The Film Daily (1937)

WE PRODUCTION SPURTS IN FAR EAST Monday, June 7, 1937 (Continued from Page 1) Burma and Ceylon, said that grosses were down in nearly all the countries in his division, with business best in India. The territories he supervises have a population of close to one billion people but only five or six million of the inhabitants attend the movies. The Indian populace is the most entertainmentminded. RKO Radio business is up about 35 per cent over last year, he stated. India will make 400 films this year, Japan 600, China 50, Dutch East Indies 6 to 8, Philippines 12, Siam 8, Armour said. RKO Radio is encouraging native production and intends to distribute native pictures whenever possible. Deal is now pending to distribute between 8 to 10 pictures in India, Armour declared. RKO Radio is currently distributing a group of pictures in the Dutch East Indies. There is not much theater building going on in the Far East, but there is a great deal of revamping and remodeling of theaters under way. M-G-M is building theaters in Calcutta and Bombay. Taxation and censorship are the chief problems, Armour said. India is considering an increase in customs duties. Resentment is keen in every country against depicting its natives in menial or inferior positions. In Singapore, which is British-controlled, almost any picture with gunplay is banned. Producers Will Name Arbiters on SAG Pact (Continued from Page 1) tives on the producer-SAG arbitration committee and to further iron out some phases of the pact. Insofar as affecting production, strike called by Federated Motion Picture Crafts at indie studios has proven a dud, execs of the indie outfits insist. FMPC claims one victory, however, with Wise Brothers signing a union shop agreement. Federated has appealed to the CIO for further support in picketing studios and theaters. BIG NEWS AS SEEN BY THE PRESS AGENT I A five-foot California garter snake was recently found In the upholstery of a car in which Irene Dunne and Director Rouben Mamoulian had ridden for two hours, returning from a "High, Wide and Handsome" location. —PARAMOUNT. • • • A LOT of exhibitors will welcome the return of Ramon Novarro to the screen for this personable player is back in Republic's "She Didn't Want a Sheik" since the early days of "Scaramouche" and "Ben Hur," he was a consistent money-maker for many a showman's box office for years it will be interesting to note if he is able to stage a comeback it has been done before • • • IT WILL repay you to visit the lobby of the Capitol and take a peek at those extremely clever "atmosphere" studies of the Marx Brothers done in frankfurters, tomatoes, colored buttons and other odds and ends they match the clever caricatures of the three comics featured in the colored insert in the trade papers plugging "A Day at the Races" • • • FILM PRODUCERS had 83 new plays to examine for screen material during the theatrical season of 1936-37 just closed, as compared with 89 the previous year during the 1934-35 season, there were 113 plays owing to differences with the Dramatists Guild over its new standard agreement, the pix producers did not back any plays written by its members a number of shows by foreign authors, however, were financed by picture outfits T T T • • • A CLOSELY guarded secret of Billy Ferguson of M-G-M has leaked out it seems that he has made elaborate and expensive preparations to cop the prize for the Best Dressed Golfer at the Film Daily Golf Tournament on Wednesday. he has assembled an entirely new outfit which can be seen for a mile across the fairways the big sensation in the ensemble is the Trick Coat this amazing garment gives off a strong perfume when it gets wet Billy evidently figures that if it rains for the Tournament and the coat starts to smell up, he has the Best Dressed Golfer prize cinched after all the good money this Scotchman has invested on the outfit, won't he get a shock when he learns that this year's award goes to the Worst Dressed Golfer hell, come to think of it, he might win at that • • • CAN YOU imagine a modern and luxurious projection room built mainly to show the films of one industrial organization? that gives you an idea how the industrial field is developing it can be found in the General Motors Building on Broadway as part of the office suite of Jam Handy, the industrial film outfit it is the Last Word in modern decorative style and technical equipment the leather chairs are works of art exquisite etchings on the walls Jam Handy is producing a slew of films for General Motors, and the officials of that organization in the same building find it convenient to visit the swank projection room on short notice • • • EDITOR TREATS pressagent to dinner THAT'S News it happened to Belle Kanter while handling "Woman Chases Man" in Dayton, Ohio Virginia Sturm, amusement editor of the Dayton News, cooked a scrumptious Sunday chicken dinner for Belle at her home incidentally manager Marty Burnett of Loew's Dayton theater made a decisive hit with this femme pressagey Belle says that Marty and his entire staff extended themselves to help her put on a campaign it seems that some theater managers take the attitude that the producer's pressagent is an interloper trying to run their business « « « » » » U.S.-ITALIAN PIX PACT EXTENSION EXPECTED (Continued from Page 1) the major companies to a responsible Italian authority brought the information that no change in the pact was looked for. Although negotiations have geen held in home on the increase in the dubbing tax decreed by the Italian government, but not yet in effect, it is believed that the new rates will not be changed. The new tax is 25 percent above the old in its minimum requirements. Production Hitting Fast Pace in Hollywood Studios (Continued from Page 1) for early "shooting." Before the cameras are: "Alcatraz Island," "The Perfect Specimen," "Mr. Dodd Takes the Air," "First Lady," "Varsity Show," and "It's Love I'm After," while in preparation are: "Adventurous Blonde," "The Great Garrick," "Tovarich," and "Submarine 262." Universal City will be busier this week than it has been since Jan. 1, with six productions in work and five in the cutting room. In production are "100 Men and a Girl," "That's My Story," "Too Clever to Live," "Law for Tombstone," "Hell on Ice," and "Radio Patrol," latter 12-episode serial. In the cutting room are "The Road Back," "Love in a Bungalow," "Westbound Limited," "Reported Missing," and "Wild West Days." Eight scripts at Grand National are nearing the filming stage as a dozen or more writers apply the finishing touches. These represent the first group to be produced under the recently announced 1937-38 65 feature production schedule. Scripts include "Something to Sing About," for James Cagney; "Face the Facts," the new Stuart Erwin comedy; "So This Is Hollywood," "Hollywood Honeymoon," "Gorgeous," "The Shadow Strikes," "Wallaby Jim of the Islands," and "Here's Flash Casey." New Saginaw Theater Saginaw, Mich. — New 500-seat house is planned by Fred Withers, operator of the Janes Theater. SHOWMAN'S REMINDER Are you planning some special attraction to counterbalance the Memorial Day slump?