The Film Daily (1942)

Population Shifts Affect Sales Hopes (Continued from Page 1) to 4.59. The Memphis territory appears to be the only spot where no change either way has been noted, the figure remaining at 1.19. New York, which last year was rated at 16.07, drops to a 15.17 position. Territories where sales expectancies ,jn percentages dropped, presumably due to war causes, were: Albany, from 1.45 to 1.36; Chicago, from 6.97 to 6.72; Cincinnati, from 2.52 to 2.50; Cleveland, 3.36 to 3.21; Denver, from 1.54 to 1.42; Des Moines, from 1.70 to 1.24;_ Detroit, from 4.51 to 4.06; Kansas City, from 2.33 to 2.11; Milwaukee, from 1.95 to 1.77; Minneapolis, from 2.82 to 2.50; Oklahoma City, from 1.28 to 1.25; Omaha, from .98 to .82; Portland, from 1.02 to .94; St. Louis, from 2.48 to 2.30; Salt Lake City, from 1.43 to 1.33; San Francisco, from 4.20 to 3.69, and Seattle, from 1.64 to 1.57. Territories where sales expectancies in percentages have gone up, also due presumably to war causes, are: ; Atlanta, from 3.53 to 4.27; Boston, from 6 30 to 6.47; Buffalo, from 2.22 to 2.33; Charlotte, from 1.89 to 2.23; Dallas, from 3.85 to 4.22; Indianapolis, from 2.30 to 2.32; Los Angeles, from 4.22 to 4.47; New Haven, from 1.72 to 1.91; New Orleans, from 1.73 to 2.00; Philadelphia, from 5.76 to 6.68, and Pittsburgh, from 3.29 to 3.36. — Scrap Socks Japs — "Gentleman Jim" to Get Quick Warner Release (Continued from Page 1) go into general release immediately following the screening. Some 30 Warner houses will open the pic next week and next week-end it is set to start in about 100 others. New York Strand is expected to play "Jim" following "George Washington Slept Here" which opens there this week. Original Warner plan was to hold back "Jim," giving the right of way to "Edge of Darkness," Flynn starrer, now being completed on the Coast because of the latter's topical angle. H. B. Warner Jackie Coogan Mark Sandrich Buddy Messinger Ralph Ravenseroft Moon Over Miami, — and Stuff: • • • "THERE is still loads of life, fun and frolic in Miami Beach, — all the glitter and g'amour of the magic city of yesterday," writes Milt Harris from his Floridian bailiwick, which happens to be the Miami Drive-in Theater But the war has wrought changes down there, as other paragraphs in Milt's missive attest F'rinstance, the uniformed hosts of Uncle Sam seem to be as numerous as the bright low-hanging stars in the tropical sky. .... .And these hosts hunger, even more than they did in civilian life, for screen entertainment To easily satisfy said hunger, the Miami Drive-In has established the lowest admish scale in town for the members of the armed forces lie. tax included! Furthermore, the same price prevails for the fightin' fair sex, such as the WAACs. the WAVES. Red Cross Nurses, Canteen Workers, et al, provided they're in uniform Yeah, and there's another innovation, which makes the term "Drive-In" additionally literal in meaning Seems that Miamians, sans autos (and autos sans tires and gas), do considerable gadding-about in one horsepower buggies When night descends, and the supper dishes are laved, folks hitch Old Dobbin to the shay and drive out to the Drive-In (confusing, ain't it?) Noting this trend in travel. Mister Harris installed hitchin' posts to anchor the visiting nags on gen prin, and probably to keep the equines from bolting in the event they feel themselves stung by some of the Hollywood B's Individual speakers are placed on the buggies after parking, and a uniformed attendant guards the nags, and gives each of them a drink of water, a lump of sugar, or some other dainty! If this sort oi thing continues, horses will dominate among Drive-In patrons And it will open up a new field for Ross Federal checkers But since it's horses, that chore should properly go to Doctor Gallup T T T • • • WHEN Lee Tracy decided to enter the Army Corps of Military Police (he reports at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., Nov. 7) he tossed away a two-pix deal with Jack Schwarz, who's producing for PRC After seeing the rushes on "The Pay -Off," starring Tracy, Schwarz offered Lee a term deal pronto,— and the actor pronto ruined his agent's digestive system by rejecting it in favor of service with Uncle Sam. ... • Sam Rosen takes the cake. . At least, he did at Sardi's Friday ..... .Ask him. ... • Constance Moore heads a galaxy of screen stars who will appear at the fifth annual Army-Notre Dame Rally in the Waldorf-Astoria on Nov. 6. . . • "Half-Pint Kid" has just been announced for production by M-G-M, and, sez Si (Leo the Lion) Seadler: "Any resemblance to Red Kann is purely coincidental". . . . # .The big Broadway premiere of UA's "The Moon and Sixpence" at the Rwoli tomorrow night will benefit the French and American War Work of the Co-ordinating Council of French Relief Societies. . . • Glenn Ireton, Canadian Publicity Director for Vitagraph, Ltd., avers that the 24-hour-a-day job he is currently doin' takes him back to the ole carnival days On loan to the Ontario Victory Loan Organization, Glenn is promotionally blazing trail for the Victory show into some 20 Ontario cities On the tour, which was launched last week in Hamilton, Ont., are Walter Pidgeon, Madeleine Carroll, Jean Dickenson, Barry Wood, Sir Cedric and Lady Hardwicke, Jackie Kelk ({'Homer" of the Aldrich Family), William Gargan and Herbert Marshall all slated for spots T T T • • • AVENGE PEARL HARBOR!.... « €€ « » » & SMPE Planning For Vital Post-War Task Indications that the Society of Motion Picture Engineers is looking ahead to post-war extension of its activities and influence in worldwide fields are clearly etched in the international character of its J&s'-l semi-annual meeting which open^f ■ morrow in the Hotel Pennsylvania and concludes on Thursday night. Research and engineering channels within the industry expressed the view at the week-end that the presence of Soviet Union and Chinese National government representatives in key spots on the convention program is significant, and speculation is rife that arrangements may have already been made for an American film industry representative to appear reciprocally at some similar meetings during the war both in Russia and China. Credence is given to this aspect because both of those nations, it is pointed out, offer the greatest opportunity for the postwar application of U. S. motion picture science in the foreign field. That film distribution and exhibition will play a vital role in China and the Soviet Union during their immediate, post-war rehabilitation is recognized by SMPE leaders, but the rapidity and thoroughness with which this can be accomplished will depend fundamentally upon the supply to those nations of the latest and best mechanical equipmet. Such equipment is now being evolved in the U. S., incorporating many new scientific refinements which have taken practical form in wartime research laboratories and on designing boards. Gregory L. Irsky, of the Soviet Cinema Committee in Washington, will be Russia's representative, and T. Y. Lo, of the Chinese Military Affairs Commission's Film Section, in behalf of China. Both will address the SMPE delegates. — Scrap Socks Japs — Cancel "Gillespie" Screening M-G-M has cancelled the tradeshowing of "Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant," which was previously announced for showing in all exchange centers on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Tradeshowing of "Whistling in Dixie," which was also announced for showing on the same day, will be held on schedule, except in Omaha, where it will be shown on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Abeles Bach With WB As Uruguay Manager Montevideo (By Air Mail) — Arthur S. Abeles, Jr., has returned to the Warner Bros, fold as Uruguay manager after an absence of a year during which he served as assistant manager for Universal in Brazil. When he left Warners he was the company's Trinidad manager. Abeles replaces N. E. Bertolini, who has resigned. He left Universal on Oct. 1.