The Film Daily (1941)

10 Tuesday, August 5, 1941 Asks Probe of Pix's "War Propaganda" (Continued from Page 1) will see early action is enhanced by the fact that Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana is chairman of the committee, which also contains several other well-known non-interventionists. However, prospects of early recess might stave off action. The bill which Clark introduced on behalf of himself and Senator Nye states that "Whereas the motion picture screen and the radio are the most potent instruments of communication of ideas; and "Whereas numerous charges have been made that the motion picture and the radio have been extensively used for propaganda purposes designed to influence the public mind in the direction of participation in the European war; and "Whereas all this propaganda has been directed to one side of the important debate now being held, not only in Congress but throughout the country; and "Whereas this propaganda reaches weekly the eyes and ears of a hundred million people and is in the hands of groups interested in involving the United States in war; therefore be it "Resolved, that the Committee on Interstate Commerce, or any duly authorized sub-committee thereof, is authorized and directed to make, and to report to the Senate the results of, a thorough and complete investigation of any propaganda disseminated by motion pictures and radio or any other activity of the motion picture industry to influence public sentiment in the direction of participation by the United States in the present European war." Fieischman Advanced Miami, Fla. — Harry Fieischman, formerly manager of the Strand, Miami Beach, has been named manager of all the neighborhood houses in the Wometco circuit. This puts him in charge of the six outlying houses. Saxon Heads Film Fun Chuck Saxon has succeeded Vic Bloom as editor of Dell Publishing Co.'s Film Fun. Bloom moves to Columbia Publications. WEDDING BELLS Elkhorn, Wis. — June Ward, cashier at the Sprague theater here, was married recently to Perry Spencer. Cincinnati — Warner's Thelma Watkins announced her engagement to Richard Yockey. reviews of new mms "The Deadly Game" starring Charles Farrell and June Lang with John Miljan, Bernardene Hayes (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) Monogram 65 Mins. TIMELY ACTION MELODRAMA HOLDS INTEREST. CHARLES FARRELL PLEASES IN SCREEN RETURN. Here is good action melodrama that holds interest to the end. Director Phil Rosen has kept the action moving nicely, while praise is also due Producer Dixon R. Harwin and Associate Producer Barney A. Sarecky. Wellyn Totman contributed a timely, interesting screenplay. The picture marks Charles Farrell's return to the screen and he gives a pleasing performance as a Government agent, who tracks down a gang of Nazi operators. Bernardene Hayes does excellent work, while John Miljan is convincing as the leader of the German spies. June Lang is decorative and capable as the love interest opposite Farrell. Tom Herbert supplied most of the comedy, and John Dilson, David Clarke and J. Arthur Young are among the principals. Miljan and his aides kidnap Young, an inventor of a device to combat night air raids. Farrell, who is in love with June Lang, his daughter, does some clever detective work and runs Miljan and his operators to earth. CAST: Charles Farrell, June Lang, John Miljan, Bernardene Hayes, David Clarke, John Dilson, Dave O'Brien, J. Arthur Young, Tom Herbert, Ottola Nesmith, Fred Gierman, Hans Von Morhart, Walter Bonn, William Vaughn, John Harmon. CREDITS: Producer, Dixon R. Harwin; Associate Producer, Barney A. Sarecky; Director, Phil Rosen; Screenplay, Wellyn Totman; Cameraman, Arthur Martinelli; Film Editor, Martin G. Cohn; Art Director, Charles Clague; Sound Engineer, Glen Glenn. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Three San Diego Houses Go Single for "Bomber" For the first time in some years, the three Fox West Coast first-run houses in San Diego will simultaneously revert to single-bill policy when Warner Bros.' Technicolor feature, "Dive Bomber," has its triple world premiere at the three theaters Aug. 12. The theaters where picture will be premiered and then single-billed are the Fox, State and Plaza. At the Fox, navy officers and men, many of whom participated in filming of picture, will constitute the entire audience. Hold "Shepherd of Hills" With Saturday and Sunday receipts at the New York Paramount reaching $22,000, "The Shepherd of the Hills" will complete its first week tonight with receipts of approximately $46,500, according to Robert M. Weitman, manager of the theater. The picture starts its second week at the Paramount tomorrow. "The Terror" with Wilfrid Lawson, Linden Travers, Bernard Lee Alliance Film 63 Mins. SLIGHTLY DATED BRITISH MELODRAMA THAT MANAGES TO GENERATE SUFFICIENT SUSPENSE. Mysterious passageways, sliding