The Film Daily (1936)

THE DAILV Thursday, Sept. 17,1936 WIS. EXHIBITORS HEAR PROBLEMS DISCUSSED 1 1 rather than from outside snoopers, Sauthoff declared. "Clean your business or you're going to have censorship," he warned. The independent producer and distributor are coming back into their own. E. A. Golden, general sales manager of Chesterfield-Invincible, declared. Unless a real honest attempt is made on the part of independent exhibitors to stop chain expansion there will be virtually no independxhibitors operating within next five years, Col. H. A. Cole, president of Allied Theater Owners of Texas, declared speaking on the menace of chain expansion. Success of the national defense committee in its work was outlined by Al Steffes of Minneapolis who declared that chains have been doing everything possible to put the independent out of business and that Allied's plan to seek the separation of the producer and exhibitor has been found legal and workable. Major producers are going back into the exhibition business with renewed vigor, H. M. Richey warned the exhibitors, advising them to purchase independent product in greater quantities as a means of combating the circuits. Ray Tesch, business manager of the Wisconsin association speaking on our territorial situation pointed to the increasing spread of chains in Wisconsin and to the fact that there are still six independent exhibitors to each circuit house in Wisconsin and that an active independent organization is imperative. Equipment Business Is Best Since 1929 (Continued from Page 1) and independents in those territories. Much of the work has been delayed for years due to lack of funds. The present time has given the theater operators the first opportunity to invest some money in repair and modernization work. RCA and RKO Give Dinner For Italian Studio Chiefs (Continued from Page 1) at were M. H. Aylesworth and Ned E. Depinet of RKO, and Van Ness Philip, Frank R. Deakins, Max I and Ralph Austrian of RCA Photophone. Earlier in the day, Roncoroni and Bittman went through the RCA plant in Camden. The Italian studios have bought seven of the Photophone ultra-violet ray recording channels. ;wi<rBittman are sailing at the end of the week on their return to Rome. A "£MU" fun* "JUAs" By RALPH WILK HOLLYWOOD i in First National's "Kid Galahad," THREE writers, John Colton, Seymour Robinson and S i a Warshawskv, have been assigned to script forthcoming RKO Radio stories. Colton will adapt Kipling's "Gunga Din ' for production by Edward Small; Robinson has drawn the screen play of "Take a Number," which Sid Rogell will produce, while Warshawsky's task will be the adaptation of "Wings of Mercy," the producer of which will be William Sistrom. T T T Kathleen Lockhart and Eric Linden are further assignments to important roles in "Career Woman" at 20th Century-Fox. Linden will play opposite Isabel Jewell. Claire Trevor and Edmund Lowe have the top parts. T T T More casting notes from 20th Century-Fox: Jean Hersholt for "One in a Million"; Walter Catlett for "Banjo on My Knee"; Edward S. Brophy and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams for "Career Woman." T T T RKO Radio has added Irene Franklin, Bryant Washburn, Pat O'Malley, Dot Farley, Frank Thomas, Jane Hamilton, Patricia Wilder and Alan Curtis to the cast of "General Delivery." Gloria Stuart has the feminine lead. Harry Jans and Barbara Pepper also are in it. Cliff Reid will produce, with Edward Killy directing. T T T "Take it Easy," an original romantic comedy by Francis and Marion Cockrell, has been purchased by RKO Radio. It will be produced by Al Lewis. T ▼ T Universal has bought the new Faith Baldwin novel, "24 Hours a Day," still in manuscript form. The story will appear first as a serial in Ladies Home Journal and then in book form. t ▼ » Paramount has bought "Fly by Night," original by Eric Hatch, as a probable Bing Crosby vehicle. ▼ ▼ T Tala Birell has returned to Universal under term contract and will star in "Blonde Adventure," by Lionel Houser and Murray Roth, with E. M. Asher as producer. r t ▼ Paramount casting notes: Frank Albertson and Francis Ford for "The Plainsman"; June Martel for "Arizona Mahoney," Joe Cook comery formerly titled "Stairs of Sand." T T T Dick Powell will be starred by Warners with Jeanne Madden in "Hollywood Hotel," based on the radio hour of the same name. T T » Edward G. Robinson, on his return from