Rita Cansino adopts the screen name, Rita Hayworth, during the shooting of her 13th film, “Criminals of the Air”.
David O. Selznick, the producer who left MGM to form “Selznick International Pictures”, is very taken with the young actress, Ingrid Bergman when he sees her in the new Swedish film, “Intermezzo”.
Jean Harlow dies at the age of 26 of cerebral edema.
Significant Films:
Walt Disney releases the first feature–length cartoon, “Snow White”. Its overwhelming success relieves the financial stress the Disney studio has been under.
In Paris, the French director Jean Renoir releases his film, “la Grande Illusion” (The Grand Illusion) . When FDR screens it at the White House, he declares, “every democratic person in the world should see this film”.
Selznick International Pictures releases its first film, “A Star Is Born”. Starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, the movie is nominated for five Academy Awards, and wins the Oscar for “Best Original Story”. It also wins a special award from the Academy for “Color Photography”.
Warner Bros. releases “The Life of Emile Zola”, starring Paul Muni and Joseph Schildkraut. It wins three Academy Awards including the one for “Outstanding Production”.