The Film Daily (1942)

Tuesday, October 13, 1942 III. UTO Opposes Sole Advances (Continued from Page 1) resented by a price-conscious public and is diametrically opposite to our Government's policy of establishing ceilings on the price of commodities. To take advantage of our exemption would simply hasten the day when our business would be regulated by others." The UTOI bulletin urges its members not to go against the public policy and goes on record as being unalterably opposed to any increase in admission prices that may be a departure from an established theater policy. — Uncle Sam Needs Your Scrap — Films' Vital War Role to Feature SMPE's Program Vital role motion pictures are playing in the current global struggle to speed up training of United Nations forces, to spot the weak points in the Axis setup; and generally aid the war effort, will feature the 52nd semi-annual, three-day meeting of SMPE in the Hotel Pennsylvania commencing Oct. 27, it was announced on the week-end by Prexy Emery Huse, who declared that the foremost technical and research men in filmland will attend the conclave. Additionally, he revealed that advances in engineering phases of the industry during the past year will be presented via 17 prepared papers. One of the sessions, he said, will be held at the U. S. Army Signal Corps Photographic Center, Astoria, L. I., where the delegates will be guest of Col. M. E. Gillette. Papers presented during this session will be concerned with war films. Importance and scope of the threeday meeting is indicated by the fact that Gregory L. Irsky, of the Soviet Cinema Committee in Washington, will talk on Russia's documentary, scientific and military films, and T. Y. Lo, of the Chinese Military Affairs Commission's Film Section will speak on "The Underground Motion Picture Industry in China." Harry Hershfield Marilyn Hare On Divers Subjects • • • FOR that distinguished clan oi celluloid journalism. — Fox Movietone News — , the present week is of two-ply significance as to historic happenings Yesterday marked the finding of America, and on Thursday will be commemorated the founding IS years ago of Movietone News Phil M. understands that the boys o'er on North River front will take the latter fact pretty much in stride, BUT that plans are now being made to really celebrate the 25th anniversary of Fox News somewhere around the turn of the year Movietone, the articulate offspring, is right sporty to stay under celebration-blankets this week, and join in the general festivities toward the outset of '43, because Mister Edmund Reek's org., ever since sound's advent, has done a whale of a job One could write a thousand columns on its thrill-packed and beneficient 15 years Mister Reek and his henchmen well deserve the industry-wide congratulations which will come to them this week And this corner bares its head and bows deeply and respectfully to all in that great American outfit which has given to the international scene, vocally and visually, history as it has unfolded during a decade and a half T T T • • • CULLED from the den of Leo The Lion: Edward Arnold, brilliant Bond-selling performer in behalf of Uncle Sam, bounded back to the M-G-M lot from the star tour with this one: The law firm of Rafferty, McGinnis, Cohen, Jones and White merged with the firm of Swenson, Dale, Fischer and Johnson Shortly thereafter the firm merged with Henkle, Pellister, Goldsmith and Green Now when the switchboard operators at this newly expanded firm answer the phone, they say,— "We, The People!" T T T • • • "WE REFUSE TO DIE," the new Paramount Victory Short, was screened for the first time yesterday afternoon at the Associated Artists Galleries, o'er on Fifth Ave., in conjunction with the unveiling of a statue by the famous Jo Davidson, depicting the destruction of the Czech town of Lidice and massacre of its people by the Nazis Pic, featuring Barry Sullivan and Ellen Drew, dramatizes the martyrdom of the Lidice villagers Madeleine Carroll accepted the Davidson statue on behalf of the Lidice Lives Committee of the Writers' War Board Other notables present were Clifton Fadiman, committee's executive chairman; Col. Valdimir S. Hurban, Czech Minister to the U. S.; and Barney Balaban, president of Paramount Pictures T T T • • • PHIL REISMAN, RKO Radio's vice-prexy in charge of distribution, wound up a full work week by giving seven keys, which the Gestapo at one time would have given much to possess, to the nation's key collection drive The keys, four of which are of unusual and complicated design, are from the company's Paris office and were whisked away by org's European general manager, Vladimir Lissim, a few hours before the German marched in Said Phil, as he gave the keys: "Since the Germans wanted these keys so badly, I'm glad Lo accommodate them by sending them back— in the shape of bullets, I hope". ... « Personal to Ernie Emerling: That New York scrap campaign manual is corking— and thanks, too, for that swell batch of books for our service lads. . . o Mel Powell, of the CBS "jump" band, has written a swing march with Russian overtones titled "Mission to Moscow," and he's trying to make a tieup with Warner Bros, who are filming "Mission to Moscow". ... • In the great scrap drive this month, you'll know the lip-service theaters from the REAL service theaters by the amount of scrap they themselves give, over and above the tonnage toted-in by John Q. Public Distribs. Maintain Their Release Pace (Continued from Page 1) 14; M-G-M, 20th Century-Fox and PRC each have 12; Paramount and Monogram have 11 each; RKO has 10; Columbia has nine and Republic has eight. With a few additions likely to made between now and the enc November, the total will be well among the high figures of past years. While companies like Warners are concentrating on extended playing time, with the studio also geared to turn out product designed for longer runs, the many additional theaters now operating as compared with a year or two ago has made it possible to continue absorbing the same quantity of releases, especially with double features still widespread. Reduction in dual bills, however, as indicated by current trends, is expected to eventually reduce the number of releases by a substantial amount, especially if shortages of raw materials become an acute problem at the studio end. — Uncle Sam Needs Your Scr'ap— Valentine's Clearance Declared "Reasonable" (Continued from Page 1) an award in the joint complaint filed by the J. J. Theatres, Inc., and Kingsbridge Theater, Inc. Complainants charged that the clearance granted to the Valentine was unreasonable and asked that all clearance be eliminated or that the Valentine's clearance be fixed at one day. The arbitrator dismissed the complaint. Beverly, St. Louis, Fights Dismissal of Complaint St. Louis — Community Theater Corp., operating the Beverly, a St Louis County independent house, has filed an appeal from the award of Arbitrator Claude 0. Pearcy who dismissed a request for a definite clearance over the Wellston and Victory Theaters. Pearcy ruled that a oneday clearance for the Beverly was sufficient. — Uncle Sam Needs Your Scr'ap— Detroit Musician, 100, Dead Detroit — John C. Haines, formerly with the old Capitol Square and Empire Theater orchestras, is dead at the age of 100. He was Detroit's last survivor of the GAR. Son of Joe E. Brown Dies In Plane Crash West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Long Beach, Calif. — Capt. Don E. Brown, 25, son of Joe E. Brown, was killed when a bomber he was piloting BBp> crashed nine miles north of pl| Pa,m Springs, the Air Corps Ferry Command announced here. Captain Brown was engaged in a routine flight when the plane plummeted near the desert resort.