The Film Daily (1945)

The Daily Newspaper Oi Motion Pictures Twenty-Seven Years Old -IPDAILY' i IL. 88, NO. 48 NEW YORK, MONDAY. SEPTEMBER 10, 1945 TEN CENTS yi% INCREASE SETTLES MEXICAN STRIKE )0% of St. Louis Area Theaters Will be Improved Editorial Benton . . . good choice =By CHESTER B. BAHN= HE industry definitely gets a "break" with President Truman's nomination of iiliam Benton as Assistant Secretary of ite. Benton, who established the Benton I Bowles advertising agency with Chester wies, has what is described as a "friendly owiedge" of the industry. And for one .10 has not been intimately identified th the industry, he is said to nevertheless ssess "considerable background." It's rdly necessary to observe that the more ends the industry has in the State Dertment these days, the better. The Truman nominee, of course, also is ad of the University of Chicago's subliary — or affiliate, if you prefer — Ency>pedia Britannica Films, whose non-ther rical program is far-reaching indeed. Objusly, Benton is a "natural" to head the ate Department's projected international formation setup which will extensively npioy films as one medium. Benton, it is said, plans to conduct conrences with film industry executives to termine the State Department's opera)ns employing the motion picture. That's rtainly getting off on the right foot, lere have been occasions when Governent policy has been set without consulta)n with those qualified to advise. F & M to Build Three Outlying First-Runs, Plus Seven New Suburban Houses By DAVID F. BARRETT FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent St. Louis — Upwards of 90 per cent of the 650-odd theaters in this territory are scheduled for re-seating, re-carpeting and general renovation, including new furnishings for rest rooms, drapes and, in many instances, new sound and projection (Continued on Page 7) ylORE voices are being raised in favor '■ of carrying over into the peace years any of the activities originating with or ected by the WAC, which presumably now heading down the home stretch. It might be well to remember that what 3S accomplished by the industry in the way war activities — and the record speaks jquently for itself — was made possible ■gely by two things. One was effective ganization. The second was maximum -industry co-operation. If there are valid reasons why the WAC ould fold on Dec. 31, well and good. But the industry activities program is to be Tried on, some other agency must take the work without too great lapse of ne. And WORK it will be. In some quarters the question is asked, ell, why not the MPPDA? To that comes e quick rejoinder from some other folks (Continued on Page 2) Surplus Equipment Slated for Sdiools Washiutjton Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — When the films and projectors used by the Army, Navy and other Government agencies are no longer needed for war service, they will be made available at very low cost to schools unable to afford them at retail prices but having facilities and personnel to use them effectively, the Sui'plus Property Board announced Saturday. Schools able to buy from regular suppliers are (Continued on Page 3) NEWSREELS IN FRENCH RETURN Gov't Okays Resumption After December 15 American newsreels, which were operationally established in France prior to the war, will be permitted by the Provisional Government to resume after Dec. 15, it was learned at a press conference held in the Harvard Club yesterday afternoon by the representatives of the six newsreel organizations, including the March of Time, who visited Europe and North Africa as guests of the U. S. Army from Aug. 3 to Sept. 4, inclusive. Following the conference. Film Row officials, when apprised of promise by French officials that the market would be thrown open to (Continued on Page 6) NLRB Snarled in Decision On Coast Strikers' Votes Washington Bureau of THE FILM 'DAILY Washington— The NLRB is hopelessly snarled in its efforts to reach a decision concerning the voting eligibility of those who ballotted last May in the Set Decorators election, (Continued on Page 7) Halifax-Keynes Talks Seen Affecting Films Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Far-reaching effect upon industry relations with British film people is looked for from the forthcoming talks with Lords Halifax and Keynes to be held by Washington officials this month. Some means of cushioning the shock to Britain resulting from the abrupt cessation of lend-lease is the imme(Continued on Page 7) Cr. S. Pix Tops in Argentina Preferred Entertainment There, Says Nathan Variety Clubs Forming In Mexico and Canada Organization of a Variety Club tent in Mexico City is well under way, while John J. FitzGibbon expects to have his Toronto tent in operation this Fall, it was announced (Continued on Page 7) The Argentine public rates American motion pictures as its preferred entertainment, it was reported Friday by John B. Nathan, Paramount's managing director and supervisor in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile. Nathan is here for home office conferences with George Weltner, president of Paramount Internation( Continued on Page 3) Other Union Demands Bypassed by the Settlement; Distributors See Benefits The three-week-old strike of exchange workers in Mexico City was settled on Friday when the American distributors agreed to a 32 per cent increase in salaries. The exchange workers union had sought a 50 per cent increase. Other demands of the union were by-passed by the settlement, although it was reported that the agreement paved the way for an improvement in the distributors' status, (Continued on Page 6) State Dept. Control For Raw Stock Sale! Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The State Department's telecommunications office is studying the problem of raw stock export, with a view to seeking some authority over the sale of raw film to Argentina and Spain, it was indicated here Friday on good authority. Thus far the question is being (Continued on Page 7) Jersey City Trust Suit Against 23 Is Settled Anti-trust action brought by the Rosyl Amusement Co., operating the Cameo Theater, Jersey City, against 23 defendants, including the eight major companies, subsidiaries and (Continued on Page 3) To Release Frozen Assets From Japan Lifting of regulations freezing American credits and assets in Japan will release between $5,000,000 and $10,000,000 to American film companies, according to conservative estimates. Exact amount of money and assets tied up in Japan by the American film companies has not been determined. American assets in Japan were frozen in July, 1941,