The Film Daily (1945)

;^ DAILY: Tuesday, April 3, 1945 Ohio Tax Refund Due On Candy Vendors Cloumbus, O. — ^Many Ohio theater owners who operate vending machines and who have been paying the three per cent sales tax on sales of non-food items and on food items which are consumed on the premises where sold will be entitled to a refund. This was made possible by the recent Ohio Supreme Court decision which ruled that there is no sales tax on five cent sales made by vending machines, if the sales are separate and apart from other sales which amount to nine cents or more. "The state tax commissioner has not as yet ruled on the refund question," said P. J. Wood, secretary of ITO, "but it is believed that refunds will be allowed if applications are made promptly and a full statement concerning the facts and the application of the Court's decision thereto are set forth therewith." Wood would like to hear from those theaters that have been paying the three per cent sales tax on items selling for less than nine cents. Gehring Again Heads 20th-Fox Family Club William C. Gehring, 20th CenturyFox Western sales manager, has been unanimously re-elected to his third term as president of the 20th Century-Fox Family Club. Lew Lehr was elected first vice-president; Jack Sichelman, second vice-president; Eugene McEvoy, third vice-president; Theodore A Shaw, treasurer; Elsie Boland, secretary. The board of governors includes the above officers and Doris Adelman, Hettie Gray Baker, Morris Braggin, M. N. Brower, Morris Caplan, Francis X. Carroll, Edna Dreher, Frank Kelly, E. H. McFarland, Harry Reinhardt, Anne Schneider, Joseph Seco, Stella Sidel, Norman Steinberg and Julia Wolpin. Peekskill Rites Today For Gossner of Metro Funeral rites will held this morning for William F. Gossner, 52, at the church of Assumption, Peekskill. Burial will be at the Gates of Heaven Cemetery, Woodlawn. Gossner for the past eight years was associated with Metro's exploitation and royalty departments. He died of a heart attack at his home in Putnam Valley, on March 30. Survivors are his wjfe, Helen and a brother, Valentine. Bond's Funeral Held in D. C. Oklahoma City, Okla. — Funeral services held here yesterday for Sidney C. Bonds, 56, auditor of the Griffith Amusement Co. who died Saturday after an eight months' illness. • RCVKUIS OF THC nCUl FILfllS • "The Horn Blows at Midnight" wil-h Jack Benny, Alexis Smith Warner Bros. 78 Mins. HIGHLY AMUSING FANTASY WILL CLICK AT THE BOX OFFICE; DEPARTURE FROM THE USUAL. The field of fantasy has been explored to good effect in concocting Jack Benny's latest screen comedy. "The Horn Blows at Midnight" is an extremely amusing film that departs from the customary, resulting in humor with a refreshing quality. It's all done with tongue in cheek and with pleasant touches of satire. The picture is not one to draw guffaws, but rather smiles and chuckles — and on an unrationed basis. Grand fun is the story of a trumpet player (Benny) who falls asleep while performing with an orchestra on a coffee broadcast and dreams himself into heaven. There we see him as an angel who wins the heart of a lady angel (Alexis Smith). Hilarious complications galore result when the celestial chief (Guy Kibbee) sends him earthward on a mission to destroy the misbehaving world by blowing a blast on his trumpet at midnight sharp. Benny muffs his assignment, and Miss Smith prevails upon Kibbee to send her down after him to see what the trouble is. More humorous complications. Benny never does get to blow his judgment-day blast. The film has been strikingly produced by Mark Hellinger, with Raoul Walsh contributing good direction. The Sam Hellman-James V. Kern screenplay is full of fanciful stuff. The acting is in the nature of a lark. Benny gets the desired results without overstraining. Miss Smith is a decorative touch; so is Dolores Moran. CAST: Jack Benny, Alexis Smith, Dolores Moran, Allyn Joslyn, Reginald Gardiner, Guy K!bbee, John Alexander, Franklin Pangborn, Margaret Dumont, Bobby Blake, James iBurke, Ethel Critfies, Paul Harvey, Truman Bradley, Mike Mazurki, John Brown, Murray Alper, Pat O'Moore. CREDITS: Producer, Mark Hellinger; Director, Raoul Walsh; Screenplay, Sam Hellman, James V. Kern; Based on idea by Aubrey Wisberg; Cameraman, Sid Hickox; Art Director, Hugh Reticker; Film Editor, Irene Morra; Musical Score, Franz Waxman; Sound, Stanley S. Jones; Special Effects, Lawrence Butler; Set Decorator, Clarence Steensen; Musical Director, Leo F. Forbstein. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Capt. Merle A. Potter Serving With Patton Minneapolis, Minn. — Capt. Merle A. Potter, AMG, former motion picture and drama critic for the Journal and Times Tribune, is on the Western front in Germany, rapidly advancing into the Reich with Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's Third U. S. Army. Capt. Potter is civil affairs officer on the headquarters staff of XII corps of the Third Army. His commanding officer, Lt. Gen. Manton S. Eddy of Chicago, was a classmate when Potter was a student at Shattuck militay academy at Faribault. Merle's two sons are junior grade lieutenants in the Navy Air Corps, Addison as an operations officer in Africa and Dawes as a meteorologist in South America. "Counter-Attack" with Paul Muni Columbia 90 Mins. WAR PICTURE