The Film Daily (1943)

15 sdnesday, September, 1, 1943 m DAILY 11 |ban Theater Biz eking Up-White (Continued from Page 1) | is concerned," said White, who 3 holds the title of president of c Films de Cuba. Vhite asserted that, while the rel^v imposed war emergency tax 1— jckets is holding the first-run I pes in Havana to about the same el a^s those in the past, the "takes" the ^ubsequents are up consider '"•According to White, theaters in ba have not been noticeably af ted by the war, chiefly because jjfli rationing there has not been so 'tstic as that in the States. He •d that the industry had been '•etty fortunate" in Cuba because nsportation facilities for film )duct, while not what they could were much better than those dlable to the South American rket. fVar films are not going over well Cuba, said White, explaining that o|o! patrons there prefer speectacles [Jbve anything else. White reported that the improvement in product turned out by stuoiis in Mexico and Argentina had resred interest in his territory in >>lns made in those countries. HCLLyWCCD DIGEST ASSIGNMENTS GEORGE MARSHALL, director, "Incendiary Blonde." CASTINGS RICHARD HALE, RICHARD CRANE, TREVOR BARDETTE, "After the Night," Columbia; GORDON OLIVER, "Since You Went Away," Selznick; PHILLIP TERRY, 'When Ladies Fly," Wanger; BILLY BENEDICT, WARREN ASHE, "Cover Girl," Columbia; WILLIAM EYTHE, "The Eve of St. Mark," 20fh-Fox; WARD BOND, "Home in Indiana,' 20th-Fox; SHELLEY WINTER, "Ten Percent Woman," Columbia. MARSHA HUNT, "Lebensraum," Columbia. SCHEDULED "The Merry Monohans," by MICHAEL FESSIER and ERNEST iPAGANO, for Donald O'Connor; Universal. 'Son of Flicka," sequel to "My Friend Flicka," for RODDY McDOWALL, 20th-Fox. 'Belle of the Bowery," Technicolor or musical, | Harry Sherman. I "Andrew Stone's Sensations of 1944," all-star musical revue, Andrew Stone Prod. LOANED JOAN FONTAINE, by Selznick to Metro for "Forever.' TITLE SWITCHES "Cowboy Canteen," formerly "Barnyard Canteen,' Columbia. "No Bars — No Music," formerly "Music Without Bars," PRC. "International Zone," formerly "The Fanatic of Fez,' RKO. NEW TERMERS BETTY HUTTON, Paramount. RAY MILLAND, Paramount. DOUGLAS DUM'BRILLE, Harry Sherman. ETHEL SMITH, Metro. RICK VALLIN, Monogram. CERRE YOUNG, PRC. POSTPONED "Army Wife." 20th-Fcx. lief of Chaplains Speaks t Metro Plaque Ceremony fomaha— Col. Charles 0. Purdy, ief of chaplains for the Seventh rvice command, was the principal 'saker at a ceremony at the M-G-M 'inch office here, honoring its 12 "rmer employes now in the armed "vices. ['Mothers and wives of the service l%n also attended, receiving bou[cets from Office Manager Hazel 'lderson. Branch Manager John *!mptgen unveiled a plaque with s names of the 12 on it and rerwed their records in the service. •Mowing the ceremony, all attended "private screening of "Lassie Come )me." Service men honored: Lt. Walter J. Guy, flrht command, Lancaster, Cat.; Lt. William • Ruthhart, Aberdeen, Md.; Lt. J. L. Mar3, Camp Fannin, Tex.; Sgt. Milton Malaock, Columbia, S. C. air base; Sgt. Norman ;ve. Camp McCabe, Miss.; Seaman 'Howard irk, Memphis, Tenn.; Leo Ickman, Fort onard Wood, Mo.: Jac Crawford, provost irshal's department; H. A. Chase, L. T. nung\ C. E. Chace and Joseph Slatterv. Fatal Memphis Explosion Brings Murder Indictment (Continued from Page 1) operator of the suburban Peabody Theater, following its investigation into the explosion and fire on Aug. 17 which fatally injured Elroy R. Curry, Peabody's maintenance man. Eaton was ai rested on the same charge on Aug. 23 and released on heavy bail pending action of the grand jurors. Explosion, it is claimed, resulted from the use of a substitute for freon in the theater's cooling plant. Change was made, it is claimed, despite a warning that it was hazardous. First "Hi Diddle Diddle" Biz Tops Normal 10-36% sopen Indianapolis Fox Indianapolis — The Fox, closed for e Summer, will reopen Sept. 3. "Mr. Luchy" Stays 7th at Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is holding RKO's "Mr. Lucky" for a seventh week, starting tomorrow. Only two other pix have stayed longer, "Random Harvest" going 11 and "Mrs. Miniver," 10. Juvenile Panhandlers N. J. Delinquency Problem Montclair, N. J. — Panhandling for pennies to attend movies by children between the ages of eight and 14, is seen by the police and theater managers of this city, as another juvenile delinquency problem which must be "nipped in the bud" before it