of  the  Hollywood  influence. 
It  was  to  be  their  "dream  castle,"  a  place 
to  which  they  could  slip  away  for  quiet  va- 
cations. Time  for  the  first  vacation  came 
the  other  day,  but  there  will  be  no  visit  to 
the  dream  castle.  It's  in  Spain,  in  the  heart 
of  the  revolution. 

V 

Whatever  effect  "The  Green  Pastures"  may 
have  on  spectators  now  witnessing  its  presenta- 
tion, religiously  or  otherwise ,  none  can  compare 
zmth  its  influence  on  the  colored  Rex  Ingram 
while  he  played  De  Lawd  during  the  filming 
at  Warner  Brothers'  studio  in  California.  It 
cost  Lawd  Ingram  most  of  his  studio  salary. 

Mr.  Ingram  returned  to  his  native  Harlem 
the  other  afternoon  from  Warners'  "heaven"  on 
the  coast,  and  reported  that  he  actually  felt  he 
was  "De  Lawd"  while  at  the  studio.  "The  lit- 
tle chillun  in  the  picture  would  spend  their  time 
around  me"  Mr.  Ingram  said,  and  because  he 
zvas  De  Lazvd  he  felt  he  had  to  spend  most  of 
his  salary  buying  ice  cream  cones  and  frozen 
custard  for  them.  "I  never  liad  any  money," 
he  moaned.  Although  Warner  Brothers  in  the 
picture  had  him  perform  miracles  of  all  kinds 
and  descriptions,  De  Lawd  couldn't  raise  a  single 
ice  cream  cone  when  the  kids  came  around, 
without  putting  cash  on  the  counter. 

V 

Reminded  by  the  eons  required  to  com- 
plete the  reading  of  the  book,  inquiries  are 
already  being  received  from  the  _  public  re- 
garding the  advisability  of  carrying  a  suit- 
case, or  a  trunk  with  pajamas,  toothbrush 
and  a  complete  change  of  clothes  to  theatres 
showing  Warner  Brothers'  "Anthony  Ad- 
verse." 

V 

The  report  by  circus  men  and  vaudeville  cir- 
cuits concerning  a  scarcity  of  jugglers  caused 
the  New  York  Sun  to  investigate.  The  editors 
found  most  of  the  jugglers  working  in  city,  state 
and  national  treasury  departments. 

V 

Carl  Brisson  returned  to  Europe  from  some 
experiences  in  Hollywood  with  one  indelible 
impression,  i.e. : 

"Mae  West  is  a  grand  sport — a  real  man's 
man !  Over  in  Hollywood  she  likes  nothing 
better  than  to  sit  down  in  my  home  in  a  comfy 
chair  and,  with  a  half  dozen  men  around  her, 
to  tell  a  series  of  Stock  Exchange  stories." 

Keeping  well  within  margin,  we  hope. 

V 

Gert  Merriam  left  our  "Shozv  of  Showman- 
ship" Managers  Round  Table  Department  last 
Friday  afternoon  holiday-bent  on  a  vacation  that 
undoubtedly  was  deserved.  Two  days  azvay 
from  the  office,  however,  zvith  all  of  its  ex- 
ploitation intrigue,  ballyhoo  and  exhibition  mer- 
chandising and  Gert  hopped  a  United  Air  Liner 
for  Cleveland  to  see  what  kind  of  shozvmen  they 
have  out  there  putting  on  the  Great  Lakes  Ex- 
position. In  the  navy  a  vacationing  sailor  goes 
rozving  in  the  park. 


52 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


THE  CUTTINC 
ROOM 


Advance  outlines  of  produc- 
tions nearing  completion  as 
seen  by  the  Hollywood  staff 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Herald 


Green  Light 

(Warner-Cosmopolitan  ) 
Drama 

Story  character,  production  values  which  it  is 
being  given,  cast  selection  and  assignment  of 
director  unite  to  establish  this  film  as  one  that 
deserves  much  more  than  passing  exploitation 
consideration.  Basically  it  is  drama  that  relates 
unusual  but  not  theatrically  unfamiliar  events'  in 
a  young  doctor's  career.  Briefly,  in  several  well 
rounded  chapters,  it  tells  of  a  young  doctor  who 
assumes  responsibility  for  a  death  on  an  op- 
erating table  so  that  the  reputation  of  a  surgeon 
he  worshiped  should  remain  unblemished.  It 
has  a  further  dramatic  counterpart  in  situations 
in  which  the  younger  doctor  permits  himself  to 
be  inoculated  with  a  lethal  virus  in  development 
of  a  serum  to  eliminate  the  danger  of  an  epi- 
demic scourge.  Naturally  the  production  has  a 
compatible  romantic  counterpart,  the  love  in- 
terest quality  of  which  is  as  poignant  as  the 
drama. 

With  the  current  series  of  doctor  pictures 
demonstrating  that  there  is  a  public  appetite 
for  this  type  of  entertainment,  the  production 
is  adapted  from  a  novel  of  the  same  title  by 
Lloyd  C.  Douglas.  The  screen  play  is  by  Mil- 
ton Krims,  and  direction  is  by  Frank  Borzage, 
whose  screen  accomplishments  need  no  delinea- 
tion. 

To  bring  to  screen  realism  a  story  to  which 
the  producers  attach  so  much  importance,  an 
unusually  worthy  cast  has  been  selected.  The 
young  doctor  will  be  interpreted  by  Erroll 
Flynn,  star  of  "Captain  Blood"  and  soon  to  be 
seen  in  "The  Charge  of  The  Light  Brigade." 
Flynn,  Sir  Cedric  Hardwicke,  noted  English 
player,  seen  in  "The  Crusades,"  Henry  O'Neill 
and  Spring  Byington  are  the  central  figures  in 
the  story's  dramatic  phases,  while  the  romantic 
quality  is  entrusted  to  Anita  Louise,  currently 
prominent  in  "Anthony  Adverse."  In  additional 
important  parts  Henry  Kolker,  Pierre  Watkin 
and  Myrtle  Stedman  will  be  seen. 

As  the  picture  will  be  released  as  a  Cos- 
mopolitan Production,  it  can  be  expected  that 
it  will  be  given  the  benefit  of  an  extensive  pub- 
licity and  advertising  campaign. 


Old  Hutch 


(MGM) 
Comedy  Drama 

The  character  of  the  story  told  in  this  pro- 
duction and  the  cast  names  form  a  combination 
open  to  exceptional  exploitation  effort.  In  di- 
gest the  yarn  narrated  is  about  a  lovable,  lazy 
old  fellow  who  found  $100,000  and  then  was 
confronted  with  the  problem  of  how  to  spend 
it  without  attracting  too  much  attention  to  him- 
self or  causing  suspicion.  Eventually  the  prob- 
lem is  solved  as  the  shiftless,  irresponsible  old 
rascal  is  instrumental  in  obtaining  conviction  of 
a  bank  robbing  gang  and  really  earning  a  re- 
ward that  will  permit  him  to  spend  his  days 
fishing. 

For  Wallace  Beery,  who  plays  the  title  role, 
the  story  undoubtedly  is  of  unusual  character. 
As  it  unfolds,  there  is  considerable  about  it 
reminiscent  of  the  atmosphere  of  "Min  and  Bill" 
and  "The  Champ,"  two  of  his  most  successful 
appearances.  Supplementing  the  motivating 
story  is  a  contrast  of  youthful  romance  which 
features  Eric  Linden  and  Cecilia  Parker,  re- 


membered for  "Ah,  Wilderness."  From  a  pub- 
licity angle  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that 
Beery,  also,  was  prominent  in  that  picture  in  a 
similar  shiftless  role. 

Besides  those  names,  naturally  the  ones  that 
will  be  relied  upon  to  carry  the  brunt  of  ex- 
ploitation as  it  pertains  to  personalities,  the  sup- 
porting cast  lists  several  wellknown  players  and 
presents  a  few  that  are  new  to  the  screen. 
Among  the  better  known  performers  are  Eliza- 
beth Patterson,  Robert  McWade  (also  an  "Ah 
Wilderness"  player),  James  Burke  and  Donald 
Meek.  Newcomers  are  the  Perkins  sisters  and 
the  Watson  brothers  and  Virginia  Grey. 

The  production  is  based  on  a  novel  by  Garret 
Smith  which  attained  high  popularity,  and 
direction  is  by  J.  Walter  Ruben,  maker  of 
"Riffraff"  and  "Trouble  for  Two." 


Thank  You,  Jeeves 

(20th  Century-Fox) 
Comedy 

Published  as  magazine  serials  and  books  the 
P.  G.  Wodehouse  stories  detailing  the  hilarious 
adventures  of  Bertie  Wooster  and  his  sober 
visaged  but  whimsical  "gentleman's  gentleman," 
Jeeves,  have  been  delighting  readers  for  years. 
With  this  vehicle  as  an  introductory  effort  20th- 
Fox  is  planning  production  of  several  Jeeves 
stories  with  Arthur  Treacher  starred. 

The  story,  localed  in  England,  was  adapted 
by  Joseph  Hoffman  and  Harry  Sauber.  It  is 
at  all  times  nonsensical  farce  foolishness.  Jeeves 
and  his  employer  become  involved  in  the  mys- 
terious misadventures  of  an  attractive  girl,  take 
on  an  American  negro  saxophone  jazzer  for  a 
companion,  and  get  mixed  up  in  a  cops-and- 
robbers  story  in  a  haunted  medieval  English  cas- 
tle. Dialogue,  situations,  action  and  characteri- 
zations have  only  one  objective — to  be  produc- 
tive of  the  maximum  amount  of  fun  for  any 
kind  of  audience. 

With  the  exception  of  Willie  Best,  the  cast 
is  exclusively  British.  Treacher's  appearances 
in  over  forty  pictures  since  coming  to  America 
about  three  years  ago  have  made  him  popular 
with  legions  of  theatre  goers.  David  Niven, 
who  plays  the  part  of  Bertie,  was  seen  recently 
in  "Splendor"  and  Palm  Springs."  The  girl  in 
the  case,  Virginia  Field,  has  had  considerable 
stage  experience  and  is  under  contract  to  20th- 
Fox,  though  her  previous  screen  appearance  was 
in  United  Artists'  in  "Little  Lord  Fauntleroy." 
Other  members  of  the  all-English  cast  are  John 
Graham  Spacey,  Lester  Matthews,  Colin  Tap- 
ley,  Ernest  Stanton,  Eugene  Reynolds  and 
Douglas  Walton. 

As  particular  attention  was  devoted  to  pre- 
serving a  full  British  savor  and  atmosphere  in 
the  picture,  Arthur  Greville  Collins,  onetime 
London  stage  director  and  maker  of  several 
American  pictures,  including  "Personal  Maid's 
Secret"  and  "Unconscious,"  was  chosen  to  han- 
dle the  filming  of  the  story. 


Straight  from  the  Shoulder 

(Paramount) 
Drama 

Actually  two  stories  are  told  in  this  picture. 
One  concerns  the  great  affection  that  existed 
between  a  widowed  father  and  his  young  son 
and  the  efforts  the  boy  made  to  keep  his  dad 
from  remarrying.     The  other  is  a  gangster 


atmosphered  drama  in  which  the  trio,  witnesses 
to  a  murder,  are  put  on  the  spot  by  the  crim- 
inals, only  to  have  the  youngster,  after  his 
father  has  been  seriously  wounded,  frustrate 
the  vicious  attempt  of  the  gangsters  to  wipe  out 
all  witnesses  to  their  crime.  As  these  two  main 
themes  are  dramatically  developed,  a  third  one 
deals  with  the  happy  association  between  the 
youngster  and  an  old  sharp-shooting  gun-maker. 

The  yarn  is  based  on  a  story  by  Lucian  Cary, 
who,  as  a  contributor  to  Saturday  Evening 
Post,  has  told  many  interesting  stories  with  the 
old  gun  maker  as  the  central  figure.  The 
screen  play  is  by  Madeleine  Ruthven,  and  di- 
rection is  by  Stuart  Heisler. 

With  but  one  exception,  the  cast  is  composed 
of  familiar  names.  However,  in  spotting  the 
players  one  radical  change  has  been  made : 
Andy  Clyde,  whose  previous  screen  appearances 
have  been  exclusively  confined  to  comedy  roles, 
will  be  seen  in  a  dramatic  part.  He  is  the 
gun  maker  who,  in  teaching  young  David  Holt 
how  to  make  and  handle  rifles,  makes  it  pos- 
sible for  the  lad  to  be  the  story's  hero.  Ralph 
Bellamy  is  featured,  and  a  newcomer,  Katherine 
Locke,  makes  her  debut  as  the  girl  in  the  case. 
Onslow  Stevens  is  the  brains  behind  the  gang- 
ster trio,  which  consists  of  Bert  Hanlon,  Noel 
Madison  and  Paul  Fix.  Other  players  to  be 
seen  are  Purnell  Pratt  and  Rollo  Lloyd. 


Don't  Turn  'em  Loose 

(Radio) 
Drama 

Though  the  idea  of  this  story  is  to  demon- 
strate the  danger  of  lax  parole  board  clemencies, 
and  the  yarn  is  definitely  gangster  in  character, 
it  is,  nevertheless,  a  human  interest  drama.  From 
a  practical  topical  consideration  it  is  a  digest 
of  many  headline  situations  currently  prevalent. 
Looked  at  from  the  standpoint  of  dramatic  en- 
tertainment, it  is  a  "black  sheep"  story. 

For  years  the  criminal  scion  of  a  respectable 
family  has  perpetuated  the  hoax  that  he  is  a 
wealthy  business  man.  A  law  breaker,  living 
under  a  dual  identity,  he  commands  financial 
and  political  power  continually  enabling  him  to 
receive  paroles  from  sympathetic  pardon  boards. 
The  first  smash  sequenece,  following  much  thrill 
action,  comes  as  the  boy's  father,  now  a  parole 
board  chairman,  is  forced  to  recommend  clem- 
ency when  the  son  threatens  to  expose  the  situa- 
tion. Climaxing  the  melodrama  is  the  son's 
death  at  his  father's  hands  as  he  plans  to  com- 
mit a  payroll  robbery. 

The  story  is  an  original  by  Ferdinand  Reyher, 
with  screen  play  by  Harry  Segall.  Direction  is 
by  Ben  Stoloff,  familiar  with  this  type  of  ma- 
terial through  his  handling  of  such  pictures  as 
"Two  in  the  Dark"  and  "Night  Mayor." 

Starred  is  Bruce  Cabot,  featured  in  "Show 
Them  No  Mercy"  and  "Let  'Em  Have  It,"  and 
the  character  quickly  identifies  the  title  and 
story  atmosphere.  Outstanding  among  the 
screen's  portrayers  of  gangster  roles,  he  is  sup- 
ported by  an  exceptional  cast.  Prominent  among 
those  to  be  seen  are  Lewis  Stone  as  the  boy's 
father  and  James  Gleason  as  his  detective 
nemesis.  As  the  full  gangster-political  atmos- 
phere of  such  plots  is  preserved,  the  story  also 
entails  a  contrasting  bit  of  romantic  love  interest 
between  Betty  Grable  and  John  Arledge.  Other 
players  who  will  be  seen  are  Grace  Bradley 
and  Maxine  Jennings  as  gang  molls ;  Frank  M. 
Thomas,   a   crook   lawyer ;   Louise   Latimer ; 

(Continued  on  pane  54) 


ROBERT 
MONTGOMERY 

in 

PICCADILLY 
JIM 

with 

FRANK  MORGAN 
MADGE  EVANS 
ERIC  B  L  O  R  E 
BILLIE  BURKE 

Robert  Benchley«Ralph  Forbes 

From  the  Book  by  P.  G.Wodehousc 

Produced  by  Harry  Rapf 
A  Robt.  Z.  Leonard  Production 


"Whatever  it  takes  to 
make  a  fast-moving  com- 
edy click,  PICCADILLY 
JIM  has  it.  From  start  to 
finish  it  is  a  polished,  fast- 
moving,  entertaining  pic- 
ture that  is  sure-fire  box- 
office  anywhere.  The  kind 
of  picture  that  canbe  safely 
ballyhooed  and  then  reap 
profit  through  word  of 
mouth  appreciation.  Rob- 
ert Montgomery  was  never 
a  better  playboy.  The  di- 
recting talent  of  Robert  Z. 


-DISTANCE 
CALIFORNIA! 

Still  another 
M-G-M  Hit 
Sensational 
at  its 
Preview! 

PICCADILLY 
JIM  IS  GREAT! 

FLASH  REVIEWS  FROM  THE  COAST! 


Leonard  is  at  all  times  in  evidence.  From 
the  viewpoint  of  audience  and  theatre 
PICCADILLY  JIM  is  just  what  the  doc- 
tor ordered."  Daily  (Coast)  Variety 

"PICCADILLY  JIM  comedy  hit  for  all 
type  audiences.  Will  prove  continuously 
hilarious  entertainment  for  all  classes 
and  be  a  box-office  asset  everywhere. 
Robert  Montgomery  is  at  his  best." 

—  Hollywood  Reporter 

"Hilarity  is  efficiently  struck  in  PICCA- 
DILLY JIM  gauged  by  the  reactions  of 
the  audience  which  attended  the  show- 
ing. It  is  clever  in  incident  and  affords 
Robert  Montgomery  the  chance  to  dem- 
onstrate that  lighter  ability  for  which 
his  name  seems  synonomous  in  a  new 
environment."  — Los  Angeles  Times 

"Comedy-romance  with  a  real  sock.  A 
delight  to  exploitation-minded  showmen 


and  audiences.  Sparkling,  witty  dialogue 
and  intriguing  action.  The  gay,  airy  yarn 
makes  it  possible  for  Robert  Montgomery 
to  turn  in  his  most  pleasing  perform- 
ance in  months  and  also  permits  Cora 
Witherspoon,  Frank  Morgan,  Robert 
Benchley,  Madge  Evans,  Eric  Blore,Billie 
Burke,  Grant  Mitchell, Tommy  Bupp  and 
Ralph  Forbes  to  be  exceptionally  effec- 
tive. The  happy  combination  of  story 
quality,  and  skillful  individual  and  col- 
lective player  performances  gives  the 
picture  ah  appeal  that  should  insure  all- 
audience  popularity.  A  sure  box-office 
clicker  anywhere." 
— Motion  Picture  Daily — Hollywood  Preview 

"Strong  popular  cast  in  comedy  hit! 
Should  do  right  well  at  the  box-office  all 
over  the  country!" 

— Showmen's  Trade  Review 


(Are  YOU  all  set  to  follow  the  M-Q-M  HIT  PARADE  into  '36-37.') 


54 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


IN  THE  STUDIO  CUTTING  ROOM 


(Continued  from  page  52) 

Gordon  Jones ;  Harry  Jans,  Frank  Jenks  and 
Addison  Randall  as  mobsters ;  Nella  Walker  as 
Stone's  Wife,  and  in  minor  atmospheric  parts 
Fern  Emmett,  Arthur  Hoyt  and  Charles  Rich- 
man. 


Hollywood  Boulevard 

(Paramount) 
Drama 

Familiar  atmospheric  production  scenes  being 
incorporated  herein  probably  will  prove  of 
more  attractive  exploitation  value  than  any 
other  elements  in  the  picture.  As  it  tells  a 
dramatic  story,  in  which,  strange  as  it  seems, 
comedy  contrast  is  the  result  of  dramatic  situa- 
tions, the  picture  takes  its  auditors  on  a  com- 
prehensive tour  of  Hollywood.  Actually,  the 
story  is  not  a  within-the-studio-gates  yarn; 
rather,  it  is  a  cross  section  visualization  of 
things  that  are  particularly  Hollywood  where 
everybody  wants  to  be  a  picture  star  and  yes- 
terday's extraordinaries  are  today's  ordinary 
extras. 

The  story  concerns  a  passe  star  who  still 
thinks  he's  great  if  he  only  had  a  chance.  When 
he  is  prevailed  upon  to  write  his  memoirs,  the 
unscrupulous  publisher  colors  them  up  with  a 
lot  of  lurid  details  (a  procedure  not  uncom- 
mon). The  articles,  creating  a  sensation,  make 
it  seem  that  their  author  is  still  a  hot  number, 
and  through  chicanery  the  publisher  finances  a 
picture  that  again  will  star  the  oldtimer.  This 
leads  to  a  tragic  denouement  which  not  only 
menaces  the  veteran's  scrambled  domestic  life, 
but  brings  danger  to  one  dear  to  the  publisher. 

Based  on  a  story  by  Faith  Thomas  with 
screen  play  by  Marguerite  Roberts,  the  produc- 
tion is  being  directed  by  Robert  Florey. 

John  Halliday  will  be  seen  as  the  oldtime 
actor  and  C.  Henry  Gordon  as  the  publisher. 
Various  persons  whose  lives  are  effected,  as  the 
result  of  the  deal  made  by  the  two  men,  are 
Marsha  Hunt,  Robert  Cummings,  Esther  Dale 
and  Frieda  Inescort.  Closely  associated  during 
the  film's  action  with  stars  and  featured  play- 
ers are  Esther  Ralston,  Albert  Conti,  Oscar 
Apfel,  Purnell  Pratt  and  others.  Additionally, 
scores  of  notables  of  other  years  will  be  seen 
in  atmospheric  roles. 


The  Man  Who  Lived  Twice 

(Columbia) 
Drama 

Supporting  the  literal  significance  of  its  title, 
this  production  tells  a  strange  story.  A  killer, 
knowing  that  he's  at  his  trail's  end,  prevails 
upon  a  medical  scientist  to  permit  him  to  be 
the  object  of  his  experiment  whereby  useful 
men  can  be  made  of  useless  stock.  The  opera- 
tion successful,  the  scientific  guinea  pig 
emerges  an  eminent  doctor.  He  knows  nothing 
of  his  past,  but  the  law,  aided  and  abetted  by 
a  jealous  moll  of  his  gangster  days,  catches  up 
with  him.  Tried  on  old  charges,  he  is  con- 
victed, but  his  attorney  makes  a  stirring  appeal 
to  the  governor  that  the  humanitarian  scientist 
of  today  is  a  new  man  and  that  the  world  is 
more  in  need  of  his  skill  and  ability  in  curing 
potential  criminals  than  in  his  death  in  punish- 
ment for  the  earlier  crimes. 

The  picture  is  based  on  an  original  story  by 
Tom  Van  Cyche,  who  prepared  the  screen  play 
in  collaboration  with  Fred  Niblo,  Jr.  Direc- 
tion is  by  Harry  Lachman,  who  in  previous 
pictures  has  demonstrated  a  flair  for  handling 
this  type  of  material,  as  the  dramatic  phases 
of  "Dante's  Inferno"  attest. 

Ralph  Bellamy  is  presented  in  the  dual  role 


of  criminal  Slick  Rawley  and  the  remade  Doc- 
tor James  Blake.  Isabel  Jewell  is  the  moll  of 
the  old  days  whose  jealousy  of  Marian  Marsh 
sharing  the  romantic  contrast  of  the  story's 
second  phase  with  Bellamy,  leads  to  her  putting 
the  law  again  on  Bellamy's  trail.  Ward  Bond 
is  Slick's  gunman  pal,  later  Dr.  Blake's  pro- 
tector. The  role  of  the  sleuth  who  devotes  his 
life  to  tracking  down  Rawley  is  assumed  by 
Willard  Robertson. 

Though  the  motivating  idea  of  this  story  is 
by  no  means  new,  the  manner  in  which  it_  has 
been  adapted  here  is  unique.  In  substance  it 
is  the  reverse  of  the  "Dr.  Jekyll  and  Mr. 
Hyde"  plot  premise.  In  itself,  however,  the 
picture  seems  to  be  of  the  character  that  makes 
possible  the  application  of  other  than  ordinary 
formula  exploitation  ideas.  While  the  players 
appearing  are  worthy,  it  looks  as  though  the 
story,  itself,  is  the  thing  to  concentrate  on  in 
building  interest  creating  publicity. 


Oh  Susannah 

(Republic) 
Drama 

While  this  picture  is  western  in  action  and 
atmosphere,  it  is  a  romance  tinged  drama  that 
takes  Gene  Autry  completely  out  of  his  here- 
tofore exclusive  western  player  role.  Factually 
the  story  is  melodrama  in  which  the  life  of  the 
leading  player  is  twice  in  jeopardy.  Hurled 
from  a  train  by  a  fleeing  murderer  who  later 
disguises  himself  in  his  victim's  clothes  to  ef- 
fect his  escape,  the  villain  again  kills  and  as  he 
has  been  accepted  as  Autry,  the  last-named 
again  is  the  objective  of  a  manhunt.  But  in 
conjunction  with  his  buddy  of  several  other 
pictures,  Smiley  Burnette,  and  with  the  musical 
assistance  of  a  popular  coast  radio  singing 
orchestra,  he  does  a  bit  of  entertaining,  falls  in 
love  with  the  girl  in  the  case  and  between  both 
contrives  to  trap  the  killer  and  clear  his  own 
name. 

The  story  is  an  original  screen  play  by  Oliver 
Drake  and  is  being  directed  by  Joseph  Kane. 
Musical  contrast  provides  instrumental,  solo 
and  chorus  numbers  prepared  by  Sam  Stept, 
Drake,  Autry  and  Burnette. 

Practically  all  the  relevant  action  in  the 
story  is  handled  by  Autry,  Burnette,  Frances 
Grant,  Earle  Hodgins,  Donald  Kirke  and 
Boothe  Howard,  who  is  the  heavy  of  the  piece. 
Additional  players  include  Clara  Kimball 
Young,  Ed  Piel,  Frank  Marvin,  Carl  Stock- 
dale,  Roger  Gray,  Fred  Burns,  Lew  Meehan, 
Snowflake  and  Earl  Dwyer. 


King  of  the  Royal  Mounted 

(20th  Century -Fox- Sol  Lesser) 
Drama  and  Romance 

An  authentic  and  believable  Zane  Grey  story 
sufficiently  including  virile  action  and  excite- 
ment to  interest  the  thrill  devotees,  a  better 
than  average  cast  and  quality  of  production  are 
the  basic  ingredients  of  this  production.  It's 
a  dramatic  story  of  love  and  intrigue  in  the 
Northwest  with  a  girl's  hand  and  fortune  at', 
stake,  in  which  the  Royal  Mounted  policeman 
frustrates  the  plot  of  conspirators  to  deprive 
the  heroine  of  what  belongs  to  her. 

Many  facts  recommend  the  picture  to  show- 
manship attention.  Zane  Grey's  popularity  as  a 
screen  writer  is  recognized.  The  story  upon 
which  this  picture  is  based  is  appearing  in 
several  hundred  newspapers,  automatically  cre- 
ating a  potential  pre-made  audience.  In  it 
Robert  Kent,  now  being  seen  in  "The  Coun- 


try Beyond"  and  "The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes," 
is  presented  in  the  title  role.  He  is  of  a  type 
not  usually  seen  in  action  pictures  and  it  is 
expected  that  he  will  be  effective  in  stimulating 
feminine  interest.  Sharing  the  romantic  inter- 
est with  Kent  is  Rosalind  Keith,  lately  seen  in 
"It's  a  Great  Life,"  and  "Poppy."  The  part  of 
the  heavy  is  being  played  by  Alan  Dinehart. 
As  this  trio  is  the  center  of  all  action,  support- 
ing players  include  Frank  McGlynn,  Sr.,  Ar- 
thur Loft,  Grady  Sutton,  Jack  Luden  and  Artie 
Ortego. 

Direction  is  by  Howard  Bretherton,  maker 
of  many  pictures  for  Warner,  also  credited 
with  handling  the  Hopalong  Cassidy  series. 
The  adaptation  is  by  Earl  Snell,  who  has  a  long 
list  of  successful  screen  plays.  In  this  he  has 
introduced  many  unique  twists  to  distinguish  it 
from  previous  Zane  Grey  stories.  The  film  is 
being  produced  by  Sol  Lesser.  Practically  all 
action  was  shot  in  the  Mammoth  Lake  districts 
of  the  High  Sierra  Mountain  Country,  the  sce- 
nic beauty  of  which  duplicates  the  still  primi- 
tive Northwest  Canada. 


His  Brother's  Wife 

(MGM) 

Dramatic  Romance 

According  to  authentic  reports,  Robert  Tay- 
lor's popularity  has  increased  amazingly,  par- 
ticularly with  women  patrons.  A  succession 
of  exceptional  pictures  from  "Broadway  Mel- 
ody" to  "Private  Number,"  plus  his  personal- 
ity, has  made  him  a  top  ranking  favorite.  Quite 
naturally,  to  most  exhibitors,  he  stands  out  as 
this  production's  dominating  showmanship  as- 
set. It  seems  that  this  story  has  been  selected 
with  a  special  eye  towards  increasing  Tay- 
lor's prestige. 

It  is  a  dramatic  romance.  Part  of  it  is  gay 
and  charming;  the  other  half  is  serious.  A 
young  doctor  and  girl  fall  in  love.  His  brother 
and  parents  object  to  their  intent  to  marry. 
The  father  pays  the  boy's  gambling  debts  on 
condition  that  he  go  away  and  forget  the  girl. 
Further  to  remove  any  obstacle  that  might 
hinder  his  scientific  career,  the  brother  marries 
the  girl.  Now  the  story  turns  completely 
dramatic.  The  doctor  returns  from  South 
America  and  prevails  upon  his  brother's  wife 
to  return  there  with  him.  There,  as  the  brother 
gets  a  divorce,  both  understand  their  love. 

With  Taylor  as  the  young  doctor,  the  cast 
looks  to  be  of  unusual  merit.  Barbara  Stan- 
wyck is  the  girl  and  John  Eldredge  is  the 
brother.  Jean  Hersholt  will  be  seen  as  the 
boys'  father  and  Joseph  Calleia  as  a  gambling 
czar  with  whom  Taylor  gets  into  financial  dif- 
ficulties. Other  players  in  the  cast  include 
Samuel  Hinds,  Phyllis  Claire,  Leonard  Mudie, 
Jed  Prouty,  Pedro  de  Cordoba,  Rafael  Corio, 
William  Stack  and  Edgar  Edwards. 

Based  on  a  modernly  conceived  story,  the 
production  values  are  rich  in  depicting  the  two 
major  locales,  New  York  and  the  interior  of 
South  America's  jungles.  The  picture  is  di- 
rected by  W.  S.  Van  Dyke,  whose  most  recent 
effort,  "San  Francisco,"  is  currently  causing 
plenty  of  excitement. 


Films  Entered  in  Festival 

Three  American  producing  companies 
have  selected  their  entries  for  the  fourth 
International  Cinema  Festival  to  be  held  in 
Venice,  Italy,  August  10th  to  the  31st.  Par- 
amount will  enter  "The  Trail  of  the  Lone- 
some Pine;"  RKO,  "Mary  of  Scotland," 
and  Twentieth  Century-Fox,  "Under  Two 
Flags"  and  "A  Message  to  Garcia." 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


55 


Hollywood  Premiere  Resumes 
Pre-Depression  Glory 

"Anthony  Adverse'  Opening  at  Carthay  Circle  Recalls  "Good  Old  Days" 


Conditions  reminiscent  of  those  lustrous  nights  prior  to  October,  1929,  when  no  week  ivas 
a  social  success  without  its  Hollywood  premiere  prevailed  at  the  opening,  July  29th,  of 
"Anthony  Adverse"  at  the  Carthay  Circle   theatre,  Los  Angeles. 


Hollywood  Bureau 

of  Motion  Picture  Herald 

There  was  tumult  in  the  town  and  copious 
evidence,  audible  and  visible,  that  the  good 
old  days  and  nights  of  box  office  prosperity 
are  here  again  when  Hollywood,  professional 
and  citizen,  turned  out  in  what  may  be 
termed  a  body  to  witness  the  world  premiere 
of  "Anthony  Adverse"  at  the  Carthay  Circle 
theatre,  Los  Angeles,  on  the  star-spangled 
evening  of  July  29th. 

Data  : 

Applications  for  first-night  tickets  at 
$5.50  each  trebled  the  number  of  seats 
in  the  theatre. 

First-night  gross  exceeded  by  20  per 
cent  the  top  figure  previously  established 
by  the  Carthay  Circle  in  twelve  years  of 
operation. 

Advance  sale  for  the  first  fortnight  was 
the  largest  experienced  since  1929. 

Fifteen  hundred  persons  bought  subse- 
quent-performance tickets  entitling  them 
to  sit  in  a  specially  constructed  grandstand 
to  witness  arrival  of  the  cinema  nobility 
and  twice  as  many  more  tried  to. 

Students  of  show  business — and  who  in 
Hollywood  isn't? — read  particular  signifi- 
cance into  the  populous  presence  of  the  laity. 
Interest  of  the  professional  population  in  a 
production  based  on  the  most  spectacularly 
publicized  book  in  recent  years  and  brought 
to  screen  under  notable  auspices  at  highly 
quotable  expense  was  a  factor  to  be  counted 
upon  as  routine.  Interest  of  the  plain  people, 
of  whom  so  many  must  be  induced,  ulti- 
mately, to  pay  their  way  into  theatres  across 
the  face  of  the  earth,  was  not  and  is  never 
a  safely  foregone  conclusion.  It  was  the  out- 
pouring of  these,  in  numbers  estimated  from 
35,000  to  50,000,  that  convinced  novice  and 
graybeard,  statistician  and  celebrant,  that 
reference  to  the  depression  in  the  past  tense 
is  genuinely  justified  henceforth. 

The  grandstand  mentioned  was  a  feature 
of  _  premiere  showmanship  seldom  if  ever 
quite  paralleled  in  the  indubitably  show- 
manly  environs  of  Los  Angeles.  A  sectional, 
portable  type  of  structure,  it  flanked  on  two 
sides  the  50-yard  approach  to  the  entrance, 
with  30  feet  of  lawn  between,  down  which 
arrivals  progressed  afoot  from  carriage  to 
theatre  entrance.  Announcers  identified  each 
via  a  public  address  system  and  gave  way  to 
those  who  could  be  persuaded  to  speak.  Be- 
tween arrivals  a  band  played  and  singers 
sang,  while  floodlights  poured  down  and 
spotlights  pointed  up  and  all  the  niceties, 
nifties  and  ceremonial  amenities  were  appro- 
priately exercised. 

Among  those  attending  were  Jack  L.  and 
Harry  Warner,  Hal  B  Wallis,  executive  pro- 
ducer, and  Mervyn  Le  Roy,  director  of  the 
picture.  Representatives  of  the  cast  were 
Fredric  March,  who  plays  the  name  role. 


Olivia  De  Havilland,  Anita  Louise,  Gale 
Sondergaard,  Claude  Rains,  Edmund  Gwenn, 
Donald  Woods,  George  E.  Stone  and  others. 
Mr.  LeRoy,  whose  guests  were  Irving  Thal- 
berg  and  Norma  Shearer,  was  lauded  by 
Harry  Warner  for  his  work  on  the  produc- 
tion. George  Burns  and  Grade  Allen  also 
made  use  of  the  loudspeaker,  practically 
stopping  the  show  with  characteristic  banter. 

Within  the  theatre,  the  staff  was  costumed 
in  consonance  with  the  Napoleonic  period, 


in  which  the  picture  is  set  as  to  time.  A 
program,  produced  in  precise  dimensions  of 
the  novel  on  which  the  picture  is  based,  6% 
by   9J/2    by   2]/2    inches,    was  distributed. 

Heads  habitually  wagged  sidewise  are  be- 
held, therefore,  nodding  affirmatively  when 
studio  talk  turns,  as  it  consistently  and  some- 
what excitedly  does,  to  the  general  business 
significance  of  the  'Anthony  Adverse"  pre- 
miere. The  word  is  out  that  the  good  old 
box  office  days  and  nights  are  here  again. 


56 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


B&K  DOUBLE  FEATURING 
STARTS  IN  SEPTEMBER 


Independents  Will  Follow  Cir- 
cuit's Policy;  Theatre  Lobby 
Radios  Bring  Star  Broadcasts 

by  WILLIAM  F.  CROUCH 

in  Chicago 

After  four  years  without  double  features 
Chicago  theatres  are  to  start  playing  them 
on  or  about  September  11th.  The  Balaban 
&  Katz  circuit,  which  dominates  theatre  ac- 
tivities locally,  will  be  the  first  to  inaugurate 
the  new  policy.  They  will  start  double  fea- 
ture programs  in  their  "A"  houses  with  the 
advent  of  the  new  season's  product  and  it 
will  be  but  a  matter  of  days  before  all  other 
houses  in  their  circuit,  with  the  exception 
of  the  loop  theatres,  will  follow  suit. 

Instead  of  waiting  for  the  new  product 
to  arrive  via  the  regular  clearance  route, 
independent  theatre  men  are  planning  to 
adopt  the  dual  bills  as  soon  as  B  &  K  has 
opened  the  way.  To  wait  until  the  new 
product  is  available  for  them  would  be  a 
financial  blow  and  regardless  of  the  clause 
in  last  year's  contract  that  duals  were  not 
permitted  the  independent  exhibitors  plan 
to  start  using  duals  as  soon  as  the  open- 
ing gun  is  fired.  That  the  distributors  will 
raise  any  objections  is  unlikely. 

The  double  feature  plan  has  been  so  suc- 
cessful in  other  cities,  according  to  B  &  K 
executives,  that  it  is  deemed  advisable'  to 
return  to  the  plan  here.  The  B&K  cir- 
cuit is  the  only  local  group  which  is  in  favor 
of  the  dual  program ;  all  other  circuits  as 
well  as  the  independents  are  definitely  op- 
posed. Attempts  were  made  last  spring  by 
B  &  K  to  start  the  double  feature  policy 
but  a  prohibitive  clause  in  all  city  contracts 
ended  the  efforts. 

Warner  Brothers  theatres,  the  other  lead- 
ing member  of  the  Chicago  Exhibitors  Asso- 
ciation, is  opposed  to  the  return  of  duals, 
as  are  members  of  the  Allied  Theatres  of 
Illinois,  a  group  which  includes  the  Essaness 
and  other  important  but  smaller  independent 
circuits. 

With  a  number  of  deluxe  neighborhood 
theatres  that  have  from  4,000  to  5,500  seats, 
dual  bills  are  deemed  a  profitable  plan  by 
the  B&K  group.  The  smaller  independ- 
ent houses,  many  of  which  have  but  300  to 
500  seats,  have  done  all  possible  to  prevent 
their  return.  Inability  to  get  a  "turnover" 
because  of  the  length  of  the  program  is  the 
reason  given  for  this  situation.  The  larger 
houses  with  plenty  of  seats  can  take  care 
of  the  business  when  it  comes  but  the  smaller 
house  has  to  resort  to  a  "hold-out"  when 
the  rush  hour  comes. 

With  the  distributors  granting  B  &  K  an 
extra  seven  days  clearance  between  "C" 
week  and  the  first-week-of-release,  a  fight 
is  now  on  between  Allied  Theatres  and  B  & 
K  and  the  distributors.  Conferences  sched- 
uled for  this  week  may  result  in  the  settling 
of  this  conflict.  If  not,  Aaron  Saperstein, 
president  of  the  Allied  group,  has  been  au- 
thorized to  notify  the  attorney  general  that 
the  "Consent  Decree"  handed  down  here  by 
the  federal  court  in  April,  1932,  has,  in  Al- 


lied's opinion,  been  violated  and  that  the 
matter  of  granting  extra  clearance  should 
be  subjected  to  arbitration.  Allied's  conten- 
tion is  that  the  extra  clearance  affects  all 
first-week-of-release  houses  instead  of  just 
those  which  are  in  a  competitive  situation  to 
B&K  "C"  week  houses.  The  independent 
group  feels  that  granting  of  clearance  to 
houses  that  are  in  competitive  locations  is 
not  out  of  line  but  to  have  the  plan  effect 
all  first  week  houses  is  going  too  far. ' 
V 

Conferences  between  exhibitor  groups 
and  the  Operators  Union  for  the  arranging 
of  a  new  contract  for  the  coming  year,  are 
scheduled  for  this  week.  Last  year's  agree- 
ment expired  in  January  of  this  year  but 
through  a  gentleman's  agreement  its  regu- 
lations are  to  be  upheld  until  September 
first,  when  a  contract  for  the  coming  year 
is  to  be  made.  Last  winter  the  union  was 
asking  for  a  20  per  cent  wage  increase. 
What  their  demands  will  be  at  this  time 
is  not  known.  Exhibitors  were  definitely  op- 
posed to  the  raise  when  it  was  last  dis- 
cussed and  probably  retain  that  attitude. 
V 

Downstate  salesmen  for  local  film  ex- 
changes report  that  sales  have  fallen  off 
sharply  the  past  few  days.  The  continued 
dry  spell  throughout  the  middle  western 
states  and  especially  through  the  "cornbelt" 
has  placed  business  in  the  doldrums  in  com- 
munities which  depend  upon  agriculture  for 
their  livelihood.  A  search  of  all  weather 
records  fails  to  find  a  period  that  has  been 
as  dry  as  the  past  two  months.  Corn  and 
small  grains  have  been  severely  damaged. 
V 

Business  in  the  loop  lately  has  been  ex- 
ceptionally good,  due  no  doubt  to  several 
strong  attractions  and  livable  weather.  At 
the  Chicago  this  week  "Rhythm  on  the 
Range"  and  Major  Bowes'  Dance  Band  and 
Unit  show  are  heading  for  a  nice  figure  ex- 
pected to  pass  the  $40,000  mark.  It  is  the 
best  business  in  this  big  house  in  months. 
"Suzy"  at  the  Roosevelt  is  another  big 
money  picture  while  "Green  Pastures"  at 
the  United  Artists  is  doing  very  well.  Other 
loop  theatres  have  been  well  above  average 
and  the  next  few  weeks  are  expected  to  be 
the  biggest  of  the  year.  The  last  weeks  in 
August  are  usually  high  points. 

V 

George  Weeks,  general  manager  for  Gau- 
mont-British,  was  a  Chicago  visitor  last 
week.  He  gave  a  luncheon  for  a  number  of 
leading  exhibitors,  at  the  Blackstone  Hotel, 
and  to  preview  two  new  G-B  pictures,  "Nine 
Days  a  Queen"  and  "Seven  Sinners,"  both 
of  which  rated  approval  from  the  theatre 
men.  Weeks  also  dispelled  rumors  of  changes 
in  the  G-B  sales  set-up  and  said  that  no 
changes  of  any  sort  were  contemplated. 
Other  speakers  at  the  luncheon,  besides 
Weeks,  included  Clyde  Eckhardt,  W.  A.  V. 
Mack  and  Abe  Fisher. 

V 

Voting  for  the  Queen  of  the  Cruise  of  the 
Chicago  Amusement  Publicists  Association 
is  heavy  along  Film  Row  and  among  the 
various  theatrical  groups  in  Chicago.  The 


winner  will  receive  a  prize  the  night  of  the 
cruise  which  is  midnight,  August  18th.  The 
affair  will  take  place  on  the  SS  Roosevelt. 
Each  ticket  carries  1,000  votes  for  the 
Queen.  Warner  Bros.,  Essaness  and  other 
circuits  are  fast  getting  support  for  their 
favorite  candidates.  Harry  K.  Smythe,  pres- 
ident of  CAPA,  is  in  charge. 

V 

Herb  Elisburg-  is  on  the  vacation  list  this 
week.  Another  to  seek  solace  from  a  year's 
busy  activity  is  Larry  Stein.  Both  are  press 
representatives,  Elisburg  for  Essaness  and 
Stein  for  Warner's. 

V 

Ted  Weems  and  his  orchestra  have  been 
booked  into  four  Great  States  theatres  for 
stage  appearances.  As  a  novelty  with  his 
band  Weems  will  show  the  short  film,  "The 
Martins  and  the  Coys,"  which  illustrates 
the  feud  between  these  two  clans  while  Elmo 
Tanner  and  Red  Engle  supply  the  musical 
background.  The  short  film,  which  was  first 
shown  at  the  Chicago  theatre,  was  made 
here  by  the  General  Film  Laboratory  and 
directed  by  your  correspondent. 

V 

Mrs.  Mabel  Dietz,  secretary  of  the  Minne- 
apolis Film  Board  of  Trade,  visited  here  last 
week  with  Miss  Emma  Abplanalp,  local 
Film  Board  executive. 

V 

Local  theatres  are  installing  radios  in 
their  lobbies  and  waiting  rooms  so  that 
patrons  who  wish  to  hear  the  various  broad- 
casts of  film  stars  from  Hollywood  can  do 
so  and  not  miss  being  at  the  theatre  too. 
During  one  broadcast  a  few  days  ago  al- 
most as  many  patrons  of  a  local  theatre 
could  be  found  in  the  lobby  and  waiting 
room  listening  to  a  broadcast  by  Franchot 
Tone  and  Joan  Crawford  as  were  inside 
the  theatre  auditorium  watching  Tone  per- 
form on  the  screen. 

V 

Monday,  August  24th,  is  the  date  set  for 
the  annual  Warner  Club  picnic.  The  affair 
this  year  will  be  held  at  Wicker  Memorial 
Park  in  Highland,  Indiana.  Golf,  softball, 
and  other  athletic  events  will  highlight  the 
program. 

V 

Robert  Ripley's  "Believe  It  or  Not"  unit 
show  of  freaks  has  been  booked  into  the 
Chicago  theatre  for  one  week. 


Fair  Trade  Law 
Decision  Awaited 

With  decision  on  a  test  case  involving  the 
Wisconsin  fair  trade  practice  act  expected 
this  week  the  motion  picture  and  other  in- 
dustries are  focussing  attention  on  the  prob- 
ability of  tests  of  a  similar  Ohio  measure. 

The  law,  which  is  similar  also  to  those 
passed  in  12  other  states  including  Cal- 
ifornia, New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Illinois,  stipulates  that,  "Whoever 
knowingly  and  willingly  advertises,  offers 
for  sale,  or  sells  any  commodity  for  less 
than  the  minimum  price  stipulated  in  any 
contract  entered  into  pursuant:  with  the 
provisions  of  this  ac,t,  whether  the  said  per- 
son is  or  is  not  a  party  to  such  contract, 
shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  engaging  in  unfair 
competition  and  unfair  trade  practices  and  is 
actionable  at  the  suit  of  any  person  damaged 
thereby. 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  57 


AMERICANS  FILMING  THE  SPANISH 
CIVIL  WAR,  DESPITE  RIGID  BAN 


Firsthand  Shots  of  Battle  Scenes 
Arrive  from  Within  Rebel 
and  Loyalist  Lines;  Film 
Smuggled  Across  Border 

Not  all  the  shooting'  these  days  in  strife- 
torn  Spain  is  being  done  by  the  rebels  and 
the  Loyalists  of  the  Red  Spanish  Govern- 
ment. Proceeding  quietly  and  very  much 
under  cover,  scarcely  a  dozen  in  their  ranks, 
are  the  American  newsreel  cameramen  who, 
despite  as  rigid  war-time  censorship  as  ever 
has  been  imposed  upon  newsreel  or  news- 
paper photographers,  are  grinding  cautiously 
in  the  night  and  from  points  out  of  sight  in 
the  daylight. 

The  Spanish  revolution  was  more  than 
two  weeks  old  before  the  American  news- 
reel  home  offices  in  New  York  were  aware 
that  their  men  were  even  on  the  battle- 
fronts.  Disrupted  communications  and 
drastic  censorship  had  led  the  manage- 
ments on  Broadway  to  believe  there  would 
be  little  if  any  pictorial  record  of  the  war 
available  for  American  theatres.  Now 
negatives  in  the  can  and  carefully-worded 
cables  are  beginning  to  get  through  the 
lines,  and  already  firsthand  shots  of  the 
fray  are  in  this  country,  but  not  without  the 
continued  possibilities  of  casualties  to  men 
and  equipment. 

The  American  newsreel  cameramen  today 
are  with  the  rebel  army  at  Burgos,  recording 
the  activities  of  the  Fascist  insurgents  while 
they  are  asserting  that  "the  beginning  of  the 
end"  of  Spain's  rebellion  has  come,  as  deserters 
from  the  loyal  forces  are  entering  the  Rightist 
lines  at  Buitrago,  40  miles  north  of  Madrid. 
The  cameramen  are  in  Madrid,  too,  filming  the 
Loyalist  movements,  and  at  La  Zaida,  30  miles 
southeast  of  Saragossa,  amid  the  changing  scene 
of  capture  and  recapture. 

The  American  newsreel  men  will  ignore  Sec- 
retary of  State  Hull's  blunt  warning  to  United 
States  nationals  that  they  remain  in  Spain  at 
their  own  peril. 

First  Shots  Arrive 

The  first  newsreel  scenes  to  reach  New 
York,  last  Friday,  were  more  of  "academic" 
nature  than  of  action.  It  still  was  too  early  to 
determine  the  quality  of  the  pictures  now  being 
smuggled  across  the  border,  nor  could  the 
managements  determine  how  far  away  their 
cameramen  were  from  the  "closeup"  scenes  of 
action. 

Pierre  Luck,  first  newsreel  cameraman  for 
Fox  Movietone  in  revolt-torn  Spain,  cabled  to 
Truman  Talley,  general  manager,  in  New  York 
a  vivid  description  of  the  trek  of  luckless  na- 
tives in  one  Spanish  village  to  and  from  their 
homes  to  avoid  the  gunfire  of  opposing  forces. 

Mr.  Luck  had  reached  the  front  lines  of  rebel 
forces  near  the  town  of  Vera  only  by  expos- 
ing himself  to  snipers  who  lined  his  route  as 
the  rebels  advanced  on  San  Sebastian. 

Mountain  Warfare 

"I  saw  scenes  of  mountain  warfare  which, 
for  hardships  imposed  on  the  troops,  were  al- 
most unbelievable,"  Mr.  Luck  said  in  his  mes- 
sage, relayed  to  Mr.  Talley  by  Associated 
Press.    Mr.  Talley  expects  to  find  much  of  the 


BULLETIN 

"You  may  assure  the  Motion  Picture 
Herald  there  will  be  no  socialization  nor 
confiscation  of  American  representation  in 
the  film  group  here,"  Jose  Carner  Ribalt, 
newly  appointed  Comisario  de  Especta- 
culos  Publicos  de  Catalunya,  told  me  to- 
day," Harry  Chapin  Plummer,  Herald 
representative  in  Barelona,  cabled  New 
York  at  press  time. 

"We  propose  to  rebuild  on  the  old 
structure,  not  to  tear  it  down,"  the  new 
commissioner  said.  "There  will  be  regula- 
tion and  intervention  in  the  sense  that  the 
Interstate  Commerce  Commission  regu- 
lates American  railways,  and  undoubtedly 
there  will  be  also  the  establishment  of 
quotas  and  the  enactment  of  contingent 
laws  will  follow  as  in  other  countries.  As 
to  the  native  Spanish  industry,  the  position 
of  the  producing  companies  is  bad,  as  their 
backers  under  the  old  regime  have  fled, 
leaving  them  virtually  bankrupt,  and  cer- 
tain studios,  like  the  theatres,  may  be 
made  cooperative  units  in  which  the  pro- 
prietors, impresarios  and  employees  will 
share  the  production  and  profit,  with  the 
government  providing  all  the  legal  support 
and,  where  necessary,  subvention.  But  no 
socialization  and  no  confiscation. 

"Production  of  the  American  group  may 
prove  the  solution  of  the  frozen  money 
situation." 

The  Federacion  Regional  de  Espectaculos 
Publicos  was  formed  to  amalgamate  the 
labor  groups  of  exhibition,  distribution  and 
production. 


fighting  recorded  in  Mr.  Luck's  next  batch 
of  negative. 

"Starting  at  Lesaca,"  Cameraman  Luck  con- 
tinued, "I  went  horseback  over  the  mountains 
with  a  native  guide.  We  jogged  for  five  hours 
before  reaching  Oyardun,  where  Colonel  Beor- 
legui  commands  a  column  of  3,500  men,  most- 
ly Carlist  volunteers. 

"From  the  hills  surrounding  Oyardun  the 
troops  looked  down  on  San  Sebastian,  about 
eight  and  one-half  miles  away.  In  front  of  the 
Fascists,  stretching  around  to  Enderlaza,  on 
the  right,  were  government  forces  trying 
desperately  to  cut  off  the  Colonel's  troops  from 
communication  with  Pamplona."  Mr.  Luck, 
for  obvious  reasons,  made  no  mention  of  his 
camera. 

Mr.  Luck  reported  to  Mr.  Talley  that  the 
rebel  commander.  Colonel  Beorlegui,  boasted  he 
could  "take  San  Sebastan  easily  with  a  loss  of 
perhaps  500  men,  but  I  have  been  held  back 
by  orders  from  Pamplona.  I  could  at  any 
moment  blow  up  the  important  railroad  bridge 
between  Irun  and  San  Sebastian  and  wreck 
the  armored  trains  used  by  the  government  to 
maintain  communication  between  these  two 
points."  And  there  Mr.  Luck  has  his  camera 
poised,  in  action. 

Luck  dined  in  Oyardun  with  rebel  officers, 
including  two  priests  wearing  uniforms.  Dur- 


Cameras  Confiscated,  Film 
Hidden  Under  Coat;  Several 
Cameramen  Jailed;  Plane 
Chartered  Outside  Madrid 

ing  dinner,  information  trickled  in  that  the  town 
was  to  be  attacked.  Bugles  sounded  a  warning 
for  evacuation.  Not  only  civilians  but  soldiers 
streamed  into  the  hills.  Mr.  Luck  went  with 
them. 

Rebel  officers  later  explained  to  the  camera- 
man that  the  strategy  was  to  evacuate,  let  the 
government's  loyal  troops  come  in,  and  then 
recapture  the  town. 

"If  you  find  on  developing  that  the  negative 
quality  is  not  up  to  standard  please  take  into 
consideration  that  a  good  deal  of  it  was  shot 
under  danger  of  life,"  said  the  information  sheet 
accompanying  the  pictures  received  from  Mr. 
Luck.  With  him  were  Editor  Hans  Mandl, 
Cameramen  Prieto,  Alonzo  and  Palaccio,  and 
two  sound  engineers  were  also  in  contact  with 
him. 

Movietone  News  last  Friday  released  a  na- 
tional "special"  to  all  of  its  American  accounts 
on  the  film  sent  it  by  its  Spanish  representa- 
tives. Mr.  Talley  claimed  that  these  were  the 
first  pictures  of  the  sanguinary  civil  war  to 
be  shown  on  American  theatre  screens.  The 
negative  was  brought  to  New  York  on  the  SS 
Bremen,  which  arrived  shortly  after  noon 
Friday. 

Mr.  Talley  said  he  was  informed  from  Europe 
by  Russell  Muth,  Movietone's  European  di- 
rector, that  Fox  newsreel  had  scored  a  beat 
in  every  nation  in  Europe  with  the  revolt  pic- 
tures. Special  prints  from  New  York  are 
now  on  wing  to  South  America  and  the  Orient. 

Movietone's  first  pictures,  of  Madrid  in  the 
midst  of  the  struggle,  were  flown  secretly  from 
outside  that  city  to  Paris  in  a  chartered  plane. 

Incidentally,  Mr.  Luck  had  been  the 
sole  Movietone  representative  in  Madrid 
in  the  almost  bloodless  revolution  that 
ousted  King  Alfonso.  He  was  decorated 
by  the  successful  revolutionists  at  that 
time.  Further,  he  had  just  returned  to 
Spain  from  Ethiopia,  the  last  member  of 
the  Movietone  expedition  that  covered 
the  Italian  conquest  to  leave  Africa. 

Reading  between  the  lines  of  the  information 
sheets  coming  through  to  all  newsreel  head- 
quarters in  New  York  with  the  film  from 
Spain,  there  is  evidence  that  every  time  a  crew 
ventures  out  to  make  pictures  the  men's  lives 
are  ventured  also.  Stray  bullets  are  common- 
place when  a  nation  is  torn  by  civil  strife,  and 
hot-headed  commanders,  sullen  in  defeat  or 
flushed  by  triumph,  are  wont  to  regard  camera- 
men as  enemy  spies  or  as  persons  on  whom  to 
vent  spleen  or  newly  acquired  power. 

The  "dope"  sheets  of  the  second  batch  of 
film  which  arrived  on  the  SS  Normandie  on 
Monday  were  full  of  such  suggestions.  Fox's 
Cameraman  Prieto,  who  to  date  has  made  most 
of  the  Fox  pictures  showing  the  Fascists  in 
action,  wrote : 

"Had  to  leave  this  division  after  it  left 
Burgos  (sleepy  cathedral  town  of  Northern 
Spain).  They  are  all  youngsters,  between  15 
and  20  years  old,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
officers,  and  they  are  going  up  to  the  Guadar- 
rama  mountains  for  a  major  engagement  with 
the  government  forces.  One  of  the  commanders 
told  me  that  to  proceed  any  further  with  them 
would  be  to  invite  a  taste  of  trouble.  The 
(Continued  on  following  pane) 


58 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


CAMERAMEN  OUTWIT  WAR  CENSORS 


Demands  of  Small  Group  Delay 
Reopening  Barcelona  Business 


Some  semblance  of  normalcy  was  returning  to  the  Spanish  motion  picture  in- 
dustry this  week,  according  to  Harry  Chapin  Plummer,  Motion  Picture  Herald 
representative  in  Barcelona,  who  cabled  that  the  offices  of  distributors  and  all 
theatres  were  still  closed  but  it  was  understood  that  only  the  minor  demands  of  a 
small  group  were  standing  in  the  way  of  a  reopening,  expected  by  Thursday  of 
this  week. 

The  "Commissioner  of  Spectacles"  of  Catalonia  has  ordered  inspection  of  all 
film  establishments  in  the  region,  including  studios  and  laboratories.  The  inspector 
tuill  be  empoivered  to  intervene  in  the  activities  of  the  organizations  relative  to  the 
conduct  of  business  and  the  internal  phases,  and  in  exceptional  cases,  will  have  the 
right  to  place  in  the  company  a  permanent  delegate  "for  the  proper  functioning  of 
the  house." 

Bank  accounts  are  still  closed  for  the  payment  of  all  bills  except  wages.  This 
is  designed  to  "avoid  panic." 

The  Metro -Gold  wyn-Mayer  home  office  in  New  York  was  informed  that  no 
harm  had  befallen  its  personnel  in  Spain  and  that  the  office  equipment  had  not 
been  damaged  by  the  civil  war.  Robert  Trillo,  head  of  R  KO  Radio  Pictures  of 
Spain,  was  at  Marseilles  momentarily  expecting  to  gain  entrance  to  his  home  terri- 
tory. He  had  been  refused  entrance  last  week  by  way  of  Gibraltar  and  had  re- 
turned to  Rome. 


(Continued  from  page  57) 
two  French  'still'  photographers  with  me  were 
'cuffed'  about  and  had  their  plates  broken." 

Again  from  Pierre  Luck : 

"The  bridge  of  Endarlaza  has  been  destroyed 
by  the  government  troops  which  were  stationed 
on  the  side  of  the  Bedasson  river.  Consequent- 
ly, in  order  to  reach  this  place,  I  had  to  walk 
seven  kilometers  in  the  mountains." 

In  Movietone  News,  Volume  18,  Number  93, 
made  up  Monday  and  Tuesday  of  this  week, 
for  Wednesday  release,  both  sides  of  the  con- 
flict are  shown. 

Metrotone  Cameramen  Active 

In  spite  of  the  difficult  communications  and 
censorship  along  the  French  border,  Hearst 
Metrotone  News  cameramen  have  cabled 'that 
they,  too,  are  succeeding  in  getting  pictures 
of  Spain's  civil  war  past  the  frontiers. 

Metrotone  cameramen  are  in  the  thick  of 
the  fighting  in  the  Madrid  area  as  well  as 
Barcelona.  The  personnel  includes  several 
photographers  long  in  newsreel  service :  Henri 
Cabrieres,  Gaston  Chelle  and  Ariel  Varges. 
Before  actual  revolution  broke  out  they  had 
formulated  plans  for  a  complete  coverage. 

In  dispatches  received  in  New  York  Tuesday 
by  Michael  Clofine,  editor,  the  Metrotone 
cameramen  disclosed  they  are  experiencing 
some  difficulty  in  enlarging  their  staff  with 
newsreel  photographers  from  Africa — men  who 
have  been  active  in  recent  months  in  the  Italo- 
Ethiopian  war.  Here  and  there,  too,  they  re- 
port, they  are  under  protective  custody. 

First  Metrotone  pictures  were  in  last  week's 
issue,  when  views  along  the  French  frontier 
were  shown. 

Nine  Paramount  Cameramen 

Before  the  first  gun  was  fired  in  Spain,  A.  J. 
Richards,  Paramount  newsreel  editor  in  New 
York,  had  the  European  map  charted  for  points 
of  strategy  for  his  camera  crews.  And  no 
sooner  was  the  initial  clash  between  Loyalists 
and  rebels  on  the  record  than  Mr.  Richard, 
giving  the  word  by  cable  from  New  York,  had 
his  men  move  into  position. 

Nine  cameramen  immediately  commenced  op- 
erating out  of  three  headquarters.  Reginald 
Brooks,  who  traveled  from  England,  occupied 
the  central  neutral  office  in  Bordeaux.  Through 
his  office  negative  prints  are  shipped  to  the 
United  States  and  men  on  firing  lines  are  ap- 
prised of  the  success  or  failure  of  their  attempts 
to  ship  war  film  news  out  of  Spain.  Mr. 
Brooks  has  two  planes  at  his  disposal  which 
are  piloted  by  Englishmen. 

Working  out  of  Madrid  is  Ludwig  Geiscopp, 
an  American  citizen.  Mr.  Ludwig  was  in  Spain 
some  time  before  the  revolution  broke  out. 
Paramount  newsfilm  on  Broadway  and  in  key 
cities  of  the  country  this  week  was  taken  mainly 
by  this  cameraman. 

Working  also  with  government  troops  in 
Toledo  and  Barcelona,  respectively,  are  John 
Baylif  and  John  Dored.  Pierre  Le  Long,  a 
Frenchman,  is  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Dored, 
the  cameraman  who  gained  prominence  for  his 
prowess  during  the  Italo-Ethiopian  trouble. 

With  rebel  troops  are  Frank  MacGregor  and 
James  Hart,  both  English.  Mr.  MacGregor 
maintains  his  headquarters  at  Burgas  with  the 
insurrectionists. 

Editor  Richard  said  he  deliberately  refrained 
from  naming  any  cameraman  whose  nationality 
might  prove  antagonistic  to  either  side. 

Although  Paramount  estimates  its  crews  have 
shot  about  12,000  feet  of  film  in  the  Spanish 
fray,  the  home  office  to  date  has  not  had  a 
single  report  of  a  casuality,  or  even  slight 
injury  to  any  man  at  the  front. 

At    various    times,    however,  Paramount 


cameramen  have  been  arrested  and  lodged  in 
jail.  In  Madrid,  two  planes  and  film,  as  well 
as  men,  were  seized.  Through  the  American 
Embassy  the  men  were  released,  their  planes  re- 
turned and  also  sections  of  the  film  that  were 
not  censored. 

Newsreel  men  in  New  York  consider  they  are 
fortunate  if  25  per  cent  of  the  negative  which 
their  staffs  are  exposing  in  Spain  escapes 
seizure  or  mutilation.  They  figure  that  is 
about  the  percentage  which  arrives  in  America 
from  the  time  it  passes  through  the  camera 
until  it  reaches  the  shipping  cans  at  Bordeaux. 

Pathe  Cameras  Confiscated 

Pathe  News  cameramen  have  also  been 
getting  news  shots  out  of  Spain.  Three  such 
stories  have  come  to  New  York  from  the  five 
cameramen  working  on  the  subject  during  the 
past  week,  their  film  being  shipped  through 
the  French  border  town  of  Hendaye  and  then 
finished  by  the  Paris  office. 

While  street  scenes  of  the  battles  were  being 
filmed  by  Pathe's  staff,  several  of  the  cameras 
were  confiscated,  but  in  each  case  the  operator 
was  able  to  save  the  film  by  hiding  it  under 
his  coat. 

The  Spain  project  is  under  the  direction  of 
William  G.  O'Brien,  European  manager  of 
Pathe  News. 


Wellman  to  Direct  "Sawyer" 

William  A.  Wellman  has  been  added  to 
the  staff  of  Selznick  International  and  his 
first  assignment  will  be  to  direct  "The  Ad- 
ventures of  Tom  Sawyer,"  the  screen  adap- 
tation of  Mark  Twain's  story  of  American 
boyhood. 


Renews  RCA  Contract 

Ideal  Sound  Studios,  Inc.,  has  renewed 
its  contract  for  RCA  Photophone  High  Fi- 
delity recording  for  10  years. 


Far  Eastern  Managers 
of  Universal  Promoted 

N.  L.  Manheim,  export  manager  of  Uni- 
versal Pictures,  this  week  made  several 
promotions  in  his  company's  Far  Eastern 
personnel.  Lipton  Astrachan,  present  man- 
ager for  Japan,  has  been  made  Far  Eastern 
supervisor  with  jurisdiction  over  Japan, 
China,  the  Philippines,  Dutch  East  Indies, 
Straits  Settlements  and  India.  Alfred  Daff, 
present  manager  in  Melbourne,  takes  over 
the  management  of  the  Japan  territory. 
Lawrence  De  Prida  has  been  made  manager 
of  the  Philippines  to  take  the  place  of 
Charles  L.  Brookheim,  who  is  on  an  indefi- 
nite leave  of  absence  because  of  ill  health. 

Legitimate  Theatres 
Are  Showing  Revival 

San  Francisco's  periodic  burst  of  legiti- 
mate stage  activity  is  on  again,  enhanced 
by  the  running  of  two  Works  Progress  Ad- 
ministration dramas  in  local  theatres.  Homer 
Curran  is  presenting  Katharine  Cornell  in 
"St.  Joan"  at  the  Curran  Theatre,  with  Tal- 
lulah  Bankhead  in  "Reflected  Glory,"  a  new 
George  Kaufman  play,  scheduled  to  follow. 

Burroughs-Tarzan 
Increases  Output 

Borroughs-Tarzan  Pictures  have  stepped 
up  production  to  meet  reported  requirements 
of  franchise  affiliates  and  will  release  24 
feature  attractions  for  the  current  season. 

Twelve  of  these  productions  will  be  made 
by  the  company  itself  and  twelve  will  be 
farmed  out  to  individual  producers. 


"A  TRIUMPHANT  FILM"  "Mary  of  Scotland"  a  triumphant  film. 

John  Ford's  direction  of  the  picture  is  a  masterly  job  ...  as  inspired  a  piece  of  work 
as  tuas  his  casting  of  "The  Informer."  — N.  Y.  Daily  News 

"SUREFIRE  FOR  BOX-OFFICE"  A  most  excellent  picture 

.  .  .  romantic,  hearty,  shou>y  and  theatrical  .  .  .  good  lusty  entertainment,  surefire  for 
the  box-office.  Miss  Hepburn's  follotuing  will  like  her  as  the  queen  who  threiv  atuay  a 
kingdom  and  a  life  for  love.  — N.  Y.  Sun 

"ELOQUENT . .  DISTINGUISHED"  Reach.  *c 

in  a  moving,  eloquent  and  distinguished  transcription.  Fredric  March  has  never  been 
finer  than  he  is  as  the  bold,  dashing  and  romanticized  Bothtuell.  — N.  Y.  Herald-Tribune 

"LAVISH  . .  STUNNING"  Weighty  and  impressive  is  "Mary  of 

Scotland."  A  fine  drama  important  in  theme  and  gripping  in  treatment.   It  deserves 


SRO  business. 


"A  FILM  YOU  MUSTN'T  MISS" 


-N.Y.  Post 


Maxiuell  Anderson's 


beautiful  "Mary  of  Scotland"  has  reached  the  screen  as  an  impressive  and  stirring 
picture.  .  .  .  Splendidly  cast,  handsomely  mounted,  it  is  a  film  you  mustn't  miss. 

— N.  Y.  Daily  Mirror 

KATHARINE 


FREDRIC 


MARCH 


"ONE  OF  YEAR'S  NOTABLE  PHOTOPLAYS" 

.  .  .  richly  produced,  dignified  and  stirringly  dramatic  .  .  .  the  picture  has  depth,  vigor 
and  warm  humanity.  — N.  Y.  Times 

"IT  IS  TOPS"  Hollywood  has  turned  out  one  of  its  finest  pieces  of  historical-drama 
in  "Mary  of  Scotland."  RKO  has  taken  from  the  pages  of  history  the  life  of  Mary 
Stuart  and  made  it  into  a  drama  that  is  warm,  moving,  human  and  intensely  inter- 
esting. It  is  tops.  '  — N.  Y.  Evening  Journal 

"EXALTED . .  INCOMPARABLE"  A  distinguished  prod- 
uct of  the  varied  arts  of  the  cinema  .  .  .  vividly  imagined,  simply  written  and  power- 
fully acted  ...  it  has  an  exalted  rhythm  and  incomparable  vigor  all  its  own. 

— N.  Y.  World-Telegram 

FIRST  WEEK'S  BUSINESS  AT  RADIO  CITY  MUSIC 
HALL  HOLDS  PACE  OF  BIGGEST  MIDWINTER 

GROSSES  HELD  OVER, OF  COURSE!... 

OPENS  THIS  WEEK  IN  BOSTON,  WASHINGTON, 
CHICAGO,  BALTIMORE,  DALLAS,  ATLANTIC  CITY, 
SEATTLE,  AND  OTHER  KEY  CITY  FIRST  RUNS ! 


with  FLORENCE  ELDRIDGE  .  .  DOUGLAS  WALTON  .  .  JOHN  CARRADINE  .  .  DIRECTED  BY  JOHN  FORD 
FROM  THE  PLAY  BY  MAXWELL  ANDERSON  .  .  PRODUCED  BY  PANDRO  S.  BERMAN 


RKO  -  RADIO  PICTURE 


Printed 


fi  U.  8.  A. 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


61 


JACK  COHN  ANSWERS  AYLESWORTH; 
URGES  WAR  ON  RADIO  APPEARANCES 


Lending  the  Stars  for  Air  Pro- 
grams Is  "Selling  Ammuni- 
tion to  the  Enemy,"  Says 
Vice-President  of  Columbia 

Charging  "treason  within  the  ranks," 
Jack  Cohn,  vice-president  of  Columbia 
Pictures,  this  week  declared  himself  un- 
reservedly on  the  side  of  exhibitors  who 
now  are  protesting  the  appearance  of  motion 
picture  stars  on  radio  programs.  Mr.  Cohn 
said  that  producers  must  tell  their  stars  that 
they  are  working  either  for  films  or  for  the 
radio  but  that  they  cannot  work  for  both. 

The  possibility  of  any  working  arrange- 
ment between  radio  and  motion  pictures  for 
mutual  profit  such  as  that  proposed  recently 
in  Motion  Picture  Herald  by  Merlin  Hall 
Aylesworth,  chairman  of  Radio-Keith- 
Orpheum  Corporation  and  on  the  advisory 
committee  of  National  Broadcasting  Com- 
pany, was  termed  "ridiculous"  by  the 
Columbia  executive. 

"Mr.  Aylesworth  must  have  been  talking 
chiefly  in  his  capacity  as  a  radio  executive," 
he  declared. 

In  answer  to  the  claim  that  the  motion 
picture  would  be  given  a  medium  for  pub- 
licizing its  product  "far  greater  than  any 
existing  exploitation  channel"  under  such 
a  plan,  Mr.  Cohn  remarked  that  present 
advertising  media  are  entirely  adequate 
for  the  film  industry. 

"Good  pictures  sell  themselves,"  he  said. 
"We  have  tried  'plugging'  pictures  on  the 
air  both  directly  and  by  means  of  playing 
up  song  hits  taken  from  them,  and  there 
has  been  no  noticeable  increase  in  business 
over  that  obtained  through  more  tested 
channels." 

Holding  that  nothing  can  refute  the  testi- 
mony of  exhibitors  who  are  protesting  the 
appearances  individually  and  through  their 
organizations,  Mr.  Cohn  declared  flatly  that 
the  basic  fact  in  the  argument  is  this : 
"Exhibitors  are  objecting,  and  rightly  so,  to 
a  situation  in  which  stars  of  pictures  which 
they  are  showing  are  scheduled  to  give  radio 
programs  at  the  precise  hour  that  the  theatre 
manager  expects  his  evening  crowd  to 
appear.    Naturally  their  business  suffers." 

The  temper  of  exhibitors  in  the  matter  is 
such  at  present,  the  Columbia  vice-president 
said,  that  they  are  willing  to  take  drastic 
steps  to  force  producers  to  bar  their  stars 
from  the  air.  "It  has  been  suggested  to 
me,"  he  said,  "that  they  will  propose  to  dis- 
tributors that  product  contracts  include  a 
clause  providing  that  they  do  not  have  to 
show  a  picture  on  nights  on  which  its  fea- 
tured players  are  making  radio  appearances. 

"They  claim  that  they  might  just  as  well 
close  their  theatres  on  such  nights,"  he 
added. 

This  point  the  executive  exemplified  from 
personal  experience.  He  remarked  that  his 
own  family,  on  occasion,  have  refused  to  go 
to  a  picture  because  they  preferred  to  stay 
at  home  and  listen  to  the  stars  on  the  air. 

The  argument  that  radio  companies  are 


paying  huge  salaries  to  film  stars  for  their 
appearances  and  that  this  should  prove  a 
boon  to  the  studios  which  have  been  con- 
fronted with  the  financial  demands  of  players 
who  feel  that  their  income  is  insufficient, 
Mr.  Cohn  dismissed  with  a  wave  of  his 
hand. 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,"  he  said,  "our  stars 
are  getting  so  much  now  that  they  don't 
know  what  to  do  with  it.  Many  of  them 
are  talking  of  cutting  down  the  number  of 
productions  a  year  because  of  the  fact  that 
higher  salaries  bring  them  into  the  high 
income  brackets  for  tax  purposes  and  they 
find  themselves  working  hard  all  year  only 
to  turn  over  a  major  portion  of  their  salary 
to  the  Government." 

Exhibitors  Letters  Cited 

Circular  letters  set  to  all  producers  by  the 
Independent  Motion  Picture  Owners  Asso- 
ciation of  Connecticut  and  the  Kansas- 
Missouri  Theatre  Owners  Association,  a 
personal  letter  to  Mr.  Cohn  from  M.  J. 
Mullin  of  the  Mullin  and  Pinanski  circuit, 
and  an  organized  protest  by  the  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia and  Arizona,  were  cited  by  the 
executive  as  examples  of  the  objections  be- 
ing made  by  exhibitors  to  the  radio  com- 
petition. 

Substance  of  the  letters  and  of  the  pro- 
test is  that  the  use  of  stars  on  radio  pro- 
grams is  definitely  harmful  to  box  office  re- 
ceipts and  should  be  condemned  in  the  in- 
terests of  fair  play. 

Sees  Time  Lost  from  Films 

Not  the  least  of  the  evils  resulting  from 
the  increasing  use  of  motion  picture  stars 
for  radio  entertainment,  according  to  Mr. 
Cohn,  is  the  fact  that  the  players  spend  time 
which,  under  their  contracts,  should  be  de- 
voted to  work  in  the  studio,  to  studying 
their  dialogue  for  radio  appearances. 

"Radio  is  competition  for  the  motion  pic- 
ture," he  concluded,  "and  no  arrangement 
can  be  worked  out  for  an  amicable  arrange- 
ment under  which  both  will  benefit.  We 
have  met  that  competition  in  the  past  and 
we  will  continue  to  meet  it  in  the  future. 
And  we  will  do  it  when  and  if  television 
becomes  a  commercial  reality.  But  we  are 
treading  on  dangerous  ground,  selling  am- 
munition to  the  enemy,  when  we  lend  our 
stars  for  the  enhancing  of  competing  pro- 
grams." 


Theatre  Men  Appointed 
To  Board  of  Censorship 

Vic  Gauntlett,  advertising  director  of 
Hamrick-Evergreen  Theatres,  and  Neal 
East,  branch  manager  for  Paramount  Pic- 
tures, have  been  named  to  the  official  board 
of  theatre  censors  in  Seattle. 


Haines  Made  Warner 
New  York  District  Head 

Roy  H.  Haines,  New  York,  Brooklyn  and 
northern  New  Jersey  district  manager  for 
Warners,  has  been  promoted  to  district  man- 
ager for  New  York  state. 


Sears  Is  General 
Manager  of  Sales 
For  H^arner  Bros. 

Gradwell  L.  (Grad)  Sears  this  week  was 
appointed  general  sales  manager  of  Warner 
Brothers  Pictures  Corporation  in  a  move 
which  reestablished  a  post  non-operative 
since  the  beginning  of  the  sales  regimes  of 
Sam  E.  Morris,  now  vice-president  in 
charge  of  foreign  affairs,  and  Edward  L. 
Alperson,  now  president  of  Grand  National 
Pictures. 

At  the  same  time,  Andrew  W.  Smith,  Jr., 
eastern  and  Canadian  general  sales  manager 
for  the  same  company,  resigned  from  his 
post.  Mr.  Smith  denied  the  report  he  was 
joining  Grand  National;  he  did  say  he  had 
"several  offers  under  consideration." 

Mr.  Smith  joined  First  National  in  1924 
as  assistant  to  the  general  sales  manager 
and  when  the  company  was  acquired  by 
Warner  he  was  made  eastern  and  Canadian 
sales  executive.  About  two  years  ago  he 
was  elected  vice-president  of  Vitagraph,  the 
distributing  organization  for  Warner-First 
National. 

Mr.  Sears,  who  formerly  supervised  the 
sales  in  the  West  and  South  for  the  com- 
pany, now  has  all  of  the  United  States  and 
Canada  under  his  supervision. 

Born  in  Hannibal,  Mo.,  on  January  30, 
1897,  he  was  educated  at  Shelbina,  Mo.,  pub- 
lic and  high  schools  and  the  University  of 
Missouri. 

He  served  in  the  World  war,  leaving  the 
service  with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant. 
After  demobilization,  he  joined  World  Film 
as  a  salesman,  first  in  New  York,  then  in 
St.  Louis.  Later  he  joined  Republic — the 
Lewis"  J.  Selznick  Company — and  Selznick 
and  Vitagraph  long  before  Warner  acquired 
it.  In  December,  1930,  he  joined  the  old 
First  National  as  a  Chicago  salesman,  later 
becoming  branch  manager  in  that  city  and 
in  Cleveland. 

In  1929,  he  was  appointed  southern  and 
western  sales  manager,  continuing  with 
First  National  after  its  purchase  by  Warn- 
ers, when  he  was  appointed  western  and 
southern  general  sales  manager.  He  was 
elected  a  vice-president  of  Vitagraph  in  1935 
in  Los  Angeles. 

The  First  National  brand  name  will  not 
be  affected  by  the  recent  dissolution  at 
Wilmington  of  First  National  Pictures,  Inc. 
Robert  W.  Perkins,  Warner  general  coun- 
sel, said  this  week  the  dissolution  was  mere- 
ly a  legal  action  taken  with  respect  to  an 
old  corporation  which  had  been  completely 
inactive  for  five  years.  Mr.  Perkins  declared 
that  that  company  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  current  First  National,  which  "is  just 
as  much  in  business  as  it  ever  was." 

Sam  E.  Morris  said  the  dissolution  in  no 
way  affects  the  First  National  alignment  in 
England,  where  completely  separate  organi- 
zations are  maintained. 


62 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,     I  936 


Aristotle's  Ideas  of  Art 
Finally  Reach  the  Screen 

Geometrical  Blocks  and  Spirals  Used  to  Create  Moods 


Possibilities  of  the  motion  picture  as  an 
art  medium,  perhaps  more  far-reaching  than 
in  its  present  dramatic  expression,  are  sug- 
gested in  two  short  subjects,  conceived,  de- 
veloped and  produced  by  a  young  woman 
from  Texas  with  a  surprising  background 
of  art,  philosophy  and  mathematics  and  a 
young  man  with  apparently  a  highly  devel- 
oped technical  knowledge  of  cinematography. 

The  product  is  called  a  synchromy,  a  word 
invented  out  of  "synchronize,"  "chiara- 
scuro"  and  "symphony,"  which  explains  the 
process  to  the  initiated.  Reduced  to  simpler 
terms,  the  effect  of  the  film  is  that  of  "seeing 
sound."  The  first  reel,  produced  a  year  ago 
and  shown  for  a  two-week  run  in  the  Music 
Hall  in  New  York,  was  titled  "Rhythm  in 
Light."  Synchromy  No.  2  is  explained  in 
the  title  as  "A  pictorial  composition  in  ab- 
stract forms  based  on  'The  Evening  Star' 
sung  by  Reinald  Werrenrath." 

Based  on  intricate  mathematical  formulae 
and  developed  along  principles  of  art  ex- 
pounded by  Aristotle  23  centuries  ago,  the 
ideas  of  Mary  Ellen  Bute  and  Theodore  J. 
Nemeth,  the  enthusiastic  originators,  con- 
form to  one  of  the  primary  principles  of 
any  art,  in  that  they  are  understandable, 
in  the  finished  product,  to  the  most  unini- 
tiated, non-technical  mind.  The  principle 
on  which  the  development  is  based  is  that 
the  ordinary  perception  of  music,  through 
the  ear,  can  be  enhanced  and  intensified 
in  its  effect  by  the  addition  of  visual  forms 
coinciding  with  the  harmonies  expressed  in 
sound. 

Successful  audience  reaction  at  the  show- 
ing of  the  first  reel  in  the  Music  Hall  last 
year  paved  the  way  for  the  booking  of  the 
second,  and  it  opened  there  with  "Mary  of 
Scotland."  The  original  effort,  in  addition, 
was  booked  independently  by  the  young  pro- 
ducers in  several  houses  throughout  the 
country  and  brought  praise  from  a  the- 
atre manager  at  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  in 
the  "What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me"  depart- 
ment of  Motion  Picture  Herald.  Albert 
Heffernan  of  the  Owl  theatre  in  that  city 
termed  it,  "a  very  marvelous  short,  entirely 
different  from  the  average." 

Creating  Mood  with  the  Abstract 

Miss  Bute,  who  combines  a  wide  educa- 
tion with  a  highly  personable  character,  ex- 
plained that  her  idea  is  based  on  the  simple 
premise  that  modern  artists  have  proved  that 
abstract  shapes,  spirals,  cones,  planes  and 
geometrical  blocks,  create  a  mood  through 
the  eye  as  sound  creates  a  mood  through  the 
ear.  The  one  essential  lacking  for  matching 
music  with  visual  images — motion — has  been 
adapted,  in  her  creation,  through  the  re- 
sources of  the  motion  picture,  and  developed 
on  the  same  rhythmical  pattern  as  the  musi- 
cal composition. 

Her  thesis  was  reflected  by  the  reactions 
induced  at  the  showing  of  the  reels  in  a 
projection  room  of  the  Film  Center  on 
Ninth  Avenue,  New  York,  around  the  cor- 
ner from  the  ancient  structure  in  the  rear 


of  422  West  46th  Street  where  Miss  Bute 
and  Mr.  Nemeth  have  their  studio  and  lab- 
oratory. Here  the  camera  expert  has  con- 
structed a  "stage"  and  adjustable  mounting 
for  the  camera,  based  on  his  own  ideas  and 
built  especially  for  the  photographing  of  the 
difficult  sequences  in  the  scripts.  Here  Miss 
Bute  works  out  her  formulae  and  constructs 
plaster  models  of  the  abstractions  for  the 
camera. 

Images  Dissolve  Into  Fantasy 

A  concrete  example  of  "seeing  sound" — 
a  picture  of  a  sound  track — is  given  in  the 
foreword  of  the  latest  production.  The  im- 
ages dissolve  into  an  ever  changing  world 
of  fantasy,  the  pictures  that  the  artists  had 
in  their  minds  while  listening  to  the  selec- 
tion from  Wagner's  "Tannhauser"  on  which 
the  film  is  based.  A  galaxy  of  silver  spheres, 
circles  and  stars,  ghostly,  flower-like  figures 
and  other  forms,  nebulous  and  again  starkly 
clear,  glide  through  the  luminous  atmosphere 
of  the  screen  to  the  exact  rhythm  of  the 
music.  The  effect,  to  the  layman,  is  anala- 
gous  to  that  brought  about  while  watching 
the  interpretation  of  music  through  the 
dance. 

Miss  Bute  is  now  working  on  a  method 
of  incorporating  color  in  the  films.  She  said 
that  she  has  developed  a  system  which  uses 
the  12  colors  of  the  spectrum  in  a  chro- 
matic scale  and  this  scale  will  be  utilized 
as  an  exact  parallel  of  the  musical  scale. 
"Thus,"  she  said,  "we  can  have  a  complete 
composition,  visual  and  aural,  worked  out  in 
harmony  and  counterpoint  and  welding 
movement,  music,  form  and  color  in  rhythm 


VITAPHONE  BIRTHDAY 
MARKED  BY  WARNERS 

The  10  th  anniversary  of  the  public 
showing  of  the  first  motion  picture  to 
utilize  the  then  new  invention  called 
Vitaphone  was  scheduled  to  be  cele- 
brated on  Friday  by  Warner  Brothers, 
the  first  modern  company  to  show 
sound  p  ictures.  Ceremonies  at  the 
Warner  studios  in  Burbattk,  Califor- 
nia, and  at  the  home  office  in  New 
York  were  to  be  held. 

On  August  7,  1926,  at  the  Warner 
theatre  on  Broadway,  "Don  Juan," 
starring  John  Barrymore,  was  the  first 
film  to  boast  a  fully  synchronized 
musical  score.  On  the  same  program 
was  a  short  subject  in  which  Will  H. 
Hays  spoke  to  the  audience  and  pre- 
dicted a  universal  acceptance  of  sound 
motion  pictures.  In  1927  the  company 
released  "The  Jazz  Singer"  with  Al 
Jolson  in  which  the  actor  spoke  a  feu 
words  and  a  year  later,  in  July,  1928, 
the  same  company  released  "Lights  of 
New  York"  as  the  first  all-talking 
motion  picture. 


to  express  comedy,  gaiety,  humor,  horror 
or  pathos." 

The  young  artist  gained  background  for 
her  experiment  during  an  education  which 
included  study  at  the  Pennsylvania  Academy 
of  Fine  Arts  and  at  the  Sorbonne,  Paris. 
She  took  a  course  in  stage  production  under 
the  late  Professor  George  Pierce  Baker  at 
Yale,  and  later  was  a  teacher  on  the  Float- 
ing University  and  director  of  a  stock  com- 
pany. 

Claims  Climax  Is  Intensified 

Miss  Bute  and  Mr.  Nemeth  see  endless 
possibilities  for  the  use  of  the  basic  theme. 
The  photographer  has  employed  the  latest 
technique  in  camera  work  and  in  the  use  of 
color  filters,  and  has  developed,  besides, 
ideas  of  his  own  in  this  direction  which  he 
believes  will  be  important  in  future  produc- 
tion. 

"This  new  phase  of  the  cinema  art  inten- 
sifies climax,"  said  Miss  Bute,  whose  efforts 
are  directed  mainly  toward  eventual  applica- 
tion of  the  idea  in  regular  feature  product 
of  the  industry.  "Its  future  use  in  feature 
length  films  to  stress  moods  and  psychologi- 
cal moments  should  prove  an  important  step 
forward  in  motion  picture  technique." 


Imperial  Set  for  Europe 

Fioms  Red  Star,  Paris,  has  contracted  to 
distribute  the  product  of  Imperial  Distribut- 
ing corporation  in  Continental  Europe. 


Big  New  York 
Circuits  Expand 

With  the  new  buying  season  presenting  a 
difficult  problem  for  the  smaller  unaffiliated 
circuits,  expansion  moves  by  the  larger  in- 
dependent theatre  groups  are  under  way  in 
New  York.  Several  deals  strengthening  the 
purchasing  power  of  the  circuits  have  been 
consummated  and  a  number  of  others  are 
in  work. 

Consolidated  Amusements  is  stepping  out 
as  the  leader  in  the  new  move.  Within  the 
past  two  weeks  the  circuit  has  bought  sub- 
stantial interests  in  the  Leff-Meyers  circuit 
and  the  Elite  circuit.  Another  transaction 
is  in  progress  whereby  four  to  five  more 
houses  will  be  added. 

In  each  instance  Consolidated  will  do  the 
buying  and  booking.  The  Leff-Meyers 
group  has  10  houses,  while  the  Elite,  of 
which  Abel  Fanachi  is  head,  operates  the 
Morningside,  Gem,  Greely,  Village,  Chelsea, 
Annex,  Chatham  and  Savoy.  With  the  two 
new  groups,  the  new  total  of  theatres  for 
which  Consolidated  will  buy  and  book  for 
next  season  is  41. 

Reports  were  current  yesterday  that  Ed- 
ward Peskay  was  negotiating  to  pool  his 
seven  theatres  with  Prudential.  Neither 
Peskay  nor  Joe  Seider  could  be  reached 
yesterday  for  statements. 

Dave  Rosenzweig,  who  has  a  number  of 
units  in  Brooklyn,  Long  Island,  and  the 
Bronx,  has  joined  with  Sam  Cocalis.  This 
new  association  plans  to  build  and  acquire 
several  theatres  in  various  parts  of  Brook- 
lyn and  Long  Island. 

Harry  and  William  Brandt  have  a  number 
of  deals  in  work  which  will  increase  the 
circuit's  holdings  in  Brooklyn,  Manhattan 
and  New  Jersey. 

Century  is  building  two  Brooklyn  and 
one  Long  Island  theatres  in  a  move  to  pro- 
tect surrounding  properties  in  these  areas. 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


63 


COMPANIES'  FINANCIAL  PROSPECTS 
PAINTED  BRIGHT  BY  WALL  STREET 


Fall  Earnings  Expected  To  Be 
Best  in  Years  Because  of 
Good  Pictures  and  Freer 
Spending  by  General  Public 

Wall  Street  this  week  rated  the  motion 
picture's  earning  prospects  for  the  fall  as 
the  best  in  years,  due  to  a  series  of  good 
pictures  and  the  fact  that  the  public  is  again 
spending  money.  Financial  attention  in  the 
industry  was  directed  at  the  same  time  to  a 
study  of  the  Fox  Film  financial  condition, 
as  reported  in  an  annual  statement,  and  to 
the  disclosure  by  the  Securities  and  Ex- 
change Commission  in  Washington  of  im- 
portant salary  and  contract  information  of 
Fox  Film  which  the  corporation  had  sought 
to  keep  secret. 

Also,  a  minority  stockholders'  suit  against 
Fox  for  an  appraisal  of  the  stock  was  dis- 
missed; Miles  Detroit  Theatre  Company, 
Detroit,  listed  its  stock  holdings  with  the 
Securities  Commission;  Arthur  Loew's  stock 
acquisitions  were  reported  by  the  Com- 
mission, the  while  Metropolitan  Playhouses 
in  New  York  reported  losses  of  $45,283. 

Wall  Street's  highly  optimistic  opinion  of 
the  motion  picture's  future  was  reported  by  the 
Wall  Street  Journal,  which  said : 

"Earnings  of  the  moving  picture  companies 
have  been  running  unusually  well  this  Summer 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  some  of  the  leading 
producers  have  been  holding  back  their  princi- 
pal releases  and  others  have  been  slow  in  get- 
ting out  product. 

"The  new  season's  films  are  now  just  begin- 
ning to  come  into  the  key  city  theatres  and 
based  on  apparent  public  response,  the  big 
amusement  companies  should  have  by  far  the 
best  earnings  this  Fall  that  they  have  had  in 
years.  The  public  is  spending  money  freely 
again  and  the  industry  has  pretty  well  worked 
out  of  its  financial  worries  and  now  has  ample 
product  to  bring  to  the  box  office.  Experience 
has  shown  that  the  prosperity  of  the  film  the- 
atre, like  that  of  the  stage,  depends  on  the 
show  that  is  given,  and  the  program  of  films 
for  this  Fall  offers  an  unusual  number  of  prob- 
able successes. 

Loew's  Inventory 

"Loew's  is  leading  the  industry,  having  main- 
tained its  finances  and  its  personnel  intact 
through  the  bad  years.  Loew's  this  year  has 
the  largest  film  inventory  in  its  history  $32,- 
000,000  against  $22,000,000  in  1929.  Its  list  is 
composed  almost  entirely  of  high  cost  feature 
pictures  of  quality  and  the  success  of  this  policy 
is  demonstrated  by  the  unusual  box  office  rec- 
ords being  made  by  its  current  films.  Earlier 
this  year  earnings  lagged  a  bit  due  to  the  sud- 
den jump  in  amortization  occasioned  by  the 
simultaneous  release  of  half  a  dozen  major 
films.  Now  that  these  films  are  in  general  re- 
lease profits  are  starting  to  mount. 

"Loew's  current  releases,"  the  Journal  con- 
tinues, "include  'Mutiny  on  the  Bounty,'  'China 
Seas,'  the  Marx  Brothers  in  'Night  at  The 
Opera,'  and  'Tale  of  Two  Cities.'  More  re- 
cently 'Suzy,'  the  'Great  Ziegfeld'  and  'San 
Francisco'  have  been  outstanding  films.  The 
latter  film  in  some  cities  has  been  exceeding 
'Mutiny'  in  box  office  returns. 

"Loew's  list  for  the  coming  season  includes 
a  number  of  films  costing  $1,000,000  up  to  $2,- 
000,000   each,   the   most   expensive   list  ever 


U.  S.  ADMISSION  TAX 
PAYMENTS  UP  A  TENTH 

A  gain  of  more  than  ten  per  cent 
in  admission  taxes  collected  in  the 
fiscal  year  ended  June  30,  last,  as 
compared  with  the  preceding  year,  is 
reported  by  the  Internal  Revenue  Bu- 
reau. Collections  during  the  twelve 
months  ended  with  June  reached  a 
total  of  $17,112,175  compared  with 
$15 ,379,397  during  the  year  ended 
June  30,  193  5. 

Collections  in  June,  bureau  records 
show,  were  the  largest  of  any  month 
in  193  6,  totaling  $1,532,189  against 
$1,318,765  in  May  and  $1,211,288 
in  June,  193  5.  The  previous  highest 
collection  in  1936  was  $1,459,694,  in 
January,  from  which  point  receipts 
dropped  to  $1,404,836  in  February 
and  in  March  to  the  half-years'  low 
of  $1,2  55,393,  beginning  to  climb, 
with  collections  in  April  pimping  to 
$1,266,425. 


offered  by  a  producer.  Among  the  leaders  will 
be  'Romeo  &  Juliet,'  'The  Good  Earth,'  'Prison- 
er of  Zenda,'  'Maytime,'  and  films  starring  the 
Marx  Brothers  and  Greta  Garbo.  If  Loew's 
policy  of  making  costly  films  continues  to  be 
successful,  earnings  of  the  company  next  Fall 
should  be  the  best  since  1929. 

"For  the  40  weeks  ended  June  4,  last,  Loew's 
(including  subsidiaries)  in  its  most  recent  re- 
port of  earnings,  showed  net  profit  of  $7,390,495 
after  depreciation,  federal  income  taxes,  sub- 
sidiary preferred  dividends,  etc.  This  was 
equivalent  after  dividend  requirements  on 
Loew's  $6.50  preferred  stock  to  $4.47  a  share 
on  approximately  1,500,400  average  number  of 
no  par  common  shares  outstanding  during  the 
period.  This  compares  with  $5,840,351,  or  $3.50 
a  share  on  1,473,300  average  common  shares 
outstanding  during  the  40  weeks  period  ended 
June  6,  1935.  For  the  12  weeks  ended  June  4, 
indicated  net  profit  was  $2,357,457  and  balance 
$1.43  a  share  on  1,504,095  common  shares 
against  $1,495,014,  or  86  cents  a  share  on 
1,490,095  common  shares  in  the  12  weeks 
ended  June  6,  1935. 

Twentieth  Century  -  Fox 

"Twentieth  Century-Fox  is  running  second  to 
Loew's  in  the  number  of  its  apparent  successes," 
the  article  said.  "Earnings  for  the  first  six 
months  ended  June  27  were  $2,769,190,  equal 
after  preferred  dividends  to  $1.43  a  share  on 
1,228,039  shares  of  common  against  $1,355,781 
earned  by  the  Fox  Film  Co.  in  the  1935  period, 
before  the  merger  with  Twentieth  Century. 
Current  successes  include  'Under  Two  Flags,' 
'The  Country  Doctor'  showing  the  Dionnes, 
and  the  usual  profitable  Shirley  Temple  films. 

Warner  Profits  Delayed 

"Warner  Brothers  having  started  well  this 
fiscal  year  will  show  a  material  decline  in  earn- 
ings during  the  second  and  third  periods  of  its 
fiscal  year  ending  August  31,  mainly  because  its 
two  main  features  will  not  come  into  general 
release  until  Fall.  'Green  Pastures'  has  just 
started  showing  in  New  York  and  'Anthony 
Adverse,'  one  of  the  most  ambitious  films  War- 


Annual  Statement  of  Fox  Films 
Arouses  Discussion;  Salary 
and  Contract  Information 
Disclosed  in  Report  to  SEC 

ner  has  made,  had  its  first  showing  on  the  coast 
recently.  These  films  should  bring  a  sharp 
upturn  in  Warner's  Fall  profits. 

"For  the  26  weeks  ended  February  29,  1936, 
Warner  Brothers  Pictures,  Inc.,  including'  sub- 
sidiaries, showed  net  profit  of  $1,976,245  after 
depreciation,  amortization  of  film  costs,  in- 
terest, federal  taxes  and  minority  interests. 
After  allowing  for  dividend  requirements  during 
the  period  on  the  $3.85  preferred  stock  on  which 
there  were  unpaid  dividends,  there  was  a 
balance  for  the  period  equivalent  to  48  cents 
a  share  on  3-,701,091  shares  of  $5  par  common, 
excluding  100,253  shares  held  in  treasury.  The 
company's  net  profit  contrasted  with  a  net 
loss  of  $133,515  for  the  26  weeks  ended  Feb- 
ruary 23,  1935. 

Columbia  Pictures 

"Columbia  Pictures  has  two  successes,  Grace 
Moore  in  the  'King  Steps  Out,'  and  Gary 
Cooper  in  'Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town,'  and  is 
now  awaiting  the  release  of  Capra's  'Lost 
Horizon,'  which  cost  over  $1,250,000. 

"The  latest  report  of  Columbia  Pictures  Corp., 
including  subsidiaries,  covers  the  nine  months 
ended  March  28,  last.  Net  profit  was  $958,579 
after  federal  taxes,  depreciation,  etc.  This  was 
equivalent  after  preference  dividends  to  $3.12 
a  share  on  280,413  shares  of  common.  It  com- 
pares with  $1,572,720  net  profit,  or  $8.62  a  share 
on  177,933  common  shares  for  the  nine  months 
ended  March  30,  1935. 

Paramount  Pictures 

"Paramount,  still  in  process  of  recovering 
from  its  management  difficulties,  is  beginning 
to  get  its  new  product  out  on  the  market.  Its 
latest,  'Rhythm  on  the  Range,'  has  been  well 
reviewed,  and  its  new  star,  Francis  Lederer,  is 
appearing  in  'My  American  Wife.'  Cecil  B. 
DeMille  is  now  making  'The  Plainsman.'  Para- 
mount's  earnings  may  be  slow  in  recovering 
this  year,  but  its  position  will  be  helped  by  the 
successful  production  of  other  companies  which 
will  increase  the  revenue  of  its  chain  of  1,000 
theatres. 

"The  report  of  Paramount  Pictures,  Inc.,  for 
the  quarter  ended  June  30,  1936,  showed  a  ten- 
tative estimated  consolidated  loss  of  $476,000 
after  provision  for  normal  income  tax,  and  af- 
ter applying  $800,000  of  the  inventory  reserve  set 
up  as  of  December  31,  1935,  interest,  foreign  ex- 
change adjustments,  reserve  provided  for  un- 
distributed earnings  tax,  foreign  investments 
and  other  contingencies.  In  the  preceding  quar- 
ter company  reported  a  profit  of  $718,922  after 
federal  taxes  and  after  applying  $800,000  of 
the  $2,500,000  inventory  reserve  set  up  last 
year.  Thus,  indicated  profit  for  the  six  months 
ended  June  30,  as  compiled  from  the  first  and 
second  quarterly  statements,  was  $242,922. 

"For  the  first  three  months  of  1935  the  Par- 
amount company,  then  newly  reorganized, 
showed  in  its  quarterly  statement  estimated  net 
profit  of  $1,472,000.  This  was  after  allowance 
of  $400,000  for  interest  on  the  new  debentures 
for  the  period  and  after  deducting  federal  taxes 
and  certain  non-recurring  charges,  notably  bank 
interest  and  a  $440,000  foreign  exchange  ad- 
justment. For  the  second  quarter  estimated 
earnings  were  $796,000,  including  foreign  ex- 
change adjustment  and  after  federal  taxes,  in- 
terest and  reserve  for  losses  of  Paramount 
Broadwav  Corp.  and  of  certain  other  companies, 

{Continued  nn  pane  66) 


BLAST  'EM  RIGHT  IN 

with  Universale  double-barreled 


Action  such  as  they  never 
saw!  Postal  detectives  in 
the  mighty  melodrama  of 
the  minute!  Mail  Robber- 
ies and  Man -Hunts  in 
Raging  Floods!  The  most 
thrilling  bombshell  of 
Love  and  Action  ever 
exploded  on  your  screen! 


RELEASED  AUG.  1 6 


David  Oliver  Billy  Burrud 
Wallis  Clark  Guy  Usher 

William  Hall  Spencer  Charters 
Arthur  Loft     Harry  Beresford 
Directed  by  Otto  Brower 


TO  YOUR  THEATRE 

charge  of  box-office  dynamite  ! 


Thrills  such  as  they  never 
experienced !  Unseen  Ter- 
rors stalking  in  America's 
Wonderland!  Miles  of 
Forests  Afire !  Murder, 
Mystery  and  Romance 
Amidst  Scenic  Splendors 
never  before  caught  by 
the  camera ! 


[The  Great  Geyser  Murder  Mystery] 


Henry  Hunter  Judith  Barrett  Alan  Hale 
Ralph  Morgan   Andy  Devine 
Monroe  Owsley        Rollo  Lloyd 
Raymond  Hatton  Paul  Harvey 
Paul  Fix  and  The  Buckaroo  Quartet 

Original  Story  by  Arthur  Phillips 
Screen  play  by  Jefferson  Parker,  Stuart 
Palmer,  Houston  Branch 
Directed  by  Arthur  Lubin 
Associate  Producer,  Val  Paul 


66 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


STOCK  APPRAISAL  SUIT  DISMISSED 


(Continued  from  page  63) 

the  future  status  of  which  was  in  doubt.  On 
this  basis,  1935  first  half  estimated  net  was 
$1,912,000. 

RKO  Production  Running  Smoothly 

"Radio-Keith-Orpheum,  still  in  receivership, 
will  probably  have  its  reorganization  plan  ready 
by  early  Fall  and  in  the  meanwhile  studios  are 
running  smoothly  and  earnings  improving.  Its 
latest  big  film,  Hepburn  in  'Mary  of  Scotland,' 
is  doing  well. 

"The  most  recent  report  of  Radio-Keith- 
Orpheum,  in  receivership,  showed  for  the  com- 
pany and  subsidiaries  for  the  26  weeks  ended 
June  27,  1936,  profit  of  $734,492  after  interest, 
depreciation,  income  and  excess  profits  taxes 
and  minority  interest,  but  before  dividends  on 
preferred  stock  of  Keith- Albee-Orpheum  Corp. 
No  figures  were  issued  for  the  comparable 
period  the  year  before. 

Foreign  Developments 

"The  foreign  situation  is  causing  some  con- 
cern to  American  motion  picture  producers, 
particularly  in  England,  since  upwards  of  30% 
of  film  income  comes  from  abroad.  The  British 
are  endeavoring  to  push  their  own  producers  at 
the  expense  of  American  films.  The  new  ar- 
rangements between  Loew's,  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury and  British  Gaumont  are  designed  to  im- 
prove the  position  of  these  American  com- 
panies abroad.  It  is  hoped  that  demand  for 
amusement  in  Britain  will  be  sufficient  to  offer 
a  market  for  both  domestic  and  American  pro- 
ducers. 

"One  factor  which  may  be  of  considerable 
benefit  to  producers  is  the  policy  of  reviving  old 
successes.  Many  of  the  older  films  which  have 
been  entirely  written  off  the  books  are  being 
reshown  with  profit  to  the  exhibitor,  and  may 
be  a  minor  but  unexpected  source  of  revenue 
to  the  film  companies." 

Warner  Refunding  Discussed 

Preliminary  discussions  on  the  refunding  of 
the  $31,924,000  of  6  per  cent  debentures  of 
Warner  Bros.  Pictures,  Inc.,  are  underway, 
were  heard  in  Wall  Street  by  the  Evening 
Journal,  which  said : 

"Early  plans  for  the  financing  call  for  is- 
suance of  a  4^4  per  cent  issue,  with  a  con- 
vertible feature,  to  be  offered  in  exchange  for 
the  present  6  per  cent  obligation.  Brown  Har- 
riman  &  Co.,  Inc.,  it  is  expected,  will  under- 
write the  new  issue. 

"If  effected,  the  refunding  would  save  the 
motion  picture  company  $478,860  in  interest 
charges  annually. 

Report  this  week  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox 
Film  Corporation  and  wholly  owned  subsidi- 
aries, for  26  weeks  ended  June  27,  1936,  shows 
net  profit  of  $2,769,190  after  amortization  of 
production  costs,  participation  in  film  rentals, 
interest  and  amortization,  depreciation  of  fixed 
assets  (not  including  depreciation  of  studio 
building  and  equipment  absorbed  in  production 
costs),  and  provision  for  federal  income  taxes. 
No  provision  has  been  made  for  surtax  on  un- 
distributed profits.  This  net  profit  is  equivalent, 
after  allowing  for  26  weeks'  dividend  require- 
ments on  1,357,833  shares  of  $1.50  cumulative 
convertible  preferred  stock,  to  $1.43  a  share 
on  1,228,039  no-par  shares  of  common  stock. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  has  42%  stock  in- 
terest in  the  National  Theatres  Corp.  As  no 
dividends  were  declared  during  the  period,  no 
income  was  included  in  the  above  figures  from 
that  source. 

For  the  26  weeks  ended  June  29,  1935,  Fox 
Film  Corporation  and  wholly-owned  subsidi- 
aries reported  net  profit  of  $1,355,781  after 
charges  and  taxes,  equal  to  55  cents  a  share 
on  combined  2,436,409  no-par  shares  of  Class 
A  and  Class  B  stocks  then  outstanding. 


SPECTROGRAPHIC  FILM 
MAKES  ACTOR  OF  ATOM 

Spectro graphic  motion  pictures,  or 
"atomic  movies"  marking  the  entry 
of  motion  pictures  into  a  new  field 
of  great  value  to  industry,  were  an- 
nounced recently  at  the  Massachu- 
setts Institute  of  Technology  confer- 
ence on  spectroscopy. 

The  spectroscope  is  the  instrument 
that  tells  astronomers  many  of  the 
secrets  of  the  stars.  It  photographs 
light  which  has  passed  through  a  slit 
and  prism  to  form  a  rainbow.  These 
"still"  pictures  show  what  kind  of 
atoms  give  the  light  and  their  condi- 
tion at  the  moment  of  taking  the 
picture. 

The  new  motion  pictures  give  a 
continuous  record.  They  are  used, 
not  for  stars,  but  for  analyzing  in- 
dustrial samples  burning  in  a  carbon 
arc  flame  or  in  an  electric  spark. 

The  motion  pictures  are  made  by 
use  of  an  electric  motor  which  moves 
photographic  film,  at  an  even  rate, 
past  the  slit  admitting  the  light  from 
the  burning  sample.  The  old  "still" 
pictures  produced  short  -spectrum  lines, 
each  one  identifying  some  kind  or  state 
of  atoms. 


For  the  13  weeks  ended  June  27,  1936,  net 
profit  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox  Film  Corpora- 
tion and  wholly-owned  subsidiaries  was  $1,- 
529,430  after  above  deductions,  equal  to  83  cents 
a  share  on  common  comparing  with  $1,239,760 
or  59  cents  a  share  on  common  for  the  pre- 
ceding 13  weeks  period  ended  March  28,  last. 
For  the  13  weeks  ended  June  29,  1935,  Fox 
Film  Corporation  and  wholly-owned  subsidi- 
aries reported  net  profit  of  $738,974,  equal  to 
30  cents  a  share  on  combined  Class  A  and 
Class  B  shares. 

Consolidated  income  account  for  26  weeks 
ended  June  27,  1936,  compares  as  follows : 

26  wksend  fZ6wksend  t26wksend 
June  27/3G  June  29/35  June  30/34 
Inc  fr  sales  &  rents. .  $24,295,086    $20,369,421  $18,090,756 
Prop  of  prof  of  contr 

subs,  not  consl   168,012     

Other  income    449,064         673,583  604,202 

Total  income  $24,912,162  $21,043,004  $18,694,958 

Expenses,  etc                   5,889,109  5,178,832  5,103,865 

Amortz  of  prod  costs. .  12,490,340  10,495,570  9,152,690 

Particip.  in  film  rents  3,048,299  3,443,903  2,729,999 
Prop  of  losses  of  contr 

subs,  not  consol     42,972   

Interest                                 111,017  142,195  148,452 

Amortz  of  disc  &  exp 

on  fund  debt                      20,527  29,367  32,506 

*Depr  of  fixed  assets..       133,680  139,384  138,804 

Federal  income  taxes..      450,000  215,000  190,000 

Net  profit    $2,769,190     $1,355,781  $1,199,242 

*Not  including  depreciation  of  studio  and  equipment 
absorbed  in  production  costs.  tAs  reported  by  Fox 
Film  Corp, 

SEC  Lists  Salaries 

The  salaries  paid  their  executives,  terms  of 
management  contracts  and  financial  statements 
of  more  large  corporations  were  thrown  open 
to  public  inspection  by  the  Securities  and  Ex- 
change Commission  in  Washington  this  week 


as  orders  were  handed  down  denying  further 
confidential  treatment  of  information  supplied 
by  fourteen  concerns. 

Most  handsome  of  the  annual  compensa- 
tions shown  were  in  the  lists  of  the  Fox  Film 
Corporation  and  Celanese  Corporation  of 
America,  both  of  which  had  executives  earn- 
ing more  than  $100,000  a  year. 

The  three  highest  salaries  paid  by  Fox  Film 
Corporation  to  its  officers  or  directors  for  the 
1934  fiscal  year  were  $191,460  to  Sidney  R. 
Kent,  president;  $300,000  to  Winfield  R.  Shee- 
han  as  vice  president  in  charge  of  all  produc- 
tions at  its  Hollywood  studios,  and  $36,618.75 
to  W.  C.  Michel  as  executive  vice  president. 
Sidney  Towell  received  $21,890  as  treasurer 
and  $200,000  was  paid  to  Hughes,  Schurman 
&  Dwight  as  general  counsel,  while  Alfred 
Wright  received  $20,800  as  counsel. 

Contract  With  Lasky 

Under  the  terms  of  a  contract  with  Jesse  L. 
Lasky  dated  Oct  17,  1932,  and  which  expired 
on  the  same  date  in  1935,  Mr.  Lasky  was  to 
produce  eight  photoplays  and  a  third  of  all 
profits  therefrom  were  to  be  turned  over  to 
him  after  deduction  of  all  production  and  dis- 
tribution costs,  it  was  shown.  No  payments- 
had  been  made  to  Mr.  Lasky  under  the  profit- 
sharing  arrangement  at  the  time  the  informa- 
tion was  filed  with  the  SEC. 

Under  a  contract  with  George  White  to 
produce  eight  photoplays,  Fox  Film  Corpora- 
tion was  to  advance  $50,000  toward  production 
of  each  play,  a  half  of  which  would  be  con- 
sidered as  salary  paid  the  producer  and  the  re- 
mainder to  be  deducted  from  his  percentage  of 
gross  film  rentals. 

Mr.  White  was  to  receive  as  his  participat- 
ing share  of  the  rentals  10  per  cent  of  the  first 
$1,000,000;  15  per  cent,  receipts  between  $1,- 
000,000  and  $1,500,000,  and  20  per  cent  of  all 
receipts  in  excess  of  $1,500,000.  This  arrange- 
ment was  to  apply  to  production  of  the  first 
four  films  and  on  the  next  four  he  was  to  re- 
ceive 10  per  cent  of  all  rentals  within  the  first 
$1,000,000  and  25  per  cent  of  all  over  that 
amount. 

Sidney  Kent  was  to  be  paid  $2,500  a  week 
plus  $200  a  week  for  traveling  expenses  but  the 
contract  with  him  contained  a  contingent  pro- 
vision whereby  he  would  get  an  additional 
$25,000  a  year  from  the  corporation  if  he  were 
employed  by  a  newly  organized  theatre  com- 
pany, of  which  the  corporation  was  a  minority 
stockholder. 

Another  Pact  With  Sheehan 

Winfield  Sheehan  was  a  party  to  another 
agreement  calling  for  the  payment  to  him  of 
$5,769  a  week  during  1934;  $7,692  during  193-5 
and  $6,731  in  1936. 

Information  concerning  the  management  of 
the  Twentieth  Century-Fox  Film  Corporation 
given  the  SEC  in  confidence  in  connection  with 
registration  of  4,466,000  shares  of  its  common 
and  preferred  stock  revealed  other  large 
amounts  paid  Mr.  Kent  as  president  of  that  or- 
ganization. 

Conditioned  upon  the  consummation  of  a  re- 
organization plan  for  Twentieth  Century  Pic- 
tures, Mr.  Kent  was  to  receive  from  the  regis- 
tration as  compensation  $2,500  a  week  exclu- 
sive of  a  $200  a  week  allowance  to  "cover 
moneys  expended  in  the  interests  of  the  busi- 
ness of  the  corporation,  for  entertainment,  etc." 

Beginning  in  November,  1934,  Mr.  Kent's 
contract  with  Twentieth  Century-Fox  Film 
Corporation  was  to  last  for  seven  years.  In 
addition  to  the  above  mentioned  weekly  com- 
pensation he  was  to  receive  $50,000  on  I)ec. 
31  of  each  year  and  it  was  provided  that  $75,000 
was  to  be  paid  him  on  Nov.  1,  1935. 

The  registrant  corporation  also  was  to  pay 

(Continued  on  following  pane) 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


67 


LOEW'S  REPORTS  RECORD  INVENTORY 


I  Continued  from  preceding  page) 

Mr.  Kent  the  difference  between  $25,000  a  year 
and  whatever  he  received  from  National 
Theatres  Corporation,  of  which  he  also  was 
to  be  president.  He  also  was  to  be  given  op- 
tions entitling  him  to  purchase  10,000  shares 
of  common  stock  of  the  registrant  each  year 
until  60,000  shares  had  been  acquired.  He  was 
to  pay  for  stock  the  average  price  prevailing 
on  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  for  new 
stock  of  the  organization  during  a  ninety-day 
period  after  its  listing,  but  not  less  than  $10 
a  share. 

Other  Salary  Agreements 

Other  salary  agreements  for  payment  of 
$5,000  a  week  to  Darryl  F.  Zanuck,  producer, 
and  $2,500  a  week  to  Joseph  M.  Schenck,  in 
charge  of  production,  were  shown,  as  well  as 
reasonable  traveling  expenses. 

On  motion  of  attorneys  for  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury-Fox, New  York  Supreme  Court  Justice 
Levy,  this  week  dismissed  an  action  brought 
several  months  ago  by  Munson  G.  Doremus  and 
several  other  stockholders  of  old  Fox  Film 
Corporation  for  an  appraisal  of  their  stock. 

No  opposition  to  the  dismissal  was  made  on 
the  part  of  the  stockholders.  Mr.  Doremus 
and  the  other  holders  of  stock  had  applied  to 
the  court  for  the  appointment  of  three  ap- 
praisers at  the  time  of  the  reorganization  of 
the  firm.  The  stock  in  the  organization  having 
increased  in  price,  the  stockholders  finally  de- 
cided to  drop  the  entire  matter. 

Miles  Detroit  Statement 

Miles  Detroit  Theatre  Company  of  Detroit 
has  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission  a  registration  statement  covering 
35,000  shares  of  no  par  value  common  stock. 
The  statement  was  filed  July  24. 

The  stock  is  to  be  offered  to  stockholders  of 
the  company  at  $4  a  share  for  a  period  of  30 
days  from  August  15  on  the  basis  of  one  share 
for  each  share  now  held.  All  shares  not  sub- 
scribed for  by  the  end  of  that  period  will  be 
offered  generally  to  the  stockholders  for  an 
additional  period  of  15  days,  but  the  company, 
it  was  stated,  does  not  at  present  contemplate 
a  public  offering. 

The  proceeds  from  the  sale  of  the  stock  will 
be  applied  to  the  payment  of  delinquent  real 
estate  taxes  and  to  the  reduction  of  current 
taxes. 

Stanley  G.  Miner  of  Detroit  is  president  of 
the  company. 

Arthur  Loew's  Shares 

Acquisition  by  Arthur  M.  Loew's  holding 
company  in  June  of  353  shares  of  Loew's  com- 
mon stock,  bringing  its  holdings  at  the  close 
of  the  month  to  3,883  shares,  was  reported  this 
week  by  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commis- 
sion in  its  semi-monthly  summary  of  stock- 
transactions  by  officers  and  directors  of  corpora- 
tions. 

The  commission  also  announced  the  filing 
of  a  report  for  August,  1935,  by  Sidney  R. 
Kent,  snowing  acquisition  by  his  Berkshire 
Finance  Corp.  of  2,942  shares  of  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  common,  disposition  of  11,769 
shares  of  Fox  A  common  and  acquisition  of 
5,885  shares  of  $1.50  cumulative  preferred. 
The  Twentieth  Century-Fox  common  and  pre- 
ferred were  secured  in  exchange  for  the  Fox 
stock. 

Metropolitan  Playhouses  Loss 

The  net  operating  loss  for  Metropolitan  Play- 
houses and  wholly  owned  subsidiaries  for  the 
approximate  five-month  period  from  Sept.  3. 
1935,  to  Jan.  31,  1936,  was  $45,282.93,  accord- 
ing to  the  first  financial  statement  issued  by 
the  company  since  it  was  reorganized  last  year. 

Listed  among  current  assets  is  $153,292.24 


cash  on  hand  in  the  banks  and  $171,334.63  on 
deposit  with  the  sinking  fund  trustee  for  pay- 
ment of  interest  due  Feb.  1,  1936,  on  five  per 
cent  debentures,  including  $5,605  applicable  to 
debentures  in  the  treasury.  Other  items  in  this 
category  bring  the  current  assets  figure  to 
$448,853.67. 
RCA  Report 

Radio  Corporation  of  America  reports  a 
net  income  of  $477,088.35  for  the  second 
quarter  of  this  year,  a  decrease  of  approxi- 
mately $194,000  from  the  corresponding 
quarter  of  last  year.  The  net  income  of 
$1,763,779.62  for  the  first  six  months  of  this 
year  represents  a  decrease  of  approximately 
$525,300  from  the  same  period  of  1935. 

The  net  has  been  transferred  to  surplus. 
Dividends  on  the  seven  per  cent  "A"  pre- 
ferred totaled  $862,291.03  for  the  six  months 
and  on  the  $3.50  cumulative  first  preferred 
the  total  of  dividends  was  $805,241.85.  The 
surplus  on  June  30  was  $12,346.20. 

Otterson  Pact 
Is  Settled  By 
Paramount  Board 

The  board  of  directors  of  Paramount  Pic- 
tures, Inc.,  at  a  meeting  late  last  week,  ef- 
fected an  "amicable  and  satisfactory"  settle- 
ment with  John  E.  Otterson  over  his  con- 
tract as  president  of  the  company. 

The  statement  issued  following  the 
regular  board  meeting  included  no  details 
and  gave  no  hint  of  the  amount  involved 
in  the  settlement,  which  has  been  the  subject 
of  considerable  speculation  since  Mr.  Otter- 
son left  the  presidency.  It  was  generally 
anticipated  that  he  had  intended  bringing 
suit  against  the  company  for  the  unexpired 
portion  of  the  contract  if  a  settlement  was 
not  reached. 

Broadway  reports  said  that  the  settle- 
ment was  for  $200,000,  with  Mr.  Otterson's 
attorneys,  Schwartz  and  Froelich,  reputedly 
getting  $30,000  as  their  fee,  from  him. 

Mr.  Otterson,  when  informed  of  the 
board's  acceptance  of  the  terms  of  settle- 
ment shortly  after  the  meeting  adjourned, 
declared  he  knew  the  board  was  considering 
the  matter  but  had  not  known  of  its  decision 
at  the  time. 

Mr.  Otterson  at  one  time  had  seriously 
discussed  with  Paramount  the  possibility 
of  undertaking  foreign  production  for  the 
company,  probably  in  England,  where,  it  is 
understood,  he  has  long  had  a  desire  to  live. 
Whether  the  fact  that  he  sails  within  two 
weeks  may  have  a  bearing  on  a  production 
venture,  but  on  his  own,  was  a  matter  of 
speculation  along  Broadway  this  week. 

The  board  of  directors  also  authorized 
the  merger  of  the  wholly  owned  subsidiary, 
Paramount  Productions,  Inc.,  with  the  par- 
ent company,  which  means  the  elimination 
of  the  corporate  name,  Paramount  Produc- 
tions. Henry  Herzbrun  was  elected  a  vice- 
president  of  Paramount  Pictures,  Inc.,  and 
Frank  Meyer  and  Jacob  H.  Karp,  assistant 
secretaries. 


Interstate  Losses  in 
GTE  Are  Shown 
In  Investigation 

Interstate  Equities,  during  its  period  of 
sponsorship  by  Bancamerica-Blair,  lost 
$467,890  in  General  Theatres  Equipment 
and  profited  by  $97,000  in  stock  transac- 
tions in  Fox  Film  Corporation,  it  was  re- 
vealed by  Charles  G.  Wiggins,  who  was 
vice-president  of  Interstate,  in  testimony 
given  during  the  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission  investigation  of  investment 
trusts  and  trust  companies  in  Washington 
this  week. 

E.  R.  Tinker,  who  was  president  of  Fox 
for  a  brief  time,  and  who  is  now  president 
of  Interstate,  personally  lost  $280,000  in 
the  underwriting  of  General  Theatres 
Equipment  stock  in  1930,  it  was  also  re- 
vealed at  the  investigation.  Mr.  Tinker  suc- 
ceeded Harley  L.  Clarke  as  president  of  Fox 
in  the  period  that  followed  the  exit  of  Will- 
iam Fox  from  the  c.ompany. 

Meanwhile,  it  was  revealed  in  Kansas 
City  that  six  GTE  bondholders  will  file 
suit  against  the  Chase  National  Bank,  Na- 
tional Theatres,  Fox  Midland  and  Fox 
Rocky  Mountain  theatre  companies,  and 
others,  within  the  next  month.  The  circuit 
court  of  appeals  in  St.  Paul  on  July  9 
turned  down  the  bondholders  in  their  appeal 
from  the  ruling  of  Judge  Albert  L.  Reeves 
in  federal  district  court  at  Kansas  City, 
that  his,  the  bankruptcy,  court  in  the  matter 
of  Fox  Midland  and  Fox  Rocky  Mountain, 
was  not  the  court  in  which  their  charges 
should  be  heard. 

The  nature  of  the  new  suit  to  be  filed, 
probably  in  federal  court,  has  not  been  di- 
vulged by  C.  A.  Randolph,  R.  R.  Brewster 
and  others,  attorneys  for  the  bondholders. 

The  bondholders  are  Ja.c.ob  Smith,  Lee 
Hamlin,  William  Snower,  Ray  D.  Jones, 
Anna  Kupper  and  Katherine  K.  Mosher. 
They  charge  the  Chase  National  Bank  with 
fraud  in  its  acquisition  of  controlling  inter- 
est in  Fox  Film,  and  in  its  acquisition  of  the 
assets*  of  the  two  middle  western  theatre 
companies  in  bankruptcy  sale  through  its 
subsidiary,  National  Theatres.  The  bond- 
holders also  sought  to  impose  a  lien  on 
those  assets  in  favor  of  themselves  and  other 
GTE  bondholders. 

In  Albany,  N.  Y.,  General  Theatres 
Equipment  Corporation,  the  new  company 
formed  following  the  reorganization  and 
chartered  under  Delaware  laws,  has  filed  a 
certificate  of  statement  and  designation  to 
enable  it  to  do  business  in  New  York.  The 
capital  is  listed  at  800,000  shares  of  no  par 
value  stock. 


Carolina  Houses  Sold 

The  Criterion  Theatres  in  Charlotte, 
Greensboro,  and  Durham,  N.  C,  have  been 
sold  by  N.  A.  Gregg  to  the  newly  formed 
Standard  Theatres,  Inc.,  with  headquarters 
in  Charlotte,  N.  C. 


68 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


EXHIBITOR  UNIT  PROTESTS  REPORTED 
WARNER  PLAN  TO  ENTER  16mm.  FIELD 


Many  Theatre  Organizations 
Consider  United  Action  to 
Fight  Possible  Competition 
From  the  Narrow-Width  Film 

The  growing  importance  of  the  16mm. 
field  has  been  emphasized  by  the  report  that 
Warner  Brothers  Pictures,  Inc.,  is  planning 
to  follow  several  other  producers  in  the 
serving  of  non-theatrical  accounts,  and  by 
the  fact  that  exhibitor  organizations  are 
considering  united  action  to  fight  possible 
competition  from  the  narrow-width  films.  . 

Executives  of  Warner  are  understood  to 
have  begun  preliminary  negotiations  with 
manufacturers  of  16  mm.  sound  equipment 
as  the  first  step  in  the  new  undertaking, 
and  reports  of  the  move  brought  a  letter 
of  protest  addressed  to  Jack  L.  Warner, 
vice-president  in  charge  of  production, 
from  Harry  Vinnicoff,  president  of  the 
Independent  Theatre  Owners  of  Southern 
California. 

The  protest  was  the  result  of  a  series  of 
meetings  held  in  the  last  two  months  by 
directors  of  the  exhibitor  group,  who  con- 
tended that  the  release  of  16  mm.  films 
for  use  in  homes  and  schools  will  hinder 
the  industry  through  "amateurish"  projec- 
tion. Mr.  Vinnicoff's  letter  declared  that 
the  ITO,  together  with  every  other  exhib- 
itor organization  in  the  country,  will  be 
obliged,  in  their  own  interests,  to  combat 
the  use  of  the  narrow  films. 

The  letter  said  in  part:  "Every  ethical 
foundation  that  the  producers  in  this  coun- 
try have  built  to  make  good  pictures  and 
distribute  them  to  exhibitors  throughout  the 
United  States  cannot  help  but  be  broken 
down  by  such  a  policy  on  your  part.  We  do 
not  wish  to  insult  your  intelligence  by  out- 
lining many  other  reasons  why  your  action 
is  detrimental  to  the  industry,  so  suffice  it 
to  say  that  we  urge  you  not  to  establish  such 
a  policy." 

For  Theatre-less  Towns 

Warner  executives  at  the  home  office  de- 
clared that  the  plans  are  not  at  all  definite 
and  no  decision  has  been  made  on  the  sub- 
ject. Reports  were  that  the  aim  is  to  pro- 
vide theatre-less  towns,  as  well  as  communi- 
ties where  there  are  no  houses  having  sound 
projection  equipment,  with  motion  pictures 
through  the  medium  of  16mm.  programs. 
Distribution  of  the  product  to  individuals 
having  home  projectors,  and  to  schools  and 
clubs  might  be  another  feature  of  the  plan, 
it  was  said. 

Warner  and  other  large  companies  have 
been  distributing  some  product  on  35mm 
film  to  non-theatrical  accounts,  but  this  is 
the  first  indication  that  the  company  might 
consider  making  its  extensive  film  library 
available  for  the  16mm.  field  at  large. 

Interest  in  the  narrow  width  films  has 
been  stimulated  by  progress  made  by  the 
Society  of  Motion  Picture  Engineers  in  the 
effort  to  attain  adoption  of  uniform  interna- 


TRAVEL  AND  HEALTH 
FILMS  HOLD  LEAD 

Travel  and  health  films  are  most 
popular  among  educational  motion 
pictures,  Alfred  L.  Frederick,  director 
of  distribution  for  the  motion  picture 
bureau  of  the  YMCA,  said  this  week 
in  a  report  showing  that  the  bureau 
distributes  more  than  100,000  films 
yearly  to  churches,  clubs,  schools  and 
other  groups. 

Films  dealing  with  basic  industries 
are  second  in  popularity,  and  those 
dealing  with  "home  and  home-mak- 
ing" are  next.  Mr.  Frederick  added 
that  there  has  been  a  striking  change 
in  taste  shown  by  school  children  who 
now  demand  informative  films  where 
once  they  insisted  on  films  including 
stories. 


tional  standards  for  the  product. 

The  SMPE  formulated  and  adopted  a 
number  of  dimensional  standards  relating  to 
16mm.  sound-film  and  equipment  which 
were  accepted  in  the  United  States  without 
dissent  and  at  first  seemed  scheduled  for 
adoption  also  by  European  countries.  When 
the  Deutscher  Industrie  Normen,  German 
standards  relating  to  the  narrow  width  film, 
were  published,  they  appeared  to  be  prac- 
tically identical  with  the  SMPE  specifica- 
tions. Several  months  later,  however,  at 
an  exposition  in  Paris  in  which  American 
and  European  equipment  was  shown  it  was 
disclosed  that  German  16  mm.  sound  pro- 
jectors were  designed  to  accommodate  film 
having  the  sound  track  on  the  edge  opposite 
that  prescribed  by  the  SMPE. 

Investigation  revealed  the  fact  that  when 
transcribing  the  American  drawing  the  Her- 
mans inadvertently  had  constructed  mirror 
images  of  the  drawings  so  that  the  position 
of  the  sound  track  had  become  transposed. 
During  the  several  months  that  had  elapsed, 
commercial  investments  employing  the  one 
standard  in  Europe  and  the  other  in 
America,  had  increased  considerably  and 
proponents  of  the  two  systems  were  reluctant 
to  change.  In  England  and  France  both  sys- 
tems were  in  use. 

Submitted  to  Referendum 

The  International  Standards  Association 
was  asked  to  arbitrate  the  differences  and 
after  months  of  negotiations  it  was  agreed 
that  the  question  should  be  submitted  by 
referendum  to  the  19  national  standardizing 
bodies  comprising  the  association.  Holland 
was  the  first  country  to  notify  the  association 
that  it  had  adopted  the  American  standard 
and  Great  Britain  followed  shortly,  after 
conferences  had  been  held  by  members  of 
the  standards  bodies  of  several  of  the  Do- 
minions. 

At  present  the  United  States,  Holland, 
Great  Britain  and  Denmark  follow  the 
SMPE  standards  and  Germany,  Hungary, 
Switzerland  and  Russia,  the  German  speci- 


Interest  in  Narrow  Film  Market 
Stimulated  by  Progress  of 
SMPE  for  Adoption  of  Uni- 
form World  Standards 

fications.  Preference  is  divided  in  Austria 
and  France,  while  Czechoslovakia,  Sweden, 
Italy  and  Poland  are  undecided. 

Regarded  as  important  by  the  SMPE 
is  the  fact  that  the  English-speaking  coun- 
tries of  the  world,  including  the  United 
States,  England,  Canada,  and  Australia, 
are  in  agreement  on  the  matter.  In  some 
of  the  countries  listed  as  uncertain,  de- 
velopment of  the  16  mm.  field  hardly  has 
begun,  so  that  it  will  be  an  easy  matter 
for  them  to  adopt  whichever  set  of  stand- 
ards proves  acceptable  to  the  world. 

Vast  possibilities  for  the  narrow  width 
film  have  been  suggested  by  Edwin  Carewe, 
veteran  director-producer,  who  is  reported 
to  have  started  a  series  of  films  which  will 
be  printed  on  16  mm.  stock,  to  meet  the  de- 
mand for  films  which  would  receive  support 
of  churches,  schools,  civic  and  fraternal 
organizations,  women's  clubs,  parent-teacher 
associations  and  similar  groups. 

Sees  147,000  Outlets 

Mr.  Carewe  is  reported,  in  the  July  issue 
of  the  Camera  Digest,  published  by  Local 
666  of  the  International  Photographers,  to 
have  made  a  survey  which  revealed  that 
there  are  147,000  possible  outlets  for  such 
product  in  schools  and  churches.  The  pro- 
ducer has  formed  the  Edwin  Carewe  Pic- 
tures Corporation  and  is  to  produce  10  units 
each  year,  consisting  of  a  feature  picture  and 
coordinated  short  subjects.  All  scripts  and 
casts  are  to  be  approved  by  a  board  of  nine 
churchmen  and  educators  before  production 
starts.  Completed  pictures  will  be  submitted 
to  the  same  board  before  they  are  released. 
The  first  feature,  completed  recently,  is  titled 
"Are  We  Civilized  ?" 

Complications  Seen 

The  International  Alliance  of  Theatrical 
and  Stage  Employees  and,  in  one  case  at 
least,  a  state  licensing  board,  have  recog- 
nized future  complications  in  the  expansion 
of  the  field.  The  IATSE  is  reported  to  be 
considering  a  campaign  of  unionization 
which  will  be  aimed  at  large  industrial  firms 
producing  advertising  and  sales  shorts  on 
the  narrow  film,  with  neither  union  camera- 
men nor  projectionists  employed  on  these 
projects.  The  business  of  making  these  in- 
dustrial subjects,  which  are  shown  at  trade 
exhibitions  and  salesmen's  conventions,  has 
developed  to  such  an  extent  in  the  last  year 
that  it  has  become  a  major  branch  of  the 
industry,  according  to  cameramen. 

An  opinion  handed  down  recently  by  the 
Attorney  General  of  Maryland  prohibits 
teachers  and  other  instructors  in  the  state 
from  acting  as  their  own  operators  in  show- 
ing motion  pictures  in  schools  and  school 
auditoriums  unless  they  pass  the  necessary 
examinations  and  are  licensed.  They  will 
not  be  required  to  pay  any  fee,  however. 


MAINSTAY 


AS  THE  motion  picture  industry  grows,  so 
grows  the  importance  of  Eastman  Super  X 
Panchromatic  Negative.  This  world-fa- 
mous Eastman  film  guards  the  high  photo- 
graphic quality  of  the  bulk  of  today's 
feature  productions.  It  is  truly  a  mainstay 
of  one  of  the  country's  greatest  industries. 
Eastman  Kodak  Company,  Rochester, 
N.  Y.  (J.  E.  Brulatour,  Inc.,  Distributors, 
Fort  Lee,  New  York,  Chicago,  Hollywood.) 


EASTMAN  SUPER  X 

PANCHROMATIC  NEGATIVE 


70 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


EXHIBITORS  LOOKING 
TOWARD  PRICE  RAISE 


Cleveland  Association  Invites 
First-Run  Circuit  Leaders  to 
Join  Discussion  on  Increase 

Motion  picture  theatre  owners  are  be- 
ginning to  talk  about  the  advisability  of 
increasing  their  admission  prices.  A  survey 
on  admissions  in  last  week's  Herald  indi- 
cated that  federal  taxes,  aided  in  most  situa- 
tions by  local  taxes,  were  preventing  the 
raising  of  scales  throughout  the  country. 

It  was  revealed  last  week  that  besides  the 
federal  impost  which  is  levied  in  every  state, 
there  are  13  states  that  impose  sales  taxes 
which  include  admissions,  five  with  taxes 
on  gross  receipts  of  theatres  and  four  states 
with  straight  admission  taxes.  In  addition, 
many  special  sessions  of  the  legislatures  are 
expected  this  fall  to  levy  other  assessments 
against  theatres  for  "welfare"  and  relief 
measures. 

It  was  further  pointed  out  in  the  survey 
that  theatre  operators  and  exhibitor  leaders 
expressed  a  common  conviction  that  ad- 
mission prices  should  be  definitely  increased, 
but  that  the  problem  of  taxation  intervened 
to  make  such  a  step  inadvisable. 

The  Cleveland  Motion  Picture  Exhib- 
itors Association  called  a  special  meeting 
this  week  for  the  purpose  of  discussing 
the  possibility  of  a  general  rise  in  local 
admission  prices.  Local  representatives  of 
major  first-run  circuits  have  been  invited 
to  the  meeting. 

Asked  concerning  the  attitude  toward  a 
raise  in  admission  prices  at  first-run  thea- 
tres in  Cleveland  at  this  time,  Colonel  Harry 


THEATRE  LANDMARK 
LEFT  TO  WRECKERS 

The  old  Arch  Street  Theatre  in 
Philadelphia,  linked  with  many  names 
great  on  the  American  stage,  is  being 
torn  down  to  make  room  for  an  auto- 
mobile parking  space.  The  house 
opened  on  Oct.  1,  1828,  and  Phila- 
delphia historians  call  it  the  second 
oldest  theatre  in  the  United  States, 
giving  first  place  to  the  Walnut,  also 
in  Philadelphia. 

Beginning  in  1862,  the  theatre  was 
under  the  command  of  Mrs.  John 
Drew,  mother  of  the  famed  actor,  for 
30  years.  Such  stars  as  William 
Wheatley,  Edwin  Booth,  Edwin  For- 
rest, John  Sleeper  Clarke  and  others 
played  stellar  roles  there  and  Ethel, 
Lionel  and  John  Barrymore,  grand- 
children of  Mrs.  Drew,  began  their 
careers  on  its  stage.  Since  1892  the 
house  has  been  devoted  at  various 
times  to  vaudeville,  musical  comedy, 
stock  companies,  melodrama  thrillers 
and  burlesque. 


E.  Long,  Loew's  division  manager,  said  that 
while  final  price  determination  rests  with 
New  York,  it  would  seem  inevitable  that  if 
the  subsequent-runs  raise  prices,  it  will  be- 
come necessary  for  first-runs  to  do  likewise 
in  order  to  maintain  the  proper  balance  of 
protection. 

The  first-run  theatres,  Colonel  Long  point- 
ed out,  have  a  problem  that  does  not  confront 
the  subsequent-run  theatres.  This  is  taxation. 
Subsequent-run  theatres  are  affected  only  by 
the  state  tax  of  three  per  cent  on  gross 
receipts.  First-runs  have  to  pay  not  only 
the  state  tax  but  also  the  10  per  cent  federal 
tax,  which  starts  at  41  cents.  Top  price  at 
the  straight  motion  picture  houses  in  Cleve- 
land is  42  cents,  which  subjects  the  house 
to  the  federal  tax.  In  order  to  net  the  theatres 
any  material  increase,  Colonel  Long  said,  it 
would  be  necessary  to  raise  the  price  to  55 
cents,  at  the  straight  film  houses,  and  prob- 
ably to  75  cents  at  the  RKO  Palace,  now 
charging  60  cents  for  combination  pictures 
and  vaudeville. 

Meanwhile,  in  New  York,  disclaiming  any 
knowledge  of  an  Independent  Theatre  Own- 
ers' Association — Theatre  Owners  Chamber 
of  Commerce  proposal  to  have  the  major 
companies  join  in  a  move  to  raise  prices 
this  fall,  Charles  C.  Moskowitz  of  Loew's 
and  Nate  Blumberg  of  RKO  both  said  that 
the  question  of  price  increases  by  their 
circuits  would  depend  on  fall  business  con- 
ditions, product,  competition  and  other 
factors,  and  that  as  they  could  not  predict 
now  what  the  conditions  would  be,  they  did 
not  know  whether  prices  would  be  advanced. 

Territory  Increased 
For  Arthur  Pratchett 

Arthur  L.  Pratchett,  division  manager  of 
Mexico  and  Cuba  for  Paramount  Pictures, 
Inc.,  has  been  given  supervision  of  Central 
America,  the  Caribbean  and  the  northern 
republics  of  South  America,  comprising  the 
territory  formerly  supervised  by  Jerome  P. 
Sussman  who  has  resigned. 


Spectrum  Starts  New  Series 

George  Callaghan  and  Jed  Buell,  produc- 
ers for  Spectrum  Pictures,  have  announced 
the  beginning  of  production  work  at  the 
Talisman  Studios  on  "Romance  Rides  the 
Range,"  first  of  the  new  series  of  musical 
westerns  featuring  Fred  Scott,  the  cowboy 
opera  star.  Marion  Chilling  has  been  signed 
to  play  opposite  Scott  in  the  productions. 

Tim  McCoy  Will  Star 
In  Series  of  Eight 

Tim  McCoy,  screen  and  circus  star,  will 
be  featured  in  a  series  of  four  outdoor  and 
four  G-man  dramas,  to  be  produced  by  Im- 
perial Pictures. 

Centennial  Song  Bought 

The  official  Texas  Centennial  song,  "Ride, 
Ranger,  Ride,"  has  been  purchasd  by  Re- 
public Pictures  to  be  used  in  a  musical 
western  production  of  the  same  title. 


Progress  Reported 
In  Taxation  Fight 
By  Indian  Society 

Progress  in  all  activities  but  particularly 
in  increased  membership  and  in  efforts  to 
reduce  import  duties  on  raw  film  and  appa- 
ratus and  other  taxation  problems  was  re- 
ported at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Society  of  India  held  in  Bombay. 

During  the  year  1935-36  membership  of 
the  society  increased  from  95  to  125,  Rai 
Saheb  Chunilal,  presiding  officer,  reported. 
The  Honorable  Sir  Phiroze  Sethna  was 
unanimously  elected  president  and  H.  G. 
Jagirdar,  manager  of  Select  Talkie  Dis- 
tributors, vice-president. 

The  annual  report  published  at  the  meet- 
ing notes  that  when  the  provisions  of  the 
Ottawa  Pact  were  being  drawn  up,  the 
society  succeeded  in  staving  off  the  imposi- 
tion of  an  extra  five  per  cent  duty  on  raw 
films.  At  present  the  industry  is  paying  15 
and  25  per  cent,  which  is,  in  effect,  a  saving 
of  10  per  cent  on  films  imported  from  the 
United  Kingdom  and  five  per  cent  on  stock 
imported  from  other  countries.  The  economy 
is  estimated  to  total  Rs.  75,000  yearly. 

Among  benefits  obtained  for  the  exhibitor 
branch  of  the  industry  through  the  society 
were  listed: 

The  reduction  of  the  20  per  cent  tariff  on 
projectors  to  10  per  cent  ad  valorem;  an 
increase  from  five  to  15  per  cent  in  the 
amount  allowed  for  depreciation  in  the  an- 
nual balance  sheets  of  producing  concerns ; 
permission  for  film  shipments  to  be  carried 
on  mail  trains,  allowing  five  more  bookings 
a  year  for  each  film ;  effective  opposition 
which  has  delayed  adoption  of  a  proposed 
import  tax  of  Rs.  10  per  box  of  film  on  ship- 
ments entering  Nagpur  Municipality,  and  a 
similar  delay  on  a  Cinema  Posters  Bill  in 
Bengal. 

In  addition  a  concession  from  the  State 
Railways,  obtained  through  the  society, 
allows  producing  units  numbering  20  or 
more  persons  to  travel  at  half  rate  in  any  of 
the  classes  available. 

The  society  is  carrying  on  an  intensive 
drive  for  increased  use  of  educational  films 
and  a  fund  has  been  appropriated  out  of 
which  suitable  films  in  this  class  are  to  be 
purchased  and  exhibited. 

An  appendix  to  the  report  notes  that  there 
are  at  present  110  producing  companies,  99 
distributing  companies  and  670  motion  pic- 
ture theatres  in  British  India.  Capital  in- 
vested in  the  three  branches,  production,  dis- 
tribution and  exhibition  is  estimated  to  total 
more  than  Rupees  50,000,000,  and  about 
25,000  persons  are  directly  engaged  in  the 
industry. 

Native  films  passed  by  the  Bombay,  Ben- 
gal, Madras  and  Punjab  boards  of  censors 
during  1935  included  297  features  and  92 
shorts.  American  films  totaled  311  features 
and  828  shorts  and  English  pictures,  89  fea- 
tures and  575  shorts. 

A  total  of  60,669,534  feet  of  raw  fillm, 
valued  at  Rs.  2,102,262,  was  imported  into 
British  India  in  the  same  period.  Importa- 
tion of  exposed  film  totalled  8,537,589  feet, 
valued  at  Rs.  2,411,048. 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


71 


DISTRIBUTORS  WIN  IN  INDEPENDENTS' 
ANTI-TRUST  SUIT  AGAINST  MAJORS 


Prior  Runs  and  Admission  Prices 
Argued  in  Rolsky-MidwestThe- 
atres  Case;  Kuykendall  Says 
4  Proposals  Will  Be  Accepted 

Fair  trade  practices,  that  highly  debatable 
subject  concerning  the  relations  between  in- 
dependent exhibitors  and  the  major  interests, 
was  the  center  of  controversy  this  week  in 
the  federal  courts,  in  the  prosecuting  ma- 
chinery of  the  United  States  Government 
and  within  the  industry  itself. 

Federal  Judge  Merrill  E.  Otis  at  Kansas 
City,  in  the  case  of  Rolslcy  vs.  Fox  Midwest 
and  major  distributors,  found  that  con- 
spiracy had  not  been  shown. 

New-found  hope  for  the  enactment  of 
the  MPTOA  program  of  fair  trade  prac- 
tices was  seen  by  Edward  L.  Kuykendall, 
sponsor  of  the  plan,  who  predicted  adop- 
tion of  four  of  the  ten  proposals. 

The  Department  of  Justice  proceeded 
with  its  investigation  of  trade  practice  con- 
ditions in  the  field.  The  survey  is  expected 
to  stand  distributors  and  circuits  close  to 
$1,000,000  as  the  cost  of  gathering  the  in- 
formation. 

The  MPPDA  evidently  intends  to  deal 
directly  with  complainants  in  trade  prac- 
tice matters,  in  a  move  to  eliminate  their 
handling  by  the  Justice  Department. 

The  program  of  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  for  "fair  trade  practices" 
had  been  considered  dormant  until  Edward  L. 
Kuykendall,  MPTOA  president,  addressing  the 
convention  of  the  Southeastern  Theatre  Own- 
ers at  Jacksonville  on  Monday,  declared  that 
at  least  four  of  the  ten  proposals  are  expected 
by  his  organization  to  be  effected  "before  one 
more  selling  year  is  ended."  In  any  event,  it 
now  appears  that  they  will  not  be  recognized 
this  season,  that  is,  in  their  application  to  this 
season's  contracts.  Mr.  Kuykendall's  optimism 
alluded  to  the  proposals  for  a  reasonable  and 
workable  elimination  privilege  and  the  elimina- 
tion of  score  charges,  designated  play  dates  and 
the  forcing  of  short  subjects  with  features. 

An  Expensive  Survey 

Expenditure  by  distributors  of  up  to  $1,000,- 
000  to  comply  with  the  Department  of  Justice's 
request  for  field  information  on  trade  practices 
and  conditions  was  estimated  necessary  by  a 
major  sales  executive  in  New  York,  who  said 
that  it  probably  will  take  about  six  months  to 
get  the  data  asked  for  by  the  department  in 
its  five-page  questionnaire.  The  department's 
procedure  was  taken  following  complaints  from 
independents  against  distributors  on  different 
trade  practice  "improprieties." 

Among  the  questions  being  asked  by  the  Jus- 
tice Department  in  its  questionnaire  to  deter- 
mine the  exact  nature  of  conditions  are  the  list- 
ing of  specific  theatre  properties,  type  of  run, 
seating  capacity,  partnership  arrangements,  cost 
of  buildings,  product  deals  pending  and  arranged 
for,  length  of  product  franchises,  and  the  like. 

In  an  effort  to  make  unnecessary  further  in- 
vestigation by  the  Department  of  Justice  into 
complaints  regarding  alleged  monopolistic  prac^ 
tices  of  major  distributors  and  circuits,  the 
Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Distributors  of 


THEATRES  COOPERATE 
IN  SAFETY  CAMPAIGN 

A  combination  motion  picture  the- 
atre, newspaper  and  department  store 
traffic  safety  campaign  promotion 
plan  is  being  conducted  in  Newark, 
N.  J. 

When  a  Newark  Ledger  reporter 
sees  a  jay-walker  disregarding  traffic 
lights,  he  hands  the  person  a  pledge 
card  renouncing  the  dangerous  prac- 
tice. If  the  pledge  is  signed,  it  may  be 
exchanged  at  a  local  department  store 
for  a  free  movie  ticket. 


America  has  adopted  its  own  checking  plan. 

Some  of  the  major  companies  are  considering 
the  advisability  of  not  answering  the  question- 
naire, however,  and  it  has  been  learned  that  sev- 
eral meetings  of  attorneys  representing  the 
companies  have  been  held  at  the  New  York 
offices  of  the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and 
Distributors  of  America,  Inc. 

Because  of  the  wide  scope  of  the  question- 
naire, an  attorney  for  one  of  the  companies 
said,  it  is  possible  that  if  all  the  material  were 
given  the  Department  of  Justice  the  govern- 
ment might  use  the  material  for  anti-trust  suits. 

Exhibitor  Loses  Case 

Basing  his  decision  on  his  own  question — 
"Did  the  defendants  conspire?" — Judge  Otis 
found  that  conspiracy  had  not  been  shown  in 
the  case  of  E.  Rolsky  vs.  Fox  Midwest  and 
major  distributors.  While  there  was  great 
force,  the  judge  said,  in  the  plaintiff's  argument 
that  1935-36  contracts  between  distributors  and 
the  Fox  circuit  embodied  concerted  action,  yet 
the  defendants  had  satisfactorily  explained  how 
the  contracts  were  entered  into,  because  the  con- 
tract was  more  advantageous  financially  to 
each  distributor  and  is  one  commonly  entered 
into  elsewhere  in  the  United  States.  He  held 
that  the  distributor  has  a  right  to  sell  ex- 
clusive rights  to  a  picture  in  a  territory. 

Attorney  W.  G.  Boatright  said  the  plaintiffs 
would  appeal. 

Elmer  Rhoden  of  Fox  Midwest,  testifying  on 
Monday,  was  asked  by  W.  G.  Boatright  for  the 
plaintiffs : 

"Unless  there  was  concerted  action  by  dis- 
tributors, no  one  exhibitor  would  get  all  the 
prior  runs  in  one  zone?" 

"Regardless  of  conditions,  if  I  bought 
the  same  run  from  several  distributors, 
there  would  be  a  similarity  in  contracts 
without  concerted  action  on  the  part  of 
distributors,"  Mr.  Rhoden  replied.  Rhoden 
was  president  of  the  Film  Board  of  Trade 
for  four  years,  and  from  this  experience 
he  knew  that  "distributors  always  are  sus- 
picious of  each  other." 

Mr.  Rhoden  testified  he  bought  runs  in  1935- 
36  identical  with  those  he  purchased  in  1934-35 
with  the  exception  of  five  theatres,  three  of 
which  took  poorer  runs,  and  two  better. 

He  refused  to  buy  day  and  date,  and  he  did 
insist  on  a  clear  run,  Mr.  Rhoden  testified,  but 
he  did  not  tell  distributors  he  wouldn't  buy  for 
the  other  theatres  in  the  group  of  97  which  he 
controls  (in  Iowa,  Nebraska,  Illinois,  Missouri 


Department  of  Justice  Goes 
Ahead  with  Trade  Practice  In- 
quiry; MPPDA  Planning  Own 
Study  of  Exhibitor  Complaints 

and  Kansas),  if  they  didn't  sell  him  prior  runs 
in  Kansas  City.  Nor  did  he,  he  testified,  ever 
instruct  distributors  not  to  sell  the  Castle, 
colored  house  opened  in  Kansas  City,  this 
spring. 

"It  has  been  my  experience  over  a  number 
of  years  that  I  could  gross  more  if  I  didn't 
play  simultaneously  with  a  number  of  competi- 
tive theatres,"  he  went  on. 

Prior  run  selling  increases  competitive  bid- 
ding among  the  theatres  in  buying  pictures,  Mr. 
Rhoden  testified. 

"I  don't  think  it  fair,"  he  said,  "to  sell  a  the- 
atre a  picture  for  $20  and  then  sell  another 
theatre  across  the  street  the  same  picture  for 
$10  and  expect  the  two  to  play  concurrently." 

"You're  still  opposed  to  day  and  date  book- 
ing?" Boatright  asked. 

"Yes." 

"How  does  it  come,  then,  that  "Trail  of  the 
Lonesome  Pine"  played  the  Fox  Vista  and  the 
independent  Belmont  on  August  2?" 

"I  don't  know." 

Mr.  Boatright  mentioned  giveaways  at 
Fox  houses  the  past  year:  furniture,  ice 
boxes,  furs,  besides  bank  night.  Mr.  Rhoden 
said  his  theatres  are  giving  away  less  than 
independent  exhibitors,  and  that  all  ad- 
missions at  Fox  theatres  are  fixed.  Fox 
has  only  one  house  using  bank  night. 

Mr.  Rhoden  testified  that  Fox  city  theatres 
had  lost  more  than  $500,000  in  the  time  prior 
to  1935  when  he  was  managing  them. 

"Have  you  stopped  some  of  your  losses?" 

"Yes." 

"You  know  of  no  plan  of  selling  pictures  to 
avoid  both  priority  of  run  between  equally 
priced  houses  and  day  and  date  releasing?" 
Boatright  asked.  "What  is  to  prevent  Twenti- 
eth Century-Fox,  say,  from  selling  10  pictures 
for  first-run  showing  to  the  Rockhill  in  its 
zone,  the  next  10  to  another  exhibitor  for  first- 
run  in  the  zone,  and  so  on"" 

"Confusion.  I  wouldn't  know  what  I  was 
paying." 

Mr.  Rhoden  offered  to  renegotiate  all  con- 
tracts November  4,  with  the  exception  of  Para- 
mount and  Metro,  whose  contracts  weren't  com- 
plete. 

"You  knew  distributors  wouldn't  renegotiate, 
though,  didn't  you?"  Boatright  questioned. 

"No.  If  I  did  renegotiate  and  took  a  lower 
numbered  run  in  the  zone,  I  expected  the  price 
to  be  adjusted." 

"Just  so.  So  you  knew  they  wouldn't  want 
to  renegotiate?" 

"No,  sir !"  Mr.  Rhoden  asserted. 

Cites  Variable  Admissions 

"Variable  admission  prices  and  day  and  date 
booking  in  Kansas  City  from  1932  on  left  no 
way  of  determining  what  we  or  any  one  else 
was  buying,"  testified  Mr.  Rhoden,  who  is  presi- 
dent and  general  manager  of  Fox  Midwest 
Theatres,  Inc. 

Mr.  Rhoden,  placed  on  the  stand  by  Sam 
Sawyer,  attorney  for  Fox  Midwest,  explained 
that  if  he  bought  a  20-cent  run  in  a  zone,  he 
didn't  know  how  many  theatres  would  play  with 
him,  though  he  knew  the  number  of  20-cent 
houses  when  he  bought. 

"If  I  didn't  attempt  to  buy  specific  runs,  I 
might  find  myself  playing  with  all  the  theatres 

(Continued  on  pane  74) 


edited  by  Terry  Ramsaye 

THE  BOX  OFFICE  CHECK-UP 
an  AUDIT  of  PERSONALITIES 

y  y 

The  established  annual  in  a  new  large  format,  in  full  color,  and  with 
an  international  scope  keeping  pace  with  the  motion  picture  industry's 
significant  development. 

The  box  office  champions  of  the  season  of  1935-36  presented  with 
complete  analysis  and  personnel  credits. 

The  Money  Making  Stars  of  the  season  evaluated  and  reported  upon 
by  the  exhibitor  showmen  of  the  world. 

Publication  date  January  1,  1937 — now  in  preparation. 


QUIGLEY  PUBLICATIONS 

RO    CKEFELLER        CENTER,        NEW  YORK 


74 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


ADMISSION  PRICES  FIGURE  IN  TRIAL 


(.Continued  from  page  71) 

in  the  competitive  area  because  they  could 
change  their  admission  price,  drop  back  what- 
ever the  clearance  was,  and  play  with  everyone 
else.  On  the  next  picture  they  might  return  to 
the  higher  admission.  In  the  case  of  'The  Great 
Ziegfeld,'  for  instance,  which  will  be  sold  to 
play  at  a  minimum  admission  of  25  cents,  it  is 
possible  that  every  subsequent  run  theatre  in 
Kansas  City  would  show  the  picture  at  the 
same  time,  in  which  case  there  is  no  possible 
way  to  compute  its  value." 

Eleven  15-cent  houses  played  "Mutiny  on  the 
Bounty"  at  one  time,  he  pointed  out. 

Distributors  called  to  the  stand  by  defense 
attorneys  continued  to  testify  that  admission 
prices  didn't  enter  into  sale  of  runs  prior  to 
1928;  that  they  offered  Rolsky  and  other  inde- 
pendents first-runs  in  their  admission  price 
classification,  and  that  they  had  no  discussions 
of  the  Fox  deal  with  other  distributors.  They 
testified  Mr.  Rhoden  had  told  them  his  city 
houses  had  been  losing  a  lot  of  money  and  that 
something  would  have  to  be  done  about  it, 
especially  in  getting  away  from  day  and  date 
releasing. 

Exchange  managers  testified  that  indepen- 
dents declined  to  buy  first-runs  because  the 
price  was  too  high,  or  because  they  had  agreed 
not  to  buy  them  and  were  considering  the  pres- 
ent litigation. 

"Would  you  consider  it  fair  if  all  distributors 
sold  the  Newman,  Midland  and  Mainstreet,  and 
did  not  sell  the  Uptown,"  Mr.  Boatright  asked 
R.  C.  LiBeau,  Paramount  district  manager. 
LiBeau  replied  that  it  was  the  right  of  pro- 
ducers to  sell  their  product  as  they  see  fit. 

Exchange  Manager  Testifies 

Frank  Hensler,  MGM  exchange  manager 
explained  that  two  or  three  years  ago  Metre 
was  worried  about  its  investment  in  the  Mid- 
land, its  own  first-run,  and  inaugurated  an  ex- 
clusive policy. 

Mr.  Hensler  denied  he  didn't  attempt  to  sell 
local  exhibitors  until  Fox's  deal  was  completed. 

"You  offered  Rolsky  the  first  15-cent  run 
in  his  area  for  $10  more  per  picture  than  you 
sold  Fox,"  Mr.  Boatright  asserted.  "You 
wouldn't  sell  an  independent  the  same  run  for 
the  same  price  as  Rhoden  pays?" 

"I  disagree,"  Mr.  Hensler  said.  "Indepen- 
dents generally  buy  later  than  in  August." 

Joe  Manfre,  exchange  manager  for  Para- 
mount, also  was  on  the  stand. 

Holder  of  Majority  Stock 

Testimony  revealed  that  Mr.  Rhoden  owns 
approximately  one-third  of  the  stock  of  Com- 
monwealth Amusement  Corporation.  Other 
stockholders  are  Clarence  A.  Schultz,  executive 
vice-president,  an  attempted  intervenor  in  the 
present  suit ;  Robert  Withers,  branch  manager 
for  Republic-MidWest ;  Harry  A.  McClure, 
district  manager  for  Fox  Midwest,  and  L.  J. 
McCarthy,  assistant  to  Mr.  Rhoden. 

Mr.  Rhoden  also  testified  he  owns  the  Fox 
Waldo  building,  and  he  said  that  he  extended 
the  protection  for  the  Waldo  against  any  new 
theatres  from  15  to  20  blocks  in  last  fall's  con- 
tracts because  he  had  heard  there  were  two  new 
houses  going  to  be  built  close  by  and  he  had 
to  have  specific  protection. 

W.  E.  Kemp,  for  the  distributors,  wanted  to 
amend  their  answer  to  include  a  charge  that 
on  information  and  belief  plaintiffs  have  formed 
a  conspiracy  and  are  now  conspiring,  and  that 
they  do  not  therefore  come  into  court  with  clean 
hands.  The  court  denied  the  request. 

A  letter  written  by  E.  Rolsky,  president 
of  ITO,  to  all  members  in  July  of  this  year, 
making  a  plea  for  dues  and  support,  was 


introduced  in  evidence  by  the  defense. 
The  letter  closed,  "it  is  my  wish  to  see  a 
fighting,  snarling  ITOA." 

William  Benjamin,  branch  manager  for  Uni- 
versal, on  the  stand,  said  he  didn't  offer  inde- 
pendents the  same  run  at  the  same  price  as  to 
Rhoden  because  he  had  to  consider  getting  the 
most  from  the  entire  city  situation  and  not  just 
individual  theatres. 

"I  don't  know  to  this  day  how  other  dis- 
tributors sold  Fox  Midwest  last  fall,"  testified 
E.  T.  Gomersall,  Universal's  western  division 
manager.  "That  was  a  chance  I  had  to  run  in 
selling  our  pictures,  a  business  gamble  I  had 
to  take." 

W.  E.  Truog,  United  Artists  branch  manager, 
cited  figures  to  show  that  on  UA  pictures  he 
sold  to  Fox  for  1935-36  playing,  he  got  much 
more  money  in  the  city  than  on  those  he  didn't 
sell  Mr.  Rhoden  and  then  had  to  sell  to  inde- 
pendents. 

Day-and-Date  Plan  Stands 

"How  did  you  know  no  other  exhibitor 
would  pay  more  than  Rhoden  if  you  didn't  ask 
any  others  before  you  closed  your  Fox  deal?" 
Mr.  Boatright  asked  W.  J.  Kupper,  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  Western  division  manager. 

Almost  as  many  theatres  are  playing  day 
and  date  now  as  in  1934-35,  Ward  Scott,  dis- 
trict manager  for  Fox,  testified. 

Then,  Mr.  Boatright,  concluded,  the  prior  run 
plan  wasn't  set  up  to  eliminate  day  and  date 
booking? 

Mr.  Rolsky  testified  that  day  and  date  play- 
ing had  been  prevalent  all  this  season. 

"Didn't  the  feasibility  of  the  prior  run 
plan,  introduced  in  1935,  depend  on  all 
distributors  selling  Fox  alike?"  Mr.  Boat- 
right  asked  distributors.  Harry  Taylor,  Co- 
lumbia branch  manager,  admitted  that  if 
all  distributors  sold  prior  runs  exhibitors 
would  be  forced  to  buy  that  way.  He  also 
agreed  that  it  was  important  to  him  to 
know  how  other  distributors  were  going  to 
sell  Fox.  He  admitted,  with  other  exchange 
men,  that  he  did  know,  but  from  exhibitors 
and  not  from  any  other  distributors. 

"Why  didn't  you  ask  the  other  distributors  ?" 
Judge  Merrill  E.  Otis  asked.  "Wasn't  that  the 
easiest  way  to  find  out?  Was  it  fear  of  the 
law  that  prevented  you?" 

"No,"  Mr.  Taylor  said. 

William  Warner,  Warner  Brothers  man- 
ager, wrote  Carl  Lesserman  last  fall  that  it  was 
his,  Warner's,  understanding  that  major  com- 
panies have  not  approved  the  Fox-Midwest 
clearance  plan.  "You  can  find  that  out  more 
easily  than  I,"  he  wrote. 

In  his  answer  to  Warner  November  19,  Mr. 
Lesserman  told  Warner  to  return  to  Rhoden 
an  attached  copy  of  Rhoden's  clearance  and 
zoning  proposal  and  any  other  copies  Warner 
might  have.  Lesserman  asked  Warner  to  tell 
Rhoden  that  "we  are  not  interested  in  how 
other  distributors  have  sold  him  pictures,"  and 
that  Warner  Brothers  would  give  him,  Rhoden, 
the  same  clearance  as  in  1934-35. 

E.  C.  Raftery,  attorney  for  distributors, 
sought  to  show  by  1933  contracts  that  Young's 
Central  played  back  of  the  equally  priced  Baltis 
on  Fox  Film  pictures.    Mr.  Young  denied'  it. 

Mr.  Young  said  he  would  be  the  first  to  sup- 
port any  uniform  plan  fair  to  all  equally  priced 
nouses. 

"I  have  a  wife  and  family  to  support  and 


children  to  educate,"  he  asserted.  "If  this  plan 
continues,  I  cannot  stay  in  business." 

Says  Exchanges  Forced  Price  Raise 

The  St.  John  and  National  formerly  played 
at  10  cents,  back  of  15-cent  houses,  Mr.  Rolsky 
admitted,  but  he  charged  that  distributors  forced 
him  to  15  cents. 

"I'd  go  to  10  cents  now  if  I  could  play  them 
that  way  altogether,"  he  said. 

Two  distributors,  Warner  Brothers  and 
Twentieth  Century-Fox,  are  committed  to  the 
prior  run  plan  this  year,  selling  Fox  Midwest 
on  this  basis. 

Mr.  Raftery  tried  to  show  by  Mr.  Potter, 
plaintiff  and  treasurer  of  the  ITO,  that  inde- 
pendents conspired  to  retain  day  and  date  re- 
leasing, but  the  court  suggested  that  the  plain- 
tiffs were  not  on  trial. 

Distributors  testified  that  prior  runs  are  the 
best  way  to  sell  and  to  play  pictures ;  the  only 
way  they  are  sold  and  played  elsewhere,  and  the 
only  way  they  were  sold  and  played  in  Kansas 
City  until  1928.  They  testified  that  admission 
prices  did  not  enter  into  the  sale  of  runs  prior 
to  1928. 

Mr.  Raftery  questioned  the  accuracy  of  Mr. 
Rolsky's  gross  reports  on  some  1935  Warner 
Brothers  percentage  pictures,  some  of  which 
the  exchange  checked,  some  of  which  it  didn't. 
Mr.  Potter  admitted  he  had  had  trouble  with 
distributors  over  percentage  pictures.  Appar- 
ently Mr.  Raftery  was  attempting  to  show  that 
if  plaintiffs'  reports  on  percentage  film  could 
not  be  trusted,  neither  could  their  figures  on 
their  year's  business  or  elsewhere. 

Mr.  Rolsky  purchased  a  new  home  at  the 
time  he  said  in  his  petition  he  was  losing 
money,  Attorney  Sawyer  brought  out.  Mr. 
Rolsky  said  he  had  traded  for  the  home. 

Fifty  per  cent  and  more  of  film  rentals 
secured  from  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  come  from 
first-runs,  Mr.  Hensler  and  other  distributors 
testified.  Some  distributors  went  as  high  as  70 
per  cent.  Mr.  Hensler  said  that  he  almost 
always  got  more  from  the  11  Fox  subsequent- 
runs  than  from  all  the  independent  houses, 
about  30,  including  the  13  plaintiff  theatres. 

Day  and  date  booking  did  not  affect  Fox 
Midwest  theatres  in  1931  because  Fox  theatres 
all  were  charging  higher  prices  than  other  ex- 
hibitors, Mr.  Rhoden  testified,  but  in  1932 
Kansas  City  houses  began  really  to  feel  the 
depression.  Loew's  Midland  went  to  an  ex- 
clusive policy,  later  abandoning  it  (in  1933) 
to  lower  its  admissions  to  15  and  25  cents.  In- 
dependents met  to  protest  and  invited  Mr. 
Rhoden  to  a  meeting. 

Sought  Higher  Price 

"We  agreed  to  use  our  combined  effort  to 
get  a  higher  price  at  the  Midland.  I  went  to 
New  York  to  talk  to  Schiller  _(E.  A.)  of 
Loew's.  He  showed  me  the  advertising  section 
of  the  Kansas  City  Star,  wherein  25  subsequent- 
runs  announced  their  admissions  as  10  cents, 
and  said  he  could  do  nothing  until  that  situation 
was  remedied." 

Along  in  1932-33,  distributors  began  permit- 
ting exhibitors  to  drop  back  out  of  their  regular 
and  announced  admission  spot  and  play  at  a 
lower  price,  though  their  contract  called  for 
playing  at  the  higher  price.  Mr.  Rhoden  pro- 
tested, and  he  protested  again  when  a  new 
clearance  schedule,  never  adopted,  was  being- 
worked  out  under  the  NRA. 


Danville  Theatre  Opened 

The  formal  opening  of  the  Capitol  in 
Danville,  Pa.,  was  held  recently  with  M. 
E.  Comerford,  Frank  C.  Walker  and  Com- 
erford-Publix  Corporation  as  hosts.  A  tes- 
timonial luncheon  was  given  by  citizens. 


August    8,  1936 

Southeast  Owners 
Elect M.  C.  Moore 

M.  C.  Moore,  manager  of  the  Riverside 
theatre  in  Jacksonville,  Fla.,  was  elected 
president  of  the  Southeastern  Theatre  Own- 
ers Association  at  a  business  session  of  the 
group's  convention  held  in  Jacksonville  this 
week.  The  three-day  program  included  golf, 
beach  sports,  two  banquets,  and  business 
sessions. 

Edward  Kuykendall,  president  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Theatre  Owners  of  America, 
guest  speaker  at  the  opening  session,  urged 
the  delegates  to  become  better  acquainted 
with  their  political  representatives  to  the 
end  that  they  may  prevent  the  enactment 
of  hostile  legislation.  He  added  that  at  least 
four  of  the  points  embodied  in  his  organi- 
zation's "10  Point  Program"  for  fair  trade 
practices,  will  be  realized  before  the  end  of 
another  selling  year.  He  referred  to  the 
elimination  of  forcing  shorts,  score  charges, 
designated  playdates  and  the  establishment 
of  a  reasonable  cancellation  clause. 

Mr.  Kuykendall  said  that  the  Pettengill 
bill  died  in  committee  because  "it  had  no 
merit;  was  unworkable  and  unreasonable." 
Mayor  John  T.  Alsop,  of  Jacksonville, 
pioneer  theatre  owner  and  exhibitor,  wel- 
comed the  delegates  in  an  address  which 
preceded  Mr.  Kuykendall's  speech. 

Officers  elected  besides  Mr.  Moore  were : 
Bill  Griffin,  Alabama,  vice-president ;  Hugh 
Manning,  Tennessee,  vice-president;  H.  C. 
Wales,  Florida,  vice-president;  Mrs.  Will- 
ingham  Wood,  Georgia,  secretary,  and  R. 

B.  Wilby,  Georgia,  treasurer. 

The  following  were  named  directors :  O. 

C.  Lam,  Rome,  Ga. ;  William  Karrah, 
Swainsboro,  Ga. ;  Mrs.  Violet  Edwards, 
Commerce,  Ga. ;  Sonny  Shepard,  Miami ; 
Louis  Bach,  Atlanta;  Col.  Arthur  Lucas, 
Atlanta ;  Fred  Weiss,  Savannah ;  Lee  Cast- 
elberry,  Nashville ;  L.  J.  Duncan,  West 
Point,  Ga. ;  Bob  Oulette,  Brooksville,  Ala. ; 
Mack  Jackson,  Alexander  City,  Ala. ;  W.  S. 
Barksdale,  Fort  Payne,  Ala. ;  Warren  Pind- 
lar,  Nassau ;  Tom  Brandon,  Titusville,  Fla., 
and  Sam  Borisky  of  Nashville. 

Roach  Studio  Starts 
Heaviest  Schedule 

Production  has  been  started  on  the  heavi- 
est schedule  in  the  more  than  22  years'  his- 
tory of  the  Roach  Studios.  Filming  opens 
on  the  series  of  12  "Our  Gang"  shorts  with 
Gordon  Douglas  directing.  "Spanky"  Mc- 
Farland  will  be  featured  with  Darla  Hood, 
"Alfalfa"  Switzer,  "Buckwheat"  Thomas, 
"Porky"  Lee  and  "Baby  Patsy"  May. 

It  marks  the  15th  year  for  the  "Our 
Gang"  comedies.  Their  personal  appearance 
tour  established  the  "Gang"  more  promi- 
nently than  ever  as  an  American  entertain- 
ment institution,  the  studios  said. 

Republic  Signs 
William  Berke 

Nat  Levine  has  closed  a  contract  with 
William  Berke,  independent  producer,  as 
executive  in  charge  of  the  new  Republic 
series  of  six  action  features  and  four  out- 
door productions  in  color. 

Mr.  Berke,  whose  motion  picture  career 
started  with  his  activity  as  camera  man  in 
1920,  produced  "Doughnuts  and  Society" 
for  Mascot. 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 

Kansas  City  Outing 
Committees  Chosen 

The  fifth  annual  picnic  of  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry  in  Kansas  City  has  been  set 
for  August  17  and  committees  have  been 
appointed  by  General  Chairman  John  Much- 
more. 

The  general  committee  also  includes :  Ar- 
thur Cole,  vice-chairman;  Frank  Hensler, 
George  Fuller,  Bob  Withers,  F.  E.  Ritter, 
Gus  Diamond. 

Other  commitees  are : 

Refreshment — R.  R.  Biechele,  chairman; 
A.  F.  Baker,  Fred  Meyn,  Douglas  Desch. 

Golf — Benny  Benjamin,  chairman;  Ed. 
Shanberg,  T.  R.  Thompson. 

Kangaroo  court — Fred  Wolfson,  Edgar 
Jones,  Edgar  Stern. 

Doctors — Drs.  George  Knappenberger  and 
Clifford  Gilles. 

Baseball — Fred  Meyn,  chairman;  Dusty 
Rhoades,  Elmer  Dillon,  Martin  Finkelstein. 

Entertainment  (evening) — F.  H.  Bowen, 
chairman ;  Gus  Diamond,  E.  C.  Leeves. 

Entertainment  (afternoon) — Homer  Black- 
well,  chairman;  Don  Davis,  N.  B.  Cress- 
well. 

Program  and  publicity — Paul  Bayzman, 
chairman,  Mike  Roth,  William  G.  Formby, 
Kenneth  Foixe,  Claud  Morris  and  W.  P. 
Bernfield. 

Concessions — E.  E.  Jameson,  chairman ; 
Jim  States,  R.  W.  McEwen. 

Transportation — -Sam  Abend  and  E.  E. 
Jameson. 

Children's  committee — Nat  Hechtman, 
chairman ;  Charlie  Potter  and  Ed  Rolsky. 

Announcer — Harry  Taylor. 

Photographer — N.  B.  Cresswell. 

Other  committees  will  be  named  at  an 
early  date. 

Young  Actors  Form 
Screen  Boys'  Club 

The  Screen  Boys'  Club,  limited  to  young- 
sters who  have  at  least  three  motion  pic- 
ture roles  to  their  credit,  was  organized  in 
Hollywood  this  week  with  Freddie  Bar- 
tholomew, Bennie  Bartlett,  Jackie  Cooper, 
David  Holt,  Billie  Lee,  Mickey  Rooney, 
Sherwood  and  Buster  Slaven  as  charter 
members. 

The  idea  originated  with  Bartholomew, 
Cooper  and  Rooney  and  the  hundred  or  more 
boys  appearing  with  them  in  the  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  picture  "The  Devil  Is  a 
Sissy."  Age  limit  has  been  set  at  16. 
In  as  much  as  none  of  the  charter  members 
is  more  than  14,  that  allows  any  member 
at  least  two  years  in  the  organization. 


Ray  Kirkwood  Schedules 
2  I  For  Next  Season 

Ray  Kirkwood,  Hollywood  independent 
producer,  who  made  11  pictures  in  1935-36, 
has  increased  his  schedule  to  21  for  the  com- 
ing season.  The  program  includes  four 
specials,  eight  "Super  Western  Actions," 
eight  Spanish  Action  Westerns  and  a  15- 
chapter  serial. 


K.  C.  Picnic 
August  17th 

The  fifth  annual  picture  of  the  motion 
picture  industry  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  has 
been  scheduled  for  August  17th.  Commit- 
tees to  handle  every  aspect  of  the  annual 
festivity  have  been  appointed  by  General 
Chairman  John  Muchmore. 


75 

Books  Demanded  in 
IVilliam  Fox  Case 

Referee  in  Bankruptcy  Robert  E.  Steedle 
this  week  ordered  the  All-Continent  Cor- 
poration to  show  cause  next  Tuesday  why 
it  should  not  be  required  to  turn  over  to 
Hiram  Steelman,  trustee  in  bankruptcy  for 
the  estate  of  William  Fox,  all  of  its  books 
and  records  to  enable  the  trustee  to  have  a 
thorough  audit  made  in  order  to  develop 
information  on  the  acts,  conduct  and  proper- 
ty of  Mr.  Fox.  The  order  was  the  latest 
development  in  the  hearing  being  conducted 
in  Atlantic  City,  N.  J. 

Referee  Steedle  issued  the  order  after  a 
petition  was  filed  by  Mr.  Steelman  which 
set  forth  that  "the  main  purpose  of  its  or- 
ganization (the  All-Continent  Corporation) 
was  as  a  vehicle  for  William  Fox  in  carry- 
ing on  his  own  private  business  affairs." 
Counsel  for  Mr.  Fox's  creditors  have  con- 
tinually sought  to  prove  that  All-Continent 
is  an  actual  Fox  asset,  available  toward  sat- 
isfying the  more  than  $9,000,000  in  claims, 
rather  than  a  separate  $6,400,000  trust  for 
his  wife  and  daughters. 

The  books  of  the  Parkwood  Corporation, 
New  York,  All-Continent  subsidiary,  were 
admitted  in  evidence  earlier  this  week. 
Creditors'  counsel  forced  their  admission 
by  showing  that  Parkwood  was  used  almost 
exclusively  as  a  bank  and  clearing  house  for 
Mr.  Fox. 

A  further  possible  line  of  questioning  was 
indicated  when  David  Katz  of  counsel  for 
the  creditors,  asked  Herbert  Leitsteen,  book- 
keeper for  Mr.  Fox,  to  prepare  an  itemized 
statement  of  all  Fox  moneys  handled  by 
Hirsh,  Newman,  Reass  and  Becker,  Fox  at- 
torneys. Mr.  Leitsteen  said  on  the  stand 
that  Parkwood  has  no  business  or  income 
of  its  own  and  that  "every  penny  it  bor- 
rowed or  received  was  used  in  connection 
with  disbursements  of  Fox"  in  1934. 


Connelly  Clarifies 
Charter  of  Writers 

Explaining  the  move  by  which  the 
Authors  League  of  America  secured  a 
charter  from  the  State  of  California,  Marc 
Connelly  stated  this  week : 

"The  filing  of  an  application  for  a  char- 
ter by  the  league  to  do  business  in  Cali- 
fornia is  a  legal  step  necessitated  by  the 
fact  that  the  organization  has  many  mem- 
bers and  many  interests  in  all  parts  of 
California. 

"The  league  had  contemplated  this  step 
for  some  time  as  it  had  been  advised  by  its 
attorneys  that  such  procedure  would  be 
necessary  in  order  to  transact  the  business 
entailed  by  its  interests." 

Rex  O'Malley  in  Hollywood 

Signed  by  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  for  the 
role  of  Gaston  in  "Camille,"  Rex  O'Malley 
arrived  on  the  coast  over  the  week  end  and 
at  once  joined  the  cast  assembled  for  the  new 
production.  This  is  his  first  Hollywood 
role  after  a  career  of  many  outstanding  suc- 
cesses on  the  Broadway  and  London  stages. 

"Scrappy"  in  Bank  Form 

Zell  Products  Corporation  of  New  York 
has  launched  a  "thrift  plan"  drive  to  pro- 
mote the  sales  of  its  Scrappy  Banks,  de- 
signed with  the  likeness  of  Scrappy,  the  ani- 
mated cartoon  character. 


76 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


MORE  STRINGENT  FILMS  ACT  SEEN 
RESULT  OF  SCHENCK-OSTRER  DEAL 


British  Trade  Raises  Issues  of 
Effect  on  Employment  and 
Use  of  the  Gaumont-British 
Pictures    as    Quota  Cover 

by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 

Wardour  Street  has  been  in  the  rather 
tantalizing  position  this  week  of  depending 
on  American  cables  for  information  about  a 
reorientation  of  the  British  trade  which 
must  have  an  influence  on  the  future  of 
practically  ever)'  concern  operating  in  the 
three  branches  of  the  business.  At  this  time 
it  still  is  guessing  what  the  Gaumont-British- 
Metro-20th  Century  Fox  deal  really  means, 
but  interest  in  the  merger  as  such  has  rather 
shifted  to  the  question  of  what,  if  anything, 
the  British  Government  is  going  to  do  about 
it. 

There  are  two  schools  of  thought.  Quot- 
ing earlier  instances  of  official  action  to 
prevent  the  control  of  British  key  businesses 
passing  into  foreign  hands  some  respon- 
sible individuals  have  openly  bespoken  the 
view  that  the  Board  of  Trade,  through  the 
Treasury,  would  instigate  a  definite  pro- 
hibition of  the  deal.  The  argument  is  that, 
as  a  means  of  propaganda,  the  film  is  of 
equal  national  importance  with  the  elec- 
trical and  chemical  goods  involved  in  the 
earlier  Government  actions. 

Accepting  this  statement,  another  sec- 
tion of  opinion  takes  the  view  that,  bound 
by  the  letter  of  the  law,  official  depart- 
ments must  accept  any  deal  which  formally 
leaves  the  control  in  British  hands  and  that, 
so  far  as  they  may  be  doubtful  about  the 
real  basis  of  the  merger,  they  will  seek 
safeguards  in  new  general  legislation 
rather  than  in  specific  action  directed  at 
the  GB-Metro-20th-Fox  amalgamation. 

Various  side  issues  are  raised  which,  in 
fact,  may  prove  to  have  an  important  bear- 
ing on  official  decisions.  There  is,  for  in- 
stance, the  question  of  employment ;  this 
inevitably  is  raised  by  the  prospect,  near  or 
distant,  of  the  three  organizations  being 
merged  into  two  or  one.  Allied  is  the  con- 
sideration that  the  use  of  G-B  films  as  quota 
cover  by  Metro  and  20th  Century-Fox  means 
a  decrease  of  the  total  annual  British  foot- 
age by  the  twenty  to  thirty  features  at 
present  made  by  or  for  these  companies  in 
other  studios.  Many  of  these  films  are  of 
indifferent  quality,  but  their  production  has 
meant  work  and,  to  a  certain  extent,  they 
have  helped  exhibitors  with  their  exhibition 
quota  obligations. 

The  Political  Aspect 

Important  to  the  understanding  of  the  sit- 
uation in  its  political  aspect  is  to  remember 
that  the  news  of  the  Schenck-Ostrer  deal 
reached  England  at  a  time  when,  as  earlier 
communications  to  the  Herald  have  em- 
phasized, the  suggestion  of  an  undesirable 
extension  of  American  control  of  the  British 


U.  S.  PICTURES  LEAD 
BRITAIN'S  IMPORTS 

Official  figures  for  film  imports 
into  the  United  Kingdom  for  the  12 
months  ended  June  30  were  given  in 
London  this  tveek  in  a  written  reply 
by  Walter  Riinciman,  president  of 
the  Board  of  Trade,  to  a  question  by 
Harry  Day,  member  of  Parliament. 
They  indicate  nationalities  and  foot- 
age as  follows: 


Country 

Films 

Footage 

U.  S.  A  

.  1,060 

3,868,188 

Germany  ......... 

12 

70,492 

France   

12 

90,441 

Russia   

6 

42,494 

Austria   

5 

37,727 

Other  countries  . 

4 

26,806 

In  reply  to  another  question  by 
Mr.  Day,  W.  S.  Morrison,  Parlia- 
mentary Secretary  to  the  Treasury, 
stated  that  assistance  to  film  produc- 
ers by  loan  of  personnel  and  equip- 
ment is  being  or  has  been  rendered  by 
the  Air  Ministry,  the  Admiralty  and 
the  War  Office  in  the  case  of  20  films 
during  the  past  three  years. 


industry  was  being  made  rather  emphatically 
both  from  the  producing  and  the  exhibiting 
sides  of  the  industry. 

It  is  easy  to  smile  at  the  extreme  policy  of 
protection  for  British  film  production  form- 
ulated in  the  Case  presented  to  the  Statutory 
Committee  on  the  Films  Act  by  the  Film 
Group  of  the  Federation  of  British  Indus- 
tries, and  since  disavowed  by  a  consider- 
able percentage  of  the  Group.  There  is  also 
a  temptation  to  write  off  as  just  oratory 
the  various  complaints  from  the  Cinemato- 
graph Exhibitors  Association  of  oppressive 
trading  methods  by  American  companies, 
with  their  customary  tag  about  an  appeal 
to  the  Government.  The  importance  of  these 
statements  lies  entirely  in  the  fact  that  the 
Board  of  Trade  has  shown  itself  definitely 
disposed  to  take  them  seriously. 

Official  Interest  Accentuated 

It  can  be  taken  as  established  that  the 
Schenck-Ostrer  news  definitely  accentuated 
the  official  interest  already  being  taken  in 
this  general  controversy.  This  was  shown 
by  the  fact  that,  on  the  first  rumors  from 
America,  the  Board  of  Trade  solicited  tr*° 
views  of  leading  British  companies  as  to 
the  probable  effect  of  the  deal ;  statements 
in  the  House  of  Commons  also  made  it 
plain  that  the  maintenance  of  British  control 
of  G-B  is  regarded  as  a  matter  of  impor- 
tance. 

The  certainties  of  the  position  appear, 
at  this  time,  to  be  as  follows : 

IThe  Treasury,  advised  by  the  Board 
of  Trade,  will  scrutinize  the  details 
of  the  agreements  between  G-B  and  the 
American  companies  with  an  eagle  eye  and 


Exhibitor  Committee  on  Over- 
building Reported  Inviting  the 
Renters  Into  Joint  Trade  Tri- 
bunal at  Annual  Conference 

will  pass  the  holding  company  only  if  it 
specifically  safeguards  British  control. 
q  So  far  as  provisions  for  legal  British 
control  seem,  in  the  eyes  of  Govern-, 
ment  departments,  incapable  of  providing 
completely  against  a  predominant  American 
influence,  there  is  a  big  probability  of  legis- 
lation to  meet  this. 

<3  There  will  be  a  new  approach  by  Brit- 
ish  production  interests  to  the  Statu- 
tory Committee,  which  has  formally  con- 
cluded the  taking  of  evidence  but  is  likely 
to  reopen  the  matter  on  an  appeal  of  urgency 
which,  quite  probably,  may  be  backed  by  the 
Board  of  Trade. 

a  Existing  differences  of  opinion  among 
British  producers  in  regard  to  Films 
Act  revision  will  tend  to  disappear  in  face 
of  a  new  danger.  The  two  most  important 
dissentients  from  the  Film  Group's  policy 
were  G-B  itself  and  Associated  British  Pic- 
tures; the  former's  opinion  is  now  unlikely 
to  count  and  the  latter,  which  was  in 
opposition  largely  because  of  its  theatre 
holdings,  is  probably  of  the  majority  view 
in  regard  to  the  American  danger, 
c  There  will  be  considerable  pressure 
**•  upon  the  Government  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  and  possibly  in  the  press,  in  re- 
gard to  the  Gaumont  deal,  with  an  intensifi- 
cation of  Films  Act  provisions  as  a  likely 
sequel. 

There  is  also  a  possibility,  one  of  the 
many  whispered  in  Wardour  Street  these 
days,  that  G-B  may  disappear  as  a  distribut- 
ing organization,  splitting  its  product  be- 
tween Metro  and  Twentieth  Century-Fox. 
Aside  from  the  fact  that  a  British  organi- 
zation would  disappear,  with  a  possibility 
of  hardship  to  British  employees,  the  pros- 
pect of  an  executive  personnel  of  Americans 
is  one  on  which  the  exhibiting  section  of  the 
trade  probably  will  have  something  to  say ; 
the  tendency  of  CEA  leadership  is  to  lay  at 
American  doors  all  those  hardships  of  ex- 
hibitors which  can  be  ascribed  to  high-pow- 
ered salesmanship. 

V 

Overbuilding 

The  "Redundancy"  Committee  appointed  by 
the  CEA,  as  a  result  of  the  discussion  on  Ken 
Nyman's  paper  at  the  Eastbourne  conference, 
has  issued  an  interim  report  in  which  it  is  stated 
that,  under  the  chairmanship  of  Thomas  Ormis- 
ton,  the  committee  "has  reached  a  conclusion 
and  has  approached  the  Kinematograph  Renters 
Society  for  its  cooperation."  The  full  recom- 
mendations of  the  committee  are  to  be  presented 
at  the  next  General  Council  meeting  of  the 
CEA  in  September,  and  at  the  moment  it  is 
not  known  officially  what  it  has  suggested  to 
the  KRS,  which,  incidentally,  has  not  yet  re- 
plied to  the  approach. 

Unofficially,  it  is  believed  that  the  distribu- 
tors have  been  asked  to  enter  a  Joint  Trade 
Tribunal  which,  as  outlined  in  the  Nyman 
paper,  would  give  a  yes  or  no  to  all  proposals 
for  new  theatres.  In  the  case  of  a  decision  to 

(Continued  on  paric  7S) 


August    8  ,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


77 


IN  THE  BRITISH 
STUDIOS 


by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 


"Pagliacci"  in  Colour 

British  Chemicolour  Process,  Ltd.,  was 
announced  as  a  new  enterprise  this  week. 
With  Karl  Grune  slated  as  managing  direc- 
tor and  Major  H.  A.  Procter,  MP,  and 
Louis  Anthoine  Neel  as  his  co-directors,  it 
was  obvious  that  BCP  was  associated  with 
what  are  known  as  the  Schach  group  of 
companies,  also  located  at  Walmar  House, 
Regent  St.,  and  in  due  course  it  leaked  out 
that  the  new  British  colour  process  would  be 
first  used  for  "Pagliacci,"  a  Capitol  Films 
version  of  the  Leoncavallo  opera  long  sched- 
uled for  Richard  Tauber,  and,  it  was  antici- 
pated, for  black  and  white  production  at 
Denham.  The  studio  engagement  stands,  but 
British  Chemicolour  will  be  used,  in  the 
plant  where  Technicolor  first  was  employed 
in  England. 

Imported  Americans 

Both  Genevieve  Tobin  and  Edward  Everett 
Horton,  importations  from  Hollywood  for 
Twickenham's  "The  Man  in  the  Mirror,"  have 
reported  at  the  J.  H  Studios,  Elstree,  where 
the  picture  started  three  days  ago  under  Mau- 
rice Elvey's  direction.  It  is  being  made  with 
a  definite  view  to  the  American  market.  The 
dialogue  writer,  F.  McGrew  Willis,  also  is 
from  the  States.  The  original  is  a  novel  by 
William  Garrett.  Willis,  who  has  been  here 
since  January  and  previously  worked  on  the 
France  Day-Robertson  Hare  "You  Must  Get 
Married,"  has  a  play  of  his  own,  "Canal  Zone," 
scheduled  for  production  in  New  York  in  the 
fall. 

At  the  Twickenham  main  studio  at  St.  Mar- 
garet's, Redd  Davis  is  in  the  second  week's 
direction  of  "Underneath  the  Arches,"  current 
scenes  showing  the  variety  duo  Flanagan  and 
Allen  as  a  couple  of  hobo  stowaways  on  a  liner. 
New  additions  to  the  cast  are  Stella  Moya, 
Edmond  Willard  and  Edward  Ashley. 

Loaned  to  Star 

Margot  Grahame,  with  the  laurels  she  won 
in  "The  Informer"  still  fresh,  has  been  loaned 
by  Radio  to  Criterion  Film  Productions  for  the 
lead  in  the  already  announced  adaptation  of  the 
Louis  de  Wohl  "The  House  of  a  Thousand 
Windows."  She  will  play  a  gangster's  sweetie 
and  opposite  her,  as  the  crook,  will  be  Basil 
Sydney.  Victor  Armenise,  who  photographed 
"Accused"  for  Criterion,  will  be  at  the  camera. 
The  working  title  of  "Gang"  is  likely  to  be 
changed,  Alfred  Zeisler  will  direct  at  Worton 
Hall. 

Matthezvs  Picture 

An  addition  to  the  cast  of  the  Jessie  Mat- 
thews "Head  over  Heels"  at  GB's  Lime  Grove 
studio  is  Edward  Cooper,  theatre-cabaret-radio 
star,  who  has  his  first  big  screen  part.  Cooper 
toured  the  States  some  years  back  as  accom- 
panist to  Irene  Bordoni  and  made  a  name 
here  in  Chariot  and  Cochran  revues  before  de- 
veloping his  own  cabaret  act,  composing  and 


Irving  Berlin  talks  with  the  British 
press  at  a  reception  at  the  Savoy  Hotel 
arranged  by  Twentieth  Century  -  Fox. 

singing  numbers  in  high  favor  with  London 
West  End  audiences.  Also  to  be  introduced  are 
two  19-year-olds,  Thelma  Toone,  Jackson  and 
Joan  Young,  with  revue  experience.  Leading 
parts  are  being  played  by  Romney  Brent,  Louis 
Borell  and  Robert  Flemyng,  the  last  named 
called  a  juvenile  lead  discovery. 

For  "O.  H.  M.  S.,"  on  location  on  Salisbury 
Plain,  Raoul  Walsh  has  been  staging  scenes 
advertising  the  mechanical  efficiency  and  re- 
sourcefulness of  various  wings  of  the  British 
Army  and  particularly  of  the  Royal  Engineers, 
who  built  a  pontoon  bridge  under  heavy  stage 
fire  for  the  later  crossing  of  mechanized  artil- 
lery and  transport  units. 

This  picture,  designed  to  show  the  world  that 
Britain  still  has  an  army,  certainly  should  look 
authentic.  Acting  as  military  advisers  to  Walsh 
in  these  scenes  were  General  Sir  Burdett- 
Stuart,  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Southern 
Command,  and  Brigadier  W.  Piatt,  command- 
ing the  Seventh  Infantry  Brigade,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  two  thousand  "other  ranks."  The  unit, 
with  Anna  Lee,  is  going  to  the  army  centers, 
Aldershot  and  Tidworth,  for  story  sequences 
before  returning  to  the  Plain  for  more  battles. 

The  Gaumont-British  outdoor  lot  at  Northolt 
has  proved  its  usefulness  for  scenes  proceeding 
for  the  Alfred  Hitchcock  "Sabotage."  A  com- 
plete street  system,  over  500  feet  long,  has  been 
erected  to  provide  London  backgrounds  of 
shops,  office  blocks,  railway  stations,  a  cinema 
and  whatnot.  Also  imported  were  a  consign- 
ment of  authentic  London  omnibuses,  taxis,  de- 
livery vans  and  street  vendors'  barrows  and  of 
a  number  of  the  soon  to  be  obsolete  London 


trams ;  GB  bought  these  outright  from  the  Lon- 
don County  Council  disposal  department  and 
put  in  an  efficient  overhead  wire  system  whereby 
to  operate  them. 

Due  to  the  speed  with  which  this  erection 
job  was  done,  Sylvia  Sydney  was  able  to  com- 
plete her  part  this  week,  leaving  for  a  Conti- 
nental holiday  before  returning  to  Hollywood. 

Filmed  Before  Staging 

Herbert  Wilcox  will  have  another  "first"  to 
his  credit  when  "This'll  Make  You  Whistle"  is 
finished  at  Elstree  in  about  a  week's  time.  This 
Jack  Buchanan  production  is  not  due  for  its 
West  End  stage  production  until  September. 
It  played  the  provinces  last  fall  and  was  due  to 
go  into  cold  storage  while  Buchanan  went  on 
holiday,  before  his  film  engagement  with  Her- 
bert Wilcox  Productions.  He  got  back  from 
Bermuda  to  find  that  the  story  had  been  scripted 
and  that  the  studio  was  waiting  for  him.  Now 
the  position  is  that  the  film  will  be  held  up 
until  the  stage  show  is  put  on  and  that  in  due 
course  it  will  appear  as  a  version  of  the  West 
End  success. 

Building  Elizabeth 

The  outstanding  feature  of  "Fire  Over  Eng- 
land," the  Erich  Pommer  production  directed 
by  William  K.  Howard  at  Denham,  is  likely 
to  be  the  life-like  portrait  of  Queen  Elizabeth 
provided  by  Flora  Robson  with  the  connivance 
of  Guy  Pearce,  makeup  expert  from  Holly- 
wood. Pearce's  key  piece  of  equipment  is  a 
somewhat  grisly  one.  Each  morning,  when 
Good  Queen  Bess  is  scheduled  for  a  scene,  he 
reaches  down  an  authentic  copy  of  the  great 
lady's  death  mask  and  shapes  Miss  Robson  a 
face  for  the  day ;  its  outstanding  feature,  in  a 
very  literal  sense,  is  a  putty  replica  of  the 
famous  Elizabethan  nose. 

That  this  portrait  of  Elizabeth  is  likely  to 
be  as  noteworthy  an  achievement  for  London 
Films  as  Laughton's  forever  famous  picture  of 
her  royal  father  Henry  is  already  clear.  Cer- 
tainly no  pains  are  being  spared  the  artiste,  who 
has  shaved  her  eyebrows  because  Elizabeth  had 
none,  and  who  starts  making  up  at  7  o'clock 
each  day  and  carries  on  her  back  a  high  ruffed 
costume  weighing  many,  many  pounds,  also 
closely  copied  from  authentic  pieces  from  the 
Queen's  wardrobe. 

Currently  in  production  is  a  big  scene  in  the 
tapestry  room  of  the  royal  palace  with  the  Earl 
of  Leicester  (Leslie  Banks)  urging  Elizabeth 
to  build  ships  to  meet  the  menace  of  the  Spanish 
Armada.  Howard,  who  first  worked  with 
Alexander  Korda  in  the  Fox  studios  at  Holly- 
wood, expects  to  finish  direction  in  September. 

Scotland  atShepperton 

Sound  City,  Shepperton,  controlled  by  the 
Scotsman  Norman  Loudon,  temporarily  and 
coincidentally  has  become  the  London  center 
for  production  of  features  with  Scottish  stories 
and  backgrounds,  with  the  FitzPatrick  "David 
Livingstone"  to  be  followed  by  the  same  pro- 
ducer's "Auld  Lang  Syne"  and  by  U.  K.  Films' 
"Banks  of  Allan  Water." 

The  Livingstone  picture  is,  as  far  as  inte- 
riors are  concerned,  practically  all-Scottish,  the 

(.Continued  on  folloiving  page) 


78 


British  Studios 
Turning  to  Color 
For  New  Season 

{Continued  from  preceding  pane) 

scenes  shot  at  Sound  City  including  a  number 
illustrative  of  Livingstone's  early  years  at  Glas- 
gow. "Auld  Lang  Syne"  is  a  life  of  Robert 
Burns  and  the  Sound  City  interiors  will  be 
added  to  many  exterior  scenes  at  actual  places 
associated  with  the  Scottish  poet's  history. 

"Banks  of  Allan  Water"  will  be  directed  by 
John  Baxter  and  in  this  case  also  there  will  be 
a  plentiful  use  of  Scottish  backgrounds.  Bax- 
ter, who  attracted  much  attention  with  "Doss 
House,"  is  first  going  to  produce  a  picture  of 
rural  life  in  Sussex,  presumably  on  similar 
lines  to  his  "Song  of  the  Plough,"  a  semi- 
documentary  which  combined  beautiful  .  land- 
scapes with  a  provocative  statement  of  the 
British  farming  problem.  The  new  film,  at  pres- 
ent untitled,  is  the  story  of  man  and  horse  in 
competition  with  mechanized  appliances. 

McCormack  in  Color 

As  a  special  feature  of  the  all-color  "Wings 
of  the  Morning,"  New  World  production  at 
Denham  for  Twentieth  Century-Fox  release, 
Robert  T.  Kane  has  signed  Count  John  McCor- 
mack to  appear,  in  his  own  character,  in  a  party 
scene  and  to  sing  "Killarney"  and  "Believe 
Me  If  All  Those  Endearing  Young  Charms." 
The  engagement  is  another  illustration  of  the 
acute  box-office  sense  which  has  marked  the 
planning  of  "Wings  of  the  Morning"  from  the 
beginning.  Already  the  exhibitor  is  assured 
of  these  big  selling  values :  the  first  British 
all-color  feature ;  the  Derby  in  color,  with  a 
winning  Derby  jockey  in  Steve  Donoghue  ap- 
pearing in  person ;  fox-hunting  scenes  with  red 
coats  all  complete — and  now  the  famous  tenor. 

BIP  Buys  Play 

British  International  Pictures  has  bought  the 
screen  rights  of  "Aren't  Men  Beasts,"  the  Ver- 
non Sylvaine  play,  still  in  the  full  course  of  an 
exceptionally  successful  run  at  the  Strand  the- 
atre, and  will  put  Robertson  Hare  and  Alfred 
Drayton,  of  the  stage,  cast,  into  the  leading 
parts. 

Brian  Desmond  Hurst,  famous  in  a  night 
after  the  display  of  his  first  directed  feature, 
"Ourselves  Alone,"  has  now  completed  his  sec- 
ond BIP  picture,  "Tenth  Man,"  with  Antoinette 
Cellier  and  John  Lodge  in  the  leads.  Adapted 
from  the  Somerset  Maugham  play,  "Tenth 
Man"  is  a  drama  of  modern  finance.  Aileen 
Marson,  Iris  Hoey,  Athole  Stewart  and  Clif- 
ford Evans  are  others  in  the  cast. 

Itemized 

Marlene  Dietrich,  after  a  stopoff  in  Paris,  is 
expected  for  tests  and  rehearsals  of  "Knight 
Without  Armour"  with  Robert  Donat  at  Den- 
ham the  end  of  this  week.  .  .  .  Victor  Saville 
begins  shooting  immediately  at  Denham  on 
"Dark  Journey,"  starring  Miriam  Hopkins  and 
Conrad  Veidt.  ...  A  new  unit,  Medway  Films, 
is  making  "International  Revue,"  with  Ronald 
Frankau  starring  and  acting  as  compere  to  a 
musical  to  which  artistes  of  all  nationalities  will 
contribute.  .  .  .  Neil  Hamilton  is  making  his 
200th  screen  appearance  in  "Because  of  Love" 
for  Tudor  Productions  at  Highbury  studio. 
Gitta  Alpar  is  the  co-star.  .  .  .  Paramount  has 
three  British  pictures  in  progress  at  Sound 
City ;  "Grand  Finale,"  with  Mary  Glynne  and 
Guy  Newall ;  "Murder  by  Rope,"  with  D. 
Clarke-Smith  and  Sunday  Wilshin;  and  "Show 
Flat,"  a  comedy  built  on  the  new  type  of  apart- 
ment block. 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 

Milwaukee  Variety 
Club  Holds  Elections 

Mrs.  Frank  Fischer  has  been  elected 
chief  barker  queen  of  the  newly  organized 
women's  auxiliary  of  the  Milwaukee  Variety 
tent,  Mrs.  John  Ludwig  has  been  named  as- 
sistant chief  barker,  Mrs.  Abe  Nathan,  sec- 
retary, and  Mrs.  Ben  Miller,  treasurer. 

Directors  elected  are  the  Mmes.  Sam 
Shurman,  Bert  Fischer,  Oscar  Ruby,  Earl 
Fischer  and  J.  Abrose.  House  committee 
members  are  Mmes.  Jack  Frackman,  Irving 
Stein,  I.  Werthaumer,  Howard  Herzog, 
Jack  Lorenz  and  John  Kent  with  Mrs.  Jack 
Shumow  and  Mrs.  J.  Schuyler  representing 
Heart  of  Variety. 


Disney  Art  Exhibit  in  Third  Year 

Initiated  three  years  ago,  the  Walt  Dis- 
ney Art  Exhibit  continues  its  tour  of  the 
country  with  five  new  exhibitions  arranged 
for.  The  exhibit,  now  in  White  Sulphur 
Springs,  Va.,  will  soon  be  seen  under  the 
sponsorship  of  the  Junior  League  at  Peoria, 
111. ;  at  the  Decatur  Art  Institute,  Blooming- 
ton,  111.,  and  under  the  sponsorship  of  the 
Junior  League  at  Tulsa,  Okla. 

Name  AFA  Fund  Board 

Rudy  Vallee,  president;  Sophie  Tucker, 
honorary  president;  Joe  Laurie,  Jr.,  first 
vice-president ;  Ralph  Whitehead,  executive 
secretary  and  Bernhard  Benson  will  com- 
prise the  board  of  trustees  of  the  American 
Federation  of  Actors'  Death  Benefit  Fund. 
The  fund  becomes  operative  August  5. 


Renew  Botsford  Contract 

Paramount  has  renewed  its  contract  with 
A.  M.  Botsford,  producer,  who  now  has 
three  productions  in  work  and  nine  in  pre- 
paration. Frank  Vreeland,  of  Paramount's 
eastern  editorial  board,  has  been  made  a 
member  of  the  west  coast  board. 


BFRC  Dissolves 

Lee  Goldberg,  president  of  the  Big  Feat- 
ure Rights  Corporation  of  Louisville,  Ky., 
has  filed  legal  notice  of  intention  to  dissolve 
the  company  following  decision  of  the  board 
of  directors  to  that  end. 


Pope  Joins  Briskin 

Frank  Pope  has  been  assigned  the  newly 
created  post  of  Topical  News  Editor  on  the 
staff  of  Samuel  Briskin  at  the  RKO-Radio 
studio.  He  will  scout  the  world  press  for 
news  matter  adaptable  to  screen  use. 


Premiere's  Son  Produces 

"The  Sea  Horse,"  a  short  subject  to  be 
distributed  in  the  United  States  by  French 
Motion  Picture  corporation,  was  produced 
by  Jean  Painleve,  son  of  the  former  pre- 
miere of  France. 


Name  Changed  for  "Fighter" 

The  James  Dunn  starring  vehicle  being 
produced  by  Columbia  Pictures  and  titled 
originally  "The  Fighter"  will  be  released 
under  the  new  title  of  "The  Two-Fisted 
Gentleman." 


F.&M.  Sign  Engel 

Fanchon  &  Marco  have  added  Harry  En- 
gel  to  the  staff  of  their  organization  in 
charge  of  booking  talent  for  radio,  stage, 
hotels  and  resorts. 


August    8,  1936 


More  Stringent 
Films  Act  for 
Britain  Is  Seen 

{.Continued,  from  page  76) 

class  a  new  project  as  "redundant,"  the  joint 
trade  ruling  to  that  effect  would  be  presented 
forcibly  to  the  licensing  authority.  If  a  license 
still  were  granted  the  theatre  would  be  refused 
membership  of  the  CEA  and  possibly  would  be 
refused  product  by  KRS  members.  On  this  point 
the  CEA  has  to  overcome  an  existing  KRS 
resolution  refusing  to  operate  a  boycott  policy. 
As  an  immediate  measure  the  committee  is 
approaching  all  licensing  authorities  with  a 
request  for  "improved  facilities  for  informa- 
tion when  plans  for  new  cinemas  are  deposited." 

Star  Contract  in  Courts 

The  right  of  a  star  player  to  refuse  to  act 
unless  dialogue  is  altered  and  the  right  of  a 
producing  company  to  withhold  salary  on  the 
ground  of  such  refusal  were  issues  in  an  action 
between  Frances  Day  and  Gaumont-British 
which  came  before  Justice  Porter  in  the  King's 
Bench  Division  in  London  this  week.  The  mat- 
ter previously  had  been  before  an  arbitrator, 
who  had  found  Miss  Day  guilty  of  breach  and 
awarded  £1530  damages  against  her. 

The  contract  between  the  parties  gave  G-B 
the  right  to  sublet  Miss  Day's  services,  which 
they  retained  at  a  yearly  salary  of  £6750.  It  was 
alleged  that,  cast  in  "Jack  of  All  Trades,"  she 
refused  to  go  on  the  floor,  with  other  artistes 
ready  for  the  camera,  unless  new  lines  were 
written.  For  the  artiste  it  was  claimed  that  the 
contract  was  "servile,"  but  the  Judge  decided 
that  it  was  valid  and  that  G-B  were  entitled 
to  put  Miss  Day  off  salary  for  the  period 
during  which  she  would  have  appeared  in 
"Jack  of  All  Trades."  He  ordered  the  artiste 
to  pay  the  cost  of  all  proceedings. 

British  Films  at  Venice 

The  Film  Group  of  the  Federation  of  British 
Industries,  announcing  that  the  International 
Film  Festival  "has  been  completely  reorganized 
and  will  in  future  be  an  event  of  no  little 
importance,"  has  nominated  its  secretary,  M. 
Neville  Kearney,  as  British  representative  on 
the  organizing  committee  and  International  Jury 
for  this  year's  function  at  Venice  August  10-31 
and  will  send  over  for  exhibition  twelve  pictures 
made  by  British  producers  in  the  past  year. 

British  Lion's  Net 

British  Lion,  in  its  annual  report,  showed  a 
net  profit  of  £12,093,  12  shillings  and  seven 
pence,  which  compares  with  a  net  of  £14,891, 
six  shillings  and  two  pence  last  year. 

Cash  on  hand  totaled  £29,977  against 
£4,047  last  year.  The  gross  trading  profit 
equaled  £74,901,  which  is  an  increase  over  the 
last  period  of  £20,000.  In  explanation  of  the 
smaller  net,  the  company  stated,  "We  have  ab- 
sorbed the  establishing  of  Republic  Pictures  out 
of  revenue." 

The  balance  sheet  showed  that  $250,000  was 
deposited  with  the  Chemical  Bank  and  Trust 
Co.,  New  York,  in  accordance  with  the  stipula- 
tion in  the  Republic  contract,  and  there  exists 
an  obligation  to  deposit  an  additional  sum  in 
the  same  amount.  The  issued  capital  is  £141,- 
545  and  £125,000  in  six  per  cent  convertible 
debenture  stock.  Film  stock  is  valued  at  £117,- 
813  against  £98,883  last  year.  Directors'  fees 
totaled  £1,133,  and  they  waived  further  fees  of 
£872. 

ABP  Final  Dividend 

Associated  British  Pictures  has  paid  a  final 
dividend  of  TYz  per  cent,  bringing  the  years' 
total  to  12^  per  cent,  which  compares  with  10 
per  cent  last  year. 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


79 


WHAT  THE  PICTURE 
DID  FOR  ME 


Columbia 

CALLING  OF  DAN  MATTHEWS,  THE:  Rich- 
ard Arlen,  Charlotte  Wynters — We  played  this  pic- 
ture rather  old,  and  it  did  not  do  a  big  business,  but 
it  was  played  on  a  holiday,  and  most  of  the  people 
were  probably  out  shooting  firecrackers.  Running 
time,  65  minutes.  Played  July  4-5.— A.  B.  Jefferis, 
Piedmont  Theatre,  Piedmont,  Mo.  Rural  and  small 
town  patronage. 

DEVIL'S  SQUADRON:  Richard  Dix,  Karen  Mor- 
ley — Played  this  on  Friday-Saturday  in  place  of 
western,  and  it  filled  the  bill  very  nicely.  Business 
good  and  favorable  comments.  Played  July  17-18. — 
A.  B.  Jefferis,  Piedmont  Theatre,  Piedmont,  Mo. 
Rural  and  small  town  patronage. 

GIRL  FRIEND,  THE:  Ann  Sothern,  Jack  Haley 
— An  amusing  bit  of  nonsense  that  went  over  ac- 
ceptably on  Bank  Night. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason 
Theatre,    Mason,    Mich.     Small   town  patronage. 

MR.  DEEDS  GOES  TO  TOWN:  Gary  Cooper, 
Jean  Arthur — This  is  one  of  those  truly  great  pic- 
tures which  leave  you  flabbergasted  for  want  of 
superlative  descriptive  phrases.  The  audience  re- 
sponse, like  the  picture,  was  perfect. — J.  W.  Noah, 
New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas. 
General  patronage. 

MR.  DEEDS  GOES  TO  TOWN:  Gary  Cooper, 
Jean  Arthur — Here  is  a  picture  that  will  please 
everyone.  This  may  or  may  not  be  given  the  award 
this  year.  It  makes  no  difference  whether  it  wins 
the  blue  ribbon  or  the  gold  "standee'  or  not.  It's 
real  entertainment  every  inch  of  the  way  and  if  any 
exhibitor  does  not  make  plenty  of  money  with  this 
picture,  it's  his  own  fault.  Boys,  you've  got  a  pic- 
ture in  this  one  so  step  right  out  and  tell  your 
patrons.  Raise  your  prices  so  they  will  know  you 
have  something.  I  know  a  company  if  they  had  a 
picture  like  this  they  would  pull  it  out  and  resell 
it  to  you  at  top  guarantee  plus  40  per  cent  or  more 
after  it  had  been  road  showed  for  a  year  or  two. 
Columbia  pictures  have  been  pretty  good  in  spite  of 
what  some  exhibitors  say.  It's  true  they  do  not 
sell  them  to  you  and  the  public  the  way  some  do  but 
if  you  put  the  same  effort  and  money  into  putting 
over  Columbia  pictures  you  will  find  a  nice  profit  at 
the  end_  of  the  season. — S.  H.  Rich,  Rich  Theatre, 
Montpelier,  Idaho.     General  patronage. 

PANIC  ON  THE  AIR:  Lew  Ayres,  Florence  Rice 
— Fair  program  picture.  Will  get  by  if  you  have 
plenty  of  shorts  to  go  with  it.  Running  time,  7  reels. 
Played  July  17-18. — H.  T.  Nokes,  Elite  Theatre,  Nixa, 
Mo.    Rural  patronage. 

SHE  COULDN'T  TAKE  IT:  George  Raft,  Joan 
Bennett — Slim  midweek  business.  It's  a  good  light 
comedy. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason  Theatre,  Mason, 
Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 

SHE  COULDN'T  TAKE  IT:  George  Raft,  Joan 
Bennett — A  real  good  picture  but  played  it  weekend, 
which  proved  a  grave  mistake  on  our  part  as  we 
had  the  lowest  gross  of  the  season. — Harland  Rankin, 
Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada.  General 
patronage. 

First  National 

BIG  HEARTED  HERBERT:  Aline  MacMahon, 
Guy  Kibbee,  Patricia  Ellis — A  nice  program  picture 
that  did  not  do  much  at  the  B.  O.  Myself,  I  liked 
the  picture  and  so  did  the  few  that  came  to  see  it. 
No  drawing  power  in  the  star  names  and  the  title 
does  not  convey  anything.  Played  June  10-11. — C. 
Goldin,  Star  Theatre,  Hong  Kong,  China.  European 
patronage. 

BROADWAY  HOSTESS:  Winifred  Shaw,  Lyle 
Talbot — Wini's  first  starring  picture  and  could  be 
better.  Story  weak,  recording  poor,  ballet  in  cham- 
pagne glass  very  good.  Wini's  songs  not  as  good  as 
"Broadway  Lullaby"  or  "Lady  in  Red."  Played 
Friday  and  Saturday  to  average  business.  Played 
June  5-6—  C.  Goldin,  Star  Theatre,  Hong  Kong, 
China.     European  patronage. 

CEILING  ZERO:  James  Cagney,  Pat  O'Brien- 
Just  fair  Saturday  business.  My  people  seem  to  be 
tiring  of  these  noisy,  roaring  air  pictures. — Roy  W. 
Adams,  Mason  Theatre,  Mason,  Mich.  Small  town 
patronage. 

GOLDEN  ARROW,  THE:  Bette  Davis.  George 
Brent — Very  good  program  picture;  used  on  a  mid- 


IN  this,  the  exhibitors'  own  de- 
partment, the  theatremen  of  the 
nation  serve  one  another  with 
information  on  the  box  office  per- 
formance of  product  for  their  mu- 
tual benefit.  It  is  a  service  of  the 
exhibitor  for  the  exhibitor.  Address 
all  communications  to — 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me 

MOTION   PICTURE  HERALD 

Rockefeller  Center,  New  York 


week  program  and  did  a  little  extra  business  for  us. 
Davis  is  well  liked  here  as  is  also  Brent.  Running 
time,  68  minutes.  Played  July  15-16. — Horn  and 
Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.  Small 
town  patronage. 

I  FOUND  STELLA  PARISH:  Kay  Francis— A 
fine  dramatic  picture. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason  The- 
atre, Mason,  Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 

I  FOUND  STELLA  PARISH:  Kay  Francis,  Ian 
Hunter — Kay  Francis  is  no  extra  draw  to  us.  A 
very  good  picture  but  didn't  do  business. — Harland 
Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada. 
General  patronage. 

SNOWED  UNDER:  George  Brent,  Genevieve  To- 
bin,  Patricia  Ellis,  Glenda  Farrell — A  very  weak 
picture  for  these  stars.  Dialogue  rapid  and  hard  to 
catch  in  spots.  Several  kicks  from  patrons,  and  this 
is  unusual.  Played  July  15-16. — A.  B.  Jefferis,  Pied- 
mont Theatre,  Piedmont,  Mo.  Rural  and  small  town 
patronage. 

SONG  OF  THE  SADDLE:  Dick  Foran,  Alma 
Lloyd — A  western  just  made  for  our  Friday  and  Sat- 
urday business.  A  very  short  picture  that  had  to 
be  filled  out  with  plenty  of  short  subjects  to  make 
our  two  hour  show,  but  it  pleased  100  per  cent.  Box 
office  good.  Running  time,  56  minutes.  Played  June 
26-27.— A.  B.  Jefferis,  Piedmont  Theatre,  Piedmont, 
Mo.    Rural  and  small  town  patronage. 

SONG  OF  THE  SADDLE:  Dick  Foran,  Alma 
Lloyd — This  I  would  say  was  above  average  western. 
This  chap  Foran  can  sing  although  he'll  never  be  a 
Buck  Jones  with  our  audience. — Harland  Rankin, 
Plaza  Theatre,  Tilburn,  Ontario,  Canada.  General 
patronage. 

SONG  OF  THE  SADDLE:  Dick  Foran,  Alma 
Lloyd — These  Warner  Bros,  musical  westerns  have 
gone  over  in  great  shape  here.  They  are  distinctly 
above  the  average  western  and  provide  good  enter- 
tainment for  almost  any  kind  of  show  goer.  Foran 
certainly  is  not,  and  never  was  a  cowboy,  and  he 
needs  a  little  exercise  and  reducing  (nothing  personal. 
Dick)  but  the  stories  have  been  good;  the  star  is 
O.  K.  in  his  work  and  voice;  the  folks  like  his  shows. 
Running  time,  6  reels.  Played  June  27. — Henry 
Reeve,  Mission  Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.  Small  town 
patronage. 

GB  Pictures 

MISTER  HOBO:  George  Arliss— Pleased  my  pat- 
rons, but  was  not  the  special  we  thought  it  would 
be.  Running  time.  8  reels.  Played  July  14-15. — 
H.  T.  Nokes,  Elite  Theatre,  Ni  xa,  Mo.  Rural  pat- 
ronage. 

MISTER  HOBO:  George  Arliss— This  picture  mis- 


THEATRE  SITE 

Corner  Ave.  "U"  &  Nostrand  Ave.,  Brooklyn 

Exceptionally  well  located  site  for  theatre.  The 
hub  of  a  thickly  populated  area.  Trolley  and 
bus  transfer  point.  Plot  200  x  110.  Price  $60,000. 
Mortgage  financing  can  be  arranged.  Realty 
Associates,  Inc.  Mr.  Cahill,  162  Remsen  Street, 
Brooklyn.    TRiangle  5-8300. 


cast  Arliss.  We  thought  the  sound  was  poor.  The 
same  old  show  with  British  pictures.  They  don't 
click  with  our  audience. — Harland  Rankin,  Plaza 
Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

Mascot 

DOUGHNUTS  AND  SOCIETY:  Louise  Fazenda, 
Maude  Eburne — This  slapstick  comedy  proved  popu- 
lar with  our  juvenile  patrons  and  was  adequate  as 
part  of  a  double  bill. — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and 
Ideal  Theatres,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas.  General  patron- 
age. 

WATERFRONT  LADY:  Ann  Rutherford,  Frank 
Albertson,  Barbara  Pepper — This  program  picture 
received  a  satisfactory  audience  response  from  our 
patrons  as  part  of  a  double  bill.  It  is  fairly  well 
produced. — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  The- 
atres,   Ft.    Worth,    Texas.     General  patronage. 

Metro-Gold  wyn-Mayer 

AH,  WILDERNESS!:  Wallace  Beery,  Lionel  Bar- 
rymore — This  did  only  normal  business  with  diversi- 
fied opinions.  The  extreme  hot  weather  made  it  suf- 
fer. We  had  a  picture  contest  which  helped  it  out. 
— Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario, 
Canada.     General  patronage. 

BARRETTS    OF    WIMPOLE     STREET,  THE: 

Charles  Laughton,  Norma  Shearer,  Fredric  March — 
Another  "Old  Favourite"  and  very  good  one,  too, 
especially  for  my  British  patrons,  as  the  story  is 
English.  Very  strong  cast;  wonderful  acting.  These 
three  stars  are  very  popular  here.  Played  it  one  day 
as  revival  on  June  8th  to  very  good  business. — C. 
Goldin,  Star  Theatre,  Hong  Kong,  China.  European 
patronage. 

BOHEMIAN  GIRL,  THE:  Laurel  and  Hardy- 
Laurel  and  Hardy  have  made  better  pictures  than 
this,  but  our  patrons  enjoyed  it,  nevertheless. — 
J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Ft. 
Worth,   Texas.     General  patronage. 

NAUGHTY  MARIETTA:  Jeanette  MacDonald, 
Nelson  Eddy — This  is  one  of  the  biggest  "Old  Fav- 
ourites" I  have  brought  back  this  summer  and  had 
record  takings  for  return  showings.  Played  it  to 
crowded  houses  one  day,  Sunday.  Even  the  heat  did 
not  spoil  business  for  this  one.  Played  June  7. — 
C.  Goldin,  Star  Theatre,  Hong  Kong,  China.  Euro- 
pean patronage. 

PETTICOAT  FEVER:  Robert  Montgomery,  Myrna 
Loy — Clever  comedy.  Pleased  a  good  house  on  Bank 
Night. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason  Theatre,  Mason, 
Mich.     Small  town  patronage. 

PETTICOAT  FEVER:  Robert  Montgomery,  Myrna 
Loy — Here's  a  swell  pair  to  draw  to.    And  it  was  a 

swell  comedy  for  them.  Some  thought  it  a  little 
silly,  but  that  was  just  the  type  of  story.  Running 
time,  81  minutes.  Played  July  12-13. — Horn  and 
Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.  Small 
town  patronage. 

PETTICOAT  FEVER:  Robert  Montgomery,  Myrna 
Loy — Just  a  darn  piece  of  nonsense,  light  as  a  feather, 
but  the  kind  that  Bob  seemingly  delights  in.  Any- 
way, it  played  to  good  weekend  business,  due  to  star 
pull  only.  Running  time,  81  minutes.  Played  July 
17-18.— Roy  C.  Irvine,  Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash. 
General  patronage. 

ROSE  MARIE:  Jeanette  MacDonald,  Nelson  Eddy 
— A  perfect  picture.  Hot  weather.  Slim  Sunday 
business. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason  Theatre,  Mason, 
Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 

ROSE  MARIE:  Jeanette  MacDonald,  Nelson  Eddy 
— We  were  greatly  disappointed  in  the  gross  on  this 
picture,  but  at  the  same  time  we  are  proud  to  have 
run  such  a  picture  in  our  theatre.  The  music  was 
superb,  the  scenery  magnificent,  and  we  consider 
it  one  of  the  finest  pictures  we  have  ever  shown. 
Evidently  too  much  "class"  for  our  trade,  but  it  was 
worth  the  rental  for  just  my  wife  and  self  to  see  it. 
Played  July  5-7.— A.  B.  Jefferis,  Piedmont  Theatre, 
Piedmont,  Mo.    Rural  and  small  town  patronage. 

SMALL  TOWN  GIRL:  Janet  Gaynor,  Robert  Tay- 
lor— Here  is  a  picture  that  will  give  unusual  satis- 
faction. It  is  the  very  best  of  its  kind  of  entertain- 
ment and  one  of  the  best  pictures  released  this  year. 
Don't  be  afraid  of  this  one  no  matter  what  kind  of  a 
house  you  have.    It  is  good  for  big  and  little  towns 


80 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,    I  936 


and  will  build  up  each  day.  Step  on  it,  kid,  and 
make  yourself  some  vacation  money. — S.  H.  Rich, 
Rich  Theatre,  Montpelier,  Idaho.    General  patronage. 

THREE  GODFATHERS:  Chester  Morris,  Irene 
Hervey — Here  is  a  picture  which  follows  "Three  Bad 
Men"  of  the  silent  days  every  inch  of  the  way.  Only 
it  is  not  half  as  good.  It  is  one  of  the  poorest  pic- 
tures of  the  year.  In  fact,  my  advice  is  to  pay  for 
it  and  leave  it  alone.  It  is  worse  than  nothing.  Ab- 
solutely no  value  as  entertainment.  Shame  on  a 
company  that  is  bragging  so  much  on  releasing  such 
pictures  as  this  and  the  same  thing  holds  good  for 
"Garden  Murder  Case,"  "Moonlight  Murder,"  "Mur- 
der Man"  and  all  the  rest  of  the  murder  pictures 
released  by  MGM.  You  couldn't  find  a  "Thin  Man" 
in  a  carload. — S.  H.  Rich,  Rich  Theatre,  Montpelier, 
Idaho.    General  patronage. 


Paramount 

CALL  OF  THE  PRAIRIE:  Wm.  Boyd— Our  pa- 
trons on  Friday  and  Saturday  are  strong  for  west- 
erns, and  the  Hopalong  Cassidys  are  very  good. 
The  scenic  background  helps  a  lot,  and  the  record- 


TAKE  THE 

GUESSWORK 

OUT  OF  DELIVERIES 

SPECIFY 

RAILWAY  EXPRESS 

Theatre  owners  demand  their  films  in  a 
hurry  and  you've  9ot  1o  deliver  the  goods 
—  and  quick. 

So  don't  waste  time  in  guesswork.  Spec- 
ify "Rush  by  Railway  Express.  Your 
shipment  may  weigh  an  ounce  or  a  ton — 
Railway  Express  will  pick  it  up  by  fast 
motor  truck  and  forward  it  at  passenger 
train  speed.  Two  receipts  check  the  whole 
transaction,  with  liability  up  to  $50  at  no 
extra  charge.  With  a  nation-wide  organi- 
zation, and  23,000  offices  we  can  reach  any- 
body, practically  anywhere,  at  any  time. 

For  service  or  information  'phone  the 
nearest  Railway  Express  office. 

RAILWAY 
EXPRESS 

Agency  Inc. 

NATION-WIDE  RAIL-AIR  SERVICE 


ing  is  better  than  most  westerns.  Business  okay. 
Running  time,  67  minutes.  Played  July  10-11. — A.  B. 
Jefferis,  Piedmont  Theatre,  Piedmont,  Mo.  Rural 
and  small  town  patronage. 

DESERT  GOLD:  Larry  Crabbe,  Marsha  Hunt— A 
typical  western.  Only  six  reels,  but  it  did  a  big 
Friday  and  Saturday  business.  Played  July  24-25. — 
A.  B.  Jefferis,  Piedmont  Theatre,  Piedmont,  Mo. 
Rural  and  small  town  patronage. 

FLORIDA  SPECIAL:  Jack  Oakie,  Sally  Eilers— 
This  picture  brought  in  the  poorest  Sunday  gross  we 
have  had  for  months.  Although  I  did  not  have  a 
chance  to  see  the  picture  myself,  I  am  told  that  the 
action  was  very  slow,  and  the  comedy  not  so  good. 
However,  the  box  office  tells  the  best  story,  and  it 
was  certainly  a  flop  for  us.  Jack  Oakie  usually  goes 
good  here.  Played  June  20-23. — A.  B.  Jefferis,  Pied- 
mont Theatre,  Piedmont,  Mo.  Rural  and  small  town 
patronage. 

IF  I  HAD  A  MILLION  (Re-Issue):  Gary  Cooper, 
Wynne  Gibson,  George  Raft,  Richard  Bennett,  May 
Robson — A  very  good  picture,  that  was  strong  enough 
to  be  revived  as  an  "Old  Favourite."  Has  taken  at 
the  B.  O.  more  in  one  day  than  some  of  the  new 
programmers  in  two  days.  The  prison  episode  is 
rather  too  tragical  and  should  be  cut.  Played  June 
4. — C.  Goldin,  Star  Theatre,  Hong  Kong,  China.  Eu- 
ropean patronage. 

IT'S  A  GREAT  LIFE:  Joe  Morrison,  Rosalind 
Keith — Another  of  those  pleasant  little  program  pic- 
tures that  entertain  but  do  not  create  a  great  deal 
of  patron  enthusiam.  The  film's  most  obvious  weak- 
ness is  its  very  cheap  settings  which  make  it  some- 
what remindful  of  the  features  turned  out  by  a  few 
of  the  lesser  independents. — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Lib- 
erty and  Ideal  Theatres,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas.  General 
patronage. 

MAN   ON   THE   FLYING  TRAPEZE,  THE:  W. 

C.  Fields,  Mary  Brian — Poor  and  a  misnomer.  Fields 
is  doing  his  best  to  save  a  weak  story,  but  without 
success.  Played  to  average  midweek  business  only 
because  there  was  no  competition  at  all  on  the  first 
day  of  showing.  Played  June  24-25. — C.  Goldin,  Star 
Theatre,  Hong  Kong,  China.    European  patronage. 

MILKY  WAY,  THE:  Harold  Lloyd,  Adolphe  Men- 
jou — An  all  round  very  good  cast.  Had  been  sold  to 
use  as  a  "Special,"  but  did  not  do  business  of  a 
"Programmer."  Lloyd  is  not  popular  here  any  more. 
Picture  is  not  bad,  only  slow  in  spots,  and  then  we 
had  too  many  boxing  pictures  around  lately.  The 
Chinese  titles  that  Paramount  is  superimposing  on 
some  of  their  pictures  here  in  China  are  poison  for 
our  theatre.  They  jump  all  over  the  picture  and 
distract  the  attention  badly.  This  is  very  good  for 
Chinese  theatres,  but  for  the  Star,  patronized  ex- 
clusively by  Europeans,  it  is  terrible.  Had  many 
complaints.  Played  June  21-23. — C.  Goldin,  Star  Thea- 
tre, Hong  Kong,  China.    European  patronage. 

MILLIONS  IN  THE  AIR:  John  Howard,  Wendy 
Barrie — An  amateur  Radio  Hour  story.  This  kind 
of  picture  is  not  popular  here.  Even  Wendy  Barrie, 
our  own  Hong  Kong  star,  did  not  save  the  picture 
from  a  bad  flop.  Played  it  three  days  with  Sunday 
and  lost  money.  Played  May  31-June  2. — C.  Goldin, 
Star  Theatre,  Hong  Kong,  China.  European  patron- 
age. 

NEVADA:  Larry  Crabbe,  Kathleen  Burke— Two 
objections  to  westerns  of  this  type.  Entirely  too 
short  and  it  is  necessary  to  build  up  with  more 
singles,  also  it  is  just  the  same  old  story  in  every 
one  of  them.  One  can  tell  right  at  the  beginning 
how  it  is  going  to  run.  Yet  the  distributors  want  the 
same  guarantee  as  on  the  other  program  pictures. 
Running  time,  59  minutes.  Played  July  17-18. — Horn 
and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb. 
Small  town  patronage. 

13  HOURS  BY  AIR:  Fred  MacMurray,  Joan  Ben- 
nett— Since  Fred  MacMurray's  appearance  in  "The 
Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine."  his  popularity  with  our 
patronage  has  zoomed  to  new  heights.  This  picture 
permits  him  to  continue  the  good  impression  he  has 
made  in  his  recent  films  and  offers  above  average 
entertainment. — J.  W.  Noah.  New  Liberty  and  Ideal 
Theatres,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas.    General  patronage. 

TOO  MANY  PARENTS:  Frances  Farmer,  Colin 
Tapley — Made  the  mistake  of  putting  this  picture 
on  our  worst  night.  It  is  no  special  by  any  means, 
and  Paramount  does  not  claim  it  to  be,  but  it  has  a 
lot  of  nice  clean  entertainment,  and  the  few  who  saw 
it  were  high  in  their  praise.  Running  time,  74  min- 
utes. Played  June  25. — A.  B.  Jefferis,  Piedmont 
Theatre,  Piedmont,  Mo.  Rural  and  small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

TOO  MANY  PARENTS:  Frances  Farmer,  Colin 
Tapley — It  is  really  unfortunate  that  this,  one  of  the 
most  human  and  appealing  pictures  of  the  year, 
should  be  nameless.  Everyone  who  saw  it  had  some- 
thing kind  to  say.  A  few  noticed  the  similarity  be- 
tween it  and  the  Radio  picture,  "Wednesday's  Child." 
—J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatre,  Ft. 
Worth,  Texas.    General  patronage. 

TRAIL  OF  THE  LONESOME  PINE,  THE:  Syl- 
via Sidney,  Fred  MacMurray — A  wonderful  picture, 
due  to  the  coloring.  A  nice  business,  and  this  may 
be  considered  Paramount's  hit  of  the  season  in  our 
house.  Running  time.  106  minutes.  Played  Tune  28- 
30.— A.  B.  Jefferis,  Piedmont  Theatre,  Piedmont,  Mo. 
Rural  and  small   town  patronage. 

TRAIL  OF  THE  LONESOME  PINE,  THE:  Henry 
Fonda,  Sylvia  Sidney— Despite  the  fact  that  this  pic- 


ture played  almost  every  house  around  us,  we  did  a 
very  large  business.  Numerous  patrons  saw  it  sev- 
eral times.  We  never  tired  of  seeing  it. — J.  W.  Noah, 
New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas. 
General  patronage. 

TRAIL  OF  THE  LONESOME  PINE,  THE:  Syl- 
via Sidney,  Henry  Fonda,  Fred  MacMurray— A  little 
late,  but  just  a  word  to  congratulate  Paramount  on 
this  wonderful  box  office  attraction.  This  picture  is 
not  only  box  office  but  it  has  universal  appeal.  The 
color  is  beautiful,  good  cast  and  is  excellent  in  every 
respect.  Give  it  added  playing  time  and  find  your 
last  days  your  best  days. — S.  H.  Rich,  Rich  Theatre, 
Montpelier,  Idaho.    General  patronage. 

TROUBLE  IN  PARADISE:  Miriam  Hopkins,  Her- 
bert Marshall,  Kay  Francis — A  wonderful  picture;  one 
of  the  best  that  Lubitsch  ever  produced.  Brought 
it  back  as  an  "Old  Favourite"  (that's  what  we  are 
calling  our  revivals)  for  one  day  and  packed  them 
in.  Could  not  accommodate  all  that  came  to  the  last 
show,  so  am  bringing  it  back  for  one  more  day  in 
July.  Played  June  i. — C.  Goldin,  Star  Theatre,  Hong 
Kong,   China,   European  patronage. 

TWO  FOR  TONIGHT:  Bing  Crosby,  Joan  Ben- 
nett— Nothing  in  it.  Skip  it  if  you  can.  Bing  Crosby's 
popularity  was  declining  here,  but  this  picture  cer- 
tainly did  him  more  harm  than  any  one  before.  Play- 
ed it  two  midweek  days  to  terrible  business.  Played 
June  17-18. — C.  Goldin,  Star  Theatre,  Hong  Kong, 
China.    European  patronage. 


Puritan 

I'LL  NAME  THE  MURDERER:  Ralph  Forbes, 
Marion  Shilling — We  have  found  the  product  from 
this  company  to  be  very  inconsistent  in  quality.  Their 
latest  release  is  one  of  the  poorest  to  date.  The  au- 
dience response  was  very  unsatisfactory. — J.  W. 
Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatre,  Ft.  Worth, 
Texas.    General  patronage. 

ROGUES  TAVERN,  THE:  Wallace  Ford,  Bar- 
bara Pepper — This  program  picture  is  highly  suitable 
for  double  bills,  and  in  some  situations  it  should  be 
able  to  play  alone.  Our  patrons  gave  it  a  very  en- 
couraging response. — J.  W.  Nqah,  New  Liberty  and 
Ideal  Theatres,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas.  General  patron- 
age. 


Republic 

DANCING  FEET:  Ben  Lyon,  Joan  Marsh— This 
got  by  Sunday,  played  with  the  Louis-Schmeling  fight 
pictures. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason  Theatre,  Mason, 
Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 

HITCH  HIKE  LADY:  Alison  Skipwcrth,  James 
Ellison — Another  very  good  show  from  Republic.  A 
very  interesting  story  well  acted.  Sure  to  satisfy. 
Running  time,  76  minutes.  Played  May  5-6. — W. 
Horace  Reese,  Spruce  Theatre,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Neighborhood  patronage. 

LEATHERNECKS  HAVE  LANDED,  THE:  Lew 

Ayres,  Isabel  Jewell — A  great  picture.  A  good  story 
with  plenty  of  action  and  will  hold  your  interest  from 
beginning  to  end.  Every  Republic  picture  is  better 
than  the  last.  Running  time,  68  minutes.  Played  July 
7-8. — W.  Horace  Reese,  Spruce  Theatre,  Philadelphia, 
Pa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

LONELY  TRAIL,  THE:  John  Wayne,  Ann  Ruth- 
erford— This  is  one  of  the  best,  if  not  the  best,  in 
the  John  Wayne  series.  It  has  an  intelligent  story, 
beautiful  photography,  convincing  acting,  and  an 
abundance  of  thrills.  We  heartily  recommend  it. — 
J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Ft. 
Worth,  Texas.    General  patronage. 

$1,000  A  MINUTE:  Roger  Pryor,  Leila  Hyams— 
In  looking  back  over  the  past  season's  product  (west- 
erns excepted)  from  this  company,  we  have  con- 
cluded that  this  picture  is  probably  the  most  out- 
standing of  the  lot.  It  is  exceedingly  novel,  depicting 
the  adventures  of  an  ambitious  young  man  when  he 
is  assigned  the  rare  task  of  spending  one  thousand 
dollars  a  minute  until  a  certain  expenditure  is  reached. 
We  recently  gave  it  a  repeat  date  and  had  satis- 
factory business. — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal 
Theatres,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas.    General  patronage. 

$1,000  A  MINUTE:  Roger  Pryor,  Leila  Hyams— 
A  very  interesting  story  with  plenty  of  laughs.  Will 
certainly  please  everyone.  Was  booked  in  for  one 
day  but  was  well  worth  more.  Running  time,  70 
minutes.  Played  May  12. — W.  Horace  Reese,  Spruce 
Theatre,  Philadelphia,  Pa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

WINDS  OF  THE  WASTELAND:  John  Wayne, 
Phyllis  Fraser — This  picture  was  very  popular  with 
our  patrons  and  drew  well.  It  is  good  entertainment. 
—J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Ft. 
Worth,   Texas.    General  patronage. 


RKO  Radio 

BUNKER  BEAN:  Owen  Davis,  Jr.,  Louise  Lati- 
mer— Went  over  much  better  than  expected,  especial- 
ly with  such  an  unknown  cast.  Running  time,  7 
reels.— E.  C.  Arehart,  Princess  Theatre,  Odebolt, 
Iowa.     General  patronage. 


August    8,  1936 


EX-MRS.  BRADFORD,  THE:  William  Powell,  Jean 
Arthur— We  are  still  trying  to  figure  out  why  this 
picture  flopped  at  the  box  office.  It  had  the  story 
and  the  stars  and  should  have  built  on  second  and 
third  days.  Instead,  business  dropped  to  new  low  on 
last  day.  Running  time,  81  minutes.  Played  July  12- 
14.— Roy  C.  Irvine,  Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash. 
General  patronage. 

EX-MRS.  BRADFORD,  THE:  William  Powell,  Jean 
Arthur — Excellent  picture.  Good  for  big  cites  but  not 
a  drawing  card  for  small  towns.  Acting  is  fine  and 
drew  better  class.  Played  July  25. — George  Lodge, 
Green  Lantern  Theatre,  Claymont,  Del.  Small  town 
patronage. 

EX-MRS.  BRADFORD,  THE:  William  Powell,  Jean 
Arthur — Pretty  fair  warm  weather  entertainment,  just 
a  bit  too  silly  and  hardly  up  to  the  rather  extrava- 
gant advance  notices  RKO  gave  it.  There  seems  to 
be  a  very  decided  Hollywood  trend  to  far-fetched 
comedy  that  they  apparently  consider  "smart."  Some- 
how, it  hasn't  registered  in  this  small  town.  And  that 
goes  for  several  pictures  that  have  done  well  in  the 
big  spots.  Maybe  we  country  folks  aren't  clever 
enough  to  get  it.  Running  time,  10  reels.  Played  July 
19-20.— Henry  Reeve,  Mission  Theatre,  Menard,  Texas. 
Small  town  patronage. 

FANG  AND  CLAW:  Frank  Buck— Very  interesting 
picture  of  big  game  capturing.  Slim  midweek  busi- 
ness. Can't  get  the  women  out  to  see  these.— Roy 
W.  Adams,  Mason  Theatre,  Mason,  Mich.  Small  town 
patronage. 

FARMER  IN  THE  DELL,  THE:  Fred  Stone, 
Jean  Parker — Quite  a  pleasant  little  picture,  but  it 
is  best  for  small  towns  and  would  not  go  far  in  the 
larger  cities.  About  an  average  production.  Played 
June  27. — George  Lodge,  Green  Lantern  Theatre,  Clay- 
mont, Del.    Small  town  patronage. 

LADY  CONSENTS,  THE:  Ann  Harding,  Herbert 
Marshall — An  excellent  production  that  should  go  over 
well  in  any  kind  of  a  theatre,  big  or  little.  Fine  act- 
ing, wonderful  appeal.  Played  July  11. — George  Lodge, 
Green  Lantern  Theatre,  Claymont,  Del.  Small  town 
patronage. 

LAST  DAYS  OF  POMPEII,  THE:  Preston  Foster, 
Dorothy  Wilson — A  very  good  picture,  but  business 
not  up  to  expectations.  Played  it  three  days  with 
Sunday  and  just  made  the  rental  and  expenses.  Fos- 
ter is  very  good  as  gladiator,  but  Basil  Rathbone  is 
miscast  as  Pontius  Pilate.  He  looks  more  a  Jew 
than  a  Roman  and  his  acting  is  false  as  to  character 
he  portrays  and  as  to  epoch.  The  scenes  of  the  de- 
struction of  Pompeii  are  very  good  and  impressive, 
but  fire  falling  from  heaven  is  too  obviously  super- 
imposed, also  the  Temple  in  earlier  parts  of  the  pic- 
ture is  without  perspective;  just  painted  on  a  canvas. 
Played  June  14-16.— C.  Goldin,  Star  Theatre,  Hong 
Kong,  China.    European  patronage. 

LAST  OUTLAW,  THE:  Harry  Carey,  Hoot  Gibson 
— If  yours  is  a  western  picture  town,  you  can  get  be- 
hind this  one  as  it's  a  knockout.  We  couldn't  get 
the  kids  out  of  our  house.  Tom  Taylor  makes  a 
good  villain.  If  RKO  is  wise,  they  should  team  this 
pair  in  more  of  these  really  good  westerns.  Running 
time,  8  reels. — E.  C.  Arehart,  Princess  Theatre,  Ode- 
bolt,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

LOVE  ON  A  BET:  Gene  Raymond,  Wendy  Barrie 
— Good,  entertaining,  bright  little  picture;  nothing 
big  and  never  pretended  to  be,  but  the  cast  and  the 
director  seemed  to  enjoy  their  job  and  any  small  town 
audience  will  enjoy  it  with  them.  O.  K.  show  for  the 
midweek.  Running  time,  8  reels.  Played  June  23-24. — 
Henry  Reeve,  Mission  Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.  Small 
town  patronage. 

MUSS  'EM  UP:  Preston  Foster,  Margaret  Callahan 
— This  is  a  good  program  picture,  although  its  action 
is  far  from  being  as  blood-curdling  as  the  title  im- 
plies. Our  patrons  liked  it,  and  business  was  good. — 
J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatre,  Ft. 
Worth,  Texas.    General  patronage. 

ROBERTA:  Irene  Dunne,  Fred  Astaire,  Ginger 
Rogers — A  wonderful  picture  for  the  B.  O.  Astaire 
and  Rogers  are  very  popular  here;  in  fact,  Ginger 
Rogers  is  the  most  popular  star  in  Hong  Kong.  Irene 
Dunne  has  a  very  good  following,  too.  In  opinion 
of  many  of  our  patrons,  this  picture  is  still  the  best 
made  by  Astaire-Rogers  team.  Played  it  one  day, 
on  Saturday,  June  13th,  as  an  "Old  Favourite,"  to 
nearly  packed  houses.— C.  Goldin,  Star  Theatre,  Hong 
Kong,  China.    European  patronage. 

SILLY  BILLIES:  Wheeler  and  Woolsey— During 
the  year  I  have  played  some  mighty  fine  pictures 
from  RKO.  As  a  company  and  so  far  as  product  is 
concerned,  they  are  right  up  among  the  best,  but 
here  is  a  picture  that  is  not  worth  making  a  report 
on.  It  is  cheap.  It  has  no  entertainment  value.  It 
is  worse  than  nothing.  It  is  obtaining  money  under 
false  pretenses.  Why  any  company  would  release  a 
picture  of  this  kind  is  a  mystery,  especially  a  com- 
pany that  can  and  does  make  some  of  the  best  pro- 
duct on  the  market.  Shame  on  you  RKO.  You'll 
never  be  forgiven  for  giving  us  "Silly  Billies." — S.  H. 
Rich,  Rich  Theatre,  Montpelier,  Idaho.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

TWO  IN  THE  DARK:  Walter  Abel,  Margot  Gra- 
hame — Our  patrons  told  us  in  no  uncertain  terms 
that  they  considered  this  one  of  the  poorest  pictures 
of  the_  year  from  a  major  company.  We  agreed  that 
the  picture  suffers  from  an  over-emphasis  on  dia- 
logue, but  we  hardly  think  the  film  deserved  the 
severe  comments  it  received. — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Lib- 
erty and  Ideal  Theatres,  Ft.  Wash,  Texas.  General 
patronage. 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


Twentieth  Century-Fox 

CAPTAIN  JANUARY:  Shirley  Temple,  Guy  Kib- 
bee — It  is  good  but  not  her  best  picture.  Drew  fairly 
well  but  not  above  the  average  attendance.  A  good 
production.  Played  July  18. — George  Lodge,  Green 
Lantern  Theatre,  Claymont,  Del.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

CAPTAIN  JANUARY:  Shirley  Temple,  Guy  Kib- 
bee,  Slim  Summerville — This  Temple  picture  is  better 
than  "Littlest  Rebel"  and  did  much  better  business 
for  us.  Shirley  has  had  her  best  day  with  us,  but 
is  still  good. — Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Til- 
bury, Ontario,  Canada.    General  patronage. 

CAPTAIN  JANUARY:  Shirley  Temple,  Guy  Kib- 
bee — Shirley  Temple  has  lost  none  of  her  drawing 
power  at  this  theatre.  Our  patrons  do  not  say:  "Is 
it  as  good  as  'The  Littlest  Rebel,'  etc.;  just  so  long 
as  Shirley  does  her  stuff  they  are  satisfied.  "Captain 
January"  seemed  to  please  as  much  as  any  that  have 
gone  before.  Shirley  seemed  to  enjoy  every  minute 
making  this,  and  Guy  Kibbee  and  Slim  Summerville 
seemed  to  have  the  time  of  their  lives  playing  up  to 
Shirley,  and  were  a  show  by  themselves.  Buddy 
Ebsen  had  a  small  part  and  did  it  to  perfection. 
Cooler  weather  after  the  record  heat  helped  the  draw. 
—J.  E.  Stocker,  Myrtle  Theatre,  Detroit,  Mich. 
Neighborhood  patronage. 

CHARLIE  CHAN  AT  THE  CIRCUS:  Warner 
Oland,  Keye  Luke — An  entertaining  program  picture 
that  might  not  have  been  as  good  as  it  is  without 
its  two  big  little  stars,  George  and  Olive,  the  mid- 
gets, who  do  an  amusing  rumba. — J.  W.  Noah,  New 
Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatre,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

CHARLIE  CHAN'S  SECRET:  Warner  Oland, 
Rosina  Lawrence — Fairly  good  program  picture.  Play- 
ed July  10.— H.  T.  Nokes,  Elite  Theatre,  Nixa,  Mo. 
Rural  patronage. 

CONNECTICUT  YANKEE,  A  (Re-Issue):  Will 
Rogers,  Myrna  Loy — Business  was  excellent  on  this 
film,  although  it  is  not  quite  as  amusing  as  some 
of  Rogers'  later  pictures.  We  are  anxious  to  run  the 
reissue  of  "State  Fair." — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty 
and  Ideal  Theatre,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

CONNECTICUT  YANKEE,  A:  Will  Rogers, 
Myrna  Loy — Just  a  word,  boys.  Double  bill  this 
one  with  some  good  selection  and  make  yourselves 
some  money.  It  will  draw  as  good  as  ever.  It  sur- 
prised me  in  a  midweek  showing,  really  doing  more 
than   Saturday-Sunday   business.     Book   it   and  step 


81 


on  it. — S.  R.  Rich,  Rich  Theatre,  Montpelier,  Idaho. 
General  patronage. 

COUNTRY  DOCTOR,  THE:  Dionne  Quintuplets, 
Jean  Hersholt — A  nice  picture,  but  certainly  not 
worth  the  fancy  price  we  paid  for  it.  Business  slow 
due  to  it  having  played  all  around  us  first.  Box  of- 
fice a  disappointment.  Running  time,  94  minutes. 
Played  July  19-20.— A.  B.  Jeffens,  Piedmont  Theatre, 
Piedmont,  Mo.    Rural  and  small  town  patronage. 

KING  OF  BURLESQUE,  THE:  Warner  Baxter, 
Alice  Faye — Fairly  good.  Running  time,  87  minutes. 
Played  July  3-4.— H.  T.  Nokes,  Elite  Theatre,  Nixa, 
Mo.    Rural  patronage. 

LITTLE  MISS  NOBODY:  Jane  Withers,  Ralph 
Morgan — The  only  kick  was  lack  of  adult  romance 
as  some  thought  too  kiddish.  Running  time,  8  reels. — 
E.  C.  Arehart,  Princess  Theatre,  Odebolt,  Iowa.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

MAN  WHO  BROKE  THE  BANK  AT  MONTE 
CARLO,  THE:  Ronald  Colman,  Joan  Bennett— Very 
average  business.  Didn't  think  it- as  good  as  some 
Colman  pictures.  Did  no  extra  business. — Harland 
Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre.  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada. 
General  patronage. 

PROFESSIONAL  SOLDIER:  Victor  McLaglen, 
Freddie  Bartholomew — Like  so  many  others,  they 
didn't  go  for  this  in  any  great  big  way.  It  was  just 
a  picture,  never  got  down  to  earth,  never  seems 
plausible  enough  to  be  really  interesting.  It  may  be 
a  percentage  picture  and  a  wow  in  the  big  town,  but 
not  out  here.  Running  time,  10  reels.  Played  June  9- 
10. — Henry  Reeve,  Mission  Theatre,  Menard,  Texas. 
Small  town  patronage. 

SONG  AND  DANCE  MAN:  Paul  Kelly,  Claire 
Trevor — A  fair  program  picture  that  received  a  satis- 
factory audience  response. — J.  W.  Noah,  New  Liberty 
and  Ideal  Theatres,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

THANKS  A  MILLION:  Dick  Powell,  Ann  Dvorak, 
Fred  Allen — A  pleasing  musical  comedy.  Did  fair 
Sunday  business. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason  Theatre, 
Mason,  Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 

UNDER  TWO  FLAGS:  Ronald  Colman,  Victor  Mc- 
Laglen, Claudette  Colbert,  Rosalind  Russell — The  act- 
ion of  this  picture  appealed  to  our  patrons  who  were 
not  as  disapproving  of  Claudette  Colbert's  screen 
death  as  we  anticipated.  Business  was  good. — J.  W. 
Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Ft.  Worth, 
Texas.    General  patronage. 

(Reports  continued  on  following  page) 


IS  THIS  YOUR  THEATRE? 
THEN  COOL  WITH  ROTO-BEAMS 

When  a  great  theatre  chain  like  R.  K.  O.  uses 
Roto-Beams,  there  MUST  be  a  good  reason. 


To  assure  good  summer  box 
office  receipts  your  patrons 
must  have  comfort — there  must 
be  a  constant  flow  of  cooling, 
revitalized  air.  There  must  be 
no  prohibitive  costs  to  eat  your 
profits.  That  is  why  R.  K.  O. 


has  installed  Roto-Beams. 
•  Roto-Beam  eliminates  noise 
and  drafts.  Heat  is  expelled 
as  new  air  is  drawn  in— gentle 
air  movements  from  ceiling  to 
floor,  from  wall  to  wall,  keep 
your  audiences  refreshed. 


.1 


Let  us  demonstrate  the  efficiency  of 


AIR  BEAM  CIRCULATOR  CO. 

S12   FIFTH  AVENUE,   NEW  YORK 


ROTO  BEAM  CORPORATION 

3300  INDIANA  AVENUE,  CHICAGO 


32 


United  Artists 

MODERN  TIMES:  Charlie  Chaplin,  Paulette  God- 
dard — Personally,  I  enjoyed  this  picture  very  much. 
Charley  is  still  in  a  class  by  himself  and  there  are 
some  very  clever  gags.  The  fact  that  he  does  not 
talk  does  not  affect  the  picture  in  any  way.  In  fact 
it's  a  relief  to  get  away  from  the  talk  for  a  little 
while.  The  picture  was  not  box  office  for  me.  I 
think  that  the  old  timers  do  not  go  to  the  shows  so 
often  and  the  young  people  don't  know  Charley,  so 
he  has  no  draw  in  my  small  town. — S.  H.  Rich,  Rich 
Theatre,  Montpelier,  Idaho.    General  patronage. 

SANDERS  OF  THE  RIVER:  Leslie  Banks,  Paul 
Robeson — My  people  didn't  care  much  for  this. — Roy 
W.  Adams,  Mason  Theatre,  Mason,  Mich.  Small  town 
patronage. 

SCARLET  PIMPERNEL,  THE:  Leslie  Howard, 
Merle  Oberon — This  is  one  of  those  pictures  that  the 
average  patron  loves  to  hate.  A  costume  film,  it 
received  the  worst  audience  response  of  the  year. — J. 
W.  Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatres,  Ft. 
Worth,  Texas.    General  patronage. 

SPLENDOR:  Miriam  Hopkins,  Joel  McCrea— This 
well  cast  and  faultlessly  produced  film  received  fine 
audience  comment,  particularly  from  feminine  patrons. 
As  a  box-office  attraction,  it  was  average. — J.  W. 
Noah,  New  Liberty  and  Ideal  Theatre,  Ft.  Worth, 
Texas.    General  patronage. 


Universal 

INVISIBLE  RAY,  THE:  Boris  KarloffrFair  pic- 
ture of  its  kind.  Hot  weather;  poor  business. — Roy 
W.  Adams,  Mason  Theatre,  Mason,  Mich.  Small 
town  patronage. 

INVISIBLE  RAY,  THE:  Karloff,  Bela  Lugosi— 
Quite  a  thriller  and  very  well  done.  For  the  time  of 
the  year  and  the  weather,  did  better  on  this  than 
expected. — J.  E.  Stocker,  Myrtle  Theatre,  Detroit, 
Mich.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

MAGNIFICENT  OBSESSION:  Irene  Dunne,  Robert 
Taylor — Hot  weather;  weekend  business  just  fair.  It's 
a  very  good  picture  that  appealed  mainly  to  the 
highbrows. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason  Theatre,  Mason, 
Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 

SHOW  BOAT:  Irene  Dunne,  Allan  Jones— In  110 
hot  weather,  this  went  right  out  and  did  a  very  sat- 
isfactory business.  Running  time,  13  reels. — E.  C. 
Arehart,  Princess  Theatre,  Odebolt,  Iowa.  General 
patronage. 

SHOW  BOAT:  Irene  Dunne,  Allan  Jones,  Paul 
Robeson — Good  show  with  nice  audience  response. 
Torrid  temperature  smacked  gross.  Robeson's  singing 
"Old  Man  River"  high  spot.  Running  time,  115  min- 
utes. Played  July  19-21.— Roy  C.  Irvine,  Ritz  Thea- 
tre, Ritzville,  Wash.    General  patronage. 

SILVER  SPURS:  Buck  Jones,  Muriel  Evans- 
Average  western.  Fair  Saturday  business. — Roy  W. 
Adams,  Mason  Theatre,  Mason,  Mich.  Small  town 
patronage. 

SUTTER'S  GOLD:  Edward  Arnold,  Binnie  Barnes, 
Lee  Tracy — The  nature  of  this  subject  made  smooth 
continuity  impossible,  and  while  the  picture  was  well 
done,  it  failed  to  arouse  any  box  office  response. 
Running  time,  95  minutes.  Played  July  9-11. — Roy  C. 
Irvine,  Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash.  General  pat- 
ronage. 


Warner  Bros. 

BOULDER  DAM:  Ross  Alexander,  Patricia  Ellis- 
Good  action  picture,  with  plenty  of  thrills.  Business 
good,  and  what  more  can  we  ask?  Played  July  8-9. 
— A.  B.  Jefferis,  Piedmont  Theatre,  Piedmont,  Mo. 
Rural  and  smalt  town  patronage. 

BOULDER  DAM:  Ross  Alexander,  Patricia  Ellis— 
A  very  pleasing  melodrama  with  interesting  scenes 
of  the  Dam  and  thrills  around  the  Dam  worked  into 
the  story  with  a  pleasing  romance.  It  is  hard  to 
judge  drawing  power  on  a  sunny  Sunday. — J.  E. 
Stocker,  Myrtle  Theatre,  Detroit,  Mich.  Neighbor- 
hood patronage. 

DANGEROUS:  Bette  Davis,  Franchot  Tone— A 
very  good  picture,  well  acted  to  above  average  busi- 
ness. We  double  billed  it  with  a  Western.  Westerns 
are  necessary  for  our  farmer  customers. — Harland 
Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada. 
General  patronage. 

FRESHMAN  LOVE:  Patricia  Ellis,  Warren  Hull, 
Frank  McHugh— Amusing  light  comedy.  Slim  mid- 
week business. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason  Theatre, 
Mason,  Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 

FRISCO'  KID:  James  Cagney— Rather  slim  Satur- 
day business,  with  a  centennial  celebration  in  a 
neighboring  town  as  competition.  Cagney  doesn't 
look  so  well  in  a  long-hair  role. — Roy  W.  Adams, 
Mason  Theatre,  Mason,  Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 

HEARTS  DIVIDEND:  Marion  Davies,  Dick  Pow- 
ell. Charlie  Ruggles,  Claude  Rains — Much  better  than 
we  expected.  The  trailer  was  very  poor  and  did 
n:ore  harm  than  good.    But  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


the  picture  was  good,  why  cannot  this  company  see 
that  Marion  Davies  is  a  has-been  and  has  no  more 
drawing  power?  Running  time,  85  minutes.  Played 
July  19-20.— Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Theatre, 
Hay  Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 

IRISH  IN  US,  THE:  James  Cagney,  Pat  O'Brien, 
Olivia  de  Havilland — A  good  comedy  that  everybody 
enjoyed.  Played  it  two  days,  Friday  and  Saturday, 
to  better  than  average  grosses.  Played  June  19-20. — 
C.  Goldin,  Star  Theatre,  Hong  Kong,  China.  Euro- 
pean patronage. 

MISS  PACIFIC  FLEET:  Joan  Blondell,  Glenda 
Farrell— I  personally  didn't  see  this  picture  as  we 
played  it  with  the  fight  pictures  and  had  such  crowds 
I  couldn't  see  it.  So  didn't  mind,  but  everyone  who 
saw  it  told  me  it  was  fine.  Heard  a  lot  of  laughs. — 
Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario, 
Canada.     General  patronage. 

PETRIFIED  FOREST,  THE:  Leslie  Howard,  Bette 
Davis — An  excellent  picture,  but  it  couldn't  overcome 
the  hot  weather  jinx.— Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason  Thea- 
tre, Mason,  Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 


Short  Features 

Celebrity 

OLD  MOTHER  HUBBARD:  Comicolor  Cartoons- 
Very  clever  color  cartoon.  Running  time,  8  minutes. 
— A.  B.  Jefferis,  Piedmont  Theatre,  Piedmont,  Mo. 
Rural  and  small  town  patronage. 

Columbia 

I  DON'T  REMEMBER:  Harry  Langdon— A  fair 
two-reel  comedy. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason  Theatre, 
Mason,  Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 

SHARE  THE  WEALTH:  Andy  Clyde— A  very  good 
comedy.  Clyde  quite  popular  with  us,  especially  his 
Scotch  antics. — Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Til- 
bury, Ontario,  Canada.    General  patronage. 

SPILLS  AND  SPLASHES:  New  World  of  Sports 
Series — A  very  good  short  subject  worth  playing  for 
summer  audiences  on  water  sports.— Harland  Rankin, 
Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada.  General 
patronage. 

Educational 

GRAND  SLAM  OPERA:  Star  Personality  Comedy 
— Very  funny  slap  stick. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason 
Theatre,  Mason,  Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 

HOME  ON  THE  RANGE:  Musical  Comedy— Very 
good.  Running  time,  two  reels. — Roy  C.  Irvine,  Ritz 
Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash.    General  patronage. 

Metro-Gold  wyn-Mayer 

AUDIOSCOPIKS:  Special— Very  amusing  but  much 
oversold.  There  is  very  little  extra  drawing  power  for 
small  towns  with  only  a  couple  shows;  in  fact,  we  do 
not  believe  that  the  extra  advertising  was  paid  for, 
to  say  nothing  about  the  extra  cost  of  the  subject. 
Running  time,  8  minutes. — Horn  &  Morgan,  Inc., 
Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

HONEYLAND:  Harman-Ising— This  colored  car- 
toon is  going  after  Disney.  Very  clever  and  enjoyed 
in  general. — Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury, 
Ontario,    Canada.     General  patronage. 

HOW  TO  SLEEP:  Robert  Benchley— One  of  the 
most  amusing  shorts  I  have  even  seen.— Roy  W. 
Adams,  Mason  Theatre,  Mason,  Mich.  Small  town 
patronage. 

LET'S  DANCE:  MGM  Miniatures— A  one  reel  od- 
dity on  different  dances  which  proved  interesting. — 
Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario, 
Canada.    General  patronage. 

PINCH  SINGER,  THE:  Our  Gang— Sunday  crowd 
found  this  very  amusing. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason 
Theatre,   Mason,  Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 

PIRATE  PARTY  ON  CATALINA  ISLE;  Musical 
Revues — Enjoyed  this  so  much  had  operator  show  it 
again  before  we  returned  it.  It's  a  masterpiece  for 
color  and  entertainment.— Harland  Rankin,  Plaza 
Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada.  General  patron- 
age. 

PUBLIC  GHOST  NO.  7:  Charley  Chase— Just  fair. 
Had  better  Chase  comedies. — Harland  Rankin.  Plaza 
Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada.  General  patron- 
age. 

WHEN  THE  CAT'S  AWAY:  Happy  Harmonies— I 
thought  it  awful,  but  the  audience  ate  it  no.  Laughed 
a  lot  of  seats  loose. — Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Thea- 
tre, Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada.    General  patronage. 

Paramount 

GRANTLAND    RICE    SPORTLIGHTS  SERIES: 

These  Sportlights  are  all  good  with  our  crowd. 
"Sporting  Network"  is  a  particularly  good  one.  Hats 
off,  and  an  orchid  to  Ted  Husing  for  a  very  consist- 
ently good  job.    He  can  talk  all  sports  in  their  own 


August    8,    I  936 


language  and  there  are  very  few  who  can  do  thai 
and  make  the  man  who  has  a  particularly  hobby 
appreciate  and  enjoy  it.  Running  time,  1  reel. — 
Heny  Reeve,  Mission  Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.  Small 
town  patronage. 

LUCKY  STARLETS:  Headliners— Not  worth  run- 
ning time.  Running  time,  one  reel. — Roy  C.  Irvine, 
Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash.    General  patronage. 

LUCKY  STARLETS:  Baby  Leroy,  Bennie  Bartlett, 
David  Holt,  Betty  Holt,  Billy  Lee,  Virginia  Weidler 
— Here's  a  really  good  novelty  single  reel  aboout 
Paramount  kid  stars.  So  often  these  are  just  blah, 
but  this  one  is  O.  K.  If  Paramount  features  even 
began  to  match  their  shorts,  what  a  company  that 
would  be.  Running  time,  1  reel. — Henry  Reeve,  Mis- 
sion Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.    Small  town  patronage. 

NERVE  OF  SOME  WOMEN:  Paramount  Varie- 
ties— A  very  interesting  single  reel  on  daring  feats 
performed  by  women. — Harland  Ranklin,  Plaza  Thea- 
tre, Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada.    General  patronage. 

RKO  Radio 

BUGLES  FROM  BLUE  GRASS:  Sports  With  Bill 
Coram  Series — Here's  a  "natural"  for  Western  ex- 
hibitors; be  sure  and  give  it  a  boost.  Bill  Corum 
has  a  way  about  him  and  his  Sport  Reel  that  gets 
over,  and  this  horse  reel  is  just  fine  for  everybody 
who  loves  a  horse.  That  one  shot  of  Man-O-War 
was  a  beauty ;  tell  your  race  fans  about  this  one. 
Running  time,  1  reel. — Henry  Reeve,  Mision  Thea- 
tre, Menard,  Texas.    Small  town  patronage. 

MAJOR  BOWES'  AMATEUR  PARADE  SERIES: 

These  go  over  good  and  pull  a  little  extra  biz.  Run- 
ning time,  1  reel. — E.  C.  Arehart,  Princess  Theatre, 
Odebolt,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

MISMANAGED:  Radio  Musical  Comedies— Good 
for  weekend.  Running  time,  two  reels. — Roy  C.  Ir- 
vine, Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

NEVER  CATCH  THE  RABBIT:  Sports  With 
Bill  Corum  Series — Entertaining.  Running  time,  one 
reel. — Roy  C.  Irvine,  Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash. 
General  patronage. 

TOONERVILLE  TROLLEY:  Rainbow  Parade  Car- 
toon— A  dandy  color  cartoon,  right  up  with  any  of 
them.  Lots  of  laffs;  sure-fire  stuff  for  any  who  have 
enjoyed  Fontaine  Fox's  cartoons  these  many  years. 
Running  time,  1  reel. — Henry  Reeve.  Mission  Thea- 
tre, Menard,  Texas.    Small  town  patronage. 

United  Artists 

MICKEY'S  GRAND  OPERA:  Mickey  Mouse— Was 
disappointed  in  this  one  as  it  lacked  both  originality 
and  entertainment.  Running  time,  one  reel. — Roy  C. 
Irvine,  Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

Warner  Vitaphone 

I'D    LOVE    TO    TAKE    ORDERS    FROM  YOU: 

Merrie  Melodies — Excellent  color  cartoon.  Several 
stayed  to  see  it  again.  Running  time,  7  minutes.— 
A.  B.  Jefferis,  Piedmont  Theatre,  Piedmont,  Mo. 
Rural  and  small  town  patronage. 

OH  EVALINE:  Hal  LeRoy,  Eleanore  Whitney- 
Fair  comedy.  Swell  hoofing. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason 
Theatre,   Mason,   Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 

OKAY,  JOSE:  El  Brendel— The  poorest  two-reel 
colored  short  we  have  had  from  Warners,  as  we  al- 
ways look  to  Warners  for  something  extra. — Harland 
Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada. 
General  patronage. 

REGULAR  KIDS:  Meglin  Kids— A  very  entertain- 
ing colored  subject. — Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason  Thea- 
tre, Mason,  Mich.    Small  town  patronage. 

Miscellaneous 

LOUIS-SCHMELING  FIGHT  FILM:  Four  days  to 
good  business.  So  far,  the  season's  biggest  attrac- 
tion.— Roy  W.  Adams,  Mason  Theatre,  Mason,  Mich. 
Small  town  patronage. 

LOUIS-SCHMELING  FIGHT  FILM:  The  best 
fight  pictures  we  have  ever  seen,  and  they  did  a 
wonderful  business.  First  run  in  this  territory.  Run- 
ning time,  33  minutes.— A.  B.  Jefferis,  Piedmont 
Theatre,  Piedmont,  Mo.  Rural  and  small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

LOUIS-SCHMELING  FIGHT:  The  biggest  gross 
we  had  in  some  time.  It's  a  natural.  A  week's  busi- 
ness in  two  nights. — Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre, 
Tilbury,    Ontario,    Canada.     General  patronage. 

Serials 

Mascot 

ADVENTURES  OF  REX  AND  RINTY:  Rex  and 

Rin  Tin  Tin,  Jr. — I  am  halfway  through  this  serial 
and  it  seems  to  have  a  certain  following.  I  would 
like  to  do  away  with  serials,  but  public  wants  one  a 
week. — Roy  W.  Adams.  Mason  Theatre,  Mason,  Mich. 
Small  town  patronage. 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


83 


THEATRE  RECEIPTS 


The  total  of  theatre  receipts  for  the  calendar  week  ended  August  I,  1936  from 
106  theatres  in  18  major  cities  of  the  country  was  $1,046,350,  an  increase  of  $50,647 
over  the  total  for  the  preceding  week  ended  July  25,  1936,  when  106  theatres  in  18 
large  cities  aggregated  $995,703. 

{Copyright,  1936.   Reproduction  of  material  from  this  department  without  credit  to  Motion  Picture  Herald  expressly  forbidden) 


Theatres 


Boston 

Boston 


3,246  35c-65c 


Fenway    1,382  30c-50c 

Keith's  Memorial  2,907  25c-65c 

Loew's  Orpheum.  2,970  2Sc-55c 

Loew's  State  —  3,537  2Sc-55c 

Metropolitan           4,332  3Sc-6Sc 

Paramount    1,793  2Sc-50c 

Buffalo 


.  3,489 

30c-50c 

.  3,000 

25c 

Great  Lakei  . , 

...  3,000 

25c-40c 

2,500 

30c-50c 

25c 

Chicago 

Apollo    1,400 

Chicago    4,000 


30c-60c 
35c-68c 


900 

30c -60c 

3,490 

25c-40c 

2,509 

25c -60c 

Roosevelt    1,591  30c-60c 

State-Lake    2,776  20c-35c 

United  Artists...  1,700  30c-60c 

Cleveland 

Allen    3,300  30c-42c 

Hippodrome    3,800  30c-42c 

RKO  Palace          3,100  30c-60c 

State    3,400  30c-42c 

Stillman    1,900  30c-42c 

Denver 

Aladdin    1,500  25c -50c 

Broadway    1,500  25c-40c 


1,500 

15c-35c 

1,500 

25c-40c 

2,500 

25c- 50c 

...  2,600 

25c-40c 

..  2,000 

25c-40c 

Current  Week 

Picture  Gross 

"Navy  Born"  (Republic)  and   7,500 

"The  Last  Outlaw"  (Radio) 


"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  4,000 
Century-Fox)  and  "Border  Flight" 
(Para.) 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.  -  Fox) ... .  8,000 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   10,000 

"The  Big  House"  (MGM) 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   9,500 

"The  Big  House"  (MGM) 

"Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   23,000 

(plus  stage  revue) 

"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  6,500 
Century -Fox)  and  "Border  Flight" 
(Para.) 


:'Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)   23,000 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 
"The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   5,100 

(Para.)  and  "Treachery  Rides  the  Range" 

(W.B.) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   7,300 


'Two  Against  the  World"  (W.B.)  4,800 
and  "Amateur  Gentleman"  (U.A.) 

'Hell  Ship  Morgan"  (Col.)  and....  6,800 
'The  Mine  With  the  Iron  Door"  (Col.) 


'Devil  Doll"  (MGM)   4,600 

(2nd  week) 
'The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th..  32,500 
Cent. -Fox) 

(on  stage:  Hal  Sherman  and  Revue) 
'Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   7,200 


'Three  Godfathers"  (MGM)   15,300 

(plus  stage  revue) 

:'Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)   32,000 

(on  stage:  Marx  Bros.) 


Previous  Week 

Picture  Gross 

"Yellow  Dust"   (Radio)  and   7,400 

"Brilliant  Marriage"  (Inv.) 


"The  Crime  of  Doctor  Forbes"  (20th  3,000 
Century -Fox)  and  "The  Big  Noise" 
(W.B.) 

"I  Stand  Condemned"  (U.A.)  and..  8,000 
"M'Liss"  (Radio) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   9,600 

(4th  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   8,900 

(4th  week) 

"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)....  18,000 
(plus  stage  band) 

"The  Crime  of  Doctor  Forbes"  (20th  4,800 
Century-Fox)  and  "The  Big  Noise" 
(W.B.) 


"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  10,168 

"And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)  and..  4,835 
'Champagne  Charlie"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)   8,200 


'Poor   Little  Rich  Girl' 
(20th  Cent.-Fox) 


8,200 


'Parole"  (Univ.)  and   7,000 

'Roaming  Lady"  (Col.) 


"Devil  Doll"   (MGM)   6,000 

(1st  week) 

"Spendthrift"  (Para.)   25,000 

(On  stage:  Milton  Berle  and  Revue) 

"Poppy"  (Para.)    5,000 


"The  Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"   17,600 

(Para.) 

(On  stage:  Louis  Armstrong  and  Band) 
"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  24,500 
(On  stage:  Herman  Timberg,  Dickie 
Moore  and  vaudeville)  (30c-60c) 


'Suzy"  (MGM)    13,800      "Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.  B.)..  11,200 


'The  Unguarded  Hour"  (MGM) ....  13,200 
(on  stage:  Verne  Buck  and  revue) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   11,200 

(5th  week) 


"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   5,750 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 
"Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   14,000 


'M'Liss"  (Radio)   

(plus  stage  show) 


  10,000 

"Suzy"  (MGM)    17,000 


'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   9,000 

(2nd  week) 


'The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  4,000 
Cent.-Fox) 

'The  Count  of  Monte  Cristo"  (U.A.)  1,200 
(3  days) 

"The  House  of  Rothschild"  (U.A.)  1,800 
(2  days) 

"Les  Miserables"  (U.A.)   50^ 

(2  days) 

"Murder  by  Television"   (Imperial)  2,500 

"There's  Always  Tomorrow"  (Univ.)  5,000 

"Suzy"  (MGM)    13,000 

(plus  stage  band) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)  6,000 
and  "M'Liss"  (Radio) 

"Pride  of  the  Marines"  (Col.)  and  3,000 
!'One-Way  Ticket"  (Col.) 


"Special  Investigator"   (Radio)   14,300 

(On  stage:  Ooh  La  La  Paree  Revue) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)    15,200 

(4th  week) 

"The  Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.)   4,250 

"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   14,000 

(20th  Century-Fox) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   13,500 

(On     stage:     Harriet  Hoctor, 
Roger  Pryor) 
"Thirteen  Hours  By  Air"  (Para.)..  9,000 


'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   11,000 

(1st  week) 


"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)  


3,000 


"Secret  Agent"  (GB)   900 

(4  days) 

"Educating  Father"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  600 
and  "High  Tension"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(3  days) 

"Doughnuts  and  Society"  (Mascot)  3,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
"Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.)...  4,500 

"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl  (20th..  12,000 
Cent.-Fox)  (plus  stage  band) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)  and   8,500 

"Three  Godfathers"  (MGM) 
(3rd  week) 

"Dealers  in  Death"  (Topical)  and..  3,000 
Passing  of  the  Third  Floor  Back"  (GB) 


}  ! 
..  24^00 

S  7,500 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  9-7  "Hot  Tip"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show  "Folies  Bergere") 
Low  6-13-36  "The  Harvester"  and  ) 

"Abdul  the  Damned  )  4,000 

High  3-14-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pas-  ) 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  i  8,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and} 

"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"    J  2,500 

High  2-29-36  "Follow  the  Fleet"   37,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"    5,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  25,000 
Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"  and 

"Half  Angel" 
High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty". 
Low  7-6  "Sanders  of  the  River"  and 
"Unknown  Woman" 

High  4-6  "Private  Worlds"  .'.  56.000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  7-20  "Men  Without  Names"   14,000 

High  3-14-36  "The    Story   of  Louis  Pas- 1 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  (  15,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  I 

"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"     )  4,000 

High  4-27  "Mississippi"   23,800 

Low  7-27  "Broadway  Gondolier"   6,600 

High  1-11-36  "King  of  Burlesque"   9,500 

Low  8-3  "Mad  Love"  and  ) 

"Dog  of  Flanders"  J  3,«00 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   22,000 

Low  4-11-36  "Three  Godfathers"  and) 

"Her  Master's  Voice"     )  4,900 

High  2-9  "David  Copperfield"   17,300 

Low   4-11-36   "Timothy's   Quest"  and} 

"My  Marriage"  J  3,800 

High  1-12  "Broadway   Bill"   17,100 

Low  7-27  "A  Notorious  Gentleman"  and  ) 

"Strange  Wives"  J  4,100 

High  3-21-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pasteur"  11,800 

Low  5-25  "The  Devil  is  a  Woman"   1000 

High  1-18-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  56,600 
Low  4-27  "Living  on  Velvet"   24,000 

High  1-4-36  "The  Man  Who  Broke  the 

F 
Low 
High 

(on  stage.  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 
Low  9-21  "Man  on  the  Flying  Trapeze"  13,400 
High  5-30-36  "Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"  35,200 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor  and  Radio 

Show) 

Low  4-11-36  "Love  Before  Breakfast"..  6,000 

High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"   27,000 

Low  11-23  "O'Shaughnessy's  Boy"   7,000 

High  3-23  "The  Little  Minister"   17,000 

Low  7-20  "Alias  Mary  Dow"   8,000 

High  2-29-36  "Modern  Times"   35,500 

Low  4-13  "Vanessa:    Her  Love  Story"..  10,000 

High  1-12  "Bright  Eyes"   9,000 

Low  6-22  "The  Daring  Young  Man"   1,300 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"   27,500 

Low  8-24  "Dante's  Inferno"   5,350 

High  4-6  "Transient  Lady"    39,000 

Low  6-8  "Break  of  Hearts"   5,500 

High  4-18-36  "Petticoat  Fever"   40,500 

(on  stage:  Jack  Benny  and  Mary 
Livingston) 

Low  3-16  "Folies  Bergere"   6,000 

High  7-25-36  "San  Francisco"   11,000 

Low  5-9-36  "Too  Many  Parents"   2,000 


Bank  at  Monte  Carlo"   9,700 

aw  5-4  "One  New  York  Night"   3,000 

igh  11-2  "Woman  Wanted   25,500 


High  3-28-36  "Little  Lord  Fauntleroy". .  5,000 
Low  6-22  "Nell   Gwyn"  and  ) 

"My  Heart  Is  Calling"          J  600 

High  5-16-36  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"   8.000 

(50c-$1.36) 

Low  12-28  "Unfinished  Symphony"   300 


High  2-29-36  "Klondike  Annie"  13,000 

Low  8-24  "Without  Regret"   1,750 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  15  000 
Low  12-28  "Here  Comes  the  Band"   1,500 

High  5-18  "Romance  in  Manhattan"....  16,000 
Low  12-28  "The  Perfect   Gentleman"...  2,000 

High  5-11  "Bride  of  Frankenstein"   7,000 

Low  11-30  "Bad  Boy"    gen 


84 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


August    8,    I  936 


E THEATRE  RECEIPTS—CONT'D  J 


Theatres 


Current  Week 


Previous  Week 


Picture 


Gross 


Picture 


Gross 


Hollywood 

Chinese                  2,500  30c-S5c 

Pantages                3,000  25c-40c 

W.  B.  Hollywood  3,000  25c-40c 

Indianapolis 

Apollo                    1,100  2Sc-40c 

Circle                     2,800  25c-40c 

Loew's                    2,800  25c-40c 

Lyric                     2,000  25c-40c 

Kansas  City 

Mainstreet              3,100  25c-40c 

Midland                  4,000  2Sc-40c 

Newman                 1,900  25c-40c 

Tower                    2,000  25c 

Uptown                  2,000  25c-40c 

Los  Angeles 

Carthay                  1,518  5Oc-$1.50 

Filmarte                    800  30c-40c 

Four  Star                900  30c-55c 

Grand  Intern' t'l..    750  35c-40c 

Hillstreet                2,700  25c- 40c 

Loew's  State  ...  2,500  30c-55c 

Paramount              3,596  30c-5Sc 

W.  B.  Downtown  3,400  25c-40c 

Minneapolis 

Lyric                     1,239  20c-25c 

Minnesota               4,000  25c-55c 

RKO  Orpheum...  2,900  25c-40c 

Sute                     2,300  25c-40c 

World                      400  25c-40c 

Montreal 

Capitol                   2,547  25c-60c 

Loew's                   3,115  25c-60c 

Palace                    2,600  25c-65c 

Princess                  2,272  25c-65c 

New  York 

Aitor   1,141  55c-$2.20 

Capitol                   4,700  25c-85c 

Palace                   2,500  25c-75c 

Paramount             3,700  35c -99c 

Rialto                      594  25c-6Sc 

Rivoli                    2,200  40c -99c 

RKO  Music  Hall  5,954  40c-$1.65 

Roxy                     6,200  25c-55c 

Strand                     3,000  25c- 55c 


"Suzy"   (MGM)   and   13,900 

"Half  Angel"  (20th  Century-Fox) 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.)  and   7,200 

"I  Stand  Condemned"  (U.A.) 


'Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and. 
'Boulder  Dam"  (W.B.) 
(2nd  week) 


8,400 


"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   7,000 

(20th  Cent. -Fox) 

"Spendthrift"   (Para.)  and   3,500 

"Return  of  Sophie  Lang"  (Para.) 


'Suzy"  (MGM)  and   11,000 

'Counterfeit"  (Col.) 


"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  12,000 
(Cent. -Fox)  and  "Educating  Father" 
(20th  Cent. -Fox) 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"  (20th  6,000 
Cent.-Fox)  and  "M'Liss"  (Radio) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and..  9,500 
"Boulder  Dam"  (W.B.) 
(1st  week) 

"State  Fair"  (20th  Century-Fox)..  3,300 

"The  Green   Pastures"   (W.B.)....  5,000 


"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and. 
"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 


6,200 


'Earthworm  Tractors"  (t<  .N. 
(plus  vaudeville) 


9,500      "The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes' 
(20th  Century-Fox) 
(plus  vaudeville) 


"Grand  Jury"   (Radio)   6,400 

"Suzy"  (MGM)    15,800 

"Spendthrift"  (Para.)    6,000 

"Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM)   8,100 

(plus  stage  show) 


'The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl". 
(20th  Cent.-Fox)  (10  days) 


11,500 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   12,600 

(4  days-15th  week) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)   1,250 

"Song  of  China"  (Douglas  MacLean) 
and  "The  Plow  That  Broke  the 
Plains"  (2nd  week) 

"Secret  Agent"   (GB)   3,100 

(6  days) 

"Ecstasy"  (Eureka)    5,000 

(6  days-2nd  week) 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.)  and   5,500 

"I  Stand  Condemned"  (U.A.) 

"Suzy"   (MGM)   and   18,300 

"Half  Angel"  (20th  Century-Fox) 

"Spendthrift"  (Para.)    14,200 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   8,900 

and  "Boulder  Dam"  (W.B.) 
(2nd  week) 


"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  

(8  days) 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.).... 
(8  days) 

"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)  

(plus  stage  show) 

"Dracula's  Daughter"   (Univ.)  and 
"High  Tension"  (20th  Century-Fox) 
(6  days -2nd  week) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)  

(14th  week) 

"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)  

"Song  of  China"  (Douglas  MacLean) 
and  "The  Plow  That  Broke  the 
Plains"  (1st  week) 

"Secret  Agent"  (GB)  

(6  days) 

'Ecstasy"  (Eureka)   

(6  days-lst  week) 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox)  and  "M'Liss"  (Radio) 

"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox)  and  "Educating  Father" 
(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

'Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  and  

'Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.) 

'Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and.. 
'Boulder  Dam"  (W.B.) 
(1st  week) 


"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Century-Fox)    1,200      "Sons  O'  Guns  (W.B.). 

"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th..  10,500 

Century -Fox) 
"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   7,500 


"The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox). 

(on  stage:  Marx  Brothers)  (25c-65c) 
"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio).. 


'Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)....    5,000      "The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM). 


"Show   Boat"   (Univ.)   2,500 

(6th  week)  (25c-35c) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and..  8,000 
"Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.) 

"The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   9,000 

(Para.)  and  "The  Invisible  Ray" 
(Univ.) 

(30c-60c)  (plus  vaudeville  on  stage) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   7,000 

(2nd  week) 

'Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)  and   6,000 

'The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.) 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   13,900 

(16th  week) 
'Suzy"  (MGM)    37,000 

'The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)  and....  7,500 
'Hot  Money"  (W.B.) 

'Spendthrift"  (Para.)    27.C0O 

(plus  stage  show) 
'We  Went  to  College"  (MGM)....  6,000 

'The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   15,000 

(Para.) 

'The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   75,500 

(2nd  week)  (plus  stage  show) 


'Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   26,000 

(plus  stage  show) 


"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)  

(5th  week) 

"Hearts  Divided"  (F.N.)  and  

"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.) 


"The  Witness  Chair"  (Radio)  and.. 
"Hot  Money"  (W.  B.) 

(plus  vaudeville  on  stage) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)  

(1st  week) 


"It's  Love  Again"  (GB)  and. 
"Ourselves  Alone"  (British) 


8,000 
10,000 
11,500 
7,000 

3,400 

12,600 
1,750 

4,800 
4,500 

6,000 
15,000 

16,000 

10,000 

2,100 
19,000 
6,250 
5,500 
2,500 

7,500 
9,000 

10,500 
6,500 


'Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W.B.). 


13,000 


'The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   14,700 

(15th  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   26,000 

(4th  week) 
"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  4,800 
Cent.-Fox)  and  "Dancing  Pirate" 
(Radio) 

"Early  to  Bed"   (Para.)   24,000 

(on  stage:  Bob  Crosby  and  Orch.) 
"And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)   7,200 

"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)   20,000 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   94,000 

(1st  week)  (plus  stage  show) 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)....  22,000 
(plus  stage  show) 


"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (F.N.)....  13.500 
(2nd  week) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"   26,000 

Low  5-4  "West  Point  of  the  Air"   4,980 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"    19,000 

Low  4-13  "MTister  Dynamite"  and  I 

"Great  God  Gold"  J  2,500 

High  9-7  "Page  Miss  Glory"   15,300 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"    4,000 

High  3-14-36  "The  Country  Doctor"....  8,006 

Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"    1,600 

High  4-25-36  "The  Moon's  Our  Home" ) 

and  "Silly  Billies"           j  9,700 
(in  place  of  "Silly  Billies,"  on  stage 
Lum  'n'  Abner  for  Saturday  and  Sunday) 

Low  3-16  "Transient  Lady"   2,000 

High  2-15-36  "Exclusive  Story"   15,000 

(on  stage:  Cab  Calloway  and  band) 

Low  4-6  "Casino  Murder  Case"   2,750 

High  3-28-36  "The  Leathernecks  Have 

Landed"    13,300 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 

Low  2-7  "Murder  of  Dr.  Harrigan"   5,700 

(on  stage:  vaudeville) 

High  11-23  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs"  22,000 

Low  1-12  "I  Sell  Anything"   2,000 

High  8-24  "China  Seas"   25,000 

Low  9-14  "Bonnie  Scotland"   6,000 

High  5-25  "Goin'  to  Town"   14,000 

Low  5-18  "Dinky"    3,000 

High  1-18-36  "Magnificent  Obsession"..  14,500 

Low  3-14-36  "Lady  of  Secrets"   5,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  9-7  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"..  11,000 
Low  7-27  "Black  Sheep"    2,100 

High  4-27  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   4,000 

Low  6-29  "Song  of  Happiness"   800 

High  5-18  "Les  Miserables"   7,800 

Low  12-17  "The  Return  of  Peter  Grimm"  2,400 

High  7-25-36  "Ecstasy"   5,000 

(6  days-2nd  week) 
Low  12-7  "Such  a  Girl  You  Never  Forget  900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"    17,000 

Low  11-2  "Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"....  2,800 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"......  24,500 

Low  10-26  "Way  Down  East"   6,200 

High  8-10  "Paris  in  Spring"   32,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  9,126 

(plus  stage  show)  (5  days) 
High  1-11-36  "Captain  Blood"   17,100 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"    3,800 

High  7-25-36  "Sons  O'  Guns"   2,100 

Low  8-1-36  "Human  Cargo"   1,200 

High  1-4-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  31,326 

Low  4-4-36  "Klondike  Annie"    8,000 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"    18,000 

Low  6-13-36  "The  Golden  Arrow"   3,000 

High  11-2  "Broadway  Melody  of  1936"..  7,000 

Low  8-1-36  "Public  Enemy's  Wife"   5,000 

High  6-8  "Thunder  in  the  East"   5,000 

Low  11-16  "Born  for  Glory"   2,000 

High  2-9  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"  15,500 

Low  8-3  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"  and  1 

"College  Scandal"  |  7,000 

High  1-11-36  "Broadway  Hostess"  and) 

"The  Rainmakers"  |  15,000 

Low  6-15  "Mark  of  the  Vampire"  and) 

"Baby  Face  Harrington"  J  5,500 
High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  15,000 
Low  7-20  "Drake  of  England"  and  ) 

"The  Nitwits"  f  7,500 

High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"  and  \ 

"Guard  That  Girl"  |  12,500 

Low  12-28  "Remember  Last  Night?"  / 

and  "East  of  Java"  )  3,000 


High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"   87,400 

Low  5-30-36  "Three  Wise  Guys"   7,000 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"    15,000 

Low  7-25-36  "The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  ) 

and  "Dancing  Pirate"  J  4,800 
High  1-19  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"..  65,300 
Low  12-21  "Millions  in  the  Air"   10,000 

High  2-15-36  "Modern  Times"   65,000 

Low  6-29  "Nell  Gwyn"    8,100 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"  131,200 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  11-30  "Crime  and   Punishment"...  45,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  1-4-36  "If  You  Could  Only  Cook"..  62,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  4-20  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   17,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

High  5-11  "The  G  Men"   60,138 

Low  4-4-36  "Snowed  Under"    6,100 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


85 


[THEATRE  CECEITT$--C€NT'DJ 


Theatres 


Oklahoma  City 

Capitol    1,200 

Criterion    1,700 

Liberty    1,500 


Current  Week 


Omaha 

Brandeis    1,200 

Omaha    2,200 


Philadelphia 

Arcadia    600 


Orpheum   2,440 

Paramount   2,670 

St.    Francis   1,430 

Warfield    2,700. 

Seattle 

Blue  Mouse   950 

Fifth  Avenue  2,500 

Liberty    1,800 

Music  Box    950 

Orpheum   2,450 

Palomar   1,500 

Paramount   3,050 


10c-41c 
10c-55c 
10c -36c 


Midwest    1,500  10c-55c 


Orpheum    3,000  25c-40c 


Boyd                     2,400  40c-S5c 

Earle                     2,000  25c-55c 

Fox                        3,000  40c-65c 

Karlton                    1,066  25c-40c 

Keith's                     2,000  30c-50c 

Stanley                   3,700  40c-55c 

Stanton                  1,700  30c-50c 

Portland,  Ore. 

Blue  Mouse            1,700  30c-40c 

Broadway               1,912  30c-40c 

Mayfair                  1,700  30c-40c 

Orpheum                1,700  30c-40c 

Paramount              3,008  30c-40c 

United  Artists...    945  30c-40c 

San  Francisco 

Qay                         400  15c-35c 

Embassy                 1,400  15c-35c 

Fox                        5,651  10c-35c 

Golden  Gate  ....  2,800  15c-40c 


lSc-40c 


15c-40c 


Picture 


Gross 


"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)....  2,800 

"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   6,000 

(20th  Cent. -Fox) 

"Escape  from  Devil's  Island"  (Col.)  1,700 

(4  days) 

"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.)..  700 
(3  days) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)    5,200 

(8  days) 


25c-40c       "Earthworm  Tractors"   (F.N.)   and  5.100 
and  "Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.) 

25c-40c       "Suzy"  (MGM)  and   5,400 

"Absolute  Quiet"  (MGM) 


"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th..  11,200 
Cent. -Fox)  "Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.) 


25c-50c      "Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)   2,400 


"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   25,000 

"Spendthrift"   (Para.)    13,500 

(6  days)  (plus  stage  revue) 

"State  Fair"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)   14,500 

(8  days)    (on   stage:  Sylvia 
Froos  and  others) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (RKO)   2,600 

"Trapped  by  Television"  (Col.)   1,200 

(5  days) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   14,000 

(6  days-4th  week) 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"  (20th..  5,200 
Cent.-Fox) 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)...  2,500 
and  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 
(13th  week) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)  and   6,000 

"Navy  Born"  (Republic) 

"Arizona  Raiders"   (Para.)  and   3,000 

"The  Spendthrift"  (Para.) 


"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)  and  6,000 
"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)  and  6,000 
"The  Crime  of  Dr.   Forbes"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   6,000 

(6th  week) 

"Dubrovsky"  (Amkino)   1,200 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   4  750 

'The  Big  House"  (MGM)  (10c-40c) 

"Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.)  5,400 
and  "Arizona  Raiders"  (Para.) 

"M'Liss"  (Radio)    15,300 

(10  acts  vaudeville) 


"Counterfeit"  (Col.)  and   9  300 

"Border  Patrolman"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)' 

"Suzy"  (MGM)  and   n  000 

"Hot  Money"  (W.B.) 

I5c-40c      "San  Francisco"  (MGM)   12,400 

I5c-40c      "Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)...       13  500 
and  "Spendthrift"  (Para.) 


25c-55c  "San  Francisco"  (MGM)   4, 


200 


Suzy"  (MGM)    g250 

(9  days) 


25c -55c 
15c- 55c 

25c-55c      "The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM) 


These  Three"  (UA.)   6,500 

(20c- 55c) 


3,100 


25c-40c       "The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  5,200 
and   "Little   Miss    Nobody"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox) 

15c-30c      "Counterfeit"  (Col.)    3,350 

(plus  vaudeville) 

20c-30c       "Return  of  Sophie  Lang"  (Para.)..  4.100 
and  "Girl  of  the  Ozarks"  (Para.) 


Previous  Week  High  and  Low  Gross 

Picture  Gross       (Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 

(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Century  -  Fox) . .   2,400      High  3-9  "  Wings  in  the  Dark"   3,700 

Low  5-9-36  "Big  Brown  Eyes"   1,300 

"Florida  Special"  (Para.)   8,000       High  9-14  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"  10,000 

(plus  stage  revue)  Low  11-2  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs".  2,500 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Century-Fox)  1,600      High  1-19  "Gentlemen  Are  Born"  and) 

(4  davs)  "Crime  Doctor"                      (  4,200 

"Every  Saturday  Night"  (20th   400      Low  10-26  "Little  Big  Shot"  and  1 

Century-Fox)  (3  days)  "I  Live  for  Love"               )  1,500 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   5,500      High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  8,800 

Low  8-24  "The  Farmer  Takes  a  Wife"..  1,800 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..    5,700      High  9-14  "Top  Hat"   9,500 

and  "The  Last  Outlaw"  (Radio)  Low  6-6-36  "Dancing  Pirate"  and  ) 

"Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path")  2,600 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   5,600       High   7-11-36   "San   Francisco"   and  1 

Oyi  days)                                                            "The  First  Baby"                   J  11,600 

Low  10-5  "Dante's    Inferno"    and  ) 

"She  Gets  Her  Man"          J  3,600 

'The  Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"..   7,200      High  2-29-36  "Exclusive  Story"   21,150 

(Para.)     and     "Everybody's     Old  (on  stage:  Ted  Lewis) 

Man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  Low  12-28  "Mister    Hobo"    and  ) 

"Three  Kids  and  a  Queen")  5,800 

"Hands  Across  the  Table"  (Para.)..      800  High  1-25  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"....  4,800 

(3  days)  Low  9-21  "Bonnie  Scotland"    800 

"Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine"  (Para.)  950 
(4  days) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..    8,500  High  1-4-36  "A  Tale  of  Two  Cities"....  30,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"    6,000 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   13,000      High  1-4-36  "Miss  Pacific  Fleet"   22,000 

(on  stage:  Edgar  Kennedy  and  Low  10-5  "I  Live  for  Love"   9,500 

other  acts) 

"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  Cent.-  14,500      High  5-9-36  "Under  Two  Flags"  31,000 

Fox)  (plus  stage  show) 

(on  stage:  Paul  Ash  and  Revue)  Low  9-28  "Redheads  on  Parade"   7,500 

(3rd  week) 

"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM)....    2,100      High  10-5  "Top  Hat"    6,300 

Low  6-1  "Dinky"    1,200 

"Little  Miss  Nobody"  (20th  Cent.-   2,700      High  4-13  "Roberta"    5,800 

Fox)  Low  1-2  "The  Right  to  Live"   900 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   17,500      High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   30,000 

(3rd  week)  Low  5-11  "Stolen  Harmony"   4,000 

"Return  of  Sophie  Lang"  (Para.)..    5,500       High  1-11-36  "Riffraff"    10,000 

Low  3-23  "Captain  Hurricane"   1,800 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)    2,000       High  8-17  "Life  Begins  at  Forty"   2,700 

and  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.)               Low  6-22  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   1,400 

(12th  week) 

"Earthworm  Tractor"  (F.N.)  and..    6,000      High  5-16-36  "The  Singing  Kid"   8,500 

"Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.)  Low  7-27  "Calm  Yourself"  and  ) 

(2nd  week)                                                         "Chinatown  Squad"             5  4,000 
"The  Melody  Lingers  On"  (U.A.)   4.000      High    1-25-36    "A    Midsummer  Night's 

and  "The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.)                                              Dream"   12,000 

Low  1-19  "Behold  My  Wife"  and  ) 

"Defense  Rests"                 J  1,600 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and   7,000      High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   9,500 

"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)  Low  11-23  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  ) 

"Wanderer  of  the  Wasteland")  4,000 

"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th   7,000      High  4-20  "Private  Worlds"   11,500 

Cent.-Fox)    and   "The   Return  of  Low  5-2-36  "The  Witness  Chair"  ) 

Sophie  Lang"  (Para.)    (2nd  week)                                  and  "Big  Brown  Eyes"         J  5,000 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)                    6,000      High   5-4  "Cardinal   Richelieu"   9,000 

(5th  week)                                        Low  6-8  "Age  of  Indiscretion"   4,000 

"Lost  on  the  Riviera"  (Europa)....      950      High  12-28  "Peasants"   2,500 

Low  7-11-36  "Larsson's  Second  Marriage"  800 

"Amateur  Gentleman"  (U.A.)  and..  3,500  High  4-11-36  "Penitente  Murder  Case"...  6,500 
"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)                  Low  12-7  "Two  Sinners"  and  ) 

"$1,000  a  Minute"                 5  2,000 

"Sins  of  Man"  (20th  Century-Fox)    7,650       High  8-3  "Champagne  for  Breakfast"  14,800 

and  "We  Went  to  College"  (MGM)  Low  11-30  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  ) 

"Freckles"  J  4,000 

"Shakedown"  (Col.)    16.300     High  3-28-36  "The    Leathernecks  Have 

(plus  stage  band)  Landed"    29,000 

(on  stage;  Burns  and  Allen) 

Low  5-23-36  "Dancing  Pirate"   9,000 

(plus  stage  band) 

"Private  Life  of  Henry  VIII"  (U.A.)   7,000      High  7-20  "Love  Me  Forever"   16,780 

and  "Blackmailer"  (Col.)  Low  10-26  "King  Solomon  of  Broadway"  } 

and  "Fighting  Youth"  (  4,800 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   14,000      High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   23,000 

(3rd  week)  Low  3-2  "Living  on  Velvet"  and  ) 

"All  the  King's  Horses"        )  8,500 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Century-Fox)   6,500      High  8-1-36  "San  Francisco"   12,400 

and  "Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)  Low  6-29  "No  More  Ladies"   5,000 

"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  Cent.-  16,000      High  10-5  "I  Live  My  Life"   35,000 

Fox)  and  "Educating  Father"  (20th  (plus  stage  show) 

Fox)  Low  3-28-36  "Colleen"  and  ) 

"Too  Many  Parents"        )  13,000 

"Hot  Money"  (W.B.)  and                     3,350       High  11-30  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   6,100 

"Steele-Risko  Fight  Film"  Low  2-16  "Million  Dollar  Baby"  and  ) 

"Notorious   Gentleman"         )  2,900 

"San    Francisco"    (MGM)                 7,100      High  5-11  "Naughty  Marietta"   10,200 

(3rd  week)  Low  4-25-36  "The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome 

Pine"    2,600 

Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)..    3,850      High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   7,900 

(15th  week)  Low  4-13  "White  Lies"  and  \ 

,._  ,  ,.                                                                            "Happy  Landing"                   j  2,700 

Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (F.N.)....    2,950      High  3-16  "Roberta"    6,100 

Low  1-26  "The  Man  Who  Reclaimed  His 

„_,     ,           „,          ,.                                                Head"   2,850 

Earthworm  Tractors'  (F.N.)  and..    5,200      High  9-21  "Top  Hat"    10,400 

'  Secret  Agent"  (GB)  Low  8.31  "Dante's  Inferno"  and  ) 

.•m     tt            „  ,t>      , ,.  v  "Lady  Tubbs"  J  4,800 

"The  Harvester"  (Republic)   3,650  

(plus  stage  show) 

„„,    ,4_  _  „     „  ,,,„  High  12-14  "Annie  Oakley"   9.200 

We  Went  to  College'  (MGM)  and  4,200  Low  6-6-36  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  and) 


86 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


THE  TECHNOLOGICAL  FIELD 

The   BLUEBOOK  School 

By  F.  H.  RICHARDSON 

[To  join  the  Bluebook  School  merely  send  in  answers.    Place  name  and  question  number  upon  first  sheet.   Address  F.  H.  Richardson,  No.  3  Tudor  Lane,  Scarsdale,  N.  Y.] 

BLUEBOOK  SCHOOL  QUESTION  NO.  35.— (A)  What  care  does  a  sound  gate  require?  To  this,  add  any- 
thing you  may  regard  as  of  value  beyond  what  is  set  forth  in  your  Bluebook  of  Projection.  (B)  Name  those 
various  things  tending  to  reduce  the  ability  of  the  projectionist  to  see  the  screen  image  clearly. 

Answer  to  Question  No.  30 


Bluebook  School  Question,  No.  30  zvas :  (A) 
Why  are  temporary  repairs  often  necessary  and 
valuable?  When  should  they  be  avoided?  (B) 
Do  dust  deposits  reduce  generator  efficiency? 
(C)  Is  the  sound  impression  on  film  ahvays  in 
perfect  synchronism  with  motion? 

The  following  made  acceptable  replies :  C. 
Rau  and  S.  Evans ;  G.  E.  Doe ;  B.  DeVietti ;  R. 
and  K.  Wells;  W.  C.  Brown;  T.  F.  Bochert; 
J.  R.  Cooper ;  A.  L.  Cooper ;  C.  L.  Loft ;  P. 
and  L.  Felt ;  A.  F.  Sprafke ;  W.  H.  Edmonds ; 
C.  Champney ;  D.  Emmerson ;  C.  Hawkens ; 
C.  A.  Ellison;  C.  G.  Jones;  H.  B.  Smith; 
F.  H.  and  L.  Klar  and  T.  H.  Morton;  W. 
Burns  and  T.  R.  Fanning ;  R.  Morris ;  M. 
Wentworth ;  R.  D.  Oberleigh  and  J.  Lansing ; 
C.  and  S.  E.  Gay;  N.  T.  Brown  and  T.  N. 
Powell;  M.  L.  Lawrence,  D.  J.  Green,  J.  W. 
Ruther,  P.  Daniels  and  S.  T.  Roth;  R.  B.  Mc- 
Cullough  and  C.  L.  Hauber ;  H.  and  F.  C. 
Winkle;  B.  L.  Shaw;  G.  Johnson  and  L.  R. 
Spooner ;  S.  D.  Singer,  E.  N.  Quinn,  H.  T. 
Bell  and  N.  Nathan;  W.  L.  McDaniels :  J.  E. 
Smith;  J.  Jacobs;  W.  D.  Samuels;  M.  J. 
O'Brien ;  F.  T.  Hamilton  and  J.  S.  Knight ; 
M.  R.  Ray;  R.  T.  Digby,  J.  F.  Seidman,  G.  L. 
Snow  and  R.  Galley ;  J.  R.  Perkins  and  R. 
Mills ;  O.  L.  Harris  and  S.  Myers ;  J.  Far- 
raro ;  E.  B.  Hibbard ;  T.  L.  Jones;  W.  Smith; 
R.  L.  Norton ;  L.  W.  Morgan  and  P.  Larcher ; 
L.  L.  Lewis  and  O.  E.  Parker ;  N.  R.  Tomlin- 
son ;  J.  L.  Durnate  and  M.  Hicks ;  C.  C. 
Lowery;  N.  G.  Kilgen  and  P.  Redman;  L.  A. 
Dodson  and  H.  T.  Todd;  I.  C.  Croft;  F.  H. 
and  L.  Savior ;  H.  E.  Lytle  and  B.  L.  Knox ; 
T.  B.  Danielson;  R.  Tomkins  and  H.  K. 
Abernathy ;  H.  D.  Lally ;  F.  K.  Monroe ;  H.  H. 
Lantry;  H.  V.  Nathan;  C.  Stuart  and  H.  F. 
Stacy ;  O.  R.  Johnson ;  L.  Evans ;  G.  W.  Scott ; 
R.  E.  Hartmann ;  R.  Holms  and  C.  J.  McCabe ; 
L.  A.  Keller,  S.  Ball  and  W.  Hobart  ;  W.  D. 
Wagner,  E.  C.  Moore  and  C.  L.  Richards ; 
J.  B.  Roth  and  A.  Garlock ;  D.  L.  Barrett. 

To  Section  A  W.  C.  Brown  replies,  "Tem- 
porary repairs  often  are  necessary,  either  to 
prevent  interruption  of  the  show  or  to  make 
interruption  as  short  as  possible.  They  should 
never  be  made  if  it  be  possible  to  effect  per- 
manent repair  quickly  enough  to  avoid  stoppage 
of  the  show,  or  if  the  making  of  a  permanent 
repair  will  involve  an  appreciable  addition  to 
time  of  stoppage.  They  should  not  be  re- 
sorted to  if  such  temporary  repair  seems  likely 
to  inflict  damage  upon  the  equipment,  or  to 
give  poor  results." 

G.  E.  Doe  says,  "According  to  my  view,  tem- 
porary repairs  are  not  only  necessary  but  very 
often  highly  desirable.  They  are  necessary 
when  the  making  of  a  perfect  permanent  repair 
would  cause  a  shut-down  of  the  show  which 


the  temporary  one  would  avoid.  They  are,  in 
fact,  desirable  in  one-man  rooms  when  a  break- 
down occurs,  or  something  happens  that  would 
require  a  hastily  made  permanent  repair. 

T.  F.  Bochert  says,  "Temporary  repairs  are 
not  only  necessary  but  valuable  when  they 
either  prevent  a  shut-down,  or  minimize  its 
length  in  case  one  is  necessary.  They  should 
be  avoided,  however,  when  (a)  a  permanent 
repair  cannot  be  made  in  proper  manner  with- 
out show  stoppage  or  only  a  negligible  in- 
crease in  it  if  one  is  necessary,  and  (b)  when 
the  projectionist  is  not  entirely  certain  their 
making  will  not  cause  further  damage." 

J.  R.  Prater  says,  "Temporary  repair  is 
often  necessary  to  avoid  a  shut-down  or  to 
minimize  the  stoppage,  if  one  is  inevitable  any- 
how, and  enable  one  to  carry  on  until  proper 
repairs  or  replacements  can  be  made. 

(B)  C.  Rau  and  S.  Evans  say,  "Dust  should 
not  be  permitted  to  accumulate  around  either 
the  polepieces  or  armature  of  a  generator.  If 
such  accumulation  be  permitted,  the  efficiency  of 
the  machine  will  be  more  or  less  impaired. 
Once  each  week  all  dust  should  be  blown  out, 
more  especially  from  around  the  pole-pieces — 
where  most  of  the  metallic  dust  will  accumu- 
late because  of  the  magnetic  attraction." 

F.  H.  and  L.  Klar,  and  T.  H.  Morton  say, 
"Yes,  dust  accumulations  will  most  certainly 
decrease  generator  efficiency.  Magnetic  at- 
traction causes  microscopic  bits  of  metallic  dust 
to  gather  at  the  pole-pieces,  where  they  most 
certainly  will,  if  of  sufficient  amount,  have  the 
effect  of  reducing  or  at  least  altering  magnetic 
action,  and  since  in  order  that  maximum  effi- 


F.  H. 

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ciency  be  had  the  action  must  be  such  as  was 
planned  by  the  engineers,  the  effect  will  not  be 
good.  Also  it  is  very  essential  that  when  we 
may  term  copper  dust  be  kept  out  of  the  slots 
between  the  commutator  bars,  since  if  this  be 
not  done  there  is  likely  to  be  more  or  less 
current  leakage  from  bar  to  bar,  and  therefore 
unnecessary  sparking,  which  not  only  means 
electrical  loss,  but  a  roughening  of  the  surfaces 
of  the  bars  themselves." 

C.  A.  Ellison  sees  it  thus :  "Metallic  dust  at- 
tached to  the  magnetized  pole-pieces  of  a  gen- 
erator will  certainly  operate  to  decrease  effi- 
ciency. Not  only  is  this  true,  but  it  will  col- 
lect in  the  slots  between  commutator  bars  where 
limited  shorts  and  injurious  sparking  will  be 
formed.  Dust  getting  into  the  bearings  causes 
undue  wear,  all  of  which  could  easily  be  elim- 
inated by  periodical  cleaning." 

(C)  C.  and  S.  E.  Gay  answer,  "No,  but  it  is 
regarded  as  not  seriously  harmful  if  movement 
and  sound  be  'out'  by  one  or  two  frames.  This, 
we  believe,  is  not  infrequently  the  case  where 
the  sound  is  joined  to  the  motion  after  the 
latter  has  been  made — 'dubbing  in,'  we  under- 
stand they  call  it.  According  to  what  we  have 
heard  and  read,  (2)  frames  out  of  perfect  syn- 
chronism is  not  detectable  by  patrons,  though 
personally  we  believe  the  general  effect  would 
be  better  were  even  that  small  'out'  not  present." 

L.  A.  Weller  says,  "When  the  sound  and 
scenes  are  made  at  different  intervals,  the  mo- 
tion and  sound  may  not  be  in  perfect  synchron- 
ism, but  the  fault  permitted  is  so  slight  that  the 
observer  will  be  unable  to  detect  it.  When 
sound  and  scenes  are  made  on  different  films, 
certain  marks  are  used  as  guides  when  the 
two  are  assembled  on  one  film,  the  correct 
matching  of  which  should  insure  absolute  syn- 
chronism." 

In  order  that  we  may  all  have  exactly  the 
correct  dope  on  this  matter,  concerning  which 
there  seems  a  rather  wide  difference  of  opin- 
ion, I  append  the  statement  of  sound  engineer,  as 
follows : 

"Discounting  errors  in  manufacture,  the  sound 
impression  on  the  film  is  placed  to  give  abso- 
lutely correct  synchronism  in  a  theatre  when 
the  film  is  properly  threaded.  In  the  proper 
threading  of  the  film  the  distance  between  cen- 
ter of  picture,  and  the  respective  sound  is  \AY2 
inches.  A  tolerance  of  plus  or  minus  one  frame 
is  allowable  without  detectable  out-of-sync.  Ac- 
tually on  the  film  itself,  the  sound  is  placed 
15^  inches  from  the  respective  picture.  This 
extra  lead  of  sound  takes  care  of  the  difference 
between  the  speed  of  light  and  sound  in  such 
manner  that  at  a  75-foot  distance  the  synchon- 
ism  becomes  perfect,  and  no  difference  is  de- 
tectable at  other  distances  found  in  theatres." 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


87 


J.  C  JENKINS-HIS  COLYUM 


Neligh,  Neb. 

Dear  Herald: 

We  wish  you  would  tell  Abner  that  we 
are  home  and  mighty  glad  of  it.  We  traveled 
Minnesota  for  a  week  when  the  mercury 
monkeyed  around  105  to  114  and  when  we 
got  to  Sherm  Fitch's  RKO  office  in  Sioux 
Falls,  F.  D.,  we  were  non  est  inventions,  or 
words  to  that  effect.  Sherm  wouldn't  let  us 
go  to  the  hotel,  but  put  us  to  bed  in  the  base- 
ment of  his  office  which  he  said  was  the 
coolest  place  west  of  Kalamazoo,  Mich. 
Sherm  put  that  basement  stuff  into  us  and 
we  are  now  writing  this  in  the  basement  of 
our  wigwam,  with  a  bag  of  ice  on  our  head 
and  a  glass  of  ice  lemonade  on  the  stand. 

When  it  comes  to  service  Sherm  is  100 
per  cent  plus.  He  kept  us  in  his  basement 
over  the  weekend  and  then  sent  one  of  his 
boys  to  drive  us  home.  You  can't  beat  that 
guy  Sherm  no  way  you  can  fix  it. 

V 

When  we  got  home  we  found  a  letter 
awaiting  us  from  Mr.  H.  Rankin  of  the 
Plaza  theatre  at  Tilbury,  Ontario.  This  let- 
ter was  addressed  to  "Mr.  Al  Jenkins,  care 
Motion  Picture  Herald,  Rockefeller  Center, 
New  York".  We  would  like  to  inform  Mr. 
Rankin  that  our  name  is  not  Al  Jenkins. 
The  "WANTED"  register  carries  our  initials 
as  "J.  C."  and  if  Al  (whoever  he  is)  should 
hear  of  this  he  might  get  awfully  sore  about 
it  because  we  presume  that  Al  is  a  pretty 
fine  chap.  Anyhow,  Mr.  Rankin  invites  us 
to  come  and  see  him,  which  was  mighty 
nice  of  him,  but  we  presume  we  would  have 
to  cross  the  Detroit  River  to  get  there  and 
April  Shower  gets  the  miasmi  in  her  trans- 
mission every  time  she  goes  near  the  water. 
We  thank  Mr.  Rankin  for  his  letter  just  the 
same. 

V 

Then  we  got  a  letter  from  E.  E.  Beattie 
of  the  Strand  theatre  at  Ocean  Beach,  Cal. 
Mr.  Beattie  evidently  has  taken  over  the 
Strand  from  Mr.  Gruber  and  he  says  that 
he  needs  the  Herald  and  wants  us  to  have  it 
sent  to  him.  Of  course  he  needs  it,  and  of 
course  we  will  have  it  sent  to  him ;  that's 
part  of  our  business,  and  sending  the  boys 
the  Herald  is  what  makes  this  heat  endura- 
ble; in  fact,  all  of  the  boys  ought  to  have 
the  Herald.  We  thank  Mr.  Beattie  for  his 
letter.  He  addressed  the  letter  thusly:  "The 
Colonel  who  covers  the  field  like  an  April 
Shower,  Neliegh,  Neb."  We  got  it  all  right 

The  town  is  spelled  "Neligh"  and  it  is  a 
whistling  post  on  the  North  Western  rail- 
road which  runs  from  Omaha,  Neb.,  to  the 
Black  Hills  of  South  Dakota,  and  in  case 
you  can't  find  it  on  the  map  you  might  refer 
the  matter  to  Jim  Farley ;  he  ought  to  hunt 
it  up  for  you,  since  he  hasn't  anything  else  to 
do,  but  we  want  to  warn  you  autoists  that 
when  driving  to  Neligh  be  sure  to  observe 
traffic  signals  or  you  might  run  over  some 
Berkshire  shoats  or  Plymouth  Rock  hens. 
We  love  our  shoats  and  hens.  We  were  very 
much  pleased  to  receive  Mr.  Beattie's  letter, 
as  we  are  always  pleased  to  receive  letters 
from  all  the  boys,  whether  they  want  the 
Herald  or  not,  but  we  will  admit  that  an 


SHORT  PRODUCT 
PLAYING  BROADWAY 


Week  of  August  1 
CAPITOL 

St.  Helena  and  Its  Man  of 

Destiny   MGM 

At  Sea  Ashore  MGM 

MUSIC  HALL 

Going  Places,  No.  24  Universal 

PARAMOUNT 

Shorty  at  the  Seashore.  .  .  .  Paramount 

Fashions   in    Love  Paramount 

Let's  Get   Movin'  Paramount 

R I  ALTO 

The  Champ's  a  Chump ....  Columbia 
Sport  Magic   Columbia 

RIVOLI 

Music  in  the  Morgan  Man- 
ner  Paramount 

Mickey's  Moving  Day  United  Artists 

ROXY 

A  Clean  Shaven  Man  Paramount 

Peaceful  Relations   Educational 

Stranger  Than  Fiction,  No.  24. Universal 
Italian  Caprice   Grand  National 

STRAND 

The  City's  Slicker  Vitaphone 

For  Sports  Sake  Vitaphone 

Porky  the  Rainmaker  Vitaphone 


order  for  the  Herald  adds  a  little  zest  to 
their  letters. 

V 

We  are  wondering  if  you  boys  ever  met 
Al  Miller  of  Atkinson,  Neb.  Al,  you  know, 
operates  the  Lyric  theatre  up  there,  and 
when  Al  tells  the  Atkinson  folks  that  he  has 
a  good  show  on  at  the  Lyric  they  all  believe 
him,  that  is,  all  those  who  are  deaf  and  can't 
read.  Al  sent  us  a  clipping  from  an  Omaha 
paper  of  Ripley's  "Believe  It  or  Not"  col- 
umn and  in  this  column  we  noted  Al's  pic- 
ture, and  weren't  sure  at  first  whether  it  was 
a  picture  of  King  Tut  or  one  of  'em  that 
came  off  the  boat  that  time  when  Noah 
landed.  If  Ripley  would  publish  a  picture 
of  us  like  that  we'd  sue  him  for  damage. 
The  description  under  the  picture  says  that 
he  has  served  on  every  election  board  in 
Atkinson  for  56  years,  which  would  indicate 
that  the  Atkinson  folks  have  a  lot  of  confi- 
dence in  his  honesty  and  ability  (but  we 
don't  know  how  they  could).  Al  has  sucked 
the  same  political  bottle  ever  since  he  was 
a  baby;  in  fact,  he  has  chewed  up  617  nip- 
ples, and  the  wonder  is  that  he  hasn't  landed 
in  that  "believe  It  or  Not"  column  before. 

Al  wears  the  belt  for  the  state  of 
Nebraska  for  having  the  most  prolific 
imagination  of  any  man  in  it,  and  we  be- 
lieve that  territory  could  be  successfully 
enlarged  to  include  the  entire  Middle  West. 
We  used  to  wear  that  belt  ourself  until 
Al  took  it  away  from  us.  His  descriptions 
of  his  wonderful  exploits  with  rod  and  gun 
in  the  early  days  of  Holt  County  would 
push  the  Mighty  Nimrod  and  Izaak  Walton 


back  in  the  A.B.C.  class.  We  wouldn't  as- 
sume to  doubt  anything  he  says,  but  then — . 
Should  you  ever  go  to  Atkinson  be  sure  to 
go  to  the  Lyric  and  see  a  good  show,  but 
don't  ask  Al  to  tell  you  of  his  early  ex- 
periences. Al  has  operated  the  Lyric  for 
27  years,  and  that's  a  long  time. 

Then  on  top  of  it  all  we  started  down  into 
the  basement  a  little  while  ago  and  we  be- 
came dizzy  and  fell  down  the  stairs  and  took 
the  nail  off  our  big  toe  slick  and  clean,  and 
now  the  nurse  has  another  job,  but  she's  a 
good  nurse.  How  would  you  like  that, 
Oscar  ? 

V 

Just  to  make  everything  more  pleasant 
and  to  put  us  in  good  humor,  the  grass- 
hoppers have  eaten  up  everything  in  our 
garden  and  flower  garden  except  our 
mango  peppers,  and  if  they  eat  those  we 
hope  it  will  give  every  dodgasted  one  of 
'em  the  bellyache. 

V 

We  once  read  that  a  wouldbe  scientist 
claimed  that  our  summers  would  continue  to 
be  colder  and  colder  until  this  country  would 
become  a  frigid  zone.  Oh,  yeah,  with  the 
mercury  right  now  at  106  and  around  102 
to  109  for  the  last  21  days. 

We  wish  somebody  would  hit  that  guy  on 
top  of  the  head  with  a  soft  squash,  for  he  is 
crazier  than  a  Texas  havalena.  We  claim 
to  be  pretty  handy  throwing  the  bull  our- 
self, but  that  rooster  makes  us  look  like  a 
monkey.  It  must  be  that  he  is  the  author 
of  that  "Shelterbelt"  idea.  You  know,  Ger- 
tie, that  we  crazy  people  are  not  all  living 
west  of  the  Mississippi. 

V 

The  only  reason  why  we  would  go  out  to 
a  theatre  at  all  right  now  would  be  its  cool- 
ing system,  and  Walt  Bradley  has  one  in  his 
Moon  theatre  that  will  make  you  wish  you 
had  put  on  your  woolen  underwear.  It's  so 
darn  hot,  s'pose  we  quit.  Whatjasay? 

COLONEL  J.  C.  JENKINS 
The  HERALD's  Vagabond  Colyumnist 
(Still  in  the  basement.) 
The  HERALD  covers  the  FIELD  like  an  APRIL 
SHOWER. 

International  Projector 
Withdraws  Old  Machines 

International  Projector  has  decided  to 
withdraw  its  regular  Simplex  front  shutter 
and  rear  shutters  from  the  market  and  has 
so  notified  all  branches  of  National  Theatre 
Supply.  The  explanation  offered  is  that 
these  types  are  "practically  obsolete." 

At  the  same  time  the  company  has  re- 
duced the  price  on  the  Super  Simplex  by 
nearly  $200. 


STOP!  

Go  with  a  young,  determined  manager,  12  years 
diversified  experience  all  types  operation  includ- 
ing DeLuxers.  Okeh  at  publicity  and  exploita- 
tion. Honest,  intelligent,  vigorous,  with  ability 
to  produce.  Nothing  too  tough  except  unreason- 
able demands.  Will  start  subordinate  post  for 
future  and  stability.  Box  BT,  c/o  M.  P.  Herald, 
New  York.  


38 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


PRODUCTIONS  IN  WORK 


TITLE 
:OLUMBIA 

"The  Man  Who  Lived  Twice" 

"Two  Minute  Alibi" 
"Pennies  from  Heaven" 

METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 

"The  Longest  Night" 


"Libeled  Lady" 

"Chained  Lightning" 
"Born  to  Dance" 

PARAMOUNT 

"The  Plainsman" 

"Wedding  Present" 

"The  Big  Broadcast  of  1937" 

"Champagne  Waltz" 

REPUBLIC 

"Oh,  Susannah" 

RKO  RADIO 

"Portrait  of  a  Rebel" 

"The  Plough  and  the  Stars" 

TWENTIETH-CENTURY 
FOX 

"Ladies  in  Love" 
"Thank  You,  Jeeves" 

UNITED  ARTISTS 

"Dodswortb" 

"Come  and  Get  It" 

UNIVERSAL 

"Casey  of  the  Coast  Guard" 

J'Way  for  a  Lady" 


WARNER  BROTHERS- 
FIRST  NATIONAL 

"Green  Light" 


"Gold  Diggers  of  1937" 

"Mistress  of  Fashion" 
"Heroes  of  the  Air" 

"Shrinking  Violet" 
'Three  Men  on  a  Horse" 


WRITER  AND  DIRECTOR 


From  a  story  by  Tom  Van  Dycke.  Screen  play, 
Tom  Van  Dycke,  Fred  Niblo,  Jr.,  Arthur 
Strawn.    Director:  Harry  Lachman. 

From  a  story  by  Theodore  Tinsley.  Screen  play, 
Tom  Van  Dycke.  Director:  D.  Ross  Leder- 
man. 

Screen  play,  Jo  Swerling.  Director:  Norman 
McLeod. 


From  a  story  by  Courtland  Fitzsimmons. 
Screen  play,  Robert  Andrews.  Director:  Errol 
Taggart. 


Original,  Wallace  Sullivan.   Screen  play,  Howard 
Emmett  Rogers.    Director:  Jack  Conway. 

Original    and    screen    play,    Lawrence  Kimble. 

Director:  Edward  Marin 
Original,  Jack  McGowan,  Sid  Silvers.  Director: 

Roy  Del  Ruth. 


Original  and  screen  play,  Waldemar  Young, 
Harold  Lamb,  Grover  Jones,  Seton  T.  Miller, 
Lynn  Riggs.    Director:  Cecil  B.  DeMille. 

From  a  story  by  Paul  Gallico.  Screen  play, 
Joseph  Anthony.    Director:  Richard  Wallace. 

Story,  Erwin  Gelsey,  Arthur  Kober,  Perry 
Trivers.  Screen  play,  Walter  de  Leon,  Francis 
Martin.    Director:  Mitchell  Leisen. 

Director:    A.  Edward  Sutherland. 


Original  and  screen  play,  Oliver  Drake.  Director: 
Joseph  Kane. 


From  the  novel  by  Netta  Syrett.  Screen  play, 
Ernest  Vajda,  Anthony  Veiller.  Director:  Mark 
Sandrich. 

From  the  play  by  Sean  O'Casey.  Screen  play, 
Dudley  Nichols.    Director:   John  Ford. 


Based  on  a  play  by  Ladislaus  Bus-Fekete. 
Screen  play,  Charles  Kenyon.  Director:  Ed- 
ward H.  Griffith. 

Based  on  a  story  by  P.  G.  Wodehouse.  Screen 
play,  Joseph  Hoffman,  Harry  Sauber.  Director: 
Arthur  G.  Collins. 


From  the  novel  by  Sinclair  Lewis.    Screen  play, 
Sidney  Howard.    Director:    William  Wyler. 


Novel  by  Edna  Ferber.  Screen  play,  Jane  Murfin, 
Jules  Furthman.    Director:   Howard  Hawks. 


From  a  story  by  Stuart  and  Darrell  McGowan. 
Screen  play,  George  Waggner.  Director:  Frank 
Strayer. 

Original  by  M.  Coates  Webster.  Screen  play, 
Harry  Clork.    Director:  Ralph  Murphy. 


From  the  novel  by  Lloyd   C.   Douglas.  Screen 
play,  Milton  Krims.    Director:  Frank  Borzage. 


Screen  play,  Warren  Duff,  Tom  Reed.  Director: 
Lloyd  Bacon. 


Screen  play,  Casey  Robinson.    Director:  Michael 
Curtiz. 

Original  and  screen  play,  George  Bricker.  Direc- 
tor: Nick  Grinde. 


Original  and  screen  play,  George  Bricker.  Direc- 
tor: William  Clemens. 

From  the_  play  by  John  Cecil  Holm.  Screen 
play,  Laird  Doyle.    Director:  Mervyn  LeRoy. 


CAST 


Ward 
Betty 


Ralph  Bellamy,  Marian  Marsh,  Isabel  Jewell, 
Bond,  Willard  Robertson,  Kathryn  C.  Ward 
Farrington,  Ann  Doran,  Mary  Lou  Dix. 

William  Gargan,  Marguerite  Churchill,  Gene  Morgan, 
Egon  Brecher,  Raymond  Lawrence. 

Bing  Crosby,  Madge  Evans,  Edith  Fellows,  Donald  Meek, 
John  Gallaudet,  Charles  Wilson,  Howard  Hickman, 
Tom  Dugan,  Harry  Tyler. 


Robert  Young,  Florence  Rice.  Julie  Haydon,  Leslie 
Fenton,  Janet  Beecher,  Sidney  Toler,  Kitty  McHugh, 
Samuel  Hinds,  Minor  Watson,  Paul  Stanton,  Olin 
Howland,  Gertrude  Sutton,  Catherine  Doucet,  Bert 
Roach. 

Jean  Harlow,  William  Powell,  Myrna  Loy,  Spencer 
Tracy,  Walter  Connolly. 

Betty  Furness,  Stuart  Erwin,  Edmund  Gwenn,  E.  E. 
Give,  Edward  Brophy. 

Eleanor  Powell,  James  Stewart,  Una  Merkel,  Sid  Silvers, 
Frances  Langford,  Buddy  Ebsen,  Frank  Morgan,  Vir- 
ginia   Bruce,    Juanita    Quigley.    Raymond  Walburn. 


Gary  Cooper,  Jean  Arthur,  Jimmy  Ellison,  Charles 
Bickford,  Helen  Burgess,  Johnny  Downs,  Porter  Hall, 
Bruce  Cabot,  Purnell  Pratt,  George  Hayes,  Edwin 
Maxwell. 

Joan  Bennett.  Cary  Grant,  George  Bancroft,  Inez  Court- 
ney, Purnell  Pratt. 

Jack  Benny,  George  Burns  and  Gracie  Allen,  Bob  Burns, 
Jane  Froman,  Ray  Milland,  Frank  Forest,  Martha 
Raye,  Benny  Fields,  David  Holt,  Eleanore  Whitney. 

Gladys  Swarthout,  Fred  MacMurray,  Jack  Oakie,  Veloz 

and  Yolanda,  Lyda  Roberti,  Frank  Forrest,  Herman 
Bing,  Fritz  Leiber,  Benny  Baker,  James  Burke,  Ernest 
Cossart,  Guy  Bates  Post. 


Gene  Autry,  Kay  Hughes,  Smiley  Burnette,  Clara  Kim- 
ball Young,  Earle  Hodgins,  Booth  Howard,  Donald 
Kibbee,  Frankie  Marvin,  Snowflake. 


Katharine  Hepburn,  Herbert  Marshall,  Elizabeth  Allan, 
Lucille  Watson,  Donald  Crisp,  Margaret  Seddon,  Eily 
Malyon,  Doris  Dudley. 

Barbara  Stanwyck,  Preston  Foster,  Barry  Fitzgerald, 
Dennis  O'Dea,  Eileen  Crowe,  F.  J.  McCormack, 
Arthur  Shields,  Bonita  Granville,  Erin  O'Brien-Moore, 
Una  O'Connor. 


Janet  Gaynor,  Constance  Bennett.  Loretta  Young,  Simone 

Simon,  Don  Ameche,  Brian  Donlevy,  Tyrone  Power, 

Jr.,  Virginia  Field. 
Arthur  Treacher,  Virginia  Field,  David  Niven,  Willie 

Best,  Lester  Matthews,  Colin  Tapley,  John  Graham 

Spacey. 


Walter  Huston,  Ruth  Chatterton,  Mary  Astor,  Paul 
Lukas,  David  Niven,  Gregory  Gaye,  Odette  Myrtil, 
Kathryn  Marlowe,  John  Payne,  Spring  Byington, 
Harlan  Briggs,  Charles  Halton. 

Edward  Arnold,  Frances  Farmer,  Joel  McCiea,  Walter 
Brennan.  Mary  Nash,  Andrea  Leeds,  Clem  Bevens. 
Edwin  Maxwell,  Agnes  Anderson. 


John  Wayne,  Nan  Grey,  Fuzzy  Knight,  William  Bake- 
well,  Russell  Hicks,  Harry  Worth,  Lotus  Long, 
George  Humbert,  George  Irving,  Ethan  Laidlaw. 

Doris  Nolan,  Michael  Whalen,  Marjorie  Gateson,  Gerald 
Oliver  Smith,  Nigel  Bruce,  Ferdinand  Gotlschalk, 
Harry  Barris. 


Errol  Flynn,  Anita  Louise,  Sir  Cedric  Hardwicke,  Mar- 
garet Lindsay,  Henry  O'Neill,  Henry  Kolker,  Spring 
Byington,  Myrtle  Stedman. 

Dick  Powell,  Joan  Blondell,  Glenda  Farrell,  Rosalind 
Marquis.  Lee  Dixon,  William  Davidson,  Ann  Sheridan, 
Irene  Ware,  Charles  Brown,  Victor  Moore,  Osgood 
Perkins. 

Kay  Francis,  Ian  Hunter,  Claude  Rains,  Alexander 
D'Arcy. 

Jean  Muir,  Warren  Hull,  Dick  Foran,  Winifred  Shaw, 
Mary  Treen,  Hobart  Cavanaugh,  Gordon  Hart,  David 
Carlyle,  Dennis  Moore. 

Dick    Purcell,    June   Travis,    Sybil    Jason,    George  E. 

Stone,  Wayne  Morris. 
Frank    McHugh.    Joan    Blondell,    Carol   Hughes,  Sam 

Levine,  Allen  Jenkins.  Teddy  Hart. 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


89 


<a?  MOTION  Xb 
Hi  PICTURE  >- 
o      HEPALD  u 


MANAGERS 
ROUND  TABLE  CL 

^An  international  association  of  showmen  meeting  weekly 
in  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  for  mutual  aid  and  progress 


EGGS— NOT  GOLDEN 

As  far  back  as  1934,  this  pen  with  vigorous  jabs  called  atten- 
tion to  the  menace  of  permitting  stars  to  appear  on  radio 
programs.  More  than  one  Round  Tabler  concurred  in  pointing 
out  the  boxoffice  danger  of  such  participation,  the  general 
opinion  being  that  in  so  doing  the  stars  themselves  were  un- 
dermining their  own  draw.  Which  very  practical  dollars-and- 
cents  viewpoint  went  in  one  ear  and  out  another  as  far  as  the 
studios  were  concerned  to  judge  from  the  deluge  of  promi- 
nent contract  players  on  the  air  during  the  past  two  years 
and  still  at  it. 

It  is  only  recently  that  the  rumblings  of  dissatisfaction  have 
crystalized  into  action  and  from  exhibitor  organizations  through- 
out the  country  now  come  resolutions  demanding  an  end  to 
the  practice  with  stronger  moves  indicated  if  these  resolutions 
■come  to  nought. 

That  theatremen  have  sought  and  obtained  cooperation 
■with  local  stations  in  putting  over  pictures  sets  aside  any  hasty 
assumption  that  there  is  no  virtue  in  the  usage  of  broadcast- 
ing as  a  means  of  additional  publicity.  But  there  are  definite 
limits  to  such  tieins  of  which  smart  showmen  are  well  aware 
•and  these  limits  certainly  do  not  include  the  personal  appear- 
ance of  the  players  themselves. 

Stars  who  accept  radio  offers  and  producers  who  allow  them 
to  do  so  should  be  made  to  realize  that  demand  by  air- 
minded  advertisers  for  picture  names  is  made  possible  only  by 
the  accomplishments  of  theatremen  in  building  up  these  play- 
ers at  the  ticket  window. 

In  taking  radio  so  to  its  bosom,  the  industry  is  laying  an 
•egg,  and  we  don't  mean  golden. 

V    V  V 
IMPORTANT  TO  BOTH 

Your  Round  Table  at  this  time  of  the  year  receives  pretty 
picture  cards  with  joyous  sentiments  from  vacationing  mem- 
bers and  it  is  gratifying  to  know  that  the  boys  are  able  to 
shake  off  the  tough  routine  for  a  few  weeks,  to  rest  mind  and 
'body  for  a  stretch  before  going  back  to  the  Battle  of  Grosses. 
More  exhibitors  this  year  are  making  these  rest  periods  possible 
during  the  summer  months  and  may  as  a  result  look  forward  to 
renewed  activity  from  their  managers. 

Unfortunately  not  every  executive  nor  for  that  matter  every 
manager  realizes  the  value  of  vacationing  during  the  heated 
period.  F'rinstance,  there  is  one  Round  Tabler  who  for  home 
office  reasons  has  twice  had  to  postpone  his  departure.  And 


another  member  has  allowed  his  bookings  to  so  encroach  upon 
his  vacation  period  that  the  chances  of  his  getting  away  before 
cold  weather  are  not  very  bright. 

The  manager's  yearly  summer  vacation  is  important  both  to 
himself  and  his  superiors.  It  should  not  be  juggled  about. 

V  V  V 
AND  STILL  GOING  STRONG 

No  matter  which  way  one  may  regard  the  span,  a  quarter 
of  a  century  is  a  long,  long  time.  Thus  it  is  of  more  than  pass- 
ing interest  that  1936  marks  the  twenty-fifth  year  in  showbusi- 
ness  for  a  trio  of  managers  who  are  going  along  with  no  let- 
ting down  in  effort  and  doing  a  highly-regarded  job  in  their 
respective  posts. 

Congratulated  duly  for  reaching  successfully  this  milestone 
were  two  Loew-ites,  Vic  Morris,  of  Boston;  Matt  Saunders,  of 
Bridgeport,  and  J.  P.  Masters,  of  Bowling  Green,  Ky.  Superiors 
honored,  newspapers  praised,  brother-showmen  feted.  And 
well  they  might. 

For  these  well-timbered  theatremen  serve  as  excellent  exam- 
ples of  how  lightly  the  years  touch  upon  the  shoulders  of  long- 
experienced  managers  who  know  their  way  around. 

V  V  V 
IT'S  A  HEALTHY  SIGN 

The  appointment  by  E.  L.  Alperson  of  adman  Ed  Finney  to 
a  producer's  post  with  Grand  National  Films  adds  another 
name  to  the  expanding  list  of  those  from  the  field  given  an 
opportunity  of  bringing  their  years  of  experience  to  the  mak- 
ing of  pictures. 

It's  a  healthy  sign. 

Wasn't  so  long  ago  that  the  wall  between  production  and 
other  branches  of  the  industry  was  pretty  high  and  it  took 
quite  a  combination  of  circumstances  to  hoist  a  man  over  on 
the  other  side.  But  the  recent  years  have  seen  a  change  for 
the  better  in  this  direction. 

The  high  percentage  of  "clicks"  among  those  who  have  gone 
into  the  studios  from  distribution  and  exhibition  is  reason 
enough  to  encourage  others  from  the  firing  line  to  lend  their 
savvy  in  turning  out  a  higher  voltage  of  boxoffice  product. 


1 


90 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


Fashions  Stressed 
On  "Scotland" Date 


SHOWMEN'S    LOBBY  LAFFS! 


ated  by  Bill  Champe, 

Sarnett,  Kansas.  IVs  an  ESKIMO  —  HE'S  frozen  s>iFF 


Report  Card  Plugs 
"High  School  Girl" 

A  novelty  gag  for  his  "High  School  Girl" 
date  was  used  by  Louie  Richmond,  National 
Theatre,  Boston,  Mass.,  in  the  form  of  a 
report  card  listing  various  marks  of  Cecilia 
Parker,  lead  in  the  picture.  Copy  below  read 
"a  daring  dramatic  lesson  endorsed  by  press 
and  clergy,  all  high  school  girls,  parents  and 
friends  are  hereby  notified  to  report  to 
the,"  etc. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Electric  Cooking  School 
Promoted  by  Bowser 

Out  in  Warren,  Ohio,  Les  Bowser,  as- 
sisted by  Albert  Johnson,  advertising  man 
at  the  Harris-Warren  Theatre,  have  recent- 
ly inaugurated  what  they  term  an  all  elec- 
tric cooking  school  through  the  cooperation 
of  the  local  electric  power  company.  All 
expenses  are  stood  by  the  company,  includ- 
ing publicity  and  free  ads  and  Les  reports 
this  is  the  first  of  its  kind  ever  held  in  his 
county. 

Another  stunt  put  over  by  these  boys  is  a 
ladies'  day  matinee  held  every  Wednesday 
afternoon.  Prices  are  reduced  from  26c  to 
15c  for  one  hour  and  a  movie  star  album 
given  to  each  lady,  and  each  succeeding 
"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


Kilty  Band  On  Way  to  "Scotland" 


week  star  photos,  paid  for  by  merchant's 
ad  on  reverse  side,  are  given  out. 

On  "Great  Ziegfeld"  blotters  were  distri- 
buted in  downtown  office  buildings,  packets 
of  matches  at  all  cigar  counters  and  several 
large  oil  paintings  were  planted  in  leading 
store  windows. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Quake  Survivors  Exploit 
"San  Francisco"  for  Bovim 

Survivors  of  the  San  Francisco  earth- 
quake of  1906  were  requested  to  communi- 
cate with  Russ  Bovim,  Loew's  Ohio,  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  and  identify  themselves  as  part 
of  the  campaign  on  "San  Francisco."  This 
was  done  by  means  of  a  want  ad  in  the  local 
Dispatch  and  survivors  providing  proper 
proof  were  awarded  guest  tickets.  Human 
interest  feature  story  on  these  was  also  run 
in  paper. 

A  contest  was  also  conducted  to  locate  a 
double  for  Clark  Gable,  winner  was  picked 
during  an  evening  performance  and  awarded 
a  cash  prize.  Theatre  organist  used  the 
songs  from  the  picture  in  a  musical  identi- 
fication contest  over  local  radio  station,  with 
20  pairs  of  tickets  awarded  as  prizes.  Stunt 
was  plugged  on  screen  and  in  theatre  pro- 
gram. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Police  Commissioner  Aids 
"Crime  Doesn't  Pay"  Series 

An  example  of  the  possibilities  of  exploi- 
tation for  the  "Crime  Doesn't  Pay"  shorts 
was  demonstrated  in  Buffalo.  Metro's 
branch  manager,  E.  K.  O'Shea,  joined  hands 
with  Shea's  Buffalo  Theatre  in  arranging 
for  Police  Commissioner  Higgins  to  go  be- 
fore the  mike  in  their  behalf. 

Both  the  Commissioner  and  his  assistant 
lieutenant,  John  Regan,  appeared  in  a  radio 
dramatization  of  "The  Perfect  Setup,"  cur- 
rent at  the  theatre,  which  was  broadcast 
over  station  WBNY.  Photos  of  the  com- 
missioner and  his  lieutenant  together  with 
stories  were  run  in  papers,  as  a  result  busi- 
ness was  reported  to  be  tops. 


Strong  campaign  for  the  world  premiere 
of  "Mary  of  Scotland"  at  the  Radio  City 
Music  Hall  had  the  RKO  Radio  and  the 
theatre  publicists  combining  to  put  over  a 
lot  of  exploitation  that  commanded  wide  at- 
tention, groundwork  of  the  drive  laid  as  far 
back  as  March. 

At  that  time,  an  issue  of  Women's  Wear 
carried  an  illustrated  story — a  feature  on 
the  costumes  of  the  picture,  predicting  a 
trend  toward  Scotch  motifs  in  the  new  fall 
modes.  Spirited  publicity  barrage  was  also 
put  into  effect  with  special  stores  and  art 
in  the  New  York  press.  This  included  in- 
terviews with  Dudley  Nichols,  responsible 
for  the  script,  who  came  down  from  his  Con- 
necticut farm  for  interviews. 

Style  slants  were  carried  further  day 
ahead  of  opening  when  special  preview  at 
the  Music  Hall  was  held  for  leading  local 
and  syndicate  fashion  designers,  followed 
by  a  reception  to  Walter  Plunkett,  who  de- 
signed the  picture's  costumes.  In  conjunc- 
tion an  informal  fashion  review  was  put  on, 
models  wearing  the  originals  and  then  mod- 
ern adaptations  to  illustrate  the  Scotch 
motifs.  This  last  was  tied  in  with  Macy's 
and  Modern  Merchandise  Bureau. 

Picture  was  also  brought  to  the  attention 
of  the  many  Scots  in  the  metropolitan  sec- 
tor by  a  theatre  party  opening  night  of  the 
Yonkers  Kilty  Band  in  costume  and  travel- 
ing to  the  Music  Hall  in  bannered  busses. 
United  Scottish  Clans  of  New  York  and 
New  Jersey  in  the  thousands  gathered  at 
Jones  Beach ,  nearby  ocean  resort,  were 
greeted  with  special  ballad  named  after  the 
title,  singer  wearing  one  of  the  original 
Hepburn  costumes.  In  the  announcement 
made  before  the  number,  the  picture  and 
theatre  were  duly  credited. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Doctor  Reviews  Picture 

When  "The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"  ap- 
peared at  the  Majestic,  Bridgeport,  Conn., 
Morris  Rosenthal  immediately  went  into 
action  and  secured  the  consent  of  Dr.  War- 
riner,  resident  of  that  city  and  recently  ad- 
mitted mercy  killer,  to  preview  the  picture 
and  write  his  review  and  criticisms. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


Models  in  "Mary  of  Scotland"  Style  Show 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


91 


SIX  WEEKS  ADVANCE.  To  build  up  the  date  on  "Anthony  Adverse,"  Philadelphia 
Warnerites  Skip  Weshner  and  Harry  Goldberg  utilized  the  temporarily  closed  Aldine 
Theatre  for  extra  publicity,  starting  six  weeks  ahead.  Marquee,  electric  sign,  stills  and 
special  displays  effectively  covered  the  front. 


August    8,  1936 

Peoria  Greets  Brown 
At  World  Premiere 

As  Peoria,  111.,  is  the  home  of  the  Cater- 
pillar, around  which  the  story  of  "Earth- 
worm Tractor"  was  written,  good  showman- 
ship called  for  the  premiere  of  the  picture 
in  that  spot,  the  opening  put  over  at  the 
Madison  Theatre  in  giant  fashion  under  the 
wing  of  Len  C.  Worley,  Great  States  city 
manager,  and  E.  G.  Fitzgibbons,  zone  pub- 
licity director.  Tractor  company  officials, 
newspapers  and  civic  heads  also  came  in  on 
the  campaign,  topped  by  the  personal  appear- 
ance at  the  opening  of  Joe  E.  Brown. 

This  event  was  of  course  made  much  of 
locally.  Mayor  proclaimed  a  Brown  Day, 
streets  were  decorated  and  lighted,  the  fes- 
tivities put  on  with  all  the  premiere  acces- 
sories, including  lobby  broadcast  to  intro- 
duce the  celebrities.  "Earthworm  Black," 
new  style  color,  was  advertised  by  women's 
stories  in  conjunction  with  the  opening  and 
many  social  gatherings  duly  publicised 
were  held  before  and  after  the  performance. 

Newspapers  gave  the  star  everything  in 
the  house,  to  judge  from  the  tear  sheets. 
In  addition  to  the  pages  and  pages  of  stories, 
interviews  and  art,  autographed  photos  were 
given  to  those  advertising  on  classified  page 
and  tickets  to  the  opening  offered  for  sub- 
scriptions. "Hyperbole"  contest  for  most 
exaggerated  description  of  the  star  was  also 
run  for  five  days,  paper  carrying  daily 
photos  and  two-column  stories  on  the  stunt. 
Co-op  "welcome"  ads  were  numerous,  espe- 
cially five-column  full  taken  by  the  tractor 
company. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Radio  Sponsor  Cooperates 
On  New  Crosby  Picture 

Paramount  has  effected  an  arrangement 
with  Kraft-Phenix,  Bing  Crosby's  radio 
sponsor  for  tiein  on  "Rhythm  on  the  Range" 
wherein  the  food  company  has  published  a 
manual  on  the  tiein  for  information  of  sales- 
men and  distributors.  Sponsor  has  put  out 
display  card  carrying  title,  photo  of  Crosby 
and  Bob  Burns,  with  space  at  top  for  the- 
atre. 

