The Film Daily (1942)

Tuesday, October 27, 1942 Ct^\ DAILY L. A. House Asks Clearance Change {Continued from Page 1) uct to Los Angeles first-runs on a basis of 63 days over the Eagle or to the Glen Theater on a basis of seven days over the Eagle, both of which schedules are unreasonable, it is -Simed. It is further charged that ^^ributors permit the Dale and other suburban theaters charging 30 cents to play 49 days after first-run Los Angeles. The Eagle asks that the Glen's clearance be eliminated and that the distributors be required to give the Eagle equal availability with other theaters charging the same admission prices. HCLLyW€OD SPEAKING By RALPH WILK Corrected Award Issued In Middleboro Comlaint A corrected award has been issued by the arbitrator in the case filed by the Princess Amusement Co., operating the Middleboro Theater, Middleboro, Mass. In the original award, the complaint was dismissed. In the corrected award, the complaint is dismissed to all except Paramount. The arbitrator ruled that the clearance of first-run Boston over Brockton and first-run Brockton over Park-Taunton, provided in the Paramount contracts, is reasonable. However, the clearance "after Brockton and Park-Taunton" provided in the contract is unreasonable. Therefore the maximum clearance to be provided in the contract is fixed to read: "After Brockton and ParkTaunton but not later than 14 days after first-run Brockton or 28 days after first-run Boston, whichever is earlier." —HOLLYWOOD I ORETTA YOUNG'S second picture under *— her rwo-films-a year Paramount contract will be "Her Heart in Her Throat," from the English mystery novel by Ethel Lina White. Her first pic for the studio, "China," in which she is co-starred with Alan Ladd, went into production yesterday. • • LJARRY SHERMAN has assigned Jane ' * Wyatt to act opposite Richard Dix in "Meet John Bonniwell," adapted from Frank Gruber's novel, "Peace Marshal," Sherman is dickering with Paramount for the loan of Albert Dekker to play the heavy. • • THE old "Hold Back The Dawn" set, ' representing a town square, on the back of the Paramount lot will be remodeled to represent the village in Producer-Director Sam Wood's "For Whom The Bell Tolls." • • /^EORGE BARBIER, veteran stage and ^■^ screen player, has been assigned by 20th-Fox to appear in its new Alice Faye film in Technicolor, "Hello, Frisco, Hello." Pic will be Miss Faye's first in 15 months. I 1NIVERSAL has borrowed John Garfield ^ from Warner Bros, for the male lead in the third episode of "Flesh and Fantasy," which is being produced by Charles Boyer and Julien Duvivier, with Duvivier directing. • • QARAMOUNT has signed two former * players in Orson: Welles' Mercury Theater Co. to film roles — George Coulouris will appear in the final scenes of "For Whom the Bell Tolls," and Fortunio Bonanova will have a role in Bing Crosby's "Dixie," filming of which started yesterday. • • PRODUCER Lester Cowan is angling to ' get Evelyn Keyes for one of the top femme roles in "Heart Of A City," the story of London which he has next on his production list at Columbia. James Gleason has been penciled in for a comedy role. • • TWENTIETH CENTURY-FOX has assigned ' Ladislaus Bus-Fekete and Mrs. BusFekete to work on the script of "The Last Train From Berlin." PRC Sets 200 Dates For 3 Pix in Army Camps As the result of a special drive staged by Arthur Greenblatt, sales manager, for bookings in Army camps, PRC has set more than 200 dates on three of its top pictures, as follows: "The Yanks Are Coming," 86 camps; "Miss V From Moscow," 60; "Secrets of a Co-ed," 57. — Scrap Socks Japs — "Hold On to Your Hats" For Kravetz and Seltzer Expect Early Settlement Of Ozark Theater Case St. Louis — Prospect late last night was that a settlement out of court would be effected in the unfair and unreasonable run and clearance complaint of the Webster Groves Theater Company, owner of the Ozark Theater, against Paramount, RKO, Vitagraph and 20th Century-Pox, with the Fanchon & Marco and St. Louis Amusement Co.'s High/point and Maplewood, Richmond and Shady Oak Theaters interested parties. The case was continued to tomorrow. Tentative terms of agreement have been sent to Harry C. Arthur, Jr., ranking Fanchon & Marco executive who is in New York City, for his approval. The peace pact works out an equitable basis for runs and clearances between the affected houses, it is stated in informed cireles here. Any Bonds Today? Baltimore — Milton Schwaber, Linden and Apex Theaters, hung up something of a record during the Bond drive. Sold over $100,000 of Bonds without moving from his desk. Credit the phone with an assist. First picture to be made by the new Max Kravetz-Frank Seltzer organization may be "Hold On to Your Hats," a film version of the Al Jolson musical hit of last season. Present plans call for three pictures to be made this season with distribution through a major company. — Scrap Socks Japs — 20th-Fox Buys Two Plays 11' est Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Two plays, "Flare Path" and "Highland Fling," have been purchased by 20th-Fox. The first,, by Terence Rattigan, is at present playing in London. The