The Film Daily (1937)

Cities Give Forum Views on Player Casting Problem Intimate in Character International in Scope -W dependent in Thought -1FDAILY VOL. 71, NO. 114 NEW YORK. SATURDAY, MAY 15. 1937 TEN CENTS Coronation Newsreel Pix to Reach Theaters Tuesday WALKOUT OF STUDIO CRAFTS MAY B AY Stage Three -Cornered Westchester The^teS^fettle // 333921 (Third installment of the Squawk Parade of 1 the Fifth annual FILM DAILY Critics' Forum). HURTING THE STARS— While there has been a decided improvement in pictures within the last few years, a new and discouraging tendency has also developed. Frequently a star will appear in an excellent picture, hitting popularity overnight. But do the excellent pictures continue? No. Instead the producers take the same star and decide to cash in on their popularity in the previous production. A poor story — sometimes something that has been shelved for years is dug out and the finished product — usually very inferior to the average, is shoved over to the public with a fanfare of publicity. The result of this is disastrous all the way down the line. The star loses his or her standing; the public's reaction on the following picture is shown at the box office and the producer loses in the end. FRED A. GRUBE, Allentoun, Pa. "Chronicle & News". CASTING UTOPIA— Primarily we object to the poor casting of stars. Studios, while they do borrow, seem to feel that there should be more work for their own actors and actresses than for those of other studios, regardless of the suitability of the part. We would like to see all stars registered in a central office and distributed to the studios for specific parts to which they were especially fitted. DOROTHY K. STACY, Everett, Mass. "Evening News". • PLAYERS WHO CAN ACT— ^IT-eat Lovers" are beginning to give efr he feminine contingent a pain in tW..eck. Pictures need actors not collar and overcoat models. The same goes for the women. The silly affected style and the vacuous-faced ingenues who are paraded as stars are better than an emetic for audiences these days. More than ever (Continued on Page 3) Loew, RKO and Skouras Circuits in Scramble for Small Houses "The Battle of Westchester County," a three-cornered scramble for theaters, mostly small in capacity, is now under way in full force. Participants are the Loew, RKO and Skouras circuits, all of which are scrutinizing the locality for additions to their groups. Recent deals which have further (Continued on Page 3) DEL. COGNTTDROPS T Philadelphia — Delaware County authorities yesterday rescinded their recent ban on bank nights. They will wait until the Philadelphia test on chance games is decided. Carl Levi Funeral Rites Monday Afternoon in N. Y. Funeral services for Carl Levi, Loew theater district manager who died Thursday morning at Mt. Sinai hospital, will be held at 1 o'clock Monday afternoon at Riverside Memorial Chapel. Burial will be at Cypress Hills cemetery. Anti-Trust Litigation Lull Lull in new anti-trust ligitation has developed since last December, with no suits having been introduced since that date, according to a checkup announced yesterday. Theory, by way of explanation, is that exhibitors are too occupied with making film deals for the new season to be interested in starting court actions based on what has happened in the past. EXPECT WIS. SENATE TO PASS ALLIED BILL Reports from usually well-informed sources in Milwaukee yesterday indicated a strong possibility of the Wisconsin Senate concurring with the Assembly in the enactment of a theater divorce bill. As in North Dakota, where a (Continued on Page 3) Al Friedlander Funeral Rites Set for Tomorrow Funeral services for Al Friedlander, 47, prominent independent distributor and former vice president of First Division Exchanges, will be held tomorrow evening at (Continued on Page 3) Newsreels to Get Coronation Pictures When Normandie Arrives Tuesday Ph illy May Replace State Admish Tax With City Levy Philadelphia — The City Council is considering a measure continuing State tax on admissions which expires within a month. The Municipality needs revenues. The measure probably supersedes the suggested ordinance which would tax film footage. Newsreel pictures of the Coronation will become available to theaters, in the eastern section of the country, at least, Tuesday, following arrival of the Normandie with scenes made in London on Wednesday. According to authoritative estimates, approximately 50,000 feet of newsreel stuff was shot. Owing to the heavy footage involved in the shipment, the news (Continued on Page 3) Federated Offers CounterProposal Asking for a Union Shop By RALPH WILK West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood (Saturday) — Curtain may fall today on the two-week strike of the Federated Motion Pictare Crafts. Late last night Federated M. P. Crafts officials submitted a counter proposal to producers asking for a union shop and basic wage scales for each Federated craft. Before any final action can be taken, members in each craft must vote on the strike issue, wages and conditions. Verbal agreement offered by producers Thursday provided for the immediate return of (Continued on Page 4) TECHNICOLOR HEADS SET FOR RE-ELECTION Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus and other officers of Technicolor are slated for re-election at the annual meeting of its board of directors tentatively set for May 25 in New York, fol(Continued cm Page 3) Cocalis Buys Interests of Kutinsky in 6 Houses Sam Cocalis has closed a deal under which he will acquire the 33 1-3 interest of Matty Kutinsky in the Allerton, Pelham, York, Burke, La (Continmd on Page 3) Redman's Balm, 6 Cents Jack Redman, golfer, was awarded 6 cents damages against Columbia Pictures by Supreme Court Justice Ferdinand Pecora yesterday and a permanent injunction against distribution of the Columbia short "Golfing Rhythm." Redman claimed that the same shots he made for Fox Movietone were included in the Columbia short. He asked $50,000 damages.