Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1945)

U.S. Legion of Merit Goes to Colonel Rudd NEW YORK— Col. A. G. Rudd has received the Legion of Merit for his service in organizing and directing the activities of the Army Emergency Relief and the personal affairs division of the Second service command. The decoration was presented at Governors Island by Maj. Gen. T. A. Terry, commanding general of the Second service command. Colonel Rudd, who was on active duty with the army from April, 1942, to February, 1945, recently retired to resume his duties as vicepresident of Newsreel Theatres, Inc. RCA Victor Promotes Two CAMDEN — Frank M. Folson has been elected executive vice-president in charge o f RCA Victor division, and John G. Wilson becomes operating vice-president of the same division. Folson joined RCA after serving in Washington as chief of the procurement branch of the navy department. In addition to being in charge of RCA's manufacturing division, he is a director of both RCA and NBC. Wilson has been in charge of financial administration of RCA Victor for the past year. Goodman Back at Para NEW YORK — Monroe Goodman has been honorably discharged from the army and has resumed his former position as aide to Oscar A. Morgan, sales manager of Paramount shorts and news. Morgan’s assistant since 1939, Goodman served in the armed forces for 26 months. His last duty was at Kelly Field in charge of the post theatre. Sign Laboratory Pact NEW YORK — An agreement climaxing months of negotiations was reached June 6 between Local 702 of the Motion Picture Laboratory Technicians’ Union, and the employers group. This agreement will be held subject to ratification of the union membership at a special meeting on June 16. Feldman Signs Lease NEW YORK — Lucian T. Feldman has signed a long-term lease on the 600-seat Strand Theatre, 404 South Orange Ave., Newark. It has been operated for the last ten years by Arthur Shulman. The new lessee plans extensive alterations. Berk & Krumgold were the brokers. Sumer Singer Dead NEW YORK — Sumer Singer, 38, who handled film advertising for Buchanan & Co., died at his home, 1133 Park Ave. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne, and two children, Max and Lewis. Wilma Freeman Leaves UA NEW YORK — United Artists’ promotion manager, Wilma Freeman, is leaving UA to join the Fizdale Organization on June 22. In her new association, Miss Freeman will continue to contact UA home office executives in view of the fact that her new job calls for handling the campaign for “The Southerner,” a UA release. Irving Cohen Leaves Paramount NEW YORK — Irving Cohen has resigned from his post in the legal department of Paramount. He will enter into general practice in association with Howard E. Reinheimer, 11 E. 44th St. PARIS-BOUND — Col. William H. Keighley (left), director, who was recently discharged from the army, and Sol Lesser, UA producer, arrive in New York on their way to France where they will produce “Paris Canteen.” Paramount Drive Aides Finishing First Tour NEW YORK — Drive Captains Allen Usher and M. R. "Duke" Clark, Chicago and Dallas district managers, respectively, are completing the first of two tours of Paramount exchanges on behalf of the company’s Third of a Century celebration, August 26 through September 29. Usher is covering western branches, while Clark is touring the south and east. They have discussed with sales and booking personnel preliminary plans for the celebration, with special emphasis on “Incendiary Blonde,” selected as the celebration feature. Accompanied by the respective district managers, Usher has conducted meetings in Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Ore., Seattle and Salt Lake City. Clark has visited Oklahoma City, Dallas, Memphis, New Orleans, Charlotte, Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Cincinnati. The second tour will start in July when company executives and studio personalities will accompany them. RKO Elects Directors DOVER, DEL.— Stockholders of RKO, at the annual meeting, elected nine directors: Ned E. Depinet, Harry M. Durning, Frederick L. Ehrman, L. Lawrence Green, L. Boyd Hatch, Floyd B. Odium, N. Peter Rathvon, George H. Shaw, J. Miller Walker. Price, Waterhouse & Co. were named as accountants. MPPDA Book Out June 15 NEW YORK— “The Hays Office,” a history of the MPPDA, has been written by Raymond Moley, said to have been collecting material for it for six years. The book traces the progress in self-government made by the industry during the last 23 years. It will be published by Bobbs-Merrill on June 15. Savage and Neal Costar in "Detour" Ann Savage and Tom Neal are set to costar in “Detour,” a PRC production. South Africa Offers Many Opportunities CINCINNATI— “South Africa will provide a fertile market for American exports in postwar days, particularly in war-developed refinements in laminated plastics for industrial, consumer and decorative applications,” says A. A. Smit of Johannesburg, Union of South Africa. “The Union is ready and waiting as a wonderful market for Americanmade products.” Smit is associated with the Lamson International Corp., Johannesburg, representing the Formica Insulation Co. He is visiting the local plant of the latter company in order to study wartime developments in new applications of laminated plastic products such as have been produced for eventual use in meeting peacetime industrial and consumer needs. British Scenarist Joins Princeton Film Center PRINCETON, N. J.— Hugh Gray, former dramatic and film critic, screen writer and story editor, is now working on a number of special purpose film assignments at the Princeton Film Center. A native of England, Gray joined Gaumont British in 1931, later became associated with Sir Alexander Korda’s London Films, and at the start of the war wrote many documentaries for the British Ministry of Information. In 1940, Gray joined the RAF as an intelligence officer. He served as scenario writer and editor of a newly-formed film production unit until he was honorably discharged, holding the rank of flight lieutenant. Since his arrival in this country, in 1943, he has been working in Hollywood for RKO, Warner Bros., 20th-Fox and Universal. Roxy Aide Drops Wreath At Sea to Mark Sinking NEW YORK— Charles Sherman, Roxy projectionist, was given the honor of dropping a wreath at the approximate spot where the USS Plymouth was sunk by a German submarine in August of 1943. Sherman was a close friend of the late Ensign Rubin Ketch, who went down with the ship. They had been buddies since World War I when they served in the navy together. Sherman and Chaplain J. J. Model, USNR, flew in a navy blimp to the approximate location where the USS Plymouth was sunk, about 153 miles off the coast of North Carolina. M-G-M Re-Sign Quimby NEW YORK — Fred Quimby, cartoon producer and short subjects executive, has signed a new long-term contract with M-G-M. He joined the company in 1926, organized its shorts program and later launched the M-G-M Cartoon Studio, winner of three Academy awards in four years. For the forthcoming release schedule Quimby is producing 16 cartoons. Crosby Voted Year's Dad NEW YORK — The General Eisenhower Medal was awarded to Bing Crosby for being the outstanding screen father of 1945 by the national Fathers’ Day committee. Crosby, the father of four sons, paid tribute to other screen fathers and showed the committee and guests a picture of his boys. He is making a golf match tour for the Seventh War Loan. 50 BOXQFFICE :: June 9, 1945