The Film Daily (1945)

hursday, September 6, 1945 TNII DAILY: Pix Delegates or UN Trade Parley (Continued from Page 1) ief Taylor Mills revealed during luncheon meeting of Washington mm. workers yesterday, for such world organization, with full Sraries of 16mm. reels from all fticipating nations to be available major cities all over the globe. In Idition, it is hoped that establishent of the principle of pix exange will result in more cordial elcome for United Nations commeral theatrical pix among the variis nations. Mills revealed that the group of i industry toppers with whom he aveled abroad in July had stopped Paris and discussed with French dustry and Government officials e situation as regards acceptance the Hollywood product in that iijuntry. The industry group had ught to persuade the French that ilations as they existed in 1939 ould be resumed. In that year, it IS recalled, both American and ench producers were well satisfied. ench production was at its high i4t peak, and the French industry n IS showing higher profits than at ly other time. He spoke, too, of the wisdom of the Russian policy regarding iBerlin theaters. As soon as the Russians went into the German capital they opened all theaters in their zone which could be I operated and began showing Russian entertainment films. Theaters in the British and American zones were not reopened for some time, and when they were only documentaries and newsreels with definite propaganda purposes were shown. The German reaction to programs in the Russian Zone was excellent, he said, while it was very disappointing in the Brit^.ish and American Zones because . the German people are "fed up" ^ with propaganda. Plans are ^ready for early showing of Hollywood films of value in portraying American life. Mills said. II Pierce Named sgeous Ad-Pub. Head i?st Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY li Hollywood — Benedict Bogeaus has :( pointed Bill Pierce, Jr. as director s publicity and advertising for his s m enterprises succeeding Jerry lie who leaves for New York to ke a post with Jock Lawrence ! Pierce's appointment becomes 'ective Sept. 20 at the end of his ster Cowan contract. WI's Gerard with Lesser Robert Gerard, until recently head the film section of the OWI's jiris service, joins Sol Lesser as an sociate producer on Oct. 1. Gerard .s arrived in New York from •ance. Riding Rerd on the Rollywood I^etvs Range West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Day's news roundup: Warners have acquired Margaret Echard's murder mystery "Man Withrut Friends" for 1945-46 production .... Paramount has signed Joseph Schildkraut for a role in "Monsieur Beaucaire". . . .Capt. Irving Reis, going on the Army's inactive list, will direct Pat O'Brien in "Galveston" for RKO. ... Republic has set Robert Livingston and Adrian Booth as leads in "Valley of the Zombies" 20th-Fox has signed Lt. Seymour Gomberg, AAF to a writing contract effective upon his discharge from the service. .. .Warners will star Robert Alda in "Unsuspected," based on Charlotte Armstrong's Saturday Evening Prst serial. .. 20th-Fox's "Claudia and David," a sequel of "Claudia" will co-star Gene Tierney and Cornel Wilde. .. Bruce Humberstone will direct "Al Jolson" for Columbia with "The Razor's Edge" postponed ... .Clif ten Webb draws a lead in 20th-Fox's "The Dark Corner" . . Starring role in "Anna and the King of Siam" goes to Linda Darnell. ... Metro has assigned Laslo Benedeck to direct "The Kissing Bandit" .. Sam Wocd will feature Melville Cooper in "Heartbeat". . . Columbia has signed Don Hartman to produce the Rita Hayworth musical "Down to Earth" .... Van Johnson and Lana Turner will co-star in Metro's "The Image of Josephine," Booth Tarkington story .... Universal has assigned Howard J. Green to do the screenplay for "Buck Privates Return Home" projected as an Abbott and Costelb sequel to "Buck Privates." ^^ Witch Huni^^ ... is sf ill on Benton of E B Films In State Dept. Post (Continued from Page 1) rently head of Encyclopedia Britannica Films, has been nominated by President Truman to serve as Assistant Secretary of State in charge of the Department's international information program. Although he has centered his activities in Chicago lately, where he is a trustee of the University of Chicago, Benton is listed as a resident of Connecticut. Confirmation is not likely to be seriously opposed, and it is expected that Benton will get to work shortly to draw up plans for the Government's first co-ordinated peace time information setup. Prominent among the plans for this work will be a pix program designed to place documentaries and other reels not competitive with Hollywood