The Film Daily (1945)

jldnesday, February 28, 1945 1IIE< ■^1 •^ DAILY rliest Trial Date Be Asked by Gov't (Continued from Page 1) ;oilirance dispute will be sought by Government which will argue a court order against the "unsonable clearance" practices defied in its I'ecent brief and which I not accepted as practical by the xibutors. Counsel for all comies, including the so-called "litthree," have been notified that entry of an order setting the ■"■frernment case for trial on its .. .'its would be made on Monday, ii ndustry sources regarded the noas an indication that there was hope for a new consent decree, jfar as the Department of Juswas concerned. Failure of the xibutors to make any concessions le from those offered in their 3fs of a year ago apparently has vinced the D of J that there can no effective decree unless greatrelief is offered by the distribus, it was said. From Washington ivas learned that the Department ™ll expected the distributors to of"'i-T something tangible in the way I relief when they made their reby letter to the Government's Jommendations for changes in the Ofjarance provisions of the decree, some quarters it was said that Department was "disappointed." t was indicated in December at hearing on the Government's uposal for an interim decree that I New York court could not handle % film trial before the latter part If? this year. It now appears that !h Government pressure, the court My grant a date in September or * [ober for the opening of what ! ibtless will be a long, drawn-out lit battle, probably extending for ear or more and ultimately reachi: the U. S. Supreme Court. Com' te divorcement and the breaking of most of the large circuits will sought by the Government. hievement of the Government's IS, or even a major part of them, certain to alter drastically the npetitive picture within the Indus Ik le DePridas Safe in Manila ^U Daff, vice-prexy of Universal "I ernational, has received word that rlrry DePridas, Mrs. DePridas, their Tldren and Mr. DePrida's mother li safe in Manila. DePrida joined iversal in 1938 as manager for "t: Philippines. UlEDDinG BELLS Drake-Curtis \st Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Tom Drake, screen ac', featured in M-G-M's "Meet Me St. Louis," was married to Chrisrffipher Curtis, actress. BRIGfmGTHEDflV'SnEUJS Shields Wounded in Leg Chicago — Donald Shields of the Al Dezel film offices, reported wounded in action in New Guinea, is hospitalized with leg injuries. • Flu Hits Detroit Film RowDetroit — PRC Detroit exchange has been hard hit by prevailing flu epidemic here, with Robert Bryson, booker, and Herbert Herman, city salesman, both on the sick list. • Rubens Returning in March Chicago — J. J. Rubens, Great States executive, convalescing in Florida, is expected back at the Chicago headquarters next month. • J. H. MitcheU Hurt in Fall South Bend, Ind.— John H. Mitchell, manager of the Palace, fell about 10 feet from one of a labyrinth of passageways in the attic of the Palais Royale building to the floor of the electrical control room. Six teen stitches were required to close a hip wound. No Kids During School Hours? Pensacola, Fla. — A movement is under way whereby school children will be barred from theaters and amusement houses during school hours. The proposed ordinance includes a clause which will make owners or managers subject to a penalty if school children are found attending during school hours. The plan comes from the School Board officials. • Contract Dispute Hearing Another hearing was held before the WLB here yesterday in the contract dispute between RKO and the Motion Picture Theater Operating Managers and Assistant Managers Guild. What is expected to be a final hearing will be held on Tuesday. team Roller Drive Indies' Raw Stock For Red Cross Starts Allocations Not Set (Continued from Page 1) tion in the campaign from March 15-21. The Detroit territory pledged allout aid after a meeting at which Columbia's Abe Montague challenged the audience to "help the greatest industry in the world do its greatest job for the gi-eatest charity in the world." Because of a local situation, the industry's drive in Atlanta will be conducted from March 25 to April 1. In Oklahoma City, it was announced that 81 per cent of the territory's theaters had pledged co-operation. Oregon's theaters already are pledged 98 per cent. In Philadelphia it was announced that 751 of the territory's 763 houses have lined up for the campaign. In