The Film Daily (1943)

10 -Ml * DAILY Tuesday, May 18, 1943 Lester Isaac to be Consultant to WPB (Continued from Page 1) Isaac is being appointed, says Smith, is for the working out of methods to inform projectionists and others in exchanges and theaters of the safest and most efficient ways to handle the new high-speed film, lacquered on both sides, and other new equipment. Handling of this film, particularly, has not been especially successful thus far, according to Smith. Isaac will probably spend several days weekly in Washington for the next few weeks. He was here over the week-end. National Film Carriers To Convene Here June 6 (Continued from Page 1) Astor on June 6, closing on June 8. The first important huddle will be that of the executive committee on the opening day. Major problems to be taken up will be the maintenance of the best possible film delivery service under existing ODT regulations, the truck, gas and rubber shortage and the manpower situation. Plans will be outlined for the pick-up and delivery to a central point in each key city of copper accumulated by the theaters in the WAC copper salvage campaign. Warners Sending Glazer For Latin-American Study West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Warners has arranged for Benjamin Glazer, producer, to devote several months to an intensive research project, involving a possible trip through South America, for a study of the entire PanAmerican situation to be utilized in a feature picture on that subject. Glazer, who has had a project of this kind in mind for some time, has brought the current production of "The Animal Kingdom" to a status where the picture can be finished without daily producer guidance. Juve Gate Crashers Des Moines Problem Des Moines, la. — An increased number of cases of youngsters slipping into theaters without paying is causing concern to local juvenile officers. ! A. W. Clark, probation officer, who investigated several groups of boys who entered theaters during the last few days, found the teen age youths were from good families and had ample spending money. They were released with warnings they could be fined $100 or sentenced to 30 days in jail for evading payment of admission fees. HOLLYWOOD DIGEST SIGNED RICHARD CONTE, (Nicholas Conte) termer, 20rh-Fox. JOHN PAUL REVERE, seven-year contract, Republic. STEWART CHANEY, sets, "Up in Arms," Samuel Coldwyn-RKO. EDWARD LUDWIC, director, Paramount. ROBERT ALTON, dance director, "Ziegfeld Follies," M-G-M. STEVEN BARASH, technical director, "In Our Time," Warners. ASSIGNMENTS IRVING PICHEL, director, "Happy Land," 20thFox. JOE E. BROWN, script, "Cone With the Draft," Republic. IRA MORGAN, cameraman, "Fighting Valley," TRC. GLENN COOK, assistant director, "The Gunmaster," Harry Sherman-UA. H. C. POTTER, director, live action sequences, "Victory Through Air Power," Walt DisneyUnited Artists. RAY RENNAHAN, cameraman, "Victory Through Air Power," Disney-UA. LINDSLEY PARSONS, producer, "Revenge of the Zombies" and "Cround Crew," Monogram. JOHN AUER, director, "Seven Days Ashore," RKO. ARCH OBLER, screenplay, "Seven Days' Ashore," RKO. ADELE COMMANDINI and ANDREW SOLT, screenplay, "Mr. Winkle Goes to War," Columbia. • CASTINGS RITA HAYWORTH and JANET flLAIR, "Heart of the City," and "Gone Are The Days," Columbia; LIONEL STANDER and RICHARD CONTE, "Guadalcanal Diary," 20fh-Fox; LON CHANEY, JR., "Frontier Badman," Universal; LARAINE DAY and SIGNE HASSO, "The Story of Dr. Wassell," Cecil B. DeMille-iParamount; ANITA LOUISE, "Restless Lady," Columbia; JOSEPH COTTEN, "Government Girl," RKO; MARY ANDERSON, "The Song of Bernadette" and "Happy Land," 20th-Fox ANN SHERIDAN, "Handbook for Jealousy," Warners; TONIO SELWART, ARSSVEN HUCO BORG, FERDINAND SCHUMANN HEINK, HANS FURBURG and FRED FIERMANN, "A Thousand Shall Fall," M-C-M; LOUISE ALLBRITTON, and SARAH PADDEN, "Angela," Universal; VIRGINIA SALE, "Hers to Hold," Universal; SFIKE JONES and ORK., VAUGHN MONROE and ORK, THE KING SISTERS, "Meet the People," M-G-M; CHARLEY FOY, "The Cunmaster," Harry Sherman-United Artists; LYLE TALBOT, VEDA ANN BORG, GALE STORM and ROBERT LOWERY, "Revenge of the Zombies," Monogram; IAN KEITH, EDDIE QUILLAN, MAXIE ROSENBLOOM, JOAN WOODBURY, ARMIDA, SIDNEY MILLER and MARY CORDON, "He Couldn't Take It," Monogram; RUSSELL WADE, "The Iron Major," RKO; iROSEMARY LA PLANCHE, BARBARA HALE and GLORIA WARREN, "Around the World," RKO; DAVE O'BRIEN, JIM NEWILL, CUY WILKERSON, BOB RICE, CHARLES KING, CARL MATTHEWS and HANSEL WARNER, "Fighting Valley," PRC. VICTOR BORGE, NANCY WALKER and PAUL REAGAN, "Meet the People," M-G-M; NILS ASTHER and SUSAN HAYWARD, "The Man in Half Moon Street," Paramount; HENRY HULL, HERBERT RAWLINSON, MARION MARTIN and CHARLES FOY, "The Cunmaster," Harry Sherman-United Artists CLARENCE MUSE;, LUCIEN LITTLEFIELD, ALEC CRAIG and IRVINC BACON, "Johnny Come Lately," Cagney-United Artists; MARCY McGUIRE, "Seven Days' Ashore," RKO; GUY KINGSFORD, TOM STEVENSON, GEORGE FLAHERTY and EMERSON SMITH, "Attack by Night," Columbia. • STORY PURCHASES FDWARD BEIN's "Calling Dr. Death," Universal. TITLE SWITCHES "The Last