The Film Daily (1945)

n DAILY Wednesday, September 19, 1945 22 French Features In First Free Year Paris (By Air Mail) — Necessity which France faces to get its feature product playing time in the foreign markets is pointed up by the announcement here by the Ministry of Education that, since the country's liberation a year ago, French studios have completed 22 new pictures, and 21 more are in various stages of production. The Ministry of Culture and Propaganda also discloses that producers have marketed 12 new features to Argentina and 10 to Brazil. Marcel Dalio, who has been appearing in Hollywood films, notably "A Bell for Adano" for 20th-Fox, has returned here and has ibeen pacted already by several production interests. Don Alexander, Jr., Back With AFC as Dad's Aide Colorado Springs, Colo. — T/Sgt. Don Alexander, Jr., discharged from the Army Air Corps has returned to his post as assistant to his father, president of Alexander Film Co. He will concentrate on sales promotion and the export division of the company. Prior to the war, Alexander exported advertising films to 26 countries but expansion is planned for the department. Company has facilities to re-voiee American-made subjects into foreign languages. Commonwealth Resumes "King of Year" Meetings Kansas City — A resumption of the annual "king of the year" meetings of the Commonwealth circuit will be held at the Hotel President here Sept. 26 with general business sessions in the morning and regional meetings following a luncheon. A dinner party for all managers and and their wives will be given at night. Harold McCracken has been designated as the recepient of the symbolic crown. UJEDDinC BELLS Erdman-Halloran Minneapolis — Pat Halloran, biller at Paramount, became the bride of Sgt. Lou Erdman recently. Blais-Livercom Minneapolis — Olga Blais, inspectress at Republic here, became the bride of Clarence Livercom recently. Sheridan-Saup Columbus O. — Robert Saup ad artist for local Loew theaters and Ann Sheridan Worthington have taken out a license to wed. HOLLYWOOD * * * * — By RALPH WILK — Perambulating at Paramount HOLLYWOOD • # • As soon as he completes iinal cutting on "To Each His Own," Mitchell Leisen settles down on his boat, anchored at Balboa, for a holiday. . . • Joseph Hazen, associated with Hal Wallis in producing for Paramount, returns to Gothan soon. . . • Virginia Field, absent from Hollywood for three years, back for "Take This Woman" with Teresa Wright and Ray Milland. Virginia plans to become a permanent resident here Hubby Paul Douglas of radio joins Virginia and LO-months-old Maggie as soon as his New York contracts permit. . . • Bing (the Crooner) Crosby played host to 45 husky footballers of the visiting Second Air Force gridiron team from Colorado Springs on the set of "Blue Skies" ▼ T T • • • Cecil B. DeMille, dean of producer-directors, will cast his discerning eyes on Eastern location spots for his next big-scale picture, "Unconquered," during his New York visit It's a rousing early America story, and production will be in Technicolor. . . • "Iron Man" Fred Astaire, despite a cold which has been making him miserable, has been dancing eight hours a day rehearsing for the spectacular "Heat Wave" number in Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies." . . • Hillary Brooke saying hello to the boys and girls on the lot, now that she's checked in again for "Monsieur Beaucaire" ...... T T ▼ • • • Phillip Terry, having completed "To Each His Own," off to New York with Joan Crawford for six-weeks combined business and vacation trip Will hit Manhattan in time for the opening of "The Lost Weekend," ■which he recently finished. . . O Diana Lynn, who introduced Mono Freeman to her fiance, Pat Nearney, honored the bride-elect with a lingerie shower. The couple w^ere married after a week's engagement. . . • John Lund, Paramount's ne'w leading man, won't move from the motel where he and his wife are now living Much too comfortable where they are. . . • Giles Steele, the studio's male designer, bicycling between three pictures — "California," "Monsieur Beaucaire" and "Take This Woman" Does men's clothing only T T T • • • Bill Pine and Bill Thomas wondering where they are going to find 100 men skinny enough to play the parts of American soldiers in a Jap prison camp in "Tokyo Rose." . . • Karolyn Kay Grimes, iouryear-old honey-blonde moppet, plays Bing Crosby's daughter in "Blue Skies." . . • Gertrude Astor, popular in the silent film days, spotted on the set of "The Bride Wore Boots." . . • Barbara Stanwyck and Lizabeth Scott the screen's next sock feminine combination, in Hal Wallis' "Love Lies Bleeding." , . • The Great Scott's p.a. tour in advance of "You Came Along" openings shot up the box-office figures ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • Joan Caulfield, starring in "Blue Skies," talks to her dad, Henry R. Caulfield, airlines executive in New York, by long distance twice daily ...... With his wife and daughters, Joan and Betty, in Hollywood, he calls the family in the morning and at night. . . • Billy DeWolfe is careful to point out that his name is spelled with a capital "D" T T T • • • Betty Hutton due on the lot any day now, following her honeymoon with Ted Briskin. head of a Chicago camera company. . . • Two of the greatest swimmers in history, Johnny Weismuller and Buster Crabbe, will play the hero and villain, respectively, in Pine-Thomas' "Siwamp Fire," drama of the Louisiana bayous T T ▼ • • • NOW LET'S WIN THE PEACE! ! ! ^REVIEWS. "The Fall of Berlin" Artkino 70 Mins. ROUTINE DOCUMENTARY FROM RUSSIA OF NO MORE THAN MILD INTEREST TO U. S. AUDIENCES. "The Fall of Berlin" is just another documentary despite the fact it deals with sa momentcus an event as the collapse of thi German capital and the termination of the' conflict in Europe. The picture looks like so many other documentaries that have come out of Russia that it limits its interest in the eyes of America film-goers. Only in isolated instances does the footage lay real claim to attention, such as in scenes of the signing of the surrender terms. The treatment is strictly routine, although the action that marks the scenes of the fighting in Berlin itself helps the film's cause considerably. Handicapping the picture, which was produced by the Central Documentary Film Studios of Moscow, are poor editing, substandard sound and photography that leaveS' very much to be desired. Captured German film is included in the production, made up of footage shot by some 43 cameramen. The picture, produced and edited by Yuri Reisman, described as a "Stalin laureate," has commentary by William S. Gailmor that is pedestrian, adding little to the film. Kans.-Mo. Theater Assn. Plans November Parley I Kansas City — Tentative dates for the resumption of the annual convention of the Kansas-Missouri Theater Association have been set by the board of directors of the organization for Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 27 and 28. It will be a twoday gathering, Tom Edwards, president, announced following a meeting of the board here. This city was selected as the convention site. To Book for Perakos-Quittner New Haven — B & Q Associates, of Boston, headed by Donald Jacocks, operator of theatres in the Boston territory, will book and buy for the Peter Perakos-Joseph Quittner circuit, as of Sept. 30. The circuit includes; Eastwood Theatre, East Hart ford, Palace, New Britain, Strand, Thompsonville, State, Jewett City STORK REPORTS St. Paul— The wife of Wilfred Purper, owner of the Oxford Theater here, gave birth to a boy. Chicago — A baby girl has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Silverman. Father is Essaness president. Minneapolis — The wife of Jimmy Banks, booker for the Don Guttman circuit in the Twin Cities, gave birth to a girl.