The Film Daily (1940)

tow DAILY Monday, August 12, 1940 Para., Fox Offer Escape Amendment {Continued from Page 1) 45 or more to 25 or more at any time after June 1, 1942. The amendment proposes, it was understood, that upon application under oath hy a distributor defendant that during the nine months period preceding the filing of the application, 25 or more features had been leased by one or more national distributor to to an exhibitor other than in accordance with the provisions of Sections 1 and 2, the court will enter an order relieving all consenting defendants of further compliance with the provisions. Another change was said to have been suggested for Article 8, dealing with changes with respect to theaters in which defendants are interested. The words "for a period of three years" are understood to have been added to Section 1 of this article, making it read: "For a period of three years each of the defendants will notify the Department of Justice immediately of any legally binding commitment for the acquisition by it of any additional theater or theaters." Clarification and wordage revisions were said to have been suggested for several sections in Article 7, dealing with remedy for discrimination against independently operated theaters. A new paragraph (b) under Section involving "findings" also reportedly has been written by the attorneys. It is reported that no changes were made in the first six sections of the draft. The amended copies are to be sent to Washington, with the suggested changes pointed out to Government authorities. Detroit United Artists Expected to Drop Duals Detroit — First large theater here to shutter for the Summer, the United Detroit Circuit's United Artists closed Friday for three weeks only. Reopening with "Boomtown" the end of this month, the UA, which has been playing duals for several months, is expected to return to the single bill policy if enough strong product is available. From THE FILM DAILY to Hal Home Cecil B. DeMille Mort Spring Ben Hersh D. H. Finke ▼ ▼ T • • • IN each issue of this little old trade paper (don't let that phrase deceive you, — we haven't joined a woman's club) you'll find a departmental corner headed "Happy Birthday to You" illustrated via a figure of messenger boy symbolically singing that natal-day anthem For example, our chorister's warblings today will be in the congratulatory direction of Cecil B. DeMille. Mort Spring, Hal Home, Ben Hersh, D. H. Finke, et al It's our way of sending them a "singing telegram" with only one regret namely, that there's no way of printing a sound-track alongside T T T • • • POOR, indeed, is the man or maid who has never received a "singing telegram" They're the nuts! Up until the past week-end we had no idea who invented them Ah, — but now we know! (controvertialists will please form on the right) It seems that a telegraph clerk blazed the trail about 1926 down in a then very small town on the South Shore of Long Island In that town lived (and still does) one of the legit, stage's best known producers — a gent whom you all know and who has had his fling, cinematically , out in Hollywood Well, the producer was in Philly trying out a new show and his funds were lower than the asbestos procenium curtain between performances His hopeful spouse wired him briefly that she needed some dough T T ▼ • • • REEL TWO: The doughless and doleful producer wired her a bit of humor instead of the non-extant dough: "I Can't Give You Anything But Love Baby" When the wire reached the telegraph office in the small Long Island town the telegraph operator his latent showmanship welling-up within him called the producer's wife and SANG the message over the phone At the time she was a bit indignant, puzzled and disappointed but came the dawn! Now, she is an immortal — virtually in a class with Dolly Madison, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Susan B. Anthony — She was the first to receive a "singing telegram" (Next Week — "East Lynn") Selznick Calls New Firm "Shell" for Future Plans (Continued from Page 1) and deliver two pictures for United Artists under his present contract. Whether production will get under way this year or next he could not say. Reports current in trade circles that he was about to close a distribution deal with 20th CenturyFox for the product to be made by David 0. Selznick Productions, Inc., were said to be without foundation, Selznick denying that he had held any negotiations with the company. Extend Tex Ritter's P.A.'s Tex Ritter's P. A. bookings have been extended through Sept. 8 in New England keeping him on the road four weeks beyond the original schedule to Aug. 11. Production on his first 1940-41 picture, "Parson of Devil Gap," being produced by Edward Finney will start Sept. 15. "Boom Town" Runs Ahead Despite Higher Prices (Continued from Page 1) cent for matinees and 33-1/3 per cent for evenings. Picture opened in Reading and Harrisburg, Pa., and Los Angeles, playing day-and-date at the State and Chinese in the latter city. In all spots, "Boom Town" did from 240 to 309 per cent of normal business, M-G-M reported. With the multiple-starrer clicking, Metro home office staff was "walking on air," so to speak. "Boom Town's" click came on the heels of record summer opening at Radio City Music Hall of "Pride and Prejudice" and the unusually strong showing made by "I Love You Again" in its first key city engagement at Detroit's Michigan theater. HCLI_y>V€CD Speaimng Fox Using Two-for-Ones Milwaukee — Several local Fox houses, including the Shorewood and Miller, have been circulating twofor-ones good on certain nights. — By RALPH WILK = —HOLLYWOOD DY THE grace of { "'Tiers, GeorM&laft ■* will have the malt .<;ad opposite ^orma Shearer, in the screen version of Sidney Kingsley's play "The World We Make," based on Millen Brand's novel, "The Outward Room." John Lee Mahin and Vina and Eugene Delmar have prepared the adaptation. • • D KO is talking a deal for Rosalind Rus"^ sell's services in "Passport to Life" with a view to co-starring her with Cary Grant. Garson Kanin is to direct the Dorothy Parker-Allen Campbell original. | ARRY DARMOUR has signed Ralph Bell*■" amy and Charles Grapewin to four-picture contracts to play Ellery Queen and Inspector Queen, respectively, in the series of mystery pictures he will produce for Columbia. The first, "John Brown's Body," will go before the cameras early in September. • • TAMARA, singing actress of the New ' York stage, will make her screen debut for RKO Radio in the Herbert Wilcox production "No, No, Nanette," starring Anna Neagle. • • X/OGUE Pictures has assigned Albert S. * Rogell to direct "Li'l Abner," which will be released by RKO Radio. • • MARY ROBERTS RINEHART story, "Dog in the Orchard," which will be filmed by Gordon Hollingshead as a two-reel black and white subject for Warners, will be published in the September issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine. DRODUCER-DIRECTOR Alfred Hitchcock ' has moved his production staff from the Walter Wanger studios to RKO Radio. With the Hitchcock entourage is the writer, Joan J Harrison. INIVERSAL announced that it had signed ^ Carol Bruce of the cast of "Louisiana Purchase," Broadway musical, to a fiveyear contract. • • ALMA KRUGER has been signed for the ** featured character role in "You'll Find Out," the Kay Kyser mystery filmusical produced and directed for RKO Radio by David Butler. • • DICHARD AINLEY, Broadway actor, has* been signed by Warners and is under consideration for the leading male role opposite Miriam Hopkins in "The Lady With Red Hair." CPECIAL trailer has been prepared by *■* Warners for the James Cagney-Ann Sheridan film, "City For Conquest," with Frank Craven, who plays the Old Timer in the picture giving an introductory talk -i on the heart of New York.