The Film Daily (1948)

THE DAILY Thursday, April 1, 1948 £18,000,000 in Taxes From Aussie Theaters Sydney (By Air Mail) — Admission taxes collected by theaters and turned over to the Commonwealth Government in the five and a quarter years since the States' right to collect such taxes was abrogated have totaled £18,000,000, it is estimated by official sources in this metropolis. Actual entertainment tax collections from film theaters are known to have realized £9,589,500 for three years, 1942-43, 1943-44 and 1944-45. Balkans Start Production In Move to Squeeze U. S. Eelgrade (By Air Mail) — Production has been started a: the new itudio being constructed here, although the plan is not yet completed. When finished, studio will have 16,000 square feet of space, with 13,500 square feet available for a single set. Project is part of an intensive drive to develop a big Yugoslav film industry and results from political pressure to eliminate Hollywood motion pictures. Other Balkan production developments include the completion by the new Avala Film Co. of Serbia of its first feature, "Slavica," and the starting of three more features. Vardar Film Co. in Macedonia has turned out two documentaries and three newsreels, while plans have been mad& to set up a film production industry in Montenegro. Roberts Readies Four Films West Coast Buicm „f TUB FILM DAILY Hollywood — Four films, of which at least two will be made this year, are scheduled by Bob Roberts Productions. Screenplays for "Great Indoors" and "Deborah" are completed, while "The World and Little Willie" and "Tucker's People" are in preparation. John, Garfield, an officer of Roberts Productions, will star in the latter pair. Cuban Commission is Named Havana (By Air Mail) — A commission to study possible modifications of existing amusement regulations was appointed by the Mayor of Havana. Commission includes representatives of exhibitors, critics, artists, film workers, public safety and amusement inspectors. To Name 16 mm Committee Wellington, N. Z. (By Air Mail) — A committee representing distributors, exhibitors and other groups, will be formed to advise the Film Board on applications for 16 mm licenses. Directing Course at New Institute New Institute for Film will offer a course in motion picture directing in its Spring session April 5-June 25, it is announced. Jean H. Lenauer, writer -director -producer will teach VOICE Of THE PRESS Overboard on Realism KJOW that the new style of so-called "semi-documentary" "journalistic" "factual" or "realistic" (choose your preferred term) movies has become profitable as well as fashionable the tags are being indiscriminately applied to almost any picture at all Producers are combing their release schedules for pictures which might even vaguely fit into the new category. Surveys have revealed that the good factual pictures attract the segment of audiences between 38 and 50 years old, a time of life when the appeal of Hollywood movies seems to slip to a low ebb If realism is what these coy customers like, realism is what they will get — or, at least, be told they are getting. Louis De Rochemonr, a "March of Time" graduate, launched this cycle three years ago with his FBI-spy film, "The House on 92nd Street." He followed with "13 Rue Madeleine" and "Boomerang" before the imitators began to gather in his wake. Inspired by the box office success of these pictures, other producers began rushing around the country following the De Rochemont example of filming pictures in the actual locales of stories taken from police files. Some of them apparently did not realize that there might be more than that to the new mode. Most of the others merely use actual street scenes and called themselves "documentary."— ALTON COOK in the N Y World-Telegram. Dollars Lack Hampering Aussie Far East Chance , Sydney (By Air Mail) — Australia's opportunity to secure a prints market in the Far East is hampered by restrictions on purchases of raw stocks from the U. S., Nick Pery, Columbia's chief here, said on his return from a trip to that area. "Australia could be the base for the whole of Far Eastern countries," Pery declared, "I could supply 16 mm prints to both Malaya and Siman but could not get enough raw stock," unless special permission to use dollars can be secured from the Commonwealth Treasurer. De Luxe Given to Apia 14 Chicago — De Luxe Theater was given until April 14 to file a brief opposing a motion to strike made by Paramount and B & K in the theater's anti-trust case, under a ruling by Federal Judge Campbell. Columbia Plans Bangkok Office Sydney (By Air Mail) — Nick Perry, Australian chief for Columbia, is in Siam to open a company branch at Bangkok. CINEMA 16 to Switch to Subscription Society CINEMA 16, which for the past fiv2 months has been showing documentary and experimental films at the Provincetown Playhouse, will launch the CINEMA 16 Film Society and show members film that cannot be publicly exhibited. Membership fee will be $10. First showing will take place late this month. Films scheduled include: "Mechanics of the Brain," "Black, White and Gray," "Land of Promise," "Un Chien Andalous," scientific films produced by Julian Huxley, "Weegee's New York" and "Nanook." Ronson Buys Tele Spots Ronson will feature its entire line of pocket and table lighters in 20second spot announcements on film over Paramount stations KTLA, Los Angeles, and WBKB, Chicago. "Hunted." Sixth AA Pic "The Hunted" has been set an the sixth release on the Allied Artists schedule. Pic starring Belita and Preston Foster, is set for release May 1. Claim Danish Patents Violated U.S. Companies Named in Suit for Millions Copenhagen (By Air Mail) — Charging violation of the Petersen & Poulsen sound system patents, Electrical Fono-Films has filed a damage action against 30 foreign film companies, including a number of U. S. producers. Actual amount claimed for damages will be determined later, with several million dollars supposed to be involved. Among Swedish companies in volved are Anders Andrew and three of his enterprises, Sandrew-Bauman, Sandrew Studios and Sandrew Theaters, which, it is claimed, have used the Danish patent without authorization. American defendants, either directly or indirectly through their affiliated Swedish companies, include Paramount, Universal, Warners, M-G-M, RKO, Columbia, 20th-Fox and United Artists. SHORTS "Photo Frenzy" RKO 16 Mins Should Interest This Is America concentrates on America's biggest hobby, photography. Here is a photo report on the industry that's grown tb -r. gh this craze and how its folloy behave. Here also are the do's ai. . doh'ts of correct photography and some rules for successful achievements. This lacks the punch found in some earlier issues of the series but is should have a vast and interested audience. "Wind, Curves and Trapdoor" Universal 9 Mins. Well Worth-While Another in the Answer Man series that answers pictorially questions sent in by movie audiences. This concerns, trap door spiders, the Stat ue of Liberty, baseball, the speed of wind and basketball. Interesting educational and well worth-while. ■! "Martin Block's Musical Merry-Co-Round" M-G-M 10 Mins. Excellent Martin Block, popular host of the Make Believe Ballroom, introdjees Freddy Martin and Keenan Wynn. Martin and his orchestra play "Over The Rainbow," "Cumana," "Tonight We Love" and "Come To The Mardi Gras." Smart patter and an exceptionally fine tempo give Mr. Block a fine send-off in his first celluloid appearance and make excellent entertainment for the customers. "Flicker Flashbacks" (No. 3) RKO 9 Mirw. Good Laughs Following its previous patterns, Knox Manning delivers a hilarious narration on sequences taken from two silent flickers, "Saved From Himself" and "Never Too Late to Mend." With lots of good laughs this should sell well. "Alvino Rey and His Orchestra Universal 15 Mins. Good Variety Alvino Rey strums his electric guitar and gives out with some very pleasant tunes while Curtis and Clare, a dance duo, Judy Clark, The Starlighters and Pauline Byrns provide vocal accompaniment. "Guitar Boogie," "I Need Love," "You Don't Learn That In School," "Peg O' My Heart," "Ma Ma Blues," "At Sundown" and "Cumana" are the songs rendered. Good variety musical reel. "Carlos Molina & His Orchestra" Universal 15 Mins. For Latin Fans Filmed against a nightclub background, Carlos Molina provides plenty of Latin tempos to liven things.