The Film Daily (1948)

#$ DAILY Friday, April 9, 1948' Vol. 93, No. 69 Fri., April 9, 1948 10 Cts. JOHN W. ALICOATE : Publisher DONALD M. MERSEREAU : Associate Publisher and General Manager CHESTER B. BAHN Editor Published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays at 1501 Broadway, New York 18, N. Y.. by Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc. J. W. Alicoate, President; Donald M. Mersereau, Vice-President and Treasurer; Patti Alicoate, Vice President and Secretary. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 8, 1938, at the post-office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Terms (Postage free) United States outside of Greater New York $10.00 one year; 6 months, $5.00; 3 months, $3.00. Foreign, $15.00. Subscribers should remit with order. Address all communications to THE FILM DAILY, 1501 Broadway, New York 18, N. Y. Phone BRyant 9-7117, 9-7118, 9-7119, 9-7120, 9-7121. Cable address Filmday, New York. WEST COAST OFFICES Ralph Wilk, Manager 6425 Hollywood Blvd. Phono: Granite 6607 WASHINGTON BUREAU Andrew H. Older 6417 Dahlonega Rd. Phone: Wisconsin 3271 CHICAGO BUREAU Joseph Esler, Chief C. L. Esler 6241 N. Oakley Ave. Phone: Briargate 7441 STAFF CORRESPONDENTS LONDON — Ernest W. Predman. The Film Renter. 127-133 Wardour St., W. 1. HAVANA— Mary Louise Blanco. Virtudes 214. BOMBAY — Ham L. Gogtay, Kitab Mahal. 190 Hornby Rd., Fort. Bombay 1. ALGIERS — Paul Saffar. Filmafric, 8 Rue Charras. MONTREAL — Ray Carmichael, Room 9. 464 Francis Xavier St. VANCOUVER — Jack Droy. 411 Lyric Theater Bids;. SYDNEY — Bowden Fletcher. 19 Moxon Ave.. Punchbowl, N. S. Phone, UY 2110. BRUSSELS— Jean Pierre Meys, 110 Rue des Paquerettes. COPENHAGEN — John Lindbere, Jernbanealle No. 3, CopenhagenVan Loese. ROME— John Perdicari. Via Ludovisl 16. Phone, 42758. MEXICO CITY — FMAnCIAL (April 8) NEW YORK STOCK MARKET Net Close Chg. 18% High Am. Seat 18% Bell & Howell pfd.. . . 96 Columbia Picts. vtc. . 12% East. Kodak 43% Gen. Prec. Eq 16% Locw's, Inc 191/4 Paramount 231/i RKO 914 Republic Pict 4 20th Century-Fox . . . 23% 20th Cent. -Fox pfd.. . 35 Universal Pict 14% Warner Bros 13 Low lSy2 96 121/4 43% 16% 19 231/4 9% 4 23% 35 143/8 12% 96 + 2% 12% — % 43% — 1/4 163/s — % 19 — % 23V4 — 1/4 4 23% 35 14% Vi 12% — % NEW YORK CURB MARKET Monogram Picts 3 3 3 RKO 21/4 2% 2% Sonotone Corp 3% 33,4 3% Technicolor 133^ 12% 13% Trans-Lux 5% 5l/2 5% + Va % OVER THE COUNTER Bid Cinecolor 47/8 Pathe 43/4 Asked 5% 51/4 Australian Production Plans Get Green Light Sydney (By Air Mail) — Australian production plans, shelved last year when Britain imposed the confiscatory 75 per cent duty on film imports, are being revived in the wake of the Anglo-American film agreement providing for the removal of the ad valorem tax. Principal remaining hitch is the studio equipment situation. Approximately $300,000 worth of new equipment for established studios here is required, ITOA Fires Broadside At Censorship Measure Members of the ITOA wired and phoned protests against the impending Cunningham municipal censorship bill to all City Council members and other city officials yesterday. Proposed measure, which presumably will be introduced in the City Council, Tuesday, would permit the License Commissioner to censor exhibition and advertising material relating to theatrical and motion picture productions. Harry Brandt, ITOA prexy, while denouncing the bill as a menace to civil liberties, also noted, "License Commissioner Benjamin Fielding is to be particularly commended for his recognition of the ramifications of this obnoxious measure even though it would enlarge the authority and power of his department." Cinema Lodge to Honor Balaban With Medallion Barney Balaban, Para, prexy, will be presented with a gold B'nai B'rith medallion and life-time membership in Cinema Lodge for his ceaseless devotion to the welfare of the entertainment industry unit of B'nai B'rith since its inception. Presentation will take place at the Cinema Lodge President's Dinner to its retiring president Robert M. Weitman, managing director of the New York and Brooklyn Paramount Theaters, and its newly elected president, S. Arthur Glixon, at the Hotel Astor, Wednesday night. Entertainment industry leaders and New York City and B'nai B'rith officials will share the dais at the dinner. House Okays Thomas to Testify at Lawson Trial Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The house yesterday okayed the appearance of chairman J. Parnell Thomas of the Un-American Activities Committee at the contempt trial of screenwriter John Howard Lawson, which opens Monday in District Court here. House approval was required before Thomas could answer the subpoena. WB's Lapidus in Pittsburgh Pittsburgh — Jules Laroidus, Warners Eastern and Canadian division sales manager, is holding a meeting of the company's Central District sales force here today. Attending will be Charles Rich, Central District Manager, and Branch Managers J. S. Abrose. Cincinnati; J. M. Wechsler, Cleveland: C. W. McKean, Indianapolis; and Paul Krumenacker, Pittsburgh. K"v Berry Feted Kay O'Brien Berry, secretary to Charles Schlaifer at 20th-Fox, has left the company to await the arrival of the stork sometime this fall. Mrs. Berrv, who has been with 20th-Fox for the past 10 years, was feted at