The Film Daily (1937)

Nation's Critics Train Forum Fire on Duals Policy r Jntimate in Character international in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Nineteen Years Old VOL. 71. NO. 115 NEW YORK, MONDAY, MAY 17. 1937 TEN CENTS Expects Congress to Act on Neely, Hobbs Proposals FRESH EFFORTS TO ENDJTUDIO STRlkOWAITED Sam Goldwyn To Make All Future Pictures In Color rum (Fourth installment of the Squawk Parade of the Fifth annual FILM DAILY Critics' Forum.) ANTIDUAL BILL— It is more than a pet peeve. My aversion to double-feature programs has developed into a positive phobia since protesting movie-goers continually enquire, "Why do they show 'em, anyway?" Hundreds of my readers complain that they have quit going to movies rather than indulge in a marathon sitting contest and have themselves uncomfortably stuffed with mediocre entertainment. Dual bills are putting thick callouses on the public's sense of appreciation, among other places, and dulled enjoyment of the many truiy fine photoplays which have been smeared with the trash of a second feature. This utterly stupid type of exhibition is doing incalculable damage to the motion picture industry by putting a premium on cheap, fillin films which drive folks away from the theaters. The industry will regain public esteem only by returning to the dignified exhibition of one worthy feature at a time and sweeping out the noisome litter of the Z films which have made Hollywood dump heaps rather than amusement spots out of our theaters. LOWELL LAW RANGE, Kansas City ''Journal-Post". ALSO AGAINST DUALS— I honestly believe most of the major companies are striving to please and are making a pretty good job of it. Some pictures are great big flops; others are well done. They can't hit every time they're up to bat. It seems to me that second-rate pictures should be advertised as being W-rate. Nobody takes much stock % Class B film ads anyhow. My chief squawk is this: Why, in the name of St. Susie, need poor films be shown just to have a double feature? Both sides of a double-header have to be good, because three hours in a theater is a long time, even if the seats are new and comfortable. Personally, I'd like to know what part of the public is demanding double (Continued on Page 22) Marcel Polp" to, (Beofjnal Back and White Fix, \$ays/ Producer West Coas^Ettrefic^f THE 'FILM DAILY Holly woocT~^Monday) — Samuel Goldwyn announced today that henceforth he will make only Technicolor films. The only exception, Goldwyn said, would be "The Adventures of Marco Polo." This, he declared, was due to notice from Dr. Herbert T. Kal (Continued on Page 3) 19 industrTbills 1 2 PASS Out of 21 measures applying to the film industry introduced in the Ohio Legislature, which recently adjourned, only two bills were enacted, according to a recapitulation announced Saturday. Measures which succeeded extended the three percent, admission tax to March, 1938, (Continued on Page 3) Paramount Coast Sales Meet Will Attract 100 Approximately 100 members of the Paramount sales department and home office executives are slated to attend the firm's annual convention at the Hotel Ambassador at the (Continued on Page 3) THEWEEI\ IN REVIEW Guild Shop — Coronation ==By GEORGE H. MORRIS = DOMESTIC Acceptance by major producers of the Screen Actors' Guild's demand for a Guild shop, and other important concessions, averted an actors' strike early in the week on Hollywood's already hectic front, while negotiations between producers and F.M.P.C. continued in a deadlock. Before the week-end waned, F.M. P. C. officials submitted a counter proposal to producers asking for a union shop and basic wage scales for each Federated craft. A settlement was anticipated. * * * Jack Warner at company's annual sales convention, held at the Waldorf-Astoria, formally announced on Tuesday that WB-First National has about $5,000,000 invested in story material which forms basis of its 1937-38 program (Continued on Page 4) 27 Theater Men to Attend 20th Cent.-Fox Sales Meet Twenty-seven theater men will attend the annual sales convention of 20th Century-Fox which opens May 31 at the Hotel Ambassador, Los Angeles. President Sidney R. (Continued on Page 3) Myers Believes Congress Will Act on Block Booking and Probe Bills Announce Committee for Allied Milwaukee Parley Personnel of committees appointed in connection with the annual Allied convention scheduled for the Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, May 2628, was announced Saturday. Following is the setup: National Convention— P. J. Wood, (Continued on Page 21) Owing to preoccupation of Congress with the Administration's Supreme Court reorganization plan, consideration of the Neely-Pettengill anti-block booking bill and the Hobbs resolution seeking investigation of the film industry has been delayed but may be reached before the body adjourns, says Abram F. Myers, Allied board chairman and (Continued on Page 21) Coast Walkout Continues, but Peace Outlook is Still Hopeful By RALPH WILK West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — (Monday) — Members of 9 unions affiliated with the Federated Motion Picture Crafts continued on strike at the major studios today, developments over the week-end failing to bring peace, save in the instances of the machinists and culinary workers who were instructed to return to work this morning. Renewed attempts to get together during the day were anti (Continued on Page 2'2) DEPINET SAYS RKO'S YEAR IS "BIGGEST" RKO Radio has had the biggest year in its history in both foreign and domestic sales, it was said yesterday by Ned E. Depinet, vice president in charge of distribution. RKO Radio now plans to begin distribution of the Walt Disney shorts about Aug. 1. "Pluto's Quintuplets," the first of the Disney Sub (Continued on Page 3) Roxy-GB Product Deal Waits on Reorg. Result Outcome of the reorganization plan situation at the Roxy is holding up discussions of a deal with GB covering its 1937-38 lineup, it was learned Saturday. The de luxer has played five pic (Continucd on Page 3) Lese Majesty Columbus, O. — Gregory Ratoff's lineage as the real Prince Panaieff while Tyrone Power is masquerading as the prince in "Cafe Metropole," to wit: "I am Prince Panaieff, 25 times related to the Czar of Russia — five times legitimately" has been lifted out by the Ohio Board of Censors.