The Film Daily (1938)

Monday, November 7, 1938 iw DAILY 11 THE WEEE IN REVIEW MPTOA, SMPE Meet — British Pix Boom DOMESTIC {Continued from Page 1) troit's Statler Hotel swung into actior .Monday and concluded Wednesday^! Presentation of numerous and important papers dealing with technical advances already realized or inceptive were features, together with declaration by I. J. Kaar, of GE, that when television is born, it must be boi'n full-fledged, as far as program material is concerned. Dr. H. T. Kalmus, Technicolor chieftain, informed the delegates that (a) within two years Technicolor will have done away with special cameras and be employing single strips of negative through any standard m.p. camera. From Hollywood, on Thursday, issued word that Paramount had realigned execs., Adolph Zukor, board chairman, assigned to head European production and distribution activities, while William LeBaron takes over leadership of Para's Coast studios. Returning from Europe on the Queen Mary on Thursday, E. W. Hammons declared he closed a fiveyear pact with an unnamed British company for the distribution of GN's product in the U. K. . . . Disembarking from the same liner, Solomon Sagall, founder and managing director of the television enterprise, Scophony, Ltd., asserted that his organization plans establishment of a $10,000,000 American division of the company; manufacture and market sets for the home; and demonstrate at the forthcoming New York World's Fair . FOREIGN Survey of the British pix industry divulged a big boom in progress, with trade activity revived on large scale; grosses rapidly increasing; new theater construction going ahead; high optimism prevailing at prospect of size and quality of domestic and U. S. pix; and hopeful labor outlook, since many branches of CEA have composed differences with unions. Berlin cable told of development there of new three-color film process, known as Agfa Pantachrome. Prints made by this process, it is said, are immediately ready for theater display on standard projectors, without extra apparatus or punchedup lighting. Requirements are reported to be same as for black-andwhite. 24 "All-American" Shorts Czech-U. S. Pact Status to be Made by FitzPatrick Waits on Frontier Fixing {Continued from Page 1) The Film Daily Friday. He expects to leave for Florida tomorrow or Wednesday, accompanied by his wife and Howard Nelson and Robert Carney, cameramen. He stated that the shorts would be made for the 1939-40 and 1940-41 programs, with the first release set for next August. He will make one reel in northern Florida and another in southern Florida. He will also film material at the new Marine Studios near St. Augustine for Pete Smith, who will use the film in one of his shorts. Canada, Latin America and North and South America will provide material for the releases, and FitzPatrick revealed that Metro considers the shorts extremely important as a co-operative effort by the film industry to further the "friendly" trade relations in this hemisphere. The reels will probably be alter[ nated when they are released in or| der to have a South American film follow a North American short. FitzPatrick stated that decision on the proposed Buick air shows would wait until he has conferred with studio execs, on the Coast. He will make a short in New Orleans on this trip and will map plans of locations for future material. He is traveling by car and expects to arrive in Hollywood about Dec. 15, after covering 5,000 miles. Washington — State Department sources declared Saturday that steps are now being taken to ascertain to what extent trade pacts between Czechoslovakia and the U. S. can be salvaged since the changed boundary conditions of the former country. Some few months prior to the adjustment of these boundaries, a trade pact covering numerous commodities was effectuated between the two nations. Subsequently Czech-U. S. delegates met in Prague and drew up a films pact which met with approval and ratification. This pact was appended to the original widescope agreement. Film industry representatives of both nations have been at a loss recently for a definition of the CzechAmerican status, which, according to Cordell Hull, Secretary of State, is impossible until frontiers have been definitely determined. Radio's "Good News" Program to be Extended After Jan. 1 West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Radio's "Good News" program will be extended for an indefinite period after Jan. 1 at which time the present contract expires. M-G-M will continue as producer of the broadcast and the makers of Maxwell House Coffee will continue as sponsor. It isn't coincidence • that so many o f th. industry's executives • reach automatically • for the Film Year Book • for accurate informotion • for they know its value • The 1939 Editionout in January • will surpass all previous editions • in every way •