The Film Daily (1934)

In t i mate in international Independent Ch in in a racter Scope Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Sixteen Years Old ■CL. LXV. NO. 126 NEW yCCI\, THIJCSDAy, MAy31, 1934 <S CENTS (,000 Writers Used in Turning Out 520 Features 1 MUSICALS ON FOX FjLMPROGRAM F0RJ934-35 esuming Parleys With Studios on Music Royalties Some Thoughts . . about other folks By JACK ALICOATE = IIS young and aggressive Mr. George Schaefer of Paramount seems to be goplaces and getting things done. Mostly triout flare of trumpets and with exie and energetic efficiency. List what tells us on a somewhat timely subject, ''ere is no more accurate censorship tii public opinion. It stands out in de: d contrast to the desires of a small ■ unusually selfish minority allying it[l with civic and welfare organizations se support is obtained through confus • issues. Block-booking and blind-buyware smoke screens and their elimination * Id not solve the problem of higher Rial standards of the screen. Public tion, however, reflected by box-office ti issions, provides an unbiased guide to ■• t patrons prefer in the way of screen detainment". FTER a vacation under the starry skies of the Mediterranean country the li it Mr. Sam Sax again has the Warner •V Studio over Brooklyn way hitting on 16 cylinders. We never visit this plant tout being impressed with its effi icy of operation. An exacting schedule Vi no undue haste. No night work. Ciplete harmony. Splendid morale. Those /wood producers who tell us it can't bi done might learn here how it can. C ght a new one while giving the studio a nick look the other day. B. A. Rolfe in 'He's a Jolly Good Fellow". A band piure but based upon a novel idea and 0( ng with production value. You'll like it oo. • lOFESSIONAL reformers and other iriranrs clamoring for censorship might w pause in their game of blind man's buff » give a thought to the somewhat dig•»nd fact that one of the most important pi.ure fans in these good old United Sljes is its dynamic and colorful President, Fijiklin D. Roosevelt. His White House Tjater is the scene of many showings. Mi is anything if not outspoken. If he oi, not find pictures generally acceptable I'fcp the standpoint of good taste and •mis, he would be the first to tell not oi this industry but the world at large. New Efforts to Be Made for Basic Agreement on Song Numbers Conferences between attorneys for Fox, M-G-M, Warners, Paramount and the Songwriters Protective Ass'n looking toward a basic agreement between the studios and the S. P. A., are expected to get under way again in about ten days after having been in abeyance for some time, it was said yesterday by Lil (Coiiiinund^QJL^Page 6) BIZ IN SOUTH UP 100% KUYKENDALL REPORTS Declaring that business at the box-office is generally improved as compared with a year ago, Ed Kuykendall, M. P. T. O. A. president, yesterday said that Southern the (Cor.tmv.ed on Page 6) 14 M-G-M Color Cartoons Under Harman-Ising Deal West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Thirteen one-reelers and one two-reeler are included in the group of color cartoons being made by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising for the new M-G-M shorts program. The two-reeler, first animated of this length, is now in work. It employs Tschaikowsky's "Nutcracker Suite" for its musical theme. First of the one-reelers will be "The Discontented Canary." Beaton on Lecture Tour Welford Beaton, editor of "Hollywood Spectator," has been signed by Harold J. Peat of New York for a three-month national lecture tour next fall. Beaton will discuss films both as an art and as an industry. Peat's list also includes Lowell Thomas, the Martin Johnsons, Irvin S. Cobb, General Smedley D. Butler, Richard Washburn Child, Norman Hapgood and Reginald Wright Kauffman. EASTERN EXHIBS FORM FILM BUYERS' GROUP Formation of the Independent Film Buyers Protective Group, took place Tuesday at a meeting of eastern exhibitor leaders at the hotel Astor. Announcement was made as follows: "Culminating' independent exhibitor unrest, prevalent for the past few years, exhibitor association leaders including all groups east of the Mississippi River and representing almost seventy-three per cent of the independent buying power of this country, met in a series of important conferences (Continued on Page 6) Ushers Are Reinstated Under Labor Board Edict Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Conforming to the recent ruling of the National Labor Board, the Elkhart Amusement Co. of Elkhart, Ind., has advised the Board that it is reinstating its discharged ushers and giving 10 days' notice to the usherettes who had taken their place. Two Writers for Every Story Produced in Current Season That it takes an average of two writers for every feature turned out by Hollywood is shown by an analysis of the past season's production file kept by THE Film Daily and revealing that approximately 1,000 writers, exclusive of those who did not receive screen credit, contributed to the season's output of about 520 pictures. The figure includes some 440 original authors, 360 adaptors and 200 dialoguers. In addition, there were incidental writing contributions by more than a hundred writers who did not get billing. Players receiving screen credit (Continued on Page 6) 49 of New Season's Films Announced by Kent at Sales Convention Eleven musical productions, one of the most elaborate song-anddance schedules ever attempted by a single company, are planned by Fox for next season, it was stated yesterday by President S. R. Kent in announcing 49 of the pictures on 1934-35 program. More stories by big name writers and a "distinct tendency toward clean-cut stories which shoot straight to the heart" characterizes the new lineup, said Kent in stating that the program would total 58 features, including (Continued on Page 7) TECHNICOLOR SEES SPURT IN COLOR USE A revival of interest in color is , predicted by Technicolor, which, states it now has more contracts than at any time since 1929. In addition to the deal with Walt Disney on Silly Symphony and Mickey . (Continued on Page 7) Progress in Television Cited at Radio Meeting Philadelphia — Practical tests with an experimental television system which was used to transmit an outdoor scene from a short distance and from a New York studio to Camden, using an intermediary ra (Continued on Page 6) M-G-M Finishes 37 West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood— M-G-M has completed 37 of its 46 features for 1933-34. Five on the current program and the first four on the 1934-35 schedule are now in work, making nine before the cameras. Current schedule features in production are "Stamboul Quest," "Sacred and Profane Love," "Student Tour," "Rear Car" and "100% Pure." In work for the new season are "Treasure Island," "Merry Widow," "Barretts of Wimpole St." and "Green Hat." 41