The Film Daily (1942)

Monday, July 6, 1942 THE WEEK IN REVIEW Delivery Worries — By L. H. MITCHELL — ODT: Film and carrier reps, held meeting on how to meet ODT's ruling that film delivery mileage must be cut 25 per cent. . . . Michigan appealed to ODT for relief from the •order. . . . Carriers in New Haven have ended Sunday runs. . . . New .York Film Board of Trade gets proposal from carriers to omit Monday deliveries. . . . Chicago sets its delivery schedule. . . . Distribs. and carriers have asked ODT to modify its regulations. * * * . "MRS. MINIVER": Nicholas M. Schenck, Loew's, Inc., prexy, announced that the phenomenally successful "Mrs. Miniver" would be released to exhibs. without requiring an advance in admission prices. Abram F. Myers, Allied board chairman and general counsel, hailed the policy on that film. In its four weeks at the Music Hall, N. Y. C, "Mrs. Miniver" pulled in 622,354 patrons. * * * CONSERVATION: Newsreels will conserve film stock, with a saving of 10,000,000 feet annually foreseen. . . Studios are cutting mileage down by 35 per cent to save tires and gasoline. . . . Art directors at studios solve WPB's restriction on set costs to $5,000 by using ply wood, wood fibers and other materials as substitutes for metals. . •' * * * THIS AND THAT: Court ruled that Paramount's Browne-Bioff payoff was extortion; stockholders' attorney says he will appeal. . . . IAT.se announced it would organize exchange front office "white collarites"; CIO retorted that IA was offering "B" memberships only to exchange workers. . . . CIO grants charter to Local 320, Springfield, Mass., projectionists in the non-theatrical 16 mm. field. . . . AFM order that after July 31 its members make ho musical recording reported as not applying to film studios. . . . Andy Smith joins 20th Century-Fox as Eastern sales manager. . . . Upstate Theaters, Inc., new New York indie exhib. body, organizes. . . . Survey by Dr. Leo Handel finds a big audience for pix re-issues. . . . Charles Francis "Socker" Coe, MPPDA vice-prexy, warns business men against making "excessive demands" upon the film industry. . . . William F. Rodgers urges the film industry to make a greater war effort. . . . Industry's Public Relations Committee would end early use by radio of scenes from films. . . . Government gives the studios more tips on angles to include in service pictures. . . . John J. Friedl's War Bond sale setup recommended as a model to the industry. ; — Keep 'Em Flying! — Mary Martin Stays at Para. West Coast Bureauof THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — ■ Para, has signed Mary Martin to a new termer. COmmG AHD G0MG JACK CLARK of Warners Chi. exchange, is on a West Coast vacation trip. SID HERZIG is here from the Coast. ARTHUR HORNBLOW, JR., has returned to Hollywood. HAROLD BUCQUET is en route to London to direct "Sabotage Agent" for Metro. JACK SKIRBALL and ALFRED HITCHCOCK are back in Hollywood. FRANCIS S. HARMON spent the Fourth at Hattiesburg, Miss. AGNES MOOREHEAD, Orson Welles Mercury player soon to be seen in RKO's "The Magnificent Ambersons" and "Journey Into Fear," is in New York for a series of broadcasts. SONJA HENIE arrived in New York Friday for several weeks vacation following completion of "Iceland." WILLIAM C. GEHRINC, Western sales manager of 20th-Fox, returns to his office today following a two-week trip through the Central division and Canadian branch offices. FRED BARTOW, Paramount publicity director in Chicago, is spending his vacation with his son in Denver. JOHN BALABAN, B & K prexy and MORRIS LEONARD, circuit's counsel, spent the week-end fishing at Mercer, Wis., where Balaban has a Summer home. L. W. CONROW. president of Altec Service Corp., has returned to New York from a trip to the Coast. ARTHUR KROLICH, manager of the Century in Rochester, is at Canandaigua Lake for a vacation. DAVID ROSE flew to the Coast Friday; he returns to New York about Aug. 1. MAX MILDER, Warner's managing director in Great Britain, arrived in New York on Friday from London for a vacation and to visit his family. FRANK SMITH, manager of Chicago's RKO Palace, is vacationing on his South Haven, Mich., farm. Rosenthal's Clearance Complaint is Dismissed {Continued from Page 1) Loew's, Inc., has been dismissed by Arbitrator Albert Stump who found no arbitrable issue tendered in the evidence. Rosenthal sought to reduce the 42 days clearance enjoyed by the Rivoli over his house. Complainant was assessed half of the costs and the other half was assessed between the Eastern and Marlin Theaters as intervenors. Briefs in Freeport Theater Arbitration Case Due July 11 Chicago — Briefs in the Bennis Bros. Freeport Theater arbitration case will be received here on July 11. — Keep 'Em Flying! — Kalmine Recreation Hall For Underprivileged Kids Pittsburgh — Construction of Kalmine Recreation Hall at Camp O'Connell, local Variety Cub's Summer establishment for underprivileged children at Warrendale, will start in the immediate future. It's the gift of Harry M. Kalmine, now general manager of Warner theaters and former