The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-10-02
HOLLYWOOD Shorts
Federated Press)
By JOHN R. CHAPLIN

Federated Press)
Jimmy Roosevelt's sOundies fell on
Hollywood with dull thud in four.
day exposition. Technically excellent
and brilliantly made, the dime-in-the-
slot movies for showing in bars and
restaurants have at least two draw
backs:
1. Unlike monograph machines,
you can't select the number you want
to hear, but draw the next one on the
film, though you may not like it. q.
Unless you are sitting right close to
the machine, the faces are not big
enough to be effective halfway across
the ordinary bar.
Soundies will not spell the doom of
nickel monographs, unless these de-
fects are remedied. And since the
screen is about the same size as that
of the commercial television machine,
this may explain why television has
not yet been spread more widely. If
the soundies should catch on, they
Will I6HldlI, lOI tuc lHOiHCllt a. lCeiot,
strictly an upper-class amusement, as
the dime tax is too high for what you
get for your money.
Young Roosevelt made news in an
other way when Mayor Kelly of Chi
cago overruled his police censor board
and authorized showing of the Roose-
welt distributed Pastor Hall, British
anti-nazi film. Chicago will probably
see a mud-slinging investigation of
film censorship, intended to reveal
why nazi propaganda films are al
lowed to play the city, while film
like Pastor Hall was suppressed by
the police on the grounds that it would
create racial unrest.
Disappointing is the film Says
Youth, turned out by the Motion Pic
ture Guild. Its story of young man
waking up to the danger of war to-
day is interesting. But the technical
level of the film is far below what
we were allowed to expect from this
of Hollywood profession
ais.
Because of the films slipshod reali-
zation, it can hardly be expected to do
the organizing job for the American
Youth Congress which was intended.
1t is to be hoped that the A. Y. c.
will get out of what it can, and that
the Motion Picture Guild will go on to
better things.
Reminded: Edward Arnold is the
new president of the Screen Actors
Guild (AFL) ~. Aubrey Blair, one
time SAG executive, now feuding with
that union, has been named chief Hol-
ywood organizer for the AFL, with
his American Federation of Office EN-
ployes authorized to organize all the
The extra situation in the SAG has
broken down, leaving hope
If a solution under the present setup
almost out of the picture i. Willie
3ioff of the Init. Alliance of Thea
rical Stage Employees (AFL) is re-
ported NOT returning to Hollywood
IN his release from Chicago's county
all shortly. All of which adds up |
o Step No. l in our prediction of a |
month ago that the studio union set
I'D is due for a colossal revamping. |
More later.
Little Carolyn Lee, who was such |
| sensation last year in Honeymoon |
n Bali, makes comeback at the |
ICE of five. This time she appears |
lgain with Fred MacMurray and |
Madeleine Carroll, again under Ed |
ward H. Griffith's direction, in Vir-
yinia. Got peek at her on the lot
he other day, and she is still just
Is cute as last year. In fact, she's |
,ur favorite movie star right now.
THE NEW FILMS
NO TIME FOR COMEDY CIV. b:
Delightful comedy, well played by
aosalind Russell and Jimmy Stewart.
Worth seeing, even though it misses
much of the punch that could have
,een injected in the story Of the fluffy
,oung playwright who suddenly tries
O solve world affairs in his plays.
WANT A DIVORCE (Paramount):
Dick Powell, Joan Blondel, GLORIA
Dickson and Frank Fay make the
most of this drama which, without
,eing an epoch-making study of di-
'orce, meets the social problem
and is very human in its
storytelling.
CITY FOR CONQUEST CIV. b.:
Jimmy Cagney and Ann Sheridan in
thrilling tale of the Big City. Gag
leys performance ranks second only
O Fondas Tom Joad Corny COM
nentary by Frank Craven is too imi-
alive for Our Town Otherwise, the
lin is a real masterpiece.
RANGERS OF FORTUNE para
nount): Screwiest western ever
made. But great fun, with slightly
progressive slant Thirteen-year -old
Betty Brewer is a knockout.