The Film Daily (1945)

Wednesday, August 29, 1945 Uait "Flesh" Order To Supreme Court (Continued from Page 1) lave the decree abolished will be ir^ed on the grounds of unconstiutionality. I It was disclosed that meanwhile he theater operators had agreed to rive the decree a trial of 60 to 90 lays in a move to prove to President jrau San Martin that the measure vas unworkable and that it pre'ented film houses from operating at I profit. Another purpose was to proect the theatermen's legal position. The Supreme Court hearing on the xhibitors' appeal will make the 'uban government realize the futilty of the decree and its injurious ffect on theater business, Garcia aid. He pointed out that the govrnment would suffer from any loss n theater business because there is . tax levied on theater profits. Garcia asserted that it was the onsensus in Cuba that President !an Martin would rescind the decree ven before trial of the exhibitors' .ction. It was estimated by Garcia that tage shows would consume at least !5 per cent of a theater's gross. In tressing the unworkableness of the lecree he cited the fact that not aore than 12 acts of "real entertainrs," totalling some 72 performers, Fere available to the 460 houses in 'uba. He said the situation was furher complicated by the fact that all >ut two of Cuba's houses play double .ills. Garcia guessed that only about 650 0 700 artists and musicians were in•olved in the stage-show controversy iS against 20,000 employes of the ilm industry. Under the decree, first-runs, some 0 in number, must offer stage shows laily, all other theaters being re[uired to present "flesh" with their ilms 10 days monthly. The decree vas promulgated by the Cuban presilent at the insistence of representaives of artists and musicians. Garcia said there were many plans or new houses in Cuba. The visitor will remain in the states for two weeks before heading )ack home. :^ DAILY To Meet on Pact with Century The membership of Local 306 will rather at midnight tonight to consider the modification of the contract jetween Century Circuit and Empire >ta_te Motion Picture Operators Jnion, the members of which were bsorbed by the lATSE's projection3ts' group. SERD BIRTHDIIV GREETinCS TO: August 29 R. M. Savini George Montgomery Mack Littman R. A. McCuire Hanah Kass Off A Reporter's Cuff • • • HOLE IN ONE! An eagle-eye shot by Harry Pimstein of RKO Radio's legal department, to the seventh green at the Vernon Hills Country Club, Tuckahoe, proved highly exciting, but costly. Harry's No. seven iron shot to the 150-yarder rolled true to the pin and trinkled in for a hole-in-one, Harry's first in his long golfing career Always up front in the RKO tournaments, Harry is secretary and member of the board of directors of Vernon Hills ▼ TV • • • LITERARY NOTE: "Haven't I Met You Somewhere Before?" T/5 Jose Schorr's humorous book on the ex-serviceman's reintroduction to civilian America, has been completed Realizing on old ambition to become a political commentator, Jose, former Columbia Pictures' press agent, is now a news analyst for the Army at GHQ in Manila His assignment is to interpret the week's events for Maptalk, a magazine vrhich goes to all orientation officers in the Pacific to guide them in current events discussions with their troops ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • TOM TERRISS' "Vengeance of Ali Singh," his first production of an idea for a new film series, is being viewed not only by the major distributors but television officials as well Based on tales he gathered on world tours, the subjects could easily be labeled "miniature adventure stories" Tip to talent scout: Screen this one for a lest of Joel Ashley, of the Broadway stage ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • NOW LET'S WIN THE PEACE!!! June Ticket Tax "Take" Sets Mark Reeves Espy Named PRC Studio Manager (Continued from Page 1) PRC studios as vice-president effective Sept. 4. Kenneth M. Young, chairman of the board of Pathe Industries, stated that the company wanted a man whose prestige and respect in the industry would attract the finest personalities for its extensive program of A pictures after making a complete survey of the studio's past activities. Espy will make a trip East to confer with directors of Pathe and Hax-ry Thomas, PRC's general sales manager, to discuss an ambitious expansion of its production plans. It is expected that PRC per its previously announced plans vvill deliver 34 features and 16 westerns for the 1945-46 season. Appointment of a president is a matter for the board of directors and it is pointed out that the post was vacant for several months before Leon Fromkess assumed the presidency. Perry Norman Dead Perry Noi-man, 61, stage actor, died Monday in St. Clare's Hospital. He came to this country from England in 1907. Lip Movement in Dubbing Chaiienged Too much emphasis has been placed on the matching of lip movements in criticisms by re-dialogued features, George Weltner, president of Paramount International, contends in a statement being circulated to Latin-American newspapers. Pointing out that patrons viewing motion pictures do not concentrate their attention on the movements of lips but rather on the whole scene being projected on the screen, Weltner noted that human speech has been narrowed by psychologists and speech specialists to seven basic lip functions which are further divided to 26 lip movements. Now Spanish dialogue, he holds, can easily be written and spoken for subjects originally spoken in English so that there is no noticeable lapse between the new words heard and the original lip movements. Additionally, Weltner maintains that the reading of superimposed titles necessarily takes away time from the viewing of motion pictures, while re-dialogue permits concentrated attention on the action being performed on theater screens. (Continued from Page 1) ter than the previous high mark and two million better than the collection for July, 1944. July collections are based upon June business and it is estimated that 90 per cent of the total is accounted for by pix admissions. At the same time, while it is certain that June was as profitable as any month in history from the standpoint of the box office gross, it is likewise true that the collection system does not necessarily assure that the entire July collection is based upon June business. Ordinarily, there are small amounts which either were not sent from the district offices in time for the previous month, were : improperly identified, or were sent I in late by the exhibitors — thus leaving the possibility that some part of the total was accounted for by May or even April business. By the same token, however, some June business may not yet have been accounted for. Because June was the final month of the fiscal year, however, it is unlikely that as many accounts were permitted to run over as ordinarily. Collections from the third New York (Broadway) area were fat, although not as large as in some previous months. Receipts were $4,236,832, nearly a million dollars better than the previous month and about $200,000 better than the July 1944 collection. Miss Flagg Leaves Vanguard Harriet Flagg has resigned as Eastern production representative of Vanguard Films, effective Sept. 15. She held the post for three years. Ail-American Game for Tele Ruby Film Co. photographed the Ail-American Baseball game held last nig-ht at the Polo Grounds under the direction of Harvey Marlowe of the Amex-ican Broadcasting Co. Film, which is sponsored by Esquire, will be telecast over Dumont, Schenectady and Philadelphia television stations the latter part of this week. Edward Ruby was in charge of the cameras, with Jack Etra assisting. Rites for Franz Werfel West Coast Bureau, of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Funeral service for Franz Werfel, novelist who wrote "The Song of Bernadette," will be held today in Pierce Brothers' Chapel of Beverly Hills. Werfel, who was 54 and who recently had been suffering from a heart ailment, died Sunday night. DeVry Names Lou Nova Chicago — Lou Nova has been named West Coast representative for the DeVry Coi'p. iUEDDinC BELLS Hutton-Briskin Betty Hutton, Paramount screen star, will wed Ted Briskin, president of the Revere Equipment Co., of Chicago, vnthin three weeks in Hollywood.