Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1945)

6 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, September 12, 19' Critics' Quotes . . . "CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT" (Warner Brothers) . . . peppered with expert gags and amusing confusions . . . Morgan works the slow-crooked smile and easy-does-it manner overtime . . . Miss Stanwyck is a competent, if not too flexible, farceuse. Better direction would have have rationed her shrugs. Greenstreet is required to do and say shallow and capricious things inconsistent with the character of an important publisher, but his sincerity saves the role. — Ethel Hoffman, Buffalo Evening News. Generally amusing, though highly implausible ... its cast is exceptional . . . has an exceptional idea for entertainment. — W. E. J. Martin, Buffalo Cornier-Express. A somewhat heavy-footed and overdone farce of* the bedroom variety, "Christmas in Connecticut'' has compensation in the way of star power, occasional funny lines and some excellent performances. It is a photoplay of contradictions, full of tinsel glamor, and what passes in Hollywood for sophistication, with some unusual situations and some banal ones, and clinches, cliches and cleverness mixed without much rhyme, or reason. — Donald Kirkley, The Sun, Baltimore. It's a farce with a far-fetched plot, some funny lines and situations, some old gags, a bit of double entendre, a cast of charming, expert players. All of which makes "Christmas in Connecticut" an amiable, amusing cantata of lightweight variety. — Norman Clark, Baltimore News-Post. "Only a few discrepancies keep the picture from being almost a humdinger ... it is a delightful comedy." — Ray P. David, Evening Sun, Baltimore. "OUT OF THIS WORLD" (Paramount) . . . broad and genial satire about crooners and bobbysockers ... by dubbing in Crosby's voice every time Bracken opens his mouth, a synthetic male with high entertainment value has been created . . . there are hilarious and not-so-bright sequences. — Ethel Hoffman, Buffalo Evening News. Imaginative, ingenious and delightfully funny . . . it's entertainment plus. . . . Veronica is in and out, in a role scarcely worth her talents . . . use of Bing's baritone adds immensely to the fun. — W. E. J. Martin, Buffalo CourierExpress. "JUNIOR MISS" (20th Century-Fox) You may have seen it as a stage play and recall how amusing it was. Well, it's just as delightfully laughable in its present form. . . . Peggy Ann Garner is tops in the chief role. . . . — Norman Clark, Baltimore News-Post. The movie version loses none of the flavor of the Broadway production. Peggy Ann Garner is a natural for the role of the lovable, irrepressible Judy. — Bonnie Gay, Baltimore Evening Sun. Film Gift (Continued from page 1) films now in Overseas Motion Picture Service exchanges will play out, a process which may require four to six months after new deliveries cease. One-third of 150.OOQ.000 feet of raw stock used was donated by Eastman Kodak and the Photo Products Division of E. I. du Pont de Nemours Co. ; the balance was purchased by the donor companies. • Laboratories processing the film waived all profits. The monetary value of $38,500,000 was only as of Sept. 1 and included cash spent for raw stock, raw stock contributions, laboratory profits, Technicolor's contribution and the estimated copyright value of five cents per man for an attendance exceeding 700,000,000. Stimson Order Secretary of War Stimson had advised the WAC that he was instructing Army officers to proceed with the changeover from gift films to regular Army rental payments. , The original gift of 80 16mm prints was made in a ceremony at WAC headquarters a few weeks after Pearl Harbor when Gen. Frederick H. Osborn, who, later, returning from an overseas inspection, declared that films represent 80 per cent of the overseas recreation program, and called films "the number one morale factor in the service." The whole matter of print deliveries was handled by a WAC subcommittee, headed by William D. Kelly of Loew's, as chairman, with members including : W. Brennan, G. Roberts, S. Kramer, R. Hilton, M. Stoker, C. J. (Pat) Scollard, P. Abrahams, E. Seifert, Mrs. N. Witting and Miss J. Rosenthal. Laboratory representatives were : A. Freedman, R. Altschuler, F. LaGrande, J. Spray, N. Tronolone, S. Solow, S. Tulpan, J. Goetz and J. E. Tucker. Eastman Kodak was represented by W. J. German and E. I. du Pont .by N. F Oakley. Last Prints Ordered This week the last order of 1,000 prints of new pictures was sent to laboratories by the WAC, for Navy use on small craft. The Navy, throughout the war, has relied on 35mm films as its primary source of entertainment, and the removal of blackout restrictions at se^ enables the Navy now to resume deck showings with standard equipment. Similarly, the Army Motion Picture Service during the war operated nearly 1,200 35mm theatres in Army camps in the U. S., Alaska, Hawaii, and the Canal Zone for admission showings of rented films. While the number has decreased in the last few months, more than 1,000 Army theatres still give daily exhibitions to returnees and domestic installations. Recently, the Army Motion Picture Service took over responsibility also for a 35mm circuit in Europe, which now has more than 150 requisitioned theatres in operation. The