''The Film Daily'' was a daily publication that existed from 1918 to 1970 in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It was the first daily newspaper published solely for the film industry.
It covered the latest trade news, film reviews, financial updates, information on court cases and union difficulties, and equipment breakthroughs.
Publication history
The publication was originated by Wid Gunning in 1913 (though not as a daily) and was known as ''Wid's Film and Film Folk'' (1915–1916) and ''Wid's Independent Review of Feature Films'' (1916–1918).
Gunning was previously film editor at the ''
New York Evening Mail
The ''New York Evening Mail'' (1867–1924) was an American daily newspaper published in New York City. For a time the paper was the only evening newspaper to have a franchise in the Associated Press.
History Names
The paper was founded as the ' ...
''. He also published ''Wid's Weekly'',
[ and ''Wid's Year Book''.]
In 1918, Joseph ("Danny") Dannenberg and Jack Alicoate purchased an interest in ''Wid's Weekly''. On March 8, 1918 they released a daily publication, ''Wid's Daily''. In 1921, Dannenberg and Alicoate took control of Wid's Films & Film Folk Inc., with Dannenberg as president and editor, and the publication changed name, in 1922, to ''The Film Daily''.[
During Dannenberg's time, the film yearbook (first published in 1918 as ''Wid's Year Book'') expanded in size from 160 pages in 1918 to 860 pages in 1926.][ Dannenburg died March 11, 1926 and was succeeded as president and editor by Jack Alicoate, who also became publisher.][
Chester B. Bahn became editor in 1937 but Alicoate remained as publisher until his death in 1960. Alicoate's brother Charles became executive publisher, and took over active management, a few years before Jack's death.]
Jack Alicoate added another publication, ''Radio Daily'', in February 1937. In September 1950, the publication was renamed ''Radio Daily-Television Daily''. The publication ceased in the late 1960s.
In 1969, Charles Alicoate sold ''Film Daily'' to DFI Communications who installed Hugh Fordin as editor-in-chief and associate publisher in December 1969. After publishing the June 1, 1970 issue, production was suspended with plans to redesign and further enliven the publication.
''The Film Daily Yearbook of Motion Pictures'' was published in 1929, 1945, ceased with 51st edition in 1969.
Primary Source Microfilm republished the entire periodical on microfilm in 1990, in a 125 reel set. The Media History Digital Library has scans of the archive of ''Film Daily'' from 1918–1948 and ''Wid's Weekly'' from 1923-1925 available online and most years of the ''Film Daily Year Book'' (including two editions as ''Wid's Year Book'') from 1918 to 1951.
The Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
has ''The Film Daily'', volume 5 (July 1918) to volume 70 (December 1936).
Motion Picture World, Motion Picture World Magazine Company, New York City.
Annual Critics' Poll
''Film Daily'' was best known for its annual year-end critics' poll, in which hundreds of professional movie critics from around the country submitted their votes for the best films of the year, which the magazine then tallied and published as a top ten list. It was not uncommon for a film to win for a year that actually came after the year it first premiered, since the rollover date for each year's eligibility cycle was typically November 1 and the film was required to be in general release. ''Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind most often refers to:
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel
Gone with the Wind may also refer to:
Music
* ''Gone with the Wind'' ...
'', for example, premiered in 1939 but didn't become eligible until 1941 when it switched from a roadshow
Roadshow theatrical release is a practice in which a film opened in a limited number of theaters in large cities.
Road show or Road Show may also refer to:
*''Antiques Roadshow'', a BBC TV series where antiques specialist travel around the country ...
format to a general release. No winner was named in 1950 because for that year only, separate categories were polled for Drama of the Year and Musical of the Year (won by ''Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in t ...
'' and '' Annie Get Your Gun'', respectively).
Critics' Poll Results
Further reading
*
* https://archive.org/details/widsfilmsfilmfol02wids
* https://archive.org/details/widsfilmsfilmfol03wids
* https://archive.org/details/filmdaily72wids
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References
External links
Media History Digital Library
Daily" NOT "Year Book" NOT "Cavalcade" NOT "Presents"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Film Daily, The
Defunct newspapers published in New York (state)
Publications established in 1915
Publications disestablished in 1970
Film magazines published in the United States
Daily newspapers published in New York (state)