Salesmen  will  be  supplied  with  dates  on 
the  picture  and  are  expected  to  work  with 
managers  in  their  territories  and  also  re- 
tail outlets.  The  card  is  the  main  acces- 
sory for  the  tieup  but  other  exploitations 
are  encouraged  to  benefit  both  sides. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


SMALL  TOWN  STUFF.  Swingin"  gates,  grass  mats, 
etc.,  were  eye-catchers  in  Manager  Louis  Fishkin's 
flash  on  "Small  Town  Girl"  at  the  Commodore 
Theatre,   over   the    river   in    Brooklyn,    New  York. 


City  Extends  Welcome 
To  Newest  Theatre 

With  the  opening  of  the  new  Salida, 
Salida,  Colo.,  unit  of  the  Atlas  Theatres 
group,  local  prominents  turned  out  to  honor 
the  occasion  and  all  the  folks  connected 
with  the  enterprise,  headed  by  C.  U.  Yager, 
circuit  president,  and  district  manager  Dave 
Davis  and  Frank  R.  Kelly. 

Local  paper  ran  a  special  four-page  sec- 
tion, top  story  being  a  two-column  full  on 
Harry  R.  Moore,  manager  of  the 
Salida  and  also  the  Isis,  other  local 
Atlas  house.  Head  was  full-page  streamer 
and  story  included  large  cut  of  the  highly- 
regarded  theatr  eman. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

12-Day  Want  Ad  Tiein 
Publicizes  Four  Dates 

Results  for  both  sides  on  classified  tieins 
were  evidently  highly  satisfactory  in  King- 
ston, Ontario,  judging  by  tear  sheets  on  re- 
cent contests  put  over  between  the  local 
Whig -Standard  and  Manager  F.  J.  McCoy, 
of  Famous  Players-Canadian's  Tivoli  The- 
atre. McCoy  sends  along  details  of  four 
such  tieins,  each  running  three  days,  mak- 
ing a  total  of  12  days  of  extra  advertising. 

One  of  the  contests  was  to  fill  in  fourth 
line  of  printed  jingles,  of  which  this  is  an 
instance :  "A  house  to  rent,  a  farm  to  sell ; 
A  man  to  dig  your  garden  well ;  The  ads 
will  find  just  what  you  need" — with  sug- 
gested last  line  given :  "And  do  it  with  a 
burst  of  speed." 

Another  slant  was  to  write  a  sentence 
suitable  for  the  streamer  across  the  top  of 
classified  page,  and  a  third,  to  select  single 
lines,  one  from  each  of  three  classified  ads, 
and  to  run  them  as  one  ad  with  the  purpose 
of  making  it  humorous  or  unusual. 

In  all  the  contests  two  guest  tickets  were 
given  to  each  of  ten  winners  and  in  return 
the  paper  contributed  a  series  of  two-column 
ten-inch  displays  which  included  contest 
rules  and  theatre  credits. 


"Showboat"  Calliope 
Greets  New  Liner 

It  so  happened  that  the  Queen  Mary, 
new  British  boat,  was  due  at  Southampton 
the  day  of  the  premiere  of  "Show  Boat"  at 
the  Leicester  Square  Theatre,  London.  And 
as  Irene  Dunne  and  director  James  Whale 
were  aboard,  General  Film  Distributors  pre- 
pared a  welcome  that  was  well  publicized 
before  the  thousands  gathered  to  greet  the 
Queen  Mary's  arrival. 

Bannered  tended  carrying  calliope  steamed 
out  to  await  the  liner's  arrival  and  on  meet- 
ing the  "Queen,"  the  hit  tunes  were  played 
as  the  tender  preceded  the  ship  into  the 
dock.  One  banner  read :  "Two  famous  ships 
arrive — the  Queen  Mary  at  Southampton 
and  Universal's  Show  Boat  at  the  Leicester 
Square  Theatre."  Another  welcomed  Dunne 
and  Whale.  When  the  tender  docked  across 
from  the  Queen  Mary,  handbills  were  dis- 
tributed among  the  crowds  that  gathered. 

Campaign  was  handled  by  publicity  direc- 
tor L.  Stewart  working  with  the  theatre. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


ATTRACTIVE  FRONT.  Out  in  Singapore,  S.  S., 
Julius  Fisher,  publicity  manager  of  Amalgamated 
Theatres,  constructed  this  front  for  "Littlest  Rebel" 
with    over-sized    cutout    of    Shirley    at  boxoffice. 


92 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,     I  936 


Mayor  Proclaims  Week 
For  "Hit  and  Run  Driver" 

A  special  screening  of  "Hit  and  Run 
Driver"  was  held  a  week  ahead  for  the 
mayor  and  city  officials  by  R.  W.  Rhodes, 
New  Weller  Theatre,  Zanesville,  Ohio,  with 
the  mayor  proclaiming  a  "drive  carefully 
week,"  pictures  and  story  running  in  papers 
showing  Hizonner  signing  and  endorsing 
the  proclamation. 

Several  ministers  included  the  theme  of 
picture  in  their  sermons,  municipal  court 
judge  endorsed  the  picture,  sentencing  all 
reckless  drivers  to  see  the  picture  and  news- 
paper ran  photo  and  story  of  traffic  officers 
bringing  reckless  driver  to  the  theatre  to 
witness  the  picture.  President  of  the  Auto 
Club  mailed  notices  to  all  members,  wrecked 
car  was  planted  on  courthouse  square  (see 
photo)  with  appropriate  copy  and  cards 
displayed  in  windows  and  tacked  on  busses. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Lamm  Ties  Up  Paper 
On  "Bullets  or  Ballots" 

Classified  ad  page  was  tied  up  to  Louis 
Lamm's  "Bullets  or  Ballots"  date  at  the 
Palace  in  Lorain,  Ohio,  with  names  and 
addresses  scattered  throughout  page.  To 
those  finding  their  names  and  calling  at  the 
offices  of  the  Journal  and  Times-Herald 
tickets  were  awarded. 

No  cost  heralds  were  distributed  house  to 
house,  paid  for  by  merchant's  ad  on  reverse 
side,  as  were  tabloids,  jumbo  cards  placed 
in  windows  and  cards  on  dashboards  of 
street  cars. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Semel  Goes  to  Town 
With  "Mr.  Deeds" 

To  sell  his  "Deeds"  date  at  the  Marboro 
Theatre  in  Brooklyn,  Herman  Semel  had 
cards  distributed  about  town  with  bright 
new  pennies  pasted  to  them  and  copy  read- 
ing "here's  your  share  of  the  $20,000,000 
given  away  when  Mr.  Deeds  goes  to  Town." 
Cost  was  paid  for  by  local  beauty  shop  whose 
ad  was  carried  on  the  cards. 

Imprinted  blotters  were  handed  out, 
through  cooperation  of  local  photo  studio 
roving  photographer  snapped  pedestrians  and 
to  those  identifying  their  faces  circled  on 
lobby  easel,  tickets  were  awarded. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Stage  Wedding  Held 
By  Floyd  at  Granada 

As  part  of  his  stage  wedding  at  the  New 
Granada,  Sioux  Falls,  S.  D.,  in  connection 
with  "And  So  They  Were  Married,"  Joe 
Floyd,  in  addition  to  tying  up  merchants  for 
gifts  to  the  bridal  pair,  promoted  them  for 
prizes  to  the  couple  who  had  the  largest 
family,  married  the  longest,  golden  wedding 
couples  and  the  couple  coming  the  greatest 
distance  to  witness  the  stage  wedding. 

Hotels  donated  bridal  suite,  local  auto 
dealer  came  forth  with  car,  gas  and  driver 
for  two-day  trip  to  Omaha  and  back,  cafe  a 
bridal  breakfast  for  ten  and  Joe  was  even  a 
little  anticipatory  and  provided  a  baby  car- 
riage. Entire  campaign  was  not  only  adver- 
tised by  the  newspaper,  but  through  the  radio 
station  and  special  24-sheet  posters  about 
town  for  which  posting  company  stood  half 


Charni?isky  at  Right  for  "Sutter's  Gold" 


Rhodes  Wrecked  Car  Street  Bally 


Pratt's  "White  Angel"  Float 


Floyd's  Stage  Wedding  Party 

cost  to  tie  in  on  the  wedding  publicity. 

In  securing  the  bride  and  groom,  ad  was 
placed  in  paper  four  days  ahead,  stage  was 
decorated  and  couple  with  best  man  and 
bridesmaids  marched  down  aisles  up to 
stage  while  the  organ  played  the  wedding 
march.  Accompanying  photo  shows  the 
couple  on  stage  with  wedding  party. 


Charninslcy  Dresses  Front 
For  "Sutter's  Gold" 

Depend  on  Louis  Charninsky  to  dress  up 
his  front  as  witness  accompanying  photo 
for  his  "Sutter's  Gold"  date  at  the  Capitol 
in  Dallas;  that's  Louie  to  the  right.  Hitch- 
ing post  was  stationed  on  sidewalk,  solid 
shingle  roof  across  entire  front  and  box- 
office  and  both  sides  were  made  of  old  lum- 
ber. 

Special  setpiece  was  constructed  for  lobby 
with  cutout  head  of  Edward  Arnold  and  title 
of  picture  in  gold  metallic  letters.  Two  men 
dressed  as  old  time  prospectors  were  planted 
in  lobby  playing  flutes,  as  did  Lee  Tracy 
in  the  picture. 

For  "Devil's  Squadron,"  Louie  tied  up 
aviation  school,  receiving  announcements  at 
aviation  field  daily.  School  loaned  motors 
for  lobby  display  and  arranged  it  so  that  it 
was  crashing  through  a  six-sheet  board,  at- 
tracting plenty  of  attention. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Ableson  Stages  Campaign 
For  New  Theatre  Opening 

With  the  opening  of  the  new  Hollywood 
Theatre,  Devils  Lake,  N.  D.,  Art  Ableson 
put  over  an  effective  campaign  featuring  a 
parade  and  two  band  concerts  in  front  of 
the  theatre  given  by  the  68-piece  Governor's 
Boys'  Concert  Band. 

Get-together  party  was  held  with  city  offi- 
cials and  prominent  businessmen  attending, 
newspapers  coming  through  with  pages 
on  opening  with  photos  of  the  new  house. 
Special  ad  was  run  listing  important  dates 
in  history  winding  up  with  opening  date. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Claim  Stakes  Used 

By  Wilbern  For  "Gold" 

Claim  stakes  carrying  picture  copy  were 
placed  in  all  Main  Street  flag-pole  holes  by 
Manager  R.  F.  Wilbern,  Palace,  Duncan, 
Okla.,  on  "Sutter's  Gold."  During  the  show- 
ing, boy  dressed  as  a  prospector,  leading  a 
bannered  mule  carrying  pack,  picks,  shovel, 
frying  pans,  etc.,  toured  the  main  business 
districts. 

Money  sacks  filled  with  rock  were  placed 
at  the  base  of  three-sheet  art  board  week 
ahead  by  Arlie  Crites,  Rex,  Borger,  Tex., 
on  "Desert  Gold."  Also  helpful  was  a  Sign 
Language  contest  in  local  daily  with  guest 
tickets  to  the  first  ten  correct  replies. 
"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

"White  Angel"  Float 
Sells  Date  for  Pratt 

An  extremely  effective  ballyhoo  for  "The 
White  Angel"  was  pulled  by  R.  E.  Pratt  at 
the  State  Theatre,  Washington,  Iowa. 
Pratt  took  advantage  of  the  July  4th  Cen- 
tennial Parade  in  his  city,  which  took  place 
simultaneously  with  the  engagement  of  the 
picture  at  his  theatre,  by  entering  a  "White 
Angel"  float  (see  photo). 

The  float  was  a  huge  affair  completely 
covered  with  flowers,  with  picture's  title  and 
theatre  name  standing  out  against  a  white 
background  of  beautiful  flowers.  A  girl, 
dressed  in  a  nurse's  robe  similar  to  that 
worn  by  Kay  Frances  as  Florence  Nightin- 
gale, was  stationed  on  a  raised  platform  at 
one  end.  Rising  above  the  center  of  the 
display  was  the  Red  Cross  emblem  designed 
in  flowers. 


August    8,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


93 


Griffiths'  Circuit 
Recent  Activities 

Reported  by  various  of  the  Griffiths  cir- 
cuit theatremen  in  Oklahoma  and  Texas  and 
forwarded  by  circuit  ad  chief  C.  O.  Fulg- 
ham  are  exploitation  and  publicity  activities 
recently  effected  that  obtained  a  lot  of  cov- 
erage, among  them  the  old  but  still  reliable 
stage  wedding  as  promoted  by  Alvin  Powell, 
of  the  Guthrie,  Okla.,  houses  and  detailed 
by  Powell  as  follows: 

Tieup  was  made  with  paper  which  ran 
ads  two  weeks  ahead  for  a  bride  and  groom. 
The  couple  secured,  license,  minister,  ring 
and  gifts  from  cooperating  merchants  were 
obtained  with  a  total  cost  to  the  theatre  of 
$19.  Newspaper  continued  to  build  up  the 
event  with  page  one  stories  withholding  the 
names  of  the  couple  and  the  minister,  thus 
creating  more  interest. 

For  the  actual  wedding,  stage  was  set  as 
the  minister's  living  room  and  to  the  strains 
of  the  wedding  march  on  the  house  p.a.  sys- 
tem, curtain  opened  showing  minister  read- 
ing a  paper.  Answering  knock  on  the  door, 
minister  ushered  in  the  couple  and  their 
witnesses,  and  before  performing  the  actual 
ceremony,  accompanied  by  playing  of  "I 
Love  You  Truly,"  gave  short  talk  on  the 
sanctity  and  responsibilities  of  marriage. 
Finale  was  wedding  march  for  exit. 

Lyman  Sends  to  Arkansas 
For  Pine  Trees  and  Bark  Slabs 

That  there  were  no  pines  handy  to  the 
theatre  for  decoration  on  his  date  for  "Lone- 
some Pine"  at  the  Lyric,  Vinita,  Okla.,  did 
not  deter  Manager  Foster  Lyman,  who  con- 
tacted a  saw  mill  down  in  Arkansas  to  se- 
cure two  tall  pine  trees,  pine  burrs  and  long 
slabs  of  bark.  Front  was  enclosed  with  the 
pine  bark  to  resemble  a  log  cabin,  leaving 
two  openings  for  doorways.  Burrs  were 
scattered  over  the  marquee  and  the  trees 
with  colored  lights  in  small  barrels  placed 
at  each  corner  of  the  marquee. 

Three  sheet  board  mounted  on  a  box 
board  piece  and  framed  with  strips  of  pine 
was  fitted  over  brass  frames  in  front  of  box- 
office  and  on  either  side  of  door  were  dis- 
plays of  photos  also  framed  in  pine.  Rustic 
sign  with  title  in  blue  lettering  was  sus- 
pended under  the  marquee.  Lettered  wooden 
arrows  pointing  in  direction  of  theatre  were 
placed  for  three  blocks  on  each  side  of  house 
and  old  wall-paper  circulars  inserted  in  out- 
of-town  and  local  newspapers. 

Manager  Announced  as  Candidate 
For  Better  Business  on  "Ballots" 

His  date  on  "Bullets  or  Ballots"  coming 
at  the  time  of  local  elections,  Manager 
David  Dallas,  Grand,  Holdenville,  Okla., 
utilized  this  slant  in  various  ways,  by  an- 
nouncing, for  instance,  that  all  county  can- 
didates for  office  would  be  admitted  free  to 
see  the  picture.  Dallas  also  attended  a  po- 
litical rally  in  a  nearby  spot  having  himself 
introduced  as  a  candidate  for  better  busi- 
ness at  the  Grand  and  urging  the  audience 
to  see  it. 

For  street  bally,  doorman  was  dressed  as 
old-time  Tammany  politician  in  derby  hat 
and  loud  checkered  suit,  and  distributed 
cards  reading:  "Vote  for  Me — By  attending 
the  Gala  "Bullets  or  Ballots"  Political  Pre- 
vue  tonight,  etc." 


On  the  same  picture,  Manager  Hal  Grady, 
Palace,  Lubbock,  Texas,  broke  the  local 
front  pages  by  persuading  the  sheriff  to  act 
as  host  at  the  theatre  to  prisoners  who  were 
held  for  minor  misdemeanor  charges.  Hal 
was  not  allowed  to  go  through  with  it  due 
to  proximity  of  election  time  but  did  land 
page  one  publicity  under  the  caption :  "Jail- 
birds Make  Escape,  But  Only  For  Show." 

For  "Sons  o'  Guns,"  Grady  pulled  a  neat 
one  with  a  lobby  idea  showing  a  baby  buggy 
with  large  and  medium  sized  guns  labelled 
"Papa  Gun"  and  "Mama  Gun"  and  inside 
the  buggy,  two  smaller  pistols  labelled  "Sons 
o'  Guns"  with  tiein  theatre  copy. 

Effective  Devices  Are  Employed 
To  Attract  Lobby  Attention 

Other  interesting  slants  contributed  by  the 
Griffiths  theatremen  include  a  giant  tele- 
phone, 14  feet  high,  built  and  used  in  outer 
lobby  on  "Private  Number"  by  Mrs.  L.  G. 
Killough,  manager,  McSwain,  Ada,  Okla. 
Phone  was  set  in  front  of  background  that 
carried  stills.  Title  was  spelt  out  in  cord 
that  ran  to  the  receiver  of  the  phone. 

For  "First  Baby,"  Manager  George  Lim- 
erick, Palace,  Cleburne,  Tex.,  hung  out  a 
clothesline  of  diapers,  cutout  letters  of  the 
title  in  black  attached  to  the  diapers. 

Hangman's  scaffold  with  dummy  dan- 
gling from  end  of  rope  was  Manager  C.  F. 
Motley's  idea  on  "Last  Outlaw"  with  ap- 
propriate copy  hooking  the  slant  to  the 
picture. 

On  "I  Married  A  Doctor,"  Manager 
Ralph  Leachman,  Palace,  Blackwell,  Okla., 
mailed  personal  invitations  to  all  local  doc- 
tors' wives  asking  that  comments  on  the 
picture  be  penned  on  the  letters  and  turned 
in  at  the  boxoffice. 


Alper's  Atmospheric  "Flags"  Display 

Alper  Dresses  Theatre 
For  "Under  Two  Flags" 

A  corner  of  the  lounge  of  the  Alba  Thea- 
tre, Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  was  converted  into  a 
legionnaire  camp  by  Murray  Alper  (see 
photo)  for  his  "Under  Two  Flags"  date 
with  usher  and  usherette  dressed  in  pro- 
moted legion  uniforms  stationed  at  beaver- 
board  fortress.  Flags  were  promoted  from 
French  and  English  steamship  lines,  sand 
was  sprinkled  around  tent  and  one  sheet 
was  placed  inside. 

Opening  day  parade  was  held  with  vet- 
erans of  nearby  post  marching  to  theatre 
with  banners,  bugle  and  drum  corps.  Usher 
dressed  in  Legionnaire  uniform  distributed 
folders  on  streets,  back  bannered  with  thea- 
tre, title  and  playdates,  box  office  was  turned 
into  fort  effect  with  stone  turrets  and  win- 
dows cutout  of  beaver  board  and  local 
florist  stationed  uniformed  boy  in  window 
standing  at  attention  beside  small  tent. 


POPPY" 


1  Alexander  Smith  Carpets  are  not, 
of  course,  as  well  known  to  movie- 
goers as  Fields'  familiar  physi- 
ognomy, but,  in  their  modest  way, 
they  likewise  exert  considerable 
influence  on  the  Box  Office  .  .  . 
which  is  why  you  will  find  them 
in  so  many  of  the  country's  most 
successful  theatres. 


ALEXANDER  SMITH  CARPET 


94 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


Round  T abler  $  Report  Further  Ideas 


Unique  Co-op  Page 
Created  by  Adams 

From  up  in  Montreal,  Manager  J.  C. 
Adams,  Loew's  Metropolitan,  lists  a  number 
of  exploitations  put  on  with  various  of  his 
vaudeville  dates,  outstanding  among  which 
is  a  different  sort  of  a  full-page  co-op  on  the 
date  for  the  Olsen  &  Johnson  stage  unit. 
Page  took  the  form  of  a  shopping  visit  to 
various  stores,  and  at  each  stop  a  photo  was 
taken  with  the  stars  in  some  action  shot 
having  to  do  with  the  store  merchandise  or 
service.  Nine  of  these  shots  of  equal  size 
were  used,  each  carrying  a  five-line  caption. 
Two-line  streamer  across  the  top  carried  the 
theatre  and  star  credits. 

Another  tie-in  that  clicked  for  Adams  had 
to  do  with  Huber,  the  magician,  who  freed 
himself  from  a  straight-jacket  while  sus- 
pended from  the  top  of  the  theatre  building. 
Local  firemen  held  life-nets  below  and 
Adams  spotted  a  large  theatre  banner  con- 
spicuously for  the  crowds  that  gathered  and 
blocked  traffic. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Find  "Fourth"  Parties 
Build  Good  Will 

Among  the  toppers  favored  by  Frank 
Boucher,  now  at  the  Metropolitan,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  the  Fourth  of  July  goodwill 
party  is  listed.  Boucher  has  put  this  on  in 
various  spots  and  staged  it  under  the  au- 
spices of  newspaper  and  civic  club  to  pro- 
mote safe-and-sane  Fourth.  Parade  of  chil- 
dren carrying  American  flags,  contributed 
by  club  and  stores,  makes  the  main  section 
of  town  and  winds  up  at  theatre  where 
special  show  of  repeat  feature  or  shorts  is 
shown.  The  party  is  usually  good  for  a 
flock  of  page-one  publicity. 

Big  in  returns  also  was  a  13-week  ama- 
teur contest  put  on  by  Frank  in  Lynchburg, 
Va.,  sponsored  by  local  merchant,  half  hour 
weekly  program  broadcast  from  the  stage 
of  the  Paramount  Theatre  and  entire  cost 
borne  by  station  and  merchant.  Talent  was 
secured  locally  and  from  drawing  area  bring- 
ing in  a  lot  of  extra  business  and  was  so 
successful  that  a  second  series  was  put  on 
immediately  after  the  first  was  completed. 

For  benefit  of  local  charity,  on  "Copper- 
field,"  Boucher  obtained  copy  of  the  script 
of  the  picture  from  the  studios  and  auctioned 
it  off  from  the  stage.  Built  up  in  advance 
with  a  lot  of  publicity,  the  stunt  aided  the 
showing  and  contributed  to  the  theatre 
prestige. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Turtles  and  Trick  Ford 
Are  Moyer  Standouts 

Over  in  Hanover,  Pa.,  Charley  Moyer 
recently  dug  up  an  old  Ford  from  the  junk 
pile,  cut  the  body  in  two  and  on  the  rear 
planted  the  front,  hood  lamps,  wheel,  etc., 
from  another  old  Ford  roadster  body.  Two 
drivers  were  used,  facing  each  way,  with  the 
one  facing  the  front  of  course  doing  the 
actual  driving  and  going  into  reverse  to 
make  it  appear  as  though  the  outfit  had  two 
separate  power  plants. 


AIR  COOLED  THEATRE 
AIDS  SUFFERERS 

Charley  Zinn,  of  the  Uptown, 
Minneapolis,  discovered  last  summer 
that  folks  afflicted  with  hay  fever 
and  other  sicknesses  found  relief  from 
their  ills  by  attending  the  theatre. 
Zinn  relayed  this  information  to 
scores  of  local  doctors,  advising  that 
patients  might  receive  the  same  bene- 
fits by  regular  attendance  at  the  Up- 
town. The  medicos  cooperated,  with 
the  result  that  a  lot  of  new  patronage 
was  built  up,  including,  says  Charley, 
many  expectant  mothers. 

Hunt's  Junior  Critics  Club 
Gets  School  Cooperation 

In  the  fall  of  1934,  George  Hunt,  Jr.,  says 
he  was  having  difficulty  in  getting  school 
cooperation  on  worthwhile  pictures  shown 
at  Loew's  United  Artists,  Louisville,  Ky.  To 
break  down  this  resistance,  a  Junior  Critics 
Club  was  started  in  one  of  the  junior  high 
schools  which  made  attendance  necessary  at 
the  theatre  in  order  to  write  proper  reviews. 
Idea  spread  quickly  and  now  has  become 
a  Motion  Picture  Appreciation  Club  now 
functioning  at  all  the  local  junior  highs. 
Picture  advertising  is  now  allowed  on  school 
bulletin  boards. 

On  "Fauntleroy,"  Hunt  held  a  screening 
for  the  inmates  at  a  crippled  children's  home 
where  loudspeaker  was  hooked  to  telephone 
and  Freddie  Bartholomew  spoke  to  the 
youngsters  over  long  distance  from  the  stut- 
dios.  Publicity  on  this,  as  to  be  expected, 
was  very  big. 

Situated  in  the  home  of  the  famous  annual 
Derby  horse  race,  some  years  back  Hunt 
says  he  started  a  Derby  contest  with  one  of 
the  papers,  with  different  stars  being  named 
as  jockeys  and  readers  invited  to  pick  the 
winning  horses.  Stunt  went  over  so  well, 
he  reports  that  it  has  been  picked  up  in  many 
other  spots  for  the  same  occasion. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


GIANT  CHAIR.  Frank  Heller  dug  up  this  un- 
usual size  wicker  chair  for  a  freak  lobby  display 
on  "Everybody's  Old  Man"  at  the  Fox,  Bakers- 
field,  Cal.  Size  can  be  gauged  by  girl  alongside. 


Profits  on  Special  Shows 
During  Summer  Months 

In  St.  Louis,  some  years  back,  S.  G.  Car- 
das,  now  at  Loew's  State,  Los  Angeles,  put 
on  a  number  of  special  shows  sponsored  by 
different  companies  such  as  candy,  novel- 
ties, shoes  and  ice  cream  manufacturers. 
Each  of  these  advertised  the  events  heavily, 
paid  all  expenses  including  the  special  shows 
and  plugged  the  parties  on  the  radio.  The- 
atre received  a  flat  sum,  which  was  net,  and 
put  on  before  opening  time,  the  shows  did 
not  interfere  with  the  regular  performances. 

Purely  as  a  stunt,  on  a  date  for  the  late 
George  Beban,  Cardas  arranged  with  the 
woman  in  the  show  playing  an  Italian 
mother  who  could  not  speak  English,  to  post 
herself  on  a  busy  corner  and  pretend  she 
was  lost.  Picked  up  by  the  traffic  officer  and 
escorted  to  the  station,  the  gag  went  over 
to  the  extent  that  the  papers  carried  the 
story  including  names  of  the  theatre,  attrac- 
tion and  the  date. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Chevalier  "Proxy" 
Receives  City  Welcome 

On  a  Maurice  Chevalier  picture  in 
Youngstown,  Ohio,  Sig  Solomon  put  over  a 
citywide  welcome  as  part  of  an  itinerary 
contest  to  decide  how  the  star  should  be 
entertained,  were  he  to  visit  the  city  for  24 
hours.  Wax  figure,  dressed  in  costume  of 
the  star  was  met  at  the  railroad  station  and 
escorted  to  the  leading  hotel  with  a  parade. 
Then  followed  a  round  of  personal  appear- 
ances, all  this  heavily  publicized. 

Chevalier  had  wired  that  he  could  not 
come  but  was  sending  his  proxy  and  Sig  re- 
ports the  humor  of  the  slant  helped  to  bring 
out  a  crowd  and  the  contest  angle  also  con- 
tributing to  build  up  the  idea  generally. 
Similar  stunt  in  which  a  Mae  West 
"double,"  a  professional  model,  on  "Goin' 
to  Town"  was  used  is  another  "welcome" 
gag  that  worked  well  for  Solomon  last  year 
in  Newark.  Campaign  detailed  in  the  Round 
Table  pages  was  prominent  in  the  Quigley 
Awards. 

Air  Stunts  Click 

In  advance  of  date  on  "Sky  Bride,"  Solo- 
mon promoted  a  couple  to  be  married  in  a 
plane  flying  above  the  city,  the  Mayor  of- 
ficiating with  leading  localities  and  Sig  as 
witnesses.  Newspapers  got  after  it  by  query- 
ing whether  or  not  a  civic  official  had  vest- 
ed authority  to  perform  a  marriage  off  the 
ground  so  the  Round  Tabler  settled  it  by 
putting  on  a  stage  wedding  the  same  night 
and  promoted  a  lot  of  gifts  to  the  couple. 

On  "Young  Eagles,"  Sig  dug  up  an  eight- 
place  plane,  placed  it  across  two  seven-ton 
trucks  and  had  it  driven  to  the  theatre  with 
the  implied  intention  of  placing  it  on  the 
theatre  marquee,  which,  of  course,  did  not 
have  room  for  the  huge  plane.  Traffic,  how- 
ever, was  effectively  tied  up  and  as  Solomon 
conducted  the  proceedings  from  the  cock- 
pit of  the  plane,  he  was  given  a  ticket  for 
holding  up  the  works.  This,  with  story  of 
the  gag,  was  good  enough  for  a  page-one 
story  with  suitable  theatre  mention. 


August    8,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


95 


On   Best  Box  Office  Exploitations 


Screening  for  the  Blind 
Nets  Unusual  Publicity 

In  an  earnest  effort  to  ascertain  just  how 
much  a  blind  person  could  "see"  or  perceive 
through  the  sense  of  hearing  and  also  of 
course  for  publicity  purposes,  Jack  Simons, 
Loew's  Poli,  Hartford,  reports  as  among 
his  top  exploitations  a  tiein  some  years  back 
in  Pittsburgh  to  screen  a  picture  for  a  spe- 
cially selected  group  from  the  Western 
Penn.  Institute  for  the  Blind.  Guests  all 
were  able  to  read  and  write  Braille  and  were 
requested  after  the  screening  to  write  an 
essay  covering  the  story  and  scenes. 

Professors  in  medicine  and  education, 
psychologists  and  other  scientists  from  the 
local  universities  attended  and  of  course  the 
newspapers  played  up  the  story  from  an 
educational  and  experimental  standpoint. 
Stunt  was  put  on  ahead  of  "Coquette,"  this 
feature  selected  because  there  were  few 
scenes  in  the  picture.  Experiment  was  a 
big  success  and  the  fine  publicity  built  up 
the  date  for  much  extra  business. 

Fires  Mountainside  on  "City  Lights" 

His  most  sensational  stunt,  says  Simons, 
was  the  setting  afire  of  a  mountainside, 
which  also  took  place  in  Pittsburgh.  The 
city  is  in  a  valley  and  surrounded  by  a  huge 
range,  Mt.  Washington,  the  ridge  of  which 
can  be  seen  from  everywhere  in  the  city. 
Jack  secured  hundreds  of  red  fire  sticks  and 
mustered  an  army  of  boys  to  carry  them  to 
the  mountain  and  place  them  at  certain  dis- 
tances apart.  At  a  given  hour  the  fires  were 
lit  and  shortly  after  phone  calls  poured  into 
the  newspaper  offices  inquiring  about  the 
"fire." 

Papers  not  being  let  in  on  the  stunt  sent 
over  reporters  to  see  what  is  was  all  about 
and  Simons  spilled  that  it  was  a  gag  for 
the  date  on  "City  Lights."  Papers  passed 
along  the  information  to  inquirers  and  also 
ran  a  page-one  story  that  duly  explained  the 
"fire." 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Howard  Waugh  Lists 
Some  "Firsts"  Stunts 

From  his  voluminous  files,  Warner  Thea- 
tre Kentucky  zone  chieftain,  Howard 
Waugh,  sets  down  some  original  slants  he 
lists  as  being  originally  used  by  him,  a 
"first"  now  in  general  use  being  the  paint- 
ing of  the  sidewalk  in  front  of  the  theatre  a 
pure  white  to  create  an  effect  of  coolness 
under  summer  lights.  Although  the  idea 
has  been  copied  and  often  used  with  the 
checkerboard  variation,  Waugh  opines  that 
pure  white  is  the  most  effective  under  lights 
providing  the  paint  is  renewed  frequently. 

Summer  garden  out  front  was  also  in- 
augurated by  Howard  at  the  Uptown  The- 
atre, in  Philadelphia,  permission  being  ob- 
tained from  the  city.  Grass,  soft  lighting, 
rustic  furniture  were  placed  along  the  side- 
walk and  when  passersby  sat  down  to  rest 
themselves,  iced  tea,  promoted,  was  served. 

On  "42nd  Street,"  Waugh  got  plenty  of 
returns  from  use  of  a  mechanical  policeman 
out  front  to  direct  traffic  automatically.  Stunt 
was  a  traffic-stopper  for  keeps  and  an  excel- 
lent word-of-mouth  spreader. 


HOLDS  CONTESTS  FOR 
BEST  COUNTY  BAND 

It  seems  that  in  Amsterdam,  N.  Y., 
there  are  five  bands,  the  members  of 
which  were  continuously  involved  in 
the  question  of  superiority.  So,  to 
settle  the  matter,  Eddie  De  Cosmo, 
at  the  Strand  Theatre,  volunteered  to 
discover  the  best  by  means  of  a  series 
of  contests  wherein  each  of  the  bands 
performed,  one  a  week,  from  the 
stage.  Silver  cup  was  promoted  from 
local  jeweler  and  awarded  to  the  win-? 
ners,  designated  from  then  on  as  the 
best  in  the  county.  Boxoffice  reaction 
was  aces,  says  Eddie. 

"Movie  Memory"  Star  Idea 
Tops  Newkirk  Slants 

Jack  Newkirk,  Loew's  Granada,  Cleve- 
land, promoted  a  "Greater  Sales  and  Show 
Month"  with  40  of  his  neighborhood  mer- 
chants, and  featured  a  'movie  memory'  star 
contest  as  follows :  Each  store  placed  in  its 
window,  unidentified  photo  of  a  star.  Patrons 
were  asked  to  make  the  rounds  of  the  stores, 
mark  down  the  names  of  all  the  stars  on 
entry  blanks  available  at  all  stores,  and  also 
name  two  pictures  in  which  each  of  the  stars 
had  appeared.  Blanks  when  filled  were  de- 
posited at  theatre  for  prizes  of  over  $200  in 
cash,  given  by  the  merchants. 

Stores  also  went  to  the  expense  of  put- 
ting up  shields  on  lampposts,  participated  in 
a  full  co-op  page  and  radio  programs  for 
extra  publicity  contest  was  highly  successful 
with  mayor  of  Cleveland  awarding  prizes  at 
a  dinner  given  by  the  merchants. 

Recommended  also  by  Newkirk  is  an  Egg 
Coloring  Contest  put  over  last  Easter  with 
results  good  enough  to  be  worked  again  next 
year.  Neighborhood  paper  sponsored  the 
idea  which  allowed  readers  to  enter  colored 
eggs  to  be  displayed  in  theatre  lobby  for  cash 
prizes.  Paper  started  the  gag  three  weeks 
ahead  and  hundreds  of  eggs  were  received. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


INFORMATION  BOOTH.  One  of  the  builder-up- 
pers on  "Green  Pastures"  at  the  Hipp,  Cleveland, 
was  an  information  booth  in  lobby,  "thunk  up" 
by  Warner  publicists,  Dannenberg  and  Goodman. 


Local  Girl  Contest 
For  Opening  Hostess 

Recommended  by  Dick  Wright,  Warner 
Theatres  Cleveland  zone  district  manager, 
is  tiein  with  department  store  worked  on 
"Golden  Arrow,"  wherein  store  was  re- 
quested to  choose  good-looking  blonde  to  be 
hostess  on  opening  night,  girl  to  stand  un- 
der spot  and  greet  patrons.  Store  furnished 
entire  ensemble,  duplicate  of  that  worn  by 
star  in  picture  and  indicated  by  still  photos. 

Flash  of  the  hostess  in  costume  is  run  in 
the  newsreel  with  proper  credits  and  store 
runs  series  of  ads  illustrating  various  items 
in  the  ensemble  and  of  course  referring  to 
the  picture  with  cut  of  star.  Window  dis- 
plays are  also  in  order. 

Newspaper  mixed  "Caption  Contest"  is 
another  Wright  suggestion  also  worked  on 
the  Davis  picture,  whereby  are  selected  a 
scene  still  from  four  different  attractions  in 
which  Davis  has  appeared.  Each  of  the 
stills  includes  the  leading  man  and  are  run, 
one  a  day,  each  scene  being  captioned  er- 
roneously. Idea  is  to  identify  players  and 
pictures  from  which  stills  are  taken,  and 
contest  assures  four  art  breaks  for  star  and 
plug  for  current  attraction. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Rose  Invites  Old  Couples 
To  a  Dinner  at  Eight 

Over  in  the  Bay  Ridge  section  of  Brook- 
lyn, New  York,  Sam  Rose,  on  his  date  for 
"Dinner  at  Eight"  at  Loew's  Bay  Ridge, 
tied  in  with  community  newspaper  to  find 
the  eight  oldest  couples  in  that  section  to  be 
guests  of  the  theatre  for  dinner.  Strong 
tie-in  was  put  on  for  date  on  "Big  Drive" 
with  aid  of  local  Legion  Post  parading  with 
Boy  Scouts  through  the  main  streets  to  the 
theatre.  Lobby  display  of  implements  was 
borrowed  from  nearby  Fort  Hamilton  and 
Legion  members  acted  as  ushers. 

For  the  Loew  30th  Anniversary,  in  1934, 
Rose  promoted  a  200-pound  birthday  cake 
displayed  in  the  lobby  and  later  brought  to 
the  stage  where  local  judges  and  civic  of- 
ficials did  the  cutting  and  distributing  to 
patrons. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Newspaper  Tieins  Do  Well 
For  Famous  Players-Canadians 

Up  in  Kingston,  Ontario,  leading  news- 
paper put  on  a  circulation  drive  to  reach 
folks  outside  the  immediate  district  and  to 
stimulate  the  campaign  Ernie  Smithies  of 
the  Capitol  offered  two  guest  tickets  with 
each  new  yearly  subscription.  Paper  in  re- 
turn gave  the  theatre  a  number  of  full-page 
ads  on  coming  pictures  during  the  month 
of  the  drive  and  otherwise  publicized  the 
tie-in.  The  idea  went  over  so  well  that  the 
paper  repeated  offer  the  following  month. 

Ernie  Moule,  of  the  Capitol,  Brantford, 
Ontario,  sends  along  tear  sheets  on  recent 
"Spring  Festival"  campaign  showing  how  he 
promoted  eight  full  pages  of  ads  with  lead- 
ing merchants  and  also  secured  fine  window 
and  lobby  displays,  his  campaign  netting  him 
the  district  prize  in  a  circuitwide  contest. 


96 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


e  r  «  o  ii  ci  u  ■  vies 


ED  HARRISON 

has  left  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  to  become  city 
manager  for  Louis  Gordon,  taking  care  of 
the  State  and  Opera  House  in  Waterville, 
Maine. 

V 

JULES  FIELDS 

former  manager  of  the  Central  in  Jersey 
City,  N.  J.,  is  now  managing  the  Lincoln  in 
Union  City. 

V 

HARVEY  COCKS 

of  the  Strand  in  Akron,  Ohio,  paid  us  his 
yearly  visit  again  and  was  sure  welcome. 

V 

FRANK  NICKENS 

formerly  manager  of  the  Bijou,  Knoxville, 
Tenn.,  is  now  managing  the  Strand,  in  Bir- 
mingham, Ala. 

V 

GEORGE  BANNAN 

is  now  managing  the  Edwards  Theatre  in 
East  Hampton,  L.  I. 

V 

AL  SHOOK 

who  formerly  managed  the  Tower,  has  re- 
placed EDWARD  A.  DENTON  as  man- 
ager of  the  Avalon,  Detroit. 

V 

MATT  SAUNDERS 

of  Poli  Theatre,  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  dropped 
in  to  visit  us  with  his  family.  Come  again, 
folks. 

V 

WALTER  FENNEY 

is  now  located  at  the  Riveria  in  Tacoma, 
Wash. 

V 

VANN  A.  NEALEANS 
has  been  appointed  assistant  to  JAMES 
McKOY,  city  manager  for  North  Carolina 
Theatres,  Inc. 

V 

JOHN  LITTLE 

succeeds  HARRY  HENKEN  as  manager  of 
Ford's  Theatre,  Baltimore,  Md. 

V 

WAYNE  MILLS 

is  managing  the  Gilmore  Theatre,  Des 
Moines,  la.  House  was  formerly  known  as 
the  Rivoli. 

V 

RALPH  NIELSON 

formerly  assistant  at  the  Wisconsin,  Mil- 
maukee,  has  been  named  manager  of  the 
Oriental  and  LOWELL  PARMENTIER, 
formerly  at  the  Venetian,  has  been  named 
manager  of  the  Paradise.  ROLAND 
KOUTNIK  goes  to  the  Venetian  and 
LOUIS  NYE  goes  to  the  Riviera,  succeed- 
ing STANLEY  GOODMAN,  resigned. 

V 

ELMER  BILLS 

is  scheduled  to  open  the  rebuilt  Lyric  in 
Salisbury,  Md.  Bills  also  operates  the 
Brunswick. 

V 

LOU  COHEN 

manager  of  Loew's  Palace,  Hartford,  closed 
for  the  summer,  is  putting  on  "The  Great 
Ziegfeld"  for  Loew's  in  Far  Rockaway, 
N.  Y. 

V 

BOB  WINTERSTEEN 
former  manager  of  the  Lincoln  Theatre, 
Lincoln,  Neb.,  has  taken  over  the  theatre  at 
Headrick,  suburb. 


The  marriage  of  Rose  Greher  to 
Monty  MacLevy  was  announced  on 
Sunday,  July  26  at  Lakeville,  Conn. 
Monty  was  formerly  advertising  direc- 
tor of  the  Randforce  Circuit  and  is 
now  head  of  the  MacLevy  Health 
Centers,  New  York  City. 

On  Saturday,  July  25,  Ken  F inlay, 
manager  of  the  new  Theatre  in  Wood- 
stock, Ont.,  to  the  former  Dorothy 
Octavia  Wood.  Mrs.  f inlay  was  for- 
merly ballet  mistress  at  the  Loew  The- 
atre in  Montreal,  having  started  her 
career  as  a  member  of  the  Chester 
Hale  organization  at  the  N.  Y. 
Capitol. 

On  July  31,  in  New  York,  Jules 
Koenig  to  the  former  Ruth  Goldman. 
Mrs.  Koenig  is  treasurer  for  Max  Wil- 
ner  at  the  Apollo  Theatre,  New  York, 
and  the  happy  man  manages  the 
Brandt  Central  Theatre,  on  Broad- 
way. 

V 

FRANK  BOUCHER 

formerly  at  the  Embassy  and  Maryland  The- 
atres, Cumberland,  Md.,  is  managing  the 
Warner  Metropolitan  Theatre  in  Baltimore, 
relieving  BIRK  BINNARD. 


C.  B.  ROSSON 

manager  of  the  Imperial  at  Columbia,  S.  C, 
has  been  transferred  to  Durham,  N.  C,  as 
manager  of  the  Paramount.  R.  C.  SPEECE, 
formerly  of  Atlanta,  succeeds  him  at  the 
Imperial. 

V 

BUCK  WEAVER 

who  operated  a  house  at  Arkansas  City, 
Kan.,  is  opening  the  Ritz  in  Leavenworth, 
Kan. 

V 

NEIL  McGILL 

manager  of  the  State,  in  Charlotte,  N.  C, 
has  been  promoted  to  manager  of  the  Im- 
perial there.  B.  S.  LEWIS,  formerly  of 
Philadelphia,  is  now  in  charge  of  the  State. 

V 

M.  MARTONE 

former  manager  of  the  Empire  in  Whitman, 
Mass.,  is  now  managing  the  Palmer  in 
Palmer,  Mass. 

V 

W.  CLYDE  SMITH 

has  been  appointed  city  manager  of  the 
Malco  Theatres,  Hot  Springs,  Ark.,  which 
include  the  Paramount,  Central,  Spa  and 
Roxy  Theatres. 

V 

FRANK  R.  MUIR 

has  been  appointed  manager  of  the  Strand 
in  Vancouver,  and  will  continue  his  public 
relations  work. 

V 

SYDNEY  SCOTT 

formerly  of  the  Tivoli,  in  Hamilton,  Ont., 
Can.,  has  been  appointed  manager  of  the 
Capitol,  Sudbury,  with  JACK  PURVES, 
formerly  of  the  Winnipeg  Capitol,  replacing 
him  at  the  Rivoli. 

V 

HAL  J.  GILBERT 

manager  of  the  Granada,  Bluefield,  West 
Va.,  dropped  in  to  get  acquainted. 

V 

LLOYD  E.  DAVIDSON 
formerly  manager  of  the  Capitol  in  Sioux 
City,  la.,  has  been  appointed  city  manager 
of  the  eight  Tri-States  theatres  in  Sioux 
City.  DON  SHANE  will  be  house  manager 
of  the  Capitol. 


STAN  BARR 

is  now  managing  the  Colonial  in  Norfolk, 
Va. 


APPLICATION  FOR 

MEMBERSHIP 

MANAGERS'  ROUND 
TABLE  CLUB 

1790  Broadway,  New  York 

E.  S.  C.  COPPOCK 

has  opened  offices  in  the  Texas  Theatre 

Name    Bldg.,  San  Antonio,  to  distribute  16  mm. 

film. 

Position    V7 

Theatre  NERO  OTTATI 

e "  Te  is  the  manager  of  the  Tower,  in  Detroit, 

.  Mich. 
Circuit   ^ 

Address  CHARLES  LEWIS 

has  been  promoted  from  assistant  of  the 
c..  Carolina,  Winston-Salem,  N.  C,  to  manage 

y  the  Carolina,  High  Point,  N.  C. 

State   V 

Absolutely  No  Dues  or  Fees!        f^^L,  Mo.,  managing  the  Fox 

  Theatre. 


August    8,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


97 


NEWSPAPER  ADS  FROM  AFIELD 


98 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


TOP  U.  S.  FILMS  GIVE  NEW  LIFE 

TO  THE  THEATRES  OF  URUGUAY 


Distributors  Increase  Advertis- 
ing and  Newspapers  Coop- 
erate; Glucksmann  Prepares 
for  Wider  RKO  Activity 

by  PAUL  BODO 

in  Montevideo 

From  the  point  of  view  of  the  box-office, 
the  motion  picture  season  in  Uruguay  is  the 
most  satisfactory  in  years.  There  is  a  con- 
siderably increased  theatre  attendance  with 
positive  signs  that  the  public  preference  for 
film  entertainment  is  permanent. 

Last  year  in  most  of  the  houses  large 
attendance  was  registered  only  on  Saturdays 
and  Sundays  and  in  the  second  and  third 
class  houses  on  the  socalled  "dia  popular" — 
popular  days — when  the  admission  fee  is 
reduced  to  0.30  pesos  (15  cents).  During 
working  days,  most  of  the  theatres  were  not 
able  to  cover  expenses  and  had  to  pay  the 
losses  out  of  Saturday  and  Sunday  business. 

This  year  completely  sold-out  first-run 
houses  are  not  rare,  and  the  subsequent-run 
theatres  also  are  working  quite  satisfactorily. 
Local  exhibitors  believe  the  better  business 
is  a  logical  consequence  of  the  great  number 
of  first-class  American  pictures.  Last  year 
almost  all  the  great  productions  were  ex- 
hibited at  the  beginning  of  the  season,  in 
April  and  the  first  weeks  of  May.  Then 
the  box-office  had  good  results,  but  as  later 
the  quality  of  product  dropped  the  public 
immediately  registered  its  reaction  at  the 
box-office. 

This  year  all  exhibitors  are  able  to  pre- 
sent good  pictures  throughout  the  season. 
All  distributors  are  increasing  their  adver- 
tising and  exploitation.  Newspapers  are 
giving  more  free  space  and  the  public  is 
showing  more  interest  in  all  phases  of  the 
cinema. 

American  pictures  are  on  the  top. 
Shirley  Temple  has  the  same  drawing 
power  here  as  in  other  countries.  "Ricitos 
de  Oro"  ("Curly  Top")  gave  excellent  re- 
sults. Good  business  also  was  done  with 
"Sombrero  de  Copa"  ("Top  Hat")  and 
"Capitan  Rojo"  ("Captain  Blood").  The 
best  picture  to  date  at  the  box  office  is 
"La  Vida  Tragica  del  Luis  Pasteur." 

In  second  rank,  French  pictures  have 
brought  good  business,  but  only  in  the  first- 
class  houses,  as  the  majority  of  their  public 
speak  and  understand  French. 

British  and  German  pictures  are  shown 
in  the  stage  theatre  of  the  SODRE,  official 
radio  station,  transformed  into  a  film  house. 
While  the  local  representative  of  Gaumont 
British  and  Allianza  Film  last  year  released 
but  two  pictures,  he  now  is  presenting  a 
number  of  old  productions  of  the  company. 
Although  the  attendance  is  not  very  great, 
the  business  done  is  rather  satisfactory,  as 
the  operating  costs  are  low  and  the  pictures 
have  been  well  received  in  the  second  and 
third  run  houses. 
■  Of  the  American  producers  represented 


Bernardo  Glucksmann  {left),  ex- 
hibitor and  sales  executive,  with  Guy 
P.  Morgan,  Argentine  sales  manager 
of  United  Artists,  at  the  simultaneous 
premieres  of  Charles  Chaplin's  "Mod- 
ern Times"  ("Tiempos  Modernos") , 
in  the  Rex  theatre  and  the  Cine  Ariel 
in  Montevideo. 

here,  only  MGM  so  far  has  not  presented 
any  new  picture,  this  because  its  releasing 
plans  were  being  delayed  for  the  opening  of 
the  new  Cine  Metro. 

V 

RKO  Expanding  Activities 

After  a  few  hours  in  our  city,  Ben  Y. 
Cammack,  foreign  sales  manager  of  RKO, 
continued  on  his  way  to  Buenos  Aires.  Mr. 
Cammack  is  on  a  South  American  tour  of 
inspection  of  the  RKO  offices  in  Argentine, 
Chile  and  Uruguay,  and  is  preparing  more 
intensive  activity  of  these  branches  in  view 
of  the  expanding  production  and  distribution 
plans  of  his  company.  RKO  has  distribution 
branches  also  in  Buenos  Aires,  Rosario, 
Tucuman,  Santa  Fe  and  Bahia.  From 
Argentine  Mr.  Cammack  is  going  to  Chile 
to  visit  Santiago  and  Valparaiso,  and  in  the 
return  trip  will  stay  a  few  days  at  Monte- 
video. 

The  local  representative  of  RKO  has 
founded  a  new  company  in  order  to  extend 
his  activities.  Radio  Cinema  S.  A.  has  Don 
Bernardo  Glucksmann  as  president  and  Rene 


Business  Is  Called  Satisfactory, 
Low  Operating  Costs  and 
High  Standard  Product  Off- 
setting Light  Attendance 

and  Carlos  Glucksmann  as  directors.  Au- 
thorized initial  capital  is  20,000  Uruguay 
pesos,  divided  into  two  series  of  10,000  each. 
This  capital  may  be  increased  according  to 
the  requirements  of  the  business  up  to  100,- 
000  by  issuance  of  corresponding  shares  in 
series  of  10,000  each. 

The  new  company,  according  to  its  by- 
laws, is  authorized  to  transact  business  in 
the  fields  of  the  theatre,  motion  pictures, 
music,  photos  and  the  like,  throughout  the 
Republic  of  Uruguay. 

Radio  Cinema  S.  A.  will  act  as  reoresen- 
tative  and  distributor  for  RKO.  represen- 
tation previouslv  held  bv  Don  Bernardo 
Glucksmann  under  his  nrivate  firm's  name. 
V 

The  heirs  of  the  late  owner  of  the  Lux 
cinema  are  negotiating  with  Bernardo 
Glucksmann  for  the  sale  of  this  prooertv. 
which  will  be  added  to  the  Glucksmann  cir- 
cuit after  improvements. 

Chaplin  Film  Well  Received 

Never  was  a  picture  awaited  with  more 
interest  than  "Tiempos  Modernos"  ("Mod- 
ern Times"),  presented  for  the  first  time  in 
Latin  America,  in  Montevideo.  Uruguay  is 
the  sixth  country  in  which  this  Charles 
Chaplin  production  has  been  shown.  The 
picture  reached  our  screen  after  considerable 
cuts ;  many  scenes  published  in  newspaper 
stills  were  missing,  but  our  public  neverthe- 
less received  it  with  unusual  enthusiasm.  As 
Montevideo  attendance  represents  the  aver- 
age public  of  Spanish  America,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  "Tiempos  Modernos"  will  be  one 
of  the  greatest  hits  of  the  year. 

Our  public  doesn't  understand  English  and 
was  fully  satisfied  with  the  superimposed 
titles  and  the  few  scenes  dubbed  in  Spanish. 

Guy  P.  Morgan,  general  manager  of 
United  Artists  Corporation  of  Argentina, 
who  had  come  from  Buenos  Aires  to  assist 
the  Chaplin  premiere,  told  me  that  "Chaplin 
has  the  same  power  as  in  his  former  pictures 
to  conquer  the  hearts  of  the  South  American 
public." 

First  Broadcast  of  Premiere 

"Tiempos  Modernos"  was  presented  simul- 
taneously in  two  Glucksmann  theatres,  the 
Rex  and  the  Cine  Ariel.  The  front  of  the 
Rex  theatre  was  covered  up  to  the  second 
floor  with  a  Chaplin  head  and  figure  and 
enormous  inscriptions.  A  special  "Modern 
Times"  lobby  display  had  been  built. 

For  the  first  time  in  Montevideo  a 
premiere  was  broadcast.  Nebio  Caporale 
Scelta,  publicity  manager  of  the  Glucks- 
mann circuit,  acted  as  master  of  ceremonies 
and  before  the  microphone  installed  in  the 
foyer  of  the  Rex  theatre  representative  fig- 
ures of  the  press,  literature  and  theatre 
spoke  over  CX  14  and  CX  16. 

Chaplin's  picture  was  presented  after  an 
excellent  publicity  campaign. 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


99 


THE  RELEASE  CHART 


Productions  are  listed  according  to  the  names  of  distributors  in  order  that  the  exhibitor  may  have  a  short-cut  towards  such 
information  as  he  may  need,  as  well  as  information  on  pictures  that  are  coming.  Features  now  in  work  or  completed  for  release 
later  than  the  date  of  this  issue  are  listed  under  "Coming  Attractions."  Running  times  are  those  supplied  by  the  companies. 
Asterisk  indicates  running  time  as  made  known  by  West  Coast  studio  before  announcement  by  home  office  in  New  York.  Varia- 
tions also  may  be  due  to  local  censorship  deletions.  Dates  are  1935,  unless  otherwise  specified.  Letter  in  parenthesis  after 
title  denotes  audience  classification  of  production:  (A)  Adult,  (G)  General.  Numerals  following  audience  classification  are  pro- 
duction numbers.    Dagger  symbol  indicates  picture  is  of  the  1935-36  season. 


ACADEMY 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi  Duna   Jan.    24,'36t  70. Jan.    25. '36 

Revolt  of  the  Demons  Dorothy  Stone-Dean  Jagger  May   20,'36t  60. June    13. '36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title  of  "Revolt  of  the  Zombies.") 


Inter-national  Crime  ... 

Millions  for  Defense  

Murder  in  Chinatown  

Secret  of  Scotland  Yard. 
Slave  Ship   


Coming 


AMBASSADOR-CONN-MELODY 


Title  Star 

Black  Gold  Frankie  Darro-Berton  Churchill 

Born  to  Fight  Frankie  Darro-Jack  La  Rue  Apr. 

Phantom  of  Death  Valley  Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond ...  May 

Phantom  Patrol   Kermit  Maynard-Joan  Barclay  May 

Racing  Blood   Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. . .Aug. 

Song  of  the  Trail  Kermit  Maynard- Evelyn  Brent. ..Feb. 

Timber  War   Kermit  Maynard-Lucille  Lund... Nov. 

Wildcat  Trooper   Kermit  Maynard-H.  Bosworth  June 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Jan.  20,'36t  

I3,'36t  

I5,'36t  

3/36t  

I, '36  

24,'36t  

20  

10,'36t  


Coming 

Dawn  Rider   Kermit    Maynard   Oct.  I0,'36. 

Robin  Hood,  Jr  Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. . .Sept.  20,'36. 

Wild  Horse  Roundup  Kermit  Maynard   Sept.  I5,'36. 

With  Love  and  Kisses   Pinky  Tomlin   Oct.  I,'36. 


BURROUGHS-TARZAN 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Drag  Net,  The  Rod  LaRocque-Marian  Nixon  Apr.  I5,'36t...  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Feb.  I5,'36.) 
Phantom  of  Sante  Fe,  The  Nina  Quartaro-Norman  Kerry  July  7,'36t  

(all  color) 

Tundra   Del  Cambre   Aug.  I5,'36t  

Coming 

White  Glove.  The  Sept.  |f.36t  


CELEBRITY 


Title 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Coming 

For  Love  of  You  Franco    Foresta   -    Riscoe  and 

Wayne   60  

Kiss  Me  Goodbye  (G)  Magda  Schneider  -  Riscoe  and 

Wa>ne   62.... Dee.  14 


CHESTERFIELD 


August  Week-end   v.  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley,  Jr  Apr. 

Below  the  Deadline  Cecilia  Parker- Russell   Hopton. . .  June 

Dark  Hour,  The  Ray  Walker-Irene  Ware  Jan. 

Little  Red  Schoolhouse  Dickie  Moore-Junior  Coghlan. .. .  Mar. 

Lady  Luck   Patricia  Farr-Wm.  Bakewell  July 

Ring  Around  the  Moon  (G) ...  Erin  O'Brien-Moore-D.  Cook  Dec. 


Missing  Girls 


Coming 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 
25/36t  

1,  '36t  

I5.'36t....64  

2,  '36t....66  

6,'36t  

■  5t  64. Mar.  28/38 


COLUMBIA 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


TltIe  Star 
And    So   They   Were  Married 

(G)   Mary  Astor-Melvyn   Douglas....  May 

Aveng.ng   Waters   Ken  Maynard-Beth  Marion   May 

Blackmailer   William  Gargan- Florence  Rice. ..July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  28.'36.) 
Calling  of  Dan  Matthew  (G).  Richard  Arlen-Charlotte  Wynters  Dee 

Cattle  Thief,  The  Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell. ..  Feb. 

Counterfeit   Chester  Morris-Margot  Grahame. .  June    I2.'36t  74 

(See   'Queer  Money,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2,'36  ) 
Crime  and  Punishment  (A). ...Peter  Lorre-Edward  Arnold....  Nov 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25,'36,  p.  63.) 

Dangerous  Intrigue   Ra|pb  Bellamy-Gloria  Shea....  Jan 

Devil's  Squadron   (G)   Richard   Dix-Karen    Morley  .May 

Dont  Gamble  with  Love  (G) . .  Bruce  Cabot-Ann  Sothern  Feb 


IO/36t  75. Apr.  18/36 

8,'36t  56  

I0.'36t  66  

I0t  65.  Feb.     I, '36 

28.'36t....57  


20t  89....  Nov.  30 


4.'36t....57  

l.'36t....80.May  I6.'36 
l5.'36t....63.Mar.  I4.'36 


7,'36t....58  

I.'36t. 
30t. 


30t. 


28t  57.  May 


....58  

 57  

....65.  Mar. 

21,  "38 

 51  

 72  

....86. May 

23,'36 

....73  

311"  

I  ,'36t . 


6,'36t. 
I2.'36t. 


Running  Time 

Title                                    Star                                   Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Escape  from  Devil's  Island (G)  .Victor  Jory-Florence  Rice  Nov.    lot  65  Dee.  14 

Final  Hour.  The  M.  Churchill-Ralph  Bellamy  July 

Fugitive  Sheriff,  The   Ken  Maynard-Beth  Marion  June 

Gallant  Defender   Charles  Starrett-Joan  Perry  Nov. 

Hell  Ship  Morgan   (G)  George  Bancroft-Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Heroes  of  the  Range  Ken   Maynard-June   Gale  Mar. 

If  You  Could  Only  Cook  Jean    Arthur-Herbert    Marshall. .  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25. '36,  p.  64.) 
King  Steps  Out,  The  (G)  Grace  Moore-Franchot  Tone  May 

(Exploitation:    July  25, '36.  p.  81.) 

Lady  of  Secrets  Ruth  Chatterton-Otto  Kruger  Jan. 

Lawless  Riders   (G)  Ken   Maynard,- Geneva   Mitchell ...  Dec. 

Lone  Wolf  Returns,  The  (GK.Melvyn   Douglas-Gail   Patrick  Dec. 

Meet  Nero  Wolfe  (G)  Edward  Arnold-Lionel  Stander. . .  Aug. 

Mine  With  the  Iron  Door,  The 

(G)   Richard   Arlen-Cecilia   Parker.  ..May 

Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town  (G)..Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  Apr. 

(Exploitation:   May   30, '36.   p.   90;  June  6, '36,   p.    120;  June  20. '36.  pp. 

June  27. '36,  p.  80:  July  11. '36.  pp.  125,  128;  July  I8.'36,  p.  82;  July  25. '36.  p.  81.) 

Music  Goes  'Round,  The  (G).Rochelle  Hudson-Harry  Richman. .  Feb.   27,'36t  88. Feb.  29.'36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7,'36,  p.  95;  Mar.  21, '36.  p.  96;  Mar.  28,'36,  p.  84;  Apr.  I8,'36,  p.  78; 
May  2, '36,  p.  94;  May  9,'36,  p.  90;  May  16. '36,  p.  82;  June  6,'36,  p.  123.) 

Mysterious  Avenger   Charles  Starrett-Joan  Perry  Jan.    I7,'36f  55  

One  Way  Ticket  Lloyd  Nolan-Peggy  Conklin  Nov.    25t  72  

Panic  on  the  Air  (G)  Lew  Ayres-Florence  Rice  Apr.    I0,'36t  56. May 

Pride  of  the  Marines  Charles  Bickford-Florence  Rice... Apr.     2,'36t  66  

Roaming  Lady   Fay  Wray-Ralph  Ballamy  Apr.    I2,'36t  69  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  April  4, '36.) 

Secret  Patrol   Charles  Starrett-Finis  Barton  May    20.'36t  60  

Shakedown   Lew  Ayres-Joan  Perry  July    I7.'36t  57  

Stampede   Charles  Starrett-Finis  Barton  June     8.'36t  56  

Too  Tough  to  Kill  Victor  Jory-Satly  O'Neill  Nov.    23t  58  

Trapped  by  Television  Lyle  Talbot-Mary  Astor  June   I5,'36t  64  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23. '36.) 

Western   Courage   Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell. .  .Nov. 

You  May  Be  Next  (G)  Ann  Sothem-Lloyd  Nolan  Feb. 


..69. Feb. 
..72. July 

.  .66.  Apr. 
.118  Apr. 
118.  120, 


2. '36 
15/36 
25/3C 

25/36 
25/36 
122; 


2/36 


I5t  58  

6/36t....67.Mar.  28/36 


Coming 

Adventure  in  Manhattan  Jean  Arthur-Joel  McCrea  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 

Continental   Dolores  Del  Rio-Melvyn  Douglas  

Craig's  Wife   John  Boles-Rosalind  Russell  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 

Find   the   Witness  Marguerite  Churchill  

I  Promise  to  Pay  Leo    Carrillo- Marian  Marsh- 

Geo.  Bancroft   

Lost  Horizon   Ronald  Colman-Jane  Wyatt- 

Edward  Everett  Horton  

Man  Who  Lived  Twioe,  The  Isabel  Jewell-Ralph  Bellamy   ... 

Man  Without  Fear,  A  Jack  Holt-Louise  Henry  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 

Nightingale  Flies  Home,  The. Grace  Moore   

Pennies  from    Heaven  Bing  Crosby-Madge  Evans  

Phantom  Fighter,  The  Robert  Allen-Martha  Tibbetts  

Theodora  Goes  Wild  Irene  Dunne   

They  Met  in  a  Taxi  Chester  Morris-Fay  Wray  

(See  "There  Goes  the  Bride,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 
Two   Fisted   Gentleman  James   Dunn-June  Clayworth  Aug.  15/36. 

(See  "The  Fighter,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  July  4/36.) 


COMMODORE 

Runnin 

l  Time 

Title 

Aces  Wild   

Star 

Rel. 

Date  Minutes 

O  '  9R+          R  etc 

Reviewed 

I5,'36t.. 
I5.'36t.. 

.6  rls 

Pecos    Kid,  The  

.6  rls 

Ridin'  Through   

It  

Toll  of  the  Desert  (G) 
Wolf  Riders   

...Fred  Kohler,  Jr.-Betty  Mack.. 
...Jack  Perrln   

.Nov. 

It  

26t 

.60.. 

.Oct  28 

Scream  in  the  Dark  

Coming 

DANUBIA 

Title 

Empress  and  a  Soldier  

(Hungarian  Dialogue) 
Star 

Rel. 

Running  Time 
Date  Minutes 

It  77 

Reviewed 

Keep  Smiling   

. ..Szoeke  Szakall   

2l.'36t 

New   Squire,   The  !  .. 

I5.'36t.. 
I0t  

106... 
.90... 

Queen  of  Roses  

...Zita  Pertzel   

Sweet  Stepmother   .... 

...Maria  Tasnedl   

.Nov. 

Be  Good  Unto  Death... 

Coming 

10/36 

100 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT—CCNT'D) 


DU  WORLD 

Title  Star  Rel. 

Frasquita  (G)   Franz  Lehar   ..Jan. 

Legong:  Dance  of  the  Virgins. .Technicolor   Nov. 

Scandal  in   Budapest  Nov. 

Wedding   Rehearsal   Roland  Young-Merle  Oberon  Dec. 

Coming 

Amok   Marcel  Chantel   Oct. 

Kliou,  The  Killer  Technicolor   Oct. 

L'Equippage   Annabella   Oct. 

Nobody's  Boy   Robert  Lynen   Sept, 

Notre  Dame   Oct. 

Opera  of  Paris   Georges  Thill   Oct. 


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
l7,'36t....87.Feb.     I, '36 
I5t  60  

It  

If  


15/36   84  

I, '36  60  June 

15/36  79  

I5,'36  81  

1/36  58  

I, '36  50  


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


EMPIRE 

Title  Star 

Crime  Patrol   Ray  Walker-Geneva  Mitchell  

Fire  Trap  (G)   Evalyn  Knapp-Norman  Foster  *63....Dec.  7 

Shadows  of  the  Orient  (G)... .Regis  Toomey- Esther   Ralston  *65.Feb.  15/36 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
Apr.   I8.'36t  67. Jan.  25/36 


7t  69....  Nov.  23 

6/36t....8l  .May  23/36 


FIRST  NATIONAL 

Title  Star 
Brides  Are  Like  That  (G)  972.  Ross   Alexander-Anita  Louise 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  117.) 

Broadway  Hostess  (G)  963  Winifred  Shaw-Lyle  Talbot  Dec. 

Bullets  or  Ballots  (G)  961...  .Edw.  G.  Robinson-Joan  Blondell.  .June 

(Exploitation:  June  13/36,  p.  123;  June  27/36,  p.  86.) 
Captain  Blood  (G)  855  Errol  Flynn-Olivia  De  Havilland. .  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  69;  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83,  86;  Feb.  29/36, 
74,  76;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Ceiling  Zero   (G)   953  James  Cagney-Pat  O'Brien  Jan.  25/36t. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  62;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  29/36,  p.  73;  Mar.  7/36 
Apr.  18/36,  pp.  81,  82;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  23/36,  p.  88.) 
Earthworm  Tractors  (G)  962. ..Joe  E.  Brown-June  Travis. . 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.) 


28t. 


119. Jan.  11/36 
PP. 


.  Dec.  28 
P.  99; 


(Exploitation:  May  16/36,  p.  85;  July  4/36,  p.  72.) 


Law  in  Her  Hands,  The  (G) 


Murder   by  an   Aristocrat  (G) 

974   Marguerite  Churchill-L.  Talbot. 

Murder  of   Dr.    Harrigan,  The 


July 

I8,'36t.. 

88. June  20/36 

May 

23/36t.. 

..68.  May  9/36 

June 

20,'36t.. 

..70. June  13/36 

Nov. 

I6t  

..84. ...Nov.  2 

May 

I6,'36t.. 

..58.  Apr.  18/36 

,  Dec. 

2lt  

..61  Nov.  16 

June 

I3,'36f .. 

..60. Apr.  4/36 

Jan. 

Il/36t.. 

..67. Feb.  1/36 

9t  

..64....  Nov.  30 

Mar. 

28/36t.. 

..62. Feb.  29/36 

June  27/36,  p.  88;  July  4/36.  p.  68; 
.Apr.    ll/36t....84.Mar.  21/36 


4/36+. 
29,'36t. 


.63. Mar.  21/36 
.56.  Apr.  11/36 


22/36+.... 87.... Nov.  30 


(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p. 
July  11/36,  p.  128.) 

Singing  Kid,  The  (G)  954. ...Al  Jolson-Beverly  Roberts  

(Exploiation:  May  2/36,  p.  99.) 

Snowed  Under  (G)  971  George  Brent-Genevieve  Tobin  Apr. 

Song  of  the  Saddle  (G)  978..  Dick  Foran-Alma  Lloyd  Feb. 

Story   of    Louis    Pasteur,  The 

(G)  956   Paul  Muni-Josephine  Hutchinson. .  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  96;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  25/36, 
p.  96;  May  2/36,  p.  92;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36,  p.  85;  July 
4/36,  p.  68;  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93.) 
Two  Against  the  World  (G)  977.  Humphrey  Bogart-Beverly  Rob- 
erts  July    ll/36t  57.  May  23/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.) 

White  Angel,  The  960  (G)....Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter  July     4/36+..  ..91  .June  6/36 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  125.) 

Coming 

Case  of  the  Caretaker's  Cat  Ricardo  Cortez-June  Travis  

Case  of  the  Velvet  Claws,  The 

(G)    965   Warren  William-Claire   Dodd  Aug.   I5,'36t  63.  May  23/36 

China  Clipper  960  Pat  O'Brien-Beverly   Roberts  Aug.  22/36+  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Down  the  Stretch  (G)  Patricia  Ellis-Dennis  Moore  Sept.  19/36  *65.July  18/36 

God's  Country  and  the  Woman. George  Brent-Beverly  Roberts  "... 

Gold  Diggers  of  1937  Dick  Powell-Joan  Blondell  

Heroes  of  the  Air  Jean  Muir-Warren  Hull  

Love    Begins   at    Twenty  (G) 

975   Warren  Hull-Patricia  Ellis  Aug.  22/36. 

Mountain  Justice   Bette  Davis  

Nowhere   Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts  

Pol°   J»e   loe  E.  Brown-Carol  Hughes  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Shrinking   Violet   June   Travis-Richard  Purcell  

Sing  Me  a  Love  Song  James  Melton-Patricia  Ellis  .... 

Slight  Case  of  Murder,  A  Edward  G.   Robinson  !!!!!"! 

Stage  Struck   Joan  Blondell-Dick  Powell  Sept.  12/36. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . '. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  6/36.) 
Trailin'   West   Dick   Foran-Paula  Stone  Sept.  5/36  

(See  "On  Secret  Service,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  16/36.) 

FRANK  NORTON 

(Greek  Dialogue — English  Titles)  Running  Time 

Title  Star 

Aute  In  Zoo   Reta  Karmen    Nov. 

Blue  Candlei   Reta  Myrat   Dee. 

Crucified  Love   Helen   Pades   Dee. 

Depression  Is  Over   Beatrice  Emanuel   !.Jan. 

Independence   Phillip  Alexander   ..Feb. 

News  from  Greece  ...Travelogue   Feb. 

Voskopoula   Bophea  Damoglou   Jan. 


.58. May  30/36 


Rel.  Date 

25t 


Minutes  Reviewed 

 115  

28t  95  

15+  115  

15/36+..  .98  

16,'Mt..  100  

9/36+  80  

5/36+  95  


Title 


GB  PICTURES 

Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  heviewed 


31+.... 
30,'36t. 
I0,'36t. 

22  

18/36,  i 


15+  

15/36+... 


.78  Nov.  30 

.79.  May  16/36 
.75. Jan.  25/36 

.80  Oct.  10 

83;  Feb.  8/36, 


88.  Mar.  7/36 


First  a  Girl  (A)  3512  Jessie  Matthews-Sonnie  Hale. ....  Dec. 

It's  Love  Again  (G)  Jessie  Matthews-Robert  Young... May 

King  of  the  Damned  (A)  3504. Conrad  Veidt-Helen  Vinson  Jan. 

Mister  Hobo  (G)  3416  George  Arliss-Gene  Gerrard  Nov. 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "The  Guv'nor.")  (Exploitation:  Jan. 
p.  84;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  83.) 
Passing  of  the  Third  Floor 

Back,  The  (G)  3510  Conrad    Veidt-Rene    Ray  Dec.    15+  80  Oct.  10 

Rhodes,    the    Diamond  Master 

(G)    3514   Walter  Huston   Apr. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  72.) 
Secret  Agent  (A)   3515  Madeleine  Carroll-Peter  Lorre...June   15/36+  83. May  23/36 

Coming 

East  Meets  West  George  Arliss  

Everything   Is  Thunder  C.    Bennett-D.  Montgomery  

Great  Barrier,  The  Richard  Arlen-Lilli  Palmer  

Hidden  Power,  The  Sylvia  Sidney-John  Loder  

His  Majesty's  Pyjamas  (A) 

3623   Clive  Brook-Helen  Vinson-Mary 

Carlisle   78.  May  30/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Love  in  Exile.") 

King  Solomon's  Mines  3618. .  .Roland  Young-Paul  Robeson  

Man  Who  Lived  Again  3507..  Boris  Karloff-Anna  Lee  

Nelson  Touch,  The  George  Arliss   

Nine  Days  a  Queen  (G)  3610.  .Nova  Pilbeam-Cedric  Hardwicke.  .Sept.    I/36+. . .  .80.  May  18/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Lady  Jane  Gray.")  (See  production  article,  June  20/36,  p.  10.) 

Paris  Love  Song   Jessie  Matthews   

Seven  Sinners   Edmund    Lowe-Constance  Cum- 

mings   Aug.   I5,'36t  70. July  11/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Doomed  Cargo.") 

Soldiers  Three   Victor  McLaglen   

Strangers  cn  a  Honeymoon. .. .Constance  Cummings-Hugh  Sin- 
clair-Noah  Beery   73.  

GEORGE  HIRLIMAN  ENTERPRISES 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Bristol,    the    Blunderer  George  O'Brien   Nov.  1/36  

Captain  Calamity   George  Houston-Marian  Nixon. ..Aug.   15/36  66  

Daniel    Boone   George  O'Brien   Sept.  1/36  

Devil  on  Horseback,  The  Lili  Damita   

Gorgeous   

Pending  Justice   Conrad  Nagel- Eleanor  Hunt  

We're  in  the  Legion  Now  (G). Reginald  Denny-Esther  Ralston . .Oct. 
(Reviewed  under  the  title  "Rest  Cure.") 

Romance  on  the  Rio  

Yellow  Cargo   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  Sept.  15/36  65  

GRAND  NATIONAL  DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

(Release  First  Division  Productions  and  in  certain  territories  Alliance,  Diversion, 
Normandy,  Associated  Talking,  Monogram,  Liberty,  Chesterfield  and  Invincible  Pictures.) 

Running  Tim? 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


15/36  64. Feb.  15/36 


Title  Star  Rel.  D 

August    Week-End   Valerie  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley, 

Jr  Apr. 

Below   the    Deadline  Cecilia  Parker- Russell  Hopton.  •  •  June 

Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens- Dorothy  Tree. ...Mar. 

Brilliant    Marriage   Joan  Marsh-Ray  Walker  Mar. 

Dark  Hour,  The   Irene  Ware-Ray  Walker  Jan. 

Drake  the  Pirate  (G)  Matheson   Lang-Jane   Baxter. ...  .Apr. 

Easy   Money    (G)  Onslow  Stevens- Kay  Linaker. . . . .  June 

Feud  of  the  West  Hoot  Gibson-Joan  Barclay  Apr. 

Hitch-Hike  to   Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman-Anita  Page. ..Dec. 

I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi  Duna   ..Feb. 

Lady  in  Scarlet,  The  Reginald   Denny-Patricia  Farr.  ..Nov. 

Lady  Luck   Patricia  Farr-Wm.  Bakewell. . .  •  •  July 

Law  of  45's   Big  Boy  William-Molly  O'Day.  ..Dec. 

Little  Red  School  House  Junior  Coghian- Dickie  Moore.  .••  Mar. 

Living    Dead,   The  Gerald  Du  Maurier-Geo.  Curzon  ■  Feb. 

Lucky  Terror,  The  Hoot   Gibson   ..Feb. 

Murder  at  Glen  Athol  John  Milian-lrene  Ware  ..Nov. 

Old  Curiosity  Shop  (G)  Elaine  Benson-Ben  Webster  ..Dec. 

Red   Wagon  Charles  Bickford-Raquel  Torres- • Dec- 

Riding  Avenger  (G)   Hoot  Gibson   ..June 

Ring  Around  the  Moon  Erin  O'Brien  -  Moore  -  Donald 

Cook   ..Jan. 

She-Devil   Island   C.  Guerrero-  J.  J.  Martinez 

Casado  June 

Southern   Maid   Bebe  Daniels-Clifford  Mollison .  ■  •  May 

Spy  77   (G)   Greta  Nissen-Don  Alvarado  Jan. 

Swifty   Hoot  Gibson-June  Gale  Dec. 

Tango   Marian   Nixon-Chick  Chandler  ..Jan. 

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)  Chick  Chandler-Evalyn  Knapp  May 

Too  Much  Beef  Rex  Bell-Connie  Bergen  ..Apr. 

West  of  Nevada  Rex  Bell   June 


IO/36t....67 
8/36+.. . .69 
5/36+.. 
25/36+.. 
15/36+.. 
1/36+.. 
I5,'36t.. 
15/36+.. 
It  


66  

62 '/2  

70'/2  

78  June  I 

66</2  July  1 1/36 

6l'/2  

63  


.67. Jan. 
.65  


25/36 


l,'36t... 
20t  

3/36+  

It  56  

IO/36t  59  

29,'36t....65  

20/36t  61  

It  69. May  9/36 

25+  89....  Feb.  2 

8t  76  

15/36+...  .57.  July  18/36 

23,'36t. ..  .69'/2Mar.  28/36 

1/36+  63  

1/36+  60  

l5,'36t....77.Feb.  29/36 

15+  60  

10/36+  70  

20/36+  75. July  4/36 

20/36t....59  

22/36t....59  


Title 


HOFFBERG 

Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Fighting  Playboy   Luclle  Browne-Nick  Stuart  Nov.    I0t  55  

Girl  from  Maxim's  Leslie  Henson-Frances  Day  July    15/36  65. Oct. 

Old  Spanish  Custom,  An.  Buster    Keaton   Jan.     2/36t  60  

Song  of  the  Scarlet  Flower  Swedish   June   l5/36t  80  

Wanted    Men   Charles  Lauphton-Dorothy  Gish.  June  l,'36t. 


14/33 


.62. 

Coming 

Monday  at  Ten  Virginia  Cherrill-Gary  Marsh  60. 

Crime  of  Voodoo  Fredl  Washington   Sept.    1/36  63. 

Voice  of   India  Hoeffer  Expedition   Sept.  15/36  70. 

Womanhood   Eve  Gray-Esmond  Knight   60. 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


101 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART—CONT'D) 


HUNSARIA 


(Hungarian  Dialogue) 
Title  Star 

Addressee  Unknown   Irene  Agai  

Heart  Specialist   B.  Somegyl   


Running  Time 


Rel. 

Date  M 

nutes  Reviewed 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

20t  

Jan. 

I.'36t  . 

Nov. 

One  Night  in  Venice  

Three  Men  Under  the  Snow. 


IMPERIAL 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Forgotten   Women   Irene   Rich-Evelyn    Brent  May    I5,'36  71  

Manhattan  Butterfly   Dorothy  Grainger-Wm.  Bakewell  .  Nov.    25t  71  

Coming 

High  Hat   Frank   Luther- Dorothy   Dare  Sept.    I. '36  

I  Demand  Payment  Betty  Burgess-Lloyd  Hughes  Nov.  I.'36t  

Rich  Relations   Ralph  Forbes- Frances  Grant  Oct.    15. '36  68  

She  Shall   Have  Music  Jack  Hylton-June  Clyde  Sept.  19, '36  75  Dec.  I 


INVINCIBLE 


Title 


(Distributed  through  Chesterfield) 

Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens- Dorothy  Tree.. ..Feb. 

Brilliant  Marriage   Joan    Marsh-Ray   Walker  ..Mar. 

Easy  Money  (G)  Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker  June 

Hitch-Hike  to   Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman- Anita  Page. ..Dec. 

Tango   Marian  Nixon-Chick  Chandler.. .  .Jan. 

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)  Chick  Chandler- Evalyn  Knapp  May 

Coming 

Divided  by  Two  Reginald  Denny-Jack  La  Rue.... Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  I, '36.) 
Ellis  Island   


I5,'36t....64  

25,'36t  

I0,'36t..  ..66'/2  July  1 1.*36 

It  

l/36t....66  

2/36t...  .75.  July  4.'36 


I. '36. 


Star 


Title 

Voice  of  Bugle  Ann,  The  (G)  > 

630   Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sullivan  .Feb. 

We  Went  to  College  (G)  626..  Walter  Abel-Edith  Atwater  June 

Whipsaw  (G)  513  Myrna  Loy-Spencer  Tracy  Dec. 

Wife  vs.  Secretary  (G)  606  Clark    Cable-Myrna    Loy  -  Jean 

Harlow   Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18, '36,  p.  77;  July  4, '36,  p.  69.) 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


7,,36t.. 
I9,'36t.. 
I3t  


.72. Feb.  15/36 
.69. June  27,'36 
.82  Dee.  14 


28,'36t...89.Feb.  22,'36 


Coming 

Born  to  Dance  Eleanor  Powell-James  Stewart  

Devil  Is  a  Sissy,  The  Freddie  Bartholomew-Jackie 

Cooper   Sept.  I8.'36  

Good  Earth,  The  Paul   Muni-Luise  Rainer  

(See  production  article,  July  II, '36,  p.  16.) 

Gorgeous  Hussy,  The  633  Joan  Crawford  -  Robert  Taylor- 

Melvyn  Douglas- Franchot  Tone.  Aug.  28,'36t  

(See  production  article,  Aug.  I, '36,  p.  16.) 
Great  Ziegfeld.  The  (G)  700..  William  Powell  -  Myrna  Loy  - 

Luise   Rainer   Sept.    4,'36  180.  Apr.  4,'36 

(Pictorial:  Jan.  25, '36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  Apr.  I8,'36,  p.  76;  June  27. '36.  p.  82.) 

His   Brother's   Wife  657  Robt.  Taylor-Barbara  Stanwyck .. .Aug.  7,'36t  

Kelly  the  Second  702  Patsy   Kelly-Pert   Kelton  Aug.  21, '36  

Libeled   Lady   Jean  Harlow-William  Powell- 

Myrna   Loy-Spencc-  Tracy  

Longest    Night,    The  Robert  Young-Florence  Rice  

Mister  Cinderella   Jack  Haley-Betty  Furness  

Old  Hutch   Wallace  Beery-Cecilia  Parker  Sept.    25, '36  

Our  Relations   Laurel  and  Hardy  

Piccadilly  Jim  655  Robt.  Montgomery-Madge  Evans  . Aug.  I4,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18, '36.) 

Romeo  and  Juliet  (G)  Norma  Shearer-Leslie  Howard- 

)     John   Barrymore    124. July  I8,'36 

(See  production  article,  Mar.  28, '36,  p.  16.) 

Sworn  Enemy  (G)  703  Robert  Young- Florence  Riee  Sept.  Il,'36  78. July  ll,'36 

Tarzan  Escapes   Johnny  Weismuller-Maureen 

O'Sullivan   

Where's  Elmer   Stuart  Erwin-Betty  Furness  

Women  Are  Trouble  (G)  701. ..Stuart  Erwin-Florence  Rice  July    31/36  59. June  20/36 


Title 

Doughnuts  and  Society. 


MASCOT 

Star 

.Louise  Fazenda-Maude  Eburne. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 
.Mar.  27/36t....63  


MITCHELL  LEICHTER 


METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 


Title 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


94.  May  30/36 


.62. Feb.  8/36 

.78  Dec.  7 

.84  Dec.  14 

.68.  Mar.  28/36 

...133.  ...Nov.  9 
Feb.  15/36,  p.  82; 


 96.... Oct.  26 

29/36.  p.  74;  Mar. 


.73....  Dec.  28 


Absolute  Quiet  (G)  609  Irene  Hervey-Lionel  Atwill  Apr.   24/36t  71. Apr.  11/36 

Bohemian  Girl,  The  (G)  521...  Laurel  and  Hardy   Feb.    I4,'36t  72. Mar.  7/36 

Devil  Doll,  The  (G)  631  Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sullivan.  .July    IO/36t  79. July  11/36 

Exclusive  Story  (G)  621  Franchot  Tone-Madge  Evans  Jan.    I7,'36t  73. Jan.  18/36 

Exploitation:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  82;  Apr.  11/36, p.  95;  May  30/36,  p.  90.) 

Fury   (G)   610  Sylvia   Sidney-Spencer   Tracy  June  5/36t. 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  117;  June  27/36.  pp.  80,  81.) 
Garden  Murder  Case,  The  (G) 

622   Edmund   Lowe-Virginia   Bruce.. .Feb.  2l/36t. 

Kind  Lady   (G)  619  Aline   MacMahon-B.   Rathbone. . .  Dec.  6  

Last  of  the  Pagans  (G)  617. .  Mala-Lotus  Long   Dec.  20t  

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  95.) 

Moonlight    Murder    (G)    624.  Chester   Morris-Madge   Evans. ..  .  Mar.  27/36t. 
Mutiny  on  the  Bounty  (G)  536.  Clark  Cable  -  Charles  Laughton- 

Franchot  Tone   Nov.  8t  

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  80;  Jan.  25/36,  p.  68;  Feb.  1/36,  p.  65; 
Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  98;  June  27/36,  p.  81;  July  25/36,  p.  77.) 

Night  at  the  Opera,  A  (G)  644.  Marx  Brothers   Nov.  151. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  80,  82;  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  94,  100;  Feb 
7/36,  p.  101;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88;  July  25/36,  pp.  78,  80.) 
Perfect  Gentleman,  The  (G) 

615   Frank  Morgan-C.  Courtneldge  Nov.  22t 

Petticoat  Fever  (G)  645  Rob't   Montgomery-Myrna   Loy.. .Mar.  20/36t  81. Mar.  21/36 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p.  79:  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  13/36,  p.  123;  July  25/36, 
P.  81.) 

Riffraff  (G)  517  Jean    Harlow-Spencer   Tracy  Jan.     3/36t  90  Dee.  28 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84,  89.) 
Robin  Hood  of  El  Dorado,  The 

608   Warner  Baxter-Ann   Loring  Apr.    I7,'36t  86  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  7/36.)  (Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p.  85;  July  11/36, 
P.  124.) 

Rose  Marie  (G)  643  J.  MacDonald-Nelson  Eddy  Jan.  3l,'36t ...  1 13.  Jan.  18/36 

(See  musical  analysis,  Feb.  22/36,  p.  23;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  14/36, 
p.  87:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  92;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  11/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  78: 
May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  30/36,  p.  86;  July  18/36,  p.  82.) 

San  Francisco  (G)  636  Clark  Gable  -  J.  MacDonald  - 

Spencer  Tracy  -  Jack  Holt  June  26/36t. ..  1 1 1 .  July 

(Expoitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93-94.) 
Small  Town  Girl  (G)  607  Janet   Gaynor-Robert  Taylor.. 

(Exploitation:  June  13/36,  p.  122;  June  27/36,  p.  80; 

Speed  652  (G)   Wendy  Barrie-James  Stewart. 

Suzy  (G)  518   Jean  Harlow- Franchot  Tone... 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.) 
Tale  of  Two  Cities,  A  (G)  604.  Ronald  Colman-Elizabeth  Allan.  .Dec.    27t  126  Dec.  7 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  86;  May  2/36,  p.  94.) 

Three  Godfathers  (G)  623  Chester  Morris-Irene  Hervey  Mar.    6/36t  82.  Feb.  22/36 

Three  Live  Ghosts  (G)  618  Richard  Arlen-Cecllia  Parker  Jan.    IO/36t  62. Jan.  4/36 

Threa  Wise  Guys  (G)  653  Robert  Young-Betty  Furness  May    I5,'36t  75. May  16/36 

(Exploitation:  July  18/36,  p.  85.) 

Tough  Guy  (G)  620  Jackie  Cooper-Joseph  Callela  Jan.    24/36t  77. Feb.  8/36 

Trouble  for  Two  (G)  S46  Robert  Montgomery- R.  Russell. ...  May   29/36t  75. May  30/36 

Unguarded  Hour.  The  (G)  65I.Loretta  Young-Franehot  Ton*  Apr.  3/S6t     .88  Apr.  4/36 


...Apr.    10/361;. ..106. Apr. 
July  25/36,  p.  77.) 
...May     8/36t. ..  .72. May 
24/36t....95.July 


.July 


4/36 
1/36 


2/36 
18/36 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Desert  Guns   Conway   Tearle   Jan.     2,'36t  65  

Riddle  Ranch   Black   King   Dec.    I6t  56  


Coming 


Devil's   Gold   Conway  Tearle   

Hell's   Hacienda   Conway  Tearle   

Senor  Jim   Conway  Tearle-Barbara  Bedford 

Three  Fingers   Conway  Tearle   

Whistling  Skull   Conway  Tearle   


PARAMOUNT 


Title  Star 
And  Sudden  Death  (G)  Randolph  Scott-Frances  Drake.  . 

(Exploitation:    Aug.  1/36,  p.  88.) 
Anything  Goes  (G)  3533  Bing  Crosby-Ethel  Merman   

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Arizona  Raiders,  The  Buster  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  

Bar  20  Rides  Again  (G)  3525.  Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  

Big  Brown  Eyes  (G)  3548  Joan    Bennett-Cary  Grant  

Border  Flight   (G)   3558  John  Howard-Frances  Farmer  

Bride  Comes   Home,   The  (G) 
3530   Claudette  Colbert-F.  MacMurray. . 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22, 

Call  of  the  Prairie  (G)  3541..  Wm.    Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  

Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames,  The 
(A)  3555   Madeleine  Carroll-George  Brent.. 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  121;  July  4/36,  p.  69.) 
Collegiate    (G)    3529  Joe  Penner-Jack  Oakie  

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83:  Feb.  22 
Apr.  11/36,  p.  92;  May  16/36,  p.  82.) 
Coronado  3524   Betty   Burgess-Johnny    Downs  .  . 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Oct.  19.)  (Exploitation:  Feb. 

Desert  Gold  3546  Larry  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  

Desire  (A)  3539  Marlene  Dietrich-Gary  Cooper  

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

Drift  Fence  (G)  3536  Larry  Crabbe-Kath.  De  Mllle.... 

Early  to  Bed  (G)  3560  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland.... 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.) 

Fatal  Lady  (G)  3552  Mary  Ellis-Walter  Pidgeon  

Florida  Special  (G)  3554  Jack  Oakie-Sally  Ellers  

F  Man  (G)  3544  Jack  Haley-Adrienne  Marden.... 

Forgotten    Faces    (G)   3556.  ...  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael  

Girls  of  the  Ozarks,  The  (G) 

3561   Virginia  Weidler-G.  Erickson.... 

Give  Us  This  Night  (G)  3542.. Jan  Kiepura-Gladys  Swarthout.. 

(See  musical  analysis,  Mar.  14/36,  p.  18.) 

Heart  of  the  West  3567  Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  

Her  Master's  Voice  (G)  3531 . .  Edw.  E.  Horton-P.  Conklln  

It's  a  Great  Life  3528  Joe   Morrison-Rosalind  Keith  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Klondike  Annie  (A)  3538  Mae  West-Victor  McLaglen  

(See  news  article.  Mar.  7/36,  p.  19;  exploitation:  Feb.  22 
June  20/36,  p.  118.) 
Mary  Burns.  Fugitive  (G)  3521  .Sylvia  Sldney-Melvyn  Douglas... 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  <4/36,  p.  86;  Mar.  28/38,  p.  84.) 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 
June   I9.'36t  68. June  13/36 


Jan.  24,'36t....92.Feb.  22/36 

June   26/36t  57  

Dec.    I3t  63  Dec.  7 

Apr.  3/36t.  .  .76. Apr.  11/36 

May  29/36t....59.Apr.  25/36 

Jan.     3/36t  83  Nov.  23 

'36.  p.  98;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92.) 

Mar.  6,'36t...  .67. Feb.  1/36 

May  8,'36t....85.May  9/36 


Deo. 
•36. 

Nov. 
1/36, 
Mar. 
Feb. 

Feb. 
June 

May 
May 
Mar. 
May 

June 
Mar. 

July 
Jan. 
Dec. 

Feb. 
,'36. 


27t  81  Dec.  28 

p.  94;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89; 


29t  76 

,  p.  66.) 
27,'36t. 
28/36t. 


58  

95. Feb.  8/36 


14,  '36t. . 
5.'36t.. 

15.  '36t.. 
l/36t.. 

I3.'36t.. 
I5.'36t.. 

l2/36t.. 
S,'36t.. 


.56.  May  30/36 

.73.  July  25/36 

.76  .  May  23/36 

.67. Apr.  25/36 

.72.  May  16/36 

.72  .  May  2/36 

.68. June  6/36 

.73.  Mar.  7/36 


24/36t  78  

I7.'36t...  .76.  Feb.  22/36 
20t  63  

2l/36t....8I.Feb.  15/36 
p.  96:  Apr.  1/36,  p.  92; 

I5t  84. ...Nov.  18 


102 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,    I  936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


Title  Star 
Milky  Way,  The  (G)  3535  Harold  Lloyd-Adolphe  Menlou.... 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21, '36,  pp.  93.  95;  Apr.  4, '36,  pp.  82,  87 
p.  94:  June  6,'36,  p.  116;  June  27/36.  pp.  82,  85;  July  18,' 
Millions  in  the  Air  (G)  3526..  John  Howard-Wendy  Barrie  

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25. '36.  p.  64;  Feb.  8. '36,  p.  83.) 
Moon's  Our  Home,  The(G)3549.  Margaret  Sullavan-Henry  Fonda.. 

Nevada  (G)  3523  Larry  Crabbe- Kathleen  Burke  — 

Palm  Springs  (G)  3559  Frances  Langford-Smith  Ballew  . 

Peter  Ibbetson  (G)  3518  Gary  Cooper-Ann  Harding  

Poppy  (G)  3562  W.  C.  Fields-Rochelle  Hudson... 

Preview    Murder   Mystery  (G) 

4540   Gail  Patrick-Reginald  Denny.... 

Princess  Comes  Across,  The  (G) 

3557   C.  Lombard-Fred  MacMurray  

Return   of   Sophie    Lang,  The 
(G)  3566   Gertrude  Michael-Ray  Milland. 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  I. '36,  p.  90.)   

Rhythm  on  the  Range  (G)  Bing  Crosby- Frances  Farmer... 

Rose  of  the  Rancho  (G)  3516..  John  Boles-Gladys  Swarthout... 

(See  musical  analysis,  Jan.  1 1, '36,  p.  45;  exploitation:  Jan. 

Scrooge  (G)  3527  Seymour  Hicks-Donald  Calthrop. . 

Ship  Cafe  (G)  3520  Carl  Brisson-Arline  Judge  

Sky  Parade  3550  Jimmy  Allen- Katharine  DeMille 

(Exploitation:  July  II. '36,  p.  127.) 

Soak  the  Rich  (A)  3532  Mary  Taylor-Walter  Connolly  

So  Red  the  Rose  (G)  3522  Margaret  Sullavan-R.  Scott  

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29,'36.  p.  76.) 

Spendthrift  (G)   Henry  Fonda-Pat  Paterson  

13  Hours  by  Air  (G)  3547  Fred  MacMurray-Joan  Bennett... 

(Exploitation:  June  6, '36,  p.  118.) 

Three  Cheers  for  Love  (G)  Eleanore   Whitney- Robt.  Cum- 

mings   

Three  on  the  Trail  (G)  3553. . William  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison.... 

Till  We  Meet  Again  (G)  3551 .  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael  

Timothy's  Quest  (G)  3534  Eleanore  Whitney-Dickie  Moore.. 

Too  Many  Parents  (G)  3545. ..  Frances  Farmer-Colin  Tapley  

Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine, 
The   (G)  3543  Henry  Fonda-Sylvia  Sidney  

(See  production  article,  Jan.  I8,'36,  p.  36;  exploitation:  Feb. 
May  23. '36,  p.  86:  May  30, '36,  p.  90;  June  6. '36,  p.  118;  J 
20. '36,  p.  122;  July  25,'36,  p.  80.) 

Woman  Trap  (G)  3537  Gertrude  Michael-Geo.  Murphy.. 

Yours  for  the  Asking  George  Raft  -  Dolores  Costello 

Barrymore   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 

Coming 

Big  Broadcast  of  1937,  The  Jack  Benny-Burns  &  Allen  

Champagne  Waltz   Gladys  Swarthout-F.  MacMurray  . . 

General  Died  at  Dawn,  The  Gary  Cooper-Madeleine  Carroll... 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25/36.) 

Girl  of  the  Jungle  Ray  Milland-Dorothy  Lamour  

Hollywood  Boulevard   John  Halliday-Robt.  Cummings.. 

I'd  Give  My  Life  Sir  Guy  Standing-F.  Drake  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug  1/36.) 

Lady  Be  Careful  Lew  Ayres-Mary  Carlisle  

Murder  with  Pictures  Lew  Ayes-Gail  Patrick  

My  American  Wife  (G)  Francis  Lederer-Ann  Sothern... 

Plainsman,  The   Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  

Son  Comes  Home,  A  Mary  Boland-Donald  Woods.... 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 

Straight  from  the  Shoulder  Ralph  Bellamy- Katherine  Locke. 

Texas  Rangers,  The  Fred  Mac  Murray -Jean  Parker... 

Three  Married  Men  Lynne  Overman-Wm.  Frawley... 

Valiant  Is  the  Word  for  Carrie.  Gladys  George-Arline  Judge  

Wedding  Present   Joan  Bennett-Cary  Grant  

Wives  Never  Know  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland... 

PRINCIPAL 

Title  Star 
Let's  Sing  Again  (G)  Bobby  Breen-Henry  Armetta  

PURITAN 

Title  Star 

Border  Caballero   (G)  Tim   McCoy-Lois  January  

Bulldog  Courage   Tim  McCoy-Lois  January  

I'll  Name  the  Murderer  Ralph  Forbes-Marion  Shilling  

Lightnln'   Bill  Carson  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  

Reckless  Way,  The  Marian   Nixon-Kane  Richmond... 

Roarin'  Guns   Tim  McCoy-Rosalinda  Price  

Rogues  Tavern,  The  Wallace  Ford-Barbara  Pepper.... 

Suicide  Squad   Norman  Foster-Joyce  Compton  

Coming 

Aces  and   Eights  Tim  McCoy-Luna  Walters  

Ghost  Patrol   Tim   McCoy-Claudia  Dell  

Lion's   Den,  The  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  

Traitor,  The   Tim  McCoy-Frances  Grant  

RAY  KIRKWOOD 

Coming 

Adventurous  Rogue's   Bobby  Nelson-Donald  Reed  

El    Justiciero   .Ernesto  Guillen   

Fighting  Vagabonds   Bobby  Nelson-Donald  Reed  

REGAL 

Title  Star 

Daredevils  of  the  Earth  Ida  Lupino-Cyril  McLaglen.. 

Scandals  of  Paris  Wendy  Barrio-Zelma  O'Neill. 

Thunderbolt   Kano  Richmond-Bobby  Nelson 

Wolves  of  the  Underworld  Godfrey  Tearle   

REPUBLIC 

Title  Star 
Burning  Gold  3550  William  Bovd   


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
Feb.    7,'36t....88.Feb.  1/36 
;  May  2/36,  p.  99;  May  23/36, 
36,  p.  85.) 

Dee.    I3t  72....  Nov.  30 

Apr.  IO/36t....83.Apr.  11/36 

Nov.    28 1  59  Nov.  16 

June    5,'36t  72. June  6/36 

Nov.     8t  85....  Nov.  9 

June   19/36  73. June  13/36 


Feb. 


May 


July 


28/36f....65, 
22/36t....76. 
3/36t...,64, 


Feb.  15/36 
May  16/36 
June  20/36 


July 
Jan. 
8/36, 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Apr. 

Jan. 
Nov. 

July 
Mar. 


3l.'36t....87 

I0.'36f  82 

p.  84;  Feb.  8 

20t  73. 

It  66. 


July  25/36 
Jan.  11/36 
,'36,  p.  83.) 
...Dec.  21 
. . .  Nov.  2 
7/36t....70.Apr.  4/36 


I7,'36t  87. 


22f  


.83 


Feb.  15/36 
...Nov.  16 


IO/36t....77 
27/36t....77 


June  20/36 
.Mar.  21/36 


July 
Apr. 
Apr. 
Jan. 
Mar. 


I7,'36t.. 
24/36t.. 
I7.'36t.. 
3l.'36t. . 
20,'36t.. 


.64. July 
.67. Apr. 
.72. Apr. 
.65. Jan. 
.74. Mar. 


4/36 
18/36 
11/35 
25/36 
14/36 


Mar.  l3/36t...!06.Feb.  29/36 
29/36,  p.  73;  May  2/36,  p.  98; 
une  13/36,  p.  122;  June  20/36, 

Feb.    I4,'36t...  .63.  Feb.  8/36 


July  24/36t. 


Sept.  25/36. 
Sept.  4/36. 


Aug.  21/36. 
Aug.  14/36. 


Sept.  4/36  

Sept.  18/36  

Aug.    7/36t..  .*70.July  25/36 


July  3l/36t. 


Aug.  28/36. 
Aug.  28/36. 
Sept.  11/36. 


Sept.  25/36. 
Sept.  11/36. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
June   l2.'36t....68.Apr.  25/36 

Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


Mar. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Apr. 
Apr. 
Jan. 
Mar. 
Dec. 


I.'36t  59. Aug. 

20t  60  

27.'36t...  .76  

I5,'36t  

20.'36t....68  

27,'36t...  .67  

l/36t....6l  

25t  60  


1/36 


Dec.  3/36. 
Dee.  3/36. 
Jan.  19/37. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Jan.      I  ,'36t  60  

Dec.     4t  63  

Jan.     2,'36t  54  

Dec.     4t  55  

Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 
Dec.      It  60  


Title  Star 
Comin'  Round  the  Mountain 

(G)  3571   Gene  Autry-Ann  Rutherford... 

Dancing  Feet  (G)  3504  Ben  Lyon-Joan  Marsh  

(Exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81.) 

Federal  Agent  3548  William  Boyd-lrene  Ware  

Frankie  and  Johnnie  (A)  3555.  Helen  Morgan-Chester  Morris. 
(Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p.  85.) 


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewer 


Go-Get-'Em  Haines  3549  William 

Guns  and  Guitars  (G)  3573  Gene  At 


Boyd 


House  of  a  Thousand  Candles 

(G)  3505   Mae  Clarke-Phillips  Holmes. 

King  of  the  Pecos  (G)  3559... John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans... 
Laughing  Irish  Eyes  (G)  3522  Evalyn  Knapp-Phil  Regan... 


. .  A  pr. 

I3,'36t.. 

.  .55.  Apr. 

11/36 

. .Jan. 

3l/36t.. 

.  .72.  Apr. 

4/36 

. .  Apr. 

IO/36t.. 

..58  

..May 

l/36t.. 

..66. May 

23/36 

..68  

22/36t.. 

..56. July 

11/36 

5/36t.. 

..65.  Apr. 

25/36 

6/36t.. 

..71. Mar. 

7/36 

9/36t.. 

..54.  Apr. 

11/36 

..Mar. 

I5,'36t.. 

.  .73. Mar. 

14/36 

I5.'36t.. 

..55.  Mar. 

7/36 

4t  

Ayres-lsabel   Jewell  Feb. 

76;  July  25/36,   p.  81.) 


Leathernecks  Have  Landed,  The 

(G)  3501   Lew 

(Exploitation:    Apr.    18/36,  p. 
Leavenworth  Case,  The  (G) 

3526   Norman  Foster-Jean  Rouverel  Jan. 

Lonely  Trail,  The  3563  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  May 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2,36.) 

Melody  Trail  (G)  3567  Gene  Autry-Ann   Rutherford  Oct. 

Navy  Born  (G)  William   Gargan-Claire   Dodd. . .  .  June 

New  Frontier.  The  3558  John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

Oregon  Trail,  The  3560  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Jan. 

Racing  Luck  (G)  3547  William   Boyd   Oct. 

Red  River  Valley  3570  Gene  Autry-Frances  Grant  Mar. 

Return  of  Jimmy  Valentine, 

The  (G)  3531  Roger  Pryor-Charlotte   Henry  Feb. 

Sagebrush  Troubadour  3568....  Gene   A  ulry- Barbara  Pepper  Dec. 

Singing  Cowboy,  The  (G)  3572.  Gene  Autry-Lois  Wilde  May 

Singing  Vagabond,  The  (G) 

3569    Gene  Autry-Ann    Rutherford  Jan. 

Spanish  Cape  Mystery, The  3530.  Helen  Twelvetrees- Donald  Cook. ..Oct. 
(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Sept.  7.) 

$1,000  a  Minute  (G)  3532  Roger   Pryor-Leila   Hyams  Nov. 

Ticket  to  Paradie  (G)  3508  Roger  Pryor-Wendy  Barrie  July 

Winds  of  the  Wasteland  3561..  John  Wayne-Phyllis  Fraser  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23/36.) 

Coming 

Bulldog   Edition   Ray  Walker-Evalyn  Knapp  Sept.  20/36. 

Down  to  the  Sea  Russell   Hardie-Ann  Rutherford. .Aug.  25/36 

(See  "Beneath  the  Seas,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 
Follow  Your  Heart  Marion  Talley-Michael  Bartlett.  .Sept. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25/36.) 
Gentleman  from  Louisiana,  The 
3517   Eddie  Quillan-Charlotte  Henry. ..Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 

Hearts  in  Bondage  (G)  6008...  James  Dunn-Mae  Clarke  Sept. 

Oh,  Susannah   Gene  Autry-Kay  Hughes   Aug. 

Sitting  on  the  Moon  3528  Winifred  Shaw-Pert  Kelton  Sept. 

Three  Mesquiteers   Ray  Corrigan   Sept. 


22/36t....67.Feb.  29/36 


20.'36t....68.Jan. 
25/36t  58  


1 1  ,'36 


I4t  60.... Oct.  19 

l5/36t....65.June  27/36 
5t  54  


I8,'36t  59. 

28t  60. 

2,'36t  58. 


4,'36t... 

2t  

I,'36t. .. 

5/36t.. 
I7t  


72.  Feb. 

.54  

.56. May 


15/36 


16/36 


.52  Dec.  14 

.73  


I5t  69  Nov.  9 

IO/36t....67.July  25/36 
6/36t..--57  


5/36. 


10/36. 


1/36. ..*70. June 

19/36  

15/36  

10/36  


6/36 


RKO  RADIO 

Star 


I5t  90'/2..Nov.  9 

20t  68.. ..Nov.  23 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Annie  Oakley  (G)  608  Barbara  Stanwyck- Preston  Foster. .  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  pp.  88,  90.) 

Another  Face  (G)  615  Wallace   Ford-Phyllis   Brooks  Dec. 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Two  Faces.") 
Bride  Walks  Out,  The  (G) 

631   Barbara  Stanwyck-G.  Raymond.. .July    IO/36t... 80. .July  11/36 

Bunker  Bean  630  Owen  Davis,  Jr. -Louise  Latimer.  .June  26/36t  67  

(See  "His  Majesty:  Bunker  Bean,"  "In  tho  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Chatterbox   (G)   617  Anne  Shirley-Phillips  Holmes. ..  .Jan.    I7,'36t  68  Dec.  28 

Dancing  Pirate  (G)  670  Charles  Collins-Steffi   Duna  May   22,'36t. ..  .85.  May  16/36 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp.  117,  121.) 

Ex-Mrs.  Bradford,  The  (G)  628.  William  Powell-Jean  Arthur  May    I5,'36t  81. May  2/36 

(Exploitation:  July  4/36,  p.  68.) 

Fang  and  Claw  (G)  543  Frank   Buck   Dec.    20  74. Jan.  4/36 

(Exploitation:   July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Farmer  in  the  Dell  (G)  624..  Fred  Stone-Jean  Parker  Mar.  27/36f  67.  Mar. 

Follow  the  Fleet  (G)  613  Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  Feb.  21  ,*36t . .. 1 10. Feb. 


(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  Mar.  28/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  May  16/36, 


p.  84;   June  13/36,  pp.  125,  130; 


4... 
7/36 
lit.. 


May  23/36,   p.  93;  May  30/36( 
6p.  68;  July  25/36,  p.  78.) 

Freckles  (G)   536  Carol  Stone-Tom  Brown  Oct. 

Grand  Jury  633  Fred  Stone-Louise  Latimer  Aug. 

Hi  Gaucho  606  John  Carrol  I -Steffi  Duna  Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  17.) 

1  Dream  Too  Much  (G)  610. .Lily  Pons-Henry  Fonda  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  82,  83.) 

In  Person  (G)  609  Ginger  Rogers-George  Brent  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  June  13/36,  p.  127.) 
Lady  Consents,  The  (G)  622.. Ann  Harding-Herbert  Marshall. .. Feb. 
Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The  (G) 

501   Preston  Foster- Dorothy  Wilson. . .Oct. 

Last  Outlaw,  The  (G)  629  Harry  Carey-Hoot  Gibson  June 

Let's  Sing  Again  (G)  646  Bobby  Breen-Henry  Armetta  June 

Love  on  a  Bet  (G)  620..  Gene  Raymond-Wendy  Barrie  Mar. 

M'Liss   (G)   632  Anne  Shirley-John  Beal  July 

Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path 

(G)  625   Helen  Broderick-James  Gleason. .  Apr. 

Muss  'Em  Up   (G)   619.  Preston   Foster-Marg't  Callahan. .  Feb. 

Rainmakers,  The  (G)  605  Wheeler  and   Woolsey.  Oct. 

Seven  Keys  to  Baldpate  (G)  61 1.G.  Raymond-Margaret  Callahan. .  Dec. 

Silly  Billies  (G)  623  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  Mar. 

(Exploitation:    July  25/36,  p.  76.) 


14/36 
22/36 
P.  82; 
p.  68.) 


July  4/36 
 68  Oct.  5 


.59. 


27t.... 
22t.... 
7/36t. 

18  

I9,'36t. 
I2,'36t. 

6,'36t. 
I7,*36t. 

I7,'36t. 
I4,'36t. 
25t.... 
I3t.... 
20/36t. 


..95  Nov.  23 

.87  Nov.  9 

.  .76'/j,Jan.  18/36 

..96  Oct.  12 

.'73.  May  30/36 

.68.  Apr. 

.77. Feb. 
..66. July 


25/36 
8/36 
11/36 


..66.  Apr.  18/36 
.  .68'/2Jan.  25/36 

..78  Oct.  12 

..68  Dec.  7 

..64'/2Mar.  7/36 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


103 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART—CONT'D) 


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
8,'36t....6I.May  2/36 
3,'36t....94'/2Jan.  I8,'36 


1  96.... Oct. 

8t  67'/2..0et. 

IO/36t....74....Dec. 

.65.  May  2, 

.63  Dec. 

.64. Apr.  II. 


3,'36t. 
27t.... 
24.'36t. 
!3/36t. 


.68'/2Mar.28,'36 


28,'36  

28/36.. . .123. July  25,'36 


Title  Star  Rel. 

Special  Investigator  (G)  627. .  Richard  Dix-Margaret  Callahan. . May 

Sylvia  Scarlett  (G)  614  Katharine  Hepburn-Cary  Grant. .Jan. 

Three  Musketeers,  The  (G)  544.Margot  Grahame-Walter  Abel.. .Nov. 
To  Beat  the  Band  (G)  607....  Helen  Broderick-Hugh  Herbert..  .Nov. 

Two  in  the  Dark  (G)  616  Walter  Abel-Margot  Grahame  Jan. 

Two  in  Revolt  (G)  621  Louise  Latimer- John  Arledge  Apr. 

We're  Only  Human  (G)  612. ..  Preston  Foster-Jane  Wyatt  Dec. 

Witness  Chair,  The  (G)  626. ..Ann  Harding-Walter  Abel  Apr. 

Yellow  Dust  (G)  618  Richard   Dix-Leila  Hyams  Mar. 

Coming 

Don't  Turn  'Em  Loose  Bruce  Cabot-Louise  Latimer  Aug. 

Mary  of  Scotland  (G)  Katharine   Hepburn  -  Fredric 

March  Aug. 

(See  production  article,  Apr.  1 1, '36,  p.  16.) 

Mummy's  Boys   Wheeler  and  Woolsey  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20, '36.) 

Plough  and  the  Stars,  The  Barbara  Stanwyck  -  Preston 

Foster   Sept.  25,'36 

Portrait  of  a  Rebel  Katharine  Hepburn  -  Herbert 

Marshall   

Second  Wife   Walter  Abel-Gertrude  Michael. .  .Aug. 

Swing  Time   Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  Sept. 

(See  "Never  Gonna  Dance,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  June  20/36 

Walking  ra  Air  Gene  Raymond-Ann  Sothern  Sept.  II, '36 

(See  "Count  Pete,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4. '36.) 

We  Who  Are  About  to  Die. ..  Preston  Foster  •  Ann  Dvorak  -  

John  Beal   

STATE  RIGHTS 

Title                               Star  Dist'r 
Custer's  Last  Stand  Rex  Lease   Stage  &  Screen 

Coming 

Angels  in  White   Tala  Birell   Zeidman   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  29,'36.) 

Cavalcade  of  China  James  B.  Leon  6  rls 


21, '36  

4,'36  


6.) 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
..Apr.     2,'36t..9  rls  


i  Running  Time 

Title  star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Paddy  O'Day  (G)  627  Jane  Withers-Pinky  Tomlin  Jan.    I7.'36t. . .  .76. . . .  Nov.  2 

Poor    Little    Rich    Girl,  The* 

(G)  657   Shirley  Temple-Alice  Faye  July   24,'36t  79. June  6,'36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.   I, '36,  p.  90.) 
Prisoner  of  Shark  Island,  The 

(G)  638   Warner  Baxter-Gloria  Stuart  Feb.   28,'36t. ..  .95.  Feb.  22.'36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21, '36,  p.  97;  Apr.  II. '36.  p.  97;  Apr.  I8.'36,  p.  77.) 

Private  Number*  (G)  645  Loretta  Young-Robert  Taylor  June     5,'36t  79. May  30,'36 

(Exploitation:  July  1 8. '36.  p.  85.) 
Professional  Soldier  (G)  628..  Victor  McLaglen  -  Freddie  Bar- 
tholomew  Jan.    24,'36t  78.  Jan.  4,'38 

Show  Them  No  Mercy  (G)  62I.Rochelle  Hudson-Cesar  Romero. ..  Dec.     6|  76  Nov.  2 

Sins  of  Man  (G)  648  lean   Hersholt-Don  Ameche  June   I9,'36t  79. May  16/36 

Song  and  Oance  Man*  (G)  642,Paul  Kelly-Claire  Trevor  Mar.  I3,'36t  72. Feb.  22/36 

Thanks  a  Million  (G)  617  Dick  Powell-Ann  Dvorak  Nov.    I5t  87  Nov.  2 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  82;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  100;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  96.) 

36  Hours  to  Kill*  656  Brian  Donlevy-Gloria  Stuart  July  24,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25/36.) 

This  Is  the  Life*  614  Jane  Withers-John   McGuire  Oct.     I8t  65  

Under  Two  Flags  (G)  644  Ronald  Colman- Victor  McLaglen- 

Claudette  Colbert- R.  Russell.  .May     I ,'36'r ...  1 1  0 .  May  9/36 
(See  production  article.  Mar.  14/36,  p.   16;  exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp.   116,  117;  July 
11/36,  p.  125;  July  25/36,  pp.  76,  81;  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93.) 

Way  Down  East*  (G)  616  Rochelle  Hudson-Henry  Fonda 

Whispering  Smith  Speaks*  (G) 


White  Fang  (G)  649  Michael  Whalen-Jean  Muir. 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.) 


.Oct. 

25t  

..84.... Aug.  24 

20f  

..67....  Dee.  21 

July 

3/36t.. 

..70. July  25/36 

I3t  

..68.  ...Nov.  23 

Glory  Trail,  The  (G)  Tom  Keene   Crescent 

Private  Life  of  Marco  Polo  James  B. 


*65.July 


Leon. 


18/36 
.6  rls 


SUPREME 


Coming 

Ambassador  Bill  (G)  767  Will  Rogers   Oct. 

As  You  Like  It  711  Eliz.   Bergner-Laurence  Olivier.  .Sept. 

(See  production  article.  June  13/36,  p.  16.) 
Bowery  Princess,  The*  715  Shirley  Temple-Frank  Morgan. .  .Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race 

Track*  (G)  704  Warner  Oland-Helen  Wood  Aug. 

Girls'    Dormitory    (G)    702...  Ruth    Chatterton- Herbert  Mar- 


16/36.. 
18/36.. 


.70.  Oct.  24/31 


16/36. 


7/36  70. July  18/36 


Title 

Star 

Rel. 

Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

I2t  

shall-Simone  Simon   

King    of   the    Royal  Mounted 

. .  Aug. 

7/36.. 

.  .*65.Aug. 

1/36 

Sept. 

I0.'36f  58  

Loretta  Young-Simone  Simon.  . 

.Sept. 

Sept. 

11/36... 

,*65.July 

18/36 

Ramona  707   

Oct. 

20t  

(See  production  articli 

\  July  4/36,  p.  16.) 

25,'36t  

Road  to  Glory,  The  (G) 

706..  Fredric   March-Warner  Baxter- 

Coming 

Lionel  Barrymore-June  Lang. 

.  .Sept. 

4/36.. 

.101. June 

6/36 

Sing.  Baby,  Sing  703  

 Alice  Faye-Adolphe  Menjou  

.Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting 

Room,"  July  4/36.) 

.Aug. 

(See  "Holy  Lie"  "In  the  Cutting   Room,"  July  18/36.) 

unning  Time 
Minutes  Reviewed 

..56  


3,'36t.. 
I7.'36t.. 
4/36.  p. 


*60. June 
.77.  Mar. 
70;  July 


8/36t....59. 


TWENTIETH  CENTURY-FOX  R 

Title                                    Star  Rel.  Date 

Bad  Boy*  615  James  Dunn-Dorothy  Wilson  Oct.  25t 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Border  Patrolman,  The*(G)650.Geo.  O'Brien-Polly  Ann  Young. ..July 
Captain  January*  (G)  635  Shirley  Temple-Guy   Kibbee.  Apr. 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp.  117,  122;  June  27/36.  p.  82;  July 
P.  82.) 

Champagne  Charlie  629  Paul  Cavanagh-Helen  Wood  May 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Dec.  14.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Circus* 

(G)  640   Warner  Oland-Keye  Luke  Mar. 

Charlie  Chan's  Secret*  (G)  626..  Warner  Oland-Rosina  Lawrence.  .Jan. 
Connecticut  Yankee  (A)*  699. .Will   Rogers-Myrna  Loy  Apr. 

(re-issue) 

Country  Beyond,  The*  (G)  643. Rochelle  Hudson-Paul  Kelly  Apr. 

Country  Doctor,  The*  (G)  636.Dionne  Quintuplets  -  Jean 

Hersholt   Mar. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  pp.  93.  97;  Mar.  28/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  4/36. 
p.  96;  May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  16/86,  p.  82;  May  23/36,  pp.  87.  95;  May  30/36, 
June  6/36,  p.  124;  July  4/36,  p.  70;  July  11/36,  p.  127;  July  25/36,  p  81 
p.  93.) 

Crime  of  Dr.   Forbes,  The 

(G)  655   

Educating  Father*  (G)  645... 
Everybody's  Old  Man*  (G)  634 
Every  Saturday  Night*  (G)  637 

First  Baby.  The-  (G)  646  

(Exploitation:  July  25/36, 
Gentle  Julia*  (G)  641  


State  Fair  (G)  766  Will  Rogers-Janet  Gaynor  Aug.     7/36  100. Feb.  4/33 

Thank  You,  Jeeves,  712  Arthur  Treacher- Virginia  Field. . .Sept.  25/36  

To  Mary— With  Love  (G)  701..  Warner  Baxter-Myrna  Loy  Aug.     1/36  92. July  25/36 

[Asterisk  (*)  denotes  Fox  Pictures.    Others  20th  Century  Productions.] 
Vacation    on    Wheels  Jed  Prouty-Spring  Byington  


27/36 
21/36 
8/36, 


(See  "See  America  First" 


"In  the  Cut'ing  Room,"  Aug. 

UNITED  ARTISTS 


,'36.) 


Title 


27/36t...  .71  .Mar.  28/36 

I0,'36t  71  Oct.  26 

24,'36t....85.Mar.  21/31 

24/36t  68.  Apr.  11/36 


6,'36t.. 
P. 


.94.  Mar 
83;  Apr. 


21/36 
25/36, 
p.  86; 
Aug.  I,  36, 


!7/36t...l00.Feb.  22/36 


90  Oct.  5 

7/36t  85. Jan.  4/36 


Here  Comes  Trouble* 
High  Tension*  (G)  6 
Human  Cargo*  (G) 


It  Had  to  Happen  (G)  631 
King   of   Burlesque,   The*  (G) 

625   

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36, 


Gloria  Stuart- Robert  Kent  

June 

26,'36t.. 

.*75. 

June 

20/36 

Jed   Prouty-Shirley  Deane  

.July 

I0,'36t., 

..57 

May 

30/36 

Irvin  S.   Cobb- Rochelle  Hudson 

.Mar. 

20.'36t.. 

..84 

Mar. 

14/36 

June  Lang-Thomas  Beck  

.Feb. 

7,'36f., 

.  .62 

Feb. 

8/36 

Shirley  Deane-Johnny  Downs 

May 

I5,'36t.. 

..74. 

Apr. 

18/36 

p.  76.) 

Jane  Withers-Tom  Brown  

Apr. 

3,'36t.. 

..63 

Feb. 

29/36 

Frances  Dee-Brian  Donlevy.... 

.  May 

22,'36t.. 

..66. 

May 

9/36 

Paul  Kelly-Arline  Judge  

Feb. 

2l,'36t., 

..62 

Feb. 

15/36 

Brian    Donlevy-Glenda  Farrell.. 

.July 

I7,'36t., 

.*62 

June 

20/36 

Claire  Trevor-Brian  Donlevy 

.  May 

29,'36t.. 

..66 

Apr. 

25/36 

Will  Rogers- Dorothy  Wilson 

.  Nov. 

22t  

.  .84 

....July  18 

George  Raft-Rosalind  Russell... 

i 

.Feb. 

I4,'36t.. 

.  .79 

Feb. 

15/36 

Warner  Baxter-Alice  Faye  

3/36t. 

...88. Jan. 

4/36 

p.  36;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87.) 

Jane  Withers-Ralph  Morgan 

.June 

12/361-.. 

.  .72 

May 

28/36 

Shirley  Temple-John  Boles  

.  Dec. 

27t  

..73, 

...Nov.  30 

Littlest  Rebel,  The 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb 
Message  to  Garcia,  A  (G)  632.  Wallace   Beery  -  John    Boles - 

Barbara  Stanwyck   

(Exploitation:  July  11/36.  p.  127.) 

Music  Is  Magic*  (G)  619  Alice  Faye-Ray  Walker  Nov. 

My  Marriage*  (G)  630  Claire  Trevor- Kent  Taylor  Jan. 

Navy  Wife*  (G)  606  Claire  Trevor-Ralph  Bellamy. .  ..  .  Nov. 

O'Malley  of  the  Mounted*  (G) 
639 


22/36,  p.  97;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  96.) 
..Apr.    IO,'36t....85.Mar.  14/36 


It  66. ...Oct.  12 

3l,'36t....68....Nov.  23 
29t  72. Jan.  25/36 


Running  Time 

star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Amateur  Gentleman,  The  (G)..  Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.  -  Elissa 

Landi   ^pr. 

Barbary   Coast   (G)  Miriam  Hopkins  -  Edward  G. 

Robinson  -  Joel   McCrea  Sept.  27t.. 

Ghost  Goes  West,  The  (G)  Robert  Donat-Jean  Parker  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36.  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  89.) 
I  Stand  Condemned  (A)  H.  Baur-Laurence  Olivier-Pen- 
elope Dudley  Ward  July    IO/36t. . .  .76. . . .  Nov.  30 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy  (G)  Freddie    Bartholomew  -  Dolores 

Costello  Barrymore   Mar.    6/36t. . .  102.  Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.   14/36,  p.  84;  May  16/36,  p.  80;  June  6/36,  p.  117;  June  13/36, 
p.  132;  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93.) 
Melody  Lingers  On,  The  (G) ..  Josephine    Hutchinson  -  George 

Houston   Nov.     9t  87  Nov.  S 

Modern  Times  (G)  Chas.  Chaplin-Paulette  Goddard    Feb.    2l,'36t. ..  .87.  Feb.  8/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  8/36,  p.  18:  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81:  Feb.  22/38, 
p.  100;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  84:  Mar.  28/36,  pp.  83.  84;  Apr.  4/36.  pp.  84! 
89;  Apr.  11/36.  pp.  93,  96;  Apr.  25/36.  p.  92;  May  2/36,  p.  99;  May  9/36,  p.  84;  May 
16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36.  pp.  84,  86;  June  6/36.  pp.  116,  118;  June  13/36,  pp.  122,  132; 
June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

One  Rainy  Afternoon  (G)  Francis  Lederer-Ida  Luplno  May    I3,'36t.  ..*75.May  2,'36 

(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.  122;  July  25/36,  p.  77.) 

Red  Salute  (G)  B.  Stanwyck -Robert  Young  Sept.   I3t  78  Sept.  21 

Splendor   Miriam   Hopkins-Joel  McCrea  Nov.    23t  77  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Nov.  2.)  (Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  78.) 

Strike  Me  Pink  (G)  Eddie  Cantor-Ethel   Merman  Jan.    24.'36t . . .  100.  Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63;  Fob.  8/36.  p.  83;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  29/36,  pp.  72, 
75;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  21/36,  pp.  94,  97:  Apr.  4,'36,  p.  87;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

These  Three   (G)  Miriam  Hopkins-Merle  Oberon- 

Joel   McCrea   Apr.  IO/36t 

(Exploitation:  May  9/36,  pp.  90,  94;  May  23/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36.  p 
p.  88.) 

Things  to  Come  (G)  Raymond  Massey   Apr, 

p.  16;  exploitation:  Apr. 
1/36,  p.  94.) 


(See  production  article,  Mar.  7/36, 
p.  132;  July  25/36,  p.  81  ;  Aug 


24.'36t. 
18/36,  p. 


...93.  Feb.  29/36 
122;  June  27/36, 

...99.  May  7/36 
77;  June  13/36, 


Coming 

Come  and  Get  It  Edward  Arnold-Frances  Farmer. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 

Dedsworth   Walter  Huston-Ruth  Chatterton. 

Garden  of  Allah,  The  Marlene  Dietrich-Charles  Boyer. 

(See  production  article,  June  6/36,  p.  14.) 


104 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHALQT--CCNT»E) 


Last  of  the  Mohicans,  The  Randolph  Scott-Heather  Angel- 

Bruce  Cabot-Binnie  Barnes  

(See  production  article,  July  18. '36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  June  27. '36,  p.  80.) 
Man  Who  Could  Work  Miracles, Roland  Young   


The 


UNIVERSAL 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Affair  of  Susan,  The  9034  Zasu  Pitts-Hugh  O'Connell  Oct.      7t  63  

(See  "Alone  Together,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

Cowboy  and  the  Kid,  The  9046. Buck  Jones-Dorothy  Revier  May   25. '36  

Dangerous  Waters  (G)  9032. ..Jack  Holt-Robert  Armstrong  Feb.     3,'36t  67. Feb.  8,'36 

Don't  Get  Personal  (G)  9025.. James  Dunn-Sally  Eilers  Feb.    I7,'36t  64. Feb.  29, '36 

Dracula's  Daughter  (A)  9006. .Otto    Kruger-M.    Churchill  May    ll,'36t  70. May     9, '36 

(Exvploitation:    June  20, '36,  p.  120;  July  25, '36,  p.  77.) 
East  of  Java  9029  Chas.  Bickford-Elizabeth  Young  .  Dec.     2t  72  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.)  (Exploitation:  Feb.  8, '36,  p.  84.) 

Fighting  Youth  (G)  9017  Charles  Farrell-June  Martel  Sept.  30f  66  Dec.  7 

For  the  Service  9045  Buck  Jones-Beth   Marion  May     6,'36t  65  

Great  Impersonation,  The  9014.  Edmund  Lowe-Valerie  Hobson  Dec.     9t  67  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

His  Night  Out  (G)  9021  E.  E.   Horton- Irene  Hervey  Oct.    21 1  74  Nov.  2 

Invisible  Ray,  The  (G)  90l5..Karloff-Bela   Lugosi   Jan.    20,'36t  75. Jan.    25, '36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18. '36,  p.  82;  Jan.  25, '36,  p.  63;  Mar.  7, '36,  p.  99;  Mar.  14, '36,  p.  88; 
July  18. '36,  p.  85.) 

Ivory  Handled  Gun  9042  Buck  Jones-Charlotte  Wynters  Nov.    lit  59  

Love  Before  Breakfast  (G)9007. Carole  Lombard-Preston  Foster.. .  Mar.  9/36t. . ■ -70.  Feb.  29/36 
(Exploitation:  Apr.  18, '36,  p.  81:  May  23, '36,  p.  94;  June  6, '36,  p.  117;  June  13, '36, 
p.  132.) 

Magnificent  Obsession  (G)  8006. Irene   Dunne-Robert  Taylor  Jan.     6,'36t. . .  1 12.  Jan.    II, '36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18, '36,  p.  82;  Feb.  8, '36,  pp.  81,  83,  84;  Mar.  7.' 36,  pp.  86.  99;  Mar. 

21, '36,  pp.  92,  96;  Apr.  1 1, '36,  p.  96;  May  23, '36,  pp.  87,  95;  June  6, '36,  p.  118.) 

Next  Time  We  Love  (G)  8004.Marg't  Sullavan-James  Stewart. .  .Jan.   27,'36t  87.  Feb.     8, '36 

Nobody's  Fool  9033  E.  E.  Horton-Glenda  Farrell  May  3l,'36t  

(See  "Unconscious,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Apr.  4, '36.) 
Parole  (G)   9036   Ann   Preston-Henry  Hunter  June    I4,*36t  65. July     4, '36 

(Exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  79;  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93.) 
Remember  Last  Night?  (A) 
9011   Edw.    Arnold-C.   Cummings  Nov.     4t  81  Oct.  12 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  90.) 
Show  Boat  (G)  8001  Irene  Dunne-Allan  Jones  May    I7,'36t. . .  1 12. May  9/36 

(See  musical  analysis.  May  9/36,  p.  65;  exploitation:  June  20/36,  pp.  117,  121;  June  27/36, 
June  27/36,  p.  80;  July  4/36,  p.  69;  July  11/36,  p.  124;  July  18/36,  p.  82;  July  25/36, 
p.  78;  Aug.   1/36,  p.  93.) 

Silver  Spurs  9044  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Feb.  I8,'36t  

Storm  Over  the  Andes  (G)9026. Jack  Holt-Mona  Barrio  Sept.  I6t  84  Oct.  19 

Stormy  (G)  9016  Noah  Beery,  Jr.-Jean  Rogers  Nov.    lit  68  Oct.  19 

Sunset  of  Power  9043  Buck  Jones- Dorothy  Dix  Dec.  23t  

Sutter's  Gold  (G)  8002  Edward  Arnold  -  Lee  Tracy  - 

Binnie  Barnes   Apr.    1 3/36 1  95. Mar.  28/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  15/36,  p.  14;  exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  18/36,  p. 
77;  Apr.  25/36.  pp.  91,  92;  June  27/36.  p.  85.) 

Sweet  Surrender  9012  Frank  Parker-Tamara   Nov.    25t  78  

Throwback,  The  9041  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Sept.  I8t  60  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug:  10.) 

Coming 

Boss  Rider  of  Gun  Creek  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Nov.  1/36  

Crash  Donovan  (G)  9031  Jack  Holt-Nan  Gray  July   26,'36t. .  .*54.  July  18/36 

Magnificent  Brute,  The  Victor  McLaglen-Binnie  Barnes.  .Sept.  13/36  

My  Man  Godfrey  (G)  William  Powell-Carole  Lombard.  .Sept.    6/36  *95.June  20/36 

Postal    Inspector   Ricardo  Cortez-Patricia  Ellis. ..  Aug.   I G . ' 3 6 1  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Ride  'Em,  Cowboy  Buck  Jones-Luana  Walters  Sept.  I3,'36t  

Sea    Spoilers   John  Wayne-Nan  Gray  

Two  in  a  Crowd  Joel  McCrea-Joan  Bennett  Aug.  30,'36t  

Way  for  a  Lady  Doris  Nolan-Michael  Whalen  

Yellowstone   Henry   Hunter-Judith   Barrett. .  .  Aug.  23/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 

VICTORY  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Bars  of  Hate  Regis  Toomey-Sheila  Terry  Nov.     It  63  

Face  in  the  Fog,  A  June  Collyer-Lloyd   Hughes  Feb.  I,'36t  

Fighting  Coward   Ray  Walker-Joan   Woodbury  Dec.    I5t  70  

Hot  Off  the  Press  Jack  La  Rue-Virginia  Pine  Sept.  I5t  57  

Kelly  of  the  Secret  Service  Lloyd  Hughes-Sheila  Mannors  June  I5,'36t  

Prison  Shadows   Eddie  Nugent-Lucille  Lund  June  l/36t  

Rio  Grande  Romance  Eddie  Nugent-Maxine  Doyle  Mar.  I5,'36t  

Taming  the  Wild  Rod  La  Rocque-Maxlne  Doyle  Fob.  I5,'36t  


WARNER  BROTHERS 


Running  Time 

T'tle  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Big  Noise,  The  (G)  925  Guy   Kibbee-Warren    Hull  Juno   27,'36t  58. Apr.  25/36 

Boulder  Dam   (G)  815  Ross  Alexander-Patricia  Ellis  Mar.    7,'36t  70. Apr.  4/36 

Colleen   (A)  903  Ruby  Keeler-Joan  Blondell-Jack 

Oakie-Dick  Powell   Mar.  2l/36t. . .  .89.  Feb.  1/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  25/36;  p.  92;  May  23/36,  p.  86.) 

Dangerous  (A)  910  Bette   Davis- Franchot  Tone  Jan.     4/36t....78  Nov.  30 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83,  86;  Apr.  20/36,  p.  96;  June  13/36. 
P.  123.) 

Freshman  Love  (G)  922  Patricia  Ellis-Warren  Hull  Jan.    I8,'36t. ..  .65.  Feb.  1/36 

Frisco  Kid  (A)  907  James  Cagney-Marg't  Lindsay. .. Nov.    30t  77  Nov.  2 

Green  Pastures,  The  (G)  Rex  Ingram   Aug.     1/36  93. May  30/36 

See  production  article,  May  2/36.  p.  16;  exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  77.) 

Hot    Money    (G)    926  Ross  Alexander- Beverly  Roberts.  .July    l8/36t. .  .  .68. Aug.  1/36 

I  Married  a  Doctor  (G)  906. ..Pat  O'Brlen-J.   Hutchinson  Apr.  25,'36t . .. .83. Apr.  4/36 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Man  Hunt  (G)  923  Marguerite  Churchill-W.  Gargan. .  Feb.   I5,'36t. . .  .65.  Jan.  11/36 

Miss  Pacific  Fleet  (G)  916. ..Joan  Blondell-Glenda  Farrell  Dec.    I4t  66  Nov.  30 

Petrified  Forest,  The  (G)  904. Leslie    Howard-Bette    Davis  Feb.     8,'36t  83. Jan.  18/36 

(Exploitation:  May  2/36,  p.  92.) 
Public  Enemy's  Wife  (G)  913.  .Pat  O'Brien-Margaret  Lindsay. .  .July    25,'36t. ..  .69.  June  27/36 
Satan  Met  a  Lady  912  Warren  William-Bette   Davis. ...  Aug.  8/36t....74  

(See  "Men  on  Her  Mind,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Jan.  11/36.) 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Sons  O'Guns  (G)  911  Joe  E.  Brown-Joan  Blondell  May   30/36t  79. May  2/36 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  128;  July  25/36,  pp  76,  77.) 
Stars  Over  Broadway  (G)  917. Pat  O'Brien-Jane   Froman  Nov.    23t  89  Nov.  9 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63.) 

Times  Square  Playboy  (G)  924. Warren  William-June  Travis  May     9,'36t  62. Mar.  21/36 

Treachery  Rides  the  Range  (G) 

929   Dick  Foran-Paula  Stone  May     2,'36t  56. Mar.  7/36 

Walking  Dead,  The  (G)  914. . . Karloff- Marguerite  Churchill  Mar.  I4,'36t  76. Mar.  7/36 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Widow  from  Monte  Carlo,  The 

(G)    921   Dolores  Del  Rio-W.  William. ...  Feb.  l/36t. .- .60. Jan.  4/36 

Coming 

Another  Dawn   Errol  Flynn-Bette  Davis  

Anthony  Adverse  (G)  801  Fredric  March-O.  De  Havilland. .  Aug.  29/36  139.  May  23/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  1/36,  p.  16.) 

Bengal  Tiger,  The  (G)  Barton  MacLane-June  Travis  Sept.    5/36. ...  *62 .  July  11/36 

Cain  and  Mabel  Marion  Davies-Clark  Gable  Sept.  26/36  

Captain's  Kid,  The  Guy  Kibbee-Sybil  Jason  

(See  "Way  for  a  Pirate,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 
Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade. . Errol  Flynn-O.  De  Havilland  

(See  producton  artcle,  July  25/36,  p.  16.) 
Draegerman  Courage   Jean    Muir- Barton  MacLane  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  July  4/36.) 

Give  Me  Your  Heart  (G)  Kay  Francis-George  Brent  *88.July  18/36 

Green  Light   Errol  Flynn-Anita  Louise  

Guns  of  Pecos    Dick  Foran-Anne  Nagel  

Invitation  to  a  Murder  Marguerite  Churchill  •  Gale 

Sender gard  

Jailbreak   (G)   927  Craig  Reynolds-June  Travis  Aug.    8,'36t  60. May  16/36 

Loudspeaker  Lowdown   Ross  Alexander-Anne  Nagel  

Making  of  O'Malley,  The  Pat.  O'Brien-Sybil  Jason  

Marriage  Clause  Robt.   Montgomery-Olivia  De 

Havilland    ... 

Midsummer  Night's  Dream  (G)  .All  Star   132  Oct.  12 

(Pictorial:  Aug.  3,  p.  15;  exploitation:  Apr.  11/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  118;  June 
27/36,  p.  82.) 

Mistress  of  Fashion  Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter  

Over  the  Wall  Ross  Alexander   

Pony  Express  Rider  Dick  Foran-Linda  Perry  

Slim   Pat  O'Brien-Henry  Fonda  

Three  in  Eden  Marg't  Lindsay- Donald  Woods- 
Ian  Hunter   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25/  36.) 
Three  Men  on  a  Horse  Frank  McHugh-Joan  Blondell  

OTHER  PRODUCT  (FOREIGN) 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Dist'r  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Anna  (G)   Ada    Voitsik  Amkino   July    16/36.  95. Aug.  1,36 

A   Star   Fell  from  Heaven 

(G)   Florine  McK'nney. ..  Assoc.    British..  70. June  27/36 

Broken  Blossoms  (A)  Dolly  Haas   Twickenham   June  6/36 

Cloistered  (G)   Best   ..May   19/36. ..  65.  May  30/36 

Come  Out  of  the  Pantry (G)  J.  Buchanan- F.Wray. United  Artists..  70  Dec.  14 

Dubrevsky    Boris  Livancv   Amkino   Mar.  28,'36t . . 72. Apr.  11/36 

Everything  Is  Rhythm  (G). Harry  Roy   Assoc.    British  75. June  27/36 

Heart's  Desire   (G)  Richard  Tauber   Assoc.    British..  87  Oct.  I 

I  Give  My  Heart  (A)  Gitta  Alper   Assoc.    British  85  Nov.  16 

Interrupted  Honeymoon,  The 

(A)   Claude  Hulbert   British  Lion  73. June  27/36 

Invitation  to  the  Waltz(G) .  Lilian  Harvey   Assoc.    British  80  Nov.  16 

La    Fusse   Femin  Gemier   French   Aug.     1/36. ..83  

La  Maternelle  (A)  Paulette  Elambert. .. Metropolis   ..Oct.      14  80  Nov.  16 

Land  of  Promise,  The  (G)  Zionist    Org.    of  ' 

\  America   Nov.     20  57  Dee.  7 

Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The.. Maria  Corda- 

V.  Varconi   Trans-America. ....  Dec.     14. ...  65  

Le  Bonheur  (A)  Gaby  Morlay   Franco-American.. .  Mar.    5/36.  .  1 10.  Mar.  21/36 

Liebelei    (A)   Paul   Hoerbiger  ..    General   87. Mar.  14/36 

Living  Dangerously  (A)..  .Otto  Kruger  Assoc.    British  80.  Mar.  21/36 

Marriage    of    Corbal,  The 

(A)   Nils  Asther   General   80. June  13/36 

Milizia  Territoriale  (G) ..  .Antonio  Gandusio  .  Nuovo    Mondo  Apr.     4/36. ..  77.  Apr.  25/36 

Once  in  a  Million  (G)  Buddy  Rogers- 

M.  Brian   Assoc.    British  75. Apr.  4/36 

Ourselves  Alone   (G)  Antoinette  Cellier  ..Assoc.    British  70. May  16/36 

Pension  Mimosas  (A)  Francoise  Rosay   Franco-American. .. May     5/36. . .93. May  16/36 

Prenez  Garde  a  la  Peinture.  Simone  Simon  French   Aug.     1/36... 86  

Private  Secretary,  The  (G).Edw.  Everett  Horton. Twickenham  75  Oct.  5 

Public  Nuisance  No.  I  (G). Frances  Day   General   79. Mar.  14/36 

Raggen — Det   Ar  Jag  Det 

(A)   N.  Wahlbom   Scandinavian   May  21/36.. .83. May  30/36 

Re  Burlone,  II  (G)  Armando  Falconi  ...Nuovo  Mondo   Mar.  25/36. . .98. Apr.  4/36 

Robber  Symphony,  The  (G).George  Graves   Concordia   125. May  9/36 

Royal  Waltz  (G)  Paul  Hoerbiger   Ufa   Apr.     9/36. . .81  .Apr.  25/36 

Skargards  (A)   Gideon  Wahlberg   ..Scandinavian   Apr.    7/36. . .90. Apr.  18/36 

Soviet  News   (G)  Amkino   Apr.    10/36. . .70. Apr.  25/36 

Tempo    Massino    (G)  Milly   World   Mar.   12/36. .  .78.  Mar.  21/36 

Three  Maxims,  The  (G)...  Anna  Neagle,  Tullio 

Carminati    General  87. Aug.  1/36 

Turn  of  the  Tide  (G)  J.  Fisher  White  Not   determined  80  Nov.  2 

Two's  Company   (G)  Ned  Sparks- 
Mary  Brian   B.  &  D  May  16/36 

We    Are    from  Kronstadt 

(G)   v.  Zaichlkov   Amkino   Apr.  30/36t.  .93. May  16/36 

Wedding  March,  The  (A). Tullio  Carminati..    Franco-American  92. Mar.  14/36 

When   Knights  Were  Bold 

(G)    |.  Buchanan-F.Wray. General   76.  Mar.  7/3S 

Where  There's  a  Will  (G). Will   Hay   Gaumont-Brltlsh  81. July  4/36 

Woman  Alone,  A  (A)  Anna   Sten-H.  Wll- 

coxen   General   90. June  6/31 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


105 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT—CCNT'D) 


SHCET 
El  EMS 

[All  dates  are  1935  unless 
otherwise  stated] 


CELEBRITY 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

COMICOLOR  CARTOONS 

Balloon  Land   Scpt.30f  1  rl. 

Simple  Simon   Nov.  I5t  1  rl. 

Humpty  Dumpty   Dec.  30t  1  rl. 

Ali    Baba   Jan.  30,'36t.9... 

Tom  Thumb   Mar.  30,'36t  .7. . . 

Dick  Whittington's  Cat  May  30,'36t.7... 

Little  Boy  Blue   July  30,'36t  


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 
and   Guess  Mar.  9,'36t  10. . . 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 


COLUMBIA 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

BARNEY  GOOGLE 
No.  I— "Tteched  in  th' 

Hald"   Oct.  24t....7... 

No.  2— -'Patch  Mah 

Britches"   Dec.  I9t  7. . . 

No.  3— "Spark  Plug"   Apr.  l2,'36t.6'/2. 

No.  4— Major  Google   May  24,'36t .6'/2 . 

BROADWAY  COMEDIES 

Ants  in  the  Pantry  ..Feb.  6,'36tl8'/2. 

(3  Stooges) 

Caught  in  the  Act  Mar.  5,'36tl8... 

Andy  Clyde 
Champ's  a  Chump,  The  June  20,'36fl8. . . 

(All  Star) 

Disorder  in  the  Court  May  30.'36f  17. . . 

(3  Stooges) 
Double  Trouble   

Andy  Clyde 
Half  Shot  Shooters   Apr.  30,'36t  19. . . 

(3  Stooges) 

His  Marriage  Mixup  Oct.  3 1 1 .  -  - 1 8. . . 

Harry  Langdon 
Honeymoon  Bridge   Oct.  3t...l9... 

Leon  Errol 

Hot  Paprika   Dec.  1 2t  —  I B'/a . 

Andy  Clyde 
I   Don't   Remember   Dec.  26t...l8'/2. 

Harry  Langdon 

Just  Speeding  Jan.  23,'36f  18  

Midnight   Blunders  Apr.  2l,'36tl7... 

(All  Star) 

Mister  Smarty   July  1 5,'36f  18 — . 

Andy  Clyde 
Movie   Maniacs   Feb.  20,'36tl8... 

(3  Stooges) 

Oh  My  Nerves  Oct.  I7f...l7... 

(All  Star) 

Pain  in  the  Pullman,  A. . .  June  27,'36t  18. . . 
(3  Stooges) 

Peppery  Salt,  The  May  I5,'36tl8  — 

Andy  Clyde 
Share  the  Wealth  Mar.  l9,'36tl7'/2 . 

Andy  Clyde 
Three  Little  Beers  Nov.  28t...l7... 

(3  Stooges) 

Unrelated  Relations   Jan.  9,'36tl8... 

(All  Star) 

Whoops,  I'M  an  Indian  

.(3  Stooges) 
Yoo    Hoo    Hollywood  Nov.  I4t. . .  18  

(All  Star) 

COLOR  RHAPSODIES 

Bon  Bon  Parade  Dec.    5f  8'/2 . 

Dr.  Bluebird   Feb.  5,'36t.8... 

Football  Bugs  Apr.  29,'36f.7. .. 

Glee  Worms   June  24,'36t  .7. . . 

Monkey   Love   Sept.  I2t  8... 

Untrained  Seal,  The  July  26,'36t.7. . . 

KRAZY   KAT  CARTOONS 
9.  Happy   Family,  A  Sept.  26f  7... 

10.  Kannibal    Kapers  Dec.  27t  7... 

11.  Bird   Stutter,   The  Feb.  I,'36t.7... 

12.  "Lil  AinJH"   Mar.  I9,'36t.6... 

13.  Peace   Conference  Apr.  I0,'36t.7... 

(re-issue) 

14.  Highway  Snobbery  


NEW  WORLD  OF  SPORT  SERIES 
Feminine   Invasion,  The. ...Oct.  26t...ll... 

Golfing  Rhythm   May  1 5,'36tl 0. . . 

Hunters'  Paradise....   Nov.  30t...ll... 

Ice   Cut-Ups  Feb.  6,'36tl0... 

Jump,   Horse,  Jump  Sept.  27t.  ..II... 

Speed  Mad     Apr.  I7,'36tl0. . . 

Sport  Magic   June  I3,'36f  .9</2. 


Stop,  Look 

Thrills  with    Daredevils  Mar.  I9,'36tl0. . . 

Touring  the  Sport  World. ..July  II, '36. 10... 

SCRAPPY  CARTOONS 

Let's  Ring  Doorbells  Nov.    7t  7... 

Playing  Politics   July  8,'36t.7... 

Scrappy's  Boy  Scouts  Jan.  2,'36t.7... 

Scrappy's  Camera  Troubles.. June  5,'36t.7... 
Scrappy's  Pony   Mar.  I6,'36t.7. . . 

SCREEN  SNAPSHOTS 

No.  2—   Oct.   lit. ..10... 

No.  3—   Nov.    8t. . .  10  

No.  4—   Dec.    6t . . .  10. . . 

No.  5—   Jan.  2,'36tl0'/2. 

No.  6—   Jan.  3l,'36tl0'/2. 

No.  7—   Feb.  28,'36tl0'/2. 

No.  8—   Mar.  27,'36tl0... 

No.  9—   Apr.  24,'36t.9'A. 

No.  10—   May  29,'36tl0... 

No.  II—   June26,'36tl0... 

No.  12—   July  17, '36. 10... 

STARS  OF  TOMORROW 

No.  2—   Sept.  7t...ll... 

No.  3—  Nov.  27f  II  

No.  4 —   Nov.  I6t...l0... 

No.  5—   Jan.  I5,'36tll... 

No.  6—   Jan.  I7,'36tl  0  

VOICE  OF  EXPERIENCE 

No.   I—   Sept.  l5t...l0'/2. 

No.  2—   Sept.  29f ...  1 0'/2 . 

No.  3—   Oct.  l3t...l0'/2. 

No.  4—   Oct.  28t...l0'/2. 

No.  5—   Nov.  l2t...l0'/2. 

No.  6—   Nov.  27t...l0'/2. 

No.  7—   Dec.  l2t...l0'/2. 

No.  8—   Jan.  2,'36tll... 

No.  9—   Feb.  25,'36tl0'/2. 

No.  10—   Mar.  26,'36tl0>/2. 


DU  WORLD 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

POPULAR   SCIENCE  FOREIGN 
(Cinecolor) 

No.   I—   Sept.l5,'36..9... 

No.  2—  10... 

No.  3—   8... 

No.  4—   8... 

No.  5—   9... 

No.  6 —   10... 

SEMI-FEATURES  AND  SHORTS 
Cathedrals   Oct.     It. ..19... 


EDUCATIONAL 

[Distributed  through 

Twentieth  Century-Fox] 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

CORONET  COMEDIES 

Brain  Busters,  The  Jan.  I0,'36tl8  

Fresh  from  the  Fleet  Apr.  24,'36tl8  

He's  a  Prince  Oct.   1 8f ...  1 8  

Just  Another  Murder  Oct.  4t...l7  

Mixed  Policies   Jan.  I7,'36t20  

Sleepless  Hollow   May  8,'36tl6  

Where  Is  Wall  Street  Apr.  I0,'36tl9  

FROLICS    OF  YOUTH 

Choose  Your  Partners  Dec.  I3t . .  .20. . . . 

Flicker  Fever   Sept.  26t . .  .20. ... 

Knockout  Drops   Dec.  6t...l9  

MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Home  on  the  Range  June  5,'36t2l  

Moonlight  and  Melody  Oct.  lit. ..21.... 

Perfect  Thirty-Sixes   Dec.  20t ...  1 8  

Rhythm  of  Paree  Sept.  27t. .  .21  

Thanks,  Mr.  Cupid  Jan.  24,'36tl8  

SONG   AND   COMEDY  HITS 

Alpine  Rendezvous   Aug.   I, '36. II  

College   Capers   Sept.  27t . . .  12  

Easy   Piokln's   Dec.  27t ...  10  

Going  Native   Aug.  28, '36. 1 1  

Hillbilly  Love   Oct.  I  It. . .  1 1  

Queen's  Birthday,  The  Aug.  14, '36. 10. .. . 

Ring  Goes  'Round,  The. . . .  Aug.  21  ,'36. 10. . . . 

Rodeo  Day   Sept.  1 31" ...  1 1  

Seeing   Nellie   Home  Dec.  20t ...  1 1  

Sorority  Blues   Dec.  6t...ll  

Spooks   Apr.  I7,'36t.9  

Way  Out  West  Oct.  25t ...  1 1  

STAR  PERSONALITY  COMEDIES 

Giv'im  Air   Feb.  I4,'36tl8. . . . 

Gold   Bricks   Mar.  20,'36t20  

Grand  Slam  Opera  Feb.  2l,'36t2l  

Ladies  Love  Hats  Nov.    If... 20  


Penny  Wise   Sept.  6t...l6. 

Three  on  a  Limb    .Jan.  3,'36fl9. 

Timid  Young  Man,  The  Oct.  25t...20. 

Triple  Trouble   Apr.  3,'36fl6. 

White   Hope,  The  Mar.  27,'36tl9. 

PAUL  TERRY-TOONS 

Aladdin's  Lamp   Nov.  I5t  6. 

Alpine  Yodeler   Feb.  2,'36t.6. 

Barnyard   Amateurs   Mar.  6,'36t.6. 

Busy    Bee,   The  May  29,'36t.6. 

Circus  Days   Sept.  6t  8. 

Farmer   Al    Falfa    in  the 

Hot  Spell   July  I0,'36f .6. 

Farmer  Al   Falfa  and  the 

Runt   May  I5,'36t.6. 

Farmer    Al    Falfa's  Prize  

Package   July  3I,'36. 

Feud,  The   Jan.  I0.'36t 

Foiled  Again   Oct.  4t... 

Football   Oct.  I8t... 

Hey  Diddle  Diddle   Sept.  20t... 

Home  Town  Olympics  Feb.  7,'36t 

June  Bride,  A  Nov.  It... 

Kiko  and  the  Honey  Bears  Aug.  21. '36t 

Mayflower,  The   Dec.  27t... 

19th  Hole  Club,  The  Jan.  24,'36t.6. 

Off  to   China  Mar.  20,'36t.6. 

Puddy   the    Pup   and  the 

Gypsies   July  24,'36t.6. 

Rolling  Stones   May  l,'36t.6. 

Sailor's  Home,   The  June  I2,'36t.6. 

Southern  Horse-pitality  Nov.  29t  6. 

Tough   Egg,  A  June  26,'36t.6. 

Western  Trail,  The  Apr.  3,'36t.6. 

Wolf  in  Cheap  Clothing,  A.Apr.  I7,'36t.6. 
Ye  Olde  Toy  Shop  Dec.  I3t  6. 


TREASURE  CHEST 

Animal    Cunning   May  I,'36tl0. 

Clever  Critters   Sept.  20t  8. 

Fast   Friends   June  5,'36t.9. 

Feminine  Form   Aug.  7, '36. 10. 

Fisherman's  Luck   Jan.  3l,'36t.9. 

Gangsters  of  the  Deep  Nov.    It  8. 

Hold  That  Line  Oct.   lit  7. 

Game  of  Jai-Alai,  The  Dec.  27t  9. 

Manhattan  Tapestry   Jan.  31, '36110. 

Seeing  Eye,  The  Jan.  I7,'36tl0. 

Ski -Scrapers   May  24  8. 

Sunday  Sports  in  Mexico. .. Nov.    8t..  10. 
TUXEDO  COMEDIES 

Just  Plain  Folks  Mar.  I3,'36tl9. 

Kiss  the   Bride  Sept.  I3t . .  .21 . 

One  Big  Happy  Family  Nov.  I5t...2l. 

Rail   Birds   May  22,'36tl8. 

TWO-REEL  COMEDIES 

Bashful    Buddies   Aug.  7/36.17. 

Blue  Blazes   Aug.  21  ,'36.  .2  i 

Boy,  Oh  Boy  Aug.  I4.'36.  .2  i 

Happy  Heels   Aug.   I, '36. 18. 

It  Happened  All  Right  May  I5,'36tl9. 

Parked  in  Paree  Aug.  28,'36.  .2 

Peaceful  Relations   June  I9,'36tl8. 

YOUNG  ROMANCE 

Beware  of  Blondes  Feb.  7,'36t20. 

Love  in  a  Hurry  May  17  16. 

Love  in  September   Mar.  6,'36f2l. 

Way  Up  Thar  Nov.  8t...l8. 


GRAND  NATIONAL 
DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

MUSICAL  MOODS 
(Technicolor) 

Ave  Maria   Mar. 25,'36t .  I  rl. 

Irish   Melody   Mar.  9,'36t.8... 

Italian  Caprice   Dec.    It  8... 

Liebestraum  Apr.  20,'36f .  I  rl. 

Mediterranean  Songs   Nov.    It  7... 

NEWSLAUGHS 

No.  2—   Nov.  26t  I  rl. 

No.  3—   Dec.  30t  I  rl. 

No.  4—   Jan.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

No.  5 —   Feb.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

No.  6 —   Mar.  20,'36t.l  rl. 

6  THRILLING  JOURNEYS 

Craters  of  the  Moon  Nov.  I5jt  I  rl. 

Old  Faithful  Speaks  Nov.  I5t  

Deep  Sea  Harvest  Jan.  I5,'36t.l  rl. 

Ride  Along   Dude  Feb.  I5,'36t .  I  rl. 

City  of  Proud  Memories  Dec.  lot  I  rl. 

Realm  of  Ghosts  Mar.  I,'36t  


HOFFBERG 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Beautiful  Blue  Danube  Feb.  4,'36t.9.. 

Carillon  Makers   Aug.  I5,'36tl2. . 

Golden  Harbor   Mar.  I6,'36tl0.. 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

It's  a  Bird   Jan.  20,'36tl7... 

Life  of  Theodore  Roosevelt.  .Feb.    I ,*36tl9-  - . 

Tough  Breaks   Mar.  l.'36tlS — 

Spanish  Interlude,  A  Sept.l5,'36t26. . . 

Sport  of  Flying   Aug.  Il,'36t.9... 

Symphony  of  the  Seasons. .Jan.  27,'36t.9... 

Young    Explorer   Mar.  2,'36f  10. . . 

INTERNATIONAL  VARIETIES 

No.   I—   Feb.  I4,'36t.8... 

No.  2—   Feb.  28,'36t.8. . . 

No.  3—   Mar.  8,'36tl0... 

No.  4—   Mar.  22,'36tl0... 

No.  5—   Apr.  I0,'36f.7... 

No.  6—   Apr.  22,'36t.7'/2. 

PERSONALITIES  ON  PARADE 

No.   I—   Feb.  5.'36t.9... 

No.  2—   Mar.  6,'36t.9... 

No.  3—   Apr.  Il,'36t.9... 

No.  4—   May  4,'36t.9... 

WORLD  EXPLORATIONS 

1.  Nomads  of  the  Jungle  Feb.  3,'36t.6... 

2.  Nomads  of  the  South  Seas.  Feb.  I7,'36t.6... 

3.  Nomads  of  the  Past  Mar.  3,'36t.6... 

4.  Nomads  of  the  Air  Mar.  l7,'36t.5'/2. 

5.  Nomads  in  the  Making. .  .Apr.  3,'36t.6... 

6.  Nomads  of  the  River. ..  .Apr.  I7,'36f.6... 

7.  Nomads  of  the  Plains  May  3,'36t.5'/2. 

8.  Nomads  of  the  Sea  May  l7,'36t.5'/2. 


IMPERIAL 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

COLOR  CLASSICS 

Towers  of  Melody  8.. 

Hidden  Treasures   8.., 

Southern   Beauties   8... 

EDGAR  GUEST   POETIC  GEMS 

After  the  Storm   »  , 

Boyhood   8.. 

Couldn't  Live  Without  You  

Old  Prospector,  The  8.. 

Sea   Dreams   8.. 

Early  in  the  Mornin'  8.. 

NOVELTIES 

Cities  of  the  Past  

Nero   8... 

Every  Dog  Has  Its  Day  g... 

Hobo  Hero   9... 

PORT  0'  CALL 

Peacock  Throne   9.., 

City  of  the  Sun  9.., 

Jungle  Bound  

Last  Resort  9.. 

Love's  Memorial   

Children  of  the  Nile  9,.] 

Seventh  Wonder   9.. 

WORLD    IN  COLOR 

Beneath  Coral  Seas   8. . 

Inspiration  of  Old  Love 

Songs   6... 

Isle  of  June   

Dream  Harbor   8... 

Maori   3.. 

Melody  Isle   

Under  the  Southern  Cross  8... 


MGM 

Tit'"  Rel.  Date  Min 

CHARLEY  CHASE 
Count  Takes  the  Count,  The.  Feb.  22, '36t20. 

Life  Hesitates  at  40  Jan.  I8,'36tl5. 

Manhattan  Monkey  Business. Nov.    Of .'..21. 

Neighborhood  House   May  9,'36t  

Nurse  to  You  Oct.  5t...20. 

On  the  Wrong  Trek  Apr.  I8,'36fl9. 

Public  Ghost  No.  I  Dec.  I4f . .  .20. 

Vamp   'Til    Ready  Mar.  28.'36t20 . 

CRIME  DOESN'T  PAY 

No.  3 — Desert  Death   Oct.   1 9t . . . 21 . . 

No.  4— Thrill    for  Thelma, 

A   Nov.  23t. . .  18. . 

No.  5 — Hit  and  Run  Driver.  Dec.  28t...20., 
No.  6— Perfect   Setup   Feb.  I,'36t2l.. 

FITZPATRICK  TRAVEL  TALKS 
Honolulu,    Paradise   of  the 

Pacific   Nov.    2t  8.. 

Japan    In    Cherry  Blossom 

Time   Mar.  21  ,'36t . 9 . 

Modern  Tokyo   Dec.  28t  9. 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  City  of 

Splendor   Apr.  I8,'36f.8. 

Rural  Mexico   Nov.  30t  8. 

Sacred  City  of  the  Mayan 

Indians   Feb.  22,'36f  .7. 

St.  Helena  and  Its  Man  of 

Destiny   May  I6,'36t,8. 

Victoria  and  Vancouver  Jan.  25,'36f.9. 


106 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAET--CCNT*D) 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

HARMAN-ISING 
(Happy  Harmonies) 

15—  Honeyland   Oct.  I9t...l0.. 

16—  Alias  St.   Nick  Nov.  16t  — 10. . 

17—  Bun,  Sheep,  Run  Dec.  I4t- .  .10. . 

18—  Bottles   Jan.  Il,*36tl0.. 

19 —  Early  Bird  and  the 

Worm,  The   Feb.   8/36+. 9.. 

20—  Old  Mill  Pond,  The  Mar.  7/36+. 8.. 

21 —  Two  Little  Pups  Apr.  4,'36f.8.. 

M-G-M  MINIATURES 

Great  American  Pie  Com- 
pany  Nov.  9t...H.. 

How  to  Behave  Apr.  25,'36tl0. . 

How  to  Train  a  Dog  July  4,'36t.8.. 

Important  News   Feb.  29,'36tl0.. 

Jonker  Diamond   Mar.  28,'36tl0. . 

Let's   Dance   Jan.  4,'36t.8.. 

Little  Boy  Blue  May  23, '36+1 1.. 

Master  Will  Shakespeare..  .June  I3.'36tl0.. 

Primitive  Pitcairn  Dec.    7t  9.. 

Trained   Hoofs   Oct.  12+  9.. 

West  Point  of  the  South...  .Feb.   I  ,'36+.8. . 
M-G-M  SPORTS  PARADE 

Air  Hoppers  Jan.  I8,'36+I0.. 

Aquatic  Artistry   Apr.  1 1, '36+. 9. . 

Crew  Racing   Dee.  21  +  .. .10.. 

Gymnastics   Oct.  26+  9.. 

Harnessed   Rhythm   June    6, '36  

Polo   May  9,'36t.8.. 

Table  Tennis   Feb.  15/36+10. . 

Racing  Canines   Mar.  14. '36+10.  . 

Water  Sports   Oct.  26+  8.. 

MUSICAL  REVUES 

La   Fiesta  de   Santa  Bar- 
bara  Dec.    7+ ...  1 9 . . 

pirate  Party  on  Catalina 
Isle   Nov.  21  20.. 

Sunkist  Stars  at  Palm 

Springs    ...«.  Jan.  II, '36  

OUR  GANG 

Arbor  Day   May  2,'36tl8.. 

Divot  Diggers   Feb.  8,'36tl5.. 

Lucky  Corner,  The  Mar.  14, '36+16. . 

Pinch  Singer   Jan.  4/36+18.. 

Second  Childhood   Apr.  II, '36+19.. 

PATSY  KELLY  COMEDIES 

All-American  Toothache  Jan.  25,'36+20. . 

At  Sea  Ashore  Apr.   4, '36+20.. 

Hill   Tillies   Apr.   4, '36+18.. 

Hot  Money   Nov.  I6+...I8.. 

Pan  Handlers   Feb.  29, '36+20. . 

Top  Flat   Dec.  21+... 20.. 

SPECIAL 

Audioscepiks   8.. 


PARAMOUNT 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

BETTY   BOOP  CARTOONS 
Betty   Boop   and  Little 

Jimmy   Mar.  27,'36+.7. . . 

Betty  Boop  and  the  Little 

King   Jan.  3l,'36t.7... 

Happy  You  and  Merry  Me  .Aug.  21. '36.  .  I  rl. 
Henry,  the  Funniest  Living 

American   ..Nov.  22+  7... 

Judge  for  a  Day  Sept.  20+ . . . .8. . . 

Little  Nobody   Dec.  27+  7... 

Making  Stars   Oct.   18+  7... 

More  Pep   June  I9,'36t  

Not  Now   Feb.  28. '36+. 7. . . 

Song  a  Day,  A  May  22,'36+.7... 

We  Did  It  Apr.  24,'36+.6... 

You're  Not  Built  That. Way  July  I7,'36+.I  rl. 
COLOR  CLASSICS 

Cobweb  Hotel,  The  May  I5,'36t.8... 

Greedy  Humpty  Dumpty. . .  .  July  10, '36+ .  I  rl. 

Hawaiian  Birds   Aug.  28,'36. . I  rl. , 

Little  Stranger   Mar.  I3/36+.8... 

Musical  Memories   Nov.    8t  7... 

Somewhere  In  Dreamland. .  .Jan.  I7,'36.9... 

(Technicolor) 

Time  for  Love  Sept.  6+  7... 

HEADLINERS 
Accent  on  Girls  Dec.  27+  

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 

Melodears 

Babes  in  Hollywood  Oct.   18+ ...10... 

Breezy  Rhythm   Apr.  IO.'36+IO... 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 
Cavalcade  of  Music,  The. ...Oct.    4+.. ..8... 

Gypsy  Revels   Aug.  7,'36..lrl. 

Lucky  Starlets   May  22,'36  +  rO. . . 

Baby  Leroy-Bennie  Bart- 

lett  -  David    Holt  -  Betty 

Holt  -  Billy  Lee  -Virginia 

Weldler 

Magic  of  Music,  The  Aug.   2+,. .11.., 

Richard  Hlmber  and  His 
Orchestra 

Midnight  Melodies   Mar.  20, '36+11 .. . 

Ed  Paul  and  Orchestra- 
Babs   Ryan  -  Loretta  Lee 


Title,                         Rel.  Date  Min. 
Moscow    Moods  Jan.  I7,'36tll  

Yasha  Bunchuk  and  Orch.  j 
Movie  Melodies  on  Parade. Feb.  7. '36+11.... 

Kostelanetz- Eastman 
Musical  Fashions   July  3, '36+. I  rl.. 

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 

Melodears 

Music  in  the  Morgan  Manner  June  12, '36+  

Russ  Morgan  and  Orch. 
Music  Over  Broadway  Aug.  28,'36..l  rl.. 

George  Hall  and  Orch. 
Parade  of  the  Maestros  Nov.  15+.. .10  

Red  Nichols,  Ferde  Grofe, 

Emery  Deutsch  and  Their 

Orchestras 

Play,  Don   July  31, '36  +  

Don  Bestor  and  Orch. 

Radio  Rhapsody   Dec.    6+.. .10... 

Johnny  Green  and  Orch. 

Star  Reporter,  The  Feb.  28,'36t.9  

Betty  Jane  Cooper-Don- 
ald Novis-lna  Ray  Hutton 

Yankee  Doodle  Rhapsody. .  .May   I, '36+1 1.... 
Ferde  Grofe  and  His 
Orchestra 

PARAG  RAPH  ICS 

Lulu's  Love   Aug.  14. '36. .  I  rl. . 

PARAMOUNT  PICTORIAL 
No.  3— Nesting  Time— Re- .  Oct.  11  +  9  

flections — Song  Makers  of 

the  Nation  (Tot  Seymour 

and  Vee  Lawnhurst)  

No.  4 — Jewelry — Made  to. Nov.    3  + ...  1 0 ... . 

Order  —  Let's    Listen  to 

Latin  America   

No.  5 — Manhattan  Rhapsody  .  Dec.  6+...I0  

— Animal    Buddies — Man 

of  Many  Faces  

No.  6  —  The    Latest   from. Jan.  3/36+10  

Paris — Shifting    Sands — 

Nature's  Sideshow   

No.   7 — Mountain   Moods  —  .Jan.  31, '36+ .7  

Camera  Hounds  —  Song 

Makers    of    the  Nation 

(Ralph  Rainger  and  Lee 

Robin)   

No.  8— Frederic  W.  Goudy .  Feb.  28, '36  +  1 1  

— Sails  Over  Sydney  Har- 
bor —  The   Voice   of  the 

Animals   

No.  9— Trailing  the   Birds  .  Mar.  27. '36+. 9  

— Lake  of  Enchantment — 

Swanee  River  Goes  High 

Hat  

No.    10  — Toilers    of    the  Apr.  24, '36+10  

Deep  —  Where  Beauty 

Reigns — Make-up  Magic 
No.    II — Champagne — Girls  .  May  22,'36+  

Will  Be  Boys— Up  Mont 

Blanc   

No.  12 — Meet  the  Pelican — .June  I9,'36t  

Viola    Mitchell  —  Steel 

Suits   

No.  13—   July  I7,'36+.I  rl.. 

PARAMOUNT  PICTORIAL  (New  Series) 
No.  I— What's  Afoot  —  

Golden  Acres — Don  Baker.  Aug.  21, '36. .  I  rl. . 
PARAMOUNT  VARIETIES 

Broadway  Highlights  No.  4  .  Sept.  27+  . . .  10  

Broadway  Highlights  No.  5. Dec.  13+.. .10  

Broadway  Highlights  No.  6. Apr.  3,'36+.9  

Collie,  The   Feb.  21, '36+10  

Countryside  Melodies   Nov.  29+.... 6.... 

(Technicolor) 

Dangerous  Jobs   May    I  ,'36+  .9 . . . . 

Fashions  in  Love  July  24, '36+ . I  rl. . 

Here  Comes  the  Zoo  Mar.  I3,'36t.9  

March  of  the  Presidents...  .Sept.  27+.  ..10. ... 

Movie  Milestones  (No.  2). ..Jan.  31, '36+10  

Poodle,  The   May  22,'36tl0  

Rhythm  Party,  The  June  26, '36+  

Rookie  Fireman,  The  Apr.  24,'36  +  IO  

Shorty  at  Coney  Island  Jan.  I0,'36+I0  

Shorty  at  the  Seashore  July  IO.'36+.I  rl.. 

Shorty  Goes  South  Sept.  1 3+ ...  1 0  

Spring   Night   Nov.    1  +  8  

POPEYE  THE  SAILOR 

Adventures  ef  Popeye,  The.  .Oct.  25+  8  

Bridge  AhoyI   May    I, '36+. 8  

Brotherly  Love   Mar.  6,'36+.7  

Clean  Shaven  Man,  A  Feb.   7, '36+. 7  

l-Ski  Love-Ski  You-Skl. . .  Apr.  3,'36  +  .6  

1  Wanna  Be  a  Lifeguard..  June  26, '36+  

King  of  the  Mardi  Gras...  .Sept.  27+  7  

Let's  Get  Movln'  July  24,'36t.  I  rl.. 

Never  Kick  a  Woman  Aug.  28,'36. .  I  rl. . 

Slnbad  the  Sailor  Jan.  31  .'36+  .2  rls. 

(Special) 

Spinach  Overture,  The  Dec.    6t  8.... 

Vim,  Vigor  and  Vltaliky  Jan.   3. '36+. 7  

What,  No  Spinach?  May  29,'36f  

PARAMOUNT  SOUND  NEWS 
Two  Editions  Weekly 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

POPULAR  SCIENCE 
(Cinecolor) 

No.   I   Sept.  29+  9.. 

No.  2   Nov.  29t...l0'/2 

No.  3   Jan.  24/36+11... 

No.  4   Mar.  27,'36+H... 

No.  5   May  29,'36+  

No.  6   July  17. '36+.  I  rl. 

POPULAR   SCIENCE    (New  Series) 

No.  I   ...Aug.  28,'36..l  rl 

SCREEN  SONGS 
Hills  of  Old  Wyomin',  The  .July  24,'36+.l  rl 

The  Westerners 
I   Don't  Want  to  Make 

History   May  22,'36t  

V.  Lopez  and  Orchestra 
I   Feel  Like  a  Feather  in 

the   Breeze   Mar.  27/36+. 7.-. 

Jack  Denny  and  Orchestra 
It's  Easy  to  Remember  Nov.  29+. ..10.. 

Richard  Hlmber  and  Or- 
chestra 

I  Wished  On  the  Moon  Sept.20+  8.. 

Abe  Lyman  and  Orchestra 

No  Other  One  Jan.  24,'36+.8.. 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 
GRANTLAND    RICE  SPORTLIGHTS 
(NEW  SERIES) 

No.  16 — Hooked  Lightning.  .Sept. 27+. . .  10. . 

No.  17 — Jumping  Champion  .Oct.  25+. ..10.. 

No.  18 — Sport  on  the  Range. Nov.  22+. ..10.. 

No.  19 — Sporting    Network.  .Dec.  20+.  ..10.. 

No.  20— What's  the  Answer. Jan.  I7,'36tl0.. 

No.  21 — Finer  Points   Feb.  14/36+1 0 . . 

No.  22 — Winged  Champions.  Mar.  1 3/36+1 0 . . 

No.  23 — Sun   Chasers  Apr.  10/36+10.. 

No.  24 — Catching  Trouble. ..  May  8/36+10.. 

No.  25 — River  of  Thrills...  .June  5/36+  

No.  26 — Sporting  Compari- 
sons  July  3/36+  

No.  27 — Neptune's   Scholars  .Aug.  7/36..  I  rl 


RKO  RADIO 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

DUMBBELL  LETTERS 

No.  21   Jan.    3/36+. 5.. 

No.  22   Feb.  3l,'36t.5'/a 

No.  23   Apr.   3/36+. 5.. 

No.  24   May  29/36+. 5.. 

No.  25   July  10/36+.... 

EASY  ACES 

Capital  Idea   Oct.  4+...I0.. 

Debonair  New  Orleans  Mar.  27/36+10. . 

Etiquette   Nov.  29/36+. 9. . 

Fool  Your  Friends  June  9/36+.... 

Job's  a  Job,  A  May  22/36+  

Jolly  Old  London  Aug.  30  9'/2 

Old  Fashioned  Movie,  An..  .  Feb.  28/36+1 1 . . 

Tricks  of  the  Trade  Sept.  6+...I0.. 

Unusuallties   Aug.  9+....9'/2 

Winter  at  the  Zoo  Jan.  31/36+IO'/2 

World  Within,  A  Nov.    I +  ...10.. 

FOUR  STAR  COMEDIES 

Salesmanship  Ahoy   July  19  l8'/2 

HEADLINER  SERIES 
No.  5 — Drawing   Rumors. ..  .July  12.  ...17.. 

No.  I— Night  Life  Sept.  21  + . .  .21 . . 

No.  2 — Tuned  Out   Nov.  15+.. .20.. 

No.  3 — Camera  Cranks  Jan.  17/36+19.. 

No.  4 — Wedtime  Story,  A.  .  Mar.  20/36+21 . . 

No.  5—  Bad  Medicine   May  22/36+15. . 

No.  6 — Sleepy  Time   July  24/36+  

EDGAR    KENNEDY  COMEDIES 

Dummy  Ache   July  10/36+  

Gasoloons  Jan.    3/36+1 5'/2 

Happy  tho   Married  Nov.    I  18.. 

High  Beer  Pressure  May   8/36  +  18.. 

In  Love  at  40  Aug.  30+...  19.. 

Sock  Me  to  Sleep  May  17  20.. 

Will  Power   Mar.  6,'36+l5'/2 

MAJOR   BOWES'   AMATEUR  PARADE 

No.   I   May  I/36+.9.. 

No.  2   June  5/36+  

No.  3   ,  July  3/36+  

MAJOR  BOWES'  AMATEUR  THEATRE 
OF   THE  AIR 

No.  4   Oct.  l8+...l8'/2 

No.  5   Nov.  8+...I8.. 

No.  6   Nov.  22+.  ..18.. 

MARCH   OF  TIME 

No.  8   Nov.  I5+...20.. 

No.  9   Dec.  l3+...23'/2 

C 1 936] 

No.   I   Jan.  17/36+181/2 

No.  2   Feb.  17/36+24. . 

No.  3   Mar.  13/36+21 . . 

No.  4   Apr.  17/36+21 . . 

No.  5  May  15/36  +  . . . 

No.  6   .'...  .June  12/36+.. 

No.  7   July  10/36+.. 

MUSICALS 
Night  at  the  Biltmore 
Bowl.  A   Juno  21  !7'/2 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

PATHE  NEWS 

Released  twice  a  week 

PATHE  REVIEWS 

Released  once  a  month 

PATHE  TOPICS 

Released  seven  times  a  year 

RADIO  FLASH  COMEDIES 

Dog  Blight   June  1 2/36+  

Fight  Is  Right  Apr.  10/36+17  

Radio  Barred   Feb.   7/36+15'/2. . 

Where  There's  a  Will  Oct.    4+.. ,18.... 

Worm  Burns,  The  Doc.    6+ ...  1 7 ... . 

RADIO  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Aladdin  from  Manhattan. ...  Feb.  28/36+17  

Foolish  Hearts   Dec.  27+...  18  

Melody  in  May  May  1/36+19.... 

Metropolitan  Nocturne   Aug.  23+. ..18  

Mismanaged   Oct.  25+ . . .  1 9'/2 . . 

Swing   It   July  3/36+  

RAINBOW   PARADE  CARTOONS 

Bold  King  Cole  May  29/36+  

Felix  the  Cat  and  the  Goose 

That  Laid  the  Golden  Egg  .  Feb.   7/36+. 7'/a.. 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  the 
Indians   .Nov.  15+  7'/2. 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  Robin- 
son Crusoe   Mar.  20/36+. 7. . . 

Neptune  Nonsense   .Apr.  17, '36+  .8. . . 

Toonerville  Trolley   Jan.  I7/36+.7... 

Trolley  Ahoy  

Waif's  Welcome,  A  June  19/36+..... 

SMART  SET 

All  Business   Feb.  I4,'36tl8'/j. 

And  So  to  Wed  June  19/36+  

Framing  Father   Apr.  l7/36tl6'/2. 

Returned  Engagement,  A... Oct.   lit. ..21... 

Too  Many  Surprises  Dec.  3t...20'/2. 

SPECIALS 

Going  on  Two  Sept.  17  17... 

Headlines  for  25  Years  Mar.  27/36+21 .. . 

SPORTS  WITH  BILL  CORUM 
Bugles  from  Blue  Grass. ..  .Oet.  I  If...  1014. 

Gentlemen's  Sports   Dec.  13+..  .11... 

Inside  the  Ropes  Aug.  I6t. .  .10... 

Never  Catch  the  Rabbit  Apr.  24/36+1 1 .. . 

Row   Mr.    Row  June  19, '36+. . . . . 

Tomorrow's  Halfbacks  Jan.  24/36+. 9... 

Winter  Sport   Mar.  I3,*36tl0  

STRUGGLE  TO  LIVE 

Beach  Masters   Nov.  8+...l0'/2. 

Living  Jewels  .June  12/36+  

Underground  Farmers   Apr.  I7/36+.9... 

Winged  Pageantry   Feb.  14/36+10... 

SUPERBA  COMEDIES 

Counselitis   Nov.  22+...  18... 

Down  the  Ribber  Mar.  27/36+21 .. . 

Home  Work   Sept.  20+. . .  19.. . 

Uppercutlets   Jan.  24/36tl8'/i. 

Listen  to  Freezin'  July  31/36+  

Wholesailing  Along   May  29/36+17... 

VAGABOND  ADVENTURE  SERIES 

Quebec  ..'  ....Aug.   2  9'/2. 

WORLD   ON  PARADE 
Coral  Isle  of  the  Atlantic. .. Mar.  27/36+1 1 .. . 

Land  of   Evangeline  Nov.  22+...l9'/». 

Morocco   Jan.  10/36+..... 

Prominent  Personalities  ..  .  Feb.  21/36+1 1 .. . 
Spain's   Romantic  Isle, 

Majorca   Oet.  I8t...l9ft. 

Venice  ef  the  North  May  15/36  


STATE  RIGHTS 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

AL  BONDY 

(General  Electric) 

Excursions  in  Science  No.  I  8... 

DYNAMIC 

Wonderland  of  Gaspe  II... 

NORTON 

Alchemist's  Hourglass,  The  18... 

PAT  GARYN 

O'Mahoney-George  Bout   17... 

PHIL  BROWN 

Norwegian  Sketches   io... 

REGAL 

Broadway  Nights  


20TH  CENTURY-FOX 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

ADVENTURES  OF  THE 
NEWSREEL  CAMERAMAN 

Filming  the  Fantastic  Jan.  31/36+10.. 

Filming    Feminine  Head- 
liners   Dec.  27+...I0.. 

Scouring  the  Skies...;  Aug.  14/36  

Shooting  the  Record  Break- 
ers  Nov.  22+...  10.. 

MAGIC   CARPET  SERIES 

Argentine  Argosy   Nov.  22+...  10.. 

Geneva-by-the-Lake   Dec.  2I+...I0.. 

Hong   Kong   Highlights  Jan.  3l/36f  10. . 

Irish  Pastoral   Aug.  7/36  

Morocco  Mirage   Aug.  30  10.. 


August    8,  1936 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


107 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAKT—CCNT'E) 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

West  Indies  Cruise  Oct.  25t...l0... 

Winter  Magic   Dec.  27t...l0... 

UNITED  ARTISTS 


35. 

36. 

37. 

38. 

39. 

40. 
101. 
102. 

28. 

29. 
30. 
31. 
32. 
33. 
34. 


Title 

MICKEY  MO 
Pluto's  Judgment  Day. 

On  Ice   

Mickey's  Polo  Team.. 

Orphans'  Picnic   

Mickey's  Grand  Opera 
Through  the  Mirror... 

Moving  Day   

Mickey's  Rival   

SILLY  SYMPH 
Who  Kilted  Cock 

Robin?   

Music  Land   , 

Three  Orphan  Kittens 

Cock  of  the  Walk  

Broken  Toys   

Elmer  the  Elephant... 
Three  Little  Wolves. . 


Rel.  Date  Min. 
USE 

.Sept.28t....9.. 
.Nov.  6t....8.. 
.Feb.  5,'36t-8.. 
.Mar.  I2.'36t.9.. 

 9.. 

June  I8,'36t.9.. 
July  22,'36..9.. 

 9.. 

ONIES 


June26t...l0... 

Oct.   lOt  8'/2. 

Nov.  2lt....9... 

Dec.  I9t  8... 

Jan.  9,'36t.8... 
.May  I4,'36t.8!/i. 
May  27,'36tl0... 


UNIVERSAL 


Title 


Min. 


Rel.  Date 
CARTUNE  CLASSICS 
No.  6 — Fox  and  the  Rabbit, 

The   Sept.  30  8  

GOING  PLACES  with  LOWELL  THOMAS 

No.  16   Dec.  23t. .  .10  

No.  17   Jan.  20,*36f  

No.  18   Mar.  9,'36t IO'/2 . . 

No.  19   Mar.  23,'36tl0  

No.  20   Apr.  20/36+. 9.... 

No.  21   June  8,'36t  

No.  22   June  22,'36t  

No.  23   July  6,'36t  

No.  24   July  20,'36.I0.... 

No.  25   Aug.  3,'36  

No.  26   Aug.  17/36  

Mo.  27   Aug.  21  ,'36  

No.  28   Sept.28,'36  

No.  29   Oct.  26,'36  

No.  30   Nov.  23/36  

No.  31   Dec.  21/36  

MENTONE  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Carnival  Time   Jan.  22, '36+19  

Jean  Sergent-Jack  Fulton 

Clubhouse  Party  (No.  6-B).Dec.  25t  2  rls. 

Ray  Perkins 

Flippen's  Frolics   July  I5,'36t  

Gus  Van's  Garden  Party.  ..Sept.  2/36.. I  rl.. 
Gus  Van's  Music  Shoppe 

(No.  5-B)   Dec.  4t...20  

Harlem  Bound  (No.  4)  Nov.  6+...20  

Marine  Follies   Apr.  29/36t.2  rls. 

Musical  Airways   Sept. 30, '36. .  I  rl. . 

On  Your  Radio  Dial 

(No.  3)   Oct.  23t.- .  10  

Playing  tor  Fun  Mar.  I8,'36tl5  

Signing  Off   Feb.  I9,'36tl9  

Speedy  Justice  (No.  2-B) . .  .Sept.  25+ . .  .20  

Teddy  Bergman's  Inter- 
national Broadcast   June  3/36t20  

Vaud-O-Mat  The   Apr.  8,'36tl6  

NOVELTIES 

Skits  V  Sketches  Feb.  24.'36t  

OSWALD  CARTOONS 

Alaska  Sweepstakes   Feb.  !7/36t.8  

Amateur  Broadcast   Aug.  26  7  

Battle  Royal   June  22,'36t.7  

Barnyard  Five   Apr.  20,'36t  

Beauty  Shoppe   Mar.  20,'36t.6l/2. . 

Case  of  the  Lost  Sheep,  The.  Dec.    9t  7  

Doctor  Oswald   Dec.  30t  

Farming  Fools   May  25/36t  

Fun  House,  The  May  4/36t  

Kiddie  Revue   Sept.  21, '36  

Monkey  Wretches   Nov.  lit  I  rl.. 

Music    Hath   Charms  Sept.  7,'36  

Slumberland  Express   Mar.  9/36t  

Soft  Ball  Game  Jan.  27,'36t  

STRANGER  THAN  FICTION  SERIES 

No.  18 — Novelty   Mar.  30/36t.9'/2 . . 

No.  19 — Novelty   Apr.  I3,'36t.9  

No.  20—  Novelty   June  l,'36t  

No.  21 — Novelty   June  I5,'36t  

No.  22— Novelty   June  29/36t  

No.  23— Novelty   July  I3,'36t  

No.  24 — Novelty   July  27,'36. 10  

No.  25 — Novelty   Aug.  10/36.10  

No.  26 — Novelty   Aug.  24/36. 10  

No.  27— Novelty   Sept.  I4.'36  

No.  28 — Novelty   Oct. 

No.  29 — Novelty   Nev. 

No.  30— Novelty   Dec. 

UNIVERSAL  COMEDIES 

His  Last  Fling  Joly  31  20.... 

(Van  Ronkel  No.  5) 

You  Can  Be  Had  Jan.  8,'36tl5  


12/36  

9/36  

7/36  .... 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

You  Can't  Get  Away 

With  It   2  rls. 

UNIVERSAL  SPECIAL 
Camera  Thrills   Sept. 30  21.... 

VITAPHONE 


TIME  VAUDEVILLE  REEL 
I5,'36tll 


9t-...2rls 


..21.. 


4,'36t20.. 


I8,'36t2l.. 


I,'36t2l. 


BIG 

Vitaphone  Billboard   Feb. 

Jane  and  Katherine  Lee 
Vitaphone  Casino   10.. 

Buster  West- Radio  Rubes 
Vitaphone  Celebrities   Jan.  25/36tll.. 

Remington  Singers 
Vitaphone    Entertainers  June  27,'36t.  I  rl 

Sylvia  Froos 
Vitaphone  Headliners   Dec.  l4t-.-IO.. 

Nick   Lucas-Four  Mullen 

Sisters 

Vitaphone  Highlight   Apr.  4,'36tl0.. 

Eddie  Peabody 
Vitaphone  Hippodrome  May  2/36tll-. 

Molly  Picon-Johnny  Lee 
Vitaphone  Spotlight   Mar.  7/36tll.. 

Conville-Dale 

Vitaphone  Topnotches   May  30,'36t  

Vitaphone  Troupers   Jan.  4/36tl0.. 

Four  Trojans- 

Aunt  Jemima 
Vitaphone  Variete   Nov.  I6t  I  rl 

Louis  Prima  and  Orch. 

Vitaphone  Stageshow  July  25,'36t.l  rl 

BIG  V.  VOMEDIES 
Vodka  Boatmen   Oct.    5t. .  .20. . 

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Lonesome  Trailer   Oct.  261... 20.. 

El  Brendel 
Officer's  Mess,  The  Nov. 

Shemp  Howard 
Double  Exposure   Nov.  23t...2 

Bob  Hope 
Lucky  Swede,  The  Dec.  21 1. 

El  Brendel 
While  the  Cat's  Away  Jan. 

Shemp  Howard 
They're  Off   Jan. 

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Slide.  Nellie,  Slide  Feb. 

Herman  Bing- 

Paula  Stone 
Shop  Talk   Feb.  15/36*21. 

Bob  Hope 
Joe  Palooka  in  for  the  Love 

of  Pete   Mar.  I4,'36t2l. 

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 
Calling  All  Tars  Mar.  28,'36t2l . 

Bob  Hope 

Slum  Fun   Apr.  Il/36t2l. 

Johnny  Berkes- 
Charles  O'Donnell 

Dough-Nuts   Apr.  25/36t.2 

Yacht  Club  Boys 

Absorbing  Junior   May  9.'36t2l. 

Shemp  Howard- 
Johnny  Berkes 

Joe  Palooka  in  Here's  Howe.  June   6.'36t2l . 
Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 

Wife  of  the  Party,  The  June  20,'36t22. 

Ken  Murray 

Good  Old  Plumbertime, 

The  July  1 1, '36 1. 2 

Johnny  Berkes 

The  Oily  Bird  July  25,'36t.2 

Ken  Murray 

Joe  Palooka  in  Punch  and 

Beauty   Aug.  I5,'36  

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 

BROADWAY  BREVITIES 
Oh,  Evaline   Sept.  I4t. .  .20. 

Hal  LeRoy- 

Eleanore  Whitney 
Doorman's  Opera   Sept.  28t- •  .20. 

Charlotte  Arren- 

Johnny  Broderick 
Tickets  Please   Oct. 

Georgie  Price 
Regular  Kids   Oct. 

Meglin  Kids 
Check  Your  Sombrero  Nov. 

Armida-Tlto  Coral 
Rooftops  of  Manhattan  Nov.  I6t. 

Deane  Janls-Gil  Lamb 
Trouble  In  Toyland  Nov. 

Gus  Edwards'  Stars  of 

the  Future 
Okay,  Jose   De 

El  Brendel 
Katz'  Pajamas    Dec. 

Fifl  D'Orsay 


I2t. 


I8t. 


2t. 


30t. 


7t.. 


I4t.. 


Title 

Broadway  Ballyhoo  . 

Owen,  Hunt  and  Parco 
Carnival  Days   

Henry  Armetta- 

Felix  Knight 
Double  or  Nothing  

Phil  Harris-Leah  Ray 

Study  and  Understudy  

Between  the  Lines  

Bernice  Claire 
King  of  the  Islands  

Winifred  Shaw- 
Warren  Hymer 
Stars  Can't  Be  Wrong,  The 

Carolyn  Marsh- 
Harris  Twins 
Wash  Your  Step  

Hal  LeRoy- 

Preisser  Sisters 
Paris  in  New  York  

Irene  Bordoni 
Black  Network,  The  

Nina  Mae  McKinney- 

Nicholas  Bros. 
College  Dads   

Leon  Janney 
Double  Crossky,  The  

Olga  Baclanova 
I'm  Much  Obliged  

Vera  Van-George  Dobbs 
Maid  for  a  Day  

Grace  Hayes 
City's  Slicker,  The  

Dawn  0' Day- Radio  Rubes 
Romance  in  the  Air  

Wini  Shaw-Phil  Regan 
Changing  of  the  Guard  

Sybil  Jason 
Rhythmitis   

Hal  LeRoy-Toby  Wing 
Song  of  a  Nation,  The  

Donald  Woods- 
Claire  Dodd 
When  You're  Single  

Cross  and  Dunn 
Shake  Mr.  Shakespeare.... 

Carolyn  Marsh 

LOONEY  TUNES 

No.  14 — Plane  Dippy   Dec.  21 

No.  15 — Alpine  Antics  Jan.  4, 

No.  16— Phantom  Ship,  The.  Feb.  I, 

No.  17 — Boom!  Boom!  Feb.  29, 

No.  18 — Blow  Out,  The  Apr.  4, 

No.  19— Westward  Whoa  Apr.  25, 

No.  20 — Fish  Tales   May  23, 

No.  21 — Shanghaied  Ship- 
mates  June  20, 

No.  22 — Porky's  Pet   July  II, 

No.  23 — Porky   the  Rain- 
maker  Aug.  I, 

MELODY  MASTERS 
Johnny  Green  and  Orchestra. Oct.  I2t... 
Claude  Hopkins  and  Orch. ..Nov.  9t... 
Red  Nichols  and  Orchestra.  Jan.  4/36t 
B.  A.  Rolfe  and  Orchestra.. Feb.  1/361 
Jolly  Coburn  and  Orchestra. .  Feb.  22,'36t 
Little  Jack  Little  and 

Orchestra   Mar.  2l,'36t 

Ramon  Ramos  and  Orchestra.  Apr.  I8,'36t 
Dave  Apollon  and  His  Band. May  I6/36+ 
Vincent  Lopez  and  Orches- 
tra  June  6,'36t 

Carl  Hoff  and  Orchestra  July  ll,'36t 

Clyde  Lucas  and  Orchestra  

Nick  Lucas  and  His  Trou- 
badours  Aug.  15/36 


Rel.  Date  Min. 
.Dec.  28t.. .21  

Jan.  I  I,'36t2l  

Jan.  18,'36t2l  

Jan.  25/36t22.... 
Feb.  8,'36t22.... 

Feb.  22/36t2i.... 

Feb.  29,'36t2l.... 

Mar.  7/36t2l  

Mar.  2l.'36t22.... 
Apr.  4/36t22.... 

Apr.  I  l.'36f 21  

Apr.  I8,*36t2l  

May  2/36t2l  

May  23,'36t20.... 
May  30/36 1. 2  rls 

May  I6,'36t  

June  6,'36t20... 
June  I3,'36t.2  rls 
July  4,'36t20... 


July  I8,'36t.2  rls. 
Aug.  22/36.  .2  rls. 


t....7. 
'36t.7. 
'36t-7. 
'36t.7. 
'36t.7. 
'36t.7. 
'36t.7. 

'36.. 7. 
'36t.7. 


'36. 


II.. 
10.. 

10.. 
.1  rl 
I 


No. 
No. 
No. 
No. 


MERRIE  MELODIES 
(In  Color) 

12—  Little  Dutch  Plate. Oct.  I9t... 

13 —  Billboard  Frolics  

14 —  Flowers  for  Madame.  Nov.  30t... 

15 —  I   Wanna  Play 


36t.7. 


House   Jan 

No.  16 — Cat  Came  Back. 

The   Feb.  8/36t 

No.  17 — Miss  Glory   Mar.  7/36. 

No.  18— I'm  a  Big  Shot 

Now   Apr.  Il,'36t 

No.  19 — Let  It  Be  Me  May  2/36t 

No.  20 — I'd   Love  to  Take 

Orders  From  You  May  I6,'36t 

No.  21 — Bingo  Crosbyana. . .  May  30,'36t 
No.  23— When  I  Yoo  Hoo. . .  June  27,'36t 
No.  24 — I  Love  to  Singa...July  I8,'36t 
No.  25 — Sunday   Go  to 

Meetin'  Time   Aug.  8/36. 

OUR  OWN  UNITED  STATES 
No.  I — Curious  Industries. .  .Sept.  7t... 

Harry  Von  Zell 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

No.  2 — Playground   Oct.    5+.. .11... 

James  Wellington 
No.  3 — Camera    Hunting. ...  Nov.  2t...H  

Paul  Douglas 

No.  4 — Nature's   Handiwork  .Nov.  30+ ...  1 1  

No.  5 — Odd    Occupations. ...  Dec.  28+.,  .12... 

No.  6— Steel  and  Stone  Jan.  25/36 til.. . 

No.  7— Day's  Journey,  A  Feb.  22/36+  I  i . . . , 

No.  8— Harbor   Lights  Mar.  21,'36t  1 1 . . . 

No.  9 — We  Eat  to  Live  Apr.  I8,*36tl0  

No.  10— Vacation  Spots  May  I6,'36t  1 1 . . . , 

No.  II— Irons  in  the  Fire.  .June  I3,'36t. I  rl.. 
No.  12— Can  You  Imagine.  .July  ll/36t.lrl. 
No.  13— For  Sports  Sake  Aug.  8/36  

PEPPER  POT 

Seein'  Stars   Nov.  30+...I0... 

Easy  Aces 

P's  and  Cues  Dec.    7t. .  .1 1  

(Exploitation:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  82.) 

Can  It  Be  Done?  Dec.  2U...I0... 

Wild  Wings   Jan.  Il/36tll... 

Some  Class   Feb.  8/36tl0... 

Charles  Ahearn 

Timber  Giants   Feb.  22/36t  1 1  •  •  • 

Half  Wit-ness   Mar.  2l/36t.l  rl. 

Radio  Ramblers 

Beneath  the  Sea  Apr.  I8,'36t  

Pictorial  Review  June  27,'36t.  I  rl. 

Nut  Guilty   10... 

When  Fish  Fight  July  11/36.10... 

Whale  Ho   II... 


SERIALS 

12  Episodes  Each  Unless  Otherwise  Specified 
Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

BURROUGHS-TARZAN 

New  Adventures  of  Tarzan.  .June  10  2  rls. 

Herman  Brix  (each) 


MASCOT 


Fighting  Marines,  The  Nov.  23+. 

Grant  Withers-George  Lewis 
(Exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  81.) 


REPUBLIC 

Darkest  Africa  3530  

Clyde  Beatty 
(15  episodes) 
Robinson  Crusoe  

Mala 

Undersea  Kingdom  3581  

Ray  Corrigan-Lois  Wilde 

Vigilantes  Are  Coming,  The 

3582   

Robert  Livingston- 
Kay  Hughes 

STAGE  and  SCREEN 

(Weiss-Mintz  Serials) 
Black  Coin,  The  Sept.  1/36  

Ralph   Graves-Ruth  Mix  

Dave  O'Brien   

(15  episodes) 
Clutching  Hand,  The  Apr.  l8/36t.2  rls. 

Jack  Mulhall-  (each) 

Wm.  Farnum) 

(also  feature  version)  (1st  episode,  3  rls., 
followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 

Custer's  Last  Stand  Jan.  2/36t  

Rex  Lease-Lona  Andre    (1st  episode,  5  rls., 
(also  feature  version)       followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 


UNIVERSAL 


,'36. 


Ace    Drummond   Oct.  19/ 

John   King-Jean  Rogers 
Adventures  of  Frank  Merrt- 
well   Jan.  I3,'36t  

Don  Brrggs-Jean  Rogers 
Flash  Gordon   Apr.  6,'36t  

Buster  Crabbe-Jean  Rogers 

( 13  episodes) 
Phantom  Rider   July  6,'36t  

Buck  Jones-Maria  Shelton 

(15  episodes) 

Rustlers  of  Red  Dog  Jan.  211... 20  

John  Mack  Brown  (each) 


108 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    8,    I  936 


CLASSiriEE 
ADVERTISING 


the  great 
national  medium 
for  showmen 


Ten  cents  per  word,  money-order  or  check  with  copy.  Count  initials,  box  number  and  address.  Minimum  insertion, 
$1.  Four  insertions  for  the  price  of  three.  Contract  rates  on  application.  No  borders  or  cuts.  Forms  close 
Mondays  at  5  P.M.  Publisher  reserves  the  right  to  reject  any  copy.  Film  and  trailer  service  advertising  not 
accepted.  Classified  advertising  not  subject  to  agency  commission.  Address  correspondence,  copy  and  checks  to 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD,  Classified  Dept.,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  City 


NEW  EQUIPMENT 


RAINBOW  MIST  SPRAY  NOZZLES,  WATER 
broken  to  the  finest  misty  spray  possible,  Foolproof. 
Special  offer.  New  territory.  PETERSON  FREEZEM 
SALES  CO.,  2620  Charlotte  St.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 


YOU  SIMPLY  MUST  HAVE  OUR  NEW  COM- 
plete  theatre  supply  catalog — 50,000  copies  mailed  to 
forty  countries.  If  you  were  overlooked,  write  or  wire 
S.  O.  S.,  1600A  Broadway,  New  York. 


DOORS 


ORDER  NOW!  RICHARDSON'S  NEW  BLUE 
Book  of  Projection — 6th  edition  complete  in  one  vol- 
ume. 714  pages,  153  illustrations.  Full  text  on  projec- 
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postpaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rockefeller  Center, 
New  York. 


THEATRE  ACCOUNTING  BY  WILLIAM  F. 
Morris,  is  still  the  best  bookkeeping  system  for  thea- 
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entries,  but  provides  sufficient  blank  pages  for  a 
complete  record  of  your  operations  for  each  day  of 
the  year.  Notable  for  its  simplicity.  Order  now — 
$3  postage  prepaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rocke- 
feller Center,  New  York. 


WHAT  MAKES  THE  WHEELS  GO  'ROUND?  — 
Read  Sloane's  famous  "Motion  Picture  Projection,-' 
303  pages,  fully  illustrated.  Textbook  of  New  York 
School  of  Photography.  Beautiful  red  Morocco  binding. 
Originally  $7.50,  our  special  98c.  Send  for  list  of 
Cameron's,  etc.,  at  special  prices.  S.  O.  S.,  1600A 
Broadway,  New  York. 


TRAINING  $CtiC€L 


THEATRE  EMPLOYEES;  ADVANCE  TO  BET- 
ter  theatre  positions.  Free  booklet  shows  you  how. 
THEATRE  INSTITUTE,  315  Washington  St.,  Elmira, 
N.  Y. 


THEATRES  FCC  SALE 


VIRGINIA.  SMALL  DOWNTOWN  THEATRE— 
good  business — sell  whole  or  half  interest  to  hustler. 
BOX  739,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


MONEY-MAKER  7-DAY  OPERATION,  COUNTY 
seat,  Michigan;  550  seats ;  1,500  population,  trade, 
resort  center.  Building,  equipment  good.  $7,000.  Sale 
reason,  too  far  from  other  interests.  BOX  724,  MOTION 
PICTURE  HERALD. 


SOUND  EQUIPMENT 


"ELIMINATED  SOURCE  OF  TROUBLE"  WRITES 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Pittston,  Pennsylvania.  Cinemaphone 
sound  working  splendidly.  Forget  your  troubles,  write 
S.  0.  S.,  1600A  Broadway,  New  York. 


GENERAL 
EQUIPMENT 


NEW  AND  RECONDITIONED  PROJECTORS, 
reflector  lamps,  rectifiers,  lenses,  sound  equipment, 
screens,  chairs,  mazdas,  portables  and  accessories. 
Bargain  bulletin  free.  MONARCH  THEATRE 
SUPPLY  CO.,  Memphis,  Tenn. 


EVERYTHING  REQUIRED  FOR  THEATRES, 
new  and  used.  Big  complete  stock;  lowest  prices. 
Lamps,  sound,  projectors,  screens,  chairs,  lenses,  etc. 
Get  bulletin.  Export  specialists.  PREDDEY,  188 
Golden  Gate  Ave.,  San  Francisco,  Calif. 


WANTED  TO  BUr 


READY  CASH  WAITING  FOR  ANY  NUMBER 
Powers,  Simplex  projectors,  mechanisms,  lenses,  gen- 
erators, reflector  arc  lamps,  rectifiers,  mazdas,  chairs, 
portables,  sound  outfits,  and  complete  theatre  equip- 
ment.  BOX  717,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


WILL  BUY  SIMPLEX  HEADS  OR  PROJECTORS, 
incomplete,  worn  or  otherwise.  Cash.  PREDDEY, 
188  Golden  Gate,  San  Francisco. 


HIGHEST  CASH  PRICES  FOR  RCA  SOUND, 
Simplex,  Powers  projectors,  arc  lamps,  rectifiers, 
generators,  lenses,  stocks  liquidated.  Strictly  confiden- 
tial.   BOX  738,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


AID  CONDITIONING 


AIR  CONDITIONING  CHARTS  THAT  REPRE- 
sent  standard  practice  in  air  conditioning  for  motion 
picture  theatres.  Practical  advice  on  how  to  attain 
the  best  atmospheric  conditions  for  your  house  winter 
and  summer.  Devised  to  be  put  on  the  wall  for  con- 
stant reference.  Available  until  the  supply  is  ex- 
hausted at  25c  each,  payment  direct.  BETTER 
THEATRES,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York. 


BUSINESS 
OPPORTUNITY 


FIREPROOF  BUILDING  CONTAINING  TWO 
stores,  three  offices,  loft,  large  ballroom  and  668 
seat  fully  equipped  theatre  on  lot  50  x  200,  seventy 
miles  from  New  York.  Best  ballroom  within  twelve 
miles,  covering  a  population  of  60,000.  Only  theatre  in 
town,  population  7,000.  Nearest  theatre  to  12,000  people. 
Nearest  competition  four  miles  away.  Will  sell  land, 
building  and  equipment,  which  cost  me  $175,000.00,  for 
$150,000.00.  Terms,  not  less  than  $25,000.00  cash.  Balance 
can  remain  on  mortgage  at  5%.  Rare  opportunity  for 
man  understanding  dance  and  picture  game.  Posi- 
tively not  interested  in  trades  or  manager  propositions. 
E.  H.  ROLSTON,  Seymour,  Conn. 


USED  EQUIPMENT 


WILL  SACRIFICE:  PEERLESS  LAMPS,  ROTH 
generators,  rectifiers,  Simplex  projectors.  PENN 
THEATRE  EQUIPMENT  COMPANY,  309  North 
Thirteenth  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


UNUSUAL  BARGAINS  IN  USED  OPERA 
chairs,  sound  equipment,  motion  picture  machines, 
screens,  spotlights,  stereopticons,  etc.  Projection  ma- 
chines repaired.  Catalogue  H  free.  MOVIE  SUPPLY 
COMPANY,  Ltd.,  844  So.  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago. 


RECONDITIONED  EQUIPMENT  AT  BARGAIN 
prices — (pair)  Simplex  projectors  $325;  Morelite  Deluxe 
lamp  with  automatic  arc  control  and  15  ampere 
rectifier  $190;  (pair)  Strong  lamps  $175;  Peerless  lamj 
$175.  Special  buy  on  new  15  ampere  rectifiers  with 
bulbs  $80  (pair) ;  18  ampere  generator  $75.  CROWN,  311 
West  44th  St.,  New  York. 


LARGE  QUANTITY  HEYWOOD  WAKEFIELD 
chairs.  Like  new.  Reasonable.  BOX  730,  MOTION 
PICTURE  HERALD. 


YOUR  OPPORTUNITY  TO  BUY  CHAIRS. 
Warehouse  chuck  full  of  veneer  back,  panel  back  and 
fully  upholstered  chairs.  Special  on  spring  cushions 
newly  covered  $1  each.  Don't  delay.  ALLIED  SEAT- 
ING CO.,  358  W.  44th  St.,  New  York  City. 


CLOSING  OUT  USED  SOUND  EQUIPMENT— 
Universal,  Weber,  LeRoy,  Pacent,  Syncrofilm,  Photo- 
phone,  Largen,  Dramaphone,  Perfectone  soundheads, 
from  $25.00.  Many  amplifiers,  too.  Write  S.  O.  S., 
1600A  Broadway,  New  York. 


VENTILATING 
EQUIPMENT 


HUNDREDS  SOLD— HAPPY  EXHIBITORS  EVER- 
lastingly  grateful.  Blowers  complete,  no  extras,  $59.50; 
silent  air  circulators,  $49.50;  oscillating  fans,  16",  $17.95; 
large  exhaust  fans,  $19.95.  You  can  afford  our  prices. 
S.  0.  S.,  1600A  Broadway,  New  York. 


THEATRES  WANTED 


SMALL  THEATRE,  SMALL  TOWN  IN  EASTERN 
territory.  Give  full  particulars.  No  brokers.  BOX  725, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


LEASE  PAYING  THEATRE.  WILL  IRWIN,  1012 
West  Monroe,  Springfield.  111. 


WILL  PURCHASE  THEATRE  NOW  OPERATING 
or  recently  closed  and  equipped,  in  good  sized  town. 
Give  complete  information  and  nearest  competition  in 
letter.    BOX  737,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


SMALL  THEATRE  ANYWHERE,  PARTICULARS. 
KAUFMAN,   1422   Stebbins  Ave.,   New  York. 


Ok  mi 


i 


SERVE  'EM  W 
IT'S  STILL 


ILE 
HOT 


Better  than  a  cooling  system  is  a 
good  laugh.  Right  now... or  in  any 
weather ...  you're  serving  the  cor- 
rect entertainment  dish  when  you 
play  one  of  Educational9 s  big  star 
name  comedies. 


"THE  SPICE  OFTHE  PROGRAM" 


DISTRIBUTED  IN  U.S.A.  BY  20th-CENTURY-FOX  FILM  CORPORATION 


EATON 

lue  Blazes" 

Directed  by  Raymond  Kane 
Story  by  David  Freedman 


NEW  STARS 

DISCOVERED 

Y  OLD  MAN 


BOX-OFFICE! 


Read  all  about 
it  on  pages  47  to  50 


MOTION  PICTURE 

HERALD 


CLASSICS"  COME  INTO 
THEIR  OWN  IN  PRODUCT 
FOR  THE  NEW  SEASON 

800  NEGRO  THEATRES 
IN  CROWING  MARKET 

NEW  STANDARD  LEADER 
FOR  2,000-FOOT  REEL 


COMPANIES  WIN  FIGHT 
OVER  TRADE  PRACTICES 


Entered  as  second-class  matter,  January  12.  1931.  at  the  Host  Office,  at  New  iork, 
3,  1879.  Published  weekly  by  Quit/lev  Publishing  Co.,  Inc..  at  1270  Sixth  Avenue 
Subscription.   S3. 00  a   year.    Single  copies,   25  cents. 


VOL  124,  NO.  7 


47 


ABOLISHED! 

Girls  leave  home!  Boys  go  along! 
They're  flocking  to  see  M-G-M's 
"HIS  BROTHER'S  WIFE"  (It's  a  sock!  It's  a  shock!) 

And  here's  the  BIG  NEWS! 
It's  actually  beating 


A  pair  that 
defies  your 
cooling  system! 


uSan  Francisco"  in: 

DETROIT       •  SCRANTON 
WILMINGTON  •  HARRISBURG 
I     EVANSVILLE  •  NEW  ORLEANS 
NORFOLK      •  RICHMOND 
Kl  READING      •      DES  MOINES 

(and  more  as  we  skip  merrily  to  press) 

And  it's  sensational 
Everywhere  else! 
Positively  another 
M-G-M  wonder-show! 


Barbara 

STANWYCK 

Robert 

TAYLOR 

in  mother  W.  5.  VAN  DYKE 
sensation  for  M-G-M 

HIS  BROTHER'S 
WIFE 

„«/,  JEAN  HERS  HOLT 

JOSEPH  CALIEIA- Produced  by  LwrenceWeingtrten 


IT'S  IMPOSSIBLE  TO 
DESCRIBE  THEM  ALL  — 
BUT  HERE  ARE  A  FEWOF 
THE  MANY  "ANGLES"! 


HE'S  WILD! -AND 
SO  SHOULD  YOU  BE 


GET  REAL  WILD 
WITH  A  PICTURE 
BORN"  TO  BE  EX- 
PLOITED IN  THE 
WILDEST  MAN- 
NER POSSIBLE! 


JOIN  THE  LEGION  OF 
REAL  SHOWMEN  WHO 
ARE  GOING  AFTER 
EXTRA  PROFITS  WITH 
THIS  STUNT  NATURAL... 
BIG  SPECIAL  CAMPAIGN 
BOOK  SHOWS  HOW! 


with 


rner 


Oq 


SATAN  ^ 


HAIR  RAISING,  TENSE  AND 
DRAMATIC  SUSPENSE  .  .  .  . 

IT  WAS  MADE  TO 
ORDER  FOR  REAL 
SHOWMEN!  .  .  . 


THE  MAN  KILLER 
• 

BARTON  MacLANE 
JUNE  TRAVIS 
WARREN  HULL 

Paul  Graetz 'Joseph  King 
Directed  by  Louis  King 


I 


the 


B*st  Ft 


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A  WARNER  BROS.  SHOWMANSHIP  SPECIAL! 


The  Most  Spectacular 
Headline  of  the  Year  • . . 
Sensationally  Screened 
by  the  Producers,  Author 
and  Star  of  Ceiling  Zero  ! 


with 


Here  it  is -the  30-word 

flash  from  Variety  Daily 

that  tells  all! 

"Preview  audience  time  after 
time  burst  into  spontaneous 
applause  —  a  reaction  which 
may  be  expected  from 
almost  any  audience  and 
definitely  indicates  enthu- 
siam  that  should  register 
solidly  at  the  box-office!' 


PAT  O'BRIEN 

ROSS  ALEXANDER 
BEVERLY  ROBERTS 
HUMPHREY  BOGART 

MARIE  WILSON 

Joseph  Crehan  •  Joseph  King  •  Addison  Richards 
Directed  by  Ray  Enright  •  A  First  National  Picture 


t/e*tWeeJi 


4* 

*ity  "**/><» 


Off 


St, 


Hi 


W, 


00/ 


°*4 


yoi. 


e/ 


^  ^  hones* 


V 

e 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 


Vol.  124,  No.  7 


OP 


August  15,  1936 


TRUE 
PACES  of 
LIFE" 

RARE  exemplification  of  the  possibilities  for  new  high 
attainments  by  the  motion  picture  in  terms  of  both  art 
and  social  service  is  afforded  in  a  new  project  presented 
by  Mr.  Samuel  Cummins,  who  is  by  way  of  becoming 
celebrated  for  his  unwavering  devotion  to  the  higher  functions 
of  the  cinema. 

In  substance  it  appears  that  Mr.  Cummins  is  thinking  about 
a  dream  masterpiece  that  might  be  achieved  by  casting 
Miss  Mary  Astor  in  a  Hollywood  made  version  of  that  much 
discussed,  censored  and  bedevilled  lily-flower  of  the  camera, 
made  in  Czechoslovakia  and  entitled  "Extase". 

The  concept  is  to  be  hailed  as  one  of  those  masterful  in- 
spirations of  showmanship,  notable  for  its  independent  courage, 
its  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  service,  to  realism,  to  the  true 
and  the  beautiful.  It  is  the  apogee  of  something. 

With  consistent  originality  Mr.  Cummins,  ignoring  quite  the 
usual  channels  of  announcement  in  the  world  of  the  motion 
picture,  has  chosen  rather  that  remarkable  tribune  of  expres- 
sion, the  "Voice  of  the  People"  department  on  the  editorial 
page  of  The  Daily  News  of  New  York.  His  communication, 
as  presented  in  that  paper  in  the  issue  of  August  6th,  reads: 

Manhattan :  We  have  offered  Mary  Astor  a  propo- 
sition to  play  the  leading  part  in  our  motion  pic- 
ture, "Ecstasy".  The  present  picture,  which  was 
imported  from  Europe,  seems  to  be  over  the  head 
of  the  average  moviegoer.  "Ecstasy"  is  a  symbolic 
picture  with  very  little  dialogue,  portraying  the 
true  pages  of  life.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  we  feel 
that  Mary  Astor,  through  the  publicity  she  has  been 
receiving  and  the  diary  she  has  been  keeping,  knows 
the  meaning  of  true  ecstasy,  we  are  making  her  this 
offer  and  hope  she  accepts.  If  Mary  Astor  accepts 
bur  proposition,  we  will  arrange  to  have  Gustav 
Machaty,  the  director  of  "Ecstasy",  come  to  this 
country  and  make  the  picture  in  Hollywood. 

SAMUEL  CUMMINS, 
General  Manager,  Jewel  Productions,  Inc. 

In  the  next  column  is  a  letter  protesting  the  News'  atten- 
tion to  the  Mary  Astor  case  in  Hollywood,  signed  "Disgusted", 


and  there's  another  letter  about  a  naughty  daughter  signed 
"God  Have  Mercy".  The  three  make  a  nice  bouquet. 

MISS  ASTOR'S  reaction  to  the  proposal  to  appear  as 
the  star,  in  the  very  title  role  in  fact,  of  "Ecstasy" 
has  not  yet  been  recorded,  but  if  one  may  venture 
a  guess  at  the  Hollywood  situation  it  seems  just  possible  that 
she  might  not  be  too  busy. 

Published  excerpts  from  Miss  Astor's  diary,  read  in  court 
and  thoughtfully  set  down  for  their  educational  value  by  the 
tabloid  press,  suggest  large  possibilities  of  enhancements  of 
the  Czechoslovakian  "Extase"  script.  Mr.  Cummins,  one  would 
surmise,  can  hardly  ignore  the  indications  that  if  the  lady  is 
the  perfect  heroine  for  his  favorite  role  she  is  also  apparently 
a  writer  of  unusual  competency  in  dealing  with  vibrant  themes 
and  motivations. 

The  high  point  of  drama  in  "Extase"  as  it  was  shown  abroad 
was  achieved  in  a  sequence  recording  the  flow  of  expression 
over  the  face  of  the  heroine  while,  in  pursuit  of  the  script, 
she  was  biologically  engaged.  The  exquisite  subtlety  of  what 
may  be  called  the  "de  Machaty  touch"  is  here  evidenced  by 
moving  the  not  quite  candid  camera  up  to  cover  a  facial 
close-up  only.  That  makes  a  spectator  realize  the  analytical 
depth  of  Mr.  Cummins'  words  when  he  typifies  the  produc- 
tion as  "a  symbolic  picture  with  very  little  dialogue,  portray- 
ing the  true  pages  of  life". 

THE  picture,  which  appears  to  be  Mr.  Cummins'  for  his 
uses  in  the  cause  of  the  "true  ,  pages  of  life"  in  the 
United  States,  has  had,  in  fact  is  still  having,  an  inter- 
national career.   It  was  made  in  Czechoslovakia  about  1933. 

At  the  1934  International  Film  Exposition  in  Venice,  Italy, 
which  in  screen  matters  is  usually  acutely  critical  and  conserva- 
tive, let  "Extase"  in  and  it  became  for  the  Venetian  show  what 
Sally  Rand  was  to  the  Chicago  fair. 

The  verisimilitude  of  the  sparkling  drama  of  ten  reels  and 
three  hundred  words  was  such  that  Mr.  Fritz  Mandel,  muni- 
tions magnate  of  Hirtenberg,  having  married  the  star  of  the 
piece,  Miss  Hedy  Kiesler,  is  credited  with  having  since  bought 
up  every  available  print  of  the  production  and  is  said  to  have 
encouraged  its  suppression  in  all  lands. 

This  suggests  a  possibility  of  a  most  confusing  difference 
of  opinion  concerning  the  social  values  involved,  or  maybe 
just  the  art. 

Meanwhile,  as  Motion  Picture  Herald  has  recorded,  the  first 
print  of  "Extase"  got  into  the  toils  of  the  U.  S.  customs  office 
on  moral  grounds,  was  inadvertently  burned  by  a  U.  S.  marshal 
and  was  in  time  replaced,  during  appeal,  by  a  new  print, 
said  to  be  a  new  version,  from  Prague,  which  was  admitted 
to   the   country.    It   is   probably   this   second    print  which 

(Continued  on  page  9) 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  MARTIN  QUIGLEY,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher 

Si™!!  V*!'  thd  M-"'h:Ch'efAand  Pub^she^  9?,'r,,Brown'  Vice-President  and  General  Manager;  Terry  Rarr.saye,  Editor;  Ernest  A.  Rovelstad,  Managing  Editor;  Chicago 
?S  P  So uth  Michigan  Avenue,  C  B  O  Ne.ll,  manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Postal  Union  Lite  Building,  Boone  Mancall,  manager;  London  Bureau,  4,  Golden 
Square,  London  W  I,  Bruce  Allan  cable  Quigpubco  London;  Berlin  Bureau,  Berlin-Tempelhot,  Kaiserin-Augustastrasse  28,  Joachim  K.  Rutenberg,  representative-  Paris 
Bureau,  29  Rue  Marsoulan,  Pans  12  France  Pierre  Autre,  representative,  cable  Autre-Lac,tral-I2  Paris;  Rome  Bureau,  Viale  Gorizia,  Rome,  Italy.  Vittono  Malpassut 
representative  Itakable  Malpassuti,  Rome;  Melbourne  Bureau,  Regent  Theatre.  191  Collins  St.,  Melbourne,  Australia,  Cliff  Holt,  representative;  Mexico  City  Bureau  Apartado  269 
F„^f°H  V'-  *  Lo'kl?.art-  representative;  Prague  Bureau,  Uhelny  trh  2,  Prague  I,  Czechoslovakia,  Harry  Knopf,  representative;  Budapest  Bureau,  3,  Kaplar-u  Budapest  Hungary' 
China    J    P    £Zm  •  At6,5  BTQU'  C0Oorien,,eS  2495'  Dep-  8'  Buenos  Aires'  Argentina,  Natalio  Brush,  representative;  Shanghai  Bureau.  142  Museum  Road,  Shanghai 

Rio  de  Janeiro  Bm^  r*pr"e?tative:  TokY°  Bu/e?u,  880  Sasazuka,  Ichikawa-shi,  Chiba-Ken,  Japan,  H.  Tominaga,  representative;  Rio  de  Janeiro  Bureau,  Caixa  Postal  3358, 
Post  Box  147  Bunder  RnnH  Sl""l  representat.ve;  Barcelona  Bureau  Harry  Chapin  Plummer,  Hotel  Ritz,  Plaza  de  las  Cortes,  Barcelona,  Spain.  India  Bureau;  K.  G.  Gidwaney. 
5  Amsterdam  HoNand  Ph  J?-  h  d  °''  Urug"a\:  P  °\  Bo*  bMi  Montevideo,  Uruguay,  Paul  Bodo,  representative,  cable  Argus  Montevideo;  Amsterdam  Bureau.  Zuider  Amstelloon 
pondence  to  the ,  New  Vork  Offir!  £S&  represeritat|Ve- ,  j  ft  Audit  Bureau  of  Crcula  ions  All  contents  copyright  1936  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Address  all  corres- 
Herafd.  Other  OuiaTev  ^  <Wfd  \°  \he  c°"tucU°n'  ?<Lu\pment  and  °Per°tion  of  theatres,  is  published  every  fourth  week  as  section  2  of  Motion  Picture 

and  the  Box  Office Check  up   both     ubTsh  d  1?°  P°        lan9ua9e  quarterly  in  the  theatre  and  equipment  field,  and  International  Motion  Picture  Almanac 


8 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


This  Week 


Filming  'Classics' 

Increasing  use  of  the  classics  as  source 
material  for  motion  pictures  and  the  tap- 
ping of  a  new  market  in  connection  with 
their  exploitation  is  brought  to  attention  by 
the  forthcoming  release  of  Shakespeare's 
"Romeo  and  Juliet,"  the  fifth  of  the  Bard's 
plays  to  be  produced  or  scheduled  in  two 
years.  Producers  are  turning  more  and 
more  to  literary  masterpieces  in  the  effort 
to  raise  the  standard  of  production.  Inten- 
sive campaigning  by  the  organized  industry 
through  the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and 
Distributors  of  America  is  designed  to  at- 
tract new  audiences  conservatively  estimated 
at  36,000,000,  the  majority  of  whom  attend 
motion  pictures  once  a  month  at  best. 
Schools,  libraries  and  social  and  civic  groups 
have  been  welded  into  an  effective  means  of 
reaching  these  potential  patrons. 

Lists  of  titles,  classical  and  semi-classical, 
and  of  the  number  of  best  sellers  which  have 
been  made  into  motion  pictures  are  analysed 
and  their  significance  in  the  general  trend 
of  production  is  shown  on  page  13. 

Distributors  Win 

Industry  attention  centered  again  this 
week  on  the  fight  of  exhibitors  to  obtain 
"fair  practices"  in  their  relations  with  the 
major  distributing  organizations  and  large 
competitive  circuits.  The  10-point  program 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  seemed  to  be  making  no  progress, 
with  sales  executives  busy  on  new  contracts 
and  Ed  Kuykendall  not  in  New  York  to 
drive  the  movement  forward.  Significance 
of  the  Kansas  City  Federal  Court's  dismissal 
of  the  Emanuel  Rolsky  anti-trust  suit  against 
Fox  Midwest  Theatres  and  major  distribu- 
tors was  a  subject  of  general  discussion. 

For  details,  see  the  story  beginning  on 
page  53. 

Negro  Theatres 

The  American  negro  is  fast  becoming  an 
important  part  of  the  general  motion  picture 
audience  and  during  the  past  decade  the 
number  of  theatres  in  the  country  playing 
exclusively  to  the  colored  has  increased  un- 
til today  there  are  approximately  800  such 
houses  scattered  throughout  32  states. 

For  details  see  the  story  on  page  27. 

Spain  and  Films 

Harry  C.  Plummer,  writing  in  long-hand 
from  his  improvised  headquarters  in  the 
American  consular  office  at  Barcelona,  re- 
ports to  Motion  Picture  Herald,  as  its 
Spanish  correspondent,  on  the  full  effect  to 
date  of  the  civil  war  in  that  country  in  its 
relation  to  the  motion  picture  business. 

See  page  47. 


Pictures  and  Politics 

While  newspapers  droned  an  editorial  ac- 
companiment and  political  speakers  seized 
upon  the  topic  as  rostrum  ammunition,  Re- 
publicans and  Democrats  met  in  wordy  bat- 
tle inspired  by  the  WPA-Pathe  News  con- 
tract to  film  governmentally-financed 
projects  for  theatrical  exhibition.  From  the 
Republican  National  Committee  came  forth- 
right charges  that  relief  funds  were  being 
utilized  for  propaganda  purposes.  From  the 
WPA  came  prompt  retort  that  Republicans 
had  established  every  precedent  for  Federal 
production  of  motion  pictures.  Meanwhile, 
work  was  started  on  production  of  the  first 
film  to  be  made  under  the  contract,  showing 
the  results  of  WPA  activities  in  Michigan. 

Summarization  of  the  attack  and  defense, 
verbal  and  printed,  is  presented  on  page  28. 


Editorial  Page  7 

Pictorial  Review  Page  16 

British  Studios  Page  45 

This  Week  in  Pictures  Page  10 

The  Hollywood  Scene  Page  29 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me  Page  69 

Showmen's  Reviews  Page  54 

Asides  and  Interludes  Page  39 

The  Cutting  Room  Page  37 

J.  C.  Jenkins — His  Colyum  Page  91 

Managers'  Round  Table  Page  73 

The  Release  Chart  Page  18 

Technological  Page  46 

Chicago  Page  .40 

Box  Office  Receipts  Page  65 


In  British  Studios 

Final  shooting  of  exteriors  was  underway 
for  Robert  T.  Kane's  New  World  all-color 
"Wings  of  the  Morning,"  Derby  story. 
Meanwhile,  at  Shepherd's  Bush,  six  hundred 
Gaumont-British  studio  employees  were 
having  the  customary  two  weeks'  vacation, 
during  which  the  maintenance  staff  pro- 
ceeded upon  a  complete  overhauling  of 
equipment. 

That's  only  a  part  of  the  picture  of  what 
was  going  on  at  the  British  studios.  Fur- 
ther details  are  on  page  45. 

Oriental  Trend 

Likely  to  be  the  first  of  several  pictures 
of  Chinese  background  to  reach  the  screen, 
Paramount's  "The  General  Died  at  Dawn" 
is  subject  of  that  widespread  attention  which 
Hollywood  always  accords  the  picture  her- 
alding a  trend.  With  Columbia's  "The  Lost 
Horizon"  and  MGM's  "The  Good  Earth" 
coming  up,  not  to  mention  films  of  lesser 
evident  magnitude  scheduled  for  other  lots, 
the  Far  East  is  manifestly  in  for  a  thorough- 
going exploration  by  pen  and  camera.  Gary 
Cooper  and  Madeleine  Carroll  play  the 
principal  roles  in  the  Paramount  produc- 
tion. 

Gus  McCarthy's  pictorial  review  of  "The 
General  Died  at  Dawn"  is  presented  on 
pages  16-17. 

Peak  Load 

Boom  days  were  duplicated  in  the  produc- 
tion colony  last  week  when,  for  lack  of 
adequate  studio  space,  picture  launchings 
were  limited  to  four,  leaving  approximately 
fifty  still  in  work.  Nine  came  off  the  line, 
easing  somewhat  the  cramped  conditions 
brought  about,  dually,  by  the  upswing  in 
production  and  the  general  expansion  which 
has  increased  materially  the  per-pic,ture 
space  requirements  of  the  producers. 

Data  pertaining  to  the  pictures  finished 
and  started  are  made  available  on  page  29. 

Television  Fight 

Open  warfare  threatens  in  the  courts  be- 
tween Philco  Radio  and  RCA  over  Philco's 
charges,  contained  in  papers  filed  this  week, 
that  the  Radio  Corporation  used  "spies"  to 
socialize  with  Philco  employees  in  order  to 
obtain  trade  secrets  on  Philco's  television 
developments. 

Some  spicy  socialisations  are  accredited  to 
RCA  by  Philco,  as  reported  on  page  38. 

4  to  1  Against  Doubles 

Warner  Brothers  claims  that  America 
stands  four  to  one  against  double  bills,  in  a 
poll  in  which  725,824  theatregoers  partici- 
pated. 

Results  of  the  poll  appear  on  page  52. 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


9 


Directors  Wanted 

So  many  directors  have  become  producers, 
associate  producers  and  so  forth,  with  no- 
body giving  a  thought  to  the  matter  of  suc- 
cessorships,  a  slightly  dazed  Hollywood  has 
discovered  that  it  can  count  on  too  few 
fingers  the  men  with  box  office  names  avail- 
able for  the  direction  of  its  expensively 
budgeted  productions.  Even  to  find  compe- 
tency, foregoing  name  value,  has  become 
enough  of  a  chore  to  occasion  delay  in  plac- 
ing several  important  productions  in  work. 

A  summing  up  of  the  situation  is  offered 
on  page  29. 


'True  Pages  of  Life 


The  Doyle  Deal 


Stuart  F.  Doyle,  head  of  Greater  Union 
Theatres,  Ltd.,  of  Australia  completed  his 
business  in  New  York  this  week  and  de- 
parted for  California,  whence  he  will  sail 
for  home  accompanied  by  Walter  J.  Hutch- 
inson of  Twentieth  Century-Fox.  Mr. 
Hutchinson  and  Mr.  Doyle  will  discuss  the 
renewal  of  the  five-year  contract  between 
the  two  organizations  they  represent,  and 
other  business  matters  concerning  the  amal- 
gamation of  Mr.  Doyle's  holdings,  the 
financing*  of  which  he  recently  achieved  in 
London. 

For  details,  see  page  48. 


(Continued  from  page  7) 

Mr.  Cummins  finds  "over  the  head  of  the 
average  moviegoer."  The  first  one  pos- 
sibly was  not.  The  original  or  McCoy 
version  from  Czechoslovakia  appears  not 
to  have  been  over  anybody's  head  unless 
he  was  standing  on  it. 

Mr.  Cummins'  pursuit  of  "true  pages  of 
life"  and  service  of  the  commonweal  by 
way  of  the  screen  began  at  least  as  early  as 
his  presentation  of  "Some  Wild  Oats"  in 
1922,  with  many  censorship  adventures, 
east  and  west.  He  brought  forth  "The 
Naked  Truth"  or  "T.N.T."  in  1927,  accom- 
panied by  a  lecture  of  "scientific"  color. 
Other  of  Mr.  Cummins  titles  have  been 
"Unwed  Mothers,"  "Sex  Madness"  and 
"Damaged  Souls." 

It  is  maybe  a  shade  difficult  to  follow 
Mr.  Cummins  completely  in  his  comment 


as  to  the  symbolic  aspect  of  "Ecstasy," 
but  one  can  agree  that  the  tenseness  of  the 
big  sequence  admits  of  little  dialogue  and 
requires  less.  As  to  the  realism — "the 
true  pages  of  life" — only  ex-parte,  non- 
participating,  clinically  minded  observers 
of  such  events  could  be  competent  judges, 
and  none  are  available. 

With  the  organized  motion  picture  in- 
dustry having  just  about  now  achieved  a 
working  degree  of  social  adjustment,  with 
the  Production  Code  Administration  and 
related  forces,  and  with  the  screen  still  in 
the  limelight  of  regulative  considerations 
in  state  and  national  legislatures,  Mr. 
Cummins'  new  project  would  appear  to  be 
especially  timely  and  fraught  with  tre- 
mendous possibilities.  Its  success  could 
make  screen  history — as  it  has  never  been 
made  before. 


Sales  Convention 


Star-Radio  Action 


Producers  are  reported  to  be  considering 
action  on  the  problem  of  the  appearance  of 
film  stars  on  radio  programs  as  exhibitors 
continue  their  protests  that  the  appearances 
are  affecting  box  office  receipts.  Executives 
still  are  in  disagreement  over  what  course 
to  take  and  whether  the  practice  is  detri- 
mental to  the  industry.  The  Independent  R^ww  Profits 
Exhibitors  Protective  Association  of  Wis-  lxwyv/  ' 
consin  has  joined  the  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Theatre  Owners  of  Connecticut, 
Independent  Theatre  Owners  of  Southern 
California  and  New  York  ITO  in  protest- 
ing the  continued  broadcasting  by  the  stars. 

Developments  in  the  situation  are  related 
on  page  48. 


Two  regional  sales  meetings  have  been 
scheduled  by  Grand  National  Films,  Inc., 
for  next  week.  The  eastern  and  New  Eng- 
land staffs  will  meet  in  New  York  on 
August  17th  and  18th  and  the  midwestern, 
southern  and  western  salesmen  will  gather 
in  Chicago  on  August  20th  and  21st. 

Convention  plans  and  developments  in 
the  building  of  home  office,  studio  and  sales 
personnel  are  reviewed  on  page  48. 


RKO  Plan  Delayed 

A  reorganization  of  RKO  appeared  des- 
tined for  new  delays  as  the  result  of  the 
admission  by  Federal  Judge  William  Bondy 
in  the  United  States  district  court  in  New 
York  this  week  that  he  would  require  an 
additional  six  to  eight  weeks  in  which  to 
decide  the  validity  of  Rockefeller  Center's 
$9,100,000  claim  against  RKO,  which  in- 
volves the  operation  of  the  Music  Hall  and 
Center  Theatre,  and  their  leases. 

For  details,  and  for  other  actions  against 
RKO,  see  page  38. 


Net  earnings  of  the  Roxy  Theatre  in  New 
York  for  the  year  ended  June  11,  1936,  were 
$172,254.28,  in  comparison  with  $136,066.62 
for  the  year  previous,  and  $54,453.32  for 
the  year  ended  June  14,  1934,  according  to 
Amott.  Baker  and  Company,  auditors. 

For  a  detailed  report  of  the  theatre's  finan- 
cial condition  and  a  list  of  its  assets,  etc., 
sec  page  38. 


ASCAP  Representative 

With  the  return  of  Warner  Brothers  Pic- 
tures and  its  affiliated  music  publishing  com- 
panies to  the  fold  of  the  American  Society 
of  Authors,  Composers  and  Publishers,  it 
was  revealed  this  week  that  Herman  Starr, 
president  of  the  motion  picture  company's 
music  firms,  has  been  replaced  on  the  board 
of  governors  of  the  society  by  Edwin  Morris, 
vice-president  of  Mr.  Starr's  organization. 

A  detailed  story  appears  on  page  30. 


Warner  Profit  Up 

Warner  Brothers  reported  for  the  39 
weeks  ending  May  30  a  net  profit  of  $7,509,- 
018  before  amortization,  depreciation  and 
taxes  and  a  net  profit  of  $2,594,772  after  de- 
ducting all  charges.  The  net  profit  com- 
pared with  a  net  of  $371,591  after  similar 
deductions  for  the  corresponding  39  weeks 
in  1935.  Current  assets  are  $22,304,422,  in- 
cluding cash  of  $3,475,010  against  current 
liabilities  totaling  $17,579,486. 


GB  Deal  Stands 

Joseph  M.  Schenck,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox,  arrived 
in  London  this  week  to  expedite  the  deal 
under  which  Gaumont  British,  Fox  and 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  will  join  forces. 
Asked  what  the  prospects  for  consummation 
of  the  agreement  are  in  view  of  the  reports 
that  the  British  Government  may  take 
action,  Mr.  Schenck  said,  "I  know  it  won't 
fail."  He  refused  to  comment  on  possible 
action  by  the  Government. 

The  American  executive's  arrival  in 
London  is  reported  on  page  18. 


Kahane's  Post 


B.  B.  Kahane,  former  president  of  RKC 
Studios,  Inc.,  has  assumed  new  office  as 
vice-president  of  Columbia  Pictures.  Mr. 
Kahane  no  longer  will  be  connected  with 
production. 

Details  on  page  38. 


10 


This  Week  in  Pictures 


SIDE-TRIP.  (Above)  Marlene 
Dietrich,  Paramount  star  now 
vacationing  in  Europe,  chatting 
with  Maurice  Chevalier  and  Di- 
rector Julen  Duvivier,  at  the 
Pathe  studio  near  Paris. 

AT  OPENING.  (Left)  Fredric 
March,  star  of  Warners'  "An- 
thony Adverse,"  arriving  with 
Rosa  Ponselle,  Opera  star,  at 
Carthay  Circle,  Los  Angeles, 
for  the  premiere. 


IT'S  THE  HOOSIER  IN  HIM.  That  takes  Will  Hays  back  to  the  farm  when  motion  pic- 
ture affairs  permit.  Here  is  the  head  of  the  MPPDA  on  such  a  leave  of  absence  from 
his  New  York  desk,  early  of  a  summer's  morning  as  the  kine  (the  bucolic  always  affects  us 
this  way)  are  being  turned  out  to  the  Hays  meadows  stretching  over  a  substantial  chunk 
of  Sullivan  County,  Indiana. 


FIRST  STEPS.  Toward  a  vacation  in  the 
Midwest  for  the  Herald's  Managers' 
Round  Table's  Gertrude  Merriam  (ex- 
cuse the  apostrophes,  please).  Here,  at 
Newark  Airport.   Cleveland  next. 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


SERIES  UNDERWAY.  Sol  Les- 
ser and  Zane  Grey  (above) 
snapped  in  conference  on  out- 
door stones  by  Grey  for  pro- 
duction by  Lesser  and  20th 
Century-Fox  release. 

BEAUTIFUL!  And  you  have  a 
choice  in  this  picture  from  Palm 
Springs  (right).  For  diving  form, 
Dutch  Smith,  aquatic  star.  For 
charms  feminine,  Anita  Louise, 
Warner  player. 


IN  NEW  LEAD.  A  recent  studio  study 
of  Anna  Lee,  GB  featured  player,  who 
has  been  assigned  another  chief  femi- 
nine role,  in  an  untitled  GB  picture  be- 
ing directed  by  Raoul  Walsh. 


ON  DECK  FOR  PREVIEW  OF  SEA  STORY.  An  invited  audience  aboard  the  Wilson 
Lines'  SS.  Delaware,  docked  at  New  York,  witnessing,  in  what  we  should  call  a  very  effec- 
tive environment,  an  advance  showing  of  the  new  Republic  production,  "Down  Under 
the  Sea,"  as  the  guests  of  Herman  Gluckman  of  Republic,  and  Arthur  Mayer,  managing 
director  of  the  Rialto  theatre  in  New  York. 


12 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


August    15,  1936 


INAUGURATE  NEW  ZONE  EXECUTIVE.  Dinner  in  Pittsburgh  to  Bert 
Stearn  marking  his  appointment  as  district  manager  for  United  Artists. 
Among  the  many  distributor  and  theatre  representatives  attending  were: 

Dave  Kimmelman,  manager  of  Paramount  branch,  Pittsburgh;  Mike  Cullen,  Loev/'s 
Penn  State  theatre;  William  Skirball,  Cleveland  exhibitor;  Roy  Smith,  Huntington, 
W.  Va.,  exhibitor;  Jim  Balmer,  Pittsburgh;  Ben  Kalmenson  and  Harry  Kalmine  of  Warner 
Theatres;  Charles  Rich,  manager  of  Warner  branch,  Pittsburgh;  Frank  Smith,  president 
of  Station  WWSW;  Harold  Cohen  and  Kaspar  Monahan,  Pittsburgh  motion  picture 
editors;  Jake  Silverman  of  Altoona,  and  Charles  Truran  of  Meadville,  Pa.,  exhibitors. 


MAY  PLAY  TWAIN  LADS.  Norman  Rockwell  sketching 
Richard  Gregory  and  Charles  Schudy,  his  models  for 
illustrations  of  Mark  Twain's  story  of  Huckleberry  Finn 
and  Tom  Sawyer,  which  David  Selznick  will  film.  The  boys 
will  receive  tests  for  the  screen  roles. 


SEEING  HOLLYWOOD.  British  exhibitors 
visiting  the  United  States  at  two  of  the 
studios  during  their  stay  in  the  American 
production  capital.  Above  are  shown  Mick 
Hyams,  Arthur  Taylor,  Sam  Martyn,  Alec 
Howie,  Martyn  Myers,  Sam  Prevezer  and 
Abe  Claff  at  the  Warner  plant,  momen- 
tarily the  guests  of  some  members  of  the 
"Gold  Diggers  of  1937"  cast.  At  left  they, 
and  wives,  are  pictured  at  RKO  Radio  on 
the  "We  Who  Are  About  to  Die"  set 
with  John  Beal.  The  group  left  California 
on  Wednesday  for  Chicago.  From  there 
they  will  visit  Niagara  Falls  and  Toronto 
before  sailing  from  New  York  on  the  Nor- 
mandie  on  August  17th. 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


13 


PRODUCERS  AIM  CLASSICS 
AT  36,000,000  AUDIENCE 


Hollywood  Making  Increased 
Use  of  Field  of  Literature  for 
Story  Material;  Trend  Is 
Growing  as  Merit  Is  Proved 

After  years  of  preparation  and  many 
sporadic  attempts,  producers  and  exhibitors 
are  at  last  starting  to  reap  a  fruitful  harvest 
from  a  field  fertilized  and  ploughed  by  in- 
tensive and  large  scale  campaigns  of  educa- 
tion, research  and  organization.  An  in- 
creasing demand  for  better  pictures,  crys- 
talized  in  the  Legion  of  Decency  movement 
in  1934,  led  to  the  voluntary  adoption  by 
the  industry  of  higher  standards  of  produc- 
tion and  the  resultant  success  of  a  group  of 
literary  masterpieces,  socalled,  made  into 
pictures  has  been  so  great  that  today  a 
larger  number  of  the  "million  dollar"  pro- 
ductions than  ever  before  are  built  around 
notable  literary  successes,  either  old  or  new. 

A  by-product  of  this  trend  has  been  the 
tapping  of  an  entirely  new  market.  The 
organized  industry,  principally  through  the 
Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Distributors 
of  America,  has  established  facilities  for 
contacting  and  drawing  to  the  box  office  an 
audience  of  millions  who  only  occasionally, 
if  ever,  attend  a  motion  picture  theatre.  It 
is  to  these  millions  that  present  campaigns 
are  being  directed ;  it  is  their  support  that 
in  great  part  has  made  possible  the  outstand- 
ing examples  of  the  new  production,  and  it 
is  through  their  continued  patronage  that 
the  organized  industry  hopes  to  develop  the 
trend. 

Producers  and  the  MPPDA  say  that 
through  their  campaigns  for  the  "classics" 
they  are  drawing  on  an  audience  of  ap- 
proximately 3  6,000,000,  of  whom  from 
50  to  75  per  cent  are  not  film  "fans", 
so-called,  25  per  cent  of  the  group  seeing 
a  motion  picture  only  once  a  month,  an- 
other 2  5  per  cent  attending  but  once  a 
year,  while  the  remainder,  "shopping"  for 
their  screen  fare,  go  only  when  a  special 
appeal  is  presented. 

The  movement  toward  production  of  the 
classics  in  this  effort  to  attract  new  audi- 
ences and  raise  the  level  of  productions  de- 
signed for  the  present  patronage  is  best 
exemplified  by  the  rapidly  growing  cata- 
logue of  Shakespeare's  plays  which  have 
been  or  are  being  interpreted  on  the  screen. 
Of  all  the  material  designated  as  "classic" 
by  the  producers,  the  work  of  the  Bard  of 
Avon  is  generally  accorded  the  clearest  title 
to  that  estate.  Producers  in  recent  months 
have  photographed  his  immortal  appeal  with 
such  pictures  as  "Midsummer  Night's 
Dream,"  made  last  year  and  still  being  road- 
shown,  "Romeo  and  Juliet,"  ready  for  re- 
lease ;  "As  You  Like  It,"  to  be  completed 
in  September,  and  "Julius  Caesar"  and 
"Hamlet"  planned. 

While  awaiting  the  verdict  of  the  ages  on 
other  literary  masterpieces  which  are  con- 

( Continued  on  following  page,  column  1) 


81  of  127  Best  Sellers,  1900  to  1935, 
Have  Been  Made  into  Pictures 

In  a  list  of  best  sellers  for  the  years  1900  to  193  5,  compiled  by  the  Junior  League 
of  New  York  under  the  title  "From  Mrs.  Wiggs  to  Mr.  Chips",  there  are  shown 
127  books  exclusive  of  those  not  suited  to  screen  production.  Of  the  127  books, 
81  have  been  utilized  for  motion  pictures.  The  list  follows: 

Title  Author        Number  Sold         Producer  Year 

1900 

To  Have  and  to  Hold  Johnston  515,000     Paramount  1916-1922 

David  Harum  Westcott       1 ,200,000     Fox  1 934 

1901 

The  Crisis  Churchill         800,000     Selig  V.LS.E.  1916 

Graustark  McCutcheon    500,000     First  National  1925 

1902 

The  Virginian   Wister  1,500,000     Paramount  1923-29 

1903 

Call  of  the  Wild   London         1,500,000     Pathe  1923  U.  A.  1935 

Little  Shepherd  of  Kingdom  Come.  Fox  1,100,000     FBO  1928 

Rebecca  of  Sunnybrook  Farm ...   Wiggin  989,000     Para.   1917  Fox  1932 

Lavender  and  Old  Lace  Reed  625,000     Hodkinson  1921 

Mrs.  Wiggs  of  theCabbage  Patch.Rice  550,000     Paramount  1919-1934 

Lamp  in  the  Desert  Dell  257,000     CBC  1923 

1904 

Freckles   Porter  2,032,000     Para.  1917,  FBO  1928 

RKO  1935 

The  Masquerader   Thurston  400,000     United  Artists  1933 

1905 

House  of  Mirth  Wharton    Metro  1918 

1906 

The  Perfect  Tribute  Andrews  500,000 

1908 

Anne  of  Green  Gables  Montgomery    830,000     Realart  1919 

RKO  1934 

Black  Rock   Connor  600,000 

The  Circular  Staircase  Rinehart  500,000     Selig  V.LS.E.  1915 

1909 

Girl  of  the  Limberlost  Porter  1,623,200     FBO  1924 

Monogram  1934 

Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine  Fox  1,225,000     Paramount  1916-23-36 

1910 

The  Rosary  Barclay  985,000     First  National  1922 

1911 

Mother  ,  Norris  1,500,000     FBO  1927 

Hammerstein  1928 

Winning  of  Barbara  Worth  Wright  1,500,000     United  Artists  1926 

The  Iron  Woman   Deland  400,000     Metro  1916 

Queed   Harrison  253,789 

Broad  Highway   Farnol  245,352 

1913 

Pollyanna   Porter  over   1,142,000     United  Artists  1920 

1914 

Tarzan  of  the  Apes  Burroughs        641,000     First  National  1918 

renrod     Tarkington       578,000     First  National  1922 

1915 

Of  Human  Bondage  Maugham        500,000     RKO  1934 

How  to  Live  Fisher  448,000 

(Continued  on  following  page) 


i4 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


HISTORICAL  BOOKS  ALSO  ON  SCREEN 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

sidered  as  likely  material  for  the  screen, 
producers  in  selecting  the  "classics"  can 
only  follow  the  majority  opinion  of  literary 
critics  and  educational  authority.  Accepting 
this  basis  the  19th  century  period  in  Eng- 
lish literature  has  been  drawn  on  heavily 
with  Dickens  as  the  chief  contributor. 
"David  Copperfield"  and  "The  Tale  of  Two 
Cities/'  among  others,  are  to  be  followed  by 
the  "Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel,"  "Ivanhoe" 
and  "Silas  Marner."  Even  "The  Charge 
of  the  Light  Brigade"  is  being  done  on  a 
big  scale  on  the  theory  that  millions  of  per- 
sons know  the  Tennyson  poem. 

The  third  classification  under  the  heading 
of  "classic"  is  the  group  of  subjects  chosen 
from  lists  of  best-sellers  of  the  present  and 
of  other  years.  Chief  among  subjects  of 
this  type  are  Rudyard  Kipling's  stories, 
"Soldiers  Three,"  "Captains  Courageous," 
and  "Kim" ;  Pearl  Buck's  "The  Good 
Earth" ;  Hervey  Allen's  "Anthony  Adverse" 
and  Marc  Connelly's  "The  Green  Pastures," 
and  other  stories  which,  as  books  or  plays, 
have  been  acclaimed  by  the  classes  and 
bought  by  the  masses.  Purchase  of  a  suc- 
cessful novel  or  play  by  the  motion  picture 
industry  today  is  likely  to  bring  the  author 
far  more  money  than  he  received  for  his 
original  manuscript.  Likewise,  it  brings  to 
millions,  in  the  most  painless  form  possible, 
the  tales  which  have  been  listed  as  worth 
knowing. 

Apart  from  the  use  of  actual  material  of 
these  types,  but  connected  with  the  general 
trend  of  production  today,  is  the  use  of 
biographical  and  historical  topics  whether 
screened  from  originals  or  from  books  and 
plays  produced  by  authors  of  known  worth. 
Typical  of  these  are  "Disraeli,"  "Louis  Pas- 
teur," and  "Mary  of  Scotland." 

14  of  16  Best  Sellers  Filmed 

The  infusion  of  "classic"  material  into 
the  reservoir  from  which  motion  picture 
stories  are  drawn  has  reached  its  greatest 
proportion  in  the  last  two  years  and  gives 
promise  of  continuing  through  the  coming 
season.  In  a  list  of  16  best  sellers  of  all 
time,  headed  by  the  Bible  and  Shakespeare, 
14  titles  have  been  made  into  pictures  or 
are  scheduled  for  the  coming  season.  Of 
these  only  seven  had  been  done  before  1935. 

The  Bible  itself,  topping  the  list  with 
675,000,000  copies  sold  since  the  first  manu- 
script was  reproduced  in  type  about  the  year 
1500,  has  been  the  basis  of  many  motion 
picture  plots.  "The  Ten  Commandments," 
Paramount,  1923;  "King  of  Kings,"  Pathe 
and  RKO  Pathe,  1927:  "Queen  of  Sheba" 
Fox,  1921;  "Noah's  Ark,"  Warner,  1929; 
"Sign  of  the  Cross,"  Paramount,  1932,  the 
"Passion  Play,"  Passion  Play  Committee, 
1928,  were  all  of  that  nature. 

Nine  Shakespeare  Films 

Of  Shakespeare's  plays  nine  have  been 
selected  by  producers,  five  of  them  since 
1935.  "A  Midsummer  Night's  Dream"  was 
made  by  Warner  Brothers  last  year,  "Romeo 
and  Juliet"  will  be  released  by  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer  on  August  20th,  "As  You  Like 
It"  is  expected  by  Twentieth  Century-Fox 

(Continued  on  following  page,  column  1) 


Many  Best  Sellers  Filmed  in  1921-22 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

Title  Author        Number  Sold 

1916 

Just  David   Porter  400,000 

1917 

Over  the  Top   Empey  540,000 

The  Education  of  Henry  Adams   98,910 

1918 

Dere  Mable   Streeter  615,000 

The  4 Horsemen  of  theApocalypse.lbanez  462,500 

1920 

The  Lamp  in  the  Desert  Dell  257,000 

The  Great  Impersonation  Oppenheim  82,607 

White  Shadows  in  the  South  Seas.  O'Brien   

1921 

The  Sheik  Hull  1,200,000 

In  Tune  with  the  Infinite  Trine  800,000 

The  Mysterious  Rider  Grey  800,000 

Main  Street  Lewis  564,982 

If  Winter  Comes  Hutchinson  526,000 

Simon  Called  Peter  Keable  245,000 

The  Mind  in  the  Making  Robinson  200,000 

The  Valley  of  Silent  Men  Curwood  145,000 

The  Brimming  Cup  Fisher  142,228 

Mirrors  of  Downing  Street  Over  50,000 

1922 

Scaramouche   Sabatini  600,000 

The  Covered  Wagon  Hough  600,000 

Van  Loon's  Story  of  Mankind   163,483 

Queen  Victoria     Strachey  150,826 

Cytherea     Hergesheimer  75,000 

The  Forsythe  Saga  .   Galsworthy   

The  Americanization  of  Edw.  Bok.  Bok   

1923 

Black  Oxen  Atherton  3 1 5,500 

Kindred  of  the  Dust  Kyne  125,000 

The  Prophet  Gibran  102,000 

The  Dim  Lantern  Bailey  77,000 

His  Children's  Children  Train 

1924 

The  Little  French  Girl  Sedgwick  350,000 

So  Big   Ferber  320,000 

Passage  to  India  Forster  74,840 

Plastic  Age   Marks   

The  Green  Hat  Arlen 

(A  Woman  of  Affairs) 

1925 

Beau  Geste   Wren  532,090 

Gentlemen  Prefer  Blondes  Loos  387,500 

Perennial  Bachelor  Parrish  200,000 

The  Constant  Nymph  Kennedy  153,800 

Dance  of  Life  Ellis  121,895 

The  Private  Life  of  Helen  of  Troy .  Erskine   

Soundings   Gibbs  94,164 

(Whirlwind  of  Youth) 

1926 

Sorrell  and  Son  Deeping  406,721 

Abraham  Lincoln  Sandburg  170,442 

(Continued  on  following  page) 


Producer 


Vitagraph 


Metro 


Year 

1918 

1921 
1923 


CBC 

Paramount  1921 

Universal  1935 
MGM  1928 


Paramount 


1921 


Hodkinson  1921 

Paramount  1927-33 
Warner  1923-1936 


Fox 


Paramount 


1923 


1922 


Merit  1923 
Paramount  1923 


First  National  1924 


First  National 
First  National 


Paramount 


1924 
1922 


1923 


Paramount  1925 
First  National  1925 

Warners  1932 


Schulberg 

MGM 

Paramount 
Paramount 


1925 

1929 

1926 
1928 


Big  Three  1929 

Fox  1934 

Paramount  1929 

First  National  1927 

Paramount  1927 


United  Artists  1927-34 
United  Artists  1930 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


MORE  SHAKESPEARE  FILMS  PLANNED 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

to  be  ready  this  fall,  "Julius  Caesar"  has 
been  announced  by  David  O.  Selznick  and 
"Hamlet"  is  scheduled  by  United  Artists 
for  the  near  future.  Previous  productions 
are  "The  Taming  of  the  Shrew,"  United 
Artists,  1929;  "Macbeth,"  Reliance,  1916; 
"King  Lear,"  Pathe  and  RKO  Pathe,  1916, 
and  "Othello,"  Export  and  Import,  1923. 
"Romeo  and  Juliet"  and  "Hamlet"  were  pro- 
duced previously  by  Reliance  and  MGM 
respectively,  in  1916. 

Other  titles  in  the  "all-time"  list  are: 

Charles  Sheldon  :  "In  His  Steps,"  now 
in  production  by  Grand  National. 

Cervantes:  "Don  Quixote,"  Fine  Arts 
Triangle,  1915,  and  produced  in  collabora- 
tion by  Nelson  Films  (Great  Britain)  and 
Vandor  Films  (France)  in  1933. 

Edgar  Wallace  :  "The  Criminal  at 
Large,"  Helber,  1933 ;  and  "The  Green 
Archer,"  serial,  Pathe,  1925. 

Dumas  (fils)  :  "The  Three  Musketeers," 
United  Artists,  1921,  and  RKO  Radio,  1935. 

Mark  Twain  :  "A  Connecticut  Yankee 
at  King  Arthur's  Court,"  Fox,  1921  and 
1931  and  reissued  in  1936;  "Huck  and 
Tom,"  Paramount,  1918;  "Huckleberry 
Finn,"  Paramount,  1920  and  1931;  "Tom 
Sawyer,"  Paramount,  1917  and  1930;  and 
"The  Prince  and  the  Pauper,"  scheduled  by 
Warners  for  1936. 

Rudyard.  Kipling  :  "Soldiers  Three" 
scheduled  by  Gaumont  British ;  and  "Cap- 
tains Courageous"  and  "Kim,"  announced 
by  MGM. 

Lew  Wallace:  "Ben  Hur,"  MGM,  1926 
and  reissued  in  1931. 

Kathleen  Norris  :  "Mother,"  Film 
Booking  Office,  1927. 

Nathaniel  Hawthorne  :  "The  Scarlet 
Lettter,"  MGM,  1926,  and  Majestic,  1934. 

Elbert  Hubbard  :  "A  Message  to  Gar- 
cia," Twentieth  Century-Fox,  1936. 

Herman  Melville:  "Moby  Dick,"  War- 
ner, 1930. 

Hall  Caine  :  "The  Christian,"  Goldwyn, 
1923. 

Only  Two  of  List  Unfilmed 

The  best-seller  list,  which  was  compiled 
by  the  Junior  League  of  New  York,  in- 
cludes also  dictionaries  and  technical  books 
such  as  Roget's  "Thesaurus"  and  the  "Care 
and  Feeding  of  Children"  but  only  those 
titles  suitable  for  motion  picture  production 
were  considered  in  the  computations.  "Saki" 
and  "Progress  and  Poverty"  were  the  only 
ones  listed  which  have  not  been  treated  on 
the  screen. 

The  second  part  of  the  Junior  League 
compilation  is  called  "From  Mrs.  Wiggs  to 
Mr.  Chips"  and  includes  the  best  sellers  of 
each  year  from  1900  to  1935.  Of  a  total  of  127 
suitable  titles,  81  have  been  treated  on  film 
and  of  15  such  titles  published  since  1933, 
five  have  been  or  are  being  produced  last 
year  and  this  year  and  one  was  produced 
in  1934. 

Examination  of  titles  produced  in  1935 
and  in  the  first  six  months  of  this  year 
shows  even  more  clearly  the  extent  to  which 
producers  are  utilizing  popular  taste  as  ex- 
pressed over  many  years  or  the  judgment  of 

(Continued  on  page  18) 


1929 


Amkinol932  U.A.I936 


RKO 
MGM 

MGM 
Fox 

RKO 

MGM 

Warner 


Universal 
United  Artists 


1935 
1931 

1929 
1931 

1930 
1932 
1929 


1930 
1934 


Vita,  (shorts)  1930-1932 


MGM  1929-1930 
Paramount  1932 


Outstanding  Books  Made  Pictures 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

1927 

We   Lindbergh  694,000 

Napoleon   Ludwig  363,000  MGM 

Ask  Me  Another  Spaffcrd  250,000 

Count  Luckner  Thomas  227,000 

Revolt  in  the  Desert  Lawrence  150,000 

Death  Comes  to  the  Archbishop  .  Cather  145,000 

Jalna  de  la  Roche  124,668 

Trader  Horn     

1928 

Bridge  of  San  Luis  Rey  Wilder  405,000 

Bad  Girl  Delmar  31 1,388 

Wintersmoon   Walpole  132,000 

The  Case  of  Sergeant  Grischa      Zweig  I  10,000 

Strange  Interlude   O'Neill  110,000 

Disraeli   Maurois   

The  Clever  One  Wallace  .... 

John  Brown's  Body.  .   Benet  134,725 

All  Quiet  on  the  Western  Front    Remarque  564,300 

Henry  the  Eighth  Hackett  312,000 

Story  of  San  Michele  Munthe  265,000 

Believe  It  or  Not  Ripley  203,809 

Kristin  Lavransdatter   Undset  121,000 

Magic  Island   Seabrook  108,164 

Bishop  Murder  Case  Van  Dine   

Farewell  to  Arms  Hemingway   

1930 

Years  of  Grace  Barnes  1 25,000 

The  Door   Rinehart  108,851 

Little  America  ...   Byrd  100,000 

1931 

Grand  Hotel   Baum  141,500 

Education  of  a  Princess  Grand  Duchess 

Marie  115,000 

Washington  Merry-Go-Round   101,500 

Fatal  Interview  Millay  100,000 

Autobiography  of  Lincoln  Steffens   91,904 

The  Good  Earth  Buck   

1932 

Only  Yesterday  Allen  200,000  Universal 

The  Fountain   Morgan  185,000  RKO 

Life  Begins  at  Forty  Pitkin  163,000  Fox 

1933 

Anthony  Adverse   Allen  576,212 

Lamb  in  His  Bosom  Miller  1 50,000 

British  Agent  Lockhart  100,000 

The  Farm   Bromfield   

1934 

Goodbye  Mr.  Chips                     Hilton  1 46,234 

Forty  Days  of  Musa  Dagh  Werfel  140,000 

Native's  Return  Adamic  1 00,000 

Stars  Fell  on  Alabama  Carmer  75,000 

So  Red  the  Rose  Young  .... 

New  Frontiers  Wallace  54,777 

1935 

Mary  Queen  of  Scotland  Zweig  1 30,000 

Life  with  Father  Day  125,000 

Green  Light  Douglas  112,000  Warners 

Vein  of  Iron  Glasgow    MGM 

Of  Time  and  the  River  Wolfe 


Paramount 
MGM 

Columbia 


1935 
1933 

1932 


MGM      In  Production 


1933 
1934 
1935 


Warners  1936 

First  National  1934 

MGM 

Paramount  1935 


1936 


16 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


GENERAL  DIED  AT  DAWN 


by  gus  McCarthy 

in  Hollywood 

STEADILY,  surely,  the  needle  of  Holly- 
wood's production  compass  is  swing- 
ing toward  the  East,  toward  China, 
imponderable,  traditionally  unfathomable 
land  of  cheap  life,  implacable  destiny,  high 
adventure  and  slow,  fantastic  death. 
Columbia's  "The  Lost  Horizon"  and 
MGM's  "The  Good  Earth"  are  of  the 
time  and  trend.  Paramount's  "The  Gen- 
eral Died  at  Dawn",  which  probably  will 
be  first  among  the  pictures  with  Oriental 
subject  matter  to  reach  the  screen,  de- 
picts warring  China  as  of  today,  yester- 
day and  always. 

The  Paramount  picture  deals  with  the 
adventures  of  its  white  principals  in  con- 
flict with  China's  relentless  individualists, 
the  war  lords  and  western  freebooters.  It 
deals  also,  meticulously,  with  "face",  the 
complex,  immutable  factor  of  Chinese 
civilization  that  remains  forever  mysterious, 
incomprehensible  to  the  Occidental.  It  is 
by  this  psychological  mechanism,  dimly 
understandable  but  constantly  manifest  in 
inexorable  operation,  that  the  final  out- 
come of  a  complex,  melodramatic  story  is 
brought  about. 

To  produce  the  story,  realistically  and 
on  an  impressive  scale,  Paramount  has  in- 
vested lavishly  in  personal  and  material 
assets.  In  order  that  the  dynamic  quality 
and  atmosphere  of.  the  Charles  G.  Booth 
novel  might  be  retained  in  a  setting 
authentically  reproduced,  Clifford  Odets 
was  engaged  to  write  the  screen  play. 
Dubbed  "the  George  Bernard  Shaw  of 
the  Bronx"     {Continued  on  opposite  page) 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


17 


STORY  OF  WARRING  CHINA 


A  HERALD 
PICTORIAL  PREVIEW 
IN  ADVANCE  STILLS 

{Continued  from  preceding  page)  when  his 
plays,  "Waiting  for  Lefty"  and  "Till  the 
Day  I  Die",  won  him  critical  comparison 
with  Eugene  O'Neil,  he  is  regarded  as  an 
excellent  choice  for  the  assignment.  To 
further  guarantee  authenticity  of  transi- 
tion, the  company  employed  Count  Andre 
Tolstoy,  lineal  descendant  of  the  famous 
Count  Leo  Tolstoy  and  himself  formerly  a 
soldier  of  fortune  in  China  as  aide  to 
General  Chang  Tze  Lin.  And  to  obtain 
the  sweep  and  drive  of  action,  conquest 
and  resistance  inevitable  in  a  nation  ruled 
by  self-appointed  commanders  of  loot- 
inspired  militia,  direction  was  placed  in 
the  hands  of  Lewis  Milestone,  winner  of 
an  Academy  Award  for  his  "All  Quiet  on 
the  Western  Front"  and  director  of  other 
pictures  requiring  similar  talents. 

Gary  Cooper  was  chosen  for  the  lead- 
ing role  both  because  of  demonstrated 
ability  in  assignments  of  comparable  char- 
acter and  because  he  rates  as  one  of  the 
most  consistently  reliable  box  office  draws 
of  the  period.  The  feminine  lead  is  being 
enacted  by  Madeleine  Carroll,  lately  seen 
in  the  successful  "The  39  Steps",  "The 
Case  of  Mrs.  Ames"  and  "Secret  Agent". 
Selection  of  the  actor  to  play  the  general, 
a  difficult  and  exacting  characterization, 
was  left  to  Messrs.  Booth,  Odets,  Tolstoy, 
Milestone  and  the  producer,  William 
LeBaron,  Akim  Tamiroff  drawing  the  as- 
signment. 


18 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


SEEKING  NEW  AUDIENCE 


(Continued  from  page  15) 

literary  critics,  as  the  criterion  for  material 
to  be  filmed.  Among  the  works  having 
claim  to  the  designation  "classics"  are : 

Crime  and  Punishment,  Dostoievsky, 
Columbia  Pictures,  1935. 

Peter  Ibbetson,  Tolstoy,  Paramount, 
1935. 

Tale  of  Two  Cities,  Dickens,  MGM, 
1935. 

Scrooge,  Dickens,  Paramount,  1935. 

Oliver  Twist,  MGM,  1935. 

David  Copperfield,  MGM,  1935. 

Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade,  Tenny- 
son, Warner,  1936. 

Becky  Sharp,  from  Thackeray's  Vanity 
Fair,  RKO  Radio,  1935. 

Les  MiserableSj  Hugo,  United  Artists, 
1935. 

Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  Bulwer-Lytton, 
RKO  Radio,  1935. 

The  Last  of  the  Mohicans,  Cooper, 
United  Artists,  1936. 

For  the  New  Season 

Promised  for  the  new  season  is  an  im- 
posing list  which  in  addition  to  the  Shake- 
spearean plays  already  mentioned,  includes, 
among  others : 

The  Light  That  Failed,  Kipling,  Para- 
mount. 

The  Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel,  Ten- 
nyson, United  Artists. 

Cyrano  de  Bergerac,  Rostand,  sched- 
uled by  United  Artists  and  Fox. 

Silas  Marner,  Eliot,  MGM. 

Ivanhoe,  Scott,  RKO. 

Hunchback  of  Notre  Dame,  Universal. 

Quo  Vadis,  Sienkiewicz,  MGM. 

Pride  and  Prejudice,  Austen,  MGM. 

Gungha  Din,  Kipling,  RKO. 

Two  Years  Before  the  Mast,  Dana, 
Republic. 

Several  of  these,  including  "Quo  Vadis," 
"Ivanhoe,"  "Silas  Marner,"  and  "The 
Hunchback,"  have  been  made  into  films  in 
previous  years  but  they  are  scheduled  for 
remaking. 

Point  to  Campaigns 

That  there  is  a  market  for  such  pictures 
producers  claim  to  have  proved,  and  to 
substantiate  their  stand  they  point  to  the 
campaigns  being  conducted  through  the 
MPPDA.  Through  Better  Films  Councils, 
schools,  libraries  and  social  and  civic  groups 
in  almost  every  city  of  the  country  is  being 
carried  on  the  education  of  the  public  in  the 
appreciation  of  the  new  higher  type  of  pro- 
duction and  the  instilling  of  a  desire  to  see 
such  pictures  among  those  not  previously 
counted  as  regular  film  patrons. 

Warner-First  National,  for  its  "A  Mid- 
summer Night's  Dream,"  broached  a  cam- 
paign never  previously  matched  in  promo- 
tion of  the  classics  in  films. 

An  outstanding  current  campaign  is  the 
one  underway  in  support  of  the  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  version  of  "Romeo  and 
Juliet."  Through  previous  contacts  with  16 
national  organizations  including  such  groups 
as  the  Federated  Church  Women,  Federa- 
tion of  Women's  Clubs,  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association  and  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  Business  and  Profes- 


sional Women's  Clubs,  Boy  and  Girl  Scouts, 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  and 
the  American  Legion  Auxiliary,  the 
MPPDA  expects  to  reach  millions  of  poten- 
tial patrons. 

Public  Relations  Accessories 

For  the  direct  approach  to  the  member- 
ship of  the  national  groups  a  number  of  pub- 
lic relations  accessories  for  "Romeo  and 
Juliet"  are  being  prepared.  A  study 
guide  has  been  written  by  the  general  editor 
for  the  motion  picture  committee  of  the  De- 
partment of  Secondary  Education  of  the 
National  Education  Association  and  from 
experience  had  with  similar  study  guides 
on  "David  Copperfield"  and  "A  Tale  of 
Two  Cities"  it  is  expected  that  "Romeo  and 
Juliet"  will  be  studied  in  every  English  class 
in  every  high  school. 

Other  phases  of  the  campaign  include  an 
adult  discussion  guide  based  on  the  music 
evolved  for  the  film,  to  be  circulated  through 
the  National  Federation  of  Music  Clubs ; 
cooperation  of  libraries,  and  the  publication 
of  special  bookmarks.  One  of  the  acces- 
sories prepared  is  a  series  of  50  research 
exhibits  for  showing  in  schools,  universities, 
museums  and  libraries.  They  consist  of 
prints  of  research  material  evolved  from  old 
paintings  and  literature  or  collected  in  Ver- 
ona and  Mantau,  of  the  designs  and  minia- 
tures developed  in  preparation  for  the  pro- 
duction, and  of  action  stills  from  the  photo- 
play showing  the  influence  of  the  source 
material  on  the  final  product.  In  each  major 
city,  one  institution  will  be  responsible  for 
routing  these  exhibits  to  the  places  where 
they  will  be  of  the  greatest  benefit. 

The  research  exhibit  never  before  has 
been  adapted  to  this  use  and  officials  of  the 
MPPDA  are  enthusiastic  in  their  expecta- 
tions. It  is  believed  that  similar  exhibits 
will  be  prepared  for  future  pictures  which 
will  lend  themselves  to  this  treatment. 

Although  such  campaigns  have  been 
planned  for  the  past  10  years,  it  has  taken 
that  long  for  the  machinery  to  be  made 
ready  for  full  operation  and  it  is  expected 
that  the  full  benefits  of  the  work  will  be  felt 
increasingly  with  each  picture  for  which  it 
is  utilized. 

Steffes  Says  Allied 
Fund  Quota  Is  Pledged 

W.  A.  Steffes,  chairman  of  the  special  de- 
fense committee  of  Allied  States  Association 
of  Motion  Picture  Exhibitors,  says  the  de- 
fense fund  quota  set  at  the  Cleveland  con- 
vention for  July  15  has  been  raised.  He  has 
just  returned  to  Minneapolis  from  the  Chi- 
cago meeting  of  the  special  committee  in 
charge  of  funds. 

State  Commission  Plans 
Regulation  of  Posters 

The  New  York  State  Planning  Commis- 
sion is  contemplating  a  conference  with 
poster  companies  and  advertisers  for  volun- 
tary regulation  of  posters  in  scenic  areas. 
During  a  survey  of  state  roads  photographs 
of  view-obscuring  billboards,  ugly  gasoline 
stations  and  roadside  dumps  were  taken. 


Schenck  in  London 
Denies  Report  of 
Snag  in  GB  Deal 

Joseph  M.  Schenck,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox,  declared 
on  his  arrival  in  London  this  week  that  the 
proposed  Gaumont  British,  Fox,  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  transaction  will  go  through. 
"I  know  it  won't  fail,"  he  was  reported  as 
saying  when  asked  if  the  deal  might  meet 
with  obstacles. 

Mr.  Schenck,  who  sailed  from  New  York 
on  the  Normandie  last  week,  refused  to  com- 
ment on  possible  action  by  the  British  Gov- 
ernment or  give  any  details  on  the  present 
status  of  the  agreement  which  was  an- 
nounced by  the  Schenck  brothers  and  Isidore 
Ostrer,  acting  for  Gaumont  British,  in  New 
York  several  weeks  ago. 

Before  sailing  the  Fox  executive  had  told 
reporters  that  he  was  going  to  England  to 
expedite  consummation  of  the  deal.  When 
the  agreement  was  first  announced  all  three 
men  said  that  the  details  of  the  arrangement 
would  be  worked  out  by  lawyers  and  Mr. 
Schenck  said  that  there  would  be  no  neces- 
sity for  either  him  or  his  brother  to  go  to 
England. 

Richard  Dwight  of  Hughes,  Sherman  and 
Dwight,  who  went  to  England  several  weeks 
ago  to  represent  Twentieth  Century-Fox  in 
the  deal,  arrived  in  New  York  this  week. 
He  had  no  comment  to  make. 

Alexander  Korda  and  London  Films  again 
entered  discussions  of  the  deal  after  Mr. 
Schenck  visited  the  producer  at  Denham  on 
Tuesday.  Mr.  Korda  was  asked  if  the  visit 
indicated  any  interest  by  London  films  in 
the  transaction  or  if  Mr.  Schenck  was  mere- 
ly looking  over  the  plant  with  a  view  to  cen- 
tering British  M-G-M  and  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury-Fox production  there.  "We  have  been 
talking  about  many  things,  but  I  don't  think 
I  can  say  anything  about  it,"  was  Mr.  Kor- 
da's  reply. 

The  press  conference  promised  by  Mr. 
Schenck  was  not  held  and  British  news- 
papermen came  to  the  conclusion,  shared 
by  many  in  the  London  trade,  that  some 
serious  snag  in  the  negotiations  may  have 
developed. 

Anticipating  that  the  tieup  between  the 
British  company  and  the  two  American 
companies  will  induce  other  American  dis- 
tributors to  enter  the  theatre  field,  A.  E. 
Abrahams  of  London,  is  reported  prepared 
to  offer  some  of  his  theatres  to  such  bidders. 
He  is  the  landlord  or  lessee  of  many  West 
End  houses,  including  the  London  Pavilion, 
Aldwych  Fortune,  Garrick,  New  Scala  and 
20  or  more  theatres  in  the  suburbs  operating 
on  a  film  and  vaudeville  policy. 

Drouth  Areas  Report 
Big  Cut  in  Business 

Business  in  Missouri  for  the  Common- 
wealth Amusement  Corporation,  which  op- 
erates a  representative  group  of  theatres  in 
Kansas  and  Missouri,  is  reported  15  per 
cent  off  from  a  year  ago  due  to  the  drought. 
Film  salesmen  report  Missouri  in  much 
worse  condition  than  in  Kansas,  where 
there  has  been  a  good  wheat  crop  at  a  fair 
price. 


I  -And  Make  Way  for 

The  attraction  they've  waited  three  years  for 
The  hit  that'll  make  them  glad  to  pay  more 
The  smash  that's  making  film  records  soar 

Warner  Bros.'  super-sequel  to  'Pastures'  profits... 


SET 

SET  A  new 

SET  '  - 


WoRnTff***  0,10 ro 


NO  DOUBT  ABOUT  IT  NOW 

—  It's  the  biggest  kind  of  theatre -cramming, 
traffic-jamming 
smash  in  years 
and  all  ready,  set- 
up and  waiting  for 
you  to  cut  loose 
with  the  campaign 
of  your  life  in  prep- 
aration for  its  .  .  . 

NATIONAL  RELEASE  DATES  AUG.  29! 


Start  the  Ball  Rolling  Mow! 

Start  the  first  of  those  3  big  trailers 
running  today!  Start  posting  ourspecial 
line  of  low-priced  block  paper!  Start 
planting  your  publicity  to  follow  up 
the  terrific  notice  it's  already  had!  Get 
the  press  book  (on  the  way)  for  hun- 
dreds of  effective  ways  of  cashing  in  on 

ALL  THESE  GIGANTIC 
SELLING  ANGLES  .  .  . 


STOP  US  IF  YOU  V 
ASTOUNDING 
FACTS  ABOUT 

ANTHONY . . . 


he  whole  world  knows  its 
amazing  history  —  but  just 
to  refresh  your  memory 
here  are  just  about  one- 
tenth  of  the  giant  values 
you'll  want  to  shout  about... 


HEARD  THES 


5 


ern  ,,v  "9  novel  a~ 
I*  to  '  n,0d- 


,  "—"Pie! 
the  ^or/d's 

a  P*oyers  1       3  Parfs, 


AS  THE 


PAPERS  PUT  IT. 


B  ■ 


'The  finest  picture  ever  turned  out  by 
Warner  Bros.!  Certain  to  be  a  box- 
office  sensation !"—  Motion  Picture  Daily 

'Truly  a  great  entertainment  achieve- 
ment, and  a  picture  of  unquestionable 
smash  box-office  calibre!"— Variety  Daily 


"Easily  among  the  leading  pictures  of 
the  talking  screen!"  —Film  Daily 

"A  distinctive  advance  in  the  art  of 
modern   motion   picture  production! 

'Anthony  Adverse'  comes  up  to  all 
expectations!"      —Motion  Picture  Herald 


S  THE  WORLD'S  GREATEST  CAST... 


LOOK^ 


HERVEY 


» teed  one's  fondest  hopes  in  stimulating  theatre  business!"* 


*  Quoted  from  MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY  and  VARIETY  DAILY 


Sweeping  Magazine  Advertising  Campaign! 


THESE  FULL-PAGE  ADS  WILL  APPEAR  THIS  MONTH  IN 
Time.  .Collier's  •  •  Liberty.  •  Fortune 
New  Yorker  •  .  Town  and  Country 

Stage  •  •  Boy's  Life  .  •  Picture  Play  . .  Modern  Screen 
Movie  Classic  •  •  Screen  Romances  •  •  Screen  Guide 
Movie  Mirror  •  •  Motion  Picture .  •  Parents'. .  Film  Fun 


Just  the  start  of  a  series  that  will  cover  the  foremost 
national  magazines— giving  you  the  greatest  backing 
in  history  for  all  the  leading  shows  this  Fall  from 

WARNER  BROS. 


August    15,    19  3  6  MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


27 


800  Negro  Theatres  in  32  States 
Point  to  Crowing  Demand 

Studio  Problem  Is  Space  on  Set  for  Those  Who  Want  to  Act  without  Pay 


The  Negro  Motion  Picture  Theatre  in 
America,  unheralded,  has  been  steadily  in- 
creasing in  number  the  last  few  years  and 
now  totals  approximately  800  houses.  Of 
this  number  some  620  are  individually 
owned  all-colored  theatres.  They  are  dis- 
tributed among  32  states  of  the  Union  and 
the  District  of  Columbia.  Several  of  the 
more  important  circuits,  heeding  the  de- 
mand for  all-colored  entertainment  centers, 
also  have  inaugurated  the  policy  of  opening 
their  houses,  after  the  regular  shows  have 
been  concluded  for  the  day,  and  running  an 
additional  one  for  the  colored  folk,  thus 
bringing  the  total  to  800  theatres. 

Oddly  enough,  the  largest  number  of 
the  all-negro  houses  is  not  to  be  found  in 
those  deep  Southern  states  where  the 
negro  population  is  densest,  with  the  one 
exception  of  Florida.  This  is  shown  by  the 
total  number  of  states  that  have  all-colored 
theatres  and  their  corresponding  number 
of  houses,  as  follows:  Alabama,  22; 
Arkansas,  14;  California,  24;  Colorado,  I; 
Connecticut,  4;  Delaware,  2;  District  of 
Columbia,  17;  Florida,  55;  Georgia,  39; 
Illinois,  28;  Indiana,  26;  Iowa,  I;  Kansas, 
7;  Kentucky,  22;  Louisiana,  19;  Maryland, 
15;  Massachusetts,  I;  Minnesota,  I;  Mis- 
sissippi, 12;  Missouri,  18;  Nebraska,  3; 
New  Jersey,  7;  New  York,  34;  North  Caro- 
lina, 64;  Ohio,  38;  Oklahoma,  17;  Penn- 
sylvania, 22;  South  Carolina,  25;  Tennes- 
see, 14;  Virginia,  40;  Wisconsin,  I,  and 
West  Virginia,  27. 

The  Southern  circuits,  however,  are  pre- 
dominant among  those  playing  several  times 
a  week  exclusively  to  negroes.  Chief  among 
these  are  the  Sparks  circuit  in  Florida,  the 
Starr  group  in  Louisiana,  which  recently 
started  all-negro  programs  at  the  Palace, 
former  leading  vaudeville  house  in  New  Or- 
leans along  with  the  Orpheum,  and  the  Pub- 
lix-Kincey  circuit,  operating  farther  north. 

Jack  Goldberg,  of  International  Road- 
shows, Inc.,  New  York,  who  for  more  years 
than  he  cares  to  admit  has  been  active  in 
the  negro  entertainment  field,  and  for  the 
past  decade  has  been  the  largest  single  pro- 
ducer and  distributor  of  motion  pictures, 
with  negro  casts,  compiled  these  data.  The 
houses  mentioned  are  all  on  his  list  of  ac- 
counts. Today,  as  he  sits  in  his  office  in  the 
Film  Center,  where  his  walls  are  adorned 
with  many-hued  one-sheets  of  past,  present 
and  future  attractions,  Mr.  Goldberg  per- 
sonally takes  care  of  the  booking  of  the 
pictures,  usuallv  by  mail,  and  the  average 
cost  to  the  exhibitor  is  $12.50,  plus  $7.50 
express. 

At  present,  Mr.  Goldberg  is  handling  10 
pictures,  including  "Harlem  Is  Heaven," 
starring  Bill  Robinson ;  "Siren  of  the 
Tropics,"  with  Josephine  Baker  as  the  star ; 
"Life  Is  Real,"  featuring  Nina  Mae  Mc- 
Kinney ;  "Scandal,"  starring  Lucky  Millin- 
der  and  his  Orchestra;  "The  Unknown  Sol- 


dier Speaks,"  a  history  of  the  negro  in  the 
World  War  and  for  the  production  of  which 
the  United  States  Government  opened  its 
vaults  at  Washington  and  gave  the  produ- 
cers the  film  records  of  the  colored  man's 
activities  in  the  struggle,  and  "The  Girl 
from  Chicago,"  with  an  "all-star"  cast. 

Ten  other  productions  are  planned  for 
next  season.  Prominent  among  Mr.  Gold- 
berg's plans  for  next  year,  however,  are 
those  he  has  for  the  series,  "The  Negro 
Marches  On".  This,  he  says,  will  be  a 
negro  version  of  what  is  being  done  by 
the  publishers  of  Time  Magazine  with 
their  "March  of  Time".  In  this,  Mr.  Gold- 
berg plans  to  present  a  reenactment  of  in- 
cidents in  the  history  of  the  American 
negro,  such  as  the  recent  "Scottsboro 
Case"  in  Alabama.  It  is  planned  to  pro- 
duce one  issue  every  month,  two  reels  in 
length,  and  it  is  highly  possible,  Mr.  Gold- 
berg said,  that  the  distribution  of  the  film 
will  not  be  confined  to  all-colored  theatres 
alone. 

The  negro  production  centers  are  not  New 
York  and  Hollywood,  as  may  be  expected, 
or  even  Memphis — where  Beal  Street  is  so 
well  known  as  the  national  negro  Broadway 
— but  Norfolk,  Va.,  and  Philadelphia.  With 
the  possible  exception  of  one  or  two  stars 
chosen  for  their  name  value,  the  casts  are 
made  up  of  unknowns,  persons  chosen  for 
their  resemblances  to  the  characters  they  are 
to  play,  and  in  most  cases  there  are  no  sal- 
aries. The  negro  is  a  born  actor,  it  was 
pointed  out,  and  he  is  willing,  in  most  cases, 
to  be  allowed  to  display  his  talents  just  for 
personal  satisfaction  rather  than  for  mone- 
tary gain. 

It  is  a  common  occurrence  for  the  produ- 
cers to  hire  one  band  for  a  picture  and,  when 
the  time  comes  to  start  shooting,  find  four 
bands  present,  each  trying  to  outplay  the 
others.  Then  the  four  will  appear  in  the 
picture,  only  one  being  paid.  A  call  is  sent 
out  for  six  chorus  girls  to  dance  in  a  cabaret 
scene.  The  six  will  tell  their  friends  they 
are  to  appear  in  a  picture  and  these  friends 
will  also  spread  the  word  about.  The  direc- 
tor then  finds  he  may  have  as  many  as  60 
girls,  in  a  motley  set  of  costumes,  all  re- 
hearsing with  the  dance  director,  and  the 
whole  group,  or  as  many  as  can  be  included, 
will  appear  in  the  picture.  The  six  originally 
hired  will  be  paid ;  the  others  don't  even 
think  of  asking  for  remuneration. 

An  oldtime  Missippippi  River  Showboat 
is  at  Memphis  at  the  moment,  and  Mr.  Gold- 
berg has  been  requested  to  come  down  and 
make  a  picture  on  the  boat  and  along  Beal 
Street.  He  readily  will  find  a  cast  waiting 
for  him  and  the  boat  is  there  for  his  use 
if  he  wants  it,  free  of  charge. 

However,  production  of  negro  pictures  is 
not  as  simple  as  these  incidents  would  indi- 
cate, Mr.  Goldberg  said.  There  is  the  prob- 
lem of  getting  a  name  for  advertising  pur- 


poses that  will  draw  both  in  the  North  and 
in  the  South.  Such  wellknown  negro  enter- 
tainers as  Mamie  Smith  and  Bessie  Smith, 
the  last  of  the  "coon-shoutin'  "  singers,  are 
bywords  among  the  southern  negro,  but  their 
appeal  is  much  greater  below  the  Mason- 
Dixon  Line  than  above,  where  Bill  Robin- 
son, Josephine  Baker,  Nina  Mae  McKinney 
and  their  types  of  performer  are  better 
known. 

The  greatest  grosser  for  Mr.  Goldberg, 
which  is  almost  the  same  as  saying  the  col- 
ored theatre,  has  been,  and  still  is,  accord- 
ing to  the  figures,  "Imitation  of  Life,"  a 
Universal  picture  starring  Claudette  Col- 
bert. To  the  negro,  however,  Miss  Colbert 
is  merely  the  leading  supporting  player,  and 
Louise  Beavers  is  the  star.  This  film  has 
played  three  and  four  return  engagements. 

The  censorship  problem,  Mr.  Goldberg 
finds,  is  not  as  serious  with  his  pictures  as 
it  is  with  product  for  the  general  patronage. 
Practically  no  deletions  are  made,  he  says, 
but  only  because  the  pictures  are  directed  to- 
ward colored  patronage  and  are  not  intended 
for  showing  to  whites. 

The  average  negro  demands  real,  "low 
drama",  starkly  realistic,  so  that  he  Ts~: 
capable  of  grasping  its  meaning.  For  ■ 
comedy,  the  negro  demands  slapstick  of 
the  style  popular  on  the  early  day  screen. 
Films  featuring  music  and  dancing  are 
always  liked. 

For  advertising  purposes,  Mr.  Goldberg 
finds  that  the  four  leading  negro  journals, 
the  Afro-American  of  Baltimore,  the  Chi- 
cago Defender,  the  Pittsburgh  Courier  and 
the  New  York  Amsterdam  News  reach  prac- 
tically every  community  in  the  country.  He 
has  some  190  negro  colleges  and  schools  on 
his  mailing  list. 

In  the  deep  South,  however,  there  is  still 
the  problem  of  the  old  "Jim  Crow"  law,  and 
negroes  are  admitted  only  to  balconies  of 
theatres  where  usually  pictures  are  shown 
for  white  audiences,  even  though  the  par- 
ticular performance  is  being  given  only  for 
the  colored  man.  In  High  Point,  N.  C,  re- 
cently, a  manager  arranged  for  a  midnight 
show  after  his  regular  day's  run.  His  total 
of  balcony  seats  was  653 ;  he  found  over 
2,000  negroes  waiting  for  the  doors  to  open. 
He  filled  his  balcony  with  the  first  ones  in 
line,  and  at  the  same  time  14  white  men  and 
women  filed  into  the  orchestra  seats.  Un- 
able to  keep  his  theatre  open  all  night,  the 
manager  immediately  arranged  with  his  rival 
managers  to  rent  their  balconies  for  one 
performance  and  he  filled  four  opposition 
houses'  upper  floors  up  the  street.  He 
rushed  the  reels  to  the  other  houses  and  de- 
spite the  fact  that  the  show  started  an  hour 
late  at  the  last  house,  all  his  patrons  were 
satisfied.  Now  he  arranges  beforehand  for 
the  balconies  of  the  four  houses,  obtains  two 
prints  from  New  York,  and  these  are  rushed 
from  projection  room  to  projection  room  as 
the  reels  come  off  the  machines. 


28 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


WPA  DEFENDS  PATHE  NEWSREEL 

CONTRACT  AS  CRITICISM  RACES 


Charge  Flung  by  Republican 
National  Committee  Draws 
Official  Reply;  Chairman 
Hamilton   Continues  Attack 

Caught  by  no  newsreel,  but  broadcast  on 
a  coast-to-coast  network  of  newspaper 
pages  and  shouted  from  a  public  rostrum  in 
Seattle,  denunciation  and  defense  of  the 
Works  Progress  Administration-Pathe 
News  contract  covering  production  and  dis- 
tribution of  WPA  films  for  theatrical  ex- 
hibition this  week  became  a  major  subject 
of  controversy  in  the  national  political  cam- 
paign. 

While  the  lay  press  was  engaged  in  pub- 
lishing statements  handed  out  by  the  Re- 
publican National  Committee  and  the  WPA, 
a  Pathe  News  unit  started  work  on  the 
first  of  the  films,  to  be  produced  in  Michi- 
gan, and  former  employees  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Record  division  of  the  WPA,  their 
services  no  longer  required,  sought  jobs  else- 
where. 

Developments : 

On  August  6th  the  Republican  National 
Committee  in  Washington,  D.  C,  issued  a 
statement  charging  the  WPA  with  estab- 
lishment of  a  "moving  picture  propaganda 
bureau"  and  quoted  a  report  from  Sydney 
MacKean,  former  director  of  the  motion 
picture  record  division  of  the  agency. 

On  August  8th  Deputy  WPA  Adminis- 
trator Aubrey  Williams  replied  to  the 
Republican  National  Committee's  accusa- 
tion, defending  the  action  of  the  WPA  and 
asserting  that  "the  Republicans  set  every 
precedent  for  Federal  motion  pictures", 
specifically  citing  films  made  during  the 
Coolidge  and  Hoover  administrations. 

On  August  I  Oth  John  D.  M.  Hamilton, 
Republican  national  chairman,  reiterated 
and  expanded  Republican  charges  in  an 
address  delivered  to  an  audience  of  8,000 
listeners  at  the  Civic  Auditorium  in 
Seattle,  Wash. 

Across  the  country,  editorial  comment 
and  news  stories  explored  the  terms  of 
the  contract,  printed  in  its  entirety  in  the 
July  25th  issue  of  Motion  Picture  Herald, 
singling  out  for  special  attention  the  clause 
requiring  release  of  one  WPA  film  each 
month  in  a  nationally  distributed  newsreel. 

Release  of  the  staff  formerly  employed  by 
the  motion  picture  record  division  of  the  WPA, 
composed  of  men  experienced  in  motion  picture 
work  and  commissioned  during  their  tenure 
with  the  filming  of  WPA  projects  for  perma- 
nent record,  was  regarded  by  them  as  a 
natural  consequence  of  the  decision  to  place  the 
work  on  a  commercial  contract  basis.  Each 
was  given  to  understand  that  other  berths 
would  be  sought  for  them  in  the  WPA  and 
encouraged  to  look  upon  the  present  period  of 
idleness  as  a  vacation.  Nevertheless,  most  of 
them  were  in  New  York  re-establishing  con- 
tacts with  the  trade  and  disposed  to  consider 
any  reasonable  offer. 

Selection  of  Michigan  as  the  subject  of  the 
first  WPA  film  to  be  made  by  Pathe  News  is 
in  line  with  the  text  of  invitations  to  bid  for 


DENUNCIATION 
AND  DEFENSE 

Said  John  D.  M.  Hamilton,  chair- 
man   of    the    Republican  National 
Committee    in    excoriation    of  the 
WPA-Pathe  News  contract: 

"I  would  stress  that  the  money  for 
these  contracts  comes  from  the  tax- 
payers. It  was  for  relief  of  human 
suffering.  This  use  of  public  money 
not  only  violates  the  intent  of  Con- 
gress but  the  law  as  well." 

Said  Deputy  Administrator  Aubrey 
Williams  of  the  WPA: 

"The  Republicans  set  every  prece- 
dent for  Federal  motion  pictures.  The 
Republican  National  Committee  is 
like  a  small  boy  whistling  in  the  dark. 
These  motion  pictures  will  be  a  record 
for  posterity  of  America's  ability  to 
meet  an  economic  crisis  great  enough 
to  destroy  almost  any  other  nation 
and  by  hard  work  and  common  sense 
to  solve  it  in  the  American  way." 


the  contract,  distributed  to  more  than  40  film 
companies,  which  described  in  detail,  as  a 
specimen  of  the  work  to  be  done,  a  hypotheti- 
cal picture  showing  the  governmental  agency's 
activities  in  that  state.  It  is  believed  that  the 
film  will  depict  forestry  measures  taken  to 
prevent  fires,  construction  and  equipment  sup- 
plied to  facilitate  operations  of  the  Michigan 
state  police,  and  the  building  of  farm-to-mar- 
ket roads.  Synopses  of  this  and  seven  other 
subjects  of  what  is  described  in  the  contract 
as  state-wide  interest  had  been  prepared  by 
members  of  the  motion  picture  record  division 
staff  prior  to  dismissal. 

Issuance  of  the  Republican  National  Com- 
mittee's statement  followed  front  page  news 
treatment  and  editorial  comment  on  the  WPA- 
Pathe  contract  by  the  New  York  Journal,  the 
New  York  American,  the  Chicago  Tribune  and 
many  other  newspapers,  as  well  as  magazine 
treatment  by  The  Literary  Digest,  with  fre- 
quent reference  to  the  original  presentation  of 
facts  in  the  July  25th  issue  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Herald. 

The  statement  of  the  Republican  National 
Committee,  as  released  to  the  press,  quoted 
terms  of  the  Pathe  News  contract  in  conjunc- 
tion with  the  Sydney  MacKean  report,  assert- 
ing that  they  "show  that  although  the  motion 
picture  division  of  the  WPA  was  abandoned 
in  its  original  form  because  private  motion 
picture  companies  would  not  accept  the  propa- 
ganda contained  in  the  films,  a  new  effort  is 
now  underway  to  propagandize  the  country 
through  the  medium  of  newsreels  paid  for  out 
of  relief  funds."  In  support  of  this  allegation 
the  statement  quoted  liberally  from  the  Mac- 
Kean report,  which  reviewed  the  history  of  the 
motion  picture  record  division  from  its  incep- 
tion and  stressed  the  incident  of  the  Comp- 
troller General's  refusal  to  authorize  payment 
of  expenses  incurred  until  he  had  received  a 
copy  of  President  Roosevelt's  letter  to  Admin- 
istrator Hopkins  confirming  verbal  authoriza- 
tion previously  given  and  citing  legislation  in- 
vesting him  with  authority  to  do  so. 

In  response  to  the  Republican  attack,  Deputv 
Administrator  Williams  of  the  WPA  said, 
"The  Republicans  set  every  precedent  for  Fed- 


Start  Work  on  First  Picture 
in  Michigan;  Synopsis  Was 
Written  by  Staff  of  Films 
Division,  Since  Dismissed 

eral  motion  pictures.  The  Republican  National 
Committee  is  like  a  small  boy  whistling  in  the 
dark.  The  utter  absurdity  of  its  attack  is  plain 
when  we  realize  that  not  a  single  picture  has 
been  produced  under  the  arrangement  so  bit- 
terly assailed.  The  Republican  National  Com- 
mittee has  not  the  remotest  idea  whether  or 
not  these  pictures  will  contain  any  propaganda 
whatever.  I  know  they  will  not.  Yet  the  com- 
mittee releases  an  official  attack  upon  the 
Works  Progress  Administration  solely  on  the 
strength  of  a  statement  from  the  former  chief 
of  a  WPA  section  abolished  nearly  three 
months  ago. 

Cites  Republican  Precedent 

"Three  successive  Republican  administrations 
have  produced  literally  thousands  of  reels  of 
Federal  motion  pictures  in  dozens  of  bureaus, 
large  and  small,  over  a  period  of  twelve  long 
years.  Why,  then,  the  Republican  hubbub  over 
a  perfectly  legitimate  and  accepted  method  of 
presenting  public  information? 

"Can  it  be  that  the  Republican  National 
Committee  is  afraid  of  the  truth?  Can  it  be 
fear  that  the  eye  of  the  camera  will  reveal  a 
great  army  of  good  solid  American  citizens 
at  work  in  the  construction  of  good  solid 
American  improvements  for  the  benefit  of  all 
the  people?" 

Two  days  later  Republican  National  Com- 
mitteeman Chairman  Hamilton  told  his  Seattle, 
Washington,  audience,  in  the  course  of  an  ad- 
dress, "The  taxpayers  are  determined,  as  is 
Governor  Landon,  that  human  suffering  shall 
not  go  unrelieved  in  our  land.  But  the  tax- 
payers are  also  determined  they  will  no  longer 
tolerate  a  burden  for  relief  swollen  by  a  per- 
centage to  political  spoilsmen. 

"On  July  17,  1936,  the  WPA  asked  for  bids 
from  private  motion  picture  companies  for 
the  preparation  of  films  showing  certain  relief 
projects  in  various  States.  These  films  are 
to  be  distributed  in  the  guise  of  a  newsreel. 

"The  contracts,  according  to  WPA  specifica- 
tions, will  not  necessarily  be  given  to  the  low- 
est bidder  in  accordance  with  the  usual  gov- 
ernment custom,  but  to  the  bidder  who  is  best 
able  to  aid  in  distribution,  both  theatrical  and 
non-theatrical,  of  this  political  propaganda  dis- 
guised as  news. 

"I  would  stress  that  the  money  for  these 
contracts  comes  from  the  taxpayers.  It  was 
voted  for  the  relief  of  human  suffering. 

"But  it  is  to  be  paid  to  private  motion  pic- 
ture companies  that  operate  for  profit  for  films 
that  are  to  be  shown  in  privately  owned  mov- 
ing picture  houses  also  operated  for  profit  be- 
fore audiences  who  have  sufficient  funds  to  pay 
for  their  own  admission. 

"This  is  not  all.  John  R.  McCarl,  the  Con- 
troller General,  whose  term  of  office  recently 
expired,  refused  to  approve  a  similar  expendi- 
ture in  June,  1935,  on  the  ground  it  was  an  il- 
legal application  of  money  appropriated  by 
Congress. 

"But  now,  in  an  election  year,  the  party  in 
power  is  forcing  the  taxpayers,  without  their 
consent  and  without  the  approval  of  Congress, 
to  make  a  contribution  to  a  political  campaign 
fund  for  distribution  of  propaganda  through 
the  motion  picture  theatres. 

"I  say  this  use  of  public  money  not  only 
violates  the  intent  of  Congress,  but  the  law  as 
well." 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


29 


THE  HOLLYWOOD 
SCENE 


Room  at  the  Top 

"There's  always  room  at  the  top." 

"Go  West,  young  man,"  etc. 

Name  10  box  office  directors  in  10  seconds. 

Name  10  good  directors  in  5. 

Name  20  directors,  any  kind,  in  30  minutes, 
without  looking  'em  up  in  the  Motion  Picture 
Almanac,  and  tell  why  you  remember  them. 

If  your  score  is  100  for  the  triple  test  you're 
a  better  man  than  most  who  have  to  answer 
such  questions  for  a  living.  Because  Hollywood 
has  somewhat  suddenly  discovered  that  it's  faced 
with,  of  all  things,  a  shortage  of  directors. 

Yessir,  believe  it  or  not,  even  major  pro- 
ducers have  admitted  as  reason  for  delaying  the 
start  of  productions  otherwise  ready  the  lack 
of  a  genuine,  4-square  director  to  place  in 
charge.  Promotions  from  the  ranks  have  been 
made,  recently,  and  at  a  slightly  alarming  rate, 
for  no  better  reason  than  because  directors  had 
to  be  had  from  somewhere.  Fingers  are  crossed 
in  more  instances  than  is  comfortable. 

How  the  condition  come  about  is  everybody's 
business  and  nobody's.  It  jes'  growed.  There 
was  much  emphasizing  of  writers  a  while  back, 
of  course,  and  again  of  stars,  the  while  many 
a  competent  director  was  in  process  of  becoming 
a  producer  or  associate  producer  with  no  one 
paying  particular  attention  to  the  business  of 
training,  building  up  and  readying  for  market 
able  young  men  to  direct  product.  Now  all  that 
must  be  caught  up  with,  it  appears,  and  the 
woods  are  not  exactly  full  of  likely  timber. 

The  situation  is  not  precisely  catastrophic. 
Ways,  means  and  men  will  be  found.  They  al- 
ways are.  Usually,  too,  they  are  better  ways, 
means  and  men,  a  circumstance  the  screen,  as 
always,  can  well  afford  to  put  up  with.  Mean- 
while, the  handful  of  ready-made  dependables 
are  busy,  prosperous  gentlemen,  masters  of 
just  about  all  they  survey. 


PompandCircumstance 

Great  romances  of  history  are  being  mar- 
shalled for  parade  across  the  screens  of  the 
world  in  the  coming  season.  Never  before 
has  such  an  array  of  colorful  and  varied  back- 
ground material  been  announced  for  one  film 
season. 

Warners  leads  the  list  with  twelve  pictures 
dealing  with  yesteryear.  They  are  "The  Charge 
of  the  Light  Brigade,"  "The  Sea  Hawk,"  "Dan- 
ton,"  "The  Story  of  Beethoven/'  "The  Adven- 
tures of  Robin  Hood,"  "The  Prince  and  the 
Pauper,"  "The  White  Rajah,"  "Joan  of  Arc," 
"Panama  Canal,"  which  deals  with  difficulties 
of  digging  the  big  ditch,  "The  Story  of  John 
Law,"  which  tells  of  the  wild  financial  specula- 
tion known  as  the  Mississippi  Bubble,  and 
"Anthony  Adverse,"  just  released. 

MGM  is  a  close  second  with  the  following 
nine  announced :  "Parnell,"  story  of  the  Irish 
Rebellion,  "Marie  Antoinette,"  "The  Georgeous 
Hussy,"  "Camille,"  "Pride  and  Prejudice," 
"Maytime,"  "Countess  Walewska,"  "Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Washington"  and  "Romeo  and  Juliet." 

Radio  is  preparing  "Portrait  of  a  Rebel," 
"Quality  Street,"  "Daniel  Boone,"  "The  Out- 
casts of  Poker  Flat,"  "The  Robber  Barons," 
which  deals  with  the  days  of  Jim  Fiske,  and 
"Mary  of  Scotland,"  already  released. 

Paramount  has  "The  Plainsman"  and  "Maid 


of  Salem,"  both  tales  of  early  days  in  America. 
Republic  is  preparing  "Two  Years  Before  the 
Mast,"  a  tale  of  adventure  in  sailing  ships, 
Columbia  has  "Valley  Forge"  on  schedule.  Hal 
Roach's  "Colonel  Spanky"  goes  back  into  the 
last  century. 

Universal  will  break  out  costumes  for  "Hip- 
podrome" and  "Madame  Curie."  Walter 
Wanger  will  put  heavy  demands  on  stocks  of 
Oriental  draperies  for  "The  Arabian  Knights." 
Reliance  has  "The  Last  of  the  Mohicans"  ready 
for  release. 

Sol  Lesser's  "Rainbow  on  the  River"  is  based 
on  "  'Toinette's  Phillip/'  a  tale  of  civil  war 
days.  Selznick  International  will  do  "Gone 
With  the  Wind,"  another  civil  war  tale. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  will  contribute 
"Lloyds  of  London,"  "Ramona,"  and  "The  Last 
Slaver"  to  the  colorful  company,  and  then  there 
is.  of  course,  the  long  list  of  westerns  which 
every  season  produces. 

What,  a  showman  returning  from  the  no- 
man's-land  of  retirement  might  ask,  has  be- 
come of  the  theory  that  the  public  doesn't  like 
costume  pictures?  Gone,  another  showman 
might  tell  him,  with  the  premise  of  even  date 
which  held  the  mean  average  age  of  the  cinema 
audience  to  be  11  years.  At  which  both  show- 
men might  tilt  a  toast  to  the  box  office  gods 
in  silent,  solvent  approval  of  a  new  and  better 
day. 


Production  at  Peak 

With  50  pictures  in  work  and  studio  space 
at  something  like  a  premium,  whatever  that 
means  precisely,  it  was  found  practicable,  ex- 
peditious and  otherwise  advisable  to  launch  only 
four  new  pictures  last  week.  Meanwhile  nine 
others  were  coming  off  the  line,  as  Henry 
Ford's  34,500,000th  flivver  cheered  his  73rd 
birthday,  easing  somewhat  the  crowded  condi- 
tion of  the  stages.  (That  Ford  thought  is  a 
stray,  outgrowth  of  a  rambling  speculation  as  to 
what  might  have  happened  to  the  industry  if 
the  Michigan  manufacturer  had  stayed  in  the 
business  that  time  he  tinkered  with  the  idea.) 

At  Twentieth  Century-Fox  "Pigskin  Parade," 
a  seasonal  football  picture,  went  into  work. 
The  cast  includes  Arlene  Judge,  Dixie  Dunbar, 
Jack  Haley,  Patsy  Kelly,  Johnny  Downs,  Leah 
Ray,  Tony  Martin,  Judy  Garland,  The  Yacht 
Club  Boys,  Betty  Grable,  Fred  Kohler  Jr.  and 
Grady  Sutton.    David  Butler  is  directing. 

"Sitting  On  The  Moon"  was  started  at  Re- 
public. Roger  Pryor  and  Grace  Bradley  are 
starred,  supported  by  Pert  Kelton,  William 
Newell,  William  Janney,  June  Martell,  Henry 
Kolker  and  Henry  Wadsworth,  with  Ralph 
Staub  directing. 

Under  David  Selman's  direction,  Columbia 
started  "Poker  Face."  The  cast  includes  Mary 
Brian,  George  McKay,  Thurston  Hall,  Henry 
Brandon,  Betty  Compson,  Harry  Hayden,  Boyd 
Irwin  and  Charles  Moore. 

The  first  of  the  new  Major  Pictures  got 
under  way.  Proceeding  under  the  working 
title,  "May  West  Picture  Number  One,"  it 
stars  Miss  West  with  Warren  William,  Ran- 
dolph Scott,  Lyle  Talbot,  Alice  Brady,  Isabel 
Jewell,  Margaret  Perry,  Elizabeth  Patterson, 
Maynord  Holmes,  Etienne  Girardot,  Nicodemus 
and  Alice  Ardell.   Henry  Hathaway  is  director. 

Two  pictures  were  finished  at  Columbia.  In 
"Adventures  in  Manhattan,"  Jean  Arthur,  Joel 
McCrea,  Reginald  Owen,  Herman  Ring,  Charles 


Wilson,  Victor  Kilian,  John  Gallaudet,  George 
Cooper  and  Emmett  Vogan  will  be  seen.  Ed- 
ward Ludwig  directed.  The  cast  for  "Two 
Minute  Alibi,"  which  D.  Ross  Lederman  di- 
rected, includes  William  Gargan,  Marguerite 
Churchill,  Gene  Raymond,  Egon  Brecher,  Ray- 
mond Lawrence,  Wade  Boteler,  George  Well 
and  Romaine  Callender. 

MGM  finished  "The  Good  Earth."  The  most 
prominent  screen  names  presented  are  Paul 
Muni,  Luise  Rainer,  Walter  Connoly,  Charles 
Grapewin,  Jessie  Ralph,  Keye  Luke  and  Harold 
Huber.    Sidney  Franklin  directed. 

Paramount  accounted  for  two  pictures.  In 
"Murder  With  Pictures"  Lew  Ayers,  Gail 
Patrick,  Joyce  Compton,  Paul  Kelly,  Onslow 
Stevens,  Ernest  Cossart,  Benny  Baker,  Joseph 
Sawyer  and  Iving  Bacon  will  be  seen.  Charles 
Barton  directed.  "Lady  Be  Careful"  also 
finished.  The  cast  includes  Mary  Carlisle,  Lew 
Ayres,  Larry  Crabbe,  Benny  Baker,  Grant 
Withers,  Jack  Chapin,  Josephine  McKim, 
Wilma  Francis,  Nick  Lukats,  Purnell  Pratt, 
Terry  Ray,  Louise  Stanley,  Irene  Bennett, 
Henry  Arthur,  John  Morley,  Barbara  Koshade, 
Paul  Barrett  and  Wesley  Barry.  Ted  Reed  di- 
rected this  picture. 

At  Radio  "Swing  Time"  was  finished.  Fred 
Astaire  and  Ginger  Rogers  are  starred,  with 
Victor  Moore,  Helen  Roderic,  Eric  Blore, 
Georges  Metaxa,  Gerald  Hamer,  Edgar  Deer- 
ing,  Harry  Bowen  and  Harry  Bernard  in  a 
cast  directed  by  George  Stevens.  The  second 
picture  finished  at  this  studio,  "Don't  Turn  'Em 
Loose,"  will  present  Lewis  Stone,  James  Glea- 
son,  Betty  Grable,  Bruce  Cabot,  Louise  Latimer, 
Frank  M.  Thomas,  Nella  Walker,  Grace  Brad- 
ley, Harry  Jans,  Frank  Jenks,  Addison  Ran- 
dall, Gordon  Jones,  Fern  Emmett,  John  Arledge, 
Arthur  Hoyt  and  Charles  Richman.  Ben  Stol- 
off  directed. 

Republic  completed  two  films.  The  cast  for 
"Bulldog  Edition"  includes  Ray  Walker,  Eva- 
lyn  Knapp,  Regis  Toomey,  Cy  Kendall,  Billy 
Newell,  Oscar  Apfel,  Betty  Compson,  Robert 
Warwick,  Ivan  Miller,  Matty  Fain,  George 
Lloyd,  Frank  Puglia,  Ruth  Gilette  and  Ed  Le- 
Saint.  Charles  Lamond  directed.  In  the  sec- 
don  picture,  "Dangerous  Trails,"  Johnny  Mack 
Brown  is  featured  with  Suzanne  Kaaren.  The 
support  lists  Ted  Adams,  Frank  Darien,  Lloyd 
Ingraham,  Horace  Murphy,  Dick  Morehead, 
Edward  Cassidy,  Margaret  Mann  and  Frank- 
Ball,  directed  by  Albert  Ray. 


Paragraphically 

Jeff  Lazarus  has  moved  back  to  Paramount 
studios  as  story  head.  Glendon  Allvine,  who 
has  been  handling  the  job,  has  settled  his  con- 
tract with  the  studio.  .  .  .  Willard  S.  McKay 
arrived  on  the  coast  for  a  two-day  conference 
with  Universal  executives.  .  .  .  Jack  Hardy 
was  appointed  publicity  director  of  Republic, 
succeeding  Lindsley  Parsons,  who  resigned  to 
supervise  a  series  of  westerns  for  Grand  Na- 
tional release.  .  .  .  Gabe  Yorke,  former  pub- 
licity director  for  Paramount,  has  arrived  at 
a  settlement  of  his  ticket  with  the  company. 
.  .  .  B.  B.  Kahane,  in  a  surprise  move,  was 
named  vice  president  of  Columbia,  a  newly 
created  post.  Mr.  Kahane's  contract  as  R-K-O 
president  had  until  October  to  run.  Simul- 
taneously, William  Perlberg  was  promoted  to 
head  all  production. 


30 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


MARY  ASTOR  from  KANSAS 
to  HOLLYWOOD  and  FAME 


Miss  Mary  Astor  of  the  screen,  in  private 
life,  as  the  saying  goes,  Mrs.  Franklyn 
Thorpe,  currently  by  legal  controversy,  with 
her  erstwhile  husband,  contributing  to  the 
romantic  annals  of  Hollywood,  has  been  a 
figure  in  the  making  of  vivid  pages  in  screen 
annals  for  fifteen  years. 

It  all  began  in  1920,  when  as  Lucille 
Vasconellos  Langhanke,  daughter  of  a  music 
instructor  at  the  University  of  Kansas  at 
Lawrence,  where  the  sunflowers  grow  along 
the  banks  of  the  Kaw,  she  sent  a  photograph 
in  entry  into  a  "Fame  and  Fortune"  contest 
in  the  pages  of  Shadowland,  a  fan  magazine. 

The  pretty  girl  from  Kansas  was  among 
those  winnowed  as  probable  winners  in  the 
preliminary  selections  and  she  was  called  to 
New  York  for  the  final  selections.  Headlong 
with  anticipation  the  family  came  along  to 
New  York,  too,  sure  that  fortune  and  fame 
were  in  store. 

Lucille  won  second  place  and  a  few  days 
later  she  had  a  contract.  She  became  Mary 
Astor  and  started  work  in  Tri-Arts'  "The 
Beggar  Maid,"  based  on  the  Tennyson  poem. 
The  picture  was  a  success.  Miss  Astor  at- 
tracted attention  from  critics  and  the  public. 
She  met  Harold  R.  Durant,  then  story  editor 
for  Famous  Players-Lasky  Corporation. 
That  was  in  1921. 

Durant  Her  Manager 

Mr.  Durant  had  had  an  interesting  career 
and  Miss  Astor  was  destined  to  play  an  im- 
portant role  in  some  of  its  phases.  Born  in 
Waterbury,  Conn.,  he  had  been  a  newspaper 
man  and  then  had  studied  law  and  become 
clerk  of  the  city  court  and  later  prosecuting 
attorney  in  that  city.  In  1906  he  had  become 
involved  in  a  bitter  personal  conflict  with 
the  late  Judge  Lucien  T.  Burpee.  The  battle 
started  over  political  differences  and  ended 
with  departure  from  the  bar  and  Connecticut 
by  Mr.  Durant. 

Nothing  daunted,  the,  erstwhile  lawyer 
had  moved  to  New  York,  had  done  magazine 
work  for  a  time  under  the  late  Frank 
Munsey,  and  had  become  a  scenario  writer 
for  Famous  Players,  from  which  post  he  had 
advanced  to  managing  editor  of  the  story 
department. 

Up  to  this  time  Miss  Astor  and  her 
parents  had  given  no  thought  to  the  reten- 
tion of  a  manager.  Her  parents,  every  Sat- 
urday, had  journeyed  out  to  the  Louis 
Tiffany  estate  on  Long  Island  where  "The 
Beggar  Maid"  was  filmed,  from  their  home 
on  West  Tenth  Street,  Manhattan,  to  collect 
their  daughter's  $50  a  week. 

Mr.  Durant  convinced  them  of  the 
necessity  for  his  services.  Since  Miss  Astor 
was  a  minor,  he  produced  a  contract  for 
Mr.  Langhanke  to  sign  under  which  the 
story  editor  agreed  to  furnish  "dramatic 
instruction"  for  the  actress  and  to  supply 
her  with  acting  assignments.  This  was  to 
be  without  recompense,  at  least  until  she 
received  a  salary  of  $100  a  week,  at  which 
time  Mr.  Durant  was  to  start  drawing 
25  per  cent  of  her  salary  until  she  reached 
the  age  of  21.  Mr.  Langhanke  signed. 

The  following  year,  1922,  Miss  Astor  re- 
ceived an  offer  of  a  contract  at  $1,000  a 


week  and,  when  Mr.  Durant  reached  for  his 
share,  the  actress,  her  mother  and  her  father, 
began  to  believe  that  there  was  something 
unusual  about  the  managerial  contract.  They 
began  suit  to  break  the  contract  and  as  a 
result  Miss  Astor  became  known  to  headline 
readers  of  the  country  as  the  "Slave  Girl." 

Mary  Astor  Loses  Suit 

On  October  5,  1922,  New  York  supreme 
court  Justice  Philip  McCook  decided  that 
Miss  Astor  was  the  "legally  indentured  ap- 
prentice" of  Mr.  Durant  and  in  accordance 
with  the  antiquated  "master  and  man"  statute 
of  the  state  would  have  to  fulfill  the  contract 
made  by  her  parents.  It  was  pointed  out 
that  the  contract  was  the  first  case  of  inden- 
ture brought  to  light  since  1804. 

During  the  action  Mr.  Durant  explained 
that  as  an  official  of  Famous  Players  he 
would  not  have  been  able  to  act  as  her  man- 
ager. From  his  legal  knowledge,  he  said,  he 
had  drawn  up  a  contract  under  which  Miss 
Astor  became  his  apprentice  "to  receive 
dramatic  instruction." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Langhanke  began  the  action 
for  cancellation  allegedly  believing  that  the 
agreement  was  simply  an  agency  contract 
with  a  minor  and  therefore  subject  to  can- 
cellation. Mr.  Langhanke  testified  that  he 
had  signed  because  he  thought  it  was  a 
standard  form  of  managerial  contract.  As 
the  suit  progressed  the  character  of  the 
document  was  revealed  and  the  parents 
further  contended  that  no  dramatic  instruc- 
tion had  been  rendered  by  Mr.  Durant. 
Mrs.  Langhanke  testified  that  the  extent  of 
such  instruction  was  compassed  by  a  remark 
made  by  Mr.  Durant  at  a  showing  of  "The 
Beggar  Maid."  He  had  said,  "Lucille 
shouldn't  twitch  her  eyebrows." 

Sponsored  Film  Tax 

But  the  contract  proved  unbreakable.  In 
the  light  of  this  incident  Mr.  Durant's  fur- 
ther history  is  worthy  of  note.  A  year  later, 
in  1923,  he  suddenly  quit  the  motion  picture 
business  entirely  and  retired  to  his  home  in 
Guilford,  Conn.  He  applied  himself  vigor- 
ously to  politics  and  shortly  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Connecticut  legislature.  One 
of  his  first  acts  in  that  body  was  to  sponsor 
a  film  footage  tax  of  $10  per  reel  to  be  paid 
by  all  exhibitors  in  the  state. 

The  levy  brought  loud  and  vehement  pro- 
tests not  only  from  the  exhibitors  but  from 
the  organized  industry.  The  Motion  Pic- 
ture Producers  and  Distributors  of  America 
;et  up  a  plan  under  which  money  from  a 
revolving  fund  was  lent  to  the  theatre 
owners  who  were  unable  to  pay  the  tax  from 
their  receipts.  The  machinery  for  collection 
of  the  tax  proved  so  complicated  and  the 
receipts  so  small  that  the  legislature  hastily 
repealed  the  measure  within  a  year. 

Mr.  Durant,  in  1926,  went  to  Washington 
and  became  actively  identified  with  a  group 
which  was  sponsoring  a  campaign  for  the 
establishment  of  a  Federal  Motion  Picture 
Commission  to  control  the  industry.  His 
testimony  at  a  Congressional  hearing  on  the 
proposal  occasioned  a  bitter  retort  from 
C.  C.  Pettijohn,  general  counsel  for  the 
MPPDA,  in  which  his  motives  for  leaving 
the  industry  and  for  sponsoring  the  legis- 


lation were  questioned.  Mr.  Durant's  re- 
sponse included  the  announcement  that  a  few 
days  previously  he  had  been  readmitted  to 
the  Connecticut  bar.  He  introduced  in  the 
testimony  editorial  plaudits  written  on  this 
occasion  and  praising  him  as  a  leading  citi- 
zen of  Connecticut. 

Sued  by  Parents 

After  the  trial  Miss  Astor's  star  bright- 
ened rapidly.  She  played  opposite  Douglas 
Fairbanks  in  "Don  Q,  Son  of  Zorro,"  and  in 
1923  she  was  cast  with  John  Barrymore  in 
"Don  Juan."  Other  pictures  which  followed 
rapidly  were  "Beau  Brummel,"  "Rough 
Riders,"  "Two  Arabian  Knights,"  and 
"Dressed  to  Kill." 

In  the  spring  of  1928  she  married  Kenneth 
Hawkes,  a  director,  and  18  months  later  she 
was  left  a  widow  when  he  was  killed  in  an 
airplane  crash  over  the  Pacific.  Her  screen 
popularity  continued  unabated  and  she  ap- 
peared in  "Holiday"  for  Pathe;  "The  Steel 
Highway,"  for  Warner  Brothers ;  "The  Lost 
Squadron,"  and  "Men  of  Chance"  for  Radio ; 
"Red  Dust,"  for  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ; 
and  "The  Little  Giant,"  and  "Convention 
City,"  for  First  National,  among  others. 

In  1934  she  reached  newspaper  headlines 
again  when  her  parents  filed  suit  to  compel 
her  to  support  them.  In  her  answer  she 
claimed  that  she  had  given  them  more  than 
$500,000  in  five  years  and  that  they  had  dis- 
sipated it  in  "wildcat  investments  and  ex- 
travagance." The  court  ordered  her  to  pay 
her  parents  $100  a  month  until  the  case  was 
brought  to  trial  but  an  out  of  court  settle- 
ment was  made. 

The  newspaper  treatments  of  the  current 
case,  growing  out  of  the  differences  between 
Miss  Astor  and  her  husband  over  the  terms 
of  a  divorce,  have  been  addressed  chiefly  at 
efforts  to  bring  into  the  story  names  of  im- 
portance in  the  Hollywood  community, 
giving  rise  in  turn  to  defensive  endeavours  to 
keep  the  Astor  case  an  Astor  story.  Reports, 
not  too  well  documented,  have  alleged  a 
$100,000  fund  offered  to  get  the  case  settled. 
One  venturesome  paper  has  published  a  list 
of  descriptions  of  ten  screen  personages, 
without  their  names,  that  they  apparently 
hope  to  include  in  the  story  eventually. 


Morris  Replaces 
Starr  in  ASCAP 

Edwin  Morris,  vice-president  of  the 
Warner  music  subsidiaries,  will  replace  Her- 
man Starr,  president,  on  the  board  of  gov- 
ernors of  the  American  Society  of  Authors, 
Composers  and  Publishers  at  the  monthly 
meeting  in  September,  it  was  revealed  in 
New  York  this  week. 

Mr.  Starr  has  been  off  the  ASCAP  board 
since  the  Warner  affiliates  withdrew  from  the 
music  organization  last  January  and  his  re- 
turn follows  last  week's  settlement  of  the 
difficulties  between  Warners  and  ASCAP 
over  fees,  a  dispute  which  caused  the  with- 
drawal of  the  Warner  controlled  music  from 
the  more  prominent  of  the  radio  stations 
of  the  country.  (See  Motion  Picture 
Herald's  issue  of  August  1.) 

Stipulations  for  the  withdrawal  of  about 
225  suits  filed  by  the  Warner  companies 
against  various  broadcasting  companies  for 
alleged  infringement  of  copyrights  are  now 
being  drawn  up  by  lawyers. 


1/1/ e  take  ^lea&uze  in,  autto xumcm^ 

A  NEW  SERVICE  TO  EXHIBITORS 

SPECIAL 
BOX  OFFICE 

REPORTS 


ADV. 


THIS  DEPARTMENT  CONTINUES 
ON  THE  FIVE  FOLLOWING  PAGES 


The  longer  it  runs  the  bigger  it  gets. 


Sensational  word -of- mouth  is 


building  attendance  way  beyond 


its  5-year  record -blasting  open- 


ing. Plan  now  to  extend  your  run! 


>?.&» 


"'6 


iv  /y\/-vi\  I  yy  mm  luvl 


EITHER 


HELD 


OR 


CONTINUED  RUN 
IN  MORE  THAN 

40% 

r\c  a  i  i  I 


WARNER 


MYRNA 


/-\LL 

FIRST-RUN 
SITUATIONS 


BAXTER  •  LOY 


The  stars  of  "Broadway  Bill"  and 
"Penthouse"  in  the  best  love  story  The 
Saturday  Evening   Post  ever  printed. 

7^7 


THE  KEYSTONE  OF  YOUR  FUTURE 


IAN  CLAIRE 

HUNTER  TREVOR 

JEAN  DIXON 

Directed  by  John  Cromwell 

Associate  Producer  Kenneth  Macgowan.  Screen 
play  by  Richard  Sherman  and  Howard  Ellis 
Smith.   From  the  story  by  Richard  Sherman. 

Darryl    F.  Zanuck    in  Charge  of  Production 


SIMONE  SIMON  DEFINITELY  ESTABLISHED 
AS  THE  STAR  DISCOVERY  OF  1936 
IN  SENSATIONAL  PRE-RELEASE  RUNS! 


NOW  YOU  CASH  IN! 

The  trade  press  tipped  you  off.  The 
newspapers  echoed  the  cheers.  And 
now. ..in  two  pre-release  test  campaigns 
...Simone  Simon  proved  herself  the  pub- 
lic's new  rave!... set  for  stardom's  top- 


most brackets.  Need  we  say /'SELL  HER!" 


THE  KEYSTONE  OF  YOUR  FUTURE 


ON 


,\o1 


\>1 


GC1 


SINGING  ITS  PRAISES? 


With  whoops  and  hurrahs  the  trade 
and  the  press  hail  Twentieth's 
laugh -jammed,  tune -crammed  hit! 
It's  a  million  times  merrier  than 
Thanks  A  Million"  !  ...  so  get 
set  for  a  bell-ringer  that  will  make 
your  boxof f ice  SING ! 


19*  ,\o 


TL  m°9'c  ;„  "sPe//t„  ' 
her<>isn        ""y  th  *• 

 o,vn" 


■ 


THE  KEYSTONE 
OF  YOUR  FUTURE 


ALICE  ADOLPHE 

FAYE  •  MENJOU 

TED  HEALY  •  GREGORY  RATOFF 
PATSY  KELLY*  MICHAEL  WHALEN 
RITZ  BROTHERS  •  TONY  MARTIN 

Directed  by  Sidney  Lanfield.   Associate  Producer  B.  G.  De  Sylva. 
Screen  play  by  Milton  Sperling,  JackYellen  and  HarryTugend 
Original  story  by  Milton  Sperling  and  Jack  Yellen 
Darryl  F.  Zanuck  in  Charge  of  Production 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


37 


THE  CUTTING 
ROOM 


Advance  outlines  of  produc- 
tions nearing  completion  as 
seen  by  the  Hollywood  staff 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Herald 


Ladies  in  Love 


(20th  Century  -Fox) 
Comedy-Romance 

Name  power  looms  as  a  compelling  asset  in 
this  forthcoming  picture.  Not  one  but  four 
leading  women  are  featured.  The  group  in- 
cludes Janet  Gaynor  and  Loretta  Young,  whose 
popularity  is  long  standing ;  Constance  Bennett, 
absent  from  the  screen  for  some  time,  and  Si- 
mone  Simon  who  in  her  screen  debut,  "Girl's 
Dormatory,"  recently  previewed,  won  general  ac- 
claim. Additionally  the  feminine  contingent  of  the 
cast  includes  another  young  lady^  Virginia  Fields, 
who  undoubtedly  before  this  production  is  re- 
leased will  be  seen  in  "Thank  You,  Jeeves" 
with  Arthur  Treacher.  On  the  masculine  side, 
the  picture  will  feature  Don  Ameche,  remem- 
bered for  his  work  in  "Sins  of  Man"  and  soon 
to  be  seen  with  Miss  Young  in  "Ramona" ; 
Paul  Lukas,  Brian  Donlevy,  Tyrone  Power, 
Jr.,  and  Egon  Brecher.  All  except  Brecher  are 
principals. 

The  production  is  based  on  a  Continental 
stage  play  by  the  noted  Hungarian  dramatist, 
Fekete,  and  the  screen  play  is  by  Melville  Baker. 
Direction  is  by  Edward  H.  Griffith,  maker  of 
"Next  Time  We  Love,"  "No  More  Ladies," 
"Another  Language,"  "Animal  Kingdom"  and 
many  others. 

The  story,  localed  in  Budapest,  is  modern  and 
sophisticated,  yet  it  is  interpersed  with  in- 
triguing love  interest,  gay  smart  comedy  and 
appealing  character  delineations.  It  concerns 
four  girls,  a  chorus  girl  (Young)  a  manne- 
quin (Bennett),  a  gent's  furnishings  hawker 
(Gaynor),  and  a  girl  from  the  country  (Simon). 
All  have  one  objective — marriage. 

Out  of  that  situation,  with  much  of  the  action 
taking  place  backstage  in  a  theatre  and  other 
intriguing  and  glamorous  locales  in  Budapest, 
the  producers  are  spinning  a  screen  story  that 
promises  to  be  novel  not  alone  for  the  unusual 
cast  assignments,  but  also  from  the  standpoint 
of  providing  up-to-date  gay  and  frothy  enter- 
tainment. 

Sing  Me  a  Love  Song 

(First  National) 
Comedy,  Romance,  Music 

Probably  one  of  the  most  attractive  potential 
showmanship  features  accruing  to  this  produc- 
tion is  the  fact  it  returns  James  Melton  to 
the  screen.  Popular  and  noted  as  a  radio  en- 
tertainer and  stage  performer,  his  initial  screen 
appearance  in  "Stars  over  Broadway,"  released 
by  this  company  last  fall,  won  acclaim  from  both 
public  and  critics.  While  absent  from  the  screen 
in  the  interim,  his  radio  and  other  work  have 
kept  him  continually  in  the  news  of  the  day. 

The  story  chosen  for  his  second  picture  is  a 
comedy  romance  with  music.  Melton,  ardently 
pursued  by  Ann  Sheridan  and  her  match  making 
mother,  Georgia  Caine,  is  ordered  to  assume 
management  of  his  father's  department  store. 
Attracted  by  song  plugger  Patricia  Ellis,  he 
goes  to  work  incognito  in  the  music  department 
and  through  association  with  elevator  man  Allen 
Jenkins,  who  likes  to  make  the  rest  of  the  help 
believe  that  he  is  a  particular  pal  of  the  boss,  he 
is  _  whirled  into  a  hectic  romance,  gets  involved 
with  a  lot  of  crooked  sharpshooters,  has  a  ter- 
rible time  straightening  things  out  for  a  pre- 
ferred but  kleptomaniac  customer  and  finally 


wins  the  girl,  not  as  the  boss  but  as  just  one  of 
the  help. 

The  story  is  an  original  by  Harry  Sauber, 
with  a  screen  play  by  Sig  Herzig  and  Jerry 
Wald.  Direction  is  by  Raymond  Enright,  whose 
adaptability  to  comedy  material  is  demonstrated 
by  his  success  with  several  Joe  E.  Brown  pic- 
tures. Lyrics  and  music  are  by  Harry  War- 
ren and  Al  Dubin,  a  team  that  has  contributed 
effectively  to  many  of  the  musical  shows  of 
Warner-First  National. 

Denoting  the  comedy  character  of  the  film 
is  the  presence  of  Hugh  Herbert,  Hobart  Cava- 
naugh,  Zasu  Pitts,  Nat  Pendleton,  as  the  store 
detective,  and  Walter  Catlett  in  prominent  parts 
in  the  supporting  cast.  Melton  has  about  half 
a  dozen  song  numbers,  and  locales  of  the  pro- 
duction are  Palm  Beach  and  New  York. 


Lady  Be  Careful 

(Paramount) 
Comedy 

The  title  might  cause  one  to  assume  that  this 
is  a  sophisticated  romance  drama.  The  reverse 
is  true,  however.  It's  comedy  and  romance. 
Sailors  of  the  U.  S.  battle  fleet  rollicking  ashore 
and  aboard  ship  in  San  Diego  and  Panama  are 
the  characters.  The  angle  that  the  story  takes 
to  provide  its  entertainment  is  unique  and  prom- 
ises to  provide  gayly  refreshing  entertainment 
and  consequent  showmanship  availability.  Two 
gobs,  one  a  heart  breaker,  the  other  a  bashful 
boy,  make  a  bet  that  the  bashful  one  cannot  woo 
and  win  the  fascinating  but  man  hating  pride  of 
Panama.    The  whole  fleet  takes  sides. 

The  production  is  based  on  a  stage  play  by 
Kenyon  Nicholson  and  Charles  Robinson.  The 
screen  play  is  by  Dorothy  Parker,  from  whom 
much  sparkling  dialogue  and  many  cleverly  con- 
trived situations  can  be  expected,  Alan  Camp- 
bell and  Harry  Ruskin.  Direction  is  by  Theo- 
dore Reed. 

The  central  combination  in  the  story  consists 
of  Lew  Ayres,  Mary  Carlisle  and  Larry  Crabbe, 
with  Benny  Baker  figuring  prominently  in  all 
that  goes  on.  Ayres  is  the  bashful  boy  always, 
a  dud  until  he  turns  dynamite  in  his  wooing  of 
Mary  Carlisle,  and  Larry  Crabbe  is  the  girl 
thrilling  opponent  who  thinks  that  none  of  the 
fair  sex  can  resist  him.  Providing  the  principal 
comedy  relief,  Benny  Baker  is  Ayers'  pal  who 
inspires  the  bet,  keeps  his  romance  with  Miss 
Carlisle  working  at  top  speed,  and  eventually 
confounds  Crabbe.  The  entire  supporting  cast, 
in  line  with  the  youthful  character  of  the  story, 
is  made  up  of  younger  players,  Grant  Withers, 
Irving  Bacon,  Barbara  Baronde,  Josephine  Mc- 
Kim,  Jennifer  Gray,  Irene  Bennet,  Terry  Ray, 
Louise  Stanley,  Nick  Lukats,  Wesley  Barry 
and  Jack  Adair. 


Second  Wife 


(Radio) 
Drama 

With  several  variations  to  give  it  more  mod- 
ern character  this  production  is  adapted  from 
the  stage  show  "All  The  King's  Men,"  pre- 
sented on  Broadway  a  few  years  ago.  As  the 
title  denotes,  it  is  based  on  the  dramatic  theme 
of  a  second  marriage  and  the  mental  and  phy- 
sical sufferings  to  which  the  wife  falls  heir 
when  she  tries  to  create  a  new  home  for  her 
husband  and  young  son-in-law.    It  vividly  but 


in  human  fashion  portrays  the  domestic  adjust- 
ments that  must  be  made.  As  the  treatment 
for  screen  purposes  approaches  the  subject  in 
sympathetic,  emotion  stirring  fashion,  making 
particular  use  of  the  many  crises  that  enter  into 
the  life  of  the  husband,  wife  and  young  son, 
it  seems  to  be  of  that  character  with  particular 
appeal  to  feminine  patronage. 

The  story  is  laid  in  New  York,  Switzerland 
and  Connecticut.  For  a  smash  showmanship 
outlet,  one  of  the  story's  sequences  depicts  a 
transatlantic  journey  aboard  the  new  German 
sky  liner,  the  Hindenburg.  Essentially,  how- 
ever, dialogue  and  situations  carry  the  plot ; 
action  as  commonly  expected  is  at  a  minimum. 

In  the  principal  roles,  the  story  presents  per- 
sonalities who  have  been  prominent  in  several 
recent  pictures.  Walter  Abel,  currently  in 
"Fury"  and  "We  Went  to  College,"  and  Ger- 
trude Michael,  last  seen  in  "The  Return  of 
Sophie  Lang,"  "Forgotten  Faces,"  and  "Woman 
Trap,"  are  teamed  in  the  leads.  There  is  one 
exception,  however.  The  part  of  the  boy  is 
played  by  Lee  Van  Atta,  a  youngster  previously 
seen  in  small  parts  in  "Fury"  and  "Too  Many 
Parents,"  who  is  featured  for  the  first  time.  As 
it  is  necessary  that  there  should  be  a  dramatic 
triangle  contrast  to  the  romantic  theme,  Eric 
Rhodes  will  be  seen  as  a  character  who  en- 
deavors to  bring  some  sort  of  happiness  into 
the  leading  woman's  disillusioned  life.  Though 
the  supporting  cast  is  small,  practically  all  in- 
terest centering  in  the  aforementioned  group, 
two  established  character  actresses  will  be  seen, 
Emma  Dunn,  remembered  for  "Seven  Keys  to 
Baldpate"  and  the  last  "George  White  Scan- 
dals," and  Ann  Shoemaker,  featured  in  several 
Warner  films,  together  with  Maxine  Jennings. 


Bulldog  Edition 


(Republic) 
Drama 

Keyed  by  the  title  as  a  newspaper  story,  this 
takes  a  different  theme  for  its  motivation.  While 
the  drama  and  excitement  of  getting  the  news  is 
an  important  factor  in  delineation,  the  real 
force  of  the  story  is  bound  up  in  the  circulation 
war  of  two  rival  newspapers.  Backgrounding 
that  basic  idea,  there  also  is  included  an  excit- 
ing story  of  gangster-politician  crime  and  com- 
plicity, a  three  cornered  romance  and  a  melo- 
dramatic climax  that  is  the  height  of  stirring 
thrill  action.  Through  these  elements  runs  a 
vein  of  light  comedy. 

Prospective  exploitation  value  is  not  confined 
solely  to  story  character.  Intelligence  demon- 
strated in  cast  assignments  provides  names 
which,  while  not  of  top  rank  in  comparison  with 
many  of  the  more  highly  publicized  screen  per- 
sonalities, are  more  than  adequate  for  a  produc- 
tion of  this  character  and  the  production  budget 
that  has  been  allotted  it. 

Ray  Walker  is  presented  as  the  circulation 
manager  of  the  Daily  News,  Regis  Toomey  its 
managing  editor  and  Evalyn  Knapp  its  car- 
toonist. Both  are  rivals  for  the  hand  of  the 
girl,  but  her  penchant  for  lampooning  the  city's 
public  enemy  number  one  precipitates  a  situa- 
tion wherein  the  News  and  its  rival,  the  Post, 
indulge  in  a  wild  and  woolly  circulation  war. 

In  addition  to  names  mentioned,  with  Cy  Ken- 
dall appearing  as  the  gangster  czar,  the  fol- 
lowing players  will  be  seen  in  the  production : 
William  Newell,  Oscar  Apfel,  Betty  Ccmpson, 
Robert  Warwick,  Matty  Fain,  Frank  Pualia. 
Ruth  Gillette  and  Ed  Le  Saint. 


38 

R  CA  Denies  Spy 
Charges  in  Suit 

Filed  by  Phiico 

David  Sarnoff's  Radio  Corporation  of 
America  stands  charged  in  the  courts  with 
being  over-zealous  in  trying  to  round  that 
proverbial  corner  to  commercial  television  by 
wining  and  dining  some  young  ladies  of 
Phiico  Radio  and  Television  Corporation, 
RCA's  potential  television  competitor,  in 
order  to  obtain  trade  secrets  from  Philco's 
closely  guarded  laboratories  in  Philadelphia. 
RCA  denies  the  charges  unequivocally. 

Phiico,  in  a  summons  and  complaint  that 
is  spiced  with  some  choice  passages  on 
the  alleged  social  life  of  RCA's  sleuths, 
does  not  specifically  mention  television  as 
the  subject  of  the  reputed  invasion,  but 
refers  to  "new  developments"  which  are 
said  to  be  "important"  to  the  Philadelphia 
manufacturing  firm. 

Agents  of  RCA- — which  owns  NBC  in  radio 
and  has  large  holdings  in  RKO  in  films — are 
accused  by  Phiico  with  having  ingratiated 
themselves  with  young  women  employed  by 
Phiico,  entertaining  them  lavishly  at  Philadel- 
phia hotels,  providing  them  with  intoxicating 
liquors,  seeking  to  involve  them  in  compromis- 
ing situations  and  "thereupon  did  induce,  incite 
and  bribe  said  employees." 

The  defendants  are : 
Radio  Corporation  of  America,  of  30  Rockefeller 

Plaza.  New  York. 
Radio  Corporation  of  America  Manufacturing" 

Company,  of  153  East  Twenty-fourth  Street 

and  411  Fifth  Avenue. 
John  S.  Harley,  Inc.,  a  private  detective  agency, 

of  122  East  Forty-second  Street. 
Charles  A.  Hahne,  a  vice-president  and  director 

of  the  detective  agency. 
Lawrence  Kestler,  Jr.,  an  agent  of  the  detective 

agency. 

Manton  Davis,  vice-president  and  general 
counsel  for  RCA,  issued  the  following  state- 
ment to  the  press  in  reply  to  the  accusations  of 
Phiico : 

"We  intend  to  answer  this  complaint  and 
vigorously  deny  its  allegations.  There  is  no 
foundation  whatsoever  to  the  charge  that  Radio 
Corporation  of  America  has  by  espionage  or  any 
improper  means  attempted  to  obtain  information 
as  to  the  laboratory  research,  designs,  distribu- 
tion policies  or  any  other  trade  secrets  of 
Phiico." 

Television  Demonstrated 

Phiico  Radio  and  Television  Corporation  at 
Philadelphia,  which  has  been  quietly  conducting 
field  tests  since  December,  to  show  the  present 
stage  of  their  experimentation  with  television 
before  they  entered  a  new  phase,  which,  they 
hoped,  would  produce  screen  images  of  even 
sharper  definition,  this  week  staged  demonstra- 
tions both  indoor  and  outdoors.  The  broadcasts 
were  over  a  distance  of  seven  miles,  and  were 
put  on  for  an  audience  of  some  60  guests  in  a 
home  at  suburban  Rydal. 

The  audience  gathered  at  the  home  of  Wil- 
liam H.  Grimditch,  the  company's  chief  engi- 
neer, where  images  about  seven  by  eight  inches 
were  seen.  Mr.  Grimditch,  in  commenting  on 
the  experiment,  said,  however,  that  picture 
quality  equal  to  that  of  home  movies  was  the 
goal  being  sought,  and  that  greater  perfection 
would  be  achieved  before  an  attempt  would  be 
made  to  enter  the  commercial  television  field. 
He  predicted  that  commercial  televis'on  would 
"not  come  this  year  nor  next." 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


FROM  READERS 


CALLS  STARS'  RADIO 
WORK  INGRATITUDE 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Herald: 

The  exhibitors  of  the  country  must  stand 
on  their  hind-legs  and  protest  vigorously  the 
encroachment  upon  their  business  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  motion  picture  stars  on  radio 
programs. 

Film  producing  companies  and  motion  pic- 
ture theatres  have  developed  motion  picture 
personalities,  exploited  them  to  the  public  to 
the  benefit  of  the  stars  and  the  industry.  It 
is  gross  ingratitude,  treason  and  a  short- 
sighted policy  for  such  stars  to  try  and  avail 
themselves  of  some  easy  money  through 
radio  appearances.  Their  tenure  of  popu- 
larity will  be  shortened  and  motion  picture 
investments  in  such  personalities  destroyed. 

Such  ingratitude  and  shortsighted  stars 
will  only  reap  the  reward  of  an  early  de- 
cadency. Motion  picture  star  values  should 
be  conserved  and  hoarded  by  the  producers 
and  exhibitors  as  valuable  assets  and  not 
wasted. 

Even  the  mythical  goose  that  laid  the 
golden  eggs  was  killed  and  then  there  were 
no  more  golden  eggs  ! — H.  E.  Huffman, 
General  Theatres,  Inc.,  Denver,  Col. 

Delay  in  RKO 
Reorganizing 

Announcement  by  Federal  Judge  William 
Bondy  in  the  United  States  district  court  in 
New  York  Tuesday  that  he  would  require  an 
additional  six  to  eight  weeks  in  which  to 
decide  the  validity  of  Rockefeller  Center's 
claim  of  $9,100,000  against  RKO  indicated 
the  reorganization  of  RKO  again  would  be 
delayed. 

Discussions  between  Atlas  Corporation 
and  Rockefeller  Center  officials,  for  a  basis 
of  settlement,  are  being  continued.  Atlas 
owns  one-half  of  RCA's  holding  in  RKO 
and  has  an  option  on  the  remainder. 

Petitions  for  interim  allowances  totaling 
$148,308  for  services  in  the  RKO  reorgani- 
zation for  the  first  half  year  were  reduced 
to  a  total  of  $88,308  and  allowed  in  that 
amount  by  Judge  Bondy  prior  to  his  leaving 
on  Wednesday  for  a  European  vacation. 
The  petition  of  Irving  Trust  company, 
RKO  trustee,  for  a  fee  of  $60,000,  was  al- 
lowed at  $35,000.  That  of  Donovan,  New- 
ton, Leisure  and  Lumbard,  counsel  of  the 
trustee,  for  $85,000,  was  allowed  at  $50,000, 
and  a  final  petition  for  $3,308  by  Price, 
Waterhouse  and  company,  accountants,  was 
allowed  in  full.  In  addition,  Judge  Bondy 
reduced  his  previous  allowance  of  $231,- 
500  on  a  claim  of  the  late  S.  L.  Rothafel  to 
$179,271,  allowing  it  in  that  amount. 