in production for showing abroad. Although nothing has been settled, it has been reported reliably that the present plan is to have these films made on contract by commercial producers. The pix program is expected also to mesh in with similar programs to be undertaken by others of the United Nations, with a world-wide distribution system to be discussed during the London Economic Conference this Fall. War Time's End May Come by October 1 Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Several bills calling for the immediate end of War Time were filed in the House yesterday, with swift Congressional action expected to mean the return of standard time the end of this month. Peacock Buys the Isis Calgary — Glenn Peacock, who has leased the Isis Theater for the last 15 years, bought the property from the City of Calgary for $16,000. lATSE Council Will Meet on Sept. 24 'Continued from Page 1) City on Sept. 24, it was learned yesterday. The order, which demanded that the lATSE withdraw the charters within 60 daj's, was issued at a meeting of the AFL executive council in Chicago on Aug. 14. There is much speculation as to what action the lATSE will take. If it refuses to obey the edict, the AFL executive council will be compelled to consider what further action it will take to force compliance. Richard F. Walsh, head of the lATSE, has stood firm all along in his refusal to withdraw the charters granted to the studio union groups by his organization in an attempt to keep production going. RKO Radio Delegation Off to Canadian Parley RKO Radio will hold its first Canadian regional sales meeting in the Windsor Hotel, Montreal, Monday thru Wednesday, with home office executives and Canadian sales personnel in attendance. Leaving over the week-end are Ned E. Depinet, who will preside, and Robert Mochrie, Harry J. Michalson, S. Barret McCormick, M. G. Poller and A. A. Schubart. James Mulvey will represent Sam Goldwyn and A. W. Schwalberg will be International's emissary, while Walt Disney Productions will be represented by Leo F. Samuels and Charles Levy. Heading the Canadian delegation will be Leo M. Devaney, Canadian Division sales manager, with the following branch managers also in attendance: Reg Doddridge, Calgary; H. F. Taylor, Montreal; H. H. McArthur, St. John; M. Plottel, Toronto; W. S. Jones, Vancouver; J. H. McPherson, Winnipeg. Sales personnel from the various Canadian exchanges will also be on hand. (Continued from Page 1) son will be right in there blasting away with both guns at the tenderfeet (BOURGEOISIEl." DEPUBLIC PICTURES, it appears, shares '^ Wilson's apprehension ... or how else do you explain the fact that its publicity department is thoughtfully circulating photostatic copies of the Des Moines Register's page in which the Wilson article is found? A few more articles like Wilson's, however, and maybe there won't be any "witch hunt," after all. Whatinhell's the good of a "witch hunt" if you're going to be laughed at by and in the press? Re-organized Des Moines V. C. Will Elect Sept. 15 Des Moines, la. — At a meeting attended by 66 representatives of the motion picture industry from the Des Moines exchange territory, it was voted unanimously to reorganize a Variety Club tent in Des Moines. G. Ralph Branton of Tri-States theaters was named temporary chairman; A. H. Blank, head of Tri-States, temporary treasurer and Fred Armington of M-G-M, temporary secretary. Harry Warren of Central States was named chairman of the nomination committee and Lou Levy, Harry Hamburg, Jack Siegel and Harry Hiersteiner as members of the committee. Nate Sandler, exhibitor, was nominated as chairman of the dues committee with Mayo Beatty, Jack Kennedy, Lou Levy, Dale McFarland, Seymour Border and Oscar Dizon as other members. It was decided to hold the first election at the next meeting to be held Sept. 15. UA Appoints Al Rosen Winter Garden Manager Al Rosen has been named house manager for the Winter Garden it was announced yesterdaj' by United Artists, new lessee of the Broadway house. Rosen, who will take up his duties Oct. 1 with the showing of Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit," first UA release under the new management, was identified for many years with the Loew organization as manager of the Loew's State. Recently, Rosen handled the Mae West show, "Catherine Was Great," for Mike Todd, and was associated in the Broadway production of "Common Ground," and "Too Hot For Maneuvers." James Roder Dead Chicago — James Roder, owner of the Loop Astor Theater, and veteran exhib., died at Alexian Hospital. He ! came to Chicago from Greece 40 j years ago. Harry and Christ Roder, ! brothers, survive.