a farewell luncheon party by the adpublicity staff, with Schlaifer acting as toastmaster for the occasion. Russians Abroad Ask For U. S. Film Fare First thing on the agenda of Soviet sports delegates when they arrived in Prague recently was a request to see an American film, it is reported by the MPEA. The delegation came to Prague to arrange a hockey match. "We can see our pictures at home," a spokesman said. "When we're abroad we want to see something else." They were taken to see "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves." And Who Do You Suppose Staged the Demonstration? Reuter's, British news service, reported from Budapest that Hungarian "students and young workers" had staged a demonstration at the city's largest theater where "Suspense" was playing, shouting "Down with immoral American films. We want good Russian films." Dispatch added police intervened and the theater reopened with a Soviet pic. Giant Basket Highlight Of Children's Appeal Focal point of the Broadway campaign to back American Overseas Aid-United Nations Appeal for Children will be a four-story food basket, now under construction on the island plot in Times Square. Basket, to be dedicated April 23, when the fund drive will be launched, will include two stages, on which entertainment will be presented each day, Harry Brandt, chairman of the special events committee, announced. Al Naroff is director of basket activities, with Sam Rousch, Roxy Theater producer, in charge of the stage shows. New York City drive is headed by Spyros P. Skouras, with Daniel P. Woolley as vice-chairman. FTC Hearings on Ticket Price Fixing Start Monday Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Federal Trade Commission hearings on its charges of restraint of trade and price fixing against four producers and distributors of commercial films will get under way Monday in Chicago. ResDondents are Ray-Bell, Alexander Films, United Film Advertising, and Motion Picture Advertising Service. The Chicago hearing will be followed by evidence-gathering sessions in Minneapolis Auril 15, Des Moines, 19; Omaha, 21; Tulsa, 23; Houston, 26, and New Orleans, 28. Florez Promotes Four Detroit — Genaro A. Florez, president and general manager of Florez, Inc., announced the ttromotion of four execs, from within the corporation: Herbert E. Hammerton, production manager; Joseph H. Purcell. latter's assistant; James L. McGuire. editorial manager; James F. Jackson, in charge of the newly formed general services department. Wilder Pic In Summer UA will release W. Lee Wilder's production of "The Vicious Circle" in early Summer, cominG mid come CECIL B. DeMILLE arrives in New York Sun day night from Washington for a week's stay he will visit Chicago and Detroit before return ing to the Coast April 26. LEO GENN vacationing in Nassau, will returr to New York on April 16. WILLIAM J. HEINEMAN arrives in/--.. Fran cisco today for week-end conferences^ ,, eman will spend next week in Portland arVi cattle E. O. WILSCHKE, operating manager of Altec Service, has returned to New York from Chicago JACK WRATHER and BONITA GRANVILLE arc in Dallas from Hollywood. MRS. LOU GEHRIG returns today from Holly wood where she served as a technical adviser on "The Babe Ruth Story." JACK LEEWOOD, SGP ad-publicity director, has returned to the Coast from New York. NATE J. BLUMBERG is due in New York from the Coast over the week-end. NAT LIEBESKIND sails today for Buenos Aires aboard the SS Argentina for a two-month stay. ABE DICKSTEIN, assistant to E. M. Schnitzer, Eastern and Canadian sales manager for UA, returned to the home office yesterday from an up-state business trip. EDWARD M. SCHNITZER, Eastern and Canadian sales manager for UA, is in Buffalo and is expected back in New York on Monday. ■ JOHN JOSEPH, U-l ad-publicity director, is en route to New York from the Coast. DAVID BERK of Berk & Krumgold, theatrical realtors, returned to his desk yesterday following a five-week vacation in Miami. DONALD BUKA arrives in New York today from Hollywood. Canadian Dailies Would Change Censor's Ratings Toronto — Criticism is rising here against the policy of theater advertising of films classified by the Ontario censors as suitable for adults only in such a manner as to attract youth patronage. Maintaining that "a hint of impropriety sells things," the Kingston Whig Standard has joined other important newspapers in an effort to change the system of classification by the censorship body. Ottawa Journal has suggested dropping the entire idea of labelling films as "unsuitable" for anyone. "If it isn't for children say nothing," the Journal declared editorially. "If it is for children as well as adults, just tag it 'Suitable for Children and Adults.' That should settle the question, truthfully and soothingly." Investors League Will Protest Cohn Contract Representatives of the Investors League, Inc., will be present this morning at the annual meeting of Columbia stockholders to protest the proposed five-year contract for Harry Cohn, Columbia president. League took advertising space in yesterday's Herald-Tribune calling on Columbia holders to be present at the meeting, to be held at the home office. * WANTED Bookkeeper-Stenographer Musi have motion picture experience. World Theater, 155 W. 49th Street Circle 7-5747