The Film Daily (1943)

TNI> DAILY Monday, October, 18, Spread Attendance Drive Nation-Wide! {Continued from Page 1) ing "see-movies-early-in-the-week" campaign to relieve heavy week-end business and resultant manpower "pinch." Coast drive, originating with Rodney A. Pantages, Marco Wolff and B. H. Wallerstein, will be waged by a committee comprising Pantages, Oscar Kantner, Jack H. Lowe and Tom W. Bailey, the Bureau's director. Not only is this a necessary move for theater business generally, but it is in direct line with efforts to solve the manpower shortage. according' to Baily. "At present, theaters are finding it difficult to get extra help on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays," he said. "It is their desire not to have such extra help, as war plants need it more. However, such a public educational program should greatly alleviate this need." The manual now being' prepared calls for special trailers, inserts in theater ads, radio plugs and in telephone contact with the public. Among the slogans to be used are: "Go to the Movies Early in the Week"; "Go to the Movies Today; Don't Wait for the Week-ends"; "There's just as Much Entertainment at This Theater on Monday as on Saturday"; "Movies Are Your Best Entertainment, but Come Early" and "Don't get in the Week-End Rush; Go to the Movies Today." Montgomery Dailies Cut Pix Publicity 50 to 66% Montgomery, Ala. — Paper shortage has caused severe curtailment of free reader space locally for film theater publicity though paid advertising space has not yet been pruned. Former is cut from 50 to 66 per cent. Sunday papers that used to give two full pages to theaters give now 70 to 80 column inches to paid advertising as formerly but have cut free reader space to 50 to 60 column inches. Advertising in local dailies continues on the same space basis. Fimmi touch acting manager, Mercury, operating Strand :retary, C accountant, ParaChilton, manager, MARIAN HAZLITT Buffalo. MRS. HELEN VALLERAND Boston. BETTY THORNE, manager's secretary, Columbia Cincinnati. MRS. DOLORES BOWMAN mount, Indianapolis. MRS. TOM HILL, operator, Chilton, Chilton, Wis. MRS. HELEN McLAUCHLIN, house Capitol, Middletown, Conn. IVA CRIFFITH, secreatry to Ray Nolan, RKO district manager, St. Louis. MRS. JUDY WILLIAMS, assistant manager. Highland Park Theater, Highland Park, Mich. ANN TINGLE, secretary, 20th-Fox, Omaha. SOPHIE VOLKERT, inspectress, Paramount, Omaha. HELEN MILLER, student manager, Orpheum Theater, Omaha. MILDRED CARSON, student manager, Paramount Theater, Omaha. WHO'S WHO IN HOLLYWOOD • • Presenting Interesting Personalities • • • Casey Robinson. Producer-Writer. Born in Logan, Utah, October 17, 1903. Studied law at Cornell but switched to journalism due to success as contributor to New York World during college. After graduating, returned to Utah to teach English at Brigham City High School. in 1927, came to Hollywood as title writer on "The Patent Leather Kid" and stayed at First National until Warners bought studio. Became director of shorts for Warners and Paramount, then director of westerns for FBO. With Charles R. Rogers at Paramount in 1933-34, then to Warners to script "Captain Blood." Remained there until leaving to produce and write on his own. Responsible for scripts on most of Bette Davis' films, including her Academy Award winner "Dark Victory." Recent credits include, "Now, Voyager," This is the Army," "Saratoga Trunk," "Passage to Marseille" and forthcoming Bette Davis feature, "The Corn is Green." Currently making bow as producer for RKO-Radio with "Days of Glory," big-budget feature with all-new-face cast headed by Toumanova and Gregory Peck. Ace screen writer, twice has had two of his scripts among the annual FILM DAILY's "Ten Best," in 1939 for "Dark Victory" and "The Old Maid," and in 1942 for "Kings Row" and "One Foot In Heaven." Following his debut as writer-producer with "Days of Glory," he plans to produce two features annually, doing screen writing in between. Stands, 6 feet. Weight, 180 pounds. Hair, greying. Eyes, blue. W. Penn. Allied Opens Annual Conclave Today (Continued from Page 1) Allied leaders will be held in conjunction with the unit sessions. In addition to the regular program, which deals primarily with film and related subjects, special emphasis will be placed upon those activities which pertain to the industry in its relation to the war and war effort. Among the speakers will be Claude Lee of Paramount, H. M. Richey of M-G-M and George Dembow of