The Film Daily (1943)

itiday May 28, 1943 Wk 11 DAILY 4dI. Will Hold Down /arPix for 1943-44 (Continued from Page 1) tion is "keen for comedy attracts," but that the policy for the proaching season with respect to acerial can be summed up in one i|V;ence, namely, "If it's a good K-fy, tell it." Hence, the poten'uities of stories and scripts will termine whether the studio will ake them. Rights to Kressman Taylor's "Adess Unknown," have been acquired Sam Wood, who will produce it r Columbia as one of the company's ajor offerings. Novelette was first .blished in "Story" magazine, was printed in "Readers Digest," and en published in book form. Montague declared that "The More e Merrier" is "very likely to be ■e biggest grosser in Columbia's story, including the Capra picres," and that the film is piling up ipnomenal takes everywhere. In me situations, where it starts off ing so-called normal business in e first day or two, the daily revete mounts progressively, demonrating the picture's entertainment .lue and the favorable reaction ought by patrons' wo: d-of-mouth mments upon it. Today, immediately after the Co,mbia regional's windup, Montague aves the city for Los Angeles, and ill then go to San Francisco for 1(e sales conclave there on June 5 d 6. m : (Continued from Page 1) ock for each share of Universal ctures Co. common. . Joseph M. Proskauer, general unsel for Universal Corp., pointed it that adoption of the plan would J I crease the efficiency of operations Universal and would reduce ex 3 |;nses through simplification of the ! ':porate organization set-up . iagara Drive-In Folds Buffalo — Its business kayoed by :e renewed ban on pleasure driving the East, the Niagara Drive-In I leater. between Buffalo and Niag :■ a Falls, has folded. I ecision Reserved 1 "U" Merger Plan WEDDING BELLS ■:".• ■ est Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY 5 Hollywood — Frank Albertson and race Gillern will be married in mta Barbara Saturday. Naomi Hodes, daughter of Mr. and is. Phil Hodes, will be married jnday to Lt. Martin Shotland at ie Temple Beth El, Great Neck. he bride's father is assistant to .ob Wolff, RKO's metropolitan disict manager. HOLLYWOOD DIGEST SIGNED MARY GANLEY, termer, M-G-M. RONALD GRAHAM, termer, 20th-Fox. CASTINGS SAM LEVENE. JACK MULHALL and CRANT WITHERS, "Whistling in Brooklyn," M-C-M; OLSEN AND JOHNSON, "They-re All Crazy," Universal; FRANK McHUGH and HARRY FITZGERALD, untitled Bing Crosby, Paramount MAREK WINDHEIM and RICHARD HACEMAN. "Hi Diddle Diddle," Andrew Stone-UA; JACK CARSON, "The Widow Who Wouldn't Weep," Warners; ALEXIS SMITH, "The Horn Blows at Midnight," Warners; ANITA LOUISE and FRANK CRAVEN, "Restless Lady," Columbia; JACKIE COOPER and SAM LEVINE, "Ground Crew," Monogram; CEORGE CHANDLER, "Without Notice," Columbia; CHARLES BARNET and JAN SAVITT ORKS., "Jam Session," Columbia. VICTOR FRANCEN, "Passage to Marseilles," Warners; NICEL BRUCE, "Frenchman's Creek," Paramount; ROSE HOBART and ROBERT ARMSTRONG, "The Mad Ghoul," Universal; SIGRID CURIE, "Strange Music," PRC; SPENCER TRACY, "They Were Expendable," M-C-M. MARY BOLAND, "In Our Time," Warners; SIR CEDRIC HARDWICKE, "The Empty Room," 20th-Fox; SIDNEY TOLER, "Charlie Chan in Secret Service," Monogram; ALLAN (ONES, "All Out for Rhythm," Universal; DONNA MAE JADEN. "Meet the 'People," M-G-M; VICTOR FRANCEN, "Passage to Marseilles," Warners; LOUIS CALHERN and GLADYS GEORCE, "Nobody's Darling," Republic; VICTOR KILIAN, "Johnny Come Lately," Cagney-UA; JOHN CARRADINE, "Revenge