The Film Daily (1946)

Miiy Monday, August 19, 194{ Luncheon Will Open SMPE Coast Parley IVesf Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — The 60th semi-annual SMPE convention at the Roosevelt Hotel here, Oct. 21-25, will begin with a luncheon on the opening day and will conclude %\'ith a dinnerdance in the California Room. Daytime technical discussions will be at the Roosevelt while evening meetings will be at various locations away from the hotel. A feature of the dinner will be the award of seven citations to individuals, Anns and producers for achievement in the field of sound. Recipients were reported in The Film Daily on Aug. 12. A large number of technical papers will be read and it was urged by Dr. C. R. Daily, chairman of the papers committee, that prospective authors who have not submitted papers and wish to do so, send them immediately to him at 5451 Marathon St., Hollywood, or to Burton Kreuzer at RCA Victor, Camden, X. J. . Authors' abstracts must be received by Sept. 1 and completed manuscripts by Oct. 1. An outstanding figure in the industry, whose identity will be revealed later, -n-ill be the honor guest at the Oct. 21 luncheon. Members planning to attend should book their hotel accommodations through Stewart H. Hathaway at the Roosevelt. The Pacific Coast Section has set up a housing committee. Representatives for the convention are: Mr. Moyse, local arrangements; Harold Desfor, publicity; C. W. Handley and Kunzmann, registration and information; Loren L. Ryder, luncheon and dinner dance; S. P. Solow, hotel and transportation; H. W. Remerscheid, membership and subscription. Mrs. H. W. Moyse will be hostess. W. V. Wolfe is in charge of the .35 mm. projection program. He will be assisted by members of Los Angeles locals 150 and 165. Fete Jerry Price Tonight Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The Variety Club wlil be joined by the Washington Film Salesmen's Club in honoring Jerry Price, newly appointed UA branch manager, tonight, at the Variety Club. There will be a buffet supper followed by entertainment. Twenty-three members of the Variety Club and Salesmen's Club form the committee under General Chairman Al Benson and co-Chairman Harrv Bachman. REVIEWS Of SHORT SUBJECTS t "Conquering Darkness" N. J. state Commission 20 Mins. for the Blind Top-Flight Film How the New Jersey State Commission for the Blind carries on its constructive program enabling sightless people and those with defective vision to find and maintain their rightful place in the work-a-day world is the subject of this excellent two-reeler. It presents the highlight activities, including education, industrial placement, assistance, home industries, talking books, Braille library, and prevention of blindness. Milton Cross, prominent radio announcer, appears in an introductory sequence with the distinguished George Meyer, director of the State Commission for the Blind, who is himself sightless and a brilliant example of the enormous potentialities of blind persons in modem society. "This Is TB" N'ational Tuberculosis 11 Mins. Association Dramatic, Informative This is the second in a series of dramatic, infoi-mative films being produced by the Emerson Yorke Studio for the National Tuberculosis Association. It tells the facts on TB — what it is. what causes it, how the individual contracts it, how it can be found and cured, and how it can be avoided. The footage, expertly made, carries the approval of the U. S. Public Health Senace, and was technically supei-vised by Dr. Charles E. Lyght. Emerson Yorke prepared the script and directed. The narration is by Jackson Beck. Exhibitors showing this short will be doing a service to their patrons and to mankind. It should be seen by everyone. Vincent Korda Coming to Pic "Life With Father" to Engage U. S. Technicians Follow Ligit in London Vincent Korda, designer for London Films, is due shortly from London en route to Hollywood to inspect the American production scene and engage technicians for work overseas. This is in line with the trans-ocean interchange of talent instituted by Alexander Korda. Korda has already signed contracts with Cary Grant. Orson Welles, Paulette Goddard and Burgess Meredith to be featured in English-made product. Already in England at Sound City studios is Ned Mann, of Hollj'wood, supervising optical printers and trick shot mechanical effects. Dorothy Hamilton Vance has returned to London after four weeks' Hollywood study of makeup techniques. George Samuels and Walter Veevers, special effects, are on the coast studying rear projection and miniature set building. Paul Morrill, special effects technician, will leave shortlv for London. I Warner Bros' film version of "Life With Father" will not be shown in