The Exhibitor (May-Oct 1945)

16 THE EXHIBITOR mmmm \’i j i '■ • j ; ; .i I I W: New York — With its joining the Tele¬ vision Broadcasters Association, Inc., E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Company, photo products department, Wilmington, Del., be¬ comes the first film manufacturing organ¬ isation to join the association, and indicates its interest in the expansion of the tele¬ vision industry. Film producing companies already allied with TBA include 20th Cen¬ tury-Fox, Television Productions, Inc. (subsidiary of Paramount Pictures), RKO Television Corporation, and Cecil B. de Mille Productions. Paul Raibourn and Douglas Day, cochairmen, TBA’s publicity and promotion committee announced recently the ap¬ pointment of the following to serve on the committee: Sidney Eiges, NBC; G. Emerson Markham, GE; F. B. Ostman, Farnsworth Television; Harold Desfor, RCA Victor; Milton J. Alexander, Du¬ Mont; Charles Oppenheim, WOR; Will Baltin, TBA; A1 Finestone, Paramount Pictures, and Courtney Pitt, Philco. O. B. Hanson, chairman, association’s Television Station Operations and Standards Com¬ mittee, announced the appointment of W. W. Merkle, Philco; W. J. Purcell, GE, and Dr. T. T. Goldsmith, Jr., DuMont, to serve on his committee. General David Sarnoff, president, RCA, told the 26th annual meeting of company stockholders last week that RCA is ready to expand the new science of television into a service of sight-and-sound broad¬ casting to the American public. As a further step, he said, RCA has developed an advanced model of projection -type television receiver, which already rivals home-movies in detail and brilliance. “New electron tubes are making the use of microwaves practical, thereby opening new fields of service,” Sarnoff said. “Utiliz Boston Television Station Starts After War; Sarnoff Says RCA Is Ready to Expand ing these tiny wavelengths in radio relay¬ ing, RCA scientists have pioneered in laying the groundwork for network tele¬ vision, facsimile transmission, and many other services.” The Boston Television station recently acquired by lease by 20th Century-Fox from General Television Corporation will begin operation this summer. Boston, according to Paul L. Chamberlain, General Electric sales executive, will be a “natural” for an extension of the International Business Machines Corporation’s radio relay. The initial IBM circuit will connect Schenect¬ ady, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington. Chamberlain exhibited a model of one of the towers in this relay which will handle two television programs, eight sound channels for present-day or frequency-modulation radio, two radio photo channels, and 120 business machine channels in one direction at one time. These towers will be located within sight of each other, spaced possibly 30 miles in country, perhaps 80 to 100 miles between mountain tops, he said. Chamberlain vis¬ ualized two major applications for tele¬ vision after the war. Broadcast television will add a new dimension to home enter¬ tainment, and will provide one of the most powerful mass advertising media to main¬ tain the national income needed to keep American workmen on the job. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corpora¬ tion filed an application last week with the FCC for permission to erect an experi¬ mental television station in Boston. As¬ signment to Channel No. 1 is requested in the application. Twentieth-Fox recently leased former television station WIXG in Boston from General Television Corpora¬ tion. Hollywood — Sam Katzman, Monogram producer, is planning a new series to be known as “High School Kids.” Films will be jitterbug musicals, with contracts call¬ ing for four a year. . . . Monogram’s “The Cobra Strikes” has been changed to “The Shangha; Cobra.” . . . William Howard’s first for Republic will be “A Guy Could Change, with Allan Lane to star. . . . Republic announces the purchase of an original story by Martin van Laas, “Can¬ teen Hostess,” with Adele Mara set for the title role. . . Jacqueline White has been added to “The Yearling’ at MGM. . . . Paul Jones will produce "Break-up” for Para¬ mount. . . MGM has acquired screen rights to Stephen Longstreet’s “Crystal Girl,” as yet an unpublished novel; ‘“Silly Girl,” autobiography by Angna Enters, with Joe Pasternak set as producer, and a chapter from Morton Thompson’s “Joe, the Wounded Tennis Player.” Monocram announces that “Sunbonnet Sue has a $400,000 budget. . . . James Warren, college athlete, has been signed by RKO as a western star, taking over