The Film Daily (1948)

WSs Tuesday. March 23. 194 New Bfaly Stand Seen Clarifying Blocked $ Italian Ministry of Foreign Trade, it is reported, has clarified its stand regarding blocked funds deriving from distribution of film imports insofar as to permit importation of all foreign product for which application is made provided they originate in countries with whom Italy has no special payment agreement. Monies from distribution, under the new plan, will be paid into a special film company account which, will not be transferable, to bej opened in a bank specially authorized. • Funds in these accounts may be drawn upon to equip Italian studios and for local production. Participation in Italian production is limited to 80 per cent of the total capital invested in each production. Application for such production musti be made to the Government. Balance existing in each account,; it was learned, cai be invested in foreign language films made in Italy.1 Amount is limited to existing balance at the time application is made. In this manner the producer may be repaid for his lire expenditure by distribution outside Italy. It was pointed out that whenever estimated cost of production exceeds the amount in the account the producer will have to supply foreign exchange t© the Italian Exchange VOICE Of THE PRESS Extend 'Documentary Style9 A FTER lengthy and patient observation of the use of the "documentary style" in films about crime and corruption, such as the recent "To the Ends of the Earth," "T-Men" and "House on 92nd Srree;," "Kiss of Death" and "Boomerang," this straight, shock-absorbing reviewer has wondered wistfully why this same use of detailed realism is not more frequently applied to non-crime films. Why don't we have more normal pictures — more happy pictures— in which the locales and settings are as real as the city streets, the courts, the penitentiaries and the crime-detection laboratories in these hard-boiled films? And why don't we have more gay romances and natural comedies in which the secondary characters are as well cast as they are in these "semi-documentary" jobs? Unless our memory fails us (and on that we wouldn't bet), much of the pleasing plausibility of "Miracle on 34th Street" came from its actuality scenes. There was something delightfully convincing about the shots of the Macy parade, of scenes on the streets around Herald Square and City Hall downtown. And, of course, the shattering realism of "The Lost Week-end" was due, in part, to the punctilio of filming much of it on the sidewalks of New York. There are many other cities and towns which would serve as well, of course, if any of our producers chose to go out and see — and show —the world.— BOSLEY CROWTHER in the N. Y. Times. Office which will apply lire credit to Four Distnbs. Sue BenniS the blocked account. Payment in this manner frees the foreign company from exchange control measures when the film is finished. Foreign owners of the special film accounts will be offered special exclusive distribution of Italian films KEN MURRAY'S A FULL LENGTH FEATURE tftTfiOCOWX Greatest picture of its kind!" REPUBLIC'S fflSTffi SURPRISE Claiming Percentage Fraud Springfield, Ill—Steve Bennis was named as defendant in four percentage fraud suits filed in the U. > Dis rict Court for the Southern. DisSS of Illinois. Southern -Division. Separate suits were brought by Universal, Warners, RKO and Loews. Complaints are similar to those filed in various other Federal Gourtte throughout the country. Each alleges a conspiracy by the defendant to defraud the respective plaintiff distributors by making and submitting false returns of the admission receipts derived from exhibitions of plaintiff's percentage pictures The theaters-involved are the Lincoln and Grand in Lincoln, Illinois, and the Freeport in Freeport, Illinois. Each plaintiff seeks punitive damages in addition to the damages sustained by the alleged fraud and conspiracy. ^ItSys for each Pontiff jre Brown, Hay & Stephens of Springfield, Illinois. Mayer Meyei, Austrian & Piatt of Chicago are of counsel for each plaintiff. Major League Training Pix on WNBT via Philco A television film preview of the 1948 baseball season, direct from the Florida training camps of nine major league ball clubs, will be sponsored by Philco over NBC's television station WNBT, in a series of nine telecasts starting tonight. Nelson Forms Producing Co. Formation of Nelson Prods., Inc., specializing in the creation of television and radio programs, with offices at 341 Madison Ave., is announced by Raymond E. Nelson, veteran radio and tele producer, who heads ithe new organization. 