Charlotte, the industry's drive will be dedicated to the memory of James Wiggins Watts, Jr., son of a Carolina theater owner. Three-fourths of the motion picture theaters in the St. Louis trade territory are already set for the 1945 Red Cross Drive. The film exchange managers and their salesmen pledged themselves to see that all of the 560 theaters in this territory take up collections from their audiences during the 1945 campaign. The roll call revealed that 418 houses have already given the necessary pledges. About 100 salesmen and exhibitors turned out at the Frontenelle Hotel in Omaha to hear Edward Snitzer, Martin Smith and others launch the Red Cross campaign in that area. Donald V. McLucas, distributor chairman, and William Miskell, exhibitor chairman, revealed that 288 of a possible 366 the ( Continued from Page 1) that any formal application for a separate quota has yet been processed— and indies have been worried as to whether they would be permitted quotas in line with what the distributors have been giving them. There was some fear that they might be granted stock only on the basis of what they used in the 1941-1944 period. In some cases, this would mean far less than what they are receiving from the distribs. It is likely that WPB will consider in setting these separate allocations, the quantity of stock expected to be released to the various producers by their distributors. Examination of the production schedules for each producer and distributor is to be expected. No Industry Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the raw stock allocation for the second quarter has yet been scheduled. The second quarter requirements of the military and other claimants are still being screened, even though it was stated in January that the industry would be informed by March 1 of what quantity of stock it could expect for the second quarter. General impression here is that the overall quantity will be about the same as for this quarter. It was stated here that there has been, and will be, no discrimination against distributors of re-issues. Like other Class C users they will sustain the 25 per cent cut from their 1944 consumption. aters had signed pledges already this year as compared with 228 last year. $5,000,000-Plus 'Dimes' Total Seen National March of Dimes collections total will run far ahead of $5,000,000, it was predicted yesterday by C. C. Moskowitz of the industry drive executive committee on the basis of the figures reported by the first four states to turn in completed figures. Chairman Nicholas M. Schenck announced the following totals: North Carolina (F. H. Leddingfield reporting for Chairman Roy Rowe) $90,852, as against $54,476 in 1944, an inci-ease of 67 per cent; Florida (M. C. Talley, chairman) $111,996, a 42 per cent increase over 1944; South Carolina (Warren Irwin, chairman) $32,055, a 47 per cent jump over last year; Arizona (Harry Nace, chairman) $32,859, an amazing 92 per cent above 1944. The four states turned in over $90,000 more than they did in 1944's drive. Terrific gains are being shown by small circuits and individual theaters. The five Trans-Lux theaters around New York more than doubled last year's collections, reporting $9,959 against $4,197. The Trans-Lux, Philadelphia, with a seating capacity of 493, collected $2,726 against last year's $1,900. The Brandt Theaters, operating in N. Y. area, have turned in $53,245. ABC Spurns Conciliation Award; JCC May Fade Out (Continued from Page D cision of the Joint Conciliation Committee on bars (clearance), it was learned yesterday. Action of ABC promised wide repercussions, and there were immediately indications that the committee might terminate. Mcrsh Williams Killed Chicago — Marsh Williams, manager of Alexander Film Co., was killed in an automobile accident on his way home in Elgin. His wife and daughter survive. Fay's Mgr. Kaufman Dies Providence, R. I. — Samuel Kaufman, manager of Fay's for the past 28 years, died here after being in ill health for a year. Scarlet Fever Closes Houses Boston — A scarlet fever epidemic has closed all theaters and places of public assembly in Jeffersonville, Vt. IN NEW POSTS BYRON COOPER, SR., manager, Florida State Theaters properties. Sarasota, Fla. JOSEPH M. KOLLAR, city salesman, Monogram, Detroit. ELMER C. BARC, assistant manager. Harper, Detroit. WALTER ROSMYS, operator, East End, Detroit. lAMES REDMAN, operator. Franklin, Detroit. FRANK OLDHAM, operator, Lakewood. Detroit. am