The Film Daily (1942)

<?fe Wednesday, December 9, 1942 ? Wobber Plan Assures Emergency Shipping (Continued from Page 1) was learned yesterday. It is said that the Wobber system protects every account in his area against failure to receive bookings as contracted for. Under the system certain theaters in focal situations in all zones have been designated as emergency storehouses. In such theaters are kept prints of all the 20th-Fox releases for the past season. The exhibitors look after the prints subject to instructions from the branch managers of the company's offices on the Coast. The procedure in a case where a miss-out is likely to occur or a booking may be late is to have the branch manager, booker or salesman call up the focal theater in the area and ask the management to send a print of the desired picture to the house involved in the emergency. The system is understood to have received such high endorsement from Coast exhibitors that Wobber intends to extend its benefits to the Salt Lake City and Denver territories. District managers of the company in other parts of the country are said to be studying the system. 20th-Fox to Recognize CEA Settlement Terms (Continued from Page 1) Britain, agreed to recognize all the provisions of the settlement which was announced on Oct. 27 but which later collapsed. The "war" between the CEA and 20th-Fox broke out in September when the company revised its British sales plans. The agreement gives exhibitors complete status quo. It has restored one-day Sunday films. The policy which caused the dispute had specified that each film was to be sold individually, whether on percentage or fiat rental, and that certain productions were to be in the percentage classification. The settlement again makes it possible for exhibitors to book films on flat rentals. Memphis Paper's Ads All Plug Bond Sales For the first time in its newspaper life, the Memphis Commercial Appeal appeared on the newsstands Monday, the opening day of "Avenge Dec. 7— On To Victory" Week, without a single commercial advertisement on its pages. The entire advertising lineage was devoted to promoting the sale of War Bonds and Stamps. This unusual feat of patriotic ballyhoo was the work of a committee including Maurice Druker, who with Howard Waugh is WAC co-chairman of Public Relations in Memphis. REVIEWS 'China Girl1 » with Gene Tierney, George Montgomery, Lynn Bari, Victor McLaglen 20rh-Fox 95 Mins. WAR DRAMA PLAYED AGAINST CHINESE BACKGROUND STACKS UP AS FAIR BOX-OFFICE ENTERTAINMENT. A more honest approach to the subject would have made "China Girl" smashing entertainment and something of which 20th-Fox could genuinely have been proud. The ingredients are there in abundance, but they have been handled cheaply and obviously. A China torn by war, a China where the drama of life and death is too painfully real, hardly would seem to be the proper background for the romantic didoes of a shallow and conceited smart aleck of an American whose instincts are on the wolfish side. The romantic convolutions of the story somehow detract from the dramatic content of the production. As the film has been produced, played and written, it lacks the importance that such a theme should have given it. The picture simply doesn't ring true. Much of the action is implausible and childish and strangely undramatic at times. It is difficult to believe that Ben Hecht had a hand in the fashioning of "China Girl," which is based on a yarn by Melville Grossman. Hecht, who doubled as producer and screenplaywright, can do much better. Here and there flashes of the real Hecht are evident, but they are not many. He hasn't helped matters any by dragging the film out to such length. Cutting would be a boon to the picture. The American around whom the action revolves is a newsreel cameraman. The story relates his experience with the Japs and two Americans in their pay just before the Pearl Harbor incident. The villains try to trick the cameraman into taking pictures of the Burma Road which they hope to use to destroy that vital traffic artery. He manages to cross up the Japs after being tipped off to the treacherous character of the two Americans. The close of the film finds him mortally wounded in a sally with Jap bombers during a raid on a Chinese town. Our hero's romantic activities involve two women. The first is one of the two traitorous Americans. This is a minor affair. The fellow's real heart throb is a Chinese girl whose father is a teacher. It is in defense of the girl that he is wounded by the Japs. The finale has the dying chap and the Chinese miss reaffirming their love. Definitely on the credit side are the exciting pace of the story and the heavy emphasis placed on action. The bombing scenes bring the film to a resounding climax. Most of the credit for the nicer things about the film goes to the director, Henry Hathaway, and the cameraman, Lee Garmes. George Montgomery enacts the newsreel cameraman. The Chinese girl has been left to the mercy of Gene Tierney, who is never convincing in the part. Lynn Bari plays the other woman in Montgomery's life. She's just