The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-11
FLASHES and
CLOSE-UPS
BY LENS

thaC they are determined to clean
up" the movies mo more sex or
dirt" is the slogan. Which would
do away with IS per cent OF American
film production. With so per cent
of former movie-goers keeping away
permanently from sex and dirt" the
score would almost be evened up.
MJJbe we're getting somewhere. =.
We hear that Pudovkin's "Deserter"
may be released in the U. S. after
all. E. This notwithstanding Variety's
hot air to the effect that Amkino
will not only not release that film
here but is gathering in Soviet films
already released in this country
to avoid offending the American pow
ers that be with propaganda"
Variety does, however, admit in the
same breath that most films in Rus
STA during the past have been made
with open attention primarily to ed
ucation. These are what nearly en-
tirely fall under the propaganda class
from the U. S. standpoint"
seriously though-being happy is
the greatest design you can have In
living. I'd rather be happy and broke
than miserable in a fur coat. But
the fur coat helps" Mae West.
Yes, Mae, fur coat might help
little. Also, maybe, a good pair of
shoes, room rent, three squares and
g job?
If the fact that Charlie Ruggles
owns 102 pipes ain'5 of Notwithstanding
Importance, what is? Well, how about
the fact that Baby Leroy will use no
makeup in "Alice in Wonderland
Or the fact that Claudette Colbert
gained ten pounds on her recent trip
te Hawaii! Or the fact that 1t took
Jack LaRue only three days to grow
a heavy black beard for Miss Fane's
Baby Is Stolen"l Or the fact that the
Byrd Antarctic expedition has taken
a print Of I'm No Angel" along for
thermal purposes! Etc, etc. 1.
(What do you want me to do? Throw
al these brand new publicity releases
away? Chorus: Y-E-S!D
Supreme Court Justice Wasseryo-
gel has been asked by a stakeholder
of Universal Pictures to limit the
Carl Laemmles' yearly salaries to
$4,000 and $4,000 respectively. :.
AS Durante would put, Were ex-
aggerated!" Do they want the
two boys to Starvei Like steal
ing milk from babies, tell you!
Why, a man couldn't keep in Rolls
Royces and chorus girls on $4,000 a
year, not to mention the less imme-
diately essential needs of life. :.
The weekly "free list of Warner
Brothers theatres in Philadelphia to-
tails $4,000!
I predict it won't be long now be-
fore all the censorship and other re-
strictions applying to professional IS
miliimetre ribbons will be slapped
onto the 16 millimetre amateur films
The 16 nm. (the Substandard
siza used by amateurs and free from
fire hazards and censorship restric-
tions) field is being rapidly captured
by powerful capitalist exhibitors who
are trying to revive the old nickel
odeon method Of projecting in small
houses at nickel top. ,.RCA has
developed q complete 16 nm. sound
projection outfit screen, projectors,
horns, etc. to sell for only $3.50.
The Hollywood monopolies are ready
for the bloody battle that Is bound to
ensue to capture the field. =.
A worker writes from Holly Hill,
South Carolina, that the Daily" is
too polite with big Hollywood names
in its blurbs and reviews and men,
tons the case Of Eddie Cantor, who
is used both in the movies and the
radio to spread the blacklist brand of
"don't-worry- things will soon-get
brighter" propaganda. EFT seems
to me-" he writes, '+that our Daily
should not overlook or underestimate
such men, but must expose them for
member that Cantor's pictures reach
hundreds OF thousands Of workers"
So recognition will prevent the So
Wet cinema from expressing itself on
certain aspects of American capital
ist society? Lend your ears: A Soviet
picture called Copper" now In pro-
duction, deals with the plight Of
young American college graduate
whose invention Is spurned because
1t constitutes Unrest to the capital
:. He rejects a million dollar offer
to destroy his idea. He Is per-
secuted. He takes his invention
to Russia where In a non-capitalist
controlled economy his invention Is
welcomed and fully applied. 49,.
It is a common occurrence in War
cav, Poland, for the police to raid a
theatre showing a Soviet film, ar
rest everyone In the audience, and
release only those who, after thor
ough search and questioning, they are
satisfied are not Communists. =.
Ibee, looking over current plays for
film possibilities In Variety" calls
Peace On Earth" an excellent play
which, although unlikely OF accept
ance by regular producers, might be
used by an independent film maker"
NEW UNIT SUPPORTS DAILY