The Film Daily (1945)

12 Monday, August 20, 1! Reeling 'Round '^ WASHINGTON (Continued from Page 1) they are both cross, 1 run away." "My brother gives it to me for darning his socks." "I wash the pooch for movie money." O • LANDRUM BOILING of the Overseas News Agency reported last week from Vienna his encounter with Mrs. Lillian Barylli, 25-year-old daughter of a New York portrait photographer. She had been forced to spend the war period in Vienna, where she had been operating a branch of her father's portrait business. After asking about mail and getting back to New York, her most important question was "When will Hollywood films come to Vienna?" And then, "What's happened to Garbo, to Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert? Did Vivien Leigh continue in the movies?" But she had never heard of Bob Hope or Ingrid Bergman Life was better when the Russians came in April, she said, for they immediately reopened the opera and sponsored both concerts and the theater and movies. Connors and Smith Open Atlanta Meet Tomorrow (Continued from Page 1) and Morris Caplan, branch co-ordinator, left over the week-end for Atlanta, where the second of six 20thFox Victory Year district sales meetings will start tomorrow, and continue through Friday. Connors and Smith will conduct the business conferences. During the week that the 20th-Fox sales chief and his aides remam m Atlanta, they will meet with the division, district and branch managers of Atlanta, Charlotte, New Orleans, Dallas, Memphis and Oklahoma City. Those in attendance will include division manager Harry G. Ballance; district managers Paul S. Wilson and Philip Longdon; branch managers Fred R. Dodson, Atlanta; John E. Holston, Charlotte; E. V. Landaiche, New Orleans; Cecil E. House, Dallas; T. W. Young, Memphis; M. W. Osborne, Oklahoma City. The third of the Victory Year sales meetings will take place in Chicago next week. Other cities to be visited include Des Moines, where Connors and his sales executives will remain for the "State Fair" world premiere on Aug. 29; Kansas City and San Francisco. IN NEW POSTS TED LEVY, Warner salesman, Detroit. MIKE CODSHAW, Film Classics branch manager, Chicago. WILLIAM HOWARD, manager, Carlton, Carrollton, III. B. BENNETT, manager. Star, Fort Branch, Ind. CHARLES BYRNES, manager, Ritz, Alton, III. VINCENT O'LEARY, manager. Majestic, East St. Louis, III. JAMES McCULLOUCH, manager, Great States theaters, Bloomington, III. I. E. COOPER, manager. Castle, Bloomington, III. PAUL R. MORGAN, manager, Palace, Peoria, III. ^ REVIEWS Of THE nEUI f ILfflS 'State Fair' with Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, Vivian Blaine 20th-Fox 100 Mins. RODGERS-HAMMERSTEIN MUSICAL IS CERTAIN OF VAST POPULARITY; PLENTY OF LOVE. The musical version of Phil Stong's novel sings out for romance without inhibition. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II have turned out another joyous collaboration of words and music that makes "State Fair" a supremely tuneful show offering one delight after another to those seeking to escape from the every-day. The production, as lavish a Technicolor musical as ever created by 20th-Fox, gives every indication of proving a tremendous popular attraction. The picture, unlimited in vividness and movement, exploits the tender passion for all it is worth. It seems everybody is in love with somebody. The story itself is nothing to shout about, the emphasis having been placed on the music. The story merely relates how four young people find love at a state fair. The pairings are Jeanne Crain-Dana Andrews and Vivian Blaine-Dick Haymes. The couples meet when the parents of Miss Crain and Haymes go to the fair to compete for a number of prizes, including that for the best hog. The romances are quite ordinary though charming, and they are worked out in a way that goes straight to the hearts of the women. William Perlberg has produced this richly melodic film in grand fashion. The direction of Walter Lang creates a strong sense of action and makes the most of the comedy possibilities. CAST: Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, Vivian Blaine, Charles Winninger, Fay Bainter, Donald Meek, Frank McHugh, Percy Kilbride, Henry Morgan, Jane Nigh, William Marshall, Phil Brown, Paul Burns, Tom Fadden, Wiliam Frambes, Steve Olson, Josephine Wittell, Paul Harvey, John Dehner, Harlan Briggs, Will Wright, Alice Fleming, Walter Baldwin, Ralph Sanford. CREDITS: Producer, William Perlberg; Director, Walter Lang; Screenplay, Oscar Hammerstein 11; Adaptation, Sonya Levien, Paul Green; Based on novel by Phil Stong; Cameraman, Leon Shamroy; Songs, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II; Musical Directors, Alfred Newman, Charles Henderson; Art Directors, Lyie Wheeler, Lewis Creber; Set Decorators, Thomas Little, Al Orenbach; Film Editor, J. Watson Webb; Special Effects, Fred Sersen; Sound, Bernard Freericks, Roger Heman. