The Film Daily (1941)

Tuesday, July 29, 1941 More Playing Time, Higher Scales Urged (Continued from Page 1) pany can obtain the revenue on its pictures to which it is entitled." By exerting every effort toward — v ^er engagements and better box "rjfte prices, Skouras said distributors could concentrate on the American market and make a profit there without worrying about the foreign field. Skouras predicted that the new selling system will mean much closer co-operation between exhibitors and distributors through the more frequent contacts that will be necessary. He foresees a new era for the better of the industry, and pledged his full support to that end. At the afternoon session of the initial day of the Blackstone Hotel meeting, Sears spoke on the greater need of executive ability in branch managers as a result of N. Y. consent decree requirements. He declared that Warners through the recent elimination of outposts and other intermediary channels of contact between home office and field had given new importance to branch heads and placed the company in position for constant and quick contact with the field. Sears told the delegates to be prepared for handling as many as 250,000 contacts under the decree, compared to the 11,000 customarily closed in a season. Lowell Calvert, representative for Frank Capra spoke to the delegates. Kalmenson Division Wins Gradwell Sears Drive Chicago — Announcement by Carl Leserman of winners in the Sears Drive in which Ben Kalmenson's Western and Southern Division again nosed out Roy Haines' Eastern and Canadian division for first place was the main item of the opening session of Warners' national sales convention. Following brief introductory remarks by Sears, the winners were announced by Leserman as follows: Division winner, prize $1,000, Ben Kalmenson; District winners, first prize, $2,500, Henry Herhel, West Coast district; second prize, $1,500 Wolfe Cohen Canadian district; third prize $1,000, Ralph McCoy, Southeast district. Branch winners: First prize, amount distributed, $3,500, Seattle. William Shartin. manager; second prize. $3,000, Winnipeg, Lou Geller, manager; third prize, $2,750, Los Angeles, W. E. Callaway, manager; fourth prize, $2,500, Atlanta, Tom Gilliam, manager; fifth prize, $2',000 Calgary, Sam Pearlman, manager; sixth prize, $1,750, Salt Lake City, William Gordon, manager; seventh prize, $1,500, Washington, D. C. Fred Beiersdorf, manager; eighth prize, $1,250, Portland, Vete Stewart, manager; ninth prize, $1,000, St. John, L. McKenzie, manager; tenth prize, $750, San Francisco, Al Shmitkin, manager. After the Sears winners were made known, the delegates attended a screening of "Dive Bomber" in the Cinema Theater. RCA Alert Receiver Does a Paul Revere RCA's new alert receiver, which played a Paul Revere role in a defense demonstration yesterday, is adaptable for use in television, the company pointed out. Receiver, which can be employed to notify tele set owners of an unscheduled event, turns on automatically when it receives a special inaudible signal from a broadcasting station, rings a bell to summon listeners, and then shuts off when an "all-clear" signal is flashed. Louis C. Hehl Dead at 83; St. Louis Funeral Todav Imagination and Initiative Called for by Spyros Skouras Chicago — Imagination and initiative of salesman and showman can be revived, said Spyros Skouras yesterday in a wire to Gradwell L. (Continued from Page 1) MPTO of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, and a pioneer midwestern exhib. Hehl organized the company that erected the Favorite, nickelodeon, in 1905, and later was identified with other theaters, retiring from active exhibition to fill the MPTO post. A former state legislator and active in fraternal organizations with his wife he reared 14 homeless children. Nazis Would Close Europe lo U. S. Pix (Continued from Page 1) experts viewed the move as the "most serious challenge from a ruth less competitor in Hollywood his tory," and pointed out that the "con gress" was attended by reps, of Sweden, Spain, Switzerland and Por tugal, four countries in which the U. S. distribs. still do some business The cable asserted: "Informed circles pointed out that the German plan was to make the elimination of American and British made films permanent by forcing distributors in every part of Europe to sign long-term contracts and by offering them films so cheaply that American picture companies would be unable to compete even after the war." Air Corps Using WB Short "Wings Of Steel," Warner preparedness short produced in co-op. with the U. S. Army Corp., has been adopted by the Air Corps for nation-wide use in special waiting rooms designated in all important rail depots for service men. Sears at the Warner convention. "You now have the instrumentality and the right to merchandise your product on its merit," Skouras said, and "to foster and advocate among your accounts the policies and treatment that will sell the product to its best advantage." Coston to be Host at Party For Grad Sears on Thursday Chicago — Social highlight of the Warner sales convention at the Hotel Blackstone will be a big cocktail party and" buffet given Thursday at 5 p. m. by James