The Film Daily (1944)

16 :W DAILY Thursday, January 13, 1 944 1 Block-by-Block Drive In Iowa and Nebraska By OTTO WEBER FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent Des Moines, la. — A virtual blockby-block organization by film salesmen and managers for the Fourth War Loan drive in Iowa and Nebraska has assured leaders the campaign will be a success, according to A. H. Blank, WAC chairman for Iowa and Nebraska. Blank praised the organization woik of the film salesmen and exchange managers who have prepared for the drive through their War Activities committee, which was established last year by the film salesman to handle war effort drives. The men have made a virtual house-to house canvass enlisting the exhibitors in the drive and, as a result, every theater in the territory will take part, Blank reported. Every town of any size in the two states will hold at least two premieres or one premiere and a free show. In the smaller communities at least one free show will be held. A total of 479 theaters are expected to hold premieres during the drive. Special events will also be staged during the campaign with Iowa to hold a Liberty Belles contest through an airangement with local retail merchants. The contest, originated by G. Ralph Branton, general manager of Tri-States Theater Corp., will be similar to the Shrangri-La queen contest held in the third war drive and considered one of the most successful drives of its kind. The Shangri-La queen idea, which had girls awarded a ship launching trip for selling the largest amount of bonds, was also originated by Branton. The Liberty Belles contest will be worked out in a similar manner with the three top selling girls to be awarded trips to Washington and New York, where they will visit President Roosevelt, Secretary of Treasury Morgenthau and other officials. The contest will run through the entire drive and is expected to provide the necessary "fan fare" to put the state over its quota. Among the many single day drives planned for Iowa exhibitors is one tentatively scheduled as "supreme sacrifice" day in which a definite quota will be set for the day of a certain amount for each Iowan who has been killed in the present war. No individual names will be used but the number of dead from each city will be that city's quota for the day. Freddie Bartholomew Discharged Amarillo, Tex. — Pfc. Freddie Bartholomew, formerly Hollywood player, recently a student mechanic at Amarillo Army Airfield, was given a medical discharge yesterday. HOLLYWOOD OIOEST SIGNED ALAN CARNEY, new option, RKO. WALLY BROWN, new opHon, RKO. DONALD OCDEN STEWART, writer, M-C-M. LLOYD DOUGLAS, writer, M-C-M. JOSEPH LOSEY, writer-producer, M-C-M. ASSIGNMENTS "Murder the IRA MORGAN, cameraman, Fun House," Monogram. DICK L'ESTRANCE, production manager, "Murder in the Fun House," Monogram. MARTY COHN, film editor, "Murder in the Fun House," Monogram. • CASTINGS SUSAN PETERS, JIMMY DURANTE and MARCARET O'BRIEN, "Dear Barbara," M-C-M; VINCENT PRICE, "Keys to the Kingdom," 20thFox; RICHARD HACEMAN, "Sensations of 1944," Andrew Stone-UA; WILLIAM FOWLER, "Pilebuck," Columbia; CORDON McDONALD, "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo," M-C-M; DOROTHY CRANCER, "One Body Too Many," Paramount; JANE WILEY, KIRBY CRANT, ROBERT FRAZER, EDMUND COBB, ART FOWLER, MARSHALL REED, HAL PRICE, ISABEL WITHERS, BUD OSBORN, TED MAPES, FROSTY ROYCE, DICK DICKINSON, STEVE CLARK, BEN CORBETT and CHARLES McMURPHY, "Law Men," Monogram; ANDREW TOOMBES, "Show Business," Eddie Cantor-RKO. STORY PURCHASES "Of Thee I Sing," Boris Morros-UA. SCHEDULED "Dear Barbara," story, MYLES CONNELLY; producer, JOE PASTERNAK; director, HENRY KOSTER, M-C-M. "Army Dog," story, ROBERT LEE JOHNSON; producer, JACK FIER; supervisor, JOHN STONE, Columbia. Frank Craven to Write And Star in PRC Pic West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — PRC has signed Frank Craven to write the original screenplay for, and to star in, "When the Lights Go On Again," one of the top-budget pictures on the company's program. Leon Fromkess will produce. Title of the picture is taken from the song, "When the Lights Go On Again All Over the World," which PRC acquired some time ago. The drama will have a post-war theme, and deal with problems arising on the domestic front following cessation of active hostilities, according to present plans. The deal is unusual in that it permits an actor to tailor a vehicle for his own particular talents as well as those of other players. Report Film Classics Sales Triple Quota Set Film Classics sales for 1943 have reached triple the quota set at the beginning of the year, Irvin Shapiro, general manager, announced yesterday at a company meeting. The company starts its new season with an RKO Circuit deal for "Hara Kiri," starring Charles Boyer and Merle Oberon and "The Young in Heart," with Paulette Goddard and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. This double show has also been booked by Skouras, Warners, Schine and other circuits. Other 1944 Film Classics releases include "Dancing Pirate," "Becky Sharpe," "Little Lord Fauntleroy" and "Pack up Your Troubles." 