of the Zombies," Monogram; TEDDI SHERMAN, "The Cunmaster," Harry Sherman-UA: LYNDA CREY, "Forty Thieves," Sherman-UA; GRACE LIM and FRANCES CHAN, "The Clock Struck Twelve," Columbia; RAY MILLAND, "Ministry of Fear," Paramount. LIONEL BARRYMORE, VAN JOHNSON, KEYE LUKE and MARILYN MAXWELL, "Three Men in White." M-G-M; WILLIAM FARNUM and TEX RITTER, "Frontier Bad Man," Universal; MORONI OLSEN, "The Song of Bernadette," 20th-Fox; DICKIE HALL and BARBARA PEPPER, "America," M-C-M; CARY CRANT, "My Client," Curly," Columbia; ALLAN JONES. "All Out for Rhythm," Universal; HOWARD JOHNSON and FRED NURNEY, "Strange Music," PRC; ISABEL JEWELL and WANDA McKAY, "DangerWomen at Work," PRC; PERCY KILBRIDE, ARTHUR HOHL, DEWEY ROBINSON and MARLENE MAINS, "The Gunmaster," Harry ShermanUA; CALE STORM and BILL HENRY, "Nearly Eighteen," Monogram; BOB STEELE, "Revenge of the Zombies," Monogram; ERROL FLYNN, "Singing in the Wilderness," Warners; HARRY CAREY, "Happy Land," 20th-Fox; ALAN MARSHALL, "Frenchman's Creek," Paramount; JANET BLAIR, "Heart of a City," Columbia; KATHLEEN HOWARD, "Without Notice," Columbia. JOAN CAULFIELD and BARRY SULLIVAN, ! "Our Hearts Were Young and Gay," Paramount; ! JOE E. BROWN and MARTHA RAYE, "Pin-Up I Cirl," 20th-Fox; PATTI BRILIE and MARGARET' LANDRY, "Around the World," RKO; DON AMUCHE and FRANCES DEE. "Happy Land," 20th-Fox; DAVID WILLOCK, "The Story of Dr. Wassell," Paramount; RALPH BYRD and MINOR WATSON. "Guadalcanal Diary," 20th-Fox; WILLIAM DEMAREST and DWIGHT FRYE, "Restless Lady,' Columbia. EDDIE BRACKEN, WILLIAM BENDIX and CIL LAMB, "Ready, Willing and 4-F," Paramount; WALLY BROWN and ALAN CARNEY, "Adventures of a Rookie," RKO; CHARLES WINNINCER and NANCY WALKER, "Along Broadway," M-C-M; CARL ESMOND, "Ministry of Fear." Paramount WARREN HYMER, ALLAN BYRON, VINCE BARNETT, FORREST TAYLOR and VERNELL VERNON, "Danger-Women at Work, iPRC; JACKIE JENKINS, "America," M-C-M; ILENE BREWER, "Without Notice," Columbia. ALICE FAYE and RONALD GRAHAM, "Greenwich Village," 20th-Foxi JOAN LESLIE, The Young and Brave," Warners; TRUDY MARSHALL and ROBERT BAILEY, "Dancing Masters," 20th-Fox; XAVIER CUCAT and orchestra, "Tropicana," Columbia; NAZIMOVA, "In Our Time," Warners; HNKY TOMLIN, "Manhattan Buckaroo," Columbia; CARL ESMOND, "Ministry of Fear," Paramount; ANITA LOUISE, "Nine Girls," Columbia; MILES MANDER, "Attack by Night," Columbia; SHIRLEY PATTERSON, "Jam Session," Columbia, STORY PURCHASES "Good Night, Ladies," Columbia. Sor.g, "Johnny Got a Zero," Columbia. KRESSMAN TAYLOR'S "Address Unknown," Sam Wood. MARION PARSONNET'S original, "Moon at Midnight," M-G-M. SIGNED JEAN KEAN, seven years, Republic. EMMET LAVERY, seven-year producer-writer deal, RKO. H. R. HAY'S "Stranger on the Highway," 20thFox. KATHRYN FORBES' "Mama's Bank Account." RKO. CHARLES L. LEONARD'S "The Fanatic of Fez," RKO. HARRISON HOWELL'S "Bataan to Japan," Monogram. JOHNTON McCULLEYs "Outlaws of Stampede Pass," Monogram. REOPTIONED KENNETH MACCOWAN, producer, 20th-Fox. WALLY WESTMORE, two years, Paramount. SIR CTD^IC HARDWICKE, another year, 20th Fox. PATTI BRILLE, 20th-Fox. MARCARET LANDRY, 20th-Fox. SIGNE HASSO, M-G-M. KENNETH MACGOWAN, 20th-Fox. GAIL PATRICK, termer, Paramount. • TITLE SWITCHES "Corvette K255," formerly "Corvettes in Action," Universal. "Isle of Forgotten S'ns," formerly "Tidal Wjve,' PRC. "Lady from Mexico." formerly, "Oh, Baby," PRC. "The City That Stopped Hitler," formerly, "Victory at Stalingrad," Taramount. "Along Broadway," formerly "Up and Down