doors and hooded figures are dusted off and used with only a fair amount of success in this melodrama. Suspense is of the lackadaisical kind and hardly of a spine-tingling nature. As fine an actor as Wilfrid Lawson finds it difficult to make much of his role as the mad criminal. Based on one of Edgar Wallace's murder mysteries, the yarn is about a mad criminal who waits 10 years to commit the perfect crime. Bane of all the trouble is some loot hidden in the crypt of a former priory. The house at which he resides has been transformed into a large inn. Center of the love interest is Linden Travers. She is the object of affection on part of the criminal and the Scotland Yard sleuth. After a number of murders are committed, the Yard traps the criminal. Alastair Sim, a good character comedian, does an exemplary bit as one of the criminals who attempts to get his share of the loot. Acting of the male lead, Bernard Lee, as the drunken detective is of the amateur variety. CAST: Wilfrid Lawson, Bernard Lee Arthur Wontner, Linden Travers, Henry Oscar, Alastair Sim, Iris Hoey, Lesley Wareing, Stanley Latbury, John Turnbull, Richard Murdoch, Edward Lexy. CREDITS: Director, William Bird; Screenplay, William Freshman; Original Story, Edgar Wallace. DIRECTION, Fair. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fair. Circuits Book Mono.'s "Bowery Blitzkrieg" Monogram's "Bowery Blitzkrieg" has already established an outstanding record of circuit bookings although its national release date is Aug. 1. The State Lake theater in Chicago has booked the Monogram feature fo" the we*;k of Aug. 15 and 40 houses of the Warners circuit in the Pittsburgh area are set to start playing it Aug. 30. Important circuits which have already contracted for "Bowery Blitzkrieg" include Balaban & Katz; Essaness; Schoensta'dt and the Great States. Included in the list of circuits which have just closed for Monogram Pictures' lineup for the current season are the Co-operative circuit, Cleveland (all theaters) and the entire Schoenstadt theater circuit in Chicago. Colli on Tour Havana — Peter Colli, Latin-America supervisor of the Warner Bros, has left Havana for a tour of the Warner's branches in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Panama, Trinidad and other countries. He will be back within two months. Will Not Release Rodgers— Schenck (Continued from Page 1) ment made last week to The Film Daily correspondent on the Coast that Rodgers has not requested his release from the contract vi ] ' has three years to run. mT> "He has to live up to it," Schenck added. Wm. Rovner Dies Philadelphia — William Rovner, 40, was buried yesterday. Rovner, who died of a heart attack Sunday, operated theaters in Berlin and Laurel Springs, N. J. He is survived bv his wife and five-months old boy. RECEIVER'S SALE By order of UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY ABRAHAM AXELROD, ASSIGNEE OF HAR-RAN, INC. (formerly Hiltz &. Co., Inc.) Plaintiff, FILM AUTOMATIC MACHINE CORP., a corporation. Defendant By virtue of an order made by the United States District Court, District of New Jersey, in the above stated cause, bearing date July 21, 1941, I shall sell at public auction to the highest bidder, ON AUGUST 7, 1941 AT 2:00 O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON on said date, in the JURY ASSEMBLY ROOM 3rd FLOOR POST OFFICE BUILDING FEDERAL SQUARE NEWARK, NEW JERSEY all the right, title and interest of the receiver in and to the tangible property located on the premises of the Bloomfield Tool Corp., 17 Nelson Place, Bloomfield, New Jersey, consisting of three new machines 2,000' reel capacity, three used machines 2,000' reel capacity, five 2,000' reel machines about 70% completed, fourteen 1,000' reel machines about 85% completed, eleven 1,000' reel machines about 50% completed, parts for approximately sixty machines but not including motors or cabinets, eight machines located on premises of the Big U Film Exchange, I Ith floor, 630— 9th Avenue, New York City, eight machines located on premises of Columbia Pictures Co., 9th floor, 630— 9th Avenue, New York City, eight machines located on premises of the RKO Film Co., 8th floor, 630— 9th Avenue, New York City, eight machines located on premises of Columbia Pictures Co. 1st floor, 1232 Vine Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, together with the interest of the receiver in and to certain lease agreements made with the Big U Film Exchange, Columbia Pictures Co. and other equipment located at the plant of Bloomfield Tool Corp., 17 Nelson Place, Bloomfield, New Jersey. This property will be sold to the highest bidder subject to confirmation by the court, the terms to be announced at the sale. Edward Echwartz. Receiver for Film Automatic Machine Corp., 744 Broad St., Newark, New Jersey, MArket 2-2433. Joseph L. Lippman, Solicitor of Complainant 17 Academy St., Newark, N. J.