Canadian Film Weekly (Sep 7, 1949)

JOHN BERNSTEIN Former Toronto branch manager of RKO, who now heads the Cleveland branch. WARNERS’ DRIVE (Continued from Page 1) the initial period of which has ben labeled the Warner Bros. All-Star Drive and lasts from the week of August 28 through December 31, is the James Cagney starrer, White Heat. Other of the company’s top produ:tions scheduled for distribution during the first section of the drive are Task Force, starring Gary Cooper; Under Capricorn, Transatlantic Pictures Production in Technicolor, starring Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten and Michael Wilding; Chain Lightning, starring Humphrey Bogart and Eleanor Parker; Al ways Leave Them Laughing, Milton Berle’s initial starring comedy for the company; The Story of Seabsicuit, in Technicolor, starring Shirley Temple, Barry Fitzgerald and Lon McCallister; The Lady Takes ‘a Sailor, starring Jane Wyman and Dennis Morgan; and The InSpector General, Technicolor, starring Danny Kaye in his first vehicle under the Warner banner. The Warner branch offices have been divided into four competitive growps for the drive, as follows: 1. Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Washington. 2. Atlanta, Buffalo, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapo— lis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Toronto. 3.Albany, Denver, Kansas City, Jacksonville, New Haven, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City and Seattle. 4. Calgary, Des Moines, Memphis, Montreal, Omaha, Portland, Saint John and Vancouver. Mitchum In 'Macao’ Robert Mitchum will next star in RKO’s Macao. Canadian FILM WEEKLY CHARGE MONOPOLISTIC PRACTICES” Vamages of $25,867,000 for alleged monopolistic practices has been asked by Essaness Theatres Corporation of Ohicago, nine Subsidiaries and two individuals in the Federal District Court of that city. The defendants are leading distribution-exhibition companies and two individuals, Barney and John Balaban. Barney is president of Balaban & Katz and of Paramount, while John is secretary of the two companies. The Balaban interests are represented in Canada by Famous Players, which they control, and affiliates. The suit grew out of the finding last year in the Jackson Park case in which the Court held that major producers and exhibitors were in a combine restraining the showing of pictures. Two other companies asked damages but were not listed as plaintiffs because 50 per cent of their stock is owned by Balaban & Katz. Last week an anti-trust ruling by a New York court against Paramount, RKO and Warners ordered over $100,000 damages for the plaintiffs. FILM SOCIETY ASKS GOV'T GRANT A federal government grant to encourage greater use of cultural and educational films in Canada was requested by the National Film Society in its brief prepared for the Royal Commission on National Development in Arts, Sciences and Letters. The brief noted that in the UK a similar body, the British Film Institute, was given a federal grant whereas the Society had pioneered in this field without government aid since 1935. The Society also said it would like to see Canada’s non-governmental film service extended; the establishment of a national circulating film library; greater exchange of films through the UN; and expansion of film cataloguing and of the Society’s publication, Canadian Film News. Dempsey To Produce With Popkin, Stiefel Jack Dempsey, one-time world’s heavyweight boxing champion, Harry M. Popkin, formerly of Toronto, and Samuel H. Stiefel of Hollywood have joined to produce one or possibly two features a year, each with a background of a major American sport. First, already completed and to be released this Fall by United Artists, is-The Big Wheel, an automobile racing film starring Mickey Rooney and ‘Thomas Mitchell. The new company will operate independently and will not conflict with the other production programs of Popkin and Steifel. Siodmak To Direct Robert Siodmak. will direct U-I’s Deported. FOR SALE Just Taken Out of Service! TWO—Simplex Heads, Rear Shutters, Double Bearing, Intermittent. TWO—Top, Two Lower Magazines (Simplex). TWO—Strong Lamps, 10/1/4 Mirrors. ONE—S5 H.P. 550 Volt Lincoln Generator, Ballast Rheostats, Amps & Volt Meters, Also Panel & Field Rheostat. TWO—5'% E. F. Snap Light Lenses and Adapters. TWO—5” E. F. Snap Light Lenses and Adapters. Apply to ROYAL THEATRE — WINDSOR, ONTARIO. RKO Returning To Musical Field _ RKO returns to the field of big-scale musicals with the announcement that it has purchas€d Two Tickets to Broadway, an original story by Sammy Cahn, for production in Technicolor by Alex. Gottlieb. A top-flight cast will be brought together for a picture on a scale such as embellished the famed Astaire-Rogers musicals with which RKO made movie history a few years back. Para Film Renamed. Fancy Pants is the new title for ‘the Bob Hope-Lucille Ball starrer at Paramount known as Where Men Are shooting. Murder Case Rights Screen rights to The Kenneth Long Murder Case has been acquired by Warners. Story deals with the actual trial and acquittal of a soldiér charged with murdering his wife a year or two ago. Release Titles Set For Columbia Films | Columbia has set final titles for two feature productions. The Cinecolor Western starring Randolph Scott, which was produced as Lawless, will reach the screen as The Nevadan and the drama, formerly identified as The Tougher They Come, has been re-titled Cargo to Capetown. Broderick Crawford, John Ireland and Ellen Drew have the lead roles. Men while form, September 7, 1949 $7,500 In Prizes For Fox Fullback’ One hundred and thirty-four prizes, totalling $7,500, will go to the winners of an All-American Premiere Contest in connection with the forthcoming feature production, Father Was a Fullback, it has been announced by 20th Century-Fox. ; The prizes, in the form of bonds ranging from $500 down to $25, will be awarded on the basis of all-around showmanship in behalf of an engagement of the picture, which stars Fred MacMurray and Maureen O’Hara. Any manager and/or advertising manager of a USA or Canadian. theatre, who opens Father Was a Fullback during the period of October 1st-December 4th, 1949, inclusive, is eligible to compete. Winners will be chosen by 4 judging committee, to consist of leading industry executives in both the exhibition and distribution fields. The committee will make its awards on the basis of : the best and most productive advertising, exploitation and publicity campaigns for the picture. To enter the contest, managers or advertising managers must submit a written summary of the advertising, exploitation and publicity campaign they stage for their engagement of the film, ~ documented with newspaper tear sheets, photos and any other specimens. Their summary may be in any whether letter, memo, scrapbook, folder, etc., and may be of any length or dimension, although elaborateness of presentation will have no bearing on the decision of the judges. Judges will give consideration to the nature of the run, the class of house, its location and business produced, in order to permit equal competition between , small town theatres, neighborhood houses and downtown deluxe theatres. : In addition to an outline of the campaign activities them selves, the summary in all instances must include the following specific information: A. size of theatre (seats). B. population and type of community. Cc. run given Father Was a Fullback. D. percentage of normal business. EB. receipts for engagement (optional.) : When completed the summary is to be sent by first class mail to “Father Was A Fullback Committee,” All-American Premiere Contest, 20th Century-Fox Film Corp., 444 W. 56th St., New York, (Continued on Page 8)