The Film Daily (1938)

This I ssue: Re-conditioning Air For Pix Theaters (Sec pages 4-5-6) intimate in Character international in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Twenty Years Old OL. 74, NO. 2 NEW YORK, SATURDAY. JULY 2. 1938 TEN CENTS ouisiana Anti-Ascap Measure Withdrawn by Sponsor )1 SERIKOF FEATURES §['38-39, ALL-TJME MARK £10,000,000 Production Program for Pinewood Studios Pix Progress . . . and re-issues = By CHESTER B. BAHN = JOT unexpectedly by any manner of ^ means, the flow of seasonal re-issues :ross the nation's sound-screens these me days has produced some assorted lueals of protest. Hero worshippers among the old genera on of fans have been moved to complain the home town gazettes that the indus y is guilty of sacrilege, or something ap -oaching it. Movie columnists on the dailies, taking cue from the letters-to-the-editor, have sen having their say, the favorite approach eing references to the disillusionment •suiting from some of the older silent Dies. Admittedly, the artistic stature of play's, directors and others concerned with ie making of these features will not be lightened by the present re-examination, jch artistic evaluation as they now may ivite necessarily must be downward, not pward. If the contrary were true, it would ■ean that the screen during the elapsed ;ars had failed to progress. There is no better way to bring home 1 the cinema's patrons the amazing and larked advance that production has :hieved than the current wave of resues, with special reference to those aring back to the silent and early talkie ras. As for the laughter which certain of the Ider pictures may occasion, there is a eal of truth in which John Mason Brown ad to say in the New York Post the other ay: "In the last analysis, however, it is urselves that we are really laughing at . . we are laughing at our changed astes." Precisely. — • — ^PEAKING of the cinema's forward ' strides, it is gratifying to find leading tmerican colleges and universities recogizing what has been accomplished by the idustry's leaders in not only production ut administration. Singled out for the eceipt of honorary degrees thus far this ommencement season have been J. Robert (Continued on Page 2) Eight Big Pix Planned; Jobs for 2,000 Assured by Schedule London (By Cable)— A $10,000,000 production program has been lined up for the Pinewood studios by Captain Richard Norton, managing director. Figure represents the aggregate to be spent by five units — 20th-Fox, Pinebrook Productions, Gilbert and Sullivan Productions, Pascal Productions and Anon Films. Schedule includes eight big productions and eight smaller ones. Production on the 16 is expected to be (.Continued on Page 8) 243 U. STFEATURES IN FIRST SIX MONTHS Number of American-made features released during the first six months of 1938 showed a slight increase over the same period of 1937, according to a Film Daily survey. (Continued on Page 3) Metro Acquires Rights to "On Borrowed Time" Rights to "On Borrowed Time" have been purchased by M-G-M for production on the 1938-39 program. (Continued on Page 8) UTILITY UNION PROTESTS 75 Members Notified to Join IATSE By Today West Coast Bureau, of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Seventy-five members of the Studio Utility Workers, Local 724, working at Republic studios, have filed a complaint with the NLRB that they have been notified by Victor Clarke, representative of the Motion Picture Producers Ass'n that they must join the IATSE by today. This move by IATSE is believed to be the organization's opening gun in a campaign to bring all studio workers under jurisdiction of IATSE. GUILD GAINS VOTES IN CHALLENGE EXAM, West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood ■ — Results of the examination of absentee and challenged votes at the local NLRB office yesterday resulted in the Screen Writers Guild gaining four more votes, boosting its total to (Continued on Page 8) Ascap's Threat of Court Fight Seen Influencing Withdrawal of La. Bill 4,024-Seat Minneapolis Theater Closed by Para. Paramount has closed the 4,024seat Minnesota Theater, Minneapolis, and will not reopen it, John Friedl, president of the Minnesota Amusement Co., Paramount affiliate, stated yesterday in New York. House closed Thursday night. Lease on (Continued on Page 3) Baton Rouge, La. — The anti-Ascap measure pending in the Louisiana Legislature was withdrawn in the Senate yesterday by its sponsor. The bill had passed committee and was thought certain to get the rush act to become law, but Ascap's quiet announcement that it stood ready to test the law in Federal court immediately, if passed, is generally considered to have impressed admin (Continued on Page 3) By RALPH WILK West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Thirty-seven series of features, designed chiefly for family audiences, are planned for the 1938-39 season, giving the industry an all-time high. Twentieth Century-Fox will top the list with seven groups of pictures. In addition to the "Charley Chans," "Jones Family" and "Mr. Moto" series four pictures will comprise the "Big Town Girl" series (Continued on Page 8) W. J. EADIEELECTED TO 20TH-F0H BOARD Election of W. J. Eadie, comptroller of Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp., as a member of the Board of Directors to fill the vacancy created by the death of the late John D. Clark was announced by the company yesterday. Eadie has been connected with the company for the past 10 years. A public accountant, he went to Fox Theaters 10 years ago as comptrol (Continued on Page 2) ULIAC and 306 Prexies Sign Settlement Pact Signing of the agreement between Local 306 and the United Long Island Amusement Corp., whereby six projectionists who were discharged last Fall go back to work tomorrow with back pay concessions and a 50 per cent wage increase, effective immediately, took place yesterday. Samuel Strausberg, president of the circuit, affixed his signature to the (Continued cm Page 8) No Paper July 4 In observance of the national holiday. Independence Day, there will be no edition of THE FILM DAILY on Monday. Correspondents will govern themselves accordingly.