The Film Daily (1948)

1W Wednesday, July 14, 1948 DAILY ECA Depending on Johnston Guidance (Continued from Page 1) pocket expenses for information media projects. Present plan is to "wait and see," The Film Daily was informed. For instance, no one will say now whether producers must bring forth certificates from each of the participating countries for each film they would Eric A. Johnston, MPAA prexy, now on the Coast, is expected to return to Washington tomorrow, and will immediately confer with Paul Hoffman, it was reported in New York last night. qualify for aid. Intention is to wait until an application has been received for aid on a film, after which a series of highly important decisions will have to be made. Not the least of these is whether each participating country will have to okay the film if it is to receive ECA aid for each of the 16 nations. Or will the aid be cut in half if only eight of the 16 countries okay the film? Will producers have to submit scripts to the ministries of information of the participating countries in order to qualify? Will scripts have to be submitted to ECA? The forms released Monday call for much detailed information, but this reporter was assured by an ECA official yesterday that "Mr. Hoff'man certainly is not going into the censorship business!" On the other hand, it was admitted that ECA might find it difficult to ignore some of the more intemperate Congressional criticism which is bound to materialize as soon as it is learned that ECA funds — even if only a few cents — have been advanced to help finance a film which includes a slurring reference to the town of Squeedunk. There are all types of Congressmen just waiting to rake ECA over the coals for anything of that nature. But what ECA really hopes is that the industry itself will take steps to spare it that sort of embarrassment. And that is why officials there quite frankly hope Eric A. Johnston vdll show them the way. They look for Johnston's help both on questions of how much information applicants for aid must put forth about their scripts, their corporate setups and their technical proficiency — and also for Johnston's aid in seeing to it that the industry is very careful to keep ECA-backed films from being "ofl^ensive." DEATHS REVIEIUS Of nEiu films "Train to Alcatraz" with Donald Barry, Janet Martin, William Phipps, June Storey. Republic 60 Mins. GOOD DRAMATIC NUMBER FOR CONTRASTING SPOT; ABLY DONE THROUGHOUT. Generating the required amount of heavy handed drama this yarn of a trainload of criminals being transported to "the rock" has expert handling of assorted roles, able direction and the right production details. It holds together well. The mounting tension of the story culminating in a wild shooting match is ably developed in the direction of Philip Ford. As a contrasting piece for a double bill this one seems made to order. Romantic angle is a little too much to swallow and inclines to be rather trite. The train, with its prison car heavily guarded is passing through New Mexico enroute to the coast when it stops to pick up William Phipps. He was framed for the killing of a Treasury man and his unsavory past boded him no good at his trial. He was sent up for a life stretch. At the same time Janet Martin gets aboard the train and feels a deep sympathy for the handcuffed Phipps. In the prison car an escape plot is being warmed over. With the assistance of June Storey it is hatched. The last reel is devoted to the hectic time Donald Barry has with the escorting marshal. Phipps is put safely out of the running by Barry who is then killed and in jig time a wire arrives clearing Phipps who subsides into Miss Martin's arms. Interest in the proceedings is always maintained. The scenario has constant movement. Dialogue fits the proceedings. CAST: Donald Barry, Janet Martin, William Phipps, June Storey, Roy Barcroft, Jane Darwell, Milburn Stone, Chester Clute, Ralph Dunn, Richard Irving, John Alvin, Michael Carr, Marc Crah, Denver Pyle, Iron Eves Cody, Kenneth McDonald, Harry Harvey, Steven Baron, Bob Stone, Don Haggerty. CREDITS: Associate producer, Lou Brock; Director, Philip Ford; Original screenplay, Gerald Geraghty; Art, Fred A. Ritter; Musical director, Morton Scott; Photography, Reggie Lanning; Editor, Harold Minter; Sound, Victor B. Appel; Sets, John McCarthy, Jr., George Milo. DIRECTION: Able. PHOTOGRAPHY: Good . Hall Claims Contract Breach K>.5f Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Alleging breach of contract, Alexander Hall, director at Columbia for 11 years, has filed a damage action in Federal Court seeking approximately $65,000. Hall charges the studio discharged him five months before the expiration of his contract. VANE E. KELSEY, 59, theater owner of Blacksburg, Va. All-Palestinean BiU With today's preeming of "The Illegals" at the Ambassador Theater is the first U. S. showing of "The House in the Desert," 27-minute short of life in Palestine, produced by Norman Lourie and Joseph Krumgold of Palestine Films, Inc. Retakes for "Atlantis" West Coast Bureau of THE FILM 'DAILY Hollywood — "Atlantis, the Lost Continent" goes before the cameras today for seven days of retake shooting. SRO Moving Chicago Branch Chicago — SRO office on Aug. 1 will be moved to new headquarters in the Palmolive Bldg. "Northwest