The Film Daily (1940)

Cr '\ DAILY Tuesday, December 31, 1940 Vol. 78, No. 127 Tues., Dec. 31, 1940 JOHN W. AL1COATE DONALD M. MERSEREAU : Ceneral 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. Mersereau, Secretary-Treasurer. Entered a? second class matter, Sept. 8, 1938 at the post-office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Terms (Postage freel United States outside of Greater New York $10.00 one year; 6 months, $5.00; 3 months, $3.00. Foreign, $15.00. Subscriber should remit with order. Address all communications to THE FILM DAILY, 1501 Broadway. New York, N. Y. Phone BRyant 9-7117, 9-7118, 9-7119, 9-7120, 9-7121. Cable address: Filmday, New York. Representatives: HOLLYWOOD, CalifRalph Wilk, 6425 Hollywood Blvd.. Phone Granite 6607. LONDON— Ernest W. Fred man. The Film Renter, 127-133 Wardour St., W. I. PARIS— P. A. Harle, Le Film, 29 Rue Marsoulan (12). MEXICO CITY— MarcoAurelio Galindo, Depto. 215, Calle del Sindicalismo, 99, Tacubayo, D. F. HNANCIAL (Monday, Dec. 30) NEW YORK STOCK MARKET Net High Low Close Chg. Am. Seat 73/4 75/8 7% — 3/8 Col. Piers, vtc. (2i/2%) 5% SV2 55/a + Vs Columbia Picts. pfd Con. Fm. Ind. Vz Vi Vi Con. Fm. Ind. pfd.. 77/8 7% 7% — Vs East. Kodak 138'/2 136y4 138 +2 do pfd Gen. Th. Eq 12'/2 12Vs 12V4 + Vs Loew's, Inc 32Vs 31% 31% + Vi do pfd IO8V2 IO81/2 1081/2 + 1/2 Paramount 10S/8 101/4 1014— V* Para. 1st pfd Para. 2nd pfd IOV2 10% 10i/2 — % Pathe Film 9l/2 9V4 9V4 — 1/4 RKO 33/4 3% 33/4 + Vs RKO 56 pfd 43V4 42% 43 1/4 + Vi 20th Century-Fox ... 6 5% 6 + 1/4 20th Century-Fox pfd. 18 18 18 + % Univ. Pict. pfd 117 1121/2 117 + 6 Warner Bros 3% 2% 27/8 — % do pfd NEW YORK BOND MARKET Keith B. F. ref. 6s46 Loew's deb. 3i/2s46 Para. B'way 3s55... 52i/2 52'/2 52l/2 Para. Picts. cv. 3 V4S47 94 94 94 NEW YORK CURB MARKET Monogram Picts Sonotone Corp 1 3/, 1 34 1 3,4 Technicolor 9 834 9 Trans-Lux % % 3^ Universal Corp. vtc... 51/4 5V4 51/4+ Vs • Happy New Year! • Sam Dembow Convalescing Sam Dembow, Jr., Paramount theater executive who was recently hurt in an auto accident, is making good progress and now resting comfortably at home. He will probably remain there for another month. T T ▼ • • O The "Best Pictures" poll idea original with THE FILM DAILY neaTly Iwo decades ago continues to inspire emulative efforts both at home and abroad As critics throughout these United States place the final ballots in the mails to meet the Dec. 31 midnight deadline of THE FILM DAILY's 1940 "Ten Best" election the first parallel contest in Canada is in full swing under the auspices of the Canadian Motion Picture Exhibitor With the Dominion for practical purposes regarded as part of the American domestic market it will be interesting indeed to compare the U. S. "Best Ten" results with those of the Canadian symposium T T T • • • MEANWHILE, from Havana come the "Eleven Best" pictures of 1940 as voted by the Federation of Theater, Motion Picture and Radio Writers The Cuban poll, like the Canadian, is a 1940 innovation deriving its stimulus from THE FILM DAILY'S pioneer enterprise Why eleven rather than ten "Bests"? Well, it seems the Federation provided for two classifications Spanish-language films and pictures in foreign languages with five to be named in the former column and six. in the latter ▼ V ▼ • • • FOREIGN language winners are GWTW "Rebecca" "Le Fin Du Jour" (French) "The Grapes of Wrath" "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" Pictures in Spanish to score are "Asi Ed La Vida" (Argentine) "Pobre Diablo" (Mexican) "Fragata Sar miento" (Argentine) "Melodias De Antano" (Mexican) and "La Dolores" (Spanish) Gala presentation of awards is planned for January ir. Havana. Famol Will Open Public