industry's joint committee in charge of the " changeover from gift films to 16mm and 35mm rented product consists of Ben Kalmenson, Abe Montague, Charles M. Reagan and William F. Rodgers, for the distributors, and Arthur M. Locw, Philip Reisman, Joseph A. Seidelman and Murray Silverstone for the foreign managers' division. The morale value attached to the Strike Meeting (Continued from page 1) at the meeting by strike strategy committee representative Roger McDonald, now in New York, and D. T. Wayne, Machinists' local head, who will go from here. On receiving the report, strike leader Herbert Sorrell said : "We will be pleasantly surprised if ■ anything is done at the meeting to simplify our problems in the studios, but we are not counting on it." Disneys Shift (Continued from page 1) contact supervisor for the Young and Rubican Advertising Agency, to join the Disney organization, at the Coast studio, about Oct. 1st. The meeting of the Disney board of directors will be held in Hollywood on a date which has not yet been determined. 'Pierce' Tradeshow Set Warner Brothers' "Mildred Pierce" lias been set for national tradeshowing on Oct. 1, the company announces. 16mm gift to the Armed Forces has also been voiced by Gen. Joseph W. Byron, director of the Army's Special Services Division, who declares : "I can personally testify that the soldiers have the highest regard for this entertainment. . fiir... It is a pleasure to report this . . . and to thank the industry, through your War Activities Committee, for . . . great cooperation and generosity." Export Corp. (Continued from page 1) country where the Export Co. will serve as a medium for the resumption of the distribution of Hollywood-made films on a commercial scale, under U. S. Army supervision. It was learned following the meeting that United Artists, which had previously decided to remain out of the Export Co. is now studying the advisability of becoming affiliated with the organization. Also, Donald M. Nelson, president of the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers, speaking for independents, recently told Motion Picture Daily that there is a willingness on the part of the independents to join with the distributors, even in the Export Corp., to form a common front to fight foreign film monopolies and discriminatory trade practices. Yesterday's discussions of Export Co. members and executives centered around the Holland situation, especially in view of protests made by the Netherlands government, through its Information Bureau in New York, that a government film monopoly does not exist in that country. Final moves for the launching of the Export Co. in Holland are expected to be taken before the end of this week. PRC Post (Continued from page 1) of Monogram franchise holders for the presidency of that company at the last annual meeting in Chicago last Spring. W. Ray Johnston, however, was reelected president of Monogram. WMC Says Ohio Has 38,238 Jobs Open Cleveland, Sept. 11. — Although 167,000 workers have been laid off in the eight industrial key towns of Ohio since the end of the war, 38,238 jobs in these same areas are still open, the War Manpower Commission announces. Areas affected are: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, Youngstown, Warren, Dayton, Springfield, Canton and Akron. Griffith Trial (Continued from page 1) William George Underwood, veter1 Dallas distributor and promoter, frc whom Government attorneys ; tempted to draw testimony whi would show a close bond between t Griffith companies and the distr' utors. A stockholder in the no dissolved Oklahoma-Texas Enb prises, organized by Paramount 1920 as a holding company, Und' wood said that in 1932 the stockhold' had bought all of Paramount's intere but he did not make clear the eventi status of several stockholders, inch: ing Sam Dembow, Jr. and Ned Depinet. He said he had arram with the Griffiths to operate soof the circuit's theatres on a 50'; basis because he and his partners w not prepared to manage them succei fully. Another witness, T. R. Benedi attorney for Mrs. Juanita Bei owner of the Oklahoma Theatre Norman, said the Griffiths tried force her to sell them her house ' 1936, but he admitted he was una to identify positively either of the s viving Griffith brothers as the r who came to his office that year ; made the alleged threat. R. E. Gf fith has since died. Failure of several witnesses to si up delayed completion of the Gove ment's case today. NBC Sets 'Parade Stars' Promotions NBC's fourth annual " Parade i Stars" program promotional c; paign, prepared in cooperation v clients, agencies and NBC stars, the network's advertising and pro: tion department, under the supervi: of Charles P. Hammond, direc has been set in motion with the m ing of material-filled kits to the i work's 155 stations. Delson Back to Law Robert Delson, formerly assoc general counsel for Consolidated Industries and Republic Pictures, been honorably discharged after n than three years in the Army, and joined the firm of Delson, Levin Gordon, to specialize in law on mo pictures, the stage and radio. Setting 'Dimes' Drive Howard J. London, director of tion pictures and radio for the Nat al Foundation for Infantile Parab has left New York for a three-w trip to San Francicso and Hollyw to set radio plans for the 1946 M; of Dimes campaign.