The Film Daily (1940)

&*\ DAILY Monday, December 16, 1940 Vol. 78, No. 117 Mon., Dec. 16, 1940 10 Cents JOHN W. ALICOATE DONALD M. M^RSEREAU : General Manager CHESTER B. BAHN :::::: Editor Published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays at 1501 Broadway. New York, N. Y, by Wid's Films and Film Folk. Inc. J. W. Alicoate. President and Publisher; Donald M. Mersereatt, Secretary-Treasurer. Entered as second class matter. Sept. 8, 1938 at the post-office at New York. N. Y.. under the act of March 3. 1879. Terms (Postage free) United States outside of Greater New York $10 00 qne year; 6 months, $5.00: 3 months. $3.00. Foreidn, $15.00. Subscriber should remit with order. Address all communications to THE FILM DAILY. 1501 Broadway. New York. N. Y. Phone BRvant 9-7117. 9-7118, 9-7119, 9-7120, 9-7121. Cable address: Filmday, New York. Representatives: HOLLYWOOD. Calif.— Ralph Wilk, 6425 Hollywood Blvd.. Phone Granite 6607. LONDON— Ernest \V. Fredman. The Film Renter. 127-133 Wardmir St.. W. I. PARIS— P. A. Harle, Le Film, 29 Rue Marsoulan (12). MEXICO CITY— MarcoAurelio Gali^do, Depto. 215, Calle del Slndicalismo, 99, Tacubayo, D. F. FINANCIAL (QUOTATIONS OF FRIDAY, DEC. 13) NEW YORK STOCK MARKET Net High Low Close Chg. Am. Seat Col. Picts. vtc. (2i/2%) 65/8 6i/2 65/8 -f i/8 Columbia Picts. pfd Con. Fm. Ind 5/8 y2 5/, Con. Fm. Ind. pfd 8i/8 8 8V8 East. Kodak 137 135i/2 13614 do pfd Gen. Th. Eq 12 11V4 12 Loew's. Inc 33l/2 323/8 3314 pfd Pa Para. 1st pfd 97 Para. 2nd pfd 10 P-the Film 10 RKO 3 20*h C=ntury-Fcx ... 6 20th C'ntury-F-x pfd. 18 Univ. Pet. pfd 12? Warner Bros 3-S 96 V4 10% 10% 9*% 101/2 10 10 3 3 V, 57/, 6H 171/4 173/4 120 121 3H 3% pfd 56!/2 541/2 56 +2 N*W YO*K POND MMIKCT Kei'h B. F. ref. 6-4S in?"'/, i02v, 1027/, _ 5, Loew's deb. 31/-.s4S.104% 10W2 104V, — 1, P*ra. B'way 3s55 52 v, 5?. 521/, + 1, P=-ra. P:rts. cv. 3V-47 947/8 947/, 947/8 _ 1, Warner Bros.' dbs. 6:48 97 96 V8 97 + 3 N^W YORK CURB MASKT Monosram Pxts S~nr>t"ne Corp. Techmco'or .... Tr*ns-Lux Universal C"n. vtc... 6% Universal Picts 15 7-16 7-16 7-16 9% 93/8 9% + l/8 15 + 1/2 $1 Extra Loew Dividend An extra dividend of $1 a share on the common stock has been approved by Loew's board of directors. This is in addition to another dividend of 50 certs, bringing the total for 1940 to $3 a share, compared to $2.50 last year. ! Rites for William V. Mong ; Wrs' Const Bureau of THE FILM DAILY '■ Hollywood — Funeral services for Willi3m V. Mong, 65, veteran char1 acter actor, were held here on Friday. Mong died following a long ill m The Broadway Parade © Picture and Distributor Theater The Letter (Warner Bros. Pictures)— 4th week Strand Tin Pan A!!ey (Twentieth Century-Fcx)— 4th week Roxy The Thief of Bagdad (United Artists-Korda)— 2nd week Music Hall Third Finger, Left Hand (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures) Capitol Trail of the Vigilantes (Universal Pictures) — 2nd week Rialto Moon Over Burma (Paramount Pictures) Paramount Galant Sons (Metro-Coldwvn-Mayer Pictures) • Criterion A Despatch From Reulers (Warner Bros. Pictures) Globe The Lady in Qjestion (Columbia Pictures) — 2nd week BryantIt's in the A'r (United Artists-Dean)— 2nd week Little Carnegie Pony Pest (Universal Pictures) (a) Central S^eed Limited (Exclusive Pictures) (a) Central Seven S:nners (Universal Pictures) (a-b) Palace The Bank Dick (Universal Pictures) (a) •• Palace ♦ TWO-A-DAY RUN ♦ The Great DicMcr (United Artists-Chaplin)— 10th week Astor Fantasia (Walt Disney Productions) — 5th week Broadway ♦ FOREIGN LANGUAGE FEATURES ♦ The Baker's Wife (The Baker's Wife Co.)— 41st week World The Great Beginn:ng (Artkino Pictures) — 4th week Miami Playhouse Les Amoureux ( French festure) 5*h Ave. Playhouse Man of the Hour (Trio Films) — 4th week ,55th St. Playhouse ♦ FUTURE OPENINGS ♦ No, No, Nannette (RKO Radio Pictures)— Dec. 19 Music Hall Santa Fe Trail (Wnrner Brcs. Pictures) — Dec. 20 Strand One N:ght in the Trooics (Universal Pictures) — Dec. 19 Roxy Hul'aba'oo (M^tro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures) — Dec. 19 Criterion Love Thy Neighbor (Paramount P;ctures) — Ooens tomorrow Paramount El'ery Qieen, Master Detective (Columbia Pictures) — Dec. 18 Rialto Victrrv (Paramount Pictures) — Dec. 21 . ■ Rivoli Dr. Kildare's Crisis (Metro-Goldwyn-Miyer Pictures)— Dec. 18 Capitol Wild Horse Range (Monogram Pictures) — Dec. 18 (a) Central Sens'tion (Fi'm A'liance of the U S.)— Dec. 18 (a) Central The Mannerheim Line (A'tkino) — Dec. 18 Miami Playhouse Hotel du NoH (French feature) (c) Little Carnegie Thev Met on Skis (Carl Laemm'e. Jr.)