The Film Daily (1943)

i M 1 3 p I) A INC 2fl W 1.4TH ST NYC DAILY Tuesday, June 22, 194 a REVIEUJS» "So Proudly We Hail!" with Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, Veronica Lake, George Reeves, Barbara Britton Paramount 126 Mins. ROUSING SAGA OF THE PHILIPPINES' FALL IS STRONG BOX-OFFICE, AND MEMORABLE ENTERTAINMENT. Most branches of the armed forces have received glorification at the hands of Hollywood's feature producers, but to Mark Sandrich goes the palm for delineating the heroics of the Army Nurse. In so doing, he has provided exhibitors and public with what is certainly one of the top flight war-theme attractions, — one which packs all the elements of fine entertainment, plus those inspirational values constantly needed to keep our war effort unflagging. In recounting the dramatic story, Sandrich has employed the technique of "Power and the Glory," and that film's successors in the field of narrative-accompanied action, "Citizen Kane" and "Lydia." Claudette Colbert, furnishing the central characterization,— that of Lieut. Janet Davidson — , is the vortex of this action, and her experiences, highlight of which is her romance with George Reeves, Army Lieutenant, are told in off-screen narration by some of the nurses who have shared with her the horrors of the debacle on Bataan, plus the calamity of Corregidor. The screenplay commences and ends aboard a ship which is bringing the handful of surviving Army nurses back to the United States from Australia, following their escape from the Philippines by plane, in many of its sequences, "So Proudly We Hail!" rises to the stature of a very great picture, the sole tempering influence militating against its full consistency being resort to understandable melodramatics which follow somewhat the pattern of predecessor productions. But if not always great, the picture is always better than good, and should prove to be a gold mine for showmen and a feast for the fans. In addition to producing, Sandrich handled the direction. On all counts the work is expert. Claudette Colbert's performance is of rare brilliance. Of standout merit, too, are the histrionics of Paulette Goddard, Veronica Lake, George Reeves, Barbara Britton, Walter Abel, and Sonny Tufts, and every supporting player is a "natural" for his or her role. Tufts, as the college football hero of pre-war days, carves a lasting niche for himself. Nothing is sacrificed by Sandrich in the interests of realism. Portions of the story are stark and some spiked with horror inseparable from war. Perhaps the most rousing scene in the production is Veronica Lake's supreme and hair-raising sacrifice as she walks, grenade in bosom, into the clutches of the Jap patrol. In every sense, "So Proudly We Hail!" is a saga. It gives in bold relief the progressive deterioration of the Philippine campaign; the dreadful losing fight by our uniformed men there; and the glorious manner in which the Army nurses served them and their country in the hours of extremity. CAST: Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, Veronica Lake, George Reeves, Barbara Britron, Walter Abel, Sonny Tufts, Mary Servoss, Ted Hecht, Dick Hogan, Dr. H. H. Chang, James Bell, Lorna Gray, Dorothy Adams, Kitty Kelly, Bill Goodwin, Mary Treen, Helen Lynd, Jean Willes, Jan Wiley, Lynn Walker, Joan Tours, William Forrest, TO THE COLORS! * COMMISSIONED * J. M. WEISFELDT, USA, formerly, head booker, 20th-Fox, Omaha, commissioned a lieutenant. — * — * PROMOTED * 2nd LT. ROBERT E. HARRISON, USMC, son of Edward Harrison, E. M. loew district manager, Springfield, Mass., to 1st lieutenant. — • — * ARMY * NATE SODIKMAN, Monogram manager, Albany. JULES SCHERMER, Hollywood. EDWARD HEYMAN, songwriter, Hollywood. ERIC FELDARY, actor, Hollywood. SABU, Universal contract player, Hollywood. RAY MARCUS, producer's assistant, Republic, Hollywood. JORIS IVENS, documentary producer, Hollywood. SIDNEY GAkFINKLE, Vendola representative, Cleveland. SAM KALMENSON, accessories manager, Republic, Chicago. TOM McDONNELL, assistant manager, Comerford Theater, Scranton, Pa. HAROLD FLANNICAN, State, Scranton, Pa. MERCHANT MARINE CHRIS CHINN, assistant cashier, 20th-Fox, Chicago. — • — * COAST GUARD * RICHARD QUINE, M-C-M contract player, Hollywood. — • — * WAACS * CECILE ARDEN, RKO publicity department, Hollywood. — • — * RAF* BRIAN AHERNE, flight instructor, Falcon Field, Mesa, Ariz. Exhibitors Praised For March of Dimes Success (Continued from Page 1) olas M. Schenck paid both written and oral tribute to the splendid work of exhibitors who made the over $2,000,000 record possible, it was disclosed yesterday with the release of the text of his remarks. As his report to President Roosevelt, whose sponsorship has sparked the infantile paralysis campaign, Schenck said: "On behalf of the motion picture theaters of America, it is my privilege to hand you herewith check for $1,000,000, made payable to the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. "This represents approximately half of the money raised in February through the collections in some 12,000 theaters throughout the nation. One-half of the collections remain in the communities collecting. An additional check will be sent to the Foundation when the audit is completed. "The collections this year compare very favorably with the $1,450,000 raised through our theater drive in 1942. The gratifying increase in results may be traced to the enthusiastic co-operation