The Film Daily (1937)

** Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought 21Lsk. The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Nineteen Years Old VOL. 72, NO. 78 ~TR%^\ b,~Hc! yTf ^y^/L. NEW yORK' FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1937 TEN CENTS = RKO Radio Will Preview Pix for Air Mtem' Sponsors JM-G-M plans only "Futures injngland Columbia to Sign Dramatists1 Guild Basic Agreement Zenda's L .esson . . . why ignore it? By CHESTER B. BAHN IN the story the box office is telling so merrily these days about David 0. Selznick's "The Prisoner of Zenda", there is something of a lesson. One of the most frequently heard criticisms within as well as without the industry— it may even top the list — is the charge that a given story is out-moded. 'Meaning that it belongs to another day, and that the cinematic procession has passed it by. Selznick's "Zenda", among other things, goes far to answer such a school of thought. Certainly, if it had any foundation in fact "Zenda" would not be running 20.8 per cent ahead of "A Star is Born" at this stage, which is precisely what the Selznick picture is doing, according to United Artists. Dear in mind that Anthony Hope's novel " had much to do with setting a literary fashion, the vogue being furthered by George Barr McCutcheon, by Arthur Marchmont, by Harold MacGrath, by Richard Harding Davis and others who delighted in conceiving mythical lands. Sheer romanticism, that fashion, with nothing in common with the patterns favored by today's story tellers. Yet "Zenda", drawing rich reviewers' praise, has been held over in practically every spot where it has played to date, and not once has the story been challenged on the ground that it was out-moded. THE logical deduction then, is that when such a criticism is voiced, it actually applies, not to the story, but rather its treatment for the screen. And from that you properly proceed to the conclusion that it might be an excellent idea for Hollywood to give a second thought to other stories which it has sidestepped as belonging to another era. "Zenda" not only shows how to turn the trick but what may be expected from the >ublic at the box office when the trick is turned. Why ignore the lesson? Company Breaking Away from Ban Agreed Upon by Film Firms Harry Cohn, Columbia president, said yesterday, that his company is prepared to sign the Dramatists' Guild basic agreement and enter production this season. Cohn's announcement breaks up the united front maintained by the eight major companies all last season against (Continued on Page 6) EDUCATIONALREPORTS PROFIT OF $168,056 Educational Pictures, Inc., and subsidiaries for the year ended June 26, showed a net profit of $168,056.26 as compared with a net profit of $104,357.49 for the previous year, according to the annual report which was mailed to stockholders yesterday. This is equivalent to $1.87 per share on the common stock presently outstanding. Schaefer and Greenthal to Coast to See Product George Schaefer, general sales manager of United Artists, left New York for Hollywood by train yesterday, and Monroe Greenthal, director Hays Board Meets in 2 Weeks Report of the Hays association's committee studying the 16 mm. school pix situation is now expected to be ready for presentation to the MPPDA's directorate at a meeting the second week in October, it was said yesterday. Committee embraces Harry M. Warner, StanIon Griffis and E. W. Hammons. SCREEN WRITE DECISION IS DEFERRED West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Los Angeles — Motion of Attorney Neil McCarthy, representing Screen Playwrights, Inc., for a hearing on Screen Writers' Guild petition asking the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election of writers to name an exclusive bargaining agency for all screen writers was taken under (Continued on Page 10) Clark to Visit 22 Cities for Kent Drive Parleys (Continued on Page 6) John D. Clark, 20th Century-Fox distribution head, plans to confer with managers in 22 cities in connection with the S. R. Kent sales drive, leaving Los Angeles Oct. 18. He is now en route to the Coast from New York. Clark's itinerary is as follows: (Continued on Page 6) Sponsors Interested in Using Film Talent on Air to Get RKO Previews Electrics File General Denial in 6 Million Suit American Telephone & Telegraph, Western Electric and Erpi yesterday filed a general denial in Federal Court to charges made in the $6,000,000 triple damage anti-trust suit (Continued on Page 10) By RALPH WILK West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — RKO Radio has established a radio relations department and will preview important pictures for sponsors and producers of radio shows interested in using screen talent on the air. First preview will (Continued on Page 9) Louis B. Mayer Returns After Setting Up Production All M-G-M production scheduled for England will be designed as "A" pictures, stated Louis B. Mayer yesterday as he returned to New York on the Normandie, after spending three months abroad. He reported foreign business conditions as excellent. "A Yank at Oxford," the initial M-G-M production, is half finished, stated Mayer, and "Shadows on the Wing" will be the next picture. In addition to the people he signed while on the Continent, the M-G-M production chieftain en (Continued on Page 6) 100 THEATERS JOIN PARA. BUYING COMBINE Philadelphia— George P. Aarons, secretary of the UMPTO, invited to address the MPTO of Western Pennsylvania, announced yesterday that the Pittsburgh unit had passed a resolution adopting the UMPTO plan of power of attorney for buy(Continued on Page 10) English Public's Reaction to Television Disappoints Reception of the English public to television broadcasting is "very disappointing," according to William Paley, president of CBS, who arrived in New York yesterday on (Continued on Page 10) Five Bells, No Less An exhib was raving to Bill Bugie, Memphis manager for Paramount, over the "four bell" attractions of other distributors, having in mind the Jimmie Fidler method of classifying pictures. Finally Bugie became a bit tired of the dialogue and interrupted: "We may make one bell pictures but they get five bell business at the box-office." II