Arguments  were  also  heard  Tuesday  be- 
fore Federal  Judge  Liebell  in  the  $500,000 
suit  filed  against  RKO  by  Claire  H.  Davis. 
The  action  seeks  an  injunction  to  enjoin 
further  showing  of  "Bunker  Bean"  and 
$500,000  damages,  half  of  which  is  sought 
under  a  separate  cause  of  action  in  a  com- 
plaint which  alleges  libel. 


August     15,  1936 

B.  B.  Kahane  at 
Columbia  Pictures 
As  Vice-President 

B.  B.  Kahane  has  assumed  a  newly  cre- 
ated vice-presidency  with  Columbia  Pic- 
tures. His  resignation  as  president  of  RKO 
Studios,  Inc.,  and  a  settlement  of  his  con- 
tract which  had  until  October  to  run  has 
been  arranged,  he  announced  last  week-end. 

Mr.  Kahane  had  not  been  actively  in 
charge  of  production  with  RKO  since  the 
advent  of  Samuel  Briskin  several  months 
ago.  He  has  been  associated  with  the  film 
business  since  1919  when  he  came  to  New 
York  from  Chicago  to  help  reorganize  the 
Orpheum  circuit.  He  is  a  lawyer  and  has 
been  general  counsel,  secretary,  treasurer 
and  member  of  the  board  of  Orpheum. 

When  the  Orpheum  circuit  became  a  part 
of  Keith-Albee-Orpheum  he  was  elected 
secretary  and  made  a  director.  When  RKO 
was  formed  late  in  1928  he  was  made  secre- 
tary and  treasurer,  a  member  of  the  board 
and  chairman  of  the  executive  committee.  In 
April,  1932  he  went  to  Hollywood  and  took 
charge  of  the  RKO  Radio  and  RKO  Pathe 
Studios. 

Harry  Cohn,  president  of  Columbia,  an- 
nounced this  week  that  William  Perlberg 
will  handle  all  production  for  the  company. 

Mr.  Kahane,  it  is  assumed,  will  concen- 
trate on  administrative's  problems. 

Roxy  Net  is  Up 
To  $1 72,254.28 

Net  earnings  of  the  Roxy  Theatre  in 
New  York  for  the  year  ended  June  11, 
1936,  were  $172,254.28,  in  comparison  with 
$136,066.62  for  the  year  previous  and  $54,- 
453.32  for  the  year  ended  June  14,  1934, 
according  to  Amott,  Baker  and  Company. 
This  report  will  be  sent  to  the  bondholders 
of  the  Roxy  in  addition  to  a  plan  of  reor- 
ganization which  provides  for  a  manage- 
ment contract  with  Howard  S.  Cullman  and 
Harry  C.  Arthur  for  a  number  of  years. 

Included  in  the  Amott,  Baker  report  of 
July  7  are  the  figures  for  the  assessed  valu- 
ation of  the  property  for  the  last  four  years. 
Each  year  the  value  has  decreased,  the  1936 
figure  being  $3,500,000;  for  1935,  $3,650,- 
000;  for  1934,  $3,850,000;  for  1933, 
$4,300,000. 

Income,  which  comprises  admissions  and 
miscellaneous  items,  for  the  12  months  ended 
June  11,  1936,  was  $1,529,859.91.  This  com- 
pares with  $1,334,888.54  for  the  year  pre- 
vious. Expenses  of  $1,357,605.63  are  listed 
for  the  June  11  period,  as  compared  with 
$1,198,821.89  for  the  prior  year. 

Interest  requirements  for  the  52  weeks 
ended  June  11  last  were  $225,046.88,  the 
same  as  those  for  the  1935  and  1934  periods. 
Disbursements  for  the  first  half  of  the  cur- 
rent year  out  of  income  in  payment  of  real 
estate  taxes  were  $47,250.  Real  estate  tax 
and  penalties  paid  in  the  last  four  and  a  half 
years  total  $635,521.  Funds  at  hand  as  of 
May  28,  1936,  with  the  fiscal  agent, 
amounted  to  $19,218.75.  With  the  trustee 
there  is  approximately  $60,000. 


August 


19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


39 


ASIDES  and 

INTERLUDES 


by  JAMES  P.  CUNNINGHAM 


Hairless  patches  on  the  southern  exposures 
of  Hollywood  chimpanzee  actors  have  been 
noticed  by  eagle-eyed  Max  Factor,  the  big 
studio  makeup  man.  As  a  result  he  is  manu- 
facturing a  line  of  "real  hair  panties"  for  the 
exposed  chimps. 

V 

Everybody  Sews  on  a  Quilt  Department  : 
"Whenever  Joan  Crawford  gives  a  party  she 
always  passes  around  bags  of  popcorn." 

— A1'.  Y.  American 

V 

Maxwell  Anderson  thinks  that  the  future  of 
the  dram-a  is  in  verse. 

Did  we  hear  some  punster  say  it's  in  re- 
verse f 

V 

The  Nazi  orchestra  at  the  Olympic  Games 
in  Berlin  plays  various  national  anthems  and 
songs.  The  scores  are  made  of  rubber,  so 
that  the  pieces  may  be  played  in  all  weather 
conditions  outdoors.  It  is  Nat  Brandwynne's 
idea  that  the  scores  lend  themselves  readily 
to  "Listen  to  the  German  Rubber  Band"  and 
to  "Deutschland  Rubber  Allies." 


To  United  Artists'  Len  Daly,  who  styles  him- 
self a  Monroe  Greenthal  "far-flung"  press  agent, 
we  are  indebted — but  not  for  much— for  the 
suggestion  that  if  Selznick  International's  "Gar- 
den of  Allah"  and  London  Films'  "Elephant 
Boy"  were  ever  to  play  on  a  double  bill,  ex- 
hibitors will  save  one  set  of  electricity-burning 
quotations  by  running  the  two  film  titles  to- 
gether in  this  fashion: 

"THE  GARDEN  OF  ALLAPHANT  BOY" 

Quick,  Major,  the  gong. 

V 

One  of  the  humorous  tidbits  of  the  week 
comes  from  Douglas  Churchill  in  Hollywood 
and  concerns  the  Marx  Brothers.  Inspecting 
some  props  belonging  to  Metro-Goldwyn- 
Mayer  which  are  to  be  used  in  their  forth- 
coming "A  Day  at  the  Races,"  the  Marxes 
came  across  one  which  they  openly  didn't 
like.  After  pondering  over  it  for  some  time 
Harpo  shouted,  "Throw  it  out."  "But  it  cost 
several  thousand  dollars,"  protested  the 
Metro  property  man.  "We  can't  throw  it 
away."  Groucho  stepped  into  the  argument. 
"No,  Harpo,  you  can't  waste  money  like  that 
in  Hollywood,"  he  admonished.  "Have  it 
silver-plated  and  then  throw  it  out." 

V 

Harold  Eugene  (Hal)  Roach  is  making  much 
of  the  fact  that  Stanley  Jefferson  (Stan)  Laurel 
and  Oliver  Norvelle  Hardy,  his  two  pet 
comedians,  are  today  on  their  tenth  anniversary 
under  the  Roach  banner.  Mr.  Roach,  in  a 
publicity  announcement  laden  with  old  his- 
torical facts,  calls  attention  to  the  day  in  1914 
when  he  introduced  Harold  Lloyd  to  the  screen. 
There  is  no  mention,  however,  of  a  little  inci- 
dent of  $3,000  which  had  just  been  inherited  by 
Hal  Roach,  then  a  Universal  stock  cowpuncher, 
and  which  enabled  him  to  "plunge"  into  produc- 
tion on  his  own.  To  Hal  Roach,  Harold  Lloyd 
owes  a  great  debt,  for  it  was  Roach  who  satis- 
fied Lloyd's  ambitions  in  those  day  to  make  a 
lot  of  money  to  indulge  his  fancy  for  loud  and 
widely  striped  silk  shirts  of  the  style  worn  by 
burly  truck  drivers  when  they  socialized  Satur- 
day evenings  at  beer  parlors. 


Art  and  Blind  Selling 


Exhibitors  occasionally  complain  of  the  vagueness  of  the  advance  information 
on  forthcoming  product  and  production  personalities,  which  they  contract  for  at 
the  beginning  of  each  season,  and  which  are  pictorially  described  in  the  distributors' 
annual  product  announcements.  The  home  office  advertising  departments  each  year 
work  strenuously  to  outdo  each  other  in  arriving  at  the  most  distinctive  appearance  in 
their  announcement  book.  This  year  that  ambition  has  resulted  in  probably  the  most 
unique  twist  ever  given  to  this  form  of  blind  selling,  in  the  instance  of  United  Artists' 
product  announcement,  which,  along  with  photographs  of  its  stars  and  production 
personalities,  tries  to  pan  off  on  unsuspecting  exhibitor  prospects  the  pictures  below  of 
their  two  outstanding  producer  leaders: 


DAVID  0.  SELZNICK 


io  the  a*t%rk&  ei  fOitM  k)f$afMl 


Radio's  "Mary  of  Scotland"  opened  at 
the  New  York  Music  Hall  theatre  the  other 
week,  and  immediately  the  Rockefeller  Center 
Weekly — Radio's  City's  community  maga- 
zine— rushed  into  print  with  a  highly  com- 
mendatory review  of  the  production  which 
had  just  opened  in  its  midst.  "Katharine 
Hepburn,  without  doubt,"  they  said,  "does 
the  best  work  of  her  career  as  Mary  Tudor." 
Will  some  person  please  awaken  the  editors 
of  Mr.  Rockefeller's  weekly  to  the  fact  that 
Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  the  part  portrayed  by 
Miss  Hepburn,  was  a  proud  Stuart,  and  that 
the  Tudors  were  her  poisonous  enemies, 
Elizabeth  Tudor  causing  her  to  be  beheaded. 
V 

Kay  Francis,  Oklahoma  born  as  Katherine 
Gibbs,  gets  letters  regularly  from  a  man  in 
Argentina  who  wants  her  to  become  the  patron 
saint  of  a  nudist  colony  down  there.  Why  go 
all  the  way  to  Argentina? 

V 

Motion  picture  producers  contemplating  the 
filming  of  spy  stories  might  consider  the  ob- 


servations of  William  Philip  Simms  that  the 
unromantic  truth  about  spies — movies  and  best- 
sellers to  the  contrary — is  that  spies  seldom  if 
ever  find  out  anything  of  great  value,  and  that 
spying  —  successful  spying  — ■  is  tremendously 
overrated.  Even  the  now  celebrated  Mata  Hari, 
heroine  of  a  Metro-Goldwyn  movie  in  1931, 
never  turned  in  a  single  worthwhile  secret,  a 
French  intelligence  officer  who  helped  shoot  her 
told  Mr.  Simms. 

MGM  had  the  blonde  Greta  Garbo  reenact 
a  Mata  Hari  who  danced  exotically  and  cap- 
tivated men  the  while  she  supposedly  gathered 
"valuable  information"  in  Paris  as  a  German 
spy.  True,  she  did  meet  a  French  firing  squad 
in  the  cold  dawn  of  a  winter  morning  in  1917, 
but  further  than  that  the  movie  scenario  was 
considerably  Actionized,  said  Mr.  Simms. 

We  have  yet  to  see  a  spy  motion  picture  de- 
pict spying  as  Mr.  Simms,  Scripps-Howard 
foreign  editor,  describes  the  "profession" : 

"Practically  everything  any  foreign  govern- 
ment needs  to  know  about  the  American  navy, 
for  example,  can  be  had  by  following  debates 

(Continued  on  following  pane) 


40 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


CHICAGO  OPERATORS 
ASK  SCALE  INCREASE 


ASIDES  and 
INTERLUDES 


Both  Theatre  Organizations  Are 
Against  Raise;  Contract  Is 
Up  for  Renewal  October  I 

by  WILLIAM  F.  CROUCH 

in  Chicago 

A  salary  increase  of  twenty-five  per  cent 
will  be  sought  by  the  Chicago  Motion  Pic- 
ture Operator's  Union  when  parleys  for  the 
arranging  of  a  new  yearly  contract  take 
place  here  during  the  next  two  weeks. 

According  to  Frank  Clifford,  business 
manager  of  the  union,  no  radical  changes 
will  be  asked  in  the  new  contract. 

Both  the  Chicago  Exhibitor's  Association 
and  the  Allied  Theatre  group  are  under- 
stood to  be  firmly  opposed  to  any  raise  in 
operator's  salaries.  Last  winter  a  salary  in- 
crease of  twenty  per  cent  was  asked  by  the 
union  but  a  change  in  the  termination  of  the 
contract  to  September  1,  1936,  halted  nego- 
tiations and  the  salaries  of  operators  re- 
mained the  same. 

V 

Again  the  possibility  of  Banknight  en- 
tering Balaban  &  Katz  loop  theatres  comes 
up  for  consideration.  This  time  credence  is 
given  to  the  report  because  of  the  results 
Jones,  Linick  and  Schaeffer,  operators  of 
the  State-Lake  theatre,  have  had  from 
Prosperity  Night,  a  plan  similar  to  Bank- 
night  and  incidentally  owned  by  the  same 
concern.  Starting  with  a  heavy  advance 
campaign  to  secure  registrations  and  with 
$150  as  the  weekly  cash  award,  the  State- 
Lake  has,  through  the  cumulative  process, 
built  up  a  jackpot  of  $1350.  This  cash 
award  has  been  instrumental  in  increasing 
the  Friday's  business  to  the  highest  figure 
for  that  day  the  house  has  known  for  years. 
Friday  is  the  last  day  of  the  week's  en- 
gagement and  business  is  usually  dull. 

V 

With  this  opposition  house  showing  a  nice 
profit  through  the  use  of  the  giveaway  game, 
B&K  are  understood  to  be  on  the  verge  of  put- 
ting the  attraction  into  all  of  their  loop  houses, 
the  4,000  seat  Chicago  included.  A  large  prize 
would  be  used  to  start  the  game  off  and  one 
drawing  would  be  held  for  all  loop  theatres. 
With  14,000  seats  to  sell  in  the  loop  B&K  could 
easily  accommodate  huge  crowds,  especially  with 
the  use  of  the  All-Day  Banknight  plan,  which 
makes  everyone  attending  the  theatre  during  the 
day  of  the  drawing  eligible  for  the  award. 

V 

"To  Mary — With  Love"  is  hitting  such  a  fast 
pace  at  the  Chicago  that  the  picture  will  be  held 
over  a  second  week  before  being  put  into  the 
Roosevelt  to  continue  its  loop  engagement. 
'Mary  of  Scotland,"  at  the  Palace,  will  be  held 
over  for  a  run  of  three  to  four  weeks. 

V 

Henry  Elman  of  the  Capitol  Film  Exchange 
is  in  New  York  making  preparations  for  the 
distribution  of  the  Louis-Sharkey  fight  pictures, 
which  his  firm  will  handle  in  this  territory. 

V 

Filmrow's  favorite  feminine  personalities  are 
staging  a  battle  royal  for  the  honor  of  being 
named  Queen  of  the  CAPA  Midnight  Cruise, 
to  be  held  on  the  S.S.  Roosevelt,  Tuesday  night, 
Aug.  18.    Leading  the  list  of  entrants  for  titular 


honors  are  the  following  girls :  Frances  Olsen  of 
the  Universal  Exchange,  Ann  Hausman  of  Al- 
lied, Alice  Gallagher  of  the  Schoenstadt  circuit, 
Thelma  Howell  of  the  Warner  circuit,  Hen- 
rietta Wenzel  of  National  Screen  and  Mary 
Dever  of  the  Essaness  theatres. 

V 

Joe  Charukas  of  the  Mont  Clare  theatre  is 
still  laid  up  with  a  fractured  leg.  While  visit- 
ing in  Texas,  Charukas  slipped  and  fell.  He 
was  brought  home  from  the  southern  state  on  a 
stretcher  but  is  improving  rapidly. 

Frederick  Martin,  also  laid  up  with  a  frac- 
tured lower  extremity,  is  still  at  St.  Luke's 
hospital.  Mr.  Martin  fell  at  his  home  some 
weeks  ago  and  fractured  his  leg  in  two  places. 
An  operation  was  necessary  to  halt  infection 
and  his  condition  has  been  grave. 

V 

John  Bowles,  formerly  with  Ross  Federal 
Service  here,  has  been  transferred  to  the  San 
Francisco  office  as  branch  manager.  Mr. 
Bowles  came  to  Chicago  from  the  Los  Angeles 
office  last  fall. 

V 

George  W.  Hartley,  branch  manager  for  G-B 
in  Des  Moines,  married  Miss  Lois  Shaw  of 
Atlanta  in  Omaha  last  week. 

V 

F.  J.  Nuber  of  the  Dictograph  Products  Co., 
announces  that  the  Riverside  theatre  in  Mil- 
waukee has  just  installed  the  newest  type  of 
Acousticon  hearing  aids.  A  fifty-seat  unit  was 
put  in  after  an  extensive  survey  of  local  con- 
ditions. 

V 

R.  Levine  &  Co.,  architects  and  builders,  have 
been  awarded  the  contracts  for  the  remodeling 
of  the  Maywood  theatre  in  Hammond  and  build- 
ing a  theatre  in  Homewood.  The  Maywood 
house  will  be  renamed  the  Rio  and  will  be  oper- 
ated by  the  Cooney  Bros.,  when  opened  on  Sep- 
tember 15th.  The  Homewood  theatre  will  have 
620  seats  and  will  cost  $30,000.  Work  on  this 
house  starts  October  1. 

V 

Shaindel  Kalish  and  Art  Jacobson,  now  in 
Hollywood  as  Ann  Preston  and  Henry  Hunter, 
won  columns  of  space  in  Chicago  dailies  this 
week  when  their  first  picture,  "Parole,"  opened 
at  the  State-Lake. 


Attendance  Is  Up, 
Says  Jack  IV arnef 

Theatre  attendance  in  the  last  three 
months  has  increased  one-third  over  similar 
periods  for  the  previous  two  years,  "the  low 
ebb,"  Jack  L.  Warner,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  Warner  production,  declared 
Tuesday  upon  his  arrival  in  New  York  from 
Hollywood  on  his  way  to  London  and  Salz- 
burg on  a  vacation  and  business  trip. 

The  increase,  noted  throughout  the  world, 
is  due  primarily  to  the  improved  quality  of 
product,  Mr.  Warner  said. 

With  14  productions  in  work,  Mr.  Warner 
said  this  was  an  all-time  high  for  the  studio 
on  the  coast.  The  company  is  four  months 
ahead  of  schedule.  "Charge  of  the  Light 
Brigade,"  just  completed,  will  run  two  hours 
and  15  minutes  on  the  screen,  he  said. 
Victor  Moore  has  been  added  to  the  long 
cast  of  '•Cold  Diggers  of  1937." 


{.Continued,  from  preceding  page) 

in  Congress,  attending  hearings  before  the 
Naval  Affairs  Committee  or  the  Naval  Ap- 
propriations sub-committees,  and  by  attending 
movies — some  of  which  show  the  latest  gadgets 
in  full  operation — or  even  by  reading  the  daily 
newspapers  and  the  magazines. 

"Naval  Academy  textbooks,  obtained  for  the 
price  of  one  hour's  pay  for  any  self-respecting 
spy,  offer  a  complete  guide  to  the  whole  naval 
business,"  Mr.  Simms  avers,  adding :  "Com- 
mercial photographs  of  warships  after  collisions 
or  other  accidents  reveal  much.  I  saw  a  photo- 
graph of  the  cruiser  Chicago  after  the  freighter 
Silver  Palm  rammed  it.  The  flimsy  freighter 
had  cut  the  cruiser  in  two  as  though  it  had  been 
made  of  tin.  A  dozen  spies  might  have  been 
sentenced  to  death  or  a  hundred  years  in  prison 
for  revealing  less  than  that." 

Hollywood  Papers  Please  Copy. 


W.  H.  MacDonald,  of  the  Liberty  theatre, 
Great  Falls,  Montana,  together  with  the 
Montana-Dakota  Utilities  Company  and  the 
Great  Falls  Gas  Company,  proudly  presented 
their  first  annual  free  cooking  school  at  the 
Liberty  theatre,  where,  under  the  personal 
direction  of  Violet  M.  Hollis,  the  combined 
sponsors  presented  the  following  program 
in  print,  a  precautionary  measure,  subcon- 
sciously or  otherwise,  appearing  inconspicu- 
ously in  the  bottom  right  hand  corner: 

Wednesday 
CLAUDETTE  COLBERT  DINNER 

Thursday 
RONALD  COLMAN 
and 

VICTOR  McLAGLEN  DINNER 
Friday 

ROSALIND  RUSSELL  DINNER 


Nurse  in  Attendance  in  Mezzanine 


We'll  Believe  It  When  We  See  It  De- 
partment : 

"Old  bucks  like  me  are  really  a  menace  to  the 
motion  picture  industry.  We  prevent  develop- 
ment of  new  stars.  We  ought  to  step  aside  a 
bit  and  give  young  talent  a  chance,  and  that  is 
what  I  propose  to  do." — William  Powell,  in 
Film  Daily. 

V 

Jack  Oakie's  doting  mother  in  Hollywood 
raised  Adolph  Zukor's  sparse  hair,  when,  in 
reply  to  Mr.  Zukor's  inquiry  as  to  what  picture 
Oakie  was  working  in  on  the  Paramount  lot. 
Mrs.  Oakie  replied,  "You  know,  that  monkey 
picture,  'Chimpanzee  Walts.'  "  That's  what  she 
called  "Champagne  Walts,"  Mr.  Zukor's  super- 
super-special. 

V 

John  A.  Rose,  our  news  correspondent  in 
Denver,  swears  that  the  Ogden  theatre  in  his 
town  advertised  this  double  feature: 

EARLY  TO  BED 
THINGS  TO  COME 


//  they  keep  making  feature  motion  pictures 
longer,  Hal  Home  says  that  instead  of  saying 
"The  End,"  they'll  have  to  flash,  "Positively  the 
End." 


To  the  15,000,000  people  who  attend  the  great 
Texas  Centennial  in  Dallas  and  the  Texas  Frontier 
Centennial  Exposition  in  Fort  Worth  as  the  official 
picture  of  the  Centennial. 


LD... 


To  the  readers  of  newspapers  and  magazines  all 
over  the  country,  an  estimated  audience  of 
75,000,000  persons,  as  the  official  Texas 
Centennial  picture.  In  400  papers  the  actual 
Texas  Rangers   story   is  now   running  serially! 


To  the  vast  unseen  audience  of  the  radio,  a  public 
of  some  100,000,000  persons,  in  repeated  broad- 
casts (there  have  been  more  than  200  programs 
originating  from  Dallas  alone,  selling  the  Centen- 
nial) . . .  and  this  is  the  official  Centennial  picture. 

THE  TEXAS 


To  the  moving  picture  audiences  of  the  nation 
(you  do  your  own  estimating)  in  a  series  of  news- 
reels  and  trailers.  Every  newsreel  outfit  has  carried 
several  stories  on  the  Centennial  .  .  .  And  "The 
Texas  Rangers"  is  the  official  Centennial  picture. 


LD... 


To 14,000,000  readers  of  the  glorious  serial,  "The 
Texas  Rangers",  now  running  in  500  newspapers 
from  coast  to  coast,  including  such  big  time  dailies  as 
the  Des  Moines  Register  and  the  Omaha  Bee-News. 


To  50,000,000  people  through  Paramount's  great 
coast-to-coast  poster  campaign  and  through 
co-operative  advertising  placed  in  the  leading 
newspapers  of  the  nation. 


RANGERS 


TURN  . 


so,  take  your 
PARAMOUNT 

PRESS  BOOK 
and  go  to  town ! 


Our  press  book  boys  have  spent  a  couple  of  months 
working  on  this  comprehensive  sales  plan.  It  isn't  flossy. 
You  won't  find  any  fancy  stuff  in  it.  But  every  single 
page  has  practical,  sensible  ideas  to  help  you  make 
the  most  of  the  great  pre-selling  job  that's  already 
been  done  for  you  on  "The  Texas  Rangers."  Add  to 
'em,  enlarge  on  'em.  Do  a  hard  hitting  selling  job  in 
your  town . . .  and  you'll  PACK'  EM  IN  with  the  greatest 
sales  picture  of  all  time     ."THE  TEXAS  RANGERS"... 


August     15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


4b 


IN  THE  BRITISH 
STUDIOS 


Kane  Color  Film 

New  World's  all-color  "Wings  of  the  Morn- 
ing" has  been  practically  completed  as  a  studio 
production,  but  several  exteriors  remain  to  be 
shot  for  the  Robert  T.  Kane  picture  which  will 
have  50  per  cent  of  outdoor  scenes  when  it  is 
finished. 

Closeup  racing  shots  of  "Steve"  Donoghue, 
crowd  effects  for  the  Derby  sequences,  London 
hotel  scenes  on  Derby  night  and  singing  shots 
of  Count  John  McCormack  were  among  the 
items  on  the  Denham  floor  this  week,  with  a 
romantic  sequence  between  Annabella  and 
Henry  Fonda  in  a  hayloft  somewhere  on  the 
Irish  coast. 

Irene  Vanbrugh  is  the  latest  big  name  to 
go  on  the  cast  list.  The  English  stage  star 
plays  the  part  of  Mira,  old  gypsy  owner  of 
the  wonder  horse  about  which  the  story  is 
built. 

Harold  Schuster,  cameraman,  thinks  the  Eng- 
lish summer  will  begin  in  time  for  his  final 
exteriors. 

GB  Studio  Holiday 

Six  hundred  employees  of  the  Gaumont- 
British  studio  at  Shepherd's  Bush  on  Saturday 
started  their  summer  vacation,  the  plant  closing" 
down  completely  for  two  weeks.  This  is  a 
regular  G-B  practice,  the  shutdown  permitting 
a  complete  overhaul  of  equipment  by  the  main- 
tenance staff. 

The  George  Arliss  feature,  "The  Nelson 
Touch,"  was  the  last  off  the  floor.  Arliss 
had  been  sick,  but  came  back  to  the 
studio  on  July  27th,  with  just  two  weeks 
shooting  still  to  be  done  on  his  first  dual  role 
picture.  Herbert  Mason,  director,  meanwhile 
had  completed  sequences,  actually  the  opening  of 
the  film,  of  an  Arabian  palace  in  which  Basil 
Gill  plays  the  part  of  an  Emir  murdered  by 
his  treacherous  ministers. 

For  the  Alfred  Hitchcock  "Sabotage"  cur- 
rent settings  have  shown  the  Aquarium  of  the 
London  "Zoo"  and  interiors  of  one  of  those 
bird  and  beast  stores  for  which  the  Tottenham 
Court  Road,  London,  is  famous.  Practically 
everything  in  the  way  of  livestock,  from  parrot 
to  'possum,  from  trout  to  turtle,  has  been  used 
in  these  scenes,  background  for  conspiratorial 
work  in  which  Oscar  Homolka  has  the  big  say. 

Jessie  Matthews,  for  "Head  over  Heels," 
recorded  the  big  musical  number,  "May  I  Have 
the  Next  Romance,"  written  for  her  by  Gordon 
and  Revel.  Sonnie  Hale,  directing,  put  it  on  in 
a  big  open  air  Parisian  cafe  setting,  with  a 
forty-piece  orchestra.  Between  shots,  Jessie 
sat  for  her  picture  to  James  Montgomery  Flagg, 
with  American  magazine  covers  in  view. 

Down  at  Aldershot,  Raoul  Walsh  has  added 
to  the  cast  of  "O.  H  M.  S."  the  Second  Bat- 
talion of  the  East  Kent  Regiment  (The  Buffs) 
in  physical  drill  sequences  and  three  hundred 
troopers  selected  from  the  Scots  Greys,  the 
Queen's  Bays  and  the  Royal  Hussars  in  a 
spectacular  cavalry  charge.  Col.  E.  D.  Fan- 
shawe,  crack  polo  player,  led  the  onslaught. 
The  unit  next  went  to  Tidworth  for  Artillery 
sequences. 

Lee  Directs  Harding 

Rowland  V.  Lee,  arrived  on  the  Euro  pa.  is 
scheduled  to  direct  the  Ann  Harding  vehicle 
for  Max  Schach,  "Love  from  a  Stranger,"  be- 
ginning interiors  at  Denham  on  August  15th. 
This  Trafalgar  production  is  for  United  Artists 
world  release.     The  male  lead  is  still  to  be 


James  Wong  Hoive,  Hollywood 
camerman  who  has  made  or  col- 
laborated on  many  of  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer's  productions,  is  busy  at 
the  Denham  studios  photographing 
Erich  Pommer's  "Fire  Over  England" 
for  London  Films. 

chosen,  with  probability  pointing  to  Frank 
Vosper,  author  and  star  of  the  stage  version 
of  the  Agatha  Christie  thriller. 

Twickenham's  Four 

Illustrating  the  advance  of  the  Twickenham 
concern  controlled  by  Julius  Hagen  is  the  fact 
that  four  productions  are  at  the  present  moment 
on  the  floor,  all  for  release  by  Twickenham 
Film  Distributors.  Two  of  these  are  at  the 
original  studio  at  St.  Margaret's,  "Beauty  and 
the  Barge"  and  "Underneath  the  Arches."  Two 
are  at  the  J.  H.  Studios,  Elstree,  "Spy  of  Na- 
poleon" and  "The  Man  in  the  Mirror." 

"Beauy  and  the  Barge,"  temporarily  held  up 
by  the  illness  of  Gordon  Harker,  is  on  location 
at  Weybridge,  with  an  authentic  Thames  barge 
supplying  backgrounds.  "Underneath  the 
Arches,"  the  Flanagan  and  Allen  comedy,  is 
using  a  set  of  a  ship's  deck,  with  the  leading- 
duo  as  stowaways.  Gibson  Gowland  and  An- 
drea Melandrinos  are  additions  to  the  cast. 

"Spy  of  Napoleon"  is  in  its  last  scenes  and 
is  scheduled  for  a  September  9th  London  trade 
show.  The  Orczy  adaptation  has  Dolly  Haas 
and  Richard  Bathelmess  as  stars.  "The  Man 
in  the  Mirror,"  with  Genevieve  Tobin  and  Ed- 
ward Everett  Horton  is  in  its  third  week. 

"Rock  City" 

The  Joe  Rock  "Edge  of  the  World"  unit,  with 
Michael  Powell  as  director,  is  located  on  the 
island  of  Foula  in  the  Shetland  Islands  in  a 
hut  camp  which  has  been  titled  "Rock  City." 
One  of  the  huts,  equipped  with  a  projector  for 
the  purpose  of  showing  rushes,  has  given  the 
islanders,  the  chief  actors  in  the  film,  their  first 
sight  of  a  motion  picture. 

"Rembrandt"  Repainted 

Alexander  Korda  is  in  his  eight  week  of 
personal    direction    of    Charles    Lausrhton  in 


by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 


"Rembrandt"  at  Denham.  A  recent  scene  is  a 
reconstruction  of  the  convivial  party  in  the 
Bodega  Tavern  at  Amsterdam  which  provided 
the  painter  with  his  models  for  "The  Night 
Watch."  Another  set,  of  the  interior  of  the 
Town  Hall  of  Amsterdam,  has  employed  the 
best  part  of  one  of  the  large  Denham  stages, 
the  scene  calling  for  a  ceiling  height  of  fifty 
feet.  Korda  has  another  week  of  shooting 
to  do,  including  a  few  exteriors  in  Holland.  To 
follow  "Rembrandt"  on  the  London  floor  will 
be  the  Marlene  Dietrich-Robert  Donat  vehicle, 
"Knight  without  Armour." 

Alexander  Korda  said  this  week  that  "I 
Claudius,"  also  a  Laughton  vehicle,  will  be  the 
next,  and  also  the  last  picture  which  he  per- 
sonally   will  direct. 

Soskin-Columbia 

Paul  Soskin  has  closed  a  deal  in  London 
whereby  he  will  produce  eight  pictures  for 
world  release  by  Columbia.  Three  of  the 
eight,  in  the  class  of  specials,  will  be  bud- 
geted at  £80,000  ($400,000)  each,  while 
the  remaining  five  will  cost  £40,000  each. 

Columbia  will  lend  players,  directors  and 
technicians  from  the  Hollywood  studio. 
Production  will  be  at  the  Amalgamated 
Studios  here. 

Itemized 

Jack  Raymond  has  completed  the  direction 
of  "Chick,"  Sydney  Howard's  British  & 
Dominions  production  for  United  Artists  re- 
lease. .  .  .  Steffi  Duna  is  to  have  the  role 
of  Nedda  in  "Pagliacci,"  opposite  Tauber,  which 
begins  at  Denham  in  mid-August,  as  a  Schach 
Trafalgar  production  for  United  Artists  re- 
lease. .  .  .  Song  and  dance  number  "The 
Wrong  Rumba,"  for  Elsie  Randolph,  and  a  Sig- 
ler,  Goodhart  and  Hoffman  song  for  Jack  Bu- 
chanan, "The  Wrong  Rhythm,"  were  recorded 
for  Herbert  Wilcox  Productions'  "This'll  Make 
You  ■  Whistle"  at  Elstree.  .  .  .  Ivar  Campbell 
finished  "Grand  Finale"  for  Paramount  at  Sound 
City.  .  .  .  Patric  Knowles,  discovered  by  Irving 
Asher  here  and  sent  to  Hollywood,  has  been 
reloaned  to  Teddington  for  "The  Duchess,"  op- 
posite Margaret  Lockwood. 


Harry  Ross  To  Survey 
European  Situation 

Harry  A.  Ross,  president  of  Ross  Federal 
Service,  Inc.,  sails  August  19th  on  the 
Aquitania  for  England,  where  he  will  make 
a  survey  of  motion  picture  checking  and 
market  research  potentialities.  He  also  will 
visit  France,  Belgium,  Italy,  Holland,  Nor- 
way and  Sweden  before  his  return  in 
October. 


Named  Aide  to  Kane 

Margaret  Bennett,  formerly  one  of  David 
O.  Selznick's  private  secretaries,  has  been 
appointed  Hollywood  representative  for 
Robert  Kane  who  is  producing  in  London 
for  Twentieth  Century-Fox.  Miss  Bennett's 
duties  include  lining  up  stars,  writers,  and 
talent  to  send  abroad. 


46 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


THE  TECHNOLOGICAL  FIELD 

The  Bluebook  School 

Conducted  by  F.  H.  RICHARDSON 

[To  join  the  Bluebook  School  merely  send  in  answers.    Place  name  and  question  number  upon  first  sheet.   Address  F.  H.  Richardson,  No.  3  Tudor  Lane,  Scarsdale,  N.  Y.l 

BLUEBOOK  SCHOOL  QUESTION  NO.  36— (A)  Is  it  true  that  a  screen  surface  (any  screen  surface)  can  be 
so  cleaned  that  its  full  original  reflection  power  will  be  restored?  Explain  fully.  (B)  Assuming  your  screen  to  be 
10x12  feet,  and  that  you  substitute  one  having  exactly  the  same  reflection  power,  but  I  5  x  18  feet  in  size:  Dis- 
regarding losses  in  the  lens  systems,  what  would  be  the  effect  upon  screen  illumination?  What  would  be  the  prob- 
ability of  increase  or  decrease  in  losses  in  the  lens  system  itself? 

ANSWER  TO  QUESTION  NO.  31 


Bluebook  School  Question  No.  31  was: 
{A)  Why  may  electrical  power  be  trans- 
ported more  cheaply  at  high  than  at  low 
voltage?  (B)  Why  are  inspection  forms 
necessary?    What  is  their  value? 

The  following  made  acceptable  replies : 
S.  Evans  and  C.  Rau ;  D.  Danielson ;  H. 
Edwards;  G.  E.  Doe;  A.  L.  Cooper;  J.  R. 
Prater;  W.  C.  Brown;  M.  and  J.  Devoy ; 
C.  L.  Loft;  W.  Limmroth;  T.  F.  Bochert; 
W.  Edmonds ;  H.  B.  Smith ;  A.  L.  Cooper ; 

C.  G.  Jones ;  G.  A.  Lomax ;  P.  and  L.  Felt ; 
O.  L.  Daris  and  F.  Simms ;  G.  Thompson ; 
F.  L.  and  N.  Savior ;  H.  W.  Palmer ;  R.  D. 
Summers ;  G.  H.  Anderson ;  G.  H.  Daniels ; 
F.  Madden;  S.  True;  J.  Pracer  and  B.  L. 
Jennings;  G.  Thompson;  H.  D.  Lilly;  L.  N. 
Morgan;  P.  L.  Smith;  D.  V.  Holderer ;  C. 
and  S.  E.  Gay;  A.  L.  Long;  J.  T.  McGuire 
and  S.  Wilson;  S.  T.  Lane  and  W.  R.  Cohn; 

D.  L.  Maxwell  and  K.  R.  Holt ;  D.  Emmer- 
son;  P.  N.  Davis,  W.  R.  Baxter,  H.  Burk- 
hart  and  D.  Bernhard;  B.  Caldwell;  L.  A. 
Dodson  and  H.  T.  Todd;  W.  Burns  and 
T.  R.  Fanning ;  J.  N.  Saperton ;  G.  N.  Gui- 
dotti;  H.  Snow  and  L.  B.  Smith;  B.  L.  San- 
derson; T.  C.  Hood;  D.  Porter;  C.  L. 
Stanhope ;  E.  V.  Cupero ;  G.  V.  Long ;  L.  D. 
Bolton;  R.  R.  Robins  and  W.  Winkle;  P. 
Itt;  R.  R.  Jacobs  and  B.  B.  Hornstein; 
O.  Hunt;  W.  Morrison  and  D.  D.  Lilly; 
A.  L.  Leonard;  H.  Baxter;  W.  B.  Maxwell 


F.  H.  Richardson's 
BLUEBOOK  of 
PROJECTION 

•  New  sixth  edition.  Pro- 
jection, sound  reproduction 
and  trouble-shooting  all  in 
one  handy  volume.  Also 
features  quick-finding  index 
system    for   instant  refer- 

^ence.    Order  today. 
$5.25  Postpaid 

QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP 

ROCKEFELLER  CENTER       NEW  YORK 


and  F.  L.  Daniels;  B.  L.  Brisac;  L.  C.  Kent 
and  H.  B.  Schontz;  T.  Turk;  L.  T.  Davis 
and  B.  M.  Comeford;  J.  W.  Davis;  V.  San- 
ders and  J.  Jensen;  H.  J.  Abernathy  and 
R.  Tomkins ;  W.  H.  Munroe  and  T.  A.  Hoff- 
man ;  C.  L.  Davis  and  H.  T.  Plumb ;  J.  R. 
Price ;  T.  L.  Redhouse ;  R.  Hagan ;  A.  G. 
Thomas;  H.  T.  Appleton  and  M.  F.  Single- 
ton; N.  E.  Olliver  and  D.  McGee ;  D.  N. 
Richards;  W.  N.  Bolton;  W.  G.  Mathews 
and  R.  T.  Tomlinson;  D.  Pollock;  F.  T. 
Snell;  C.  H.  Lowrie  and  G.  Lathrope;  N.  A. 
Marshall;  W.  C.  Hurst;  S.  L.  Lynch  and 
B.  Nally;  F.  C.  Hubert;  R.  Plummer;  T.  L. 
Dennis;  F.  M.  Brown;  H.  H.  Aims  and 
D.  H.  Purcell,  F.  L.  Dorp. 

Several  answers  to  Section  A  have  been 
selected  for  publication.    R.  D.  Summers  says : 

"Naturally  a  circuit  of  large  wire  costs  more 
than  does  one  of  smaller  wire.  Watts  are  the 
measurement  of  power.  They  are  the  product 
of  volts  times  amperes.  Glancing  at  Table  No. 
1,  page  63,  of  the  Bluebook,  we  see  that  a  No.  8 
wire  with  rubber-covered  insulation  is  rated  at 
35  amperes.  Now  that  wire  will  not  be  over- 
loaded with  35  amperes  under  either  110  or 
5,000  volts  pressure.  Loaded  thus  at  110  volts 
pressure,  it  represents  35x110  =  3,850  watts,  or 
3,850  ,746  =  5.16  +  horsepower;  whereas 
35  amperes  at  5,000  volts  would  represent  5,000 
x35  =  175,000  watts,  or  a  trifle  more  than  234.5 
horsepower.  From  this  it  is  evident  that  circuit 
installation  expense  would  be  very  much  less  to 
transport  any  given  amount  of  power  at  high 
tension  (voltage)  than  at  low  tension. 

J.  R.  Prater  answers,  "Electric  power  may  be 
transported  more  cheaply  at  high  than  at  low 
voltage,  because  carrying  capacity  of  wires  is 
governed  wholly  by  amperage  and  not  by  volt- 
age. Any  wire  will  carry  its  rated  amperes  at 
any  voltages  for  which  it  is  insulated.  There- 
fore, since  power  (watts)  is  a  value  equal  to 
volts  times  amperes,  we  see  that  a  wire  rated 
at  50  amperes  can  only  carry  50x100  or  5,000 
watts  of  power  at  100  volts ;  whereas  it  can 
carry  10,000x50,  or  500,000  watts  at  10,000 
volts.  It  then  follows  that  it  is  much  more 
economical  where  power  is  to  be  transported 
long  distances  to  do  so  at  high  than  at  low 
voltage." 

P.  and  L.  Felt  say,  "Power  may  be  trans- 
ported more  cheaply  at  high  than  at  low  voltage 
due  to  the  fact  that  voltage  has  nothing  to  do 
with  wire  diameters.  A  small  current  at  high 
voltage  may  be  transported  over  a  small  wire 
and  still  represent  power  that  would  require  a 


large  wire  to  carry  were  the  voltage  low  and 
the  amperage  high. 

C.  L.  Davis  and  H.  T.  Plumb  answer,  "Basic- 
ally the  question  deals  with  what  constitutes 
electrical  power.  As  in  the  case  of  water, 
power  is  found  in  two  things,  namely  pressure 
and  quantity,  in  this  case  voltage  and  amperes. 
One  volt  moving  ten  amperes  means  ten  watts 
of  power.  Ten  volts  moving  one  ampere  also 
means  ten  watts  of  power.  We  may  move  one 
ampere  over  a  wire  not  much  larger  than  a 
horse  hair.  To  move  ten  amperes  would  require 
a  much  larger  carrier,  regardless  of  what  the 
voltage  might  be,  therefore  high  voltage  and 
low  amperage  means  ability  to  transport  a  given 
quantity  of  power  over  smaller  wires  than 
would  be  necessary  were  the  voltage  low  and 
the  amperage  high. 

(B)  D.  H.  Danielson  says,  "I  call  my  inspec- 
tion forms  'routine  sheets'  and  consider  them  as 
exceedingly  important  tools  for  the  projectionist. 
[To  which  I  must  add  a  fervent  amen — F.  H.  R.] 
They  are  very  necessary  reminders  of  those 
many  chores  and  inspections,  the  regular  per- 
formance of  which  means  so  much  in  theatre 
projection  room.  So  numerous  and  varied  are 
the  items  that  must  have  regular  attention  if  the 
best  results  are  to  be  had,  that  it  is  very  easy  to 
overlook  some  of  them  unless  an  inspection  form 
is  used  and  consulted  each  day. 

W.  C.  Brown  says,  "Inspection  forms  are  both 
necessary  and  valuable  in  keeping  a  systematic 
check  upon  all  equipments,  and  to  enable  the 
projectionist  to  keep  the  management  advised  of 
the  condition  of  equipments. 

G.  Thompson  replies,  "The  Bluebook  instruc- 
tion regarding  an  inspection  sheet  (page  631) 
impressed  me  as  plain  good  sense,  so  I  made  one 
and  have  remade  it  several  times,  adding  things 
overlooked  the  first  time. 

"Every  morning  after  the  daily  clean-up  and 
oiling,  I  step  to  the  wall,  consult  the  inspection 
sheet  and  attend  to  the  various  things  thereon 
shown  as  requiring  attention.  And,  Dad,  /  at- 
tend to  them,  permitting  myself  no  shirking. 

A.  L.  Cooper  says,  "Inspection  forms  are 
necessary  to  prevent  accidental  neglect  of  equip- 
ments. The  projectionist  should  keep  separate 
forms  daily  for  inspection  and  lubrication  as 
well  as  on  items  requiring  bi-weekly,  monthly 
and  semi-annual  attention.  If  such  records  are 
kept  and  faithfully  observed,  they  will  help  both 
in  servicing  equipments  and  as  a  time-saving 
guide  for  the  projectionist." 

H.  B.  Smith  puts  it  this  way:  "Inspection 
forms  are  necessary  to  insure  the  making  of 
necessary  repairs,  replacements  and  adjustments 
before  serious  trouble  occurs 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


47 


THEATRES  EMERGE  FROM  SPAIN'S 
CHAOS,  DISTRIBUTION  PARALYZED 


Flat  15  Per  Cent  Pay  Increase 
Decreed  for  All  Industries; 
Salaries  Must  Be  Paid  for 
Strike  Period;  Americans  Safe 

by  HARRY  C.  PLUMMER 

in  Barcelona,  Spain 

While  motion  picture  exhibition  is  slowly 
emerging  from  the  chaos  of  modern  Spain's 
savage  civil  war,  distribution  is  at  the  point 
of  complete  paralysis.  The  cinemas  of 
capital  Madrid  have  reopened  within  the 
week.  The  next  few  days  may  find  the 
legitimate  houses  in  operation.  Barcelona 
again  has  film  entertainment. 

As  previously  reported  by  cable  to  Motion 
Picture  Herald  the  plants  and  personnel  of 
the  American,  British  and  European  dis- 
tributors have  suffered  no  physical  molesta- 
tion and,  except  in  the  case  of  Jacques  Edel- 
stein,  director  general  of  Metro-Goldwyn- 
Mayer  Iberica,  who  is  understood  to  be  in 
Palma  de  Mallorca,  capital  of  the  Balearic 
Islands,  which  is  now  under  bombardment, 
all  executives  of  the  Spanish  affiliates  of  the 
American  companies  here,  and  their  staffs, 
are  fully  accounted  for.  Americans  and 
foreigners  of  every  nationality  are  being 
accorded  the  utmost  consideration  by  the 
Regional  Catalan  and  Spanish  national  gov- 
ernments and  by  the  Communist,  Socialist 
and  Labor  syndicates  now  jointly  cooperat- 
ing with  the  authorities  in  reestablishment 
of  law  and  order,  while  the  Americans, 
British  and  other  consulates  general  are 
working  day  and  night  to  safeguard  and 
protect  their  nationals  and  property. 

Present  indications  are  that,  beyond  the 
prosecution  of  radical  labor  measures  to 
which  it  was  committed  by  the  national 
elections  creating  the  Fronte  Popular 
(People's  Front)  several  months  preceding 
the  violent  civil  and  military  disorders,  the 
constituted  authority  in  Catalunya  and 
elsewhere  throughout  Spain  will  not  unduly 
restrict  the  operations  of  foreign  film  in- 
terests- What  measures  are  to  be  taken 
for  the  regulation  of  the  Spanish  national 
picture  industry  and  what  effect,  com- 
petitively or  otherwise,  those  measures  may 
have  upon  the  American  group  remains  to 
be  seen. 

For  the  present  the  authorities  are  con- 
cerning themselves  with  the  taking  over  of 
industries  in  the  fields  of  alimentation,  public 
utilities,  building  materials  and  others  more 
closely  related  to  the  civil  exigencies  and 
military  objectives  of  the  hour. 

Group  To  Fix  Rentals 

Rene  J.  Huett,  general  manager  for  War- 
ners in  Spain,  and  L.  Echeverria,  chief 
accountant  for  M-G-M  here,  have  been 
named  to  the  committee  of  four  which,  with 
the  Syndicate,  is  to  fix  the  basis  of  film 
rental  for  the  socialized  film  theatres. 

All  film  houses  in  Barcelona  opened  last 
Sunday,  playing  90  per  cent  of  American 
films,  with  their  programs  as  of  July  19th. 


With  regard  to  American  film  interests, 
Espinart  Mestres  of  the  Syndicate  and  Jose 
Carner  Ribalt,  newly  appointed  Commis- 
sioner of  Public  Spectacles  for  Catalonia, 
representing  the  Generalidad,  assured  dis- 
tributors that  in  the  employee-operation  of 
the  theatres,  the  houses  will  take  over  the 
distributor  contracts  from  the  date  of  re- 
opening. 

The  American  distributors'  rights  will  be 
fully  respected  as  foreigners,  both  of  the 
officials  declared. 

The  situation  here  is  clearing  rapidly,  and 
an  official  of  Mutua,  the  distributor  organ- 
ization here,  is  acting  as  liaison  between  the 
two  factors. 

Affiliates'  Status  Defined 

However,  the  state  of  "inspection"  con- 
tinues in  varied  degrees.  The  Generalitat 
de  Catalunya  and  the  Sindicato  de  Em- 
pleados  de  Espectaculos  Publicos  had  noti- 
fied the  distributors  in  Spain,  both  American 
and  foreign,  that  delegates  would  take  over 
their  plants  and  proceed  to  "inspect"  them. 
At  the  urgent  suggestion  of  the  Quigley 
Publications  correspondent,  the  American 
distribution  managers  conducted  a  legal  in- 
vestigation at  once  to  determine  the  technical 
positions  of  the  American  corporations' 
Spanish  affiliates — Metro,  Fox,  United  Ar- 
tists, Universal  and  the  rest — in  respect  to 
the  status  of  their  assets  and  property 
legitimately  entitled  to  the  protection  of  the 
American  Consulate  General  here. 

The  result  was  that  they  found  their  sub- 
sidiaries to  be  definitely  Spanish  corporate 
entities  and,  as  such,  their  properties,  includ- 
ing every  piece  of  furniture,  typewriters, 
accounting  machines,  and  even  Metro's 
costly  and  elaborate  dubbing  plant,  can  not 
be  placed  under  the  protection  of  the  United 
States  Government,  except  for  their  film 
stock  on  hand,  and  this  is  the  property,  until 
paid  for,  of  an  American  supply  company 
which  is  a  subsidiary  of  the  parent  MGM 
company  in  America. 

Display  Certificate  Posted 

The  other  distributing  companies  are 
similarly  situated,  some  of  their  film-supply 
affiliates  being  French  or  British  sub- 
sidiaries. The  result  was  that  American 
Consulate  General  Lynn  W.  Franklin  forth- 
with had  a  display  certificate  posted  on  the 
front  of  the  Metro  premises  stating  in  effect 
that  "American  interests  are  represented  in 
this  establishment  by  a  stock  of  films,  which 
must  be  respected."  The  certificate  was 
signed  both  by  Consul  Daniel  M.  Braddock 
and  by  an  official  of  the  Spanish  Generalitat 
de  Catalunya.  By  this  means,  temporarily, 
at  least,  the  film  stocks  will  be  protected 
against  looting  and,  from  what  is  equally  as 
bad,  against  ignition  by  the  numerous  bands 
of  quasi-guerrilla  delegates  of  labor  syndi- 
cates who  are  racing  through  the  city  in 
stolen  cars. 

Sindicato  Unico  Espectaculos,  the  gov- 
ernment organization  in  charge  of  the- 
atricals and  the  Sindicato  Economicos  de 
Casas  Distribudoras,  the  new  distributors' 
organization  which  was  evolved  out  of 
Mutua,  on  Wednesday  effected  a  new  credit 
arrangement  between  distributors  and  the- 


Banks  Reopened  but  Only  for 
Cashing  Pay  Checks;  40-Hour 
Week  Decreed;  Film  Stocks 
Are  Protected  from  Looting 

atres  the  basis  of  which  is  for  distributors 
to  collect  film  rentals  at  70  per  cent  in  cash 
and  the  remaining  30  per  cent  in  deferred 
credit  for  two  months. 

All  theatre  receipts  are  to  be  deposited 
in  Banco  Espana  and  the  books  of  the  the- 
atres are  to  be  constantly  available  for  in- 
spection by  the  distributors. 

The  government  on  Monday  was  under- 
stood to  have  seized  Metro's  Capitol  theatre 
in  Madrid,  defending  the  seizure  with  the 
explanation  that  the  action  was  legal  be- 
cause the  theatre  is  registered  as  a  Spanish 
company  even  though  it  is  operated  by 
American  interests.  The  Americans  on  the 
staff  were  replaced  by  Spaniards. 

Decrees  just  issued  definitely  establish 
the  40-hour  week  and  a  flat  15  per  cent 
pay  increase  in  all  industries  and  the  fixing 
of  "the  vital  salary  minimums"  for  varied 
industrial  groupings.  Also  decreed  are  the 
automatic  settlement  of  all  strikes  pending 
at  the  moment  of  the  outbreak,  "a 
measure  .  .  .  indispensable  to  the  restora- 
tion of  normal  community  life";  the  pay- 
ment of  all  wages  and  salaries  accrued  dur- 
ing the  general  strike  declared  over  the 
period  of  the  uprising  and  the  compensat- 
ing of  the  "citizen  militia"  drafted  from 
the  labor  forces  of  Catalunya  and  the  hold- 
ing open  of  their  places  of  employment 
during  absence  therefrom  in  the  line  of 
duty. 

While  the  banks  were  opened,  by  govern- 
ment edict,  their  operations  were  strictly 
limited  to  the  cashing  of  paychecks. 

Theatres  Commandeered 

The  major  American  distributor-controlled 
cinema  theatres  in  Barcelona,  the  Coliseum, 
Femina  and  Astoria,  as  likewise  the  huge 
Kursaal,  one  of  a  private  syndicate,  have 
been  commandeered  by  the  military  authori- 
ties for  enlistment  of  citizen  militia  units, 
but  except  for  some  lobby  disarrangements 
and  a  few  broken  windows  none  of  these 
houses  have  suffered  damage  to  an  extent 
that  would  seriously  delay  their  reopening. 

The  cinema  operators,  grouped  in  the 
Espectaculos  Publicos  Syndicate,  have  been 
active  throughout  the  week  in  the  filming  of 
violent  disorders,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Bureau  of  Information  and  Propaganda  of 
the  Generalitat  de  Catalunya.  The  reels 
they  have  shot  will  show  the  burning  of  all 
but  a  few  of  the  city's  many  churches.  (The 
Cathedral,  the  Sagrada  Familia,  an  architec- 
tural monument,  the  famous  mountain  top 
monastery  of  Monserrat,  the  locale  of  Wag- 
ner's "Parsifal"  and  a  very  few  others  have 
been  spared  by  edict  of  the  Consejera  de 
Cultura,  as  artistic  treasures. 

All  motor-cars  belonging  to  foreigners  as 
well  as  those  of  Spanish  and  Catalan  owner- 
ships were  commandeered  at  the  outset  of 
the  revolt  for  military  and  syndicalist  forces. 


48 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August     15,  193b 


Regional  Meetings 
Set  for  Next  PVeek 


New  officers  of  the  South  Eastern  Theatre  Owners  Association,  installed  at  the 
convention  last  week  at  Jacksonville,  Fla.,  include  the  following:  (seated,  left  to 
right)  Mrs.  Violet  Edwards,  a  director;  Mrs.  Willingham  Wood,  secretary;  M.  C. 
Moore,  president;  Hugh  Manning,  vice-president;  H.  C.  Wales,  Florida  vice-president; 
(standing)  Sam  Borisky,  director;  Bill  Grissen,  Alabama  vice-president;  Warren 
Finder,  Sonny  Shepherd  and  Tom  Brandon,  directors. 


Radio  Appearances 
Likely  To  Evoke 
Producers '  Action 


Continued  exhibitor  protests  that  the  ap- 
pearance of  motion  picture  stars  on  radio 
programs  is  hurting  box  office  receipts  may 
bring  action  from  the  Producers  Association. 
It  is  understood  that  the  subject  was  dis- 
cussed at  a  meeting  of  the  association  in 
Hollywood  and  that  a  committee  was  named 
to  study  the  problem. 

Producers  are  disagreed  on  whether  a  ban 
should  be  placed  on  the  radio  appearances. 
Some  executives  are  of  the  opinion  that 
such  programs  are  aids  to  the  box  office 
value  of  the  stars  and  that  they  also  serve 
as  effective  publicizing  of  forthcoming  pic- 
tures. 

The  Independent  Theatre  Owners  Asso- 
ciation of  New  York  on  Wednesday  voted 
to  petition  the  Hays  organization  in  con- 
demnation of  the  broadcasts. 

To  resolutions  of  protest  passed  by  the 
Independent  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  Connecticut  and  the  Independent 
Theatre  Owners  of  Southern  California  are 
now  added  two  from  the  Independent  Ex- 
hibitors Protective  Association  of  Wiscon- 
sin and  from  Allied  of  New  Jersey. 

The  Connecticut  group  has  been  particu- 
larly active  in  opposing  the  practice.  In  a 
letter  to  Jack  Cohn,  vice-president  of  Co- 
lumbia Pitures,  who  has  declared  himself  in 
opposition  to  film  stars  performing  on  the 
air  during  hours  that  conflict  with  theatre 
attendance,  J.  A.  Davis,  executive  secretary 
of  the  group  advocates  sending  telegrams  of 
protest  directly  to  the  stars. 

The  Independent  MPTOA  of  Connecti- 
cut again  figured  in  the  news  when  Mr. 
Davis  announced  that  the  group  had  parked 
a  unanimous  resolution  congratulating  Mrs. 
George  Temple,  mother  of  Shirley  Temple, 
on  her  recent  refusal  of  a  substantial  offer 
for  the  personal  appearance  of  her  daughter 
on  a  radio  program  and  at  the  Texas  Ex- 
position. 


Theatre  Deal 
In  Australia 
Hanging  Fire 

"Final  determination  of  the  future  of  Gen- 
eral Theatres  in  Australia  is  not  likely  to 
be  arrived  at  immediately,"  Stuart  F. 
Doyle,  managing  director  of  Greater  Union 
Theatres  and  associated  companies,  which 
are  combined  with  Fox-Hoyt's,  said  in  New 
York  this  week  prior  to  his  departure  for 
Los  Angeles,  whence  he  will  sail  on  Aug- 
ust 19  on  the  Monterey  for  Australia.  On 
the  same  boat  and  headed  for  Australia  also 
will  be  Walter  J.  Hutchinson,  head  of  the 
Twentieth  Century-Fox  foreign  depart- 
ment. 

The  executive  added  he  had  completed  de- 
tails for  refinancing  his  group  of  companies 
on  the  London  market.  Several  of  his  com- 
panies will  be  merged  into  one  unit.  The 
extent  of  the  financing  will  be  £750,000  ($3,- 
750,000),  which  he  said  will  supply  adequate 
capital  for  the  purposes  required. 

Mr.  Doyle  also  revealed  there  has  been 
a  change  in  the  chairmanship  of  the  board  of 
Greater  Union  Theatres,  H.  Y.  Russell  hav- 
ing retired  and  Norman  Rydge  having  been 
appointed  in  his  place. 


Sipe  Is  New  President 
Of  Charlotte  Jesters 

Newly  elected  officers  of  the  Jesters'  Club, 
Inc.,  of  Charlotte,  N.  C,  include  L.  C.  Sipe, 
president;  M.  E.  Wiman,  first  vice-presi- 
dent; John  H.  Vickers,  second  vice-presi- 
dent; Walter  Griffith,  secretary,  and  Ralph 
Jackson,  treasurer. 

Chairmen  of  the  standing  committees  are : 
Ralph  McCoy,  entertainment;  R.  D.  Stall- 
ings,  installation ;  Walter  Griffith,  house ; 
F.  H.  Beddingfeld,  sick ;  Roy  Bradley,,  em- 
ployment ;  R.  J.  Ingram,  welfare ;  Gordon 
Cassidy,  local  publicity ;  J.  C.  White,  atten- 
dance; H.  H.  Everett,  national  publicity; 
J.  O.  Mock,  recreation  and  I.  T.  Cohen, 
legal. 


By  Grand  National 

Two  regional  sales  meetings  have  been 
scheduled  by  Grand  National  Films,  Inc., 
the  first  to  be  held  in  New  York  at  the 
Warwick  Hotel  on  August  17th  and  18th. 
The  entire  eastern  and  New  England  sales 
force  will  attend. 

The  second  gathering  is  slated  for  Chicago 
on  August  20th  and  21st.  The  mid-western, 
southern  and  western  sales  staffs  will  attend. 
Carl  Leserman,  James  Winn,  Stanley  Hatch 
and  Edward  Finney  will  represent  the  home 
office  at  both  sessions. 

Mr.  Leserman  will  announce  52  features 
to  be  handled  in  three  divisions,  the  first  to 
be  known  as  36  Grand  National  Winners ; 
the  second,  eight  melodramas,  and  the  third, 
eight  westerns.  There  will  be  no  shorts. 
Several  additional  producers  are  expected 
to  be  made  known  by  Mr.  Leserman  at  the 
sales  sessions. 

With  the  appointment  of  six  branch  man- 
agers, the  Grand  National  set-up  for  the 
midwest  is  now  complete.  Tom  Tobin,  for- 
merly of  RKO,  has  been  assigned  to  St. 
Louis ;  Carl  Reese,  recently  with  Twentieth 
Century-Fox,  is  in  Omaha;  Russell  Borg, 
who  has  resigned  from  Gaumont  British,  is 
manager  in  Kansas  City;  Lou  Patz,  who 
has  been  with  Universal,  is  in  Milwaukee ; 
Lou  Levy,  formerly  with  Metro-Goldwyn- 
Mayer,  is  at  Des  Moines,  and  Don  Woods, 
until  recently  with  Paramount,  is  Minne- 
apolis branch  manager. 

H.  Bradley  Fish  has  been  named  local 
manager  for  the  Grand  National  exchange 
in  San  Francisco  into  which  Far  West  Film 
Exchange  will  be  merged.  Joseph  M.  Shea, 
formerly  with  Twentieth  Century-Fox  and 
Paramount,  will  be  west  coast  publicity  di- 
rector. Sidney  M.  Bidell  has  joined  as  east- 
ern story  editor,  Joseph  Sullivan  is  to  head 
the  press  book  department,  and  Ralph  Kins- 
ler,  formerly  city  salesman  for  RKO-Radio 
in  Cincinnati,  will  manage  the  GN  exchange 
which  will  open  in  that  city  shortly. 

Charles  Bickford  has  been  signed  to  make 
a  series  of  four  pictures,  the  first  of  which 
will  be  "The  Wild  Man."  "The  Great  Guy" 
has  been  set  as  the  tentative  title  of  the  first 
film  James  Cagney  will  make  for  the  com- 
pany. W.  B.  Frank  is  reported  to  be  dick- 
ering to  make  a  picture  for  distribution 
through  GN. 


French  Pictures  to 
Have  23  Features 


French  Motion  Picture  Corporation  will 
have  23  features  and  14  short  subjects  in 
the  new  season.  The  short  product  will 
include  six  travel  reels,  four  scientific  sub- 
jects, one  musical  and  three  "featurettes." 
In  addition  the  company  will  cooperate  with 
Metropolis  Pictures  Corporation  in  release 
of  six  features  and  two  musical  shorts. 

The  French  Company  is  planning  Ameri- 
can distribution  of  "France  Actualities 
Gaumont,"  French  newsreel. 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


51 


ACADEMY  RESEARCH  COUNCIL  SPECIFICATIONS  FOR35-mm. 
RELEASE  PRINTS  IN  NEW  STANDARD  2000-FOOT  LENGTHS 


PROTECTIVE  LEADER 

Shall  be  either  transparent  or  raw  stock. 

When  the  protective  leader  has  been  reduced  to  a  length  of  six  feet  it  is  to  be  restored  to  a 
length  of  eight  feet. 


IDENTIFICATION  LEADER  (Part  Title) 

Shall  contain  24  frames  in  each  of  which  is  plainly  printed  in  black  letters  on  white  background: 
(a)  type  of  print,  (b)  reel  number  (Arabic  numeral  not  less  than  1/4  of  frame  height),  and 
(c)  picture  title. 


SYNCHRONIZING  LEADER 

Shall  consist  of  20  frames  ahead  of  Start  mark,   then  12  feet,  including  Start  mark,  to  picture, 

opaque  except  as  specified  below: 
In  the  center  of  the  first  frame  there  shall  be   printed  across  the  picture  and  sound  track  area 

a  white  line  1/32  inch  wide  upon  which  is  superimposed  a  diamond  yg  inch  high. 
The  next  15  frames  may  be  used  by  the  studio  for   sensitometric  or  other  information.    If  not  so 

used  this  leader  shall  be  opaque. 
The  Start  mark  shall  be  the  21st  frame,  in  which  is  printed  START  (inverted)  in  black  letters  on 

white  background.  The  Academy  camera  aperture    height  of  .631  inch  shall  be  used  in  the 

photography  of  this  frame,  and  all  others   between  Start  mark  and  beginning  of  picture. 
From  the  Start  mark  to  the  picture  the  leader   shall  contain  frame  lines  which  do  not  cross 

sound  track  area. 

In  the  frames  in  which  the  numerals  "6"  and  "9"  appear,  the  words  "six"  and  "nine"  (also  in- 
verted) shall  be  placed  immediately  below  the  figure,  to  eliminate  the  possibility  of  mis-read- 
ing in  the  projection  room  due  to  the  similarity  between  the  inverted  numerals. 

Beginning  3  feet  from  the  first  frame  of  picture,  each  foot  is  to  be  plainly  marked  by  a  trans- 
parent frame  containing  an  inverted  black  numeral  at  least  !/2  frame  height.  Footage  indi- 
cator numerals  shall  run  consecutively  from  3  to  II,  inclusive.  At  a  point  exactly  20  frames 
ahead  of  the  center  of  each  footage  numeral  frame  there  shall  be  a  diamond  (while  on  black 
background)  l/g  inch  high  by  3/g  inch  wide. 

PICTURE 

The  length  of  a  standard  reel  shall  be  between   1750'  minimum  and  2000'  maximum. 

MOTOR  CUE 

Shall  be  circular  opaque  marks  with  transparent  outline  printed  from  the  negative  which  has  had 
four  consecutive  frames  punched  with  a  serrated  edge  die  .094  inch  in  diameter.  The  center  of 
these  holes  is  to  be  halfway  between  the  top  and  second  sprocket  holes  .281  inch  from  the  right- 
hand  edge  of  the  film  with  heads  up  and  emulsion  toward  the  observer.  Following  the  four 
fra  mes  containing  the  circular  opaque  marks  there  shall  be  ten  feet  twelve  frames  to  the 
beginning  of  the  changeover  cue. 

CHANGEOVER  CUE 

Four  frames  containing  circular  opaque  marks,  punched  similarly  to  and  of  the  same  dimen- 
sion and  position  on  the  frame  as  the  motor  cue. 

Following  the  changeover  cue  marks  there  shall  be  eighteen  frames  to  the  beginning  of  the 
runout  trailer. 


RUNOUT  TRAILER    Shall  be  opague,  3  feet  in  length. 
IDENTIFICATION  TRAILER  (End-of-Part  Title) 

Shall  contain  24  frames  in  each  of  which  is  plainly  printed  in  black  letters  on  white  background: 
(a)  "End  of  Reel",  (b)  reel  number  (Arabic  numeral  not  less  than  l/4  of  frame  height),  and 
(cj  picture  title. 


PROTECTIVE  TRAILER 

Same  as  protective  leader. 


to 

e  ft 


Its- 


Frame 


20 
Primes 


SOUND  PftJMT  I 

ran. 


rTH 

12  FtlrWiw  M 


-3a 


r 


cP5 


ZZ 
frames 


•  ft 

to 

»rt 


5 

TltU 


O 


Leader 


Pieturr 
1730*  Mia 
2000"  Mec 


Runout 


5  I 


Runnng  direction 
CmuWon  uf 


52 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


WARNERS  CLAIM  4-TO-1 
VOTE  AGAINST  DOUBLES 


Company  Says  725,824  Replied 
to  Questionnaire  Addressed 
Directly  to  the  Public 

America  stands  four  to  one  against  the 
widely  prevalent  practice  of  showing  two 
feature  motion  pictures  on  one  theatre  pro- 
gram, preferring  a  single  feature  with  diver- 
sified short  subject  entertainment,  says  War- 
ner Brothers  Pictures,  Inc.,  reporting  the 
results  of  a  poll.  The  question  was  directed 
last  May  to  a  reputed  80,000,000  theatrego- 
ers to  determine  the  public's  pleasure  on  the 
motion  picture's  most  perplexing  trade  prob- 
lem of  a  quarter-century.  The  survey  regis- 
tered the  views  of  725,824  persons,  and  these, 
Warner  believes,  represent  the  viewpoint  of 
the  American  public,  inasmuch  as  the  opin- 
ions are  of  a  cross-section. 

But  what  to  do  about  it  is  something 
else  again.  The  courts  already  have  told 
the  distributors,  in  the  test  case  of  Perel- 
man  vs.  distributors,  in  Philadelphia,  last 
year,  that  they  cannot  prohibit  exhibitors, 
contractually  or  otherwise,  from  showing 
one  of  their  features  on  the  same  program 
with  another.  And  exhibitors  apparently 
will  not  budge  from  their  position  on  the 
ground  that  they  cannot  refrain  from  in- 
dulging in  duals  because  their  competitors 
refuse  to  do  likewise.  So  the  stalemate 
continues,  and  from  all  appearances  it  will 
continue  for  a  long  time. 

Warner  evidently  refrained  completely 
from  soliciting  exhibitors'  viewpoints  in  the 
matter — and  there  are  some  8,000  theatres 
dualing  features  out  of  the  14,000  and  odd 
houses  operating. 

The  immediate  reason  for  Warner  Broth- 
ers' interest  in  the  matter  appears  to  be  the 
company's  trend  toward  the  production  of 
extra-long  features: — "Anthony  Adverse," 
150  minutes;  "Green  Pastures,"  135  min- 
utes; "Midsummer  Night's  Dream,"  132 
minutes,  et  all. 

"Every  interested  person"  was  invited  to 
present  an  opinion — except,  as  mentioned, 
the  exhibitor  who  buys  the  pictures.  Motion 
picture  editors  of  more  than  2,000  daily 
newspapers  were  asked  to  report  the  atti- 
tude of  their  readers  and  to  invite  "frank" 
expressions  from  them.  Many  papers  con- 
ducted polls  in  their  columns,  each  of  the 
country's  papers  in  cities  of  5,000  or  more 
inhabitants  having  been  contacted  directly 
by  the  company.  So  were  radio  commenta- 
tors too,  representatives  of  high  school  and 
collegiate  publications  were  polled,  and  the 
cooperation  was  sought  of  some  1,000  social 
and  civic  organizations  and  schools. 

Following  is  the  vote  from  all  of  the  725,- 
824  participants : 

NO.  OF 

VOTES  PERCENTAGE 
For  double  bills  .       157,073  22 
For  single  bills  .   .     568,751  78 


725,824  100 

"There  was  almost  unanimous  agreement  that 
important  productions  which  exceed  usual  length 
should  not  be  cut  to  make  them  fit  double-bills," 


said  Warner,  adding:  "The  general  theme  of 
the  letters  and  statements  protesting  the  cutting 
of  such  pictures  was  that  there  is  now  a 
scarcity  of  really  fine  films,  and  that  when  one 
is  produced  it  should  not  be  marred  by  excessive 
trimming.  Even  'double  bill'  advocates  urged 
that  such  productions  be  presented  in  their 
original,  undeleted  form." 

Scores  of  arguments  for  and  against  the 
double-bill  policy  were  said  to  have  been  of- 
fered. Seven  leading  arguments  for  double-bills 
were  recorded  in  the  survey.  Listed  in  the 
order  of  the  number  of  times  each  was  pre- 
sented they  included : 

1.  The  double  feature  program  lends  di- 
versity to  the  entertainment. 

2.  There  is  a  better  chance  that  one  of  the 
two  pictures  will  be  enjoyable. 

3.  It  gives  us  more  for  our  money. 

4.  We  like  long  programs. 

5.  A  second  feature  is  better  than  shorts. 

6.  One  feature  would  be  too  little  for  the 
admission  charged.  We  have  learned  to  ex- 
pect a  lot  for  our  money. 

7.  A  second  feature  is  better  than  vaudeville. 
Following  are  the  eight  leading  arguments 

claimed  by  Warners  to  have  been  advanced  in 
favor  of  single  bills,  and  listed  in  the  order 
of  times  each  was  presented : 

1.  A  good  picture  invariably  is  coupled  with 
a  poor  one.  Thus  we  sit  through  the  poor  one 
to  see  the  good  one. 

2.  The  double-bill  four-hour  or  more  show  is 
too  long  for  pleasure. 

3.  We  like  more  shorts. 

4.  The  pleasure  of  seeing  a  good  picture  is 
marred  by  the  second  one,  which  wipes  out 
the  memory  of  the  first. 

5.  We  dislike  the  manner  in  which  pictures 
are  billed  together. 

6.  The  long  double-bill  show  causes  eye 
strain,  headaches  and  fatigue. 

7.  To  make  pictures  fit  double-bill  programs 
they  often  are  cut  so  much  that  they  become 
jerky  and  lose  their  entertainment  value. 

8.  If  one  picture  is  suitable  for  children,  the 
second  picture  generally  is  not. 

The  first  two  reasons  above — "dislike  of  the 
usually  inferior  second  picture  and  the  length 
of  the  show" — drew  a  total  almost  exceeding 
those  for  all  other  reasons  combined. 

Following  are  percentage  reports  on  opin- 
ions from  various  sources. 

School  teachers  and  principals: 

For  double  features — 27  per  cent. 

For  single    features — 73  per  cent. 
Replies  to  polls  conducted  by  newspapers: 

For  double  features — 28  per  cent. 

For  single   features — 72  per  cent. 
Replies  to  polls  conducted  by  radio  com- 
mentators: 

For  double  features — 33  per  cent. 

For  single    features — 67  per  cent. 

"Probably  the  most  striking  feature  of  the 
survey  was  the  interest  shown  by  the  public  in 
its  motion  picture  entertainment,  as  evidenced 
by  its  eagerness  to  argue  for  what  it  thought 
right  and  to  condemn  what  it  opposed," 
Warners  said. 


Nicholas  De  Angelis  Dead 

Nicholas  De  Angelis,  long  associated  with 
his  brother,  Phil  De  Angelis,  in  the  De 
Angelis  Outdoor  Advertising  Company,  is 
dead  in  New  York.  The  De  Angelis  com- 
pany cooperates  in  the  outdoor  publicity 
work  of  most  of  the  major  distributors  in 
New  York. 


MANY  VOICES 
ON  DUAL  BILLS 


Independent  of  Warner  Brothers'  national 
poll  on  the  question  of  the  public's  attitude 
toward  the  widely  prevalent  double  bill 
policy,  developments  within  the  trade  indi- 
cate that  the  problem  continues  to  provoke 
considerable  controversy,  as  witness  the  fol- 
lowing: 

Exhibitors  in  New  Orleans  were  informed 
of  the  passage  by  the  Louisiana  Council 
for  Motion  Pictures  of  a  resolution  oppos- 
ing dual  feature  programs,  and  of  another 
resolution  approving  programs  consisting 
of  a  single  feature,  a  short  comedy,  a  news- 
reel  and  travelogue. 

Indianapolis  theatre  owners  are  hearing 
expressions  of  dissatisfaction  over  duals 
from  neighborhood  patrons  who  are  re- 
ported to  be  getting  tired  of  the  long 
programs,  especially  for  their  children. 
Too,  the  feeling  is  growing  there  that  in- 
evitably one  of  the  double  features  will 
be  a  "quickie". 

E.  W.  Hammons,  president  of  Educa- 
tional Pictures,  and  for  years  one  of  dual 
bills'  strongest  antagonists,  stood  firm  on 
his  assertion  that  doubles  cause  exhibitors 
to  lose  at  least  one  show's  gross  daily,  and 
that  the  policy  threatens  considerable 
losses  to  all  distributors  in  reduced  revenue. 

The  Perelman  dual  bill  case  in  Philadel- 
phia against  distributors  still  is  awaiting 
appeal  from  the  decision  which  prohibited 
distributors  from  compelling  exhibitors  to 
discontinue  dualing. 

Keith's  Memorial,  in  Boston,  is  but  one 
of  many  important  runs  which  in  recent 
weeks  adopted  a  dual  policy. 

The  St.  Louis  MPTO  still  aims  to  end 
duals  by  local  agreement. 

The  Fox  National  Theatres  Circuit  is  ex- 
tending duals  to  a  number  of  theatres, 
principally  in  the  West. 

Duals  finally  invaded  Minneapolis,  one 
of  the  last  of  the  few  remaining  single  bill 
strongholds. 

Akron,  Ohio,  exhibitors  attempted  to 
enforce  a  citywide  dual  ban. 

One  of  the  biggest  double  bills  of  all 
time  was  that  held  at  Kansas  City's  Lind- 
bergh theatre  —  and  it  was  free,  Warner 
Brothers  previewing  "Green  Pastures"  and 
"Anthony  Adverse". 

Probably  the  worst  defeat  suffered  to 
date  by  single  bills  threatens  in  Chicago, 
where,  after  strict  adherence  for  years, 
exhibitors  are  getting  ready  to  abandon 
a  citywide  dual  bill  ban  in  September. 
Balaban  &  Katz,  dominant  circuit  factor 
in  Chicago,  is  taking  the  lead  and  inde- 
pendents will  follow.  John  Balaban  con- 
firmed the  decision  to  change  in  a  state- 
ment to  the  trade  press  on  Tuesday,  thus 
ending  a  single  feature  policy  that  has 
prevailed  throughout  the  city  since  Octo- 
ber 12,  1932. 

Meanwhile  the  sales  divisions  of  virtually 
every  large  distributor  still  stand  in  vig- 
orous opposition  to  the  dual  practice, 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


53 


DISTRIBUTORS  WIN  FOUR  TESTS 
OF  DISPUTE  ON  TRADE  PRACTICES 


Kansas  City  Court  Decision 
Called  Final  Affirmation  of 
Legality  of  Sales  System  of 
Prior  and  Exclusive  Runs 

Industry  attention  centered  again  this 
week  on  the  persistent  fight  of  exhibitors 
for  "fair  trade  practices"  in  their  relations 
with  the  large  distributing  organizations  and 
circuits.  Kansas  City,  Milwaukee  and  New 
York  and  Newark  were  the  hubs  of  action, 
but  in  the  four  towns  the  results  were  all 
in  favor  of  the  distributor. 

Affirmation  by  a  federal  court  of  the 
legality  of  the  principle  of  clearance  was 
seen  as  the  factor  of  paramount  impor- 
tance which  came  out  of  the  decision  of 
Federal  Judge  Merrill  E.  Otis  in  Kansas 
City  in  dismissing  the  action  of  Emanuel 
Rolsky  against  Fox  Midwest  Theatres  and 
major  distributors. 

Federal  Court  Judge  Clark  in  Newark  on 
Monday  ordered  dismissal  of  anti-trust  suits, 
charging  monopolistic  practices  in  distribu- 
tion, against  Vitaphone  Distributing  Corp., 
First  National  Productions,  Inc.,  First  Na- 
tional Pictures  Distributing  Corp.,  and  RKO 
Pathe  Distributing  Corp.  The  suits  were 
ordered  dismissed  with  consent  on  grounds 
these  companies  were  not  active  when  the 
action  was  instituted  by  Ledirk  Amusement 
Co.  and  Strand  Operating  Corp.,  operators 
of  theatres  in  the  Oranges. 

Applications  of  several  other  companies 
and  executives  for  dismissal  of  similar  action 
against  them  were  denied.  Among  these 
were  Warner  Bros.  Pictures,  Inc.,  Harry  M. 
Warner,  Albert  Warner  and  Joseph  Bern- 
hard,  executives ;  First  National  Pictures, 
Inc.,  the  Vitaphone  Corp.,  Vitagraph,  Inc., 
Fox  Film  Corp.,  Paramount  Pictures  Dis- 
tributing Corp.,  RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc., 
RKO-Pathe  Pictures,  Inc.,  and  RKO  Dis- 
tributing Corp.  These  concerns  objected  to 
jurisdiction  of  the  New  Jersey  federal  court 
in  the  suits  on  the  ground  they  were  not 
doing  business  in  this  district. 

MPTOA  Plan  Waits 

At  the  same  time,  in  New  York  it  was 
considered  unlikely  that  there  would  be  any 
action  for  at  least  another  month  by  dis- 
tributors toward  conceding  any  part  of  the 
10  point  program  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Theatre  Owners  Association,  although 
representatives  of  the  organization  were  still 
hopeful  of  obtaining  some  concessions  in 
time  for  the  majority  of  the  new  season 
contracts.  In  Milwaukee,  results  of  a  prod- 
uct questionnaire  conducted  by  R.  A.  Tesch, 
business  manager  of  the  Independent  The- 
atres Protective  Association  of  Wisconsin 
and  Upper  Michigan,  indicated  that  no  one 
company  has  a  standard  sales  policy,  na- 
tional, state  or  local. 

Priority  Established  as  Legal 

That  the  principle  of  prior  and  exclusive 
runs  and  clearance  is  legal  was  quite  defin- 
itely stated  by  Judge  Merrill  E.  Otis  at 
Kansas  City. 

The  point  was  made  by  W.  E.  Kemp  and 


DOUBT  REOPENING 
OF  LINCOLN  SUIT 

There  is  little  probability  that  the 
Independent  Theatres,  Inc.,  Lincoln, 
Neb.,  federal  court  action  for  $1,- 
3  53,000,  recently  dismissed,  will  be 
reopened,  according  to  reports  follow- 
ing a  conference  of  the  board  of  di- 
rectors of  the  corporation  this  week. 
The  action  was  on  the  court  docket 
for  more  than  a  year.  It  charged  re- 
straint of  trade,  an  existing  collusion 
and  conspiracy  among  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer,  RKO,  Warners,  Univer- 
sal, United  Artists,  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury-Fox and  Paramount  distributors 
with  J.  H.  Cooper,  New  York;  Lin- 
coln Theatres  Corporation  and  Robert 
Livingston,  and  was  dismissed  with- 
out prejudice  in  June. 

Differing  opinions  of  the  direc- 
tors was  the  reported  cause  the  case 
would  not  be  reopened.  The  same  de- 
fendants had  won  a  dismissal  in  April 
on  the  State  Theatres,  Inc.,  suit  for 
$444,000,  on  the  same  charges. 


Edward  C.  Raftery  for  the  distributors  that 
if  the  principle  of  selling  first-run  theatres 
priority  of  run  is  legal,  then  it  is  lawful  to 
sell  a  15  c,ent  house  a  prior  run  over  another 
15  cent  house. 

Judge  Otis  assumed  that  interstate  com- 
merce was  involved.  On  the  second  of  the 
two  issues  he  saw  involved,  that  of  whether 
there  was  a  conspiracy  among  distributor 
defendants,  or  concerted  action,  or  agree- 
ment, he  said,  "The  conspiracy  charged  is 
of  the  character  that,  if  it  existed,  might 
have  been  proved  by  fac,ts  and  circumstances. 
But  if  from  the  facts  it  is  as  reasonable  to 
draw  a  conclusion  consistent  with  innocence 
as  one  that  imputed  illegality,  then  the 
former  must  be  adopted.  The  explanation 
which  is  consistent  with  innocence  is  so 
much  more  reasonable  than  the  explanation 
which  imputed  illegality. 

"So,  I  have  no  difficulty  in  reaching  the 
conclusion  that  there  was  no  conspiracy 
between  the  distributor  defendants." 

Says  Question  Is  Settled 

Commenting  on  the  Kansas  City  ruling 
Gabriel  L.  Hess,  general  attorney  for  the 
Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Distributors 
of  America,  Inc.,  said : 

"The  decision  of  Judge  Otis  has  upheld 
what  distributors  long  have  contended  to  be 
their  right  in  the  distribution  of  films.  The 
decision  settles  the  much  disputed  question 
of  law." 

All  Sales  Policies  Vary 

Results  of  the  product  questionnaire  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  Tesch  among  the  independent 
exhibitors  of  Wisconsin  and  Upper  Michi- 
gan, indicated  that  no  one  company  has  a 
standard  sales  policy. 

The  questionnaire  sought  information 
from  exhibitors  on  product  bought,  com- 


No  Large  Company  Has  Stand- 
ard Sales  Policy,  Milwaukee 
Independents  Show;  MPTOA 
Ten-Point  Plan  Now  Sleeping 

panies  assessing  score  charges,  on  percent- 
age pictures,  preferred  play  dates,  obliga- 
tion to  purchase  shorts,  trailers  or  news  to' 
get  features  and  companies  specifying  block 
buying. 

In  addition  to  showing  wide  variations  in 
the  sales  policies  of  the  eight  large  com- 
panies considered  in  the  questionnaire — 
MGM,  Twentieth  Century-Fox,  Paramount, 
RKO,  Columbia  Warner,  United  Artists  and 
Universal — the  survey  indicated  that  every 
company  makes  some  selective  deals  and  that 
some  exhibitors  are  given  special  cancella- 
tion privileges. 

Doubt  Early  Action  on  Practices 

No  action  by  distributors  on  conceding 
any  part  of  the  MPTOA's  10-point  trade 
practice  program  is  viewed  in  New  York 
as  likely  for  another  month,  although  repre- 
sentatives of  the  national  exhibitor  organ- 
ization are  still  hopeful  of  obtaining  some 
concessions  in  time  to  take  effect  concur- 
rently with  most  of  the  new  season  contracts. 

A  number  of  sales  executives  whose  in- 
dividual interest  would  be  capable  of  breath- 
ing new  life  into  the  program  at  this  time 
will  be  occupied  during  the  next  few  weeks 
with  the  closing  of  circuit  contracts  and 
several  plan  to  leave  on  their  annual  vaca- 
tions immediately  afterward. 

A  further  indication  lies  in  the  fact  that 
Ed  Kuykendall,  president  of  the  exhibitor 
organization,  has  no  plans  at  this  time  for 
coming  to  New  York  before  Labor  Day. 
Observers  also  believe  that  distributor  ac- 
tion, if  there  is  to  be  any,  must  be  urged 
again  by  the  exhibitor  organization's  leaders. 

In  a  recent  bulletin  to  MPTOA  members 
Mr.  Kuykendall  indicated  that  if  the  trade 
practice  program  failed  the  organization 
might  be  impelled  to  abandon  its  policy  of 
round  table  discussions  for  one  of  litigation 
and  the  sponsoring  of  industry  legislation. 
Spokesmen  believe,  however,  that  an  appeal 
would  first  be  made  directly  to  company 
heads. 


Variety  Club  To  Golf 

The  Cincinnati  Variety  Club  will  hold  its 
Second  Annual  Golf  Tournament  and  Field 
Day  on  August  17th  at  the  Hillcrest 
Country  Club,  in  Cincinnati. 


Allberg  Succeeds  Dreher 

John  Allberg  has  been  appointed  to  suc- 
ceed Carl  Dreher  as  director  of  recording 
and  patent  adviser  for  RKO-Radio.  Mr. 
Allberg  was  an  assistant  in  the  department 
for  eight  years. 


Republic  Comptroller 

Republic  Pictures  has  appointed  Grover  C 
Schaefer  comptroller.  Mr.  Schaefer  for- 
merly represented  the  film  recording  division 
of  RCA  Photophone  in  New  York. 


54 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


SHOWMEN'S 
REVIEWS 


This  department  deals  with  new 
product  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  exhibitor  who  is 
to  purvey  it  to  his  own  public 


The  Last  of  the  Mohicans 

(United  Artists — Reliance) 
Melodrama 

Thrill  action  melodrama,  heart  touching  ro- 
mance, courageous  adventure,  savage  passion, 
stark  tragedy  and  pulse  tingling  danger  are  the 
elements  of  which  this  picture  is  woven.  Elabo- 
rately produced,  panoramic  vistas  of  natural 
scenic  beauty  constituting  the  principal  back- 
grounds, the  show  completely  translates  James 
Fenimore  Cooper's  semi-historical  literary 
classic  to  screen  entertainment. 

Preserving  and  embellishing  the  full  essences 
of  the  original,  quality  acting  endows  the  film 
with  an  impressive  and  believable  appeal  to  both 
class  and  mass  patronage.  Though  the  pic- 
ture's time  is  the  immediate  pre-Revolutionary 
War  period  and  it  naturally  is  in  costume,  the 
entertainment  it  provides  is  based  on  those  en- 
during fundamentals  that  are  always  uptodate. 
Consequently  there  is  logical  basis  for  modern 
showmanship  marketing  to  arouse  maximum 
public  interest. 

Affording  an  opportunity  that  is  rare  in  cur- 
rent production,  the  show  can  be  sold  in  two 
ways.  For  the  intelligentsia,  where  that  class 
dominates  patronage,  it  can  be  publicized  as  a 
faithful  picturization  of  Cooper's  classic  of  ro- 
mance, drama  and  tragedy  told  against  the  back- 
ground of  Colonial  British-French  Indian  war- 
fare. To  the  masses,  those  who  go  for  pulsat- 
ing thrill  action  melodrama,  it  can,  frankly,  be 
presented  as  a  vivid  gangster  attraction.  In  that 
phase,  instead  of  a  swarthy  tommy  gun  toting 
menace  to  hate  and  fear  there  is  a  treacherous 
savage  Indian  (a  character  vividly  portrayed 
by  Bruce  Cabot)  to  cause  cold  shivers  to  run 
up  and  down  spines.  Likewise  there's  a  hero 
to  cheer  for,  and  there  are  two  girls,  hurled  in- 
to a  turmoil  of  peril  and  hardship,  one  finding 
love,  the  other  death,  with  whom  to  sympa- 
thize. 

The  theme  of  "The  Last  of  the  Mohicans" 
should  be  familiar  to  most  persons,  what  with 
the  prestige  of  its  worth  as  a  literary  effort. 
It's  the  story  of  two  English  girls  betrayed  in- 
to peril  by  the  treacherous  Huron,  Magua. 

That  situation  premising  all  ensuing  action, 
the  film  proceeds  to  illustrate  their  rescue  by 
Hawkeye,  Uncas  and  Chingaghook  and,  follow- 
ing a  hair-raising  canoe  chase  over  swirling 
river  rapids  in  scenes  that  are  pictorially  beau- 
tiful as  well  as  packed  to  the  hilt  with  dramatic 
thrill  action,  their  deliverance  at  Fort  Wil- 
liam Henry.  Follows  the  vividly  produced  siege 
of  the  Fort,  the  Colonial-British  capitulation 
to  General  Montcalm's  French  and  the  desertion 
of  the  Colonials  to  protect  their  families  and 
homes  from  the  depredations  of  savage  Indian 
warfare.  Again  Cora  and  Alice  are  captured 
by  Magua  in  a  wild  raid  on  the  fort  and  the 
situation  builds  to  the  memorable  battle  on  the 
cliff  in  which  Magua  kills  Uncas,  Cora  chooses 
death,  and  Magua  and  Chingaghook  fight,  with 
Chingaghook  emerging  as  the  last  of  the  Mo- 
hicans. 

A  skilful  application  and  blending  of  the  pri- 
mary requisites  of  desirable  entertainment,  the 
picture  automatically  recommends  itself  to  ex- 
hibitors and  patrons  who  appreciate  the  value 
of  quality  screen  merchandise.  Attractive  to 
any  kind  of  audience,  highbrow  or  ordinary  folk, 
adults,  adolescents  and  youngsters,  it  calls  for 
an  aggressive  campaign  that  approaches  the 
vigorous  character  of  the  show.  Readily  lending 


itself  to  contacts  with  schools,  pioneer,  historic 
or  literary  societies,  the  picture's  merit  as  en- 
tertainment places  in  exhibitors'  hands  many  op- 
portunities to  demonstrate  exploitation  ability. 

Previewed  in  the  Alexander  Theatre,  Glen- 
dale.  The  audience,  appreciative  of  the  film  in 
its  entirety,  also  evidenced  pleasure  at  seeing  the 
Indians  back  on  the  screen  as  melodramatic 
menaces. 

A  Reliance  picture  distributed  by  United  Artists. 
Produced  by  Edward  Small.  Presented  by  Harry  M. 
Goetz.  Directed  by  George  B.  Seitz.  From  James 
Fenimore  Cooper's  classic.  Screen  play  by  Philip 
Dunne.  From  an  adaptation  by  John  L.  Balderston, 
Paul  Perez  and  Daniel  Moore.  Associate  director, 
Wallace  Fox.  Photography  by  Robert  Planck.  Art 
director,  John  Ducasse  Schulze.  Musical  director,  Dr. 
Roy  Webb.  Film  editor,  Jack  Dennis.  Assistant  di- 
rector, Clem  Beauchamp.  Research  director,  Edward 
P.  Lambert.  Recorded  by  John  L.  Cass.  Gowns  by 
Franc  Smith.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2345.  Running 
time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  90  minutes.  Release 
date.  September  4,  1936.  General  audience  classifica- 
tion. 

CAST 

Hawkeye   Randolph  Scott 

Alice   Binnie  Barnes 

Major  Hey  ward  Henry  Wilcoxon 

Magua   Bruce  Cabot 

Cora   Heather  Angel 

Uncas   Phillip  Reed 

Chingaghook   Robert  Barrat 

Colonel  Munro  Hugh  Buckler 

Captain  Winthrop  Willard  Robertson 

General  Montcalm  William  Stack 

General  Abercrombie  Lumsden  Hare 

Gamut   Frank  McGlynn,  Sr. 

Jenkins   Will  Stanton 

Sachem   Wm.  V.  Mong 

de  Levis  Art  Du  Puis 

Wilham  Pitt  Ian  Maclaren 

Duke  of  Newcastle  Reginald  Barlow 

King  George  II  Olaf  Hytton 

Patroon   Lionel  Belmore 

Duke  of  Marlborough  Claude  King 

Follow  Your  Heart 

(Republic) 
Musical 

"Follow  Your  Heart"  emphatically  demon- 
strates that  the  production  of  elaborately 
mounted  musicals  is  not  an  exclusive  major 
studio  prerogative.  Centering  upon  the  presen- 
tation of  operatic,  classical,  topical  and  folk  song 
music,  in  which  Marion  Talley,  making  her 
screen  debut,  and  Michael  Bartlett  score  per- 
sonal triumphs,  and  Clarence  Muse  and  the  Hal 
Johnson  Choir  register  impressively,  the  pic- 
ture also  is  an  intelligent  blending  of  tried  and 
proved  comedy,  romantic  and  light  dramatic  en- 
tertainment fundamentals.  Although  the  sub- 
stantiating story  is  rather  thin,  smart  direc- 
tion, together  with  the  application  of  eye  and 
ear  thrilling  production  values,  causes  it  to 
serve  as  a  sound  basis  for  the  show's  chief  en- 
tertainment quality — the  musical  content. 

Initially  the  picture  is  a  domestic  comedy 
drama.  This  phase  concerns  itself  with  the  an- 
tics of  the  Forrester  family,  an  at-liberty  and 
stranded  troupe  living  in  the  old  family  man- 
sion. As  Luis  Alberni,  Nigel  Bruce,  Mickey 
Rentschler  contribute  to  the  hectic  gayety, 
Bruce  prevails  upon  the  only  sane  member  of 
the  menage,  Marion  Talley,  to  finance  a  tour. 
She,  convinced  that  all  are  batty,  furnishes  the 
money,  but  absolutely  refuses  to  join  them. 
With  the  return  of  the  flopping  troubadors,  to 
whom  have  been  added  Michael  Bartlett,  Vi- 
vienne Osborne,  Henrietta  Crossman  and  Ben 
Blue,  the  show  really  gets  under  way  as  a  mu- 
sical. 

Hearing  a  voice,  Bartlett  knows  that  at  last 
they  have  the  prima  donna  necessary  to  make 
the  troupe  a  big  league  attraction.    In  his  en- 


thusiasm, not  knowing  that  Miss  Talley  is  sing- 
ing, he  makes  a  mistake  and  sends  for  glad 
hand  promoter  Walter  Catlett  to  come  and  lis- 
ten. That  worthy  takes  one  listen-and-look  at 
Margaret  Irving  and  departs  in  a  hurry.  Later, 
Bartlett  hears  Miss  Talley  singing  to  Rent- 
schler's  French  horn  accompaniment  and  then 
begins  the  battle  to  get  her  to  join  the  show. 
Complicated  by  her  adamant  refusal  plus  her 
romantic  attraction  to  staid  John  Eldredge, 
Bartlett  has  to  resort  to  daring  tactics. 

Miss  Talley's  singing  of  several  operatic, 
classical,  thematic  and  specially  prepared  num- 
bers is  an  artistic  treat.  Similarly  the  singing 
of  Bartlett  is  of  high  artistic  caliber.  The  pro- 
duction, in  settings,  costumes,  backgrounds,  all 
enhanced  greatly  by  excellent  photography,  com- 
pare favorably  with  the  most  pretentious  offer- 
ings of  any  company.  While  there  are  several 
slow  spots  in  the  picture  as  previewed,  its  spon- 
sors, undoubtedly  tremendously  impressed  by  au- 
dience reaction,  can  be  depended  upon  to  elimi- 
nate them 

Previewed  in  the  Fox  Wilshire  Theatre,  Los 
Angeles.  This  house  plays  to  predominantly 
class  patronage,  liberally  sprinkled,  neverthe- 
less, with  ordinary  theatre  goers.  Both  groups 
left  no  doubt  as  to  their  high  opinion  of  the 
show.  McCarthy,  Hollywood 

Distributed  by  Republic  Pictures.  A  Nat  Levine 
production.  Directed  by  Aubrey  Scotto.  Associate 
producer,  Albert  E.  Levoy.  Supervised  by  Leonard 
Fields.  Screen  play  by  Lester  Cole,  Nathanael  West 
and  Samuel  Ornitz.  Additional  dialogue  by  Olive 
Cooper.  Story  based  on  idea  by  Dana  Burnet.  Songs 
by  Victor  Schertzinger.  Additional  lyrics  by  Sydney 
Mitchell  and  Walter  Bullock.  Dance  director,  Larry 
Ceballos.  Music  settings  by  Dr.  Hugo  Riesenfeld. 
Musical  supervision,  Harry  Grey.  Supervising  editor, 
Murray  Seldeen.  Photography  by  John  Mescall  and 
Allyn  C.  Jones.  Film  editors,  Ernest  Nims  and  Rob- 
ert Simpson.  Sound  engineer,  Terry  Kellum.  Cos- 
tumes by  Eloise.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2409.  Run- 
ning time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  90  minutes.  (To  be 
cut.)  Release  date,  September  5,  1936.  General  audi- 
ence classification. 

CAST 

Marian  Forrester  Marion  Talley 

Michael   Williams  Michael  Bartlett 

Henri  Forrester  Nigel  Bruce 

Tony   Luis  Alberni 

Madam  Bovard  Henrietta  Crosman 

Gloria  Vivienne  Osborne 

Shelton   Walter  Catlett 

Tommy  Forrester  Mickey  Rentschler 

Harrison  Beecher  John  Eldredge 

Louise   Margaret  Irving 

Specialty  Dancer  Eunice  Healey 

Ben  Blue  Ben  Blue 

Mr.  Hawks  Si  Jenks 

Mrs.  Plunkett  Josephine  Whittell 

Choir  Leader  Clarence  Muse 

Hall  Johnson  Choir 


Sing,  Baby,  Sing 

(20th  Century -Fox) 
Comedy 

As  sheer  nonsensical  farce,  "Sing,  Baby, 
Sing"  is  so  different  from  any  recent  or  cur- 
rent comedy  picture  that  possibility  of  com- 
parison is  precluded.  A  merry,  mad  piece  of 
film  merchandise,  it's  one  round  of  foolishness. 
For  ninety  minutes,  with  one  ridiculous  situa- 
tion serving  as  a  basis  for  the  tomfoolery,  the 
film  rings  in  a  succession  of  nutty  interludes 
and  specialties. 

Whatever  happens,  whether  it's  musical  or 
supposed  to  be  dramatic,  the  air  of  high  or 
low  comedy  never  is  forgotten.  It  may  be  the 
Ritz  Brothers  presenting  their  insanely  con- 
ceived specialties,  particularly  their  burlesquing 
of  Dr.  Jekyll  and  Mr.  Hyde,  with  Frankenstein 
(Continued  on  page  59) 


THESE  ARE  RELEASES 
ABOUT  TO  BREAK. . .  ONE 
COMING  IMMEDIATELY  AFTER 
THE  OTHER... ALL  WITHIN 
THE  FIRST  QUARTER  OF 
THE  1936-37  SEASON... THE 
FASTEST,  HARDEST-HITTING 
SCHEDULE  WE  HAVE  EVER  HAD 

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COLUMBIA  PICTURES 


1,384 
Pages  of 
Vital 
Facts 

including  the  follow- 
ing important  depart- 
ments: Who's  Who, 
Corporate  Structures, 
Annual  Releases,  The- 
atre Circuits,  Produc- 
ing and  Distributing 
Personnel,  Film  Edi- 
tors, Equipment, 
Abroad. 

$3.00  per  Copy 
plus  postage 


OP 


Edited  by 
TERRY  RAMSAYE 


It's  a  Wonder  Book" 


J.  W.  McNamara,  Boston  exhibitor,  says  of  the  1936-7  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac:  "Thanks  much  for  my  Almanac,  it  certainly 
is  a  wonder  book." 

INTERNATIONAL 
MOTION  PICTURE  ALMANAC 


A        QUICLEY         PUB    LICAT  ION 

ROCKEFELLER         CENTER  NEW  YORK 


August     15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


59 


thrown  in  for  good  measure,  that  are  per- 
mitted to  go  wild  on  the  screen.  It  may  be 
Ted  Healy's  frantic  attempts  to  prove  that  he's 
a  magician,  or  it  may  permit  Patsy  Kelly  to 
be  the  object  of  interest  for  the  moment.  But 
when  they  and  the  many  others  have  had  their 
fling — while  even  Michael  Whelan  tries  to  pro- 
mote his  romance  with  Alice  Faye  and  at  the 
same  time  keep  her  on  an  even  keel  as  she 
mixes  up  with  Adolphe  Menjou,  definitely  and 
grandly  recreating  the  addle-brained  Shakes- 
perean  trooper — the  picture  goes  mad  again. 

There's  no  rhyme  or  reason  to  all  that  hap- 
pens. Laugh  provocation  is  the  film's  sole  ob- 
jective and  no  matter  what  ridiculous  angles 
have  to  be  attacked,  they  are  approached  with 
zip  and  zest.  Still,  everything  is  done  with  the 
utmost,  good  taste  to  establish  "Sing,  Baby, 
Sing"  'as  the  kind  of  attraction  one  can  safely 
put  his  endorsement  on  as  one  of  the  funniest 
pictures  of  the  season.  A  whirlwind  of  silliness 
that  is  always  desirable  entertainment,  it's  the 
kind  of  picture  that  permits  exhibitors  to  enjoy 
high  carnival  of  ridiculous  ballyhoo. 

Previewed  in  studio  projection  room. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Twentieth  Century -Fox. 
Directed  by  Sidney  Lanfield.  Associate  producer,  B. 
G.  De  Sylva.  Screen  play  by  Milton  Sperling,  Jack 
Yellen  and  Harry  Tugend.  Original  story  by  Milton 
Sperling  and  Jack  Yellen.  Music  and  lyrics:  "Love 
Will  Tell"  and  "Sing,  Baby,  Sing,"  by  Lew  Pollack 
and  Jack  Yellen;  "You  Turned  the  Tables  on  Me," 
by  Louis  Adler  and  Sidney  D.  Mitchell;  "When  Did 
You  Leave  Heaven?"  by  Richard  A.  Whiting  and 
Walter  Bullock.  Photographed  by  Peverell  Marley. 
Art  director,  Mark -Lee  Kirk.  Set  decorations  by 
Thomas  Little.  Assistant  director,  Fred  Fox.  Film 
editor,  Barbara  McLean.  Costumes  by  Royer. 
Sound,  Arthur  Von  Kirbach,  Roger  Heman.  Musical 
direction,  Louis  Silvers.  P.  .  A.  Certificate  No.  2414. 
Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  90  minutes. 
Release  date,  August  21,  1936.  General  audience  classi- 
fication. 

CAST 

Joan  Warren   Alice  Faye 

Bruce  Farraday   Adolphe  Menjou 

Nicky   Gregory  Ratoff 

Al  Craven   Ted  Healy 

Fitz   Patsy  Kelly 

Ted  Blake   Michael  Whalen 

Ritz  Brothers   Themselves 

Robert  Wilson   Montagu  Love 

Telephone  Operator   Dixie  Dunbar 

Mac   Douglas  Fowley 

Tony  Renaldo   Tony  Martin 

Farraday's  Nurse    Virginia  Field 

Brewster   Paul  Stanton 

Doctor   Paul  McVey 

Joe   Cully  Richards 


Stage  Struck 

(First  National) 
Comedy  Romance  Drama 

Produced  by  an  organization  specializing  in 
the  presentation  of  girl  glamoured,  music  em- 
bellished, lavishly  mounted  backstage  shows,  this 
is  a  tuneful  comedy  romance  drama  of  rather 
different  variety.  Not  unique  but,  nevertheless, 
refreshing  motivating  story  quality  vies  for  en- 
tertainment supremacy  with  colorfully  mounted 
spectacle  features,  songs  and  specialty  numbers. 

The  cast,  headed  by  Dick  Powell,  Joan  Blon- 
dell,  Warren  William  and  Frank  McHugh,  is 
backed  up  by  a  long  list  of  familiar  names,  while 
one  newcomer,  Jeanne  Madden,  makes  an  im- 
pressive debut.  Compared  to  earlier  pictures 
made  by  this  company  and  considering  future 
films  of  the  same  classification,  "Stage  Struck" 
seems  to  have  the  qualities  that  please  patrons 
of  song  studded  comedy. 

Not  discounting  the  importance  which  in- 
serted production  effects  exert  upon  narrative, 
the  plot,  in  line  with  title  significance,  carries 
audiences  into  a  full  backstage  atmosphere.  The 
theme  is  written  around  a  stage  struck  girl, 
Peggy  Revere,  who  wants  to  be  a  leading  lady 
and  is  willing  to  finance  production  if  only 
given  the  opportunity.  Continually  played  in 
the  atmosphere  of  comedy,  with  dance  director 
George  Randall  driven  to  distraction  by  Harris' 
demands  that  Peggy  be  given  a  part,  the  result 
is  that  Peggy  walks  out  on  Harris,  who  fires 
Randall.  As  affairs  in  Peggy's  private  life  add 
to  the  comedy  and  light  drama  of  the  offering, 
another  stagestruck  damsel,  Ruth  Williams, 
fresh  from  the  country,  asks  jobless  Randall  for 
a  job. 

The  picture  can  be  sold  as  a  comedy,  musi- 


cal or  girl  glamour  feature.  Though  seemingly 
long  in  running  time,  action  is  fast  paced,  music 
and  dance  numbers  are  included  in  the  right 
spots,  while  the  humorous  contrast  to  the  ro- 
mantic and  light  dramatic  situations  accounts 
for  plenty  of  laughs. 
Previezved  in  the  studio  projection  room. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Warner-First  National. 
Directed  by  Busby  Berkeley.  Screen  play  by  Tom 
Buckingham  and  Pat  C.  Flick.  Story  by  Robert  Lord. 
Lyrics  and  music  by  E.  Y.  Harburg  and  Harold  Ar- 
len.  "The  Income  Tax"  and  "The  Body  Beautiful" 
written  and  sung  by  the  Yacht  Club  Boys.  Assistant 
director,  Bill  Cannon.  Orchestral  arrangements  by  Ray 
Heindorf.  Photography  by  Byron  Haskin,  A.  S.  C. 
Film  Editor,  Tom  Richards.  Musical  director,  Leo 
F.  Forbstein.  Art  director,  Robert  Haas.  Gowns  by 
Orry-Kelly.  _  Special  photographic  effects  by  Fred 
Jackman.  Dialogue  director,  Irving  Rapper.  P.  C.  A. 
Certificate  No.  2074.  Running  time,  when  seen  in 
Hollywood,  90  minutes.  Release  date,  September  12, 
1936.    General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

George  Randall  Dick  Powell 

Peggy  Revere  Joan  Blondell 

Fred  Harris  Warren  William 

Sid   Frank  McHugh 

Ruth  Williams  Jeanne  Madden 

Grace   Carol  Hughes 

Gilmore  Frost  Craig  Reynolds 

Wayne   Hobart  Cavanaugh 

Oscar  Freud  Johnnie  Arthur 

Mrs.  Randall  Spring  Byington 

Dr.  Stanley  Thomas  Pogue 

Burns  Heywood  Andrew  Tombes 

Toots  O'Connor  Lulu  McConnell 

Cooper  Val  Stanton 

Marley   Ernie  Stanton 

Riordan   Edward  Gargan 

Heney    Ed.  Chandler 

Yvonne   Libby  Taylor 

Mrs.   Cassidy  Mary  Gordon 

Yacht  Club  Boys 


A  Son  Comes  Home 

(Paramount) 
Character  Drama 

Although  this  picture  has  not  been  the  bene- 
ficiary of  any  great  advance  ballyhoo,  it  seems 
to  be  one  that,  under  skillful  showmanship  han- 
dling, can  make  a  profound  impression  upon 
those  who  see  it.  It's  an  off  the  beaten  path  type 
of  picture;  the  kind  which  in  comparison  with 
the  current  run  of  entertainment  took  consider- 
able courage  to  produce.  Mainly  it  is  a  char- 
acter drama.  It  tells  the  story  of  a  woman  who 
put  her  sense  of  justice  and  fair  play  above  that 
of  mother  love.  In  doing  so  it  glows  with  a 
warm,  human  tenderness,  with  pathos  and 
drama  that  play  upon  the  emotions.  As  Mary 
Boland,  essaying  her  first  dramatic  screen  role, 
performs  in  a  manner  that  calls  for  the  use  of 
superlatives,  the  story  is  honestly  presented, 
directed  with  precision  that  eschews  any  arti- 
ficiality and  acted  by  the  entire  cast  in  a  manner 
to  match  the  strides  of  Miss  Boland. 

As  a  kind-hearted  proprietor  of  a  San  Fran- 
cisco waterfront  chowder  house,  Mary  Grady's 
great  heartache  is  concern  for  her  runaway  son. 
Legitimately,  reporter  Steve  publicizes  her  as 
the  angel  of  the  waterfront.  A  gas  station  at- 
tendant is  killed  and  an  innocent  accomplice 
in  the  act,  Denny,  is  arrested.  Reading  the 
papers,  he  gets  the  idea  of  palming  himself  off 
as  Mary's  son.  The  sympathetic  woman,  how- 
ever, detects  the  ruse,  but  her  heart  goes  out  to 
a  homeless  boy  in  trouble.  In  Mary's  home, 
Denny  sees  a  picture  of  her  deceased  husband 
and  recognizes  in  it  a  resemblance  to  the  killer. 
Calling  upon  Steve  for  assistance,  a  transient 
sailor  named  Brennan  is  brought  face  to  face 
with  Mary.  Mutual  recognition  is  immediate, 
and  though  Mary's  son  makes  a  brutally  des- 
perate plea  for  motherly  help,  Mary  demands 
that  the  boy  acknowledge  his  crime  that  an  in- 
nocent boy  may  be  saved.  Frantic,  Brennan  tries 
to  escape,  only  to  be  mowed  down  by  the  police, 
and  Mary  goes  home  tc  take  Denny  as  her  son. 

So  played  that  it  is  compelling  in  its  emo- 
tional dramatic  quality,  with  never  a  trace  of 
sloppy  sentimentality,  the  straight  from  the 
shoulder  character  of  the  show  has  appeal  for 
patrons  who  understand  and  appreciate  sincerely 
presented  serious  entertainment.  As  the  preview 
audience  recognized  its  merit  by  watching  in 
silence,  it  is  evident  that  if  the  film's  substance 
is  made  known  to  the  theatre  going  public  they 
will  support  it  in  a  manner  worthy  of  its  value 


and  importance  as  sympathy  stirring  screen 
merchandise. 

Previezved  in  Ritz  Theatre,  Los  Angeles. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Paramount.  Produced 
by  Albert  Lewis.  Directed  by  E.  A.  Dupont.  Story 
by  Harry  Hervey.  Screen  play  by  Sylvia  Thalberg. 
Art  direction,  Hans  Dreier  and  Earl  Hedrick.  Photo- 
graphed by  William  Mellor.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No. 
2396.  Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  75 
minutes.  Release  date,  July  31,  1936.  General  audi- 
ence classification. 

CAST 

Mary  Grady    Mary  Boland 

Jo    Julie  Haydon 

Denny    Donald  Woods 

Steve    Wallace  Ford 

Detective  Kennedy    Roger  Imhof 

Brennan    Anthony  Nace 

Effie  Wimple    Gertrude  W.  Hoffman 

Essie  Wimple    Eleanor  Wesselhoeft 

Prosecutor    Charles  Middleton 

District  attorney    Thomas  Jackson 

Gasoline  station  owner   John  Wray 

Sheriff    Robert  Middlemass 

Proprietor    Lee  Kohlmar 

Bladen  (defense  attorney)  Herbert  Rawlinson 

Nurse    Ann  Evers 


nccadi  lly  J  im 

(  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  ) 
Comedy 

A  comedy,  this  is  the  kind  of  picture  that 
pleases  any  kind  of  audience  of  any  age  or 
taste.  In  story  content,  prestige  of  stars  and 
supporting  players,  substantiating  production 
values  and  quality  of  entertainment  provided,  it 
is  running  over  with  showmanship  availability. 

From  first  to  last,  in  dialogue,  situations  and 
action,  the  film  is  light,  gay  and  airy.  While 
it  is  that  type  of  picture  that  permits  many 
things  to  be  said  about  it  to  pique  patron  inter- 
est, one  of  its  outstanding  features  is  that  it 
presents  Robert  Montgomery  in  the  type  of 
character  that  won  him  legions  of  admirers. 
Likewise  the  work  of  the  other  cast  members, 
especially  Cora  Witherspoon,  Frank  Morgan, 
Eric  Blore ,  Billie  Burke,  Robert  Benchley, 
Tommy  Bupp,  Ralph  Forbes,  is  of  the  caliber 
that  makes  for  much  happiness  for,  all  who  see 
the  attraction. 

Early  London-localed  sequences  smartly  es- 
tablish identities  and  hint  at  the  ensuing  theme. 
Carnoonist  Jim  Crocker's  particular  activity  in 
life  is  exercising  of  filial  control  over  his  play- 
boy ham  actor  father.  At  the  moment,  Crocker, 
Sr.,  is  all  agog  over  Eugenia  Pett,  but  he  gets 
nothing  but  the  cold  shoulder  and  bum's  rush 
from  social  climber  Cora  Pett,  who  keeps  hus- 
band Herbert  and  daughter  Eugenia  under  her 
thumb,  though  she  can't  do  much  with  the 
family  razzing  brat  Ogden.  In  the  meantime, 
Jim  has  become  all  excited  over  Ann  Chester, 
a  young  lady  who  always  manages  to  elude 
him.  To  avenge  his  father's  shoddy  treatment 
at  the  hands  of  Cora,  Jim,  with  the  nom  de 
plume  Piccadilly  Jim,  starts  a  cartoon  series 
lampooing  the  Petts. 

Previewed  in  W estwood  Village  Theatre. 
The  highly  appreciative  audience  frequently  in- 
terrupted the  picture  with  applause.  The  reac- 
tion follozving  the  jadeout  was  one  of  extreme 
appreciation. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 
Produced  by  Harry  Rapf.  Directed  by  Robert  Z. 
Leonard.  Screen  play  by  Charles  Brackett  and  Edwin 
Knopf.  From  the  book  by  P.  G.  Wodehouse.  Musical 
score  by  Dr.  William  Axt.  Recording  director,  Doug- 
las Shearer.  Art  director,  Cedric  Gibbons.  Associates, 
Joseph  Wright,  Edwin  B.  Willis.  Wardrobe  by  Dolly 
Tree.  Photographed  by  Joseph  Ruttenberg.  Film 
editor,  William  S.  Gray.  Assistant  director,  Sandy 
Roth.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2456.  Running  time, 
when  seen  in  Hollywood,  90  minutes  (to  be  cut).  Re- 
lease date,  August  14,  1936.  General  audience  classifi- 
cation. 

CAST 

Jim  Crocker   Robert  Montgomery 

Mr.  Crocker   Frank  Morgan 

Ann  Chester   Madge  Evans 

Bayliss   Eric  Blore 

Eugenia   Billie  Burke 

Macon   Robert  Benchley 

Lord  Priory   Ralph  Forbes 

Nesta  Pett   Cora  Witherspoon 

Ogden  Pett   Tommy  Bupp 

Paducah   Aileen  Pringle 

Herbert  Pett   Grant  Mitchell 

Editor   E.  E.  Clive 

Taxi-Driver   Billy  Bevan 

{.Reviews  continued  on  paiw  62') 


MARY  OF 

HOLDS  FOR 
RADIO  CITY 

ONLY  FIVE  PICTURES  SINCE  THE 
EST  THEATRE,  FOUR  YEARS  AGO, 


R  K  O 
RADIO 


PICTURES 


SCOTLAND 
TURD  WEEK 
MUSIC  HALL 

OPENING  OF  THE  WORLD'S  LARG- 
HAVE  HELD  FOR  THREE  WEEKS . . . 

"LITTLE  WOMEN"* 
"TOP  HAT"  * 
"FOLLOW  THE  FLEET"* 
"LOVE  ME  FOREVER" 
"MARY  OF  SCOTLAND"* 

FOUR  OUT  OF  THE  FIVE 
ARE  RKO-RADIO  PICTURES 


62 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


Star  for  a  Night 

(20th  Century-Fox) 
Comedy  Drama  Spectacle 

Here's  a  show  that  looks  like  money  in  the 
bank.  It's  made  up  of  things  people  like  to  see. 
It  runs  the  range  of  entertainment  showman- 
ship from  domestic  comedy  drama,  through 
which  runs  a  vein  of  appealing  pathos,  to  an 
action  packed  spectacle  of  on-stage  life.  Based 
on  a  gay  deception  idea,  it  moves  to  the  tune 
of  drama,  comedy,  romance,  conspiracy,  music 
and  hokum  atmosphered  melodrama.  The  hu- 
man interest  manner  in  which  all  the  elements 
are  blended  elevates  the  film  to  a  status  of 
screen  merchandise  of  above  average  values. 

Though  much  ground  is  covered,  the  plot  is 
simple  and  appealing.  Living  in  Austria,  Mrs. 
Lind,  afflicted  with  blindness,  believes  her  three 
children  in  America  are  great  personalities.  As 
they  have  scrimped  and  saved  to  provide  surgi- 
cal attention  for  her,  they  likewise  have  deluded 
her  into  thinking  they  are  doing  all  right  for 
themselves.  But  in  New  York,  stage  star  Nina 
is  only  a  chorus  girl ;  Anna,  rather  than  being 
a  concert  pianist,  is  a  dime  store  song  plugger, 
and  Fritz  is  not  an  auto  magnate  but  drives  a 
taxi. 

Without  warning,  Mrs.  Lind  arrives  to  live 
with  her  famous  brood.  Then  the  fun  begins. 
Inspired  by  Nina,  the  family  are  to  continue  the 
deception  rather  than  break  their  mother's 
heart.  It's  pathos  tinged  fun  when  Fritz  rides 
her  home  in  his  taxi.  It  is  continued  in  the 
Third  Avenue  walk-up  flat  which  the  unseeing 
mother  is  made  to  believe  is  a  veritable  palace. 
The  story  turns  hilariously  comic  when  Nina, 
along  with  show  girl  pals  Mamie  and  Mildred, 
convinces  golddigger  chorine  Ellen  that  she 
should  send  her  boy  friend  on  a  vacation  and 
permit  the  menage  to  move  into  her  gaudy 
apartment.  A  dramatic  twist  is  taken  when  Dr. 
Spellmeyer,  romantically  inclined  toward  Anna, 
and  sympathetic  to  the  deception,  starts  to 
treat  Mrs.  Lind's  eyes  and  panic  stricken  Nina 
decides  something  must  be  done  if  she  is  to  con- 
tinue the  illusion  that  she's  a  star. 

Where  the  picture  is  supposed  to  be  dramatic, 
it  is  so.  Emotion  stirring  quality,  rather  than 
being  ladled  on,  is  applied  intelligently  and  be- 
lievably.  When  it's  comedy,  it's  novel,  gay  and 
refreshing  fun.  There's  a  combination  of  ele- 
ments for  any  taste. 

Previewed  in  the  Fox  Wilshire  Theatre.  Au- 
dience reaction  zvas  highly  favorable. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox.  Executive  producer,  Sol  M.  Wurtzel.  Directed 
by  Lewis  Seller.  Screen  play  by  Frances  Hyland, 
Saul  Elkins.  Based  on  the  play  "Die  Heilige  Luege" 
by  Karin  Michaelis.  Music  and  lyrics,  "Over  a  Cup 
of  Coffee"  and  "Down  Around  Malibu  Way"  by 
Harry  Akst  and  Sidney  Clare.  Photography  by  Er- 
nest Palmer.  Art  direction  by  Duncan  Cramer.  As- 
sistant director,  Sidney  Bowen.  Film  editor,  Alex 
Troffey.  Costumes  by  Herschel.  Sound.  George  Lev- 
erett,  Harry  Leonard.  Musical  direction  by  Samuel 
Kaylin.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2421.  Running  time, 
when  seen  in  Hollywood,  75  minutes.  Release  date, 
August  28,  1936.  General  audience  classification. 
CAST 

Nina  Lind  Claire  Trevor 

Mrs.  Lind  Jane  Darwell 

Mamie   Arline  Judge 

Anna  Lmd  Evelyn  Venable 

Dr.  Spellmeyer  J.  Edward  Bromberg 

Fritz  Lind  ■  Dean  Jagger 

James  Dunning  Alan  Dinehart 

Ellen   Joyce  Compton 

Mildred   Susan  Fleming 

Kathenne  Lind  Adrienne  Marden 

Dr.  Helmkin  Frank  Reicher 

Paul  Lind  Dickie  Walters 

Eddie   Chick  Chandler 

Josephine  Lang  Astrid  Allwyn 

Hattie   Hattie  McDaniel 


China  Clipper 


(Warner) 
Drama 

"China  Clipper"  is  really  two  stories.  In 
stirring  dramatic  fashion  one  phase  traces  the 
history  of  American  commercial  aviation  devel- 
opment. The  other  tells  the  human  interest 
story  of  a  man,  an  idea  and  an  ideal.  As  it 
depicts  the  progress  of  aviation  from  the  period 
immediately  following  the  war  to  its  present 


status,  the  film  literally  is  a  scientific  education. 
As  it  tells  the  story  of  the  man  who  sacrificed 
everything,  family,  home  and  friends  on  the 
altar  of  his  vision,  dreaming  that  one  day  he 
would  see  his  hopes  realized,  it  is  human  in- 
terest entertainment  of  high  caliber. 

Paying  tribute  to  the  ingenuity  and  courage 
of  the  men,  who  in  the  face  of  insurmountable 
obstacles  made  possible  the  present  status  of 
commercial  aviation,  Pat  O'Brien,  inspired  by 
Lindbergh's  conquest  of  the  Atlantic,  plans  a 
trans-Pacific  line.  With  flying  buddy  Ross 
Alexander,  designer  H.  B.  Walthall  and  backer 
Addison  Richards,  O'Brien  starts  a  Washing- 
ton-Philadelphia line  which  shortly  succumbs 
to  financial  troubles.  Still  pursuing  his  dream, 
O'Brien,  despite  the  pleas  of  his  wife,  Beverly 
Roberts,  to  devote  his  efforts  otherwise,  but 
joined  by  another  buddy,  Humphrey  Bogart, 
prevails  upon  Alexander  and  Walthall  to  ex- 
periment with  him  on  the  first  clipper  ships 
flying  the  Caribbean.  Success  of  the  line,  a 
matter  of  record,  intensifies  O'Brien's  dream  to 
span  the  Pacific.  His  devotion  to  his  ideal  caus- 
ing his  wife  to  leave  him  and  Bogart  to  be 
fired,  O'Brien  drives  Walthall  to  his  death 
working  on  plans  for  the  China  Clipper.  Mort- 
gaging his  South  American  line  holdings  to 
finance  the  flight,  O'Brien's  sacrifices  bring  ace 
flyer  Bogart  back  to  him.  Against  the  most 
tremendous  hazards  the  big  ship  takes  off.  Sus- 
pense is  rigid  as  the  world  and  O'Brien  await 
news  of  the  ship.  When  it  lands  safely  in  China 
and  word  is  flashed  back,  O'Brien  and  Miss 
Roberts  happily  discuss  a  second  honeymoon 
on  the  China  Clipper. 

An  exploitation  show  if  there  ever  was  one. 

Previewed  in  Warner's  Hollywood  Theatre. 
Reaction  of  the  audience  denoted  wide  popu- 
larity for  the  picture'. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Warner-First  National. 
Directed  by  Raymond  Enright.  Assistant  director, 
Lee  Katz.  Screen  play  by  Frank  Wead.  Photographed 
by  Arthur  Edeson.  Film  editor,  Owen  Marks.  Special 
photographic  effects  by  Fred  Jackman.  Art  director, 
Max  Parker.  Dialogue  director,  Gene  Lewis.  Gowns 
by  Orry-Kelly.  Musical  director,  Leo  F.  Forbstein. 
P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2227.  Running  time,  when 
seen  in  Hollywood,  83  minutes.  Release  date,  August 
22,  1936.    General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Dave  Logan    Pat  O'Brien 

Jean  Logan    Beverly  Roberts 

Tom  Collins    Ross  Alexander 

Hap  Stuart    Humphrey  Bogart 

Sunny  Avery    Marie  Wilson 

Jim  Horn    Joseph  Crehan 

Mr.  Pierson    Joseph  King 

B.  C.  Hill    Addison  Richards 

Mother  Brunn    Ruth  Robinson 

Dad  Brunn   Henry  B.  Walthall 

Radio  operator  on  Clipper  Carlyle  Moore,  Jr. 

Co-pilot  on  Clipper    Lyle  Moraine 

Co-pilot  on  Clipper   Dennis  Moore 

Navigator    Wayne  Morris 

Bill  Andrews    Alexander  Cross 

Pilot    William  Wright 

Department  of  Commerce  inspector. .  .Kenneth  Harlan 

Secretary    Anne  Nagel 

Secretary    Marjorie  Weaver 

Radio  operator    Milburn  Stone 

Radio  operator    Owen  King 

Mickey's  Circus 

(U.A.-Disney) 
Color  Cartoon 

Star  performer  in  Mickey's  circus  is  Donald 
Duck,  whose  star  performers,  in  turn,  are 
trained  seals,  big  and  little  and  unanimously 
hungry,  whose  alternate  defiance  and  obedience 
of  their  maestro  impart  to  the  subject  its 
humor.  The  tempo  is  well  maintained  and  there 
are  at  least  two  laughs  that  start  at  the  waist- 
line, quite  a  number  of  lesser  ones. — Running 
time,  8  minutes. 

Listen  To  Freezin' 

(RKO  Radio) 
Fair  Comedy 

Billed  as  a  burlesque  on  high-pressure  sales- 
manship with  story  by  Al  Boasberg,  this  short 
subject  is  only  fair  comedy.  A  newly  mar- 
ried couple  await  the  arrival  of  the  bride's 
mother.  When  she  does  appear  she  complains 
about  the  house,  so  the  husband  obligingly 
moves  to  a  bungalow.    The  mother  then  kicks 


about  the  old-fashioned  ice-box,  so  husband 
and  wife  set  out  to  buy  a  refrigerator.  They 
meet  a  super-salesman,  who  talks  them  into 
buying  one  of  every  model  in  the  store.  Play- 
ers are  Lew  Kelly,  Ruth  Hiatt,  Elsie  Newell 
and  Edward  Keane.  Running  time,  15  minutes. 


Hill  Tillies 

(MGM) 
Good  Comedy 

A  good  comedy  featuring  the  team  of  Patsy 
Kelly  and  Lyda  Roberti.  The  two  girls,  desirous 
of  some  publicity,  migrate  to  the  woods  for  a 
10-day  stay.  They  become  lost  and  their  agent 
sends  two  Indians  in  the  woods  to  find  them. 
After  their  experience  with  the  Indians  and  a 
crazy  man,  the  girls  are  ready  to  call  it  a  day. 
Running  time,  18  minutes. 


Pathe  Topics,  No.  7 

(RKO  Radio) 
Timely 

A  timely  and  interesting  picturization  of 
Harvard  University,  which  this  year  is  cele- 
brating its  300th  anniversary.  The  oldest  Uni- 
versity in  this  country,  Harvard  has  buildings 
dating  back  to  pre-revolutionary  days  which 
the  camera  depicts  from  various  angles.  Other 
points  of  historical  interest  covered  include  the 
Harvard  Yard  and  the  chapel  built  to  com- 
memorate the  University's  World  War  dead. 
Running  time,  9  minutes. 

Going  Places,  No.  25 

(Universal) 
Historic  Nova  Scotia 

Comprehensive  scenes  of  the  land  of  the  Aca- 
dians  are  here  depicted,  with  narrative  by 
Lowell  Thomas.  Apple  trees  brought  by  the 
French  settlers  are  now  thriving  orchards,  pro- 
ducing cider.  In  the  Bay  of  Fundy  a  7,000-ton 
steamer  enters  the  Avon  river  at  high  tide  and 
a  few  hours  later  is  resting  high  and  dry  on 
the  bottom,  waiting  for  the  high  tide  to  continue 
on  its  journey.  Shots  of  trapping  fish  in  the 
low  tide  and  lobster  fishing  complete  the  short. 
Running  time,  10  minutes. 


Lulu's  Love 

(Paramount) 
Puppet  Show 

This  is  a  puppet  show.  The  puppets  are 
called  plastic  puppets.  That  seems  to  mean  that 
they  are  flexible  instead  of,  or  as  well  as,  articu- 
lated. Most  of  the  puppets  are  in  canine  image. 
They  are  endowed  with  human  attributes.  They 
portray  a  rudimentary  love  story.  The  figures 
are  peculiarly  unprepossessing  and  the  comedy 
is  of  lean  and  meagre  kind.  It  is  all  very  dull. 
— Running  time,  10  minutes. 


Mickey's  Rival 

(U.A.-Disney) 
Color  Cartoon 

A  pleasantly  pastoral  interlude  is  afforded  by 
the  triumph  of  Mickey  over  a  bull  and  a  smart- 
aleck  rival,  reminiscent  of  the  Max  Hare  seen 
in  other  Disney  subjects,  who  interrupt,  singly 
and  together,  his  picnic  with  the  fair  Minnie. 
The  subject  is  less  complex  than  many  of  the 
recent  Disney  fabrications  but  wholly  entertain- 
ing.— Running  time,  %Y\  minutes. 


Play,  Don 

( Paramount ) 
Orchestral  Short 

Don  Bestor,  heard  on  a  popular  radio  pro- 
gram a  while  back,  puts  his  band  through  its 
paces  in  front  of  a  studio  audience  that  looks 
and  acts  a  little  too  much  like  a  studio  audience 
to  do  the  band  or  soloists  much  good.  They 
could  have  used  help,  too.  The  highlight  is  a 
vibra-harp  solo  by  Bestor,  who  uses  the  surefire 
"Star  Dust"  for  the  purpose.  Otherwise  the 
subject  is  pretty  placid. — Running  time,  11  min- 
utes. 


Most  thrilling 


RANDOLPH  SCOTT 
as  "Hawkeye"  the  primi- 
tive man  of  the  forest . .  . 


BINNIE  BARNES 
'Alice"  who  loved 
dangerously . . . 


JAMES  FENIMORE  COOPER'S 

Immortal  Classic 


HENRY  WIICOXON 
as  "Major  Heyward"  courage- 
ous in  love  and  war. 


PHILIP  REED 
'as  "Uncas",  the  last 
of  the  Mohicans  .  .  . 


BRUCE  CABOT 
^as  "Magua",  deceitful  tribes- 
man who  hates  the  white  man 


HUGH  BUCKLER 
ras  "Colonel  Munro". . 
a  stern  soldier  fighting 
for  colonial  empire 


HEATHER  ANGEL 
as  "Cora"  who  gave 
her  life  for  love  . . . 

ROBERT  BARRAT 

as  "Chingachgook",  ^r%:-: 
Mohican  Chief  who  *t  •$£y?-V* 

befriends  the  colonists     ^jt"  "  ,  " 


The  mightiest  drama  America 
ever  knefrV...fof  bitter  struggle  for 
a  brave  new  world...of  courage 
standing  firm  and  unbowed  in 
the  face  of  insurmountable  odds 
...of  romance  torn  from  the  hand 
of  a  grudging  destiny!. .Truly  the 
most  thrilling  entertainment 
the  screen  could  offer. . .breath- 
taking in  its  action... vibrant  in 
its  romance . . .  unforgettable  in 
its  power. . . 


RtleEsed   thru  UNITED  ARTISTS 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


65 


THEATR 


The  total  of  theatre  receipts  for  the  calendar  week  ended  August  8,  1936  from 
107  theatres  in  18  major  cities  of  the  country  was  $1,083,961,  an  increase  of  $37,61  I 
over  the  total  for  the  preceding  week  ended  August  I,  1936,  when  106  theatres  in  18 
large  cities  aggregated  $1,046,350. 

1936.    Reproduction  of  material  from  this  department  without  credit  to  Motion  Picture  Herald  expressly  forbidden) 


(Copyright , 

Theatres 


Boston 


3,246 

35c-65c 

1,382 

30c- 50c 

Keith's  Memorial  2,907 

25c-65c 

Loew's  Orpheum. 

2,970 

25c-55c 

Loew's  State 

3,537 

25c-55c 

Metropolitan   

4,332 

35c-65c 

1,793 

25c -50c 

Buffalo 

Buffalo   

3,489 

30c -50c 

3,000 

25c 

Great  Lakes   

3,000 

25c -40c 

Hippodrome 

2,500 

30c-50c 

3,300 

25c 

Chicago 

1,400 

30c -60c 

4,000 

35c -68c 

Garrick  

900 

30c -60c 

Oriental   

3,490 

25c-40c 

Palace   

2,509 

25c -60c 

Roosevelt    1,591 

State-Lake    2,776 

(^-United  Artists...  1,700 

Cleveland 

L^AHen    3,300 

^Hippodrome    3,800 

^JtKO    Palace   3,100 


In- 


state 


3,400 


Stillman    1,900 

Denver 

Aladdin    1,500 

Broadway    1,500 


30c -60c 
20c-35c 
30c-60c 

30c-42c 
30c-42c 
30c -60c 
30c -42c 

30c -42c 

25c -50c 
25c -40c 


Center    1,500  15c-35c 

Denham    1,500  25c -40c 

U-^'enver    2,500  25c-50c 

Orpheum    2,600  25c-40c 

Paramount    2,000  25c -40c 


Current  Week 

Picture  Gross 

"Crash  Donovan"   (Univ.)  and  10,500 

"Moonlight  Murder"  (MGM) 

'•Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and  4,000 
"Educating  Father"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 


Previous  Week 

Picture  Gross 

"Navy  Born"  (Republic)  and   7,500 

"The  Last  Outlaw"  (Radio) 

"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  4,000 
Century-Fox)  and  "Border  Flight" 
(Para.) 

'Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)...             12,000      "White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.  -  Fox) ... .  8,000 


•The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   12,000 

'We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 

'The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   11,000 

'We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 

'Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  23,000 
(on  stage-  Benny  Davis  and  revue) 

'Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and  6,000 
'Educating  Father"  (20th  Cent. -Fox) 


'Suzy"   (MGM)    17,100 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  5.200 
"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   10,500 


'The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   7,500 

'We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 

'Secret  Agent"  (GB)  and   6,800 

'One  Way  Ticket"  (Col.) 


"San  Francisco"    (MGM)   6,000 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  39,000 
(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Dance  Band 
and  Amateurs) 

"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   6,800 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Palm  Springs"  (Para.)   15,000 

(on  stage:  Fur  Show  and  Vaudeville) 

"Secret  Agent"  (GB)....   22,000 

(on  stage:  Bill  Robinson) 


"Suzy"  (MGM)    11,000 

(2nd  week) 

'M'Liss"   (Radio)    14,400 

(on  stage:  Verne  Buck  and  revue) 
'The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   17,600 


'The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   6,000 

"To  Mary— With  Love"   15,500 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)   18,500 

(on  stage:  Duke  Ellington  and  Band) 

"The   Devil   Doll"    (MGM)   26,000 

(on  stage:  Marx  Brothers)  (30c-60c) 


"Suzy  (MGM)    6,000 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)....  3,000 
"Suzy"  (MGM)   3,000 


'Jack  Ahoy"   (GB)    2,500 

(plus  vaudeville) 
"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  6,500 

"The   Green   Pastures"    (W.B.)   11,500 

(plus  stage  band) 

"The  Big  House"  (MGM)  and   8,000 

'Dancing  Lady"  (MGM) 

(re-issue) 

'Border  Patrolman"  (20th  Cent. .  2,500 
Fox)  and  "I  Stand  Condemned"  (U.A.) 


"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   10,000 

"The  Big  House"  (MGM) 

(re-issue) 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   9,500 

"The  Big  House"  (MGM) 

(re-issue) 

"Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   23,000 

(plus  stage  revue) 

"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  6,500 
Century-Fox)  and  "Border  Flight" 
(Para.) 


"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)   23,000 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 
"The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   5,100 

(Para.)  and  "Treachery  Rides  the  Range" 

(W.B.) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   7,300 

'Two  Against  the  World"  (W.B.)  4,800 
and  "Amateur  Gentleman"  (U.A.) 

'Hell  Ship  Morgan"  (Col.)  and....  6,800 
"The  Mine  With  the  Iron  Door"  (Col.) 


'Devil  Doll"  (MGM)   4,600 

(2nd  week) 
"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th..  32,500 
Cent.-Fox) 

(on  stage:  Hal  Sherman  and  Revue) 
'Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   7,200 


'Three  Godfathers"  (MGM)   15,300 

(plus  stage  revue) 

"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)   32,000 

(on  stage:  Marx  Bros.) 


"Suzy"  (MGM)    13,800 

(1st  week) 

"The  Unguarded  Hour"  (MGM)   13,200 

(on  stage:  Verne  Buck  and  revue) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   11,200 

(5th  week) 


'The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   5,750 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

'The   Green   Pastures"    (W.B.)   14,000 

"M'Liss"  (Radio)    10,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
"Suzy"  (MGM)    17,000 


'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   9,000 

(2nd  week) 


"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  4,000 
Cent.-Fox) 

'The  Count  of  Monte  Cristo"  (U.A.)  1,200 
(3  days) 

"The  House  of  Rothschild"  (U.A.)  1,800 
(2  days) 

"Les  Miserables"  (U.A.)   500 

(2  days) 

"Murder  by  Television"  (Imperial)  2,500 

"There's  Always  Tomorrow"  (Univ.)  5,000 

"Suzy"  (MGM)    13,000 

(plus  stage  band) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)  6,000 
and  "M'Liss"  (Radio) 

"Pride  of  the  Marines"  (Col.)  and  3,000 
"One-Way  Ticket"  (Col.) 


4,000 


2,500 


9,000 
24,500 

7,500 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  9-7  "Hot  Tip"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show  "Folies  Bergere") 
Low  6-13-36  "The  Harvester"  and 

"Abdul  the  D'amned 
High  3-14-36  "The  story  of  Louis  Pas- 
teur" and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann" 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and 
"Ladies  Crave  Excitement" 

High  2-29-36  "Follow  the  Fleet"   37,000 

Low  8-17   "Jalna"   5,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  25,000 
Low   6-27-36   "Sins   of   Man"  and 

"Half  Angel" 
High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty".. 
Low  7-6  "Sanders   of  the   River"  and 
"Unknown  Woman" 

High  4-6  "Private  Worlds"   56,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  7-20  "Men  Without  Names"   14,000 

High  3-14-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pas-  ) 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  |  15,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  \ 

"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"  (  4,000 


High  4-27  "Mississippi"   23,800 

Low  7-27  "Broadway  Gondolier"   6,600 

High  1-11-36  "King  of  Burlesque"   9,500 

Low  8-3  "Mad  Love"  and  ) 

"Dog  of  Flanders"  J  3,800 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   22,000 

Low  4-11-36  "Three    Godfathers"   and  ) 

"Her  Master's  Voice"       )  4,900 

High  2-9  "David  Copperfield"   17,200 

Low  4-11-36  "Timothy's   Quest"   and  1 

"My   Marriage".  J  3,800 

High  1-12  "Broadway  Bill"   17,100 

Low  7-27  "A  Notorious  Gentleman"  and  1 

"Strange  Wives"  j  4,100 


High  3-21-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pasteur"  11,800 

Low  5-25  "The  Devil  is  a  Woman"   1,000 

High  1-18-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  56,600 
Low  4-27  "Living  on  Velvet"   24,000 

High  1-4-36  "The  Man  Who  Broke  the 

Bank   at  Monte  Carlo"  

Low  5-4  "One  New  York  Night"  

High  11-2  "Woman  Wanted"  

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs 
Low  9-21  "Man  on  the  Flying  Trapeze" 
High  5-30-36  "Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path" 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor  and  Radio 

Show) 

Low  4-11-36  "Love  Before  Breakfast".. 

High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"  

Low    11-23    "O'Shaughnessy's  Boy"  

High  3-23  "The  Little  Minister"  

Low  7-20  "Alias  Mary  Dow"  

High  2-29-36  "Modern  Times"  

Low  4-13  "Vanessa:  Her  Love  Story".. 


9,700 
3,000 
25,500 

i 

13,400 
35,200 


6,000 
27,000 

7,000 
17,000 

8,000 
35,500 
10,000 


High  1-12  "Bright  Eyes"  

Low  6-22  "The  Daring  Young  Man".... 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"  

Low  8-24  "Dante's  Inferno"  

High  4-6  "Transient  Lady"   

Low  6-8  "Break  of  Hearts"  

High  4-18-36  "Petticoat  Fever"  

(on  stage:  Jack  Benny  and  Mary 
Livingston) 

Low  3-16  "Folies  Bergere"  

High  7-25-36  "San  Francisco"  

Low  5-9-36  "Too  Many  Parents"  


9,000 

1,300 
27,500 

5,250 
39.000 

5,500 
40,500 


6,000 
11,000 

2,000 


High  3-28-36  "Little  Lord  Fauntleroy". .  5,000 
Low  6-22  "Nell  Gwyn"  and  ) 

"My  Heart  Is  Calling"           J  600 

Hrgh  5-16-36  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"   8,000 

(50c-$1.36) 

Low  12-28  "Unfinished  Symphony"   300 


High  2-29-36  "Klondike  Annie"   13,000 

Low  8-24  "Without  Regret"   1,750 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  15^000 

Low   12-2S  "Here  Comes  the  Band"....  1,500 

High  5-18  "Romance  in  Manhattan"   16.000 

Low  12-28  "The  Perfect  Gentleman"   2,000 

High  5-11  "Bride  of  Frankenstein"   7,000 

Low  11-30  "Bad  Boy" 


800 


66 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


E THEATRE  EECEITTS--CCNTSD] 


Theatres 


Current  Week 


Previous  Week 


Picture 


Cress 


Picture 


Gross 


Hollywood 

Chinese                   2,500  30c-55c 

Pantages             ..  3,000  25c-40c 

W.  B.  Hollywood  3,000  25c-40c 

Indianapolis 

Apollo                     1,100  25c-40c 

Circle                      2,800  25c-40c 

Loew's                    2,800  25c-40c 

Lyric                      2,000  25c-40c 

Kansas  City 

Mainstreet               3,100  2Sc-40c 

Midland                   4,000  25c-40c 

Newman                  1,900  25c-40c 

Tower                     2,000  25c 

Uptown                   2,000  25c-40c 

Los  Angeles 

Carthay                   1,518  50c-$1.50 

Four  Star                  900  30c-55c 

Grand  Intern't'l..     750  35c-40c 

Hillstreet                2,700  25c-40c 

Loew's  State   ...  2,500  30c-55c 

Paramount              3,596  30c-55c 

W.  B.  Downtown  3,400  25c-40c 

Minneapolis 

Lyric                       1,239  20c-25c 

t    Minnesota                4,000  25c-55c 

RKO  Orpheum..    2,900  25c-40c 

State                       2,300  25c-40c 

World                       400  25c-40c 

Montreal 

Capitol                   2,547  25c-60c 

His  Majesty's....  1,700  25c-50c 

Loew's                    3,115  25c -60c 

Palace                     2,600  25c-65c 

Princess                  2,272  25c-65c 

New  York 

Astor                      1,141  55c-$2.20 

Capitol                    4,700  25c-85c 

Palace                    2,500  25c-75c 

1    Paramount              3,700  35c-99c 

Rialto                        594  25c-65c 

Rivoli                      2,200  40c -99c 

RKO  Music  Hall.  5,954  40c-$1.65 

l^Roxy                      6,200  25c-55c 

L-^trand                    3,000  25c-55c 


"To  Mary— With  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  13,000 
Fox)  and  "36  Hours  to  Kill"  (20th 
Cent.- Fox)  (5  days) 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   5,900 

"Grand  Jury"  (Radio) 


"Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W.B.)  and. 
"Love  Begins  at  Twenty"  (F.N.) 


9,000 


"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"    5,100 

(20th  Cent. -Fox)  (2nd  week) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  7,000 
and  "Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 


"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)  and....  5,200 
"Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM) 

"Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.)..  7,500 
(plus  stage  show) 


"To  Mary— with  Love"   12,000 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)    10,800 

(re-issue) 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"  (20th..  5,000 
Cent. -Fox)  and  "Three  Cheers  for  Love" 
(Para.)   (6  days) 

"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)   7,400 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   4,200 

(20th  Cent. -Fox)  (2nd  week) 

"Anthony  Adverse"   (W.B.)   18,700 

"Secret  Agent"  (GB)    1,800 

(2nd  week) 
"Ecstasy"  (Eureka)    3,500 

(3rd  week) 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   5,500 

"Grand  Jury"  (Radio) 

"To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  17,500 
Fox)  and  "36  Hours  to  Kill"  (20th 
Cent. -Fox) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.).  .  21,576 
(plus  stage  show) 

"Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W.B.)  and..  9,800 
"Love  Begins  at  Twenty"  (F.N.) 


"The  Crime  of  Dr.   Forbes"   (20th  1,300 
Cent. -Fox)    and    "Sins    of  Man" 
(20th  Cent. -Fox) 
(3  davs) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)    10,000 

"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)   5,600 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.  -  Fox) ... .  5,000 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   2,500 

(7th  week) 

"Spendthrift"   (Para.)  and   8,500 

"Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.) 

"Chapayev"  (Amkino)    3,500 

"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)  and   9,500 

"Border  Flight"  (Para.) 

(on  stage:  Herb  Williams  and  revue) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   6,500 

(3rd  week) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  6,000 
and  "Snowed  Under"  (F.N.) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   14,400 

(17th  week) 

"Suzy"   (MGM)    21,000 

(2nd  week) 
"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  8,000 
and  "Grand  Jury"  (Radio) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)...  35,000 
(on  stage:  Phil  Spitalny  and  Orch.) 
The  Final  Hour"  (Col.)   6,000 

"The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   5  000 

(Para.)  (2nd  week) 

"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)  100,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.)..  25,000 
(phis  stage  show) 

"The  Bengal  Tiger"  (W.B.)   11,000 


"Suzy"  (MGM)  and   13,900 

"Half  Angel"  (20th  Century-Fox) 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.)  and   7,200 

"I  Stand  Condemned"  (U.A.) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and..  8,400 
"Boulder  Dam"  (W.B.) 
(2nd  week) 

"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   7,000 

(20th  Cent.-Fox)  (1st  week) 

"Spendthrift"   (Para.)  and   3,500 

"Return  of  Sophie  Lang"  (Para.) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)  and   11,000 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   9,500 

(plus  vaudeville) 


'Grand  Jury"   (Radio)   6,400 

'Suzy"  (MGM)    15,800 

'Spendthrift"  (Para.)    6,000 

'Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM)   8,100 

(plus  stage  show) 

'Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   11,500 

(20th  Cent.-Fox)  (10  days-lst  week) 

'The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   12,600 

(4  days-15th  week) 

"Secret  Agent"  (GB)   3,100 

(6  days-lst  week) 

"Ecstasy"  (Eureka)    5,000 

(6  days-2nd  week) 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.)  and   5,500 

"I  Stand  Condemned"  (U.A.) 

"Suzy"   (MGM)   and   18,300 

"Half  Angel"  (20th  Century-Fox) 

"Spendthrift"  (Para.)    14,200 

(plus  stage  show) 

'Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   8,900 

and  "Boulder  Dam"  (W.B.) 
(2nd  week) 

'Human  Cargo"  (20th  Century-Fox)  1,200 


"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th..  10,500 

Century -Fox) 
"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   7,500 

"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)....  5,000 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   2,500 

(6th  week)  (25c-35c) 

''Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and..  8,000 
"Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.) 

"The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   9,000 

(Para.)  and  "The  Invisible  Ray" 
(Univ.) 

(30c-60c)  (plus  vaudeville  on  stage) 

'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   7,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)  and   6,000 

'The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   13,900 

(16th  week) 
"Suzy"  (MGM)    37,000 

(1st  week) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)  and....  7,500 
"Hot  Money"  (W.B.) 

"Spendthrift"  (Para.)    27,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM)....  6,000 

"The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   15,000 

(Para.)  (1st  week) 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   75,500 

(2nd  week)  (plus  stage  show) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   26,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W.B.)   13,000 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"   26,000 

Low  5-4  "West  Point  of  the  Air"   4,900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"   19,000 

Low  4-13  "Mister  Dynamite"  and.  ] 

"Great  God  Gold"                  j  2,500 

High  9-7  "Page  Miss  Glory"   15,300 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"   4,000 

High  3-14-36  "The  Country  Doctor"....  8,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"   1,600 

High  4-25-36  "The  Moon's  Our  Home"  ) 

and  "Silly  Billies"  j  9,700 

(in  place  of  "Silly  Billies,"  on  stage 
Lum'  n'  Abner  for  Saturday  and  Sunday) 

Low  3-16  "Transient  Lady"..   2,000 

High  2-15-36  "Exclusive  Story"   15,000 

(on  stage:  Cab  Calloway  and  band) 

Low  4-6  "Casino  Murder  Case"   2,750 

High   3-28-36   "The   Leathernecks  Have 
Landed"   13,300 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 

Low  2-7  "Murder  of  Dr.  Harrigan"   5,700 

(on  stage:  vaudeville) 

High  11-23  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs"  22,000 

Low  1-12  "I  Sell  Anything"   2,000 

High  8-24  "China  Seas"   25,000 

Low  9-14  "Bonnie  Scotland"   6.000 

High  5-25  "Goin'  to  Town"   14,000 

Low  5-18  "Dinky"    3,000 

High   1-18-36  "Magnificent   Obsession"..  14,500 

Low  3-14-36  "Lady  of  Secrets"   5,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  9-7  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"..  11,000 
Low  7-27  "Black  Sheep"    2,100 

High  5-18  "Les  Miserables"   7,800 

Low  12-17  "The  Return  of  Peter  Grimm"  2,400 

High  7-25-36  "Ecstacy"   5,000 

(6  days-2nd  week) 
Low  12-7  "Such  a  Girl  You  Never  Forget"  900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"    17,000 

Low  11-2  "Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"....  2,800 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   24,500 

Low  10-26  "Way  Down  East"   6,200 

High  8-10  "Paris  in  Spring"   32,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  9,126 
(plus  stage  show)  (5  days) 

High  1-11-36  "Captain  Blood"   17,100 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"   3,800 

High  7-25-36  "Sons  (f  Guns"   2,100 

Low  8-1-36  "Human  Cargo"   1,200 

High  1-4-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  31,326 

Low  4-4-36  "Klondike  Annie"    8,000 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"   18,000 

Low  6-13-36  "The  Golden  Arrow"   3,000 

High  11-2  "Broadway  Melody  of  1936"..  7,000 

Low  8-8-36  "White  Fang"   5,000 

High  6-8  "Thunder  in  the  East"   5,000 

Low  11-16  "Born  for  Glory"   2,000 

High  2-9  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"  15,500 

Low  8-3  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"  and  ) 

"College  Scandal"  j  7,000 

High  1-11-36  "Broadway  Hostess"  and  \ 

"The  Rainmakers"  f  15,000 
Low  6-15  "Mark  of  the  Vampire"  and  ( 

"Baby  Face  Harrington"        j  5,500 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   15.000 

Low  7-20  "Drake  of  England"  and  \ 

"The  Nitwits"                        f  7,500 
High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"  and  } 

"Guard  That  Girl"  (  12.500 
Low  12-28  "Remember  Last  Night?"  \ 

and  "East  of  Java"               j  3,000 

High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"   87,400 

Low  5-30-36  "Three  Wise  Guys"   7,000 

High  10-5   "Top  Hat"  ,   15,000 

Low  7-25-36  "The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  1 

and  "Dancing  Pirate"  )  4,800 
High  1-19  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"..  65,300 
Low  12-21  "Millions  in  the  Air"   10,000 

High  2-15-36  "Modern  Times"   65,000 

Low  6-29  "Nell  Gwyn"   8,100 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"  131,200 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  11-30  "Crime  and  Punishment"   45,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  1-4-36  "If  You  Could  Only  Cook"..  62,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  4-20  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   17,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

High  5-11  "The  G  Men"   60,138 

Low  4-4-36  "Snowed  Under"    6,100 


MAINSTAY 


AS  THE  motion  picture  industry  grows,  so 
grows  the  importance  of  Eastman  Super  X 
Panchromatic  Negative.  This  world-fa- 
mous Eastman  film  guards  the  high  photo- 
graphic quality  of  the  bulk  of  today's 
feature  productions.  It  is  truly  a  mainstay 
of  one  of  the  country's  greatest  industries. 
Eastman  Kodak  Company,  Rochester, 
N.  Y.  (J.  E.  Brulatour,  Inc.,  Distributors, 
Fort  Lee,  New  York,  Chicago,  Hollywood.) 


EASTMAN  SUPER  X 

PANCHROMATIC  NEGATIVE 


68 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


[THEATRE  RECEIPTS— C€NT*EJ 


Theatres 


Oklahoma  City 

Capitol    1,200 

Criterion    1,700 

Liberty    1,500 


Midwest 


1,500 


Omaha 

Brandeis    1,200 

Omaha    2,200 


Orpheum 


Philadelphia 

Arcadia   


3,000 


600 


u^Boyd    2,400 

Earle    2,000 

Fox    3,000 


Karlton  ...   1,066 

Keith's    2,000 

,   Stanley    3,700 

Stanton    1,700 

Portland,  Ore. 

Blue  Mouse    1.700 


10c-41c 
10c-55c 
10c-36c 

10c-55c 

25c-40c 
25c-40c 

25c-40c 


25c -50c 
40c-55c 
25c-55c 
40c-65c 

25c-40c 
30c -50c 
40c -55c 
30c -50c 

30c -40c 


Broadway    1,912  30c-40c 

Mayfair    1,700  30c-40c 


Orpheum  . 
Paramount 


United  Artists  . . 

San  Francisco 

Clay   


1,700 
3,008 
945 

400 


30c -40c 
30c -40c 
30c-40c 

15c-35c 
15c-35c 


Embassy    1,400 

Fox                       5,651  10c-35c 

Geary                     1,400  55c-$1.10 

Golden  Gate  ....  2,800  15c-40c 


Current  Week 


Picture 


"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)   1,800 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  8,600 

"The    Last   Outlaw"    (Radio)   700 

(4  days) 

"The  Country  Beyond"   1,300 

(20th  Cent. -Fox) 
(3  days) 

"To  Mary— with  Love"   5,000 

(20th  Cent. -Fox) 

"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)  and....  3,600 
"M'Liss"  (Radio) 

"One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)  and  4,200 
"Things  to  Come"   (U.  A.) 


"Spendthrift"  (Para.)  and   7,400 

"Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 


'Poppy"  (Para.) 


2,500 


"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   12,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.) ....  13,500 

(on  stage:  Charlie  Chase) 

"Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race  Track"  11,000 
(20th  Cent. -Fox) 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W.B.)   2,900 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   3,800 

"Suzy"  (MGM)   18,000 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)   6,300 


"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)  2,000 
and  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 

(14th  week) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)  and   6,000 

"Navy  Born"  (Republic) 

(2nd  week) 
"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   4,000 


"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)  and  6,000 
"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.) 

(2nd  week) 

"To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  7,000 

Fox)  and  "Educating  Father"  (20th 

Cent. -Fox) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   6,000 


"Canzone  Del  Sole"  (Europa)   1,285 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   4,200 

"The  Big  House"  (MGM)  

(re-issue)  (2nd  week) 
"Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.)..  6,200 
and  "Navy  Born"  (Republic) 

"Anthony  Adverse"  (W.B.)   14,000 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)   18,000 

(plus  10  acts  of  vaudeville) 


Orpheum                 2,440      15c-40c      "Counterfeit"  (Col.)  and   6,700 

"Border  Patrolman"  (20th  Cent. -Fox) 
'  .ij  ^.  (2nd  week) 

Paramount              2,670      15c-40c      "Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)...  19,000 

and  "The  Return"  of  Sophie  Lang" 
(Para  ) 

l^Si.   Francis             1,430      15c-40c      «San  Francisco"   (MGM)   10,000 

(2nd  week) 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B   16,500 


Warfield    2,700  15c-40c 


Seattle 

Blue  Mouse    950  25c-55c 


'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   3,700 

(2nd  week) 


Fifth   Avenue....  2,500      25c-55c      "The  White  Angel"  (F.N.). 


6,200 


Liberty    1,800  20c-55c 

Music  Box    950      25c- 55c 

Orpheum    2,450  25c-40c 


"These  Three"  (U.A.)   5,450 

(2nd  week) 


"Suzy'  (MGM) 


3,600 


Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  5,600 
and     '  Educating     Father"  (20th 
Cent. -Fox) 

Palomar    1,500      15c-30c      "Ticket  to  Paradise"  (Republic)....  3,950 

( p Hi  s  vaudeville) 

Paramount    3,050      20c-30c      "Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and...  4  800 

'The  Big  House"  (MGM) 
(re-issue)  (15c-30c) 


Previous  Week 


Gross  Picture 


Gross 


"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)....  2,800 

"The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   6,000 

(20th  Cent. -Fox) 

"Escape  from  Devil's  Island"  (Col.)  1,700 

(4  days) 

"The  Law  in  Her  Hands"  (F.N.)..  700 
(3  days) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)    5,200 

(8  days) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and  5, W0 
"Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"  (F.N.) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)  and   5,400 

"Absolute  Quiet"  (MGM) 

"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th  Cent.-  11,200 
Fox)  and  "Nobody's  Fool"  (Univ.) 


"Early  to  Bed"  (Para.)   2,400 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   25,000 

(1st  week) 

"Spendthrift"   (Pfira.)   13,500 

(6  days)  (plus  stage  revue) 

"State  Fair"  (20th  Cent. -Fox)   14,500 

(8  days)   (on   stage:  Sylvia 
Froos  and  others) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (RKO)   2,600 

"Trapped  by  Television"  (Col.)   1,200 

(5  days) 

"San  Francisco"   (MGM)   14,000 

(6  days»4th  week) 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"  (20th..  5,200 
Cent. -Fox) 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)...  2,500 
and  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 

(13th  week) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)  and   6,000 

"Navy  Born"  (Republic) 

(1st  week) 

"Arizona  Raiders"  (Para.)  and   3,000 

"The  Spendthrift"  (Para.) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)  and  6,000 
"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.) 
(1st  week) 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)  and  6,000 
"The  Crime  of  Dr.   Forbes"  (20th 
Cent. -Fox) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   6,000 

(6th  week) 

"Dubrovsky"  (Amkino)   1,200 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   4,750 

"The  Big  House"  (MGM) 

(re-issue)  (1st  week) 

"Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.)  5,400 
and  "Arizona  Raiders"  (Para.) 

"M'Liss"   (Radio)    15,300 

(plus  10  acts  of  vaudeville) 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.)  and   9,300 

"Border  Patrolman"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(1st  week) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)  and   11,000 

"Hot  Money"  (W.B.) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   12,400 

(1st  week) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   13,500 

and  "Spendthrift"  (Para.) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   4,200 

(1st  week) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)    8,250 

(9  days) 

"These  Three"  (U.A.)   6,500 

(1st  week) 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)   3,100 

"The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  5,200 
and   "Little   Miss   Nobody"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox) 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.)    3,350 

(plus  vaudeville) 
"Return  of  Sophie  Lang"  (Para.)..  4,100 
and  "Girl  of  the  Ozarks"  (Para.) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  193S) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  3-9  "  Wings  in  the  Dark"   3,700 

Low  5-9-36  "Big  Brown  Eyes"   1,300 

High  9-14  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"  10.000 

Low  11-2  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs".  2,500 
High  1-19  "Gentlemen  Are  Born"  and  ) 

"Crime  Doctor"                      f  4,200 
Low  10-26  "Little  Big  Shot"  and  1 

"I  Live  for  Love"                 J  1,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  8,800 
Low  8-24  "The  Farmer  Takes  a  Wife"..  1,800 

High  9-14  "Top  Hat"   9,500 

Low  6-6-36  "Dancing  Pirate"  and  \ 

"Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"  f  2,600 
High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"  and  1 

"The  First  Baby"  (  11,600 

Low  10-5  "Dante's  Inferno"  and  ) 

"She  Gets  Her  Man"  J  3,600 

High  2-29-36  "Exclusive   Story".  21,150 

(on  stage:  Ted  Lewis) 
Low  12-28  "Mister  Hobo"   and  \ 

"Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"  J  5,800 

High  1-25  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"....  4,800 

Low  9-21  "Bonnie  Scotland"    800 

High  1-4-36  "A  Tale  of  Two  Cities"....  30,000 

Low  8-17   "Jalna"   6,000 

High  1-4-36  "Miss  Pacific  Fleet"   22,000 

Low  10-5  "I  Live  for  Love"   9,500 

High  5-9-36  "Under  Two  Flags"   31,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  9-28  "Redheads  on  Parade"   7,500 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"   6,300 

Low  6-1  "Dinky"    1,200 

High  4-13  "Roberta"    5,800 

Low  1-2  "The  Right  to  Live"   900 

High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   30,000 

Low  5-11  "Stolen  Harmony"   4,000 

High  1-11-36  "Riffraff"    10,000 

Low  3-23  "Captain  Hurricane"   1,800 

High  8-17  "Life  Begins  at  Forty"   2,700 

Low  6-22  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   1,400 

High  5-16-36  "The  Singing  Kid"   8,500 

Low  7-27  "Calm  Yourself"  and  ) 

"Chinatown  Squad"                J  4,000 
High    1-25-36    "A    Midsummer  Night's 

Dream"    12,000 

Low  1-19  "Behold  My  Wife"  and  1 

"Defense  Rests"                     J  1,600 

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   9,500 

Low  11-23  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  ] 

"Wanderer  of  the  Wasteland"  J  4,000 

High  4-20  "Private  Worlds"   11,500 

Low  5-2-36  "The  Witness  Chair"  ] 

and  "Big  Brown  Eyes"        j  5,000 

High  5-4  "Cardinal  Richelieu"   9,000 

Low  6-8  "Age  of  Indiscretion"   4,000 

High  12-28  "Peasants"    2,500 

Low  7-11-36  "Larsson's  Second  Marriage"  800 

High  4-11-36  "Penitente  Murder  Case"...  6,500 
Low  12-7  "Two  Sinners"  and  1 

"$1,000  a  Minute"                   j  2,000 

High  8-3  "Champagne  for  Breakfast"....  14,800 
Low  11-30  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  ) 

"Freckles"                            j  4,000 

High   3-28-36   "The   Leathernecks  Have 

Landed"    29,000 

(on  stage:  Burns  and  Allen) 

Low  5-23-36  "Dancing  Pirate"   9,000 

(plus  stage  band) 

High  7-20  "Love  Me  Forever"   16,780 

Low  10-26  "King  Solomon  of  Broadway"  1 

and  "Fighting  Youth"  j  4,800 

High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   23,000 

Low  3-2  "Living  on  Velvet"  and  1 

"All  the  King's  Horses"         J  8,500 

High  8-1-36  "San   Francisco"   12,400 

Low  6-29  "No  More  Ladies"   5,000 

High  10-5  "I  Live  My  Life"   35,000 

(plus   stage  show) 
Low  3-28-36  "Colleen"  and  1 

"Too  Many  Parents"        j  13,000 

High  11-30  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   6,100 

Low  2-16  "Million  Dollar  Baby"  and  ) 

"Notorious  Gentleman"         j  2,900 

High  5-11  "Naughty  Marietta"   10,200 

Low  4-25-36  "The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome 

Fine"    2,600 

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   7,900 

Low  4-13  "White  Lies"  and  ) 

"Happy  Landing"                   J  2,700 

High  2-16  "Roberta"    6,100 

Low  1-26  "The  Man  Who  Reclaimed  His 

Head"    2,850 

High  9-21   "Top   Hat"    10,400 

Low  8-31  "Dante's  Inferno"  and  ) 

"Lady  Tubbs"                      j  4,800 

High  12-14  "Annie  Oakley"    9,200 

Low  6-6-36  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  and  } 

"Times  Square  Playboy"     \  3,250 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


69 


WHAT  THE  PICTURE 
DID  FOR  ME 


Columbia 

BROADWAY  BILL:  Warner  Baxter,  Myrna  Loy— 
Of  course  this  is  old,  but  it  clicked  nicely  at  the  box 
office  and  gave  complete  satisfaction. — A.  N.  Miles, 
Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

DEVIL'S  SQUADRON.  THE:  Richard  Dix,  Karen 
Morley — Played  this  with  "Broadway  Handicap"  and 
it  pleased  the  Handicap  audience.  Ideal  action  pic- 
ture. Played  July  17.— Elmer  Brient,  Beacon  Theatre, 
Hopewell,  Va.    General  patronage. 

KING  STEPS  OUT,  THE:  Grace  Moore,  Franchot 
Tone — Grace  Moore  failed  to  hold  her  former  fans  in 
this  one.  Business  about  one-half  as  much  as  we 
expected.  Just  another  picture  in  Hopewell.  The 
patrons  stayed  at  home.  Played  July  20-21.— Elmer 
Brient,  Beacon  Theatre,  Hopewell,  Va.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

MR.  DEEDS  GOES  TO  TOWN:  Gary  Cooper,  Jean 
Arthur — Opened  to  fair  business  on  Sunday  and  held 
up  better  than  average  for  Monday  and  Tuesday.  It 
seemed  hard  to  sell  before  opening,  but  is  one  of  those 
pictures  that  people  tell  their  friends  about.  The 
sanity  trial  in  this  is  one  of  the  best  things  ever  put 
on  the  screen.  I  had  quite  a  bit  of  repeat  business. 
Played  July  19-21. — A.  N.  Miles.  Eminence  Theatre, 
Eminence,   Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 

ROAMING  LADY:  Fay  Wray,  Ralph  Bellamy— This 
is  a  refreshing  bit  of  entertainment.  Good  story  and 
dandy  lines.  Well  liked  by  our  patrons.  Played  Au- 
gust 1. — Elmer  Brient,  Beacon  Theatre,  Hopewell,  Va. 
General  patronage. 

WESTERN  COURAGE:  Ken  Maynard,  Geneva 
Mitchell — More  than  the  usual  amount  of  music  in 
this  makes  it  one  of  Ken's  best.  I  do  wish  some  pro- 
ducer would  give  this  star  better  stories  and  direction 
because  he  is  so  popular  in  the  small  town. — A.  N. 
Miles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence.  Ky.  Small  town 
patronage. 


First  National 

BULLETS  OR  BALLOTS:  Edward  G.  Robinson, 
Joan  Blondell — Robinson  is  not  a  favorite  here.  Did 
fair,  only  fair,  first  night,  then  dropped  to  almost 
nothing  the  next.  Played  July  15-16. — Elmer  Brient, 
Beacon  Theatre.  Hopewell,  Va.    General  patronage. 

BULLETS  OR  BALLOTS:  Edward  G.  Robinson, 
Joan  Blondell — Good  picture;  the  type  that  the  men 
will  go  for  and  the  women,  too.  It  is  packed  with 
action  and  good  drama  runs  through  the  whole  pic- 
ture. Not  much  comedy  relief.  Not  as  great  as 
"Little  Caesar,"  but  Robinson  was  good  in  this  hard- 
boiled  role.  It  has  a  good  title  to  start  with  and 
that  means  a  lot  when  you  are  selling  a  picture. — 
A.  E.  Hancock,  Columbia  Theatre,  Columbia  City, 
Ind.    General  patronage. 

CEILING  ZERO:  James  Cagney,  Pat  O'Brien- 
Played  this  one  rather  old;  substituted  for  "The  Sing- 
ing Kid"  and  still  took  a  drubbing.  Opened  to  fair 
business,  but  second  day  was  poor.  First  time  these 
stars  had  played  Hopewell  in  three  years,  so  maybe 
the  people  here  have  just  forgotten  them.  Played 
July  27-28. — Elmer  Brient,  Beacon  Theatre,  Hopewell, 
Va.    General  patronage. 

EARTHWORM  TRACTORS:  Joe  E.  Brown— Very 
good  Joe  Brown  picture.  Plenty  of  laughs,  thrills  and 
good  clean  fun.  Did  not  so  much  business  on  this 
one,  but  it  was  no  fault  of  the  picture.  Running  time, 
68  minutes.  Played  July  27-29. — E.  M.  Starkey,  New 
Rex  Theatre,   Ber'in,   Wis.    General  patronage. 

GOLDEN  ARROW,  THE:  Bette  Davis,  George 
Brent — A  poor  picture  and  a  poor  follow-up  for  Bette 
Davis'  fine  performance  in  her  prize  winner  of  last 
year.  Another  one  like  this  and  we'll  need  to  team 
her  with  Bank  Night  to  get  'em  in.  Played  July  1-2. 
—Elmer  Brient,  Beacon  Theatre,  Hopewell,  Va.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

GOOSE  AND  THE  GANDER:  Kay  Francis,  George 
Brent — A  good  picture,  but  lacks  in  drawing  power. — 
O.  Ingmar  Oleson,  Sons  of  Norway  Theatre,  Am- 
brose, N.  D.    General  patronage. 

HEARTS  DIVIDED:  Marion  Davies,  Dick  Powell- 
First  Davies  picture  to  play  here  in  three  years  and 
the  natives  didn't  get  excited.  Out  of  sight,  out  of 
mind,  I  guess.    Picture  was  only  fair  at  best.  Got 


IN  this,  the  exhibitors'  own  de- 
partment, the  theatremen  of  the 
nation  serve  one  another  with 
information  on  the  box  office  per- 
formance of  product  for  their  mu- 
tual benefit.  It  is  a  service  of  the 
exhibitor  for  the  exhibitor.  Address 
all  communications  to — 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me 

MOTION   PICTURE  HERALD 

Rockefeller  Center,  New  York 


version  with  happy  ending,  so  that  helped  with  the 
few  who  attended.  Played  July  29-30. — Elmer  Brient, 
Beacon  Theatre,  Hopewell,  Va.    General  patronage. 

HEARTS  DIVIDED:  Marion  Davies,  Dick  Powell— 
Your  patrons  will  never  miss  this  if  you  never  show 
it.  Marion  Davies  is  getting  old  and  hard  looking. 
Dick  is  miscast,  although  he  sings  one  good  song. 
Charlie  Ruggles,  Edward  Everett  Horton  and  Arthur 
Treacher  struggle  hard  to  put  over  a  few  laughs,  but 
Claude  Rains  makes  the  best  Napoleon  we've  seen  in 
ages.  Summing  it  up,  this  has  a  good  story  and  a 
grand  cast,  but  it  surely  does  not  draw  people  to  the 
theatre. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence, 
Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 

HEARTS  DIVIDED:  Marion  Davies,  Dick  Powell— 
A  fair  picture,  but  not  the  sort  of  thing  the  public 
want  to  see  Davies  and  Powell  in.  Picture  will  do 
no  more  than  average  program  business.  No  special 
by  a  long  ways.  Better  use  for  short  run.  Running 
time,  69  minutes.  Played  July  20-22.— E.  M.  Starkey, 
New  Rex  Theatre,  Berlin,  Wis.    General  patronage. 

HEARTS  DIVIDED:  Dick  Powell,  Marion  Davies— 
This  was  not  up  to  Powell's  standard;  with  very  little 
singing.  Claude  Rains  played  the  Napoleon  part  very 
well.  Ruggles,  Horton  and  Treacher  carried  the 
comedy  angle  very  well.  Drew  good  big  Sunday  and 
fair  Monday.  Running  time,  70  minutes.  Played  July 
19-20.— Jerry  Waller,  Elroy  Theatre,  Elroy,  Wis. 
Small  town  and  rural  patronage. 

SINGING  KID,  THE:  Al  Jolson,  Sybil  Jason,  Ed- 
ward Everett  Horton — A  very  disappointing  "special." 
No  story,  too  much  Al  Jolson  and  too  much  review 
of  his  other  pictures.  Sybil  Jason  and  Allen  Jenkins 
are  the  highlights  of  this  one.  Did  not  please  and 
took  an  awful  nosedive  at  the  box  office.  Running  time, 
94  minutes.  Played  July  24-26.— Gladys  E.  McArdle, 
Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan.    Small  town  patronage. 

SINGING  KID,  THE:  Al  Jolson— Really  was  sur- 
prised. Had  a  lot  of  favorable  comments  on  this,  but 
to  my  estimation  it's  the  — — 's. — A.  G.  Miller,  Lyric 
Theatre,  Atkinson,  Neb.    Rural  patronage. 

SONG  OF  THE  SADDLE:  Dick  Foran,  Alma  Lloyd 
— Good  western. — A.  G.  Miller,  Lyric  Avenue,  Atkin- 
son, Neb.    Rural  patronage. 

SONS  OF  THE  SADDLE:  Dick  Foran,  Alma  Lloyd 
— If  you  play  westerns,  this  is  O.  K.  for  you.  Better 
than  the  average.  Does  well  at  the  box  office.  Played 
July  24-25. — O.  Ingmar  Oleson,  Sons  of  Norway  The- 
atre, Ambrose,  N.  D.    General  patronage. 

WHITE  ANGEL,  THE:  Kay  Francis,  Ian  Hunter— 
As  a  companion  piece  to  "Louis  Pasteur,"  this  is  a 
weak  sister.  It  has  the  elements  that  will  attract 
and  please  the  older  and  conservative  patron,  but  the 
younger  element  will  find  it  rather  on  the  dull  side. 
There  is  no  "sock"  to  it — no  tension  to  grab  your 
attention.  Florence  Nightingale,  as  Miss  Francis  por- 
trays her,  never  seemed  quite  human.  Played  July 
30-31. — G.  E.  Lancaster,  Huntington  Theatre,  Hunt- 
ington, Ind.    General  patronage. 

WHITE  ANGEL,  THE:  Kay  Francis— This  picture 
was  the  biggest  disappointment  I  have  had  this  year. 
Excellent  dramatic  picture,  but  will  not  draw  any 
crowd.  Do  not  think  this  picture  will  get  over  in  the 
smaller  towns.  Running  time,  91  minutes.  Plaved 
July  6-8. — E.  M.  Starkey,  New  Rex  Theatre,  Berlin, 
Wis.    General  patronage. 


Metro-Gold  wyn-Mayer 

ABSOLUTE  QUIET:  Irene  Hervey,  Lionel  Atwill— 
We  were  afraid  to  play  this  one  after  reading  some 
of  the  reviews  on  it,  but  it  was  not  such  a  terrible 
picture  after  all;  nevertheless,  I  can't  see  why  a  com- 
pany like  Metro  bothered  to  release  it,  or  to  make  it 
at  all.  Running  time,  77  minutes.  Played  July  28. — 
Star  Theatre,  Heppner,  Ore.    Small  town  patronage. 

BOHEMIAN  GIRL,  THE:  Laurel  and  Hardy— Not 
so  hot.  Will  get  by  on  an  off  night,  or  on  a  Bargain 
Night.— A.  G.  Miller,  Lyric  Theatre,  Atkinson,  Neb. 
Rural  patronage. 

EXCLUSIVE  STORY:  Madge  Evans,  Franchot 
Tone,  Stuart  Erwin — Good  Friday-Saturday  action 
picture.  Running  time,  72  minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New 
Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  Neighborhood  pat- 
ronage. 

FURY:  Sylvia  Sidney,  Spencer  Tracy — This  one 
gets  away  from  the  usual  run  of  pictures  and  with 
good  success;  excellent.  Running  time,  94  minutes. 
Played  July  26-27. — Star  Theatre,  Heppner,  Ore.  Small 
town  patronage. 

PETTICOAT  FEVER:  Robert  Montgomery,  Myrna 
Loy — They  gave  Bob  Montgomery  a  nice  spanking 
with  "Petticoat  Fever."  The  public  just  didn't  go  for 
this  one.  Played  June  10-11. — Elmer  Brent,  Beacon 
Theatre,  Hopewell,  Va.    General  patronage. 

PETTICOAT  FEVER:  Robert  Montgomery,  Myrna 
Loy — This  picture  is  just  plain  silly  in  spots  and  also 
it  is  all  dialogue.  While  the  cast  drew  them,  that  is, 
Myrna  Loy  was  the  draw,  and  not  Montgomery,  it 
had  its  percentage  of  walkouts.  Our  sons  of  toil  did 
not  appreciate  the  mush  that  went  with  the  love 
scenes,  also  Montgomery  borrowed  a  little  of  the  old 
Bill  Haines  stuff,  and  we  all  know  what  happened  to 
Bill. — A.  E.  Hancock,  Columbia  Theatre,  Columbia 
City,  Ind.    General  patronage. 

PETTICOAT  FEVER:  Robert  Montgomery,  Myrna 
Loy — This  did  not  do  average  business  for  us.  Al- 
though the  dialogue  was  clever,  it  was  too  "talky" 
and  the  few  who  came  the  first  night  evidently  didn't 
have  a  good  word  for  it,  for  we  had  a  very  few 
the  second  night. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre, 
Eminence,  K.    Small  town  patronage. 

RIFFRAFF:  Jean  Harlow,  Spencer  Tracy— Quite 
rough  in  spots,  but  on  the  whole  a  good  picture.  Jean 
Harlow  very  good.  Running  time,  94  minutes. — P.  G. 
Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  Neigh- 
borhood patronage. 

SAN  FRANCISCO:  Clark  Gable,  Jeanette  Mac- 
Donald,  Spencer  Tracy,  Jack  Holt — This  has  just  what 
it  takes  for  the  box  office.  It  is  outstanding  entertain- 
ment and  reaches  a  terrific  and  breathtaking  climax 
in  the  earthquake  scenes  that  is  a  masterpiece  of 
realism.  Jeanette  MacDonald  really  hands  the  cus- 
tomers a  thrill  when  she  sings  "Jerusalem."  The 
audience  goes  out  talking  about  this  one  and  send- 
ing their  friends  to  see  it.  Played  July  26-28. — G.  E. 
Lancaster,  Huntington  Theatre,  Huntington,  Ind.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

SMALL  TOWN  GIRL:  Robert  Taylor,  Janet  Gay- 
nor — Used  to  like  them  from  the  big  cities,  but  this 
"Small  Town  Girl"  made  a  hit  with  me.  Socko  box 
office.  Gaynor  regained  her  lost  prestige  and  Taylor 
added  to  his  following.  Made  a  payment  on  the  back 
taxes  after  running  this  one.  Played  June  8-9. — Elmer 
Brient,  Beacon  Theatre,  Hopewell,  Va.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

SPEED:  Wendy  Barrie,  James  Stewart — This  fit  in 
nicely  for  our  Friday  patronage.  They  liked  it  and 
it  did  better  than  we  usually  do  on  one  day  pictures. 
Good  entertainment.  Played  July  31. — Elmer  Brient, 
Beacon  Theatre,  Hopewell,  Va.    General  patronage. 

UNGUARDED  HOUR,  THE:  Loretta  Young,  Fran- 
chot Tone — Good  mystery  picture.    Running  time,  87 


THEATRE  SITE 

Corner  Ave.  "U"  &  Nostrand  Ave.,  Brooklyn 

Exceptionally  well  located  site  for  theatre.  The 
hub  of  a  thickly  populated  area.  Trolley  and 
bus  transfer  point.  Plot  200  x  110.  Price  $60,000. 
Mortgage  financing  can  be  arranged.  Realty 
Associates,  Inc.  Mr.  Cahill,  162  Remsen  Street, 
Brooklyn.    TRiangle  5-8300. 


70 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


minutes.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold, 
Iowa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

UNGUARDED  HOUR,  THE:  Loretta  Young,  Fran- 
chot  Tone— A  good  cast  and  interesting  story  makes 
this  a  very  satisfactory  evening's  entertainment.  And 
don't  forget  the  very  good  little  bad  baby  that  cried 
so  long,  loud  and  well  during  the  christening.  This 
one  pleased.  Running  time,  88  minutes.  Played  July 
g.o  —Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan. 
Small  town  patronage. 

WIFE  VS.  SECRETARY :  Clarke  Gable,  Myrna 
Loy,  Jean  Harlow— A  cast  that  is  popular  and  a 
very  good  story.  Pleased  everyone,  I  think,  but 
weather  was  so  hot,  attendance  was  very  small.  How- 
ever that  was  not  the  fault  of  the  picture.  May 
Robson  is  great.  Wish  they  would  give  her  more  and 
better  parts.  Running  time,  89  minutes.  Played  July 
18-19.— Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon, 
Kan.    Small  town  patronage. 


Paramount 


CASE  AGAINST  MRS.  AMES,  THE:  George 
Brent,  Madeleine  Carroll— As  good  a  picture  as  any 
company  has  made  this  year.  Not  a  special,  but  tar 
better  than  average  program  run.  Business  satisfac- 
tory. Running  time,  85  minutes.  Played  July  19.— 
E.  M.  Starkey,  New  Rex  Theatre,  Berlin,  Wis.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

FLORIDA  SPECIAL:  Jack  Oakie,  Sally  Eilers— 
Another  murder  mystery  aboard  a  Florida  Special 
train.  Oakie  is  quite  humorous  as  a  nosey  reporter. 
Double-billed  this  with  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pas- 
teur "  Both  features  pleased  customers  as  well  as 
manager.  Better  than  average  biz.  Running  time, 
65  minutes.  Played  July  22-23.— Jerry  Waller,  Elroy 
Theatre,  Elroy,  Wis.   Small  town  and  rural  patronage. 

GIRL  OF  THE  OZARKS:  Virginia  Weidler,  Hen- 
rietta Crosman— Little  Virginia  comes  through  m 
first-class  rate  fashion  in  this,  and  she  carries  the 
whole  load  at  that,  except  for  Henrietta  Crosman, 
whose  "Granny"  role  was  excellent  also.  It  drew_  a 
little  better  than  I  expected  and  gave  lots  of  satis- 
faction. This  child  is  really  an  actress  and  I  hope 
the  producers  can  find  the  right  kind  of  stories  tor 


120,000,000 

PEOPLE  WAITING  TO  SEE 
THIS  REMARKABLE  PICTURE 

"CLOISTERED" 

_j  BOSTON  TRANSCRIPT, 
P FRIDAY,  JULY  10,  1936 

Two  Films  That 
Flourish  Even 
In  Midsummer 


Thoughts  on  "San  Francisco' 
And  "Cloistered"  as  They 
Continue  on  the  Screen 


By  Edwin  F.  fllelvin 

There  used  to  be  an  adage  in  the  thea- 
ter that  good  plays  do  good  business  re- 
gardless o£  the  weather.  According  to 
this  school  of  thought,  handicaps  which 
wreak  havoc  on  less  successful '  enter- 
tainments are  iargely  alibis  for  weak- 
nesses which  really  lie  elsewhere.  There 
is  a  considerable  measure  of  truth  In 
such  a  theory,  not  only  on  the  stage  but 
in  the  movies, 


First  opportunity  since  civilization  revealing 
the  mysteries  of  lives  of  women  in  a  strictly 
cloistered  convent  never  before  filmed. 


It 


"CLOISTERED 

Write,  wire  or  phone 

BEST  FILM  CO.,  INC. 

723  Seventh  Ave.,  New  York  City,  N.  Y. 
Tel.:  BRyant  9-6458 


her  and  then  give  her  competent  support. — A.  N. 
Miles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky.  Small  town 
patronage. 

KLONDIKE  ANNIE:  Mae  West,  Victor  McLag- 
len — We  played  this  late  because  afraid  of  smut. 
Everybody  very  much  pleased.  Mae  has  a  positive, 
not  a  negative,  personality  and  is  a  fascinating,  tal- 
ented human  who  doesn't  need  blah  to  draw  crowds. 
She  sent  'em  away  feeling  they'd  had  a  something 
of  mental  virility  as  well  as  dam  good  entertainment. 
—Mary  Hayes  Davis,  La  Belle  and  Clewiston  The- 
atres, La  Belle  and  Clewiston,  Fla.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

POPPY:  W.  C.  Fields,  Rochelle  Hudson— Being  a 
Fields  fan,  I  naturally  liked  this  feature,  as  did  all 
the  customers.  The  carnival  scenes  were  good.  A 
carnival  picture  such  as  this  is  perfect  for  Fields. 
He  can  sure  run  the  old  shell  game  and  sell  bad 
medicine.  Just  average  biz.  Running  time,  72  minutes. 
Played  July  26-27.— Jerry  Waller,  Elroy  Theatre, 
Elroy,  Wis.    Small  town  and  rural  patronage. 

RHYTHM  ON  THE  RANGE:  Bing  Crosby,  Fran- 
ces Farmer — An  excellent  western  that  pleased  all  and 
did  business.  Crosby,  Bob  Burns  and  Martha  Raye 
excellent.  Should  be  played  Sunday. — C.  L.  Niles, 
Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

SKY  PARADE:  Jimmy  Allen,  Katherine  DeMille— 
Very  good  program  picture.  Expected  this  to  only 
please  children,  but  it  went  over  big  with  the  adults. 
Used  it  on  Bargain  Night  and  did  excellent  business. 
Running  time,  70  minutes.  Played  July  23.— E.  M. 
.  Starkey,  New  Rex  Theatre,  Berlin,  Wis.  General 
patronage. 

13  HOURS  BY  AIR:  Fred  MacMurray,  Joan  Ben- 
nett— Another  trans-continental  trip  via  plane  with 
plenty  of  excitement  and  attempted  murder  en  route. 
Zasu  Pitts  has  an  awful  time  as  nurse  to  Bennie 
Bartlett  (the  little  brat),  who  comes  through  with 
flying  colors  in  the  climax.  Better  than  average  biz. 
Running  time,  76  minutes.  Played  July  29-30.— Jerry 
Waller,  Elroy  Theatre,  Elroy,  Wis.  Small  town  and 
rural  patronage. 

TRAIL  OF  THE  LONESOME  PINE:  Henry 
Fonda,  Sylvia  Sidney — Added  prestige  to  the  house 
and  money  in  the  bank.  A  beautiful  production  and 
incidentally  the  only  picture  Paramount  has  delivered 
in  this,  the  worst  in  their  career.  Played  July  18-19. 
—Elmer  Brient,  Beacon  Theatre,  Hopewell,  Va.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

TRAIL  OF  THE  LONESOME  PINE,  THE:  Sylvia 
Sidney,  Henry  Fonda,  Fred  MacMurray— Exceptional. 
We  had  two  audiences  to  above  average  business  and 
we  heard  no  complaints  whatever.  Played  July  22-23. 
— C.  W.  Mills,  Arcade  Theatre,  Sodus,  N'.  Y.  Family 
patronage. 


Puritan 


BULLDOG  COURAGE:  Tim  McCoy,  Lois  January- 
Here's  a  western  that  will  please  and  draw  them  in. 
Get  it  and  play  it.  Played  July  24-25. — A.  G.  Miller, 
Lyric  Theatre,  Atkinson,  Neb.    Rural  patronage. 


RKO  Radio 


ANNIE  OAKLEY:  Barbara  Stanwycke,  Preston 
Foster — A  dandy  Friday  and  Saturday  program  that 
makes  a  fellow  feel  proud  to  be  in  show  business.  Too 
bad  we  can't  get  enough  business  to  enjoy  it.  Step 
on  this  one,  boys,  and  play  it  Friday  and  Saturday, 
but  it  is  good  for  any  night  in  the  week  or  Sunday. 
It  will  please  customers  100  per  cent  and  that  is  some- 
thing nowadays.  Running  time,  nine  reels.  Played 
July  31-August  1.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kim- 
ball, S.  D.  Small  town  patronage. 

BRIDE  WALKS  OUT,  THE:  Barbara  Stanwyck, 
Gene  Raymond — From  audience  reaction,  this  went 
over  big.  With  115  hot  weather  on  Sunday  slowed 
up  the  receipts.  Running  time  nine  reels. — E.  C.  Are- 
hart,  Princess  Theatre,  Odebolt,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

EX-MRS.  BRADFORD,  THE:  William  Powell, 
Jean  Arthur — One  of  the  best  mystery  dramas  we 
have  played  for  a  long  while.  Interesting  from  start 
to  finish.  William  Powell  at  his  best.  Running  time, 
80  minutes.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Gris- 
wold, Iowa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

FARMER  IN  THE  DELL:  Fred  Stone,  Jean  Parker 
—We  small  town  ruralites,  who  know  the  real  thing 
in  simplicity,  liked  Fred  Stone  immensely  in  this. 
Several  remarked  that  he  reminded  them  of  Will 
Rogers.  Give  him  more  good  pictures  and  he  will 
have  a  worthwhile  following.  Played  July  29-30. — 
Mary  Hayes  Davis,  La  Belle  and  Clewiston  Theatres, 
La  Belle  and  Clewiston,  Fla.    Small  town  patronage. 

FOLLOW  THE  FLEET:  Fred  Astaire,  Ginger 
Rogers — Wonderful  picture. — Sammie  Jackson,  Jackson 
Theatre,  Flomaton,  Ala.    General  patronage. 

MURDER  ON  THE  BRIDLE  PATH:  James  Glea- 
son,  Helen  Broderick — Just  another  picture.  Do  for 
double  bills.  Will  not  stand  alone.  Story  improbable 
and  weak. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

YELLOW  DUST:  Richard  Dix,  Leila  Hyams— Fine 


western.  Dix  very  popular  here  in  westerns.  Wish 
we  could  get  more  with  him. — Sammie  Jackson,  Jack- 
son Theatre,   Flomaton,  Ala.    General  patronage. 

Twentieth  Century- Fox 

CHARLIE  CHAN'S  SECRET:  Wagner  Oland— 
Good  picture,  suitable  for  Friday  and  Saturday.  All 
Chan  pictures  are  entertaining.  Running  time,  70  min- 
utes.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold, 
Iowa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

COUNTRY  DOCTOR,  THE:  Dionne  Quintuplets, 
Jean  Hersholt — Very  good  show  over  which  we  were 
very  much  surprised  upon  the  very  poor  business 
that  we  did  with  it.  Hot  weather  must  be  the  cause. 
Play  it,  boys,  and  do  little  extra  advertising;  it  will 
pay  you,  because  the  picture  will  please  most  of  them 
that  see  it.  Running  time,  10  reels.  Played  July 
19-20.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D. 
Small  town  patronage. 

COUNTRY  DOCTOR,  THE:  Dionne  Quintuplets, 
Jean  Hersholt — This  picture  was  a  very  pleasant  sur- 
prise. Grossed  the  most  of  any  picture  in  the  last 
three  months  and  so  far  as  I  know  it  pleased  every- 
one. Good  story  and  a  mighty  fine  cast.  Jean  Her- 
sholt, the  Quints,  Dorothy  Peterson,  Slim  Summer- 
ville,  in  fact,  the  entire  cast  is  good.  Think  I  can 
say  this  one  pleased  100  per  cent.  Just  a  small  town 
natural.  Running  time,  94  minutes.  Played  July  22- 
23. — Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan. 
Small  town  patronage. 

CRIME  OF  DR.  FORBES,  THE:  Gloria  Stuart, 
Robert  Kent — Good  mystery  story  based  on  mercy 
killing.  Picture  gave  very  good  satisfaction.  Good 
for  short  run.  Running  time,  76  minutes.  Played 
July  31.— E.  M.  Starkey,  New  Rex  Theatre,  Berlin, 
Wis.    General  patronage. 

EVERYBODY'S  OLD  MAN:  Irwin  S.  Cobb,  Ro- 
chelle Hudson — Very  good  show  and  no  business. 
Drought  responsible  and  114°  in  shade.  O.  K.  for  any 
house.  Story  good,  excellent  acting.  Running  time, 
nine  reels.  Played  July  24-25.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal 
Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.   Small  town  patronage. 

FIRST  BABY,  THE:  Shirley  Deane,  Johnny  Downs 
— Unknowns  in  the  cast;  a  rather  trite  story.  Had 
it  not  been  for  a  couple  of  others  that  were  in  tb'' 
cast  that  added  a  few  bright  moments,  as  the  hen- 
pecked husband,  and  the  mother  that  backed  up  the 
son  against  the  other  mother-in-law,  it  would  not 
have  amounted  to  much.  All  right  for  a  tag  end  of 
a  double  bill,  but  we  don't  double  bill. — A.  E.  Han- 
cock, Columbia  Theatre,  Columbia  City,  Ind.  General 
patronage. 

FIRST  BABY,  THE:  Shirley  Deane,  Johnny  Downs 
—It  hasn't  been  many  weeks  since  I  was  in  a  role 
similar  to  that  played  by  Young  Mr.  Downs  1  Nat- 
urally, I  went  for  this  picture  in  a  big  way.  It  is 
full  of  those  human  touches  that  make  pictures  out- 
standing for  the  "family  trade."  There  are  no  names 
that  drag  'em  in,  but  there  is  satisfying  entertain- 
ment after  you  get  them  there.  Played  July  26-27. — 
G.  E.  Lancaster,  Jefferson  Theatre,  Huntington,  Ind. 
General  patronage. 

GENTLE  JULIA:  Jane  Withers,  Tom  Brown— Very 
satisfactory  to  normal  business.  Played  July  18. — C. 
W.  Mills,  Arcade  Theatre,  Sodus,  N.  Y.  Family  pat- 
ronage. 

HALF  ANGEL:  Frances  Dee,  Brian  Donlevy— This 
picture  would  have  to  come  along  to  spoil  Twentieth 
Century's  record  for  producing  splendid  pictures.  Run- 
ning time,  65  minutes.  Played  July  1-2. — Star  The- 
atre, Heppner,  Ore.    Small  town  patronage. 

HIGH  TENSION:  Brian  Donlevy,  Glenda  Farrell— 
Just  a  fair  program  picture.  Good  for  Bargain  Night 
or  double  feature  bill.  Running  time,  62  minutes. 
Played  July  30— E.  M.  Starkey,  New  Rex  Theatre, 
Berlin,  Wis.    General  patronage. 

HUMAN  CARGO:  Claire  Trevor,  Brian  Donlevy— 
Good  gangster  type  picture.  Good  twists  and  sus- 
pense to  the  story.  Running  time,  seven  reels. — 
E.  C.  Arehart,  Princess  Theatre,  Odebolt,  Iowa.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

KING  OF  BURLESQUE,  THE:  Warner  Baxter, 
Alice  Faye — We  were  disappointed  in  the  attendance, 
but  the  show  pleased  all  who  saw  it.  We  believe  the 
title  kept  many  of  our  women  patrons  away.  Played 
July  29-30.— C.  W.  Mills,  Arcade  Theatre,  Sodus, 
N.  Y.  Family  patronage. 

LITTLE  MISS  NOBODY:  Jane  Withers,  Ralph 
Morgan — Somewhat  better  than  average  at  the  box 
office  because  of  the  Withers  personality.  Jane  cer- 
tainly deserves  a  better  break  than  she  has  been  get- 
ting from  the  production  department.  Played  July 
28-30. — G.  E.  Lancaster,  Jefferson  Theatre,  Hunting- 
ton, Ind.    General  patronage. 

LITTLEST  REBEL,  THE:  Shirley  Temple— First 
Temple  for  a  long  time.  A  man's  a  chump  to  pass 
her  up.  She's  the  one  and  only  darling  on  the  screen 
who  has  box  office. — A.  G.  Miller,  Lyric  Theatre,  At- 
kinson, Neb.    Rural  patronage. 

NAVY  WIFE:  Claire  Trevor,  Ralph  Bellamy— This 
gave  satisfaction  to  a  little  better  than  normal  busi- 
ness. Played  July  25.— C.  W.  Mills,  Arcade  Theatre, 
Sodus,  N.  Y.    Family  patronage. 

0*MALLEY  OF  THE  MOUNTED:  George  O'Brien, 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


71 


Irene  Ware — A  very  good  western,  but  has  been 
changed  from  the  silent  picture  and  I  did  not  think 
the  change  was  an  improvement.  However,  it  is  a 
very  good  picture  and  pleased  the  western  fans.  Run- 
ning time,  59  minutes.  Played  July  15-16.— Gladys  E. 
McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan.  Small  town 
patronage. 

PRISONER  OF  SHARK  ISLAND,  THE:  Warner 
Baxter — History,  drama  of  very  good  interest,  some- 
what gruesome,  but  the  story  was  that  way,  I  sup- 
pose, so  it's  O.  K.  Men  should  like  it  very  much 
and  ladies  will  get  a  lot  of  enjoyment  out  of  it,  too. 
Business  poor.  Running  time,  10  reels.  Played  July 
26-27.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D. 
Small  town  patronage. 

PRIVATE  NUMBER:  Loretta  Young,  Robert  Tay- 
lor— Good  average  entertainment  to  normal  Sunday 
business.  Running  time,  75  minuets.  Played  July 
12-13.— Star  Theatre,  Heppner,  Ore.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

SINS  OF  MAN:  Jean  Hersholt,  Don  Ameche— A 
splendid  picture,  well  acted,  but  nil  at  the  box  office. 
Running  time,  85  minutes.  Played  July  8-9. — Star 
Theatre,  Heppner,  Ore.    Small  town  patronage. 

UNDER  TWO  FLAGS:  Ronald  Colman,  Claudette 
Colbert,  Rosalind  Russell,  Victor  McLaglen — It  took 
four  stars  and  oodles  of  money  to  make  this  an 
ordinary  picture.  By  the  time  it  got  to  our  town 
the  word  was  out  and  they  passed  it  by.  Played 
June  17-18. — Elmer  Brient,  Beacon  Theatre,  Hope- 
well, Va.    General  patronage. 

United  Artists 

DARK  ANGEL,  THE:  Merle  Oberon,  Fredric 
March,  Herbert  Marshall — A  very  good  production 
worthy  of  your  best  playing  time.  Pleased  everyone. 
—A.  G.  Miller,  Lyric  Theatre,  Atkinson,  Neb.  Rural 
patronage. 

LITTLE  LORD  FAUNTLEROY:  Freddie  Bar- 
tholomew, Dolores  Costello  Barrymore — Played  this 
one  rather  old  and  the  edge  was  taken  off  the  box 
office.  Deserved  better  patronage.  An  excellent  pic- 
ture. Everybody  liked  it.  Played  July  6-7. — Elmer 
Brient,  Beacon  Theatre,  Hopewell,  Va.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

MODERN  TIMES:  Charlie  Chaplin— What  a  nose- 
dive this  one  took.  Didn't  take  in  film  rental.  _  They 
don't  want  this  kind  of  entertainment  at  this  day 
and  age. — A.  G.  Miller,  Lyric  Theatre,  Atkinson,  Neb- 
Rural  patronage. 

STRIKE  ME  PINK:  Eddie  Cantor— This  one 
evidently  made  while  Samuel  Goldwyn  was  on  his 
vacation.  Certainly  not  up  to  the  Goldwyn  standard. 
Missed  in  audience  appeal  and  missed  still  more  at 
the  box  office.  In  the  red  a-plenty.  Played  June  3-4. 
— Elmer  Brient,  Beacon  Theatre,  Hopewell,  Va.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

Universal 

AFFAIR  OF  SUSAN,  THE:  Zasu  Pitts,  Hugh 
O'Connell — Played  this  on  double  bill  with  a  Ken 
Maynard  western  and  it  made  a  splendid  program. 
There's  plenty  of  laughs  in  this  and  as  most  of  the 
action  takes  place  at  Coney  Island,  there's  plenty  of 
excitement  and  thrills  also.  Our  folks  were  glad  to 
see  Walter  Catlett  back  again.  He  is  one  of  our 
favorite  comedians. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre, 
Eminence,   Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 

CRASH  DONOVAN:  Jack  Holt,  Nan  Gray— Here's 
a  little  inconsequential  picture  that  _  surely  went 
right  out  and  did  business  on  a  Friday-Saturday. 
The  kids  and  men  ate  it  up.  Running  time,  six  reels. 
— E.  C.  Arehart,  Princess  Theatre,  Odebolt,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 

MAGNIFICENT  OBSESSION:  Irene  Dunne,  Robert 
Taylor. — Wonderful  picture.  Business  not  as  good  as 
expected. — Sammie  Jackson,  Jackson  Theatre,  Floma- 
ton,  Ala.    General  patronage. 

MAGNIFICENT  OBSESSION:  Irene  Dunne,  Robert 
Taylor — We  had  more  requests  for  this  picture  than 
for  any  other  we  can  remember.  Then  extremely  hot 
weather  spoiled  box  office  receipts.  But  it  is  a  grand 
picture  in  every  way  and  every  exhibitor  should  give 
his  patrons  an  opportunity  to  see  it. — A.  N.  Miles, 
Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. • 

Warner  Bros. 

BOULDER  DAM:  Ross  Alexander,  Patricia  Ellis- 
Good  program  picture.  Will  please. — A.  G.  Miller, 
Lyric  Theatre,  Atkinson,  Neb.    Rural  patronage. 

COLLEEN:  Ruby  Keeler,  Joan  Blondell,  Jack 
Oakie,  Dick  Powell — Another  disappointing  picture 
from  Warner  Bros.  They  can  make  such  wonderful 
musicals;  I  do  not  see  why  thev  fell  down  on  this 
one.  Dick  Powell  and  Ruby  Keeler  are — or  have 
been — two  favorites  here,  but  they  seem  to  be  slip- 
ping. There  is  altogether  too  much  time  given  to 
the  world's  most  tiresome  actor,  if  he  is  an  actor, 
Hugh  Herbert.  Joan  Blondell  was  very  good  and  so 
was  Tack  Oakie,  but  it  did  not  please  generally. 
Running  time.  89  minutes.  Played  July  11  -12. — Gladys 
E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan.  Small  town 
patronage. 


I  MARRIED  A  DOCTOR:  Josephine  Hutchinson, 
Pat  O'Brien — Very  good.  Right  up  a  small  town's 
alley.  It  will  please  everyone. — A.  G.  Miller,  Lyric 
Theatre,  Atkinson,  Neb.    Rural  patronage. 

MIDSUMMER  NIGHT'S  DREAM:  All  Star— Never 
again  will  I  play  a  picture  on  terms  I  played  this  on. 
Lost  money.  No  business,  no  good  comments. — Sam- 
mie Jackson,  Jackson  Theatre,  Flomaton,  Ala.  General 
patronage. 

SATAN  MET  A  LADY:  Bette  Davis,  Warren  Wil- 
liam— About  the  poorest  Warners  have  ever  turned 
out.  Expected  big  things  from  Bette  Davis,  but  was 
sadly  disappointed.  Good  cast  but  no  real  plot. 
Eliminate  this  if  possible.  Did  the  poorest  Sunday 
business  I  have  done  this  year.  Running  time,  72 
minutes.  Played  August  2. — E.  M.  Starkey,  ftew  Rex 
Theatre,  Berlin,  Wis.    General  patronage. 

SONS  O'  GUNS:  Joe  E.  Brown— Not  up  to  the  Joe 
Brown  standard  and  it  missed  decidedly.  Joe  doesn't 
mean  anything  in  this  town.  Played  June  29-30. — 
Elmer  Brient,  Beacon  Theatre,  Hopewell,  Va.  General 
patronage. 


Short  Features 

Celebrity 

ALI  BAB  A:  Comicolor  Cartoons — A  good  colored 
cartoon. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 


Columbia 

HOT  PAPRIKA:  Andy  Clyde— A  great  comedy  by 
Andy  Clyde.  The  kids  will  eat  it  and  also  the  grown- 
ups. Slapstick. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

"PATCH  MAH  BRITCHES":  Barney  Google— Nice 
color  cartoon. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Emi- 
nence, Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 


Educational 

HOT  SPELL:  Terry-Toons— A  very  good  black  and 
white  cartoon. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

JUST  PLAIN  FOLKS:  Tim  and  Irene— It  is  a 
laugh  getter  and  that  is  what  the  customers  want 


when  they  come  in.  The  funniest  pictures  please  the 
most  patrons.  Running  tjme,  two  reels. — Rudolf  Duba, 
Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small  town  patronage. 

LIGHT  FANTASTIC,  THE:  Star  Personality  Come- 
dies— Good  comedy  all  the  way  through.  Running 
time,  two  reels. — Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kim- 
ball, S.  D.  Small  town  patronage. 

OFF  TO  CHINA:  Paul  Terry-Toons— Fair  cartoon. 
— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

RAIL  BIRDS:  Tom  Howard,  George  Shelton— An- 
other poor  attempt  at  comedy. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace 
Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

LOVE  IN  SEPTEMBER:  Young  Romance  Series— 
This  comedy  is  a  two-reel  drama  about  many  inci- 
dents in  Jack  Coogan's  life  and  a  midget  car  race 
that  Jackie  walks  away  with.  Very  good.  Running 
time,  two  reels. — Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre.  Kim- 
ball, S.  D.  Small  town  patronage. 

SOUTHERN  HORSE-PITALITY:  Terry-Toon— 
These  Terry-Toon  cartoons  are  not  near  as  good  as 
they  used  to  be. — P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre, 
Griswold,  Iowa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 

AUDIOSCOPIKS:  Special— Having  paid  more  for 
this  than  an  ordinary  short,  also  the  extra  cost  of 
the  glasses,  it  was  up  to  me  to  get  back  of  this.  I 
advertised  on  the  screen  that  this  was  a  sensational 
novelty  (which  it  is),  that  the  red  and  green  glasses 
which  were  necessary  to  see  this  would  be  furnished 
free  to  all  patrons.  The  results  were  a  decidedly 
above  average  attendance  on  this.  I  believe  it  was 
the  offer  of  free  red  and  green  glasses  that  did  the 
trick.  Very  few  were  found  on  the  floor  after  the 
show,  so  most  patrons  took  them  home  as  souvenirs. 
J.  E.  Stocker,  Myrtle  Theatre,  Detroit,  Mich.  Neigh- 
borhood patronage. 

AUDIOSCOPIKS:  Not  much  to  it,  just  another 
scheme  to  get  a  big  rental  for  a  fair  one-reel  sub- 
ject.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold, 
Iowa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

BOTTLES:  Harman-Ising — One  of  the  cleverest  of 

the   Harman-Ising   Series   and   they  are   all   good. — 

Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan. 
Small  town  patronage. 

HIT   AND    RUN    DRIVER:    Crime   Doesn't  Pay 
Series— A  powerful  preachment  on  this  subject.  My 
(.Continued  on  following  page) 


Send  this  COLLECT — We'll  Pay 


WESTERN 
UNION 


Send  the  following  message ,  subject  to  the  terms  on  back  hereof,  which  are  hereby  agreed  to 

DAY  LETTER  COLLECT 
DU  WORLD  PICTURES,  DEPT.  H 
729  SEVENTH  AVE. ,  NEW  YORK  CITY 

WIRE  BEST  TERMS  LEGONG  DANCE  OF  THE 
VIRGINS  TECHNICOLOR  EXPLOITATION  HIT  FOR 
MY  THEATRE 

(  DATES  ) 


(  NAME 


(  THEATRE 


) 


"LEGONG" 

The  OUTSTANDING  Independent  Film  Hit  of  1936-1937! 


BOOKED  100%  ON 
LOEWS   METROPOLITAN  CIRCUIT 


BOOKED  BY  RKO  AND  LOEW 
IN   KEY   CITIES   THROUGHOUT  U.  S. 


Booked  solid  by  Consolidated,  Brandts,  Springer-Cocalis,  Poli,  Cooper  Circuits 
and  the  outstanding  first-runs  in  all  key  cities 


72 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


people  will  not  forget  it  soon,  as  a  little  four-year-old 
girl  was  killed  in  the  street  on  the  next  corner  while 
her  brothers  were  watching  this  picture. — Roy  W. 
Adams,  Mason  Theatre,  Mason,  Mich.  Small  town 
patronage. 

HOW  TO  BEHAVE:  MGM  Miniatures— "How  to 
Sleep"  was  such  a  riot  that  we  used  "How  to  Be- 
have" on  top  spot,  but  it  failed  miserably.  Not  in 
same  class  with  first  subject.  Running  time,  one 
reel.— Roy  C.  Irvine,  Ritz  Theatre,  Ritzville,  Wash. 
General  patronage. 

HOW  TO  BEHAVE:  Miniatures— A  good  novelty 
reel. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 

HOW  TO  SLEEP:  Robert  •Benchley — Good. — P.  G. 
Held  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  Neigh- 
borhood patronage. 

LITTLE  BOY  BLUE:  Charles  "Chic"  Sale— Very 
good  short  from  the  poem  by  Eugene  Field.  Running 
time,  20  minutes.— Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre, 
Lebanon,  Kan.    Small  town  patronage. 

OLD  PLANTATION,  THE:  Happy  Harmonies- 
Good.  Running  time,  seven  minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New 
Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  Neighborhood  pat- 
ronage. 

RURAL  MEXICO:  FitzPatrick  Travel  Talks— The 
last  one  or  two  of  these  travel  talks  have  not  been 
so  good.  The  announcer's  voice  gets  very  monoto- 
nous when  there  is  so  little  music  to  break  the  talk. 
On  the  whole,  I  do  not  believe  this  year's  series  have 
been  as  entertaining  as  last  year's  series.  Running 
time,  10  minutes. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre, 
Eminence,  Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 

THRILL  FOR  THELMA,  A:  Crime  Doesn't  Pay 
Series — Another  splendid  number  in  this  series.  Run- 
ning time,  18  minutes. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  The- 
atre, Eminence,  Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 

TWO  LITTLE  PUPS:  Harman-Ising— A  fine 
colored  cartoon  about  the  adventures  of  two  little 
pups. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 


Paramount 

BRIDGE  AHOY!  Popeye  the  Sailor— An  excellent 
Popeye. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 

FINER   POINTS:    Grantland  Rice  Sportlights— An 


MILES  shrink  to  inches . . , 


to  minutes 
when  you  ship  by 

MR  EXPRESS 

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line handling  of  features,  news  re- 
leases, equipment,  etc.,  nation-wide 
Air  Express— 2500  miles  overnight- 
is  made  to  your  specifications.  You 
can  reach  directly  by  Air  Express 
215  cities  in  the  United  States  and 
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countries.  Through  swift  hook -in 
with  Railway  Express  rail  service 
you  have  the  continent  under  your 
thumb  —  at  low,  economical  rates. 

■JfrDay  and  night  service. 

■X-  Pick  -up  and  delivery  free.  $50  in- 
surance on  each  shipment  without 
extra  charge. 

-3fr  Shipments  can  be  forwarded  pre- 
paid, or  collect.  C.  O.  D.'s  a  specialty, 
and  just  as  fast.  Prompt  remittances. 

■X"  Packing  requirements  same  asfor  rail 
express  on  practically  all  shipments. 

■X-One  organization  —  One  responsibil- 
ity—  One  waybill. 

For  service  and  particulars,  phone  any 
Railway  Express  office. 

MR  EXPRESS 

DIVISION 

It  a  i  i.w  a  y  Express  A.  g  re  n  c  y 


excellent  dog  reel  showing  bird  dogs  in  action.  A 
beautiful  reel. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

PARADE  OF  THE  MAESTROS:  Headliners— Just 
a  fair  band  act. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa, 
Iowa.   General  patronage. 

POPULAR  SCIENCE,  NO.  &-These  reels  in  a  class 
by  themselves.  Color,  educational,  interesting. — C.  L. 
Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

VIM,  VIGOR  AND  VITALIKY:  Popeye  the  Sailor— 
We  don't  think  this  is  quite  up  to  standard. — A.  N. 
Niles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky.  Small  town 
patronage. 


RKO  Radio 

NEPTUNE  MYSTERIES:  Struggle  to  Live  Series— 
An  excellent  nature  reel. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre, 
Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

TOONERVILLE  TROLLEY:  Rainbow  Parade  Car- 
toons— Pretty  good/ — P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre, 
Griswold,  Iowa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

WAIF'S  WELCOME,  A:  Rainbow  Parade  Cartoons 
— Just  a  colored  cartoon  and  not  so  hot.  Why  not 
stay  by  Molly  Moo  Cow — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre, 
Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

WEDTIME  STORY,  A:  Headliner  Series— A  good 
comedy  of  the  higher  class.  Not  slapstick. — C.  L. 
Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

WHERE  THERE'S  A  WILL:  Radio  Flash  Come- 
dies— A  fair  comedy  that  we  had  a  return  booking  on 
through  fault  of  the  booker.  Everybody  told  us  so. 
Plenty  of  nonsense.  Running  time,  two  reels. — Rudolf 
Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 


Twentieth  Century  -  Fox 

FOX  NEWS:  Still  the  best  news  on  the  market.— 
A.  G.  Miller,  Lyric  Theatre,  Atkinson,  Neb.  Rural 
patronage. 


Universal 

AMATEUR  BROADCAST:  Oswald  Cartoons— Just 
lair. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence,  Ky. 
Small  town  patronage. 

BRONCO  BUSTER:  Oswald  Cartoons— Had  to  play 
this  back  a  second  time.  If  you  have  not  played  this 
do  so.  One  of  the  best  of  the  black  and  white  car- 
toons.— C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 


Vitaphone 

CARL  HOFF  AND  ORCHESTRA:  An  excellent 
band  act. — C.  L.  Mies,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 

CHANGING  OF  THE  GUARD:  Sybil  Jason— One 
of  the  best  shorts  I  ever  ran.  Sybil  Jason  is  great. 
Clever  story,  good  music  and  beautiful  color.  More 
entertainment  than  a  lot  of  features.  Running  time, 
20  minutes— Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Leba- 
non, Kan.    Small  town  patronage. 

HALF  WIT-NESS:  Radio  Ramblers— Again  these 
boys  deliver  good  entertainment.  Running  time,  10 
minutes. — A.  N.  Niles,  Eminence  Theatre,  Eminence, 
Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 

HALF  WIT-NESS:  Radio  Ramblers— Radio  Ram- 
blers, in  10  minutes  of  excellent  entertainment. — C.  L. 
Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

I'M  MUCH  OBLIGED:  Vera  Van,  George  Dobbs— 
Another  excellent  two- reel  musical.  Nearly  one  reel 
of  cowboy  singing  and  nonsense. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles 
Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

LUCKY  SWEDE,  THE:  El  Brendel— Not  my  idea 
of  a  good  short,  but  it  got  a  lot  of  laughs  and  seemed 
to  please  the  cash  customers.  Running  time,  20  min- 
utes.— Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon, 
Kan.  Small  town  patronage. 

NATURE'S     HANDIWORK:     Our     Own  United 

States  Series — A  wonderful  travel  talk  except  that  the 
talking  is  very  poor.  With  a  better  announcer  this 
would  be  excellent.  Running  time,  10  minutes. — Gladys 
E.  McArdle,  Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan.  Small  town 
patronage. 

SLIDE,  NELLIE,  SLIDE:  Herman  Bing,  Paula 
Stone — Amusing  short,  featuring  a  girl's  baseball  nine. 
Pleased.  Running  time,  20  minutes. — Gladys  E.  Mc- 
Ardle, Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

SLIDE,  NELLIE,  SLIDE:  Big  V  Comedies— This 
did  not  prove  a  good  weekend  comedy  for  us.  Run- 
ning time,  20  minutes. — A.  N.  Miles,  Eminence  The- 
atre, Eminence,  Ky.    Small  town  patronage. 

VITAPHONE  ENTERTAINERS:  Big  Time  Vaude- 


ville Reel — This  series  is  the  tops.  Peps  up  any  show. 
Running  time,  one  reel. — Gladys  E.  McArdle,  Owl 
Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan.    Small  town  patronage. 

VINCENT  LOPEZ  AND  ORCHESTRA:  Melody 
Masters — One  of  the  finest  band  acts  of  the  year. — 
C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Anamosa,  Iowa.  General 
patronage. 

VITAPHONE  SPOTLIGHT:  Big  Time  Vaudeville 
Reel  Series — This  series  is  the  tops.  Peps  up  any 
show.  Running  time,  one  reel. — Gladys  E.  McArdle, 
Owl  Theatre,  Lebanon,  Kan.    Small  town  patronage. 


Miscellaneous 

HIGHLIGHTS  OF  TEXAS  CENTENNIAL:  A  tip 

to  Texas  exhibitors;  get  this  from  Jamieson;  get  the 
stills  and  one-sheets  and  watch  yourself  get  some 
extra  business.  This  is  a  dandy  reel;  gives  you  an 
idea  of  what  to  see  in  Dallas,  and  where  to  start  see- 
ing it;  good  entertainment,  too;  and  watch  out  for 
the  Apple  Dancer;  she's  in  there.  A  well-made  local 
that  will  take  care  of  itself.  Running  time,  one  reel.— 
Henry  Reeve,  Mission  Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.  Small 
town  patronage. 

RED  CROSS:  An  excellent  reel,  entertaining  and  a 
worthy  subject.  Every  exhibitor  should  show  it  and 
be  proud  to  do  it. — C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre,  Ana- 
mosa, Iowa.    General  patronage. 


Serials 
Universal 

FLASH  GORDON:  Buster  Crabbe— This  started  out 
pretty  good,  but  too  much  impossible  stuff  in  it  to 
keep  up  the  interest.  So  far  we  have  run  10  chapters 
and  I  wish  it  was  over  with.  I  have  a  number  of 
adults  that  won't  sit  through  it  and  it  seems  as  if 
the  kids  are  afraid  of  it.  The  great  trouble  with  all 
of  the  serials  is  there  is  too  much  sameness  and  not 
much  story.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Gris- 
wold, Iowa.    Neighborhood  patronage. 

FLASH  GORDON:  Buster  Crabbe— The  biggest 
money  serial  ever  released.  Pleases  and  draws. — A.  G. 
Miller,  Lyric  Theatre,  Atkinson,  Neb.  Rural  pat- 
ronage. 

FLASH  GORDON:  Buster  Crabbe,  Jean  Rogers- 
Just  finished  this  serial.  Everyone  liked  and  we  con- 
sider it  one  of  the  best.— C.  L.  Niles,  Niles  Theatre, 
Anamosa,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 


Add  I  wo  to  Western  Electric  Board 

W.  A.  Bach,  managing  director  of  West- 
ern Electric,  London,  has  announced  the 
addition  to  the  board  of  the  British  com- 
pany of  H.  C.  Humphrey  and  J.  H.  Somake. 
Mr.  Humphrey  is  technical  director  in  suc- 
cession to  S.  S.  A.  Watkins,  who  has  re- 
turned to  America.  He  was  assistant  direc- 
tor of  engineering  to  Electrical  Research 
Products,  Inc.,  before  going  to  England. 
Mr.  Somake  is  a  British  lawyer  who  joined 
the  company's  legal  department  in  London 
in  1929,  taking  over  the  department  in  1935. 
In  March,  1936,  he  was  also  appointed  sec- 
retary of  the  firm. 

Logan  To  Direct  Plays 

Joshua  Logan,  stage  director,  who  has 
spent  the  last  three  months  in  Hollywood 
studying  motion  picture  technique  with  Da- 
vid O.  Selknick's  production  of  "The  Gar- 
den of  Allah,"  has  returned  to  New  York 
for  a  season  at  the  summer  repertory  thea- 
tres in  the  east. 


Wheeling  House  To  Be  Sold 

Sale  of  the  Capitol  Theatre  building  in 
Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  housing  the  city's  only 
million-dollar  playhouse,  has  been  ordered 
by  a  circuit  court  judge.  The  sale,  ordered 
in  connection  with  the  claim  of  bondholders, 
will  be  conducted  about  October  1st. 


McCarey  Sets  First  Film 

Leo  McCarey  will  produce  and  direct 
"The  Years  Are  So  Long"  as  his  first  as- 
signment of  a  three-year  Paramount  con- 
tract calling  for  the  production  of  two  pic- 
tures annually. 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


73 


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THOSE  EXTRA  DOLLARS 

Able  theatre  practitioners  are  of  course,  through  their  own 
initiative,  expected  to  bring  in  extra  dollars  to  the  box- 
office.  But  just  how  much  in  actual  figures  this  extra  portion 
should  come  to  is  a  moot  point.  Based  on  local  conditions 
and  circumstances  over  which  one  may  have  little  control, 
one  figure  can  be  quoted  with  as  much  authority  as  another. 

The  advertising  chieftain  of  a  western  circuit  sets  it  as 
25  per  cent  and  says  it  as  follows  atop  the  managers'  home 
office  activity  report  blank: 

"Twenty-five  per  cent  of  your  grosses  comes  from  your 
original  efforts.  Detail  below  your  activities  for  the  week, 
showing  what  was  done  by  your  own  efforts  to  increase  the 
gross  business  for  the  week.  .  .  .  List  your  contacts  .  .  .  also 
benefits  obtained  or  arranged  .  .  .  and  the  results  of  such 
work." 

*         *  * 

Because  it  has  to  do  with  these  same  activities,  it  is  not 
out  of  line  to  quote  also  from  a  letter  to  a  home  office  execu- 
tive who  in  turn  passed  the  message  along  to  this  desk.  It 
was  penned  by  a  branch  manager  around  for  a  long  stretch 
and  who  decries  present-day  lack  of  old-time  exploitation. 
Sez  he: 

"...  The  average  theatre  manager  today  is  not  allowed 
to  show  any  great  initiative,  due  to  limited  budgets,  plus 
the  fact  that  the  majority  of  his  publicity  comes  from  a  cen- 
tral depot.  Then  again,  the  average  house  manager  is  so  busy 
making  out  reports,  etc.,  for  his  home  office  that  he  neither 
has  the  time  nor  inclination  to  run  around  dressing  windows, 
getting  tieups,  etc. 

"...  It  has  been  so  long  since  I  have  been  stopped  by  a 
window  display  or  anything  unusual  except  the  gaudy  front 
that  I  have  forgotten  when.  I  might  add  that  the  biggest 
part  of  the  money  now  seems  to  go  into  those  fronts  and  I 
have  always  contended  that  a  person  must  pass  by  the  theatre 
in  order  to  see  them,  so  they  are  not  reaching  any  more 
people  than  actually  pass  by.  ..." 

Well,  we  dunno.  What  the  gentleman  from  the  field  has 
to  say  might  well  sock  the  nail  smack  on  the  beanno  in  his 
sector  and  then  again  might  not  exactly  bisect  the  bull's-eye. 
Granted  that  there  are  men  who  could  do  a  whole  lot  better 
for  the  boxoffice  were  they  shed  of  home  office  shackles,  but 
in  many  spots  the  old-time  irons  that  chained  initiative  have 
been  cast  away  and  the  managers  turned  loose  to  handle  the 
reins  themselves. 

Where  the  laddies  are  allowed  to  use  their  savvy,  are  not 
discouraged  by  over-zealous  home  office  interference,  it  is  to 


be  expected  that  determined  and  skilled  showmanship  will 
bring  in  added  grosses  well  above  the  minimum  an  attrac- 
tion is  ordinarily  figured  to  return. 

In  such  situations,  and  such  situations  only,  there  may  be 
justification  for  setting  up  an  arbitrary  figure  to  represent 
those  extra  dollars  created  solely  by  the  manager's  individual 
and  unique  efforts. 

V   V  V 
IN  TIMES  OF  STRESS 

The  ever-cheerful  note  in  the  entire  scheme  of  exhibition 
is  that  whatever  the  occasion,  your  theatreman  is  right  there 
to  take  a  prominent  part.  Go  into  any  live  community  and 
find  the  local  showmen  conspicuously  spotted  in  .most  every 
movement,  campaign,  drive  or  what  have  you. 

F'rinstance,  to  augment  the  facilities  for  preventative  treat- 
ments in  a  recent  statewide  paralysis  outbreak,  Louis  Rosen- 
baum,  general  manager,  Muscle  Shoals  Theatres,  Inc.,  an- 
nounced in  a  quarter-page  ad  that  further  free  treatments 
would  be  given  at  the  circuit's  houses  in  two  of  the  afflicted 
cities.  The  cost  of  trained  nurses,  equipment  and  serum  was 
borne  entirely  by  the  theatres. 

Gratifying  it  is  but  not  at  all  unexpected  to  find  theatre- 
men  in  the  very  front  lines  and  especially  so  in  times  of  the 
greatest  stress  and  danger. 

.  V    V  V 
LET  THEATREMEN  DANCE 

Whether  or  not  it  is  to  be,  as  the  St.  Louisans  have  it, 
"the  biggest  exploitation  stunt  in  the  history  of  this  country", 
the  September  drive  for  business  in  the  Mound  City,  described 
in  last  week's  issue  and  sponsored  by  Harry  C.  Arthur,  Jr., 
of  Fanchon  &  Marco,  with  the  Loew  and  Ansull  Brothers  in- 
terests, has  all  the  earmarks  of  a  campaign  that  other  cities 
might  find  well  worth  adapting.  In  cooperation  with  impor- 
tant local  organizations  a  series  of  projects  has  been  arranged, 
not  the  least  of  which  is  to  be  public  dancing  on  the  streets. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  when  the  celebration  is  over,  the 
theatremen  concerned  will  have  sufficient  boxoffice  reason  to 
do  some  dancing  on  their  own. 


74  MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 

SHOWMEN'S    LOBBY  LAFFS! 


This     cartoon  was 
created     by  Club 
Ca  rtoo n  ist  Milt 
Rosenfeld 


Usher:  Seals  in  the  Balcony,  Lady. 


Bob  Burns  Personal 
Tops  "Range"  Opening 

The  "loc,al  boy  makes  good"  angle  was 
put  to  work  on  the  premiere  of  "Rhythm 
On  the  Range"  at  the  Pulaski,  Little  Rock, 
Ark.,  by  Manager  Ralph  Noble,  who  was 
able  to  promote  the  appearance  on  opening 
night  of  Bob  Burns,  native  of  nearby  com- 
munity. There  was  much  of  a  to-do  of 
course  with  tieins  with  merchants  and  wel- 
come by  Governor  Futrelle. 

Feature  of  the  campaign  was  giant  street 
parade  in  which  the  star  chose  to  ride  in  an 
old-model  Ford  for  laughs  and  cheers. 
Ticker  tape  and  the  other  accessories  in 
vogue  at  such  occasions  were  much  in  evi- 
dence. 

Papers  contributed  a  fine  publicity  share 
by  interviews  and  photos.  Further  activi- 
ties were  created  by  Kraft-Phenix,  Burns' 
radio  sponsors  with  store  tieups  and  ban- 
nered trucks  in  the  parade.  Delegation 
from  the  star's  home  town  came  over  to 
the  opening,  for  which  the  house  was  re- 
served. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


AUGUST  DEADLINE; 
AUGUST  JUDGES 

Midnight  of  Sahirday,  September  5, 
is  the  deadline  date  for  entries  in  the 
Quigley  August  Awards.  So,  please, 
have  those  campaigns  at  headquarters 
by  that  time. 

The  August  judges  are  as  follows: 
Neil  F.  Agnew,  Paramount  Pictures 
Corp.,  Irving  Lesser,  Roxy  Theatre, 
and  Si  Seadler,  M-G-M. 


Bring  Grasshoppers 
To  See  Free  Show 

Among  the  favorite  devices  employed  to 
aid  in  civic  cleanup  campaigns,  the  tin  can, 
old  tire  and  similar  matinee  ideas  have  long 
been  effective.  To  the  list  now  add  the 
grasshopper  free  show,  put  on  by  Manager 
Glenn  M.  Detter,  Royal,  Hoisington,  Kan- 
sas, one  of  the  sections  afflicted  by  the  re- 
cent plague  of  the  insects. 

To  stimulate  the  elimination  of  the  pests 
and  also  to  build  up  his  date  on  "The  Big 
Noise,"  Deeter  advertised  that  every  young- 
ster under  12  bringing  a  pint  of  'hoppers  to 
the  theatre  would  be  admitted  free  at  the 
special  Saturday  matinee. 

Over  500  children  were  on  hand  with 
about  90  per  cent  properly  'hopper-laden  and 
as  soon  as  the  show  started,  the  "admis- 
sions" were  taken  to  the  town  dumping 
grounds  for  disposal.  Theatre  as  to  be  ex- 
pected received  a  lot  of  publicity  for  the 
civic-minded  stunt  which  Glenn  reports  re- 
acted favorably  at  the  box-office,  the  mati- 
nee grosses  being  far  above  the  average 
Saturday. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

House  Given  Away 
From  Prass'  Theatre 

When  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Mo- 
line,  111.,  recently  celebrated  its  "home  buy- 
ing week"  by  offering  a  house  gratis  to  per- 
son drawing  the  lucky  numbered  stub,  Bill 
Prass  stepped  up  and  offered  the  stage  of  the 
Le  Claire  Theatre  for  the  drawing.  Stubs 
were  given  with  each  25-cent  purchase  of 
goods  from  cooperating  merchants  and  Bill 
cashed  in  on  all  the  advertising,  which  men- 
tioned the  giveaway  on  the  stage  of  the 
theatre. 


August     15,  1936 

Lettered  Street  Car 
"Sudden  Death  "Aid 

Theatremen  are  getting  a  lot  of  excellent 
civic  cooperation  on  "And  Sudden  Death" 
to  emphasize  safety  drives  and  a  recent 
"topper"  for  a  Pennsylvania  date  was  Man- 
ager Paul  J.  Harvey's  tieup  in  York  for 
the  date  at  the  Capitol  Theatre. 

Harvey  first  promoted  transportation 
company  to  donate  a  car  and  then  promoted 
the  York  County  Safety  League  to  paint 
the  car  white  with  red  letters  (see  photo) 
at  no  cost  to  the  theatre.  Car  was  put  into 
regular  daily  service  a  week  ahead  making 
runs  on  all  routes. 

Other  tieins  had  safety  committee  at  spe- 
cial screening  after  which  the  members  con- 
ducted extensive  mailing  campaign.  Good- 
year Tires  also  got  aboard  with  two  full 
page  co-op  ads  and  herald  distribution. 
Wrecked  cars  in  prominent  spots,  properly 
bannered,  and  signs  on  light  poles  for  two 
miles  on  new  highway,  the  latter  strung  up 
by  light  company,  were  other  standouts  in 
Harvey's  drive. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Recommends  Street  Cars 
For  Herald  Distribution 

To  insure  the  most  effective  distribution 
for  his  heralds  and  to  guard  against  the 
placing  of  this  material  in  spots  where  it 
will  not  be  read,  Manager  S.  G.  Cardas, 
Loew's  State,  Los  Angeles,  used  the  local 
street  cars  as  follows  for  herald  advertising 
on  "Suzy." 

Two  boys,  each  with  a  street  car  pass, 
boarded  different  cars  and  passed  heralds  to 
all  riders,  continuing  the  distribution  on  as 
many  cars  as  possible  from  four  until  six 
thirty,  the  height  of  the  rush  hours.  In 
some  instances,  conductors  would  not  allow 
the  boys  to  do  their  stuff,  but  on  the  whole 
the  percentage  of  effectiveness  was  high, 
reports  Cardas,  with  sufficient  reader  inter- 
est indicated. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Those  Studios  Are  Handy 

Theatremen  operating  in  Los  Angeles 
from  time  to  time  manage  to  promote  ori- 
ginal props  from  the  studios  for  exploitation 
purposes  and  making  good  use  of  this  slant 
recently,  Al  Haynie,  at  the  Fox  West 
Coast-Belmont  borrowed  a  robot  outfit 
filmed  in  "The  Under  Sea  Power"  for  street 
bally.  Usher  dressed  up  in  the  costume 
paraded  the  neighborhood  passing  out 
heralds. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


Harvey's  Street  Car  "Death"  Promotion 


August     15,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


75 


HOLLAND  AND  NELSON 
VOTED  JULY  PLAQUES 


40-Foot  Worm  Gag 
Makes  Smart  Teaser 

Not  having  seen  anything  like  it  locally 
in  the  line  of  theatre  exploitation,  the  folks 
out  in  San  Bernardino,  Cal.,  were  proper- 
ly curious  about  Howard  Ralston's  recent 
worm  street  stunt  on  "Earthworm  Tractor" 
at  the  Ritz  Theatre.  It  was  a  teaser  idea, 
starting  two  days  ahead. 

Accompanying  photo  illustrates  the  stunt 
in  completed  form,  but  for  the  first  flash 
Ralston  used  only  two  boys  carrying  individ- 
ual sections,  one  reading  "Worm,"  and  the 
other  "Joe  E."  Next  days,  two  boys  were 
added  with  other  sections,  reading  "Earth" 
and  "Tractors,"  respectively.  Boys  appeared 
in  different  sections  of  the  town  and  had  to 
duck  a  lot  of  questions  from  the  folks  who 
wanted  to  know. 

On  opening  day,  the  completed  "worm," 
about  40  feet  long,  was  assembled  and  car- 
ried about  town  by  eight  boys,  serpentining 
through  the  shopping  districts,  in  and  out 
stores  and  other  prominent  spots.  Howard 
says  it  went  over  very  well  for  him  with  the 
cost  a  minor  item. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately"}" 

Davis  Distributes  Herbs 
For  "Dracula's  Daughter" 

Envelopes  bearing  the  caption  "This  may 
save  your  life"  were  distributed  to  the  towns- 
folk of  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  when  Louie  Davis 
played  "Dracula's  Daughter"  at  the  Vernon 
Theatre.  Other  directions  printed  on  the 
envelope  were  "This  envelope  contains  Wolf- 
tane,  the  herb  that  Vampires  fear,"  etc. 
The  magic  herb  in  each  envelope  consisted 
of  a  half -teaspoon  of  green  tea. 

Davis  topped  his  ads  with  copy  reading : 
"Are  you  a  sissy?  Can  you  take  it?  If  you 
are  a  coward  at  heart,  if  you  fear,  then  don't 
dare  see,"  etc. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Imprinted  Calling  Card 

Regulation-size  calling  cards,  face  carry- 
ing theatre  with  his  name  and  title  below, 
and  next  five  attractions  on  reverse  side 
helps  spread  the  word  for  Manager  Chas. 
H.  Edwards,  Capitol,  Decatur,  Ala.  •  Same 
idea  is  carried  out  for  assistant  manager, 
cashier,  head  doorman,  the  cards  distribut- 
ed where  they  will  do  the  most  good.  Be- 
sides publicizing  the  shows,  the  slant  helps 
to  familiarize  patrons  with  the  house  staff, 
says  Edwards. 

''Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


Ralston's  Eight-Man  "Tractor"  Worm 


Indianan  Is  First  to  Win  Two 
Silver  Plaques  in  One  Year; 
Ohio  Manager  Takes  Bronze 

by  A-MIKE  VOGEL 

Turn  on  the  spotlight,  give  rousing  cheers 
and  forward  your  congratulations  to  Round 
Tabler  Sid  Holland.  For  with  the  majority 
vote  of  the  Judging  Committee  in  the  Quig- 
ley  July  Awards,  the  Elkhart  Amusement 
Co.,  city  manager,  of  Elkhart,  Ind.,  becomes 
the  first  entrant  in  the  Competitions  to  be 
honored  with  a  second  Silver  Plaque  in  one 
year.  His  campaign  was  on  MGM's  "San 
Francisco"  for  the  date  at  the  Elco  The- 
atre. 

Newcomer  in  the  Plaque  division  but  not 
to  the  Awards  is  Glenn  H.  Nelson,  man- 
ager, Warner's  Harris  Theatre,  Findlay, 
Ohio,  who  did  a  right  smart  job  on  Para- 
mount's  "And  Sudden  Death,"  for  which 
he  was  awarded  the  July  Bronze. 

Holland  was  also  voted  the  Silver  in 
March  and  with  the  Bronze  he  won  in  1935 
is  one  of  the  only  two  theatremen  to  have 
taken  down  three  plaques  during  the  entire 
course  of  the  Competitions.  The  other  is 
Bill  Hendricks,  of  the  Warner  Theatre,  in 
Memphis,  who  still  stands  alone  as  the  win- 
ner of  three  Silver  plaques,  one  for  each 
year  of  the  Awards. 

In  the  Bronze  classification,  Chuck  Shan- 
non, manager,  Warner's  Belmar  Theatre, 
Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  is  the  single  entrant  to 
have  won  two  of  these  awards  in  one  year, 
both  of  his  honors  coming  in  1935.  Chuck 
is  again  represented  this  month  with  an 
Honorable  Mention. 

July  "Firsts"  go  to  three  entrants,  to  W. 
H.  MacDonald,  of  Great  Falls,  Mont.;  to 
John  Tucker,  of  Roselle,  N.  J.,  and  L.  C. 
Worley,  Peoria,  111.  Names,  positions  and 
pictures  covered,  are  set  down  in  next 
column,  alphabetically  arranged,  as  are  the 
July  "Honorables."  And  the  selection  of 
the  latter,  kind  friends,  was  far  from  the 
easiest  of  jobs. 

Perhaps  because  the  1936  Awards  are 
now  in  the  last  half  of  this  year's  compe- 
titions and  the  finishing  line  begins  to  loom 
on  the  horizon,  theatremen  everywhere  it 
seems  are  more  intent  on  the  Grand  Awards 
with  the  result  that  the  entries  for  July 
came  in  thick  and  fast.  They  represented 
many  different  operations,  first  and  subse- 
quent run,  de  luxe  and  neighborhood,  and 
were  forwarded  by  previous  winners  and 
men  new  to  the  Competitions.  The  calibre 
of  entry  also  was  generally  high,  which 
necessitated  the  awarding  of  19  Honor- 
able Mention  Sheepskin  Certificates. 
Eight  names  are  added  to  the  first-time 
winners  with  the  rest  having  taken  honors 
previously.  All  in  all,  it  was  a  grand  show- 
ing for  this  time  of  the  year. 

At  this  writing,  arrangements  are  going 
forward  for  the  1936  Grand  Awards  pres- 
entations and  every  effort  will  be  made  to 
make  the  ceremonies  "bigger  'n  better." 
Suffice  to  say,  that  the  prizes  will  certainly 
be  worth  winning.  : 


First  Mentions 


W.  H.  MAC  DONALD,  Manager,  Liberty 
Theatre,  Great  Falls,  Mont.  "Earthworm 
Tractors" 

JOHN  TUCKER,  Manager,  Park  Theatre, 
Roselle,  N.  J.   "Little  Lord  Fauntleroy" 

L  C.  WORLEY,  City  Manager,  Great 
States'  Madison,  Peoria,  III.  "Earthworm 
Tractors" 


Honorable  Mentions 


H.  J.  ARNOLD,  Manager,  Indiana, 
Terre  Haute,  Ind.    "Things  to  Come" 

RALPH  H.  AYER,  Manager,  Ute,  Colo- 
rado Springs,  Colo.    "Great  Ziegfeld" 

JACK  D.  BRAUNAGEL,  Publicist,  Roxy, 
Logan,  Utah.  "And  Sudden  Death" 

LOUIS  CHARNINSKY,  Manager,  Capitol, 
Dallas,  Tex.  "Parole" 

WALT  DAVIS,  Manager,  Capitol,  Regina, 
Sask.,  Canada.   "Show  Boat" 

COLLIS  DRUMMOND,  Publicist,  Plaza, 
Paris,  Tex.   "Show  Boat" 

J.  FRANCIS,  Advertising,  Pathe  Cinema, 
Bombay,  India.   "Lonesome  Pine" 

MAX  R.  GRIFFIN,  Dunkin,  Cushing,  Okla. 
"Show  Boat" 

RUSSELL  HARDWICK,  Manager,  Lyceum, 
Clovis,  N.  Mex.   "Show  Boat" 

EDWARD  M.  HART,  City  Manager,  Par- 
amount, Plainfield,  N.  J.  "It's  Love 
Again" 

LLOYD  A.  HELDMAN,  Manager,  Burns, 
Newport,  Vt.   "Earthworm  Tractors" 

DAN  KRENDEL,  Manager,  Tivoli,  Toronto, 
Ont.,  Canada.   "Show  Boat" 

EDWARD  H.  McBRIDE,  Manager,  Loew's 
State,  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  "San  Francisco" 

JAMES  H.  McCOY,  City  Manager,  Par- 
amount, Goldsboro,  N.  C.  "The  King 
Steps  Out" 

MONK  MALONEY,  Manager,  Poli,  New 
Haven,  Conn.   "San  Francisco" 

CHUCK  SHANNON,  Manager,  Belmar, 
Pittsburgh,  Pa.    "Private  Number" 

JOE  STRIBLING,  Manager,  Erie,  Hugo, 
Okla.   "Custer's  Last  Stand" 

NICK  WARREN,  Manager,  Criterion, 
Durham,  N.  C.   "The  Country  Doctor" 

FRED  WEIMAR,  Manager,  Paramount, 
Mitchell,  S.  C.  "And  Sudden  Death" 


76 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


WIRED  CAMPAIGNS  FROM  AFIELD 


John  L.  Crovo 

Arcade,  Jacksonville,  Fla. 

Paramount,  "Rhythm  on  the  Range" 

Paramount's  "Rhythm  on  the  Range" 
afforded  many  excellent  angles  for  ex- 
ploitation and  this  highly  entertaining  pro- 
duction enjoyed  one  of  the  biggest  open- 
ings of  the  summer  season  today.  Used 
radio  daily  for  week  in  advance,  had  tieup 
with  Kraft  Phenix  Cheese  Corporation  and 
secured  display  in  three  hundred  grocery 
stores  in  Jacksonville,  also  forty  window 
showings  in  downtown  sections,  used  sound 
truck,  with  public  address  system,  also  bill- 
boards, heralds,  window  cards,  several 
special  newspaper  stories  in  advance,  to- 
gether with  special  art  layout  in  Jackson- 
ville Journal.  Also  tire  covers  on  automo- 
biles and  secured  free  newspaper  stories  in 
four  adjacent  towns. 

Jack  Hodges 

Florida,  Jacksonville,  Fla. 

Paramount,  "And  Sudden  Death" 

Four  weeks  in  advance  placed  25  police 
cutouts  fourteen  feet  high  on  Beach  Road, 
copy  reading:  "Fast  drivers  beware,  you 
are  headed  for  trouble  and  sudden  death"; 
caused  so  much  comment  city  officials  sent 
letter  of  thanks  to  theatre,  both  AAA  and 
Florida  Safety  League  offered  to  buy  cut- 
outs with  intention  of  placing  them  all  over 
Florida  as  safety  measure,  which  caused 
an  editorial  to  be  written  in  afternoon 
paper.  Placed  badly  wrecked  auto  in  front 
of  theatre  advance  and  during  run,  held 
private  screening  for  city  officials  and 
safety  leaders  placed  their  comments  on 
cutout  in  lobby.  Asher  Frank,  head  of 
Florida  Traffic  Bureau,  saw  screening  and 
wrote  every  chamber  of  commerce  and 
safety  organization  in  state  urging  them  to 
get  behind  picture.  Worked  out  full  coop 
page  in  Jacksonville  Journal  and  dis- 
tributed five  thousand  reprinted  Digest 
article  "And  Sudden  Death."  Arranged  ef- 
fective lobby  display  with  local  dealers 
safety  tires. 


LOBBY  DISPLAY.  Sam  Traynor,  Alger's  Apollo, 
Princeton,  III.,  dressed  up  his  lobby  for  "Country 
Doctor"  as  shown  above.  The  quin  dolls  were  pro- 
moted  for   giveaway    by   co-operating  merchant. 


Lawrence  Lehman 

Mainstreet,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

20th  Century-Fox,  "To  Mary — With  Love" 

Inserted  thousand-line  ad  day  advance 
and  opening  day  followed  by  five-hundred 
line  institutional  ad  including  current  at- 
traction and  coming  attractions  sold  as 
Mainstreet  Parade  of  big  hits.  Book  store 
and  department  store  tieups  and  coopera- 
tive newspaper  ads.  Tieup  with  Saturday 
Evening  Post  Bulletin  to  each  carrier  with 
instructions  to  point  to  full  page  ad  in  Post 
on  "To  Mary — Wtih  Love,"  informing  cus- 
tomer regarding  picture  at  Main  Street. 
Opening  day  crowds  biggest  in  several 
months  despite  extreme  hot  weather. 

Tommy  Read 
Paramount,  Atlanta,  Ga. 
Warner  Bros.,  "Earthworm  Tractor" 

Tieup  local  caterpillar  tractor  distribu- 
tor who  placed  tractor  on  truck  bannered 
for  picture  driving  around  streets.  Three 
twenty-inch  ads  advance  and  current 
placed  by  distributor.  Block  sale  of  tickets 
to  distributor  for  tractor  prospects.  Con- 
test in  papers  for  man  resembling  Brown 
to  ride  tractor.  Animated  life-size  tractor 
in  lobby  advance  with  cutout  Brown  atop 
attracted  attention.  Curious  looking  tractor 
in  lobby  current  attracting  attention.  Front 
with  background  Saturday  Post  covers  play- 
ing up  the  Post  angle.  Arrangement  with 
Post  distributor  to  place  cards  in  all 
newsstands.  Parade  of  Post  boys  to  the- 
atre with  scout  band  accompanying  for 
special  show.  Toy  tractor  display  in  ad- 
vance lobby  depicting  building  road  proj- 
ect. Splendid  cooperation  from  tractor 
distributor.  Picture  opened  swell. 

United  Detroit  Theatres 
Paramount,  "Rhythm  on  the  Range" 
Warner  Bros.,  "Green  Pastures" 

For  "Rhythm  on  Range"  Michigan  The- 
atre seven  hundred  fifty  window  displays 
of  special  two-color  easel  cards  in  coopera- 
tion with  local  Kraft-Phenix  cheese  dis- 
tributors. Also  used  excellent  local  Crosby 
crooning  imitator  on  several  sustaining 
radio  broadcasts  singing  Crosby  songs  in 
picture  with  excellent  plugs  for  film  and 
theatre,  also  twelve  hundred  window  and 
counter  displays  in  as  many  retail  bakeries 
using  eight-ply  cards  twenty-two  by  twenty- 
eight,  printed  two  colors,  announcing 
Ripley  Believe  It  or  Not  stage  show  and 
picture,  this  is  cooperation  wi+h  local 
Standard  Brands  office.  Michigau  played 
capacity  yesterday  from  open  to  close. 
At  United  Artists  "Green  Pastures" 
opened  Thursday  preceded  by  large  dis- 
play ad  all  papers  Tuesday,  another 
Wednesday,  another  Thursday;  also  excel- 
lent fifteen-minute  tribute  to  picture  on 


radio  last  Sunday  by  prominent  book  re- 
viewer who  has  tremendous  listening 
audience.  He  used  nine  negro  voices  sing- 
ing spirituals  from  picture  as  soft  back- 
ground to  his  script;  also  several  window 
displays  busiest  retail  districts,  using 
Rourke  Bradford's  books  and  stills  from 
picture;  also  prominent  mention  in  all 
newspaper  reviews  that  opening  day  broke 
house  record;  also  special  feature  stories 
and  art  local  newspaper  week  before  open- 
ing concerning  production  difficulties  in 
screen  adaptation  and  stressing  Canadian 
ban  which  attracted  crowds  from  Windsor, 
across  river.  All  State  theatre  "Three 
Cheers  for  Love"  received  pictorial  breaks 
on  continuity  Eleanor  Whitney  swing  along 
tap  routine  eight  columns  across  newspaper 
pages  also  special  windows  on  pumps,  shoes 
suitable  for  dancing  with  stills  of  Whitney 
Cupmmings  in  dance  poses. 

Rodney  Toups 

Loew's  State,  New  Orleans,  La. 
MGM,  "His  Brother's  Wife" 

"His  Brother's  Wife"  opened  Friday  to 
phenominal  business  behind  exploitation 
campaign  reaching  every  female  in  the 
city.  Ten  thousand  memberships  in  Taylor 
Movie  Club  distributed  to  office  workers, 
five  thousand  coin  envelopes  imprinted  "Is 
it  true  what  they  say  about  Robert  Tay- 
lor?" Insert  in  envelopes  sold  picture  stars, 
theatre  and  playtime.  Population  vote 
minded  due  to  induction  new  mayor.  We 
had  streamers  "Vote  the  Robert  Taylor 
ticket,  etcetera,  straight,  with  big  X  gen- 
eral copy,"  these  pasted  on  side  and  rear 
windows  all  automobiles  and  taxicabs.  Tay- 
lor photos  blown  up  placed  in  downtown 
windows,  plenty  advance  billing  in  lobby. 


STOPS  'EM.  Lobby  setpiece  on  "Princess 
Comes  Across"  utilized  by  Manager  Rodney 
Collier  at  the  Stanley,  Baltimore,  Md., 
gathered  quite  a  bit  of  attention. 


August    15,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


77 


Oklahoma  City  Theatremen 
Favor  Lavish  Front  Display 

Local  Merchants  Said  to  Be  Exploitation- Minded  Only  on  Circuitwide  Tieups 


by  ROBERT  P.  WITT 

from  Oklahoma  City 

Imagine,  if  you  can,  a  town  of  some  200- 
000  population  nestled  down  in  the  midst 
of  a  huge  oil  field,  surrounded  on  three  sides 
by  towering  oil  derricks.  The  nearest  is  in 
sight  from  the  main  thoroughfare  of  this 
large  western  city.  That  is  Oklahoma  City. 

The  downtown  theatres  are  all  on  three 
city  blocks,  three  in  one  block  and  four  in 
the  next  two  blocks.  The  theatre  section  is 
the  same  as  it  has  been  for  the  past  twenty- 
five  years,  with  one  exception ;  the  addition 
of  a  new  house  built  in  1930. 

All  the  film  exchanges  of  this  locality 
are  located  here,  making  this  the  film  center 
of  Oklahoma.  Offices  of  the  three  major 
theatre  circuits  of  Oklahoma  are  also  located 
here.  As  in  all  large  cities  there  has  sprung 
up  in  the  suburbs  small  community  centers. 
In  each  of  the  largest  of  these  there  is  a 
neighborhood  theatre. 

Oklahoma  City  is  considered  an  industrial 
center  because  of  the  vast  amount  of  oil 
in  and  around  it,  but  it  is  equally  as  much 
an  agricultural  center.  According  to  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce  statistics,  there  are  as 
many  people  engaged  in  farming  as  in  in- 
dustrial work.  The  population  is  principally 
American,  two  per  cent  of  it  being  foreign. 
Eight  per  cent  of  the  people  are  white  collar 
workers,  three  per  cent  intellectuals,  while 
the  balance  comprise  the  skilled  and  un- 
skilled class.  "Spendable  money"  income  is 
rated  at  seven  hundred  twenty-nine  dollars 
per  capita  annually. 

College  Towns  Nearby 

The  area  of  Oklahoma  City  is  approxi- 
mately 28  square  miles,  but  there  are  seven 
small  towns  within  20  miles  distance  from 
which  the  theatres  can  draw  for  some  of 
their  business.  Norman  is  to  the  south  with 
a  population  of  about  10,000,  and  Edmond 
to  the  north  with  a  population  of  about 
7,000.  These  two  are  college  towns,  the 
University  of  Oklahoma  being  located  at 
Norman  and  Central  State  Teachers  Col- 
lege at  Edmond.  The  Oklahoma  City  Uni- 
versity is  in  Oklahoma  City. 

The  parking  situation  here  is  probably 
different  than  that  of  any  other  city  in  the 
United  States.  This  was  the  first  munici- 
pality to  install  parking  meters.  To  use 
these  meters  one  drops  a  nickel  in  them 
and  is  entitled  to  one  hour's  unmolested 
parking.  George  Henger,  city  manager 
for  Standard  Theatres,  maintains  these 
meters  are  a  help  to  show  business,  be- 
cause it  makes  finding  a  parking  place 
easier.  However,  these  meters  are  not  in 
use  after  6:00  P.M.  or  on  Sunday. 

The  streets  are  broad  and  straight  and 
there  is  always  plenty  of  parking  space  in 
the  evenings.  If  one  cannot  find  a  parking 


The  Southwest  metropolis  covered 
in  the  current  stop  of  the  Round 
Table's  Showman's  Travelog  series 
has  many  claims  to  distinction,  not 
the  least  of  which  is  that  this  com- 
munity is  the  first  to  have  installed 
curb  parking  meters  allowing  an 
hour's  parking  for  five  cents.  Okla- 
homa City  may  be  set  apart  for  be- 
ing one  of  the  few,  if  not  the  only, 
key  situation  controlled  by  one  com- 
pany, which  however  has  not  caused 
the  Standard  Theatres'  managers  to 
slack  of,  as  is  proven  by  their  many 
excellent  exploitations  reported  in 
these  pages. 

—A-MIKE  VOGEL 


place  as  close  to  the  theatre  as  they  wish 
there  are  plenty  of  ten  cent  and  fifteen  cent 
parking  lots  handy.  Of  course,  there  is  al- 
ways plenty  of  parking  space  at  the  subur- 
ban houses. 

One  could  not  desire  a  better  transporta- 
tion situation.  Street  cars  and  buses  run 
on  regular  and  timely  schedules.  The  last 
run  leaves  the  downtown  area  at  twelve 
o'clock.  There  are  also  several  fleets  of 
ten  cent  taxi  cabs  ready  to  serve.  In  the 
several  fleets  there  is  a  total  of  two  hun- 
dred fifty  cabs.  These  cabs  operate  for  ten 
cents  within  ten  blocks  of  the  downtown 
area ;  but,  one  can  ride  from  the  outskirts 
of  the  city  for  twenty-five  cents,  the  city 
being  zoned,  with  a  different  price  for  each 
zone.  For  those  who  live  in  the  small  towns 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


MODEL  HOUSE.  Spotted  in  center  of  dis- 
play on  "Snowed  Under"  at  the  Earle, 
Washington,  D.  C,  was  model  house  cov- 
ered with  snow,  one  of  the  ace  ideas  cre- 
ated   by  Warnerites   La  Falce   and  Ewing. 


surrounding  the  city  there  is  a  good  inter- 
urban  system  as  well  as  buses. 

The  town  is  faced  with  an  unusual  theatre 
situation.  The  whole  town  is  controlled  by 
one  company.  All  of  the  theatres  with  the 
exception  of  five  small  ones  are  owned  by 
the  Standard  Theatres,  Inc.  Of  this  group 
of  five,  only  two  are  independents. 

Standard  theatre  managers  are  given 
plenty  of  freedom  in  the  operation  of  their 
houses  with  one  exception.  They  do  not 
book  any  of  their  pictures.  This  is  done  by 
Pat  McGee,  general  manager  for  Standard 
Theatres.  They  are  permitted  to  offer  sug- 
gestions on  the  pictures  they  want.  All  of 
the  managers  belong  to  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  this  membership  being  paid  for 
by  the  company.  Some  of  them  belong  to 
other  clubs  and  organizations  also. 

Conditions  of  theatres  vary.  There  are  the 
"shotgun"  houses,  which  are  dirty  and  un- 
kempt, but  the  downtown  houses  owned  by 
Standard  are  in  the  best  of  condition  in 
every  way,  including  projection,  sound, 
ventilation  and  cleanliness.  They  hire  an 
expert  sound  and  projection  man  who  does 
nothing  but  check  the  projection  equipment 
and  keep  it  in  first  class  condition.  Before 
Regal  Theatres  and  Warner  Bros,  formed 
the  Standard  Theatres,  Inc.,  Warner  had 
completely  remodeled  the  Warner  at  a  cost 
of  approximately  fifty  thousand  dollars 
and  the  Liberty  at  an  expenditure  of  about 
thirty  thousand.  In  1935  seventy  thousand 
dollars  was  put  into  the  remodeling  of  the 
Criterion. 

City  Is  Well  Exploited 

An  average  of  seven  thousand  eight  hun- 
dred dollars  is  spent  annually  by  Oklahoma 
City  theatres  for  advertising.  Generally, 
Standard  concentrates  on  lavish  lobby  dis- 
plays and  showy  fronts.  There  is  not  a  great 
deal  done  in  the  way  of  ballyhoo  because  it 
is  a  waste  of  money  and  .effort  in  this  city. 
Such  things  do  not  materially  increase 
grosses  here.  However,  the  city  is  well  ex- 
ploited in  so  far  as  it  is  profitable.  The- 
atres do  not  often  use  merchant  tieups. 
There  is  an  occasional  window  tieup  or  a 
contest  done  in  a  small  way  which  as  a  rule 
does  not  attract  much  attention.  When  the 
whole  circuit  concentrates  its  efforts,  there 
is  a  big  merchant  tieup  which  always  pro- 
duces. This  is  rare,  as  the  merchants  here 
are  quick  to  tire  of  these  things.  Standard 
is  in  back  of  big  Movie  Mardi  Gras  which 
includes  everything  from  a  bathing  beauty 
contest  to  a  stage  wedding.  Pat  McGee  is 
more  or  less  personally  back  of  this,  and 
when  McGee  starts  something  like  this  it 
is  usually  done  in  a  big  way  and  always 
goes  over  in  the  same  big  way.  About  the 
only  time  local  merchants  will  really  kick 
in  and  give  their  all  is  for  some  stunt  of 
this  nature. 

Three  newspaper  companies  comprise  the 
medium  for  newspaper  advertising,  the  Daily 

(Continued  on  folloztrina  fape) 


78 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


Juvenile  Unit  Show 
Found  Successful 

by  ARTHUR  J.  SPENCER 

Manager,  Lonsdale  Theatre, 
North  Vancouver,  B.  C. 

In  discussing  the  presentation  of  juvenile 
shows  for  children  in  North  Vancouver,  at- 
tention is  first  drawn  to  the  fact  that  every- 
one interested  in  children,  whether  parent, 
teacher,  or  organization,  etc.,  has  his  own 
idea  as  to  the  type  of  screen  fare  best  suited 
for  juvenile  entertainment.  Only  the  ex- 
hibitor who  contacts  his  patrons  fully  real- 
izes the  wide  range  of  opinions  that  exist 
on  this  subject.  In  this  locality  these  special 
children's  shows  have  reached  out  to  sat- 
isfy a  greater  majority  than  any  other  type 
of  entertainment  hitherto  presented. 

Saturday  matinee  business  was  incon- 
sistent, despite  birthday  clubs,  serial  pic- 
tures or  give-aways.  After  a  good  opening, 
interest  lagged.  A  change  of  policy  was 
therefore  indicated.  The  only  answer  to  the 
problem  seemed  to  be  a  separate  perform- 
ance, designed  especially  for  children.  A 
show  in  which  there  was  a  variety  of  action, 
comedy  and  instructive  subjects,  presented 
in  such  a  way  that  interest  could  not  lag. 

Four  Weeks'  Program  Arranged 

First  a  schedule  of  programs  for  four 
weeks  was  drawn  up,  consisting  of  cartoons, 
travel-talks,  novelties,  subjects  on  animal 
and  bird  life,  and  a  feature  picture,  such  as 
"Stormy,"  "Ginger,"  "The  Camels  Are 
Coming."  With  the  exception  of  the  fea- 
tures, these  subjects  were  culled  from  pre- 
vious bookings,  during  the  past  year  or 
more,  preference  being  given  those  subjects 
that  had  not  played  week-end  dates.  Play- 
ing them  for  the  second  time,  matinees  only, 
kept  the  price  within  the  budget  allowed 
for  this  enlarged  program.  Some  subjects 
were  bought  first-run,  matinee  only. 

This  series  of  four  programs  was  laid 
out  on  a  skeleton  leaflet,  so  arranged  that 
each  program  provided  a  constant  change  of 
interest,  by  alternating  cartoons  with  other 
subjects  and  climaxing  the  show  with  the 
feature   picture.    Pictures   were  numbered 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


C<>MINC  SOON 


NEAT  SETPIECE.  Designed  by  Sid  Dannenberg, 
publicist  Warner  Bros.  Cleveland  Theatres,  was  this 
attractive  "Green  Pastures"  setpiece  for  the  Lobby 
of  the   Hipp.,   measuring   approximately  25  feet. 


on  this  leaflet,  allotting  10  subjects  to  each 
program ;  the  total  running  time  averaging 
out  the  same  on  all  shows.  Beside  the  num- 
ber and  the  title  a  brief  description  of  the 
subject  followed. 

On  completion  of  the  layout,  the  next  step 
was  to  secure  the  approval  of  such  authori- 
ties as  school  principals,  parent-teacher 
groups,  service  clubs,  etc.  After  an  explana- 
tion of  the  idea,  they  were  ready  and  will- 
ing to  cooperate  by  indorsing  these  shows. 
They  were  invited  to  attend  the  first  pro- 
gram, and  two  of  the  school  principals  have 
been  regular  matinee  patrons  ever  since. 

Upon  receipt  of  written  indorsements,  the 
leaflet  was  printed,  the  front  page  being  set 
in  large  type  with  the  title,  "Children's 
Shows  for  Children."  The  series  of  pro- 
grams occupied  the  two  inside  pages,  the 
indorsements  being  displayed  on  the  back. 

This  folder,  with  the  cooperation  of  school 
teachers  was  placed  on  the  desks  of  all  the 
pupils.  Screen  advertising  was  presented  in 
the  form  of  a  direct  message  to  parents.  The 
idea  was  explained  to  matinee  patrons  from 
the  stage.  Private  schools  were  contacted 
with  the  result  that  they  attended  in  a  body. 

The  local  paper  wrote  it  up  each  week; 
the  paid  advertisement  following  out  the 
idea  of  contacting  the  children  through  the 
parents ;  using  such  captions  as  "Important 
to  Parents,"  "You  Owe  It  to  the  Kiddies," 
etc.  As  the  first  four  programs  came  to  a 
close,  requests  poured  in  for  more  programs 
of  this  nature ;  in  the  form  of  letters  from 
teachers,  parents  and  the  children  them- 
selves, and  in  verbal  requests  to  the  man- 
agement for  a  continuance  of  these  shows. 

Having  proved  the  idea  successful,  a  sec- 
ond series  was  arranged  and  presented,  on 
the  same  lines  as  the  first,  and  these  went 
over  with  the  public  even  better.  Matinees 
jumped  to  capacity  houses,  with  adult 
patrons  asking  for  a  similar  show  at  night. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Royster  Plugs  "Earthworm" 
Through  Tractor  Dealer 

H.  Royster,  Liberty,  Lewiston,  Idaho,  took 
advantage  of  the  Caterpillar  Tractor  tie-up 
for  his  "Earthworm  Tractors"  engagement 
and  arranged  for  pipe  organ  music  to  be 
broadcast  daily  from  theatre  interspersed 
with  plugs  for  the  picture.  Announcements 
of  the  opening  were  also  broadcast  over  the 
regular  news  hour  of  the  station  and  the 
tractor  company  bought  extra  time  plugging 
product  and  tying  into  the  picture. 

Cash  prizes  and  tickets  were  given  to 
winners  of  a  contest  writing  best  essay  on 
"Why  I  prefer  a  Caterpillar  tractor  to  any 
other,"  50  watch  fobs  with  small  bronze 
tractor  attached  were  given  to  first  50  kids 
at  opening  show  and  motion  pictures  of 
babies  on  tractors  were  taken  at  local  baby 
contest.  Throughout  engagement  the  p.  a. 
system  of  the  theatre  broadcast  the  laughter 
of  the  patrons  watching  the  picture. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Weatherman  Visits 
Theatre  for  Foster 

G.  H.  Foster,  Kenton  Theatre,  Kenton, 
Ohio,  garnered  a  little  extra  publicity  for 
himself  when  he  invited  the  head  of  the 
government  weather  station  to  attend  the 
theatre  to  inspect  the  cooling  system.  Papers 
came  through  with  front  page  story  and 
Foster  carried  a  line  in  his  ads  calling  at- 
tention to  the  stunt. 


Papers  Cooperative 
In  Oklahoma  City 

{Continued  from  preceding  page) 

Oklahoman  and  the  Oklahoma  City  Times, 
which  are  both  published  by  the  same  firm, 
and  the  Oklahoma  News,  a  Scripps-Howard 
paper.  All  of  these  papers  are  very  coopera- 
tive and  will  do  everything  in  their  power 
to  help  the  theatres.  There  have  been  many 
profitable  tieups  with  these  newspapers. 
They  publish  regular  reviews  and  devote  a 
two-page  spread  to  theatres  in  their  Sun- 
day editions.  A  syndicated  column  is  used 
in  the  Sunday  paper,  but  the  local  column- 
ist is  the  feature. 

Opposition  of  Many  Kinds 

There  are  many  kinds  of  opposition.  In 
winter  there  is  everything  from  ice  hockey 
to  cooking  schools,  and  in  the  summer  the 
great  outdoors  takes  its  toll  on  theatre 
grosses.  Legitimate  shows  are  opposition 
to  the  picture  houses,  but  they  do  not  hurt 
like  other  things  because  there  is  not  a  big 
demand  for  stage  shows.  The  only  legiti- 
mate competition  theatres  have  is  the  Shrine 
Auditorium.  This  auditorium  is  owned  by 
the  Masons  and  leased  by  an  independent 
who  brings  in  all  the  big  road  show  attrac- 
tions. 

This  is  considered  a  good  show  town,  but 
as  Pat  McGee  says,  it  is  an  average  town, 
and  although  the  attendance  is  regular  it 
must  be  encouraged. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Bell  Advertises  for  Men 
Who  Served  Under  Two  Flags 

A  newspaper  contest  that  proved  very  suc- 
cessful was  run  by  Ray  Bell,  Loew  publicist 
at  the  Palace,  Washington,  D.  C,  on  which 
cash  prizes  and  tickets  were  awarded  to 
those  correctly  casting  the  picture.  Paper 
ran  names  of  cast  and  their  titles  in  the 
picture;  it  was  then  up  to  contestants  to 
team  the  proper  names  together. 

Ray  ran  stories  in  papers  asking  for  men 
who  had  served  Under  Two  Flags,  these 
men  were  guested  at  the  theatres  and  each 
day  papers  ran  stories  on  the  experiences 
of  the  applicants.  Department  stores  co- 
operated, featuring  merchandise  that  was 
in  vogue  "under  any  flag."  Accompanying 
photo  shows  how  Bell  treated  his  front  with 
replicas  of  fortresses  and  various  book  stores 
about  town  devoted  window  displays  to  the 
book,  plus  art  work  and  playdates. 


"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


Bell's   "Under   Two   Flags"  Front 


August    15,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


79 


Manuel  Builds  Attractive 
"White  Fang"  Display 

Accompanying  photo  shows  how  Johnny 
Manuel,  Palace  Theatre,  Oneonta,  N.  Y., 
treated  his  "White  Fang"  lobby  by  using  two 
basswood  logs  stripped  of  their  bark  and 
mounted  on  a  wood  frame  and  then  built  in 
around  an  illuminated  recess  shadow  box. 
Skis,  snow  shoes,  guns  and  other  parapher- 
nalia were  mounted  on  the  bark  and  the  en- 
tire display  dotted  with  artificial  snow.  Am- 
ber lights  were  used  in  the  shadow  box  and 
blue  and  green  floodlights  trained  over  the 
whole  thing. 

Display  was  moved  to  local  department 
store  tying  up  with  their  outdoor  sports  sup- 
plies and  accessories.  Johnny  also  used  the 
gag  of  a  block  of  ice  with  display  frozen  in 
it  which  he  reports  is  still  a  natural  for  him. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Novel  Co-Op  Page  Secured 
For  "The  King  Steps  Out" 

Down  in  Hot  Springs,  Ark.,  Clyde  Smith 
at  the  Paramount  for  "The  King  Steps 
Out,"  secured  a  full-page  co-op  ad  page  with 
flyer  across  top  informing  all  that  "The  king 
steps  out  with  $15  in  cash  for  you."  Each 
merchant  ad  carried  copy  giving  time  of  day 
that  "the  king"  would  be  at  their  particular 
store  handing  out  crisp  new  dollar  bills. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 

Caldwell  Plants  Display 
At  Industrial  Exposition 

Wally  Caldwell,  Loew's  Valentine,  Tol- 
edo, Ohio  for  "Small  Town  Girl,"  mounted 
28  x  44  James  Montgomery  Flagg  draw- 
ing with  picture,  theatre  and  playdate 
credits  on  easels  and  displayed  them  at  the 
Toledo  News  Bee  booth  at  the  Industrial 
Progress  Exposition  four  weeks  ahead.  At- 
mospheric compo  display  entirely  sur- 
rounded front  of  theatre  and  illuminated 
letters  announcing  stars  and  title  were 
mounted  atop  marquee. 

Several  stories  together  with  art  work 
were  planted  in  newspapers,  together  with 
photos  in  roto  section,  Flagg  drawings  dis- 
played in  department  store  windows  and 
bookmarks  were  distributed  at  circulating 
libraries. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Lane's  "Harvester"  Display 

Grant  Lane,  assistant,  Royal  Theatre, 
Hoisington,  Kan.,  for  their  "Harvester" 
date,  contacted  local  implement  company  and 
secured  from  them  a  small  combine  and 
wheat  wagon  which  was  used  for  lobby  dis- 
play, surrounded  by  wheat  stacks  with  baby 
spot  playing  on  it.  Directly  in  back  of  dis- 
play was  oversized  copy  of  the  book  and 
Grant  reports  many  favorable  comments  on 
the  display. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Costa  Celebrates 
Theatre  Anniversary 

An  example  of  goodwill  enjoyed  by  a 
manager  was  evidenced  recently  at  the  War- 
ner, Ridgewood,  N.  J.,  when  Frank  Costa 
put  over  a  campaign  in  celebration  of  the 
theatre's  fourth  anniversary,  accompanying 
photo  shows  cake  donated  by  local  baker  with 
Costa's  name  inscribed  as  part  of  the  con- 
fection decoration.  Plenty  of  free  space  was 
received   in   the   newspapers,   florist  sent 


Tschauder's  Staff  Dresses  for  "Showboat" 


Manuel's  "White  Fang"  Lobby  Display 


Pollock's  "Suzy"  Peephole  Gag 


Costa's  Anniversary  Birthday  Cake 

baskets  of  blooms,  wires  were  received  from 
prominent  civic  leaders  and  personal  letter 
from  the  mayor. 

Frame  in  lobby  contained  management's 
message  of  thanks  for  patronage,  short 
trailer  was  run  showing  shots  of  opening 
four  years  ago  and  outside  of  theatre  was 
decorated  with  bunting  pennants  and  colored 
streamer  lights. 


Tschauder  Uses  Caravan 
To  Plug  "Show  Boat" 

Tying  up  with  local  bus  lines,  Max 
Tschauder,  Fox  Illinois,  Jacksonville,  111. 
for  "Show  Boat"  promoted  a  bus  and  driver, 
borrowed  a  truck  from  local  car  dealer  and 
a  large  caliope  which  was  put  on  the  truck 
to  represent  a  band  wagon.  The  caravan 
went  on  a  two  day  tour  of  surrounding 
towns,  boys  distributing  heralds  from  house 
to  house  in  each  spot.  P. A.  system  on  bus 
permitted  swell  broadcast  of  the  picture. 

Entire  staff  was  dressed  in  old  Southern 
costumes  during  entire  run  (see  photo), 
large  blowups  were  used  for  lobby  displays 
and  five  and  ten  featured  a  "Show  Boat" 
sundae. 

'Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Merchant  Sells  Tickets 
For  "Great  Ziegfeld" 

An  ingenious  idea  was  used  in  connection 
with  the  advance  sale  of  "Great  Ziegfeld" 
tickets  by  Bill  Connor,  Temple  Theatre,  Ta- 
coma,  Wash.,  with  proprietor  of  art  shop 
located  near  theatre  devoting  space  to  the 
sale  of  tickets.  Two  girls  were  on  duty  all 
day,  tickets  were  racked  and  telephone  in 
store  was  used  for  incoming  reservations. 
Merchant  also  permitted  the  girls  to  call 
list  of  musical  patrons  advising  them  of 
opening  date  and  reservation  booth  at  store. 

24  sheets  were  spotted  at  strategic  points 
about  town,  transcription  was  used  over 
radio  with  six  plugs  daily  and  two  beautiful 
cut  pieces  were  used  in  lobby  week  ahead  of 
opening. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Melniker  Brodacasts 
"Ziegfeld"  in  Lobby 

Ed  Melniker  of  Loew's  Grand  Theatre, 
Atlanta,  Ga.,  arranged  for  a  fifteen-minute 
broadcast  from  the  lobby  of  his  house  fol- 
lowing the  initial  showing  of  "The  Great 
Ziegfeld"  there.  Eddie  interviewed  local 
celebrities  as  they  left  the  theatre,  the  com- 
ments, unanimously  enthusiastic,  being  heard 
over  the  city's  CBS  station. 

Heralds,  folders,  blotters  and  rulers  were 
distributed  throughout  the  business  district 
week  ahead  and  special  screening  was  held 
for  film  critics  and  unique  front  in  modern- 
istic design  was  constructed  for  the  theatre. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Austin's  Fight  Bally 

A  bally  truck  was  put  out  by  Vern  Austin, 
Rialto  Theatre,  Sterling,  Col.,  to  plug  his 
Schmeling-Lewis  fight  pictures.  Boys  cov- 
ered entire  city  with  loudspeakers  going  full 
blast. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 

Gag  Window  Stunt  Used 
By  Pollock  for  "Suzy" 

Accompanying  photo  shows  empty  store 
window  closed  up  with  just  a  peephole,  read- 
ing "Don't  look  in  this  window."  Needless 
to  say,  there  were  plenty  of  lookers  and  in- 
side the  hole  they  found  large  question  mark 
with  copy  "Suzy  is  coming  to  town." 

Les  also  distributed  date  books,  entirely 
blank  except  for  the  first  page,  which  said 
"This  note  book  will  give  you  your  first 
date  with  Suzy,  Friday."  Theatre  telephone 
number  was  added. 


80 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


"HOMEMADE"  RADIO  STATION 


Alabaman  Broadcasts  Saturdays 
From  Basement  Studios;  Local 
Musicians  Entertain  for  Passes 

by  CHARLES  H.  EDWARDS 

Manager,  Capitol  Theatre,  Decatur,  Ala. 


What  I  am  using  every  Saturday  is  a 
broadcasting  idea.  The  broadcast  coming 
from  our  homemade  studio  through  speakers 
in  our  outside  lobby.  This  has  created  a  good 
deal  of  interest,  especially  among  our  Satur- 
day patrons. 

We  have  accumulated  through  promotion 
and  a  small  amount  of  cash  a  two  stage 
amplifier  (for  screen  service),  and  had  this 
amplifier  converted  into  a  three  stage  ampli- 
fier with  a  special  input  for  a  mike  (for 
ducats).  We  already  had  a  couple  of  speak- 
ers and  an  electric  turntable  and  we  picked 
up  a  good  mike  for  five  dollars.  Our  mike 
floor  stand  is  made  from  a  discarded  dress 
stand  that  was  formerly  used '  in  a  store 
window  which  a  merchant  gave  me  in  order 
to  get  rid  of  it.  I  think  that  about  covers 
the  material  that  we  used. 

We  made  a  studio  that  is  soundproof 
and  the  only  cost  of  it  was  a  few  two  by 
fours,  and  if  any  one  is  interested  in  build- 
ing a  small  basement  studio  I  will  be  glad 
to  give  full  descriptions  upon  request. 

Describes  Construction 

We  built  this  small  studio  in  our  base- 
ment, in  which  we  installed  our  amplifier, 
turntable,  and  mike.  We  wired  all  this  on 
a  small  bench  in  one  end  of  the  studio  mak- 
ing all  our  panel  connections  on  a  panel 
suspended  below  the  table,  close  to  the  ampli- 
fier, so  that  the  mike,  turntable,  and  switches 
can  be  operated  by  one  man.  From  this  we 
put  in  wires  to  our  outside  lobby,  to  a 
hidden  connection  box.  We  have  our  speak- 
ers mounted  in  a  padded  wooden  box  with 
outlets  on  it,  making  them  easy  to  disconnect 
so  that  they  can  be  removed  from  the  lobby 
in  a  minute's  time.  We  broadcast  from  this 
studio  each  Saturday  from  10  to  11  A.M., 
which  is  the  first  hour  that  we  open,  and 
again  in  the  afternoon  from  3 :30  to  4 :30, 
and  at  night  from  8:30  to  10.  However, 
anybody  can  run  the  hours  to  suit  them- 
selves. The  Ben  Franklin  Store  here  is  in- 
terested enough  in  our  station  to  lend  us 
phonograph  records,  for  a  few  spot  an- 
nouncements through  the  day. 

Cashier  Relays  Requests 

The  main  feature  of  our  broadcasts  con- 
sists of  music  played  by  three  groups  of 
boys  every  Saturday  for  five  passes  apiece. 
We  call  one  group  "Fiddling  Shorty  and  His 
Rio  Grande  Cowboys,"  made  up  of  three 
guitars,  a  violin,  and  a  French  harp.  Another 
group  is  called  "The  Two  Texas  Hoboes," 
which  is  composed  of  a  mandolin  and  a 
guitar  and  one  boy  who  sings  and  yodels 
mountain  music.  The  third  group  is  called 
"The  Crooning  Troubadours"  which  ex- 
plains itself.  After  every  piece  we  plug 
our  feature,  serial,  and  comedy  that  we  are 
showing,  and  occasionally  throughout  the 
day  we  give  plugs  on  our  Sunday  show  and 
also  our  Monday  and  Tuesday  show. 

During:  our  broadcast  we  announce  that 


anyone  in  our  lobby  having  a  request  num- 
ber, to  tell  the  cashier  and  we  will  be  glad 
to  play  it  for  them.  We  have  two  house 
phones  connected,  one  in  the  boxofAce  and 
the  other  in  the  studio.  This  request  idea 
will  make  them  stand  in  front  of  the  theatre 
long  enough  to  hear  their  number  played 
at  which  time  they  naturally  see  and  read 
our  lobby  displays.  The  boys  also  play  over 
the  local  radio  station  and  during  their  pro- 
gram it  is  announced  that  they  can  be 
heard  from  the  lobby  of  the  Capitol  Theatre 
at  the  different  hours  that  they  appear.  This 
is  also  free  to  us. 

This  has  proved  to  be  a  good  advertise- 
ment and  it  only  costs  us,  on  an  average,  of 
thirty  passes  a  week.  If  there  is  any  part  of 
this  that  is  not  fully  understood,  we  will  be 
glad  to  answer  any  questions  regarding  it 
upon  request. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately}" 


Keep  Selling  "Cool" 
Says  Dick  Wright 

Summer  is  by  no  means  over,  says  War- 
ner Theatres  Cleveland  district  manager 
Dick  Wright,  in  urging  his  managers  to 
stress  "cool  theatre"  copy  in  ads  and  pub- 
licity. He  refers  to  the  importance  of  keep 
refrigeration  trailers  convincing,  cheerful, 
brief  and  also  details  what  some  of  the 
boys  are  doing  to  cash  in  on  summer  ideas 
found  effective  by  brother-theatremen  in 
the  district. 

Among  these  was  a  contest  put  on  by 
Doc  Elliot,  at  the  Ohio,  Canton,  Ohio,  in 
which  he  obtained  cooperation  from  local 
market  and  five-and-ten  for  prize-winning 
"cool"  slogans.  These  two  establishments, 
both  air-cooled,  paid  for  contest  blanks  dis- 
tributed at  both  stores  and  theatre.  Idea  was 
backed  up  with  newspaper  publicity,  lobby 
display,  etc.  Elliot  also  hooked  up  a  tea 
company  for  free  distribution  of  iced  drinks 
served  in  lobby  by  Chinese  girl  in  costume 
copy  tied  in  coolness  of  tea  and  also  the 
theatre. 

Another  was  a  "cool"  menu  contest  in- 
augurated by  Frank  Harpster,  of  the  Ohio, 
in  Mansfield,  Ohio,  with  the  News-Journal. 
This  broke  with  a  full-page  splash  carrying 
an  eight-column  box  at  bottom  plugging 
"Cool  Comfort  at  the  Ohio."  Each  merchant 
ad  on  the  tiein  included  a  box  with  some 
selling  slant  for  the  theatre's  cool  plant. 

Then  Frank  Savage,  of  the  Warner,  in 
Youngstown,  Ohio,  just  concluded  a  highly 
effective  color  page  "cool"  tieup  with  the 
Youngstown  Vindicator,  in  which  theatre 
shared  the  space  with  four  local  air-cooled 
stores.  Color  was  a  solid  pleasing  blue  back- 
ground, with  a  large  "Cool"  in  reverse 
across  the  top  and  the  co-ops  mortised  in. 
It's  a  first-time,  says  Wright,  and  certainly 
an  impressive  job  of  selling. 


Six-Month  Ticket 
Tops  "Month" Prize 

Theatremen  seeking  about  for  ways  and 
means  to  give  the  new  season  a  running 
start  are  referred  to  Hst  year's  campaign 
put  on  by  Russ  Hardwick  to  build  up  his 
September  dates  at  the  Lyceum  and  Mesa 
Theatres,  in  Clovis,  New  Mexico,  on  which 
tiein  was  made  with  the  local  daily.  Drive 
was  labelled  "Go  to  the  Movies  Month." 

Starting  early  in  September  and  continu- 
ing right  through  the  month,  readers  were 
invited  to  take  part  in  a  contest  in  which 
questions  as  follows  were  published  and 
prizes  awarded  for  the  best  answers  in  60 
words  or  less : 

"Why  should  people  attend  the  theatre 
regularly  ?" 

"Why  do  you  like  to  attend  the  theatre?" 

The  new  season  drive  was  inaugurated 
by  a  two-column,  ten-inch  ad  reproduced 
below  with  a  series  of  one-column  follow- 
ups  which  included  some  of  the  answers 
received  and  other  ads  during  the  campaign 
again  carried  the  prizes,  45  given  in  all. 

First  was  a  pass  good  for  six  months, 
second  and  third,  three  months,  fourth  and 
fifth,  one  month,  and  so  on,  with  the  last 
20  awarded  single  passes.  All  prizes  were 
good  only  at  the  house  designated. 

In  exchange  for  the  guest  tickets,  the 
paper  cooperated  with  page  one  stories, 
follow-up  publicity  during  the  contest  and 
even  editorial  mention.  Figure  of  traffic  cop 
indicating  "go"  to  emphasize  that  word  in 
the  advertising,  was  the  emblem  of  the  cam- 
paign and  used  in  all  publicity. 

"Have  You  Contributed  Lately?" 


How  Would  You  Like  to 
Go  to  the  Movies  Six 
Months  FREE? 

SEPTEMBER  IS 


GO 


TO  THE    .  . 

MOVIES 

MONTH 


This  announcement  is  the  first  of  *  series  telling  yon 
of  the  treats  in  store  for  you  during  Sapteinberj  "Go-to-th«- 
Movies"  Month. 

Why  should  people  attend  the  Theatre  regularly? 

Why  do  you  like  to  attend  the  Theatre? 


These  and  other  questions  will  be  asked.  We  will  tell 
you  why  we  think  you  should  attend  the  Theatre  regularly— r- 
why  it  is  beneficial  to  you. 

We  want  you  to  tell  iris  your  reasons.  And  a  grand  array 
of  prize  awards  will  be  offered  for  the  best  answers.^ " 

The  capital  prize  is  a  seavon.  pas's  for  six  months. .  There 
will  be  passes  to  the  Lyceum  and  Mesa  for  three  months  and 
some  good  for  a  month.  Others  will  be  passes  for  t  "Weeit, 
passes  in  pairs,  and  single  Admission  passes  —  scores  and 
scores  of  them. 


futur, 


Details  of  the 


ntcst 


al  "Go-to-tho-Mo 


ill  be  simple.  Clip  this  and 
the  "Evening  News-Journal," 
"  Month  guide.  Keep  them, 
together.  Tomorrow's  announcement  will  give  you  Our  first 
reason  for  celebrating  "Go^tp- the- Movies"  Month,  '  Others 
will  follow  and  from  them  you  can  get  your  information  For 
answering  the  question's "  asked  in  the  "Go- to- the -Movies" 
Month  contest.  There  will  b'e  so  many  prizes  you  will  be 
almost  >ure  to  get  bne  if  you  just  put  forth  a  little  effort. 


Let's  all  get  in  th< 


ENTERTAINMENT  COSTS  SO  LITTLE 
 And  Means  So  Much! 


(Save  this  announcement  to  help  you  win  in  the  "Go-to-the- 
Movics''  Month  Contest) 


Initial  Ad  in  Hardtack's  "Month"  Drive 


August     15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


81 


THE  RELEASE  CHART 


Productions  are  listed  according  to  the  names  of  distributors  in  order  that  the  exhibitor  may  have  a  short-cut  towards  such 
information  as  he  may  need,  as  well  as  information  on  pictures  that  are  coming.  Features  now  in  work  or  completed  for  release 
later  than  the  date  of  this  issue  are  listed  under  "Coming  Attractions."  Running  times  are  those  supplied  by  the  companies. 
Asterisk  indicates  running  time  as  made  known  by  West  Coast  studio  before  announcement  by  home  office  in  New  York.  Varia- 
tions also  may  be  due  to  local  censorship  deletions.  Dates  are  1935,  unless  otherwise  specified.  Letter  in  parenthesis  after 
title  denotes  audience  classification  of  production:  (A)  Adult,  (G)  General.  Numerals  following  audience  classification  are  pro- 
duction numbers.    Dagger  symbol  indicates  picture  is  of  the  1935-36  season. 


ACADEMY 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi  Duna   Jan.    24,'36t  70. Jan.    25. '36 

Revolt  of  the  Demons  Dorothy  Stone-Dean  Jagger  May    20/36t  60. June    13. '36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title  of  "Revolt  of  the  Zombies.") 


Coming 


Inter-national  Crime  ... 

Millions  for  Defense  

Murder  In  Chinatown  

Secret  of  Scotland  Yard. 
Slave  Ship   


AMBASSADOR-CONN-MELODY 


Title  Star 

Black  Gold   Frankie  Darro-Berton  Churchill 

Born  to  Fight  Frankie  Darro-Jack  La  Rue  Apr. 

Phantom  of  Death  Valley  Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. .  .May 

Phantom  Patrol   Kermit  Maynard-Joan  Barclay  May 

Racing  Blood   Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. . .Aug. 

Song  of  the  Trail  Kermit  Maynard- Evelyn  Brent... Feb. 

Timber  War   Kermit  Maynard-Lucille  Lund. ..Nov. 

Wildcat  Trooper   Kermit  Maynard-H.  Bosworth  June 

Coming 

Dawn  Rider   Kermit    Maynard   Oct.  10, '36. 

Robin  Hood,  Jr  Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. .  .Sept.  20. '36. 

Swing  Is  the  Thing  Pinky  Tomlin   Nov.  20, '36. 

Trooper    X-13  Frankie    Darro-Kane    Richmond ..  Oct.  20, '36. 

Valley  of  Terror  Kermit    Maynard   Nov.  20, '36. 

Wild   Horse  Roundup  Kermit  Maynard   Sept.  I5,'36. 

With  Love  and  Kisses   Pinky  Tomlin   Oct.  I, '36. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Jan.  20,'36t  

I3,'36t  

I5.'36t  

3,'36t  

I, '36  

24,'36t  

20  

I0,'36t  


BURROUGHS-TARZAN 


Running  Time 


Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Drag  Net,  The....-  Rod  LaRocque-Marian  Nixon  Apr.  I5,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  15. '30.) 
Phantom  of  Sante  Fe,  The  Nina  Quartaro-Norman  Kerry  July  7,'36t  

(all  color) 

Tundra   Del  Cambre   Aug.  I5.'36t  

Coming 

White  Glove.  The  Sept.  I.'36t  


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 
.July  I0,'36t...66  


I0t  65.  Feb.  I, 

28/36t  57  

l2,'S6t...  .74  


4,'36t....57  

I. 'Set.. ..80. May  16,'M 
l5,'36t....63.Mar.  14/36 

lOt  65....  Dee.  14 

30,'36f....58  

I.*3§t  58  

30t  57  

8/36t...  .65. Mar.  2I.'S6 

28,'36t  51  

30t  72  


Title  Star 
Blackmailer   William  Gargan- Florence  Rice. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  28,'36.) 

Calling  of  Dan  Matthew  (G) ..  Richard  Arlen-Charlotte  Wynters  .  Dec.    I0t  65.  Feb.     I. '36 

Cattle  Thief,  The  Ken   Maynard -Geneva   Mitchell ...  Feb. 

Counterfeit   Chester  Morris-Margot  Grahame. . June 

(See  "Queer  Money,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2,'36.) 
Crime  and  Punishment  (A). ...Peter  Lorre-Edward  Arnold  Nov.    20t  89  Nov.  SO 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25, '36,  p.  63.) 

Dangerous  Intrigue   Ralph  Bellamy-Gloria  Shea  Jan. 

Devil's  Squadron   (G)   Richard   Dix-Karen    Morley  May 

Don't  Gamble  with  Love  (G)..  Bruce  Cabot-Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Escape  from  Devil's  Island  (G)  .Victor  Jory-Florence  Rice  Nov. 

Final  Hour.  The  M.  Churchill-Ralph  Bellamy  June 

Fugitive  Sheriff,  The   Ken   Maynard-Beth   Marlon  June 

Gallant  Defender   Charles  Starrett-Joan  Perry  Nov. 

Hell  Ship  Morgan   (G)  George  Bancroft-Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Heroes  of  the  Range  Ken    Maynard-June   Gale  Mar. 

If  You  Could  Only  Cook  Jean    Arthur-Herbert    Marshall.  .  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25, '36,  p.  64.) 
King  Steps  Out,  The  (G)  Grace  Moore -Franchot  Tone  May   28,'36t  86. May  23,'36 

(Exploitation:    July  25,'36,  p.  81.) 

Lady  of  Secrets  Ruth  Chatterton-Otto  Kruger  Jan. 

Lawless  Riders  (G)  Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell ...  Dec. 

Lone  Wolf  Returns,  The  (Gh.Melvyn   Douglas-Gait  Patrick. 

Meet  Nero  Wolfe  (G)  Edward  Arnold-Lionel  Stander 

Mine  With  the  Iron  Door,  The 

(G)   Richard    Arlen-Cecilia    Parker... May     6,'36t  66. Apr. 

Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town  (GK.Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  Apr.   I2,'36t. .. 1 18. Apr. 

(Exploitation:  May  30. '36.  p.  90;  June  6, '36.   p.   120;  June  20, '36,  pp.   118,  120. 
June  27,'36,  p.  80;  July  1 1, '36,   pp.   125,   128;  July  I8,'36,   p.  82 
Aug,  8, '36,  p.  92.) 

Music  Goes  'Round,  The   (G).Rochelle  Hudson-Harry  Richman  .  Feb.   27,'36t  88. Feb.  29,'36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7,'36,  p.  95;  Mar.  2I,'36,  p.  96;  Mar.  28,'36,  p.  84;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  78; 
May  2, '36,  p.  94;  May  9, '36,  p.  90;  May  I6,'36,  p.  82;  June  6/36,  p.  123.) 

Mysterious  Avenger   Charles  Starrett-Joan  Perry  Jan.    I7,'36t  55  

One  Way  Ticket  Lloyd  Nolan-Peggy  Conklin  Nov. 

Panic  on  the  Air  (G)  Lew  Ayres-Florence  Rice  Apr.    IO/36t  56. May  -  2/36 

Pride  of  the  Marines  Charles  Bickford-Florence  Rice. ..Apr. 

Roaming  Lady   Fay  Wray-Ralph  Ballamy  Apr. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  April  4/36.) 

Secret  Patrol   Charles  Starrett-Finis  Barton  May 

Shakedown   Lew  Ayres-Joan  Perry  July 

Stampede   Charles  Starrett-Finis  Barton. ..  .June 

Too  Tough  to  Kill  Victor  Jory-Sally  O'Neill  Nov. 

Trapped  by  Television  (G)  Lyle  Talbot-Mary  Astor  June   I5,'36t  65. Aug.  8/36 

Two   Fisted  Gentleman  James   Dunn-June  Clayworth  Aug. 

(See  "The  Fighter,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Western   Courage   Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell. .  .Nov.    I5t  58  

You  May  Be  Next  (G)  Ann  Sothern-Lloyd  Nolan  Feb.     6/36t  67. Mar.  28/36 


.  Dec. 
.Aug. 


25/36t....73  

28t  57. May  2/3« 

3lt. 69. Feb.  15/36 
l/36t...72.July  25/36 

25/36 
25/36 
122: 

July  25/36,   p.  81; 


25t  72  

IO/36t...  .56. May 

2,'36t....66  

I2,'36t....69  

20/S6t... .60  

I7/S6t....57  

8,'S6t...  .56  

23t  58  

l5/36t....65.Aug. 
15/36  


Title 


CELEBRITY 

Star 

Coming 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


For  Love  of  You  Franco    Foresta    -    Riscoe  and 

Wayne   60  

Kiss  Me  Goodbye  (G)  Magda  Schneider  ■  Riscoe  and 

Wayne   62  Dee.  14 


CHESTERFIELD 


Title 


Star 


Rel. 


August  Week-end   V.  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley,  Jr  Apr. 

Below  the  Deadline  Cecilia  Parker-Russell  Hopton. . .  June 

Dark  Hour,  The  Ray  Walker-Irene  Ware  Jan. 

Little   Red  Sehoolhouse  Dickie   Moore-Junior  Coghlan  Mar. 

Lady  Luck   Patricia  Farr-Wm.  Bakewell  July 

Ring  Around  the  Moon  (G) ...  Erin  O'Brien-Moore-D.  Cook  Dec. 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

25/36t..  

l/36t  

I5,'36t....64  

2/36t....66  

6/36t  

I5t  64.  Mar.  28/36 


Coming 


Missing  Girls   Roger  Pryor 


COLUMBIA 


Title  Star 
And    So   They   Were  Married 

(6)   Mary  Astor-Melvyn   Douglas  May 

Avenging  Waters   Ken  Maynard-Beth  Marlon  May 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


IO/36t  75. Apr.  18/36 

8/36t  56  


Coming 

Adventure  in  Manhattan  Jean  Arthur-Joel  McCrea  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 
Craig's  Wife   John  Boles-Rosalind  Russell  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 
End  of  the  Trail  Jack  Holt-Louise  Henry  Sept.  19/36  

(See  "A  Man  Without  Fear,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 

Find   the   Witness  Marguerite  Churchill  

I  Promise  to  Pay  Leo   Carrillo-Marian  Marsh- 

Geo.  Bancroft   

Lost  Horizon   Ronald  Colman-Jane  Wyatt- 

Edward  Everett  Horton  

Man  Who  Lived  Twice,  The  Isabel  Jewell-Ralph  Bellamy  Sept.  25/36  

Nightingale   Flies   Home,   The. Grace  Moore   

Pennies  from    Heaven  Bing  Crosby-Madge  Evans  

Phantom  Fighter,  The  Robert  Allen-Martha  Tibbetts  

Theodora  Goes  Wild  Irene    Dunne-Melvyn  Douglas  

They  Met  in  a  Taxi  (G)  Chester  Morris-Fay  Wray  Sept.    1/36  70. Aug.  8/36 

Two  Minute  Alibi  M.  Churchill-Wm.  Gargan  Sept.  23/36  

Unknown  Ranger,  The  Robert   Allen-Martha  Tibbetts..  .Sept.  15/36  


COMMODORE 


Title  Star 

Aces   Wild   Harry  Carey   

Ghost  Town   Harry  Carey   ..Feb 

Pecos    Kid,   The  Fred  Kohler.  Jr  Feb.   l5/38t  Oris. 

Rldln'    Through   Tom   Tyler   Nov.    26f  6  rls. 

Shadow  of  Silk  Lennox  Lon  Chaney,  Jr.  Not.     If  6  rls. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

J»n.  2/S6t....6ri»  

5/S6t....8rlt. 


82 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


Running  Time 

Title  star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Toll  of  the  Desert  (G)  Fred  Kohler,  Jr.-Betty  Mack  Dec.    26t  60..    Oct.  2h 

Wolf  Riders   Jack  Perrin   Nov.     It  6  rls. ........ . 


Scream  in  the  Dark. 


Coming 

.Lon  Chaney,  Jr  6  rls. 


DANUBIA 


Title 

Empress  and  a  Soldier. 


(Hungarian  Dialogue)  Running  Tine 

Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


.Gozon-Dajbukat   Dec.  It. 


.77. 


Keep  Smiling   Szoeke   Szakall   Feb.  21/Ut  77. 

New  Squire.  The  Paul   Javer   Mar.  I5,'i8t...l8€. 

Queen  of  Roses  Zita  Pertzel   Nov.    lOt  90. 

Sweet  Stepmother   Maria  Tasnedi   Nov.    22t  90. 


Be  Good  Unto  Death. 


Coming 

.  Lacri  Deveny   


Sept.  1 0.'36. 


DU  WORLD 


Title  Star 

Frasquita   (G)   Franz  Lehar   ..Jan. 

Legong:  Dance  of  the  Virgins. .Technicolor   Nov. 

Scandal   in   Budapest  Nov. 

Wedding    Rehearsal   Roland  Young-Merle  Oberon  Dec. 

Coming 

Amok   Marcel  Chantel   Oct. 

Kliou,  The  Killer  Technicolor   Oct. 

L'Equippage   Annabella   Oct. 

Nobody's  Boy   Robert  Lynen   Sept. 

Notre  Dame   Oct. 

Opera  of  Paris  Georges  Thill   Oct. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
l7/36t....87.Feb.     I  ,'36 

I5t  60  

It  

It  


15/36  84  

I. '36  60  June 

I5.'36  79  

15/36  81  

I. '36  58  

I  .'36  50  


Running  Time 

Title                                    Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

White  Angel.  The  «fin  (G)       Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter  July     4,'36t. .  •  91  .June  6/36 

(Exploitation:  July   II, '36,   p.   125;  Aug.  8,'36,  p.  92.) 

Coming 

Case  of  the  Black  Cat  Ricardo  Cortez-Juno  Travis  

China  Clipper  960  Pat  O'Brien-Beverly    Roberts. ..  .Aug.  22,'36t  S8'/2  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4, '36.) 

Down  the  Stretch  (G)  177  Patricia  Ellis-Dennis  Moore  Sept.  19736. .  ..'65.  July  18/36 

Fugitive  in  the  Sky  Jean  Muir-Warren  Hull  

God's  Country  and  the  Woman. George  Brent-Beverly  Roberts  

Gold  Diggers  of  1937  Dick  Powell-Joan  Blondell  

Love    Begins   at    Twenty  (G) 

975   Warren  Hull-Patricia  Ellis  Aug.  22,'36  58. May  30,'36 

Mountain  Justice   Bette  Davis   

Nowhere   Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts  

Polo   Joe   loo  E.  Brown-Carol  Hughes  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20,'36.) 

Shrinking   Violet   lune   Travis-Richard  Purcell  

Sing  Me  a  Love  Song  James  Melton-Patricia  Ellis  

Slight  Case  of  Murder,  A  Edward  G.  Robinson  

Stage   Struck   Joan  Blondell-Dick  Powell  Sept.  I2.'36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  6.'30.) 
Trailin'  West  979  Dick    Foran-Paula   Stone  Sept.    5,'36  56  

(See  "On  Secret  Service,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  I6.'36.) 


FRANK  NORTON 


Title 
Auto  in  Zoo 


(Greek  Dialogue — English  Titles)  Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


 Rota  Karmen   Nov.    25t  115. 

Blue  Candles    Rota  Myrat   Dec.    25t  95. 

Crucified  Love   Helen   Pades   Dec.    I5t  115- 

Depression  Is  Over   Beatrice  Emanuel   Jan.  I5,'36t..  -98. 

Independence   Phillip  Alexander   Feb.  1 6,'3Ut . .  •  1 00 . 

News  from  Greece  Travelogue   Feb.  9,'36t . .  .  .80. 

Voskopoula   Sophea  Damoglou   Jan.  5,'36t.  ..95. 


EMPIRE 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Crime  Patrol   Ray  Walker-Geneva  Mitchell  

Fire  Trap  (G)   Evalyn  Knapp-Norman  Foster  *63....Dec.  7 

Shadows  of  the  Orient  (G)  Regis  Toomey- Esther   Ralston  *65.Feb.  I5,'36 


GB  PICTURES 


FIRST  NATIONAL 


63.  May  23/36 

25,'36t  95  Dec.  28 

p.  73;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99: 


(See  also  Warner  Brothers)      Running  Time 

Title                                      Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Brides  Are  Like  That  (G)  972  Ross   Alexander-Anita   Louise  Apr.    I8,'36t. .  .  .67.  Jan.  25,'36 

(Exploitation:  June  20, '36.  p.  117.) 

Broadway  Hostess   (G)  963  Winifred  Shaw-Lyle  Talbot  Dec.      7t  69  Nov.  23 

Bullets  or  Ballots  (G)  961  Edw.  G.  Robinson-Joan  Blondell   .June     6.'36t  81.  May  23,'ili 

(Exploitation:  June  I3,'36,  p.  123;  June  27/36,  p.  86;  Aug.  8/36,  pp.  92,  93.) 
Captain  Blood  (G)  855  Errol  Flynn-Olivia  De  Havilland  . .  Dec.    28t   119. Jan.    II.  '36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  69;  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83.  86:  Feb.  29/36,  pp. 

74.  76;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Case  of  the  Velvet  Claws,  The 

(G)    965   Warren  William-Claire   Dodd....Aug.  I5,'36t 

Ceiling   Zero    (G)    953  James   Cagney-Pat  O'Brien  Jan. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  62;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  29/36, 
Apr.  18/36,  pp.  81,  82;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  23/36,  p.  88.) 
Earthworm  Tractors  <G)  962..  Joe  E.  Brown-June  Travis  July    I8,'36t.  ..*68.  June  20/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36.  p.  90;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  91.) 
Golden  Arrow,  The  (G)  959. ..Bette   Davis-George   Brent  May    23/36t  68. May  9/36 

(Exploitation:  May  16/36,  p.  85;  July  4/36,  p.  72.) 

Hearts   Divided   (G)   955  Marion  Davies-Dick  Powell  June   20/36t. .  .  .70. June  13/36 

I  Found  Stella  Parish  (A)  958. Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter   Nov.    I6t  84  Nov.  2 

Law   in   Her   Hands,   The  (G) 

973   Margaret  Lindsay-Warren  Hull...  May 

Man  of  Iron  (G)  969   Barton  MacLane-Mary  Astor  Dec. 

Murder   by  an   Aristocrat  (G) 

974   Marguerite  Churchill-L.  Talbot  ..June 

Murder  of   Dr.    Harrigan,  The 

(G)  970   Kay  Linaker-Ricardo  Cortez  Jan. 

Payoff,  The  (G)  968  James   Dunn-Claire   Dodd  Nov. 

Road  Gang   (A)   964  Donald  Woods- Kay  Linaker  Mar. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  121;  June  27/36,  p.  88;  July  4/36.  p.  68; 
July  11/36,  p.  128.) 

Singing  Kid,  The  (G)  954. ...Al  Jolson-Beverly  Roberts  Apr.    Il/36t  84. Mar.  21/36 

(Exploiation:  May  2/36,  p.  99.) 

Snowed  Under  (G)  971  George  Brent-Genevieve  Tobln  Apr.     4/36t  63. Mar.  21/36 

Song  of  the  Saddle  (G)   978. .Dick   Foran-Alma   Lloyd  Feb.   29/36t  56. Apr.  11/36 

Story   of    Louis    Pasteur,  The 

(G)  956   Paul  Muni-Josephine  Hutchinson.  .Feb.    22/36t..  .  .87  Nov.  30 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  96;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  25/36. 
p.  96;  May  2/36.  p.  92;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36.  p.  85;  July 
4/36,  p.  68;  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93.) 
Two  Against  the  World  (G)  977. Humphrey  Bogart-Beverly  Rob- 
erts  July    ll.'36t  57  May  23/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.) 


I6,'36t.. 
2lt  


.58. Apr.  18/36 
.61  Nov.  16 


l3.'36t....60.Apr.  4/36 


ll/36t. 

9t.... 
28/36t. 


67. Feb.  1/36 
64...  Nov.  30 
62.  Feb.  29,'3ii 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  heviewed 

First  a  Girl  (A)  3512  Jessie  Matthews-Sonnie  Hale. ....  Dec.    3 I  t  78  Nov.  30 

It's  Love  Again  (G)  Jessie  Matthews -Robert  Young. ..May   30/36t  79. May  16/36 

King  of  the  Damned  (A)  3504. Conrad  Veidt-Helen  Vinson  Jan.    I0,'36t  75. Jan.  25/36 

Mister  Hobo  (G)  3416  George  Arliss-Gene  Gerrard  Nov.    22  80  Oct.  10 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "The  Guv' nor.")  (Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Fob.  8/36, 
p.  84;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  83.) 
Passing   of  the   Third  Floor 

Back,  The  (G)  3510  Conrad    Veidt-Rene    Ray  Dec.    I5t  80  Oct.  10 

Rhodes,    the    Diamond  Master 

(G)    3514   Walter  Huston   Apr.    I5,'36t . ..  .88.  Mar.  7/36 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  72.) 

Secret  Agent   (A)   3515  Madeleine   Carroll-Peter  Lorre...June    I5,'36t  83. May  23/36 

Seven  Sinners   Edmund    Lowe -Constance  Cum- 

mings   Aug.   I5,'36t  70. July  11/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Doomed  Cargo.") 

Coming 

East  Meets  West  George  Arliss  

Everything   Is  Thunder  C.    Bennett-D.  Montgomery  

Great   Barrier,   The  Richard  Arlen-Lilli  Palmer  

Hidden  Power,  The  Sylvia  Sidney-John  Loder  

His  Majesty's  Pyjamas  (A) 

3623   Clive  Brook-Helen  Vinson-Mary 

Carlisle   78. May  30/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Love  in  Exile.") 

King  Solomon's  Mines  3618. .  .Roland  Young-Paul  Robeson  

Man  Who  Lived  Again  3507..  Boris  Karloff-Anna  Lee  

Nelson  Touch,  The  George  Arliss   

Nine  Days  a  Queen  (G)  3610.  .Nova  Pilbeam-Cedric  Hardwicke. . Sept.    l/36t. .  .  .80.  May  18/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Lady  Jane  Gray.")  (See  production  article,  June  20/36,  p.  10.) 

Paris  Love  Song   Jessie  Matthews   

Soldiers  Three   Victor  McLaglen   

Strangers  on  a   Honeymoon. ...  Constance  Cummings-Hugh  Sin- 
clair-Noah  Beery   73  


GEORGE  HIRLIMAN  ENTERPRISES 


Title 
Captain  Calamity 


Star 

.George   Houston-Marian  Nixon. ..Aug.  15/36 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


Coming 


Bristol,    the    Blunderer  George  O'Brien 

Daniel    Boone   :  George  O'Brien 

Devil  on  Horseback,  The  Lili   Damita  ... 

Gorgeous   


 Nov.  1/36. 

 Sept.  1/36. 


Pending   Justice   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt. 

Romance   on  the  Rio...  


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


83 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART—CONT'D) 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
We're  in  the  Legion  Now  (G) . Reginald  Denny-Esther  Ralston  .Oct.    I5,'36  64.  Feb.  I5.'36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title  "Rest  Cure.") 
Yellow  Cargo   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  Sept.  1 5.'36  65  


GRAND  NATIONAL  DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

(Release  First  Division  Productions  and  in  certain  territories  Alliance,  Diversion, 
Normandy,  Associated  Talking,  Monogram,  Liberty,  Chesterfield  and  Invincible  Pictures.) 

Running  Tim? 

Tjtle  star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

August    Wtek-End   Valerie  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley. 

Jr  Apr.  I0,*36t  67  

Below   the    Deadline  Cecilia  Parker- Russell   Hopton. . . June  8/36t....69  

Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens- Dorothy  Tree  Mar.  5,'36t. 

Brilliant    Marriage   Joan  Marsh-Ray  Walker  Mar.  25,'36t. 

Dark  Hour,  The   Irene  Ware-Ray  Walker  Jan.  I5.'36t. 

Drake  the  Pirate   (G)...;  Matheson   Lang-Jane   Baxter  Apr.  I.'36t. 

Easy   Money    (G)  Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker  June  1 5.*36t . 

Feud  of  the  West  Hoot  Gibson-Joan   Barclay  Apr.  I5,'36t. 

Hitch-Hike  to   Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman-Anita  Page.. .Dec.  It  

I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi  Duna   Fcb-  1,'86't. 

Lady  in  Scarlet,  The  Reginald   Denny-Patricia  Farr.  ..Nov.  20t  

Lady  Luck   Patricia  Farr-Wm.  Bakewell  July  3,'36t  

Law  of  45's   Big  Boy  William-Molly  O'Day.  ..Dec.  It  56 

Little  Red  School  House  Junior  Coghian-Dickie  Moore  Mar.  I0,'36t  59 


.66  

.62'/2  

.70'/2  

.78  June  I 

.  66 '/2  July  1 1, '36 

.61 '/2  

.63  

.67.  Jan.  25,*36 
.65  


Living    Dead,   The  Gerald  Du  Maurier-Geo.  Curzon.Feb.  29,'36t  65. 

Lucky  Terror,  The  Hoot   Gibson   Feb. 

Murder  at  Glen  Athol  John  Milian-lrene  Ware  Nov. 

Old  Curiosity  Shop  (G)  Elaine  Benson-Ben  Webster  Dec. 

Red   Wagon  Charles  Bickford-Raquel  Torres. .Dec. 

Riding  Avenger  (G)   Hoot  Gibson   June 

Ring  Around  the  Moon  Erin  O'Brien  -  Moore  -  Donald 

Cook   Jan. 

She-Devil    Island   C.  Guerrero-  J.  J.  Martinez 

Casado    ..June 

Southern   Maid   Bebe  Daniels-Clifford  Mollison. . . May 

Spy  77   (G)   Greta  Nissen-Don  Alvarado  Jan. 

Swifty   Hoot  Gibson-June  Gale  Dec. 

Tango  Marian   Nixon-Chick  Chandler  ..Jan. 

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)   Chick  Chandler-Evalyn  Knapp  May 

Too  Much  Beef  Rex  Bell-Connie  Bergen  Apr. 

West  of  Nevada  Rex  Bell   June 


20,'36t....6l. 

It  69.  May  9,'36 

25f  89  Feb.  2 

8t  76  

I5,'36t...  .57. July  I8,'36 

23,'36t. ..  .69'/2Mar.  28,'36 

l,'36t  63  

I,'36t...60  

l5.'36t..-77.Feb.  29,'36 

I5t  60  

I0.'36t.  ...70  

20,'36t  75. July  4,'36 

20,'36t...-59  

22,'36t.  ...59  


GUARANTEED 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Just  My  Luck   Eddie   Nugent-Charles    Ray  June  I5,'36  

Women  in  White  Molly    Lamont-Lester   Matthews  .  .July    15, '36  

Coming 

Luck  of  the  Irish   Richard   Hayward   Sept.  15, '36  

Phantom  Ship   Bela   Lugosi-Shirley    Grey  Oct.  I5.'36  


HOFFBERG 


Title 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Fighting  Playboy   Lucile   Browne-Nick  Stuart  ..Nov.    I0t  55  

Girl  from  Maxim's  Leslie  Henson-Frances  Day  July    I5,'36  65. Oct. 

Old  Spanish  Custom,  An  Buster    Keatm   Jan.     2,'36t  60  

Song  of  the  Scarlet  Flower  Swedish   June   1 5.'36t .... 80  

Wanted    Men   Charles  Laughton- Dorothy  Gish.June     l,'36t  62  


14/33 


Coming 

Monday  at  Ten  Virginia   Cherrill-Gary   Marsh  60. 

Crime  of  Voodoo  Fredi  Washington   Sept.    I, '36  63. 

Voice   of   India  Hoeffer  Expedition   Sept.  ! 5/36  70. 

Womanhood   Eve  Gray-Esmond  Knight  60. 


HUNGARIA 


(Hungarian  Dialogue) 
Title  Star 

Addressee  Unknown   Irene  Agai   

Heart  Specialist   B.   Somegyl   Dec, 

I  Cannot  Live  Without  Music  Gyula  Csortos   Dec, 

One  Night  in  Venice  Gyula  Csortos   Jan. 

Three  Men  Under  the  Snow....Jeno  Torzs   Nov, 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Nov.    20t  85  

30t  90  .' 

20t  95  

I /36t - - •  85  

20t  85  


IMPERIAL 

Running  Time 

Tit|e  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Forgotten   Women   Irene   Rich-Evelyn    Brent  May    1 5/36  71  

Manhattan  Butterfly   Dorothy  Grainger-Wm.  Bakewell    Nov.    25t  ..71  


Coming 

High  Hat   Frank   Luther- Dorothy   Dare  Sept.    I, '36.. 

I  Demand  Payment  Betty  Burgess-Lloyd  Hughes  Nov.  I,'36t. 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Rich  Relations   Ralph   Forbes-Frances  Grant  Oct.    15/36  68  

She  Shall  Have  Music  Jack  Hylton-June  Clyde  Sept.  19/36  82  Dec.  I 


INVINCIBLE 


(Distributed  through  Chesterfield) 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens -Dorothy  Tree  Feb.    I5,'36t  64  

Brilliant  Marriage   Joan   Marsh-Ray   Walker  Mar.  25,'36t  

Easy  Money  (G)  Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker  June   1 0/36t . . .  -66'/2  July  1 1 ,'36 

Hitch-Hike  to   Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman-Anita  Page. ..Dec. 

(See  "Divided  by  Two,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 

Tango   Marian  Nixon-Chick  Chandler. ..  .Jan. 

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)  Chick  Chandler-Evalyn  Knapp  May 


It. 


l/36t. 
2/36t. 


.66  

.75. July 


4/36 


Coming 


Fllis  Island   

It  Couldn't  Have  Happened  Reginald  Denny-Jack  La  Rue. 


..Aug.  1/36. 


Title 

Doughnuts  and  Society. 


MASCOT 

Star 

.Louise  Fazenda-Maude  Eburne. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
Mar.  27/36t....63  


.72.  Mar. 
.79. July 
.73. Jan. 


7/36 
1 1, '36 
18/36 


.94.  May  30/36 


.62.  Feb. 
7,'36t. .  .89  


8/36 


6... 
20t... 


78  Dec.  7 

84  Dee.  14 


METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 

Running  Time 

Ti,le  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Absolute  Quiet  (G)  609  Irene   Hervey-Lionel  Atwill  ..Apr.   24,'36t  71  .Apr.  11/36 

Bohemian  Girl,  The  (G)  521...  Laurel  and  Hardy   Feb.  I4,'36t. 

Devil  Doll,  The  (G)  631  Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sullivan.  .  July  IO/36t. 

Exclusive  Story  (G)  621  Franchot  Tone-Madge  Evans  Jan.  I7,'36t. 

Exploitation:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  82;  Apr.  11/36. p.  95;  May  30/36,  p.  90.) 

Fury   (G)    610  Sylvia    Sidney-Spencer   Tracy  June  5/36t. 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  117:  June  27/36,  pp.  80,  81.) 
Garden  Murder  Case,  The  (G) 

622   Edmund    Lowe-Virginia    Bruce. ..Feb.  2l,'36t. 

His   Brother's  Wife  657  Robt.  Taylor-Barbara  Stanwyck.  .Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 

Kind  Lady  (G)  619  Aline   MacMahon-B.   Rathbone. . .  Dec. 

Last  of  the  Pagans  (G)  617. .  Mala-Lotus  Long   Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  95.) 
Moonlight    Murder    (G)    624.  Chester   Morris-Madge   Evans. ...  Mar.  27/36t. ..  .68.  Mar.  28/36 
Mutiny  on  the  Bounty  (G)  536.  Clark  Cable  -  Charles  Laughton- 

Franchot  Tone   Nov.     8t  133  Nov.  9 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36.  p.  80:  Jan.  25/36.  p.  68:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  65;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  82; 
Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  98;  June  27/36,  p.  81;  July  25/36,  p.  77.) 

Night  at  the  Opera,  A  (G)  644.  Marx  Brothers   Nov.    I5t  96  Oct.  26 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  80,  82;  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  94,  100;  Feb.  29/36,  p.  74;  Mar. 
7/36,  p.  101;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88;  July  25/36,  pp.  78,  80.) 
Perfect  Gentleman,  The  (G) 

615   Frank  Morgan-C.  Courtneidge  Nov.  22t  

Petticoat  Fever  (G)   645  Rob't  Montgomery-Myrna   Loy...Mar.  20,'36t. 

(Exploitation:    Apr.   18/36,  p.  79;  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  13/36.  p. 
P.  81.) 

Riffraff  (G)  517  Jean    Harlow-Spencer   Tracy  Jan.  3,'36t. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84,  89.) 
Robin  Hood  of  El  Dorado,  The 
608   Warner  Baxter-Ann  Loring  Apr.    I7,'36t  86.. 


.73  Dee.  28 

.81.  Mar.  21/36 
23;  July  25/36. 


90. 


.  Dec.  28 


Mar.  7/36.)   (Exploitation:  May  30/36.  p.  85;  July  11/36. 


(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room/ 
P.  124.) 

Rose  Marie  (G)  643  J.   MacDonald-Nelson   Eddy  Jan.    3l.'36t . .  1 13.  Jan.  18/36 

(See  musical  analysis,  Feb.  22/36,  p.  23;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  14/36, 
p.  87:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  92;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  11/36,  p.  97:  Apr.  18/36,  p.  78: 
May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  30/36,  p.  86;  July  18/36,  p.  82.) 

San  Francisco  (G)  636  Clark  Gable  -  J.  MacDonald  ■ 

Spencer  Tracy  -  Jack  Holt  June   26,'36t..  III. July  4/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93-94;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  90.) 

Small   Town   Girl   (G)   607  Janet   Gaynor-Robert   Taylor  Apr.    1 0,'36f . . .  106 .  Apr.    II. '36 

(Exploitation:  June  13/36,  p.  122;  June  27/36,  p.  80;  July  25/36,  p.  77;  Ai 
Speed  652  (G)   Wendy  Barrie-James  Stewart. 


(Exploitation:  Aug.   1/36.   p.  90.) 


Three  Live  Ghosts  (G)  618  Richard  Arlen-Cecilia  Parker. 

Three  Wise  Guys  (G)  653  Robert  Young-Betty  Furness.. 

(Exploitation:  July  18/36, 


85.) 


Trouble  for  Two  (G)  646  Robert  Montgomery-R.  Russell. 

Unguarded  Hour.  The  (G)  63I.Loretta  Young- Franchot  Tone. 
Voice  of  Bugle  Ann,  The  (G) 
630   Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sulliva 


Whipsaw  (G)  513  Myrna  Loy-Spencer  Tracy  

Wife  vs.  Secretary  (G)  606  Clark    Cable-Myrna    Loy  -  Jean 


(Exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p.  77:  July  4/36,  p.  69.) 


25/36, 

p.  77;  Aug.  8/36, 

p.  91.) 

.  .  May 

8,'36t 

..  .72 

May 

2.'36 

.  July 

24/36t 

..  .95.  July 

18/36 

. .  Dec. 

27t... 

..126 

...Dec.  7 

14/36, 

p.  86; 

May  2/36, 

P-  94.) 

Mar. 

6/36t 

...82 

Feb. 

22/36 

. .Jan. 

I0.'36t 

..62 

Jan. 

4/36 

May 

I5,'36t 

...75 

May 

16/36 

, .Jan. 

24,'36t 

..  .77 

Feb. 

8/36 

.  May 

29/36t 

..  .75 

May 

30/36 

. .  Apr. 

3'?6t 

.88 

Apr. 

4/36 

. .  Feb. 

7/36t 

.  72 

Feb. 

15/38 

.  June 

I9,'36t 

..  .69 

June 

27/36 

I3t... 

.  .  .82 

...Dee.  14 

Feb. 

28/36t 

.  89 

Feb. 

22/36 

July 

31/36 

.  59 

June 

20/36 

Coming 

Born  to  Dance  Eleanor  Powell-James  Stewart. 


84 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August     15,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CEART-- CCN'T) 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Camille   Greta  Garbo-Robert  Taylor  

Chain   Lightning   Stuart   Erwin-Betty  Furness... 

Devil  Is  a  Sissy,  The  Freddie  Bartholomew-Jackie 

Cooper   Sept.  I8,'36  

General  Spanky   Spanky   McFarland-P.  Holmes  

Good  Earth,  The  Paul    Muni-Luise  Rainer  

(See  production  article,  July  II, '36,  p.  16.) 

Gorgeous  Hussy,  The  633  Joan  Crawford  -  Robert  Taylor- 

Melvyn  Douglas- Franchot  Tone.  Aug.  28,'36t  

(See  production  article,  Aug.  I, '36,  p.  16.) 
Great  Ziegfeld,  The  (G)  700..  William  Powell  -  Myrna  Loy  - 

Luise   Rainer   Sept.    4.'36..    180  Apr.     4. '36 

(Pictorial:  Jan.  25, '36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p.  76;  June  27/36,  p.  82;  Aug. 
8/36.  p.  90.) 

Kelly  the  Second  702  Patsy    Kelly-Pert    Kelton  Aug.  21/36  71...  

Libeled   Lady   Jean  Harlow-William  Powell- 

Myrna   Loy-Spencc  Tracy  

Longest    Night,    The  Robert  Young-Florence  Rice  

Mister  Cinderella   Jack  Haley-Betty  Furness  

Old  Hutch   Wallace  Beery-Cecilia  Parker  Sept.  25/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 

Our  Relations   Laurel  and  Hardy  

Piccadilly  Jim  655  Robt.  Montgomery-Madge  Evans   Aug.   I4.'36t ...  .97  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  July  18/36.) 
Romeo  and  Juliet  (G)  Norma   Shearer-Leslie  Howard- 
John    Barrymore    124. July  18/36 

(See  production  article.  Mar.  28/36,  p.  16.) 

Sworn  Enemy  (G)  703  Robert  Young-Florence   Rice  Sept.  11/36  78. July  11/36 

Tarzan   Escapes   Johnny  Weismuller-Maureen 

O'Sultivan   


MITCHELL  LEICHTER 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Desert  Guns   Conway   Tearle   Jan.     2/36t — 65  

Riddle  Ranch   Black    King   Dec.    I6t  56  


Coming 


Devil's   Gold   Conway  Tearle   

Hell's   Hacienda   Conway  Tearle   

Senor  Jim   Conway  Tearle-Barbara  Bedford 

Three  Fingers   Conway  Tearle   

Whistling  Skull   Conway  Tearle   


IO/36t....83.Apr.  11/36 
7/36t....63.July  25/36 

28t  59  Nov.  16 

5/36t....72.June  6/36 
8t  85  Nov.  9 

19/36  73. June  13/36 


Running  Tims 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Milky  Way,  The  (G)  3535  Harold  Lloyd-Adolphe  Menjou. .. .  Feb.     7,'36t. . .  .88.  Feb.  1/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  pp.  93,  95;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  82,  87:  May  2/36,  p.  99;  May  23/36, 
p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  116;  June  27/36,  pp.  82,  85;  July  18/36,  p.  85.) 
Millions  in  the  Air  (G)  3526.. John  Howard-Wendy  Barrie  Dec.    I3t  72  Nov.  30 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83.) 
Moon's  Our  Home,  The(G)3549.  Margaret  Sullavan-Henry  Fonda.  .Apr. 

My  American  Wife  (G)  Francis   Lederer-Ann  Sothern  Aug. 

Nevada  (G)  3523  Larry  Crabbe- Kathleen  Burke  Nov. 

Palm  Springs  (G)  3559  Frances  Langford-Smith  Ballew.  .June 

Peter  Ibbetson  (G)  3518  Gary  Cooper-Ann  Harding  Nov. 

Poppy  (G)  3562  W.  C.  Fields-Rochelle  Hudson.. .June 

Preview    Murder    Mystery  (G) 

4540   Gail   Patrick-Reginald   Denny. ...  Feb.   28/36t  65. Feb.  15/36 

Princess  Comes  Across,  The  (G) 

3557   C.  Lombard-Fred  MacMurray. .. . May   22/36t . ..  .76. May  16/36 

Return    of    Sophie    Lang,  The 
(G)  3566   Gertrude  Michael-Ray  Milland.. .  July     3,'36t. ..  .64.  June  20/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.)   

Rhythm  on  the  Range  (G)  Bing  Crosby- Frances  Farmer  July   3l/36t . .  .  .87.  July  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  8/36,  p.  91.) 
Rose  of  the  Rancho  (G)  3516..  John  Boles-Gladys  Swarthout  Jan.    I0/36F  82.  Jan.  11/36 

(See  musical  analysis,  Jan.  11/36,  p.  45;  exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  84;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83.) 

Scrooge   (G)  3527  Seymour  Hicks-Donald  Calthrop. .  Dec.    20f  73  Dec.  21 

Ship  Cafe  (G)   3520  Carl  Brisson-Arline  Judge  Nov.  It  

Sky  Parade  3550  Jimmy  Allen-Katharine  DeMllle  .Apr. 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Soak  the  Rich  (A)  3532  Mary  Taylor-Walter  Connolly  Jan. 

Son  Comes  Home,  A  Mary  Boland-Donald  Woods  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 
So  Red  the  Rose  (G)  3522  Margaret  Sullavan-R.  Scott  Nov.    22t  83  Nov.  16 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  76.) 

Spendthrift  (G)   Henry  Fonda-Pat  Paterson  July    IO/36t  77. June  20/36 

13  Hours  by  Air  (G)  3547  Fred  MacMurray-Joan  Bennett.. .  Mar.  27/36t  77. Mar.  21/36 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Three  Cheers  for  Love  (G)  Eleanore    Whitney- Robt.  Cum- 

mings   July 

Three  on  the  Trail  (G)  3553. .  William  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  Apr. 

Till  We  Meet  Again  (G)  3551 .  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael  Apr. 

Timothy's  Quest  (G)  3534  Eleanore  Whitney-Dickie  Moore.. Jan, 


I7,'36t. 


66  Nov.  2 

70.  Apr.  4/36 


l7,'36t....87.Feb. 
3l/36t  


15/36 


I7,'36t.. 
24/36t.. 
I7,'36t.. 


.64. July 
.67. Apr. 
.72. Apr. 


3l/36t....65.Jan. 

.Frances  Farmer-Colin  Tapley  Mar.  20/36t.  ..74. Mar. 


4/36 
18/36 
1 1/36 
25/36 
14/36 


Too  Many  Parents  (G)  3545 
Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine, 

The    (G)   3543  Henry  Fonda-Sylvia  Sidney  Mar.   I3,'36t ...  1 06.  Feb.  29/36 

(See  production  article,  Jan.  18/36,  p.  36;  exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  73;  May  2/36,  p.  98; 
May  23/36.  p.  86;  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  6/36,  p.  118;  June  13/36,  p 
20/36,  p.  122;  July  25/36,  p.  80;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93.) 

Woman  Trap  (G)  3537  Gertrude   Michael-Geo.    Murphy.  .Feb.  I4,'36t 

Yours  for  the  Asking  (G)  George  Raft  -  Dolores  Costello 

Barrymore   July    24/36t  75. Aug.  8/36 


122;  June  20/36, 


.63.  Feb.  8/36 


PARAMOUNT 


Title  Star  Rel. 

And  Sudden  Death  (G)  Randolph  Scott-Frances  Drake.  June 

(Exploitation:    Aug.  1/36,  p.  88.) 
Anything  Goes  (G)  3533  Bing  Crosby-Ethel  Merman   Jan. 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Arizona  Raiders,  The  Buster  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  June 

Bar  20  Rides  Again  (G)  3525.  Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  Dec. 

Big  Brown  Eyes  (G)  3548  Joan    Bennett-Cary    Grant  Apr. 

Border  Flight  (G)  3558  John  Howard -Frances  Farmer  May 

Bride   Comes    Home,   The  (G) 
3530   Claudette  Colbert-F.  MacMurray.  .Jan. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36, 

Call  of  the  Prairie  (G)  3541..  Wm.    Boyd-Jimmy    Ellison  Mar. 

Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames,  The 

(A)  3555   Madeleine  Carroll-George  Brent.  .May 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  121;  July  4/36,  p.  69.) 
Collegiate    (G)    3529  Joe  Penner-Jack  Oakie  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36.  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36. 
Apr.  11/36,  p.  92;  May  16/36,  p.  82.) 
Coronado  3524   Betty  Burgess-Johnny   Downs  Nov. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Oct.  19.)  (Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36, 

Desert  Gold  (G)  3546   Larry  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  Mar. 

Desire  (A)  3539  Marlene  Dietrich-Gary  Cooper  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

Drift  Fence  (G)  3536  Larry  Crabbe-Kath.  De  Mllle  Feb. 

Early  to  Bed  (G)  3560  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland  June 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.) 

Fatal  Lady  (G)  3552  Mary  Ellis-Walter  Pidgeon  May 

Florida  Special  (G)  3554  Jack  Oakle-Sally  Eilers  May 

F  Man  (G)  3544  Jack  Haley-Adrienne  Marden  Mar. 

Forgotten   Faces    (G)   3556  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael. 

Girl  of  the  Ozarks,  The  (G) 

3561   Vriginia  Weidler-H.  Crosman. 

Give  Us  This  Night  (G)  3542.. Jan  Kiepura-Gladys  Swarthout 

(See  musical  analysis,  Mar.  14/36,  p.  18.) 

Heart  of  the  West  3567  Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  July 

Her  Master's  Voice  (G)  3531 . .  Edw.  E.  Horton-P.  Conklln  Jan. 

It's  a  Great  Life  3528  Joe    Morrison-Rosalind    Keith  Dec. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Klondike  Annie  (A)  3538  Mae  West-Victor  McLaglen  Feb. 

(See  news  article.  Mar.  7/36.  p.  19;  exploitation:  Feb.  22/36, 
June  20/36,  p.  118.) 
Mary  Burns.  Fugitive  (G)  3521. Sylvia  Sldney-Melvyn  Douglas..  .Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  '4/36,  p.  86:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  84.) 


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
l9.'36f....68.June  13/36 

24/36t....92.Feb.  22/36 

26/36t....57  

I3t  63  Dec.  7 

3/36t...76.Apr.  11/36 

29/361-.. ..59.  Apr.  25/36 

3/36t  83  Nov.  23 

p.  98;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92.) 
6/36t...  .67. Feb.  1/36 

8/36t....85.May  9/36 

27t  81  Dee.  28 

p.  94;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89: 


29t . . . . 
p.  66.) 
27/36t. 


.58. Aug.  8/36 


28,'36t....95.Feb.  8/36 

l4/36t....56.May  30/36 

5/36t  73. July  25/36 

15.  36t...  .76.  May  23/36 

l,'36t...67.Apr.  25/36 

l3/36t....72.May  16/36 

.May    I5.'36t  72.  May  2/36 


.June 
.Mar. 


I2/36T.. 
8/36t.. 


.68. June  6/36 
.73.  Mar.  7/36 


24/36t  78  

l7/36t....76.Feb.  22/36 
20t  63  

2l/36t....8I.Feb.  15/36 
p.  96;  Apr.  1/36,  p.  92: 

I5t  84  Nov.  10 


Coming 

Big  Broadcast  of  1937,  The  Jack  Benny-Burns  &  Allen  Sept.  25, 

Champagne  Waltz   Gladys  Swarthout-F.  MacMurray  

General  Died  at  Dawn,  The....  Gary  Cooper-Madeleine  Carroll.  ..Sept.  4, 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25/36.) 

Girl  of  the  Jungle  Ray  Milland-Dorothy  Lamour  

Hollywood  Eoulevard  3603  John  Halliday-Ront.  Cummings. .  Aug.  21,' 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 
I'd  Give  My  Life  3602  Sir  Guy  Standing-F.  Drake  Aug.  14/ 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 

Lady  Be  Careful  Lew  Ayres-Mary  Carlisle  Sept.  4, 

Murder  with  Pictures   Lew  Ayes-Gail  Patrick  Sept.  18, 

Plainsman,  The   Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  *.  

Straight  from  the  Shoulder  Ralph  Bellamy-Katherine  Locke. .Aug.  28,' 

(See  "In  the  Cutting   Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 

Texas  Rangers,  The  3604  Fred  MacMurray-Jean  Parker  Aug.  28, 

Three  Married  Men  Lynne  Overman-Wm.  Frawley  Sept.  II, 

Turning  Point,  The  Paul  Kelly-Marsha  Hunt  

Valiant  Is  the  Word  for  Carrie.  Gladys  George-Arline  Judge  

Wedding  Present   Joan  Bennett-Cary  Grant  Sept.  25/ 

Wives  Never  Know  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland  Sept.  II, 


36... 
36... 


'36  

36  81. 


36  

36  


PRINCIPAL 


Title 

Let's  Sing  Again  (G). 


Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
.Bobby  Breen-Henry  Armetta  June   I2,'36t  68. Apr.  25/36 


PURITAN 


1/36 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Aces  and  Eights  Tim  McCoy-Luna  Walters  ..June 

Border  Caballero  (G)  Tim  McCoy-Lois  January  Mar. 

Bulldog  Courage   Tim  McCoy-Lois  January  Dee. 

Ghost  Patrol   Tim  McCoy-Claudia  Dell  ..Aug. 

I'll  Name  the  Murderer  Ralph  Forbes-Marlon  Shilling  Jan. 

Lightnin'  Bill  Carson  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  Apr. 

Lion's  Den,  The  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  July 

Reckless  Way,  The  Marian  Nixon-Kane  Richmond.. .Apr.  20/36t  68  

Roarln'  Guns   Tim  McCoy- Rosalinda  Price  Jan.    27,'36t  67  

Rogues  Tavern,  The  Wallace  Ford-Barbara  Pepper  Mar.     I,'36t  61  

Suicide  Squad   Norman  Foster-Joyce  Compton  Dee.    25t  60  

Coming 

Traitor,  The   Tim  McCoy-Frances  Grant  Aug.  29/36  


6/36  

l/36f....59.Aug. 
20t  60  

3/36  

27/36t....76  

I5.'36t  

6/36  


August    15,  (936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


85 


(THE  RELEASE  CHA.CT«C€NT»E) 


RAY  KIRKWOOD 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Adventurous  Rogue's   Bobby  Nelson-Donald  Reed  Dec.     3, '36  

El   Justiciero   Ernesto  Guillen   Dee.     3, '36  

Fighting  Vagabonds   Bobby  Nelson-Donald  Reed  Jan.  I9,'37  

Daredevils  of  the  Earth  Ida  Lupino-Cyril  McLaglen  Jan.     I,'36t  60  


REGAL 


Running  Time 


Thunderbolt   Kane  Richmond- Bobby  Nelson. 


Rel. 

Date 

Minutes  Reviewed 

Jan. 

1/36+ 

Dec. 

4t... 

Jan. 

2,'36t 

Dec. 

4t... 

....55  

REPUBLIC 


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
It  60  


I3,'36t... 
3l,'36t... 


Title  Star  Rel. 

Burning  Gold  3550  William  Boyd-Judith  Allen  ..Dec. 

Comin'   Round  the  Mountain 

(G)  3571    Gene  Autry-Ann  Rutherford  Apr. 

Dancing  Feet  (G)  3504  Ben  Lyon- Joan  Marsh  Jan. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  15/36.  p.  81.) 

Federal  Agent  3548  William  Boyd-lrene  Ware  Apr. 

Frankie  and  Johnnie  (A)  3555.  Helen  Morgan-Chester  Morris  May 

(Exploitation:  May  30, '36.  p.  85.) 

Girl  from  Mandalay,  The  3525.  Kay  Linaker-Conrad  Nagel  Apr. 

Go-Get-'Em  Haines  3549  William   Boyd   'June 

Guns  and  Guitars  (G)  3573  Gene  Autry-Dorothy   Dix  June 

Harvester,  The  (G)  3506  Alice  Brady-Ann  Rutherford  May 

Hearts  in  Bondage  (G)  6008...  James  Dunn-Mae  Clarke  Aug. 

House  of  a  Thousand  Candles 

(G)  3505   Mae  Clarke-Phillips  Holmes  Apr. 

King  of  the  Pecos  (G)  3559. ..John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Mar. 

Laughing  Irish  Eyes  (G)  3522.  Evalyn  Knapp-Phil  Regan  Mar. 

Lawless  Nineties.  The  (G)3557.John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Feb. 

Lawless  Range  3562  John  Wayne-Sheila  Mannors  Nov. 

Leathernecks  Have  Landed,  The 

(G)  3501   Lew   Ayres- Isabel    Jewell  Feb. 

(Exploitation:    Apr.   18, '36,   p.  76;  July  25, '36,   p.  81.) 
Leavenworth  Case,  The  (G) 

3526   Norman  Foster- Jean  Rouverel. ..  .Jan. 

Lonely  Trail,  The  3563  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  May 

(See  "in  the  Cutting  Room."  May  2,36.) 

Melody  Trail  (G)  3567  Gene  Autry-Ann   Rutherford  Oct. 

Navy  Born  (G)  William  Gargan-Claire  Dodd  June 

New  Frontier,  The  3558  John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

Oregon  Trail,  The  3560  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Jan. 

Racing  Luck  (G)  3547  William  Boyd   Oct. 

Red  River  Valley  3570  Gene  Autry-Frances  Grant  Mar. 

Return  of  Jimmy  Valentine, 

The  (G)  3531  Roger  Pryor-Charlotte  Henry  Feb. 

Sagebrush  Troubadour  3568  Gene  Autry-Barbara  Pepper  Dec. 

Singing  Cowboy,  The  vG)  3572.Gene  Autry-Lois  Wilde  May 

Singing  Vagabond,  The  (G) 

3569   Gene  Autry-Ann   Rutherford  Jan. 

Spanish  Cape  Mystery, The  3530.  Helen  Twelvetrees- Donald  Cook..  .Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

$1,000  a  Minute  (G)  3532  Roger  Pryor-Leila  Hyams  Nov. 

Ticket  to  Paradie  (G)  3508  Roger  Pryor-Wendy  Barrie  July 

Winds  of  the  Wasteland  3561..  John  Wayne-Phyllis  Fraser  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  23,'36.) 

Coming 

Bulldog   Edition   Ray  Walker-Evalyn  Knapp  Sept.  20,'36  

Down  to  the  Sea  Russell   Hardie-Ann  Rutherford.  .Aug.  25,'36  62. 

(See  "Beneath  the  Seas."  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30, '36.) 
Follow  Your  Heart  Marion  Talley-Michael  Bartlett. .Sept.  5/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25,'36.) 
Gentleman  from  Louisiana,  The 
3517   Eddie  Quillan-Charlotte  Henry... Aug.  1 7/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27,'36.) 
Oh,  Susannah   Gene  Autry-Frances  Grant  Aug.  19/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  8,'36.) 

Sitting  on  the  Moon  3528  Roger  Pryor-Grace  Bradley  Sept.  15, '36  

Three  Mesquiteers   Ray  Corrigan-Kay  Hughes  Sept.  10, '36  


.55.  Apr. 
72. Apr. 


11/36 
4/36 


1 0/36+.. ..58  

l/36t....66.May  23/36 

20/36+.... 68  

I5.'36t  62  

22,'36t....56.July  11/36 
5/36+.. ..65. Apr.  25/36 
15/36  *70.June  6/36 

6/36+. ...71. Mar.  7/36 
9/36+. ...54. Apr.  11/36 
l5/36t....73.Mar.  14/36 
15/36+. ...55. Mar.  7/36 
4t  59  

22,'36t....67.Feb.  29/36 


20,'36t....68.Jan.  11/36 
25,'36t..  ..58  

I4t  60.... Oct.  19 

15/36+. ...65. June  27/36 
5t  54  

I8.'36t.. .  .59  

28t  60....  Dec.  7 

2/36t....58  

l4/36t....72.Feb.  15/36 

2r  54  

Il/36t.  ...56. May  16/36 

5/36t....52....Dec.  14 
I7t  73  

I5t  69....  Nov.  9 

10/361...  .67.  July  25/36 
6/36+.... 57  


RKO  RADIO 

Running  Time 

Title  star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Annie  Oakley  (G)  608  Barbara  Stanwyck- Preston  Foster. . Nov.    15+  90'/2..Nov.  9 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  pp.  88,  90.) 
Another  Face  (G)  615  Wallace   Ford-Phylllt   Brooks. ...  Dee.    20t  68. ...Nov.  23 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Two  Faces.") 
Bride  Walks  Out.  The  (G) 

631   Barbara  Stanwyck-G.  Raymond. . .July    IO/36t... .80. .July  11/36 

Bunker  Bean  630  Owen  Davis,  Jr.-Loulse  Latimer.  .June  26/36+  67  

(See  "His  Majesty:  Bunker  Bean,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 
Chatterbox  (G)  617  Anne  Shirley. Phillip.  Holmei. ..  .Jan.    I7/S«t.. .  .68  . .  Dee  28 


Title  Star  Rel. 
Dancing  Pirate  (G)  670  Charles  Collins-Steftl  Duna  May 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp.  117,  121.) 
Ex-Mrs.  Bradford,  The  (G)  628. William  Powell-Jean  Arthur  May 

(Exploitation:  July  4/36,  p.  68.) 
Fang  and  Claw  (G)  543  Frank   Buck   Dec. 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Farmer  in  the  Dell  (G)  624..  Fred  Stone-Jean  Parker  Mar. 

Follow  the  Fleet  (G)  613  Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  Mar.  28/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  4/36. 
May  23/36,  p.  93;  May  30/36,  p.  84;  June  13/36.  pp.  125, 

6p.  68;  July  25/36,  p.  78.) 

Freckles  (G)   536  Carol  Stone-Tom  Brown  Oct. 

Grand  Jury  633  Fred  Stone-Louise   Latimer  Aug. 

Hi  Gaucho  606  John  Carroll-Steffl  Duna  Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  17.) 
I  Dream  Too  Much  (G)  610.  .Lily  Pons-Henry  Fonda  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  82,  83.) 
In  Person  (G)  609  Ginger  Rogers-George  Brent  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  June  13/36,  p.  127.) 
Lady  Consents,  The  (G)  622. .Ann  Harding-Herbert  Marshall. .. Feb. 
Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The  (G) 

501   Preston  Foster- Dorothy  Wilson. .  .Oct. 

Last  Outlaw,  The  (G)  629  Harry  Carey-Hoot  Gibson  June 

Let's  Sing  Again  (G)  646  Bobby  Breen-Henry  Armetta  June 

Love  on  a  Bet  (G)  620  Gene  Raymond-Wendy  Barrie  Mar. 

M'Liss   (G)   632  Anne  Shirley-John  Beal  July 

Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path 

(G)  625   Helen  Broderick- James  Gleason. .  Apr. 

Muss  'Em  Up  (G)  619  Preston  Foster-Marg't  Callahan. .  Feb. 

Rainmakers,  The  (G)  605  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  Oct. 

Seven  Keys  to  Baldpate  (G)  61 1.G.  Raymond-Margaret  Callahan. .  Dec. 
Silly  Billies  (G)  623  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  Mar. 

(Exploitation:    July  25/36,  p.  76.) 
Special  Investigator  (G)  627..  Richard  Dix-Margaret  Callahan. .  May 

Sylvia  Scarlett  (G)  614  Katharine  Hepburn-Cary  Grant.  .Jan. 

Three  Musketeers,  The  (G)  544.  Margot  Grahame-Walter  Abel..  .Nov. 

To  Beat  the  Band  (G)  607  Helen  Broderick-Hugh  Herbert..  .Nov. 

Two  in  the  Dark  (G)  616  Walter  Abel-Margot  Grahame  Jan. 

Two  in  Revolt  (G)  621  Louise  Latimer-John  Arledge  Apr. 

We're  Only  Human  (G)  612. ..  Preston  Foster-Jane  Wyatt  Dec. 

Witness  Chair,  The  (G)  626...  Ann  Harding-Walter  Abel  Apr. 

Yellow   Dust   (G)  618  Richard   Dix-Leila   Hyams  Mar. 

Coming 

Big  Game,  The  June  Travis-Bruce  Cabot  


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
22/36t...-85.May  16/36 

l5/36t....8I.May  2/36 

20  74.  J  an.  4/36 

27/36+. ...67. Mar.  14/36 
21  /36t ...  1 10.  Feb.  22/36 
p.  87;  May  16/36,  p.  82; 
130;  July  4/36.   p.  68.) 


4. .... . 

. 68. . . . Oct.  5 

27t  

.95.  .  .  .  NOV.  23 

22t  

.87....  Nov.  9 

7/36t.. 

.76'/2Jan.  18/36 

18  

..96  Oct.  12 

19/36+. . 

.'73. May  30/36 

I2,'36t.. 

.68. Apr.  25/36 

6/36t.. 

.77. Feb.  8/36 

l7/36t.. 

.66. July  11/36 

I7,'36t.. 

.66. Apr.  18/38 

14/36+.. 

.  .68'/2 Jan.  25/36 

25t  

.78. ...Oct.  12 

I3t  

..68  Dee.  7 

20,*36t.. 

.64'/2Mar.  7/36 

8,'36t. . 

.61.  May  2/36 

3/36+.. 

.94'/;,  Jan.  18/36 

1  

.96.... Oct.  12 

8t  

67'/2..Oet.  26 

10/36+.. 

.74....  Dec.  21 

3/36t.. 

.65.  May  2/36 

27+  

.68. ...Dec.  14 

24/36+.. 

.64. Apr.  11/36 

13/36+.. 

.68'/2Mar.28/36 

(See  "In  the  Cutting   Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 

Mary  of  Scotland  (G)  Katharine   Hepburn  -  Fredric 

March   Aug.   28/36  123. July  25/36 

(See  production  article.  Apr.  11/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  Aug.  8/36,  p.  90.) 