10U.S.,9U.K.Pixir Technicolor Preparii British studios are running Hoi wood's a neck and neck race in I preparation of pictures to be filnin Technicolor, r.ccording t ^e 1 est available Technicolo4t *"eati schedule which shows 10 U. S. c vat pix and nine British in prepa ' tory stages. However, there is a three-to-c edge for Hollywood when it comes' Technicolor pix now in producti' Of the total of 15 on the Technicol schedule, five are British, 10 Arm ican. With 19 Technicolor features current release, 26 more form a si; able reservoir for future distributic Only two of the 19 are of Briti origin, while Britain is represent by as many more among the 26. k The Technicolor schedules follov Currently Released "Black Narcissus" I Br. I — Independent Pi I ducers Ltd.. U-I: "Captain ironi Castile' X( 20th-Fox; "Desert Fury" — Walhs. Par.* "Down to Earth" — Col.: "Fun and Fan1 Free" — Disney-RKO; "Forever Amber"' 20th-Pox; "Good News" — M-G-M: "Life Wi, Father" — Warners; "My Wild Irish Ro*", Warners: "Pirates of Monterey — U I: "K lentless" — Col.: "Secret Life ol Walter Mi tv" — Goldwyn-RKO: "Smugglers. The" (fori erly "The Man Within"! iBr. i— Gainsbc ouch Pictures Ltd.. Eagle Lion. "Swordsma The" — Col.: "This Time for Keeps"— M-G-J "Thunder in the Valley" I formerly "Bob. 9( of Battle"! — 20th-Fox: "Tycoon" — RK( j "Unconquered" — Paramount; "L'nflmsln Dance, The" — M-G-M. To Be Released "Black Bart"— U-I: "Emperor Waltz. Th< — Para.: "Give My Regards to Broadwaj (formerly "Off to Buffalo" I — 2<>th-Foj "Green Grass of Wyoming" — 20th-Fo2 "Ideal Husband. An" (Br.i — London FU Prods. — 20th-Fox: "Jassy" (Br. I — Gain borough Pictures Ltd.; "Kissing Bandit. Tlu —M-G-M: "Luxury Liner" — M-G-M; from Colorado. The" — Col.: "Master of La, , sie" (formerly "Hills of Home" I — M-G-M I "On An Island With You"— M-G-M; "Pal. P face"— Para.; "Pirate. The" — M-G-M; "Re Pony. The" — Rep.: "Return of October"Col.: "River Lady" — U-I; "Romance on th High Seas" — CurtizWarners: "So Dear to Heart" — Disney-RKO; "Song Is Born, (formerly "That's Life") — Goldwyn-R "Summer Holiday" — M-G-M: "Scudda Ho<' Scudda Hay!" — 20th-Fox; "Tale of Navajos" — M-G-M: "Tap Roots" — Wange, U-I; "Three Daring Daughters" (former' •Birds and Bees") — M-G-M: "Two Guys fro Texas" — Warners; "Whispering Smith" Para. In Production "Adventures of Don Juan" — Warnere "Apartment for Peggy" — 20th-Fox: "Blanch" Fury" (Br.) — Independent Producers LU "Bonnie Prince Charlie" (Br) — London FillProds.: "Connecticut Yankee. A" — Para "Date With Judy" — M-G-M: "Easter Parade — M-G-M; "Joan" — Wanger-RKO: "Loves Oarmen" — Col.: "One Sunday Afternoon" Warners: "Red Shoes" (Br.) — Independent Producers Ltd.: "Saraband for Dead Lovere I Br.) — Ealing; "Scott of the Antarctic (Br.) — Ealing; "Son of Lappland" (B L. Hamberg and Folkrorelsernas FilmorganL ation Filmo: "That Lady in Ermine" (font' erly "This Is the Moment") — 20th-For In Preparation "Blue Lagoon" (Br. I — Independent Produ ers Ltd.: "Boy With the Green Hair. TI RKO; "Burlesque" — 20th-Fox: "Columbnj (Br.) — -Gainsborough; "Dancing Years" (Br.i — Rank: "Elizabeth of Austria" (Br.)-> Rank; "Explorer. The" — Argosy-RKO; "Ft from the Madding Crowd" (Br.) — Indepenc ent Producers Ltd.: "49'ers. The" — Curtli Warners: "I Will Repay" (Br.) — Londo Film Prod3. Ltd.; "Mantilla" (Br.) — Galni borough Pictures Ltd.; "Melody Time" — Dit ney-RKO: "Penhales" (Br.) — Independan Producers Ltd.; "Rope" — TransatlanticWan ers; "Silver Lining" — Warners: "So Longr the Fair" (Br.) — Rank: "Teacher's Pet"20th-Fox: "Three Musketeers" — M-G^M "Tom Thumb" — Pal. U.A.