E. Coston in honor of Gradwell L. Sears. Coston has invited not only the theater managers and executives in his zone and the convention delegates, but also city officials, circuit operators, as well as indie theater men throughout the area and the press. More than 500 are expected. Eddie Cantor on Stage And Screen for Warners West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Eddie Cantor will star on the stage and screen for Warners in a deal concluded with Jack L. Warner, vice-president in charge of production. Cantor will make his first Broadway appearance in 13 years in "Banjo Eyes" this Fall at the Hollywood Theater. Adapted from "Three Men On a Horse," the musical will be filmed next Spring. The stage musical will be produced by Cantor and Albert Lewis. James V. Ritchey Dead; Internment Services Today (Continued from Page 1) man died Sunday at his Stamford, Conn. home. Surviving are his wife, Mrs Bessie Norton Ritchey, and two sons, Norton V. Ritchey, Monogram's foreign manager and president of Ritchey International Corp., and James V. Ritchey. Haynes Rites in Memphis Memphis — Funeral services were held here for T. B. "Tommy" Haynes, for the past 14 years salesman for Columbia, who died from hurts received when his car collided with a truck near Turrell, Ark. He is survived by his wife, Beulah Hammer Haynes and two daughters, Joy and Sally Pat. Mayers Get White Rights Archie Mayers, general manager of World Pictures has acquired national distribution rights to "Mystery in Swing," Negro cast pix, for white houses. Academic Finishes Short Academic Film Co., Inc., has completed the fifth two-reel subject, "Our Louisiana Purchase," in its series of American historical short subjects for PRC Allan Forest Dead Detroit — Allan Forest, film star in the silent days, and director for commercial film companies here for 10 years, died in Grace Hospital from a liver ailment. "Dr. Jekyll" at Pop Prices Metro has fixed a continuous showings-pop price policy for "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" which has its world premiere at the Astor Aug. 12. Helen Gwynne With WB Helen Gwynne, formerly of Time and PM, joins the Warner publicity department as magazine contact under Mitch Rawson. REVIEWS » "Nothing But the Truth" with Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard (In Para.'s First S-Block) Paramount 90 Mins. FAST AND GAG-LADEN COMEDY WITH THE POWER AND B. O. NAMES TO SCORE IN ALL SITUATIONS. Back in 70 and '29, film versions of "Nothing But the Truth" appeared. But it's only splitting hairs to call the present opus a revival, because Producer Arthur Hornblow and Director Elliott Nugent have brought the story so up-to-date that it bears only a distant resemblance to its progenitors on the screen. This up-to-dateness is fundamentally to be credited to Don Hartman and Ken Englund, who penned the screenplay. The Hornblow-Nugent combo did the rest to set the stage. The prime thing they did was to cast Bob Hope in the top role, — a deed which accounts largely for the picture's box office power and its sustained ability to exact salvos of belly-laughs. Indeed, where there's Hope there's Life, — if you'll pardon the twisting of the adage. Bob makes this his picture via a lilting, side-splitting performance, rendered to the tune of spicy situations and crisp, punchy, down-to-earth dialogue. It is geared to make any audience forget every care, real or imagined. In addition to the irrepressible Mr. Hope, there is an able, enthusiastic cast, the femme luminary of which is the exotic Paulette Goddard, via whom another b.o. name is supplied to the marquee. This film should do strong biz in all situations as a result of its swirling comedy and intense tempo. Its plot discloses a big business man's niece entrusting $10,000 to Hope, who wagers it with three commercial colleagues that he can go 24 hours without telling a lie. He does it, but with devastating consequences wherever he goes, shocking dowagers, dinner parties, and week-end guests aboard a luxurious houseboat. At the finale he wins not only the wager but the Goddard heart. Elliott Nugent's direction is expert, as is Charles Lang's photography. Helen Vinson is swell as "the other woman" in the action. CAST: Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, Edward Arnold, Leif Erikson, Glenn Anders, Helen Vinson, Grant Mitchell, Willie Best, Clarence Kolb, Catherine Doucet, Mary Forbes, Rose Hobart, Leon Belasco, Helen Millard, William Wright, Oscar Smith, Dick Chandler, Catherine Craig, Edward McWade, Keith Richards, James Blaine, Jack Egan. CREDITS: Producer, Arthur Hornblow; Director, Elliott Nugent; Screenplay, Don Hartman, Ken Englund; Based on the play by James Montgomery, and the novel by Frederick S. Isham; Cameraman, Charles Lang; Sound Mixer, Phil Wisdom; Film Editor, Alma Macrorie; Art Directors, Hans Dreier, Robert Usher. DIRECTION, Expert. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fine. Pa. Rejects Soviet Pix Philadelphia — State censor board has rejected two Soviet pix, "Soviet Border" and "Red Army." 'Mr. Jordan' at Music Hall Aug. 7 Columbia's "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" premieres at the Music Hall, Aug. 7.