The Film Daily (1948)

)ore Schary Resigns ids RKO Prod. Head "hursday, July 1, 1948 DAILY I (Continued from Page 1 ) aay have prompted his step. Reports ,)ersist that William Dozier, high ankioff U-I executive, may suc ee^^'^hary. August Filming Holiday 3et for Universal City West Coast Bureau of THE FILM 'DAILY Hollywood — No productions will be n front of the cameras at the Universal lot during August, it is anlounced, and personnel not required 'or post-production operations will Hake vacations during the month. j?lan is said to have been worked out jrior to the departure for England )f William Goetz, production chief. E9 Historical Subjects For Freedom Train Trip Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY . Washington — A group of 29 historical films produced by the indus;ry are available to schools and edu';ational groups during the journey hi the Freedom Train through Wisonsin, MPAA announced. All have been recommended for school and 'community programs by the Film Library of the Extension Division of bhe University of Wisconsin, which ' ilso distributes fhe subjects. * ' Additional prints of the recom^Tiended films have been made available to hundreds of other film libra ^' '"ies across the country, Eric A. Johnston, MPAA president, said. ZJinecolor in Relations Program With Coast Guilds West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — In the start of an inlustry-wide public relations program, IJinecolor on July 8 will play host ■,o members of the Society of Motion Picture Art Directors at the Burbank jlant. Program, designed to pro .Tiote better understanding and closer ^A^orking harmony between motion Dicture guilds and Cinecolor techlicians is under supervision of A. Pam Blumenthal, chairman of the Uinecolor board. Get-togethers are scheduled with ;)ther Hollywood guilds with present ^lans calling for one such meeting a I'Tionth. Drganizing Cinema Collectors Cinema Collectors, a club to be nade up of collectors of motion pic,ure apparatus, equipment, stills, his,orical data and literature, is being i! organized by Irving Browning, New ■fork cameraman, and G. W. Dunston )f Norfolk, Va. Browning has an extensive collection of motion picture cameras, while Dunston is a ;ollector of film projectors. WB Omaha Branch Moves Omaha — The Warners exchange ;enter here moves into its new quarters today. New address is 1401 Davenport St. REVIEUJS Of REUI flLfllS 'Hamlet' with Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Eileen Herlie, Basil Sydney, Felix Aylmer, Norman Wooland, Terence Morgan. U-I-Rank 153 mins. UNMISTAKABLY STAMPED WITH GENIUS, THIS FILM WILL DOUBTLESS BE A PEAK MOMENT OF FILMGOING FOR A LONG TIME; SUPERB IN EVERY RESPECT, AND POTENTIALLY GREAT BOX OFFICE Unmistakably stamped with the mark of genius, this Two Cities Films production of William Shakespeare's tragedy will doubtless be a high water mark of anybody's filmgoing for years to cotne. The Melancholy Dane of the castle in Elsinore, who could not make up his mind, played by Laurence Olivier, in black and white, assumes a stature of compelling interest as the many facets of his character are revealed. Clipping the original work considerably, Olivier has given his narration of one of the greatest revenge stories a sustained continuity performed with virility and utilizing fully the medium of camera and sound. More fully used is light and shadow. This is brilliant shading of settings for dramatic emphasis. In making "Hamlet" Olivier has contributed greatly to the technique of the controlled change of light intensity handled to conform with players' movements and the importance and significance of the spoken word. This is an example of film making that may well serve as a model for craftsmen to learn from — and then still further improve. The richness of the language of "Hamlet" is rewarding. The play as it unfolds brings out expression after expression, word imagery, inner delineation of feeling, the torment of the deranged. The potentialities of the camera are used fully. Olivier has emphasized moments in short focus that are the finest theater. His use of sound achieves intense amplification of various effects such as the ghostly visitation of his murdered father. It is used recurrently and proves to be one of the gripping mechanical devices of the telling. There will be critical inspection of the editing of the play. Olivier saw fit to eliminate certain characters and the situations wherein they figured. It is said that permitted to run full length the drama would take over four hours. In something close to two and one-half hours Olivier has told a complete story that runs to conclusion coherently. With the central character constantly brooding and planning a lethal move, the action also runs to heights of boldness, sections of robustiousness, high flights of miming and broad moments of macabre humor such as the sequence wherein "Hamlet" on finding Yorick's skull delivers himself of the "Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well," side. The title role is a supreme display of Olivier's talent and the Queen Mother, played by Eileen Herlie, is a