The Film Daily (1944)

Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Five Years Old -1FDAILY VOL. 85. NO. 1 NEW YORK, MONDAY, JANUARY 3. 1944 kANK MONEY FOR U. S. INDIE P Fewer Arbitration Complaints Filed During 1943 83 Cases Docketed in Fiscal Year as Against 116 in 1942 and 148 in First Year Eighty-three demands for arbitration were filed between Dec. 1, 1942, and Nov. 30, 1943, the fiscal year of the motion picture t; ibunals. The number of complaints represented a decrease of 33 cases under the figure for the preceding year when 116 arbitration demands were docketed. The motion picture a bitration system started functioning on Feb. 1, 1941, and the fiscal period ended Nov. 30 of the same year. In those 10 (Continued on Page 6) Aggregate National Holiday Biz Tops '42 Partly offsetting the loss of extra business resulting from Christmas falling on Saturday, attendance last Monday was unusually strong and it picked up successively each day through Friday. Every day was at least a little bigger than the previous— with New Year's Eve, of course, doing eveiything the capaci(Continued on Page 6) Lawrence Suit Against 20th-Fox Is Settled Settlement of the action which had been b. ought against 20th-Fox by Laudy Lawrence, former head of its foreign department, in which the latter charged wrongful discharge and breach of written agreement, (Continued on Page 9) 20-Prints~per-Picture Limit in Argentina Buenos Aires (By Air Mail — Passed by Censor) — Stepping cnce more into the distribution of raw stock, the Argentine government has ruled that distribution shall be on an equal basis to "recognized" importers. Prints of locally made films are limited to 20 per subject. Reeling 'Round -WASHINGTON = By ANDREW H. OLDER = WASHINGTON LOOK for some definite announcement on Hemisphere Films, Inc., alon* about he end of this week. The organization s designed to receive, eventually, the bulk f the non-theatrical work done now by he CIAA, and, it is understood here, the noving spirit behind it is Francis Alstcck, JIAA pix chief. Aistock has long been nxious to achieve a privately-financed or;anization to do the non-theatrical work .iow carried on with CIAA funds, and Hemisphere Films, may be that organization .... Congressional criticism to the .ontrary, the CIAA program appears to save been extremely successful in Latin America, proving again the great value of )ix in educational work. .. .Aistock is now n Mexico City, where he has spent much A his time in recent months, but is due jack in Washington sometime this week. Upon his return, intensive preparations are axpected toward the release cf a general (Continued on Page 2) Schlager PCA-UA Deal Calls for 15 A new six-year deal whereby Producers Corp. of America will produce five pictures every two years for United A: tists release has been signed by Edward C. Raftery, UA president, and Sig Schlager, head of PCA. First group of five pictures will (Continued on Page 5) British Film Tycoon Ready to Finance Hollywood Pix Distribution by His Own Projected Exchange System To be Combined with English Product for American London (By Cable) — J. Arthur Rank's all-embracing plans for British film industry development of the world film market in the post-war period — plans which are now being carefully mapped — contemplate the financing of independent Ameriican producers in Hollywood, it was authoritatively learned here over the New Year weekend. Determined that British product shall have entree in the United States, Rank, it is learned, is p: eparing to go through with his <• ARTHUR RANK already indicated proposal to establish his own distiibution system in the states. His plans to finance American indies is closely related to the distribution project he envisions. Rank, (Continued on Page 9) See New Decree Okay Within Next 60 Days Federal Court approval of a new New York consent decree within the next 60 days was predicted in industry circles over the week-end. It was asserted that the five consenting companies and Tom C. Clark, Assistant Attorney General, had ag: eed in principle on most of the terms and changes in the decree and that the task now was to refine the points. It was reported unofficially that the distributors had agreed to a majority of the changes and recommendations favored by Cla: k and that the indus (Continued on Page 5) Rep. to Open Chi. Sales Conference Next Friday The second in Republic's current series of sales conferences will be held Friday and Saturday at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, it was announced on Friday by J. R. Grainger, the company's president. Discussion will revolve about details of the $2,000,000 app: opriation for exploitation of quality product which was announced by Herbert J. Yates, Sr., (Continued on Page 9) Prison, Fines tor Mobsters Six to Serve 10 Years, Kaufman Draws Seven A total of 67 years' imprisonment and $70,000 in fines was imposed by Federal Judge John Bright on Friday on the seven men convicted last week of conspiracy to extort more than $1,000,000 from the industry. Pending appeal, six of the men, Louis Compagna, Paul DeLucia, Phil D'Andrea, Charles Gioe, Francis (Continued on Page 9) RKO's Phil Reisman Off To Great Britain This Week Phil Reisman, RKO's foreign department chief, expects to leave this week for London, depending upon accommodations. A general checkup on the company's British activities is the purpose of the trip. New Safely Laws Hit Hub Vaude Theaters By FLOYD BELL FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent Boston — Vaudeville has already been banned in several Boston theaters unable to comply with new safety law requirements and, ac (Continued on Page 8) New Chilean Studios Plan Nine for 1944 Santiago (By Air Mail — Passed by Censor) — With a schedule of nine films to be produced during 1944, the new Chilean studios, recently completed with modern U. S. equipment, will be put in operation this month. Initial subject will be "Vina del Mar." 1 5 H 3 a N IT T M El Z v CI cl cl W