National Screen Service. National Allied leaders who are slated to attend include Abram F. Myers, Ray Branch, Martin G. Smith, Pete Wood and Sidney Samuelson. Convention is being managed by George Corcoran. President M. A. Rosenberg will preside. SMPE Opens Five-Day Coast Meeting Today West Coast Bureau of THE FILM -DAILY Hollywood — Five-day meeting of the SMPE opens at the local Hollywood-Roosevelt Hotel this morning via official registration, followed by an informal get-together luncheon at which Y. Frank Freeman will give the formal welcoming address. At 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. technical sessions will be held in the Blossom Room, with a total of nine papers scheduled for presentation. WB Rushing Portuguese Story West Coast Bureau of THE FILM 'DAILY Hollywood — Carrying on the Warners policy of day-and-dating with important world news events, Jack L. Warner, has assigned to Hal B. Wallis for immediate production the Frederick Prokosch best-seller with a Portuguese background, "The Conspirators." Screenplay is being completed by Frank Gruber. Expect Studios to Fare Okay in Manpower Plans (Continued from Page 1) major regions along the Pacific Coast is expected soon, with every industry classified in one of three groups. Those in the first group would be given every assistance toward increasing their labor force, those in the seeond to retain the number of workeis they now have, while certificates of availability would be freely given workers in the third group who wished to transfer to groups one or two. All hiring will be governed by USES. The studios, through their inclusion on the essential list, and through inclusion of a number of technical jobs on both the essential and critical lists, are not expected to suffer greatly. They have won the respect of the various Government regional men in the area, WMC, WPB, WLB and others who will establish the priority system, by utilizing women in large numbers, and by cutting their total work force by roughly 10,000 in the past two years. There is real danger ahead for West Coast theaters, however, and they are reported preparing to present their case before the Government. Boards are expected to set up these priority systems. Hilborne Dies in Service Des Moines, la. — A well known figure on the local Film Row, Harold Hilborne, died in Chicago where he was serving in the Army. Stricken with a rare skin disease, Hilborne died in a week. He formerly was a postal clerk with Warners exchange. 20th-Fox to Show Two Twentieth-Fox will screen ''Guadalcanal Diary" and "Dancing Masters" in all exchanges on Oct. 25. SHORTS REVIEW! "1-A Dogs" Universal 9 mi All Right The training of canine flesh is lustrated entertainingly in this sh< Especially interesting is that port of the footage showing the train of dogs for war tasks. Some of things that canines can be taught do will surprise many persons. ■ ! short should go over especially™1 with dog lovers. Here is a hun little booking that will satisfy eve one. "Sweet Jam" Universal 15 mi J Manna for the Young This one spreads the jam thicl The short sounds a jive call that v be answered enthusiastically by young folk whose interests are the groove." Blowing out the rhyth \ is the Jan Garber band. Other , tractions are the Delta Rhyt j Boys and Liz Tilton, who take c;j of the warbling assignment, s,-| Louis DaPron, who does a corcu , dance. The entertainment is hot the way. "Farmer Gene Sarazen" Universal 9 mi Interesting Of chief interest herein are sceiof on the Gene Sarazen farm Brookfield Center, Conn. There i many shots of the noted golfer j sisting in the farm chores. The otl items deal with a museum at Kels Cal., where are housed mementos the gold rush, with a woman lumb jack in action and with the hooki rug work of the inmates of the Co '■ radio State Prison. Not a bad boc ing. Stanton Griffis in First Trip to Coast for OWI (Continued from Page 1) vice-chairman of the WAC, is t pected to be in Hollywood at t : same time. Same Old (T) issues . . . Tojo and Adolph Harrisburg, Pa. — Sam Gilman, manager of Loew's Theater here, noticed sand on the auditorium floor, just below the balcony. The following day he discovered some sand scooped out of the cigaret receptacle, and said to himself: "I'm on the trail." He was. In the balcony's front row, two boys were making bombs, using sand and sheets of toilet paper. "Here's where we bomb Tokyo," one boy whispered. "I'm gonna get Hitler!" chimed his companion. Down went the bombs.