Mummy's  Boys   Wheeler  and  Woolsey  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Plough  and  the  Stars,  The  Barbara  Stanwyck  •  Preston 

Foster   Sept.  25/36  

Portrait  of  a  Rebel  Katharine  Hepburn  -  Herbert 

Marshall   

Second  Wife   Walter  Abel-Gertrude  Michael. .  .Aug.  21/36  

Swing  Time   Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  Sept.  4/36  

(See  "Never  Gonna  Dance,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Walking  on  Air  Gene  Raymond-Ann  Sothern  Sept.  11/36  

(See  "Count  Pete,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

We  Who  Are  About  to  Die. ..  Preston  Foster  -  Ann  Dvorak  -  

John  Beal   

Winterset   Burgess  Meredith-Margo  


STATE  RIGHTS  Running  Time 

Tltl«                               Star                    Dist'r  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Custer's  Last  Stand  Rex  Lease   Stage  &  Screen. . .Apr.  2/36t-.9rls  

I  Was  a  Captive  of  Nazi 
Germany  (G)   Isobel   Steele   Malvina   Aug.     1/36..  .73  Aug.  8/36 

Coming 

Angels  In  White   Tala  Birell   Zeidman   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  29/36.) 

Cavalcade  of  China  James  B.  Leon  6  rls. 

Glory  Trail,  The  (G)  Tom  Keene   Crescent   *65.July  18/36 

Private  Life  of  Marco  Polo  James  B.  Leon  6  rls 


SUPREME 


Title 


Star 


Courageous  Avenger   Johnny  Mack  Brown  ..Dec 

Desert  Phantom,  The  Johnny  Mack  Brown  ..Mar. 

Kid   Ranger,  The  Bob  Steele   ..Feb. 

Last  of  the  Warrens  Bob  Steele   ..May 

Rogue  of  the  Range  Johnny  Mack  Brown  Apr. 

Sundown  Saunders   Bob  Steele   Mar.  25/36t 

Trail  of  Terror  Bob  Steele   Dee.  20t... 

Valley  of  the  Lawless  Johnny  Mack  Brown  Jan.  25/36t. 

Coming 

Brand  of  the  Outlaws  Bob  Steele   

Crooked  Trail,  The  Johnny  Mack  Brown  

Everyman's  Law   Johnny  Mack  Brown  ' 

Law  Rides,  Tho  Bob  Steele   


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


I2t  

IO/36t  

5/36t  

IO/36t....58  

25/36t....58  


86 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August     15,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT—CCNT'D) 


TWENTIETH  CENTURY-FOX  ».„.,„.  t,~ 

Title  Star  Re!.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Bad  Boy*  615  James  Dunn-Dorothy  Wilson  Oct.    25t  56  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Border  Patrolman.  The*(G)650.Geo.  O'Brien-Polly  Ann  Young.. .July     3,'36t . . .*60. June  27,'36 
Captain  January*  (G)  635  Shirley  Temple-Guy   Klbbee  Apr.    I7,'36t  77. Mar.  21, '36 

(Exploitation:  June  6, '36,  pp.  117,  122;  June  27. '36.  p.  82;  July  4, '36.  p.  70;  July  18. '36. 
p.  82.) 

Champagne  Charlie  629  Paul  Cavanagh-Helen  Wood  May     8,'36t  59  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Dec.  14.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Circus* 

(g)  640   Warner  Oland-Keye  Luke  Mar.  27/36t. .  ■  .71 .  Mar.  28,'36 

Charlie  Chan  at  the  Raee 

Track*  (G)  704  Warner  Oland-Helen  Wood  Aug.    7,'36  70. July  I8,'36 

Charlie  Chan's  Secret*  (G)  626..  Warner  Oland-Roslna  Lawrence. .  Jan.    I0,'36t  71  Oct.  26 

Connecticut  Yankee  (A)*  699. .Will   Rogers-Myrna  Loy  Apr.  24,'36t . . .  .85.  Mar.  2I.'3I 

(re-issue) 

Country  Beyond,  The*  (G)  643.Rochelle  Hudson-Paul   Kelly  Apr.   24,'36t  68. Apr.    II, '36 

Country  Doctor,  Tie*  (G)  636.Dionne  Quintuplets  -  Jean 

Hersholt   Mar.     6,'36t  94. Mar.  21/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21, '36,  pp.  93,  97;  Mar.  28. '36,  p.  83;  Apr.  4, '36.  p.  83;  Apr.  25, '36, 
p.  96;  May  9,'36,  p.  90;  May  16. '36,  p.  82;  May  23. '36,  pp.  87,  95;  May  30/36,  p.  86: 
June  6/36,  p.  124:  July  4/36,  p.  70;  July  11/36.  p.  127;  July  25/36.  p.  81;  Aug.  1,  36, 
p.  93.) 

Crime  »f   Dr.    Forbes,  The 

(G)  655   Gloria  Stuart-Robert  Kent  June   26,'36t. .  .*75.  June  20/36 

Educating  Father*  (G)  645  Jed   Prouty-Shirley   Deane  July    IO/36t  57. May  30/36 

Everybody's  Old  Man*  (G)  634.  Irvin  S.  Cobb- Rochelle  Hudson  .  Mar.  20,'36t  84. Mar.  14/36 

Every  Saturday  Night*  (G)  637.June  Lang-Thomas  Beck  Feb.     7,'36t  62. Feb.  8/36 

First  Baby.  The*  <G)  646  Shirley  Deane-Johnny  Downs  May    I5,'36t  74. Apr.  18/36 

(Exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  76;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93.) 

Gentle  Julia*  (6)  641  Jane  Withers-Tom  Brown  Apr.     3/36t  63. Feb.  29/36 

Half  Angel  (G)  147  Frances  Dee-Brian  Donlevy  May    22/36t  66. May  9/36 

Here  Comes  Trouble*  (G)  633. Paul  Kelly-Arline  Judge  Feb.   2l/36t  62. Feb.  15/36 

High  Tension*  (G)  653  Brian    Donlevy-Glenda   Farrell.  .July    l7/36t . .  .*62.  June  20/36 

Human  Carge*   (G)  652  Claire  Trevor-Brian  Donlevy  May    29/36t  66. Apr.  25/36 

In  Old  Kentuoky*  (G)  601  Will  Rogers- Dorothy  Wilson  Nov.    22t  84  July  18 

It  Had  to  Happen  (G)  631  George  Raft-Rosalind  Russell. ..  .  Feb.    I4.'36t  79. Feb.  15/36 

King  of   Burlesaue,   The*  (G) 

625   Warner  Baxter-Alice  Faye  Jan.     3/36t  88. Jan.  4/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  36;  Apr.  4/36.  p.  87.) 

Little  Miss  Nobody  (G)  651. ..Jane  Withers-Ralph   Morgan  June    I2.'36t  72. May  28/36 

Littlest  Rebel.  The'  (G)  624. .Shirley  Temple-John  Boles  Dee.    27t  73  Nov.  SO 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  97;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  96; 
Aug.  8/36,  p.  91.) 
Message  to  Garcia.  A  (G)  632.  Wallace    Beery  -  John   Boles - 

Barbara  Stanwyck   Apr.    IO/36t  85. Mar.  14/36 

(Exploitation:  July  1 1. '36.  p.  127.) 

Music  Is  Magle*  (8)  819  Alice  Faye-Ray  Walker  ..Nov.      It  ..66  Oct.  12 

My  Marriage*  (6)  §30  Claire  Trevor-Kent  Taylor  ..Jan.   3I/S6t  68  Nov.  23 

Navy  Wife*  (6)  80»  Claire  Trevor-Ralph  Bellamy. ....  Nov.    29t  ..72. Jan.  25/36 

O'Malley  of  the  Mounted*  (G) 

639   George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware  Mar.  27/36t  59. Mar.  28/S» 

Paddy  O'Day  (G)  627  Jane  Withers-Pinky  Tomlin  Jan.    I7.'36t  76  Nov.  2 

Poor    Little    Rich    Girl,  The* 

(G)  657   Shirley  Temple-Alice   Faye  July    24/36t  79. June  6/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.   1/36,  p.  90.) 
Prisoner  of  Shark   Island,  The 

(G)  638   Warner  Baxter-Gloria  Stuart  Feb.   28/36t . ..  .95.  Feb.  22/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  11/36.  p.  97;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  77.) 

Private  Number*  (G)  645  Loretta   Young-Robert   Taylor  June     5,'36t  79. May  30/36 

(Exploitation:  July  18/36,  p.  85;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93.) 
Professional  Soldier  (G)  628..  Victor  McLaglen  -  Freddie  Bar- 
tholomew  Jan.    24/36t  78. Jan.  4/36 

Show  Them  No  Mercy  (G)  621 .  Rochelle  Hudson-Cesar  Romero. .  .  Dec.     6t  76  Nov.  2 

Sins  of  Man  (G)  648  lean    Hersholt-Don   Ameche  June    I9,'36t  79. May  16/36 

Song  and  Dance  Man*  (G)  642.Paul   Kelly-Claire  Trevor  Mar.   I3.'36t  72.  Feb.  22/36 

State  Fair  (G)  766  Will  Rogers-Janet  Gaynor  Aug.     7/36  100.  Feb.  4/33 

Thanks  a  Million  (G)  617  Dick   Powell-Ann   Dvorak  Nov.    I5t  87  Nov.  2 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  82:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  100;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  96.) 

36  Hours  to  Kill*  656  Brian  Donlevy-Gloria  Stuart  July  24,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25/36.) 

This  Is  the  Life*  614  Jane   Withers-John   McGuire  Oct.     18+  65  

To  Mary — With  Love  (G)  701 ..  Warner  Baxter-Myrna  Loy  Aug.     1/36..  ..92.  July  25/36 

Under  Two  Flags  (G)  644  Ronald  Colman- Victor  McLaglen- 

Claudette  Colbert-R.  Russell.  .May     l/36t. ..  1 10.  May  9/36 
(See  production  article.  Mar.   14/36,  p.   16;  exploitation:  June  6/36.   pp.   116.   117:  July 
11/36.  p.  125;  July  25/36,  pp.  76,  81;  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93.) 

Way  Down  East*  (G)  616  Rochelle   Hudson-Henry   Fonda.  .Oct.    25t  84  Aug.  24 

Whispering  Smith  Speaks*  (G) 

623   George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware  Dec.    20t  67  Dee.  21 

White  Fang  (G)  649  Michael  Whalen-Jean  Mulr  July     3/36t  70. July  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.) 
Your  Uncle  Dudley*  (G)  622..  Edward  Everett  Horton  Dec.    I3t  68  Nov.  23 

Coming 

Ambassador  Bill  (G)  767  Will  Rogers   Oct.    16/36  70. Oct.  24/31 

As  You  Like  It  711  Eliz.   Bergner-Laurence   Olivier.  .Sept.  18/36..  

(See  production  article,  June  13/36,  p.  16.) 
Bowery  Princess,  The*  715. ..  .Shirley  Temple-Frank   Morgan.  .  .Oct.  16/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27/36.) 

Can  This  Be  Dixie?  ..Jane  Withers-Slim  Summerville  

15    Maiden   Lane  Claire  Trevor-Cesar  Romero  

Girls'    Dormitory    (G)    702...  Ruth    Chatterton- Herbert  Mar- 

shall-Simone  Simon   Aug.   14/36  *65.Aug.  1/36 

King    of    the    Royal  Mounted 

709   Robert  Kent-Rosalind   Keith  Sept.  11/36  83  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 

Ladles  in  Love  710  Janet  Gaynor-Constance  Bennett- 

Loretta  Young-Slmone  Simon.  .  .Sept.  18/36  


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Pepper*  (G)  708  Jane  Withers-lrvin  S.  Cobb  Sept.  11/36. .  ..*65.  July  18/36 

Ramona  707   Loretta  Young-Don  Ameche  Oct.  23/36  

(See  production  article,  July  4/36,  p.  16.) 
Road  to  Glory,  The  (G)  706. .  Fredric   March-Warner  Baxter- 
Lionel  Barrymore-June  Lang.. .Sept.    4/36  101. June  6/S6 

Sing,  Baby,  Sing  703  Alice  Faye-Adolphe  Menjou  Aug.  21/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 
Star   for   a    Night  ,  Jane   Darwell-Claire  Trevor  Aug.  28/36  

(See  "Holy  Lie"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 
Thank  You,  Jeeves,  712  Arthur  Treacher-Vlrginia  Field..  .Sept.  25/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting   Room,"   Aug.  8/36.) 
Vacation    on    Wheels  Jed  Prouty-Sprlng  Bylngton  

(See  "See  America  First,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 

[Asterisk  (*)  denotes  Fox  Pictures.    Others  20th  Century  Productions.] 


UNITED  ARTISTS 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Amateur  Gentleman,  The  (G)..  Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.  -  Elissa 

Landi   Apr.    I7,'36t . . .  100.  Feb.  22/36 

Barbary   Coast   (G)  Miriam  Hopkins  -  Edward  G. 

Robinson  -  Joel   McCrea  Sept.  27t  90  Oet.  5 

Ghost  Goes  West,  The  (G)  Robert  Donat-Jean  Parker  Feb.     7/36t  85. Jan.  4/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  89.) 
I  Stand  Condemned  (A)  H.   Baur-Laurence  Olivier-Pen- 
elope Dudley  Ward  July    IO/36t  76  Nov.  30 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy  (G)  Freddie    Bartholomew  -  Dolores 

Costello  Barrymore   Mar.    6/36t . . .  1 02.  Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.   14/36,  p.  84;  May   16/36,  p.  80;  June  6/36,   p.   117;  June  13/36, 
p.  132;  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93.) 
Melody  Lingers  On,  The  (G) ..  Josephine    Hutchinson  -  George 

*   Houston   Nov.     9t  87  Nov.  9 

Modern  Times  (G)  Chas.  Chaplin-Paulette  Goddard. .  Feb.   2l/36t  87.  Feb.  8/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  8/36,  p.  18;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  22/36, 
p.  100;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  84;  Mar.  28/36.  pp.  83,  84;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84. 
89;  Apr.  11/36,  pp.  93,  96;  Apr.  25/36.  p.  92;  May  2/36,  p.  99;  May  9/36,  p.  84;  May 
16/36,  p.  82:  May  30/36.  pp.  84,  86:  June  6/36,  pp.  116,  118;  June  13/36,  pp.  122,  132: 
June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

One  Rainy  Afternoon  (G)  Francis  Lederer-lda  Lupino  May    I3,'36t .  .  .*75.  May  2/36 

(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.  122;  July  25/36,  p.  77.) 

Red  Salute  (G)  B.  Stanwyck- Robert  Young  Sept.  I3t  78  Sept.  21 

Splendor   Miriam  Hopkins-Joel  McCrea. ...  Nov.    23  f  77  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Nov.  2.)  (Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  78.) 

Strike  Me  Pink  (G)  Eddie  Cantor-Ethel  Merman  Jan.    24,'36t . . .  100.  Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  29/36,  pp.  72, 
75:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  21/36,  pp.  94,  97;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

These  Three   (G)  Miriam  Hopkins-Merle  Oberon- 

Joel  McCrea   Apr.    I0,'36t  93.  Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:  May  9/36,  pp.  90,  94;  May  23/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  122;  June  27/36. 
p.  88.) 

Things  to  Come  (G)  Raymond  Massey   Apr.  24/36t  99.  May  7/36 

(See  production  article.  Mar.  7/36.  p.  16;  exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p.  77;  June  13/36, 
p.  132;  July  25/36,  p.  81;  Aug.  1/36,  p.  94.) 

Coming 

Come  and  Get  It  Edward  Arnold- Frances  Farmer  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 
Dsdsworth   Walter  Huston-Ruth  Chatterton  

(See  production  article,  Aug.  8/36,  p.  16.) 
Garden  of  Allah,  The  Marlene  Dietrich-Charles  Boyer  

(See  production  article,  June  6/36,  p.  14.) 

Gay  Desperado,  The  Nino  Martini-Ida  Lupino  

Last  of  the  Mohicans,  The  Randolph  Scott-Heather  Angel-   

Bruce  Cabot-Binnie  Barnes  

(See  production  article,  July  18/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  June  27/36,  p.  80.) 
•/Ian  Who  Could  Work  Miracles, 
The   Roland  Young   


UNIVERSAL 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Affair  of  Susan,  The  9034  Zasu  Pitts-Hugh  O'Connell  Oct.      7t  63  

(See  "Alone  Together,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

Cowboy  and  the  Kid,  The  9046. Buck  Jones-Dorothy   Revier  May  25/36  

Crash  Donovan  (G)  9031  Jack  Holt-Nan  Gray  July   26/36t.  ..*54.July  18/36 

Dangerous  Waters  (G)  9032. ..Jack  Holt-Robert  Armstrong  Feb.     3/36t  67. Feb.  8/36 

Don't  Get  Personal  (G)  9025.. James   Dunn-Sally   Eilers  Feb.    I7,'36t  64.  Feb.  29/36 

Dracula's  Daughter  (A)  9006. .Otto    Kruger-M.    Churchill  May    ll/36t  70. May  9/36 

(Exvploitation:    June  20/36,  p.  120;  July  25/36,  p.  77.) 
East  of  Java  9029  Chas.  Bickford- Elizabeth  Young..  Dec.     2t  72  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.)  (Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  84.) 

Fighting  Youth  (G)  9017  Charles   Farrell-June   Martel  Sept.  30t  66  Dec.  7 

For  the  Service  9045  Buck   Jones-Beth   Marion  May  6/36t....65  

Great  Impersonation,  The  9014.  Edmund  Lowe-Valerie  Hobson  Dec.     9t  67  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Sept.  28.) 

His  Night  Out  (G)  9021  E.  E.  Horton-lrene  Hervey  Oct.    2lt  74  Nov.  2 

Invisible  Ray,  The  (G)  90l5..Karloff-Bela    Lugosi   Jan.    20/36t  75. Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  82;  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  88; 
July  18/36,  p.  85.) 

Ivory  Handled  Gun  9042  Buck  Jones-Charlotte  Wynters  Nov.    lit  59  

Love  Before  Breakfast  (G)9007. Carole  Lombard-Preston  Foster.. .  Mar.  9/36t. . .  .70.  Feb.  29/36 
(Exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p.  81;  May  23/36.  p.  94:  June  6/36,  p.  117:  June  13/36. 
p.  132.) 

Magnificent  Obsession  (G)  800G. Irene   Dunne-Robert  Taylor  Jan.     6/361  ...112. Jan.  11/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  82:  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  81.  83  ,  84:  Mar.  7/36,  pp.  86,  99:  Mar. 
21/36.  pp.  92.  96;  Apr.  11/36,  p.  96;  May  23/36,  pp.  87,  95;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


37 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAET—CONT'E) 


Title  Star  Rel 

Next  Time  We  Love  (G)  8004.Marg't  Sullavan-James  Stewart. .  .Jan. 

Nobody's  Fool  9033  E.  E.  Horton-Glenda  Farrell. . . .  May 

(See  "Unconscious,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Apr.  4,'36.) 

Parole  (G)  9036  Ann  Preston-Henry  Hunter  June 

(Exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  79;  Aug.  I, '36,  p.  93.) 
Remember  Last  Night?  (A) 

90H   Edw.   Arnold-C.  Cummings  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  I8,'36,  p.  83;  Apr.  25,'36,  p.  90.) 

Show  Boat  (G)  8001  Irene   Dunne-Allan  Jones  May 

(See  musical  analysis.  May  9,'36,  p.  65;  exploitation:  June  20.'36, 
June  27,'36,  p.  80;  July  4,'36,  p.  69:  July  ll,'36,  p.  124;  July 
p.  78:  Aug.  I, '36,  p.  93;  Aug.  8,'36,  p.  91.) 

Silver  Spurs  9044  Buck  Jones-Muriei  Evans  Feb. 

Storm  Over  the  Andes  (G)9026.Jack  Holt-Mona  Barrie  Sept. 

Stormy  (G)  9016  Noah  Beery,  Jr.-Jean  Rogers  Nov. 

Sunset  of  Power  9043  Buck  Jones- Dorothy  Dix  Dec. 

Sutter's  Gold  (G>  8002  Edward  Arnold  -  Lee  Tracy  - 

Binnie  Barnes   Apr. 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  I5,'36,  p.  14;  exploitation:  Apr.  4,' 
77;  Apr.  25, '36,  pp.  91,  S2;  June  27,'36,  p.  85;  Aug.  8,'36,  p. 

Sweet  Surrender  9012  Frank  Parker-Tamara   Nov. 

Throwback,  The  9041  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Sept. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  10.) 

Coming 

Boss  Rider  of  Gun  Creek  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Nov. 

Magnificent  Brute,  The  Victor  McLaglen-Binnie  Barnes.  .Sept. 

Man   I   Marry,  The  Doris  Nolan-Michael  Whalen  Oct. 

My  Man  Godfrey  (G)  William  Powell-Carole  Lombard. . Sept. 

Postal    Inspector    Ricardo   Cortez-Patricia  Ellis  Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4.'36.) 

Rich  and  Reckless  Gloria  Stuart-Edmund  Lowe  Oct. 

Ride  'Em,  Cowboy  Buck  Jones-Luana  Walters  Sept. 

Sea    Spoilers   John  Wayne-Nan  Gray  Sept.  13, '36.. 

Two  in  a  Crowd  Joel  McCrea-Joan  Bennett  Aug.  30,'36t. 

Yellowstone   Henry  Hunter-Judith  Barrett  Aug.  23,'36t. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  I8,'36.) 


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
27,'36t....87.Feb.  8,*36 
3l,'36t  

I4,'36t  65. July  4.'36 


4t  81  Oct.  12 

17.  '36t...H2.May  9, '36 
pp.  117,  121 ;  June  27, '36, 

I8,'36,  p.  82;  July  25,'36, 

18,  '36t  

I6t  84  Oct.  19 

lit  68  Oct.  19 

23t  

I3,'36t...  .95. Mar.  28/36 
36,  p.  83;  Apr.  I8,'36,  p. 
92.) 

25t  78  

I8t  60  


[,'36... 

27,'36... 
II, '36... 
6,'36..  . 
I6,'36t. . 


*95.June  20/36 


4, '36. . 
20,'36t. 


Title 


VICTORY  Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


Bars  of  Hate  Regis  Toomey-Sheila  Terry  Nov. 

Face  in  the  Fog,  A  June  Collyer-Lloyd   Hughes  Feb. 

Fighting  Coward   Ray  Walker-Joan   Woodbury  Dec. 

Hot  Off  the  Press  Jack  La  Rue-Virginia  Pine  Sept. 

Kelly  of  the  Secret  Service  Lloyd  Hughes-Sheila  Mannors  June 

Prison  Shadows   Eddie  Nugent-Lucille  Lund  June 

Rio  Grande  Romance   Eddie  Nugent-Maxine  Doyle  Mar. 

Taming  the  Wild   Rod  La  Rocque-Maxine  Doyle  Feb. 


It.... 

I,'36t. 
I5t.... 
I5t.... 
I5,'36t. 

I,'36t. 
I5,'36t. 
I5.'36t. 


.70. 
.57. 


WARNER  BROTHERS 


ng  Time 

nutes  Reviewed 
.58. Apr.   25, '36 
7,'36t....70.Apr.  4,'36 


,'36 


(See  also  First  National)  R""ni 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Mi 

Big  Noise,  The  (G)  925  Guy   Kibbee-Warren    Hull  June  27,'36t... 

Boulder  Dam   (G)  815  Ross  Alexander-Patricia  Ellis  Mar. 

Colleen   (A)   903  Ruby  Keeler-Joan  Blondell-Jack 

Oakie-Dick  Powell   Mar.  2l,'36t  89. Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  I4,'36,  p.  89;  Apr.  25,*36;  p.  92;  May  23, '36,  p.  86.) 

Dangerous  (A)  910  Bette   Davis- Franchot  Tone  Jan.     4/36t  78  Nov.  30 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  I, '36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8,'36,  pp.  83,  86;  Apr.  20.'36,  p.  96;  June  1 3, '36, 
p.  123.) 

Freshman  Love  (G)  922  Patricia  Ellis-Warren  Hull  Jan.    I8,'36t . . .  .65.  Feb.     I, '36 

Frisco  Kid  (A)  907  James  Cagney-Marg't  Lindsay. .. Nov.    30t  77  Nov.  2 

Green  Pastures,  The  (G)  Rex  Ingram   Aug.     I, '36  93. May  30,'36 

See  production  article.  May  2,'36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  July  25,'36.  p.  77.) 

Hot    Money    (G)    926  Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts.  .July    I8,'36t  68. Aug.     1  ,'36 

I  Married  a  Doctor  (G)  906. ..Pat  O'Brien-J.   Hutchinson  Apr.  25,'36t  83. Apr.  4/36 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93.) 

Jailbreak   (G)   927  Craig  Reynolds-June  Travis  Aug. 

Man  Hunt  (G)  923  Marguerite  Churchill-W.  Gargan. .  Feb. 

Miss  Pacific  Fleet  (G)  916. ..Joan   Blondetl-Glenda   Farrell  Dec. 

Petrified  Forest,  The  (G)  904. Leslie    Howard-Bette    Davis  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  May  2/36,  p.  92.) 
Public  Enemy's  Wife  (G)  913.. Pat  O'Brien-Margaret  Lindsay. .  .July 
Satan  Met  a  Lady  912  Warren   William-Bette    Davis..  ..Aug. 

(See  "Men  on  Her  Mind,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Jan.  11/36.) 


25/36t... 

8,'36t. . 
I5,'36t.. 

I4t  

8,'36t.. 

25/36t.. 
8,'36f . . 


Sons  O'Guns  (G)  911  Joe  E.  Brown-Joan  Blondell  May  30,'36t. 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  128;  July  25/36,  pp.  76,  77;  Aug.  8/36, 
Stars  Over  Broadway  (G)  917. Pat  O'Brien-Jane   Froman  Nov.  23t  

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63.) 
Times  Square  Playboy  (G)  924.  Warren   William-June  Travis. ...  May 
Treachery  Rides  the  Range  (G) 

929   Dick  Foran-Paula  Stone  May 

Walking  Dead,  The  (G)  914. ..  Karloff- Marguerite   Churchill  Mar. 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Widow  from  Monte  Carlo,  The 

(G)    921   Dolores  Del  Rio-W.  William  Feb. 


.60.  May  16/36 
.65. Jan.  11/36 
.66....  Nov.  30 
.83. Jan.  18/36 

.69. June  27/36 
.74  

.  79.  May  2/36 
p.  93.) 

..89  Nov.  9 


9,'36t  62. Mar.  21/36 


2,'36t. . 
4/36 t.. 


.56.  Mar.  7/36 
.76. Mar.  7/36 


l/36t.. ..60. Jan.  4/36 

Coming 

Another   Dawn   Errol  Flynn-Bette  Davis  

Anthony  Adverse   (G)   801  Fredric  March-O.  De  Havilland . .  Aug.  29/36. ...  1 39.  May  23/36 

(See  production  article,   Feb.   1/36,  p.   16;  exploitation:  Aug.  8/36,   p.  91.) 

Bengal  Tiger,  The  (G)  118  Barton  MacLane-June  Travis  Sept.    5/36  *62.July  11/36 

Cain  and  Mabel  102  Marion  Davies-Clark  Gable  Sept.  26/36  

Captain's  Kid,  The  Guy  Kibbee-Sybil  Jason  

(See  "Way  for  a  Pirate,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 


Running  Time 

Yit|e  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade. .  Errol  Flynn-O.  De  Havilland  

(See  producton  artcle,  July  25/36,  p.  16.) 
Draegerman  Courage   Jean    Muir-Barton  MacLane  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Give  Me  Your  Heart  (G)  Kay  Francis-George  Brent.,  *88.July  18/36 

Green  Light   Errol  Flynn-Anita  Louise  

(See  "In  the  Cutting   Room,"   Aug.  8/36.) 

Guns  of  Pecos   Dick  Foran-Anne  Nagel  

Invitation  to  a  Murder  Marguerite  Churchill  -  Gale 

Sendergard  

Loudspeaker  Lowdown   Ross  Alexander-Anne  Nagel  

Making  of  O'Malley,  The  Pat.  O'Brien-Sybil  Jason  

Marriage  Clause   Robt.  Montgomery-Olivia  De 

Havilland   

Midsummer  Night's  Dream  (G).AII  Star   132  Oct.  12 

(Pictorial:  Aug.  3,  p.  15;  exploitation:  Apr.  11/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  118;  June 
27/36,  p.  82.) 

Over  the  Wall  Ross  Alexander  

Pony  Express  Rider  Dick  Foran-Linda  Perry  

Slim   Pat  O'Brien-Henry  Fonda  

Stolen    Holiday   Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter  

Three  in  Eden  Marg't  Lindsay-Donald  Woods- 
Ian  Hunter   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25, '3«.) 
Three  Men  on  a  Horse  Frank   McHugh-Joan  Blondell  


WILLIAM  STEINER 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.   Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Chinatown  Baggage  Case,  The..  Norman   Foster  ,  6  rls  

Island    Captive   Eddie    Nugent   6  rls  


OTHER  PRODUCT  (FOREIGN) 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Dist'r  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Anna   (G)   Ada    Voitsik  Amkino   July    16/36.  95. Aug.  1,36 

Accused    (A)   Douglas  Fairbanks, 

Jr.,  -   Dolores  Del 

Rio   United  Artists   70. Aug.  8/36 

A  Star  Fell  from  Heaven 

(G)   Florine  McK'nney. ..  Assoc.  British  

Broken  Blossoms  (A)  Dolly  Haas   Twickenham    

Calling  the  Tune   (G)...  Sam    Livesay  Assoc.  British  

Cloistered  (G)    Best   May  19/36. 

Come  Out  of  the  Pantry(G)  .J.  Euchanan-F.Wray.  United  Artists  

Dubrevsky    Boris  Livanov    Amkino   Mar.  28/36t. 


British. 
British. 
British. 
British. 


Everything  Is  Rhythm  (G).  Harry  Roy   Assoc. 

Gypsy  Melody  (A)  Lupe  Velez   Assoc. 

Heart's   Desire   (G)  Richard  Tauber   ....  Assoc. 

I  Give  My  Heart  (A)  Qitta  Alper   Assoc. 

Interrupted  Honeymoon,  The 

(A)   Claude   Hulbert   British 

Invitation  to  the  Waltz(G) .  Lilian  Harvey   Assoc. 

La    Fusse   Femin  Gemier   French   

La  Maternelle  (A)  Paulette  Elambert. ..  Metropolis 

Land  of  Promise,  The  (G)  Zionist  Org 

,   America  . 

Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The.  .Maria  Corda- 

V_  Varconi   Trans-Amerii 


Lion. . . 
British. 


.70  June  27/36 
.  . .  .June  6/36 
.70. Aug.  8/36 
.65. May  30/36 

.70  Dec.  14 

72.  Apr.  11/36 
.75. June  27/36 
.70. Aug.  8/36 

.87  Oct.  I 

.85  Nov.  lb 

.73. June  27/36 
.80  Nov.  16 


1/36. 

..83 

..Oct. 

14... 

.80 

...Nov. 

16 

. .  Nov. 

20... 

.  57 

. . .  Dec. 

/ 

.  Dec. 

14... 

65 

.  .Mar. 

5/36. 

110 

Mar.  21 

,'36 

Liebelei    (A)   Paul  Hoerbiger  ..    General   , 

Living  Dangerously  (A)... Otto  Kruger  Assoc.  British  

Marriage    of    Corbal,  The 

(A)   Nils  Asther   General   

Milizia  Territorial  (G) ..  .Antonio  Gandusio  .  Nuovo    Mondo  Apr. 

Once  in  a  Million  (G)  Buddy  Rogers- 

M.  Brian   Assoc.    British  ,. 

Ourselves  Alone   (G)  Antoinette  Cellier  ..Assoc.    British  , 

Pension  Mimosas  (A)  Francoise  Rosay  ....  Franco-American. ..  May 

Prenez  Garde  a  la  Peinture.  Simone  Simon  French   Aug. 

Private  Secretary,  The  (G). Edw.  Everett  Horton. Twickenham   

Public  Nuisance  No.  I  (G). Frances  Day   General   

Raggen — Det   Ar  Jag  Det 

(A)   N.  Wahlbom   Scandinavian   May 

Re  Burlone,  II  (G)  Armando  Falconl  ...Nuovo  Mondo  ....Mar. 

Robber  Symphony,  The  (G). George  Graves   Concordia   

Royal  Waltz   (G)  Paul  Hoerbiger   Ufa   ..Apr. 

Skargards  (A)   Gideon  Wahlberg   ..Scandinavian   Apr. 

Soviet   News    (G)  Amkino   Apr. 

Tempo   Massino   (G)  Mllly   World   Mar. 

Three  Maxims,  The  (G)...  Anna   Neagle,  Tullio 

Carminati   General     

Turn  of  the  Tide  (G)  J.   Fisher  White  Not  determined  

Two's   Company    (G)  Ned  Sparks- 
Mary  Brian   B.  &  D  

We    Are    from  Kronstadt 

(G)    v.  Zaichlkov   Amkino   Apr. 

Wedding  March,  The  (A). Tullio  Carminati..  Franco-American  

When   Knights  Were  Bold 

(G)    I.  Buchanan-F.Wray. General   

Where  There's  a  Will  (G).Will    Hay   Gaumont-Brltlsh  

Woman  Alone,  A  (A)  Anna   Sten-H.  WM- 

coxon    General     


.87.  Mar.  14/36 
.80. Mar.  21/36 


.80. June 
77.  Apr. 


13/36 
25/36 


,'36.. 
1/36. 


75.  Apr.  4/38 
70.  May  16/38 
93.  May  16/36 

..86  

75  Oct.  5 

79.  Mar.  14/36 


21/36.. 

25/36.. 


9/36.. 

7/36. . 
10/36.. 
12/36.. 


83.  May 
98.  Apr. 
25.  May 
81  .Apr. 
.90.  Apr. 
.70. Apr. 
,78. Mar. 


30/36 
4/36 
9/36 
25/36 
18/36 
25/36 
21/36 


.87. Aug.  1/36 
.80  Nov.  2 


.May  16/36 


30/36t.  .93.  May  16/36 
 92. Mar.  14/36 


,76.  Mar.  7/36 
.81.  July  4/36 


,  90. June  6/36 


88 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAET--CCNT*L) 


SHORT 
FILMS 

[All  dates  are  1935  unless 
otherwise  stated] 


CELEBRITY 


Min. 


Title  Rel.  Date 

COMICOLOR  CARTOONS 

Balloon  Land   Sept.30t  1  rl. 

Simple  Simon   Nov.  I5t  1  rl. 

Humpty  Dumpty   Dec.  30t  1  rl. 

Ali    Baba   Jan.  30,'36t.9... 

Tom  Thumb   Mar.  30,'36t  .7. . . 

Dick  Whittington's  Cat  May  30,'36t.7... 

Little  Boy  Blue   July  30,'36t  


COLUMBIA 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 
BARNEY  GOOGLE 
No.  I— "Tteched  In  th' 

Haid"   Oct.  24t....7.... 

No.  2 — -'Patch  Mah 

Britches"   Dec.  I9t  7  

No.  3— "Spark  Plug"   Apr.  1 2,'36t  .6'/2 . . 

No.  4 — Major  Google   May  24,'36t  .6'/2 . 

BROADWAY  COMEDIES 

Ants  in  the  Pantry   -Feb.  6,'36tl8'/2. . 

(3  Stooges) 

Caught  in  the  Act   Mar.  5,'36tl8.... 

Andy  Clyde 

Champ's  a  Chump,  The. ..  .June  20.'36tl8  

(All  Star) 

Disorder  in  the  Court  May  30,'36tI7  

(3  Stooges) 

Double  Trouble   

Andy  Clyde 
Half  Shot  Shooters   Apr.  30,'36tl9  

(3  Stooges) 

His  Marriage  Mixup  Oct.  3 1 1 - .  - 1 8. . . . 

Harry  Langdon 
Honeymoon  Bridge   Oct.    3t .  ■  ■  1 9  

Leon  Errol 

Hot  Paprika   Dec.  I2t . . .  !8'/2  . . 

Andy  Clyde 

I    Don't    Remember   Dec.  26t . . .  !8'/2  . . 

Harry  Langdon 

Just  Speeding   Jan.  23,'36tl8. . . . 

Midnight    Blunders  Apr.  2l,'36tl7  

(All  Star) 

Mister  Smarty   July  I5,'36tl8  

Andy  Clyde 

Movie    Maniacs   Fob.  20,'36tl8  

(3  Stooges) 

Oh   My  Nerves  Oct.   I7t ...  17  

(All  Star) 

Pain  in  the  Pullman,  A. . .  June  27,'36t  18  

(3  Stooges) 

Peppery  Salt,  The  May  I5,'36tl8  

Andy  Clyde 
Share  the  Wealth  Mar.  19,'36tl7'/2 . . 

Andy  Clyde 

Three  Little  Beers  Nov.  28t...l7.... 

(3  Stooges) 

Unrelated  Relations   Jan.  9,'36tl8  

(All  Star) 

Whoops,  I'M  an  Indian  

.(3  Stooges) 

Yoo    Hoo    Hollywood  Nov.  14t ...  18  

(All  Star) 

COLOR  RHAPSODIES 

Bon   Bon  Parade  Dec.    5t  8V2.. 

Dr.  Bluebird   Feb.  5,'36t.8  

Football  Bugs  Apr.  29,'36t.7  

Glee  Worms   June  24,'36t.7  

Monkey   Love   Sept.  I2t  8.... 

Novelty  Shop,  The  Aug.  15/36  

Untrained   Seal,   The  July  26,'36t,7. . .. 

KRAZY   KAT  CARTOONS 
9.  Happy   Family,  A  Sept.  26t  7  

10.  Kannibal    Kapers  Dec.  27t  7  

11.  Bird  Stuffer,  The  Feb.  I,'36t.7  

12.  "Lll  Ainjil"   Mar.  I9,'36t.6  

13.  Peace   Conference  Apr.  I0,'36t  .7. . . . 

(re-issue) 

14.  Highway  Snobbery  Aug.   9, '36  

NEW   WORLD  OF  SPORT  SERIES 

Disputed    Decisions   Aug.  22, '36  

Feminine   Invasion.   The.  ..Oct.  26t ...  1 1  

Football    Flashes  Aug.  30, '36  

Golfing  Rhythm   May  I5,'36tl0. . . , 

Hunters'   Paradise  Nov.  30t ...II.... 

lee   Cut-Ups.  Feb.  6,'36tl0... 

Jump.  Horse.  Jump  Sept.  27t ...II... 

Little    Champs   Aug.  I0,'36  

Speed   Mad   Apr.  I7.'36t  10... 

Sport  Magi  June  l3,'36t.9'/2. 

Stop,   Look  and   Guess  Mar.  9,'36tl0... 

Thrills   with    Daredevils. ...  Mar.  1 9. '36tl0. . . 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

SCRAPPY  CARTOONS 

Touring  the  Sport  World. ..July  II, '36. 10  

Let's  Ring  Doorbells  Nov.    7t  7  

Playing  Politics   July  8,'36t.7  

Scrappy's  Boy  Scouts  Jan.  2.'36t.7  

Scrappy's  Camera  Troubles. .June  5.'36t.7.... 
Scrappy's  Pony   Mar.  I6,'36t.7  

SCREEN  SNAPSHOTS 

No.  2 —   Oct.   lit ...10  

No.  3 —   Nov.  8t...l0  

No.  4 —   Dec.    6t . . .  1 0  

No.  5—   Jan.    2,'36t10'/2. . 

No.  6 —   Jan.  31  ,'36t  IO'/2 . . 

No.   7—   Feb.  28,'36t  1 0'/2  . . 

No.  8—   Mar.  27,'36tl0  

No.  9—   Apr.  24,'36t.9Vi.. 

No.  10—   May  29,'36tl0  

No.  1 1 —   June  26,'36tl0  

No.  12—   July  I7,'36.I0  

STARS  OF  TOMORROW 

No.  2—   Sept.  7t...H  

No.  3—   Nov.  27t ...  1 1  

No.  4 —    Nov.  1 6t -  -  -10  

No.  5—   Jan.  I5,'36tll  

No.  6—   Jan.  I7,'36tl0  

VOICE  OF  EXPERIENCE 

No.   I—   Sept.  l5t...l0'/2.. 

No.  2—   Sept.  29t...l0'/2.. 

No.  3—   Oct.   1 3t . . .  I  O'/a . . 

No.  4—   Oct.  28t...l0'/2.. 

No.  5—   Nov.  l2t...l0'/2.. 

No.  6—   Nov.  27t...l0'/2.. 

No.  7—   Dec.  l2t...l0'/2.. 

No.  8 —   Jan.  2,'36tll  

No.  9—  Feb.  25,'36tl0'/2. . 

No.  10—   Mar.  26,'36tl0i/2.. 

DU  WORLD 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

POPULAR   SCIENCE  FOREIGN 

(Cinecolor) 

No.   I—   Sept. 15, '36.  .9  

No.  2—   10  

No.  3—   8.... 

No.  4—   8.... 

No.  5—   ,....9  

No.  6—   10  

SEMI-FEATURES  AND  SHORTS 
Cathedrals   Oct.     It. ..19.... 

EDUCATIONAL 

[Distributed  through 

Twentieth  Century-Fox] 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

CORONET  COMEDIES 

Brain  Busters,  The  Jan.  I0,'36tl8  

Fresh  from  the  Fleet  Apr.  24,'36tl8  

He's  a   Prince  Oct.   1 8t ...  1 8  

Just  Another  Murder  Oct.    4t . . .  17  

Mixed  Policies   Jan.  I7,'36f20  

Sleepless  Hollow   May  8,'36tl6  

Where  Is  Wall  Street  Apr.  I0,'36tl9  

FROLICS    OF  YOUTH 

Choose  Your  Partners  Dec.  I3t...20  

Flicker  Fever   Sept.  26t.  ..20  

Knockout  Drops   Dec.  6t...l9  

MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Home  on  the  Range  June  5,'36t2l  

Moonlight  and  Melody  Oct.  lit. ..21  

Perfect  Thirty-Sixes   Dec.  20t. . .  18  

Rhythm  of  Paree  Sept.  27t. .  .21  

Thanks,  Mr.  Cupid  Jan.  24,'36tl8  

SONG   AND   COMEDY  HITS 

Alpine  Rendezvous   Aug.  I,'36.ll  

College   Capers   Sept.  27t. . .  12  

Easy  Plckln's   Dec.  27t...l0  

Going  Native   Aug.  28, '36. 1 1  

Hillbilly  Love   Oct.   lit.. .11.... 

Queen's  Birthday,  The  Aug.  14, '36 . 10  

Ring  Goes  'Round,  The  Aug.  21, '36. 10  

Rodeo  Day   Sept.  I3t...ll  

Seeing   Nellie   Home  Dec.  ZOt ...  1 1  

Sorority  Blues   Dec.  6t...ll  

Spooks   Apr.  I7,'36t.9  

Way  Out  West  Oct.  25t  II  

STAR  PERSONALITY  COMEDIES 

Glv'lm  Air   Feb.  I4,*36tl8  

Gold   Bricks   Mar.  20,'36t20  

Grand  Slam  Opera  Feb.  2l,'36t2l  

Ladies  Love  Hats  Nov.    It... 20  

Penny  Wise   Sept.  6t...l6  

Three  on  a  Limb   Jan.  3,'36tl9  

Timid  Young  Man.  The  Oct.  25t...20  

Triple  Trouble   Apr.  3,'36tl6  

White  Hope,  The  Mar.  27,'36tl9  

PAUL  TERRY-TOONS 

Aladdin's  Lamp   Nov.  I5t  6  

Alpine  Yodeler   Feb.  2,'36t.6  

Barnyard  Amateurs   Mar.  6,'36t.6  


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Busy   Bee.   The  May  29.'36t.6  

Circus  Days   Sept.  6t  6  

Farmer    Al    Falfa    in  the 

Hot  Spell   July  I0,'36t.6  

Farmer  Al    Falfa  and  the 

Runt   May  I5,'36t.6  

Farmer    Al    Falfa's  Prize  

Package   July  3I,'36.  .6. . . . 

Feud,  The   Jan.  I0,'36t.6  

Foiled  Again   Oct.    4t  6  

Football   Oct.   I8t  6  

Hey  Diddle   Diddle   Sept.  20t  6  

Home  Town  Olympics  Feb.  7,'36t.6  

June  Bride,  A  Nov.    It  6  

Kiko  and  the  Honey  Bears. Aug.  21, '36t. 6  

Mayflower,  The   Dec.  27t  6  

19th  Hole  Club,  The  Jan.  24,'36t .6. . . . 

Off  to   China  Mar.  20,'36t.6. . . . 

Puddy   the    Pup    and  the 

Gypsies   July  24,'36t-6  

Rolling  Stones   May  l,'36t.6.... 

Sailor's  Home,  The  June  I2,'36t.6. . . 

Southern   Horse-pitality  Nov.  29t  6  

Tough  Egg,  A  June  26,'36t  .6  

Western   Trail.   The  Apr.  3,'36t.6  

Wolf  in  Cheap  Clothing,  A.Apr.  I7.'36t  6  

Ye  Olde  Toy  Shop  Dec.  I3t  6  

TREASURE  CHEST 

Animal    Cunning   May  I,'36tl0  

Clever  Critters   Sept.  20t  8  

Fast   Friends   June  5,'36t.9  

Feminine  Form   Aug.  7,'36.I0  

Fisherman's  Luck   Jan.  3l,'36t.9  

Gangsters  of  the  Deep  Nov.    It  8  

Hold  That  Line  Oct.  lit  7  

Game  of  Jai-Alai,  The  Dec.  27t  9  

Manhattan  Tapestry   Jan.  3l.'36tl0  

Seeing  Eye,  The  Jan.  I7,'36tl0  

Ski-Scrapers   May  24  8  

Sunday  Sports  in  Mexico. .. Nov.    St.. .10  

TUXEDO  COMEDIES 

Just  Plain  Folks  Mar.  I3,'36tl9  

Kiss  the  Bride  Sept.  I3t. . .21  

One  Big  Happy  Family  Nov.  I5t...2l  

Rail   Birds   May  22,'36tl8  

TWO-REEL  COMEDIES 

Bashful    Buddies   Aug.  7,'36. 17. . . . 

Blue  Blazes   Aug.  21, '36.  .2  rls. 

Boy,  Oh  Boy  Aug.  I4,'36.  .2  rls. 

Happy  Heels   Aug.  I,'36.I8  

It  Happened  All  Right  May  I5,'36tl9  

Parked  in  Paree  Aug.  28,'36.  .2  rls. 

Peaceful  Relations   June  I9,'36tl8  

YOUNG  ROMANCE 

Beware  of  Blondes  Feb.  7,'36t20  

Love  in  a  Hurry  May  17  16  

Love  in  September   Mar.  6. '36t2 1  

Way  Up  Thar  Nov.  8t...l8  

GRAND  NATIONAL 
DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

MUSICAL  MOODS 
(Technicolor) 

Ave  Maria   Mar.  25,'36t .  I  rl. . 

Irish  Melody   Mar.  9,'36t.8  

Italian  Caprice   Dec.    It  8  

Liebestraum   Apr.  20,'36t . I  rl. . 

Mediterranean  Songs   Nov.    It  7  

NEWSLAUGHS 

No.  2 —   Nov.  26t  I  rl. . 

No.  3 —   Doc.  30t  I  rl.. 

No.  4 —   Jan.  20,'36t .  I  rl. . 

No.  5 —   Feb.  20,'36t .  I  rl. . 

No.  6 —   Mar.20,'36t.l  rl.. 

6  THRILLING  JOURNEYS 

Craters  of  the  Moon  Nov.  151  1  rl. . 

Old  Faithful  Speaks  Nov.  1 5 1  

Deep  Sea  Harvest  Jan.  1 5,'36t . I  rl. . 

Ride  Along   Dude  Feb.  I5,'36t .  I  rl. . 

City  of  Proud  Memories  Dec.  lot  I'll.. 

Realm  of  Ghosts  Mar.  I,'36t  


HOFFBERG 


Title  Rel.  Date 

Beautiful  Blue  Danube  Feb.  4,' 

Carillon  Makers   Aug.  15,' 

Golden  Harbor   Mar.  16,' 

It's  a  Bird   Jan.  20,' 

Life  of  Theodore  Roosevelt. . Feb.  I,' 

Tough  Breaks   Mar.  I,' 

Spanish  Interlude,  A  Sept. 15. 

Sport  of  Flying   Aug.  II,' 

Symphony  of  the  Seasons. .Jan.  27,' 

Young    Explorer   Mar.  2, 

INTERNATIONAL  VARIETI 

No.  I —   Feb.  14,' 

No.  2 —   Feb.  28, 

No.  3—   Mar.  8. 


Min. 
36t.9.. 
36tl2.. 
36tl0. . 
36t 17. . 
36tl9.. 
36tl8.. 
36t26.. 
36t.9.. 
36t.9.. 
36fl0.. 
ES 

36t.8.. 
36t.8.. 
36tl0.. 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

No.  4—   Mar.  22,'36tl0. . . . 

No.  5—   Apr.  1 0,'36t  .7  

No.  6—   Apr.  22,,36t.7'/2.. 

PERSONALITIES  ON  PARADE 

No.   I—   Feb.  5,'36t.9  

No.  2—   Mar.  6,'36t.9  

No.  3—   Apr.  I  l,'36t.9  

No.  4 —   May  4,'36t.9  

WORLD  EXPLORATIONS 

1.  Nomads  of  the  Jungle  Feb.  3,'36t.6  

2.  Nomads  of  the  South  Seas. Feb.  I7,'36t.6  

3.  Nomads  of  the  Past  Mar.  3.'36t.6  

4.  Nomads  of  the  Air  Mar.  I7,'36t  .5'/2 . . 

5.  Nomads  in  the  Making. .  .Apr.  3.'36t.6  

6.  Nomads  of  the  River  Apr.  I7,'36f.6  

7.  Nomads  of  the  Plains  May  3,'36t.5'/2. . 

8.  Nomads  of  the  Sea  May  I7,'36t  .5'/2 . . 

IMPERIAL 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

COLOR  CLASSICS 

Towers  of  Melody  8  

Hidden  Treasures   8.... 

Southern   Beauties   8  

EDGAR   GUEST   POETIC  GEMS 

After  the  Storm   

Boyhood   8... 

Couldn't  Live  Without  You  

Old  Prospector,  The  8... 

Sea   Dreams   8... 

Early  in  the   Mornin'  8... 

NOVELTIES 

Cities  of  the  Past  

Nero   8... 

Every  Dog  Has  Its  Day  9... 

Hobo  Hero   9... 

PORT  0'  CALL 

Peacock  Throne   9... 

City  of  the  Sun  9... 

Jungle  Bound  

Last  Resort   9... 

Love's   Memorial   , 

Children  of  the  Nile  9.., 

Seventh  Wonder   9... 

WORLD    IN  COLOR 

Beneath  Coral  Seas   8... 

Inspiration  of  Old  Love 

Songs   8.. 

Isle  of  June   , 

Dream  Harbor   8.. 

Maori   8.. 

Melody  Isle   

Under  the  Southern  Cross  8.. 

MGM 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

CHARLEY  CHASE 
Count  Takes  the  Count,  The. Feb.  22,'36t20. . 

Life  Hesitates  at  40  Jan.  I8,'36tl5.. 

Manhattan  Monkey  Business. Nov.   9t. .  .21 . . 

Neighborhood  House   May  9,'36t  

Nurse  to  You  Oct.    5t . . . 20 . . 

On  the  Wrong  Trek  Apr.  I8,'36fl9. . 

Public  Ghost  No.  I  Dec.  I4t...20.. 

Vamp  'Til   Ready  Mar.  28,'36t20. . 

CRIME  DOESN'T  PAY 

No.  3— Desert  Death   Oct.  I9f...2l... 

No.  4— Thr»l   for  Thelma, 

A   Nov.  23t ...  18. . 

No.  5— Hit  and  Run  Driver.  Dec.  28f...20.. 

No.  6— Perfect  Setup   Feb.  I,'36t2l.. 

FITZPATRICK  TRAVEL  TALKS 
Honolulu,   Paradise  of  the 

Pacific   Nov.   2f  8. . , 

Japan    in    Cherry  Blossom 

Time   Mar.  2l,'36t.9.. 

Modern  Tokyo   Doc.  28t  9.. 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  City  of 

Splendor   Apr.  I8,'36t.8.. 

Rural  Mexico   Nov.  30t  8.. 

Sacred  City  of  the  Mayan 

Indians   Feb.  22,'36f.7. . 

St.  Helena  and  Its  Man  of 

Destiny   May  I6,'36t.8.. 

Victoria  and  Vancouver  Jan.  25,'36t.9.. 

HARMAN-ISING 
(Happy  Harmonies) 

15—  Honeyland   Oct.  I9t...l0.. 

16—  Alias  St.   Nick  Nov.  I6t  10. . 

17 —  Run,  Sheep,  Run  Dec.  I4t-..I0.. 

18—  Bottles   Jan.  I I.*36tl0. . 

19 —  Early  Bird  and  the  t 

Worm.  The   Feb.  8,'36t.9.. 

20—  Old  Mill  Pond,  The...  .Mar.  7,'36t.8.. 

21—  Two  Little  Pup»  Apr.  4,'36t.8.. 

M-G-M  MINIATURES 
Great  American  Pie  Com- 
pany  Nov.  9t...ll.. 

How  to  Behave  Apr.  25,*36tl0. . 

How  to  Train  a  Dos  July  4,'36t.S.. 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


89 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT«C€NT»E) 


Tltl*  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

Important  News   Feb.  29,'36tl0.. 

Jonker  Diamond   Mar.  28,'36tl0. . 

Let'i   Danee   Jan.  4,'36t.8.. 

Little  Boy  Blue  May  23,'36tll.. 

Matter  Will  Shakespeare..  .June  l3.'3GtlO. . 

Primitive  Piteairn  Dee.   7t  9.. 

Trained  Hoofs   Oct.  12+.. ..9.. 

West  Paint  of  the  South  Feb.   l.'36t.S. . 

M-G-M  SPORTS  PARADE 

Air  Hoppers   Jan.  I8.'36tl0. . 

Aquatic  Artistry   Apr.  1 1  ,'36t  .9. . 

Crew  Raeing   Dee.  2lt  10. . 

Gymnastics   Oct.  26t  9.. 

Harnessed  Rhythm   Juno   6, '36. 10.. 

Polo   May  9,'36t.8.. 

Table  Tennis   Feb.  I5/36H0.. 

Racing  Canines   Mar.  I4,'36tl0.. 

Water  Sports   Oct.  26t  8. . 

MUSICAL  REVUES 

La   Fiesta  de  Santa  Bar- 
bara  Dec.  71...I9... 

pirate  Party  on  Catalina 
Isle   Nov.  21  20.. 

Sunkist  Stars  at  Palm 

Springs   Jan.  1 1 .'36. 20. . . 

OUR  GANG 

Arbor  Day   May  2/36H8.. 

Divot  Diggers   Feb.  8,'36tl5... 

Lucky  Corner,  The  Mar.  I4,'36tl6. . 

Pinch  Singer   Jan.    4.'36tl8. . 

Second  Childhood   Apr.  II/36H9.. 

PATSY  KELLY  COMEDIES 

All-Amerlcan  Toothache  Jan.  25,'30t20. . . 

At  Sea  Ashore  Apr.  4,'36t20... 

Hill  Tillies   Apr.  4,'36tl8.. 

Hot  Money  Nov.  I6t. .  .18  

Pan  Handlers   Feb.  29/36120. . 

Top  Flat   Dec.  211... 20.. 

PETE   SMITH  SPECIALTY 

Killer  Dog   10.. 

SPECIAL 

Audioscopiks   8... 

PARAMOUNT 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

BETTY  BOOP  CARTOONS 
Betty   Boop   and  Little 

Jimmy   Mar.  27/36t.7... 

Betty  Boop  and  the  Little 

King   Jan.  31/361.7... 

Happy  You  and  Merry  Me.  .Aug.  21, '36. .  1  rl 
Henry,  the  Funniest  Living 

American    .Nov.  22t  7.. 

Judge  for  a  Day  Sept.  20t  8.. 

Little  Nobody   Dec.  27t  7.., 

Making  Stars   Oct.   I8t  7... 

More  Pep   June  I9.'36t  

Not  Now   Feb.  28,'36t.7.. 

Song  a  Day,  A  May  22/36t.7... 

We  Did  It  Apr.  24,'36t.6.., 

You're  Not  Built  That. Way  .July  I7,'36t.l  rl 
COLOR  CLASSICS 

Cobweb  Hotel,  The  May  1 5,'36f  .8. . 

Greedy  Hunpty  Dumpty. ..  .July  10/361. 1  rl 

Hawaiian  Birds   Aug.  28/38. . I  rl. 

Little  Stranger   Mar.  13/361.8.. 

Musical  Memories   Nov.    8t  7... 

Somewhere  In  Dreamland..  .Jan.    17/36.9. . 

(Technicolor) 

Time  for  Love  Sept.  6t  7... 

HEADLINERS 
Accent  on  Girls  Dec.  27t  

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 

Melodears 

Babes  in  Hollywood  Oct.  f  B t .  ..to.. 

Breezy  Rhythm   Apr.  IO/36tlO. . 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 

Cavalcade  of  Music,  The.... Oct.    4t  8.. 

Gypsy  Revels   Aug.  7/36. .  I  rl 

Lucky  Starlets   May  22/36110. . . 

Baby  Leroy-Bennie  Bart- 

lett  -  David    Holt  -  Betty 

Holt  -  Billy  Lee  -Virginia 

Weldler 

Magic  of  Music,  The  Aug.   2t ...II... 

Richard  Himber  and  His 
Midnight  Melodies   

Orchestra  .Mar.  20/36111 . . 

Ed  Paul  and  Orchestra- 

Babs   Ryan  -  Loretta  Lee 
Moscow    Moods  Jan.  I7,'36tll... 

Yasha  Bunchuk  and  Orch. 
Movie  Melodies  on  Parade .  Feb.  7/36W... 

Kostelanetz- Eastman 
Musical  Fashions   July  3/36t.lrl. 

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 

Melodears 

Music  in  the  Morgan  Manner  .June  12/361  

Russ  Morgan  and  Orch. 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Music  Over  Broadway  Aug.  28/36.. I  rl.. 

George  Hall  and  Orch. 
Parade  of  the  Maestro*  Nov.  151. ..10  

Red  Nichols,  Ferde  Grofe, 

Emery  Deutsch  and  Their 

Orchestras 

Play,  Don   July  3l,'36t  

Don  Bestor  and  Orch. 

Radio  Rhapsody   Dec.    6L..I0. ... 

Johnny  Green  and  Orch. 

Star  Reporter,  The  Feb.  28/361.9  

Betty  Jane  Cooper- Don- 
ald Novis-lna  Ray  Hutton 

Yankee  Doodle  Rhapsody..  .May  1/36111  

Ferde  Grofe  and  His 
Orchestra 

PARAGRAPHICS 

Lulu's  Love   Aug.  14/36.. I  rl.. 

PARAMOUNT  PICTORIAL 
No.  3—  Nesting  Time— Re- .Oct.  I  It.... 9.... 

flections — Song  Makers  of 

the  Nation  (Tot  Seymour 

and  Vee  Lawnhurst)  

No.  4 — Jewelry— Made  te.Nov.  3t...l0.... 

Order  —  Let's   Listen  to 

Latin  America   

No.  5 — Manhattan  Rhapsody  .  Doc.    6t  10  

— Animal    Buddies — Man 

of  Many  Faces  

No.  6  —  The    Latest   from. Jan.  3/36tl0  

Paris — Shifting  Sands — 

Nature's  Sideshow   

No.  7 — Mountain  Moods  —  .Jan.  31/361.7  

Camera  Hounds  —  Song 

Makers    of    the  Nation 

(Ralph  Rainger  and  Lee 

Robin)   

No.  8—  Frederic  W.  Goudy .  Feb.  28, '36 1 1 1  

— Sails  Over  Sydney  Har- 
bor —  The  Voice  of  the 

Animals   

No.  9— Trailing  the  Birds. Mar.  27/36t.9  

— Lake  of  Enchantment — 

Swanee  River  Goes  High 

Hat   

No.    10  — Toilers    of    the  .  Apr.  24/36110  

Deep  —  Where  Beauty 

Reigns — Make-up  Magic 
No.    II— Champagne— Girls. May  22/36t  

Will  Be  Boys— Up  Mont 

Blanc   

No.  12— Meet  the  Pelican— .June  I9,'36t  

Viola    Mitchell  —  Steel 

Suits   

No.  13—   July  I7,'36t.l  rl.. 

PARAMOUNT    PICTORIAL    (New  Series) 
No.  I— What's  Afoot  —  

Golden  Acres — Don  Baker. Aug.  21/36.  I  rl.. 
PARAMOUNT  VARIETIES 

Broadway  Highlights  No.  4 .Sept.27t. . .  10  

Broadway  Highlights  No.  5. Dee.  1 3t ...  10  

Broadway  Highlights  No.  6. Apr.   3, '361, 9  

Collie.  The  Feb.  2l/36tl0  

Countryside  Melodies   Nov.  29f  6.... 

(Technicolor) 

Dangerous  Jobs   May  l/36t.9  

Fashions  in  Love  July  24,'36t.l  rl.. 

Here  Comet  the  Zoo  Mar.  I3,'36f.9.... 

March  of  the  Presidents...  .Sept.  27t . . .  10.  . . . 

Movie  Milestones  (No.  2). ..Jan.  3l/36tl0  

Poodle.  The   May  22/36tl0.... 

Rhythm  Party,  The  June26,'36t  

Rookie  Fireman,  The  Apr.  24/36tl0  

Shorty  at  Coney  Inland  Jan.  IO/36tlO  

Shorty  at  the  Seashore  July  IO/36t.l  rl.. 

Shorty  Goes  South  Sept.  I3t ■ . .  10. . . . 

Spring  Night   Nov.    It. ...8  

POPEYE  THE  SAILOR 

Adventures  of  Popeye,  The.  .Oct.  25t  8  

Bridge  Ahoy!   May  l/36t.8  

Brotherly  Love   Mar.  6,'36t.7.... 

Clean  Shaven  Man,  A  Feb.  7/361.7  

I -Ski  Love-Ski  You-Skl  Apr.  3.*36t.6  

I  Wanna  Be  a  Lifeguard. .  .June  26, '36t  

King  of  the  Mardi  Gras...  .Sept.27t  7.... 

Let's  Get  Movln'  July  24/36f.l  rl.. 

Never  Kick  a  Woman  Aug.  28/36.. I  rl.. 

Sinbad  the  Sailor  Jan.  3l/36t.2rls. 

(Special) 

Spinach  Overture,  The  Dec.    6t  8  

Vim,  Vigor  and  Vitaliky  Jan.  3/36t.7.... 

What,  No  Spinach?  May  29/36t  

PARAMOUNT  SOUND  NEWS 
Two  Editions  Weekly 

POPULAR  SCIENCE 
(Cinecolor) 

No.   I   Sept.29t....9  

No.  2   Nov.  29t...l0'/j.. 

No.  3   Jan.  24/36111  

No.  4  Mar.  27/36tll  


Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

No.  5   May  29/36t  

No.  6   July  17/361.1  rl 

POPULAR   SCIENCE    (New  Series) 

No.  I   Aug.  28/36.. I  rl, 

SCREEN  SONGS 
Hills  of  Old  Wyomin'.  The  .July  24/361. 1  rl, 

The  Westerners 
I   Don't  Want  to  Make 

History   May  22/361  

V.  Lopez  and  Orchestra 
I  Feol  Like  a  Feather  In 

the  Breeze   Mar.  27/361.7... 

Jack  Denny  and  Orchestra 
It's  Easy  to  Remember  Nov.  291...  10... 

Richard  Himber  and  Or- 

chestra 

I  Wished  On  the  Moon  Sept.20f  8.., 

Abe  Lyman  and  Orchestra 

No  Other  One  Jan.  24/361.8.., 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 
GRANTLAND    RICE  SPORTLIGHTS 
(NEW  SERIES) 

No.  16 — Hooked  Lightning.  .Sept. 271. ..  10. . 

No.  17 — Jumping  Champion  .Oct.  251 ...  10. . 

No.  18—  Sport  on  the  Range. Nov.  22L..I0.. 

No.  19 — Sporting   Network. . Dee.  201.  ..10.., 

No.  20— What's  the  Answer. Jan.  I7/36H0.. 

No.  21— Finer  Points   Feb.  14/36110.. 

No.  22— Winged  Champions. Mar.  13/36110.. 

No.  23— Sun   Chasers  Apr.  10/36110.. 

No.  24 — Catching  Trouble. .  .May  8/36tl0... 

No.  25—  River  of  Thrills...  .June  5/361  

No.  26 — Sporting  Compari- 
sons  July  3/361  

No.  27— Neptune's  Scholars  .Aug.  7/36.. I  rl. 


RKO  RADIO 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

DUMBBELL  LETTERS 

No.  21   Jan.  3/361.5... 

No.  22   Fob.  3l/36t.5'/2. 

No.  23   Apr.  3/361.5.., 

No.  24   May  29/361.5... 

No.  25   July  10/361  

EASY  ACES 

Capital  Idea   Oct.    41...  10.. 

Debonair  New  Orleans  Mar.  27/36110. . 

Etiquette   Nov.  29/36t  .9. . . 

Fool  Your  Friends  June  9/36t...., 

Job's  a  Job,  A  May  22/361  

Jolly  Old  London  Aug.  30  9'/a, 

Old  Fashioned  Movie,  An. .  .Feb.  28/36tl  I . . , 

Tricks  of  the  Trade  Sept.  61.  ..10.., 

Unusualities   Aug.   91  9!/s, 

Winter  at  the  Zoo  Jan.  3l/36tlO'/a, 

World  Within,  A  Nov.    If. ..10.., 

FOUR  STAR  COMEDIES 

Salesmanship  Ahoy   July  19  I8'A. 

HEADLINER  SERIES 

No.  5 — Drawing   Rumors  July  12....  17... 

No.  I— Night  Life   Sept.  21 1. .  .21 . . , 

No.  2 — Tuned  Out   Nov.  I5t...20... 

No.  3 — Camera  Cranks   Jan.  I7,'36tl9.., 

No.  4— Wedtime  Story,  A. . Mar.  20/36121 .. . 

No.  5 — Bad   Medicine   May  22/361 15. . . 

No.  6 — Sleepy  Time   July  24/361  

EDGAR    KENNEDY  COMEDIES 

Dummy  Ache   July  10/361...., 

Gasoloons    .  Jan.  3/36tl5i/2 

Happy  tho   Married  Nov.    I  18... 

High  Beer  Pressure  May  8/36118.. 

In  Love  at  40  Aug.  30t. . .  19. . 

Sock  Me  to  Sleep  May  17  20.. 

Will  Power   Mar.  6/36tl5'/2 

MAJOR  BOWES'  AMATEUR  PARADE 

No.  I   May  l/36t.9.. 

No.  2   June  5/361  

No.  3   July  3/36t  

MAJOR  BOWES*  AMATEUR  THEATRE 
OF  THE  AIR 

No.  4   Oct.  I81...l8'/a 

No.  5   Nov.    81. ..18.., 

No.  6   Nov.  22L..I8.., 

MARCH  OF  TIME 

No.  8   Nov.  151. ..20.., 

No.  9   Dec.  l3t...23'/2. 

[1936] 

No.   I   Jan.  l7/36tl8'/2. 

No.  2   Feb.  17/36124... 

No.  3   Mar.  13/36121... 

No.  4   Apr.  17/36121... 

No.  5  May  I5,'36t  

No.  6   June  I2,'36t..  . 

No.  7  July  IO/36t.. 

MUSICALS 
Night  at  the  Biltmore 

Bowl,  A   Juno  21  . l7'/a . 

PATHE  NEWS 
Released  twice  a  week 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mil. 

PATHE  REVIEWS 
Released  once  a  month 

PATHE  TOPICS 

Released  seven  times  a  year 

RADIO  FLASH  COMEDIES 

Dog  Blight   June  1 2/361  

Fight  Is  Right  Apr.  10/36117... 

Radio  Barred   Feb.  7/36tl5'/i. 

Where  There's  a  Will  Oct.    41. ...18... 

Worm  Burns,  The  Dee.  6t...l7... 

RADIO  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Aladdin  from  Manhattan  Feb.  28/36117. . . 

Foolish  Hearts   Dee.  271...  18... 

Melody  in  May  May   t  .'361 19 . . . 

Metropolitan  Nocturne   Aug.  231. . .  18. . . 

Mismanaged   Oct.  251 ...  1 9','a . 

Swing  It   July  3/36t  

RAINBOW  PARADE  CARTOONS 

Bold  King  Cole  May  29/361  

Felix  the  Cat  and  the  Geese 
That  Laid  the  Golden  Egg  .  Feb.   7/361. 7'/,. 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  the 
Indians  Nov.  151  7'/j. 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  Robin- 
son Crusoe   Mar.  20/36t.7. . . 

Neptune  Nonsense   Apr.  17/361.8... 

Toonerville  Trolley   Jan.  I7/36L7... 

Trolley  Ahoy  

Waif's  Welcome,  A  June  19/361  

SMART  SET 

All  Business   Feb.  14/361 1  S'/a  • 

And  So  to  Wed  June  19/361  

Framing  Father   '. . .  .Apr.  l7/36tl6'/i. 

Returned  Engagement,  A... Oct.  I II... 21... 

Too  Many  Surprises  Dee.  3t...20'/i. 

SPECIALS 

Going  on  Two  Sept.  17  17... 

Headlines  for  25  Years  Mar.  27/36121 .. . 

SPORTS  WITH  BILL  CORUM 
Bugles  from  Blue  Grass. ..  .Oct.  1 1 1 -  -  - 1 0>/a . 

Gentlemen's  Sports   Dec.  1 31...  1 1... 

Inside  the  Ropes  Aug.  161 . . .  10. . . 

Never  Catch  the  Rabbit  Apr.  24/3611 1 .. . 

Row   Mr.   Row  June  19/361  

Tomorrow's  Halfbacks   Jan.  24/361.9... 

Winter  Sport   Mar.  13/36110... 

STRUGGLE  TO  LIVE 

Beach  Masters   Nov.   8t . . .  IO'/i  . 

Living  Jewels   June  12/361  

Underground  Farmers  Apr.  17/361.9... 

Winged  Pageantry   Feb.  I4/36H0. . . 

SUPERBA  COMEDIES 

Counselitis   Nov.  221. ..18... 

Down  the  Ribber  Mar.  27/36121 .. . 

Home  Work   Sept.  20t. .  .19. . . 

Uppercutlets   Jan.  24/36tl8Vi. 

Listen  to  Freezin'  July  3l/36t  

Wholesailing  Along   May  29/36H7.. . 

VAGABOND  ADVENTURE  SERIES 
Quebec   Aug.   2  V/t. 

WORLD  ON  PARADE 
Coral  Isle  of  the  Atlantic. ..  Mar.  27/3611 1 .. . 

Land  of   Evangeline  Nov.  22t...l9'/j. 

Morocco   Jan.  10/361  

Prominent  Personalities  ..  .  Feb.  21/3611 1 .. . 
Spain's  Romantic  Isle, 

Majorca   Oct.  181...  I  V/t. 

Venice  of  the  North  May  15/36  


STATE  RIGHTS 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

AL  BONDY 

(General  Electric) 

Excursions  in  Science  No.  1  8... 

DYNAMIC 

Wonderland  of  Gaspe  II.., 

NORTON 

Alchemist's  Hourglass,  The  18... 

PAT  GARYN 
O'Mahoney-George  Bout   17.., 

PHIL  BROWN 

Norwegian  Sketches   10... 

REGAL 

Broadway  Nights   


20TH  CENTURY-FOX 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

ADVENTURES  OF  THE 
NEWSREEL  CAMERAMAN 

Filming  the  Fantastic  Jan.  3l/36tl0.. 

Filming    Feminine  Head- 
liners   Dee.  271. ..10... 

Scouring  the  Skies  Aug.  14/36  

Shooting  the  Record  Break- 
ers  Nov.  221...  10.. 

MAGIC  CARPET  SERIES 

Argentine  Argosy   Nov.  22t...|0. ., 

Geneva-by-the-Lake   Dee.  211. ..10.. 

Hong  Kong  Highlights  Jan.  31/36110. . 

Irish  Pastoral   Aug.  7/38  , 


90 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT«CCNT*E) 


Title  Bel.  Date  Mia. 

Moroeco  Mirage   Aug.  30  10... 

West  Indies  Cruise  Oet.  25+.. .10... 

Winter  Magic   Dee.  27t...l0... 


UNITED  ARTISTS 


Title 


Bel.  Date  Min. 


35. 
36. 
37. 
38. 

ss. 

40. 
101. 
102. 


MICKEY  HOUSE 

Pluto's  Judgment  Day.  .Sept. 28t  9... 

On  lee   Nov.    6t  8.  .■ 

Mlekey'o  Pole  Team..  Feb.  5/36t.8... 

Orphans'  Pienle   Mar.  I2/36+.9... 

Mickey's  Grand  Opera  .9... 

Through  the  Mirror  June  I8,'36t.9... 

Moving  Day   July  22/36.. »... 

Mickey's  Blval   9... 

SILLY  SYMPHONIES 
Who  Killed  Cock 

Robin?   June26t...l0... 

Music  Land   Oct.   lot  S'/t. 

Three  Orphan   Kittens  Nov.  21 1  9... 

Coed  of  th*  Walk  Dee.  I9t  8... 

Broken  Toys   Jan.  9.'36t.8... 

Elmer  the  Elephant  May  I4,'36t  .8'/t . 

Three  Little  Wolves. ..  May  27, '3«tl0. . . 

UNIVERSAL 


Title                           Bel.  Date  Min. 
CABTUNE  CLASSICS 
No.  6 — Fox  and  the  Rabbit, 
The   Sept.  30  8  

GOING  PLACES  with  LOWELL  THOMAS 

No.  16   Dec.  23+...I0  

No.  17     Jan.  20,'36t  

No.  18   Mar.  9,'36t  IO'/i  . . 

No.  19   Mar.  23,'36t<0  

No.  20   Apr.  20,'36t.9  

No.  21   June  8,'36t  

No.  22   June  22,'36t  

No.  23   July  6,'36t  

No.  24   Jirly  20,'36.I0  

No.  25   Aug.  3,'36t  

No.  26   Aug.  I7,'36t  

No.  27   Aug.  21  .'36  

Ne.  28   Sept.28/36  

No.  29   Oct.  26,*36  

No.  30   Nov.  23,'36  

No.  31   Dec.  21/36  

MENTONE  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Carnival  Time   Jan.  22,'36tl9  

Jean  Sergent-Jack  Fulton 

Clubhouse  Party  (Ne.  6-8).  Dec.  251  2  rls. 

Ray  Perkins 

Flippen's  Frolics   July  15. '361  

Gus  Van's  Garden  Party  . .  .Sept.  2/36.. I  rl.. 
Gus  Van's  Music  Shoppe 

(No.  5-B)   Dec.  4t...20  

Harlem  Bound  (No.  4)  Nov.  6t...20  

Marine  Follies   Apr.  29/36t.2rls. 

Musical  Airways   Sept. 30, '36.  .1  rl.. 

On  Your  Radio  Dial 

(No.  3)   Oct.  23t...l0  

Playing  for  Fan  Mar.  I8,'36tl5  

Signing  Off   Feb.  I9,'36tl9  

Speedy  Justice  (No.  2-B) . .  .Sept.  25t . .  .20  

Teddy  Bergman's  Inter- 
national Broadcast   June  3/36120  

Vaud-O-Mat,  The   Apr.  8/36+16  

NOVELTIES 

Skits  V  Sketches  Feb.  24,'36t  

OSWALD  CARTOONS 

Alaska  Sweepstakes   Feb.  I7,'36t.8  

Amateur  Broadcast   Aug.  26  7  

Battle  Royal   June  22,'36t.7  

Barnyard   Five   Apr.  20,'36t  

Beauty  Shoppe   Mar.  20,'36t  .B'/i . . 

Case  of  the  Lost  Sheep,  The.  Dec.    9t  7.... 

Doctor  Oswald   Dec.  30+  

Farming  Fools   May  25,'36t  

Fun  House,  The  May  4,'36t  

Kiddie  Revue   Sept.  21. '36  

Monkey  Wretches   Nov.  Mt....lrl.. 

Music    Hath    Charms. ....  Sept.  7/36.. 8.... 

Slumberland  Express   Mar.  9/36t  

Soft  Ball  Game  Jan.  27/36t  

STRANGER  THAN  FICTION  SERIES 

No.  18 — Novelty   Mar.  30/36t.9'/i . . 

No.  19— Novelty   Apr.  13/36+. 9  

No.  20 — Novelty   June  l/36t  

No.  21— Novelty   June  I5,'36t  

No.  22— Novelty   June  29,'36t  

No.  23 — Novelty   July  I3,'36t  

No.  24 — Novelty   July  27,'36t 1 0  

No.  25—  Novelty   Aug.  10/36+10.... 

No.  26— Novelty   Aug.  24/36+. 9  

No.  27— Novelty   Sept.  14/36  

No.  28 — Novelty   Oct.  12/36  

No.  29 — Novelty   Nev.  9/36  

No.  30 — Novelty   Dec.  7/36   


Title  Bel.  Date  Min. 

UNIVERSAL  COMEDIES 

His  Last  Fllai  July  31.. ..20.... 

(Van  Boakal  No.  5) 

You  Can  Be  Had  Jan.  8,'36tl5  

UNIVEBSAL  SPECIAL 

Camera  Thrills   Sept.30. . .  .21 . .. . 

You  Can't  Get  Away 

With   It   ...2rls. 

VITAPHONE 

BIG  TIME  VAUDEVILLE  BEEL 
Vitaphone  Billboard   Feb.  l5/36tll  

Jane  and  Katherine  Lee 
Vitaphone  Casino   10  

Buster  West-Radic  Rubes 
Vitaphone  Celebrities   Jan.  25/  36+11  

Remington  Singers 
VltaphMo    Entertainers  June  27/36+.  I  rl.. 

Sylvia  Ftoot 
Vitaphone  Headlinera   Dec.  I4t...l0  

Nick  Lucas-Four  Mullen 

Sisters 

Vitaphone  Highlight   Apr.  4/36+10  

Eddie  Peabody 
Vitaphone  Hippodrome  May  2/36+11  

Molly  Picon-Johnny  Lee 
Vitaphone  Spotlight   Mar.  7/36+11.... 

Conville-Dale 

Vitaphone  Topnetches   May  30/36+  

Vitaphone  Troupers   Jan.  4/36tl0  

Four  Trojans  - 

Aunt  Jemima 
Vitaphone  Varleti   Nev.  16+  I  rl.. 

Louis  Prima  and  Orch. 

Vitaphone  Stageshaw   July  25/36+. I  rl.. 

BIG  V.  VOMEDIES 
Vodka  Boatmen   Oct.    St... 20  

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Lonesome  Trailer   Oct.  26t...20  

El  Brendel 

Officer's  Mess,  Tho  Nov.    9t  2  rls. 

Shemp  Howard 
Double  Exposure   Nov.  23+.. .21  

Bob  Hope 

Lucky  Swede,  The  Dec.  2lt...2l  

El  Brendel 

While  the  Cat's  Away  Jan.  4/36+20  

Shemp  Howard 

They're  Off   Jan.  18/36+21  

Yacht  Club  Boys 

Slide,  Nellie,  Slide  Feb.  1/36+21  

Herman  Bins- 
Paula  Stone 

Shop  Talk   Feb.  15/36+21.... 

Bob  Hope 

Joe  Palooka  in  for  the  Love 

of  Pete   Mar.  14/36+21... 

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 

Calling  All  Tars  Mar.  28,'36t2l  

Bob  Hope 

Slum  Fun   Apr.  Il/36t2l  

Johnny  Bert.es- 

Charles  O'Donnell 
Dough-Nuts   Apr.  25.'36t.2  rls. 

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Absorbing  Junior   May  9/36+21  

Shemp  Howard- 
Johnny  Berkes 
Joe  Palooka  in  Here's  Howe. June  6/36+21  

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 
Wife  of  the  Party,  The  June  20/36+22  

Ken  Murray 
Good  Old  Plumbertime, 

The   July  ll/36t.2rls. 

Johnny  Berkes 
The  Oily  Bird  July  25/36+. 2  rls. 

Ken  Murray 
Joe   Palooka  in  Punch  and 

Beauty   Aug.  15/36  

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 

BROADWAY  BREVITIES 
Oh,  Evaline   Sept.  14+. ..20  

Hal  LeRoy- 

Eleanore  Whitney 
Doorman's  Opera   Sept.  28t. . .20  

Charlotte  Arren- 

Johnny  Broderick 
Tickets  Please   Oct.    I2+  ..2I  

Georgle  Price 
Regular  Kids   Oct.    18+... 20  

Meglln  Kids 
Check  Your  Sombrero  Nov.  2t...2l  

Armlda-Tito  Coral 
Rooftops  of  Manhattan  Nov.  I6t...2l  

Deane  Janls-Gil  Lamb 
Trouble  In  Toyland  Nov.  30+... 20  

Gus  Edwards'  Stars  of 

the  Future 


Title  Bel.  Data  Min. 

Okay.  Jose   Dec.  7t...2l  

El  Brendel 

Katz'  Pajamas   Dec.  I4t  —  21  

Fifl  D'Orsay 
Broadway  Ballyhoo   Dee.  28t...2l  

Owen.  Hunt  and  Pareo 
Carnival  Days   Jan.  11/36+21  

Henry  Armetta- 

Fellx  Kalgbt 
Double  or  Nothing  Jan.  18/36+21  

Phil  Harris-Leah  Ray 

Study  and  Understudy  Jan.  25/36+22  

Between  the  Lines  Feb.  8/36t22  

Berniee  Claire 
King  of  the  Islands  Feb.  22/36+21 ... . 

Winifred  Shaw- 
Warren  Hymer 
Stars  Can't  Be  Wrong,  The.  Feb.  29/36t2l  

Carolyn  Marsh- 
Harris  Twins 
Wash  Your  Step  Mar.  7,'36t2l  

Hal  LeBoy- 

Prelsser  Sisters 
Paris  In  New  York  Mar.  21/36+22. . . . 

Irene  Bordonl 
Black  Network.  The  Apr.  4/36t22.... 

Nina  Mae  MeKlnney- 

Nicholae  Bros. 
College  Dads   Apr.  Il/36t2l  

Leon  Janney 
Double  Crossky.  The  Apr.  I8,'36t2l  

Olga  Baelanova 
I'm  Much  Obliged  May  2/36+21  

Vera  Van-Geone  Dobbs 
Maid  for  a  Day  May  23/36t20.... 

Grace  Hayes 
City's  Slicker,  The  May  30/36+. 2  rls. 

Dawn  O'Day-Radio  Rubes 
Romance  In  the  Air  May  I6,'36t  

Wlnl  Shaw-Phil  Regan 
Changing  of  the  Guard  June  6/36+20  

Sybil  Jason 

Rhythmltls   June  I3/36+.2  rls. 

Hal  LeRoy-Toby  Wing 

Song  of  a  Nation,  The  July  4/36+20  

Donald  Woods- 
Claire  Dodd 

When  You're  Single  July  I8/36+.2  rls. 

Cross  and  Dunn 

Shake  Mr.  Shakespeare  Aug.  22/36.  .2  rls. 

Carolyn  Marsh 

Echo   Mountain   Aug.  29/36  

Fred  Lawrence- 
Rosalind  Marquis 

LOONEY  TUNES 

No.  14 — Plane  Dippy   Dec.  21  +  7  

No.  15— Alpine  Antics  Jan.    4/36+. 7  

No.  16—  Phantom  Ship,  The. Feb.  1/36+.7  

No.  17— Boom!  Boom!  Feb.  29/36+. 7  

No.  18—  Blow  Out,  The  Apr.   4/36+. 7  

No.  19— Westward  Whoa. . . . Apr.  25/36t.7. . . . 

No.  20— Fish  Tales   May  23/36t.7. .. . 

No.  21 — Shanghaied  Ship- 
mates  June  20/36.. 7  

No.  22— Porky's  Pet   July  ll/36t.7  

No.  23 — Porky   the  Rain- 
maker  Aug.  1/36  

No.  24 — Porky's  Poultry 

Plant   Aug.  22/36  

MELODY  MASTERS 

Johnny  Green  and  Orchestra. Oct.  12+.. .10  

Claude  Hopkins  and  Orch. ..Nov.    9+ ...  1 0 ... . 

Red  Nichols  and  Orchestra. .Jan.  4/36+10  

B.  A.  Rolf e  and  Orchestra. . Feb.    i, '36111  

Jolly  Coburn  and  Orchestra. .  Feb.  22/36+ 1 1 . . . . 

Little  Jack  Little  and 
Orchestra   Mar.  21/36+1 1 ... . 

Ramon  Ramos  and  Orchestra.  Apr.  18/36+11  

Dave  Apollon  and  His  Band. May  16/36+10  

Vincent  Lopez  and  Orches- 
tra  June  6/36+10  

Carl  Hoff  and  Orchestra  July  ll/36+.lrl.. 

Clyde  Lucas  and  Orchestra  II  

Nick  Lucas  and  His  Trou- 
badours  Aug.  15/36  

MERRIE  MELODIES 
(In  Color) 

No.  12— Little  Dutch  Plate. Oct.   I9t- . .  .7  

No.  13 — Billboard  Frolics  7  

No.  14 — Flowers  for  Madame.  Nov.  30+  7.... 

No.  15 — I   Wanna  Play 

House   Jan.  II, '36+. 7  

No.  16 — Cat  Came  Back, 

The   Feb.  8/36t.7  

No.  17— Miss  Glory   Mar.  7/36.. 7  

No.  18 — I'm  a  Big  Shot 

Now   Apr.  11/36+. 7  

No.  19—  Let  It  Be  Me  May  2/36+.7.... 

No.  20— I'd   Love  to  Take 

Orders  From  You  May  I6.'36t.7  


Title  Bel.  Data  Mil 

No.  21— Bingo  Crosbyana. . .  May  30/36+  .7. 
No.  23— When  I  Yoo  Hoo. .  .June  27/36t . . . 
No.  24 — I  Love  to  Singa...July  18/34+ . 
No.  25 — Sunday   Go  to 

Meetin'  Time   Aug.  8/36  

No.  26 — At  Your  Service, 

Madame   fAug  29/36  

OUR  OWN  UNITED  STATES 
No.  I — Curious  Industries. .  .Sept.  7+..  .11. 

Harry  Von  Zell 
No.  2 — Playground   Oct.  5+...II, 

James  Walllngton 
No.  3— Camera   Hunting  Nov.  2+...II. 

Paul  Douglas 
Ne.  4— Nature's  Handiwork. Nev.  30+...  1 1. 
No.  5 — Odd   Occupations. ...  Dee.  28+.. .12. 

No.  6— Steel  and  Steae  Jan.  25/36+II. 

No.  7— Day's  Journey,  A  Feb.  22/36+ 1 1 . 

No.  8—  Harbor   Lights  Mar.  21/36+11. 

Na.  9— We  Eat  to  Live  Apr.  18/36+19. 

No.  10— Vacation  Spots  May  18/36+11. 

No.  II— Irons  In  the  Fire.  .June  I3/36+.I 
No.  12— Can  You  I  magi  no.  .July  ll/36t.l 
No.  13 — For  Sports  Saka. . .  .Am.  8/36.... 

PEPPER  POT 
Seein'  Stars   Nov.  30+... It. 

Easy  Aces 

P's  and  Cues  Dee.  7+...II. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  82.) 

Can  It  Be  Done?  Dee.  21 1 ...  10. 

Wild  Wings   Jan.  11/36+11. 

Soma  Class   Feb.  8/36+10. 

Charles  Ahearn 

Timber  Giants   Feb.  22/36+ 1 1 . 

Half  Witness   Mar.  21. '36+. I 

Radl*  Ramblers 

Beneath  the  Sea  Apr.  18/36+. ., 

Pictorial  Review  June  27/36+.  I 

Nut  Guilty   10, 

When  Fish  Fight  July  11/36.19. 

Whale  He   II. 


rl. 


SERIALS 

12  Episodes  Each  Unless  Otherwise  Specified 
Title  Bel.  Date  Min. 

BURROUGHS-TARZAN 

New  Adventures  of  Tarzan.  .June  10  2  rls. 

Herman  Brix  (eaeh) 


MASCOT 


Fighting  Marines,  The  Nov.  23+. 

Grant  Withers-George  Lewis 
(Exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  81.) 


REPUBLIC 


Darkest  Africa  3530  

Clyde  Beatty 
(15  episodes) 
Robinson  Crusoe  

Mala 

Undersea  Kingdom  3581.... 
Ray  Corrigan-Lois  Wilde 

Vigilantes  Are  Coming,  The 

3582   

Robert  Livingston- 
Kay  Hughes 


STAGE  and  SCREEN 


(Weiss-Mintz 
Black  Coin,  The  

Ralph  Graves-Ruth  Mix 

Dave  O'Brien   

(15  episodes) 
Clutching  Hand,  The  

Jack  Mulhall- 

Wm.  Farnum) 

(also  feature  version) 


Custer's  Last  Stand  

Rex  Lease-Lona  Andre 
(also  feature  version) 


Serials) 

.  Sept.  1/36. 


.Apr.  IS/36t.2  rls. 

(each) 

(1st  episode,  3  rls., 
followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 

.Jan.  2/36t  

(1st  episode,  5  rls., 
followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 


UNIVERSAL 


Ace   Drummond   Oct.  19/36  

John   King-Jean  Rogers 
Adventures  of  Frank  Merrl- 
well   Jan.  I3.'36t  

Don  Briggs-Jean  Rogers 
Flash  Gordon   Apr.  6,'36t  

Buster  Crabbe-Jean  Rogers 

( 13  episodes) 
Phantom  Rider   July  6/36t  

Buck  Jones-Maria  Shelton 

(15  episodes) 
Rustlers  of  Red  Dog  Jan.  2I+...20  

John  Mack  Brown  (eaeh) 


August    15,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


91 


J.  C  JENKINS-HIS  COLYUM 


Neligh,  Nebraska 

Dear  Herald: 

Now  we  are  all  muddled  up.  We  thought 
we  had  the  right  of  way  and  were  running 
in  high,  but  we  read  an  article  in  the  paper 
written  by  a  supposedly  eminent  doctor  in 
which  he  said  that  during  the  hot  weather 
people  should  drink  water  with  salt  in  it 
because  the  perspiration  carried  the  salt  out 
of  the  system.  In  the  same  paper  we  read 
another  article  by  another  supposedly  emi- 
nent doctor  in  which  he  said  that  during  the 
hot  weather  people  should  use  no  salt  at  all 
because  it  thinned  the  blood.  And  now 
what's  the  common  herd  going  to  do  ?  Doc- 
tors should  get  together  and  agree  on  some- 
thing. 

We  know  what  one  maverick  is  going  to 
do,  he  is  going  to  take  salt  when  the  system 
craves  salt  and  he  isn't  going  to  take  salt 
when  the  system  don't  crave  salt,  regardless 
of  all  the  doctors  this  side  of  Hoboken.  You 
call  a  doctor  to  treat  you  and  he  will  feel 
of  your  pulse,  look  at  your  tongue,  ask  what 
you  ate  and  what  you  drink  and  how  you 
slept,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.,  and  look  wise.  (Look- 
ing wise  is  one  of  the  arts  of  the  profes- 
sion.) Then  he  will  write  you  a  prescrip- 
tion in  Chinese  and  soak  you  five  dollars. 
You  will  have  it  taken  to  the  druggist  and 
he  will  fill  it  and  charge  you  $1.50  and  the 
directions  tell  you  to  take  one  powder  in  a 
half  of  a  glass  of  water  every  hour.  You 
later  on  find  out  that  the  powder  consisted 
only  of  powdered  chalk.  If  you  live  the 
doctor  saved  you.  If  you  die  he  was  called 
too  late.  You  remember  what  Barnum  said, 
don't  you  ? 

We  had  an  eminent  oculist  examine 
our  eyes  and  fit  us  with  a  pair  of  glasses 
to  read  by.  He  found  that  we  had  the 
most  peculiar  eyes  he  had  ever  seen  (he 
most  likely  tells  all  of  his  customers  the 
same  thing).  He  found  that  we  had  astig- 
matism (whatever  that  is)  in  each  eye.  Ac- 
cording to  his  findings  one  astigmatism 
pointed  toward  Phoenix,  Arizona,  and  the 
other  one  pointed  toward  Ypsilanti,  Michi- 
gan. Gosh,  we  never  knew  we  had  astig- 
matism until  this  oculist  told  us  we  had, 
and  yet  we  had  used  the  same  pair  of 
lamps  ever  since  Paul  Revere  rode  old  Fan 
that  time. 

He  charged  from  six  to  nine  bucks  for 
each  "fit"  and  he  fitted  us  three  times,  and 
each  "fit"  is  lying  around  the  house  some- 
where now,  and  we  are  wearing  a  pair  of 
glasses  that  we  got  in  a  drug  store  for  two 
bucks,  and  we  fitted  ourself. 

But  then,  that  isn't  what  we  wanted  to  say. 
We  wanted  to  ask  you  this :  Has  the  pur- 
chasing price  of  the  dollar  been  deflated  or 
has  the  price  of  the  commodities  we  have 
to  buy  been  inflated? 

If  the  reduce  the  laboring  man's  day  by 
one  hour  and  increase  the  price  of  the  things 
he  has  to  buy  by  50  per  cent,  is  prosperity 
flirting  around  the  doors  of  his  wigwam? 
We  are  so  doggone  dumb  we  can't  figure  it. 
V 

We  recently  saw  Gary  Cooper  and  Jean 
Arthur  in  "Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town."  We 


SHORT  PRODUCT 
PLAYING  BROADWAY 


Week  of  August  8 


CAPITOL 

Killer  Dog   MGM 

Sunkist  Stars  at  Palm  Springs. MGM 
Glee  Worms   Columbia 

MUSIC  HALL 

Going  Places,  No.  24  Universal 

PARAMOUNT 

Shorty  at  the  Seashore  Paramount 

Fashions  in  Love  Paramount 

Let's  Get  Movin'  Paramount 

R I  ALTO 

Major  Google  Columbia 

Sporting  Comparisons  Paramount 

RIVOLI 

I  Don't  Want  to  Make  His- 
tory  Paramount 

ROXY 

Mister  Smarty  Columbia 

Screen  Snapshots,  No.  10.  .  .  Columbia 
More  Pep  Paramount 

STRAND 

Maid  for  a  Day  Vitaphone 

Bingo  Crosbyana   Vitaphone 

When  Fish  Fight  Vitaphone 


are  not  a  critic  of  pictures  in  any  sense,  we 
are  not  supposed  to  be,  but  it  is  our  judg- 
ment (if  that  is  worth  anything)  that  this 
picture  will  rank  well  up  at  the  top  of  the 
1936  best.  It  just  shows  what  Hollywood 
can  do  with  a  good  cast,  a  good  story  and 
a  good  director. 

V 

There  is  another  thing  we  had  on  our 
mind  that  we  think  we  ought  to  mention,  and 
that  is  that  you  exhibitors  are  getting  en- 
tirely too  negligent  (maybe  we  ought  to 
say  lazy,  but  we  won't),  but  the  fact  is  that 
there  are  not  nearly  as  many  of  you  writ- 
ing to  "What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me"  as 
should.  That  is  a  department  created  en- 
tirely for  you  boys  to  report  on  pictures 
you  have  played.  It  was  created  especially 
for  your  benefit  and  you  ought  to  make 
use  of  it.  The  other  fellow  would  like  to 
know  how  the  picture  was  received  by  your 
audience ;  it  might  help  him  a  whole  lot. 
Grab  that  typewriter  and  fill  out  those 
blanks  and  send  them  in,  right  now,  Charlie. 
V 

A  report  in  the  paper  says  that  accord- 
ing to  Einstein  "the  empirical  quantum  of 
the  gravitation  equation  bridges  the  cor- 
puscles of  the  material  eschantology  by 
subliminal  energy  evolved  counter-clock- 
wise out  of  analogous  infinities."  There,  by 
gosh,  we  supposed  it  was  the  heat.  The 
trouble  is  that  too  many  of  us  common 
folks  have  not  been  eating  enough  spinach 
and  looking  at  the  moon  long  enough. 
Anyhow,  Willie,  you  better  go  out  and 
blow  your  nose. 

This  is  a  picture  trade  journal  and  we  are 
supposed  to  write  about  exhibitors,  but  how 


in  thunder  is  a  man  to  write  about  exhibi- 
tors when  he  is  in  the  basement  of  his  tepee 
all  the  while  during  this  hot  weather  ? 
Come  on,  Ezra,  tell  us  how. 

V 

The  teacher  explained  to  her  class  that  a 
collision  was  where  two  bodies  came  to- 
gether unexpectedly.  Little  Johnny  got  up 
and  said,  "Well,  teacher,  we  had  a  collision 
at  our  house"  and  the  teacher  inquired  how 
that  was,  and  Johnnie  said,  "Mother  has 
just  had  twins." 

V 

Then,  there's  another  thing,  as  Andy  said 
to  Min.  Astronomers  tell  us  that  it  is  55 
millions  of  miles  to  the  sun.  Well,  maybe 
it  is,  but  we  know  of  nobody  in  our  neigh- 
borhood who  has  gas  enough  to  take  them 
there,  and  there  are  no  filling  stations  on 
the  way.  Scientists  tell  us  that  we  travel 
in  cycles,  that  we  will  have  about  seven 
years  of  drought  and  seven  years  of  wet 
weather.  Listen,  brother,  the  reason  it 
doesn't  rain  is  because  the  moisture  doesn't 
come  in  contact  with  the  cool  air  currents 
to  condense  it. 

A  certain  society  predicts  the  end  of 
the  world  on  a  certain  day.  They  put  on 
their  ascension  robes  and  go  up  on  a  hill 
and  get  ready  to  go,  but  they  are  still  here. 

In  the  olden  days  there  were  witches. 
Someone  would  complain  that  some  old  lady 
bewitched  them.  She  was  hauled  up  to  the 
public  whipping  post  and  flogged.  Later  on 
a  board  of  officials  were  elected  who  had 
some  sense  and  they  published  an  edict  that 
anyone  who  claimed  to  be  bewitched  should 
be  flogged.  After  that  there  have  been  no 
witches. 

Some  guy  with  a  mortar  board  on  his 
head  will  tell  the  farmer  how  to  grow  corn. 
He  never  grew  any,  but  he  knows  all  about 
it  (on  paper)  and  probably  wouldn't  know 
a  cornfield  from  a  bullthistle  patch.  Some 
people  used  to  sow  flaxseed  on  a  certain 
day  before  sunrise  and  in  their  shirttails 
and  carry  a  peach  sprout  in  their  mouths 
the  length  they  wanted  the  flax  to  grow. 
Some  people  are  just  as  crazy  today.  Sup- 
pose we  all  try  and  use  a  little  common  horse 
sense. 

There,  we'll  betcha  Ernie  said  "Well,  you 
are  just  as  crazy  as  any  of  'em  if  you  don't 
stop  this  rambling  around." 

All  right,  we'll  plead  guilty,  for  we  are 
still  in  the  basement. 

COLONEL  J.  C.  JENKINS 

The  HERALD's  Vagabond  Colyumnist 

THE  HERALD  covers  the  field  like  an  APRIL 
SHOWER. 


Leroy  Will  Produce 
4  to  6  for  Warners 

Mervyn  Leroy  has  signed  a  contract  with 
Warner  Brothers  under  which  he  will  pro- 
duce from  four  to  six  pictures  yearly  to  be 
released  by  Warner  Brothers  as  Mervyn 
Leroy  productions.  Mr.  Leroy  is  only  35 
years  of  age.  His  latest  picture  is  "Anthony 
Adverse." 


26  Features  Released 

Regent  Films,  Inc.,  of  Montreal  has  re- 
leased 26  features  the  past  season. 


92 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    15,  1936 


CLASS!  n  CD 
ADVERTISING 


the  great 
national  medium 
for  showmen 


Ten  cents  per  word,  money-order  or  check  with  copy.  Count  initials,  box  number  and  address.  Minimum  insertion, 
$1.  Four  insertions  for  the  price  of  three.  Contract  rates  on  application.  No  borders  or  cuts.  Forms  close 
Mondays  at  5  P.M.  Publisher  reserves  the  right  to  reject  any  copy.  Film  and  trailer  service  advertising  not 
accepted.  Classified  advertising  not  subject  to  agency  commission.  Address  correspondence,  copy  and  checks  to 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD,  Classified  Dept.,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  City 


NEW  EQUIPMENT 


RAINBOW  MIST  SPRAY  NOZZLES,  WATER 
broken  to  the  finest  misty  spray  possible,  Foolproof. 
Special  offer.  New  territory.  PETERSON  FREEZEM 
SALES  CO.,  2620  Charlotte  St.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 


NO  FUN  TO  BE  FOOLED— PLAY  SAFE— 
judge  us  by  our  catalog,  our  reputation,  and  our  insti- 
tution— S.  O.  S.  will  stand  inspection.  Visit  our 
magnificent  showrooms  and  factories.  S.  O.  S.,  1600AB 
Broadway,  New  York. 


DOOIxS 


ORDER  NOW!  RICHARDSON'S  NEW  BLUE 
Book  of  Projection — 6th  edition  complete  in  one  vol- 
ume. 714  pages,  153  illustrations.  Full  text  on  projec- 
tion and  sound  combined  with  trouble-shooter,  $5.25 
postpaid.  OUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rockefeller  Center, 
New  York. 


GET  DOWN  TO  FUNDAMENTALS-READ— 
Sloane's  famous  "Motion  Picture  Projection,"  303 
pages,  fully  illustrated.  Textbook  of  New  York  In- 
stitute of  Photography.  Handsomely  bound  red  Moroc- 
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prices  Cameron's,  etc.  S.  O.  S.,  1600AB  Broadway, 
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THEATRE  ACCOUNTING  BY  WILLIAM  F. 
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complete  record  of  your  operations  for  each  day  of 
the  year.  Notable  for  its  simplicity.  Order  now — 
$3  postage  prepaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rocke- 
feller Center,  New  York. 


TRAINING  SCHCOL 


THEATRE  EMPLOYEES;  ADVANCE  TO  BET- 
J£rrT„th™re  P°sltl<">s-  Free  booklet  shows  you  how 
THEATRE  INSTITUTE.  315  Washington  St?Elmfa[; 


THEATRES  EOR  SALE 


MONEY-MAKER  7-DAY  OPERATION,  COUNTY 
seat,  Michigan;  550  seats;  1,500  population,  trade, 
resort  center.   Building,  equipment  good.  $7,000  Sale 

PTr?TTD0£  ^4^Tr°Aher  interests-  BOX  724,  MOTION 
PICTURE  HERALD. 


POSITIONS  WANTED 


SOUND  PROJECTIONIST,  RELIABLE  REFER- 
ences.  Any  equipment,  anywhere.  F  WALKER 
Box  128— Rt.  1.    La  Grange,  111.  >v^rmK, 


PROJECTIONIST  NOW  EMPLOYED  WISHES 
HERALD°Sltl°n      B°X    741'    MOTION  PICTURE 


MANAGER- PROJECTIONIST,  YOUNG.  ENER. 
get.c,  results  guaranteed.    JAMES,  4445  Clifton.  Chi- 


SOUND  EQtlPHENl 


"BEATS  ANYTHINGS  I'VE  EVER  HEARD" 
boasts  William  Hurd,  Mitchell,  South  Dakota.  "Cine- 
maphone  could  sell  for  twice  as  much."  Free  trial — 
write  S.  O.  S.,  1600AB  Broadway,  New  York. 

PREDDEY  COMPLETE  SOUND  SYSTEMS  FOR 
two  projectors  $600.  Hundreds  in  use.  Get  bulletin. 
PREDDEY,  188  Golden  Gate,  San  Francisco. 

MODERN  REALISTIC  REPRODUCTION  BRINGS 
crowds  to  your  theatre.  Boost  box-office  with  re- 
nowned Cinemaphone  wide  fidelity  sound.  Complete 
new  systems  from  $179.70.  Specially  designed  for  all 
latest  process  recordings,  including  ultra  violet.  Every 
part  standard,  guaranteed  brand  new.  Sold  on  free 
trial,  with  written  warranty  of  performance.  You  need 
Cinemaphone  now  Ask  for  details  and  liberal  trade-in 
offer.    S.  O.  S.,  1600AB  Broadway,  New  York. 


GENERAL 
EQUIPMENT 


NEW  AND  RECONDITIONED  PROJECTORS, 
reflector  lamps,  rectifiers,  lenses,  sound  equipment, 
screens,  chairs,  mazdas,  portables  and  accessories. 
Bargain  bulletin  free.  MONARCH  THEATRE 
SUPPLY  CO..  Memphis.  Tenn. 

EVERYTHING  REQUIRED  FOR  THEATRES, 
new  and  used.  Big  complete  stock ;  lowest  prices. 
Lamps,  sound,  projectors,  screens,  chairs,  lenses,  etc. 
Get  bulletin.  Export  specialists.  PREDDEY,  188 
Golden  Gate  Ave.,  San  Francisco,  Calif. 

TAKEN  AT  RANDOM  FROM  OUR  NEW  CAT- 
alog — 500  watt  stereopticons,  $19.75;  slide  mats,  box  98c 
6  ampere  rectifier  bulbs,  $4.95;  2000'  welded  reels,  $1.57. 
fireproof  enclosed  rewinders,  $27.95;  film  splicers,  $4.69. 
Thousands  of  other  bargains.  S.  O.  S.,  1600AB  Broad 
wav,  New  York. 


RECONDITIONED  THEATRE  CHAIRS.  LARGE 
quantity  various  types  always  available.  Veneer, 
squab  and  -spring  seat  theatre  chairs  at  attractive 
prices.  Also  have  a  few  reconditioned  ticket  selling 
machines  and  lighting  fixtures.  Tell  us  your  require- 
ments. AMUSEMENT  SUPPLY  CO.,  INC.,  341  W. 
44th  Street,  N.  Y. 

SCREEN  PRICES  SMASHED!  THINK  OF  BUY- 
ing  brand  new  flamep-oof,  top  quality  grade  "A" 
sound  screens  at  only  22Vzc  sq.  ft.  for  Voco-Chrome; 
27yic  sq.  ft.  for  Voco-Beaded!  Every  screen  guar- 
anteed; every  screen  product  of  nationally  known 
maker.  Don't  inflict  an  old  worn  screen  on  customers 
when  a  new  screen  costs  so  little.  Buy  today!  Sale 
prices  positively  end  Sept.  15th.  S.  O.  S.,  1600AB 
Broadway,  New  York. 


WANTED  TO  DUr 


READY  CASH  WAITING  FOR  ANY  NUMBER 
Powers,  Simplex  projectors,  mechanisms,  lenses,  gen- 
erators, reflector  arc  lamps,  rectifiers,  mazdas,  chairs, 
portables,  sound  outfits,  and  complete  theatre  equip- 
ment.  BOX  717,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 

_  WILL  BUY  SIMPLEX  HEADS  OR  PROJECTORS, 
incomplete,  worn  or  otherwise.  Cash.  PREDDEY, 
188  Golden  Gate,  San  Francisco. 

HIGHEST  CASH  PRICES  FOR  RCA  SOUND, 
Simplex,  Powers  projectors,  arc  lamps,  rectifiers, 
generators.  Stocks  liquidated.  Strictly  confidential. 
BOX  740,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


USED  EQUIPMENT 


WILL  SACRIFICE:  PEERLESS  LAMPS,  ROTH 
generators,  rectifiers.  Simplex  projectors.  PENN 
THEATRE  EQUIPMENT  COMPANY,  309  North 
Thirteenth  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

UNUSUAL  BARGAINS  IN  USED  OPERA 
chairs,  sound  equipment,  motion  picture  machines, 
screens,  spotlights,  stereopticons,  etc.  Projection  ma- 
chines repaired.  Catalogue  H  free.  MOVIE  SUPPLY 
COMPANY,  Ltd.,  844  So.  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago. 

RECONDITIONED  EQUIPMENT  AT  BARGAIN 
prices — (pair)  Simplex  projectors  $325;  Morelite  Deluxe 
lamp  with  automatic  arc  control  and  15  ampere 
rectifier  $190;  (pair)  Strong  lamps  $175;  Peerless  lamj 
$175.  Special  buy  on  new  15  ampere  rectifiers  with 
bulbs  $80  (pair) ;  18  ampere  generator  $75.  CROWN,  311 
West  44th  St.,  New  York. 

YOUR  OPPORTUNITY  TO  BUY  CHAIRS. 
Warehouse  chuck  full  of  veneer  back,  panel  back  and 
fully  upholstered  chairs.  Special  on  spring  cushions 
newly  covered  $1  each.  Don't  delay.  ALLIED  SEAT- 
ING CO.,  358  W.  44th  St.,  New  York  City. 

$85.00  TAKES,  GENNET  DUAL  CHANNEL  AM- 
plifier,  2  Wright  DeCoster  speakers  A-l  condition. 
MAJESTIC,  5004  Olcott  Avenue,  East  Chicago,  Ind. 

LARGE  STOCK  RECONDITIONED  PROJECTION 
equipment.  RCA  sound  equipment,  only  one  set 
left  at  a  bargain!  Simplex  projectors.  Strong,  Peer- 
less, Super  Morelite,  Brenkert,  G.E.  mazda  and 
Suprex  lamphouses.  Forest  15  ampere  and  30  ampere 
reconditioned  rectifiers.  Roth,  Hertner  and  Westing- 
house  generators,  various  sizes.  Reconditioned  port- 
able sound  projectors.  Lenses.  General  Register 
ticket  machines.  Theatre  chairs.  Old  equipment  ac- 
cepted in  trade.  Tell  us  your  needs.  AMUSEMENT 
SUPPLY  CO.,  INC.,  341  W.  44th  Street,  N.  Y. 

FIRST  $50  GETS  POWERS  6A  PROJECTOR  GOOD 
condition.    BOX  454,  Huron,  S.  D. 


VENTILATING 
EQUIPMENT 


BIGGEST  ATTENDANCE  BOOSTER  IN  YEARS— 
blowers  complete,  no  extras,  $59.50:  silent  air  circula- 
tors, $49.50;  oscillating  fans,  16",  $17.95;  large  exhaust 
fans,  $19.95.  You  can  afford  our  prices.  S.  O.  S., 
160OAB   Broadway,  New  York. 


AIP  CONDITIONING 


AIR  CONDITIONING  CHARTS  THAT  REPRE- 
sent  standard  practice  in  air  conditioning  for  motion 
picture  theatres.  Practical  advice  on  how  to  attain 
the  best  atmospheric  conditions  for  your  house  winter 
and  summer.  Devised  to  be  put  on  the  wall  for  con- 
stant reference.  Available  until  the  supply  is  ex- 
hausted at  25c  each,  pavment  direct.  BETTER 
THEATRES,  Rockefeller  Center.  New  York. 


ADDED  REVENUE 


YELLOW  POP  CORN  $9.95  PER  HUNDRED. 
Write  for  special  prices.  ROMULUS  POP  CORN 
GROWERS,  Romulus,  Mich. 


#V  "BIG  1E#UE!" 

"cDiFNniDLY  SUNG!  h^^^&^££ 

_   '         VT-W  1       /  from  an  i„rfps  °'  c/as^  7°Ur  Hear/,f         comes'°*n  Eldredge  in  the 

I  s       ,     Here  is  Republics  mos, * *  °« g  g  ^        /  „ ^  ?  ^'VSfc  ^fg* 

I  (Hou..««  A*h7ip""e„  ployed  in  >*  f  °f  ,  S  elaborate  sfW^  Jfe  ,n  te  g  «  ^ .  and  M,cte/«'-e  «  „/„.  °f  , 

■  preaching  normalcy,         because  oi  [recuei  .  a„  o(       ne  »u,     *o  ,„  ,h      «  s  n,  ,„e         ens  a    ore  r 

■  earrying  on  her  romance  I  ^  « .,  ,      ^  ,    mans,0n  ,»  ;.,,v„       ;  n ,  ar  „,  ,n  ne 

■  >«.berni  ^^^4^^  —  •  ^^^^ 

lBafrt;;rag.ven-o^ 

1      ■     ProductionCode^^j______  ■ 


Para  mount's 


are  coming 


. . .  see  pages 

41  to  44 


MOTION  PICTURE 

HERALD 


SCHOOL  FILMS  OPENING 
NEW    $10,000,000  FIELD 

MPTOA  THREATENS  TO 
ASK  FOR  LEGISLATION 

MOTIF  OF  STAGE  MUSIC 
IS  APPLIED  TO  SCREEN 


HOLLYWOOD  RETURNS  TO 
BACKING    STAGE  PLAYS 

AMERICAN  FILMS  FACE 
NEW  MENACE  IN  FRANCE 

STORY  PURCHASES  SET 
LOW  MARK  FOR  MONTH 


VOL  1 24,  NO.  8  In  Two  Sections  — Section  One  AUGUST  22,  I936 

Entered  as  second-class  matter.  January  12,  1931,  at  the  Post  Office,  at  Meiv  York,  N.  Y..  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879.  Published  weekly 
by   Quialey  Publishing  Co.,  Inc.,  at   1270  Sixth  Avenue,   Rockefeller    Center,   New   York.    Subscription,   $3.00   a  year.    Single   copies,   25  cents. 


SAFETY 
FIRST! 

Pin  an  M-G-M  contract 
to  your  theatre  and 
enjoy  life  in  1936-37! 


THE  BOX-OFFICE 
BABIES  KEEP 
COMING  FROM  MR 
AND  MRS.  LEO! 

Talk  about 
Blessed  events! 
Mr-  and  Mrs.  Leo  are 
Something  marvelous! 

# 

Their  newest 
Howling  success  is 
"PICCADILLY  JIM"— 
Congratulations  are 
Pouring  in  from 
Opening  engagements 
From  coast-to-coast! 


<><y 


"PICCADILLY  JIM" 
Joins  the  Box-office 
Baby  parade  of 
M-G-M  hits! 
No  kidding!  What  a 
Thrill  to  be  an 
M-G-M  papa! 


The  next 
Blessed  event! 

(See  Page  19  and  then 
keep  going  to  Page  25) 


LOOKS  LIKE  THERE'S  GOING  TO  BE  A 

The  Critics  Won't  Stop  Cheering 
The  Crowds  Won't  Stop  Coming -So 


VE  EVER  HAht.  8,<5G£Sr  sm!!  tUs'Vf 


By  the  Producers,  Author  and  Star  of  "Ceiling  Zero"  — with 

PAT  O'BRIEN 


F 


ROSS  ALEXANDER 
BEVERLY  ROBERTS 
HUMPHREY  BOGART 
MARIE  WILSON 

Joseph  Crehan  •  Joseph 
King  •  Addison  Richards 
Directed  by 
Raymond  Enright 

A  First  National  Picture 


N-STOP  FLIGHT! 


I 


The  FRONT  And  Center  Of  All  Eyes  On  Broadway! 

It's  got  a  load  of  flash  —  with  a  red 
flasher  light  marking  the  Clipper's 
course  across  the  globe.  Recording 
of  airplane  motor  over  the  P.  A. 
system  adds  drama  and  sound  to 
the  display.  There  ought  to  be  an 
idea  in  it  for  you — so  help  yourself! 


Those  who  thrilled  to  'Ceiling  Zero'  will 
find  a  double  jolt  of  aerial  entertainment! 

It  is  excellent!"  -W.  Y.  American 

'Stunning  sequel  to  'Ceiling  Zero  !  Powerful 

and  eXCiting!"  -Daily  Mirror 

A  thing  of  remarkable  photographic 
beauty ,  suspense  and  tingling  excitement! 
China  Clipper'  is  another  vivid  chapter 
in  the  screen's  history  of  aviation  filmed  by 

WARNER  BROS 


yoUt 


from 


floret* 


cteen 
\    tor  pt 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 


Vol.  124,  No.  8 


OP 


August  22,  1936 


The  Mary  Astor 
case  and  what  not 
to  do  about  it 

THE  public  press,  or  in  this  instance  perhaps  we  should 
say  the  lay  press,  has  gone  into  a  mid-summer  dither 
about  Miss  Mary  Astor  and  what  she  wrote,  also  what 
she  is  surmised  to  have  written,  in  a  diary  that  has  been 
teased  around  the  edges  of  a  litigation  with  her  former  husband. 

Much  of  the  discussion,  published  and  unpublished,  has  been 
around  and  about  the  fact  that  it  chances  that  the  charming 
lady  is  a  motion  picture  star,  and  a  member  of  the  Holly- 
wood community. 

The  fact  remains,  however,  that  Miss  Astor's  conduct  at 
home,  off-stage  and  elsewhere,  including  those  gaily  fanciful 
moments  when  she  has  her  diary  pencil  in  hand,  is  none  of 
Hollywood's  business,  also  none  of  the  public's  business. 

The  motion  picture  and  its  audience  are  properly  interested 
about  what  Miss  Astor  may  do  upon  the  screen  for  those 
hours  when  she  is  engaged  in  public  appearance,  for  hire.  Up 
to  this  time  and  after  many  screen  appearances,  she  has  borne 
good  repute  and  has  won  high  esteem  and  stardom,  from  an 
obscure  beginning  and  sheerly  by  her  own  abilities  and  efforts. 

IT  is  both  interesting  and  encouraging  to  discover  that  the 
motion  picture  industry,  sensitive  as  it  is  and  always  has 
I  been,  has  been  able  to  view  the  case  and  its  wide  pub- 
licity without  extraordinary  alarms.  Naturally  enough  there 
has  been  a  desire,  and  some  effort,  on  the  part  of  the  organ- 
ized industry  and  its  interested  principals,  to  prevent  the 
spreading  of  tales  of  a  domestic  mishap  involving  one  of  its 
people.  But  there  have  been  no  such  manifestations  as  those 
which  made  the  industry  conspicuous  by  its  protests,  denials 
and  defenses  of  a  decade  and  a  half  ago.  There  is  evidence 
that  the  motion  picture  business  is  growing  up. 

It  is  also  to  be  observed  that  the  general  status  of  the 
motion  picture  community  in  terms  of  the  conventions,  in  the 
public  mind,  is  given  emphasis  by  the  degree  in  which  the 
Mary  Astor  case  seems  to  be  taken  as  news.  Hollywood  is 
no  longer  the  world  capital  of  whoopee,  etc.,  when  one  little 
diary  can  make  an  international  impression. 

What  may  happen  about  the  screen  career  of  Miss  Astor 
from  this  point  on  is,  and  should  be,  a  matter  for  the  decision 
of  the  screen  public.  It  is  just  possible  that  a  producer  with 
her  in  the  cast  of  a  product  in  the  making  might  have  some 


moments  of  bepuzzlement,  but  the  answer  is  with  the  audience. 
If  it  appears  now  or  subsequently  that  the  public  is  minded 
to  see  Miss  Astor  upon  the  screen,  she  will  be  on  the  screen. 

THE  only  grave  mistake  that  could  be  made  by  the  actress 
or  a  producer  would  be  to  endeavour  in  any,  even  re- 
mote and  slight,  degree  to  capitalize  publicity  pertaining 
to  her  private  life  and  its  adventures,  be  they  few  or  many. 

It  is  to  be  anticipated  that  there  will  be  discussion  among 
reviewing  and  semi-regulative  organizations  and  boards  of 
censorship  about  what  to  do  about  Mary  Astor.  Their  answer, 
if  sane,  will  be  "nothing". 

The  Mary  Astor  before  the  motion  picture  public  is  the 
Mary  Astor  of  and  on  the  screen.  She  is  for  the  screen  public 
what  she  plays  on  the  studio  stage. 

Adult  minded  persons  will  know  that  revelations  of  Miss 
Astor's  diary  to  the  public  mean  hardly  more  than  the  reflec- 
tion of  a  set  of  reveries,  the  projection  in  words  of  a  sequence 
of  day  dreams.  Diaries  are  books  of  wishing,  more  often 
than  not  laden  with  romantic  speculations  and  adventures  of 
fancy  rather  than  fact.  Self-censorships  of  convention  protect 
the  most  of  us,  sometimes  before  the  conscious  thought, 
usually  before  the  spoken  word  or  act,  and  almost  always,  not 
quite  always  it  seems,  before  making  it  of  written  record. 

Miss  Astor  it  would  appear  has  been  a-dreaming  quite  a 
bit,  and  alas  on  paper.  It  is  most  unfortunate.  It  is  perhaps 
a  bit  embarrassing — like,  for  instance,  taking  six  drinks  too 
many  and  telling  a  producer  the  truth — but  it  is  not  of  cosmic 
importance. 

This  sort  of  thing  will  happen  from  time  to  time  no  doubt. 
And  what  of  it? 

AAA 

REACTIONS! 

JUST  when  we  thought  everything  was  again  under  control 
in  Hollywood,  it  is  to  be  discovered,  in  connection  with 
exploitation  of  "Romeo  and  Juliet",  that  Metro-Soldwyn- 
Mayer  is  proclaiming  in  the  display  space  of  the  daily  press 
that  "Jim  Tully  had  an  orgiastic  affair  with  his  typewriter  .  .  .  ", 
that  "Anita  Loos  .  .  .  cried  out",  that  Robert  Benchley  suc- 
cumbed .  .  .  ".  Wonder  what  happened  to  Shakespeare? 

AAA 

THE  katydids  are  singing  in  the  twilights  of  the  valley  of 
the  Silvermine,  and  that,  in  the  opinion  of  the  sage  hill 
folk  of  Connecticut,  means  it's  only  five  weeks  to  the  first 
frost.  The  pumpkin  crop  will  have  to  hurry.  Now  is  the  time 
to  edit  the  schedule  of  "things  to  be  done  this  summer". 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  MARTIN  QUIGLEY,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher 

Incorporating  Exhibitor's  Herald,  founded  1915;  Motion  Picture  News,  tounded  1913;  Moving  Picture  World,  founded  1907;  Motography,  founded  1909;  The  Film  Index, 
founded  1906.  Published  every  Thursday  by  Quigiey  Publishing  Company,  Rockefeller  Cenrei,  New  Tork  City.  lelephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address  "Quigpubco,  New  York." 
Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Colvin  Brown,  Vice-President  and  General  Manager;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Editor;  Ernest  A.  Rovelstad,  Managing  Editor;  Chicago 
Bureau,  624  South  Michigan  Avenue,  C.  B.  O'Neill,  manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Postal  Union  Life  Building,  Boone  Mancall,  manager;  London  Bureau,  4,  Golden 
Square,  London  W  I,  Bruce  Allan,  cable  Quigpubco  London;  Berlin  Bureau,  Berlin-Tempelhof,  Kaiserin-Augustastrasse  28,  Joachim  K.  Rutenberg,  representative;  Paris 
Bureau,  29,  Rue  Marsoulan,  Paris  12,  France,  Pierre  Autre,  representative,  cable  Autre-Lacifral-12  Paris;  Rome  Bureau,  Viale  Gorizia,  Rome,  Italy,  Vittorio  Malpassuti, 
representative,  Italcable,  Malpassuti,  Rome;  Melbourne  Bureau,  Regent  Theatre,  191  Collins  St.,  Melbourne,  Australia,  Cliff  Holt,  representative;  Mexico  City  Bureau,  Apartado  269, 
Mexico  City,  James  Lockhart,  representative;  Prague  Bureau,  Uhelny  trh  2,  Prague  I,  Czechoslovakia,  Harry  Knopf,  representative;  Budapest  Bureau,  3,  Kaplar-u,  Budapest,  Hungary, 
Endre  Hevesi,  representative;  Buenos  Aires  Bureau,  Corrientes  2495,  Dep.  8,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina,  Natalio  Bruski,  representative;  Shanghai  Bureau.  142  Museum  Road,  Shanghai, 
China,  J.  P.  Koehler,  representative;  Tokyo  Bureau,  880  Sasazuka,  Ichikawa-shi,  Chiba-Ken,  Japan,  H.  Tominaga,  representative;  Rio  de  Janeiro  Bureau,  Caixa  Postal  3358, 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil,  A.  Weissmann,  representative;  Barcelona  Bureau,  Harry  Chapin  Plummer,  Hotel  Ritz,  Plaza  de  las  Cortes,  Barcelona,  Spain.  India  Bureau;  K.  G.  Gidwaney, 
Post  Box  147,  Bunder  Road,  Karachi,  India;  Uruguay,  P.O.  Box  664,  Montevideo,  Uruguay,  Paul  Bodo,  representative,  cable  Argus  Montevideo;  Amsterdam  Bureau,  Zuider  Amstellaan 
5,  Amsterdam,  Holland,  Ph.  de  Schaap,  representative.  Member  Audit  Bureau  of  Circula  ions.  All  contents  copyright  1936  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Address  all  corres- 
pondence to  the  New  York  Office.  Better  Theatres,  devoted  to  the  construction,  equipment  and  operation  of  theatres,  is  published  every  fourth  week  as  section  2  of  Motion  Picture 
Herald.  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Daily,  Teatro  al  Dia,  Spanish  language  quarterly  in  the  theatre  and  equipment  field,  and  International  Motion  Picture  Almanac 
and  the  Box  Office  Check-up,  both  published  annually. 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


This  Week 


ci 


assroom  Films 

Alliance  of  the  motion  picture  with  educa- 
tion, delayed  somewhat  by  decreased  budgets 
during  the  depression,  is  being  closely 
knitted  through  the  efforts  of  national  groups 
of  educators  who  are  realizing  the  possibili- 
ties of  visual  instruction  as  an  invaluable  aid 
in  the  classroom.  Developments  in  the  field 
have  proceeded  in  two  directions.  Prepara- 
tion of  film  libraries  and  catalogues  and 
purchase  and  installation  of  projection 
equipment  in  the  schools  are  being  advo- 
cated by  the  National  Council  of  English 
Teachers  and  furthered  by  such  groups  as 
the  American  Council  on  Education  and  the 
national  Y.M.C.A.  Many  cities  are  estab- 
lishing Bureaus  of  Visual  Education  and 
buying  suitable  equipment  for  schools.  In 
addition  many  supervisors  and  boards  are 
preparing  syllabi  for  the  addition  of  motion 
picture  appreciation  courses  to  the  English 
departments  of  high  schools. 

A  review  of  recent  developments  in  the 
field  appears  on  page  13. 


ASCAP  Trial 


Electric  Storm 


The  competitive  contest  that  has  been 
waged  between  RCA  and  Erpi  for  sound 
business  is  now  being  extended  to  exhibi- 
tion, RCA  taking  away  300  Fox-Skouras 
theatres  from  Erpi  for  servicing,  while  Erpi 
acquires  74  Schine  theatres  from  RCA  for 
the  same  purposes. 

The  engagement  between  the  two  big 
electrics  already  has  many  ramifications,  re- 
ported on  page  18. 

French  Restrictions 

Two  plans  for  development  of  France's 
own  film  industry  are  being  promoted,  one 
by  the  trades  unions  and  calling  for  na- 
tionalizing all  phases  of  the  business,  the 
other  by  a  national  economy  association. 
In  both  plans,  a  fundamental  preachment  is 
that  the  number  of  imported  pictures  must 
be  reduced. 

Details  of  both  plans  are  presented  in  the 
article  starting  on  page  71. 


Reorganization 


Reorganization  proceedings  affecting 
three  major  Chicago  neighborhood  theatres 
were  completed  this  week  and  leases  were 
given  to  the  present  holders,  Balaban  and 
Katz.  The  houses  are  the  Granada,  Broad- 
way Strand  and  Marbro,  on  each  of  which 
new  bond  issues  are  called  for  under  the 
reorganization  plan  approved. 

William  F.  Crouch's  account  of  this  and 
other  tradfe  dez>elopments  in  the  Chicago 
area  is  published  on  page  100. 


If  attorneys  for  the  American  Society  of 
Composers,  Authors  and  Publishers  and  for 
the  United  States  attorney  general's  office 
are  unable  to  agree  on  stipulations  of  fact 
to  be  included  in  the  evidence  in  the  Gov- 
ernment's monopoly  action  against  the  soci- 
ety, the  case  may  be  returned  to  trial  this 
winter,  it  was  indicated  this  week.  At  the 
same  time  music  publishers  in  New  York 
pointed  out  that  ASCAP's  threatened  with- 
drawal from  Canada  need  cause  little  fear 
on  the  part  of  exhibitors  in  that  country 
because  prosecutions  for  unlicensed  per- 
formances would  be  unlikely. 

Developments  in  the  monopoly  action  and 
the  publishers'  views  on  the  Canadian  situ- 
ation are  detailed  on  page  73. 


Editorial 

Pictorial  Preview 

British  Studios 

This  Week  in  Pictures 

The  Hollywood  Scene 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me 

Showmen's  Reviews 

Asides  and  Interludes 

The  Cutting  Room 

J.  C.  Jenkins — His  Colyum 

Managers'  Round  Table 

Productions  in  Work 

The  Release  Chart 

Technological 

Chicago 

Box  Office  Receipts 


Page  7 
Page  16 
Page  81 
Page  10 
Page  37 
Page  107 
Page  39 
Page  35 
Page  33 
Page  129 
Page  109 
Page  106 
Page  119 
Page  90 
Page  100 
Page  93 


New  Stage  Financing 

The  return  of  motion  picture  interests  to 
the  financing  of  Broadway  legitimate  theatre 
productions  was  revealed  this  week,  but  not 
in  the  oldtime  manner  whereunder  the  com- 
panies placed  money  at  producers'  disposals. 
Seven  motion  picture  companies  have 
banded  together  to  finance  the  Bureau 
of  New  Plays,  Inc.,  which  is  being  directed 
by  Theresa  Helburn,  to  promote  young 
writers  through  a  prize  play  competition. 

Details  regarding  the  new  organization, 
along  with  a  general  discussion  of  the  legiti- 
mate theatre's  plans  for  the  coming  season, 
are  found  in  the  story  on  page  23. 

New  Stories  Bought 

Motion  picture  producers  during  July  pur- 
chased 32  vehicles  as  future  material  for 
their  stars,  for  release  during  this  season. 
Of  this  number,  20  were  original  stories 
and  the  remaining  12  were  taken  from  pub- 
lished magazine  stories  and  novels.  The  pur- 
chases for  July  were  marked  by  the  com- 
plete absence  of  Broadway  legitimate  shows, 
indicating  the  motion  picture  is  turning  less 
frequently  in  that  direction  for  screen  mate- 
rial. 

For  a  complete  list  of  purchases  by  the 
various  organizations,  see  the  story  on 
page  38. 


Anoth 


er  "Informer"? 


Hollywood  is  asking  itself  whether  RKO- 
Radio  will  find  itself  possessed  of  another 
"Informer,"  slow-building,  honor-winning, 
art-box  office  success,  in  "The  Plough  and 
the  Stars,"  Sean  O'Casey  play  nearing  com- 
pletion with  Barbara  Stanwyck,  Norman 
Foster  and  a  cast  including  five  present  and 
two  former  members  of  the  Abbey  Players. 
John  Ford,  Dudley  Nichols  and  others  re- 
sponsible for  various  phases  of  "The  In- 
former" are  among  those  depended  upon  to 
bring  the  new  Irish-rebellion  picture  up  to 
and  above  the  previous  par. 

Gus  McCarthy's  pictorial  preview  of  the 
production,  together  with  informative  com- 
ment, appears  on  page  16-17.  s 

Sound  Reinforcing 

A  Stereophonic  Sound  Reinforcing  Sys- 
tem was  demonstrated  by  Electrical  Research 
Products  Corporation  at  a  symphonic  con- 
cert conducted  by  Leopold  Stokowski  at  the 
Hollywood  Bowl  this  week.  The  system, 
designed  to  increase  tenfold  the  sound  atmo- 
sphere created  by  an  orchestra  while  pre- 
serving the  "auditory  perspective"  by  which 
the  audience  can  identify  the  location  of 
each  instrument  or  choir,  employs  two  new 
principles. 

An  explanation  of  them  and  the  effect  the 
system  aims  to  achieve  are  given  on  page 
101. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


Legislation  Warning 

Although  legislation  to  correct  trade  prac- 
tices is  regarded  as  "unsatisfactory  and  ar- 
bitrary" and  litigation  as  "futile,  expensive 
and  hopeless,"  a  bulletin  issued  this  week 
by  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  declared  that  regulation  by  such 
means  will  be  forced  on  the  industry  if  dis- 
tributors fail  to  accept  the  organization's  10 
point  fair  trade  practice  program.  The  bul- 
letin indicated  that  if  such  regulation  is  to 
come  it  will  be  better  for  the  industry  if  a 
"responsible  group  of  exhibitors"  should 
have  something  to  say  about  the  provisions 
of  the  statutes. 

A  digest  of  the  bulletin  and  an  interview 
with  Edward  Kuykendall,  president  of 
MPTOA,  appear  on  page  36. 

Earnings  Increased 

Statements  showing  increased  earnings 
over  1935  have  been  issued  by  Warner 
Brothers  Pictures,  Inc.,  Eastman  Kodak 
Company  and  American  Seating  Company. 
A  net  loss  has  been  shown  by  one  company 
in  recent  financial  news,  Universal  Pictures. 
The  common  stock  of  Loew's,  Inc.,  hit  a 
new  high  for  the  year  on  the  New  York 
Stock  Exchange  during  the  week. 

Details  of  the  latest  financial  statements 
are  tabulated  on  page  21. 

Grand  National  Set 

With  a  convention  at  the  Hotel  Warwick, 
New  York  City,  held  on  Monday  and  Tues- 
day, and  a  similar  session  scheduled  for 
Chicago  later  in  the  week,  Grand  National 
Films,  Inc.,  officially  will  begin  functioning 
in  the  distribution  field  on  September  1st. 
Carl  M.  Leserman,  vice-president  of  the 
company,  announced  that  28  exchanges  are 
now  ready.  The  first  picture  on  the  schedule 
is  "Devil  on  Horseback,"  which  is  set  for 
release  on  September  22d. 

Plans  of  the  new  company  as  discussed  at 
the  New  York  convention  are  outlined  on 
page  80. 

Shakespeare  Opening 

William  Shakespeare  of  Avon,  on  Thurs- 
day evening,  makes  his  second  motion  pic- 
ture appearance  in  the  present  Shakespearean 
cycle  sponsored  by  Hollywood.  He  comes 
again  to  Broadway,  in  "Romeo  and  Juliet," 
to  the  accompaniment  of  blinding  arc  lamps, 
starched  shirts  on  Park  Avenue  millionaires 
and  Broadway  playboys,  and  glaring  dia- 
monds worn  by  their  ladies.  His  appear- 
ance follows  that  of  one  year  ago,  when 
Warner  Brothers  brought  out  "A  Midsum- 
mer Night's  Dream."  On  this  latest  oc- 
casion he  comes  at  the  invitation  of  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  and  Nicholas  Schenck. 

If  previous  "Hollywood  openings"  have 


been  press-agented  as  "million  dollar" 
events,  MGM  promises  that  its  Shakespeare 
will  come  in  on  a  "two-million-dollar" 
opening,  with  six  platoons  of  sturdy  police- 
men to  maintain  order  and  an  extra  large 
delegation  of  autograph  "pests"  to  tear  the 
gowns  of  gathering  celebrities. 
The  story  is  on  page  63. 

8  to  5 

Production  upped  slightly  in  Hollywood 
last  week  with  eight  pictures  going  into 
work  while  five  were  being  moved  to 
the  cutting  room.  Universal,  making  up  for 
lost  time,  accounted  for  three  of  the  starting 
productions.  The  shortage  of  stage  space 
continued  a  factor  in  production  plans  and 
welcome  was  the  news  that,  following  Har- 
old Lloyd's  leasing  of  space  at  the  General 
Service  studios,  a  new  stage  will  be  con- 
structed at  that  place. 

An  over-all  reporting  of  the  Hollywood 
scene  is  published  under  that  caption  on 
page  37. 

Political  Antidote 

The  industry  was  cited  this  week  by  Will 
H.  Hays  as  being  fortunate  to  have  35  out- 
standing productions  coming  in  the  fall 
season,  these  to  be  pitted  against  the  threat- 
ening competition  of  the  presidential  cam- 
paign to  box  offices. 

Titles  of  the  films  and  the  reasons  why 
they  will  be  especially  necessary  during  the 
political  ballyhooing,  appear  on  page  24. 

Exaggerated 

Stories  from  Hollywood  reporters  in  the 
daily  press  have  featured  a  supposed  demand 
on  the  part  of  exhibitors  for  pictures  star- 
ring Mary  Astor.  The  reports  are  exag- 
gerated, according  to  the  sales  offices  of  four 
major  companies  in  New  York.  Writers 
for  the  United  Press,  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Journal  and  the  North  American 
Newspaper  Alliance  all  based  their  stories 
on  the  fact  that  the  release  date  for  "Dods- 
worth"  has  been  advanced  to  September 
15th  and  concluded  that  the  reason  was  that 
exhibitors  are  demanding  quick  release  of 
Miss  Astor's  latest  vehicle  in  order  to  cash 
in  on  the  current  publicity. 

The  reports  are  quoted  on  page  54. 

Fight  Film  Receipts 

The  success  of  the  fight  films  of  the  re- 
cent Joe  Louis-Max  Schmeling  heavy- 
weight battle  has  proved  to  exhibitors  what 
an  asset  such  pictures  can  be,  and  Jack 
Dietz,  distributor  of  the  pictures,  now  finds 
himself  taking  orders  before  the  fight  rather 
than  after. 

This  aspect,  and  the  success  of  the  Louis- 
Schmeling  film  throughout  the  country,  are 
discussed  in  the  story  found  on  page  64. 


Woodhull  Dies 

Death  came  unexpectedly  on  Wednesday 
to  R.  F.  (Pete)  Woodhull,  former  exhibitor 
leader  and  for  years  the  president  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
America. 

Mr.  Woodhull  spent  sixteen  years  in  the 
industrial  and  banking  fields  before  he  en- 
tered exhibition,  in  1918,  as  manager  of 
the  Baker  theatre,  at  Dover,  N.  J.,  his  home. 
At  Milwaukee  in  1924  he  began  his  service 
as  MPTOA  executive,  and  his  speaking 
ability  was  well  known  to  exhibitors  attend- 
ing conventions  between  that  date  and  1928. 

Further  details  of  Mr.  Woodhull' s  career 
are  sketched  on  page  63. 

Chance  Games 

Court  and  legislative  activities  on  chance 
games  this  week  centered  in  nine  territories 
where  decisions  were  made  that  were  favor- 
able in  some  instances  to  the  operators  of 
the  practice  and  unfavorable  in  others.  Bos- 
ton conducted  an  investigation  into  Beano 
and  ruled  that  in  the  future  the  game  must 
be  conducted  by  charitable  organizations  and 
not  by  individuals.  In  New  York,  Claude 
Ezell,  of  Affiliated  Enterprises,  Inc.,  con- 
troller of  Bank  Night,  said  that  more  than 
5,000  houses  were  using  the  game. 

For  details  of  the  actions  in  the  various 
cities,  see  page  74. 

Spain's  Confusion 

The  Spanish  situation  as  it  affects  the 
motion  picture  business  has  become  so  con- 
fusing that  all  attempts  to  foretell  the  out- 
come, even  as  far  as  the  immediate  future 
is  concerned,  have  been  abandoned.  Both 
distribution  and  exhibition,  including  Amer- 
ican companies'  activities,  are  at  a  complete 
standstill. 

Correspondent  Harry  Plummer  writes 
from  the  inside  at  Barcelona,  on  page  87. 

Self-Regulation 

The  Hays  organization  in  a  dual  report 
this  week  cited  the  advancements  made  in 
improving  the  quality  and  tone  of  both  mo- 
tion pictures  and  motion  picture  advertise- 
ments, under  the  industry's  system  of  self- 
regulation. 

See  page  101. 

No  Costly  Guesses 

The  120  theatres  of  Fox  Midwest  Circuit 
in  the  agricultural  country  of  the  middle- 
west  hereafter  will  stay  clear  of  expensive 
experiments  in  exploitation  for  the  old  tried- 
and-proven  methods  of  merchandising. 

The  manner  in  which  the  circuit  intends 
substituting  the  old  for  the  new  is  described 
on  page  61. 


10 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


This  Week  in  Pictures 


TECHNICIANS  AND  ARTISTS.  Dr.  Harvey  Fletcher 
handled  for  Bell  Telephone  and  Electrical  Research 
Products,  Inc.,  the  engineering  for  the  concert  of 
Dr.  Leopold  Stokowski's  orchestra  Monday  at  the 
Hollywood  Bowl.  Left  to  right:  Boris  Morros  of 
Paramount's  musical  director;  Mrs.  Fletcher,  Dr. 
Stokowski,  Dr.  Fletcher,  and  Professor  Carl  Millikan. 


IN  PARIS.  Marlene  Dietrich,  of  Para- 
mount's "Desire,"  arrives  at  the  French 
capital,  at  the  Gare  Saint-Lazare.  Ac- 
companying the  romantic  screen  star  is 
her  husband,  Rudolph  Sieber,  with  her 
on  her  vacation. 


FROM  THE  STAGE  to  the  Hollywood 
screen  stage  comes  Natalie  Garson, 
from  the  ranks  of  Broadway's  younger 
actresses,  to  add  luster  to  MGM's 
"Women  Are  Trouble." 


DOTS  AND  DASHES.  Charles  M.  Talley,  Missouri 
Pacific  telegrapher,  is  the  guest  of  Nat  Levine,  of 
Republic,  at  a  preview  at  the  Kansas  City  Plaza 
of  "Follow  Your  Heart,"  in  which  his  daughter, 
Marion  Talley,  opera  star,  makes  her  screen  bow. 


PATSY  OF  THE  O'CONNORS.  Her 
five  years  packed  with  experience  of 
vaudeville  and  Chicago  World's  Fair  as 
singer,  dancer  and  impersonator,  Patsy 
is  signed  for  Columbia  pictures. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


AND  BOTH  HAPPY.  Anita  Wagner, 
daughter  of  the  manager  of  El  Cam- 
panii  theatre  at  Antioch,  Cal.,  with 
Paramount's  little  film  star,  Virginia 
Weidler,  who  appeared  on  the  stage 
of  her  dad's  theatre. 


SILHOUETTE.  Phyllis  Claire,  English 
actress,  makes  her  first  appearance  for 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  in  "His  Brother's 
Wife,"  starring  Robert  Taylor  and  Bar- 
bara Stanwyck  and  just  released. 


AT  BRITISH  TRADE  SHOW.  (I.  to  r.)  Ralph  Rolan, 
vice-president  of  March  of  Time;  John  Maxwell, 
managing  director  of  British  International  Pictures, 
and  Phil  Reisman,  vice-president  of  RKO  Export,  at 
a  reception  after  a  trade  showing  of  "Mary  of 
Scotland." 


DRAWING  TO  TWO  OUEENS.  Ginger  Rogers, 
Admiral  of  the  Texas  Navy,  starring  with  Fred 
Astaire  in  RKO  Radio's  "Swing  Time,"  places  a 
crown  upon  Geraldine  Robertson  of  Lamesa,  Texas, 
the  queen  of  the  Dallas  Centennial  Exposition. 


EN  GARDE!  And  that  goes  par- 
ticularly for  the  menfolk  seeing  Si- 
mone  Simon,  French  star,  make  her 
first  lunge  at  American  hearts  in  20th 
Century-Fox's  "Girls'  Dormitory." 


12 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


REINHARDT'S  PLANS.  Max  Reinhardt,  in  Paris, 
meets  the  European  press.  He  is  to  direct  "Dan- 
ton"  for  Warner's,  next  season.  Here  the  maker 
of  "A  Midsummer  Night's  Dream"  is  with  M. 
Westtrich  and  Mile.  Dubreuil  of  Paris-Midi. 


LONG  AND  SHORT  OF  IT,  through 
Bill  Olding's  mother  only  appears  short 
because  he's  7  feet  6  inches  tall.  Old- 
ing  has  appeared  in  a  number  of  British 
pictures.    He's  21  years  old. 


BRITAIN  BOUND.  Grace  Bradley  en 
route  to  the  Gaumont  British  studios  at 
Shepherd's  Bush  to  appear  in  a  featured 
role  in  a  new  production  which  Raoul 
Walsh  is  directing. 


WAY  FOR  BEAUTY.   It  was  as  the  ingenue  in  the  stage  play,  CLUB  WOMEN,  in  active  co-operation  with  the  Salt  Lake  City 

"Night  of  January    16th,"  that  Doris  Nolan  came  to  general  debut  of  United  Artists'  "The  Last  of  the  Mohicans,"  are  (front 

attention.    Now  she  has  taken  the  high  road  from  Broadway  to  row,  I.  to  r.)  Mrs..T.  J.  Wahlquist,  Lew  Maren,  Mrs.  Walter  W. 

Hollywood  and  has  been  signed  by  Universal  to  star  in  "Way  for  Emery;  (back  row)  Mmes.  W.  H.  Thacker,  T.  F.  Farrell,  Alfred  H. 

a  Lady,"  soon  to  be  produced.  Taylor,  F.  W.  Milner,  W.  C.  Hurd,  P.  A.  Naisbitt. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


13 


CLASSROOM  FILMS  OPENING 
NEW  $10,000,000  MARKET 


Renewed  Purchasing  of  Sound 
Apparatus  Coupled  with  Li- 
brary Expansion  and  Launch- 
ing of  Appreciation  Courses 

Use  of  motion  pictures  in  education,  held 
back  five  years  by  reduced  school  budgets, 
is  now  going  ahead  apace,  and  rapidly  ex- 
panding development  of  the  almost  limitless 
possibilities  in  this  field  is  expected  in  the 
1936-37  season  on  the  basis  of  plans  formu- 
lated and  surveys  made  in  the  past  year. 

A  potential  market  of  upwards  of  $10,- 
000,000  annually  for  the  industry  in  the 
adoption  of  sound  motion  pictures  for  use 
in  classrooms  alone  is  considered  a  con- 
servative figure  by  authorities  in  the  field 
of  education. 

Present  activity  in  the  field  is  in  two 
distinct  but  related  phases,  each  with  im- 
portant bearings  on  the  future  of  the  in- 
dustry. 

First  is  the  equipping  of  schools  with 
projectors  and  sound  apparatus  for  the 
showing  of  pictures  produced  especially 
for  visual  education.  An  extensive  library 
of  such  pictures  including  travelogues, 
scientific  reels,  technical  subjects  and  simi- 
lar topics,  is  already  in  existence  and  will 
be  substantially  increased.  Visual  instruc- 
tion is  being  adopted  by  educators  in  in- 
creasing numbers  as  an  invaluable  ally  and 
its  importance  is  being  realized  more  and 
more  through  the  medium  of  motion  pic- 
tures. 

The  second  phase  exerts  a  direct  influ- 
ence on  motion  picture  theatre  patronage 
and  already  has  assumed  a  definite  rela- 
tionship, allied  with  adult  movements  on 
the  quality  of  Hollywood  production. 
Urged  on  by  several  national  educational 
organizations,  junior  and  senior  high  schools 
all  over  the  country  are  establishing  motion 
picture  appreciation  courses.  In  the  classes 
the  pupils  are  taught  to  study  and  evaluate 
the  motion  picture  as  an  art  and  their 
analyses  of  particular  films  are  related 
intimately  to  their  studies  in  English  and 
history. 

Through  several  auxiliary  agencies  and 
through  teachers'  organizations  the  in- 
creased use  of  the  motion  picture  as  a  visual 
aid  to  education  is  being  fostered.  The  Na- 
tional Council  of  English  teachers  has  cir- 
cularized boards  of  education  urging  them 
to  take  cognizance  of  the  value  of  the  photo- 
play as  a  teaching  aid.  The  Department  of 
Secondary  Education  of  the  National  Edu- 
cational Association  at  its  annual  convention 
in  Portland,  Ore.,  this  summer  devoted  a 
special  session  to  discussion  and  demonstra- 
tion of  the  photoplay  in  the  schools. 

One  of  the  most  active  factors  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  field  has  been  the  Ameri- 


TEACHERS'  COUNCIL 
ISSUES  STUDY  AIDS 

Typical  of  the  work  being  done  by 
the  National  Council  of  English 
Teachers  in  the  campaign  to  introduce 
motion  picture  appreciation  courses 
in  schools  are  the  study  guides  issued 
by  the  Council  through  its  publica- 
tion office,  Educational  and  Recrea- 
tional Guides,  Inc.,  with  offices  in 
Newark,  N.  J.  At  present  available 
are  guides  for  the  study  of  "Mary  of 
Scotland,"  "Romeo  and  Juliet," 
"Mutiny  on  the  Bounty,"  "A  Tale  of 
Two  Cities,"  "The  Last  Days  of 
Pompeii,"  "The  Three  Musketeers," 
"Little  Lord  Fauntleroy,"  "Les  Mis- 
erables,"  "Scrooge,"  "A  Midsummer 
Night's  Dream,"  "Fang  and  Claw" 
"Seven  Keys  to  Bald  pate,"  "The 
Prisoner  of  Shark  Island,"  and 
"Things  to  Come." 

The  guides  issued  in  pamphlet  form 
cover  such  topics  as  biographical 
background,  the  photoplay  versus  the 
play  or  novel,  topics  for  discussion, 
general  questions  and  a  suggested 
reading  list. 


can  Council  on  Education.  Urging  local 
educational  authorities  to  increase  budgetary 
allowances  so  as  to  include  this  form  of 
instruction  Dr.  George  F.  Zook,  president 
of  the  Council,  declared :  "There  is  no 
longer  any  doubt  about  the  remarkable 
teaching  possibilities  of  the  motion  pictures 
in  school  and  college  work.  In  the  appro- 
priate classroom  situation  students  learn  20 
to  90  per  cent  more,  forget  less,  and  learn 
in  a  shorter  period  of  time  when  taught  by 
films  than  when  taught  by  other  methods. 
If  schools  are  to  keep  pace  with  other  social 
agencies  they  must  adopt  the  most  modern 
devices  for  instruction." 

The  Council  inaugurated,  in  1934,  a 
project  designed  to  further  the  use  of  motion 
pictures  in  the  classrooms.  Its  purpose  is  to 
act  as  a  national  clearing  house  for  informa- 
tion and  to  this  end  it  is  preparing  a  com- 
plete catalogue  of  educational  films  in  the 
United  States.  Approximately  3,000  films 
of  more  or  less  educational  value  already 
have  been  listed. 

Other  work  being  carried  on  this  summer 
by  the  Council  includes  a  study  of  practical 
methods  of  setting  up  and  administering 
visual  aid  programs  in  school  systems  and  a 
national  survey  of  visual  instruction  in  ele- 
mentary and  secondary  schools. 

The  United  States  Office  of  Education  is 
cooperating  with  the  Council  in  conducting 
the  national  survey.  Information  is  being 
obtained  relative  to  the  number  of  school 
buildings  equipped  with  electricity,  the  types 
of  equipment  in  use  in  the  various  grades 


Educational  Groups  Urge  In- 
creased Budgets,  Prepare  Cat- 
alogues of  Pictures,  Map  Pro- 
grams for  Practical  Visual  Aid 

and  the  extent  of  use  of  the  various  types  of 
visual  aids. 

The  work  of  the  Council  and  its  aims 
have  been  endorsed  by  leading  educators  in 
all  parts  of  the  country.  Alexander  J.  Stod- 
dard, superintendent  of  schools  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  in  pointing  out  the  value  of  the 
Council's  work  said : 

"The  adaptation  of  this  new  medium  of 
teaching  and  learning  to  the  formal  proc- 
esses of  education  will  require  extensive 
experimentation  and  study,  both  in  respect 
to  the  production  of  the  picture  materials 
themselves  and  their  utilization  in  teaching. 
It  should  be  made  clear  that  the  educational 
talking  picture,  if  it  is  to  meet  the  require- 
ment as  an  aid  to  formal  teaching  and  have 
a  place  in  the  methods  and  procedures  of  the 
school  and  classroom,  must  be  prepared 
especially  for  the  purpose.  It  is  evident  that 
the  talking  picture  to  be  used  in  education 
is  different  from  the  kind  prepared  for  enter- 
tainment purposes  and  should  be  a  part  of 
and  not  an  addition  to  the  regular  curricu- 
lum of  the  schools." 

New  York  Bureau  Active 

An  outstanding  example  of  work  done  in 
the  field  is  the  Bureau  of  Visual  Instruction 
of  the  New  York  City  Board  of  Education. 
The  bureau  supplies  various  types  of  equip- 
ment and  materials  for  use  in  the  elementary 
and  junior  high  schools  of  the  system  and 
trains  teachers  in  sound  pedagogical  pro- 
cedure in  the  use  of  such  materials. 

A  central  film  library  of  1,200  reels  is 
maintained,  covering  courses  of  study  in 
geography,  health  education,  nature  study, 
biology  and  a  series  correlated  with  courses 
in  economic  citizenship  given  in  junior  and 
senior  high  schools.  Each  film  has  been 
chosen  for  its  direct  application  to  a  por- 
tion of  the  required  work  of  a  given  grade. 
In  the  matter  of  equipment  it  is  the  aim 
of  the  bureau  to  have  at  least  one  silent 
motion  picture  projector  and  screen  in- 
stalled in  every  school  in  the  city.  There 
are  now  470  such  projectors  in  use  and 
machines  are  lent  to  schools  which  lack 
permanent  equipment. 

The  bureau  has  obtained  approval  of  the 
Board  of  Superintendents  for  extensive  in- 
stallation of  motion  picture  equipment  in 
every  new  school  building.  Recommenda- 
tions call  for  a  proposed  expenditure  of 
$3,874  on  silent  and  sound  projectors  for 
new  high  schools  and  from  $1,297  to  $1,972 
on  16  mm.  projectors  and  larger  units  for 
the  elementary  and  junior  high  schools. 

Extension  of  visual  instruction  work  has 
made  great  strides  in  other  states.  In  Ohio 
recent  appropriations  and  grants  have 
launched  a  heavy  campaign  for  the  expanded 


14 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


TAPPING  $10,000,000  SCHOOL  FIELD 


{Continued  from   preceding  page) 

use  of  films  in  the  educational  system.  The 
work  will  be  administered  largely  through  a 
special  department  of  Ohio  State  University 
under  Dr.  Edgar  Dale.  In  New  Orleans 
sound  equipment  has  been  purchased  for  63 
schools.  Louisiana  State  University  is  buy- 
ing the  machines  and  a  library  of  more  than 
200  film  subjects  will  be  supplied. 

The  Motion  Picture  Bureau  of  the  na- 
tional Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
has  been  active  in  furthering  visual  educa- 
tion for  children  and  adults  through 
churches,  clubs  and  other  community  groups. 
The  bureau  ships  weekly  about  12,000 
pounds  of  educational  films  to  such  units. 
Rural  schools  use  the  service  extensively. 
According  to  George  J.  Zehrung,  director 
of  the  bureau,  there  are  now  between  70,000 
and  80,000  non-theatrical  projection  ma- 
chines in  the  United  States  and  the  demand 
for  educational  pictures  exceeds  the  supply 
by  100  per  cent. 

"Potentially  the  motion  picture  is  the 
greatest  of  educational  media,"  Mr.  Zeh- 
rung said  in  discussing  the  work  done 
through  his  unit.  "Consider  that,  although 
the  largest  university  does  not  exceed  20,000 
students,  some  20,000,000  people  go  daily  to 
the  movies.  And  remember,  too,  that  80  per 
cent  of  all  memories  are  visual.  This  gives 
the  film  its  greatest  advantage.  Also,  your 
lecturer  on  a  talking  film,  can  be  made  to 
repeat  his  lecture  innumerable  times,  some- 
thing that  in  the  flesh  he  could  not  do,  and 
that  the~efore  even  the  slowest  member  of 
the  class  can  maintain  the  average  pace. 
This  ability  to  repeat  showings  has  made 
the  film  so  valuable  in  medical  instruction, 
for  instance,  that  one  famous  surgeon  has 
called  it  the  finest  of  all  media  of  medical 
education."  \ 

While  the  installation  of  projectors  and 
the  use  of  specially  made  educational  films 
as  part  of  regular  school  curricula  is  mak- 
ing rapid  strides,  the  influence  of  motion 
pictures  in  the  educational  field  has  ad- 
vanced in  another  direction.  Teachers  have 
realized  the  value  of  many  feature  pic- 
tures, produced  in  the  last  few  years  pri- 
marily for  theatre  exhibition,  as  aids  in 
the  study  of  English  and  history. 

Ida  Dean  Cone,  teacher  of  English  in  the 
Nutley,  N.  J.,  high  school,  discussing  in  a 
newspaper  article  the  establishment  of  mo- 
tion picture  appreciation  courses,  in  high 
schools,  pointed  out  that  one  of  the  most 
potent  forces  in  the  lives  of  pupils  is  the 
motion  picture.  "Educators  have  ceased  bat- 
tering futilely  against  the  inroads  of  the 
films  in  the  social  scheme,  and  have  begun 
utilizing  them,"  she  said.  "The  success  of 
photoplay  clubs  in  the  schools  is  recog- 
nized, and  the  introduction  of  courses  in 
photoplay  aopreciation  in  the  high  schools 
is  being  advocated.  On  the  basis  of  the  suc- 
cess of  the  clubs  and  of  experimental  classes 
in  36  states  in  1935,  the  National  Council 
of  English  Teachers  is  now  strongly  advo- 
cating that  boards  of  education  be  ap- 
proached with  a  twofold  purpose  in  mind — 
creation  of  courses  in  photoplay  apprecia- 
tion for  the  eleventh  year,  and  inclusion  of 


OHIO  CENSORS  FIND 
NOTHING  TO  SCISSOR 

For  the  first  time  in  many  months, 
the  Ohio  censors,  functioning  at 
Columbus,  ordered  no  eliminations  in 
the  87  reels  of  film  inspected  last  week. 

The  Ohio  board  has  always  been 
rated  among  the  most  exacting  in  its 
requirements  and  its  decisions  have 
been  stoutly  reenforced  over  a  long 
sequence  of  contests  spanning  the 
years  of  its  operation. 

The  board  had  ordered  eliminations 
in  20  out  of  470  reels  inspected  in 
Jtdy,  15  out  of  390  reviewed  in  June. 


appropriations  for  such  courses  in  their 
budgets." 

In  explaining  the  advocacy  of  such  classes 
by  the  National  Council  and  by  other  groups 
of  educators,  Miss  Cone  said: 

"It  has  been  difficult  to  make  the  classics 
seem  realistic  to  youth ;  yet  through  pictures 
the  characters  become  real  and  the  pupils 
readily  comment  on  whether  the  life  prob- 
lems are  real,  the  characteristics  life-like, 
the  plot  logical,  the  ending  natural  and  the 
theme  significant. 

"It  is  not  assumed  that  seeing  a  picture 
will  take  the  place  of  reading  a  classic,  for 
books  have  literary  value.  However,  pupils 
usually  read  faster  and  with  more  interest 
after  seeing  a  picture.  Even  in  schools 
which  give  no  course  in  motion  pictures 
librarians  report  that  many  books  such  as 
"David  Copperfield,"  "Les  Miserables" 
and  "The  Three  Musketeers,"  which  stood 
on  the  shelves  unused  for  years,  are  in 
great  demand. 

'As  literary  experiences  are  interwoven 
with  life,  the  class  advances  toward  a  worth- 
while social  objective.  As  the  course  de- 
velops, the  pupils  gain  power  of  analysis, 
and  become  dissatisfied  with  obvious  ex- 
aggerations and  inconsistencies. 

"The  objectives  of  a  typical  course  are: 
To  familiarize  the  students  with  motion  pic- 
ture terminology;  to  evaluate  the  picture  in 
relation  to  art,  music  and  drama ;  to  study 
the  various  factors  involved  in  production 
of  pictures ;  to  learn  to  criticize  competently 
the  direction,  the  photography  and  the 
acting;  to  broaden  the  educational  horizon, 
and  to  weigh  the  entertainment  value." 

Study  Guides  Issued 

The  National  Council,  in  addition  to  pub- 
licizing methods  for  the  establishment  of 
such  courses  and  advocating  their  useful- 
ness, has  issued  study  guides  to  be  used 
with  imj  ortant  pictures,  showing  the  possi- 
bilities for  their  correlation  with  almost  all 
subjects. 

A  demonstration  of  such  a  course  was 
given  by  40  pupils  of  Portland,  Ore.  high 
schools  at  the  annual  convention  of  the  De- 
partment of  Secondary  Education  of  the 
National  Education  Association  held  in  that 


city  this  summer.  A  preview  of  a  new  edu- 
cational screen  biography  of  Shakespeare, 
including  the  balcony  scene  from  "Romeo 
and  Juliet,"  was  used  for  the  demonstra- 
tion. 

Dr.  Ernest  D.  Lewis,  president  of  the 
Department  of  Secondary  Education,  in  dis- 
cussing the  project,  said : 

"The  use  of  the  photoplay,  like  the  use  of 
the  newspaper,  the  magazine  and  the  radio 
in  the  classroom,  provides  a  powerful  means 
to  the  ends  we  seek  in  education.  Forth- 
coming films,  like  the  screen  versions  of 
'Julius  Caesar,'  'Romeo  and  Juliet'  and  As 
You  Like  It,'  are  building  a  new  popular 
interest  in  Shakespeare.  Likewise  the  film- 
ing of  Pearl  Buck's  'The  Good  Earth,' 
James  Hilton's  'The  Lost  Horizon,'  Cooper's 
'The  Last  of  the  Mohicans,'  Marc  Connelly's 
'The  Green  Pastures,'  Lord  Tennyson's  'The 
Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade,'  and  Maxwell 
Anderson's  'Mary  of  Scotland'  is  stimulat- 
ing the  reading  of  good  books  wherever 
teachers  are  applying  the  new  methods." 

Adults  Select  Lists 

Adult  groups  all  over  the  country,  organ- 
ized into  Better  Films  Councils  and  similar 
clubs,  have  aided  the  movement  with  the 
publication  of  selected  lists  of  films  and  in 
some  cases  study  guides  for  particularly  im- 
portant pictures.  The  Finer  Films  Federa- 
tion of  New  Jersey,  through  Educational 
and  Recreational  Guides,  Inc.,  the  publica- 
tion office  of  the  Department  of  Secondary 
Education,  recently  published  a  booklet  titled 
"A  Course  of  Study  in  Motion  Picture  Ap- 
preciation." Prepared  by  Alice  F.  Sterner 
of  the  Barringer  High  School,  Newark, 
N.  J.,  and  W.  Paul  Bowden  of  the  East 
Orange  High  School,  East  Orange,  N.  J., 
the  booklet  describes  the  mechanics  of  mo- 
tion picture  production,  the  problems  of  ex- 
hibitor and  trade  practices,  the  industry's 
history,  criteria  to  be  used  in  viewing  a  pic- 
ture and  the  objectives  of  photoplay  appre- 
ciation courses. 

"The  Finer  Films  Federation,  with  the 
encouragement  of  an  enlightened  department 
of  public  instruction,"  the  booklet  says  in  a 
foreword,  "finds  in  the  high  schools  an  op- 
portunity for  cooperative  effort  in  develop- 
ing a  sense  of  photoplay  discrimination.  It 
is  the  conviction  of  the  Finer  Films  Federa- 
tion that  the  photoplay  habits  of  youth,  if 
formed  under  sensible  direction,  are  the  best 
assurance  that  the  photoplay  of  the  future 
will  be  critically  examined  rather  than 
blindly  accepted." 


New  Haven  Film  Outing 

The  annual  film  row  outing  at  New 
Haven  has  been  set  for  August  27,  at  Ye 
Castle  Inn,  Saybrook,  Conn.,  with  the  entire 
staffs  of  theatres  and  exchanges  expected  to 
attend.  Lou  Wechsler,  United  Artists  man- 
ager, is  chairman  of  the  event,  with  Nat 
Furst  as  treasurer,  Barney  Pitkin,  Jack 
Bayne  and  I.  H.  Rogovin,  entertainment. 


Paramount  Sales  Drive 

Paramount  will  hold  its  19th  annual 
weekly  sales  drive  September  6-12. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


15 


Motif  Music  Adds  Strength  to 
Screen  in  "Anthony  Adverse" 

Korngold  s  Score  Gives  Visual  Scenes  Eloquence  without  Disturbing  Spoken  Word 


by  JOSEPH  O'SULLIVAN 

The  leitmotif  and  thematic  methods  of  the 
stage  music-drama  have  long  been  regarded 
as  inevitable  to  the  logical  development  of 
motion  picture  music-drama  by  close  ob- 
servers of  the  screen.  A  musical  genius 
who  could  do  for  the  screen  what  Richard 
Wagner  did  for  the  lyric  stage  has  been 
yearned  for  and  eagerly  awaited. 

Erich  Wolfgang  Korngold  seems  to  fill 
the  specifications.  While  the  famous  Vien- 
nese composer  cannot  be  termed  a  new  ad- 
venturer in  the  realm  of  motion  picture 
musical  media  (he  has  already  several  im- 
portant screen  musical  works  to  his  credit), 
Korngold  is  still  exploring  the  musical  ter- 
rain of  Sound-Shadowland  and  has  estab- 
lished sign-posts  that  will  be  a  sure  guide 
to  those  who  follow  in  his  musical  footsteps ; 
for  he  brings  to  his  task  a  distinctive  musical 
and  mental  equipment  that  will  go  far  toward 
developing  a  flexible  and  inspiring  musical 
screen  medium. 

In  Warner's  "Anthony  Adverse"  the 
composer  of  "Die  Tode  Stadt"  has  utilized 
and  adapted  to  the  production  the  motif 
scheme  of  the  music-drama,  with  an  intel- 
ligent appreciation  of  the  broader  visual 
scope  and  the  narrative  extension  afforded 
by  the  camera. 

These  methods  are  clearly  revealed  in  his 
creation  and  application  of  musical  themes, 
their  identification  with  character,  dramatic 
situation,  mood  and  portent — amplified,  de- 
veloped, distorted,  subdued,  conflicting,  tri- 
umphing— a  sure  and  authentic  connotation 
of  what  is  seen  and  told  in  the  progress  of 
the  story.  The  purely  descriptive  music,  in 
underscoring  and  in  direct  exposition,  is 
done  with  an  expert  sense  of  values  in  meet- 
ing the  demands  of  the  production.  How- 
ever, it  is  in  his  thematic  interpretation  that 
Korngold  lifts  "Anthony"  from  the  level  of 
the  "musical"  to  the  height  of  music-drama. 

To  one  who  can  follow  these  music  themes 
as  they  recur  in  many  forms  throughout  the 
story,  there  is  unfolded  a  tonal  tapestry  as 
clearly  defined  and  as  colorful  as  the  visual 
and  narrative  context.  The  musical  Philis- 
tine to  whom  a  music  motif  is  a  crossword 
puzzle  will  absorb  a  symphony  of  sound  that, 
unconsciously,  he  feels  is  significant. 


THE  ANTHONY  THEME 


This  theme  is  introduced  with  the  main  title 
and  recurs  with  increasing  significance.  Fred- 
ric  March  is  Anthony. 


Korngold  has  woven  approximately  a 
score  of  different  themes  into  his  musical 
fabric.  The  most  important — -and  oft-repeat- 
ed— of  these  are  the  themes  identified  with 
Anthony,  the  Casa  da  Bonnyfeather,  Africa, 
Brother  Francois  (Religioso),  The  Rain, 
Nalita,  Anthony's  Illness,  and  the  love  scenes 
between  Anthony  and  Angela  (Love  Song). 

Each  of  these  themes  is  distinctive — in 
melodic  line,  in  rhythm,  in  meter;  each  a 
tonal  portrait  as  well  as  a  symbol  of  the 
character  and  situation.  And  in  this  ability 
to  characterize  tonally  lies  much  of  the 
genius  of  the  true  musical  dramatist.  How 
they  are  altered  and  developed  to  interpret 
the  alteration,  change  and  development  of 
the  characters  and  the  dramatic  context, 
also  reveals  the  artistry  and  talents  of  a 
.musical  genius. 

The  Anthony  Theme,  first  introduced  in 
the  music  to  the  main  title,  does  not  become 
significant  until  after  the  prologue  recount- 
ing the  history  of  Anthony's  father  and 
mother,  and  the  clandestine  love  affair  lead- 
ing up  to  his  birth.  Then  it  is  heard  when 
the  Marquis  da  Vincitana  tells  Bonnyfeather 
(the  father  of  Anthony's  mother)  that  the 
child  died  with  the  mother,  at  birth.  Through 
succeeding  sequences  showing  Anthony  as  a 
boy  at  the  convent,  it  is  developed  in  a  cheer- 
ful mode.  It  recurs  when  Bonnyfeather  notes 
the  resemblance  of  the  boy  to  Bonnyfeather's 
daughter  (Anthony's  mother),  and  is  heard 
again  in  minor  when  Bonnyfeather  solilo- 
quizes, "Buried  in  the  Alps  !"  as  the  Marquis 
falsified. 

When  Anthony  has  grown  into  manhood 

 _A  

THE  LOVE  SONG 


the  theme  takes  on  a  firmer,  more  manly 
character.  In  Africa,  where  Anthony's  na- 
ture is  becoming  hardened — brutalized  by 
the  slave  traffic  and  his  lust  for  money — the 
motif  is  heard  struggling  through  the  bar- 
baric motif  of  Africa  and  of  Nalita,  the 
voluptuous  native  woman  who  is  passion- 
ately in  love  with  Anthony.  It  comes  in 
conflict,  too,  with  the  Theme  of  Brother 
Francois  (the  Religioso),  who  has  devoted 
his  life  to  the  care  of  sick  and  crippled 
slaves  and  who  pleads  with  Anthony  to 
leave  the  barbarous  country  and  go  back  to 
Leghorn  and  to  Bonnyfeather.  The  Theme  is 
heard  again  in  its  purity  when  Anthony 
finally  returns  to  Leghorn  and  meets  again 
Angela,  to  whom  he  was  married  before 
going  to  Africa. 

The  Brother  Francois  Theme  (Religioso) 
plays  a  most  important  part  in  what  might 
be  called  the  regeneration  of  Anthony.  It 
first  appears  in  the  Africa  sequences — a  sim- 
ple, noble,  melodic  pronouncement  in  canoni- 
cal mode,  contrasting  strangely  with  the 
savage  Allegro  Barbara  immediately  follow- 
ing that  heralds  the  approach  of  slaves  driv- 
en to  the  slave  market  on  Anthony's  planta- 
tion. Exotic,  savage  music,  with  the  insistent 
beat  of  drums,  it  is  punctuated  by  the  cries 
of  slaves  beaten  by  the  lash. 

The  Theme  for  the  Casa  da  Bonnyfeather 
— a  simple,  melodious  motif — characterizes 
the  simplicity  and  sincerity  and  security  of 
the  Bonnyfeather  menage. 

Of  like  simplicity  is  the  Love  Song,  first 
introduced  when  Anthony  and  Angela  are 
seen  driving  through  the  woods.  Announced 
as  a  trumpet  solo,  Angela  later  sings  the 
refrain.  Used  in  romantic  scenes  between 
the  lovers,  it  becomes  poignantly  pathetique 
when,  in  the  final  scenes,  Ant/jony  reads 
Angela's  letter  of  farewell,  confessing  her 
unworthiness  to  have  the  care  of  their  child. 

The  operatic  scenes — an  old  opera  of  the 
period  by  Monteverde  and  "The  Duchess  of 
Ferrara" — are  well  done  and  are  an  integral 
part  of  the  story. 

Korngold  has  not  fallen  into  the  pitfall 
of  overplaying  the  connoting  musical  text. 
It  never  obtrudes  on  the  spoken  word,  and 
fills  in  the  vocally  silent  places  with  music 
that  links  dialogue  and  makes  eloquent  visual 
scenes. 


The  Brother   Francois    theme    plays   an   im-  Anthony  and  Angela    (Olivia  de  Havilland)  A  simple,  melodious  motif  characterizes  tlye 

portant  part  in  the  regeneration  of  Anthony.  first  are  linked  with  the  simple  song  while  sincerity  and  security  of  the  Casa  da  Bonny- 

Pedro  de  Cordoba  is  Brother  Francois.  driving  through  the  woods.     .  feather. 


16  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  August    2  2,    19  3  6 

"PLOUGH  AND  STARS"  HAS 


TWENTY  YEARS  ago  Dublin  rang 
with  the  Easter  Week  Uprising 
heard  'round  the  then  troubled 
world.  Ten  years  ago  Dublin's 
Abbey  theatre  echoed  with  applause  for 
Sean  O'Casey's  dramatization  of  the 
struggle.  Today:  event,  place  and  play  are 
being  reproduced  at  the  RKO-Radio  stu- 
dios in  Hollywood  under  circumstances 
which  must  be  rated  as  extraordinary  in 
even  this  era  of  fastidious  fidelity  to  set- 
ting and  source. 

It  is  no  light  matter  to  undertake  com- 
mercial picturization  of  a  play  made  fa- 
mous by  the  Abbey  Players.  In  their  visits 
to  the  United  States  these  Irish  profes- 
sionals have  been  royally  received  and  en- 
tertained by  the  press  and  by  that  sector 
of  the  population  which  has  a  way  of  iden- 
tifying with  the  classic  that  which  it  loudly 
approves.  There  has  been  permitted  to 
take  root  in  the  land  a  more  or  less  wide- 
spread belief  that  the  plays  of  the  Abbey 
Players  are  in  some  degree  delicate,  ar- 
tistic works,  set  off  in  some  vague  way  from 
the  rugged,  staple  products  of  the  enter- 
tainment world.  They  are  not,  of  course, 
but  the  idea  persists,  and  with  it  goes  the 
feeling  that  picturization  of  such  a  play 


had  better  be  handled  just  about  so,  as 
the  pharse  is,  or  something  peculiarly  la- 
mentable will  result. 

For  that  reason,  plus  a  good  many 
others,  such  as  because  it  is  plainly  good 
business  to  do  so,  the  studio  has  turned 
to  pertinent  precedent  in  every  detail  of 
its  preparations  for  the  O'Casey  picture. 
Most  pertinent  of  these  precedents,  of 
course,  is  that  of  "The  Informer,"  a  picture 
of  directly  comparable  character,  and  the 
selection  of  John  Ford,  director  of  that 
production,  to  direct  "The  Plough  and  the 
Stars"  was  obviously  a  natural  one.  Like- 
wise the  assignment  of  the  script  to  Dudley 
Nichols,  also  of  "The  Informer"  staff  and, 
like  Mr.  Ford,  an  Academy  immortal. 

To  the  "Informer"  precedent,  too,  may 
be  traced  the  commissioning  of  Joseph 
August,  who  photographed  not  only  that 
picture  but  likewise  "Mary  of  Scotland," 
and  the  employment  of  George  McNulty, 
responsible  for  the  widely  noted  authen- 
ticity of  "The  Informer,"  to  serve  as  tech- 
nical advisor.  The  studio  counts  on  this 
quartette  to  satisfy  the  most  exacting 
stickler  for  technical  veracity. 

In  the  matter  of  casting  an  even  more 
striking  foresightedness  has  been  displayed. 


by  Gus  McCarthy 

in  Hollywood 

Barbara  Stanwyck  and  Norman  Foster, 
strictly  cinema  personalities,  are  playing 
the  leads.  Joseph  M.  Kerrigan  and  Una 
O'Connor,  former  Abbey  players  who  have 
become  cinema  personalities,  are  in  sup- 
port, affording  a  direct  tie  between  screen 
and  stage  cast,  and  to  further  emphasize 
respect  due  the  justly  celebrated  Abbey 
Players  five  members  of  that  organization 
have  been  brought  to  Hollywood  and  given 
roles  in  the  picture.  Among  others  in  the 
cast  are  Moroni  Olsen,  Erin  O'Brien  Moore 
and  Bonita  Granville,  the  child  actress  of 
"These  Three." 

As  these  individuals  progress  with  the 
production  of  the  play  Hollywood  asks 
itself,  naturally,  "Will  it  be  another  'In- 
former'?" And  Hollywood,  as  usual,  an- 
swers itself  yes  and  no.  The  production 
stills  reproduced  herewith,  together  with 
the  information  given,  equip  the  exhibitor 
to  ask  and  answer  the  same  question.  One 
day  the  public  will  supply  the  really  impor- 
tant answer  in  terms  of  box  .  office.  Cer- 
tainly no  orthodox  means  toward  assuring 
an  affirmative  response  is  being  neglected. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


17 


R      vH      PRFvlDlNT  PICTORIAL^  PREVffiW 

IXIV_.il      I.    IXLV^LL/  LI    ^    I  IN  ADVANCE  STILLS 


18 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


RCA  AND  ERPI  EXTEND  COMPETITIVE 
CONTEST  TO  THE  EXHIBITION  FIELD 


RCA  Signs  Fox-Skouras  Theatres 
After  Erpi  Takes  Servicing 
of  Some  Houses  of  Schine 
and  Comerford  Circuits 

The  competitive  contest  that  has  been 
waged  in  various  degree  in  the  motion  pic- 
ture between  Radio  Corporation  of  America 
and  American  Telephone  and  Telegraph 
Company,  for  a  greater  share  of  the  profits 
of  the  sound  equipment  and  sound  servicing 
business,  finally  reached  exhibition  this 
week,  moving  the  scene,  for  the  first- 
time  in  public,  from  the  previous  battle- 
ground of  production  in  Hollywood,  where 
both  corporations  have  been  conducting  a 
campaign  to  capture  studio  recording  busi- 
ness. 

The  opening  gun  in  the  newest  campaign 
between  the  two  big  "electrics"  was  fired 
on  Monday  morning  when  RCA  publicly 
announced  that  it  had  taken  more  than 
300  Fox-Skouras  theatres  away  from  the 
Telephone  Company's  Erpi  for  sound  repro- 
ducing servicing,  after  Electrical  Research 
Products,  Inc.,  more  quietly,  had  taken 
away  from  RCA  servicing  some  theatres 
of  the  Schine  Circuit  and  some  others  of 
the  Comerford  Circuit. 

The  first  phase  of  the  battle  was  fought 
in  June,  when  RCA,  after  years  of  effort, 
succeeded  in  penetrating  the  large  produc- 
tion studios  in  Hollywood  which  until  this 
summer  had  been  served  exclusively  by 
Erpi.  RCA  signed  Twentieth  Century-Fox 
and  Columbia  Pictures  to  10-year  contracts 
for  its  "high  fidelity"  recording  equipment. 
RCA  made  an  attractive  price  to  the  pro- 
ducers, and,  accordingly,  Warner  Brothers, 
later  in  June,  followed  Fox  and  Columbia 
to  an  RCA  licensee's  contract.  Immediately, 
RCA  opened  negotiations  with  MGM  and 
Universal,  but  Erpi  retaliated  by  sharply 
reducing  its  scale  of  recording  royalties  for 
all  producers,  effective  July  1st. 

Scene  Shifts  to  Exhibition 

Now  the  battle  scene  shifts  to  exhibition, 
where  most  of  the  country's  14,000  theatres 
playing  sound  are  equipped  with  one  or  the 
other  of  the  two  "major"  reproducing  sys- 
tems. 

RCA's  announcement  this  week  said  that 
National  Agency  Corporation,  headed  by 
Spyros  Skouras,  president,  and  operating 
Fox  theatres,  has  completed  arrangements 
with  the  Photophone  division  of  RCA 
Manufacturing  Company,  whereby  the  Erpi 
sound  reproducing  equipment  in  more  than 
300  Fox-controlled  theatres  in  the  Midwest 
and  West  hereafter  will  be  serviced  by  RCA 
engineers. 

The  contract,  which  becomes  effective  Oc- 
tober 1st,  extends  for  a  period  of  five  years, 
and  will  include  the  theatres  which  are  part 
of  National's  following  circuit  subsidiaries : 
Fox  West  Coast  Theatres  Corporation,  Fox 
Intermountain  Theatres  Corporation,  Fox 
Columbia  Theatres  Corporation,  and  Wis- 
consin Enterprise  Theatres  Corporation. 

"It  is  the  first  contract  which  RCA  Photo- 


phone  has  thus  far  signed  for  servicing  a 
large  group  of  motion  picture  houses  using 
competitive  sound  equipment,"  said  the 
Radio  Corporation's  announcement. 

This  is  especially  significant  in  the  com- 
petitive controversy  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
Erpi  already  had  abandoned  its  strict 
policy  of  compelling  theatre  licensees  to 
take  Erpi  servicing,  and,  instead,  rewrote 
all  contracts  to  provide  that  Erpi  licensees, 
after  two  years,  and  on  condition  that  their 
accounts  were  paid  up,  had  the  option  to 
take  Erpi  servicing  or  not. 

Although  Erpi  has  been  quietly  taking  on 
the  servicing  of  many  competitive  equip- 
ments, RCA's  sudden  press  boast  this  week 
of  the  wholesale  acquisition  of  Fox  servic- 
ing accounts  from  Erpi  caused  Erpi,  on 
Monday,  to  likewise  come  out  in  the  open 
with  the  announcement  that  it,  too,  "has 
begun  servicing  talking  picture  reproduc- 
ing equipment  other  than  Western  Electric 
sound  systems." 

Then,  on  Tuesday,  Broadway  heard  that 
RCA  is  starting  negotiations  with  the  large 
Warner  Brothers  Circuit  with  the  view  of 
servicing  those  theatres  which  are  for  the 
most  part  equipped  with  Western  Electric. 

Erpi  spokesmen  charged  that  RCA's  ac- 
quisition of  the  300  Fox-Skouras  servicing 
accounts  could  be  laid  directly  to  price, 
pointing  out  that  RCA  agreed  to  service  the 
Fox  theatres  for  $5  per  year  for  12  calls 
annually,  whereas  Erpi's  minimum  charge 
for  servicing  is  $9  a  year. 

RCA's  invasion  into  the  servicing  field 
on  the  wholesale  is  apparently  a  change  of 
its  policy  which  heretofore  held  that  ser- 
vicing was  not  absolutely  necessary,  and, 
therefore,  the  corporation  did  not  insist  that 
exhibitors  buying  their  reproducers  must 
also  purchase  servicing. 

Erpi  now  services  some  4,500  out  of 
5,500  Western  Electric  installations. 

Erpi's  servicing  division  has  been  the 
source  of  most  of  its  revenue  in  exhibition 
since  the  saturation  has  been  reached,  more 
or  less,  in  equipment  installations.  On  the 
other  hand,  RCA  has  not  insisted  that  its 
theatre  customers  take  "compulsory"  servic- 
ing any  longer  than  a  short  period  when- 
ever the  equipment  is  purchased  on  the  in- 
stallment basis. 

Periodic  Checkup  Calls 

The  Fox-Skouras  theatres  now  lost  by 
Erpi  to  RCA  are  in  Colorado,  California, 
Kansas,  Missouri,  Nebraska,  Montana,  New 
Mexico,  Idaho,  Iowa,  Illinois,  Arizona  and 
Wisconsin. 

Under  the  new  arrangement,  RCA  ex- 
plains, its  service  engineers  will  make 
periodic  checkup  calls  and  be  available  for 
emergency  service,  without  charge,  when- 
ever necessary.  The  "without  charge"  ref- 
erence is  only  to  emergency  calls. 

That  the  invasion  by  RCA  into  Erpi's 
strongest  clientele  in  the  west  will  not  neces- 
sarily be  confined  to  the  acquisition  of  the 
theatres  for  servicing  alone  was  conceded 
by  an  RCA  spokesman  in  New  York  Tues- 
day, who  said  that  the  corporation  "might" 
replace  Erpi  equipments  with  RCA's  in  the 
Fox  properties,  or  at  least  in  some  of  the 
theatres.  RCA  also  hopes  to  replace  at  least 


Contract  Fight,  Carried  into 
Studio  When  RCA  Signed 
Three  Large  Producers, 
Turns  to  the  Theatre  Field 

some  Erpi  equipments  in  the  Warner  houses 
with  RCA  Photophone  reproducers.  Eight 
such  replacements  have  already  been  made. 
In  addition,  it  was  learned  that  RCA  has 
had  preliminary  discussions  concerning  the 
servicing  of  other  Western  Electric- 
equipped  circuits. 

Service  Circuit  Rearranged 

F.  B.  Ostman,  RCA  service  manager  in 
the  Photophone  factory  at  Camden,  N.  J., 
said  that  the  Photophone  service  circuit, 
which  heretofore  has  been  of  limited  size, 
although  extending  from  both  coasts,  is  be- 
ing rearranged  to  include  the  new  contract 
theatres.  Twenty  additional  sound  techni- 
cians are  to  be  placed  in  the  technical  staff, 
he  said.  Spare  replacement  parts  for  sound 
reproducing  equipment  will  be  warehoused 
at  strategic  points  throughout  the  country 
for  immediate  availability.  The  RCA  ser- 
vice engineers  will  be  equipped  with  new 
test  apparatus  known  as  the  cathode  ray 
oscillograph,  an  instrument  which  permits 
a  diagnosis  of  hidden  theatre  trouble  in 
reproducers  by  making  it  visible  on  a 
fluorescent  screen,  in  much  the  same  way  as 
the  X-ray  is  used  by  the  physician. 

Arrangement  Explained 

Arrangements  by  which  Erpi  took  over 
the  servicing  of  a  comparative  few  com- 
petitive equipments  in  the  Schine  and 
Comerford  circuits  were  explained  by  Erpi 
as  follows : 

"Negotiations  have  been  completed  be- 
tween Electrical  Research  Products  and  the 
Schine  Circuit  for  the  renewal  of  contracts 
for  service  to  all  of  their  sound-equipped 
theatres  in  their  circuit,  including  competi- 
tive equipments. 

"Electrical  Research  Products  since 
March  8,  1936,  have  been  servicing  all  of 
the  theatres  in  the  Comerford  Circuit,  in- 
cluding theatres  which  have  competitive 
equipment. 

"In  the  Schine  Circuit  there  are  56  West- 
ern Electric  equipped  theatres.  Contracts 
have  been  signed  for  the  servicing  of  13 
of  the  22  competitive  equipments,  and  nego- 
tiations are  being  concluded  for  the  re- 
mainder." 

The  Comerford  deal  includes  nine  the- 
atres which  have  competitive  equipments, 
and  is  in  process  of  being  signed. 

Erpi's  New  Plan 

Too,  Erpi  is  about  ready  to  launch  a  new 
merchandising  and  advertising  campaign  on 
both  its  new  extended  servicing  and  on  a 
new  theatre  reproducer,  in  order  to  offset 
some  of  RCA  merchandising  activities. 
Erpi  also  will  make  special  sales  efforts  in 
the  field,  starting  with  a  "pep"  meeting  of 
the  sales  forces — Erpi's  "first,  national  sales 
convention."  opening  at  New  York's 
swanky  Hotel  Pierre,  on  Fifth  Avenue,  next 
Monday. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


21 


FURTHER  INCREASE  IN  EARNINGS 
IS  REFLECTED  IN  THREE  COMPANIES 

Warner,  Eastman  and  Ameri- 
can Seating  Show  Increased 
Profits,  and  Loew's  Common 
Stock  Reaches  High  for  Year 


Companies  in  the  motion  picture  and  affili- 
ated fields  again  were  featured  favorably  in 
financial  news  this  week.  Statements  show- 
ing increased  earnings  were  issued  by  War- 
ner Brothers  Pictures,  Inc.,  Eastman  Kodak 
Company,  and  American  Seating  Company; 
a  net  loss  was  shown  by  only  one  company, 
Universal  Pictures,  and  the  common  stock 
of  Loew's,  Inc.,  hit  a  new  high  for  the  year 
on  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange. 

Consolidated  Film  Industries  declared  a 
25-cent  dividend  on  accumulations  on  the  $2 
preferred  stock,  payable  October  1st. 

The  Warner  Brothers'  report  showed 
earnings  of  60  cents  a  common  share  for 
the  39  week  period  ended  May  30,  1936, 
comparing  with  two  cents  a  common  share 
for  a  similar  period  ended  May  25,  1935. 

A  net  profit  of  $8,081,870  reported  by 
Eastman  Kodak  for  24  weeks  ended  June 
13,  1936  equals  $3.51  a  common  share  and 
compares  with  $3.05  in  the  equivalent 
period  in  1935. 

The  common  stock  of  Loew's,  Inc.,  hit  a 
new  high  for  the  year  last  Thursday,  the 
issue  reaching  58%.  The  sales  for  the  day 
totaled  66,000. 

The  annual  financial  statement  of  Loew's 
is  not  due  until  November.  On  June  14th 
a  financial  resume  was  issued  for  the  40  week 
period  and  the  annual  statement  will  cover 
the  year  ending  August  31st. 

The  report  of  Warner  Brothers  and  sub- 
sidiaries showed  net  profit  of  $2,554,772 
after  amortization  of  film  costs,  depreciation, 
interest,  federal  income  taxes  and  minority 
interests,  equal  after  allowing  for  dividend 
requirements  for  the  39  week  period  on  the 
$3.85  preferred  stock,  to  60  cents  a  share 
(par  $5)  on  3,701,091  shares  of  common 
stock,  excluding  100,253  shares  held  by  the 
company. 

This  compared  with  a  net  profit  of  $371,- 
592  or  two  cents  a  share  on  common  for  the 
39  weeks  ended  May  25,  1935. 

For  the  13  weeks  ended  May  30,  1936, 
indicated  net  profit  (based  upon  a  compari- 
son of  the  company's  report  for  the  39  and 
26  week  periods)  was  $578,527  after  depre- 
ciation and  taxes,  equal  after  allowing  for 
preferred  dividends  for  the  13  weeks  only, 
to  12  cents  a  share  on  3,701,091  shares  of 
common  stock. 

This  compared  with  a  net  profit  of  $944,- 
929  or  23  cents  a  share  in  the  preceding  13 
weeks,  and  $505,107  or  11  cents  a  share  on 
common  in  the  like  13  weeks  of  1935. 

Current  assets  as  of  May  30,  1936,  in- 
cluding $3,475,010  cash,  amounted  to  $22,- 
304,422  and  current  liabilities  were  $17,579,- 
486.  This  compared  with  cash  of  $4,171,161, 
current  assets  of  $19,009,785  and  current 
liabilities  of  $11,095,713  on  May  25,  1935. 

The  report  of  Eastman  Kodak  Company 

(.Continued  on  paqe  22) 


Warner's  Report  on  39  Weeks 
Shows  Big  Increase  in  Profits 


The  Warner  Brothers  consolidated  income  account  for  39  weeks  ended  May  30, 
193  6,  compares  as  follows: 

1936  1935  1934 

fOperating  profit                                                         $10,354,018  $8,548,553  $8,493,973 

{Amortization  and  depreciation  of  property                      3,872,494  4,133,148  5,228,984 

Interest,  etc                                                                    3,635,035  3,675,060  3,865,852 

Provided  for  investments  in  affiliated  companies,  etc..          132,215  184,524  128,776 

Profit                                                                 $  2,714,274  $  555,821  §$  729,639 

Other  income                                                                401,958  273,088  195,405 

Total  income    ,                 $  3,116,232  $   828,909  §$  534,234 

Minority  interest                                                                  12,460  7,588  *5,398 

Profit                                                                 $  3,103,772  $  821,321  §$  528,836 

Federal  income  taxes                                                         549,000  449,729  30,000 

Net  profit                                                          $  2,554,772  $   371,592  §$  558,836 

*Credit.  fAfter  amortization  of  film  costs,  including;  depreciation  of  studio  properties.  tOther  than 
studio  properties  charged  to  film  costs.  §Loss. 

The  consolidated  balance  sheet  for  the  same  company  compares  as  follows: 
Assets 

May30,'36  May25,'35  May25,'34 

*Property  account,  etc  $136,645,316  $135,909,411  $137,091,093 

Cash                                                                           3,475,010  4.171,161  2,861,977 

Notes  receivable,  after  reserve   92,053  50,281 

Accounts  receivable,  etc.,  after  reserve                           1,774,358  1,490,104  1,425,410 

Inventories                                                                 15,300,379  12,283,282  10,894,102 

Rights  and  scenarios                                                      1,754,675  962,093  690,545 

Production  and  royalty  advances   11,093  7,119 

Mortgages  receivable,  etc                                                   81,596  83,822  135,521 

Deposits  to  secure  contracts  and  sinking  fund  deposits.      1,379,298  1,827,835  1,885,847 

Investments  and  advances                                             1,190,452  1,421,803  1,784,295 

Deferred  charges                                                             1,327,911  774,542  1,064,199 

Goodwill                                                                     8,227,483  8,233,819  8,515,561 

Total   ,  $171,156,478  $167,261,018  $166,405,950 

Liabilities 

May30,'36  May25,'35  May25,'34 

t  Preferred  stock  $    5,670,885  $    5,670,885  $  5,670,885 

jCommon  stock                                                           19,006,723  19,006,723  19,006,723 

Mortgages  and  funded  debt                                       179,919,638  85,212,475  87,335,101 

Notes  payable                                                             2,723,340  576,619  420,445 

Accounts  payable  and  sundry  accruals                              7,692,199  8,684,594  8,910,184 

Funded  debt  (current)   §3,840,723     

Purchase  money  obligations  (current)   144,911  282,617 

Due  affiliated  companies                                                     212,677  221,962  191,093 

Royalties  payable                                                            1,406,279  644,636  698,274 

Reserve  for  federal  taxes                                                 1,212,651  449,729  30,000 

Advance  payments,  deposits,  etc                                    491,618  373,262  257,013 

Deferred  income                                                              1,720,479  2,081,738  1,960,521 

Remit,  for  foreign  sub.  held  in  abeyance                           698,649  494,852  723,792 

Purchase  money  or  contract  obligations   791,115  1,001,188 

'Bank  loans  (not  current)   598,475   

Minority  interest  in  capital  stock  and  surplus  of  subs..         310,240  591,837  612,825 

Contingent  reserve,  etc                                                  1,279,655  998,546  439,206 

Special  reserve,  accruals,  etc     2,077,942 

Capital  surplus                                                               56,650,504  56,325,484  56,325,484 

Operating  deficit                                                           11,679,782  15,606,825  19,537,343 

Total   $171,156,478  $167,261,018  $166,405,950 

*After  depreciation  and  amortization.      tRepresented  by  103,107  no-par  shares.      {Represented  by 

3,801,344  shares  of  $5  par  value.  SIncludes  purchase  money  and  contractual  obligations  and  mortgage 
instalments  maturing  within  one  year  (less  $350,420  bonds  held  in  treasury;.  fllncludes  bond  issues  and 
mortgages  due  within  one  year  subject  in  part  to  renewal,  and  standing  demand  mortgages,  and  purchase 
money  and  contractual  obligations  maturing  serially  after  one  year. 


22 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


EARNINGS  REFLECT  UPWARD  TURN 


Eastman  Kodak's  24  Weeks  Net 
Million  Above  Same  Period  in  '35 


The  income  account  for  Eastman  Kodak  for  24  weeks  ended  June  13,  1936, 
compares  as  follows: 

24  weeks  ended  24  weeks  ended  24  weeks  ended 
June  13,  '36        June  15,  '35       June  16,  '34 

Net  sales    $51,121,175  $46,927,867   

Costs  and  expenses   38,876,156  36,219,379   

Depreciation    2,959,063  2,932,215   


Income  trom  operations  

Interest  and  dividends  receivable. 
Other  income  


Federal  and  foreign  income  tax 
Other  charges   


Profit  on  sales  of  securities. 


$  9,285,956 
449,269 
27,854 

$  7,776,273 
558,933 
247,438 

$7,225,349 
596,342 
95,347 

$  9,763,079 

$  8,582,644 

$7,917,038 

1,746,144 

1,337,783 

1,445,681 

1  1  1,309 

393,698 

257,553 

$  7,905,626 
176,244 

$  6,851,163 
197,788 

$6,213,804 
531,872 

Net  profit    $  8,081,870       $  7,048,951  $6,745,676 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

for  24  weeks  ended  June  13,  1936,  showed 
net  profit  of  $8,081,870,  including  $176,244 
profit  on  sales  of  securities,  and  after  depre- 
ciation, reserve  for  federal  and  foreign  in- 
come taxes  and  other  charges,  equivalent 
after  dividend  requirements  on  6%  preferred 
stock,  to  $3.51  a  share  on  2,250,921  no-par 
common  shares.  No  mention  was  made  in 
the  report  of  any  provision  for  federal  sur- 
tax on  undivided  profits. 

This  compared  with  net  profit  in  the  24 
weeks  ended  June  15,  1935,  of  $7,048,951, 
including  $197,788  profit  on  sales  of  securi- 
ties, equal  to  $3.05  a  common  share. 

The  company  declared  the  usual  25  cents 
extra  dividend  and  regular  quarterly  pay- 
ment of  $1.25  on  its  common  stock,  payable 
October  2  to  shareholders  of  record  Sep- 
tember 5. 

The  company  stated  that  "the  market  price 
of  silver  bullion  continued  to  fall  during  the 
early  part  of  the  year,  and  it  was  necessary 
to  adjust  inventories  and  purchase  commit- 
ments of  this  material  to  market  prices  pre- 
vailing on  June  13,  1936.  These  adjust- 
ments, totaling  $225,962,  were  charged  to 
general  and  contingent  reserves  in  accord- 
ance with  the  treatment  of  similar  adjust- 
ments at  the  close  of  1935. 

"The  improvement  in  operating  results 
shown  by  this  statement  has  continued  to 
the  date  of  this  report." 

American  Seating  Net 

The  American  Seating  Company  for  the 
six  months  ended  June  30th  reported  a  net 
profit  of  $23,439  after  depreciation  and  in- 
terest, but  before  federal  taxes.  This  com- 
pared with  a  $27,890  net  loss  in  the  first 
six  months  of  1935.  For  the  quarter  ended 
June  30th  net  profit  was  $20,319  after,  de- 
preciation and  interest  but  before  federal 
taxes,  compared  with  $18,393  in  the  second 
quarter  of  1935. 

Universal  Shows  Loss 

Universal  Pictures  Company,  Inc.,  and 
subsidiary  companies,  reported  for  the  13 
week  period  ended  May  2,  1936,  a  net  loss 
of  $71,392.77  after  deduction  of  all  charges 
including  amortization  and  depreciation  of 
fixed  assets  in  the  amount  of  $100,509.81. 

A.  T.  &  T.  Shows  Profit 

Net  operating  income  of  American  Tele- 
phone and  Telegraph  Company  moved  up 
67  per  cent  in  June,  amounting  to  $1,413,- 
969  compared  with  $844,209  for  the  same 
month  last  year,  according  to  a  report  to  the 
Federal  Communications  Commission.  The 
company  has  considerable  holdings  in  the 
motion  picture  industry  through  Western 
Electric  and  Electrical  Research  Products, 
Inc. 

Atlas  Semiannual  Dividend 

Because  of  improvement  in  business  con- 
ditions over  a  two-year  period,  Atlas  Cor- 
poration has  gone  on  a  semi-annual  dividend 
basis,  according  to  a  report  of  Floyd  B. 
Odium.  The  latest  payment  is  40  cents  on 
the  common  stock,  the  same  amount  that  was 
voted  in  February.  It  is  payable  September 
5,  to  stockholders  of  record  August  15. 

Asset  value  is  given  as  $11.08  a  share  on 


June  30,  1935,  and  $16.01  per  share  at  the 
end  of  June  this  year.  The  corporation  also 
has  declared  a  quarterly  dividend  of  75 
cents  on  the  $3  preferred  payable  September 
1  to  stockholders  of  record  August  15. 

Atlas  owns  the  controlling  interest  in 
RKO,  with  Lehman  Brothers  and  has  other 
motion  picture  stock  holdings,  besides  large 
industrial  interests. 

 • 

Democrats  Opening 
Film  Group  Office 

The  headquarters  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Division  of  the  Democratic  National  Com- 
mittee were  to  be  opened  in  New  York 
Thursday  under  the  supervision  of  James 
E.  Sauter. 

Aiding  Mr.  Sauter  will  be  Winfield  Shee- 
han,  Harry  Cohn,  W.  S.  Van  Dyke,  John 
Ford  and  John  Considine,  Jr.  They  will 
work  under  the  direction  of  Sol  E.  Rosen- 
blatt, chairman  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Division. 

S.  R.  Kent  Sales  Drive 
Is  Launched  This  Week 

The  fourth  Sidney  R.  Kent  sales  drive, 
which  will  continue  for  15  weeks,  was  form- 
ally launched  this  week.  William  Sussman, 
eastern  division  sales  manager,  is  making 
a  tour  of  his  branches  starting  the  drive  in 
his  territory. 


Peter  R.  Govel  Dies 

Peter  R.  Govel,  82,  for  more  than  40 
years  identified  with  the  motion  picture  and 
theatre  industry  at  Zanesville,  Ohio,  is  dead 
after  a  lingering  illness.  He  was  a  direc- 
tor of  the  Brown  Theatrical  Company, 
which  for  many  years  controlled  all  local 
theatres.  His  widow,  two  brothers  and 
three  sisters  survive. 


John  B.  O'Brien 
Dies;  Director 
and  Early  Star 

John  B.  O'Brien,  one  of  the  foremost 
directors  in  the  early  days  of  the  silent 
motion  picture,  died  this  week  in  Los  An- 
geles. He  was  51.  He  first  studied  to 
become  a  lawyer,  but  Daniel  Frohman  per- 
suaded him  to  become  an  actor.  He  was 
leading  man  for  the  late  Thomas  H.  Ince 
and  appeared  in  the  Broadway  hit  of  30 
years  ago,  "The  Belle  of  New  York."  Later 
he  toured  Europe,  returning  to  become  a 
director  for  the  Essanay  Film  Company. 

Mr.  O'Brien  was  said  to  have  directed  one 
of  the  first  five-reel  features,  "The  Life  of 
Buffalo  Bill."  He  also  wrote  and  directed 
"Destiny's  Toy,"  and  was  an  assistant  to 
David  W.  Griffith  in  "The  Birth  of  a 
Nation." 


Strike  Union  Victor 

The  United  Electrical  and  Radio  Workers 
of  America,  the  union  that  sponsored  the 
recent  four-week  strike  at  the  R.C.A.  Manu- 
facturing Company's  plant  at  Camden,  N.  J., 
was  credited  with  all  except  147  of  3,163 
votes  cast  by  company  employes  last  Satur- 
day in  an  election  to  determine  their  collec- 
tive bargaining  agency. 

Officials  of  the  United  Electrical  and 
Radio  Workers,  as  they  claimed  victory, 
said  the  National  Labor  Relations  Board, 
which  conducted  the  election,  had  done  "a 
very  fair  and  impartial  job,"  while  leaders 
of  the  inside  union  termed  it  "invalid." 
Board  officials  withheld  comment. 


August    22  ,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


23 


HOLLYWOOD  BACKING  PLAYS  ON  ITS 
OWN,  IGNORING  DRAMATISTS  GUILD 


Seven  Large  Companies  Band 
Together  to  Finance  Produc- 
tion Through  New  Bureau 
and  Playwriting  Competition 

Withdrawal  of  motion  picture  backing, 
variously  estimated  up  to  $2,000,000  an- 
nually, from  the  legitimate  stage  of  Broad- 
way, Drought  about  last  May  with  the  rati- 
fication by  the  Dramatists'  Guild  of  changes 
in  the  manager-playwright  minimum  basic 
agreement,  was  not  as  complete  as  first  in- 
dicated. Now,  as  the  new  play  season  ap- 
proaches, it  is  learned  that  seven  of  the  large 
film  companies  have  banded  together  to 
finance  productions  this  fall  on  the  legitimate 
stage  through  the  office  of  Theresa  Helburn, 
a  leading  New  York  play  broker,  and  her 
new  Bureau  of  New  Plays,  Inc.,  and  to  en- 
courage new  playwriting  in  order  to  widen 
the  source  of  material  for  Hollywood,  a 
source  now  drying  up  in  the  stage. 

The  Bureau  of  New  Plays,  Inc.,  is  being 
sponsored  by  Columbia  Pictures  Corpora- 
tion, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Corporation, 
Paramount  Pictures,  Inc.,  RKO  Radio  Pic- 
tures, Inc.,  Twentieth  Century-Fox  Film 
Corporation,  Universal  Pictures  Corpora- 
tion and  Warner  Brothers  Pictures,  Inc. 

From  these  companies  equal  sums  of 
money,  the  totals  not  disclosed,  have  been 
received  by  Miss  Helburn's  office  to  spon- 
sor a  prize  play  competition  among  under- 
graduates or  graduate  students  of  any 
American  or  Canadian  university  or  col- 
lege, as  well  as  alumni  and  former  students 
who  have  been  graduated  or  have  left  col- 
lege within  the  past  three  years. 

The  announcement  of  the  competition  says 
that  "all  plays  must  be  original,  full  length, 
unpublished  and  unproduced  by  any  profes- 
sional theatre.  The  manuscripts  submitted 
must  be  accompanied  by  the  recommendation 
of  the  Head  of  the  Dramatic  or  English 
Department  of  the  author's  college  or  Uni- 
versity, such  recommendation  to  be  con- 
cerned with  the  quality  and  maturity  of  the 
work,  and  not  with  the  subject  matter." 

Six  Prizes  of  $500  Each 

The  prizes,  of  which  there  will  be  six  of 
$500  each  for  each  type  play  chosen  as  the 
winner  of  its  class,  will  be  awarded  by  the 
producers,  through  Miss  Helburn  and  a  com- 
mittee of  judges  chosen  from  a  panel  of 
directors  of  university  drama  schools,  critics, 
producers,  stage  stars,  stage  directors,  play- 
wrights and  English  instructors. 

The  winning  plays  also  are  practically 
assured  of  production  on  Broadway  and  the 
sponsoring  motion  picture  companies  will 
have  the  first  opportunity  to  bid  for  the 
screen  rights,  even  if  the  plays  are  not 
actually  produced  on  the  stage  but  only 
submitted  in  the  competition.  The  usual 
agreement  between  the  motion  picture  pro- 
ducer and  the  stage  producer  will  not  exist 
if  any  of  these  plays  are  purchased  for 
screen  treatment,  for  none  of  the  authors  will 


Cooperation  Is 
International 

Cooperation  of  the  type  promoted 
by  Managers'  Round  Table  depart- 
ment of  Motion  Picture  Herald 
is  international  in  scope  and  tangibly 
profitable,  according  to  Walter  F. 
Davis,  manager  of  the  Capitol  the- 
atre, Regina,  Saskatchewan,  whose 
bonus  earnings  for  the  past  year 
under  a  managers'  sharing  plan  he 
describes  as  "very  satisfactory". 

"A  fellow  may  be  a  long  way  off 
from  the  fountain  of  activities,"  Mr. 
Davis  writes,  "but  through  your  pub- 
lication we  get  the  recognition  that 
encourages  us  to  make  an  honest 
endeavor  to  succeed. 

"Original  ideas  hatched  out  here 
would  die  out  here  if  it  were  not  for 
the  Motion  Picture  Herald,  and 
I  hope  the  success  it  so  much  de- 
serves continues  and  will  be  helped 
by  the  activities  of  members  of  the 
Round  Table  Club." 


be  a  member  of  the  Dramatists  Guild,  with 
which  the  film  producers  are  at  odds. 

Paramount  Move  Reported 

It  further  has  been  reported  that  at  least 
one  company,  Paramount,  despite  the  objec- 
tions to  the  Dramatists  Guild,  will  reenter 
legitimate  production  this  fall  in  a  manner 
similar  to  that  with  which  it  worked  in  the 
past  with  Charles  Frohman.  Adolph  Zukor, 
who  made  the  old  deal  with  Mr.  Frohman's 
office,  is  said  to  favor  renewed  production  in 
the  legitimate  field  on  the  part  of  his  com- 
pany and  to  be  the  prime  factor  behind  the 
move.  Under  the  old  alliance,  Paramount 
held  the  leases  on  the  Lyceum  and  Empire 
theatres  in  Times  Square,  but  both  houses 
went  bankrupt  and  the  company  made  no 
effort  to  retrieve  them.  The  company  still 
owns  the  Frohman  film  rights,  however,  but 
has  not  produced  plays  through  it  for  some 
years. 

Motion  picture  producers,  on  the  other 
hand,  will  not  want  for  screen  material  if 
they  return  to  the  Broadway  legitimate  field 
this  fall,  for  the  coming  season  is  expected 
to  be  the  biggest  in  a  decade  and  many  pro- 
ductions are  already  in  work  in  preparation 
for  out-of-town  openings  before  coming  to 
Times  Square  next  month. 

More  Musical  Shows 

A  larger  number  of  musical  shows  looms 
upon  the  Broadway  horizon  this  year  than 
has  been  contemplated  since  1930.  Chorus 
calls,  which  have  already  been  held,  indi- 
cate that  some  12  musical  comedies  will  be 
presented,  with  rehearsals  of  most  of  these 


Film  Companies  Will  Have  First 
Bids  on  New  Plays  Brought 
Out  by  Contest  Linked  to 
Universities  and  Colleges 

already  under  way.  Outstanding  features  of 
the  1936-37  term  of  theatrical  activity,  as  it 
now  appears  in  the  near  future,  are : 

A  larger  number  of  musical  comedies 
and  operettas  than  has  been  seen  in  many 
a  year. 

A  record  number  of  costume  dramas  for 
modern  Broadway. 

The  trend  toward  musicals  and  costume 
plays  would  indicate  financial  backing  simi- 
lar to  that  prior  to  1929. 

The  announcements  some  months  ago  of 
motion  picture  companies  that  they  would 
not  finance  any  more  plays  as  they  did  in  the 
past  has  not  seemed  to  dampen  Broadway's 
enthusiasm. 

Broadway  will  welcome  back  a  number  of 
players  who  have  been  active  in  motion  pic- 
tures of  late,  including  Katharine  Hepburn, 
Margaret  Sullavan,  Kitty  Carlisle,  Leslie 
Howard  and  Helen  Gahagan. 

A  substantial  number  of  producers  who 
have  been  inactive  for  several  seasons  are 
coming  back  into  the  game,  as  well  as  a 
number  of  new  impresarios,  some  of  whom 
have  been  waiting  for  better  times  before 
joining  the  managerial  ranks. 

The  season  is  scheduled  to  open  early,  and 
with  a  zest  that  has  been  lacking  until  Octo- 
ber or  November  in  recent  years. 


Postpone  Naming 
Republic  Head 

Republic  Pictures  at  present  is  not  con- 
sidering a  successor  to  W.  Ray  Johnston, 
who  resigned  recently  as  president,  accord- 
ing to  Herbert  J.  Yates.  The  company  is 
too  busy  producing  pictures  to  be  thinking 
about  a  new  president  now  and  the  next 
board  of  directors'  meeting  will  not  be  held 
until  next  month,  he  said. 

Meanwhile,  Nat  Levine,  Republic  produc- 
tion head,  has  returned  to  Hollywood  from 
Manhattan  where  he  attended  a  preview  of 
"Follow  Your  Heart"  and  conferred  with 
franchise  holders  from  key  cities.  About  15 
were  present  at  the  meetings  held  at  the 
home  offices,  including  Herman  Rifkin  of 
Boston,  and  his  manager,  Ed  Morey ;  Nat 
Lefton  and  Sam  Gorrel,  Cleveland ;  Harry 
Levine,  Philadelphia;  Jim  Alexander,  Pitts- 
burgh ;  Bernard  Mills,  Albany ;  Sam  and 
Jake  Flax,  Washington. 


Schertzinger  Quits  Columbia 

Victor  Schertzinger,  who  has  been  a  Co- 
lumbia director  for  several  years,  has  con- 
cluded his  contract.  The  arrangement  was 
concluded  by  mutual  consent  between  the 
director  and  Harry  Cohn. 


24 


MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  August    2  2,    19  3  6 


INDUSTRY  PITS  35  "BIG"  FILMS 
AGAINST  POLITICAL  COMPETITION 


Hays  Lists  Outstanding  Titles 
as  Antidotes  for  Theatres 
Against  Loss  of  Patronage 
to    Soapbox  Orators 

The  organized  motion  picture  industry's 
first  broadside  aimed  at  bolstering  box 
office  receipts  during  the  competitive  period 
anticipated  from  theatrical  ballyhooing  of 
political  aspirants  to  the  Presidency  was 
fired  this  week  right  from  the  production 
grounds  in  Hollywood.  There  Will  H. 
Hays,  on  behalf  of  the  industry  and  espe- 
cially the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and 
Distributors  of  America  of  which  he  is 
president,  cited  35  titles  in  "a  new  high  tide 
in  the  production  of  important  motion  pic- 
tures" which  is  expected  to  stem  any  serious 
drift  away  from  theatres  to  the  radio,  travel- 
ing sound  truck  and  speechmaker's  platform 
of  the  political  campaigners. 

Mr.  Hays'  announcement  was  made  to 
the  trade  and  news  press,  and  although  it 
did  not  specifically  mention  a  purpose, 
publicity,  advertising  and  sales  chiefs  of 
his  member  companies  for  months  have 
been  considering  the  mapping  of  a  special 
campaign  to  bolster  box  offices  late  this 
summer  and  in  the  fall,  when  the  heat  of 
the  political  campaign,  in  which  elaborate 
showmanship  is  expected  to  be  used,  will 
make  theatre  patronage  a  target. 

No  definite  measures  have  as  yet  been 
announced  by  any  of  the  companies  to- 
ward joint  action  on  a  campaign  of  institu- 
tional publicity.  Several  advertising  and 
publicity  chiefs  agreed  as  early  as  last  June 
that  the  formation  of  a  committee  to  plan  an 
intensive  national  drive  would  prove  effi- 
cient in  meeting  the  problem  which  in  this 
presidential  campaign  threatens  to  be  more 
acute  than  ever  because  of  the  wide  extent 
to  which  the  politicians  are  lining  up  star 
motion  picture  and  radio  attractions  with 
which  to  spellbind  the  voters. 
Showmen  Warned 

Spokesmen  for  the  MPPDA  and  the  na- 
tional exhibitor  organizations  issued  warn- 
ings last  July  that  exhibitors  must  be  pre- 
pared to  exert  their  most  expert  showman- 
ship efforts  to  carry  on  even  normal  busi- 
ness in  the  face  of  the  flood  of  theatricals 
which  will  be  offered  by  the  politicians. 

Thus,  as  an  opener,  the  organized  in- 
dustry now  calls  attention  of  both  exhibitor 
and  public  to  the  vast  array  of  outstanding 
screen  entertainment  that  will  be  available 
at  this  period.  In  a  printed  pamphlet,  be- 
ing sent  to  the  public  by  the  carload,  prin- 
cipally through  civic.,  church,  educational 
and  other  organized  interests,  each  of  the 
titles  is  briefly  described,  and  the  suggestion 
offered  that  the  prospective  patron  contact 
his  theatre  manager  to  determine  when  each 
of  the  pictures  will  be  shown.  The  list 
of  titles  follows : 

ADVENTURES  OF  TOM  SAWYER,  by  Mark  Twain. 

United  Artists. 
ANTHONY     ADVERSE,     with     Fredric  March. 

Warner. 

BIG  BROADCAST  OF  1937,  with  Jack  Benny,  Leo- 


WARNER'S  $500,000 
ADVERTISING  DRIVE 

Coincident  with  this  week's  an- 
nouncement by  the  Motion  Picture 
Producers  and  Distributors  of  America 
of  some  50  outstanding  productions 
which  will  be  available  as  a  box  office 
impetus  this  fall,  comes  Warner 
Brothers'  decision  to  spend  $500,000 
to  reach  100,000,000  American  mag- 
azine readers  with  advertising  messages 
on  their  own  outstanding  releases. 
Warners  describe  the  campaign  as  the 
biggest  in  their  history. 

Full  page  group  ads,  several  in  color, 
in  addition  to  regular  fan  publication 
advertising,  will  be  staggered  in  some 
30  of  the  largest  national  publications, 
having  a  combined  circulation  of 
25,500,000,  and  an  estimated  average 
of  over  100,000,000  readers. 

Some  of  the  magazines  will  co- 
operate with  local  Warner  theatre  ac- 
counts by  telephoning  their  readers  in 
neighborhoods  where  the  advertised 
pictures  are  playing. 

Other  magazines  will  distribute  her- 
alds giving  the  title  of  the  picture, 
name  of  the  theatre  and  playdates. 

In  addition,  Warners  will  consider- 
ably increase  its  cooperative  newspaper 
advertising  budget. 


pold  Stokowski,  George  Burns  and  Gracie  Allen. 
Paramount. 

THE  BOWERY  PRINCESS,  with  Shirley  Temple. 
Fox. 

CAPTAINS  COURAGEOUS,  by  Rudyard  Kipling. 
MGM. 

CAMILLE,  with  Greta  Garbo.  MGM. 

CHARGE  OF  THE  LIGHT  BRIGADE,  with  Errol 
Flynn  and  Olivia  de  Havilland.  Warner. 

COME  AND  GET  IT,  by  Edna  Ferber,  with  Ed- 
ward Arnold.    United  Artists. 

CRAIG'S  WIFE,  with  Rosalind  Russell,  John  Boles 
and  Billie  Burke.  Columbia. 

DANTON,  by  Romain  Rolland,  with  Paul  Muni. 
Warner. 

DODSWORTH,    by   Sinclair    Lewis,   with  Walter 

Huston  and  Ruth  Chatterton.   United  Artists. 
GARDEN   OF  ALLAH,   all   color  with  Marlene 

Dietrich  and  Charles  Boyer.   United  Artists. 
THE    GENERAL    DIED   AT   DAWN,   with  Gary 

Cooper  and  Madeleine  Carroll.  Paramount. 
GIRLS'  DORMITORY,  with  Simone  Simon,  Herbert 

Marshall  and  Ruth  Chatterton.  Fox. 
THE  GOOD  EARTH,  by  Pearl  Buck,  with  Paul  Muni 

and  Luise  Rainer.  MGM. 
THE  GORGEOUS  HUSSY,  with  Joan  Crawford, 

Robert  Taylor  and  Lionel  Barrymore.  MGM. 
THE  GREEN  PASTURES,  with  Rex  Ingram  and  the 

Hall  Johnson  Choir.  Warner. 
INTERLUDE,  with  Grace  Moore.  Columbia. 
JOAN  OF  ARC,  with  Claudette  Colbert.  Warner. 
KIM,  with  Freddie  Bartholomew.  MGM. 
LAST  OF  THE  MOHICANS,  with  Randolph  Scott, 

Henry  Wilcoxon,  Binnie  Barnes,  Heather  Angel, 

Bruce  Cabot.    United  Artists. 
LLOYD'S  OF  LONDON,  with  Freddie  Bartholo- 
mew, Loretta  Young  and  Sir  Guy  Standing.  Fox. 
LOST  HORIZON,  with  Ronald  Colman.  Columbia. 


First  Move  in  Companies' 
Own  Drive  to  Withstand 
Presidential  Campaign 
Year's  Threat  to  Box  Office 

MADAME  CURIE,  with  Irene  Dunne.  Universal. 
MAID  OF  SALEM,  with  Claudette  Colbert.  Para- 
mount. 

MARIE  ANTOINETTE,  with  Norma  Shearer  and 

Charles  Laughton.  MGM. 
MARY  OF  SCOTLAND,  with  Katharine  Hepburn 

and   Fredric  March.  RKO. 
MY  MAN  GODFREY,  with  William  Powell  and 

Carole  Lombard.  Universal. 
THE  ROAD  TO  GLORY,  with  Frederic  March, 

Warner  Baxter  and  Lionel  Barrymore.  Fox. 
ROMEO  AND  JULIET,  with  Norma  Shearer  and 

Leslie  Howard.  MGM. 
SEVENTH  HEAVEN,  based  on  the  romantic  drama 

by  Austin  Strong.  Fox. 
SWING  TIME,   with   Fred   Astaire   and  Ginger 

Rogers.  RKO. 
TWO  IN  A  CROWD,  with  Joel  McCrea  and  Joan 

Bennett.  Universal. 
VALLEY  FORGE,  based  on  the  Theatre  Guild  Play 

by  Maxwell  Anderson.  Columbia. 
WINTERSET,  with  Burgess  Meredith  and  Margo 

in  the  roles  they  created  on  the  stage.  RKO. 

In  the  foregoing  list,  which  appears  in 
the  same  alphabetical  manner  as  that  in 
which  the  MPPDA  compiled  it  for  release 
to  the  press  without  naming  the  companies, 
MGM  is  down  for  seven  of  the  outstanding 
productions,  Twentieth  Century-Fox  and 
Warner  have  six  each;  Columbia  and 
United  Artists,  five  each ;  Paramount  and 
RKO,  four  each,  and  Universal,  three. 

Points  to  High  Standards 

Mr.  Hays,  who  has  just  completed  a  month's 
survey  in  Hollywood  of  the  new  entertainment 
product,  declared  that  the  new  season  will  see 
the  presentation  of  more  than  50  screen  plays 
which  will  be  of  "an  artistic  and  entertainment 
character  ranking  with  those  pictures  which 
hitherto  have  marked  the  'Ten  Best'  of  the 
year." 

"Never  in  any  one  year  nor,  for  that  matter, 
over  a  several-year  period,  have  so  many  truly 
outstanding  pictures  been  produced  as  will  fol- 
low in  succession  upon  the  screens  of  our  the- 
atres this  fall."  Mr.  Hays  said  in  a  report  to 
his  producers. 

"Many  of  the  great  pictures  of  the  coming 
season  serve  a  double  entertainment  purpose. 
Backgrounds  vastly  extended  from  the  limita- 
tions imposed  by  the  proscenium  arch  of  the 
theatre  and  built  upon  a  world  canvas  which 
only  the  camera  makes  possible,  and  music  and 
action  that  appeal  to  the  millions  are  joined  in 
productions  of  higher  dramatic,  literary  and 
artistic  values." 

"No  less  significant  in  the  progress  of  the 
screen  as  a  cultural  as  well  as  a  great  enter- 
tainment medium,"  Mr.  Hays  declared,  "is  the 
number  of  films  for  the  coming  season  which 
will  deal  with  the  lives  and  exploits  of  great 
statesmen,  great  figures  in  history,  great  scien- 
tists, great  artists  and  composers." 

"In  addition  to  the  many  original  stories 
which  the  screen  will  feature,  the  film  dramati- 
zation of  familiar  classics  of  literature  contin- 
ues," he  added.  ' 

"The  romance  and  colorful  episodes  in  the 
history  of  our  own  country,  and  the  stories  of 
brave  pioneers  that  have  stirred  the  imagination 
and  pride  of  Americans  will  prove  another 
rich  source  of  motion  picture  entertainment  dur- 
ing the  coming  season,"  Mr.  Hays  declared. 


THAT  HAL  ROACH  SMILE 
GROWS  TO  FEATURE  SIZE! 


. . . HAL  ROACH 
BRINGS  20  YEARS 
OF  EXPERIENCE  TO 
MAKING  FEATURE 
LENGTH  COMEDIES! 

And  he  CLICKS  with 
2  BIQ  HAL  ROACH- 
'g  M-Q-M  HITS 
at  the  very 
start! 


The  industry  is  congratulating  Hal 
Roach.  There's  good  reason.  This 
shrewd  producer  of  fun-films,  who 
for  20  years  has  pepped  up  programs 
with  laugh-packed  comedies  in  short- 
subject  size,  is  now  delivering  the 
FIRST  FEATURE-SIZE  COMEDIES 
in  his  new  enterprise  as  a  Feature 
Producer  AND  THEY'RE  HAPPY 
HITS! 

We  print  on  the  immediately  follow- 
ing pages  what  the  trade  press  has 
to  say  of  two  of  Mr.  Roach's  newly 
completed  FEATURES.  And  there- 
after we  reveal  a  few  others  either 
planned  or  already  finished  for  the 
M-G-M-HAL  ROACH  FEATURE 
LENGTH  SEASON  of  1936-37. 


Hal  Roach 

presents 


LAUREL 


ioRATE  full-length  PEA 
PRODUCTION  of  the,  coree^ 


'Slap-stick  laugh  show 
topped  by  a  final  gag 
that  is  a  knockout ...  laugh- 
ter ranging  from  snickers  to 
howls!"  —  Hollywood  Preview, 
The  Film  Daily 

Topnotch  fare  for  the 
comedy  team.  A 

maze  of  gags. 

—Variety 


Laurel  and  Hardy 
Hit  Pace  in  Lav- 
ish Comedy.' 

—Showmen's 
Trade  Review 


And  watch  for 

LAUREL- 
HARDY'S 

next  big  feature 

IN  THE 
MONEY  " 

The  boys  put  on 
dress  clothes  and 
go  places! 


Qbound!"  "Ia"9hs 

'*ere,  ctureD°»> 

to  finish  ri°>  fron, 

their  I      L°Ur*landH    ,  tQrt 

^B°*  °ffice 
teQ 

Co""«  on  th     Qm  * 
today,..  screen 

~H°11^  nePoner 


JUST  THE  START! 
THEN  COMES  THE 
HAL  ROACH- 
M-G-M  HIT  No.  2 

Next  Page 


It 


HAVE  YOU  HEARD 
WHAT  THE  CRITICS 
SAY  ABOUT  MISTER 
CINDERELLA! 


(Following  right  after  the  raves  about 
Laurel-Hardy  in  "Our  Relations"  Mr.  Roach 
modestly  lets  the  press  tell  you  about  his 
Second-in-a-row  FEATURE  LENGTH  HIT!) 


"  'Mr.  Cinderella'  sets  the  pace  in  large 
measure  for  the  new  feature-comedy  pro- 
gram of  Hal  Roach.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
amusing  comedies  of  the  type  lately  shown ; 
in  fact,  one  of  the  funniest  films  of  the  year. 
The  preview  showing  was  given  at  the 
Uptown  Theatre,  and  many  laughs  testified 
to  the  satisfaction  derived  by  the  audience. 
Quite  a  bit  of  success  may  be  prophesied 
for  this  particular  cinema  diversion." 

Los  Angeles  Times 

"The  preview  of  'Mr.  Cinderella,'  starring 
Jack  Haley,  the  other  night  reminded  me 
of  the  days  when  audiences  loosened  the- 
ater seats  with  laughter.  This  film  was  aimed 
at  everybody's  ribs,  and  a  thorough  job  of 
giggle-getting  has  been  accomplished.  You'll 
like  'Mister  Cinderella'  because  it's  fast 
and  furious  fun." 

— Los  Angeles  Herald-Express 


"Clever  Comedy-drama.  Will  draw  plenty 
of  Raves.  Here's  a  worthy  film  that  should 
be  joyfully  received  by  exhibitors  and  pa- 
trons. Picture  contains  lots  of  good  gags, 
fast  action,  clever  story  and  fine  cast  with 
Haley,  Treacher,  Furness  and  Lockhart 
scoring  in  their  performances.  This  picture 
is  destined  for  popularity.  Sell  it  as  big 
laughfest  with  clean,  healthy  story." 

—  Showmen's  Trade  Review 

"Hal  Roach  has  turned  out  one  of  the  fun- 
niest pictures  in  the  current  season.  The 
preview  audience  at  the  Orpheum  laughed 
and  giggled  throughout  the  first  showing." 

— Motion  Picture  Daily 
(Hollywood  Preview) 

"Fast  moving  comedy  with  laugh  angles  to 
please  any  audience.  Jack  Haley  does  his 
best  picture  work  to  date."         — Variety 


BELOW  we  find  Jack  Haley,  Broadway 
stage  star  and  Betty  Furness  completely 
overcome  by  the  swell  reviews  on  this  page. 


"Class  A  comedy  built  for  the  loud  laughs,  and  will  get  them.  Jack  Haley  deliv- 
ers fine  performance.  This  is  a  Class  A  comedy,  built  solely  for  laughs — and 
getting  them,  many  of  the  belly  variety.  Edward  Sedgwick,  a  master  of  comedy, 
has  used  his  full  bag  of  tricks  and  the  result  is  a  heavy  total  of  chuckles  and 
guffaws.  Slapstick  is  used  to  good  advantage.  Jack  Haley  is  a  happy  choice  for 
the  title  role  and  has  never  done  better  work.  Betty  Furness,  Arthur  Treacher, 
Raymond  Walburn,  Kathleen  Lockhart,  Edward  Brophy  are  among  the  fun- 
makers  who  romp  through  their  roles,  Monroe  Owsley,  usually  a  heavy,  is  right 
at  home  in  a  comedy  part."  — The  Film  Daily 

"Built  for  audience  laughter,  'Mister  Cinderella'  succeeds  honestly  in  its  purpose. 
Edward  Sedgwick  concentrates  upon  the  situations  that  bring  howls.  The  preview 
reception  proved  all  of  it  good  audience  stuff.  Hal  Roach,  now  dedicated  mainly 
to  feature  production,  lends  a  splendid  physical  mounting  to  'Mr.  Cinderella.' 
Jack  Haley's  is  a  hit  performance.  Betty  Furness  contributes  a  really  fine  piece 
of  work.  Another  smash  is  scored  by  Arthur  Treacher  as  one  of  his  inimitable 
butlers,"  —Hollywood  Reporter 


PATSY- 

she's  fresh! 


LYDA- 

she's  saucy! 


ROSINA- 

she's  mischievous! 


MEET  HAL'S  GALS! 

PATSY  KELLY'S  got  a  breezy  naturalness  about  her  that  has  clicked  with 
audiences.  They  like  Patsy.  She's  one  of  the  masses,  ]ust  like  the  folks  out  front  and 
they  love  her  kind  of  clowning.   A  good  bet  for  Mr.  Hal  Roach's  feature  comedies. 

LYDA  ROBERTI  is  well  known  on  Broadway  as  an  electric  light  name  in 
the  $6.60  musical  comedy  class!  Your  patrons  will  fall  for  her  too.  She's  got  pep,  person- 
ality and  when  she  sings  her  famous  ditty  "Sweet  and  Hot"  with  that  captivating  accent 
and  when  she  dances  and  taps.. .okay  lovely  Lyda! 

ROSINA  LAWRENCE  is  frankly  a  newcomer  but  with  real  promise.  She's 

an  eyeful  and  earful.  What  a  voice !  And  she  makes  a  perfect  third  for  this  trio  of  entertainers ! 

2  LAUGH-HITS  FROM  THE  GALS! 


KELLY 


THE 
SECOND 


featuring 

d*.t«Y  KELLY  •  CHARLIE  CHASE 

PATSY  KELL'  „.~  .  p.rt  Kellon 
Guinr.  (Big  Boy)  Willioni.  T*n 


r 


PATSV  KELLY  "ytfZ 


AND  NOW  THAT 

RASCAL! 

(On  the  next  page) 


The  Personality  Kid"  SPANKY  McFARLAND 


If  this  turns  out  the  way  Hal  Roach  thinks  it  will,  you've  got  a  new  electric 
light  name  to  challenge  any  existing  juvenile  star.  Good  as  he  was  in  those 
merry  short  subjects  Spanky  McFarlancTs  got  a  lot  of  talent  and  winsome- 
ness  that  can  only  be  brought  out  fully  in  a  full-length  feature  with  character 
building  and  story  construction.  In  putting  Spanky  into  a  big  feature 
production  Mr.  Roach  really  follows  the  logical  development  of  this  grand 
youngster  with  audiences  and  showmen.  The  deciding  factor  was  Spanky's 
personal  appearance  tour  when  he  literally  wowed  them!  So  here's  his 
feature  debut  and  it's  getting  every  chance  in  the  way  of  production,  etc. 
It's  a  swell  comedy  built  around  the  Civil  War  period  and  a  Big  role  for 
the  little  fellow! 


SPANKY  McFARLAND  and  ALL-STAR  CAST 


in 


GENERAL  SPANK 


OF  COURSE  SPANKY  will  continue  to  star  in  "Our  Gang"  comedies  now  being  made 
by  as  spry  a  troupe  of  youngters  as  ever  gathered  under  the  Klieg  lights.  The  "Our  Gang" 
Comedies  are  in  1-reel  each  now  and  definitely  a  bright  spot  on  any  program. 

ALFALFA!  Certainly,  there  he  is  in  the  photo  above,  second  from  the  right.  It  sure  had 
to  be  trick  photography  to  remove  his  freckles  from  the  photograph  and  to  re-arrange  those 
eyes!  But  on  the  screen  he's  got  all  those  things  that  make  folks  chuckle  and  a  weirder  voice 
than  ever! 

NATURALLY  Hal  Roach  will  continue  to  make  "Our  Gang"  Comedies  in  single  reels 
in  addition  to  his  new  Feature  Production  enterprise.  The  public  just  wouldn't  stand  for  a 
discontinuance  of  "Our  Gang".  Might  as  well  abolish  baseball! 

OUR  GANG  FOLLIES  OF  1937"  The  first  one  was  such  a  joy  that  it's  good 

business  all  around  to  have  another  in  the  new  season.  Based  on  the  experience  with  last  sea- 
son's Gang  Follies,  they've  developed  some  new  Gang  gags  that  are  positively  marvelous.  Wait! 

Certainly,  in  addition  to  his  FEATURES,  there  will  be 

12  HAL  ROACH- OUR  GANG  COMEDIES 

in  One   Reel  Each  {Last  Page  over  there  13T") 


woA^'Ot  cot°Li  great  corned 

^0,JO^  ^ 


MY  PAL,  HAL 


Leo  knows  that  your  public  cheerfully  pays  its  money  for  hearty 
laughter  in  the  theatre.  He's  delighted  that  Hal  Roach  is  now 
devoting  his  great  studio  to  the  production  of  feature-length 
comedies.  There's  happiness  ahead  for  your  patrons  and  your  box- 
office  when  you  play  Hal  Roach  M-G-M  Feature-length  Comedies. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


33 


THE  CUTTING 
ROOM 


Advance  outlines  of  produc- 
tions nearing  completion  as 
seen  by  the  Hollywood  staff 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Herald 


Killer  At  Large 


(  Columbia  ) 
Melodramatic  Mystery 

A  murder  mystery,  there's  spine  chilling  story 
content  for  melodrama  fans.  At  the  same  time, 
the  production's  potentialities  for  unique  and 
effective  exploitation  are  many  and  large. 

The  heavy  in  the  show  is  the  operator  of  a 
stunt  used  to  ballyhoo  stores.  It  consists  of 
four  wax  dummies  and  himself,  and  as  Mr.  Zero 
is  an  expert  in  assuming  statuesque  poses,  the 
attraction  for  the  onlooker  is  to  guess  which 
of  the  figures  is  alive. 

But  in  the  store  which  he  is  ballyhooing  a 
robbery  and  murder  are  committed.  A  young 
clerk  is  suspected,  but  through  the  efforts  of  a 
feminine  detective  the  police  are  convinced  of 
his  innocence  and  believe  the  living  dummy  is 
the  culprit.  Ensues  an  exciting  series  of  adven- 
tures in  Mr.  Zero's  wax  works,  wherein  Mr. 
Zero  devotes  all  his  activities  to  rubbing  out 
the  young  couple,  but  he  is  prevented  by  the 
arrival  of  the  police. 

The  story  is  an  original  by  Carl  Clausen,  with 
screen  play  by  Harold  Shumate,  and  it  is  being 
made  under  the  direction  of  David  Selman. 

The  two  leads  are  Mary  Brian  and  Russell 
Hardie,  as  the  detective  and  clerk.  Mr.  Zero 
is  Henry  Brandon.  The  trio  is  supported  by 
George  McKay,  Thurston  Hall,  Betty  Comp- 
son,  Harry  Hayden,  Boyd  Irwin  and  Charles 
Moore. 


One  Man  Came  Back 

(RKO  Radio) 
Melodrama 

Promising  to  be  a  startling  picture,  dra- 
matically realistic,  entertainment  always  and 
never  propaganda,  this  story  is  a  vivid  cross 
section  view  of  Condemned  Row,  where  con- 
victed criminals  await  execution.  Particularly 
does  it  concern  the  terrifying  experiences  of  an 
innocent  man  convicted  of  murder  by  an  attor- 
ney who  looks  upon  his  accomplishment  as  a 
stepping  stone  to  the  governor's  chair,  and  the 
last-minute  success  of  a  girl  and  a  police  in- 
spector in  saving  his  life. 

The  time  is  the  present,  the  locales  a  mid- 
western  city  and  the  death  house  in  a  peniten- 
tiary. The  story  is  an  original  screen  play  by 
John  Twist,  lately  credited  with  collaboration 
on  "The  Last  Outlaw,"  "Annie  Oakley"  and 
"Yellow  Dust."  Direction  is  by  Christy  Ca- 
banne,  who  made  "The  Last  Outlaw"  and  "An- 
other Face."  Production  is  in  the  hands  of  Ed- 
ward Small,  whose  first  radio  effort  was  "The 
Bride  Walks  Out."  Mr.  Small  is  also  the  pro- 
ducer of  the  forthcoming  "The  Last  of  the 
Mohicans,"  based  on  the  famous  semi-classic 
of  that  name  by  James  Fenimore  Cooper. 

Preston  Foster,  soon  to  be  seen  in  "The 
Plough  and  the  Stars,"  is  the  inspector ;  Ann 
Dvorak,  absent  from  the  screen  since  "Dr. 
Socrates,"  is  the  girl,  and  John  Beal,  remem- 
bered for  his  appearance  with  Katharine  Hep- 
burn in  "Break  of  Hearts"  and  "The  Little 
Minister,"  is  the  helpless  victim  of  political  am- 
bition and  gang  fear.  These  are  the  principals, 
yet  with  40  speaking  parts  written  in,  the  sup- 
porting cast  is  one  of  the  largest  assembled  in 
Hollywood  in  some  time.  Most  of  these  players 
are  familiar  to  picture  goers.  The  list  includes 
Russell  Hopton,  J.  Carrol  Naish,  Ray  Mayer, 


Frank  M.  Thomas,  Landers  Stevens,  Frank 
Jenks,  John  Wray,  Paul  Hurst,  DeWitt  Jen- 
nings, Gordon  James,  Bryant  Washburn,  a 
silent  day  favorite,  Russell  Hicks,  Ed  LeSain, 
Howard  Hickman,  Wilfred  Lucas,  Oscar  Apfel 
and  John  Carroll. 

The  story  is  told  in  straight  from  the  shoul- 
der style.  While  concentrating  on  drama,  it 
nevertheless  has  a  love  interest  quality,  and  as 
it  seeks  to  present  an  accurate  picture  it  is 
neither  a  sentimental  defense  of  condemned  men 
nor  a  harsh  cry  for  vengeance  against  those  who 
overstep  society's  bounds. 


King  of  Hockey 

(Warner) 
Dramatic  Romance 

The  thrills,  color  and  speedy  excitement  of 
ice  hockey  are  the  production  backgrounds  of 
this  dramatic  romance.  Staged  in  the  atmos- 
phere of  Madison  Square  Garden  and  New 
York  at  the  height  of  the  modern  professional 
rink  season,  the  picture  will  present  two  crack 
hockey  teams  in  action.  The  lead  role  will  be 
played  by  Dick  Purcell,  former  ace  Fordham 
University  player,  seen  recently  in  smaller  parts 
in  several  Warner  pictures. 

Purcell  joins  the  Shrinking  Violets  as  ace 
player  on  the  toughest  team  in  the  league. 
With  professional  success  comes  romance  with 
Ann  Nagel.  Slimy  underworld  betting  rings 
have  their  innings,  and  Purcell  is  suspected  of 
dealing  with  them  because  his  attentions  to  the 
girl  have  caused  his  playing  to  suffer.  Follow- 
ing a  flight  with  the  team's  manager  who  ac- 
cuses him  of  double  crossing,  Purcell,  whose 
eyes  have  been  injured,  is  fired  off  the  club.  A 
broken  man,  he  wanders  the  streets  of  New 
York  to  be  found  by  hero  worshiping  little  Ann 
Gilles.  An  operation  clarifies  his  vision,  sus- 
picion is  dropped,  and  Purcell  returns  to  the 
arena  to  become  a  reigning  star  of  the  ice. 

The  story  is  an  original  by  George  Bricher, 
former  New  York  sports  writer,  and  direction 
is  by  Noel  Smith. 

The  cast  supporting  Purcell  and  Miss  Nagel 
includes  Miss  Gilles,  Wayne  Morris,  George  E. 
Stone,  Frank  Faylen,  Joseph  Crehan,  Garry 
Owen,  Guy  Usher,  Dora  Clement,  Marie  Wil- 
son, Max  Hoffman,  Jr.,  and  members  of  the 
teams  of  the  University  of  Southern  California 
and  Lovola. 


Winterset 

(RKO  Radio) 
Drama 

The  stage  play  from  which  this  picture  is 
adapted  was  voted  the  outstanding  play  of  the 
past  season.  It  was  written  by  Maxwell  An- 
derson, who  gained  fame  for  his  collaboration 
with  Laurence  Stallings  on  "What  Price  Glory," 
and  who  is  also  the  author  of  the  current  "Mary 
of  Scotland."  The  screen  play  is  by  Anthony 
Veiller,  credited  with  "The  Ex  Mrs.  Bradford" 
and  "Star  of  Midnight."  Direction  is  by  Alfred 
Santell,  maker  of  "The  Life  of  Virgie  Winters," 
"Bondage"  and  the  well  remembered  "The  Pat- 
ent Leather  Kid." 

In  deciding  to  make  the  picture,  Producer 
Pandro  S.  Berman  chose  to  take  the  three  lead- 
ing players  who  made  such  a  hit  in  the  original 
for  the  screen  version.  Burgess  Meredith,  the 
hero,  makes  his  screen  debut ;  Margo,  the  girl, 


has  been  seen  in  several  pictures,  notably  "Crime 
Without  Passion,"  "Robin  Hood  of  El  Do- 
rado" and  "Rumba."  Eduardo  Ciannelli,  the 
menace,  played  in  "Reunion  in  Vienna"  and 
"The  Scoundrel."  Supporting  this  trio  there 
are  several  wellknown  screen  names  and  many 
that  are  not  so  familiar.  The  cast  includes  Ed- 
ward Ellis,  Paul  Guilfoyle,  Maurice  Moscovitch, 
a  newcomer  from  the.  stage,  Fernanda  Eliscu, 
who  played  in  the  original  version,  Stanley 
Ridges,  John  Carradine,  Sidney  Toler,  Helen 
Jerome  Eddy,  Murray  Kinnel,  Myron  McCor- 
mack,  who  replaced  Cianelli  in  the  original  cast, 
Mischa  Auer  and  Bobby  Caldwell. 

The  story  is  drama,  tense,  thrilling  and  action 
packed,  presented  in  grimly  realistic  fashion. 
It  deals  with  a  miscarriage  of  justice  which 
takes  an  innocent  man  to  the  electric  chair. 
Years  later  the  victim's  son,  determined  to  clear 
the  memory  of  his  father,  becomes  involved  in 
a  roaring  drama  and  heart  touching  romance 
in  crowded  New  York  until  the  law  of  the  gun 
establishes  its  own  justice. 


The  Big  Game 


(RKO  Radio) 
Football  Romance-Drama 

Of  the  several  football  films  to  be  released 
during  the  gridiron  season,  the  aptly  titled  "The 
Big  Game,"  is  one  that  bases  its  hopes  for  popu- 
larity on  the  topical  character  of  the  story, 
which  is  a  gambler  menaced  saga  of  the  foot- 
ball game ;  the  contrasting  romantic  interest, 
dramatic  suspense  and  the  thrill  action  of  con- 
flict on  the  field. 

The  yarn  is  taken  from  a  story  by  Francis 
Wallis  that  ran  serially  in  Collier's  a  few- 
months  ago.  The  time  is  the  present  and  the 
locale,  though  supposedly  in  the  East,  actually 
takes  in  the  campuses  of  several  Los  Angeles 
universities,  while  the  football  action  was  shot 
in  the  famous  Rose  Bowl. 

For  a  motivation  the  story  centers  itself 
around  a  star  back  whose  accomplishments  in 
one  game  and  failures  in  others  convinces  a 
sports  writer  that  he  is  in  league  with  big  time 
gamblers.  Building  to  a  climax,  the  boy  is  kid- 
naped by  the  gamblers,,  only  to  be  rescued  in 
the  fourth  quarter  by  his  coach,  the  girl  in  the 
case  and  several  husky  pigskin  warriors,  to 
come  back  in  time  to  win  the  game. 

One  of  the  outstanding  showmanship  quali- 
ties of  the  production  undoubtedly  will  be  the 
presentation  of  a  group  of  famous  football  play- 
ers including  Bobby  Wilson,  William  Shake- 
speare, Jay  Berwanger,  Gomer  Jones,  Red 
Cagle,  Irvin  Klein,  Chuck  Bemis,  Monk  Moscrip, 
Bones  Hamilton  and  Frank  Alustiza. 

In  the  straight  picture  names  category,  Philip 
Huston,  a  recruit  from  the  legitimate  stage, 
makes  his  debut  as  the  star.  June  Travis,  seen 
in  many  Warner  features,  is  the  girl,  James 
Gleason  the  gambler  and  Frank  Thomas  the 
coach.  Bruce  Cabot  and  And,v  Devine  are  fel- 
low players  and  others  in  the  cast  are  C.  Henry 
Gordon,  the  sports-writer,  Guinn  Williams, 
Margaret  Seddon,  Barbara  Pepper,  John  Ar- 
ledge,  Murray  Kinnell  and  Eddie  Nugent. 


"Everyman"  for  Hollywood 

Johannes  Poulsen,  director  of  the  Royal 
theatre  of  Denmark,  will  produce  "Every- 
man" in  the  Hollywood  Bowl  for  8  days 
in  September. 


34 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    2  2,  1936 


NEW  YORK  LEADS  MOVE 
TO  RAISE  ADMISSIONS 


Midday  Price  Made  Opening 
Change,  Increasing  Tariff  to 
15c  Where  Formerly  a  Dime 

"Early  bird"  admission  prices  in  the 
Greater  New  York  area  will  be  eliminated 
and  evening  prices  uniformly  will  begin  at 
5  p.  m.  at  all  major  and  independent  the- 
atres starting  September  4th  and  5th,  it  was 
decided  this  week  at  a  special  meeting  in 
the  offices  of  Charles.  C.  Moskowitz  in  the 
Loew  Building  on  Broadway. 

The  agreement  is  the  first  of  its  kind 
reached  by  major  circuits  and  unaffiliated 
exhibitors  in  the  New  York  territory  in 
many  a  year,  and  is  but  one  phase  of  the 
new  trend  growing  elsewhere  to  raise  ad- 
missions and  eliminate  cut-rates.  While  the 
major  circuits  from  time  to  time  have  co- 
operated with  the  independents  on  ad- 
verse legislation  battles,  the  unanimity  on 
the  question  of  admissions  is  the  first  in 
the  last  ten  years. 

The  meeting,  which  follows  a  general  sur- 
vey of  admission  conditions  throughout  the 
country  by  Motion  Picture  Herald  in  the 
issue  of  August  1,  was  attended  by  Nate  J. 
Blumberg,  George  P.  Skouras,  Louis  Frisch, 
Si  Fabian,  Sam  Rosen,  Matty  Kutinsky, 
Marvin  Schenck,  Laurence  Bolognino,  Ber- 
nary  Barr,  Sam  Strassberg,  Leo  Brecher, 
Max  Cohen,  Joseph  Seider,  Jack  W. 
Springer,  Sam  D.  Cocalis,  Eugene  Picker, 
Al  Lichtman,  Harry  Brandt  and  Mr.  Mos- 
kowotz,  who  acted  as  chairman. 

From  Dime  to  15  Cent  Opener 

As  a  result  of  the  agreement,  all  theatres 
which  usually  open  with  a  low  admission 
in  the  morning,  and  early  in  the  afternoon 
change  to  an  intermediate  figure  before  put- 
ting the  evening  price  scale  into  effect,  will 
make  that  intermediate  price  the  opening 
figure.  In  other  words,  if  a  theatre  opens 
in  the  morning  with  a  10-cent  admission 
and  around  1  or  2  p.  m.  adds  five  cents, 
the  new  understanding  is  that  the  15-cent 
figure  will  be  the  opening  price.  The  only 
other  raise  in  the  admission  for  the  day  will 
be  the  5  p.  m.,  tariff,  which  virtually  is  the 
evening  price. 

Mr.  Lichtman,  assistant  to  Nicholas  M. 
Schenck  at  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  and  rep- 
resenting all  the  distributors,  told  the  circuit 
and  independent  theatre  men  that  every  com- 
pany would  cooperate  100  per  cent  with 
the  idea.  Last  year  the  same  theatre  men 
met  at  the  Hotel  Astor  in  New  York  for 
discussions  along  the  same  lines,  but  agree- 
ment could  not  be  reached.  Mr.  Brandt,  presi- 
dent of  the  Independent  Theatre  Owners 
Association'*  suggested  the  meeting  con- 
ducted this  week. 

Representatives  of  Paramount  and  War- 
ner did  not  attend  the  meeting,  and  execu- 
tives at  the  offices  of  the  circuits  refused 
to  commit  themselves  when  asked  if  they 
would  follow  the  move  of  the  other  opera- 
tors. However,  it  is  expected  that  the  two 


HEIGHT,  NOT  AGE,  IS 
NEW  ADMISSION  BASIS 

At  least  one  suburban  theatre  man 
in  Cincinnati  is  considering  putting 
into  effect  a  plan  for  children's  ad- 
missions similar  to  one  used  by  the  in- 
tercity Ohio  Bus  Lines  in  computing 
passenger  fares.  Children  are  charged 
according  to  height  instead  of  age. 
Under  46  inches,  the  passenger  rides 
free.  Between  46  and  5  5  inches,  half 
fare  is  charged,  and  over  5  5  inches, 
full  fare  must  be  paid.  A  measuring 
gauge  is  located  near  the  doors  of 
buses. 

Although  some  adults  come  within 
the  free  ride  and  half-fare  heights, 
they  are  charged  accordingly,  the 
plan  working  out  satisfactorily  over  a 
period  of  time  according  to  the  law 
of  averages,  bus  officials  say. 


companies  will  fall  in  line  and  agree  to  the 
plan  drawn  up. 

That  Warners  will  join  the  movement 
with  the  Strand  theatre  is  indicated  by  a 
new  plan  to  be  inaugurated  shortly.  Only 
"A"  product  of  Warners  and  First  National 
will  be  dated  after  "Anthony  Adverse," 
which  opens  August  26th  and  is  expected  to 
continue  for  a  month  at  popular  prices. 

Howard  S.  Cullman  of  the  Roxy  has  an- 
nounced that  starting  August  28th  a  revised 
price  scale  will  go  into  effect.  The  week- 
day price  from  1  to  6  P.  M.  will  advance 
from  35  to  40  cents.  From  opening  to  1 
P.  M.  it  will  remain  at  25  cents,  however, 
in  contrast  to  the  general  plan. 

The  move  to  increase  admission  prices 
was  not  confined  to  the  New  York  area 
alone.  Out  in  the  field,  discussion  of  the  prob- 
lem took  place  in  Cincinnati,  Buffalo,  Pitts- 
burgh and  Cleveland.  The  Greater  Cincin- 
nati Independent  Exhibitors  Association,  at 
its  monthly  meeting,  discussed  the  advisa- 
bility of  increasing  children's  admissions 
from  10  to  15  cents  at  subsequent  runs. 
No  change  in  the  adult  rate  at  30  cents  is 
contemplated.  The  group  opposed  partici- 
pation of  film  stars  in  radio  programs,  as 
well,  emphasizing  the  theatre  competition 
involved. 

Buffalo  Action  Delayed 

In  Buffalo,  in  the  absence  of  some  circuit 
executives,  the  final  meeting  to  raise  admis- 
sion prices  has  been  delayed  until  late  this 
week.  However,  it  is  felt  among  independ- 
ent and  circuit  operators  that  a  general  in- 
crease in  prices  will  be  inaugurated  in  the 
very  near  future,  with  the  possibility  the 
increases  may  be  made  the  first  week  of  next 
month. 

In  Cleveland,  however,  the  prospects  of  an 
increase  in  admission  prices  are  very  slight, 
according  to  a  consensus  of  exhibitors. 
While  a  majority  of  the  exhibitors  operating 
houses   in  the  higher   admission  brackets 


favor  the  raise,  there  seems  little  hope  that 
such  a  move  can  be  adopted  unanimously, 

The  only  move  so  far  has  been  made  by 
Nat  Wolf,  Warner  zone  manager  in  that 
city,  who  is  raising  admission  prices  for 
"Mary  of  Scotland"  in  all  Warner  houses 
playing  key  spots  in  his  territory.  The  pic- 
ture opened  last  week  at  Warner's  Hippo- 
drome at  55  cents  top  instead  of  the  regular 
42  cents  top.  Other  spots  where  prices  will 
be  hiked  are  Mansfield,  Youngstown,  Lima, 
Akron  and  Canton. 

In  New  Orleans  definite  assurance  that  at 
least  one  commercial  area  house  would  raise 
admissions  in  the  fall  was  received  when 
H.  S.  McLeod,  manager  of  the  new  Strand, 
announced  that  in  September  his  orchestra 
matinee  seats  would  sell  for  25  cents.  No 
raise  will  be  made  in  his  night  prices.  Top 
night  prices  for  "A"  houses  range  from  35 
to  40  cents. 

Chance  Games  Next  Issue 

New  York  exhibitors,  with  the  settlement 
of  the  admission  problem,  now  feel  that  the 
next  important  question  to  be  answered  by 
theatre  operators  is  that  of  chance  games. 
Several  independent  circuits  already  have 
started  to  drop  the  practice  in  some  of  their 
units,  with  plans  on  foot  to  do  away  with 
them  entirely  within  the  next  few  months. 

The  cooperation  of  both  affiliated  and  non- 
affiliated theatre  men  in  sponsoring  a  law 
for  the  admission  of  children  unaccompanied 
by  guardians  and  the  recent  meeting  on 
admissions  has  heartened  important  theatre 
men  that  in  time  most  of  the  current  ex- 
hibition evils  will  be  eliminated. 

Exhibitors  questioned  on  the  subject  agree 
they  will  give  up  chance  games  as  a  box- 
office  stimulant  provided  the  others  do  like- 
wise. The  only  way  a  unanimous  move  can 
be  made,  it  is  said,  is  to  get  all  the  leaders 
together  and  put  the  matter  to  them  formally. 
This  is  expected  to  be  done  as  soon  as  the 
admission  price  increase  is  operating 
smoothly. 

Move  to  Bar  Duals  Halted 

Efforts  by  a  number  of  independent  ex- 
hibitors to  revive  the  campaign  for  elimina- 
tion of  double  features  in  the  New  York 
area  have  been  halted.  No  meetings  on  the 
topic  are  planned  although  the  matter  was 
discussed  briefly  at  a  recent  Independent 
Theatre  Owners  Association  meeting.  A 
discussion  aroused  by  quotation  of  an  edi- 
torial in  the  New  York  Daily  News  was  cut 
short  by  a  member  of  the  buying  committee 
who  said  dual  bills  cannot  be  eliminated 
because  of  the  type  of  product  being  made. 

His  contention  was  that  the  problem  was 
not  up  to  the  theatre  operator  but  to  the 
producer.  A  certain  amount  of  product  is 
made  for  dual  feature  purposes  and  the  at- 
tractions which  can  stand  alone  are  few  and 
far  between,  he  said. 


George  Gerhard  Joins  RKO 

George  Gerhard  has  joined  the  RKO  pub- 
licity department  as  special  contact  man.  He 
will  handle  special  assignments  and  do  road 
promotional  work.  Mr.  Gerhard  was 
formerly  manager  for  Cosmopolitan  Pro- 
ductions and  Hearst  Metrotone  News. 


Lloyd  Names  Assistants 

Frank  Lloyd  has  named  Lance  Baxter 
and  Silas  Prime  production  assistants  on 
his  staff  at  the  Paramount  Hollywood  stu- 
dios. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


35 


ASIDES  end 
INTERLUDES 


Jack  Wallace,  lost  for  years  to  the  motion 
picture  and  the  stage,  now  is  found  selling 
steaks  at  $12  apiece. 

Columbia  Pictures  had  him  last  in  motion 
pictures,  in  "The  Donovan  Affair"  and  "The 
Fighting  Ranger,"  in  1934.  The  stage  then 
rung  down  the  curtain  on  Wallace  as  an 
actor  when  he  was  with  Katharine  Cornell 
and  the  late  Lowell  Sherman  in  "Casanova." 
Jack  started  to  lose  his  hair  and  quit  for  the 
restaurant  business.  He  has  been  glad  ever 
since.  Who  wouldn't,  selling  steaks  at  $12 
a  steak. 

Over  the  hills  of  Spuyten  Duyvil  and  far 
away  from  Times  Square,  lies  Ben  Riley's 
very  expensive  Arrowhead  Inn,  at  Riverdale, 
where  Archer  Winsten,  in  the  wake  of  the 
news  for  the  Post  newspaper  of  New  York, 
found  Jack  Wallace,  acting  as  assistant 
manager  and  son-in-law  to  Riley,  recom- 
mending frog's  legs  to  the  gourmet. 

Jack  wasn't  so  happy  last  year,  though. 
He  had  gone  to  the  Adirondack  Mountains 
for  a  vacation.  His  stomach  ached  and  he 
went  to  a  country  doctor  who  discharged 
him  with  a  "Here,  take  some  caster  oil  in 
sarsaparilla.  You  won't  taste  it.  You're  all 
right."  When  they  got  him  to  the  operating 
room  his  appendix  had  already  ruptured  and 
peritonitis  set  in.  He  spent  12  weeks  in  the 
Troy  hospital  in  a  beautiful  room — over- 
looking the  cemetery. 

V 

Washington  announces  that  140,000  CCC 
workers  will  be  sent  home  from  camp  on  a 
three-day  leave  of  absence  so  they  can  vote  in 
the  Presidential  election,  but  Ted  (Cook-Coo) 
Cook,  feeling  that  the  boys  probably  will  be 
reminded  that  Mr.  Roosevelt  is  their  benefactor, 
suggests  that  the  government  cut  down  the 
terrific  railroad  expense  and  send  home  only  one 
CCC  worker  to  vote  140,000  times.  Mr.  Cook's 
idea,  while  probably  receiving  the  lusty  plaudits 
of  Roosevelt-V ote-Gctter  Farley,  is  not  friendly 
to  the  neighborhood  theatre  owner,  who  is  al- 
ways on  the  lookout  for  new  business  returning 
home  from  some  place. 

V 

The  only  angle  that  the  lurid  tabloid  news- 
papers overlooked  in  reporting  the  Mary  Astor 
story  was  an  interview  with  Mae  West. 
V 

He  was  born  Frederick  Austerlitz;  his  inti- 
mates call  him  "Minnie";  motion  pictures 
know  him  as  Fred  Astaire. 

In  the  hobo  jungles  Jim  Tully,  the  writer, 
is  known  as  "Ohio  Red." 

V 

Whitney  Bolton  describes  one  of  those  Holly- 
wood hunt  breakfasts  where  William  Claude 
Dukenfield — better  known  as  W.  C.  Fields — 
found  a  huge  dining  room  sideboard  laden  with 
smoking  platters  of  broiled  kidneys. 

Fields  helped  himself  twice,  went  back  for  a 
third  portion. 

"You  like  the  kidneys?"  his  hostess  inquired. 

"Like  them?  They're  swell,"  reported  Fields, 
now  fifty-seven.  "I  wish  mine  were  half  as 
good." 

V 

While  on  the  subject  of  marquee  oddities, 
Kansas  City's  Ivanhoe  Christian  Church  had 
this  "sales"  message  on  its  out-front  boards : 
WHEN  A  BANANA  LEAVES  THE 
BUNCH,  IT  GETS  SKINNED 

COME  TO  CHURCH  SUNDAY 


Odd  Mclntyre  finds  the  zippiest  of  the  cur- 
rent Broadway-lovers  to  be  George  Marshall, 
the  big  Washington,  D.  C,  laundryman,  who 
has  a  strong  connection  with  motion  pictures, 
as  we  shall  presently  see.  George,  who  has 
given  zest  to  many  parties  with  his  sponta- 
neities, is  a  country  boy,  born  near  Point  Pleas- 
ant, W.  Va.  He  started  off  as  a  show  trouper 
with  motion  picture's  Monta  Bell,  the  director, 
long  one  of  Marshall's  cronies.  At  George's 
majority  he  inherited  a  broken-down  laundry, 
and,  surprising  everybody,  including  himself, 
turned  it  into  a  larruping  success.  But  his 
metier  is  frolic,  says  Mclntyre.  He  adores  the 
dazzling  tungstens,  cheerio  and  back-slapping 
camaraderie.  Some  of  the  night  clubs  can 
hardly  close  without  him.  A  booming  type,  he 
enters  a  place  with  the  modern  version  of  a 
Comanche  whoop,  thus  giving  impression  that 
from  now  on  joy  must  reign  unconfined,  and 
it  usually  does.  His  most  recent  diversion  was 
eloping  with  motion  picture's  Corinne  Griffith. 
V 

Another  relation  to  motion  pictures  who  is 
nominated  by  Odd  Mclntyre  as  an  auspicious 
in-and-outer  among  the  dawn  hailers  is  A.  C. 
{Alfred  Cleveland)  Blumenthal,  called  by  Mc- 
lntyre "the  pee-wee  promotion  poobah"  from 
San  Francisco,  who  salvaged  a  bankroll  out  of 
movie  theatre  building  and  promoting  big  movie 
deals.  He's  now  over  in  London  with  his  nose 
stuck  into  the  Gaumont  British-F  ox-MGM 
stock  deal,  from  which  he  hopes  to  collect  a 
pretty  penny  commission. 

"Blumie,"  who  Mclntyre  finds  "a  temperate 
fellow,"  let's  himself  go  night-club-wise  for 
several  months  at  a  stretch  and  will  be  host 
for  an  entire  front  row  at  the  first  nights  and 
a  half-dozen  tables  afterward  at  the  reigning 
night  club  spot.  One  month  a  study  in  "kine- 
matics," he  goes  out  like  a  light  and  nobody 
will  see  him  or  hear  of  him  for  several  months. 
Then  Blumie  blooms  again. 

V 

A  stork  postponed  a  film  career  for  17 
years.  Cleo  Ridgely,  whom  your  father  will 
remember,  if  you  don't,  as  a  mighty  pretty 
miss  of  the  silent  era,  is  engaging  in  a  come- 
back, in  Samuel  Goldwyn's  "Dodsworth." 
Miss  Ridgely  quit  films  in  1919  at  the  height 
of  her  career,  while  at  Famous  Players,  be- 
cause of  an  imminent  visit  of  the  stork.  She 
had  planned  to  remain  away  for  but  a  short 
time,  but  the  stork  brought  twins — and  that 
settled  that. 

V 

New  York's  only  outdoor  theatre  of  the  stage, 
at  2  Prospect  Place,  in  the  Tudor  City  section, 
boasts  of  several  unique  features.  But  most 
unusual  is  the  permission  given  patrons  to  bring 
their  dogs — at  ten  cents  per  pup,  with  or  with- 
out pedigrees. 

V 

"Success  in  Hollywood,"  thoughtfully  ob- 
serves Hy  Gardner,  "is  a  matter  of  relative 
importance." 

V 

Hollywood  stars  making  personal  stage  ap- 
pearances and  old  troupers  of  the  stage  who 
ofttimes  complain  about  the  inconveniences  of 
touring  the  road  need  complain  no  longer. 
Attached  to  a  program  of  a  festival  of  Siberian 
art,  given  in  the  Soviet  by  Moscow-cultured 
performers,  is  a  footnote  informing  the  players 
that  the  nearest  railroad  station  is  1,200  miles 
azvay. 


by  JAMES  P.  CUNNINGHAM 


Broadway's  sad-panned  comedian,  Ben 
Blue,  just  signed  to  a  long  term  Paramount 
contract,  is  notoriously  feeble  of  memory. 
As  a  result,  he  frequently  finds  himself  in 
embarrassing  situations  when  he  tries  to 
recall  faces  or  names.  The  other  night 
Louis  Sobol  on  Broadway  found  Ben  face 
to  face  with  a  fellow  who  seemed  only 
vaguely  familiar  to  the  comedian.  "Hi,  Ben, 
old  kid,"  greeted  the  fellow.  "Say,  you  look 
fine — like  a  million  bucks."  "Thanks,"  fum- 
bled Blue,  trying  to  recall  the  stranger, 
"You  look  in  the  pink  yourself.  Take  off 
your  hat — say,  you've  gotten  balder,  ain't 
ya?  Thinner,  too,  since  the  last  time  I  saw 
you."  "Think  so?"  asked  the  vaguely 
familiar  face.  "Sure,"  replied  Ben,  "but  you 
look  good.  Where  you  been?"  "Oh,  China, 
Budapest — I've  been  on  the  go  these  past 
few  years."  "Zat  so?"  chortled  Blue  in  his 
most  surprised  tone.  "Well,"  concluded 
Ben,  "it  sure  is  good  to  see  you  again — I've 
been  wondering  why  I  don't  bump  into  you 
more  often — lessee,  last  time  I  saw  you — out 
in  ?" 

"Yesterday  afternoon,"  reminded  the  fel- 
low, dryly.  "In  the  William  Morris  office. 
I'm  your  agent!" 

V 

Recently  John  Chapman  wrote  a  piece  in  the 
New  York  Daily  News  about  the  troubles  of 
the  impoverished  barnyard  summer  stock  com- 
panies. The  Red  Barn  theatre  was  cited  as  the 
victim  of  the  worst  annoyances ,  with  the  Long 
Island  Railroad  practically  running  through  it 
backstage.  Now  comes  the  closing  of  the  sum- 
mer playhouse  at  Niantic,  Connecticut,  and  an 
explanation  from  Sydney  Spier,  the  press 
agent,  of  a  similar  complaint : 

"We  had  the  whole  main  line  of  the  New 
York-to-Boston  railroad  practically  in  our 
wings.  Our  average  for  an  evening's  perform- 
ance was  eight  trains. 

"During  the  first  act  of  'Invitation  to  a  Mur- 
der,' Mary  Morris  had  managed  to  establish 
the  illusion  that  she  was  a  macabre  and  murder- 
ous figure  in  her  lonely  castle  some  500  miles 
from  nowhere  when — bang! — the  speedy  Yankee 
Clipper,  fairly  snorting  with  industrial  efficiency, 
roared  by. 

"And  there  was  that  awful  time  when  the 
leading  man  in  a  tender  love  scene  ivhispered 
to  the  ingenue,  'Darling — just  listen  to  the 
silence  .  .  .'  A  split  second  later  came  an  unwel- 
come obligato  of  60  shrieking  cattle  cars  bound 
for  the  Boston  stock  yards  and  slaughter." 
V 

Many  Broadway  and  Hollywood  Boulevard 
song  writers  exercise  every  day — they  spend  a 
half  hour  lifting  tunes. 

V 

On  August  15,  1935 — just  one  year  ago 
this  week — William  Penn  Adair  Rogers  was 
killed  in  an  airplane  crash  with  Wiley  Post, 
in  his  56th  year.  All  the  world  mourned  him 
and  the  motion  picture  business  went  out  and 
collected  $500,000  for  a  stone  memorial  in 
the  form  of  a  sanatorium  in  the  mountains. 
Many  institutions,  individuals  and  towns 
lifted  to  the  skies  various  verbal  and  concrete 
testimonials  of  Will  Rogers'  greatness.  But 
that  was  one  year  ago,  and  people  soon  for- 
get. Now,  on  September  4th,  County  Judge 
H.  H.  Brown,  in  Claremore,  Okla.,  where 
Rogers  was  born,  will  sell  the  Rogers  birth- 
place and  homestead  ranch  to  satisfy  $175,000 
in  state  and  federal  taxes. 


36  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  August    22,  1936 


MPTOA  THREATENS  LEGISLATIVE 
ACTION  TO  ADJUST  TRADE  POLICIES 


Concedes  Legislation  "Arbi- 
trary" and  Litigation  "Expen- 
sive" but  Warns  They  May 
Have  To  Be  Last  Resort 

The  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  is  speaking  ominously  of  "legisla- 
tion" and  "litigation"  to  be  resorted  to  if 
distributors  fail  to  concede  at  least  a  ma- 
jority of  the  points  included  in  its  10  point 
fair  trade  practices  program. 

First  indications  of  strenuous  action  to 
be  taken  were  contained  in  a  general  bul- 
letin issued  this  week  from  national  head- 
quarters in  New  York  over  the  signature 
of  Edward  Kuykendall,  president.  After  the 
bulletin  was  issued  Mr.  Kuykendall  told  of 
the  existence  of  sentiment  among  New 
York  City  exhibitor  organizations  affiliated 
with  MPTOA  to  have  the  national  organi- 
zation take  steps  toward  the  preparation 
of  a  bill  for  Federal  regulation  of  the  in- 
dustry to  be  introduced  at  the  next  session 
of  Congress. 

The  threats  are  regarded  as  an  unusual 
procedure  for  the  usually  conservative 
MPTOA  since  major  producing  and  dis- 
tributing interests  are  closely  related  to 
the  organization,  which  admittedly  obtains 
a  great  part  of  its  membership  finances  from 
them  through  affiliated  circuits. 

However,  Mr.  Kuykendall  subsequently 
declared  this  week  that  the  conceding  by 
distributors  of  any  vital  part  of  the 
MPTOA's  10-point  trade  practice  program 
would  be  regarded  by  the  national  exhibitor 
organization  as  sufficient  to  deter  it  from 
pursuing  its  threatened  policy  of  supporting 
federal  legislation  designed  to  regulate  in- 
dustry trade  practices.  He  declined  to  state 
what  concessions  his  organization  regarded 
as  being  essential  on  the  grounds  that  it 
involved  a  question  which  would  have  to 
be  considered  first  by  the  MPTOA  trade 
practice  committee,  and,  finally,  by  the 
board  or  executive  committee  of  the  organi- 
zation. 

Mr.  Kuykendall  indicated  that,  if  ex- 
hibitors are  offered  "compromise"  conces- 
sions, rather  than  the  10-point  program, 
the  granting  of  such  concessions  as  elimina- 
tion of  the  score  charge  and  increased,  un- 
qualified cancellation  undoubtedly  would  be 
sufficient  to  deter  the  organization  from  a 
legislative  policy.  He  appeared  just  as  cer- 
tain that  distributor  approval  of  the  setting 
up  of  local  conciliation  boards,  without  ac- 
companying concessions,  would  not  be. 

Charges  Ignoring  of  Appeal 

The  MPTOA  has  been  campaigning 
strenuously  for  several  months  to  obtain  for 
all  exhibitors  reasonable  modification  of  al- 
leged unfair  sales  policies  and  the  establish- 
ment of  practical  and  readily  available  ma- 
chinery to  prevent  abuses  and  injustices  in 
trade  relations. 

After  a  series  of  meetings  with  sales 
executives  of  large  companies,  promises 
were  said  to  have  been  obtained  by  the 


ADULTS  ASK  SEATS 
IN  JUNIOR  SECTION 

Odd  reactions  to  the  new  child  at- 
tendance law  covering  New  York 
City  theatres  are  reported  by  managers 
of  Loew's  houses  where  the  matron 
plan  went  into  effect  this  week.  The 
new  plan  worked  smoothly,  according 
to  C.  C.  Moskowitz,  Loew  executive, 
with  one  important  exception.  The 
only  trouble  experienced  was  with 
childless  grown-ups  who  insisted  upon 
sitting  in  the  children's  section  which, 
in  most  cases,  is  the  first  few  rows  of 
the  orchestra.  The  children  seem 
proud  of  their  new  privilege  and  con- 
duct themselves  admirably  according 
to  Mr.  Moskowitz. 


MPTOA  committing  the  companies  to  ac- 
ceptance of  several  of  the  10  corrective 
measures  advocated  in  its  program.  Sub- 
sequently and  with  no  explanation  the  com- 
panies ignored  both  the  promises  and 
MPTOA's  continued  pleas  for  adoption  of 
the  program,  it  is  pointed  out  in  the  bulle- 
tin. 

"While  the  indifference  and  thinly  veiled 
resistance  of  the  distributors  to  any  change 
in  their  practices  is  bound  to  be  discourag- 
ing to  the  responsible  theatre  owners  who 
have  conscientiously  and  unselfishly  worked 
to  bring  this  program  of  self-regulation  to 
the  point  where  it  is  squarely  up  to  each 
of  the  distributors  to  either  undertake  the 
job  of  seeing  it  through  or  definitely  refus- 
ing to  cooperate,  we  do  not  intend  to  aban- 
don our  efforts  along  these  lines,"  the  bul- 
letin said. 

Before  bringing  up  the  question  of  pos- 
sible legislation  which  the  industry  will  be 
forced  to  accept  if  self-regulation  does  not 
succeed,  the  bulletin  mildly  pointed  out  the 
extenuating  fact  that  the  field  is  so  com- 
plex and  intricate  that  "it  is  not  surprising 
that  those  charged  with  the  responsibility 
for  huge  investments  move  slowly  and  cau- 
tiously in  these  matters."  The  situation  is 
further  complicated,  the  communication  add- 
ed, "by  a  fringe  of  unscrupulous  operators 
and  sharp-shooting  lawyers  ever  looking 
for  an  opening  to  institute  shakedown  law- 
suits for  'triple  damages.'  " 

Urges  Industry  Action 

After  pointing  out  that  the  present  stale- 
mate cannot  continue  indefinitely,  the  bulle- 
tin characterized  legislation  as  "unsatisfac- 
tory and  arbitrary"'  and  litigation  as  "futile, 
expensive  and  hopeless." 

"Either  this  industry  will  demonstrate 
that  it  has  the  ability,  initiative  and  intelli- 
gence to  work  out  its  own  business  prob- 
lems itself  or  we  will  inevitably  get  such 
regulation  by  legislation  and  litigation, 
however  stupid  and  costly  such  regulation 
may  be,"  the  statement  continued.  "Unfor- 
tunately, once  it  is  imposed  upon  us,  it  will 
be  more  or  less  permanent,  whether  we  like 


Kuykendall  Says  Distributors 
Are  Trying  To  Work  Out 
an  Acceptable  Policy  and 
May  Speak  Up  Next  Month 

it  or  not,  as  witness  the  obsolete  and  inef- 
fective anti-trust  laws." 

The  bulletin  pointed  out  the  evils  of  such 
outside  regulation  in  these  words : 

"Twenty-five  years  of  experience  has 
amply  demonstrated  that  economic  problems 
cannot  be  solved  by  law  suits,  that  our 
courts  are  not  equipped  to  even  understand, 
let  alone  solve,  the  peculiar  and  unique 
trade  practice  problems  of  this  business. 

"Legislation  is  just  about  as  stupid  and 
futile,  as  witness  the  ten  years  of  effort  and 
enormous  amount  of  the  exhibitors'  money 
squandered  on  the  so-called  anti-block 
booking  bills,  none  of  which  would  have 
cured  the  abuses  in  block  booking." 

Significantly,  the  next  paragraph  in  the 
bulletin  pointed  out  the  results  which  may 
obtain  if  the  present  efforts  of  the  group 
fail.  "We  may  as  well  look  at  the  future 
realistically,"  it  said.  "If  it  develops  that 
the  distributors  are  determined  to  prevent 
self-regulation  of  commercial  practices  by 
refusing  cooperation  and  the  industry  is 
thereby  forced  into  regulation  by  statute 
(which  MPTOA  has  consistently  and 
earnestly  tried  to  prevent),  then  the  more 
responsible  independent  exhibitors  should 
have  something  to  say  about  the  provisions 
of  such  statutes.  Such  laws  should  not  be 
written  by  a  small  faction  of  shoe  string  op- 
erators led  around  by  professional  organiz- 
ers who  have  no  experience  or  responsibil- 
ity in  the  business." 

Says  Companies  Are  Meeting 

Interviewed  in  New  York  on  his  arrival 
from  White  Sulphur  Springs,  W.  Va.,  where 
he  attended  the  annual  convention  of  the 
Theatre  Managers  Association  of  West  Vir- 
ginia, Mr.  Kuykendall  said  that  while  he 
agreed  that  the  necessity  for  some  form  of 
decisive  action  on  the  part  of  MPTOA  was 
necessary  in  the  face  of  distributor  inaction, 
he  remained  opposed  to  legislative  regula- 
tion except  as  a  last  resort. 

Mr.  Kuykendall  said  that  he  had  been 
advised  that  distributors  now  were  trying 
to  work  out  an  acceptable  policy  on  the  ex- 
hibitors' program  and  might  be  expected  to 
make  known  the  results  of  their  efforts  early 
next  month.  In  view  of  this,  he  said,  he  was 
reluctant  to  take  action  on  a  legislative  pol- 
icy at  this  time.  He  said  he  would  return 
to  New  York  early  in  September  to  get  the 
distributors'  decision  and  would  reconvene 
the  MPTOA  trade  practice  committee  at 
that  time  if  developments  warrant. 

The  MPTOA  president  reported  that  last 
week's  convention  of  West  Virginia  theatre 
owners  endorsed  the  10-point  program  in 
full  and  voted  him  its  support  in  any  move 
made  by  the  MPTOA  as  a  result  of  the  pos- 
sible rejection  of  the  program  by  distribu- 
tors. He  said  that  the  same  convention 
passed  a  resolution  opposing:  the  Neely-Pet- 
tengill  bill  to  end  block  booking. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


37 


THE  HOLLYWOOD 
SCENE 


Man  Wanted 

There's  a  new  job  in  Hollywood  and 
nobody  to  fill  it. 

The  job  consists  of  guaranteeing  to  pro- 
ducers that  the  story  they  buy,  produce  and 
ultimately  convey  by  screen  to  the  public 
will  not  become  the  subject  of  legal  action 
charging  plagiarism.  Of  course,  quite  a  few 
ladies  and  gentlemen  on  the  payrolls  are  and 
long  have  been  depended  upon  to  look  out 
for  matters  of  that  kind,  but  nobody  has  dis- 
tinguished himself  as  an  A  Number  One 
expert  in  the  field  and  a  good  many  heavy 
investors  in  fictional  merchandise  would  like 
to  turn  confidently  to  such  an  authority. 

Plagiarism  has  always  been  among  the 
motion  picture  elements  more  or  less  loosely 
classified  as  business  risks.  With  the  "Letty 
Lynton"  decision,  though,  the  matter  is  re- 
ceiving more  than  customary  attention. 
There  are  memories  of  many  pictures,  by 
different  authors  and  titles,  that  bore  strik- 
ing resemblance  not  only  to  each  other  but 
to  certain  similar  published  works.  There 
are  skeletons,  even,  in  many  a  writing  desk, 
not  to  say  closet,  and  of  course  there  have 
been  settlements,  plenty  of  them,  made,  by 
advice  of  the  legal  departments,  "to  avoid 
unpleasant  publicity  and  expensive  litiga- 
tion." 

Such  a  man  as  the  colony  could  use  nicely 
is  not  readily  come  by.  Mayhap  he  is  avail- 
able, somewhere  in  this  or  another  nation,  a 
college  professor,  a  super-librarian,  or  per- 
haps a  veteran  publisher  or  collector.  The 
trick  is  to  know,  having  located  the  indi- 
vidual, that  he  really  is  the  sought  authority 
and  that  his  pronouncements  are  really  re- 
liable. He  would  have  to  demonstrate  that, 
and  it  would  take  quite  a  while.  Perhaps 
the  simpler  thing  is  to  see  if  Lloyds  of 
London  wouldn't  be  interested  in  issuing  a 
little  plagiarism  insurance,  the  complete 
coverage  kind,  and  if  this  is  an  idea  every- 
body's welcome  to  it. 

8  to  5 

A  so-so  week  in  the  studios  witnessed  the 
starting  of  eight  pictures  and  the  finishing 
of  five.  Universal,  catching  up  for  lost 
time,  accounted  for  three  of  the  octette. 
In  "Flying  Hostess"  Judith  Barrett,  Astrid 
Alwyn,  Ella  Logan,  William  Gargan, 
Michael  Loring  and  Andy  Devine  will  be 
seen.  Murray  Roth  is  directing.  The  cast 
for  "The  Luckiest  Girl  in  the  World"  feat- 
ures Jane  Wyatt,  Catherine  Doucet,  Eugene 
Pallette  and  Phillip  Reed,  with  Edward 
Buzzell  directing.  In  "Four  Days  Won- 
der," which  Sidney  Salkow  is  directing. 
Jeanne  Dante,  Kenneth  Howell,  Alan  Mow- 
bray, Martha  Sleeper,  Walter  Catlett, 
Charles  Williams  and  Margaret  Irving  are 
the  principals. 

Two  pictures  were  started  at  Columbia. 
"Theodora  Goes  Wild"  will  present  Irene 


Dunne,  Melvin  Douglas,  Elisabeth  Risdon, 
Margaret  McLane,  Nana  Bryant,  Miriam 
Marsh,  Thurston  Hall,  Grace  Hale  and 
Sarah  Edwards,  Richard  Boleslawski  is 
directing.  Charles  Starrett,  Mary  Blake 
and  Philo  McCullough  are  featured  in 
"Cross  Fire,"  which  Buddy  Coleman  di- 
rects. 

Radio  started  "Without  Orders,"  which 
lists  Sally  Eilers,  Robert  Armstrong,  Fran- 
ces Sage,  Charles  Grapewin,  Vinton  Ha- 
worth  and  Ward  Bond  in  the  cast.  Louis 
Friedlander  is  directing. 

Goldwyn  began  work  on  "Love  Under 
Fire."  Merle  Oberon  and  Brian  Ahearne 
are  starred.  The  support  features  Jerome 
Cowan,  David  Nevin  and  Henry  Stephen- 
son. Many  more  are  to  be  added.  Henry 
C.  Potter  is  directing. 

"Love  Flight"  was  started  at  Twentieth 
Century-Fox.  Lawrence  Tibbett,  Gregory 
Ratoff,  Arthur  Treacher  and  Wendy  Bar- 
rie  are  featured  with  Otto  Preninger  di- 
recting. 

Warners  finished  "Gold  Diggers  of 
1937."  The  cast  includes  Dick  Powell,  Joan 
Blondell,  Glenda  Farrell,  Rosalind  Marquis, 
Irene  Ware,  William  Davidson,  Lee  Dixon, 
Osgood  Perkins,  Charles  D.  Brown,  Victor 
Moore,  Ann  Sheridan,  Hobart  Cavanaugh, 
Olin  Howland,  Donald  Meek  and  Joseph 
Crehan.  Lloyd  Bacon  directed  the  produc- 
tion. 

MGM  completed  "All  American  Chump," 
in  which  Stuart  Irwin,  Betty  Furness,  Ed- 
mund Gwenn  and  E.  E.  Clive  are  featured 
and  which  Edwin  L.  Marin  directed. 

"Sitting  On  the  Moon"  was  finished  at 
Republic.  It  will  present  Roger  Pryor, 
Grace  Bradley,  Pert  Kelton,  William  New- 
ell, William  Janney,  Irene  Martell,  Henry 
Kolker  and  Henry  Wadsworth.  Ralph 
Staub  directed. 

Universal  finished  "The  Magnificent 
Brute."  Victor  McLaglen  and  Binnie 
Barnes  are  teamed  in  the  leads.  The  sup- 
port includes  William  Hall,  Jean  Dixon, 
Henry  Armetta,  Billy  Burrud,  Edward  Nor- 
ris,  Ann  Preston,  Zeni  Vatori,  Selmar 
Ja.ckson,  Adrian  Rosley  and  Etta  McDaniel. 
John  Blystone  directed. 

Goldwyn  completed  "Dodsworth."  In  it 
are  Walter  Huston,  Ruth  Chatterton,  Mary 
Astor,  Paul  Lukas,  David  Niven,  Gregory 
Gaye,    Odette   Myrtil,    Kathrun  Marlowe, 

"In  His  Steps,"  a  B.  F.  Zeidman  produc- 
tion for  Grand  National,  was  finished.  The 
cast  includes  Eric  Linden,  Cecelia  Parker, 
Henry  Kolker  and  others. 

W astern  Preferred 

Nobody  professes  to  know  exactly  why, 
but  there  are  more  Western  pictures  in  the 
making  and  on  schedule  than  at  any  time 
since  they  began  to  build  them  five  reels 
long.  Broncho  Billy  and  Tom  Mix,  be- 
tween them,  may  have  turned  out  more  two- 
reel  horse  operas  in  a  single  year,  but  two- 
reelers  are  not  considered  in  the  current 


computation.  These  equine  cantatas  range 
from  the  length,  magnitude  and  budgetary 
importance  of  Cecil  B.  DeMille's  "The 
Plainsman"  and  Paramount's  "The  Texas 
Rangers"  down  to  practically  innumerable 
feature  productions  of  almost  if  not  equiva- 
lent screen  time. 

Maybe  it  all  traces  to  Billy  Hill's  "Last 
Roundup"  and  the  unrestrained  sequence 
of  saddle  songs  that  have  followed  it.  May- 
be it's  an  indirect  result  of  those  fairs  down 
Texas  way,  conceivably  drawing  the  nat- 
ional eye  and  ear  to  focus  on  the  great  open 
spaces.  And  maybe,  in  part,  the  tapering 
off  in  production  of  gangster,  G-man  and 
other  shoot-'em-up  material  has  reminded 
producers  that  shooting  in  the  past  tense 
and  as  of  the  period  and  purpose  classified 
as  "the  winning  of  the  West"  is  not,  as  yet, 
tabu. 

For  one  reason  and  another,  or  for  all 
reasons  or  none,  producers  have  increased 
their  Western  schedules  all  along  the  line. 
Republic,  for  instance,  is  down  for  32  in 
1936-37,  double  the  number  they  made  last 
year.  This  includes  eight  Gene  Autreys, 
eight  "Three  Mesquiteers"  and  sixteen  to  be 
produced  by  A.  W.  Hackel  for  Republic 
release. 

Grand  National,  new  in  the  field,  will  have 
at  least  sixteen  westerns  to  release.  Uni- 
versal will  have  "Buck"  Jones  and  will  also 
release  the  John  Waynes,  which  fall  into 
the  action  group.  Also  included  as  action 
pictures  are  the  George  O'Brien  series,  pro- 
duced by  George  Hirliman. 

Sol  Lesser  will  make  a  Harold  Bell 
Wright  series  for  Twentieth  Century-Fox, 
Larry  Darmour  has  a  series  for  Columbia, 
and  Harry  Sherman  will  again  release  his 
"Hopalong  Cassidy"  series  through  Para- 
mount. In  addition  a  larger  number  of  in- 
dependently made  and  distributed  pictures, 
such  as  Maurice  Conn's  Kermit  Maynard 
series,  will  compete  for  exhibitor  attention. 

Paragraphs 

The  executive  committee  of  the  Tech- 
nicians' Branch  of  the  Academy  of  Motion 
Picture  Arts  and  Sciences  in  Hollywood  has 
appointed  Ray  Wilkinson,  head  of  the  cam- 
era department  of  Paramount,  as  chairman 
of  the  committee  which  will  select  a  slate 
for  the  various  offices  of  the  branch.  The 
committee  includes  John  Aalberg,  Perry 
Ferguson,  Charles  David  Forrest,  William 
Holmes,  Fred  Hope,  Charles  Lang,  Jr., 
Virgil  Miller,  William  Moll  and  S.  J.  Twin- 
ing. 

Harry  B.  Friedman  plans  to  produce  16 
features  next  season  including  four  adven- 
ture pictures,  six  musicals  and  six  Louis 
Joseph  Vance  detective  stories  for  the  in- 
dependent market. 

The  second  starring  film  of  the  Dionne 
quintuplets  for  Twentieth  Century-Fox  was 
started  Sunday,  featuring  Jean  Hersholt. 
The  tentative  title  is  "Reunion." 


38 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936- 


32  STORIES  PURCHASED  IN  JULY, 
SETTING  LOW  RECORD  FOR  SEASON 


Stage  Fails  to  Win  Any  Repre- 
sentation in  Month's  Acquisi- 
tion of  Material  for  Films; 
20  of  Total  Are  Originals 

With  the  pre-seasonal  production-planning 
period  for  1936-37  fast  drawing  to  a  close, 
studios  in  Hollywood  and  home  offices  in 
New  York  are  making  their  final  purchases 
of  vehicles  for  their  stars  to  meet  the  com- 
mitments on  the  new  schedules.  The  months 
of  April  and  May  saw  purchases  lead  to  a 
high  level  when  some  327  manuscripts  were 
acquired  by  the  various  producing  organiza- 
tions ;  in  June,  the  purchases  numbered  48. 

The  month  of  July  showed  a  marked  de- 
crease, only  32  properties  having  been 
acquired  by  the  combined  studios.  Of  this 
total,  20  were  original  stories,  7  were  taken 
from  magazines  and  5  were  published 
novels. 

Motion  picture  producers  found  nothing- 
suitable  on  the  stage  for  transition  to  the 
screen  in  July ;  the  stage  is  growing  less 
important  to  Hollywood  as  a  source  of  story 
material. 

This  follows  the  announcements  from 
various  major  producing  companies  in 
Hollywood  that  they  would  not  finance 
Broadway  theatre  productions  as  readily  as 
had  been  their  custom  in  the  past  season  and 
now  a  tabulation  of  purchases  made  in  July 
shows  that  none  of  the  current  New  York 
legitimate  theatre  productions  was  acquired 
by  Hollywood. 

Staff  writers  appear  to  be  getting  the  call 
more  than  ever  from  production  executives 
and  their  original  stories  are  being  adapted 
to  the  screen,  along  with  a  few  purchases 
from  publications,  in  preference  to  all 
vehicles.  Various  major  studios  in  Holly- 
wood are  increasing  their  writing  depart- 
ments, especially  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  and 
Paramount,  who  have  been  signing  writers 
almost  daily  as  well  as  taking  up  options  of 
those  authors  familiar  with  motion  picture 
technique  and  requirements. 

Titles  of  the  32  original  stories,  magazine 
yarns  and  novels  bought  by  Hollywood  pro- 
ducers for  their  commitments  of  this  season 
or  for  release  during  1936-37,  together  with 
all  available  filming  credits,  are  as  follows : 

Adventure  in  Manhattan,  story  by  May 
Edginton  with  screen  adaptation  by  Jack 
Kirkland,  acquired  by  Columbia  Pictures 
to  star  Jean  Arthur  with  Joel  McCrea. 

Angel,  acquired  by  Paramount  to  star  Mar- 
lene  Dietrich  under  the  production  and 
direction  of  Ernst  Lubitsch. 

Beauty  Racket,  novel  by  Charles  S. 
Strong,  acquired  by  Imperial  Pictures. 

Bulldog  Edition,  newspaper  background 
story  acquired  by  Republic  to  star  Ray 
Walker  under  Charles  Lamont's  direction. 

Bristol,  the  Blunderer,  magazine  story 
acquired  by  George  Hirliman  for  release 
through  Radio.  George  O'Brien  will  be 
starred. 

Can  This  Be  Dixie,  acquired  by  Para- 
mount to  star  Jane  Withers.    Others  in 


YEAR'S  COMPARISON 
OF  STORY  PURCHASES 


Month 

Originals  Books 

Plays 

Totals 

24 

19 

7 

50 

July   

41 

12 

10 

63 

August   

21 

7 

4 

32 

September  .  .  . 

.  34 

53(a) 

4 

91 

October  

7 

2 

14 

November  .  .  . 

.  22 

12(b) 

5 

39 

December   .  .  . 

.  22 

12(c) 

4 

38 

January,  1936. 

14 

18(d) 

5 

37 

February 

35 

38(e) 

4 

77 

M  a  rc  h   

24 

19(f) 

2 

45 

April   

107 

48(g) 

12 

157 

May   

86 

74(h) 

10 

170 

June   

25 

2l(i) 

5 

51 

July  

70 

12(1) 

0 

32 

TOTALS  FOR 

12  MONTHS  500 

383(k) 

82 

965 

(a)  Including  4  published  magazine  stories. 

(b)  Including  I  published  magazine  story. 

(c)  Including  2  published  magazine  stories. 

(d)  Including  4  published  magazine  stories. 

(e)  Including  12  published  magazine  stories. 

(f)  Including  6  published  magazine  stories. 

(g)  Including  13  published  magazine  stories. 

(h)  Including  19  published  magazine  stories. 

(i)  Including  21  published  magazine  stories. 
(|)  Including  63  published  magazine  stories, 
(k)  Including  70  published  magazine  stories. 


the  cast  include  Helen  Wood,  Thomas 
Beck  and  Slim  Summerville. 

Case  of  the  Constant  God,  Cosmopolitan 
Magazine  story  by  Rufus  King,  acquired  by 
Universal  to  star  Boris  Karloff  under  the 
direction  of  Lewis  R.  Foster. 

Chained  Lightning,  acquired  by  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer,  cast  includes  Betty  Fur- 
ness,  Stuart  Erwin,  Edmund  Gwenn  and 
Robert  Armstrong.  Edwin  L.  Marin  will 
direct. 

Cuban  Cavalier,  original  story  by  Tom 
Kilpatrick  and  Nan  Blair,  acquired  by 
Radio  to  star  John  Boles. 

Korda  Production 

Fire  Over  England,  from  the  novel  by 
A.  E.  W.  Mason,  bought  by  Alexander 
Korda  for  release  through  United  Artists. 
William  K.  Howard  directs  the  English 
cast  headed  by  Flora  Robson,  Leslie 
Banks,  Raymond  Massey,  and  Laurence 
Olivier. 

Flirting  With  Faith,  original  story  by 
Robert  M.  Baker,  acquired  by  David 
Loew  for  release  through  Radio  as  Joe  E. 
Brown's  first  picture  under  his  banner. 

Four  Days  Wonder,  mystery  story  by  A.  A. 
Milne,  bought  by  Universal  to  star  Jeanne 
Dante.    Sidney  Salkow  will  direct. 

Gone  With  the  Wind,  novel  by  Margaret 
Mitchell,  purchased  by  David  0.  Selznick. 

History  Is  Made  at  Night,  original  by 
Gene  Towne  and  Graham  Baker,  bought 
by  Walter  Wanger.  Charles  Boyer  will 
be  starred  in  the  story  which  is  a  dramatic 
treatment  of  New  York  night  life. 

Interlude,  original  story  by  Robert  Riskin, 
acquired  by  Columbia  to  star  Grace 
Moore. 

It's  All  Free,  original  story  by  Jerry  Hor- 


Staff  Writers  Get  the  Call 
More  Than  Ever  in  Selection 
of  Film  Themes;  Seven  Stor- 
ies from  Magazines  Included 

win  dealing  with  modern  gypsies  of  the 
gasoline  trails,  acquired  by  Paramount. 
Love  and  Laughter,  original  story  by 
Austin  Strong  who  wrote  "Seventh 
Heaven,"  acquired  by  Richard  A.  Row- 
land for  release  through  Paramount. 

Dietz-Schwartz  Music  Score 

Love  Flight,  original  story  by  Frances 
Hyland  and  Saul  Elkins,  acquired  by 
Twentieth  Century-Fox  to  star  Lawrence 
Tibbett.  Music  and  lyrics  are  by  Howard 
Dietz  and  Arthur  Schwartz.  Cast  includes 
Pauline  Frederick,  Wendy  Barrie  and 
Gregory  RatofT. 

Luckiest  Girl  in  the  World,  adapted 
from  Ann  Jordan's  Ladies  Home  Journal 
story,  "Kitchen  Privileges,"  acquired  by 
Universal  to  star  Jane  Wyatt. 

Michael  Strogoff,  story  by  Jules  Verne, 
acquired  by  Radio.  Pandro  S.  Berman 
will  produce. 

Miss  Customs  Agent,  original  story  by 
Taylor  Craven,  purchased  by  Radio. 

Navy  Spy,  original  story  by  Crane  Wilbur, 
acquired  by  Pacific  Productions  for  release 
through  Grand  National.  Conrad  Nagel 
and  Eleanor  Hunt  to  be  starred. 

One  Man's  Bonus,  original  story  by  Law- 
rence Pohle  and  Thomas  Ahearn,  bought 
by  Paramount. 

Park  Avenue  Logger,  Saturday  Evening 
Post  story  by  Bruce  Hutchinson,  bought 
by  George  Hirliman  to  star  George 
O'Brien. 

Remote  Control,  Cosmopolitan  Magazine 
story  by  Alfred  Kalberer,  bought  by  Uni- 
versal. 

Return  of  the  Sheik,  by  Max  Magnus, 
acquired  by  Universal. 

Texas  Pioneer  on  Screen 

Sam  Houston,  Pioneer,  by  Edgcumb  Pin- 
chon,  author  of  "Viva  Villa,"  acquired  by 
George  Hirliman.  David  Howard  will 
direct. 

She  Sang  for  Her  Supper,  original  story 

by  Ann  Jordan,  purchased  by  Radio  to 

star  Anne  Shirley. 
Six  Girls  and  Death,  story  by  Mark  Hel- 

linger,  New  York  columnist,  bought  by 

Twentieth  Century-Fox. 
This  Way,  Please,  original  story  about 

modern  motion  picture  palaces  by  William 

Thomas  and  Maxwell  Shane,  acquired  by 

Paramount. 
West   Side  Miracle,   Colliers  Magazine 

story  by  Quentin  Reynolds,  bought  by 

Universal. 

With  Love  and  Kisses,  acquired  by  Mau- 
rice Conn  and  Coy  Poe's  Melody  Pictures, 
Inc.,  to  star  Pinky  Tomlin. 


Edwin  Wessner  Passes 

Edwin  L.  Wessner,  70,  president  of  the 
Washington  Theatre  Company  at  Marion, 
Ind.,  and  head  of  many  other  business  en- 
terprises, is  dead  after  a  lingering  illness. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


39 


SHOWMEN'S 
REVIEWS 


This  department  deals  with  new 
product  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  exhibitor  who  is 
to  purvey  it  to  his  own  public 


Back  to  Nature 

(20th  Century  -  Fox) 
Comedy 

A  family  type  show  of  high  entertainment 
caliber,  this  film  has  its  appeal  for  those  seg- 
ments of  patronage  appreciative  of  clean,  whole- 
some amusement.  Besides  presenting  the  famil- 
iar members  of  the  Jones  family  that  have  been 
featured  in  two  previous  releases,  there  is  in- 
troduced a  newcomer  of  unusual  promise,  Tony 
Martin. 

Comedy  is  the  show's  essence.  It  concerns  it- 
self with  the  experiences  and  adventures  of  a  typi- 
cal small  town  American  family,  vacation-con- 
vention bound  via  auto  trailer.  Running  into  many 
of  the  trying  situations  common  to  such  expedi- 
tions, the  trip  is  a  nightmare  to  Mr.  Jones,  but 
an  exciting  adventure  for  the  other  members 
■of  the  menage,  particularly  the  younger  kids. 
Romantically  inclined,  Bonnie  manages  to  get 
herself  into  a  dramatically  atmosphered  romance 
with  convict  Tom  Williams,  which  gives  Mr. 
Jones  many  things  to  think  of  besides  his 
difficulties  with  the  roads,  family  and  machines. 
Jack  has  a  summer  flirtation  with  Mabel  that 
menaces  everybody's  welfare  for  a  while.  Roger 
as  usual  is  commercially  minded,  but  all  ends 
well  as  the  family  finally  arrives  at  the  conven- 
tion. 

To  the  showmanship  popularity  that  has 
accrued  to  the  Jones  Family  troupe  through 
the  two  earlier  pictures,  the  exploitation  idea 
that  surrounds  the  trip  by  trailer  gag  is  loaded 
with  potentialities  for  attractive  ballyhoo.  Es- 
sentially a  family  attraction,  continually  provid- 
ing much  that  is  of  interest  to  adult  and  juvenile 
contingents  of  average  audiences,  the  show 
recommends  itself  to  those  interested  in  whole- 
some amusement  told  in  a  human  interest  way. 

Previewed  at  Uptown  Theatre.  A  cross  sec- 
tion neighborhood  audience  reacted  favorably  to 
the  film,  being  particularly  appreciative  of  its 
human  quality  and  the  manner  in  which  thrill 
action  logically  was  woven  into  the  climax. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox.  Directed  by  James  Tinling  Associate  producer, 
Max  Golden.  Original  screen  play  by  Robert  Ellis 
and  Helen  Logan.  Photography  by  Daniel  B.  Clark. 
Art  direction.  Duncan  Cramer.  Assistant  director, 
William  Eckhardt.  Film  editor,  Fred  Allen.  Cos- 
tumes by  Herschel.  Sound,  Alfred  Bruzlin  and  Harry 
Leonard.  Musical  direction,  Samuel  Kaylin.  P.  C.  A. 
Certificate  No.  3444.  Running  time,  when  seen  in 
Hollywood.  60  minutes.  Release  date,  October  9,  1936. 
General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Mr.  Jones   Jed  Prouty 

Bonnie  Jones   Shirley  Deane 

Mabel  Dixie  Dunbar 

Tom  Williams   Tony  Martin 

Mrs.  Jones   Spring  Byington 

Jack  Jones   Kenneth  Howell 

Roger  Jones   George  Ernest 

Lucy   Jones  June  Carlson 

Granny  Jones   Florence  Roberts 

Bobby  Jones   Billy  Mahan 

Federal  Officer  Ivan  Miller 


Mummy's  Boys 


Comedy,  contrasted  by  the  wild  drama  and 
light  romance  common  to  all  their  pictures,  is 
the  motivating  idea.  It's  the  dominating  ele- 
ment of  the  manner  in  which  they  become  asso- 
ciated with  the  Egyptian  expedition.  Comedy 
is  the  highlight  of  the  action  aboard  ship,  in- 
cluding the  antics  of  the  ghost-frightened 
negro,  the  mixup  the  boys  get  into  with  the 
sheik  and  his  several  wives,  and  the  manner 
in  which  they  avert  a  panic.  Naturally  it  is 
the  background  of  all  the  action  in  the  Valley 
of  the  Kings,  where  hokum  melodrama  is  the 
peg  upon  which  the  fun  is  hung.  It  reaches 
its  high  spot  in  the  chase  through  the  tombs. 

The  sole  purpose  of  the  film  is  to  engender 
laughs,  and  so  all  situations  are  made  to  appear 
as  ludicrous  as  possible.  Whether  there's  rime 
or  reason  for  the  gag,  bit  of  action  or  dialogue, 
it's  rung  in  as  long  as  there's  a  chance  it  will 
make  somebody  laugh.  Though  the  picture  is 
low  comedy,  paradoxically  it  offers  opportunity 
for  high  grade  exploitation.  Not  only  do  the 
stars  represent  a  strong  draw  to  their  particu- 
lar clientele  but  the  Tutankhamen  curse  idea 
applied  to  the  last  half  of  the  show  opens  up 
the  doors  to  some  unique  and  tricky  ideas  that 
should  prove  effective  in  attracting  attention  of 
any  kind  of  patrons  looking  for  amusement. 

Previewed  in  Pontages  Hollywood  theatre 
to  a  so-so  audience.  Some  thought  it  was  a 
riot  of  foolishness;  others  didn't  seem  to  be 
impressed  at  all. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Radio.  Associate  pro- 
ducer, Lee  Marcus.  Directed  by  Fred  Guiol.  Screen 
play  by  Jack  Townley,  Philip  G.  Epstein  and  Charles 
Roberts.  Story  by  Jack  Townley  and  Lew  Lipton. 
Musical  director,  Roy  Webb.  Photography  by  Jack 
Mackenzie.  Photographic  effects  bv  Vernon  Walker. 
Art  director,  Van  Nest  Polglase."  Associate,  Field 
Gray.  Costumes  by  Edward  M.  Stevenson.  Re- 
corded by  James  G.  Stewart.  Edited  by  John  Lock- 
ert.  _  Assistant  director,  Jimmy  Anderson.  P.  C.  A. 
Certificate  No.  2346.  Running  time,  when  seen  in 
Hollywood,  62  minutes.  General  audience  classifica- 
tion. 

CAST 

Stanley   Bert  Wheeler 

Whittaker   Robert  Woolsey 

Mary   Barbara  Pepper 

"Doc"  Sterling   Moroni  Olsen 

Browning   Frank  M.  Thomas 

Catfish   •  Willie  Best 

El  Bey   *  Francis  McDonald 

Second   Oriental   Frank  Lackteen 

Butler   Charles  Coleman 

Sheik   Mitchell  Lewis 

Mr.   Edwards   Frederick  Burton 


(RKO  Radio) 
Comedy 

_  With  routine  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  gag  and 
situation  comedy  for  its  substance,  the  only 
novelty  injected  into  this  latest  feature  is  the 
fact  that  the  boys,  turning  pseudo  archaeolo- 
gists, invade  the  tombs  of  the  Pharoahs,  where 
the  fatal  curse  of  the  dead  kings  still  prevails. 


His  Brother's  Wife 

(  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  ) 
Drama 

Primarily  a  personality  picture,  "His 
Brother's  Wife"  provides  the  names  of  Barbara 
Stanwyck,  Robert  Taylor  and  Jean  Hersholt  in 
principal  roles  adequately  justifying  exploita- 
tion emphasis.  They  are  supported  by  a  high- 
grade  cast  and  the  picture  has  been  given  ample 
attention  in  the  matter  of  setting  and  so  forth. 

The  story  is  a  somewhat  unconventional  fab- 
rication tangling  and  untangling  such  factors  as 
love,  marriage,  divorce,  revenge,  honor,  chi- 
canery, scientific  research  and  devotion  to  the 
ethics  of  the  medical  profession.  In  its  telling 
a  good  deal  of  ground  is  covered  swiftly  and  a 
great  amount  of  dialogue,  some  of  it  altogether 
natural  and  some  of  it  rather  manifestly  of  the 
written  variety,  is  enunciated.  Comedy  is  em- 
phasized occasionally  and  without  the  cumber- 


some device  of  dragging  a  designated  comic 
character  through  the  plot. 

Stellar  names  noted  nominate  themselves  for 
chief  accentuation  in  showmanly  selling. 

The  plot  concerns  a  young  doctor  about  to 
undertake  a  scientific  expedition  into  the  jungle 
and  a  young  woman  who  falls  in  love  with  him, 
and  vice  versa,  prior  to  his  sailing.  Family  in- 
terests intervene,  they  separate,  he  sails,  she 
marries  his  brother  in  a  spirit  of  revenge,  he 
returns,  induces  her  to  accompany  him  back  to 
the  jungle  and  detains  her  there  while  a  divorce 
is  negotiated,  after  which  he  sends  her  away. 
She  doesn't  go,  though,  and  risks  her  life  to 
save  his,  all  of  which  leads  to  a  satisfactory 
conclusion. 

Reviewed  at  the  Capitol  theatre,  New  York, 
zvhere  the  picture  was  playing  to  substantial  if 
undemonstrative  audiences  on  Sunday  last. 

Weaver,  New  York. 

Produced  by  Lawrence  Weingarten.  Distributed  by 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.  Directed  by  W.  S.  Van  Dyke. 
Story  by  George  Auerbach.  Screen  play  by  Leon 
Gordon  and  John  Meehan.  Photographed  by  Oliver 
T.  March.  Film  editor,  Conrad  A.  Nervig.  Art  di- 
rector, Cedric  Gibbons.  Musical  director,  Franz  Wax- 
man.  P. OA.  Certificate  No.  2440.  Release  date, 
August  7.  Running  time,  89  minutes.  Adult  audience 
classification. 

CAST 

Rita   Barbara  Stanwyck 

Chris  Robert  Taylor 

Professor   Fahrenheim  Jean  Hersholt 

"Fish-Eye"   Joseph  Calleia 

Tom   John  Eldredge 

Dr.   Claybourne  Samuel  H.  Hinds 

Clara   Phyllis  Clare 

Pete   Leonard  Mudie 

Bill  Arnold   Jed  Prouty 

Dr.  Capolo  Pedro  De  Cordoba 

Captain  Tanetz  Rafail  Corio 

Winters   William  Stack 

Charlie   Edgar  Edwards 


The  Gentleman 
From  Louisiana 

( Republic  ) 
Romantic  Drama 

Evidencing  the  purpose  of  this  company  to 
produce  higher  caliber  pictures,  "The  Gentle- 
man from  Louisiana"  measures  up  as  above 
average  quality  entertainment.  A  race  track  pic- 
ture, not  of  the  modern  variety  but  one  that 
takes  its  auditors  back  to  the  days  when  the  fa- 
mous jockey  Tod  Sloan  revolutionized  riding 
styles,  the  show  includes  all  the  standby  essen- 
tials and  introduces  several  new  ones  to  make 
for  acceptable  contrast  of  thrill  action  and 
romance  drama. 

Adding  to  the  exploitation  values  inherent  in 
the  film's  story  and  production  values,  the  pic- 
ture returns  Eddie  Quillan  to  the  screen  in  the 
type  of  role  which  has  won  him  much  popu- 
larity. This  bit  of  casting  seems  a  smart  rec- 
ognition of  demands  of  exhibitors. 

Intelligently  adapting  the  romantic,  dramatic, 
comedy  and  melodramatic  elements  common  to 
race  track  pictures,  the  film  embellishes  their 
proved  value  by  striking  out  on  a  novelly  in- 
teresting track  of  its  own.  This  is  done  by 
weaving  fictional  incidents  about  fact  episodes 
in  Tod  Mason's  (Sloan's)  career.  Given  op- 
portunity to  ride  by  Deacon  Devlin,  Mason,  in- 
stead of  following  the  traditional  style  of  sit- 
ting up  straight  in  the  saddle,  stands  up  on  his 
horse's  shoulder  to  win  many  races.  Soon  the 
country's  leading  jockey  and  a  contemporary  of 


40 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


John  L.  Sullivan,  Diamond  Jim  Brady  and 
Steve  Brody,  Tod  falls  in  love  with  Linda  Cos- 
tigan. Learning  that  she  plans  to  marry  Balti- 
more is  a  tragic  blow  to  Tod,  but  when  Balti- 
more, who  is  in  a  financial  jam,  appeals  to  him 
to  ride  for  rival  owner  Leland  on  Baltimore's 
assurance  that  his  so  doing  will  assure  Linda's 
future  happiness,  the  boy  consents.  During  a 
race  in  England,  Tod,  riding  for  Leland,  gets 
into  a  fracas  with  the  jockey  on  Linda's  mount 
and  is  barred  from  riding. 

The  scene  shifts  back  to  America,  where,  to 
suspense  packed  human  interest  drama,  Tod  pre- 
vails upon  Diamond  Jim  to  outbid  Leland  for 
Linda's  horse.  The  dramatic  quality  of  the  epi- 
sode is  intensified  as  Deacon  and  Tod  work 
over  the  crippled  horse,  finally  getting  him  in 
shape  to  run  again.  Tod,  reinstated  through 
Brady's  influence,  rides  the  horse  to  victory, 
Baltimore  is  shown  up  in  his  true  colors,  and 
there's  a  happy  love  scene  between  Linda  and 
Tod. 

The  picture  is  nicely  mounted,  intelligently 
directed  and  acted  in  that  familiar  manner 
usually  appealing  to  ordinary  folk.  The  excite- 
ment of  its  racing  episodes,  the  manner  in  which 
it  inculcates  legendary  sporting  figures .  and 
incidents,  together  with  the  quality  of  its  drama, 
all  have  appeal  for  male  contingents  of  audi- 
ences. On  the  other  hand,  the  romantic  phases 
of  the  film  give  it  a  character  to  make  it  inter- 
esting to  women. 

Previewed  in  the  Fairfax  Theatre,  Los  An- 
geles. A  typical  neighborhood  house  audience, 
which  had  seen  "San  Francisco"  as  the  regular 
attraction,  found  little  difficulty  in  adjusting 
itself  to  the  character  of  the  entertainment  pro- 
vided in  the  added  film. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Distributed  by  Republic  Pictures.  A  Nat  Levine 
production.  Directed  by  Irving  Pichel.  Supervised  by 
Colbert  Clark.  Screen  play  by  Gordon  Rigby  and 
Joseph  Fields.  Original  story  by  Jerry  Chodorov  and 
Bert  Granet.  Additional  dialogue  by  Lee  Freeman. 
Supervising  editor,  Murray  Seldeen.  Photography  by 
Ernest  Miller  and  Jack  Marta.  Film  editor,  Charles 
Craft.  Sound  engineer,  Terry  Kellum.  Musical  super- 
vision, Harry  Grey.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2531. 
Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  70  minutes. 
Release  date,  August  17,  1936.  General  audience 
classification. 

CAST 

Tod  Mason    Edward  Quillan 

Deacon  Devlin  Charles  "Chic"  Sale 

Linda  Costigan    Charlotte  Henry 

Fay  Costigan    Marjorie  Gateson 

Baltimore    John  Miljan 

Roger  Leland    Pierre  Watkin 

Diamond  Jim  Brady   Charles  Wilson 

Lillian  Russell    Ruth  Gillette 

Chief  steward    Holmes  Herbert 

Steve  Brodie    Matt  McHugh 

John  L.  Sullivan    John  Kelly 

Moran    Arthur  Wanzer 

Hadley    Snub  Pollard 

Auctioneer    Harrison  Greene 

Brady's  butler    Kenneth  Lawton 

Fairfield  butler    Lowden  Adams 

Miss  Langley    Gertrude  Hoffman 


Walking  on  Air 

(  Radio  ) 

Comedy  Romance 

N  ovel  development  of  the  light  gay  comedy 
romance  story,  good  acting,  better  than  ordinary 
production  values,  intelligent  manner  in  which 
musical  content  has  been  included,  and  unique 
twists  combine  to  give  this  picture  exceptional 
entertainment  and  exploitation  worth.  The 
show  moves  to  peppy  dialogue,  smartly  con- 
trived situations  and  brisk  action.  Actually  the 
story  is  built  about  a  farce  hokum  idea,  but 
there  is  no  tendency  to  go  overboard.  Rather, 
the  efforts  of  writers,  director,  players  and  song 
contributors  result  in  effervescent  amusement  of 
the  variety  ordinarily  appealing  to  both  special- 
ized and  general  audiences.  Particular  interest, 
however,  is  to  the  elder  adolescents  and  younger 
grownups. 

The  story  revolves  about  a  wilful,  self-confi- 
dent, modern  girl  determined  to  wed  a  many 
times  divorced  man  whom  her  father  detests. 
Meanwhile  two  jobless  college  graduates  take 
to  the  classified  ad  columns  in  search  of  employ- 
ment. Bennett,  Sr.,  hires  Joe  to  shadow  daugh- 
ter Kit  and  make  sure  she  doesn't  elope  with 
Randolph.  Kit  hires  Pete  to  pose  as  an  heiress- 
pursuing  French  count.    Her  idea  is  that  her 


father's  resentment  toward  Joe  will  permit  her 
to  marry  Randolph.  As  neither  of  the  pals  is 
aware  of  their  respective  jobs  the  stage  is  set 
for  the  comedy.  While  impersonating  the  count, 
Joe,  whose  real  ambition  is  to  be  a  radio 
crooner,  falls  in  love  with  Kit,  whose  heart  is 
still  set  on  Randolph.  To  escape  the  dual  men- 
ace of  Joe  and  her  father,  Kit  elopes  with  Ran- 
dolph. Joe,  who  has  made  the  grade  as  a  radio 
performer,  hears  of  the  situation  and  broadcasts 
an  appeal  to  Kit  that  everything  has  been  a  mis- 
take. Despite  Randolph's  strenuous  objections, 
Kit  takes  matters  into  her  own  hands  and  back- 
tracks to  Joe  in  a  music  embellished  finale  that 
brings  the  young  folk  together  for  a  romantic 
fadeout. 

In  the  principal  roles,  Gene  Raymond,  Ann 
Sothern,  Henry  Stephenson,  Jessie  Ralph,  Alan 
Curtis  and  Gordon  Jones  turn  in  sprightly  per- 
formances. The  supporting  cast  also  accounts 
for  much  of  the  fun.  While  music  plays  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  production,  particularly  Ray- 
mond's singing,  the  film  is  not  a  musical,  and, 
though  that  ingredient  has  substantial  exploita- 
tion worth,  the  odd  comedy  romance  story 
theme  seems  to  be  the  angle  to  concentrate  on 
in  bidding  for  patron  support.  The  kind  of  show 
that  should  come  in  for  quite  a  bit  of  favorable 
word-of-mouth  advertising,  initial  showmanship 
efforts  should  be  directed  towards  attracting  as 
large  a  number  as  possible  for  first  perform- 
ances. 

Previewed  in  the  Pantages  Theatre,  Holly- 
wood. Following  the  dramatic  "Mary  of  Scot- 
land," the  film  seemed  just  the  thing  to  start 
patrons  on  the  emotiotial  upswing.  Played  in 
conjunction  with  a  similar  dramatic  offering, 
yet  fully  capable  of  standing  on  its  own  feet  as 
a  single,  audience  reaction  indicated  that  the 
show  should  do  well  for  itself. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Radio.  Directed  by 
Joseph  Santley.  Produced  by  Edward  Kaufman. 
Screen  play  by  Bert  Kalmar,  Harry  Ruby,  Viola 
Brothers  Shore  and  Rian  James.  Story  by  Francis  M. 
Cockrell.  Photography  by  J.  Roy  Hunt.  Photo- 
graphic effects  by  Vernon  Walker.  Art  director,  Van 
Nest  Polglase.  Associate,  Al  Herman.  Musical 
director,  Nathaniel  Shilkret.  Gowns  by  Bernard  New- 
man. Set  dressing  by  Darrell  Silvera.  Recorded  by 
John  L.  Cass.  Edited  by  George  Hively.  Songs, 
"Cabin  on  the  Hilltop,"  by  Bert  Kalmar  and  Harry 
Ruby,  "My  Heart  Wants  to  Dance"  and  "Let's  Make 
a  Wish,"  lyrics  by  Bert  Kalmar  and  Sid  Silvers. 
Music  by  Harry  Ruby.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2382. 
Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  68  minutes. 
Release  date,  September  11,  1936.  General  audience 
classification. 

CAST 

Pete    Gene  Raymond 

Kit    Ann  Sothern 

Evelyn    Jessie  Ralph 

Mr.  Bennett    Henry  Stephenson 

Joe    Gordon  Jones 

Tom  Quinlan   George  Meeker 

Flo  Quinlan    Maxine  Jennings 

Fred  Randolph    Alan  Curtis 

Ex-Mrs.  Randolph    Anita  Colby 

Reception  girl    Patricia  Wilder 

Albert    Geo.  Andre  Beranger 

Butler    Charles  Coleman 

Judge    A.  S.  Byron 

Station  attendant  Frank  Jenks 

Orchestra  leader    Manny  Harmon 

Thompson    Arthur  Hoyt 

Sponsors: 

Robert  Graves,  J.  Maurice  Sullivan,  Jack  Rice 
K.  A.  R.  B.  announcer  Fred  Santley 

The  Man  Who  Could 
Work  Miracles 

(London  Films-United  Artists) 
Fantasy,  Comedy,  Spectacle 

The  second  H.  G.  Wells  picture  from  Lon- 
don Films  offers  abundantly  the  most  precious 
quality  of  originality.  In  the  almost  equally 
valuable  element  of  humour  it  is  also  rich.  For 
some  communities  there  is  the  further  attraction 
that,  without  being  propaganda,  it  presents  very 
effectively  a  "left  wing"  view  of  social  prob- 
lems in  a  form  pleasantly  satirical  at  the  ex- 
pense of  existing  institutions. 

Essentially,  it  is  good  entertainment.  The 
theme  of  an  everyday  commonplace  sort  of  in- 
dividual being  suddenly  endowed  with  complete 
power  to  suspend  or  alter  the  laws  of  nature 
leads  to  such  whimsical  results  as  the  instan- 
taneous transportation  of  an  English  policeman 
to  the  thick  of  a  San  Francisco  traffic  block, 


and  the  transformation  of  a  fire-eating  militar- 
ist's collection  of  lethal  weapons  into  a  range  of 
agricultural  implements.  More  serious  satire 
develops  when  Big  Business  attempts  to  float 
the  Miracle  Worker  as  a  limited  liability  com- 
pany and  the  finale  is  a  really  impressive  ar- 
raignment of  the  rulers  of  the  world  by  a  sud- 
denly powerful  representative  of  the  Little  Man. 
The  picture  therefore  bustles  with  exploitation 
possibilities  whether  for  the  general  public 
which  likes  the  marvellous,  or  for  the  superior 
folk  who  like  a  Wellsian  moral. 

George  McWhirter  Fotheringay,  a  dry  goods 
salesman  in  a  British  small  town,  suddenly  finds 
himself  possessed  of  the  power  to  work  miracles. 
The  Gods,  sportively  inclined,  have  decided  to 
give  one  man  this  power  just  to  see  if  Mankind 
can  be  trusted  with  control  of  its  universe. 

Fotheringay  for  a  time  contents  himself  with 
conjuror's  tricks  and  with  such  summary  meth- 
ods of  solving  difficulties  as  the  already  men- 
tioned removal  of  the  inconvenient  police  officer. 
Then  his  employer,  with  the  latter's  banker, 
tries  to  persuade  him  to  exercise  his  powers  for 
the  enrichment  of  a  little  syndicate. 

With  a  wave  of  his  hand,  he  transforms  him- 
self into  a  handsomely  robed  ruler  in  a  magnifi- 
cent palace,  in  which  the  court  ladies  include 
improved  editions  of  his  lady  colleagues  in  the 
store. 

Suggested  resistance  to  his  plans  leads  him 
to  give  a  demonstration  of  his  powers.  He 
orders  the  world  to  stop  revolving.  Instantly 
the  palace  collapses  and  all  the  living  creatures 
of  the  earth  begin  to  fly  through  space.  Fother- 
ingay gasps  his  "order"  to  the  universe  that  all 
shall  be  as  it  was  before  he  began  to  work 
miracles.  An  unpretentious,  shy  dry  goods 
salesman  once  again,  he  uses  his  powers  for 
the  last  time  to  request  that  they  shall  be  taken 
from  him  forever. 

The  technical  side  of  the  picture  is  as  admira- 
ble as  the  comedy,  with  the  creation  of  the 
Palace  of  the  Future  and  the  parading  of  the 
potentates  and  kings  as  its  high  spot.  Acting 
is  excellent  as  regards  the  male  characters — the 
women  are  negligible  factors  in  the  story.  Ro- 
land Young  puts  up  a  brilliant  piece  of  work  as 
Fotheringay. 

This  is  decidedly  out  of  the  rut  and  has  abun- 
dant possibilities  for  the  man  who  studies  it 
with  a  view  to  playing  up  to  the  susceptibilities 
of  his  local  public. 

The  picture  held  the  trade  audience  at  the 
Palace  Theatre  night  private  show.  Laughter 
was  continuous.  A  lot  of  Cockney  in  the  early 
scenes  was  no  drawback  in  London.  After- 
comment  called  it  very  amusing  as  well  as  very 
clever  amd  praised  Young  enthusiastically. 

Allan,  London 

Produced  by  Alexander  Korda  for  London  Film  Pro- 
ductions. Distributed  by  United  Artists.  Director, 
Lothar  Mendes.  Camera,  Bernard  Browne  and  Mau- 
rice Forde.  Recording,  A.  W.  Watkins.  Art  director, 
Vincent  Korda.  Costumes,  John  Armstrong.  Special 
effects,  Ned  Mann,  Laurance  Butler  and  E.  Cohen 
(camera).  Running  time,  90  minutes.  "G." 

CAST 

George  McWhirter  Fotheringay  Roland  Young 

Ada  Price    Joan  Gardner 

Colonel  Winstanely    Ralph  Richardson 

Mr.  Maydig    Ernest  Thesiger 

Bill  Stoker    Robert  Cochran 

Housekeeper    Lady  Tree 

P.  C.  Winch    Wallace  Lupino 

Effie  Brickman    Gertrude  Musgrove 

Major  Grigsby    Edward  Chapman 

Maggie  Hooper    Sophie  Stewart 

Moody    George  Zucco 

Cox  (landlord)    Bruce  Winston 

Mr.  Bampfylde    Lawrence  Hanray 

Reporter    Bernard  Nedell 

Sup.  Smithells    Wallv  Patch 


Postal  Inspector 

(Universal) 
Melodrama 

Exploitation  of  this  picture  is  handicapped 
by  the  artificial  and  theatric  quality  of  the  moti- 
vating story.  That  is  a  rather  formula  repeti- 
tion of  the  government  law  enforcement  agency 
theme,  this  time  the  postal  inspector  coming  to 
grips  with  a  gang  of  mail  robbers.  Essentially 
a  melodrama  with  a  light  dramatic  and  roman- 
tic contrast,  further  diversified  by  the  inclusion 

(Continued  on  papc  51) 


NOW,  MR.  EXHIBITOR,  WEIL  TALK! 


You  have  heard  a  lot  about  Grand  National.  There 
was  much  comment  as  to  what  we  were  going  to 
offer  the  exhibitor,  but  we  said  nothing. 

We  were  building— planning,  preparing  and  putting 
into  concrete  form  a  definite  program  attuned  to 
the  public  demand  and  geared  to  box  office. 

These  production  plans  are  now  consummated.  We 
have  52  pictures  on  our  program  —  36  Grand 
National  Winners,  8  Westerns  and  8  Melodramas. 
And  now,  Mr.  Exhibitor,  we'll  talk,  with  the  firm 
conviction  that  we  have  the  product  and  you  the  op- 
portunity to  reap  definite  profits  from  this  program. 
EDWARD  L.  ALPERSON  CARL  M.  LESERMAN 


President  Vice-President 

and  Gen'l  Sales  Mgr. 


BRING  GOOD  TIMES  TO 
THE  NATION'S  BOX  OFFICES 


THE  PRODUCER  OF  "MRS. 
WIGGS  OF  THE  CABBAGE  PATCH" 
AND  OTHER  HITS  NOW  MAKING 
PICTURES  EXCLUSIVELY  FOR 
GRAND  NATIONAL 

• 

MacLean's  genius  was  responsible  for 

successes  starring  Bing  Crosby*  W.  C. 

Fields,  Mary  Boland,  Charlie  Ruggles. 

• 

In  "23  J£  Hours  Leave"  he  has  one  of  the 
greatest  romantic  comedies  ever  written. 


OTHER  MACLEAN  PICTURES  WILL  INCLUDE:  "FACE 
THE  FACTS,"  an  American  Magazine  story  by 
Clarence  Buddington  Kelland,  author  of  "Mr. 
Deeds  Goes  to  Town,"  and  Gene  Mar  key's 
sensational  success,  "Plummer's  Pudding." 


Will  produce  as  the  first  of  six 

MARY  ROBERTS 
RINEHART'S 

Saturday   Evening  Post  Story 

23k  HOURS  LEAVE 


36  GRAND  NATIONAL  WINNERS  " 


IN  TWO  GREAT  STARRING  VEHICLES 


JAMES  CAGNEY  —  dynamic  swashbuckler 
of  the  screen — whose  colorful,  two-fisted  char- 
acterizations have  won  him  a  staunch  and 
ever-increasing  public — will  make  two  or 
more  pictures  of  the  type  that  has  established 
him  among  the  ten  greatest  stars  in  pictures. 


His  first  role,  keyed  in  that  modern  spirit 
that  is  distinctly  his  own,  gives  him  his 
greatest  opportunity  to  register  as  a  two- 
fisted,  smart,  fast  thinking  and  fast  moving 
young  modern,  with  a  laugh  and  a  thrill  al- 
ternating throughout  his  hectic  adventures. 


res  8  WESTERNS  •  8  MELODRAMAS 


PRODUCED  BY 


PSROFF 


FOUR  entirely  different  musicals.  The  first,  "Hats 
Off/'  by  Sam  Fuller,  author  of  "Burn  Baby  Burn, 
and  Hy  Kraft,  author  of  "Champagne  Waltz"  for 
Paramount.  The  second,  "Murder  With  Music, 
symphonic  dramatization  of  one  of  the  world's 
most  thrilling  headline  stories. 


;OMPOSERS-.  Herbert  Magdson, 
'ho  wrote  "The  Continental"  and 
t  numbers  from  "The  Great  Zieg- 
ild."  Sam  Oaklund,  composer  of 
ree  Ziegfeld  shows,  "Champagne 
/altz,"  "When  We  Love  Again," 
nd  many  other  successes. 


- 


DIRECTOR  OF 
MAE  WEST  PICTURES  FOR 
PARAMOUNT.    FOR  TEN 
YEARS  HE  DIRECTED  ALL  THE 
MUSICALS  PUT  ON  IN  THE 
PUBLIX  THEATRES  BY 
PARAMOUNT 


36  GRAND  NATIONAL  WINNERS 


PIC 


A  MILLION  DOLLAR  PROD 

OF   A   BEST   SELLER    IN    FULL  COLOR 


They  battled  with  devastating  nature  in  a 
desperate  fight  for  the  right  to  live,  in  this 
storm-swept,  snow-bound  region  where 
death  stalked  their  every  move.  An  epic  of 
the  great  Far  West  rivalling  'The  Covered 
Wagon"  and  "The  Iron  Horse,"  with  a  su- 
perlative cast  in  a  stupendous  production. 


res  s  WESTERNS  •  8  MELODRAMAS 


ATURAL 
COLOR 

ATUIR 

PRODUCED  BY 

GEORGE  HI  RUM  AN 


THE  DEVIL  ON  HORSEBACK 

with  Lili  Damita,  Fred  Keating,  Del 
Campo  (South  America's  Valentino) 
Tiffany  Thayer  and  Jean  Chatburn 

CAPTAIN  CALAMITY 

with  George  Houston  and  Marian  Nixon 
Vince   Barnett,  Movita,  Crane  Wilbur 

WE'RE  IN  THE  LEGION  NOW 

with  Reginald  Denny,  Esther  Ralston 
Eleanor  Hunt, Vince  Barnett, Claudia  Dell 

GRAND  CANYON 

(In  preparation) 


NOVELS 


that  have  thrilled  millions  of  readers 
for  generations,  classics  that  have  a 
ready-made  audience  awaiting  their  screen  re-creation,  will 
provide  the  dramatic  material  for  eight  Zeidman  productions. 


"IN  HIS  STEPS,"  the  biggest  best-seller  of  all  time,  totalling 
8,000,000  copies;  "The  Five  Little  Peppers,"  with  2,000,000 
copies  sold;  "White  Legion/'  another  sensational  success,  and 

such  famous  stories  as 
"St.  Elmo,"  "Tempest 
and  Sunshin  e," 
"Rogues'  Gallery,"  and 
"Sweetheart  of  the 
Navy,"  are  others  on 
the  Zeidman  program. 


GREAT  BOOKS  MAKE  GREAT  PICTURES 

Produced  by  B.  F.  ZEIDMAN 


ROMANCE^Ni^lZr~   


NAGEl 


A*ent  Pictures  are 
T  8  Me'odranta8 


THRius-ac  omb.na. 

an  unbeatable  box  s 
.on.WHbasan^nb^P  ^ 

-'^r^-VO^ana 
adventure -Tex  of 

— ssr^— ■ 

all  true  lovers  « 


««TH  RADIO  S  SINGING  COW 


Nov.   4  •"WE'RE  im  ~  —  ,  

~  *mt%^£N"Ow« 

~~— — ^Uim^PEpp£RS,  — — 


GRAND  NATIONAL 


AT  YOUR  SERVICE 


ALBANY 

MILWAUKEE 

ATLANTA 

MINNEAPOLIS 

BOSTON 

NEW  HAVEN 

BUFFALO 

NEW  ORLEANS 

CHARLOTTE 

NEW  YORK  CITY 

CHICAGO 

OMAHA 

CINCINNATI 

PHILADELPHIA 

CLEVELAND 

PITTSBURGH 

DALLAS 

PORTLAND,  ORE. 

DENVER 

ST.  LOUIS 

DES  MOINES 

SALT  LAKE  CITY 

DETROIT 

SAN  FRANCISCO 

KANSAS  CITY 

SEATTLE 

LOS  ANGELES 

WASHINGTON 

GRAND  NATIONAL  REPRESENTED  IN 
EVERY  IMPORTANT  EXCHANGE  CENTER 


P  HINTED  IN  U.S.A. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


51 


(Continued  from  page  40) 

of  bits  of  comedy  and  a  pair  of  song  numbers, 
the  background  production  effects  re-depict, 
with  the  aid  of  many  newsreel  shots,  the  floods 
that  ravaged  some  sections  of  the  East  last 
spring. 

The  plot  is  simple,  but  so  much  that  is  irrele- 
vant is  included  that  difficulties  are  encountered 
in  following  the  motivation.  Paradoxically,  all 
dramatic  tension  that  follows  the  preliminary 
character  and  theme  identifying  scenes  can  be 
easily  anticipated. 

Ricardo  Cortez,  established  as  an  ace  postal 
inspector,  is  attracted  to  Patricia  Ellis  during 
a  fog-shrouded  plane  ride  in  which  they  com- 
bine efforts  to  prevent  a  panic  among  the  pas- 
sengers. Landing,  Cortez  discovers  that  his 
brother,  Michael  Loring,  is  in  love  with  the 
girl.  As  Cortez  goes  about  investigating  com- 
plaints of  abuse  of  the  mails,  Loring  to  im- 
press Miss  Ellis  with  his  importance,  tells 
her  a  big  shipment  of  money  is  to  be  made. 
Innocently  the  girl  reveals  the  secret  to  her 
employer,  Bela  Lugosi,  running  a  night  club 
as  a  front  for  his  lawbreaking  activities.  As 
the  floods  rage,  the  robbery  comes  off  as  ex- 
pected and  Loring  is  suspected  of  complicity. 
However,  with  motor  boats  dashing  over  the 
raging  waters  for  the  thrill  action  chase, 
Lugosi  and  his  mob  are  captured,  the  money 
saved,  Loring  freed  of  suspicion,  and  as  Cortez 
moves  on  to  his  next  job  the  young  couple  are 
left  to  resume  their  interrupted  romance. 

An  average  attraction  from  any  viewpoint, 
the  chief  appeal  is  to  thrill  action  fans.  Before 
attempting  any  contacts  for  cooperation  with 
postal  departments,  the  picture  should  be  seen 
in  order  to  know  how  to  proceed. 

Previewed  in  the  Alexander  Theatre,  Glen- 
dale. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Universal.  Directed  by 
Otto  Brower.  Produced  by  Robert  Presnell.  Story  by 
Robert  Presnell  and  Horace  McCoy.  Screen  play  by 
Horace  McCoy.  Art  director,  George  Patrick.  Gowns 
by  Very  West.  Musical  director,  Charles  Previn.  Cine- 
matographer,  George  Robinson.  Film  editor,  Phil 
Cahn.  Editorial  supervisor,  Maurice  Pivar.  Sound 
recorder,  Robert  Pritchard.  Sound  supervisor,  Homer 
G.  Tasker.  Assistant  director,  P(iil  Karlstein.  P.  C. 
A.  Certificate  No.  2380.  Running  time,  when  seen  in 
Hollywood,  60  minutes.  Release  date,  August  16,  1936. 
General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Bill  Davis   Ricardo  Cortez 

Connie  Larrimore   Patricia  Ellis 

Benez   Bela  Lugosi 

Charlie  Davis   Michael  Loring 

Butch   ..David  Oliver 

Pottle   Wallis  Clark 

Richards   Arthur  Loft 

Evans  Guy  Usher 

Roach   William  Hall 

Deborah   Hattie  McDaniel 

Stewardess   Maria  Shelton 

Pilot   Robert  Davis 

Co-Pilot  Henry  Hunter 

Boy   Billy  Burrud 

Ritter   Harry  Beresford 

Also  John  King,  Larry  Wheat,  Sybil  Harris,  Malcolm 
Graham,  Flora  Finch 


Hollywood  Boulevard 

(  Paramount ) 
Drama 

The  title,  presentation  of  quite  a  group  of 
onetime  screen  luminaries  in  atmospheric  roles 
and  the  manner  in  which  auditors  are  taken  on 
a  Cook's  tour  of  famous  Hollywood  locations, 
appear  to  be  this  picture's  dependable  interest 
creating  assets.  The  story  told,  rather  than 
being  something  gay,  glamorous  and  attractive 
as  the  title  naturally  leads  one  to  assume,  is 
more  a  dramatic  tragedy  than  anything  else. 

A  washedup  old  favorite  is  persuaded  to  write 
his  memoirs  when  he  swallows  the  bait  that 
such  publicity  as  their  publication  causes  will 
result  in  an  opportunity  for  him  to  make  a 
comeback.  The  actor  is  sincere  enough,  but  the 
publisher  colors  the  reminiscences  up  with  a 
lot  of  actual  and  imagined  scandal.  When  the 
series  gets  to  such  a  point  that  further  publi- 
cation threatens  the  happiness  of  the  actor's 
ex-wife  and  estranged  daughter,  the  atmosphere 
becomes  menacingly  dramatic  as  the  actor 
threatens  to  bring  the  publisher's  wife  into  the 
mess.    Melodrama  is  injected  as  the  fearful, 


furious  woman,  determined  that  her  past  never 
shall  be  bared,  takes  a  shot  at  the  actor  writer, 
an  incident  that  brings  a  reconciliation  with 
his  wife  and  daughter. 

As  the  picture  is  the  kind  that  does  not 
justify  any  too  great  an  amount  of  showman- 
ship enthusiasm  mainly  because  the  character 
of  the  entertainment  is  not  that  which  the  title 
would  lead  audiences  to  expect,  the  show  is  one 
of  those  matter  of  course  affairs. 

Previewed  in  the  Westwood  Village  Theatre. 
The  audience,  while  sympathetic  to  the  players' 
efforts,  was  unable  to  conceal  its  disappoint- 
ment in  what  turned  up  on  the  screen. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Paramount.  Produced 
by  A.  M.  Botsford.  Supervisor,  Edward  F.  Cline. 
Directed  by  Robert  Florey.  Assistant  director,  Joseph 
Lefert.  Based  on  a  story  by  Faith  Thomas.  Screen 
play  by  Marguerite  Roberts.  Sound,  W.  H.  Oberst. 
Film  editor,  William  Shea.  Art  director,  Hans 
Dreier  and  Earl  Hedrick.  Photographed  by  Karl 
Struss.  Music,  "Hollywood  Boulevard  Rhapsody," 
written  by  Boris  Morros.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No. 
2392.  Running  time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  72 
minutes.  Release  date,  August  21,  1936.  General 
audience  classification. 

CAST 

John    Blakeford   John  Halliday 

Patricia  Blakeford   Marsha  Hunt 

Jay  Wallace   Robert  Cummings 

Jordan  Winslow   C.  Henry  Gordon 

Flora  Moore,  an  Actress   Esther  Ralston 

Martha   Esther  Dale 

Alice  Winslow   Frieda  Inescort 

Mr.  Sanford   Albert  Conti 

Detective   Thomas  Jackson 

Doctor  Inslo   Oscar  Apfel 

Mr.  Steinman   Purnell  Pratt 

Snapshot  "Hymie"   Hyman  Fink 

Gus,  the  Bartender   Irving  Bacon 

Pete  Moran   Richard  Powell 

Nella   Rita  La  Roy 

and 

Francis  X.  Bushman        Herbert  Rawlinson 
Maurice  Costello  Jane  Novak 

Betty  Compson  Bryant  Washburn 

Mae  Marsh  William  Desmond 

Charles  Ray  Jack  Mulhall 

Roy  d'Arcy  Frank  Mayo 

Creighton  Hale  Tack  Mower 

Ruth  Clifford  Charles  Morton 

Edmund  Burns  Harry  Myers 

Mabel  Forrest  Pat  O'Malley 

Tom  Kennedy 

Second  Wife 

(RKO  Radio) 
Domestic  Problem  Film 

Keyed  by  the  title,  this  program  picture  de- 
picts the  difficulties  that  lie  in  the  path  of  mari- 
tal happiness  for  a  widower  who  marries  again. 
A  young  son  by  the  first  marriage  is  the  inno- 
cent cause  of  a  misunderstanding  which  almost 
wrecks  the  marriage,  and  a  rejected  suitor  of 
the  girl  is  the  unwitting  factor  by  which  the 
husband  and  new  bride  finally  exorcise  the 
ghost  of  the  first  wife.  The  plot  solves,  how- 
ever inconsistently,  the  real  life  problem  of 
how  a  couple  can  adjust  themselves  to  domestic 
peace  in  spite  of  jealousy  on  the  part  of  the 
wife  for  the  dead  person  whose  place  she  occu- 
pies and  on  the  part  of  the  husband  for  a 
suitor  who  attempts  to  capitalize  on  the  mis- 
understanding which  causes  the  first  rift. 

Kenneth,  a  successful  young  lawyer,  marries 
Virginia  a  year  after  the  death  of  his  first 
wife.  He  is  apprehensive  that  Junior  will  not 
like  his  new  stepmother  and  sends  him  to  a 
school  in  Switzerland  so  that  he  and  his  bride 
can  be  alone  for  at  least  the  first  year.  All 
goes  well  for  a  time,  but  with  Virginia  ex- 
pecting a  baby,  indicated  by  having  her  play 
a  lullaby  on  the  piano,  Kenneth  gets  a  cable- 
gram that  Junior  is  gravely  ill. 

The  father's  devotion  for  his  first-born 
drives  him  to  leave  precipitately  to  go  to  his 
son's  bedside,  without  consulting  Virginia.  The 
boy  recovers  and  Kenneth  brings  him  back  to 
America,  but  leaves  him  in  another  boarding 
school.  Returning  home  he  finds  Virginia, 
whose  baby  has  been  born  in  his  absence,  turned 
cold  toward  him  because  of  the  slight.  She 
determines  to  leave  him  and  is  on  the  point  of 
eloping  with  Dave,  a  former  suitor,  when  she 
accidentally  discovers  her  new  lover's  attitude 
toward  her  own  first  marriage.  The  revelation 
leads  her  to  go  to  Junior's  school  and  bring  him 
home  with  her  to  the  despondent  Kenneth,  who 
believes  his  happiness  is  lost. 

Although  marred  somewhat  by  uneven  pac- 


ing and  plot  weaknesses,  the  picture  gives  a 
new  twist  to  the  familiar  triangle  plot,  for  ap- 
peal to  family  audiences. 

Walter  Abel  and  Gertrude  Michael  give  com- 
petent performances  in  the  roles  of  Kenneth 
and  Virginia. 

The  picture  is  based  on  the  play  "All  the 
King's  Men,"  by  Fulton  Oursler. 

Previewed  in  a  projection  room. 

Ivers,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  RKO  Radio.  Producer, 
Le  Marcus.  Screen  play  by  Thomas  Lennon,  based  on 
the  play,  "All  the  King's  Men,"  by  Fulton  Oursler. 
Photographed  by  Nick  Musuraca,  A.S.C.  Art  direc- 
tor, Van  Nest  Polglase.  Associate,  Al  Herman.  Musi- 
cal director,  Roy  Webb.  Gowns  by  Edward  M.  Ste- 
venson. Recorded  by  W.  C.  Moore.  Edited  by  George 
Crone.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2898.  Running  time 
59  minutes.    Release  date,  August  21st. 

CAST 

Virginia   Gertrude  Michael 

Kenneth   Walter  Abel 

Dave  Bennett   Erik  Rhodes 

Mrs.  Brown   Emma  Dunn 

Junior   Lee  Van  Atta 

Mrs.   Stevenson   Florence  Fair 

Mrs.  Anderson   Brenda  Fowler 

Head  Master   Frank  Reicher 

Terry   George  Breakston 

(Ward  Bond 

Politicians  i  Bentley  Hewlett 

'  Edward  Stanley 


Aces  and  Eights 

(  Puritan  ) 
Wild  West 

This  picture  depends  chiefly  on  Tim  McCoy, 
veteran  hero  of  western  thrillers,  who,  in  the 
role  of  Gentleman  Jim  Madigan,  counters  vio- 
lence with  craft  and  confounds  gunmen  by  su- 
perior finesse  and  bull  strength.  The  tradition 
of  the  wild  west,  complete  with  fast  shooters 
and  inveterate  gamblers,  its  villainy  and  its  chiv- 
alry, is  faithfully  upheld.  A  prologue,  summar- 
izing the  feats  and  expounding  the  gentlemanly 
character  of  Wild  Bill  Hickok,  introduces 
Gentleman  Jim  as  successor  to  that  picturesque 
pioneer  in  the  guardianship  of  the  more  noble 
traits  in  the  gambling  profession. 

Madigan  exposes  a  card  sharp  who  has 
cheated  Jose  Hernandez.  The  cheater  is  shot 
after  being  knocked  unconscious  by  Madigan 
who  is  blamed  for  the  murder  and  becomes  an 
outlawed  fugitive.  He  takes  refuge  at  the 
Rancho  Hernandez  without  knowing  that  the 
youth  he  befriended  is  the  runaway  son  of  the 
family.  Harden,  proprietor  of  the  Silver  Dol- 
lar saloon  and  gambling  house,  and  Ace  Mor- 
gan, gambler  who  sat  in  the  card  game  which 
preceded  the  murder,  are  plotting  to  acquire  the 
the  Hernandez  ranch  by  means  of  forged  docu- 
ments. Madigan,  intrigued  by  the  beauty  of 
Juanita,  Jose's  sister,  determines  to  save  the 
family. 

Harassed  by  the  marshal  who  is  seeking  to 
unravel  the  murder  mystery,  Madigan  persu- 
ades Jose  to  go  home  to  his  grieving  father 
and  sister,  and  confounds  the  gamblers  by  win- 
ning enough  to  save  the  Hernandez  ranch.  He 
pushes  his  luck  to  the  limit  by  staking  his  win- 
nings against  Harden's  saloon  and  winning  with 
aces  and  eights,  known  throughout  the  west  as 
the  "death  hand"  because  it  was  held  by  Wild 
Bill  Hickok  when  he  was  killed  by  an  assassin. 
Ace  Morgan  is  revealed  as  the  killer. 

Wheeler  Oakman  as  Ace  Morgan  and  Earl 
Hodgins  as  the  marshal  give  able  support  to 
Tim  McCoy's  portrayal  of  the  noble  and  chival- 
rous gambler. 

Revieived  at  the  Th'oli,  New  York,  zcherc  a 
late  afternoon  audience  received  the  picture 
apathetically.  Ivers,  New  York 

Produced  by  Puritan  Pictures.  Distributed  by  Syn- 
dicate Pictures.  Directed  by  Sam  Newfield.  Producers. 
Sarn  Newfield  and  Leslie  Simmonds.  Story  and  con- 
tinuity by  Arthur  Durlam.  Film  Editor  Joseph 
O'Donnell.  P.  C.  A.  certificate  No.  2116.  Running 
time  62  minutes. 