spot left by Bob Mitchum, recently inducted. His first will be Zane Grey’s “Wanderer of the Wasteland," after appearing in “Ding Dong Williams.” . . Martha Sleeper re¬ turns to the screen for a featured role in RKO’s "The Bells of St. Mary’s.” Joseph Kane will produce and direct his own screenplay, “In Old Sacramento,” Re¬ public. . . . Republic’s picture on Mozart will be expanded into a complete biog¬ raphy, instead of an incident in his life as previously planned. The title is “The Im¬ mortal,” with the tag line “Mozart and the Women In His Life.” Eight of the great composer’s compositions will be included in the score. . . . More from Republic re¬ veals that Donald Barry is set to star in three films based on the lives of three of America’s most notorious gangsters. First will be “Baby Face Nelson,” followed by “Gangs of Kansas City,” on Ma Parker and. the Karpis gang, and, finally, “Pretty Boy Floyd.” Claudette Colbert is slated to star for Jesse Lasky in his “Thank God For That.” . . . Walter Wanger has borrowed Stuart Heisler, director of International’s “Along Came Jones,” from that company to handle the meg on “Canyon Passage.” . . . Bene¬ dict Bogeaus announced last week that he will shortly film “The Four Freedoms.” It will embody the ideas of our late Presi¬ dent Roosevelt, while not actually pictur¬ ing him. . . . Second lead for Columbia’s “I Love a Bandleader” goes to Carole Mathews. Paramount announced last week that Joseph Sistrom will produce Irving Ber¬ lin’s “Blue Skies,” in Technicolor. . . . The next member of the ‘Whistler’ series at Columbia will be “The Whistler’s Shadow.” . . RKO has purchased “Lend Lease For Penny” as a vehicle for Sharyn Moffett. . . Paramount and director Lewis Allen have joined for another year. . . . Paramount recently closed a deal for the rights to Sir James Barrie’s play, “Alice Sit By the Fire.” Picture will be tagged “Alice.” As official proclamation of V-E Day seemed a certainty, as this was being writ¬ ten, word was finally released in Washing¬ ton anent relaxation of several wartime measures affecting the industry. J. A. Krug, chairman, War Production Board, announced over the week end that the nation-wide ‘brownout’ order, which has been in effect since Feb. 1 as a coal-con¬ serving measure, would be lifted “im¬ mediately after formal announcement by the President that the war in Europe is over,” although it might be necessary to re-issue the order next fall if shortages develop. A lifting of the midnight cur¬ few for night spots, theatres, etc., and the ban on horse racing was also expected to follow. Travel bans were expected to re¬ main in force, with the Office of Defense Transportation indicating that conditions for traveling civilians might well be worse following V-E Day. The Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee will hold an additional hearing on the bill to outlaw “Bingo” in the state, although the committee last week recommended the measure for passage. Throughout the country, many state legislative sessions were closing without passing laws affecting the industry. In many spots, such legislation was under consideration, but, after discussions, was pigeon holed in various committees. Usual industry vigilance was maintained. Theatre men in Minnesota last week were awaiting the result of the current time rebellion calling for a return to stand¬ ard time, but did not expect it to have any great effect on operations. In the legislature, rural salons were pressing the issue to eliminate the present war time, although Minneapolis City Council has voted to remain on war time in spite of the Legislature and St. Paul, Duluth, and other large cities are expected to follow suit. The test will come in July. Then, unless constitutionality of the measure is attacked in the courts, the repealer goes into effect. Blanke Signs WB Deal Hollywood — Jack L. Warner, executive producer for Warners, announced this week, that Henry Blanke, producer, has been signed to a contract which will con¬ tinue his Warner association for the next 15 years, and bring his total length of service with the studio to 37 years an alltime record for producer-studio relation¬ ship. The Season’s Hit: The Service Kit Legion Uses NSS Trailers New York — National headquarters of the American Legion has purchased 1,000 spe¬ cial trailers from National Screen Serv¬ ice for the purpose of informing returning servicemen that the American Legion stands ready to aid them in their rehabili¬ tation to civil life, it was announced last week. May 9, 1945