Broadway," M-G-M. Warners' 30 Scripts Sets Peak for Year West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Writing activity at Warners Studios has set. a new high for the year, with nearly three dozen writers busy on 30 stories. Peak schedule will be maintained throughout the Summer. Properties in various stages of work include "Country Lawyer," "Nobody Lives Forever," "Danger Signal," '"Battle Cry," "The Conspi: ators," "Three Strangers," "The Horn Blows at Midnight," "The Time Between," "Conflict," "The Widow Wouldn't Weep," "Rhapsody in Blue," "Gay Nineties," "Deep Valley," "Passage to Marseilles," "Young and the Brave," "Treasure of the Sierra Madre," "Daddies," "Marilyn Miller," "Will Rogers," ' Humoresque," "Singing in the Wilderness," "Green Eyes," "Shine On, Ha: vest Moon," "Night Shift," "Destination, Tokyo," "Here Come the Girls" and four untitled originals. Tumps B. O. Scale Six Cents Washington, Conn. — Joseph Reed has upped admissions here and at the Bantam theater from 44 to 50 cents, and for children, from 17 to 20 cents. Bantam has gone into its summer full-week schedule. Gossip Of The Market Place Specific And General Comment Of Interest To Investors And Traders Some Statistics On America's $2 Billion "Movie" Business The American motion picture industry has a capital investment estimated at $2,061,000,000, according to industry statistics compiled for the 1943 edition of the Film Daily Year Book. Of the investment $1,900,000,000 is in theaters, $126,000,000, in studios; $25,000,000 in distribution; and $10,000,000 in nontheatrical enterprises. The industry contributes approximately $360,589,600 annually in federal taxes and additional $250,000,000 in taxes to state and local governments. Hollywood has 74 producers of feature films, 32 producing short subjects, nine working on cartoons, while there are six producers of news reels in the United States. A total of 376 feature films were produced by major companies in the United States last year. The average negative costs per feature was $336,600, and the average number of "shooting" days for photographing a feature was 22. A total of 276 different industries, arts and professions are involved in the making of a motion picture. Hollywood spent $4,975,000 for stories which it purchased last year. The top price for a Broadway play was $300,000 for "Eve of St. Mark," acquired by 20th Century-Fox. The top price paid for a novel was $300,000, also by 20th Century-Fox, for John Steinbeck's "The Moon Is Down." The top price paid for an original story was $60,000 by M-G-M for "The Human Comedy," by William Saroyan. The 17,728 theaters operating in the United States on Jan. 1, 1943, contain 11,542,093 seats. The average weekly attendance of U. S. film theaters in 1942 is estimated at 90,000,000, which duplicates the record high first reached in 1930 when the "talking" pictures boomed attendance. In 1933 the depression low of 60,000,000 was established. The film theaters in the United States had an estimated gross of $1,193,400,000 in 1942, exclusive of federal and state admission taxes. There is said to be one motion picture theater seat for every 12 inhabitants in the United States. The average movie theater admission price last year, exclusive of taxes, was 25.5 cents. Of the money taken in by the theaters, 65% of total receipts, exclusive of admission taxes, is retained for local expenses, and 35% turned over to the film distributor. Reprinted from News Bureau, Boston, Mass. April 12, 1943