Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1948)

Reissue of 'Angels' Banned in Memphis MEMPHIS — The Memphis and Shelby county board of censors has banned a scheduled return engagement of “Angels With Dirty Paces,” a reissued film which had been booked to follow the current feature, “Johnny Belinda,” at the Warner Theatre. Shown in Memphis ten years ago, the film failed to pass a current review of the board. The theatre wih show instead a return date of “Wild Bill Hickok,” dualed with “They Drive by Night.” This is the second film scheduled for showing at the Warner that the censors have banned in recent weeks. The other was “Rope.” Avery Blakeney, attorney, and secretary-member of the board of censors, announced the banning, and said: “It is a gangster picture starring James Cagney as one of the arch-criminals. He is the ideal and hero of the Dead End Kids, who also star in the picture. It is a sordid story of crime, murder, double-crossing and a contempt for law and law enforcing officials. “This is a crime picture of the worst sort, and all such pictures should be suppressed or banned. The picture is immoral and inimical to the public welfare. It is the further opinion of the board that such pictures contribute to and encourage juvenile delinquency.” Lloyd T. Binford is chairman of the board of censors and Mrs. Sid A. Law, housewife and club woman, is the other member. NEW ORLEANS Toel Bluestone, Film Classics, and Edgar Shinn, Paramount, attended the Colosseum meeting in Chicago . . . John Jenkins, Astor Pictures, Dallas, visited the Dixie Film offices . . . Nicholas Schiro bought the Pix, former Joy Theatres house . . . Bill Keith, former UA manager, left for Kansas City, where he will be UA district manager. Mrs. Norman Ordenanx, Lake, Lake Arthur, was recuperating from a recent operation . . . Jack O’Quinn, Joy, Kaplan, left for a hunting trip to the Dakotas . . . The Royal, Winona, Miss., owned by A. L. Royal, recently was destroyed by fire . . . Mrs. Camilla Best, assistant in the audio-visual department of the Orleans parish school board, spoke to the New Orleans Better Film group. Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi theatre owners and operators who attended the recent Tulane-Mississippi football game included Ricardo Montiel, Downtown, Mobile, Ala.; Bill Terrell, Joy, Roseland; Tom McElroy, Broadmoor, Shreveport; Charles Levy, Harlem, Thibodaux; Floyd Murphy, Exhibitors Advertising Co., Alexandria, La., and George H. Campbell, New Ren, Yazoo City; Ed Delahney, Pike, Magnolia, and Ed Ortte, Ortte, Miss. Conducted by Milton Kusell, sales manager, and Henry G. Krumm, southern division manager, the SRO southern division meeting was attended by A. J. Delcanbre, southwest district manager; W. C. Hames, Atlanta; S. Zimmerman, S. Willbur and W. Slaughter, Dallas; N. T. Towler, Atlanta; L. Pitts, Oklahoma City; C. Rounsaville, Memphis; S. Hinson, Charlotte, and William Shiell, New Orleans. Miami Film Production Unit Set-Up To Make Shorts and Video Films MIAMI — Miami, once the scene of both large and small motion picture production ventures, is trying out the idea again. In March, Fred F. Frink, a Miamian with a bent for promotion, and Harold M. Walker, a veteran of many years behind Hollywood cameras, met, and since the two main requirements in successful film making are production and promotion, they regarded each other with growing interest. The result was the opening of Ball Films with studios downtown. TO PRODUCE SHORTS Establishing the studios wasn’t a simple project, its directors don’t mind admitting. Their first job was to find a suitable location. Secondly, they had to import backdrops and other facilities from Hollywood to help make production possible. The third project was to have a main office and to hire a top crew to do the job. Jack Hayes, former New York and Washington theatrical artist, was chosen to head the art department and Allen F. Matthews, ex-newspaperman, to head the script department. The objective of the film company isn’t to enter into a competitive field with the socalled “national film capital” — not yet anyway. Their present plans are to produce picture shorts, using Miami models only, and to film Miami industrial concerns, educational shots at the Miami university and local high schools and sports activities that take place in the Orange Bowl stadium, such as the New Year’s football game, polo, the Christmas and New Year’s pageants. . These films won’t be shown only in Florida. They’ll be sent all over the U.S. FILM NEW UNIVERSITY The most recent task undertaken by the group is the filming of the new University of Miami. The picture will open with quick flashes of Miami followed by a somewhat dramatic scene at the Orange Bowl stadium. Walker, in charge of the technical side of the firm, declares the producing of a 15minute short often takes from four weeks to six months of shooting after the picture outline has been completed. As for news and sporting events, they have equipment to release the film six to seven hours after the event. Already the firm has offers to service the television stations now racing to get on the air. Here’s how the studio will aid the in troduction of television. When a “live” show is not being televised, the station can project a film short or commercial. Going deeper into the television possibilities, the company can cover high school and college football games, civic gatherings, arrivals of celebrated personalities and major local news events. The Ball studio, not quite ready for the “big stuff,” has been more or less experimenting since its establishment. The current films are designed to stimulate local business and although picture production ventures in Miami have flopped in the past, these two are determined not to let it happen again. Since Miami is a progressive city, Frink and Walker are convinced they have a fertile business field ahead of them. They believe film making can become a big business here. Educator as Technical Adviser Paul Elbogen, European author and educator, has been signed as technical adviser on “The Great Sinner,” a Metro picture. E. J. HALEY — President, Booker T Theatres, Raleigh, North Carolina — writes: “Sound service is one of the vital functions of successful theatre operation. We have found RCA Service to be competent and responsible in supplying this need.” To get the benefits of RCA Service —write: RCA SERVICE COMPANY, INC., Radio Corporation of America, Camden, New Jersey. Adv. 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