The Film Daily (1945)

Mr. Lester Thompson M. p. Productions Dist. 21st floor 38 W. 44th, OO^^foV e The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty Seven Years Old OL. 88. NO. 21 NEW YORK, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1945 TEN CENTS !OTH-FOXJETS 27 JOR^ 1945-1946 RELEASE FoAsk Altlee Gov't for Entertainment Tax Cut Reeling 'Round-' WASHINGTON = By ANDREW H. OLDER ^^ —WASHINGTON ►URT MITCHELL, head of the pix sec* tion of the Army public relations buu, has an idea he intends to put to intry executives soon. As a public relais move it sounds interesting. It was n during a very b:ring graduation cerely Colonel Mitchell attended recently, thought was that it would be a fine ig for youngsters, and a smart industry /e, to prepare 10 minute reels of such ires as Eisenhower, Marshall and others :se appeal to youth is especially strong V. They would deliver special scripts deled for graduating classes which the ustry could provide for these ceremonies. Dolonel Mitchell believes, too, that the ater of tom;rrow should contain a small litorium for the showing of 16 mm. films. is chamber — particularly in small towns vould become a civic center, with shows of special films for women's clubs, ary groups, etc. "There is no reason," s Colonel Mitchell, "why the exhibitor uld not become as important in his nmunity as the newspaper editor, why he uld not become just as much of a leader thought and of local activities." Mitchell ieves a scheme such as this would help elevate exhibs to that position. HE recent San Francisco Conference was the birth certificate for documentary ns," according to British Information vice's Mary Losey, who was in charge documentary showings there. "We rned a lot, too,'' she continued. "We rned that documentaries are not sucsfully shown to people who are expecting ertainment. Pecple go to documentary ns to learn, and the films are most sucsful when people are in the mood to rn." • • OP laugh at the Variety Club's Humanitarian Award dinner last week was Sol om's performance when he, along with ers at the head table, was introduced to audience. As when the preceding notes had been named, Sol sat impassively >lauding until nudged by Secretary of riculture Clint Anderson. He then arose pretended embarrassment. It was a good formance. . . . Georgie Jessel was appreted when he mentioned that one of the poses of his trip from Hollywood was to (Continued on Page 2) British Trade to Present Request to Hugh Dahon, New Exchequer Chancellor London (By Cable) — Hugh Dalton, Chancellor of the Exchequer in the new British Cabinet of Prime Minister Clement Attlee, will be asked by the film industry here to consider a reduction in the entertainment tax, it was learned authoritatively yesterday. Dalton as president of the Board of Trade had close contact with the mdustry and was responsible, among (Continued on Page 2) Johnston Decision Off Anotlier Montli Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Eric Johnston, U. S. Chamber of Commerce head, will not announce his decision concerning the MPPDA job proffered him for at least another month, his office here said yesterday. Johnston was in New York last week for discussions with industry toppers concerning the pix (Continued on Page 3) Industry Leaders Join Cohn Dinner Sponsors List of sponsors of the dinner being given in honor of Jack Cohn, Columbia's executive vice-president, at the Waldorf-Astoria on Sept. 27 continued to grow yesterday as an(Continued en Page 6) BONANZA BIZ IN COSTA RICA Weekly Attendance in San Jose Tops Population By SGT. JOSEPH KLEIN FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent Panama (By Air Mail) — You couldn't go wrong in opening a motion picture house in Costa Rica, witness: At least a million movie tickets are sold during every four-month period in San Jose, the capital of 70,000 people. Box-office records show a doubling of movie attendance in the last 10 years. The average Costa Rican caballero will seek his flicker entertainment about five times a month while the (Continued on Page 6) Monogram to Expand In Soutii America Monogram will expand its foreign offices in South America with plans for opening an exchange immediately in the Argentine, The Film Daily was told yesterday by Norton V. Ritchey, the company's foreign head who just returned from a month's trip to Mexico City. Bernard Gates, Monogram's South (Continued on Page 3) France Revives Film Festival Invite All United Nations to Participate Film Toppers Figure In Many Stock Deals IVashiiigton Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — No major changes in stockholding by top industry executives is revealed in the monthly SEC report, released today, although there was considerable activity of minor importance. In seven separate sales, (Continued on Page 7) Paris (By Air Mail)— For the first time since 1939, France will hold its International Festival of Films, with the event slated for the first week in November at Cannes. The Festival is under asupices of the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of National Education. All countries belonging (Continued on Page 7) Nine in Technicolor Included on Tentative New Season Schedule Twentieth Century-Fox has set a tentative production program for the 1945-1946 season calling for 27 features, it was learned yesterday with the disclosure of the company's releasing schedule for the year beginning next month. A minimum of the nine productions in Technicolor will be among those released during the season. . The inclusion of "Wilson," in its (Continued en Page 6) Griffitli Trust Triai ill Resume Sept. 10 Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The Department of Justice is prepared to go ahead with the Griffith anti-trust trial in the District Court at Oklahoma City on Sept. 10, Robert L. Wright, Assistant (Continued on Page 3) Eastman German Plants To Make Army Cameras Rochester — One of two Eastman Kodak plants in Germany will reopen soon for repair of fire control (Continued en Page 6) Locitl 306, Companies In Final Pact Talk, What is expected to be the final meeting between representatives of the film companies and lATSE Local 306 in negotiations for new contracts covering projectionists employed at the home offices, exchanges and studies here is scheduled to be held this afternoon in the office of Maj. Leslie Thompson of RKO, one of the spokesmen for the employers. The chief point to be cleared up today is understood to involve the union's demand that the request clause permitting the employer to choose a desired operator be eliminated from contracts.