The Film Daily (1945)

r Intimate th Character International in Scope Indepeiident in Thought O^ The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Seven Years Old ^OL 88, NO. 43 NEW YORK, FRTOAY, AUGUST 31, 1945 TEN CENTS PIX OFFICE WITHIN STATE DEPARTMENT? Byron Price to Map U. S. Pix Policy in Germany President Truman Names Former Head of the Office of Censorship as His Rep. Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — New top civilian voice in handling of pix and other informational matters in the American zone of Germany will be that 9f Byron G. Price, until recently head of the Office of Censorship and, before than a high official of the Associated Press. Never closely indentified ^vith pix, Price has on his few contacts with industry representatives impressed them as a fair administrator, with definite (Continued on Page 5) S-W's Philly Grange Leased by Goldman Philadelphia — Grange Theater, 1,000-seat neighborhood house currently operated by StanleyWarner, has been acquired on a long term lease by William Goldman Theaters, Inc., it was revealed yesterday. Deal was arranged by W. M. Greenhouse, (Continued on Page 8) James Blaine Fitzgerald, MPPDA Attorney. Dead Chevy Chase, Md. — A Requiem Mass will be offered tomorrow morning at Blessed Sacrament Church for James Blaine Fitzgerald, 53, for years counsel for the MPPDA in (Continued on Page 8) Roach's Production Plans Taking Shape Washington Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — While Hal Roach's plans for resumption of production are not quite complete, he expects to be able to make an announcement within 10 days or two weeks. It is thought the Army, which has been occupying the Roach studio in Culver City, will return the plant to him by Christmas. St. Louis Operators, Ou^ners of 50 Theaters Sign 6'Year Contract; Pay Boost Included St. Louis — A new six-year agreement between tiie movie picture operators Local 143 and owners of approximately 50 St. Louis and St. Louis County theaters was signed here yesterday. The houses include all of the first-runs, the Fanchon & Marco-St. Louis Amusement Co., Ansell Brothers, Sam Komm and SchuckertLevin circuits and Will Rogers. Negotiations will be continued today or tomorrow between the union officials and reps, of some 60 independent houses including the Wehrenberg-Kaimann circuit of 22 theaters. The old contracts expire at midnight tonight. Under the new agreement the first-runs now paying $92 or $100 a week will grant the operators a two-week vacation with pay the first year and an increase of five cents an hour in each of the succeeding five years. The $80 a week second-runs will grant a 15 per cent raise over a period of six years, $3 the first year, then $2 each year the next four years and a final raise of $1 a week the sixth year. Wanamaker to House 20th-Fox Sets Pix DuMont Tele Studio Into 1946-47 Season Initial department store installation of television studios was announced yesterday by Charles R. Shipley, president of John Wanamaker, for three complete studios to be constructed in the store's auditorium, site of New York's first radio station. Studios will be oper( Continued on Page 8) MacArthur Tokyo Entry In Newsreels Thursday Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — First film footage of the landing of U. S. troops in Japan and General of the Army Douglas MacArthur's entrance into (Continued on Page 9) Extension of 20th-Fox's release schedule to include the first five months of the 1946-1947 season and changes in the tentative program announced at the end of July for the 1945-1946 were disclosed yesterday. Here are the releases for the early (Continued on Page 8) Va. Exibs. Want More Talent for Victory Loan Richmond, Va. — Recommendations for the conduct of the forthcoming Victory Loan Drive highlighted the meeting and luncheon of the WFC (Continued on Page 8) Step'Up in Projector Prodfn, WPB Also Sees Jump in Photo Equipment Plans for Establishment Reported Going Forward; Large-Scale Production? By ANDREW H. OLDER FllaM DAIUY Staff Correspondent Washington — Plans for the establishment of a pix office within the State Department, with production on a fairly large scale of films to be employed by the Department both abroad and in this country, are going forward now, it was reliably learned here yesterday. Although the closed-door discussions are shrouded in the deepest (Continued on Page 9) States' Admlsh Taxes Total $10^,000 Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — State receipts from film admissions and other amusement taxes during the fiscal year 1945 reached $10,517,000, according to figures released yesterday by the (Continued on Page 9) Visual Equip. Dealers Discuss Projector Gifts Chicago — Manufacturers of visual eqiupment, at their meeting here, discussed, aside from trade conditions, the adverse newspaper pub(Continued on Page 8) Two 20th-Fox Districts Get Structural Changes Changes in the structure of the Northeastern and Mid-Eastern districts have been made by 20th-Fox under the company's new arrangement increasing the number of sales divisions from three to four. Edward X. Callahan, Northeast( Continued on Page 5) Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Swift increase in production of photographic equipment arxd projectors is forecast by a special reconversion study released yesterday by WPB. Seven photo goods fii'ms included in the study reported that this month's production will be worth about $2,485,000, compared with civilian volume last 'Continued on Page 8) CSU Orders Ad Agency To Stop RKO Service West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — CSU yesterday ordered Foote, Cone & Belding Advertising Agency whicli has been servicing RKO studios to cease doing so and gave FCB until this evening to comply. The CSU notice was served by the Screen Publicists Guild. First afternoon theater picketing occurred yesterday at Warners Hollywood. CSU representatives reported that 16 Los Angeles area houses were picketed Wednesday evening.