The Film Daily (1948)

Thursday, July 8, 1948 IIIEl DAILY: Quota to Cut Profits, Stoddiolders Warned (Continued from Page 1) proach to the profit side, but the message nevertheless was there for tl^ ABPC shareholders to read in a ^•ement attached to the annual report. There was, Sir Philip warned, serious danger in the quota situation — danger that British producers may be driven to sacrifice quality for quantity at a time when British films are earning deservedly a high reputation with the public. Sir Philip did not have to underscore this with a statement that British pix lacking in quality would not do well at the box office, either here or elsewhere. (Arthur S. Abeles, Jr., now managing director for Warners in the U. K. last week took an identical view of the 45 per cent quota's effect upon production, noting that it was evidently the intent that American companies producing here make "quickies" instead of top quality pix.) Associated British, which controls Associated British Cinemas, one of the "Big Three" U. K. circuits, and Associated British Film Distributors, will do everything in its power to conform to the provisions of the 1948 Films Act, the Warter statement asserted. Canam's Distribution To be Via U. S. Major (Continued from Page 1) producer for Canam, is in New York from Toronto for talks both on distribution and talent deals. Canam will send its first pic, "The Gallant Greenhorn," based on a CBC radio show, before the cameras about midAugust. Present plan is to shoot it largely on location in the Lake . I Louise country. 'I Canam is understood seeking Les f pley Selander to direct "The Gallant Greenhorn," which carries a $250,000 budget. Second pic "The Blue Hour," based -|-on a Crime Club novel, will be made .in Rank's Toronto studios. John R. McPherson of NSS Dies Suddenly in London (Continued from Page 1) ' i sistant to the vice-president and finrij', ally, assistant to President Herman *[ Robbins, his last post before coming ] to Britain. I Jx * * * * * Sena (Blrtnaay. Qreetlng,5 ZJo — 5fia» July 8 Louis C. Ingram Eugene Pallette Glenn Langan Lon Young Faye Emerson George A. Smith Craig Stevens ^//^^^-V«^ PHIL M. DALY Thursday's Tattle-Tales • • • EAGLE LION'S Max E. Youngstein sent his aide, lerry Pickman, to Canon City, Colo., to mastermind the premiere there of "Canon City" Now go on with the story, as reported by the Canon City Daily Record: "Cowboy Jerry Pickman, a cagy bronc buster from Brooklyn was in fine fettle as he approached his last minute tasks He was attired in typical western attire which is necessary in his work You have to be dressed properly for your work when you prepare to throw the bull Cowboy Pickman wears a ten gallon hat, a loud western shirt with bandana to match, whipcord riding breeches and the usual cowboy boots The boots were an especial problem for Pickman as he kept slipping and crashing on his sacroiUac (see Webster) and so he has had rubber cushions added to his high heels" "This," said Pickman, "will make it easier to ride subways and other things that come my way when I'm in New York" P. S. The proof of the pudding being in the eating, Jerry took over Page One of the Record on successive days and for good measure, there was a souvenir world premiere edition on opening day Ride 'em cowboy, indeed! ▼ TV • • • GOVERNOR DEWEY'S selection of Glen AUvine for his Presidential campaign team is a tip off that films will have a major role in GOP standard bearer's campaign And if Dewey moves into the White House, it's reasonable to anticipate the "team" will stay on the job. ... • Tele coverage of the Democratic convention is expected to equal that of the GOP insofar as program hours go And the video boys are hopeful of benefiting from the experience in Philly last month. ... • June Havoc will be back on Broadway next season in Gilbert Seldes' "Lysistrota '48" under the N. Y. Theater Guild's banner Ditto Cornel Wilde, and the Missus, Patricia Knight, who will be presented on Broadway in "Lord Byron" by William L. Taub Likewise Miriam Hopkins, undecided at the moment between two scripts. ▼ T ▼ • • • BABE RUTH'S presence at the charity world premiere of AA's "The Babe Ruth Stoiy" at the Astor Theater on the night of July 26 is now anticipated as a result of the Babe's response to radiation treatment Premiere tickets will be priced at $10, the proceeds going to the Babe Ruth Foundation Pic opens its regular run at the Astor the next day, and is penciled in for an indefinite stay Steve Broidy and Lou Lifton and their aides have opened premiere campaign headquarters at the Hotel Warwick. ... • The N. Y. Daily News' video station, WPIX, will make those 24 Korda pix highlights a successive Sunday night program, with "The Private Life of Henry VIII" in the tee off spot next Sunday. ... • Governor Hildreth of Maine and other Maine officials and reps, of the Fourth Estate will see 20th-Fox's "Deep Waters" this morn at a special screening at the Colonial, Augusta A lobster luncheon will follow Henry King directed the 20lh-Fox pic against a Maine background last Summer. ... • Some members of the UA board admittedly would like to see Dore Schary join the fold. ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • HOW MANY EXHIBS. can equal the record of A. P. Way, manager of the Avenue Theater in Dubois, Pa.? A. P. is now in his 52nd year of theater business and still going strong Proud to be among the 100 oldest subscribers to Your Favorite Industry Newspaper, the Dubois veieran writes, "We greatly appreciate each copy of the Year Book, and find many uses for each one, as we keep them from year to year intact The 1948 really is a fine edition" Thank you. Sir! ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • TODAY'S FORECAST: Paramount's "A Foreign Affair " will be high among the mop up pix of the box office year and will be way up in the 1948 "Ten Best." cominc nno goirg J. ROBERT RUBIN, M-G-M general counsel and vice-president, left for the Coast last night for studio conferences. WILLIAM F. RODGERS, M-G-M vice-president and general sales manager, arrives in Buffalo today for a meeting of local exhibitors ond exchange heads in connection with the Will Rogers Memorial drive. WILLIAM R. FERGUSON, M-G-M exploitation head, leaves for Chicago by plane today to spend a few days in the Windy City conferring with Les Peterson, of the studio, and Midwestern field reps. MRS. BEN GOETZ, head of M-G-M's British production activities, sails tomorrow aboard the S. S. Queen Mary for London. HAROLD CONRAD, formerly of the Daily Mirror, leaves for England today by air to handle the publicity and exploitation for "The 1948 Olympic Games," which Eagle Lion will distribute in the U. S. and Latin America. MR. and MRS. J. MYER SCHINE, accompanied by son, David, and nephew, Donald, are Europe bound. JACK CROWE, assistant manager, Schine's Paramount, Syracuse, has returned from a vacation in Washington. HARRY M. KALMINE, president of Warners Theaters, and RUDOLPH WEISS, head of the company's real estate department, leave for Washington today. They return to New York Monday. JULES LAPIDUS, Warners Eastern and Canadian division sales manager, left yesterday for Pittsburgh. He returns to New York Monday. ALFRED CROWN, head of the foreign department for Samuel Goldwyn Productions, is back in New York after a seven-week business trip abroad. LOU LIFTON, AA-Monogram ad-publicity director, is here from the Coast to set the campaign for the Astor Theater charity world premiere of "The Babe Ruth Story" on July 26. FAYETTE W. ALLPORT was in Paris from London yesterday to confer with Gerald Mayer, managing director of the MPAA international division. JOHN McCarthy, assistant managing director of the MPAA international division, returns late this week from London. BEN KALMENSON, Warners vice-president in charge of sales, and ROY HAINES, Western division sales manager, leave today for Chicago. They return to New York Monday. Realart's vice-president, BUDD ROGERS, is visiting Realart's Detroit and Minneapolis exchanges this week. SCOTT BRADY, featured in E-L's "Cdnon City," arrived yesterday from Denver via United Airlines. GEORGE JESSEL, 20th-Fox producer, leaves Hollywood today for New York, enroute to Paris to seek background material on "Call Me Mister." MOE KERMAN, president of Favorite Films, leaves tomorrow to conduct sales meetings in Chicago and Los Angeles. GREGORY RATOFF has arrived in Rome from London. JACK L. WARNER and MRS. WARNER are at Cap Antibes. HOWARD HAWKS is due in today from the Coast, accompanying DARRYL F. ZANUCK. TONY MARTIN, who arrived in New York yesterday from England aboard the S. S. Queen Mary, left last night by plane for Hollywood. DONALD O'CONNOR arrives in New York today from Hollywood and will sail tomorrow for South Africa aboard the S. S. Sharon Victory to make P. A.'s in connection with the premieres of "Are You With If?" in Capetown and Johannesburg. C. J. FELDMAN, U-l Western division sales manager, is on a tour of the Des Moines, Omaha, Milwaukee and Chicago exchanges, returning to the home office July 15. DEATHS J. FRANK MEDNICK, 57, owner of the Latosca and Troujan, in Los Angeles. EDWARD F. McCLELLEN, Boston film attorney, at Hyannis, Mass.