The Film Daily (1937)

Intimate in Character International in Scope ^dependent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Nineteen Years Old VOL. 71, NO. 120 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1937 TEN CENTS Allied Meet to Act On Theater Unionization Problem CONNOLLY PITTING PATH! NEWS TO JOIN SMITH Gov. Lehman Vetoes Hall Bill Legalizing Dog Racing (Ninth installment of the Squawk Parade of the Fifth annual FILM DAILY Critics' Forum ) SHORTS IDEAS— I have two pet squawks. One is the need for really good comedy shorts and "short stories," utilizing much of the "B" talent now playing in feature-length pix. Humorous, romantic and dramatic short stories please millions of readers; why net utilize this interest on the screen? [Why should Wheeler and Woolsey and | many others, continue to make mediocre i features when they might appear to advantage in good shorts which it would i pay the exhibitor to buy at a higher price? Stock studio companies could be utilized for talent in very acceptable shorts, I'm i sure. My other squawk is on the thousands of dollars spent by studios on worthless i publicity. Why not a union of effort to secure a clearing house of information, and make the material really usable? Such a set-up would save gobs of money and solve a real problem. I know it can be worked out if the studios are willing to work together. It can be accomplished individually, but at greater expense. If studios would only apply one test: "Does it have any news value?", they would have ! taken a big step forward. ALVIN C. ZURCHER, Chillicothe, f O. "NewsAdvertiser". FOR BETTER SHORTS— Give the theatergoers some decent short subjects. Stop insulting their intelligence with the slapstick stuff now masquerading . as "art". Present shorts seem to have no ; theme, rely on the most obvious of situations to get a so-called laugh. Shorts need as much meticulous attention, in my '■ opinion, as features. Newspapers devote i plenty of time to their shorts — comics, i short stories, columns, etc. — movies should, _i March of Time stuff big improve* y. Color technical shorts — popular mechanics, come too seldom. Since candidcamera shots are going over so Dig, why not shorts on private fives of the nation's "biggies," etc. The "variety" programs, consisting of vaudeville acts, are terrible, I in my mind. SHANDY HILL,, Pottstown, Pa. "Mer. cury". Measure Opposed by Film Interests Killed After Hearing Albany — The Hall dog racing bill, target for film industry opposition, was vetoed yesterday by Governor Herbert H. Lehman who had conducted a public hearing on Monday. In vetoing the bill, the Governor said: "In effect the bill would permit the establishment and conduct of pari-mutuel betting at dog races. Yet we know that the Constitution of the State explicitly prohibits such pool selling." The Governor points out that the (Continued on Page 7) 20TH-FOX SALES MEET WILL DRAW OVER 300 More than 800 members of 20th Century-Fox organization will attend the annual sales convention which will be inaugurated at the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, (Continued on Page 7) Dies Resolution Calls for Investigation of Industry Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — A sweeping investigation of the film industry is proposed in House Resolution 217, (Continued on Page 7) Eight Honored b/AIG West Coast Bur., THE FILM D^ItY\ Hollywood — For their service to industry, Adolph Zukor, Cecil B. DeMille, Luise Rainer, Spencer Tracy, Lionel Barrymore, Frances Marion, Boris Morros, and Slavko Vorkapich were given awards by the American Institute of Cinematography which is affiliated with the University of Southern California. 35 HR. WEEK, 40 GENT MINIUM IN NEW BILL Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Establishment of a 35-hour week and 40 cents an hour minimum wages is understood to be provided in President Roosevelt's wage and hour program which is expected to reach Congress next week. Provisions are reported to apply to industries engaged in interstate commerce and where special conditions prevail. Retailers would not be affected by the bill, under its present form. It (Continued on Page 7) FMPC Drops Indie Strike Move; Early Peace Seen West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood— Action of the FMPC yesterday in indefinitely postponing a strike directed against 27 indie producers strengthened the belief that the strike of technicians at the (Continued on Page 7) Allied May Hold Executive Session On Union Problem at Milwaukee Meet Allied Convention Com. Invites Agnew to Attend P. J. Wood, as chairman of the Allied convention committee for the Milwaukee meeting beginning Wednesday, has written to Neil F. Agnew, general sales manager of Par (Continued on Page 7) Confronted by what appears to be the inevitable unionization of theaters throughout the country, Allied, at its Milwaukee convention starting Wednesday, will give the problem serious consideration. An executive session on the situation may be held, according to official sources, in order to give exhibitors (Continued on Page 7) Fr-edericM Ullman Succeeds Him lis General Manager of Reel Jack Connolly yesterday resigned as general manager of Pathe News and was succeeded by Frederick Ullman, who was elected a vicepresident of the company the preceding day. Connolly will become associated with Courtland Smith, who resigned as president of Pathe News on Wednesday, it was announced. Courtland Smith said yesterday that among other activities he and his associates would be engaged in marketing a new lens with "an extraordinary depth of focus." Smith believes that this lens can (Continued on Page 2) SALES MEETINGS BLOCK Current annual sales conventions being held at the coast will block progress towards definite moves on the radio competition situation for some weeks to come, stated Walter Vincent, chairman of the M. P. T. O. A. committee handling the matter, yesterday in New York. No (Continued on Page 7) SEC Counsel Sees Roxy 1937 Profit of $274,500 Ernst Angell, regional attorney for the SEC yesterday estimated that the net operating profit of the Roxy Theater for 1937 would be $274,500 at a hearing in Federal Court at which Judge Caffey took (Continued on Page 7) "Wonderful Time" to RKO RKO Radio yesterday announced the purchase of film rights to "Having a Wonderful Time," seasonal Broadway hit. Purchase price, it is understood, was $100,000. Film version will be produced by Pandro S. Berman as one of the outstanding pix on the 1937-38 schedule, it was said. HUB