— Dec. 21 55th St. Playhouse S-uth of S'jez (Warner Brcs. Pictures)— Dec. 18 (a) Palace Michael Shayne, Private Detective (20th Century-Fox) — Dec. 18 (a) Palace (a) Dual bill, (b) Subsequent run. (c) Follows current bill. Young Reviewers Rate "Knute Rockne" as Best Youner Reviewers of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, and the nation-wide 4-Star Clubs, the Board's junior field groups, have voted Warners' "Knute Rockne — All American" as the year's outstanding film, it was announced Saturday. Yonner Reviewers' poll precede* The Film Daily's annual "T>n Best" contest, and selections are from pictures released to De". 1. The Film Daily contest eligibility period is for the year ending Oct. 31, and pictures must be general releases. Other winning pictures in the Young Reviewers poll — the group age limits are 8 to 18 years — are in ord^r of preference: "Foreign Correspondent." ATA FT, "Boom Town," "Rebscca," "The Great Dictator." "The Sea Hawk." GWTW, "StriVe Up the Band," "Howards of Virginia." Clarence A. MacDonald, Circuit Head, Died Friday Columbus, O. — Clarence A. MacDonald, 44. head of a neighborhood circuit bearins his name, died Friday night in University Hospital of a heart ailment. Opening of his new Boulevard Theater had been postponed due to his illness. The Beechwold, a second new house, is nearing completion. MacDonald was a director of the ITO of Ohio. Surviving are his wife and two children. Pathe News Completes Pix Dedicated to Youth of U. S. "The Last Strons-hold" is the title of the five-reel picture just completed by RKO Pathe News for release by Films, Inc. Dedicated to the youth of America, the picture will be distributed primarily in schools and colleges. With national defense as the subject of "The Last Stronghold," RKO Pathe received assistance on the production from the State, War and Navy Departments. Opening with a pictorial review of major events from 1914 to the present, the film shows the forces of our present ever-strengthening defense program as well as the forces against which we may be called upon to defend ourselves. George Mills supervised the picture, James Clemenger is credited as narrator and script writer, and James Faichney was the film editor. Moon Recalled to Stand In Midwest-Co-op. Suit Detroit — Raymond E. Moon, former manas-er of Co-operative Theaters of Michigan, was recalled to the stand in the trial of Midwest Theaters suit on Friday and subjected to considerable cross-examination by attorneys for the defense. Essence of his testimony confirmed previous testimony that Co-operative deals were closed as a unit, but that no form of threat or coercion was used, according to plaintiff's counsel. COmiRG and GOIflG HERMAN WOBBER, general manager of distribution for 20th-Fox left for the Coast Saturday. He will not return here until after the first of the year. NORMAN MORAY, short subject sales manager for Warners, returns to the home office today after a six-week trip which took him through all the branches and included a visit at the studio. BUDD ROGERS, president of Alliance Films, returned to New York Friday from the Coast. J. NOBLE BRADEN, executive secretary of the American Arbitration Association, returned over the week-end from a Western tour of exchange centers. A. A. SCHUBART, manager of exchange operations for RKO is in Chicago on a business trip. H. M. RICHEY is in Oklahoma City attending the state MPTO meeting, and will be in Kansas City tomorrow for the Kansas-Missouri theater owners convention. ELSIE PERRY, secretary to Frank Phelps, Warner theaters labor relations director, is in Miami for a vacation. OTTO BOLLE, managing director for 20th-Fox in South Africa, and A. R. ALLEN, JR., his newly appointed assistant, sail from New York Dec. 27 for Capetown. FRANK DONOVAN, RKO-Pathe vice-prexy, returns to the New York office today from a 10-day business stay on the Coast. RKO Not Set on General Or Regional Sales Parleys West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Whether RKO will hold a national sales convention this Spring or confine the study of its coming product to a series of regional meetings is a question still to be threshed out, according to president George J. Schaefer now en route to New York. Warner Circuit Adds Princess, Donora, Pa. Donora, Pa. — The Princess Theater, formerly operated by Harry Rubins and Thomas Shanahan, has been taken over by Warners, which now gives them three theaters locally. New S-W Reading Leases? Reading, Pa. — Stanley-Warner is reported dickering for new leases on both the Strand and Astor. Houses are owned by H. J. Schad. 100 "Foyle" Openings Set RKO's "Kitty Foyle" will open in 100 key situations on Dec. 31. THE FILM DAILY to J. M. Kerrigan Barbara Kent Clyde Cook Lily Goldin