about the best player in the film. Victor McLaglen appears as her partner in treachery. Some of the other players are Alan Baxter, Sig Rumann, Myron McCormick, Bobby Blake, Ann Pennington, PhiliD Ahn. CAST: Gene Tierney, George Montgomery, Lynn Bari, Victor McLaglen, Alan Baxter. Sig Rumann, Myron McCormick, Bobby Blake, Ann Pennington, Philip Ahn, Sam Wheeler New Prexy Of Wash'n Variety Club Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — New chief barker for Variety Club's Tent No. 11, Washington, is Sam Wheeler of Twentieth Century-Fox. Wheeler was elected to succeed Vincent Dougherty of Paramount, who takes his place on the board of governors. First assistant barker is John Allen, M-G-M, who is succeeded as second assistant by Fred Kogod, local theater operator. The only new member of the board is Jake Flax, local manager for Republic. Sam Galanty of Columbia continues as treasurer. Other members of the board of governors include Carter Barron, Rudolf Berger, John J. Payette, Nathan Golden, Ed Fontaine, Hardie Meakin, Abe Lichtman, Sidney Lust, Julian Brylawski and George Crouch — the last the only new member. Navy to Open Huge Film Laboratory in Washington Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — A huge new laboratory to be staffed with over 700 people will soon be opened here by the Navy. All pictorial work by that service will be centered in this laboratory, which will contain training schools as well as facilities for camera checking and the developing of all types of film. It is expected that women will do a good deal of the work there. The present plans call for more than 200 WAVES and 20 female officers to be stationed there. Canadian Picture Pioneers Elect Clair Hague Prexy Toronto — Executives of Canadian Picture Pioneers met here to elect new officers. Clair Hague was named president succeeding Oscar Hanson; Syd Taube was elected vice-president, and Ray Lewis secretary. A committee comprising Arcie Laurie, Ben Cronk and Charles Mavety was appointed to organize a big patriotic function early in the new year. WB Appoints Goodman Charlotte Booking Head Manny Goodman, formerly of the Warner Bros, home office sales department and more recently connected with the Atlanta branch, has been promoted to supervisor of bookings in the Charlotte exchange. Texas V. C. Honors Ezell Dallas — Claude Ezell is the new chief barker of the Variety Club of Tom Neal, Chester Gan, Allen Jung, Paul Fung, Lai Chand Mehra, Beal Wong, Oie Chan, Kam Tong. CREDITS: Producer. Ben Hecht; Director, Henry Hathaway; Screenplay, Ben Hecht; Based on story by Melville Grossman; Music, A'fred Newman; Cameraman, Lee Garmes; Art Drectors, Richard Day, Wiard B. Ihnen; Film Editor. James B. Clark; DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Film Rows Deserted Under Gas Rationing (Continued from Page 1) spend more time with exhibtiors on deals rather than trying to make as many towns as possible in a single day. Q Most salesmen covered theiKT->rritories as usual the first week of rationing, but from now on it appears that they will use trains and buses more extensively. In Minneapolis, salesmen and managers received "B" cards, while in Los Angeles the salesmen and managers were given "A" cards. Milwaukee salesmen reported fewer towns covered last week but the number of deals closed showed an increase over the previous week. The same situation held true in Kansas City. Monogram's Chicago exchange has solved its rationing problem by directing salesmen to leave their cars in the center of their respective territories. Salesmen travel from this city to their "bases" by train weekly. In some quarters, it was believed that neighborhood business will be improved by the rationing, inasmuch patrons will not use their cars to reach the downtown districts. It is believed generally, however, that the situation will adjust itself rapidly as it affects both patrons and sales Harry C. Arthur, Jr. Here On Duals' Elimination Harry C. Arthur, Jr., managing director of Fanchon & Marco, is carrying his campaign for the voluntary elimination of duals to the powers that be in the industry here, it was learned yesterday with the disclosure that he was in town from St. Louis. The showman said he would sound out distributors and the MPPDA tomorrow and Friday. He expects to return home over the week-end. The distributors hold the solution to the duals problem, Arthur said. "That's where the matter eventually will have to wind up," he asserted, adding that double bills would go if distributors prohibited their accounts from playing them. Used To "Blow-ups" — But Kot This Kind United Press cable from Allied Headquarters in North Africa released yesterday declared that Colonel Darryl Zanuck, who has been supervising shooting of footage for the Army in Tunisia, came closer to getting killed in bed than in the front lines, where he was under fire. He had gone to a hotel in a north coast town where he had formerly stayed, and went to bed although the hostelry was deserted. The next morning he was informed by a policeman that two delayed action bombs were inside the building.