The Film Daily (1944)

W"Vauur Friday, March 10, 1944 Vol. 85, No. 49 Fri., Mar. 10, 1944 10 Cents JOHN W. ALICOATE Publisher DONALD M. MERSEREAU CHESTER B. BAHN Ceneral Manager Editor Published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays at 1501 Broadway, New York 18, N. Y., by Wid's Films and Film Folk. Inc. J. W. Alicoate, President and Publisher; Donald M. Mersereau, SecretaryTreasurer; Al Steen. Associate Editor. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 8, 1938, at the post-office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Terms (Postage free) United States outside of Greater New York $10.00 one year; 6 months, $5.00; 3 months, $3.00. Foreign, $15.00. Subscribers should remit with order. Address all communications «o THE FILM DAILY, 1501 Broadway, New York, N. Y. Phone BRyant 9-7117, 9-7118, 9-7119, 9-7120, 9-7121. Cable address: Filmday, New York, Representatives: HOLLYWOOD, 28, Calif. —Ralph Wilk, 6425 Hollywood Blvd.. Phone Granite 6607. WASHINGTON— Andrew H. Older, 841 Longfellow St., N. W., Phone Taylor 0882; CHICAGO, 45, 111., Joseph Esler, 6241 N. Oakiey Ave., Phone Briargate 7441. LONDON— Ernest W. Fredman, The Film Renter, 127-133 Wardour St., W. I. PARIS— P. A. Harle, Le Film, 29 Rue Marsoulan (12). HAVANA— Mary Louise Blanco, Virtudes 214. HONOLULU —Eileen O'Brien. BUENOS AIRES— Dr. Walter P. Schuck, Casillo de Correo 1929. MEXICO CITY— Marco-Aurelio Galindo, Apartado 8817, Mexico, D. F. FINANCIAL (Thursday, March 9) NEW YORK STOCK MARKET Net Low Close Chg. Am. Seat Col. Picts. vtc. (2l/2%) Columbia Picts. pfd. ... Con. Fm. Ind 3% Con. Fm. Ind. pfd.. . 183/8 East. Kodak 164y4 1 do pfd. ." 180 1 Cen. Prec. Eq 20% Loew's, Inc. 60% Paramount 25Vi RKO 9% RKO $6 pfd 95V4 20th Cen.tury-Fox . . . 223/8 20th Century-Fox pfd. 30% Warner Bros 13% NEW YORK BOND Par. B'way 3s55 90% NEW YORK CURB Monogram Picts 3% Radio-Keith cvs 1% Sonotone Corp 214 Technicolor ....... 14% Trans-Lux 3% Universal Pictures ... 21 Vz Universal Picts. vtc . 21% High I81/2 181/4 i8'/4 31/4 3i/4 — % 18 18'/8 — l/g 643/g 1643/g — 3/g 78 180 20 — 3/3 20 603/4 603,4 — 1, 251/4 91/4 94l/2 251/4 91/4 951/8 + % 22i/8 22% — % 303/g 305/g 13% 131/4 MARKET 903/i 903/4 MARKET 3i/2 31/2 — % 1% 1% 21/4 21/4 14% 141/g — i/s 33/8 33/a — % 2H/4 2H/2 + % 21 1/8 21 % — 1/4 Add Coming and Going , MERLE OBERON was in Chicago yesterday. HAL ROSEN was in Chicago yesterday, his next stop being Detroit. Sheffield's Franchise Renewed by Republic Republic has renewed its franchise agreement with J. T. Sheffield, covering the Seattle, Portland, Denver, and Salt Lake City territories, until June 30, 1945. "Purple Heart" in Chi. Mar. 18 Chicago — "The Purple Heart," 20th-Fox film, is set to open at the Loop Roosevelt Theater, March 18 for an extended run. Truce in Court Fight for WB Product Ends Quickly Montreal — Truce between Kent Theaters, Ltd., Vitagraph, Ltd., and United Amusement Corp., Ltd., over priority rights of exhibiting Warners pix came to a quick end when Hellman Swards, attorney for the Kent, presented a motion in Practice Court asking Judge Louis Cousineau to reject the respondents' consent to the issue of an interlocutory injunction to restrain them from exhibiting these films at the Snowdon ahead of the Kent, pending judgment in an action in which the Kent claims damages for breach of contract. Swards contended "confession of judgment" was invalid while lacking respondents' signatures. The motion was granted. Jean Martineau, counsel for United Amusement, said signatures of the directors of the respondent companies would no doubt be obtained by today in which case he would move that the confession of judgment be accepted so that the injunction could issue and the action in damages be heard on its merits. King Named Vanguard And Selznick Pub. Head West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Don King, assistant publicity director at Columbia, has been appointed general director of publicity for Vanguard Films and David O. Selznick, and Cameron Shipp moves over from Warner Bros, to become publicity director for Vanguard under King's supervision. John Harkins is being transferred to New York to become Eastern publicity director for Vanguard. All of the present Vanguard publicity staff will be retained including Hy Daab, Harry Mines, Dee Lowrance and Joe Polonsky. WB to Produce Pic on Life of Vincent Youmans West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Warner Bros, has purchased rights to produce the life of Vincent Youmans, composer, and the picture will be made under the title of "Sometimes I'm Happy." Picture will be a cavalcade of Youmans' tunes, including "Tea for Two" and songs from such operettas as "No, No, Nanette" and "Hit the Deck." Ann Sheridan and Dennis Morgan will play the leading roles and Arthur Schwartz will produce. Jack