The Film Daily (1937)

eievision FIGURE PARA. FIRST QUART. NET AT $2,011,000 New South Wales Quota May Force U. S. Distrib. Exit // // They Say . . and other matters By CHESTER B. BAHN "THEY say" — you hear it repeatedly — ■ that American film audiences, confronted with long features, are restive... that they are indifferent to color photography... that Hollywood studio stories are hackneyed and lacking in pulling power... that out-of-sight-out-of-mind applies with telling force to a star. Members of the "they say" chorus would do well to ponder the biz done by "A Star is Born" at the Radio City Music Hall, for the b.o. draw of Selznick's production, which stays a second week, tends to shatter all of their familiar contentions. "A Star Is Born", you see, runs 111 minutes, is in Technicolor, tells a Hollywood story, and Fredric March's co-star, Janet Gaynor, is making her first screen appearance in six months, her third in a year. SPEAKING of current Broadway pictures showing marked strength, there's 20th Century-Fox's "Wake Up and Live" credited with both a single day's attendance and week-end b.o. records at the Roxy. You may expect those who feel that radio appearances by film stars are an asset to cite "Wake Up and Live" as a prime example of broadcasting's benefits. Be that as it may, nevertheless it is such instances which promise lively sessions for the MPTOA's radio committee which convenes Thursday for the first time. AND speaking of the MPTOA and its unending search for "cures" for exhibitor ills, down in Lima, Peru, they seem to have found a simple solution for the douJe feature program. A municipal or"iance forbids film programs longer than „..o hours, with exhibitors subject to fines for violations. The ordinance admittedly is designed to end duals, provision being made for special permits should a single feature exceed 120 minutes. At any rate, give the Lima's credit for action. Reisman, Back from Australia, Hopeful of Concessions by Government RKO Radio will be forced to withdraw from distribution in New South Wales if the government there insists that American companies produce locally to meet quota requirements because the cost of such production would be greater than the profit earned in the country, it was said yesterday by Phil Reisman, RKO Radio foreign sales head. It was apparent from Reis (Continued on Page 3) To Set Duffy Bill Hearing Wash. Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Hearing dates for the Duffy Copyright bill are expected to be set by the Senate Patents Committee at its meeting today. Strong support for the Duffy measure in the upper house is claimed. WORLD TO HANDLE 26 FEATURES IN '37-38 Beginning next season, World Pictures Corp. with an enlarged personnel, plans to begin large-scale distribution of foreign films by offering a program of 26 features, 8 three-reelers and 13 one-reelers (Continued on Page 18) Experts to Judge Ampa Display Entries Today That history is also made by day was demonstrated by the opening yesterday of the AMPA-sponsored film advertising and poster art exhibit on the second floor of Loew's (Continued on Page 17) DALLAS TRUST TRIAL SET FOR LATE JUNE Trial of the Department of Justice anti-trust action against major distributors and the HoblitzelleO'Donnell theater interests of Texas has been tentatively scheduled for the end of June in the U. S. District Court at Dallas. Attorney George Wright, local counsel for the distributors, has returned to Dallas following conferences on the suit in New York. Right to fix admission prices of subsequent runs and of distributors to ban playing of their pictures on dual bills are involved in the action. Estimate Announced, Following Meeting of Board of Directors Following a meeting of its board of directors yesterday, Paramount announced an estimate of $2,011,000 for its consolidated earnings for the first quarter ended April 3, last. Announcement of the company's annual report is expected to be made today, after its approval by the directorate yesterday. First quarter earnings estimated include approximately $391,000 of dividends from non-consolidated subsidiaries and have been computed after all charges including inter (Continued on Page 3) 20th-foxTmTroving roxy theater offer No Conspiracy", Metro Answer to Fuller Suit New Orleans — Stating unsatisfactory business relations with George Fuller as one of the reasons why it refused to sell him in Florida, M-GM filed its answer yesterday in the (Continued on Page 4) Film Industry to Control Television Eventually, Declares Harry M. Warner MPTOA Radio Committee To Convene on Thursday First meeting of the M. P. T. O. A. committee on radio competition is definitely scheduled for Thursday at the office of Walter Vincent, chairman, at 1776 Broadway, at 2.30 (Continued on Page 4) After examining television developments in England, Harry M. Warner, returning to New York yesterday on the Normandie, expressed the opinion that when this entertainment does reach general commercial use, the film industry will handle it. "Television is a long time off," {Continued on Page 18) Indications were yesterday that 20th Century-Fox would improve its offer for the Roxy Theater by providing for acquisition of the outstanding Class A stock of the theater and would also meet the objections of creditors. Hearing on the plan was adjourn (Continued on Page 4) Expect 267 Attendance at M-G-M Sales Parley West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Two hundred and sixty-seven members of M-G-M's distribution forces in the United States and Canada will attend the company's annual sales convention (Continued on Page 4) New Floods Menace Cities Tri-State area of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia faced the threat of new floods yesterday, reports from the area being frankly apprehensive of the worst April torrents in years. Streams on a rampage include the Ohio and its tributaries, the Allegheny and Monongahela. Cities menaced last night were, notably, Pittsburgh. Johnstown, Wheeling, W. Va. and Cumberland, Md.