Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1948)

THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS Free Money GUS NESTLE, manager of the Palace at Jamestown, New York, has learned, to his sorrow, of the power of advertising. Dreaming up a new gimmick for a giveaway show, he hung a sign outside his Palace which read : "Money is free at the Palace." Opening his theatre the day after his sign hanging, he discovered that thieves had broken into his office safe and stolen $1,000. The thing that really hurt Mr. Nestle was that the giveaway show was not scheduled to start for a week. Whodunit? LOUISVILLE police got in some parlor practice in detecting last week when 17 recruits from the city's police school and Director of Safety David McCandless and Police Chief Carl Heustis sat down in the Rex screening room to watch Columbia's "Walk a Crooked Mile." The projectionist stopped the show just before its conclusion, the lights were turned up, and the police were asked: Whodunit? Who stole the formulae? How did they do it? It was reported that nine of the men picked the culprit and two others knew how. Shutdown IT STARTED about six weeks ago with a simple announcement, saying that, because of a mixup, no properties were ready for shooting and the Eagle Lion studios would have to close "for a while." This week a company spokesman announced that the Eagle Lion studio doors would stay closed until the end of January with only a skeleton staff of some 20 men to remain at "the plant. When the studio first closed down, some 250 employes were dismissed. This week, about 50 more received notices. Eagle Lion top executives, such as Brian Foy and Aubrey Schenck, will take leaves of absence without salary, according to the studio. Indicted Washington Bureau J. PARNELL THOMAS, chairman of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, was indicted Monday on charges of conspiracv to defraud the Government and of filing false claims against the Government. His former secretary, Helen Camphell, was also indicted on the conspiracy charge by a Federal grand jury which has been investigating charges of salary "kickbacks" since October 22. Specifically Mr. Thomas and Miss Campbell were accused of putting Miss Campbell's niece and Miss MOTION PICTURE HERALD for November 13, 1948 TRUST trial on again, off again, with divorce still the issue Page 13 RKO independent circuit again, as it was once long ago Page 16 COURT signs separate consent decree for RKO; out of suit Page 17 ACADEMY starts fight for the right to the name "Academy Awards" Page 18 EXHIBITORS file planned decree in action against Ascap Page 18 JOHNSTON tells how it looks from herebook review by Terry Ramsaye Page 22 SCREEN has nothing to fear from television, Mamoulian insists Page 23 NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT— Notes on industry personnel across country Page 26 CBS acquires 52 British feature pictures for television use Page 32 THE WORLD MARKET SECTION Following Page 36 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS Hollywood Scene Page 31 In the Newsreels Page 36 Managers' Round Table Page 39 Picture Grosses Page 37 Short Product at First Runs Page 35 What the Picture Did for Me Page 34 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews Advance Synopses Short Subjects The Release Chart Page 4381 Page 4383 Page 4383 Page 4384 Campbell's maid on the payroll. These two would then, it is charged, turn their checks over to Mr. Thomas. Mr. Thomas was accused of presenting fraudulent payroll claims on behalf of a clerk-typist who never worked for Mr. Thomas. Prior to the election Mr. Thomas damned the jury investigation as "cheap Pendergast polities'' and demanded to be heard — after the election. After his reelection he refused to testify on advice of counsel, he said. Parting of the Ways EVER SINCE Louis de Rochemont had signed his producing deal with Metro last January he had in mind the idea of bringing to the screen "Lost Boundaries," a story of the people who "pass" from the Negro race to the white race. This week, with the news that MGM had made "an executive decision" not to produce the picture — it already I is making two others dealing with the Negro question — it was reported that Mr. de Rochemont and MGM were negotiating a parting of the ways. Rights to "Lost Boundaries" stay with Mr. de Rochemont. The company's explanation for the dropping of the property was that there was fear of "overemphasis." The two other films, for which Metro is continuing preparation, are "Intruder in the Dust" and "Stars In My j Crown." Giveaway Hollywood Bureau NATIONAL THEATRES will give away automobiles and other merchandise, in cooperation with local merchants, during the final two weeks, in December, of the circuit's annual drive. The giveaways are being used to stimulate business for the closing period of the campaign and to offset the usual pre-holiday slump. The move is similar to measures taken a year ago by the circuit and does not signify the permanent institution of a giveaway program. Bright Idea London Bureau OUR BUOYANTLY sanguine president of j the Board of Trade, Harold Wilson, has an • other bright idea of how American film trad ers may utilize some of their unremittable sterling. He thinks they might assist in the building and maintenance of an Oxford University Theatre. This theatre has been talked of for many years and has now reached the point where models of its proposed building have been prepared. Many j people have been wondering who on earth could pay — these impoverished days — for the luxury of such a place. But Oxford graduate Wilson has no doubts on the subject. When he opened an exhibition of the , models at the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford ' he said : "We are doing all we can to encourage the x\mericans to spend their blocked sterling, but it is more than possible that some of their profits will be left over and it is intended that these should be devoted to charitable or educational ends." No representative of America's film industry was listening to Mr. Wilson. J MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 13, 1948 . .^a «a>