The Film Daily (1943)

Monday, January 4, 1943 #$ DAILY Zanuck Reports on Filming African War Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Difficulties encountered in filming the United Nations' landing operations in North Africa were described in a report to the War Department by Colonel Darryl F'TXanuck, who returned here reef^—i to assemble and edit the motio. ^picture record of the African operations, all photographed by his unit. Zanuck, who has been in the West for several days, was expected here today. So intense was the fighting in the early days of the operations that he and his cameramen carried on their mission wtih a tommy gun in one hand and the crank of a camera in the other, Colonel Zanuck reported. He described one night which he spent in what appeared to be a de, serted hotel only to awaken the * following morning and find the hotel and surrounding territory had been evacuated by local authorities because two unexploded Nazi bombs lay in the center of the hostelry. The camera record obtained by Colonel Zanuck and his unit includes films of both air and land combat actions during which some of the Signal Corps officers and men actually participated with Colonel Zanuck doubling in the radio control room of a combat plane while his cameramen ground out the photographic record of the conflict for history. Notable among the engagements in which he participated was the actual landing at Algiers during which he was aboard a plane carrying Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, General Eisenhower's second in command, and Lieutenant-General Kenneth A. Anderson, commanding the British First Army, on the afternoon of the day General Eisenhower's expedition put into Algiers Harbor. Famous Branch to Open Famous Studios, which turns out Paramount's "Poneye" and "Superman" cartoons, will open a branch at 24 W. 45th St. today. Mono. In Brandt Deal The Brandt circuit of 113 theaters in New York has closed a deal for Monogram's 1942-43 program, Steve Broidy, sales manager, announced Thursday. «. c e ■ * *"», Sam Dembow Virginia Colleen Alicoate ▼ ■ ▼ r • • • CONTRIBUTING to 1943's getting off to a good and worthwhile start was the first of a series of 52 Sunday afternoon radio programs sponsored by the War Effort Department of Skouras Theaters Corp. on local Station WINS Yesterday's inaugural period was from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m., and held for the benefit of the Greek War Relief Drive Via this series, the circuit's War Effort Department projects its efforts to assist vital war relief agencies and important philanthropic groups in the greater New York area This splendid patriotic and humanitarian half-hour per week on the air is titled, "This Is Our Cause" Next Sunday the broadcast will go on for the benefit of Russian War Relief, with Igor Gorin as the ether star, while on Jan. 17 and 24 respectively, the periods will be given over to the benefit of the Infantile Paralysis Foundation T ▼ T • • • BUT back now to yesterday's trail-blazing air show The capable and popular Margo headed the list of players in a dramatization of "They Are With Us," produced by Nick John Matsoukas, head of the War Effort Department of the Skouras chain, and Harry Fuchs The director of this impressive playlet was Nathan M. Rudick, head of "The Theater In Wartime" of the Dramatic Workshop of the New School for Social Research Authored by Theodore Edward Ferro, the script recounted Greek defiance to the Nazi yoke'. . . . Other program highlights were the Byzantine songs rendered by the Greek Cathedral of 40 voices; Joan Dexter's (she the songstress of Xavier Cugat's orchestra at the Waldorf-Astoria) introduction of a contemporary popular Greek song, "Zehra," which the Nazis have banned because of its lyrics exalting the valor of the Greek evzone soldiers; and Harry A. Hill's eloquent and moving appeal for funds to support Greek War Relief Henry Sylvern and his WINS ork played excellently the background music for the dramatization of "They Are With Us" More than 200 guests attended the physical broadcast, and were escorted to their seats by ushers arrayed in the colorful evzone foustanella uniform T T T • • • GEORGE JESSEL will be master of ceremonies at the luncheon to Jack Benny sponsored by the Amusement Division of the Federation of Jewish Charities, to be held on Thursday in the Hotel Astor, it is announced by Barney Balaban and Major Albert Warner, cochairman of the Arrangements Committee More than 400 reservations were received last week from leaders in every branch of the amusement industry, and a record attendance is expected Luncheon will climax efforts of the Amusement Division for the 1942 Federation campaign, which has been extended to the end of January ▼ T T • • • POSTSCRIPTS: Col. Edward P. "Ted" Curtis, former Eastman Kodak Co. exec, now one of the top men with the American bomber squadron in England, recently entertained King George VI of England at the American bomber base Theodore Pratt, who wrote the novel from which Warners' "Juke Girl" was filmed, got a note t'other day from a soldier friend reading: "Africa— Last night, sitting on an egg crate in the desert, I saw 'Juke Girl'" Incidentally, Pratt, turned down by both Army and Navy because of his eyes, writes Jake Wilk of Warners' that he's dividing his time between serving as a nightly air-spotter on the Florida beach and working on his next novel and screen candidate, "Mr. Winkle Goes to War" ▼ T T • • • AVENGE PEARL HARBOR! Continue Salaries Until Maximum Met {Continued from Page 1) ing to -report": and declined to give details of the conference with Washington officials., "Until the maximum has been paid to an employee or artist, we shall continue to pay salaries as usual," one top executive said. "We are doing the utmost to work out a satisfactory arrangement." Salary Limitation Okay If Via Taxation, Says SAG West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — The film actor's case in the salary ceiling controversy is stated by the Screen Actors Guild in the current issue of its offical organ, Screen Actor. "Actors support the Administration's contention that a limitation on income is a war-necessary measure," says the publication. "They have no quarrel with that limitation being set at $25,000; they would, in fact, accept any limitation that would help in the winning of the war. But they do feel strongly that the only equitable way to have incomes regulated is through taxation, rather than through the application of an arbitrary ceiling. "If an actor's income is not permitted to exceed $25,000 net, he would like to know that everything he can earn in excess of that amount is turned over to the Government. Instead, as the regulations now stand, his excess earnings are retained by the producing company for which he works." Para. Closes Product Deal With Last of Big Circuits With the closing of a deal with the Co-operative circuit of Detroit, Charles M. Reagan, assistant general sales manager of Paramount, announced Thursday that every important theater circuit in the country has now bought Paramount's 1942-43 product. Despite the holiday season, Paramount's sales staff during the week accounted for 1,147 contracts, com^ pared with 304 sold during the corresponding week last year on the company's first three blocks. WEDDING BELLS Gail Silleg, executive secretary to Mort Blumenstock, in charge of Warner Bros., advertising and publicity in the East, has become engaged to Alfred Goldstein, well-known Washington lawyer who is now a Chief Specialist in the United States Coast Guard. Date for the wedding will be announced later. Lorraine Vergeslich, daughter of Joe Vergeslich of Warners New York seles staff, was married to Arthur Hunt of the U. S. Naval Intelligence Service.