England, will be starred from the Saturday Evening Post serial. Pat O'Brien, Barton MacLane and Ross Alexander also will be in it. Seton I. Miller adapted the story. T T T Ferdinand Reyher, former war correspondent and well known magazine writer, has been signed by Walter Wanger to adapt Vincent Sheean's "Personal History." T T T "Woman with Wings," Genevieve Haugan's book, will be the basis of a new 20th Century-Fox film, with Gene Markey as associate producer. T T T Joe Penner's first starring picture for RKO Radio, "Roaming Around," has been given over to the productional supervision of Hal Home. The film originally was planned by Lew Brown, who wrote the music for it, but he was called away on other commitments. T T T Although not a musical picture, "Banjo On My Knee" will have a series of ballads and dance numbers music for which has been written by James McHugh and Harold Adamson. The cast of the 20th Century-Fox picture is headed by Joel McCrea and Barbara Stanwyck. Recent additions are Cecil Weston, Louis Mason, Margaret Hamilton, Spencer Charters and George Humbert. T T T "Smart Set No. 3," last in a series of three short subjects, has gone into production at RKO Radio, with Jean Yarbrough directing and Bert Gilroy producing. The cast includes Robert Emmett Keane, Kitty McHugh, Harry Bowen and Bud Flanagan. T T T Hinton Smith, who has finished her assignment on an original for Walter Wanger, has been signed by B. F. Zeidman to write the screen play for his next Grand National picture, "St. Elmo." Indicating the care with which George Hirliman has filmed "Daniel Boone," the first George O'Brien feature for RKO Radio release, production has been completed on the 42-day shooting schedule. This is more than twice the length of shooting schedules for previous O'Brien films. T T T Roy Del Ruth has directed to date approximately 500 dancers — both boys and girls — for the spectacular "Hollywood" number in "Born to Dance." This is said to be the largest number of dancers ever used in any single spectacle for any musical. r T T RKO Radio has signed Efrnest Pagano to work as special comedy constructionist with Director Mark FINAL TRIBUTE PAID TO IRVING THALBERG (Continued from Page 1) near the Temple B'nai B'rith, where ivaobi Edgar F. Magnin intoned the Hebrew service and delivered a short eulogy. Cards of admission were ooue^ to 1,500, the capacity of the Temple. Rabbi Magnin extolled Thalberg, stressing the fact that although fran he gave much of his time and energy to civic affairs. He lauded his domestic life as fine and exemplary. Honorary ushers were Clark Gable, Fredric March, Douglas Fairbanks Carey Wilson, Sam Wood, Cedric Gibbons, Joe Cohn, Robert Leonard, Moss Hart, Sidney Franklin, Lucien Hubbard and W. S. VanDyke. At the New York end, in final honor to Irving Thalberg, Station WHN broadcast a half-hour tribute, with speakers including Nathan Strauss, chairman of the United Palestine Appeal; Jack Alicoate, publisher of The Film Daily, and Leslie Howard, screen and stage star. There was also a reading of expressions from Nicholas M. Schenck, Louis B. Mayer, E. J. Mannix, David Bernstein, President Roosevelt, C. C. Moskowitz, Sam Katz, Hunt Stromberg, Adolph Zukor, S. R. Kent, Harry M. Warner, J. Robert Rubin, David O. Selznick, Dr. A. H. Giannini, and others. The 20th Century-Fox home offices ceased activity from 2 to 2:30 P.M., E.S.T., as a mark of respect during the Thalberg funeral. M-G-M Acquires Plays "Spring Tide", comedy by George Billam and Peter Goldsmith, produced in London last July, has been acquired by M-G-M. The company also recently bought Phillip Barry's "Spring Dance". Sennett's Mother Dies Tingwick, Que. — Mrs. John Sinnott, 91, mother of Mack Sennett, died at her home here this week. "Sing, Baby" Holds Over "Sing, Baby, Sing", 20th CenturyFox release, is holding over at the Roxy starting tomorrow. "Der Kampf" ("The Struggle"), Amkino film, holds over at the Cameo. Brings British Films Alfred Rode, London producer, has arrived in New York to arrange distribution on two features. He plans to remain in the city two weeks. Sandrich during the filming of the next Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musical picture, "Stepping Toes." T ▼ T "King of the Khyber Rifles" and "Four Men and a Prayer," two of the leading dramatic films on the 20th Century-Fox schedule, are being prepared for production short ly.