390 Iowa-Neb. Theaters Already Set for M of D Des Moines, la. — The March of Dimes campaign is being set up with the most enthusiasm the drive has ever received in Iowa and Nebraska, A. H. Blank, chairman for the two states, reported yesterday. At the present time a total of 390 theaters in the two states have sent in their pledges which compares with 289 taking part in the drive last year. Don't Absorb New Tax, Conn. Allied's Warning New Haven — Maxwell Alderman, Allied Theater Owners executive secretary, has issued a special bulletin to exhibitors throughout the state urging them to absorb "not one penny of the new tax in the light of probable long war and rehabilitation periods" and rough going ahead for exhibitors, with further taxes indicated. Alderman also urges all independents to join a "truly independent exhibitor organization" pointing out the success which exhibitors have enjoyed in legislative and other matter s in this state when they united for action. Notably he mentions the two-men-in-a-booth bill which exhibitors opposed for several legislative sessions. Theaters Buy Air Time To Plug Mono. "Children" West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Monogram has lined up more than 60 theaters to buy radio time to plug its Jeffrey Bernerd production, "Where Are Your Children?" when it goes into general release the week of Jan. 17. Commercials are keyed to tie in with the national juvenile delinquency situation which is getting considerable space in newspapers everywhere. "Hollywood Canteen' Budget $1,550,000 West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — In its newest statement in Warner's "Hollywood Canteen"-SAG tangle, Warners declare their budget for the picture was $1,550,000, "of which $179,086 was allocated for purchase of outside artists, exclusive of bands, specialty acts and studio talent." John F. Collins Dies Philadelphia— John F. Collins, 63, operator of a script writing agency for vaudeville, and a former vaudeville player, died here. Surprises to Spur Drive in Northwest rr :r By GEORGE E. GUISE FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent Minneapolis — With special War Bond premieres scheduled for ever; motion picture house in the Nortl west area, theater men of this te: ritory are planning an all-out effort for the Fourth War Loan to open Jan. 18. John J. Friedl, president of Minnesota Theater Co., and chairman of Northwest WAC, spent several days in Chicago recently outlining special efforts to be made by fi:st-run houses here during the campaign but none of these plans will be announced until the drive is under way. "We have several 'surprises' in store for theatergoers which we believe will encourage purchase of Bonds but we don't want to reveal \ them in advance," Friedl said. "Rest assured the picture theater men will be in there pitching." The Bond Premiere plan is similar to that used by smaller houses in the last sales drive but this time it will be enlarged to include every theater in the territory. Special features will be selected for each house, together with sufficient shorts to round out a complete entertainment. Admission will be free to Bond buyers. Efforts are being made to stage these premieres simultaneously in all houses but whether this can be arranged remains to be seen. In addition, the theaters are planning also a "free day" for patrons, when those buying War Bonds at the theater will receive free admission to the regular program of that day. Even the children are to be solicited in the coming drive. Many managers here are planning to grant free admissions to those who bring unfilled stamp books to the show house with enough money to purchase sufficient stamps to complete the books. Individual house managers also have been asked by Friedl to a: range any other features which will encourage purchase of Bonds, such as lobby and outside displays of poster appeals, captured enemy arms and equipment, screen appeals, Minute Man talks and similar efforts. Additional plans for the theater men's part in the Fourth War Loan drive probably will be announced just before solicitation begins, Friedl said. 20th Sets Screenings on Two "Lifeboat" and "Uncensored," which with "The Lodger" make up the company's sixth block of the new season, will be shown to the trade on Jan. 20, it was made known yesterday by Tom Connors, 20th-Fox's distribution chief. All the screenings will be held in company exchanges, with the exception of those in Portland, Ore., and St. Louis. DA N IS Hi?'* MH Z 1 J 1 S I Z 1 S I CI CIO il cl cl W ■ «JS