Kid Millions (United Artists) (1934)

Record Details:

Title:
Kid Millions (United Artists)
Date:
1934
Publisher:
United Artists
Volume:
Kid Millions (United Artists Pressbook, 1934)
Leaf #:
0004
Language:
English
Collection:
Pressbooks
Format:
Periodicals
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
Content Warning: This pressbook includes a few pages in which Eddie Cantor appears in blackface. While this practice is reprehensible and was criticized even during the era of the film's release, it is important that we not ignore the racist side of United Artists' (and the rest of the entertainment industry's) history in this collection; Cantor, one of the two most popular performers of the day who regularly utilized blackface, made multiple films for UA.

Even more importantly, however, it is vital that contemporary disapprobation toward practices like blackface not blind us to the significant (and often devastating) experiences of Black entertainers and entertainment industry figures of this era. On August 14, 1954, the Chicago Defender ran a story by Enoch P. Waters about Bert Williams, an extremely popular Black comedian active from 1893 until his death in 1922, at the age of 47. In this story, Williams (who often performed in blackface himself) was dining alone in his Chicago hotel room when he was visited by Eddie Cantor. Asked by Cantor why he was eating alone, Williams replied, "Bert Williams, the black face comedian on-stage is one person, but Bert Williams, the man off-stage is a Negro -- and there's nothing funny about being a Negro in this country."

Discussion of even the most terrible aspects of the United States' history, if approached thoughtfully, can make us listen to the voices and experiences of individuals like Bert Williams. Presenting this pressbook here is an effort to acknowledge the pernicious practices of Hollywood past and present, as well as to highlight the need for greater awareness of the Black performers--and Black audiences--who have always been a integral component of the entertainment industry. (The story above, titled "Adventures in Race Relations: The Unfunny Bert Williams," was found via the ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Defender database.)

Pressbook for the film Kid Millions, starring Eddie Cantor, Ann Sothern, and Ethel Merman.
Date Added:
August 29, 2022
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READ BACKS for contest by news page readers Three in a row! Can you identify them, reading from laft to riot? If the bumps on your head make you a good reader of bumps on other people’s heads, you’re in for a nice little reward. All you have to do is write down three names, listing with pen and ink, or typewriter, down your page, the identities of these three people whose very names are enough to con¬ jure gales of merriment. We can’t tell you what the awards will be right now. That would give away the identity of this mysterious looking trio. It might be guest admissions to a swell show; it might be items of merchandise from Chicago’s leading stores; who knows, maybe some cash awards, too? But you’ve heard these people in radio broad¬ casts many times, and laughed at them. They’re going to be in one of the season’s biggest shows, soon to be seen in Chicago. So get busy now. Write down the first and last names of these three people. Mail them with your name and address, to the “Mystery Three’’ Editor, The Chicago News. All entries must be in by Tuesday midnight. Send as many as you like. Employees of The News and their relatives, and theatrical employees may not compete. Both on Two-Column Mat I\o. 11 Mat .10 Cut .40 Here is a two column mat giving you two two- column scenes from “Kid Millions.’’ Either or both can be effectively used for illustration of a feature story. Better still, they make an excellent newspage contest. The specimen stories accompanying them are ex¬ amples of how an “identify them from the back’’ contest can be presented, the first as the problem piece, the second as the revelation with the pub¬ lished list of winners. BLUE MOON hosiery tie-up in great coast -to -CO ast coverage Blue Moon Hosiery, headquarters at 347 Fifth Avenue, New York City, manu¬ facture, distribute and nationally adver¬ tise “America’s Most Beautiful Hosiery’’ for women. There is a livewire sales and promotion organization representing this stocking, and the trademark and quality of their product is known the world over. “Once in a Blue Moon,’’ comes a pic¬ ture as big and rich in entertainment as “Kid Millions.’’ The Coldwyn Girls, two of whom have been photographed close- up with Blue Moon Stockings on, are the last word in “O-K’s” for Blue Moon Hosiery. All of which is to say that every deal¬ er in your town handling Blue Moon Hosiery, ought to have window displays tying up “Kid Millions’’ with this fem¬ inine necessity, and a quantity of special novelties, or circulars, for counter dis¬ tribution, wrap-ins, and mailing lists, calling attention to the show and the stocking. Illustrated is a special circular with effective imprints to serve this purpose. Blue Moon stores have been advised to open up for this tie-up. See that all these stores, in advance, have a quantity of these circulars. Elsewhere you will find a kick-up girl novelty folder which can be similarly distributed and displayed. Circulars as shown, with your theatre imprint and playdate and Blue Moon boost, should be ordered at once from ECONOMY NOVELTY & PRINTING COMPANY, 239 West 39th Street, New York City. Remittance with order or C.O.D. Prices: 1000—$3.00; 5000— 2.50 per M; 10000—2.25 per M. If dealer wants to share in imprint, change of imprint will cost $1.00 extra for composition charge, for any quantity. LIKfc " Kl D MILLIO N/ " nAiaotf EDDIE: “And you mean to say you get stockings for all your beauti¬ ful harem girls at this low cost?” SHAH-PSHAW: “Yes, yes, easiest thing in the world; been doing it for years You can’t KID MIL¬ LIONS! For street, boudoir or stage and screen wear, BLUE MOON HOSIERY is the most economic invest¬ ment in beautiful legs ever mode. The gor¬ geous Goldwyn girls featured with EDDIE CANTOR in “Kid Mil¬ lions”, a United Artists release, give the last word in professional “O-K’s” to America’s Most Beautiful Silk Stockings.