The Film Daily (1943)

L. JVl. Woolr Uead: t.im industry, wNi he helped W. t. ending racts: y ur|6J^FrWsl ,^,, ■▼■■ ▼▼ wwii wuui film industry, wl^dh he helped jj to build, today was mourning the death of Charles Moss V tolf, 63, joint managing director of Gaumont-British and General Theatt/ Corp. recording contracts two years hence. A new pact providing for "substantially lower" fees and running to the end of 1954 will be available to licensees. FILE QOPY FILM ALLOCATION ORDER CUTS STOCK 25% To Continue Salaries Until Maximum is Reached K Wage Ceiling Effect ' Determinable After Top Figures Paid to Execs. Salaries to executives and studio personnel will be paid as usual under the wage ceiling until the maximum has been reached, film officials said on Thursday. They indicated that there was no immediate problem insofar as the first few weeks of 1943 are concerned, but admitted that there was plenty of obstacles and problems to be met when the ceiling sterted to affect contract employes. The executives who attended the wage parleys in Washington last week insisted that there was "noth (Continued on Page 3) 90,000 Feel of Film Arrives from Russia Ninety thousand feet of Russian film arrived here last week for distribution. The reels were bi-ought over by air and represent the first batch of Soviet product under the recently made agreement whereby American films would re-enter the Russian market in exchange for Russian pictures. The load included 12 Soviet fea(Continued on Page 2) Skouras Theater Opens First Service Canteen Skouras circuit has opened what aid to be the first canteen for service men in a motion picture the '([ ater. The canteen is in the State j Theater, first-run Jersey City house, and is staffed by members of the : Civil Volunteers Corps, headed by (( ontinued on Page 2) Allied Said Drafting Legislative Program A comprehensive legislative program reportedly is being prepared by various Allied units with the view of adoption on a national basis. LATE NEWS BULLETINS LAUDY LAWRENCE RESIGNS Resignation of Laudy Lawrence as foreign distribution head of 20th-Fox was learned over the holiday week-end. Lawrence had filled the post since May 25 as successor to the late Walter J. Hutchinson. The rumor is that Francis L. Harley, the company's managing director in Great Britain, may fall heir to the job. Harley is at present in the States. What Lawrence's future plans are could not be learned. GOULD TO CHILE FOR REP. Republic Saturday appointed David Gould, formerly in charge of the company's offices in Trinidad and more recently assigned to the home office here, as branch manager of Cia. Republic Films Chilena, Inc., in charge of distribution of its product in Chile. Gould entrains today for Miami, and will plane down to Santiago, to take over his new post. CARRIER CUTS ROUTE Buffalo — By dropping the Southern Tier or Hornell route, outbound Fridays and inbound Saturdays, distribs. and Smith & Howell, film truckers, have cut another 300 mlies a week off the Buffalo exchange territory's film delivery mileage. Monday and Wednesday truck runs had previously been cut. NEW REP. STORY EDITOR West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Republic has named Frances Manson as story editor, succeed'ng Francis (Continued on Page 2) Saving in Linear Feet Expected to Reach 400,000,000 of 35 mm. Film, With Consumption Cut to 1,400,000,000 Feet; Producer Allotments By ANDREW H. OLDER • Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The expected cut of 25 per cent from 1941 footage is provided for in WPB's revised order L-178, issued and effective last Friday. This cut applies , to the major motion picture producers, with the order providing cuts of 12 per cent for smaller industrial companies. As expected, there is no restriction of any sort on what the film may be used for — although there is reportedly an industry agreement providing for the earmarking of film for newsreels. The cuts, which WPB announced are necessary because of military demands and shortage of raw materials, are expected to save about 400,000,000 linear feet of 35 mm. film during 1943, with consumption cut to 1,400,000,000 feet. This revision of L-178, it was announced, (Continued on Page 6) UA Circuit's Profit More Than Doubled United Artists Theater Circuit more than doubled its net profit for the year ended Aug. 31, 1942, over the corresponding period ended Aug. 31, 1941. The 1942 net, after all charges and taxes, was $325,892, compared with $153,220 during the previous year. In addition to its interests in other circuits, UATC is financially interested in the following theaters, according to a letter to stockholders by William P. Philips, vice-president: United Artists, Chicago, 50 per (Continued on Page 6) Bob Wolff Off Today on First Depinet Drive Trip Bob Wolff, captain of the Ned Depinet Drive for 1943, left this morning on the first swing of RKO exchanges in the interest of the annual event. Wolff, who is RKO's Metropolitan district manager, was accompanied by Harry Gittleson, as (Continued on Page 2) Holiday Week-End Biz Soars 50 Boston Houses Report SRO New Year's Eve. 50-City Premiere Set For "Hitler's Children' RKO's "Hitler's Children" will have a 50-city premiere in the Midwest on Jan. 14, promoted on what is said to be an unprecedented scale. Picture was produced by Edward A. Golden and based on Gregor Zie(C ontinued on Page 2) Theater biz generally New Year's Eve and over the holiday week-end soared skywards, according to key city reports to The Film Daily from staff correspondents. There were some exceptions to the general picture of top grosses, but these were largely due to weather or other strictly local conditions. In this citv, where scales were largely (Continued on Page 6) RKO Theater-Studio Liaison Post to Holt Appointment of Nat Holt as liaison between RKO theaters and the RKO Radio studio was announced Thursday. In addition to his new duties, Holt will retain his position as head of RKO's western division but will (Continued on Page 2) General Stipulation Ends Danvers Squawk Clearance complaint filed by the Danvers-Orpheum Corp., Danvers, Mass., against the five consenting (Continued on Page 6) Academy Awards Banquet March 4 West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — The M. P. Academy's board of governors has set March 4 as the date for annual awards banquet.