Kirsch Re-elected Illinois Allied Vice-Prexy Chicago — Jack Kirsch was reelected president of Illinois Allied for the fifth time yesterday at the organization's fourteenth annual meeting. Van Nomikos was elected vice-president, Richard Salkin, secretary-treasurer. Arthur Davidson, Ben Banoivitz, Bill Charuhas, John Semadatoe and Edward Trinz were added to the board of directors. Six Feminine Office Managers for Metro M-G-M now has six women in the field as office managers. The latest appointment is that of Lila Goodin, who has been employed in the San Francisco exchange for many years in various capacities and takes over her new assignment next Monday. Previously, Mrs. Amy Sinclair was named office manager in Kansas City. The other four women office managers are M. M. Ryan in Buffalo, Mrs. Blanche Carr in Charlotte, Mrs. E. Mitchell in Memphis, and Mrs. Hazel Anderson in Omaha. Albany Tribunal Clerk Transferred to Cleve. John Staggs, motion picture arbitration tribunal clerk in Albany, has been transferred to take charge of the Cleveland tribunal, replacing Gordon Lind. James A. Murray has been appointed clerk of the Albany office. In Oklahoma City, Richard Romang has resigned as tribunal clerk. James J. Murphy of the American Arbitration Association in New York leaves for Oklahoma City Sunday to appoint a successor to Romang. Barney McCarthy Named UA's St. Louis Manager St. Louis — Barney McCarthy has succeeded Eddie Ashkins as manager of the local United Artists exchange, while Ashkins moves down to Memphis to represent UA in that territory. McCarthy, who took over on March 7 is no newcomer to St. Louis, since from 1935 to 1939 he was manager of the local RKO office. He comes here from Los Angeles, where he was manager for Columbia since last August. He has been in the motion picture business since 1923 and has managed exchanges in Des Moines, Omaha and Denver at various times. Warners H. O. Executives Leave for Coast Today Mort Blumenstock, in charge of Warners advertising and publicity in the East, accompanied by Samuel Schneider, assistant to Harry M. Warner, leave New York today for a week's conference at the Burbank studio with H. M. and Jack L. Warner and Charles Einfeld. Ben Kalmenson, general sales manager, who is in St. Louis today, joins the Coast-bound party tomorrow to participate in the studio sessions, which will cover the forthcoming world premiere and national launching of "The Adventures of Mark Twain" and other future product. COmiDG and GOIFIG JAMES R. GRAINGER, Republic president and FRANCIS BATEMAN, Western district sales manager, are attending the National Theaters convention at Palm Springs, Calif, today and tomorrow. WILLIAM F. RODGERS, H. M. RICHEY, E. H. AARON and J. S. MacLOUD are in Chicago for the Metro conference. HERBERT J. YATES, president of Consolidate^ Film Industries, is en route from the Coast. EDWARD RAFTERY and CRAD SEARS leave for the Coast today. RICHARD H. ROFFMAN, Hillman Periodicals, director of radio and public relations, has left for a few days' business trip to Washington. HUGH OWEN, Paramount Eastern division manager, leaves Mnoday for Boston, to confer with William Erbb, district manager, and A. M. Kane, branch manager. JACK GOLDSTEIN, 20th-Fox Eastern publicity manager, left yesterday for Miami, to start a two-weeks vacation. TOM NOLAN of Comerford Circuit is in New York. JACK ROBBINS, executive head of Robbins Music Cprp., Leo Feist, and the Miller Music Corp., returns this week after an absence of two months, chiefly spent in Miami. WILL CLARK, 20th-Fox short ^ecf manager, is calling on the trade in Chicago. 0\ GEORGE SCHWARTZ, Universal branch manager in Philadelphia, is en route to Florida. STEVE BARUTIO, Warner Theaters district manager, Philadelphia, is vacationing in Florida. JOSEPH SCHAFFER, Columbia salesman, Philadelphia, is spending his vacation in Florida. HOWARD STRICKLINC, M-G-M studio publicity chief, goes to Detroit Wednesday en route to Culver City. VOLDEMAR VETLUCIN, Louis B. Mayer's special assistant, returns to the .Coast today. MYRNA LOY leaves March 13 for Hollywood to make another "Thin Man" pic for M-G-M, with William Powell. MERLE OBERON will arrive here from Hollywood today. JULES FIELDS, assistant to Rodney Bush of the 20th-Fox exploitation department, and LOU GOLDBERG, home office exploitation representative, have gone to Denver to lay out the campaign for the world premiere of "Buffalo Bill." ED RAFTERY and GRAD SEARS leave today for the Coast. Girden Operated On Jules Girden, Warner Circuit home office executive, underwent an emergency sinus operation yesterday in Polyclinic Hospital. March 10 Gregory LaCava Lowell Calvert Stuart Holmes Floyd E. Stone March 11 Raoul Walsh Ralph A. Kohn William Jaffee Don M. Alexander March 12 Hap Hadley, Jr. George W. Harvey Leslie Fenton