The Film Daily (1945)

Jst3 riday, August 3, 1945 "Bi^ DAILY ^idusfry Tour Report overs Gl Program ''(till ■ foi( (Continued from Page 1) jfes with regard to utilization of ,ms overseas, their present as well s^uture use. A major section, it is stood, will deal with the 's program of films for GI's. hUlt is believed that the executives k>i ave recommended that the industry ( p,j( )ntinue to supply the Army with 5 mm. Gift Films for showing to ^^le Army of Occupation, at least for ,' fie time being, with a setup like the J^: hi I f t(j jmy Motion Picture Service, posKmftibly an extension of AMPS operaion, when the shipment of troops '" tit of Europe has ended and a stabil led occupation force alone is left. "fort ^ hf ■ ,) I In regard to films' utilization in re ducating the Germans, the execu ■''ives are believed to have been im"'iM Pressed favorably with the value of ''"'he atrocity films shown there. '• » Cognizance, it is understood; has ?""t)een taken in the report of the po'isiiential use of Hollywood films. It has ilready been reported by The Film tys Daily that 21 features have been se-!« ected as valuable for showing in ijermany, and thus far these have — iiot been released. Several conferences pertinent to this subject have oeen held between OWI and State 'Department representatives, with no decision yet reached. The State Department is known to have received recommendations along this line from Darryl F. Zanuck, 20th-Fox J production chief, who undertook to study the problem for the Department during his trip with the other J film men. OWI toppers in Washington are believed ready to yield. They have » been opposed to the idea of "enter itaining" the Germans, but evidence in reports from Germany indicates ♦ that the value of the films would outweigh any pampering that might appear as the result of this type of ♦ "entertainment." Early submission of the report to ' the War Department is expected, ♦ j probably in about a week. SEHD BIRTHDflV GREETinCS TO: AUGUST 3 Dolores del Rio W. W. Spruce Charles M. Mersereau James Jordan, Jr. Wellyn Totman Richard Davies Adrienne Ames Alice Fleming AUGUST 4 Anita Page Daniel L. Rubin Charles Delaney Fred Steele Helen Kane Patricia Dane Elaine Silverman AUGUST 5 Robert Vignola Burton King Robert Taylor Reginald Owen M. A. Lightman Ann Morriss Emanuel Cohen A. C. Brauninger J. E. Comer A Reporter's Report • e • THE PERSONAL TOUCH: Twentieth-Fox's lineup for next season tips that Aubrey Schenck, formerly oi the home oHice staif, makes his debut as a producer with "Shock," a meller, penciled for June, 1946, release. . . C William Wilder is due in today from the Coast to lineup a Broadway play for his next Republic production in the Fall Wilder will be in our midst two weeks What's this about Marlene Dietrich producing for 20th-Fox? . . • Monty (The Beard) Woolley will oppose Mayor Addison Mallery in the coming mayoralty election at Saratoga Springs Monty's friend wrote in his name in the primary election and the municipality's election laws provide for the two top men to stand for the post. . . • Bob Christenberry of the Hotel Astor has stepped down as temporary national chairman of the Veterans Political Committee, Inc., in favor of Ralph T. Horgan. . . • . Ending a six months' leave of absence, Peggy Foldes is back in the RKO Theaters home office publicity dept. . . • Walt Immerman, Ralph Branton, Jack Flynn and Eddie Rubens are deserting Chicago's Film Row today to be Jimmy Coston's guests at his Eagle River, Wis., Summer home for a week-end of fishing. . . • Don Mack, son of Irving "Filmack" Mack, has been awarded the Presidential Citation, making his Dad very happy Two other Mack boys are in the service ▼ ▼ T 9 • • CUFF NOTES: Overseas service evidently has developed a "yen" for foreign scenes in many a GI Joe At any rate, several companies report overtures from men in uniform looking to foreign posts in the post-war period Many of the inquiries are from those previously unaffiliated with the industry Eastman Kodak, by the way, is having the same experience. . . • No less than four majors — Metro, Para., RKO and Columbia — are manifesting a lively pre-production interest in the rights to "There She Goes," the musical which Paul Feigay and Oliver Smith will sponsor Bill Fitelson is the attorney for the producers. . . © Take it from real estate brokers, about the first thing prospective theater purchasers want to know these days is just how much candy and popcorn business is being done by the current owners. . . • Something to think about: Elmo Roper, conductor of national-opinion polls, reports in the Herald-Tribune that 44.2% queried in a poll expect a widespread depression within 10 years after the whole war is over. . . • Even so. General Electric proposes to spend S250, 000,000 on its reooversion program You pays your money and you takes your pick, so to speak ▼ T T • • • THIS AND THAT: M-G-M is not only the "Friendly Company" to exhibitors but to its employes as well A special kitchen has been installed at the additional Loew's International offices in the Capitol theater building to inaugurate a policy of coffee-at-noon and tea-at-four for the boys and girls. . . • Larry Lapidus, son of Jules Lapidus, eastern division sales manager for Warners, has received appointment to the U. S. Navy Signalmen's School at the Great Lakes Training Station, Chicago. . . • Insurance policies of 5100,000 and over were reported to have been issued to the five newsreel companies and the March of Time for their respective editors-in-chief who are scheduled to leave on a month's European trip from Washington today. . . • Sammy Cohen, who handles foreign publicity for UA, rounds out 13 years with the company today T T T » • • WE'RE AVENGING PEARL HARBOR! T ▼ T ACLU Seeks Sale of Seized Nazi Films (Continued from Page 1) sical films" devoid of "any propaganda whatever." In a letter to the custodian, James E. Markham, the ACLU wrote that "it is not apparent from the list of films withdrawn that any of them fall within the category of German or Nazi propaganda." The Union said it had seen the objections made to the public sale of the pictures which apparently had induced the AFC to withdraw them, adding that "we do not see in any of the statements any valid reason for doing so." The protest, according to the ACLU, appeared to be based on misinformation. Pre-Hitler Productions The Union pointed out that 115 of the withdrawn films were produced in Germany before Hitler's rise to power in 1933 and that another hundred were produced in Vienna before Austria was overrun by the Nazis in 1938. It was declared that a large number of the pictures were written, acted and produced by anti-Nazis now residing in the United States. It also was pointed out that all of the pictures were "passed by the censors in New York State between 1930 and 1942 and all of them reviewed by the U. S. Signal Corps of the U. S. Army and about half of them by the National Board of Review." The letter asserted that "it could hardly be contended that such pictures as Johann Strauss' 'Gypsy Baron,' Ofl^enbach's 'Barcarolle,' 'The Brothers Karamazov' and 'The Life and Love of Tchaikowski' are not suitable for public sale." The letter concluded by urging a "re-consideration of the withdrawal of these films, together with a public statement as to the character of those which do not contain propaganda and which therefore should again be offered for sale." THEATER DEALS Lee and Jay Buy Arvada Denver — L. K. Lee and John Jay have bought the Arvada, Arvada, from Florence Tharpe. Yaeger Reopening Pioneer Denver — The Pioneer, Englewood, Denver suburb, is being re-opened by C. U. (Banknight) Yaeger, with R. M. Haga, manager of the Gothic, managing. Wcruchula's Palace Sold Wauchula, Fla. — Floyd Theaters of Jacksonville, operators of the Royal theater in Wauchula, has purchased the Palace theater from George Stonaris and J. W. Crews. Purchase price was $15,000. The building has not been used for some time.