England until after Oscar Berlin's production gets a "legitimate" run in that territory, according to an agreement between Serlin and the Warner Bros., it was learned here Friday. i Serlin will leave for London late next month on a six weeks' reconnaissance trip to confer with producing managers for the acquisi I tion of a theater for the Broadway : hit which will enter its seventh vear I Nov. 9. I There are 20 active legitimate I theaters now in London with several touring companies trying to get in, ■uith importations finding it difficult to get a house. McConnick Narrator For "Operation SOS" Kelly Off for Coast Barney Glazer will produce "Half Caste" for Arthur W. Kelly who vnW release the picture through United Artists. Kelly left Friday for the Coast to confer with Glazer on production details. Kelly's second commitment for UA will be "The Ryan Girl." Trade Press Reps. Give Luncheon for Miss White A surprise luncheon for Madeleine White, Eastern publicity director for Monogram, was given by trade press representatives at Toots Shor's on Friday. Occasion marked Miss White's 25th year in the motion picture industry. Her entire career in the business has been vdth. Monogram and its predecessor organizations. Filmack in Expansion Program Chicago — Filmack Corp., producers of trailers, has sold through Daniel F. Rice and Co., members of the New York Stock Exchange and other exchanges, 60,000 shares of Class A Common' Stock. Irving Mack said that the proceeds is being used as additional working capital for the expansion of the company's business. "Operation SOS," a one-reeler which will document the belt-line technique used by the SOS (Supplies for Overseas Survivors) Collection of the Joint Distribution Committee, will have Myron McCormick, now appearing in "State of the Union," as its naii'ator, it was announced yesterday by Robeit Dolins, SOS national director. The film is being produced by Harry Kapit's General Film Productions Corp., and will be available in 35 mm. for general release as well as 16 mm. for use by community groups. I KL\EMATOGRAPH YEAR BOOr 1946, published by Kinemalograph Pub lications, Ltd., 93 Long Acre, London ff~. C 2. 606 pages. The Kinematograph Year Book fo 1946, the thirtieth year of its pubU cation, is an indispensable gTiiAJBoi those interested in the prodtMl^ distribution and exhibition of mc^o pictures in the United Kingdom. It 606 pages are filled with articles, de partments and statistics that ar< highly illuminating and are arrangewith reference tabs so they are easilfound. The film equipment manu facturers are also well repx-esentec in its pages. Distributors should find the vol ume's directory of film theaters h England, Scotland, Wales, Eire anc the separate directory of Londo] theaters of special value. All phaseof the film industry are representee: so that the book is a ready reference guide for any sort of informatio: wanted on the subject of films in tht United Kingdom. The introductorj' "A Year o Transition" deals with the difficul ties encountered since the end of thf war in getting the industry back int< active pre-war operation, which ii has not yet been able fully to accomplish. Handicaps of the destructior of studios and theaters, the lack oJ suflBcient raw film, out-of-date anc worn equipment, the lack of the necessary personnel are being gradually overcome so that the cuiTent yeai has already shown an increasing number of quality films that challenge comparison with Americar product. There is a four-page article on tht film situation in the United States by James P. Cunningham; also articles on Argentina and Mexico, followed by a survey of the film situation in the different countries of Europe, Australia, India, New Zealand. South Africa and Canada. The general trade directory, classified according to trades, is anothei feature of the Year Book that is of value to the ti'ade. — L. H. M Buffalo Area Exhibitors To Hear ATA Officers Heller Co. Offers Stock Chicago— The Walter Heller Co. has offered through the F. Eberstadt Co. 10,000 four per cent cumulative SlOO preferred stock and 80.000 shares of the S2 par common with proceeds to be used for additional working funds. The company recently financed several film productions. I Buffalo — Dissolution of the up state WAC and a discussion relative to the ATA will highlight a general meeting of all exhibitors in the Buffalo exchange area Wednesday at Hotel Statler. Scheduled to attend the meeting are S. H. Fabian, national ATA prexy; Ted R. Gamble, chainnan oi the board; Robeit W. Coyne, executive director, and Ned Shugme, director of public relations. HiUyer to B & H Adv. Post Chicago — W. D. Hillyer, public relations director for Bell & Howell has been named assistant advertis mg manager.