Stampede" with Joan Leslie, James Craig, Jack Oakie. Eagle Lion 79 Mins. (Cinecolor) NEW WESTERN NAMES, NEW STORY TWIST GIVES THIS ONE BOX OFFICE IMPETUS; HAS FINE CINECOLORED SCENERY, PLUS VIVID RODEO ACTION TO AID. Youngsters viewing this Cinecolor western, made in the Canadian Rockies, probably will be nonplussed by the absence of a villain, the sine qua non of the genre. However, the kids will be compensated to some extent by Joan Leslie's wholesome loveliness, the beauty of the northwoods, the excitement of rodeo competition. James Craig, inveterate rodeo competitor, is forced to return home on the death of his father. Foreman of the ranch for the past few years while Craig was gallivantin' across the Southwest is Joan Leslie. She gets a yen for the guy. His preference runs to horses. At the moment he's determined to capture an outlaw horse. And once that's done, to sell the ranch. Joan changes his plans. Truly interesting part of the film deals with the horses themselves, the grandeur of the Canadian West and the rodeo competition. CAST: Joan Leslie, James Craig, Jock Oakie, Chill Wills, Victor Kilian, Stanley Andrews, Ray Bennett, Lane Chandler; the dog. Flame. CREDITS: Executive producer, David Hersh; Produced and directed by Albert S. Rogell; Photography, John W. Boyle; Editorial supervision, Alfred DeGaetano; Film editor, Philip Cahn; Art, Edward L. Ilou; Sets, Armor Marlowe, Jack R. Rabin; Assistant directors. Ridgeway Callow and Emmett Emerson; Sound, Leon Becker; Music score, Paul Sawtell; Orchestrations, Emil Cadkin; Musical director, Irving Friedman; Story and screenplay. Art Arthur, Lillie Hayward; Suggested by The Saturday Evening Post article, "Wild Horse Roundup" by Jean Muir. DIRECTION: Okay. PHOTOGRAPHY: Very good. "Village Teacher" with Vera Maretskaya, Dmitri Sagal Artkino 98 Mins. SAGA OF A TEACHER'S DEVOTION TO EDUCATION INTERTWINED WITH THE GLORIES OF THE USSR. Aside from the propaganda often inherent in Soviet films, "Village Teacher" is a heartwarming study of a teacher's lifelong devotion to the cause of education, and how in the cause of universal education she supported the revolution against the Crar. The love story of the teacher and a Bolshevik leader is an almost casual part of the film, not too well integrated. Even so, the film has vigor and spontaneity. CAST: Vera Maretskaya, Dmitri Sagal, Vassili Maruta, Pavel Olenev, Roman Pliatt, Volodya Lepeshinsky, Dmitri Pavlov, Tolya Gonichev, Emma Balashova. CREDITS: Produced and directed by Mark Donskoy for the Soyuzdetfilm Studios; Screenplay by Maria Smirnova. DIRECTION: Good. PHOTOGRAPHY: Good. Lippert, Redwood Groups Merged Into Affiliated San Francisco — George Mann's Redwood Theaters and Robert L. Lippert Theaters have been merged into the Affiliated Theater Service Circuit. Deal was consummated in Medford, Ore. at a meeting between Lippert, Mann and other officials of the two circuits. Mann will serve with the amalgamated theater group. NCA-Fox(om. Mulls 5 Exhibitor Plaints Minneapolis — NCA-Fox grievance committee, meeting for the first time Monday, took under advisement five exhibitor complaints formally registered with the co/ ^j^tee, with an initial grievance lyip''^^ out between an exhibitor and 20thFox without committee action necessary. NCA prefers to keep specific exhibitor beefs "off the record" pending decision on them, Stanley Kane, executive director, said. However, no unusual complaints were made, most of them being along familar industry lines, he added. Administrative procedures for handling grievances in the SmithBerger conciliation plan was streamlined, with future meetings to be called immediately following notification of grievances from any exhibitor. Previous plan had regularly scheduled monthly meetings to hear complaints. Gripes versus Fox will not be considered unless in writing. A meeting is tentatively scheduled next week to act on complaints now registered with committee. Golden Reports Mexican j Attendance on Downgrade Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY ' Washington — Attendance in Mexican theaters is on the downgrade, according to information reaching Department of Commerce Film Chief Nathan D. Golden, who said the decline started over a year ago and has apparently not yet been arrested. | American films grossed some 39,' 992,023 pesos in 1947, it was said, and domestic films 23,157,894. Other foreign offerings brought in some 8,600,357 pesos. Box office total for 1947 was 71,750,274 pesos, of which 10,592,632 was paid in taxes. The 61,000,000 net compares with nets of 70,217,000 pesos in 1946 and 58,953,000 pesos in 1945. Golden reported also that he has been informed two new luxury houses are about to be built in Vera Cruz. nEUJ POSTS JOHN ARTHUR, manager, Orpheum, Terre Haute, Ind. WILLIAM W. LEWIS, manager, Capitan, Dallas. WALTER DALTON, manager. Century, Petersburg, Va. RICHARD C. DATIN, assistant manager. Century, Petersburg, Va. JACK NEEDHAM, booker-buyer, Orpheum ond Majestic, Nelsonville, 0. RUDY KOUTNIK, manager. Palace, Milwaukee. DONALD WEISFELDT, manager. Strand, Milwaukee. FONTAS GEORGIADES, manager. Delft Circuit office, Milwaukee. BOB CAMPBELL, manager. Empire, Chrisman, III. CHARLES FORMAN, manager. Times Square Theater, Detroit. JACK A. SIMONS, managing director. Beacon Theater.