CAST 

Wild  Bill  Hickok 

Gentleman  Tim  Madigan  Tim  McCoy 

Lucky    Jimmv  Aubrey 

Juanita   Luana  Walters 

Ace  Morgan  Wheeler  Oakman 

Marshal   Earl  Hodgins 

Harden   Frank  Glennon 

Jose  Hernandez  Rex  Lease 

Don  Hernandez  J0e  Girard 

Captain  Felipe  .'  George  Stevens 

Gambler   John  Mertou 


52 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August  22 


9  3  6 


Straight  from  the  Shoulder 

(Paramount) 
Dramatic  Romance 

A  new  version  of  the  father  and  son  theme 
is  presented  here.  Naturally  human  interest  is 
the  picture's  predominant  character.  In  line 
with  the  title's  significance,  the  story  is  told 
sincerely  and  in  an  aura  of  realism,  with  dra- 
matic and  romantic  situations  so  included  that 
the  resulting  story  is  thoroughly  logical  and 
believable.  Actually  the  yarn  has  two  plots, 
both  of  which,  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
principal  player,  youthful  David  Holt,  are 
highly  dramatic. 

Ralph  Bellamy  and  his  son  Holt  are  wit- 
nesses to  a  gang  murder.  To  escape  the  ven- 
geance of  gunmen  Bert  Hanlon  and  Noel  Madi- 
son, father  and  son,  seek  the  safety  of  a  country 
hideout.  There,  as  Holt  becomes  attached  to  an 
old  gunmaker  (Andy  Clyde),  who  teaches  the 
youngster  all  about  firearms,  Holt's  happiness 
with  his  dad  is  shattered  when  he  discovers 
that  his  father  is  falling  in  love  with  Clyde's 
niece,  Katherine  Locke.  Madison  and  Hanlon 
invade  Bellamy's  sanctuary,  determined  to 
remove  the  one  man  who  can  connect  them  with 
the  killing.  Holt,  however,  learns  the  gangsters' 
identity  and  purpose,  and  in  a  sequence  which 
is  tight  with  suspense,  he  spikes  the  killer's 
guns.  When  Madison's  gun  explodes  to  kill 
him,  Miss  Locke  comes  through  with  a  well 
aimed  shot  to  account  for  Hanlon.  This  act  of 
saving  his  father's  life  wins  Holt's  heart  and 
he  is  willing  to  have  the  girl  as  his  new  mother. 

Though  a  youngster  is  the  central  figure,  the 
picture  is  not  essentially  a  child  show.  Heroics, 
naturally  attractive  to  juveniles,  are  a  substan- 
tial part  of  the  show,  but  the  motivating  dra- 
matic quality  has  more  than  ordinary  interest 
for  adults.  Thickly  applied  sentimentality  hav- 
ing been  smartly  sidestepped,  what  comes  upon 
the  screen  seems  to  be  real  and  legitimate.  As 
a  whole  the  picture  recommends  itself  to  general 
audiences,  with  a  primary  appeal  to  family  pat- 
ronage. 

Previewed  in  the  Uptozvn  theatre,  Los  An- 
geles. The  zvork  of  young  Holt  won  the  sym- 
pathy of  the  audience,  which  at  the  same  time 
demonstrated  appreciation  for  the  film  as  an 
entirety.  McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Paramount.  Producer, 
A.  M.  Botsford.  Supervisor,  Sidney  Brod.  Director, 
Stuart  Heisler.  Assistant  director,  Harry  Scott.  From 
story  by  Lucian  Cary.  Screen  play  by  Madeleine 
Ruthven.  Sound,  Charles  Althouse  and  John  Cope. 
Film  editor,  Everett  Douglas.  Interior  decorations,  A. 
E.  Freudeman.  Photography  by  Alfred  Gilks.  Musical 
•direction,  Boris  Morros.  Art  direction,  Hans  Dreier 
and  Robert  Odell.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate  No.  2393.  Run- 
ning time,  when  seen  in  Hollywood,  67  minutes.  Re- 
lease date,  August  28,  1936.  General  audience  classi- 
fication. 

CAST 

Curt  Hayden    Ralph  Bellamy 

Gail  Pyne    Katherine  Locke 

J.  M.  Pyne    Andy  Clyde 

Johnny  Hayden    David  Holt 

"Baldy"    Bert  Hanlon 

Trim"    Noel  Madison 

Trigger"  Benson    Paul  Fix 

James  McBride    Purnell  Pratt 

Mr.  Wendl    Onslow  Stevens 

Mr.  Blake    Rollo  Lloyd 


Secret  Patrol 


(  Columbia  ) 

North  Woods  Adventure 

This  outdoor  picture  from  a  novel  by  Peter 
B.  Kyne  concerns  the  prestige  of  the  Royal 
Canadian  Mounted  Police,  the  time-tried  situa- 
tion of  two  men  in  love  with  the  same  girl 
and  the  machinations  of  a  gang  of  criminals 
in  a  remote  lumber  camp.  Good  character  act- 
ing by  Charles  Starrett  as  Alan  Craig,  the 
heroic  Mountie  who  gets  his  men  and  the  girl, 
raised  the  picture  slightly  above  mediocity. 

Alan  is  sent  out  to  avenge  the  supposed  mur- 
der of  his  fellow  Mountie,  Gene  Barclay.  The 
two  have  remained  friends  even  though  Ann 
Barton  has  announced  her  engagement  to  Gene. 
A  series  of  fatal  and  suspicious  accidents  in  a 
lumber  camp  which  Gene  had  been  sent  to  in- 
vestigate are  being  perpetrated  by  a  gang  headed 


by  a  blacksmith,  Barstow,  and  including  Ar- 
nold, a  junior  partner  in  the  lumber  firm.  Alan, 
in  disguise,  gains  the  confidence  of  the  gang, 
secures  evidence  against  them,  rescues  Gene 
who  has  been  in  hiding  because  he  disobeyed 
orders,  and  holds  the  gang  at  bay  in  a  gun 
battle  until  help  is  brought.  In  the  battle  Gene 
is  killed,  clearing  his  blemished  record  and 
leaving  the  field  clear  for  Alan  to  marry  Ann. 
The  picture  closes  with  scenes  of  Gene's  mili- 
tary funeral. 

Well-photographed  scenes  of  the  north  woods 
and  authentic  shots  of  scenes  in  the  lumber 
camp  lend  authenticity  to  the  film. 

Reviewed  at  the  Arena  on  Eighth  Avenue, 
New  York,  where  a  midtown  neighborhood 
audience  received  it  favorably. 

Ivers,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Columbia.  Story  by 
Peter  B.  Kyne.  Directed  by  David  Selman.  Screen 
play  by  Robert  Watson  and  J.  P.  McGowan.  Photo- 
graphed by  George  Meehan,  A.  S.  C,  and  William 
Beckway.  Film  editor,  William  Austin.  P.  C.  A. 
Certificate  No.  2203.    Running  time,  60  minutes. 

CAST 

Alan    Charles  Starrett 

Gene    Henry  Mollison 

Ann    Finis  Barton 

Blacksmith    J.  P.  McGowan 

McCord    Le  Strange  Millman 

Arnold    James  McGrath 

Jordan    Arthur  Kerr 

Snuperintendent    Reginald  Hincks 


Heroes  of  the  Range 

(  Columbia  ) 
Western  Drama 

Built  around  and  for  Ken  Maynard  and  his 
horse,  Tarzan,  "Heroes  of  the  Range"  is  as  full 
of  hoofbeats,  bullets  and  crooning  cowboys  as 
the  newspapers  are  of  politics.  The  period  is 
as  of  the  wild  and  six-shooting  west,  except 
when  the  singing  starts,  and  then  numbers  as 
new  as  "Boots  and  Saddles"  are  sung  by  strong, 
unsilent  men  of  the  plains  with  all  the  dulcet 
polish  of  a  radio  studio. 

The  singing  is  segregated,  however,  in  a 
couple  of  spots  when  nothing  else  is  going  on 
anyway.  What  goes  on  at  other  times  includes 
shooting,  riding,  burglary,  escape,  pursuit,  just 
a  dash  of  love,  and  a  copious  helping  of  knuckle 
warfare  with  the  right  man  winning  in  each 
instance.  The  horse  gets  into  it,  too,  at  the 
finish. 

It's  a  story  about  a  sleuth  (whether  federal, 
state  or  merely  volunteer  is  not  quite  clear) 
who  tracks  down  a  bad  man,  fails  to  thwart  an 
express  robbery,  makes  up  for  it  by  capturing 
the  desperado  in  his  hideout,  with  the  aid  of 
the  horse,  and  wins  the  gal. 

Reviewed  at  the  Arena  theatre,  New  York, 
ii'here  the  cheering  from  the  children's  section 
was  loud  and  frequent. 

Weaver,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Columbia.  Directed  by 
Spencer  Gordon  Bennett.  Story  and  screen  play  by 
Nate  Gatzert.  Photographed  by  Tames  S.  Brown,  Jr. 
P.C.A.  Certificate  No.  2008.  Release  date,  March  28. 
Running  time.  51  minutes. 

CAST 

Ken  Ken  Maynard 

Joan  June  Gale 

Bull   Harry  Woods 

Johnny   Harry  Ernest 

Slick  Robert  Kortman 

Lem  Bud  McClure 

Bud   Tom  London 

Tame   :  Bud  Osborne 

Smith   Frank  Hagney 

Sheriff   Jack  Rockwell 


Gypsies 

(  Amkino) 
Russian  Drama 

It  may  be  asserted  with  reason  that  the 
purpose  of  this  picture  is  to  glorify  the  collec- 
tivist  farm  of  the  Soviet  by  showing  that  its 
charms  have  induced  the  Gypsies,  at  least 
in  the  case  enacted,  to  give  up  their  wandering 
life  and  settle  upon  the  land.  At  any  rate,  that 
is  what  happens. 

It  may  be  asserted,  also,  that  the  purpose  is 
to  contrast  the  aimless,   insecure  life  of  the 


Gypsy  with  that  of  the  contented  tiller  of  the 
soil,  incidentally  portraying  in  considerable  de- 
tail the  nature  and  operation  of  Gypsy  law. 
That  also,  is  done. 

It  may  even  be  asserted  that  the  purpose  of 
the  picture  is  to  provide  entertainment,  by 
means  of  careful  production,  competent  acting 
and  the  introduction  of  Gypsy  music,  sung  and 
danced  to.  And  that,  also,  is  achieved. 

The  opening  sequence,  wherein  a  Gypsy 
wagon  train  on  the  drive  is  caught  in  a  rain 
and  thunder  storm  but  moves  steadily  onward, 
is  the  sort  of  thing  eulogized  by  writers  who 
spell  art  in  capital  letters.  It  is  among  the 
best  examples  of  that  particular  thing  that 
have  come  from  a  camera. 

A  shortly  subsequent  sequence  is  "mam- 
moth," "spectacular"  and  so  forth  in  the  way 
that  the  brink-of-the  falls  sequence  in  D.  W. 
Griffith's  "Way  Down  East"  was  mammoth, 
spectacular  and  so  on.  And  there  is  a  sequence 
toward  the  end  of  the  picture,  when  Gypsy 
enemies  duel  with  whips  in  a  forest  fastness 
according  to  tribal  custom,  that  will  leave  Hol- 
lywood heartbroken  at  the  discovery  it  didn't 
think  of  it  first. 

Betwixt  and  between  and  by  use  of  these 
high  spots,  with  frequent  and  sometimes  abrupt 
interruptions  for  the  introduction  of  Gypsy 
Music,  is  recounted  the  successful  attempt  of 
the  president  of  a  collectivist  farm  to  per- 
suade a  Gypsy  band  to  settle  upon  and  work 
the  land.  As  portrayed  by  a  large  cast  includ- 
ing a  half  dozen  extremely  competent  princi- 
pals, the  outcome  appears  wholly  plausible. 

Reviewed  at  the  Cameo  Theatre,  Times 
Square,  New  York,  which  is  dedicated  to  the 
exhibition  of  Russian  films  and  was  doing  ex- 
cellent business  on  the  afternoon  of  the  sixth 
day  of  the  run. 

Weaver,  New  York. 

Produced  by  Mezhrabpcmifilm,  Moscow.  Distributed 
in  North  and  South  America  by  Amkino  corporation. 
Directed  by  Evgeni  Schneider  and  M.  Goldblatt. 
Story  by  Z.  Markina  and  M.  Vituknovsky.  Photo- 
graphed by  N.  Prozorovsky.  Music  by  G.  G.  Loba- 
chev.  No  P.  C.  A.  Certificate.  Release  date,  July 
28.  Running  time,  90  minutes.  General  audience  classi- 
fication. 

CAST 

Danilo   Alexander  Granach 

Yudko   N.  Mordvinov 

Tira,  Yudko's  wife   M.  Sinelnikova 

Alta,  Yudko's  daughter   Lala  Chernaya 

Ivan  Likho   M.  Yanshin 

President  of  the  Kolkhoz   F.  Blajevich 

Hannah   E.  Rogulina 

Senka   P.  Sanin 

Young  Gypsies   S.  Kmara  and  S.  Koleskidy 


Boy,  Oh  Boy 

(  Educational ) 

Comedy  of  Complications 

Exercising  more  than  customary  restraint  and 
spreading  his  gags  evenly,  Bert  Lahr  gets  a 
good  deal  out  of  his  butler  role  in  this  Al 
Christie  production.  The  elusive  sweepstakes 
ticket,  subject  of  many  less  successful  ventures 
into  the  field  of  humor,  is  passed  about  a  bit 
more  plausibly  and  a  lot  more  amusingly  than 
is  customary  in  the  use  of  this  seemingly  inex- 
haustible comedy  source.  There  is  also  a  definite 
plot,  and  the  people  who  support  the  comedian 
treat  it  seriously,  affording  the  star's  efforts 
benefit  of  background.  Produced  with  more 
than  usual  care,  the  subject  got  a  number  of 
laughs  in  a  projection  room  showing  not  ex- 
clusively attended  by  company  employees. — 
Running  time,  19  minutes. 


Popular  Science,  No.  I 

(  Paramount ) 
Informative  Exposition 

Photographed  in  color  and  made  up  of  ad- 
mirably contrasted  subjects,  adroitly  presented 
and  competently  explained  by  a  narrator,  this  is 
among  the  best  subjects  of  its  kind  from  this 
or  any  source.  Major  interest  attaches,  per- 
haps, to  the  forestry  sequence,  showing  how  fires 
start,  the  intricate  means  of  determining  their 
location  and  the  elaborate,  modern  machinery 
and  equipment  available  for  stopping  them. 
Gardening    implements,    including    a  snipper- 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


53 


gripper  that  is  quite  something,  are  effectively 
demonstrated.  An  exercising  machine  is  tried 
out  by  a  young  lady  of  becoming  proportions. 
Visit  is  made  to  an  elaborately  outfitted  cos- 
metic establishment,  showing  manufacture  as 
well  as  application  of  powder,  lipstick,  etc.,  and 
the  name  of  Max  Factor  is  uttered  quite  cas- 
ually by  the  narrator  when  the  gentleman  him- 
self, in  person,  is  photographed  in  the  act  of 
prettying  up  a  pretty.  Other  merchandise  is  not 
referred  to  by  name. — Running  time,  11  minutes. 

Screen  Snapshots,  No.  13 

(Columbia) 
In  Hollywood 

Glimpses  of  the  Hollywood  scene  and  in  par- 
ticular shots  of  the  stars  while  "off  stage"  are 
continued  in  No.  13  of  this  interesting  series. 
The  opening  of  Newport's  $2,000,000  Harbor 
and  Yacht  Basin,  a  fashion  show  beside  the  Lido 
pool  and  a  dog  show  at  Palm  Springs  are  at- 
tended by  Lee  Tracy,  Anita  Stewart,  Lewis 
Stone,  Olivia  de  Havilland,  John  Boles,  Otto 
Kruger,  Edward  Arnold,  Jeanette  MacDonald 
and  Irene  Dunne,  to  mention  a  few  of  the  31 
stars  and  near  stars  who  appear.  Running  time, 
10  minutes. 


Milk  Parade 

(Al  Bondy  -  Pathe  News) 
Instructive 

An  instructive  short  subject,  the  camera  here 
records  the  painstaking  methods  involved  in 
the  progress  of  milk  from  the  cow  to  the  con- 
sumer. With  a  running  commentary  by  Lowell 
Thomas,  the  audience  is  taken  to  a  farm,  sees 
the  milking  of  the  cows,  the  transportation  of 
the  milk  to  the  city  in  milk  trucks,  the  testing, 
heating  and  cooling  system  in  the  milk  plant, 
the  bottling  and  finally  in  the  early  hours  of 
the  morning  the  milkman  delivering  the  day's 
milk  to  his  customers.  Running  time,  10  min- 
utes. 


The  Hills  of  Old  Wyoming 

(Paramount) 
Screen  Song 

Bumpered  fore  and  aft  with  a  cartoon  take- 
off on  "The  March  of  Time,"  well  done,  the 
section  in  which  Louise  Massey  and  the  West- 
erners sing,  play,  and  invite  the  audience  to  sing 
the  song  named  in  the  title  in  accompaniment  to 
the  bouncing  ball  rests  snugly  in  a  firm 
setting  and  satisfies  accordingly.  The  num- 
ber is  of  the  plains  type  currently  in  vogue 
and  is  well  played  and  sung.  The  reel  is  a 
pleasant,  double-purpose  short  suitable  for  any 
audience. — Running  time,  10  minutes. 


Toby  Tortoise  Returns 

(U.A.-Disney) 
Silly  Symphony 

Having  bested  the  collegiate  hare  in  the  tra- 
ditional style  on  the  track,  Toby  Tortoise  meets 
his  fleet  and  fancy  opponent  in  the  squared  cir- 
cle this  time  and,  of  course,  triumphs  again, 
although  with  a  minimum  of  glory.  Alongside 
the  ring  are  ranged  Mr.  Hare's  co-ed  admirers, 
from  the  previous  cast,  and,  on  Toby's  side, 
the  chicken,  also  from  a  previous  subject,  that 
talks  like  Mae  West  and  likes  "a  man  that 
takes  his  time."  Action  follows  the  time  chart 
of  the  racing  subject,  but  pyrotechnics  are  in- 
troduced for  the  finish,  and  color  is  used  with 
incredible  and  spectacular  effect.  The  ultimate 
gag  is  sheer  inspiration. — Running  time,  8  min- 
utes. 


It's  a  Greek  Life 

(RKO  Radio) 
Good 

In  this  Rainbow  color  parade  cartoon,  an  old 
Centaur,  a  cobbler  by  trade,  envies  the  winged 
beings  who  fly  through  the  air.  Attempting  to 
emulate  them  the  Centaur  straps  a  pair  of 
ducks  on  his  back,  but  the  experiment  is  a  fail- 


ure. When  Mercury  leaves  his  magic  shoes 
for  the  cobbler  to  fix,  the  Centaur  puts  them 
on  and  flies  about  his  shop.  The  ducks,  angered 
by  the  shoes,  attack,  taking  the  Centaur  on  a 
wild  flight.  Later  when  Mercury  returns  for 
his  shoes  the  cobbler  gives  Mercury  a  fake 
pair.  Mercury  tosses  the  cobbler  into  a  barrel 
of  water,  from  which  he  eventually  is  saved 
from  drowning  by  the  ducks.  Running  time, 
7  minutes. 

Happy  You  and  Merry  Me 

(  Paramount ) 
Betty  Boop  Cartoon 

Betty  Boop  sings  a  chorus  of  the  song  that 
gives  the  subject  its  title  and  then  dispatches 
Pudgy,  the  dog,  for  a  box  of  catnip  with  which 
to  minister  to  a  kitten  made  ill  by  devouring 
her  candy.  The  cat  follows  him  home,  takes 
kitten  and  catnip  away  with  her,  and  that's 
that — a  sort  of  "good  deed  for  today"  plot  with- 
out complication.  Acceptable  is  a  word  for  it. — 
Running  time,  7  minutes. 


Alpine  Climbers 

(U.A.-Disney) 
Color  Cartoon 

Rich  in  invention,  contrast  and  imagery  be- 
yond even  its  own  antecedents,  this  is  the  fun- 
niest of  four  new  Walt  Disney  subjects  screened 
to  a  press  audience  evidently  made  up  entirely 
of  Disney  addicts.  Departing  the  standard 
and,  under  other  auspices,  generally  desirable 
pattern  of  a  single  plot  thread  meticulously  ad- 
hered to,  this  subject  splits  quickly  into  three 
streams  of  action,  each  a  riotous  succession  of 
events,  and  along  each  flows  a  full  flavored  tor- 
rent of  humorous  episode  equal  to  the  content 
matter  of  many  a  successful  single  subject. 

Mickey  Mouse,  Donald  Duck  and  Pluto  are 
caught  in  the  act  of  climbing  an  Alp,  Mickey 
becoming  embroiled  with  an  eagle  when  he 
attempts  to  rifle  its  nest,  Donald  with  a  moun- 
tain sheep  for  no  especial  reason,  and  Pluto 
with  a  St.  Bernard  of  which  a  good  deal 
more  could  be  seen  in  subsequent  pictures  with 
full  credit  to  the  Disney  menagerie.  Adventures 
of  the  party  are  varied,  swift  and  hilarious. 
The  subject  is  top  notch  for  any  and  all  audi- 
ences, times  and  places. — Running  time, 
minutes. 


Neptune's  Scholars 

(  Paramount ) 
Sportlight 

Ted  Husing,  who  narrates  the  subject,  doesn't 
tell  you  that  the  half  dozen  swimmers  who  en- 
act this  moist  version  of  "School  Days"  under 
water  come  up  for  air  between  each  take,  but 
he  doesn't  tell  you  that  they  don't.  Anyway,  al! 
but  a  few  moments  at  the  start  of  the  subject  is 
photographed  below  the  surface,  where  the 
girls  and  an  obese  but  nimble  gentleman  per- 
mittee to  go  unnamed  portray  familiar  class- 
room incidents.  It's  not  the  best  Sportlight  ever 
released,  nor  the  worst,  but  it's  pleasant  stuff 
for  this  time  of  year. — Running  time,  10  min- 
utes. 


Happy  Heels 

(  Educational ) 
Slapstick  Comedy 

Buster  West  and  Tom  Patricola  are  princi- 
pally featured  in  this  knockabout  adventure,  the 
title  of  which  dually  describes  their  dancing  feet 
and  the  characters  they  portray.  The  dancing  is 
never  permitted  to  get  in  the  way  of  the  com- 
edy, though,  and  the  comedy  is  never  permitted 
to  get  above  the  slapstick  level.  The  pair  are 
pictured  as  sophisticates  who  impersonate  rubes 
to  invade  a  night  club  where  their  girl  friends 
are  employed  and  where  they  interrupt  routines, 
kid  the  customers  and  in  divers  other  ways 
seek  to  amuse.  They  are  never  still  and  never 
very  funny,  but  the  subject  is  loud  enough  and 
swift  enough  to  offset  a  too  long  and  too  serious 
feature  picture. — Running  time,  18^4  minutes. 


Gypsy  Revels 
(  Paramount ) 
Russian  Musicale 

If  you  like  Russian  music,  of  course,  you  like 
Russian  music,  and  if  enough  of  your  audience 
likes  Russian  music  it  is  reasonable  to  assume 
that  enough  of  your  audience  will  like  this  sub- 
ject. The  reverse  is  equally  true.  Yascha  Bun- 
chuk  and  his  orchestra  and  choir  and  dancers, 
totaling  quite  a  stage  population,  sing,  play  and 
finally  dance  some  numbers  labeled  Gypsy,  sev- 
eral of  them  familiar  and  others  less  so.  What 
they  do  is  competently  photographed  and  re- 
corded, if  not  especially  novel  or  refreshing. — 
Running  time,  11  minutes. 

Highway  Snobbery 

(  Columbia  ) 
Good 

Krazy  Kat  in  this  subject  plays  the  part  of 
a  road  hog  while  showing  off  his  new  super- 
speed  car  to  the  girl  friend.  The  Kat  is  having 
a  great  time,  unmindful  of  the  discomfort  he  is 
causing  other  motorists  but  the  tables  soon  turn 
when  the  angered  motorists'  "gang  up"  on 
Krazy  Kat.  One  car  takes  off  the  Kat's  left 
fender,  another  his  right,  each  succeeding  car 
some  other  part,  until  Krazy  and  the  girl  friend 
are  sitting  on  the  road.  The  girl  friend  gets 
a  ride  back  to  town  but  Krazy  is  left  stranded. 
Running  time,  7  minutes. 

Paramount  Pictorial,  No.  I 

(Paramount) 
Topical  Review 

Shoes,  California  and  Don  Baker,  organist 
of  the  New  York  Paramount  theatre,  are  fea- 
tures of  this  mine-run  review.  The  shoe  se- 
quence, leading  the  reel  carries  a  credit  line 
for  I.  Miller,  whose  bootery  is  neither  tops  nor 
also-ran  but  gets  upper  bracket  prices.  The 
California  shots  are  in  color  and  a  narrator  says 
nice  things  about  the  state.  Don  Baker  is,  of 
course,  a  Paramount  fixture,  incidentally  a 
pretty  good  organist.  The  ensemble  is  undis- 
tinguished.— Running  time,  10  minutes. 

Irish  Pastoral 

(Educational) 
Travel  Film 

While  a  becomingly  moderate  narrator  sup- 
plies pertinent  information,  a  careful  camera 
roams  Ireland,  capturing  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  excellent  shots  and  conveying  with  rare 
effect  an  impression  of  quiet  quaintness.  Em- 
phasizing the  countryside,  touching  only  mo- 
mentarily the  bustling  activity  of  Dublin,  the 
subject  builds  up  slowly  to  the  singing  of  a 
Gaelic  love  song  by  a  village  colleen  and  ends 
appropriately  with  horizon  shots  at  twilight. 
It  is  artistically  composed  and  consummately 
photographed. — Running  time,   91/,    minutes.  * 

The  Poets  of  the  Organ 

(Vitaphone) 
Melodious 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jesse  Crawford,  termed  the 
Poets  of  the  Organ,  play  several  numbers  with 
occasional  vocal  interpretation  by  Robert  Sim- 
mons. Included  in  the  recital,  among  others,  are 
the  melodious  strains  of  Masquerade,  Rose  in 
Her  Hair  and  Butterflies  in  the  Rain.  An  in- 
teresting camera  shot  of  Mrs.  Crawford  nlayin? 
with  dancers  in  the  background  concludes  the 
short.    Running  time,  10  minutes. 

Kiko  and  the  Honey  Bears 

(  Educational ) 
Cartoon  Comic 

This  is  a  Terry-Toon  cartoon,  by  Paul  Terry, 
Mannie  Davis  and  George  Gordon,  scored  arid 
conducted  by  Philip  A.  Scheib.  In  it  Kiko,  the 
kangaroo,  is  employed  to  take  care  of  the  three 
bears  while  their  mother  gets  the  house  work 
done.  Kiko  does  so,  with  music. — Running 
time,  5  minutes. 


54 

Two  More  Units 
Protest  Radio  s 
Use  of  Players 

With  passage  by  two  more  exhibitor  or- 
ganizations of  resolutions  against  partici- 
pation by  screen  stars  in  radio  advertising 
programs,  and  with  President  E.  L.  Kuy- 
kendall  of  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  mentioning  the  matter 
in  detail  in  an  official  report  to  members, 
without  recommending  action,  the  micro- 
phone continued  this  week  to  claim  the  at- 
tention of  big  and  little  picture  players  while 
sponsors'  announcers  heralded  the  program 
presence  of  still  others  to  come. 

Organizations  passing  resolutions,  par- 
alleling closely  similar  expressions  previ- 
ously uttered  by  other  groups,  are  the  New 
York  Independent  Theatre  Owners,  meeting 
in  regular  session  at  the  Astor  Hotel,  and 
the  Independent  Exhibitors,  Inc.,  meeting  in 
the  Boston  headquarters  of  the  New  Eng- 
land unit.  In  addition  to  expressing  formal 
protest,  the  Independent  Exhibitors  further 
resolved  "that  the  producers  of  motion  pic- 
tures employing  said  stars,  actors  and 
actresses  incorporate  in  their  contracts 
agreements  restricting  picture  players  from 
radio  broadcasting." 

The  MPTOA  pronouncement  began  with 
the  observation  that  "The  motion  picture 
industry  is  again  face  to  face  with  the  prob- 
lem of  competition  of  famous  stars  and 
screen  personalities  on  radio  programs." 
Quotation  of  the  resolution  passed  on  July 
1st  by  the  Kansas-Missouri  organization  fol- 
lowed. In  conclusion  President  Kuykendall 
wrote:  "The  radio  people  claim  that  the 
drawing  power  of  a  screen  star  is  enhanced 
and  strengthened  by  broadcasting,  that  valu- 
able advertising  accrues  to  motion  pictures 
through  the  publicity  and  exploitation  given 
them  by  radio.  Many  theatre  owners  dispute 
this  assertion.  But  radio  is  here  to  stay; 
whether  they  use  screen  talent  promiscuously 
or  not,  they  are  going  to  put  on  the  best  and 
most  appealing  show  they  can.  Just  how 
much  restraint  or  control  is  possible  or  prac- 
tical is  a  difficult  question,  made  doubly  so 
by  the  personal  right  of  every  one  to  realize 
the  maximum  return  on  their  own  talent  and 
ability." 


Kirlcwood  Signs  Nelson 

Bobby  Nelson,  young  rodeo  star,  has  been 
signed  by  Ray  Kirkwood  to  co-star  with 
Donald  Reed  in  eight  westerns.  The  first 
picture  will  be  "Adventurous  Rogues." 


Sell  18  to  Trampe 

Chesterfield  and  Invincible  have  closed 
with  C.  W.  Trampe  of  Midwest  Film  Dis- 
tributors, Milwaukee,  for  next  season's  18 
pictures. 


Underwood  in  Story  Post 

Darryl  F.  Zanuck  has  named  Franklyn 
Underwood  as  head  of  the  eastern  story 
department  at  Twentieth  Century-Fox.  He 
replaces  Thomas  C.  Costain,  resigned. 

Snell  Joins  Lesser 

Paul  Snell  has  joined  the  Sol  Lesser  pub- 
licity department  in  Hollywood. 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


FIRST  REVIEW  OF  FIRST 
MARY  ASTOR  PICTURE 

Speaking  of  Mary  Astor,  the  first 
review  of  her  first  picture,  "The  Beg- 
gar Maid,"  Triarts  production,  ap- 
peared in  the  Motion  Picture  News 
since  merged  into  Motion  Picture 
Herald,  in  the  issue  of  October  8, 
1921.  Her  "personality  and  classic 
beauty,"  as  well  as  "grace  of  move- 
ment," were  noted  in  the  review, 
which  said: 

"Unlike  most  beauty  contest  win- 
ners Miss  Astor  possesses  much  beside 
her  good  looks.  She  has  a  grace  of 
movement,  a  faultless  stage  presence 
and  that  indefinite  something  that 
makes  her  image  on  the  screen  seem 
more  than  just  a  contrast  in  black 
and  white  against  the  silver  sheet. 

"The  requirements  of  the  part  of 
the  English  maiden  who  is  loved  by 
the  young  lord  of  the  manor,  are  few, 
especially  as  to  the  matter  of  real  act- 
ing but  as  far  as  the  role  goes  Miss 
Astor  could  not  have  been  excelled  by 
the  most  talented  star  the  films  have 
ever  revealed." 


Eight  Talent  Contracts 
Given  Out  by  MGM 

Eight  new  writing,  four  acting  and  one 
directorial  contract  have  been  announced 
by  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.  Writers  placed 
under  contract  are  John  Van  Druten,  Ern- 
est Vajda,  James  K.  McGuinness,  Richard 
Schayer,  Jo  Swerling,  Jane  Murfin,  Cath- 
erine Turney  and  Major  William  Joyce 
Cowen.  New  player  contracts  are  with 
Rosalind  Russell,  Virginia  Grey,  Talbot 
Jennings  and  Mary  Phillips.  The  direc- 
torial agreement  is  with  Roy  Del  Ruth. 


Fox  Midwest  in  New  Office 

Fox  Midwest  Theatres,  Inc.,  has  moved 
its  Kansas  City  headquarters  to  the  third 
floor  of  the  Uptown  Building,  which  houses 
the  circuit's  first-run  house. 


Laemmle  Making  Plans 

Carl  Laemmle,  Jr.,  is  reported  in  London 
to  be  planning  a  series  of  pictures  to  be  pro- 
duced in  Hollywood  with  financing  supplied 
by  his  father.  James  Whale  may  direct. 


Fashion  Film  Completed 

Lillian  Edmondson  has  completed  the  first 
production  of  a  series  of  six  single  reels  en- 
titled "Fashion  in  Furs,"  to  be  released  na- 
tionally once  a  month. 


Variety  Club  Plans  Dinner 

The  second  annual  dinner-entertainment 
of  the  Philadelphia  Variety  Club  will  be 
held  December  13th  at  the  Bellevue-Strat- 
ford  hotel. 


Crescent  Gets  "Buckaroo" 

Crescent  Distributing  Company  has  ac- 
quired the  rights  to  "The  Reckless 
Buckaroo,"  featuring  Bill  Cody  and  Bill 
Cody,  Jr. 


August    22,  1936 

'Heavy  Demand' 
For  Astor  Films 
Reported  'Dream 9 

The  latest  dream  of  Hollywood  reporters, 
as  recorded  by  the  United  Press,  by  the 
North  American  Newspaper  Alliance,  Inc., 
and  by  William  Randolph  Hearst's  New 
York  Evening  Journal,  is  that  Mary  Astor 
and  the  studios  which  employ  her  will  "reap 
a  fortune  from  the  publicity"  out  of  a  Cali- 
fornia courtroom,  and  that  already  film  ex- 
changes the  country  over  are  flooded  with 
demands  from  exhibitors  for  prints  of  Mary 
Astor  pictures. 

Lloyd  Pantages,  whose  Hollywood  column 
in  the  amusement  section  of  the  Evening 
Journal  sometimes  has  been  under  fire  from 
the  industry,  and  the  United  Press  under  a 
Hollywood  date  line  both  on  Saturday  said 
that  Miss  Astor's  headline  "breaks"  of  the 
last  few  weeks  have  created  an  enormous 
demand  for  her  pictures  among  exhibitors 
and  exchanges. 

Sales  managers  and  booking  offices  in 
New  York  City  deny  that  any  such  rush 
exists  for  Astor  vehicles  and  say  that  if  any 
slight  interest  has  been  occasioned  it  is 
virtually  inconspicuous. 

"Film  exchanges  have  been  flooded  for  days," 
the  United  Press  said,  "by  demands  from  thea- 
tres for  'anything  with  Astor  in  it.'  Hollywood 
has  found  that  exhibitors  don't  do  that  unless 
the  customers  are  speaking.  Samuel  Goldwyn, 
producer  who  had  Miss  Astor  working  on 
'Dodsworth'  when  her  suit  came  to  trial,  or- 
dered the  film  rushed  for  release  Sept  15th,  a 
month  earlier  than  originally  scheduled. 

Similarly  Lloyd  Pantages  based  his  report  of 
a  demand  for  Mary  Astor  pictures  on  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  release  date  for  "Dodsworth." 

Sheilah  Graham,  writing  for  the  North  Amer- 
ican Newspaper  Alliance,  elaborated  on  the 
identical  report.  Using  as  her  lead  the  same 
story  that  exhibitors  were  bombarding  Mr. 
Goldwyn  for  an  early  release  of  "Dodsworth," 
she  continued : 

"While  the  question  of  Miss  Astor's  future 
on  the  screen  is  still  in  doubt,  theatre  owners 
feel  that,  at  the  moment,  the  general  public  is 
ready  to  flock  in  droves  to  movie  palaces  to 
see  the  woman  whose  friendships  with  world 
renowned  celebrities  have  so  publicized." 

In  contrast  to  these  reports  four  companies 
which  have  produced  pictures  starring  the 
actress  since  1934  say  they  have  felt  no  par- 
ticular demand  for  her  films  from  exhibitors  or 
exchanges.  At  the  office  of  A.  Montague,  sales 
executive  for  Columbia  Pictures,  it  was  said 
that  bookings  for  "And  So  They  Were  Mar- 
ried," produced  this  year,  have  been  normal. 
"No  noticeable  demand,"  was  the  report  from 
the  booking  office  for  Warner  Brothers  and 
First  National  Pictures.  "The  Murder  of  Dr. 
Harrigan,"  "Man  of  Iron,"  "Page  Miss  Glory," 
"Easy  to  Love,"  "I  Am  a  Thief,"  and  "Return 
of  the  Terror,"  were  made  in  the  last  three 
years  by  these  companies. 

F.  J.  A.  McCarthy,  eastern  division  sales 
manager  for  Universal  Pictures,  producer  of 
"Straight  From  the  Heart,"  said  that  he  had 
heard  reports  from  exchanges  of  a  slight  de- 
mand for  old  pictures  starring  Miss  Astor.  He 
said,  however,  that  in  his  opinion  the  demand 
was  only  temporary  and  similar  to  that  always 
felt  after  publicity  breaks  "such  as  the  death 
of  Rudolph  Valentino."  He  added  that  the 
demand,  such  as  it  is,  comes  almost  entirely 
from  subsequent-run  houses  in  the  Times  Square 
district  of  New  York  City  which  feature  old 
pictures. 


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BLANKE«HfIH7,000,000  AMERICAN  HOMES  WITH  A 
CAMPAIGN  THAT  WILL  MAKE  ADVERTISING  HISTORY 
FOR  THE  PICTURES  THAT  WILL  MAKE  FILM  HISTORY, 


EVERY  IMPORTANT  NATIONAL  MAGA 
CENTRATED  ADVERTISING  DRIVE  E 


Mot  for  just  one  issue  — not  for 
just  one  picture  — but  the  greatest 
issue  -  after  -  issue  mass  -  circulation 
campaign  known  to  show  busi- 
ness will  reach  every  corner 
of  the  country  with  full -page 
announcements  of  the  leaders 
of  your  coming  attractions  from 

WARNER  BROS. 

Read  this  list— it  represents  the  industry's  largest 
magazine  -  series  space  purchase  of  all  time  I 

Saturday  Evening  Post     .    .    .  2,802,903 

Woman's  Home  Companion  .    .  2,705,300 

Collier's   2,437,745 

McCall's   2,399,533 

Good  Housekeeping    .    .    .    .  2,158,204 

American  Weekly    .....  6,054,072 

Pictorial  Review   2,118,874 

Liberty   2,055,765 

American  Magazine     ....  2,012,823 

True  Story   1,881,542 

Cosmopolitan   1,725,623 

Woman's  World   1,263,306 


Red  Book    .  . 
Literary  Digest 
Time  .... 
Esquire  .    .  . 
Harper's  Bazaar 


813,866 
723,968 
560,473 
275,881 
162,658 


Vogue   152,292 

New  Yorker   127,674 

House  Beautiful   110,457 

Fortune   109,202 

Stage   30,862 

Town  and  Country  .    .    .    .    .  28,561 

Parents'  Magazine   352,216 

Boys'  Life   278,475 

In  Addition  to  All  the  Famous  Fan  Magazines 

Modern  Screen   475,000 

Photoplay   450,806 

Silver  Screen   436,640 

Movie  Mirror   415,994 

Hollywood   300,000 

Screenland   236,392 

Motion  Picture   225,000 

Screen  Play   200,000 

Screen  Book   200,000 

Romantic  Movie  Stories   200,000 

Movie  Classic   175,000 

Picture  Play   150,000 

Screen  Romances   150,000 

Film  Fun  ...   125,000 

Screen  Guide   100,000 


TOTAL  PAID 
CIRCULATION: 


37,1 82,107..  And  you  multiply  that  by  FOUR  fo 


ZDfE  IS  MASSED  FOR  THE  FIRST  CON 
VER  PUT  BEHIND  YOUR  PRODUCT! 


i 


Sensational  Climax  of  tli 


Ltttoy 


'Anthony's'  coming  on  the  29th 
—and  these  three  full-page 
flashes  are  our  own  exclusive 
way  of  guaranteeing  that  31 
million  more  people  know  it! 
They're  all  running  right  now  in 
the  first  group  of  powerful 
publications  set  for  the  series... 

COLLIER'S 
LIBERTY 
TIME 

NEW  YORKER 
FORTUNE 
STAGE 

TOWN  &  COUNTRY 

PARENTS'  MAGAZINE 

BOYS'  LIFE 

And  The  Leading  Fan 

Magazines,  Besides! 


id  Pie-Release  Promotion  For 


NINC  NO.  3 ! 

(And  note  that  popular  price!} 

Every  week-end  in  history  top- 
ped at  the  Warner  Theatre, 
Atlantic  City,  in  first  popular- 
price  engagement  to  follow 
twin  West  Coast  wonder-runs 
ffk  now  in  third  roadshow  weeks 
at  Carthay  Circle,  Los  Angeles 
and  Geary,  San  Francisco! 


...  And  Right  After 
Anthony' Comes  the 
Notion-Wide  Blast 


the 


Th 


for 


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"""oil*  r       "  "  an./ ..,  "''<;ui\-  j 


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On  the  Stands  Starting  September  1st- 
On  the  Screen  Starting  September  26th  - 

And  SO  Million  Readers  Will  Know  It! 

SATURDAY  EVENING  POST 

GOOD  HOUSEKEEPING 

COSMOPOLITAN 

HARPER'S  BAZAAR 

McCALL'S 

RED  BOOK 

WOMAN'S  WORLD 
Plus  Your  Favorite  Fan  Magazines 


Warner  Bros. — and  only  Warner  Bros. — 
do  it  this  way!  Picture  after  picture 
pre-sold  to  big  town,  small  town  and  all 
America  with  a  comprehensive,  heavy- 
hitting  series  that  establishes  your  shows 
as  the  shows  to  see !  Count  on  it  when  you 
set  up  your  Fall  schedule  —  and  watch 
for  it  next  with  these  forthcoming 

WARNER  BROS. 
PICTURES 

MARION  DAVIES  and  CLARK  GABLE  in  "CAIN  AND  MABEL 
"CHARGE  OF  THE  LIGHT  BRIGADE"- Errol  Flynn  &  Olivia  de  Havilland 
"GREEN  LIGHT"— From  the  Famous  Best-Seller  by  Lloyd  C.  Douglas 
"THREE  MEN  ON  A  HORSE"— From  the  Stage  Smash 
"GOLD  DIGGERS  OF  1937"— With  a  Celebrity  in  Every  Role 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


61 


ENDING  "EXPENSIVE  EXPERIMENTS"  IN 
SHOWMANSHIP  FOR  OLD  METHODS 


Fox  Midwest  Theatres'  Manag- 
ers, at  Excelsior  Springs  Con- 
vention, Get  Cues  to  "Sell" 
Product  by  "Selling"  Houses 

by  KENNETH  FORCE 

in  Kansas  City 

Expensive  experiments  in  merchandising 
motion  pictures  to  the  public  are  being 
abandoned  by  one  of  their  strongest  circuit 
advocates,  Fox  Midwest  Theatres,  in  favor 
of  the  old  fundamentals  of  theatre  operation. 
The  circuit,  which  is  owned  by  Twentieth 
Century-Fox-Chase  Bank  interests,  and  is 
operated  by  Skouras  Brothers  through  Na- 
tional Theatres,  comprises  120  properties  in 
the  agricultural  country  of  Kansas,  Mis- 
souri, Iowa,  Nebraska  and  Illinois— an  area 
where  crop  as  well  as  industrial  fluctuations 
require  sturdy  exploitation  methods  at  all 
times  to  fill  theatre  seats. 

The  idea  is  to  cut  loose  immediately 
from  those  film  exploitation  methods 
whose  actual  value  is  a  matter  of  debate, 
and  to  return  to  the  tried-and-proved 
manner  of  promoting  those  phases  of 
management  and  operation  common  to 
every  theatre  to  the  point  where,  Fox 
Midwest  hopes,  the  service  will  distin- 
guish the  circuit  houses  in  the  public  mind. 
A  tangible  plan  wirh  this  in  mind  already 
has  been  adopted,  and  Elmer  C.  Rhoden, 
division  manager  in  charge  of  the  circuit, 
will  engineer  its  adoption. 

Feeling  that  pictures  are  good  now  and 
are  continuing  to  improve,  the  Fox  manage- 
ment believes  it  can  safely  turn  to  the  pro- 
motion of  its  theatres.  To  sell  one  is  to  sell 
the  other,  but  the  effort  for  several  years 
largely  has  been  to  sell  the  picture  to  the 
neglect  of  the  theatre. 

Urges  Institutional  Selling 

The  theme  of  "Super  Service,  a  Plan  to 
Make  Fox  Midwest  Theatres  Unique,"  was 
keynoted  by  Lon  Cox,  St.  Louis  district 
manager,  for  more  than  100  managers  and 
executives  of  Fox  Midwest  at  the  circuit's 
fifth  annual  convention,  at  Excelsior  Springs, 
Mo.,  last  week. 

"Business  is  like  friendship.  It  goes  where 
it  is  best  treated  and  stays  where  it  is  best 
served,"  Mr.  Cox  told  the  managers.  "The 
shows  we  sell  are  no  more  entertaining  in 
our  theatres  than  in  any  other,  unless  people 
like  our  theatres  better.  Box  office  results 
depend  just  as  much  on  good  will  and  good 
service  as  they  do  on  good  shows.  If  your 
audiences  are  your  friends,  you  and  your 
theatre  will  continue  to  attract  them  regu- 
larly. 

"Today  the  shows  we  sell  week  after  week 
are  no  more  entertaining  on  our  screens  than 
they  are  on  the  screens  of  the  smallest  the- 
atre or  town  in  the  country,"  said  Mr.  Cox. 
"That  is  why  we  must  go  farther  in  the  sell- 
ing of  our  theatres  than  in  the  selling  of 
our  current  attractions. 

"The  coming  year  will  be  one  of  service. 
Public  utility  advertisements  that  have  ap- 


CONTRAST  CALLED  KEY 
TO  PROGRAM  BALANCE 

"The  make-up  of  a  show  can  be 
planned  according  to  definite  prin- 
ciples that  have  been  sure-fire  stuff 
for  ages  because  they  are  based  upon 
an  understanding  of  human  psychol- 
ogy," Stanley  N.  Chambers,  manager 
of  the  Kansas  City  Uptown,  said  in 
addressing  the  convention  of  Fox  Mid- 
west Theatres. 

"Every  artist  whose  work  has  sur- 
vived him,  whether  he  painted,  com- 
posed music,  or  wrote  literature,  has 
depended  upon  one  thing  to  give  his 
work  balance,  harmony  and  rhythm. 
That  thing  is  contrast." 


peared  in  your  home  town  papers  during  the 
last  year,  you  may  have  noticed,  are  strictly 
institutional  ads  designed  to  sell  their  effort 
as  service  for  their  customers.  Again,  the 
coal  industry  the  past  year  has  established 
extension  bureaus  to  educate  the  public  how 
to  burn  coal  effectively  and  economically, 
even  going  so  far  as  to  make  individual  sur- 
veys as  part  of  their  sales  promotion  work. 

"Screen  Forecast"  Manual 

"Super  service  will  take  the  form  of  such 
ideas  as  a  'Screen  Forecast.'  This  illus- 
trated booklet  contains  brief  reviews  of  25 
outstanding  attractions  of  the  first  quarter 
of  the  new  season,  with  a  check  list  on  the 
back  which  patrons  can  mark  and  leave  at 
the  theatre  or  mail  in.  When  the  pictures 
are  booked,  the  patron  is  notified  in  advance 
of  the  showing." 

Another  phase  of  the  new  service,  "News- 
paper Ads,  Making  the  Most  of  the  Space 
You  Buy,"  was  discussed  by  H.  E.  Jamey- 
son,  Wichita  district  manager.  Highlights 
of  Mr.  Jameyson's  "ad- vice"  were  these : 
"Good  advertising  is  easier  to  produce  than 
bad  advertising  because  good  advertising  is 
simple  advertising.  Once  you  have  learned 
the  art  of  simplification,  the  task  of  prepar- 
ing good  advertising  is  not  arduous,  but 
enjoyable.  Never  start  to  prepare  an  ad 
until  you  have  determined  what  you  are  try- 
ing to  sell,  then  try  to  achieve  those  funda- 
mentals in  your  layout :  visibility,  legibility 
and  sales  ability.  When  Bank  Nights  and 
giveaways  are  washed  up,  your  ability  as  an 
advertising  man  is  what  will  establish  you 
as  a  successful  theatre  man.  The  time  is 
coming  when  the  theatre  man  who  has 
trained  himself  in  the  preparation  of  good 
advertising  will  once  again  be  the  most 
sought-after  individual  in  this  business." 

Saying  Too  Much 

"If  I  were  to  make  a  general  criticism  of 
our  advertising,"  said  Mr.  Jameyson,  "I 
would  say  that  too  many  men  are  trying  to 
engrave  the  Lord's  Prayer  upon  a  grain  of 
wheat.  This  is  particularly  true  since  we 
have  reduced  the  space  we  are  using  in 
newspapers.  Also,  it  is  particularly  true 
where  we  are  using  double  bills,  and  where 


Manual  of  Showmanship,  Made 
Up  of  Addresses  at  Conven- 
tion, Sent  Out  to  900  Em- 
ployees of  Fox  Midwest  Circuit 

we  have  to  advertise  two  pictures  in  the 
space  we  formerly  used  for  one.  Too  many 
managers  are  trying  to  say  too  much  in 
their  ads." 

Development  of  super  service  through 
"Civic  Contacts"  was  the  theme  of  Fred  C. 
Souttar,  manager  of  the  Lincoln  theatre, 
Belleville,  111. 

"Civic  contacts  are  the  diplomatic  depart- 
ment of  your  theatre,"  Mr.  Souttar  said, 
"and  are  every  bit  as  important  to  the  suc- 
cessful operation  of  a  theatre  as  your  ad- 
vertising. 

"Take  an  active  part  in  a  leading 
luncheon  club.  Don't  join  the  first  club 
that  offers  you  a  chance;  be  sure  you  join 
one  of  the  best  ones.  The  sooner  you  are 
able  to  call  the  leading  business  men  by 
their  first  names  the  sooner  you  are  going 
to  be  able  to  accomplish  something  really 
worth  while. 

"The  greatest  way  to  win  friends  with 
the  schools  is  through  benefit  shows. 

"I  should  like  to  stress  the  importance 
of  being  careful  in  the  selection  of  pictures 
for  school  and  other  organization  benefits. 
Be  sure  you've  got  the  right  kind  of  a  show 
for  them.  If  you  haven't,  tell  them  so. 
They'll  wait.  Don't  be  afraid  of  losing 
them.  And  when  you  do  tell  them  that  a 
program  is  O.  K. — then  they'll  believe  you. 

"Your  libraries  go  hand  in  hand  with 
the  schools  as  an  important  civic  contact. 
Every  now  and  then  drop  in  and  see  the 
chief  librarian. 

"One  type  of  organization,  though,  that 
every  smart  theatre  manager  will  steer 
clear  of  are  political  organizations.  Politics 
and  theatre  operations  don't  mix." 

Getting  "Super  Service" 

How  to  get  super  service  was  the  sub- 
ject of  two  talks. 

"Hire  the  right  people,  place  responsi- 
bility in  the  right  people,  keep  them  all 
working  together  harmoniously  for  the 
common  good,  and  discipline  will  take  care 
of  itself,"  said  J.  Roy  Burford,  manager  of 
the  Fox  Hutchinson  (Kansas)  theatres." 

"This  new  idea  is  to  make  every  em- 
ployee a  showman,"  said  Ray  McLain, 
manager  of  the  Granada  theatre,  Emporia, 
Kan.,  who  discussed  staff  meetings.  "If  an 
employee  doesn't  show  signs  of  developing 
into  a  showman,  then  that  employee  should 
be  replaced.  .  .  .  Any  manager  who  doesn't 
have  a  regular,  well-organized  and  enthu- 
siastic staff  meeting  is  robbing  his  box- 
office  of  many  dollars." 

"If  we  cannot  make  money  by  spending 
money  for  any  item,  then  it  is  bad  manage- 
ment to  buy  that  item,"  Theo.  P.  Davis, 
manager  of  the  Grand  and  Fourth  Street. 
Moberly,  Mo.,  told  the  managers  in  a  talk 

(Continued  on  following  pane,  column  2) 


62 

CEA  Group 
Ends  Tour, 
Sails  Home 

The  Cinematic  Exhibitors  Association 
delegation  which  has  been  touring  the 
United  States  for  the  past  month  or  so  on 
a  goodwill  tour  which  extended  as  far  west 
as  the  Hollywood  studios,  sailed  for  Eng- 
land and  home  from  New  York  on  the 
Normandie  Wednesday  morning  convinced 
that  British  exhibitors  are  paying  far  more 
in  film  rentals  than  their  fellow  theatre 
operators  in  this  country. 

Admittedly  having  visited  few  theatres 
because  of  the  tightness  of  their  crowded 
itinerary,  important  members  of  the  dele- 
gation nevertheless  asserted  before  sailing 
that  they  had  discovered  average  film  costs 
here  run  about  25  per  cent  as  compared 
with  40  or  slightly  above  in  their  country. 

Among  their  disturbances,  already  re- 
flected in  stories  from  London,  is  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  cost  of  film  is  rising  in 
England.  In  this  country,  all  distributors, 
whether  or  not  American  or  British,  were 
described  as  of  "the  same  breed."  The  in- 
ference was  that  a  way  will  be  sought  to 
curb  the  practice. 

Arthur  Taylor,  secretary  of  the  London 
and  Home  Counties  Branch,  who  acted  as 
sort  of  general  manager  for  the  party,  de- 
clared a  third  concern  had  to  do  with  the 
lack  of  product  of  direct  appeal  to  juvenile 
audiences.  "In  the  silent  days,  serials  and 
fast-moving  action  pictures  were  a  constant 
delight  to  children,  and  British  exhibitors 
generally,  therefore,  ran  special  kiddies' 
matinees.  With  the  advent  of  dialogue 
which  tended  to  slow  down  action  and  the 
certificate  system  to  designate  pictures  for 
adults  and  otherwise  in  vogue  in  England, 
we  have  found  out  future  audiences  are  not 
being  developed  because  those  audiences,  as 
children,  have  fallen  out  of  the  habit  of  go- 
ing to  theatres.  I  mentioned  this  to  Will 
Hays  when  he  greeted  us  in  Hollywood,  but 
the  matter  was  not  pursued,"  he  said. 

Philadelphia  Unit 
Merger  Held  Near 

Members  of  the  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  and  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Owners  of  Philadelphia  moved  nearer  a 
merger  this  week.  The  two  groups  will 
meet  to  ratify  or  reject  the  recommendations 
of  the  joint  committee  on  merging  and  if 
the  ratification  goes  through,  as  predicted, 
representatives  of  both  organizations  will 
meet  next  week  to  arrange  final  plans  for 
the  merging. 

Meanwhile,  convention  activities  will  hum 
in  Denver  next  week  when  three  different 
gatherings  are  scheduled.  Rick  Ricketson, 
manager  of  Fox  Rocky  Mountain,  will  hold 
his  annual  gathering  with  managers  August 
26-27.  Theatre  Owners'  Association  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  Region  will  hold  their  first 
convention  August  27  and  the  annual  gather- 
ing sponsored  by  the  exchanges  will  be  held 
at  the  Cherry  Hills  Country  Club. 

At  White  Sulphur  Springs,  W.  Va.,  the 
annual  convention  of  the  Exhibitors  and 
Managers  Association  of  West  Virginia  was 
featured  by  discussions  of  various  trade 
topics  at  the  Greenbrier  Hotel  this  week. 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


Return  to  Old 
Showmanship 

{Continued  from  preceding  page) 

leak  is  tomorrow's  big  hole.  Have  the  little 
leak  fixed  today.  Before  a  manager  can 
teach  employees  the  economical  way  to  do 
things,  he  must  learn  himself.  If  you  waste 
$100  in  controllable  expense,  you  must  take 
in  $200  more  at  the  box  office  to  compen- 
sate for  the  waste." 

In  discussing  "Booking  a  Show,"  Ed  J. 
Shanberg,  district  manager,  pointed  out 
that  "the  deals  a  film  buyer  makes  are  only 
as  good  as  the  booking  and  playing  of  the 
film  make  them." 

Balancing  a  Show 

"Balancing  a  show  is  easy  to  say,  but 
hard  to  do,"  Stanley  N.  Chambers,  Uptown 
manager,  Kansas  City,  brought  out. 

He  suggested  that  the  manager  first 
know  his  show.  "Screen  the  entire  pro- 
gram in  advance,  or  read  up  on  it  in  the 
trade  papers.  Second,  arrange  the  units  to 
contrast  with  each  other.  Third,  spot  your 
trailers  at  the  points  of  greatest  interest ; 
break  them  up ;  make  sure  each  date  strip 
is  crystal  clear.  Fourth,  sit  through  your 
entire  first  performance ;  study  your  reac- 
tion and  that  of  your  audience.  Fifth,  cut 
and  reassemble  until  the  show  goes  exactly 
as  you  want  it.  It's  worth  the  effort." 

"If  my  booking  sheet  showed  a  news, 
a  scenic,  a  cartoon,  a  dramatic  feature 
and  four  trailers,  for  instance,  I  would  sug- 
gest, offhand,  without  exact  knowledge  of 
what  my  subjects  contained,  an  arrange- 
ment like  this:  scenic,  trailer,  cartoon, 
trailer,  news,  trailer,  feature." 

Copies  of  the  talks  were  printed  as  a 
manual  on  the  fundamentals  of  theatre  op- 
eration, and  sent  to  each  employee  of  Fox 
Midwest  theatres,  more  than  900  of  them 
in  the  97  theatres  operated  by  the  circuit 
in  Missouri,  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Iowa  and 
Illinois. 

Philippines  Adopt 
Production  Code 

The  board  of  censors  of  the  Philippine 
Islands  has  adopted  the  Production  Code 
as  used  in  this  country,  as  the  official  stand- 
ard for  judging  and  censoring  films  in  the 
islands,  it  was  learned  this  week. 

The  board  acted  on  the  recommendation 
of  a  special  committee  composed  of  Father 
William  A.  Fletcher,  private  secretary  to 
Archbishop  Michael  O'Doherty ;  Dr.  Jorge 
Bocobo,  president  of  the  University  of  the 
Philippines,  and  Dr.  David  S.  Hibbard,  ex- 
president  of  Silliman  Institute.  The  com- 
mittee chose  the  code  after  studying  various 
systems  of  regulations  in  other  countries. 


RKO  Canadian  Deal  Delayed 

Although  contracts  have  been  drawn  for 
the  leasing  of  the  RKO  theatres  in  Ottawa," 
Winnipeg.  Vancouver,  St.  Johns  and  Mon- 
treal to  Famous  Players  Canadian  for  15 
years,  signatures  are  being  held  up  until 
M.  Bolstad,  attorney  for  the  Canadian  cir- 
cuit, returns  to  Montreal. 


August    22,  1936 

RKO  Retiring 
Final  $850,000 
Of  Gold  Notes 

RKO  will  retire  the  last  of  its  $6,000,000 
issue  of  secured  gold  notes  amounting  to 
$850,000  under  a  proposed  plan  which,  if 
approved  by  the  federal  court  in  New  York, 
will  result  in  the  surrender  by  the  trustee 
for  the  notes  of  virtually  all  of  the  RKO 
assets.  These  assets  were  pledged  as  col- 
lateral when  the  gold  notes  were  issued  in 
1931.  Federal  Judge  John  W.  Clancy  Tues- 
day signed  an  order  setting  a  hearing  on 
the  proposed  payment  for  September  2. 

Chemical  Bank  &  Trust  Co.  is  trustee 
for  the  notes  and  holds  the  collateral  secur- 
ing them.  The  Bank  of  America  National 
Ass'n  recently  acquired  the  balance  of  the 
notes  outstanding  from  Consolidated  Film 
Industries,  which  acquired  them  several 
years  earlier.  Under  the  plan  for  which 
court  approval  is  sought,  RKO  Radio  Pic- 
tures would  pay  $850,000  to  Chemical, 
which,  in  turn,  would  retire  the  notes  held 
by  the  Giannini  bank  and  surrender  the  col- 
lateral to  the  Irving  Trust  Co.,  trustee  in 
reorganization  for  RKO. 

The  collateral  securing  the  notes  includes 
practically  all  of  the  stock  held  by  RKO 
in  its  going  subsidiaries  and  the  obligations 
of  those  subsidiaries  to  the  parent  company. 

The  original  1931  issue  of  $6,000,000  had 
been  reduced  to  $1,825,000  outstanding  at 
the  time  of  the  RKO  receivership  in  Janu- 
ary, 1933.  The  obligation  was  further  re- 
duced to  its  present  $850,000  outstanding 
since  that  time.  It  comprises  one  of  the 
principal  secured  debts  of  the  company,  ex- 
cept for  the  RKO  debentures,  and  its  retire- 
ment at  this  time  is  viewed  as  indicative  of 
the  improved  financial  status  of  RKO  and 
subsidiary  companies. 


Blumenstock  Succeeds 
Shuford  at  Warner's 

Stanley  Shuford  resigned  this  week  as 
advertising  manager  of  Warner  Brothers 
Pictures,  Inc.,  and  on  September  1  is  to  start 
new  duties  as  executive  vice-president  of 
the  Biow  Agency  and  general  assistant  to 
Milton  Biow,  president. 

Mort  Blumenstock,  formerly  assistant  to 
Joseph  Bernhard,  in  charge  of  the  Warner 
theatre  circuit,  has  been  named  to  succeed 
Mr.  Shuford. 

Harry  Goldberg  of  the  Warner  Philadel- 
phia theatres  will  take  Mr.  Blumenstock's 
place  in  the  theatre  organization  and  Jules 
Seltzer  will  have  Mr.  Goldberg's  post  in 
Philadelphia  under  the  new  arrangement  an- 
nounced. 


Theatre  Premium  Company 
Ch  arges  Contract  Breach 

A  suit  for  $350,000  damages  was  filed 
in  the  federal  court  of  New  York  Tuesday 
by  the  Price  Theatre  Premium  Corporation 
against  the  Fifth  Avenue  Sales  Corporation 
alleging  breach  of  contract  and  conspiracy. 
Harry  A.  Abrams  and  William  L.  Sincere 
are  named  as  co-defendants. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


63 


SHAKESPEARE  BACK  ON  BROADWAY 
UNDER  CLARE  OF  HOLLYWOOD  ARCS 


Fourteen  Two-a-Day  Engage- 
ments of  "Romeo  and  Juliet" 
Prefaced  by  Premiere  This 
Week  at  Astor  on  Broadway 

Paced  by  an  advertising  and  exploitation 
campaign  of  record  size  and  characterized 
by  many  outstanding  innovations,  Irving 
Thalberg's  MGM  roadshow  production  of 
"Romeo  and  Juliet"  is  now  definitely  set  for 
its  first  14  two-a-day  engagements. 

At  the  Astor  theatre,  New  York,  the 
Shakespearean  love  story,  starring  Norma 
Shearer  and  Leslie  Howard  under  direction 
of  George  Cukor,  was  to  have  its  world  pre- 
miere this  Thursday  evening.  The  other 
bookings  making  up  the  picture's  first  14 
roadshow  engagements  are  as  follows : 
Chestnut  Opera  House,  Philadelphia,  August 
30 ;  Erlanger  Theatre,  Chicago,  August  30 ; 
Colonial  Theatre,  Boston,  August  30 ;  Na- 
tional Theatre,  Washington,  September  6 ; 
Nixon  Theatre.  Pittsburgh,  September  6 ; 
Hanna  Theatre,  Cleveland,  September  6 ; 
Geary  Theatre,  San  Francisco,  September 
6;  Cass  Theatre,  Detroit,  September  6;  His 
Majesty's  Theatre,  Montreal,  September  13 ; 
Maryland  Theatre,  Baltimore,  September 
20;  American  Theatre,  St.  Louis,  Septem- 
ber 27;  Erlanger  Theatre,  Buffalo,  October, 
4;  and  Royal  Alexander  Theatre,  Toronto, 
October  5. 

For  the  first  time  William  R.  Ferguson 
of  the  MGM  exploitation  department, 
working  under  supervision  of  Howard  Diefz, 
has  arranged  to  place  three  exploitation 
experts  at  each  of  the  key  city  spots.  Ex- 
perienced men  will  be  brought  in  from 
other  territories  to  co-operate  with  district 
exploiteers,  and  thus  will  gain  the  advan- 
tage of  taking  back  with  them  immediate 
practical  training  from  the  merchandising 
of  "Ziegfeld." 

The  exploitation  staff  in  Philadelphia  will 
consist  of  Norman  Pyle,  C.  Duffus  and 
Mark  Wilson ;  in  Chicago,  F.  Bartow,  M. 
Abrams  and  C.  Morris;  in  Boston,  B. 
Mackenzie,  J.  Depesa  and  J.  Saxe ;  in  Wash- 
ington, Norman  Pyle  and  two  assistants ;  in 
Cleveland,  C.  C.  Deardourff  and  two  assist- 
ants ;  in  Detroit,  W.  G.  Bishop  and  two  as- 
sistants; in  Pittsburgh,  J.  E.  Watson,  Jack 
Gilmore  and  one  other  exploiteer;  in  Mon- 
treal, H.  Moss  and  W.  Colman ;  in  Toronto, 
E.  Rawley,  W\  Coleman  and  one  other. 
Further  assignments  are  being  made. 

Lecturer  and  Contact 

Not  only  will  each  roadshow  engagement 
thus  be  flanked  by  the  coordinate  support  of 
a  trio  of  experienced  promotion  workers, 
"but  there  will  also  be  a  special  lecturer  and 
a  woman  contacting  societies  and  educational 
institutions  in  every  first-run  spot. 

A  special  20-page  "study  guide"  has  been 
prepared  by  the  MGM  home  office  and  25,- 
000  of  these  are  being  sent  to  schools  in 
every  part  of  the  country,  also  some  abroad, 
tying  up  the  film  with  the  reading  of  Shake- 
spearean plays. 

In  addition,  five  thousand  sets  of  large- 


PLANS  BIBLE  CLASS 
TIEUPS  FOR  THEATRES 

Louis  Kosenbluh,  head  of  National 
Studios,  is  formulating  plans  for  Sun- 
day all-creed  Bible  classes  to  be  held 
in  connection  with  showings  of  slides 
made  from  Matthew  Merian's  "Story 
of  the  Bible  Told  in  Pictures". 
National  Studios  has  been  granted 
the  exclusive  rights  to  reproduce  the 
slides  and  they  will  be  made  available 
to  exhibitors  for  "spiritual  entertain- 
ment". 

It  is  planned  either  to  have  lec- 
turers give  running  descriptions  of 
the  Merian  story  direct  from  the 
stage  or  else  arrange  for  the  narrative 
to  be  picked  up  from  disc  recordings. 
Mr.  Kosenbluh,  announcing  the  tenta- 
tive plans  for  the  Bible  classes,  said: 
"With  productions  like  'The  Green 
Pastures'  having  made  their  impres- 
sion on  the  general  public,  avenues 
are  opened  to  the  theatre  owner  to 
do  something  toward  helping  his 
patrons  of  all  sects  to  appreciate  the 
inspiring  background  of  the  Bible." 
The  theatre  owner  is  also  placed  in 
the  position  of  helping  to  serve  his 
community." 


size  stills,  showing  actual  Veronese  back- 
grounds of  "Romeo"  and  research  under- 
taken at  the  Metro  studios,  have  been  dis- 
tributed to  libraries  and  schools,  and  they 
have  given  unanimous  consent  to  put  on 
display  the  complete  record  of  the  filming 
of  the  photoplay.  Much  of  the  ground  for 
this  educational  campaign  was  plowed  last 
winter  and  spring  during  the  countrywide 
tour  of  Barrett  Kiesling,  who  worked  in 
close  cooperation  with  the  Motion  Picture 
Producers  and  Distributors  of  America  and 
with  the  various  local  groups  and  women's 
clubs  allied  to  it. 

A  special  Metro  representative  was  sent 
to  a  national  meeting  of  collegiate  public 
relations  counsels  in  Boston,  and  this  group 
promised  support,  in  every  way,  to  local 
screenings  of  "Romeo  and  Juliet." 

Tieup  with  French  Line 

One  of  the  biggest  contests  will  be  the 
MGM  tieup  with  the  French  Line,  through 
which  two  trips  to  Stratford-on-Avon  and 
one  to  Hollywood,  plus  more  than  a  thou- 
sand special  prizes,  will  be  given  the  public. 
This  illustrated  essay  contest  is  being  con- 
ducted on  the  basis  of  three  groups :  ( 1 ) 
high  schools,  (2)  colleges,  and  (3)  women's 
clubs,  with  individual  prizes  being  awarded 
in  each  category.  A  special  "contest  guide," 
copiously  illustrated  with  scenes  from  the 
picture,  has  been  prepared  by  the  MGM 
home  office  for  distribution  on  a  wholesale 
scale. 


Pete  IVoodhull 
Is  Dead;  Former 
Exhibitor  Leader 

Raymond  Frank  (Pete)  Woodhull, 
known  to  motion  pictures  for  two  decades, 
principally  in  exhibition,  died  unexpectedly 
Wednesday  morning  at  his  home  in  the 
town  of  Dover,  New  Jersey,  where  he  was 
born  56  years  ago.  He  had  been  on  Broad- 
way the  day  before.  A  heart  attack  caused 
his  death. 

Funeral  services  will  be  conducted  Satur- 
day, at  his  home,  on  North  Sussex  street, 
Dover,  and  interment  will  be  in  Locust 
Hills  Cemetery,  Dover. 

After  sixteen  years  in  industrials  and 
banking,  with  United  States  Express  Com- 
pany, National  Broadway  Bank,  Dover 
Trust  Company,  Metropolitan  Life  Insur- 
ance and  Swift  meat  packers,  all  in  the 
vicinity  of  his  native  northern  New  Jersey, 
Mr.  Woodhull  went  into  exhibition,  man- 
aging the  old  Baker  theatre,  in  1918,  at 
Dover.  The  death  of  William  H.  Baker  re- 
sulted in  Mr.  Woodhull's  appointment  as 
executor  of  the  Baker  estate,  and  in  1926, 
as  the  owner,  he  sold  the  house  to  Stanley- 
Fabian,  part  of  the  nucleus  of  the  growing 
Warner-Stanley  Circuit. 

Three  terms  as  president  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Theatre  Owners  of  New  Jersey 
brought  Mr.  Woodhull  to  the  attention  of 
national  exhibitor  organization  politics,  and 
in  1924,  at  Milwaukee,  he  was  elected  presi- 
dent of  the  parent  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Owners  of  America.  He  served  for  two 
years,  and  late  in  1926  he  was  recalled  to 
fill  the  unexpired  term  of  Eli  Whitney  Col- 
lins, winning  re-election  at  the  Columbus 
convention,  in  1927,  and  again  at  Toronto, 
in  1928. 

Mr.  Woodhull,  near  the  end  of  his  offi- 
cial service  in  the  cause  of  organized  ex- 
hibition, became  personally  interested  in 
theatre  operation,  with  Joseph  W.  Walsh 
and  Ralph  Griffing,  at  Danbury,  Conn.  An 
avocation  was  participation  in  local  politics. 

He  was  almost  always  on  hand  at  im- 
portant exhibitor  gatherings,  where  he 
admittedly  held  the  record  for  the  longest 
speeches.  Few  important  national  commit- 
tees of  the  MPTOA  were  named  without 
Mr.  Woodhull's  strenuous  participation. 

Last  year  Mr.  Woodhull  engaged  in  the 
publication  of  Picture  Business,  a  weekly 
paper  of  exhibitor  comment.  He  suspended 
publication  in  the  spring. 

Mr.  Woodhull  was  a  32nd  Degree  Mason, 
a  member  and  former  officer  of  the  Dover 
Rotary  Club,  past  exalted  ruler  and  honor- 
ary life  member  of  the  Elks,  an  honorary 
life  member  of  the  Associated  Motion  Pic- 
ture Advertisers,  and  a  Shriner. 

Surviving  are  his  wife,  Mrs.  Evelyn 
Woodhull;  a  son,  Robert;  his  mother,  Mrs. 
Mary  Estelle  Woodhull ;  a  sister,  Miss  Nina 
Woodhull,  and  a  brother,  Horace,  of  Hono- 
lulu. 


64 


MOTION    PICTURE    H  ERALD 


August    22,  1936 


EXHIBITORS  READY  FOR 
FIGHT  FILM  THIS  TIME 


Theatres  Book  Louis  -  Sharkey 
Pictures  After  Deluge  of 
Patrons   on   Schmeling  Bout 

Several  weeks  ago  Max  Schmeling,  for- 
mer heavyweight  boxing  champion  of  the 
world,  exploded  with  a  right  hand  punch 
the  myth  that  was  Joe  Louis  at  the  Yankee 
Stadium  in  New  York  before  a  large  audi- 
ence. The  thousands  who  composed  the 
audience  that  evening  were  but  a  handful 
compared  to  the  hundreds  of  thousands  who 
immediately  swept  down  on  the  few  box- 
offices  scattered  throughout  the  country 
which  had  booked  the  film  record  of  what 
was  termed  the  greatest  "sport  upset  of  the 
past  decade." 

Caught  in  the  avalanche  of  customers 
were  the  exhibitors,  especially  those  who 
had  refused  to  gamble  by  booking  the  pic- 
ture before  the  fight  came  off.  These  ex- 
hibitors had  been  offered  the  film  by  Jack 
Dietz  of  New  York  at  a  flat  rental  for  a 
week,  and  for  some  time  before  the  battle 
his  salesmen  went  begging.  But,  24  hours 
after  the  German  had  left  the  Negro  on  his 
knees,  draped  across  the  lower  strands  of 
the  ring  ropes  in  the  middle  of  the  12th 
round,  it  was  the  exhibitor  who  was  beg- 
ging— this  time  to  be  allowed  to  show  the 
film.  Most  of  them  got  their  wish,  but  it 
cost  them  at  least  three  times  more  than  it 
would  have  if  they  had  taken  the  picture  be- 
fore the  fight  just  a  day  earlier. 

No  Regrets 

There  were  no  regrets,  however,  on  the 
part  of  the  exhibitors,  and  certainly  not  by 
Mr.  Dietz.  He  had  bought  the  film  rights 
from  Michael  Strauss  Jacobs,  ticket-broker, 
fight  promoter  and  custodian  of  Jacobs' 
Beach,  that  pugilistic  stretch  of  New  York's 
49th  Street  where  the  great,  near-great  and 
has-beens  of  the  prize  ring  now  assemble. 
Mr.  Jacobs  received  $25,000  from  Mr. 
Dietz,  who  set  up  four  regular  cameras,  one 
slow  motion  camera  and  in  addition  had  to 
make  out  pay  checks  for  technicians,  elec- 
tricians and  meet  the  costs  of  prints  and 
distribution.  It  is  estimated  that  800  prints 
were  made  in  the  three  laboratories  which 
were  utilized,  at  a  cost  of  about  $40  a  print, 
or  $32,000  for  that  item.  All  told,  Mr. 
Dietz  spent  in  the  neighborhood  of  $90,000 
to  get  the  pictures  and  prepare  them  for 
the  market. 

From  that  point  on  he  sat  back  and  filled 
orders,  and  they  are  still  coming  in,  as 
witness  the  re-booking  of  the  picture  this 
week  by  the  United  Detroit  Theatres  for 
one  week. 

The  average  fight  picture  grosses  be- 
tween $150,000  and  $200,000.  But  the 
Schmeling-Louis  film  was  not  an  average 
one,  and  it  is  reported  to  have  grossed 
more  than  the  fight  itself.  The  Yankee 
Stad  ium  total  was  in  the  neighborhood  of 
$700,000. 

Mr.  Dietz  again  is  receiving  exhibitors 
this  week  in  his  office  at  723  Seventh  Ave- 
nue, New  York,  because  he  closed  another 


deal  with  Mr.  Jacobs,  this  time  to  film  the 
fight  between  Joe  Louis  and  Jack  Sharkey, 
another  ex-heavyweight  champion  of  the 
world.  The  RKO  theatres  were  the  first 
to  sign  for  the  picture,  as  they  were  for 
those  of  Mr.  Louis'  last  fight,  and  again 
they  hope  to  be  among  the  first  to  reap  the 
harvest  that  is  now  being  sown  by  motion 
picture  versions  of  prize  fights. 

The  exhibitor  learned  his  lesson  last 
month  and  is  profiting  by  it,  reports  indi- 
cate. Mr.  Dietz'  salesmen  were  having  no 
difficulty  selling  their  wares  this  time,  al- 
though it  was  not  expected  that  the  gross 
of  the  Louis-Sharkey  picture  would  approx- 
imate that  of  the  Schmeling-Louis  film. 

Despite  Federal  Law 

All  of  this  traffic  in  fight  pictures  was 
being  carried  on  in  the  face  of  the  Sims 
federal  law  against  fight  films,  enacted  July 
31,  1912,  and  the  history  of  which  was  dis- 
cussed by  Terry  Ramsaye  on  the  Herald's 
editorial  page  in  the  issue  of  July  25,  1936. 
Joe  Louis  is  credited  with  being  the  real 
attraction  of  today's  pictures,  even  in  de- 
feat, and  it  was  a  member  of  his  race,  one 
Jack  Johnson,  who  so  aroused  public  indig- 
nation by  his  public  and  private  life  in  and 
about  Chicago  following  his  defeat  of  Jim 
Jeffries  that  the  Sims  Bill  resulted. 

Mr.  Dietz,  as  distributor  of  the  fight  films, 
is  having  his  share  of  legal  actions,  but 
these  are  of  a  local  nature.  Actions  have 
been  brought  by  Oliver  Film  Corporation, 
a  stockholder  in  Madison  Square  Garden, 
and  former  distributor  of  motion  picture 
versions  of  New  York's  biggest  fights.  The 
court  cases  have  their  origin  in  the  fact  that 
Mr.  Jacobs  is  promoting  the  coming  battle 
between  Max  Schmeling  and  Champion 
James  J.  Braddock  in  conjunction  with 
Madison  Square  Garden.  The  Garden  has 
sold  film  rights  to  past  events  to  Oliver 
Corporation,  but  Mr.  Jacobs  already  has 
sold  Mr.  Dietz  the  privilege  of  filming  the 
Schmeling-Braddock  battle.  Oliver  Cor- 
poration claims  it  is  entitled  to  film  the 
fight,  when  and  if  it  takes  place,  now  that 
Champion  Braddock  has  asked  for  a  post- 
ponement because  of  a  broken  finger. 

The  courts  have  the  entire  matter  under 
consideration  at  present,  and  a  decision  as 
to  who  will  distribute  the  fight  picture  is 
expected  late  this  week. 

Film  Law  R  evision 
Sought  in  Mexico 

The  Mexican  Government  is  discussing  a 
new  film  law  under  which  Mexican  pictures 
would  get  preferential  playing  time  and  the- 
atres playing  Mexican  pictures  would  pay  a 
lower  tax.  First  run  theatres  in  Mexico 
City  pay  a  daily  tax  to  the  Government 
ranging  from  642  pesos  to  100  pesos.  The 
peso's  exchange  value  is  28  cents  but  in 
Mexico  City  it  will  purchase  the  equivalent 
of  a  dollar  in  United  States  money. 


Mrs.  Fox  Loses 
Her  Fight  Over 
Company  ys  Books 

All-Continent  Corporation  charges  con- 
cealed motives  and  bad  faith  in  its  answer 
to  the  petition  of  Hiram  Steelman,  trustee 
in  the  William  Fox  bankruptcy  now  being 
heard  in  Atlantic  City,  who  asked  that  the 
All-Continent  books  be  turned  over  to  him 
for  examination  and  audit. 

Former  Circuit  Judge  Clarence  L.  Cole, 
counsel  for  Mrs.  Eva  Fox,  head  of  All-Con- 
tinent and  wife  of  the  bankrupt,  filed  the 
answer  brief  late  last  week  with  Federal 
Referee  Robert  E.  Steedle,  who,  never- 
theless, on  Tuesday,  ordered  that  all  books 
and  records  of  All-Continent  be  turned  over 
to  Hiram  Steelman,  trustee  in  the  bank- 
ruptcy. Mr.  Steedle  concluded  that  trans- 
fers of  property  in  the  family,  where  such 
a  transfer  subsequently  seeks  the  benefit 
of  the  bankruptcy,  "should  be  subjected  to 
the  utmost  scrutiny  and  investigation."  A 
further  notice  of  appeal  by  Mrs.  Fox  is 
expected. 

In  1930,  William  Fox  had  more  than 
$18,000,000.  Late  that  year  he  turned  over 
securities  to  the  All-Continent  Corporation 
for  $6,000,000  which  had  cost  him  $14,000,- 
000  and,  in  the  following  year,  deeded  the 
new  corporation  over  to  his  wife  and 
daughters  as  a  trust. 

Creditors  insisted,  however,  that  this  ac- 
tion was  in  effect  a  sham  and  that  the  All- 
Continent  Corporation  is  in  fact  a  Fox 
asset  which  should  be  available  for  distribu- 
tion to  his  creditors. 

Mr.  Cole  declared  that  neither  Mr.  Steel- 
man nor  the  creditors  have  any  legal  right 
to  an  order  turning  over  the  books.  He  in- 
sisted that  through  questioning  Herbert 
Leitsteen,  Fox  family  bookkeeper,  the  credi- 
tors have  already  obtained  the  records  of 
"at  least  85  per  cent  of  all  the  transactions 
the  company  has  ever  had.  It  is  fair  to 
assume  that  by  pursuing  their  present  meth- 
od of  investigation,  before  long  they  will 
ha^'e  obtained  a  record  from  the  All-Con- 
tinent books  of  every  transaction  with  Mr. 
Fox. 

"No  fraud  on  the  part  of  either  the  bank- 
rupt or  All-Continent  Corp.  is  alleged  and 
certainly  none  has  been  established.  Fox 
has  been  under  subpoena  for  weeks  but  has 
not  yet  been  examined,  and  no  opportunity 
has  been  given  him  to  explain  what  coun- 
sel for  the  trustee  has  referred  to  as  sig- 
nificant or  suspicious. 

"Everything  to  date  definitely  indicates 
that  the  legitimate  purposes  of  the  trustee 
and  counsel  for  the  creditors  can  be  fully 
served  by  the  present  form  of  examination. 
We  are  forced  to  conclude  that  the  applica- 
tion is  made  for  an  ulterior  purpose." 

Bobby  Breen  Pictures 
To  Be  Made  As  Class  A 

As  a  result  of  the  success  of  Bobby 
Breen's  first  starring  vehicle,  "Let's  Sing 
Again,"  Sol  Lesser,  president  of  Principal 
Productions,  has  announced  that  all  future 
productions  starring  the  child  actor  will  be 
made  as  Class  A  specials.  The  production 
budget  for  his  next,  "Rainbow  Over  the 
River,"  has  been  doubled. 


Will  your  Theatre  be 

JAMMED  like  this  the 
Second  Week  in  September? 


these  will .  . .  (turn  please) 


I  ust  a  few  of  the  Nation's  important 
Theatres  which  will  celebrate 

* 

Paramount  Week  profitably 


Al  Boyd  Theatres 


Monarch  Theatres 


Butterfield  Theatres 


fort  Shea  Theatres 


Central  States  Theatres 


R.  K.  0.  Theatres 


Fourth  Ave.  Amusement  Co.      Schine  Circuit 


Fox  West  Coast  Theatres 


Shanberger  Theatre* 


Loew's  Theatres 


Warner  Brothers  Theatres 


McNeil  and  Naify  Theatres 


Wilmer  &  Vincent  Theatres 


•  For  here  Paramount  presents  the 
biggest  selection  of  top  gross  pictures 
ever  available  for  PARAMOUNT  WEEK! 


Rhythm  on  the  Range 


Wl 


th  RING  CROSRY,  FRANCES  FARMER 
ROR  BURNS  and  MARTHA  RAYE 

Directed  by  Norman  Taurog 


Tjmm  .mm 


Running  at  least  40%  above  average  grosses  wherever  played,  setting  a  new 
high  in  smash  openings  and  in  hold-overs,  this  big-time  musical  pic- 
ture is  being  acclaimed  by  press  and  public  alike  as  Bing  Crosby's  finest 
to  date.  Frances  Farmer,  Bob  Burns  and  Martha  Raye  are  receiving  rave 
notices  as  big-time  box  office  stars.  The  hit  tunes  rate  among  the  top  in 
radio  popularity  with  "Empty  Saddles"  considered  even  better  than  "The 
Last  Round-up".  If  you  haven't  packed  'em  in  already  with  "Rhythm  on 
the  Range",  you'd  better  grab  it. 


The  Texas  Rangers 

with  FRED  MacMURRAY,  JACK  OAKIE 

JEAN  PARKER,  Lloyd  Nolan,  Bennie  Bartlett 
Produced  and  Directed  by  King  Vidor 


An' even  bigger  Paramount  production  than  "Rhythm  on  the  Range",  this 
spectacular  action  picture  .  .  .  the  official  picture  of  the  $25, 000,000  Texas 
Centennial,  has  those  who  have  seen  it  shouting  its  praises  as  one  of  the 
sure-fire  top  grossers  of  the  new  season.  Fred  MacMurray  reaches 
new  heights  as  the  Ranger  hero.  Jean  Parker  gives  the  right  feminine  appeal. 
Jack  Oakie  does  what  the  critics  insist  is  the  best  job  of  his  career.  And 
the  supporting  cast  led  by  Lloyd  Nolan  is  tops.  A  true  King  I  idor  epic 
with  some  of  the  finest  battle  scenes  ever  filmed,  this  picture,  is  backed  by 
a  huge  exploitation  tie-up  with  the  state  of  Texas,  not  to  mention  Para- 
mount's  own  coast  to  coast  national  and  newspaper  campaign  reaching 
75,000,000  people. 


FRANCIS  LEDERER  and 
ANN  SOTHERN  in 

My  American  Wife 

with  Fred  Stone,  Billie  Burke,  Ernest  Cossart, 
Grant  Mitchell.     Directed  by  Harold  Young 


Praised  by  the  trade  press  as  an  outstanding  romantic  comedy  and  booked 
by  Radio  City  Music  Hall  as  one  of  the  best  pictures  of  the  new  season, 
"My  American  Wife"  gives  three  stars,  Francis  Lederer,  Ann  Sothern  and 
Fred  Stone,  the  best  opportunity  in  their  screen  careers  to  really  go  to  town. 
Motion  Picture  Herald  .  .  .  "A  show  ear- marked  for  popular  success." 
Film  Daily  says  "Enjoyable  .  .  .  splendid  cast  and  direction." 
Box  Office  .  .  .  "Smartly  paced  film  that  should  prove  highly  amusing." 
Hollywood  Reporter ..  ."It  is  sure  to  provide  an  hour  of  laughter  and 
honest  entertainment  wherever  it  is  shown." 

4 'My  American  Wife"  will  pack  'em  in  ...  in  Paramount  Week. 


GEORGE  RAFT  and 

Dolores  Costello  BARRYMORE  in 

Yours  for  the  Asking 

with  Ida  Lupino,  Reginald  Owen,  James  Gleason, 
Lynne  Overman,  Richard  "Skeets"  Gallagher, 
Edgar  Kennedy.    Directed  by  Alexander  Hall 


Lady  Be  Careful 

with  LEW  AYRES,  MARY  CARLISLE,  Larry 
Crabbe,  Benny  Baker,  Grant  Withers.  Based 
on  a  play  by  Kenyon  Nicholson  and  Charles 
Robinson.  Directed  by  J.  T.  Reed 


The  kind  of  picture  you  have  to  screen  twice  .  .  .  (You  can't  hear  the  dialogue 
the  first  time  for  the  laughs  from  the  audience.)  Presenting  a  new  box  office 
combination — George  Raft,  Dolores  Costello  Barrymore  and  Ida  Lupino. 
Motion  Picture  Herald.  .  ."A  lively,  fast-moving  comedy  romance,  it 
possesses  all  the  qualities  that  please  audiences." 

Sliowmen's  Trade  Rev.  .  ."Raft  swell.  Destined  to  please  audiences." 
This  Picture  is  sure-fire  for  Paramount  Week. 


We'll  save  words  on  this  one  and  quote  the  trade  press: 
Hollywood  Reporter.  .  ."A  superb  piece  of  work!  One  of  the  year's 
surprise  packages  of  sheer  entertainment,  likely  to  be  a  clean-up  everywhere." 
Daily  Variety"  Capital  direction  by  Ted  Reed,  bright  business  by  Dorothy 
Parker  plus  sparkling  performances  make  this  one  of  the  sprightliest  com- 
edies of  the  season.  Should  be  welcomed  with  open  arms  by  any  exhibitor." 
How  does  that  sound  for  Paramount  Week? 


Straight  from  the  Shoulder 

with  Ralph  Bellamy,  Katherine  Locke,  David 
Holt,  Andy  Clyde.  Directed  by  Stuart  Heisler 


Do  your  fans  go  for  a  hard-hitting,  thnll-a-minute  drama  with  one  of  the 
favorite  kid  stars  going  to  town  in  a  part  that'd  send  shivers  down  the  spine 
of  a  wooden  Indian  ?  Then,  this  is  their  picture!  Taken  from  a  Saturday 
Evening  Post  yarn  of  a  brave  little  lad  who  showed  a  whole  band  of  thugs 
they  couldn't  threaten  his  father.  "Straight  From  The  Shoulder"  has  what 
it  takes,  in  any  community  where  the  fans  have  hearts  .  .  . 

This  picture  will  do  plenty  of  business  Paramount  Week. 


Fd  Give  My  Life 

with  SIR  GUY  STANDING,  FRANCES  DRAKE, 
TOM  BROWN,  Janet  Beecher,  Robert  Gleckler. 

Directed  by  Edwin  L.  Marin.  Based  on  the  play  "THE  NOOSE*'  by 
H.H.Van  Loan  and  Willard  Mack.  Richard  A.  Rowland's  Production 


If  you  want  a  rip-snorting  melodrama  ...  a  thriller  with  plenty  of  punch 
.  .  .  here's  your  ticket  ...  as  the  trade  press  says  .  .  .'"Brilliant  Convincing 
Acting"  plus  "Adroitly  Devised  Melodrama"  make  this  a  Box-Offiee 
Sock  and  a  Top  Grosser  in  the  melodrama  division. 

Tt's  a  safe  bet  for  Paramount  Week. 


fA  Son  Comes  Home 

with  MARY  BOLAND,  Julie  Haydon,  Donald  Woods, 
Wallace  Forcl,  Roger  Imhof.  Directed  by  E.  A.  Dupont 

The  top  kicks  of  Loew's  Theatres  are  handing  out  raves  on  "A  Son 
Comes  Home."  And  here's  why  .  .  .  Mary  Boland  .  .  .  one  of  the  ace  come- 
diennes in  pictures  has  stepped  into  her  first  serious,  dramatic  role  and 
walked  away  with  it  .  .  . " She's  another  Marie  Dressier"  say  the 
Loew  executives  .  .  .  and  the  tradepaper  press  is  talking  the  same  language. 
This  melodrama  has  what  it  takes  for  a  Paramount  Week  Hit. 


Hollywood  Boulevard 

with  John  Halliday,  Marsha  Hunt,  Robert 
Cummings,  C.  Henry  Gordon,  Esther  Ralston, 
Esther  Dale.     Directed  by  Robert  Florey 


"An  exploitation  natural",  says  Motion  Picture  Daily.  A  new  idea  and 
box-office  .  .  .  that's  what  the  trade  press  labels  "  Hollywood  Boulevard". 
You  know  the  reason  .  .  .  this  is  the  picture  which  gives  the  inside  story  of  a 
Hollywood  actor's  past  .  .  .with  shots  of  the  big  time  stars  of  today  merg- 
ing with  shots  of  at  least  twenty-five  of  the  big  time  favorites  of  yesterday. 
A  Paramount  Week  Exploitation  Special! 


Released  Paramount  Week,  The  Biggest  of  Them  All 


GARY  COOPER  and 
MADELEINE  CARROLL 

The  General  Died  at  Dawn" 


in 


with  William  Frawley,  Dudley  Digges,  Akim  Tamiroff,  Porter 
Hall,  J.  M.  Kerrigan.  Screen  Play  by  Clifford  Odets.  Based  on 
a  story  by  Charles  G.  Booth.    Directed  by  Lewis  Milestone 


GARY  COOPER'S  best  picture — a  smashing,  driving  drama 
of  a  bold  man  and  a  beautiful  woman  caught  in  the  havoc  of  war- 
torn  China.  A  picture  with  twice  the  punch  and  pace  of  "Shanghai 
Express".  The  first  screen  play  of  America's  most  brilliant  young 
playwright,  Clifford  Odets.  From  Charles  G.  Booth's  grand  story. 
This  picture  gives  Madeleine  Carroll  her  greatest  chance  to  date. 
Top  performances  from  every  one  of  the  cast.  A  brilliant  musical 
score  by  Werner  Janssen,  America's  foremost  young  musician. 


Backed  by  a  national  Coast  to  Coast  poster 
campaign  of  5,000  billboards  plus  national 
advertising  in  magazines  and  newspapers. 

A  PARAMOUNT  WEEK  SMASH! 


August    2  2,    19  3  6         -  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  71 

AMERICANS  IN  FRANCE  FACE  NEW 
THREATS  AGAINST  FILM  BUSINESS 


How  Taxes  on  Theatre  Receipts 
In  France  Are  Distributed 

How  the  taxes  upon  theatre  receipts  in  France  are  distributed  is  shown  in  the 
following  table  from  the  report  of  M.  de  Carmoy  to  the  Conseil  National  Economique. 
Comparisons  are  made  for  three  years.  The  figures  are  in  millions  of  francs. 

1932  1933  1934 


Gross  receipts  of  French  theatres   933  878  832 

Entertainments  taxes  (21  per  cent)  to  be  deducted   196  184  175 

Balance    737  694  657 

Percentage  of  the  net  receipts  going  to  the  exhibitors 

(about  60  per  cent)   442  417  395 

Balance    295  277  263 

Percentage   of  this   balance   going   to   the  distributors 

(30  per  cent)   88  83  79 

Balance   207  194  184 

Part  of  the  balance  for  foreign  production  and  going  to 
foreign  producers  (45  per  cent  on  the  total  number  of 

films  shown)   93  87  84 

Balance   I  14  107  100 

To  be  added:  receipts  coming  from  exports  of  French  films 

(approximated)    30  30  30 

Receipts  going  to  French  producers   144  137  130 

Expenses  of  the  French  producers   235  233  189 

Money  lost  in  production  of  French  films   91  96  59 


Two  Plans  to  Protect  French 
Industry — Both  Call  for  Re- 
duction of  Imports  and  In- 
creased Costs  to  Foreigners 

by  PIERRE  AUTRE 

in  Paris 

In  one  month  the  American  cinema  indus- 
try in  France  has  seen  more  dangerous  men- 
aces to  its  future  than  in  years.  To  protect 
the  French  industry  various  official  organi- 
zations are  trying  to  make  the  Government 
adopt  drastic  measures  against  foreign  films. 

The  trades-unions  of  the  Motion  Picture, 
(Syndicat  General  du  Cinema),  a  part  of 
the  "Confederation  Generale  du  Travail," 
in  their  plan  for  reorganization  of  the 
French  business,  ask  for  "limitation  of  all 
foreign  pictures  and  a  national  monopoly 
for  the  distribution  in  France  of  foreign 
pictures."  Their  plan  was  published  in  the 
daily  newspaper  Le  Peuple,  official  organ 
of  the  CGT.  Arrival  of  the  Popular  Front 
Government,  in  which  the  CGT  has  a  big 
influence,  has  put  into  light  the  plan  es- 
tablished by  the  Cinema  Trade-Unions. 

Meeting  with  the  Minister  of  National 
Economy,  M.  Spinasse,  presiding,  the  Con- 
seil National  Economic  has  adopted  unani- 
mously a  report  presented  by  a  financial 
inspector,  M.  de  Carmoy,  calling  for  meas- 
ures against  foreign  pictures. 

In  official  circles  one  is  given  to  understand 
that  measures  against  foreign  films  are  consid- 
ered the  first  logical  act  with  which  to  help 
the  French  Cinema  Industry. 

The  Trades  Unions  Plan 

Following  are  details  of  the  Trades  Unions 
plan : 

The  Syndicat  General  Du  Cinema,  including 
various  workers,  from  directors  to  projection- 
ists, extras  and  ushers,  considers  that  the 
French  industry  is  no  longer  an  organ  of  artis- 
tic and  educational  propaganda  and  loses  by 
this  fact  its  social  aims. 

The  Syndicate  holds  that  the  French  indus- 
try is  entirely  in  the  service  of  the  money 
power  and  mainly  in  the  hands  of  speculators. 
Directors,  technicians  and  players  see  their 
working  conditions  made  worse  and  patrons 
find  the  quality  of  productions  weakened. 
They  ask  for  an  urgent  and  comprehensive  ex- 
amination of  the  situation. 

They  want  a  full  reorganization  of  the  in- 
dustry made  by  the  State  under  control  of  the 
workers  in  the  industry  and  patrons  of  the 
theatres. 

They  offer  the  following  program  : 

(A)  Immediate  measures  which  would 
give  to  the  cinema  industry  the  minimum 
of  vitality  necessary  to  the  safety  of  em- 
ployees. 

(B)  Other  measures  aiming  to  make  the 
cinema  industry  a  national  institution  un- 
der the  control  of  the  State  and  devoted 
to  the  interests  of  the  people  as  a  whole. 

Several   concrete   proposals   are   offered  to 


apply  at  once  while  a  general  reorganization  is 
being  made.   These  include : 

(a)  Collection  of  Theatre  Receipts 

A  percentage  of  theatre  receipts,  to  go  to  pro- 
ducers and  eventually  to  the  directors,  techni- 
cians and  authors,  would  be  collected  daily  at 
the  box  offices.  This  would  secure  to  the  pro- 
ducers and  to  those  financing  production  con- 
trollable return  of  money.  This,  it  is  felt  by 
the  proponents,  would  bring  back  the  necessary 
confidence  for  production  financing. 

(b)  Limitation  of  "Dubbed"  Pictures 

The  present  system  of  quotas  would  be  sup- 
planted by  a  plan  fixing  the  number  of  pictures 
allowed  for  dubbing.  A  decree  would  establish 
a  "dubbing  license"  (licence  de  doublage)  with 
a  footage  fee  equalizing  the  cost  of  any  aver- 
age French  picture  (about  100  francs  a  meter, 
or  $2.00  a  foot). 

The  definition  of  a  French  film  given  in  the 
report  is :  "A  film  produced  in  French  studios 
by  technicians  working  under  the  conditions 
which  rule  the  Cinema  industry  in  France." 

A  dubbed  picture  gives  work  to  15  persons 
during  two  weeks.  Dubbing  of  a  picture  costs 
about  200,000  francs  while  an  average  French 
picture  costs  one  million  francs  at  least. 


The  trades  unionists  say  the  prices  of  the 
dubbed  pictures  warp  the  exhibition  market 
and  stop  all  serious  possibility  of  development 
of  French  production. 

(c)  Reduction  of  Entertainment  Taxes 

A  decree  would  grant  an  important  reduc- 
tion, or  possibly  complete  elimination,  of 
entertainment  taxes  to  all  exhibitors  who  allot 
half  of  their  program  time  to  pictures  produced 
in  France,  or  who  show  pictures  made  in 
France  for  at  least  25  weeks  of  the  year. 

(d)  Organization  of  the  Industry 

1.  Rates  paid  by  producers  to  distributors 
would  be  limited,  also  the  number  of  inter- 
mediaries  between   producers   and  exhibitors. 

It  would  be  forbidden  to  rent  parts  of 
programs,  as  this  would  remove  control  of 
the  receipts  in  the  theatres.  Pictures  for 
a  program  would  have  to  be  booked  from 
the  same  distributor.  At  the  same  time, 
block-booking  and  blind-booking  would  be 
forbidden. 

There  would  be  a  single  organization  for  dis- 

(Continucd  on  next  f>a(ic) 


72 


MOT  i  ON    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


FRENCH  TRADE  UNIONS'  FILM  PLAN 


(.Continued  from  preceding  page) 
tributing  French  pictures  in  France  and  foreign 
countries. 

2.  Establishment  of  special  taxes  on  "ex- 
cessive" salaries.  These  taxes  would  go  in  part 
to  the  unemployed  workers'  funds  and  in  part 
to  the  professional  teaching  funds. 

Taxes  on  the  salaries  of  stars  would  be  50 
per  cent  on  salaries  exceeding  100,000  francs 
(6,666)  for  one  film. 

Taxes  on  excessive  wages  paid  to  film  direc- 
tors. 

Taxes  on  benefices  made  by  some  producing 
companies  (when  these  benefices  are  over  30 
per  cent  of  the  investment). 

3.  Establishment  of  an  employment  office 
for  workers  and  artists. 

Creation  of  "an  official  professional  card." 
Creation  of  a  "producer's  license." 

4.  Establishment  and  application  of  official 
"contrats-types"  (standard  contracts)  for  all 
kinds  of  workers. 

5.  Publication  of  a  decree  which  would  oblige 
all  film  producers  to  guarantee  payment  of 
wages  to  the  staff  working  on  a  film  produc- 
tion. Producers  could  not  start  a  picture  before 
depositing  with  a  bank  a  sum  of  money  repre- 
senting in  whole  or  in  part  the  wages  of  those 
engaged  in  the  production.  (The  minimum 
would  be  the  money  corresponding  to  the  legal 
notices  granted  in  each  kind  of  work.) 

6.  More  effective  application  of  the  "8-hour 
day"  law. 

(a)  To  reduce  unemployment,  all  overtime 
would  be  prohibited.  Rising  wages  would  be 
investigated. 

(b)  When  the  directors,  technicians  and  art- 
ists (not  paid  by  hour)  are  working  more  than 
8  hours  a  day,  extra  payment  would  be  made. 

7.  Safety  and  hygiene. 

The  studios  and  laboratories  would  have  the 
same  rules  of  safety  and  hygiene  as  the  the- 
atres. 

8.  Establishment  and  publication  of  a  General 
Statute  of  the  Cinema  Industry.  The  following 
measures  may  be  adopted  to  that  end : 

1.  Foundation  of  a  credit  organization 
to  permit  the  functioning  of  co-operative 
producing  concerns,  including  groups  of 
technicians,  artists  and  workers. 

2.  Creation  of  a  committee  which  would 
select  stories  of  "public  interest,"  calcu- 
lated to  meet  the  general  needs  of  film 
entertainment  and  education.  Censorship 
would  be  suppressed.  The  committee  would 
include  representatives  of  the  various  pro- 
fessions. 

3.  Establishment  of  a  control  organiza- 
tion of  scripts  by  the  patrons  themselves. 
They  would  be  elected  by  region  and  could 
refuse  financial  backing  for  productions 
from  scripts  considered  in  opposition  to  the 
general  interests  of  the  nation. 

4.  Formation  of  production  teams  which 
would  propose  stories  to  the  committees 
and  would  put  them  into  production  after 
acceptance  by  these  committees. 

5.  Creation  of  national  studios  and  raw 
stock  factories. 

6.  Monopoly  for  distribution  of  foreign 
pictures  in  France. 

7.  Partial  or  complete  nationalization  of 
exhibition. 

Such,  then,  is  the  plan  formulated  by  the 
trade  unions,  first  formulated  a  year  ago.  One 
may  note  that  some  parts  of  this  plan  have  not 


INDIAN  DANCER 
TO  STAR  IN  FILM 

by  K.  G.  GIDWANEY 

in  Karachi,  India 

Uday  Shanker,  Indian  dancer  of 
note,  will  be  featured  by  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  in  a  picture  to  be 
titled  "Lives  of  a  Dancer".  Mrs. 
Enakshi  Bhavnani  is  to  be  co-starred 
in  the  same  picture.  Patronized  by 
Indian  royalty  from  childhood  be- 
cause of  his  artistic  precocity,  Uday 
Shanker  has  been  called  "Culture 
Ambassador  of  the  East". 

Mrs.  Bhavnani,  the  first  Indian 
society  girl  to  break  the  barriers  of 
orthodoxy  by  acting  in  pictures,  was 
graduated  from  Queen  Mary's  Col- 
lege, Madras,  taking  her  M.A.  degree 
after  special  courses  in  Indian  and 
western  music.  She  interrupted  a  suc- 
cessful career  as  a  stage  dancer  to 
play  the  heroine,  Mumtaz,  in  "Shiraz", 
European  produced  picture.  She  later 
played  in  "Vasentena"  and  "En- 
trapped". 


yet  been  applied  in  establishment  of  the  col- 
lective contract  following  the  strike  which 
paralyzed  the  industry  for  two  weeks. 

Overtime  has  been  abolished  and  wages  have 
been  increased. 

The  unions  want  the  industry  nationalized, 
and  the  Government  of  the  Popular  Front 
(with  Socialists  in  the  majority)  agrees  en- 
tirely, at  least  theoretically.  This  plan  never 
has  been  published  in  any  French  trade  publi- 
cation. It  is  certain  that  the  unions  aim  to  put 
all  the  provisions  into  effect,  one  by  one. 

Less  work,  more  money,  is  the  general  idea. 

Other  provisions  are  more  difficult  to  effect 
without  breaking  down  all  existing  organiza- 
tion. Collection  of  money  in  the  theatres,  dras- 
tic litigation  of  dubbed  pictures  and  foreign 
imports,  taxations  on  benefices,  and  so  on,  are 
not  yet  established. 

The  Government,  and  even  the  trade  unions, 
seem  to  prefer  the  recommendations  in  the  re- 
port of  Mr.  de  Carmoy  as  financial  investigator 
for  the  Conseil  National  Economique. 

This  report,  covering  100  typewritten  pages, 
was  written  after  consulting  the  leading  men  of 
the  French  film  industry,  as  follows : 

M.  Petsche,  Deputy,  secretary  of  the  cinema 
sub-commission  of  the  finance  commission  of  the 
Chamber  of  Deputies.  i 

M.  Gandera,  president,  Syndical  Union  of 
Film  Producers. 

M.  Lourau,  president,  Syndical  Union  of 
Film  Distributors. 

M.  Lussiez,  president,  French  Syndicate  of 
Cinema  Exhibitors. 

M.  Delac,  president,  Syndical  Chamber  of 
the  French  Cinema. 

M.  Vandal,  president,  Syndicate  of  Produc- 
ers of  French  Films. 

M.  Ambiehl,  president,  Syndicate  of  Dis- 
tributors of  French  Films. 

M.  Roger  Weil,  president,  Syndicate  of 
French  Motion  Picture  Theatres. 

M.  Charles  Mere,  president,  Society  of 
Auteurs  et  Compositeurs  Dramatiques. 

M.  Moignard,  secretary,  Inter-Professional 
Committee  of  the  Motion  Picture. 


M.  Charles  Burguet,  president,  Syndical 
Chamber  of  Film  Authors. 

M.  Andre  Berthomieux,  president,  National 
Federation  of  French  Film  Workers. 

M.  Harry  James,  president,  French  syndicate 
of  players  and  employees  working  on  "dubbing." 

M.  Cebron,  secretary,  Federation  du  Spectacle 
(trades  unions  representative). 

M.  Martinnelli,  president,  Artists'  union. 

M.  Daniel  Norman,  president,  Alliance 
Artistique. 

M.  Latapie,  president,  Photographers  and 
Cameramen  Reporters  Association. 

Report  in  Three  Divisions 

M.  de  Carmoy's  report  is  divided  into  three 
main  parts.  The  first  part  concerns  the  present 
situation  of  the  French  industry.  The  second 
reviews  the  various  foreign  cinema  organiza- 
tions, especially  in  the  United  States,  United 
Kingdom,  Germany  and  Italy.  The  third  con- 
cerns proposals  for  reorganization  of  the 
French  industry.  The  conclusions  follow : 

The  French  film  industry  for  several  years 
has  not  been  getting  back  the  amount  of  money 
spent  for  production.  This  loss  is  borne  almost 
entirely  by  the  industry  itself,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  such  branches  as  developing  and  print- 
ing factories,  and  makers  of  materials. 

The  production  branch  is  hardest  hit.  This 
situation  arises  not  only  from  the  decrease  of 
receipts  in  the  theatres,  but  also  from  excessive 
costs  of  production  through  lack  of  responsible 
capital  and  expensive  systems  for  getting  money 
for  production. 

The  average  cost  of  a  French  feature,  says 
M.  de  Carmoy,  is  one  million  and  a  half  francs 
($100,000) .  Expenses  of  production  in"B32,  with 
159  pictures  made,  were  235,000,000  francs;  in 

1933  with  143  pictures,  233,000,000  francs;  in 

1934  with  126  films,  189,000,000  francs. 

Plan  for  Reorganization 

The  Conseil  National  Economique  is  asking 
for  drastic  measures  for  recovery  of  the  indus- 
try, with  the  state  intervening  in  cases  where 
the  industry  is  unable  to  make  the  changes 
itself.  These  proposed  measures  concern  organi- 
zation, custom  protection,  taxation  and  organi- 
zation of  credit. 

(1)  Reorganization 

Creation  of  a  single  organization  of  Syndical 
Chambers.  There  would  be  only  one  Trade 
Federation,  with  sub-federations  of  producers, 
distributors,  exhibitors,  studio  owners,  develop- 
ing and  printing  factories,  owners,  and  others. 
This  organization,  whose  decisions  would  be 
controlled  and  recognized  by  the  State,  would 
have  many  important  occupations :  limitation 
of  pictures  for  general  release,  limitation  of 
new  theatres,  control  of  theatre  receipts,  judg- 
ment of  the  quality  of  foreign  films  imported. 

If  this  organization  cannot  be  established 
soon,  a  state  decree  would  institute  a  Comite 
Central  du  Cinema,  which  would  have  the  same 
duties. 

A  special  license  would  be  required  for  ex- 
ports. 

Interdicton  of  moral  safety  of  employees. 

Organization  for  safety  of  workers,  improve- 
ment of  conditions  of  work,  better  wages. 

Censorship  visas  for  French  films,  to  be  predi- 
cated upon  the  depositing  by  the  producer  of  an 
amount  of  money  representing  the  wages  of  the 
production  staff. 

(2)  Customs  Protection 

Reduction  of  the  quota  of  dubbed  pictures 
from  foreign    countries  by  at  least  25  per  cent. 
Obligation  to  show  publicly  a  foreign  dubbed 

(.Continued  on  folloiving  page) 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


73 


CARMOY  PLAN  FOR  FRENCH  FILMS 


(Continued  from  preceding  pane) 

picture  in  a  definite  time  after  the  censorship 
visa. 

Retention  of  the  existing  customs  rate,  which 
is  20  per  cent  ad  valorem  on  printed  films  but 
an  increase  by  four  times  of  the  admitted  value 
of  these  films. 

Fixing  of  about  the  same  import  tax  on 
printed  negatives  and  positives,  as  an  incentive 
to  foreign  distributors  to  bring  negatives  into 
France,  which  would  give  work  to  the  printing 
laboratories. 

Free  importation  of  sequences  made  in  other 
countries  for  films  being  produced  in  France. 

A  special  tax  on  dubbed  pictures.  This 
would  be  25,000  francs  ($1,666)  for  each  foreign 
feature  dubbed  in  French.  The  revenue  would 
go  into  a  national  fund  for  French  production. 

The  quota  idea,  as  in  Great  Britain,  was  re- 
jected by  M.  de  Carmoy  because  it  required  a 
constant  control  of  the  theatres  and  the  pic- 
tures shown,  as  well  as  production  of  "quota 
pictures"  or  "quickies." 

National  production  would  be  reduced  in 
case  curtailment  of  imported  pictures  alone 
would  not  solve  the  problem. 

(3)  Reduction  or  Elimination  of  the  Special 
Entertainments  Taxes 

(4)  Credit  Organization 

Establishment  of  a  financial  organization 
called  Caisse  Centrale  de  L'Industrie  Cinemato- 
graphique,  a  central  credit  bank,  which  would 
control  the  various  branches  of  the  industry 
from  studio  to  exhibition.  This  would  protect 
the  banks  granting  credit  to  the  producers. 

Constitution  of  a  fund  which  would  allow  a 
team  of  directors  and  workers  to  make  pictures 
themselves  without  producing  companies. 

(5)  Temporary  Solutions 

These  propositions  made  by  the  Conseil  Na- 
tional Economique  are  not  in  agreement  with 
the  recent  Franco-American  trade  treaty.  For 
instance,  this  treaty  does  not  permit  increased 
tariffs  and  taxation.  It  does  not  permit  reduc- 
tion of  the  quota  of  foreign  pictures  imported. 
It  does  not  allow  establishment  of  a  quota  sys- 
tem and  a  special  French  taxation  on  dubbed 
pictures.  However,  the  Conseil  National 
Economique  hopes  that,  when  the  Franco- 
American  agreement  is  to  be  renewed,  clauses 
concerning  the  cinema  industry  will  be  revived. 

For  a  year,  said  M.  de  Carmoy,  the  French 
film  industry  and  the  French  market  have  been 
under  the  power  of  the  foreign  producers. 
In  the  Franco-American  Treaty  advantages 
were  obtained  for  some  branches  of  the  French 
industries  at  the  expense  of  the  French  film 
industry,  he  said.  Solutions  given  by  the  Con- 
seil National  Economique,  he  claimed,  would 
improve  the  quality  of  French  pictures,  increase 
receipts,  and  would  help  French  production. 
But  all  such  recovery  depends  on  limitation 
of  imports. 

On  July  18  the  Conseil  National  Economique, 
at  a  meeting  presided  over  by  M.  Spinasse, 
minister  of  National  Economy,  adopted  M. 
de  Carmoy's  report,  unanimously. 

It  is  likely  that  this  report  will  be  considered 
by  the  Government. 

The  Conseil  National  Economique  has  47 
members  representing  various  groups — the  pub- 
lic, employers  and  capital.  It  is  certain  that 
its  activities  will  become  more  important  under 
the  Government  of  M.  Leon  Blum. 

The  plan  of  M.  de  Carmoy  is  general,  that 
of  the  trades  unions  is  essentially  socialistic, 
with  nationalizaton  its  goal.  At  present  the 
unions  plan  is  being  kept  under  cover,  as  it 
seems  easier  to  obtain  the  approval  of  employers 
and  employees  for  M.  de  Carmoy's  report. 


HITLER'S  RIEFENSTAHL 
WATCHING  U.  S.  REELS 

Publication  two  weeks  ago  in  Mo- 
tion Picture  Herald  of  an  account 
of  how  Adolph  Hitler,  through  Lent 
Riefenstahl,  his  actress  friend,  is  con- 
trolling the  coverage  of  Olympic 
Games  in  Berlin  by  American  news- 
reels  was  followed  this  week  by  a 
wireless  dispatch  to  the  New  York 
Times  from  that  paper's  Berlin's  cor- 
respondent, Frederick  T.  Birchall,  de- 
scribing further  how  Herr  Hitler  and 
Miss  Riefenstahl  are  keeping  a  first- 
hand check  on  the  newsreels  to  make 
certain  that  the  Hitler  decree,  which 
virtually  makes  U.  S.  reels  advertise 
Germany,  is  adhered  to.  Mr.  Birch- 
all's  wireless  report  follows: 

This  is  a  sacrilege  and  should  only  be 
whispered.  A  woman  has  been  in  the 
Olympic  Village!  She  is  Leni  Riefenstahl,  di- 
rector of  the  organization  which  produces 
the  Nazi  party's  propaganda  films.  She  is 
now  directing  the  making  of  an  Olympic 
film  and  her  word  is  law  in  the  matter  of  all 
picture-taking  anywhere  at  the  games.  Any 
camera  man  who  puts  himself  anywhere  that 
Miss  Riefenstahl  thinks  he  should  not  be  is 
swiftly  approached  by  an  attendant  who 
hands  him  a  pink  slip.    It  says  in  effect: 

"Remove  yourself  immediately  from  where 
you  are  now — Riefenstahl." 

Receipt  of  two  such  slips  in  one  day 
means  permanent  removal  of  the  offender, 
forcibly  if  necessary. 

Rules,  however,  are  not  for  Miss  Riefen- 
stahl. At  Los  Angeles  the  Olympic  Village 
was  a  male  preserve  which  no  female  person 
might  enter.  In  the  days  of  the  original 
games  a  female  would  have  been  quietly 
taken  outside  the  sacred  precincts  of 
Olympia  and  invited  to  drink  a  bowl  of  hem- 
lock.   This  must  be  a  gentler  age. 

Furthermore,  this  Olympic  film  is  to  be 
propaganda  for  Germany.  That  word  is 
open  sesame  to  all  doors  in  the  Reich. 

France  Names 
Theatre  Head 

Premier  Leon  Blum's  Leftist  government 
this  week  injected  modernist  blood  into  the 
management  of  the  staid  old  national  thea- 
tres with  the  appointment  of  Edouard  Bour- 
det,  whose  play  "The  Captive"  was  with- 
drawn from  the  Broadway  stage,  as  manager 
of  the  Comedie-Francaise.  He  is  expected 
to  bring  a  livelier  boulevard  touch  to  the 
theatre's  playbills. 

James  Rouche,  manager  of  the  opera,  was 
given  control  over  the  Opera-Comique, 
which  recently  was  the  scene  of  an  occu- 
pational strike  of  singers  and  stagehands. 

But  more  significant  was  the  appointment 
of  an  advisory  committee  of  12  modernist 
musicians,  including  Arthur  Honeger  and 
Darius  Milhaud,  who  are  leaders  of  the 
Musical  Federation  of  the  People's  Front. 


ASCAP  Trust 
Trial  to  Resume 
If  Parley  Falls 

If  the  American  Soceity  of  Composers, 
Authors  and  Publishers  and  the  United 
States  attorney  general's  office  are  unable 
to  agree  on  stipulations  of  fact  to  be  entered 
as  evidence  in  the  Government's  monopoly 
action  for  dissolution  of  the  society,  the  case 
will  be  returned  to  trial  before  federal 
Judge  Henry  W.  Goddard  early  next  win- 
ter, attorneys  identified  with  the  case  said 
this  week.  At  the  same  time  the  position 
of  the  society  on  its  threatened  withdrawal 
from  Canada  was  altered  when  representa- 
tive music  publishing  sources  in  New  York 
pointed  out  that  Canadian  exhibitors  may 
benefit  if  the  withdrawal  is  carried  out,  to 
the  extent  of  having  to  pay  no  music  tax 
thereafter. 

Work  on  the  stipulations  of  fact  for  the 
trial,  interrupted  in  the  spring,  is  scheduled 
to  be  resumed  August  27th  in  the  offices 
of  Schwartz  and  Frohlich,  attorneys  for 
ASCAP.  If  an  agreement  is  reached  at 
that  time  the  evidence  will  be  prepared  for 
submission  to  Judge  Goddard  during  Oc- 
tober without  a  resumption  of  the  trial  or 
taking  of  further  testimony.  Records  and 
exhibits  in  the  case  are  so  voluminous  that 
there  is  little  or  no  likelihood  of  a  decision 
being  handed  down  this  year,  it  is  believed. 

Warner  Return  Not  Factor 

ASCAP  does  not  regard  the  recent  re- 
turn of  the  Warner  Brothers  music  com- 
panies to  the  society's  membership  as  con- 
tributing anything  vital  to  the  Government's 
case,  inasmuch  as  that  development  merely 
re-establishes  the  same  situation  which  ex- 
isted at  the  time  the  suit  was  filed. 

The  publishers'  attitude  on  the  threatened 
withdrawal  from  Canada  is  expected  to 
place  a  different  complexion  on  the  society's 
plans  in  that  direction.  ASCAP  officials 
have  held  that  Canadian  exhibitors  would 
find  it  almost  impossible  to  obtain  licenses 
to  perform  copyrighted  music  in  pictures 
and  that,  as  a  result,  American  distributors 
would  be  faced. with  the  problem  of  trying 
to  sell  pictures  in  Canada  which  exhibitors 
there  could  not  use  without  subjecting  them- 
selves to  expensive  copyright  litigation. 

Music  publishers  in  the  United  States 
who  own  the  copyrights  of  a  great  part  of 
the  music  used  or  likely  to  be  used  in  pic- 
tures, and  from  whom  Canadian  exhibitors 
would  be  obliged  to  obtain  performing 
licenses  if  ASCAP  withdraws,  dismiss  the 
idea  of  either  setting  up  their  own  licens- 
ing organizations  in  Canada  or  of  prosecut- 
ing exhibitors  for  unlicensed  performances. 
They  state  frankly  that  to  set  up  their  own 
organizations  would  be  impractical  and  to 
prosecute  Canadian  exhibitors  would  be 
against  the  business  interests  of  the  film 
companies  with  which  they  are  affiliated. 


74 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


CHANCE  CAME  DISPUTE 
ERUPTS  IN  NINE  CITIES 


Boston  Limits  Use  of  Beano  to 
Charity;  Exhibitor  in  Virginia 
Drops  Appeal  from  Fine 

After  a  comparatively  quiet  period,  court 
and  legislative  action  along  the  chance  game 
front  flared  up  this  week  in  some  nine  ter- 
ritories, with  some  decisions  favorable  to 
the  operators  of  the  practice,  others  unfav- 
orable. 

In  Boston,  a  city  investigation  on  Beano 
brought  a  determination  to  permit  the  game 
to  continue  only  under  charity  auspices. 

Besides  Boston,  there  were  developments 
in  Cleveland,  Denver,  Des  Moines,  Gas- 
tonia,  N.  O,  McKeesport,  Pa.,  New  York, 
Oklahoma  City  and  Richmond,  Va.  At 
Virginia's  capital,  Charles  Somma  dropped 
a  plan  to  appeal  a  fine  and  this  ended  the 
possibility  of  a  test  case  in  that  state  on 
the  legality  of  Bank  Night.  Mr.  Somma 
had  been  fined  $25  for  "conducting  a 
lottery"  in  operating  a  chance  game,  and 
had  appealed  to  the  higher  courts.  He 
dropped  his  case,  however,  when  the  court 
granted  him  permission  to  do  so. 

Beano  establishments  in  greater  Boston 
called  out  their  last  numbers  last  Saturday 
night,  for  beginning  this  week  Beano  is 
subject  to  drastic  rules  put  into  effect  by 
Mayor  Mansfield  as  a  result  of  the  investi- 
gation conducted  last  week  by  the  council 
committee  on  licenses.  These  new  regula- 
tions will  take  the  game  completely  out  of 
the  hands  of  professional  operators  and  place 
them  in  the  hands  of  charity. 

"Taking  Toll  of  Millions" 

The  committee  on  licenses  conducted  a  thor- 
ough investigation  of  Beano  following  com- 
plaints of  the  Boston  Better  Business  Bureau 
which  had  charged  the  game  was  taking  a  "toll 
of  millions"  from  the  public.  At  police  head- 
quarters it  also  was  said  that  four  specific  com- 
plaints had  been  received  against  operators  of 
the  game  and  that  these  complaints  had  been 
turned  over  to  the  mayor's  office.  Up  to  this 
week,  there  were  approximately  75  Beano  games 
in  operation,  SO  on  one  night  a  week,  and  25 
six  nights  weekly.  The  daily  patronage  in  Bos- 
ton alone  was  estimated  at  20,000,  with  a  daily 
revenue  exceeding  $50,000,  while  the  fee 
amounted  to  $2  for  a  license. 

In  Cleveland,  with  the  approval  of  audiences, 
Bank  Night  operators  are  donating  a  share  of 
each  pot  to  a  young  mother  of  three  children. 
The  mother  suffered  amputation  of  a  leg  in  an 
automobile  accident,  and  her  husband  died  of 
the  shock. 

The  Denver  Mix 

With  the  addition  of  a  Thursday  night  cash 
give-away  by  the  seven  Harry  Huffman  theatres 
in  Denver,  the  situation  there  is  beginning  to 
look  like  a  local  fight.  Since  the  awarding  of 
the  Huffman  Cinderella  $25,000  home  in  June, 
Mr.  Huffman  had  offered  nothing  to  offset  the 
Lucky  Seven  Bank  Night.  Now  he  has  a 
Triple  Cash  Night  offering  three  cash  awards 
of  $500,  $300,  and  $100.  The  idea  is  to  call 
one  ticket  each  for  the  two  top  amounts,  and 
give  the  $100  away  every  week.  If  the  winners 
are  not  present  the  amounts  will  be  boosted  to 
$700  and  $500. 

Lucky  Seven  has  two  Bank  Nights,  one  the 


MAGISTRATE  SEES 
SUNDAY  LAW  DYING 

That  Sunday  "blue  laws"  will  go 
the  way  of  other  unenforced  legisla- 
tion written  long  ago  into  legal  codes 
and  never  repealed  is  the  relief  of 
Magistrate  Michael  A.  Ford  of  New 
York  City.  The  magistrate  made  the 
prediction  after  a  colloquy  with  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Harry  L.  Bowlby,  general 
secretary  of  the  Lord's  Day  Alliance, 
who  appeared  in  Essex  Market  Court 
as  complainant  against  two  clothiers 
and  a  carpenter  accused  of  working  on 
Sunday. 

"So  long  as  we  have  legalized  mo- 
tion pictures,  baseball  games  and  all 
sorts  of  recreational  games  on  Sunday, 
and  even  legalized  liquor,"  he  said,  "I 
don't  see  why  any  member  of  the  com- 
munity should  become  unduly  excited 
over  the  sale  of  a  suit  of  clothes." 


same  night  as  Mr.  Huffman's  cash  awards  and 
the  other  as  competition  to  the  Huffman  Ford 
give-aways.  Recently  knocked  down  for  $2,400, 
the  one  Bank  Night  is  starting  again  at  $500, 
while  the  other  is  up  to  $1,600. 

All-Expense  Trips  Given 

As  an  added  inducement  with  his  Ford  give- 
away, Mr.  Huffman  has  added  two  all-expense 
trips  to  Glenwood  Springs,  Col.,  to  each  of  two 
winners.  How  long  this  vacation  special  will 
be  continued  is  not  known. 

The  Huffman  group  has  seven  houses,  with 
four  first  run,  the  Lucky  Seven  has  one  first 
run  house,  and  the  third  group  to  carry  on  give- 
aways is  the  Civic  Theatres,  including  eight 
houses,  with  no  first  runs.  The  Civic  houses 
have  Bank  Night. 

More  than  $200,000  in  money  and  merchan- 
dise has  been  given  by  Denver  theatres  to  their 
patrons  in  the  past  two  years,  and  it  looks  like 
that  much  more  will  be  given  away  in  less 
time  if  give-aways  keep  up  as  they  are  going. 

In  Des  Moines,  solicitors,  with  or  without 
megaphones,  who  stand  in  front  of  theatres 
advertising  Bank  Nights,  are  violating  the 
law  and  will  be  dealt  with  accordingly,  the 
city  legal  department  has  announced.  In 
studying  the  city's  code  of  laws,  a  hawker 
and  barker  ordinance  was  found,  accord- 
ing to  assistant  city  solicitors  Vernon  Han- 
ger and  Homer  Lyon,  and  this  ordinance 
prohibits  such  solicitation  as  is  used  in  Des 
Moines  for  Bank  Nights. 

The  City  Council  of  Gastonia,  N.  C,  has 
ordered  that  local  establishments  operating  Bank 
Night  must  cease  next  week.  Mayor  E.  B. 
Denny  said  an  ordinance  will  be  adopted  Aug- 
ust 25th  outlawing  Bank  Night,  and  he  warned 
theatre  operators  that  the  law  will  be  rigidly 
enforced. 

In  Wilmington,  a  short  distance  away  in  the 
same  state,  however,  Bank  Nights  were  upheld 
this  week  by  a  New  Hanover  county  grand 
jury.  Making  its  report  for  the  term,  the  jury 
reported,  "We  find  no  violation  of  the  statutes 
in  this  matter."  The  inquiry  into  Bank  Nights 
was  prompted  by  the  charge  of  Judge  M.  V. 


Barnhill  of  Rocky  Mount,  who  told  the  in- 
quisitorial body  that  Bank  Nights  are  a  "form 
of  gambling  that  has  as  vicious  an  effect  as  any 
other  kind  of  gambling." 

Appeal  Filed  at  Kansas  City 

William  J.  Gilwee,  deputy  county  prosecutor 
at  Kansas  City,  has  filed  an  appeal  in  the  case 
of  the  State  vs.  R.  W.  McEwan,  Bank  Night 
distributor  in  western  Missouri.  Judge  Marion 
D.  Waltner  of  the  Jackson  County  circuit  court, 
who  on  June  23  held  Bank  Night  not  to  be  a 
lottery  in  violation  of  Missouri  laws,  has  al- 
lowed the  appeal. 

The  attorney  general  will  take  over  the  state's 
case,  and  the  state  Supreme  court  probably  will 
hear  the  appeal  in  the  September  term,  though 
it  may  be  the  January  one,  depending  on  the 
condition  of  the  docket.  Prosecutor  Gilwee  filed 
the  original  information  against  McEwan  on 
May  29,  this  year.  McEwan  was  arrested  and 
released  on  bond.  The  information  was  in  con- 
nection with  the  sale  of  Bank  Night  to  the  Ash- 
land here. 

Judge  Waltner  held  Bank  Night  legal  because 
the  third  essential  in  a  lottery,  consideration, 
is  not  involved.  He  termed  the  promotion  sim- 
ply a  unique  advertising  plan. 

Agree  to  Drop  Give-aways 

At  McKeesport,  Pa.,  Warner  Brothers  and 
Joseph  Weiss,  operators  of  all  the  leading  the- 
atres there,  reached  an  agreement  this  week  not 
to  use  any  give-aways  or  reduced  rates  at  any 
of  the  theatres  under  their  control. 

Approximately  5,000  theatres  throughout  the 
country  are  now  featuring  Bank  Night,  Claude 
Ezell,  general  sales  manager,  stated  this  week 
on  his  arrival  in  New  York  from  California, 
where  he  spent  three  weeks.  Five  theatres  in 
the  Argentine  also  are  playing  the  game,  he 
said. 

In  Manhattan  in  connection  with  a  talking 
clock  for  advertising  purposes,  Ezell  said  he 
would  return  to  Dallas,  his  headquarters,  im- 
mediately. He  was  accompanied  by  C.  U. 
Yaeger,  president  of  Affiliated  Enterprises,  na- 
tional distributors  of  the  game.  Mr.  Yaeger  is 
here  to  attend  the  races  at  Saratoga  and  confer 
with  Rick  Ricketson,  his  partner,  who  is  due 
from  Denver  in  a  day  or  so. 

With  reports  current  that  Bank  night  agents 
will  distribute  films  in  the  near  future,  Mr. 
Ezell  explained  that  in  a  few  territories  like 
Boston  the  men  handling  the  game  are  con- 
sidering taking  on  pictures,  the  plan  having 
nothing  to  do  with  Bank  Night. 

Company  Seeks  Injunction 

Claiming  it  has  exclusive  rights  to  Bank 
Night,  Affiliated  Enterprises,  Inc.,  has  applied 
in  the  federal  court  of  Oklahoma  City  for  an 
injunction  against  operators  of  the  Jewel,  in- 
dependent house,  to  prevent  its  using  the  plan. 

Prospects  of  a  test  of  the  application  of  the 
Virginia  lottery  laws  on  Bank  Night  and  other 
chance  games  or  give-aways  seem  remote,  it  is 
agreed  in  Richmond,  as  a  result  of  the  dropping 
of  a  case  against  Charles  A.  Somma.  Judge 
John  L.  Ingram  of  Hustings  court  accepted  the 
recommendation  of  Commonwealth  Attorney  T. 
Gray  Haddon  that  the  case  be  dropped.  Mr. 
Somma  agreed  to  pay  the  costs.  The  case  was 
up  on  appeal  from  the  district  court  where 
Mr.  Somma  had  been  fined  $25. 

At  Salem,  Ore.,  Bank  Night  and  other  forms 
of  chance  games  have  been  ordered  eliminated 
by  the  assistant  attorney  general  and  it  is  ex- 
pected that  similar  orders  will  go  out  to  other 
Oregon  cities. 


Albert  Promoted  by  Warner 

Arnold  Albert,  in  charge  of  press  books 
in  the  Warner  home  office,  has  been  ap- 
pointed exploitation  director  for  the  western 
zone  working  under  Jack  Brower,  western 
district  manager,  S.  Charles  Einfeld,  execu- 
tive in  charge  of  advertising  and  publicity, 
announces.  Mr.  Albert  was  to  leave  Thurs- 
day for  Los  Angeles,  where  he  will  make 
his  headquarters. 


DENVE 
SENSAT 


SHAKEN  WITH  LAUGHTER  AND  SONG! 
NAL  "COUNTRY  DOCTOR"  GROSS  TOPPED! 


THE  KEYSTONE 
OF  YOUR  FUTURE 


EVERYBODY'S  SAYING  THE  NEW  SEASON  HAS  STARTED  WITH  A  BANG 

— and  the  reason  is  20th  Century-Fox! 


THE  KEYSTONE 
OF  YOUR  FUTURE 


BEST 
BUSINESS 


SINCE  1930 
AT 

ROOSEVELT 
CHICAGO! 


Simone  Simon 

AS    GIRLS'  DORMITORY 


 — *   u<.  A***' 


Hp^fron, 


4CirV 

Clevelai-      ^  .  g 
,r.rW.  Dormitory ^xoad  *  ^ 


mone 
papey 


12. 

oi  Si- 

-  -  -  ^  e  - 


Sitnon  P« «.  to 
heloing  £IU  - 


to 


lav 


ave 


THE  KEYSTONE 
OF  YOUR  FUTURE 


draws  raves 

BLASTS  HEAT  WAVE  JINX! 


Held  over,  Cincinnati!  Smash,  Indianapolis! 
Knockout  Rochester!  Beat  "Steamboat  'Round 
the  Bend"  in  Toronto!  And  everywhere  Simone 
Simon  evokes  the  critics'  praise  and  the  crowds' 
cheers  as  The  Star  Discovery  of  1936! 


80 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


At  Grand  National's  Convention 


More  than  twenty  exchange  managers  from  the  eastern  midwestern,  and  southern 
divisions  were  represented  at  the  first  convention  of  Grand  National  Films,  Inc.,  at 
the  Warwick  hotel  in  New  York  City.  Carl  Leserman,  vice-president  in  charge  of 
distribution,  presided  at  the  two-day  gathering.  Seen  above  are  Cleve  Adams,  New 
Orleans;  Al  Mertz,  Dallas;  I.  Levine,  New  Haven;  Jack  Kaplan,  Bicffalo;  C.  E. 
Peppiatt,  Atlanta;  Harry  Segal,  Houston;  Meritt  W.  Davis,  Charlotte;  William 
Shartin,  Cleveland;  Morris  Epstein,  New  York;  Jules  Lapidus,  Pittsburgh;  Ralph 
Kinsler,  Cincinnati;  Harry  Brown,  Washington;  Homer  Hisey,  New  Orleans;  Carl 
Leserman,  vice-president;  Edward  Finney,  producer  and  director  of  advertising  and 
publicity;  James  Winn,  eastern  division  sales  manager;  and  Stanley  Hatch,  supervisor 
of  branch  operations. 

GRAND  NATIONAL  READY 
FOR  START  SEPTEMBER  1 


28  Exchanges  to  Begin  Func- 
tioning with  "Devil  on 
Horseback"  as  First  Picture 

A  two-day  convention  this  week  at  the 
Hotel  Warwick,  New  York,  for  the  branch 
managers  and  sales  forces  from  the  east, 
New  England  and  south,  and  a  similar  ses- 
sion for  western  divisions  scheduled  for 
Friday  and  Saturday,  are  forging  the  final 
links  in  the  setting  up  of  Grand  National 
Films,  Inc.  With  28  exchanges  now  ready 
the  company  officially  will  begin  function- 
ing in  the  distribution  field  on  Septem- 
ber 1st. 

Details  of  policies,  structure,  individual 
producers'  plan  and  contemplated  achieve- 
ments of  the  company  were  outlined  at  the 
New  York  convention  by  Carl  M.  Leserman, 
vice-president  in  charge  of  distribution. 
Edward  M.  Alperson,  president,  who  is  now 
in  England,  announced  from  London  that 
the  company  will  definitely  establish  its  own 
distributing  organization  there. 

At  the  session  in  the  Warwick  on  Mon- 
day Mr.  Leserman  emphasized  the  merits 
of  the  unit  system  as  adopted  by  Grand 
National  and  explained  that  the  produc- 


tion policy  has  been  set  up  along  those 
lines.  He  expressed  the  belief  that  even- 
tually all  motion  picture  companies  will 
turn  to  this  method.  Producers  already 
signed  to  make  pictures  for  Grand  Nation- 
al include  Douglas  MacLean,  Bennie  F. 
Zeidman,  George  Hirliman,  Edward  Fin- 
ney, Frank  Gay,  Boris  Petroff,  Ray  Friedgen, 
L.  Del  Riccio,  W.  B.  Frank  and  Al  Rosen. 

The  distribution  system  and  the  financial 
position  of  the  company  also  were  discussed 
informally  by  Mr.  Leserman.  All  branch 
offices  now  are  complete  and  ready  for  ac- 
tion, he  announced ;  all  but  four  of  them 
have  been  active  since  May  1st. 

"There  will  be  no  raiding  to  obtain  men 
for  the  various  exchanges,"  he  said.  "Grand 
National  intends  to  hire  young  men  and 
teach  them  the  business." 

First  Release  Set 

Production  budgets,  the  number  of  pic- 
tures, stars  and  producers  and  selling  poli- 
cies were  subjects  at  the  concluding  session 
on  Tuesday.  The  first  picture  of  the  52 
scheduled  for  the  year  will  be  "Devil  on 
Horseback,"  of  which  a  rough  print  was 
exhibited  to  the  delegates  on  Monday.  The 
list  will  be  broken  down  into  three  divisions, 


one  to  include  36  "Grand  National  Win- 
ners" ;  the  second,  eight  westerns ;  and  the 
third,  eight  outdoor  pictures. 

Other  releases  scheduled  are  "White 
Legion"  with  Tala  Birell  and  Ian  Keith, 
produced  by  Bennie  F.  Zeidman,  September 
29 ;  "Yellow  Cargo"  with  Conrad  Nagel, 
produced  by  George  A.  Hirliman,  October  6; 
"Captain  Calamity"  George  A.  Hirliman 
color  picture,  October  13;  "In  His  Steps" 
with  Cecelia  Parker  and  Eric  Linden,  pro- 
duced by  Bennie  Zeidman,  October  20 ;  "Call 
Me  Arizona,"  starring  Tex  Putter,  October 
27;  "We're  in  the  Legion  Now,"  George 
Hirliman  color  picture,  November  4;  "Five 
Little  Peppers,"  Bennie  F.  Zeidman,  No- 
vember 10;  James  Cagney  in  "Great  Guy," 
November  17;  "Hats  Off,"  produced  by 
Boris  Petroff,  November  24;  Douglas  Mac- 
Lean's  "Twenty-three  and  a  Half  Hours' 
Leave,"  December  3 ;  "Naval  Spy"  starring 
Conrad  Nagel,  produced  by  George  A.  Hirli- 
man, December  7;  "Sing,  Cowboy,  Sing," 
starring  Tex  Ritter,  produced  by  Edward 
Finney,  December  10;  "Snow  Covered 
Wagons,"  produced  by  Lorenzo  Del  Riccio, 
December  17;  "China"  produced  by  Douglas 
MacLean,  December  24;  "Grand  Canyon," 
a  George  A.  Hirliman  color  picture,  Jan- 
uary 1 ;  and  "Murder  with  Music"  pro- 
duced by  Boris  Petroff,  January  8. 

James  Cagney's  "Great  Guy"  will  cost 
$400,000,  it  was  announced,  and  "Snow 
Covered  Wagon"  is  budgeted  at  $750,000. 

The  sales  policy  of  Grand  National  was 
discussed  at  the  Tuesday  session  by  Mr. 
Leserman  and  James  Winn,  eastern  division 
sales  manager. 

At  the  luncheon  recess  on  Monday,  Sam 
Fox  of  Sam  Fox  Music  Publishing  Com- 
pany pledged  cooperation  for  tieups  in  all 
localities  on  music  in  "Devil  on  Horseback" 
and  "Captain  Calamity,"  which  his  company 
is  publishing.  He  also  asked  support  of  the 
men  present  in  exploiting  the  films. 

Tex  Ritter,  who  will  be  starred  in  "The 
Boots  and  Saddles"  western  series  to  be 
produced  by  Edward  Finney,  appeared  dur- 
ing the  luncheon  and  sang  three  numbers. 

British  Films  for  America 

In  connection  with  Mr.  Alperson's  an- 
nouncement from  London  of  the  proposed 
establishment  of  a  distributing  organization 
there,  it  was  said  that  British  pictures  will 
be  produced  with  assistance  from  the  United 
States  offices  both  in  financing  and  super- 
vision and  with  American  distribution  in 
view.  Mr.  Alperson  has  visited  the  Pine- 
wood  studios  of  the  British  and  Dominions 
company  and  has  held  conversations  with 
Captain  Richard  Norton,  executive  of  that 
company. 

Before  the  convention  opened  it  was  an- 
nounced from  Los  Angeles  that  Grand  Na- 
tional had  taken  over  the  Far  West  Ex- 
changes in  a  merger  involving  exchanges 
in  Los  Angeles,  Seattle  and  San  Francisco. 

Delegates  at  the  convention  included  C.  E. 
Poppiatt,  Atlanta :  Harry  Segal,  Boston ; 
L  Levine,  New  Haven;  Jack  Kaplan,  Buf- 
falo ;  Merritt  W.  Davis,  Charlotte ;  William 
Shartin,  Cleveland;  Cleve  Adams,  Albany; 
Morris  Epstein,  New  York ;  John  Bachman, 
Philadelphia ;  Jules  Lapidus,  Pittsburgh ; 
Ralph  Kinsler,  Cincinnati ;  Harry  Brown, 
Washington ;  Homer  Hisey,  New  Orleans ; 
A\  Hertz,  Dallas,  and  James  Davidson,  as- 
sistant to  Mr.  Alperson. 

The  company,  formed  last  April  with 
Mr.  Alperson  in  charge,  is  an  outgrowth  of 
First  Division  Pictures  and  is  being  spon- 
sored by  Pathe. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


31 


IN  THE  BRITISH 
STUDIOS 


by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 


Paderewski  Film 

Britain's  most  important  film  import  this 
week  was  Ignace  Jan  Paderewski,  creator 
and  past  president  of  the  new  Poland,  part 
creator  of  the  League  of  Nations  and,  more 
important,  world's  greatest  living  pianist. 
Paderewski,  76,  with  all  the  wealth  and 
fame  he  needs,  is  going  to  make  a  film  for 
Lothar  Mendes.  Mendes,  planning  his  first 
production  for  Pall  Mall  Productions,  told 
the  maestro  he  would  not  have  to  make  up, 
offered  him  a  script  founded  on  an  episode 
of  own  life,  and  let  him  suggest  his  own 
musical  program.  Paderewski,  who  has  re- 
fused to  play  at  a  concert  to  be  broadcast, 
will  be  on  the  floor  at  Denham  next  week  in 
first  scenes  of  "The  Moonlight  Sonata." 

Shakespeare  Film 

Delivery  of  the  completed  and  cut  posi- 
tive of  "As  You  Like  It,"  to  the  Twentieth 
Century-Fox  offices  in  London  by  Inter-Al- 
lied productions,  was  an  event  of  the  week. 
Planned  is  an  early  West  End  premiere  of 
this  Bergner  version  of  the  Shakespeare 
comedy,  generally  regarded  as  one  of  the 
greatest  film  experiments  ever  undertaken 
in  England 

Denham  Who 's  Who 

Just  to  let  you  know  that  England  really 
is  doing  a  little  film  producing  these  days, 
here  is  a  list  of  stars  currently  playing  in 
one  studio,  the  London  Films  plant  at  Den- 
ham: 


Marlene  Dietrich 
Ed.  G.  Robinson 
Conrad  Veidt 
Vivien  Leigh 
Gertrude  Lawrence 
Marie  Tempest 
Paderewski 
Irene  Vanbrugh 
Neil  Hamilton 
Charles  Laughton 
Elisabeth  Bergner 
Ann  Harding 
Leslie  Banks 

This  list  does  not  include  artists  with  a 
solely  British  reputation. 


Henry  Fonda 
Laurence  Olivier 
Sch nozzle  Durante 
Eugene  Pallette 
Robert  Donat 
Miriam  Hopkins 
Richard  Tauber 
Raymond  Massey 
Annabella 
Flora  Robson 
Diana  Napier 
John  McCormack 


Tidying  Up 


When  the  Gaumont-British  studio  at  Lime 
Grove  began  its  annual  two  weeks'  close- 
down for  overhauling,  the  situation  was 
this: 

Alfred  Hitchock's  "Sabotage,"  and  the 
Sonnie  Hale  "Head  Over  Heels"  (Jessie 
Matthews),  were,  so  far  as  interiors  are 
concerned,  as  good  as  completed. 

"The  Nelson  Touch,"  with  Arliss  directed 
by  Herbert  Mason,  held  up  by  the  star's 
sickness,  was  expected  to  finish  any  day. 

Interiors    for    "O.   H.   S."    (which  is 


SABU  was  brought  over  to  London 
from  India  by  Robert  Flaherty  to 
appear  in  studio  sequences  at  Denham 
in  the  role  of  Little  Toomai  in  "Ele- 
phant Boy",  which  Flaherty  is  direct- 
ing for  London  Films. 

mostly  exteriors),  were  in  progress  right  up 
to  the  lay-off. 

"The  Great  Barrier"  unit,  headed  by  di- 
rector Milton  Rosmer,  was  on  location  in 
Canada,  safely  out  of  the  way  of  painters 
and  decorators. 

British  weather  ("The  worst  summer  we 
have  had  for  thirteen  years,"  they  said  to 
Red  Kann)  had  rather  upset  the  schedule  of 
"Sabotage"  on  the  Northolt  exterior  lot.  It 
rained  for  three  days,  which  is  more  than 
even  realist  Hitchcock  wanted. 

England  W %s  Dry 

Which  brings  up  another  weather  story. 
Harry  Perry,  shooting  exteriors  for  the 
Goldwyn  Hollywood  productions  "Dods- 
worth,"  and  "Come  and  Get  It,"  lost  three 
weeks  in  Venice  and  two  in  Paris,  watching 
the  rain.  Perry  came  to  London  to  shoot 
the  Changing  of  the  Guard  at  Buckingham 
Palace  and  got  it  first  try,  in  glorious  sun- 
shine. (This  was  after  Kann  had  left  Lon- 
don ) . 

Perry  left  hurriedly  for  Ireland  to  get 
backgrounds  for  Merle  Oberon's  "In  Love 
and  War,"  and  it  has  rained  in  London  ever 
since. 

All  of  which  has  nothing  whatever  to  do 
with  British  studios. 


Lawton  Cast 

Frank  Lawton  is  coming  back  from  Hol- 
lywood for  the  lead  in  "The  Mill  on  the 
Floss."  Famous  in  a  day  for  his  stage  per- 
formance in  "Young  Woodly,"  which  he 
repeated  in  a  BIP  film,  with  Madeleine 
Carroll,  still  remembered  as  one  of  the  best 
Thomas  Bentley  and  that  company  ever 
turned  out,  Lawton  was  in  "Cavalcade"  and 
"Little  Lord  Fauntleroy"  on  your  side. 

John  Clein  Productions  is  making  "The 
Mill  on  the  Floss,"  adapted  from  the  George 
Eliot  classic,  at  Sound  City,  and  Time  Whe- 
lan  is  directing.  He  has  a  bigger  reputation 
than  ever  since  he  made  "Two's  Company" 
for  Paul  Soskin. 

A  third  celebrity  associated  with  the  film 
is  John  Drinkwater,  biographer  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  and  Carl  Laemmle,  Sr.  He  is  writ- 
ing the  dialogue  for  Garnett  Weston's  screen 
story. 

Staged  in  the  lovely  West  Country,  which 
sets  all  you  Americans  raving  (and  not  only 
you  Americans),  "The  Mill  on  the  Floss" 
is  giving  its  executives  a  pleasant  location 
hunt,  currently,  but  it  won't  be  all  back- 
ground. There  are  fifty-eight  speaking 
parts. 


First  Color  Fil 


m 


Harold  Schuster  and  the  Technicolor  crew 
on  the  Robert  T.  Kane  "Wings  of  the 
Morning"  expect  to  leave  for  Hollywood, 
with  the  last  of  the  negative,  in  three  weeks 
or  so.  The  color-processing  and  cutting  of 
the  film  will  be  done  at  Technicolor  head- 
f  uarters. 

The  John  McCormack  sequences  were 
about  the  last  of  the  important  studio  shots 
for  "Wings  of  the  Morning." 

Kane  starts  preparations  right  away  for 
his  second  for  New  World  "Under  the  Red 
Robe,"  Conrad  Veidt  starring,  script  by 
Lajos  Biro  and  historian  Philip  Lindsay. 

Much  hangs  on  technical  quality  and  box- 
office  appeal  of  "Wings  of  the  Morning," 
first  British  all-color  feature.  Alexander 
Korda  definitely  is  holding  up  any  color 
plans  of  his  own  until  he  sees  how  this  pic- 
ture, made  in  his  own  studio,  has  shaped. 

Korda  'j  Army 

Wanting  an  army  of  1,000  men  for  scenes 
in  "Fire  Over  England,"  picturing  Queen 
Elizabeth's  review  of  her  forces  gathered  to 
repel  a  Spanish  invasion,  London  Films 
staged  an  "audition"  at  a  West  End  theatre, 
interviewing  over  2,000  applicants  from 
British  Legion  headquarters,  agencies  and 
labor  exchanges. 

This  scene  will  be  the  first  big  exterior 
staged  at  Denham  and  about  the  most  ambi- 
tious crowd  effect  put  into  a  British  film  to 
date.  It  will  take  two  days  to  shoot  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  studio. 


82 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


BOOK  REVIEW 


ASSOCIATED  BRITISH 

CROSSES  $4,630,210 


Increased  Profit  Attributed 
Partly  to  Revenue  from  58 
Newly  Acquired  Theatres 

by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 

A  large  increase  in  the  profits  of  Asso- 
ciated British  Pictures  Corporation,  of 
which  Mr.  John  Maxwell  is  chairman  and 
managing  director,  is  shown  in  the  annual 
report  of  the  company,  which  announces  a 
final  dividend  of  7y2  per  cent,  making  12y2 
per  cent  for  the  year. 

Gross  profits  in  the  12  months  to  March 
31st  were  i926,042  ($4,630,210),  against 
£656,725.  Net  profit,  after  payment  of  in- 
come tax  and  interest  on  loans  and  deben- 
ture stock,  was  £639,850,  against  £373,573. 

The  total  of  the  reserve  fund,  to  which 
£200,000  is  appropriated,  is  now  £1,200,000. 
The  whole  of  the  expenses,  £40,000,  of  the 
debenture  issue  of  September  last  have  been 
written  off.  A  balance  of  £91,998  is  carried 
forward,  against  £86,481  brought  in. 

Attributing  the  satisfactory  balance  sheet 
partly  to  the  revenue  obtained  from  newly 
acquired  cinemas,  which  numbered  58  and 
bring  the  circuit  total  to  283,  the  directors 
forecast  a  gross  profit  in  the  current  year 
of  £1,000,000. 

Capital  of  ABP  is  £3,500,000  in  ordinary 
and  6  per  cent  preference  shares  and  £3,500,- 
000  in  debenture  stock.  It  controls  British 
International  Pictures,  Wardour  Films, 
Pathe  Pictures  and  the  ABC  circuit. 

Soskin-Columbia  Deal 

Columbia,  expected  for  some  time  past  to 
announce  an  extended  policy  of  British  pro- 
duction, released  this  week  further  details 
of  an  agreement  with  Soskin  Productions, 
Ltd.,  whereby  Soskin  will  make  eight  fea- 
tures for  Columbia.  Three  of  these  will  have 
a  minimum  cost  of  £80,000  ($400,000)  each 
and  the  remaining  five  will  average  £40,000. 
World  distribution  is  aimed  at  with  all  eight 
pictures,  according  to  a  statement  from  Joe 
Friedman,  managing  director  of  Columbia 
in  England. 

Also  stipulated  is  cooperation  by  Columbia 
in  the  loaning  of  directors,  stars  and  tech- 
nicians. 

Paul  Soskin,  managing  director  of  the 
producing  company,  made  a  big  hit  recently 
with  "Two's  Company,"  a  comedy  which,  as 
a  United  Artists  release,  had  a  successful 
run  at  the  London  Pavilion.  With  his  uncle, 
the  Russian  banker  S.  Soskin,  he  is  inter- 
ested in  the  new  Amalgamated  Studios  now 
nearly  completed  at  Elstree.  The  Soskin 
productions  for  Columbia  will  be  the  first 
to  be  staged  there. 

$12,500,000  UA  Budget 

Murray  Silverstone  declared  that  British 
productions  on  the  United  Artists  program 
for  the  next  12  months  will  cost  approxi- 
mately £2,500,000  ($12,500,000).  The 
budget  is  worked  out  on  22  films  as  follows : 
London    Films,    six    features,  £1,200,000; 


British  &  Dominions,  two,  £80,000 ;  Trafal- 
gar (Max  Schach),  two,  £250,000;  British 
Cine  Alliance,  one,  £80,000;  Victor  Saville, 
two,  £160,000;  Criterion  (Fairbanks,  Jr.), 
three  £200,000;  Erich  Pommer,  two,  £300,- 
000;  Garrett-Klement,  two,  £150,000;  At- 
lantic, one,  £100,000;  Pall  Mall,  one,  £75,000. 

Acts  with  Film  Color  Background 

Operas  played  by  famous  artists,  as  well 
as  stage,  vaudeville  and  radio  acts,  on  the 
stage  but  backgrounded  and  accompanied  by 
specially  produced  scenes  in  Technicolor, 
make  up  what  is  described  as  a  new  form  of 
theatre  entertainment  to  be  tried  by  Union 
Cinemas.     The   circuit  has    150  theatres. 

Paramount's  theatre  interests  will  cooper- 
ate with  Union  in  development  of  the  idea 
at  an  asserted  yearly  cost  of  $5,000,000.  The 
idea  will  be  pushed  under  the  control  of 
Harold  Ramsay. 

Paralysis  Hitting 
Theatres  in  South 

Theatres  in  northern  Alabama,  Missis- 
sippi and  Georgia  have  been  seriously  af- 
fected and  in  some  instances  face  the  possi- 
bility of  being  closed  down  as  a  result  of 
the  appearance  of  a  number  of  cases  of 
infantile  paralysis,  Ed  Kuykendall,  president 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  As- 
sociation, said  on  his  arrival  in  New  York 
from  the  south  this  week. 

Mr.  Kuykendall  said  that  while  the  cases 
reported  have  been  confined  for  the  most 
part  to  northern  Alabama,  precautionary 
measures  have  been  taken  in  the  neighbor- 
ing states.  These  comprise  banning  of  chil- 
dren under  16  years  of  age  from  public 
assemblages  and  consideration  of  extending 
the  ban  to  prohibit  all  large  public  gather- 
ings. Mr.  Kuykendall  operates  theatres  at 
Columbus,  Miss.,  near  the  Alabama  state 
line. 


See  Signing  of 
GB-Loezv  Deal 

The  general  understanding  in  London  this 
week  was  that  a  complete  agreement  has 
been  reached  on  the  Gaumont-British- 
Loew's-Twentieth  Century-Fox  deal  be- 
tween Joseph  M.  Schenck  and  the  Ostrers. 

Only  legal  formalities  remain  to  be  settled 
and  final  signatures  are  expected  to  be  af- 
fixed next  week.  Heavy  buying  of  Gaumont 
British  securities,  believed  on  the  part  of 
the  factors  in  the  deal,  carried  the  10-shil- 
ling  ordinaries  to  13  shillings,  10^2  pence; 
the  five-shilling  "A"  ordinaries  to  six  shil- 
lings, 7y2  pence  and  the  preference  shares 
to  19  shillings. 


A  COURSE  OF  STUDY  IN  MOTION 
PICTURE    APPRECIATION,  by 
Alice  P.  Sterner  and  W.  Paul  Bow- 
den,  published  by  Educational  and 
Recreational  Guides,  Inc.  ($.50) 
In  co-operation  with  the  Finer  Films  Fed- 
eration of  New  Jersey  the  authors,  faculty 
members    respectively   of   the  Barringer 
High   School   of   Newark   and   the  East 
Orange  High  School  of  East  Orange,  have 
outlined  in  orderly  manner  and  consider- 
able detail  a  12-unit  plan  of  class  work  pre- 
scribed for  instructors  with  the  objective 
of  enhancing  motion  picture  appreciation 
through  cultivation  of  general  and  techni- 
cal knowledge  of  the  medium.  The  actual 
text  of  the  64-page  booklet  is  strictly  in- 
formative and  notably  uptodate.   Its  pur- 
pose is  defined  a  little  differently  by  Wil- 
liam F.  Bauer,  chairman  of  the  English  de- 
partment of  the  East  Orange  High  School, 
in  a  foreword. 

"It  is  the  conviction  of  the  Finer  Films 
Federation,"  writes  Mr.  Bauer,  "that  the 
photoplay  habits  of  youth,  if  formed  under 
sensible  direction,  are  the  best  assurance 
-that  the  photoplay  of  the  future  will  be 
critically  examined  rather  than  blindly  ac- 
cepted. In  time,  it  is  hoped,  even  the  evil 
of  double  billing,  today  the  crassest  stu- 
pidity of  the  motion  picture  world,  may  be 
successfully  overcome." — W.  R.  W. 

THE  PHOTOPLAY  AS  LITERARY 
ART,  by  Walter  Barnes,  Ph.D., 
Educational     and  Recreational 
Guides,  Inc.  ($.50) 
Dr.  Barnes,  Professor  of  the  Teaching  of 
English  at  New  York  University,  has  com- 
pressed within  forty  finely  printed  pages 
and  under  four  chapter  headings  his  views, 
observations  and  opinions  on  the  past, 
present  and  probable  future  of  the  motion 
picture.    His  work  is  one  of  several  pre- 
scribed as  reference  reading  for  classes 
following  the  Sterner-Bowden  "Course  of 
Study  in   Motion   Picture  Appreciation," 
sponsored  by  the  same  publishers. 

Dr.  Barnes'  monograph  is  ably  written, 
highly  contemporary  and  reflects  the 
author's  stoutly  taken  views  on  many  phases 
of  his  subject.  His  chapter  headings  are: 
"The  Nature  of  the  Photoplay,"  "Factors 
Conditioning  the  Photoplay  as  Art," 
"Esthetic  Principles  of  the  Photoplay"  and 
"Toward  Better  Photoplays."  His  four  con- 
clusions are:  "The  motion  picture  is  here 
to  stay;  it  is  potentially  an  admirable  me- 
dium of  literary  art;  it  is  not  at  present  as 
good  a  medium  as  it  can  be  made;  and 
all  who  care  for  literature  should  exert  their 
influence  to  improve  the  art  of  the  photo- 
play." Possibly  none  of  these  classify  as 
news,  but  Dr.  Barnes'  substantiative  text 
should  prove  interestingly  informative  to 
the  students  for  whom  it  is  intended. — 
W.  R.  W. 


SIX  NEW  SURE-FIRE  SONGS  AND  DANCE  MELODIE 
GREATEST  CAST  EVER,  WITH  HELEN  DRODERICK,  VICTOR  MOORE 
MORE  DAZZLING  COSTUMES. ..PRODUCED  DY  PANDRO ! 


BY  JEROME  KERN  OF  "ROBERTA"  AND  "SHOWBOAT" 
ERIC  BLORE ...  MORE  APPLAUSE-COMPELLING  DANCE  ENSEMRLES 
BERMAN,  MAKER  OF  ALL  THEIR  PREVIOUS  SMASH  HITS! 


RADIO 


ICTURE 


August    22,    1936  MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  87 

SPANISH  FILM  INDUSTRY,  CAUGHT 
IN  "PRIVATE  WAR",  NOW  SHUT  TIGHT 


Certificate  Issued  by  U.  S.  Consul 
To  Protect  Companies  in  Barcelona 


When  distributors  at  Barcelona  in  war-torn  Spain  were  advised  that  under  the  law 
their  subsidiaries  there  were  Spanish  corporate  entities  and  therefore  that  their  proper- 
ties could  not  be  placed  under  the  protection  of  the  United  States  Government,  the 
certificate  reproduced  herewith  was  drawn  up  for  posting  on  the  front  of  the  door  of 
each  of  the  companies  and  signed  by  Lynn  W.  Franklin,  consul,  to  protect  the  film 
stocks  at  least  temporarily  against  looting  and  burning  by  the  quasi- guerrillas  racing 
through  the  city  streets. 

The  certificate  reads:  "In  this  building,  located  at  Ramba  Cafaluna,  60,  there  is 
American  property  belonging  to  United  Artists  which  should  be  respected."  (Signed) 
Lynn  W.  Franklin,  Consul. 


One  American  Company's 
Branch  Finds  Itself  Talcing  Or- 
ders from  Anarchist;  Consul 
General's  Instructions  Ignored 

[Editor's  Note:  Correspondent  Plum- 
mer's  observations  this  week  on  the  con- 
tinued effect  of  the  Spanish  revolution  on 
the  motion  picture  business  in  that  country 
were  placed  in  transit  at  Barcelona  for 
New  York  before  the  rebels,  on  Tuesday, 
started  to  shell  San  Sebastian  by  land,  sea 
and  air,  causing  reprisals  by  the  Red  Loyal- 
ists in  the  form  of  mass  executions  of 
prisoners  held  as  hostages,  and  before  cables 
reported  imminent  danger  to  Madrid.] 

by  HARRY  C.  PLUMMER 

in  Barcelona 

Coming  events  as  they  concern  the  mo- 
tion picture  in  Spain  are  not  casting  any 
shadows.  What  may  be.  written  today  con- 
cerning the  future  of  the  film  business  here 
is  hopelessly  out  of  date  by  tomorrow,  so 
rapid  is  the  succession  of  events  and  change 
of  the  tides  of  battle. 

For  the  first  week  following  the  outbreak 
there  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  salute  with 
raised  fists,  a  la  Trotzky,  Lenin,  Stalin, 
et  al.  Each  of  hundreds  of  motor  cars 
then  racing  through  the  streets  carried  oc- 
cupants with  leveled  rifles  and  revolvers 
and  each  car  bore  the  official  "initials"  of 
the  hour . 

The  second  week's  events  succeeded  each 
other  with  startling  rapidity,  but  the  third 
week — last  week — was  quiet,  the  quiet  that 
precedes  a  storm.  Summed  up,  the  situa- 
tion up  to  the  end  of  last  week  was  as  fol- 
follows :  the  National  Labor  Federation 
and  the  Spanish  Anarchists  Federation 
were  banded  in  deadly  warfare  against  the 
General  Union  of  Workers  and  Socialist 
and  Marxist  groups,  including  the 
"P.  O.  U.  M."  (Partido  Obrero  de  Unifica- 
cion  Marxista,  meaning  the  Unified  Marx- 
ist Labor  Party). 

To  complicate  the  situation,  the  motion 
picture  interests  now  are  caught  between : 
(1)  the  National  Labor  Federation  divi- 
sional group;  (2)  the  "S.  U.  E.  P."  (Sin- 
dicato  Unico  de  Espectaculos  Publicos,  the 
Only  Official  Syndicate  of  Public  Show 
Business)  ;  and  (3)  a  newly-formed  group 
known  as  the  "F.  R.  E.  P."  (Federacion 
Regional  de  Espectaculos  Publicos,  the  Re- 
gional Federation  of  Public;.  Show  Busi- 
ness). This  new  group  is  allied  with  the 
Socialists'  General  Union  of  Workers. 

Until  this  "private  war"  is  settled,  the 
motion  picture  distributing  houses,  includ- 
ing the  Spanish  branches  of  American 
companies,  will  not  open  again,  nor  will 
the  theatres  reopen  until  that  time. 

In  a  nut  shell,  the  film  industry  in  Spain 
is  not  working.  Those  managing  directors 
who  have  remained  include  William  B.  Mor- 
gan, for  United  Artists ;  Enrique  Aguilar, 
for  Universal,  and  Rene  J.  Huet,  for  War- 
ner Brothers-First  National.    Each  has  one 


or  two  immediate  assistants  and  secretaries. 

Metro  has  Ferdinand  Bruckner,  a  secre- 
tary, on  hand,  also  Luis  Echevarria.  Metro's 
Managing  Director  Edelstein  was  nigh  in- 
voluntarily conveyed  by  a  British  gunboat 
from  Palma  de  Mallorca,  where  he  had 
been  marooned,  to  Marseilles,  from  where, 
it  seems,  he  proceeded  to  Paris. 

Fox  has  Enrique  Pages  holding  forth  at 
the  Spanish  branch,  Managing  Director 
Horen  having  gone  to  Marseilles,  and  then 
to  Paris.  Radio  has  Blanco  "pinch-hitting" 
for  Trillo,  who  is  now  at  Marseilles,  en 
route  from  Rome  to  Barcelona. 

Paramount  has  Vidal  Batet,  in  lieu  of 
Mr.  Messeri,  who  likewise  fled  to  Marseilles 
and  to  Paris,  but  last  week  the  conserje 
(porter)  in  Paramount's  office  seemed  to 
be  the  "Largo-al-factotum"  and  to  be  mak- 


ing up  the  collective  minds  of  the  puzzled 
and  distraught  Paramount  employees. 

Columbia  is  faced  with  an  interesting  sit- 
uation in  that  the  man  now  in  charge  of 
that  company's  branch,  who  had  assumed 
charge,  one  Armando  Manez,  went  over  to 
the  Spanish  Anarchists  forces,  and  the  as- 
sistant manager,  under  Managing  Director 
Gottlieb  (likewise  in  Paris)  appears  to 
have  no  other  choice,  in  view  of  the  pre- 
vailing political  situation,  but  to  follow 
Manez'  orders.  A  third  member  of  the 
Columbia  sales  family,  Harold  Walker,  a 
British  subject,  is  one  of  three  permitted 
by  the  National  Labor  Federation  and  the 
Spanish  Anarchists  Federation  to  work  on 
the  premises,  according  to  a  sign  on  the 
door,  which  Columbia  has  placed  instead  of 
the  display  certificate  provided. 


AM  FIRST  GREAT  TRIUMPH  OF 


/ 


William 

POWELL 

as  Godfrey,  banlerrig  butler 
to  the  cock-eyed^st  family 
in  the  world! 


ALICE  GAIL  JEAN 

BRADY  •  PATRICK  •  DIXON 

EUGENE  ALAN  MISCHA 

PALLETTE  •  MOWBRAY  •  ADER 

Screenplay  by  Morrie  Ryskind  and  Eric  Hatch 
Based  on  the  novel  by  Eric  Hatch 

Directed  by  GREGORY  LaCAVA 

CHAS.  R.  ROGERS 

EXECUTIVE  PRODUCER 


FULL    SPEED    AHEAD  I 


THE  NEW  UNIVERSAL! 


90 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


TECHNOLOGICAL 

The  Bluebook  School 

Conducted  by  F.  H.  RICHARDSON 
ANSWER  TO  QUESTION  NO.  32 


Bluebook  School  Question  No.  32  was: 
{A)  Name  two  types  of  "ground"  and  cite 
examples  of  each.  (B)  What  action  in  the 
cell  causes  a  storage  battery  to  lose  voltage 
in  course  of  discharging? 

The  following  made  acceptable  replies : 
C.  Rau  and  S.  Evans;  D.  Danielson;  B.  De- 
Vietti;  C.  Hawkins;  G.  E.  Doe;  A.  F. 
Sprafke;  W.  Limmroth;  P.  and  L.  Felt;  C. 
Champney;  J.  R.  Prater;  W.  H.  Edmonds; 
T.  F.  Bochert;  Chas.  Oldham;  A.  L. 
Cooper;  C.  L.  Loft;  R.  A.  Hooker;  C.  A. 
Ellison;  D.  E.  Birdsong;  C.  Lonie;  S.  O. 
Sears;  C.  G.  Jones;  H.  B.  Smith;  L.  Cimi- 
koski ;  P.  S.  Stallings,  Jr. ;  G.  Johnson  and 
L.  R.  Spooner;  C.  and  S.  E.  Gay  ;  D.  Em- 
merson;  R.  Tomkins;  W.  D.  Samuels;  D.  L. 
Barrett;  H.  and  F.  C.  Winkle;  M.  Hicks 
and  J.  L.  Durante;  S.  T.  Roth,  M.  L.  Law- 
rence, D.  J.  Green,  J.  W.  Ruther  and  P. 
Daniels ;  T.  H.  Morton,  F.  H.  and  L.  Klar ; 
S.  Myers  and  O.  L.  Harris;  D.  W.  Wil- 
liams; I.  C.  Croft;  W.  L.  McDaniels ;  B.  L. 
Shaw ;  C.  L.  Edwards ;  W.  D.  Wagner  and 
E.  C.  Moore;  R.  Galley,  R.  T.  Digby, 
J.  F.  Seidman  and  G.  L.  Snow ; 
H.  V.  Nathan;  J.  Jacobs;  C.  L.  Hauber; 
R.  B.  McCullough;  H.  D.  Lally;  J. 
Lansing  and  R.  D.  Oberleigh ;  J.  S. 
Knight  and  F.  T.  Hamilton ;  J.  J.  Smith ;  L. 
Evans ;  N.  Nathan,  S.  D.  Singer,  E.  N. 
Quinn  and  H.  T.  Bell ;  O.  E.  Parker  and  L. 
L.  Lewis ;  T.  L.  Jones ;  H.  H.  Lantry ;  N.  R. 
•Tomlinson;  G.  W.  Scott;  E.  B.  Hibbard; 
M.  Wentworth;  J.  E.  Smith;  R.  L.  Jones; 
C.  C.  Lowery ;  B.  L.  Knox  and  H.  E.  Lytle ; 
O.  R.  Johnson;  T.  N.  Powell  and  N.  T. 
Brown;  R.  Morris;  H.  T.  Todd  and  F.  H. 
Dodson;  W.  Hobart,  L.  A.  Keller  and  S. 
Ball ;  P.  Redman  and  N.  G.  Kilgen;  R.  Mills 


F.  H.  Richardson's 
BLUEBOOK  of 
PROJECTION 

•  New  sixth  edition.  Pro- 
jection, sound  reproduction 
and  trouble-shooting  all  in 
one  handy  volume.  Also 
features  quick-finding  index 
system  for  instant  refer- 
I^^SlI  ence.    Order  today. 

ilMKM  $5-25  Postpaid 

QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP 

ROCKEFELLER  CENTER       NEW  YORK 


and  J.  R.  Perkins;  M.  J,  O'Brien;  A.  Gar- 
lock  and  J.  B.  Roth;  W.  Smith;  H.  S.  Joy; 
F.  K.  Monroe;  R.  L.  Norton;  M.  R.  Ray; 
R.  E.  Hartmann;  B.  L.  Stacy  and  W.  S. 
Poulson. 

The  following  answers  to  Section  A  have 
been  selected  for  publication :  D.  Danielson 
says :  "  'Ground'  is  a  term  that  in  modern 
practice  has  a  rather  flexible  meaning. 
Strictly  speaking,  a  ground  exists  where  one 
or  both  sides  or  polarities  are  connected  with 
the  earth,  with  or  without  current  flow  re- 
sulting. A  concrete  example  would  be  an 
electrical  connection  due  possibly  to  ruptured 
insulation  between  a  wire  and  its  conduit. 
The  conduit  itself  is  grounded,  therefore  the 
connection  from  polarity  to  earth  is  com- 
plete. In  a  broader  sense  an  electrical  con- 
nection between  a  polarity  and  a  part  of  a 
machine  not  intended  to  be  charged,  is  not 
a  true  ground.  Nevertheless  the  polarity  is 
said  to  be  'grounded'  to  the  frame.  This  type 
of  ground  may  be  intentional  for  the  purpose 
of  electrical  conduction,  but  in  such  case 
both  polarities  must  have  connection,  usually 
through  some  piece  of  electrical  equipment, 
with  the  unintentional  path." 

G.  E.  Doe  replies :  "In  its  true  sense  a 
'ground'  indicates  connection  of  one  or  both 
sides  of  a  circuit,  or  rather  of  polarity,  con- 
nected with  the  earth,  either  through  delib- 
erate action  or  from  some  unintended  cause. 
The  Edison  three-wire  system  employs  a 
true  ground  for  its  neutral  wire  in  order  to 
prevent,  so  far  as  is  possible,  charging  ap- 
paratus connected  thereto  (conduit,  for  ex- 
ample) at  the  voltage  of  the  outer,  high- 
voltage  wires.  Accidental  current  carrying 
connection  of  a  live  wire  with  its  conduit 
would  constitute  a  true  ground. 

"Another  sense  in  which  the  term  'ground' 
is  applied  is  contact  of  one  or  both  polarities 
with  some  piece  of  the  equipment  that  is  not 
supposed  to  be  charged.  A  lamp  frame, 
motor  generator  frame,  etc.,  are  examples. 
This  is  one  type  of  'ground'  as  the  term  is 
now  used.  Still  a  third  is  where,  for  exam- 
ple, current  is  carried  to  one  side  of  a  piece 
of  electrical  apparatus  by  an  insulated  wire, 
whereas  the  other  side  of  the  power  source 
and  equipment  to  be  served  is  'grounded'  to 
the  frame,  which  is  made  to  serve  as  an 
electrical  conductor.  This  now  is  the  almost 
universal  practice  in  automobiles,  the  frame 
acting  as  one  side  of  one  or  more  circuits." 

B.  DeVietti  says:  "Two  types  of  ground 
are :  ( 1 )  The  permanent  ground,  employed 
as  a  means  of  limiting  voltage  charge  in 
case  of  accidental  ground.  (2)  Accidental 
ground,  caused  by  insulation  fault,  or  by 
some  other  path,  permitting  electrification 


BLUEBOOK  SCHOOL 
QUESTION  NO.  37 

(A)  What  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant things  in  sound  projection — 
in  fact  what  is  the  one  most  impor- 
tant thing? 

(B)  What  is  the  relation  between 
the  speed  of  intermittent  movement 
and  width  of  the  rotating  shutter? 

To  join  the  Bluebook  School  merely 
send  in  answers.  Place  name  and  ques- 
tion number  upon  first  sheet.  Address 
F.  H.  Richardson,  No.  3  Tudor  Lane, 
Scars  dale,  N.  Y. 


of  something  not  pertaining  to  the  circuit. 
As  an  example,  an  accidental  connection  of 
polarity,  one  or  both,  to  the  projector  lamp 
frame,  lamphouse  or  some  other  part  of  the 
projector  metallic  structure." 

C.  Champney  set  the  matter  forth  con- 
cisely, as  follows :  "There  are  two  types  of 
ground.  One  is  where  either  or  both  positive 
or  negative  come  into  contact  with  earth, 
with  or  without  evidence  of  current  leakage. 
The  other  is  where  negative  and  positive 
come  into  contact  (High  resistance  contact, 
else  it  would  be  a  short. — F.  H.  R.)  with 
each  other  through  some  unintended  path." 

W.  Limmroth  says :  "There  are  two  types 
of  ground.  In  one  either  or  both  polarities 
may  be  connected  to  earth,  with  or  without 
evidence  of  current  flow.  In  the  other,  both 
polarities  may  have  connection  through  some 
conductor  other  than  earth,  resulting  in 
charging  the  conductor  (a  lamp  frame,  for 
example)  resulting  usually  in  unintended 
loss  of  power. 

"As  examples,  one  wire  of  a  standard  two- 
wire  circuit  makes  electrical  contact  with 
its  conduit,  which  is  grounded,  resulting  in 
current  leakage  if  it  be  a  three-wire  system, 
since  the  neutral  is  grounded.  (Maybe  so — ■ 
maybe  no,  friend  Limmroth.  Maybe  too 
much  resistance  between  accidental  ground 
and  neutral  ground. — F.  H.  R.)  However, 
the  neutral  wire  of  the  same  circuit  may  be 
grounded  to  the  conduit,  but  in  that  case 
there  will  be  no  current  flow. 

"There  also  are  many  cases  where  polari- 
ties are  accidentally  connected  by  mediums 
other  than  earth.  Carbon  dust  on  lamp  insu- 
lation may  supply  a  path  for  slight  current 
leakage  and  that  is  called  a  'ground.'  If  the 
leak  was  in  one  insulation  the  only  result 
would  be  to  charge  the  lamp  frame  with 

(Continued  on  page  92) 


is 


s  » 

it 


il  1 


•  Peak  in 

rtainment 

ij 


I  3 

II  I  I 

1 1  8  i 

1 1  i  i 

if  I  I 
If  1 1 


%  ■  »•  * 


*  « 


ii 


8  § 


»  •  *  v 


92 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


TECHNOLOGICAL 


(Continued  from  page  90) 

E.  M.  F.  If  there  be  a  leak  at  both  positive 
and  negative  insulations,  then  current  leak- 
age would  occur.  In  any  ground  the  current 
loss  depends  upon  the  amount  of  resistance 
offered  by  the  connection." 

J.  R.  Prater  answers :  "Two  types  of 
ground  are :  ( a )  A  connection  to  earth  of 
either  or  both  polarities,  whether  current 
flows  through  the  earth  between  the  contacts 
or  not.  (b)  An  unintentional  current-carry- 
ing connection  between  polarities  through 
material  other  than  earth. 

"Conduit  and  other  exposed  parts  of  elec- 
trical apparatus,  such  as  motor-generator 
frames,  projector  frames  and  mechanisms, 
lamp  houses,  et  cetera,  are  purposely  con- 
nected (grounded)  to  earth  as  a  protection 
from  shocks  to  those  coming  into  accidental 
contact  with  them.  Grounding  the  neutral 
of  an  Edison  three-wire  system  reduces  the 
voltage  between  ground  and  either  un- 
grounded wire  to  half  the  maximum  voltage 
of  the  system. 

"Unintentional  grounds  may  result  from 
innumerable  causes.  Dust  may  settle  across 
the  insulation  between  polarities,  providing 
voltage  charge  to  the  lamp  frame,  plus  lim- 
ited current  leakage.  Conducting  material 
may  fall  across  exposed  parts  or  otherwise 
come  into  contact  with  both  polarities  of  a 
circuit.  A  worn  spot  or  break  in  insulation 
may  supply  a  path  between  polarities.  Weak- 
ened insulation  inside  conduit  may  permit 
leakage  of  'juice'  to  conduit,  and  thence  to 
ground,  where  a  path  is  offered  to  opposite 
polarity  if  it  be  an  Edison  three-wire,  or  if 
there  be  a  'ground'  in  opposite  polarity  in  a 
straight  two-wire  circuit." 

Which,  I  think  you  will  all  agree,  is  the 
best  answer  of  the  series,  which  is  not  meant 
as  a  criticism  of  the  others,  but  as  a  state- 
ment of  fact  tending  to  incite  men  to  dig  in 
and  send  the  very  best  possible  answers.  Un- 
less I  am  in  error,  the  diplomas  received 
later  by  those  who  successfully  complete  the 
course  will  have  real  value,  therefore  they 
are  worth  working  for.  Don't  delay  answers 
too  long.  For  example,  A.  F.  Sprafke  sent 
an  excellent  answer  to  No.  31,  but  it  came 
too  late  for  consideration,  as  did  11  other 
replies. 

(B)  J.  R.  Prater  says:  "The  formation 
of  lead  sulphate  on  both  positive  and  nega- 
tive plates  of  a  storage  battery  during  the 
course  of  discharging  insulates  the  active 
material  of  the  plates  from  the  sulphuric, 
which  latter  is  the  active  element  of  the  bat- 
tery, thus  gradually  slowing  up  the  chemical 
action  and  in  consequence  reducing  the  volt- 
age of  the  cell.  With  prolonged  discharging 
sufficient  lead  sulphate  will  be  deposited  to 
so  thoroughly  insulate  the  plates  that  no 
appreciable  chemical  action  will  take  place, 
whereupon  the  battery  is  said  to  be  'dead.'  " 

Messrs.  Rau  and  Evans  reply:  "In  course 
of  discharging,  a  storage  battery  cell  will 
lose  voltage  because  lead  sulphate  is  formed 
on  the  plates,  and  since  that  element  is  in 
the  nature  of  an  insulator,  the  voltage  of  the 
cell  will  necessarily  gradually  drop." 

I  think  I  will  here  add  excerpts  of  matter 
from  the  fifth  edition  of  Bluebook  Volume  3, 
which  was  passed  upon  as  correct  by  the 
makers  of  Exide  Batteries. 

"Further  investigation  disclosed  the  fact 


that  after  two  lead  plates  were  immersed 
in  a  bath  of  sulphuric  acid  and  water  of  cer- 
tain strength  and  these  plates  were  con- 
nected, one  to  positive,  the  other  to  negative 
of  an  electric  generator,  after  a  time  these 
plates  themselves  became  a  source  of  elec- 
tric power.  ...  It  was  further  found  that 
the  energy  of  the  plates  gradually  dimin- 
ished as  power  was  taken  from  them  until 
they  became  'dead.'  .  .  .  That  they  could  be 
again  recharged  and  their  restored  power 
used.  That  this  process  could  be  repeated 
many  times.  It  was  found  that  in  'charging' 
the  plates  a  compound  known  as  lead  perox- 
ide was  formed  on  the  positive  plate, 
whereas  the  negative  plate  surface  was 
changed  into  spongy,  or  porous  lead.  ...  It 
was  found  that  in  discharging  the  peroxide 
on  positive  and  spongy  lead  on  negative  re- 
acted chemically  with  the  sulphuric  acid  bath 
(electrolite)  so  that  both  plates  were  covered 
completely  with  lead  sulphate.  .  .  .  This 
chemical  reaction  went  on  until  and  when 
it  finally  stopped,  due  to  all  the  lead  perox- 
ide of  the  positive  plate  and  pure  lead  of 
the  negative  being  converted  into  lead  sul- 
phate, the  electric  power  was  exhausted." 

You  will  observe  that  this  differs  in  fact 
somewhat  from  the  replies  of  friends  Prater 
and  Rau  and  Evans,  but  the  effect  would  be 
precisely  the  same  either  way.  In  one  it  is 
attributed  to  insulation ;  in  the  other  exhaus- 
tion of  the  chemical  action.  After  consider- 
able' search  I  have  been  unable  to  ascertain 
definitely  just  which  is  correct,  but,  as  said, 
either  way  the  effect  would  be  identical ;  at 
least,  so  far  as  I  can  see. 


Sidney-Fonda  Co-starring 

Sylvia  Sidney  and  Henry  Fonda  will  have 
the  leading  roles  in  Walter  Wanger's  first 
film  under  the  United  Artists  banner,  "Three 
Time  Loser,"  and  in  the  picture  to  be  pro- 
duced by  him  in  the  Cinema  City  now  being 
built  by  the  Italian  Government  just  out- 
side Rome. 


Vitagraph  Promotes  Cohen 

Wolfe  Cohen,  who  has  been  manager  of 
Vitagraph,  Ltd.,  in  Winnipeg,  Canada,  has 
been  made  Vitagraph  general  manager  for 
the  entire  dominion  with  offices  in  Toronto. 
Harry  Paynter,  formerly  general  manager 
for  the  (dominion  as  well  as  branch  manager 
in  Toronto,  remains  as  branch  manager. 


Toy  Contract  Renewed 

Scrappy  will  continue  as  star  of  the  Dura- 
ble Toy  &  Novelty  Company's  line  of  toy 
films  for  another  year  under  a  renewal 
contract  signed  by  that  company  and  Colum- 
bia Pictures  Corporation,  owner  of  the  ani- 
mated cartoon  character. 


Wanger  To  Use  U.A.  Studio 

After  lengthy  negotiations,  Walter  Wan- 
ger has  closed  a  deal  with  United  Artists 
and  will  shoot  next  year's  films  at  the  com- 
pany's studio  in  Hollywood. 


Color  Shorts  Scheduled 

Arrangements  for  color  equipment  are 
being  made  by  Paul  Hoefler,  who  is  plan- 
ning a  series  of  short  subjects. 


Companies  Resume 
Cuban  Shipments 

Major  distributors  in  New  York  have  re- 
sumed the  shipments  of  motion  pictures  to 
Cuba,  following  the  abandonment  last  week 
by  the  Cuban  Government  of  the  Manhattan 
office  of  the  censor  board.  Pictures  now 
will  be  censored  in  Havana,  without  charge, 
as  was  the  practice  before  the  institution  of 
the  New  York  office. 

Although  distributors  in  New  York  do  not 
expect  to  receive  official  copies  of  the 
Cabinet  decree  dissolving  the  New  York 
branch  until  next  week,  the  decree  has  been 
officially  published  in  Havana  and  activity 
has  been  resumed. 


Four  Contracts  Settled 
At  Paramount  Studios 

Announcements  were  made  during  the 
week  of  the  settlement  of  four  contracts  by 
the  Paramount  studios  in  Hollywood.  Glen- 
don  Allvine  has  left  the  company  following 
the  succession  of  Jeff  Lazarus  to  the  post  of 
story  chief;  E.  Loyd  Sheldon,  associate  pro- 
ducer, will  leave  the  studio  on  completion  of 
"Girl  of  the  Jungle,"  and  Gabe  Yorke,  for- 
merly Paramount  director  of  publicity,  an- 
nounced that  he  had  reached  an  agreement 
with  the  company.  Discussions  are  under 
way  for  settlement  of  the  contract  of  Henry 
Henigson,  also  an  associate  producer. 


RCA  Post  Goes  to  E.  C.  Dent 

Appointment  of  Ellsworth  C.  Dent, 
former  chief  of  the  Motion  Picture  Divi- 
sion, United  States  Department  of  Interior, 
as  Director  of  the  RCA  Victor  Educational 
Division,  was  announced  by  Thomas  F. 
Joyce,  Advertising  and  Sales  Promotion 
manager,  under  whose  supervision  the  edu- 
cational activities  will  be  carried  on. 


Warner  Promotes  Bilson 

Jack  L.  Warner,  prior  to  his  departure 
from  Hollywood  for  New  York,  signed 
George  Bilson,  former  trailer  chief,  to  a 
writer-director-supervisor  contract.  San- 
ford  Abrams  succeeds  Mr.  Bilson  in  charge 
of  trailers. 


Paramount  Holds  Raft 

George  Raft  has  signed  a  new  two-year 
contract  with  Paramount  to  take  effect  fol- 
lowing his  current  pact,  which  has  six 
months  to  run.  The  company  has  also  closed 
with  William  Wellman,  director,  and  Ros- 
coe  Karns,  on  new  contracts. 


ITOA  Sets  Contract 

Arrangements  have  beer  completed  be- 
tween the  Independent  Theatre  Owners  As- 
sociation and  the  Film  Delivery  Association 
of  New  York  whereby  the  film  transporta- 
tion companies  will  continue  to  handle  ship- 
ments to  and  from  New  York  and  New 
Jersey  exchanges  for  the  next  10  years. 


Union  Offices  Moved 

The  executive  staff  and  all  west  coast 

studio  locals  of  International  Alliance  of 

Theatrical  Stage  Employees  in  Hollywood 

have  transferred  their  offices  to  the  Taft 
Building. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


93 


THEATRE  RECEIPTS 


The  total  of  theatre  receipts  for  the  calendar  week  ended  August  15,  1936,  from 
102  theatres  in  17  major  cities  of  the  country  was  $1,074,420,  a  decrease  of  $9,541 
from  the  total  for  the  preceding  week  ended  August  8,  1936,  when  107  theatres  in 
18  large  cities  aggregated  $1,083,961. 

{Copyright,  1936.    Reproduction  of  material  from  this  department  without  credit  to  Motion  Picture  Herald  expressly  forbidden) 


Theatres 


Boston 

Boston 


3,246  35c-65c 


Fenway                   1,382  30c-50c 

Keith's  Memorial  2,907  25c-6Sc 

Loew's  Orpheum.  2,970  25c-55c 

Loew's  State  ....  3,537  25c-55c 

Metropolitan           4,332  35c-65c 

Paramount              1,793  25c-50c 

Buffalo 


Buffalo   

, ,  3,489 

30c-50c 

3,000 

25c 

Great  Lakes  . 

..  3,000 

25c-40c 

2,500 

30c -50c 

..  3,300 

25c 

Chicago 

Apollo                    1,400  30c -60c 

Chicago                 4,000  35c-68c 

Garrick                     900  30c-60c 

Oriental                   3,490  25c-40c 

Palace                    2,509  25c-60c 

Roosevelt                1,591  30c-60c 

State-Lake              2,776  20c-35c 

United  Artists...  1,700  30c-60c 

Cleveland 

Allen                 ...  3,300  30c- 42c 

Hippodrome             3,800  30c-42c 

RKO   Palace         3,100  30c-60c 

State                       3,400  30c-42c 

Stillman                   1,900  30c-42c 

Denver 

Aladdin                   1,500  25c-50c 


Current  Week 

Picture  Gross 

"And  So  They  Were  Married"   9,500 

(Col.)  and  "Grand  Jury"  (Radio) 
(6  days)  (25c-65c) 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.  B.)  and  4,000 
"Spendthrift"  (Para.) 


Previous  Week 

Picture  Gross 

"Crash  Donovan"  (Univ.)  and   10,500 

"Moonlight  Murder"  (MGM) 


•Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and  4,000 
'Educating  Father"  (20th  Cent. -Fox) 


"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)   14,000      "Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.). 

"Suzy"  (MGM)  and   13,000 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)  and   11,500 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.) 

"To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  23,000 
(Fox)   (plus  stage  show) 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.  B.)  and  6.C00 
"Spendthrift"  (Para.) 


12,000 


'The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   12,000 

"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   11,000 

"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  23,000 
(on  stage-  Benny  Davis  and  revue) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and  6,000 
"Educating  Father"  (20th  Cent. -Fox) 


'Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)....  13,200 

'Spendthrift"  (Para.)  and   6,000 

'Forgotten  Faces"  (Para.) 

'The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   3,800 

(4  days — 2nd  week) 

'Suzy"  (MGM)    7,500 


'Counterfeit"   (Col.)  and  

'Abdul  the  Damned"  (Col.) 


6,500 


'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   5,603 

(2nd  week) 
"To  Mary-with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  47,200 
Fox) 

(plus  stage  show) 
"Suzy"  (MGM)    6,900 


'Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.)   16,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

'Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)   26,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

'Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)   11,300 

'Parole"  (Univ.)    14,200 

(plus  stage  show) 

'The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   13,000 

(2nd  week) 


•Suzy"   (MGM)    17,100 

'White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  and  5.200 
'Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

'The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)    10,500 

(.1st  week) 

'The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   7,500 

'We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 

'Secret  Agent"  (GB)  and   6,800 

'One  Way  Ticket"  (Col.) 


'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   6,000 

(1st  week) 

'Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  39,000 
(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Dance  Band 
and  Amateurs) 

"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   6,800 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

'Palm  Springs"  (Para.)   15,000 

(on  stage:  Fur  Show  and  Vaudeville) 


22,000 


'Secret  Agent"  (GB)  

(on  stage:  Bill  Robinson) 


"To  Mary— with  Love"   7,000 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 
"Girls'  Dormitory"  (20th-Cent.-Fox)  12,750 

"Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W.  B.)  21,000 

(on  stage:  Three  Stooges) 
"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  12,000 


'Things  to  Come"  (U.A.)    3,000 

(25c-35c) 


'The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   4,500 


Broadway    1,500      25c-40c       "White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)....  1,500 


Center                    1,500  15c-35c 

Denham                  1,500  25c-40c 

Denver                   2,500  25c-50c 

Orpheum                 2,600  25c-40c 

Paramount              2.000  25c-40c 


"Navy  Born"  (Republic)    4,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)   3,500 

(4  days— 2nd  week) 
"I'd  Give  My  Life"  (Para.)   1,500 

(3  days) 

"To  Mary-with  Love"  (20th  Cent  -  9,500 
Fox) 

(plus  stage  band) 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   5,000 

"Grand  Jury"  (Radio) 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.   Forbes"   (20th  3,500 
Cent.-Fox)  and 
"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.) 


'Suzy"   (MGM)   11,000 

(2nd  week) 

"M'Liss"   (Radio)    14,400 

(on  stage:  Verne  Buck  and  revue) 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   17,600 

(1st  week) 

'The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   6,000 

"To  Mary— With   Love"   15,500 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 
"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)....  18,500 
(on  stage:  Duke  Ellington  and  Band) 

"The  Devil   Doll"   (MGM)   ..26,000 

(on  stage:  Marx  Brothers)  (30c-60c) 

"Suzy  (MGM)    6,000 


'White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)....  3,000 
'Suzy"  (MGM)    3,000 


"Jack  Ahoy"  (GB)    2,500 

(plus  vaudeville) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  6,500 
(1st  week) 


'The  Green  Pastures"   (W.B.)   11,500 

(plus  stage  band) 

'The  Big  House"  (MGM)  and   8,000 

'Dancing  Lady"  (MGM) 
(re-issue) 

'Border  Patrolman"  (20th  Cent.-. .. .  2,500 
Fox)  and  "I  Stand  Condemned"  (U  A  ) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  9-7  "Hot  Tip"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show  "Folies  Bergere") 
Low  6-13-36  "The  Harvester"  and  ) 

"Abdul  the  Damned  (  4,000 

High  3-14-36  "The  story  of  Louis  Pas-  ) 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  f  8,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  ! 

"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"  J  2,500 

High  2-29-36  "Follow  the  Fleet"   37,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"   5,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  25,000 
Low  6-27-36  "Sins   of  Man"   and  1 

"Half  Angel"  J  9,000 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  24,500 
Low  7-6  "Sanders  of  the  River"  and  1 

"Unknown  Woman"  J  7,500 

High  4-6  "Private  Worlds"   56,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  7-20  "Men  Without  Names"   14,000 

High  3-14-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pas-  ) 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  j  15,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  ) 

"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"  J  4,000 


High  4-27  "Mississippi"  

Low  7-27  "Broadway  Gondolier"  

High  1-11-36  "King  of  Burlesque"  

Low  8-3  "Mad  Love"  and  ) 
"Dog  of  Flanders"  J 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"  

Low  4-11-36  "Three   Godfathers"   and  ) 
"Her  Master's  Voice"  J 

High  2-9  "David  Copperfield"  

Low  4-11-36  "Timothy's  Quest"   and  ) 
"My  Marriage"  J 

High  1-12  "Broadway  Bill"  

Low  7-27  "A  Notorious  Gentleman"  and  ) 
,    "Strange  Wives"  I 


23,800 
6,600 
9,500 

3,800 
22,000 

4,900 
17,200 

3,800 
17,100 

4.100 


High  3-21-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pasteur"  11,800 

Low  5-25  "The  Devil  is  a  Woman"   1,000 

High  1-18-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  56,600 
Low  4-27  "Living  on  Velvet"   24,000 

High  1-4-36  "The  Man  Who  Broke  the 

Bank  at  Monte  Carlo"  

Low  5-4  "One  New  York  Night"  

High  11-2  "Woman  Wanted"  

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs 
Low  9-21  "Man  on  the  Flying  Trapeze" 
High  5-30-36  "Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path" 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor  and  Radio 

Show) 

Low  4-11-36  "Love  Before  Breakfast".. 

High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"  

Low   11-23   "O'Shaughnessy's  Boy"  

High  3-23  "The  Little  Minister"  

Low  7-20  "Alias  Mary  Dow"  

High  2-29-36  "Modern  Times"  

Low  4-13  "Vanessa:  Her  Love  Story".. 


9,700 
3,000 
25,500 

( 

13,400 
35,200 


6,000 
27,000 

7,000 
17,000 

8,000 
35,500 
10,000 


High  1-12  "Bright  Eyes"  

Low  6-22  "The  Daring  Young  Man".... 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"  

Low  8-24  "Dante's  Inferno"  

High  4-6  "Transient  Lady"   

Low  6-8  "Break  of  Hearts"  

High  4-18-36  "Petticoat  Fever"  

(on  stage:  Jack  Benny  and  Mary 
Livingston) 

Low  3-16  "Folies  Bergere"  

High  7-25-36  "San  Francisco"  

Low  5-9-36  "Too  Many  Parents"  


9,000 

1.300 
27,500 

5,250 
39,000 

5,500 
40,500 


6,000 
11,000 

2,000 


High  3-28-36  "Little  Lord  Fauntleroy". .  5,000 
Low  6-22  "Nell  Gwyn"  and  ) 

"My  Heart  Is  Calling"          J  600 

High  5-16-36  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"   8,000 

(50c-$1.36) 

Low  12-28  "Unfinished  Symphony"   300 


High  2-29-36  "Klondike  Annie"   13,000 

Low  8-24  "Without  Regret"   1,750 


High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty' 
Low  12-28  "Here  Comes  the  Band" 

High  5-18  "Romance  in  Manhattan' 
Low  12-28  "The  Perfect  Gentleman' 

High  5-11  "Bride  of  Frankenstein"... 
Low  11-30  "Bad  Boy"  


15,000 
1,500 

16,000 
2,000 

7,000 
800 


I 


\  \  J-  ^  - 


1  ~.  n     of  Kind  motion  p 


Pic  Best  Of  Kjnd 
For  Many  Months 

..THf  UNKNOWN  RANGER 

This  first  Bob  Alien  Colurnb.a 

release  sets  a  new  original. w  ot 

freshness  of  story      ^Qst  entertain 
treatment^   It*  ™e    hereabouts  for 
•ng  broncho  pVayj ^        wi  |  heart- 
'^ny  -o0^^ter  Sterns  are  box- 
lly  agree  wherever 

office  currency .  his  first 

,t  presents  Bob .A .Hen  b_ 
coX^d  and  -     at.tes    He  has 

presence   a  g    ^  rideSi  ropes 
The  suppor   .s  t £ ,  friendVy 

-isses  a  triSic  &  ^,iafe:;:i  good 

l  cowhand  lends  J^^rd 

boaSuPc    of    comedy,  and 
touches    ot  t   as  tne 

Heame   >s  excen  his  chance_ 

rancher  who  g>ves  ,  c0wboy 

There   is  ^ especially  a 
music   by   tee   Z»^g  Fandango 
comic  song.    l  w  several Jaugn 
*un*  ^  Wafes  and  the  cowboy  as 
bv  Wally  Waies 

cembly-  ,  SoenCer  C  Bennet 

rC:eedTt  fo it  wWSprSogr- 

Pe      Lrd  Plot  tW',StS"  Ir  vvith 

nes  aro  P  Brown  »r\.u,ne 

.  nf  lames  ^-  .  °  •  eye-hUing- 
phv  2  rlesert  locations.  '*  eY  iH  have 
superb  desen         Darrnour  w 

^cfwo*  "o  Keep  the  pace 

£  set  with  this  one. 


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(f)llrmour-Co/u»./mr)  wc>ler*  need*  ;     ^        kks  a  foil 

HOLLYNVOOW,  ^  UVO  *** 

the  herd,  but .he       &  xay  ene.get.c  tut    =   ^  ft  rnmutes 
tfjSBtt  «*»  it3 "  Sett"  -oh 


and  screenplay 


The  Unknown  Ranger 


Presenting  . 

the  person  of   Rob f  ,s  in  'The 

ducer  Larry  Darmour  he  has  an 

Unknown  Range  up  wuh 

attraction  capable  or  g  ^.g 

Sh^nsto^ose  houses  wh.ch 
ptav  ^  horse  operas-        .  and 
Story,  ^finown  Ranger"  are 
action  in  'The  U"JJ°western  variety 
a"  ofuthe  S  tC?e  should  stack  up 
*£  SSe  Uses  which  fea- 
ture  such  films  a  right 

Little  -Buxzy  Henry         g  mite. 
smart  piece  of  act ng  g 
He  rides  and  ropes     ^  any  fl,m. 

and  is  a  fe*rf0rrnan.ce  as  M- 

Ha|  Talioferro  s  P«J  d  one  and 
lens  pal  * ■  ^s  an  excellent 
Ha^Y  WK^ha  Ttobetts  is  a  good 

^oX^  — ^  3 

C°«-timed  l-J-^yK 
b°V  songs  andfi "JJKJt,,  and  the 
up  the  picture  cons  |r.f 
photography  by  lames  ar 
Pand  sound  by  Tom  U 
to  standard.    The  P  ht  Cald- 

ntcely  put  tog***!  Spencer  Cor- 

wel,  D^f  kelps  ^  action  on  a 
don  Bennet  keep  t 

smooth  plan 


96 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


f THEATRE  RECEIPTS—CONT'D  J 


Theatres 


Hollywood 

Chinese   


2,500  30c-55c 


Pantages   

W.  B.  Hollywood 


3,000 


3,000 


25c -40c 


25c -40c 


Current  Week 


Picture 


"To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  14,000 
Fox)  and  "36  Hours  to  Kill"  (20th  Cent.- 
Fox)  (2nd  week) 

"Postal  Inspector"  (Univ.)  and   4,750 

"Shakedown"  (Col.)  (5  days) 


"The  Bengal  Tiger"  (W.B.)  and.... 
"Down  the  Stretch"  (F.  N.) 


Previous  Week 


Gross  Picture 


"To  Mary— With  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  13,000 
Fox)  and  "36  Hours  to  Kill"  (20th 
Cent. -Fox)    (5  days-lst  week) 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   5,900 

"Grand  Jury"  (Radio) 

5,400       "Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W.B.)  and. 
"Love  Begins  at  Twenty"  (F.N.) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

Gross       (Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"   26,000 

Low  5-4  "West  Point  of  the  Air"   4,900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"   19,000 

Low  4-13  "Mister  Dynamite"  and.  \ 

"Great  God  Gold"  J  2,500 

9,000      High  9-7  "Page  Miss  Glory"   15,300 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"   4,000 


"To  Mary -with  Love"  (20th  Cent.- 

Fox) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para )  and 
"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 
(2nd  week) 


5,500 
3,500 


Indianapolis 

Apollo   1,100  25c-40c 

Circle    2,800  25c-40c 

Loew's    2,800  25c-40c       "His   Brother's   Wife"    (MGM)....  10,000 

Lyric    2,000  25c-40c 


"Girls'  Dormitory''  (20th  Cent. -Fox) 
(plus  vaudeville) 


8,200 


"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"    5,100 

(20th  Cent. -Fox)  (2nd  week) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  7,000 
and  "Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 
(1st  week) 


"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)  and....  5,200 
"Three  Wise  Guys"  (MGM) 

"Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.)..  7,500 
(plus  stage  show) 


High  3-14-36  "The  Country  Doctor"....  8,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"   1,600 

High  4-25-36  "The  Moon's  Our  Home"  ) 

and  "Silly  Billies"            J  9,700 
(in   place   of    "Silly    Billies,"    on  stage 
Lum'  n'  Abner  for  Saturday  and  Sunday) 

Low  3-16  "Transient  Lady"   2,000 

High  2-15-36  "Exclusive  Story"   15,000 

(on  stage:  Cab  Calloway  and  band) 

Low  4-6  "Casino  Murder  Case"   2.750 

High  3-28-36  "The  Leathernecks  Have 

Landed"    13,300 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 

Low  2-7  "Murder  of  Dr.  Harrigan"   5,700 

(on  stage:  vaudeville) 


Kansas  City 

Mainstreet   3,100 

Midland    4,000 

Newman    1,900 

Tower    2,000 

Uptown    2,000 


25c-40c       "Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)...  15,400 


25c -40c 


25c-40c 


25c 

25c-40c 


'His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM). 


18,400 

"Secret  Agent"  (GB)  and   5,500 

"Girl   of   the   Ozarks"  (Para.) 
(S  days) 

"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM)....  7,200 

(plus  stage  show) 
"State  Fair"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)   2,600 

(5  days) 


"To  Mary— with  Love"   12,000 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)    10,800 

(re-issue) 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"  (20th..  5,000 
Cent.-Fox)  and  "Three  Cheers  for  Love" 
(Para.)   (6  days) 

"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)   7,400 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"   4,200 

(20th  Cent.-Fox)  (2nd  week) 


High  11-23  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs"  22,000 

Low  1-12  "I  Sell  Anything"   2,000 

High  8-24  "China  Seas"   25,000 

Low  9-14  "Bonnie  Scotland"   6,000 

High  5-25  "Goin'  to  Town"   14,000 

Low  5-18  "Dinky"    3,000 

High   1-18-36  "Magnificent   Obsession"..  14,500 

Low  3-14-36  "Lady  of  Secrets"   5,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  9-7  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"..  11,000 
Low  7-27  "Black  Sheep"    2,100 


Los  Angeles 

Carthay    1,518  50c-$1.50 


Four  Star   

Grand  Intern't'l.. 


900 
750 


Hillstreet    2,700 

Loew's  State   ...  2,500 


30c -55c 
35c -40c 

25c -40c 
30c-55c 


Paramount   3,596  30c-55c 

W.  B.  Downtown  3,400  25c-40c 


"Anthony  Adverse"   (W.B.)   16,000 

(2nd  week) 
"Nine  Days  a  Queen"  (GB)   6,000 

"Ectasy"  (Eureka)    3,100 

(4th  week) 

"Postal  Inspector"  (Univ.)  and   5,000 

"Shakedown"  (Col.)  (5  days) 

"To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  18,000 
Fox)  and  "36  Hours  to  Kill"  (20th  Cent.- 
Fox)  (2nd  week) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)   16,500 

(plus  stage  show)  (2nd  week) 

"The  Bengal  Tiger"  (W.B.)  and..  6,000 
"Down  the  Stretch"  (F.N.) 


"Anthony  Adverse"   (W.B.)   18,700 

(1st  week) 

"Secret  Agent"  (GB)    1,800 

(2nd  week) 

"Ecstasy"  (Eureka)    3,500 

(3rd  week) 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   5,500 

"Grand  Jury"  (Radio) 

"To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  17,500 
Fox)  and  "36  Hours  to  Kill"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox)  (1st  week) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.).  .  21,576 
(plus  -7tagp  show)  (1st  week) 

"Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W.B.)  and..  9,800 
"Love  Begins  at  Twenty"  (F.N.) 


High  5-18  "Les  Miserables"   7,800 

Low  12-17  "The  Return  of  Peter  Grimm"  2,400 

High  7-25-36  "Ecstacy"   5,000 

(6  days-2nd  week) 
Low  12-7  "Such  a  Girl  You  Never  Forget"  900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"    17,000 

Low  11-2  "Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"....  2,800 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   24,500 

Low  10-26  "Way  Down  East"..    6,200 

High  8-10  "Paris  in  Spring"   32,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  9,126 
(plus  stage  show)  (5  days) 

High  1-11-36  "Captain  Blood"   17,100 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"   3,800 


Minneapolis 

Lyric   


1,239      20c -25c 


Minnesota    4,000  25c-55c 

RKO  Orpheum..  2,900  25c-40c 

State    2,300  25c-40c 

World    400  25c -40c 


"The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   1,400 

(Para.) 


"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)  12,500 

"Earthworm    Tractors"    (F.N.)   7,000 

"His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)   8,000 

"Show  Boat"   (Univ.)   2,500 

(8th  week) 


"The  Crime  of  Dr.   Forbes"   (20th  1,300 
Cent.-Fox)  (4  days)  and  "Sins  of 
man"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(3  davs) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)    10,000 

"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)   5,600 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)....  5,000 

"Show  Boat"  (Univ.)   2,500 

(7th  week) 


High  7-25-36  "Sons  O'  Guns"   2,100 

Low  8-1-36  "Human  Cargo"   1,200 

High  1-4-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  31,326 

Low  4-4-36  "Klondike  Annie"    8,000 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"   18,000 

Low  6-13-36  "The  Golden  Arrow"   3,000 

High  11-2  "Broadway  Melody  of  1936"..  7,000 

Low  8-8-36  "White  Fang"   5,000 

High  6-8  "Thunder  in  the  East"   5,000 

Low  11-16  "Born  for  Glory"   2.000 


New  York 

Astor                      1,141  55c-$2.20 

Capitol                   4,700  25c-85c 

Palace                    2,500  25c-75c 

Paramount              3,700  35c-99c 

Rialto                        594  25c-65c 

Rivoli                      2,200  40c-99c 

RKO  Music  Hall.  5,954  40c-$1.65 

Roxy                       6,200  25c-55c 

Strand                     3,000  25c-55c 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   15,600 

(18th  week) 
"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)   20,000 

"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)  and  4,500 
"Ticket  to  Paradise"  (Republic) 
(5  days) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  29,000 
(on  stage:  Phil  Spitalny  and 
(Orch.)   (2nd  week) 

"Down  to  the  Sea"  (Republic")   6,200 

"The  Road  to  Glory"  (20th  Cent.-  39,000 
Fox) 

"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)   88,000 

(plus  stage  show)  (2nd  week) 

"M'Liss"  (Radio)    25,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

'Jailbreak"  (W.B.)    9,000 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   14,400 

(17th  week) 
"Suzy"   (MGM)    21,000 

(2nd  week) 
'The  Bride  Walks  Out"  (Radio)..  8,000 
and  "Grand  Jury"  (Radio) 

'Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)...  35,000 
(on  stage:  Phil  Spitalny  and  Orch.) 
(1st  week) 

'The  Final  Hour"  (Col.)   6,000 

'The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   5,000 

(Para.)  (2nd  week) 

'Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)  100,500 

(plus  stage  show),  (1st  week) 

"Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.)..  25,000 
(plus  stage  show) 

"The  Bengal  Tiger"  (W.B.)   11,000 


High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"   87,400 

Low  5-30-36  "Three  Wise  Guys"   7,000 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"   15,000 

Low  7-25-36  "The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  ) 

and  "Dancing  Pirate"  J  4,800 
High  1-19  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"..  65,300 
Low  12-21  "Millions  in  the  Air"   10,000 

High  2-15-36  "Modern  Times"   65,000 

Low  6-29  "Nell  Gwyn"   8,100 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"  131,200 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  11-30  "Crime  and  Punishment"   45,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  1-4-36  "If  You  Could  Only  Cook"..  62,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  4-20  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   17,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

High  5-11  "The  G  Men"   60,138 

Low  4-4-36  "Snowed  Under"    6,100 


IN  FIRST  FOUR  OPENINGS 


|L  IKED  BY    THE  oPE^ 

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98 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    2  2,  1936 


[THEATRE  RECEIPTS— CCNT'TJ 


Theatres 


Current  Week 


Previous  Week 


Picture 


Gross 


Picture 


Gross 


Oklahoma  City 

Capitol                   1,200  10c-41c 

Criterion                 1,700  10c -55c 

Liberty                   1,500  10c-36c 

Midwest                 1,500  10c-55c 

Omaha 

Brandeis                  1,200  25c-40c 

Omaha                   2,200  25c-40c 

Orpheum                 3,000  J5c-40c 

Philadelphia 

Arcadia                    600  25c -50c 

Boyd                      2,400  40c-55c 

Earle                       2,000  25c-55c 

Fox                         3,000  40c-65c 

Karlton                   1,066  25c-40c 

Keith's                   2,000  30c -50c 

Stanley                    3,700  40c-55c 

Stanton                   1,700  30c-50c 

Portland,  Ore. 

Blue  Mouse             1,700  30c-40c 

Broadway                1,912  30c-40c 

Mayfair                   1,700  30c-40c 

Orpheum                1,700  30c -40c 

Paramount              3,008  30c-40c 

•  United  Artists  ...    945  30c-40c 

San  Francisco 

Clay                          400  15c-35c 

Embassy                 1,400  15c-35c 

Fox                       5,651  10c-35c 

Geary                      1,400  55c-$1.10 

Golden  Gate  ....  2,800  15c-40c 

Orpheum                 2,440  15c-40c 

Paramount              2,670  15c-40c 

St.   Francis             1,430  15c-40c 

Warfield                  2,700  15c-40c 

Seattle 

Blue  Mouse              950  25c-55c 

Fifth   Avenue....  2,500  25c-55c 

Liberty                    1,800  20c -55c 

Music  Box               950  25c-55c 

Orpheum                 2,450  25c-40c 

Palomar  ..             1,500  15c-30c 

Paramount              3,050  20c-30c 


"Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W.B.)   3,100 

(8  days) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   4,200 

"The  Border  Patrolman"  (20th   1,400 

Cent. -Fox)  (4  days) 

"The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  400 
(3  days) 

"His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)   6,500 


"Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.)  and  2,700 
"Blackmailer"  (Col.) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)  and  10,000 
"Educating  Father"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   7,200 

"The  Big  Noise."  (W.B.) 

"Society  Doctor"  (MGM)   3,600 

(re-issue) 

"To  Mary-with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  14,500 
Fox) 

"Easy  Money"  (Invincible)   12,500 

(plus  stage  show'),  (6  days) 
"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)....  20,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Grand  Jury"  (Radio)   800 

(4  days) 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   2,500 

"Suzy"  (MGM)    15,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)   5,000 

"Mr  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)  2,500 
and  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 

(15th  week) 
"Private  Life  of  Henry  VIII"  (UA.)  8,000 
and  "Society  Doctor"  (MGM) 
(re-issue) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   4,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W.B.)  and....  7,000 
"It's  Love  Again"  (G.B.) 

"To  Mary-with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  6,00D 
Fox)  and  "Educating  Father"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox)  (2nd  week) 

"The  White  Angel"   (F.N.)   5,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Melody  of  Love"  (Vienna)  and   1,270 

"The  Plow  That  Broke  the  Plains" 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   3,500 

"The  Big  House)"  (MGM) 

(re-issue)  (9  days — 3rd  week) 

"Jailbreak"    (W.B.)   and   10,300 

"Secret  Agent"  (G.B.) 

"Anthony  Adverse"   (W.B.)   11,500 

(2nd  week) 

"The  Last  Outlaw"  (Radio)   34,000 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor) 
(15c-55c)) 

"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)  and   10,000 

"The  Final  Hou*-"  iCol.) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   16,500 

(15c-55c) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   10,000 

(3rd  week) 

"His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)  and..  15,500 
"Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race  Track" 
(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   3,700 

(3rd  week) 

"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th-Cent.  6,500 

Fox) 

"These  Three"  (U.A.)   3,950 

(3rd  week) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)  and  3,400 
"Educating    Father"    (20th  Cent.- 
Fox) 

"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)  and....  5,900 
"Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.) 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio)   5,100 

(on  stage:  Maior  Bowes'  Amateurs) 

"And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)  and. .  4,200 
"Spendthrift"  (Para.) 


"Let's  Sing  Again"  (Radio)   1,800 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  8,600 

"The    Last   Outlaw"    (Radio)   700 

(4  days) 

"The  Country  Beyond"   1,300 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(3  days) 

"To  Mary— with  Love"   5,000 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)  and....  3,600 
"M'Liss"  (Radio) 

"One  Rainy  Afternoon"  (U.A.)  and  4,200 
"Things  to  Come"  (U.  A.) 

"Spendthrift"  (Para.)  and   7,400 

"Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 


"Poppy"  (Para.)    2,500 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   12,000 

(2nd  week) 
"Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.)....  13,500 

(on  stage:  Charlie  Chase) 
"Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race  Track"  11,000 
(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

(plus  stage  show) 
"Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W.B.)   2,900 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   3,800 

"Suzy"  (MGM)   18,000 

(1st  week) 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)   6,300 

"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)  2,000 
and  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 
(14th  week) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)  and   6,000 

"Navy  Born"  (Republic) 
(2nd  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   4,000 

(1st  week) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)  and  6,000 
"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.) 

(2nd  week) 

"To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  7,000 

Fox)  and  "Educating  Father"  (20th 

Cent.-Fox) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   6,000 

(1st  week) 

"Canzone  Del  Sole"  (Europa)   1,285 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   4,200 

"The  Big  House"  (MGM) 

(re-issue)  (2nd  week) 

"Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.)..  6,200 
and  "Navy  Born"  (Republic) 

"Anthony  Adverse"  (W.B.)   14,000 

(1st  week) 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)   18,000 

(plus  10  acts  of  vaudeville) 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.)  and   6,700 

"Border  Patrolman"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

(2nd  week) 
"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)...  19,000 

and  "The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"  - 

(Para.) 

"San  Francisco"   (MGM)   10,000 

(2nd  week) 
"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.Bj   16,500 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   3,700 

(2nd  week) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   6,200 

"These  Three"  (U.A.)   5,450 

(2nd  week) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)    3,600 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  5,600 
and     "Educating    Father"  (20th 
Cent.  Fox) 

"Ticket  to  Paradise"  (Republic)   3,950 

(plus  vaudeville) 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   4,800 

"The  Big  House"  (MGM) 

(re-issue)  (15c-30c) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  193S) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  3-9  "  Wings  in  the  Dark"   3,700 

Low  5-9-36  "Big  Brown  Eyes"   1,300 

High  9-14  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"  10,000 

Low  11-2  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs".  2,500 
High  1-19  "Gentlemen  Are  Born"  and  ) 

"Crime  Doctor"                      1  4,200 
Low  10-26  "Little  Big  Shot"  and  \ 

"I  Live  for  Love"               J  1,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  8,800 
Low  8-24  "The  Farmer  Takes  a  Wife"..  1,600 

High  9-14  "Top  Hat"..   9,500 

Low  6-6-36  "Dancing  Pirate"  and  \ 

"Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"  f  2,600 
High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"  and  1 

"The  First  Baby"           I  11,600 
Low  10-5  "Dante's  Inferno"  and  \ 

"She  Gets  Her  Man"           J  3,600 

High  2-29-36  "Exclusive  Story".   21,150 

(on  stage:  Ted  Lewis) 
Low  12-28  "Mister  Hobo"   and  \ 

"Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"  )  5,800 

High  1-25  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"....  4,800 

Low  9-21  "Bonnie  Scotland"    800 

High  1-4-36  "A  Tale  of  Two  Cities"....  30,000 

Low  8-17   "Jalna"    6,000 

High  1-4-36  "Miss  Pacific  Fleet"   22,000 

Low  10-5  "I  Live  for  Love"   9,500 

High  5-9-36  "Under  Two  Flags"   31,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  9-28  "Redheads  on  Parade"   7,500 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"   6,300 

Low  6-1  "Dinky"    1,200 

High  4-13  "Roberta"    5,800 

Low  1-2  "The  Right  to  Live"   900 

High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   30,000 

Low  5-11  "Stolen  Harmony"   4,000 

High  1-11-36  "Riffraff"    10,000 

Low  3-23  "Captain  Hurricane"   1,800 

High  8-17  "Life  Begins  at  Forty"   2,700 

Low  6-22  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   1,400 

High  5-16-36  "The  Singing  Kid"   8,500 

Low  7-27  "Calm  Yourself"  and  ) 

"Chinatown  Squad"                J  4,000 
High    1-25-36    "A    Midsummer  Night's 

Dream"    12,000 

Low  1-19  "Behold  My  Wife"  and  1 

"Defense  Rests"                     J  1,600 

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   9,500 

Low  11-23  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  ) 

"Wanderer  of  the  Wasteland"  J  4,000 

High  4-20  "Private  Worlds"   11,500 

Low  5-2-36  "The  Witness  Chair"  ) 

and  "Big  Brown  Eyes"        J  5,000 

High  5-4  "Cardinal  Richelieu"   9,000 

Low  6-8  "Age  of  Indiscretion"   4,000 

High  12-28  "Peasants"    2,500 

Low  7-11-36  "Larsson's  Second  Marriage"  800 

High  4-11-36  "Penitente  Murder  Case"...  6,500 
Low  12-7  "Two  Sinners"  and  1 

"$1,000  a  Minute"                  J  2,000 

High  8-3  "Champagne  for  Breakfast"....  14,800 
Low  11-30  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  ) 

"Freckles"                            J  4,000 

High  £-15-36  "The  Last  Outlaw"   34,000 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor) 

Low  5-23-36  "Dancing  Pirate"   9,000 

(plus  stage  band) 

High  7-20  "Love  Me  Forever"   16,780 

Low  10-26  "King  Solomon  of  Broadway"  1 

and  "Fighting  Youth"  J  4,800 

High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   23,000 

Low  3-2  "Living  on  Velvet"  and  ! 

"All  the  King's  Horses"         j  8,500 

High  8-1-36  "San  Francisco"   12,400 

Low  6-29  "No  More  Ladies"   5,000 

High  10-5  "I  Live  My  Life"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  3-28-36  "Colleen"  and  1 

"Too  Many  Parents"        J  13,000 

High  11-30  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   6,100 

Low  2-16  "Million  Dollar  Baby"  and  1 

"Notorious  Gentleman"         j  2,900 

High  5-11  "Naughty  Marietta"   10,200 

Low  4-25-36  "The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome 

Fine"    2,600 

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   7,900 

Low  4-13  "White  Lies"  and  } 

"Happy  Landing"                   J  2,700 

High  2-16  "Roberta"    6,100 

Low  1-26  "The  Man  Who  Reclaimed  His 

Head"      2,850 

High  9-21   "Top   Hat"    10,400 

Low  8-31  "Dante's  Inferno"  and  ) 

"Lady  Tubbs"                    J  4,800 

High  12-14  "Annie  Oakley"    9,200 

Low  6-6-36  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  and  1 

"Times  Square  Playboy"     j  3,250 


Time  Marches  Again 

-March  of  Time  .  .  .  comes 
along  with  another  idea,  a 
sales  book  designed  to  help 
exhibitors  sell  their  customers 

.  It  runs  about  as  strong 
as  advertising  comes,  and  the 
series  is  writing  a  new  chapter 
in  sales  promotion." 
Says  Veteran  Showman 
Epes  W.  Sargent 
in  Variety 


NEW  20-PAGE  BOOK  HELPS 
THOUSANDS  OF  EXHIBITORS  AT 


BOX  OFFICE! 


THEATRES  that  sell  THE  MARCH  OF  TIME  know 
its  box-office  value.  And  exhibitors  who  have 
put  this  new  20-page  book  to  work  know  how  it, 
too,  can  suggest  practical  ways  of  selling  even  more 
tickets.  Writes  Vincent  R.'McFaul  of  Buffalo  Theatres, 
Inc.,  "Every  theatre  man  should  have  this  manual  on 
one  of  the  best  short  features  being  offered  on 
theatre  screens  and  one  that  actually  attracts  people  to 
the  box  office."  Comments  Advertising  Manager  Sid 
Dannerberg  of  Warner  Brothers  Ohio  Theatres, 
"Your  manual  is  most  com- 
prehensive and  an  intelligent 
aid  to  a  manager  in  selling 
this  deserved  subject  to  the 
public." 

Selling  THE  MARCH  OF 
TIME  does  not  require  a 
major  campaign.  Time  and 
again,  managers  have  shown 
how  seemingly  unimportant 


"trifles"— little  things— can  fan  an  uncommon  amount 
of  interest  with  patrons. 

MARCH  OF  TIME'S  new  20-page  book  is  primed 
with  dozens  of  these  inexpensive  selling  tips,  tagged 
by  Variety  as  "scaled  to  meet  all  needs."  Your  copy 
is  now  available  at  your  nearest  RKO  exchange. 
Get  it  today  and  put  it  to  work! 


ALL  NEW. . .  No.  8  NOW  SHOWING 


March 

"TIME 

m   ■     ■  ■  w  ■ 

\l/  PRODUCED  BY  THE  EDITORS  OF  TIME 


HIGHWAY  HOMES 

As  the  auto  trailer  booms  a  new  industry,  500,- 
000  people  in  the  U.  S.  today  roll  across  the 
nation  wagging  their  homes  behind  them. 

KING  COTTON'S  SLAVES 

Sharecroppers'  revolt  in  Arkansas  reveals  that 
both  Planter  and  Sharecropper  are  slaves  of  the 
South's  one-crop  system. 

ALBANIA'S  KING  ZOG 

For  Mussolini — primes!  piece  of  colonial  plun- 
der in  Europe. 


100 


MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  -  -  August   22,  1936 


COURT  ACTION  EXTENDS  from  readers 
3  B&K  CHICAGO  LEASES 


Marbro,  Broadway  Strand  and 
Granada  Reorganization  Is 
Effected;  Issue  New  Bonds 

by  WILLIAM  F.  CROUCH 

in  Chicago 

After  many  discussions  and  considerable 
controversy  between  various  groups  of 
stockholders,  the  complete  reorganization  of 
three  large  Chicago  motion  picture  theatre 
properties,  with  bond  issues  totaling  $2,580,- 
300,  has  been  announced  by  Dayton  Keith, 
chairman  of  the  American  Bond  and  Mort- 
gage Company  bondholders'  committee. 

The  new  leases  on  the  three  theatres — 
the  Granada,  Marbro  and  Broadway 
Strand — have  been  made  with  the  present 
lease  holders,  Balaban  and  Katz.  The  re- 
organization plans,  approved  by  Judge 
Philip  L.  Sullivan  in  the  United  States  Dis- 
trict Court,  provide  for  new  corporations, 
stock  of  which  goes  to  the  holders  of  junior 
securities  and  stockholders  of  the  old  cor- 
porations. 

In  each  of  the  three,  new  first  mortgage 
twelve  year  bonds  are  being  given  to  holders 
of  present  first  mortgage  bonds,  drawing  less 
interest  than  the  original  bonds.  All  of  the 
new  bonds  are  dated  July  1,  1935,  and  interest 
to  June  30,  1936,  will  be  paid  at  the  time  of 
distribution  of  the  new  securities. 

Under  the  new  plan  the  theatre  rentals  are 
to  be  applied  in  payment  of  taxes,  insurance, 
nominal  administration  expenses  and  interest. 
The  remainder  is  to  be  used  for  retirement  of 
the  bonds  up  to  a  certain  point.  Then,  if  the 
funds  available  for  retirement  reach  a  satis- 
factory figure,  dividends  on  the  stock  of  the 
new  corporation  may  be  paid,  Mr.  Keith  said. 

The  new  leases,  running  for  the  same  term  as 
the  new  bonds,  are  on  a  graduated  percentage 
basis  with  minimum  guaranteed  rentals.  The 
minimum  rent  on  the  3,937  seat  Marbro  theatre, 
4106  West  Madison  Street,  will  be  $90,000  an- 
nually, compared  with  a  former  $80,000  guar- 
antee. 

On  the  Granada  theatre,  6427-45  Sheridan 
Road,  with  3,442  seats,  the  minimum  guarantee 
is  $47,500.  The  1,527  seat  Broadway  Strand, 
1641  West  Roosevelt  Road,  will  have  a  reduced 
minimum  rent  of  $27,000  compared  with  $27,500 
formerly. 

The  Marbro  bond  issue  outstanding  is  $1,431,- 
600  at  6Y2%.  The  Granada  issue  of  $940,900 
at  6l/2%  will  have  its  interest  rate  reduced  to 
3%.  The  Broadway  Strand  $207,800  issue,  at 
6j/2%,  has  been  cut  to  5%. 

V 

Chicago's  first  "high  priced"  motion  picture 
theatre,  the  Orpheum,  will  soon  become  history. 
Built  in  1907,  the  640  seat  theatre,  will  be  torn 
down  this  spring  and  a  chain  footwear  store 
erected  in  its  place.  The  Orpheum  was  the  first 
Chicago  theatre  to  charge  more  than  ten  cents 
and  the  first  local  theatre  to  run  feature  length 
pictures. 

The  house,  for  the  past  five  years,  has  been 
operated  by  Warner  Bros.  Prior  to  that  time 
it  was  under  the  management  of  Jones,  Linick 
and  Schaefer,  who  opened  it  in  1907  on  a  five 
cent  admission  policy,  showing  three  short  reels 
of  film.  In  1912  they  raised  the  price  to  twice 
that  amount,  10  cents. 

When  Warners  were  notified  that  the  rental 
on  the  property  would  be  raised  they  refused  to 


accept  the  deal  and  the  chain  store  people  took 
over  the  lease.  The  location,  which  is  now 
away  from  the  center  of  theatrical  activity  in 
the  loop,  the  smallness  of  the  house  and  the 
high  taxes  and  rental  are  factors  in  the  Warner 
decision. 

V 

Myrtle  Friedman  of  the  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox  exchange  is  the  "CAPA  Cruise  Queen." 
Strong  support  from  a  legion  of  friends  along 
film  row  gave  her  the  chance  to  win  the  $50 
award  and  serve  as  Queen  of  the  midnight 
cruise  which  CAPA  members  and  friends  in- 
dulged in  Tuesday  evening. 

V 

Demands  of  Chicago  city  officials  that 
the  new  2,000-foot  reels  have  one  inch 
space  between  the  outer  edge  of  the  reel 
and  the  inner  edge  of  the  magazine  will 
force  the  use  of  a  14-inch  reel,  distributors 
here  say,  according  to  Henry  Herbel,  presi- 
dent of  the  local  Film  Board.  With  the 
141/2-inch  reel  standard,  a  rewinding  be- 
fore the  show  starts  would  be  required,  he 
pointed  out.  Mr.  Herbel  said  the  home 
office  of  the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and 
Distributors  of  America  had  advised  Chi- 
cago distributors  to  ignore  the  city  ruling. 
V 

Like  a  pair  of  London  busmen  on  a  holiday, 
Raymond  Gallo  and  Gertrude  Merriam,  of  the 
home  office  of  Quigley  Publications,  made  wel- 
come visits  to  the  Chicago  office  within  the 
fortnight. 

V 

A  $200,000  order  for  motion  picture  film 
printers  has  been  received  by  the  local  Bell  & 
Howell  plant.  This  figure  is  believed  to  be  the 
largest  amount  ever  expended  for  such  equip- 
ment at  one  time.  The  sixteen  automatic  sound 
and  picture  printers  are  for  the  west  coast 
laboratories  of  Paramount  and  Columbia. 
V 

George  Schaefer  of  United  Artists  was  in 
Chicago  this  week  seeking  to  close  a  product 
deal  with  B.&K.  If  the  negotiations  succeed, 
as  is  expected  on  Film  Row,  United  Artists 
productions  will  return  to  the  circuit's  screens 
after  an  absence  of  several  years. 

V 

Members  of  the  operator's  union  are 
conferring  with  local  theatre  executives  re- 
garding the  new  contract  for  the  coming 
year.  A  25%  increase  in  salaries  is  being 
asked  by  the  union  but  so  far  no  grant  of 
such  has  been  made  by  the  theatre  men. 
On  the  contrary,  the  theatremen  assert 
they  will  seek  a  wage  reduction,  claiming 
that  present  wages  are  too  high  and  that, 
with  the  adoption  of  the  2,000  foot  reel, 
the  operators  will  have  less  to  do. 
V 

Tommy  Kearns,  press  representative  for 
Fanchon  and  Marco,  with  his  bride,  Valary 
Vance,  stopped  off  in  Chicago  for  a  few  hours 
to  visit  with  some  of  the  boys  at  B  &  K  before 
proceeding  to  South  Dakota,  where  the  couple 
will  spend  their  honeymoon. 

V 

Business  in  Chicago's  loop  theatres  has  been 
on  the  upgrade  the  past  few  weeks.  One  rea- 
son is  the  influx  of  better  film  attractions  than 
in  many  weeks  past  and,  secondly,  the  rise  is  a 
normal  one,  figures  for  past  years  showing  that 
August  is  one  of  the  best  months  for  business 
in  the  loop. 


FUNERAL  SEQUENCES 
CALLED  BIG  MISTAKE 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Herald  : 

There  are  so  many  socalled  "Big"  things 
bothering  all  of  us  in  the  business,  the  New 
Season,  the  utter  collapse  of  the  Trade  Prac- 
tice efforts,  Dual  Bills,  Bank  Night,  etc., 
that  it  seems  rather  useless  to  revert  to  the 
kind  of  criticism  of  picture  methods  and 
practices  that  used  to  be  almost  weekly  in  the 
pages  of  the  old  Herald  and  World. 

We've  had  one  thing  on  our  mind  a  long, 
long  time.  Why  is  there  such  an  increasing 
tendency  in  Hollywood  to  include  the  very 
details  of  death  and  its  subsequent  funeral? 
We  all  know  these  things  happen,  but  very 
few  really  enjoy  them.  No  one  who  has  a 
personal  contact  with  either  ever  forgets 
entirely,  or,  at  least,  they  never  care  to  have 
the  memory  brought  back  time  and  time 
again  through  the  medium  of  their  entertain- 
ment. 

The  newsreels  used  to  have  a  ban  on  such 
things.  Now,  hardly  a  week  goes  by  without 
some  accident  or  fatality  and  its  accompany- 
ing burial  scene  being  shown,  described  and 
imprinted  on  some  mind  that  came  to  the 
theatre  to  be  amused. 

A  very  definite  case  in  point  is  that  mar- 
velous Technicolor  achievement  of  Walter 
Wanger's  "The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome 
Pine."  The  funeral  consumed  lengthy  foot- 
age, the  mourning  "breakdown"  by  Fuzzy 
Knight  was  unquestionably  well  done,  but 
does  it  belong  in  the  theatre?  I,  personally, 
have  never  had  direct  contact  with  the  situ- 
ation I  write  of,  but  I  stand  in  my  theatre 
show  after  show ;  I  know  my  patrons  per- 
sonally; this  is  a  very  small  town,  and  I  see 
what  happens  to  this  good  friend  or  that  as 
these  needless  scenes  are  over-emphasized. 
Death  is  an  obvious  part  of  drama,  we  all 
know  about  it,  realize  it,  can  see  it  play  its 
part  in  the  picture  we  are  seeing  and  the 
story  we  are  absorbing,  but  I  do  know  very 
well  that  the  present  Hollywood  idea  on  the 
subject  does  not  add  to  their  finished 
product. 

The  silent  picture  owed  its  strength  to 
what  it  left  to  the  viewer's  imagination ;  one 
of  the  weaknesses  of  sound  is  that  but  little 
can  be  so  left  and  surely  the  subject  of  this 
letter  might  well  be  one  of  the  few. 

"Pine"  did  not  do  well  here.  I  know  the 
reason.  But  more  than  that,  I  like  to  send 
my  patrons  home  as  happily  as  possible,  and 
it  might  surprise  a  number  of  picture  pro- 
ducers how  little  their  realistic  efforts  are 
appreciated  in  the  small  towns  of  this  coun- 
try. Entertainment  is  what  the  people  want, 
and  the  proportion  of  pictures  that  provide 
it  is  not  so  great  that  this  element,  that  is 
the  backbone  of  our  business,  can  be  trifled 
with. — Henry  Reeve,  Mission  Theatre, 
Menard,  Texas. 


Macgowan's  Contract  Renewed 

Kenneth  Macgowan  has  signed  a  new 
long-term  contract  with  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox  as  a  producer  and  his  first  assignments 
will  be  "King  of  the  Khyber  Rifles"  and 
"Lloyds  of  London." 


Delia  Lind  Signed 

Delia  Lind,  Viennese  actress  and  singer, 
has  been  signed  by  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 
to  a  long-term  contract. 


August    2  2,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


101 


Self-Regulation 
Cited  as  Aid  to 
Film  and  Ads 

Self-regulation  within  the  motion  picture 
industry  has  brought  (1)  improved  quality 
of  production  accompanied  by  increased 
public  demand  for  finer  pictures;  and,  (2) 
an  improved  quality  of  motion  picture  ad- 
vertising. Thus  does  the  Motion  Picture 
Producers  and  Distributors  of  America, 
Will  H.  Hays,  president,  observe  the  results 
to  date  under  the  Production  Code  Admin- 
istration, as  governed  in  Hollywood  by 
Joseph  I.  Breen,  and  the  Advertising  Ad- 
visory Council,  conducted  in  New  York  by 
J.  J.  McCarthy. 

The  occasion  for  these  conclusions  is  the 
issuance  to  the  press  of  a  dual  report  on  the 
work  and  progress  to  date  of  both  forms  of 
self-regulation. 

"There  have  been  fewer  and  fewer  re- 
jections each  year"  in  advertising  copy,  as 
voluntarily  submitted  to  Mr.  McCarthy's 
Advisory  Council,  the  Hays  report  says, 
thus  "indicating  the  improved  quality  of 
advertising."  The  extent  to  which  these 
improvements  have  been  made  is  explained 
in  the  following  statistics: 

Number  Discarded, 
Pieces  of  Copy  Submitted      Retouched,  Rejected 
in  1935-36  or  Revised 

103,310  Stills   1,027 

12,450  Advertisements. .  351 

1 2, 1 00  Exploitation  Ideas  1 7 

2,044  Posters   62 

867  Trailers   3 

Approximately  85  per  ,cent  of  motion  pic- 
ture advertising  originates  with  MPPDA 
member  companies,  it  was  said.  The  re- 
maining 15  per  cent  has,  in  large  measure, 
followed  the  lead  of  the  Association. 

The  advertising  code  was  adopted  on 
June  6,  1930,  and  was  made  applicable  to  all 
forms  of  motion  picture  advertising  and 
exploitation.  The  machinery  as  it  is  pres- 
ently constituted  was  set  up  by  the  execu- 
tive committee  of  the  MPPDA  on  Novem- 
ber 17,  1933,  headed  by  Mr.  McCarthy  and 
including  in  the  council  the  advertising 
heads  of  member  companies.  To  secure  a 
uniform  interpretation  of  the  code,  it  was 
agreed  that  all  advertising  material  be  vol- 
untarily submitted  in  advance  for  inspec- 
tion and  a  stamp  of  approval. 

The  report  on  the  Production  Code  Ad- 
ministration reminds  that,  "Throughout  the 
years  Mr.  Hays  has  maintained  the  open 
door  and"  and  that  "educational,  social,  re- 
ligious and  other  groups  and  film  councils 
are  functioning  in  several  thousand  com- 
munities to  support  better  pictures."  In  all 
cases  the  MPPDA  "cooperates  directly." 

The  production  code,  it  is  said,  keeps 
"unimpaired  the  integrity  and  vigor  of  the 
screen,"  in  concluding  an  outline  of  the 
incidents  which  led  up  to  its  adoption,  in 
1934. 


Murray  Joins  O'Reilly 

Thomas  Murray,  who  has  been  with  the 
Century  circuit  in  an  executive  capacity  for 
the  past  10  years,  has  resigned  to  become 
general  manager  for  Charles  L.  O'Reilly's 
various  enterprises. 


HONG  KONG  SHOWMAN 
REPORTS  ON  PICTURES 

From  Hong  Kong,  China,  came 
last  week  a  new  contributor  who  has 
found  the  reports  in  the  "What  the 
Picture  Did  for  Me"  department  "a 
source  of  invaluable  information." 

That  Manager  Soldin  has  been  a 
consistent  reader  of  "What  the  Pic- 
ture Did  for  Me"  is  evidenced  in  re- 
ports, first  of  which  appeared  in  last 
week's  issue.  Mr.  Soldin  writes: 

Herewith  some  of  my  contributions 
for  your  page,  which  always  was  and 
will  be  a  source  of  invaluable  infor- 
mation for  me. 

I  hope  that  your  readers  will  be  in- 
terested to  know  what  the  pictures 
are  doing  for  me  in  Hong  Kong, 
China. 

The  Star  Theatre  is  a  second  run 
neighborhood  house,  570  seats,  and  is 
patronized  exclusively  by  Europeans. 
There  is  only  3  per  cent  of  Chinese 
amongst  our  patrons. 

If  you  will  be  interested  I  will  be 
glad  to  contribute  regularly. 

IV *ek Run  Limit  in 
Brazil  Cuts  Gross 

by  A.  WEISSMANN 

in  Rio  de  Janeiro 

The  unvarying  policy  in  the  exhibition  of 
pictures  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  which  makes  it 
virtually  impossible  to  hold  a  film  at  one 
theatre  more  than  one  week,  is  seen  as  se- 
riously affecting  potential  grosses.  The 
Paramount  picture,  "Desire,"  was  doing  ex- 
ceptionally fine  business  in  its  first  week  at 
the  Palacio,  yet  was  withdrawn  to  make  way 
for  "Mazurka,"  German  film  released  by 
Cine  Allianz.  The  same  was  true  of  the  pic- 
tures of  the  Louis-Schmeling  fight,  which 
were  very  well  received  but  were  taken  off 
after  one  week. 

Carmen  Santos,  president  of  Brazil  Vita 
Films,  which  produced  "Cidade  Mulher,"  has 
decided  to  release  the  film  directly  through- 
out the  country,  following  a  difference  with 
the  Associacao  Cinematographica  de  Pro- 
ductores  Brasileiros  and  the  Distribuidora 
de  Films  Brasileiros.  By  the  move  the  com- 
pany is  saved  18  per  cent  of  the  20  per 
cent  which  would  have  gone  to  the  distribut- 
ing organization  if  it  had  taken  over  dis- 
tribution of  the  film. 


Directors  of  Eastern 
Allied  Meet  Sept.  9 

Eastern  directors  of  Allied  Association 
of  Motion  Picture  Exhibitors  will  hold  their 
next  regional  meeting  at  Atlantic  City,  N. 
J.,  on  September  9th.  Allied  of  New  Jer- 
sey has  scheduled  its  annual  convention  for 
the  same  city  September  10th  and  11th. 

Hoffberg  Takes  "Pace" 

J.  H.  Hoffberg  has  taken  over  from 
Willis  Kent  the  foreign  distribution  of  "The 
Pace  That  Kills." 


Erpi  Demonstrates 


InHollywoodBowl 

A  Stereophonic  Sound  Reinforcing  Sys- 
tem, developed  by  Electrical  Research 
Products  Corporation  designed  to  amplify 
without  distortion  the  music  of  a  personally- 
present  orchestra  was  demonstrated  this 
week  at  the  Hollywood  Bowl  with  an 
orchestra  of  100  musicians  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Leopold  Stokowski.  (Picture  in 
Pictorial  Section.) 

The  system,  first  principles  of  which  were 
demonstrated  in  1933  when  a  concert  given 
by  Dr.  Stokowski  and  his  Philadelphia 
orchestra  was  transmitted  over  telephone 
lines  and  reproduced  in  Constitution  Hall, 
Washington,  D.  C,  is  designed  to  reproduce 
the  "auditory  perspective"  or  stereophonic 
effect  by  which  the  listener  can  identify  the 
location  of  each  instrument  or  choir.  De- 
pression years  delayed  further  development 
of  the  principle  until  now. 

To  enhance  the  sense  of  reality  by  spread- 
ing the  music  from  the  loudspeakers  through- 
out the  audience  as  the  orchestra  itself 
would  do  if  it  were  sufficiently  powerful  and 
to  create  a  greatly  magnified  atmosphere  of 
sound  not  perceptibly  different  from  that 
of  the  unaided  indoor  orchestra  the  system 
employs  two  new  principles. 

The  stereophonic  effect  is  achieved  by  the 
use  of  three  distinct  amplifying  circuits. 
Three  standard  Western  Electric  micro- 
phones of  the  electro-dynamic  type  are 
aligned  in  front  of  the  orchestra.  The  two 
end  microphones,  corresponding  to  the  left 
and  right  human  ears,  respond  primarily  to 
the  orchestra  and  the  central  one  lends  depth 
or  power  to  the  soloist's  voice  or  instrument. 
Three  loudspeakers  disseminate  the  sound 
picked  up  by  the  microphones  in  corre- 
sponding directions. 

New  Speaker  Employed 

To  cover  the  wide  range  of  sound  waves 
produced  by  an  orchestra  tones  extending 
from  35  vibrations  per  second  to  as  high  as 
12,000  must  be  transmitted  with  equal  vol- 
ume. Because  the  single  element  type  elec- 
trical loudspeaker  is  incapable  of  this,  a  new 
Di-phonic  speaker  is  employed.  The  speaker 
combines  two  basic  elements,  a  multi-cellular 
or  high  frequency  unit  which  projects  the 
high  pitched  vibrations  and  the  bi-cellular 
or  low  frequency  unit  which  radiates  the 
powerful  bass. 

Special  controls  or  filter  networks  were 
installed  in  the  Bowl  for  the  concert  by 
means  of  which  the  bass  or  low  pitched 
music  was  subjected  to  the  conductor's  will. 
Dr.  Stokowski  controlled  quick  volume 
changes  by  means  of  an  accelerator  pedal 
on  the  podium  and  in  addition  a  master  con- 
trol was  stationed  in  the  audience.  A  total 
of  8  people  were  necessary  to  operate  the 
system. 

The  Technicians  Branch  Executive  Com- 
mittee of  the  Academy  of  Motion  Picture 
Arts  and  Sciences  sponsored  a  demonstra- 
tion and  explanation  of  the  system  imme- 
diately following  the  concert  in  the  Bowl. 
Dr.  Harvey  Fletcher  of  the  Bell  Telephone 
Laboratories,  who  developed  the  apparatus, 
conducted  the  demonstration. 


'toe 

*    ★  * 

*r  Now -Sound  Has  a  New  Box-Off  ice  Value! 

For  the  first  time,  a  sound  system  is  offered  that  can  reproduce 
the  complete  range  of  balanced,  dramatic  sound  — from  stark 
silence  to  soul- stirring  crescendo  —  sound  that  pulsates  with  real 
life  —  sound  that  brings  hitherto  unheard  beauty  to  every  seat 
—Every  Sound  Effect  That  Can  Be  Put  On  The  Sound  Track, 
as  true  as  a  mirrored  reflection  in  a  true  mirror  —  mirrophonic. 


Big  grosses  belong  to  the  new,  dramatic  sound  effects. 
Box-office  receipts  of  test  theatres  on  a  few  pictures  dur- 
ing the  past  year  have  proven  it— future  pictures  will 
have  many  more  dramatic  sound  effects,  now  that  Western 
Electric's  new,  epoch-making  mirrophonic  sound  sys- 
tem has  contributed  such  money-making  possibilities  to 
picture  production.  It  is  even  possible  that  the  increased 
receipts  from  a  few  such  pictures  will  pay  for  the  cost 
of  the  change  to  MIRROPHONIC. 

Climaxing  fifty  years  of  Bell  Telephone  Laboratory  re- 
search and  ten  years  of  Electrical  Research  Products' 
experience,  embodying  in  commercial  form  the  revolu- 
tionary principles  of  the  historic  Stereophonic^  repro- 
duction demonstrated  to  science  in  1933,  mirrophonic 
is  a  perfected  new  sound  system  retaining  every  basic 
Western  Electric  superiority  of  the  past  and  setting  a 
new  standard  of  leadership  for  years  to  come. 


E.R.P.I.'s  world-wide  service  facilities  assure  the  proper 
installation  of  mirrophonic,  and  the  ever-watchful  in- 
spections assure  the  maximum  in  performance  of  this 
new  sound  system  that  will  give  true  reproduction  of 
the  original. 

mirrophonic  brings  with  it  to  exhibitors  a  powerful 
exploitation  campaign  which  will  make  every  listener 
conscious  of  the  superiority  of  the  sound  in  your  theatre. 
Our  representative  will  assist  in  your  campaign. 

mirrophonic  may  be  installed  in  theatres  already  hav- 
ing Western  Electric  Sound  Systems  on  a  siep-by-step 
modification  plan  adapted  to  your  individual  needs.  An 
illustrated  descriptive  book  is  ready  for  you. 

■fe  Stereophonic  Sound,  or  Auditory  Perspective,  ivas  first  successfully 
demonstrated  by  Bell  Telephone  Laboratories  before  the  National  Academy 
of  Sciences  on  April  27,  1933,  seven  years  after  Western  Electric  first 
brought  the  miracle  of  sound  to  motion  pictures. 


Electrical  Research  Products  Inc. 

SUBSIDIARY  OF 

Western  Electric  Company 

INCORPORATED 

250  WEST  57T_H  ST..  NEW  YORK 


THE  NEW 


Western  Electric 


MHMMH'HOKIi 

SOUND  SYSTEM 


THE  STANDARD  SPUN,,  «sui  »r  xm^mitm. 


104 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


Writing  Teams  Heavy 
Story  Contributors 

Screen  writing  teams  commonly  employed 
as  a  unit  create  an  important  number  of 
feature  productions,  according  to  a  survey 
completed  by  the  Academy  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Arts  and  Sciences  in  connection  with 
the  administration  of  the  Writer-Producer 
Code  of  Practice. 

The  revised  Writers'  Code,  now  effective 
in  the  major  studios,  requires  that  a  writer 
must  have  contributed  more  than  25  per 
cent  of  the  value  of  a  screen  play  to  receive 
screen  credit.  This  limits  the  division  of 
screen  play  credit  to  not  more  than  three 
writers  on  a  production.  An  exception  is 
made  in  the  case  of  established  writing 
teams,  however,  who  are  recognized  and 
employed  as  such  and  who  are  considered  as 
one  writer  in  determining  credits  under  the 
code. 

Of  16  teams  registered  by  the  Academy 
for  joint  credits  in  the  10-month  period, 
nine  are  teams  of  two  men  and  seven  of  a 
man  and  a  woman. 

Toddy,  Guerin  Organize 
New  Producing  Company 

Ted  Toddy,  for  many  years  with  Colum- 
bia and  Universal,  and  James  Guerin  have 
organized  a  new  company  in  Hollywood, 
known  as  Unusual  Pictures.  Patrick  Car- 
lyle  has  been  signed  as  director.  The  com- 
pany's first  film  is  being  edited  for  release 
by  Sept.  1st  and  the  second  is  to  go  into 
production  Sept.  15th.  The  technical  staff 
includes  Ervin  S.  Goddard,  assistant  direc- 
tor; Diane  Withers,  editor;  Lillian  Gaffney, 
research  ;  John  Eilers,  '  recording ;  Irving 
Akers,  photography,  and  Byron  Roberts, 
publicity. 


Loew's  Astor  Extension 

Loew's  has  been  given  a  four-month  ex- 
tension of  the  lease  on  the  Astor  Theatre  on 
Broadway  by  the  City  Investing  Corpora- 
tion. Under  the  new  arrangement,  the 
Astor  will  continue  to  be  operated  by  the 
circuit  until  January  1.  Although  no 
definite  date  has  been  set  it  is  probable  that 
"Romeo  and  Juliet"  will  be  dated  in  the  first 
week  in  September  following  a  five-months 
run  of  "The  Great  Ziegfeld." 


Pathe  News  Cited  by  Poland 

For,  understanding  work  on  the  dissem- 
ination of  news  concerning  Poland,  Pathe 
News  was  cited  for  distinguished  services 
by  the  Government  of  Poland.  The  award 
was  a  life-size  oil  painting  of  "The  Polish 
Mountaineer"  by  Pautsch,  presented  in  the 
presence  of  a  group  of  distinguished  diplo- 
matic officials  and  guests  by  Dr.  Julius 
Scygowsky,  Consul  of  Poland. 


Ultra-violet  Sound  Used 

Don  M.  Alexander,  vice-president  of 
Alexander  Film  Company,  of  Colorado 
Springs,  has  signed  an  RCA  Photophone 
sound  recording  license  under  which  his 
company  can  record  with  RCA's  new  ultra- 
violet equipment. 


Golf  Tournament  Delayed 

The  annual  golf  tournament  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Variety  Club,  originally  scheduled 
for  September  25th,  has  been  moved  back 
to  October  2. 


SECOND  QUINTUPLETS 
COMPANY  IN  CANADA 

The  second  company  of  Hollywood 
actors  has  arrived  in  Canada  to  film 
"Reunion,"  Twentieth  Century-Fox's 
second  picture  starring  the  Dionne 
Quintuplets.  Jean  Hersholt  and  Doro- 
thy Peterson,  doctor  and  nurse  of  the 
first  film,  head  the  company  which 
includes  Rochelle  Hudson  and  Robert 
Kent. 

Charles  Fuller  and  Leonard  Hum- 
phries, Toronto  representatives  of  the 
International  Alliance  of  Theatrical 
Stage  Employes  and  Motion  Picture 
Machine  Operators  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada,  were  on  hand  to 
greet  the  company  at  Toronto  and 
found  all  the  union  members  in  good 
standing.  The  producing  company 
had  a  bit  of  labor  trouble  during  the 
filming  of  the  first  picture  but 
straightened  it  out  by  hiring  union 
men  from  Canada,  but  they  did 
nothing  during  the  actual  filming  of 
scenes  except  sit  by  and  watch  the 
proceedings. 


Lee  Goldberg  Acquires 
Big  Feature  Company 

After  operating  for  21  years,  Big  Feature 
Rights  Corporation  has  been  dissolved  in 
Louisville,  Ky.,  and  the  corporation  and  its 
assets  have  been  taken  over  by  Lee  L.  Gold- 
berg, its  head.  Mr.  Goldberg  will  continue 
to  operate  his  exchanges  in  Cincinnati,  In- 
dianapolis and  Louisville. 

Big  Feature  Rights  Exchanges  have  al- 
ready secured  the  franchises  for  the  new 
Chesterfield  and  Invincible  pictures,  the  At- 
lantic and  Amity  franchises,  and  the  Hal- 
perin  and  Maurice  Conn  productions.  It 
will  continue  with  First  Division. 


Norton  Leaves  RCA 

Henry  K.  Norton,  assistant  to  David 
Sarnoff,  president  of  Radio  Corporation  of 
America,  and  •  vice-president  of  the  Radio- 
marine  Corporation,  has  resigned  both  posts, 
it  was  announced  this  week.  Mr.  Norton 
was  formerly  treasurer  of  the  National 
Broadcasting  Company. 


Varbalow  Circuit  Adds  4 

The  Varbalow  circuit,  headed  by  Samuel 
and  Judge  Joseph  Varbalow,  operating 
eight  houses  in  New  Jersey,  has  taken  over 
four  theatres  run  by  David  Shapiro  and 
known  as  Shapiro  Theatres.  Two  of  the 
houses  are  located  in  Philadelphia  and  two 
in  New  Jersey. 


Exhibitor  Customs  Collector 

A.  Miles  Pratt,  head  of  the  St.  Charles 
Amusement  company,  operating  the  St. 
Charles  theatre  in  New  Orleans,  has  been 
appointed  collector  of  customs  of  the  port 
of  New  Orleans. 


Funk  with  Photophone 

Harold  L.  Funk,  formerly  with  Elec- 
trical Research  Products,  Inc.,  has  joined 
the  field  engineering  staff  of  RCA  Photo- 
phone. 


National  Decency  Legion 
Classifies  29  New  Pictures 

Of  29  pictures  reviewed  and  classified  by 
the  National  Legion  of  Decency  the  past 
three  weeks  19  were  listed  as  unobjection- 
able for  general  patronage  and  10  as  unob- 
jectionable for  adults.  The  new  films  and 
their  classification  follow. 

Class  A-l,  "Unobjectionable  for  General 
Patronage" :  "The  Boss  Rider  of  Gun 
Creek,"  "Brand  of  the  Outlaw,"  "China 
Clipper,"  "Ghost  Patrol,"  "Girls  Dormi- 
tory," 'Grand  Jury,"  "I  Was  a  Captive  of 
Nazi  Germany,"  "Kelly  the  Second,"  "Last 
of  the  Mohicans,"  "Love  Begins  at  Twen- 
ty," "My  American  Wife,"  "My  Man  God- 
frey," "Pepper,"  "Phantom  Patrol,"  "Pic- 
cadilly Jim,"  "Postal  Inspector,"  "Rhythm 
on  the  Range,"  "Schloss  Hubertus,"  "The 
Shakedown."  Class  A-2,  "Unobjectionable 
for  Adults":  "The  Final  Hour,"  "His 
Brother's  Wife,"  "Hollywood  Boulevard," 
"I'd  Give  My  Life,"  "Lady  Luck,"  "Second 
Wife,"  "Sing,  Baby,  Sing,"  "36  Hours  to 
Kill,"  "To  Mary— With  Love,"  "Yours  for 
the  Asking." 

Spencer  Tracy  Wins 
July  Actors'  Award 

Spencer  Tracy  gave  the  best  performance 
during  the  month  of  July  in  "San  Fran- 
cisco," according  to  the  monthly  vote  of  the 
Screen  Actors'  Guild  membership  in  Holly- 
wood. Tracy  is  the  first  player  to  win  the 
vote  twice  as  well  as  the  first  to  take  honors 
in  consecutive  months.  He  was  voted  the 
award  the  month  before  for  his  work  in 
"Fury." 

First  honorable  mention  went  to  Carole 
Lombard  for  "The  Princess  Comes  Across" 
and  second  mention  to  Francis  Lederer  for 
his  performance  in  "One  Rainy  Afternoon." 

Academy  Research  Augmented 

William  F.  Kelley  has  been  appointed 
assistant  to  Gordon  S.  Mitchell,  manager  of 
the  Research  Council  of  the  Academy  of 
Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences.  He  will 
be  engaged  on  the  Council's  sound  recording 
projects  and  with  the  increased  technical 
publication  program  planned  for  this  year. 


MGM  Holds  Bernard  Sobel 

Bernard  Sobel,  who  is  working  on  special 
publicity  for  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"  in  New 
York,  will  continue  with  Metro-Goldwyn- 
Mayer  after  the  picture  leaves  the  Astor. 
He  will  work  in  a  similar  capacity  on 
"Romeo  and  Juliet"  with  Nathan  Zatkin. 


Theatre  Leases  Approved 

The  United  States  district  court  has  ap- 
proved the  offer  of  Ashley  Theatre  Com- 
pany of  Milwaukee  to  lease  the  Orpheum, 
Strand  and  Parkway  theatres  in  that  city 
at  a  fixed  rental  of  $45,000  and  50  per  cent 
of  the  profits  annually  for  15  years. 

Kay  Francis  Legalizes  Name 

Kay  Francis  has  been  granted  the  right 
to  change  her  name  legally  to  the  name  she 
uses  on  the  screen.  Her  real  name  was 
Katherine  Gibbs  Mielsiner. 


Nate  Watt  Becomes  Director 

Nate  Watt,  for  nine  years  assistant  direc- 
tor to  Lewis  Milestone,  will  direct  William 
Boyd  in  the  next  Cassidy  story,  "Hopalong 
Cassidy  Returns,"  for  Paramount. 


MAINSTAY 


AS  THE  motion  picture  industry  grows,  so 
grows  the  importance  of  Eastman  Super  X 
Panchromatic  Negative.  This  world-fa- 
mous Eastman  film  guards  the  high  photo- 
graphic quality  of  the  bulk  of  today's 
feature  productions.  It  is  truly  a  mainstay 
of  one  of  the  country's  greatest  industries. 
Eastman  Kodak  Company,  Rochester, 
N.  Y.  (J.  E.  Brulatour,  Inc.,  Distributors, 
Fort  Lee,  New  York,  Chicago,  Hollywood.) 


EASTMAN  SUPER  A 

PANCHROMATIC  NEGATIVE 


106 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


PRODUCTIONS  IN  WORK 


TITLE 

COLUMBIA 

"Theodora  Goes  Wild" 

"Killer  at  Large" 

"Cross  Fire" 

GAUMONT-BRITISH 

"The  Nelson  Touch" 

"The  Great  Barrier" 

"Head  Over  Heels" 
"The  Hidden  Power" 
"Land  Without  Music" 

HAL  ROACH 

"General  Spanky" 
METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 

"Camille" 

PARAMOUNT 

"The  Accusing  Finger" 

"Go  West,  Young  Man" 

RKO  RADIO 

"Winterset" 

"The  Big  Game" 
"Without  Orders" 

"One  Man  Came  Back" 

TWENTIETH  CENT.-FOX 

"15  Maiden  Lane" 

"Can  This  Be  Dixie" 


"Pigskin  Parade" 
UNITED  ARTISTS 

"Love  Under  Fire" 
UNIVERSAL 

"Luckiest  Girl  in  the  World" 
"Flying  Hostess" 

"Man  I  Marry" 

"Rich  and  Reckless" 

"Four  Days'  Wonder" 


WARNER  BROTHERS- 
FIRST  NATIONAL 

"God's  Country  ond  the 
Woman" 


'The  Making  of  O'Malley" 


WRITER  AND  DIRECTOR 


Original  story,  Mary  McCarthy,  Director:  Rich- 
ard Boleslawski 


Story,    Carl    Clauson.      Screen  play, 
Shumate.     Director:   David  Selman. 


Harold 


Screen  play,  Ford  Beebe.  Director:  C.  C.  Cole- 
man. 


From  a  play  by  Neil  Grant.  Screen  play,  Noel 
Langley.     Director:   Herbert  Mason. 

From  a  serial  by  Alan  Sullivan.  Screen  play, 
Michael  Barringer,  Ian  Dalrymple,  Ralph 
Spence.    Director:  Milton  Rosmer. 

From  a  story  by  Francois  de  Croisset.  Director: 
Sonnie  Hale. 

From  a  novel  by  Joseph  Conrad.  Director:  Alfred 
Hitchcock. 

From  the  Oscar  Strauss  operetta.  Author,  R. 
Bernauer     Director:    Walter  Forde. 


Director:  Fred  Newmeyer. 


From  the  play  by  Alexandre  Dumas.  Director: 
George  Cukor. 


Director:   James  Hogan 


Based  on  the  play  by  Lawrence  Riley.  Screen 
play  and  dialogue  by  Mae  West.  Director: 
Henry  Hathaway. 


From  the  play  by  Maxwell  Anderson.  Screen 
play,  Anthony  Veiller.  Director:  Alfred  San- 
tell. 

From  the  novel  by  Francis  Wallace.  Screen  play, 
Irwin   Shaw.     Director:    George   Nicholls,  Jr. 

From  a  story  by  Peter  B.  Kyne.  Screen  play, 
J.  Robert  Bren,  Edmund  Hartmann.  Director: 
Louis  Friedlander. 

From  a  book  by  David  Lamson.  Screen  play, 
John  Twist.    Director:  Christy  Cabanne. 


Based  on  original  story,  Paul  Burger.  Screen 
play,  David  Silverstein,  Paul  Burger.  Director: 
Alan  Dwan. 

Based  on  an  original  by  George  Marshall,  Lamar 
Trotti.  Screen  play,  Lamar  Trotti.  Director: 
George  Marshall. 


Director:    David  Butler. 


Original  story,  John  Balderston.     Screen  play, 
Rose  Franken     Director:  Henry  C.  Potter. 


From  a  magazine  story  by  Ann  Jordan.  Screen 

play,  Henry  Myers.  Director:  Edward  Buzzell. 
Story,  George  Sayre.    Screen  play,  Harvey  Gates, 

Brown  Holmes,   Captain   Robinson.  Director: 

Murray  Roth. 
Original,  M.  Coates  Webster.    Screen  play,  Harry 

Clork.    Director:  Ralph  Murphy. 

Original,  Roy  and  Marjorie  Chanslor.  Screen 
play,  Austin  Parker.  Director:  Harry  Beau- 
mont. 

From  the  novel  by  A.  A.  Milne.  Screen  play, 
Michael  Uris,  Harvey  Thew.  Director:  Sidney 
Salkow. 


Based  on  the  novel  by  James  Oliver  Curwood. 
Screen  play,  Norman  Reilly  Raine.  From  the 
story  by  Peter  Milne,  Charles  Belden.  Di- 
rector:   William  Keighley. 


Director:    William  Dieterle. 


CAST 


Irene  Dunne,  Melvyn  Douglas,  Elizabeth  Risdon,  Mar- 
garet McWade,  Nana  Bryant,  Marian  Marsh,  Thurs- 
ton Hall,  Harland  Briggs,  Grace  Hale,  Sarah  Edwards 

Mary  Brian,  Russell  Hardie,  George  McKay,  Thurston 
Hall,  Henry  Brandon,  Betty  Compson,  Harry  Hayden, 
Boyd  Irwin,  Charles  Moore. 

Charles  Starrett,  Mary  Blake,  Ralph  McCullough. 


Geore   Arliss,   Rene   Ray,   John    Ford,   Jessie  Winter, 

Allan    Jeayes,    Reginald    Tate,     Bernard  Mererield, 

Romilly  Runge. 
Richard  Arlen,   Lilli   Palmer,   Barry   Mackay,  Barbara 

Greene,    J.    Farrell,    MacDonald,    Antoinette  Cellier, 

Roy  Emerton,  Jock  Mackay. 
Jessie   Matthews,   Robert    Flemyng,    Whitney  Bourne, 

Romney  Brent,  Louis  Borrell. 
Sylvia  Sidney,  John  Loder,  Oscar  Homolka,  Desmond 

Tester,  Joyce  Barbour,  S.  J.  Warmington. 
Richard   Tauber,    Diana    Napier,   June   Clyde,  Derrick 

de  Marney,  Jimmy  Durante. 


Spanky  McFarland,  Phillips  Holmes,  Rosina  Lawrence, 
Ralph  Morgan,  Louise  Beavers,  Buckwheat  Thomas, 
Alfalfa  Switzer,  Hobart  Bosworth,  Irving  Pichel, 
Robert  Middlemass. 

Greta  Garbo,  Robert  Taylor,  Lionel  Barrymore,  Lenore 
Ulric,  John  Bryan,  Russell  Hardie,  Barry  Norton, 
Laura  Hope  Crews,  Rex  O'Malley,  Douglas  Walton, 
Henry  Daniell,  Elizabeth  Allan,  May  Robson,  Lita 
Chevret,  Dorothy  Granger,  Mabel  Colcord,  Zeffie 
Tilbury,  May  Beatty. 

Paul  Kelly,  Marsha  Hunt,  Kent  Taylor,  Bernadine 
Hayes,  Robert  Cummings,  Harry  Carey,  Dewitt  Jen- 
nings, Ralf  Harolde,  Fred  Kohler,  Ward  Bond,  Pris- 
cilla  Lawson,  Frank  O'Connor 

Mae  West,  Warren  William,  Randolph  Scott,  Lyle  Tal- 
bot, Alice  Brady,  Isabel  Jewell,  Elizabeth  Patterson, 
Margaret  Perry,  Etienne  Girardot,  Maynard  Holmes, 
Alice  Ardell,  Nicodemus. 

Burgess  Meredith,  Margo,  Eduardo  Ciannelli,  John 
Carradine,  Edward  Ellis,  Maurice  Moscovitch,  Paul 
Guilfoyle. 

Philip  Huston,  James  Gleason,  June  Travis,  Bruce 
Cabot,  Andy  Devine,  Frank  M.  Thomas,  John  Arledge, 
C.   Henry   Gordon,   Big  Boy  Williams. 

Sally  Eilers,  Robert  Armstrong,  Frances  Sage,  Charley 
Grapewin.  Vinton  Haworth,  Ward  Bond. 

Preston  Foster,  Ann  Dvorak,  John  Beal,  Ray  Mayer, 
Gordon  Jones,  Frank  Jenks,  J.  Carroll  Naish,  Russell 
Hopton,  Frank  M.  Thomas,  Dewitt  Jennings. 

Claire  Trevor,  Cesar  Romero,  Douglas  Fowley,  Lloyd 
Nolan,  Lester  Matthews,  Ralf  Harolde,  Robert  Mc- 
Wade, Paul  Fix,  Russell  Hicks,  Holmes  Herbert, 
Howard  Hickman. 

Jane  Withers,  Slim  Summerville,  Sara  Haden,  Claude 
Gillingwater,  Helen  Wood,  Thomas  Beck,  Donald  Cook, 
James  Burke,  Claudia  Coleman,  Edward  Keane,  Hattie 
McDaniel,  Troy  Brown,  Robert  Warwick,  William 
Benedict,  Brenda  Fowler,  Ferdinand  Munier,  Billy 
Bletcher,  William  Worthington,  Otis  Harlan. 

Stuart  Erwin,  Johnny  Downs,  Arline  Judge,  Betty 
Grable,  Patsy  Kelly,  Jack  Haley,  Yacht  Club  Boys, 
Dixie  Dunbar,  Tony  Martin,  Fred  Kohler,  Jr.,  Elisha 
Cook,  Jr. 

Merle  Oberon,  Brian  Aherne,  Jerome  Cowan,  David 
Niven,  Henry  Stephenson. 


Jane  Wyatt,  Catherine  Doucet,  Eugene  Pallette,  Philip 
Reed. 

Judith  Barrett,  Astrid  Allwyn,  Ella  Logan,  William 
Gargan,  William  Hall,  Michael  Loring,  Andy  Devine 

Doris  Nolan,  Michael  Whalen,  Marjorie  Gateson,  Gerald 
Oliver  Smith,  Nigel  Bruce,  Ferdinand  Gottschalk, 
Harry  Barris,  Chic  Sale. 

Edmund  Lowe,  Gloria  Stuart,  Reginald  Owen,  Spring 
Byington,  Maxine  Reiner. 

Jeanne  Dante,  Kenneth  Howell  ,Alan  Mowbray,  Martha 
Sleeper,  Walter  Catlett,  Charles  Williams,  Margaret 
Irving. 


Geogre  Brent,  Beverly  Roberts,  Robert  Barrat,  Alan 
Hale,  Barton  MacLane,  Joseph  King,  Billy  Bevan, 
Bert  Roach,  Roscoe  Ates,  Addison  Richards,  Joseph 
Crehan,  Harry  Hayden,  El  Brendel,  Herbert  Rawlin- 
son,  Pat  Moriarity,  Una  O'Connor,  Susan  Fleming, 
Mary  Treen. 

Pat  O'Brien,  Sybil  Jason,  Humphrey  Bogart,  Frieda 
Inescort,  Ann  Sheridan,  Donald  Crisp,  Hobart  Cav- 
anaugh,  Mary  Gordon. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


107 


WHAT  THE  PICTURE 
DID  FOR  ME 


Columbia 


CATTLE  THIEF,  THE:  Ken  Maynard,  Geneva 
Mitchell — No  better  or  worse  than  90  per  cent  of 
western  product.  Just  a  weekend  western.  Running 
time,  six  reels.  Played  July  31-August  1. — C.  E.  Fis- 
mer,  Lyric  Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio.  Family  pat- 
ronage. 

ESCAPE  FROM  DEVIL'S  ISLAND:  Victor  Jory, 
Florence  Rice,  Norman  Foster — Played  on  double  bill 
with  "Morals  of  Marcus,"  which  made  a  pretty  fair 
program.  Title  seemed  to  draw  a  little  extra  for  us. 
Running  time,  63  minutes.  Played  August  5-6. — C.  E. 
Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio.  Family  pat- 
ronage. 

GRAND  EXIT:  Edmund  Lowe,  Ann  Sothern— Just 
the  type  for  us.  Comedy  and  action  combined  pleased 
every  one.  Played  July  20-30. — C  E.  Fismer,  Lyric 
Theatre.  Hamilton,  Ohio.    Family  patronage. 

SUNDOWN  RIDER:  Buck  Jones,  Barbara  Weeks— 
Another  good  reissue.  Entire  series  has  been  good. 
Running  time,  63  minutes.  Played  July  26-28. — C.  E. 
Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio.  Family  pat- 
ronage. 


First  National 


BULLETS  OR  BALLOTS:  Edward  G.  Robinson, 
Joan  Blondell — A  gangster  picture  dealing  with  the 
rackets.  Okay,  but  not  outstanding.  Too  many  of 
these  pictures  are  coming  through  at  this  time,  kid- 
naping and  racketeering  and  gangster;  the  old  cycle 
working  again. — A.  E.  Hancock,  Columbia  Theatre, 
Columbia  City,  Ind.   General  patronage. 

EARTHWORM  TRACTORS:  Joe  E.  Brown,  June 
Travis — Personally,  I  like  Brown.  But  I  find  so  many 
patrons  who  do  not.  I  liked  this  picture,  too.  But  the 
audience  reaction  was  divided.  From  the  reviews,  I 
supposed  it  would  have  the  audience  in  the  aisles  with 
laughter,  but  here  they  just  sat  and  watched,  and 
managed  to  giggle  once  in  a  while.  The  only  time 
I  found  them  in  the  aisles  was  when  they  were  leav- 
ing the  theatre.  Running  time,  69  minutes.  Played 
August  2-5.— Ralph  Cokain,  Indiana  Theatre,  Marion, 
Ind.    General  patronage. 

GOLDEN  ARROW,  THE:  Bette  Davis,  George 
Brent — Nice  comedy  from  Bette  Davis  and  George 
Brent.  Fair  business.  Played  August  7-8. — L.  A. 
Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

HEARTS  DIVIDED:  Marion  Davies,  Dick  Powell- 
Rate  this  one  as  a  miss-out  for  Vitagraph.  Even  the 
smartest  of  them  fall  by  the  wayside  when  they  go 
high  hat  and  drag  in  the  Napoleon  era.  Although  set 
in  American  settings,  most  of  it,  Powell  looked  the 
perfect  sap  in  the  Napoleonic  uniform.  Miscast  and 
dud  at  the  box  office.— A.  E.  Hancock,  Columbia  The- 
atre, Columbia  City,  Ind.    General  patronage. 

STORY  OF  LOUIS  PASTEUR,  THE:  Paul  Muni, 
Josephine  Hutchinson— Played  it  to  our  weekend 
patrons.  Too  good  for  them,  although  it  was  a  mas- 
terpiece. Every  exhibitor  owes  it  to  his  patrons  to 
show  it.— Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury, 
Ontario,  Canada.    General  patronage. 


Gaumont-British 


MORALS  OF  MARCUS:  Lupe  Velez,  Ian  Hunter- 
Nice  little  comedy  production  that  fitted  well  on 
double  bill.  Running  time,  eight  reels.  Played  August 
5-6— C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio. 
Family  patronage. 

™T!*f^TY~N1NE  STEPS,  THE:  Robert  Donat, 
Madeleine  Carroll— Good  picture,  but  can't  understand 
why  it  was  rated  so  high.  Played  July  29-30.— C.  E. 
Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio.  Family  pat- 
ronage. 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 

EXCLUSIVE  STORY:  Franchot  Tone,  Madge 
fcvans— A  very  good  program  picture  which  played  to 
satisfied  patrons.— Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre, 
filbury,  Ontario,  Canada.    General  patronage. 


IN  this,  the  exhibitors'  own  de- 
partment, the  theatremen  of  the 
nation  serve  one  another  with 
information  on  the  box  office  per- 
formance of  product  for  their  mu- 
tual benefit.  It  is  a  service  of  the 
exhibitor  for  the  exhibitor.  Address 
all  communications  to — 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me 

MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 

Rockefeller  Center,  New  York 


FURY:  Spencer  Tracy,  Sylvia  Sidney,  Walter  Abel 
— A  very  expertly  directed  picture  that  is  strong 
meat.  Tracy  is  very  good  in  this  one,  and  also  this 
actor  Walter  Abel  does  a  swell  job  of  his  role  as 
prosecutor.  Not  average  business  on  it,  although  we 
sold  it  high  as  the  picture  deserves.  But  something 
was  wrong  and  I  don't  know  what.  It  was  not  sup- 
ported, whether  they  pulled  away  from  it  on  account 
of  the  title  or  the  fact  that  there  have  been  so  many 
of  not  exactly  this  type,  but  of  gangster  complex 
that  the  title  indicated,  although  our  copy  refuted 
this.  It  did  not  hit  at  the  box  office. — A.  E.  Hancock, 
Columbia  Theatre,  Columbia  City,  Ind.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

MOONLIGHT  MURDER:  Chester  Morris,  Madge 
Evans — Not  up  to  the  MGM  standard  by  a  long  shot. 
Maybe  we  get  to  looking  for  too  much  from  this 
company.  Anyway,  this  really  was  a  dud.  Running 
time,  68  minutes.  Played  July  24-25. — Horn  and  Mor- 
gan, Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.  Small 
town  patronage. 

PETTICOAT  FEVER:  Robert  Montgomery,  Myrna 
Loy — A  story  which  taxes  the  credulity  of  the 
patrons,  but  which  will  get  by  and  please  most  peo- 
ple. We  did  well  with  it,  but  it  happened  to  hit  a 
two-day  holiday  during  which  any  picture  would  have 
grossed  well.  Running  time,  80  minutes.  Played  July 
24-25.— G.  A.  Van  Fradenburg,  Valley  Theatre,  Ma- 
nassa,  Col.    Farming  community  patfonage. 

ROBIN  HOOD  OF  EL  DORADO,  THE:  Warner 
Baxter,  Ann  Loring — An  old-time  border  story.  It 
will  go  where  you  can  use  a  western,  and  should  be 
a  knockout  in  Mexico.  Running  time,  85  minutes. 
Played  July  31-August  1.— G.  A.  Van  Fradenburg, 
Valley  Theatre,  Manassa,  Col.  Farming  community 
patronage. 

SAN  FRANCISCO:  Clark  Gable,  Jennette  MacDon- 
ald,  Spencer  Tracy,  Jack  Holt — Seldom  do  we  play  a 
return  engagement  of  a  picture,  and  even  less  seldom 
do  we  play  a  return  engagement  so  soon  after  the 
first-run.  In  this  case,  "San  Francisco"  deserved  it. 
On  the  second  engagement,  business  was  right  on 
par,  or  a  little  better,  than  on  the  original  run.  The 
picture  is  a  natural  for  business,  and  how  it  pleased! 
The  earthquake  scenes,  of  course,  have  never  been 
equaled.  Running  time,  115  minutes.  Played  June 
28-30  and  July  24-25.— Ralph  Cokain,  Indiana  Theatre, 
Marion,  Ind.    General  patronage. 

UNGUARDED  HOUR,  THE:  Loretta  Young,  Fran- 
chot Tone— Certainly  a  swell  picture.  A  little  heavier 
than  we  anticipated  and  we  played  one  of  the  "Crime 
Doesn't  '  Pay"  subjects,  which  we  should  not  have 
done.  Nevertheless,  this  is  a  fine  picture,  excellent 
story  and  grand  cast.  Running  time,  88  minutes. 
Played  August  7-8.— Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star 
Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 


Paramount 


BIG  BROWN  EYES:  Joan  Bennett,  Cary  Grant- 
Gangsters  and  manicurists  and  reporters.  Okay 
enough,  but  little  that  is  new.  Played  July  29-30.— 
L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

GLASS  KEY,  THE:  George  Raft,  Claire  Dodd— A 
real  fine  picture  that  I  nearly  missed  playing.  Don't 
pass  this  one  up.   It's  a  real  action  mystery  picture.— 


Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario, 
Canada.    General  patronage. 

LITTLE  AMERICA:  Rear  Admiral  Richard  E. 
Byrd — Excellent  story  of  Admiral  Byrd's  last  trip  to 
the  South  Pole.  It  drew  exceptionally  well,  even 
though  a  little  old.  Running  time,  52  minutes.  Played 
July  29-30. — Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Theatre, 
Hay  Springs,  Neb.   Small  town  patronage. 

POPPY:  W.  C.  Fields,  Rochelle  Hudson— A  very 
fine  picture  with  an  appealing  love  story  plus  Fields' 
inimitable  comedy.  Did  nicely  at  box  office.  Played 
July  24-25. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook, 
N.  H.  General  patronage. 

SKY  PARADE:  Jimmy  Allen,  Katherine  DeMille— 
Fair  picture  that  will  suit  the  not  too  discriminating 
fans.  Allen  seemed  ill  at  ease  before  the  cameras. 
Played  August  7-8— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre, 
Penacook,  N.  H.  General  patronage. 

VIRGINIA  JUDGE,  THE:  Walter  0.  Kelly,  Mar- 
sha Hunt,  Stepin  Fetchit — Very,  very  ordinary  pro- 
gram picture  with  no  drawing  power  whatsoever. 
Running  time,  60  minutes.  Played  July  29-30. — Horn 
and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb. 
Small  town  patronage. 


Republic 

LEAVENWORTH  CASE,  THE:  Norman  Foster, 
Jean  Rouverel — Just  another  detective  yarn.  Played 
August  7. — Charles  C.  Cassinelli,  Wyoming  Theatre, 
Mullens,  W.  Va.  Small  town  patronage. 

SAGEBRUSH  TROUBADOUR:  Gene  Autry,  Bar- 
bara Pepper — Either  the  novelty  has  worn  off  or  this 
was  under  par.  At  any  rate,  it  did  not  go  as  well 
for  us  as  previous  Autry  pictures.  Running  time,  six 
reels.  Played  August  7-8.— C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  The- 
atre, Hamilton,  Ohio.    Family  patronage. 


RKO  Radio 

DANCING  PIRATE.  Charles  Collins,  Steffi  Duna— 
It  is  the  writer's  opinion  that  when  producers  try  to 
make  an  outstanding  picture,  they  should  give  more 
attention  to  the  cast.  Here  was  a  fairly  good  story 
that  absolutely  flopped  at  the  box  office.  Played  to 
the  lowest  two-day  gross  in  history.  Story  and  color 
good.  Played  August  5-6. — Charles  C.  Cassinelli, 
Wyoming  Theatre,  Mullens,  W.  Va.  Small  town  pat- 
ronage. 

FARMER  IN  THE  DELL,  THE:  Fred  Stone,  Jean 
Parker— Good  programmer.  Played  July  22-23. — L.  A. 
Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

IN  PERSON:  Ginger  Rogers,  George  Brent— This  is 
no  special.  Ginger  needs  Astaire.  Did  below  average 
business.  RKO  missed  on  this  one,  although  I  liked  it 
myself.— Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury, 
Ontario,  Canada.    General  patronage. 

SEVEN  KEYS  TO  BALDPATE:  Gene  Raymond, 
Margaret  Callahan — Just  fair.  Kept  our  patrons 
guessing.  No  extra  business.  Did  below  average. — 
Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario, 
Canada.    General  patronage. 

TWO  IN  REVOLT:  Louise  Latimer,  John  Arledge— 
An  above  average  animal  story  with  extraordinary 
acting  honors  going  to  the  clever  dog  "Lightning"  and 
horse  "Warrior."  Play  it  when  the  kids  can  see  and 
enjoy  it.  Played  August  4. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  The- 
atre, Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

WITNESS  CHAIR,  THE:  Ann  Harding,  Walter 
Abel — Okay  courtroom  melodrama.  Played  August 
5-6. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H. 
General  patronage. 

YELLOW  DUST:  Richard  Dix,  Leila  Hyams— Ex- 
cellent western  with  plenty  of  romance.  Leila  Hyams 
is  still  okay.  Why  not  more  roles?  Played  July  24- 
25.— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H. 
General  patronage. 


Twentieth  Century-Fox 

CAPTAIN  JANUARY:  Shirley  Temple,  Guy  Kib- 
bee — Shirley  is  still  the  grand  little  trouper  with  no 
rivals  in  her  particular  line,  although  we  do  believe 
there  are  a  couple  others   who  will  be  pushing  her 


108 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


hard  before  long.  They  will  have  to  go  some,  though, 
to  beat  Shirley  s  natural  dancing  ability,  her  singing, 
her  exquisite  little  form  and  that  grand  smile.  Run- 
ning time,  77  minutes.  Played  August  2-4.— Horn  and 
Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.  Small 
town  patronage. 

O'MALLEY  OF  THE  MOUNTED:  George  O'Brien, 
Irene  Ware — Above  average  western  with  a  good 
story  and  very  pretty  scenery.  Running  time,  59 
minutes.  Played  July  31-August  1. — Horn  and  Mor- 
gan, Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.  Small 
town  patronage. 

O'MALLEY  OF  THE  MOUNTED:  George  O'Brien, 
Irene  Ware — Drew  above  average  weekend  business. 
Our  farm  trade  liked  it.  Seemed  to  satisfy.— Harland 
Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada. 
General  patronage. 

SINS  OF  MAN:  Jean  Hersholt,  Don  Ameche— I 
take  my  hat  off  to  the  exhibitor  that  can  sell  this 
picture  to  the  public  and  get  any  business.  On  a 
religious  theme,  not  any  too  well  directed,  and  alto- 
gether a  washout  as  far  as  business  is  concerned,  and 
most  of  the  audience  expressed  dissatisfaction  with 
the  picture;  in  other  words,  they  did  not  like  it.  An- 
other error  for  Fox.  Hersholt  was  done  wrong  in  this 
one  and  the  trailer  traded  on  his  work  in  "The  Coun- 
try Doctor,"  also,  the  press  sheet.  It  is  a  far  cry 
from  that  picture.  Fox  ought  to  feel  their  face  burn 
in  even  mentioning  it  to  compare  with  the  "Doctor." 
Where  they  get  these  cock-eyed  titles  is  beyond  me. 
That  handicapped  it  from  the  start. — A.  E.  Hancock, 
Columbia  Theatre,  Columbia  City,  Ind.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

TO  MARY— WITH  LOVE:  Warner  Baxter,  Myrna 
Loy — A  disappointment.  After  an  impressive  begin- 
ning, the  picture  falls  completely  flat,  the  audience 
loses  interest  and  fidgets  around  in  the  seats.  Added 
to  its  slow  pace,  the  picture's  other  notable  drawback 
is  the  unconvincing  acting  of  Myrna  Loy  and  Warner 
Baxter.  At  all  times,  they  give  the  impression  that 
they  are  doing  just  what  the  director  told  them  to 
do,  and  wondering  whether  or  not  it_  is  correct.  The 
back-kissing  scene,  with  Myrna's  dying  calf  expres- 
sion, brought  roars  of  laughter  from  the  audience. 
Properly  enacted,  it  would  not  have  caused  this  mirth. 
Ian  Hunter  is  the  only  redeeming  part  of  the  whole 
picture,  because  he  handles  his  role  with  sympathy 
and  understanding,  and  he  is  natural.  The  picture 
should  have  ended  with  Myrna  marrying  him,  but 
as  she  says,  "I  think  everyday  life  should  be  more 
like  the  movies."  Don't  promise  your  patrons  too 
much. — Ralph  Cokain,  Indiana  Theatre,  Marion,  Ind. 
General  patronage. 

YOUR  UNCLE  DUDLEY:  Edward  Everett  Horton 
— Played  it  on  a  double  bill.    Nice  clean  comedy  with 


Nation-wide  —  2500  miles  overnight 

Reaches  directly  215  key  cities  in 
the  United  States  and  Canada — 
also  32  Latin-American  countries. 

5*s  Day  and  night  service. 

Pick-up  and  delivery  free. 
%  Packages  accepted  prepaid 

or  collect.  One  waybUl. 
s{s  COD's.  a  specialty  and  just 

as  fast.  Prompt  remittance. 

By  using  air-rail  express  combined, 
you  can  reach  almost  any  theatre 
in  America,  many  in  a  few  hours, 
at  low  economical  rates. 

For  service  and  information 
'phone  any  Railway  Express  office. 

HIR  EXPRESS 

division 

Railway    Express  Agency 


the  ever  popular  Horton  doing  his  stuff.  Worth  play- 
ing. Did  us  business. — Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  The- 
atre, Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada.    General  patronage. 


United  Artists 

BREWSTER'S  MILLIONS:  Jack  Buchanan,  Lili 
Damita — They  booed  this  and  walked  out.  I  hid  in 
the  office  and  went  home  early.  Shelve  it  and  be 
thankful  for  an  honest  tip.  It  smells. — Harland  Ran- 
kin, Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

GHOST  GOES  WEST,  THE:  Robert  Donat,  Jean 
Parker — If  you  are  in  need  of  a  photoplay  with  the 
screwiest  possible  plot,  don't  overlook  this  one.  I'll 
put  it  against  the  field.  The  motif  seems  to  be  for 
the  British  to  show  the  world  that  American  business 
men  are  a  bunch  of  half-baked  saps.  Running  time, 
85  minutes.  Played  July  28-29.— G.  A.  Van  Fraden- 
burg,  Valley  Theatre,  Manassa,  Lol.  Farming  com- 
munity patronage. 

LITTLE  LORD  FAUNTLEROY:  Freddie  Bartholo- 
mew, Dolores  Costello  Barry  more — Excellent  produc- 
tion that  did  badly  at  our  box  office.  Just  not  the 
type  for  our  spot.  Played  July  26-27. — L.  A.  Irwin, 
Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  patronage. 

ONE  RAINY  AFTERNOON:  Francis  Lederer,  Ida 
Lupino — A  rather  "hokumesque"  comedy.  Light  and 
harmless.  It  will  probably  satisfy  80  per  cent  of  the 
average  movie  audience.  Running  time,  tune  reels. 
Played  August  4-5. — G.  A.  Van  Fradenburg,  Valley 
Theatre,  Manassa,  Col.  Farming  community  pat- 
ronage. 


Universal 

COWBOY  AND  THE  KID,  THE:  Buck  Jones, 
Dorothy  Revier — If  Robert  Taylor  took  to  boots  and 
saddles,  his  popularity  would  drop  like  the  temperature 
last  winter.  He's  wise.  On  the  other  hand,  Buck 
Jones  can  ride  and  shoot  and  save  the  ranch,  but 
when  it  comes  to  acting  emotionally,  he's  a  dud. 
As  a  result,  this  picture  stacks  up  as  poor  entertain- 
ment. Stick  to  your  "shoot  'em  up,"  Buck,  but  leave 
the  acting  to  those  who  are  qualified  for  it.  Running 
time,  58  minutes.  Played  July  31 -August  1. — Ralph 
Cokain,  Indiana  Theatre,  Marion,  Ind.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

HIS  NIGHT  OUT:  Edward  Everett  Horton,  Irene 
Hervey — A  laughable  comedy.  Average  business. 
Played  July  21. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Pena- 
cook, N.  H.    General  patronage. 

SHOW  BOAT:  Irene  Dunne,  Allen  Jones— Superb 
photoplay.  A-l  entertainment  and  nice  business. 
Played  August  2-3.— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre, 
Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

SUTTER'S  GOLD:  Edward  Arnold,  Binnie  Barnes, 
Lee  Tracy — Wouldbe  epic  manages  to  entertain  satis- 
factorily. Fine  performances  by  Arnold  and  Tracy. 
Small  draw.  Played  July  31-August  1. — L.  A.  Irwin, 
Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  patronage. 


Warner  Bros. 

HOT  MONEY:  Ross  Alexander,  Beverly  Roberts— 
When  I  saw  Ross  Alexander  in  "Shipmates  Forever," 
I  predicted  to  myself  a  brilliant  future  for  him.  The 
chap  is  good,  but  his  fast  talking  is  getting  on  the 
public's  nerves.  The  picture  is  fair  entertainment; 
no  box-office  draw,  however.  But  Ross  is  talking 
himself  speedily  out  of  the  public's  favor.  Beverly 
is  a  honey.  Running  time,  67  minutes.  Played  July 
22-23. — Ralph  Cokain,  Indiana  Theatre,  Marion,  Inc. 
General  patronage. 

TIMES  SQUARE  PLAYBOY:  Warren  William, 
June  Travis — Very,  very  light  and  frothy.  Filled  with 
dialogue  and  not  too  much  action.  Seemed  to  please 
our  patrons,  however.  Running  time,  62  minutes. 
Played  August  5-6. — Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star 
Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 

TIMES  SQUARE  PLAYBOY:  Warren  William, 
June  Travis — Some  liked  this;  others  didn't.  No  extra 
business.  Played  July  28.— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  The- 
atre, Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 


Miscellaneous 

SKULL  AND  CROWN  (Realistic):  Rin  Tin  Yin,  Jr. 
— Fair  action  drama  that  drew  extra  business.  Pleased 
the  kids,  but  drew  no  comment  from  adults.  Running 
time,  60  minutes.  Played  August  2-4.— C.  E.  Fismer, 
Lyric  Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio.    Family  patronage. 

Short  Features 
Columbia 

DO  YOUR  STUFF:  Radio  Rogues— Clever  subject 
on  the  usual  order  of  this  series.  Running  time,  17 
minutes. — C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre,  Hamilton, 
Ohio.    Family  patronage. 

SCRAPPY'S  BOY  SCOUTS:  Scrappy  Cartoons- 
Good  cartoon.    Excellent  for  special  bookings  on  chil- 


dren's matinees,  etc.  Running  time,  seven  minutes. — 
C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio.  Family 
patronage. 


Educational 

ALADDIN'S  LAMP:  Paul  Terry-Toons— Average 
from  this  series. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Pena- 
cook, N.  H.  General  patronage. 

ANIMAL  CUNNING:  Treasure  Chest  Series— Ex- 
cellent subject  showing  closeups  of  several  queer  ani- 
mals in  natural  surroundings. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace 
Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

MANHATTAN  TAPESTRY:  Treasure  Chest— Bad 
recording  spoils  this  one. — L.  A.  Irwin.  Palace  Theatre, 
Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

PEACEFUL  RELATIONS:  Tim  and  Irene— Screwy 
comedy.  Gets  by. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Pena- 
cook, N.  H.    General  patronage. 

SAILOR'S  HOME,  THE:  Paul  Terry-Toons— Fairly 
funny  cartoon. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Pena- 
cook, N.  H.    General  patronage. 

SLEEPLESS  HOLLOW:  Harry  Gribbon— Bad 
comedy. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook, 
N.  H.    General  patronage. 


Metro-Gold  wyn-Mayer 

ALL-AMERICAN  TOOTHACHE:  Todd  Kelly— A 
dandy  comedy. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Pena- 
cook, N.  H.    General  patronage. 

BOTTLES:  Harman-Ising — Clever  cartoon. — L.  A. 
Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

FOLLIES  OF  1936:  Our  Gang— Swell  subject.  A 
little  different  from  the  usual  gang  comedies.  Run- 
ning time,  18  minutes. — C.  E,  Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre, 
Hamilton,  Ohio.    Family  patronage. 

GYMNASTICS:  MGM  Sports  Parade— Because  of 
Olympic  games  drew  a  little  interest.  Running  time, 
nine  minutes. — C.  E.  Fismer,  Lyric  Theatre,  Hamil- 
ton, Ohio.    Family  patronage. 

HOW  TO  BEHAVE:  MGM  Miniatures— Not  nearly 
as  good  as  "How  to  Sleep,"  but  interesting,  neverthe- 
less. Running  time,  10  minutes. — Horn  and  Morgan, 
Inc.,  Star  Theatre,  Hay  Springs,  Neb.  Small  town 
patronage. 

MODERN  TOKYO:  FitzPatrick  Travel  Talks— Ex- 
cellent color  travel  reel. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre, 
Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

PINCH  SINGER:  Our  Gang— Funny  Gang  comedy. 
— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

PIRATE  PARTY  ON  CATALINA  ISLE:  Musical 
Revue — Ace  attraction  for  any  house.  Stars,  color, 
music,  dancing;  plenty  okay. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace 
Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

TABLE  TENNIS:  MGM  Sports  Parade-Certainly 
is  remarkable  how  these  players  develop  the  skill  they 
showed  in  this  short.  Very  interesting.  Running 
time.  10  minutes. — Horn  and  Morgan,  Inc.,  Star  Thea- 
tre, Hay  Springs,  Neb.    Small  town  patronage. 


Paramount 

I-SKI  LOVE-SKI  YOU-SKI:  Popeye  the  Sailor— 
Highly  amusing  cartoon. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  The- 
atre, Penacook,  N.  H.  General  patronage. 


RKO  Radio 

TOONERVILLE  TROLLEY:  Rainbow  Parade  Car- 
toons— Nice  cartoon  in  color. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  The- 
atre, Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

TURNED  OUT:  Ruth  Etting— Pretty  good  Etting 
short. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H. 
General  patronage. 

United  Artists 

MUSIC  LAND:  Silly  Symphonies — Same  old  story. 
Swell  color,  swell  music,  swell  cartoon. — C.  E.  Fismer, 
Lyric  Theatre,  Hamilton,  Ohio.    Family  patronage. 

Vitaphone 

OFF  THE  RECORD:  B.  A.  Rolfe  and  Orchestra- 
Okay  Melody  Masters  series  short. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Pal- 
ace Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.    General  patronage. 

PARIS  IN  NEW  YORK:  Irene  Bordoni— Okay 
mixture  of  Miss  Bordoni's  songs  and  apache  dances. 
— L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

TIMBER  GIANTS:  Pepper  Pot— Interesting  story 
of  lumber. — L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook, 
N.  H.  General  patronage. 


August    22,  1936 

/'    '  ' 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


109 


MANAGERS* 
ROUND  TARLE  CLUR 


zAn  international  association  of  showmen  meeting  weekly 
in  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  for  mutual  aid  and  progress 


op 


"ARE  YOU  READY  FOR  FALL?" 

This  is  about  the  time  when  businessmen  sit  down  to  plan 
sale  and  advertising  policies  for  the  forthcoming  months. 
What  to  do  in  the  pursuit  of  prosperity,  how  much  to  spend 
and  when  are  all  discussed,  arranged.  A  general  course  is  set 
and  the  machinery  put  into  motion  toward  a  determined  goal. 
Smart  merchandisers  usually  know  where  they're  headed,  and 
its  a  practice  that  all  managers  might  well  adopt  for  their  own 
benefit. 

There  are,  of  course,  the  annual  conventions  of  representa- 
tive circuits  where  the  managerial  personnel  is  gathered,  and 
all  operation  problems  given  a  thorough  going  over.  But 
although  these  gatherings  are  a  part  only  of  extended  oper- 
ations, there  is  no  reason  why  a  manager  attached  to  a  single 
situation  or  to  the  smallest  of  circuits  cannot  go  into  conven- 
tion with  himself  and  endeavor  to  chart  a  course  similarly  for 
the  new  season.  After  all,  many  of  the  final  decisions  made 
in  a  circuit  meeting  result  from  reactions  of  individual  managers 
in  attendance. 

Thus  the  italic  line  "Are  you  ready  for  Fall"  spotted  fre- 
quently in  the  following  pages  is  intended  to  act  as  a  quick 
reminder  for  those  who  take  the  seasons  as  they  come  and 
make  no  special  preparation  for  the  digging  up  of  additional 
business. 

There  are  few  exhibitors  indeed  who  will  look  without  favor 
upon  a  soundly  conceived  plan  that  affords  an  opportunity  for 
more  profitable  boxoffice  in  the  coming  months. 

V    V  V 
THE  PRESS  BOOK  AGAIN 

Having  the  opportunity  to  look  over  press  books  from  the 
various  home  offices  your  Chairman  finds  less  occasion  these 
days  to  become  choleric  over  the  failings  of  this  industry  step- 
child. The  state  of  mind  may  arise  from  a  great  weariness  over 
the  subject  in  general  or  then  aqain  it  miqht  be  due  to  the 
manifest  improvement  in  the  quality  and  utility  of  the  material 
offered. 

Examination  of  recent  press  books  deposited  on  our  desk 
finds  much  of  value.  Paramount's  "American  Wife"  and  "Texas 
Ranger";  United  Artist's  "Last  of  the  Mohicans";  Warner's 
"China  Clipper"  and  "Anthom/  Adverse,"  Universal's  "My  Man 
Godfrey"  and  20th  Centurv-Fox's  "Road  to  Glory,"  for  in- 
stance, may  be  given  a  well-earned  nod  of  approbation. 

Putting  out  one  or  more  press  books  a  week  to  keep  up  with 
individual  release  schedules  is  far  from  beinq  the  world's  duck- 
iest  job.  The  home  office  admen  report  themselves  as  wide 
open  for  any  ideas  from  the  field  to  improve  this  service. 


FOR  52  WEEKS  A  YEAR 

On  the  subject  of  conventions,  the  dates  of  August  26  to 
28  are  given  added  importance  in  spotlighting  the  first  1936 
gathering,  in  Toronto,  of  the  Famous  Players-Canadian  theatre- 
men  from  the  eastern  sector  of  the  Dominion.  As  at  other 
such  meetings,  the  schedule  calls  for  talks,  discussions,  pre- 
views, picnics.  But,  in  addition,  the  schedule  also  sets  forth  a 
very  pleasant  ceremony  not  included  in  every  "other  such 
meeting" — the  presentation  by  N.  L.  Nathanson,  President,  of 
percentage  checks  to  all  managers  present. 

Not  bonus  money,  gentlemen,  and  not  prizes  offered  for 
short  term  drives.  The  checks  are  the  fruits  of  the  plan  in- 
augurated by  the  far-seeing  Nathanson  and  General  Manager 
J.  J.  Fitzgibbons,  whereby  every  manager  in  the  circuit  is 
able  to  earn  a  fat  commission  above  salary  for  extra  grosses 
his  efforts  bring  in  during,  every  one  of  the  52  weeks  in  the 
year. 

V  V  V 
AH,  THERE,  FIDO 

Lots  of  excitement  up  in  the  Rochester  sector  where  was 
held  the  recent  trial  of  Idaho,  hound  dog,  accused  of  causing 
the  death  of  a  fourteen-year-old  boy.  Story  of  national  in- 
terest hit  the  wires  and  to  cash  in  on  the  general  madness,  Les 
Pollock  at  Loew's  ran  the  Pete  Smith  short  "Killer  Dog,"  put 
a  bannered  purp  on  the  street  led  by  an  armed  guard,  had 
the  short  privately  previewed  for  the  presiding  judge  with 
much  publicity  forthcoming. 

Pollock's  success  opens  up  a  lot  of  exploitation  possibilities 
for  showmen  in  New  York  where  a  new  ordinance  makes  liable 
to  arrest  any  dog  caught  soiling  the  sides  of  buildings. 

V  V  V 

In  a  recent  issue  of  Postage  and  The  Mailbag,  direct  mail 
trade  paper,  was  noted  an  advertisement  on  effective  "selling" 
letters,  the  copy  among  other  things  calling  attention  to  our 
boyhood  days  when  the  butcher  always  threw  in  a  slice  of 
balogna  to  show  his  appreciation. 

We  are  strongly  tempted  to  offer  that  the  custom  popu- 
larized by  the  butcher  is  being  kept  alive  today  by  many 
advertisers. 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


SHOWMEN'S    LOBBY  LAFFS! 


"After  you  faint  don't  get  up  until  a  crowd  gathers;  then  tell  them  that  the  picture  at 
the  Bijou  got  you." 


Style  Slants  Stressed 
For  Mexico  City  Date 

What  the  women  are  wearing  today  and 
costumes  imagined  in  "Things  to  Come" 
were  utilized  effectively  by  Manager  Mau- 
ricio  de  la  Serna  in  his  campaign  on  the 
date  at  the  Cine  Alemeda,  Mexico  City. 
Top  tieup  was  made  with  fashionable 
women's  shop  by  having  shapely  masked 
senorita  in  costume  of  2036  posing  in  win- 
dow (see  photo)  amid  models  draped  in 
today's  new  styles. 

Stunt  was  called  a  traffic-stopper  and 
was  followed  by  a  street  bally  of  boy  and 
girl,  masked  and  in  costumes  of  the  picture 
with  the  usual  back  theatre  placards.  Couple 
paraded  through  the  city  stopping  at  the 
busier  sections. 


Mexico  City  "Things"  Style  'Window  Stunt 


Promotes  Sock  Display 
For  "Pastures"  Opening 

Fine  stand-in  of  the  Ohio  Warnerites 
with  the  local  press  is  much  in  evidence 
with  a  three-cplumn  by  thirteen  deep  dis- 
play promoted  through  the  circulation  de- 
partment in  the  Akron  Times-Press  for  the 
date  at  "Green  Pastures"  at  the  Strand,  in 
that  spot. 

There  was  nothing  at  all  in  the  ad  to  in- 
dicate a  tiein,  reports  Dick  Wright,  all 
copy  referring  to  the  picture,  with  the 
strongest  plug  given  for  the  date.  That 
Akron  was  selected  for  one  of  the  early 
showings  was  made  much  of,  ad  leading  off 
with  stock  reverse  circle  reading  "What 
Happens  Thursday  Night?"  referring  to  the 
first  showing. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

New  In  New  Haven 

Reported  a  first-time  in  New  Haven,  was 
an  open  trolley  car,  bannered,  used  by  Man- 
ager H.  H.  Maloney,  at  the  Poli,  to  brine; 
in  an  orphanage  girls'  band  from  the  sub- 
urbs to  the  theatre  to  see  "Poor  Little  Rich 
Girl."  The  band  played  on  the  way  down- 
town and  also  in  the  lobby. 

"Are  you   ready  for  Fall?" 

Weinberg  Changes  Posts 

Herman  G.  Weinberg  moves  over  from 
his  post  of  publicity  chief,  French  Pictures 
to  operate  for  Jean  Lenauer,  the  58th  Street 
Theatre,  New  York,  where  new  policy  is  to 
be  foreign  films. 


Plug  San  Antonio 
IVith  Trailer  at 
Texas  Exposition 

Constructed  by  the  Interstate  Theatres 
and  dubbed  the  Alamo  City's  Good  Will 
Pathfinder,  an  elaborate  trailer  to  represent 
San  Antonio  at  the  Dallas  and  Fort  Worth 
expositions  was  recently  brought  to  the 
state  Centennial  celebration.  Bannered  with 
panoramas  of  typical  local  scenes,  the  trailer 
was  escorted  by  state  highway  motor  patrol- 
men and  acting  as  hostesses  were  attractive 
girls  in  native  Mexican  costume. 

Theatremen  in  the  party  included  Ray- 
mond Willie,  Interstate  San  Antonio  city 
manager,  who  is  credited  with  the  idea, 
Manager  William  O'Donnell,  Aztec  The- 
atre, Jack  Chalman,  Interstate  advertising 
manager,  Damon  Harvey,  electrician  and 
Jack  Marquis,  sound  technician. 

Outfit  is  said  to  cost  in  the  neighborhood 
of  ten  thousand  dollars,  finished  in  white 
with  ornate  chormium  trimmings.  Job  is  also 
reported  to  be  one  of  the  most  pretentious 
mobile  neon  lighting  arrangements  yet  con- 
ceived. High  powered  sound  system  and 
p.a.  system  is  carried  as  is  well  known  an- 
nouncer to  handle  microphones. 

In  assuming  sponsorship  of  the  visit  to 
Dallas,  Karl  Hoblitzelle,  Interstate  presi- 
dent and  Bob  O'Donnell,  general  manager, 
have  expressed  the  belief  that  the  campaign 
will  stir  up  a  lot  of  interest  in  San  Antonio. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Patrons  "Wet"  Hands 
In  Reeth's  Waterfall 

Illustrated  in  accompanying  photo  is  the 
attractive  "cool"  setpiece  created  by  Man- 
ager Fred  Reeths,  Jr.,  with  the  aid  of  his 
house  artist  at  the  Sheboygan  Theatre,  She- 
boygan, Wis.,  which  Fred  says  fooled  a  lot 
of  the  folks. 

Feature  of  the  flash  is  a  waterfall  made 
of  tubular  glass  suspended  on  a  slow-moving 
motor  to  give  the  effect  of  running  water. 
Concealed  green  light  illuminates  the  glass 
and  behind  the  "running  water"  a  sign  read- 
ing: "It's  Comfortably  Cool  Inside."  Ice 
effect  is  obtained  with  papier  mache. 

Tip-off  on  effectiveness  of  the  piece,  ac- 
cording to  Reeths,  is  that  the  folks  step  up 
and  place  their  hands  under  the  waterfall, 
evidently  to  feel  the  wetness  of  the  water. 


Reeth's  Waterfall  Lobby  "Cool"  Setpiece 


August    22,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


"RHYTHM"  STAGE  SET.  To  sell  those  good  ole  outdoors  as  background  for  his  date 
on  "Rhythm  on  the  Range",  Manager  Frank  Heller,  Fox,  Bakersfield,  Cal.,  arranged 
this  realistic  stage  setting  in  conjunction  with  appearance  of  Miss  Bertha  Hall,  state's 
champion  Outdoor  Girl,  and  the  Kern  County  Rangers  in  uniform.  Papers  and 
Chamber  of  Commerce  cooperated. 


Owens 9  Family 
Guests  of  Lykes 
To  See  News  Reel 

Few  weeks  back,  Manager  Jack  Lykes, 
Loew's  Stillman  Theatre,  Cleveland,  ob- 
tained his  first  shots  of  Paramount's  news 
reel  on  the  Olympic  Games  with  special 
emphasis  given  the  prominent  part  played 
by  Jesse  Owens.  The  reel  showing  Owens 
winning  the  three  events  was  received  in  the 
morning  after  being  transported  to  the 
United  States  by  the  Von  Hindenburg  and 
flown  bv  special  plane  to  Cleveland. 

Reason  for  all  the  haste  was  that  the  ath- 
lete is  a  Cleveland  boy,  his  family  also  resi- 
dent locally  and  Lykes  immediately  arranged 
for  Owens'  wife  and  parents  to  attend  the 
evening  performance  of  the  same  day  as 
guests  of  the  management.  Special  car  was 
used  to  transport  the  guests  from  their 
home  and  what  made  the  event  more  inter- 
esting was  that  it  was  the  first  time  that 
Owens'  father  had  attended  a  motion  picture. 
Posters  showing  the  sprinter  in  action  and 
announcement  of  the  news  reel  shots  were 
of  course  immediately  planted  out  front  and 
for  publicity  purposes,  Jack  posed  the  guests 
studying  the  display. 

Lykes  had  a  reporter  on  hand  from  the 
Cleveland  Plain  Dealer  to  cover  the  story 
and  reports  he  obtained  a  fairly  decent  break 
what  with  the  papers  going  to  town  on  the 
local  Great  Lakes  Exposition. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall}" 

Strand  Goes  Circus 
On  "Bengal  Tiger" 

Plenty  of  big-top  stuff  in  Dinty  Moore's 
advance  on  "Bengal  Tiger"  at  the  New 
York  Strand  with  front  painted  in  tent 
stripes  and  decorated  with  action  stills. 
Crowd-stopper  was  animation  in  the  arch 
showing  two  mechanical  tigers  (see  photo) 
facing  animated  cutout  of  Barton  MacLane 
wielding  a  whip  and  chair.  P.  A.  system 
was  hooked  up  with  record  of  jungle  roars 
to  synchronize  with  action  of  the  animals. 
On  both  sides  of  marquee,  facing  uptown 
and  downtown,  were  placed  12-foot  tiger 
enlargements  with  eyes  in  transparent  green 
and  mouth  in  red. 

Street  stuff  included  boys  in  circus  uni- 
forms distributing  imprinted  bags  of  pea- 
nuts and  a  first  time,  reports  publicist  Irv 
Windisch,  was  a  hookin  with  Kresge's  five- 
and-ten  which  allowed  theatre  to  imprint 
store  bags. 


The  New  York  Strand  Front  on  "Bengal  Tiger" 


Personal  Column  Used 
By  Rotsky  for  "Number" 

Contacting  local  tobacco  company,  George 
Rotsky,  Palace,  Montreal,  Canada,  promoted 
photos  of  Robert  Taylor  in  "Private  Num- 
ber," reverse  side  carrying  tobacconist's  ad. 
Girl  costumed  appropriately  distributed  these 
on  street. 

Daily  ad  was  placed  in  personal  column 
of  Montreal  Herald  giving  telephone  number 
of  pay  station  on  mezzanine  floor  with  in- 
structions to  ask  for  Ellen.  Checkroom 
girl  had  to  be  stationed  there,  Rotsky  re- 
porting several  hundred  calls  a  day. 


GEORGE  ASKS  DAD 
FOR  MORE  BLANKETS 

Spending  the  entire  summer  in  the 
woods  and  being  paid  for  it  is  the 
sad  lot  of  George  Baker,  who  operates 
the  Rustic  Theatre,  in  West  Yellow- 
stone, Mont.  Formerly  manager  of 
the  Newman,  in  Kansas  City,  and  now 
associated  with  his  father,  A.  F. 
"Peck"  Baker,  in  the  operation  of  the 
Electric,  Kansas  City,  Kan.,  George 
says  he  shows  twice  a  night,  except 
Saturdays,  when  the  seats  are  stacked 
up  and  a  dance  held  for  the  sheep- 
herders,  bus  drivers  and  tourists. 

Writing  home  recently,  Baker  in- 
forms the  folks  that  though  the  fish- 
ing is  very  good  (they  ought  to  shoot 
that  guy)  he  could  use  more  blan- 
kets, for  the  nights  are  rather  chilly. 


Hardwick's  Street  Ballys 
Aid  Him  on  "Mr.  Deeds" 

Gag  street  ballys  highlighted  Russ  Hard- 
wick's "Deeds"  campaign  at  the  Lyceum, 
Clovis,  New  Mexico,  one  of  which  was  boy 
with  small  tree  limb  fishing  in  barrel  on 
busy  corner  (see  photo).  At  intervals  he 
pulled  three-sided  sign  out  of  blue-colored 
water  with  picture  plugs.  Barrel  was  let- 
tered with  "If  you're  fishing  for  a  good 
time,"  etc.,  etc. 

Another  gag  was  colored  boy  walking 
through  streets  with  sandwich  sign  copy 
reading  "I  laughed  'til  I  was  black  in  the 
face,"  and  still  another  was  lad  parading 
about  town  blowing  large  bass  horn  with 
card  carrying  copy  "You'll  be  pixilated  with 
laughter  when  Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town." 

Two  weeks  ahead  Russ  placed  a  22-inch 
by  28-inch  hand-lettered  art  panel  in  lobby 
carrying  rave  notices  from  papers  all  over 
the  country,  including  the  Herald's  review. 
A  pixilated  contest  was  also  held,  winners 
receiving  guest  tickets  for  best  nut  poems. 


Russ  Hardwick's  "Mr.  Deeds"  Fishing  Bally  Gag 


I  12 


Nelson  Sponsors  Safety  Week 
With  City  and  County  Heads 
For  Advance  Buildup  on  Date 

If  there  are  fewer  auto  accidents  in  Find- 
lay,  Ohio,  these  days,  quite  a  bit  of  the  credit 
should  go  to  Quigley  July  Bronze  Plaque 
winner  Manager  Glenn  H.  Nelson,  of  the 
Warner-Harris  Theatre,  for  his  extensive 
campaign  on  "And  Sudden  Death."  Nelson 
missed  few  angles  indeed,  promoting  his  own 
safety  campaign  with  the  cooperation  of 
the  only  newspaper,  police  officials  and  lead- 
ing citizens. 

Starting  nine  days  ahead,  Nelson  planted 
the  press  book  wrong-driving  contest  tied 
into  a  careful  driving  campaign  sponsored 
with  city  and  county  police  with  the  county 
sheriff's  office.  Paper  also  ran  proclama- 
tion from  the  Mayor  and  follow-up  endorse- 
ments from  city  Safety  Director,  Safety 
Council,  auto  club  and  police  heads.  Papers 
also  carried  daily  box  with  license  numbers 
of  two  most  careful  drivers  selected  by 
traffic  cops  for  theatre  tickets.  These  were 
supplied  by  leading  insurance  agency. 

The  agency  was  much  concerned  with  the 
entire  campaign,  bearing  the  expense  of  a 
lot  of  it  and  taking  about  100  inches  of 
co-op  display  advertising  in  advance  and  on 
opening  day.  Agency  then  purchased  hun- 
dreds of  tickets  given  to  employees  of  large 
oil  company  together  with  letters  containing 
safe  driving  pledges  which  employees  were 
asked  to  sign.  Letter  also  contained  plug 
for  picture  and  date.  Agency  further  sup- 
plied printed  tack  cards  and  one  sheets. 
Other  leading  companies  cooperated  simi- 
larly. 

Featured,  too,  was  a  tiein  wherein 
police  on  stopping  drivers  guilty  of  traffic 
violations  and  wrong  driving  practices  were 
given  copies  of  the  imprinted  Furnas  pamph- 
let and  required  to  read  it  in  presence  of 
the  officer.  This  idea  was  carried  out  for  an 
entire  week.    Same  slant  was  carried  out 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


by  sheriff's  office  and  state  highway  patrol. 

Nelson's  lobby  was  aimed  as  a  shocker 
but  not  to  the  entire  neglect  of  the  romantic 
angle,  his  tiein  copy  reading:  "Drive  Care- 
fully or  you  won't  see  the  1001  romantic 
thrills  in,  etc."  Surrounding  this  (see 
photo)  was  a  poster  with  photos  of  wrecks, 
skeleton  head  shrouded  in  sheet  hovering 
over  bandaged  dummy,  all  under  a  green 
spot. 

The  safety  angle  was  stressed  out  front 
with  a  badly  wrecked  and  bannered  car 
with  copy  emphasizing  the  slant  and  the 
date. 

Other  angles  of  approach  were  covered 
with  windows  in  women's  fashion  shops, 
men's  clothing  stores  and  jewelry  stores. 
Outside  coverage  was  secured  with  billing 
in  a  20-mile  radius,  herald  distribution 
door-to-door,  in  parked  cars  and  in  news- 
papers and  the  Furnas  pamphlets  offered 
to  patrons  at  theatre  well  in  advance. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Merchants  Help  Judge 
Sell  "Mr.  Deeds" 

For  the  fourth  run  engagement  of  "Mr. 
Deeds"  at  Loew's  Lincoln  Square,  N.  Y.  C, 
John  Judge  promoted  merchant  for  a  candy 
giveaway ;  usher  stationed  on  street  at  ban- 
nered desk  handing  out  the  sweetmeats  in 
imprinted  wrappers.  For  his  street  bally 
John  used  man  leading  bannered  donkey 
about  town. 

Imprinted  paper  napkins  were  used  in 
restaurants  near  theatre,  ushers  distributed 
summonses  made  out  with  the  theatre  as  the 
complainant  versus  The  Movie  Public,  de- 
fendant. Inside  carried  picture  copy  and 
cuts  of  Cooper,  Marshall  and  Michael.  Con- 
test blanks  were  given  out,  tickets  awarded 
those  submitting  best  answers  to  "What 
would  you  do  if  you  inherited  $20,000,000  ?" 
Various  merchants  used  window  displays 
and  police  safety  cards  were  tacked  on  light 
posts. 


August    22,    193  6 


GLENN  H.  NELSON 

Newspaper  Contest  Aids 
"Laughing  Eyes"  forZimbalist 

One  of  the  first  stunts  put  over  by  Al 
Zimbalist  when  he  started  at  the  Regent 
Theatre,  Kearny,  N.  J.,  was  a  contest  for 
"Laughing  Irish  Eyes"  for  which  he  offered 
guest  tickets  to  those  submitting  the  best 
photographs  of  laughing  eyes  or  for  letters 
written  to  describe  gleeful  Irish  eyes. 

Al  also  staged  a  men's  bathing  beauty 
contest  in  what  he  termed  his  search  for  a 
male  Mae  West.  A  mistress  of  ceremonies 
handled  the  stunt  and  in  addition  to  cash 
prizes,  merchandise  was  promoted  from  co- 
operating merchants. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Various  Stunts  Used 
By  Ralston  to  Sell  Dates 

In  Hollywood  at  the  Ritz  Theatre,  some  of 
the  recent  stunts  put  on  by  Howard  Ralston 
were  a  lobby  bar  at  which  free  promoted 
beer  was  dispensed  for  "Frankie  and  John- 
nie," bats  stencilled  on  sidewalks  for  "Dra- 
cula's  Daughter"  and  an  oversized  ther- 
mometer atop  his  marquee  with  copy  read- 
ing "Who  says  it's  hot  now?  See — "  etc. 


TIES  "DEATH"  DRIVE 
TO  LOCAL  CAMPAIGN 


NELSON'S  SHOCK  LOBBY  DISPLAY  AND  WRECKED  CAR  B  ANNERED  BALLY  FOR  "AND  SUDDEN  DEATH" 


August    22 ,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


113 


COVERS  MAIN  STREET 
WITH  GIANT  BANNERS 


SID  S.  HOLLAND 

Circularized  Special  List 
For  "Lonesome  Pine"  Date 

For  his  "Pasteur"  date  at  the  Texas, 
Smithville,  Texas,  Boyd  F.  Scott  circular- 
ized doctors,  dentists,  druggists,  teachers, 
etc.,  using  different  copy  to  suit  their  re- 
spective professions.  Capsules  with  plug 
copy  were  also  distributed. 

On  "Lonesome  Pine,"  house  was  dressed 
with  pine  trees,  grocers'  bags  imprinted  and 
cards  were  placed  on  all  flag  poles  about 
town. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Harris  Distributed 
Contest  Heralds 

For  "13  Hours  by  Air,"  Milt  Harris, 
Loew's  publicist,  Cleveland,  printed  heralds 
containing  cut  of  four  of  the  stars  in  the 
picture  all  wearing  goggles.  To  those  cor- 
rectly identifying  the  stars,  guest  tickets 
were  awarded.  Milt  distributed  these  heralds 
at  the  most  important  exhibits  of  the  Great 
Lakes  Exposition  and  inserted  them  in  pur- 
chases made  at  leading  department  stores. 


Holland  Hangs  24-Size  Signs  to 
Decorate  Buildings  Ahead  of 
"San  Francisco"  Engagement 


Billing  the  main  street  of  Elkhart,  Ind., 
with  24-sheet  size  banners  on  "San  Fran- 
cisco," is  offered  as  "something  new"  by 
Sid  Holland,  who  used  the  slant  in  his  Quig- 
ley  July  Silver  Plaque  winning  campaign 
at  the  Elco  Theatre.  Described  as  one  of 
the  most  novel  and  effective  ideas  put  over 
in  that  sector,  the  accompanying  photo  illus- 
trates the  slant,  Holland  planting  the  ban- 
ners on  every  third  or  fourth  building  on 
the  main  street. 

Also  done  a  bit  differently  was  a  bathing 
girl  contest  and  tableau  built  into  the  ad- 
vance campaign  for  word-of-mouth  value. 
As  accompanying  photo  shows,  the  girls 
were  lined  up  on  the  stage  in  front  of  the 
traveler,  the  curtain  carrying  title  and  start- 
ing date.  Each  girl  carried  a  numbered 
card,  the  method  employed  to  find  the  win- 
ner, and  when  the  selection  was  made,  mas- 
ter of  ceremonies  asked  the  contestants  to 
name  the  coming  picture.  Instead  of  an- 
swering verbally,  each  girl  reversed  her 
card,  displaying  a  letter,  all  of  which  spelled 
out  the  name  of  the  feature. 

There  were  other  contests  included  and 
profitable  of  course  was  the  trip-to-San 
Francisco  tiedin  with  11  local  merchants  who 
sponsored  a  round-trip  to  the  Coast  city  for 
the  greatest  number  of  purchases  in  a  two- 
week  period.  Each  purchase  over  25  cents 
was  good  for  a  coupon  carrying  figure  rep- 
resenting amount  of  sale  and  these  filled  in 
with  name  and  address  were  brought  to  the 
theatre  in  sealed  envelopes  at  a  designated 
time.  Idea  was  plugged  strongly  at  the 
theatre,  in  full  page  co-op  ads,  and  of 
course  at  the  stores. 

Holland  also  planted  the  movie  memory 


contest  from  the  press  book  and  sold  still 
another  slant  in  his  papers  by  offering 
passes  to  those  listing  the  greatest  number 
of  U.  S.  communities  made  up  from  the 
letters  of  the  title,  using  each  letter  only  as 
many  times  as  letter  appeared  in  title. 

Transportation  tieins  also  clicked  leading 
off  with  bannered  airplane  dropping  heralds, 
some  containing  passes.  Auto  dealer  paid 
for  heralds  and  imprinting  being  allowed 
co-op  copy  on  reverse .  Bus  company 
hooked  in  by  giving  riders  en  route  to  the- 
atre coupons  for  free  ride  home  when  these 
were  stamped  by  cashier  when  theatre  ticket 
was  bought.  Two*  ballys  commanded  atten- 
tion, one  a  couple  in  costume  of  picture  rid- 
ing 1906  Ford  and  another  couple  similarly 
attired  on  tandem  bicycle. 

Telephone  canvas  from  downtown  win- 
dow, girls  going  house-to-house  obtaining 
endorsement  signatures  for  the  picture,  im- 
printed laundry  cards  in  shirts,  arrow  on 
street  poles,  jumbo  Postal  telegrams  for 
windows,  radio  skits  were  among  other  ideas 
employed,  not  forgetting  hookin  with  popu- 
lar grill  for  a  Clark  Gable  cocktail. 

"Are  yon  ready  for  Fall?" 

"What  Is  Love?"  Asks  Don 
In  "Flags"  Contest 

To  usher  in  his  "Under  Two  Flags"  cam- 
paign at  the  Colonial  Theatre,  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  Don  Williams  planted  a  contest  in 
cooperating  newspaper  on  which  he  offered 
guest  tickets  to  those  submitting  best  letters 
to  editor  on  "What  Is  Love?" 

Ushers  were  dressed  in  legionnaire  cos- 
tumes, for  his  special  foyer  display  Don 
promoted  flags,  guns,  etc.,  from  local  vets 
post  plus  two  boys  in  constant  attendance 
at  tent,  which  was  dressed  with  cutouts  of 
Colbert,  Russell  and  McLaglen.  Opening 
day,  parade  was  held  headed  by  two  radio 
cars  and  a  safety  campaign  truck. 


it  a  its    son  o«i 

fA&MsA  £  2*  A  A  A  f|a  ill  A  l 
./  milt*  !  f  i  if  f  |  ir 


HOLLAND'S  24'S  ON  MAIN  STREET  BUILDINGS  AND  GIRL  TABLEAU  IN  ADVANCE  OF  "SAN  FRANCISCO" 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    2  2,    19  3  6 


Schools  Tied  Up 
For  "Show  Boat" 

Tying  up  with  the  high  schools  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Loew's  Paradise,  Bronx, 
N.  Y.,  Manager  Jerry  De  Rosa  and  zone 
publicist  Perry  Spencer  awarded  promoted 
"Show  Boat"  novels  to  students  passing 
exams  with  highest  honors.  Announcements 
were  placed  on  bulletin  boards. 

Colored  porter  from  theatre  sang  "Old 
Man  River"  prior  to  showing  of  trailer, 
Bronx  cadet  band  played  on  floor  for  one 
hour  three  evenings  during  engagement  and 
special  float  representing  a  show  boat  (see 
photo)  toured  city.  Bales  of  cotton  were 
placed  in  front  of  theatre,  piano  player  and 
girl  singer  were  stationed  in  lobby  plugging 
hit  tunes  and  another  street  bally  consisted 
of  two  girls  dressed  in  southern  period  cos- 
tumes with  imprinted  sunshades  touring  the 
district. 

A.  Seigel,  assistant  manager,  aided  on  the 
campaign. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Markle  Offers  Trophy 
For  Baseball  Player 

Among  the  newest  stunts  put  over  by  Jack 
Markle,  Coolidge  Corner  Theatre,  Brook- 
line,  Mass.,  is  tieup  effected  with  local 
newspaper,  theatre  offering  trophy  for  the 
Brookline  Twilight  Baseball  League. 

Cardboard  votes  are  given  out  at  the 
theatre,  paper  runs  a  coupon  each  week  for 
six  weeks  and  the  standing  every  week  of 
the  players,  plus  a  story  on  page  one.  The 
ballot  box  is  in  the  lobby  of  theatre  and 
votes  on  most  valuable  player  must  either 
be  mailed  or  brought  in.  Jack  says  it  places 
his  theatre  in  the  eye  of  the  baseball-minded 
people,  helps  the  theatre  in  the  community 
to  say  nothing  of  the  free  publicity  for  six 
weeks  running. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Pall?" 

"Show  Boat"  Preview 
Held  by  George  Irwin 

For  the  "Show  Boat"  date  at  the  Lyceum 
in  Duluth,  George  Irwin  held  an  advance 
preview  for  a  representative  group  of  locals, 
including  PTA,  critics  and  teachers  groups. 
Window  displays  were  planted  in  leading 
stores,  stories  with  art  in  newspapers  and 
rotogravure  heralds  distributed  by  chain 
grocery. 

Restaurant  featured  a  "Show  Boat"  south- 
ern fried  chicken  dinner,  spot  radio  an- 
nouncements were  made  and  an  entire  false 
front  indirectly  lighted  with  flasher  buttons 
was  constructed  for  the  engagement.  Song 
books  were  given  out  with  each  purchase  of 
Maxwell  House  coffee,  as  were  star  photos 
and  George  managed  to  plant  a  display  at 
the  entrance  of  the  ball  park  when  the  Du- 
luth team  played  there. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Sicotte  Lands  Window 
Display  on  "Ziegfeld" 

Accompanying  photo  shows  attractive 
window  display  secured  in  leading  depart- 
ment store  by  Vern  Sicotte,  week  ahead  of 
opening  of  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"  at  the 
Majestic  in  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  with  cut- 
out ticket-taker  at  box  in  center  of  display. 
40  x  60's  were  spotted  about  the  store,  seven 
foot  standees  placed  in  chain  grocery  and 


De  Rosa  -  Spencer  "Show  Boat"  Bally 


Sharrock's  Special  "Deeds"  Front 


Fahey's  "San  Francisco"  Steam  Engine 


Sicotte's  "Ziegfeld"  Window  Display 

imprinted  match  books  were  distributed  in 
leading  stores  and  hotels. 

Promoted  tagged  roses  were  given  out 
to  first  500  ladies  attending  opening  night, 
tieups  made  with  fountains  to  feature  "The 
Great  Ziegfeld"  sundae,  radio  announce- 
ments were  secured  daily  and  blotters  given 
out  in  office  buildings. 


Various  Stunts  Used 

By  Sharrock  for  "Deeds" 

Raleigh  Sharrock,  Palace,  Morrilton, 
Ark.,  for  his  "Mr.  Deeds"  date  constructed 
an  entire  compo  board  front  (see  photo)  on 
which  he  tucked  scene  stills  from  picture, 
teaser  items  were  run  in  papers  and  red 
public  notice  cards  were  tacked  about  town 
carrying  "prevent  pixilation"  lines. 

Sharrock  tied  up  cleaners,  store  inserting 
cards  in  all  packages  leaving  store  reading 
"We  will  sew  your  buttons  on  free  that  you 
burst  off  laughing  at,"  etc.,  etc.  Co-op  ad 
page  was  secured  ,  all  merchant's  ads 
tying  up  with  picture  and  as  a  further 
buildup  contest  was  planted  in  papers  with 
tickets  going  to  those  correctly  answering 
list  of  questions  pertaining  to  "pixilation," 
highlight  of  the  picture. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Radio  Contest  Sells 
"Deeds"  for  Egan 

A  pixilated  teaser  contest  was  planted 
over  local  radio  station  by  Pete  Egan,  Palace, 
Calgary,  Canada,  for  "Mr.  Deeds,"  guest 
tickets  going  to  those  submitting  best  an- 
swers. Each  morning  during  engagement 
organ  program  broadcast  from  theatre  also 
plugged  the  contest. 

Heralds  were  distributed  by  cooperating 
merchants,  snipe  cards  were  planted  about 
town,  as  were  24-sheets  and  street  car  cards. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Fahey's  Loco  Bally 

Accompanying  photo  shows  the  eye-arrest- 
ing street  bally  used  by  E.  J.  Fahey,  State 
Theatre,  Nashua,  N.  H.,  for  "San  Fran- 
cisco," which  toured  streets.  The  steam  en- 
gine front  placed  over  regular  touring  car 
was  promoted  from  local  American  Legion 
and  Fahey  says  it  attracted  considerable  at- 
tention as  it  went  about  town. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Personal  Endorsement  Ads 
Sell  "Deeds"  for  Kusner 

Lou  Kusner's  "Deeds"  campaign  at  the 
Warner  Apollo,  Martinsburg,  West  Va., 
was  based  on  the  pixilation  angle,  all  tack 
cards,  newspaper  ads,  novelties,  ballyhoos, 
etc.,  etc.,  tied  in  one  way  or  another  to  the 
newly  coined  word.  All  ads  carried  the  per- 
sonal endorsement  of  the  manager,  teaser 
ads  were  run  in  classified  section,  and  Lou 
flooded  the  town  with  tack  cards  reading, 
"Martinsburg  will  be  pixilated  when  'Mr. 
Deeds  Goes  to  Town.'  " 

For  his  street  bally  boy  covered  business 
sections  walking  in  barrel  with  imprinted 
copy  reading,  "I'm  pixilated,  I  lost  my  pants 
laughing,"  etc.,  etc.  Paper  napkins  were 
placed  in  leading  restaurants  and  letters 
spelling  out  title  were  dropped  from  plane 
circling  city. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Injects  Humor 
Into  Campaign 

Don  Austin,  Glen  City  Theatre,  Santa 
Paula,  Cal.,  for  his  "First  Baby"  date  started 
his  campaign  by  calling  a  circle  of  friends 
and  giving  them  the  following  chat- 
ter: "Hello,  Jack,  This  Is  Don  Austin; 
we're  having  our  first  Baby  Wednesday 
night  and  suggest  that  you  come  over,"  etc. 


August    2  2,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


Houston  Managers  Engage 
In  Civic  Club  Activities 

Theatremen  Participate  in  Community  Movements;  Efficient  Management  Found  General 


by  BESS  W.  SCOTT 

from  Houston,  Texas 

When  President  Franklin  Roosevelt 
visited  Houston  in  June  and  sailed  on  a 
pleasure  craft  down  the  deep  sea  channel 
from  Port  Houston  to  Galveston,  50  miles 
distant  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  he  said  with 
his  famous  smile:  "How  like  Houston  to 
build  a  submarine  base  50  miles  from  the 
ocean  !" 

The  President  was  only  echoing  the  opin- 
ion of  the  entire  South  regarding  Houston, 
whose  enterprise  and  resourcefulness  are 
exemplified  in  her  inland  port — the  largest 
cotton  port  in  the  world — where  "17  rail- 
roads meet  the  sea"  ;  her  astounding  develop- 
ment in  oil,  shipping,  rice  growing,  ranch- 
ing in  her  coastal  plains,  and  dairy  farming ; 
her  104  churches,  109  public  schools,  two 
universities,  sky  scrapers,  fine  hotels  and 
beautiful  theatres. 

When  Houston  doubled  her  population  in 
10  years — from  1920  to  1930,  according  to 
federal  census — she  also  doubled  her  re- 
sources and  kept  pace  with  her  building 
and  industries.  During  that  period  her  three 
small  theatres  were  increased  to  four  large, 
modern,  first  run  downtown  theatres  and 
four  suburbans.  In  the  six  years  since,  one 
beautiful  downtown  theatre  has  been  added, 
and  five  modern  suburban  theatres  erected. 

All  told  in  Houston  now  are  seven  down- 
town and  nine  suburban  theatres  for  whites, 
with  a  combined  seating  capacity  of  16,000, 
and  four  theatres  for  negroes  seating  4,500. 

Center  of  Oil  Fields 

Founded  in  1836,  the  year  Texas  won  her 
freedom  from  Mexico  at  the  famous  battle 
of  San  Jacinto,  fought  just  20  miles  from 
the  Houston  city  limits,  this  city  was  named 
for  the  hero  of  that  battle,  General  Sam 
Houston,  later  the  first  president  of  the  re- 
public of  Texas.  The  little  settlement  was 
started  by  the  Allen  Brothers,  New  York 
land  promoters,  in  opposition  to  the  two- 
year-old  Harrisburg,  four  miles  up  the 
bayou,  when  the  Harrises  refused  to  take 
the  Aliens  into  partnership,  and  flourished 
from  the  beginning  under  the  approval  of 
Sam  Houston.  The  state  capitol  was  moved 
here  after  two  years,  through  President 
Houston's  influence,  and  stood  where  the 
city's  largest  hotel,  the  Rice,  now  stands. 
The  Rice  and  four  others  of  the  finest 
hotels  in  the  city  are  owned  by  Jesse  H. 
Jones,  Houston  capitalist  and  chairman  of 
the  Reconstruction  Finance  Committee. 

No  city  in  this  Centennial  state  has  grown 
in  progress,  romance  and  tradition  as  has 
Houston  through  the  century  of  freedom 
which  Texas  is  celebrating  this  year.  Al- 
ways the  commercial  center  of  East  and 
South  Texas,  the  inland  channel  of  50  miles 
from  the  Gulf  has  made  Houston  one  of  the 
most  important  shipping  points  in  America, 
and  the  largest  cotton  port  in  the  world.  In 
lumber  and  grain,  and  in  sugar  products 


That  Houston  has  doubled  her 
population  in  the  last  ten  years  and 
points  with  pride  to  skyscraper  build- 
ings, up  to  34  floors  in  height,  due 
to  the  "black  gold"  thereabouts,  ac- 
counts, no  doubt,  in  no  small  part 
for  the  fact  that  the  Texas  key  city 
is  called  a  good  show  town.  The  satis- 
factory state  of  the  local  boxoffices 
may  also  be  said  to  be  due  to  the 
high  class  of  theatremen  and  their 
willingness  to  get  behind  activities 
aimed  for  the  betterment  of  the  South- 
ern city  which  is  this  week's  stop  in 
the  Showman's  Travelog  series. 

—A-MIKE  VOGEL 


the  shipping  tonnage  is  also  enormous  and 
commercially  important. 

Black  gold  has  played  its  part  in  the 
growth  of  Houston,  as  in  most  of  the  cities 
of  the  state.  Within  a  100-mile  radius  of 
the  largest  oil  fields  in  the  state,  the  city 
is  the  metropolis  of  the  oil  industry.  The 
Gulf  Refining  Company  has  a  34-story 
building  on  Main  street ;  the  Humble  Oil 
Company  has  recently  added  another  wing 
to  their  15-story  building,  covering  three- 
fourths  of  a  city  block.  The  Shell  Oil  Com- 
pany owns  a  22-story  building,  and  the  21- 
story  Petroleum  building  houses  the  offices 
of  other  oil  companies.  Within  25  miles  of 
Houston  are  the  refineries  of  the  Humble 
Oil  Company  at  Baytown,  the  Shell  at  Deer 
Park,  the  Sinclair  refineries  at  Pasadena, 
the  Texas  Company  at  Galena  Park,  the 
Texas  Gulf  Producing  Company  at  Barger's 
Hill,  Strake  Oil  Company  of  Conroe,  and 
distributing  centers  of  other  companies. 

Bound  up  inseparably  with  the  colorful 
early  history  of  Texas,  Houston  not  only  has 

"Are  You  Ready  for  Fall?" 


MORE  PINE.  Another  neat  example  of  the  use 
of  pinewood  for  lobby  decoration  on  "Lonesome 
Pine"  from  the  studio  of  Manager  George  Laby, 
Paramount,  Springfield,   Mass.  Very  woodsy,  eh? 


the  field  of  the  state's  greatest  battle,  San 
Jacinto,  in  her  very  back  yard,  but  is 
within  a  200-mile  radius  of  all  of  the  famous 
stands  of  Texas  heroes — the  Alamo,  Goliad, 
Velasco,  Gonzales  and  many  others.  Cen- 
tennial visitors  this  year  find  Houston  a 
focal  spot  for  visiting  every  spot  in  the 
section  of  the  state  known  as  "The  Cradle 
of  Liberty,"  and  is  also  but  75  miles  from 
"The  Athens  of  Texas" — Old  Washington, 
where  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was 
signed  in  1836,  and  where  the  first  institu- 
tion of  higher  learning  in  Texas  was  built 
while  Texas  was  still  a  republic.  This  was 
Baylor  University,  now  located  at  Waco. 

Winding  bayous,  pine  forests,  state  parks, 
immense  city  parks,  tropical  flowers  and 
foliage,  natural  lakes  and  excellent  high- 
ways made  Houston  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful cities  of  the  South,  and  a  favorite  play- 
ground for  tourists.  The  mild  winter  cli- 
mate and  long  Indian  summer,  with  fine 
golf  courses  and  the  bay  resorts  just  25 
miles  distant  over  concrete  highways,  lure 
winter  visitors  from  the  north  and  east. 
The  famous  bluebonnet  fields  of  spring  are 
almost  within  the  city  limits. 

Three  airports,  including  the  municipal 
port,  offering  passenger  service  twice 
daily;  17  railroads  and  the  port  where  pas- 
senger ships  sail  for  the  tropics,  are  Houston 
assets. 

Called  "Best"  Theatre  Town 

While  Houston  is  not  a  factory  city, 
within  the  past  12  months  three  eastern 
firms  have  built  branch  factories  on  the  ship 
channel,  and  others  are  scheduled  to  come  in. 
In  building  Houston  has  led  the  cities  of 
the  state  for  12  months,  and  bank  clearings 
surpass  those  of  any  other  city  in  Texas. 
The  PWA-public  school  $3,821,450  building 
program  has  been  under  way  since  January, 
employing  an  average  of  1,000  men  per 
month.  Other  PWA  and  WPA  projects 
have  made  unemployment  for  skilled  labor 
a  thing  of  the  past,  and  materially  lessened 
the  problem  of  unemployment  for  unskilled 
labor. 

Skilled  labor  receives  an  average  of  $1.00 
per  hour,  with  the  unskilled  averaging  $4 
per  day.  White  collar  workers  are  far  in 
the  majority  in  Houston,  the  average  wage 
estimated  at  $20  to  $25  per  week.  While 
Houston  has  a  large  negro  population,  the 
city  provides  one  of  the  finest  school  sys- 
tems in  the  south  for  the  negro  youth, 
having  three  high  schools,  three  junior  high 
schools,  and  14  elementary,  and  a  four-year 
municipal  university  for  negroes.  Three 
teachers  in  the  negro  schools  hold  Ph.  D. 
degrees,  and  all  are  college  graduates.  The 
Houston  Independent  school  svstem  for 
whites  and  negroes  consists  of  236  square 
miles,  109  schools  with  70.000  scholastics, 
municipal  universities  for  white  and  colored 
w  ith  a  combined  enrollment  of  2.500. 

(Cohrinurd  on  foUowiva  franc) 


I  16 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    2  2,     I,  936 


EFFICIENCY  MARKS  OPERATION 


(Continued  from  preceding  papc) 

During  the  years  of  the  depression  Hous- 
ton held  its  reputation  as  "the  best  theatre 
town  in  Texas."  Theatres  are  well  patron- 
ized, from  the  smallest  to  the  largest,  week 
by  week,  but  few  runs  are  out  of  the  or- 
dinary or  justify  a  holdover  of  programs. 
Except  for  road  shows  played  occasionally 
through  the  winter  at  the  Majestic,  an  In- 
terstate theatre,  stage  shows  are  out  of  the 
running  in  Houston.  The  Helen  Hayes, 
Walter  Huston  and  other  good  stage  plays, 
however,  are  sold  out  before  they  arrive, 
and  although  Houstonians  have  always  had 
a  reputation  of  "sitting  on  their  hands'"  their 
dollars  speak  applause  in  liberal  measure. 

Road  show  pictures,  however,  usually 
starve  to  death  in  Houston.  "The  Great 
Ziegfeld,"  "Midsummer  Night's  Dream" 
and  others  have  been  disappointments  here 
the  past  winter  and  spring.  Stars  are  the 
greatest  drawing  cards  in  pictures  for  Hous- 
ton patrons,  but  directors  are  becoming  bet- 
ter known,  thanks  to  advertising  methods 
of  the  local  theatres. 

The  Interstate  Theatres,  Inc.,  headed  by 
Karl  Hoblitzelle  of  Dallas,  and  operating 
under  a  contract  with  Publix-Paramount, 
former  owners,  own  three  of  the  four  first 
run  theatres  in  Houston,  and  five  suburbans. 
Loew's  State  in  Houston  is  the  only  Loew's 
theatre  in  the  state  of  Texas,  and  has  the 
choice  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  products  lit- 
erally sewed  up.  They  are  not  released  for 
subsequent  run  theatres,  so  must  be  seen  at 
Loew's  State  or  not  at  all.  Loew's  State  is 
also  the  largest  theatre  in  the  city,  seating 
2,700,  which  is  1,000  more  than  the  Inter- 
state's  largest,  the  Metropolitan. 

Institutional  Events  Celebrated 

Will  Horwitz,  nationally  known  theatre 
figure  because  of  his  eccentricities  and  en- 
terprise, has  exclusive  control  of  the 
downtown  subsequent  run  business,  with 
his  Texan,  Iris,  Ritz  and  his  new  ultra 
modern  Uptown.  In  the  past  year  Mr. 
Horwitz  has  spent  thousands  remodeling  the 
Texan  and  the  Iris,  building  the  Uptown, 
and  connecting  the  first  two  theatres  by 
a  tunnel  under  the  street,  and  the  last  two 
by  means  of  a  right  angle,  air-cooled  arcade 
through  the  block.  The  Horwitz  chain, 
known  as  the  Horwitz  Homefolks  The- 
atres, have  prices  from  15  cents  to  25,  and 
five  cents  all  the  time  for  children.  These 
shows  have  a  consistent  and  assured  clien- 
tele, regardless  of  the  picture  shown.  They 
employ  girl  ushers  in  neat  white  military 
uniforms  with  black  and  gold  trimmings, 
and  cash  in  on  the  reputation  of  welcoming 
children  and  giving  them  the  best  of  care 
while  their  mothers  shop.  They  run  all  prod- 
ucts except  M-G-M  and  are  protected  by  a 
30-day  contract. 

Annual  features  of  the  Horwitz  theatres 
that  have  become  an  "institution"  in  Hous- 
ton are  the  Christmas  party  and  tree  for  all 
children  of  the  city,  and  substantial  gifts  for 
the  underprivileged  youngsters,  and  the 
June  all  clay,  city  wide  birthday  party  at 
the  Iris  for  children  under  12  years.  These 
two  parties  are  said  to  cost  Mr.  Horwitz 
$6,00(1  annually.   An  average  attendance  at 


the  Christmas  party  is  25,000  youngsters, 
and  the  Iris  party  in  June  drew  15,000  chil- 
dren. 

Prices  at  the  first  run  Interstate  theatres 
are  25  to  50  cents  for  the  Metropolitan  and 
Majestic,  and  15  to  35  for  the  Kirby,  a 
house  with  1,450  seating  capacity  and  split 
week  policy  on  pictures.  Loew's  State  holds 
to  a  15  to  40  cent  policy.  The  suburban  the- 
atres charge  15  and  25  cents.  There  are 
four  independently  owned  suburban  theatres 
in  the  city,  the  most  important  being  the 
Boulevard,  owned  by  F.  D.  Wilke. 

Parking  Meters  Installed 

Transportation  offers  no  problems  to 
Houston  patrons,  but  the  parking  conditions 
for  two  years  have  been  growing  in  seri- 
ousness. Very  recently  parking  meters  have 
been  installed  in  downtown  areas,  and  seem 
to  be  an  answer  to  some  of  the  parking 
difficulties  for  the  merchants,  but  do  not 
help  theatre  patrons.  The  Metropolitan  has 
free  parking  for  its  patrons,  and  the  Hor- 
witz Theatres  offer  a  four-story  parking 
building,  free  to  patrons.  The  suburban 
theatres,  without  exception  have  free  park- 
ing. But  traffic  conditions  in  Houston  are 
notoriously  bad,  and  the  parking  problem,  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  there  are  several  park- 
ing lots  within  the  downtown  area,  at  prices 
from  10  to  25  cents,  it  still  to  be  solved. 

Bank  night,  screeno  and  the  other  build- 
ups prevalent  in  cities  of  Texas  and  the 
South,  did  not  reach  Houston  until  1936. 
Then  last  January  the  Interstate,  having 
found  Bank  Night  profitable  in  Dallas  and 
other  centers,  introduced  it  at  the  Kirby. 
Soon  the  Horwitz  shows  and  others  were 
competing,  and  Interstate  extended  the 
drawing  privilege  to  patrons  of  all  the  In- 
terstate theatres  on  the  regular  Bank  Night. 

Horwitz  started  two  Bank  Nights  a  week 
in  opposition,  but  found  this  unprofitable. 
Then  he  withdrew  the  chance  game  alto- 
gether, and  plastered  his  lobbies  with 
placards  denouncing  "cheap  skate  gambling" 
in  theatres,  etc.  The  opposition  gave  no 
heed,  and  within  a  month  Horwitz  had 
started  free  lottery  drawings  in  the  street, 

"Are   you   ready   for  Fall?" 


