The Film Daily (1944)

38 S*# fort m. 44tli St* 3*e* floor ft* T. Intimate inraa^wet International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Five Years Old 'OL. 86, NO 1 NEW YORK. MONDAY, JULY 3. 1944 TEN CENTS PCC BACKS ALLIED CONSENT D Industry Needs 700,000 Chairs; To Make 70,000 Two Manufacturers Agree To Immediate Marketing Of Seats At Ceiling Price Washington Bureau of THE FILM 'DAILY Washington — No large-scale replacement of theater chairs, an estimated 700,000 of which could readily and immediately be absorbed by film houses, will be possible under the current plan to authorize the manufacture and distribution of 10 per cent of this number now, namely 70,000. Latter quantity, it is held by authoritative channels here, will go for the most part to houses built under the OCR expansion program, (Continued on Page 3) 100% Aussie Coin For Another Year American film companies will continue to receive 100 per cent remittances from their Australian subsidiaries for another year. Extension of the monetary agreement, which expired on June 30, was disclosed on Friday. American film revenue in the Australian market is estimated at about $9,000,000. PRC Defers Color Plans; "Enchanted Forest" Off PRC has apparently abandoned plans to make a feature in color until after the war, a project which (Continued on Page 7) S-W Sells the Earle; Grant to Build Store Philadelphia — S.-W. Earle Theater and building was sold by S.-W. through A. Heymann & Brother, realtors, to W. T. Grant Realty Corp'n for a reported price $1,650,000. A four-story department store will be erected on the site after the war. Until that time, S.-W. will continue operation of theater which is only vaude-filmer in town. Building also houses S.-W. offices. Editorial From "G-IJoo" to You . . . and no comment needed By CHESTER B. BAHN I? EAD this letter from a "G-/ Joe," written jrom "somewhere in Normandy" to Pete J. Wood, secretary of the ITO of Ohio, and let it inspire you to that extra effort which will not only meet but exceed the industry's Fighting Fifth drive goal by Thursday: "Right now I'm standing on ground we helped liberate. I've got something I'd like to get off my chest. A while back, before the big push, I dropped into a canteen and there on the table were some magazines from back home — the first magazines (Continued on Page 7) Warner Inventories At All-Time Record Reflecting the company's mounting inventory of completed but unreleased productions, practically all in the upper-bracket budget category, the latest Warners balance sheet shows inventories of approximately $36,000,000, an increase of about $8,000,000 over a year ago and probably the highest inventory (Continued on Page 3) $120,000 as Ad Starter For PRC Lineup — Fromkess PRC has allocated $120,000 as the initial amount for its 1944-45 advertising budget, Leon Fromkess, vicepresident in charge of production and general manager, announced Friday at the closing session of the fifth annual sales meet. Fromkess (Continued on Page 3) Home Office Employes Pledge $1,413,580 Fifth Drive goals set by home office employes of producers and distributors almost double those of previous Bond drives, Home Office Chairman Eugene Picker reported to C. C. Moskowitz, chairman, Friday. Pledges from 10 companies total $1,413,580 and each has filed a formal certificate of intention with (Continued on Page 3) Coast Studio to Shoot 16 mm. Pic, Then Blow Up West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — A studio, described as one of important rank here on the West Coast, has decided to make a full length feature film during the 1944-45 season in 16 mm. Kodachrome and then enlarge and print (Continued on Page 7) Greater E fieri, Treasury Plea Trade Told Sales Lagging as Drive Hears End Coast Indies Also Invite Allied to Send Observer To Its Board Meetings By RALPH WILK West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — A close working agreement between the board of PCCITO and national Allied in the latter's consent decree moves was disclosed here at the week-end with the announcement in detail of action taken by the PCC board of directors at its recent quarterly meeting in Portland, Oregon. An invitation was also extended by the PCC trustees to national Allied to send an observer and a Cara(Continued on Page 6) Decree Proposals In Printer's Hands Distributors' new and "final" consent decree proposals are now at the printers awaiting a final okay before they are bound and distributed to the various interests concerned. It is understood the lawyers of the five consent decree companies will (Continued on Page 7) Skouras and Aides to Coast To See "Wilson", Confer Spyros P. Skouras, Tom Connors, Murray Silverstone, William J. Kup per, Francis Harley, L. J. Schlaifer, A. W. Smith, Jr., and Sam Shain, of (Continued on Page 7) Referred Hiring Plan Applying to Femmes Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Promising even more trouble for exchanges and theaters in solving their personnel problems under the new referred hiring plan, Paul V. McNutt, WMC chief, an(Continued on Page 7) The industry was beseeched by the Treasury Department over the weekend to step up its efforts to sell extra "E" War Bonds. Ted R. Gamble, national director of the War Finance Division of the Treasury, stressed the urgency of the situation at a conference with the national "Fighting Fifth" committee on Fri(Continued on Page 6) CBS Signing Talent To Period Tele Pacts Believing that it has made a start in typing programs which will set a trend in television programming, CBS has begun signing fixed period contracts with performers for its WCBW outlet. Initial contract since the resumption of live talent telecasts is a 13-week ticket signed by Vera Massey which has an option for another 13 weeks, Worthington Miner, manager of CBS television, announced. GIVE YOl/R FREE MOVIE DAY THAT EXTRA EFFORT — PUT THE IIGHTiI\G 5TH OVER THE TOP!