The Film Daily (1945)

Wednesday, September 5, 1945 DAILY Legion of Merit for Dave Golding of FD Rome (By Cable)— M/Sgt. Dave Golding, managing editor of the Mediterranean Stars and Stripes, was awarded the Legion of Merit Monday prior to his departure to the . S. for eventual discharge. Sereant Golding is on leave from The 'ILM Daily editorial staff. (The N. Y. Times yesterday in a wireless dispatch from Rome said that the decoration had gone to Golding "for an outstanding job as managing editor and sometime special correspondent." The award was presented by Col. William P. Scobie, head of the Information and Education Section, African headquarters.) I Film Daily staff correspondents also have hung up quite an editorial record while in unifomi for Uncle vSam. Sgt. Charles Villency, formerly Film Daily's Binghamton correspondent, until recently edited Der Furore, 115th General Hospital semiweekly in Kassel, Germany. At the present time, he is with the press section of the Oise Intermediate Section's public relations ofRce in ^France. ■ T/Sgt. George E. Shelley, who was iFiLM Daily's Harrisburg staff cor= respondent before donning o.d., has :been assigned to the public relations office for the Army University Center No. 2 at Biarritz, France. Sgt. Henry L. Sholly, who long served Film Daily in Wilmington, Del. is the new managing editor of the Challenger, post newspaper at Vancouver Barracks, Wash. T/Sgt. William Specht, formerly Film Daily's correspondent in the Gulf States, has been editing the Signal Light, GI newspaper of the 31st Signal Company in the Pacific theater. "True Glory" Premiere Aids NWF Campaign _ Spearheading the New York National War Fund's advance gifts campaign. Mayor LaGuardia will fire the opening gun tomoiTow at the Victoria theater when he introduces Gen. Omar N. Bradley, who will make an address at the American premiere of "The Ti-ue Glory" before an invited audience of military, theatrical, and civilian guests. The advance gifts campaign is responsible for 50 per cent of the total New York quota of $16,722,000. SEnO BIRTHDflV GREETinCS TO: September 5 Doris Kenyon Cleve Adams Sam Sax jack Beutel Jerry Safron Maria Palmer Amos Hiatt PmMi)c T ▼ T Reconnoitertng Around RKO Radio HOLLYWOOD • • • PROVING that he doesn't intend to do any loaling now that he's out of uniform, Kent Smith not only makes his screen return in one of the lead roles in "Some Must Watch" but he's devoting his nights to playing Major Joppolo in a Veterans' Administration production of "A Bell for Adano.". . • Has anyone noted that the three men behind Liberty Films are all ex-Colonels? Col. Frank Capra was Assistant Chief of the Army Pictorial Service, William Wyler was a lieutenant colonel in the AAF and Sam Briskin was a lieutenant colonel in the Signal Corps All three entered Uncle Sam's service prior to Pearl Harbor. . . • RKO thinks it has the making of a star comedienne in lovely Kay Williams and her new contract ca'-ls for special grooming in that direction She was a Powers Model before she came to Hollywood • • • LOOKS as if Executive Producer lack Gross and Producer J. Robert Bren have an Atomic Bomb for the box office in "First Yank Into Tokyo" Film had super-bomb idea all along and shaped up as winner from the start But by shooting one additional scene to include dialogue pointing up the Atomic Bomb idea and inclusion of special Government footage of actual Atomic Bomb explosions, feature now looks like another exploitation special of "Hitler's Children" proportions. . . • Even though RKO has the biggest line-up of big stars in its history for the 1945-46 program, the studio is devoting plenty of attention to bui'.d-ups for newcomers Biggest break for any young player in years was handed Mark Stevens when he was given the lead with Joan Fontaine in "All Brides Are Beautiiul" (tentative title) He works seven days more in the film than Joan herself. • Bill Williams also is getting stellar treatment, and deservedly so As a result of his role in "Those Endearing Young Charms" Bill now is getting around 1,600 fan letters every week, with the total increasing every day. . . • Next young RKO p!ayer to keep an eye on is Barbara Hale Opinion cards on her were so favorable after preview of 'Tirst Yank Into Tokyo" that studio has given her the lead with Robert Young in "Lady Luck" • • • IF INGRID BERGMAN doesn't win the Academy Award again this year for her role in "The Bells of St. Mary's" there's plenty of people at RKO who are willing to bet that Dorothy McGuire will if "Some Must Watch" gets on the screen in time for consideration In this Dore Schary production Dorothy plays a mute through the entire film and her performance has such veteran thespians in the cast as George Brent, Ethel Barrymore and Elsa Lanchester singing her praises. . . • Season's biggest collection of dress extras populate one of the most stunning sets ever built on the RKO lot for the HakimWood Production of "Heartbeat," starring Ginger Rogers and Jean Pierre Aumont Action represents a diplomatic ball at the French Embassy in pre-war Paris. . . • Luis Cesar Amadori, Argentine director and exhibitor, is returning to Buenos Aires after working with Director Edward Dmytryk as "guest consultant" on the Dick PowellWalter Slezak feature, "Cornered," which has a South American background T T T • • • NOW LET'S WIN THE PEACE.'!! spySets14PRCPix or Early Produdion West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Reeves Espy, new vice-president in charge of production at PRC, announced plans for production of a greater number of high-budget pictures than ever before in the history of the company. Fourteen productions were set for almost immediate filming, with Rusbells," starting Sept. 10. Martin Mooney will be associate producer and Frank Strayer director. Harry Brash will start his initial PRC release, "Once and for All," with Nancy Coleman starring and Edgar Ulmer directing. Sigmund Neufeld will begin a new series of Buster Crabbe-Alex St. John western action dramas and Robert Emmett will produce the third of his series of outdoor action pictures in color. "Bombshell from Brazil," Jack Schwarz production, goes before the cameras this month, as will "The Clock Struck Five," one of the highest-budget pictures in the history of the company, with the Clarence Greene-Russeir Rouse unit producing. Alexander-Stern will make "Queen of Burlesque" and first of a series of westerns to star Bob Steele and Sid Saylor. Georgio Curti is preparing "Heritage," story of famous Philipmine patriot, "Jose Rizal" and Roy Wolff is readying "Music Hall Varieties of 1946." Schlaifer Supervising 20th-Fox Ad-Publicity (Continued from Page 1) pervision, it was disclosed yesterday by Spyros Skouras, head of the company. Hal Home, director of exploitation, publicity and advertising, resigned on Friday. The departments will continue to operate under Rodney Bush, exploitation; Jules Fields, publicity; Christy Wilbert, advertising; Ted Lloyd, radio. Roberi Benson Stricken Springfield, Mass.— Robert Benson, 49, long-time usher at the Strand, is dead from coronary thrombosis. Rtmh'Hoyt's Will Produce 'Down Vtider' London (By Cable) — J. Arthur Rank and Hjyt's Theaters of Australia have joined forces in a move to produce motion pictures in Australia, it is reported by the Financial Times. Availability of outdoor locations plus clear and reliable Australian weather are given as the motivating reasons behind the scheme. Paper held out the possibility of a British Hillywood in the Commonwealth.