The Film Daily (1947)

c^riday, December 27, 1946 I ^fdss m Contributing to JReds' Says Adamson I (Continued from Page I) llhis country and castigated the llollywood Writers Mobilization. ' Adamson's annual Red round-up ,||i/L. not yet been approved formally M ihe committee although it was "^irmted by the Government Printing Office. Adamson indicated that the comnittee was saving its blasts against ■lleged Red infiltration into Hollywood until next month, when the ommittee is supposed to open hear'jngs in the film capital. In his latest report, Adamson said , ■ he writers' group was one of sevfl\ Vral organizations which were "conributing to the Communists political 'onspiracy in the United States." '6fs 6j Qj^ ^ larger scale, Adamson said l'^ "he Communists were plotting to '^'T^oment a revolution in this country fhrough a general strike or by some ^ther means. Leverette Sells Oregon pircuit To Bob Leppert ^ Til ihai P» vet: evei tail iliiii ■ Jen iteB firt New Congress Gets Pix Issues Admission Excise Tax Slash is Expected (Continued from Page 1) more direct effect upon the industry construction projects were stymied than the 79th. during the year. Early in the year, the House went The Department of Commerce still along with the proposal by the Trea awaits Congressional approval for sury that the admissions and other its re-organization, with the shift to excise taxes be cut back to their pre top leadership leading to some specu war rates — which would have meant lation that the change may be aband halving the present admissions rate oned. On the other hand, approval (Continued from Page 1) f ft ijp^y to concentrate on his orchard and 1 jj , backing business. House are located in Medford, iajAShland, Yerka and Weed, Calif. il Seveal 23 N. Y. Schools ^ >t^ Demonstration Spots i,aiii lims i Bctioi i| MQUll, i )C Dora, leaiei '^t More effective application of the ew tools of learning-visual aids to J nstruction — now that they have ;?.Tproved themselves — was called for y Edward G. Bernard, assistant to the deputy superintendent of New ]i^ork schools at a recent meeting of the New York Film Council. Bernard reported visual aids have speeded up ^he learning process by 35 per cent and increased retention of information by 50 per cent. Rita Hockheimer, assistant direcjtor of visual education of the New jYork Board of Education, said Pub,lic School 69, Manhattan, has been .set aside as an instructional material center. Miss Hockheimer said that in answer to the question, "How far can films be used in the schools?" 23 schools in the New York area have 'been selected as demonstration centers. to 20 per cent. The Senate refused to concur, however, and the move was killed in conference. Tax Cut Move Expected Later in the year Rep. Harold Knutson, R., Minn., introduced a separate bill to the same end, but his measure never even received committee consideration. This will be one of the most important questions of specific industry significance to come before the new Congress, and at this writing it is not possible to say with certainty what the decision will be. That Knutson, who chairs the powerful taxwriting House Ways and Means Committee next year, will re-introduce or support the tax cut seems likely. Sen. William Langer, R., N. D., incroduced a bill calling for ceiling on film rentals and threatened another calling for straight-out theater divorcement. The former measure was actually introduced but got nowhere. He has promised to introduce both measures in the new Congress. Industry interest was high in such matters as the British Loan, the Bretton Woods Agreement, housing legislation, the ending of price control, the re-organization of the Departments of Commerce and State. Thus far indications are that the in was given the change in the State Department, creating a new top post of Undersecretary for Commercial Affairs and thus adding weight to the Department's handling of trade matters. Twice during the year investigators for the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities were sent to Hollywood. The first set of findings were buried in a committee safe when more responsible members refused to sanction publication of what one member termed "a baseless smear." The studio strike afforded an excuse for renewed probing, however, and it is likely that findings will be made public. Shelve Monopoly Inquiries The Senate Small Business Committee finally abandoned its plan to hold a series of hearings on monopoly in the pix industry, after several months of staff work which developed little that was not already in the files 'of the Department of Justice. The Special Committee on Postwar Economic Policy and Planning recently called officials of the State and Commerce Departments before it, and leaders of the MPA, for information concei-ning the foreign markets for