The Film Daily (1944)

/ednesday, January 26, 1944 <?i{< DAILY; ame Ricketson to far Fund's Board Election of F. H. "Rick" Ricketson, president of Fox Intermountain ieate: s, but now on leave to serve vice-chairman the industry's ■Mjth War Loan m }ittee, to the corate of the a t i o n a 1 War and was anunced yestery Ricketson takes i post as an instry rep., elecn being unanijus. Spyros P. ouras, 20th-Fox ssident, is also director, but .s named on the sis of his Greek lief activities rather than as a n man, it is understood. A. former newspaper man, Rickton has been in the theater field tee 1921. He joined FWC in 1929. 'RICK" RICKETSON ame Steinberg to Head rB's Educational Bureau Creation of an Educational Burn to supply schools, colleges and raries with discussion material on arners leleases is announced by irt Blumenstock, in charge of adrtising and publicity in the East, arles Side Steinberg, formerly icational director of the Book-of>-Month Club, will be in charge of s activity. Now in preparation a series of aids dealing with the ■thcoming release of "The Adven•es of Mark Twain." AC Suspends One-Reel lorts During Loan Drive There will be no WAC single reel vjects released during the Fourth ir Loan drive, the WAC announc yesterday. Herman Gluckman, o has charge of distribution of the vtory shorts, explained that due the Fourth War Loan trailers .t are now showing and with adional ones to come it was decided ,t all exhibitors should have screen ice exclusively for the war Bond ssages. Joan Leslie Norman Burnsteine lOeWolf Hopper Ralph R. Martin Abe Meyer "BernodeMe," et al. • • • THE industry's creme de la creme and many another notable rubbed shoulders last night at the Rivoli where Twentieth Century-Fox raised the curtain — and right proudly — on an impressive and thrilling "The Song of Bemadette" As to the picture, Phil M. can only repeat what this HI' ol' paper said a month ago It's outstanding and headed tor top coin, and you'll go far before you find another picture that offers more in the way of briUiant performance and master direction. ... .If audience reaction means anything, the invitational of the Franz Werfel best-seller Oi the Franz Werfel best-seller T ▼ ▼ • • • BUT this is a report on the premiere, not a review or, more correctly, a re-review of "The Song of Bemadette" The audience last night was distinguished in more ways than one F'rinstance, it embraced important exhibs. from the East and the hinterlands who attended as guests of Tom Connors Thus you noted on the seating list the names of Eddie Al person, Harry Brandt, Ted Schlanger, Walter Vincent, Walter Reade, Si Fabian, Gus Eyssell, John Nolan, Al Boyd and Frank W. Buhler, among others ' ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • AND, from farther afield, there were John Fitzgibbons, Joe Cooper, Maury White, I. J. Hoffman, Ralph Branton, Ed Fay, Vince McFall, J. Real Neth, Jules Rubens, George Lynch, Louis Schine, Nate Dipson, Tom Walsh as well as Nate Go!dstein, HaTry Zeitz, Milt Mooney, John H. Harris, "Rick" Ricketson, B. V. Sturdivant and Charles P. Skouras, the last three of course East to steer the Fourth War Loan campaign ▼ T T • • • OTHERS on the 20th-Fox guest list included Postmaster General Frank Walker, Ben Kalmenson, C. C. Moskowitz, W. F. Rodgers, David Bernstein, Howard Dietz, Adolph Zukor, Neil Ag new along with Sam Dembow, Leonard Goldenson, Edward Raf tery, Carl Leserman, Jack Cohn, Abe Montague, Ned Depinet, N. Peter Rathvon not to mention Annabella, Jack Alicoate, Phil Baker, Martin Quigley, Joan Fontaine, Don Mersereau, Brian Aherne, George Skouras, Chester B. Bahn, Laird Cregar, Sherry Kane, Conrad Nagel, Jimmy Ivers, Brian Foy, Phil Silvers and Lady Hardwicke T T ▼ • • • TWENTIETH-FOX, of course, was out in force The happy execs, present included Spyros P. Skouras, Wendell L. Willkie, Tom Connors, Murray Silverstone, Hal Home, W. C. Michel, Dan Michalove, Larry Kent and William C. Kupper ..... And from the field, company sales execs, included Sidney Samson, I. J. Schmertz, Ira H. Cohn, C. E. Peppiatt, Clay V. Hake, Ben A. Simon, Harry G. Ballance, Edward X. Callahan, James J. Grady, Herman R. Beiersdorf, Moe A. Levy and Ward E. Scott Yes, sir a swell pic and a swell turn-out. T ▼ ▼ % 0 0 i COCKTAIL party for Samuel Goldwyn's latest discoveries, Constance Dowling and Vera-Ellen, was given at the St. Regis yesterday. Miss Dowling is here on a brief vacation, having just completed work in the Danny Kaye musical "Up in Army." Vera-Ellen is set to go to Hollywood at the end of the run of "A Connecticut Yankee," in which she is playing. Among those who greeted the two players were: Robert Mochrie, Harry Michalson, Ned Depinet, N. Peter Rathvon, James Mulvey, Walter Branson, Rutgers Neilson, Arthur Brilant, Mort Nathanson, Irving Shiffrin, William Formby, Jack Harrison, Larry Reid, Jimmy Dunn, Gil Blackford, Irene Thierer, Wanda Hale, Floyd Stone, Jack Berk, Lou Pelegrine. Maybelle Oldenhage. T ▼ ▼ • • • AVENGE PEARL HARBOR Sell a Bond for Every Seat! Fast Pix Service to Aussie Area Troops (Continued from Page 1) commercial theaters there, it was stated yesterday by Sidney Allbright, Australia-New Zealand general manager for United Artists who is in the U. S. for a visit of several months, and, in discussing the giftfilm distribution setup, he stressed the difficulties presented and added that "the effectiveness of Maj. Lynn Cowan's 'chart system' of handling the films is something to marvel at." Under the Cowan chart system, troops in actual combat zones get the pictures first, shipments usually being made by air with high priority, and showings are as close as possible to the battle lines. Then the rest of the troops see them. So gratified was Gen. Sir Robert Blarney, Commander-in-Chief of Allied Land Forces in the Southwest Pacific a:ea, with the morale-building effect of the films on soldier morale that he invited P. McNeil Ackland, representing the industry, to tour the New Guinea "circuit" as an observer. In that sector, where there are no established commercial film houses, the films seive both the armed forces and the natives. Allbright pointed out that, of course, the theaters wherein the gift films are presented, are crude, and that often performance have continued through pouring rains. The fighting men are often extiemely reluctant to leave the theaters when air alarms are heard. Though the industry supplies current attractions, it is not uncommon for American servicemen to attend showings of old films in 35 mm., leased on a commercial basis by our allies from the various distributing companies, Allbright said. Michael J. White Dead Dover, N. H.— Michael J. White, 68, a movie theater owner here for 24 years, is dead as the result of a heart attack suffered while visitingrelatives in Springfield, Mass. White was mayor of Dover in 1907 and 1908. Too Cold For Shorts . Where He Is Going! Oscar A. Morgan, general sales manager of Paramout Shorts and News, is heading North tomorrow. Lake Placid. N. Y., is his destination. There he'll officiate at the Eastern Ice Skating Championships of the Figure Skating Ass'n, Jan. 28-29-30. Because of his skill as a figure skater and dancer, he was selected for the officiating job. A member of the New York Skating Club, Morgan is a proficient on rollers as on silver blades. Finals of the three divisional championship events, of which Lake Placid is one, are to be held in Minneapolis. *