other, unproduced, is by Margaret Curtis. — Scrap Socks Japs — Fox Intermountain Moves Denver — Fox Intermountain headquarters were forced to move from 1631 Glenarm when the Government took over their office space. Fox Intermountain is now located in the Continental Oil building, 18th and Glenarm. —Scrap Socks Japs — Nelson J. Darling Dies Boston' — Nelson J. Darling, 58, General Electric manager of the plants at Lynn and Everett, Mass., died yesterday at his home in Swampscott. Disney One-Reelers for Next 12 Months Finished West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood— The Walt Disney studio has completed virtually its entire single-reel output for the next 12 months. The schedule has been advanced because the production of Government films and other subjects will tax the capacity of the studio to the limit. Disney now is devoting 90 per cent of the studio output to films for the Navy, Army and other agencies and will turn out 300,000 feet before the end of 1943. In the list of finished product or those in production are eight Donald Ducks, four Plutos, two Goofys and a number of special subjects. The regular schedule of Disney entertainment shorts will be augmented by a group of special attractions, including "Der Fuehrer's Face," "Education for Death," "Emotion and Reason" and "Chicken Little." — Scrap Socks Japs — Ziemer to Make Trailer West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Edward A. Golden, who is producing "Hitler's Children" for RKO, will make a special trailer using Gregor Ziemer, upon whose Readers' Digest article, "Education for Death," his script is based. Ziemer now is in Hollywood on Government business. — Scrap Socks Japs — New Columbus Pix Columnist Columbus, O.— William S. Cunningham, for more than 12 years conductor of the "Show Shop" column, in the magazine section, Sun days of the Columbus Dispatch, has resigned to take over new chores on the paper. His successor is Ann Starr. Coast Starting Nine, 50 Before Cameras West Coast Bureau, of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Nine new pictures are scheduled to go into production this week bringing the total shooting to 50. The check-up: At Columbia — Three shooting. At M-G-M: Nine shooting. At Monogram: Two shooting, including "Silent Witness," dog picture, with Frank Albertson, Maris Wrixon and Evelyn Brent. Being produced by Martin Mooney and Max King, and the original story is by Mooney. At Paramount: Six shooting, including "China," story of the heroic resistance of the Chinese people against the Japanese invaders before and after the Pearl Harbor attack, with Loretta Young, Alan Ladd and William Bendix heading the cast. John Farrow directing and Richard Blumenthal is the associate producer ; and the Technicolor musical "Dixie." with Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Marjorie Reynolds, Billy de Wolfe, Lynne Overman, Eddie Foy, Jr., and Raymond Walburn. Edward Sutherland directing. At PRC: One shooting, "Overland Stage Coach," is the title for the first of the Lone Rider series. At Republic : Three sTiooting. including "Hit Parade of 1943," musical, with Susan Hayward and John Carroll in the romantic leads, Freddy Martin and his Orchestra, and Count Basie and his Orchestra in top roles. Albert S. Rogell directing, and Albert J. Cohen as At RKO-Radio: Five shooting. At 20th-Fox: Six shooting, including "Hello, Frisco. Hello." musical based on a story of the Barbary Coast in the early 1900's, with Alice Faye. John Payne, Jack Oakie, Lynn Bari, June Havoc, Ward Bond, and Laird Cregar in a comedy role. H. Bruce Humberstone directing. At United Artists: Harry Sherman shooting two. At Universal: Seven shooting, including Walter Wanger's "We've Never Been Licked," background against Texas A. and M. College, with Robert Cummings in the starring role. John Rawlins directing; and the Technicolor production, "White Savage," which George Waggner is producing, with Jon Hall, Maria Montez and Sabu co-starred, and Thomas Gomez as the heavy. Arthur Lubin directing. At Warners: Five shooting, including "Old Acquaintance," drama, from the play by John van Druten, starring Bette Davis, with Miriam Hopkins, Gig Young and Dolores Moran. Edmund Goulding directing for producer, Henry Blanke. Seymour Nebenzal's "The Hangman," based on Emil Ludwig's story, with John Carradine as Heydnch, Gestapo hatchet man, Frances Farmer, Edgar Kennedy, Blanche Yurka and Helen Thimig. Douglas Sierick directing. $100,000 to Exploit Rep. "Tigers" Overseas Because of the unprecedented interest shown in England, South America and Australia, Republic has allotted $100,000 for extra exploitation on "The Flying Tigers." It will be released in these countries in January, and plans are already under way for special premiere openings in London and Sidney, Australia. — Scrap Socks Japs — Quints in Stage Debut Toronto—The Dionne Quintuplets, 8 years old, were seen on the stage for the first time at Maple Leaf Gardens here yesterday at the Victory Loan Show. This was their first public appearance away from their home in Callender, Ont. They sang English and French songs to great applause.