American pix and the trade, political and exchange barriers ^'^aynor's Father Dead . Cleveland, O. — Nathan Gaynor, ]lO, father of Leonard Gaynor of 20th Century-Fox home office publicity department, is dead here. igers IN CIVVIES ir Honorably Discharged -^ dustry will profit from its support of faced by the industry. Some recom the British loan and the Bretton mendation for further action by the Woods agreement — although it is State Department is to be expected still to early to say with certainty. early next year. Construction in Prospect i In general, the 79th Congress was With the housing program now a a fairly friendly Congress. It is too dead issue, industry circles are early now to assay the general feelwatching with interest to see ing of the next Congress toward the whether the building program balked industry — although it is certain that this year will go forward next year many matters of extreme industry despite high costs and scarcity of importance, including all those menmaterials. Several hundred theater tioned above — will come before it. Rentals on Shorts Quietly Increased (Continued from Page 1) garding increased rentals, though all averred that rising costs necessitated the move. Move for higher shorts terms meanwhile found some exhibition segments vocally critical. Typical of the latter was the comment of Max A. Cohen, Cinema Circuit prexy, whose houses play duals. Cohen pointed out that he buys shorts "more out of good will toward the distributor than for any other reason." "And so," Cohen added, "if there should be an increase in rental, I won't buy any shorts at all. . . . There's been a lot of talk about increased costs, and passing on these costs to the exhibitor, but not a word has been uttered about the distributor absorbing some of the cost." Cohen cited the instance where exhibitors had to pay higher rentals on features, no matter what. "But in the case of shorts, where an exhibitor shows double features, we don't have to show shorts, and we can do without them if necessary, rather than pay any increase," he asserted. $10,000 Advcuice Sale for "Best Years" in Boston .JOSEPH COLORITE, from Navy, to assistant > manager, Alvin Theater, Detroit. ;JACK SCOTT, from Army, to shipping department, Columbia, Atlanta. St. Louis Theaters Open War On Daylight Saving St. Louis— 'Collection of signatures of voters to petitions for an election on repeal of the city's daylight saving ordinance began in motion picture theaters yesterday. George A. Held, chairman of the board, Jefferson Gravois Bank, heads the citizens committee which is sponsoring the repeal movement. Some 19,000 signatures are needed for an election but Fred Wehrenberg, president of the MPTO of St. Louis, said probably 75,000 or more signers will be secured before the petition is presented to the Board of Aldermen. The election will be held early in March if the aldermen fail to repeal the ordinance prior to that time. De Luxe, Detroit Nabe, To Resume Vaudeville Detroit — Vaudeville policy is being resumed at the DeLuxe Theater, for the first time in 15 years. This will be the only Detroit nabe house offering vaudeville on a consistent policy. Regular show policy will begin Jan. 12, running three days with subsequent shows for the first three days of each week. A special show will be held New Year's Day. Set Stamp Club Meet First scheduled meeting of Cinema Stamp Collectors will take place, seven p.m., Jan. 8, in the Little Theater of the Museum of Science and Industry. President of the club is Nat Cohn. Harry Lindquist, publisher and editor of Stamps Magazine, will speak. Club's secretary is John Wenisch, of Film Classics. Opening at Boston's Esquire Theater on Christmas night to a soldout house, iSam Goldwyn's "The Best Years of Our Lives" yesterday had registered a $10,000 advance sale. Pic is playing on a two-a-day, reserved seat policy. Hub papers yesterday gave the pic rave reviews. "Best Years" also bowed on Christmas at the Beverly Theater, Beverly Hills, Calif., to capacity biz, it was reported. In Chicago, where the pic opened last week at the Woods, it rang up a $39,000 first week for a b. o. record. George W. Bowling Dead Mason City, la. — ^George W. Bowling, 49, for many years a projectionist and stage manager at the Cecil Theater, died at his home. REIU POSTS MURRAY SPECTOR, assistant manager of Century's Community, to the Town in the some capacity. H. STUART CHERNEY, new assistant manoger at Century's Community. LOUIS MOUREAU, manager. El Rancho Theater, Culver, Ind. DAN RHODES, manager. Brooks Theater, Brook ston, Ind. WILLIAM C. STAHL, sales manager. Theater Specialties, Inc., Chicago. GEORGE BRESSLER, assistant manager, B & K Portage Theater, Chicago. FRANK MILLSPAUGH, manager. State Theater, Roseland, III. LUTHER RICHARDSON, trainee assistant State Lake Theater, Chicago.