IS STRONG DRAMATIC STUFF: BITINGLY PRODUCED AND DIRECTED. A heavily dramatic film has been fashioned from the play "Counter-Atttack," which Janet and Philip Stevenson derived from a Russian source. With no ray of lightness to relieve the darkness of its mood, the production can hardly classify as entertainment of wide popular appeal. The film is to be recommended principally for those who like their drama good and strong. Tellingly produced and directed with force and bite by Zoltan Korda, the picture makes good use of suspense to put its story over. The film manages to hold the interest engaged for most of the way and possesses much action that is gripping. What marquee strength the film has centers in the Paul Muni name. The actor has the role of a Soviet paratrooper who, with a girl guide (Marguerite Chapman) finds himself trapped in a cellar with a group of Nazi soldiers when enemy guns attempt to prevent him and a group of buddies from getting information on the concentration of German troops preparatory to the launching of a counter-attack by the Russians. How Muni contrives to worm the vital information from the Nazis while fighting against sleep comprises the burden of the film. Muni uses the knowledge that the Russians are building a submerged bridge across which to attract to good purpose in his battle of wits with his prisoners. Rescue comes for Muni just as the lack of sleep is about to take its toll. Muni performs forcefully. Miss Chapman, the only woman in the cast matters little in this instance. CAST: Paul Muni, Marguerite Chapman, Larry Parks, Philip Van Zandt, George Macready, Roman Bohnen, Harro Meller, Erik Rolf, Rudolph Anders, Ian Wolfe, Frederick Glermann, Paul Andor, Ivan Triesault, Ludwig Donath, Louis Adion, Trevor Bardette, Richard Hale. CREDITS: Director, Zoltan Korda; Screenplay, John Howard Lawson; Adapted from play by Janet and Philip Stevenson; Cameraman, James Wong Howe; Film Editors, Charles Nelson, Al Clark; Art Directors, Stephen Goosson, Edward Jewell; Set Decorator, Robert Priestley; Special Effects, Lawrence W. Butler; Sound, John Goodrich, Russell Malmgren; Musical Director, M. W. Stoloff. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Coast Guard's Sea Film Aids 7th War Bond Drive Five hundred 16 mm. prints of "Story of a Transport," the U. S. Coast Guard's film record of its task in moving thousands of troops to the battle zones, are being distributed by the Treasury as a feature of the Seventh War Loan drive. New Mo. Colored House Poplar Bluff, Mo. — Associated Exhibitors have opened a 300-seat theater. The New Broadway, to cater to the colored trade. A. B. Jefferis, who owns the New Piedmont in Piedmont, will do the booking for the new house. "The Cisco Kid Returns" with Duncan Renaldo Monogram 64 Mins. LATEST ADVENTURES OF THE O. HENRY CHARACTER WILL SATISFY THE ACTION FANS. ^ That stalwart caballero, the Cisco K!^* again impresses himself upon the consciousness of filmgoers in an offering that will suit action lovers perfectly. The picture represents vigorous entertainment in which the romantic and the melodramatic are important elements. This latest film to be inspired by the character created by O. Henry keeps the Cisco Kid very much on his toes, to the complete satisfaction of his admirers. He gives a colorful and interesting account of himself in everything he does. The hero gets himself in difficulty with his sweetheart and with the authorities, who charge him with kidnapping when he carries away a little child whose life is menaced by the killers of her father. By the time it's all over the kid has made his peace with his gal friend and proved himself innocent of the kidnapping charge. Duncan Renaldo's work as the Cisco Kid will please the fans. Martin Garraiaga does well as his trusty Pancho. John P. McCarthy's direction keeps the action moving swiftly. Producer Philip N. Krasne handled his job satisfactorily. CAST: Duncan Renaldo, Martin Garraiaga, Cecelia Callejo, Roger Pryor, Anthony Warde, Fritz Leiber, Vicky Lane, Jan Wiley, Sharon Smith, Cy Kendall, Eva Puig, Bud Osborne. CREDITS: Producer, Philip N. Krasne; Associate producer, Dick L' Estrange; Diector, John P. McCarthy; Screenplay, Betty Burbridge; Based on character created by O. Henry; Cameraman, Harry Neumann; Set Decorator, Ted Driscoll; Sound, Glen Glenn; Film Editor, Marty Cohen. DIRECTION, Okay. PHOTOGRAPHY, Okay. Hearings Are Postponed In East Greenwich Case Boston — Hearing on the clearance complaint filed by Joseph Stanzler, operating the Greenwich Theater, E. Greenwich, R. I., has been postponed indefinitely. Stanzler sought to have the 14-day clearance held by the Providence first-runs over the Greenwich eliminated. It is reported that Stanzler believes he cannot expect! any relief at this time because of the print shortage. PIC Considering Plans For 7th Loan Campaign Plans for the forthcoming Seventh War Loan Campaign will be further discussed at Thursday's luncheon meeting of the industry's Eastern Public Information Committee at the New York A. C. May Beatty, Actress, Dies IVest Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — May Beatty, 64, former stage and screen actress, died Sunday in Covina Sanitarium after a long illness. She is survived by her daughter, Mrs. Gunther Fritsh of North Hollywood.