performance of stature and skill seldom seen. As Ophelia, Jean Simmons acquitted herself of one of the best roles any actress could ask for. She reaches heights of compassion-provoking acting when she goes mad after the dynasty has been shaken and her lover and family are gone or absent from the scene With the camera hardly ever at rest its roving takes the watcher on a soaring inspection of the developments which culminate in what is probably the best duelling sequence ever captured on film. It is adroit. The sequence is lethal and rapidly examines character while death, inevitable, constantly presses the humans and reaps his crop in wild carnage and demise. Lastly the body of Hamlet is borne off to a soldier's burial while the guns boom and the tale is told. Perhaps even the Bard himself would approve. CAST Laurence Olivier, Eileen Herlie, Bosil Sydney, Felix Aylmer, Jean Simmons, Norman Wooland, Terence Morgan, Harcourt Williams, Patrick Troughton, Tony Tarver, Peter Gushing, Stanley Holloway, Russell Thorndyke, John Laurie, Esmond Knight, Anthony Quayle, Niall McGinnis. CREDITS: A Two Cities Production; Directed by Laurence Olivier, under the management of Filippo Del Giudice, made at Denham: Production design, Roger Furse; Photography, Desmond DickensonArt, Carmen Dillon; Editor, Helga Cranston; Sound, John W. Mitchell, Harry Miller; Music' composed by William Walton, played by the Philharmonia Orchestra under the direction of Muir Mathiesori and John Hollingsworth. DIRECTION, Superb. PHOTOGRAPHY, Excellent. Use of Dutch Lens Seen Trimming Receiver Costs The Hague (By Cable)— An inexpensive method of producing television correction lenses used in video projection is claimed by the Philips Co. of Eindhoven. Company clairns it can make the lenses with the aid of gelatine, thus eliminating the expensive polishing process. Philips plans to manufacture its invention on a large scale and market it abroad, in a move to reduce the cost of tele receivers. Principal benefit claimed is the opportunity to use small cathode tubes, instead of the usual large ones, with the picture enlarged by means of mirrors and the inexpensive correction lenses, arranged according to the Schmidt system. Markey-Loy Charter Films Plans Four Plus Tele Pix West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Gene Markey and Myrna Loy have incorporated Charter Films as an indie producing company with four stories already lined up. Miss Loy will star in three. Additionally, Charter is expected to produce pix for television. Artkino Denied Injunction N. Y. Supreme Court Justice Bernard Botein denied a motion by Artkino Pictures for a temporary injunction, to halt distribution of Film Classics' "Will It Happen Again?" Question of Artkino's claimed exclusive rights to all footage shot in the U. S. S. R. will now await a hearing on Artkino's suit against FC. Showdown Looms on Theater TV Rights (Continued from Page 1) pool. While the session was called to discuss plans for the Democratic and Third Party conventions, at least one network is expected to raise the question of theater TV. Focus of discussion may be the Paramount Theater's pickup of the Dewey acceptance speech — a move regarded by broadcasters concerned as unauthorized. Two of the nets in the pool were outwardly nettled at the feat — and at the fact that one of their number gave Paramount the green light to pick up the station's signal. On the other hand, public service angle of the convention is considered to be the basis of any contemplated action on the part of theaters, despite the fact that no film interests will be involved in the actual origination of telecasts from Philadelphia. ASC Working With Film Groups on Economies West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — In an effort to effect economies in film production, special committees of the American Society of Cinematographers are meeting with representatives of other groups. Initial conferences were held between an ASC group and Thomas F. LoGuidice, New York stafl' engineer for the Society of Motion Picture Engineers. Program calls for emphasis directed toward research on problems of set lighting and procedures, color photography, television and laboratory techniques,, on a long range basis. Immediate plans are for standardization of lens calibration and laboratory practices, in addition to greater control over color range in wardrobe sets and make-up by camera departments. Presiding at the meeting was Charles G. Clarke, ASC president, while those serving on the committee include Karl Freund, Lee Garmes, Ernest Haller, Fred W. Jackman, Sr., William C. Mellor, Arthur Miller, L. William O'Connell, Joseph Ruttenberg, Karl Struss, Philip Tannura, Joseph Walker and Art Reeves. B & K $2.50 Dividend Chicago — B & K Circuit announced yesterday a payment of $2.50 dividend on the common stock. fEmntE TOUCH MRS. PATRICIA HARDING, Schine zone manager's secretary, Eckel, Syracuse. SHIRLEY ZIMMERMAN, cashier, Paramount, Syracuse. FLORENCE KIPP, manager. Paramount Theater, Cincinnati. IRENE MEEK, booker. Popular Pictures, Cincinnati. BARBARA MANIEN, biller, RKO, Indianapolis.