The Film Daily (1943)

Friday, September 3, 1943 Commercial Handling For Army Pictures! (Continued from Page 1) than has the United .States Army. The differences between British and American military film produce's are, of course, those of friendly /valry such as always exist among The various services. Americans .praise the British pictures and the \ British, in turn, praise those of the United States. However, the Amerj icans expressed awed indignation i that their opposite numbers in the British Army have been more successful than themselves in releasing films. It is pointed out that the British Army film, "Desert Victory," was distributed commercially by 20th Century-Fox. Other British films were given similar commercial re. lease. American Army films, on the other hand, according to one high-placed officer, have been distributed "only after we slugged our way through." The commercial companies have I objected that American films have not been of the right length. It is 'true that several were of four reels, \ which, Army men concede, is inconvenient for distributors. Length f of Army films in process or to be pioduced in the future will be determined with greater thought^ to commercial distribution, it is said. {Continued from Page 1) England unless certain cuts were made. Chief objection was said to have been Gracie Fields' singing of the Lord's Prayer which was described by Lord Tyrrell, chief film censor, as being irreverent. Rename Trenton, Fla., House Trenton, Fla. — The name of Liberty Theater has been changed to the 1 Capitol. Gracie Fields' Song May Ban "Canteen" in England Sept. 3 Mary Doran Maj. William A. Halpern Sept. 4 Pete Smith Sept. 5 Jack Beutel Doris Kenyon Jerry Safron Cleve Adams Sam Sax Sept. 6 Donald Keith Otto Kruger Dorothy Gulliver Rowland V. Lee Hail. Columbia. T T T —And Lucy Monroe!: If VUIIUMWHI, • • • COLUMBIA unleashed in its home ofiice projection room yesterday in the presence of Ye Trade Scribes, what is easily one of the top shorts of 1943. — its Community Sing (No. 3-Series 8) featuring Lucy Monroe Therein, accompanied by Leonard Joy and the Victor Recording Orchestra, the Star Spangled Banner Girl sings our National Anthem, climaxing her renditions of "The Army Air Corps Song," "Anchors Aweigh," and George M. Cohan's immortal "Over There" It is as stirring a reel as exhibitors can put hands upon, and there will be few who won't when this Community Sing's fame reaches its age of release, which is slated to commence Sept. 24 T T T • • • MISS MONROE, the trade scriveners learned at a luncheon tendered to them at Toots Shor's immediately following the special screening, and whereat^ the famous songbird was present in person, that she has not seen her Community Sing reel as yet The reason apparently lies in a sincere timidity ,— because this is the first time she has ever appeared in a film. Her absence from the cinema up to this point is astonishing on several counts First of all, it is a mite incomprehensible that any artiste, in this day and age,— particularly when you consder that at least 10,000,000 have heard her sing in various auditoriums, et al, and that just about the whole nation has heard her on the air on many a great occasion—, could have thus far escaped the eagle eyes, not to mention the ears, of Hollywood talent scouts Secondly, it is almost beyond belief that the said talent sleuths (unless their eyes are those of the owl instead of the eagle) could fail to note the appeal of La Monroe in the matters of histrionic savoir faire, personality, and glamour,— even if she couldn't warble a note Thirdly, her exploitability is very great, and so is her following Maybe Hollywood has been too busy with the war Certainly Miss Monroe has From the time of the American Legion's local convention here in 1937 to date, she has sung "The Star Spangled Banner" some 2,025 times,— and some 5,000 additional times in rehearsals Almost invariably she has rendered the first and fourth verses of the Anthem — the latter being (as it is F.D.R.'s) her favorite one ▼ T T • • • HER first fling in pictures, — the new Columbia Community Sing — , was the result of the Army Motion Picture Service requesting that the reel be made All the profit therefrom goes to Army Emergency Relief Just 10 days before its release. Miss Monroe is slated to sing, — at dawn on Sept. 14, which is being decreed by State Governors as "Star Spangled Banner Day" — , the Anthem at historic Fort Mc Henry It was on the dawn of that day in 1814 that Francis Scott Key saw "that our flag was still there" Blanketing the nation, radio stations will carry her broadcast on that morn It will be an inspiring event, and one which will kindle great fervor for the Third War Loan Campaign, then rounding out its first week under the spearheading aegis of filmland Miss Monroe will rise (and very early) to the occasion She always does At the mammoth "I Am An American Day" festivities on Central Park Mall a bit back, she sang to an estimted 750,000 in-the-flesh listeners Perhaps her smallest audience (literally and figuratively) was when she sang for 12 children at Sky Top Lodge in the Poconos Because she specializes in our Anthem's rendition, her versatile vocal repetoire is generally lost sight of, — much as her talents are by Hollywood ▼ T ▼ • • • AVENGE PEARL HARBOR! TO THE COLORS! * COMMISSIONED * DR. MILTON NUSSBAUM, co-owner, Cameo, lieutenant, Army. * ARMY * HARRY COLDSTEIN, assistant to Lou Brandt. STANLEY SLEVEN, assistant, Earle, Philadelphia. ROBERT GROSSMAN, manager, Avon, Providence, R. I. * NAVY* ROBERT KNIGHT, manager, Star, Westbrook, Me. • * AVIATION CADET * WILLIAM JENNINGS, son of Jack Jennings, Republic salesman, Boston. Providence Playhouse Back to Films Sept. 15 Providence — Playhouse here will go into film lists again Sept. 15 when Associated Theaters reopens it with a policy of week-run showings of double-feature films that have established themselves as moneygetters in by-gone seasons. George Cronin, manager of Empire for same circuit, who will also handle management at Playhouse, says admission scale will be set at 50cent top evenings, Wednesdays as opening day for new shows. "Fleet's In" and "Penny Serenade" will be initial bill. CIO Denies Move to Organize Chi. Managers Reports from Chicago that the CIO was attempting to organize theater managers there yesterday found no confirmation at the New York headquarters of the United Office and Professional Workers of America. A spokesman for the UOPWA, CIO affiliate, said that no group had been chartered by it to organize that city's theater managers. "Watch on the Rhine" Hangs Up Strand Mark A new house record for the New York Strand was claimed by Warners last night for "Watch on the Rhine," credited with a take of approximately $61,500 for the first week. Pic is playing with Abe Lyman's ork. Previous best Strand biz was credited to "In This Our Life," also a Bette Davis pic, which in turn had displaced another Davis vehicle, "The Old Maid." Boston Projectionist Killed on Maneuvers Boston — Max Bornstein, former projectionist at the Apollo, Nan rasket, and before that at the lag Rialto, Scollay Square, was ESS accidentally killed while on «"""*• maneuvers with the AEF in England, according to word received here. BOB