The Film Daily (1942)

Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought iT^WAILY' The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Four Years Old =^L. 82, NO. 82 NEW YORK, MONDAY, OCTOBER 26. 1942 TEN CENTS WAR CHANGES DISTRIBUTION PERCENTAGES See PostWar Pix Outlook 'Generally Favorable1 Reeling 'Round WASHINGTON =By VAN BEUREN W. DEVRIES = Washington. WHILE there will be no D of J appeal from Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard's decision in the Paramount-20th Century-Fox "divorcement" action, it's a safe bet that the Department's film unit will keep close tabs on further circuit expansion. ... • The national service (manpower) act, if and when it materializes, promises to prove a real industry headache, particularly if the War Manpower Commission has not previously fixed the essential status of all film industry workers. . . . • Top execs, who have a considerable income from investments won't like this tip, but watch for action to put a $25,000 limit on unearned as well as earned income. . . . S Army Motion Picture Service, headed by R. B. Murray, shortly will open a new district office in Denver to serve posts in that territory. • • ^OL MASON M. WRIGHT, JR. of the ^"/ War Department's public relations office, just returned from Hollywood where he huddled with producers on shorts dealing with the Army. The Colonel says, "Hollywood is the busiest place in America outside of Washington". ... • The Government plans a campaign through the media of newsreels and short subjects aimed at educating the public on ODT's transportation control and its value. A similar idea devoted to meatless days is also in the works. . . . • Film industry is finding it increasingly difficult to obtain motion picture equipment with the Army and Navy gobbling up all available pieces and still looking for more. LjARRY SEDGWICK, former radio "czar" * ' of Canada, has been placed in charge of a new information agency now being set up in New York to publicize our Northern neighbor within the United States and in South America. John Grierson, Canadian film chief, is organizing within the bureau a complete motion picture department. Sedgwick was former business manager for Dr. Allan R. Dafoe and the Dionne quintuplets. ... • Theaters are reporting sensational returns in the scrap salvage campaign. Reports from Lynchburg, Va., indicate a per capita take of 304 lbs. of scrap; Virginia Beach is averaging 97 (Continued on Page 7) Standard & Poor's Warns Commercial Television Is Future Industry Threat The industry's post-war outlook is "generally favorable, though competition from other forms of amusement now restricted will probably hold earning power below recent high levels for some time," Standard & Poor's reports in its current basic survey of the motion picture and amusement companies. The survey points out that "over the longer term the industry faces the threat of commercial television." Discussing stock characteristics, (Continued on Page 6) — Scrap Socks Japs — Three Majors File Pickwick Answers New Haven— RKO, Paramount and Columbia have filed lengthy answers and exhibits to the nlaintifF's interrogatories in the $5,452,575 Pickwick, Greenwich anti-trust suit against the majors, brought in the U. S. District Court here April, 1941. Vitagraph has filed a "partial answer" and Universal and United Art'sts have asked (Continued on Page 8) — Scrap Socks Japs — "Gentleman Jim" to Get Quick Warner Release Warners will nationally tradeshow "Gentleman Jim," Errol Flynn starrer based on the life of James J. Corbett, on Thursday, and pic will (Continued on Page 4) HAZEN TO BE ARMY LIAISON Warner Vice-Prexy Starts Fourweek Orientation Course Today Joseph H. Hazen, vice-president of Warner Bros., will serve as liaison between the film industry and the Army upon his return to the company after completion of his four -week o r i e n tation course in Army organiz a t i o n and procedures at the Command and General School, Fort Leavenworth, Kan., it was learned on Friday. The executive arrived in (Continued on Page 7) — Scrap Socks Japs — "Follies Girl" to PRC; To be Sold Separately Domestic distribution rights to "Follies Girl," the William Rowland production made in New York, have been acquired by Producers Releasing Corp., it was announced at the week-end by 0. Henry Briggs and Arthur Greenblatt, president and general sales manager, respectively, of PRC. The Rowland production, (Continued on Page 7) JOSEPH H. HAZEN Continue Exhib. Scrap Drive Distribs. Pledge More Than Million in Pix SCG Mapping Plans for Pooling Talent and Work West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Screen Cartoonists Guild is mapping plans for pooling of talent and work so as to continue production of Government training films and other animated subjects (Continued on Page 7) National scrap campaign, currecently enlisting the co-op of indie and circuit theaters across the country, will be continued indefinitely instead of closing next Saturday as originally planned, it was announced at the week-end by the WAC. Proposal to continue the drive on a basis of semi-permanence, with special emphasis on the "scrap matinees"— free to bearers of salvage (Continued on Page 7) Sales Expectancies Move With Population Shifts; Wash. Gain is Highest Shifts in population have affected the sales expectancies in percentages of national distributors during the past year and the influence of war industries on the various territories is in evidence. The same figures are not used by all companies and the boundaries of the territories are not the same for all distributors, but in both instances the figures may be considered average. As might be expected, the distribution percentage for the Washington territory shows the greatest upward trend, rising from a 3.75 area (Continued on Page 4) — Scrap Socks Japs— Para. Indie Circuit Deals Near Record Paramount sales to independent circuits are running far ahead of the same period last year and compares favorably with records made during some of the company's biggest years under the old method of selling. In giving credit to the box-office strength in the first two blocks, Neil (Continued on Page 6) — Scrap Socks Japs — Artists' Draft Deferment Issue Raised in Senate Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Issue of deferment of artists was brought to the fore in Congress on Friday when Senator Gerald P. Nye (R., S.D.), former isolationist leader, cited the case of (Continued on Page 7) WB District Parley Slated for Chicago Chicago — Warners is setting a district managers' meeting for the Blackstone Hotel here in mid-November, according to week-end Film Row reports. Home office delegation coming on will include Joseph Bernhard, Ben Kalmenson, Roy Haines, Mort Blumenstock, A. W. Schwalberg and Arthur Sachson. YOUR SCRAP WILL SEND THE AXIS TO THE SCRAP HEAP — START IT OiV ITS WAY TODAY