WB zone manager here. Buy War Savings Bonds and Stamps Tschauder Heads Lions Springfield, 111. — Max Tschauder, president of the Springfield Theaters Association and city manager of the Frisina Amusement Co., was recently elected president of the Springfield Lions club. Omaha Theaters Shift Schedules and Scales WAR SERVICE ... on the Film Front * Omaha — Several theaters here have revised their policies on missions and time schedules. Admiral, nabe house, has gone from a 35-cent single-feature house to a 20-cent double-feature house an nounced as a "summer policy." Avenue, Military and Dundee, three nabe houses of the Ralph Gold berg circuit, moved back opening from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Omaha, Orpheum and Brandeis. first-run houses, will operate from 12:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. instead of from noon to midnight. "Our rush hour used to be from 8 to 9," Manager Will Singer of the Brandeis told Film Daily. "The past few weeks it's been from 8:45 to 9:45." — -Keep 'Em Flying! — French Circuit Head Here Leon Siritzky, president and owner of France's leading film theater circuit, before the Nazi occupation, has arrived in the United .States with his wife to join their sons, Sami and Jo, who have been here several months. Following a short rest, the Siritzkys expect to enter the picture field in this country. Buy War Savings Bonds and Stamps Detroit V. C. Tourney Set Detroit— Detroit Variety Club will hold its annual golf tournament on Monday, July 27. Larry Becker of American Seating Co., and Jack McPherson, manager of National Screen Service are co-chairmen of all arrangements. Exit, Boxoffice Rivalry as Hartford's Theaters Join to Boost War Bond Sales Boxoffice rivalries have been banished by Hartford, Conn., exhibs., who have joined to boost War Bond and Stamp sales via a unique plan. Each night every manager in town gathers at some one house. The Treasury furnishes a speaker, who appears on the stage of that theater, makes a plea and introduces each manager. The visiting showmen then — amid a lot of friendly clowning — work the aisles, taking bond orders. First night, at the Allyn Theater, in 10 minutes, $2000 in bonds were sold. It is expected that $25,000 to $35,000 in extra bond sales per week will be developed. HERE'S A SWELL IDEA FOR YOU RKO Theaters is playing host to nine outstanding soldiers from Fort Miles, USO group who arrived on Saturday finishfe'uo a full entertainment program today. TK.^. i an arrangement between Maj. L. E. Thompson, RKO executive, and Maj. Frederic A. Hall, special service officer of the 261st Coastal Artillery stationed at Fort Miles, the men were selected through competition. Proficiency in professional subjects, attitude toward work and other factors which go to make up a good soldier determined the winners. ENCORE FORRUBBERMATINEE Wilmington, Del. — Rubber matinee, staged by Manager Lewis S. Black of the Warner Theater, netted two tons of scrap, brought in by 1,000 kids. Stunt probably will be duplicated by the theaters, many of the youngsters cannily admitting they had more "for the next show." . . ._ V . . .— CHICAGO SELLING BONDS HARD Chicago — The Windy City is wholeheartedly behind the War Bonds and Stamps drive from the standpoints of employe participation and theater sales to patrons. B & K announces that more than 1,000 employes have pledged 10 per cent of their salaries to Bond purchases and estimates that sales are running at about $10,000 a week for the circuit with the ultimate goal set at $25,000. John Smith, business agent for the Chicago Operators' Union, reports that most of the projectionists have pledged at least 10 per cent each payday. It is predicted that Chicago theaters will go ahead of their quota for the Summer months as Bond and Stamp sales are plugged by B & K, Warner Bros., H. & E. Balaban, Essaness, Schoenstadt, Van Nomikos and other circuits. Defense stamp matinees are being featured in a number of houses, both indie and circuit. B & K'S WAR STAMP DANCE Chicago — B & K will introduce a new War Stamp dance stunt with the Phil Harris orchestra playing for the dancers, using the block East of State Street adjacent to the Chicago Theater. Each couple must have 10-cent War Stamp to participate. . . •..,_ v . . .— MERVIS' DEFENSE CLASS Cincinnati — Charles Mervis is conducting an exhibitor's class in civilian defense at the Imperial each Tuesday night. . .._ V.. .— BUERMELE AS HUDSON'S AIDE Detroit — Carl W. Buermele, general manager of Co-Operative Theaters of Michigan, who has just returned from a vacation at Hot Springs, Ark., has been named assistant co-ordinator for the Detroit area for civilian defense for theaters, night clubs, and auditoriums. Earl J. Hudson, UDT president, is co-ordinator. ..._V. . .— TOUR FOR ARMY'S FUND Jeanette MacDonald will give 12 recitals on tour next Fall for the benefit of the Army Emergency Relief Fund. Tour will be preceded by a swing through Army camps. Miss MacDonald's husband, Lt. Gene Raymond, is on active service with the Army Air Corps.