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Swell. Meet Today on Raw Stock Relaxation Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — ^The situation of relaxation of raw stock order L-178 will be explained to the trade press this afternoon by Stanley B. Adams v/ho will hold a press conference. Adams will probably have received the Army estimates for film requirements by that time, and is expected to have a clear idea of how soon the order can be relaxed. The calling of the press conference at this time was seen as a clear indication that the Industry Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for next week will be held and that L-178 will be dropped almost at once. "Duffy's Tavern" with all-star cast Paramount 97 Mins. TOPFLIGHT POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT OFFERING ARRAY OF STARS IS CERTAIN TO BE BIG CLICK. Richly stocked with popular entertainment, "Duffy's Tavern" should draw unusually heavy business wherever it is shown. Starting off with the benefit of a readymade audience as result of the great success of the radio program which has inspired the film, the production musters a cast made up of virtually all the box office names on the Paramount roster. The studio has employed its talent prodigally in a film that is amusing above the ordinary, even though it does take some time in getting into full swing. The Melvin Frank-Norman Panama screenplay is full of fun and spoofing and has been milked to the limit by the direction of Hal Walker in the interests of laughter. As produced by Danny Dare the picture teems with production values that enable it to score solidly with the patrons. There isn't much to the story itself, which merely offers an excuse for bringing in such tcpflighters as Bing Crosby, Betty Hutton, Paulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour, Eddie Bracken, Veronica Lake, to name but a handful, so that they may do their bit in the manner of guest stars. Most of the big names are introduced at the end in a benefit show staged to raise money to permit Victor Moore to reopen his record factory and put a lot of nice guys back to work. Ed Gardner (Archie) does yeoman service as one of those making the benefjt show possible. He and Moore are the top players in the story proper. CAST: Bing Crosby, Betty Hutton, Paulette Goddard, Alan Ladd, Dorothy Lamour, Eddie Bracken, Brian Donlevy, Sonny Tufts, Veronica Lake, Arturo de Cordova, Barry Fitzgerald, Cass Daley, Diana Lynn, Victor iMoore, Marjorie Reynolds, Barry Sullivan, Ed Gardner, Charles Cantor, Eddie Green, Ann Thomas, Robert Benchle, William Demarest, Howard da Silva, Billy De Wolfe, Walter Abel, Johnny Coy, Miriam Franklin, Charles Quigley, Olga San Juan, Robert Watson, Gary Crosby, Philip Crosby, Dennis Crosby, Lin Crosby. CREDITS: Associate Producer, Dann Dare; Director, Hal Walker; Screenplay, Melvin Frank, Norman Panama; Based on characters created by Ed Gardner; Sketches, Melvin Frank, Norman Panama, Abram S. Burrows, Barney Dean, George White, Eddie Davis, Matt Brooks; Cameraman, Lionel Lindon; Musical Director, Robert Emmett Dolan; Film Editor, Arthur Schmidt; Art Directors, Hans Dreier, William Flannery; Dance Director, Billy Daniels; Special Effects, Cordon Jennings; Process Photography, Farciot Edouart; Sound, Wallace Nogle, John Cope; Set Decorator, Stephen Seymour. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOORAPHY, Good. Trans-America Films New Jerrold Brandt Co. Trans America Films, Inc., has been chartered by the Secretary of State in Albany. Company was formed by Jerrold T. Brandt as a distributing organization. Brandt, president of Pyramid Pictures which released through RKO Radio, is now in the U. S. Navy and the new company was set up by his attorney. Max H. Galfunt, preparatory to his discharge from the service. "Love Letters" with Jennifer Jones, Joseph Gotten Paramount 101 Ml STRONG DRAMATIC FILM IS OF sl CIAL APPEAL TO THE WOMEN; Fli PRODUCTION, ACTING. In "Love Letters" Ha! Wallis has nl duced a psychological drama that is' special interest to women audiences, emotional force the production is outstaf ing, and it is on this basis chiefly that filni will rate attention at the box offij Set in England, the story of a strange mance between an officer returned civilian life and a sensitive and elfin-spiril girl has about it an enchantment and! charm that help the film to win the hesl of the femmes. Much tenderness has b(l brought to bear in transferring the Cl| Massie novel to the screen. A really handsome production has b(| lavished on the story by Hal Wallis, who I overlooked no chance of giving the film , air of quality. Lee Garmes' photography 11 contributed a lot to this effect, as has i| art work of Hans Dreier and Roland AndJ son. Although the picture moves a little sloVJ under the deliberate direction of Willil Dieterle and the screenplay of Ayn Rsl is sometimes not too clearly or convincini thought out, "Love Letters" claims l| interest successfully. Gotten falls in love with Miss Joti through love lettters written by him foil buddy. The girl marries the buddy, believil he is what he appears to be in his coril spondence. When the husband dies, CottI sets out to find the girl, who has lost \\ memory as result of the shock of a strugji in which her mate was killed by her foslP mother in defense of her. Recovery of M Jones' memory makes for a happy endir The acting is first-rate. CAST: Jennifer Jones, Joseph Gotten, A Richards, Anita Louise, Cecil Kellaway, Cla<: Cooper, Bryon Barr, Robert Sully, Reginald Denj Ernest Cossart, James Mill'can, Lumsden Ha| Winifred Harris, Ethyl May Halls, Matthl Boulton, David Clyde, Ian Wolfe, Alec Cra Arthur Hohl. CREDITS: Producer, Mai Wallis; Director, W liam Dieterle; Screenplay, Ayn Rand; Based . ;«ovel by Chris Massie; Cameraman, Lee Garmi Art Directors, Hans Dreier, Roland Andersc Special Effects, Gordon Jennings; Process Pfi tography, Farciot Edouart; Sound, Don McK. Don Johnson; Set Decorator, Ray Moyer; Musi)' Score, Victor Young; Film Editor, Anne Bauchel DIRECTION, Fine. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fit. "Adano" Played to 850,001 In 6 Weeks at Music Hall G. S. Eyssell, manager-directi of Radio City Music Hall, yesterda advised Tom Connors that 20th Cei tury Fox's "A Bell for Adanc played to nearly 850,000 paid admii sions during the six weeks that tH John Hersey Pulitzer prize winn( played there. WANTED Thoroughly experienced secretary for film executive. Reply, giving details of experience, salary required. Box 244 The Film Daily, 1501 Broadway