NEAT  WINDOW.  During  the  entire  run  of 
"White  Angel"  at  the  RKO  Mainstreet,  Kansas 
City,  Mo.,  Lawrence  Lehman,  manager,  and 
exploiteer  Lou  Mayer  planted  this  display  on 
"whites"    in    leading    department    store  window. 


with  police  permit,  in  front  of  his  Uptown 
and  Texan.  There,  one  night  each  week,  the 
pot  is  put  up,  and  merchandizing  prizes 
also,  and  drawings  held.  Tickets  may  be 
obtained  from  the  Horwitz  theatre  box 
offices  without  buying  a  ticket,  and  from 
many  stores  in  on  the  promotion. 

Theatre  operation  is  held  at  a  high  point 
of  perfection  in  Houston,  and  theatre  ser- 
vice is  of  the  best.  Efficient  management 
marks  all  of  the  theatres,  with  courtesy  and 
efficiency  the  watchword.  E.  E.  Collins,  city 
manager  for  Interstate,  and  Eddie  Bremer, 
manager  of  the  Kirby  and  a  theatre  man 
of  Houston  for  30  years,  are  active  members 
of  the  Houston  Rotary  Club.  Homer  Mc- 
Callon,  publicity  director  for  Loew's  State, 
is  a  popular  golfer  and  sportsman  of  Hous- 
ton. Mr.  Horwitz  has  a  suburban  estate  at 
Dickinson,  20  miles  from  Houston,  that 
is  a  show  place,  and  is  widely  known  in  the 
state.  The  theatre  men  thus  mix  with  the 
business  men  of  Houston,  and  are  called  by 
civic  club  members  by  their  first  names. 

Newspaper  advertising  is  the  greatest 
medium  of  exploitation  for  Houston  the- 
atres, and  ballyhoo  has  been  reduced  to  a 
minimum.  An  occasional  sound  truck, 
weekly  changes  in  fronts  to  which  the  staff 
artists  give  much  thought,  and  occasional 
tieups  with  local  companies  used. 

Houston  Newspapers  Friendly 

Newspapers  are  friendly  to  the  theatres, 
and  give  liberal  publicity  space.  The  three 
dailies  have  critics  who  run  daily  columns 
and  reviews  under  by-lines,  and  the  two 
Sunday  papers  use  many  pictures.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  theatres  buy  liberal  space 
on  Sundays,  and  daily,  and  throw  much 
national  advertising  to  the  papers.  Each  of 
the  papers  run  a  daily  theatre  calendar, 
listing  downtown  and  suburban  attractions. 

Hubert  Roussel,  critic  for  The  Press,  a 
Scripps-Howard  paper,  is  considered  one 
of  the  cleverest  writers  in  the  state.  He 
had  the  distinction  recently  of  being  quoted 
in  Time  Magazine.  The  three  papers  also 
use  syndicated  Hollywood  columns. 

Little  opposition  in  amusements  is  offered 
theatres  in  Houston,  although  Gulf  and  bay 
resorts  cut  in  on  summer  receipts  to  some 
extent.  Night  baseball  is  played  in  season, 
but  does  little  to  theatre  receipts.  A  three 
weeks'  horse  racing  season  twice  each  win- 
ter offers  some  competition,  and  a  weekly 
boxing  bout  competes  with  opening  of  new 
pictures  Friday  nights.  The  Houston  Sym- 
phony orchestra  is  growing  in  favor,  and 
has  come  to  be  a  matter  of  municipal  pride 
and  patronage.  The  Rice  hotel  roof  garden 
books  nationally  known  orchestras. 

Houston  remains  a  good  show  town,  with 
the  average  patron  attending  a  theatre  at 
least  once  in  two  weeks,  and  perhaps 
oftener,  according  to  estimates.  Houston 
has  a  population  of  350,000,  and  most  of 
them  between  the  ages  of  eight  and  fifty  are 
picture  fans.  Houston  theatres  made  a 
profit  on  the  whole  during  the  worst  years 
of  the  depression,  and  the  box  offices  now 
are  joining  in  the  chorus  of  "happy  days 
are  here  again." 


August    22,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


SOME  OVERSEAS  EXPLOITATIONS 


THEY'RE  ALL  CHARLIES.  For  the  date  on  "Modern  Times" 
at  the  Royal,  Corso,  and  Rialto  Theatres  in  Amsterdam,  Holland, 
Manager  C.  Miemus  of  the  Royal  arranged  this  bally  of  Chap- 
lins  from  the  famed  Dutch  Dickson  Ballet. 


SHANGHAI  STREET  SCENE.  Lobby  of  the  Cine  Monumental, 
Rosario,  Argentine,  was  transformed  into  street  scene  for  dis- 
play on  Paramount's  "Shanghai"  by  theatre's  impresarios  Senors 
Gutierrez  and  Paramount  manager,  Romeo  Bianchi. 


TRAVELING  BOVINES.  Bannered  cutout  bovine  floats  trundled 
through  Barcelona,  Spain,  boulevards  drew  people  and  pesetas 
to  the  Coliseum  Theatre  during  the  run  of  "Via  Lactea"  (The 
Milky  Way),  says  correspondent  Plummer. 


ANIMATED  CHAPLIN  WINDOW.  One  of  the  most  original 
window  displays  in  London  was  this  animation  arranged  by 
Francis  Meynell,  United  Artists'  publicity  head,  for  "Modern 
Times"  at  the  Tivoli.    Display  was  30  feet  long. 


LARGEST  BOARD.  Reported  by  Leon  Britton,  of  Peacock 
Motion  Picture  Co.,  to  be  one  of  the  largest  to  be  put  up  in 
Shanghai  was  this  50-foot  poster  on  Radio's  "Top  Hat"  for 
date  at  the  Metropol  Theatre,  copy  in  English  and  Chinese. 


STOCKHOLM  FRONT.  Display  at  the  Rialto  Theatre,  Stock- 
holm, Sweden,  typical  of  the  fronts  used  also  at  the  Rivoli,  Rita 
and  Ritz,  of  the  Ri  circuit  in  the  same  city,  for  day  and  date 
runs  on  Warners'  "Captain  Blood." 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


YOU  ARE  INVITED  TO  JOIN  UP 


HAROLD  HELLER 

is  in  Brooklyn  as  assistant  manager  of  the 
RKO  Bushwick  Theatre,  starting  in  as 
usher  at  the  RKO  Tilyou,  then  promoted  to 
assistant  chief  of  service  and  later  trans- 
ferred and  promoted  to  the  RKO  Uptown  as 
utility  man  in  August,  1934.  A  few  months 
ago,  Harold  was  promoted  to  assistant  and 
we're  hoping  to  hear  from  him  real  soon. 

V 

JAMES  E.  AARON 

is  in  Piedmont,  Ala.,  managing  the  Fox 
Theatre  and  says  from  the  tender  age  of 
eleven  on  he  was  doing  odd  jobs  around 
theatres.  Jim  has  worked  for  Loew's  Lam 
Amusement  under  Carter  Barron,  Harry  W. 
Crull  and  Hardie  Meekin  and  we  don't 
doubt  that,  as  he  says,  he  owes  a  lot  to  these 
fine  showmen.  How  about  showing  us  how 
you've  taken  advantage  of  what  they  taught 
you,  Aaron  ? 

V 

IRA  W.  THOMPSON 

in  West  Point,  Miss.,  is  the  assistant  man- 
ager of  the  Ritz  Theatre,  and  says  he  started 
as  usher,  but  received  a  little  training  as 
projectionist  too.  Ira  is,  in  addition  to  act- 
ing as  asistant,  continuing  a  course  at  the 
University. 

V 

HYMAN  ROBBINS 

is  right  here  in  New  York  City  managing 
the  City  Hail  Theatre.  Well  you  have  an 
advantage  over  lots  of  other  of  our  mem- 
bers, Hymen,  you're  close  enough  to  club 
headquarters  to  come  on  up  some  time  and 
pay  us  a  little  visit,  how  about  it?  Robbins 
started  in  show  business  in  1930  as  doorman 
at  the  Tivoli  in  Brooklyn,  then  was  pro- 
moted to  assistant  and  after  eighteen  months 
made  manager,  which  job  he  held  for  two 
years  and  later  assumed  his  present  job. 

V 

H.  T.  WALES 

is  the  owner  and  manager  of  the  Cascade 
Theatre,  Boerne,  Texas,  which  had  been 
closed  for  about  a  year.  "H.  T."  says  since 
remodelling  he  has  enjoyed  good  business 
which  he  attributes  to  "ample  advertising, 
good  projection  and  above  all  cooperation 
with  the  merchants  and  business  men  in 
Boerne."  Wales  also  says  he  personally 
greets  each  and  every  patron. 

V 

MEL  E.  SCOTT 

is  managing  the  Moorhead  Theatre  in  Moor- 
head,  Minn.,  started  as  usher  at  the  State 
Theatre  in  Fargo,  N.  D.,  became  doorman 
and  later  assistant  manager.  Mel  was  then 
transferred  to  the  Fargo  theatre  as  house 
manager  and  worked  at  the  Garrick  and 
Orpheum  there  too  for  a  short  time  until  he 
was  transferred  to  his  present  job. 

V 

ALFRED  G.  SWETT 

manages  the  Empire  Theatre  in  Salem, 
Mass.,  started  as  chief  usher  in  Danners 
Orpheum,  receiving  his  basic  training  in  all 
departments,  doing  office  work,  electrician 
on  vaudeville,  running  projection  machine, 
etc.  Became  usher  at  Paramount  working 
up  to  assistant  under  M.  &  P.  and  then  was 
promoted  to  his  present  job. 


Above  poster  was  created  by  Louis  Chiaramonte, 
artist,  Loew's  State,  Boston.  Display  was  air 
brushed  in  natural  colors  showing  application  of 
cutout  letters. 


Birthday 
Greetings 


B.  F.  Adcock 

Gilbert  Hainline 

Jerome  Adelman 

Mack  Herbert 

George  Otis  Allen 

S.  S.  Holland 

Russell  Allen 

Edgar  Jones 

Tom  Arthur 

Max  Keizerstein 

Joseph  P.  Avila 

Ralph  B.  Ketchum 

George  Bannon 

Leslie  Larsen 

Carl  Benson 

Ray  Liebman 

Nat  Blank 

Charles  E.  Lockard 

William  S.  Briscol 

Maurice  Magers 

Tod  Browning 

Joseph  Mahoney 

Julien  Campbell 

J.  J.  Medford 

Charles  L.  Clarke 

H.  G.  Moore 

Tom  Cleary 

C.  Morelock 

Harry  Clifford 

Dick  Moss 

Corwin  Collins 

Herbert  Mueller 

E.  E.  Crabtree 

John  G.  Newkirk 

Beryl  Davis 

Charles  L.  Oswald 

E.  L.  Dilley 

Harry  Pappas 

Roland  Douchette 

George  J.  Recktenwald 

R.  E.  Easson 

John  Revels 

Milton  O.  Field 

George  Rice 

Charles  H.  Franklin 

Roland  H.  Ruden 

Melville  Galliart 

Earl  St.  John 

Glynn  H.  Gau 

Clarke  O.  Sanford 

Robert  Gibbs 

Robert  Schmidt 

M.  J.  Gilfillan 

Louis  Schnitzer 

Roy  Gingell 

Mel  Scott 

David  Ginsberg 

Ram  Sharma 

Ben  Goldman 

Herman  Shulgold 

Jack  Golladay 

Sol  Strauss 

Thomas  Grace 

Jack  Vidumsky 

Ty  Grasiano 

John  Watt 

JACK  FOSTER 

is  in  Salem,  Mass.,  too,  managing  the  Plaza 
Theatre.  Jack  started  as  usher  in  the  Fed- 
eral Theatre  and  was  transferred  to  the 
Salem  Theatre  as  chief  usher.  Transferred 
from  there  to  the  Plaza  as  house  manager, 
then  to  the  Empire  and  back  to  the  present 
location. 

V 

JAMES  A.  FIELD 

manages  the  Paramount  Theatre  in  Salem, 
Mass.,  also  started  as  an  usher  at  the  Fed- 
eral Theatre  and  when  this  closed  went  to 
the  Salem  as  chief  usher  and  later  assistant. 
When  the  Federal  reopened,  James  went 
back  there  as  assistant  and  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  the  Paramount  as  assistant  and 
later  made  manager. 

V 

JAMES  R.  CHALMERS 

is  the  assistant  manager  of  the  Palace  in 
Toronto,  Canada,  working  for  our  old  friend 
Charlie  Querrie.  We  haven't  heard  from 
either  of  you  boys  in  some  time,  so  we're 
hoping  that  this  will  serve  as  a  reminder 
that  it's  about  time  some  campaigns  were 
forthcoming  from  the  Palace. 

V 

DON  DUNGAN 

is  the  assistant  manager  of  the  America  and 
Lyric  Theatres  in  Ft.  Collins,  Colo.,  and 
we're  sorry  to  say  we  haven't  heard  from 
Don  since  he  joined  the  Club.  You  ought  to 
have  plenty  to  tell  us  since  you  are  working 
at  two  houses.  How  about  it  ? 

V 

HARRY  CREASEY 

is  the  manager  of  the  Capitol  Theatre  in 
Kamloops,  B.  C,  and  has  already  been  rep- 
resented in  our  pages  with  some  of  his 
activities.  Harry  was  born  in  London  and 
educated  there  and  in  Canada,  was  offered 
an  assistant  manager's  job  with  a  legitimate 
house  and  has  managed  the  Strand  in  Chilli- 
wack  and  his  present  house,  both  for  Famous 
Players  Canadian.  Creasey  is  a  past  presi- 
dent of  the  Rotarv  and  a  member  of  the 
Elks. 

V 

BOB  GOODFRIED 

is  the  assistant  manager  of  the  Crotona  The- 
atre, Bronx,  New  York,  and  started  with 
Fox  as  usher,  then  chief.  Bob  left  show- 
business  for  two  years  and  came  back  as 
usher,  chief  usher  and  then  assistant,  where 
for  the  past  four  years  he  has  been  at  the 
Crotona,  Blendheim  and  Nemo  Theatres. 

V 

BARNEY  FARBER 

is  the  manager  of  the  Strand  and  Palace 
Theatres  in  Lakewood,  N.  J.,  and  it  would 
be  mighty  interesting  to  know  how  he  puts 
his  shows  over  at  these  two  houses.  Re- 
member your  responsibility  to  the  Club  only 
begins  when  you  sign  on  the  dotted  line.  We 
expect  to  hear  from  you  frequently. 

V 

H.  P.  THOMPSON 

is  the  house  manager  of  the  National  The- 
atre, in  Louisville,  Ky.  Started  in  the  the- 
atre advertising  business,  selling  his  ideas 
in  western  states.  Tom  says  he  trusts  he  can 
be  a  valuable  member,  and  so  he  can,  pro- 
vided he  keeps  us  informed  of  what  he's  do- 
ing down  at  the  National. 


August    2  2,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


THE  RELEASE  CHART 


Productions  are  listed  according  to  the  names  of  distributors  in  order  that  the  exhibitor  may  have  a  short-cut  towards  such 
information  as  he  may  need,  as  well  as  information  on  pictures  that  are  coming.  Features  now  in  work  or  completed  for  release 
later  than  the  date  of  this  issue  are  listed  under  "Coming  Attractions."  Running  times  are  those  supplied  by  the  companies. 
Asterisk  indicates  running  time  as  made  known  by  West  Coast  studio  before  announcement  by  home  office  in  New  York.  Varia- 
tions also  may  be  due  to  local  censorship  deletions.  Dates  are  1935,  unless  otherwise  specified.  Letter  in  parenthesis  after 
title  denotes  audience  classification  of  production:  (A)  Adult,  (G)  General.  Numerals  following  audience  classification  are  pro- 
duction numbers.    Dagger  symbol  indicates  picture  is  of  the  1935-36  season. 


ACADEMY  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi   Duna   ..Jan.    24,'36t  70. Jan.  25/36 

Revolt  of  the  Demons  Dorothy  Stone-Dean  Jagger  May   20,'36t  60. June    13. '36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title  of  "Revolt  of  the  Zombies.") 


Coming 


Inter-national  Crime  ... 
Millions  for  Defense.... 
Murder  in  Chinatown.... 
Secret  of  Scotland  Yard. 
Slave  Ship   


AMBASSADOR-CONN-MELODY 


Title 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


Black  Gold   Frankie  Darro-Berton  Churchill.  .Jan. 

Born  to  Fight  Frankie  Darro-Jack  La  Rue  Apr. 

Phantom  of  Death  Valley  Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. .. May 

Phantom  Patrol   Kermit  Maynard-Joan  Barclay  May 

Racing  Blood   Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. .  .Aug. 

Song  of  the  Trail  Kermit  Maynard-Evelyn  Brent... Feb. 

Timber  War   Kermit  Maynard-Lucille  Lund. ..Nov. 

Wildcat  Trooper   Kermit  Maynard-H.  Bosworth  June 


20,'36t. 
I3.'36t. 
I5,'36t. 

3,'36t. 

I, "36.. 
24,'36t. 

20  

IO/36t. 


Coming 

Dawn  Rider   Kermit    Maynard   Oct.  10/36. 

Robin  Hood,  Jr  Frankie  Darro-Kane  Richmond. .  .Sept.  20. '36. 

Swing  Is  the  Thing  Pinky  Tomlin   Nov.  20. '36. 

Trooper   X-13  Frankie    Darro-Kane    Richmond.  .Oct.  20,'36. 

Valley  of  Terror  Kermit    Maynard   Nov.  20, '36. 

Wild  Horse  Roundup  Kermit  Maynard   Sept.  I5,'36. 

With  Love  and  Kisses   Pinky   Tomlin   Oct.  I, '36. 


BURROUGHS-TARZAN 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Drag  Net,  The  Rod  LaRocque-Marian  Nixon  Apr.  I5,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  15, '36.) 
Phantom  of  Sante  Fe,  The  Nina  Quartaro-Norman  Kerry  July  7,'36t  

(all  color) 

Tundra   Del  Cambre   Aug.  24,'36t  

Coming 

White  Glove,  The  Sept.  1 5,'36t  


CELEBRITY 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

•For  Love  of  You  Franco    Foresta    -    Riscoe  and 

Wayne   60  

.Kiss  Me  Goodbye  (G)  Magda  Schneider  •  Riscoe  and 

Wayne   62.... Dee.  14 


CHESTERFIELD 


Running  Time 

Ti1,e  star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

August  Week-end   V.  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley,  Jr  Apr.  25,'36t  

Below  the  Deadline  Cecilia  Parker- Russell   Hop  ton. . .  June 

Dark  Hour.  The  Ray  Walker-Irene  Ware  Jan. 

Little  Red  Schoolbouse  Dickie  Moore-Junior  Coghlan  Mar. 

Lady  Luck   Patricia  Farr-Wm.  Bakewell  July 

fling  Around  the  Moon  (G) ...  Erin  O'Brien-Moore- D.  Cook  Dec. 


,'36t  

(5.'36t....64  

2,'36t....66  

6,'36t  

I5t  64  .  Mar. 


28.'3S 


Missing  Girls 


Coming 

Roger   Pryor-Sydney  Blackmer. 


COLUMBIA 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


Title  Star 
And   So   They    Were  Married 

(Q>   Mary  Astor-Melvyn    Douglas  May    I0,'36t  75. Apr. 

Avenging   Waters   Ken  Maynard-Beth  Marion  May     8,'36t  56  . 

Blackmailer   William  Gargan-Florence   Rice. ..July    I0.'36t  66  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  28,'36.) 


1 8.'36 


Title 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Revlen 


lOt. 


.65.  Feb.  1/36 


20t. 


.89  Nov.  SO 


4,'36t....57  

l.'36t....80.May  18/80 
!5,'36t....63.Mar.  14/36 
lOt  65  Dee.  14 

30,'36t...58  

l/36t...  .58  

30t  57  

8,'36t...  .65.  Mar.  21/36 


.86.  May  23/39 


.  Dec. 
.Aug. 


. .  May 
.  .Apr. 


25/36t...73  

28t  57. May 

3lt  69. Fob. 

l/36t...72.July 


6/36t... 
I2,'36t... 


66.  Apr. 
18. Apr. 
118,  120, 


2/38 
15/36 
25/80 

25/80 
25/80 

122; 


8/36,  p.  82;  July  25/36,  p.  81; 

Feb.  29/30 


Calling  of  Dan  Matthew  (G).  Richard  Arlen-Charlotte  Wynters  Dec, 

Cattle  Thief.  The  Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell ...  Feb.   28.'36t  57  

Counterfeit   Chester  Morris-Margot  Grahame. . June    I2,'36t...  74  

(See  "Queer  Money,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 
Crime  and  Punishment  (A).... Peter  Lorre-Edward  Arnold  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63.) 

Dangerous  Intrigue   Ralph  Bellamy-Gloria  Shea  Jan. 

Devil's  Squadron   (G)   Richard   Dix-Karen   Merley  ..May 

Don't  Gamble  with  Love  (G).  Bruce  Cabot-Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Escape  from  Devil's  Island(G)  .Victor  Jory- Florence  Rice  Nov. 

Final  Hour,  The  M.  Churchill-Ralph  Bellamy  June 

Fugitive  Sheriff,  The   Ken  Maynard-Beth  Marlon  June 

Gallant  Defender   Charles  Starrett-Joan  Perry  Nov. 

Hell  Ship  Morgan   (G)  George  Bancroft-Ann  Sothern  Feb. 

Heroes  of  the  Range  Ken    Maynard-June   Gale  Mar.  28,'36t  51 

If  You  Could  Only  Cook  Jean    Arthur-Herbert    Marshall. .  Dec.    30t  72 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64.) 
King  Steps  Out,  The   (G)  Grace  Moore -Franchot  Tone  May  28/36t 

(Exploitation:    July  25/36,  p.  81.) 

Lady  of  Secrets  Ruth  Chatterton-Otto  Kruger  Jan. 

Lawless  Riders  (G)  Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell ...  Dec. 

Lone  Wolf  Returns,  The  (G)..Melvyn   Douglas-Gail  Patrick. 

Meet  Nero  Wolfe  (G)  Edward  Arnold-Lionet  Stander. 

Mine  With  the  Iron  Door,  The 

(G)   Richard    Arlen-Cecilia  Parker 

Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town  (GK.Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  

(Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  6/36,  p.   120;  June  20/36,  pp. 
June  27/36,  p.  80;  July  11/36,  pp.  125,  128;  July 
Aug,  8/36,  p.  92.) 

Music  Goes  'Round,  The  (G).Rochelle  Hudson- Harry  Richman   Fob.  27/36t.. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  95;  Mar.  21/36,  p.  96;  Mar.  28/36,  p.  84;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  78 
May  2/36,  p.  94;  May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  June  6/36,  p.  123.) 

Mysterious  Avenger   Charles  Starrett-Joan  Perry  Jan.    I7,'36t  55  

One  Way  Ticket  Lloyd  Nolan-Peggy  Conklin  Nov. 

Panic  on  the  Air  (G)  Lew  Ayres- Florence   Rice  Apr. 

Pride  of  the  Marines  Charles  Bickford- Florence  Rice... Apr. 

Roaming  Lady  Fay  Wray-Ralph  Bailamy  Apr. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  April  4/36.) 

Secret  Patrol    Charles  Starrett-Finis  Barton  May 

Shakedown   Lew  Ayres-Joan  Perry  July 

Stampede   Charles  Starrett-Finis  Barton  June 

Too  Tough  to  Kill  Victor  Jory-Sally  O'Neill  Nov. 

Trapped  by  Television  (G)  Lyle  Talbot-Mary  Astor  June 

Two   Fisted  Gentleman  James   Dunn-June  Clayworth  Aug.  15/86 

(See  "The  Fighter,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Western   Courage   Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell. .  .Nov. 

You  May  Be  Next  (G)  Ann  Sothern-Lloyd  Nolan  Feb. 

Coming 

Adventure  In  Manhattan  Jean  Arthur-Joel  McCrea  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 
Craig's  Wife   John  Boles-Rosalind  Russell  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 

Cross   Fire   Charles  Starrett-Mary  Blake  

End  of  the  Trail  lack  Holt-Louise   Henry  Sept.  19/36  

(See  "A  Man  Without  Fear,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 

Find   the   Witness   Marguerite  Churchill  

I   Promise  to  Pay  Leo    Carrillo-Marian  Marsh- 
Goo.  Bancroft   

Killer   at    Large  Mary  Brian-Russell   Hardie  ,  

Lost  Horizon   Ronald  Colman-Jane  Wyatt- 

Edward  Everett  Horton  

Man  Who  Lived  Twioe.  The  Isabel  Jewell-Ralph  Bellamy  Sept.  25/36  

Nightingale  Flies  Home,  The. Grace  Moore   

Pennies   from    Heaven  Bing  Crosby-Madge  Evans  

Theodora  Goes  Wild  Irene   Dunne-Melvyn  Douglas  

They  Met  in  a  Taxi  (G)  Chester  Morris-Fay  Wray  Sept.    1/36  70. Aug.  8/36 

Two  Minute  Alibi  M.  Churchill- Wm.  Gargan  Sept.  23/36  

Unknown  Ranger,  The  Robert   Allen-Martha   Tibbetts.    Sept.  15/36  


25t  72  

I0,'36t...  .56. May 

2/36t....66  

12/361-  69  


2/86 


20/36t....60  

I7.'36t....57  , 

8/36T....56  

23t  58  

l5/S6t....65.Aug. 


8/36 


1 5t  

6/36t. 


58  

67. Mar.  28/38 


COMMODORE 


Running  Tin* 

Title 

Star 

Rel. 

Date 

Minutes 

Reviewed 

2/36t 
I5.'36t 
I5.'36t 
26t.  . 

....6  rli 

....6  rls 

...  .6  rli 

....6  rls. 

It... 

Toll  of  the  Desert  (G) 

 Fred  Kohler.  Jr.-Betty  Mack.. 

. .  Dec. 

2flt... 

....60.. 

.Oct.  28 

Wolf  Riders   

 Jack  Perrin   

It 

Coming 

Scream  in  the  Dark  Lon   Chaney.  Jr  


120 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAET—CCNT'E) 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Title 

Empress  and  a  Soldier. 


DANUBIA 

(Hungarian  Dialogue; 
Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


.  Gozon-Dajbukat   Dec. 


It. 


.77. 


Keep   Smiling   Szoeke   Szakali   Feb.   21  ,'SCt  77  

New   Squire,   The  Paul   Javor   Mar.   I5/S6t. . .  106  

Queen  of   Roses  Zita  Pertzel   Nov.    lOt  90  

Sweet  Stepmother   Maria  Tasnedi   Nov.    22t  90  


Coming 

Be  Good  Unto  Death  Lacri    Deveny   Sept.  I0.'36  80. 


DU  WORLD 


Title  Star 

Frasquita  (G)   Franz  Lehar   

Legong:  Dance  of  the  Virgins.  .Technicolor   ..Nov. 

Scandal   in   Budapest  Nov. 

Wedding    Rehearsal   Roland  Young-Merle  Oberon  Dec. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
Jan.    l7,'36t....87.Feb.     I  ,'36 

I5t  60  

It  

It  


Coming 

Amok   Marcel  Chantel   Oct. 

Kliou,  The  Killer  Technicolor   Oct. 

L'Equippage   Annabella   Oct. 

Nobody's  Boy   Robert  Lynen   Sept. 

Notre  Dame   Oct. 

Opera  of  Paris   Georges  Thill   Oct. 


15/36  84  

I, '36  60  June 

15/36  79  

15/36  81  

1/36  58  

1/36  50  


EMPIRE 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Crime   Patrol   Ray   Walker-Geneva  Mitchell..  

Fire  Trap  (G)  Evalyn  Knapp-Norman  Foster  *63  Dec.  7 

Shadows  of  the  Orient  (G)  Regis  Toomey-Esther   Ralston  *65.Feb.  15/36 


FIRST  NATIONAL 


16t.... 


9/36 


70. June  13/36 
84  Nov.  2 


(See  also  Warner  Brothers)      Running  Time 

Title                                       Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Brides  Are  Like  That  (G)  972. Ross   Alexander-Anita   Louise  Apr.    I8,'36t. .  .  .67.  Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  117.) 

Broadway  Hostess   (G)  963  Winifred  Shaw-Lyle  Talbot  Dec.     7t  69  Nov.  23 

Bullets  or  Ballots  (G)  961  Edw.  G.  Robinson-Joan  Blondell . .  June     6/36t  81.  May  23/36 

(Exploitation:  June  13/36,  p.  123;  June  27/36,  p.  86;  Aug.  8/36,  pp.  92,  93.) 
Captain  Blood  (G)  855  Errol  Flynn-Olivia  De  Havilland . .  Dec.    28t  119.  Jan.  11/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  69;  Feb.  1/36.  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83.  86;  Feb.  29/36,  pp. 
74,  76;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Case  of  the  Velvet  Claws,  The 

(G)    965   Warren  William-Claire   Dodd  Aug.    I5.'36t  63. May  23/36 

Ceiling   Zero    (G)    953  James   Cagney-Pat  O'Brien  Jan.    25,'36t. .  .  .95. . . .  Dec.  28 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  62;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  29/36,  p.  73;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99; 
Apr.  18/36.  pp.  81,  82;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  23/36,  p.  88.) 

China  Clipper   (G)   960  Pat   O'Brien-Beverly    Roberts  Aug.  22/36t . . . 88'/2Aug.  15/36 

Earthworm  Tractors  (G)  962..  Joe  E.  Brown-June  Travis  July    I8,'36t . . .  *68.  June  20/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90:  Aug.  0/3C,  p.  91;  Aug.  15/36.  pp.  75,  76.  78.) 
Golden  Arrow,  The  (G)  959...Bette   Davis-George   Brent  May    23/36t . .  .  .68.  May 

(Exploitation:  May  16/36,  p.  85;  July  4/36,  p.  72.) 

Hearts   Divided   (G)   955  Marion  Davies.Dick  Powell  June  20,'36t. 

I  Found  Stella  Parish  (A)  958.  Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter   Nov. 

Law   in   Her   Hands,   The  (G) 

973   Margaret  Lindsay-Warren  Hull.  ..May 

Love    Begins   at    Twenty  (G) 

975   Warren   Hull-Patricia  Ellis  Aug. 

Man  of  Iron  (G)  969   Barton  MacLane-Mary  Astor  Dec.  2lt.... 

Murder   by   an   Aristocrat  (G) 

974   Marguerite  Churchill-L.  Talbot  ..June  I3,'36t. 

Murder  of   Dr.    Harrigan,  The 

(G)  970   Kay  Linaker-Ricardo  Cortez  Jan. 

Payoff,  The  (G)  968  James   Dunn-Claire   Dodd  Nov. 

Road  Gang   (A)   964  Donald  Woods-Kay  Linaker  Mar.  28,'36t 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  121;  June  27/36,  p.  88;  July  4/36,  p.  68; 
July  1 1/36,  p.  128.) 

Singing  Kid.  The  (G)  954  Al  Jolson-Beverly  Roberts  Apr.    Il/36t  84.  Mar.  21/36 

(Exploiation:  May  2/36,  p.  99.) 

Snowed  Under  (G)  971  George  Brent-Genevieve  Tobin  Apr.     4/36t  63. Mar.  21/36 

Song  of  the  Saddle  (G)   978..  Dick   Foran-Alma   Lloyd  Feb.   29/361  56. Apr.  11/36 

Story   of    Louis    Pasteur,  The 

(G)  956   Paul  Muni-Josephine  Hutchinson  .  Feb.   22,'36t  87  Nov.  30 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  96;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  25/36, 
p.  96;  May  2/36.  p.  92;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36,  p.  85;  July 
4/36,  p.  68:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93.) 
Two  Against  the  World  (G)  977.  Humphrey  Bogart-Beverly  Rob- 
erts  July    ll/36t  57. May  23/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.) 

White  Angel,  The  96n  (G)       Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter   ..July     4/36t . .  .  .91 .  June  6/36 

(Exploitation:  July   11/36,   p.   125;  Aug.  8/36,   p.  92.) 

Coming 

Captain's   Kid,   The  Guy  Kibbee-Sybil  Jason  

(See  "Way  for  a  Pirate,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 
Case  of  the  Black  Cat  Ricardo  Cortez-June  Travis  


I6,'36t  58. Apr.  18/36 


22/36  58.  May  30/36 

61  Nov.  16 


.60. Apr.  4/36 


ll.'36t.. 

9t  


.67. Feb.  1/36 

.64  Nov.  30 

.62. Feb.  29/36 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Down  the  Stretch  (G)   177  Patricia  Ellis-Dennis  Moore  Sept.  19/36  "65. July  18/36 

Draegerman's  Courage   Jean    Muir-Barton  MacLane  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Fugitive  in  the  Sky  Jean   Muir-Warren  Hull  

God's  Country  and  the  Woman. George  Brent-Beverly  Roberts  

Gold   Diggers  of  1937  Dick  Powell-Joan  Blondell  

Green  Light   Errol  Flynn-Anita  Louise  

(See  "In  the  Cutting   Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 

Loudspeaker   Lowdown   Ross  Alexander-Anne  Nagel  

Mountain  Justice   Bette  Davis  

Nowhere   Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts  

Sing   Me  a  Love  Song  lames   Melton-Patricia  Ellis  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aus.  15/36.) 

Slight  Case  of   Murder,  A  Edward   G.  Robinson  

Stage  Struck  (G)    Joan  Blondell- Dick  Powell  Sept.  12/36. ..  90.  Aug.  15/36 

Three  Men  on  a  Horse  Frank  McHugh-Joan  Blondell  

Trailin'  West  979  Dick    Foran-Paula   Stone  Sept.    5/36  56  

(See  "On  Secret  Service,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  16/36.) 


FRANK  NORTON 


Title 


(Greek  Dialogue — English  Titles)  Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


Aute   in   Zoe   Reta   Karmen    ..Nov. 

Blue  Candles    Reta  Myrat   Dec. 

Crucified   Love   Helen    Pades   Dec. 

Depression  Is  Over    Beatrice   Emanuel   Jan. 

Independence   Phillip  Alexander   Feb. 

News  from  Greece   Travelogue   Feb. 

Voskopoula   Sophea  Damoglou   Jan. 


25t  115  

25t  95  

I5t  115  

15,  '36t..  98  

16.  '3«t..  .100  

9/36t.  .80  

5/36t  .95  


GB  PICTURES 


Title 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  heviewed 


3lt  78  Nov.  30 

May   30,'36t  79. May  16/36 

Jan.    IO.'36t....75.Jan.  25/36 
.80  Oct.  10 


First  a  Girl  (A)  3512  lessie  Matthews-Sonnie  Hale. ....  Dec. 

It's  Love  Again  (G)  Jessie  Matthtws-Robert  Young 

King  of  the  Damned  (A)  3504. Conrad  Veidt-Helen  Vinson... 

Mister  Hobo  (G)  3416  George  Arliss-Gene  Gerrard  Nov.  22... 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "The  Guv'nor.")   (Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36. 
p.  84;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  83.) 
Passing   of  the   Third  Floor 

Back,  The  (G)  3510  Conrad    Veidt-Rene    Ray  Dec.    I5t  80  Oct.  10 

Rhodes,    the    Diamond  Master 

(G)    3514   Walter  Huston   Apr.    1 5,'36t . . . .  88.  Mar.  7/36 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  72.) 

Secret  Agent   (A)    3515  Madeleine   Carroll-Keter  Lorre...June    I5,'36t  83. May  23/36 

Seven  Sinners   Edmund    Lowe-Constance  Cum- 

mings   Aug.   I5,'36t. ..  .70. July  11/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Doomed  Cargo.") 

Coming 

East  Meets  West  George  Arliss  

Everything   Is  Thunder  C.    Bennett-D.    Montgomery  Sept.  1/36  

Great    Barrier,    The   Richard  Arlen-Lilli  Palmer  

Head    Over    Heels  Jessie  Matthews  

Hidden  Power,  The  Sylvia  Sidney-John  Loder  

His   Majesty's  Pyjamas  (A) 

3623   Clive  Brook-Helen  Vinson-Mary 

Carlisle   78.  May  30/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Love  in  Exile.") 

King  Solomon's  Mines  3618. .  .Roland  Young-Paul  Robeson  

Land  Without  Music   Richard   Tauber-Diana  Napier  

Man  Who   Lived  Again  3507. .Boris    Karloff-Anna   Lee  Sept.  15/36  

Nelson  Touch,  The  George  Arliss-Rene  Ray  

Nine  Days  a  Queen  (G)  3610.  .Nova  Pilbeam-Cedric  Hardwicke.  .Sept.    I  ,'36t . .  .  .80.  May  18/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Lady  Jane  Gray.")  (See  production  article,  June  20/36,  p.  10.) 

Soldiers- Three   Victor  McLaglen     

Strangers  on  a   Honeymoon  Constance  Cummings-Hugh  Sin- 
clair-Noah   Beery   73  


GEORGE  HIRLIMAN  ENTERPRISES 

Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  P-viewed 


Coming 


Bristol,    the    Blunderer  George  O'Brien   Nov.  1/36  

Captain  Calamity   George   Houston-Marian  Nixon  66  

Daniel    Boone   George  O'Brien   Sept.  1/36  

Devil  on  Horseback,  The  Lili    Damita   Sept.  15/36  

Gorgeous  

Navy  Spy   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  

Park   Avenue    Logger.  George  O'Brien  

Pending   Justice    Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  

Romance    on   the    Rio  :  

Sam    Houston,   Pioneer   George  O'Brien   

We're  in  the  Legion  Now  (G). Reginald   Denny-Esther   Ralston  64.  Feb.  15/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title  "Rest  Cure.") 
Yellow  Cargo  Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  65  


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


12! 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART—CONT'D) 


GRAND  NATIONAL  DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

(Release  First  Division  Productions  and  in  certain  territories  Alliance,  Diversion. 
Normandy,  Associated  Talking,  Monogram,  Liberty,  Chesterfield  and  Invincible  Pictures.) 

Running  Tim? 

Tjt|e  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

August    Wtek-End   Valerie  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley, 

Jr  Apr.    I0.'36t  67  

Below   the    Deadline  Cecilia  Parker- Russell   Hopton. . .  June     8,'36t  69  

Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens- Dorothy  Tree  Mar.    5,'36t  66  

Brilliant    Marriage   Joan  Marsh-Ray  Walker  ..Mar.  25/36t  62'/2  

Dark  Hour,  The   Irene  Ware-Ray  Walker  Jan.    I5,'36t  70'/2  

Drake  the   Pirate   (G)  Matheson   Lang-Jane   Baxter  Apr.     I ,*36t  78  June  I 

Easy   Money    (G)  Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker  June   1 5,'36t .... 66 '/2  July  1 1 .'36 

Feud  of  the  West  Hoot  Gibson-Joan  Barclay  Apr. 

Hitch-Hike  to   Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman-Anita  Page...  Dec. 

I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi  Duna   Feb. 

Lady  in  Scarlet,  The  Reginald   Denny-Patricia  Farr.  ..Nov. 

Lady  Luck   Patricia  Farr-Wm.  Bakewell  July 

Law  of  45's   Big  Boy  William-Molly  O'Day.  ..Dec. 

Little  Red  School  House  Junior  Coghian-Dickie  Moore. ...  Mar. 


l5,'36t....6M/i 

It  63  

I,'36t  67. Jan.  25,'36 

20t  -.65  

3/36t  

It  -56  

I0,'36f  59  


.65. 


Living    Dead,    The  Gerald  Du  Maurier-Geo.  Curzon  .Feb.  29,'36t. 

Lucky  Terror,  The  Hoot   Gibson   Feb. 

Murder  at  Glen  Athol  John  Miljan-lrene  Ware  Nov. 

Old  Curiosity  Shop  (G)  Elaine  Benson-Ben  Webster  Dec. 

Red   Wagon  Charles  Bickford-Raquel  Torres  .  Dec. 

Riding  Avenger  (G)   Hoot  Gibson   June    I5,'36t.  .•  -57.  July  I8,'36 

Ring  Around  the  Moon  Erfn  O'Brien  -  Moore  -  Donald 

Cook   Jan.    23,'36t. ..  .69(/2Mar.  28,'36 

She-Devil    Island   C.  Guerrero-  J.  J.  Martinez 

Casado   June 

Southern    Maid   Bebe  Daniels-Clifford  Mollison. . .  May 

Spy  77   (G)   Greta  Nissen-Don  Alvarado  Jan. 

Swifty   Hoot  Gibson-June  Gale  Dec. 

Tango   Marian   Nixon-Chick  Chandler  ..Jan. 

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)   Chick  Chandler-Evalyn  Knapp  May 

Too   Much   Beef  Rex  Bell-Connie  Bergen  Apr.   20,'36t  59  

West  of  Nevada  Rex   Bell   June   22,'36t  59  


20,'36t...6l  

It  ..69. May  9,'36 

25f  ..89....  Feb.  2 

8t   -76  


I,'36t  63  

l,'36t..-60  

I5,'36t  77.  Feb.  29,'36 

I5t  60  

I0,'36t  70  

20,'36t  75. July  4,'36 


GUARANTEED 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Just  My  Luck   Eddie   Nugent-Charles    Ray  June    1 5,'36  

Women  in  White  Molly    Lamont-Lester    Matthews  ..  July    15, '36  

Coming 

Luck  of  the  Irish   Richard    Hayward   Sept.  15, '36  

Phantom  Ship   Bela    Lugosi -Shirley    Grey  Oct.    15, '36  


HOFFBERG 


Title 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


Fighting   Playboy   Lucile   Browne-Nick  Stuart  ..Nov.    lOt  55  

Girl  from  Maxim's  Leslie   Henson-Frances  Day  ..July    I5,'36  65. Oct. 

Old  Spanish  Custom,  An  Buster    Keaton   ..Jan.     2,'36t  60  

Song  of  the  Scarlet  Flower  Swedish   June   1 5,'36t ....  BO  


I4,'33 


Wanted    Men    Charles  Laughton- Dorothy  Gish.  June     l,'36t  62. 

Coming 

Monday  at  Ten  Virginia    Cherrill-Gary    Marsh  60. 

Crime  of  Voodoo  Fredi  Washington   Sept.    I, '36  63. 

Voice   of    India  Hoeffer  Expedition   Sept.  1 5, '36  70. 

Womanhood   Eve  Gray-Esmond  Knight  60. 


HUNGARIA 


(Hungarian  Dialogue) 
Title  Star 
Addressee   Unknown   Irene  Agai   


Running  Time 


One  Night  in  Venice  Gyula  Csortos 

Three  Men  Under  the  Snow. . . .  Jeno  Torzs  ... 


Rel.  Date 

Minutes  Reviewed 

 95  

Jan.  I,*36t 

.. . .85  

.Nov.  20t... 

 85  

IMPERIAL 

Running  Time 

T't|e  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Forgotten   Women   Irene    Rich-Evelyn   Brent  May    15, '36  71  

Manhattan  Butterfly    Dorothy  Grainger-Wm.  Bakewell.  .  Nov.    25t  71  


Coming 

High  Hat   Frank   Luther- Dorothy   Dare  Sept.    I, '36  

I  Demand  Payment  Betty  Burgess-Lloyd  Hughes  Nov.  I,'36t  

Rich  Relations   Ralph  Forbes- Frances  Grant  Oct.    15. '36  68.. 

She  Shall  Have  Music  Jack  Hylton-June  Clyde  Sept.  19, '36  82.. 


INVINCIBLE 

(Distributed  through  Chesterfield) 

Running  Time 

Tit,e  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Bridge   of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens -Dorothy   Tree  Feb.    I5,'36t  64  

Brilliant  Marriage   Joan    Marsh-Ray   Walker  Mar.  25,'36t  


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Easy  Money  (G)  Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker. ...  .June   I0,'36t. . .  .66'/2  July  1 1, '36 

Hitch-Hike   to    Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman-Anita  Page...  Dec.  It  

It  Couldn't  Have  Happened  Reginald  Denny-Jack  La  Rue.... Aug. 

(See  "Divided  by  Two,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  I, '36.) 

Tango   Marian  Nixon-Chick  Chandler. ..  .Jan. 

Three  of  a   Kind  (G)  Chick  Chandler-Evalyn  Knapp  May 


■36. 


1,  '36t....66  

2.  '36t...  .75. July 


4. '36 


Coming 


Fllis  Island 


MASCOT 


Title 

Doughnuts  and  Society. 


Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
.Louise  Fazenda-Maude  Eburne.    Mar.  27,'36t  63  


METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Re|.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Absolute  Quiet  (G)  609  Irene   Hervey-Lionel  Atwill  ..Apr.   24,'36t  71. Apr.  Il,'36 

Bohemian  Girl,  The  (G)  521 ...  Laurel  and  Hardy   Feb.    I4,'36t  72.  Mar.  7,'36 

Devil  Doll,  The  (G)  631  Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sullivan.  .July    I0,'36t  79. July    II, '36 

Exclusive  Story  (G)  621  Franchot  Tone-Madge  Evans  Jan.    I7,'36t  73. Jan.  I8,'36 

Exploitation:  Mar.  28,'36,  p.  82;  Apr.  1 1, '36, p.  95;  May  30,'36,  p.  90.) 

Fury   (G)   610  Sylvia   Sidney-Spencer   Tracy  June     5,'36t. ..  .94.  May  30,'36 

(Exploitation:  June  20,'36,  p.  117;  June  27,'36.  pp.  80,  81.) 
Garden  Murder  Case,  The  (G) 

622   Edmund    Lowe-Virginia    Bruce. ..Feb.   2l,'36t  62.  Feb.  8,'36 

His    Brother's   Wife   657  Robt.  Taylor-Barbara  Stanwyck..  .Aug.  7,'36t....89  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Aug.  8,36.)   (Exploitation:  Aug.  15, '36,  p.  76.) 

Kelly  the  Second  702  Patsy    Kelly-Pert    Kelton  Aug.  21, '36  71  

Kind  Lady  (G)  619  Aline   MacMahon-B.   Rathbone. . .  Dec.       6  78  Dec.  7 

Last  of  the  Pagans  (G)  617. .  Mala-Lotus  Long   Dec.    20t  84  Dec.  14 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7,'36,  p.  95.) 

Moonlight    Murder    (G)    624.  Chester   Morris-Madge    Evans  Mar.  27,'36t  68.  Mar.  28,'36 

Mutiny  on  the  Bounty  (G)  536.  Clark  Cable  -  Charles  Laughton- 

Franchot  Tone   Nov.     8t  133  ... Nov.  9 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  I8,'36,  p.  80;  Jan.  25, '36,  p.  68;  Feb.  I. '36,  p.  65:  Feb.  15, '36,  p.  82; 
Feb.  22,'36,  pp.  95,  98;  June  27,'36,  p.  81;  July  25,'36,  p.  77.) 

Night  at  the  Opera,  A  (G)  644.  Marx  Brothers   Nov.    I5t  96  Oct.  26 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  I8,'36,  pp.  80,  82;  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  94,  100;  Feb.  29, '36,  p.  74;  Mar. 
7,'36,  p.  101;  Apr.  4,'36,  p.  88;  July  25,'36,  pp.  78,  80.) 
Perfect  Gentleman,  The  (G) 

615   Frank  Morgan-C.  Courtneidge  Nov.    22t  73  Dec.  28 

Petticoat  Fever   (G)   645  Rob't   Montgomery-Myrna    Loy...Mar.  20,'36t  81. Mar.  21, '36 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p.  79:  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  13/36,  p.  123;  July  25/36, 
p.  81.) 

Piccadilly  Jim  (G)  655  Robt.  Montgomery-Madge  Evans  .Aug.    I4.'36t  97. Aug.  15/36 

Riffraff  (G)   517  Jean    Harlow-Spencer   Tracy  Jan.     3/36t.  .  90  Dec.  28 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84,  89.) 
Robin  Hood  of  El  Dorado,  The 

608   Warner  Baxter-Ann   Loring  Apr.    I7,'36t  86  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  7/36.)  (Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p.  85;  July  11/36. 
p.  124.) 

Rose  Marie  (G)   643  J.   MacDonald-Nelson   Eddy  Jan.    3l,'36t . ..  1 13.  Jan.  18/36 

(See  musical  analysis,  Feb.  22/36,  p.  23;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  14/36, 
p.  87;  Mar.  21/36,  p.  92;  Apr.  4/36.  p.  89;  Apr.  11/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  78; 
May  9/36,  p.  90:  May  30/36,  p.  86;  July  18/36,  p.  82.) 

San  Francisco  (G)  636  Clark  Gable  -  J.  MacDonald  - 

Spencer  Tracy  -  Jack  Holt  June   26,'36t..  1 1 1.  July  4/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93-94;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  90.) 
Small   Town   Girl   (G)   607  Janet   Gaynor-Robert   Taylor  Apr.    IO/36t. . .  106.  Apr.  11/36 

(Exploitation:  June  13/36,  p.  122;  June  27/36,  p.  80;  July  25/36,  p.  77;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  91.) 

Speed  652   (G)   Wendy   Barrie-James   Stewart  May     8/36t  72.  May  2/36 

Suzy  (G)  518   Jean  Harlow-Franchot  Tone  July    24,'36t  95. July  18/36 

(Exploitation:   Aug.  1/36,  p.  90;  Aug.  15/36,  pp.  74.  79.) 
Tale  of  Two  Cities,  A  (G)  604.  Ronald  Colman-Elizabeth  Allan.  Dec.    27t  126  Dec.  7 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  86:  May  2/36,  p.  94.) 

Three  Godfathers  (G)  623  Chester  Morris-Irene  Hervey  Mar.    6,'36t  82. Feb.  22/36 

Three  Live  Ghosts  (G)  618  Richard  Arlen-Cecilia  Parker  Jan.    IO/36t  62. Jan.  4/36 

Three  Wise  Guys  (G)  653  Robert  Young-Betty  Furness  May    I5,'36t  75. May  16/36 

(Exploitation:  July  18/36,  p.  85.) 

Tough  Guy  (G)  620  Jackie  Cooper- Joseph  Callela  Jan.    24/36t. ..  .77.  Feb.  8/36 

Trouble  for  Two  (G)  646  Robert  Montgomery-R.  Russell ....  May    29,'36t  75. May  30/36 

Unguarded  Hour.  The  (G)  65I.Loretta  Young-Franchot  Tone.... Apr.  3/S6t.  .88  Apr.  4/36 
Voice  of  Bugle  Ann,  The  (G) 

630   Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sullivan. .  Feb.     7/36t. ..  .72.  Feb.  15/38 

We  Went  to  College  (G)  626..  Walter  Abel-Edith  Atwater  June    I9.'36t  69. June  27/36 

Whipsaw  (G)  513  Myrna  Loy-Spencer  Tracy  Dec.    I3t  82.... Dec.  14 

Wife  vs.  Secretary  (G)  606  Clark    Cable-Myrna    Loy  -  Jean 

Harlow   Feb.   28,'36t. ..  .89.  Feb.  22/36 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p.  77;  July  4/36,  p.  69.) 
Women  Are  Trouble  (G)  701. ..Stuart  Erwin- Florence  Rice  July    31/36  59. June  ID,"** 

Coming 

Born  to  Dance  Eleanor  Powell-James  Stewart  

Camille   Greta   Garbo-Robert  Taylor  

Chain   Lightning   Stuart   Erwin-Betty  Furness... 

Devil  Is  a  Sissy,  The  Freddie    Bartholomew- Jackie 

Cooper   Sept.  18/36  

General  Spanky   Spanky   McFarland-P.  Holmes  

Good  Earth.  The  Paul    Muni-Luise  Rainer  

(See  production  article,  July.  11/36.  p.  16.) 

Gorgeous  Hussy,  The  633  Joan  Crawford  -  Robert  Taylor- 

Melvyn  Douglas- Franchot  Tone  .  Aug.  28,'36t  

(See  production  article,  Aug.  1/36,  p.  16.) 


122 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CCN'T) 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Great  Ziegfeld,  The  (G)  700. .  William  Powell  -  Myrna  Loy  - 

Luise   Rainer   Sept.    4,'36  180.  Apr.  4,'36 

(Pictorial:  Jan.  25, '36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  Apr.  18, '36,  p.  76;  June  27,'36,  p.  82;  Aug. 
8,'36,  p.  90;  Aug.  I5,'36,  p.  79.) 

Libeled  Lady   Jean  Harlow-William  Powell- 

Myrna  Loy-Spencer  Tracy  

Longest    Night,    The  Robert  Young-Florence  Rice  

Mister  Cinderella   Jack  Haley-Betty  Furness  

Old  Hutch   Wallace  Beery-Cecilia  Parker  Sept.  25.'36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  8,'36.) 

Our  Relations    Laurel  and  Hardy  

Romeo  and  Juliet  (G)  Norma  Shearer-Leslie  Howard- 
John    Barrymore    1 24. July  I8,'36 

(See  production  article,  Mar.  28, '36.  p.  16.) 

Sworn  Enemy  (G)  703  Robert  Young- Florence  Rice  Sept.  11/36  78. July    II, '36 

Tarzan  Escapes   Johnny  Weismuller-Maureen 

O'Sullivan   


MITCHELL  LEICHTER 

Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

 Conway   Tearle   Jan.     2,'36t  65  

....Black   King   Dec.    I6f  56  


Title 
Desert  Guns  . 
Riddle  Ranch 


Coming 


Devil's   Gold   Conway  Tearle   

Hell's   Hacienda   Conway  Tearle   

Senor  Jim   Conway  Tearle-Barbara  Bedford. 

Three  Fingers   Conway  Tearle   

Whistling  Skull   Conway  Tearle   


PARAMOUNT 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
And  Sudden  Death  (G)  Randolph  Scott-Frances  Drake.  .June   I9,'36t  68. June  I3,'36 

(Exploitation:    Aug.  I, '36,  p.  88:  Aug.  I5,'36,  pp.  74,  76.) 

Anything  Goes  (G)  3533  Bing  Crosby-Ethel  Merman   Jan.  24,'36t. ..  .92.  Feb.  22,'36 

(Exploitation:  July  1 1, '36,  p.  127.) 

Arizona  Raiders,  The  Buster  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  June  26,'36t  57  

Bar  20  Rides  Again  (G)  3525.  Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  Dec.    I3t  63  Dec.  7 

Big  Brown  Eyes  (G)  3548  Joan    Bennett-Cary    Grant  Apr.    3,'36t  76.  Apr.   1 1  .'36 

Border  Flight  (G)  3558  John  Howard -Frances  Farmer  May   29,'36t  59. Apr.  25,'36 

Bride  Comes   Home,  The  (G) 
3530   Claudette  Colbert-F.  MacMurray.  .Jan.     3,'36t  83  Nov.  23 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  I8,'36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8.'36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22,'36,  p.  98;  Apr.  25,'36,  p.  92.) 

Call  of  the  Prairie  (G)  3541..  Wm.    Boyd-Jimmy    Ellison  Mar.    6,'36t  67. Feb.     I, '36 

Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames,  The 
(A)  3555   Madeleine  Carroll-George  Brent.. May     8,'36t  85. May  9.'36 

(Exploitation:  June  6, '36,  p.  121;  July  4,'36,  p.  69.) 
Collegiate    (G)    3529  Joe  Penner-Jack  Oakie  Dec.    27t ....... 8 1  Dec.  28 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  I8,'36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8,'36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22,'36,  p.  94;  Mar.  14/36.  p.  89; 
Apr.  11/36,  p.  92;  May  16/36,  p.  82.) 

Coronado  3524   Betty  Burgess-Johnny  Downs  Nov.    29t  76  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Oct.  19.)  (Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66.) 

Desert  Gold  (G)  3546   Larry  Crabbe-Marsha  Hunt  Mar.  27/36t  58. Aug.  8/36 

Desire  (A)  3539  Marlene  Dietrich-Gary  Cooper  Feb.   28,'36t  95. Feb.  8/36 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

Drift  Fence  (G)  3536  Larry  Crabbe-Kath.  De  Mille. .. .  Feb.  I4,'36t . ..  .56.  May  30/36 

Early  to  Bed  (G)  3560  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland  June  5/36t. .  .  .73. July  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.) 

fatal  Lady  (G)  3552  Mary  Ellis-Walter  PIdgeon  May  15,  36t. ..  .76.  May  23/36 

Florida  Speeial  (G)  3554  Jaek  Oakle-Sally  Eilers  May  I ,'36t ...  .67 .Apr.  25/36 

F  Man  (G)  3544  Jack  Haley-Adrienne  Marden. .. .  Mar.  I3,'36t  72. May  16/36 

Forgotten   Faces   (G)  3556  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael  May    I5/S6t  72. May  2,'SS 

Girl  of  the  Ozarks,  The  (G) 

3561   Vriginia  Weidler-H.  Crosman  June   12/36t  68. June  6/36 

Give  Us  This  Night  (G)  3542. .Jan  Kiepura-Gladys  Swarthout . . .  M ar.    6,'36t  73. Mar.  7/36 

(See  musical  analysis,  Mar.  14/36,  p.  18.) 

Heart  of  the  West  3567  Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  July  24/36t....78  

Her  Master's  Voice  (G)  S53I..Edw.  E.  Horton-P.  Conklln  Jan.    I7,'36t  76. Feb.  22/36 

Hollywood  Boulevard  3603  John   Halliday-Robt.  Cummlngs. .  Aug.  21/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting   Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 
I'd  Give  My  Life  3602  Sir  Guy  Standing-F.  Drake....  .Aug.   14/36  81  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Aug  1/36.) 
It's  a  Great  Life  3528  Joe    Morrison-Rosalind    Keith  Dec.    20t  63  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Klondike  Annie  (A)  3538  Mae  West-Victor  McLaglen  Feb.   2l/36t  81. Feb.  15/36 

(See  news  article,  Mar.  7/36,  p.  19;  exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  1/36,  p.  92; 
June  20/36,  p.  118.) 

Mary  Burns,  Fugitive  (G)  3521  .Sylvia  Sidney-Melvyn   Douglas. .. Nov.    I5t  84  Nov.  10 

(Exploitation:  Mar    '4/36,  p.  86;  Mar.  28/36.  p.  84.) 

Milky  Way,  The  (G)  3535  Harold  Lloyd-Adolphe  Menjou. .. .  Feb.  7/36t . . .  .88.  Feb.  1/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  pp.  93,  95:  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  82,  87;  May  2/36,  p.  99;  May  23/36, 
p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  116;  June  27/36,  pp.  82.  85;  July  18/36,  p.  85.) 
Millions  In  the  Air  (G)  3526. .John  Howard-Wendy  Barrie  Dee.    I3t  72  Nov.  30 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83.) 

Moon's  Our  Home,  The(G)3549.  Margaret  Sullavan-Henry  Fonda.  .Apr.    IO/36t  83. Apr.  11/36 

My  American  Wife  (G)  Francis   Lederer-Ann  Sothern  Aug.    7/36t  63. July  25/36 

Nevada  (G)  3523  Larry  Crabbe-Kathleen  Burke  Nov.    281   59  Nov.  16 

Palm  Springs  (G)  3559  Frances  Langford-Smith  Ballew..Juno     5,'36t  72. June  6/36 

Peter  Ibbetson  (G)  3518  Gary  Cooper-Ann  Harding  Nov.     8t  85  Nov.  9 

Poppy  (G)  3562  W.  C.  Fields-Rochelle  Hudson..  June    19/36  73.  June  13/36 

Preview    Murder    Mystery  (G) 
4540   Gail  Patrick-Reginald   Denny. ...  Feb.   28/36t  65.  Feb.  15/36 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Princess  Comes  Across,  The  (G) 

3557   C.  Lombard-Fred   MacMurray. ...  May   22/36t . ..  .76.  May  16/36 

Return   of   Sophie    Lang,  The 

(G)  3566   Gertrude  Michael-Ray  Milland..  .July     3/36t. ..  .64. June  20/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.)   

Rhythm  on  the  Range  (G)  Bing  Crosby- Frances  Farmer  July   3l/36t  87. July  25/36 

(Exploitation:    Aug.  8/36,  p.  91;  Aug.   15/36,  pp.  74,  76.) 

Rose  of  the  Rancho  (G)  3516.. John  Boles-Gladys  Swarthout  Jan.    10/361'  82. Jan.  11/36 

(See  musical  analysis,  Jan.  11/36,  p.  45;  exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  84;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83.) 

Scrooge  (G)  3527  Seymour  Hicks-Donald  Calthrop. . Dec.    20f  73  Dee.  21 

Ship  Cafe  (G)  3520  Carl  Brisson-Arline  Judge  Nov.     It  66  Nov.  2 

Sky  Parade  3550  Jimmy  Allen-Katharine  DeMllle.  .Apr.   I7,'36t  70. Apr.  4/36 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Soak  the  Rich  (A)  3532  Mary  Taylor-Walter  Connolly. ..  .Jan.    I7,'36t  87. Feb.  15/36 

Son  Comes  Home,  A  (G)  Mary   Boland- Donald   Woods  July    3l/36t. .  .*75.  Aug.  15/36 

So  Red  the  Rose  (G)  3522  Margaret  Sullavan-R.  Scott  Nov.    22t  83  Nov.  16 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  76.) 

Spendthrift  (G)   Henry  Fonda-Pat  Paterson  July    IO/36t  77. June  20/36 

13  Hours  by  Air  (G)  3547  Fred  MacMurray-Joan  Bennett.. .  Mar.  27/36t  77. Mar.  21/36 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Three  Cheers  for  Love  (G)  Eleanore    Whitney-Robt.  Cum- 

mings   July    I7,'36t . ..  .64.  July  4/36 

Three  on  the  Trail  (G)  3553. . William   Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison. .. .Apr.  24/36t . .. .67. Apr.  18/36 

Till  We  Meet  Again  (G)  3551 .  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael  Apr.    I7,'36t . .. .72. Apr.  11/36 

Timothy's  Quest  (G)  3534  Eleanore  Whitney-Dickie  Moore.. Jan.    3l/36t  65. Jan.  25/36 

Too  Many  Parents  (G)  3545. ..  Frances  Farmer-Colin  Tapley. ?. .Mar.  20,'36t.  ..74. Mar.  14/36 
Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine, 

The   (G)   3543  Henry  Fonda-Sylvia  Sidney  Mar.  l3/36t...!06.Feb.  29/36 

(See  production  article,  Jan.  18/36,  p.  36;  exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  73;  May  2/36.  p.  98: 
May  23/36,  p.  86;  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  6/36,  p.  118;  June  13/36,  p.  122;  June  20/36, 
20/36,  p.  122;  July  25/36,  p.  80;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93.) 

Woman  Trap  (G)  3537  Gertrude   Michael-Geo.    Murphy.. Feb.    I4,'36t...  .63, Feb.  8/38 

Yours  for  tho  Asking  (G)  George  Raft  -  Dolores  Costello 

Barrymore   July   24/36t  75. Aug.  8/36 

Coming 

Accusing  Finger,  The  Paul  Kelly-Marsha  Hunt  

Big  Broadcast  of  1937,  The  Jack  Benny-Burns  &  Allen  Sept.  25/36  

Champagne  Waltz   Gladys  Swarthout-F.  MacMurray  

General  Died  at  Dawn,  The....  Gary  Cooper-Madeleine  Carroll.  ..Sept.  4/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25/36.)   (See  production  article,  Aug.  15/36,  p.  16.) 

Girl  of  the  Jungle  Ray  Milland-Dorothy  Lamour  

Go  West,  Young   Man  Mae  West  -  Warren  William  - 

Randolph  Scott   

Lady  Be  Careful  Lew  Ayres-Mary  Carlisle  Sept.  4/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  15/36.) 

Murder  with  Pictures  Lew  Ayes-Gail  Patrick  Sept.  18/36  

Plainsman,  The   Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  

Straight  from  the  Shoulder  Ralph  Bellamy-Katherine  Loeke..Aug.  28/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting   Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 

Texas  Rangers,  The  3604  Fred  MacMurray-Jean  Parker. ..  .Aug.  28/36  

Three  Married  Men  Lynne  Overman-Wm.  Frawley  Sept.  11/36  

Valiant  Is  the  Word  for  Carrie.  Gladys  George-Arline  Judge  

Wedding  Present   Joan  Bennett-Cary  Grant  Sept.  25/36  

Wives  Never  Know  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland  Sept.  11/36  


Title 

Let's  Sing  Again  (G). 


PRINCIPAL 

Star  Rel. 
.Bobby  Breen-Henry  Armetta  June 


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
1 2/36 1.... 68. Apr.  25/36 


PURITAN 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Aces  and  Eights  Tim  McCoy-Luna  Walters  ..June  6/36  

Border  Caballero  (G)  Tim  McCoy-Lois  January  Mar.    l/36t  59. Aug.  1/36 

Bulldog  Courage   Tim  McCoy-Lois  January  Dec.    20t  60  

Ghost  Patrol   Tim  McCoy-Claudia  Dell  ..Aug.  3/36  

I'll  Name  the  Murderer  Ralph  Forbes-Marlon  Shilling  Jan.    27,'36t  76  

Lightnin'   Bill  Carson  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  Apr.  I5,'36t  

Lion's  Den,  The  Tim  MeCoy-Joan  Woodbury  July  6/36  

Reckless  Way,  The  Marian  Nixon-Kane  Richmond. .  .Apr.   20/36t  68  

Roarin'  Guns   Tim  McCoy- Rosalinda  Price  Jan.   27,'36r  67  

Rogues  Tavern,  The  Wallace  Ford-Barbara  Pepper  Mar.     l/36t  61  

Suicide  Squad   Norman  Foster-Joyce  Compton — Dec.    25t  60  

Coming 

Traitor,  The   Tim  McCoy-Frances  Grant  Aug.  29/36  


RAY  KIRKWOOD 


Running  Time 


Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Adventurous  Rogue's   Bobby  Nelson-Donald  Reed  Dec.  3/36  

El   Justiciero   Ernesto  Guillen   Dee.  3/36  

Fighting  Vagabonds   Bobby  Nelson- Donald  Reed  Jan.  19/37  

Daredevils  of  the  Earth  Ida  Lupino-Cyril  McLaglen  Jan.  l/36t....60  


REGAL 


Running  Time 


Title 


Scandals  of  Paris  Wendy  Barrie-7.elma  O'Neill. 


Wolves  of  the  Underworld. 


Rel. 

Date 

Minutes  Reviewed 

Jan. 

l/36t 

....60  

Dec. 

Jan. 

2/36t 

Dee. 

August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


123 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


REPUBLIC 


I7,'36. 


15/36t 
I5,'36t 
4t... 


Title  Star  Rel. 

Burning  Gold  3550   William  Boyd- Judith  Allen  ..Dee. 

Comin'   Round  the  Mountain 

(G)  3571   Gene  Autry-Ann  Rutherford  Apr. 

Dancing  Feet  (G)  3504  Ben  Lyon-Joan  Marsh   ..Jan. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  I5,'36.  p.  81.) 

Federal  Agent  3548   William   Boyd-lrene  Ware  Apr. 

Frankie  and  Johnnie  (A)  3555.  Helen  Morgan-Chester  Morris  May 

(Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p.  85.) 
Gentleman  from  Louisiana,  The 

3517  Eddie  Quillan-Charlotte  Henry. .  .Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27,'36.) 

Girl  from  Mandalay,  The  3525.  Kay  Linaker-Conrad  Nagel  Apr. 

Go-Get-'Em  Haines  3549  William   Boyd   June 

Guns  and  Guitars  (G)  3573  Gene  Autry. Dorothy   Dix  June 

Harvester,  The  (G)  3506  Alice  Brady-Ann  Rutherford  May 

(Exploitation:  Aug.    I5,'36,   p.  79.) 

Hearts  in  Bondage  (G)  6008. ..James  Dunn-Mae  Clarke  Aug. 

House  of  a  Thousand  Candles 

(G)  3505    Mae  Clarke-Phillips  Holmes  Apr. 

King  of  the  Pecos  (G)  3559... John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Mar. 

Laughing  Irish  Eyes  (G)  3522  Evalyn  Knapp-Phil  Regan  Mar. 

Lawless  Nineties,  The  (G)3557.John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Feb. 

Lawless  Range  3562  John  Wayne-Sheila  Mannors  Nov. 

Leathernecks  Have  Landed,  The 

(G)  3501   Lew   Ayres-lsabel   Jewell  Feb. 

(Exploitation:    Apr.    18. '36,   p.  76;  July  25, '36.    p.  81.) 
Leavenworth  Case,  The  (G) 

3526   Norman  Foster-Jean  Rouverel. . . .  Jan. 

Lonely  Trail,  The  3563  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  May 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2,36.) 

Melody  Trail  (G)  3567  Gene  Autry-Ann   Rutherford  Oct. 

Navy  Born  (G)  William  Gargan-Claire  Dodd  June 

New  Frontier,  The  3558  John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

Oh,  Susannah   Gene  Autry-Frances  Grant  Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  8, '36.) 

Oregon  Trail,  The  3560  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Jan. 

Racing  Luck  (G)  3547  William   Boyd   Oct. 

Red  River  Valley  3570  Gene  Autry-Frances  Grant  Mar. 

Return  of  Jimmy  Valentine, 

The  (G)  3531  Roger  Pryor-Charlotte   Henry  Feb. 

Sagebrush  Troubadour  3568....  Gene  Autry -Barbara  Pepper  Dec. 

Singing  Cowboy,  The  (G)  3572. Gone  Autry-Lois  Wilde  May 

Singing  Vagabond,  The  (G) 

3569    Gene  Autry-Ann   Rutherford  Jan. 

Spanish  Cape  Mystery. The  3530  Helen  Twelvetrees- Donald  Cook. ..Oct. 
(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

$1,000  a  Minute  (G)  3532...  .Roger  Pryor-Leila  Hyams  Nov. 

"Ticket  to  Paradise  (G)  3508..  Roger  Pryor-Wendy  Barrio  July 

Winds  of  the  Wasteland  3561..  John  Wayne-Phyllis  Fraser  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  May  23.'36.) 

Coming 

Bulldog   Edition   Ray  Walker-Evalyn  Knapp  Sept.  20. '36 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  15, '36.) 
Down  to  the  Sea  Russell   Hardie-Ann   Rutherford.  .Aug. 

(See  "Beneath  the  Seas,"  "In  tho  Cutting  Room,"  May  30. '36.) 

Follow  Your  Heart  (G)   Marion  Talley-Michael  Bartlett. .Sept, 

Sitting  on  the  Moon  3528  Roger  Pryor-Grace  Bradley  Sept. 

Three  Mesquiteers   Ray  Corrigan-Kay  Hughes  Sept.  I0,'36. 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 
It  60  

l3/36t....55.Apr.  1 1/36 
3l/36t...  .72. Apr.  4/36 

IO/36t....58  

l/36t....66.May  23/36 


20/36t  68  

I5,'36t  62  

22/36t....56.July  11/36 
5/36t....65.Apr.  25/36 

15/36. ...*70. June  6/36 

6/361.^.71. Mar.  7/36 
9/36t....54.Apr.  11/36 
73.  Mar.  14/36 
55.  Mar.  7/36 
59  


22/36t....  67.  Feb.  29/36 


20/36t....68.Jan.  11/36 
25/36t  58  

I4t  60. ...Oct.  19 

I5,'36t  65. June  27/36 

5t  54  


19/36. 


I8,'36t  59  

28t  60  Dec.  7 

2/36t....58  

l4/36t....72.Feb.  15/36 

2f  54  

ll/36t....56.May  16/36 

5,'36t  52  Dee.  14 

I7t  73  

I5t  69. ...Nov.  9 

I0/36K..  .67. July  25/36 
6/36t...-57  


25/36  62.  July  11/36 

•90. Aug.  15/36 


5/36... 
5/36... 


RKO  RADIO 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Annie  Oakley  (G)  608  Barbara  Stanwyck- Preston  Foster. . Nov.    I5t  90'/2..Nov.  9 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  pp.  88,  90.) 
Another  Face  (G-)  615  Wallace   Ford-Phyllis   Brooks  Dec. 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Two  Faces.") 
Bride  Walks  Out,  The  (G) 

631   Barbara  Stanwyck-G.  Raymond. .. July 

Bunker  Bean  630  Owen  Davis,  Jr.-Louise  Latimer.  .June  26/36t....67 

(See  "His  Majesty:  Bunker  Bean,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  30/36.) 

Chatterbox   (G)  617  Anne  Shirley-Phillips  Holmes  Jan.  I7.'36t 

Dancing  Pirate  (G)  670  Charles  Collins-Steffi   Duna  May  22/36t 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp.  117,  121.) 
Ex-Mrs.  Bradford,  The  (G)  628.  William  Powell-Jean  Arthur  May 

(Exploitation:  July  4/36,  p.  68.) 
Fang  and  Claw  (G)  543  Frank   Buck   Dec. 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 
Farmer  In  the  Dell  (G)  624..  Fred  Stone-Jean  Parker  Mar. 

Follow  the  Fleet  (G)  613  Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  Feb.   21  ,'36t . .. 1 10. Feb.  22/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  94:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  May  16/36,  p.  82 


20t  68. ...Nov.  23 


I0,'36t  80.  .July  11/36 


68  Dec.  28 

85.  May  16/38 


5/36t....8I.May 
74. Jan. 
67. Ma 


20 


27/36t. 


2/36 
4/36 
14/36 


p.  84;  June  13/36,  pp.  125.  130;  July  4/36,  p.  68.) 


4  

7/36.. 
lit.... 


May  23/36,  p.  93;  May  30/36 
6p.  68;  July  25/36,  p.  78.) 

Freckles  (G)   536  Carol  Stone-Tom  Brown  Oct. 

Grand  Jury  633  Fred  Stone-Louise  Latimer  Aug. 

HI  Gaucho  606  John  Carrol  I -Steffi  Duna  Oct. 

(See  ''In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  17.) 

I  Dream  Too  Much  (G)  610..  Lily  Pons-Henry  Fonda  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  82,  83.) 

In  Person  (G)  609  Ginger  Rogers-George  Brent  Nov. 

(Exploitation:  June  13/36,  p.  127.) 
Lady  Consents,  The  (G)  622. .Ann  flartling- Herbert  Marshall. .. Feb. 
Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The  (G) 
501   Preston  Foster- Dorothy  Wilson. .  .Oct. 


27t.... 

22t  

7/36t. 


.87  Nov.  I 

.76'/2Jan.  18/36 
.96  Oct.  12 


Title 


Star 


Runnini 
Rel.  Date  M 


j  Time 

inutes  Reviewed 
.•73.  May  30/36 
..68. Apr.  25/36 
..77. Feb.  8/36 
..66. July  11/36 

..66.  Apr.  18/31 
.  .68'/2Jan.  25/36 
..78. ...Oct.  12 


.68  Dee.  7 

.64'/sMar.  7/36 

61.  May  2/3B 
94'/2Jan.  18/36 

.96  Oet.  12 

.67'/,..  Oct  26 
.74....  Dee.  21 
.65.  May  2/36 

.68  Dec.  14 

.64. Apr.  11/36 
.68'/2Mar.28/36 


Last  Outlaw,  The  (G)  629  Harry  Carey-Hoot  Gibson  June  I9,'36t. 

Let's  Sing  Again  (G)  646  Bobby  Breen-Henry  Armetta  June  I2,'36t.. 

Love  on  a  Bet  (G)  620  Gene  Raymond-Wendy  Barrle  Mar.  6/36t.. 

M'Liss   (G)   632  Anne  Shirley-John  Beal  July  I7.'36t.. 

Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path 

(G)  625   Helen  Broderick-James  Gleason. . Apr.  I7,'36t.. 

Muss  'Em  Up  (G)  619  Preston  Foster-Marg't  Callahan. .  Feb.  I4.'36t.. 

Rainmakers,  The  (G)  605  Wheeler  and   Woolsey  Oct.  25t  

Second  Wife   Walter  Abel-Gertrude  Michael. .  .Aug.  21/36 . ... 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Aug.  15/36.) 

Seven  Keys  to  Baldpate  (G)  61 1.G.  Raymond -Margaret  Callahan. .  Dec.  I3t  

Silly  Billies  (G)  623  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  Mar.  20/36t... 

(Exploitation:    July  25/36,  p.  76.) 

Special  Investigator  (G)  627..  Richard  Dix-Margaret  Callahan. .  May  8/36t... 

Sylvia  Scarlett  (G)  614  Katharine  Hepburn-Cary  Grant.  .Jan.  3/36t... 

Three  Musketeers,  The  (G)  544.  Margot  Grahame-Walter  Abel..  Nov.  I  

To  Beat  the  Band  (G)  607  Helen  Broderick-Hugh  Herbert..  .Nov.  8t  

Two  in  the  Dark  (G)  616  Walter  Abel-Margot  Grahame  Jan.  IO/36t... 

Two  in  Revolt  (G)  621  Louise  Latimer-John  Arledge. .. .  Apr.  3/36t... 

We're  Only  Human  (G)  612. ..  Preston  Foster-Jane  Wyatt  Dec.  27t  

Witness  Chair,  The  (G)  626...  Ann  Harding- Walter  Abel  Apr.  24, '36?... 

Yellow   Dust   (G)   618  Richard    Dix- Lei  la   Hyams  Mar.  I3.'36t.. 

Coming 

Big  Game,  The  June  Travis-Philip  Huston  

Don't  Turn  'Em  Loose  Bruce  Cabot-Louise  Latimer  Aug.  28/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 

Mary  of  Scotland  (G)  Katharine   Hepburn  -  Fredric 

March   Aug.  28/36. ...  123.  July  25/36 

(See  production  article,  Apr.  11/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  Aug.  8/36,  p.  90.) 
Mummy's  Boys   Wheeler  and  Woolsey  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

One  Man  Came  Back   Preston  Foster  -  Ann  Dvorak  - 

John  Beal   

Plough  and  the  Stars,  The  Barbara  Stanwyck  -  Preston 

Foster   Sept.  25/36  

Portrait  of  a  Rebel  Katharine  Hepburn  -  Herbert 

Marshall   

Swing  Time   Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  Sept.  4/36  

(See  "Never  Gonna  Dance,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 
Walking  on  Air  Gene  Raymond-Ann  Sothern  Sept.  11/36  

(See  "Count  Pete,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Winterset   Burgess  Meredith-Margo  

Without  Orders   Sally    Eilers-Rob't  Armstrong  


STATE  RIGHTS 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Dist'r  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Re 

Custer's  Last  Stand  Rex  Lease   Stage  &.  Screen. . .Apr.     2/36t..9  rls  

I  Was  a  Captive  of  Nazi 
Germany  (G)   Isobel   Steele   Malvina   Aug.     1/36. . .73. Aug. 

Coming 

Angels  in  White  Tala  Birell   Zeidman   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  29/36.) 

Cavalcade  of  China  James  B.  Leong.  ... 

Glory  Trail,  The  (G)  Tom  Keene   Crescent   

Oriental  Passion   James  B.  Leong  6  rls 

Private  Life  of  Marco  Polo  James  B.  Leong  6  rls  . 


8/36 


.6  rls. 


65. July  18/36 


SUPREME 


Title  Star 

Courageous  Avenger   Johnny  Mack  Brown   .Dec. 

Desert  Phantom,  The  Johnny  Mack  Brown  ..Mar. 

Kid   Ranger,  The  Bob  Steele   ..Feb. 

Last  of  the  Warrens  Bob  Steele   ..May 

Rogue  of  the  Range  Johnny  Mack  Brown  ..Apr. 

Sundown  Saunders   Bob  Steele   Mar.  25,'36t. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

I2t  

I0.'36f  

5/36t  

IO/36t....58  

25/36t....58  


Trail  of  Terror  Bob  Steele   Dee. 

Valley  of  the  Lawless  Johnny  Mack  Brown  Jan. 

Coming 

Brand  of  the  Outlaws  Bob  Steele   

Crooked  Trail,  The  Johnny  Mack  Brown  

Everyman's  Law  Johnny  Mack  Brown  

Law  Rides,  The  Bob  Steele   


20t.... 
25/36t. 


3/36t.. 
I7.'36t.. 
4/36,  p. 


g  Time 
Minutes  Reviewed 

..56  

"60. June  27/36 
.77.  Mar.  21/36 
70:  July 


18/36. 


TWENTIETH   CENTURY-FOX  Running  T 
Tltl»  Star  Rol.  Date 

Bad  Bey*  615  James  Dunn- Dorothy  Wilson  Oet.  25t 

(8ee  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Border  Patrolman.  Tbe#(G)650.Geo.  O'Brien-Polly  Ann  Young. ..July 

Captain  January'  (G)  635  Shirley  Temple-Guy   Klbfaee  Apr. 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp.  117,  122:  June  27/36,  p.  82;  July 
P.  82.) 

Champagne  Charlie  629  Paul  Cavanagh-Helen  Wood  May 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Dee.  14.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Circus* 

(G>  640     : Warner  Oland-Keye  Luke  Mar.  27/36t  71. Mar.  28/36 

Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race 

Track*  (G)  704  Warner  Oland-Helen  Wood  Aug. 

Charlie  Chan's  Secret*  (G)  626. .  Wsrnor  Oland-Roslna  Lawrence.  .Jan. 
Connecticut  Yankee  (A)*  699.. Will   Rogers-Myrna  Loy  Apr. 

(re-Issue) 

Country  Beyond.  The*  (G)  643.  Rochelle  Hudson-Paul  Kelly  Apr. 


8/36t....59. 


7/36  70. July  18/36 

I0/36t....7l....0ct.  2« 
24/36t....83.Mar.  21/31 


24,'36t  68.  Apr.  11/36 


124 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Country  Doctor,  The*  (G)  63B.Dionne   Quintuplets   -  Jean 

Hersholt   Mar.     6,'36t  94.  Mar.  21, '36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21, '36.  pp.  93.  97;  Mar.  28.'36,  p.  83;  Apr.  4,'36,  p.  83;  Apr.  25/36, 
p.  96;  May  9,'36,  p.  90;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  23, '36,  pp.  87,  95;  May  30,'36,  p.  86; 

June  6, '36,  p.  124;  July  4, '36,  p.  70;  July  1 1, '36.  p.  127;  July  25, '36,  p.  81:  Aug.  I,  36, 
p.  93.) 

Crime  of   Dr.    Forbes,  The 

(G)  655   Gloria  Stuart-Robert  Kent  lune  26,'36t. .  .*75.  June  20,'36 

Educating  Father*  (G)  645  Jed   Prouty-Shirley   Deane  July    I0,'36t  57. May  30,'36 

Everybody's  Old  Man*  (G)  634.  Irvin  S.  Cobb-Rochelle  Hudson  . Mar.  20,'36t  84. Mar.  I4,'36 

Every  Saturday  Night*  (G)  637. June  Lang-Thomas  Beck  Feb.     7/36t  62. Feb.  8,'36 

First  Baby,  The*  (G)  646  Shirley  Deane-Johnny  Downs  May    I5,'36t  74. Apr.  18/36 

(Exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  76;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93.) 

Gentle  Julia*  (G)  641  Jane  Withers-Tom  Brown  Apr.     3,'36t  63.  Feb.  29/36 

Girls'    Dormitory    (G)    702...  Ruth    Chatterton-Herbert  Mar- 

shall-Simone  Simon   Aug.   14/36  *65.Aug.  1/36 

Half  Angel  (G)  647  Frances  Dee-Brian  Donlevy  May   22,'36t  66.  May  9/36 

Here  Comes  Trouble*  (G)  633.  Paul  Kelly-Arline  Judge  Feb.   21/36*  62. Feb.  15/36 

High  Tension*  (G)  653  Brian    Donlevy-Glenda   Farrell.. .  July  I7,'36t . .  .*62.  June  20/36 

Human  Cargo*  (G)  652  Claire  Trevor-Brian  Donlevy  May    29/36t  66. Apr.  25/36 

In  Old  Kentucky*  (G)  601  Will   Rogers- Dorothy  Wilson  Nov.    22t  84  July  18 

It  Had  to  Happen  (G)  631  George  Raft-Rosalind  Russell  Feb.    I4,'36t  79.  Feb.  15/36 

King   of   Burlesque,   The*  (G) 

625   Warner  Baxter-Alice  Fayo  Jan.     3/36t  88. Jan.  4/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  36;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87.) 

Little  Miss  Nobody  (G)  651. ..Jane  Withers-Ralph   Morgan  June    I2,'36t  72. May  28/36 

Littlest  Rebel.  The*  (G)  624. .Shirley  Temple-John  Boles  Dec.    27t  73  Nov.  30 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  97;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  96; 
Aug.  8/36,  p.  91.) 
Message  to  Garcia,  A  (G)  632.  Wallace    Beery  -  John    Boles  - 

Barbara  Stanwyck   Apr.    I0,'36t  85. Mar.  14/36 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36.  p.  127.) 

Music  Is  Magle*  (G)  619  Alice  Faye-Ray  Walker  ..Nov.      It  ..66  Oct.  12 

My  Marriage*  (G)  630  Claire  Trevor-Kent  Taylor  ..Jan.    3l.'36t  68  Nov.  23 

Navy  Wife*  (G)  606  Claire  Trevor-Ralph  Bellamy. ....  Nov.    29t  ..72.  Jan.  25/36 

O'Malley  of  the  Mounted*  (G) 

639   George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware  Mar.  27.'36t  59.  Mar.  28/3« 

Paddy  O'Day  (G)  627  Jane  Withers-Pinky  Tomlin  Jan.    I7.'36t  76  Nov.  2 

Poor    Little    Rich   Girl,  The* 

(G)  657   Shirley  Temple-Alice   Faye  July    24/36t  79. June  6/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.) 
Prisoner  of  Shark   Island,  The 

(G)  638   Warner  Baxter-Gloria  Stuart  Feb.   28/36*  95. Feb.  22/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  11/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  77.) 

Private  Number*  (G)  645  Loretta   Young-Robert   Taylor  June     5/36t  79.  May  30/36 

(Exploitation:  July  18/36,  p.  85;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93.) 
Professional  Soldier   (G)   628. .  Victor  McLaglen  -  Freddie  Bar- 
tholomew  Jan.    24,'36t  78. Jan.  4/36 

Show  Them  No  Mercy  (G)  621 .  Rochelle  Hudson-Cesar  Romero. ..  Dec.     6f  76  Nov.  2 

Sing.  Baby,  Sing  (G)  703  ...Alice  Faye-Adolphe  Menjou  Aug.   21/36         90. Aug.  15/36 

Sins  of  Man  (G)  648  lean   Hersholt-Don   Ameche  June    I9,'36t  79. May  16/36 

Song  and  Dance  Man*  (G)  642. Paul   Kelly-Claire  Trevor  Mar.   I3,'36t  72.  Feb.  22/36 

State  Fair  (G)  766  Will  Rogers-Janet  Gaynor  Aug.     7/36  100.  Feb.  4/33 

Thanks  a  Million  (G)  617  Dick   Powell-Ann   Dvorak  Nov.    I5t  87  Nov.  2 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  82;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  100:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  96.) 

36  Hours  to  Kill*  656  Brian  Donlevy-Gloria  Stuart  July  24,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25/36.) 

This  Is  the  Life*  614  Jane   Withers-John   McGuire  Oct.     I8t  65  

To  Mary — With  Love  (G)  701..  Warner  Baxter-Myrna  Loy  Aug.     1/36  92. July  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  15/36,  p.  76.) 
Under  Two  Flags  (G)  644. ....  Ronald  Colman- Victor  McLaglen- 

Claudette  Colbert-R.  Russell.  .May  I  ,'36t . . .  1 10.  May  9/36 

(See  production  article,  Mar.   14/36,  p.    16;  exploitation:  June  6/36.   pp.   116.   117;  July 

11/36.  p.  125;  July  25/36.  pp.  76,  81;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93;  Aug.  15/36,  p.  78.) 

Way  Down  East*  (G)  616  Rochelle   Hudson-Henry   Fonda   . Oct.    25t  84  Aug.  24 

Whispering  Smith  Speaks*  (6) 

623     George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware  Dec.    20t  67  Dee.  21 

White  Fang  (G)  649  Michael  Whalen-Jean   Muir  July     3,'36t  70. July  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90;  Aug.  15/36,  p.  79.) 
Your  Uncle  Dudley*  (G)  622. .Edward  Everett  Horton  Dec.    I3t  68  Nov.  23 

Coming 

Ambassador  Bill  (G)  767  Will  Rogers   Oct.    16/36  !70.Oct.  24/31 

As   You   Like   It  711  Ells    Bergner-Laurence   Olivier. .  .Sept.  18/36  

(See  production  article,  June  13,  <,  16.) 
Back  to  Nature  Jed   Prouty-Sprihg  Byington  

(See  "See  America  First."  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 
Bowery  Pricess,  The  *  715.  ...  Shirley   Temple-Frank    M  organ ...  Oct.  16/38  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Juno  21,  ou.', 

Can  This  Be  Dixie?  Jane  Withers-Slim  Summerville  

15   Maiden   Lane  Claire  Trevor-Cesar  Romero  

King    of    the    Royal  Mounted 
709   Robert  Kent-Rosalind   Keith  Sept.  11/36  83  

(See   "In  the  Cutting   Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 

Ladies  in  Love  710  Janet  Gaynor-Constance  Bennett- 

Loretta  Young-Simone  Simon.  ..Sept.  18/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Aug.  15/36.) 

Pepper*  (G)  708  Jane  Withers-lrvin  S.  Cobb  Sept.  11/36  *65.July  18/36 

Pigskin   Parade   Stuart   Erwin-Arlene  Judge  

Ramona  707   Loretta  Young-Don  Ameche  Oct.  23/36  

(See  production  article,  July  4/36,  p.  16.) 
Road  to  Glory,  The  (G)  706..Fredric   March-Warner  Baxter- 
Lionel  Barrymore-June  Lang... Sept.    4/36  101. June  B/S6 

Star  for  a  Night  (G)   Jane   Darwell-Claire  Trevor  Aug.  28/36         75. Aug.  15/36 

Thank  You,  Jeeves,  712  Arthur  Treacher- Virginia  Field. .  .Sept.  25/36  

(See  "In  the   Cutting   Room,"   Aug.  8/36.) 

[Asterisk  (*)  denotes  Fox  Pictures.    Others  20th  Century  Productions.] 


UNITED  ARTISTS 


Running  Time 


Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Amateur  Gentleman,  The  (G)..  Douglas  Fairbanks.  Jr.  -  Elissa 

Landi  ..Apr.    I7,'36t . . .  100.  Feb.  22/36 

Barbary    Coast    (G)  Miriam   Hopkins  -  Edward  G. 

Robinson  -  Joel   McCrea  Sept.  27t  90....Oet.  5 

Ghost  Goes  West.  The  (G)  Robert  Donat-Jean  Parker  Feb.     7/36t  85. Jan.  4/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  89.) 
I  Stand  Condemned  (A)  H.   Baur-Laurence  Olivier-Pen- 
elope Dudley  Ward  July    I0.'36t  76  Nov.  30 

Last  of  the  Mohicans,  The  (G).  Randolph  Scott-Heather  Angel- 
Bruce  Cabot-Binnie  Barnes  Aug.   13/36  91  .Aug.  15/36 

(See  production  article,  July  18/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  June  27/36,  p.  80.) 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy  (G)  Freddie    Bartholomew  -  Dolores 

Costello  Barrymore   Mar.    6,'36t ...  1 02.  Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.   14/36,  p.  34;  May   16/36,  p.  80;  June  6/36,   p.   117;  June  13/36, 
p.  132;  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93.) 
Melody  Lingers  On,  The  (G) ..  Josephine    Hutchinson  -  George 

Houston   Nov.     9t  87  Nov.  ■ 

Modern  Times  (G)  Chas.  Chaplin-Paulette  Goddard  .Feb.   2l/36t  87. Feb.  8/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  8/36,  p.  18;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  22/36, 
p.  100;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  84;  Mar.  28/36,  pp.  83,  84;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84, 
89;  Apr.  11/36,  pp.  93,  96;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92;  May  2/36,  p.  99;  May  9/36,  p.  84;  May 
16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36,  pp.  84,  86;  June  6/36.  pp.  116,  118;  June  13/36,  pp.  122.  132; 
June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

One  Rainy  Afternoon  (G)  Francis  Lederer-lda  Lupino  May    I3,'36t.  ..*75.May  2/38 

(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.   122;  July  25/36,   p.  77.) 

Red  Salute  (G)  B.  Stanwyck- Robert  Young  Sept.   I3t  78  Sept.  21 

Splendor   Miriam   Hopkins-Joel  McCrea. ...  Nov.    23t  77  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Nov.  2.)  (Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  78.) 

Strike  Me  Pink  (G)  Eddie  Cantor-Ethel   Merman  Jan.    24/36t . . .  100.  Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  29/36,  pp.  72, 
75:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  21/36,  pp.  94,  97;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

These   Three    (G)  Miriam  Hopkins-Merle  Oberon- 

Joel  McCrea   Apr.   IO/36t  93. Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:  May  9/36,  pp.  90,  94:  May  23/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  122;  June  27/36. 
p.  88.) 

Things  to  Come  (G)  Raymond  Massey   Apr.   24/36t  99. May  7/36 

(See  production  article,  Mar.  7/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p.  77;  June  13/36, 
p.  132:  July  25/36,  p.  81;  Aug.  1/36,  p.  94.) 

Coming 

Accused  (A)   .■   D.   Fairbanks.  Jr.-D.  Del  Rio  70. Aug.  8/36 

Come  and  Get  It  Edward  Arnold-Frances  Farmer  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 
Dodsworth   Walter  Huston- Ruth  Chatterton  Sept.  18/36  

(See  production  article,  Aug.  8/36,  p.  16.) 
Garden  of  Allah.  The   Marlene  Dietrich-Charles  Boyer  

(See  production  article,  June  6/36,  p.  14.) 

Gay  Desperado.  The.-.  Nino  Martini-Ida  Lupino  

Love    Under    Fire  Merle   Oberon-Brian  Aherne  

man  Who  Could  Work  Miracles, 
The   Roland  Young   


UNIVERSAL 


Running  Time 


Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Affair  of  Susan,  The  9034  Zasu  Pitts-Hugh  O'Connell  Oct.      7t  63  

(See  "Alone  Together,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

Cowboy  and  the  Kid,  The  9046. Buck  Jones-Dorothy   Revier  May  25/36  

Crash  Donovan  (G)  9031  Jack  Holt-Nan  Gray  July    26,'36t. .  *54. July  18/36 

Dangerous  Waters  (G)  9032. ..Jack   Holt-Robert  Armstrong  Feb.     3,'36t  67. Feb.  8/36 

Don't  Get  Personal  (G)  9025. .James   Dunn-Sally   Eilers  Feb.    I7,'36t  64. Feb.  29/36 

Dracula's  Daughter  (A)  9006. .Otto    Kruger-M.    Churchill  May    ll/36t  70. May  9/36 

(Exploitation:    June  20/38,  p.  120;  July  25/36,  p.  77;  Aug.  15/36,  p.  75.) 
East  of  Java  9029  Chas.  Bickford-Elizabeth  Young  .  Dec.      2t  72  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.)   (Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  84.) 

Fighting  Youth  (G)  9017  Charles   Farrell-June   Martel  Sept.  30t  66  Dec.  7 

For  the  Service  9045  Buck   Jones-Beth   Mario.)  May     6/36t  65  

Great  Impersonation,  The  9014.  Edmund  Lowe- Valerie  Hobson  Dec.     9t  67  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

His  Night  Out  (G)  9021  E.  E.  Horton-lrene  Hervey  Oct.    2lt  74  Nov.  2 

Invisible  Ray,  The  (G)  9015. .  Karloff-Bela    Lugosi   Jan.    20,'36t  75.  Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  82;  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Mar.  7/36.  p.  99;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  88; 
July  18/36.  p.  85.) 

Ivory  Handled  Gun  9042  Back  Jones-Charlotte  Wyntero  Nov.    lit  59  

Love  Before  Breakfast  (G)9007.Carole  Lombard-Preston  Fos;^-..  .  Mar.     9,'36t  70.  Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:  Apr.   18/36,   p.  81;  May  23/36,   p.  94;  June  6/36,   p.   117;  June  13/36, 

P  132.) 

Magnificent  Obsession  (G )  8006.  Irene   Dunne-ftciert  Taylor  jas.     C/36t. . .  1 12.  Jan.  11/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36.  p.  82;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  81,  83,  84:  Mar.  7/36,  pp.  86,  99,;  Mar. 
21/36,  pp.  92,  96;  Ai»      '  '36,  p.  96;  May  23/36,  pp.  87,  95;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Next  Time  We  Love  (G)  8004.Marg't  Sullavan-James  Stewart. .  .  Jan.    27/36t  87.  Feb.  8/36 

Nobody's  Fool  9033  E.   E.   Horton-Glenda  Farrell ....  May  3l,'36t  

(See  "Unconscious."  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Apr.  4/36.) 

Parole  (G)   9036   Ann   Preston-Henry  Hunter  June    I4,'36t  65. July  4/36 

(Exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  79:  Aug.  1/36.  p.  93.) 

Postal    Inspector   Ricardo  Cortez-Patricia  Ellis. ...  Aug.  I6.'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 
Remember  Last  Night?  (A) 

9011   Edw.   Arnold-C.   Cummings  Nov.     4t  81  Oct.  12 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  90.) 

Show  Boat  (G)  8001  Irene   Dunne-Allan  Jones  May    I7,'36t . . .  1 12.  May  9/36 

(See  musical  analysis.  May  9/36,  p.  65;  exploitation:  June  20/36,  pp.  117,  121;  June  27/36, 
June  27/36.  p.  80;  July  4/36,  p.  69;  July  11/36.  p.  124:  July  18/36,  p.  82;  July  25/36. 
p.  78:  Aug.  I. '36,  p.  93:  Aug.  8/36.  p.  91;  Aug.   15/36.  p.  79.) 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


125 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART—CONT'D) 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Silver  Spurs  9044   Buck  Jones- Muriel  Evans  Feb.  I8,'36t  

Storm  Over  the  Andes  (G)9026.Jack  Holt-Mona  Barrie  Sept.   I6t  84  Oct.  19 

Stormy  (G)  9016  Noah  Beery,  Jr.-Jean  Rogers. ...  Nov.    lit  68  Oct.  19 

Sunset  of  Power  9043  Buck  Jones-Dorothy  Dix  Dec.  23t  

Sutter's  Gold  (G)  8002  Edward  Arnold   -   Lee  Tracy  - 

Binnie  Barnes   Apr.    I3.'36t  95. Mar.  28/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  15, '36,  p.  14:  exploitation:  Apr.  4, '36.  p.  83:  Apr.  I8,'36,  p. 
77;  Apr.  25, '36,  pp.  91,  92;  June  27,'36,  p.  85;  Aug.  8, '36,  p.  92.) 

Sweet  Surrender  9012  Frank   Parker-Tamara   Nov.    25t  78  

Throwback,  The  9041  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Sept.   I8t  60  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  10.) 

Coming 

Boss  Rider  of  Gun  Creek  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Nov.     I, '36  

Class   Prophecy  Nov.  I5,'36  

Flying  Hostess   Judith    Barrett-Wm.    Gargan  Oct.  25, '36  

Four   Days'   Wonder  Jeanne    Dante- Kenneth    Howell. ..  Oct.  18, '36  

Luckiest  Girl  in  the  World  Jane    Wyatt-Philip    Reed  Nov.     I. '36  

Magnificent  Brute,  The  Victor  McLaglen-Binnie  Barnes.  Sept.  20, '36  

Man    I    Marry,   The  Doris  Nolan-Michael  Whalen  Oct.  II, '36  

My  Man  Godfrey  (G)  William  Powell-Carole  Lombard.  .Sept.    6, '36  *95.June  20,'3S 

Night   Key   Nov.  8/36  

Rich  and  Reckless  Gloria  Stuart-Edmund   Lowe  Oct.     4, '36  

Ride  'Em,   Cowboy  Buck  Jones-Luana  Walters  Sept.  20,'36t  

Sea    Spoilers  John  Wayne-Nan  Gray  Sept.  27. '36  

Top  of  the  Town  Bert  Lahr   Nov.  22,'36  

Two  in  a  Crowd  Joel   McCrea-Joan   Bennett  Sept.  I3,'36t  

Yellowstone   Henry   Hunter-Judith   Barrett  Aug.  23,'36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  July  I8,'36.) 


VICTORY 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Bars  of  Hate  Regis  Toomey-Sheila  Terry  Nov.     It  63  

Face  in  the  Fog,  A  June  Collyer-Lloyd   Hughes  Feb.  I,'36t  

Fighting  Coward   Ray  Walker-Joan   Woodbury  Dec.    I5t  70  

Hot  Off  the  Press  Jack  La  Rue-Virginia  Pine  Sept.  I5t  57  

Kelly  of  the  Secret  Service  Lloyd  Hughes-Sheila  Mannors  June  I5,'36t  

Prison  Shadows   Eddie  Nugent-Lucille  Lund  June  l,'36t  

Rio  Grande  Romance  Eddie  Nugent-Maxine  Doyle  Mar.  I5,'36t  

Taming  the  Wild   Rod  La  Rocque-Maxlne  Doyle  Feb.  I5,'36t  


WARNER  BROTHERS 


(See  also  First  National)  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Big  Noise,  The  (G)  925  Guy   Kibbee-Warren    Hull  June  27,'36t  58. Apr.  25/36 

Boulder  Dam   (G)  815  Ross  Alexander-Patricia  Ellis  Mar.    7,'36t  70. Apr.  4,'36 

Colleen   (A)   903  Ruby  Keeler-Joan  Blondell-Jack 

Oakie-Dick  Powell   Mar.  2l,'36t  89.  Feb.     I, '36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  25/36;  p.  92;  May  23/36.  p.  86.) 

Dangerous  (A)  910  Bette   Davis- Franchot  Tone  Jan.     4/36t  78  Nov.  30 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83,  86;  Apr.  20/36,  p.  96;  June  13/36, 
p.  123.) 

Freshman  Love  (G)  922  Patricia  Ellis-Warren  Hull  Jan.    I8,'36t  65. Feb.  1/36 

Frisco  Kid  (A)  907  James  Cagney-Marg't  Lindsay. .  .  Nov.    30t  77. ...Nov.  2 

Green  Pastures,  The  (G)  Rex  Ingram   Aug.     1/36  93. May  30/36 

(See  production  article.  May  2/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  77;  Aug.  15/36,  p.  76.) 

Hot    Money    (G)    926  Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts.  .July    I8,'36t. .  .  .68.  Aug.  1/36 

I  Married  a  Doctor  (G)  906. ..Pat  O'Brien-J.   Hutchinson  Apr.  25/36t  83. Apr.  4/36 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93.) 

Jailbreak   (G)   927  Craig  Reynolds-June  Travis  Aug.    8,'36t  60. May  16/36 

Man  Hunt  (G)  923  Marguerite  Churchill-W.  Gargan. .  Feb.    I5,'36t  65.  Jan.  11/36 

Miss  Pacific  Fleet  (G)  916. ..Joan   Blondell-Glenda  Farrell  Dec.    I4t  66  Nov.  30 

Petrified  Forest,  The  (G)  904.  Leslie    Howard-Bette    Davis  Feb.     8,'36t  83.  Jan.  18/36 

(Exploitation:  May  2/36,  p.  92.) 

Public  Enemy's  Wife  (G)  913.  .Pat  O'Brien-Margaret  Lindsay. . .July    25/36t  69. June  27/36 

Satan  Met  a  Lady  912  Warren   William-Bette    Davis..  ..Aug.    8,'36t  74  

(See  "Men  on  Her  Mind,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Jan.  11/36.) 
Sons  O'Guns  (G)  911  Joe  E.  Brown-Joan  Blonde!!  May   30/36t  79. May  2/36 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  128;  July  25/36,  pp.  76,  77;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93.) 
Stars  Over  Broadway  (G)  917. Pat  O'Brien-Jane   Froman  Nov.    23t  89  Nov.  9 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63.) 

Times  Square  Playboy  (G)  924. Warren   William-June   Travis. ...  May     9,'36t  62. Mar.  21/36 

Treachery  Rides  the  Range  (G) 

929   Dick  Foran-Paula  Stone  May     2,'36t  56. Mar.  7/36 

Walking  Dead,  The  (G)  914. . .  Karloff-Marguerite   Churchill  Mar.   I4,'36t  76.  Mar.  7/36 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Widow  from  Monte  Carlo,  The 

(G)    921   Dolores  Del   Rio-W.  William  Feb.     l/36t. ..  .60. Jan.  4/36 

Coming 

Another   Dawn   Errol  Flynn-Bette  Davis  

Anthony  Adverse   (G)  801  Fredric  March-O.  Do  Havilland . .  Aug.  29/36  139.  May  23/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  1/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  Aug.  8/36,  p.  91.) 

Bengal  Tiger,  The  (G)  118  Barton  MacLane-June  Travis  Sept.    5/36  *62.July  11/36 

Cain  and  Mabel  Marion  Davies-Clark  Gable  Sept.  26/36  

Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade. .  Errol  Flynn-O.  Do  Havilland  

(See  producton  artcle,  July  25/36,  p.  16.) 

Give  Me  Your  Heart  (G)  Kay  Francis-George  Brent  Sept.  26/36  *88.July  18/36 

Guns  of  Pecos   Dick  Foran-Anne  Nagel  

Invitation  to  a  Murder  Marguerite  Churchill  -  Gale 

Sendergard   >  

King  of  Hockey  Anne   Nagel- Richard  Purcell  


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Making  of  O'Malley,  The  Pat.  O'Brien-Sybil  Jason  

Marriage  Clause   Robt.  Montgomery-Olivia  De 

Havilland   

Midsummer  Night's  Dream  (G). All  Star   132  Oct.  12 

(Pictorial:  Aug.  3,  p.  15;  exploitation:  Apr.  11/36.  p.  94:  June  6/36,  p.  118;  June 
27/36,  p.  82.) 

Over  the  Wall  Ross  Alexander   

Polo   Joe   loe  E.  Brown-Carol  Hughes  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Pony  Express   Rider  Dick  Foran-Linda  Perry  

Slim    Pat  O'Brien-Henry  Fonda  

Stolen    Holiday   Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter  

Three  in  Eden  Marg't   Lindsay-Donald  Woods- 
Ian  Hunter     

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25/36.) 


WILLIAM  STEINER 


Title 


Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Chinatown   Mystery   Norman  Foster    7  rls  

Island   Captives   Eddie    Nugent   .6  rls  


WORLD 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Tempo   Massino   Milly   ..Mar.   12/36  78. Mar.   21, '36 

Coming 


Aurora  Sul   Mare  Italian  Feature 

Ireno    Popolare   Italian  Feature   

Second    Bureau   Jean  Murat-Diane  Korere.. 

Street  Without  a  Name  Constant    Remy-Pola  llery. 


OTHER  PRODUCT  (FOREIGN) 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Dist'r  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Anna  (G)   Ada    Voitsik   Amkino   July    16/36.  95. Aug.  1.36 

A   Star   Fell   from  Heaven 

(G)   Florine  McK:nney. ..  Assoc.    British  70.  June  27/36 

Broken  Blossoms  (A)  Dolly  Haas   Twickenham   ...June  6/36 

Calling  the   Tune   (G)  Sam    Livesay  Assoc.    British  70. Aug.  8/36 

Cloistered   (G)   Best   May    19/36. ..  65.  May  30/36 

Come  Out  of  the  Pantry (G)  .1.  Buchanan-F.Wray.  United   Artists  70  Dec.  14 

Dubrevsky    Boris  Livanov   Amkino   Mar.  28/36t.  .72.  Apr.  11/36 

Everything  Is  Rhythm  (G). Harry  Roy   Assoc.    British  75. June  27/36 

Gypsy  Melody  (A)  Lupe  Velez   Assoc.    British  70. Aug.  8/36 

Heart's   Desire   (G)  Richard  Tauber   Assoc.    British  87.. ..Oct.  I 

I  Give  My  Heart  (A)  Gitta  Alper   Assoc.    British  ..85  Nov.  16 

Interrupted  Honeymoon.  The 

(A)   Claude  Hulbert   British   Lion  73. June  27/36 

Invitation  to  the  Waltz(G) .  Lilian   Harvey   Assoc.    British  80  Nov.  It 

La    Fusse   Femin  Gemier   French   Aug.     1/36... 83  

La  Maternelle  (A)  Paulette   Elambert. ..  Metropolis    ...    ..Oct.      14  80.  ...Nov.  16 

Land  of  Promise,  The  (G)  Zionist    Org.  of 

,    America   Nov.     20          57....  Dee.  7 

Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The.  .Maria  Corda- 

V.   Varconi   Trans-America...    Dec.      14....  65  

Le  Bonheur  (A)   Gaby  Morlay   Franco-American.. .  Mar.    5/36.  .110.  Mar.  21/36 

Liebelei    (A)   Paul  Hoerbiger  ..    General    ..tt  87. Mar.  14/36 

Living  Dangerously  (A) . . .  Otto  Kruger  Assoc.    British  80.  Mar.  21/36 

Marriage    of    Corbal,  The 

(A)   Nils  Asther   General   80. June  13/36 

Milizia  Territoriale  (G) ..  .Antonio  Gandusio  .  Nuovo    Mondo  Apr.     4/36..  .77.  Apr.  25/36 

Once  in  a  Million  (G)  Buddy  Rogers- 

M.  Brian   Assoc.    British  75. Apr.  4/36 

Ourselves  Alone   (G)  Antoinette  Celller  ..Assoc.    British  70. May  16/36 

Pension   Mimosas   (A)  Francoise  Rosay   Franco-American. ..  May     5/36. ..  93.  May  16/36 

Prenez  Garde  a  la  Peinture.  Simone  Simon  French   Aug.     1/36.  ..86  

Private  Secretary,  The(G).Edw.  Everett  Horton .  Twickenham  75  Oct.  5 

Public  Nuisance  No.  I  (G)  . Frances  Day   General   79. Mar.  14/36 

Raggen— Det   Ar   Jag  Det 

(A)   N.  Wahlbom   Scandinavian   May   21/38. .  .83.  May  30/36 

Re  Burlone,  II  (G)  Armando  Falconl   ...Nuovo  Mondo   Mar.  25/36. .  .98.  Apr.  4/36 

Robber  Symphony,  The  (G). George  Graves   Concordia   125. May  9/36 

Royal   Waltz   (G)  Paul   Hoerbiger   Ufa   Apr.     9/36. .  .81  Apr.  25/36 

Skargards  (A)   Gideon  Wahlberg   ..Scandinavian   Apr.     7/36. .  .90. Apr.  18/36 

Soviet    News    (G)  Amkino   Apr.    10/36. .  .70  .Apr.  25/36 

Tempo    Massino    (G)  Milly   World   Mar.   12/36. ..  78.  Mar.  21/36 

Three  Maxims,  The  (G) . . .  Anna   Neagle,  Tullio 

Carminati   General  87. Aug.  1/36 

Turn  of  the  Tide  (G)  J.   Fisher  White  Not    determined.  80  Nov.  2 

Two's   Company    (G)  Ned  Sparks- 
Mary  Brian   B.  &.  D  May  16/36 

We    Are    from  Kronstadt 

(G)   V.  Zaichlkov   Amkino   Apr.   30/36t.  .93.  May  16/36 

Wedding  March,  The  (A). Tullio   Carminati..    Franco-American  92.  Mar.  14/36 

When   Knights  Were  Bold 

(G)    I.  Buchanan-F.Wray  General   76. Mar.  7/36 

Where  There's  a  Will  (G).Will    Hay   Gaumont-Brltlsh  81. July  4/36 

Woman  Alone,  A  (A)  Anna    Sten-H.  Wll- 

coxon   General    90. June  6/30 


126 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


SHCRT 
EILMS 

[All  dates  are  1935  unless 
otherwise  stated] 

CELEBRITY 

Title  Ret.  Date  Min. 

COMICOLOR  CARTOONS 

Balloon  Land   Sept.30t  Irl.. 

Simple  Simon   Nov.  I5t  1  rl.. 

Humpty  Oompty   Dec.  30t  Irl.. 

Ali    Baba   Jan.  30,'36t.9  

Tom  Thumb   Mar.  30,'36t  .7  

Oiclc  Whlttington's  Cat  May  30.'3St.7  

Little  Boy  Blue   July  30/36t  

COLUMBIA 

Title  Rel-  Date  Min. 

BARNEY  GOOGLE 
No.  2 — -'Patch  Mah 

Britches"   Dec.  1 9t  7  

No.  3 — "Spark  Plus"   Apr.  I2,'36t  .6'/2 . . 

No.  4 — Major  Google   May  24/36t.6'/2. 

BROADWAY  COMEDIES 

Am  1  Having  Fun  Sept.  3,'36.  .2  rls. 

Andy  Clyde 

Ants  in  the  Pantry  ..Feb.  6/36tl8'/2.. 

(3  Stooges) 

Caught  in  the  Act  Mar.  5,'36tl8  

Andy  Clyde 
Champ's  a  Chump,  The  June  20,'36tl8. .. . 

(Ail  Star) 

Disorder  in  tho  Court  May  30,'36tl7  

(3  Stooges) 

Double  Trouble   

Andy  Clyde 
False  Alarms   Aug.  16. '36.  .2  rls. 

(3  Stooges) 

Half  Shot  Shooters   Apr.  30,'36t  19  

(3  Stooges) 

Hot  Paprika   Dec.  I2t...l8'/j.. 

Andy  Clyde 

I   Don't   Remember   Dec.  26t . . . !8'/2  . . 

Harry  Langdon 

Just  Speeding   Jan.  23.'36tl8. .  . . 

Midnight   Blunders  Apr.  21  ,'36tl7  

(All  Star) 

Mister  Smarty   July  I5.'36tl8  

Andy  Clyde 

Movie   Maniacs   Feb.  20.'36tl8. . . . 

(3  Stooges) 

Pain  in  the  Pullman.  A. . . June  27.'36t  18. . . . 
(3  Stooges) 

Peppery  Salt.  The  May  I5.*36tl8  

Andy  Clyde 
6hare  the  Wealth  Mar.  I9,'36tl7'/a . . 

Andy  Clyde 

Three  Little  Beers  Nov.  28t...l7  

(3  Stooges) 

Unrelated  Relations   Jan.  9,'36tl8  

(All  Star) 

Whoops.  I'M  an  Indian  Sept.  1 1  ,'36.2  rls. 

.(3  Stooges) 
Yoo    Hoo    Hollywood  Nov.  I4I...18  

(All  Star) 

COLOR  RHAPSODIES 

Bon   Bon  Parade  Dec.    5t  8'/a.. 

Dr.  Bluebird   Feb.  5,'36t.8  

Football  Bugs  Apr.  29,'36t.7  

Glee  Worms   June  24.'36t.7  

Merry    Mutineers  Sept.  3. '36. .  I  rl.. 

Novelty  Shop.  The  Aug.  I5.'36  

Untrained   Seal,   The  July  26.'36t.7. . . . 

COLUMBIA  TOURS 
Wonder  Spots  of  America. .  Sept.  4/36. .  I  rl.. 

COURT  OF  HUMAN  RELATIONS 

Mad    Money   Sept.  4,'36. .  I  rl.. 

KRAZY   KAT  CARTOONS 

10.  Kannibal    Kapers  Dec.  27t  7  

11.  Bird  Stuffer,  The  Feb.  I,'36t.7  

12.  "Lil  Ainjil"   Mar.  I9,'36t.6  

13.  Peace   Conference  Apr.  I0,'36t.7  

(re-issue) 

14.  Highway  Snobbery  Aug.  9.'36  

NEW  WORLD  OF  SPORT  SERIES 

Disputed    Decisions   Aug.  22. '36  

Football    Flashes  Aug.  30, '36  

Golfing  Rhythm   May  I5,'36tl0  

Hunters'   Paradise  Nov.  30t ...  1 1  

Ice    Cut-Ups   Feb.  6,'36tl0.... 

Little    Champs   Aug.  10, '36  

Speed   Mad   Apr.  I7,'36tl0. . . 

Sport  Magic   June  I3,'36t .9'/2. 

Stop,   Look   and   Guess  Mar.  9.'36M0  

Thrills   with    Daredevils. ...  Mar.  I9.'36tl0. . . 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

SCRAPPY  CARTOONS 

Touring  the  Sport  World. ..July  II. '36. 10  

Let's  Ring  Doorbells  Nov.    7t  7  

Playing  Politics   July  8.'36t.7.... 

Scrappy's  Boy  Scouts  Jan.  2,'36t.7  

Scrappy's  Camera  Troubles. . June  5,'36f.7  

Scrappy's  Pony   Mar.  I6,'36t  .7. . . . 

SCREEN  SNAPSHOTS 

No.  3—   Nov.  8t...l0  

No.  4 —   Dec.    61 ...  1 0  

No.  5 —   Jan.    2,'36tl0'/2. . 

No.  6—   Jan.  3 1 ,'36t IO'/2 . . 

No.  7—   Feb.  28/36tlO'/2. . 

No.  8—   Mar.  27,'36tl0  

No.  9—   Apr.  24.'36t.9'/a.. 

No.  10—   May  29,'36tl0  

No.  II—   June  26,'36tl0  

No.  12—   July  17, '36. 10  

No.  13—   Aug.  I3,'36  

SPECIAL 

Robinson   Crusoe   Sept.  7, '36. .  .3  rls. 

STARS  OF  TOMORROW 

No.  3—   Nov.  27t ...  1 1  

No.  4 —   Nov.  I6t...l0  

No.  5 —   Jan.  I5,'36tll  

No.  6 —   Jan.  I7.'36tl0  

VOICE  OF  EXPERIENCE 

No.  3—   Oct.   1 3t . . .  1 0'/2 . . 

No.  A —   Oct.  28t...l0'/2.. 

No.  5—   Nov.  l2t...l0'/2.. 

No.  6 —   Nov.  27t.  ..IO'/j.. 

No.   7—   Dec.  l2t...l0'/2.. 

No.  8 —   Jan.    2,'36tl  I  

No.  9—   Feb.  25,'36tl0'/2 . . 

No.  10—   Mar.  26,'36t  IO'/2 . . 

DU  WORLD 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

POPULAR   SCIENCE  FOREIGN 
(Clnecolor) 

No.   I —   Sept. 15, '36.  .9  

No.  2—   10.... 

No.  3—   8  

No.  4 —   8  

No.  5—   9.... 

No.  6—   10  

SEMI-FEATURES  AND  SHORTS 
Cathedrals   Oct.     It...  1 9... 

EDUCATIONAL 

[Distributed  through 

Twentieth  Century-Fox] 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

CORONET  COMEDIES 

Brain  Busters,  Tho  Jan.  I0,'36tl8  

Fresh  from  the  Fleet  Apr.  24.'36tl8  

He's  a  Prince  Oct.   1 8t ...  1 8  

Just  Another  Murder  Oct.  4t...l7  

Mixed  Policies   Jan.  I7,'36t20  

Sleepless  Hollow   May  8,'36tl6  

Where  Is  Wall  Street  Apr.  I0.'36tl9  

FROLICS    OF  YOUTH 

Choose  Your  Partners  Dec.  I3t - .  .20  

Flicker  Fever   Sept.  26f. .  .20  

Knockout  Drops   Dec.  6t...l9  

MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Home  on  the  Range  June  5,'36t2l.... 

Moonlight  and  Melody  Oct.  I  It... 21  

Perfect  Thirty-Sixes   Dec.  20t ...  18  

Rhythm  of  Paree  Sept.  27t. .  .21  

Thanks,  Mr.  Cupid  Jan.  24,'36tl8  

SONG   AND   COMEDY  HITS 

Alpine   Rendezvous   Aug.    I, '36. II  

College    Capers   Sept.  27t . . .  12  

Easy   Pickin's   Dec.  27t...l0  

Going  Native   Aug.  28, '36. 1 1  

Hillbilly  Love   Oct.   lit. ..II.... 

Queen's  Birthday,  The  Aug.  14, '36. 10  

Ring  Goes  'Round,  The  Aug.  21, '36. 10  

Rodeo  Day   Sept.  I3t...ll  

Seeing   Nellie   Home  Dec.  20t ...  1 1  

Sorority  Blues   Dec.  6t...ll  

Spooks   Apr.  I7,'36t.9  

Way  Out  West  Oct.  25t ...  1 1  

STAR  PERSONALITY  COMEDIES 

Giv'lm  Air   Feb.  I4.'36tl8  

Gold   Bricks   Mar.  20,'36t20  

Grand  Slam  Opera  Feb.  2l,'36t2l  

Ladies  Love   Hats  Nov.    It... 20.... 

Penny  Wise   Sept.  6t...l6  

Three  on  a  Limb   Jan.  3,'36tl9  

Timid  Young  Man,  The  Oet.  25t...20.... 

Triple  Trouble   Apr.  3,'36tl6  

White   Hope.  The  Mar.  27.'36tl9  

PAUL  TERRY-TOONS 

Aladdin's  Lamp   Nov.  I5t  6  

Alpine  Yodeler  Feb.  2.'36t.6  

Barnyard   Amateurs   Mar.  6,'36t.6  


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Busy   Bee.   The  May  29.'36t  .6. . . . 

Circus  Days   Sept.  6t....6.... 

Farmer    Al    Falfa    in  the 

Hot  Spell   July  I0,'36t.6  

Farmer  Al   Falfa  and  the 

Runt   May  I5,'36t.6  

Farmer    Al    Falfa's  Prize  

Package   July  31/36. .8.... 

Feud,  The   Jan.  I0,'36t.6  

Foiled  Again   Oct.    4t  6  

Football   Oct.   I8t  6  

Hey   Diddle   Diddle   Sept.  20t  6  

Home  Town  Olympics  Feb.  7,'36t.6  

June  Bride,  A  Nov.    It  6  

Kiko  and  the  Honey  Bears. Aug.  21, '36t. 6  

Mayflower.  The   Dec.  27t  6  

19th  Hole  Club,  The  Jan.  24,'36t.6  

Off  to   China  Mar.  20,'36t.6  

Puddy    the    Pup    and  the 

Gypsies   July  24,'36t.6  

Rolling  Stones   May  l,'36t.6  

Sailor's   Home,   The  June  I2,'36t.6  

Southern   Horse-pitality  Nov.  29t  6  

Tough  Egg.  A  Juno  26,'36t.6  

Western  Trail,  The  Apr.  3,'36t.6  

Wolf  in  Cheap  Clothing,  A.Apr.  I7.'36t.6  

Ye  Olde  Toy  Shop  Dec.  I3t  6  

TREASURE  CHEST 

Animal    Cunning   May  I,'36tl0  

Clever  Critters   Sept.  20t  8  

Fast   Friends   June  5,*36t.9  

Feminine  Form   Aug.  7,'36.I0  

Fisherman's  Luck   Jan.  3l,'36t.9  

Gangsters  of  the  Deep  Nov.    It  8  

Hold  That  Lino  Oct.   lit  7  

Game  of  Jai-Alai.  Tho  Dec.  27f  9  

Manhattan  Tapestry   Jan.  3l.'36tl0  

Seeing  Eye.  Tho  Jan.  I7,'36tl0  

Ski-Scrapers   May  24  8  

Sunday  Sports  in  Mexico. ..  Nov.  8t...l0  

TUXEDO  COMEDIES 

Just  Plain  Folks  Mar.  I3,'36tl9  

Kiss  the   Bride  Sept.  I3t . .  .21  

One  Big  Happy  Family  Nov.  1 5t . .  .21  

Rail   Birds   May  22,'36tl8  

TWO-REEL  COMEDIES 

Bashful    Buddies   Aug.  7/31.17.... 

Blue  Blazes   Aug.  21/36.  .2  rls. 

Boy,  Oh   Boy  Aug.  14/36.19  

Happy  Heels   Aug.  1/36.18  

It  Happened  All  Right  May  I5.'36tl9  

Parked  in  Paree  Aug.  28/36. 19  

Peaceful  Relations   June  I9,'36tl8  

YOUNG  ROMANCE 

Beware  of  Blondes  Feb.  7/36t20  

Love  in  a  Hurry  May  17  16.... 

Love  in  September   Mar.  6/36t2l  

Way  Up  Thar  Nov.  8t...l8  

GRAND  NATIONAL 
DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

MUSICAL  MOODS 
(Technicolor) 

Ave  Maria   Mar.25/36t.l  rl.. 

Irish   Melody   Mar.  9/36t.8  

Italian   Caprice   Dec.    It  8  

Liebestraum   Apr.  20/36t.  I  rl. . 

Mediterranean  Songs   Nov.    It  7  

NEWSL«UGHS 

No.  2—   Nov.  26t  I  rl. . 

No.  3—   Dec.  30t  I  rl.. 

No.  4 —    Jan.  20/36t.l  rl.. 

No.  5—   Feb.  20/36t.l  rl.. 

No.  6—   Mar.20/36t.l  rl. 

6  THRILLING  JOURNEYS 

Craters  of  the  Moon  Nov.  1 5^ ....  I  rl.. 

Old  Faithful  Speaks  Nov.  I5t  

Deep  Sea  Harvest  Jan.  1 5,'36t .  I  rl . . 

Ride  Along   Dude  Feb.  I5,'36t.l  rl.. 

City  of  Proud  Memories  Dec.  lot  I  rl.. 

Realm  of  Ghosts  Mar.  l/36t  


HOFFBERG 


Title  Rel.  Date 

Beautiful  Blue  Danube  Feb.  4/ 

Carillon  Makers   Aug.  15/ 

Golden  Harbor   Mar.  16/ 

It's  a  Bird   Jan.  20/ 

Life  of  Theodore  Roosevelt. .  Feb.  1/ 

Tough  Breaks   Mar.  I.' 

Spanish  Interlude,  A  Sept. 15. 

Sport  of  Flying   Aug.  II.' 

Symphony  of  the   Seasons.  .Jan.  27.' 

Young    Explorer   Mar.  2, 

INTERNATIONAL  VARIETI 

No.   I —   Feb.  14. 

No.  2—   Feb.  28. 

No.  3 —   Mar.  8. 


Min. 

36t.9.. 
36tl2.. 
36tl0.. 
36tl7.. 
36tl9. . 
36tl8.. 
'36t26. . 
36t9.. 
36t.9.. 
36tl0.. 
ES 

'36t.8.. 
36t.8. . 
'36tl0. . 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

No.  4 —   Mar.  22/36tl0  

No.  5—   Apr.  IO,'36t-7  

No.  6—   Apr.  22.'36t.7'/2.. 

PERSONALITIES  ON  PARADE 

No.   I—   Feb.  5.'36t.9  

No.  2—   Mar.  6,'36t.9  

No.  3—   Apr.  I  l/36t.9  

No.  4 —   May  4/36t.9  

WORLD  EXPLORATIONS 

1.  Nomads  of  the  Jungle  Feb.   3 . ' 3 6 f  .6  

2.  Nomads  of  the  South  Seas. Feb.  I7,'36t.6  

3.  Nomads  of  the  Past  Mar.  3,'36t.6  

4.  Nomads  of  the  Air  Mar.  I7,'36t  .5'/2. . 

5.  Nomads  in  the  Making. .  .Apr.  3/36t.6  

6.  Nomads  of  the  River..  .Apr.  I7.*36t.6  

7.  Nomads  of  the  Plains  May  3/36t.5'/2.. 

8.  Nomads  of  the  Sea  May  l7/36t.5'/2. . 


IMPERIAL 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 
COLOR  CLASSICS 

Towers  of  Melody  8.. 

Hidden  Treasures   8.. 

Southern    Beauties   8.. 

EDGAR   GUEST   POETIC  GEMS 

After  the  Storm   

Boyhood   8.. 

Couldn't  Live  Without  You  

Old  Prospector,  The  8.. 

Sea   Dreams   8.. 

Early  in  the  Mornin'  8.. 

NOVELTIES 

Cities  of  the  Past  

Nero   8.. 

Every  Dog  Has  Its  Day  9.. 

Hobo  Hero   9.. 

PORT  0'  CALL 

Peacock  Throne   9.. 

City  of  the  Sun  9.. 

Jungle  Bound  

Last  Resort   9.. 

Love's  Memorial   

Children  of  the  Nile  9.. 

Seventh  Wonder   9. 

WORLD    IN  COLOR 

Beneath  Coral  Seas   8. 

Inspiration  of  Old  Love 

Songs   8.. 

Isle  of  June   

Dream  Harbor   8. 

Maori   8., 

Melody  Isle   

Under  the  Southern  Cross  8. 


MGM 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 
CHARLEY  CHASE 
Count  Takes  the  Count,  The.  Feb.  22/36f20. . 

Life  Hesitates  at  40  Jan.  1 8/36 1! 5.. 

Manhattan  Monkey  Business. Nov.  9f...2l.. 

Neighborhood  House   May  9/36t  

Nurse  to  You  Oct.  5t...20..( 

On  the  Wrong  Trek  Apr.  18/36N9.. 

Public  Ghost  No.  I  Dec.  I4t  20. . 

Vamp  'Til   Ready  Mar.  28,'36t20. . 

CRIME  DOESN'T  PAY 

No.  3— Desert  Death   Oct.  I9t . . .21 . . 

No.  4— ThrNI   for  Thelma. 

A   Nov.  23t...lR.. 

No.  5 — Hit  and  Run  Driver.  Dec.  28t . . . 20 . . 

No.  6— Perfect  Setup   Feb.  I,'36t2l.. 

FIT2PATRICK  TRAVEL  TALKS 
Honolulu,   Paradise  of  the 

Pacific   Nov.   2t  8.. 

Japan   in    Cherry  Blossom 

Time   Mar.  2l/36t.9. . 

Modern  Tokyo   Dec.  28t  9.. 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  City  of 

Splendor   Apr.  I8,'36t.8.. 

Rural  Mexico   Nov.  30t  8.. 

Sacred  City  of  the  Mayan 

Indians   Feb.  22/36t.7. . 

St.  Helena  and  Its  Man  of 

Destiny   May  I6.'36t.8.. 

Victoria  and  Vancouver  Jan.  25,'36t.9.. 

HARMAN-ISING 
(Happy  Harmonies) 

15 —  Honeyland   Oet.  I9t...l0.. 

16—  Alias  St.    Nick  Nov.  I6t  10. . 

17 —  Run,  Sheep,  Run  Dec.  I4t...l0.. 

18—  Bottles   Jan.  Il/36tl0.. 

19 —  Early  Bird  and  the 

Worm,  The  Feb.  8/36t.9.. 

20—  Old  Mill  Pond,  The  Mar.  7/36t.8.. 

21 —  Two  Little  Pup»  Apr.  4/36t.8.. 

M-G-M  MINIATURES 
Great  American  Pie  Com- 
pany  Nov.  9t...ll.. 

How  to  Behave  Apr.  25/36tl0. . 

How  to  Train  a  Dog  July  4/36t.S.. 


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


127 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAET--CCNT*E) 


Tltl*  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

Important  News   Feb.  29.'36tl0.. 

Jonker  Diamond   Mar.  28.'36tl0. . 

let's   Dance   Jan.  4,'36t.8.. 

Little  Boy  Blue  May  23.'36tl  I . . 

Master  Will  Shakespeare..  .June  I3.'36tl0.. 

Primitive  PItcairn  Dec.    7t  9.. 

Trained   Hoots   Oct.  I2t....9.. 

West  Point  of  the  South...  .Feb.  I.'36t.8.. 

M-G-M  SPORTS  PARADE 

Air  Hoppers   Jan.  I8.'36tl0.. 

Aquatic  Artistry   Apr.  I  l/36t  .9. . 

Crew  Racing   Dee.  21 1. . .  10. . 

Gymnastics   Oct.  26t  9.. 

Harnessed  Rhythm   Juno  6,'36.I0... 

Polo   May  9,'36t.8.. 

Table  Tennis   Feb.  15/36+10... 

Racing  Canines   Mar.  I4,'36tl0. . 

Water  Sports   Oct.  26t  8.. 


MUSICAL  REVUET 

La   Fiesta  de  Santa  Bar- 
bara  Dec.  7+...I9. 

Pirate  Party  on  Catalina 
Isle   Nov.  21  20. 

Bunkist  Stars  at  Palm 
Springs   Jan.  1 1  ,'36 .20. . 

OUR  GANG 

Arbor  Day   May  2,'36tl8. 

Divot  Diggers   Feb.  8,'36tl5., 

Lucky  Corner,  The  Mar.  I4.'36tl6. 

Pinch  Singer   Jan.    4.'36'r 1 8 . 

Second  Childhood   Apr.  Il.'36tl9. 

PATSY  KELLY  COMEDIES 

Ail-American  Toothache   Jan.  25, '36120.. 

At  Sea  Ashore  Apr.  4,'36t20.. 

Hill   Tillies    .Apr.  4/36+18. 

Hot  Money  Nov.  I6t...l8. 

Pan  Handlers   Feb.  29.'36t20. 

Top  Flat   Dec.  2lt...20. 

PETE    SMITH  SPECIALTY 

Killer  Dog   10. 

SPECIAL 

Audioscopiks   8. 


PARAMOUNT 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

BETTY   BOOP  CARTOONS 
Betty    Boop   and  Little 

Jimmy   Mar.  27.'36t.7. . . . 

Betty  Boop  and  the  Little 

King   Jan.  3l,'36t.7  

Grampy's  Indoor  Outing  Oct.  16, '36  

Happy  You  and  Merry  Me. .  Aug.  2I,'3B. .  I  rl. . 
Henry,  the  Funniest  Living 

American    .Nov.  22t  7  

Little  Nobody   Dec.  27t  7.... 

Making  Stars   Oct.   I8f  7  

More  Pep   June  I9.'36t  

Not  Now   Feb.  28,'36t.7  

Song  a  Day,  A  May  22,'36t.7  

Training  Pidgeons   Sept.18,'36  

We  Did  It  Apr.  24,'36t.6  

You're  Not  Built  That. Way  .July  I7,'36t.l  rl.. 
COLOR  CLASSICS 

Cobweb  Hotel,  The  May  I5,'36t  .8  

Greedy  Hunoty  Dumpty. . .  .  July  I0.'36t .  I  rl . 

Hawaiian  Birds   Aug.  28/38. .1  rl. . 

Little  Stranger   Mar.  I3/36I-.8... 

Musical  Memories   Nov.    8t  7  

Play    Safe  Oct.  I6.'36  

Somewhere  in   Dreamland. .  .Jan.    17, '36. 9  

(Technicolor) 

HEADLINERS 

Accent  on  Girls  Dec.  27+  

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 
Melodears 

Babes  in  Hollywood  Oct.   I8t  .10... 

Breezy  Rhythm   Apr.  I0,'36f  10. . . 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 

Cavalcade  of  Music,  The. ...Oct.    4t  8... 

Gypsy  Revels   Aug.  7/36.. I  rl. 

Lucky  Starlets   May  22.'36tl0  

Baby  Leroy-Bennie  Bart- 

lett  -  David    Holt  -  Betty 

Holt  -  Billy  Lee  -Virginia 

Weldler 
Midnight  Melodies   

Orchestra  .  M  ar.  20,'36t  1 1 . . . 

Ed  Paul  and  Orchestra- 

Babs   Ryan  -  Loretta  Lee 
Moscow    Moods  Jan.  I7,'36tll... 

Yasha  Bunchuk  and  Orch. 
Movie   Melodies  on   Parade  .  Feb.  7.'36tll... 

Kostelanetz-  Eastman 
Musical  Fashions   July  3/36+. I  rl. 

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 

Melodears 

Music  in  the  Morgan  Manner  June  I2.'36t  

Russ  Morgan  and  Orch. 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

Music  Over  Broadway  Aug.  28, '36.  .1  rl.. 

George  Hall  and  Orch. 
Parade  of  the  Maestros  Nov.  1 5 1 -  -  - ■  0  

Red  Nichols,  Ferde  Grofe. 

Emery  Deutsch  and  Their 

Orchestras 

Play.  Don   July  3l,'36tll  

Don  Bestor  and  Orch. 

Radio  Rhapsody   Dec.    6+.. .10... 

Johnny  Green  and  Orch. 

Star  Reporter,  The  Feb.  28.'36t.9  

Betty  Jane  Cooper-Don- 
ald Novis-lna  Ray  Hutton 

Yankee  Doodle  Rhapsody..  .May   I ,*36t 1 1  

Ferde  Grofe  and  His 
Orchestra 

MUSICAL  ROMANCE 

Lover's    Paradise  Sept. II, '36  

(Technicolor) 

PARAGRAPH1CS 

Lulu's  Love   '. . .  .Aug.  I4,'36. 10  

Sailor  Shorty   Sept.18,'36  

Straight  as  an  Arrow  Oct.    9, '36  

PARAMOUNT  PICTORIAL 

No.  3 — Nesting  Time— Re- . Oct.  lit  9  

flections — Song  Makers  of 
the  Nation  (Tot  Seymour 

and  Vee  Lawnhurst)  

No.  4 — jewelry — Made  to. Nov.  3t...l0  

Order  —  Let's    Listen  to 

Latin  America   

No.  5 — Manhattan  Rhapsody  .  Dee.    6+.. .10  

— Animal    Buddies — Man 

of  Many  Faces  

No.  6  —  The    Latest    from. Jan.  3,'36tl0  

Paris — Shifting    Sands — 

Nature's  Sideshow   

No.  7 — Mountain   Moods —  Jan.  3l,'36t.7  

Camera  Hounds  —  Song 
Makers  of  the  Nation 
(Ralph  Rainger  and  Lee 

Robin)   

No.  8— Frederic  W.  Goudy  .  Feb.  28.'36tl  I  

— Sails  Over  Sydney  Har- 
bor —  The   Voice  of  the 

Animals   

No.  9— Trailing  the  Birds . Mar.  27.'36t.9  

— Lake  of  Enchantment — 
Swanee  River  Goes  High 

Hat   

No.    10  — Toilers    of    the  .  Apr.  24.'36tl0  

Deep  —  Where  Beauty 
Reigns — Make-up  Magic 

No.    II — Champagne — Girls.  May  22,'36t  

Will  Be  Boys— Up  Mont 

Blanc   

No.  12— Meet  the  Pelican— .June  I9.'36t  

Viola    Mitchell  —  Steel 

Suits   

No.  13—   July  I7,'36t.l  rl.. 

PARAMOUNT  PICTORIAL  (New  Series) 
No.  I— What's  Afoot  — 

Golden  Acres — Don  Baker. Aug.  21  .'36.  I  rl. 
No.   2—   .Sept.  I8,'36  

PARAMOUNT  VARIETIES 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  4  .Sept.  27t . . .  10. . . 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  5. Dec.  I3t...l0... 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  6. Apr.  3.'36t.9... 

Collie,  The   Feb.  2l.*36fI0  

Countryside  Melodies   Nov.  29t  6... 

(Technicolor) 

Dangerous  Jobs   May  l,'36t.fl  

Fashions  In  Love  July  24,'36t . I  rl . 

Here  Comes  the  Zoo  Mar.  I3.'36t.9... 

March  of  the  Presidents...  .Sept.  27t . . .  10. . . 
Movie  Milestones  (No.  2). ..Jan.  3l,'36tl0... 

Poodle,  The   May  22,'36tl0... 

Rhythm  Party,  The  June  26,'36t  

Rookie  Fireman,  The  Apr.  24,'36t  10. . . 

Shorty  at  Coney  Inland  Jan.  I0,'36tl0... 

Shorty  at  the  Seashore  July  I0.'36t.l  rl. 

Spring  Night   Nov.    It  8... 


Title 


Min. 


POPEYE  THE  SAILOR 

Adventures  of  Popeye,  The.  Oct.  25t.... 

Bridge  Ahoy!   May  l,'36t. 

Brotherly  Love   Mar.  6,'36t. 

Clean  Shaven  Man,  A  Feb.  7/36t. 

l-Ski  Love-Ski  You-Skl . . .  .  Apr.  3.'36t. 
I  Wanna  Be  a  Lifeguard. .  .June  26. '36t, 

King  of  the  Mardl  Gras...  .Sept.27t  

Let's  Get  Movln'  July24,'36t. 

Little  Swee'  Pea  Sept.25,'36. 

Never  Kick  a  Woman  Aug.  28/36.. 

Sinbad  the  Sailor  Jan.  31/36+ 

(Special) 

Spinach  Overture.  The  Dec.    6t.  .. 

Vim,  Vigor  and  Vltaliky...  .Jan.  3/36+ 

What,  No  Spinach?  May  29/36t 

PARAMOUNT  SOUND  NEWS 
Two  Editions  Weekly 


1  rl. 

2  rls 


Rel.  Date 
POPULAR  SCIENCE 
(Cinecolor) 

No.  2   Sept.29t....9.... 

No.  3   Nov.  29t ...  I  O'/i  - . 

No.  4     Jan.  24/36tll  

No.   I   Mar.  27.'36tll  

No.  5   May  29,'36t  

No.  6   July  I7.'36t.  I  rl. . 

POPULAR   SCIENCE    (New  Series) 

No.  I   Aug.  28/36.. I  rl.. 

No.  2   Oct.  30/36  

SCREEN  SONGS 
Hills  of  Old  Wyomin'.  The  . July  24,'36t. I  rl.. 

The  Westerners 
I    Don't  Want  to  Make 

History   May  22/36t  

V.  Lopez  and  Orchestra 
I   Feel  Like  a  Feather  in 

the   Breeze   Mar.  27/36t.7  

Jack  Denny  and  Orchestra 
It's  Easy  to  Remember  Nov.  29t. .  .10. ... 

Richard  Himber  and  Or- 
chestra 

I  Wished  On  the  Moon  Sept.20t  8  

Abe  Lyman  and  Orchestra 
No  Other  One  Jan.  24/36+. 8  

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 

GRANTLAND    RICE  SPORTLIGHTS 
(NEW  SERIES) 

No.  17 — Jumping  Champion  .Oct.  25+  ...  1 0  

No.  18 — Sport  on  the  Ranqe.Nov.  22+...  10  

No.  19 — Sporting    Network ..  Dec.  20t...l0  

No.  20— What's  the  Answer. Jan.  I7.'36tl0  

No.  21— Finer  Points  Feb.  14/36+10  

No.  22 — Winged  Champions.  Mar.  I3.'36tl0  

No.  23 — Sun   Chasers  Apr.  1 0.'36t  10  

No.  24 — Catching  Trouble. .. May  8/36tl0  

No.  25— River  of  Thrills...  .Juno  5/36t  

No.  26 — Sporting  Compari- 
sons  July  3/36t  

No.  27 — Neptune's  Scholars.  Aug.  7/36. . I  rl. . 
No.  28— Lucky  Spills  Sept.  4/36  


RKO  RADIO 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

DUMBBELL  LETTERS 

No.  21   Jan.  3/36t.5  

No.  22   Feb.  31/36+. 5ft. . 

No.  23   Apr.   3/36+  5  

No.  24   May  29.'36t.5  

No.  25   July  IO/36t  

EASY  ACES 

Capital  Idea   Oct.    4t...l0.  .  . 

Debonair  New  Orleans  Mar.  27,'36tl0  

Etiquette    .Nov.  29/36t.9  

Fool  Your  Friends  June  9/36t  

Job's  a  Job.  A  May  22/36+  

Old  Fashioned  Movie,  An..  .  Feb.  28/36tl  I . . . 

Tricks  of  the  Trade  Sent.  6t .  - .  f  0  

Winter  at  the  Zoo  Jan.  31  .'36+ 1 0'/3 . 

World  Within.   A  Nov.    It.  ..10... 

HEADLINER  SERIES 

No.  I— Night  Life   Sept.  21 1 . .  .21 . . . 

No.  2— Tuned  Out   Nov.  I5+...20... 

No.  3 — Camera  Cranks   Jan.  I7.'36tl9... 

No.  4 — Wedtlme  Story,   A.  .  Mar.  20/36+21 .. . 

No.  5 — Bad   Medicine   May  22/36+15  

No.  6 — Sleepy  Time   July  24/36+  

EDGAR    KENNEDY  COMEDIES 

Gasoloons   Jan.    3/36+ 1 5ft. 

Happy  tho   Married  Nov.    I. ...18... 

High  Beer  Pressure  May  8/36+18... 

Sock  Me  to  Sleep   May  17.  ...20... 

Vocalizing   Oct.  23/36. 20'/2  . 

Will  Power   Mar.  6/36tl5ft. 

MAJOR   BOWES'  AMATEUR  PARADE 

No.   I   May  I/36+.9... 

No.  2   June  5/36t  

No.  3   July  3/36+  

MAJOR  BOWES'  AMATEUR  THEATRE 
OF  THE  AIR 

No.  4   Oct.  l8t...lR>/,. 

No.  5   Nov.  8t...l8... 

No.  6   Nov.  22+..  .  18. . . 

MARCH   OF  TIME 

No.  8   Nov.  I5t     20. .  . 

No.  9   Dee.  1st... 23ft. 

T 1 936] 

No.   I   Jan.  17/36+18'/,. 

No.  2  Feb.  17/36+24. . . 

No.  3   Mar.  13/36+21 . . . 

No.  4   Apr.  17/36+21  . . . 

No.   5   May  1 5/3B+  . . .  . 

No.  6   June  I2.'36t. .  . 

No.  7    July  I0/36+ . . 

PATHE  NEWS 

Released  twice  a  week 

PATHE  REVIEWS 

Released  once  a  month 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mia. 

PATHE  TOPICS 

Released  seven  times  a  year 

RADIO  FLASH  COMEDIES 

Dog  Blight   June  12/36+  

Fight  Is  Right  Apr.  10/36+17  

Radio  Barred   Feb.  7/36+15'/,.. 

Where  There's  a  Will  Oct.  4+...I8..., 

Worm  Burns,  The  Dee.    6+.. .17.... 

RADIO  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Aladdin  from  Manhattan. ...  Feb.  28/36+17  

Foolish  Hearts   Dec.  27+. ..18.... 

Melody  in  May  May  1/36+19  

Mismanaged   Oct.  25+ . .  ,19ft. . 

Swing  It   July  3/36t  

Who's  Looney  Now?  Sept.  4/36.19..., 

RAINBOW   PARADE  CARTOONS 

Bold  King  Cole  May  29/36+  

Felix  the  Cat  and  the  Goose 
That  Laid  the  Golden  Egg. Feb.  7/36t.7ft.„ 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  the 
Indians   Nov.  15+  7ft.. 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  Robin- 
son Crusoe   Mar.  20/36?  .7  

Neptune  Nonsense   Apr.  17/36+ .8. . . 

Toonerville  Trolley   Jan.  I7,'36t.7.... 

Trolley  Ahoy   

Waif's  Welcome,  A  June  19/36+  

SMART  SET 

All  Business   Feb.  I4,'36+I8ft . . 

And  So  to  Wed  June  19/36+  

Framing  Father   Apr.  I7,'36+I6ft . . 

Returned  Engagement,  A... Oct.  II  +  ...2I.... 

So  and  Sew   Sept.  18/36. 15  

Too  Many  Surprises  Dee.    3+.. .20ft.: 

SPECIALS 

Going  on  Two  Sept.  17  17  

Headlines  for  25  Years  Mar.  27/36+21  

SPORTS  WITH  BILL  CORUM 
Bugles  from  Blue  Grass. ..  .Oct.  1 1 +. . .  10ft . , 

Gentlemen's  Sports   Dec.  13+... 1 1.... 

High,    Wide    and    Dashing  Sept.  4/36.. 9..., 

Never  Catch  the  Rabbit  Apr.  24/36+11  

Row   Mr.    Row  June  19/36+  

Tomorrow's  Halfbacks   Jan.  24/36+. 9  

Winter  Sport   Mar.  I3.'36+I0  

STRUGGLE  TO  LIVE 

Beach  Masters   Nov.  8+...IOft.. 

Living  Jewels   June  I2,'36t  , 

Underground  Farmers   Apr.  1 7/36+  .8  

Swamp  Land   Sept.  18/36.  .9. .. , 

Winged  Pageantry   Feb.  14/36+10  

SUPERBA  COMEDIES 

Counselitis   Nov.  22+...  18  

Down  the  Ribber  Mar.  27/36+21  

Home  Work   Sept.  20+ . . .  19. . . 

Uppercutlets   Jan.  24/36tl8ft. 

Listen  to  Freezin'  July  31/36+15. . . 

One    Live    Ghost  Nov.  6/36.21... 

Wholesaling  Along   May  29/36+17... 

WORLD   ON  PARADE 
Coral  Isle  of  the  Atlantic. ..  Mar.  27/36+1 1 .. . 

Land  of   Evangeline  Nov.  22+..  .19ft. 

Morocco   Jan.  10/36+  

Prominent  Personalities  ..  .  Feb.  21/36+1 1 .. . 
Spain's   Romantic  Isle, 

Majorca   Oct.   18+..  .  19'/, . 

Trinidad   Sept.l  1/36. 10. . . 

Venice  of  the  North  May  15/36  

Washington  in  Virginia  ...Oct.  9/36.10... 

STATE  RIGHTS 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mia. 

AL  BONDY 

(General  Electric) 

Excursions  in  Science  No.  I  8... 

DYNAMIC 

Wonderland  of  Gaspe  II... 

NORTON 

Alchemist's   Hourglass,  Tho  18... 

PAT  GARYN 

O'Mahoney-George  Bout   17... 

PHIL  BROWN 

Norwegian  Sketches   10... 

REGAL 

Broadway  Nights   


20TH  CENTURY-FOX 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

ADVENTURES  OF  THE 
NEWSREEL  CAMERAMAN 

Filming  the  Fantastic  Jan.  31  ,'36+f 0. . 

Filming    Feminine  Head- 
liners   Dee.  27+ ...  18. . 

Scouring  tho  Skies  Aug.  14/36  

Shooting  the  Record  Break- 
ers  Nov.  22t...l0.. 

MAGIC  CARPET  SERIES 

Argentine  Argosy   Nov.  22t...|0.. 

Geneva-by-the-Lake   Dee.  II+...I0.. 

Hong  Kong  Highlights  Jan.  31/se+lO.. 

Irish  Pastoral   Aug.  7/36  


128 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,    i  9  3  6 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAET—CCNT'E) 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mlo. 

Morocco  Mirage   Aug.  30  10.., 

West  Indie*  Cruise  Oct.  25t...l0... 

Winter  Magic   Dec.  27f.  ..10... 


UNITED  ARTISTS 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 


MICKEY  MOUSE 

33.  Pluto's  Judgment  Day.  .Sept. 28t  9.. 

36.  On  lee   Nov.    6t  &.. 

37.  Mickey's  Polo  Team.. .Feb.  5,'36t.8.. 

38.  Orphans'  Picnle   Mar.  I2,'36t.9.. 

39.  Mickey's  Grand  Opera  9.. 

40.  Through  the  Mirror  June  I8,'36t.9.. 

101.  Moving  Day   July  22,'36..i.. 

102.  Mickey's  Rival   9.. 


SILLY  SYMPHONIES 

28.  Who  Killed  Cock 

Robin?   June  26t. . .  10.. . 

29.  Music  Land   Oct.    lot  8'/s. 

30.  Three  Orphan   Kittens  Nov.  2lt  9... 

31.  Cock  of  the  Walk  Dec.  I9t....8... 

32.  Broken  Toys   Jan.  9,'36t.8... 

33.  Elmer  the  Elephant...  .May  I4.'36t.8'/t. 

34.  Three  Little  Wolves. ..  May  27,'36t  10. . . 


UNIVERSAL 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

CARTUNE  CLASSICS 
No.  6 — Fox  and  the  Rabbit, 

The   Sept.  30  8  

GOING  PLACES  with  LOWELL  THOMAS 

N*.  16   Dec.  23T...I0.... 

Ne.  17   Jan.  20,'36t  

Ne.  18   Mar.  9,'36t  IO'/j  . . 

Ne.  19   Mar.  23,'36tl0  

Ne.  20   Apr.  20.'36t.9  

Ne.  21   June  8,'36t  

Ne.  22   June  22,'36t  

Ne.  23   July  6.'36t  

Ne.  24   July  20,'36.I0.... 

Ne.  25   Aug.  3,'36tl0  

No.  26   Aug.  I7,'36t  

No.  27   Aug.  21. '36  

No.  28   Sept. 28. '36  

No.  29   Oct.  26,'S6  

No.  30   Nov.  23,'S*  

No.  31   Dec.  2I,'36  

MENTONE  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Carnival  Time   Jan.  22,'36tl9  

Jean  Sergent-Jack  Fulton 

Clubhouse  Party  (No.  6-B).Dec.  25t  2  rls. 

Ray  Perkins 

Flippen's  Frolics   July  I5,'36t  

Gus  Van's  Garden  Party. .  Sept.  2,'36..lrl.. 

Gus  Van's  Music  Shoppe 

(No.  5-B)   Dec.  4t...20  

Harlem  Bound  (No.  4)  Nov.  6t...20  

Marine  Follies   Apr.  29,'36t.2  rls. 

Musical  Airways  Sept. 30, '36. .  I  rl. . 

On  Your  Radio  Dial 

(No.  3)   Oct.   23t ...  1 0  

Playing  for  Fan  Mar.  I8,'36tl5  

Signing  Off    Feb.  I9.'36tl9  

Speedy  Justiee  <tio.  2-B) . .  .Sept.  25t. .  .20  

Teddy  Bergman's  Inter- 
national Broadcast   June  3,'36t20  

Vaud-O-Mat.  The   Apr.  8,'36tl6  

NOVELTIES 

Skits  V  Sketches  Feb.  24.'36t  

OSWALD  CARTOONS 

Alaska  Sweepstakes   Feb.  I7.'36t.8  

Amateur  Broadcast   Aug.  26  7  

Battle  Royal   June  22,'36t.7  

Barnyard  Five   Apr.  20,'36t  

Beauty  Shoppe   Mar.  20.'36t.6'/i. . 

Case  of  the  Lost  Sheep,  The.  Dec.    9t  7  

Doctor  Oswald   Dec.  30t  

Farming  Fools    .May25.'36t  

Fun  House,  The  May  4,'36t  

Kiddie  Revue   Sept.  21, '36  

Monkey  Wretches   Nov.  lit  I  rl.. 

Music    Hath    Charms  Sept.  7. '36.. 8  

Slumberland  Express   Mar.  9,'36t  

Soft  Ball  Gam*  Jan.  27,'36t  

STRANGER  THAN  FICTION  SERIES 

Ne.  18 — Novelty   . .  Mar.  30,'36t  .9'/, . . 

Ne.  19—  Novelty   Apr.  I3.'3tt.9  

No.  20—  Novelty   June  l,'36t  

Ne.  21  — Novelty   June  I5,'36t  

No.  22— Novelty   June29,'36t  

No.  23—  Novelty   Ju|y  |3,'36t  

Ne.  24 — Nevelty   July  27,'36tl0  

Ne.  25 — Nevelty   Aug.  I0.'36tl0  

Ne.  28—  Nevelty   Aug.  24,'36t.9  

No.  27 — Nevelty   Sept.  14. '36  

Ne.  28 — Nevelty   Oet.  I2,'36  

No.  29—  Novelty   Nov.  9,'88  

.Dee.    7/38  No.  30—  Novelty   


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

UNIVERSAL  COMEDIES 

His  Last  Film  July  31. ...20.... 

(Van  Reakel  Ne.  5) 

You  Can  Be  Had  Jan.  8,'36tl5  

UNIVERSAL  SPECIAL 

Camera  Thrills   Sept.  30  21.... 

You  Can't  Get  Away 
With  It   2rli. 


Rel.  Date  Mln. 

Dec.  7t...2l.... 


I4t...2l. 


VITAPHONE 


BIG  TIME  VAUDEV 
Vitaphene  Billboard   

Jane  and  Katherino  Lee 
Vitaphone  Casino   

Buster  West- Radio  Rubes 
Vitaphone  Celebrities   

Remington  Singers 
Vitaphene  Entertainers  

Sylvia  Frees 
Vitaphene  Headliners   

Nick  Lucas-Four  Mullen 

Sisters 

Vitaphene  Highlight   

Eddie  Peabedy 
Vitaphene  Hippodrome  

Molly  Picen-Jehnay  Lee 
Vitaphone  Spotlight   

Convllle-Dala 

Vitaphene  Tepnetehes   

Vitaphene  Troopers   

Four  Trojans- 

Aunt  Jemima 
Vitaphone  Varlete   

Leuis  Prima  aid  Orch. 
Vitaphene  Stageshew   


ILLE  REEL 

Feb.  I5.*3«tll... 


 10... 

Jan.  25,'36tll... 
June  27,'36t.l  rl. 
Dec.  I4t...l0... 

Apr.  4,'S6tlO... 
May  2,'36tll... 
Mar.  7.'36tl  I  


May  30,'3St.... 
Jan.  4,'3StlO.. 


Nov.  ISt ....  I  rl. 
July  25.'36t.l  rl. 


BIG  V.  VOMEDIES 
Vodka  Boatmen   Oet.  5T.-.20  

Yacht  Club  Beys 
Lonesome  Trailer   Oct.  26t  .20  

El  Brendel 

Officer's  Mess,  The  Nov.    9t  2  rls. 

Shemp  Howard 
Double  Exposure   Nov.  23t  21  

Bob  Hope 

Lucky  Swede,  The  Dec.  2lt..-2l.... 

El  Brendel 

While  the  Cat's  Away  Jan.  4,'36t20  

Shemp  Howard 
They're  Off   Jan.  I8,'36t2l  

Yacht  Club  Beys 
Slide.  Nellie.  Slide  Feb.  l/36t2l  

Herman  Bing- 

Paula  Stone 
Shop  Talk   Feb.  I5,'36t2l . . . . 

Bob  Hope 
Joe  Paleoka  in  for  the  Lave 

of  Pete   Mar.  I4.'36t2l  

Shemp  Howard  - 

Robert  Norton 
Calling  All  Tars  Mar.  28,'36t2l  

Bob  Hope 

Slum  Fun   Apr.  ll,'3St2l  

Johnny  Berkes- 
Charles  O'Dennell 

Dough-Nuts   Apr.  25.'36t.2  rls. 

Yacht  Club  Boys 

Absorbing  Junler   May  9,'36t2l  

Shemp  Howard- 
Johnny  Berkes 

Joe  Palooka  in  Here's  Howe. June  6,'36t2l  

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 

Wife  of  the  Party,  The  June  20,'36f22  

Ken  Murray 

Good  Old  Plumber-time. 

The   .July  I  l,'36t.2  rls. 

Johnny  Berkes 

The  Oily  Bird  .July  25,'36t .2  rls. 

Ken  Murray 

Joe   Palooka  in  Punch  and 

Beauty   Aug.  I5.'36  

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 

BROADWAY  BREVITIES 
Oh,  Evaline   Sept.  I4t 

Hal  LeRoy- 

Eleanore  Whitney 
Doorman's  Opera   Sept.  28t 

Charlotte  Arren- 

Johnny  Broderlck 
Tickets  Please   Oct 

Georgie  Price 
Regular  Kids   Oct.    I8T  ..20. 

Meglln  Kids 
Check  Your  Sombrero  Nov, 

Armlda-Tito  Coral 
Rooftops  of  Manhattan  Nov. 

Deane  Janis-GII  Lamb 
Trouble  In  Toyland  Nov.  30t...20. 

Gus  Edwards'  Stars  of 

the  Future 


.20.... 


I2t . . .21  


2t. . .21 . . 


ISt. ..21... 


25,'36t22.... 
8,'36t22.... 


Title 

Okay,  Jose   

El  Brendel 
Katz'  Pajamas    Dec. 

Fifl  D'Orsay 
Broadway  Ballyhoo   Dec.  28 1 ...  2 1 . 

Owen,  Hunt  and  Parco 
Carnival  Days   Jan.  Il,'36t2l. 

Henry  Arnietta- 

Fellx  Knight 
Double  or  Nothing  Jan.  I8,'36t2l. 

Phil  Harris-Leah  Ray 

Study  and  Understudy  Jan. 

Between  the  Lines  Feb. 

Bernlce  Claire 
King  of  the  Islands  Feb.  22.'36t2l  . ..  . 

Winifred  Shaw- 
Warren  Hymer 
Stars  Can't  Be  Wrong,  The.  Feb.  29,'36f 21  

Carolyn  Marsh- 
Harris  Twins 
Wash  Your  Step  '.  Mar.  7.'36t2l  

Hal  LeRoy- 

Prelsser  Sisters 
Paris  In  New  York  Mar.  2l,'36t22  

Irene  Bordonl 
Black  Network.  The  Apr.  4,'36t22  

Nina  Mae  McKlnney- 

Nicholas  Bros. 
College  Dads  Apr.  Il.'36t2l  

Leon  Janney 
Double  Cross ky.  The  Apr.  I8.'36t2l  

Olga  Baelaneva 
I'm  Much  Obliged  May  2,'3«t2l.... 

Vera  Van-George  Debbs 
Maid  for  a  Day  May  23.'36t20. . . . 

Grace  Hayes 
City's  Slicker.  The  May30,'36t.2  rls. 

Dawn  0' Day- Radio  Rubes 
Romance  in  the  Air  May  I6,'36t  

Wlnl  Shaw-Phil  Regan 
Changing  of  the  Guard  June  S/38t29  

Sybil  Jason 

Rhythmitis   June  l3,'36t-2  rls. 

Hal  LeRey-Toby  Wing 

Song  of  a  Nation,  The  July  4,'36t20  

Donald  Woods- 
Claire  Dodd 

When  You're  Single  July  I8.'36t,2  rls. 

Cross  and  Dunn 

Shake  Mr.  Shakespeare  Aug.  22,'36.  .2  rls. 

Carolyn  Marsh 

Echo   Mountain   Aug.  29, '36  

Fred  Lawrence- 
Rosalind  Marquis 

LOONEY  TUNES 

Ne.  14 — Plane  Dippy   Dee.  21 1  7  

Ne.  15— Alpine  Antics  Jan.  4.'38t.7.... 

Na.  16— Phantom  Ship.  The. Fab.  I/J8t.7  

Ne.  17— Beam!  Boom!  Fob.  29.'3tt.7  

No.  18— Blew  Out,  The  Apr.  4/38t.7  

Na.  19— Westward  Whea. . . . Apr.  25,'Sit.7  

No.  20—  Fish  Tales   May23,'3St.7  

Ne.  21— Shanghaied  Ship- 
mates  June  20/36.  .7  

Na.  22— Perky's  Pet   July  ll/38t.7. . . . 

No.  23 — Porky   the  Rain- 
maker  Aug.  I,'36  

No.  24 — Porky's  Poultry 

Plant   Aug.  22,'36  

MELODY  MASTER8 

Johnny  Green  and  Orchestra. Oet.  1 2t ...  1 0 ... . 

Claude  Hepkins  and  Orch. ..Nov.  9T...I0  

Red  Nichols  and  Orchestra.. Jan.  4,'36tl0  

B.  A.  Rotfe  and  Orchestra.. Feb.  I,'3*tll  

Jelly  Coburn  and  Orchestra. .  Feb.  22,'36tl  I . . . . 

Little  Jack  Little  and 
Orchestra   Mar.  2l,'36f  1 1  

Ramon  Ramos  and  Orchestra. Apr.  I8,'38tll  

Dave  Apollon  and  His  Band. May  I6.'36f  10  

Vincent  Lopez  and  Orches- 
tra  June  6,'36tl0.... 

Carl  Hoff  and  Orchestra  July  I  l,'36t.  I  rl.. 

Clyde  Lucas  and  Orchestra  II  

Nick  Lucas  and  His  Trou- 
badours  Aug.  15. '36  

MERRIE  MELODIES 
(In  Color) 

No.  12— Little  Dutch  Plate.Oct.  I9t....7.... 

Ne.  13— Billboard  Frolics  7.... 

Ne.  14 — Flowers  for  Madame.  Nov.  30t  7  

No.  15—1   Wanna  Play 

House   Jan.  Il,*36t.7  

Ne.  16 — Cat  Came  Back. 

The   Feb. 

No.  17— Miss  Glory   Mar. 

No.  18— I'm  a  Big  Shot 

Now    .Apr. 

Ne.  19— Let  It  Be  Me  May 

No.  20— I'd   Love  to  Take 

Orders  From  You  May  l6.'S6t.7.. 

No.  21— Binge  Crosbyana. . .  May  30,'36t  .7. . 


8,'36t.7.... 
7/36.. 7.... 


Il/38t.7... 
2.'36t.7... 


Title  Rel.  Data  Mia. 

No.  23— When  I  Yo*  Hoo. .  June  27.'36t  

No.  24 — I  Love  to  Singa.  ..July  I8,'38t.  I  rl.. 
No.  25 — Sunday  Go  to 

Meetin'  Time   Aug.  8/36  

No.  26 — At  Your  Service, 

Madame   Aug  29. '36  

OUR  OWN  UNITED  STATES 
No.  I — Curious  Industries. .  .Sept.  7+ ...  1 1  

Harry  Von  Zell 
Ne.  2— Playground   Oct.    St. ..II.... 

James  Wallington 
Ne.  3 — Camera    Hunting. ...  Nov.   2t ...  1 1  

Paul  Douglas 
No.  4—  Nature's  Handiwork. Nov.  30t ...II.... 
Ne.  5 — Odd    Occupations. ...  Dec.  28t. . .  12. . . . 

No.  6— Steel  and  Stone  Jan.  25.'3»t  1 1 . . . . 

No.  7 — Day's  Journey.  A. . .  .  Feb.  22/3St  1 1  

No.  8— Harbor   Lights  Mar.  2l,'36tl I. . . . 

No.  9— We  Eat  to  Live  Apr.  18,'Set  I*. . . . 

Ne.  10— Vacation  Spots  May  I6,'36tll.... 

Ne.  II — Irons  In  the  Fire.  .June  I3.'3*t.t  rl.. 
Ne.  12— Can  You  Imagine.  .July  ll.'Mf  .1  rl.. 

No.  13 — For  Sports  Saka  Atf.  8/3*  

PEPPER  POT 
Seeln'  Stars   Nov.  30t...lf  

Easy  Aces 

P's  and  Cues  Dee.    7t --.II..-. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  28, '36,  p.  82.) 

Can  It  Bo  Dene?  Dee.  2lt--.ll  

Wild  Wings   Jan.  Il/3ttll.... 

Some  Class   Feb.  8,'SStlO.... 

Chart oe  Ahearn 

Timber  Gloats   Feb.  22,'38t  1 1 .  • . . 

Half  Wlt-noia   Mar.  2l.'3tt.l  rl.. 

Radio  Ramblers 

Beneath  tho  Sea  Apr.  I8.'36t  

Pictorial  Review  Joao  27,'Stt- 1  rl. 

Nut  Guilty   It.... 

When  Fish  Fight  July  1 1/38. It.... 

Whale  Ha  II.... 

SERIALS 

12  Episodes  Each  Unless  Otherwise  Specified 
Title  Rel.  Data  Mia. 

BURROUGHS-TARZAN 

New  Adventures  of  Tarzan..Juna  10  X  rl*. 

Herman  Brlx  (oaob) 


MASCOT 


Fighting  Marines.  The  Nov.  23t. 

Grant  Withers-George  Lewis 
(Exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  81.) 


REPUBLIC 


Darkest  Afriea  3530  

Clyde  Beatty 
(15  episodes) 
Robinson  Crusoe  

Mala 

Undersea  Kingdom  3581  

Ray  Cerrlgan-Lels  Wildo 

Vigilantes  Are  Coming,  The 

3582   

Robert  Livingston- 
Kay  Hughes 

STAGE  and  SCREEN 

(Welss-Mintz  Serials) 
Black  Coin,  Tho  Sept.  I, '36.  .. 

Ralph  Graves- Ruth  Mix  

Dave  O'Brien     

(15  episodes) 
Clutching  Hand,  The... 

Jaek  Mulhall- 

Wm.  Farnum) 

(also  feature  version) 


Custer's  Last  Stand  

Rex  Lease-Lena  Andre 
(also  feature  version) 


.Apr.  I8.'3«t.2  rls. 

(oaeh) 

(1st  episode.  8  rls., 
followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 

.Jan.  2/36t  

(1st  episode,  5  rls., 
followed  by  14  tvo- 
reel  episodes.) 


UNIVERSAL 


Ace   Drummond   Oet.  19. '36  

John   King-Jean  Rogers 
Adventures  of  Frank  Merri- 
well   Jan.  I3.'3«t  

Don  Briggs-Jean  Rogers 
Flash  Gordon     Apr.  6,'36t  

Buster  Crabbe-Jean  Rogers 

(13  episodes) 

Jungle  Jim   

Phantom  Rider   July  6,'36t  

Buck  Jones-Maria  Shelton 

(15  episodes) 
Rustlers  of  Red  Dog  Jan.  2lt. - .2*  

John  Mack  Brown  (oath) 
Secret  Agent  X  9  


August    22,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


129 


J.  C  JENKINS-HIS  COLYUM 


Neligh,  Nebraska 

Dear  Herald: 

Glory  be,  the  mercury  has  dropped  from 
its  accustomed  105  down  to  71,  but  no  mois- 
ture has  dropped  for  40  days  and  40  nights. 
Will  someone  please  give  us  the  permanent 
address  of  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of 
Noah?  We  have  emerged  forth  from  our 
basement  like  a  groundhog  and  still  are 
nursing  one  of  the  sorest  toes  in  history. 
Some  people  are  drawing  pensions  for  hav- 
ing been  shot  up  in  the  Argonne  woods  or 
having  eaten  corned  willie  on  the  Marne, 
but  we  will  bet  they  never  lost  a  big  toe 
nail  on  the  Elkhorn. 

We  are  hobbling  around  with  enough 
bandages  on  our  foot  to  start  a  drygoods 
store  and  some  evil-minded  people  are  sug- 
gested that  we  are  going  to  make  applica- 
tion for  a  disability  pension,  and  some  mer- 
cenary minded  folks  are  asking  if  we  are 
going  to  try  and  get  on  relief.    The  relief 

we  want  is  to  be  able  to  throw  these  

crutches  away  and  to  kick  the  doctor  and  tell 
him  to  go  jump  in  the  Elkhorn.  Doggone 
the  doggone  luck  anyhow.  Say  Gertie,  you 
will  please  excuse  us  for  being  a  little  out  of 
humor  this  morning,  for  our  angelic  dis- 
position has  gone  haywire. 

V 

Our  nurse  got  April  Shower  out  of  the 
garage  and  took  us  down  to  the  Moon  the- 
atre to  see  Shirley  Temple  in  "Poor  Little 
Rich  Girl,"  and  expressing  our  foggy  opin- 
ion, we  would  say  that  this  one  merits  a  full 
house  and  will  give  pretty  general  satisfac- 
tion although  we  don't  regard  it  as  Shirley's 
best.  But  we  do  regard  it  as  good  enough 
for  the  price  of  admission. 

V 

From  our  good  friend,  Mr.  H.  Rankin, 
away  back  at  Tilbury,  Ontario,  comes  a 
letter  thanking  us  for  our  letter  to  him 
of  July  16th  and,  among  other  things,  he 
says  that  the  heat  has  broken  and  that 
he  is  putting  in  his  spare  time  horseback 
riding  and  sailing  his  yacht  on  the  briny 
deep,  and  asks  how  we  would  like  to  join 
him.  He  closes  his  letter  by  saying,  "Even 
the  beer  is  better  in  Canada."  That's  right, 
rub  it  in:  tell  us  about  your  sailing  on  the 
cool  waters  and  that  you  have  better  beer, 
while  we  have  to  suffer  in  silence  (with 
the  exceptions  of  a  few  choice  sentences 
not  considered  good  in  the  Sunday  School). 

Mr.  Rankin  operates  the  Plaza  theatre  at 
Tilbury  and  we  judge  that  the  Tilbury  folks 
don't  have  to  go  away  to  see  a  good  show. 
He  is  playing  the  picture  of  the  Dionne 
Quintuplets  and,  from  the  billing  he  sent  us, 
we  judge  he'  is  putting  it  over  in  a  big  way. 
He  addressed  us  in  care  of  the  Herald  at 
New  York,  and  right  here  we  want  to  ad- 
vise you  boys  that  our  permanent  address  is 
Neligh,  Nebraska,  and  a  letter  sent  to  us 
at  tbat  address  will  save  the  Herald  boys 
the  trouble  of  forwarding  it.  although  they 
are  pretty  accommodating  down  there. 
Thanks,  Mr.  Rankin,  for  vour  letter. 

V 

We  notice  that  some  expert  writers  back 


east,  who  pretend  to  know  all  about  it,  tell 
us  that  the  conditions  in  the  Middlewest  are 
not  as  bad  as  generally  understood.  People 
can't  sit  in  an  office  in  New  York  and  tell 
what  a  cornfield  looks  like  in  South  Dakota, 
their  eyesight  isn't  that  good. 

In  some  spots  the  wheat  was  fairly  good 
because  it  matured  before  the  dry,  hot 
weather  set  in,  but  as  for  corn,  except  for  a 
few  situations,  can  be  considered  gone,  and 
what  we  mean,  it  is  gone  too. 

If  you  want  correct  information  about  the 
crops  ask  somebody  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River. 

V 

This  long  spell  of  dry  hot  weather  is  go- 
ing to  increase  the  demand  for  dogs  for 
that  shelterbelt.  We  can  see  that  right 
now.  This  town  could  spare  a  lot  of  'em. 

V 

We  wish  we  could  remember  the  name  of 
that  lady  who  wrote  us  once  from  Houston, 
Texas.  As  we  recall  it  she  was  on  the  edi- 
torial staff  of  one  of  the  Houston  papers. 
We  would  like  to  hear  from  her  again,  that 
is,  if  there  is  no  husband,  but  we  don't  want 
to  get  tangled  up  with  any  of  these  husbands. 
Some  of  'em  don't  use  good  judgment. 

V 

We  may  be  laboring  under  a  delusion, 
but  as  we  see  it,  the  producers  will  have 
to  make  a  drastic  reduction  in  film  rental 
to  some  of  the  theatres  in  this  burned  up 
district  or  they  will  be  forced  to  close. 
This  may  not  sound  good  but  we  should 
look  the  facts  squarely  in  the  face  regard- 
less. Rainbows  seldom  appear  except  after 
a  rain. 


SHORT  PRODUCT 
PLAYING  BROADWAY 


Week  of  August  15 


CAPITOL 

How  to  Train  a  Dog  MGM 

Master  Will  Shakespeare.  MGM 

MUSIC  HALL 

Going  Places,  No.  24  Universal 

PARAMOUNT 

Shorty  at  the  Seashore  Paramount 

Fashions  in  Love  Paramount 

Let's  Get  Movin'  Paramount 

Millc  Parade   Al  Bondy- 

Pathe  News 

RIALTO 

A  Pain  in  the  Pullman  Columbia 

RIVOLI 

I  Don't  Want  to  Make  His- 
tory Paramount 

ROXY 

Disorder  in  the  Court  Columbia 

Dr.  Bluebird  Columbia 

Irish  Melody   Grand  National 

STRAND 

Clyde    Lucas   and    His  Or- 
chestra  Vitaphone 


Sunday  Go  To  Meetin'  Time. Vitaphone 


But  then,  maybe  we  shouldn't  have  said 
that  the  outlook  for  business  was  bad  out 
here  in  the  Middlewest;  maybe  we  should- 
have  said  that  business  was  good ;  that  we 
would  have  excellent  crops,  etc.,  etc.,  and 
maybe  we  should  have  left  it  to  the  expert 
writers  to  state  the  conditions  of  the  rural 
sections  from  a  metropolitan  viewpoint,  and 
then  maybe  again  we  should  be  guided  by 
what  Will  Pfrimmer,  the  Indiana  poet  once 
wrote : 

Or  shall  the  sparroiv  cease  to  sing 
While  mocking  birds  are  caroling? 

V 

Those  letters  from  Shine  Mason  of  Mc- 
Allen,  Bob  Smith  of  Mission,  Texas,  John 
Filler  of  Valley  City,  North  Dakota,  Bert 
Silver  of  Greenville,  Michigan,  W.  H. 
Brenner  of  Winchester,  Indiana,  and  a  lot 
more  of  the  boys — but  then,  when  we  come 
to  think  about  it,  we  didn't  get  anv. 
V 

We  would  like  again  to  call  the  attention 
of  you  exhibitors  to  the  importance  of  re- 
porting to  the  department  "What  the  Pic- 
ture Did  For  Me."  Some  few  people  may 
not  care  so  much  for  it.  A  few  of  us  are 
not  overly  crazy  about  lobster  salad  but  a 
large  bulk  of  the  people  are  strong  for  it 
and  it  is  said  to  be  a  mighty  good  dish.  Per- 
sonally we  would  prefer  huckleberry  pie. 

And  now,  if  the  nurse  will  bring  us  those 
crutches  we  will  try  and  hobble  out  on  the 
veranda  and  get  a  little  fresh  air,  for  its 
cool  this  morning. 

COLONEL  J.  C.  JENKINS 
The  HERALD's  Vagabond  Colyumnist 

The  HERALD  covers  the  FIELD  like  an 
April  SHOWER. 


George  Jessel  Signed 
As  Universal  Producer 

Universal  Pictures  has  signed  George 
Jessel  as  a  producer,  writer  and  director. 
Three  new  comedy  stars  have  also  been 
signed  by  the  company.  Their  names  are 
Meany,  Miny  and  Moe,  all  monkeys. 


Sileo  Flashes  Candid  Camera 

James  Sileo,  head  of  Cosmo-Sileo  Com- 
pany, photographers,  has  been  assigned  by 
Stage,  magazine  of  the  theatre,  to  cover  the 
screening  of  "Romeo  and  Juliet."  He  re- 
cently has  photographed  the  screen  perform- 
ance of  "The  Road  to  Glory,"  the  stage  show 
at  Radio  City  Music  Hall,  the  plays  "Par- 
nell"  and  "Dead  End,"  and  scenes  in  broad- 
casting stations.  Mr.  Sileo  often  has  done 
special  assignment  photography  for  Quigley 
Publications. 


Stuart  To  Manage  Cooperative 

Frank  E.  Stuart  has  resigned  as  salesman 
for  First  Division  to  become  general  man- 
ager for  the  newly  formed  Cooperative  Ex- 
hibitors, buying  organization  in  Michigan, 
headed  by  the  James  Minter  and  William 
Cassidy  circuits.  New  organization  will  be 
confined  to  upstate  theatres  and  about  70 
members  are  expected  to  join. 


130 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    22,     193  6 


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Ten  cents  per  word,  money-order  or  check  with  copy.  Count  initials,  box  number  and  address.  Minimum  insertion, 
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ORDER  NOW1  RICHARDSON'S  NEW  BLUE 
Book  of  Projection — 6th  edition  complete  in  one  vol- 
ume. 714  pages,  153  illustrations.  Full  text  on  projec- 
tion and  sound  combined  with  trouble-shooter,  $5.25 
postpaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rockefeller  Center, 
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THEATRE  ACCOUNTING  BY  WILLIAM  F. 
Morris,  is  still  the  best  bookkeeping  system  for  thea- 
tres. It  not  only  guides  you  in  making  the  proper 
entries,  but  provides  sufficient  blank  pages  for  a 
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famous  "MOTION  PICTURE  PROJECTION."  303 
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PROJECTIONIST  NOW  EMPLOYED  WISHES 
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HERALD. 


A-l  PROJECTIONIST,  EXPERIENCED  ALL 
pTcTuRnES,HEgR0ALDyWhere-    B°X     742'  M0TI0N 


MANAGER- -30 — 8  YEARS'  EXPERIENCE.  SMALL 
HERALD         h°USe'  B°X  743'  M0TI0N  PICTURE 


EXPERIENCED  PROJECTIONIST  -  WESTERN 
r-lectnc — RCA — excellent  references.  WM  FORREST 
Oswego,  Kan. 


SOUND  EQUIPMENT 


"NOW  HAVE  TWO  CINEMAPHONE  OUTFITS" 
writes  Mata  Goyenechea,  Yaguajay,  Cuba.  "Each  bet- 
ter than  the  other."  Let's  prove  it  to  you.  S.  O.  S.( 
1600-AC  Broadway.  New  York. 


UNLESS  YOU  HAVE  MONEY  TO  BURN,  IN- 
stall  Cinemaphone  sound.  Free  trial  offer  lets  system 
prove  itself  in  your  house.  Quickly  pays  its  cost  in 
improved  box  office  returns.  Sold  with  written  warranty 
of  perfect  performance.  As  little  as  $179.70  gives  you 
complete  system  specially  designed  for  latest  process 
recording,  including  ultra  violet.  Ask  for  proof  and 
liberal  trade-in  offer.  S.  O.  S.,  1600-AC  Broadway, 
New  York. 


GENERAL 
EQUIPMENT 


RECONDITIONED  THEATRE  CHAIRS.  LARGE 
quantity  various  types  always  available.  Veneer, 
squab  and  spring  seat  theatre  chairs  at  attractive 
prices.  Also  have  a  few  reconditioned  ticket  selling 
machines  and  lighting  fixtures.  Tell  us  your  require- 
ments. AMUSEMENT  SUPPLY  CO.,  INC.,  341  W. 
44th  Street,  N.  Y. 


SAVE  ON  SCREENS!  ONLY  22^c.  SQ.  FT.  FOR 
voco-chrome,  27%c  sq.  ft.  for  voco-beaded.  They're 
brand  new  flameproof,  top  quality  grade  "A."  Every 
screen  product  of  nationally  known  manufacturer; 
every  screen  guaranteed.  Sale  prices  positively  end 
September  15th.  Buy  today.  Don't  put  up  with  a  worn 
dirty  screen  when  a  new  one  costs  so  little.  S.  O.  S., 
1600-AC  Broadway,  New  York. 


WANTED  TO  BUY 


SET  OF  CINEPHOR  CONDENSERS  AND  HOLD- 
ers  for  Mazda  lamps.  GAY  THEATRE,  Erick,  Okla. 


HIGHEST  CASH  PRICES  FOR  RCA  SOUND, 
Simplex,  Powers  projectors,  arc  lamps,  rectifiers,  gen- 
erators. Stocks  liquidated.  Strictly  confidential.  BOX 
744,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


THEATRES  WANTED 


PAYING  THEATRE  ANYWHERE.  WILL  IRWIN, 
1012  West  Monroe,  Springfield,  111. 


PARTNERSHIP  OR  ALONE  IN  SMALL  TOWN 
not  far  from  New  York.  BOX  745,  MOTION  PICTURE 
HERALD. 


DUSINESS 
OPPORTUNITIES 


SPECIALIST  MOVING  PICTURE  SUPPLIES 
wants  to  invest  monev  in  similar  business.  BOX  746, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


USED  EQUIPMENT 


WILL  SACRIFICE:  PEERLESS  LAMPS,  ROTH 
generators,  rectifiers.  Simplex  projectors.  PENN 
THEATRE  EQUIPMENT  COMPANY,  309  North. 
Thirteenth  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


UNUSUAL  BARGAINS  IN  USED  OPERA, 
chairs,  sound  equipment,  motion  picture  machines,, 
screens,  spotlights,  stereopticons,  etc.  Projection  ma- 
chines repaired.  Catalogue  H  free.  MOVIE  SUPPLY 
COMPANY,  Ltd.,  844  So.  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago. 


RECONDITIONED  EQUIPMENT  AT  BARGAIN- 
prices — (pair)  Simplex  projectors  $325;  Morelite  Deluxe 
lamp  with  automatic  arc  control  and  15  ampere 
rectifier  $190;  (pair)  Strong  lamps  $175;  Peerless  lami. 
$175.  Special  buy  on  new  15  ampere  rectifiers  with 
bulbs  $80  (pair);  18  ampere  generator  $75.  CROWN,  311 
West  44th  St.,  New  York. 


YOUR  OPPORTUNITY  TO  BUY  CHAIRS. 
Warehouse  chuck  full  of  veneer  back,  panel  back  and 
fully  upholstered  chairs.  Special  on  spring  cushion* 
newly  covered  $1  each.  Don't  delay.  ALLIED  SEAT- 
ING CO.,  358  W.  44th  St.,  New  York  City. 


LARGE  STOCK  RECONDITIONED  PROJECTION 
equipment.  RCA  sound  equipment,  only  one  set 
left  at  a  bargain!  Simplex  projectors.  Strong,  Peer- 
less, Super  Morelite,  Brenkert,  G.E.  mazda  and 
Suprex  lamphouses.  Forest  15  ampere  and  30  ampere 
reconditioned  rectifiers.  Roth,  Hertner  and  Westing- 
house  generators,  various  sizes.  Reconditioned  port- 
able sound  projectors.  Lenses.  General  Register 
ticket  machines.  Theatre  chairs.  Old  equipment  ac- 
cepted in  trade.  Tell  us  your  needs.  AMUSEMENT 
SUPPLY  CO.,  INC.,  341  W.  44th  Street,  N.  Y. 


BARGAINS:  RCA  SOUND  SYSTEM  COMPLETE, 
Roth  actodectors,  low-intensity  lamps,  screens,  lenses, 
coin  changers,  ticket  choppers,  automatic  rewinds. 
We  have  what  you  need.  Ask  us.  MIDWEST 
THEATRE  SUPPLY  COMPANY,  910  So.  Michigan 
Ave.,  Chicago,  III. 


VENTILATING 
EQUIPMENT 


PERK  UP  PERSPIRING  PATRONS  WITH  S.O.S. 
blowers  for  small  theatres,  complete,  no  extras,  $59.50. 
Silent  air  circulators,  $49.50;  oscillating  fans,  16"r 
$17.95;  large  exhaust  fans,  $19.95.  S.  O.  S.,  1600-AC 
Broadwav.  New  York. 


AIP  CONDITIONING 


AIR  CONDITIONING  CHARTS  THAT  REPRE- 
sent  standard  practice  in  air  conditioning  for  motion 
picture  theatres.  Practical  advice  on  how  to  attain 
the  best  atmospheric  conditions  for  your  house  winter 
and  summer.  Devised  to  be  put  on  the  wall  for  con- 
stant reference.  Available  until  the  supply  is  ex- 
hausted at  25c  each,  pavment  direct.  BETTER 
THEATRES,  Rockefeller  Center.  New  York. 


NOT  FOR  THE  SHOWMEN  WHO  PLAY 


^educational 
(Mctwte^ 

TWO-REEL  COMEDIES  PROMISED 
TWO-REEL  COMEDIES  BEING  MADE 

O  "HAPPY  HEELS"  with  BUSTER  WEST  and 
TOM  PATRICOLA.@"BASHPUL  BUDDIES" 
with  PAT  ROONEY  Jr.  and  HERMAN  TIMBERG  Jr. 
©  "BOY,  OH  BOY!"  with  BERT  LAHR. 
O  "BLUE  BLAZES"  with  BUSTER  KEATON. 
0  "PARKED  IN  PARSE"  with  BUSTER  WEST 
and  TOM  PATRICOLA.  Q"THE  WACKY 
FAMILY"  with  TIM  and  IRENE.  ©"GAGS 
AND  GALS"  with  JEFFERSON  MACHAMER  and 
fifty  beautiful  girl  models.  0  "THAT'S  WHAT 
YOU  SAY"  with  the  DIAMOND  BROTHERS  and 
The  THREE  REASONS." 


"THE  SPICE  OFTHE  PROGRAM" 


DISTRIBUTED    IN    U.S.  A 


it 


Y    20th    CENTURY-FOX    FILM  CORPORATION 


THE  BIGGEST 

WEEK  IN 

TH  E  YEAR ! 

Read  all  about  it  on  pages  •  •  • 

65  to  70 


Procedure  for  Heating  Plant  Inspection 
An  Electric  "Pipeless"  Pipe  Organ 
The  Methods  of  Functional  Decoration 
Modernization  of  Speaker  Systems 
Law  of  Theatre  Licensing  and  Taxation 
An  Interior  of  Fabric  and  Solid  Wood 


AUGUST   22,  1936 

In  Two  Sections  —  Section  2 


IN  MOTION  PICTURE  PROJECTION 

MAXIMUM  EFFICIENCY  IN  SCREEN  ILLUMINATION 
SMOOTH  AND  QUIET  IN  OPERATION 

Only  the  selection  of  the  picture  exceeds  in  importance  the  quality 
of  youT  projection  light  as  a  means  of  assuring  satisfied  patrons. 

YOU  CAN'T  AFFORD  TO  USE  ANY  BUT  THE  BEST  IN  CARBONS 

NATIONAL  PROJECTOR  CARBONS 

HIGH  INTENSITY  •  LOW  INTENSITY 

Theatres  using  low  intensity,  D.C.,  reflecting  arc  lamps  will  obtain  best  results  by  operating  under  conditions 

shown  in  the  following  table. 


National  SRA  Projector  Carbons  give  a 
steady  arc  at  higher  currents  than  are  per- 
missible with  regular  low  intensity  carbons. 


National  Cored  and  Solid  Projector  Combinations  for  Low  Intensity 
D.  C.  Reflecting  Arc  Lamps 


PROJECTOR 


Arc 
Current 
Amperes 

Approx. 
Arc 
Volts 

SIZE  and  KIND 

Polarity 

National  National 

Gored  Solid 
Projector  Projector 

10-15 
16-20 
21-25 
26-30 
31-35 

54-57 
54-57 
54-57 
54-57 
54-57 

Positive 

Negative 

Positive 

Negative 

Positive 

Negative 

Positive 

Negative 

Positive 

Negative 

9  mm  x  8"   

  6.4  mm  x  8" 

10  mm  x  8"   

  7  mm  x  8" 

12  mm  x  8"   

8  mm  x  8"     or       8  mm  x  8" 

13  mm  x  8"   

9  mm  x  8"   

14  mm  x  8"   

10  mm  x  8"   

National  SRA 
Gored  Projector 

28-32 
32-42 

54-57 
54-57 

Positive 
Negative 
Positive 
Negative 

12  mm  x  8" 
8  mm  x  8" 

13  mm  x  8" 
8  mm  x  8" 

OR  CARBONS 

NATIONAL  CARBON  COMPANY,  INC. 

Carbon  Sales  Division,  Cleveland,  Ohio 
Unit  of  Union  Carbide  |l|  8  3  and  Carbon  Corporation 
Branch  Sales  Offices 
New  York  ❖  Pittsburgh  *  Chicago  •>  San  Francisco 


HERE'S  A  0>  MMjZ'^  "Zt/Z^y 


TO 


BUILD  UP  BOX  OFFICE  RETURNS 


PITTCO  FRONTS  appeal  to  the  eye  .  .  .  and  invite  patronage.  Here's  how  the  Royal  Theatre  in  Morehead  City, 
N.  C,  used  Pittco  Store  Front  Products  to  install  an  attractive  Pittco  Theatre  Front.   Remodel  your  theatre  with  a 

Pittco  Front .  .  .  and  build  up  box  office  returns. 


REMODEL  your  theatre  with  a 
new  Pittco  Theatre  Front.  Easy, 
quick,  inexpensive  .  .  .  but  what  a 
difference  it  usually  makes  in  ticket 
sales!  For  a  modern,  good-looking 
Pittco  Front  says  to  potential  pa- 
trons: "This  is  a  progressive,  up-and- 
coming  theatre.  Our  feature  pictures 
and  short  subjects  are  entertaining. 
Come  in."    And  they  do  come  in. 


Your  clientele  grows.  Profits  increase. 

Don't  think  for  a  minute  you  can't 
afford  a  new  Pittco  Front.  Read 
about  the  Pittsburgh  Time  Payment 
Plan  below.  Our  staff  of  experts  will 
gladly  help  you  and  your  architect 
to  plan  a  Pittco  Front  suited  to  your 
needs  and  purse.  So  act  now  .  .  . 
send  the  coupon  for  our  free  book  on 
Pittco  Fronts  and  interior  painting. 


It  contains  complete  data,  facts, 
figures  and  illustrations  of  actual 
Pittco  jobs. 

PITTSBURGH  TIME  PAYMENT  PLAN 

Take  up  to  2  years  to  pay  for  your 
new  Pittco  Front!  Merely  make  a 
20%  down  payment  and  then  settle 
the  balance  in  easy  monthly  install- 
ments at  low  F.  H.  A.  rates! 


CARRARA  STRUCTURAL 

GLASS 
PITTCO  STORE  FRONT 

METAL 
PITTSBURGH  MIRRORS 


PITTCO 

I  STOKE  FRONTS 


H  A  . . .  me* 


taf. 


it 


PRODUCTS  OF 

PITTS  B  U  KG 

PLATE  GLASS  COMPANY 


PITTSBURGH  PAINT 

PRODUCTS 
POLISHED  PLATE 

GLASS 
TAPESTRY  GLASS 


Pittsburgh  Plate  Glass  Company, 
2240B  Grant  Bldg.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Please  send  me,  without  obligation,  your  new 
book  entitled  "How  Modern  Store  Fronts  Work 
Profit  Magic." 


Name. 
Street . 


City  State  

I  am  □  am  not  □  interested  in  the  Pittsburgh 
Time  Payment  Plan. 


August  22,  1936 


MODERN  E  FRONTS  FOR 
THEATRES  IN  CHICAGO 


•  The  Rhodes,  designed  for  Warner  Theatres  by  C.  W.  &  George  L. 
Rapp.  Theatre  portion  will  combine  concrete  and  porcelain  enamel  with 
nickel  trim,  remainder  to  be  architectural  concrete  in  blended  colors  with 
stripings  pointed  in  neon  and  walls  set  back  for  flood-lighting.  Entrance 
to  be  colorfully  treated  in  ceramic  shale-aggregate.    Box  office  in  lobby. 


•  The  Ogden,  remodeled  by  Pereira  &  Pereira,  architects,  and  B.  B. 
Buchanan,  consultant.  Front  to  be  treated  with  macotta  except  below 
marquee.  Theatre  name  letters  of  channel  type  5  feet  high,  with  incan- 
descent illumination.  Marquee  trim  in  neon.  Attraction  board  for  four 
lines  of  silhouette  letters.  Box  office  on  sidewalk,  and  entrance  area  glazed. 


4 


Better  Theatres 


MAINTENANCE 
EQUIPMENT 


tettevheatm 


CONSTRUCTION 
OPERATION 


VOLUME    124  AUGUST    2  2,    19  3  6  NUMBER  EIGHT 


New  Standard  Reel  Ready; 
Warning  Issued  on  Takeup 

WITH    BRANCHES    of  all 

the  major  distributing  companies  ready 
to  begin  service  September  1  on  2000-foot 
reels,  two  large  cities — Boston  and  Chicago 
— remain  doubtful  as  to  the  acceptance  of 
the  new  standard  length.  In  Boston  there 
has  been  no  assurance  that  any  extension 
of  the  present  1000-foot  reel  will  be  per- 
mitted, while  in  Chicago  the  authorities 
insist  on  continuance  of  the  15-5  reel  which 
has  come  into  use  there  through  doubling 
of  1000-foot  lengths,  instead  of  the  reel 
(diameter  14^4  inches,  hub  4j4  inches) 
which  has  been  adopted  by  the  distributors 
on  recommendation  of  the  Research  Coun- 
cil of  the  Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts 
and  Sciences. 

Objections  in  Boston  to  the  new  stand- 
ard, early  voiced  by  the  projectionists' 
union  there,  threaten  to  take  the  form  of 
a  bill  before  the  next  Massachusetts  legis- 
lature, under  the  sponsorship  of  the  State 
safety  commission.  That  body  has  con- 
sented to  a  meeting,  however,  and  will  hear 
arguments  for  the  longer  reel  early  in 
September. 

Where  service  cannot  be  provided  on 
the  larger  reels,  due  either  to  regulations 
or  facilities  of  the  theatre,  the  longer 
prints  can  be  cut  and  adapted  to  the  former 
standard  reels,  such  a  situation  having  been 
provided  for  by  the  editing  and  marking 
specifications  drawn  up  by  the  Research 
Council  and  adopted  by  the  producers. 

A  large  number  of  theatres  will  be  af- 
fected, however,  by  a  condition  pointed  out 
in  a  warning  just  issued  by  Herbert 
Griffin,  vice  president  of  the  International 
Projector  Corporation.  He  has  stated  that 
in  order  to  avoid  extra  rewinding  and  at- 
tendant confusion  and  extra  labor  in  the 
projection  room,  a  new  take-up  pulley  for 
the  lower  magazine  of  Simplex  equipment 
is  necessary  in  theatres  using  reels  of  2-inch 
or  5-inch  hubs,  because  the  present  takeup 
will  not  provide  proper  speed  to  take  up  the 
film  during  the  first  few  turns.  New  pul- 
leys have  been  placed  in  production  and  are 
available  at  a  nominal  cost. 

Theatre  Limit  Law 
Delayed  Until  Election 

WHETHER  OR  not  OcontO, 

small  town  in  Northern  Wisconsin,  shall 
have  more  than  one  theatre  for  each  5,000 
population,  will  be  determined  by  the 
people  at  the  next  city  election  in  April, 


1937.  This  action  was  taken  by  the  city's 
common  council  following  a  petition  signed 
by  nearly  700  voters. 

The  ordinance  was  passed  by  the  com- 
mon council  in  June,  following  reports  that 
a  circuit  operator  was  planning  to  erect 
a  new  theatre  in  Oconto.  The  measure 
provides  that  only  one  license  for  each 
5,000  population  may  be  issued  by  the  com- 
mon council  provided  the  additional  licen- 
see will  expend  not  less  than  $25,000  for 
theatre  and  equipment. 

It  also  provides  that  no  theatre  may  be 
conducted  in  any  location  within  the  city 
where  the  side  walls  or  front  entrance  of 
the  theatre  is  within  150  feet  of  any  gaso- 
line filling  station. 

A.  L.  Merritt,  an  independent  exhibitor, 
controls  the  Oconto  situation  with  his  Gem 
and  Princess  theatres.  The  former  is  dark, 
while  the  latter  has  been  renovated  and 
renamed  the  Oconto.  It  is  believed  this 
action  has  been  taken  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  the  New  Oconto  Operating  Company 
was  the  firm  planning  to  build  another 
house  in  that  city. 

Several  other  Wisconsin  cities,  including 
Baraboo  and  Sturgeon  Bay,  have  similar 
ordinances.  In  Ashland  last  year  a  similar 
measure  was  passed  by  the  common  council, 
but  later  was  vetoed  by  the  mayor.  It 
marks  the  first  time  in  Wisconsin  that  the 
measure  will  be  presented  to  the  people  at 
a  regular  city  election  and  promises  to 
become  quite  an  issue  in  the  voting  in 
Oconto.  All  the  Wisconsin  cities  with 
ordinances  of  this  kind  have  a  population 
of  approximately  5,000. 

RCA  to  Service  Fox 
Houses,  Many  with  WE 

SERVICING  OF  sound  equip- 
ment in  more  than  300  theatres  in  the 
Midwest  and  West  operated  by  the  Fox 
theatre  companies,  will  be  done  by  RCA 
Photophone  engineers  beginning  October  1, 
under  a  five-year  contract  just  announced. 
Most  of  these  theatres,  it  is  stated,  have 
Western  Electric  sound  systems ;  a  few  of 
them  have  DeForest  equipment. 

F.  B.  Ostman,  RCA  service  manager, 
states  that  this  is  the  first  contract  RCA 
Photophone  has  taken  for  the  servicing  of 
competitive  equipment.  Under  the  arrange- 
ment, service  engineers  will  make  periodic 
checkup  calls  and  be  available  for  emer- 
gency service  without  charge.  Mr.  Oster- 
man  announced  that  20  additional  sound 
engineers  are  to  be  added  to  the  staff  as  a 
result  of  this  assignment,  while  provisions 
are  being  made  for  the  stocking  of  spare 


parts  at  convenient  locations  throughout 
the  country.  Among  the  latest  test  instru- 
ments with  which  the  engineers  will  be 
equipped  is  a  cathode  ray  oscillograph, 
which  indicates  the  presense  of  a  fault  in 
the  system  on  a  fluorescent  screen. 

The  theatre  groups  included  in  the  pro- 
visions of  the  contract  are  the  Fox  West 
Coast,  the  Fox  Intermountain,  the  Fox 
Columbia  and  the  Wisconsin  Amusement 
Company  circuits. 

New  Theatre  Added 
As  Third  Major  Project 

for  the  third  time  dur- 
ing the  last  eleven  months,  Balaban  &  Katz 
announce  a  major  theatre  project.  Work 
is  scheduled  to  be  started  shortly  on  a  1,500 
seat  cinema,  designed  by  Periera  &  Periera, 
Chicago  architects,  at  the  Northwest  cor- 
ner of  Cermak  Road  and  Wesley  avenue 
in  Berwyn.  Fronting  107  feet  on  Cermak 
and  125  on  Wesley  avenue,  the  new  house 
will  be  built  on  extremely  modern  lines, 
with  lighting  effects  on  the  walls  and 
elimination  of  sharp  corners  to  accentuate 
its  streamlined  exterior.  It  will  be  called 
the  Wesley. 

The  walls  and  ceiling  of  the  auditorium 
will  be  of  acoustic  plaster  in  plum  and 
gold  tints.  The  foyer  and  lounges  will  be 
of  veneered  woods  and  marble.  All  the 
carpets  and  interior  fittings  and  fixtures 
are  to  be  specially  designed  by  the  archi- 
tects to  harmonize  with  the  decorating 
scheme.    All  lights  will  be  concealed. 

The  exterior  walls  will  be  of  a  light 
colored  material,  especially  adapted  to  nat- 
ural light,  with  trim  of  buff  and  brown 
shades,  according  to  the  architects. 

Work  is  scheduled  to  be  started  within 
60  days,  with  the  expectation  of  having 
it  ready  for  Berwyn  patrons  in  the  spring 
of  1937.    The  cost  is  placed  at  $250,000. 

The  Wesley  will  be  the  second  Balaban 
and  Katz  theatre  in  Berwyn.  This  circuit 
recently  extensively  remodeled  the  Berwyn 
theatre,  a  few  blocks  away.  B  &  K's  Will 
Rogers  theatre  is  nearing  completion  at 
Belmont  and  Central  avenues.  In  Evans- 
ton,  the  Main  theatre,  recently  acquired 
by  B  &  K,  is  to  be  remodeled  and  enlarged. 

Carrying  forward  a  program  for  com- 
plete remodeling  of  Warner  Chicago 
theatres,  James  E.  Coston,  zone  manager, 
has  announced  plans  for  modernization  of 
the  West  Englewood  in  Sixty-third  St. 
near  Ashland  avenue,  to  cost  approxi- 
mately $75,000.  The  work  will  be  started 
this  year. 

From  plans  by  Periera  &  Periera,  with 


August  22,  1936 


5 


B.  B.  Buchanan  as  consultant,  the  entire 
cinema  is  to  be  rebuilt.  The  lobby,  front 
and  foyer  will  be  done  in  a  modernistic 
manner  with  a  complete  change  of  lighting, 
structure,  furnishings  and  decoration.  The 
name  of  the  theatre  will  be  changed  to 
Ogden. 

After  undergoing  $20,000  worth  of  re- 
modeling, the  Maywood  theatre  in  Ham- 
mond, Ind.,  will  reopen  on  September  15 
as  the  Rio  theatre,  according  to  R.  Levine 
&  Company,  the  architects.  The  house 
will  be  operated  by  the  Cooney  Brothers, 
formerly  owners  of  the  Avalon  and  Capitol 
theatres  in  Chicago. 

Cooling  Sought  Through 
Mere  Ultra-High  Velocity 

an  air-conditioning  in- 
stallation of  special  interest  because  of  the 
dependence  for  cooling  effect  on  the  high 
velocity  at  which  the  air  is  introduced  into 
the  auditorium,  is  that  recently  completed 
in  the  Colonial  theatre  in  Canaan,  Conn., 
owned  and  operated  by  Anthony  Boscardin. 
The  installation  was  made  under  the  super- 
vision of  J.  J.  Ferretti,  for  the  United 
States  Air-Conditioning  Corporation. 

The  equipment  consists  in  a  blower, 
motor,  special  automatic  dampers  (Kooler- 
Aire  "Equalizers"),  copper  heating  core, 
and  two  dual  deflectors,  besides  the  ducts. 

The  Colonial  theatre  building  is  over 
15  years  old,  and  the  air-conditioning  in- 
stallation was  made  in  connection  with 
general  remodeling.  The  seating  capacity 
is  only  500. 

The  blower  capacity  of  the  system  is 
24,000  cubic  feet  per  minute,  and  the  air 
is  distributed  by  means  of  two  ducts  lead- 
ing to  two  deflectors,  one  at  each  side  of 
the  proscenium  arch.  Immediately  behind 
the  deflectors  the  equalizing  dampers  have 
been  installed  to  maintain  constant  velocity, 
controlling  distribution  in  accordance  with 
the  amount  of  cooling  effect  required. 

The  air  is  exhausted  through  the  lobby 
and  also  through  two  exhaust  ducts  lead- 
ing to  the  outside  at  each  rear  corner  of 
the  theatre.  The  air  change  period  is  ap- 
proximately 2)/2  minutes,  with  both  supply 
and  exhaust  figured  to  be  about  equal. 

Ventilating  equipment  is  located  in  a 
false  ceiling  above  the  stage,  and  it  draws 
air  from  the  outside  at  a  northern  ex- 
posure. Thus  the  coolest  air  available  is 
blown  into  the  auditorium  at  a  high 
velocity  and  completely  changed  every 
2l/2  minutes. 

Produce  Natural  Marble 
That  Is  Translucent 

researches  conducted  at 
the  Mellon  Institute  of  Industrial  Re- 
search have  resulted  in  the  production  of  a 
natural  marble  that  is  translucent,  its 
colorations  and  grain  taking  on  added 
beauty  when  lighted  from  behind.  The 
marble  has  been  marketed  by  the  Vermont 
Marble  Company  under  the  name  of 
"Lumar." 

Only  certain  marbles  are  suitable.  Or- 


Dual  channel  theatre  amplifier  with  a  reserve  unit 
recently  brought  out  by  the  Operadio  Manufac- 
turing Company  of  St.  Charles,  III.  The  reserve 
unit  is  for  instant  emergency  use  in  the  event  of 
failure  of  the  operating  unit,  guarding  against 
possibility  of  a  silent  screen.  This  amplifier  has 
a  tone  control  adjustment  for  variations  in  record- 
ing and  to  peculiarities  of  response  to  high  or  low 
frequencies.  It  operates  with  any  soundhead  using 
standard  photocells.  The  tube  complement  is  two 
77's,  one  75,  two  6B5's,  and  one  83.  An  Operadio 
rectifier  unit  can  also  be  supplied  for  direct  current. 

dinary  electric  bulbs  are  used  as  the  source 
of  light.  The  marble  is  sufficiently  trans- 
lucent so  that  high  wattages  are  not  neces- 
sary. Artificial  light  sources  are  not  al- 
ways required,  however,  and  the  window 
panels  comparable  to  the  stained  glass  in 
architectural  use  are  available. 

"Lumar"  is  obtainable  in  a  wide  range 

»     •  • 

FEATURES   OF  THIS  ISSUE 

August  22,   1936  Vol.  124,  No.  8 

Page 

Functional  Theatre  Decoration  7 

By  Harold  W.  Rambusch 
Ventnor  Theatre,  Ventnor,  N.  J.  8 

A  "Pipeless"  Pipe  Organ  I  I 

License  and  Tax  Law  12 

By  Leo  T.  Parker 

Interview:  Stuart  Doyle  I  3 

About  People  of  the  Theatre  1 4 

Heating  Plant  Inspection  17 

By  J.  T.  Knight,  Jr. 

Maintenance  Tabs  18 

Modernizing  Speaker  Systems  29 

By  H.  C.  Rolls 

F.  H.  Richardson's  Comment  31 

Planning  the  Theatre  41 

Catalog  Bureau  44 

Better  Theatres  is  published  by  the  Quigley 
Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  Rockefeller 
Center,  New  York,  every  fourth  week  as 
Section  Two  of  Motion  Picture  Herald. 
Contents  copyrighted  1936.  Martin  Quigley, 
publisher  and  editor-in-.chief.  George  Schutz, 
editor.  Colvin  Brown,  general  manager. 
Ray  Gallo,  advertising  manager.  C.  B. 
O'Neill,  Western  advertising  manager,  624 
South  Michigan  Avenue,  Chicago.  Hollywood 
Bureau:  Postal  Union  Life  Building;  Boone 
Mancall,  manager.  London  Bureau:  No.  4, 
Golden  Square,  W.I,  England;  Bruce  Allan, 
manager.  Other  Quigley  publications: 
Motion  Picture  Daily,  International  Motion 
Picture  Almanac,  The  Box  Office  Check-Up, 
Teatro  al  Dfa. 

CONTRIBUTING  CONSULTANTS 
J.  T.  KNIGHT  BEN  SCHLANGER 

Physical  Operation  Architectural  Form 


of  colors  and  types  and  in  each  product 
the  internal  coloring  may  be  brought  out 
in  every  degree  from  a  dull  warm  glow  to 
a  brilliant  radiance.  It  is  also  procurable 
in  several  thicknesses  and  translucencies, 
and  is  adaptable  to  both  exteriors  and  in- 
teriors. It  is  particularly  indicated  for 
theatre  fronts,  lobbies  and  foyers. 

More  Seats  Wired 
For  Hearing  Aids 

increased  recognition  of 
the  place  of  hearing  aids  in  the  modern 
theatre  is  shown  by  recent  large-scale  in- 
stallations. Electrical  Research  Products 
announce  the  wiring  of  60  seats  in  the 
new  Ritz  Theatre  at  Talladega,  Ala.  Dic- 
tograph Products  report  completion  of  a 
50-seat  Acousticon  installation  in  the  Riv- 
erside Theatre  of  Milwaukee. 

Other  recent  Acousticon  installations  are 
at  the  Broadway  Theatre,  San  Diego,  5 
outlets;  Cabrillo  Theatres,  Inc.,  San  Diego, 
5  outlets ;  Forum  Theatre,  Los  Angeles, 
16  outlets. 

New  Device  to  Clean 
Film  in  the  Projector 

a  projector  device  for 
cleaning  film  has  been  developed,  called 
the  "Film  Treatizer."  It  mounts  between 
the  upper  magazine  and  the  projector  head, 
and  the  film  passes  through  it.  A  sloping 
extension  arm  holds,  in  front  of  the  upper 
magazine,  a  glass  container  of  cleaning 
fluid,  which  feeds  through  flexible  conduits 
to  the  mechanism  proper,  and  impregnates 
absorbent  pads  that  press  lightly  against 
the  passing  film.  These  pads  are  inexpen- 
sive, and  so  mounted  that  they  can  be 
changed  without  trouble  as  often  as  they 
become  dirty — in  extreme  cases  after  every 
reel. 

Marked  Reduction 
In  Simplex  Prices 

a  substantial  reduction 
in  the  price  of  the  Super-Simplex  projector 
has  been  announced,  coincidentally  with 
withdrawal  from  the  market  of  the  older 
Simplex  mechanism  with  front  or  rear 
shutter.  Concentration  of  production  on 
the  Super-Simplex  and  Simplex  Acme 
models,  eliminating  the  earlier  style  which 
the  Super-Simplex  replaces,  makes  possible 
greater  efficiency  in  operation,  it  is  stated, 
and  lower  price  for  the  improved  mech- 
anism. 

Catalogue  Celebrates 
Fortieth  Anniversary 

A  new  AND  enlarged  cat- 
alogue issued  by  Kliegl  Brothers,  their 
Catalogue  No.  40,  marks  the  company's 
fortieth  year  of  service  in  illumination. 
Front  cover  illustrations  contrast  the  dingy 
shop  of  1896  with  the  impressive  building 
of  today.  The  booklet,  containing  96  pages, 
describes  the  complete  line  of  Kliegl  light- 
ing equipment  in  word  and  picture. 


6 


Better  Theatres 


Decorating  the  Theatre 
According  to  Its  Functions 

•  A  nationally  known  designer  of  theatre  interiors 
speaks  out  for  the  use  of  modern  schemes  as 
peculiarly  adapted  to  a  cinema's  requirements 


By  HAROLD  W.  RAMBUSCH 


PRODUCERS  OF  motion  pic- 
tures are  rightly  interested  in  revealing  to 
the  public  the  inner  operation  of  the  studio, 
showing  the  actors  at  work  and  the  studios 
in  operation,  as  they  are  or  are  supposed 
to  be.  The  public  likes  to  know  about  the 
people  and  processes  of  the  show.  And  the 
backstage  of  a  motion  picture  theatre  is  not 
behind  the  screen  but  in  Hollywood. 

Only  the  "legitimate"  theatre  has  a  true 
backstage.  The  very  want  and  absence  of 
this  feature  in  the  film  theatre  creates  its 
own  hiatus.  We  all  like  to  feel  that  there 
is  a  backstage,  and  it  may  seem  quite 
logical,  therefore,  to  attempt  to  supply  this 
element  in  the  form  of  an  illusion.  The 
general  tendency  accordingly  has  been  to 
pull  the  stage  out  into  the  house,  and  the 
house  out  into  the  street,  and  the  street 
back  into  the  theatre. 

In  bringing  the  stage  out  into  the  house 
we  find  the  stage  effects,  lights  and  drapes 
carried  out  into  the  body  of  the  auditorium, 
with  resulting  greater  richness,  more  color 
and,  above  all,  those  lighting  effects  which 
for  years  we  have  seen  in  back  of  the 
footlights  only.  This  means  colored  lights 
and  lighting  effects  well  out  into  the 
auditorium,  all  carefully  guarded  against 
those  reflections  which  are  so  inimical  to 
the  picture  itself. 

In  this  very  effort  and  in  the  light  of 
our  modern,  scientific  architectural  devel- 
opments, we  find  created  new  forms  of  ar- 
chitecture, all  predicated  upon  the  use  of 
light  in  architecture.  The  forms  are  built 
for  light.  It  is  architecture  built  around 
light  and  color  rather  than  light  and  color 
applied  to  architecture.  It  means  the  inte- 
gration of  the  building  rather  than  the 
frightful  results  we  saw  only  a  few  years 
ago  when  electric  lights  were  applied  be- 
hind cornices  and  coves  of  historical  archi- 
tectural forms,  resulting  in  shades  and 
shadows  which  made  the  very  orders  of 
architecture  unrecognizable. 

ACOUSTICS 

To  the  problems  of  the  eye  and  the  light 
have  been  added  those  of  the  ear  and  sound. 
However,  these  problems,  truly  faced,  re- 
sult in  new  possibilities.  They  simply  rep- 


resent fields  for  inventive  genius  and  talent. 
Cloth  and  damask  panels  were  used  as  soon 
as  the  deluxe  theatres  appeared,  but  they 
were  used  only  for  appearance  sake.  Now 
they  have  functional  necessities,  and  we 
find  effective  patterns  and  textures  either 
in  wall  coverings  or  draperies,  all  toward 
the  end  that  the  sound  may  be  at  its  best, 
yet  carrying  also  decorative  possibilities  and 
an  emotional  effect. 

TEXTURE 

Few  people  fully  realize  the  emotional 
possibilities  of  texture,  color  and  light. 
The  general  public  may  not  realize  the  ex- 
tent to  which  the  various  structural  sur- 
facings,  plasters,  wallboards  and  tiles  have 
been  added  to  the  repertory  of  textiles  to 
insure  the  ultimate  in  sound,  but  they  are 
there  nevertheless,  and  their  general  char- 
acteristic is  one  of  a  rougher,  more  tex- 
tured surface,  giving  depth  and  quality  to 
the  eye  in  the  form  of  color,  as  well  as 
proper  absorption  of  sound.  More  felt 
than  seen  are  that  depth  and  two-dimen- 
sional color  which  is  the  result  of  the  tex- 
tured surfaces  so  characteristic  of  sound- 
absorbing  materials. 

FORM 

The  general  public  is  quite  conscious  of 
the  appearance  of  distinctly  contemporary 
style  of  architecture,  and  there  are  few 
better  examples  of  this  tendency  than  the 
theatre  itself.  We  call  it  the  modern  style; 
the  architects  call  it  functional  design.  The 
fact  remains  that  it  is  based  on  a  scien- 
tific evaluation  of  materials.  Since  the 
theatre,  of  all  modern  buildings,  is  prob- 
ably the  most  scientific  in  its  necessities,  it 
is  quite  natural  that  the  theatre,  should 
be  the  very  exemplification  of  functional 
architecture;  functional  from  many  points 
of  view — light,  sound  and  structure,  which 
all  have  an  effect  on  form  and  surface. 

The  theatre  is,  probably,  the  only  truly 
original  form  that  modern  architecture  has 
created — this  largely  because  its  function 
represents  the  only  truly  new  requirement. 
We  still  live  in  the  same  kind  of  houses; 
we  sleep,  eat  and  rest  in  the  same  way 
people  did  centuries  ago.    Our  churches, 


particularly  the  ritualistic  ones,  have  not 
changed  at  all  in  their  requirements. 

ILLUMINATION 

Though  the  theatre  has  created  its  own 
form  and  style,  even  back  to  the  time  of 
the  legitimate  house,  there  has  entered  a 
new  element  based  largely  on  the  psy- 
chology of  our  modern  audience — the  pub- 
lic's insatiable  desire  for  entertainment 
without  pause  or  interruption.  The  answer 
of  the  motion  picture  to  this  problem  is  its 
continuous  show,  with  no  interruptions. 

Thus  we  have  an  always-dimmed  house. 
The  corollary,  it  would  seem,  is  a  house 
that  recognizes  this  and  looks  its  best  under 
its  most  natural  condition — semi-darkness. 
This  also  explains  the  use  of  colored  lights 
in  our  theatre  auditoriums.  The  various 
parts  can  never  be  as  strong  as  the  whole, 
and  we  still  love  light,  so  we  have  red 
light,  blue  light  and  amber  light,  all  giv- 
ing pleasant  effects  and  tones,  never  as 
harsh  and  brilliant  as  the  pure  white  light 
the  public  once  suffered  from.  There  may, 
however,  be  another  weighty  argument  for 
this  great  use  of  color  and  light.  It  might 
be  the  natural  need  and  yearning  for  a 
setting  for  our  pictures  of  black  and  white. 
As  long  as  there  was  color  on  the  stage  the 
need  for  color  in  the  house  was  not  so  ap- 
parent. If  and  when  we  get  the  truly  suc- 
cessful colored  pictures  there  will,  un- 
doubtedly, be  a  change  in  the  treatment  of 
the  auditorium  which  now  forms  a  colored 
setting  for  a  black  and  white  picture.  We 
may,  with  the  coming  of  the  colored  pic 
tures,  find  ourselves  returning  to  the 
chiaroscuro  of  the  Italian  Renaissance. 

OUTSIDE    THE  AUDITORIUM 

If  a  case  has  been  made  for  the  modern, 
as  a  result  of  necessity  in  the  house  and 
auditorium,  based  on  functionalism  and  its 
necessities,  it  cannot  be  similarly  main- 
tained with  respect  to  lounges,  foyers,  re- 
tiring rooms  and  the  like,  where  the  prob- 
lems of  motion  picture  exhibition  no  longer 
exist.  Here  we  naturally  find  that  type  of 
modern  which  relates  itself  to  the  human 
being,  his  comfort  and  his  appearance.  The 
modern  theatre  has  long  striven  to  let  the 
pauper  feel  himself  king  for  a  day  and  to 
supply,  if  only  for  a  brief  period,  that  feel- 
ing of  luxury  which  is  absent  in  the  major- 
ity of  homes. 

As  the  dazzle  of  the  stage  and  highlights 
has  made  a  very  modest  encroachment 
upon  the  auditorium  of  the  theatre,  it  has 
made  a  forceful  and  emphatic  appearance 
upon  the  street.  Bright  signs  and  dazzling 
marquees  seem  to  have  moved  the  old 
"legitimate"  stage  out  to  the  street.  We 
have  long  seen  the  bright  signs  and  vesti- 
bules, but  as  the  stage  is  moved  outward, 
{Continued  on  page  43) 


August  22,  1936 


7 


An  Interior 
in  Fabric  and 
Solid  Wood 


•  Describing  the  Ventnor  theatre  in 
Ventnor,  N.  J.,  in  which  silk  and  ma- 
hogany are  combined  with  translu- 
cent marble,  glass  tiles  and  metals  in 
a  modern  pattern.  Specifications 
of  this  project  appear  on  page  10. 


Above:  The  front  of  the  Ventnor,  with  its  entranceway 
and  built-in  box  office  bordered  by  Lumar  marble,  a  new 
slightly  translucent  material  here  laid  over  lamp  boxes. 
Otherwise  front  construction  is  in  limestone.  The  tri- 
angular marquee  is  illuminated  with  neon  name  signs, 
and  silhouette-letter  attraction  boards  three  lines  high. 


Below:  The  lobby,  looking  toward  a  vestibule  inside  the 
entrance.  This  view  is  of  the  central  portion  of  the  lobby, 
which  is  T-shaped,  extending  across  the  rear  of  the  audi- 
torium. Walls  and  doors  are  of  solid  mahogany.  On 
each  side  the  wall  is  interrupted  by  a  gun-metal  mirror. 
The    white    strips    at   the    cornices    are    lighting  coves. 


Above:  The  left  wing  of  the 
lobby,  continuous  with  the 
central  portion  picture  at 
right,  with  the  same  wall 
treatment  in  solid  mahogany 
and  illuminated  by  a  cornice 
cove.  The  soffit  of  the  foun- 
tain niche  is  of  Lumar  marble, 
illuminated  from  above.  The 
grilles  in  the  niche  and  stair- 
case conceal  air  exhaust  ducts. 
The  stairs,  which  have  a  rail- 
ing of  bronze,  lead  to  women's 
lounge  and  toilets,  which  are 
placed    on    mezzanine  level. 


8 


Better  Theatres 


I  i 


Above:  Forward  view  of  the  auditorium  showing  walls 
divided  into  plaster  pilasters  and  panels  of  silk.  Along 
the  walls  are  vertical  silvered  and  fluted  metal  troughs 
containing  Lumiline  lamps,  the  light  from  which  is  re- 
flected from  blue-tinted  plaster  recesses.  The  curtain 
as  it  appears  to  the  audience,  matches  the  wall  fabric. 


Below:  Looking  into  the  auditorium  from  behind  the 
standee  rail,  which  really  forms  an  inner  wall  of  the  lobby. 
The  lower  portion,  above  the  baseboard,  is  of  mahogany. 
Above  the  windowed  section  are  Pyrex  opaque  tiles. 
Marking  each  aisle  entrance  are  strips  of  illuminated 
Lumar  translucent  marble  set  in  the   mahogany  dado. 


Above:  The  auditorium  look- 
ing toward  the  rear.  Note 
carpet  motif  continuous  with 
the  central  portion  of  the 
lobby,  leading  from  entrance. 
The  balcony -like  structure 
across  the  rear  merely  con- 
ceals a  light  trough  illuminat- 
ing the  upper  rear  wall,  which 
is  covered  with  silk  fabric  laid 
over  rock  wool.  The  overhang- 
ing cornices  conceal  air  ducts, 
the  side  grilles  of  which  alter- 
nate with  light  boxes  covered 
with  flashed  glass.  Ceiling 
illumination  is  of  similar  type. 


August  22,  1936 


9 


End  view  of  the  right  wing  of  the  lobby-foyer,  showing  exit 
treatment  similar  to  that  used  for  fountain  in  the  left  wing. 
The  stairs   here   lead  to  the   men's  lounge   and    projection  room. 


The  women's  lounge  on  a  mezzanine  level  behind  the  auditorium 
and  to  the  left  of  the  projection  room.  The  furniture,  of  special 
design,   it  covered   in  white   kid   leather.    Carpet  is  jade  green. 


Another  view  of  the  women's  lounge,  showing  how  stairway  opens 
directly  into  it.  The  stair  rail  is  of  bronze  closed  in  with  etched 
glass.    In   the   stairway   wall    is    a   vertical    reverse    light  trough. 


MATERIALS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

VENTNOR  THEATRE,  VENTNOR,  N.  J. 

Owner:  Wielland-Lewis  Circuit.    Architect:  Armand  Carroll. 

Construction  and  Plan :  The  building  housing  the  Ventnor  theatre 
has  a  frontage  of  75  feet  and  a  depth  of  133  feet.  Construction  is 
of  concrete,  brick  and  fireproof  tile.  The  theatre  entrance  is  16  feet 
wide,  located  in  the  center,  with  stores  on  either  side.  Above  the 
stores  are  apartments. 

Front:  Side  pilasters  and  facing  above  marquee  of  limestone.  Be- 
neath marquee  facing  is  in  Lumar  marble,  a  translucent  material, 
behind  which  are  lamp  boxes.  The  box  office  is  built  in  at  the  right 
side  of  the  entrance  doors  abutting  the  sidewalk. 

Lobby-Foyer :  The  walls,  above  a  10-inch  dado,  are  of  solid  Mexi- 
can mahogany  in  natural  finish,  ^-inch  thick.  On  either  side  this 
material  is  interrupted  by  banded  gun-metal  mirrors  with  bronze 
stripping,  7  feet  high  and  18  inches  wide.  At  the  cornice  the  ma- 
hogany wall  treatment  ends  in  a  lighting  cove  of  reversed  type — 
light  is  reflected  on  the  wall,  not  on  the  ceiling.  The  wood  wall 
finish  continues  into  each  wing,  and  is  used  for  staircases  and  lower 
portion  of  the  standee  rail.  The  upper  part  of  the  rail  is  of  plate 
glass  and  Pyrex  corrugated  glass  tiles.  At  each  side  of  the  aisle 
entrances  is  a  narrow  strip  of  Lumar  marble  set  flush  into  the  ma- 
hogany over  a  lamp  box.  At  the  outside  wall  adjoining  the  staircase 
to  the  women's  lounge  is  a  fountain  alcove  with  a  soffit  of  illuminat- 
ed Lumar  marble,  while  a  similar  treatment  is  employed  at  an  exit 
on  the  outside  wall  of  the  opposite  wing.  The  entire  lobby-foyer 
is  carpeted  in  Chenille  (by  Cochran  Mills),  unpatterned,  rust  color 
inside  a  black  border,  and  this  carpeting  is  continued  into  the  aisles. 

Auditorium  :  Walls  are  of  plaster  with  broad  panels  of  silk  fabric 
(Kapok)  in  a  special  pattern  of  strawberry-red  figures  on  an  oyster- 
white  ground.  The  fabric,  which  was  pre-shrunk  before  laying,  is 
stretched  on  battens  over  Johns-Manville  rockwool.  The  same 
decorative  and  acoustical  treatment  is  applied  across  the  upper  rear 
wall  of  the  auditorium.  At  intervals  along  the  side  walls  are  verti- 
cal plaster  recesses,  tinted  blue,  reflecting  light  from  metal  troughs, 
painted  aluminum.  Each  trough  is  18  feet  high  and  contains  18 
lamps  of  30  watts.  Illumination  is  also  provided  by  lamp  boxes  set 
into  plastered  structures  concealing  ventilating  ducts  {see  Air-Condi- 
tioning below)  and  into  a  ceiling  panel.  These  are  decoratively 
covered  with  Corning  flashed  glass  set  flush.  In  the  ventilating  duct 
structures  located  along  the  side  cornices,  these  light  elements  alter- 
nate with  ornamental  grilles.  Ornamentation  flanking  the  prosce- 
nium arch  is  in  cast  plaster.  At  the  rear  wall,  above  the  standee  rail, 
is  a  projecting  structure  imitative  of  a  balcony  but  deep  enough  to 
contain  only  reflective  light  sources  illuminating  the  rear  wall  above. 
This  is  of  plaster  except  for  a  central  panel  of  Acousti-Celotex.  (To- 
tal amount  of  rockwool,  35,000  square  feet.) 

Seating:  Chairs  range  from  20  to  22  inches  wide,  arranged  in  four 
banks  with  a  center  and  two  side  aisles,  each  4  feet  wide,  on  a  radial 
plan  containing  28  rows.  The  chairs,  by  American  Seating  Com- 
pany, are  of  full  spring  construction,  with  jade-green  mohair  backs 
and  strawberry-colored  leather  seats.    The  capacity  is  972. 

Lounges:  Both  men's  and  women's  lounges  are  entered  directly  from 
the  stairs,  the  rooms  surround  two  sides  of  the  stair  well,  which  is 
protected  by  a  bronze  railing.  Off  each  is  a  toilet  room,  the  walls 
of  which  are  constructed  of  terra  cotta  bricks. 

Projection :  The  projection  room  is  12  feet  deep  and  16  feet  wide. 
Projectors  are  Simplex;  sound  is  by  a  Western  Electric  system.  The 
projection  lamps  are  Brenkert  Magnarc,  supplied  from  a  Hertner 
motor-generator.  The  projection  angle  is  4^°.  The  screen  is  29J-4 
x  2\y2  feet,  masked  to  an  image  of  24^2  x  17%  feet. 

Air-Conditioning:  Conditioned  air  is  supplied  the  entire  theatre  by  a 
duct  system.  Air  is  introduced  into  the  auditorium  from  grilles  in 
the  ducts  along  the  side  cornices  of  the  auditorium,  both  at  the  sides 
and  in  the  soffits.  The  lobby  is  supplied  partly  from  the  auditorium, 
through  grilles  in  the  standee  rail,  and  by  inlets  of  its  own.  Other 
ducts  lead  to  the  lounges.    Cooling  is  by  means  of  well  water. 


10 


Better  Theatres 


No  Pipes— Yet 
Full-Range  Pipe 
Organ  Music 


•  How  Laurens  Hammond's 
invention  operates,  creating 
true  pipe  organ  and  all  tones 
produced  by  theatre  organs 
entirely  by  electricity  —  and  its 
peculiar  suitability  to  theatres 


theatre  operators  en- 
tertaining the  thought  of  installing  an  or- 
gan for  musical  solos  or  the  accompani- 
ment of  stage  interludes,  would  do  well  to 
consider  the  all-electric  "pipe"  organ  in- 
vented by  Laurens  Hammond  of  Chicago 
and  brought  to  technical  perfection  during 
the  past  year.  It  has  the  tones  of  a  pipe 
organ.  It  has,  however,  no  pipes.  Tones 
are  created  by  electrical  impulses  entirely, 
and  amplified  to  any  degree  desired  by 
amplification  tubes  actuating  speakers. 
Compared  with  a  pipe  organ  of  compar- 
able power  and  tone  range,  it  is  inexpen- 
sive and  occupies  much  less  space. 

Many  pipe  organs  have  been  removed 
from  motion  picture  theatres  since  the 
film  began  to  supply  its  own  music  and 
dialogue  rules  out  musical  accompaniment 
except  during  certain  dramatic  situations. 
Other  organs,  though  not  removed,  have 
been  allowed  to  deteriorate  through  the 
action  of  dirt  and  atmospheric  changes  and 
disuse.     Probably  few  of  them  could  be 


SUB  FUNDAMENTAL 
SUB  3RD  HARMONIC 
FUNDAMENTAL 
2ND  HARMONIC 


8TH  HARMONIC 

6TH  HARMONIC 
5TH  HARMONIC 
4TH  HARMONIC 
3RD  HARMONIC 


Illustrating  principles  of  the  all-electric 
organ.  At  top  are  the  manuals  with 
drawbars  with  which  the  many  possible 
tones  are  created,  as  indicated  in  the 
diagram  at  left.  Diagrammed  above  is 
the  disc-magnet  system  by  which  the 
electrical  energy  is  given  its  tonal  fre- 
quencies. Pictured  also  is  a  power 
cabinet,     but    only    half    theatre  size. 


A  performer  at  the  console. 


restored  to  good  working  condition  for  a 
sum  of  money  representing  less  than  a  sub- 
stantial portion  of  the  original  cost. 

Organ  music  has  not  entirely  disap- 
peared from  the  screen  theatre,  of  course. 
Indeed,  in  other  countries,  particularly 
England,  it  still  occupies  a  respectable 
place  on  the  programs  of  leading  cinemas, 
while  in  the  United  States  it  has  been  con- 
tinued without  interruption,  or  resumed, 
in  theatres  having  a  clientele  especially  re- 
sponsive to  musical  and  "personal"  ele- 
ments which  an  organ  can  contribute  to 
the  show.  In  the  main,  however,  the  or- 
gan, at  least  in  the  United  States,  was 
eliminated  by  sound  as  something  no  long- 
er needed,  and  it  is  practically  in  that  same 
classification  today.  That  is  to  say,  al- 
though theatre  management  has  been  ob- 
viously groping  during  the  past  few  years, 
for  a  something-extra  and  a  something- 
different  with  which  to  reinforce  the 
"draw"  of  the  all-screen  program,  it  has 
sought  to  find  them  in  double  features, 
prize  games,  raffles,  bargain  matinees  and, 
in  some  cases,  occasional  stage  acts  (com- 
monly exploiting  a  celebrity  acquired  from  . 
the  theatre's  would-be  competitor,  the 
radio).  This  apparent  groping,  and  the 
fact  that  organ  music  has  been  added  to 


the  programs  of  a  small  number  of  thea- 
tres during  the  past  year  or  so — Ham- 
mond electric  organs,  for  example,  have 
been  installed  in  about  a  dozen  houses — 
returns  to  the  organ  a  potential  signifi- 
cance it  was  thought  to  have  definitely  lost 
forever. 

CREATION     OF  TONES 

The  all-electric  pipeless  "pipe"  organ  is 
itself  a  result  of  the  discoveries  in  electro- 
phonics  which  have  given  us  radio  and  mo- 
tion picture  sound.  It  is  played  by  a  per- 
former, and  its  two-manual  console  is  com- 
parable to  that  of  an  orthodox  air-column 
pipe  organ.  However,  no  sound  is  created 
in  the  console,  only  electrical  wave  forms. 
There  is  no  sound  until  electrical  impulses 
energized  in  the  console  mechanism  and 
relayed  to  the  amplifiers  have  actuated 
speaker  diaphragms. 

The  sound  produced  by  the  speakers  is 
that  of  the  conventional  pipe  organ,  or  is 
made  up  of  those  combinations  of  tones 
which  may  be  produced  by  the  more  com- 
plex, expensive  theatre  pipe  organs.  Tech- 
nically, 253  million  tone  variations  are 
possible  (only  part  of  these,  of  course,  are 
desirable),  and  out  of  this  range  may  be 
{Continued  on  page  27) 


August  22,  1936 


11 


How  to  Determine  the  Validity 
Of  Theatre  Tax  and  License  Laws 


•  Reviewing  the  body  of  law  established  in  high 
court  decisions,  indicating  when  State  or  local 
levies  may  be  successfully  contested   in  court 


By  LEO  T.  PARKER 


since  the  general  laws 
on  theatre  taxation,  licenses  and  regulations 
are  similar  in  all  States,  it  is  not  difficult 
to  impart  specific  legal  information  appli- 
cable to  all  theatre  owners  alike.  There- 
fore in  this  article  are  reviewed  leading 
cases  decided  by  the  higher  courts  in  differ- 
ent States,  in  order  that  theatre  operators 
in  various  locations  may  determine  with 
dependability  the  established  law.  In  this 
manner  theatre  owners  and  operators  may 
rightly  judge  and  determine  whether  it  is 
wise  and  advisable  to  file  test  suits  against 
undesirable  taxation,  license  laws  and  op- 
pressive regulations. 

First,  it  is  important  to  know  that  the 
courts  in  all  States  recognize  that  munici- 
palities may  enact  taxation  laws  against 
theatres  under  either  the  police  power  or 
the  general  taxing  authority.  In  order  that 
readers  may  thoroughly  understand  the  re- 
lationship between  police  power  and  taxing 
authority  of  municipalities,  it  is  well  to 
explain  that  police  power  is  that  power 
naturally  possessed  by  municipal  officers  to 
safeguard  the  morals,  lives,  health  and 
property  of  the  citizens.  In  other  words, 
all  municipalities  have  a  natural  authority 
to  protect  the  lives  and  property  of  citizens. 

However,  taxing  authority  must  origi- 
nate from  either  the  State  constitution  or 
State  statutes.  Therefore,  an  ordinance  is 
void  unless  either  the  State's  constitution 
or  statutes  authorize  the  particular  form 
of  taxation  specified  by  a  municipal  ordi- 
nance. 

Moreover,  the  courts  hold  that  the  li- 
cense taxes  must  not  be  enacted  and  en- 
forced if  the  same  are  prohibitive  of  a 
useful  and  legitimate  business.  This  rule 
applies  regardless  of  whether  the  license  tax 
is  levied  under  the  police  or  the  taxing 
authority.  Therefore,  under  no  circum- 
stances may  an  ordinary  theatre  owner  be 
required  to  pay  a  license  so  high  that  the 
average  theatre  owner  is  unable  to  pay 
such  fee,  in  consideration  of  the  profit  de- 
rived from  operation  of  the  theatre  business. 

TAXING    OUT  NUISANCES 

On  the  other  hand,  this  rule  must  not  be 
confused  with  the  one  that  relates  to  cer- 


tain kinds  of  businesses,  such  as  those  that 
are  inherently  harmful  and  dangerous  to 
the  public  welfare,  which  may  be  taxed  so 
high  that  the  owners  of  these  undesirable 
businesses  will  be  discouraged,  and  even 
amount  to  a  prohibition  of  the  business 
whether  in  the  classification  of  amusements 
or  otherwise.  However,  since  it  is  uni- 
versally recognized  that  the  operation  of  a 
theatre  is  not  a  nuisance  or  an  undesirable 
business,  this  latter  rule  of  the  law  rarely 
is  applicable  to  theatre  owners.  Neverthe- 
less, the  rule  is  mentioned  in  order  to  in- 
form readers  correctly  of  all  phases  of  the 
law.  Obviously,  a  theatre  may  be,  but 
generally  is  not,  conducted  so  that  the  class 
of  patronage,  noise  developed,  disturbances 
resulting,  moral  influences,  etc.,  are  objec- 
tionable and  demoralizing  to  the  average 
citizen.  [See  1 16  So.  369 ;  187  U.  S.  609.] 

Therefore,  under  all  circumstances,  the- 
atre owners,  when  endeavoring  to  interpret 
the  validity  of  a  taxing  law,  must,  and  the 
courts  will,  bear  in  mind  the  distinction 
between  useful  businesses  and  that  class  of 
businesses  which  are  productive  of  disorder, 
injurious  to  the  public,  or  harmful  to  pub- 
lic morals.  Not  only  may  a  municipality 
tax  a  business  of  the  latter  class  unreason- 
ably high,  but  it  may  prohibit  conduction 
of  such  business  under  the  police  power 
delegated  to  it. 

The  following  explanations  of  the  law 
refer  to  higher  court  cases  involving  the 
validity  of  State  statutes  and  city  ordi- 
nances imposing  a  license  tax  or  regulation 
on  the  ordinary  and  average  theatre. 

LEGISLATURE 
DELEGATES  POWER 

A  TAXATION  LAW  usually 

originates  specifically  or  impliedly  from  the 
State's  constitution,  therefore,  the  legis- 
latures of  all  States  may  pass  valid,  reason- 
able and  non-discriminatory  laws  which  tax 
or  regulate  theatres ;  or  the  State  legis- 
lature may  expressly  or  impliedly  delegate 
authority  to  municipalities  to  enact  taxation 
■laws.  Without  this  delegated  authority  a 
municipality  cannot  pass  a  valid  law  taxing 
theatres. 

After  a  State  legislature  delegates  to  a 


municipal  corporation  the  power  to  levy 
license  taxes,  the  municipal  council  may 
pass  an  ordinance  licensing  theatres,  and 
places  of  amusement,  providing  the  ordi- 
nance is  reasonable,  uniform  and  not  dis- 
criminatory. This  law  has  been  upheld  by 
many  court  decisions  in  different  States. 

[For  variations  of  the  law,  see  State  cases,  as 
follows:  Arkansas:  Waters  v.  Leech,  3  Ar- 
kansas 110;  Colorado:  Godfrey  v.  El  Paso, 
124  Pacific  190;  Florida:  Park  v.  Morgan,  60 
Southern  347;  Illinois:  Webber  v.  Chicago,  148 
Illinois  313;  Massachusetts:  Boston  v.  Schaffer, 
9  Pick.  415;  Minnesota:  Higgins  v.  Lacroix, 
137  N.  W.  417;  Mississippi:  Orton  v.  Brown, 
35  Mississippi  426;  Missouri:  Negrotto  v.  Mo- 
nett,  49  Missouri  App.  286;  North  Carolina: 
State  v.  Prevo,  101  S.  E.  370;  Ohio:  Baker  v. 
Cincinnati,  11  Ohio  State  534;  Pennsylvania: 
Mahanvy  City,  40  Pennsylvania  Superior  Court 
50;  Rhode  Island:  Standard  v.  Cushing,  74 
Atlantic  719;  Tennessee:  Hodges  v.  Nashville, 
2  Humph.  61;  Texas:  Brunk  v.  State,  6  S.  W. 
(2d)  353  ;  Virginia:  Robinson  v.  Norfolk,  61 
S.  E.  762.] 

These  various  cases  have  established  the 
law  that  a  municipal  ordinance  licensing 
theatres  is  valid,  provided  such  ordinance 
is  authorized  by  a  State  law  and  the  license 
fee  is  reasonable,  uniform,  and  not  dis- 
criminatory. 

TAXATION  UNDER 
POLICE  POWER 

where  a  state  constitu- 
tion does  not  authorize  a  State  legislature 
to  pass  licensing  laws  and  other  regulations, 
numerous  courts  have  held  that  in  the  ex- 
ercise of  its  police  power  a  State  may  im- 
pose a  license  tax  on  shows  and  places  of 
amusement,  and  such  a  statute  is  valid  un- 
less it  is  unreasonable,  or  discriminating. 
[144  S.  E.  846;  260  S.  W.  138.] 

What  is  discriminating  depends  upon  the 
decisions  of  prior  higher  courts.  Generally 
speaking,  a  taxing  law  is  not  discriminating 
if  it  authorizes  a  lower  rate  of  taxation,  or 
exempts  from  taxation  all  the  theatres  in 
the  same  classification.  For  example,  in 
Curdts  v.  South  Carolina  (127  S.  E.  438, 
273),  it  was  disclosed  that  a  State  legis- 
lature passed  a  State  law  imposing  a  tax 
on  all  theatres  excepting  those  located  in 
unincorporated  towns  of  less  than  2,000  in- 
habitants. Also,  theatres,  the  proceeds  of 
which  were  donated  to  charitable  or  re- 
ligious organizations,  were  exempt  from 
taxation. 

Suit  was  filed  for  the  purpose  of  testing 
the  validity  of  this  law  and  it  was  held 
valid. 

VALIDITY    OF  PENALTIES 

Also,  in  Wallace  v.  New  York,  it  was 
shown  that  a  State  law  required  each  the- 
atre owner  to  pay  $500  annual  license  and 
imposed  a  fine  of  $100  for  every  perform- 
(Continued  on  page  42) 


12 


Better  Theatres 


We  Exploited  a  Theatre-Going  Idea 


Explains  STUART  DOYLE 


I     AM     GOING     to  give 

England  some  showmanship — showman- 
ship as  we  know  it  in  Australia  and  in 
the  States." 

Stuart  Boyle  was  referring  to  his  cur- 
rent project  in  London's  Piccadilly  Cir- 
cus, crossroad  of  Europe.  "A  smaller 
Radio  City,"  he  called  it.  And  the  writer 
was  reminded  of  something  Henry  Craig 
wrote  about  this  dynamic  Australian  in 
Better  Theatres  six  years  ago. 

"What  more  opportunities  Doyle  will 
find  for  his  opportunities  on  this  smallest 
of  the  continents,"  admitted  Mr.  Craig 
after  reviewing  the  Doyle  career  up  to  that 
point,  "one  cannot  predict.  The  growth 
of  the  motion  picture  theatre  business  in 
Australia  to  an  importance  and  high  stand- 
ard comparable  to  those  in  the  United 
States  and  England,  has  been  more  rapid 
than  in  even  those  countries,  and  today  one 
hears  it  said  that  Australia's  limitations 
are  already  exerting  a  check  on  expansion. 
But  one  wonders  if  Doyle  has  heard  about 
them.  And  if  he  has,  will  they  long  re- 
main limitations?" 

They  remained  limitations — Australia's. 
But  (to  answer  Mr.  Craig)  not  Stuart 
Doyle's.  The  rapid  theatre  expansion  of 
the  last  few  years,  which  Mr.  Doyle  de- 
clares now  to  have  arrived  at  the  satura- 
tion point,  definitely  checked  the  building 
of  the  circuit  operator  on  the  island  conti- 
nent. But  it  merely  turned  Stuart  Doyle 
into  activities  which  have  consolidated  the 
position  of  his  theatre  interests,  which  have 
given  Australia  domestic  film  product — 
and  which  now  are  bringing  to  London  "a 
smaller  Radio  City."  It  was  all  of  these 
manifold  motion  picture  interests  which 
had  brought  him  this  summer  from  Sydney 
to  New  York.  The  head  of  Greater 
Union  Theatres,  Ltd.,  which  is  associated 
with  Hoyt's  Theatres  in  the 
domination  of  motion  picture 
exhibition  in  the  Antipodes ; 
the  head,  too,  of  Australia's 
only  (and  increasingly  impor- 
tant) motion  picture  produc- 
tion organization,  Cinesound 
Productions,  Ltd.,  Stuart 
Doyle  is  still  a  substantial  dis- 
tance this  side  of  50.  He  is 
of  middle  height,  compact  of 
build,  speaks  quietly,  pursues 
yachting  diligently. 

"Although  I  say  that  theatre  building  in 
Australia  has  arrived  at  the  saturation 
point,"  he  explained,  "I  believe  that  there 
is  still  a  large  part  of  the  population  re- 
maining for  exploitation.  In  running  cer- 
tain pictures — for  example,  'A  Midsum- 
mer Night's  Dream' — we  found  in  our 
theatres  a  large  number  of  people  who 
scarcely  ever  attended  motion  picture  thea- 
tres, some  of  them  had  never  done  so 


•  ONE  OF 
A  SERIES  OF 
INTERVIEWS 
WITH  • 
INTERESTING 
CINEMA  FOLK 


before.  In  some  lo- 
calities we  have  made 
checks,  and  from  the 
evidence,  I  believe 
that  at  least  50%  of 
the  population  repre- 
sents a  virgin  field  for 
the  motion  picture  in- 
dustry. Has  any  at- 
tempt ever  been  made 
in  the  United  States 
to  find  out  if  that 
might  be  true  here?" 

The    writer  could 
not  recall  any. 

"Well,  I  think  you'd 
be  surprised.  There 
are  still  a  lot  of  peo- 
ple who  do  not  go  see 
motion  pictures — a  lot 
of  people  still  to  be 
sold  this  form  of  en- 
tertainment." 

Stuart   Doyle  came 
into   the   motion  pic- 
ture business  from  the 
law.      That    was  in 
1914.      It    was  of 
course     along  about 
that    time    that  the 
erection     of  palatial 
theatres    began  in 
America.  Stuart  Doyle 
immediately  studied 
the   metropolitan   situation   in  Australia. 
He  began  to  build  finer  theatres,  too,  and 
to  organize  a  circuit  of  them.     He  ulti- 
mately provided  Sydney  with  the  magnifi- 
cent Capitol,  seating  3,300  and  located  in 
the  heart  of  a  slum.    Failure  for  it  was 
predicted.      It    proved    a    huge  success. 
Other   theatres   followed,   in   Sydney,  in 
Melbourne,  in  Victoria.    By  1930,  Union 
Theatres  was  a  circuit  of  64 
houses,  most  of  them  setting 
precedents     in  architecture, 
policy  and  showmanship.  And 
now    this    new    project,  in 
London. 

It  will  have  two  theatres. 
Nothing  really  comparable  in 
size  to  New  York's  Radio 
City,  Mr.  Doyle  explained, 
but  in  accommodations  and 
policy  a  true  amusement 
center,  built  to  inspire  London's  own,  and 
to  dazzle  the  capital's  visitors. 

He  was  talking  about  it  in  his  suite  at 
the  Waldorf-Astoria.  He  got  out  the 
plans.  Just  off  Piccadilly  Circus  the  struc- 
ture will  lie,  occupying  a  city  square.  The 
main  section  will  contain  a  1,500-seat  the- 
atre devoted  to  screen  productions  on  ex- 
tended runs.  Beneath  it  will  be  a  300- 
seat  newsreel  theatre.  In  another  part  of 
the  sublevel  will  be  a  huge  and  very  grand 


restaurant.  On  the  street,  adjoining  the 
larger  theatre,  will  be  shops.  And  tele- 
vision is  a  part  of  the  scheme  of  the  news- 
reel  cinema. 

"It  will  take  showmanship  to  put  it 
over,"  reflected  Mr.  Doyle,  "but  we  can 
do  it  with  the  Australian  and  American 
kind.  London  has  never  had  that  kind. 
But  we  are  going  to  sell  these  theatres 
from  the  moment  excavation  begins  and 
will  keep  England  conscious  of  them  as 
something  that  must  be  seen. 

"We'll  do  what  we  have  done  with 
great  success  in  Australia.  You  know, 
over  there  we  run  the  bigger  pictures  three, 
four,  six  months."  He  named  several  pro- 
ductions currently  enjoying  their  usual 
week-runs  at  the  key  theatres  of  the  Unit- 
ed States.  He  prophesied  runs  of  many 
months  for  each  of  them  in  Sydney  and 
other  Australian  cities  at  from  $1.50  to  $2 
per  ducat ! 

"Oh,  yes,  we  get  those  prices  for  long- 
run  pictures  regularly.  You  see,  we 
haven't  merely  sold  pictures  to  our  public. 
We  have  sold  the  idea  of  coming  into  the 
city,  to  shop  and  in  general  get  a  change 
from  suburban  and  small  town  atmosphere, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  visit  our  great 
theatres.  We  have  sold  the  motion  pic- 
ture theatre  and  an  idea — the  related  idea 
{Continued  on  page  28) 


August  22,  1936 


13 


About  People  of  the  Theatre 


NEWS  OF  THEIR  ACTIVITIES  REPORTED   FROM  ALL  SECTIONS  AND  BRIEFLY  TOLD 


J.  F.  Garrette  has  awarded  contracts 
for  the  construction  of  a  theatre  seating 
about  600  at  Main  and  Elm  Streets, 
Woodland,  Calif. 

Working  plans  are  being  prepared  for 
the  Petersen  Theatre  Circuit,  San 
Francisco,  for  a  1,000  seat  theatre  of  the 
stadium  type  to  be  erected  at  Brentwood, 
Calif.  The  house  will  be  of  reinforced 
concrete  construction,  with  steam  heating 
and  air  conditioning  systems.  L.  H.  Nish- 
kian,  525  Market  Street,  San  Francisco, 
is  the  engineer. 

T.  &  D.  and  Fox-West  Coast  are 
planning  alterations  to  the  Capital  theatre, 
Sacramento,  Calif.,  at  an  estimated  cost  of 
$40,000.  The  work  will  include  redeco- 
rating, new  wiring,  plastering,  and  the  in- 
stallation of  air  conditioning  and  hot  air 
heating  systems. 

Redwood  Theatres,  Inc.,  San  Fran- 
cisco, is  having  plans  prepared  by  S. 
Charles  Lee,  for  a  theatre  to  be  erected 
at  Eureka,  Calif.  George  M.  Mann  is 
president  of  the  theatre  circuit.  Arrange- 
ments are  also  being  made  to  remodel  the 
Rialto  Theatre  there. 

B.  B.  Byard  has  reopened  the  theatre  at 
Fall  River  Mills,  Calif. 

William  Peters  will  erect  a  theatre  at 
Manteca,  Calif,  at  an  estimated  cost  of 
$65,000.  Preliminary  plans  are  being  pre- 
pared by  Mark  Jorgensen. 

A  new  motion  picture  theatre  will  be 
erected  on  South  Drane  Street,  Plant  City, 
Fla.,  to  be  operated  by  the  E.  J.  Sparks 
interests. 

Arthur  Richards  will  make  altera- 
tions to  the  Neptune  Palace  theatre,  Ala- 
meda, Calif.,  at  a  cost  of  about  $8,000. 

G.  H.  Bast  has  taken  a  lease  on  the 
Ritz  theatre,  Carpinteria,  Calif.,  from 
Mission  Trails  Theatres,  Inc. 

James  Lima  has  purchased  the  Lincoln 
theatre  at  Pleasanton,  Calif,  and  has 
changed  the  name  to  that  of  the  Roxie. 

Redwood  Theatres,  Inc.,  has  pur- 
chased Smith's  Theatre,  Yuba  City,  Calif, 
from  Edward  E.  Benham  and  will  re- 
build it.  This  concern  also  owns  the  Na- 
tional theatre  and  will  remodel  this  and 
change  the  name  to  that  of  the  State 
theatre. 

The  Irving  Theatre  &  Realty  Co.  of 
San  Francisco,  of  which  Robert  A.  Mc- 


Neil is  president,  and  Harry  Sacks  sec- 
retary, has  purchased  property  on  Irving 
Street  and  26th  Avenue  for  a  theatre.  The 
site  is  the  last  one  in  the  district  available 
for  commercial  uses  under  the  present  zon- 
ing. The  theatre  that  is  planned  will  have 
a  seating  capacity  of  about  1300,  but  no 
definite  date  has  been  set  for  the  start  of 
construction. 

Burton  L.  Clark,  manager  of  the  Ro- 
setta  theatre,  Little  River,  Fla.,  reports  the 
reopening  of  this  house  after  completion  of 
an  extensive  remodeling  and  modernizing 
program.  New  sound  equipment  and  a 
modern  air-conditioning  system  have  been 
installed. 

Tom  Ford  has  leased  the  Palace  The- 
atre Building  at  Rector,  Ark. 

W.  H.  Morris,  formerly  manager  of 
the  Ritz  theatre  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  has 
been  transferred  to  Lexington,  N.  C,  as 
manager  of  the  Grenada  theatre.  He  will 
be  succeeded  at  Columbia  by  Grady  Beek- 
ER,  formerly  of  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

W.  W.  Troxell  of  Omaha,  has  taken 
over  the  Owl  at  Bancroft,  Neb.,  and  is 
having  the  Western  Theatre  Supply  Com- 
pany of  Omaha  remodel  and  reequip  the 
house. 

Scott  Ballantyne  Company  of 
Omaha,  reports  putting  new  carpeting  in 
the  Columbus  at  Columbus,  Neb.,  a  Cen- 
tral States  theatre ;  a  new  blower  in  the 
Joyo  at  Havel ock,  Neb.,  managed  by 
Fraiser  and  Williamson,  and  Largen 
sound  in  the  Comstock  at  Comstock,  Neb., 
managed  by  Don  Meyers.  The  Com- 
stock was  among  the  last  houses  in  Ne- 
braska still  using  disc. 

New  screens  have  been  installed  in  the 
Town  and  Military  theatres,  Omaha, 
owned  by  Ralph  Goldberg,  while  Bren- 
kert  lamps  were  installed  in  the  Military, 
all  by  Western  Theatre  Supply  of 
Omaha.  Also  projectors  were  placed  in  the 
Joyo  at  Coleridge,  Neb.,  managed  by 
Minerva  Robertson,  and  new  sound  and 
projectors  in  the  Commercial  Club  at 
Lindsay,  Neb. 

W.  N.  Youngclaus,  head  of  Western 
Theatre  Enterprises  which  operates  four 
houses  out  of  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  has  dis- 
posed of  the  State  at  Central  City,  Neb., 
to  his  brother-in-law,  Joe  Lucas,  who  has 
been  house  manager  since  Mr.  Youngclaus 
took  over  the  theatre. 

H.  H.  Thomas,  manager  of  the  Con- 
way theatre,  Conway,  Ark.,  has  been  trans- 


ferred to  Russellville,  Ark.,  as  manager  of 
the  New  theatre,  recently  acquired  by 
Malco  Theatres,  Inc. 

A  new  400-seat  house  is  being  built  at 
Salineville,  Ohio,  by  the  Liberty  Amuse- 
ment Company,  of  Wellsville,  Ohio, 
which  organization  operates  houses  in  Ohio, 
Pennsylvania  and  West  Virginia.  Saline- 
ville has  been  without  a  theatre  since  the 
Graubner  Opera  House  was  destroyed  by 
fire  five  years  ago. 

Bernard  Caldwell,  manager  of  the 
Criterion  theatre,  Spartanburg,  S.  O,  has 
been  granted  a  temporary  leave  of  absence 
in  order  to  recover  from  a  recent  opera- 
tion. He  will  be  replaced  by  Dan  Aus- 
tell, who  has  been  connected  with  the 
Spartanburg  theatres  for  some  time. 

A  new  cooling  plant  has  been  installed 
in  the  Eldorado,  Ewing,  Neb.,  managed  by 
J.  N.  Sutherland. 

An  air-conditioning  system  has  been  in- 
stalled at  the  Hollywood  in  College  Hill, 
suburban  to  Cincinnati,  one  of  the  recent- 
ly-acquired houses  in  the  Libson-White 
circuit.  This  is  the  only  outlying  house  to 
be  so  equipped. 

The  RKO  Colonial,  Dayton,  Ohio,  re- 
opened August  14  with  vaudeville  and  pic- 
tures. Millard  Blaettner  again  is  the 
manager. 

The  Columbia,  unit  of  Tri-State  The- 
atres, Inc.,  Alliance,  O.,  has  gone  dark 
to  permit  installation  of  new  stage  equip- 
ment. Reopening  scheduled  for  Labor  Day, 
according  to  Ray  Wallace,  managing  di- 
rector. 

Emmett  R.  Rogers,  manager  of  the 
Wilby-Kincey  interests  in  Chattanooga, 
Tenn.,  reports  that  the  Bijou  theatre  in 
that  city  is  being  remodeled  and  new  equip- 
ment installed  at  a  minimum  cost  of 
$25,000. 

W.  R.  Vincent,  who  recently  renovated 
and  enlarged  the  seating  capacity  of  his 
house  at  Oconto  Falls,  Wis.,  is  now  plan- 
ning to  enlarge  the  seating  capacity  of  his 
Nicolet  theatre  at  De  Pere,  Wis.,  shortly. 

Norbert  Smits  reopened  the  renovated 
Pearl  theatre  in  DePere,  Wis.,  August  8. 
The  house  had  been  dark  for  many  months 
and  was  completely  remodeled  and  redeco- 
rated. It  has  a  seating  capacity  of  approxi- 
mately 600. 

J.  P.  Howes  has  opened  his  theatre  at 
North  Hero,  Vermont,  with  portable  equip- 


14 


Better  Theatres 


ment  for  Saturday  showings  primarily  for 
the  summer  vacationist. 

The  Schoenstadt  circuit  has  taken 
over  the  New  Regent  theatre  from  Van 
Nomikos  and  are  operating  it  in  connec- 
tion with  their  other  southside  houses. 

Charles  W.  Koerner,  division  mana- 
ger for  RKO  in  New  England,  has  an- 
nounced a  remodeling  and  remodernizing 
program  for  the  RKO  Boston  theatre 
which  will  cost  $75,000.  This  work  will 
consist  of  new  seats,  new  carpets,  new  mar- 
quee and  vertical  sign  and  new  sound  equip- 
ment for  the  projection  booth.  In  addition 
the  stage  will  be  outfitted  with  new  stage 
equipment  including  lighting  fixtures. 

Ashley  Theatre  Corporation, 
Madison,  Wis.,  is  widening  the  aisles  of  its 
Garrick  theatre,  adding  new  seats,  reduc- 
ing the  capacity  from  850  to  about  800  and 
installing  a  new  sound  screen.  Complete 
remodeling  will  cost  approximately  $10,- 
000  with  the  house  scheduled  to  reopen  this 
fall. 

The  Fox  Milwaukee  Circuit  has 
made  improvements  to  its  Grace  theatre, 
including  new  ventilating  system,  screen, 
seats,  lights,  carpets,  front  and  canopy. 
The  house  was  dark  for  several  weeks 
during  the  alterations. 

The  new  Mode  theatre  in  Joliet,  111., 
has  been  opened  by  Eddie  Grossman  and 
Carl  Fulton.  This  is  the  first  of  a  se- 
ries of  new  theatres  they  are  building. 

Jules  M.  Parmentier,  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal stockholders  of  the  Green  Bay  Build- 
ing Corporation,  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  owner 
of  the  2300-seat  Bay  theatre,  has  announced 
that  Thomas  F.  Flannery,  of  Chicago, 
has  purchased  practically  alj  of  the  stock 
of  the  building  company.  It  is  reported  that 
the  Bay  Theatre,  Inc.,  will  continue  to  op- 
erate the  house. 

Joe  Charukas,  manager  of  the  Mont 
Clare  theatre  in  Chicago,  is  in  the  hospital 
recuperating  from  a  broken  leg.  He  slipped 
and  fell  in  the  bathtub  while  on  a  trip  to 
Texas.  He  was  removed  to  Chicago  on  a 
stretcher. 

N.  C.  Haefele,  manager  of  the  Nation- 
al Theatre  Supply  Company  in  Baltimore, 
has  sold  Louis  Tunick,  for  his  Hollywood 
theatre,  soon  to  be  opened  in  Arbutus,  Md., 
complete  booth  and  projection  equipment, 
curtain  controls  and  screen. 

The  Capitol,  A.  H.  Blank's  theatre  in 
Sioux  City,  la.,  was  closed  for  one  week 
for  complete  renovation,  which  included 
installation  of  RCA  sound  equipment,  a 
new  cooling  plant,  and  entire  new  front 
and  marquee. 

Henry  Sommers,  for  several  years  man- 
ager of  the  Indiana  in  Indianapolis,  has 
been  transferred  to  the  Palace,  at  Akron, 
Ohio.  He  succeeds  Holden  Swiger,  re- 
signed. Both  houses  are  Monarch  units. 


B.  D.  Cockrill,  manager  of  the  Den- 
ham  theatre,  Denver,  now  has  the  control- 
ling interest  in  the  house,  having  acquired 
it  from  the  Denham  Building  company. 

A.  M.  Weiss,  aged  58,  father  of  Al  F. 
Weiss,  manager  of  the  Olympia  theatre  in 
Miami,  Fla.,  died  recently. 

Ralph  Goldberg  of  Omaha,  who  oper- 
ates the  Town,  Avenue  and  Arbor  theatres, 
has  taken  over  the  Military,  953  seats,  the 
largest  suburban  house  in  Omaha,  from 
the  Military  Theatre  Corporation,  of 
which  Gordon  Ruth,  manager,  was  sec- 
retary-treasurer. Ruth  remains  as  house 
manager  for  Goldberg. 


Gerald  Hann  has  purchased  a  quarter 
interest  in  the  Rio  theatre,  Longview, 
Wash.,  from  H.  C.  Zurfluh. 

W.  M.  Troxell,  manager  of  the  Moon 
theatre  at  Wilber,  Neb.,  was  married  re- 
cently to  Miss  Grace  Churchill  of  Mal- 
vren,  la. 

George  Mann  and  Morgan  Walsh 
have  arranged  to  erect  two  theatres  at 
Woodland,  Calif.,  to  take  the  place  of  the 
house  destroyed  by  fire  several  months  ago. 
One,  the  State,  will  cost  about  $100,000; 
the  other,  called  the  Porter,  will  cost  about 
$50,000. 

[more  reports  on  following  page] 


A  Marquee  That  Really 

SELLS  SEATS 


Smart  and  Modern 

The  ZEPHYR 

UNIT  V-TYPE  MARQUEE 

radically  different,  with  its  V-shape, 
endorsed  by  leading  theatre  de- 
signers and  rated  by  Nela  Park 
engineers  100%  efficient  as 
against  all  other  types  at  20%- 
60%,  is  more  than  a  glorified  bul- 
letin—  it  invites  patronage  —  is  a 
persuasive  salesman. 


It  offers  for  the  first  time  a  really  high  quality  marquee  at  an 
unbelievable  low  price  because  basic  parts  are  standardized  and 
built  in  under  mass  production  methods. 


Yet,  every  Zephyr  is  strikingly 
different  in  appearance,  and  pro- 
vides a  front  of  sparkling  in- 
dividuality. You  have  your  choice 
of  a  variety  of  effects  including 
traveling  borders,  neon  borders, 
spectacular  effects,  name  in  neon, 


Q/iC  STANDARD 


ARTKRAFT 


color  schemes  and  ornamental 
trims. 

The  Zephyr  fits  any  front. 

Comes  complete  with  a  set  of  new 
modern  Artkraft  silhouette  letters 
which  are  easily  read  at  great 
distance. 


World's  Largest  Manu- 
facturers  of  All  Types 
of  Signs 


LIMA,  OHIO 


oj  COMPARISON 


130      SALES      OFFICES     THROUGHOUT  AMERICA 


August  22,  1936 


15 


J.  B.  Coverston  has  leased  the  Hook 
theatre  at  Gravette,  Ark.,  and  after  re- 
modeling, will  operate  it  as  the  Cozy. 

Roth  Hooks,  manager  of  the  new  Pal- 
ace theatre  in  Aliceville,  Ala.,  which  held 
its  grand  opening  this  month,  has  named 
Jim  Turnipseed  local  manager. 

S.  A.  Hines  is  manager  of  the  Bailey 
theatre  recently  opened  in  Winnfield.  P. 
K.  Smith  is  the  operator. 

Frank  Henson,  former  manager  of 
the  Bijou  in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  has  been 
shifted  to  the  resident  managership  of 
Loew's  Broad  in  Columbus,  Ohio.  Wil- 
liam Elder,  who  worked  up  to  an  as- 
sistant managership  from  a  doorman  posi- 
tion at  the  Bijou,  succeeds  Mr.  Henson. 

Harry  I.  Wasserman,  district  man- 
ager for  M.  &  P.  Theatres,  is  the  father 
of  a  7^-pound  daughter. 

Dubinsky  Brothers  will  build  a  new 
theatre  at  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  where  they 
operate  the  present  three  houses,  sometime 
this  summer.  The  house  will  be  a  dupli- 
cate of  the  Capitol  at  Jefferson  City,  Mo., 
which  Dubinskys  built  at  an  approximate 
cost  of  $60,000  last  spring. 

Plans  have  been  completed  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  new  $25,000  motion  picture  the- 
atre at  Oxford,  Miss.  Among  the 
principals  backing  the  new  project  is  R.  L. 
Smallwood,  Jr.,  prominent  attorney,  and 
others.  The  new  house  will  have  a  seat- 
ing capacity  of  750. 

N.  B.  Steen,  realtor  of  Wadsworth, 
Ohio,  and  owner  of  the  Strand  there,  will 
build  a  550-seat  modern  house  on  the  site 
of  the  Opera  House,  which  was  razed  a 


few  months  ago.  The  new  house  already 
has  been  leased  to  the  Wadsworth  Amuse- 
ment Company,  of  which  Earl  Seitz  is 
president.  The  same  company  is  lessee 
and  operator  of  the  Strand. 

Sam  Richmond,  formerly  of  Boston, 
has  resigned  as  manager  of  Keith's,  Fred- 
erick E.  Lieberman  circuit  house  in  Port- 
land, Me.  Mr.  Richmond  has  moved  to 
Providence  to  be  resident  manager  of  the 
Modern. 

R.  P.  Higgenbotham,  operator  of  the 
Pell  City,  Ala.,  theatre,  has  opened  the 
Rex  in  Goodwater,  Ala. 

Solomon  Brothers,  owners  of  several 
motion  picture  theatres  in  South  Missis- 
sippi, have  leased  a  large  building  in 
Columbia,  Miss.,  and  will  convert  it  into 
a  modern  theatre. 

C.  C.  McOllister  is  having  cooling 
equipment  installed  in  his  Nomar  theatre 
in  Wichita,  Kan.  A  well  is  being  dug 
on  the  premises  for  cold  water. 

Maurice  Cockery,  manager  of  the 
Central  Square  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  for 
M.  &  P.  Theatres,  has  been  appointed  to 
the  Cambridge  recreational  and  park  De- 
partment by  the  mayor. 

E.  E.  Lane  and  Roy  Palmer  have 
leased  the  theatre  in  Monte  Rio,  Cal.,  and 
plan  to  operate  it  during  the  vacation 
season. 

William  Gustine  has  purchased  the 
Kummeth  Building  in  Sanger,  Cal.,  and 
will  transform  it  into  a  theatre. 

A.  E.  Levin  and  George  Oppen  of 
San  Francisco,  have  awarded  preliminary 


M.  F.  Burns  (left)  and  Ralph  B.  Austrian,  who 
have  been  elected  assistant  vice  presidents  of 
RCA  Manufacturing  Company.  Mr.  Austrian, 
who  was  formerly  associated  with  Paramount 
Studios  in  Astoria,  L.  I.,  will  have  headquarters 
in  New  York  City.  Mr.  Burns'  background  em- 
braces extensive  work  as  sales  manager  for  RCA 
Radiotron.    He  has  been  assigned  to  Hollywood. 

contracts  for  the  construction  of  a  theatre 
seating  1000  in  Alameda,  Cal.  S.  Charles 
Lee  is  the  architect. 

The  Saenger  theatre  at  Hope,  Ark.,  one 
of  the  largest  houses  in  that  section  of  the 
State,  has  been  sold  by  J.  P.  Brundige  to 
Malco  Theaters,  Inc.,  according  to  M.  S. 
McCord,  secretary-treasurer  of  the  latter 
firm. 

George  Coleman,  assistant  to  Man- 
ager J.  A.  Goodwin  at  the  Scollay  Square 
in  Boston,  and  Frances  Buckley  of  Dor- 
chester, were  recently  married. 

J.  G.  McPherson  has  sold  the 
Vaudette  theatre  in  Brewton,  Ala.,  to  the 
Martin  Theatre  Circuit.  Mr.  McPher- 
son recently  sold  his  theatre  in  Atmore 
to  the  same  firm.  Extensive  plans  for 
remodeling  and  improving  the  theatres  are 
understood  to  be  under  way  by  the  new 
owners. 

M.  J.  Pellascio  has  taken  over  the 
Arena  Theatre  in  Point  Arena,  Calif.,  from 
Alonzo  Kendall. 

Pat  McSwain,  former  manager  of  the 
Criterion  theatre,  Spartanburg,  S.  C,  has 
joined  the  announcing  staff  of  Radio  Sta- 
tion WSPA  in  that  city. 

Managerial  changes  announced  recently 
by  Rick  Ricketson,  manager  of  the  In- 
termountain  division  for  Fox  Theatres, 
named  Tommy  Hawkins,  manager  of  the 
Rio  at  Helena,  Mont.;  and  Wayne 
Gossett,  assistant  manager  of  the  Isis, 
Denver.  The  latter  post  was  formerly 
held  by  John  Robinson,  who  is  now  as- 
sistant at  the  Rourke,  Lajunta,  Colo. 

H.  F.  Kennedy  and  his  son,  Howard 
Kennedy,  are  erecting  a  new  theatre  in 
Broken  Bow,  Neb.    It  will  seat  500. 

T.  &  D.  Jr.  Enterprises  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, has  purchased  the  building  at  Red- 
ding, Calif.,  occupied  by  the  Redding  the- 
atre, from  Mary,  Lena  and  Bessie  L. 
Golletti. 


New  lobby  front  of  Loew's  Stillman  in  Cleveland,  Jack  Lykes  manager.  Dignified  modernistic  effect, 
attractive  both  day  and  night,  is  achieved  by  body  of  green  marble,  with  black  base  border,  light 
yellow  top  border,  and  chromium  trimmings.     Lighting  is  a  combination  of  transparent  and  indirect. 


16 


Better  Theatres 


EQUIPMENT  «».<l  OPERATION 

A  DEPARTMENT  OF  PRACTICAL  MAINTENANCE   AND   OPERATING  SERVICE 
#  0  CONDUCTED    RY    J.    T.    KNIGHT,  JR. 


How  Any  Manager  Can  Test 
The  Condition  of  a  Heating  Plant 


•  Be  prepared  when  the  cold  snap  comes-inspect 
/our  heating  s/stem  now.  Here  is  detailed  the 
procedure  for  getting  the  information  you  need 


with  the  temperatures 
where  I  am,  soaring  around  100°  F.,  and 
the  wet  bulb  in  the  high  eighties,  it  is  hard 
to  concentrate  on  the  many  heating  prob- 
lems that  we  are  all  going  to  face  during 
the  next  winter.  However,  unless  we  keep 
a  jump  ahead  of  this  perpetual  maintenance 
problem  it  will  certainly  overtake  us  and 
pass  us  by. 

Heating  costs  are  substantial,  but  they 
pale  into  almost  insignificance  when  we 
compare  them  with  our  film  charges,  ad- 
vertising costs  or  even  our  electric  light 
and  power  bills  if  we  are  fortunate  enough 
to  have  refrigeration.  Inefficient  heating 
systems  actually  cause  inconvenience  from 
a  practical  operating  point  of  view  rather 
than  from  a  financial  viewpoint,  and  we 
never  know  just  how  many  people  stay 
away  from  the  theatre  because  it  is  too  cold. 
Consequently  it  becomes  a  very  real  prob- 
lem to  heat  a  theatre  both  properly  and 
economically. 

To  start  our  program  of  more  efficient 
heating  this  winter  first  calls  for  an  inspec- 
tion. Naturally  the  more  competent  the 
individual  making  this  inspection,  the  more 
benefits  to  be  derived.  The  fact  that  you 
have  never  really  made  an  inspection  of  a 
heating  plant  need  not  overawe  you.  Com- 
mon sense  combined  with  a  willingness  to 
get  dirty,  and  the  perseverence  to  make 
yourself  understand,  will  make  up  for  any 
lack  of  professional  or  engineering  knowl- 
edge. It  is  not  absolutely  necessary  that 
you  cover  the  whole  plant  in  one  day — just 
get  started  and  keep  at  it  until  you  have 
covered  the  entire  system. 

HOW    SYSTEM  WORKS 

We  all  know  that  steam  is  created  or 
generated  or  made  by  boiling  water.  To 
boil  water  requires  heat  and  to  obtain  heat 
something  must  be  burned ;  i.e.,  coal,  wood, 


rags,  paper,  gas,  oil,  etc.  Most  of  us  know, 
and  those  who  don't  will  find  out  now, 
that  it  requires  oxygen  to  make  things  burn. 
An  inexhaustible  supply  of  oxygen  is  at  our 
disposal,  contained  in  the  free  air  that  is 
about  us. 

Now  in  order  that  the  process  of  burning 
something,  or  combustion,  may  heat  water, 
the  water  must  be  brought  into  close  prox- 
imity to  the  burning  substance.  When  the 
steam  from  the  water  is  created  by  the 
heat,  if  not  enclosed  it  would  escape  into 
the  air  and  be  lost,  hence  we  confine  it  in 
a  boiler  and  a  system  of  pipes  and  radiators. 
When  the  steam  is  generated,  we  must 
guide  it  through  pipes  to  the  points  where 
we  want  to  make  use  of  it.  These  pipes 
should  be  free  from  obstruction  and  pro- 
vide as  easy  a  passage  for  the  steam  as 
possible. 

When  we  get  the  steam  to  the  point 
where  we  want  to  use  it  we  must  provide 
some  equipment  for  regaining  from  the 
steam  the  heat  which  the  burning  fuel  im- 
parted to  it.  This  piece  of  equipment  we 
call  a  radiator.  It  takes  heat  to  transform 
water  to  steam  and  the  same  amount  of 
heat  is  given  up  when  steam  is  converted 
back  (condenses)  to  water.  The  heat  ap- 
plied or  transferred  to  water  to  make 
steam  is  called  the  heat  of  vaporization. 
The  heat  given  up  when  steam  is  condensed 
into  water  might  be  called  the  heat  of  con- 
densation. Heat  of  vaporization  equals 
heat  of  condensation.  When  the  steam  has 
returned  to  the  form  of  water  we  don't 
want  to  throw  it  away  or  waste  it,  so  we 
provide  space  in  pipes  or  an  entirely  sep- 
arate piping  system  to  convey  the  water  of 
condensation  back  to  the  boiler. 

This,  in  the  simplest  words  at  my  com- 
mand, is  the  whole  principle  of  a  heating 
system.  Understanding  this  basic  idea,  it 
is  easy  to  see  that  all  of  the  accessories, 


traps,  valves,  pumps,  etc.,  are  designed  to 
aid  one  or  more  of  the  operations  and  make 
the  whole  system  more  efficient. 

INSPECTION 
PROCEDURE 

start  the  inspection 
equipped  with  a  good  flash  light,  a  pad  of 
paper  and  a  pencil  to  make  notes. 

1.  GRATE  BARS 

Open  all  the  fire-doors,  ash  pit-doors, 
clean-out  doors  and  all  access-doors  to  the 
boiler.  Examine  the  grate  bars.  Certainly 
anyone  can  tell  the  general  design  of  the 
grate  bars  and  can  see  whether  they  are 
warped  or  have  lugs  burned  or  broken  off, 
or  the  bar  broken  entirely.  Operate  the 
shaker  bar  and  satisfy  yourself  that  the 
grates  move  properly.  The  function  of 
the  grate  is  to  support  the  bed  of  hot  coals 
up  off  the  floor  so  that  air  can  circulate 
under  and  through  the  bed  of  coals.  They 
are  supposed  to  hold  the  hot  coals  until  they 
are  burned,  then  as  they  become  ash,  to  per- 
mit it  to  drop  through  into  the  ash  pit. 

It  is  a  natural  conclusion  that  the  size 
of  the  openings  in  the  grate  determines  the 
size  of  the  fuel  that  can  be  best  burned  on 
that  grate.  If  the  openings  in  the  grate  are 
too  large  and  the  coal  too  small,  then  the 
coal  will  fall  through  the  gate  into  the  ash 
pit  before  it  is  properly  burned.  If  the 
spaces  in  the  grate  are  too  small  and  the 
coal  too  large,  then  the  coal  can't  get 
enough  air  through  the  grate  to  burn  prop- 
erly, and  you  will  have  a  hard  time  getting 
a  hot  enough  fire  to  create  the  quantity  of 
steam  required.  So  the  size  of  the  fuel  in 
relation  to  the  grate  design  is  of  impor- 
tance. 

2.  INSIDE  BOILER 

Now  examine  the  surfaces  on  the  inside 
of  the  boiler  that  separate  the  fire  from  the 
water.  Most  naturally  a  thin  piece  of 
steel  plate  will  transmit  heat  more  quickly 
than  a  thick  piece  will.  So  if  there  has 
been  any  incrustation  of  scale,  soot  or  rust 
on  those  surfaces,  it  will  take  longer  for 
the  water  to  heat  up.  All  those  surfaces 
should  be  cleaned  very  thoroughly.  If  you 
will  carefully  examine  your  boiler,  you  will 


August  22,  1936 


17 


maintenance 

tabs 


Title  and  text  copyrighted     1936.    Reproduction  of  any  part  without  permission  is  expressly  forbidden 


PROTECT  VENTILATING  EQUIPMENT: 
When  the  summer  season  comes  to  a 
close,  that  is  the  time  to  clean  thor- 
oughly and  paint  up  your  ventilating 
equipment.  Don't  just  leave  it  to  rust 
and  corrode  during  the  winter  months, 
then  because  the  job  in  the  springtime 
is  a  hard,  dirty  one,  just  not  do  it. 

The  fans  should  be  scraped  and 
cleaned  with  a  wire  brush,  and  the  hous- 
ings and  supports  painted  with  the  best 
grade  of  aluminum  metal  paint,  having 
at  least  3'/2  pounds  of  the  powder 
mixed  into  one  gallon  of  the  vehicle.  A 
gallon  of  this  paint  will  cover  450  to  550 
square  feet.  Don't  buy  ready-mixed 
aluminum  paint.  The  fan  rotor,  shaft 
and  blades,  should  be  cleaned  carefully 
even  to  washing  with  gasoline  to  remove 
the  accumulation  of  dirt,  and  these 
painted  with  the  same  aluminum  paint. 

Wash  out  the  bearings,  oil  well  or 
grease  caps  with  gasoline,  and  lubricate 
thoroughly  with  fresh  clean  oil  or  grease. 
Paint  the  bearing  housings  a  nice  shiny 
black.  Be  sure  that  no  paint  gets  into 
the  bearings  or  into  the  oiling  system. 

Clean  up  the  motor,  and  paint  it  if 
you  wish,  but  don't  paint  over  the  name 
plate.  Wash  out  the  bearings  and  re- 
fill the  oil  wells  with  clean  oil.  Then  get 
a  large  piece  of  clean  cloth  and  tie  it 
over  the  motor  to  keep  out  the  dust 
during  the  months  when  it  is  idle. 

Slacken  the  belts — not  too  much,  but 
just  enough  to  equalize  the  strain  on 
them.  Clean  out  the  starter  switch  and 
fuse  box,  and  be  sure  that  the  covers  to 
these  boxes  are  snapped  shut. 

BUILDING  INSULATION:  With  winter 
coming  on  I  want  to  call  your  attention 
again  to  the  benefits  from  the  stand- 
point of  comfort  and  secondary  savings 
resulting  from  the  installation  of  build- 
ing insulation.  Actual  installations  have 
left  no  room  for  doubt  as  to  its  real 
value   in   theatre  operation.    It  won't 


cost  a  dime  to  have  your  theatre  sur- 
veyed for  insulation,  and  calculation 
made  indicating  just  what  insulation  can 
do  for  you. 

Really  the  basic  load  on  any  heating 
plant,  after  the  building  has  once  been 
brought  up  to  occupancy  temperature, 
say  72°,  is  just  to  replace  the  heat  losses 
from  the  building.  In  installing  insula- 
tion the  theatre  can  be  brought  up  to 
72°  with  less  firing  hours  of  the  boiler, 
and  the  temperature  can  be  maintained 
with  greater  facility  because  the  heat 
losses  are  reduced  from  30%  to  35%, 
consequently  the  rate  of  heat  loss  has 
been  reduced.  It  is  that  rate  of  heat 
loss  that  build  up  the  load  on  the  boiler. 

For  instance,  the  rate  of  heat  loss  on 
a  winter  afternoon  is  lower  than  the  rate 
of  heat  loss  at  8:30  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, consequently  we  have  to  tax  the 
boiler  to  capacity  in  the  evening  and 
can  let  it  almost  idle  in  the  afternoon. 
Insulation  will  reduce  the  rate  of  heat 
loss  as  well  as  it  reduces  the  total  quan- 
tity of  heat  lost.  The  subject  of  insula- 
tion has  been  previously  covered. 

Glass  has  become  an  architectural, 
structural  material.  Today,  because  of 
its  newness  and  color  effects,  it  is  ex- 
tremely theatrical.  It  is  not  inexpensive, 
but  it  is  easy  to  maintain  and  looks  dis- 
tinctive and  rich.  Glass  is  now  even 
used  for  floors,  roofs  and  walls,  in  addi- 
tion to  being  applied  to  walls  as  wain- 
scoting and  decoration.  Hollow  glass 
units  are  now  available  for  walls,  and 
vacuum  units  are  now  available  for  use 
in  walls  for  insulation  against  heat,  cold 
or  noise. 

Structural  glass  is  manufactured  from 
feldspar,  clay,  sand  and  manganese, 
vitrified  with  intense  heat  and  rolled 
into  slabs  of  varying  thicknesses.  It  has 
great  possibilities  for  theatrical  pur- 
poses, and  is  entirely  practicable  from 
the  point  of  view  of  maintenance. 


find  that  the  flame  from  the  fire  and  the 
very  hot  gases  resulting  from  the  burning 
of  the  fuel  are  guided  back  and  forth  and 
around  in  between  hollow  sections  of  metal 
that  contain  the  boiler  water.  This  is  done 
for  the  purpose  of  transferring  to  the  water 
every  bit  of  heat  possible  from  the  combus- 
tion or  burning  of  the  fuel.  Consequently 
all  of  those  surfaces  should  be  free  from 
soot  and  scale.    You  will  find  access  doors 


provided  so  that  these  surfaces  can  be  thor- 
oughly cleaned. 

(Now,  let's  be  honest:  Is  there  anything 
up  to  this  point  that  an  intelligent  theatre 
manager  can't  do  because  he's  not  an  engi- 
neer?) 

3.  BREECHING 

The  flue  gases,  smoke  and  excess  air  that 
has  passed  through  the  bed  of  coals,  fire- 


box and  flues,  finally  leaves  the  boiler 
through  a  sheet  metal  or  brick  pipe  that 
connects  to  the  stack  (smoke  stack)  ;  this 
connection  from  the  boiler  to  the  stack  is 
called  the  breeching.  The  breeching  con- 
nection is  usually  very  nearly  horizontal 
and  varies  in  length  from  a  few  feet  to  8 
or  10  yards.  Because  of  the  tendency  of 
the  flue  gases  to  slow  down  in  the  breech- 
ing, the  gases  deposit  much  soot  and  fine 
ash  which  because  of  their  velocity  they  had 
carried  along  from  the  firebox.  Most  nat- 
urally the  breeching  should  be  cleaned  out. 
There  usually  is  and  always  should  be  an 
access  door  for  this  purpose. 

4.  INSULATION 

A  boiler  filled  with  hot  water  and  gener- 
ating steam  will  radiate  to  the  air  of  the 
boiler  room  a  great  quantity  of  heat.  Such 
heat  is  wasted  because  we  don't  need  heat 
in  the  boiler  room,  and  we  don't  operate 
the  boiler  for  that  purpose.  This  heat  loss 
can  be  minimized  by  applying  to  the  outside 
of  the  boiler  asbestos  plaster  from  2  to  3 
inches  thick.  This  plaster  should  always 
be  applied  on  wire  reinforcement.  If  your 
boiler  is  not  covered,  then  take  steps  to 
have  it  covered.  If  the  covering  now  on  is 
cracked  or  falling  off,  have  it  repaired. 

5.  FUSIBLE  PLUG 

Further  examination  of  the  boiler  will 
reveal  several  things — first,  a  fusible  plug. 
The  exact  location  of  the  fusible  plug  is 
dependent  upon  the  make  and  model  of  the 
boiler.  The  duty  to  be  performed  by  this 
plug  is  (what  the  name  implies)  to  melt 
at  a  pre-determined  temperature  and  re- 
lease all  of  the  water  from  the  boiler.  De- 
pending upon  the  exact  composition  of  the 
fusible  alloy  of  the  plug,  the  degree  of  tem- 
perature at  which  it  will  melt  is  pre-deter- 
mined. Fusible  plugs  may  be  obtained  with 
ratings  over  a  rather  narrow  range  of  melt- 
ing temperatures.  In  many  states  the  law 
requires  that  fusible  plugs  be  renewed  every 
year,  also  many  boiler  insurance  companies 
insist  upon  this  requirement. 

6.  SAFETY  VALVE 

The  next  adjunct  of  the  bpiler  to  note 
is  the  safety  valve.  This  is  usually  located 
on  top  of  the  boiler.  Have  the  safety  valve 
removed,  taken  apart,  cleaned  and  reassem- 
bled. See  that  it  is  set  at  15  pounds  and 
re-installed  in  the  boiler.  The  safety  valve 
is  designed  to  release  the  pressure  of  steam 
from  within  the  boiler  should  it  any  time 
exceed  15  pounds  pressure  per  square  inch. 

8.    WATER  TEST 

It  is  purely  a  mechanical  design  and  anyone 
is  capable  of  understanding  its  principle  if 
he  will  take  the  time  to  examine  it. 

7.  PRESSURE  GAUGE 

Now  turn  your  attention  to  the  pressure 
gauge.  Don't  try  to  dismantle  the  pres- 
sure gauge  and  make  any  adjustments.  If 
the  glass  is  broken,  that  of  course  can  be 
replaced  locally.  Pressure  guages  for  low- 
pressure  boilers  cost  only  about  five  dollars 
pnd  every  theatre  can  afford  to  have  two. 
They  should  be  installed  on  a  small  T-pipe 


18 


Better  Theatres 


VITROLI 


Your  theatre  can  be  made  more  attractive  through  the  use  of  a  modern 
colorful  application  of  Vitrolite.  For  fronts,  lobbies,  ticket  booths,  lounges, 
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Vitrolite  comes  in  many  colors  ideally  suited  for  any  decorative 
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The  splendor  of  its  gleaming  surface  does  not  mar,  check,  or  craze.  It 
will  last  a  lifetime  and  never  grows  dull.  A  damp  cloth  cleans  it  instantly. 

Vitrolite  installations  in  many  of  the  country's  most  prominent  theatres 
have  definitely  proven  its  ability  to  increase  patronage.  Ease  and  econ- 
omy of  installation  makes  it  desirable  for  either  remodeling  or  new  jobs. 

For  windows,  specify  L-O-F  quality  glass.    For  interiors,  mirrors  cf  l-O-F  polished  p,o,e  g,oss 
C/eor  or  in  colors,  offer  unlimited  decorative  architectural  possibilities. 

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LIBBEY*  OWENS  •  FORD  GLASS  COMPANY 


i 


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Vitrolite  Division,  Libbey-Owens-Ford  Glass  Company  K'8 
208  W.  Washington  St..  Chicago 

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Name 


Address 


ru.. 


NO  IV  IN  CIRCULATION 


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— 1** 


Edited  by 

TERRY  RAMSAYE 


KNOW  YOUR  INDUSTRY 
—And  Your  Equipment  Market 


Included  in  the  new  1936-37  International 
Motion  Picture  Almanac  is  a  detailed  direc- 
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and  their  executives.  Also,  a  complete  list 
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connection  with  a  small  valve  between  each 
valve  and  the  boiler,  so  that  only  one  gauge 
need  be  under  pressure  of  the  boiler  during 
actual  operation  of  the  boiler.  Therefore, 
at  this  point,  if  your  boiler  has  only  one 
gauge,  buy  another  and  install  it  as  sug- 
gested, then  you  will  have  some  reasonable 
means  of  checking  the  correctness  of  the 
old  gauge.  If  one  gauge  is  found  to  regis- 
ter incorrectly  it  should  be  discarded  and 
replaced  or  sent  back  to  the  factory  for 
repair. 

For  the  moment  let's  assume  that  all 
connections  to  the  boiler  are  tight.  Some- 
where along  the  top  of  the  boiler  you  will 
notice  a  large  pipe  that  has  several  connec- 
tions into  the  main  water  or  steam  com- 
partment of  the  boiler.  This  pipe  is  often 
referred  to  as  the  steam  riser  header. 
From  this  header  various  steam  rises  take 
off,  and  these  steam  risers  serve  the  vari- 
ous portions  of  the  theatre.  Each  riser 
taking  off  from  the  header  should  have  a 
valve  in  it  somewhere  close  to  the  main 
steam  header.  If  one  or  more  risers  have 
no  valve  in  them,  you  certainly  should  have 
valves  installed.  Depending  upon  the  size 
of  the  risers,  the  installation  of  these  shut- 
off  valves  are  costly  or  inexpensive. 

Every  low-pressure  boiler  is  required  to 
stand  a  15-pound  per  square  inch  internal 
pressure.  Pressures  in  excess  of  that  will 
be  released  by  operation  of  the  safety  valve. 
Now  we  want  to  put  a  15-pound  pressure 
test  on  the  boiler  to  determine  leaks  and 
whether  the  boiler  is  safe  for  operation  at 
pressures  less  than  15  pounds.  This  test  is 
made  with  water  pressure.  Close  all  the 
steam  riser  valves,  also  close  the  valves  on 
the  condensation  returns  to  the  boiler. 
Then  go  to  the  city  water  line  that  feeds 
the  boiler,  watch  your  gauges  carefully, 
turn  on  the  feed  water  valve  and  let  the 
boiler  fill.  As  the  pressure  increases,  as 
indicated  on  the  gauges,  note  whether  the 
two  gauges  register  exactly  alike.  As  the 
gauges  approach  a  reading  of  15  pounds, 
begin  to  close  down  on  the  water  valve  and 
at  just  a  fraction  of  a  pound  under  15 
pounds,  shut  the  water  valve  tight. 

Now  the  boiler,  we  will  say,  is  under 
14%  pounds  pressure.  It  should  hold  that 
pressure  indefinitely.  Watch  the  gauges: 
if  that  indicator  on  the  gauges  shows  any 
lessening  of  pressure,  it  means  that  the 
boiler  is  leaking  or  that  one  of  the  valves 
in  the  steam  risers  is  leaking  and  letting 
water  into  the  risers;  or  that  one  of  the 
valves  in  the  condensation-returns  is  leak- 
ing and  permitting  water  to  back  up  into 
those  return  lines.  Perhaps  one  or  two  of 
the  valves  are  leaking  around  the  stem 
packing — this,  of  course,  can  be  seen  with 
your  eyes. 

Examine  the  boiler  inside  and  out  for 
leaks.  If  the  boiler  has  an  asbestos  cover- 
ing, it  may  be  some  time  before  a  leak  is 
evident  on  the  outside,  therefore  don't  rush 
this  part  of  the  inspection. 

Now  let's  assume  that  the  boiler  is  tight 
and  that  the  pressure  is  slowly  declining. 
Externally  the  valves  look  all  right,  so  the 
conclusion  is  reached  that  one  of  the  valves, 
either  in  the  risers  or  the  returns,  is  not 
seating  properly  and  is  leaking.    This  con- 


THE 

ONLY 

CLEANER 

that  meets  and  beats 

THEATRE 

TRAFFIC 


The  New 
SUPER  SUCTION 

cleans  your  house  in  half  the 
time,  and  saves  hundreds  of 
dollars  in  pay  roll. 


It  gives  speed,  power,  portability, 
and  works  nicely  around  seats 
where  brooms  and  brushes  can- 
not reach. 

The  Floor-Light  attachment  allows 
the  equivalent  of  daylight  condi- 
tions, with  all  the  houselights 
off. 

Special  tools  are  provided  for 
floors,  walls,  ceilings,  draperies, 
and  all  easily  neglected  spots. 
Frequent  screen  cleaning  hereto- 
fore impractical,  is  made  easy. 

Write  for  details  of  the  free  5-day 
self-demonstration,  without  obliga- 
tion to  buy. 

Weekly  payments  as  low  as  $4.00 
Ask  your  jobber  or  write 

The  National  Super 
Service  Co. 

T941  North  13th  Street 
TOLEDO,  OHIO 


August  22,  1936 


21 


WORLD'S  GREATEST = 
RLOWER  VALUE 


WOLVERINE 

DIRECT  SNOT  BLOWER 

•  Variable  Speed  Control 

•  Ball  Bearings  Set  in  Solid  Rubber 
Pillow  Blocks 

•  Easily  Changed  to  Exhaust  Fan  in 
Winter 

•  Quickly  Installed 

•  Silent 

•  Three  models  furnishing  5,100  to  10,000  cu.  ft. 
per  min.  on  1/3  to  I  H.P.  110  or  220  volt  motors. 
Prices,     including     V-Belt    and     Pulleys,  start 

at  $67.50. 

Write  for  folder  on  complete  line. 

IWOLVERI  NEHH 
'BLOWER  WORKS1 


412  Prospect  Ave.  N.  E. 
Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 


SAVE  YOUR 
MAGNARC  REFLECTORS 

To  install — simply  unfasten  the  lower  screw 
on  the  present  positive  guide — place  the  at- 
tachment  in   place   and   replace   same  screw. 

Install  a  Pair  of  Carbon  Guide 
Attachments  —  Price  $5.00  Pair 
Sold  by 

NATIONAL  THEATRE  SUPPLY  CO. 

Branches  In  All  Principal  Cities 
Manufactured  by 

MATHEWS  MFG.  COMPANY 

1449  N.  Spaulding  Ave.  Chicago  111. 


CORRECTION 

•  In  the  June  27  issue  of  BETTER 
THEATRES  we  carried  an  advertise- 
mentforRINO  URINALSOLUTION. 
There  was  an  error  in  the  price. 

RINO  is  sold  for  $1.75  per  gallon. 

HORDEL  COMPANY,  Inc. 

17  East  42nd  St.,  New  York  City 


Winter  Air  -  Conditioning 

•  For  hot  air  heating  plants  saves  fuel — filters 
air — circulates  air — especially  designed  for  the- 
atres— write  for  full  details. 

TAYLOR  MANUFACTURING  CO. 

314    Monroe    Avenue,    Grand    Rapids,  Mich. 


dition  can  frequently  be  detected  by  the  ear. 
A  good  way  to  listen  to  what's  going  on 
inside  the  valves  is  by  use  of  a  stick.  Take 
a  piece  of  wood,  say  J^-inch  square  by  2 
feet  long,  place  one  end  of  it  solidly  against 
the  valve  and  the  other  end  solidly  against 
the  head  in  the  vicinity  of  the  ear.  By 
comparison  of  what  you  hear  at  one  valve 
with  what  is  heard  at  another  valve  you 
will  generally  be  able  to  determine  the  leak- 
ing valve.  Leaking  valves  on  steam  risers 
to  unoccupied  spaces  will  add  materially  to 
fuel  bills  each  year. 

Now  that  every  thing  is  tight,  or  at  least 
that  we  have  definite  knowledge  as  to  loca- 
tions of  leaks,  let  us  complete  the  pressure 
test.  Remember  the  safety  valve  is  set  for 
15  pounds.  Go  to  the  feed  water  valve, 
and  still  watching  the  gauges,  crack  the 
valve  slowly  so  that  the  pressure  in  the 
boiler  builds  up  to  15  pounds  pressure. 
Both  gauges  should  read  exactly  the  same 
and  at  the  moment  they  record  15  pounds, 
the  safety  valve  should  let  go.  At  this  mo- 
ment you  will  get  a  shower  of  water,  and, 
of  course,  you  then  shut  the  feed  water  in- 
let valve  that  you  have  been  operating. 
If  the  gauges  should  register  15  pounds 
and  the  safety  valve  not  release,  then,  of 
course,  the  thing  to  do  is  to  release  some 
of  the  pressure  and  examine,  adjust  or  re- 
place the  safety  valve  so  that  it  will  op- 
erate at  15  pounds  pressure. 

9.    AUTOMATIC  FEED 

After  carefully  conducting  this  water 
test,  a  manager  should  know  a  good  deal 
about  his  boiler.  There  are  one  or  two 
other  pieces  of  equipment  that  might  be 
found  connected  to  the  boiler.  If  the  boiler 
is  not  already  equipped  with  an  automatic 
boiler  water  feed,  it  certainly  should  be. 
An  automatic  water  feed  can  be  connected 
to  the  average  theatre  boiler  for  about  $35, 
and  it  is  fine  insurance  against  cracked 
sections  and  the  resulting  shut-down  and 
inconvenience.  No  matter  whether  or  not 
your  boiler  is  insured,  the  inconvenience 
and  possible  box  office  loss  generally  means 
that  we  are  the  loser  whether  or  not  we 


collect  for  the  physical  damage  to  the 
boiler. 

I  0.    WATER  SIGHT 

The  water  level  line  in  the  boiler  is  im- 
portant. This  is  indicated  by  the  water 
sight  glass  usually  installed  on  the  right 
hand  side  of  the  boiler.  Somewhere  on  the 
metal  portion  of  the  boiler  the  manufac- 
turer has  indicated  in  raised  letters  on  the 
casting  the  proper  water  level  for  that  par- 
ticular boiler.  If  this  has  been  covered  up 
with  the  asbestos  covering,  remove  enough 
to  determine  where  it  is,  then  when  the 
covering  has  been  replaced,  paint  a  conspic- 
uous line  on  the  covering  that  shows  the 
proper  water  level  in  the  boiler.  Depend- 
ing upon  the  design  of  the  boiler  and  the 
system  it  serves,  as  little  as  an  inch  and  a 
half  difference  in  water  level  will  be  the 
difference  between  good  and  bad  results. 

It  is  because  of  the  importance  of  water 
level  that  the  automatic  water  feed  proves 
its  worth.  The  usual  type  of  boiler  water 
feed  mechanism  is  just  a  float  valve,  simi- 
lar in  principle  to  the  float  valve  found  in 
any  toilet  flush  tank,  but,  of  course,  it  is 
more  carefully  manufactured  and  more 
sure  of  operation.  The  adjustments  are 
such  that  it  operates  accurately  within  nar- 
rower differences  of  water  level.  Auto- 
matic water  feeds  should  be  taken  apart  at 
least  once  each  year  for  cleaning. 

Previously  in  Better  Theatres  we 
have  explained  in  detail  how  to  clean  the 
sight  glass  indicating  the  water  level.  That 
method  is  still  good.  Naturally,  there's  no 
use  in  having  a  water  sight  glass  if  it  is  so 
dirty,  but  one  can't  detect  the  height  of 
water  in  it.  Also  we  have  previously  ex- 
plained a  method  of  cleaning  the  inside 
(water  side)  surfaces  of  the  boiler.  It  is 
quite  evident  that  any  accumulation  of 
scale,  corrosion  or  sediment  inside  the 
boiler  will  materially  reduce  its  efficiency. 

I  still  insist  that  a  theatre  manager  need 
have  had  no  technical  or  mechanical  train- 
ing in  order  to  conduct  a  test  and  inspec- 
tion as  outlined.  I  shall  continue  this  dis- 
cussion in  the  Sept.  19th  issue. — /.  T.  K. 


Monitor  Horn  Designed 
On  the  Shearer  Principle 


monitor  speaker  equip- 
ment incorporating  some  of  the  principles 
of  horn  design  applied  in  the  Shearer  "two- 
way"  system  recently  introduced,  has  been 
developed  by  Lansing  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany of  Los  Angeles  for  direct  program 
monitoring  and  public  address  systems. 

The  monitor  is  50  inches  wide  by  27 
inches  high  by  27  inches  deep,  and  is  de- 
signed to  give  a  performance  closely  fol- 
lowing the  general  characteristics  of  the 
theatre  system  so  far  as  size  permits. 

Like  the  Lansing-Shearer  theatre  speaker 
system,  the  new  "Monitor"  is  equipped 
with  a  high-  and  a  low-frequency  unit, 
also  of  Lansing  make,  together  with  suit- 
able horns  and  dividing  network.  Stan- 
dard equipment  includes  moving  coil  type 


unit  for  frequencies  from  500  to  8,000 
c.p.s.,  and  a  15-inch  dynamic  cone-type 
speaker,  delivering  from  40  to  500  c.p.s., 
or  a  larger  unit  may  be  substituted. 


22 


Better  Theatres 


Air  Circulator 
With  Dual  Wave 
Type  Propeller 

effective  air  motion  in 
large  rooms,  like  the  auditoriums  and  lob- 
bies of  theatres,  through  the  use  of  en- 
tirely portable  circulating  fans,  has 
been  sought  in  the  design  of  the  Roto- 
Beam  circulator  installed  in  a  number  of 
theatres  this  summer.  It  is  a  blade-pro- 
peller type  capable  of  operating  at  three 
speeds. 

There  are  three  sizes,  but  only  the  two 
larger  sizes  would  be  ordinarily  suited  to 
theatre  work — that  with  a  blade  of  20 


Roto-Beam  propeller  (on  bracket  fixture). 

inches  in  diameter,  and  that  with  a  24-inch 
blade.  Except  when  it  is  desired  to  "flush" 
out  the  theatre  before  the  first  perform- 
ance, operation  of  the  fans  at  middle  speed 
is  preferable,  at  which  the  noise  level  is 
low  enough  to  prevent  interference  with 
the  dialogue  and  music  of  the  perform- 
ance. 

At  middle  speed,  the  24-inch  propeller 
moves  7,500  cubic  feet  of  air  per  minute 
at  a  rate  of  15  miles  per  hour  (at  point  of 
emanation).  The  20-inch  propeller,  at 
mid-speed,  moves  8,500  cubic  feet  of  air 


Diagram  of  Roto-Beam  air  motion. 


per  minute  at  a  rate,  of  19  miles  per  hour 
(a  higher  r.p.m.  rating  accounts  for  these 
figures  being  larger  than  those  for  the 
24-inch  fan,  and  of  course  there  thus  is  a 
higher  noise  level  for  the  20-inch  fan). 

These  fans  are  heavily  constructed  and 
are  operated  from  a  heavy  stand  that 
stands  9  feet  above  the  floor,  or  from 
heavy  brackets  that  can  be  secured  to  the 
wall. 

The  design  of  the  Roto-Beam  propeller 
is  really  the  distinguishing  feature  of  this 

August  22,  1936 


The  comfort  afforded  by  modern  theatre  seating — quickly  pays  for  itself 
out  of  increased  receipts. 

Write  for  literature  and  the  name  of  the  nearest  Ideal  Chair  representa- 
tive. Have  him  tell  you  about 

*  the  distinctive  design, 

*  the  advantages  of  the  patented  full  ball-bearing,  full 
compensating,  and  self-aligning  hinge  and  the  six  cushion- 
ing stops  which  afford  smooth,  easy,  absolutely  silent 
operation, 

*  the  extra  comfort  of  the  serviceable  Relaxon  deep  spring 
construction  cushions, 

*  the  staunch  construction  which  withstands  years  of 
severest  usage  without  constant  servicing, 

*  the  patented  standards,  which  permit  a  six-inch  adjust- 
ment of  the  seat  to  proper  height.  Cast  iron  construc- 
tion assures  rigidity,  while  the  steel  hinge  permits 
flexibility  where  most  needed. 

*  the  fine  fabrics  used  in  the  upholstery — flexible  materials, 
positively  break  and  crack-proof,  even  on  the  edges — 
color  and  rub-proof  —  secure  against  discoloration  when 
exposed  to  perspiration — never  sticky  from  heat. 

*  No  oiling  or  servicing  is  required  as  the  bearings  are 
packed  in  grease  and  completely  enclosed  and  protected 
from  dust  and  dirt. 

IDEAL  SEATING  CO.,  Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 

"First  Choice  of  Chains  and  Independents" 


AIR  CONDITIONING  CHARTS 

that  represent  standard  practice  in  air  conditioning  for  motion  picture 
theatres.  Practical  advice  on  how  to  attain  the  best  atmospheric  condi 
tions  for  your  house  winter  and  summer.  Devised  to  be  put  on  the  wall 
for  constant  reference.  Available  until  the  supply  is  exhausted  at  25  cents 
each,  payment  with  order.  Write  direct  to 

QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP 

ROCKEFELLER  CENTER  NEW  YORK 


Did  you  get 
your  copy  of 

Richardson's 
BLUEBOOK  of 
PROJECTION 

•  The  sixth  edition,  all  new  from 
cover  to  cover,  is  now  avail- 
able. 

The  Bluebook  contains  714 
pages  plus  153  illustrations.  It 
details  and  describes  every 
piece  of  sound  and  projection 
apparatus  in  the  modern  projec 
tion  booth  and  gives  all  in- 
structions for  operation  and 
maintenance.  It  includes  a 
complete  trouble-shooting  de- 
partment as  a  first  aid  in  break- 
downs and  features  a  quick-find- 
ing index  system  that  provides 
the  answer  immediately  to  any 
projection  problem. 

Don't  put  off  owning  a  Blue 
book.  You  will  find  it  indis 
pensable  as  a  daily  reference. 

Price  $5.25  Postpaid 


QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP 

Rockefeller  Center,  New  York 


fan.  On  examination  it  seems  to  be,  in 
its  form,  more  on  the  order  of  a  ship  pro- 
peller than  an  aeroplane  propeller.  The 
result  of  the  unusual  design  is  that  from 
the  center  of  the  fan  a  spiraling  beam  of 
air  at  high  velocity  is  projected,  and  this 
central  beam  is  surrounded  by  a  spiraling 
tube  of  air  at  lower  velocity.  This  phe- 
nomena accounts  for  the  remarkable  as- 
pirating and  entraining  effect  of  the  Roto- 
Beam  air  shaft  and  its  tremendous  throw. 


Air  motion  is  one  of  three  important  re- 
quirements of  air  conditioning.  The  Roto- 
Beam  air  circulator  produces  effective  and 
efficient  air  motion  when  so  placed  that  the 
beam  is  directed  above  the  heads  of  the 
occupants  of  an  auditorium,  and  it  defi- 
nitely has  a  place  in  theatre  lobbies,  foy- 
ers, both  summer  and  winter.  Careful 
study  as  to  proper  locations  for  this  equip- 
ment is  essential  for  satisfactory  results. — 
/.  T.  K. 


All  Operating  Parts  Sealed 
In  New  Refrigeration  Machine 


HERMETICALLY  SEALED 
air-conditioning  condensing  units  with 
nominal  ratings  from  7  to  22  tons  cooling 
capacity,  just  brought  out  by  the  Westing- 
house  Electric  &  Manufacturing  Company 
(Mansfield,  Ohio),  have  the  motor  com- 
pletely enclosed  with  the  compressor, 
eliminating  the  shaft  seal,  for  the  purpose 
of  preventing  dust,  dirt  and  moisture  from 
reaching  working  parts.  The  rotor  of  the 
driving  motor  is  overhung  from  the  main 
rear  compressor  bearing  on  a  short  stubby 
extension  of  the  compressor  crankshaft. 
This  gives  an  ultra-compact  direct  drive, 
makes  oiling  the  motor  unnecessary,  and 
eliminates  use  of  belts  and  pulleys. 

The  motor  is  water-cooled,  making  the 
unit  suitable  for  installation  in  unventilated 
locations. 

The  direct  drive  motor  and  compressor 
are  mounted  on  a  common  crankshaft  to 
eliminate  "lining  up"  problems  and  power 
losses  incident  to  pulley  and  belt  drive. 
Water-cooling  of  the  motor  permits  instal- 
lation in  enclosed  spaces.  Previous  designs 
of  condensing  units  have  provided  water 
cooling  for  condenser  and  compressor  but 
not  for  the  motor.  These  new  units  em- 
ploy a  water  jacket  around  the  motor, 
within  the  motor  housing,  through  which 
water  circulates  constantly.  Oil  going 
through  the  system  comes  into  contact  also 
with  this  cooled  jacket,  is  itself  cooled,  and 
serves  also  to  cool  the  entire  operating 
mechanism.  There  is  only  one  external 
pipe,  reducing  the  possibility  of  leaks  and 


simplifying  field  installation,  since  fewer 
connections  are  required. 

The  unit  uses  a  simple  oil  pump  forcing 
complete  distribution  of  the  oil  to  every 
part  of  the  unit.  Pump  is  directly  driven 
from  the  main  crankshaft  by  means  of  a 
noiseless  Micarta  gear.  The  pump  consists 
only  of  two  rotating  gears,  which  pump  the 
oil  from  the  reservoir,  strain  it  through  a 
fine  mesh  metal  screen  and  deliver  it 
through  rifle-drilled  passages  in  crankshaft 
and  connecting  rods  to  all  bearing  surfaces. 
Oil  pumped  with  the  refrigerant  is  re- 
moved from  the  refrigerant  by  a  simple  oil 
separator,  with  no  moving  parts,  is  strained 
and  returns  for  recirculation. 

A  series  parallel  condenser  manifold  per- 
mits use  with  either  city  water  or  cooling 
tower.  A  simple  manifold  allows  the 
selection  of  pressure  drop  through  the  con- 
denser, by  placing  two  sets  of  coils  in  either 
series  or  parallel,  to  best  suit  local  condi- 
tions. A  pilot  operated  water  valve  is 
used  for  reliable  control. 

The  mechanical  adjustments  are  made 
through  side  service  plates.  The  entire  op- 
erating mechanism  can  be  exposed  by  re- 
moving the  side  plates  from  the  crankcase 
casting.  No  refrigerant  or  water  lines  need 
to  be  disconnected  to  service  the  interior  of 
the  unit.  The  unit  itself  is  not  disturbed 
in  any  way.  Bolts  holding  the  plates  in 
position  are  removed  and  tightly  screwed 
up  again  when  adjustments  have  been  made. 
The  oil  pump  is  also  accessible.  All  major 
parts  are  interchangeable. 


Recent  designs  in  modern  metal  -furniture  suitable  to  theatres.  These  models,  from  the  line  of  the  Elec- 
tric Welding  Company  of  McKees  Rock,  Pa.,  are  adapted  to  lounges  and  foyers.  Any  of  them  are 
obtainable  in  either  enamel  or  cadmium  frame  finishes,  or  in  stainless  steel  construction.  There  are 
no  screws  or  bolts,  all  joints  being  welded,  while  construction  is  of  solid,  not  tubular,  metal.  Fabrics 
cover  a  wide  range  of  texture,  weave,  pattern  and  color,  while  either  Pyroxylin  coated  fabric  or  gen- 
uine leather  are  also  available  for  coverings.  Both  of  the  chairs  illustrated  have  padded  backs  and  seats. 
The  divan  is  of  deep-upholstered  lounge  type  of  a  width  to  accommodate  three  people. 


24 


Better  Theatres 


Projector  Base 
With  Moving 
Parts  Reduced 

A  NEW  heavy  projector 
base,  developed  by  Edward  H.  Wolk  of 
Chicago,  features  in  its  design  very  few 
moving  parts.  All  wiring  is  fully  enclosed 
and  comes  through  the  floor  to  a  distribu- 
ting panel,  from  which  it  is  fanned  out  to 


the  various  locations,  with  double-plugging 
receptacles  in  the  front  of  the  base  to  the 
foot  switch  on  the  bottom  of  the  base,  and 
to  the  lamphouses  through  large  federal 
receptacles  on  the  back  of  the  base. 

This  base  is  heavy,  and  the  table  casting 
is  mounted  directly  to  it.  The  base  carries 
an  adjustable  lamphouse  carriage,  that  can 
be  readily  moved  from  side  to  side.  The 
base  accommodates  a  16-inch  or  18-inch 
magazine  with  room  to  spare  at  any  angle. 

Factors  in 
Newsreel  Theatre 
Air-Conditioning 

CHIEFLY  BECAUSE  of 
rapid  audience  turnover,  newsreel  theatres 
present  special  problems  in  air-conditioning, 
and  of  special  interest,  therefore,  are  the 
operating  data  now  available  on  the  first 
summer  season  of  the  Newsreel  theatre  in 
Newark,  New  Jersey.  Sixteen  showings 
are  made  daily,  from  8  a.m.  until  midnight. 
This  audience  turnover  necessitates  air 
conditions  that  will  not  produce  shock  to 
the  bodily  temperature  of  patrons  on  en- 
tering, yet  provide  the  desired  comfort 
while  the  show  is  being  viewed. 

During  a  recent  hot  spell  when  the  out- 
side thermometer,  during  the  daytime,  read 
from  90°  to  96°,  the  theatre  temperature 
ranged  from  72°  to  79°.  This  differential 
between  outdoors  and  indoors  offered  a 
cooling  effect  found  to  be  adapted  to  one 
coming  in  from  the  hot  street.  At  those 
temperatures  the  relative  humidity  was 
maintained  around  50%.  While  the  clean- 
ing of  the  air  is  not  so  apparent  in  the  re- 
duction  of   temperature,   the   air  in  the 


"INDEPENDENT" 


. . .  and  you  buy  from  an  experienced  owner^dealer 

From  the  standpoint  of  quality — and  the  standpoint  of  price 
— there  is  only  one  place  to  buy  theatre  equipment  and  sup- 
plies: from  the  dealer  in  your  territory  displaying  the  "In- 
dependent" Emblem.  First,  because  he  carries  only  the 
products  of  reputable  and  responsible  manufacturers. 
Secondly,  because  he  passes  on  to  you  the  savings  he 
effects  through  the  Association's  large  scale  pur- 
chasing power. 

But  what  is  equally  important,  "Inde- 
pendent" member-dealers  offer  two 
advantages  which  only  they  can 
offer:  wide  experience  and  a  per- 
sonal interest  in  your  problems 
— because  they  own  and  man- 
age their  own  establishments. 
43  members  in  28  cities 


INDEPENDENT 

THEATRE    SUPPLY    DEALERS  ASSOCIATION 

1501  BROADWAY        J.  E.  ROBIN,  EXECUTIVE  SECRETARY         NEW  YORK  CITY 


r     i  i  j  ii  Audubon  Theatre,  N.  Y. 

When    thousands    of    theatres,    large    and  small, 

choose    TYL-A-MATS    to    improve    their  lobby 

floors,   there   must   be   a    good   reason.  You   owe   it  to  yourself  to  find 
out  why. 

TYL-A-MAT S  are  not  an  experiment.  Time-tested,  practically  indestructible, 
colorful,  non-slipping  and  dirt  eliminating  are  only  some  of  its  features. 
And  yet  their  cost  is  surprisingly  reasonable  .  .  .  and  backed  up  by  a 
long-established  house  that  specializes  in  mats  and  mats  only. 

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Newark  Newsreel  theatre  is  kept  free  from 
dust,  smoke  and  odors  by  recirculation  after 
passing  through  filters. 

The  Newsreel  theatre  installation,  which 
is  by  Carrier,  is  typical  of  the  layout  for 
this  type  of  theatre.  The  seating  capacity 
is  400,  with  an  auditorium  that  is  long  and 
narrow  in  shape.  F.  C.  Wood,  general 
manager,  comments: 

"Of  course  the  comfort  of  the  patrons 
was  our  primary  consideration,  but  we 
were  also  seeking  a  fully  automatic  in- 
stallation that  would  not  require  the  time 
of  an  engineer  for  operation.  The  construc- 
tion of  our  building  necessitated  the  in- 
stallation of  the  air  conditioning  equipment 
under  the  auditorium  floor.  Without  any 
special  sound  insulation,  no  noise  is  trans- 
mitted to  the  theatre. 

"We  gave  particular  attention  to  the 
problem  of  ventilation  and  cooling  between 
seasons;  that  is,  between  spring  and  sum- 
mer, and  between  summer  and  fall.  At 
these  periods,  the  outside  temperature  may 
go  below  70°,  yet  the  body  heat  of  the 
patrons  will  raise  the  temperature  of  the 
theatre  to  an  uncomfortable  degree.  The 
calendar  is,  therefore,  not  a  criterion. 

"On  the  other  hand,  the  fall  and  spring 
periods  have  their  balmy  days  when  the 
temperature  inside  will  rise  unless  sufficient 
outside  air  is  introduced  to  drop  it.  By 
dampering  the  outside  air,  the  cooler  air  is 
admitted  to  the  theatre  as  fast  as  the  tem- 
perature rises  inside  the  theatre.  When 
the  temperature  of  the  air  from  the  outside 
goes  above  65°,  the  cooling  equipment 
automatically  starts  to  operate." 

Lead  Anchorage 
Used  in  New  Type 
Of  Expansion  Bolt 

AN    EXPANSION    bolt  for 

securing  theatre  chairs  and  stationary 
equipment  to  floors,  developed  by  the  Chi- 
cago Expansion  Bolt  Company,  combines 
lead  and  steel  jackets  and  employs  lead,  a 
dead  metal,  for  anchorage,  a  method  cal- 
culated to  eliminate  any  transmission  of 
vibration  to  or  cracking  of  masonry. 

When  placed  in  a  hole  and  driven  down 
with  the  application  tool,  the  steel  cone  ex- 
pands over  the  head  of  the  bolt  and  com- 
pletely fills  all  space  between  the  head  of 
bolt  and  wall  of  hole,  thus  preventing  the 
lead  from  flowing  past  the  head  of  bolt, 
and  it  wedges  the  bolt  head  in  the  hole. 
The  lead  jacket  expands  and  flows  over  the 
steel  cone  completely  filling  the  hole  around 
the  shank  of  the  bolt  and  gives  a  soft  but 
powerful  grip  between  the  bolt  and 
masonry  throughout  the  entire  length  of 
the  lead  jacket. 

A  washer,  which  is  slightly  larger  than 
the  lead  jacket,  is  furnished,  to  give  a  good 
bearing  for  driving  and  expanding  the  lead 
jacket,  and  making  the  lead  contact  the 
masonry  100%.  This  washer  also  pre- 
vents the  lead  from  "backing  up"  into  set- 
ting tool,  allowing  the  tool  to  be  easily 
removed  when  bolt  is  driven. 


26 


Better  Theatres 


No  Pipes- Yet 
Full  Range  Pipe 
Organ  Music 

{Continued  from  page  11) 

produced  all  of  the  orchestral  effects,  in 
addition  to  those  strictly  associated  with 
pipe  organs,  of  which  the  largest  theatre 
organs  are  capable.  Yet,  unlike  the  pipe 
or  reed  organ,  which  must  have  sets  of 
pipes  and  reeds  for  every  basic  tone  char- 
acteristic produced,  Mr.  Hammond's  in- 
vention incorporates  the  full  range  of  or- 
gan tones  and  instrument  simulation  with- 
out additional  elements.  This  is  because 
tones  are  produced  electrically,  instead  of 
by  air  motion  through  a  column.  Tones 
are  built  by  construction  of  subtones  and 
overtones  upon  the  fundamental  through 
mixture  of  electrical  frequencies.  The  or- 
ganist can  work  out  almost  any  tone  qual- 
ity suggested  by  the  music  or  the  acousti- 
cal conditions  of  the  theatre  and  preset  it 
for  instant  use  by  the  mere  tapping  of  a 
key  during  rendition.  He  is  not  depend- 
ent upon  preset  tones,  however,  if  he  is 
expert  in  his  technique.  He  then  can  cre- 
ate, mix,  modify  and  "color"  the  tones  of 
either  manual,  or  of  the  base,  at  any  point 
during  rendition,  directly,  by  means  of 
tonal  controls  just  above  the  manuals  {see 
accompanying  photographs  and  diagrams). 

The  tonal  controls  are  drawbars,  of 
which  there  are  four  sets,  each  affecting 
certain  keys  of  the  manuals.  There  is 
also  a  set  for  the  base  keys.  When  the 
performer  pulls  out  a  drawbar  and  de- 
presses a  playing  key,  a  slight  alternating 
current  is  generated  in  the  console.  This 
current  is  carried  through  a  cable  to  the 
power  cabinet,  where  it  is  amplified  by 
the  vacuum  tubes  and  transmitted  to  the 
speakers.  By  adjusting  other  drawbars  for 
the  keys  he  wants  affected,  the  performer 
adds  currents  of  other  values  to  the  origi- 
nal and  thus  varies  the  tonal  effects  of  the 
keys  depressed. 

FREQUENCY  CONTROL 

The  electrical  energy  actuated  by  the 
keys  is  supplied  by  a  generator  located  in 
the  console.  A  metallic  disc  about  the  size 
of  a  silver  dollar  is  arranged  so  that  it 
will  rotate  in  close  proximity  to  a  perma- 
nent magent.  Around  the  magnet  is 
wound  a  coil  {see  diagram).  The  disc  has 
a  number  of  high  spots,  and  as  it  rotates 
these  high  spots  pass  close  to  the  magnet, 
varying  the  magnetic  field  and  thus  induc- 
ing a  flow  of  current  in  the  coil  having  a 
certain  frequency  characteristic.  All  tones 
have  a  certain  frequency  characteristic, 
and  should  the  disc  be  rotated  at  a  speed 
so  that  440  high  spots  should  pass  the 
magnet  in  a  second,  the  current  generated 
would  have  a  frequency  of  440,  and  actu- 
ating a  speaker  diaphragm  at  that  cycle, 
would  produce  the  musical  tone  known  in 
music  (International  Pitch)  as  "A." 

There  are  91  discs,  driven  by  a  constant 
speed  synchronous  motor,  their  speeds  of 


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Good  Housekeeping  Makes  Good  Theatres 


Patrons  flock  to  theatres  that  are  clean  and 
comfortable.  Spencer  Vacuum  Cleaning  is  the 
fast,  modern  and  most  efficient  method  of 
cleaning.  It  has  at  least  a  dozen  advantages 
that  apply  particularly  to  theatres: 

The  theatre  is  kept  cleaner — the  time  required  is 
less. 

Rugs  look  like  new — have  longer  life. 

Projection  rooms  and  dressing  rooms,  the  scenery 
and  the  stage,  require  minutes  instead  of  hours  for 
cleaning. 

Also,  the  Spencer  System  removes  all  the  foul  air 
that  has  settled  to  the  floors,  as  well  as  the  finest  dust. 

By  keeping  the  dust  out,  you  can  save  on  redecorat- 
ing costs  over  a  period  of  years. 

Keep  your  theatre  like  new — every  day,  the  Spencer 
Way.    Booklets  on  theatre  cleaning  on  request. 

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Are  You  Going  to  Remodel? 

.  .  .  if  so,  you  may  find  the  Planning  the  Theatre  department 
of  Better  Theatres  helpful.  This  department  is  conducted  by  an 
experienced  theatre  architect,  Peter  M.  Hulsken,  and  he  will  give 
your  inquiries  his  personal  attention.  There  is  no  fee  .  .  .  and 
no  "trade  tie-ups."  Only  unbiased  advice  as  to  construction, 
decorative   treatment,    materials,    costs,    etc.    Merely  write: 

BETTER  THEATRES,  ROCKEFELLER   CENTER,  NEW  YORK 


August  22,  1936 


27 


rotation  and  the  number  of  high  spots  on 
each  so  calculated  that  each  disc  produces 
one  of  the  91  frequencies  necessary  for  the 
91  pitches  required  for  fundamental  tones 
and  harmonics  (it  is  the  harmonics,  of 
course,  which  give  specific  character  to  the 
tones  of  instruments,  and  also — though 
harmonic  may  not  always  be  the  right 
word  in  this  application — which  give  iden- 
tity to  the  human  voice ;  the  harmonics 
superimposed  upon  the  fundamental  repre- 
sent the  principle  reason  for  the  extension 
of  the  frequency  range  in  theatre  sound). 

When  a  key  of  the  manual  is  depressed, 
it  selects  the  proper  frequency  for  the  fun- 
damental of  the  note  it  represents,  together 
with  the  proper  frequencies  for  any  or  all 
of  eight  harmonics  of  that  note  as  set  upon 
the  harmonic  controller  (set  m\,  during 
rendition,  or  preset  and  actuated  by  the 
preset  key).  Current  of  each  of  the  fre- 
quencies thus  determined  flows  through 
the  contacts  made  by  the  key  and  to  its 
corresponding  drawbar.  There  its  inten- 
sity is  fixed  by  the  extent  to  which  the 
performer  has  drawn  out  the  drawbar.  In- 
tensity plays  a  part  in  the  formation  of  the 
ultimate   quality   of   the   tone,    and  each 


drawbar  has  eight  intensity  positions. 
With  their  respective  intensities  fixed,  all 
of  these  currents  representing  the  harmon- 
ics, together  with  the  current  representing 
the  fundamental,  are  superimposed  upon 
each  other,  or  mixed,  and  flow  as  a  single 
complex  electrical  wave  to  a  preamplifier, 
which  is  also  located  in  the  console.  Am- 
plified to  a  small  degree,  this  complex  elec- 
trical current  flows  to  the  amplifiers  and 
thence  to  the  speakers. 

VOLUME 

Maximum  volume  is  determined  by  the 
number  of  power  units  (cabinet  with  four 
amplifiers  and  four  speakers),  but  volume 
is  of  course  varied,  for  musical  effect,  by 
the  performer.  This  is  by  means  of  a 
"swell  pedal,"  which  is  located  between 
the  preamplifier  and  the  power  cabinet. 
This  pedal  varies  the  strength  of  the  elec- 
trical energy  received  by  amplifiers,  and 
hence  determines  the  strength  of  the  im- 
pulse received  by  the  speakers.  Three 
power  cabinets  are  adjudged  sufficient  for 
a  theatre  seating  800.  Two  of  the  four 
speakers  in  each  cabinet  cover  a  little  more 
than  the  lower  half  of  the  frequency  band, 


and  the  others  cover  a  little  more  than  the 
upper  half.  The  power  units  are  very 
small  and  may  be  placed  most  anywhere 
without  being  conspicuous.  In  most  the- 
atres, however,  it  is  likely  that  positions 
beside  the  stage  (in  existing  organ  cham- 
bers, for  example),  and  fairly  high  up, 
would  prove  most  effective.  The  console 
is  readily  adapted  to  the  smallest  of  areas 
in  front  of  stages,  it  being  only  4  feet 
square  and,  when  open,  about  40  inches 
high. 

Current  consumption  for  each  amplifier 
is  180  watts.  Maintenance  is  not  com- 
parable to  that  of  a  theatre  pipe  organ 
because  there  are  no  pipes  to  deteriorate 
because  of  atmospheric  conditions  and  dirt. 
Such  all-electric  organs  are  also  readily  re- 
movable, requiring  no  special  construction 
and  in  no  way  being  legal  fixtures. 

In  theatres  where,  at  certain  perform- 
ances, there  are  many  patrons  waiting  in 
the  foyer  or  lobby,  entertainment  could 
be  provided  for  them  through  a  power 
cabinet  located  in  this  area,  with  the  per- 
former at  the  console  in  the  auditorium 
and  the  auditorium  power  units,  if  desired, 
switched  off. — G.  S. 


A  New  Medium  Power  Theatre  Amplifier 


A  NEW  SOUND-ON-FILM 
amplifier  for  extended  frequency  reproduc- 
tion, with  electronic  equalizer  to  give  high- 
frequency  response  up  to  10,000  cycles, 
and  to  compensate  for  acoustic  conditions 
or  defects  in  recording,  has  been  brought 
out  by  the  Wholesale  Radio  Service  Com- 
pany of  New  York.  The  new  amplifier, 
coded  as  Model  410-A,  is  designed  for 
audiences  up  to  1000.  Power  output  is 
15  watts  to  a  500-ohm  speaker  line  (peak 
output  25  watts).  Beam  power  tubes, 
6L6.  are  used  in  the  output  stage,  result- 
ing in  a  unit  that  is  light  and  compact  in 
proportion  to  the  sound  power  delivered. 

Weighing  33  pounds,  the  amplifier  in- 
cludes all  features  necessary  for  a  complete 
sound  system,  less  sound  heads  and  loud 
speakers.  It  is  a  complete  power  supply 
unit  as  well  as  amplifier,  providing  photo- 
electric cell  bias,  exciter  lamp  current,  and 
loudspeaker  field  excitation. 

Photo-cell  voltage  is  supplied  to  two 
cells,  through  a  triple-tap  connection  that 
permits  compensation  for  line  voltage  con- 


ditions or  for  inequality  in  the  condition  of 
the  two  cells. 

Exciter  lamp  supply  is  designed  for 
either  8.5  or  10-volt  lamps,  and  is  wired 
through  a  two-position  switch  on  the  front 
panel  of  the  amplifier,  by  means  of  which 
sound  changeover  between  projectors  is 
effected  by  switching  the  exciter  lamp 
current. 

D.C.  exciter  lamp  supply  can  be  sub- 
stituted at  additional  cost  for  response  at 
the  lower  frequencies. 

Loudspeaker  field  supply  as  furnished 
by  the  amplifier  can  be  adapted  to  varying 
loudspeaker  arrangements,  and  is  adequate 
for  the  two  matched  8-inch  dynamic  speak- 
ers included  with  this  amplifier  in  some 
systems. 

Input  circuits  provide  for  two  photo- 
cell connections,  at  a  gain  of  128  decibels 
from  each.  A  microphone  jack  is  included, 
which  may  be  used  for  announcing  or  for 
stage  show  reinforcement,  or  for  incidental 
music  played  on  any  standard  electrical 
phonograph.     The  gain  from  this  input 


circuit  is  115  db.,  at  an  input  impedance  of 
150,000  ohms.  Tubes  used  are  two 
6J7's,  one  6N7,  two  6L6's,  and  one  83V 
rectifier. 

The  equalizer  incorporates  an  exclusive 
use  of  a  vacuum  tube  to  provide  frequency 
control,  selectivity  being  provided  by  varia- 
tion of  the  plate  load  of  a  voltage  amplifier 
tube.  A  range  of  12  decibles  in  the  re- 
sponse at  10,000  cycles  is  afforded  by  vary- 
ing the  setting  of  the  equalizer. 

Choice  of  eleven  output  impedances  is 
provided,  to  match  any  loudspeaker  sys- 
tem. The  amplifier  is  obtainable  with 
output  characteristics  of  .35,  .6,  1.35,  2,  4, 
6,  8,  15,  50,  250  or  500  ohms. 

Power  drain  from  a  1 10-volt  line  is  125 
watts.   Dimensions  are  6%  x  8^  x  16%". 

This  amplifier  is  available  for  portable 
motion  picture  work  in  a  carrying  case 
with  two  matched  dynamic  speakers.  The 
entire  system,  amplifier  and  its  self-con- 
tained power  supply  circuits,  speakers  and 
carrying  case,  weighs  45  pounds,  and  when 
folded  measures  17  x  17  x  7  inches. 


We  Exploited  a  Theatre-Going  Idea 

{Continued  from  page  13) 


of  coming  into  the  city  on  a  pleasure  trip. 
I  am  going  to  do  that  in  London." 

But  in  the  United  States,  it  was  pointed 
out,  the  trend  of  the  motion  picture  thea- 
tre has  been  one  of  physical  decentraliza- 
tion— the  cinema  is  returning  to  the  neigh- 
borhood where  it  is  more  conveniently  ac- 
cessible, with  its  seating  capacity  accord- 
ingly   reduced,    allowing    an  investment 


small  enough  to  permit  profitable  opera- 
tion and  moderate  admission  prices. 

Mr.  Doyle  smiled,  leaned  forward  a 
little  in  his  chair.  "I  am  glad  you  men- 
tioned that.  It  is  something  I  have  given  a 
lot  of  thought  to.  And  I've  got  my  scheme 
all  worked  out.  I  don't  want  to  tell  you 
anything  about  it  yet,  but  it  fits  into  that 
neighborhood  theatre  plan  perfectly." 


He  was  tickling  a  very  irritable  bump 
of  curiosity.    What  was  this  scheme? 

"A  new  kind  of  theatre,"  smiled  Mr. 
Doyle.  "I  cannot  tell  you  more.  But  it 
will  revolutionize  the  motion  picture  thea- 
tre business." 

An  exasperating  point  at  which  to  termi- 
nate an  interview!  But  that  was  precisely 
what  he  did. — George  Schutz. 


28 


Better  Theatres 


MODERN  PROJECTION 


PROJECTION     •      SOUND    REPRODUCTION     •  ACOUSTICS 


Recent  Developments  for 
Modernizing  Speaker  Systems 


•  How  new  equipment  on  the  open  market  and 
new  principles  of  design  are  making  reproducer 
systems  of  today's  quality  available  at  low  cost 


By  H.  C.  ROLLS 


most  valuable  to  exhib- 
itors of  all  the  many  developments  in  loud- 
speakers is  the  appearance  on  the  open 
market  of  reproducers  of  theatre  size  and 
power  that  operate  entirely  by  means  of 
permanent  magnets  and  need  no  exciter 
current  or  exciter  current  supply  apparatus. 
Such  speakers  not  only  provide  marked 
economy  in  installation  and  maintenance, 
but  remove  an  entire  system  of  electrical 
circuits  from  theatre  consideration,  and 
consequently  eliminate  some  dozens  of  pos- 
sible causes  for  trouble  and  stoppage  of  the 
show. 

The  new  feature  of  these  speakers  does 
not  lie  in  the  use  of  a  permanent  magnet  in 
place  of  an  electro-magnetic  field  winding, 
but  in  the  use  of  a  permanent  magnet  in 
association  with  the  dynamic  form  of  re- 
producer construction. 

The  magnetic  speaker,  proper,  is  old — 
and  useless  for  theatre  purposes,  except 
possibly  as  a  projection  room  monitor.  It 
is  merely  a  loud-talking  telephone  receiver, 
and  its  construction  and  operation  are 
readily  understood  by  looking  into  any  tele- 
phone receiver  that  may  be  available.  The 
dynamic  type  of  construction,  which  dis- 
tinguishes the  new  permanent  magnet 
speakers,  is  very  different,  more  efficient 
and  capable  of  handling  far  greater  power. 

In  the  telephone  receiver  will  be  found  a 
horseshoe  magnet.  In  the  long  type  used 
in  public  telephone  booths  and  on  the  stan- 
dard desk  set,  the  horseshoe  is  lengthened 
to  the  appearance  of  a  bulky  hairpin.  The 
two  ends  are  drawn  down  to  smaller 
dimensions,  and  wound  with  many  turns  of 
fine  wire.     In   headphones,   hearing  aid 


phones  or  French  phones,  the  horseshoe  is 
nearly  a  circle,  with  the  ends  bent  back  into 
the  center  of  the  circle,  and  then  brought 
up  to  meet  the  diaphragm,  these  poles  also 
being  wound  with  many  turns  of  fine  wire. 
Vibrating  speech  current  flows  through  the 
wire  and  either  reinforces  or  opposes  the 
magnetic  pull  of  the  permanent  magnet, 
causing  the  center  of  the  diaphragm  to 
vibrate  accordingly.  If  the  speech  current 
is  too  strong,  the  diaphragm  center  will  be 
pulled  inward  and  touch  the  pole  pieces, 
and  the  phone  will  rattle. 

OLD    MAGNETIC  TYPE 

In  the  magnetic  speaker  of  older  type, 
the  diaphragm  was  the  cone,  its  center  fixed 
firmly  to  an  iron  armature  that  vibrated 
with  the  changing  magnetic  attraction.  If 
volume  became  too  high,  the  armature 
touched  the  pole  pieces  and  the  speaker  rat- 
tled. If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  construc- 
tion were  changed  to  permit  the  speaker  to 
handle  high  volume  (this  being  done  by  in- 
creasing the  original  distance  between  pole 
pieces  and  armature)  the  speaker  was  rela- 
tively insensitive  to  low  volume,  since  the 
increased  distance  over  which  the  magnetic 
force  had  to  act  reduced  its  effectiveness 
when  that  force  was  weak. 

These  magnetic  speakers  could  be  made 
to  reproduce  either  a  whisper  or  a  shout, 
but  not  to  serve  well  for  both  purposes, 
and  hence  were  never  used  in  theatres,  ex- 
cept as  monitors. 

The  dynamic  speaker  operates  on  a  dif- 
ferent principle.  Speech  current  is  not  fed 
to  a  stationary  coil  that  acts  upon  an  arma- 
ture or  a  diaphragm,  but  to  a  coil  consist- 


ing of  a  very  few  turns  of  wire  (carrying 
higher  amperage)  and  fastened  to  the 
vibrating  cone.  This  speech  coil  rides 
freely  in  a  slot  provided  for  it  in  the  core 
of  the  magnet.  It  vibrates  in  virtue  of  the 
interaction  between  the  steady  magnetic 
field,  and  the  varying  magnetic  field  cre- 
ated by  the  speech  current  flowing  through 
it.  Because  it  is  mounted  and  moves  in  a 
slot  of  the  core  of  the  magnet,  it  cannot  hit 
anything  when  it  moves  over  long  distances 
for  high  volume — in  some  speakers  the 
length  of  its  path  is  a  quarter  of  an  inch, 
or  more.  Because  it  is  always  in  the  slot, 
the  speech  coil  of  the  dynamic  speaker  re- 
sponds proportionately  to  any  volume,  low 
or  high. 

The  dynamic  type  of  construction  per- 
mitted speaker  reproduction  at  high  power, 
but  to  provide  a  magnetic  field  of  compar- 
able power  an  electro-magnet  was  needed. 
Permanent  magnets  were  not  sufficiently 
powerful.  The  electro-magnet  required  a 
source  of  d.c,  filtered  to  remove  hum. 

Direct  current  field  excitation  has  been 
supplied  in  theatres  in  many  ways.  The 
power  requirements  are  fairly  large.  Sep- 
arate motor-generators  have  been  and  are 
used  for  the  purpose.  Storage  batteries 
were  used  at  one  time.  A  tap  taken  from 
the  d.c.  arc  supply  proved  very  useful  and 
economical,  provided  suitable  switching  and 
filtering  were  included  in  the  line  running 
from  the  arc  supply  to  the  speakers.  Usu- 
ally it  was  also  necessary  to  include  heavy- 
duty  rheostats  to  "drop"  or  waste  enough 
voltage  to  bring  down  the  arc  supply  volt- 
age to  the  lower  value  required  by  the 
speaker  fields.  In  some  systems,  speaker 
field  supply  was  taken  from  the  amplifier 
power  circuits,  and  the  speaker  windings 
did  double  duty  as  filter  chokes  in  the  am- 
plifier power  supply  arrangement. 

All  of  these  systems  required  running 
field  supply  wires  as  well  as  speech  wires 
from  the  projection  room  to  the  screen.  All 
provided  fruitful  sources  of  trouble,  rang- 
ing from  loss  of  sound  caused  by  outage  in 
the  speaker  field  circuits  to  excessive  hum 
caused  by  a  defect  in  the  speaker  field 
filters. 

In  some  cases  "a.c."  speakers  were  used; 
that  is,  each  speaker  mounted  its  own  recti- 


August  22,  1936 


29 


fier  tube  or  copper-oxide  "stack,"  and  its 
own  filter  condensers,  and  required  only  an 
a.c.  line,  suitably  fused  and  provided  with 
switches,  for  its  excitation. 

NEW    MAGNETIC  TYPE 

The  new  permanent  magnet  speakers  do 
away  with  all  these  complications.  They 
are  called  permanent  magnet  dynamic 
speakers,  because  they  follow  the  dynamic 
form  of  construction  previously  described, 
as  distinct  from  the  permanent  magnet 
magnetic  speakers  which  are  merely  loud- 
talking  telephones. 

The  new  speakers  need  no  field  supply 
of  any  kind,  neither  d.c.  nor  a.c.  They 
cannot  create  hum  in  the  sound.  They  can 
reproduce  hum  that  arises  elsewhere  in  the 
system,  but  cannot  add  any  of  their  own. 

In  installation  they  save  the  cost  of  run- 
ning field  wires  back  stage,  or  fusing  and 
switching  such  wires,  and  all  the  cost  of 
whatever  form  of  exciter  current  supply 
may  be  used,  whether  a  special  rectifier  at 
several  hundred  dollars,  a  motor-generator, 
or  a  tap  taken  from  the  arc  wiring  with  its 
associated  rheostat,  meter,  switches  and 
filter. 

In  maintenance  they  save  the  cost  of 
rectifier  tubes,  if  such  are  used,  or  the  cost 
of  periodic  servicing  of  a  motor  generator, 
and  all  the  cost  of  the  current  previously 
necessary  to  excite  speaker  fields  of  any 
kind. 

Likewise,  they  eliminate  an  indefinite 
number  of  causes  of  trouble,  ranging  from 
open  circuit  in  the  wiring  to  a  variety  of 
possible  defects  in  the  field  supply  rectifier. 

These  speakers  were  not  invented  in 
sound  laboratories,  but  by  metallurgists, 
who  found  new  and  more  effective  mag- 
netic alloys.  A  few  years  ago  they  would 
have  been  impossible,  because  the  alloys 
that  produce  their  powerful  magnetic  fields 
did  not  then  exist.    In  these  new  combina- 


tions of  metals,  which  can  be  magnetized 
more  strongly  than  any  metals  previously 
known,  iron  (the  magnetic  element  that 
was  formerly  the  chief  constituent  of  any 
such  alloy)  plays  a  minor  part,  and  in  some 
is  not  used  at  all.  Aluminum  and  nickel 
are  important  in  these  new  combinations, 
although  neither  is  conspicuously  magnetic 
in  itself.  Adaptation  of  these  alloys  to  loud 
speaker  work  has  resulted  to  date  in  the 
production  of  units  capable  of  reproducing 
ten  watts  or  more  of  sound  power ;  four 
such  speakers  obviously  being  powerful 
enough  for  any  except  the  largest  theatres. 
In  price  the  new  speakers  are  moderate, 
ranging  between  the  earlier  "dc"  and  "ac" 
models  of  comparable  quality. 

FREQUENCY  RANGE 

The  introduction  of  high  frequency 
"tweeter"  speakers,  a  few  years  ago,  re- 
sulted in  a  marked  improvement  in  the 
naturalness  of  theatre  sound,  but  these 
speakers,  as  commercially  available,  had 
one  drawback.  Their  power  handling 
capacity  was  sometimes  very  low,  requiring 
an  uneconomically  large  number  of  them 
for  full  theatre  coverage.  Where  such 
numbers  were  not  installed,  the  improve- 
ment in  sound  quality  was  confined  to  a 
limited  area,  and  the  contrast  was  some- 
times painfully  noticeable  when  the  patron 
moved  from  an  aisle  located  in  the  high 
frequency  "beam"  to  a  seat  that  was  not 
so  located.  The  writer  knows  of  one  case 
in  which  a  patron  asked  if  he  could  have 
his  seat  moved  into  the  aisle ! 

Two  remedies  have  now  been  provided 
for  this  condition.  One  has  been  to  sub- 
stitute for  the  special  tweeter  speaker  sim- 
ple radio  dynamic  speakers  (now  x  also 
available  in  permanent  magnet  types)  that 
are  good  up  to  8,000  cycles,  which  many 
radio  speakers  are,  even  though  deficient  at 
the  low  end  of  the  sound  spectrum.  Such 


speakers  are  less  expensive  and  greater 
numbers  of  them  can  be  used.  More  than 
8,000  cycles  is  not  necessary  in  any  theatre, 
since  more  is  not  placed  today  on  any  film. 

A  second  remedy  is  provided  in  the  very 
interesting  Shearer  system,  in  which  one 
such  speaker  is  mounted  in  a  sound  cham- 
ber and  operates  through  multiple  flared 
openings  which  point  to  every  part  of  the 
theatre.  The  tendency  of  the  higher  sound 
frequencies  to  travel  in  a  straight  line  is 
well  known,  and  the  combination  of  a 
radio  speaker  good  up  to  8,000,  having  a 
substantial  power  handling  capacity,  with 
a  multiple-flare  baffle  of  the  Shearer  type, 
can  provide  full  high  frequency  reproduc- 
tion to  every  seat  of  a  large  auditorium. 

Low  frequency  sound  reproduction  has 
also  had  due  attention  from  speaker  manu- 
facturers of  late ;  and  dynamic  units  rang- 
ing from  12  inches  to  18  inches  are  now 
available,  with  response  guaranteed  by 
reputable  makers  to  extend  downward  to 
40  cycles  or  below.  The  writer  knows  of 
one  such  speaker,  of  unquestioned  reputa- 
tion, which,  on  actual  test,  has  reproduced 
satisfactorily  sounds  from  20  to  8,000 
cycles,  although  warranted  by  its  maker 
only  from  6,000  to  40.  With  such  speak- 
ers (now  available  either  in  electro- 
dynamic  or  permanent  magnet  dynamic 
construction)  the  use  of  separate  bass  and 
tweeter  units  becomes  unnecessary,  except 
in  the  presence  of  unusual  acoustic  condi- 
tions, and  a  further  economy  is  made  pos- 
sible by  using  one  set  of  speakers,  with  one 
set  of  wiring  and  no  filters,  for  fully  ex- 
tended frequency  reproduction  comparable 
to  the  best  sound  recorded  so  far. 

