The Film Daily (1948)

Monday, January 19, 1948 <?!{< WW DAILY Canada to End 20 P. C. Theater Grosses Tax (Continued from Page 1) amusement taxes and could allocate portions of revenues collected to murr'w -"lities for the benefit of hospr=? and civic charities. Federal 20 per cent levy is expected to he ended in March. Abbott's announcement followed a concerted campaign on the part of Canadian exhibitors to do away with the wartime levy on theater grosses. As part of the drive, individual exhibitors pledged that benefits of any reduction in this tax would be passed on to patrons. Decision is seen as pointing to a revival of Ontario's 10 per cent admission tax, eliminated before the war. Mayor Saunders of Toronto has campaigned in the past two years for authority to levy a tax on admissions. Ferguson Will Conduct Five Regional Meetings A series of five meetings of M-G-M field sales executives and promotion men will be started in Cincinnati tomorrow by William R. Ferguson, exploitation head. Each of the meetings will last two days, centering around departmental activities, policy and discussion of a new approach for promoting new season product, as previously outlined by Howard Dietz, vice-president and director of advertising-publicity-exploitation. In addition, Ferguson will make a theater survey in the territory wThere each of the sessions is conducted, as well as hold get-together meetings with newspaper and radio contacts. Attending tomorrow's meeting in the Netherlands Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati, will be John J. Maloney, central sales manager; Frank C. Hensler, assistant sales manager, Detroit; Edwin Booth, Cincinnati branch manager, and the following exploiteers: J. E. Watson, Harold Marshall, Charles Dietz, Charles C. Deardourf, and Bernie Evens. Second session will be held at the Blackstone Hotel, Thursday and Friday, with the following attending: Burtus Bishop, Jr., Midwest sales manager; Walter E. Banford, district manager; Ralph W. Maw, assistant sales manager; William G. Devaney, Chicago manager, and William G. Bishop, Norman W. Pyle, Louis W. Orlove and Warren Slee, exploiteers. Three remaining sessions will be set up on Ferguson's return to the home office. 1 Send (Birthday. | | QreetinyA Uo — | Jan. 19 \l £ B. P. Schulberg Ish Kabibble « ;*t Ben H. Rosenwald Frances King JJ ft Oliver Hardy ♦•♦ J*t Bernard Rosenzweig ♦"» REVIEWS Of nEUJ flLfnSMcConnell Contempt Plea Cites Lawyers "To the Ends of the Earth" With Dick Powell, Signe Hasso Columbia 109 Mins. HOT OFF THE HEADLINES THIS ONE IS A CAREFULLY PLANNED, WELL EXECUTED BIDDER FOR BOX OFFICE HONORS; COMES OFF A REALISTIC, SUSPENSEFUL DRAMATIC ENTERTAINMENT. As hot and timely as frequent headlines, this semi-documentary treatment of a case in trailing narcotics smugglers, from the files of the Treasury Department, will easily take a place among the best of the genre. It should be said at the outset that the careful planning of the script has resulted in a highly stirring and at the same time stimulating narrative that is one of the most inteiligent jobs of its kind. It is slick, intelligent, wise, calculating and a moot display of wit matching between forces of right and wrong. Underlying is a manhunt. It is a chase that starts in San Francisco, goes to China, then Egypt, Syria, Cuba and the climax comes at sea off the New Jersey coast. The treatment is deft. Robert Stevenson's direction splices together many moving and exciting bits ultimately resolving into a chain reaction that sets off the denouement. Played straight and convincingly with no overblown histrionics the film should make a big noise at the box office. The focus on realism is sharp. It is thoroughly believable. Before hardly a few hundred feet are on the takeup reel the audience watching this one sees a horrible, unforgettable enactment of abandoning ship. It will give them the squirms. This scene sets Dick Powell off on a global quest to uncover an involved and cleverly manipulated dope smuggling ring. Scene shows about a hundred coolies sent to their deaths when the Coast Guard overhauls a freighter in the Pacific. The wary commander gives an order to jettison his human cargo — opium cultivators — fastened to an anchor chain that is cast overboard and plunges to the ocean bottom. Actually the scenario starts at Lake Success where the United Nations ink a narcotics code. Then Powell as West Coast commissioner goes to China to investigate the ship. In due course he meets with Signe Hasso and Maylia, latter a Chinese youngster. Aided by Chinese officials — it is 1936 — Powell gets the info on an opium ring which at length is smashed on the spot but certain blunders on Powell's part leave the trail still warm. "Jean Hawks" is the big-time international operator that Powell and every other enforcement body seeks. Powell succeeds in smashing another unit in Egypt. It must be mentioned here that when these raids bear fruit the local operator commits suicide rather than answer to "Jean Hawks." Powell follows a shipment to Havana. In cahoots with the local operator he traces the processed stuff on board a ship along with its transporters. Miss Hasso also shows up here and a game of cat and mouse ensues. In the gripping last reel of the proceedings the identity of "Jean Hawks" is surprisingly uncovered. Dealing as it does with the international dope traffic, this job is done in the best taste, reflects credit not only on the film medium but also the fine work of the Treasury Department. CAST: Dick Powell, Signe Hasso, Maylia, Ludwig Donath, Vladimir Sokoloff, Edgar Barrier, John Hoyt, Marcel Journet, Luis Van Rooten, Fritz Leiber, Vernon Steele, Peter Virgo, Lou Krugman, Eddie Lee, Ivan Triesault. CREDITS A Sidney Buchman Production; Director, Robert Stevenson; Screenplay and original story by Jay Richard Kennedy; Art directors, Stephen Gooson, Cary Odell; Film editor, William Lyon; Second unit, China, Ray Nazzaro; Second unit, Egypt, Seymour Friedman; Set decorations, Wilbur Menefee, Frank Tuttle; Photography, Burnett Guffey; Special effects, Lawrence W. Butler; Sound, George Coooer; Musical director, M. W. Stoloff; Associate producer, Jay Richard Kennedy. DIRECTION, Fine. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fine. Philadelphia Allied Will Hear Myers on Jan. 27 (Continued from Page 1) Abram F. Myers, national Allied board chairman and general counsel. Names submitted by the nominating committee for three year terms include Ben Fertel, Milton Rogasner and Morris Wax of Philadelphia; Jack Greenberg and Larry Woodin, upstate. Cecil Felt is nominated to fill a two-year vacancy from Philadelphia. Alternate governors nominated for one-year terms include Robert Budd, Harold D. Cohen, Harold Hirschberg, William G. Humphries, George L. Ickes, Max M. Korr, Thomas Lazarick, David S. Moliver, George Riester, Mark Rubinsky, Lester Stallman and Thomas P. Thomas. Petitions with additional nominations will be accepted at the Allied office until Jan. 26. groups. Levy on Committee to Review Arbitration Code New Haven — Herman M. Levy, general counsel of TOA, has been named a member of the Committee I on Review of the Code of the American Arbitration Association. Com | mittee will comprise 100 leading jurists, lawyers, business men, labor leaders and industrial-labor relations specialists, headed by Lloyd Garrison, former WLB chairman and former Dean of Law at Wisconsin University. Kaye to Play Dublin Benefit Danny Kaye will play a hospital benefit in Dublin during his trip abroad. Kaye leaves Friday for a month's engagement at the London Palladium, to be followed by a tour of U. S. Army bases in Germany, and the Dublin benefit for the new Bon Secours Hospital in March. Evelyn Lawson Joins Laffmovie Evelyn Lawson has been named director of public relations for Laffmovie Theaters, James J. Mage announced. Chevrolet to Sponsor Olympics Hollywood — Area Chevrolet dealers will sponsor film coverage of the Winter Olympic Games over Paramount Television Station KTLA, beginning Feb. 3. (Continued from Page 1) of New York, 20th-Fox counsel, be held in contempt of court for violating the Jackson Park decree. The petition prayed the court for both civil and criminal contempt punishment of the defendants. McConnell's petition charged that in violation of the decree by Judge Igoe, B & K held "Nightmare Alley" at the State Lake for 20 days, thus defying the two-week loop limitation of the decree. It is alleged that "Where There is Life" and "Golden Earrings" were offered to the plaintiff at excessive rentals and guarantees: that the Jackson Park was asked arbitrarily to bid against the district; that the defendant companies permitted B & K and Warner Theaters to buy films at lower rentals than the Jackson Park: that the B & K Maryland Theater was permitted by the defendants to double feature programs. The petition further makes the charges that Paramount withdrew "Unconquered" from Chicago release after the loop showing and refused -to allow the Jackson Park to exhibit the picture: that Loew's arbitrarily withdrew films from Chicago exhibition; that 20th-Fox has arbitrarily placed the Jackson Park in its Zone 11. making it impossible to buy 20th-Fox films at reasonable rentals: that James Costen. Warners Chicago theater exec, notified the Eagle Lion exchange that if "Lost Honeymoon" was sold to the Jackson Park. Eagle Lion bookings in Warner houses would be cancelled. The petition asserts that when the Jackson Park attempted to buy "Daisy Kenyon" for Jan. 16. the 20th-Fox exchange advised it would not be available until Jan. 30, 14 ■ days later. It is further set forth that Warners cancelled bookings of Eagle Lion pix in the Avalon Theater. Johnston is a distinguished member of the Illinois bar. Koegel, general counsel for 20thFox. is admitted to practice in Illinois. Phillips, of Paramount and the leading New York law firm of Phillips. Xizer, Benjamin & Krim. is not admitted to practice in Illinois. Para.-Int'l Executives Return to Latin America Three Paramount International executives in the Latin American division left the home office by air over the weekend. A. L. Pratchett, division manager, left Saturday for Mexico City, while S. E. Piei-point, district manager for Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile, left Friday for his Rio de Janeiro headquarters, and Roger Williams, Puerto Rico manager, leaves today for San Juan. Rlvoli Service Dept. To Encourage Artists Prompted by the success of recent photographic and art displays at the theater, Montague Salmon, managing director of the Rivoli, has set up a public service department to encourage ail the arts. Chief aim of the department will be to present creations of talented workers in the arts who could not ordinarily obtain exhibition space, with the first exhibition to comprise 16 paintings by Frances Drangel in the mezzanine of the Rivoli.