The Film Daily (1940)

(Thursday, February 8, 1940 oW" DAILY $2,000,000 WEEKLY GWTW "TAKE" SEEN (Continued from Page 1) cated on the further assumption that during those weeks the picture will be (^3>wing simultaneously in about 150 theaters. Materialization of the unprecedented $2,000,000 would require further revision of the anticipated aggregate gross, already tilted to the astronomical figure of $25,000,000 by observers. As of yesterday, GWTW has played a total of 235 weeks throughout the country, including moveovers in six cities — Montgomery, Chattanooga, Miami, Albany, Santa Barbara and Miami Beach. In the latter city, the pix is playing its third house. Closings to date number three — Harrisburg and Reading and in one Boston house. At the latter, GWTW stayed five weeks, two days. Metro yesterday announced 27 additional dates, bringing the total bookings thus far scheduled to 327 in 306 cities. Eighteen of the new situations call for showings twice daily on a reserved seat basis. In the others, pix will be shown three times daily with only the evening show reserved, and twice daily on Sunday with seats reserved at both performances. Hear FCC Ready to Act to Halt Radio Giveaway (Continued from Page 1) on the program, held detrimental to the nation's box offices, has been Cooperative Theaters of Michigan, which filed a formal protest with the FCC and followed it up via Congressional pressure. Michigan Co-op contends the Pot o' Gold offer is a lottery, and hence must be banned from the air. Tom McGuire, representing Co-op of Michigan, was here for several days to press the fight. v^f* lapm>l. VRTHV Best wishes from THE FILM DAILY to the following on their birthdays: FEBRUARY 8 King Vidor Samuel J. Briskin Howard Jackson Louis Morrison Hallam Cooley Billy Dooley Charles A. Logue Walter Klinger William M. Pizor Roger Williams ALCNG THE WITH PHIL M. DALY; ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • A little child did lead them 3,500 strong into the Center Theater last night — a child brought to lite from puppetdom through the good offices of the Blue Fairy ...... and the genius of Walt Disney the child being Pinocchio ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • THE brilliant audience whose ranks comprised the Who's Who and the Social Register packed every nook and cornet of the vast theater which is the little brother, or sister, if you prefer of the gigantic Radio City Music Hall Although the world premiere of "Pinocchio" was slated for 8:45 p.m. a good half hour before the prescribed time saw swanky limousines discharging their cargoes of "greats" at the door eager to be in proper time for the main title flash of what is easily the high point in Disney's already spectacular career for in this department's opinion, "Pinocchio" is Walt's piece de resistance in French or in any other language ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • SHORTLY after nine o'clock the Disney-hungry throng was licking its esthetic chops but to make sure that all hands would be on hand for the full presentation of the picture the solons of RKO Radio presented as an hors d'oeuvre a newsreel which was followed by the latest issue of "Information Please" probably to make sure that the Rockefellers had finished their dinner ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • FINALLY "Pinocchio" started and it was not long before the captivating cleverness of Disney made deep inroads in the emotional make-up of the onlookers There was the early metamorphosis of Pinocchio from lifelessness to life the coy Cleo, the goldfish Figaro the cat Gepetto, the wood-carver Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio' s "conscience" to carry the action along Then there appeared Stromboli, J. Worthington Foulfellow (a glorious force of evil) and his side-kick, Gideon Lampwich and the Coachman to provide the sinister influences and the excitement But what most thrilled the sophisticated gatYtering was Monstro, the whale which symbolized the colossal production which "Pinocchio" really is ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • LOOKING over the sea of evening dress which pervaded the main floor, mezzanines, and balconies one could not help but think of the famous line penned by the poet Wordsworth to the effect that "the child is father of the man" Everyone last night in the Center Theater was a child at heart watching with undisguised rapture this Disney fantasy Mister Exhibitor in every section of the land should have been present 'cause the ovations accorded to the film at frequent intervals throughout the premiere were eloquent testimony of the vast gold which lurks for him in this Disney masterpiece packed with gorgeous touches of humor and divine human appeal ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • THIS department stood by the lobby doors which were bathed in the beams of sunlight arcs atop the trucks of Charles Ross to witness the in-pouring of one of the greatest collections of celebrities ever to attend the opening of a film in New York's dynamic history Be it said that they came not in vain for "Pinocchio" marks a new high in rapturous entertainment which will ever remain a milestone in motion picture production ▼ ▼ ▼ N. Y. ANTI-ASCAP BILL IS BEING DRAFTED (Continued from Page 1) vides for licensing of persons collecting royalties from any copyrighted musical composition, music books, recorded music for mechanical reproduction, or for radio programs, in connection with the sale, singing, playing or other use thereof. License fee would be $1,000 annually with application made to the State Dept. of Taxation and Finance. Bill would appropriate $10,000 to the Taxation and Finance Dept. to provide maintenance and operation provisions. Equity Trial Date Order Signed; Sets May 1 Start (Continued from Page 1) for trial. The order also provided that trial start on May 1. Government officials stated that this order definitely fixed the date of trial upon the Court calendar. Judge Knox, after the Government application for a preference last fall, had stated that he would withhold his decision until preliminary questions on interrogatories and bills of particulars were settled. The order is his final decision on that application. It was learned yesterday that William A. Scully, Universal sales manager, will appear for Government examination on Feb. 14. Other Universal officials will not testify until a later date. Farrar and Turner Acquire Two Chester, III., Houses Chester, 111.— Walter Light's Gem and Joy theaters here have been acquired by Steve Farrar and Oscar L. Turner of Harrisburg as the 19th and 20th houses of their Southern Illinois circuit. Farrar and Turner will erect a new 1,200-seater in Harrisburg. Interboro to Build House on Site Held for 15 Years Interboro Circuit will erect a 1,200-seat stadium type house on a site acquired 15 years ago by Prexy Samuel Strausberg on Myrtle Ave., Brooklyn. Site is one block east of the new Brooklyn Navy Yard District housing development. STORKS! Kansas City, Mo. — Paul Reinke, manager of the Madrid Theater, is the father of a new baby daughter, named Mary.