FREQUENCY  DISTORTION 

The  cheapness  of  modern  high  power 
amplifiers  has  made  practicable  another  ad- 
vance tending  toward  finer  theatre  quality. 
It  is  well  known  that  many  sound  systems 
today  suffer  not  so  much  from  restricted 
frequency  range  as  from  distortion  within 
the  range  they  cover,  and  a  very  large  per- 
centage of  that  distortion  has  always  arisen 
in  the  speakers  themselves,  or  in  their 
baffles.  When  amplifier  wattage  cost  the 
theatre  (for  installation)  something  in  the 
order  of  $1,000  per  watt,  speaker  efficiency 
to  conserve  the  power  delivered  was  more 
important  than  the  best  possible  sound 
quality.  Hence  exponential  baffles,  for 
most  efficient  coupling  of  the  speaker 
diaphragm  to  the  air  to  be  moved,  were  in 
favor,  and  the  distortion  inescapable  with 
even  the  best  baffle  had  to  be  tolerated. 
Today,  however,  when  perfectly  good  thea- 
tre amplifiers  can  be  bought  at  from  $1.50 
to  $10  per  watt,  speaker  efficiency  is  less 
vital,  and  it  is  practicable  to  use  more 
speakers  which  are  less  efficient,  but  which 
also  create  less  distortion.  The  dynamic 
type  with  relatively  large-area  cone,  oper- 
ating either  on  a  flat  baffle  or  (for  acoustic 
distribution)  through  a  short,  non-exponen- 
tial flare,  has  come  strongly  into  favor  as 
against  the  earlier  type  of  "unit"  mounted 
at  the  base  of  a  long,  bulky,  heavy  horn 
that  required  several  feet  behind  the  screen, 
cost  as  much  as'  some  complete  modern  sys- 
tems, and  added  distortion  to  the  sound. 


A  PROJECTION  ROOM  LIGHTING  PLAN 


I — Metallic  ventilation  duct  leading  to  open  air.  2 — Exhaust  motor  and  fan.  3 — Lamp- 
house  vent  flue  (two).  4  and  5 — Louvre  openings,  one  on  each  side,  staggered  with 
relation  to  each  other.  6 — Metal  trough  containing  one  or  more  circuits  of  lights,  each 
with  separate  switch.  7  and  8 — Incandescent  lamps.  I  and  9 — Ceiling  of  room.  10 — 
Front  wall.    I  I — Cove  in  ceiling  to  obtain  better  diffusion  of  light. 


A  plan  for  projection  room  lighting  submitted  by  Joseph  L.  Thomas,  Detroit,  Mich.,  projectionist. 


30 


Better  Theatres 


C     U     DI^UI  ADnC/^Kl'C  /T^KAXACMT 

AND  ANSWERS  TO  INQUIRIES 

( 

A  PROJECTIONIST'S  OWN 
DEVICE  FOR  SOUND  TESTS 

A    SHORT    TIME    ago,  in 

Lima,  Ohio,  I  met  a  projectionist — Theo- 
dore P.  Hover — whose  extraordinary  inter- 
est in  projection  and  continual  experimenta- 
tion in  projection  technics,  immediately 
suggested  some  paragraphs  about  him  in 
these  columns.  The  design  and  layout  of 
the  projection  room  of  the  Ohio  theatre, 
where  he  works,  are  his.  And  he  main- 
tains a  well  equipped  workshop  where  he 
conducts  his  investigations  and  from  which 
he  frequently  emerges  with  a  new  gadget 
for  his  projection  room,  or  with  a  new 
idea  concerning  the  why's  and  wherefore's 
of  various  projection  processes.  I  asked 
Mr.  Hover  to  write  me,  when  it  was  con- 
venient, about  his  projection  room  and  his 
workshop  activities,  and  this  he  has  done 


FIGURE  I 

so  well  that  I  need  merely  to  append  his 
letter,  which  describes  a  noteworthy  device 
of  Hover's  making  for  the  testing  of  sound 
equipment  operations: 

"Enclosed  find  photographs  of  a  portion 
of  my  projection  room.  The  front  wall  is 
flat  black  across  its  entire  length,  extending 
from  one  foot  below  the  ports  to  the  sound 
absorbing  panel  near  the  ceiling  [which  is 
visible  in  the  upper  section  of  Figure  1]. 

"This  sound  absorbing  panel  came  into 
being  as  a  result  of  an  order  to  get  rid 
of  a  lot  of  our  inch-thick  fireproof  tile  left 
over  from  acoustical  treatment  of  the  the- 
atre. With  them  we  constructed  a  mosaic 
panel  extending  from  the  black  panel  up 
2  feet,  to  within  6  inches  of  the  ceiling. 
These  tiles  also  were  placed  in  panels  on 
the  projection,  rewind  and  washroom 
doors,  and  on  both  sides  of  the  generator 
room  door  in  order  to  effect  complete  ab- 
sorption of  the  generator  hum. 

"We  constructed  sound  baffles  in  the 


lens  ports  thus:  The  wall  is  16  inches 
thick.  For  each  lens  port  four  pieces  of 
acoustic  Celotex  [Acousti-Celotex]  were 
so  cut  that  they  fitted  inside  the  opening 
tightly.  One  was  placed  flush  with  the 
inside  and  one  flush  with  the  outside  wall. 
The  remaining  two  were  equally  spaced 
between  them.  The  white  light  was  then 
projected  on  each  in  turn,  the  outline  of 
the  beam  marked  thereon  in  pencil,  and 
the  beam  opening,  cut  0.25  of  an  inch 
larger,  top,  bottom  and  sides,  than  the 
beam  itself.  The  plates  were  then  painted 
flat  black,  reinstalled  and  secured  in  place 
with  small  wooden  wedges.  We  prefer 
this  system  to  projecting  through  glass. 
While  perhaps  not  quite  as  efficient  acous- 
tically, optically  it  is  a  great  improvement. 

"Concerning  our  test  equipment,  the 
audio-oscillator  is  a  beat-note  type,  con- 
struction details  of  which  may  be  found 
in  most  radio  magazines.  The  oscilloscope 
I  showed  you  is  more  complicated  than  is 
required  for  use  in  the  average  projection 
room.  A  simplified  version  may  now  be 
built  by  the  use  of  a  kit  of  essentials  ob- 
tainable from  any  of  the  larger  radio  stores 
at  a  cost  of  about  $2.  The  important  parts 
are  a  revolving  mirror,  a  neon  discharge 
tube  (must  not  be  confused  with  a  neon 
lighting  tube),  and  an  output  transformer. 

"The  neon  tube  is  so  constructed  that 
when  250  volts,  or  nearly  that,  is  applied 
to  its  terminals,  a  tiny  arc  or  break-down 
occurs  in  a  3^-'nch  space  between  elec- 
trodes. Any  increase  in  voltage  above  this 


Other  Articles 

In  addition  to  the  material  on  this 


page,  Mr.  Richardson's  columns 

of 

this  issue  also  contain: 

Best  Tint  for  Screen  Light 

Page 

32 

Projection  Room  Deluxe 

Page 

34 

Bits  of  Projection  History 

Page 

35 

Phase,  Mirror  Curvature 

Page 

35 

Volt-Ammeters  and  Wattmeters 

Page 

36 

Sound  Absorption 

Page 

36 

Bluebooks  for  the  Antipodes 

Page 

36 

He  Studies  Management 

Page 

37 

On  Continuous  Projectors 

Page 

37 

Traveling  Show  Impracticable 

Page 

38 

A  Manager's  Amateur  Theatre 

Page 

39 

point  causes  a  column  of  neon  light  to  rise 
in  the  tube.  Any  voltage  drop  causes  a 
reverse  effect.  The  column  of  light  is  much 
like  an  electrical  'thermometer'  which  rises 
and  falls  in  direct  proportion  to  the  applied 
voltage.  The  current  supply  for  the  tube 
may  be  taken  directly  from  the  plates  of 
the  audio-amplifier,  but  we  prefer  the 
standard  output  transformer  originally 
used  for  push-pull  output  tubes  to  variable 
voice  coil  taps.  As  the  load  is  less  than 
10  milliamperes,  even  the  lightest  of  trans- 
formers will  be  satisfactory. 

"The  two  leads  of  the  primary,  orig- 
inally intended  for  the  plates  of  the  output 
tubes,  are  connected  directly  to  the  neon 
tube.  The  center  tap  of  the  primary  is 
not  used.  A  selector  switch  permits  match- 
ing the  voice  coil  of  the  sound  amplifier 
to  the  voice  coil  taps  of  the  transformer. 
In  effect  the  output  of  the  sound  amplifier 
is  stepped  up  to  a  sufficient  voltage  to  reg- 
ister on  the  neon  tube. 

"The  rotating  mirror  in  this  case  is  a 
3x4.5-inch  sheet  of  flat  copper,  silver  plated 
on  both  sides.  Best  results  are  had  with 
the  mirror  rotating  50  to  200  r.p.m.  The 
reflection  from  the  neon  tube  is  viewed  in 
the  rotating  mirror.  When  the  up  and 
down  motions  of  the  neon  light  are  viewed 
in  this  rotating  mirror,  the  longer  and 
shorter  images  of  the  light,  which  cor- 
respond to  successive  waves  and  also  to 
successive  intervals  of  time,  appear  side 
by  side  [see  Figure  2]. 

"When  the  rotating  mirror  is  in  perfect 
synchronism  with  any  particular  sound 
wave,  that  wave  image  appears  to  be  sta- 
tionary on  the  mirror.  Other  frequencies, 
higher  or  lower,  will  appear  to  be  moving 
to  the  right  or  left  in  the  mirror.  The 
speed  of  the  mirror  is  not  critical  unless 
one  particular  frequency  is  to  be  closely 
examined,  in  which  case  the  variable  speed 
control  can  be  operated  in  order  to  bring 
about  synchronism. 

"In  effect  the  light  emitted  by  the  tube 
fluctuates  in  direct  proportion  to  the  input 
of  the  sound  amplifier,  the  rotating  mirror 
permitting  a  view  in  much  the  same  man- 
ner as  does  the  rotating  shutter  of  a  pro- 


August  22,  1936 


31 


jector,  with  the  difference  that  the  rotat- 
ing shutter  of  the  projector  gives  us  many 
individual  views  of  a  moving  film,  while 
the  rotating  mirror  gives  us  many  indi- 
vidual views  of  a  moving  column  of  light 

"We  found  the  best  motor  available  foi 
this  work  to  be  one  taken  from  an  old 
ticket  register.  It  has  a  high  torque  at 
variable  speeds. 

"A  rheostat  was  placed  in  series  with  the 
110-volt  motor  supply,  and  the  whole  as- 
sembly was  mounted  in  a  case,  the  interior 
of  which  was  painted  black.  The  neon 
tube  must  be  parallel  with  the  motor  shaft 
and  so  mounted  that  when  it  is  lighted  its 
reflection  may  be  viewed  in  the  mirror. 

"And  now  as  to  its  practical  use.  To 
set  the  exciter  lamps,  the  oscilloscope  is 
hooked  to  the  amplifier  and  the  lamp  is 
focused  as  nearly  as  possible  by  the  eye. 
The  projector  is  then  placed  in  operation 
without  film,  and  the  fader  opened  until 
the  tiny,  jagged  lines  of  a  noise  oscillogram 
appears  on  the  mirror.  This  is  caused  by 
the  vibration  of  the  exciter  lamp  filament, 
which  action  modulates  the  light  beam 
enough  to  cause  a  high-frequency  noise  to 
be  heard  in  the  loud  speakers ;  also  it  is 
registered  upon  the  mirror.  The  lamp  is 
then  carefully  focused  until  the  noise  oscil- 
logram has  disappeared.  It  will  be  found 
that  this  focal  setting  is  very  critical ;  once 
reached,  the  best  of  results  are  assured. 

"The  noise  from  a  microphonic  tube  will 
immediately  show  up  as  a  noise  oscillogram 
if  the  tube  is  touched  or  slightly  vibrated. 
When  a  shallow  noise  oscillogram  appears 
and  tubes  and  other  equipment  are  appar- 
ently in  good  condition,  one  may  expect 
a  noisy  photocell.  This  may  be  checked 
by  removing  or  disconnecting  the  cell, 
which  should  stop  the  noise. 

"Loose  elements  in  the  optical  system 
are  more  common  than  supposed,  as  are 
loose  brackets  holding  the  exciter  lamp 
assembly  and  the  optical  system.  These 
may  be  checked  by  opening  wide  the  gain 
control  or  fader  and  tapping  the  suspected 
element  with  a  hammer  made  from  a  rub- 
ber eraser  fastened  on  a  stick  or  lead  pencil. 
Both  these  troubles  will  show  up  instantly 
with  the  slightest  vibration.    Poor  joints 


MIRROR 


NEON 


TUBE ' 


OUTPUT  TRANSFORMER 
Voice  Coil  Taps 


RHEOSTAT 


Figure  2. 

in  the  wiring  also  show  up  and  are  char- 
acterized by  bright  and  jagged  noise  oscil- 
lograms. 

"This  instrument  also  makes  an  excellent 
vibration  analyzer.  After  making  sure  that 
there  were  no  noise  sources  in  our  theatre 
amplifier,  we  hooked  a  Western  Electric 
4A  reproducer  to  the  input ;  however,  any 
good  phonograph  pickup  will  do.  Instead 
of  a  phonograph  needle  we  used  a  3-inch 
darning  needle  for  a  test  prod.  Care  should 
be  taken  in  handling  this  test  prod  so  as 
to  avoid  damaging  the  reproducer  unit, 
which  is  very  fragile.  This  instrument  may 
be  held  in  the  hand,  and  the  point  of  the 
needle  be  placed  in  the  very  center  of  the 
constant  speed  shaft  in  order  to  check  for 


gear  noise  or  vibration.  When  the  gain 
control  is  opened  wide  there  should  be 
practically  no  noise  oscillogram. 

"We  found  this  unit  of  the  greatest 
value  in  setting  up  the  bevel-gear  which 
drives  the  Micarta  gear  on  the  constant 
speed  shaft  of  our  Western  Electric  re- 
producer. The  test  prod  was  placed  on 
the  center  of  the  constant  speed  shaft,  and 
also  on  the  bracket  which  supports  the 
steel  gear  and  drive  shaft  (708-A  drive). 
When  this  gear  was  set  too  loose,  back 
lash  was  quickly  registered  on  the  mirror. 
When  too  tight,  the  gear  chatter  also 
showed  up  with  a  distinctive  noise  oscil- 
logram. Both  of  these  noise  oscillograms 
show  up  as  parasitic  wave  forms  which 
follow,  and  in  some  cases  overshadow,  the 
wave  registered  by  normal  gear  operation. 

"This  test  prod  will  find  innumerable 
uses  in  the  projection  room  where  a  litth 
adjustment  and  perhaps  a  close  checking 
of  the  type  of  lubrication  used  can  effect 
wonders  in  reducing  gear  noise,  vibration, 
and  wear  on  parts. 

With  a  9000-cycle  loop,  this  instrument 
may  be  used  as  an  ultra-sensitive  output 
meter  for  matching  the  output  of  two  pro- 
jectors, testing  each  for  the  highest  wave 
form. 

"Innumerable  other  uses  for  this  ma- 
chine will  probably  occur  to  projectionists. 
I  would  greatly  appreciate  hearing  of  any 
new  uses. 

"While  the  properties  of  the  neon  dis- 
charge tube  have  been  recognized  for  many 
years,  I  believe  the  use  of  this  simplified 
instrument  in  the  projection  room  is  orig- 
inal with  me." 

This  deserves  very  close  study.  I  believe 
Brother  Hover,  who  is  a  member  of  Local 
349,  has  supplied  the  profession  with  a 
convenient  method  of  checking  up  on  the 
proper  performance  of  sound  equipments. 

BEST  TINT 

FOR  SCREEN  LIGHT 

john  r.  snow,  projec- 
tionist of  the  Saunders  theatre  in  Harvard, 
111.,  writes,  "I  wrote  you  last  April  con- 
cerning poor  condition  of  prints  being  sup- 


Emory  Myers,  chief  projectionist  of  the  Strand  theatre  in  York,  Pa.,  with  th-; 
assistance  of  the  men  on  his  staff,  has  sent  in  these  snapshots,  in  response  to 
our  recent  request  for  projection  room  pictures.  The  projectors  are  Simplex, 
the  sound  system  is  Western  Electric.  Lamps  are  Strong  hi-lo,  65  to  70 
amperes.  Equipment  includes  a  Brenkert  effect  projector.  The  first  picture 
is  a  time  exposure  of  30  seconds,  taken  with  light  from  a  1000-watt  bunch 
light,  which  was  moved  around  on  all  sides  during  the  exposure.   The  second 


picture  is  of  the  opposite  wall,  showing  switchboard,  generator  controls,  and 
side  of  amplifier  rack,  which  consists  of  200A  horn  panel,  and  41,  42  and 
43  amplifiers.  This  second  picture  is  a  15-second  exposure  with  light  from 
the  projector  lamps,  with  doors  open.  The  upper  picture  shows  Brother  Myers 
with  his  assistants — first  Myers,  then  Lester  Shaffer,  who  is  first  assistant, 
Wilmer  R.  Kilgore  and  William  C.  William.  This  is  a  pretty  good  set  of 
pictures,  the  best  of  the  kind  yet  sent  in. — F.H.R. 


32 


Better  T  lie  aires 


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is  the  perfect  solution  to  your  projection  problem,  as  users 
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August  22,  1936 


33 


plied  to  me.  You  were  then  on  your  way 
to  Chicago  and  answered,  in  part,  from 
Toledo.  Mr.  Richardson,  your  lecture  to 
exchange  managers  and  theatre  managers 
on  that  trip  certainly  had  an  effect.  Since 
that  time  I  have  been  receiving  prints  in, 
by  comparison,  really  wonderful  condition. 
Inclosed  find  one  million  perfectly  sincere 
thanks.  You  have  yourself  been  a  pro- 
jectionist and  must  know  the  grief  in  trying 
to  put  on  a  good  show  with  junk  films. 

"I  hand  you  herewith  a  small  sample 
of  film  that  gives  the  blue  high-intensity 
effect  on  the  screen  when  projected  with 
low-intensity.  Not  only  is  it  perfectly 
clear,  but  also  is  very  easy  upon  the  eyes. 
Why  would  it  not  be  possible  to  put  out 
all  prints  with  that  tint,  and  thus  wean 
the  smaller  theatres  away  from  low-in- 
tensity, yellow-tinted  light?" 

The  tint  of  screen  illumination  is  an 
old,  much  discussed  matter.  Some  prefer 
the  high  brilliancy  of  high  intensity,  with 
its  bluish  tone.  Others  prefer  mazda  and 
low-intensity,  with  its  comparatively  amber 
tint.  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  matter  de- 
serving much  more  attention  and  careful 
investigation  than  it  has  as  yet  received. 

Millions  of  people  in  this  country  and 
Canada  and  elsewhere  each  day  gaze  in- 
tentlv  and  continuously  at  motion  picture 
cneatre  screens  for  an  hour  and  a  half  to 
two  hours,  and  elimination  of  fatigue  de- 
pends to  a  considerable  extent  not  only 
upon  the  amount  of  light,  but  also  upon 
its  nature. 

A  PROJECTION 
ROOM  DELUXE 

from  Charles  F.  Horst- 
man,  supervisor  of  projection  for  RKO 
Theatres,  comes  this  letter : 

"Dear  Mr.  Richardson,  inclosed  please 
find  photographs  of  the  projection  room, 


and  its  equipment,  in  the  new  RKO  Grand 
theatre  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  which  I  regard 
as  typical  of  modern  design  in  every  re- 
spect. 

"The  theatre  seats  1200,  on  two  floors. 
Acoustical  excellence  is  insured  by  a  proper 
combination  of  acoustic  plaster  and  rock- 
wool.  The  theatre  is  strictly  modern 
throughout.  Even  the  projection  room  is 
acoustically  treated,  to  the  end  that  ma- 
chinery noises,  so  far  as  possible,  be  ab- 
sorbed. 

"The  p.ojection  distance  is  112  feet, 
with  a  16x21 -foot  screen  image.  The  in- 
stallation includes  Super-Simplex  projector 
mechanisms  on  Chicago  Cinema  pedestals. 
The  light  sources  are  Peerless  Magnarcs, 
the  projection  lenses  Bausch  &  Lomb. 
Sound  reproduction  and  projection  is  by 
RCA  Photophone.  The  Magnarcs  receive 
current  from  a  Hertner  multiple  arc  motor- 
generator,  of  which  there  are  two,  located 
in  a  room  immediately  beneath  the  pro- 
jection room,  with  direct  access  provided 
thereto  through  a  steel  trap  door  in  the 
door  of  the  projection  room  [see  Figure  1]. 
The  projection  room  is  well  ventilated  and 
well  illuminated. 

"One  unique  feature  is  that  after  the 
arc  has  been  struck,  both  the  sound  and 
proiertion  control  equipment  is  handled 
fiom  the  special  panel  located  immediately 
below  the  observation  port  [see  Figure  2]. 
Observe  the  generous  size  of  the  port.  The 
panel  occupies  little  space  and  enables  the 
projectionist  to  observe  the  screen  perfectly 
while  effecting  changeover.  It  obviates  all 
need  for  acrobatics  on  his  part  while  making 
changeovers,  and  by  its  use  perfect  results 
may  and  should  be  attained. 

"Rewinding  by  hand  is  made  obligatory 
in  order  to  insure  competent  inspection  of 
reels  after  each  run.  Reels  are  stored  in 
a  'Neumade'  storage  reservoir,  the  interior 
of  which  is  connected  directly  with  the 


Figure  I.    Projection  room  of  the  RKO  Grand  Theatre,  Columbus,  Ohio. 


outside  air.  It  also  is  protected  by  a  stand- 
ard sprinkler  head." 

This  is,  indeed,  a  commendable  layout. 
However,  I  cannot  agree  that  rewinding 
by  hand  necessarily  operates  to  insure  com- 
petent inspection.  My  own  view  is  that 
projectionists  regard  it  as  unnecessary  and, 
feeling  annoyed  at  having  to  do  it,  will 


Figure  2. 

just  rush  it  through  at  high  speed  without 
any  inspection  at  all,  unless  indeed  they 
know  or  believe  there  is  something  wrong 
with  the  film.  Personally,  after  many  years 
of  observation,  I  am  very  thoroughly  "sold" 
on  motor  rewinding  at  speed  (not  in  ex- 
cess of  6  minutes,  though  5  minutes  is  not 
really  objectionable  for  each  1000  feet  of 
film).  In  this  way,  if  the  rewinder  is 
properly  equipped,  competent  inspection 
can  be  made  if  required  or  desired,  and 
at  the  same  time  damage  to  film  through 
too  rapid  rewinding  is  avoided. 

If  I  could  believe  that  rewinding  by 
hand  would  insure  competent  inspection, 
or  for  that  matter  any  inspection  worthy 
of  the  name,  I  might  agree  with  Mr.  Horst- 
man.  However,  as  matters  lie,  I  hold 
the  net  result  will,  on  the  whole,  not  be 
beneficial. 

Considering  modern  projection  room 
lighting  procedure,  the  lighting  of  this 
room  is  distinctly  above  par,  for  the  reason 
that  the  indirect  ceiling  fixtures  are  opaque. 
But  nevertheless  there  remains  a  well  illu- 
minated ceiling,  much  of  which  comes  well 
within  the  vision  of  the  projectionist  when 
in  working  position.  According  to  my  view 
the  light  should  all  come  from  the  rear, 
falling  upon  the  back  of  the  projectionist 
when  in  working  position  beside  the  pro- 
jector. 

It  is  not  really  necessary  to  light  the 
projection  room  so  brightly  during  pro- 
jection that  reading  may  be  accomplished 
without  eye  strain.  It  is  more  to  the  pur- 
pose that  "reading"  the  screen  critically 
be  made  possible,  or  so  it  seems  to  me. 

In  most  essentials,  of  course,  this  pro- 
jection room  is  well  designed,  with  equip- 


34 


Better  Theatres 


ment  and  related  apparatus  conveniently 
located.  The  panel  under  the  port  de- 
serves special  commendation.  It  certainly 
should  make  for  efficiency.  I  thank  Brother 
Horstman  for  giving  us  a  chance  to  "visit" 
the  Grand  theatre  in  this  manner. 

SOME  BITS  OF 
PROJECTION  HISTORY 

JOHN     L.     SEYMOUR  of 

Houston,  Tex.,  asks,  "Will  you  be  good 
enough  to  advise  as  to  just  who  really 
invented  the  motion  picture  projector  as 
we  now  have  it,  and  when  the  invention 
was  made.  Also  when  was  the  first  motion 
picture  shown  in  public  and  where,  and 
who  was  the  projectionist.  Also  who  is 
the  oldest  living  projectionist.  A  lot  of 
questions,  but  I  believe  the  answers  will 
trouble  you  very  little." 

Well,  Friend  Seymour,  that  depends 
upon  the  exact  meaning  of  your  queries. 
The  intermittent  movement  now  in  use  in 
all  projectors  was  first  made  into  essen- 
tially its  present  form  and  applied  to  pro- 
jectors by  Thomas  Armat,  who  is  still 
with  us,  residing  in  Washington,  D.  C. 
This  was  done  in  the  fall  of  1895.  Mr. 
Armat  also  applied  the  principle  of  slack 
film,  ahead  of  and  behind  the  intermittent 
sprocket  at  about  the  same  time.  These 
two  things  marked  the  completion  of  the 
projector  mechanism  principles  as  we  know 
it  today,  though  of  course  numerous  ones 
have  added  very  many  refinements  through 
the  years. 

The  first  public  showing  of  motion  pic- 
tures in  a  theatre  was  made  in  Koster  and 
Bial's  Music  Hall  on  14th  Street,  not  far 
from  Broadway,  in  New  York  City  on 
April  23,  1895.  Mr.  Armat  himself  was 
projectionist.  The  only  living  person  who 
has  followed  projection  as  a  profession 
continuously  since  the  summer  of  1896  until 
today  is  William  Reed  of  Atlantic  City. 

CURRENT  "PHASE,"  MIRROR 
CURVATURE  AND  TENSION 

A  number  of  questions 
have  come  from  Benjamin  D.  Shnitka,  Cal- 
gary, Alberta.  "First,"  he  asks,  "what 
would  be  the  difference  in  phase  between 
currents  when  one  is  at  zero  negative  and 
the  other  at  maximum  positive?  Second, 
why  is  a  convex  spherical  mirror  equal  to 
half  its  radius  in  curvature?  Third,  what 
is  the  tension,  in  ounces,  at  the  projector 
aperture?" 

You  apparently  have  a  wrong  impres- 
sion of  the  term  "phase."  It  has  nothing 
to  do  with  pressure — nothing  whatever 
except  as  it  may  be  regarded  as  difference 
in  time  that  two  or  more  alternating  cur- 
rents reach  maximum  and  minimum  in 
voltage  insofar  as  has  to  do  with  the 
alternations.  You,  Friend  Shnitka,  have  a 
Bluebook  of  Projection.  Examine  the  fig- 
ure on  page  21.  You  see  there,  at  B,  two 
lines  representing  three  alternating  cur- 
rents. The  top  and  bottom  curve  peaks 
represent  maximum  voltage  at  each  alter- 
nation. The  length  of  the  line  represents 
time. 

Phase,  as  applies  to  a.c,  means  time- 


Quality    ^  Value 

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Engineered  correctly  before  being  placed  on  the  market, 
it  stands  today  the  only  lamp  of  this  type  that  has  not 
been  subjected  to  from  two  to  five  model  changes. 

•  •  • 

Your  investment,  as  always,  is  secure  only  with  Peerless. 

WHY  EXPERIMENT? 

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'  spacing  of  voltage  peaks  of  alternations. 
It  means  two  or  more  currents  so  joined 
in  a  circuit  that  their  alternations  reach 
maximum  voltage  at  regular  but  different 
intervals  of  time. 

As  to  your  second  question,  mirrors  used 
in  projectors  and  elsewhere  in  the  industry, 
while  silvered  on  their  convex  side,  func- 
tion optically  on  the  opposite  or  concave 
side.  They  therefore  are  regarded  as  con- 
cave mirrors.  I  think  you  meant  to  inquire 
why  the  focus  of  a  spherical,  concave  mir- 
ror is  equal  to  half  its  radius  in  curvature, 
and  have  accordingly  reworded  your  ques- 
tion. 

In  speaking  of  the  focal  length  of  a 
lens,  optical  engineers  accept  the  definition 
which  associates  parallel  pencils  of  light 
entering  the  lens  and  the  distance  from 
some  point  within  the  lens,  to  that  point 
or  plane  where  these  parallel  rays  are 
brought  to  a  focus,  as  being  the  focal  length 
of  the  lens.  Exactly  the  same  thing  is 
carried  out,  in  principle,  with  reflectors. 
If  parallel  rays  of  light  enter  the  reflector, 
the  point  at  which  they  are  brought  to  a 
focus,  if  measured  from  the  reflection  sur- 
face, is  referred  to  as  the  focal  length  of 
the  reflector. 

Working  the  other  way  around,  if  a 
point  source  of  light  be  located  at  the 
radius  of  the  mirror's  curvature,  each  ray 
of  light  going  toward  the  mirror  surface 
would  meet  that  (remember  it  is  spherical) 
surface  perpendicularly  (at  right  angles 
thereto)  and  therefore  be  reflected  back 
exactly  upon  its  own  path. 

It  so  happens  that  as  the  light  source 
is  moved  toward  the  mirror,  it  finally  ar- 
rives at  a  position  where  the  angle  made 
by  the  rays  of  light  to  the  reflecting  sur- 
face is  such  that  the  light  reflected  from 
the  mirror  becomes  parallel  to  the  center 
line,  axis,  or  "normal"  of  the  mirror.  The 
position  thus  found  is  the  focal  length, 
which  in  spherical  mirrors  happens  to  be 
one  half  the  distance  from  the  mirror  to 
the  radius  of  its  curvature. 

Carefully  remembering  the  optical  law : 
"The  angle  of  incidence  is  always  equal  to 
the  angle  of  reflection,"  so  with  a  compass 
and  protractor,  lay  it  out  for  yourself  and 
you  will  see  how  simply  and  satisfactorily 
you  have  answered  your  own  question. 

Replying  to  your  third  question :  As  I 
remember  it,  some  years  ago  the  Society  of 
Motion  Picture  Engineers  did  recommend 
a  certain  number  of  ounces  of  pull  to  over- 
come the  braking  pull  of  the  aperture  ten- 
sion shoes.  This  was,  I  believe  set  up  as 
"recommended  practice." 

VOLT-AMMETERS 
AND  WATTMETERS 

SAMUEL     L.  TOWNSEND, 

Portland,  Me.,  asks,  "will  you  tell  me  ex- 
actly what  is  the  difference  between  a  volt- 
ammeter  and  a  wattmeter,  if  any.  I've 
been  told  these  instruments  are  not  the 
same." 

The  term  volt-ammeter  and  ammeter  in- 
dicate the  same  instrument.  It  is  defined 
in  Hawken's  Electrical  Dictionary  as  "An 
electrical  instrument  designed  to  measure 


directly  the  products  of  the  amperes  and 
volts  in  a  circuit,  and  to  give  its  readings 
in  watts — a  volt-ammeter.  In  the  dynom- 
eter  type  there  are  two  coils,  or  sets  of 
coils,  one  of  which  is  fixed  and  the  other 
movable.  The  movable  coil  is  connected 
to  the  current  circuit  and  the  fixed  coil  in 
the  pressure  circuit,  or  the  reverse.  The 
induction  type  is  used  on  a.c.  circuits.  In 
this  type  electromagnets  are  arranged  near 
a  vane  in  which  eddy  currents  are  caused 
to  flow,  which  react  upon  the  magnetic  field 
and  the  record  made  is  proportional  to  the 
reaction." 

You  thus  see,  Friend  Townsend  that  a 
wattmeter  and  volt-ammeter  are  one  and 
the  same  thing ;  also  that  they  are  made  for 
both  a.c.  and  d.c. 

PROJECTION  ROOMS 
AND  SOUND  ABSORBTION 

too  much  attention  can- 
not be  paid  to  lining  projection  rooms  with 
sound-absorbing  materials.  Were  this  done 
more  efficiently,  unquestionably  it  would  be 
quite  possible  to  reduce  lens  ports  to  the 
dimensions  of  the  light  beam  and  leave  it 
open  in  very  many  rooms  and  in  practically 
all  of  them  were  proper  baffles  inserted. 

There  is  a  considerable  amount  of  noise 
in  projection  rooms.  That  is  inevitable. 
High  speed  machinery  makes  quite  a  lot  of 
it.  It  cannot  be  eradicated  but  most  of  it 
may  be  absorbed.  Then,  too,  there  is  more 
or  less  conversation  even  in  one-man  rooms. 
Managers  enter  and  hold  conversation. 
Laws  or  no  laws,  rules  or  no  rules,  visitors 
come  and  conversation  ensues. 

With  walls  and  ceiling  covered  with 
really  efficient  sound  proofing  material, 
these  noises  may  be  so  well  absorbed  that 
they  will  never  reach  the  auditorium  and 
there  is  no  ill  effect,  except  only  the  rela- 
tively small  cost  of  installation. 

In  view  of  these  facts  it  would  seem 
advisable  that  in  future  all  projection  rooms 
have  their  interior  surfaces  thoroughly 
sound-proofed. 

BLUEBOOKS  IN  A  BUNCH 
FOR  THE  ANTIPODES 

illustrating  the  wide- 
spread influence  of  the  Quigley  Publica- 
tions, in  addition  to  the  many  copies  of  the 
new  Bluebook  of  Projection  previously 
shipped  to  that  far-off  continent,  a  single 
order  of  150  books  went  forward  to  Aus- 
tralia during  the  month  of  July.  Australia 
has  many  large,  beautiful  motion  picture 
theatres,  progressive  management  and  high- 
grade  projectionists.  It  therefore  should 
and  very  evidently  does  realize  the  impor- 
tance of  excellent  projection  and  the  neces- 
sity for  taking  proper  steps  to  secure  it. 

The  rapid  sale  of  the  new  Bluebook  was 
a  genuine  surprise  to  officials  of  the  Quig- 
ley Publishing  Company,  this  being  the  first 
edition  of  this  work  that  it  has  handled. 
A  good  sale  was  expected,  but  when  I  as- 
serted it  would  run  into  many  thousands  of 
copies  there  was  some  skepticism. 

Year  by  year  theatre  managements  and 
projectionists  are  coming  to  a  keener  real- 


36 


Better  Theatres 


ization  of  the  high  importance  of  excellence 
in  projection  with  maximum  economy  in 
production  thereof.  With  every  edition 
since  the  first  I  have  tried  hard  to  improve 
the  Bluebook  of  Projection,  with  apparent 
success.  The  first  edition  that  appeared  as 
a  bound  book  (there  was  a  paper  covered 
one  put  out  in  1907)  was  copyrighted  in 
1910.  Only  one  man  has  expressed  dissat- 
isfaction. He,  it  developed,  was  not  a  pro- 
jectionist, but  a  radio  man  who  bought  the 
book  under  misapprehension,  believing  it  to 
be  concerned  with  radio. 

STUDIES  MANAGEMENT 
AS  WELL  AS  PROJECTION 

from  Aubrey  E.  Swear- 
ingen,  projectionist  of  the  Crescent  the- 
atre in  Woodville,  Texas,  comes  this  letter : 

"Dear  Old  Friend:  Your  Comments  in 
Better  Theatres  is  one  of  the  most  wel- 
come things  that  reach  this  theatre.  Every 
word  is  read  and  thoroughly  digested. 
When  that  is  finished  I  turn  to  articles 
about  management  to  get  that  viewpoint. 
By  so  doing  I  not  only  serve  myself  by  im- 
proving my  knowledge  of  projection,  but 
also  am  enabled  to  see  things  from  the 
manager's  standpoint.  Having  been  a  the- 
atre owner  myself,  I  know  the  manager 
really  has  his  side,  or  point-of-view,  and 
his  troubles,  too. 

"By  careful  work  I  have  been  enabled 
to  lower  the  operating  expense  [as  applied 
to  projection,  I  take  it. — F.  H.  R. ]  by 


fully  35%  during  the  past  two  years,  and 
through  suggestions  as  to  advertising  cam- 
paigns and  other  things  have  been  able  to 
increase  my  income  very  materially.  Nat- 
urally the  manager  and  I  get  along  fine. 

"I  realize  the  reaction  of  the  public  to 
the  picture  depends  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent upon  how  it  is  placed  before  them,  and 
that  in  its  turn  is  dependent  upon  the  skill, 
care  and  careful  work  of  the  projectionist. 
Believe  me,  Mr.  Richardson,  it  gives  me 
great  pleasure  to  hear  some  pleased  patron 
say,  'That  certainly  was  a  good  show  last 
night.'  It  makes  me  feel  that  I  have  done 
my  part  well,  for  if  I  had  not  the  above 
remark  would  not  have  been  made. 

"Upon  receipt  of  film  it  is  inspected  care- 
fully for  loose  splices  and  rewound  on  spe- 
cial reels,  with  a  round-edge,  polished 
washer  inserted  at  the  change-over  point. 
The  washer  is  a  sure-fire  alarm.  It  does 
no  damage  of  any  sort.  The  only  precau- 
tion is,  don't  open  the  magazine  door  until 
the  projector  has  come  to  rest,  lest  the 
washer  drop  out  and  possibly  get  where  it 
might  do  some  damage  [Not  with  present 
day  enclosed  mechanisms,  I  think. — F.  H. 

R-] 

"We  use  Syncrofilm  soundheads  with  a 
good  amplifier  and  are  able  to  get  wonder- 
ful tone  and  economical  operation.  There 
has  been  just  one  drawback.  The  film  cuts 
into  the  fixed  flange  of  the  plate  on  which 
it  rides,  permitting  the  sound  track  to  travel 
too  far  to  one  side  with  relation  to  the  light 
beam.    My  remedy  has  been  to  very  care- 


fully cut  the  flange  from  this  plate  when 
it  becomes  worn,  and  to  make  one  of  harder 
steel  exactly  the  same  shape  as  the  old  one, 
but  long  enough  to  extend  back  beneath  the 
plate. 

"Incidentally,  I  like  a.c.  much  better 
than  I  do  the  battery-powered  equipments ; 
also,  I  am  in  favor  of  the  1,000  foot  reels. 
[I  do  not  agree  with  you  in  that  last  and 
anyhow  we  will,  barring  a  miracle,  have  the 
2,000-footers  September  1.— F.  H.  R.]  I 
do  all  my  own  repair  work  and  have  per- 
fected several  small  tools  that  enable  me  to 
make  very  fine  adjustments.  Mr.  Richard- 
son, I  enjoy  every  one  of  your  articles  and 
wish  for  your  long  continued  health,  suc- 
cess and — help." 

For  which  many  thanks.  Woodville  is 
a  small  town  just  north  of  Beaumont, 
Texas,  and  is  not  far  from  Palestine,  where 
I  lived  along  about  1890. 

It  is  good  to  hear  from  projectionists 
who  respect  their  profession  and  take  real 
pride  in  their  work,  realizing  how  very 
much  depends  upon  its  high  excellence.  I 
congratulate  Brother  Swearingen. 

FROM  JAPAN  ABOUT 
CONTINUOUS  PROJECTORS 

s.  fujioka  writes  from 
Tokyo,  Japan,  asking  about  non-intermit- 
tent projectors,  whether  or  not  they  are 
more  economical  than  intermittent  projec- 
tors. The  non-intermittent  projector  un- 
questionably will  reduce  wear  on  film,  but 


LAHPS 


are  backed  by  an  unconditional 
guarantee  and  the  Strong  reputa- 
tion, built  on  years  of  specialized 
projection  arc  lamp  manufacturing 
experience. 

See  a  demonstration  in  your  own 
theatre.  Any  Independent  Theatre 
Equipment  Dealer  will,  without  obli- 
gation, demonstrate  the  lamp  meet- 
ing your  requirements.  Write  today 
for  the  new,  interesting  and  instruc- 
tive catalog. 


August  22,  1936 


The  Strong  Electric  Corporation 

2501  Lagrange  Street  Toledo,  Ohio,  U.  S.  A. 

EXPORT  OFFICES  ROOM  301         :         220  W.  42nd  ST.  NEW  YORK  CITY 


ASHCRAFT  SUPREX 


TRADE  MARK  REG.  U.  S.  PAT.  OFF 


THE  STANDARD  OF  PROJECTION 
EXCELLENCE  THE  WORLD  OVER 


The  thousands  of  purchasers  of 
ASHCRAFT  lamps,  during  the  past  14 
years  will  attest  to  the  fact  that 
ASHCRAFT  projection  lamps  have  given 
satisfaction  beyond  all  expectations. 

ASHCRAFT  is  known  as  the  most  progressive  manufacturer  of  projection  lamps. 
The  majority  of  radical  improvements  in  light  output  and  dependability  have  originated 
from  our  factory. 

ASHCRAFT  service  is  unexcelled  —  Every  customer  must  be  satisfied.  The  unques- 
tioned reputation  of  our  products  is  sufficient  reason  why  a  complete  installation  of 
ASHCRAFT  SUPREX  arcs  and  ASHCRAFT  copper-oxide  rectifier  should  be  made 
in  your  theatre. 

INSIST  ON  THE  BEST  —  BUY  ASHCRAFT 
C.  S.  ASHCRAFT  MANUFACTURING  CORP. 

47-31  Thirty-fifth  Street,  Long  Island  City,  NEW  YORK 


THERE  IS  NO  SUBSTITUTE 
FOR  QUALITY  PROJECTION 


OR 


r^Rr^JiDN 

 <v>  

Reg.  Patent  Office  U.  S.  A. 

RHEOSTATS 

Used  by  leading  theatre 
circuits  throughout  the  world. 
MANUFACTURED  BY 

HOFFMAN-SOONS  E.  &  E. 

CORPORATION 

387    FIRST  AVENUE 

NEW  YORK,  N.  Y. 


THERE  IS  A  REASON 

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Balaban   &  Katz,  Chicago 

Interstate  Circuit,  Inc.,  Dallas 

United  Detroit  Theatres,  Detroit 

J.  H.  Cooper  Enterprises,  Denver 

Tri-State  Theatres,  Des  Moines 

Central    States    Theatre    Corp.,    Des  Moines 

General  Theatres  Corp.,  Des  Moines 

Texas  Consolidated  Theatres  Corp.,  Dallas 

Dubinsky  Bros.   Theatres,   Kansas  City 

Griffith  Amusement  Co.,  Oklahoma  City 

Minnesota  Amusement  Co.,  Minneapolis 

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INTERNATIONAL  SEAT  CORP. 

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The  Electric-Air 

BLOWER 


A  quiet,  well  built, 
all-metal,  oversize 
blower  which  obtains 
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theatres)  operating  at 
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$89.50 


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CURTAIN  CONTROL 

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contacts  assured  by 
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cluding motor. 


$58.50 

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17  East  42nd  St.  New  York  City 


in  considering  this  phase  of  the  matter  we 
must  remember  that,  here  in  America  at 
least,  the  useful  life  of  a  picture  is  short  at 
best,  therefore  this  saving  would  probably 
be  only  substantially  helpful  in  the  matter 
of  supplying  a  few  small,  obscure  theatres. 

It  is  probable  there  would  be  somewhat 
less  wear  on  gear  trains,  etc.,  with  conse- 
quent reduction  in  up-keep  bills.  As  to 
any  saving  in  electric  power,  however,  there 
would  be  little,  if  any,  for  the  reason  that 
while  it  is  very  true  that  the  rotating  shut- 
ter cuts  off  somewhat  in  excess  of  50%  of 
the  light,  all  the  rest  available  to  the  col- 
lector element  is  concentrated  upon  the 
aperture  (less  waste  of  the  spot,  of  course). 
But  with  all  non-intermittent  projectors  it 
is  necessary  to  illuminate  in  excess  of  two 
full  frames  at  the  aperture,  plus  a  more  or 
less  equal  spot  waste,  so  that  when  it  is  all 
added  up,  economy,  insofar  as  has  to  do 
with  electric  power,  seems  to  be,  if  any- 
thing, a  bit  in  favor  of  the  intermittent 
projector. 

And  now  here  is  the  pay-off.  I  have  wit- 
nessed a  very  close  approach  to  perfection 
in  non-intermittent  projection.  This  oc- 
curred several  years  ago,  though  for  some 
reason  the  projector  never  was  marketed. 
As  I  remember  it  there  was  some  little 
"bug"  that  could  not  be  ironed  out.  That 
has,  up  to  this  time,  been  the  case  with  all 
of  them,  save  one  that  I  shall  very  soon 
examine  into,  which  inventor  is  right  now 
trying  to  introduce. 

Non-intermittent  projection  does  pro- 
vide what,  for  lack  of  a  better  term,  I  must 
describe  as  a  "smoother"  screen  image,  and 
therefore  one  that  is  more  beautiful  and 
somewhat  more  easy  on  the  eyes.  How- 
ever, non-intermittent  projection  was  given 
a  practical  try-out  by  S.  L.  Rothafel  at 
the  Capitol  theatre  some  years  ago.  It  did 
not  prove  satisfactory,  for  just  what  reason 
I  am  now  unable  to  recall,  and  was  re- 
jected after  extended  trial.  And  there 
we  are. 

TRAVELLING  SHOW 
USUALLY  IMPRACTICABLE 

L.  warner  of  Detroit, 
Mich.,  writes,  "During  a  trip  through  the 
West  I  discovered  there  were  many  small 
towns  and  communities  in  which  were  no 
picture  shows.  The  thought  came  that  with 
a  suitable  traveling  outfit  one  might  build 
up  a  good  business  by  visiting  them  regu- 
larly. But  as  I  am  unfamiliar  with  the 
motion  picture  business  I  turn  to  you  for 
advice. 

"First  of  all,  what  do  you  thing  of  the 
idea?  Secondly,  where  might  I  obtain 
competent  information  regarding  necessary 
equipment  and  its  price?  Thirdly,  would 
it  be  necessary  to  have  a  projectionist's 
license?" 

There  are  other  queries,  but  I  think  it 
unnecessary  to  set  them  forth  as  the  suc- 
cess of  such  a  plan  would  be  extremely 
questionable,  even  for  a  man  well  versed  in 
the  show  business  and  capable  of  producing 
good  results  with  such  an  outfit. 

It  is  one  of  those  things  that  on  the  sur- 
face look  every  reasonable.  But  many  have, 
in  years  gone  by,  gone  broke  trying  it  out. 


38 


Better  Theatres 


The  difficulties  are  plenty.  First,  the  ex- 
Dense  of  operating  such  an  outfit  is  very 
much  higher  than  would  be  imagined.  Sec- 
ondly, one  has  to  buck  delays  due  to  break- 
downs, bad  roads,  rain  storms,  and  what 
have  you.  Thirdly,  it  is  not  merely  a  mat- 
ter of  having  a  projectionist's  license, 
Friend  Warner,  but  of  ability  to  handle  a 
motion  picture-sound  outfit,  under  difficult 
conditions  at  best,  expertly.  That  requires 
experience  and  expert  knowledge. 

I  would  be  very  willing  to  help  you  by 
supplying  the  information  asked  for,  but  I 
know  of  no  one  having  the  kind  of  outfit 
necessary,  or  just  what  booking  arrange- 
ments might  be  made. 

Another  thing:  You  apparently  overlook 
the  fact  that  most  of  those  apparently  iso- 
lated communities  are,  after  all,  within  a 
short  motor  run  of  a  motion  picture  theatre. 
Twenty  to  thirty  miles  was  once  a  long 
distance.  Now  it  is  just  a  pleasant  ride. 
Not  long  ago  I  was  visiting  a  friend  in  a 
small  town  where  there  was  a  little  theatre. 
Some  one  proposed  that  we  all  go  to  the 
show.  "All  right,"  said  our  host,  "but  let's 
go  to  Middletown.  There  is  a  real  nice 
theatre  there  and  it's  only  18  miles."  So 
we  all  piled  into  his  chariot  and  went. 

I  am  printing  some  of  your  various  ques- 
tions, Friend  Warner,  and  my  answers,  for 
the  reason  that  I  get  occasional  letters  of 
inquiry  from  people  who  have  the  same 
idea.  The  thing  seems,  as  before  related, 
very  plausible,  but  it  is  even  less  practicable 
now  than  it  was  25  years  ago.  Even  then 
of  the  many  who  tackled  it,  few  were  suc- 
cessful, and  they  in  only  a  very  small  way. 
The  ones  who  for  a  time  made  a  small- 
time "go"  of  it  were  mostly  all  family  out- 
fits, so  that  no  hired  help  was  necessary. 

A  THEATRE  MANAGER'S 
AMATEUR  THEATRE 

from  W.  L.  Bourne, 
manager  of  the  Star  theatre  in  Fennville, 
Mich.,  comes  a  description  of  an  eighteen- 
seat  theatre  which  he  operates  solely  for  his 
own  amusement.  He  says,  "Noting  your 
request  for  photographs  of  projection 
rooms,  I  enclose  two  of  my  own  that  may 
be  of  interest  to  your  readers,  as  the  theatre 
seats  only  18  people  and  gives  shows,  with- 
out admission  price,  to  my  friends  upon 
occasion.  Incidentally  there  are  a  number 
of  theatres  of  the  such  amateur  class  in  the 
surrounding  territory.  One  in  Grand  Rap- 
ids seats  50;  it  is  over  a  garage.  Mr.  Hef- 
fern,  the  owner,  built  it  several  years  ago 
and  now  runs  the  very  latest  sound-on-film 
prints.  Articles  from  that  gentleman  ap- 
pear in  the  Motion  Picture  Herald  quite 
frequently  under  'What  the  Picture  Did 
for  Me.' 

"Then,  too,  there  is  the  Atomic  theatre, 
406  Spring  Street,  Michigan  City,  seating 
20,  owned  and  operated  by  Mr.  William 
Higley.  It  uses  sound-on-film  prints,  but 
only  the  old  ones,  I  believe.  Still  another 
small  amateur  house,  the  Viking,  operates 
in  Akron,  Ohio,  using  sound-on-disc. 

"Like  most  owners  of  these  'theatres,'  I 
operate  mine  chiefly  for  the  education  and 
amusement  derived  therefrom.    I  purchase 

August  22,  1936 


A  STEADY  JOB  FOR  A  CINEPHOR 

This  B  &  L  Cinephor  Lens  has  had  plenty  of  experience  in  filling  the  till 
boxes  of  leading  theatres  throughout  the  entire  country.  He  is  available 
to  do  the  same  thing  for  you.  His  cost  is  paid  in  a  single  year  by  the 
admission  price  of  only  one  of  the  many  additional  persons  he  brings  to 
your  theatre  each  day. 

The  bright,  clear,  well  defined  image  he  projects  brings  your  patrons 
back  for  more.  Hire  the  Cinephor  and  give  your  audiences  first  class 
projection! 

For  details  write  to  Bausch  &  Lomb  Optical  Co.,  679  St.  Paul  St., 
Rochester,  N.  Y. 


BAUSCH  &  LOMB 

SUPER- CINEPHOR 


...  -  "i?V 


THINK 
jL.  THIS 

■  OVER   

IF  WE  INCREASE  THE  SCREEN  RESULTS  FROM  YOUR 

PEERLESS  LOW  INTENSITY  LAMPS  70°/o 

WITHOUT  INCREASING  YOUR  OPERATING  COSTS  WOULD  YOU  BE  INTERESTED? 

That's  what  IO'/4"  reflector  equipments  will  do  for  you.  28  American  supply  dealers  to  serve  you. 
10  foreign  representatives.    Available  tor  Peerless,  Strong,   Motiograph,   Powerllte,  Brenkert. 


Reflectors  by 
BAUSCH  &  LOMB 


Write  today  to 

THE  KNEISLEY  ELECTRIC  COMPANY 

3852  Watson  Ave.,  Toledo  Ohio,  U.  3.  A. 


39 


Type 
HC-10 


BETTER  PROJECTION 

•  "H  &  C"  is  the  accepted 
standard  throughout  the 
world  for  perfection  in  Pro- 
jection Lighting  —  assuring 
superior  projection  results  be- 
cause of  better  screen  illumi- 
nation. 

Write  for  Illustrated  Booklet 

HALL  &  CONNOLLY,  Inc. 

24  Van  Dam  Street,  New  York  City 


Bigger! 

Bigger! 

Bigger! 


f 


w, 


ITH  each 
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Designed  to  furnish  eco- 
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Price  $60.00  complete.  Available  in  110  volts 
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Elect 


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all  the  films  used,  often  afterward  renting 
them  out  to  churches,  lodges,  schools,  etc. 
Some  are  sound,  some  silent ;  am  equipped 
to  use  both. 

"I  have  two  projectors,  using  1,000-watt, 
110-volt  incandescent  lamps.  I  also  hand 
you  a  photo  of  my  home-made  sound  panel. 
The  stage  has  a  sound  screen,  with  Christ- 
mas tree  bulbs  serving  as  footlights.    It  is 


UNION      CITX.  INDIANA 


Projection   room   of  the   "Bourne  theatre." 

equipped  with  dark  red  velvet  curtains. 
The  'auditorium'  is  decorated  in  black  and 
white.  Seats  are  regular  theatre  type,  with 
blue  and  white  bands  around  their  tops. 

"Well,  Mr.  Richardson,  that's  the  dope 
on  my  little  theatre  and  I  do  hope  your 


W.  L.  Bourne  putting  in  some  overtime. 

Comment  in  Better  Theatres  (believe 
me,  B-T  is  a  real  magazine)  will  contain 
anyhow  one  of  the  pictures,  and  soon." 

Interesting — and  I  am  somehow  re- 
minded of  the  answer  to  the  question, 
"What  does  a  policeman  do  on  his  day 
off?"  The  answer  of  course  is,  "He  goes 
for  a  walk."  Well,  here  we  learn  what  a 
theatre  manager  does  during  his  leisure 
hours  at  home.    He  operates  a  theatre! 


MATISSE 

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Consider  the  Deaf 

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Better  Theatres 


PLANNING  THE  THEATRE 


A  SERVICE  DEPARTMENT  DEALING  WITH  ARCHITECTURAL 
DESIGN     AND      MATERIALS,     DECORATION     AND  FURNISHINGS 


ANSWERS  TO  INQUIRIES:  One  of  the  principal  functions  of  this  department  is  to  answer  inquiries  pertaining  to  preliminary  considera- 
tions in  the  planning  of  a  new  theatre  or  the  remodeling  of  an  existing  one.  All  questions  receive  the  personal  attention  of  Peter  M, 
Hulsken,  A.I.A.,  contributing  editor  of  this  department  and  a  practicing  architect  who  long  has  specialized  in  theatre  design.  He  will  be 
glad  to  offer  advice,  suggestions  and  criticism.  Working  plans,  however,  cannot  be  supplied.  All  communications  intended  for  this  depart- 
ment should  be  addressed  to  Better  Theatres,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York.    In  publishing  replies,  only  initials  are  used  for  identification. 


THE  QUESTION: 

I  want  to  remodel  my 
500-seat  house,  put  toilet  rooms  in  the 
basement,  something  to  take  the  place  of 
the  felt  in  the  walls,  a  new  front  and 
would  appreciate  all  the  help  you  can  give 
me  at  once. — M.  M.  H. 

THE  ANSWER: 

IF    YOU    ARE    going  tO 

place  new  toilet  rooms  in  the  basement, 
have  the  stairs  from  foyer  enter  into  a 
lounge,  place  each  individual  toilet  room 
as  far  remote  from  each  other  as  possible, 
or  on  opposite  ends  of  lounge. 

Remove  the  felt  from  walls  and  install 
sound-absorbing  tiles,  such  as  Nu-Wood  or 
Celotex.  These  tiles  can  be  cemented  to 
paster  base.  By  using  a  pattern  and 
borders,  pleasing  results  may  be  obtained. 

A  modern  new  front  may  be  installed  by 
facing  the  present  front  with  a  structural 
glass  like  Vitrolite,  metal,  or  Formica. 

The  installation  of  a  new  ticket  booth 
and  illuminated  poster  cabinets  will  add  to 
the  improvement. 

THE  QUESTION: 

about  a  year  ago  I  had 
to  take  over  some  theatre  equipment  on  a 
debt,  then  last  May  a  chain  of  theatres 
secured  a  long  lease  on  the  building  and  I 
had  to  move  my  seats,  screens  and  all 
equipment.  I  have  been  trying  to  get 
another  location  but  up  to  the  present  time 
I  have  found  only  one  where  pay  roll  and 
population  seemed  sufficient  to  support  a 
theatre.    This  is  a  garage. 

It  is  a  well  constructed  brick  building 
with  steel  bridge  construction  supporting  a 
gravel  and  tar  roof,  large  steel  frames  with 
tilting  glass  windows,  wood  and  plastic 
partition  between  the  store  buildings  and 
rooms.  I  have  a  very  large  screen  and 
only  use  about  a  10x13  picture.  Have 
about  16  foot  clearing  from  floor  to  lower 
part  of  roof  supports.  What  we  want  to 
know  is  if  a  ceiling  would  be  necessary  and 
where  it  would  have  to  be  placed- — just 
under  the  roof  or  under  the  roof  supports? 
About  5  or  6  feet  below  the  roof?  What 
kind  of  material  would  this  have  to  be,  a 
cloth  or  some  such  material,  or  Celotex? 
How  about  the  rear  and  side  walls,  should 
they  be  covered? 

There  is  a  good  cement  floor,  and  could 


it  be  used  without  installing  an  inclined 
floor  above  it  by  raising  the  screen  up,  and 
zig  zag  the  seats,  so  that  the  seat  in  the 
next  row  in  front  would  be  between,  no 
one  sitting  exactly  in  front  of  a  person 
until  the  second  row?  I  will  have  plenty 
of  room  for  this  as  I  will  not  need  more 
than  300  or  350  seats.— R.  I.  D. 

THE    ANSWER  : 

by  all  means,  construct 
a  ceiling,  and  it  should  be  placed  on  the 
bottom  of  the  roof  trusses.  The  joists  sup- 
porting the  ceiling  can  be  placed  on  the 
lower  cord  of  the  trusses.  Any  sound-ab- 
sorbing tile  or  boards,  such  as  Celotex,  Nu- 
Wood,  etc.,  can  be  used  for  ceiling  cover- 
ing. By  applying  this  tile  in  a  pattern  with 
border,  a  nice  effect  may  be  obtained.  The 
same  kind  of  materials,  or  wood-grained 
wallboards  may  be  used  for  side  and  rear 
wall  covering. 

Some  of  this  material  comes  in  4-foot 
widths.  To  obtain  a  pleasant  effect,  apply 
this  material  in  horizontal  layers  with 
painted  wood  or  chromium  cover  strips 
over  joints.  All  such  material  is  easily  and 
quickly  installed.  It  does  not  require  dec- 
orating and  it  is  quite  inexpensive. 

I  am  afraid  that  a  level  floor  will  not 
give  satisfactory  vision,  even  if  the  screen 
is  raised  to  5  feet  above  the  floor  line,  and 
to  zig-zag  the  seats  will  not  help  any,  ex- 
cept for  the  first  few  rows;  and  besides 
that,  this  method  produces  a  bad  condition 
in  the  aisles. 

If  you  do  not  want  to  go  the  expense  of 
changing  the  floor,  I  advise  you  to  build 
the  last  four  or  five  rows  on  wood  plat- 
forms about  3  inches  high  for  each  row. 
While  this  does  not  produce  good  results, 
it  will  be  a  great  improvement  over  the 
level  floor  condition. 

• 

THE  QUESTION: 

I  AM  forwarding  under 
separate  cover,  a  plan  of  a  remodeling  job 
which  has  just  been  completed.  We  seem  to 
be  having  some  difficulty  regarding  the  ven- 
tilation. I  thought  that  by  forwarding  you 
the  plan  and  giving  you  as  much  informa- 
tion as  we  are  able  to,  you  would  possibly 
give  us  some  suggestions  that  would  be 
helpful. 

First  of  all,  the  idea  of  putting  in  air- 
conditioning  equipment  is  out  of  the  ques- 


tion. In  this  part  of  the  country,  while 
we  have  very  warm  days,  our  evenings  are 
very  cool.  Our  summer  business  is  not  as 
good  as  it  is  in  the  winter,  and  therefore 
it  is  not  very  often  that  the  theatre  has 
anywhere  near  a  capacity  business. 

You  will  notice  there  are  two  24x30 
boxed-in  ventilators  or  air  passages  to  the 
out  doors  above  the  exits  near  the  stage. 
Other  than  the  entrances  and  inner  doors 
of  the  lobby,  there  are  no  other  air  inlets. 
I  might  mention  that  this  plan  gives  you  a 
ceiling  plan  and  side  wall.  I  have  also  in- 
dicated where  we  have  a  16-inch  suction 
fan  at  side  of  building.  The  fan  is  en- 
closed in  a  pipe  and  draws  the  air  outdoors. 

We  find  with  a  large  number  of  people 
in  the  theatre  the  air  becomes  muggy.  This 
condition  prevails  mostly  from  halfway 
down  the  theatre  to  the  back  and  in  the 
balcony,  especially,  which  has  a  very  low 
ceiling. — A.  J.  M. 

THE  ANSWER: 

you  state  in  your  in- 
quiry that  your  business  in  summer  is  not 
as  good  as  the  winter.  Might  this  not  be 
precisely  because  you  do  not  have  an  effec- 
tive cooling  system  ?  This  does  not  need 
to  be  an  expensive  refrigerating  system  if 
cold  well  water  is  obtainable,  good  results 
may  be  derived  from  the  installation  of  air- 
washer  units. 

After  giving  your  plans  careful  study,  I 
find  the  trouble  with  your  ventilating  sys- 
tem is  that  not  enough  fresh  air  is  pro- 
vided and  properly  circulated  and  ex- 
hausted. The  air  intakes  over  exit  doors 
near  the  stage  are  too  small  and  should  be 
provided  with  blower  fans  of  the  proper 
size  so  that  the  air  is  forced  into  the  audi- 
torium. In  the  ceiling  under  the  balcony 
at  least  two  grilles  should  be  installed  and 
ducts  provided  to  exhaust  this  air  to  the 
outside,  as  under  present  conditions  this 
space  forms  a  hot-box. 

The  ventilators  in  auditorium  ceiling 
above  balcony  appear  to  be  all  right  except 
that  they  seem  to  be  too  small  and  should 
be  located  closer  to  rear  wall.  All  exhaust 
ducts  should  be  provided  with  controllable 
dampers. 

I  suggest  that  you  call  in  for  consulta- 
tion a  representative  of  a  blower  company, 
so  that  he  can  make  a  survey  of  present 
conditions  and  suggest  to  you  the  size  of 


August  22,  1936 


41 


blowers  and  the  area  of  grilles  and  ducts 
required.  This  service  is  generally  gratis 
and  I  have  no  doubt  that  this  improvement 
can  be  made  at  a  very  low  cost. 

• 

THE  QUESTION: 

PLEASE  find  attached  dia- 
gram or  plan  of  the  theatre  that  we  have 
here  and  we  want  to  make  it  modern  as 
possible.  You  will  note  that  we  have  a 
large  lobby  and  that  the  theatre  is  under 
a  lodging  house,  and  the  ladies'  toilet  is 
under  this  staircase,  and  the  gents'  toilet 
is  back  in  the  alley. 

The  lights  are  the  old  pan  ceiling  lights, 
with  no  wall  lights.  The  seats  have  an 
aisle  down  the  center.  The  projection 
room  is  over  the  ticket  booth.  We  are 
using  mazda  on  our  machines  and  get  good 
light  and  have  good  projection. 

We  have  about  50  feet  in  the  rear  where 
the  building  can  be  extended  to  make  more 
seating  capacity,  but  the  ceiling  is  only  16 
feet  on  entering  and  slants  to  the  stage, 
making  it  about  2  feet  higher  by  the  stage. 
Our  screen  is  9x12.  We  have  about  1 
foot  space  from  floor  to  screen,  and  about 
2  feet  from  screen  to  ceiling.  We  want  to 
modernize  the  front  and  get  in  a  few  more 
seats  and  a  manager's  office,  have  modern 
lighting  and  a  marquee  over  the  sidewalk. 
— D.  I.  T. 

THE  ANSWER: 

the  only  way  I  can  fig- 
ure out  to  provide  space  for  a  manager's 
office  is  to  place  the  lobby  off  center  with 
the  building  and  to  place  the  office  along 
the  right  wall  facing  building.  It  could  be 
about  8x12  feet.  Then  there  would  be 
another  similar  space  left  which  could  be 
used  for  a  women's  room.  Place  the  men's 
room  (as  its  present  location  is  very  bad) 
under  the  stairs  where  the  women's  room 
is  now  located. 

Locate  the  ticket  booth  on  the  sidewalk 
line  with  entrance  doors  on  each  side.  Set 
doors  back  flush  with  back  of  ticket  booth 
so  that  they  will  not  project  beyond  face 
of  building  when  open.    This  will  give  a 


lobby  15x25  feet,  which  is  ample  in  size. 
Place  illuminated  shadow  boxes  on  each 
side  wall  and  have  solid  doors  between 
lobby  and  foyer. 

I  fail  to  figure  out  how  it  is  possible  to 
have  two  banks  of  eight  seats  in  a  row, 
with  an  aisle  between,  across  the  width  of 
the  auditorium,  unless  the  seats  and  aisle 
are  very  narrow;  so  it  is  impossible  to  in- 
crease the  seating  capacity  unless  the  build- 
ing is  extended  in  the  rear. 

I  advise  that  the  width  of  the  foyer  be 
increased  to  5  or  6  feet.  Place  a  check  or 
storage  room  on  the  right  end  of  the  foyer 
to  balance  with  extension  from  under  stair- 
way. 

I  do  not  quite  understand  the  ceiling 
height  description.  You  state  that  the  ceil- 
ing is  16  feet  high  on  entering,  and  about 
2  feet  higher  near  the  stage,  making  it  18 
feet.  Still  you  state  that  there  is  only  1 
foot  of  space  from  floor  to  screen,  and  2 
feet  from  screen  to  ceiling,  while  the  screen 
is  only  9x12  feet.  Perhaps  this  floor  is 
meant  to  be  the  stage  floor. 

No  ceiling  lights  are  required  for  such  a 
narrow  house.  Install  modern  wall  brack- 
ets wired  in  two  circuits,  one  for  house 
lights  and  the  other  for  emergency. 

The  front  of  the  theatre  can  be  very 
effectively  modernized  by  facing  it  with 
structural  glass,  Formica  or  enamel  metal. 

If  a  new  marquee  is  to  be  installed,  illu- 
minate the  soffit  of  it  with  indirect  light- 
ing and  place  attraction  boards  with 
changeable  silhouette  letters  on  three  sides. 
The  name  of  the  theatre  can  be  placed  on 
each  side  of  the  marquee  in  channel  neon 
letters. 

With  proper  redecorating  of  the  interior 
and  the  installation  of  drape  panels  on  side 
walls,  I  believe  you  will  have  quite  a  nice 
theatre  of  modern  style. 

• 

THE    QUESTION : 

enclosed  find  sketch  of 
present  lobby.  We  are  anxious  to  know 
how  to  light  the  lobby,  also  type  of  lights 
in  auditorium  to  use  during  performance. 
We  have  a  small  town  theatre,  600  seats; 
400  down,  200  in  balcony. 


Would  you  arrange  walls  in  lobby  with 
Masonite,  no  wainscoting,  but  leave  a  2 
foot  space  at  ceiling  instead  of  running  to 
ceiling? — L.  J.  M. 

THE  ANSWER: 

the  function  of  this  de- 
partment is  to  give  advice  and  offer  sugges- 
tions on  specific  problems  rising  in  connec- 
tion with  theatre  planning.  We  cannot 
supply  sketches  of  designs  or  working 
drawings.  For  these  you  should  engage  an 
architect. 

• 

THE  QUESTION: 

please  let  us  have  some 
plans  suitable  for  a  theatre  on  a  lot  40x1 10 
feet.  This  house  must  be  economically 
constructed,  yet  have  an  attractive  appear- 
ance.— T.  S. 

THE  ANSWER: 

looking  over  your  sketch, 
I  find  that  you  have  solved  your  problem 
very  nicely,  though  I  do  not  like  the  idea 
of  using  a  curtain  between  lobby  and  foyer. 
You  should  install  doors.  They  will  pre- 
vent unnecessary  and  annoying  noises  from 
penetrating  into  the  auditorium.  I  also 
notice  that  there  is  only  one  set  of  doors  at 
the  entrance. 

The  step-up  design  in  the  lobby  ceiling 
with  recessed  continuous  light  trough  is 
quite  effective,  but  do  not  make  each  step 
more  than  6  feet  high.  Three  step-ups  in- 
stead of  two  may  improve  the  scheme. 

I  do  not  see  any  reason  why  you  should 
end  the  Masonite  2  feet  from  ceiling.  I 
think  it  would  look  nicer  to  cover  the  en- 
tire wall  and  provide  for  a  cornice  or 
moulding  at  the  intersection  of  wall  and 
ceiling. 

For  the  auditorium,  I  suggest  the  in-  ■ 
stallation  of  new  modern  wall  brackets 
about  30  inches  long  and  10  inches  wide, 
made  entirely  of  glass  with  metal  back, 
these  fixtures  to  be  wired  in  two  circuits, 
one  for  house  lights  and  the  other  for  emer- 
gency. These  fixtures  can  be  provided  with 
a  light  strip  so  that  several  different  colored 
bulbs  of  small  wattage  can  be  used. 


How  to  Determine  the  Validity  of  Theatre  Tax  and  License  Laws 

(Continued  from  page  12) 


ance  without  a  license.  This  law  was  held 
valid,  and  the  court  said : 

Therefore,  where  a  State  law  graduates 
license  fees  for  operation  of  theatres,  in 
consideration  of  the  population  of  towns 
and  cities,  or  passes  a  uniform  law,  such 
law  is  valid  unless  the  license  fees  are  so 
high  that  the  average  theatre  operator  can- 
not afford  to  pay  them.   (36  La.  Am.  94.) 

RELATION  OF 
STATE   AND  CITY 

A  complete  review  of 
recent  and  leading  higher  court  cases  dis- 
closes universal  law  as  follows: 

1.  Any  license  ordinance  is  reasonable 
and  valid  that  can  be  paid  by  the  majority 
of  theatre  owners. 

2.  A  license  ordinance  is  uniform  if  it 


requires  the  owners  of  theatres  of  the  same 
seating  capacity  to  pay  the  same  license  fees. 

3.  A  license  ordinance  is  not  discrimi- 
natory if  all  theatre  owners  are  required 
to  pay  the  same  reasonable  license  fees  un- 
der like  conditions. 

In  many  instances  theatre  owners  have 
expended  large  sums  in  testing  the  validity 
of  city  ordinances  because  it  was  believed 
that  the  amount  of  the  fee  was  unreason- 
able. However,  it  is  seldom  that  the  courts 
will  interfere  with  ordinances  where  the 
testimony  indicates  that  the  average  theatre 
owner  can  afford  to  pay  the  fees.  It  is  best, 
under  these  circumstances,  that  theatre 
owners  try  to  induce  the  municipal  council 
to  lower  the  fee,  rather  than  to  spend 
money  testing  the  validity  of  the  ordinances. 

For  illustration,  in  Higgins  v.  Lacroix 


(137  N.  W.  417),  it  was  shown  that  a 
State  statute  authorizes  municipalities  to 
license  and  regulate  shows  of  any  kind. 

A  town  of  1,000  inhabitants  passed  an 
ordinance  fixing  a  license  fee  of  $200  per 
annum  for  "every  moving  picture  show,  or 
other  show  of  a  similar  nature." 

It  was  the  contention  of  an  owner  of  a 
theatre  that  the  fee  was  unreasonable  and 
that  the  ordinance  was  invalid.  However, 
the  court  held  the  fee  not  so  unreasonably 
high  as  to  amount  to  an  abuse  of  power, 
and  said : 

"A  village  council  may  fix  a  fee  for  a 
licensed  calling  or  business  which  shall  in- 
clude the  necessary  cost  of  issuing  the  li- 
cense, and  the  reasonable  expense  of  super- 
vision and  the  police  control  over  the  con- 
duct of  the  business  licensed." 


42 


Better  Theatres 


However,  if  a  State  law  requires  pay- 
ment of  license  fees  by  owners  of  theatres, 
a  city  license  law  is  void. 

For  illustration,  in  State  v.  Prevo  (178 
North  Carolina  740),  it  was  disclosed  that 
a  State  law  taxed  theatres  $30  per  year  in 
towns  having  less  than  5,000  inhabitants 
and  more  than  1,500.  A  town  having  a 
population  of  less  than  5,000  inhabitants 
passed  an  ordinance  which  imposed  a  li- 
cense tax  of  $60  per  annum  on  motion  pic- 
ture shows.  The  court  held  the  ordinance 
void  because  the  city  was  without  power 
to  levy  a  tax  in  excess  of  $30,  the  amount 
collected  by  the  State. 

According  to  this  decision  the  law  is 
clearly  established  that  a  city  cannot  tax 
theatres  where  a  State  law  requires  pay- 
ment of  license  fees,  and  does  not  specify 
that  municipalities  may  require  payment  of 
additional  license  fees. 

Also,  a  municipal  council  cannot  enlarge 
the  legal  meaning  of  a  State  law,  which 
authorized  cities  to  pass  valid  taxation  li- 
censes. For  example,  in  Rex  v.  Dimock 
(44  N.  B.),  a  State  law  was  passed  which 
authorized  city  councils  "to  license,  regu- 
late or  prevent  billiard  tables,  bowling  al- 
leys, or  other  places  of  amusement." 

A  municipality  enacted  an  ordinance  im- 
posing a  license  fee  of  $300  for  each  the- 
atre. The  higher  court  held  that  the  mu- 
nicipality had  no  authority  under  the  above 
State  law  to  pass  an  ordinance  requiring 
theatres  to  pay  the  license  fees. 

WHEN    STATE    TAX    IS  VOID 

Frequently  State  laws  are  formulated 
which  broadly  authorize  municipalities  to 
pass  theatre  license  fees  or  ordinances  in 
accordance  with  the  judgment  of  municipal 
officials.  A  State  law  of  this  nature  always 
is  void.  In  order  that  a  State  law  of  this 
nature  shall  be  valid,  it  must  clearly  define 
in  some  manner  the  amount  of  the  munici- 
pal license  fees.  The  same  law  is  applicable 
to  city  ordinances  which  license  theatres 
under  different  fees. 

For  example,  in  Metropolis  Theatre 
Company  v.  Chicago  (246  Illinois  20),  a 
city  ordinance  classified  theatres  for  the 
purpose  of  levying  license  taxes  according 
to  the  admission  charged.  In  other  words, 
owners  of  theatres  charging  high  admission 
were  required  to  pay  a  larger  license  fee 
than  owner  of  theatres  having  lower  ad- 


the  signs  have  moved  inward,  and  there 
seems  to  be  a  joining  of  hands.  In  the  old 
theatre  we  came  from  a  not-too-well- 
lighted  street  and,  gradually,  as  we  en- 
tered and  penetrated  the  depths  of  the 
theatre,  we  came  upon  more  festivity  and 
more  light.  The  effort  to  maintain  this  il- 
lusion still  exists  and,  while  the  lights  be- 
come richer  and  more  colorful,  they  must, 
of  necessity,  forego  their  dazzle.  The  most 
recent  accomplishments  have  brought  the 
brilliant    colors    from  the  house    to  the 


mission  prices.  The  court  held  this  ordi- 
nance valid,  and  said: 

"The  power  given  to  cities  and  villages 
to  tax  and  regulate  theatrical  and  other 
exhibitions,  shows,  and  amusements  carries 
with  it  the  power  to  classify  the  subjects 
and  to  fix  a  different  license  fee  for  each 
class." 

BASIS   OF  VALIDITY 
OF   LICENSE  TAX 

sometimes  a  license  law 
is  enacted  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  suf- 
ficient money  to  regulate  the  taxed  business. 
Under  laws  of  this  nature  the  amount  ob- 
tainable from  taxation  cannot  exceed  the 
cost  of  the  enforcement  of  the  regulations. 
However,  where  the  license  fee,  or  taxation, 
is  intended  to  enable  either  a  State  or  city 
to  secure  general  revenue,  the  amount  of 
taxation  is  not  dependent  upon  the  expense 
of  collecting  the  taxes,  or  regulating  or 
supervising  the  business. 

For  illustration,  in  Mahonoy  City  v. 
Hersker  (49  Pennsylvania  Supreme  Court 
50),  a  city  ordinance  was  passed  which 
provided  for  the  issuance  of  a  license  to 
theatre  owners  on  the  payment  of  a  license 
fee  of  $3  per  day.  A  theatre  owner  con- 
tended that  the  ordinance  was  void  because 
the  power  of  the  city  to  impose  a  license 
fee  was  limited  to  the  amount  which  would 
reimburse  it  for  cost  of  reasonable  police 
supervision.  However,  the  court  held  the 
ordinance  valid. 

On  the  other  hand,  where  a  theatre  own- 
er is  required  to  pay  a  license  fee,  any  law 
requiring  an  additional  fee  for  the  police 
supervision  is  invalid.  For  example,  in 
Waters  v.  Leech  (3  Arkansas  110),  it  was 
shown  that  a  city  ordinance  provided  for 
a  city  tax  of  $20  per  month  on  every  thea- 
tre. The  ordinance  also  provided  that  it 
was  the  duty  of  the  city  police  to  attend 
each  performance  for  which  the  theatre 
owner  should  pay  him  a  fee  of  $2.50  for 
every  night  of  his  attendance.  The  court 
promptly  held  the  portion  of  the  ordinance 
void  which  required  payment  of  $2.50  fee 
daily. 

[The  author  of  the  above  article  is  a 
frequent  contributor  to  Better  Theatres 
on  legal  phases  of  theatre  operation.  He  is 
an  attorney-at-law  with  offices  in  Cincin- 
nati.— The  Editor.] 


vestibule,  and  lobbies,  and  the  colored  signs 
have  reached  down  to  meet  with  the  colors 
of  the  lobbies.  It  is  all  an  effort  on  the 
part  of  the  theatre  to  expose  itself ;  to  be 
truly  natural;  to  have  the  people  realize 
that  they  are  being  let  in  on  the  inner 
workings  of  the  show.  The  theatre  wants 
to  let  the  public  in  on  the  "in." 

[The  author  of  the  above  article  is  the 
executive  head  of  the  Rambusch  Decorat- 
ing Company ,  New  York.] 


MODERN 

canopies 

*  underwriter-approved 

*  conforming  to  U nion  rules 

Downtown  and  in  the  neighborhoods,  the  theatre  with 
an  attractive  front  shows  best  results  at  the  box  office. 

•  Everbrite  specializes  in  modern  canopies,  theatre 
signs,  and  entire  theatre  fronts  that  help  to  fill  the 
house.  All  Everbrite  products  are  distinctively  designed 
by  our  outstanding  creative  department,  and  erected  by 
expert  craftsmen  who  have  worked  together  for  years. 

•  Write  for  facts  and  figures. 

SILHOUETTE  LETTERS 

Modernize  your  marquee  with  changeable  aluminum 
silhouette  letters.  They  provide  sharp  black-on-white 
contrast,  long  range  visibility  day  and  night.  Easily 
installed — quickly    changed.    Supplied    in    3  sizes. 

EVERBRITE 

ELECTRIC   SIGNS,  INC. 

1434  N.  4th  STREET  MILWAUKEE,  WIS. 

635   N.    RANSOM   STREET  KALAMAZOO.  MICH. 

620  WYANDOTTE  STREET  KANSAS  CITY,  MO. 


We  manufacture  a  most  complete  line  of 
modern  opera  chairs  and  all  accessories, 
combining  excellent  materials  with  the 
finest  of  workmanship,    at   low  prices. 

GENERAL  SEATING  COMPANY 

CHICAGO 


®  IMPROVED  EXPANSION  BOLT 

p3{  Be   sure  of   permanent,   secure  anchorage   of  theatre 

I  ml  seats.   Fasten  them  down  with  the  Improved  Chicago 

1  11  Theatre-Style  Expansion  Bolts.  Write  us  for  attractive 

I'll  Dr'ces  and  samples. 

W  CHICAGO  EXPANSION  BOLT  CO. 

132  S.  Clinton  Street        Chicago,  U.  S.  A. 


"LaVezzi" 

Guaranteed — Precision 
Motion  Picture  Machine  Parts 

Sold  by  dealers  everywhere. 
LAVEZZI  MACHINE  WORKS 

180   N.  WACKER   DRIVE  CHICAGO 
ESTABLISHED  1908 


The  EASY  METHOD  LEDGER  SYSTEM  (2  books,  each 
for  2  years)  keeps  daily  and  weekly  records  of  your  receipts 
and  expenses  with  carry-over  columns.  Price  complete, 
$6.50.  Cash  with  order  or  sent  C.O.D.  (A  2-year  record 
for  less  than  2c  per  day.)  The  Federal  Income  Tax  pages 
alone  worth  many  times  the  price.  Special  prices  In  quan- 
tity lots. 

EASY  METHOD 
LEDGER  SYSTEM 

SEYMOUR.  INDIANA 


Decorating  the  Theatre  According  to  Its 

Functions 


{Continued  from  page  7) 


NEW  HEAVY 
PROJECTOR  BASE 

3  and  5  POINT  PEDESTALS  COM- 
PLETE 

16"    and    18"  MAGAZINES 

PARTS  FOR  SIMPLEX,  POWERS, 
MOTIOGRAPH,  PEERLESS  HY-LOW 
&  PEERLESS  LOW  INTENSITY 
LAMPS 

Manufactured  by 

EDW.   H.  WOLK 

1018    S.   WABASH  AVE. 
CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS. 


August  22,  1936 


43 


BETTER  THEATRES 
CATALOG  BUREAU 

Detailed  information  concerning  products  listed  will  be  sent  to  any  theatre 
owner,  manager,  architect  or  projectionist.  Fill  in  coupon  below  and  mail. 
Readers  will  find  many  of  the  products  listed  are  advertised  in  this  issue. 


Acoustic  materials 
Air  filters 

Air  conditioning,  complete 
Air  washers 
Amplifiers 
Amplifier  tubes 
Architectural  materials 

(specify  purpose  for  which 

material  is  wanted ) 
Automatic  curtain  control 

B 

Batteries,  storage 


Carbons 
Carpets 
Carpet  cushion 
Chairs,  theatre 
Change  makers 
Changeable  letters 
Changeovers 
Color  hoods 
Cutout  machines 


Dimmers 
Disinfectants 


Effect  machines 

Electric  signal  and  control 

devices 
Emergency  lighting  plants 
Exciter  lamps 


Fans,  ventilating 
Film  rewinders 
Film  splicing  devices 
Fire  Prevention  Devices, 
projector 


Fire  extinguishers 

Flashers,  electric  sign 

Flood  lighting 

Floor  surfacing  material 

Fountains 

Frames,  lobby  display 


Grilles,  ventilating 
H 

Hearing  Aids 
Heating  systems 
Horns 


Ladders,  safety 
Lamps,  incandescent 

projection 
Lamps,  projection  arc 
Lenses 

Lighting,  emergency 
Lighting,  decorative 
Lifts — organ,  orchestra 

M 

Marquees 

Mats  and  runners 

Microphones 

Motor-generators 

Motors  (specify  purpose) 

Music  stands 


Organs 

P 

Paints,  lacquers,  etc. 
Perfumers 
Photo-electric  cells 
Portable  projectors 
Portable  sound  equipment 
Projectors,  motion  picture 

(specify  kind) 
Public  address  systems 


Rectifiers 

Reflectors,  projection  arc 
Reflector  shields 
Regulators,  mazda 
Reels 

Rewinders,  film 
Rheostats 


Safes,  office 
Screens 

Screen  masks  and  modifiers 

Screen  resurfacing  service 

Seat  covers 

Signs,  directional 

Signs,  theatre  name 

Shutters,  projection  port 

Soundheads 

Speakers 

Splicers,  film 

Stage  lighting  equipment 
Stage  rigging 
Stereopticons 
Switchboards 


Tickets 

Ticket  booths 

Ticket  issuing  machines 

Transformers 


u 


Uniforms 


Vacuum  cleaners 
Vending  machines 
Ventilating  systems 
Ventilation  control 
instruments 


[8-22  36] 

"BETTER  THEATRES"  DIVISION,  Motion  Picture  Herald, 
Rockefeller  Center,  New  York 

Gentlemen:  I  should  like  to  receive  reliable  information  on  the  following  items: 

(Refer  to  items  by  name,  as  listed  above) 


1   7 

2   8 

3     9 

4   10 

5   II 

6   12 


Remarks  (or  any  items  not  listed  above): 


Name   Theatre   City. 

State   Seating  Capacity  


Index  to 
ADVERTISERS 


A 

Artkraft  Sign  Co.,  The   15 

Ashcraft  Manufacturing  Co.,  C.  S..  .  38 
B 

Baldor  Electric  Co   40 

Ballantyne  Co.,  The   40 

Bausch  &  Lomb  Optical  Co   39 

Brenkert  Light  Projection  Co   33 

G 

Chicago  Expansion  Bolt  Co   43 

D 

Dictograph  Products  Co.,  Inc   25 

E 

Easy  Method  Ledger  System   43 

Electric-Air,  Inc   38 

Everbrite  Electric  Signs,  Inc   43 

F 

Fish-Schurman  Corp   40 

G 

Garver  Electric  Co  36-40 

General  Seating  Co   43 

H 

Hall  &  Connolly,  Inc   40 

Hertner  Electric  Co.,  The   27 

Hoffman-Soons  E.  &  E.  Corp   38 

Hordel  Co.,  The  22-38 

I 

Ideal  Seating  Co   23 

Independent  Theatre  Supply  Dealers 

Assn.,  Inc   25 

International  Projector  Corp. 

Third  Cover 

International  Seat  Corp   38 

J 

Jackson  &  Co.,  Inc.,  O.  W   25 

K 

Kneisley  Electric  Co.,  The   39 

L 

Lavezzi  Machine  Works   43 

Libbey-Owens-Ford  Glass  Co., 

Vitrolite  Div  Insert 

Mc 

McAuley  Manufacturing  Co.,  J.  E. .  .  35 
M 

Mathews  Manufacturing  Co   22 

N 

National  Carbon  Co.,  Inc. .  .  Second  Cover 
National  Super  Service  Co.,  The.  ...  21 
P 

Pittsburgh  Plate  Glass  Co   3 

Projection  Optics  Co.,  Inc   36 

R 

RCA  Manufacturing  Co.,  Inc. 

Fourth  Cover 

Roman  Art  Co.,  Inc   25 

Roval  Metal  Manufacturing  Co   21 

S 

S.  O.  S.  Corp   40 

Spencer  Turbine  Co.,  The   27 

Strong  Electric  Corp.,  The   37 

T 

Taylor  Manufacturing  Co   22 

Trimm  Radio  Manufacturing  Co..  .  .  40 

u 

U.  S.  Air  Conditioning  Corp   26 

w 

Weber  Machine  Corp   36 

Wolk,  Edw.  H   43 

Wolverine  Blower  Works   22 


44 


Better  Theatres 


ANNOUNCEMENT 

THE  PRICE  OF 


TRADE    MARK    REG  'D 


MECHANISM 

Has  Been  Reduced  to  $650.00 

Although  the  Super  Simplex  Mechanism  has  been  greatly  improved  since  it  was  first  introduced  the  new 
price  represents  a  reduction  of  almost  two  hundred  dollars  since  this  splendid  equipment  was  placed  on 
the  market  a  few  years  ago.  The  price  is  approximately  the  same  as  the  old  Regular  Simplex  Rear  Shutter 
Mechanism  which  is  no  longer  manufactured  by  us  but  for  a  slight  additional  sum  exhibitors  can  equip  their 
theatres  with  the  Super  Simplex  Mechanism  with  its  many  marked  advantages  such  as 

HARDENED  INTERMITTENT 
HEAVY  MAIN  FRAME 
BURNISHED  BEARINGS 
HARDENED  SHAFTS 
BUILT  IN  REAR  SHUTTER 
SUBSTANTIAL  LENS  MOUNT 
HEAVY  CAST  IRON  FILM  TRAP 
REMOVABLE  GATE 

HEAVY  AND  LARGER  ENCLOSING  COVERS 

Greater  ease  of  operation,  reduced  maintenance  charges  and  general  dependability  are  the  result  of  these 
many  improvements,  and  the  Super  Simplex  Mechanism  will  quickly  return  the  moderate  difference  in  cost  to 
the  theatre  owner.  Super  Simplex  Mechanism  is  an  additional  assurance  of  good  projection  and  will  pay  for 
itself  over  and  over  again  during  the  long  period  such  equipment  can  be  used  with  moderate  additional 
outlays  for  repair. 

WRITE  TO  ANY  BRANCH 

OF  THE 

NATIONAL  THEATRE   SUPPLY  COMPANY 

Full  details  will  be  supplied  regarding  Super  Simplex  Mechanism  showing 
how  this  splendid  equipment  and  Simplex  Projectors  can  be  bought 
on   the    National   Theatre   Supply    Company    Part    Payment  Plan. 

Upon  request  we  will  be  pleased  to  send  catalogs  and  furnish  in- 
formation regarding  Super  Simplex  Mechanism  and  Simplex  Projectors. 


International  Projector  Corporation 

88-96  COLD  STREET.  NEW  YORK,  N.  Y. 


AND — during  the  past  six  years,  six  new  theatres 
-tx  have  been  built  on  the  Great  White  Way  (be- 
tween 42nd  and  50th  Streets;  6th  and  8th  Avenues). 
Of  these,  five  are  RCA  Photophone  equipped ! 

All  over  the  country  smaller  theatres  are  keeping 
in  step  with  New  York's  profit-getting  pace.  There's 
equipment  designed  and  priced  to  meet  the  needs  of 
every  type  of  theatre.  Write  today  for  further  in- 
formation about  RCA's  new  Photophone  equipment. 


RCA  "FIRSTS"  PAVE  WAY 
FOR  PHOTOPHONE'S 
SWEEPING  RISE! 

RCA  Photophone's  sensational 
rise  to  the  top  can  be  credited  to 
RCA's  great  "firsts"  that  have 
added  so  much  to  finer  perform- 
ance. These  "firsts"  include:  Ro- 
tary Stabilizer  . . .  AC  Operation 
. . .  High  Fidelity . . .  Noiseless  Re- 
cording . . .  Ultra-Violet  Record- 
ing . .  .90  day  factory  guarantee . . . 
libera]  maintenance  and  service. 


V 


MOTION  PICTURE 

HERALD 


Circuits  Start 
Price  Raising 

Motion  Picture 
Industry  "In  Black" 

Salzburg  Conclave 
Honors  Screen 

Exhibitor  Cuts  Out 
Political  Sequences 

Europe  Tending 
To  Single  Bills 


iiiiP        VOL  124 NO  9 


AUGUST  29,  1936 


Entered  as  second-class  matter.  January  12,  19.U.  at  th.  Post  Office,  at  \ew  \ork.  \ 
act  of  March  i.  1879.  Published  weekly  by  Quigtey  Publtshtuo  Co..  In...  at  1270 
Rockefeller   Center.    .V«r    York.     Subscription     S.'.OO   a    year.     S>nolc    copies.    25  cents. 


HEY!  WHAT  DOES 
M-G-M's  LEO  EAT 

that  makes  him  so  GREAT? 


The  Leaping  Lion  is  leaping  again !  He  hasn't  stopped 
since"San  Francisco"  started  the  box-office  earthquake, 
followed  by  wSu*y",  "His  Brother's  Wife",  "Piccadilly  Jim" 
and  others. 

This  time  Leo's  leaping  because  of 'THE  GORGEOUS 
HUSSY",  just  previewed  in  M-G-M's  projection  room 
. . .  and  what  an  attraction !  You'll  see ! 
The  Cast:  JOAN  CRAWFORD,  ROBERT  TAYLOR,  LIONEL 
BARRYMORE,  Franchot  Tone,  Melvyn  Douglas,  James  Stewart. 
Plus  CLARENCE  BROWN'S  great  direction!  Produced  by  Joseph 
("Fury")  Mankiewicz. 

One  hit  after  another!  Leo's  diet  is  perfect  for  the  box-office! 

Are  you  all  LION-ED  UP  for  1936-37? 


JULY  29— THE  CARTHAY  CIRCLE,  LOS  ANGELES 

World  premiere  opens  to  top  big 
gest  opposition  roadshow  of  year! 


AUGUST  1— THE  GEARY,  SAN  FRANCISCO,  CAL. 

2nd  roadshow  opens  with  larg 
advance  sale  in  house's  history! 

AUGUST  14 -THE  WARNER,  ATLANTIC  CITY 

All-time  house  record  beaten  by 
50%  in  first  popular- priced  run! 

AUGUST  20— THE  UNITED  ARTISTS,  DETROIT 

First  four  days  of  first  unlimited 
run  tops  record  of  'Green  Pastures'! 

AUGUST  21— THE  BOYD,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 

First  3  days  outgrosses  full  week 
runs  of  'Louis  Pasteur'  and  'G-Men'! 

AU6UST  22— THE  WARNER,  MEMPHIS,  TENN. 

Opening  week-end  business  shat- 
ters every  mark  in  city's  history! 

AUGUST  26— THE  STRAND,  NEW  YORK  CITY 

Opens  for  extended  engagement 
with  block-long  lines,  S.R.O.  crowds 
setting  new  high  for  Broadway! 


WARNE 


'A 


BOS.' 


FIVE  STEPS  ...  AND 
YOU'RE  IN  THE  PARADE 
OF  RECORD-BREAKERS! 

1.  Raise  your  admission 
scale  to  take  advantage 
of  a  'roadshow  film'  in 
a  popular  priced  run. 


2.  Plan  an  extra- large 
advertising  appropriation 
on  the  basis  of  a  record- 
breaking  engagement. 


3.  Tie  in  with  Warner  Bros.* 
national  magazine  ads, 
on  the  newsstands  now. 

4.  Follow  up  on  that  natu- 
ral promotion  tie-up  with 
libraries  and  book-stores. 

5.  Read  carefully  Warners' 
comprehensive  press 
book  —  already  in  your 
local  exchange.  It's  chock- 
full  of  more  helpful  ideas. 


ROXY  RAISES  PRICES 
FOR  SIMONE  SIMON 
N.  Y.  ENGAGEMENT!* 

{Starting  August  28th) 


*  Those  Roxy  showmen  know 
the  public  will  jam  to  see 
Simone  Simon  .  .  .  they've 
checked  the  business  "Girls' 
Dormitory"did  {and  is  doing)  at: 

CLEVELAND 
CINCINNATI 
INDIANAPOLIS 
PITTSBURGH 
LOUISVILLE 
BOSTON 
BALTIMORE 
MILWAUKEE 
ST.  LOUIS 

.  .  .  where  crowds  and  critics  are 
seconding  Jimmy  Starr's (  L  A.  Her- 
ald&  Express)  rave:  "Simone  Simon 
is  definitely  one  of  the  greatest  dis- 
coveries sinceGarbo  and  Dietrich!" 


HERBERT 


RUTH 


MARSHALL  •  CHATTERTON 

Girls  dormitory 

Introducing  the  most  exciting  new  personality  in  years  . . 

SIMONE  SIMON 

{Pronounced  Stt-MOAN-Sf  MOAH) 

with 

CONSTANCE  COLLIER  •  J.  EDWARD  BROMBERG 
DIXIE  DUNBAR  •  JOHN  QUALEN  •  SHIRLEY  DEANE 

Directed  by  Irving  Cummings 


Associate  Producer  Raymond  Griffith. 
Screen  play  by  Gene  Markey.   From  a 
play  by  Ladislaus  Fodor 


Darryl  F. 
in  Charge  of 


Zanuck 
Production 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 


Vol.  124,  No.  9 


MR.  KENNEDY'S  CAREER 

WHEN  Mr.  Joseph  P.  Kennedy  says  in  his  interest- 
ing and  provocative  book,  "I'm  for  Roosevelt," 
that  "I  have  no  political  ambitions,"  he  is  answer- 
ing an  unraised  question,  doubtless  with  all 
sincerity,  but  also,  one  must  suspect,  without  consulting  his 
subconscious  mind.  It  is  not  the  pattern  of  him  to  be  without 
ambitions  of  various  sorts,  and  in  view  of  the  Atlantic  tanned 
excellence  of  his  health  there  seems  no  very  close  prospect 
of  his  retirement. 

He  has,  one  gathers  from  the  text,  substantial  fortune.  He 
has  had  action,  adventure,  excitements,  experience  a-plenty 
in  this  amusement  industry,  what  with  buying  and  selling  RKO, 
operating  and  then  liquidating  most  of  Pathe,  making  Gloria 
productions,  assaying  the  Radio  Corporation  of  America  and 
exploring  Paramount.  All  this  came  incidentally  after  some 
banking  and  some  shipbuilding. 

Chapter  I  of  Mr.  Kennedy's  book  opens  with:  "Politics 
furnishes  to  government  its  manpower.  .  .  .  Politics  .  .  .  should 
be  the  acute  concern  of  every  citizen  .  .  ." 

Mr.  Kennedy's  book  is  a  political  document — ably  enough 
done  to  be  called  an  ambitious  document. 

AAA 

E  PLURIBUS  UNUM 

BOTH  Mr.  Sinclair  Lewis,  the  author,  and  the  motion 
picture  industry  can  regard  with  a  certain  satisfied 
equanimity  the  decision  of  the  Government  of  the 
United  States,  operating  under  the  name  of  the  Works 
Progress  Administration,  to  produce  on  the  Federal  stage  a 
dramatization  of  the  novel  "It  Can't  Happen  Here,"  to  open 
in  fifteen  cities. 

Mr.  Lewis  can  be  pleased  because  the  WPA  project  is  a 
furtherance  of  the  publicity  campaign  which  he  began  on  the 
pretext  of  the  decision  of  the  motion  picture  industry  against 
the  making  of  a  screen  version  of  his  story.  The  furore  of 
newspaper  attention  raised  then  vastly  enhanced  the  sale  of 
the  book  and  probably  extended  the  already  wide  fame  of 
the  diligent  Mr.  Lewis. 

MEANWHILE  the  motion  picture  industry  in  general  and 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  corporation  in  particular,  as 
owners  of  the  motion  picture  rights,  will  be  able  to  observe 
abstractly  the  progress  and  processes  of  the  Federal  Theatre, 
spending  taxpayers'  money,  in  dealing  with  material  which  for 


August  29,  1936 


the  screen  was  held  to  be  a  menace  to  public  safety  and 
internationally  indiscreet. 

One  is  to  be  reminded  at  the  moment  of  the  many  pratings 
of  militants  that  the  motion  picture  does  not  represent  the 
United  States.  Maybe  it  does  not.  It  is  just  possible  that  the 
screen  is  more  conservative  than  WPA. 

AAA 

REVIVALS 

MR.  FRANK  S.  NUGENT,  editor  of  the  New  York 
Times  motion  picture  department,  has  done  a 
pleasant  piece  of  hot  weather-  writing  with  a  piece 
"to  regret  the  transiency  of  motion  pictures"  and 
charging  that  in  ietting  its  pictures  pass  on  "there  is  an  in- 
consistency in  the  motion  picture  industry's  position."  He 
continues: 

"At  one  moment  it  is  investing  itself  with  the  dignity  of  an 
art;  at  another  it  is  ignoring  and  burying  not  only  its  primitives, 
but  many  of  its  finest  accomplishments." 

Many  persons  of  intelligence  and  scholarly  approach  make 
the  mistake  of  assuming  that  their  interest  is  shared  by  enough 
people  to  make  an  audience.  The  few  and  most  occasional 
successful  revivals  of  old  pictures  have  been  profoundly 
limited.  Also,  the  historical  approach  to  any  subject  under 
the  sun  is  the  one  least  likely  to  attract  or  hold  public  interest. 
The  motion  picture  is  "today-minded"  precisely  because  its 
audience  is.  To  value,  to  appreciate,  to  be  concerned  with, 
or  in  anywise  interested  in,  either  the  past  or  the  future  re- 
quires a  degree  of  intelligence  not  distributed  among  the 
many. 

THE  motion  picture  is  a  going-on,  a  flow,  a  continuous  crop- 
ping, even  as  a  forest  grows  up  out  of  its  own  mold. 
Hollywood,  which  is  more  in  authority  today  than  ever 
before,  would  have  it  so.  Hollywood  consists,  too,  of  a  going- 
on,  and  on  and  on.  Neither  the  vast  studios  nor  the  magnifi- 
cent payrolls  are  to  gain  by  taking  from  them  the  playing 
time  of  the  screen  to  devote  it  to  pictures  they  have  made 
in  years  gone  by. 

The  best  and  probably  only  practical  process  of  bringing 
back  the  triumphs  of  yesterday  has  been  demonstrated  with 
some  success  by  Mr.  Charles  Chaplin  in  his  "Modern  Times," 
which  was  a  memory  jar  of  all  the  comedy  business  he  had 
evolved  and  presented  in  his  entire  prior  career.  Not  quite 
so  candidly,  but  almost  as  truly,  all  drama  is  like  that. 

The  customers,  in  controlling  majority,  want  it  like  "hot 
dogs,"  right  off  the  griddle. 


MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  MARTIN  QUIGLEY,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher 

Incorporating  Exhibitor's  Herald,  founded  1915;  Motion  Picture  News,  founded  1913;  Moving  Picture  World,  founded  1907;  Motography,  founded  1909;  The  Film  Index, 
founded  1906.  Published  every  Thursday  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  City.  Telephone  Circle  7.-3 1 00.  Cable  address  "Quigpubco,  New  York." 
Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Colvin  Browo,  Vice-President  and  General  Manager;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Editor;  Ernest  A.  Rovelstad,  Managing  Editor;  Chicago 
Bureau,  624  South  Michigan  Avenue,  C.  B.  O'Neill,  manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Postal  Union  Life  Building,  Boone  Mancall,  manager;  London  Bureau,  4,  Golden 
Square,  London  W  I,  Bruce  Allan,  cable  Quigpubco  London;  Berlin  Bureau,  Berlin -Tempelhof,  Kaiserin-Augustastrasse  28,  Joachim  K.  Rutenberg,  representative;  Paris 
Bureau,  29,  Rue  Marsoulan,  Paris  12,  France,  Pierre  Autre,  representative,  cable  Autre-Lacifral-12  Paris;  Rome  Bureau,  Viale  Gorizia,  Rome,  Italy,  Vittorio  Malpassuti, 
representative,  Italcable,  Malpassuti,  Rome;  Melbourne  Bureau,  Regent  Theatre,  191  Collins  St.,  Melbourne,  Australia,  Cliff  Holt,  representative;  Mexico  City  Bureau,  Apartado  269, 
Mexico  City,  James  Lockhart,  representative;  Prague  Bureau,  Uhelny  trh  2,  Prague  I,  Czechoslovakia,  Harry  Knopf,  representative;  Budapest  Bureau,  3,  Kaplar-u,  Budapest,  Hungary, 
Endre  Hevesi,  representative;  Buenos  Aires  Bureau,  Corrientes  2495,  Dep.  8,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina,  Natalio  Bruski,  representative;  Shanghai  Bureau.  142  Museum  Road,  Shanghai, 
China,  J.  P.  Koehler,  representative;  Tokyo  Bweau,  880  Sasazuka,  Ichikawa-shi,  Chiba-Ken,  Japan,  H.  Tominaga,  representative;  Rio  de  Janeiro  Bureau,  Caixa  Postal  3358, 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil,  A.  Weissmann,  representative;  Barcelona  Bureau,  Harry  Chapin  Plummer,  Hotel  Rltz,  Plaza  de  las  Cortes,  Barcelona,  Spain.  India  Bureau;  K.  G.  Gidwaney, 
Post  Box  147,  Bunder  Road,  Karachi,  India;  Uruguay,  P.O.  Box  664,  Montevideo,  Uruguay,  Paul  Bodo,  representative,  cable  Argus  Montevideo;  Amsterdam  Bureau,  Zuider  Amstellaan 
5,  Amsterdam,  Holland,  Ph.  de  Schaap,  representative.  Member  Audit  Bureau  of  Circula  <ons.  All  contents  copyright  1936  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Address  all  corres- 
pondence to  the  New  York  Office.  Better  Theatres,  devoted  to  the  construction,  equipment  and  operation  of  theatres,  is  published  every  fourth  week  as  section  2  of  Motion  Picture 
Herald.  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Daily,  Teatro  al  D!a,  Spanish  language  quarterly  in  the  theatre  and  equipment  field,  and  International  Motion  Picture  Almanac 
and  the  Box  Office  Check-up,  both  published  annually. 


8 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


This  Week 


Again  "In  the  Black"' 

Motion  picture  earnings  are  running  well 
"in  the  black"  for  the  first  time  since  the 
depression,  with  further  increases  in  ad- 
missions in  sight,  to  be  reflected  in  distribu- 
tors' profits  at  the  end  of  the  year. 

Graphs  and  charts  show  the  fluctuation 
of  income  for  the  past  eight  years,  starting 
on  page  14. 

C-N  Policy 

At  a  sales  convention  for  western  and 
southern  divisions  held  in  Chicago,  Carl 
Leserman,  vice  president  and  general  man- 
manager  of  Grand  National,  told  dele- 
gates that  the  first  10  pictures  in  the  three 
groups  to  be  produced  during  the  coming 
season  will  be  sold  on  a  percentage  basis 
with  the  others  being  made  available  for 
a  flat  rental.  During  the  convention  it  was 
announced  that  Edward  Alperson,  president 
of  the  company,  had  signed  a  distribution 
agreement  with  Associated  British  Dis- 
tributors in  London. 

Details  of  the  announcements  made  at  the 
convention  are  reported  on  page  24. 

WPAing  Lewis  Book 

The  Federal  Theatre  Division  of  the 
Works  Progress  Administration  has  an- 
nounced plans  for  the  simultaneous  produc- 
tion in  15  cities,  beginning  October  20,  of 
Sinclair  Lewis'  "It  Can't  Happen  Here." 
Production  of  a  screen  version  of  the  book, 
which  depicts  a  Fascist  regime  in  America, 
was  abandoned  last  February  by  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  on  the  reported  grounds 
that  the  film  might  be  resented  in  Fascist 
countries  in  which  it  might  be  shown.  Mr. 
Lewis  at  the  time  charged  that  the  motion 
picture  industry  and  Will  H.  Hays  had 
"banned"  the  production. 

The  elaborate  plans  of  the  presentation 
of  the  stage  play  as  detailed  in  the  WPA-.  an- 
nouncement are  outlined  on  page  28. 

RKO  Plan  Delay  Seen 

Observers  close  to  the  status  of  the  reor- 
ganization plan  proposed  for  the  Radio- 
Keith-Orpheum  Corporation  are  of  the 
opinion  that  the  plan  itself  cannot  be  com- 
pleted before  January  1,  and  that  final  ap- 
proval may  not  be  forthcoming  before  Feb- 
ruary or  March.  Discussions  on  an  agree- 
ment for  disposition  of  a  $9,100,000  Rocke- 
feller Center  claim  against  the  company  will 
be  resumed  after  Labor  Day  and  are  ex- 
pected to  continue  for  several  weeks.  Dis- 
cussions with  other  creditors  would  then 
follow. 

The  present  status  and  future  plans  of  the 
reorganization  are  discussed  on  page  16. 


Salzburg  Precedent 

Each  year  thousands  of  music  lovers  from 
many  lands  go  to  Salzburg,  Austria,  to  hear 
the  works  of  the  great  composers  played  by 
famous  musical  organizations  under  direc- 
tion of  noted  conductors.  Under  the  guiding 
eye  of  Max  Reinhardt  the  Salzburg  Festi- 
val, as  the  institution  is  known,  has  become, 
since  1921,  comparable,  in  terms  of  musical 
significance,  to  the  Passion  Play  of  Ober- 
ammergau.  This  year,  for  the  first  time, 
the  motion  picture  has  been  accorded  pro- 
gram recognition,  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"  be- 
ing exhibited  on  August  2nd  and  "Romeo 
and  Juliet"  on  August  9th. 

Dr.  Adolf  Nichtenhauser's  report  of  the 
event  is  published  on  page  41. 


Editorial  Page  7 

Pictorial  Preview  Page  36 

This  Week  in  Pictures  Page  10 

The  Hollywood  Scene  Page  35 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me  Page  75 

Showmen's  Reviews  Page  43 

Asides  and  Interludes  Page  23 

J.  C.  Jenkins — His  Colyum  Page  77 

Managers'  Round  Table  Page  79 

The  Release  Chart  Page  50 

Technological  Page  91 

Chicago  Page  78 

Box  Office  Receipts  Page  70 


Europe  Favors  Singles 

A  survey  of  eighteen  European  countries 
completed  by  the  International  Film  Cham- 
ber shows  a  pronounced  swing  away  from 
the  practice  of  double  billing,  with  legisla- 
tion in  some  instances  reflecting  the  general 
trend  in  the  direction  of  single- feature  pro- 
grams. Dualing  of  old  product  continues  in 
some  nations  otherwise  dedicated  to  a  sin- 
gle-feature policy,  a  waning  practice. 

Details  of  the  survey  are  reported  by  J. 
K.  Rutenburg ,  Berlin  correspondent,  on 
page  30. 

Plans  to  Ban  Duals 

Revival  of  plans  to  eliminate  double  fea- 
tures were  reported  on  four  fronts  following 
publication  two  weeks  ago  of  the  results  of 
a  public  poll  conducted  by  Warner  Brothers, 
in  which  over  725,000  voted  four-to-one 
against  the  practice.  Theatre  owners  in  St. 
Louis,  Indianapolis,  New  York  and  Akron 
are  conferring  on  the  possibility  of  abandon- 
ing dual  bills.  Difficulty  in  obtaining  unani- 
mous agreement  is  the  chief  obstacle. 

Developments  in  the  situation  are  outlined 
on  page  16  

Cut  the  Politics 

The  rigid  watch  which  exhibitors  are 
keeping  to  prevent  any  suspicion  of  politi- 
cal partisanship  from  creeping  into  their 
theatres  was  exemplified  by  the  decision  of 
Real  Neth,  owner  of  a  neighborhood  circuit 
in  Columbus,  Ohio,  to  cut  all  political  se- 
quences out  of  newsreels  shown  in  his  houses 
on  the  ground  that  the  showing  of  only  one 
candidate  in  a  reel  might  annoy  patrons  of 
the  opposite  conviction.  The  announcement 
by  Mr.  Neth  comes  simultaneously  with  re- 
ports that  audience  reaction  to  newsreels  is 
already  being  employed  by  commentators  for 
both  parties. 

Mr.  Nethfs  announcements  and  other  de- 
velopments are  reported  on  page  24. 

Mussolini  Agent 

Carlo  Roncoroni,  holder  of  many  promi- 
nent positions  in  the  Fascist  government  of 
Italy,  and  president  of  Cines  Studios,  latest 
motion  picture  development  outside  Rome, 
arrived  in  New  York  this  week  on  his  way 
to  Hollywood,  where  he  will  confer  with 
Walter  Wanger  and  Dr.  A.  H.  Giannini, 
president  of  United  Artists  and  international 
banker,  on  Italian  production  and  legisla- 
tion. While  in  Hollywood,  Signor  Ronco- 
roni hopes  to  sign  up  producers,  stars,  direc- 
tors and  technicians  to  work  in  Italy. 

For  details  of  his  trip,  and  a  picture  of 
Rome's  motion  picture  development,  see 
page  17. 


August    2  9,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


9 


Roadshow  Revival 

With  announcement  that  "The  Great 
Ziegfeld"  would  go  into  His  Majesty's  The- 
atre, Haymarket,  instead  of  into  its  own 
Empire,  MGM  drew  attention  of  the  Brit- 
ish trade  to  revival  of  a  roadshow  policy 
abandoned  ten  years  ago  and  comment  in 
the  industry  turned  at  once  to  possibly  far- 
reaching  effects  of  the  move.  Whether 
"Romeo  and  Juliet"  would  be  handled  in 
like  manner  was  left  an  open  question,  to 
be  answered  by  box  office  experience. 

Bruce  Allan  discusses  the  matter  fully  in 
his  article  on  page  29. 

Counter-Amusement 

First  concrete  plans  for  an  institutional 
advertising  campaign  designed  to  offset  ex- 
pected competition  during  the  political  cam- 
paign this  fall,  have  been  announced  by  the 
Comerford  circuit,  owning  houses  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  western  New  York.  Chief 
factor  in  the  drive  will  be  a  series  of  full- 
page  newspaper  advertisements  in  which 
outstanding  product  booked  for  the  coming 
season  will  be  announced.  John  Nolan,  pur- 
chasing executive  for  the  circuit,  who  made 
the  announcement,  is  enthusiastic  about 
prospects  for  the  season. 

Details  of  the  plan  and  Mr.  Nolan's  hopes 
for  the  future  are  given  on  page  25. 

Raising  Prices 

National  Theatres,  whose  400  theatres 
comprise  Fox  West  Coast,  Fox  Midwest, 
Fox  Wisconsin,  Intermountain  and  Ever- 
green States,  this  week  became  the  first  na- 
tional circuit  to  take  a  definite  step  toward 
increasing  admission  prices,  even  in  face  of 
the  Federal  and  local  admission  taxes.  War- 
ners also  revealed  plans  for  such  a  move, 
but  the  matter  is  still  being  considered  by 
circuit  executives. 

The  National  Theatres  move,  along  with 
the  admission  increases  in  New  York  by 
Broadway  operatars  as  well  as  neighbor- 
hood theatres,  is  discussed  in  a  story  on 
page  13. 

Heavy  Man  Wanted 

Once  upon  a  time  the  films  were  full  of 
fat  men.  Now  there's  a  job  for  one  and  none 
to  take  it.  Julius  Hagen  is  the  producer 
and  the  play  for  which  he  needs  an  over- 
sized performer  is  to  be  based  upon  the 
Tichborne  case,  famous  in  England,  wherein 
the  false  claimant  for  a  tremendous  fortune 
was  one  of  the  biggest  men  in  recorded  his- 
tory. 

More  about  this  and  other  aspects  of  the 
industry  in  England  is  reported  by  Bruce 
Allan  on  page  29. 


Production  Pauses 

Production  activity  subsided  from  its  re- 
cent peak  last  week  with  only  six  new  pic- 
tures going  into  work  while  the  shooting 
level  dropped  from  52  to  41.  Naturally, 
cutting  rooms  were  correspondingly  busy. 
Paramount  and  Warner  Brothers  were  lead- 
ers among  the  active  companies,  with  eight 
pictures  each  before  the  cameras. 

Details  are  on  page  35. 

Pictorial  Preview 

Designed  with  evident  pains  to  stimulate 
box  office  response,  "Cain  and  Mabel"  is 
progressing  toward  studio  completion  with 
Marion  Davies  and  Clark  Gable  at  the  head 
of  a  large  cast.  Hollywood  comment  makes 
much  of  the  technical  personnel,  the  time- 
liness of  the  story  and  other  factors  counted 
upon  to  attract  and  satisfy.  H.  C.  Witwet 
is  author  and  Lloyd  Bacon  is  directing. 

A  pictorial  preview  of  the  picture  by  Giti 
McCarthy  appears  on  pages  36-37. 

Publicity  Banned 

Nashville  newspapers  have  banned  all 
"free"  publicity  on  motion  pictures,  radio 
and  other  fields,  because,  they  say,  "the  un- 
warranted amount  of  so-called  publicity 
which  our  newspapers  have  been  carrying 
is  beginning  to  undermine  reader  confi- 
dence." 

Story  on  page  42. 

Double  Indemnity 

As  Chicago  awaits  the  inception  of  the 
double  feature  policy  as  general  practice, 
Balaban  and  Katz,  sponsoring  the  policy  in 
its  neighborhood  houses,  prepares  to  offset 
its  effect  downtown  with  long  features. 

The  story  is  on  page  78. 

Tax  Inquiry  Pushed 

Unearthing  $13,811,807  in  federal  tax  de- 
ficiencies, the  United  States  Government 
will  extend  its  investigation  of  such  delin- 
quencies, aiming  at  theatres  along  with 
others  who  are  charged  with  failure  to  ac- 
count properly  for  admission  levies. 

Details  are  on  page  18. 

"U"  Party 

The  new  Universal  Pictures  Corporation 
of  the  Cowdin-Cochrane-Rogers  interests 
started  formally  on  Thursday  when  three 
plane-loads  of  42  directors  and  friends  of 
the  company  left  Newark  Airport  for  Uni- 
versal City,  California,  as  the  guests  of  J. 
Cheever  Cowdin,  chairman  of  the  board, 
and  R.  H.  Cochrane,  president,  to  attend  the 
launching  party  Saturday  night  given  by 


Charles  R.  Rogers,  executive  vice-president. 
George  Jessel  will  be  the  master  of  cere- 
monies and  among  the  guests  will  be  some 
300  fan  and  newspaper  writers  who  cover 
the  studios. 

Receivership  Report 

A  formal  report  of  Milton  C.  Weisman, 
receiver  of  Fox  Theatres  corporation,  has 
been  filed  in  the  federal  court  of  New  York, 
placing  the  receiver's  valuation  of  the  assets 
at  $9,619,313.  Among  the  assets  listed  are 
claims  against  William  Fox  for  $7,500,000. 

A  complete  story  of  the  report  is  pub- 
lished on  page  30. 

Erpi  Convenes 

Delegates  to  the  annual  sales  convention 
of  Electrical  Research  Products,  Inc.,  ex- 
ecutives and  employees,  this  week  witnessed 
a  demonstration  of  the  new  Mirrophonic 
sound  reproduction  apparatus.  The  conven- 
tion was  held  at  the  Hotel  Pierre,  New 
York,  and  extended  through  five  days. 

The  story  is  on  page  66,  a  photograph  of 
the  convention  on  page  10. 

Reel  Trouble 

Chicago  exhibitors  and  distributors  are 
faced  with  a  special  problem  in  the  adoption 
of  the  new  2,000-foot  reel.  A  local  ordi- 
nance requires  a  two-inch  clearance  between 
reel  and  magazine.  Pending  possible  but 
improbable  revision  of  the  city  statute,  vari- 
ous methods  of  surmounting  the  obstacle, 
none  uniformly  satisfactory,  are  under  con- 
sideration. 

William  F.  Crouch  reports  the  complica- 
tion on  page  78. 

Radio  Study 

Officials  of  the  Motion  Picture  Producers 
and  Distributors  of  America  are  conducting 
a  survey  of  box  office  receipts  on  pictures 
featuring  players  featured  concurrently  on 
radio  advertising  programs,  with  a  view  to 
determining  definitely  the  direct  effect  of 
radio's  use  of  screen  talent  on  screen  reve- 
nue. While  it  is  made  plain  that  the  in- 
vestigation is  made  in  contemplation  of  ac- 
tion, no  indication  has  been  made  as  to 
what  the  nature  of  this  action  might  be. 

Details  on  page  38. 

Preparedness 

Newsreel  cameramen  are  as  peacefully  in- 
clined as  most  people,  it  must  be  presumed, 
but  they  are  a  notably  forethoughted  clan, 
too,  and  martial  events  of  the  present  and 
immediate  past  are  looked  upon,  however 
regretfully,  as  admirable  preparation  for 
whatever,  if  anything,  is  to  come. 

John  Dored,  Paramount  Nezvs  represen- 
tative in  Spain,  writes  about  it  on  page  38. 


10 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


This  IVeek  in  Pictures 


PREMIERE.  Lloyd  Nolan  and  King  Vidor  (below) 
were  among  the  celebrities  attending  the  premiere 
of  "The  Texas  Rangers,"  Paramount,  at  the 
Majestic  theatre,  Dallas,  Texas.  Mr.  Vidor  directed 
the  picture.    Mr.  Nolan  portrays  a  leading  role. 


CHOSEN.  Jean  Chatburn  (right)  has  been  chosen 
as  the  "Perfect  Beauty"  by  McClelland  Barclay, 
the  noted  artist  and  illustrator.  Miss  Chatburn 
is  an  MSM  featured  player  and  was  last  seen  in 
that  company's  "The  Great  Ziegfeld." 


INTRODUCTIONS.  Captain  George  Rhode  of 
Denmark,  honeymooning  with  the  former  Ruth 
Bryan  Owen  in  Hollywood,  meets  Virginia  Bruce 
on  an  MGM  set  while  "Ma"  Ferguson  of  Texas, 
Mrs.  Rhode,  James  Stewart  and  Jean  Hersholt 
look  on. 


INDUCTED.  Janice  Jarratt,  who  was  proclaimed  the  "Sweetheart  of  the  Texas 
Centennial,"  is  shown  signing  a  contract  to  appear  in  Universal  pictures. 
J.  Cheever  Cowdin,  chairman  of  the  Universal  board,  went  to  Austin,  Texas,  to 
sign  the  contract,  an  affair  concluded  with  impressive  ceremonies  in  the  office 
of  Governor  Allred  of  that  state. 


CHEERIO.  Freddie  Bartholomew  and  Sir  Cedric 
Hardwicke  exchange  greetings  at  the  American 
premiere  of  the  latter's  GB  picture,  "Nine  Days 
a  Queen,"  "Aunt  Cissy"  (Millicent  Bartholomew) 
is  caught  in  an  airy  gesture  at  left  of  her  nephew. 


August    29,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


CONVENTION.  C.  W.  Bunn,  general  sales  manager  of  Electrical  Research 
Products,  Inc.,  presided  at  the  company's  first  national  convention,  which 
opened  Monday  at  New  York's  Hotel  Pierre.  On  the  dais,  left  to  right,  are 
W.  W.  Simon,  William  Wolf,  N.  A.  Robinson,  D.  H.  Ruliffson,  J.  S.  Ward, 
Stanley  Hand,  Mr.  Bunn,  Mike  Conrow,  Harry  W.  Dodge,  Bert  Sanford,  Walter 
Woodward,  F.  B.  Foster,  Jr.,  H.  M.  Bessey  and  G.  L.  Carrington. 


SIGNED.  Edward  Finney,  who  will  produce  eight 
westerns  for  Grand  National  release,  signs  Tex 
Ritter  to  star  in  them.  They  will  be  called  the 
Range  Rider  series  and  will  introduce  Mr.  Ritter 
to  the  screen. 


HOLLYWOOD  VISITORS.  In  Hollywood  for  a  summer  vacation,  Karl  Hoblitz- 
elle,  operating  head  of  the  Interstate  Theatre  circuit  throughout  Texas  and 
the  Southwest,  Paramount  affiliate,  was  the  guest  of  Adolph  Jukor  at  his  office 
in  the  Paramount  studio.  From  left  to  right  are  seen  Robert  O'Donnell,  general 
manager  of  Interstate,  Adolph  Zukor  and  Mr.  Hoblitzelle. 


12 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August  29 


19  3  6 


TRIUMPH.  Home  from  Europe,  where  she  ap- 
peared before  five  monarchs  in  the  course  of 
her  concert  tour,  Grace  Moore,  Columbia  star, 
arrived  in  New  York  on  her  way  to  Hollywood 
to  begin  work  on  her  next  production,  "Inter- 
lude." 


UP.  George  Bilson  used  to  be  in  the  trailer 
department  of  Warner  Brothers,  but  the  studio 
recently  purchased  his  original  story,  "Ship 
News,"  and  now  he's  been  made  a  writer- 
director-producer,  in  line  with  company  policy. 


FAMILY  GROUP.  Pat  O'Brien,  Warner  Brothers  star,  looks  on  proudly  as  his 
daughter,  Mavourneen,  is  held  by  her  grandmother.  From  left  to  right:  Mrs.  Pat 
O'Brien,  Mrs.  O'Brien,  Sr.,  Mavourneen  and  Mr.  O'Brien.  The  cat  responds, 
sometimes,  to  the  appropriate  name,  Fuzzy. 


RESTING.  Anita  Colby,  seen  in  RKO- 
Radio's  "Mary  of  Scotland,"  pays  a 
vacation  visit  to  New  York.  Miss  Colby 
has  signed  a  new  contract  and  will 
return  shortly  to  Hollvwnn<-l 


SOUNDS  GOOD.  Louis  Clement,  vice- 
president  of  RCA,  takes  off  for  Holly- 
wood, where  he  will  install  a  new  re- 
cording system  using  the  ultra-violet 
ray  in  various  studios. 


August    2  9,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


13 


NATIONAL  CIRCUIT  JOINING 
MOVE  TO  LIFT  B.  O.  SCALE 


Price  Boost  Plans  of  Fox  Groups 
Affect  400  Theatres;  End 
of  "Early  Bird"  Bargains 
Seen  as  Certain  in  New  York 

Despite  admission  price  scale  hardships 
imposed  upon  exhibitors  by  federal  and  local 
taxation,  the  first  definite  move  in  the  coun- 
try-wide trend  toward  increased  admission 
prices  was  taken  this  week  when  National 
Theatres,  the  subsidiaries  of  which  embrace 
Fox  West  Coast,  Fox  Midwest,  Fox  Wis- 
consin, Intermountain  and  Evergreen  States 
Circuits,  decided  to  raise  price  scales  in  the 
400  theatres  of  these  groups.  New  York 
theatres  have  been  discussing  the  advisabil- 
ity of  increasing  admissions  for  some  time, 
especially  the  elimination  of  "early  bird" 
prices.  New  Jersey  and  Connecticut  ex- 
hibitors also  have  admission  increases  in 
mind  and  Balaban  and  Katz  in  Chicago  re- 
vealed Tuesday  that  the  circuits  prices  will 
be  raised. 

Exhibitors  surveys  throughout  the  coun- 
try, reported  in  Motion  Picture  Herald 
of  August  1,  that  the  top  admissions  in  most 
situations  is  purposely  set  at  40  cents  be- 
cause the  10  per  cent  Federal  admission  tax 
makes  any  increase  beyond  this  figure  sub- 
ject to  assessment,  since  if  the  price  is  in- 
creased from  40  to  45  cents,  the  amount  of 
the  increase  goes  for  taxation.  Therefore, 
to  gain  a  five-cent  increase  in  theatre  net, 
the  exhibitor  is  forced  to  double  the  amount 
of  price  increase  over  his  previous  40-cent 
charge. 

It  was  further  shown  that  besides  the  fed- 
eral impost  which  is  levied  in  every  State, 
there  are  13  States  that  impose  sales  taxes 
which  include  admissions,  five  with  taxes 
on  gross  receipts  of  theatres,  and  four 
States  with  straight  admission  taxes,  all  of 
these  contributing  toward  keeping  price 
scales  down  to  depression  levels. 

The  step  by  National  Theatres  will  be 
the  first  by  a  major  circuit  toward  raising 
price  scales  throughout  the  country, 
although  Warner  is  studying  such  a  move. 
It  is  expected  this  will  be  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal topics  to  be  discussed  at  the  regional 
Fox-National  meetings  at  Kansas  City  and 
Los  Angeles  starting  late  this  week,  and  it 
is  expected  that  when  both  meetings  are 
ended,  definite  commitments  to  boost  ad- 
mission charges  will  have  been  made.  Divi- 
sional and  district  operating  heads  and 
bookers,  as  well  as  sales  executives  of 
major  distributing  companies,  will  attend. 

Favoring  the  move  for  National  is 
Spyros  Skouras,  first  vice  president,  who 
said  in  New  York  before  leaving  for  Kan- 
sas City,  that  "an  increase  in  admissions 
is  necessary.  Film  entertainment  is  the  only 
commodity  in  the  world  which  has  not  risen 
along  with  price  increases  for  the  products 
of  other  industries." 

Mr.  Skouras,  operating  head  of  National 


JULY  THEATRE  TAXES 
TOTAL  $1,568,487.42 

A  rise  in  motion  picture  theatre 
attendance  and  receipts  even  during 
the  hot  month  of  July  is  reflected  in 
figures  on  admission  taxes  collected 
by  the  Bureau  of  Internal  Revenue 
at  Washington,  which  shows  that 
taxes  for  last  month  amounted  to 
$1,568,487.42,  compared  with  the 
$1,276,914.66  collected  in  the  month 
of  July  last  year,  or  an  increase  of 
more  than  25  per  cent  this  year. 

This  is  regarded  as  in  line  with 
various  estimates  that  business  among 
theatres  generally  ranges  anywhere 
from  10  to  3  5  per  cent  better  than  it 
was  a  year  ago. 


Theatres,  asserted  that  in  northern  Cali- 
fornia, Fox  West  Coast  has  an  average  ad- 
mission price  of  2>2y2  cents,  while  in  south- 
ern California  the  average  charge  is  32 
cents.  These  figures  include  matinees  and 
children's  admissions,  according  to  Mr. 
Skouras.  Considering  the  average,  "we 
charge  the  highest  admission  in  the  coun- 
try," he  said. 

Unite  on  Price  Rise 

Meanwhile,  the  first  meeting  in  New 
York  of  all  Broadway  theatre  operators  to 
discuss  the  abandonment  of  "early  bird" 
prices  and  the  adoption  of  a  5  p.  m.  even- 
ing admission  price  scale,  which  had  been 
scheduled  to  be  held  in  Atlantic  City  Sep- 
has  been  postponed  indefinitely  although  in- 
dications definitely  point  to  approval  of  the 
plan  by  all  first-  and  second-run  theatres. 

Since  the  idea  was  first  suggested  some 
time  ago,  representatives  of  the  Roxy  and 
Strand  have  pledged  support  to  the  plan, 
starting  September  4  and  5.  The  joining 
of  these  two  theatres  with  the  other  exhibi- 
tors behind  the  move  completes  the  total 
of  Broadway  houses. 

With  the  opening  of  "Anthony  Adverse" 
this  Wednesday  at  the  Strand,  the  theatre 
scheduled  advances  in  prices  to  40  cents 
for  the  hours  from  9  a.  m.  to  2  p.  m.,  an 
increase  of  15  cents  over  the  old  scale;  to 
65  cents,  from  2  p.  m.  to  6  p.  m.,  and  85 
cents,  from  75  cents,  thereafter. 

The  new  scale  disregards  the  Broadway 
plan  of  doing  away  with  the  matinee  price 
changeover,  but  assurances  have  been  made 
by  an  important  executive  of  the  circuit 
that  the  in-between  charge  will  be  dropped. 
Whether  this  will  be  done  during  or  after 
the  run  of  "Anthony  Adverse,"  could  not 
be  learned. 

A  general  increase,  moreover,  from  five 
to  10  cents  in  admissions  in  certain  Loew, 
RKO,  Skouras  and  Fabian  theatres  in  the 
metropolitan  New  York  area  is  also  being 
seriously  considered  by  heads  of  the  cir- 


Connecticut  Interests  Agree  on 
Increases  To  Go  Into  Effect 
With  the  New  Season;  Cer- 
tain Pictures  To  Bring  Advance 

cuits.  Loew's  has  several  houses  where  an 
increase  in  evening  prices  is  considered  ad- 
visable. RKO  raised  the  matinee  and  even- 
ing scales  at  the  Hamilton  theatre  by  five 
cents,  and  Lou  Goldberg  is  planning  to 
make  a  similar  move  at  some  of  the  East 
Side  theatres  under  his  management. 

Representatives  of  the  Loew  and  RKO 
circuits,  and  also  Harry  Brandt,  speaking 
for  the  Independent  Theatre  Owners'  As- 
sociation, have  stated  that  regardless  of 
what  the  Broadway  theatres  do  about  the 
"early  bird"  and  new  evening  admission 
scale,  their  neighborhood  houses  definitely 
would  adopt  the  scheme.  The  thought  gen- 
erally is  that  now  is  the  right  time  to  make 
such  a  move,  and  that  to  pass  it  up  now 
would  be  a  serious  mistake. 

George  Skouras  has  been  thinking  about 
raising  prices  at  some  of  the  Long  Island 
group  in  his  circuit,  and  indications  are  that 
the  move  will  be  made  some  time  after 
Labor  Day.  Si  Fabian  has  in  mind  a  10- 
cent  increase  for  his  Brooklyn  houses,  the 
increase  to  apply  at  both  afternoon  and 
evening  performances. 

Connecticut  Advance  in  Fall 

At  New  Haven  this  week,  first-run  opera- 
tors met  for  a  discussion  of  higher  admis- 
sion prices,  to  be  effective  with  the  new 
season.  Whereas  the  three  leading  New 
Haven  houses — Poli,  Paramount  and  Roger 
Sherman — and  corresponding  "A"  houses 
of  the  Poli,  Mullin  &  Pinanski,  and  Warner 
circuits  in  Connecticut,  now  charge  a  50- 
cent  top,  it  is  thought  possible  that  "The 
Great  Ziegfeld"  or  "The  Gorgeous  Hussy," 
which  will  open  the  Poli  fall  season,  will 
raise  the  top  to  60  cents. 

"Anthony  Adverse"  is  definitely  sched- 
uled to  play  at  60  cents  in  the  Warner 
houses,  beginning  late  this  week,  at  New 
London  and  South  Norwalk,  and  at  other 
Connecticut  key  houses  on  September  10. 
These  levels  may  be  retained. 

Moves  to  increase  admissions  in  New 
Jersey  will  be  one  of  the  highlights  at  the 
Allied  of  New  Jersey  annual  convention 
September  9th  to  11th,  Lee  Newbury,  presi- 
dent, declared  this  week. 

"There  has  been  some  discussion  of  the 
move  and  the  members  feel  something 
should  be  done  about  it,"  Mr.  Newbury 
said.  "There  is  a  general  movement  on  the 
part  of  the  industry  to  attempt  to  increase 
prices.  Whether  this  will  be  possible  with- 
out decreasing  attendance  to  the  point  of 
damaging  box  office  receipts  and  whether 
the  general  quality  of  the  product  has  im- 
proved sufficiently  to  warrant  boosting  ad- 
missions are  two  factors  to  be  taken  up  at 
the  sessions,"  he  added. 


14 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


1929 


1930 


193  1 


1952 


1933 


1934 


1935 


195b 


$10,000,000 
14,000,000 
IZ, 000,000 
10,000,000 

8.000,000 

b.OOO.OOO 

4,ooo,ooo 

2.  ,000,000 
0,000,000 
-Z.OOO.OOO 

-4.000,000 

-6,000,000 

-8,000,000 

-I0.00O.000 
-12,000,000 

-14 ,000,000 
-Ib.ooo.ooo 
-t8,ooo,ooo 


COLUMBIA 
LOEW'S 
R    K  •  O- 
10'"  CENTURY- FOX 
UNIVERSAL 
WARNER  BROS. 


^Fluctuation  of  deficits  and  net  incomes  of  six  large  motion 
picture  corporations,  from  the  pre-depression  period  in  1929,  to 
date.  Code:  "C" — earnings  for  39  weeks  ended  March  28,  1936. 
"I"  —  40  weeks  ended  June  4,  1936.  "K" —  26  weeks  ended 
March  31,  1936.  "M"— 26  weeks  ended  June  27,  1936.  "N" — 
26  weeks  ended  May  2,  1936.  "P" — 39  weeks  ended  May  30, 


1936.  Paramount  reports  were  not  available  for  comparison 
because  the  corporation  was  undergoing  reorganization,  nor  were 
United  Artists'  available  because  that  company  is  a  "closed" 
corporation.  Legend  in  right  hand  corner  of  graph  above  for 
the  key  to  the  remainder  of  the  so-called  "Big  Eight".  See 
adjoining  story. 


MOTION  PICTURES  "IN  THE  BLACK" 
FIRST  TIME  SINCE  THE  DEPRESSION 


New  Pictures  and  Steady  Busi- 
ness Uptrend  Boost  Box  Of- 
fice Income  from  10  to  35 
Per  Cent  Over  Last  Year 

Financial  operations  of  virtually  the  whole 
motion  picture  industry  are  running  well 
"in  the  black"  for  the  first  time  since  the 
depression.  Recent  optimistic  predictions 
of  both  Wall  Street  and  the  motion  picture 
managements  now  have  definitely  been  re- 
alized in  substantial  net  incomes  practically 
throughout  the  entire  film  business. 

Boosted  by  general  business  improvement 
and  by  the  flood  of  outstanding  product 
emanating  from  Hollywod,  motion  picture 
earnings  show  a  progressive  rise  since  the 
post-depression  low  point,  touched  in  1932. 

Theatre  business,  reflecting  gross  admis- 
sions, is  already  more  than  10  per  cent 
ahead  of  last  year  in  most  situations,  and 
is  running  ahead  in  many  places  by  more 
than  35  per  cent,  according  to  Edward  L. 
Kuykendall,  president  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Theatre  Owners  of  America,  who 
made  a  countrywide  survey. 

Admission  tax  collections  by  the  United 


States  Government — always  a  barometer  of 
business  —  continued  in  July  and  early 
August  the  upward  trend  which  started  in 
March,  reaching  in  July  the  year's  monthly 
high  on  a  tax  collection  of  $1,568,487. 

July  collections,  the  government  reports, 
were  $36,298  greater  than  the  $1,532,189 
collected  on  admission  levies  in  June,  and 
fully  $291,575  above  the  $1,276,914  collected 
in  July,  1935. 

Receipts  from  the  admissions  tax  during 
the  first  seven  months  of  this  year  were 
approximately  $1,000,000  above  collections 
of  the  same  period  in  1935,  total  collections 
being  $9,805,791,  against  $8,808,065  in  1935. 

The  report  that  motion  picture  operations 
are  "in  the  black"  came  this  week  at  the 
same  time  that  government  fiscal  agents  in 
Washington  admitted  that  general  business 
is  likewise  "out  of  the  red"  for  the  first  time 
in  seven  years.  Washington's  fiscal  experts 
declared  that  national  income  will  exceed 
income  paid  out  for  the  first  time  since  the 
depression,  total  gross  income  for  the  coun- 
try being  anticipated  at  $60,000,000,000  for 
1936,  against  $52,900,000,000  in  1935. 

Income  Rise  Analyzed 

The  Wall  Street  Journal  on  Tuesday  re- 
ported in  New  York  that  "the  best  box 


Gross  and  Net  Incomes  of  Large 
Industry  Units  Show  State 
of  Financial  Improvement; 
1936  To  Be  Best  in  Years 

office  reicpts  in  years  are  seen  for  movies. 

The  extent  of  the  recovery  in  motion 
picture  earning  power  is  indicated  in  an 
analysis  of  reports  of  three  leading  unnamed 
companies  which,  according  to  a  compila- 
tion by  Standard  Statistics,  had  a  composite 
net  income  in  1929  of  $29,520,000.  This 
dropped  to  $19,620,000  in  1930  and  to 
$4,530,000  in  1931.  In  1932  the  low  was 
touched  with  a  composite  deficit  of  $7,- 
390,000.  The  companies  still  were  "in  the 
red"  in  1933  with  a  deficit  of  $3,320,000, 
but  the  comeback  had  started  and  in  1934 
they  had  a  composite  net  income  of  $5,- 
190,000,  while  for  1935  the  net  income  was 
$7,540,000. 

An  independent  analysis  of  eight  leading 
film  and  equipment  companies  shows  a  com- 
posite deficit  of  $1,420,000  for  1933  and  net 
incomes  of  $6,940,000  and  $10,730,000,  re- 
spectively, for  1934  and  1935. 

With  theatre  attendance  figures  so  far 

(Continued  on  following  page) 


August    29,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


15 


FURTHER  INCOME  INCREASES  IN  SIGHT 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

this  year  running  well  ahead  of  1935  and 
no  early  check  in  sight  to  the  improve- 
ment in  general  business,  final  1936  finan- 
cial statements  will  show  leading  com- 
panies in  their  best  earnings  positions  in 
several  years. 

Most  recent  financial  statements  of  the 
large  companies  bear  this  out  and  reports 
for  the  final  quarter  should  be  even  better 
in  view  of  the  seasonal  box  office  pick-up  in 
the  fall. 

The  new  exhibition  year  starts  auspicious- 
ly with  attendance  records  in  most  cases  at, 
or  very  near,  normal — another  sign  of  the 
industry's  definite  comeback. 

Outside  conditions  are  highly  favorable. 
Business  activity  this  summer  declined  less 
than  the  usual  seasonal  amount,  and  material 
expansion  is  looked  for  in  the  fall. 

Durable  goods  manufacturing,  according 
to  the  Brookmire  Service,  rose  27.3  per  cent, 
in  the  first  half  of  1936  over  1935  and 
promises  further  gains.  A  gain  of  60.9  per 
cent,  in  private  construction  was  reported. 

The  steel  industry,  one  of  the  best 
barometers  of  the  nation's  prosperity,  is 
operating  at  a  new  post-depression  high. 
Corporations  are  daily  issuing  favorable 
earnings  reports  and  increasing  or  resum- 
ing dividends.  Employment  is  rising  and, 
with  it,  consumer  buying  power  that  is 
being  reflected  at  the  box  office. 

Among  the  major  film  companies,  War- 
ner Brothers  has  staged  one  of  the  most  im- 
pressive recoveries  in  earning  power.  From 
a  record  high  net  income  of  $17,271,805  in 
1929,  Warner  earnings  dropped  sharply 
until  1932,  when  the  company  reported  a 
net  loss  of  $14,095,054.  The  next  year  the 
loss  was  reduced  to  $6291,745,  and  in  1934 
to  $2,530,514.  .  In  1935  a  net  income  of 


$674,159  was  reported,  while  net  income  for 
the  39  weeks  ended  May  30  was  reported 
recently  at  $2,554,772,  indicating  the  best 
year  since  1930. 

Earnings  of  Loew's,  Inc.,  have  taken  a 
sharp  spurt  this  year.  For  the  40  weeks 
ended  June  4th,  the  company  reported  net 
income  of  $7,390,495  against  a  net  of  $7,- 
579,744  for  the  full  year  ended  August 
31,  1935. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  has  shown  re- 
markable recovery  since  1932  when,  as  Fox 
Film  Corporation,  it  reported  a  net  loss  of 
$16,964,499.  Net  income  for  1935  was 
$3,087,632.  For  the  26  weeks  ended  June 
27,  1936,  a  net  of  $2,769,190  was  reported. 
Among  motion  picture  companies  that  man- 
aged to  stay  out  of  the  "red"  during  the 
whole  of  the  depression,  although  showing 
sharply  curtailed  profits,  were  Columbia 
Pictures,  Consolidated  Films,  Eastman 
Kodak  and  Loew's.  All  their  reports  for 
1936  thus  far  indicate  a  return  to  pre-de- 
pression  earning  power. 

Income  Growth  Outlined 

Following  is  a  compilation  of  gross  and 
net  incomes  of  nine  leading  film  companies 
from  1927  to  their  latest  reports,  together 
with  a  recapitulation  of  their  net  incomes: 

COLUMBIA  PICTURES 

Gross  Income  Net  Income 


1927    $    535,864  $  155,638 

1928    1,025,240  249,931 

1929    (A)  551,822 

1930    (A)  1,629,958 

1931    8,600,877  560,869 

1932    11,366,226  574,292 

1933(B)    10,495,944  740,241 

1934(B)    11,178,445  1,098,834 

1935(B)    14,389,783  1,815,267 

1936(C)    10,881,771  958,579 


(A)  Not  reported.  (B)  Including  foreign  sub- 
sidiaries.   (C)  39  weeks  ended  March  28. 


LOEW'S.  INC. 


Gross  Income  Net  Income 

1927    $  79,597,031  $  6,737,205 

1928    99,260,303  8,568,162 

1929    116,201,937  11.756,956 

1930    129,521,030  14,600,332 

1931    120,479,510  11,829,993 

1932    107,416,036  7,961,314 

1933    84,938,654  4,034,290 

1934    96,877,673  7,479,897 

1935    100,611,243  7.579,744 

1936(A)    117,481,106  7,390,495 

(A)  40  weeks  ended  June  4. 

UNIVERSAL  PICTURES 

Gross  Income  Net  Income 

1927    $28,635,718  $1,502,666 

1928    27,180,352  1,004,645 

1929    29,1  I  1,380  491,359 

1930    25,319,120  (0)2,047,821 

1931    23,021,814  615,876 

1932    18,986,473  (D)  1,250,283 

1933    17,607,477  (D)  1,062,216 

1934    21,680,366  238,792 

1935    19,072,353  (D)677,I86 

1936(B)    (A)  (0)233,095 


(A)  Not  reported.  (B)  26  weeks  ended  May  2. 
(D)  Deficit. 

WARNER  BROTHERS 

Gross  Income  Net  Income 


1927    $  5,919,935  $  30,427 

1928    10,377,169  2,044,842 

1929    31,248,270  17,271,805 

1930    52,892,841  7,074,621 

1931    37,555,410  (D)7,9I8,005 

1932    23,361,302  (0)14,095,054 

1933    23,846,436  (DJ6.29I.745 

1934    27,097,316  (D)2,530,5I4 

1935    31,857,522  674,159 

1936(A)    26,516,275  2,554,772 


(A)  39  weeks  ended  May  30.    (D)  Deticit. 

PARAMOUNT  PICTURES 

Paramount  Pictures,  Inc.,  not  included  in  the 
compilation  because  of  the  lack  of  regular  reports 
following  its  bankruptcy,  had,  as  the  Paramount 
Publix  Corporation,  a  net  income  of  $18,381,178 
for  the  year  ended  December  27,  1930.  In  the 
(.Continued  on  next  page,  column  3) 


SUMMARY  OF  NET  INCOME  TREND  FOR  SIX  COMPANIES 


1929 

Columbia  Pictures  Corp   $  551,822 

Loew's,  Inc   11,756,956 

Radio-Keith-Orpheum  Corp   1 ,669,564 

Twentieth  Century  -  Fox  Film  Corp   1 5,08 1 ,660 

Universal  Pictures  Corp   491,359 

Warner  Bros.  Pictures     17,271,805 

1933 

Columbia  Pictures  Corp   $  740.241(B) 

Loew's,   Inc   4,034,290 

Radio-Keith-Orpheum  Corp   4.384.064(D) 

Twentieth  Century  -  Fox  Film  Corp   I,4I0,793(L) 

Universal  Pictures  Corp   1 ,062,2 1 6(D) 

Warner  Bros.  Pictures   6.291.745(D) 

(B)  Including  foreign  subsidiaries. 

(C)  39  weeks  ended  March  28. 

(D)  Deficit. 

(I)    40  weeks  ended  June  4. 
(J)    Not  reported. 


1930 
$  1,629,958 
14,600,332 
3,385,628 
9,205,435 
2.047.821(D) 
7,074,621 

1934 
$  1, 098.834(B) 
7,479,897 

310.575(D) 
1,273,069 
238,792 
2.530.514(D) 


1931 
$  560,869 
11,829,993 
5.660.771(D) 
5.560.304(D) 

615,876 
7.918.005(D) 

1935 
$1.8 1 5.267(B) 
7,579,744 

(J) 

3.087,632 
677.186(D) 
674, 1 59 


[K)  26  weeks  ended  March  31. 

( L)  39  weeks  ended  December 

(M)  26  weeks  ended  June  27. 

(N)  26  weeks  ended  May  2. 

(P)  39  weeks  ended  May  30. 


30. 


$ 


1932 
574,292 
7,961,314 
10.695.503(D) 
16.964.499(D) 
1.250.283(D) 
14.095.054(D) 

1936 
$  958.579(C) 
7.390,495(1) 
734,492(K) 
2,769, 1 90(M) 

233,095(ND) 
2,554,772(P) 


16 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    2  9,    19  3  6 


MOVE  AGAINST  DUALS    Fl|m  industry 

IN  FOUR  TERRITORIES  Now  "in  Black" 


Early  Action  Expected  in 
St.  Louis  to  End  Double 
Featuring;  Partial  Elimina- 
tion  in    Akron  Plan 

Moves  against  the  continuance  of  double 
features  were  reported  on  four  fronts  this 
week,  following  publication  two  weeks  ago 
of  the  results  of  a  survey  made  by  Warner 
Brothers  in  which  a  four-to-one  vote  by 
more  than  725,000  of  the  public  protested 
the  practice.  The  poll  and  other  recent  agi- 
tation against  dual  bills  is  believed  to  have 
been  instrumental  in  reviving  plans  in  St. 
Louis,  Indianapolis,  New  York  and  Akron 
for  their  abandonment. 

Fred  Wehrenberg,  head  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Theatre  Owners  of  Eastern  Mis- 
souri and  Southern  Illinois,  and  Harry  C. 
Arthur,  Jr.,  head  of  the  Fanchon  &  Marco 
circuit  in  St.  Louis,  have  had  several  con- 
ferences on  the  possibility  of  eliminating 
the  second  feature.  Mr.  Arthur  is  reported 
to  have  promised  that  as  soon  as  subse- 
quent-run houses  in  his  territory  drop  the 
practice  F.&M.  will  co-operate. 

It  was  expected  that  the  subsequent-run 
exhibitors  would  agree  to  the  elimination  by 
Labor  Day,  but  with  no  report  from  the  in- 
dependents, Mr.  Arthur  is  going  ahead  with 
plans  to  play  dual  product  in  all  downtown 
first-  and  second-run  theatres  where  there 
are  no  stage  presentations.  The  Ambassa- 
dor and  St.  Louis  will  feature  Fanchon  and 
Marco  stage  shows,  effective  Labor  Day. 
Mr.  Wehrenberg  is  scheduled  to  call  another 
meeting  of  his  organization  next  week  for  a 
vote  on  the  situation. 

In  Indianapolis  80  per  cent  of  the  exhibi- 
tors are  said  to  have  agreed  to  discontinue 
the  practice.  So  far  it  has  been  found  diffi- 
cult to  reach  a  unanimous  agreement. 
Downtown  first-run  houses  controlled  by  the 
major  circuits  have  agreed  to  join  in  any 
move  which  would  be  approved  by  100  per 
cent  of  the  exhibitors  in  the  territory.  Dis- 
cussions by  leading  independents  in  the  ter- 
ritory are  expected  to  be  resumed  after 
Labor  Day. 

The  Independent  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  were  scheduled  to  resume  discus- 
sion of  plans  for  the  elimination  of  double 
bills  at  a  meeting  this  week.  The  matter 
has  been  referred  to  the  board  of  directors. 
Si  Fabian,  who  operates  the  Strand,  Para- 
mount and  Fox  Theatres  in  Brooklyn,  has 
declared  that  he  is  in  favor  of  the  elimina- 
tion of  double  bills  in  the  downtown  section, 
but  that  he  will  make  no  move  unless  he  is 
supported  by  competing  circuits. 

The  Akron  Independent  Theatre  Owners 
has  named  a  committee  to  develop  the 
details  of  the  organization's  proposed  plan 
for  "selective  single  features".  The  plan 
provides  for  the  selection  of  certain  pic- 
tures which  are  not  to  be  played  on  a 
double-feature  program  in  any  theatre 
owned  or  operated  by  a  member  of  the 
association.  When  the  details  have  been 


completed,  a  meeting  of  the  full  mem- 
bership will  be  called  for  ratification. 

In  Kansas  City,  out  of  44  subsequent-runs 
that  advertised,  29  double  billed  August  18 
and  19;  and  30  on  August  20;  and  36,  or 
exactly  nine-elevenths  of  the  total,  on  Satur- 
day, August  22,  the  number  of  theatres  with 
doubles  dropped  back  to  26,  or  60  per  cent, 
on  Sunday,  August  23. 

On  August  19  and  20,  five  doubled  at  10 
cents,  and  one  at  seven  cents.  Eight  gave 
away  something  in  addition  to  doubling.  On 
August  20  there  were  five  money  give-aways 
in  addition  to  doubles,  and  seven  ran  duals 
for  10  cents. 


Revision  of  RKO 
Not  to  be  Ready 


Completion  of  a  reorganization  plan  for 
the  Radio-Keith-Orpheum  Corporation  be- 
fore January  1  is  regarded  as  unlikely  by 
sources  familiar  with  the  present  status  of 
the  company  and  with  the  work  yet  to  be 
done. 

An  agreement  on  a  basis  for  treatment  of 
the  $9,100,000  Rockefeller  Center  claim 
against  RKO  under  a  plan  of  reorganiza- 
tion, is  conceded  to  be  the  most  important 
single  step  which  must  be  taken  before 
progress  toward  completing  a  plan  can  be 
made.  Discussions  are  scheduled  to  be  re- 
sumed after  Labor  Day  on  the  amount  of 
new  RKO  securities  the  Rockefeller  Center 
claim  will  be  entitled  to  when  and  if  it  is 
finally  allowed  by  the  courts.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  at  least  four  weeks  of  work  will 
be  required  before  any  settlement  is  reached 

If  this  phase  of  the  problem  is  out  of  the 
way  by  mid-October,  the  proponents  of  the 
reorganization  plan  would  then  have  to  ob- 
tain the  consent  of  numerous  other  unse- 
cured creditors  of  the  same  class  as  Rocke- 
feller Center,  in  addition  to  those  of  the 
more  important  RKO  stockholders'  com- 
mittees. It  is  estimated  that  a  minimum  of 
two  months  would  be  required  for  this  work 
and  the  final  shaping  of  the  plan  for  presen- 
tation to  Federal  court  in  New  York  would 
require  additional  weeks. 

Even  after  presentation  to  the  court, 
hearings  and  the  writing  of  a  decision 
would  consume  several  months,  it  is  pointed 
out,  indicating  that  final  approval  may  not 
be  forthcoming  before  late  February  or 
March. 

The  Atlas  Corporation,  which  holds 
about  $11,000,000  of  face  amount  of  RKO 
securities  and  has  an  option  to  acquire  from 
RCA  a  like  amount,  is  taking  the  initiative 
in  the  reorganization  proceedings  and  prob- 
ably will  be  the  chief  factor  in  the  consum- 
mation of  the  final  plan.  With  RCA  it  domi- 
nates the  secured  creditors  group,  assuring 
the  approval  of  the  plan  by  that  class  of 
creditors. 


(.Continued  from  preceding  page) 

following  year  the  net  dropped  to  $3,162,988. 
No  report  was  issued  for  1932,  but  the  company's 
reorganization  plan  included  an  estimate  of  a  loss 
for  that  year  of  approximately  $21,000,000.  It 
also  was  reported  that  combined  net  operat- 
ing income  of  consolidated  subsidiaries  were 
$5,692,000  in  1933  and  $4,530,000  in  the  first 
nine  months  of  1934. 

For  the  year  ended  December  28,  1935,  the 
company  reported  a  net  income,  before  special 
reserve,  of  $3,153,167.  Its  most  recent  statement, 
for  the  six  months  ended  June  30,  1936,  estimated 
net  income  at  $242,922,  against  $2,268,000  in  the 
first  half  of  1935. 

RADIO-KEITH-ORPHEUM 


Gross  Income  Net  Income 

1927                                (A)  $  1,728,534 

1928                          $42,624,965  (D)45,743 

1929                           51,696,861  1,669,564 

1930                          71,357,831  3,385,628 

1931                          79,232,392  (D)5, 660,771 

1932                          59,878,397  ( D )  1 0,695,503 

1933                          43,966,638  (D)4, 384,064 

1934                          41,695,207  ( D)  3 10,575 

1935                              (A)  (A) 

1936(B)                       24,553,322  734,492 

(A)  Not  reported.  (B)  26  weeks  ended 
March    31.     (D)  Deficit. 

TWENTIETH  CENTURY  -  FOX 

Gross  Income  Net  Income 

1927                       $  25,532,713  $  3,120,557 

1928                           66,524,945  5,957,218 

1929                           83,184,1  12  15,081,660 

1930   .  .       102,004,009  9,205,435 

1931                          85,774,238  (D)5, 560,304 

1932                           31,078,663  ( D)  1 6,964,499 

1933(A)                      24,278,691  1,410,793 

1934                          36,253,617  1,273,069 

1935                           42,447,609  3,087,632 

1936(B)                       24,295,086  2,769,190 


(A)  39  weeks  ended  December  30.  (B)  26 
weeks  ended  June  27.     (D)  Deficit. 

Report  8  Per  Cent  Increase 

Paramount  theatre  earnings  are  running 
approximately  eight  per  cent,  ahead  of  last 
year,  an  official  of  the  company  said  the 
other  day.  Last  year's  earnings  were  well 
in  the  black  with  a  gross  income  indicated 
by  the  company's  annual  financial  report  for 
1935  of  approximately  $42,000,000  in  grosses 
from  theatre  operations. 

Paramount  has  an  interest  in  a  total  of 
approximately  1,100  theatres,  950  of  which 
are  operated  under  management  contracts 
outside  of  New  York  supervision.  Of  the 
150  remaining,  all  of  which  are  under  New 
York  supervision,  90  are  operated  under  in- 
dividual management  contracts. 

"Judging  by  the  popular  reception  given 
the  new  feature  films,  the  Autumn  moving 
picture  season  is  beginning  as  auspiciously 
as  producers  had  hoped.  Prospects  are  bright 
for  the  best  year-end  box  office  receipts  in 
a  number  of  years,"  observes  the  Wall 
Street  Journal. 

"There  is  also  a  general  move  throughout 
the  industry  to  raise  theatre  admission 
prices  where  the  traffic  will  bear  it,"  said 
the  Journal,  adding,  "Advances  will  be 
made  at  first  only  for  outstanding  films  with 
large  drawing  power  and  with  this  as  an 
entering  wedge  it  is  hoped  to  get  a  slightly 
higher  scale  all  around. 


August    29,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


17 


ARCHITECT'S  MODEL  OF  TEN-STAGE  CINEMA  CITY  OUTSIDE  ROME,  where  it  is  planned  to  produce  60  to 
70  productions  a  year.  The  studio  is  now  under  construction,  under  the  auspices  of  Premier  Mussolini  and  Carlo  Roncoroni. 
Walter  Wanger  is  the  first  American  producer  who  is  to  make  use  of  the  new  studio,  reports  from  Rome  having  it  that  he 
will  start  production  in  June,  next  year. 


MUSSOLINI  SENDS  AGENT  TO  U.  S. 
FOR  AID  FOR  ITALIAN  PRODUCTION 


Roncoroni  HereAfter  Hollywood 
Players  and  Technicians  to  Aid 
Fascist  FilmAmbitions;  Confer- 
ences with  Giannini,  Wanger 

Carlo  Roncoroni,  member  of  the  Italian 
National  Committee  of  Corporations,  presi- 
dent of  the  Fascist  National  Confederation 
of  Builders,  and  a  member  of  the  Joint  Ex- 
ecutive of  the  Fascist  Confederation  of  In- 
dustrials, as  well  as  a  member  of  his  coun- 
try's Chamber  of  Deputies,  arrived  in  New 
York  this  week  from  Italy  as  the  head  of 
Cines,  the  Italian  studio  project  near  Rome 
sponsored  by  the  government.  He  has  al- 
ready left  for  Hollywood,  where  he  will  en- 
deavor to  sign  contracts  with  producers, 
stars  and  technicians  to  aid  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  new  Fascist  film  center.  He  is 
accompanied  by  Signor  Hans  Bittman,  chief 
technician  of  the  Cines  Studios. 

In  Hollywood,  Signor  Roncoroni  will 
confer  principally  with  Walter  Wanger, 
who  plans  to  produce  at  least  one  picture 
in  Italy  during  the  new  season,  and  with 
Dr.  A.  H.  Giannini,  president  of  United 
Artists,  who  is  a  member  of  the  company 
which  was  formed  for  Mr.  Wanger's  pro- 
duction activities  at  the  Roman  plant. 


Silvano  Balboni,  a  member  of  the  Metro- 
Goldwyn-Mayer  studio  technical  staff  for 
several  years,  will  leave  Hollywood  for 
Rome  immediately  after  conferring  with 
Signor  Roncoroni.  Mr.  Balboni  is  being 
named  to  a  strategic  executive  post  in  the 
Italian  industry,  it  is  learned,  his  position 
being  described  as  "reorganizer  and  coor- 
dinator." 

Signor  Roncoroni  made  no  comment,  as 
he  arrived  on  the  Conte  di  Savoia,  on  the 
reported  connection  between  his  solicitation 
of  American  aid  for  Rome's  ambitious  plans 
for  its  film  industry  and  the  current  discus- 
sions there  of  the  probability  of  drastic  new 
legislation  affecting  American  distributors. 

It  is  reported  in  New  York  from  abroad 
that  one  of  the  proposals  under  considera- 
tion in  Rome  would  limit  the  withdrawal 
from  Italy  of  money  by  foreign  concerns  to 
25  per  cent  of  their  earnings  within  the 
country.  In  addition,  it  is  said,  Rome  would 
dictate  the  uses  to  which  the  remaining  75 
per  cent  could  be  put. 

It  is  assumed  in  New  York  that  the  seri- 
ousness of  the  new  Italian  legislation  will 
probably  be  in  proportion  to  the  success 
of  Signor  Roncoroni's  Hollywood  mission. 

In  a  formal  statement  issued  by  the  Italian 
emissary,  he  said  he  hoped  to  develop  in 
Hollywood    "connections    of  collaboration 


Belief  Prevails  in  New  York  That 
Success  of  Visit  Will  Determine 
Italian  Legislation  Affect- 
ing American  Product  There 

which,  no  doubt,  will  prove  economically 
advantageous  to  both  countries." 

"I  would  feel  gratified,"  Signor  Ronco- 
roni added,  "if  my  trip  would  result  in  the 
realization  of  a  broader  understanding  in  the 
cinema  field  between  Italy  and  America." 

Mordaunt  Hall  of  Times' 
Assumes  Post  in  Boston 

Mordaunt  Hall,  former  motion  picture 
editor  of  the  New  York  Times,  has  been 
appointed  motion  picture  and  dramatic  edi- 
tor of  the  Boston  Transcript.  He  was 
scheduled  to  leave  New  York  at  the  end  of 
this  week  to  assume  his  new  position. 

Golden  on  Sales  Tour 

Eddie  Golden,  sales  manager  of  Chester- 
field and  Invincible,  is  touring  the  middle 
west  and  south  to  close  franchises  on  the  re- 
maining territories  open  for  the  1936-37 
product.  The  schedule  has  been  sold  as  first 
run  in  Brooklyn  to  Si  Fabian  and  will  play 
either  at  the  Fox,  Strand  or  Paramount. 


13 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


U.S.  TO  PUSH  PROBE 
OF  TAX  DEFICIENCIES 


One-Tenth  of  the  $13,811,807 
Found  Owing  to  Government 
Is  Due  on  Theatre  Admissions 

Studies  of  federal  tax  returns  which  up  to 
June  30th  last  disclosed  $13,811,807  due  the 
Government  in  miscellaneous  delinquent 
taxes,  ten  per  cent  of  which  was  due  on  the- 
atre admission  taxes,  have  barely  scratched 
the  surface,  it  was  declared  this  week  by 
Treasury  officials  at  Washington. 

The  investigation  of  tax  returns  under- 
taken a  year  ago  with  funds  provided  by  the 
Works  Progress  Administration  will  con- 
tinue for  some  time,  it  was  indicated,  par- 
ticularly as  the  Government  can  count  on  a 
net  profit  of  some  $13,000,000  from  the  work 
already  accomplished. 

Exhibitors  throughout  the  country  who 
have  failed  properly  to  account  for  admis- 
sion taxes  are  receiving  additional  assess- 
ments and  penalty  notices  from  the  Treas- 
ury Department  as  a  result. 

Admission  tax  deficiencies  of  $465,620 
have  been  uncovered  in  New  York  City 
alone,  it  has  been  disclosed  by  the  Internal 
Revenue  Bureau,  90  per  cent  of  which 
represents  admission  taxes.  However,  it 
was  said  by  officials  of  the  bureau,  the 
greatest  offenders  are  not  the  theatres 
but  the  night  clubs  and  similar  establish- 
ments, which  have  consistently  quarreled 
with  the  Government  over  the  proportion 
of  their  charges  which  should  be  attributed 
to  entertainment  as  distinguished  from 
food  and  drink. 

Up  to  June  30th  actual  collections  under 
admission  assessments  amounted  to  $3,411,- 

An  International 
Reference  Book 

The  following  editorial  comment  is 
from  The  Cimena,  London,  England: 

"New  issue  to  hand  of  a  volume 
which  has  become  at  one  and  the 
same  time  a  vade  mecum  and  a  sine 
qua  non — both  of  which,  in  plain 
English,  mean  something  I  can't  do 
without.  I  refer  to  the  Interna- 
tional Motion  Picture  Almanac, 
yearly  publication  of  Martin  Quig- 
ley's  organization,  a  reference  book 
among  reference  books  on  the  world's 
film  trade. 

"I  seldom  look  for  information  in 
this  highly  valuable  opus  without  find- 
ing It,  and  my  1935-36  copy  is 
thumbed  and  dog  eared.  The  new 
issue  is  an  improvement  on  the 
others,  for  it's  larger  and  has  an  even 
more  comprehensive  international 
section.  A  thoroughly  worthy  effort." 


476,  and  the  total  cost  of  this  phase  of  the 
work  was  $1,798,981.  The  miscellaneous  tax 
investigation  was  one  of  three  WPA  pro- 
jects, the  others  covering  income  and  al- 
cohol taxes  which  will  result  in  the  recov- 
ery, respectively,  of  $1,578,296  and  $1,004,- 
707. 

The  miscellaneous  tax  assessments  which 
so  far  have  been  made  or  recommended 
range  from  little  more  than  $26,000  in  Bos- 
ton to  nearly  $7,000,000  in  New  York  City, 
as  follows : 

San  Francisco,  $585,560;  Los  Angeles, 
$925,315;  Chicago,  $2,491,423;  New  Or- 
leans, $72,360;  Baltimore,  $88,336;  Wash- 
ington, $58,792;  Boston,  $26,188;  Detroit, 
$293,410;  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis,  $149,- 
256;  St.  Louis,  $138,691;  Kansas  City, 
$138,691;  Newark,  $409,646;  Brooklyn, 
$158,874;  New  York,  $6,862,590;  Buffalo, 
$113,924;  Cincinnati,  $212,003;  Cleveland, 
$112,758;  Philadelphia,  $211,032;  Pitts- 
burgh, $98,212;  Seattle,  $83,975;  Milwaukee, 
$424,244. 


Erpi,  RCA,  Tobis 
Form  Patent  Pool 

Patent  rights  granted  in  various  coun- 
tries under  a  definitive  agreement  reached 
by  representatives  of  Electrical  Research 
Products,  Inc.,  RCA,  Tobis-Klangfilm  and 
other  German  sound  film  patent  owners  at 
a  conference  held  in  Zurich,  Switzerland, 
will  become  non-exclusive  after  December 
31,  1945,  it  was  reported  by  Whitford 
Drake,  Erpi  vice  president,  on  his  return 
from  Europe  this  week. 

Under  the  agreement,  which  replaces  the 
pact  made  in  Paris  in  1929  in  letter  form 
and  never  made  formal,  the  German  com- 
panies will  get  exclusive  rights  to  Erpi  and 
RCA  patents  in  the  Germanic  countries  and 
non-exclusive  rights  in  other  countries. 

The  discussions  were  scheduled  to  be  re- 
sumed on  Thursday  of  this  week  in  Berlin, 
Mr.  Drake  said,  and  his  place  will  be  taken 
by  one  of  the  company's  foreign  represen- 
tatives. Among  unsettled  points  to  be  tak- 
en up  at  the  Berlin  gathering  will  be  cer- 
tain rights  regarding  patents  of  Companie 
Francaise  Thomson  Houston  in  France, 
British  Thomson  Houston  in  England  and 
Phillips  in  Holland. 

Another  subject  which  came  up  at  Zurich 
was  the  royalties  on  German  pictures  re- 
leased in  this  country.  Tobis-Klangfilm  has 
asked  a  downward  readjustment  on  the  roy- 
alties paid  to  American  companies.  Mr. 
Drake  said  that  nothing  can  be  done  until 
he  confers  with  American  producers. 

Educational  and  Ace  Close 

Educational  product  will  be  released  in 
the  United  Kingdom  through  Ace  Films, 
Ltd.,  of  London,  under  an  arrangement  com- 
pleted between  E.  W.  Hammons,  Educa- 
tional president,  and  Frank  Green,  Ace  ex- 
ecutive. 


Split  Talked  of 
In  Staff  of  U.  S. 
A.  T.  &  T.  Probers 

A  rumored  shake-up  in  the  personnel  of 
the  Federal  Communications  Commission 
and  a  vaguely  worded  denial  by  Commission- 
er Paul  A.  Walker  this  week  left  Washing- 
ton in  doubt  as  to  the  future  course  of  the 
Government's  $1,150,000  investigation  of  the 
American  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Com- 
pany, and  its  affiliates,  including  those  in  the 
motion  picture  business. 

In  the  reported  reorganization,  Samuel 
Becker,  acting  chief  counsel  for  the  investi- 
gation, was  seen  as  either  out  of  the  picture 
entirely  or  subordinated  as  assistant  to  a  new 
chief  counsel,  and  John  H.  Beckley,  chief 
accountant,  also  was  slated  for  replacement. 

Mr.  Becker's  tempestuous  conduct  of  the 
hearings  last  spring,  when  he  kept  even  the 
members  of  the  commission  in  the  dark  much 
of  the  time  as  to  what  telephone  officials 
he  would  call  and  what  subjects  he  would 
explore ;  his  refusal  to  permit  A.  T.  &  T. 
counsel  to  cross-examine  witnesses,  and  his 
opposition  to  efforts  of  witnesses  to  give 
more  than  a  "yes"  or  "no"  answer  to  his 
questions,  have  aroused  criticism  and 
charges. 

Out  of  Washington,  when  the  report  of  a 
shake-up  broke,  Commissioner  Walker  is- 
sued a  statement  immediately  upon  his  re- 
turn, paying  tribute  to  the  "splendidly  quali- 
fied and  highly  capable  staff"  conducting  the 
investigation. 

He  did  not  deny  the  story,  however,,  in 
so  many  words,  but  contented  himself  with 
saying  that  "statements  as  to  the  purported 
supplanting  as  counsel  of  Samuel  Becker, 
a  brilliant  lawyer  of  high  integrity,  and  the 
forced  resignation  of  John  H.  Bickley,  chief 
accountant,  and  recognized  as  one  of  the 
very  ablest  accountants  engaged  in  utility 
regulation,  are  wholly  unauthorized  and 
without  any  official  sanction  whatever." 

Mr.  Walker  promised  that  the  investiga- 
tion will  go  forward  "without  any  let-up" 
and  promised  that  "its  results  will  merit  the 
commendation  of  telephone  users  and  of  all 
those  sincerely  interested  in  the  protection 
of  the  public  through  utility  regulation." 

Philadelphia  Unit 
Ready  on  Rental  Fight 

The  United  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Owners  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  Southern 
New  Jersey  and  Delaware  will  hold  a  meet- 
ing in  Philadelphia  September  3  to  protest 
high  rentals,  said  Lewen  Pizor,  president 
of  the  unit,  who  was  in  New  York  this 
week.  In  reply  to  a  query,  he  declared  the 
units  which  recently  combined  will  retain 
their  affiliation  with  the  National  Motion 
Picture  Theatre  Owners  Association. 


Consolidated  Files  Denial 

An  answer  setting  forth  a  general  denial 
has  been  filed  by  Consolidated  Film  Indus- 
tries, Inc.,  in  connection  with  the  suit 
brought  by  DuArt  Laboratories  in  New 
York  in  which  it  is  charged  that  Consoli- 
dated caused  a  breach  of  contract  between 
the  plaintiff  and  Universal.  The  answer 
also  asked  that  the  suit  be  dismissed. 


&ORIOUS 


ance  creauonsi 


Hons ! 


i 


CM.ew  tlirill  sensations ! 


Qirl 


s  more  qorqeous  man  ever 


tk 


! 


FRED 


ASTAIRE 


GINGER 


ROGERS 


VICTOR  MOORE  *  HELEN  BRODERICK 
ERIC  BLORE  *  BETTY  FURNESS 
GEORGES  METAXA 


FRED  AND  GINGER  AWHIRL  IN 
A  SHOW  WITH  MAGIC  MUSIC  BY 

JEROME   KERN   ComPoser  °*  "Roberta", "Showboat",  Etc. 

LYRICS  BY  DOROTHY  FIELDS 


/I 


SIX  NEW  SWEET  AND  SWINGY  TUNES 
FOR  THE  GIDDY  WORLD  TO  DANCE  TO! 

"THE  WALTZ  IN  SWING  TIME" 
"BOJANGLES  OF  HARLEM" 
"THE  WAY  YOU  LOOK  TONIGHT" 
"PICK  YOURSELF  UP" 
"A  FINE  ROMANCE" 
"NEVER  GONNA  DANCE" 

TRY  AND  KEEP  YOUR  FEET  STILL  WHEN  FRED 
TAPS  "BOJANGLES  OF  HARLEM"  IN  BLACKFACE! 


RKO-RADIO  PICTURE 

Directed  by  George  Stevens... A  PANDRO  S.BERMAN  PRODUCTION 


August    2  9,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


23 


ASIDES  and 

INTERLUDES 


MR.  DE  MILLE'S 
FACE  IS  NOW  RED 


THE  editors  and  publishers  of  Stage  Maga- 
zine, pretending  for  the  nonce,  that  we're  in 
1911,  publish  their  August  issue  with  the  idea 
of  recapturing  the  memories  of  25  years  ago 
in  theatricals  and  Broadway  night  life. 

Here  again  are  Maude  Adams  as  Chantecler, 
and  Minnie  Maddern  Fiske  as  Mrs.  Bump- 
stead-Leigh.  There's  Ethel  Barrymore  in 
"Alice-Sit-by-the-Fire" — Ethel  retired,  again, 
the  other  day.  Here,  in  1911,  music  had  its 
golden  year ;  Caruso,  Garden,  Gluck  and  Farrar. 
It  was  the  heyday  of  vaudeville,  too,  with  Eva 
Tanguay,  Nat  Wills,  Harry  Houdini  and  Ger- 
trude Hoffman,  and  the  year  of  "Alexander's 
Ragtime  Band."  It  was  indeed  a  very  prodigy 
of  a  year.  A  dear,  dead,  but  gay  and  gallant 
year,  and  in  all  of  the  reckless  activities  of  those 
After-Dark  hours  here  was  subtly  prophesied 
the  desperate  days  to  be  born  in  the  great  war 
to  come. 

The  Stage  editors  use  both  picture  and  text, 
and  idiom  and  fact,  to  uncover  the  dust  of  a 
quarter-century  from  the  glamor  of  Broadway. 

There  is  a  letter  from  William  Churchill 
DeMille,  brother  of  Cecil  Blount,  and  now  very 
quiet  as  a  motion  picture  director.  Mr.  DeMille, 
then  of  the  stage,  wrote  from  Merriewold  Park, 
N.  Y.,  to  David  Belasco,  his  employer,  under 
date  of  July  25,  1911,  reporting  to  the  "boss" 
that  "Men  and  Women,"  his  second  stage  pro- 
duction for  Belasco,  looked  better  at  the  Wash- 
ington tryout  than  Belasco's  "Warrens  of  Vir- 
ginia." 

"President  Taft  was  in  a  box,  occupying  a 
special  chair  big  enough  to  accommodate  his 
dignity,"  wrote  William  DeMille.  "I  got  the 
thrill  of  my  young  life  when  he  sent  for  me 
after  the  final  curtain  and  told  me  how  much 
he  liked  the  play." 

But  it  seems  that  at  the  end  of  the  first  act 
the  audience  did  not  respond  immediately  as  Mr. 
DeMille  had  expected  they  would.  So,  "for 
almost  a  minute,"  he  wrote,  "I  felt  like  a 
bridegroom  at  the  altar  who  has  just  discovered 
he  has  forgotten  to  wear  his  pants." 

DeMille  then  admits  that  the  original  title  of 
the  play — "The  Machine" — "was  rotten,"  and 
recalls  how  Belasco  sent  him  home  to  think  up 
another.  "I  still  have  the  bright  new  dime  you 
gave  me  for  bringing  that  new  title  in,"  DeMille 
continued.  (Editor's  Note :  A  dime  for  a  title — 
that  was  in  the  days  before  Samuel  Goldwyn 
paid  $65,000  for  the  title  of  "Children's  Hour," 
and  then  did  not  use  it.) 

Jesse  Lasky,  in  1911,  was  running  the  Folies 
Bergere,  combined  theatre,  restaurant  and  night 
club.  The  public  did  not  respond  to  the  idea 
of  a  theatre  with  tables  instead  of  rows  of  seats, 
and  so  the  place  was  closed  in  ignominious 
defeat  for  the  young  and  ambitious  Lasky. 

"I  saw  Jesse  Lasky  the  other  day,"  continued 
the  DeMille  letter  to  Belasco.  "You  know  he 
and  Harry  Harris  have  just  lost  their  shirts  in 
that  Folies  Bergere  outfit.  Jesse  is  going  back 
into  vaudeville  and  wanted  me  to  produce  a 
vaudeville  operetta  for  him — all  about  old  Cali- 
fornia. I  was  afraid  it  would  interfere,  so  I 
turned  over  the  job  to  Cecil,  who  tells  me  he 
and  Lasky  get  along  very  well  together."  (That 
was  at  the  beginning  of  Cecil's  career.  Now 


he's  producing  big  "million  dollar"  pictures  for 
Paramount.) 

"Oh,  by  the  way,"  DeMille  added,  "you  re- 
member that  little  girl,  Mary  Pickford,  who 
played  Betty  in  'The  Warrens  of  Virginia'  ?  (on 
the  stage  for  Belasco).  I  met  her  again  a  few 
weeks  ago  and  the  poor  kid  is  actually  thinking 
of  taking  up  moving  pictures  seriously.  She 
says  she  can  make  a  fairly  good  living  at  it, 
but  it  does  seem  a  shame.  After  all,  she  can't 
be  more  than  17  and  I  remember  what  faith 
you  had  in  her  future ;  that  appealing  person- 
ality of  her's  would  go  a  long  way  in  the  the- 
atre, and  now  she's  throwing  her  whole  career 
in  the  ash-can  and  burying  herself  in  a  cheap 
form  of  amusement  which  hasn't  a  single  point 
that  I  can  see  to  recommend  it.  There  will 
never  be  any  real  money  in  those  galloping  tin- 
types and  certainly  no  one  can  expect  them  to 
develop  into  anything  which  could,  by  the  wild- 
est stretch  of  imagination,  be  called  art. 

"I  pleaded  with  her  not  to  waste  her  profes- 
sional life  and  the  opportunity  the  stage  gives 
her  to  be  known  to  thousands  of  people,  but 
she's  rather  a  stubborn  little  thing  for  such  a 
youngster  and  says  she  knows  what  she's  doing. 

"So  I  suppose  we'll  have  to  say  goodbye  to 
little  Mary  Pickford."  She'll  never  be  heard 
of  again,  and  I  feel  terribly  sorry  for  her." 

That  was  in  1911. 

V 

Mr.  Lasky,  by  the  way,  confessed  to  the  press 
the  other  day,  while  visiting  Quebec,  that  the 
reason  why  motion  picture  producers  chew 
cigars  and  act  "queerly"  is  because  "it's  a  great 
business  to  go  crazy  in."  Mr.  Lasky  only  re- 
cently admitted  that  he  has  won  and  lost  sev- 
eral fortunes — totaling  millions — in  his  23  years 
in  the  film  industry. 

"I've  been  producing  movies  since  1913,"  he 
told  reporters  in  Quebec,  "and  sometimes  it 
astonishes  me  that  I  still  admit  I'm  Jesse  Lasky 
and  not  Napoleon." 

V 

Theatre  operating  stands  to  influence  the 
making  of  a  precedent  of  wide  interest  in 
railroading. 

Philip  Davis,  29-year-old  New  York  law- 
yer, has  brought  suit  in  municipal  court 
against  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  to 
establish  whether  a  person  is  entitled  to  a 
seat  on  a  train  for  which  he  bought  a  ticket. 
He  is  asking  $47.80  damages  for  having  to 
stand  on  a  train  from  Albany  to  New  York 
City  because  there  were  no  seats.  Lawyer 
Davis  charges  there  were  70  vacant  seats  in 
the  Pullman  cars  and  that  the  railroads 
should  have  permitted  standees  in  the 
"coaches"  to  occupy  them. 

Mr.  Davis  got  his  idea  for  the  action  from 
the  days  when  he  was  going  to  law  school 
and  at  the  same  time  was  chief  usher  at  the 
Strand  theatre  on  Broadway,  where,  he  ex- 
plained, if  excess  tickets  were  sold  at  the  box 
office,  patrons  were  permitted  to  take  the 
more  expensive  loge  seats  without  extra 
charge.  He  decided  to  apply  this  logic  in 
his  present  suit,  contending  that  the  railroad 
had  plenty  of  time  at  Albany  to  see  that  not 
enough  seats  were  available  to  handle  the 
crowds  boarding  the  train  there  and  could 
have  added  an  additional  coach  after  accept- 
ing the  standees'  fare,  but  when  they 
neglected  to  do  so,  they  should  have  turned 
over  the  empty  Pullman  seats  to  the  stan- 
dees. 


by  JAMES  P.  CUNNINGHAM 


GRASSHOPPERS  AND 
THE  BOX  OFFICE 


FOR  those  Americans  who  do  not  live  there 
we  have  found  why  Kansas  is  so  good  a 
show  state.  Kansans  themselves  are  showmen 
and  like  to  see  how  other  showmen  do  their 
turn. 

This  is  brought  out  in  the  discovery  by  the 
Topeka  Daily  Capital  of  "a  Kansas  farmer  who 
is  irrigating  a  small  farm.  He  says  that  the 
grasshoppers  have  some  system  of  communica- 
tion. It  is  nearly  as  effective  as  the  radio.  His 
farm  looks  like  an  oasis  in  the  desert,  but  he 
says  that  there  are  millions  of  grasshoppers 
that  have  come  for  miles  to  eat  the  vegetation 
produced  by  irrigation  on  his  place.  Asked 
how  he  knew  these  hoppers  had  traveled  so 
many  miles,  he  said  that  was  easy.  He  had 
trapped  dozens  of  hoppers  whose  feet  were  so 
tender  that  he  hoppers  made  sounds  of  pain 
when  they  set  foot  on  the  ground. 

Also  he  was  able  to  locate  the  original  habi- 
tation of  the  visiting  hoppers  by  the  color  of 
their  wings  and  the  kind  of  sand  they  spit  out. 
For  example,  he  says  that  hoppers  which  came 
down  from  the  Dakotas  or  southern  Canada 
had  light  colored  wings  with  brown  spots  and 
when  they  expectorated  they  emitted  what  is 
known  as  Dakota  lime.  Those  who  came  from 
the  region  of  the  Homestead  mine  had  gold- 
plated  teeth  and  a  sprinkle  of  gold  dust  on 
their  wings.  Those  from  Texas  had  thinner 
wings,  stained  by  the  waters  of  the  Red  River 
and  the  red  clay  taken  on  as  they  passed  north 
through  Oklahoma.  He  said  that  the  Texas 
hoppers  made  a  different  kind  of  noise  from 
that  made  by  the  Dakota  and  Canadian  hop- 
pers. The  Texas  hoppers  had  a  sort  of  nasal 
twang  and  slurred  their  r's.  He  observed  that 
they  did  not  want  to  seem  to  fraternize  with 
the  northern  hoppers. 

The  Capital  editorial  goes  on  to  cite  an  old 
statute  which  provides  that  township  trustees 
and  city  mayors  may  call  out  able-bodied  males 
between  12  and  65  for  the  purpose  of  destroy- 
ing locusts  and  migratory  grasshoppers. 

Independently  of  the  Capital's  investigations 
we  find  in  the  records  that  the  grasshoppers 
have  been  plaguing  communities  since  the 
biblical  days  of  Egypt.  The  present  plague 
in  the  midwest,  the  economic  effects  of 
which  eventually  make  themselves  felt  on 
theatre  box  offices,  has  been  preceded  by 
many  others  that  were  considerably  more 
serious.  In  1856  and  1857  the  pests  even 
invaded  houses  and  ate  up  shoes,  curtains  and 
cowhide  boots.  In  1877,  the  quantities  of  locusts 
were  piled  so  high  on  railroad  tracks  that  trains 
were  delayed  10  days.  Some  $50,000,000  worth 
of  grain  was  destroyed  by  locusts  in  1874, 
working  three  to  four  inches  deep,  one  standing 
atop  the  other,  in  the  Mississippi  valley. 

As  if  the  present  hopper  plague  in  the  mid- 
west were  not  bad  enough,  caterpillars,  crickets, 
beetles,  cutworms  and  even  cinch  bugs  were 
joining  in  the  festivities  by  the  millions. 

V 

Briggs  is  featuring  a  new  safety  bathtub  with 
non-skid  design.  Paging  Cecil  DeMille. 


24 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


EXHIBITOR  CUTS  NEWSREELS  TO  KEEP 
POLITICAL  BATTLE  OUT  OF  THEATRES 


Real  Neth  Adopts  Policy  of  Elim- 
inating Sequences;  Report 
Pettijohn  Supplied  Roosevelt 
with  Patron  Reaction  Charts 

In  spite  of  the  neutrality  of  the  screen, 
the  newsreels,  in  their  normal  coverage  of 
the  Presidential  campaign,  are  seen  as  a 
problem  likely  to  grow  more  difficult  as  the 
weeks  grow  nearer  November.  The  politi- 
cians, it  appears,  insist  on  referring  to  audi- 
ence reaction  to  the  appearance  of  the  can- 
didates on  the  screen,  and  one  operator  has 
accordingly  gone  so  far  as  to  cut  out  all 
political  sequences  from  newsreels  shown  in 
his  four  theatres. 

He  is  Real  Neth,  owner  of  the  State. 
Cameo,  Clinton  and  Eastern,  neighborhood 
houses  in  Columbus,  Ohio.  In  announcing 
his  action,  he  said,  "If  the  newsreels  gave 
each  political  party  an  even  break  in  each 
issue  we  probably  would  keep  them  in,  but 
when  a  newsreel  has  a  sequence  showing 
only  one  candidate  —  it  doesn't  matter 
whether  it  is  a  Republican  or  a  Democratic 
scene — it  annoys  some  fans  of  the  other 
party.  So  we  decided  to  use  the  scissors 
on  all  political  sequences." 

Mr.  Neth's  announcement  was  quoted 
in  a  motion  picture  column  written  by 
William  S.  Cunningham  in  the  Columbus 
Citizen  and  was  followed  by  a  general 
survey  of  the  poiitico-newsreel  situation  in 
theatres  all  over  the  city.  After  quoting 
reactions  at  four  theatres,  the  Arlington, 
Ritz,  Grandview  and  Hudson,  in  which 
opinion  seemed  about  evenly  divided  at 
all  shows,  Mr.  Cunningham  says  that  the 
four  managers  have  orders  from  the  own- 
ers to  delete  political  scenes  which  they 
think  are  deliberately  unfair  to  either 
party  "as  the  owners  don't  intend  to  use 
their  screens  to  take  sides  in  this  election." 

There  have  been  no  deletions  yet,  and  the 
managers  have  not  received  any  complaints 
trom  patrons,  he  adds.  Mr.  Cunningham's 
story  makes  no  mention  of  the  widely  re- 
ported and  discussed  contract  recently  en- 
tered into  by  the  WPA  and  Pathe. 

One  Candidate  a  Reel 

"Meanwhile  the  political  pot  in  the  down- 
town theatres  seems  to  have  settled  down  to 
a  simmer,"  the  columnist  continues.  "The 
newsreels  have  been  showing  only  one  can- 
didate in  each  release,  with  Nominee  Lan- 
don  getting  the  biggest  play  because  of  his 
acceptance  speech  and  his  voting  in  the 
Kansas  primary.  Both  events  were  note- 
worthy. 

"However,  President  Roosevelt  had  the 
newsreels  to  himself  in  one  Hearst  Metro- 
tone  issue.  It  showed  him  on  his  vacation. 
That  same  issue,  by  the  way,  had  the  only 
trace  of  what  was  interpreted  by  some  ob- 
servers as  political  prejudice  against  the 
President.  The  Roosevelt  picnic,  sequence 
was  followed  (after  the  insertion  of  one 
other  scene)  by  shots  of  Pennsylvania  peo- 
ple,   labeled,    if    memory    serves,  'hunger 


DRUNKEN  DRIVING 
SEQUENCE  ATTACKED 

J.  J.  Cavanaugh,  general  manager 
of  the  Chicago  Motor  Club,  in  a  let- 
ter of  protest  to  Will  Hays  and  the 
motion  picture  industry,  scathingly 
rebuked  the  producers  of  pictures 
which  leave  the  impression  of  condon- 
ing scenes  in  which  drunken  and  reck- 
less driving  is  pictured. 

Referring  to  a  scene  in  the  picture 
"Small  Town  Girl,"  which  starred 
Robert  Taylor  and  Janet  Gaynor,  Mr. 
Cavanaugh  said  in  part: 

"It  is  probable  that  these  scenes 
could  have  been  managed  without  the 
popular  hero,  Mr.  Taylor,  being  shown 
actually  driving  a  car  while  drunk. 
Properly  looked  upon,  such  an  act  is 
not  to  be  considered  a  boyish  prank. 
It  is  a  thoroughly  despicable  act.  It 
should  not  be  glossed  over.  It  should 
be  represented  in  all  its  hideous  real- 
ity. 

"We  emphatically  protest  against 
the  continuation  of  such  things  in 
motion  pictures  and  we  hope  that  we 
shall  have  your  cooperation  in  an 
effort  to  eliminate  it,  by  bringing  to 
bear  the  power  of  your  office  in  the 
motion  picture  industry,  upon  the 
producers." 


marchers,'  and  in  the  same  issue  Commenta- 
tor Edwin  C.  Hill  remarked  during  a  style 
revue  that  there  was  'no  regimentation'  for 
Miss  America." 

Ratings  Not  Possible 

Scattered  reports  from  other  theatres 
were  prefaced  in  the  column  by  the  state- 
ment that  comparative  ratings  were  impos- 
sible to  obtain  because  both  candidates  did 
not  appear  on  the  same  newsreel. 

"President  Roosevelt,  however,  seems  to 
have  received  the  greater  applause  on  the 
basis  of  these  observations,"  Mr.  Cunning- 
ham concludes. 

Charles  Pettijohn,  general  counsel  to 
the  Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Distribu- 
tors of  America,  was  reported  last  week 
to  have  given  President  Roosevelt  charts 
and  graphs  showing  the  responses  of  900 
theatre  audiences  throughout  the  country 
to  newsreels  showing  him  and  his  Repub- 
lican opponent,  Governor  Alf  M.  Landon. 

Mr.  Pettijohn  refused  to  discuss  his  con- 
ference with  the  President,  but  it  was  re- 
ported that  he  left  data  showing  that  while 
Governor  Landon's  popularity  had  risen 
steadily  after  the  Republican  convention  in 
Cleveland,  President  Roosevelt's  curve  of 
popular  acclaim  in  motion  picture  theatres 
began  to  mount  with  his  acceptance  speech 
in  Philadelphia  and  continued  until  he  had 
gained  back  all  lost  ground. 


Sales  Conference 
Held  in  Chicago 
By  GrandN ational 

The  first  10  pictures  in  Grand  National's 
three  divisions  of  pictures  to  be  produced 
during  the  coming  year  will  be  sold  on  a 
percentage  basis  with  other  groups  being 
sold  for  a  flat  rental,  Carl  Leserman,  vice 
president  and  general  sales  manager  of  the 
company,  announced  at  the  sales  convention 
held  in  Chicago  last  week  end  for  western 
and  southern  divisions.  During  the  conven- 
tion it  was  announced  that  Edward  L,  Al- 
person,  president  of  the  company,  had 
signed  a  distribution  contract  with  Associ- 
ated British  distributors  in  London.  At  the 
close  of  the  meeting  Mr.  Leserman  and  Ed- 
ward Finney,  advertising  and  publicity  di- 
rector, left  for  the  coast  to  confer  with 
producers. 

Pictures  comprising  the  first  group,  ac- 
cording to  Mr.  Leserman,  will  vary  accord- 
ing to  territories,  the  rating  to  be  flexible, 
as  some  exchanges  want  pictures  of  the 
second  group  in  the  first  rank  and  vice 
versa.  The  executive  added  that  selling  will 
start  at  once. 

Delegates  at  the  convention  were  told 
that  "Snow  Covered  Wagons,"  based  on 
the  Donner  expedition  into  the  far  west, 
will  be  Grand  National's  top  picture  and 
will  cost  $1,000,000.  It  will  be  filmed  in 
color  against  actual  backgrounds. 

Present  at  the  meeting  were  Bradley  H. 
Fish  and  Mel  Hullin,  San  Francisco;  Sam 
Berkowitz,  Los  Angeles ;  Joe  Merrick,  Se- 
attle ;  Lon  Fidler,  Denver ;  Tom  Tobin,  St. 
Louis ;  Russel  Borg,  Kansas  City ;  Lou 
Levy,  Des  Moines ;  Carl  Reese,  Omaha ; 
Lou  Patz,  Milwaukee ;  Don  Woods,  Min- 
neapolis ;  Ralph  Peckham,  Detroit,  and 
Earl  Silverman,  Chicago. 

The  two  year  contract  signed  in  London 
by  Mr.  Alperson  calls  for  34  pictures  to  be 
delivered  by  July  31,  1937,  at  the  rate  of 
three  each  month,  the  same  ratio  to  be 
maintained  during  the  second  year  of  the 
contract.  The  Grand  National  president 
sailed  for  New  York  last  Friday,  taking 
with  him  two  Associated  British  films  for 
distribution,  one  of  them  being  "The  Lone- 
ly Road,"  with  Clive  Brook.  It  was  indi- 
cated that  Grand  National  plans  to  lend 
its  producers  to  the  British  company  for 
the  production  of  films  designed  for  distri- 
bution in  the  United  States,  but  no  con- 
tracts were  signed  in  this  connection. 

During  and  after  the  Chicago  meeting 
several  changes  and  additions  in  the  com- 
pany's exchange  line  up  were  announced. 
The  company  has  taken  over  Lon  T.  Fid- 
ler's  Denver  and  Salt  Lake  City  exchanges, 
formerly  known  as  Distinctive  Screen  At- 
tractions. Bill  Shartin,  manager  of  the 
Grand  National  exchange  in  Cleveland,  an- 
nounced the  appointment  of  Bill  Watmaugh 
and  Orville  Miller  as  salesmen. 


August    29,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  25 


CIRCUITS  START  AD  CAMPAIGN  TO 
OFFSET  COMPETITION  OF  POLITICIANS 


Comerford  Group  Opens  Pro- 
gram of  Newspaper  Appeals 
in  19  Cities,  Calling  Atten- 
tion to  Pictures  To  Be  Shown 

Taking  cognizance  of  warnings  sounded 
from  several  sources  within  the  industry 
that  special  showmanship  efforts  will  be 
needed  this  fall  to  offset  expected  competi- 
tion from  the  Presidential  campaigners  and 
the  theatricals  which  they  characteristically 
employ,  the  Comerford  circuit  in  Pennsyl- 
vania has  completed  plans  for  an  institutional 
advertising  drive  designed  to  attract  and 
retain  the  confidence  and  patronage  of  the 
public.  The  Comerford  interests  therefore 
are  the  first  national  circuit  to  engage  in 
the  drive  to  defend  the  motion  picture  box 
office  against  any  inroads  from  the  radio, 
stage  or  motion  picture  entertainment  that 
is  expected  to  be  used  by  the  campaigners. 

Last  week  Will  H.  Hays  in  Hollywood 
cited  40  outstanding  productions  as  coming 
from  the  studios  during  the  fall  campaign 
season,  and  efforts  will  be  expended  in  the 
industry  to  sell  this  group  as  the  largest 
single  unit  of  outstanding  screen  merchan- 
dise ever  to  come  from  Hollywood. 

Other  national  circuits  are  understood 
to  be  also  preparing  the  use  of  circuit- 
wide  institutional  campaigns  during  the 
sustained  oratorical  performance  of  the 
politicians. 

Taking  immediate  action  following  warn- 
ings from  several  sources  in  the  industry 
that  special  showmanship  efforts  will  be 
needed  this  fall  to  offset  expected  competi- 
tion from  the  political  campaign,  the  Com- 
erford circuit  in  Pennsylvania  has  already 
completed  its  plan  for  an  institutional  ad- 
vertising drive.  John  Nolan,  purchasing  ex- 
ecutive for  the  circuit,  in  announcing  plans 
for  the  campaign,  declared  that  improve- 
ment in  the  quality  of  product,  especially 
marked  in  the  last  six  months,  "will  insure 
results  from  any  advertising."  He  said  that 
many  of  the  pictures  scheduled  for  release  in 
the  next  few  months  will  practically  sell 
themselves. 

Full  Page  Ads  for  19  Towns 

The  Comerford  drive  will  be  based  on  a 
series  of  full-page  newspaper  advertisements 
announcing  product  of  the  major  companies 
to  be  exhibited  during  the  coming  season. 
They  will  be  run  in  newspapers  in  19  towns 
in  Pennsylvania  and  western  New  York, 
the  territory  covered  by  the  more  than  100 
theatres  owned  by  the  circuit.  The  first 
announcement,  scheduled  to  run  early  in 
September,  lists  the  20th  Century-Fox  prod- 
uct booked  for  the  season. 

Although  the  series  will  specify  the  pic- 
tures to  be  shown,  the  main  purpose  of  the 
drive,  Mr.  Nolan  said,  is  to  "sell"  the  Com- 
erford name  and  to  gain  the  patronage  of 
those  who  at  present  attend  the  houses  in- 
freauently,  if  at  all. 

For  this  reason  the  announcements  fea- 
ture the  signature  of  M.  E.  Comerford,  chief 


40  PICTURES 
CITED  BY  HAYS 

Thirty-five  outstanding  productions 
were  listed  in  Motion  Picture 
Herald  last  week,  on  page  24,  as 
coming  from  Hollywood  during  the 
fall  to  offset  any  competition  of  the 
Presidential  campaigners.  In  the  orig- 
inal list,  announced  to  the  press  in 
Hollywood  by  Will  H.  Hays,  there 
were  40  such  productions.  The  five 
additional   titles  included: 

"The  Plainsman,"  with  Gary  Cooper 
and  Jean  Arthur — Paramount ;  "The 
Prince  and  the  Pauper,"  by  Mark 
Twain  —  Warner  Brothers;  "The 
Plough  and  the  Stars,"  with  Barbara 
Stanwyck,  Preston  Foster  and  the 
Abbey  Players— RKO  Radio;  "Ra- 
jnona,"  in  color,  with  Loretta  Young 
and  Don  Ameche  —  20th  Century  - 
Fox,  and  "Rembrandt,"  with  Charles 
Laughton — Alexander  Kor da-United 
Artists. 


executive  of  the  circuit,  under  which  is 
printed  the  following  statement : 

"The  new  show  season  is  here  !  Summer 
swings  toward  Fall,  and  Hollywood's  great 
motion  picture  studios  are  sending  forth 
their  new  screen  plays  to  entertain  the  people 
of  the  world.  For  more  than  30  years  Com- 
erford theatres  have  shown  the  finest  attrac- 
tions that  anyone — anywhere — has  enjoyed. 
And  what  a  grand  new  picture  season  these 
coming  months  will  be  !  Hollywood  has  done 
itself  proud.  Brilliant  stars,  stirring  stories, 
glorious  music,  gifted  direction.  You  can 
look  forward  to  the  happiest  hours  you  have 
ever  spent  in  the  theatre.  M.  E.  Comer- 
ford has  contracted  for  the  top  pictures  of 
1936-7.  We  are  ready !  Ready  with  clean, 
wholesome  amusement  for  you,  your  family, 
your  children.  Ready  with  the  beauty, 
safety,  luxury  of  theatres  offering  restful 
relief  from  the  cares  and  burdens  of  the  day. 

"As  our  opening  salute,  we  announce  an 
arrangement  for  showing  the  pictures  of 
20th  Century-Fox  Films.  Thrilling,  roman- 
tic screen  journeys  to  a  world  where  your 
dreams  come  true.  Watch  for  these  attrac- 
tions at  your  Comerford  theatre." 

Following  this  are  brief  descriptions  of 
"Ramona,"  "The  Bowery  Princess,"  "Sing, 
Baby,  Sing,"  "Girls'  Dormitory,"  "The 
Road  to  Glory,"  and  "Ladies  in  Love."  The 
theatres  in  the  territory  covered  by  each 
newspaper  are  listed  at  the  bottom  of  the 
advertisements. 

To  Film  School  Openings 

In  addition  to  the  newspaper  campaign 
Mr.  Nolan  said  that  other  plans  have  been 
made  to  keep  the  name  of  the  circuit  be- 
fore the  public.  Tentative  arrangements 
have  been  made  to  film  the  opening  of 
schools  in  the  various  towns  in  September 


Other  Operators  Also  Expected 
to  Use  Special  Institutional 
and  Exploitation  Methods  to 
Combat  Vote -Seeking  Show 

and  to  show  these  reels  in  the  theatres.  Dur- 
ing the  year,  it  is  expected,  similar  events 
of  local  interest  will  be  played  up  by  the 
managers. 

Mr.  Nolan  was  enthusiastic  about  the 
quality  and  value  of  an  amateur  show 
schedule  now  being  conducted  by  the  cir- 
cuit. Amateur  nights  are  conducted  in  12 
houses,  and  the  best  acts  are  put  together 
in  a  show  which  is  then  booked  around 
the  circuit.  In  some  cases,  the  executive 
declared,  the  shows  boost  receipts  by  as 
much  as  60  per  cent.  The  schedule  will  be 
continued  and  enlarged  during  the  fall. 

Expressing  great  optimism  for  the  imme- 
diate future,  Mr.  Nolan  pointed  out  that  the 
Comerford  theatres  are  especially  blessed  in 
that  they  have  maintained  better  than  nor- 
mal business  without  the  aid  of  bank  nights, 
give-a-ways.  of  any  kind,  or  double  features. 

"With  the  advent  of  the  important  pictures 
scheduled  for  the  fall  and  with  the  expected 
results  from  our  advertising  campaign  and 
from  our  other  plans,"  he  said,  "we  confi- 
dently believe  that  this  season  will  be  our 
best." 

Funeral  Services 
Held  for  Hamlin, 
Trade  Publisher 

Funeral  services  for  Tom  Hamlin,  pub- 
lisher of  Film  Curb,  who  died  last  week 
in  the  Post  Graduate  Hospital,  New  York, 
were  held  last  Sunday  in  the  Friends' 
Church,  Yorktown  Heights,  Westchester. 
The  Rev.  Harry  D.  Roberts  officiated,  and 
bearers  were  members  of  the  local  Volun- 
teer Fire  Department,  of  which  Mr.  Ham- 
lin was  a  member.  The  services  were  at- 
tended by  numerous  prominent  motion  pic- 
ture men.    Burial  was  at  Amawalk,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Hamlin  was  born  February  10,  1877, 
in  Minneapolis,  and  received  his  education 
in  the  high  school  of  that  city.  Following 
experience  on  newspapers,  labor  journals 
and  the  vaudeville  stage,  he  published 
Amusements  in  Minneapolis,  later  joining 
the  publicity  department  of  the  old  First 
National  company. 

Subsequently  Mr.  Hamlin  served  on  the 
editorial  staff  of  the  Motion  Picture  News 
and  later  was  named  managing  editor  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Journal.  He  was  president 
of  the  Associated  Film  Press. 

Mrs.  Hamlin,  who  has  been  associated 
with  him  for  a  number  of  years  on  Film 
Curb,  will  continue  as  publisher  of  the 
magazine. 


HAT'SA  MATTER,  YOU  LOt 

You  Get  It -and  Plenty  of  It -in  Those  Famous  1 
Packed  Warner  Westerns  That  Have  the  Wi 
Trade  Writing  Happy  Business  Notes  Like  1 


"We  have  a  double  feature  pol- 
icy on  Friday-Saturday.  I  played 
Dick  Foran  on  a  single  bill 
and  out-grossed  the  so-called 
specials!"— R.  L.  Sherman,  The 
Strand,  North  Branch,  Michigan 

'Warners  have  made  no  mis- 
take in  making  this  series! 
The  singing  introduced  in  each 


has  made  them  a  unique 
novelty.  They  please  both 
young  and  old !"— Walt  La  Pata, 
The  Star,  Poultney,  Vermont 

"Saturday  patrons  are  harder 
to  please  than  any  other  class, 
but  they  like  this  type  of  west- 
ern best!"  —  Frank  Aydelotte, 
The  Kiowa,  Hobart,  Oklahoma 


HlHi 

EM 


EVERYBODY'S  FOR  E 
EVERYBODY'S  FOR  MORE  OF  'EM 


Will  Be  Presented  Next  Season  In 

THE  TYPE  OF  WESTERNS  THEY  I 

Made  That  Way  ! 


i 


11 
I 


DCk- 

hole 
hese- 


The  boy  rides  faster,  shoots  straighter  and  fights 
harder  than  any  other  star  in  pictures!  Warners 
have  him— and  so  have  all  the  smartest  fellows  in 
theatre  business!  So  take  a  quick  tip  from  those 
busy  box-offices  and  set  a  date  for  Dick  Foran  in  his 

Next  Release  September  5th 

TRAILIN'  WEST 

with  Paula  Stone  •  Gordon  Elliott  •  Addison  Richards  •  Robert 
Barrat  •  Joseph  Crehan  •  Fred  Lawrence  •  Eddie  Shubert 

Directed  by  Noel  Smith 


23 


MOTION    PICTU  RE    H  ERALD 


August    29,  1936 


GOVERNMENT  TO  STAGE   New  Theatre  Unit 

"IT  CAN'T  HAPPEN  HERE 


//    Headed  by  Pizor 


Debated  "Fascist"  Novel  Be- 
ing Dramatized  for  Produc- 
tion in  Fifteen  Cities  by  Fed- 
eral Theatre  Division  of  WPA 

Sinclair  Lewis'  latest  novel,  "It  Can't 
Happen  Here,"  abandoned  in  production 
last  February  by  the  motion  picture  business 
on  the  alleged  grounds  that  it  would  aggra- 
vate Fascist  Italy  and  Germany,  is  never- 
theless being  made  into  a  play  for  the  pub- 
lic by  the  United  States  Government. 

The  book,  which  projects  a  Fascist 
regime  in  America,  is  being  adapted  for 
the  stage  by  Mr.  Lewis  and  a  collaborator, 
John  C.  Moffitt,  who  is  on  leave  of  ab- 
sence from  the  Paramount  studios  in  Holly- 
wood. National  staging  of  the  play  is 
planned  by  the  Federal  Theatre  Division 
of  the  Works  Progress  Administration,  and 
on  October  20  the  curtain  is  scheduled 
to  rise  on  productions  in  i5  cities. 

Following  announcement  of  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Mayer's  decision  not  to  produce  a 
screen  version  of  the  book  after  a  reputed 
$200,000  had  been  spent  on  scripts,  casting 
and  sets,  Mr.  Lewis  charged  that  the  film 
had  been  banned  by  Will  H.  Hays,  head  of 
the  Motion  Pictures  Producers  and  Distrib- 
utors of  America,  but  this  was  denied  by 
Mr.  Hays.  Louis  B.  Mayer,  production 
chief  for  MGM,  stated  that  the  picture  had 
been  postponed  for  budgetary  reasons.  , 
Later  it  was  reported  that  the  production 
was  abandoned  on  the  recommendation  of 
the  company's  foreign  department,  which 
feared  that  all  MGM  pictures  might  be 
barred  from  Fascist  countries  if  the  film 
were  released.  If  the  flat  fee  of  $50  pei 
week  royalty  paid  by  the  WPA  Theatre  for 
scripts  is  continued  in  this  instance  it  is 
estimated  that  Mr.  Lewis  will  receive  $1,400 
a  week  when  the  full  complement  of  28  com- 
panies get  under  way  with  the  production. 

The  first  productions  under  Federal  spon- 
sorship will  be  in  Boston,  Newark,  Los 
Angeles,  San  Francisco,  Denver,  Chicago, 
New  York,  New  Orleans,  Cleveland,  Dallas, 
Tacoma,  Indianapolis,  Syracuse,  Detroit 
and  either  Jacksonville  or  Miami.  The  play 
may  be  produced  later  by  13  other  companies. 

In  concluding  arrangements  with  the 
WPA,  Mr.  Lewis  said,  "In  spite  of  commer- 
cial offers  for  the  dramatization  of  'It  Can't 
Happen  Here,'  I  prefer  to  give  to  the  Fed- 
eral Theatre  for  two  reasons :  first,  because 
of  my  tremendous  enthusiasm  for  its  work; 
and  second,  because  I  know  I  can  depend  on 
the  Federal  Theatre  for  a  non-partisan  point 
of  view. 

"I  will  give  completely  all  of  my  time  and 
work  in  aiding  the  casting,  writing  and  re- 
writing with  the  New  York  City  project, 
and  will  personally  supervise  the  New  York 
presentation." 

Mr.  Lewis  will  furnish  the  manuscript  to 
the  WPA  Theatre  directors  in  time  for  cast- 
ing and  rehearsals  to  begin  in  the  15  selected 
cities  by  September  7.  There  will  be  no 
single  set  of  scenes  or  costume  designs. 
Each  company  will  act  independently  of  the 


others,  under  a  general  co-ordinator  of  pro- 
ductions, Francis  Bosworth,  supervisor  of 
play  reading  in  the  New  York  Play  Bureau 
of  the  Federal  project. 

Each  company  will  design  its  own  sets 
and  costumes  to  fit  its  own  region,  thus  ac- 
cording the  productions  a  dramatic  direction 
keyed  to  the  audiences  of  each  section. 
Language  or  racial  groups  to  be  represented 
include  Yiddish,  English,  German,  Italian, 
Cuban  and  Negro. 

Announcement  of  the  plans  said  that  Mr. 
Lewis  and  Mr.  Moffitt  are  working  at  the 
novelist's  summer  home  in  Vermont  to  com- 
plete the  conversion  of  "dramatic  and  stir- 
ring scenes  of  the  novel  into  a  new.  Ameri- 
can play  that  faces  the  economic,  conditions 
of  the  days  and  challenges  the  future." 

The  book  was  a  "best-seller"  in  1935,  and 
an  intensive  advertising  campaign  staged  by 
its  publishers  immediately  after  Mr.  Lewis 
broadcast  his  charges  that  the  motion  picture 
industry  and  Mr.  Hays  had  "banned"  the 
production,  was  reported  to  have  increased 
its  sales  last  Spring  from  2,500  a  week  to 
5,000. 

Negotiations  with  the  WPA  were  handled 
by  Pat  Duggan  and  Harold  Matson,  of 
Anne  Watkins  Bureau,  Inc.,  literary  agent 
for  Mr.  Lewis  and  Mr.  Moffitt. 


RCA  Photophone 
Holds  Conference 

District  and  division  managers  of  the 
RCA  Photophone  company  met  in  Camden, 
N.  J.,  this  week  to  discuss  sales  policies  and 
campaigns.  Edwin  M.  Hartley,  Photo- 
phone division  head,  and  James  E.  Francis, 
Western  manager,  came  east  from  the  coast 
for  the  sessions. 

Mr.  Hartley  announced  that  the  West 
Coast  Service  Studios  of  New  York ;  Bur- 
ton Holmes  Films  of  Chicago;  the  Metro- 
politan Motion  Picture  Company  of  Detroit, 
and  the  Chicago  Film  Laboratories,  Inc., 
have  contracted  for  conversion  of  their 
present  RCA  recording  apparatus  to  permit 
utilization  of  RCA's  new  ultra-violet  light 
process  for  both  standard  and  push-pull 
sound  track. 

James  Frank,  Jr.,  assistant  Photophone 
manager,  and  Frank  P.  Stephens,  advertis- 
ing, manager,  attended  the  Camden  meeting 
after  demonstrating  the  RCA-Schwartz- 
kopf  criminal  identification  system  before 
the  Interstate  Crime  Commission  Confer- 
ence in  Boston  last  week. 


Paramount  Wins  Stay 

An  application  of  Paramount  Pictures 
Corporation  for  an  injunction  against  the 
Paramount  Photos  Company  to  restrain  the 
latter  from  using  the  name  Paramount  was 
granted  in  the  New  York  supreme  court 
this  week.  Paramount  Photos  Company  was 
alleged  to  have  been  taking  sidewalk  shots 
of  pedestrians  under  the  name  of  Paramount 
Movie  Photos. 


Lewen  Pizor,  president  of  the  former  Mo- 
tion Picture  Theatre  Owners  of  Eastern 
Pennsylvania,  has  been  elected  president  of 
the  United  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  Southern 
New  Jersey  and  Delaware,  Inc.,  which  com- 
bines the  former  group  with  the  Indepen- 
dent Theatre  Owners.  Abe  Sablosky  was 
named  first  vice  president;  Mike  Lessy, 
second  vice  president;  Ben  Amsterdam, 
treasurer ;  George  P.  Aarons  ,  secretary ; 
Ben  Fertel,  financial  secretary,  and  Charles 
Segall,  chairman  of  the  board. 

The  board  of  directors  will  include  Mr. 
Pizor,  Mr.  Sablosky,  Ed  Jeffries,  Herman 
Coane,  Ted  Schlanger,  Norman  Lewis, 
Harry  Waxman,  Mike  Egnal,  William 
Hissner,  Harry  Fried,  Dave  Shapiro,  Ben 
Shindler,  David  Barrist,  Morris  Wax,  Leo 
Posel,  Dave  Milgram,  Mr.  Amsterdam,  Mr. 
Segall  and  Mr.  Fertel. 

The  formation  of  the  UMPTO  returns 
the  territory  to  a  single  organization  status 
for  the  first  time  in  three  years.  The  or- 
ganization includes  practically  all  the 
prominent  independents  as  well  as  affiliated 
circuits  in  the  territory. 


Washington  To  Get 
Grand  "Hussy"  Opening 

Washington's  official  circles  are  to  attend 
the  opening  of  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's 
"The  Gorgeous  Hussy"  at  the  Palace  The- 
atre late  this  week.  The  occasion  will  be 
under  the  auspices  of  the  White  House 
Correspondents  Association.  Guests  invited 
include :  Mrs.  Franklin  D.  Roosevelt,  Mabel 
Walker  Willebrand,  Dolly  Gann,  Alice 
Roosevelt  Longworth,  Mrs.  J.  Borden  Har- 
riman,  Chief  Justice  Charles  Evan  Hughes, 
Governor  and  Mrs.  John  G.  Pollard,  Gov- 
ernor Harry  Nice,  Mark  Sullivan,  Merle 
Thorpe,  Joseph  P.  Tumulty,  Felix  Morley, 
Eugene  Meyer,  Eleanor  Patterson,  Senator 
Reynolds,  Senator  Thomas,  Arthur  Krook, 
Marvin  Mclntyre,  Steve  Early,  Cordell 
Hull,  Henry  Morgenthau,  George  Dern, 
Homer  Cummings,  Harold  Ickes,  Henry  A. 
Wallace,  Daniel  C.  Roper,  William  Phillips, 
J.  F.  T.  O'Connor,  J.  Edgar  Hoover,  Har- 
ry H.  Woodring,  Rexford  Tugwell,  Anning 
S.  Prall,  Frederick  A.  Storm  and  H.  L. 
Mencken,  president  of  the  White  House 
Correspondents  Association. 


Demand  Cut  in  Wages 

Aaron  Saperstein  in  Chicago  this,  week 
declared  that  Allied  is  demanding  a  10  per 
cent  reduction  in  operators'  salaries  for  the 
coming  year.  The  operators,  who  are  nego- 
tiating next  year's  contract,  are  asking  for  a 
25  per  cent  increase.  It  is  understood  Al- 
lied is  basing  its  demand  on  the  contention 
that  operators  are  overpaid  at  present,  and 
that  the  new  2,000-foot  reels  will  ease  their 
work. 


Warners  Promote  Greenberg 

Fred  Greenberg,  former  salesman  of  the 
Warner  exchange  at  Kansas  City,  has  been 
promoted  to  manager  of  the  company's  ex- 
change at  Indianapolis  to  succeed  Oscar 
Kuschner. 


August    29,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


29 


MCM  REVIVES  ROADSHOW  POLICY 
IN  ENGLAND;  "ZIEGFELD"  IS  FIRST 


Trade  Foresees  Far  -  reaching 
Effect  of  Move;  Ten  Years 
Since  Policy  Was  General; 
"Romeo  and  Juliet"  Follows 

by  BRUCE  ALLAN 

in  London 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  and  "Romeo  and 
Juliet"  will,  it  seems,  have  a  bigger  effect 
on  British  trade  practice  than  any  other  two 
pictures  which  could  be  selected  from  the 
output  of  the  last  five  years. 

Announced  officially  that,  due  to  its 
length,  "Ziegfeld"  would  go  into  His  Maj- 
esty's theatre,  Haymarket,  instead  of  to 
MGM's  own  Empire,  this  statement  was 
later  supplemented  by  Mr.  Sam  Eckman, 
Jr.,  with  the  news  that  the  picture  would 
be  a  road  show  attraction,  probably  at 
theatre  prices,  throughout  the  United 
Kingdom. 

Playing  three  hours,  "Ziegfeld"  simply 
will  not  fit  into  the  requirement  of  regular 
motion  picture  theatres  that  three  pro- 
grammes shall  be  played  daily. 

Former  Policy  Revived 

At  this  time,  the  announcement  that  the 
picture  is  to  tour  as  a  solo  attraction  has 
caused  less  comment  in  Wardour  Street 
than  the  fact  that  MGM,  in  hiring  His  Maj- 
esty's theatre,  is  reviving  a  policy  which,  it 
seemed,  had  become  obsolete  with  the  ac- 
quirement of  shop-windows  by  the  leading 
distributors. 

Ten  years  or  less  ago,  when  a  big  picture 
arrived  in  London  the  distributors  hired  a 
West  End  theatre — favored  were  the  old 
Empire,  the  London  Pavilion,  the  Palace 
and  the  now  demolished  New  Oxford — and 
put  on  a  special  season,  which  sometimes 
meant  a  big  box-office  loss  but  always  a 
big  booking  gross  due  to  its  "West  End 
success."  Some  of  these  pictures,  such  as 
"The  Four  Horsemen"  and  'Way  Down 
East,"  made  real  money  in  the  special  the- 
atre, of  course. 

It  can  be  taken  for  granted  that  "Ziegfeld" 
also  will  draw  the  money  in  any  theatre  in 
which  it  is  played.  It  will  make  history, 
anyway,  as  the  first  picture  to  play  in  His 
Majesty's,  built  as  Her  Majesty's  in  Vic- 
toria's reign  and  for  many  years  the  head- 
quarters of  Sir  Herbert  Beerbohm  Tree  and 
his  Shakespearean  revivals.  Tree,  probably, 
would  turn  in  his  grave  if  he  got  the  news 
that  his  "beautiful  theatre"  had  gone  movie, 
but  the  present  owners  are  pulling  their 
premises  about  quite  a  bit,  apart  from  the 
disturbance  caused  by  the  installation  of 
sound,  in  the  expectation  that  the  "Zieg- 
feld" season  will  be  a  long  one. 

Results  to  Dictate  Course 

Sharing  this  expectation,  MGM  let  it  be 
known  that  "Romeo  and  Juliet"  might  fol- 
low "Ziegfeld"  at  His  Majesty's,  but  also 
that  it  might  not.  If  the  other  picture  played 
up  to  expectations,  there  would  be  a  second 


West  End  legitimate  house  for  Miss  Shearer 
and  Mr.  Howard.  Unofficial  but  intelligent 
anticipation  at  once  got  busy  with  the  names 
of  the  Adelphi,  the  Piccadilly  and  the  Pal- 
ace— all  wired. 

Exhibitors,  meanwhile,  are  wondering 
what  "road  showing"  means  exactly  in  this 
year  of  1936.  In  most  key  cities  the  regular 
theatres,  many  of  them  famous,  have  com- 
pletely disappeared.  Closed,  pulled  down, 
converted  to  pictures  or  carrying  on  pre- 
cariously with  repertory,  they  were  a  sad 
lot  in  comparison  with  the  modern,  larger, 
cheaper,  brighter  motion  picture  houses 
around  them.  The  Theatre  Royal,  in  which 
Irving  once  played,  is  in  many  cases  today 
referred  to  as  just  a  dump. 

To  be  taken  for  granted  is  that  the  two 
Metro  big  things  will  not  play  in  this  type 
of  theatre.  Equally  certain,  it  seems,  is  that 
these  pictures  will  not  get  the  hundred  per 
cent  which  seems  waiting  for  them  in  every 
British  city  unless  they  play  a  large  number 
of  regular  cinema  houses. 

Envisaged  by  exhibitors,  therefore,  is 
special  exhibition  of  "Ziegfeld"  and  "Romeo" 
in  cinemas,  under  a  contract  by  which 
MGM  and  the  theatre  owners  go  into  part- 
nership, revising  all  regular  house  practices 
and  prices  for  the  occasion  and  abandoning 
all  "continuous"  arrangements  in  favor  of  a 
twice  daily  show  at  fixed  times  and  possibly 
at  theatre  prices. 

V 

Edwin  P.  Kilroe,  legal  adviser  of  Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox  and  representative  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Distributors 
of  America,  is  now  in  London  on  a  mission 
relating  to  the  proposed  adherence  of  the 
United  States  to  the  Berne  Convention  on 
international  copyright  regulations. 

He  has  had  a  conference  with  Mr.  M.  F. 
Lindlay,  controller  of  the  division  of  indus- 
trial properties  and  copyrights  of  the  Board 
of  Trade,  and  describes  that  conference  as 
"very  satisfactory." 

Mr.  Kilroe  is  continuing  his  survey  in 
European  countries  next  week  and  plans  to 
visit  Paris,  Brussels,  Berne  and  Vienna. 
He  will  also  confer  with  officials  of  the 
Irish  Free  State. 

V 

Alfred  Hitchcock  finished  "Sabotage"  on 
August  7th  with  a  big  scene,  on  the  Northolt 
exterior  lot,  of  the  destruction  of  a  London 
omnibus  in  a  bomb  outrage,  Oscar  Ho- 
molka  playing  the  anarchist. 

The  Jessie  Matthews  "Head  Over  Heels" 
will  restart  after  the  current  two  weeks  holi- 
day shut-down  at  the  GB  studios.  Most  of 
the  picture  is  in  the  can,  including  the 
sound  track  of  the  songs,  "May  I  Have  the 
Next  Romance?"  "There's  That  Look  in 
Your  Eyes  Again,"  "Head  Over  Heels  in 
Love,"  and  "Goshdarn."  All  of  them  were 
specially  written  by  the  Gordon  and  Revel 
team. 

"O.  H.  M.  S."  is  on  location  and  will 
return  to  Northolt  about  August  19th.  Grace 
Bradley  has  arrived  for  this  British  Army 
picture  and  John  Mills  has  been  added  to  the 
cast,  in  which  Wallace  Ford  and  Anna  Lee 
are  stars. 

George  Arliss  played  scenes  in  a  set  re- 


Edwin  P.  Kilroe  in  London  on 
Copyright  Mission;  Visiting 
Other  Capitals  During  Stay; 
Calls   Prospect  Satisfactory 

producing  the  famous  "Cabinet  Room"  at 
10  Downing  Street,  for  "The  Nelson 
Touch." 

V 

Julius  Hagen  of  Twickenham  Studios 
plans  a  film  reconstructing  the  historical  in- 
cidents of  the  "Tichborne  Case,"  which  in 
the  middle  of  last  century  was  a  big  legal 
sensation  and  which  is  still  one  of  the  great- 
est of  British  causes  celebres. 

Jefferson  Fargeon  is  writing  the  film 
story  and  Maurice  Elvey  will  direct,  either 
at  Twickenham  or  at  the  J.  H.  studios,  Els- 
tree. 

Prime  concern  of  the  producer  is  to  find 
an  actor  capable  of  interpreting  the  person- 
ality of  the  famous  claimant  to  the  Tich- 
borne millions ;  he  was  one  of  the  fattest  men 
on  record. 

Australian  scenes  are  called  for,  the  pre- 
tender coming  from  Australia,  but  the  big 
dramatic  moment  will,  of  course,  be  his  un- 
masking in  the  Law  Courts. 

V 

Herbert  Wilcox  finished  shooting  on  the 
Jack  Buchanan  "This'll  Make  You  Whistle" 
with  exteriors  at  Hatfield  Aerodrome  and 
on  the  river  at  Weybridge. 

Production  of  this  picture  has  lasted  just 
five  weeks,  despite  many  spectacular  se- 
quences. It  goes  temporarily  into  cold  stor- 
age while  the  stage  show  is  produced  in 
London,  and  then  will  be  released  by  Gen- 
eral Film  Distributors. 

V 

Paderewski  Hayed  his  first  scenes  for  the 
Lothar  Mendes  "Moonlight  Sonata"  at  Den- 
ham  this  week  (August  14).  He  has  al- 
ready made  the  sound  track  of  several  of 
his  piano  solos.  Other  members  of  the 
company,  and  about  50  extras,  gave  the 
famous  pianist  exactly  the  same  sort  of  royal 
reception  he  is  accustomed  to  in  concert 
halls,  and  at  the  end  of  his  scenes  there  was 
the  unusual  occurrence  of  enthusiastic  ap- 
plause. 

Marie  Tempest,  great  English  stage  star, 
has  also  made  her  first  scenes.  Barbara 
Greene  and  Charles  Farrell  are  the  juveniles 
in  this  Pall  Mall  production. 

V 

Karl  Grune  began  shooting  on  the  Schach- 
Trafalgar  production  of  "Pagliacci"  on 
Monday  this  week.  It  is  Schach's  first  for 
United  Artists  and  he  is  putting  all  he  knows 
into  it,  including  an  all-star  cast  of  singers 
and  players :  Tauber  heads  the  first  and 
among  the  latter  are  Steffi  Duna,  Arthur 
Margetson,  Esmond  Knight,  Diana  Napier 
and  Arthur  Chesney. 

Screen  play  and  continuity  of  this  picture 
have  been  written  by  Monckton  Hoffe  and 
Roger  Burford,  and  John  Drinkwater  has 
added  lyrics. 


30 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


EUROPEAN  TREND  AWAY 
FROM  DOUBLE  FEATURES 


International  Film  Chamber 
Survey  Discloses  Tendency 
Is  Toward  Single  Programs 


by  J.  K. 

in  Berlin 


RUTENBERG 


The  International  Film  Chamber,  which 
was  formed  in  1934  with  the  objective  of 
attaining  an  international  understanding  in 
film  matters,  has  just  compiled  an  interest- 
ing review  of  the  film  situation  in  leading 
European  countries. 

This  review  reveals  that  the  single  feat- 
ure bill  is  most  widely  used  and  that  the 
double  feature  program  is  becoming  more 
and  more  unpopular  in  the  countries  where 
it  continues  to  prevail. 

Out  of  the  18  countries  that  have  been 
analyzed  by  the  Film  Chamber,  ten  have 
already  turned  definitely  to  the  use  of  sin- 
gle-feature programs,  while  the  remaining 
eight  retain  the  double-feature  policy  in 
more  or  less  favor. 

Countries  that  have  turned  to  the  use  of 
single  feature  programs  entirely  are  Ger- 
many, Finland,  Austria,  Norway,  Sweden 
and  Switzerland.  Denmark  is  preponder- 
antly in  favor  of  the  single  feature  policy 
but  a  number  of  houses  still  double  up  old 
pictures.  Yugoslavia  and  Chechoslovakia 
are  subject  to  the  same  practice,  although 
the  dualing  is  even  less  prevalent  propor- 
tionately. 

Italy  Subject  to  Regulation 

Italy  is  more  and  more  generally  dedicated 
to  the  single-feature  policy  and  doubling  is 
practiced  in  only  a  few  theatres,  in  which 
cases  one  film  must  already  have  been  shown 
in  the  past  season  and  it  is  prohibited  to  run 
shorts  or  other  films  when  playing  two 
features. 

Countries  still  i  practicing  the  double 
feature  policy,  as  of  the  date  reported,  regu- 
larly, are  Belgium,  Esthonia,  France,  Lux- 
emburg, Poland,  Spain,  Catalonia  and  Hun- 
gary. 

Out  of  a  total  of  24,585  theatres  covered 
by  the  survey,  only  9,431  houses  are  show- 
ing programs  made  up  of  two  features,  while 
15,154  theatres  have  gone  over  to  the  single- 
feature  policy  altogether.  Moreover,  the  ex- 
hibitor associations  of  Belgium,  Catalonia, 
Yugoslavia,  Czechoslovakia,  Luxemburg 
and  Poland  have  recently  decided  to  adopt 
the  single-feature  policy  as  standard. 

Hungary  Goes  to  Single 

Hungary  joined  the  single-feature 
division  after  August  20th,  when  a  new  law 
goes  into  effect  forbidding  the  use  of  two 
feature  pictures  on  a  single  program.  That 
will  leave  only  about  4,000  theatres  in  the 
area  covered  by  the  survey  practicing  double 
billing.  This  is  in  sharp  contrast  to  the 
condition  prevailing  for  the  past  few  years, 
when  many  despaired  of  every  witnessing 
the  return  to  single  feature  programs  on  the 
Continent. 

The  average  length  of  the  picture  show 
is  different  in  the  various  countries.  Cata- 


lonia has  the  longest  show,  with  6,000 
meters,  and  Italy  the  shortest,  with  2,300  to 
2,600  meters.  Lengths  permitted  in  the 
various  countries  in  thousands  of  meters  are : 

Country  Meters 

Belgium   3.300  to  5.000 

Denmark   2.500  to  3.000 

Germany   3.200  to  3.500 

Estonia   3.000  to  3.300 

Finland   2.800  to  3.000 

France   4.200  to  5.000 

Yugoslavia    ...   2.600  to  3.000 

Italy   2.300  to  2.600 

Luxemburg   4.000  to  5.000 

Austria   2.700  to  .... 

Norway   2.600  to  2.700 

Poland   2.800  to   

Sweden   2.500  to  ... 

Switzerland   3.800  to  4.000 

Spain     3.500  to  4.000 

Catalonia  3.000  to  6.000 

Czechoslovaky   2.700  to  3.000 

Hungary   3.000  to  5.500 

In  Germany  the  length  of  the  program  is 
limited  to  3,200  meters  without  news  reels 
and  to  3,500  meters  with  news  reels  in- 
cluded. Beside  the  main  film  a  second  film 
may  be  shown  which  is  inferior  to  900 
meters.  The  trend  of  Continental  Europe  is, 
therefore,  directed  to  the  single  feature  bill- 
ing:. 


Sears  Revises 
IV irner  Forces 

Gradwell  L.  Sears,  new  general  sales 
manager  for  Warners,  has  realigned  the 
company's  exchange  structure,  in  order  to 
bring  about  more  centralized  control  by  the 
district  managers.  There  has  been  only  one 
change  in  personnel.  The  new  lineup,  which 
is  effective  immediately,  is  as  follows: 

Robert  Mochrie  continues  as  assistant  to 
Mr.  Sears.  Roy  Haines,  as  eastern  district 
manager,  will  have  under  his  supervision 
New  York,  Albany,  New  Haven  and  Boston. 
Robert  Smeltzer  is  mid-Atlantic  district 
manager,  with  Washington  and  Philadelphia 
under  him.  Ben  Kalmenson,  former  execu- 
tive assistant  to  Harry  Kalmine,  Warner 
Theatres  Pittsburgh  zone  manager,  has  been 
appointed  central  district  manager  in  charge 
of  Buffalo,  Pittsburgh,  Cleveland,  Detroit 
and  Cincinnati. 

Leo  Blank  is  midwest  district  manager  in 
charge  of  Chicago,  Minneapolis,  Milwaukee, 
Omaha,  Des  Moines,  St.  Louis  and  Indiana- 
polis. Fred  Jack,  southern  district  manager, 
will  have  Kansas  City,  Oklahoma  City,  Dal- 
las, New  Orleans,  Memphis,  Atlanta  and 
Charlotte. 

There  are  no  changes  in  the  territories 
under  Jack  Brower,  far  west  district  man- 
ager, who  handles  Denver,  Los  Angeles, 
Portland,  Salt  Lake  City,  San  Francisco 
and  Seattle. 

Wolfe  Cohen,  as  Canadian  district  man- 
ager, handles  key  Dominion  cities. 


Fox  Theatre 
Assets  Valued 
At  $9,000,000 

A  formal  report  of  Milton  C.  Weisman, 
receiver  of  Fox  Theatres  Corporation,  cov- 
ering the  six  months  preceding  June  30, 
1936,  has  been  filed  in  the  federal  court  of 
New  York.  The  assets  are  stated  as  $10,- 
134,462.  Liabilities  are  listed  at  the  same 
figure.  However,  the  receiver's  valuation 
of  the  assets  is  placed  at  $9,619,313.  One 
of  the  items  in  the  assets  is  $7,500,000  as 
claims  against  William  Fox.  Mr.  Weiss- 
man  estimated  that  the  provable  items  ag- 
gregate approximately  $15,000,000  in  claims 
against  William  Fox,  but  he  explained  that 
for5  present  purposes  the.  receiver  has  taken 
one-half  of  this  sum.  In  the  surplus  ac- 
count the  receiver  reports  that  the  corpora- 
tion is  in  the  red  for  $34,467,804,  most  of 
which  represents  investments  or  advances 
to  subsidiary  companies,  now  worthless  or 
uncollectable,  usually  charged  off  to  surplus. 
There  is  one  item  for  $28,693,904. 

The  loss  for  the  receivership  period  from 
June  22,  1932,  to  June  20,  1936,  is  stated 
as  $397,229. 

The  consolidated  operating  statement  for 
six  months  ending  Dec.  31,  1935,  showed  a 
loss  of  $76,714. 

Cash  on  hand  on  June  30,  1936,  was 
listed  at  $723,423.  In  the  assets  realized 
statement,  there  is  shown  a  loss  of  $9,057,- 
573.  In  the  statement  of  liabilities  liquidat- 
ed the  claims  amount  to  $3,990,360.  These 
were  by  the  General  Theatres  Equipment, 
Inc.,  National  Theatre  Supply  Co.  and  Fox 
Film  Corp.  Of  these  claims  there  is  now 
in  dispute  the  amount  of  $1,899,951.  The 
statement  of  claims  receivable,  from  the  re- 
ceiver of  the  Fox  Metropolitan  Playhouses, 
Inc.,  Skouras  Theatres  Corp.,  Bankers 
Trust  Co.  of  Philadelphia,  Bank  of  the 
United  States  and  Roxy  Theatres  Corp. 
there  is  an  amount  of  $96,223,  but  the  re- 
ceiver estimates  that  the  collectable  portions 
amount  to  $61,328.  Investments  on  ad- 
vances to  wholly  owned  subsidiary  com- 
panies are  $1,310,191.  The  receiver  report- 
ed that  there  was  a  loss  of  $2,784,896  on 
claims  allowed.  The  estate  account  payable 
was  $31,666.  Claims  not  passed  upon  or 
decided  amount  to  $8,479,981.  The  last 
item  representing  investments  or  advances 
to  subsidiary  companies  now  worthless  or 
uncollectable  is  charged  off  to  surplus  to 
the  amount  of  $28,693,904. 

Meanwhile,  Fox  Estes  Theatre  Corpora- 
tion, Fox  New  Mexico  Theatre  Corpora- 
tion, Fox  Ogden  Theatre  Corporation,  Fox 
Big  Horn  Theatre  Corporation,  Fox  Rain- 
bow Theatre  Corporation  and  Fox  Lincoln 
Theatre  Corporation  have  been  incorporat- 
ed at  Dover,  Delaware,  to  deal  in  photo- 
graphic films  of  all  kinds.  Each  listed  capi- 
tal of  $1,000.  Incorporators  were  R.  J. 
Gorman,  Charles  N.  Caldwell  and  Welling- 
ton Francisco,  all  of  the  United  States 
Corporation,  New  York. 

A  representative  of  Hughes,  Schurman 
and  Dwight,  attorneys  for  National  Thea- 
tres, explained  that  the  new  companies 
have  not  been  formed  to  take  over  new 
properties,  but  because  of  intercorporate 
reorganization  which  has  been  brought 
about  by  reason  of  the  new  revenue  act. 


MORE  GLORY  FOR  THE  ROAD  TO  GLORY  ! 


it* 


i 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


/s  Held  at  Rivoli 

"The  Road  to  Glory."  in  its  sec- 
ond week  at  the  Rivoli.  tallied  ap- 
proximately $23,000.  It  is  being  held 
for  a  third  week  and  will  continue  for 
a  fourth. 


I 

I 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

"Glory"  Smash  Chicago 
Draw  With  $22,500 

Chicago,  Aug.. 24. — Grosses  hit  the 
high  spots  on  the  Loop  last  week,  with 
"Road  to  Glory"  out  front  at  the 
Roosevelt  where  the  $22,500  total  was 
$11,500  over  normal. 


THE  KEYSTONE  OF  YOUR  FUTURE 


fredric  MARCH  •  warner  BAXTER  •  Lionel  BARRYM0RE 


■ 


in 


*J  II* 


1^      ^1  ^ 


With  JUNE  LANG,  GREGORY  RATOFF  •  Directed  by  Howard  Hawks 
Associate  Producer,  Nunnally  Johnson  •  Screen  play  by  Joel  Sayre  and  William  Faulkner 
DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK  in  Charge  of  Production 


ti  i 

Bringing  happy  news  to 
showmen,  wherever  it 
plays ! 


sing 


ALICE  ADOLPHE 

FAYE  •  MENJOU 

TED  HEALY  •  GREGORY  RATOFF 
PATSY  KELLY  •  MICHAEL  WHALEN 
RITZ  BROTHERS  •  TONY  MARTIN 

ted  by  Sidney  lonfield.   Associate  Producer  B.  G    De  Sylvo 
n  ploy  by  Milton  Sperling,  Jock  Yellen  and  Horry  Tugen 
Original  story  by  Milton  Sperling  ond  Jack  Yellen 
Darryl  F.  Zanuck  in  Charge  of  Production 


CINCINNATI 

Sock  opening  tops  "Thanks  A 
Million"! 


SAN 

Beating  great"Private  Number 


biz! 


14 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


BOOK  REVIEW 


MOVIE  PARADE,  by  Paul  Rotha: 
The  Studio,  Ltd.,  44  Leicester 
Square,  W.C.  2,  London:  The 
Studio  Publications,  Inc.,  381 
Fourth  Avenue,  New  York.  En- 
graved and  printed  in  London. 
$3.50. 

With  a  pictorial  presentation  compre- 
hensive and  acutely  intelligent  and  an  ac- 
companying text,  in  spots  biased  by  the 
cruel  compulsion  of  words,  with  which  he 
is  most  facile,  Mr.  Paul  Rotha  of  London, 
author  of  the  interesting  and  important 
"The  Film  Till  Now,"  has  brought  forth 
"Movie  Parade,"  a  fascinating  summary 
in  reproductions  of  still  pictures  of  what 
the  screen  has  presented  from  Edwin  S. 
Porter's  "The  Great  Train  Robbery"  of 
1903  to  Mr.  Alexander  Korda's  version  of 
Mr.  H.  S.  Well's  "Things  to  Come"  of 
the  current  season. 

Mr.  Rotha  is  an  authority  for  England 
on  what  they  are  pleased  to  call  the 
"documentary  film,"  which  might  mean 
anything  that  is  not  fiction,  but  which  most 
generally  means  in  London  and  elsewhere 
what  in  the  American  vernacular  is  "just 
an  industrial."  "Documentary"  in  terms 
of  film  means  either  a  picture  made  for 
advertising  or  one  made  for  fun.  Docu- 
mentation is  not  a  mass  pastime.  It  may 
often  be  "theatre"  but  it  is  rarely  "box 
office."  The  public  is  that  way  about  it. 
Mr.  Rotha  is  one  of  the  several  highly  ar- 
ticulate young  men  of  the  period  who  are 
a  bit  irked  by  the  slow  progress  of  the 
motion  picture  in  the  directions  of  their 
various  esoteric  and  special  interests. 

That  has  made  it  inevitable  that  being 
displeased  with  and  therefore  against  the 
status  quo  of  civilization,  or  should  we  say 
status  quo  ante,  there  is  a  turning  to  that 
most  extensive  repudiation  of  the  heritage 
of  yesterday  and  its  arts,  Moscow,  inevi- 
tably Moscow.  Like  some  of  our  so-called 
American  commentators,  Mr.  Rotha  sees 
the  screen  in  full  floration  as  an  art  under 
the  emancipating  influences  of  that  Russia 
which  has  also  liberated  woman  from  the 
home  and  the  cradle  to  give  her  the  free- 
dom of  the  machine  gun  and  the  tractor. 

"Only,  I  believe,"  says  Mr.  Rotha,  "in 
the  Soviet  Union  might  every  field  of 
cinema  be  developed  to  a  degree  of  in- 
tellectual value  fit  to  rank  equal  with  the 
other  arts." 

It  is  inevitable,  perhaps,  certainly  char- 
acteristic, that  so  many  of  our  young  critics 
should  forget  quite  that  "the  other  arts" 
are  indeed  distillations  of  ancient  utilities 
and  have  become  arts  as  they  have  been 
separated  from  their  functions  of  utility. 
Now  Mr.  Rotha  would  have  us  believe  that 
the  Moscow  movie,  ever  and  emphatically 
an  instrument  of  utility  in  the  Red  cause, 
a  reversion  as  definite  as  history  affords, 


represents  art,  and  the  only  art  attainment 
of  the  screen. 

It  really  does  not  matter  much,  because 
as  one  leaves  the  region  where  utilities 
function  and  passes  into  those  realms 
where  arts  are  important  one  leaves  the 
world  of  the  people,  the  prevailing  masses, 
pre-damned  to  their  limitations  of  con- 
cept, fenced  in  against  the  greater  adven- 
tures of  the  sensations  of  intellectualiza- 
tion  by  the  high  walls  of  their  slight  heri- 
tage and  their  vast  mental  inertia. 

These  young  men  who  so  clamour  for 
the  intelligent  screen  will  some  day  maybe 
find  that  it  is  the  instrument  of  the  multi- 
tudes, whereas  he  who  would  have  an  in- 
telligent audience  must  spend  most  of  his 
time  talking  to  himself. 

But  the  political  and  international  im- 
plications of  Mr.  Rotha's  work  are  prob- 
ably not  nearly  so  important  a  part  of  his 
very  competent  performance  as  this  screed 
would  thus  far  tend  to  indicate.  He  has 
done  an  altogether  exciting  job,  with 
many  interesting  and  sound  interpretive 
considerations  of  the  meaning  of  what  has 
been  done  by  the  camera.  Surveying  its 
pages  one  is  impressed,  too,  with  how 
much  of  significance  has  been  done  by 
persons  entirely  unaware  of  the  doing. 
That,  to  be  sure,  is  no  indictment  of  the 
doers.  The  trilobite  had  his  share  in  evo- 
lution and  never  knew  it,  without  diminish- 
ing his  contribution  in  the  least. 

Large  labors  of  compilation  are  repre- 
sented, and  made  the  more  significant  by 
what  must  have  been  the  eliminations. 
One  is  surprised  a  trifle  that  for  all  the 
other  attentions  they  have  in  the  book 
there  seems  to  be  nothing  of  Robert 
Flaherty's  "Nanook  of  the  North"  and  the 
Cooper-Shoedack  "Grass,"  which,  acci- 
dental as  they  were,  cast  long  shadows  of 
influence. 

Better  though  than  quibbling  about 
omissions  is  to  place  emphasis  on  the  mag- 
nificence of  the  job  that  has  been  done. 
No  motion  picture  bookshelf  holds  the 
story  until  it  includes  "Movie  Parade."  - 
—TERRY  RAMSAYE. 


"Tale"  Contest  Winners 
Announced  by  WGM 

Winners  in  the  "Tale  of  Two  Cities" 
nationwide  essay  contest  conducted  by 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  will  sail  from  New 
York  on  September  16th  on  the  Normandie, 
bound  for  London  and  Paris.  The  prizes, 
won  by  Gertrude  E.  Martin  of  Wichita, 
Kans.,  Mary  C.  Mink  of  LaCrosse,  Wis., 
and  Dorothy  Welch  of  Clinton,  Iowa,  were 
offered  by  the  film  company  in  cooperation 
with  the  French  Line. 

Public  response  to  the  competition,  con- 
ducted through  the  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers and  Distributors  of  America  and  in- 
augurated with  the  release  of  the  film  ver- 
sion was  greater  than  expected. 


Kennedy  Book 
On  Roosevelt 
Out  This  IVeek 

In  a  volume  entitled  "I'm  For  Roosevelt," 
on  the  bookstands  this  week,  Joseph  P.  Ken- 
nedy, whose  most  recent  of  several  motion 
picture  activities  was  as  special  adviser  to 
Paramount,  and  author  of  a  considerably 
suppressed  report  on  the  corporation,  de- 
clares his  enthusiastic  support  of  the  New 
Deal  administration  and  explains  in  detail. 

Mr.  Kennedy,  former  chairman  of  the  Se- 
curities and  Exchange  Commission,  defends 
the  increase  in  the  national  debt  under  the 
present  regime  on  the  ground  that  per  capita 
income  has  increased  $190  a  year  from  $290 
in  1932  to  $480  now.  He  predicts  that  if 
government  expenditures  do  not  exceed  their 
average  for  the  last  three  years,  the  present 
tax  schedule  will  provide  sufficient  revenue 
to  balance  the  budget,  excluding  the  cost  of 
the  soldiers'  bonus. 

"I  have  no  political  ambitions  for  myself 
or  for  my  children,"  says  Mr.  Kenndy,  "and 
I  put  down  these  thoughts  about  our  Presi- 
dent, conscious  only  of  my  concern  as  a 
father  for  the  future  of  his  family  and  my 
anxiety  as  a  citizen  that  the  facts  about  the 
President's  philosophy  be  not  lost  in  a  fog 
of  unworthy  emotion." 

Statistics  gathered  by  Mr.  Kennedy  dur- 
ing and  after  his  term  as  SEC  chairman  are 
used  by  him  to  support  his  contention  that 
the  President's  policies  have  brought  the 
country  out  of  bankruptcy. 

"In  the  simple  and  direct  language  of  the 
business  man,"  the  summary  printed  on  the 
cover  of  the  book  declares,  "Mr.  Kennedy 
covers  the  problems  of  the  national  debt, 
unemployment  and  relief,  money  and  devalu- 
ation, the  agricultural  situation,  taxation, 
securities  legislation  and  the  other  crucial 
questions  of  the  day." 

In  elaborating  his  basic  theme  that  the  in- 
crease in  the  national  debt  is  well  within 
the  limits  of  safety  and  is  justified  by  the 
corresponding  increase  in  per  capita  income, 
Mr.  Kennedy  estimates  that  the  aggregate 
national  income  at  the  inception  of  the 
Roosevelt  administration  amounted  to  only 
$36,000,000,000  a  year,  as  contrasted  with 
$60,000,000,000  which  he  believes  to  be  the 
current  rate  of  the  nation's  earnings. 

"This  represents,"  he  continues,  "an  in- 
crease of  $24,000,000,000  over  the  national 
income  at  the  inception  of  the  Roosevelt 
administration.  The  per  capita  increase  is 
approximately  $190  per  annum.  No  individ- 
ual would  be  criticized  if,  as  a  result  of  bor- 
rowing $120  at  the  cost  of  $3  per  year,  he 
succeeded  in  raising  his  salary  $190  per 
year.  On  this  basis,  should  we  condemn  or 
commend  the  administration?" 

Among  the  indices  of  the  rise  in  national 
wealth,  the  author  cites  the  advance  of  $42,- 
000,000,000  in  the  market  value  of  stocks 
and  bonds  listed  on  the  New  York  Stock 
Exchange  from  the  lowest  levels  of  1932. 
The  book  is  published  by  Reynal  &  Hitch- 
cock, Inc. 


Max  Blumenfeld  Dead 

Max  Blumenfeld,  San  Francisco  theatre 
man,  died  at  his  home  in  San  Rafael.  He 
was  the  father  of  Joseph  Blumenfeld,  active 
in  coast  theatre  circles. 


n  September  4th  Paramount  gives  you  Gary  Gooper  and 
Madeleine  Carroll  in"The  General  Died  at  Dawn.  "We  do  not  have  to  tell 
you  the  popularity  of  those  two  stars.  Yet,  frankly,  we  believe,  that  their 
present  box-office  importance  is  as  nothing  compared  with  the  glory  which 
will  be  theirs  when  the  world  gets  its  first  glimpse  of  them  in  this  picture. 

For  Clifford  Odets,  America's  most  brilliant  young  playwright,  has 
fashioned  from  Charles  G.  Booth's  dynamic  novel  of  war- torn  China  a 
screen  play  which  will  add  a  new  and  lasting  lustre  to  their  names. 
With  twice  the  drive,  the  emotional  impact  of  ft Shanghai  Express", 
this  powerful  story  of  a  bold  man's  love  for  a  beautiful  woman  has 
all  the  elements  of  true  box-office  importance. 

Directed  by  Lewis  Milestone,  with  a  supporting  cast  which  includes 
such  veterans  of  success  as  William  Frawley,  Dudley  Digges,  Akim 
Tamiroff,  Porter  Hall,  and  J.  M.  Kerrigan,  given  a  typical  Paramount 
double  A  production,  with  a  musical  background  by  the  sensational 
young  composer,  Werner  Janssen,  "The  General  Died  at  Dawn"  is  sure 
to  be  a  triumph  not  only  at  the  box-office  but  in  the  hearts  and  minds 
of  the  millions  who  will  thrill  to  the  sweep  of  its  greatness. 


urn  n  lease 


These  are  actual  clips  from  the  rushes  of 
"The  General  Died  at  Dawn" 


<,  Vin  COOPER  ami 
MADELEINE  CARROLL 

The  General  Died  at  Dawn 

•  •itl.  William  Fran  ley,  l)u<il«*\   Digges,   \kim    rami  rod.  Porter 
Hall.  J.  M.  Kerrigan.    Screen  l*la\  h\  (iliflonl  0«l«-ln.    Ba*«-<l  on 
-ior\  In  i  li  i  Mi  -  (».  Itooth.    I  > 1 1-.  <  i >  il  l>>   Lewie  Milestone 


August    2  9,    19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE    HERALD  41 


FILMS  AT  SALZBURG  FESTIVAL 

WIN  PRESS,  PUBLIC  APPROVAL 


Motion  Picture  Welcomed  by 
Music,  Stage,  Art  Leaders 
as  Proper  Addition;  World 
Figures  Are  in  Attendance 

by  DR.  ADOLF  NICHTENHAUSER 

in  Vienna 

In  the  framework  of  the  Salzburg  Fes- 
tivals the  film  was  included  for  the  first 
time  this  season  when  MGM  showed  "The 
Great  Ziegfeld"  as  a  European  premiere 
at  Salzburg  on  August  2,  and,  on  August  9, 
"Romeo  and  Juliet"  as  a  world  premiere. 
On  the  day  preceding  each  of  these  there 
was  a  show  given  to  the  international  press. 
After  the  premieres  there  was  to  be  but 
one  more  performance  of  each  film. 

In  order  to  understand  the  importance  of 
these  openings  it  is  necessary  to  say  a  few 
explanatory  words  about  the  Salzburg  Fes- 
tivals. Salzburg,  the  birthplace  of  Mozart, 
is  a  rather  small  town,  splendidly  situated 
in  a  wide,  hilly  valley  enclosed  by  high 
Alpine  mountains.  The  Prince-Archbishops 
who  were  rulers  of  Salzburg  till  1803  were 
powerful  lords  and  great  lovers  of  art.  As 
soon  as  in  the  eleventh  century  they  com- 
menced with  the  building  of  the  gigantic 
fortress,  Hohensalzburg,  visible  in  its 
height  from  almost  every  part  of  the  town. 
In  later  centuries,  especially  in  the  seven- 
teenth and  eighteenth,  a  great  number  of 
magnificent  churches,  palaces,  and,  in  the 
surroundings,  plaisances  were  erected,  in 
which  the  art  of  Austrian  barock  success- 
fully mingled  with  that  of  Italy. 

Reinhardt  Staged  "Everyman" 

In  1920  Max  Reinhardt  had  the  idea  to 
stage  the  old  play  of  "Jedermann"  (Every- 
man) in  front  of  the  Dome.  This  served  as 
the  nucleus  of  the  Salzburg  Festivals  and 
thus  gained  the  important  place  for  them 
they  are  holding  today.  Musical  perform- 
ances have,  however,  superseded  the  dra- 
matic ones  since  then. 

In  performances  of  the  most  famous 
operas,  in  concerts,  in  the  recitals  of  re- 
ligious music  in  the  Dome,  and  in  serenades, 
the  most  outstanding  conductors  and  singers 
take  a  part,  as  Maestro  Toscanini,  Bruno 
Walter,  Charles  Kullmann,  Mariano  Stabile, 
and  Lotte  Lehmann. 

The  dramatic  performances  include 
"Jedermann"  and  Goethe's  "Faust,"  the  lat- 
ter being  also  shown  in  the  open  air,  at  the 
foot  of  a  rock  onto  which  the  settings  are 
fitted. 

From  the  end  of  July  till  the  end  of 
August  the  famous  and  less  famous  mem- 
bers of  the  world  of  music,  stage  and  litera- 
ture from  all  parts  of  the  world  meet  here, 
together  with  an  international,  high-class 
public,  among  which  the  Americans  and  the 
Fnglish  prevail. 

Films  Climax  Big  Day 

The  day  of  the  press  performance  of 
"Romeo  and  Juliet"  was  a  big  day  indeed, 
for  on  that  same  day  the  much  looked  for- 
ward   to    grandiose  performance  of  "The 


At  left  Max  Reinhardt,  seated  with 
Mrs.  Reinhardt  (Helene  Thimig),  chats 
with  Dr.  Paid  Korets,  film  attorney, 
standing,  at  the  screening  of  MGM's 
"Romeo  and  Juliet"  at  the  Salzburg 
Festivals,  August  9. 

Meistersinger  von  Niirnberg,"  conducted  by 
Toscanini,  took  place.  But  still  more  agi- 
tated was  the  Sunday  of  the  world  pre- 
miere, when  King  Edward  VIII  visited 
Salzburg  unexpectedly,  and  Italy's  Crown 
Prince  arrived,  accompanied  by  representa- 
tives of  the  Austrian  government.  Thou- 
sands of  people  and  cars  crowded  the  streets 
all  day  and  the  traffic  could  certainly  com- 
pete with  Broadway. 

Thus  one  can  understand  what  the  inclu- 
sion of  the  motion  pictures  must  mean  in 
this  frame.  The  premieres  took  place  in  a 
small  movie  house.  At  "The  Great  Zieg- 
feld" a  very  choice  public  included  amongst 
others :  The  Salzburg  State  Government, 
Toscanini,  Chaliapin  and  Stabile ;  at 
"Pomeo  and  Juliet" :  The  American  Minis- 
ter in  Vienna,  Mr.  Messersmith ;  Max  Rein- 
hardt, and  many  famous  European  writers, 
artists  and  actors. 

"Romeo  and  Juliet"  impressed  this  critical 
public  very  deeply  and  was  much  applauded. 

Max  Reinhardt  said  to  me:  "I  find  the 
picture  lovely,  charming!  The  vital  man- 
mer  in  which  the  film  immediately  plunges 
into  the  action  is  grand.  The  story  is,  as 
a  whole,  brilliantly  told.  Norma  Shearer  is 
wonderful.  The  film  is  excellent,  it  inter- 
ests me  extremely.  The  filming  of  Shake- 
speare's dramas  is  a  problem  that  puzzles 
me  greatly — a  favorite  idea  of  mine." 

To  the  question  if  he  himself  would  again 


"Romeo  and  Juliet"  Praised 
by  Max  Reinhardt;  "Great 
Ziegfeld"  Given  European 
Premiere;     Sets  Precedent 

film  a  Shakespearean  play,  Max  Reinhardt 
replied:  "Not  for  the  moment.  As  soon  as 
I  have  done  with  my  work  in  Europe  I 
shall  go  back  to  the  States  to  direct  'Dan- 
ton,'  based  on  the  play  by  Romain  Rolland. 
I  am  now  occupied  with  the  scenario  of 
that  film." 

Difficulties  Were  Overcome 

The  fact  that  the  film  made  its  debut  at 
the  Salzburg  Festivals  is  due  to  the  en- 
deavors of  Mr.  Felix  Bernstein,  manager 
of  the  MGM  Vienna  branch.  He  had  the 
idea  and  succeeded  to  realize  this  plan  after 
difficult  negotiations  with  the  Salzburg  State 
Government.  (The  Festivals  are  an  official 
institution.)  The  echo  this  new  introduc- 
tion has  found  can  be  judged  by  the  fact 
that  the  project  of  steady  Film  Festivals  at 
Salzburg  is  being  vividly  discussed  in 
Vienna. 

The  press  comments  on  "Romeo  and 
Juliet"  are  on  the  whole  favorable  here, 
although  some  objections  are  raised. 
"Shakespeare's  drama  was  altogether  per- 
fectly filmed"  (Neue  Freie  Presse).  "The 
work  George  Cukor  has  done  shows  great 
achievement  of  taste"  (Der  M  or  gen).  "The 
immortal  work  is  brought  so  close  to  us  as 
only  the  film  is  able  to  do  it"  {Die  Stwnde). 
"John  Barrymore's  Mercutio  does  the  great- 
est justice  to  the  piece" '  (Neues  Wiener 
Journal) . 

Drama  Festival  Speaker 
Sees  Revival  of  Stage 

Hope  for  the  legitimate  theatre  was  seen 
by  Barrett  H.  Clark,  director  of  Play  Serv- 
ice for  the  Dramatists  Guild,  in  a  speech 
given  at  the  Mohawk  Drama  Festival  at 
Union  College,  Schenectady.  Mr.  Clark 
urged  the  increasing  development  of  the 
non-professional  theatre  as  an  outlet  for  the 
many  young  and  promising  playwrights.  He 
named  as  the  seven  most  original  play- 
wrights since  1920  Eugene  O'Neill,  Marc 
Connelly,  Maxwell  Anderson,  George  Kel- 
ly, Philip  Barry,  Sidney  Howard  and  Paul 
Green. 


Set  Film  Scholarship 

A  scholarship  at  the  Royal  Academy  of 
Music  in  London,  Eng.,  has  been  estab- 
lished by  London  Films  in  honor  of  the  late 
George  Grossmith,  British  actor  and  film 
pioneer.  Alexander  Korda  said  the  scholar- 
ship is  designed  to  discover  and  encourage 
film  talent. 


Rpvnes  on  LeBaron  Staff 

Maurice  Revnes  has  been  signed  to  a 
Paramount  contract  as  a  producer  on  the 
staff  of  William  LeBaron.  Mr.  Revnes  was 
recently  with  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  and  is 
credited  with  "Suzy." 


42 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


NASHVILLE  PAPERS  BAN 
FREE  FILM  PUBLICITY 


But  Sunday  Amusement  Page 
Is  Continued;  Too  Early  to 
Judge  Effect,  Says  Sudekam 

Convinced  that  "the  unwarranted  amount 
of  so-called  publicity  which  our  newspapers 
have  been  carrying  is  beginning  to  under- 
mine reader  confidence,"  the  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  newspapers  have  entered  into  an 
agreement  to  reduce  free  publicity  about 
motion  pictures,  radio  and  other  subjects  to 
an  absolute  minimum. 

In  a  joint  statement  to  all  advertisers,  the 
heads  of  The  Nashville  Banner  and  The 
Nashville  Tennesseean,  announced: 

"In  the  mutual  interests  of  you  and  our- 
selves, effective  immediately,  we  have  de- 
cided to  discontinue  publicity  stories  and 
pictures,  except  in  those  instances  where 
the  subject  discussed  is  one  of  such  public 
news  interest  that  it  would  be  deserving 
of  comment  in  our  newspapers  without  re- 
gard to  advertising,  or  when  such  publicity 
is  included  in  the  charge  for  advertising." 

Daily  theatrical  notices  are  eliminated 
entirely,  but  the  Sunday  theatrical  page 
and  picture  layout  are  continuing.  Nashville 
papers  have  never  made  much  effort  to  print 
reviews  of  new  pictures  from  day  to  day. 
Copy  for  the  Sunday  page  has  invariably 
been  "puff"  material  supplied  by  the  the- 
atres. 

Trade  names  are  being  eliminated  from 
the  radio  columns,  although,  strangely,  radio 
news  and  pictures  have  not  been  included 
in  the  publicity  ban. 

Nashville  theatres  apparently  are  not  yet 
too  disturbed  by  the  situation.  Tony  Sude- 
kum,  president  of  the  Crescent  Amusement 
Company,  largest  middle  Tennessee  theatri- 
cal and  motion  picture  enterprise,  states : 
"The  usual  publicity  is  given  on  Sunday, 
with  a  page  or  more  devoted  to  the  coming- 
week's  programs,  with  pictures  in  a  layout. 
The  ruling  applies  to  the  week-day  stories, 
but  where  there  is  a  picture  or  program  of 
special  interest,  the  exception  is  made,  as 
was  the  case  with  the  review  on  'The  Green 
Pastures.'  As  the  ruling  has  not  been  in 
effect  a  month,  it  is  too  early  to  judge  of 
its  bearing  on  our  exploitation  campaigns." 

Nashville's  theatres  affected  by  the  ban 
include  the  Belmont,  Bijou,  Capitol,  Elite, 
Fifth  Avenue,  Gay,  Knickerbocker,  Lincoln, 


36  YEARS  AN  EXHIBITOR, 
IS  OWN  PROJECTIONIST 

John  Carneris,  owner  of  the  Vir- 
ginia theatre  in  Bakersfield,  California, 
who  is  starting  his  56th  year  as  a 
west  coast  exhibitor,  acts  as  his  own 
protectionist,  with  his  son,  Eugene, 
handling  the  front  of  the  house. 

Mr.  Carneris  came  to  this  country 
from  Greece  in  1890  and  started 
operating  nickelodeons  in  the  west 
in  1900. 


Paramount,  Princess,  Rex,  Vendome  and 
Woodland.  These  houses,  catering  to  Nash- 
ville's 137,000  inhabitants,  have  depended 
considerably  on  the  two  newspapers  to 
reach  the  73,260  subscribers  of  the  Banner 
and  the  72,191  subscribers  of  the  Ten- 
nesseean. 

Fox  Testifies 
To  $1,000,000 
Made  in  Gifts 

After  attempts  were  made  by  counsel  for 
creditors  to  trace  two  $200,000  checks,  the 
hearings  in  the  voluntary  bankruptcy  action 
brought  by  William  Fox,  the  former  mo- 
tion picture  magnate,  in  Atlantic  City,  were 
adjourned  and  the  scene  shifted  to  another 
courtroom,  where  a  California  corporation 
is  trying  to  set  aside  the  gift  by  Mr.  Fox 
of  his  estate  at  Woodmere,  L.  I.,  to  his 
wife,  Eva,  who  later  took  the  stand. 

Within  a  short  time  after  selling  his  Fox 
Film  and  Fox  Theatre  holdings  for  $15,- 
000,000  in  1930,  Mr.  Fox  made  gifts  total- 
ling more  than  $1,000,000,  but  in  all  his 
life,  he  testified,  he  never  made  a  bond  on 
a  property  and  only  once  did  he  ever  sign 
as  guarantor  on  a  mortgage.  The  answers 
were  for  use  in  the  suit  which  was  brought 
by  the  Capital  Company  of  California,  (and 
were  not  directly  related  to  the  bankruptcy 
proceedings. 

The  gift  of  the  Woodmere  place  was 
made  on  April  14,  1930,  which,  according 
to  counsel,  was  just  a  week  after  Mr.  Fox 
received  the  $15,000,000  for  his  holdings. 
Mr.  Fox  swore  that  so  far  as  he  could  re- 
call he  paid  off  all  debts  at  once,  including 
$1,925,000  in  bank  loans,  and  by  the  end 
of  that  week  was  entirely  solvent. 

Cites  Gifts  Made 

Mr.  Fox  promised  to  supply  a  complete 
statement  of  all  the  gifts  made.  Besides 
the  state,  he  listed,  offhand,  $100,000  to 
Benjamin  Reass,  one  of  his  New  York  at- 
torneys ;  $100,000  to  Claudius  Huston,  "per- 
sonally and  not  in  his  capacity  as  Republican 
National  Committee  chairman" ;  $100,000'  to 
James  Francis  Burke,  Pittsburgh  lawyer ; 
$200,000  to  Jack  Leo,  a  relative,  and  $100,- 
000  to  Joseph  Leo. 

Before  the  bankruptcy  hearings  ad- 
journed last  week,  Herbert  Leitsteen,  book- 
keeper for  Mr.  Fox,  was  ordered  by  Fed- 
eral Referee  Robert  E.  Steedle  to  prepare 
a  financial  statement  of  Fox  assets  and  lia- 
bilities as  of  January  1,  1930.  This  was 
requested  by  creditors'  counsel  after  they 
had  questioned  Mr.  Leitsteen  on  some  earli- 
er testimony  and  won  an  unqualified  asser- 
tion that  such  a  statement  could  be  made 
up  entirely  from  the  Fox  books  with  "some 
little  memorandum." 

Mr.  Leitsteen  denied  any  recollection  of 
the  whereabouts  of  the  memoranda,  but  said 
that  he  knew  that  lie  had  them.  Walter 


CHILDREN  PREFER 
FILMS  TO  RADIO 

Going  to  the  movies  is  the  favorite 
recreation  for  most  boys  and  girls, 
a  recent  survey  of  the  recreational 
preferences  of  children  disclosed.  The 
survey  was  conducted  by  the  Colum- 
bia University  Press  and  ascertained 
the  preferences  of  4,345  children, 
aged  10  to  13,  in  New  York  City. 

Attendance  at  motion  picture  the- 
atres, reading  the  comics  and  listening 
to  an  orchestra  on  the  stage,  all  out- 
ranked listening  to  programs  on  the 
air  in  the  juveniles'  likings. 


Hanstein,  for  the  creditors,  reported  that 
"no  statements  with  the  forwarding  bal- 
ances of  William  Fox  have  been  turned 
over  to  the  trustee." 

Counsel  Charges  Evasion 

David  Katz  of  New  York,  for  the  credi- 
tors, protested  that  "Leitsteen  has  been 
evasive  and  always  left  an  opening.  The 
time  should  come  when  they  can  say,  'We 
have  all  the  records.'  " 

Previously  counsel  spent  a  whole  day 
questioning  Mr.  Leitsteen  concerning  two 
$200,000  checks.  One  was  drawn  by  Mr. 
Fox  to  his  order  and  against  his  own  bank 
account  in  April,  1930.  The  bookkeeper 
said  he  could  not  recall  what  had  been 
done  with  the  money.  He  was  then  ques- 
tioned about  a  check  drawn  by  Mr.  Fox  to 
his  own  order  on  January  24,  1932,  and 
voided  on  the  same  day.  He  was  unable  to 
remember  anything  about  this  transaction. 
He  also  was  unable  to  remember  the  reason 
for  the  drawing  of  a  $200,000  check  by  the 
All-Continent  Corporation,  which,  when 
cashed,  bore  the  endorsement  of  an  attorney 
employed  by  Mr.  Fox. 

Mr.  Leitsteen  said  he  could  not  remember 
whether  or  not  Mr.  Fox  gave  his  daughter, 
Mrs.  Belle  Schwartz,  $200,000  at  about 
this  time. 

Mention  of  Bank  Nights 
In  Advertising  Banned 

John  A.  Fleissner,  postmaster  at  Milwau- 
kee, has  advised  newspapers  that  "Bank 
Night"  is  considered  a  lottery  under  postal 
laws  regardless  of  decisions  in  the  courts  to 
the  contrary. 

Breach  of  contract  action  has  been 
brought  against  Lowell  Wilhelm,  manager, 
and  the  Nivoli  Theatre  Corporation,  opera- 
tor of  the  Logan  theatre  in  Noblesville,  Ind., 
by  Mrs.  Bessie  Stewart  who  claims  that  she 
was  not  given  a  $40  award  when  her  name 
was  called  as  a  "Bank  Night"  winner,  al- 
though she  was  in  the  theatre  at  the  time. 

A  point  in  the  "Bank  Night"  controversy 
in  progress  in  Salem,  Ore.,  was  won  by  Carl 
A.  Porter,  manager  of  Warner's  Elsinore, 
when  he  gained  permission  to  operate  until 
September  21.  Mr.  Porter  claimed  that  the 
game  represented  advertising  and  did  not 
constitute  a  lottery.  The  test  case  is  being- 
watched  by  all  Oregon  theatres. 


Blackstone  Agency  Moves 

The  Blackstone  Agency,  headed  by  Mil- 
ton Blackstone,  has  moved  from  its  Fifth 
Avenue  offices  to  the  RKO  Building  in 
Rockefeller  Center. 


August    29,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


43 


SHOWMEN'S 
REVIEWS 


This  department  deals  with  new 
product  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  exhibitor  who  is 
to  purvey  it  to  his  own  public 


Swing  Time 

(RKO-Radio) 
Musical  Comedy 

This  new  film  featuring  the  already  highly 
established  team  of  Fred  Astaire  and  Ginger 
Rogers,  which  has  danced,  clowned  and  sang 
its  rhythmical  way  into  the  respected  annals 
of  box  office  history,  as  evidenced  by  every 
national  exhibitor  poll  yet  conducted,  serves 
definitely  to  increase  the  team's  prestige  as 
a  top  money  combination. 

For  sophistication,  new  and  catchy  music, 
artistically  impressionistic  dancing,  sparkling 
comedy  and  dialogue,  handsomely  contrived  set- 
tings and  general  excellence  of  production  this 
musical  unfolds  with  a  synchronized  rhythm 
surpassing  all  Astaire-Rogers  vehicles  to  date. 

Exhibitors  have  everything  to  sell.  This  is 
undoubtedly  the  picture  showmen  have  been 
waiting  for  to  compare  favorably  with  "Top 
Hat."   It  is  fine  mass  entertainment. 

Astaire  and  Rogers  are  new,  fresh  and  in- 
vigorating in  sophisticated  dance  ensemble  and 
romantic  interlude.  Victor  Moore  brings  a  dif- 
ferent and  laughable  characterization  to  the 
screen  in  his  comic  role  as  a  skillful  maestro 
of  legerdemain.  Helen  Broderick  as  his  team- 
mate in  comedy  gives  her  usual  standout  per- 
formance. Eric  Blore  as  the  gracious  dance 
master  appears  briefly,  but  garners  a  substan- 
tial number  of  laughs  which  leave  the  audi- 
ence wanting  more.  These  names  provide  added 
incentive  for  smart  showmanship. 

George  Stevens'  direction  is  the  very  essence 
of  rhythm  and  smoothness  carried  off  in  light 
vein  and  swift  tempo.  All  performances  suggest 
ease  and  confidence  of  characterization  and  are 
of  a  high  calibre. 

Rcvieived  at  the  Pantages  theatre,  Los  An- 
geles, regarded  as  a  "tough"  preview  house, 
tvhcrc  the  picture  drew  rounds  of  enthusiastic 
applause  from  the  entire  audience. 

Watt,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  RKO-Radio.  A  Pandro 
S.  Herman  production.  Directed  by  George  Stevens. 
Music  by  Jerome  Kern-  Lyrics  by  Dorothy  Fields. 
Screen  play  by  Howard  Lindsay  and  Allan  Scott. 
From  a  story  by  Erwin  Gelsey.  Musical  director, 
Nathaniel  Shilkret.  Art  director,  Van  Nest  Polglase. 
Associate,  Carroll  Clark.  "Silver  Sandal"  set  and 
"Bojangles"  costumes  by  John  Harkrider.  Photo- 
graphed by  David  Abel.  Photographic  effects  by 
Vernon  Walker.  Set  dressing  by  Darrell  Silvera. 
Dance  director,  Hermes  Pan.  Gowns  by  Bernard 
Newman.  Recorded  by  Hugh  McDowell,  Jr.  Sound 
cutter,  George  Marsh.  Edited  by  Henry  Herman, 
Assistant  director,  Argyle  Nelson'.  P.  C.  A.  Certi- 
ficate No.  2273.  Running  time,  when  seen  in  Holly- 
wood, 100  minutes.  ReWse  date,  September  4,  1936. 
General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Lucky    Fred  Astaire 

Penny   Ginger  Rogers 

Pop   Victor  Moore 

Mabel   Helen  Broderick 

Gordon   Eric  Blore 

Margaret   Betty  Furness 

Ricardo  Romero  Georges  Metaxa 


I'd  Give  My  Life 

(Paramount) 
Drama 

This  is  a  direct  picturization  of  "The  Noose," 
by  Willard  Mack  and  H.  H.  Van  Loan,  which 
enjoyed  such  vast  popularity  as  a  stage  play 
several  years  ago  as  to  become  the  often  un- 
acknowledged forebear  of  many  motion  pictures 
having  as  their  big  situation  that  of  the  doomed 
man  on  the  gallows,  the  governor  in  his  man- 


sion pondering  the  matter  of  a  pardon,  with 
relatives,  friends  and  the  audience  pleading  for 
the  murderer's  life.  It  was  inevitable  that  not 
all  of  these  derivatives  should  be  as  soundly 
constructed  and  logically  developed  as  the  orig- 
inal. That  is  beside  the  present  case.  This  is 
the  original. 

In  the  picture  as  in  the  stage  play  suspense 
is  carefully,  methodically  built  up.  There  is  at 
no  time  a  question  as  to  the  convicted  man's 
guilt.  Only  his  justification  is  disputed  and  only 
he  and  the  audience  are  in  full  possession  of 
the  facts  pertaining  to  it.  Out  of  this  dramatic 
situation  the  picture  draws  its  strength. 

Tom  Brown  is  cast  as  the  young  man  sen- 
tenced to  death  for  the  unexplained  murder  of  a 
racketeer,  foe  of  the  newly  elected  governor. 
Sir  Guy  Standing  plays  the  governor,  whose 
wife's  sympathy  has  been  attracted  to  the  boy's 
case.  The  boy  is  determined  to  die  rather  than 
reveal  that  he  killed  the  racketeer  because  he 
had  discovered  himself  to  be  the  gangster's  son 
by  a  former  marriage  to  the  governor's  wife 
and  that  the  dead  man  had  planned  to  use  the 
fact  against  the  chief  executive.  The  boy's 
sweetheart,  played  by  Frances  Drake,  and  mem- 
bers of  the  governor's  family  work  out  the 
conclusion,  which  is  of  satisfying  character. 

Reviewed  at  the  Riatto  theatre,  Times 
Square,  where  it  zvas  billed  as  "The  Noose"  and 
appeared  to  please  a  midafternoon  audience. 

Weaver,  New  York. 

Produced  by  Richard  A.  Rowland.  Distributed  by 
Paramount.  Directed  by  Edwin  L.  Marin.  Screen 
play  by  George  O'Neil.  Additional  dialogue  by  Ben 
Ryan.  Stage  play  by  H.  H.  Van  Loan  and  Willard 
Mack.  Music  and  lyrics  by  Con  Conrad  and  Herb 
Magidson.  Music  direction  by  Boris  Morros.  Art 
direction,  Ralph  Berger.  Photography,  Ira  Morgan. 
P.  C.  A.  certificate  No.  2,427.  Release  date.  August 
14.  Running  time,  81  minutes.  General  audience 
classification. 

CAST 

Gov.  Bancroft   Sir  Guy  Standing 

Mary  Reyburn   Frances  Drake 

Nickie  Elkins   Tom  Brown 

Mrs.  Bancroft   Janet  Beecher 

Buck  Gordon   Robert  Gleckler 

Mrs.  Bancroft,  Sr  Helen  Lowell 

Conly   Paul  Hurst 


36  Hours  to  Kill 

(20th  Century -Fox) 
Comedy-Drama 

Here  they  are  again,  the  gangster,  the  G-man 
and  the  reporter,  but  here,  too,  is  effective  nar- 
ration, stimulating  production,  smooth  per- 
formance and,  consequently,  sound,  brisk  enter- 
tainment. Here,  therefore,  is  not  merely  an- 
other gangster  picture,  or  another  G-man  pic- 
ture if  you  prefer  that  term,  but  a  fast,  exhil- 
arating bit  of  fiction  protrayed  by  players  who 
fit  their  roles  and  directed  by  a  man  who  knows 
how  to  tell  a  story. 

Lacking  names  that  are  celebrated  for  self- 
sustaining  box  office  magnetism,  the  production 
suggests  exploitation  bringing  out  the  constitu- 
ent story  factors  and  containing  definite  asser- 
tion of  entertainment  values.  Speed,  vigor  and 
melodrama,  without  sacrifice  of  plausibility,  may 
be  relied  upon. 

The  story  centers  about  Duke  Benson,  who 
becomes  Public  Enemy  No.  1,  and  his  efforts 
to  collect  a  sweepstakes  prize  without  revealiqg 
his  identity.  A  girl  reporter,  a  G-man,  a  sleep- 
ing car  porter  and  the  gangster's  confederate 
and  sweetheart  figure  in  incidents  of  a  36-hour 
train-ride  marked  by  many  complications.  The 


reporter  and  the  detective  contract  a  matrimo- 
nial attachment  at  the  close  of  the  picture, 
which  ends  both  satisfactorily  and  logically. 

Reviewed  at  the  Palace  theatre,  New  York, 
where  the  picture  shared  screen  time  with  "The 
Green  Pastures"  and  gave  excellent  account  of 
itself  as  measured  in  terms  of  audience  atten- 
tion and  comment.  Weaver,  New  York. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Twentieth  Century- Fox. 
Executive  producer,  Sol  Wurtzel.  Directed  by  Eu- 
gene Forde.  Screen  play  by  Lou  Breslow  and  John 
Patrick.  Story  by  W.  R.  Burnet.  Assistant  director, 
Samuel  Schneider.  Art  director,  Duncan  Cramer. 
Photography,  Arthur  Miller.  Film  editor,  Louis  Loef- 
ler.  Musical  director,  Samuel  Kaylin.  P.C.A.  Certi- 
ficate No.  2443.  Release  date,  July  24.  Running  time. 
65  minutes.    General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Frank   Evers  Brian  Donlevy 

Anne  Marvis  Gloria  Stuart 

Duke  Benson  Douglas  Fcwley 

Jeanie  Benson  Isabel  Jewell 

Flash   Stepin  Fechit 

Dr.  Borden  Julius  Tannen 

Hazy   Warren  Hymer 

Simpkins   Romaine  Callender 

Doyle   James  Burke 

Conductor   Johnathon  Hale 

Gertrude  Gloria   Mitzi  Carpenter 

Rickert   Charles  Lane 


Don't  Turn  'Em  Loose 

(RKO  Radio) 
Modern  Melodrama 

Following  closely  in  the  wake  of  news  head- 
lines and  editorial  comment  condemning  weak- 
nesses in  parole  systems  throughout  the  coun- 
try, this  picture  is  strong,  dramatic  entertain- 
ment simultaneously  striking  bitterly  at  the 
relenting  parole  boards  which  allow  habitual 
criminals  to  drift  easily  from  behind  prison  bars 
to  a  lawless  life  in  the  open.  Certain  improba- 
bilities of  the  story  are  successfully  overcome 
by  direction  and  characterization  which  mould 
the  tale  into  a  compact  and  highly  dramatic 
chronicle  of  present-day  life.  Sometimes  harsh 
and  straight  from  the  shoulder,  the  film  serves 
its  purpose  and  has  direct  appeal  at  the  box- 
office  to  audiences  who  like  "raw  meat"  enter- 
tainment. 

Showmen  have  a  timely  opportunity  to  cash 
in  on  exploitation  through  current  blasts  of  the 
nation's  press  against  the  parole  system.  This 
one,  however,  is  definitely  for  adult  consump- 
tion. 

The  story,  adapted  by  Harry  Segall  and  Fer- 
dinand Reyher  from  the  Thomas  Walsh  yarn, 
"Homecoming,"  has  to  do  with  Bruce  Cabot 
as  an  underworld  rat  who  kills  and  loots  for 
the  thrill  that's  in  it.  His  paroles  come  easy. 
Preying  on  the  sympathies  of  a  parole  board, 
he  gets  out  of  jail  through  various  plants,  such 
as  having  a  fake  wife  and  baby  plead  his  cause. 
Meantime  he  lives  a  Jekyll  and  Hyde  existence 
with  his  family,  seeing  them  only  when  he  is 
not  allegedly  in  South  America  on  business. 

All  goes  smooth  until  Lewis  Stone,  Cabot's 
father,  is  appointed  to  the  parole  board.  A 
dramatic  climax  is  reached  when  Stone  sides 
in  with  the  parole  board  in  releasing  Cabot  in 
order  to  offer  protection  to  his  family's  name 
as  well  as  to  provide  a  harmonious  setting-  for 
the  marriage  of  his  daughter,  Betty  Grable,  to 
a  young  banker,  John  Arledge.  James  Gleason, 
a  hard  boiled  cop,  finally  arranges  a  plant  and 
Cabot  is  caught  in  the  act  of  looting  a  safe. 
The  dramatic  highpoint  is  the  killing  of  Cabot 
(Continued  on  following  Page) 


44 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


(Continued  from  preceding  pac/e) 

by  his  own  father,  Stone,  who  by  the  act  eases 
his  conscious  for  letting  the  rat  out  on  parole. 

Performances  of  the  principals  are  highly 
commendable.  Ben  Stoloff  has  directed  with 
intelligence,  never  losing  a  dramatic  punch 
where  one  was  to  be  achieved. 

The  principal  asset  in  selling  this  one  is 
offered  in  newspaper  headline  and  editorial 
treatment  of  the  subject.  In  addition  there  is 
a  genuine  family  twist.  Vigorous,  timely  drama 
is  the  showmen's  forte. 

Reviewed  at  the  RKO  Hillstreet  theatre,  first 
run  house,  where  it  followed  "Mary  of  Scot- 
land," and  the  audience  was  apparently  gripped 
by  the  stark  drama  and  obvious  frankness  of 
the  picture.  Watt,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  RKO-Radio.  Directed 
by  Ben  Stoloff.  Associate  producer,  Robert  bisk. 
Screen  play  by  Harry  Segall  and  Ferdinand  Reyher. 
Suggested  by  Thomas  Walsh's  story,  "Homecoming." 
Assistant  director,  Ivan  Thomas.  Edited  by  William 
M.  Morgan.  Art  director,  Van  Nest  Polglase.  P.  C. 
A.  Certificate  No.  2417.  Release  date,  August  28. 
Running  time,  66  minutes.  Adult  audience  classifica- 
tion. 

CAST 

Mr.  Webster    Lewis  Stone 

Daniels    James  Gleason 

Bat  Roberts    Bruce  Cabot 

Letty    Louise  Latimer 

Mildred    Betty  Grable 

Grace    Grace  Bradley 

Mrs.  Webster    Nella  Walker 

Attorney  Pierce    Frank  M.  Thomas 

Vic    Harry  Jans 

Walter    John  Arledge 

Pete    Frank  Jenks 

Mary    Maxine  Jennings 

Joe    Gordon  Jones 

Al   Addison  Randall 


King  of  the  Royal  Mounted 

(20th  Century  -  Fox) 
Northwest  Drama 

Where  outdoor  action  films  are  looked  upon 
with  high  favor  from  a  box  office  receipt  angle 
this  picture  is  qualified  to  do  good  business 
with  its  generous  supply  of  melodrama.  Beauti- 
ful mountain  scenery  excellently  photographed 
by  the  camera  is  a  selling  angle  not  to  be  over- 
looked by  the  exhibitor  for  lobby  advertising. 
The  title  speaks  for  itself  and  should  be  a  de- 
pendable factor  for  action  advocates  and  the 
youngsters. 

The  story  has  no  particularly  unusual  twists 
and  features  the  mountie  getting  his  man  in 
the  routine  manner.  However,  author  Zane 
Grey's  name  is  a  key  selling  point. 

Robert  Kent  is  the  sergeant  of  the  Royal 
Mounted  who  takes  a  continual  ribbing  from  his 
barracks  mates  because  of  the  lack  of  excite- 
ment in  their  part  of  the  north  woods.  Things 
start  popping  when  Rosalind  Keith  arrives  on 
the  scene  accompanied  by  her  attorney,  Alan 
Dinehart.  A  mining  claim  shared  by  Miss 
Keith's  father  with  Frank  McGlynn,  Sr.,  is  the 
point  in  question.  McGlynn  wants  to  give  Miss 
Keith  her  rightful  due,  but  Dinehart  is  bicker- 
ing for  an  outside  settlement  under  threat  of 
court  action  so  he  can  make  off  with  a  major 
portion  of  the  proceeds.  The  climax  features  a 
scuffle  beween  Dinehart  and  McGlynn  in  which 
McGlynn  is  killed. 

Meanwhile,  romantic  aspirations  are  evident 
between  Kent  and  Miss  Keith.  Dinehart  finally 
talks  Miss  Keith  into  accompanying  him  in  a 
getaway  and  a  chase  ensues  across  mountain 
tops  and  precipices  with  Kent  getting  his  man. 

Previezved  at  the  Orpheum  theatre,  Los  An- 
geles. Audience  reaction  fair. 

Watt,  Hollywood. 

Produced  by  Sol  Lesser.  Distributed  by  Twentieth 
Century-Fox.  Directed  by  Howard  Bretherton.  Story 
by  Zane  Grey.  Screen  play  by  Earl  Snell.  Produc- 
tion manager,  Edward  Gross.  Assistant  director,  Phil 
Lord.  Film  editor,  Robert  Crandall.  Art  director, 
Lewis  J.  Rachmil.  Photography,  Harrv  Newman. 
P.  C.  A.  certificate  No.  2,479.  Release  date,  Sept.  11. 
Running  time,  60  minutes.  General  audience  classifi- 
cation. 

CAST 

King   Robert  Kent 

Helen  Lawton   Rosalind  Keith 

Becker   Alan  Dinehart 

Dundas   Frank   McGlynn,  Sr. 

Sneed   Arthur  Loft 

Slim  Blandon   Grady  Sutton 

Smith   Jack  Luden 

Indian  Joe   Artie  Ortego 


Draegerman  Courage 

(Warner) 
Drama 

Warners  have  come  to  the  foreground  once 
more  with  a  timely,  dramatic  tale  adapted  from 
an  incident  bannerlined  by  the  country's  daily 
press  several  months  ago.  The  story  tells  of 
the  heroic  work  of  draegermen,  who  form  the 
rescue  squads  in  the  event  of  mine  disasters, 
and  parallels  the  tragic  entombment  of  three 
men  in  the  recent  Nova  Scotia  mine  cave-in. 

Lacking  in  strong  draw  names,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  possibly  Jean  Muir,  the  picture  relies 
upon  revival  of  the  yarn's  news  value  for  ex- 
ploitation purposes.  The  story  is  good  average 
entertainment,  contains  a  healthy  punch  and  is 
neatly  balanced  by  restrained  characterization 
and  direction  which  keeps  it  well  above  the 
melodramatic. 

Barton  MacLane  is  the  hero  of  the  piece, 
portraying  an  heroic  draegerman  who  fights 
with  his  boss,  Robert  Barrat,  continually  for 
necessary  mine  improvements.  He  is  enamored 
of  Jean  Muir,  daughter  of  the  kindly  mining 
district  doctor,  Henry  O'Neill.  Two  mine  res- 
cues are  effected  in  the  film,  with  the  last  one 
involving  MacLane's  enemy,  Barrat,  who  has 
conserved  on  reinforcement  materials  to  rein- 
force his  pocketbook.  Here  the  film  reaches  its 
apex  with  the  dramatic  rescue  of  Barrat  and 
his  companions  from  the  mine  by  MacLane. 

The  romantic  thread  is  subordinated  to  strong 
two-fisted  action. 

Louis  King's  direction  is  well  done  and  in 
good  taste  with  all  characterizations  well  bal- 
anced. Successful  news  exploitation  capitalizing 
on  the  current  disaster  should  get  this  one  off 
to  a  good  start. 

Reviezved  at  Warner  Brothers'  Forum  the- 
atre, a  neighborhood  house  catering  strictly  to 
the  indicated  type  of  trade.  Good  reaction. 

Watt,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Warner  Brothers-First 
National.  Directed  by  Louis  King.  Screen  play  and 
story  by  Anthony  Coldeway.  Assistant  director,  Elmer 
Decker.  Art  director,  Hugh  Reticker.  Dialogue  di- 
rector, Irving  Rapper.  Photography,  Gilbert  Warren- 
ton.  Film  editor,  Jack  Killifer.  P.  C.  A.  Certificate 
No.  2356.  Release  date,  undetermined.  Running  time, 
60  minutes.    General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Ellen  Haslett    Jean  Muir 

Andre  Beaupre    Barton  MacLane 

Dr.  Thomas  Haslett    Henry  O'Neill 

Martin  Crane    Robert  Barrat 

John  McNally    Addison  Richards 

Mary  Haslett    Helen  MacKellar 

Pete    Gordon  Oliver 

Dr.  Hunter    Joseph  Crehan 

Suzanne    Priscilla  Lyon 

Maxwell   Walter  Miller 

Steve    Herbert  Heywood 

Captain  Harper    Ben  Hendricks 


The  Texas  Rangers 

(Paramount) 
Western  Drama 

This  film  chronicles  the  growth  of  a  state 
from  a  wild,  reckless  and  barbaric  frontier  to 
a  law-abiding  citizenship.  Heart  interest,  com- 
edy and  drama  are  handled  in  a  style  which 
lifts  the  picture  far  above  the  common  run  of 
western  vehicles  and  gives  it  general  audience 
appeal  in  deluxe  houses  as  well  as  neighborhood 
situations.  In  addition  there  is  the  name  power 
of  Fred  MacMurray,  Jack  Oakie  and  Jean 
Parker.  The  pictorial  content  of  "Texas 
Rangers,"  however,  holds  major  attraction  for 
the  male  contingent,  due  to  the  rough  and  hard 
nature  of  the  historical  theme. 

Action  and  pathos  to  a  great  degree  softens 
the  rough  edge  of  the  film,  which  revolves 
around  MacMurray  and  Oakie,  two  renegades, 
who,  in  order  to  serve  their  own  purposes,  sever 
relations  with  their  partner  in  crime,  Lloyd 
Nolan,  and  join  up  with  the  Texas  Rangers. 
The  weblike  romance  is  woven  between  Mac- 
Murray  and  Jean  Parker,  daughter  of  Edward 
Ellis,  a  southern  major,  but  becomes  subordi- 
nant  to  the  ridin',  shootin'  and  fightin'. 

The  plot  gains  momentum  when  MacMurray 
and  Oakie  yield  to  the  lure  and  color  of  the 


Texas  Rangers,  leaving  Nolan  to  play  a  lone 
outlaw  game,  although  the  three  continue  to 
retain  a  strong  bond  of  friendship  despite  being 
pitted  against  one  another.  Climatic  impact  is 
achieved  with  the  death  of  both  Oakie  and 
Nolan.  The  death  of  Oakie,  who  throughout 
plays  a  superb  blend  of  care-free  comedy  and 
pathos,  is  a  shock  to  audiences  and  failed  to 
have  a  favorable  reaction  on  preview  patrons. 

Director  King  Vidor  has  drawn  a  vivid  pic- 
ture of  the  trying  times  of  the  period,  at  the 
same  time  combining  fictional  entertainment  far 
reaching  in  appeal. 

All  cast  performances  are  of  the  high  calibre, 
including  those  of  Bennie  Bartlett,  Frank  Shan- 
non, Frank  Cordell,  Richard  Carle,  Jed  Prouty, 
Fred  Kohler,  Sr.,  and  George  Hayes.  The  pho- 
tography of  Edward  Cronjager  is  effectively 
striking  for  beauty  and  story  continuity. 

An  adequate  song  plug  may  be  found  in  "I 
Can't  Play  My  Banjo  with  Susanna  on  My 
Knee,"  sung  by  Oakie. 

The  picture  fits  in  nicely  with  the  current 
publicity  on  the  Texas  Centennial.  The  cast 
names  and  the  robust  plot  of  the  feature,  plus 
historical  interest,  are  additional  selling  angles 
for  showmen. 

Previewed  at  the  Fox  Wilshire  Theatre,  Bev- 
erly Hills.  This  is  a  second  run  house.  Played 
against  "Suzy"  with  favorable  results  save  for 
the  Oakie  death  scene,  zvhich  was  greeted  with 
definitely  unfavorable  reaction  from  the  cus- 
tomers. 

Watt,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  directed  by  King  Vidor.  Distributed  by 
Paramount.  Assitant  director,  Russell  Mathews. 
Story  by  King  Vidor  and  Elizabeth  Hill.  Screen  play 
by  Louis  Stevens.  Data  from  Walter  Prescott  Webb's 
book,  "The  Texas  Rangers."  Art  director,  Hans 
Dreiper  and  Bernard  Herzburn.  Edited  by  Doane 
Harrison.  Photography  by  Edward  Cronjager.  Musi- 
cal director,  Boris  Morros.  P.  C.  A.  certificate  No. 
2.391.  Release  date,  August  28.  Running  time,  93 
minutes.    General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Jim  Hawkins   Fred  MacMurray 

Wahoo  Jones   Jack  Oakie 

Amanda  Bailey   Jean  Parker 

Sam  (Polka  Dot)  McGee  Lloyd  Nolan 

Major  Bailey   Edward  Ellis 

David   Bennie  Bartlett 

Capt.  Stafford   Frank  Shannon 

Ranger  Ditson   Frank  Cordell 

Casper  Johnson   Richard  Carle 

Prosecuting  Attorney   Jed  Prouty 

Higgins   Fred  Kohler,  Sr. 

Judge   George  Hayes 


Lady  Be  Careful 

(Paramount) 
Comedy  Romance 

This  screen  adaptation  of  the  stage  play 
"Sailor  Beware"  is  a  workmanlike  job  in  pro- 
viding amusing  entertainment  for  patrons  and 
generous  showmanship  potentialities  for  ex- 
hibitors. Intelligent  story  preparation,  under- 
standing, direction  and  good  acting  blend  to 
form  gay,  airy  and  exciting  youthful  comedy 
romance.  Keyed  to  the  pitch  of  engaging  dia- 
logue and  smartly  premised  situations,  the  film 
moves  speedily  and  with  a  gusto  that  seems  cer- 
tain to  provoke  much  popular  enthusiasm.  Pro- 
duction quality  being  of  much  higher  caliber 
than  ordinarily  expected  in  a  picture  that  boasts 
no  super  attractive  cast  names,  the  motivating 
story  nevertheless  is  given  unique  appeal  by 
credible  individual  and  collective  performances. 

Localed  at  a  West  Coast  naval  base  and  in 
Panama,  sailors  of  the  U.  S.  Fleet  and  a  Canal 
Zone  night  club  queen  are  the  personalities  dealt 
with.  Though  many  personalities  appear,  Lew 
Ayers,  Mary  Carlisle,  Larry  Crabbe  and  Benny 
Baker  are  the  central  figures. 

Early  sequences  establish  the  comedy  charac- 
ter. Ayers  is  dubbed  Dud  because  he's  too  bash- 
ful to  get  across  with  the  ladies,  while  Crabbe 
is  the  fleet's  heartbreaker.  A  situation  is  pre- 
cipitated whereby  bashful  Ayers  is  made  to 
appeal  to  the  darling  of  a  bevy  of  debutantes 
and  consequently  the  rival  of  Crabbe  for  the 
title  of  heartbreaker.  As  the  fleet  moves  off  for 
Panama,  Baker  makes  a  bet  with  Crabbe  that 
Ayers  can  make  the  romantic  grade  with  Billie 
Jackson,  pride  of  Panama,  termed  "Stonewall" 

(Continued  on  pane  48) 


48 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


{Continued  from  page  44) 

because  for  years  she  has  turned  down  all  sailors 
and  particularly  marine  Crabbe. 

Fearful  of  what  may  happen  to  him  at  the 
hands  of  Billie,  but  more  fearful  of  the  wrath 
of  his  supporters  in  the  bet  if  he  fails,  unwill- 
ing Ayers  is  forced  to  undertake  the  adventure. 
It  starts  to  the  tune  of  hilarious  comedy,  and 
while  that  quality  is  a  dominant  part  of  all  that 
ensues,  it  winds  up  sincerely.  Not  everything 
runs  smoothly  for  Ayers,  even  in  the  situations 
when  love-proof  Billie  is  unaware  of  the  gag 
inspiring  his  assault  on  her  heart.  When  she 
does,  the  action  is  exciting. 

But  even  though  Ayers  is  willing  to  call  it  a 
day  and  quit,  the  sailors,  led  by  Baker,  are  de- 
termined that  their  champion  shall  carry  on  and 
Billie  and  cocky  Crabbe  be  humbled.  As  the 
yarn  takes  a  light  dramatic  twist  with  Billie, 
the  woman  at  bay,  determined  she  shall  not  be 
conquered,  Ayers'  cohorts  concoct  a  situation 
that  causes  her  to  capitulate  and  Crabbe  loses 
his  title  as  the  fleet's  number  one  ladies'  man. 

Fun  is  the  outstanding  entertainment  and  ex- 
ploitation quality  of  the  piece.  As  there  never 
is  a  serious  moment  in  the  whole  story,  it  is  of 
that  character  that  appeals  to  almost  any  kind 
of  audience.  Wholesomely  handled  throughout, 
the  film  can  be  offered  to  patrons  as  pleasing 
and  lively  amusement. 

Previewed  in  the  studio  projection  room. 

McCarthy,  Hollywood. 

Produced  and  distributed  by  Paramount.  Producer, 
Benjamin  Glazer.  Director,  Theodore  Reed.  Aissistant 
director,  Edgar  Anderson.  Associate  director,  Sidney 
Salkow.  Original  by  Kenyon  Nicholson  and  Charles 
Robinson.  Screen  play  by  Dorothy  Parker,  Alan 
Campbell  and  Harry  Ruskin.  Sound,  Harry  Lindgren 
and  Don  Johnson.  Film  editor,  Hugh  Bennett.  Art 
directors,  Hans  Dreier  and  Roland  Anderson.  Musical 
direction,  Boris  Morros.  Interior  decorations  by  A.  E. 
Freudeman.  Photography  by  Henry  Sharp.  P.  C.  A. 
Certificate  No.  2394.  Running  time,  when  seen  in 
Hollywood,  70  minutes.  Release  date,  September  4, 
1936.    General  audience  classification. 

CAST 

Dynamite    Lew  Ayers 

Billie    Mary  Carlisle 

Barney    Benny  Baker 

Jake    Larry  Crabbe 

Lieut.  Loomis    Grant  Withers 

Happy    Irving  Bacon 

Dode    Barbara  Barondess 

Hazel    Sheila  Bromley 

Ruby    Wilma  Francis 

Bernice    Ethel  Sykes 

Mattie    Murray  Alper 

Herb    Jack  Chapin 

Texas    Wesley  Barry 

Trim    Nick  Lukats 

Father   Purnell  Pratt 

Sydney    Jack  Adair 

Girls  in  sailboat — 

Josephine  McKim.  Jennifer  Gray,  Barbara  Koshay, 
Irene  Bennett,  Terry  Ray,  Louise  Stanley 


Nobody's  Fool 


(Universal) 
Modern  Comedy 

The  characteristic  humor  of  Edward  Everett 
Horton,  indispensable  mainstay  of  many  a 
heavily  exploited  production,  is  given  full  lati- 
tude here  as  the  central  factor  of  a  modern, 
smartly  turned  out  comedy  in  which  Mr.  Hor- 
ton demonstrates  complete  competence.  Inci- 
dental ingredients  are  the  real  estate  business, 
an  assortment  of  racketeers,  the  old-fashioned 
theory  that  happy  homes  make  prosperous  com- 
munities and,  of  course,  romance. 

"Nobody's  Fool"  is  a  particularly  pat  title.  It 
describes  the  central  character  exactly.  Pro- 
motional material  linking  star  and  title,  with 
a  smattering  of  nouns  denoting  the  items  of 
content,  appear  to  be  indicated.  The  picture 
moves  swiftly,  merrily,  at  times  a  little  dan- 
gerously, altogether  in  a  manner  much  to  be 
desired  in  a  season  somewhat  lopsided  with 
serious  cinema. 

Mr.  Horton  is  cast  as  Will  Wright,  a  volun- 
teer sociologist  and  realtor  from  upstate  New 
York,  who  is  employed  by  a  city  racketeer  to 
act  as  "fall  guy"  in  a  scheme  to  take  money 
away  from  Dizzy  Rantz,  gangster,  by  means 
of  a  real  estate  swindle.  Wright  proceeds,  in- 
nocently, to  obey  instructions,  preaches  and 
practices  his  "happy  homes"  doctrine  with  such 
zeal  that  he  brings  all  parties  to  the  affair  into 


line  as  sponsors  of  a  civic  movement  duly 
indorsed  by  the  district  attorney.  Incidentally, 
he  marries  the  girl. 

Reviewed  at  the  Arena  theatre,  New  York, 
where  the  picture  was  accorded  spontaneous  and 
generous  laughter  on  an  extremely  hot,  humid 
and  otherwise  disagreeable  afternoon. 

Weaver,  New  York. 

Produced  by  Irving  Starr.  Distributed  by  Univer- 
sal. Directed  by  Arthur  Greville  Collins.  Story  by 
Frank  M.  Dazey  and  Agnes  C.  Johnston.  Screen  play 
by  Ralph  Bloch  and  Ben  Markson.  Photographed  by 
Norbert  Brodine.  P.C.A.  Certificate  No.  2165.  Release 
date,  May  31.  Running  time,  65  minutes.  General 
audience  classifications. 

CAST 

Will  Wright  Edward  Everett  Horton 

Ruby  Miller  Glenda  Farrell 

Dizzy  Rantz  Cesar  Romero 

Jake  Cavendish  Frank  Conroy 

"Fixer"    Belmore  Clay  Clement 

Sour   Puss  Warren  Hymer 

Doc   Henry  Hunter 

Mary  Jones  Florence  Roberts 

Tom   Ed  Gargan 

"Blondie"  Diana  Gibson 

George  Baxter  Pierre  Watkin 

Sharkey   Robert  Middlemass 

District  Attorney  Ivan  Miller 

Information   Clerk  Maria  Shelton 

Master  of  Ceremonies  John  King 

Entertainer   Alyce  King 

Purdee  George  Irving 


Tund 


ra 


(  Burroughs-Tarzan  ) 
Adventure 

Here  is  educational  entertainment  which  rates 
well  above  the  classification  of  a  travelogue,  as 
which  it  might  easily  have  been  designated. 
Gripping  in  its  intensity,  "Tundra"  tells  the 
story  of  a  self-sacrificing  doctor  of  the  north 
whose  plane  crashes  in  the  wilds  of  the  arctic 
circle.  Cutting  a  lone  trail  through  the  arctic 
waste  of  the  Alaskan  tundra,  the  film  chronicles 
the  adventures  that  beset  the  man,  Del  Cambre, 
on  his  400  mile  trek. 

The  picture  was  seven  months  in  the  making 
in  its  native  background  and  has  pictorial  and 
dramatic  values  seldom  achieved  in  a  picture 
of  its  caliber.  Vividly  descriptive  in  its  pic- 
turization  of  animal  warfare,  glaciers,  ice  floes 


SHORT  PRODUCT 
PLAYING  BROADWAY 


Week  of  August  22 
CAPITOL 

How  to  Train  a  Dog  MGM 

Master  Will  Shakespeare.  .  .  MGM 

MUSIC  HALL 

March  of  Time,  No.  8  RKO  Radio 

Little  Champs   Columbia 

Seeing  Sound  ,  Bute 

PARAMOUNT 

Happy  You  and  Merry  Me.  Paramount 
Popular  Science,  No.  I  .  .  .  .  Paramount 
Neptune's  Scholars   Paramount 

RIALTO 

Bottles   MGM 

Louis-Sharkey  Fight  Film...  State  Rights 

RIVOLI 

I  Don't  Want  to  Make  His- 
tory Paramount 

ROXY 

We  Did  It  Paramount 

Happy  Heels   Educational 

Stranger  Than  Fiction,  No. 25.  Universal 

STRAND 

Clyde    Lucas   and    His  Or- 
chestra  Vitaphone 

Sunday  Go  To  Meetin'  Time.  Vitaphone 


and  forest  fires,  the  picture  is  extraordinary 
entertainment  for  any  bill. 

Fine  pictorial  values,  drama  involving  man 
and  beast,  and  the  natural  educational  nature 
of  the  film  have  been  successfully  combined 
as  a  truly  unusual  offering  for  enterprising  ex- 
ploitation. 

The  story,  throughout  the  hazardous  trip, 
features  the  exploits  of  two  bear  cubs  who  con- 
trive to  win  their  way  into  the  hearts  of  the 
audience  despite  the  seeming  dangers  to  which 
they  subject  the  hero  of  the  story. 

Interesting  scenes  of  the  wild  include  shots 
at  wolves,  muskoxen,  caribou,  muskrat,  beavers, 
salmon  leaping  falls,  fox,  moose  and  bears  in 
their  natural  environment. 

Excellently  produced  by  George  W.  Stout, 
and  directed  by  Norman  Dawn,  who  also  col- 
laborated on  the  photography  with  Jacob  and 
Edward  Kull  as  well  as  penned  the  story,  the 
picture  has  genuine  mass  appeal. 

Reviewed  at  the  EKO  Hillstreet  theatre,  Los 
Angeles,  where  it  gave  excellent  account  of 
itself.  Watt,  Hollywood. 

Produced  by  George  W.  Stout.  Story  and  direction 
by  Norman  Dawn.  Adaptation  by  Charles  F.  Royal. 
Continuity  and  dialogue  by  Norton  S.  Parker.  Assistant 
director,  Glenn  Cook.  Art  director,  Charles  Clague. 
Edited  by  Walter  Thompson  and  Thomas  Neff .  Musical 
direction  bv  Abe  Meyer.  Photographed  by  Norman 
Dawn,  Jacob  Kull  and  Edward  Kull.  P.  C.  A.  Certifi- 
cate No.  2313.  Release  date,  August  24.  Running 
time,  78  minutes.    General  audience  classification. 


It  Couldn't  Have  Happened 

(Invincible) 
Mystery  Drama 

With  the  names  of  Reginald  Denny,  Jack 
LaRue  and  Inez  Courtney  to  offer,  the  picture 
may  be  exploited  for  its  story  as  well  as  its 
personalities.  Essentially,  it  is  a  murder  mys- 
tery, though  it  also  has  some  elements  of  com- 
edy. The  action  is  played  against  a  backstage 
background  and  the  characters  are  for  the  most 
part  theatrical  people. 

The  story  opens  with  a  rehearsal  of  a  play 
by  Reginald  Denny.  Evelyn  Brent,  leading  lady 
of  the  company,  while  married  to  Claude  King, 
is  involved  in  extra-marital  romance  with  Hugh 
Marlowe,  the  company  juvenile;  Bryant  Wash- 
burn, her  husband's  partner  in  the  production 
of  the  play,  and  Crauford  Kent,  a  character 
actor.  When  both  Washburn  and  King  are 
found  murdered,  Inez  Courtney,  who  has  been 
secretary  to  the  partners,  urges  Denny,  who 
writes  mysteries,  to  try  solving  the  crimes. 

Denny,  at  first  reluctant  to  interfere,  is  prac- 
tically forced  to  take  part  by  LaRue,  a  gang- 
ster, who  is  a  suspect  though  innocent,  La  Rue's 
motive  being  to  clear  his  own  name.  When 
Denny  finally  reconstructs  his  theory  of  the 
crime  he  returns  to  the  theatre,  has  the  players 
enact  his  version  and  traps  the  killer.  The  direc- 
tion of  Phil  Rosen  treats  the  theme  from  a 
comedy  angle,  and  additional  laughs  are  pro- 
vided by  Miki  Morita,  a  Japanese  actor  who 
portrays  Denny's  houseboy.  Robert  Homans 
plays  the  part  of  a  police  lieutenant  whose 
efforts  to  solve  the  mystery  fail. 

Previewed  at  the  Stadium,  a  neighborhood 
house,  where  the  picture  ivas  fairly  well  re- 
ceived. 

Morris,  Hollywood. 

Produced  by  Maury  M.  Cohen.  Supervised  by  Her- 
bert S.  Cohen.  Assistant  director,  Melville  Shyer. 
Screen  play  by  Arthur  T.  Horman.  Edited  by  Ronald 
D.  Reed.  Photographed  by  M.  A.  Anderson.  P.  C.  A. 
certificate  No.  2,493.  Release  date  August  1.  Run- 
ning time,  67  minutes.  General  audience  classification. 
CAST 

Gregory  Stone   Reginald  Denny 

Beverly  Drake   Evelyn  Brent 

Smiley   Clark   Jack  LaRue 

Linda  Sands   Inez  Courtney 

Edward  Forrest   Hugh  Marlowe 

Ellis  Holden  Claude  King 

Norman  Carter   Bryant  Washburn 

Lt.   O'Neill  Robert  Homan 

Robert  Bennett   Crauford  Kent 

Lloyd  Schaefer   ,  Robert  Frazer 

Hashi  Miki  Morita 

Ingenue   Emily  LaRue 

Sherwood   Henrv  Herbert 

Landsdale   Lvnton  Brent 

Johnson   Broderick  OFarrell 

{Continued  on  following  pape) 


August    29,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


49 


{Continued  from  preceding  page) 

The  Tenth  Man 

(Associated  British  •  Wardour) 
Comedy-Drama 

This  is  a  forceful  dramatic  offering,  adapted 
from  Somerset  Maugham's  play,  dealing  with 
a  financial  wizard's  romantic,  financial  and 
political  adventures.  There  is  conviction  in  the 
story,  which  is  packed  with  incident  and  sus- 
pense and  lightened  by  comedy.  Special  men- 
tion must  be  made  of  the  song,  "Night  Must 
Fall."  The  tragic  climax  of  the  picture  will 
cause  plenty  of  controversy  but  is  obviously 
inevitable. 

John  Lodge,  who  plays  the  leading  role, 
gives  a  masterful  portrayal  of  the  unscrupulous 
financier,  who  is  lovable,  notwithstanding  his 
highhandedness  and  shady  dealings.  While  em- 
barking on  a  stiff  fight  for  parliamentary  re- 
election, his  wife,  in  love  with  another  politician, 
threatens  divorce.  As  it  would  ruin  him  and 
her  lover,  both  financially  and  politically,  he 
bullies  her  into  publicly  announcing  that  all  is 
well. 

During  the  election  contest  she  finds  herself 
again  in  love  with  her  masterful  husband.  At 
the  moment  when  he  is  reelected  to  Parliament 
and  he  realizes  his  wife's  loyalty,  disaster  takes 
him  in  the  threatened  exposure  of  his  illegal 
methods  by  his  life-long  friend  and  political 
manager — the  tenth  man,  who  is  neither  knave 
nor  fool  and  who  cannot  be  cajoled  or  bought 
into  loyalty  to  his  fallen  idol.  Clifford  Evans 
portrays  the  role  of  the  man  whose  conscience 
is  his  guide. 

The  English  electioneering  and  polling  scenes 
are  funny,  exciting  and  full  of  suspense.  An- 
toinette Cellier  is  coldly  satisfactory  as  the 
wife.  Athole  Stewart  as  the  father,  who  is  a 
pawn  in  the  wizard's  financial  dealings,  and 
George  Graves,  who  supplies  much  comedy  as 
an  election  agent,  deserve  especial  mention. 
The  remainder  of  the  cast  have  been  well 
chosen  and  Brian  Desmond  Hurst  has  directed 
the  picture  with  understanding  and  sincerity. 

Reviewed  at  evening  trade  show  at  Piccadilly 
theatre,  London,  August  12th. 

Williams,  London. 

From  a  play  by  W.  Somerset  Maugham.  Direction, 
Brian  Desmond  Hurst.  Adaptation,  Marjorie  Deans 
and  Geoffrey  Kerr.  Additional  dialogue,  Dudley  Leslie 
and  Jack  Davies,  Jr.  Photography,  Walter  Harvey. 
Settings,  Cedric  Dawe.  Recording,  B.  Cook.  The 
song,  "Night  Must  Fall,"  by  Hugh  Wade  and  Edgar 
Black,  sung  by  Dinah  Miller. 

CAST 

George  Winter   John  Lodge 

Catherine   Winter   Antoinette  Cellier 

Lord  Etchingham   Athole  Stewart 

Ford   Clifford  Evans 

Lady  Etchingham   Iris  Hoey 

Anne  Etchingham   Aileen  Marson 

Colonel  Trent   George  Graves 

Bennett   Frank  Cochran 

Edward   O'Donne'l   Bruce  Lister 

Robert  Colby   Harry  Sinclair 

Jason   Hindle  Edgar 

Miss  Hobbs   Edith  Sharpe 

Swalescliffe   Anthony  Hollis 

Morrison   John  Harwood 

Bank  Manager   Aubrey  Mallalieu 

Dora   Mavis  Clair 

Servant  Girl   Kathleen  Harrison 


The  Amazing  Quest 

(Garrett  Klement  -  United  Artists) 
Comedy-Romance 

Comedy,  with  a  flavoring  of  romance,  based 
on  the  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim  "Amazing  Quest 
of  Mr.  Ernest  Bliss,"  this  very  smartly  made 
example  of  British  production  has  something  to 
appeal  to  most  publics  and  to  most  ages.  Basic 
story  values  are  sound,  episodically  it  is  very 
amusing,  and  there  is  a  sob-in-the-throat  touch 
in  the  theme  of  a  rich  young  man,  voluntarily 
penniless,  acting  as  fairy  godfather  to  the  poor 
persons  who  have  treated  him  right. 

The  highlights  are  such  broadly  humorous 
episodes  as  the  engagement  of  the  disguised 
millionaire  to  pose  as  himself  and  pass  a  cheque 
with  his  own  forged  signature,  and  the  "free 
meals  for  all"  ruse  by  which  he  puts  over  the 
business  of  an  oven  manufacturer  who  has 
given  him  a  job.  Both  scenes  suggest  effective 


selling  and  there  is  another  advertising  angle 
in  the  fact  that,  penniless  himself,  the  hero  is 
allowed  to  use  his  money  to  help  others. 

Ernest  Bliss,  who  has  inherited  £2,000,000, 
consults  a  doctor  and  is  told  he  is  suffering 
from  underwork.  Stung,  he  wagers  £50,000 
that  he  will  earn  his  own  living  for  a  year, 
using  none  of  his  fortune  for  himself.  Before 
he  finds  a  job  as  an  oven  salesman  he  gets 
well  over  the  hunger  line,  and  is  helped  by  a 
good  natured  landlady. 

He  puts  over  the  oven  business  by  a  free 
meals  stunt  but  has  to  quit  when  a  partnership 
is  offered  him.  As  porter  to  a  market  gardener, 
feminine,  he  runs  against  a  returned  husband, 
and  as  a  chauffeur  he  receives  the  unusual 
offer  from  crooks  already  described,  which  ends 
in  a  big  fight  and  the  smashing  of  his  own  fur- 
niture. 

Maintaining  through  various  hardships  his 
love  affair  with  the  secretary-girl  encountered 
in  his  first  job,  he  voluntarily  breaks  the  terms 
of  the  wager,  a  few  days  before  he  would  win 
it,  when  he  finds  that  she  is  going  to  marry 
her  employer  in  order  to  provide  a  home  for  a 
sick  sister.  Prominent  at  the  wedding  are  the 
curiously  assorted  friends  he  has  made  in  the 
slums. 

Story  merits,  a  book  title,  and  the  names  of 
Cary  Grant  and  Mary  Brian  are  the  selling 
values. 

Viewed  at  an  evening  trade  shotv  at  the 
Palace  Theatre.  They  roared  at  the  best  com- 
edy bits,  which  were  plentiful.  Both  sexes 
obviously  liked  it. 

Allan,  London. 

Produced  and  directed  for  Garrett  Klement  Pictures 
by  Alfred  Zeisler.  Distributed  by  United  Artists.  From 
the  story  by  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim.  Adaptation.  John 
L.  Balderston.  Photography,  Otta  Heller.  Produc- 
tion manager,  Frank  Mills.  Art  director,  David 
Rawnsley.  Dialogue  director,  Charles  Lincoln.  Re- 
cordist, A.  J.  Bronker.  Running  time,  70  minutes. 
"G." 

CAST 

Ernest  Bliss   Cary  Grant 

Frances   Mary  Brian 

Sir  James  Aldroyd   Peter  Gawthorne 

Lord  Honiton   Henry  Kendall 

Dorrington   Leon  M.  Lion 

Masters   John  Turnbull 

Crawley   Arthur  Hardy 

Qare   Iris  Ashley 

The  Buyer   Garry  Marsh 

Guiseppi   Andrea  Malandrinos 

Montague   Alfred  Wellesley 

Mrs.  Heath   Marie  Wright 

Mrs.  Mott   Buena  Bent 

Scales    Charles  Farrell 

Bill  Bronson   Hal  Gordon 

Clowes   Quinton  MacPherson 


billing.  They  are  the  Buccaneers,  the  Fox 
Brothers,  Roy  Halle  (pronounced  as  yodeled) 
and  Wilf  Carter  (nor  is  Wilf  a  missprint  for 
Wolf).  The  item  is  nicely  staged  and  unques- 
tionably valuable  as  diversion  for  Alp-conscious 
or  perspiring  audiences. — Running  time,  10^2 
minutes. 


Feminine  Form 

( Educational ) 
Exercise  Study 

The  things  a  girl  can  do  to  obtain  and  more 
or  less  permanently  retain  the  thing  called  sym- 
metry, figure  or  form,  as  distinguished  in  title 
reference  from  that  which  athletes  call  by  the 
same  name,  are  depicted  in  the  doing  with  vari- 
ous young  women  doing  the  depicting.  Not  all 
of  the  things  are  routine.  For  one,  the  didoes 
achieved  in  a  pair  of  parallel  rings  that  roll  all 
over  the  countryside,  have  not  been  generally 
adopted.  Another  gadget  is  in  the  nature  of  a 
springlike  harness  connecting  feet  and  neck  and 
amenable  to  no  doubt  beneficial  stretching. 
Then  there's  archery,  and  the  indispensable  div- 
ing, with  an  adagio  team  demonstrating  at  the 
close  of  the  subject  how  fine  it  is  to  be  fit  and 
fair  and  so  forth.  Important  or  not,  and  no 
claim  to  importance  is  made,  the  subject  is  easy 
to  look  at  and  in  good  taste.— Running  time,  10 
minutes. 


Alpine  Rendezvous 

(  Educational ) 
Music  Study 

In  the  measure  that  a  given  audience  is  pre- 
disposed for  or  against  yodeling  as  music,  en- 
tertainment or  what  not,  this  picture  is  good  or 
bad.  Another  way  of  saying  that  the  yodeling 
is  good  yodeling,  also  that  yodeling  is  all  there 
is,  except  skiing,  which  falls,  broadly,  in  the 
same  esoteric  bracket.  There  is  more  yodeling 
than  skiing,  though,  and  the  yodelers  get  the 


Disputed  Decisions 

(  Columbia) 
Interesting 

Here  is  an  interesting  record  of  some  of  the 
more  famous  disputes  that  are  still  a  subject  for 
discussion  wherever  sport  fans  gather.  Included 
are  scenes  of  the  Kentucky  Derby,  won  by 
Broker's  Tip  when  Head  Play  was  disqualified; 
the  Detroit-St.  Louis  World  Series  game  where 
Medwick  apparently  spiked  Owen  of  Detroit ; 
the  race  for  the  America's  Cup  when  Sopwith's 
claim  of  foul  against  Harold  Vanderbilt  went 
unrecognized;  the  Cunningham-Mangan  mile 
race  of  last  season,  and  the  Army-Navy  football 
game  which  resulted  in  a  tie.  Running  time,  10 
minutes. 


Little  Champs 

(  Columbia  ) 
Fair 

Youngsters  are  presented  in  various  sports 
ranging  from  marbles  to  riding  bronco  busters. 
After  the  marble  champion  has  been  crowned 
the  camera  shifts  to  a  very  young  lad  who 
shoots  glass  balls  hanging  barely  an  inch  from 
his  father's  face.  After  this  are  shown  junior 
skiers,  wrestlers,  boxers,  football  players  and 
finally  the  bronco  busting  youngsters,  who,  while 
not  very  successful  with  the  broncos,  show  un- 
daunted courage.  Narrative  by  Jack  Kofoed. 
Described  by  Ford  Bond.  Running  time,  10  min- 
utes. 


Clyde  McCoy  and  His 

"Sugar  Blues"  Orchestra 

(Vitaphone) 
Very  Good 

Rhythmic  music,  vocal  interludes  and  inter- 
pretative dancing  are  combined  here,  success- 
fully, in  a  most  entertaining  number  of  the 
"Melody  Master"  series.  Clyde  McCoy,  be- 
sides leading  the  orchestra,  really  "goes  to  town" 
when  he  plays  his  trumpet.  The  interpretative 
dancing,  if  that  is  its  proper  name,  is  performed 
by  a  number  of  ballroom  dancers,  recruited  from 
Roseland,  in  New  York,  who,  it  is  evident,  thor- 
oughly enjoyed  themselves  in  their  work.  Other 
specialties  are  by  Ruth  and  Billy  Ambrose,  Bill 
Hawley  and  Gloria  Fay.  Directed  by  Joseph 
Henabery.   Running  time,  10  minutes. 


Porky,  the  Rainmaker 

(Vitaphone) 
Very  Good 

A  very  good  number  of  the  "Looney  Tune" 
cartoon  series.  In  this,  Porky  sets  out  to  the 
village  from  Pa  Pig's  drought  stricken  farm  to 
buy  feed.  Instead  of  feed  Porky  brings  back  an 
assortment  of  rain,  wind,  ice,  sleet,  earthquake, 
snow  and  fog  pills.  In  anger  Pa  Pig  throws  the 
pills  into  the  barnyard.  The  animals  eat  the 
pills,  which  immediately  take  effect,  with  telling 
results.  When  the  rain  comes  Pa  Pig  forgets 
his  peeve.   Running  time,  7  minutes. 


That's  Pictures 

(Vitaphone) 
Clever 

A  cleverly  conceived  and  directed  short  sub- 
ject that  employs  the  "fade  out"  with  a  comedy 
angle.  Featuring  Colonel  J.  C.  Flippen  as  mas- 
ter of  ceremonies  this  is  entertaining  fare.  Col- 
onel Flippen,  of  amateur  hour  fame,  explains 
the  "fade  out"  to  the  audience  with  examples, 
introducing  several  specialty  acts  including  Mil- 
dred Law,  Elizabeth  Houston  and  Dan  Harden, 
Adrienne  Andre  and  Wyn  Cahoon.  Directed  by 
Roy  Mack.    Running  time,  20  minutes. 


50 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


THE  RELEASE  CHART 


Productions  are  listed  according  to  the  names  of  distributors  in  order  that  the  exhibitor  may  have  a  short-cut  towards  such 
information  as  he  may  need,  as  well  as  information  on  pictures  that  are  coming.  Features  now  in  work  or  completed  for  release 
later  than  the  date  of  this  issue  are  listed  under  "Coming  Attractions."  Running  times  are  those  supplied  by  the  companies. 
Asterisk  indicates  running  time  as  made  known  by  West  Coast  studio  before  announcement  by  home  office  in  New  York.  Varia- 
tions also  may  be  due  to  local  censorship  deletions.  Dates  are  1935,  unless  otherwise  specified.  Letter  in  parenthesis  after 
title  denotes  audience  classification  of  production:  (A)  Adult,  (G)  General.  Numerals  following  audience  classification  are  pro- 
duction numbers.    Dagger  symbol  indicates  picture  is  of  the  1935-36  season. 


ACADEMY 


Running  Time 

Tltla  Stir  Rel.  Oat*      Minutes  Reviewed 

I  Cimtutr  tk«  8m  (6)  Steffi  Duna   Jan.    24,'36t  70. Jan.  25/36 

Remit  af  th*  Damns  Dorothy  Stone-Dean  Jaggar  May   20,'38t  60. June    1 3/36 

( Reviewed  under  the  title  of  "Revolt  of  the  Zombies.") 


Coming 


laler-natlaaal  Crlaa  ... 

Million*  for  D*fMM  

Murder  In  Chlaatawa.... 
Sotret  of  Scotland  Yard. 
Slave  Ship   


AMBASSADOR-CONN-MELODY 

Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

20/381  

13/38t  

I5/S6t  

3,'set  

I  ,'36  

24,'36t  

20  

to/set  


Title  Star  Rel. 

Blatk  Oeld   F rankle  Darro-Berton  Churchill.  Jan. 

Bora  t*  Fight  F rankle  Darro-Jatk  La  Rue  Apr. 

P halted  at  Death  Valley  Frankle  Darro-Kane  Richmond.  ..May 

Phaatosi  Patrol   Kermlt  Maynard-Joan  Barclay  May 

Rating  Blood   Frankle  Darro-Kane  Richmond. ..Aug. 

Sang  «f  tha  Trail....  Kermlt  Maynard- Evelyn  Brest... Feb. 

Timber  War   Kermlt  Maynard-Luellle  Lund... Nov. 

Wildcat  Trooaor   Kermlt  Maynard-H.  Bosworth  Juno 


Coming 

Dawn  Rider   Kermlt    Maynard   Oct.  10/36. 

Rebia  Hood,  Jr.  Frankle  Darro-Kane  Richmond. . .Sept.  20/36. 

Swing  It  the  Thing  Pinky  Tomlin   Nov.  20/36. 

Trooper   X-13  Frankle   Darro-Kane    Richmond.  .Oct.  20/36. 

Valley  of  Terror  Kermlt    Maynard   Nov.  20/36. 

Wild  Hen*  Rouadup  Kermit  Maynard   Sept.  15/36. 

With  Love  and  Kluec   Pinky  Tomlin   Oct.  1/36. 


BURROUGHS-TARZAN 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Drag  Net,  The  Rod  LaRocque-Marian  Nixon  Apr.  I5,'36t  

(8«*  "la  th*  Cutting  Room."  Feb.  15/36.) 
Phaatom  *f  Salt*  Fa,  Th*  Nina  Quartaro- Norman  Kerry  July  7/36t  

(all  color) 

Tundra   Del  Cambre   Aug.  24,'36t  

Coming 

Whit*  Glove.  The  Sept.  I5,'36t  


CELEBRITY 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

For  Love  *f  You  Franco   Forests   -    Riscoe  and 

Wayne   60  

Kiss  M*  Gwdby*  (8)  Magda  Schneider  .  Riscoe  and 

Wayne   62.... Dee.  14 


CHESTERFIELD 


Title 


Star- 


August  Week -cad   V.  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley,  Jr  Apr. 

Below  the  Deadline  Cecilia  Parker-Russell  Hopton. . .  June 

Dark  Hour,  Th*  Ray  Walker-Irene  Ware  Jan. 

Little  Red  Schoolhouse  Diekie  Moore-Junior  Coghlan  Mar. 

Lady  Luck   Patricia  Farr-Wm.  Bakewell  July 

Ring  Around  the  Moon  (G) ...  Erin  O'Brien-Meore-D.  Cook  Dee. 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


25/36t  

1,  '36t  

I5/36T....64  

2.  '3»t....66  

6/36T  

I0t  64. Mar.  28/38 


Missing  Girls 


Coming 

.Roger  Pryor-Sydney  Blackmer. 

COLUMBIA 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


1 8/38 


Title  Star 
And   8*   They   Were  Married 

<Q>   Mary  Astor-Melvyn   Douglas  May    lO/SBf  75. Apr. 

Avenging   Waters   .Ken  Maynard-Beth  Marios  May  8/36t....56  

Blackmailer   William  Gargan-Fiorenee  Rice. ..July    I0/36T  66  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Mar.  28/36.) 

Calling  of  Dan  Matthew  (G).  .Richard  Arlen-Charlotte  Wynters . .  Dee.    I0t  65. Feb.  1/36 

Cattle  Thief,  The  Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell. .. Feb.   28.'36t  57  

Counterfeit   Chester  Morrls-Margot  Graham*. .  June  I2,'38t....74  

(See  "Queer  Money,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  2/36.) 
Crime  and  Punishment  (A)  Peter  Lorre-Edward  Arnold  Nov.    20t  89  N*v.  W 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36.  p.  63.) 


Running  Tim* 


Star 

Rel. 

Date 

Minute*  Review**' 

4/36t 

..47  

.May 

i/set 

...80. May  ll.*M 

Bruce  Cabot- Ann  Sothern  

.Feb. 

I5/S6t 

...63.  Mar.  14/16 

Nov. 

lot... 

...63  DM.  14 

30/36t 
l.'Sft 

sot.. 

...58  

...38  

Nov. 

...37  

George  Bancroft-Ann  Sothern.. 

Feb. 

8  'S«t 

.  63. Mar.  21/31 

Mar. 

2e/ait. 

...51. Aug.  22/36 

Jean    Arthur- Herbert  Marshall. 

.  Dee. 

30t. . 

...72  

23/36t....73  

28t  57. May 

3lt  69.F*b. 

l,'36t....72.July 


I'M 
13/36 


6/36t....66.Apr.  M/86 
l2/36t...H8.Apr.  UVM 


(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64.) 
King  Steps  Out,  Th*  (G)  Grace  Moore-Franchot  Tone  May   28/S6t  86. May  23/M 

(Exploitation:   July  25/36,  p.  81.) 

Lady  of  Secrets  Ruth  Chatterton-Otto  Kruger  Jan. 

Lawless  Riders  (G)  Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell. . .  Dee. 

Lone  Wolf  Returns,  The  (GK.Melvyn  Douglas-Gall  Patrick  Dee. 

Meet  Nero  Wolfe  (G)  Edward  Arnold-Lionel  Stander. . . Aug. 

Mine  With  the  Iron  Door,  The 

(G)   Richard   Arlen-Cecllla   Parker...  May 

Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town  (G) .  .Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  Apr. 

(Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p.  SO;  June  6/36,  p.   120;  Jun*  20/38.  pp.  III.  120,  139; 
June  27/  36,  p.  80;  July  11/36,  pp.  125.  128;  July  18/36,  p.  82;  July  25/36.  p.  SI; 
Aug.  8/36,  p.  92;  Aug.  22/36,  pp.  Ill,  112,  114.) 
Music  Goes  'Round,  The  (G).Rochelle  Hudson-Harry  Rlehmaa. . Feb.  27/361  88. Fall.  39/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  95;  Mar.  21/36.  p.  96;  Mar.  28/36,  p.  84;  Apr.  18/38,  p.  78; 
May  2/36,  p.  94;  May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  Juno  6/36,  p.  123.) 

Mysterious  Avenger   Charles  Starrett-Joan  Perry  Jan.    I7/S6t  55  

One  Way  Ticket  Lloyd  Nolan-Peggy  Conklln  Nov. 

Panic  on  the  Air  (G)  Lew  Ayres- Florence  Ries  Apr. 

Pride  of  the  Marines  Charles  Blckford-Florenco  Rice... Apr. 

Roaming  Lady   Fay  Wray-Ralph  Ballamy  Apr. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  April  4/36.) 

Secret  Patrol   (G)   Charles  Starrett-Flnls  Barton  May 

Shakedown   Lew  Ayres-Joan  Perry  July 

Stampede   Charles  Starrett-Flnls  Barton  June 

Too  Tough  to  Kill  Victor  Jory-Sally  O'Neill  Nov. 

Trapped  by  Television  (G)  Lyle  Talbot-Mary  Astor  Jun* 

Two  Fisted  Gentleman  James  Dunn-June  Clayworth  Aug. 

(See  "The  Fighter,"  "In  th*  Cutting  Room,"  July  4/36.) 

Western   Courage   Ken  Maynard-Geneva  Mitchell. ..  Nov. 

You  May  Be  Next  (G)  Ann  Sothern-Lloyd  Nolan  Feb. 


23t  72  

IO.'36t...-56.M«y 

2/3et....66  

I2,'36t....«»  


2/38 


20,'36t....60.Aug.  22/36 

I7.'36t....57  

8.'8<t..--56  

23t  58  

I3.'36t...  65.Aug.  8/36 
15/36  

ISt  58  

6/36t....67.Mar.  28/34 


Coming 

Adventure  in  Manhattan  Jean  Arthur-Joel  McCroa  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  18/36.) 

Come  Closer   Folks  James   Dunn-Marian  Marsh  

Craig's  Wife   John  Boles- Rosalind  Russell  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  July  18/36.) 

Cross   Fire   Charles  Starrett-Mary  Blake  

End  of  the  Trail  Jack  Holt-Louise  Henry  Sept.  16/36  

(See  "A  Man  Without  Fear,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 

Find    the   Witness  Marguerite  Churchill  

Hooded    Legion   Marguerite  Churchill   

I  Promise  to  Pay  Leo   Carrillo-Marian    Marsh  - 

Geo.  Bancroft   

Interlude   Grace  Moore   

Killer  at   Large  Mary  Brian-Russell  Hardie  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  22/36.) 

Lost  Horizon   Ronald  Colman-Jane  Wyatt- 

Edward  Everett  Horton  

Man  Who  Lived  Twice,  The  Isabel  Jewell-Ralph  Bellamy  Sept.  25/36  

Nightingale  Flies  Home,  The. Grace  Moore   

Pennies  from   Heaven  Blng  Crosby-Madge  Evans  

Theodora  Goes  Wild  Irene   Dunne-Melvyn   Douglas  .,>. 

They  Met  in  a  Taxi  (G)  Chester  Morris-Fay  Wray  Sept.    1/36  70. Aug.  S>36 

Two  Minute  Alibi  M.  Churehlll-Wm.  Gargan  Sept.  23/36  

Unknown  Ranger,  The  Robert   Allen-Martha   Tlbbetts..  Sept.  15/36  


Women  Are   Wise  Dolores  Del  Rio. 


COMMODORE 

Running  Tim* 

Title  star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Aces   Wild   Harry  Carey   ..Jan.     I/36t . . . . 6  rlc  

Ghost  Town   Harry  Carey    ..Feb.   I5/S6t  6  rl  

Pecos    Kid.   The  Fred  Kohler.  Jr  Feb.   IS.'SSt  6  rls  

Rldln'    Through   Tom  Tyler   N*v.   tSt  6  rl*  

Shadow  of  Silk  Lennox..!  L*n  Chant*.  Jr.  N*v.     It.  6  rl*  

Toll  of  the  Desert  (G)  Fred  Kohler.  Jr.-Betty  Mack  Dee.    2«t  60..  .Oct  21 

Wolf  Riders   Jack  Perrln   Nov.     It  6  rl*  

Coming 

Scream  in  the  Dark  Lou   Chaney.   Jr  .  .6  rls  


August    29,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


51 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


Title 


Star 


Runninf  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


DANUBIA 


(Hungarian  Dialogue:  Running  Time 
Tlt,e                                       Star                                     Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Empress  and  a  Seldier  Gezon-Dajbukat   Dec.    I5t  80  

Friendly  Expression   Raday-Szoke   Aug.  25,'36  78  

Hungaria   Travelogue   Mar    I5,'36  54  

Keep   Smiling   Szoeke    Szakall   Feb.  2l/36t....77  

Landlord,   The   Csortos-Egry   Aug.   20,*36  98  

Little  Pastry  Shop  Kabos-Percell   May    15/36  88  

March  Tales   Turay-Kabos  July    15. '36  68  

New   Squire.   The  Paul    Javor   Mar.   1 5,'36t ...  1 06  

Queen  of  Roses  ■  Zita  Pertzel   Nov.    10+  90  

Sweet  Stepmother   Maria  Tasnadi   Dec.    22t  90  

This  Villa  for  Sale  Verebes-Csikos  June    15. '36  80   

Coming 

Be  Good  Unto  Death  Laci   Devenyi   Sept.  10/36..  .  80  

Car  of   Dreams   Torzs-Percell   Oct.    10/36..  .  90  

Don't   Cry   Mother  Eva  Rutkay   Nov.     I, '36  65   

Man  under  the  Bridge  Csortos-Lazar   Nov.    15/36  82  


DU  WORLD 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Frasquita  (G)   Franz  Lehar   ..Jin.    I7/S6t  87. Feb.  1/36 

Legeng:  Dance  of  the  Virgins.. Technicolor   Nw.    ISt  60  

Scandal  in  Budapest  Nov.  It  

H'edding   Rehearsal   Roland  Young-Merle  Oberon  Dee.  If  


Coming 


.Oet.  I5,'36. 


.84. 


Amok   Marcel  Chantel   

Kliou.  The  Killer  Technicolor   Oet.     I, '36  60., 

L'Enulppage   Annabella   Oct.    15/36  79. 

Nobody's  Boy   Robert  Lynen   Sett.  15/36  81. 

Notre  Dame   Oct.     1/36    58. 

Opera  of  Paris   Georges  Thill   Oet.     1/38  50. 


EMPIRE 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


Title  Star 

Drlme  Patrol   Ray  Walker-Geneva  Mitchell  

Fire  Trap  (G)   Evalyn  Knapp-Norman  Foster  '63  Dee. 


Shadows  of  the  Orient  (G)  Regis  Toomey-Esther  Ralston  


•65. Feb.  15/36 


FIRST  NATIONAL 


.63.  May  23/36 
.95  Dee.  28 


(See  also  Warner  Brothers)     Running  tibm 

Title                                    Star  Rel.  Date       Minutes  Reviewed 

Brides  Are  Like  That  (G)  972. Ross  Alexander-Anita  Louise  Apr.   I8,*36t..  .  .67. Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  117.) 

Broadway  Hostess  (G)  963. .. .Winifred  Shaw-Lyle  Talbot  Dec.     7t  69  Nov.  23 

Bullets  or  Ballots  (G)  961  Edw.  G.  Robinson-Joan  Blendell . .  June    6/36t  81.  May  23/36 

(Exploitation:  June  13/36,  p.  123;  June  27/36,  p.  86;  Aug.  8/36,  pp.  92,  93.) 
Captain  Blood  (G)  855  Errol  Flynn-Olivia  De  Havllland. . Dec.    28t  119. Jan.  11/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  69;  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83  .  86;  Feb.  29/36,  pp. 
74,  76;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82;  Aug.  22/36,  p.  117.) 
Case  of  the  Velvet  Claws,  The 

(G)    965   Warren  William-Claire  Dodd  Aug.  I5,'36t. 

Ceiling  Zero   (G)   953  James  Cagney-Pat  O'Brien  Jan.  25/36t. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  62;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  29/36,  p.  73;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99; 
Apr.  18/36,  pp.  81,  82;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  23  /36,  p.  88.) 

China  Clipper  (G)  960  Pat  O'Brien-Beverly   Roberts  Aug.  22,'36t . . .  88',2  Aug.  15/36 

Earthworm  Tractors  (G)  862. ..Joe  E.  Brown-June  Travis  July    1 8/36 1.  ..*68. June  20/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  91;  Aug.  15/36,  pp.  75,  76,  78.) 
Golden  Arrow,  The  (G)  959...Bette   Davis-George  Brent  May   23/36t . . .  .68.  May  9/36 

(Exploitation:  May  16/36,  p.  85;  July  4/36,  p.  72.) 

Hearts  Divided   (G)  955  Marion  Davies-Dick  Powell  June  20/36t.. 

I  Found  Stella  Parish  (A)  958. Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter   Nov.  I6t  

Law  in  Her  Hands,  The  (G) 

973   Margaret  Lindsay-Warren  Hull... May  I6.'36t.. 

Love   Begins  at   Twenty  (G) 

975   Warren  Hull-Patricia  Ellis  Aug.  22/36  58.  May  30/36 

Man  of  Iron  (G)  969   Barton  MacLane-Mary  Astor  Dec.    21 1  61  Nov.  18 

Murder  by  an  Aristocrat  (G) 

974   Marguerite  Churchill-L.  Talbot. .  .June  I3.'36t. . 

Murder  of   Dr.   Harrlgan,  The 

(G)  970   Kay  Linaker-Rlcardo  Cortez  Jan.  Il/36t.. 

Payoff,  The  (G)  968  James  Dunn-Claire  Dodd  Nov.     9t  64  Nov.  30 

Road  Gang  (A)  964   ...Donald  Woods-Kay  Llnaker  Mar.  28/36t. . . .  62. Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  121;  June  27/36,  p.  88;  July  4/36,  p.  68; 
July  11/36,  p.  128.) 

Singing  Kid,  The  (G)  954  Al  Jolson- Beverly  Roberts  Apr. 

(Exploiation:  May  2/36,  p.  99.) 

Snowed  Under  (G)  971  George  Brent-Genevieve  Tobin  Apr. 

Song  of  the  Saddle  (G)  978.. Dick  Foran-Alma  Lloyd  Feb. 

Story  of    Louis    Pasteur,  The 

<G)  956   Paul  Muni-Josephine  Hutchinson.. Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  96;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  Apr.  25/36, 
p.  96;  May  2/36.  p.  92;  May  9/36,  p.  94;  May  16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36.  p.  85;  July 
4/36,  p.  68;  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93.) 
Two  Against  the  World  (G)  977. Humphrey  Bogart-Beverly  Rob- 
erts  July    ll/36t  57. May  23/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.) 

White  Angel,  Tha  980  (G)  Kay  Francis-Ian  Hunter  July     4,'36t.    .  91. June  6/36 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  125;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  92.) 


.70. June  13/36 
.84....  Nov.  2 


..58. Apr.  18/36 


.60.  Apr.  4/36 


..67. Feb. 


.'36 


Running  Time 

Tit)e  star  Rol.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Captain's  Kid,  The  Guy  Kibbee-Sybil  Jason  

(See  "Way  for  a  Pirate,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Case  of  the  Black  Cat  Ricardo  Cortez-June  Travis  

Down  the  Stretch  (G)  177  Patricia  Ellis-Dennis  Moore  Sept.  19/36. .  .  *65. July  18/36 

Draegerman's  Courage   Jean   Muir-Barton    Mac  Lane  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  July  4/36.) 

Fugitive  in  the  Sky  Jean  Muir-Warren  Hull  

God's  Country  and  the  Woman. George  Brent-Beverly  Roberts  

Gold  Diggers  of  1937  Dick  Powell-Joan  Blondell  

Green  Light   Errol  Flynn  Anita  Louise  

(See  "In  the  Cutting   Room."   Aug.  8/36.) 

Mountain  Justice   Josephine  Hutchinson   

Nowhere   Ross  Alexander-Beverly  Roberts  

Sing  Me  a  Love  Song  lames  Melton-Patricia  Ellis  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  IS/36.) 

Slight  Case  of  Murder,  A  Edward  G.  Robinson  

Stage  Struck  (G)  Joan  Blondell- Dick  Powell  Sept.  12/36. .  .'90.  Aug.  13/36 

Tattler,  The   Ross  Alexander-Anne  Nagel  

Three  Men  on  a  Horse  Frank  McHugh-Joan  Blondell  

Trailin'  West  979  Dick    Foran-Paula   Stone  Sept.    5/36  56  

(See  "On  Secret  Service."  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  May  16/36.) 


ll/36t....84.Mar.  21/36 


4/S6t..-.63.Mar.  21/36 
29/361. ...56. Apr.  11/36 


22/36t....87....Nov.  30 


FRANK  NORTON 


Title 
Aute  in  Zoo 
Blue  Candles 


(Greek  Dialogue— English  Titles)  Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date      Ml  antes  Reviewed 

.Rota  Karmen   Nov.    25t  115  

Reta  Myrat   Dec.  ISt. 


Crucified  Love   Helen   Pades   Dee 

Depression  Is  Over   Beatrice  Emanuel   Jan. 

Independence   Phillip  Alexander   Feb.  16/Stt 

News  from  Greece  Travelogue   Feb.  9/3fJt 

Voskopoula   Sephea  Damoglou   Jan.  5/Sit 


.95... 

I5t  115... 

I5/S6t..  98... 

.100... 


.95. 


GB  PICTURES 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  hevlewed 

.Dec.    3lt  78  Nov.  30 

May  30/36t....79.May  16/36 
.Jan.    IO/36t....75.Jan.  25/36 

.Nov.    22  80  Oct.  10 

Jan.  18/36.  p.  83:  Feb.  8/36, 


.Dec.    I5t  80  Oct.  10 

.Apr.  l5/36t....86.Mar.  7/36 

.June   I5.'36t  83.  May  23/36 

.Aug.  l5/36t....70.July  11/36 


Title  Star 

First  a  Girl  (A)  3512  lessie  Matthews-Sonnie  Hale... 

It's  Love  Again  (G)  Jessie  Matthews-Robert  Young. 

King  of  the  Damned  (A)  3504. Conrad  Veldt-Helen  Vinson  

Mister  Hobo  (G)  3416  George  Arliss-Gene  Gerrard  

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "The  Guv  nor.")  (Exploitation 
p.  84;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  83.) 
Passing  of  the  Third  Floor 

Back,  The  (G)  3510  Conrad    Veidt-Rene  Ray  

Rhodes,    the    Diamond  Master 

(G)    3514   Walter  Huston   

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  72.) 

Secret  Agent   (A)   3515  Madeleine  Carroll-Peter  Lorro. 

Seven  Sinners   Edmund    Lowe-Constance  Cum- 

mings   

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Doomed  Cargo.") 

Coming 

East  Meets  West  George  Arliss  

Everything   Is  Thunder  C.    Bennett-D.    Montgomery  Sept.  1/36  

Great   Barrier,   The  Richard  Arlen-Lilli  Palmer  

Head    Over    Heels  Jessie  Matthews   

Hidden  Power,  The  Sylvia  Sidney-John  Loder  

His  Majesty's  Pyjamas  (A) 

3623   Clive  Brook-Helen  Vlnson-Mary 

Carlisle   78.  May  30/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Love  in  Exile.") 

King  Solomon's  Mines  3618. .  .Roland  Young-Paul  Robeson  

Land  Without  Music   Richard  Tauber-Diana  Napier  

Man  Who  Lived  Again  3507..  Boris  Karloff-Anna  Lee  Sept.  15/36  

Nelson  Touch,  The  George  Arliss-Rene  Ray  

Nine  Days  a  Queen  (G)  3610.. Nova  Pilbeam-Cedrie  Hardwicke. .Sept.    l/36t  80. May  18/36 

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Lady  Jane  Gray.")  (See  production  article,  June  20/36,  p.  10.) 

Soldiers  Three   Victor  McLaglen   

Strangers  on  a  Honeymoon  Constance  Cummings-Hugh  Sin- 
clair-Noah  Beery   73  


GEORGE  HIRLIMAN  ENTERPRISES 


Rel. 


Running  Time 
Date       Minutes  Reviewed 


Coming 


Bristol,    the    Blunderer  George  O'Brien   Nov.  1/36  

Captain  Calamity   George   Houston-Marian  Nixon  66. 

