The Film Daily (1945)

iday, August 17, 1945 WBs fPB Considering End if Raw Stock Orders (Continued fram Page I) 'sterday he cannot attempt to pre ct the action on these orders but dicated that if the cutback in mili ry requirements is even nearly as eat as he expects, L-178, the raw iock allocation order, will be opped. He refused to make any rect statement, however. Adams himself is contemplating a ■ip to Europe next month during hich he will study production there, jvoting attention to the facilities ir production of photographic oods, including film, as well as ;her consumers goods. Thus far, 3 said, no comprehensive study of le extent or condition of European Im production facilities has been lade. He will probably leave the overnment after this trip. Industry Advisory Committee lieetings scheduled for early this 'eek and then postponed until Aug. 7, 28 and 29 may never be held. There is no point in bringing these eople down simply to tell them the Im order is cancelled," he said. He oes not believe that the require lents that the industry committees e consulted before cancellation of fie orders applies now that the war ; over. Adams was likewise uncertain as 3 whether a decision to eliminate ,-178 would be effective at once or t the beginning of the fourth quarer, with third quarter allocations to pply. This is a question which has ot been definitely settled at WPB, Ithough there is reason to believe hat it might be handled individully according to the supply situaion regarding the various commodiies to be released. At any rate, he added, the Army is Vorking overtime now to work out ts revised film requirements. When hose figures are received, he believes e will be able to tell quite accurately vhen and if L-178 can be dropped, ndustry quarters here are confident hat decision to end raw stock allocaions will come down this month. SEDD BIRTHDflV GREETinCS TO: AUGUST 17 John Hay Whitney Mary Price 'Monty Woolley W. Ss McDonald John McCormick Charles Judels Winnie Lightner Janet Martin AUGUST 18 Miliza Korjus Derwin Abrahams Maureen O'Hara Martin F. Bennett Charles F. Deesen Robert Weitman Sid Weiss Vernon Gray McCrew F. Willis Stanley Brown Ruth Goldberg Gordon E. Youngman H. L. Nathanson Frank C. Hensler Shelly Winter Brad Taylor AUG. 19 Edward K. O'Shea June Collyer Eleanor Boardman Kenneth McKenna Colleen Moore Joan Peers Marie Wilson Lines from Leo CULVER CITY • • • L. K. SIDNEY. Metro executiye. celebrated his birthday the other day and also his 24th anniversary with Loew's Sidney came from the exhibitor ronks 24 years ago, as did Sam Katz, Dave Chatkin (head oi the studio's music department) and Fred Quimby Not forgetting Louis B. Mayer, head of Metro's studios, one of the real pioneers in the exhibitor field. . . • Another special anniversary iust celebrated at Metro was Pete Smith's Pete has been producing his one-real specialties for 13 years and now launches his fourteenth year as a shorts producer-narrator with "Bus Pests" ▼ T T • • • AFTER TWO YEARS of service in the China-Burma-India theater oi operations, Maj. Melvyn Douglas returned to his home lot and had a brief visit while on leave in the states. . . • Lt. Com. Richard Barthelmess, another visitor at Metro was hosted by William Powell on the set of "The Hoodlum Saint" Barthelmess left the film city three years ago to join the Navy ...... T T T • • • SPECIAL HONOR was bestowed upon musician Johnny Green when he was handed the baton to share conducting at a special motion picture concert at the Hollywood Bowl with Leopold Stokowski Green recently completely the musical score for "Week End at the Waldorf" T T ▼ • • • JOE PASTERNAK is about the busiest producer in all Hollywood, with three top films now in release, two cutting, two shooting and five obout to go into production at the Culver City studio "Anchors Aweigh," a current Pastemok musical, is smashing all boxoffice records throughout the country T ▼ T • • • FOLLOWING THE SNEAK PREVIEW of "The Harvey Girls, " the whole studio is buzzing with talk of the Technicolor musical and its hit tunes Judy Gcrrland, John Hodiak and Angela Lansbury are three who help moke it a sure box-office smash "Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe" is just one oi the songs already enjoying success in the nation's juke boxes and radios Surprise of the film is Angela Lansbury, who shows her amazing versatility after her straight dramatic roles in "Gaslight" ond "The Picture of Dorian Gray" George Sidney at 27 years of age has another musical hit to his credit Sidney recently completed "Bathing Beauty," "Thousands Cheer" and "Anchors Aweigh" ▼ T ▼ • • • JOSE ITURBI will play Chopin's "Polonaise" in "Holiday in Mexico," cmother Technicolor filmusical which Joe Pasternak will produce. . . • Victor Saville returns to Metro to direct "The Green Years," which is slated to go before the cameras late this month Film is based on the A. J. Cronin best-seller and will be given top production. . . • Studio has announced "Time For Two" as a new starring vehicle for Lucille Ball and John Hodiak Picture is slated to start next month ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • GEORGE MURPHY is about to become a Hollywood outhor He will publish a tome based on his memoirs of his life in the entertainment business. . . • Rouben Mamoulian, fresh from his Broadwcry triumphs as director of "Oklahoma" and "Carousel," returns to direct "The Belle of New York," Fred Astaire-Kathry Grayson starrer, which Arthur Freed will produce Mex. Distribs. Bacic U. S. Cos. in Strike (Continued from Page 1) halting shipment of Mexican product for the duration. The demonstration of solidarity is in the face of the Union's action in trotting out the old Latin-American bogey of "Yankee Imperialism." The Union has plastered the walls of the capital with posters charging that the Americans are threatening "the modest Mexican producers with suspension of quotas of raw stock if the Yankee Imperialists don't get their way." Quick to meet the charge, the U. S. companies are using page ads in Mexico City dailies, captioned, "Sentence of Death for the Mexican Motion Picture Industry." Copy pointed out that the Union's employment of the Yankee Imperalism argument was an irresponsible way of interpreting the Good Neighbor policy and was certain to "build a guillotine which very shortly would liquidate the Mexican industry." Mexico's 1,185 provincial theaters, unionized, are expressing fears of "sabotage" of films. Opinion has been advanced that most of the opposition which is against U. S. interests springs from the alleged desire of Vincente Lombardo Toledano, labor chief, to replace Hollywood films with those produced in Russia. It is reported, without confirmation, that there are some 80 USSR films ready for exhibition in Mexico. At a meeting with the Federal Board of Conciliation and Arbitration, the Union decided to postpone its threatened strike against nine Mexican distributors until Sept. 6. The strike date earlier had been fixed for Aug. 21. Northern Calif, to Spend Millions on New Houses (Continued from Page 1) new theaters. Northern California will see the spending of several million dollars in new construction by the motion picture industi-y in the coming months, according to exhibition leaders here. Chi. Equip. Plants Ready to Reconvert Chicago — Film industry equipment factories working on war contracts in the local area reported yesterday that up to now they have received no cancellations of Government orders. Most of the plants' spokesmen said that they are ready to go into civilian production almost immediately. Mills Industries, officials said, will need more employes for their peacetime business than they did for war work.