Evening star., 1938-10-02
Cinema Quiz
Settles to
Normally
Peace Reigns Once
More Among the
Studio Boys.
By Douglas ". Churchill.

f1OLAx W0O0.
FTER several outbursts occa-
n stoned by jealousy and few
~ crises in which more than
4 a trace of acrimony was evil
dent, the Motion Pictures Are
Your Best Entertainment campaign
has settled down to the routine task
of getting the customers back in the
theaters. While the motif Of the drive
was one-for -all-and- all -for-one, in its
early phases there was an under
standable display of suspicion by each
studio toward the other, and the
ever-existing animosity between the
New York and Hollywood divisions
of the industry came prominently to
the fore. Now, however, the industry
is just one great, big. happy family
united in a common crusade to prove
bad as they seem.
Producers, distributors and theaters
have allotted sl,0o0.0OO to the drive.
and Hollywood believes that before
it Is finished a call will be made
for more money, which, 1t is claimed,
In light of the success of the CAM
paign, will be justified. Thus far,
IS per cent increase in attendance
has been reported, and it is hoped
that before the money is all gone
that this will be increased to Is per
cent. A keen interest is displayed
by the public in the contest. and the
town believes that this will mount
In succeeding weeks.
There were several colorful con-
troversies. Each studio suspected the
others of attempting to grab the
major share of publicity, and so when
one press agent would make a sug-
gestion it was viewed with apathy.
Finally the boys got together and
love prevailed Then some one in Hol-
lywood thought that the campaign
should be called the Movies Golden
Jubilee, for, without looking it up,
they were sure that 1888 must be
the 50th anniversary of something.
All the studios thought this a grand
idea but it was promptly vetoed by
the New York Offices for the reason,
Hollywood believed, that it was not
thought of by a Manhattan genius.
Then some of the newspaper critics
began rejecting submitted stories
dealing with the campaign with
pointed suggestions that if the screen
was to reform and offer better prod
uct 1t might begin with its publicity.
This hurt everybody, and the publicity
boys went around with an injured
look for days. Finally the radio sta
tions got mad because the 100000
was being spent in newspaper adver-
tising, and the industry failed to
soothe the air people when, they ex-
planned that they regarded the
printed word as having more value
than verbal blasts from the networks.
WHETHER Twentieth Century-Fox
is attempting to protect Tyrone
Powers reputation, or whether the
studio Is bent on correcting the ma
tional impression of man who was
once considered the No. / outlaw, is
not known. Whatever the motive, de-
scendants Of Jesse James were some
what surprised when they read the
script dealing with the colorful figures
life and learned that he adopted an
anti-social attitude because a rail-
road employe was ungentlemanly to
his mother. History seems to credit
the story that James declined to stop
fighting when the Civil War was over,
and that when he did return to his
Missouri home the neighbors viewed
him with such suspicion that he got
mad and continued along the path of
rugged individualism. Power in the
title role of Jesse James" will not
open old wounds and possibly offend
the Southern customers So after the
railway agent seeking a right-of way
through the James farm gets rough
with Mother James, Jesse, who is a
brave fellow, sees red. Thus Power
preserves his reputation as a sterling
gentleman.
The Fox troupe has returned from
Pineville, Mo-, which in appearance
approximates Liberty, Mo-, the out
. laws home town, which has been en-
quilted by progress. When the Pine
vile Chamber Of Commerce learned
that the movies were coming they i'm
mediately paved Court House Square,
which upset Director Henry King,
, who had to have the improvement
covered with dirt before he could pro-
(see CHURCHILL, Page F-2)