Daniel    3oone   George  O'Brien   Sept.  1/36  

Devil  on  Horseback,  The  Llll    Damita   Sept.  15/36  

Gorgeous   

Navy  Spy   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  

Park  Avenue   Logger  George  O'Brien  

Pending  Justice    Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  

Romance    on   the  Rio  

Sam   Houston,   Pioneer   George  O'Brien   

We're  In  the  Legion  Now  (G). Reginald  Denny-Esther  Ralston  

(Reviewed  under  the  title  "Rest  Cure.") 
Yellow  Cargo   Conrad  Nagel-Eleanor  Hunt  65 


....64. Feb.  13/30 


52 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    2  9,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART— CONT'D) 


GRAND  NATIONAL  DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

(Release  First  Division  Productions  and  in  certain  territories  Alliance,  Diversion, 
Normandy,  Associated  Talking,  Monogram,  Liberty,  Chesterfield  and  Invincible  Pictures.) 

Running  Time 

Tit)(  star  Rel-  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

August    Week-End   Valerie  Hobson-G.  P.  Huntley, 

Jr  Apr.  IO/36t....67  

Below   the    Deadline  Cecilia  Parker- Russell  Hopton.  ■  ■  June    S,'36t  69  

Bridge  ot  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens- Dorothy  Tree  Mar.    5,'36t  66  

Brilliant   Marriage   Joan  Marsh-Ray  Walker  ..Mar.  25,'36t...  62'/2  

Dark  Hour,  The   Irene  Ware-Ray  Walker  Jan.    I5,'36t. . .  .70'/2  

Drake  the  Pirate  (G)  Matheson  Lang-Jane   Baxter. ...  Apr.     I.'36t. .. .78. . . . June  ^  I 

Easy   Money   (G)  Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker. . . . .  June   I5.'36t  66"/2  July  11/36 

Feud  of  the  West  Hoot  Gibson-Joan  Barclay  Apr.   I5,'36t  6l'/2  

Hitch-Hike  to   Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman-Anlta  Page. ..Dec. 

I  Conquer  the  Sea  (G)  Steffi  Duna   Fob- 
Lady  in  Scarlet,  The  Reginald  Denny-Patricia  Farr.-.Nov. 

Lady  Luck   Patricia  Farr-Wm.  Bakewell  July 

Law  of  45's   Big  Boy  Wllllam-Molly  0' Day. -.Dec. 

Little  Red  School  House.. ....Junior  Coghlan-Dlekia  Moore  Mar. 

Living    Dead,   The  Gerald  Du  Maurler-Geo.  Curzon.Feb. 

Lucky  Terror,  The  Hoot   Gibson   Feb. 

Murder  at  Glen  Athol  John  Mlljan-lrene  Ware  Nov. 

Old  Curiosity  Shop  (G)  Elaine  Benson-Ben  Webster  Dec. 

Red  Wagon  Charles  Bickford-Raquel  Torres- -Dee. 

Riding  Avenger  (G)   Hoot  Gibson   .  Juno   I5.'36t...  .57. July  18/36 

Ring  Around  the  Moon  Erin  O'Brien  -  Moore  -  Donald 

Cook   -  Jan. 

She-Devil   Island   C.  Guerrero-  J.  J.  Martinez 

Casado   ..June 

Southern   Maid   Bebe  Daniels-Clifford  Molllson. •  ■  May 

Spy  77   (G)   Greta  Nissen-Don  Alvarado  Jan. 

Swifty   Hoot  Gibson-June  Gale  Dee. 

Tango   Marian   Nixon-Chick  Chandler  ..Jan. 

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)  Chick  Chandler- Evalyn  Knapp  May   20,*36t  75. July 

Too  Much  Beef  Rex  Bell-Connie  Bergen  Apr.  20,'36t  59  

West  of  Nevada  Rex  Bell   June  22,'36t  59  

Coming 

In  His  Steps  Eric  Linden-Cecilia  Parker  


It  63  

I  ,*36t  67. Jan.  25/36 

20t  65  

3/36t  

It  56  

IO/36t....59  

29/36t....65  

20/36t....6l  

It  69. May  9/36 

25t  89. ...Feb.  2 

8t  76  


23/36t. ..  .69'/sMar.  28/36 

l/36t  63  

l/36t  60  

l5/36t....77.Feb.  29/36 

I5t  60  

IO/36t..  ..70  

4/36 


GUARANTEED 


Running  Time 

T!tl9  star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Just  My  Luck   Eddie  Nugent-Charles   Ray  June  15/36  

Women  In  White  Molly  Lamont-Lester   Matthews .  .July  15/36  

Coming 

Luck  of  the  Irish   Richard   Hayward   Sept.  15/36  

Phantom  Ship   Bela  Lugosi-Shirley   Grey  Oct.  15/36  


HOFFBERG 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Fighting  Playboy   Lucllo  Browne-Nick  Stuart  Nov.    lot  55  

Girl  from  Maxim's  Leslie  Henson-Frances  Day  July    15/36  65. Oct.  14/33 

Old  Spanish  Custom,  An  Buster    Keatin   Jan.     2/36t  60  

Song  of  the  Scarlet  Flower  Swedish   Juno  l5/36t....80  

Wanted   Men   Charles  Laughton- Dorothy  Glsh.  June     l/36t  62  

Coming 

Monday  at  Ten   Virginia  Cherrill-Gary  Marsh  60  

Crime  of  Voodoo  Fredl  Washington   Sept.    1/36  63  

Voice  of  India  Hoeffer  Expedition   Sept.  15/38  70  

Womanhood   Eve  Gray-Esmond  Knight    60  


HUNGARIA 


(Hungarian  Dialogue)  Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Addressee  Unknown   Irene  Agai   Nov.   20t  85  

Heart  Specialist   B.  Somegyl   ...Dec. 

I  Cannot  Live  Without  Musle..Gyula  Csortos   .....Dec. 

One  Night  In  Venice  Gyula  Csortos   Jan. 

Three  Men  Under  the  Snow....Jeno  Torzs   Nov. 


30t.... 
20t.... 
l/36t. 
20t.... 


.90. 

.95. 
.85. 
.85. 


IMPERIAL 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Forgotten  Women   Irene  Rich-Evelyn  Brent  May   15/36  71  

Manhattan  Butterfly   Dorothy  Grainger-Wm.  Bakewell. . Nov.   25t  71  

Coming 

High  Hat   Frank  Luther- Dorothy  Dare  Sept. 

I  Demand  Payment  Betty  Burgess-Lloyd  Hughes  Nov. 

Rich  Relations   Ralph  Forbes- Frances  Grant  Oct. 

She  Shall  Have  Musie  Jack  Hylton-June  Clyde  Sept.  19/36  82. 


1/36.. 
l/36t. 
15/36.. 


.68. 


INVINCIBLE 


(Distributed  through  Chesterfield) 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Bridge  of  Sighs  Onslow  Stevens -Dorothy   Tree  Feb.    I5,'36t  64  

Brilliant  Marriage   Joan    Marsh-Ray    Walker  Mar.  25,'36t  


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Easy  Money  (G)  Onslow  Stevens-Kay  Linaker  June   1 0."36t . . .  66"2  July  1 1/36 

Hitch-Hike  to   Heaven  Henrietta  Crosman-Anita  Page. ..Dec. 

It  Couldn't  Have  Happened  Reginald  Denny-Jack  La  Rue.... Aug. 

(See  "Divided  by  Two,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 

Tango   Marian  Nixon-Chick  Chandler. ...  Jan. 

Three  of  a  Kind  (G)  Chick  Chandler- Evalyn  Knapp  May 


It... 
1/36. 


i /set.. ..66  

2.'36t....75.July 


4/36 


Coming 


Ellis  Island 


MASCOT 


Title 

Doughnuts  and  Society. 


Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
.Louise  Fazenda-Maude  Eburne. . .  Mar.  27/S6t  63  


..72.  Mar.  7/36 

..79.  July  11/36 

..73. Jan.  18/36 

.94.  May  30/31 


.105. 


..89. Aug.  22/36 


METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Re|.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Absolute  Quiet  (G)  609  Irene  Hervey-LIonel  Atwlll  ..Apr.  24/36t. .. .71 . Apr.  11/36 

Bohemian  Girl,  The  (G)  521...  Laurel  and  Hardy   Feb.  I4,'36t.. 

Devil  Doll,  The  (G)  631  Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sulllvan.  .July  IO/36t.. 

Exclusive  Story  (G)  621  Franchot  Tone-Madge  Evans  Jan.  I7,'36t.. 

Exploitation:  Mar.  28/36,  p.  82;  Apr.  1 1/36, p.  95;  May  30/36,  p.  90.) 

Fury  (G)   610  Sylvia   Sidney-Spencer   Tracy  June  5/36t.. 

(Exploitation:  Juno  20/36,  p.  117;  June  27/36,  pp.  80,  81.) 
Garden  Murder  Case,  The  (Q) 

622   Edmund   Lowe-Virginia   Bruce. ..Feb.  2l/36t  62. Feb.  8/36 

Gorgeous  Hussy,  The  633  Joan  Crawford  -  Robert  Taylor- 

Melvyn  Douglas  •  Franchot  Tone. .  Aug.  28/36t. 
(See  production  article,  Aug.  1/36,  p.  16.) 
His  Brother's  Wife  (A)  657. .  Robt.  Taylor-Barbara  Stanwyck..  .Aug.  7/36t. 
(Exploitation:  Aug.   15/36,  p.  76.) 

Kelly  the  Second  702  Patsy   Kelly-Pert   Kelton  Aug.  21/36  71  

Kind  Lady  (G)  619  Aline   MacMahon-B.   Rathbone. . .  Dec.      6  78  Dec.  7 

Last  of  the  Pagans  (G)  617. .  Mala-Lotus  Long   Dec.   20t  84  Dee.  14 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  95.) 

Moonlight   Murder    (G)    624.  Chester  Morris-Madge   Evans  Mar.  27/36t. ..  .68.  Mar.  28/36 

Mutiny  on  the  Bounty  (G)  536.  Clark  Cable  -  Charles  Laughton- 

Franchot  Tone   Nov.     8t  133  Nov.  9 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  80;  Jan.  25/36,  p.  68;  Feb.  1/36,  p.  65;  Feb.  15/36.  p.  82; 
Feb.  22/36,  pp.  95,  98;  June  27/36,  p.  81;  July  25/36,  p.  77.) 

Night  at  the  Opera,  A  (G)  644.  Marx  Brothers   Nov.    I5t  96  Oct.  26 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  80,  82;  Feb.  22/36,  pp.  94,  100;  Feb.  29/36,  p.  74;  Mar. 
7/36,  p.  101;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88;  July  25/36,  pp.  78,  80.) 
Perfect  Gentleman,  The  (G) 

615   Frank  Morgan-C.  Courtneidge  Nov.   22t  73  Dee.  28 

Petticoat  Fever  (G)  645  Rob't   Montgomery-Myrna   Loy...Mar.  20/36t. .. .81 . Mar.  21/36 

(Exploitation:    Apr.  18/36,  p.  79;  May  30/36,  p.  90;  June  13/36,  p.  123;  July  25/36. 
P.  81.) 

Piccadilly  Jim  (G)  655  Robt.  Montgomery-Madge  Evans.  .Aug.  I4,'36t  97. Aug.  15/36 

Riffraff  (G)  517  Jean    Harlow-Spencer   Tracy  Jan.     3/36t  90  Dee.  28 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  84,  89.) 
Robin  Hood  of  El  Dorado,  The 

608   Warner  Baxter-Ann  Loring  Apr.   I7,'36t  86  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Mar.  7/36.)  (Exploitation:  May  30/36,  p.  85;  July  11/36, 
P.  124.) 

Rose  Marie  (G)  643  J.  MacDonald-Nelson  Eddy  Jan.    3l/36t . .. 1 13. Jan.  18/36 

(See  musical  analysis,  Feb.  22/36,  p.  23;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  14/36, 
p.  87;  Mar.  21/36,  p.  92;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  11/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  78; 
May  9/36,  p.  90;  May  30/36,  p.  86;  July  18/36,  p.  82.) 

San  Francisco  (G)  636  Clark  Gable  -  J.  MacDo/iald  . 

Spencer  Tracy  -  Jack  Holt  June   26/36t..  III. July  4/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93-94;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  90;  Aug.  22/36,  pp.  113,  114.) 

Small  Town  Girl  (G)  607  Janet   Gaynor-Robert  Taylor  Apr.   I0.'36f . . .  1 06 .  Apr.  11/36 

(Exploitation:  June  13/36,  p.  122;  June  27/36,  p.  80;  July  25/36,  p.  77;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  91.) 

Speed  652  (G)   Wendy  Barrie-James  Stewart  May     8/36t  72. May  2/36 

Suzy  (G)  518   Jean  Harlow- Franchot  Tone  July   24,'36t  95. July  18/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90;  Aug.  15/36,  pp.  74,  79.) 
Tale  of  Two  Cities,  A  (G)  604.  Ronald  Colman- Elizabeth  Allan.. Dec. 


27t. 


..126  Dec. 


(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  86;  May  2/36,  p.  94.) 


6/36t....82.Feb, 
IO/36t....62.Jan. 


22/36 
4/36 
.75.  May  16/36 


I3t 


Three  Godfathers  (G)  623  Chester  Morris-Irene  Hervey  Mar. 

Three  Live  Ghosts  (G)  618  Richard  Arlen-Cecllla  Parker  Jan 

Three  Wise  Guys  (G)  653  Robert  Young-Betty  Furness  May  I5,'36t. 

(Exploitation:  July  18/36,  p.  85.) 

Tough  Guy  (G)  620  Jackie  Cooper-Joseph  Callela  Jan.  24/36t. 

Trouble  for  Two  (G)  646  Robert  Montgomery-R.  Russell  May  29/36t. 

Unguarded  Hour,  The  (G)  65I.Loretta  Young- Franchot  Tone  Apr.  3/36t. 

Voice  of  Bugle  Ann,  The  (G) 

630   Lionel  Barrymore-M.  O'Sulllvan. .  Feb. 

We  Went  to  College  (G)  626.. Walter  Abel-Edith  Atwater  June 

Whipsaw  (G)  513  Myrna  Loy-Spencer  Tracy  Dee. 

Wife  vs.  Secretary  (G)  606  Clark   Cable-Myrna    Loy  -  Jean 

Harlow   Feb.  28/36t 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p.  77;  July  4/36,  p.  69.) 
Women  Are  Trouble  (G)  701...  Stuart  Erwln-Florence  Rice  July   31/36  59. June  r",1** 

Coming 

All  American  Chump   Stuart  Erwin-Betty  Furness  

Born  to  Dance  Eleanor  Powell- James  Stewart  

Camille   Greta   Garbo-Robert  Taylor  

Devil  Is  a  Sissy,  The...'.  Freddie    Bartholomew- Jackie 

Cooper   Sept.  18/36  

General  Spanky   Spanky   McFarland-P.  Holmes  

Good  Earth,  The  Paul    Munl-Luise  Rainer  

(See  production  article,  July  11/36,  p.  16.) 


.77. Feb.  8/36 
.75. May  30/36 
.88  Apr.  4/36 


7/36t....72.Feb.  15/36 
9/36t....69.June  27/36 
.82  Dee.  14 


.89. Feb.  22/36 


August    29,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


53 


(THE  RELEASE  CHAET—CCN'T) 


Title 

Great  Ziegfeld.  Th*  (G)  700. 
(Pictorial:  Jan.  25/36.  p. 


Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

.  William  Powell  •  Myrna  Ley  • 

Luise   Rainer   Sept.    4/36...  1 80. Apr.  4/36 

16;  exploitation:  Apr.  18. '36,  p.  76;  June  27, '36,  p.  82;  Aug. 
8,'36,  p.  90;  Aug.  1 5,'36,  p.  79;  Aug.  22,'36.  p.  114.) 

Libeled  Lady   Jean  Harlow- William  Powell- 

Myrna  Loy-8pence'  Tracy  

Lengest    Night,    The  Robert  Young-Florence  Rice  

Love  on  the   Run  Clark  Gable  -  Joan  Crawford  - 

Franchot  Tone   

Mr.  Cindrella   Jack  Haley-Betty  Furness  

Old  Hutch   Wallace  Beery-Cecilia  Parker. ..  .Sept.  25/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 

Our  Relations    Laurel  and  Hardy  

Romeo  and  Juliet  (G)  Norma  Shearer-Leslie  Howard- 
John    Barrymore    124. July  18/36 

(See  production  article.  Mar.  28/36,  p.  16.) 

Sworn  Enemy  (G)  703  Robert  Young- Florence  Rice  Sept.  11/36  78. July  11/36 

Tarzan  Escapes   Johnny  Weismuller-Maureen 

O'Sutlivan   


MITCHELL  LEICHTER 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Desert  Guns   Conway   Tearle   Jan.     2/36?  65  

Riddle  Ranch   Black   King   Dec.    I6t  56  


Coming 


Devil's   Gold   Conway  Tearle   

Hell's   Hacienda   ....Conway  Tearle   

Sontr  Jim   Conway  Tearle- Barbara  Bedford. 

Three  Fingers   Conway  Tearle   

Whistling  Skull   Conway  Tearle   


PARAMOUNT 


..59.  Apr.  25/36 


..83....  Nov.  23 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
And  Sudden  Death  (G)  Randolph  Scott-Frances  Drake.  .June   I9.'36t  68. June  13/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  88;  Aug.  15/36,  pp.  74,  76;  Aug.  22/36,  p.  112.) 
Anything  Goes  (G)  3533  Bins  Crosby-Ethel  Merman   Jan.   24/36?  92.  Feb.  22/36 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Arizona  Raiders,  The  Buster  Crabbe- Marsha  Hunt  June  28/36t  57  

Bar  20  Rides  Again  (G)  3525.  Wm.  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  Dec.    lit  63  Dee.  7 

Big  Brown  Eyes  (G)  3548  Joan    Bennett-Cary    Grant  Apr.    3/38?  76. Apr.  11/36 

Border  Flight  (G)  3558  John  Howard-Frances  Farmer  May  29/36? 

Bride  Comes   Home,  The  (G) 
3530   Claudette  Colbert- F.  Mae  Murray.  Jan.  3/36t 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  98;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  92.) 

Call  of  the  Pralrla  (Q)  SMI..  Wm.    Boyd-Jimmy    Ellison  Mar.    6/361. ..  .67. Feb.  1/36 

Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames,  The 
(A)  3555   Madeleine  Carroll-George  Brent. May     8/36t  85. May  9/38 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  121;  July  4/36,  p.  69.) 
Collegiate    (G)   3529  Joe  Penner-Jack  Oakle  Dee.    27t  81  Dee.  28 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  94;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89; 
Apr.  11/36,  p.  92;  May  16/36,  p.  82.) 
Coronado  3524   Betty  Burgess-Johnny  Downs. . 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Oct.  19.)  (Exploitation:  Feb 

Desert  Gold  (G)  3546   Larry  Crabbe -Marsba  Hunt  

Desire  (A)  3539  Marlene  Dietrich-Gary  Cooper. . 

(Exploitation:  June  20/36,  p.  121.) 

Drift  Fence  (G)  3536  Larry  Crabbe- Kath.  De  Mill*.. 

Early  to  Bed  (G)  3560  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland.. 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.) 


Forgotten  Faces  (G)  3556... 
Girl  of  the  Ozarks,  The  (G) 


Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael. 


Give  Us  This  Night  (G)  3542.. Jan  Kiepura-Gladys  Swarthout. 
(See  musical  analysis,  Mar.  14/36,  p.  18.) 


.Nov. 
1/36, 

p.  66.) 

.76  

.Mar. 

27/36t.. 

.58.  Aug. 

I/M 

.Feb. 

28/36?.. 

.95.  Feb. 

8/36 

.Feb. 

I4.'36t.. 

.56.  May 

30/36 

.June 

S.'36t.. 

.73. July 

25/36 

May 

IS,  36t.. 

.76. May 

23/36 

May 

l/36t.. 

.67. Apr. 

25/36 

.Mar. 

IS/36t.. 

.72. May 

16/36 

.May 

IS/SSt.. 

.72. May 

vse 

.June 

l2/36t.. 

.68. June 

6/36 

.Mar. 

8/36t.. 

.73.  Mar. 

7/36 

July 

24/36t  , 

.  .78  

Her  Master's  Voice  (G)  3531..  Edw.  E.  Horton-P.  Conklln  Jan. 

Hollywood  Boulevard  (G)  3603.  John  Halllday-Robt.  Cummlngs. . Aug. 


l7/36t....76.Feb.  22/36 
21/36. .  ..*72. Aug.  22/36 


..Aug.  14/36. 


20t. 


.81. 


.63. 


2l/36t....8I.Feb.  15/31 
p.  98;  Apr.  1/36,  p.  92: 


ISt. . 


84. ...Nov.  10 


I'd  Give  My  Life  3602  Sir  Guy  Standlnp-F.  Drake 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 
It's  a  Great  Life  3528  Joe   Morrison-Rosalind   Keith  Dee. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Klondike  Annie  (A)  3538  Mae  West-Victor  MeLaglen  Feb. 

(See  news  article.  Mar.  7/36,  p.  19;  exploitation:  Feb.  22/36. 
June  20/36,  p.  118.) 
Mary  Burns,  Fugitive  (G)  S52I  .Sylvia  Sldney-Melvyn  Douglas..  .Nov. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  '4/36,  p.  86;  Mar.  28/38,  p.  84.) 
Milky  Way.  The  (G)  3535  Harold  Lloyd-Adotphe  Men  Jon. .. .  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  pp.  93.  95;  Apr.  4/36,  pp.  82.  87;  May  1/36,  p.  99;  May  23/36, 
p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  116;  June  27/36,  pp.  82,  85;  July  18/36,  p.  85;  Aug.  22/36,  p.  117.) 
Millions  In  the  Air  (G)  3526. .John  Howard-Wendy  Barrle  Dee.    ISt. . 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  64;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83.) 

Mom's  Onr  Heme,  The(G)3549.  Margaret  Sullavan-Henry  Fonda  .Apr.   IO,'S(f  83. Apr. 

My  American  Wlfa  (0)  Francis  Lederer-Ann  Sothorn  A  if. 

Nevada  (G)  3323  Larry  Crabbe- Kathleen  Barke..  Nov. 

Pain  Springs  (G)  3559  Frances  Langferd-Smlth  Ball**.  .June 

Pater  Ibbetson  (Q)  3518  Gary  Cooper-Ann  Harding  Nov. 


7/S«t....88.Feb.  1/36 


.  Nov.  30 


1/36 

7/38?....  63.  July  25/36 

28t  59....  Nov.  16 

S,'3et....72.June  6/38 
•t  85....  Nov.  S 


Pappy  (G)  3562  W.  C.  Flelds-Rschelle  Hudson  ..June   19/38   73. June  13/36 

Preview   Murder   Mystery  (G) 
4540   Gall  Patrick-Reginald  Denny. ...  Feb.   28/381. ..  .65.  Feb.  15/36 


Title  Star 
Princess  Comes  Aeross,  The  (G) 

3557   C.  Lombard-Fred  MacMurray... 

Return   of   Sophie    Lang,  The 
(G)  3566   Gertrude  Michael-Ray  Milland.. 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90.)   

Rhythm  on  the  Range  (G)  Bing  Crosby- Frances  Farmer  

(Exploitation:  Aug.  8/36,  p.  91;  Aug.  15/36,  pp.  74,  76;  A 
Rose  of  the  Rancho  (G)  3516.. John  Boles-Gladys  Swarthout 

(See  musical  analysis,  Jan.  11/36,  p.  45;  exploitation:  Jan.  I 

Scrooge  (G)  3527  ..Seymour  Hicks-Donald  Calthrop.. 

Ship  Cafe  (G)  3520  Carl  Brisson-Arline  Judge  

Sky  Parade  3550  Jimmy  Allen-Katharine  DeMille. . 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Soak  the  Rich  (A)  3532  Mary  Taylor-Walter  Connolly  

Son  Comes  Home,  A  (G)  Mary  Boland-Donald  Woods  

So  Red  the  Rose  (G)  3522  Margaret  Sullavan-R.  Scott  

(Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  76.) 

Spendthrift  (G)   Henry  Fonda-Pat  Paterson  

Straight  from  the  Shoulder(G). Ralph  Bellamy- Katherlne  Locke.. 

Texas  Rangers,  The  3604  Fred  MacMurray-Jean  Parker  

13  Hours  by  Air  (G)  3547  Fred  MacMurray- Joan  Bennett... 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118;  Aug.  22/36,  p.  113.) 

Three  Cheers  for  Love  (G)  Eleanore    Whitney-Robt.  Cum- 

mings   

Three  on  the  Trail  (G)  3553. .  William  Boyd-Jimmy  Ellison  

Till  We  Meet  Again  (G)  S55I.  Herbert  Marshall-G.  Michael  

Timothy's  Quest  (G)  3534  Eleanore  Whitney-Dickie  Moore.. 

Too  Many  Parents  (G)  3545. ..  Frances  Farmer-Colin  Tapley  

Trail  of  the  Lonesome  Pine, 
The   (G)  3543  Henry  Fonda-Sylvia  Sidney  

(See  production  article,  Jan.  18/36,  p.  36;  exploitation:  Feb. 

May  23/36.  p.  86;  May  30/36.  p.  90;  June  6/36,  p.  118;  J 
20/36,  p.  122;  July  25/36,  p.  80;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93;  Aug. 

Woman  Trap  (G)  3537  Gertrude  Michael-Geo.  Murphy.. 

Yours  for  the  Asking  (G)  George  Raft  •  Dolores  Costello 

Barrymore   


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

May   22/36?.. ..76. May  16/36 

July     3/36?.. ..64.  June  20/36 


July   31/36?  87. July  25/36 

ug.  22/36,  p.  III.) 
Jan.    10/36?....  82.  Jan.  11/36 
8/36,  p.  84;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83.) 
Dec.    20?...  73  Dee.  21 


Nov. 


I?  


Nov. 


Apr.   17/36?...  .70. Apr.  4/36 


Jan.  17/36?. 
July  31/36?. 
Nov.  22?.... 


..87. Feb.  15/38 
..75.  Aug.  15/36 
..83.... Nov.  16 


July  10/36?... .77. June  20/36 

Aug.  28/36... ..71. Aug.  22/36 

Aug.  28/36  

Mar.  27/36?.... 77. Mar.  21/36 


July  17/36?. 

Apr.  24/36?. 

Apr.  17/36?. 

Jan.  31/36?. 

Mar.  20/36?. 


.64. July  4/38 

..67.  Apr.  18/36 

.72.  Apr.  11/36 

..65.  Jan.  25/36 

..74.  Mar.  14/36 


Mar.  1 3/36?... 1 06. Feb.  29/36 
29/36.  p.  73;  May  2/36,  p.  98; 
une  13/36.  p.  122;  June  20/36, 
22/36,  pp.  113,  115.) 
Feb.   14/36?....  63.  Feb.  8/38 

July    24/36?.... 75.  Aug.  8/36 


Coming 

Big  Broadcast  of  1937,  Th*  Jack  Benny-Burns  &  Allen  Sept.  25/36  

Champagne  Waltz   Gladys  Swartheut-F.  MacMurray     Oct.  23/36  

General  Died  at  Dawn.  Th*  Gary  Cooper-Madeleine  Carroll.  ..Sept.  4/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25/36.)  (See  production  article,  Aug.  15/36,  p.  16.) 

Go  West,  Young   Man  Mae  West  -  Warren  William  - 

Randolph  Scott   Oct.  30/36  

Hopalong  Cassidy's   Return  William   Boyd-Evelyn   Brent  Oct.  16/36  

Lady  Be  Careful  Lew  Ayres-Mary  Carlisle.  Sept.  4/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  15/36.) 

Murder  with  Pictures   Lew  Ayes-Gail  Patriek  Sept.  18/36  

Plainsman.  The   Gary  Cooper-Jean  Arthur  

Princess  of  the  Jungle  Ray  Milland-Dorothy  Lamour  

Right  in  the   Lap  Marsha  Hunt-John  Howard  

Rose   Bowl  Eleanore  Whitney-Tom  Brown  

Three  Married  Men  Lynne  Overman-Wm.  Frawley  Sept.  11/36  

Turning  Point,  The  Paul  Kelly-Marsha  Hunt  Oct.  9/36  

Valiant  Is  the  Word  for  Carrie.  Gladys  George-Arllne  Judge  , 

Wedding  Present   Joan  Bennett-Cary  Grant  Oct.  9/36  

Wives  Never  Know  Charles  Ruggles-Mary  Boland  Sept.  25/36  


Title 

Let's  Sing  Again  (G). 


PRINCIPAL 

Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
.Bobby  Breen-Henry  Arntetta  Juno   12/36?  68. Apr.  25/86 


PURITAN 


1/36?.. .  .59.  Aug. 

.60  


15/36?. 
6/36. 


1/36 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Aces  and  Eights  (G)  Tim  McCoy-Luna  Walters  ..June     6/36  62. Aug.  22/36 

Border  Caballero  (G)  Tim  McCoy-Lois  January  Mar. 

Bulldog  Courage   Tim  McCoy-Lois  January  Dee.  20?. 

Ghost  Patrol   Tim  McCoy-Claudia  Dell  Aug.  3/36  

I'll  Name  the  Murderer  Ralph  Forbes-Marlon  Shilling  Jan.  27/36?. ..  .76. 

Lightnln'  Bill  Carson  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  Apr. 

Lion's  Den,  The  Tim  McCoy-Joan  Woodbury  July 

Reckless  Way,  The  Marian  Nixon-Kane  Richmond.. .Apr.  20/36?  6 

Roarln'  Guns   Tim  McCoy- Rosalinda  Price  Jan.   27/36?  67  

Rogues  Tavern.  The  Wallace  Ford-Barbara  Pepper  Mar.     1/36?  61  

Suicide  Squad    Norman  Foster-Joyce  Compton  Dee.    25?  60  

Traitor,  The   Tim  McCoy-Frances  Grant  Aug.  29/36  

RAY  KIRKWOOD 

Running  Tim* 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Adventurous  Rogue's   Bobby  Nelson-Donald  Roed  Dec.  3/36  

El   Justlelero   Ernesto  Guillen   Dee.  3/36  

Fighting  Vagabonds   Bobby  Nelson-Donald  Reed  Jan.  19/37  

Daredevils  of  the  Earth  Ida  Lupino-Cyril  MeLaglen  Jan.     1/38?  60  

REGAL 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date     Minutes  Reviewed 

Daredevils  of  the  Earth  Ida  Lupino-Cyril  MeLaglen  Jan.     l/SSf  60  

Scandals  of  Paris  Wendy  Barrle-Zelma  O'Neill  Dee.     4?  63  

Thunderbolt   Kane  Richmond- Bobby  Nelson  Jan.     2/36?  54  

Wolves  of  th*  Underworld  Godfrey  Tearle   Dee.     4?  55  


54 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August   29 ,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT—CCNT'D) 


May 


.Aug. 


REPUBLIC 

Title  Star  Rel 

Burning  6ald  3550  William  Boyd -Judith  Allan  ..Deo. 

Camin'  Raiwd  tha  Mountain 

(6)  3571   Gene  Autry-Ann  Rutherford  Apr. 

Dancing  Foot  (G)  3504  Ben  Lyon-Joan  Marsh  Jan. 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  I5,'36,  p.  81.) 
Dawn  to  the  Sea  Russell  Hardie-Ann  Rutherford.  .Aug. 

(See  "Beneath  the  Seas."  "In  tho  Cutting  Room."  May  30.'36.) 

Federal  Agent  3548   William  Boyd-lrene  Ware  Apr. 

Frankie  and  Johnnie  (A)  3555.  Helen  Morgan-Chester  Morris. 

(Exploitation:   May  30,'36,  p.  85;  Aug.  22,'36,  p.  112.) 
Gentleman  from  Louisiana,  The 

(G)    3517   Eddie  Quillan-Charlotte  Henry 

Girl  from  Mandalay.  The  3525.  Kay  Linaker-Conrad  Nagel  Apr. 

Go-Get-'Em  Haines  3549  William   Boyd   Juno 

Guns  and  Guitars  (G)  3573  Gene  Autry- Dorothy   Dix  June 

Harvester,  The  (Q)  3506  Alice  Brady-Ann  Rutherford  May 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  I5,'36,  p.  79.) 

Hearts  In  Bondage  (G)  6008... James  Dunn-Mae  Clarke  Aug. 

House  of  a  Thousand  Candles 

(G)  3505   Mae  Clarke-Phillips  Holmes  Apr. 

King  of  the  Pecos  (G)  3559... John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Mar. 

Laughing  Irish  Eyes  (G)  3522  Evalyn  Knapp-Phll  Regan  Mar. 

(Exploitation:    Aug.  22, '36,  p.  112.) 

Lawless  Nineties,  Tho  (G)3557.John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Feb. 

Lawless  Range  3562  John  Wayne-Sheila  Mannors  Nov. 

Leathernecks  Have  Landed,  The 
(G)  3501   Lew   Ayres-lsabel   Jewell  Feb. 

(Exploitation:    Apr.   I8,'36,  p.  76;  July  25,'36,   p.  81.) 
Leavenworth  Case,  The  (G) 

3526   Norman  Foster- Jean  Rouverel  Jan. 

Lonely  Trail,  The  3563  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  May 

(See  "Id  the  Cutting  Roam,"  May  2,36.) 

Melody  Trail  (G)  3567  Gene  Autry-Ann   Rutherford  Oct. 

Navy  Born  (G)  William  Gargan-Claire  Dodd....June 

Now  Frontier,  The  3558  John  Wayne-Muriel  Evans  Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Oh,  Susannah   Gene  Autry-Frances  Grant  Aug. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 

Oregon  Trail,  The  3560  John  Wayne-Ann  Rutherford  Jan. 

Racing  Luck  (G)  3547  .'..William  Boyd   Oct. 

Red  River  Valley  3570  Gene  Autry-Frances  Grant  Mar. 

Return  af  Jimmy  Valentine, 

Tho  (G)  3531  Roger  Pryor-Charlotte  Henry  Feb. 

Sagebrush  Troubadour  3568  Gene  Autry -Barbara  Pepper  Dee. 

Staging  Cawboy,  The  <G)  3572. Gene  Autry-Lois  Wilde  May 

Singing  Vagabond,  The  (G) 

3569   Gene  Autry-Ann   Rutherford  Jan. 

Spanish  Cape  Mystery  .The  3530.  Helen  Twelvetrees- Donald  Cook.. .Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Sept.  7.) 

$1,000  a  Minute  (G)  3532  Roger  Pryor-Leila  Hyams  Nov. 

Ticket  to  Paradise  (G)  3508..  Roger  Pryor-Wendy  Barrle  July 

Winds  of  the  Wasteland  3581..  John  Wayne-Phyllis  Fraser  July 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  May  23/36.) 


Runnlajf  Tine 
Date      Minute*  Reviewed 

It  60  


I3.'3tt.. 

..55. Apr. 

II. 'It 

31/36+. 

.72.  Apr. 

4/36 

25/36. 

...62. July 

11/36 

I0/36+. 

..58  

I/S6t. 

..66. May 

23/36 

17/36.... *70. Aug.  22/35 

20/36+....  68  

I5,'36t....62  

22/36t....56.July  11/36 
5/36t....65.Apr.  25/36 

15/36. 


6/36r. 
9/36t. 
I5,'36t. 

I5/S6t. 
4t.... 


.•70. June  6/36 

..71.  Mar.  7/36 
..54. Apr.  11/36 
..73. Mar.  14/36 

..55.  Mar.  7/36 
..59  


22/36+.... 67. Feb.  29/36 


20/36+.... 68. J an.  11/36 
25/38t.. ..58  

I4t  60  0f*t.  19 

I5.'36t  65. June  27/36 

5t  54  


19/36. 


I8,'36t  59  

28t  60  Dee.  7 

2/36t....58  

l4/36t....72.Feb.  15/36 

2t  54  

Il/36t  56.  May  16/36 

5/36t  52  Dee.  14 

17+  73  

15+  69.. ..Nov.  8 

IO/36t....67.July  25/36 
6/36t. . . .57  


Coming 

Bulldog   Edition   Ray  Walker-Evalyn  Knapp  Sept.  20/36. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  15/36.) 

Follow  Your  Heart  (G)   Marlon  Talley-Mlchael  Bartlett.  Sept.  5/36. 

Sitting  en  the  Moon  3528  Roger  Pryor-Grace  Bradley  Sept.  15/36. 

Three  Mesquiteers   Ray  Corrlgan-Kay  Hughes  Sept.  10/36. 


•90. Aug.  15/36 


RKO  RADIO 


Title 


Star 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
15+  90%..  Nov.  9 


Annie  Oakley  (G)  608  Barbara  Stanwyck- Preston  Fester. .  Nov, 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  pp.  88.  90.) 
Another  Face  (G)  615  Wallace  Ford-Phyllis  Breeks. .. .  Dee.  20+  

(Reviewed  under  the  title,  "Two  Faces.") 
Bride  Walks  Out.  The  (G) 

631   Barbara  Stanwyck-G.  Raymond... July    10/86+  80. .July 

Bunker  Bean  630  Owen  Davis,  Jr.-Loulse  Latimer. .June  26/36+  67  

(See  "His  Majesty:  Bunker  Bean,"  "In  the  Cutting  Ream,"  May  30/36.) 

Chatterbox  (G)  617  Anno  Shirley-Phillips  Helmet...  .Jan.    1 7/36 1. 

Dancing  Pirate  (G)  670  Charles  Collins-Stefn  Duna  May  22/36+. 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp.  117,  121.) 
Don't  Turn  'Em  Loose  Bruce  Cabot-Louise  Latimer  Aug.  28/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 
Ex-Mrs.  Bradford,  The  (Q)  628.  William  Powell-Jean  Arthur  May    15/36+ . ..  .81  .May  2/36 

(Exploitation:  July  4/36,  p.  68.) 
Fang  and  Claw  (G)  543  Frank  Buck  Dee.  20. 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  127.) 

Farmer  In  tho  Dell  (G)  624..  Fred  Stone-Jean  Parker  Mar. 

Follow  the  Fleet  (G)  613  Fred  Attalre-Ginger  Rogers  Feb. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  94;  Mar.  28/36,  p. 
May  23/36,  p.  93;  May  30/36,  p.  84;  June 

6p.  68:  July  25/36.  p.  78.) 

Freckles  (G)  536  Carol  Stone-Tom  Brown  Oct. 

Grand  Jury  633  Fred  Stone-Louise  Latimer  Aug. 

HI  Gaucho  606  John  Carrel  I -Steffi  Duna  Oct. 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  17.) 
I  Dream  Too  Mueh  (G)  610. .Lily  Pens-Henry  Fonda  Dee.    27+  95  Nov.  23 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  pp.  82,  83.) 
In  Person  (G)  609  Ginger  Rogers-George  Brent  Nov.   22+  87  Nev.  t 

(Exploitation:  June  13/36.  p.  127.) 
Lady  Consents.  The  (G)  622. .Ann  Harding-Herbert  Marshall. ..  Feb.     7/36+ . .   76'/,Jan.  18/38 


I  Nov.  23 


,'36 


.68  Dee.  28 

.85.  May  16/36 


.74. Jan.  4/36 


27/36+.  ...67.  Mar. 
21/36+. ..110. Feb. 


14/36 
22/36 

83;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  May  16/36,  p.  82; 
13/36.  pp.  125.  130;  July  4/36,  p.  68.) 


4  68  Oct. 

7/36  

11  +  59  


Star 


Rel. 


Running  Time 
Date      Minutes  Reviewed 


SS/SS 


Title 

Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The  (0) 

501  Preston  Fester- Dorothy  Wllsoa. .  .Oct.    II  18  Oct.  II 

Last  Outlaw,  The  (G)  629  Harry  Carey-Heat  Gibson  June  1 1/31+ . ..•73.May  30/3* 

Let's  Sing  Again  (G)  646  Bobby  Breen-Heary  Armetta  June  II/36+. .. .68. Apr. 

Love  on  a  Bet  (G)  620  Gene  Raymond-Wendy  Barrle. ...  Mar.    6/36+. ..  .77.  Feb. 

Mary  of  Scotland  (G)  Katharine  Hepburn  •  Fredrle 

March   Aug.  28/38.. ..  123. July  25/16 

(See  production  article.  Apr.  11/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  Aug.  8/36,  p.  90.) 

M'LIss  (G)   632  Anne  Shirley-John  Beat  July    17/36+  66. July  11/36 

Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path 

(Q)  625   Helen  Broderiek-Jamet  Gleasan. .  Apr. 

Muss  'Em  Up  (G)  619  Preston  Foster-Marg't  Callahan. . Feb. 

Rainmakers.  The  (G)  605  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  Oct. 

Second  Wife   (G)  Walter  Abel-Gertrude  Michael. . .Aug. 

Seven  Keys  to  Baldpate  (G)  611. G.  Raymond-Margaret  Callahan. .  Dec. 

Silly  Billies  (G)  623  Wheeler  and  Woolsey  Mar. 

(Exploitation:   July  25/36,  p.  76.) 
Speoial  Investigator  (G)  627..  Richard  Dix-Margaret  Callahan.  .May 

Sylvia  Scarlett  (G)  614  Katharine  Hepburn-Cary  Grant.. Jan. 

Three  Musketeers,  The  (G)  544. Margot  Grahame-Walter  Abel. ..Nov. 

To  Beat  the  Band  (6  )  607  Helen  Broderick-Hugh  Herbert. . .Nov. 

Two  in  the  Dark  (G)  616  Walter  Abel-Margot  G rename  —  Jan. 

Two  In  Revolt  (G)  621  Louise  Latlmer-John  Arledge  Apr. 

We're  Only  Human  (G)  612. ..  Preston  Foster-Jane  Wyatt  Dee. 

Witness  Chair,  Tho  (G)  626... Ann  Harding-Walter  Abet  Apr. 

Yellow  Dust  (G)  618  Richard  Dix-Leila  Hyams  Mar. 


1 7/36+ . 
I 4/36+. 

25+.... 


..66. Apr.  li/86 
.  .OS'/aJu.  2*786 
.78... Oct.  IX 


21/36  59. Aug.  22/36 


13+  

20/36t.. 


.68....  Dae.  7 
.64'/! Mar.  7/36 


8/36+.. .  61. May  2/36 

3/36+..  ..9414  Jan.  18/36 
1  96....0et.  If 

8+  67",..  Oct.  26 

10/36+..  ..74....  Dec.  21 

3/36t....65.May  t/36 

27+  68  Dee.  14 

24/36t....64.Apr.  11/36 
1 3/36t . . . .  68'/2  Mar.28/3* 


Coming 

Big  Game,  The  June  ^Travis-Philip  Huston  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  22/36.) 

Daddy    and    I  Anne  Shirley-Herbert  Marshall  

Mummy's  Boys  (G)   Wheeler  and  Woolsey  *62.Aug.  22/36 

One  Man  Came  Back   Preston  Foster  -  Ann  Dvorak  - 

John  Beal   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room/'  Aug.  22/36.) 

Plough  and  the  Stars,  The  Barbara  Stanwyck  -  Preston 

Foster   Sept.  25/36  

(See  production  article,  Aug.  22/36,  p.  16.) 

Portrait  of  a  Rebel  Katharine  Hepburn  -  Herbert 

Marshall   

Swing  Time   Fred  Astaire-Ginger  Rogers  Sept.  4/36  

(See  "Never  Gonna  Dance."  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Walking  on  Air  (G)  Gene  Raymond-Ann  Sothern  Sept.  1 1/36. . .. *68. Aug.  22/36 

Winterset   Burgess  Meredith-Marge  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  22/36.) 
Without  Orders   Sally    Eilers-Rob't  Armstrong  

STATE  RIGHTS  Running  Time 

Title                              Star                    Dist'r  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Custer's  Last  Stand  Rex  Lease   Stage  &  Screen ...  Apr.     2/36+.. 9  r!s  

I  Was  a  Captive  ef  Nazi 
Germany  (G)   ....Isobel   Steele   Malvina   Aug.     1/36. .  .73. Aug.  8/36 

Coming 

Angels  In  White  Tala  Birell   Zeidman   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Feb.  29/36.) 

Cavalcade  of  China  James  B.  Leong  6  rls  

Glory  Trail,  The  (G)  Tom  Keene   Crescent   "65. July  18/36 

Oriental  Passion   James  B.  Leong  6  rls  

Private  Life  of  Marco  Polo  James  B.  Leong  6  rls  


SUPREME 


Title  Star 

Courageous  Avenger   Johnny  Mack  Brown  

Desert  Phantom,  The  Johnny  Mack  Brown  Mar. 

Kid  Ranger,  The  Bob  Steele     ..Feb. 

Last  ef  the  Warrens  Bob  Steele   <  May 

Regue  of  the  Range  Johnny  Mack  Brown  Apr. 

Sundown  Saunders   Bob  Steele   Mar. 

Trail  ef  Terror  Bob  Steele   Dec. 

Valley  ef  the  Lawless  Johnny  Mack  Brown  Jan. 

Coming 

Brand  ef  the  Outlaws  Bob  Steele   

Crooked  Trail,  The  Johnny  Mack  Brown  

Everyman's  Law   Johnny  Mack  Brown  

Law  Rides,  The  Bob  Steele   


Running  Time 
Rel,  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Dee.  I2t  

IO/38t  

5/36+  

10/36+. ...58  

25/36t....58  

25/36+  

20+  

25/36t  


TWENTIETH  CENTURY-FOX 

Title  Star 
Bad  Boy*  615  James  Dunn-Dorothy  Wilson 

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 
Border  Patrolman,  The*(G)650.  Geo.  O'Brien-Polly  Ann  Young... 
Captain  January*  (G)  635  Shirley  Temple-Guy  Klbbao  

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp.  117.  122;  June  27/36,  p.  82 
P.  82.) 

Champagne  Charlie  629  Paul  Cavanagh- Helen  Wood  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Deo.  14.) 
Charlie  Chan  at  the  Circus* 

(G)  640   Warner  Oland-Keye  Luke  

Charlie  Chan  at  tho  Race 

Track*  (G)  704  Warner  Oland-Helen  Wood  

Charlie  Chan's  Secret*  (G)  626.. Warner  Oland-Rnlna  Lawrence.. 
Connecticut  Yankee.   A  699... Will  Rogers-Myrna  Ley  

(re-Issue) 

Country  Beyond,  The*  (G)  643.Rochelle  Hudson-Paul  Kelly... 


Running  Time 
Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Oct.    25t  56  

July  3/36+.. .*60. June  27/36 
Apr.  17/36+.. ..77. Mar.  21/38 
July  4/36.  p.  70;  July  18/36, 


May  8/36t. 


.59. 


Mar.  27/36+.... 71. Mar.  28/16 

Aug.    7/38  71. July  18/36 

Jai.    10/36+  71  Oct.  28 

Apr.  24/36t....85.Mar.  21/31 


Apr.   24/38+..   .68. Apr.  11/36 


August    29,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


55 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT--CCNT*D) 


Running  Time 

Title                                     Star                                  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 
Country  Defter,  The*  (G)  638.  Dlonne  Quintuplets  -  Jean 

Hersholt   .Mar.  6/36t....94.Mar.  21/36 

(Eiploltatlca:  Mar.  2I/S6,  pp.  93.  97;  Mar.  28,'3S.  p.  83;  Apr.  4,'36.  p.  83:  Apr.  25/38. 
p.  96;  May  S/36,  p.  SO;  May  16/38.  p.  82;  May  23/38.  pp.  87.  95;  May  30/38,  p.  86; 

June  6/36,  p.  124:  July  4/36,  p.  70:  July  11/36.  p.  127;  July  25/36.  p.  81;  Aug.  1.  36. 
p.  93.) 

Crime  of  Dr.   Forbe»,  The 

(G)  $55   Gloria  8tuart-Robert  Kent  June  26,'36t. . .*75. June  20/36 

Educating  Father*  (G)  845  Jed  Prouty-Shirley  Daane  July    IO/38t  57. May  30/36 

Everybody's  Old  Map*  (G)  634.  Irvln  8.  Cobb-Roehelle  Hudson.  .Mar.  20/36t  84. Mar.  14/36 

Every  Saturday  Night*  (G)  637.  June  Lang-Thomas  Deck  Feb.     7/38 1  62. Feb.  8/36 

First  Baby.  The*  (G)  848  Shirley  Deane-Johnny  Downs  May    I5,'36t  74. Apr.  18/36 

(Exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  76;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93.) 

Gentle  Julia*  (G)  841  Jane  Withers-Tom  Brown   .Apr.    3/36t  63. Feb.  29/36 

Girls'    Dormitory    (G)    702...  Ruth   Chatterton-Herbert  Mar- 

shall-Simone  Simon   Aug.  14/36  66. Aug.  1/36 

Half  Angel  (G)  647  Frances  Dee-Brian  Donlevy  May   22/36t  66. May  9/36 

Here  Comes  Trouble*  (G)  633. Paul  Kclly-Arline  Judge  Feb.  2l/36t . . . .62. Feb.  15/38 

High  Tension*  (G)  653  Brian   Donlevy-Glenda  Farrell.. .  July  I7.'36t. .  .*62.  June  20/36 

Human  Cargo*  (G)  852  Claire  Trevor-Brian  Donlevy  May   2S/36t  66. Apr.  25/38 

In  Old  Kentucky*  (G)  601  Will  Rogers- Dorothy  Wilson  Nov.    22t  84  July  IS 

It  Had  to  Happea  (G)  631  George  Raft-Rosalind  Russell  Feb.    I4,'36t  79. Feb.  15/36 

King  of  Burlesque,  The*  (G) 

625   Warner  Baxter-Alice  Faye  Jan.     3/36t  88. Jan.  4/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36.  p.  36;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87.) 

Little  Miss  Nobody  (G>  651... Jane  Withers-Ralph  Morgaa  June   12/SSt  72. May  28/36 

Littlest  Rebel.  The*  (G)  624. .Shirley  Temple-John  Boles  Dec.    27 1  73  Nov.  30 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  81;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/36,  p.  97:  Mar.  7/36,  p.  96; 
Aug.  8/36,  p.  91.) 
Message  to  Garcia.  A  (G)  832.  Wallace   Beery  -  John   Boles  - 

Barbara  Stanwyck   Apr.   IO/36t  85. Mar.  14/36 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36.  p.  127.) 

Music  Is  Magic*  (G)  819  Alice  Faye- Ray  Walker  ..Nov.     It  ..66. ...Oct.  12 

My  Marriage*  (Q)  838  Claire  Trevor-Kent  Taylor  Jan.    Sl.'SSt  68  Nov.  23 

Navy  Wife*  (G)  808  Claire  Trevor-Ralph  Bellamy  Nov.    29t  ..72. Jan.  23/38 

O'Malley  of  the  Mounted*  (B) 

639   George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware  Mar.  27/36t  59. Mar.  28/31 

Paddy  O'Day  (G)  627  Jane  Withers-Pinky  Tomlln  Jan.    I7.'38t....76  Nov.  2 

Poor    Little    Rich   Girl,  The* 

(Q)  657   Shirley  Temple-Alice  Faye  July  24/36*. ..  .79.  June  6/36 

(Exploitation:   Aug.  1/36,  p.  90;  Aug.  22/36,  p.  110.) 
Prisoner  of  Shark  Island,  Tho 

(G)  638   Warner  Baxter-Gloria  Stuart  Feb.  28/S6t . . .  .95.  Feb.  22/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  21/36,  p.  97;  Apr.  11/36.  p.  97;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  77.) 

Private  Number*  (G)  645  Loretta  Young-Robert  Taylor  June     5/36t  79.  May  30/36 

(Exploitation:  July  18/36,  p.  85;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93;  Aug.  22/36,  p.  III.) 
Professional  Soldier  (G)  628..  Victor  McLaglen  -  Freddie  Bar- 
tholomew  Jan.    24/36t  78.  Jan.  4/36 

Show  Them  No  Mercy  (G)  621 .  Rochelle  Hudson-Cesar  Romero. ..  Deo.     8f  76  Nov.  2 

Sing,  Baby,  Sing  (G)  703  ...Alice  Faye-Adolphe  Menjou  Aug.  21/36  87. Aug.  15/36 

Sins  of  Man  (G)  648  lean   Hersholt-Don  Ameehe  June   19/SSt  79. May  16/36 

Song  and  Dance  Man*  (G)  642. Paul  Kelly-Claire  Trevor  Mar.  1 3/36 1  72. Feb.  22/36 

Star  for  a  Night  (G)  705  Jane  Darwell-Claire  Trevor  Aug.  28/36  76. Aug.  15/36 

State  Fair  (G)  766  Will  Rogers-Janet  Gaynor  Aug.    7/36  94.  Feb.  4/33 

Thanks  a  Million  (G)  617  Dick  Powell-Ann  Dvorak  Nov.    I5t  87  Nov.  2 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  82;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  22/38,  p.  100;  Mar.  7/38,  p.  98.) 

36  Hours  to  Kill*  656  Brian  Donlevy-Gloria  Stuart  July  24/36*  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25/36.) 

This  Is  the  Life*  614  Jane  Withers-John  MeGuire  Oct.     I  St  65  

To  Mary— With  Love  (G)  701. .Warner  Baxter-Myrna  Loy  Aug.     1/36  92. July  25/38 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  15/36,  p.  76.) 

Under  Two  Flags  (G)  644  Ronald  Colman- Victor  McLaglen- 

Claudette  Colbert- R.  Russell.  .May  l/36t ...  1 10.  May  9/38 
(See  production  article,  Mar.  14/36,  p.   16:  exploitation:  June  6/36,  pp.  116,  117;  July 

11/36,  p.  125;  July  25/36,  pp.  76,  81;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93;  Aug.  15/36,  p.  78.) 

Way  Down  East*  (G)  616  Rochelle  Hudson-Henry  Fonda. ..Oct.    25t  84. ...Aug.  24 

Whispering  Smith  Speaks*  (6) 

623   George  O'Brien-Irene  Ware  Dec.    20t  67  Dee.  21 

White  Fang  (G)  649  Michael  Whalen-Jean  Mulr  July     3/S6t  70. July  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  90;  Aug.  15/36,  p.  79.) 
Your  Uncle  Dudley*  (G)  622.. Edward  Everett  Horton  Dee.    I3f  68  Nov.  23 

Coming 

Ambassador  Bill  (G)  767  Will  Rogers   Oct.    16/36  70. Oct.  24/31 

As  You  Like  It  711  Ells   Bergner-Laurence  Olivier. .  .Sept.  18/36  

(See  production  article,  June  13,  «     •  16.) 

Back  to  Nature  (G)  714  Jed  Prouty-Sprlng  Bylngton  Oct.     9/36  56. Aug.  22/36 

Bowery  Pricess,  The  *  715  Shirley  Temple-Frank  Morgan. .  .Oct.  16/38  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  27,'ou.) 

Can  This  Be  Dixie?  Jane  Withers-Slim  Summerville  

15  Maiden  Lane  716  Claire  Trevor-Cesar  Romero  Oct.  30/36  

King   of   the    Royal  Mounted 
709   Robert  Kent-Rosalind  Keith  Sept.  11/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  8/36.) 

Ladles  in  Love  710  Janet  Gaynor-Constanee  Bennett- 

Loretta  Young-Simone  Simon.  .  .Sept.  18/36  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  15/36.) 

Lloyd's  of  London  Loretta    Young-Don  Ameche    

Pepper*  (G)  708  Jane  Withers-lrvin  S.  Cobb  Sept.  11/36  64. July    18, '36 

Pigskin  Parade  713   Stuart  Erwin-Arlene  Judge  Oct.  2/36  

Ramona  707   Loretta  Young- Don  Ameche  Oct.  23/36  

(See  production  article,  July  4/36,  p.  16.) 

Reunion  717   Dionne  Quintuplets-J.  Hersholt. . .  Nov.     6, '36  

Road  to  Glory,  The  (G)  706..Fredric   March-Warner  Baxter- 
Lionel  Barrymore-June  Lang... Sept.    4/36  101. June  6/38 

Thank  You,  Jeeves,  712  Arthur  Treacher-Vlrglnia  Field.. .Sept.  25/36  

(See  "in  the  Cutting   Room."   Aug.  8/36.) 

Turn  of  the  Century  721  Franchot  Tone-June  Lang  Nov.  27/36  

Under  Your  Spell  720  Lawrence  Tibbett-Wendy  Barrie.  Nov.  20/36  

White  Hunter  719   Warner    Baxter-Simone    Simon. ..Nov.  13/36  

Wild  Brian  Kent  718^  Ralph   Bellamy-Mae  Clarke  Nov.  6/36  

fAsterlsk  (*)  denotes  Fox  Pictures.    Others  20th  Century  Productions.] 


UNITED  ARTISTS  Ruaalag  Tlrao 

Tltle  Star  r,|.  Data       Minutes  Reviewed 

Amateur  Gentleman.  The  (G)..  Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.  •  Elista 

L»ndl    .Apr.   17/JSt . . .  100. Feb.  22/SS 

Barbary   Coast   (G)  Miriam  Hopkins  -  Edward  G. 

Robinson  -  Joel  MeCrea  Sept,  27t  90  Ott,  I 

Ghost  Goes  West,  Tho  (G)  Robert  Denat-Jean  Parker  Feb.    7/J8t  85. Jan.  4/SS 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83:  Feb.  22/36,  p.  96;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  SS.) 
I  Stand  Condemned  (A)  H.  Baur-Laurence  Olivier-Pen- 
elope Dudley  Ward  July    !0/36t. . .  .76. . . .  Nov.  30 

Last  of  the  Mohicans,  The  (G).  Randolph  Scott-Heather  Angel- 
Bruce  Cabot-Binnie  Barnes  Aug.   13/36  91. Aug.  15/36 

(See  production  article,  July  18/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  June  27/36,  p.  80.) 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy  (G)  Freddie    Bartholomew  -  Dolores 

Costella  Barrynore   Mar.    6/36f. . .  102. Feb.  28/38 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  84;  May  16/36,  p.  80;  June  8/36.  p.  117;  June  IS/38, 
p.  132;  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93.) 
Melody  Lingers  On.  Tha  (G) ..  Josephine    Hutchinson  -  George 

Houston   Nov.     9t  87  Nov.  t 

Modern  Tines  (G)  Chas.  Chaplin-Paulette  Goddard  .Feb.  2l/36t...  .87. Feb.  8/36 

(See  production  article.  Feb.  8/36,  p.  18;  exploitation:  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81;  Fob.  22/36. 
p.  100;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  84;  Mar.  28/36.  pp.  83.  84;  Apr.  4/36.  pp.  84, 
89:  Apr.  11/36.  pp.  93,  96;  Apr.  25/36.  p.  92;  May  2/36,  p.  99;  May  9/36,  p.  84;  May 
16/36,  p.  82;  May  30/36.  pp.  84,  86;  June  6, '36,  pp.  116.  118;  June  13/36,  pp.  122.  132: 
June  20/36,  p.  121;  Aug.  22/36,  p.  117.) 

One  Rainy  Afternoon  (G)  Francis  Lederer-lda  Luplno  May    I3,'36t.  ..*75.  May  2/38 

(Exploitation:    June  13/36,  p.  122;  July  25/36,  p.  77.) 

Red  Salute  (6)  B.  Stanwyck -Robert  Young  Sept.  I3t  78  Sept.  21 

Splendor   Miriam  Hopkins-Joel  McCrea  Nov.   23t  77  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  Nov.  2.)  (Exploitation:  Feb.  29/36,  p.  78.) 

Strike  Me  Pink  (G)  Eddie  Cantor-Ethel  Merman  Jan.    24/36t. . .  100. Jan.  23/36 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  63:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  83;  Feb.  15/36,  p.  81;  Fob.  29/36,  pp.  72. 
75;  Mar.  14/36,  p.  85;  Mar.  21/36,  pp.  94,  97;  Apr.  4/36,  p.  87;  June  6/36.  p.  118.) 

These  Three   (G)  Miriam  Hopkins-Merle  Oberon- 

Joel  McCrea   Apr.   IO/36t  93. Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:  May  9/36,  pp.  90.  94;  May  23/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  122;  June  27/36. 
p.  88.) 

Things  to  Come  (G)  Raymond  Massey   Apr.  24/36t  99. May  7/38 

(See  production  article.  Mar.  7/36,  p.  16:  exploitation:  Apr.  18/36,  p.  77;  June  13/36. 
p.  132;  July  25/36.  p.  81;  Aug.  I, '36,  p.  94;  Aug.  22/36,  p.  110.) 

Coming 

Accused  (A)   D.  Fairbanks,  Jr.-D.  Del  Rio  70. Aug.  8/36 

Come  and  Get  It  Edward  Arnold- Frances  Farmer  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  1/36.) 
Dodsworth   Walter  Huston-Ruth  Chatterton  Sept.  18/36  

(See  production  article,  Aug.  8/36,  p.  16.) 
Garden  of  Allah.  The  Marlene  Dietrich-Charles  Boyer  

(See  production  article,  June  6/36,  p.  14.) 

Gay  Desperado.  The  Nino  Martini-Ida  Luplno  

Love    Under   Fire  Merle   Oberon-Brian  Aherne  

man  Who  Could  Work  Miracles, 

The  (G)   Roland   Young-Joan   Gardner  90. Aug.  22/36 

We  Live  Only  Once  Sylvia  Sidney-Henry  Fonda    


UNIVERSAL 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Affair  of  Susan,  The  8034  Zasu  Pitts-Hugh  O'Connell  Oct.      7t  63  

(See  "Alone  Together,"  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  7.) 

Cowboy  and  the  Kid,  The  9046. Buck  Jones-Dorothy  Revler  May  25/36  

Crash  Donovan  (G)  9031  Jack  Holt-Nan  Gray  July   26/36t. .  .*54. July  18/36 

Dangerous  Waters  (G)  9032. ..Jack  Holt-Robert  Armstrong  Feb.     3/36t  67. Feb.  8/36 

Don't  Get  Personal  (G)  9025.. James  Dunn-Sally  Eilers  Feb.    I7,'36t  64. Feb.  29/36 

Dracula's  Daughter  (A)  9006.  Otto    Kruger-M.    Churchill  May    1 1  .'36t. ..  .70.  May  9/36 

(Exploitation:  June  20, '36,  p.  120;  July  25/36,  p.  77;  Aug.  15/36,  p.  75;  Aug  22 '36 
P.  112.) 

East  of  Java  9029  Chas.  Bickford-Elizabeth  Young. .Dec.     2t  72  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.)  (Exploitation:  Feb.  8/36,  p.  84.) 

Fighting  Youth  (G)  B0I7  Charles  Farrell-June  Martel  Sept.  30f  66...  Dec.  7 

For  the  Service  9045  Buck  Jones-Beth   Marlo.1  May     6/36t  65  

Great  Impersonation,  The  9014.  Edmund  Lowe-Valerie  Hobson  Dec.     9t  67  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Sept.  28.) 

His  Night  Out  (G)  9021   E.  E.  Horton-lrene  Hervey  Oct.    2lt  74  Nov.  2 

Invisible  Ray,  The  (G)  9015. . Karloff-Bela   Lugosl   Jan.    20/36t. . .  .75.  Jan.  25/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  82;  Jan.  25/36,  p.  63;  Mar.  7/36,  p.  99:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  88- 
July  18/36,  p.  85.) 

Ivory  Handled  Gun  9042  Buck  Jones-Charlotte  Wyntar*  Nov.    lit  59  

Love  Before  Breakfast  (G)9007. Carole  Lombard-Preston  FostJ.. .  Mar.     9/36t  70.  Feb.  29/36 

(Exploitation:  Apr.   18/36.  p.  81:  May  23/36,  p.  94:  June  6/36,  p.  117:  June  13 '36 

p.  132.) 

Magnificent  Obsession  (G)  8006. Irene   Dunne- Robert  Taylor  jan.     6/36t. . .  1 12.  Jan.  11/36 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  82;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  81,  83,  84;  Mar.  7/36,  pp.  86,  99,;  Mar. 
21/36,  pp.  92,  96;  A|»     "  '36,  p.  96:  May  23/36,  pp.  87.  95;  June  6/36,  p.  118.) 

Next  Time  We  Love  (G)  8004.Marg't  Sullavan- James  Stewart. .  .Jan.    27/36t  87. Feb.  8/36 

Nobody's  Fool  9033  E.  E.  Horton-Glenda  Farrell. ...  May  3l/36t  

(See  "Unconscious,"  "In  tho  Cutting  Room,"  Apr.  4/36.) 

Parole  (G)  9036   Ann  Preston-Henry  Hunter  June   I4,'38t . . .  .65. July  4/36 

(Exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  79:  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93.) 

Postal    Inspector    (G)  Ricardo  Cortez- Patricia  Ellis. ..  .Aug.   I6,'36t..  ."60. Aug.  22/36 

Remember  Last  Night?  (A) 

9n"   Edw.   Arnold-C.  Cummings  Nov.     4t  81. ...Oct.  12 

(Exploitation:  Jan.  18/36,  p.  83;  Apr.  25/36,  p.  90.) 

Show  Boat  (G)  8001  Irene   Dunne-Allan  Jones  May    I7.'36t . . .  1 12.  May  9/36 

(See  musical  analysis,  May  9/36,  p.  65;  exploitation:  June  20/36,  pp.  117.  121;  June  27/36, 
June  27/36.  p.  80;  July  4/36.  p.  69;  July  11/36.  p.  124:  JHly  18/36,  p.  82:  July  25/36, 
o.  78;  Aug.  1/36,  p.  93;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  91:  Aug.  15/36.  p.  79:  Aug.  22/36.  p.  114.) 

Silver  Spurs  9044   Buck  Jones-Muriel   Evans  Feb.  18/361 

Storm  Over  the  Andes  (G)9026  Jack  Holt-Mona  Barrie  Sept.   I6t   84  Oct.  19 


56 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,    19  3  6 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT—CCNT'E) 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Stormy  (G)  9016  Noah  Beery,  Jr.-Jean  Rogers  Nov.    lit  68  Oct.  19 

Sunset  of  Power  9043  Buck  Jones-Dorothy  Dix  Dee.  23t  

Sutter's  Gold  (G)  8002  Edward  Arnold  -  Leo  Tracy  - 

Binnie  Barnes   Apr.  I3,'36t. ..  .95. Mar.  28, "36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  I5,'36,  p.  14;  exploitation:  Apr.  4,'36,  p.  83:  Apr.  I8,'36,  p. 

77;  Apr.  25/36,  pp.  91,  92:  June  27,'36,  p.  85;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  92.) 

Sweet  Surrender  9012  Frank  Parker-Tamara   Nov.    25t  78  

Throwback,  The  9041  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Sept.  I Bt  60  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  10.) 

Coming 

Boss  Rider  of  Gun  Creek  Buck  Jones-Muriel  Evans  Nov.  1/36  

Class  Prophecy   Nov.  15/36  

Flying  Hostess   Judith  Barrett-Wm.  Hall  Oct.  25/36  

Four  Days'   Wonder  Jeanne   Dante-Kenneth   Howell. .  .Oct.  18/36  

Luckiest  Girl  in  the  World  Jane  Wyatt-Louis  Hayward  Nov.  1/36  

Magnificent  Brute,  The  Victor  McLaglen-Binnie  Barnes.  .Sept.  20/36...  

Man   I   Marry,  The  Deris  Nolan-Michael  Whalen  Oct.  11/36  

My  Man  Godfrey  (G)  William  Powell-Carole  Lombard.  .Sept.    6/36  "95.  June  20/36 

Night   Key  Nov.  8/36  

Rich  and  Reckless  Gloria  Stuart-Edmund  Lowe  Oct.  4/36  

Ride  'Em,  Cowboy  .....Buck  Jones-Luana  Walters  Sept.  20/36t  

Sea    Spoilers   John  Wayne-Nan  Gray  ;  Sept.  27/36  

Top  of  the  Town  Bert  Lahr-Gertrude  Niessen  Nov.  22/36  

Two  in  a  Crowd  Joel  McCrea-Joan  Bennett  Sept.  I3,'36t  

Yellowstone   .....Henry  Hunter-Judith  Barrett  Aug.  30/36t  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room."  July  18/36.) 


VICTORY 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Bars  of  Hate..   Regis  Toomey-Sheila  Terry  Nov.     It  63  

Face  In  the  Fog,  A  June  Collyer-Lloyd   Hughes  Feb.  l/36t  

Fighting  Coward   Ray  Walker-Joan  Woodbury  Dec.    I  St  70  

Hot  Off  the  Press  Jack  La  Rue-Vlrglnia  Pine  Sept.  I5t  57  

Kelly  of  the  Secret  Service  Lloyd  Hughes-Sheila  Manners  June  I5,'36t  

Prison  Shadows   Eddie  Nugent-Luellle  Lund  June  l/36t  

Rio  Grande  Romance  Eddie  Nugent-Maxine  Doyle  Mar.  I5.'36t  

Taming  the  Wild  Rod  La  Rocque-Maxino  Doyle  Feb.  I5,'36t  


WARNER  BROTHERS 


(See  also  First  National)  Running  Timo 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Anthony  Adverse  (G)  801  Fredrie  March-O.  De  Havllland. .  Aug.  29/36  139.  May  23/36 

(See  production  article,  Feb.  1/36,  p.  16;  musical  analysis.  Aug.  22/36,  p.  15;  expoitation: 
Aug.  8/36,  p.  91.) 

Big  Noise,  The  (G)  925  Guy   Kibbee-Warren   Hull...  June  27/36t....58.Apr.  25/36 

Boulder  Dam  (G)  815  Ross  Alexander-Patricia  Ellis  Mar.    7/36t  70. Apr.  4/36 

Colleen  (A)  903  Ruby  Keeler-Joan  Blondell-Jaek 

Oakie-Dick  Powell   Mar.  2l/36t. ..  .89. Feb.  1/36 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  14/36,  p.  89;  Apr.  25/36;  p.  92;  May  23/36,  p.  86.) 

Dangerous  (A)  910  Bette  Davis- Franchot  Tone  ..Jan.     4/36t  78  Nov.  30 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36,  p.  66;  Feb.  8/36,  pp.  83,  86;  Apr.  20/36,  p.  96;  Juno  13/36, 
p.  123.) 

Freshman  Lovo  (G)  922  Patricia  Ellis-Warren  Hull  Jan.    I8,'36t. .. .65. Feb.  1/36 

Frisco  Kid  (A)  907  James  Cagney-Marg't  Lindsay. .. Nov.    30t  77  Nov.  2 

Green  Pastures,  The  (G)  Rex  Ingram   Aug.    1/36  93. May  30/36 

(See  production  article.  May  2/36,  p.  16;  exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  77;  Aug.  15/36,  p.  76.) 

Hot   Money    (G)    926  Ross  Alexander- Beverly  Roberts. .July    I8,'36t  68. Aug.  1/36 

I  Married  a  Doctor  (G)  90S. ..Pat  O'Brlen-J.   Hutchinson  Apr.  25/36t. .. .83. Apr.  4/36 

(Exploitation:  June  6/36,  p.  118;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93.) 

Jailbreak   (G)   927  Craig  Reynolds-June  Travis  Aug.    8/36}  60. May  16/36 

Man  Hunt  (G)  923  Marguerite  Churchill -W.  Gargan. .  Feb.   15/361  65.  Jan.  11/36 

Miss  Pacific  Fleet  (G)  916. ..Joan  Blondell-Glenda  Farrell  Dec.    I4t  66. ...Nov.  30 

Petrified  Forest.  The  (G)  904. Leslie    Howard- Bette    Davis  Feb.     8,'36t  83. Jan.  18/36 

(Exploitation:  May  2/36.  p.  92.) 
Public  Enemy's  Wife  (G)  913.. Pat  O'Brien-Margaret  Lindsay. . .July    25/36t. .. .69. June  27/36 
Satan  Met  a  Lady  912  Warren  William-Bette   Davis..  ..Aug.    8/36t  74  

(See  "Men  on  Her  Mind."  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Jan.  11/36.) 
Sons  O'Guns  (G)  911  Joe  E.  Brown-Jean  Blondell  May   30/36f  79. May  2/36 

(Exploitation:  July  11/36,  p.  128;  July  25/36,  pp.  76,  77;  Aug.  8/36,  p.  93.) 
Stars  Over  Broadway  (G)  917. Pat  O'Brien-Jane  Froman  Nov.    23t  89  Nov.  9 

(Exploitation:  Feb.  1/36.  p.  63.) 

Times  Square  Playboy  (G)  924.  Warren  William-June  Travis  May    9,'36t  62. Mar.  21/36 

Treachery  Rides  the  Range  (G) 

929   Dick  Foran-Paula  Stone  May     2/36t  56. Mar.  7/36 

Walking  Dead,  The  (G)  914. . . Karloff- Marguerite  Churchill  Mar.  l4/36f. .. .76. Mar.  7/36 

(Exploitation:  Apr.  4/36,  p.  88;  Apr.  18/36,  p.  82.) 
Widow  from  Monte  Carlo,  The 

(G)   921   Dolores  Del  Rio-W.  William. ...  Feb.     l/36t....60.Jan.  4/36 

Coming 

Another  Dawn   Errol  Flynn-Bette  Davis  

Bengal  Tiger,  The  (G)  118  Barton  MacLane-June  Travis  Sept.    5/36.... *62. July  11/36 

(Exploitation:    Aug.  22/36,  p.  16.) 

Black  Legion   Humphrey  Bogart-Ann  Sheridan  

Cain  and  Mabel  Marion  Davles-Clark  Gable  Sept.  26/36  

Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade. . Errol  Flynn-O.  De  Havllland  

(See  producton  artcle,  July  25/36,  p.  16.) 

Give  Me  Your  Heart  (Q)  Kay  Francis-George  Brent  Sept.  26/36...  .'88. July  18/36 

Guns  of  Pecos   Dick  Foran-Anne  Nagel  

Invitation  to  a  Murder  Marguerite  Churchill  •  Galo 

Sendergard   

King  of  Hockey  Anne  Nagel-Richard  Pureell  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  Aug.  22/36.) 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Making  of  O'Malley,  The  Pat.  O'Brien-Sybil  Jason  

Marriage  Clause   Robt.  Montgomery-Olivia  De 

Havllland   

Midsummer  Night's  Dream  (G). All  Star   132  Oct.  12 

(Pictorial:  Aug.  3,  p.  15;  exploitation:  Apr.  11/36,  p.  94;  June  6/36,  p.  118;  Jun* 
27/36,  p.  82.) 

Once  a  Doctor  Donald  Woods-Jean  Muir  

Over  the  Wall  Ross  Alexander   

Polo  Joe  loe  E.  Brown-Carol  Hughes  

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  June  20/36.) 

Pony  Express  Rider  Dick  Foran-Llnda  Perry  , 

Slim   Pat  O'Brien-Henry  Fonda  

Stolen   Holiday   ...Kay  Francls-lan  Hunter  

Three  in  Eden  Marg't  Lindsay-Donald  Woods- 
Ian  Hunter   

(See  "In  the  Cutting  Room,"  July  25/  36.) 


WILLIAM  STEINER 


Title 


Running  Time 

Star  Rel.  Date     Minutes  Reviewed 

Coming 

Chinatown  Mystery   Norman  Foster    7  rls  

Island  Captives   Eddie   Nugent   6  rls  


WORLD 


Running  Time 

Title  Star  Rel.  Date  Minutes  Reviewed 
Tempo   Massino   Milly   Mar.   12/36  78. Mar.  21/36 

Coming 

Aurora  Sul  Mare  Italian  Feature   

Ireno   Popolare   Italian  Feature   

Second   Bureau   Jean  Murat-Diane  Korere  

Slalom   Skiing  Film   

Street  Without  a  Name  Constant  Remy-Pola  llery  


OTHER  PRODUCT  (FOREIGN) 

Running  Time 

Title  Star  Dist'r  Rel.  Date      Minutes  Reviewed 

Anna  (G)   Ada    Veitsik  Amkino   July    16/36.  95. Aug.  1,36 

A  Star  Fell  from  Heaven 

(G)   Florine  MeK!nney. .  .Assoc.    British  70. June  27/36 

Proken  Blossoms  (A)  Dolly  Haas   Twickenham    June  6/38 

Calling  the  Tune  (G)  Sam   Livesay  Assoc.    British  .-  70. Aug.  8/36 

Cloistered  (G)   Best   May   19/36.. .  65.  May  30/36 

Come  Out  of  the  Pantry(G)  I.  Buchanan- F.Wray.  United  Artists  70  Dee.  14 

Dubrevsky    Boris  Livanov   Amkino   Mar.  28/36 1.  .72. Apr.  11/36 

Everything  Is  Rhythm  (G). Marry  Roy   Assoc.    British  75. June  27/36 

Gypsies  (G)   Alexander    Granach.  .Amkino   July    28/36. .  .90.  Aug.  22/36 

Gypsy  Melody  (A)  Lupe  Velez   Assoc.    British  70. Aug.  »/lt 

Heart's   Desire   (G)  Hirhard  Tauber   Assoc.    British  87  Oct.  I 

I  Give  My  Heart  (A)  Gitta  Alper   Assoc.    British  85  Nov.  16 

Interrupted  Honeymoon,  The 

(A)   Claude  Hulbert   British  Lion  ..73. June  27/36 

Invitation  to  the  Waltz(G).  Lilian  Harvey   Assoc.   British  ..80  ... Nov.  II 

La    Fusse   Femln  Gemler   French   Aug.     1/36.  ..83  

La  Maternelle  (A)  Paulette  Elambert. ..  Metropolis   Oct.      14  80  Nov.  16 

Land  of  Promise,  The  (G)  Zionist    Org.  of 

,   America   Nov.     20  57  Dee.  7 

Last  Days  of  Pompeii,  The.. Maria  Corda- 

V.  Vareonl   Trans-America...  .Dec.     14  65  

Le  Bonheur  (A)  Gaby  Morlay   Franco-American.. .  Mar.    5/36.  .110.  Mar.  21/31 

Llebelei   (A)   Paul  Hoerbiger  ..    General   87. Mar.  14/36 

Living  Dangerously  (A)...Dtto  Kruger  Assoc.    British  80. Mar.  21/36 

Marriage   of    Corbal,  The 

(A)   Nils  Asther   General   80. June  I3/S6 

Mllizia  Territoriale  (G) ..  .Antonio  Gandusio  .  Nuovo   Mondo  Apr.    4/36. .  .77. Apr.  25/31 

Once  in  a  Million  (G)  Buddy  Rogers- 

M.  Brian   Assoc.    British  75. Apr.  4/36 

Ourselves  Alone   (G)  Antoinette  Collier  ..Assoc.    British  70. May  It/U 

Pension  Mimosas  (A)  Francoise  Rosay   Franco-American. . .May    5/36. ..93. May  18/39 

Prenez  Garde  a  la  Pelnture.  Simone  Simon  French   Aug.     1/36... 86  

Private  Secretary,  The(G).Edw.  Everett  Horton. Twickenham   75  Oct.  5 

Public  Nuisance  No.  I  (G). Frances  Day   General   79. Mar.  14/36 

Raggen— Det   Ar  Jag  Det 

(A)   N.  Wahlbom   Scandinavian   May  2l,'M...83.May  30/36 

Re  Burlone,  II  (G)  Armando  Falconl  ...Nuovo  Mondo   Mar.  25/36. . .98. Apr.  4/36 

Robber  Symphony,  The  (G). George  Graves   Concordia   125. May  9/36 

Royal  Waltz  (G)  Paul  Hoerbiger   Ufa   Apr.    9/36... 81  .Apr.  25/S6 

Skargards  (A)   Gideon  Wahlberg  ..Scandinavian   Apr.    7/36. . .90. Apr.  18/36 

Soviet  News   (G)  Amkino   Apr.   10/36... 70. Apr.  25/36 

Tempo   Massino   (G)  Milly   World   Mar.  12/36. ..78. Mar.  21/36 

Three  Maxims,  The  (G) . . .  Anna  Neagle,  Tullio 

Carmlnatl   General  87. Aug.  1/36 

Turn  of  the  Tide  (Q)  J.  Fisher  White  Not   determined  80  Nov.  2 

Two's  Company   (G)  Ned  Sparks- 
Mary  Brian   B.  &  D  May  16/36 

We    Are    from  Kronstadt 

(G)   v.  Zalchlkev   Amkino   Apr.  30.'36t.  .93  May  16/36 

Wedding  March,  The  (A). Tullio  Carmlnatl..  .Franco-American  92. Mar.  14/36 

When  Knights  Were  Bold 

(G)    I.  Buchanan-F.Wray. General   76. Mar.  7/16 

Where  There's  a  Will  (G)  Will   Hay   Gaumont-Brltlsh  81. July  4/S6 

Woman  Alone,  A  (A)  Anna   Sten-H.  Wll- 

coxon   General  90. June  6/36 


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GOING  FAST! 

Our  circulation  department  reports,  that  the  big  1936-37  edition  of  the  International  Motion 
Picture  Almanac  is  rapidly  selling  out.  Order  your  copy  of  this  authoritative  reference  book 
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INTERNATIONAL 
MOTION  PICTURE  ALMANAC 


A        QUICLEY  PUBLICATION 

ROCKEFELLER         CENTER  NEW  YORK 


August    29,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


61 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART™ CONT'D) 


SHORT 
El  EMS 

[All  dates  are  1935  unless 
otherwise  stated] 

CELEBRITY 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

COMICOLOR  CARTOONS 

Balloon  Land   Sept.30t . ...  I  rl . . 

Simple  Simen   Nov.  I5t  1  rl.. 

Humpty  Dumpty   Dec.  30t  1  rl.. 

All    Baba   Jan.  30,'36t.9  

Tom  Thumb   Mar.30/36f.7  

Dick  Whlttington's  Cat  May  30,'36t.7.... 

Little  Bey  Blue   July  30,'36t  


COLUMBIA 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Min. 
BARNEY  GOOGLE 
No.  2— -'Patch  Mah 

Britches"   Dec.  I9t  7  

No.  3— "Spark  Plug"   Apr.  I2.'36t.654.. 

No.  4— Major  Google   May  24,'36t.6V4. 

BROADWAY  COMEDIES 

Am  I  Having  Fun  Sept.  3. '36. .2  rls. 

Andy  Clyde 

Ante  In  tho  Pantry  Feb.  6.'36tl8'/i. . 

(3  Stooges) 

Caught  In  the  Act  Mar.  5,'36tl8.... 

Andy  Clyde 
Champ's  a  Chump,  The  June  20,'36t  18. . . . 

(All  Star) 

Disorder  In  the  Court  May  30,'36fl7  

(3  Stooges) 

Double  Trouble   

Andy  Clyde 
False  Alarms   Aug.  16/36.  .2  rls. 

(3  Stooges) 

Half  Shot  Shooters   Apr.  30,'36tl9  

(3  Stooges) 

Hot  Paprika   Dee.  I2t. .  .1854. . 

Andy  Clyde 

I  Don't  Remember   Dec.  26 1... 1 854.. 

Harry  Langdon 

Just  Speeding   Jan.  23,'36tl8  

Midnight   Blunders  Apr.  2l.'36fl7  

(All  Star) 

Mister  Snarly   July  l5.'36tlB  

Andy  Clyde 

Movie   Maniacs   Feb.  20,'36tt8. . . . 

(3  Stooges) 

Pain  In  tho  Pullman,  A..  June  27,'36tl8  

(3  Stooges) 

Peppery  Salt.  The  May  15,'36tl8. . . . 

Andy  Clyde 
Shar*  the  Wealth  Mar.  I9,'36f  1754 . . 

Andy  Clyde 

Three  Little  Beers  Nov.  28f...l7  

(3  Stooges) 

Unrelated  Relations   Jan.  9,'36tl8  

(All  Star) 

Whoops.  I'M  an  Indian  Sept.  1 1  ,'36.2  rls. 

.(3  Stooges) 

Yoo    Hea    Hollywood  Nov.  I4t  18  

(All  Star) 

COLOR  RHAPSODIES 

Bon  Ben  Parade  Dec.    St  854.. 

Dr.  Bluebird   Feb.  5,'36t.8.... 

Football  Bugs  Apr.  29,'36t  .7. . . . 

Glee  Worms   June  24,'36t.7  

Merry    Mutineers  Sept.  3. '36 . . I  rl.. 

Novelty  Shop,  The  Aug.  15, '36  

Untrained  Seal.  The  July  26,'36t.7  

COLUMBIA  TOURS 
Wonder  Spots  of  America..  Sept.  4, '36, .  I  rl.. 
COURT  OF  HUMAN  RELATIONS 

Mad   Money   Sept.  4, '36. . I  rl.. 

KRAZY   KAT  CARTOONS 

10.  Kannlbal    Kapers  Dee.  27t,...7  

11.  Bird  Stuffer,  The  Feb.  I.'36t.7  

12.  "Lil  AinJII"   Mar.  I9.'36t.6  

13.  Peaee   Conference  Apr.  I0,'36t.7  

(re-issue) 

14.  Highway  Snobbery...    .Aug.  9,'36..7  

NEW  WORLD  OF  SPORT  SERIES 

Disputed    Decisions   Aug.  22/36  

Football    Flashes  Aug.  30/36  

Golfing  Rhythm   May  I5,'36tl0  

Hunters'  Paradise  Nov.  30t ...  1 1  

leo   Cut -U ps   Feb.  6/ 36 1 10  ... 

Little   Champs   Aug.  10/36  

Speed  Mad   Apr.  I7.'36tl0. . . . 

Sport  Magic   June  I3.'36t.854.. 

Stop,  Look  and  Guess  Mar.  9,'36tl0  

Thrills  With   Daredevils....  Mar.  19,  "36tl0  

SCRAPPY  CARTOONS 
Touring  the  Sport  World. ..July  11/38.10  


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Let's  Ring  Doorbells  Nov.    7t  7  

Playing  Politics   July  8/S8t.7.... 

Scrappy's  Boy  Scouts  Jan.  2,'36t.7  

Scrappy's  Camera  Troubles. .June  5,'36t.7  

Scrappy's  Pony   Mar.  I6,'36t.7  

SCREEN  SNAPSHOTS 

No.  3—   Nov.  8t...l0  

No.  4 —   Dec.  6t...l0  

No.  5—  Jan.    2/3611054. . 

No.  6 —   Jan.  3l,'36t IO'/j . . 

No.  7—   Feb.  28,'36t  1 054 . . 

No.  8—   Mar.  27/36tl0  

No.  9—   Apr.  24.'36t.954.. 

No.  10—    May  29/36tl0.... 

No.  II—   June  26/36tlO  

No.  12—   July  17/36.10  

No.  13—   Aug.  13/36.10  

SPECIAL 

Robinson  Crusoe   .Sept.  7/36. ..3  rls. 

STARS  OF  TOMORROW 

No.  3 —   Nov.  27t ...  1 1  

No.  4 —   Nov.  I6t...l0.... 

No.  5 —   Jan.  15/36tll  

No.  6 —   Jan.  I7,'36tl0  

VOICE  OF  EXPERIENCE 

No.  3—   Oct.  I3t...l054.. 

No.  4—   Oct.  28t...l054.. 

No.  5—   Nov.  I2f...l0(4.. 

No.  6—   Nov.  27t...l054.. 

No.  7—   Dec.  I2t...l054.. 

No.  8—   Jan.  2,'36tll  

No.  9—   Feb.  2S/36tl054. . 

No.  10—   Mar.  26,'36tl054. . 

DU  WORLD 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

POPULAR   SCIENCE  FOREIGN 
(Clnecoler) 

No.   I—   Sept.15/36.  .9  

No.  2—   10.... 

No.  3—   8.... 

No.  4—   ,  8  

No.  5—   9.... 

No.  6—   10  

SEMI-FEATURES  AND  SHORTS 
Cathedrals   Oct.     It. ..19... 

EDUCATIONAL 

[Distributed  through 

Twentieth  Century-Fox] 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

CORONET  COMEDIES 

Brain  Busters,  The  Jan.  I0,'36tl8  

Fresh  from  the  Fleet  Apr.  24/36tl8  

He's  a  Prlnee  Oct.  I8t...l8  

Just  Another  Murder  Oct.  4t...l7  

Mixed  Policies   Jan.  I7,'36t20  

Sleepless  Hollow   May  8/36tl6  

Where  Is  Wall  Street  Apr.  (0.'36tl9  

FROLICS    OF  YOUTH 

Choose  Your  Partners  Dec.  I3t. .  .20  

Knockout  Drops   Dec.  6t...l9  

MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Home  on  the  Range  June  5,'36t2l  

Moonlight  and  Melody  Oct.  I  It... 21  

Perfect  Thirty-Sixes   Dec.  20t...l8  

Thanks.  Mr.  Cupid  Jan.  24/36tl8  

SONG   AND   COMEDY  HITS 

Alpine  Rendezvous   Aug.   1/36. II  

Easy  Plekln's   Dee.  27t. .  .10  

Going  Native   Aug.  28/36. 1 1   

Hillbilly  Love   Oct.  lit  .  II.... 

Queen's  Birthday,  The  Aug.  14/36.10  

Ring  Goes  'Round,  Tho  Aug.  21/36. 10  

Rodeo  Day   Sept.  I3t...ll  

Seeing   Nellie   Homo  Dec.  20t...ll  

Sorority  Blues  Dec.    6t ...  1 1  

Spooks   Apr.  I7,'36t.9  

Way  Out  West  Oct.  25t ...  1 1  

STAR  PERSONALITY  COMEDIES 

Glv'lm  Air   Feb.  I4.'36tl8  

Gold  Bricks   Mar.  20/36t20. . . . 

Grand  Slam  Opera  Feb.  2l/36t2i  

Ladies  Love  Hats  Nov.    It... 20  

Three  on  a  Limb   Jan.  3/36tl9  

Timid  Young  Man.  The  Oct.  25t...20.... 

Triple  Trouble   Apr.  3/36M6  

White  Hope,  The  Mar.  27/36tl9. . . . 

PAUL  TERRY-T00N8 

Aladdin's  Lamp   Nov.  I5t  6  

Alpine  Yodeler   Feb.  2/36t.6  

Rarnvarrt    Amateur?   Mar.  6.*36t.6.... 

Bully  Frog,  A  Sept.  18/36.  .1  rl. . 

Busy    Bee.   The  May29.'36t.6  

Farmer  Al  Falfa  in  the 

Health   Farm   Sept.  4/36. .  I  rl. . 

Farmer   Al    Falfa    In  the 

Hot  Spell   July  I0.'36t.6  

Farmer  Al   Falfa  and  the 

Runt   May  I5,'36t.6  


Title                          Rel.  Date  Min. 
Farmer    Al    Falfa's  Prize  

Package   July  81,'M. ...... 

Feud,  Tho   Jan.  I0,'36t.6  

Foiled  Again   Oct.    4t  6  

Football   Oct.  I8t  6  

Home  Town  Olympics  .Feb.  7/36t.6  

lune  Bride,  A  .Nov.    It  6  

Kiko  Foils  the  Fox  Oct.    2/36. . I  rl.. 

Kiko  the  Kangaroo  in 

a  Battle   Royal   Oct.  30/36..  I  rl.. 

Kiko  and  the  Honey  Bears.  Aug.  21  ,'36t  .6  

Mayflower,  The   Dec.  27t  6  

19th  Hole  Club,  The  Jan.  24/36t.6  

Off  to  China  Mar.  20,'36t.6  

Puddy   the    Pup   and  the 

Gypsies   July  24/36t.6  

Puddy  the   Pup  in  Sunken 

Treasures   Oct.  16, '36..  I  rl.. 

Robin  Hood  in  an  Arrow 

Escape   Nov.  13/36.  .1  rl. . 

Rolling  Stones   May  l.'36t.6  

Sailor's  Home,  The  June  l2/36t-6  

Southern  Horse-pitality  Nov.  29t  6  

Tough  Egg,  A  June  26/36t.6  

Western  Trail.  The  Apr.  3/36t.6  

Wolf  in  Cheap  Clothing,  A.Apr.  I7.'36t.6  

Ye  Olde  Toy  Shop  Dec.  I3t  6  

TREASURE  CHEST 

Animal    Cunning   May  I.'36tl0  

Fast  Friends   June  5/36t.9  

Feminine  Form   Aug.  7/36.10  

Fisherman's  Luck   Jan.  3l/36t.9  

Gangsters  of  the  Deep....  .Nov.    It  8  

Hold  That  Line  Oct.  lit. ...7  

Game  of  Jai-Alai,  The  Dee.  27t  9  

Manhattan  Tapestry   Jan.  3l/36tlO  

Nature's    Songsters   Sept.  4/36. . I  rl.. 

Seeing  Eye,  The  Jan.  I7,'36tl0  

Ski-Scrapers   May  24  8  

Sunday  Sports  In  Mexlea. . . Nov.    8t. . .  10  

TUXEDO  COMEDIES 

Just  Plain  Folks  Mar.  I3,'36tl9  

One  Big  Happy  Family  Nov.  I5t...2l  

Rail   Birds   May  22.'36tl8  

TWO-REEL  COMEDIES 

Bashful    Buddies   Aug.  7.'3*.I7  

Plus  Blazes   Aug.  21  ,'36. 19. ..  . 

Boy.  Oh  Boy  Aug.  14/36.19  

Gags  and  Gals   Sept.l  1/36.  .2  rls. 

Happy  Heels   Aug.  1/36.18  

It  Happened  All  Right  May  I5.'36tl9  

Parked  in  Paree  Aug.  28/36.19  

Peaceful  Relations   June  I9.'36tl8. . . 

That's  What  You  Say  Sept.25/36.  .2  rls. 

Wacky  Family,  The  Sept.  4/36.  .2  rls. 

YOUNG  ROMANCE 

Beware  of  Blondes  Feb.  7/361 20  

Love  In  a  Hurry  May  17  16  

Love  in  September   Mar.  6,'36t2l  

Way  Up  Thar  Nov.  8t...l8  

GRAND  NATIONAL 
DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

MUSICAL  MOODS 
(Technicolor) 

Ave  Maria   Mar.25,'36t.l  rl.. 

Irish  Melody   Mar.  9,'36t.8.... 

Italian  Caprice   Dec.    It  S  

Llebestraum     Apr.  20/36t. I  rl. . 

Mediterranean  Songs   Nov.    it  7  

NEWSLmUGHS 

No.  2—   Nov.  26t  I  rl. . 

No.  3—   Dee.  30t  I  rl.. 

No.  4—    Jan.  20/36t.l  rl.. 

No.  5—   Feb.  20/36t.l  rl.. 

No.  6—   Mar. 20/36 1. 1  rl. 

6  THRILLING  JOURNEYS 

Craters  of  the  Moon  Nov.  15)  I.  rl.. 

Old  Faithful  Speaks  Nov.  I5t  

Deep  Sea  Harvest  Jan.  15,'SSt .  I  rl. . 

Ride  Along  Dude  Feb.  I5,'36t. I  rl. . 

City  of  Proud  Memories  Dec.  lot  I  rl.. 

Realm  of  Ghosts  Mar.  l/36t  


HOFFBERG 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

Beautiful  Blue  Danube  Feb.  4/361.9.. . 

Carillon  Makers   Aug.  I5,'36tl2... 

Golden  Harbor   Mar.  I6,'36tl0... 

It's  a  Bird   Jan.  20,'36tl7... 

Life  of  Theodore  Roosevelt. . Feb.  I,'36tl9... 

Tough  Breaks   Mar.  I/36M8... 

Spanish  Interlude,  A  Sept.l5/36t26. . . 

Sport  of  Flying   Aug.  Il/36t.9... 

Symphony  of  the  Seasons.  .Jan.  27/36t.9... 

Young    Explorer   Mar.  2,'S8tl8... 

INTERNATIONAL  VARIETIES 

No.   I—   Feb.  I4,'36t.8... 

No.  2—   Feb.  28/36t.8... 

No.  3—   Mar.  8/36tl0.  . . 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

No.  4 —   Mar.  22,'36tl0  

No.  5—   Apr.  I0,'36t.7.... 

No.  6—   Apr.  22/36t.754.. 

PERSONALITIES  ON  PARADE 

No.  I —   Feb.  5,'36t.9  

No.  2—   Mar.  6,'36t.9  

No.  3—   Apr.  I  l.'36t.9  

No.  4 —   May  4/36t.9  

WORLD  EXPLORATIONS 

1.  Nomads  of  the  Jungle  Feb.   3/36t  6  

2.  Nomads  of  the  South  Seas.  Feb.  I7,'36t.6  

3.  Nomads  of  the  Past  Mar.  3,'36t.6  

4.  Nomads  of  the  Air  .Mar.  I7,'36t .554.. 

5.  Nomads  In  the  Making. . .Apr.  3.'36t.6.... 

6.  Nomads  of  the  River  Apr.  I7.'36t.6. . .. 

7.  Nomads  of  the  Plains  May  3,'36t.554.. 

8.  Nomads  of  the  Sea  May  I7,'36t.554.. 

IMPERIAL 

Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

COLOR  CLASSICS 

Towers  of  Melody  8..., 

Hidden  Treasures   

Southern   Beauties   8  

EDGAR  GUEST   POETIC  GEMS 

After  the  Storm  

Boyhood   8 — 

Couldn't  Live  Without  You  

Old  Prospector,  The  8... 

Sea  Dreams   8... 

Early  In  the  Mornin'  '..  8... 

NOVELTIES 

Cities  erf  the  Past  

Nero   -.  8... 

Every  Dog  Has  Its  Day  9.... 

Hobo  Hero  t — 

PORT  0'  CALL 

Peacock  Throne   ;9... 

City  of  the  Sun  19... 

Jungle  Bound  

Last  Resort   9... 

Love's  Memorial   

Children  of  the  Nile  t... 

Seventh  Wonder   t... 

WORLD    IN  COLOR 

Beneath  Coral  Seas   8... 

Inspiration  of  Old  Leva 

Songs  8... 

Isle  of  June  

Dream  Harbor   8... 

Maori   8... 

Melody  Isle  

Under  the  Southern  Cross  S.t. 

MGM 

Title  Rel.  Data  Min. 

CHARLEY  CHASE 
Count  Takes  the  Count,  The  Feb.  22/36f20 . . . 

Life  Hesitates  at  40  Jan.  I8.'36tl5..i 

Manhattan  Monkey  Business. Nov.  9t...2l... 

Neighborhood  House   May  9/36t  

Nurse  to  You  Oct.  5t...20... 

On  the  Wrong  Trek  Apr.  18/36119. . . 

Public  Ghost  No.  I  Dee.  I4t...20... 

Vamp  'Til  Ready  Mar.  28/36t20. . . 

CRIME  DOESN'T  PAY 

No.  3—  Desert  Death   Oet.  I9t...2l... 

No.  4— ThrPti   for  Thelma, 

A    Nov.  23t...l8... 

No.  S — Hit  and  Run  Driver. Dee.  28t...20... 

No.  6— Perfect  Setup   Feb.  I.'36t2l... 

FITZPATRICK  TRAVEL  TALKS 
Honolulu,  Paradise  of  the 

Paelfle   Nov.   2t  S... 

Japan   in   Cherry  Blossom 

Time   Mar.  2l,'36t.9... 

Modern  Tokyo   Dee.  28t  9... 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  City  of 

Splendor   Apr.  I8,'36t.8... 

Rural  Mexleo    .Nov.  30t  8... 

Sacred  City  of  the  Mayan 

Indians   Feb.  22/36t.7. . . 

St.  Helena  and  Its  Man  of 

Destiny   May  I6.'36t.8... 

Victoria  and  Vancouver  Jan.  25,'36t.9... 

HARMAN-ISING 
(Happy  Harmonies) 

15 —  Honeyland   Oet.  I9t...l0... 

16—  Alias  St.   Nick  Nov.  I8t  10  

17 —  Run,  Sheep,  Run  Dee.  I4t...l0... 

18—  Bottles   Jan.  Il/38tl0... 

19—  Early  Bird  and  the 

Worm.  The   Feb.  8/381.8... 

20—  Old  Mill  Pond,  Tho  Mar.  7,'36t.S... 

21—  Two  Little  Pupa  Apr.  4,'38t.S... 

M-G-M  MINIATURES 
Great  American  Pie  Com- 
pany  Nov.    Sf...  1 1... 

How  to  Behave  Apr.  23,'38fl0. . . 

How  to  Train  a  Dog  July  4/36t.«... 


62 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


(THE  RELEASE  CHACT—CCNT'D) 


Tltlt  Rel.  Data  Mln. 

Important  News   Feb.  29/36tl0  . . 

Jenker  Diamond   Mar.  28,'36tl0. . . 

Let's  Dance   Jan.  4,'36t.8... 

Little  Boy  Blue  May  23,'36tll... 

Matter  Will  Shakespeare..  .June  I3.'36tl0... 

Primitive  Plteairn  Dee.    7t  9... 

Trained  Hoofs   Ott.  I2t....9... 

West  Point  of  the  South  Feb.   l/36t.8. .. 

M-G-M  SPORTS  PARADE 

Air  Hoppers   Jan.  I8,'36tl0... 

Aquatic  Artistry   Apr.  I  l.'36t.9. . . 

Crew  Raelng   .....Dee.  21 1 . . .10... 

Gymnastics   Oet.  26t  9... 

Harnessed  Rhythm   Juno   6. '36. 10... 

Polo   May  9.'36t.8... 

Table  Tenale   Feb.  I5,'36tl0... 

Raelng  Canines   Mar.  I4.*36tl0  

Water  Sports   Oet.  26t  S... 

MUSICAL  REVUES 

La  Fiesta  do  Santa  Bar- 
bara  Dee.    7t . ..!«... 

Pirate  Party  on  Catalina 
Isle   Nov.  21  20... 

lunkitt  Stars  at  Palm 
Sprinpt   Jan.  11/36.20... 

OUR  GANG 

Arbor  Day   May  2.'3CtlS... 

Divot  Dinars   Feb.  8.'3StlS... 

Litky  Corner,  The  Mar.  l4/36tlS... 

Plash  Singer   Jan.  4/36tlS... 

Sooand  Childhood   Apr.  I l.'38tlf)  

PATSY  KELLY  COMEDIES 

All-Aejorloan  Teethatho  Jan.  2S.'36t20. . . 

At  Sea  Ashore  Apr.  4,'36t20... 

Hill  Tillies   Apr.  4,'36tlS... 

Hat  Meao7   Nov.  I6t...l8... 

Paa  Handlers   Feb.  29.'36t20. . . 

Top  Flat   Dee.  2it...20... 

PETE   SMITH  SPECIALTY 

Killer  Dog   10... 

SPECIAL 

Audioseepiks   8... 

PARAMOUNT 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

BETTY  BOOP  CARTOONS 
Betty   Beep   and  Little 

Jimmy   Mar.  27.'36t.7. . . 

Betty  Boop  and  the  Little 

King   Jan.  3I/S6t.7... 

Grampy's  Indoor  Outing. ..  .Oct.  I6,'36  

Happy  You  and  Merry  Me.  .  Aug. 21, '36.  .7. . . 
Henry,  the  Funniest  Living 

American   Nov.  22t  7... 

Little  Nobody   Dee.  27t....7... 

Making  Stars   Oet  I8t  7... 

Mere  Pep   June  I9,'36t  

Not  Now   Feb.  28,'36t.7... 

Song  a  Day,  A  May  22/36t.7... 

Training  Pidgeons   Sept.18,'36  

We  Did  It  Apr.  24.'36t.6... 

You're  Not  Built  That. Way  July  I7.'36t- 1  rl. 

COLOR  CLASSICS 

Cobweb  Hotel,  The  May  I5,'36t .8. . . . 

Greedy  Hunpty  Dumpty. . .  .  July  I0.'36t .  I  rl. 

Hawaiian  Birds   Aug.  28/31.. I  rl.. 

Little  Stranger   Mar.  I3,'36f.8... 

Musical  Memories   Nov.    8t  7  

Play    Safe  Oct.  16/36  

Somewhere  In  Dreamland..  .Jan.  17/36.9  

(Teehnicolor) 

HEADLINERS 

Accent  on  Girls  Dee.  27t  

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 
Melodears 

Babes  In  Hollywood  Oct.  I8t...l0... 

Breezy  Rhythm   Apr.  I0/36tl0  

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 

Cavalcade  of  Musle.  The. ...Oct.    4t  8  

Gypsy  Revels   Aug.  7/36.11  

Lucky  Starlets   May  22/36tl0  

Baby  Leroy-Bennle  Bart- 

lett  •  David    Holt  -  Betty 

Helt  -  Billy  Lee  -Virginia 

Weldler 
Midnight  Melodies   

Orchestra  .  M  ar.  20/36t  II  

Ed  Paul  and  Orchestra- 

Babs  Ryan  •  Lorerta  Lee 
Moscow    Moods  Jan.  I7,'36tll  

Yasha  Bunehuk  and  Oreh. 
Movie  Melodies  on  Parade. Feb.  7/36tll.... 

Kostelanetz-  Eastman 
Musical  Fashions   July  3/36t.lrl.. 

Ina  Ray  Hutton  and  Her 

Melodears 

Musie  In  the  Morgan  Manner  June  I2.'38t  

Russ  Morgan  and  Oreh. 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

Music  Over  Broadway  Aug.  28/39.. I  rl. 

George  Hall  and  Oreh. 
Parade  of  the  Maestros  Nov.  1 5t . .  .10  

Red  Nichols,  Fordo  Grofe, 

Emery  Deutsch  and  Their 

Orchestras 

Play,  Don   July  31  ,'36fl  I  

Don  Bestor  and  Oreh. 

Radio  Rhapsody   Dec.  6t...l0... 

Johnny  Green  and  Oreh. 

Star  Reporter,  The  Feb.  28/36t.9. . . 

Betty  Jane  Cooper-Don- 
ald Novis-lna  Ray  Hutton 

Yankee  Doodle  Rhapsody..  .May  l/36tll... 
Ferde  Grofe  and  Hit 
Orchestra 

MUSICAL  ROMANCE 

Lover's    Paradise  Sept.  1 1/36  , 

(Technicolor) 

PARAGRAPHICS 

It's  a  Good  Stunt  Oct.  23/36  

Lulu's  Love   Aug.  14/36.10.. . 

Sailor  Shorty   Sept. 1 8/36  

Straight  as  an  Arrow  Oct.  9/36  

PARAMOUNT  PICTORIAL 
No.  3— Nesting  Time— Re- .Oet.  lit... .9... 

flections — Song  Makers  ef 

the  Nation  (Tot  Seymour 

and  Vee  Lawnhurst)  

No.  4— Jewelry  —  Made  to  .  Nov.   St. ..10... 

Order  —  Let's   Litton  to 

Latin  America   

No.  5—  Manhattan  Rhapsody  .  Dec.    If...  10..., 

— Animal    Buddies — Man 

ef  Many  Faees  

No.  6  — The    Latest   from  Jan.  3/36tl0  

Paris — Shifting  8andt— 

Nature's  Sideshow   

No.  7— Mountain  Meedt  — .Jan.  3l/38t.7... 

Camera  Houndt  —  Stag 

Makers    af    the  Nation 

(Ralph  Rainier  and  Leo 

Robin)   

No.  8—  Frederic  W.  Gaudy. Feb.  28, '36 til.,. 

— Salle  Over  Sydney  Har- 
bor—The Voice  of  the 

Animals   

No.  9— Trailing  the  Birds. Mar.  27/3«t.9.. . 

— Lake  of  Enchantment — 

Swanee  River  Goes  High 

Hat   

No.    10  —  Tollers    of    the  .Apr.  24/36tlO. . . 

Deep  —  Where  Beauty 

Reigns— Make-up  Magic 
No.  II— Champagne— Girls. May  22/36t  

Will  Be  Boys— Up  Mont 

Blanc   

No.  12— Meet  the  Pelican—  .  June  l9/36t  

Viola    Mitchell  —  Steel 

Suits   

N».  13—   July  I7,'36t.l  rl.. 

PARAMOUNT  PICTORIAL  (New  Series) 
No.  I— What's  Afoot  — 

Golden  Aeres — Don  Baker  .  Aug. 21  ,'36. 10  

No.  2—   Sept.  18/36  

No.    3—  Oct.  16/36  


PARAMOUNT  VARIETIES 
Broadway  Highlights  No.  4  .Sept.27t . . .  10. . . . 

Broadway  Highlights  No.  3. Dee.  I3t. . .10  

Broadway  Highlights  No.  6. Apr.  3/3«t.9.... 

Collie,  The   Feb.  2l/36ti0. . . . 

Countryside  Melodies   Nov.  29t....8..„ 

(Technicolor) 

Dangerous  Jobs   May  l/36t.9.... 

Fashions  In  Love  July  24,'36t.l  rl.. 

Here  Comet  the  Zoo  Mar.  I3.'36t.9. . . . 

Movie  Milestones  (No.  2). ..Jan.  3l.'36tl0  

Poodle.  The  May  22.'86tl0  

Rhythm  Party,  The  June  26/36t  

Rookie  Fireman,  The  Apr.  24/36tl0  

Shorty  at  Coney  I  .land  Jan.  IO/36tlO  

Shorty  at  the  Seashore  July  IO/36t.l  rl.. 

POPEYE  THE  SAILOR 
Adventures  of  Popeye,  The.  .Oct.  25t... 

Bridge  Ahoy!   May  1/361 

Brotherly  Love   Mar.  6/36t 

Clean  Shaven  Man,  A  Feb.  7/38t 

Hold  the  Wire  Oct.  23/36.. 

I -Ski  Love-Ski  You-Skl  Apr.  3/36t 

I  Wanna  Be  a  Lifeguard. .  .June  26/36t 

Let's  Get  Movln'  July  24/36t 

Little  Swee'  Pea  Sept.25/36.. 

Never  Kick  a  Woman  Aug.  28/38.. 

Slnbad  the  Sailor  Jan.  3l/36t 

(Special) 

Spinach  Overture,  The  Dee.    6t ... 

Vim,  Vigor  and  Vitaliky  Jan.  3/36t 

What.  No  Spinach?  May  29/3St 

PARAMOUNT  SOUND  NEWS 
Two  Editions  Weekly 


8.... 
8.... 
7.... 
7.... 

(.... 

I  rl.. 

I  rl.. 
2rlt. 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

POPULAR  SCIENCE 
(Cinecotor) 

No.  2   Sopt,29t.  ..9... 

No.  3   Nov.  29t ...  1 0</> . 

No.  4     Jan.  24/36tll... 

No.   I   Mar.  27/361 1 1 . . . 

No.  5   May  29/36t  

No.  6   July  l7/36t.l  rl. 

POPULAR   SCIENCE    (New  Series) 

No.  I   Aug.  28/36.11... 

No.  2   Oct.  30/36  


SCREEN  SONGS 
Hills  of  Old  Wyomin'.  The  .  July  24/36tl0. . . 

The  Westerners 
I    Don't  Want  to  Make 

History   May  22/36t  

V.  Lopez  and  Orchestra 
I  Feel  Like  a  Feather  In 

the  Breeze   Mar.  27/36t.7. . . 

Jack  Denny  and  Orchestra 
It's  Easy  to  Remember  Nov.  29t...l0... 

Riehard  Himber  and  Or- 
chestra 

I  Wished  On  the  Mara  Sept. 20t  9... 

Abe  Lyman  and  Orchestra 
No  Other  One  Jan.  24/39t.9... 

Hal  Kemp  and  Orchestra 

GRANTLAND    RICE  8P0RTLIGHT8 
(NEW  8ERIES) 
No.  17 — Jumping  Champion  .Oct.  29t...l0... 
No.  18— Sport  on  the  Range. Nov.  22t...l0... 
No.  19 — Sporting   Network. . Dee.  20t...l0... 
No.  20— What's  the  Anwar. Jan.  I7.'38tl0... 

No.  21— Finer  Points  Feb.  I4.'38tl0. . . 

No.  22— Winged  Champions. Mar.  I3,'38tl0... 

No.  23 — Sun  Chasers  Apr.  IO/36tlO. . . 

No.  24— Catching  Trouble. .  .May  8/33tl0... 

Na.  25— River  af  Thrills...  .June  3/38t  

No.  26 — Sporting  Compari- 
sons  July  S/38t  

No.  27— Neptune's  Scholars. Aug.  7/36.10... 
No.  28— Lucky  Spills  Sept.  4/36  


RKO  RADIO 


Title 


Mln. 


Rel.  Date 
DUMBBELL  LETTERS 

Na.  21   Jan.  S/SSt.S... 

Na.  22   Feb.  3l/36t.5'/». 

No.  23   Apr.  3/38t.S... 

N».  24   May  29/S8t.3... 

No.  25   July  I0/S8t  


EASY  ACES 

Capital  Idea   Oet.  4f...l0.. 

Debonair  New  Orleans  Mar.  27/3StlO... 

Etiquette   Nov.  29/38t  .9. . . 

Feel  Your  Friends  June  9/36 1  

Job's  a  Job,  A  May  22/38t  

Old  Fashioned  Movie,  An..  .Feb.  28/36tll... 

Trieks  of  the  Trade  Sept.  St...  19... 

Winter  at  the  Zoo  Jan.  3l/3StlO>/>. 

World  Within,  A  Nov.    It. ..10... 

HEADLINER  SERIES 

No.  I— Night  Life  Sept. 21 1 . .  .21 . . . 

No.  2— Tuned  Out   Nov.  1 5t ... 20  

No.  3 — Camera  Cranks  Jan.  l7/36tl9  

No.  4— Wedtlme  Story,  A. .  Mar.  20/36t2l . . . 

No.  5— Bad  Medicine   May  22,'36tl9  

No.  6— Sleepy  Time   July  24/38t  

EDGAR   KENNEDY  COMEDIES 

Gasoloons   Jan.  3/36tl5'/,.. 

Happy  tho  Married  Nov.    I  18  

High  Beer  Pressure  May  8,'36tl8  

Sock  Me  to  Sleep  May  17  20  

Vocalizing   Oct.  23/36. 20 Vi.. 

Will  Power   Mar.  6/36tl3'/i. 

MAJOR  BOWES'  AMATEUR  PARADE 

No.  I   May    I /Set ...... 

No.  2   June  5/36t  

No.  3   July  3/36t  

MAJOR  BOWES'  AMATEUR  THEATRE 
OF  THE  AIR 

No.  4   Oct.  I8t...l8'/i.. 

Na.  5   Nov.    St.. .18  

No.  6   Nov.  22t..  .18  

MARCH  OF  TIME 

No.  8   Nov.  1 5t ... 20  

No.  9   Doe.  I3t...23'/i.. 

[1936] 

No.  I   Jan.  l7/38tl8'/i.. 

No.  2   Feb.  I7.'36t24.... 

No.  3   Mar.  I3.'36t2l  

No.  4   .Apr.  I7.*36t2l  

No.  5   May  l5/3St  

No.  S   June  I2.'36t..  ... 

No.  7   July  IO/36t..  .. 

PATHE  NEWS 
Released  twice  a  week 

PATHE  REVIEWS 
Released  once  a  month 


Title  Rel.  Date  Mia. 

PATHE  TOPICS 

Released  seven  times  a  year 

RADIO  FLASH  COMEDIES 

Dog  Blight   June  I2.'36f  

Fight  Is  Right  Apr.  I0,'36tl7... 

Radio  Barred   Feb.  7.'36tl5'/,. 

Where  There's  a  Will  Oet.  4t...l8... 

Worm  Burns,  The  Dee.    St. .  .17  

RADIO  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Aladdin  from  Manhattan  Feb.  28/3Stl7... 

Foolish  Hearts   Dec.  27t...l8... 

Melody  in  May  May  I,'36tl9... 

Mismanaged   Oet.  25f...l9ft. 

Swing  It   July  S/SSt  

Who's  Looney  Now?  Sept.  4/36.19.... 

RAINBOW  PARADE  CARTOONS 

Bold  King  Cole  May  29/3St  

Felix  the  Cat  and  the  Goose 
That  Laid  the  Golden  Egg  .  Feb.  7/3St.7'/t. 

It's  a  Greek  Life  7... 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  the 
Indians   Nov.  I5t.-..7yi. 

Molly  Moo  Cow  and  Robin- 
son Crusoe   Mar.  20/SSt.7. .. 

Neptune  Nonsense   Apr.  l7/3St-8... 

Toonervllle  Trolley   Jan.  17/38? .7... 

Trolley  Ahoy   

Waif's  Weleome,  A  Jane  19/SSt  

SMART  SET 

All  Business   Feb.  l4/3StlSye. 

And  So  to  Wed  Juno  19/SSt  

Framing  Father   Apr.  17/SStltya. 

Returned  Engagement,  A...  Oat.  I  It... SI... 

So  and  Sew   Sept. 1 8/36. 15. . . 

Too  Many  Surprise*  Dee.   St. ..My*. 

SPECIALS 

Going  on  Two  Sept.  17  17... 

Headlines  for  25  Years  Mar.  Z7.'3Stll . . . 

SPORTS  WITH  BILL  CORUM 

Bugles  from  Blue  Gras*  Ott.  llt...lSVa. 

Gentlemen'i  Spent   Doe.  IS?.. .11... 

High,   Wide  and    Dashing. Sept.  4/36. .9... 

Never  Catch  the  Rabbit  Apr.  24/3Stl I. . . 

Row  Mr.   Row  Jane  l9/3St  

Tomorrow's  Halfbacks  Jan.  24/JSt.S... 

Winter  Sport   Mar.  l3/3Stl9... 

STRUGGLE  TO  LIVE 

Beach  Matter*   Nov.  8t...l»Vt. 

Living  Jewels   Juno  12/SSt  

Underground  Farmer*  Apr.  l7/38t.S... 

Swamp  Land   Sept.  18/36.  .9  

Winged  Pageantry  Feb.  l4/3SflS... 

SUPERBA  COMEDIES 

Counselitls   Nov.  22t...lS. ... 

Down  the  Ribber  Mar.  27/3StXI . . . 

Heme  Work   Sept.  20t . . .  19. . . 

Uppereutlett   Jaa.  24/  38tl8Vt. 

Listen  t*  Freezln*  July  31  ,'36tl5  . . 

One   Live   Ghost  Nov.  6/36.21  

Wholesaling  Along   May  29/SStl7... 

WORLD  ON  PARADE 
Coral  Isle  of  the  Atlantic. .  .Mar.  27/Jttll . . . 

Land  of  Evangeline  Nov.  22t...l9Vt. 

Morocco   Jan.  IO/33t  

Prominent  Personalities  ..  .Feb.  2l,'36tll  

Spain's  Romantic  Isle. 

Majorca   Oet.  I8t...l8y*.. 

Trinidad   Sept.l  1/36.10  

Venice  of  tho  North  May  15/38  

Washington  in  Virginia  ...Oct.  9/36.10  

STATE  RIGHTS 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

AL  BONDY 
(General  Electric) 

Excursions  in  Science  No.  I  8  

DYNAMIC 

Wonderland  of  Gaspe  1 1  

NORTON 

Alchemist's  Hourglass,  Tee  IS  

PAT  GARYN 

O'Mahoney-George  Bout   17  

PHIL  BROWN 

Norwegian  Sketches   10.... 

REGAL 

Broadway  Nights   


20TH  CENTURY-FOX 

Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

ADVENTURES  OF  THE 
NEWSREEL  CAMERAMAN 

Filming  the  Fantastic  Jan.  31/SStlS... 

Filming    Feminine  Head- 
liners   Dee.  27t...l0... 

Re  curing  tho  Skies   Aug.  14/38  

Shooting  tbe  Record  Break- 
ers  Nov.  22t...lS... 

MAGIC  CARPET  SERIES 

Argentine  Argosy  Nov.  Sit. ..IS... 

Geneva-by-tbo-Lak*  Dae.  tit... IS... 

Hang  Keng  Highlights  Jaa.  Sl/SStlS... 

Irish  Pastoral   Aug.  7. '38  


August    2  9,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


63 


(THE  RELEASE  CHART—CONT'D 


Title  Rel.  Date  Min 

Morocco  Mirage   Aug.  30  .  .  10. . 

West  Indies  Cruise  Oct.  25t..  l0 ... 

Winter  Magic   Dec.  27t ...  10 ... 


UNITED  ARTISTS 


Title 


Rcl.  Date  Mln. 


MICKEY  MOUSE 

35.  Pluto's  Judgment  Day.  .Sept. 28t  9... 

36.  On  Ice   Nov.    6t  8.  . 

37.  Mickey's  Polo  Team... Feb.  5,'36t.8... 

38.  Orphans'   Picnic   Mar.  I2.'36t  .9. . . 

39.  Mickey's  Grand  Opera. Apr.  9,'36t.9... 

40.  Through  the  Mirror. ...  .June  I8,'36t.9. 

101.  Moving  Day    July  22/38. .9... 

102.  Mickey's  Rival   Aug.  27/36.  .9.  . . 

103.  Alpine  Climbers   9'/2. 

SILLY  SYMPHONIES 

28.  Who  Killed  Cock 

Robin?   June  26t. . .  10. . . 

29.  Music  Land   Oct.   lot  8'/j. 

30.  Three   Orphan   Kittens  Nov.  2 1 1  9.  .. 

31.  Cock  of  the  Walk  Dec.  I9t  8... 

32.  Broken  Toys   Jan.  9/36t-8... 

33.  Elmer  the  Elephant...  .May  I4.'36t.8>/a 

34.  Three  Little   Wolves  ..  May  27/36t  10. . . 

35.  Toby  Tortoise   Returns  8.  .. 


UNIVERSAL 


Title 


Rel.  Date  Mln. 


4t...20.. 
6t...20.. 


CARTUNE  CLASSICS 
No.  6 — Fox  and  the  Rabbit. 

The   Sept.  30  8  

GOING  PLACES  with  LOWELL  THOMAS 

No.  16   Dec.  23t. . .  10. . . . 

No.  17   Jan.  20,'36t  

No.  18   Mar.  9/36tl0'/a.. 

No.  19   Mar.  23,'36tl0. . . . 

No.  20   Apr.  20.'36t.9  

No.  21   June  8,'36t  

No.  22   June  22.'36t  

No.  23   July  6,'36t  

No.  24   July  20/36.10.... 

No.  25   Aug.  3/36tl0.... 

No.  26   Aug.  I7,'36t  

No.  27   Aug.  21/36  

No.  28   Sept.28/36  

No.  29  Oct.  26/38  

No.  30   Nov.  23/36  

No.  31   Dec.  21/36  

MENTONE  MUSICAL  COMEDIES 

Carnival  Time   Jan.  22/36tl9  

Jean  Sergent-Jack  Fulton 

Clubhouse  Party  (No.  6-B).Dec.  25t  2  rls. 

Ray  Perkins 

Fllppen's  Frolics   July  I5.'36t  

Gus  Van's  Garden  Party. .  .Sept.  2/36. . I  rl.. 

Gus  Van's  Music  Shoppe 
<No.  5-B)   Dec. 

Harlem  Bound  (No.  4)  Nov. 

Marine  Follies   Apr.  29/36t.2  rls. 

Musical  Airways   Sept. 30/36.  .1  rl. . 

On  Your  Radio  Dial 

(No.  3)   Oct.  23t ...10  

Playing  tor  Fun  Mar.  I8.'36tl5  

Signing  Off    Feb.  I9,'36tl9  

Speedy  Justice  (No.  2-B) . .  .Sept.  25t. .  .20  

Teddy  Bergman's  Inter- 
national Broadcast   June  3/36t20.... 

Vaud-O-Mat,  The   Apr.  8/36H6  

NOVELTIES 

Skits  V  Sketches  Feb.  24/36t  

OSWALD  CARTOONS 

Alaska  Sweepstakes   Feb.  I7.'36t.8  

Amateur  Broadcast   Aug.  26  7.... 

Battle  Royal   June  22,'36t.7  

Barnyard   Five   Apr.  20/36t  

Beauty  Shoppe   Mar.  20/36t.6'/g. . 

Case  of  the  Lost  Sheep.  The.  Dec.    9t  7.... 

Doctor  Oswald   Dec.  30t  

Farming  Fools   May  25,'36t  

Fun  House.  The  May  4/36t  

Kiddie  Revue   Sept.  21/36  

Monkey  Wretches   Nov.  lit  I  rl.. 

Music    Hath    Charms  Sept.  7/36.. 8.... 

Slumberland  Express   Mar.  9/36t  

Soft  Ball  Game  Jan.  27,'36t  

STRANGER  THAN  FICTION  SERIES 

No.  18 — Novelty   Mar.  30.'36t . 9</a . . 

No.  19— Novelty   Apr.  I3.'36t.9  

No.  20 — Novelty   June  l/36t  

No.  21— Novelty   June  I5.'36t  

No.  22— Novelty   June  29/36t  

No.  23— Novelty   July  I3.'36t  

No.  24 — Novelty   July  27,'36tl0. . . . 

No.  25— Novelty   Aug.  I0.'36tl0  

No.  26— Novelty   Aug.  24.'36t.9  

No.  27— Novelty   Sept.  14/36  

No.  28— Novelty   Oct.  12/36  

No.  29— Novelty    Nev.  9/36  

.Dee.   7/36  No.  30— Novelty   


Title  Rel.  Date  Min. 

UNIVERSAL  COMEDIES 

His  Last  Fling  July  31  20  

(Van  Ronkel  No.  5) 

You  Can  Be  Had  Jan.  8/36tl5  

UNIVERSAL  SPECIAL 

Camera  Thrills   Sept.30. . .  .21 . . . . 

You  Can't  Get  Away 
With  It   2rl«. 


VITAPHONE 


BIG  TIME  VAUDEV 
Vitaphone  Billboard   

Jane  and  Katharine  Lee 
Vitaphone  Casino   

Buster  West- Radio  Rubes 
Vitaphone  Celebrities   

Remington  Singers 
Vitaphone  Entertainers  

Sylvia  Froos 
Vitaphone  Headliners   

Nick   Lucas-Four  Mullen 

Sisters 

Vitaphone  Highlights   

Eddie  Peabody 

Vitaphone  Hippodrome  

Molly  Picon-Johnny  Lee 

Vitaphone  Spotlight   

Conville-Dale 

Vitaphone  Topnotch.es   

Vitaphone  Troupers   

Four  Trojans- 
Aunt  Jemima 

Vitaphone  Varleti   , 

Louis  Prima  and  Orch. 

Vitaphone  Stageshow   


ILLE  REEL 

Feb.  I5.'36tll... 


.  10. 


Jan,  25/36tll... 
June  27/36t.l  rl. 
Dec.  I4t.  .10 — 

Apr.  4/36tl0... 
May  2/36tll... 
Mar.  7/36tll... 


May  30/36t... 
Jan.  4/36tl0. 


Nov.  I  at  .  I  rl. 

July  25/36M  rl. 


BIG  V.  VOMEDIES 

Vodka  Boatmen   Oct. 

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Lonesome  Trailer   Oct. 

El  Brendel 
Officer's  Mess,  The  Nov. 

Shemp  Howard 
Double  Exposure   Nov. 

Bob  Hope 
Lucky  Swede.  The  Dec. 

El  Brendel 
While  the  Cat's  Away  Jan. 

Shemp  Howard 
They're  Off   Jan. 

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Slide.  Nellie.  Slide  Feb. 

Herman  Bing- 

Paula  Stone 
Shop  Talk   Feb. 

Bob  Hope 
Joe  Palooka  in  for  the  Love 

of  Pete   .Mar. 

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 
Calling  All  Tars  Mar. 

Bob  Hope 
Slum  Fun   Apr. 

Johnny  Berkes- 

Charles  O'Dennell 
Dough-Nuts   Apr. 

Yacht  Club  Boys 
Absorbing  Junior   .May 

Shemp  Howard- 
Johnny  Berkes 
loe  Palooka  in  Here's  Howe. June 

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 
Wife  of  the  Party,  The  June 

Ken  Murray 
Good  Old  Plumbertime, 

The   .July 

Johnny  Berkes 
The  Oily  Bird  July 

Ken  Murray 
Joe  Palooka  in  Punch  and 

Beauty   Aug. 

Shemp  Howard- 
Robert  Norton 


5t..-20.... 
26t...20.... 

9t....2  rls. 
23T...2I.... 
2lt...2l.... 

4/36120.... 
I8,'36t2l.... 

I/36T2I.... 

I5.*36t2l... 

14.  '36t2l .... 

28.'36t2l  ... 
Il.'38t2l.... 

25.'36t.2  rls. 
9/36+21...  . 

6/36t2l .... 

20.'36t22  

l  l/36t.2  rls. 
25/36t.2  rls. 

15.  '36  


BROADWAY  BREVITIES 
Oh,  Evaline   Sept.  I4t. .  .20. . . 

Hal  LeRoy- 

Eleanore  Whitney 
Doorman's  Opera   Sept.  28t . .  .20. . . 

Charlotte  Arren- 

Johnny  Broderick 
Tickets  Please   Oct.  I2t...2l... 

Georgia  Price 
Regular  Kids   Oct.  I8t...20... 

Meglln  Kids 
Check  Your  Sombrero  Nov.  2t...2l... 

Armida-Tlto  Coral 
Rooftops  of  Manhattan  Nov.  I6t...2l... 

Deane  Janls-GII  Lamb 
Trouble  In  Toyland  Nov.  30t...20... 

Gus  Edwards'  Stars  of 

the  Future 


Title  Rel. 

Okay,  Jose   Dec. 

El  Brendel 

Katz'  Pajamas   Dec. 

Fill  D'Orsay 

Broadway  Ballyhoo   Dec. 

Owen.  Hunt  and  Parco 

Carnival  Days   Jan. 

Henry  Armetta- 
Felix  Knight 

Double  or  Nothing  Jan. 

Phil  Harris-Leah  Ray 

Study  and  Understudy  Jan. 

Between  the  Lines  Feb. 

Bernice  Claire 

King  of  the  Islands  Feb. 

Winifred  Shaw- 
Warren  Hymer 

Stars  Can't  Be  Wrong,  The.  Feb 
Carolyn  Marsh- 
Harris  Twins 

Wash  Your  Step  Mar. 

Hal  LeRoy- 
Preisser  Sisters 

Paris  In  New  York.  Mar. 

Irene  60140117 

Black  Network,  the  Apr. 

Nina  Mae  McKlriney- 
Nicholas  Bros. 

College  Dads   Apr. 

Leon  Janney 

Double  Crossky,  The  Apr. 

Olga  Baclanova 

I'm  Much  Obliged  May 

Vera  Van-George  Dobbs 

Maid  for  a  Day  May 

Grace  Hayes 

City's  Slicker.  The  May 

Dawn  O'Day-Radio  Rubes 

Romance  In  the  Air  May 

Wini  Shaw-Phil  Regan 

Changing  of  the  Guard  June 

Sybil  Jason 

Rhythmitis   June 

Hal  LeRoy-Toby  Wing 

Song  of  a  Nation,  The  July 

Donald  Woods- 
Claire  Dodd 

When  You're  Single  July 

Cross  and  Dunn 

Shake  Mr.  Shakespeare  Aug 

Carolyn  Marsh 

Echo   Mountain   Au 

Fred  Lawrence- 
Rosalind  Marquis 

LOONEY  TUNES 

No.  14— Plane  Dippy  Dec.  21 1  7  

No.  15— Alpine  Antics  Jan.    4/36t.7  ... 

No.  16— Phantom  Ship,  The.  Feb.  I.'36t.7  

No.  17— Boom!  Boom!  Feb.  29/36T .7. . . . 

No.  18— Blow  Out,  The  Apr.  4/36t.7  

No.  19— Westward  Whoa. . . .  Apr.  25.'36t  .7  

No.  20— Fish  Tales   May  23/36t  .7. . . . 

No.  21 — Shanghaied  Ship- 
mates  June  20/36.. 7  

No.  22— Porky's  Pet   July  ll.'36t.7  

No.  23 — Porky   the  Rain- 
maker  Aug.  1/36  

No.  24 — Porky's  Poultry 

Plant   Aug.  22/36  

MELODY  MASTERS 

Johnny  Green  and  Orchestra. Oct.  I2t...l0  

Claude  Hopkins  and  Orch.. .Nov.    St ...  10  

Red  Nichols  and  Orchestra. .Jan.  4,'36tl0  

B.  A.  Rolfe  and  Orchestra.. Feb.  l/36tll  

Jolly  Coburn  and  Orchestra.. Feb.  22,'36tll  

Little  Jack  Little  and 

Orchestra   Mar.  2l.'36tl  I  

Ramon  Ramos  and  Orchestra. Apr.  I8,'36tll  

Dave  Apollon  and  His  Band. May  I6,'36tl0  

Vincent  Lopez  and  Orches- 
tra  June  6/36tl0  

Carl  Hoff  and  Orchestra  July  I  l,'36t .  I  rl. . 

Clyde  Lucas  and  Orchestra  II  ... 

Nick  Lucas  and  His  Trou- 
badours  Aug.  15/36  


Date  Min. 
7t. -  21  

I4t. . .21  

28t. . .21 . . . . 

II/36T2I.... 

I8.'36t2l.... 

25/36t22.... 
8/36t22.... 

22/36t2l.... 

.  29/36t2i.... 

7/36t2l.... 

2l.'36t22... . 
4/36t22.... 

1  l.'3St2l .... 
I8,'36t21.... 

2/36T2I.... 
23,'36t20.... 
30/36t  2  rls. 
I6.'36t  

6/36t20.... 
I3.'36t.2  rls. 

4/36t20.... 

I8.'36t.2  rls. 
.  22/36.. 2  rls. 
29/36  


MERRIE  MELODIES 
(In  Color) 

No.  12 — Little  Dutch  Plate.Oct.   I9t  7  

No.  13— Billboard  Frolics  7.... 

No.  14 — Flowers  for  Madame.  Nov.  30t....7  

No.  15—1   Wanna  Play 

House   Jan.  I l/36t-7  

No,  16 — Cat  Came  Back, 

The    Feb.  8/36t.7... 

No.  17— Miss  Glory    Mar.  7/36.. 7  

No.  18 — I'm  a  Big  Shot 

Now   Apr.  Il/36t  .7  . . . 

No.  19 — Let  It  Be  Me...  .May  2/36t.7... 
No.  20 — I'd   Love  to  Take 

Orders  From  You  May  IB/36t.7... 

No.  21 — Bingo   Crosbyana.  . .  May  30.'36t  .7. . . 


Title  Rel. 
No.  23— When  I  Yoo  Hoo...June 
No.  24 — I  Love  to  Singa...July 
No.  25 — Sunday   Go  to 

Meetin'  Time   Au 

No.  26 — At  Your  Service. 

Madame   Aug 

OUR  OWN  UNITED  ST 
No.  I — Curious  Industries. .  .Sept. 

Harry  Von  Zell 
No.  2 — Playground   Oct. 

James  Wallington 
No.  3 — Camera    Hunting. ...  Nov. 

Paul  Douglas 
No.  4 — Nature's  Handiwork  .  Nov. 
No.  5 — Odd    Occupations. ...  Dec. 

No.  6 — Steel  and  Stone  Jan 

No.  7 — Day's  Journey,  A. ...Feb. 

No.  8—  Harbor   Lights  Mar. 

No.  9 — We  Eat  to  Live  Apr. 

No.  10 — Vacation  Spots  May 

No.  II — Irons  in  the  Fire.  .June 
No.  12 — Can  You  Imagine.  .July 
No.  13 — For  Sports  Sake. . .  .Aug. 

PEPPER  POT 
Seeln'  Stars   Nov. 

Easy  Aces 
P's  and  Cues  Dec. 

(Exploitation:  Mar.  28/36,  p. 

Can  It  Be  Done?  Dee. 

Wild  Wings   Jan. 

Some  Class   Feb. 

Charles  Ahearn 

Timber  Giants   Feb. 

Half  Wit-ness   Mar. 

Radio  Ramblers 

Beneath  the  Sea  Apr. 

Pictorial  Review  June 

Nut  Guilty   

When  Fish  Fight  July 

Whale  Ho   


Date  Mln. 

27/36t  

I8/36M  rl. 

g.  8/36  


29/36  

ATES 
7T -  -  - 1 1  -  -  -  - 


5t...ir... 

2t...H... 

30t...M... 
28t...l2... 
25/36tll... 
22/36tM... 
2l/36tll... 
I8,'36tl0... 
I6,'36tll... 
I3.'36t.l  rl. 
Il/36t.l  rl. 
8/36  

30t...l0... 

7t...ll... 
82.) 

2It- - - 10. . 
Il/36tll... 
8/36tl0... 

22/36 til... 
2I/36M  rl. 


I8.'36t  

27/36t.l  rl. 

 10... 

11/38.16... 

 II... 


SERIALS 

12  Episodes  Each  Unless  Otherwise  Specified 
Title  Rel.  Date  Mln. 

BURROUGHS-TARZAN 

New  Adventures  of  Tarzan.  .June  10  2  rls. 

Herman  Brix  (each) 


MASCOT 


Fighting  Marines.  The  Nov.  23t  2  rls. 

Grant  Withers-George  Lewis 

(Exploitation:  July  25/36,  p.  81.) 


REPUBLIC 


Darkest  Africa  3530  

Clyde  Beatty 
(15  episodes) 
Robinson  Crusoe  

Mala 

Undersea  Kingdom  3581... 
Ray  Corrigan-Lois  Wilde 

Vigilantes  Are  Coming,  The 

3582   

Robert  Livingston- 
Kay  Hughes 


STAGE  and  SCREEN 


(Weiss-Mlntz 
Black  Coin,  The  

Ralph   Graves-Ruth  Mix 

Dave  O'Brien   

(15  episodes) 
Clutching  Hand,  The  

Jack  Mulhall- 

Wm.  Farnum) 

(also  feature  version) 


Serials) 

.  Sept.  1/36. 


Custer's  Last  Stand  

Rex  Lease-Lona  Andre 
(also  feature  version) 


.Apr.  I8.'36t.2  rl*. 

(each) 

(1st  episode,  3  rls.. 
followed  by  14  two- 
reel  episodes.) 

.Jan.  2/36t  

(1st  episode,  5  rls., 
followed  by  14  tw»- 
reel  episodes.) 


UNIVERSAL 


Ace   Drummond   Oct.  19/36  

John    King-Jean  Rogers 
Adventures  of  Frank  Merrl- 

well   Jan.  I3,'36t  

Don  Brlggs-Jean  Rogers 
Flash  Gordon   Apr.  6/36t  

Buster  Crabbe-Jean  Rogers 

( 13  episodes) 

Jungle  Jim   

Phantom  Rider   July  6/36t  

Buck  Jones-Maria  Shelton 

(15  episodes) 
Rustlers  of  Red  Dog  Jan.  2 1 1 ... 20  

John  Mack  Brown  (««») 
Secret  Agent  X  9  


TOP  NOTCH  .  . 
THEY  WILL  GO 
NUTS  OVER 
THIS  ONE. 

FILM  DAILY 


TAKE  OUR  WORD 
FOR  IT,  YOU'LL  BE 
GLAD  YOU  WENT 
TO  SEE  THIS. 

SCREENLAND 


EXCELLENT...PLENTY 
OF  COMEDY,  RO- 
MANCE, SUSPENSE 
AND  EXCITEMENT. 

MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


COMPACT,  VIRILE 
AND  HIGH-TEN- 
SIONED...YOU 
WILL  ENJOY  THIS. 

PHOTOPLAY 


A 


The  first  "J  renews. 
We  have  dozens  more.  All  written 
to  the  same  tune.  "IT'S  BOX  OFFICE" 


Mid-Winter  grosses 
in  Mid-Summer. 

ROXYNOW 


EDDIE 

AND 

CONNIE 

in  their 
swellest 
roles  yet 
.  .  as  a 
pair  of 
American 
sleuths... 
straight- 
e  n  i  n  g 
but  the 
worst 
gang  of 
crooks  in 
Europe. 


CRACKERJACK . . . 
THEY'LL  SURE  GO 
FOR  THIS  IN  A 
BIG  WAY. 

FILM  CURB 


AS  MUCH  MYSTERY, 
WIT  AND  SUSPENSE 
AS  WE  HAVE  SEEN 
IN  MANY  MOONS. 

MOVIE  MIRROR 


GENUINELY  FINE 
...FAST  MOVING, 
ATTENTION  GRIP- 
PING. 

SHOWMEN'S  TRADE  REVIEW 


66 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    2  9,  1936 


ERPi  DEMONSTRATES 
NEW  SOUND  SYSTEM 


"Microphonic"  Equipment 
Exhibited  During  Five- 
Day  New  York  Convention 

New  Western  Electric  sound  equipment, 
embracing  a  theatre  reproducing  system 
and  recording  apparatus,  was  demonstrated 
this  week  to  theatre  operators  and  techni- 
cians by  Electrical  Research  Products,  Inc., 
at  a  five-day  exhibit  and  national  conven- 
tion in  New  York.  The  exhibit  and  con- 
vention sessions,  attended  by  Erpi  sales  and 
service  men  from  all  sections  of  the  coun- 
try, were  held  at  the  Hotel  Pierre,  while 
the  new  standard  theatre  system  was  dem- 
onstrated at  the  nearby  Venice  theatre. 

The  theatre  sound  system  thus  placed  on 
the  market  has  been  given  the  name  "Mirro- 
phonic."  A  new  Western  Electric  repro- 
ducer set  is  employed  as  standard  in  the 
"Mirrophonic"  system.  This  unit  has  a  film 
pulling  mechanism  known  as  the  "kinetic 
scanner,"  in  which  a  damped  mechanical  im- 
pedance is  utilized  to  provide  uniform 
film  velocity.  It  has  also  an  improved  optical 
system  in  which  the  physical  slit  is  replaced 
by  a  cylindrical  lens  combination. 

In  the  amplifier  equipment  is  employed  a 
new  device  termed  a  "harmonic  suppressor." 
This  may  be  compared  to  an  electrical  gov- 
ernor which  automatically,  without  any 
moving  parts,  causes  the  amplifier  to  main- 
tain a  constant  character. 

The  new  amplifiers  run  entirely  on  a.c,  and 
all  parts  of  the  circuit  requiring  adjustment  can 
be  checked  by  means  of  a  selector  switch  as- 
sociated with  a  "percentage  meter,"  the  scale 
of  which  is  graduated  to  read  percentages  of 
the  normal  or  correct  value,  which  is  taken  as 
100%. 

The  "Di-Phonic"  speaker  system  exhibited 
has  been  derived  from  developments  first  dem- 
onstrated in  April,  1933,  when  the  music  of 
the  Philadelphia  Symphony  Orchestra  was 
transmitted  from  Philadelphia  to  Washington 
by  engineers  of  the  Bell  Laboratories.  The 
term  "Di-Phonic"  indicates  that  the  sound 
is  reproduced  in  two  frequency  ranges,  upper 
and  lower.  The  upper  range  is  handled  by 
cellular  high-frenquency  horns  of  the  type 
employed  in  the  Philadelphia-Washington  dem- 
onstration, which  insure  that  the  sound  shall 
be  evenly  distributed  throughout  the  theatre, 
instead  of  being  chiefly  concentrated  in  a  beam 
over  one  area.  The  low-frequency  speakers  are 
of  the  dished-baffle  type,  in  which  the  prin- 
ciple of  cellular  sub-division  is  again  em- 
ployed to  obtain  proper  low-frequency  distribu- 
tion. The  combination  of  the  new  speakers  and 
amplifiers  produces  sound  of  a  range  and  qual- 
ity not  hitherto  commercially  available,  and, 
as  mentioned  before,  this  is  achieved  not  only 
at  favorable  points,  but  throughout  the  theatre. 

Heavy  Duty  Set 

Besides  the  standard  type  reproducer  set  de- 
scribed above,  there  was  also  shown  a  heavy 
duty  deluxe  type  of  reproducer  set. 

The  drive  is  from  a  motor  which  is  built 
into  the  front  of  the  unit,  silence  and  smooth- 
ness of  operation  being  assured  by  the  use  of 
gears  running  in  oil.  The  film-pulling  mech- 
anism employs  an  oil-damped  film  velocity 
control,  which  is  a  highly  developed  form  of 
the  "kinetic  scanner."  In  scanning,  the  con- 
ventional narrow  scanning  beam  has  been  super- 
seded by  an  arrangement  termed  the  "optical 


bridge,"  in  which  an  image  of  the  illuminated 
sound  track,  magnified  ten  times,  is  projected 
on  a  slit  12  mils  wide.  Repairs  and  replace- 
ments are  facilitated  by  interchangeable  motors 
and  automatic  projector  alignment.  The  lat- 
ter permits  of  removing  a  projector  and  replac- 
ing it  again  without  any  need  to  readjust  the 
picture  on  the  screen. 

New  Recording  Apparatus 

The  recording  equipment  included  a  new  re- 
cording channel  which  represents  one  of  the 
many  combinations  possible  with  the  new  line 
of  recording  equipment  which  is  being  brought 
out  this  year.'  This  channel  is  a  portable  sys- 
tem designed  for  recording  on  a  film  separate 
from  the  picture  film.  It  can  be  mounted  in4a 
light-weight  truck  or  used  for  almost  any 
type  of  portable  service.  The  various  units  are 
housed  in  substantial  duralumin  cases  provided 
with  carrying  straps. 

Another  recording  system  exhibited  was  a 
portable  channel  for  newsreel  work,  which 
weighs  complete  only  88  pounds,  can  be  carried 
with  camera  in  the  baggage  compartment  of  a 
small  coupe,  and  can  be  set  up  ready  for  opera- 
tion in  three  minutes.  It  makes  its  sound  record 
on  the  same  film  used  for  the  picture. 

A  new  amplifier  designed  for  use  in  the 
newsreel  system  was  also  shown.  This  amplifier 
includes  a  two-position  mixer,  facilities  for 
using  two  dynamic  microphones  (or  a  conden- 
ser-transmitter if  desired),  dialogue  equaliza- 
tion, low-pass  filter,  1,000-cycle  testing  oscilla- 
tor and  headphone  monitoring  circuit. 

The  new  Western  Electric  small  non-direc- 
tional dynamic  microphone  was  another  record- 
ing item,  and  a  newly  developed  monitorizing 
headset  was  shown  which  uses  moving  coil  re- 
ceivers and  provides  quality  approximating  that 
of  a  good  loudspeaker. 

Ads  to  Inform  Public 

Sales  sessions  were  conducted  under  the 
direction  of  C.  W.  Bunn,  general  sales  man- 
ager of  Erpi.  In  addressing  the  convention,  Mr. 
Bunn  said  that  the  marketing  of  the  new  West- 
ern Electric  equipment  would  be  accompanied 
by  a  lavish  advertising  campaign  addressed  to 
the  public,  publicizing  the  name  "Mirrophonic" 
so  that  it  would  in  turn  have  advertising  value 
for  the  theatres  having  the  new  equipment. 
Mr.  Bunn  stated  that  the  principles  applied 
in  the  new  theatre  apparatus  were  known  to 
Bell  Laboratories  engineers  '  three  years  ago, 
hut  that  Erpi  had  waited  until  exhibitor  demand 
and  purchasing  power  warranted  such  an  ex- 
tensive revision  of  the  Western  Electric  repro- 
ducing system. 

In  another  address,  Whitford  Drake,  execu- 
tive vice-president  of  Erpi,  definitely  set  aside 
all  rumors  relative  to  the  probable  future  of 
Erpi  when  he  declared  that  Erpi  would  not  be 
sold.  He  said,  "While  a  number  of  efforts  to 
buy  Erpi  have  been  made,  all  have  been  turned 
down,  as  all  offers  in  the  future  will  be."  He 
reiterated  and  emphasized  that  Erpi  had  never 
been  for  sale. 

Other  speakers  at  the  sessions  were  H. 

G.  Knox,  vice  president  of  Erpi ;  E.  S.  Gregg, 
assistant  controller  ;  F.  B.  Foster,  Jr.,  treasurer ; 

H.  M.  Besse,  credit  manager;  W.  A.  Wolf, 
advertising  manager  for  Western  Electric ;  P. 
L.  Palmerton,  export  manager,  and  E.  G. 
Moriarity,  general  attorney  for  Western  Elec- 
tric. 

Others  attending  from  both  the  Erpi  home 
office  and  territorial  offices  were :  D,  C.  Collins, 
L.  W.  Conrow,  J.  S.  Ward,  H.  Santee,  G.  R. 
O'Neill,  J.  P.  Maxfield,  G.  Dobson,  Burt  Sanford, 
W.  P.  Murphy,  R.  W.  Horn,  W.  E.  Woodward 
and  F.  S.  Barnes,  New  York;  H.  W.  Dodge, 


TEACHERS  BOYCOTT 
HEARST  MEDIUMS 

The  American  Federation  of  Teach- 
ers, said  to  represent  more  than  20,000 
teachers,  has  voted  to  boycott  all  film 
enterprises,  newspapers,  radio  stations 
and  other  mediums  of  communication 
owned  or  controlled  by  William  Ran- 
dolph Hearst.  The  action  was  taken 
on  the  closing  day  of  a  five  day  con- 
vention held  in  Philadelphia  this  tveek. 
The  resolution  characterizes  Mr.  Hearst 
as  "the  chief  foe  of  labor  and  friend 
of  fascism"  and  includes  in  the  boy- 
cott "numerous  agencies  of  communi- 
cation such  as  movies,  newsreels,  neivs- 
papers,  magazines  and  radio." 

The  teachers  are  militantly  reacting 
to  Mr.  Hearst's  discussions  of  radical- 
ism in  the  schools. 


E.  F.  Grigsby,  L.  E.  Kennedy,  L.  Pritchard,  R. 
A.  Quinn,  N.  A.  Robinson,  Los  Angeles ;  S. 
W.  Hand,  D.  H.  Ruliffson,  R.  Hilton,  W.  W. 
Simons,  E.  W.  Bishop,  J.  T.  Orr,  W.  E.  Greg- 
ory, Chicago. 

Also  Maurice  Ridge,  Seattle;  N.  P.  Minor, 
Portland ;  A.  C.  Knox,  Denver ;  S.  M. 
Pariseau,  D.  M.  Vandawalker,  San  Francisco; 
A.  W.  Plues  and  F.  W.  Johnson,  Cincinnati;  F. 
C.  Dickely  and  C.  H.  Hartford,  Detroit;  L. 
J.  Hacking  and  A.  F.  Lyman,  Boston;  H. 
Owen  and  O.  Hunt,  Dallas ;  J.  J.  Lieske,  St. 
Louis ;  E.  C.  Leeves  and  J.  A.  Cameron,  Kan- 
sas City ;  O.  E.  Maxwell  and  F.  D.  Morton, 
Minneapolis. 

Others  were  C.  H.  Weeks,  Cleveland ;  W. 
Wittneben,  Syracuse ;  H.  Moog,  A.  Fiore  and 
H.  O.  Duke,  Atlanta;  D.  L.  Turner,  E.  C. 
Shriver  and  H.  E.  Ely,  Washington ;  R.  E. 
Warn,  Newark ;  H.  C.  Buckwalter,  New  Or- 
leans ;  J.  A.  Darrow,  Buffalo ;  R.  B.  Freeman, 
Pittsburgh ;  P.  Jones  and  W.  Connor,  Philadel- 
phia, and  B.  C.  Raltson,  Charlotte. 

"Anthony  Adverse"  Opening 
Attracts  Early  Crowds 

Despite  rain  and  the  advanced  prices, 
crowds  formed  lines  more  than  two  blocks 
long  45  minutes  before  "Anthony  Adverse" 
opened  on  Wesnesday  morning  at  the 
Strand,  New  York.  The  doors  were  opened 
at  9  A.  M.  and  the  picture  went  on  the 
screen  before  a  capacity  house  at  9 :30.  The 
house  which  was  redecorated  for  the  occa- 
sion, is  running  on  a  continuous  perform- 
ance basis  with  the  last  show  finishing  at 
3  :37  A.  M.  According  to  Warner  Brothers 
every  box  office  and  attendance  record  in 
the  history  of  the  house  was  broken  with 
the  premiere. 


Biedermann  Gets  Seven 

Dave  Biedermann  of  Selected  Pictures  in 
Hollywood  has  signed  for  the  release  of  the 
following  Twickenham  films :  "The  Phan- 
tom Fiend,"  "The  Triumph  of  Sherlock 
Holmes,"  "The  Last  Journey,"  "The  Pri- 
vate Secretary,"  "Daredevils  of  the  Earth," 
"'Scandals  of  Paris"  and  "Wolves  of  the 
Underworld." 


Mills  Opens  Radio  Bureau 

Mills  Artists,  Inc.,  agents,  have  organized 
a  radio  department  which  will  be  under  the 
supervision  of  Irving  Mills,  president  of  the 
company. 


August  2  9,  1936 



MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


67 


THEATRE  RECEIPTS 


The  total  of  theatre  receipts  for  the  calendar  week  ended  August  22,  1936,  from 
107  theatres  in  18  major  cities  of  the  country  was  $1,102,100,  an  increase  of  $27,680 
over  the  total  for  the  preceding  week  ended  August  15,  1936,  when  102  theatres  in  17 
large  cities  aggregated  $1,074,420. 


{Copyright, 

Theatres 

Boston 

^/Boston    3,246  25c-65c 


Fenway 


u'-Keith's  Memorial  2,907 
Loew's  Orpheum.  2,970 

Loew's  State   3,537 

\x  Metropolitan    4,332 

Paramount    1,793 


Lr 


Buffalo 

Buffalo    3,489 

Century   3,000 

Great  Lakes  ....  3,000 

Hippodrome    2,500 

Lafayette    3,300 


t_^"Roosevelt    1,591 

State-Lake   2,776 

,_^-United  Artists...  1,700 

Cleveland 

Allen    ...  3,300 

<-^Hippodrome    3,800 

RKO  Palace  3,100 


State    3,400 


Stillman    1,900 

Denver 

Aladdin   1,500 

Broadway    1,500 

Center    1,500 

Denham    1,500 


1936.    Reproduction  of  material  from  this  department  without  credit  to  Motion  Picture  Herald  expressly  forbidden) 

Current  Week  Previous  Week  High  and  Low  Gross 

Picture  Gross 


1,382      30c -50c 


25c -65c 
25c-55c 

25c-55c 

35c-65c 

25c -50c 

30c -50c 
25c 

25c -40c 

30c -50c 

25c 


Chicago 

1,400 

30c-60c 

4,000 

35c-68c 

900 

30c -60c 

. . ,  3,490 

25c-40c 

2,509 

25c -60c 

30c -60c 
20c-35c 
30c -60c 

30c-42c 

30c-42c 
30c -60c 
30c-42c 

30c -42c 

25c -50c 

25c -40c 

15c-35c 
25c-40c 


Denver    2,500      25c -50c 

Orpheum   2,600      25c -40c 

Paramount    2,000  25c-40c 


Picture 


Gross 


"Blackmailer"  (Col.)  and   10,000 

"Ticket  to  Paradise"  (Republic) 


'Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)  and  4,000 
'Girl  of  the  Ozarks"  (Para.) 


"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)   12,000 

(2nd  week) 
"His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)   13,500 


"His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)   11,000 

"Girls'  Dormitory"  (20th  Cent. -Fox)  23,000 


"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)  and  5,700 
"Girl  of  the  Ozarks"  (Para.) 


"To    Mary-with    Love"   16,001] 

(20th  Cent. -Fox) 

"Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.)..  5,000 
and  "Heart  of  the  West"  (Para.) 

"Sing,   Baby.   Sing"   11,000 

(20th  Cent. -Fox)  (10  days) 

"The  Private  Life  of  Henry  VIII"  7.000 
(U.A.)    and    "The    First  Baby" 
(20th  Cent. -Fox) 

"Crash   Donovan"    (Univ.)    and   7,200 

"The  Final  Hour"  (Col.) 


'San    Francisco"    (MGM)   5,400 

(3rd  week) 
"To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  37,000 
Fox)  (plus  stage  show)  (2nd  week) 

'Yours  for   the  Asking"   (Para.)..  5,600 


'And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)   19,300 

(plus   stage  show) 

'Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)  21,000 

(plus  stage  show)  (2nd  week) 


'The  Road  to  Glory"   22,500 

(20th  Cent. -i  ox) 
'Crash    Donovan"    (Univ.)   15,700 

(plus  stage  show) 
'The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)  21,000 


'The  Crime  of  Dr.  Forbes"   3,750 

(20th  Cent. -Fox) "  (plus  Louis-Shakey 
Fight  Film  last  two  days) 

'Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)   15,000 

'Secret  Agent"  (GB)   11,500 

(plus  seven  acts  of  vaudeville) 
'His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)   20,000 


•Rhytmn  on  the  Range"  (Para.)   6,000 


'To    Mary— with    Love"   3,000 

(20th  Cent. -Fox) 

'The   Green   Pastures"    (W.B.)....  1,500 


'Revolt  of  the  Demons"  (Academy)  3,500 

(plus  stage  show) 
'Yours  for  the  Asking"  (Para.)...  6,000 


"Sing,  Baby,  Sing"  (20th  Cent.-..  8,500 
Fox)   (plus  stage  show) 

'His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)  and  7,500 
'We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 

'Earthworms  Tractors"  (F.N.)  and  5.000 
'Murder  by  an  Aristocrat"'  (F.N.) 


"And  So  They  Were  Married"   9,500 

(Col.)  and  "Grand  Jury"  (Radio) 
(6  days) 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.  B.)  and  4,000 
"Spendthrift"  (Para.) 


"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)   14,000 

(1st  week) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)  and   13,000 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)  and   11,500 

"Counterfeit"  (Col.) 

"To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  23,000 
(Fox)  (plus  stage  show) 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.  B.)  and  6,000 
"Spendthrift"  (Para.) 


'Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)   13,200 

"Spendthrift"  (Para.)  arid   6,000 

'Forgottem  Faces"  (Para.) 

'The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   3,800 

(4  days— 2nd  week) 

'Suzy"  (MGM)    7,500 


•Counterfeit"   (Col.)  and   6,500 

'Abdul  the  Damned"  (Col.) 


'San  Francisco"  (MGM)   5,600 

(2nd  week) 

"To  Mary-with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  47,200 

Fox)  (plus  stage  show)  (1st  week) 

'Suzy"  (MGM)   6,900 


'Devil's  Squadron"  (Col.)   16,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

'Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)   26,500 

(plus  stage  show)  (1st  week) 


'Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.). 


11,300 


"Parole"  (Univ.)    14,200 

(plus  stage  show) 
"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   13,000 

(2nd  week) 


To  Mary— with  Love"   7,000 

(20th  Cent. -Fox) 

Girls'  Dormitory"  (20th-Cent.-Fox)  12,750 

'Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W   B.)  21,000 

(on  stage:  Three  Stooges) 
'Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  12,000 


"Things  to  Come"  (U.A.)    3,000 

(25c-35c) 


"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   4,500 

"White  Fang"  (20th  Cent. -Fox) ... .  1,500 

"Navy  Born"  (Republic)    4,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)   3,500 

(4  days — 2nd  week) 

"I'd  Give  My  Life"  (Para.)   1,500 

(3  days) 

"To  Mary-with  Love"  (20th  Cent  -  9,500 
Fox)  (plus  stage  band) 

"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   5  000 

"Grand  Jury"  (Radio) 

"The  Crime  of  Dr.   Forbes"   (20th  3,500 
Cent. -Fox)  and 
"The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.) 


4,000 
8,000 
2,500 


(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  9-7  "Hot  Tip"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show  "Folies  Bergere") 
Low  6-13-36  "The  Harvester"  and 

"Abdul  the  Damned 
High  3-14-36  "The  story  of  Louis  Pas- 
teur" and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann" 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and 
"Ladies  Crave  Excitement" 

High  2-29-36  "Follow  the  Fleet"   37,000 

Low  8-17   "Jalna"   5,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   25,000 

Low  6-27-36   "Sins   of   Man"   and  ) 

"Half  Angel"  J  9,000 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   24,500 

Low  7-6  "Sanders   of   the   River"   and  } 

"Unknown  Woman"  )  7,500 

High  4-6  "Private  Worlds"   56,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  7-20  "Men  Without  Names"   14,000 

High  3-14-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pas-  ) 

teur"  and  "The  Voice  of  Bugle  Ann"  f  15,000 
Low  7-20  "Don't  Bet  on  Blondes"  and  I 

"Ladies  Crave  Excitement"  J  4,000 


High  4-27  "Mississippi"  

Low  7-27  "Broadway  Gondolier"   . 

High  1-11-36  "King  of  Burlesque"  

Low  8-3  "Mad  Love"  and  ) 
"Dog  of  Flanders"  J 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bountv"  

Low  4-11-36  "Three   Godfathers"   and  \ 
"Her  Master's  Voice"  J 

High  2-9  "David  Copperfield"  

Low  4-11-36  "Timothy's   Quest"   and  } 
"My   Marriage"  ) 

High   1-12  "Broadway  Bill"  

Low  7-27  "A  Notorious  Gentleman"  and  ) 
"Strange  Wives"  J 


23,800 
6,600 
9,500 

3,800 
22,000 

4,900 
17,200 

3,800 
17,100 

4,100 


High  3-21-36  "The  Story  of  Louis  Pasteur"  11,800 

Low  5-25  "The  Devil  is  a  Woman"   1,000 

High  1-18-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  56,600 
Low  4-27  "Living  on  Velvet"   24,000 

High  1-4-36  "The  Man  Who  Broke  the 

Bank  at  Monte  Carlo"   9,700 

Low  5-4  "One  New  York  Night"   3,000 

High  11-2  "Woman  Wanted"   25,500 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 
Low  9-21  "Man  on  the  Flying  Trapeze"  13,400 
High  5-30-36  "Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"  35,200 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor  and  Radio 

Show) 

Low  4-11-36  "Love  Before  Breakfast"..  6,000 

High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"   27,000 

Low   11-23   "O'Shaughnessy's   Boy"  7,000 

High  3-23  "The  Little  Minister"   17,000 

Low  7-20  "Alias  Mary  Dow"   8,000 

High  2-29-36  "Modern  Times"   35,500 

Low  4-13  "Vanessa:  Her  Love  Story"..  10,000 


High  1-12  "Bright  Eyes"   9,000 

Low  6-22  "The  Daring  Young  Man"   1,300 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"   27,500 

Low  8-24  "Dante's  Inferno"   5,250 

High  4-6  "Transient  Lady"    39,000 

Low  6-8  "Break  of  Hearts"   5,500 

High  4-18-36  "Petticoat  Fever"   40,500 

(on   stage:   Jack   Benny   and  Mary 
Livingston) 

Low  3-16  "Folies  Bergere"   6,000 

High  7-25-36  "San  Francisco"   11,000 

Low  5-9-36  "Too  Many  Parents"   2,000 

High  3-28-36  "Little  Lord  Fauntleroy". .  5,000 
Low  6-22  "Nell  Gwyn"  and  ) 

"My  Heart  Is  Calling"          j  600 

High  5-16-36  "The  Great  Ziegfeld"   8,000 

(50c -$1.36)  * 

Low  12-28  "Unfinished  Symphony"   300 

High  2-29-36  "Klondike  Annie"   13,000 

Low  8-24  "Without  Regret"   1,750 


High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty" 
Low  12-28  "Here  Comes  the  Band" 

High  5-18  "Romance  in  Manhattan" 
Low  12-28  "The  Perfect  Gentleman" 
High  5-11  "Bride  of  Frankenstein"... 
Low  11-30  "Bad  Boy"  


..  15,000 
..  1,500 

..  16,000 
..  2,000 
..  7,000 
800 


U*vt4»r,  Augvtt  22,  1936 


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AUGUST  21,  1936, 


|  Alaska  Film 
Held  Unique 


Best  nature  film  with  story  In 
months  in  "Tundra,"  produced  by 
the  Burroughs-Tarzan  organiza- 
tion, whlph  was  previewed  last  night 
at  the  R.-K.-O.  Hillstreet  Theater. 
It  compares  more  than  favorably 
with  "Sequoia."  Norman  Dawn  did 
the  directing,  and  though  the  fea- 
ture is  crude  as  to  actual  dialogue, 
the  views  of  wild  life,  and  the  sus- 
pense concerning  the  fate  of  an 
aviator  lost  in  the  Alaskan  wilder- 
ness, lend  an  engrossing  quality 
to  the  production,  much  out  of  the 
ordinary. 

Two-  bears  just  about  steal  the 
film.  They  are  excellent  comedians. 
They  are  the  pals  of  the  lost  avia- 
tor on  his  lonely  trek.  Time  and 
again  the  trio  are  beset  by  dangers, 
which  culminate  when  they  are  set 
upon  by  a  pack  of  wild  dogs  in  a 
ghost  city,  where  an  influenza  epi- 
demic has  raged. 

The  story  concerns  the  activities 
of  a  doctor  in  Alaska,  who  travels 
to  his  patients  by  airplane.  His 
plane  cracks  up  while  he  is  en  route 
to  a  settlement  where  the  popula- 
tion is  In  the  throes  of  death.  He 
then  becomes  a  lone  battler  in  the 
Tundra  (virtually  unchaited  land,) 
as  it  is  called.  The  effort  to  pro- 
cure sustenance,  Are,  and  any  sort 
of  comfort  rivals  the  experiences  of 
a  Robinson  Crusoe,  but  the  bears 
are  capital  companions.  More  than 
once  they  were  responsible  for  galefl 
of  laughter. 

The  picture  is  replete  with  human 
Interest. 

ma 


By  FRED  STANLEY 
• 

This  column  has  devoted  many 
words  recently  to  the  magnificent 
strides  being  made  by  the  indepen- 
dents in  their  desire  to  make  better 
pictures.  Yesterday  we  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  "Tundra,"  a  Bur- 
roughs-Tarzan picture  that  can  well 
take  its  place  in  that  "better  picture 
parade."  An  animal  picture,  to  be 
sure — but  unlike  anything  ever  film- 
ed before,  particularly  under  inde- 
pendent release.  It  is  of  first-run 
caliber.  It  is  stirring,  suspenseful, 
and  carries  a  great  emotional  wallop. 
Filmed  in  the  wild  country  of  Alaska, 
it  is  one  animal  picture  that  is  be- 
lievable and  not  obviously  faked.  It 
is  so  constructed  and  told  that  it  has 
every  essential  that  should  be  present 
in  fine  pictures,  whether  dealing  with 
human  beings,  or  animals.  A  lot  is 
going  to  be  heard  of  this  picture,  and 
our  hats  are  offj>o  Burroughs-Tarzan, 
to  Norman  Dawfvwho  directed,  wrote 
and  turned  camera  on  much  of  the 
picture,  and  to  all  who  had  a  hand  in 
it.  Our  sympathy  also  is  extended  to 
the  new  Universal,  which  lost  out  on 
getting  the  picture.  It  was  started 
by  Carl  Laemmle  during  the  old 
regime,  but  didn't  pass  to  the  new 
owners. 


Ben  S.  Cohen 

President 

WEST  COAST 
AND  EXECUTIVE  OFFICES 
8476  Sunset  Blvd. 
Hollywood,  Calif. 


Burroughs-TARZAN  Pictures,  Inc. 

Ashton  Dearholt 

Vice-President  in  Charge  of  Production 


Jesse  J.  Goldburg 

Executive 


Harry  Rathner 

General  Sales  Manager 


George  W.  Stout 

Treasurer 


CABLE  ADDRESS.  '  BURRTAR".  NEW  YORK 


NEW  YORK  OFFICE 
608  R.  K.  O.  Bldg. 
Rockefeller  Center 
New  York  City 


70 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


[THEATRE  RECEIETS—CCNT'EJ 


Theatres 


Current  Week 


Previous  Week 


Picture 


Gross 


Picture 


Gross 


Hollywood 

Chinese   


2,500  30c-55c 


Pantages    3,000  25c-40c 


"His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)  and  13,500 
"Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race  Track" 

(20th  Cent. -Fox) 

"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)   10,500 


W.  B.  Hollywood  3,000      25c-40c       "The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   9,800 

Indianapolis 

Apollo    1,100      25c-40c       "To  Mary— with  Love"   4,000 


Circle    2,800 


25c-40c       "To  Mary— with  Love"  

(20th  Centurv-Fox)  (2nd  week) 
25c-40c       "Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.)..  3,000 
and  "Yours  for  the  Asking"  (Para.) 


•To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  14,000 
Fox)  and  "36  Hours  to  Kill"  (20th  Cent.- 
Fox)  (2nd  week) 

'Postal  Inspector"  (Univ.)  and   4,750 

"Shakedown"  (Col.)  (5  days) 

'The  Bengal  Tiger"  (W.B.)  and....  5,400 
'Down  the  Stretch"  (F.  N.) 


"To  Mary-with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  5,500 

Fox)  (1st  week) 
'Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)  and  3,500 
'Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 
(2nd  week) 


Loew's    2,800      25c-40c       "Piccadilly    Jim"    (MGM)   9,000      "His    Brother's   Wife"    (MGM)....  10,000 


Lyric    2,000      25c-40c       "Tmhe  Case  of  the  Velvet  Claws"  9,400 

(F.N.)   (plus  vaudeville) 


Kansas  City 

Mainstreet    3,100  25c-40c 

Midland    4,000  25c-40c 

Newman    1,900  25c -40c 

Tower    2,000  25c 

Uptown    2,000  25c-40c 

Los  Angeles 

Carthay    1,518  50c-$1.50 

Filmarte    800  30c -40c 

Four  Star    900  30c-55c 

Grand  Intern't'l..  750  35c-40c 

Hillstreet    2,700  25c-40c 

Loew's  State   ...  2,500  30c-55c 

Paramount    3,596  30c-55c 


"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)   7,600 

"Piccadilly  Jim"   (MGM)   19,800 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  8,200 


"Parole"  (Univ.)    7,300 

(plus  stage  show) 
"Yours  for  the  Asking"  (Para.)   3.500 

(6  days) 

"Anthony  Adverse"   (W.B.)   14,000 

(3rd  week) 
"Lost  on  the  Riviera"  (Foreign)   700 

"Nine  Days  a  Queen"  (GB)   3,300 

(2nd  week) 

"Ecstasy"  (Eureka)    2,300 

(5th  week) 

"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)   9,200 

"His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)  and..  19,000 
"Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race  Track" 
(20th  Cent. -Fox) 

"Yours  for  the  Asking"  (Para.)   33,000 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor  and  Bobby  Breen) 


W.  B.  Downtown  3,400      25c-40c       "The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.). 


10,500 


Minneapolis 

Lyric                       1,239  20c-25c 

'-'Minnesota                4,000  25c-55c 

RKO  Orpheum..    2,900  25c-40c 

State                       2,300  25c-40c 

World                        400  25c-40c 

Montreal 

Capitol                    2,547  25c-60c 

Loew's                    3,115  25c-60c 

Palace                     2,600  25c-65c 

Princess                  2,272  25c-65c 

New  York 

Astor                      1,141  55c-$2.20 

Capitol                    4,700  25c-85c 

Palace                    2,500  25c-75c 

Paramount              3,700  35c-99c 

Rialto                        594  25c-65c 

Rivoli                      2,200  40c -99c 

RKO  Music  Hall.  5,954  40c-$1.65 

Roxy                       6,200  25c-55c 


■Half  Angel"   (20th  Cent.  -  Fox) ... .  600 
(4  days) 

"Satan  Met  a  Lady"   (W.B.)   700 

(3  days) 

'The   Green   Pastures"    (W.B.)....  11,500 


'Mary   of   Scotland"  (Radio). 


8,000 


'His    Brother's   Wife"    (MGM)....  6,500 

(2nd  week) 

'Show  Boat"   (Univ.)   2,500 

(9th  week) 

Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  8,500 
and  "Roaming  Lady"  (Col.) 

'Moonlight  Murder"  (MGM)  and..  8.500 
'We  Went  to  College"  (MGM) 
(plus   stage  show) 

"San    Francisco"    (MGM)   6,000 

(5th  week) 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)  and  10,000 
"Love  Begins  at  Twenty"  (F.N.) 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   7,000 

(19th  week) 
"His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)   35,000 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)  and  11,000 
"36  Hours  to  Kill"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(9  days) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)   20,000 

(on  stage:  Phil  Spitalny  and  Orch.) 
(3rd  week) 

"I'd  Give  My  Life"  (Para.)   6,200 

(shown  under  the  title  "The  Noose") 
"The  Road  to  Glory"   (20th  Cent.-  23,000 
Fox)  (2nd  week) 

"Mary    of    Scotland"    (Radio)  75,100 

(plus  stage  show)  (3rd  week) 


"Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race  Track"  27,000 
(20th  Cent.-Fox)  (plus  stage  show) 


'Girls'  Dormitory"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  8,200 
(plus  vaudeville) 


"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)...  15,400 

'His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)   18,400 

'Secret  Agent"  (GB)  and   5,500 

"Girl   of   the   Ozarks"  (Para.) 
(S  days) 

"We  Went  to  College"  (MGM)....  7,200 

(plus  stage  show) 
"State  Fair"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)   2,600 

(5  days) 

"Anthony  Adverse"   (W.B.)   16,000 

(2nd  week) 


"Nine  Days  a  Queen"  (GB)   6,000 

(1st  week) 

"Ecstasy"  (Eureka)    3,100 

(4th  week) 

"Postal  Inspector"  (Univ  )  and   5,000 

"Shakedown"  (Col.)  (5  days) 

"To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  18,000 
Fox)  and  "36  Hours  to  Kill"  (20th  Cent.- 
Fox)  (2nd  week) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)....  16,500 
(plus  stage  show)  (2nd  week) 

"The  Bengal  Tiger"  (W.B.)  and..  6,000 
Down  the  Stretch"  (F.N.) 

"The  Return  of  Sophie  Lang"   1,400 

(Para.) 


Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)....  12,500 

Earthworm    Tractors"    (F.N.)   7,000 

.  8,000 


"His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM). 
(1st  week) 

"Show  Boat"   (Univ.)   2  500 

(8th  week) 


T  Stand  Condemned"  (Regal)  and  7,500 
•Bunker  Bean"  (Radio) 

"And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)  and  8,500 
The  Bishop's  Adventure"  (MGM) 

"San    Francisco"    (MGM)   6,000 

(4th  week) 


'Secret   Agent"    (GB)  and  

'Dandy  Dick"  (Assoc.  British) 


"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM). 

(18th  week) 
"The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM).... 


"Public  Enemy's  Wife"  (W.B.)  and 
"Ticket  to  Paradise"  (Republic) 
(5  days) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.).. 

(on  stage:  Phil  Spitalny  and 

(Orch.)  (2nd  week) 
"Down  to  the  Sea"  (Republic)  

"The  Road  to  Glory"  (20th  Cent.- 
Fox)  (1st  week) 

"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)  

(plus  stage  show)  (2nd  week) 


"M'Liss"  (Radio)   

(plus  stage  show) 


Strand    3,000      25c-55c       "China  Clipper"  (F.  N.)   9,000       'Jailbreak"  (W.B.) 


6,500 

15,600 
20,000 
4,500 

29,000 

6,200 
39,000 
88,000 

25,000 

9,000 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  1935  unless  otherwise  specified) 

High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"   26,000 

Low  5-4  "West  Point  of  the  Air"   4,900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"..    19,000 

Low  4-13  "Mister  Dynamite"  and.  ) 

"Great  God  Gold"  )  2,500 

High  9-7  "Page  Miss  Glory"   15,300 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"   4,000 

High  3-14-36  "The  Country  Doctor"....  8,000 

Low  6-27-36  "Sins  of  Man"   1,600 

High  4-25-36  "The  Moon's  Our  Home"  ) 

and  "Silly  Billies"             )  9,700 
(in   place   of    "Silly    Billies,"    on  stage 
Lum'  n'  Abner  for  Saturday  and  Sunday) 

Low  3-16  "Transient  Lady"   2,000 

High  2-15-36  "Exclusive  Story"   15,000 

(on  stage:  Cab  Calloway  and  band) 

Low  4-6  "Casino  Murder  Case"   2,750 

High   3-28-36   "The   Leathernecks  Have 

Landed"   13,300 

(on  stage:  Major  Bowes'  Amateurs) 

Low  2-7  "Murder  of  Dr.  Harrigan"   5,700 

(on  stage:  vaudeville) 

High  11-23  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs"  22,000 

Low  1-12  "I  Sell  Anything"   2,000 

High  8-24  "China  Seas"   25,000 

Low  9-14  "Bonnie  Scotland"...   6,000 

High  5-25  "Coin'  to  Town"   14,000 

Low  5-18  "Dinky"    3,000 

High   1-18-36  "Magnificent  Obsession"..  14,500 

Low  3-14-36  "Lady  of  Secrets"   5,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  9-7  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"..  11,000 
Low  7-27  "Black  Sheep"   2,100 

High  4-27  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   4,000 

Low  8-22-36  "Lost  on  the  Riviera"   700 

High  5-18  "Les  Miserables"   7,800 

Low  12-17  "The  Return  of  Peter  Grimm"  2,400 

High  7-25-36  "Ecstacy"   5,000 

(6  days-2nd  week) 
Low  12-7  "Such  a  Girl  You  Never  Forget"  900 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"    17,000 

Low  11-2  "Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"....  2,800 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   24,500 

Low  10-26  "Way  Down  East"   6,200 

High  8-22-36  "Yours  for  the  Asking"....  33,000 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor  and  Bobby  Breen) 
Low  6-27-36  "Case  Against  Mrs.  Ames"  9,126 
(plus  stage  show)  (5  days) 

High  1-11-36  "Captain  Blood"   17,100 

Low  6-27-36  "The  Big  Noise"   3,800 

High  7-25-36  "Sons  O"  Guns"   2,100 

Low  8-1-36  "Human  Cargo"   1,200 

High  1-4-36  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"..  31,326 

Low  4-4-36  "Klondike  Annie"    8,000 

High  9-21  "Top  Hat"   18,000 

Low  6-13-36  "The  Golden  Arrow"   3,000 

High  11-2  "Broadway  Melody  of  1936"..  7,000 

Low  8-8-36  "White  Fang"   5,000 

High  6-8  "Thunder  in  the  East"   5,000 

Low  11-16  "Born  for  Glory"   2,000 

High  2-9  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"....  15,500 
Low  8-3  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"  and  ) 

"College  Scandal"  |  7,000 

High  1-11-36  "Broadway  Hostess"  and  1 

"The  Rainmakers"  )  15,000 

Low  6-15  "Mark  of  the  Vampire"  and  \ 

"Baby  Face  Harrington"        J  5,500 

High  12-7  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   15,000 

Low  7-20  "Drake  of  England"  and  ) 

"The  Nitwits"  (  7,500 

High  2-22-36  "Modern  Times"  and  ) 

"Guard  That  Girl"  ,  12,500 

Low  12-28  "Remember  Last  Night?"  i 

and  "East  of  Java"  )  3,009 

High  1-5  "Forsaking  All  Others"   87,400 

Low  5-30-36  "Three  Wise  Guys"   7,000 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"   15,000 

Low  7-25-36  "The  Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  ) 

and  "Dancing  Pirate"      J  4,800 

High  1-19  "Lives  of  a  Bengal  Lancer"..  65,300 

Low  12-21  "Millions  in  the  Air"   10,000 

High  2-15-36  "Modern  Times"   65,000 

Low  6-29  "Nell  Gwyn"...   8,100 

High  9-7  "Top  Hat"  131,200 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  11-30  "Crime  and  Punishment"   45,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
High  1-4-36  "If  You  Could  Only  Cook"..  62,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  4-20  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   17,500 

(plus  stage  show) 

High  5-11  "The  G  Men"   60,138 

Low  4-4-36  "Snowed  Under"    6,100 


MAINSTAY 


AS  THE  motion  picture  industry  grows,  so 
grows  the  importance  of  Eastman  Super  X 
Panchromatic  Negative.  This  world-fa- 
mous Eastman  film  guards  the  high  photo- 
graphic quality  of  the  bulk  of  today's 
feature  productions.  It  is  truly  a  mainstay 
of  one  of  the  country's  greatest  industries. 
Eastman  Kodak  Company,  Rochester, 
N.  Y.  (J.  E.  Brulatour,  Inc.,  Distributors, 
Fort  Lee,  New  York,  Chicago,  Hollywood.) 


EASTMAN  SUPER  X 

PANCHROMATIC  NEGATIVE 


72 


MOTION    PICTU  RE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


[THEATRE  RECEIPTS— CCNT9E J 


Theatres 


Current  Week 


Previous  Week 


Oklahoma  City 

Capitol                    1,200  10c-41c 

Criterion                 1,700  10c-5Sc 

Liberty                    1,300  19c-36c 

Midwest                 1,500  10c-55c 

Omaha 

Brandeis                  1,200  25c-40c 

Omaha                   2,200  25c-40c 

Orpheum                 3,000  25c-40c 

Philadelphia 

Arcadia                    600  2Sc-50c 

Boyd                      2,400  40c-55c 

Earle                     2,000  2Sc-S5c 

Fox                       3,000  40c-65c 

Karlton  ...            1,066  2Sc-40c 

Keith's                   2,000  30c-50c 

Stanley                   3,700  40c-55c 

Stanton                 1,700  30c-50c 

Portland,  Ore. 

Blue  Mouse            1,700  30c-40c 

Broadway                1,912  30c-40c 

Mayfair                   1,700  30c-40c 

Orpheum                 1,700  30c-40c 

Paramount              3,008  30c-40c 

United  Artists  ...     945  30c-40c 

San  Francisco 

Clay                          400  15c-35c 

Embassy                 1,400  10c-40c 

Fox                        5,651  10c-35c 

Geary                    1,400  55c-$1.10 

Golden  Gate  ....  2,800  15c-55c 

Orpheum                 2,440  15c-40c 

Paramount              2,670  15c-55c 

St.   Francis             1,430  15c-40c 

Warfield                  2,700  15c-40c 

Seattle 

Blue  Mouse              950  25c-55c 

Fifth   Avenue        2,500  25c-55c 

Liberty                    1,800  20c-55c 

Music  Box               950  25c-55c 

Orpheum                 2,450  25c-40c 

Palomar                1,500  15c-30c 

Paramount              3,050  20c-30c 


Picture 


'The  Devil  Doll' 


Gross 


'.500 


Picture 


Gross 


(MGM)  

"Piccadilly    Jim"    (MGM)   8,700 

(3  days  of  run:  Ina  Kay  Hutton  and 
Orch.  on  stage-25c-75c) 

"Human  Cargo"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)..  1,400 
(4  days) 

"Absolute    Quiet"    (MGM)   400 

(3  days) 

"Yours  for  the  Asking"  (Para.)..  3,000 
(6  days) 


"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)   5,800 

(8  days) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  5,800 
and  "Educating  Father"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(2nd  week) 


"Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W.B  )   3,100 

(8  days) 

"Earthworm  Tractors"  (F.N.)   4,200 


"The  Border  Patrolman"  (20th   1,400 

Cent.-Fox)  (4  days) 

"The  First  Baby"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  400 
(3  days) 

"His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)   6,500 


"Two  Against  the  World"  (F.N.)  and  2,700 
"Blackmailer"  (Col.) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)  and  10,000 
"Educating  Father"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 
(1st  week) 


"To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-    9,000       "The  Devil  Doll"  (MGM)  and   7,200 

Fox)    and   "Preview   Murder   Mystery"       "The  Big  Noise"  (W.B.) 
(Para.) 


"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   1,900 

"To  Mary-with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  4,500 
Fox)  (3  days-2nd  week) 

"My  American  Wife"  (Para.)   11,500 

(on  stage:  Duncan  Sisters) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)..  15,000 
(2nd  week) 

"Suzy"  (MGM)    3,500 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   3,100 

(3  days -2nd  week) 
"To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

(4  days) 

"His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)   19,000 

"36  Hours  to  Kill"  (20th  Cent.-Fox)  4,900 


"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)  2,000 
and  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 
(16th  week) 

"Piccadilly  Jim"  (MGM)  and   5,000 

"The  Return  of  Jimmy  Valentine" 
(Republic) 

"San  Francisco"   (MGM)   4,000 

(3rd  week) 

"The  Green  Pastures"   (W.B.)....  9,000 


"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)  and..  8,000 
"Hollywood  Boulevard"  (Para.) 


"His   Brother's   Wife"  (MGM). 


5,000 


"Saturday  Night"  (Scandinavian)  900 
"Ecstasy"    (Eureka)    7,000 

"Hearts  in  Bondage"  (Republic) . .  6,750 
and  "Women  Are  Trouble"  (MGM) 

"Anthony  Adverse"   (W.B.)   10,000 

(3rd  week) 
"Grand   Jury"    (Radio)   28,000 

(on  stage:  Marx  Brothers) 

"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)  and....  6,800 
"The   Final   Hour"  (Col.) 

(2nd  week) 
"The   Great    Ziegfeld"    (MGM)....  14,500 

(2nd  week) 

"San    Francisco"    (MGM)   8,000 

(4th  week) 
"To  Mary— with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  16,000 

Fox)  and  "36  Hours  to  Kill"  (20th- 

Cent.-Fox) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   3,100 

(4th  week) 

"To  Mary— with  Love"   6,800 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"The  King  Steps  Out"  (Col.)   7,100 

"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)   3,250 

/ 

"Piccadilly  Jim"  (MGM)  and   5,600 

"36  Hours  to  Kill"  (20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"Panic  on  the  Air"  (Col.)   3,350 

(plus  stage  show) 
"Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race  Track"..  4,100 

(20th    Cent.-Fox)    and   "High  Tension" 

(20th  Cent.-Fox) 


'Society  Doctor"  (MGM)   3,600 

(re-issue) 

"To  Mary-with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  14,500 
Fox)  (1st  week) 

"Easy  Money"  (Invincible)   12,500 

(plus  stage  show),  (6  days) 
"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)....  20,500 
(plus  stage  show)  (1st  week) 


"Grand  Jury"  (Radio)   800 

(4  days) 

"The  Green  Pastures"  (W.B.)   2,500 

(1st  week) 


"Suzy"  (MGM)    15,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)   5,000 


"Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  Town"  (Col.)  2,500 
and  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  (Para.) 

(15th  week) 
"Private  Life  of  Henry  VIII"  (U.A.)  8,000 
and  "Society  Doctor"  (MGM) 
(re-issue) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   4,000 

(2nd  week) 

'Satan  Met  a  Lady"  (W.B.)  and....  7,000 
"It's  Love  Again"  (G.B.) 

"To  Mary-with  Love"  (20th  Cent.-  6,000 
Fox)  and  "Educating  Father"  (20th 
Cent.-Fox)  (2nd  week) 

"The  White  Angel"  (F.N.)   5,000 

(2nd  week) 

"Melody  of  Love"  (Vienna)  and   1,270 

"The  Plow  That  Broke  the  Plains" 

"Dancing  Lady"  (MGM)  and   3,500 

"The  Big  House)"  (MGM) 

(re-issue)  (9  days— 3rd  week) 

"Jailbreak"    (W.B.)   and   10,300 

"Secret  Agent"  (G.B.) 

"Anthony  Adverse"   (W.B.)   11,500 

(2nd  week) 
"The  Last  Outlaw"  (Radio)   34,000 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor) 

"Meet  Nero  Wolfe"  (Col.)  and   10,000 

"The  Final  Hou>-"  (Col.) 
(1st  week) 

"The  Great  Ziegfeld"  (MGM)   16,500 

(1st  week) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   10,000 

(3rd  week) 

"His  Brother's  Wife"  (MGM)  and..  15,500 
"Charlie  Chan  at  the  Race  Track" 
(20th  Cent.-Fox) 

"San  Francisco"  (MGM)   3,700 

(3rd  week) 

"Poor  Little  Rich  Girl"  (20th-Cent.  6,500 

Fox) 

"These  Three"  (U.A.)   3,950 

(3rd  week) 

"Rhythm  on  the  Range"  (Para.)  and  3,400 
"Educating    Father"    (20th  Cent.- 
Fox) 

"Mary  of  Scotland"  (Radio)  and   5,900 

"Three  Cheers  for  Love"  (Para.) 

"Bunker  Bean"  (Radio)   5,100 

(on  stage:  Maior  Bowes'  Amateurs) 

"And  Sudden  Death"  (Para.)  and..  4,200 
"Spendthrift"  (Para.) 


High  and  Low  Gross 

(Tabulation  covers  period  from  January,  1935) 
(Dates  are  193S  unless  otherwise  specified) 


High  3-9  "  Wings  in  the  Dark"   3,700 

Low  5-9-36  "Big  Brown  Eyes"   1,300 

High  9-14  "Steamboat  Round  the  Bend"  10,000 

Low  11-2  "The  Case  of  the  Lucky  Legs".  2,500 

High  1-19  "Gentlemen  Are  Born"  and  1 

"Crime  Doctor"                      f  4,200 
Low  10-26  "Little  Big  Shot"  and  I 

"I  Live  for  Love"               j  1,500 

High  11-16  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"....  8,800 

Low  8-24  "The  Farmer  Takes  a  Wife"..  1,«00 


High  9-14  "Top  Hat"   .  9,500 

Low  6-6-36  "Dancing  Pirate"  and  1 

"Murder  on  the  Bridle  Path"  |  2,600 
High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"  and  1 

"The  First  Baby"  J  11,600 

Low  10-5  "Dante's  Inferno"  and  I 

"She  Gets  Her  Man"  j  3,600 

High  2-29-36  "Exclusive  Story"  21,150 

(on  stage:  Ted  Lewis) 
Low  12-28  "Mister  Hobo"  and  ) 

"Three  Kids  and  a  Queen"  J  5,800 

High  1-25  "The  Bride  Comes  Home"....  4,800 

Low  9-21  "Bonnie  Scotland"    800 

High  1-4-36  "A  Tale  of  Two  Cities"....  30,000 

Low  8-17  "Jalna"    6,000 

High  1-4-36  "Miss  Pacific  Fleet"   22,000 

Low  10-5  "I  Live  for  Love"   9,500 

High  5-9-36  "Under  Two  Flqgs"  31,000 

(plus  stage  show) 

Low  9-28  "Redheads  on  Parade"   7,500 

High  10-5  "Top  Hat"....   6,300 

Low  6-1  "Dinky"    1,200 

High  4-13  "Roberta"    5,800 

Low  1-2  "The  Right  to  Live"   900 

High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   30,000 

Low  5-11  "Stolen  Harmony"   4,000 

High  1-11-36  "Riffraff"    10,000 

Low  3-23  "Captain  Hurricane"   1,800 

High  8-17  "Life  Begins  at  Forty"   2,700 

Low  6-22  "My  Heart  Is  Calling"   1,400 

High  5-16-36  "The  Singing  Kid"   8,500 

Low  7-27  "Calm  Yourself"  and  ) 

"Chinatown  Squad"               j  4,000 
High    1-25-36    "A    Midsummer  Night's 

Dream"    12,000 

Low  1-19  "Behold  My  Wife"  and  ) 

"Defense  Rests"                   j  1,600 

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   9,500 

Low  11-23  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  ) 

"Wanderer  of  the  Wasteland"  J  4,000 

High  4-20  "Private  Worlds"   11,500 

Low  5-2-36  "The  Witness  Chair"  ) 

and  "Big  Brown  Eyes"       J  5,000 

High  5-4  "Cardinal  Richelieu"   9,000 

Low  6-8  "Age  of  Indiscretion"   4,000 

High  12-28  "Peasants"    2,500 

Low  7-11-36  "Larsson's  Second  Marriage"  800 

High  4-11-36  "Penitente  Murder  Case"...  6,500 
Low  12-7  "Two  Sinners"  and  ) 

"$1,000  a  Minute"                  j  2,000 

High  8-3  "Champagne  for  Breakfast"   14,800 

Low  11-30  "To  Beat  the  Band"  and  ) 

"Freckles"                            f  4,000 

High  C-15-36  "The  Last  Outlaw"   34,000 

(on  stage:  Eddie  Cantor) 

Low  5-23-36  "Dancing  Pirate"   9,000 

(plus  stage  band) 

High  7-20  "Love  Me  Forever"   16,780 

Low  10-26  "King  Solomon  of  Broadway"  i 

and  "Fighting  Youth"  J  4,800 

High  7-11-36  "San  Francisco"   23,000 

Low  3-2  "Living  on  Velvet"  and  ) 

"All  the  King's  Horses"         j  8,500 

High  8-1-36  "San  Francisco"   12,400 

Low  6-29  "No  More  Ladies"   5,000 

High  10-5  "I  Live  My  Life"   35,000 

(plus  stage  show) 
Low  3-28-36  "Colleen"  and  ) 

"Too  Many  Parents"       j  13,000 

High  11-30  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"   6,100 

Low  2-16  "Million  Dollar  Baby"  and  ) 

"Notorious  Gentleman"        i  2,900 

High  5-11  "Naughty  Marietta"   10,200 

Low  4-25-36  "The  Trail  of  the  Lonesome 

Fine"    2,600 

High  9-28  "She  Married  Her  Boss"   7,900 

Low  4-13  "White  Lies"  and  ) 

"Happy  Landing"                  J  2,700 

High  2-16  "Roberta"    6,100 

Low  1-26  "The  Man  Who  Reclaimed  His 

Head"    2,850 

High  9-21   "Top   Hat"    10,400 

Low  8-31  "Dante's  Inferno"  and  ) 

"Lady  Tubbs"                      j  4,800 

High  12-14  "Annie  Oakley"    9,200 

Low  6-6-36  "Till  We  Meet  Again"  and  ) 

"Times  Square  Playboy"     j  3,250 


August    29,  1936 

Skouras  Discusses 
Exhibition  V dues 

The  increased  value  of  pictures  creates 
the  necessity  for  better  exhibition,  Spyros 
Skouras  declared  at  a  meeting-  of  Fox 
theatre  men  in  Kansas  City  this  week.  As- 
signing' the  proper  value  to  a  picture  and 
then  getting  all  that  value  out  of  it  at  the 
box  office  through  proper  booking,  dating 
and  running  time  was  the  chief  topic  dis- 
cussed by  the  circuit  head. 

Contract  details,  a  more  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  which  was  declared  necessary  for 
bookers  and  district  managers  if  pictures 
are  to  be  properly  handled,  were  discussed 
at  the  second  day's  session.  Distributor  of- 
ficials were  given  two  hours  each  in  which 
to  explain  their  pictures  and  the  selling- 
points. 

Distributing  heads  present  at  the  session 
included  Ned  E.  Depinet,  Jules  Levy  and 
A.  S.  Shubert  of  RKO,  Gradwell  L.  Sears 
and  S.  Charles  Einfeld  of  Warner  Brothers 
and  Ken  Hodkinson,  west  coast  district 
manager  for  Gaumont  British. 

Blumenstock  Takes 
New  Mourner  Post 

Mort  Blumenstock,  who  has  been  assistant 
to  Joseph  Bernhard  and  handling  publicity 
and  advertising  for  the  national  Warner 
circuit,  has  been  named  advertising  man- 
ager for  Warner-First  National,  succeeding 
Stanley  Shuford,  who  joins  the  Biow 
Agency  on  September  1st.  Harry  Goldberg, 
former  head  of  advertising  and  publicity  for 
Warners'  theatres  in  Philadelphia,  has  taken 
over  Mr.  Blumenstock's  former  duties. 

Before  joining  Warner  Brothers  five 
years  ago  Mr.  Blumenstock  was  a  director 
for  Paramount  and  prior  to  that  engaged 
in  independent  production. 

Dinner  to  Be  Given 
MGM  Sales  Manager 

Major  and  independent  circuit  heads  in 
New  York  will  tender  a  banquet  to  Wil- 
liam F.  Rodgers,  general  sales  manager  for 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  who  returned  this 
week  from  a  trip  to  Chicago  and  the  coast. 
The  dinner  will  be  given  at  the  Waldorf 
Astoria  Hotel.  The  committee  on  arrange- 
ments includes  Joseph  Bernhard,  Nate  J. 
Blumberg,  Laurence  S.  Bolognino,  George 
P.  Skouras,  Edward  Grainger,  Harry 
Brandt,  Arthur  L.  Mayer,  Si  Fabian,  Sam 
Denbow,  Sam  D.  Cocalis,  Charles  Moses, 
Lee  W.  Newbury,  Arthur  M.  Rapf,  Walter 
Reade,  Sam  Rinzler,  Leon  Rosenblatt,  Ed- 
ward M.  Rugoff,  Harry  Shiffman,  Joseph 
M.  Seider,  and  Jack  W.  Springer. 

Nova  Scotia  Unit 
Holds  Annual  Meeting 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  Allied  Exhibi- 
tors of  Nova  Scotia  was  held  late  last  week 
in  Halifax,  where  the  following  resolution 
was  passed : 

"Resolved  that  the  Allied  Exhibitors  of 
Nova  Scotia  place  themselves  on  record 
as  opposed  to  the  practice  that  has  recently 
developed  in  the  Maritime  Provinces,  of 
Producers,  Distributors  or  their  agents  en- 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 

tering  into  competition  with  exhibitors  by 
operating,  leasing,  booking  or  in  any  other 
manner  competing  either  publicly  or  pri- 
vately in  the  theatre  business. 

"That  it  has  come  to  the  attention  of  the 
members  of  the  association  that  certain 
agents  of  some  Distributors  have  recently 
entered  into  the  theatre  business  in  the 
Maritime  Provinces,  and  that  unless  the 
said  agents  disassociate  themselves  with  one 
or  the  other  branches  of  the  business  im- 
mediately, the  members  of  the  Allied  Ex- 
hibitors will  take  such  measures  to  protect 
their  interests  as  they  may  see  fit." 

Talent  Contest  Planned 

Imperial  Pictures  has  completed  plans  for 
a  tie-up  with  KMTR  and  KEAC,  Los 
Angeles  radio  stations,  and  the  Fox  West 


73 

Coast  theatres  in  a  contest  for  potential 
motion  picture  talent.  Performers  selected 
by  the  radio  audiences  will  appear  at  the 
theatres  and  be  judged  by  the  patrons. 


Reduce  Theatre  Tax 

An  ordinance  reducing  the  borough  tax 
on  theatres  from  $120  to  $75  a  year  has 
been  adopted  by  the  city  council  of 
Mechanicsburg,  Pa.  The  town  has  one  the- 
atre, the  Paramount,  owned  and  operated 
by  Walter  Yost. 


Tracy  RKO  Studio  Legal  Head 

John  Tracy  has  been  appointed  legal  head 
at  the  RKO  studios  succeeding  Felix  Cun- 
ningham who  has  resigned  to  open  his  own 
office. 


"ROLL  UP  THE  GROSSES  ON 
MY  8th  BIRTHDAY,  BOYS!" 

—  Mickey  Mouse 


Run  .  .  .  don't  walk,  to  your  nearest  United  Artists  ex- 
change and  get  your  quota  of  Mickey  Mouse  and  Silly 
Symphonies  for  Mickey's  8th  Birthday  Celebration... 
September  25th  to  October  1st  inclusive.  You'd  better 
do  it  now  before  it's  too  late!  Remember  what  hap- 
pened last  year .  .  .  those  who  didn't  get  their  bookings 
in  on  time  were  left  out  in  the  cold.  Have  a  happy 
box-office  birthday  with  Mickey! 

Released   thru    UNITED  ARTISTS 


74 

Soviet  Industry 
Plans  Production 
Of  450 Next  Year 

The  Government  controlled  Soviet  motion 
picture  industry,  which  has  scheduled  300 
features  for  this  year,  is  planning  to  increase 
that  number  to  450  next  year,  according  to 
V.  I.  Verlinsky,  president  of  Amkino,  who 
returned  to  New  York  this  week  after  a 
trip  to  Moscow  where  he  conferred  with 
Russian  producers. 

A  new  studio  center  is  being  developed 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 

in  the  southern  part  of  the  Crimea,  Mr. 
Verlinsky  said,  and  present  plans  call  for  its 
completion  by  1938.  It  is  expected  that  200 
features  a  year  will  be  produced  there. 

Of  the  100  pictures  he  saw,  Mr.  Verlinsky 
has  decided  to  import  12  to  supplement  the 
previous  13  on  Amkino's  current  releasing 
schedule.  Among  the  dozen  will  be  "Night- 
ingale, Nightingale,"  the  first  all-color 
Soviet  picture  in  the  two  color  process ; 
"Prisoners,"  "Der  Kampf,"  "Son  of  Mon- 
golia," made  in  Mongolia  with  all  native 
talent;  "Seekers  of  Happiness,"  "Genera- 
tion of  Conquerors,"  "Last  Night,"  "Re- 
turning of  Maxim,"  "Paris  Commune,"  "13," 
and  "Your  Country  Calls  You." 

Amkino  plans  to  release  20  features  in 
1937,  the  executive  said.  The  first  on  this 
program  will  be  "Peter  the  First,"  which 


August    29,  1936 

is  to  be  made  at  a  cost  of  $2,500,000.  The 
picture,  from  a  story  by  Alexis  Tolstoi,  will 
be  the  greatest  undertaking  in  the  Russian 
film  industry,  he  declared. 

There  are  approximately  32,000  screens 
in  Soviet  Russia  today  and  by  the  end  of 
1937  there  will  be  70,000.  Mr.  Verlinsky 
explained  that  the  numbers  do  not  signify 
permanent  theatres  but  include  clubs,  halls, 
portable  outfits  and  traveling  theatres  for 
farmers.  Of  the  32,000  only  4,000  theatres 
are  wired,  he  said. 

During  the  current  year  Russia  imported 
three  or  four  American  pictures,  the  Amkino 
head  stated.  As  film  buyer  for  the  Soviet 
Government,  he  expects  this  number  to  be 
increased  next  year.  He  took  with  him 
10  American  features  which  he  screened 
abroad.  He  declared  that  the  main  objection 
to  importing  more  American  films  is  due 
to  language  difficulties. 

Imperial  Changes 
Distribution  Plan 

Imperial  Pictures  will  release  its  1936-37 
program  through  its  nationwide  franchised 
booking  offices  for  direct  contact  with  theatre 
circuits,  having  abandoned  distribution 
through  states  rights  exchanges.  The  prod- 
uct consists  of  30  features.  William  Pizor, 
president  of  the  company,  notified  the  coast 
offices  of  the  change  from  New  York  this 
week. 

The  new  policy  is  in  accordance  with  an 
expansion  program  which  calls  for  the  an- 
nual production  of  six  major  exploitation 
specials,  eight  dramas,  eight  classics  and 
eight  Tim  McCoy  pictures. 

Ban  on  "Ecstasy"  Upheld 
By  Kansas  City  Board 

The  appeal  board  appointed  by  City  Man- 
ager H.  F.  McElroy  in  Kansas  City  to  view 
"Ecstasy"  and  determine  whether  or  not  the 
city  censors  were  right  in  refusing  to  ap- 
prove it,  have  upheld  by  a  uninamous  vote 
the  censors'  opinion  that  it  should  not  be 
shown  to  the  public.  The  Royal  theatre,  as 
a  consequence,  may  go  into  the  state  courts 
to  prevent  city  officials  from  interfering  with 
the  showing  of  the  picture.  Jack  Truitt  and 
Breck  Fagin,  operators  of  the  house,  have 
not  announced  their  plans,  although  they 
have  continued  to  advertise  the  opening. 

"Production  Guide" 
For  1936  Published 

The  Production  Guide  and  Director's  An- 
nual for  1936,  published  by  The  Film 
Daily,  contains  a  total  of  465  pages  of 
pertinent  production  material.  It  is  now 
being  distributed  throughout  the  industry. 
Features  of  the  publication  include  produc- 
tion programs  of  all  companies  for  1936-37; 
biographies  of  directors  and  producers ;  a 
catalogue  of  the  work  of  production  princi- 
pals ;  personnel  of  producing  companies 
throughout  the  country  and  a  list  of  fea- 
tures released  during  the  first  half  of  1936. 


Delay  Wisconsin  Meet 

Originally  scheduled  for  August  26  and 
27,  the  annual  convention  of  the  Independ- 
ent Theatres  Protective  Association  of  Wis- 
consin and  Upper  Michigan  will  be  held  at 
Milwaukee  September  23  and  24. 


chaws 


Chairs  that  CARESS  THE  BODY  say 
"COME  AGAIN"  when  patrons  leave. 
That  is  why  so  many  theatre  men  are  sub- 
ordinating garish  display  for  the  relax- 
ation COMFORTABLE  chairs  provide. 


Ask  Us, 


"How  can  I  reseat  and  pay  for  new  chairs  conveniently?" 


American  Seating  Company 


COMFORT 

The  Greatest  Star  of  Them  All! 


BRANCHES  IN 


Makers  of  Dependable  Seating  for 
Theatres  and  Auditoriums 

General  Offices:  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan 

ALL      PRINCIPAL  CITIES 


August    2  9,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


75 


WHAT  THE  PICTURE 
DID  FOR  ME 


Columbia 

AND  SO  THEY  WERE  MARRIED:  Mary  Astor, 
Melvyn  Douglas — No  marquee  names  and  material  in 
story.  Suitable  for  a  two  reel  Our  Gang  Comedy 
instead  of  an  eight  reel  feature.  Business  at  its 
worst.  Played  August  1. — A.  H.  Edwards,  Orpheum 
Theatre,   Orwigsburg,   Pa.     Small   town  patronage. 

DEVIL'S  SQUADRON:  Richard  Dix,  Karen  Mor- 
ley — Air  pictures  are  very  popular  in  this  territory ; 
never  played  one  that  was  not  a  business  booster. 
It  is  a  fact  that  the  youth  of  today  is  very  much  air- 
minded.  Why  not  satisfy  this  craving  and  give  them 
this  kind  of  entertainment  ?  This  picture  was  very 
capably  done;  nothing  cheap  to  it.  Played  July  31. — 
A.  H.  Edwards,  Orpheum  Theatre,  Orwigsburg,  Fa. 
Small  town  patronage. 

DEVIL'S  SQUADRON:  Richard  Dix,  Karen  Mor- 
ley — Moved  this  off  a  double  bill  after  seeing  it  and 
it  brought  the  men  in  for  a  nice  mid-week  business. 
Running  time,  80  minutes.  Played  August  5-6. — 
Elaine  S.  Furlong,  Star  Theatre,  Heppner,  Ore.  Small 
town  patronage. 

HEROES  OF  THE  RANGE:  Ken  Maynard,  June 
Gate — Very  fair  and  attracted  the  usual  western  fans. 
Played  August  8.— C.  W.  Mills  Co.,  Inc.,  Arcade 
Theatre,  N.  Y.     Family  patronage. 

KING  STEPS  OUT,  THE:  Grace  Moore,  Franchot 
Tone — Unquestionably  an  excellent  production.  The 
voice  of  Grace  Moore  will  ring  in  your  ears  long  after 
you  have  seen  the  picture.  Prestige  for  your  theatre 
is  the  value  of  playing  such  high  class  pictures.  The 
whole  cast  is  superb.  Kissing  is  noticeably  absent, 
showing  that  the  hot  kiss  so  common  in  the  regular 
run  of  pictures  is  not  necessary  for  entertainment 
or  love  scenes.  Excellent  recording.  Played  July 
28-29. — A.  H.  Edwards,  Orpheum  Theatre,  Orwigs- 
burg, Pa.    Small  town  patronage. 

LONE  WOLF  RETURNS,  THE:  Melvyn  Douglas, 
Gail  Patrick — Nice  program  picture.  Played  with 
Broadway  Handicap  and  it  pleased  that  audience. 
Played  August  14. — Elmer  Brient,  Beacon  Theatre, 
Hopewell,  Va.    General  patronage. 

MR.  DEEDS  GOES  TO  TOWN:  Gary  Cooper,  Jean 
Arthur — The  big  disappointment  of  the  summer  sea- 
son for  us.  Fell  very  flat  at  the  box  office.  Yet 
so  many  called  it  the  best  picture  here  in  a  long 
time.  Can't  figure  it  out  quite.  It's  a  dandy  show. 
Capra  at  his  best  but  really  there  is  no  "best"  for 
Capra.  He  always  does  his  job.  No,  I  can't  tell 
why  it  didn't  go  over.  Just  one  of  those  things. 
Running  time,  12  reels.  Plaved  August  2-3. — Henry 
Reeve,  Mission  Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.  Small  town 
patronage. 

MYSTERIOUS  AVENGER:  Charles  Starrett,  Joan 
Perry — This  new  western  star,  I  think,  is  going  to 
be  all  right.  Played  a  fair  role  in  this  picture  to  a 
satisfied  week  end  business. — Harland  Rankin,  Plaza 
Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada.  General  patron- 
age. 


First  National 

BULLETS  OR  BALLOTS:  Edward  G.  Robinson, 
Joan  Blondell — It's  the  tops  of  all  the  gangland  pic- 
tures. One  of  Robinson's  greatest  rotes.  Running 
time,  81  minutes.  Played  August  12-14.— Howard  B. 
Lee,  National  Theatre,  Wilmington,  Del.  General 
patronage. 

HEARTS  DIVIDED:  Marion  Da  vies,  Dick  Powell 
— Pretty  weak  picture  for  these  stars.  Running  time, 
81  minutes.  Played  August  12-13.— Charles  C.  Cas- 
sinelli,  Wyoming  Theatre,  Mullens,  W.  Va.  Small 
town  patronage. 

HEARTS  DIVIDED:  Dick  Powell,  Marion  Davies, 
Edward  Everett  Horton,  Charlie  Ruggles— Certainly 
none  in  this  great  cast  caused  the  picture  to  flop 
at  the  box  office.  If  it  were  not  for  this  superb 
cast  there  would  be  no  business  at  all.  The  story 
is  at  fault  and  Warners  scented  this  when  they  drew 
it  from  the  percentage  group.  The  cast  gave  me 
above  average  business  the  first  night,  but  word  of 
mouth  advertising  gave  me  a  record  low  for  the 
second  night.  Personally,  I  liked  the  picture  very 
much.  Flayed  August  4-5.— A.  H.  Edwards,  Orphe- 
um Theatre,  Orwigsburg,  Pa.    Small  town  patronage. 


IN  this,  the  exhibitors'  own  de- 
partment, the  theatremen  of  the 
nation  serve  one  another  with 
information  on  the  box  office  per- 
formance of  product  for  their  mu- 
tual benefit.  It  is  a  service  of  the 
exhibitor  for  the  exhibitor.  Address 
all  communications  to — 

What  the  Picture  Did  for  Me 

MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 

Rockefeller  Center,  New  York 


GB  Pictures 

RHODES,  THE  DIAMOND  MASTER:  Walter 
Huston — This  is  an  okay  production  of  its  kind  but 
fpr  my  community  it  certainly  proved  to  be  the 
wrong  kind.  Splendid  recording.  Played  July  21-22.— 
A.  H.  Edwards,  Orpheum  Theatre,  Orwigsburg,  Pa. 
Small  town  patronage. 


MGM 

CHINA  SEAS:  Jean  Harlow,  Clark  Gable.  Wallace 
Beery — Good  show  but  not  the  best.  Cast  good  but 
the  story  not  good  enough  for  the  stars  to  help  them 
any.  Very  cruel  in  some  parts  and  that's  what  hurts 
the  picture.  Beery  steals  the  show  from  Harlow  and 
Gable.  Running  time,  nine  reels.  Played  August  2-3. 
—Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small 
town  patronage. 

DAVID  COPPERFIELD:  W.  C.  Fields,  Lionel 
Barrymore,  Freddie  Bartholomew,  Edna  May  Oliver, 
Maureen  O'Sullivan,  Madge  Evans — There  are  more 
known  stars  in  this  play  than  in  any  other  we  have 
seen.  The  screen  version  closely  follows  Dicken's 
novel  and  the  different  dramatic  situations  are 
brought  out  with  marvelous  skill.  This  picture  will 
satisfy  all  classes  of  playgoers.  Played  August  14- 
15. — O.  Ingmar  Oleson,  Sons  of  Norway  Theatre, 
Ambrose,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

FURY:  Sylvia  Sidney,  Spencer  Tracy — Picture  well 
done  but  only  average  at  the  box  office.  The  price 
we  paid  made  this  a  loser  for  us.  Tracy  means 
nothing  and  Sidney  not  much  more  than  nothing. 
Played  August  12-13. — Elmer  Brient,  Beacon  Theatre, 
Hopewell,  Va.     General  patronage. 

FURY:  Spencer  Tracy,  Sylvia  Sidney — No  doubt 
a  powerful  melodrama,  well  produced,  but  business 
was  very  poor.  Exceptional  uneven  recording  which 
is  characteristic  in  MGM  features.  Flayed  July  18- 
20. — A.  H.  Edwards,  Orpheum  Theatre,  Orwigsburg, 
Pa.    Small  town  patronage. 

RENDEZVOUS:  William  Powell,  Rosalind  Russell 
— Good  spy  picture  but  the  title  did  not  mean  a  thing 
at  the  box  office.  Running  time,  95  minutes. — P. 
G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

ROBIN  HOOD  OF  ELDORADO,  THE:  Warner 
Baxter,  Ann  Loring — A  sure  hit.  Got  everything  it 
takes.  Running  time,  86  minutes%  Played  July  5-6. 
— Rudolph  J.  Covi,  Covi's  Theatre,  Herminie,  Pa. 
Small  town  patronage. 

SMALL  TOWN  GIRL:  Janet  Gaynor,  Robert  Tay- 
lor— This  is  one  swell  show  that  pleased  everyone. 
If  I  could  have  played  this  picture  about  90  days  ago 
I  believe  it  would  have  done  a  good  business.  Run- 
ning time.  106  minutes.  Played  August  9-10. — C.  R. 
Gregg,  Liberty  Theatre,  Caney,  Kansas.  General 
patronage. 

SPEED:  Wendy  Barrie,  James  Stewart — Entertain- 
ing little  picture.  Drew  well  second  day.  Running 
time.  72  minutes.  Played  July  31-August  1. — Elaine 
S.  Furlong,  Star  Theatre,  Heppner,  Ore.  Small  town 
patronage. 


WIFE  VS.  SECRETARY:  Clark  Gable,  Jean  Har- 
low, Myrna  Loy — Good  program  picture  that  did 
poorly  at  the  box  office.  It  looks  as  if  Clark  Gable  is 
slipping.  This  did  not  make  money  for  us.  Running 
time,  89  minutes.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre, 
Griswold,  Iowa.     General  patronage. 


Paramount 

ANYTHING  GOES:  Bing  Crosby.  Ethel  Merman 
Pretty  good  musical,  rather  silly  in  spots.  This 
surely  was  not  worth  the  rental  we  paid  for  same. 
This  did  not  make  money  for  us.  Running  time,  92 
minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

BIG  BROADCAST  OF  1936,  THE:  Jack  Oakie, 
George  Burns  and  Gracie  Allen  and  Radio  Stars — 
A  satisfactory  musical  introducing  a  number  of  radio 
stars,  including  Burns  and  Allen,  Amos  and  Andy, 
and  others  well  known.  Drew  better  than  an  average 
and  there  were  no  complaints.  Running  time,  97  min- 
utes. Played  July  26-27.— C.  A.  Jordan,  Opera  House, 
Cogswell,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

BIG  BROWN  EYES:  Joan  Bennett,  Cary  Grant— 
This  one,  for  us,  was  another  to  add  to  the  list  of 
the  new  style  silly-smart  comedies  that  Hollywood 
has  been  indulging  in  and  that  seem  to  be  getting 
critical  plaudits.  The  desperate  efforts  for  laughs  and 
Miss  Bennett's  attempts  at  wise  cracking  rather 
crashed  by  our  crowd.  There  really  must  be  some- 
thing wrong  with  our  sense  of  humor  out  here.  Per- 
sonally enjoyed  it  in  spite  of  the  things  mentioned 
above.  So  did  a  few  others.  Running  time,  eight 
reels.  Flayed  August  6-7. — Henry  Reeve,  Mission 
Theatre,  Menard,  Texas.    Small  town  patronage. 

CASE  AGAINST  MRS.  AMES:  Madeleine  Carroll, 
George  Brent — This  gave  good  satisfaction.  Many 
favorable  comments  from  my  Bank  Night  crowd. 
Running  time,  85  minutes. — C.  R.  Gregg,  Liberty 
Theatre,  Caney,  Kansas.    General  patronage. 

CASE  AGAINST  MRS.  AMES,  THE:  Madeleine 
Carroll.  George  Brent— Excellently  produced  trial  pic- 
ture. Very  cleverly  handled.  Miss  Carroll  made  a 
distinctly  favorable  impression.  This  one  provides 
good  entertainment,  interesting,  smartly  done.  Some 
reporters  seemed  to  feel  it  did  not  come  up  to  ex- 
pectations. We  didn't  expect  a  sensation.  Maybe 
that  is  why  it  went  over.  Running  time,  ten  reels. 
Played  August  9-10. — Henry  Reeve,  Mission  Theatre, 
Menard,  Texas.    Small  town  patronage. 

HANDS  ACROSS  THE  TABLE:  Carole  Lombard, 
Fred  MacMurray — An  amusing  program  picture  put 
on  by  a  capable  cast  that  will  please  better  than 
some  of  the  so-called  specials.  Running  time,  80  min- 
utes. Played  August  2-3. — C.  A.  Jordon,  Opera 
House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

MILKY  WAY,  THE:  Harold  Lloyd,  Adolphe  Men- 
jou — Very  good  slapstick  comedy.  Running  time,  88 
minutes.— P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold, 
Iowa.    General  patronage. 

TRAIL  OF  THE  LONESOME  PINE,  THE:  Sylvia 
Sidney,  Fred  MacMurray,  Henry  Fonda — Most  satis- 
factory business  in  a  long  time.  Ficture  seemed  to 
please.  _  Running  time,  98  minutes.  Played  August  2- 
3. — Elaine  S.  Furlong,  Star  Theatre.  Heppner,  Ore. 
Small  town  patronage. 

TRAIL  OF  THE  LONESOME  PINE,  THE:  Syl- 
via Sidney,  Fred  MacMurray,  Henry  Fonda — A  truly 
great  photographic  achievement,  a  marvelous  picture 
to  look  at.  Extra  business,  yes,  but  not  what  we  had 
been  led  to  expect.  The  thing  that  stood  out  in  re- 
viewing the  engagement  was  that  our  people  were 
disappointed  in  the  story,  its  needless  funeral  scenes. 
Yet  all  admired  the  color  and  beauty.  No  one  could 
fail  to  enjoy  that.  Running  time,  ten  reels.  Played 
Tuly  26-27. — Henry  Reeve.  Mission  Theatre,  Menard. 
Texas.    Small  town  patronage. 


RKO  Radio 

DANCING  PIRATE:  Charles  Collins.  Steffi  Duna 
—This  was  an  absolute  bust  at  the  box  office.  It 
takes  more  than  Technicolor  to  entice  them  these 
days.  Most  patrons  thought  it  silly.  Flirted  with  a 
new  low  record.  Played  August  10-11. — Elmer  Brient, 
Beacon  Theatre,  Hopewell,  Va.    Genera!  patronage. 

EX-MRS.  BRADFORD.  THE:  William  Powell. 
Jean  Arthui- — I  am  still  trying  to  figure  out  the 
reason   for  the  unusually  low  gross  on  this  picture. 


76 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


Story  was  o.  k.  and  was  properly  advertised  but 
just  failed  to  click.  Running  time.  81  minutes. 
Played  August  9-10 — Charles  C.  Cassinelli,  Wyoming 
Theatre,  Mullens,  W.  Va.     Small  town  patronage. 

EX-MRS.  BRADFORD,  THE:  William  Powell, 
Jean  Arthur — This  failed  miserably  at  the  box  office. 
People  want  a  story  with  action  or  comedy,  not 
sophisticated  dialogue.  Running  time,  81  minutes. 
Played  August  2-3. — Rudolph  J.  Covi,  Covi's  Theatre, 
Hermine,  Pa.    Small  town  patronage. 

LAST  OUTLAW,  THE:  Hoot  Gibson,  Harry  Carey 
— Those  who  crave  action  get  it  here.  Very  good. 
Running  time,  73  minutes.  Played  July  24-25. — Ru- 
dolph J.  Covi,  Covi's  Theatre,  Hermine,  Pa.  Small 
town  patronage. 

LAST  OUTLAW,  THE:  Harry  Carey,  Hoot  Gib- 
son— Very  good  western  that  clicked  at  the  box  of- 
fice. Running  time,  70  minutes. — F.  G.  Held,  New 
Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

LET'S  SING  AGAIN:  Bobby  Breen,  Henry  Armet- 
ta — Bobby  Breen's  singing  puts  class  in  an  ordinary 
picture.  Will  please.  Running  time,  68  minutes. 
Played  July  17-18.— Rudolph  J.  Covi,  Covi's  Theatre, 
Hermine,  Pa.    Small  town  patronage. 

M'LISS:  Anne  Shirley,  John  Beal — Rather  pleasing 
little  picture.  Not  too  strong  at  the  box  office  for 
us,  however.  Running  time,  66  minutes.  Played 
July  26-27.— Rudolph  J.  Covi,  Covi's  Theatre,  Her- 
minie,   Pa.     Small  town  patronage. 

MUSS  'EM  UP:  Preston  Foster,  Margaret  Calla- 
han— Very  good  G-Man  type  of  action  picture.  Played 
it  after  "Special  Agent."  Not  as  good  in  our  opinion. 
— Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario, 
Canada.    General  patronage. 

RAINMAKERS,  THE:  Wheeler  and  Woolsey— This 
comedy  team  has  a  following.  They  are  not  sellouts 
with  us  but  did  above  average  business. — Harold 
Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada. 
General  patronage. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox 

BAD  BOY:  James  Dunn,  Dorothy  Wilson— A  very 
good  program  picture  but  very  short.  Should  be 
played  on  a  double  feature.  Had  the  picture  been 
three  reels  longer  it  could  have  been  called  a  top 
notcher.  James  and  Dorothy  Wilson  very  good  ac- 
tors. Running  time,  six  reels.  Played  August  7-8.— 
Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small 
town  patronage. 


Nation-wide  —  2500  miles  overnight 

Reaches  directly  215  key  cities  in 
the  United  States  and  Canada — 
also  32  Latin-American  countries. 

Day  and  night  service. 

Pick-up  and  delivery  free, 
sjs  Packages  accepted  prepaid 

or  collect.  One  waybill. 
5(s  COD's.  a  specialty  and  just 

as  fast.  Prompt  remittance. 

By  using  air-rail  express  combined, 
you  can  reach  almost  any  theatre 
in  America,  many  in  a  few  hours, 
at  low  economical  rates. 

For  service  and  information 
'phone  any  Railway  Express  office. 

MR  EXPRESS 

DIVISION 

Railway    Express  Agency 


CAPTAIN  JANUARY:  Shirley  Temple,  Guy  Kib- 
bee — Just  as  good  as  any  of  the  Temple  pictures. 
Shirley  always  pleases  the  audience  and  that  is  all 
any  exhibitor  needs  in  these  trying  days  of  Depres- 
sion. Running  time,  nine  reels.  Played  August  9-10. 
—Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small 
town  patronage. 

CAPTAIN  JANUARY:  Shirley  Temple,  Guy  Kib- 
bee — We  were  favored  by  delightfully  cool  weather 
and  business  was  very  good  although  not  as  large 
as  this  captivating  Miss  has  attracted  in  the  past. 
Played  August  5-6. — C.  W.  Mills  Co.,  Inc.,  Arcade 
Theatre,  Sodus,  N.  Y.    Family  patronage. 

COUNTRY  BEYOND,  THE:  Rochelle  Hudson, 
Paul  Kelly — Very  satisfactory  to  normal  business. 
Played  August  1.— C.  W.  Mills  Co.,  Inc.,  Arcade  The- 
atre, Sodus,  N.  Y.    Family  patronage. 

EVERY  SATURDAY  NIGHT:  June  Lang,  Thomas 
Beck — A  program  picture  that  will  please  all  you 
can  get  in  but  the  lack  of  star  names  in  the  cast 
makes  it  a  bust  at  the  box  office.  Running  time, 
72  minutes.  Played  July  24-25. — C.  A.  Jordon,  Opera 
House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

GENTLE  JULIA:  Jane  Withers.  Tom  Brown— 
The  kids  fell  for  this  one  like  a  ton.  Adults  begin- 
ning to  get  interested  in  Withers.  Jane  looks  like 
she  is  going  places.  Played  August  15. — Elmer  Bri- 
ent,  Beacon  Theatre,  Hopewell,  Va.  General  patron- 
age. 

GENTLE  JULIA:  Jane  Withers,  Tom  Brown— This 
kept  the  audience  in  an  uproar  most  of  the  time. 
A  lot  of  people  like  Jane  better  than  Shirley.  They 
are  both  plenty  good.  Give  this  one  your  best  play- 
ing time.  Running  time,  63  minutes.  Played  August 
11-12. — C.  R.  Gregg,  Liberty  Theatre,  Caney,  Kansas. 
General  patronage. 

SONG  AND  DANCE  MAN:  Paul  Kelly,  Claire 
Trevor — A  rather  weak  musical.  Poor  at  the  box  of- 
fice. Running  time,  73  minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New 
Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.     General  patronage. 

THIS  IS  THE  LIFE:  Jane  Withers,  John  McGuire 
— Quite  old  but  still  a  good  picture  for  Friday-Sat- 
urday. Running  time,  65  minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New 
Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.     General  patronage. 

TO  MARY— WITH  LOVE:  Warner  Baxter,  Myrna 
Loy — Since  reporting  on  this  picture,  I  should  like 
to  add  this  amendment.  In  all  fairness  to  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox, I  must  say  that  business  is  unusually 
good  everywhere.  Opinions  now  coming  to  me  from 
our  patrons  reveal  that  50  per  cent  think  the  picture 
wonderful,  while  the  other  50  per  cent  declare  it  is 
terrible.  Exhibitors  will  have  to  judge  their  own 
situations  and  even  if  the  picture  does  not  come  up 
to  expectations  in  some  places,  it  may  please  in 
others.  But  in  any  case,  it  looks  destined  to  good 
box-office  grosses.  Running  time,  90  minutes.  Played 
August  9-12.— Ralph  Cokain,  Indiana  Theatre,  Marion, 
Ind.    General  patronage. 


United  Artists 


DARK  ANGEL,  THE:  Merle  Oberon,  Fredric 
March,  Herbert  Marshall — A  swell  show  from  any 
angle.  Will  please  100  per  cent.  You  can  meet  your 
patrons  at  the  door  on  their  way  out  and  they  will 
tell  you  how  much  they  enjoyed  the  picture.  Running 
time,  106  minutes.  Played  July  31-August  1. — C.  A. 
Jordon,  Opera  House,  Cogswell,  N.  D.  Small  town 
patronage. 

LITTLE  LORD  FAUNTLEROY:  Freddie  Barthol- 
omew, Dolores  Costello  Barrymore  and  fine  cast — 
A  fine  production  that  deserves  play  dates  in  every 
theatre.  Theatres  will  benefit  by  showing  it.  Fred- 
die Bartholomew  is  a  marvelous  child,  no  question 
about  it.  Splendid  recording.  Played  July  25-27. — 
A.  H.  Edwards,  Orpheum  Theatre,  Orwigsburg,  Pa. 
Small  town  patronage. 

THESE  THREE:  Miriam  Hopkins,  Merle  Oberon, 
Joel  McCrea — As  fine  a  picture  as  has  been  my  privi- 
lege to  show  for  many  a  nite.  Sorry  to  say  the  at- 
tendance was  in  no  way  in  proportion  to  the  quality 
of  the  picture.  There  is  no  accounting  for  taste  of 
the  dear  public.  It  makes  a  fellow  think  when  a 
piece  of  cheese  like  "The  Bride  of  Frankenstein" 
far  out-grosses  a  production  like  "These  Three"- — 
and  that  is  exactly  what  happened  in  my  theatre. 
—A.  H.  Edwards,  Orpheum  Theatre,  Orwigsburg,  Pa. 
Small  town  patronage. 


Universal 

DANGEROUS  WATERS:  Jack  Holt,  Robert  Arm- 
strong— Good  program  for  any  night  of  the  week. 
Jack  is  a  finished  actor  and  pleases  most  of  the  cash 
customers  and  Robert  Armstrong  also  very  good  in 
Jack's  supporting  cast.  Running  time,  seven  reels. 
Played  August  14-15.— Rudolf  Duba,  Royal  Theatre, 
Kimball,  S.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

DON'T  GET  PERSONAL:  James  Dunn,  Sally -Fil- 
ers— Twice  the  number  of  patrons  on  one  night  as 
compared  with  two  nights  with  "Trouble  for  Two." 
The  Dunn-Eilers  team  is  certainly  popular  here. 
Played  July  16. — A.  H.  Edwards,  Orpheum  Theatre, 
Orwigsburg,  Pa.    Small  town  patronage. 


IVORY  HANDLED  GUNS:  Buck  Jones,  Charlotte 
Wynters — A  dandy  western  with  good  story,  and  ac- 
tion not  over-done.  Business  average.  Flayed  July 
17. — A.  H.  Edwards,  Orpheum  Theatre,  Orwigsburg, 
Pa.    Small  town  patronage. 

STORMY:  Noah  Beery,  Jr.,  Jean  Rogers— Good  for 
one  day.  Running  time,  67  minutes.  Played  August 
8. — Howard  B.  Lee,  National  Theatre,  Wilmington, 
Del.    General  patronage. 

SUTTER'S  GOLD:  Edward  Arnold,  Binnie  Barnes, 
Lee  Tracy — We  consider  this  an  exceptionally  well 
produced  feature  but  for  some  unaccountable  reason 
our  draw  was  very  light.  Played  August  12-13. — 
C.  W.  Mills  Co.,  Inc.,  Arcade  Theatre,  Sodus,  N.  Y. 
Family  patronage. 


Warner  Brothers 

BIG  NOISE,  THE:  Guy  Kibbee,  Warren  Hull- 
Not  bad  entertainment  for  the  masses.  Clear,  even 
recording.  Business  slightly  below  average.  Played 
July  30. — A.  H.  Edwards,  Orpheum  Theatre,  Orwigs- 
burg, Fa.    Small  town  patronage. 

BOULDER  DAM:  Ross  Alexander,  Patricia  Ellis 
— We  were  agreeably  surprised  in  this  picture,  it 
being  far  superior  to  what  we  had  been  led  to  believe. 
Besides  furnishing  some  very  excellent  shots  of  the 
dam,  it  had  a  better  than  ordinary  story  which  was 
well  acted  and  produced.  Play  this  one.  Played  Au- 
gust 7-8. — O.  Ingmar  Oleson,  Sons  of  Norway  Thea- 
tre, Ambrose,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

HEARTS  DIVIDED:  Marion  Davies,  Dick  Powell- 
Pretty  weak  story;  fails  to  make  much  impression. 
Business  was  way  off.  Marion  should  remake  "When 
Knighthood  Was  in  Flower."  Both  Miss  Davies  and 
Dick  Powell  seem  miscast  here.  Played  August  9-10. — 
L.  A.  Irwin,  Palace  Theatre,  Penacook,  N.  H.  General 
patronage. 

I  MARRIED  A  DOCTOR:  Pat  O'Brien,  Josephine 
Hutchinson — An  excellent  picture  with  plenty  of  life. 
Running  time,  83  minutes.  Played  August  10-11. — 
Howard  B.  Lee,  National  Theatre,  Wilmington,  Del. 
General  patronage. 

PUBLIC  ENEMY'S  WIFE:  Pat  O'Brien,  Margaret 
Lindsay — Not  a  big  picture  but  a  very  good  pro- 
grammer that  will  please  your  audience.  I  had  the 
Louis-Schmeling  fight  pictures  on  with  "Public  Ene- 
my's Wife"  and  this  made  a  fine  evening's  entertain- 
ment. Running  time,  69  minutes.  Played  August  7- 
8. — C.  R.  Gregg,  Liberty  Theatre,  Caney,  Kansas. 
General  patronage. 

SATAN  MET  A  LADY:  Warren  William,  Bette 
Davis — Sad  but  true.  The  poorest  Warren  William 
picture  I  ever  played.  Very  few  liked  it  and  they 
didn't  hesitate  to  say  so.  Better  leave  it  on  the 
shelf.  Running  time,  74  minutes.  Flayed  August  13. 
— C.  R.  Gregg,  Liberty  Theatre,  Caney,  Kansas.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

SON'S  O'  GUNS:  Joe  E.  Brown,  Joan  Blondell— 
This  picture  received  some  panning  in  this  column, 
but  it's  o.k.  Joe  E.  Brown  stuff.    Running  time,  79 


FOR  THE  FIRST  TIME 
AN  INDEPENDENT 
TRAILER  COMPANY 

OWNED  BY  EXHIBITORS 
AND  OPERATED  FOR 
THE  EXHIBITORS 

Now  servicing  a  large  number  of 
theatres  in  New  York  and  other  sec- 
tions. Trailers  on  all  the  new  features 
also  all  1935-36  releases.  Our  trailers 
create  interest  without  telling  the 
story.  Not  too  long  but  packed  with 
punch.  Price  and  service  to  please 
you. 

For  further  information 
write,    wire    or  phone 

THEATRE  TRAILER  CORP. 

630 — 9th  Ave.,  Film  Centre  Building 
New  York  City 
BRyant  9-5177 

MARK  BLOCK.  President 
EDMUND  MANTELL,  Treasurer 

WALTER    FREUDENBERGER.   Gen.   Sales  Manager 


August    29,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


77 


J.  C  JENKINS-HIS  COLYUM 


minutes. — Rudolph  J.  Covi,  Covi's  Theatre,  Herminie, 
Pa.    Small  town  patronage. 

SPECIAL  AGENT:  Bette  Davis,  George  Brent— 
This  picture  was  so  interesting  that  all  routine  work 
was  at  a  stand  still.  All  our  staff  saw  this  picture. 
It  is  a  real  smart  gangster  picture  that  makes  the 
exhibitor  proud  to  meet  bis  patrons. — Harland  Ran- 
kin, Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada.  Gen- 
eral patronage. 

TREACHERY  RIDES  THE  RANGE:  Dick  Foran, 
Paula  Stone — A  fine  type  of  western  with  an  inter- 
esting story  and  plenty  of  action.  Business  good. 
Played  July  24. — A.  H.  Edwards,  Orpheum  Theatre, 
Orwigsburg,  Pa.    Small  town  patronage. 

WAliCING  DEAD,  THE:  Boris  Karloff,  Marguer- 
ite Churchill — The  house  was  full  for  three  nights 
in  spite  of  two  nights  of  rain.  Running  time,  78 
minutes.  Played  August  5-7. — Howard  B.  Lee,  Na- 
tional Theatre,  Wilmington,  Del.    General  patronage. 

Short  Features 
Columbia 

SCREEN  SNAPSHOTS,  NO.  11— Excellent  short.— 
Rudolph  J.  Covi,  Covi's  Theatre,  Herminie,  Pa. 
Small  town  patronage. 

Educational 

BIG  BUSINESS:  Star  Personality  Comedies— Just 
a  fair  two  reeler.  Should  be  junked  because  of  the 
rotten  recording.  Oh  boy,  were  we  glad  when  the 
end  flashed  on  the  screen.  Had  me  thinking  some- 
thing had  gone  wrong  with  my  sound  system.  Don't 
play  this  one.  Running  time,  two  reels. — Rudolph 
Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small  town 
patronage. 

GOLD  BRICKS:  Star  Personality  Comedies— A 
comedy  that  brings  out  the  laughs  every  minute 
that  this  show  is  on  the  screen.  It's  good  and  some- 
what different.  Running  time,  two  reels. — Rudolph 
Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball,  S.  D.  Small  town 
patronage. 

MGM 

BEAUTIFUL    BANFF    AND     LAKE  LOUISE: 

FitzP'atrick  Travel  Talks — Excellent.  The  scenery  is 
great.  Running  time,  nine  minutes. — P.  G.  Held, 
New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  Generat  pat- 
ronage. 

HIT  AND  RUN  DRIVER:  Crime  Doesn't  Pay 
Series — Very  good  little  "Crime  Doesn't  Pay"  stuff. 
Running  time,  19  minutes. — Rudolph  J.  Covi,  Covi's 
Theatre,   Herminie,   Pa.    Small  town  patronage. 

LET'S    DANCE:  M-G-M    Miniatures— A  novelty 

reel    that   pleased.  Running    time,    seven  minutes.— 

P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa. 
General  patronage. 

NURSE  TO  YOU:  Charley  Chase— Plenty  good 
comedy.  Poor  recording  in  spots.  Spoiled  the  good 
that  Chas.  put  in  by  good  acting.  Running  time, 
two  reels. — Rudolph  Duba,  Royal  Theatre,  Kimball, 
S.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

Paramount 

I  WANNA  BE  A  LIFEGUARD:  Popeye  the  Sailor 
— Real  good  cartoon  comedy,  but  is  short.  Not  worth 
any  more  than  many  other  single  reels.  Running 
time,  six  minutes. — P.  G.  Held,  New  Strand  Theatre, 
Griswold,  Iowa.    General  patronage. 

RKO  Radio 

MAJOR  BOWES'  AMATEUR  THEATRE  OF 
THE  AIR:  Very  good  and  seemed  to  satisfy,  partly 
on  account  of  its  novelty.  Will  hardly  justify  the 
higher  rental  at  small  theatres.  We  will  not  play 
them  regularly.  Played  August  14-15. — O.  Ingmar 
Oleson,  Sons  of  Norway  Theatre,  Ambrose,  N.  D. 
Small  town  patronage. 

MARCH  OF  TIME:  Good.  But  no  one's  rushing 
to  see  them. — Rudolph  J.  Covi,  Covi's  Theatre,  Her- 
minie, Pa.    Small  town  patronage. 

MARCH  OF  TIME:  Very  good  but  not  enough 
superior  to  news  reels  to  justify  the  high  film  rental. 
These  films  are  of  a  high  educational  value.  Played 
August  7-8. — O.  Ingmar  Oleson,  Sons  of  Norway 
Theatre,  Ambrose,  N.  D.    Small  town  patronage. 

NEPTUNE  MYSTERIES:  Struggle  to  Live  Series 
— Don't  play  it.  It's  awful.  Makes  the  ladies  sick. 
Sickly,  slimy  octopus  fight. — Harland  Rankin,  Plaza 
Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada.  General  patron- 
age. 

PATHE  TOPICS,  NO.  3.— Rather  weak.  Not  much 
to  them.  Running  time,  nine  minutes. — P.  G.  Held, 
New  Strand  Theatre,  Griswold,  Iowa.  General  pat- 
ronage. 

PICKLED  PEPPERS:  Blonde  and  Red  Head 
Series— They  Laughed.  I  sympathized.  It's  alright, 
I  guess.  Seen  a  lot  better. — Harland  Rankin,  Plaza 
Theatre,  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada.  General  patron- 
age. 

SPIRIT  OF  1976:  Musicals— The  worst  musical  we 
ever  n'ayed.  Warners  spoils  us  with  Broadway 
Brevities. — Harland  Rankin,  Plaza  Theatre,  Tilbury, 
Ontario,   Canada.    General  patronage. 


Neligh,  Nebraska 

Dear  Herald: 

With  the  assistance  of  the  nurse,  April 
Shower  and  those  crutches,  we  were  able 
to  get  down  to  the  Moon  theatre  the  other 
night  and  see  "These  Three,"  with  Miriam 
Hopkins,  Merle  Oberon  and  Joel  McCrea. 
It  is  quite  likely  that  the  reviewers,  who 
know  pictures,  will  not  class  this  one  along 
with  some  of  the  best,  but,  as  we  saw  it, 
it  is  an  interesting  story  played  by  a  capable 
cast  and  directed  by  a  director  who  knows 
how  to  direct. 

The  youngster,  Bonita  Granville,  as 
Mary,  the  headstrong  self-willed,  spoiled 
child,  played  the  part  so  splendidly  that  she 
gave  the  principals  a  mighty  swift  run  for 
the  front  seat.  She  played  the  ornery,  spit- 
fire, hysterical  girl  so  strongly  that  when 
you  see  her  you  will  want  to  use  a  bedslat 
on  her,  and  when  she  ran  away  from  school 
and  went  back  to  her  grandmother  and  told 
her  a  lot  of  fish  stories  about  the  way  she 
had  been  abused,  we  would  have  rejoiced 
to  have  seen  the  grandmother  take  her  over 
her  knee  and  use  a  hardwood  shingle  with 
both  hands. 

V 

The  mercury  has  taken  a  nose  dive 
downward  from  105  to  70  and  it  has  been 
raining  a  little  this  morning,  and  as  a  re- 
sult, if  it  wasn't  for  our  toe,  and  some 
more  things,  we'd  feel  like  we  could  lick 
our  weight  in  wildcats. 

V 

It  was  announced  over  the  radio  today 
that  hundreds  of  families  in  the  burned  up 
districts  of  the  Dakotas  and  Montana  had 
started  a  trek  to  "The  Golden  West"  and  the 
home  of  the  "Sunkist  Oranges."  Who  says 
it  doesn't  pay  to  advertise?  It  looks  like 
they  had  taken  Horace  Greely's  advice  to 
"Go  west,  young  man,  go  west." 

V 

The  August  1st  issue  of  the  Herald  says 
"Appleton  Is  Calling  J.  C.  Jenkins."  Well, 
we  are  here,  and  we  haven't  done  a  darn 
thing  that  we  are  ashamed  of.  R.  G.  Risch 
of  the  New  Scenic  theatre  complains  be- 
cause we  failed  to  call  on  him.  His  com- 
plaint is  no  doubt  just.  We  should  have 
called  on  him,  but  when  the  mercury  hov- 
ered around  110  in  the  shade  and  we  were 
heading  for  a  lake  where  it  was  cool.  We 
believe  we  will  be  excused  for  not  driving 
25  miles  out  of  the  way. 

There  are  a  lot  more  of  the  boys  who 
kick  because  we  passed  'em  up,  but  we 
want  them  to  remember  that  it  isn't  alto- 
gether our  fault.  It's  a  long  way  from  Penn- 
sylvania to  the  Pacific,  and  from  Canada 
to  the  Rio  Grande,  and  there  are  a  lot  of 
exhibitors  between  those  points,  and  besides 
that,  April  Shower  doesn't  have  wings. 

We  enjoyed  the  panning  our  friend  Risch 
gave  us,  we  probably  deserved  it,  but  when 
he  said  he  didn't  give  a  damn  whether 
we  called  on  him  or  not,  we  didn't  like  that 
so  good,  for  we'd  give  several  of  'em  to  go 
and  call  on  him  right  now,  because  we  think 
he  is  a  pretty  swell  guy. 

Our  trip  north  in  the  heat  was  the  worst 
since  the  birth  of  the  republic,  and  we  are 
still  suffering  from  it,  but  we  want  you  boys 
to  remember  that,  whether  we  are  able  to 


call  on  you  or  not,  we  are  stronger  for  you 
than  horseradish,  and  the  fact  that  we 
missed  you  should  not  be  credited  to  indif- 
ference. 

Are  you  following  us  Egbert?  If  our 
good  friend  Risch,  of  the  Scenic  theatre  at 
Appleton,  Minn.,  will  try  and  temper  his 
remarks  with  a  little  charity  for  us  when  it 
is  110  in  the  shade  (and  no  shade)  we  will 
think  that  everything  will  come  out  all  right. 
V 

The  campaign  speeches  we  are  hearing 
over  the  radio  incline  us  to  wonder  if  our 
statesmen  have  all  gone  fishing. 

V 

We  often  hear  some  of  the  boys  tell  of 
braving  machine  gun  fire  over  in  France, 
but  that's  nothing.  Last  night  we  braved 
the  heat  and  went  down  to  the  Moon  theatre 
and  saw  "Bullets  Or  Ballots,"  with  Edward 
G.  Robinson  doing  the  principal  chores  in 
his  excellent  way.  This  is  another  gangster 
picture,  and  a  whole  lot  of  people  don't 
care  so  much  for  gangsters,  but  to  us  they 
are  very  educational,  as  they  show  us  the 
actions  of  the  gangsters  on  the  screen  as 
they  could  be  shown  in  no  other  way.  War- 
ner Brothers  should  receive  several  pats  on 
the  back  for  this  one. 

Joan  Blondell  was  operating  a  racket  of 
her  own,  and  if  Edward  G.  hadn't  been 
killed  by  a  gangster,  and  had  lived  to  marry 
Joan,  it  would  have  suited  us  better,  for  we 
consider  any  man  who  would  marry  Joan 
as  having  most  excellent  judgment.  Frank 
McHugh  was  in  it,  too,  and  whenever  they 
put  Frank  in  a  picture  and  give  him  some- 
thing to  do  he  always  calls  forth  a  lot  of 
laughs  from  the  audience,  he's  so  dosfeone 
funny. 

V 

Isn't  it  funny  that  we  often  say  just  the 
reverse  of  what  we  mean?  For  instance,  we 
hear  people  say  that  it  is  going  to  get  cooler 
for  "the  sun  has  gone  under  a  cloud"  but 
that  isn't  what  we  mean  at  all.  What  we 
mean  is  that  the  clouds  have  come  between 
the  earth  and  the  sun  and  shut  off  the  sun's 
rays.  The  sun  never  came  under  anything. 
That  expression  reminds  us  of  the  girl  who 
told  us  once  that  we  were  the  nicest  boy  she 
ever  knew,  but  when  she  said  that  her  mind 
was  focused  on  a  redheaded  fellow  from 
the  stock  yards, 

Say,  Frank,  oldtimer,  this  don't  cost  you 
or  Edward  G.  a  thing,  not  a  darn  thing,  no 
matter  if  we  do  enjoy  puffing  a  "perfecto" 
or  something,  now  and  then.  You  and  Ed 
accept  our  kindest  regards  and  thanks  for 
your  work  in  this  one,  and  please  divide  up 
with  Joan,  too. 

V 

As  we  said  before,  we  want  you  exhibitors 
to  please  remember — but  then,  we  can 
imagine  we  can  hear  Ernie  say  "Oh,  for 
gosh  sake  Colonel,  are  you  going  all  over 
that  again?" 

[Note.  Do  any  of  you  boys  want  to  buy  a 
pair  of  second-hand  crutches  that  are  well 
broken  to  ride?] 

COLONEL  J.  C.  JENKINS 
The  HERALD's  Vagabond  Colyumnist 
(Still  in  the  basement) 
The  HERALD  covers  the  FIELD  like  an 
April  SHOWER. 


78 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


REEL  TRADE 
IN  CHICAGO 


2,000-FOOT 
PROBLEM 

Local  Ordinance  Prescribes 
More  Magazine  Clearance 
Than    Will    Be  Obtainable 

by  WILLIAM  F.  CROUCH 

in  Chicago 

The  advent  of  the  two  thousand  foot  reel 
has  both  exhibitors  and  distributors  here  in 
a  serious  quandary.  When  the  large  reels 
arrive  here  the  first  part  of  September  they 
will,  unless  some  sudden  changes  take  place, 
offer  a  multitude  of  problems. 

One  of  these  problems  is  the  matter  of 
complying  with  the  city  regulations,  which 
were  just  recently  passed,  concerning  the 
2,000  foot  reel.  The  ruling  laid  down  by  the 
local  officials  states  in  part  that  there  must 
be  one  inch  clearance  between  the  outer 
edge  of  the  reel  and  the  inner  edge  of  the 
film  magazine.  In  order  to  comply  with  this 
ruling  both  exhibitors  and  distributors  point 
out  that  only  a  fourteen  inch  reel  can  be 
used — the  new  reel  universally  adopted  by 
the  distributors  is  a  fourteen  and  one-half 
inch  reel.  As  a  result,  the  films  for  every 
show  will  have  to  be  re-wound  on  the  small- 
er reel  to  comply  with  the  city's  rule,  as 
the  majority  of  magazines  on  the  projectors 
are  but  16  inches  in  diameter,  a  bit  too  small 
to  allow  the  one  inch  clearance  demanded. 

As  distributors  and  exhibitors  alike  are 
not  in  accord  with  the  regulation,  feeling 
that  if  other  cities  find  the  14^ -inch  reel 
okay  it  should  be  acceptable  here,  it  is  prob- 
able that  the  use  of  the  14-inch  reel  regu- 
lation may  be  ignored.  At  least  that  at- 
titude is  very  prevalent  and  will,  it  is  re- 
liably stated,  be  taken  by  the  distributors. 

Take-up  Is  Problem 

The  coming  of  the  new  reel  also  brings 
up  another  serious  problem.  The  new  take- 
up  devised  for  the  2,000  foot  reel,  accord- 
ing to  many,  is  not  practical  for  use  on  the 
1,000  foot  spool.  Thus,  when  a  theatre  has 
film  on  both  size  spools,  as  will  be  the  case 
here  for  many  weeks  following  the  inaugu- 
ration of  the  2,000  foot  reel,  operators  will 
be  confronted  with  a  difficult  problem  in 
order  to  handle  the  film  properly.  With  the 
releasing  situation  as  it  is  here,  and  with  the 
advent  of  double  features  late  in  September, 
both  last  season's  product  on  the  1,000  foot 
reel  and  new  product  on  the  2,000  foot  reels 
will  oftimes  be  shown  on  the  same  bill. 

The  winding  of  the  thousands  of  reels  of 
last  year's  film  in  local  vaults  on  the  new 
2,000  foot  spools  would  be  a  tremendous 
job,  local  experts  maintain,  and  hardly  prac- 
tical. Still  the  problem  of  how  to  handle  the 
film  properly  remains  unanswered. 

Several  weeks  ago  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 
sent  out  a  notice  to  all  theatre  managers  here 
that,  for  the  mutual  benefit  of  projection- 
ists and  exchanges,  they  would,  after  Sep- 
tember 1,  send  out  all  national  releases  long- 
er than  1,000  feet  on  2,000  foot  reels.  After 
this  notice  was  sent  out  the  Balaban  &  Katz 
circuit  advised  their  managers  to  disregard 
the  notice  until  further  orders  and  run  all 
film  on  1,000  foot  reels.  This  order  was 
undoubtedly  issued  so  that  their  projection- 
ists could  comply  with  the  local  union  rule 


which  states  that  reels  must  not  be  over 
1,000  feet  in  length. 

Censor  Board  Objects 

New  films  brought  in  for  review  by  the 
local  censor  board  on  the  2,000  foot  reel  will 
be  cut  and  shown  on  the  1,000  foot  reel  until 
the  union  ruling  is  changed,  it  is  reported. 

The  national  approval  of  the  2,000  foot 
reel  is  expected  shortly  at  the  local  union 
offices,  according  to  Frank  Clifford,  busi- 
ness manager  of  the  group,  who  said  he  ex- 
pected to  hear  from  George  Browne,  presi- 
dent of  the  IATSE,  within  the  next  few 
days,  regarding  this  situation. 

It  is  highly  probable  that  the  decision  of 
the  union  regarding  the  larger  reels  will 
have  a  direct  bearing  on  the  city's  ruling 
concerning  the  exact  size  of  the  reel.  If  the 
14^2-inch  reel  is  okayed  by  the  union  the 
present  city  ruling  probably  will  be  changed 
to  conform  with  the  rulings  adopted  else- 
where. 

V 

"We  are  entitled  to  a  substantial  decrease 
in  the  salaries  we  pay  operators,"  was  the 
statement  made  by  Morris  Leonard,  head 
of  the  Chicago  Exhibitor's  Association, 
when  queried  regarding  his  organization's 
stand  on  the  matter  of  a  25  per  cent  in- 
crease in  wages  which  is  being  asked  by  the 
local  operator's  union  prior  to  the  working 
out  of  a  new  contract  with  exhibitors  for 
the  coming  year. 

Last  week  Aaron  Saperstein,  head  of  Al- 
lied Theatres,  announced  that  his  organiza- 
tion was  demanding  a  10  per  cent  reduction 
in  operator's  salaries.  This  brings  both  the 
circuit  and  independent  groups  together  as 
far  as  a  demand  for  lower  wages  for  opera- 
tors is  concerned.  Local  exhibitors  feel  pro- 
jectionists are  overpaid  at  present  in  pro- 
portion to  other  branches  of  the  industry  and 
say  they  will  definitely  oppose  any  raise  to 
pay. 

V 

After  three  minor  deletions  in  dialogue 
the  Chicago  film  censor  board  gave  "An- 
thony Adverse"  a  general  permit  instead  of 
the  "pink"  ticket  originally  decided  upon 
and  the  film  will  now  have  it's  first  loop 
showing  starting  September  11th,  in  the 
Chicago  theatre  instead  of  in  the  United 
Artists  theatre  as  previously  announced. 

Booking  this  film  into  the  Chicago,  which 
plays  pictures  on  a  flat  rental  basis  only, 
means  that  Balaban  &  Katz  gave  Warners 
one  of  the  highest  rentals  ever  offered  for 
any  film  shown  here.  The  picture  will  be 
augmented  by  a  strong  stage  show  and  is 
expected  to  run  at  least  three  weeks. 

Starting  this  weekend  a  gigantic  news- 
paper advertising  campaign  will  be  launched 
on  the  showing  in  order  to  start  it  off  on 
a  recordbreaking  run  in  the  4,000  seat  house. 
Both  the  Balaban  &  Katz  and  Warner  press 
departments  are  uniting  in  putting  over  this 
campaign  which  will  begin  with  the  inser- 
tion of  full  page  advertisements  in  local 
papers. 

The  setting  of  "Anthony  Adverse"  into 
the  Chicago  on  September  11th  ties  in' with 
the  starting  of  double-features  here  on  that 
date  at  the  larger  Balaban  &  Katz  neigh- 
borhood theatres.  At  that  time  the  Uptown, 


Marbro  and  Tivoli  are  slated  to  start  dual 
bills  and  it  expected  that  by  the  following 
week  the  entire  city  will  be  offering  double 
features.  Although  considerable  pressure 
has  been  brought  to  bear,  it  is  understood 
that  Balaban  &  Katz  are  set  on  playing  the 
twin  bills  and  will  start  them  on  the  above 
mentioned  date.  The  opening  of  "Adverse" 
in  the  loop  at  the  Chicago  is  said  to  be 
an  example  of  what  loop  offerings  will  be 
to  compete  with  the  double-features  offered 
outside  the  loop. 

Current  at  the  Chicago  theatre  is  "His 
Brother's  Wife,"  which  had  a  recordbreak- 
ing weekend  and  is  expected  to  near  the 
house  record  for  gross.  The  opening  last 
Friday  was  the  largest  since  world's  fair 
days  and  following  the  heavy  weekend  trade, 
Balaban  &  Katz  executives  decided  to  hold 
the  picture  for  another  week  before  putting 
it  in  another  loop  theatre. 

V 

Grand  National,  which  held  a  sales  con- 
vention at  the  Medinah  Club  last  weekend, 
will  have  offices  in  the  Warner  building  ac- 
cording to  present  plans.  Final  details  for 
leasing  the  office  space  are  being  made  in 
New  York  this  week  by  James  Winn,  as- 
sistant to  Carl  Leserman,  vice-president  and 
general  sales  manager. 

Earle  Silverman,  formerly  with  Warners 
herej  is  in  charge  of  the  local  exchange  for 
Grand  National  and  expects  to  have  his  sales 
force  organized  during  the  next  few  weeks, 
as  selling  of  the  company's  product  is  slated 
to  start  immediately. 

The  sales  meeting  held  here  was  a  repeti- 
tion of  the  one  held  in  New  York  earlier 
in  the  week.  Leserman  and  Edward  Finney, 
publicity  and  advertising  director,  were  here 
to  address  the  midwest  and  western  sales 
leaders. 

V 

The  possessor  of  the  longest  airplane 
ticket  ever  sold,  William  Heineman,  Univer- 
sal sales  drive  leader,  flew  in  long  enough 
last  week  to  address  the  local  sales  force 
and  exchange  personnel  and  confer  with 
Messrs.  Gomersall  and  Herbel  regarding 
sales  drive  plans.  Heineman  left  here  for 
Minneapolis.  During  his  air  trip  Heine- 
man  will  visit  37  exchanges  in  21  days  and 
cover  17,000  miles  in  so  doing.  So  far  he 
has  covered  three-fifths  of  his  journey  and 
expects  to  finish  the  air  tour  by  Labor  Day. 
V 

"Romeo  and  Juliet,"  which  opens  Sunday, 
August  30th,  at  the  Erlanger  theatre,  is  re- 
ceiving much  support  from  local  women's 
clubs.  Through  the  efforts  of  Mrs.  Jennie 
F.  Purvin,  Miss  Emma  Abplanalp  and  Mrs. 
Richard  McClure,  many  special  tieups  have 
been  arranged.  Outstanding  among  these 
is  the  display  of  costumes  used  in  the  pic- 
ture at  Mandel  Brothers,  one  of  the  city's 
largest  department  stores.  More  than  3,000 
square  feet  of  space  has  been  devoted  for  the 
display,  which  will  be  shown  for  three  to 
four  weeks.  Fred  Bartow,  M.G.M.  press 
representative,  made  some  of  the  arrange- 
ments for  the  display  while  in  Hollywood 
last  month. 

V 

"The  Heart  of  A  Woman,"  a  Chinese 
film,  was  okayed  here  last  week  by  the 
censor  board  and  will  be  shown  in  the  Chi- 
nese section  of  the  city  in  an  effort  to  raise 
money  for  Chinese  students.  M.  Chee  of 
New  York  brought  the  film  here  for  the 
showing  and  is  in  charge  of  affairs.  It  is 
the  first  all-talking  picture  ever  made  in 
China  and  was  produced  in  Shanghai. 


August    29,  1936 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


79 


/<*"■'  MOTION. \\J}v 

PICTURE 
U      HERALD  l|m 


MANAGERS' 
ROUND  TARLE  CLUR 


zAn  international  association  of  showmen  meeting  weekly 
in  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD  for  mutual  aid  and  progress 


op 


NURSEMAIDS  AND  POSTAGE  STAMPS 

It's  to  be  super-theatre  service  rather  than  picture  exploi- 
tation at  the  Fox  Midwest  Theatres  this  coming  season,  accord- 
ing to  "the  statement  of  headman  Elmer  Rhoden,  at  the 
circuit's  recent  convention.  Because  Mr.  Rhoden  feels  that  the 
actual  value  of  the  past  year's  exploitation  campaigns  is  de- 
batable and  is  inclined  to  believe  that  too  many  dollars  have 
been  wasted  on  them,  "super-service  to  patrons"  is  now  to 
be  the  Fox  Midwest  battle  cry.  Among  these  services  are  to 
be  "a  reliable  list  of  nursemaids  to  stay  with  the  children 
while  the  parents  go  to  the  show  and  a  stamps  and 'mail  ser- 
vice for  patrons  with  letters." 

Said  here  before  and  said  again  is  that  Elmer  Rhoden  can 
be  counted  among  the  country's  keener  showmen.  He  is,  so 
to  speak,  willing  to  try  anything  once  where  the  "anything" 
in  question  affords  potentialities  for  tilted  grosses.  Therefore 
Mr.  Rhoden's  conclusions  are  to  be  weighed  with  care. 

But  the  latest  Midwest  idea  of  selling  the  theatre  more  and 
the  picture  less  though  meritorious  is  nevertheless  not  the 
entire  answer  to  the  problem.  Mr.  Rhoden  may  well  believe 
•.hat  the  actual  value  of  his  circuit's  past  year's  exploitation 
campaigns  is  debatable  but  that  does  not  mean  there  need 
be  a  wild  stampede  on  the  part  of  theatremen  to  try  and 
exchange  the  bally  and  boxoffice  sockeroo  at  100-cents  on  the 
dollar  for  service  that  competent  showmen  are  expected  to 
deliver  daily. 

The  goodwill  and  prestige  builders,  the  lunch  club,  woman's 
club  and  City  Hall  contacts  undoubtedly  rank  high,  but  color- 
ful, yes,  even  screwy  exploitation  is  still  paying  dividends  to 
those  who  know  how  to  handle  it. 

The  Fox  management  further  feels  the  new  product  is  so 
good  that  selling  efforts  may  safely  be  concentrated  upon  the 
theatre.  Though  this  opinion  is  indeed  highly  complimentary 
to  the  studioites,  it  is  to  be  doubted  whether  smart  producers 
who  look  to  the  showman  for  assistance  at  the  boxoffice  will 
appreciate  the  added  responsibility. 

There  never  was  a  time  when  grosses  on  the  best  of  pictures 
could  not  be  bettered  by  skillful  exploitation  and  there  is  no 
reason  now  to  believe  otherwise.  A  manager  may  build  up 
the  best  of  contacts,  have  a  million  friends,  offer  the  very  last 
word  in  service  and  still  be  lacking  if  he  doesn't  take  advan- 
tage of  every  possible  honest  selling  angle  to  exploit  every 
change  of  program.  Certainly,  give  'em  courtesy  and  com- 
fort, build  those  invaluable  contacts — but  not  at  the  expense 
of  high-power  exploitation. 

Fox  Midwest  patrons  come  from  various  walks  of  life  and 
it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  not  every  ticket  buyer  is  so 
constituted  as  to  comprehend  the  delicate  nuances  of  those 


ultra-services  the  theatremen  are  prepared  to  give.  An  im- 
portant slice  of  business  will  continue  to  come  from  folks  who 
react  more  to  color  and  noise,  to  the  lure  of  the  bally. 

In  the  final  analysis,  the  value  of  picture  exploitation  in  gen- 
eral is  probably  no  more  debatable  than  the  benefits  to  be 
derived  from  the  offer  of  nursemaids  and  postage  stamps. 

V  V  V 
SHAKESPEARE,  TAKE  A  BOW 

To  the  shade  of  the  Bard  of  Avon  an  extra  bow  for  causing 
to  be  knitted  more  closely  under  one  roof,  so  to  speak,  pro- 
duction and  advertising  of  the  motion  picture.  For,  though 
the  production  forces  are  doing  a  better  job  of  cooperating 
with  the  ad  men,  there  still  exists  quite  a  problem  faced  by 
the  ad  forces  of  completing  their  promotional  plans  only  after 
they  have  screened  the  finished  prints. 

The  advent  of  William  Shakespeare  to  the  screen  via  War- 
ner's "A  Midsummer  Night's  Dream"  and  most  recently 
MGM's  "Romeo  and  Juliet"  has  accomplished  something  in 
closing  the  gap  between  producing  and  advertising.  From  the 
earliest  screen  treatment  the  ad  men  were  at  work  in  the  field, 
planting  and  planning  every  foot  of  the  wav,  wi  th  the  result 
that  both  pictures,  long  before  their  release  dates,  were  known 
and  much  in  demand. 

There  is  no  earthly  reason  why  the  same  thing  cannot  be 
done  for  other  releases  as  well.  All  branches  of  the  industry 
would  benefit  thereby. 

V  V  V 
ADDED  STRENGTH 

Now  second  in  command  to  S.  Charles  Einfeld,  Warner 
Pictures  director  of  advertising  and  publicity,  Mort  Blumen- 
stock's  promotion  from  his  previous  post  of  Warner  Theatres 
ad  head  is  good  news  in  more  ways  than  one.  In  the  first 
place,  Mort  well  rates  his  new  honors  and,  secondly,  theatre- 
men  will  rejoice  that  one  of  their  own  has  been  advanced  to 
a  bigger  job. 

Blumenstock  has  capably  filled  many  assignments  in  the  in- 
dustry and  is  entirely  at  home  through  long  experience  with 
the  exhibitors'  advertising  problems. 

In  his  new  situation,  Mort  adds  further  strength  to  a  highly 
efficient  department. 


80 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    2  9,  1936 


Redskins  Raise 
Plenty  of  Dust 
For  Les  Pollock 


Trade  Ads  and  Announcement  Books 
Make  Up  Unusual  Lobby  Display 


Quite  a  few  of  the  members  make  full  use  of  motion  picture  trade  advertising 
literature  for  inclusion  in  lobby  and  other  display.  Walter  Davis,  up  in  Regina, 
exhibits  such  material  to  his  patrons  quite  frequently  and  now  in  the  same  tempo 
comes  a  photo,  reproduced  above,  from  Manager  Wallace  R.  Allen,  Schine's  Athena 
Theatre,  Athens,  Ohio.  Wally  has  been  saving  copies  of  trade  paper  ads  and  announce- 
ment books  and  from  them  selected  a  number  of  items  for  display  on  his  big  lobby 
board.  The  flash  was  made  up  inexpensively  and  was  successftd  in  attracting  plenty 
of  patron  attention  on  the  coming  shows. 


Gene  Fox  Arranges 
Safety  Reel  Preview 

To  tiein  with  the  extensive  safety  cam- 
paign being  conducted  throughout  New 
England  on  safe  driving,  Gene  Fox,  Metro- 
politan Theatre,  Boston,  ad  head,  arranged 
a  preview  of  special  short,  "We  Drivers," 
shown  as  part  of  the  regular  program.  In 
addition,  the  Massachusetts  Safety  Council 
cooperated  with  the  theatre  on  a  safety  con- 
test for  commercial  vehicles. 

Newspapers  editorialized  on  the  drive  and 
on  the  last  day  of  the  showing  the  winner 
was  presented  with  a  silver  shield  in  front 
of  the  theatre  during  a  popular  radio  pro- 
gram broadcast  in  the  lobby  as  part  of  the 
tieup.  Angeline  Maney,  Gene's  assistant,  co- 
operated. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 


AUGUST  DEADLINE; 
AUGUST  JUDGES 

Midnight  of  Saturday,  September  5, 
is  the  deadline  date  for  entries  in  the 
Ouigley  August  Awards.  So,  please, 
have  those  campaigns  at  headquarters 
by  that  time. 

The  August  judges  are  as  follows: 
Neil  F.  Agnew,  Paramount  Pictures 
Corp.,  Irving  Lesser,  Roxy  Theatre, 
and  Si  Seadler,  M-G-M. 


Theatremen  Going  After 
"Bengal  Tiger"  Prizes 

Extra  stimulation  in  the  hot  weather  on 
Warner  Bros.  "Bengal  Tiger"  has  been 
given  theatremen  playing  the  picture  with 
the  recently  announced  $1,000  in  cash  prizes 
offered  by  the  company  for  the  best  seven 
campaigns  on  the  picture,  as  follows : 

First,  $350;  second,  $250;  third,  $150; 
fourth,  $100;  fifth,  $75;  sixth,  $50,  and 
seventh,  $25.  Campaigns  to  be  eligible  must 
be  submitted  to  Campaign  Editor,  at  Warner 
Bros.  New  York  home  office,  321  West  44th 
St.,  before  January  first.  Warner  men  are 
not  eligible  for  the  prizes. 

Judges  are  Jack  L.  Warner,  production 
chief;  William  Hollander,  Balaban  &  Katz 
ad  head,  and  A-Mike  Vogel,  of  Managers' 
Round  Table  Club. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Dinerman  Plugs  "Pastures" 
With  Newspaper  Contest 

Eddie  Dinerman,  Keith's  Albee,  Cin- 
cinnati, got  a  lot  of  space  in  papers  in  con- 
nection with  a  prize  contest  to  plug  "Green 
Pastures"  by  arranging  with  the  Cincinnati 
Times  Star  to  run  a  four-day  contest  which 
was  based  on  titling  drawings  made  by 
famous  American  artists  expressly  for  the 
picture.  Paper  gave  contest  a  huge  ad  day 
before  and  continued  with  stories  and  illus- 
trations throughout  contest.  On  day  winners 
were  announced,  paper  carried  story  on 
front  page  stories. 


The  sound  of  the  war  drums  and  Indians 
on,  the  loose  resounded  in  the  streets  of 
Syracuse  on  Les  Pollock's  advance  to  in- 
form the  folks  that  "Last  of  the  Mohicans" 
was  in  town  at  Loew's.  Indians  in  full  re- 
galia covered  the  city  on  foot  and  in  ban- 
nered cars  distributing  heralds  and  one  of 
the  surviving  chiefs  of  the  Mohican  tribe 
brought  in  for  the  date  was  interviewed  on 
the  air  and  by  the  papers.  Les  promoted  an 
Indian  display  from  the  municipal  museum 
for  lobby  display  to  gather  a  lot  of  extra 
publicity. 

Other  newspaper  stuff  included  a  number 
of  contests.  There  was,  for  instance,  a  five- 
day  drawing  contest  with  entrants  penciling 
in  the  features  of  the  various  stars.  An- 
other was  a  "best  letter"  contest  and  the 
third  was  a  classification  slant  wherein  the 
title  had  to  be  created  from  letters  in  the 
first  words  of  different  want  ads.  Guest 
tickets  were  given  the  winners  and  in  ex- 
change the  dailies  were  generous  in  plug- 
ging the  picture.  Leading  stores  also  came 
in  on  differently  styled  co-op  ads,  women's 
shops  featuring  "Mohican  Red"  new  style 
color. 

Action  stills  and  art  shots  were  used  lib- 
erally by  Pollock  to  cover  a  150-foot  fence 
next  to  a  central  parking  space  and  about 
every  available  vacant  window  in  town  was 
decorated.  In  addition  to  serializations  of 
the  story  and  the  13-record  radio  transcrip- 
tion promoted  by  the  Round  Tabler,  stand- 
out stunt  for  the  opening  night  was  a  color- 
ful street  parade  in  which  the  Indian  braves 
were  prominently  spotted. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

George  Rotsky  Promoted 

Round  Tabler  George  Rotsky,  whose  con- 
tributions have  appeared  frequently  in  the 
pages  has  taken  over  the  post  of  Montreal 
city  manager  for  Consolidated  Theatres  in 
charge  of  the  Capitol,  Princess,  Palace,  His 
Majesty's  and  Imperial.  Good  wishes  of  the 
Club  go  to  George  in  his  new  assignment. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 


MICKEY'S  BIRTHDAY 
NOW  CELEBRATED 

They're  lighting  eight  candles  in 
honor  of  Mickey  Mouse  this  week  at 
the  United  Artists'  home  office.  Cam- 
paign to  signalize  this  joyous  occasion 
has  been  prepared  and  theatremen  in- 
vited to  tell  the  folks  all  about  the 
birthday  party. 

Complete  program  of  Mickey  Mouse 
and  Silly  Symphony  subjects  are 
available  for  a  full  show  and  many 
houses  are  playing  repeats  on  the  Dis- 
ney subjects  in  addition  to  the  regu- 
lar bills.  Songs,  contests  and  various 
of  the  famous  toys  are  being  stressed. 


August    29,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


81 


Sound  Photos  of 
"Romeo"  Opening 
JVired  to  Coast 


The  recent  Broadway  premiere  of  MGM's 
"Romeo  and  Juliet"  at  the  Astor  Theatre 
included  all  the  top  slants  appropriate  to 
so  important  an  opening  with  a  few  more 
that  the  Howard  Deitz  division  thought  up. 
The  newest  and  most  unusual  was  the  Elec- 
tric-eye device  by  which  photos  of  the 
opening  were  transmitted  via  sound  to  Los 
Angeles  for  publication  in  the  local  Exam- 
iner the  same  day.  Copies  of  the  photos 
were  relayed  to  Irving  Thalberg,  producer 
of  the  picture.  Due  to  the  difference  in  time, 
the  shots  were  received  on  the  Coast  two 
hours  ahead  of  New  York  time  and  thus  it 
may  be  said  that  the  studios  had  the  photos 
before  the  show  had  started  in  New  York. 

Lights  on  the  front  of  the  theatre  in  num- 
ber topped  any  other  previous  opening  at 
the  Astor,  electric  sign  containing  12,000 
bulbs  made  up  in  form  of  special  animation 
new  to  Broadway  and  attracting  the  de- 
served attention.  Another  "light"  idea  that 
caused  plenty  of  humming  was  the  placing 
of  reflector  signs  on  all  important  highways 
into  New  York  which  when  hit  by  head- 
lights of  cars  disclosed  the  theatre  copy. 

Billboard  campaign  was  another  factor 
with  148-sheets  topping  any  size  yet  con- 
ceived by  MGM.  Each  letter  of  title  and 
star's  name  was  eight-sheet  in  size.  News- 
paper advertising  was  also  given  a  different 
slant  with  the  inclusion  of  reservation 
coupons  to  be  filled  in  and  clipped. 

Tremendous  National  Campaign  Planned 

To  work  out  the  advance  arrangements 
satisfactorily,  more  than  the  usual  number 
of  Billy  Ferguson's  field  exploitation  forces 
are  working  in  the  individual  key  cities, 
three  being  assigned  to  single  spots  to  de- 
velop local  campaigns.  They  are  getting  be- 
hind the  distribution  of  study  guides  and 
also  checking  the  planting  in  schools  and 
libraries  of  the  specially  life-size  stills  show- 
ing the  actual  Veronese  backgrounds. 

Contest  angle  has  been  covered  with 
hookin  with  French  Line  by  which  two  trips 
to  Stratford-on-Avon  and  one  to  Hollywood, 
plus  more  than  1,000  special  prizes  will  be 
available  to  the  public.  The  contest  takes 
the  form  of  illustrated  essays  open  to  three 
classifications,  high  schools,  colleges  and 
woman's  clubs. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall}" 


Metro-Coldwyn-Mqyer  Executives 
Honor  Quigley  Plaque  Winner 


As  it  happened  that  Sid  Holland,  first  winner  of  two  Quigley  Silver  Plaques  in  one 
year,  was  vacationing  in  New  York  recently,  and  as  he  had  been  voted  the  Silver 
for  July  on  MGM's  "San  Francisco",  it  was  fitting  that  the  Elkhart,  Ind.,  theatre- 
man  should  be  honored  with  a  presentation  of  his  Award  by  Howard  Dietz,  MGM 
director  of  advertising  and  publicity.  Pictured  at  the  ceremony  shown  above  were, 
left  to  right,  Edward  M.  Saunders,  MGM  Western  sales  director;  Sid  Holland;  Sam 
Schirley,  MGM  Chicago  district  sales  manager;  Howard  Dietz,  and  A-Mike  Vogel, 
chairman,  Managers'  Round  Table. 


Packard  Cars  for  Theatremen 
In  RKO  "Swingtime"  Contest 

Managers  and  theatre  publicity  men  of 
theatres  in  the  U.  S.  playing  RKO  Radio's 
"Swingtime"  up  until  and  including  Oct. 
31,  are  eligible  to  enter  the  exploitation  con- 
test tied  in  to  Packard  cars  wherein  three 
of  the  new  models  are  offered.  Three  prizes 
will  be  given,  one  in  each  class  for  best  cam- 
paign in  towns  of  150,000  and  over;  in 
towns  of  50,000  to  150,000  and  in  towns  of 
less  than  50,000. 

To  compete,  theatremen  are  asked  to  for- 
ward entry  blank  to  nearest  RKO  exchange. 
One  prize  will  be  given  to  any  one  theatre 
and  only  one  name,  either  that  of  the  man- 
ager or  publicity  man,  is  to  appear  on  the 
entry  blank. 

"Are  yon  ready  for  Fall?" 


M-G-M  Issues  Press  Book 
On  "Killer  Dog"  Short 

Getting  into  quick  action  to  take  wide  ad- 
vantage of  the  part  the  Pete  Smith  "Killer 
Dog"  short  played  in  the  recent  dog  trial 
in  Brockport,  N.  Y.,  M-G-M  has  crowded 
a  lot  of  the  resultant  publicity  into  the  press 
sheet,  on  the  reel  with  further  suggestions 
on  how  to  put  over  the  slant. 

Exhibitors  are  urged  to  present  the  sub- 
ject with  an  introductory  trailer  which  ex- 
plains the  part  the  film  played  in  the  case, 
wherein  Howard  Deitz  had  projection  equip- 
ment sent  to  Brockport  so  that  the  presid- 
ing judge  could  see  the  short  which  closely 
parallels  the  "Idaho"  trial.  Herb  Morgan, 
working  on  short  subject  in  the  home  office, 
is  credited  with  the  idea. 

"Are  yon  ready  for  Fall}" 


Round  Tablers  will  be  interested  and  pleased  to  know  that  Harry 
Goldberg,  Warner  Theatres  Philadelphia  zone  advertising  director 
and  winner  of  the  1935  Quigley  Bronze  Grand  Award,  has  been 
appointed  to  the  post  of  Warner  Theatres  home  office  advertising 
manager,  to  take  the  spot  occupied  by  Mort  Blumenstock,  Mort  step- 
ping up  to  become  second  in  command  to  S.  Charles  Einfeld. 

Goldberg  has  done  a  grand  job  in  Philadelphia  and  every  Round 
Tabler  joins  with  us  in  wishing  him  the  best  of  the  very  best  for  the 
biggest  kind  of  deserved  success  in  the  new  and  important  situation. 


Giant  Astor  Theatre  Sign  for  "Romeo" 


THEATRE  MANAGERS 
BLICITY 


In  conjunction  with  the  new  PACKARD  RADIO  HOUR,  starring  FRED  ASTAIRE,  the 
Packard  Motor  Car  Company  will  give  three  new  Packard  Cars— one  to  each  of  the 
three  showmen  who  conduct  the  best  co-operative  exploitation  campaigns  linking 
"SWING  TIME,"  the  new  Packard  Car,  and  the  Packard  Radio  Hour. 

On  September  8,  Packard  will  start  their  Radio  Program  over  the  nationwide 
chain  of  the  NBC  Red  Network.  At  that  time  they  will  inaugurate  a  NATIONAL 
CONTEST,  open  to  the  public,  through  which  12  OF  THE  NEW  PACKARD  CARS 
will  be  awarded  to  the  12  winners  of  a  slogan  contest. 

ENTRY  BLANKS  FOR  THE  PUBLIC'S  SLOGAN  CONTEST  WILL  BE  AVAILABLE 
ONLY  AT  THOSE  THEATRES  SHOWING  "SWING  TIME,"  at  the  local  Packard 
dealer's  and  through  the  Packard  Motor  Car  Company,  Detroit.  THE  CONTEST  WILL 
BE  PROMOTED  OVER  THE  AIR  DURING  EVERY  BROADCAST  FOR  THE  DURATION 
OF  THE  CONTEST. 

Packard  will  supply  entry  blanks  and  a  booklet  carrying  full  details  to  ail  theatres 
participating,  free  of  charge. 

Free  trailers  will  be  available.  Special  one-sheets  and  other  helps  are  yours  for  the 
asking  at  RKO  Exchanges. 

Packard  dealers  throughout  the  country  are  anxious  to  co-operate  with  theatres, 
and  avenues  of  publicity  and  tie-up  have  been  opened  for  you  such  as  never  before 
have  been  available  to  theatres! 

HERE'S  YOUR  CHANCE  AT  ONE  OF  THE  BIGGEST  EXPLOITATION  IDEAS  IN 
YEARS!  .  .  .  YOUR  OPPORTUNITY  TO  SWELL  YOUR  "SWING  TIME"  GROSSES 
TO  ALL-TIME  PEAKS!— AND  PACKARDS  TO  EACH  OF  THE  THREE  MEN  WHO 
DO  THE  BEST  EXPLOITATION  JOBS! 

READ  ALL  THE  DETAILS  IN  THE  CONTEST  RULES  ON  THE  OPPOSITE  PAGE! 


qfnd  TO  YOUR 


RKO  EXCHANGE  NOW 


3  NEW  PACKARD  CARS  FOR  THE  3 
BEST  CO-OPERATIVE  CAMPAIGNS  ON 
"SWING  TIME,"  THE  NEW  PACKARD  CAR, 
AND  THE  PACKARD  RADIO  HOUR! 


CONTEST  RULES 


■ 


1  The  contest  is  open  to  theatre 
managers  or  publicity  men  of  the- 
atres in  the  United  States  playing  the 
picture,  "SWING  TIME",  on  or  before 
October  31,  1936. 

■O  One  prize  will  be  given  in  each  of 
three  classes: 

a.  Theatres  in  towns  of  150,000 
population  or  over. 

b.  Theatres  in  towns  of  50,000 
to  150,000  population. 

c.  Theatres  in  towns  of  less 
than  50,000  population. 

O  Theatres  beginning  the  run  of  the 
picture  before  October  31,  but 
continuing  past  that  date  will  be 
eligible,  but  OPENING  DATE  of  any 
engagement  must  be  prior  to  October 
31,  1936. 

A  Awards  will  be  made  strictly  on 
the  merits  of  the  campaigns  sub- 
mitted, and  the  opinion  of  the  judg- 
ing committee  will  be  final.  Cam- 
paigns should  be  authenticated  in 
every  manner  possible.  Only  authen- 
ticated  tieups  and  exploitation  stunts 
will  be  considered.  Particular  atten- 
tion will  be  given  to  cooperative  tie- 
ups  with  local  Packard  dealers. 

C  Campaigns  must  be  mailed  not 
later  than  midnight  of  November 
10, 1936. 


g  Only  campaigns  received  from 
managers  or  publicity  men  who 
have  forwarded  their  entry  blanks  to 
RKO  Exchanges  will  be  eligible.  Only 
one  prize  will  be  given  to  any  one 
theatre  and  only  one  name,  either 
that  of  manager  or  publicity  man, 
should  appear  on  the  entry  blank. 

"7  In  case  of  a  tie  in  any  class  equal 
awards  will  be  made  to  each  of 

the  tying  contestants. 

O  Campaigns  should  be  mailed  to: 
Packard  "SWING  TIME"  Editor 
RKO  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 

1270  Sixth  Avenue,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


The  Final  Judges  for  the  Contest  will 
be  Ned  E.  Depinet,  President  of  RKO 
Distributing  Corp.,  Mr.  F.  McKinney, 
Advertising  Director  of  the  Packard 
Motor  Car  Company,  and  Mr.  Chester 
La  Roche,  President  of  the  Young  and 
Rubicam  Advertising  Agency. 

The  Judging  Committee  will  include: 
Mike  Vogel,  Motion  Picture  Herald 

(Chairman) 

Miss  Ede,  Tide  Magazine 

Mr.  Douglas  Taylor,  Printers'  Ink 

Mr.  Don  Mersereau,  Film  Daily 

Mr.  Sid  Silverman,  Variety 

Mr.  Frank  Kendall, 

Advertising  &  Selling 


■  BRANCH  MANAGER, 
|  RKO  DISTRIBUTING  CORP. 
I  CITY  


DATE. 


I 


I'M 
OF 


GOING  TO  TRY  AND  WIN  OIS 

THOSE  NEW  PACKARDS  .  . 

 Thousand  entry  blank 

posters  and  all  other  things  that  will  help  me  sell  "Swii 
Time"  and  win  a  Packard.  I  agree  to  abide  by  the  rules 
the  contest  and  accept  the  decision  of  the  judges  as  fina 


SEND  ME. 


r 

f  MANAGER  OR  PUBLICITY  MAN 

I  THEATRE  

!  CITY  


STATE. 


84 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    2  9,  1936 


Haggar  Converts  Front 
Into  Castle  for  "Ghost" 

The  entire  front  of  the  Castle  Cinema, 
Merthyr,  Tydfil,  Great  Britain,  for  "Ghost 
Goes  West"  was  converted  into  an  old-time 
castle  by  H.  P.  Haggar  (see  photo).  Street 
parades  were  staged  with  staff  dressed  in 
full  Scotch  dress  walking  behind  each  other 
carrying  banners  announcing  playdates.  An- 
other stunt  was  empty  car  touring  city  with 
sign  reading  "This  car  reserved  for  the 
gourie  ghost." 

Haggar  dressed  an  empty  shop  window 
with  a  realistic  display,  back  of  which  was 
covered  with  seascape  cloth  and  in  front 
stood  a  compoboard  castle  high  on  simulated 
rocks  made  out  of  plywood  and  painted.  An 
attractive  cutout  of  the  Queen  Mary  stood 
in  the  center  of  the  display,  and  at  night  the 
window  was  illuminated  by  pale  blue  lights. 
"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Perlman's  C  o-op  Ad 

Out  in  Milwaukee,  Harold  J.  Perlman, 
advertising  and  publicity  director,  Saxe 
Amusement  Co.,  promoted  a  full  page  co-op 
page,  printed  in  blue  and  black.  Three-quar- 
ters of  the  page  was  devoted  to  theatre  ad, 
which  was  paid  for  by  25  cooperating  mer- 
chants, and  copy  sold  theatre's  cooling  plant 
and  show. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Railroad  Tieups  Made 
For  "Yellowstone" 

For  the  murder,  mystery  thriller  "Yellow- 
stone," Universal's  exploitation  department 
has  just  completed  a  tieup  with  the  Northern 
Pacific  and  Union  Pacific  Railroads  which 
will  net  the  picture  class  "a"  windows  from 
coast  to  coast.  Special  window  cards  have 
been  prepared  by  both  lines  whose  routes  run 
through  the  world-famous  park,  plugging 
the  beautiful  setting  and  thrilling  mystery 
angles  of  the  pictures.  Cards  will  also  be 
placed  in  prominent  travel  agency  windows 
and  all  stations  of  these  two  railroads. 
"Are  you   ready   for  Fall?" 

Studio  Stills  Used 
For  Lobby  Display 

That  team  of  Dannenberg-Goodman  at 
Warner's  Theatres  in  Cleveland  have  found 
an  excellent  use  for  the  glossy  stills  sent  out 
by  the  various  studios.  Planted  in  the  center 
of  their  lobby  at  the  Hipp  is  a  large  shadow 
box  and  into  this  is  slipped  the  stills  with 
captions  on  forthcoming  releases.  Gag  has 
proved  a  sure  attention  getter  and  it  is  rec- 
ommended to  those  using  the  stunt  that  the 
box  be  placed  to  the  side  or  you'll  find  your 
lobby  congested  with  "lookers." 

Another  swell  display  was  map  charting 
out  the  course  taken  by  the  China  Clipper 
on  its  original  trip,  as  a  buildup  for  that 
picture. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Special  Preview  Held 
By  Black  for  "Death" 

The  mayor,  members  of  city  council, 
motor  vehicle  commissioner  and  other  nota- 
bles attended  a  special  preview  of  "And 
Sudden  Death"  held  at  the  Queen  Theatre, 
Wilmington,  Del.,  arranged  by  Lewis  S. 
Black.  After  the  showing  every  person  at- 
tending was  given  copies  of  safety  literature 
and  asked  to  urge  their  employees  to  attend 
the  picture. 

Two  thousand  five  hundred  copies  of  the 


Haggar's  Castle  "Ghost"  Front 


Powell's  W.  C.  Fields'  Impersonator 


Ken  Maynard's  Personal  Appearand 


Black's  "Sudden  Death"  Front 

"Delaware  Motorist"  were  promoted,  sniped 
with  picture  and  theatre  plug  and  distributed 
throughout  the  city.  A  reported  first  time  in 
over  IS  years  was  the  tacking  of  cards  on 
street  trolleys  and  one  of  the  highlights  of 
the  campaign  was  boy  stationed  atop  mar- 
quee (see  photo)  dubbed  "the  voice  of 
safety"  plugging  the  picture. 


Fields  Impersonator 

Used  by  Powell  for  "Poppy" 

What  he  claims  was  a  dead-ringer  for  W. 
C.  Fields  is  shown  in  the  accompanying 
photo  of  the  front  of  the  Paramount  Thea- 
tre, Springfield,  Mass.,  for  the  engagement 
of  "Poppy"  put  over  by  William  T.  Powell, 
Western  Mass.  Theatres.  Highlight  of  cam- 
paign was  tieup  with  race  track  for  a  "Pop- 
py handicap."  Silver  cup  was  donated  and 
a  near  riot  staged  when  the  baker,  so  close- 
ly resembling  the  star,  presented  the  cup. 

Bill  says  the  excitement  was  so  great  that 
a  special  announcement  had  to  be  made  over 
the  p.  a.  system  that  it  was  not  actually 
Fields,  but  that  he  could  be  seen  at  the 
theatre  in  the  picture. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Levee  Ties  Golf  Club 
To  "Mary  of  Scotland" 

Bill  Levee,  Suffolk  Theatre,  Riverhead, 
L.  I.,  for  "Mary  of  Scotland"  tied  up  with 
local  country  club  and  imprinted  in  red  on 
golf  score  cards  picture  title,  offer  of  box 
of  golf  balls  for  best  score  secured  during 
week  of  engagement  and  line  across  top  of 
score  card  read  "golf  was  originated  in 
Scotland."  A  "Mary  of  Scotland"  drink 
was  also  plugged  at  the  club's  bar. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Davis'  "Pastures"  Blotters 

To  sell  his  "Green  Pastures"  engagement 
at  the  Capitol  in  Regina,  Canada,  Walt 
Davis  distributed  blotters  with  title  across 
top  and  two  slits  below  into  which  was 
placed  slip  of  paper  with  copy  containing 
the  foreword  in  the  opening  of  picture  and 
note  "to  the  patrons  that  have  missed  the 
beginning  of  the  picture  we  repeat  the  Fore- 
word so  as  to  have  a  complete  understanding 
of  the  story." 

"Are  you   ready   for  Fall?" 

McManus  Screens  "Suzy" 
For  Newspaper  Critics 

Ten  days  ahead  of  opening  of  "Suzy," 
Johnny  McManus,  Loew's  Midland,  Kansas 
City,  Mo.,  screened  the  picture  for  critics, 
each  breaking  with  advance  writeup  on 
Harlow  and  the  story,  which  was  followed 
by  art  layout  and  stories.  Special  writeups 
and  sc.ene  mats  were  sent  to  25  country 
papers  within  radius  of  as  many  miles  of 
Kansas  City. 

Special  window  display  was  planted  in  5 
and  10's  on  "Did  I  Remember,"  de  luxe 
photos  and  stills  were  also  used.  Johnny 
contacted  leading  band  leaders  in  hotels  and 
night  clubs  to  feature  the  number  and  men- 
tion play  dates.  Department  store  ran  a 
special  newspaper  ad  on  their  beauty  shop 
tying  in  with  "Suzy,"  two  weeks  ahead  large 
set  piece  was  placed  in  main  foyer,  featuring 
the  three  stars  in  large  airbrush  portraits 
and  drug  store  used  the  special  pressbook 
backbar  idea,  plugging  hot  weather  drink 
and  lunch. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Maynard's  Personal 

There  were  big  doings  in  Owensboro,  Ky., 
when  Charlie  Mensing  at  the  Bleich  Theatre 
had  Ken  Maynard  and  his  wonder  horse 
do  a  personal  at  his  house.  The  star  posed 
with  townskids  and  accompanying  photo 
shows  Sam  Levy,  president  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  with  Ken  Maynard  at  right. 


August    29,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


85 


COINCIDENCE  MARKS 
ARRIVAL  OF  ARTICLE 


SERVICE  STAFFS  SLIPPING? 

Canadian  Theatreman  Finds  a  Lack 
Of  Efficiency  in  Many  of  Today's 
Operations;  Recommends  C beck-Up 

by  KEN  FINLAY 


During  his  recent  honeymoon  tour 
t/xrough  the  Eastern  seaboard,  Ken 
Finlay  stopped  off  to  visit  various  the- 
atremen,  which  stops  led  to  the  article 
by  the  Canadian  Round  Tabler  on  this 
page.  And  coincidentally  enough  while 
Finlay  was  giving  thought  to  the  bet- 
terment of  theatre  service,  Fox  Mid- 
west theatremen  in  convention  at  the 
same  time  were  discussing  the  im- 
provement of  grosses  with  a  better 
brand  of  theatre  service  in  general. 


Fans  Turn  Critics 
For  "San  Francisco" 

Moviegoers  became  motion  picture  critics 
as  part  of  the  campaign  conducted  by  the 
management  of  the  Orpheum  in  Spring- 
field, 111.,  on  "San  Francisco."  One  day 
after  the  opening,  arrangements  were  made 
for  the  radio  program  "Street  Forum  of  the 
Air"  to  be  turned  over  to  opinions  on  the 
picture. 

Truck  covered  with  24  sheets  and  having 
a  p.  a.  system  was  sent  through  the  city 
streets  opening  day  making  announcements 
concerning  the  film.  A  music  tieup,  featur- 
ing the  hit  tunes,  was  arranged  with  large 
local  music  store. 

"Are  you.  ready  for  Fall?" 

Joe  Brown  Cutouts 
Sell  "Tractors" 

A  baby  caterpillar  tractor  was  secured  by 
Jim  Adams,  Metropolitan,  Regina,  Canada, 
for  his  "Earthworm"  date  and  planted  in 
the  lobby.  Large  cutout  of  Joe  E.  Brown 
in  sitting  position  (see  photo)  was  placed 
in  the  seat  with  hand  wired  to  gear  shift  and 
canvas  background  provided  the  co-op  ad- 
vertising. Another  cutout  of  Brown  sitting 
at  a  tractor  was  placed  atop  marquee  and 
proved  an  eye  attractor. 

Tractor  dealer  mailed  postcards  to  farm- 
ers advising  them  of  the  caterpillar  exhibit 
at  the  Regina  Exhibition  with  cooperative 
advertising  for  the  theatre.  Cards  were  good 
for  one  admission  to  the  theatre  and  Adams 
was  reimbursed  by  dealer  for  each  card 
turned  in. 

A  further  tieup  was  arranged  with  the 
distributors  of  General  Goods  in  Canada  in 
connection  with  a  "Grape  Nuts  Joe  E. 
Brown  Club,"  company  paying  for  and  dis- 
tributing heralds  advertising  kiddie  matinee. 


Adams'  Broun  Cutout  on  Tractor  in  Lobby 


It  seems  to  me,  that  with  the  coming  of 
the  fall  season  it  would  be  an  opportune 
time  to  openly  discuss  in  the  Round  Table 
pages,  one  of  the  most  important  depart- 
ments in  theatre  operation — Service  Staffs. 
In  the  opinion  of  the  majority  of  theatre- 
men  I  have  talked  to  in  Canada  and  eastern 
United  States,  the  Service  Staffs  in  many 
theatres  today  are  not  the  smooth,  efficient 
bodies  they  were  a  few  years  ago. 

The  majority  of  us  did  not  like  the  mili- 
tary disciplined,  heel-clicking,  snobbish 
ushers  of  a  few  years  back.  Nevertheless, 
we  shall  have  to  admit  that  with  the 
gradual  swing  to  existing  conditions  and 
systems  a  great  deal  of  the  efficiency  of  per- 
fect theatre  maintenance  and  operation  has 
been  lost.  Our  paying  public  never  com- 
plained, nor  did  we  do  away  with  the 
flashy  military  uniforms,  but  we  did  do 
away  with  a  deluxe  theatre  service  to  which 
we  tried  to  educate  our  patrons — Why? 

It  is  not  that  any  of  us  wish  to  revert 
back  to  our  old  system  of  exaggerated 
West  Point  ushers,  but  I  do  say  that  the 
average  service  staff  should  be  checked  up 
according  to  the  three  standards  of  catering 
to  the  patrons :  Service,  Efficiency  and 
Courtesy.  These  should  be  closely  adhered 
to,  and  if  any  of  the  three  is  missing  in  our 
present  day  service  system  then  the  chief 
or  captain  of  the  ushers  needs  to  be  "pulled 
up  on  the  carpet." 

Lists  Things  to  Check-Up 

The  sloppy  way  the  front  of  some  houses 
are  conducted  today  is  a  crime.  A  close 
checkup  on  some  of  the  following  com- 
plaints from  various  managers  will  show 
that  all  is  far  from  right : 

It  is  generally  agreed  that  "handling 
patrons"  is  one  of  the  greatest  breaches  in 
theatre  etiquette.  There  is  no  excuse  why 
an  usher  should  have  to  "handle  a  patron." 
On  busy  nights,  when  crowds  are  coming 
and  leaving  theatres,  patrons  can  be  held 
in  check  by  "blocking"  as  easily  as  "hand- 
ling." However,  it  is  still  being  done,  and 
I  know  of  no  easier  way  to  offend  a  woman 
than  by  having  an  usher  or  doorman  direct 
her  by  putting  a  hand  upon  her. 

Usher  directors  are  a  thing  of  the  past, 
and  it  seems  that  today  a  patron  must  wan- 
der around  a  strange  theatre  until  he  finds 
the  orchestra  or  balcony,  and  then  if  he 
asks  the  aisle  usher  very  nicely,  the  usher 
will  escort  him  to  a  seat.  This  is  now  done 
without  a  flashlight  (in  some  cases),  so 
that  the  patron  will  fall  all  over  the  seats 
and  disturb  the  other  patrons  in  the  row. 

"Patrons'  comments  and  ushers'  sugges- 
tion" cards  used  to  be  distributed  among 
the  Service  Staff,  and  I  have  seen  more 
than  one  good  idea,  put  into  practical  use 
from  these  cards.  Perhaps,  the  usher  used 
to  take  more  interest  in  his  work,  if  he 
thought  that  he  was  given  a  little  responsi- 
bility and  credit  for  having  more  brains 
than  to  just  lead  people  to  their  seats. 

The  "Miss"  and  "Mr."  salutation  among 


the  members  of  the  house  and  service  staff 
has  always  been  a  big  selling  point  with  the 
patrons,  and  gave  a  theatre  dignity  that 
"family-operated"  businesses  do  not  have. 
The  usage  of  surnames  between  fellow  mem- 
bers of  the  front  house  staff  will  always  be 
the  only  accepted  form  in  modern  theatres. 

Torn  theatre  stubs  are  often  seen  on  the 
carpets  in  many  theatres.  The  chief  should 
instruct  all  his  men  to  pick  up  these  and 
other  waste  articles  and  place  same  in  a 
container  located  in  some  inconspicuous 
corner  for  this  purpose. 

Decries  Neglect  of  Bulletin  Boards 

As  the  service  staff  in  any  theatre  makes 
the  initial  impression  and  indicates  to 
patrons  how  efficiently  a  theatre  is  operated, 
neatness  of  all  members  of  staff  should  be 
checked  carefully.  Plenty  of  soap,  fresh 
linen,  dickies  and  shoe  polish  should  be 
every  chief  usher's  first  thought  of  the  day. 

Bulletin-board  notices  in  ushers'  rooms 
seem  a  thing  of  the  past.  Ushers  used  to 
take  an  interest  in  these  notices  such  as  on 
coming  attractions  and  when  queried  by 
patrons  on  certain  coming  pictures  were 
able  to  answer  intelligently  and  in  this  man- 
ner often  made  additional  patronage  for  the 
attraction. 

I  know  that  some  of  this  lack  of  co-opera- 
tion and  discipline  in  many  service  staffs  is 
perhaps  due  to  the  staff  being  cut  down  and 
many  of  the  men  doubling.  However,  a 
large  percentage  of  these  ushers  have  held 
their  positions  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
are  still  as  good  as  they  were,  but  with 
conditions  being  as  they  are,  have  fallen 
into  a  rut.  With  the  reduction  of  staffs  and 
salaries,  many  theatremen  have  discontinued 
service  staff  meetings,  to  try  to  offset  the 
long  hours  in  the  theatre.  Nevertheless,  a 
good  pep  meeting  never  hurt  a  service  staff 
or  a  manager,  and  in  many  parts  of  the 
country  these  meetings  are  being  resumed. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 


FROM  THE  BEGINNING.  So  that  patrons  might 
arrange  to  see  "Green  Pastures"  from  the  be- 
ginning. Sid  Dannenberg  planted  this  practical 
clock  out  front  with  feature  starting  times  let- 
tered   underneath    at    the    Hipp,    in  Cleveland. 


86 


Side  View  of  Valliere's  Animation 


Arrows  Point  Way 
To  "Lonesome  Pine" 

An  entire  pine  slab  front  was  effected  by 
Milton  Kress,  Ritz  Theatre,  Tifton,  Ga.,  for 
"Lonesome  Pine" ;  photos  showing  small 
pine  trees  with  arrows  leading  to  theatre 
were  placed  on  all  downtown  flag  poles  and 
merchants  paid  for  full-page  co-op  ad. 
Streets  were  also  stenciled  with  arrows. 
Extra  scene  mats  and  publicity  stories 
were  planted  in  local  and  county  papers. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Scott's  Co-op  Ad 

One  of  the  first  stunts  reported  to  us  by 
Sid  Scott  in  his  new  assignment  at  the 
Capitol  in  Sudbury,  Canada,  was  a  co-op 
page  ad  of  local  merchant  advertising  his 
"going  out  of  business"  sale.  Streamer  down 
side  of  ad  carried  offer  of  two  guest  tickets 
at  Sid's  show  to  each  purchaser  of  $5.00 
worth  of  merchandise. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Barcelona  Street  Bally 
Plugs  Fight  Pictures 

One  of  the  last  street  stunts  put  over  in 
Spain  before  shooting  started  was  a  travel- 
ing prize-ring  in  Barcelona  mounted  on  a 
motor  truck  to  advertise  the  Louis-Schmel- 
ing  pictures  at  the  Astoria  Cine  and 
sent  out  by  Joaquin  Gallego  Prat,  exploita- 
tion manager  of  Radio  Films,  S.A.E. 

The  truck  equipment  was  a  miniature  re- 
production of  a  regular  ring,  with  ropes, 
pail,  sponge,  etc.,  with  two  well  known  local 
fighters  (see  photo)  in  fighting  togs  staging 
mimic  combats  as  the  truck  circulated  the 
town.  Well-known  newspaper  boxing  writer 
refereed  the  mixing  and  appears  in  the 
photo  between  the  two  battlers  with  Prat  on 
extreme  left. 


Barcelona  Street  Stunt  on  Fight  Pictures 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 

Builds  Machines 
For  Animation 
Of  8x10  Stills 

To  left  and  right  are  shown  front  and 
side  views  of  the  working  parts  of  anima- 
tion built  by  Manager  Paul  Valliere,  Capi- 
tol, Quebec,  the  newly  married  theatreman 
having  created  this  with  the  aid  of  a  Mec- 
cano construction  set.  Paul  has  utilized  the 
same  machinery  before  but  says  that  this 
one  is  his  most  ambitious  effort  yet. 

The  new  animation  machine  consists  of 
10  cardboard  frames  in  which  are  inserted 
regular  eight  by  10  stills.  The  arms  on 
each  side  take  the  frames  one  by  one  and 
carry  them  to  the  back  while  the  nine  others 
advance  the  proper  distance  for  another 
frame  to  be  taken  up  likewise.  Indirect 
lighting  on  the  stills  helps  make  them  more 
attractive. 

Boxed  in  a  glass  case,  Valliere  has  set 
the  machine  on  a  stand  in  front  of  the 
house  and  forwards  photos  to  show  some 
of  the  crowds  around  the  display  in  opera- 
tion daily  from  noon  to  closing.  Much  of 
the  interest  is  created  by  the  animation 
caused  by  the  moving  parts  seen  through 
the  glass. 

Valliere  is  well  versed  in  the  possibili- 
ties for  display  in  the  standard  construc- 
tion sets  and  no  doubt  will  be  glad  to  give 
further  details  to  interested  readers. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Super-Salesman  Contest 
Planted  for  "Tractors" 

R.  J.  Vogel,  Fox  Theatre,  Riverside,  Cal., 
for  "Earthworm  Tractor"  initiated  a  con- 
test among  newspaper  carriers  which  was 
dubbed  "Riverside's  Own  Alexander 
Botts."  Winner  in  order  to  take  the  mon- 
icker and  prizes  was  required  to  prove  him- 
self the  best  super-salesman. 

Newspapers  plugged  deal,  theatre  pro- 
cured letter  from  Joe  E.  Brown  which  was 
published  and  addressed  to  the  contesting 
newsboys  and  added  space  was  contracted 
for  by  local  tractor  dealer.  City  streets  were 
covered  with  roving  tractor  bally  and  mer- 
chants displayed  window  cards. 

"Are  you   ready  for  Fall?" 

"Scrappy"  Puppet  Theatre 
Used  in  Columbia  Tiein 

Columbia  Pictures  have  effected  a  nation- 
wide tieup  to  break  in  their  animated 
"Scrappy"  cartoons  with  Pillsbury  Flour, 
which  will  break  in  grocery  stores  and  the- 
atres throughout  the  United  States.  Radio, 
national  publicity  and  advertising  contracts 
will  be  utilized. 

Dealers  will  be  provided  with  special 
counter  displays  and  theatre  exhibitors  will 
be  offered  "Scrappy"  Theatres  free  as 
prizes  at  special  matinees.  Each  theatre 
comes  with  six  complete  puppets,  including 
Scrappy,  Yippy,  Oopy  and  the  Chinaman. 
Each  part  is  die-cut  so  that  no  scissors  or 
paste  are  necessary  to  set  them  up.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  theatre,  the  folder  contains 
play-money,  tickets  and  everything  neces- 
sary to  put  on  the  show. 


August    2  9,    19  3  5 


Front  View  of  Valliere's  Animation 


Hospitals  Contacted 
For  "His  Brother's  Wife" 

For  the  Denver  opening  of  "His 
Brother's  Wife,"  Harry  Golub,  RKO  Or- 
pheum  Theatre,  held  a  screening  for  the 
press  and  staff  members  of  the  local  hos- 
pitals week  ahead.  All  doctors  were  tele- 
phoned and  given  sales  talk  on  Taylor  and 
his  part  in  the  picture. 

Milk  bottle  hangers  were  distributed  in 
advance,  announcements  made  over  radio, 
carrier  boys  handed  out  heralds  and  bumper 
strips  sold  cast,  title  and  playdates.  News- 
papers carried  special  box  selling  the  date 
and  week  ahead  teaser  campaign  was  started. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall?" 

Schiller's  Co-op  Ad 

Harry  Schiller  of  the  Grand  Theatre  in 
Grand  Island,  Neb.,  promoted  a  full  page 
co-op  ad  on  "Earthworm  Tractors"  with 
streamer  across  top  of  page  reading  "The 
big  yell  of  the  year."  Each  of  the  mer- 
chants' ads  carried  the  line  and  small  cuts 
of  Joe  Brown.  Center  of  page  contained 
theatre  ad  with  playdates,  etc. 

"Are  you   ready   for  Fall?" 

New  Front  Constructed 

By  Chatham  for  "Show  Boat" 

An  entire  new  front  was  constructed  (see 
photo)  by  L.  A.  Chatham  for  his  "Show 
Boat"  date  at  the  Sooner  Theatre  in  Nor- 
man, Okla.,  with  large  compo  board  boat 
planted  atop  marquee.  Boat  was  painted 
black  all  over  and  backed  with  blind  stop, 
windows  were  backed  with  yellow  crepe 
paper  and  big  marquee  lights  behind  it. 
Anchor  and  chain  were  hanging  from  the 
bow  and  Chatham  reports  entire  display  was 
constructed  from  salvage  material. 


Chatham's  New  Front  for  "Show  Boat" 


August    2  9,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


87 


THE  JULY  "FIRST  MENTIONS 

What  Theatremen  Worley,  Tucker 
and  MacDonald  Accomplished  in 
Winning  Their  Quigley  Honors 


Tucker's  Street  Bally  on  "Fauntleroy" 

Usher  in  Lobby  Booth 
Answers  "Pastures"  Questions 

Ed  Miller,  Warner's  Hipp,  Cleveland, 
staged  a  neat  exploitation  campaign  for 
"Green  Pastures,"  planting  a  special  infor- 
mation booth  with  an  usher  in  lobby 
answering  questions  about  the  picture  and 
distributing  cards  to  patrons. 

A  four-page  pamphlet  called  "Interesting 
Facts  About  the  Green  Pastures"  was 
passed  out  at  the  Cinema  Club  Great  Lakes 
Exposition  booth,  the  theatre,  office  build- 
ings and  sent  out  by  direct  mail.  A  general 
letter  was  also  sent  to  all  educational  and 
service  club  leaders,  PTA  heads,  club 
women,  civic  leaders,  etc.  A  special  address 
was  made  by  Sid  Dannenberg  over  the  Hol- 
lywood Highlights  program  with  nightly 
plugs  over  the  station  and  Hall  Johnson 
Choir  recordings  were  played  at  intervals 
during  the  day. 

Foreign  and  community  papers  were 
contacted  three  weeks  ahead  for  display  ma- 
terial and  publicity,  busses  were  bannered 
and  announcements  were  displayed  in  all 
downtown  hotels. 

"Are  you  ready  for  Fall}" 

Beauty  Parlors  Visited 
By  Columnist  for  "Suzy" 

Through  a  tieup  arranged  by  J.  V.  Min- 
ton,  Shea's  Theatre,  Erie,  Pa.,  editor  of 
a  column  called  "Sally  Shopper"  visited 
beauty  parlors  to  get  their  reaction  on  how 
women  are  changing  from  blonde  to  brown- 
ette  and  in  the  Sunday  issue  devoted  her 
entire  column  to  Jean  Harlow  in  "Suzy." 

Electrical  transcriptions  and  announce- 
ments were  made  over  radio  station,  special 
lobby  front  with  star  names  in  electric  let- 
ters was  used  and  classified  ad  contest  was 
planted  in  paper. 

"Are  you   ready  for  Fall?" 


II 


MacDonald's  Worm  Bally  on  "Earthworm' 


Since  the  publication  in  the  August 
eighth  issue  of  some  highlights  on  the  pre- 
miere in  Peoria,  111.,  of  "Earthworm  Trac- 
tor," with  Joe  E.  Brown  in  person  as 
guest  of  honor,  the  campaign  put  on  at  the 
Madison  Theatre  under  the  supervision  of 
Len  C.  Worley,  Great  States  city  manager, 
was  entered  in  the  Quigley  July  Awards 
and  took  down  a  First  Mention.  Further 
details  of  the  top  slants  are  now  given. 

Ace  newspaper  promotion  was  the  land- 
ing of  front  page  streamers  in  all  Peoria 
papers  on  the  day  of  Brown's  arrival,  an 
unusual  procedure  on  part  of  the  local 
press.  The  circulation  drive  put  on  with 
the  Journal  Transcript  was  built  around 
making  "Alexander  Botts,  Juniors,"  out  of 
Peoria  boys  and  girls  who  were  given 
tickets  to  a  special  morning  show  for  two 
new  subscriptions.  In  return  the  paper 
ran  two  full  pages  on  the  picture,  premiere, 
etc.,  and  in  the  form  of  broadsides  thou- 
sands of  these  were  distributed  to  every 
home  in  Central  Illinois.  Special  circulars 
on  the  drive  were  distributed  to  all  news- 
boys, boys'  and  girls'  clubs. 

Day  of  star's  arrival  was  officially  pro- 
claimed a  "Joe  E.  Brown  Day"  by  the 
mayor,  the  proclamation  displayed  in  a 
downtown  window  and  later  presented  to 
the  star  from  the  stage  of  the  theatre. 
Street  parade  was  headed  by  50  motorcycle 
police  and  30  cars  carrying  city  heads, 
chamber  of  commerce  officials,  theatremen, 
newspaper  executives  and  other  prominents. 
Caterpillar  Tractor  Company  Band  led  the 
parade  through  the  main  streets. 

For  the  premiere,  stores  in  a  four-block 
area  were  decorated,  as  were  the  streets. 
Light  poles  were  hung  with  "welcome" 
shields.  Aerial  bombs  were  exploded  at 
minute  intervals,  powerful  flood-lights  bor- 
rowed from  the  National  Guard  were 
played  into  the  sky  lighting  stunt  planes 
over  the  theatre.  Band  rendered  selections 
from  a  specially-constructed  bandstand. 
Street  ballyhoo  that  attracted  was  a  ban- 
nered caterpillar  tractor  with  driver  dressed 
to  resemble  the  star. 

Tucker  Lists  34  Tieins 

On  "Lord  Fauntleroy"  Campaign 

Despite  the  fact  that  the  Park  Theatre 
in  Roselle  Park  is  a  neighborhood  house 
in  a  town  of  9,000  and  that  he  played  the 
picture  very  late,  Manager  John  Tucker 
managed  to  put  together  a  very  strong 
campaign  on  "Fauntleroy"  without  the  as- 
sistance of  any  daily  newspaper. 

Tucker  led  off  with  a  personal  endorse- 
ment lobby  poster  copy  headed :  "I  Have 
Seen  More  Than  3,000  Pictures  Since  En- 
tering Show  Business"  and  followed  this 
with  a  40  by  60  proclamation  to  the  public. 
Both  of  these  being  quite  new  to  the  town, 
were  effective.  Three  contests  also  clicked, 
a  coloring  idea  for  children,  a  "best  dressed 
clog"  parade  and  a  "funniest  sign"  contest 
in  Tucker's  weekly  paper,  with  tickets 
given  for  those  submitting  the  most  amus- 
ing signs  they  had  seen.  Further  dog  stuff 
was  the  sending  of  letters  to  all  members  of 


county  kennel  club  calling  attention  to  the 
Great  Dane  in  the  picture,  with  details  of 
his  history,  size,  etc.,  and  inviting  them  to 
come  over  and  take  a  look. 

Street  ballys  were  unique.  One  had  three 
boys  sweeping  the  sidewalks  (see  photo) 
back  banners  reading,  "We  are  making  a 
clean  sweep  for,"  etc.  Tucker  also  planted 
a  telescope  in  the  park  to  see  the  "stars," 
had  a  man  in  the  lobby  seated  the  day  ahead 
waiting  to  buy  the  first  ticket,  had  a  boy  on 
the  streets  carrying  a  large  cutout  alarm 
clock  with  copy  reading:  "Now  is  the  time 
to  see,"  etc.,  and  put  another  youngster  out 
wheeling  a  toy  wagon  with  a  large  heart 
reading,  "He  will  steal  your  heart,"  etc. 
The  fake  candid  camera  gag  was  also  used 
with  cards  distributed  reading,  "We  didn't 
take  your  picture  but"  and  "closed  for  the 
day"  signs  also  liberally  distributed. 

Letters  were  addressed  to  the  clergy  in 
five  surrounding  towns,  special  cutouts 
planted  in  prominent  spots,  such  as  railroad 
stations,  police  booths,  golf  courses.  Boats 
were  bannered,  bookmarks  and  napkins  im- 
printed, windows  decorated  and  other  help- 
ful tieins  made  to  tell  all  the  folks  that 
"Fauntleroy"  had  come  to  town. 

"In  the  Bag,"  Says  MacDonald 
On  His  "Earthworm"  Drive 

To  immediately  sell  the  comedy  slant  of 
the  picture,  Manager  W.  H.  MacDonald 
of  the  Liberty,  Great  Falls,  Mont.,  put  out 
a  comic  who  distributed  small  bags  lettered 
"  It's  In  the  Bag"  and  containing  peanuts 
with  copy  on  his  "Earthworm  Tractor" 
date.  Then  having  got  that  one  across, 
MacDonald  threw  a  party  for  the  Cater- 
pillar personnel  in  that  sector  which  hit  the 
papers.  Other  publicity  was  gained  by  men- 
tion of  the  theatre  as  part  of  the  program 
in  a  local  Catholic  convention  of  the  Great 
Falls  diocese. 

Reported  successful  was  a  radio  contest 
on  "What  was  the  most  amazing  thing  you 
ever  saw  an  Earthworm  Tractor  do?"  and 
the  top  street  bally  was  a  specially  con- 
structed "earthworm"  (see  photo)  which 
led  a  street  parade  and  was  otherwise  used. 
Another  outside  idea  that  stopped  'em  was 
the  distribution  by  newsboys  and  usherettes 
of  copies  of  the  Earthworm  News,  this  fol- 
lowing the  broadcast  on  the  radio  contest. 
The  parade  was  a  traffic-stopper  and  with 
the  aid  of  the  tractor  companies,  quite 
elaborate. 

MacDonald  received  permission  to  print 
the  programs  for  the  weekly  band  contest 
in  exchange  for  top  mention  of  the  date 
and  also  put  out  "Vote  For"  cards  during 
important  election  for  Governor,  youth  re- 
sembling the  star  doing  the  distributing. 

Tractors  were  planted  in  the  lobby,  on 
the  street  and  the  cooperating  companies 
aided  in  other  ways.  The  best  windows  in 
town  were  secured  for  the  date,  napkins 
and  grocery  bags  imprinted  and  to  finish 
up  MacDonald  secured  extra  publicity  with 
the  attendance  of  local  hotel  man  who  said 
that  campaign  gave  him  the  desire  to  see 
the  picture,  his  first  in  ten  years. 


88 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


NEWSPAPER  ADS  FROM  AFIELD 


August    29,  1936 


MANAGERS'    ROUND  TABLE 


89 


•  pe*r%o««fclitio» 


BEN  KATZ 

has  resigned  as  manager  of  Warner's  Mil- 
waukee and  HAROLD  MacDONALD  has 
replaced  him. 

V 

DON  MALLOY 

is  now  managing  the  Paramount  in  Ham- 
mond, Ind.,  and  VANCE  SCHWARTZ  is 
at  the  Orpheum  there. 

V 

HARRY  SCHLINKER 
former  manager  of  the  RKO  Albee  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  is  now  at  the  Huntington  Park 
in  Los  Angeles. 

V 

JOHN  P.  GORING 

has  been  named  manager  of  Shea's  Fulton 
Theatre  in  Pittsburgh,  succeeding  DAN 
FENTON. 

V 

JOHNNY  FINLEY 

has  been  promoted  from  assistant  at  the 
Harris-Alvin  in  Pittsburgh  to  the  manager 
of  the  Palace. 

V 

J.  D.  L'ESPERANCE 

has  been  named  manager  of  Warner's 
Forum,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

V 

ROBERT  E.  CATLEY 

has  replaced  BRYANT  WIEST  as  manager 

of  the  California  in  Berkeley,  Cal. 

V 

HARRY  SIEGEL 

is  now  managing  the  Harris  Strand  in 
Youngstown,  O.,  replacing  WILLIAM  J. 
MURRAY. 

V 

FRANK  V.  KING 

has  been  shifted  from  the  Colonial  in  Akron, 
O.,  to  manage  the  Shea  Theatre  in  Newark, 
Ohio. 

V 

FRANK  NICKENS 

is  now  managing  the  Strand  in  Birmingham, 
Ala. 

V 

JACK  FINK 

of  the  Capitol  Theatre,  Miami,  Fla.,  dropped 
into  the  office  to  -renew  old  times. 

V 

AL  LOURIE 

former  manager  of  the  Morton  in  Boston, 
goes  to  the  Franklin  Park.  SAM  KLEIN- 
STEIN  is  moved  from  the  Liberty  in  Dor- 
chester to  the  Morton,  and  GEORGE 
FRIARY,  manager  of  the  Olympia  in 
Chelsea,  becomes  manager  of  the  Bellvue  in 
West  Roxbury. 

V 

J.  BEVERLY  ANDERSON 
publicity  director  for  the  RKO  Theatres  in 
New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  since  1929,  has  been 
made  manager  of  the  RKO  Albany  Theatre 
opening  in  that  city  shortly. 

-.  V 
RICHARD  SHAMIS 

who  has  operated  theatres  in  various  towns 
in  Pennsylvania,  has  taken  over  the  Realart 
Theatre  in  Baltimore,  Md. 

V 

WILLIAM  HICKS 

has  purchased  the  Bridge  Theatre  in  Bal- 
timore, Md.,  with  LESTER  E.  GREENE 
managing  the  house. 

V 

BILLINGS  BOOTH 

formerly  at  the  Winter  Garden,  Jamestown. 
N.  Y.,  is  now  managing  the  Babcock, 
Wellsville,  N.  Y. 


On  Thursday,  August  20th,  at  the 
Dominican  Church,  Quebec,  Paul 
Valliere  to  Miss  Madeleine  Duhamel. 
Paul  is  manager  of  the  F.  P.  Canadian 
Capitol  Theatre,  in  Quebec. 


Showmen 's 
Calendar 

OCTOBER 

3rd         Warner  Oland's  Birthday 
Alan  Dinehart's  Birthday 
4th  Buster  Keaton's  Birthday 

Rutherford    B.    Hays    Born— 1822 
(19th  Pres.) 
5th  Wright  Bros.    1st  Long  Distance 

Flight— 1905 
Chester   A.    Arthur    Born — 1830 
(21st  Pres.) 
6th         Janet  Gaynor's  Birthday 
Carol  Lombard's  Birthday 
Statue  of  Liberty  Unveiled — 1886 
7th  1st    Colonial    Congress    Met  in 

N.  Y. — 1765 
8th         Chicago's  Great  Fire— 1871 
9th         Washington  Monument  Opened — 
1884 

10th  Naval     Academy     at  Annapolis 

Opened— 1845 
Helen  Hayes1  Birthday 
12th         Columbus  Day 
13th  Corner   Stone    of   White  House 

Laid— 1792 
Louise  dosser  Hale's  Birthday 
14th         Wm.  Penn  (Founder  of  Pa.)  Born 

—  1644 

15th  Monument  to  Abe  Lincoln  at 
Springfield,  III.,  Dedicated  — 
1874 

18th  Miriam  Hopkins'  Birthday 

Evelyn  Venable's  Birthday 
20th  Spain  Ceded  Florida  to  U.  S.— 

1820 

21st  1st  Incandescent  Light  Produced 

by  Edison — 1879 
Groucho  Marx's  Birthday 
22nd         1st    Wireless    Across    Atlantic — 
1915 

Constance  Bennett's  Birthday 
24th  Daniel  Webster  Died— 1852 
26th         Girl  Scout  Week 

Jackie  Coogan's  Birthday 
27th  Teddy  Roosevelt  (26th  President) 

Born — 1858 

Navy  Day 

John  Boles'  Birthday 
29th  Fanny  Brice's  8ir+ri<-lav 

John  Adams  (2nd  President)  Born 

—  1735 
31st  Hallowe'en 


GEORGE  J.  BRADY,  JR. 

has  been  transferred  to  the  Savoy  Theatre, 

Toledo,  Ohio. 

V 

JOHNNY  ALTERMAN 
has  been  promoted  from  Chief  of  Service  to 
assistant  manager  and  bookkeeper  of  the 
Capitol  Theatre,  Dallas,  Tex. 

V 

GLYNN  H.  GAU 

formerly  at  the  Babcock  in  Billings,  Mont., 
is  now  managing  the  American  Theatre  at 
Roundup,  Mont. 

V 

WAYNE  JENKINS 

who  operates  the  Peoples  Theatre  at  Pleas- 
ant Hill,  Mo.,  has  taken  over  the  Douglas 
at  Lees  Summit,  Mo. 

V 

CHARLES  TRAVIS 

will  open  his  new  Avalon  at  Sarcoxie,  Mo. 

V 

ROY  JONES 

will  open  the  Uptown,  formerly  the  Dickin- 
son, at  Marceline,  Mo. 

V 

ORESTIS  MACRIS 

of  the  Temple  Theatre  in  Wellsville,  N.  Y., 
dropped  in  to  say  hello. 

V 

OLLIE  HARTMAN 

formerly  manager  of  the  Circle,  Atlas  and 
Rialto  in  Seattle,  Wash.,  is  now  managing 
the  Roosevelt  at  Grand  Coulee,  Wash. 

V 

CHARLES  V.  TURNER 
former  manager  of  the  Casino  in  Pittsburgh, 
Pa.,  will  be  associated  with  the  Studebaker 
Theatre  in  Chicago. 

V 

GENEVIEVE  McAULIFFE 

is  the  new  skipper  of  the  Ritz  Theatre, 

Natchez,  Miss. 

V 

BILL  BROWN 

formerly  with  Mox  Metropolitan  Theatres, 
is  now  publicist  at  the  RKO  Albee,  Provi- 
dence, R.  I. 

V 

CHARLIE  RUBIN 

has  left  the  Milton  Theatre  in  Boston  and 
.is  managing  the  Majestic  in  Springfield, 
Mass. 

V 

MAURICE  STRELETSKY 
who  was  the  assistant  at  the  Allston  Theatre, 
Allston,  Mass.,  is  now  at  the  Capitol  in  the 
same  capacity. 

V 

FRED  FRECHETTE 

has  been  transferred  from  the  Strand,  Hol- 
yoke,  to  the  Paramount  in  North  Adams. 

V 

MICHAEL  MARTONE 
of  the  Plaza  in  Northampton,  Mass.,  has 
gone  to  Hampton  Beach,  N.  H.,  to  operate 
a  theatre. 

V 

HERMAN  C.  BAMBERGER 

formerly  manager  of  the  Paramount.  North 

Adams,  will  manage  the  Victorv  in  Holvoke. 

V 

JACK  O'CONNELL 

has  been  made  general  manager  of  the 
Jacob  Schreiber  circuit  in  Detroit. 

V 

CLARE  WINNE 

recently  acquired  the  Dix  Tbeatre  in  De- 
troit, Mich. 


90 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


MEET  UP  WITH  SOME  MEMBERS 


James  Ackron 
(above) 
Ritz  Theatre 
Tipton.  Ind. 


C.  C.  Coolbroth 
(below) 
Rex  Theatre 
Curwensville,  Pa. 


Samuel  Goldman 
(above) 

Carlton  Theatre 
London,  England 


E.  H.  Lyons 
(below) 

Nordland  Theatre 
Cincinnati,  Ohio 


Irwin  Waite 
(below) 
Melba  Theatre 
Dallas,  Tex. 


James  Saunders 
(above) 

Avalon  Theatre 
Easton,  Md. 


Vern  Austin 
Rialto  Theatre 
Sterling,  Colo. 


C.  F.  Deane 
Dunbar  Theatre 
Dunbar,  West  Va 


Joe  Mahoney 
Ritz  Theatre 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


Mrs.  Avece  Waldron 
Blue  Moon  Theatre 
Oklahoma  City,  Okla. 


Herman  Semel 
Marlboro  Theatre 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


Abe  Farber 
Congress  Theatre 
Bronx,  N.  Y. 


Felix  McManus 
Strand  Theatre 
Chilliwack,  B.  C. 


H.  T.  Wales 
Cascade  Theatre 
Boerne,  Texas 


Stan  Barr 
Colonial  Theatre 
Norfolk,  Va. 


Walter  Hinks 
Alex  Cinema 
Paisley,  Scotland 


Sol  Shapiro 
Maspeth  Theatre 
Maspeth,  L.  I. 


CONSTANTIN  GoLDIN 

Star  Theatre 
Hong  Kong,  China 


Richard  Baucke,  Jr 
Lichtspielhaus 
Klotze,  Germany 


S.  W.  Kendall 
Roxy  Theatre 
Yakima,  Wash. 


Arnold  Rubin 
Comet  Theatre 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


Edward  Shea 
Shea's  Paramount 
Providence,  R.  I. 


Al  Weiss 
Loew's  Oriental 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


August    2  9,     19  3  6 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


91 


TECHNOLOGICAL 


The  Bluebook  School 


Conducted  by 
F.  H.  RICHARDSON 


ANSWER  TO  QUESTION  NO.  33 


Bluebook  School  Question  No.  33  was: 
{A)  What  is  good  maintenance  practice 
with  respect  to  stocking  spare  sound  equip- 
ment parts f  (B)  Give  ns  your  views  re- 
garding lens  ports. 

The  following  made  acceptable  replies: 
C.  Rau  and  S.  Evans;  D.  Danielson ;  B.  De- 
Vietti ;  G.  E.  Doe  ;  J.  R.  Prater ;  C.  Oldham ; 
P.  and  L.  Felt ;  R.  A.  Hooker ;  O.  L.  Daris 
and  F.  Simms ;  W.  Limmroth;  L.  Cimi- 
koski;  W.  H.  Edmons;  A.  L.  Cooper;  R. 
and  K.  Wells;  T.  F.  Bochert;  C.  Champ- 
ney;  M.  and  J.  Devoy;  H.  B.  Smith;  C.  A. 
Ellison;  D.  Birdsong;  C.  Lomie ;  C.  L.  Loft; 
C.  G.  Jones;  S.  O.  Sears;  J.  E.  Lovvorn; 
L.  F.  Hayes ;  G.  E.  Lomax  and  E.  Lomax ; 
G.  H.  Anderson;  J.  W.  Davis;  D.  Emmer- 
son ;  D.  Porter ;  H.  D.  Lilly ;  D.  Pollock ;  R. 
R.  Jacobs  and  B.  B.  Hornstein;  S.  True; 
G.  Thompson;  D.  Bernhard,  P.  N,  Davis, 
W.  R.  Baxter  and  H.  Brukhart ;  D.  D. 
Lilly  and  W.  Morrison;  W.  N.  Bolton;  A. 
L.  Long;  F.  Madden;  W.  Burns  and  T.  R. 
Fanning;  B.  L.  Sanderson;  H.  T.  Plum  and 
C.  L.  Davis ;  F.  C  Hubert  and  R.  V.  Man- 
ning; T.  L.  Redhouse;  W.  R.  Cohn  and  S. 
T.  Lane;  T.  C.  Hood,  B.  Simms  and  L.  D. 
Johnson ;  F.  L.  and  N.  Savior ;  J.  N.  Saper- 
ton;  C.  L.  Stanhope;  F.  L.  Dorp,  H.  H. 
Aims  and  D.  H.  Purcell ;  B.  Caldwell;  B. 
L.  Brisac;  F.  M.  Brown;  L.  N.  Morgan; 
O.  Hunt ;  G.  Thompson ;  T.  L.  Dennis ;  P. 
L.  Smith ;  R.  D.  Summers ;  G.  Lathrope  and 
C.  H.  Lowrie;  H.  Baxter;  T.  Turk;  H.  T. 
Todd  and  L.  A.  Dodson;  E.  V.  Cupero; 
W.  C.  Hurst;  M.  F.  Singleton  and  H.  T. 
Appleton;  H.  P.  Richardson;  K.  R.  Holt 
and  D.  L.  Maxwell;  C.  and  S.  E.  Gay; 
A.  G.  Thomas ;  R.  Plummer ;  H.  B.  Schontz 
and  L.  C.  Kent;  W.  B.  Little;  G.  N.  Gui- 
dotti;  F.  Simms  and  O.  L.  Daris;  B.  Nally 


F.  H.  Richardson's 
BLUEBOOK  of 
PROJECTION 


•  New  sixth  edition.  Pro- 
jection, sound  reproduction 
and  trouble-shooting  all  in 
one  handy  volume.  Also 
features  quick-finding  index 
system  for  instant  refer- 
ence.  Order  today. 

$5.25  Postpaid 


QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP 

ROCKEFELLER  CENTER       NEW  YORK 


and  S.  L.  Lynch;  D.  McGee  and  N.  E. 
Olliver;  W.  G.  Mathews  and  R.  T.  Tom- 
linson ;  A.  L.  Leonard  and  G.  T.  Jones ; 
R.  Tomkins  and  H.  J.  Abernathy;  L.  B. 
Smith  and  H.  Jones ;  W.  Winkle  and  R.  R. 
Robins;  T.  Turk;  N.  A.  Marshall;  S.  T. 
Snow.  This,  I  must  admit,  is  a  good  list 
of  answers  for  hot  weather. 

The  following  answers  to  Section  A  have 
been  selected  for  publication.  First,  that  of 
B.  DeVietti,  who  says  : 

"Good  maintenance  practice  with  respect 
to  stocking  spare  parts  requires  that  at  all 
times  there  be  on  hand,  tested  and  ready  for 
use,  such  spare  parts  as  will  enable  the 
projectionist  to  rectify  any  of  the  troubles 
that  might  occur  that  he  is  able  to  cope  with, 
and  that  a  spare  part  would  remedy.  The 
spare  parts  and  the  number  of  each  to  be 
kept  on  hand  will  of  course  depend  upon  the 
type  of  equipment,  accessibility  of  supply, 
whether  or  not  the  theatre  is  receiving  regu- 
lar service,  and  other  things.  The  logical 
course  is  to  stock  such  number  of  those  parts 
likely  to  be  most  often  needed,  and  a  less 
number  of  those  that  give  trouble  less  fre- 
quently." 

J.  R.  Prater  says : 

"Good  maintenance  with  regard  to  stock- 
ing spare  sound  equipment  parts  demands 
that  spares  be  kept  in  stock  for  every  such 
part  as  may  reasonably  be  expected  to  fail, 
and  thus  stop  the  show.  Very  few  sound 
equipment  parts  are  subject  to  deterioration 
when  not  in  use,  provided  they  be  properly 
stored,  which  involves  protection  from  light 
in  the  case  of  some  parts,  vibration,  moisture 
and  excessive  heat  in  the  case  of  others. 
Dry  batteries  perhaps  suffer  most  from  age, 
but  may  cause  trouble  at  any  time,  hence 
spare  batteries  are  an  insurance  well  worth 
while.  Tubes,  exciter  lamps,  fuses  and  other 
parts  demanding  more  or  less  frequent  re- 
placement should  be  stocked  in  ample  num- 
ber, even  though  a  supply  dealer  be  just 
around  the  corner.  A  five-minute  dark 
screen  or  silent  speakers  is  something  to 
avoid,  and  the  spare  that  is  ready  for  use 
costs  no  more  than  it  would  after  the  trouble 
occurred.  The  more  distant  the  source  of 
supply  the  more  spare  parts  should,  of 
course,  be  stocked. 

"If  the  location  be  remote,  then  wisdom 
demands  that  in  addition  to  an  ample  supply 
of  those  parts  that  may  be  expected  to  fail 
occasionally,  at  least  one  of  each  size  of 
transformer,  resistor,  condenser,  speaker 
unit  (the  more  especially  where  only  one 
speaker  is  used)  and  all  other  parts  that, 
while  they  are  not  expected  to  fail  very 
often,  still  if  they  do  the  show  is  stopped 
until  a  new  part  can  be  obtained.  In  such 
localities  it  is  good  practice  to,  if  at  all  pos- 


BLUEBOOK  SCHOOL 
QUESTION  NO.  38 

(A)  Describe  the  three-element 
vacuum  tube.  Tell  in  what  respect 
it  is  different  from  the  rectifying 
tube  and  what  "plate  current"  and 
"space  current"  is. 

(B)  Does  the  use  of  raw  cement 
projection  room  floors  represent 
good  practice?  Explain. 

To  join  the  Bluebook  School  merely 
send  in  answers.  Place  name  and  ques- 
tion number  upon  first  sheet.  Address 
F.  H.  Richardson,  No.  3  Tudor  Lane, 
Scarsdale,  N.  Y. 


sible,  install  dual  channel  amplifiers.  This  is 
especially  advisable  where  the  projectionist 
in  charge  is  more  or  less  limited  in  experi- 
ence and  knowledge." 

( B  )  W.  Limmroth  says  : 

"Lens  ports  should  be  large  enough  to 
allow  for  any  ordinary  shifting  of  the  pro- 
jector that  may  later  be  required.  The 
dimensions  for  wall  opening  (10x12 
inches)  listed  in  the  Bluebook  of  Projection 
are  ample  to  permit  any  such  change.  After 
the  projectors  are  installed,  anchored  and 
the  light  properly  located  upon  the  screen, 
the  wall  opening  should  be  reduced  until  the 
opening  is  just  a  trifle  larger  than  the  actual 
light  beam.  While  it  is  true  I  have  not  as 
yet  seen  or  used  the  method  of  port  reduc- 
tion suggested  in  the  Bluebook  of  Projec- 
tion, I  do  not  see  how  a  better  one,  or  even 
one  as  good,  could  be  devised. 

"Lens  ports  should  not  be  covered  with 
glass  unless  it  be  absolutely  necessary.  There 
are  many  objections  to  such  practice.  For 
example,  every  surface  of  glass  adds  to  light 
loss  by  reflection.  It  is  very  difficult  to  keep 
glass  surfaces  perfectly  clean.  If  both  sur- 
faces be  not  scrupulously  clean,  reflection 
losses  will  be  increased,  the  screen  image 
more  or  less  distorted  and  its  definition  in- 
jured. Except  that  rather  expensive  optical 
glass  be  installed,  one  cannot  be  certain  that 
no  light  distortion  occurs." 

W.  Edmonds  says : 

"In  my  opinion,  the  best  lens  port  arrange- 
ment possible,  where  a  rear  shutter  and  rear 
change-over  is  used,  consists  of  a  hood  that 
snaps  over  the  lens  barrel  by  means  of  an 
elastic,  which  enables  its  convenient  removal 
for  cleaning  the  lens  or  other  operations. 
This  hood  extends  to  the  outlines  of  the  wall 
opening,  to  which  it  is  attached  in  any  con- 
venient manner.  The  hood  may  be  made 
from  heavy  velvet,  two  thicknesses,  or  even 
three,  which  would  stop  all  sound,  so  that 
no  glass  is  required  in  the  port." 


92 


MOTION    PICTURE  HERALD 


August    29,  1936 


CLASSIFIED 
ADVERTISING 


the  great 
national  medium 
for  showmen 


Ten  cents  per  word,  money-order  or  check  with  copy.  Count  initials,  box  number  and  address.  Minimum  insertion, 
$1.  Four  insertions  for  the  price  of  three.  Contract  rates  on  application.  No  borders  or  cuts.  Forms  close 
Mondays  at  5  P.M.  Publisher  reserves  the  right  to  reject  any  copy.  Film  and  trailer  service  advertising  not 
accepted.  Classified  advertising  not  subject  to  agency  commission.  Address  correspondence,  copy  and  checks  to 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD,  Classified  Dept.,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  City 


NEW  EQUIPMENT 


RAINBOW  MIST  SPRAY  NOZZLES,  WATER, 
broken  to  the  finest  misty  spray  possible,  Foolproof. 
Special  offer.  New  territory.  PETERSON  FREEZEM 
SALES  CO.,  2620  Charlotte  St.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 


THEY'RE  SIMPLY  RAVING  OVER  OUR  NEW 
complete  theatre  supply  catalog — 50,000  copies  mailed 
to  forty  countries.  If  you  were  overlooked,  write  or 
wire  S.  O.  S.,  1600AD  Broadway,  New  York. 


ORDER  NOW!  RICHARDSON'S  NEW  BLUE 
Book  of  Projection — 6th  edition  complete  in  one  vol- 
ume. 714  pages,  153  illustrations.  Full  text  on  projec- 
tion and  sound  combined  with  trouble-shooter,  $5.25 
postpaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rockefeller  Center, 
New  York. 


THEATRE  ACCOUNTING  BY  WILLIAM  F. 
Morris,  is  still  the  best  bookkeeping  system  for  thea- 
tres. It  not  only  guides  you  in  making  the  proper 
entries,  but  provides  sufficient  blank  pages  for  a 
complete  record  of  your  operations  for  each  day  of 
the  year.  Notable  for  its  simplicity.  Order  now — 
$3  postage  prepaid.  QUIGLEY  BOOKSHOP,  Rocke- 
feller Center,  New  York. 


SCHOOL  DAYS  REMIND  YOU  TO  READ 
Sloane's  famous  "Motion  Picture  Projection,"  303 
pages,  fully  illustrated.  Textbook  of  New  York  School 
of  Photography.  Beautiful  red  Morocco  binding. 
Originally  $7.50,  our  special,  98^.  Send  for  list  of 
Cameron's,  etc.,  at  special  prices.  S.  O.  S.,  1600AD 
Broadway,  New  York. 


TRAINING  SCHOOL 


THEATRE  EMPLOYEES;  ADVANCE  TO  BET- 
ter  theatre  positions.  Free  booklet  shows  you  how. 
THEATRE  INSTITUTE,  315  Washington  St.,  Elmira, 
N.  Y. 


POSITIONS  WANTED 


EXPERIENCED  PROJECTIONIST  -  WESTERN 
Electric— RCA— excellent  references.  WM.  FORREST, 
Oswego,  Kan. 

PROJECTIONIST,  EFFICIENT,  DEPENDABLE, 
reference.  CLYDE  BREDON,  1520  Morgantown  Ave., 
Fairmont,  W.  Va. 

EXPERIENCED  PROJECTIONIST,  5  YEARS.  A-l 
references,  desires  change,  prefer  Minnesota.  BOX 
748,  MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD. 


THEATRES  ECC  SALE 


GOOD  PAYING  THEATRE  FOR  SALE,  7-DAY 
operation.  Good  equipment,  Simplex  machines,  Walker 
screen.  Upholstered  chairs.  Doing  good  business, 
reason  for  selling,  ill  health.  Only  theatre  in  town. 
$5,000.00  cash.   ALTO  THEATRE,  Alto,  Texas. 


SOUND  EQUIPMENT 


WHY  SPEND  TIME  AND  DOLLARS  REPAIR  - 
ing  obsolete  sound  rig-up,  when  Cinemaphone  brings 
you  perfect  Wide  Fidelity  sound  for  as  little  as  $179.70? 
Your  patrons  will  know  the  difference,  show  approval 
with  cash  at  the  box  office.  Free  trial  gladly  granted  to 
prove  Cinemaphone  tops  them  all.  Ask  for  proof  and 
statements  from  smart  showmen  world  over.  S.  O.  S., 
1600AD  Broadway,  New  York. 


"THREE  LONG  YEARS  WORKING  STRENU- 
ously"  writes  Basilio  De  Leon,  Manzanillo,  Cuba. 
"Cinemaphone  sound  has  proven  its  excellency." 
S.  O.  S.,  1600AD  Broadway,  New  York. 


GENERAL 
EQUIPMENT 


RECONDITIONED  THEATRE  CHAIRS.  LARGE 
quantity  various  types  always  available.  Veneer, 
squab  and  spring  seat  theatre  chairs  at  attractive 
prices.  Also  have  a  few  reconditioned  ticket  selling 
machines  and  lighting  fixtures.  Tell  us  your  require- 
ments. AMUSEMENT  SUPPLY  CO.,  INC.,  341  W. 
44th  Street,  N.  Y. 


GREATEST  SCREEN  BUY  OF  THE  YEAR— 
only  22J40  sq.  ft.  for  voco-chrome,  27J4^  sq.  ft.  for 
voco-beaded.  They're  brand  new  flameproof,  top  qual- 
ity grade  "A."  Every  screen  product  of  nationally 
known  manufacturer;  every  screen  guaranteed.  Sale 
prices  positively  end  September  15th.  Buy  today.  Don't 
put  up  with  a  worn  dirty  screen  when  a  new  one 
costs  so  little.  S.  O.  S.,  1600AD  Broadway,  New  York. 


TWO  LATEST  MODEL  HOLMES  PORTABLES 
complete.  Also  two  Powers  with  Mellaphone  sound. 
BOX  620,  Memphis,  Tenn. 


TWO  POWERS  PROJECTORS,  GE  LAMPHOUSES, 
transformers,  Mellaphone  sound,  complete.  BOX  186, 
Bryson  City,  N.  C. 


WANTED  TO  OUT 


SPOT  CASH  FOR  RCA  SOUND,  SIMPLEX, 
Powers  projectors,  arc  lamps,  rectifiers,  generators, 
lenses,  stocks  liquidated.  No  delays,  no  bickering. 
Strictly  confidential.  BOX  747,  MOTION  PICTURE 
HERALD. 


USED  SIMPLEX  OR  POWERS  PROJECTORS  OR 
heads,  any  condition,  for  cash.  BOX  749.  MOTION 
PICTURE  HERALD,  624  So.  Michigan  Ave.,  Chicago. 


THEATRES  WANTED 


PAYING  THEATRE  ANYWHERE.  WILL  IRWIN, 
1012  West  Monroe,  Springfield,  111. 


WILL  BUY  OR  LEASE  PAYING  SMALL  TOWN 
theatre.   BOX  751,  MOTION   PICTURE  HERALD. 


USED  EQUIPMENT 


WILL  SACRIFICE:  PEERLESS  LAMPS.  ROTH 
generators,  rectifiers.  Simplex  projectors.  PENN 
THEATRE  EQUIPMENT  COMPANY,  309  North 
Thirteenth  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


UNUSUAL  BARGAINS  IN  USED  OPERA 
chairs,  sound  equipment,  motion  picture  machines, 
screens,  spotlights,  stereopticons,  etc.  Projection  ma- 
chines repaired.  Catalogue  H  free.  MOVIE  SUPPLY 
COMPANY,  Ltd.,  844  So.  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago. 


YOUR  OPPORTUNITY  TO  BUY  CHAIRS. 
Warehouse  chuck  full  of  veneer  back,  panel  back  and 
fully  upholstered  chairs.  Special  on  spring  cushions 
newly  covered  $1  each.  Don't  delay.  ALLIED  SEAT- 
ING CO.,  358  W.  44th  St.,  New  York  City. 


LARGE  STOCK  RECONDITIONED  PROJECTION 
equipment.  RCA  sound  equipment,  only  one  set 
left  at  a  bargain!  Simplex  projectors.  Strong,  Peer- 
less, Super  Morelite,  Brenkert,  G.E.  mazda  and 
Suprex  lamphouses.  Forest  15  ampere  and  30  ampere 
reconditioned  rectifiers.  Roth,  Hertner  and  Westing- 
house  generators,  various  sizes.  Reconditioned  port- 
able sound  projectors.  Lenses.  General  Register 
ticket  machines.  Theatre  chairs.  Old  equipment  ac- 
cepted in  trade.  Tell  us  your  needs.  AMUSEMENT 
SUPPLY  CO.,  INC.,  341  W.  44th  Street,  N.  Y. 


BARGAINS:  RCA  SOUND  SYSTEM  COMPLETE, 
Roth  actodectors,  low-intensity  lamps,  screens,  lenses, 
coin  changers,  ticket  choppers,  automatic  rewinds. 
We  have  what  you  need.  Ask  us.  MIDWEST 
THEATRE  SUPPLY  COMPANY,  910  So.  Michigan 
Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 


$25  BUYS  THESE  SOUNDHEADS  FOR  SIMPLEX 
— Phototone,  Largen,  Syncrotone,  Perfectone,  Drama- 
phone,  other  standard  makes.  For  Powers,  $35  up. 
All  complete,  ready  for  operation.  S.  O.  S.,  1600AD 
Broadway,  New  York. 


$685.  DeVRY  TYPE,  PORTABLE  35MM.  SOUND 
film  talkie  outfit,  complete,  like  new;  sacrifice  $298. 
TOM  AUSTIN,  470  Eighth  Ave.,  New  York. 


TEN  PEERLESS  LOW  -  INTENSITY  LAMPS 
completely  rebuilt  at  a  real  bargain.  BOX  750, 
MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD,  624  So.  Michigan 
Ave.,  Chicago. 


CLOSING  OUT  BARGAINS;  PORTABLE  16MM 
35MM  SOF  projectors;  Mazda  lamphouses;  regulators, 
Powers  projector;  ticket  machine;  professional  camera 
and  tripod;  stereopticon ;  lenses;  rewind  table;  others. 
List  on  request.  CINEMA  SUPPLY  CO.,  575  Eleventh 
Ave.,  New  York. 


AIR  CONDITIONING 


AIR  CONDITIONING  CHARTS  THAT  REPRE- 
sent  standard  practice  in  air  conditioning  for  motion 
picture  theatres.  Practical  advice  on  how  (o  attain 
the  best  atmospheric  conditions  for  your  house  winter 
and  summer.  Devised  to  be  put  on  the  wall  for  con- 
stant reference.  Available  until  the  supply  is  ex- 
hausted at  25c  each,  payment  diiect.  BETTER 
THEATRES,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York. 


KANSAS  CITY 


Eddie  Duchin 
introduced  them  on 
his  coast-to-coast 
broadcastl 

H.  Leopold  Spitalny 

Fletcher  Henderson 

Rosario  Bourdon 
(Cities  Service  Hour) 

A.  &.  P.  Gypsies 

The  King's  Jesters 

The  Ranch  Boys 

Sigurd  Nilssen 

Al  Donahue 
(Rainbow  Room  — 
Radio  City) 

.  .  .  and 
hundreds  more  are 
"swinging"  the 
same  tunes  I 

FOLLOW  YOUR 
HEART 

MAGNOLIAS  IN 
THE  MOONLIGHT 


cracks  the  front  page  with 
the  first  preview  of  Republic's 
new  star -and -song -studded 
box-office  sensation! 


NEW  YORK 
BOSTON 
PHILADELPHIA 
PITTSBURGH 
LOS  ANGELES 
DES  MOINES 
DENVER 

in  quick  succession  staged 
their  own  special  trade 
previews! 


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