Relations Office Feb. 1 Lynn Farnol, former director of advertising and publicity for United Artists, plans to open his own public relations bureau about Feb. 1. Initial accounts are expected to be outside of the motion picture business, although he may handle amusement clients later. Farnol leaves today for the South with New Orleans his destination. Trip is in connection with a book he is writing on the coffee industry. He plans to return to New York about Jan. 20. ir Happy New Year! ir C. S. Chaplin to Manage UA's Montreal Exchange St. John, N. B.— C. S. Chaplin, United Artists manager here, has been appointed manager of the Montreal branch. Succeeding him here is George Feiber, promoted from office manager. Chaplin has been at the St. John office for seven years. Both Chaplin and Feiber were transferred to St. John from Toronto. $489,810 in Panorams Contracts in Michigan Grand Rapids, Mich. — Panorams contracts already set in Michigan total $489,810, it was reported here as the Mills-Roosevelt slot machine movies had their first trade showing in the state. First installation lo-f cally is in the Rowe Hotel; eight other situations here are expected to have Pamorams and Soundies within two weeks. Specialty Machines Corp., headed by George Barnes, has signed with Mills-Roosevelt for a five-countyfranchise. ■*• Happy New Year! ir Briggs to Name Production Supervisor for PRC Setup A supervisor of production for Producers Releasing Corp. will be named late this week, according to 0. Henry Briggs, president. New man, as yet not revealed, will co-ordinate the various production units. Extensive shooting schedule gets under way shortly after the new year. • Happy New Year! * 423 "Four Mothers" Dates "Four Mothers" opens in 423 situations during this week. COmiRG and GOinG A. M. GOODMAN, United Artists branch manager in Cleveland, returns to that city after the first of the year following recuperation in Florida from a serious illness. LAURENCE OLIVIER and his wife, VIVIEN LEIGH, are en route to Europe on the Excambion. JOSEPH BURKE, 20th-Fox auditor, returns to New York this week from St. Johns, New Brunswick. CARMEN MIRANDA returns here the middle " of January. MERIAM C. COOPER is here from the Coast. WILLIAM REISINGER, manager of the Bijou, New Haven, made a flying visit to Dayton, O., to visit her mother during the holidays. TIM O'TOOLE, manager of the Columbia exchange, New Haven, is visiting in Harrisburg, Pa. for a week. DAVE LIFTON, newly appointed ad. and pub. director for Columbia, arrives here Thursday from the Coast. BERNIE KREISLER, short subject sales manager for Universal, returned yesterday from a Midwestern tour. FRANCES LEVIN, secretary to William A. Scully, "U" sales chieftain, is vacationing in Florida. WELDON WATERS, Paramount Albany salesman and MRS. WATERS are passing the holiday vacation in Cleveland, O. JOE MILLER, Columbia branch manager at Albany and his family are in New York until after New Year's. AL LICHTMAN returns to the Coast late this week. DAVID HEMPSTEAD, RKO producer, is here for a short vacation. • Happy New Year! * Para. Execs, on Dais As Ampa Hears Balaban John C. Flinn will introduce Barney Balaban, Para, prexy, and other speakers at Ampa's luncheon meet at the Edison Jan. 9. In addition to Balaban, Para, execs, on the dais will include Stanton Griffis, Adolph Zukor, Austin Keough, Neil Agnew and John Hicks. • Happy New Year! * To Ask Bowling Alley Regulation by State Albany — According to the Rev. O. R. Miller, editor of the Civic Bulletin, the New York Civic League will sponsor legislation to regulate bowling alleys at the coming legislative session. Fixed hours for operation, etc., will be sought.