of theater owners and their staffs everywhere throughout the nation, and to the ever-growing interest of the public in this worthy cause. "It is noteworthy that the $2,000,000 in contributions represents millions of donors. Not only grownups contributed but millions of children did their share as evidenced by the number of pennies collected from them. "Our committee is proud to advise yo'u that the campaign was conducted with a minimum of expense, which we estimate will not exceed 2 per cent of the total. Most of this expense was for raw film purchased for the making of a trailer. Attached is a preliminary report from the accountants, showing tabulations of collections reported by States to date. "The entire motion picture industry is grateful for this opportunity to serve in your fight against infantile paralysis." James Flavin, Byron Foulger, Richard Crane, Else Janssen, James Millican, Michael Harvey, Fred Henry, Victor Kilian, Jr., Damian O'Flynn, Ray Godin, Frances Morris, Mimi Doyle, Fay Sappington, Julia Faye, Keith Richards, Isabel Cooper, Amparo Antenorcruz. CREDITS: Producer, Mark Sandrich; Director, Mark Sandrich; Original Story, Allan Scott; Art Director, Hans Dreier, Earl Hedrick; Cameraman, Charles Lang; Soundmen, Harold Lewis and John Cone; Set Decoration, Stephen Seymour. DIRECTION, Excellent. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fine. Harmon in Salt Lake City For Address and Meetings (Continued from Page 1) this noon and to meet with WAC exhibitor, distributor and public relations chairmen in the territory this afternoon and tomorrow. Harmon moves on Thursday to Denver to address a Rotary Club meeting while Friday will find him in Omaha for a rally. Last week, he filled Los Angeles and San Francisco engagements. Upon his return to New York the end of this week Harmon will have visited eight of the industry's 31 exchange territories and held meetings with WAC field committees in each. The decentralization plan set up by WAC is, according to Harmon's observations, a practical workable method of operation. Arrangements calls for each Division in an area to handle the work of that Division, under the co-ordinating influence of New York headquarters. Troops in Southwest Resent War Pix Flood (Continued from Page 1) W. E. Crist, director, Southwestern division, with headquarters in Dallas and supervision over Los Angeles and Oklahoma City, booking for 255 theaters in Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. Crist says the box-office pulling power of war pictures is down, while that of other types is up from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. As an example of how bookings are handled, the Army theaters take 11 prints on the Dallas market for 30 days from release and finish with them in that time, when they become available for general release. Los Angeles takes six prints and Oklahoma City, three prints. Capt. R. Z. Glass, former DallasHouston exhibitor, is now Army theater officer at Love Field, Dallas, while Lt. R. G. Watson, former Interstater, is Army theater officer at Camp Gruber, Okla. b N. E. Group to Push Film "Ceiling" Law (Continued from Page 1) to Canada for the purpose of stud;, ing the ceiling price plan which i in effect there. Farnum declined to identify th sponsors of the proposed measure but it is understood that the back ers are important in the indepe^r-r field here. l^.°V Declaring that there had been "terrific increase in film prices virtue of the monopoly now exist ing," Farnum charged that no net producer could enter the field cause all producers have been all cated 75 per cent of the raw stock! previously allowed and that "mos of the producers have deliberatel. curtailed production in order to kee the prices up and to cause the de mand to be greater than the supply. "Some major companies whic made 50 to 60 pictures annually hav cut to 30 or less," he continuec "and in one notable instance an nouncement has recently been mad. by one of the larger companies tha only 18 will be produced by thi firm next year. By reason of thi monopoly created in this mannei these companies are able to deman higher prices despite the fact tha none of them is permitted by th Gov ernment to spend as much mone; as formerly on production. This has in turn, created phenomenal profit for these companies and the onl; possible way the independent the ater owner could manage to surviv would be to pass on the burden t the theater-going public and in crease the price of admissions, ob viously not a thing to be wished no intended. "But in the long run, the publi itself would pay the bills and it i. for the protection of our theater going patrons that we are going t-, demand equitable adjustment and ,\ ceiling price." Harry Unkle Joins Bloomfield Tool Corp. Harry Unkle, formerly of Trans Lux, has joined the Bloomfield Too; Corp., which has acquired the pat: ents and exclusive rights to buili and supply what is said to be th only fully automatic film splicinf and rewinding machine. A recen demonstration of the machine wa attended by a large number of filri people in Washington. I Mrs. O. E. Belles Dead Cleveland — Mrs. O. E. Belles, wifj of the manager of the Haltnortl Theater and one-time president o the Cleveland Motion Picture Ex hibitors Association, is dead follow ing a long illness. In addition t( her husband, she is survived by tw< sons, Frank Belles, a local RKC salesman, and J. McFarland, witl NSS in Indianapolis.