Page," formerly "They Can't Get Away With It," PRC. LESLIE CHARTER1S' "The Saint Meets the Tiger," Republic. REOPTIONED BETTE DAVIS, new termer, Warners. MARY LEE, one year, Republic. SCHEDULED "Meet the People," producer, €. Y. HARBURC, M-G-M. "The Man in Half Moon Street," director, LESTER FULLER, producer, WALTER MacEWAN, play, BAR-RE LYNDON. Mass. Bans "Burlesque" Springfield Sunday Date Springfield, Mass. — "Lady of Burlesque" was banned for Sunday showing here at the Capitol, Manager Andy Sette was informed by the state department, less than 24 hours before it was to be shown in the course of a regular run at the Cgpitol. Sette substituted "Casablanca" and resumed with the Stanwyck film Monday. Massachusetts law, calls for weekly renewal of the Sunday license and the department forced Sette's hand by taking advantage of their right to turn down his license for Sunday if he should have tried to go ahead with the film. Col. Lawton Will Visit Coast Within a Month Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Col. Kirk B. Lawton, deputy chief Army pictorial service, returned yesterday after three days in New York, where he inspected the signal corps photographic center, in Astoria. He was also a guest at the Photographic School at Ft. Monmouth, N. J. Col. Lawton said he hopes to go to the West Coast within the next month, but hrs made no definite plans yet. Theater Business Soars 35 P.C. in Puerto Rico Theater business in Puerto Rico is booming as never before and grosses are up about 35 per cent over those of last year, according to Ramos Cobian, circuit owner of San Juan and PRC franchise holder. Cobian is in New York conferring with PRC executives Cobian said that he didn't think that the governor of Puerto Rico would sign the anti-block-booking bill which has passed the Legislature. He said that most exhibitors were opposed to the measure and that the Governor was being informed of its nature and effects. Mexican pictures are getting a big play for the first time in Puerto Rico, Cobian said. The Mexican "Count of Monte Cristo" recently broke all existing records in his theaters. BUI Powell Back to WMT Springfield, Mass. — William T. Powell, general manager of the Liberty Theaters Corp., has resigned his position and has rejoined the Western Massachusetts Theaters, Inc., to assume the duties of city manager in Pittefield and North Adams, a newly created post. <REVIEUJS> "Russians at War" Artkino 60 Mins. SOVIET IMPORT BEARS STRIKING WITNESS TO THE VIGOR PUT INTO RUSSIA'S PROSECUTION OF THE WAR. "Russians at War" is another in the long list of Soviet films documenting the Russian people's fight against the Nazi scourge. The picture offers further erf*7 dence of the heroic nature of the nationVh^ efforts against the German invasion. The vengeance with which the Russians have gone all-out in defense of their acres is vividly depicted in this film, which was put together from material photographed at the Russian front by a corps of official cameramen of the Central Newsreel Studios of the U.S.S.R. The footage effectively portrays the concentration which the Russians have applied to the job of driving the Nazis from the r homeland. The unity of spirit which explains the success of Russian arms on the Soviet front is easy to understand in the presence of this picture. The amazing dedication of the home front to the task of victory is one of the most striking points made by the picture. The production is filled with scenes showing the civilian population pitching in with every ounce of energy in support of the fighting men. The shots made at the battlefront are graphic and often supremely exciting. Every branch of the service is shown in action against the enemy. The picture gives a good impression of life on the front, with a few light moments to relieve the grim business of death. Although the picture has much to recommend it, it is scarcely on a par with "Moscow Strikes Back" and "The Siege of Leningrad." The picture, however, does succeed no less well than the earlier two films in conveying the fiercely heroic quality of the Soviet stand against the Nazis. The film was edited by Helen Van Dongen. There is an English commentary by Arnold Reid. RKO Calls on Hersh For Another Lum~Abner West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hoillywood — As the result of the outstanding grosses that Lum and Abner's "Two Weeks to Live" is piling up, RKO has asked for immediate delivery of another film starring the two rural comics. For the basis of the next Lum and Abner vehicle, producer Ben Hersh has purchased an original story by Roswell Rogers and Edward James bearing the title, "Dollar a Year." "Bombardier" Party On Way to San Antonio Albuquerque — Stars of RKO's "Bombardier" and company executives who attended the Sunday premiere here, left yesterday for the first of four regional premieres at the Majestic, San Antonio, tomorrow. Party includes Pat O'Brien, Russell Wade, Richard Martin and Margie Stewart, escorted by Ned E. Depinet, president, Charles Koerner, v. -p. in charge of production and Perry Lieber, studio publicity head.