gets out of hand. Theater operators, promising their wholehearted co-operation, have instructed their managers, assistants and other personnel to keep a watchful eye for and under no circumstances to admit children under 14 unless they are accompanied by elders. In this regard, however, theater men point out, the public can help solve the problem first, by refusing to be panhandled and second, by refusing to play "Brother Bill" or 'Aunt Sue" for the kids to gain them admission. No less serious throughout Essex County, theater managers in downtown Newark, have joined in the drive to break up the juvenile racket. "Army's" Chi. Debut Sept. 23 Chicago — Local debut of Warners' "This is the Army" has been set for B & K's Chicago Theater on Sept. 23. An elaborate promotional campaign is being prepared. "Hi Diddle Diddle," UA's initial Andrew Stone release, is running from 10 to 36 per cent ahead of normal business in its first group of key city engagements, reports to the UA home office revealed. Following its world premiere upstate in Utica, "Hi Diddle Diddle" completed its first week in the following keys by topping normal receipts in each engagement: Atlanta, Dayton, Akron, Richmond, Syracuse, Toledo. In its first four days in Providence, Canton, Indianapolis, Louisville, Kansas City, New Orleans, Wilmington, Baltimore and Norfolk "Hi Diddle Diddle" scored from 10 to 36 per cent above normal receipts. Nab Gang Which Looted 11 Nabes in Columbus Columbus, O. — The arrest of a gang of juvenile hoodlums has cleared up a gang of "theater thieves" which broke into 11 Columbus neighborhood theaters and also burglarized some 24 other business places in Columbus and Franklin County during the last six weeks. Set Five More Premieres On "For Whom Bell Tolls" Five additional advanced price extended engagements of "For Whom the Bell Tolls" were announced yesterday by Charles Reagan, Paramount's assistant general sales manager. Deals have been set for Keith's, Baltimore, Sept. 29 or Oct. 6; Circle Theater, Indianapolis, Oct. 1; Rialto, Louisville, Oct. 7 or 14; the Capitol, Cincinnati, Oct. 7 or 14, and the Colonial, Dayton, Oct. 14. The Northern California premiere will be held at the Alcazar, San Francisco, today. TO THE COLORS! * ARMY * CARL THOMAS, Capitol, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. LEONARD SHEA, salesman, Republic, Memphis, Tenn. * NAVY * CARL FISHMAN, publicist, Metro home office. ROBERT BEAUBIEN, formerly B & K Northtown Theater, Chicago, to yeoman school, Newport, R. I. Hollywood Digest NORMAN FREEMAN, assistant to the president, RKO. LOU ABRAMSON, secretary to Jack Kirsch, Illinois Allied prexy. CEORCE SCHROEDER, Penn, Wilkes-Barre. JOHN CONNORS, Penn, Wilkes-Barre. * WAVES * MARGUERITE SHANNON, Eastman Kodak. Rochester, N. Y. * SEEBEES * O. C. MINOR, manager, State, Bradenton, Fla. * MARINES AUXILIARY * JULIA HITTNER, 20th-Fox exchange, Omaha, Neb. Appeals Court to Hear Youngstown Lease Suit Youngstown, O. — Visiting Court of Appeals will hear the case involving lease rights to the Palace Theater, Youngstown, as soon after Sept. 15 as possible, after sustaining a motion filed by the New York Life Insurance Co. for an early hearing. Suit was brought by the Dallmer Co. to determine whether it or the Public Square Theater Co. should have the rights to operate the theater after Aug. 1, 1943. Dallmer obtained a lease from the Palace Realty Co., owner of the building, while the New York Life, as mortgagee-in-possession, had made arrangements to renew the lease with Public Square Theater Co. Judge Erskine Maiden, Jr., decided in lower court that the Dallmer Co. was entitled to the lease. Appeals bond was set at $50,000. Chaplin to Show Cause New York Supreme Court Justice Sidney Bernstein yesterday signed an order directing Charles Chaplin to show cause on Sept. 10 why an order vacating service of process as to David O. Selznick Productions, Inc., and Vanguard Films, Inc., should not be dismissed. This was the latest development in the million-dollar suit brought against Selznick and Vanguard by Chaplin. Driving Ban Lifted, Drive-in to Re-open Rochester — Twelve hours after the lifting of the pleasure driving ban had been reported here, Gradon Hodges had an advertisement in the local papers announcing the reopening of the drive-in for tomorrow night. Drive-in has been closed since the ban went into effect, but Hodges has kept it in readiness for immediate re-opening.