The Film Daily (1948)

•iday, July 16, 1948 pedal Session May Effect Pix Industry SHORT SUBJECT REVIEIUS (Continued from Page 1) lanufactm-e of pix equipment. As )or the Civil Rights issue it is probble that the right of exhibitors to legregate audiences will be raised u'_5*?re is little likelihood of any ttT pt to have the Federal Government move in the matter. ; Of particular interest to the stulios is that the Mundt-Nixon Subversive Control Bill, left buried in ;he Senate Judiciary Committee, might possibly be rushed to the Senate floor, objective probably vould be to force the White House ,0 veto the measure in the hope that che veto would be unpopular with ^nany voters. Polio Attendance Slash '/It 40% in Charlotte, N. C. Charlotte, N. C. — With polio on ),the rampage here, and theater attendance of children under 17 banned, exhibs. estimate that the drop in iinovie-going is as much as 40 per cent. Polio cases in North Carolina are near the 600 mark and may rise to ''900, it is feared by medical authorities. On Wednesday, 40 new cases were reported in the state. Virginia state authorities have been requested by Newport News civic leaders to close the border because of the grave Carolina polio out ' break. "Trailer 201" Unity Films 44 Mins. Excellent Documentary That there is honest drama inherent in the routine activities of the work-a-day world is once again demonstrated in "Trailer 201," an excellent documentary on the American trucking industry produced for the International Information Division of the U. S. State Department. Direction is fine, photography honest. Made wholly on location, the film conveys the experiences of a truck driver in his job. Through restraint and skill, the makers of this film show some of America's qualities that are not often revealed in Hollywood films. This film is currently being prepared in 27 foreign languages since the intent of the Government was to show the rest of the world a cog in the huge machinery "Western Whoopee" U-I 15 Mins. Entertaining Tex Williams and his Orchestra do a good job with some novelty numbers and western tunes. Also featured are Patricia Alphin, Jimmy Dodd, Smokey Rogers, Delia Norell, Judy Clark, Duece Spriggins, Margaret Savage, Harry Galkin. "River Melodies" (Sing and Be Happy Series) U.I 8 Mins. Smooth The Rhythm Masters perform a smooth job on such old favorites as "On Moonlight Bay," "Swanee" and other songs built around rivers made famous in music. Narration, very good. that makes it does. America tick the way U-I Promotion Results in Record Premieres for Two Dreihiss Group Forms Vinson to Make Four West Coast Bureau of THE FILM 'DAILY Hollywood — Arthur Dreifuss has . chartered Vinson Pictures Corp. in . association with Joseph Levinson and Arthur Desser. Capitalization is $200,000. Company will produce four musicals for Eagle-Lion release, the quartet forming part of the Harry Thomas commitment. Dreifuss made eight musicals for Columbia previously. TV and Stage Interests To Produce Drama Series First Baseball Telecast Set for Toledo Monday One-act plays and short stories ■ will be the basis of a series of dramatic film programs for television, to be produced by World Video, Inc. in association with Actors' Studio, Inc. An audition presentation is being prepared, with the filmed programs to be made when arrangements are concluded. STORKS A son was born in Switzerland yesterday to Mrs. George Ornstein, whose husband is in UA's Rome office. Mrs. Ornstein is a niece of Mary Pickford, UA co-owner. Value of intensive promotional activity in bucking declining box office returns in an off season was demonstrated during the week in the world premiers of two U-I releases. Walter Wanger's "Tap Roots" and "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein." In the premieres of both pictures record openings were reported in the face of reduced admission prices by some theaters since earlier marks were set. "Tap Roots," opening at the Goldman Theater, Philadelphia, outgrossed "Canyon Passage" and other top U-I grossers despite torrential rain at the height of the evening spill. Picture almost doubled opening day business of "The Egg and I" at the Hollywood, Atlantic City and the Shore in Wildwood, with similar results tabulated at the Earle, Allentown; Astor, Reading; Senate, Harrisburg; College, Bethlehem and Surf, Ocean City, all of which participated in the Philadelphia territorial premiere. "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein," which had a simultaneous premiere at the Strand in Albany, the Paramount in Syracuse and the Winter Garden in Jamestown, set a new all-time house record at the Strand; outgrossed every previous U-I picture to play the Paramount, and equalled opening day marks of previous top U-I grossers in Jamestown. "Feudin", Fussin' and A-Fightin'," another U-I picture figuring in World Premiere Month, opened to record business at the Orpheum in Minneapolis and the Orpheum in St. Paul, following in the wake of holdover business at the Tri-States Theaters of Iowa and Nebraska where the picture had its premiere last week. "Merry Way" at U A Theater Chicago — Area premiere of "On Our Merry Way" at the B & K United Artists Theater marks the first UA release to play the house in seven years. Toledo, O. — First telecast of baseball in Toledo by WSPD-TV will be Monday, it has been announced by the Fort Industry Co., owners of the station. The new Toledo television station equipped at a cost of $500,000 including a 555-foot antenna tower in the heart of the city, will be the 30th in the nation. It will be linked by coaxial cable and radio relays with St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo and New York by Fall. WSPD-TV signals will cover a radius of 45 miles. It will transmit on Channel 13 (210-216MC). To protect costly television camera equipment used at Swayne Field, home of the Toledo Mudhens of the American Association, a special platform built on the second deck of the stands has been partially enclosed by heat-tempered plate glass through which the cameras will shoot most of the action. The Tufflex glass was made here by Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Co. and is a plate 4 by 9 feet one-half inch thick. 20lh-Fox Acquires Italian Studio Space (Continued from Page 1) time has only one feature scheduled for Italian production — "Prince of Foxes," which Henry King will send before the cameras in late August with Tyrone Power and Wanda Hendrix topping the cast — there have been reports from time to time that 20th-Fox would make a series of three or more features here. The fact that its deal, with the Italian Government covers the use of six of Cinecitta's sound stages, together with technical installations and office space, gives color to the reports that the company is contemplating something more than a one-picture shot. Twentieth-Fox, like other American companies, has a very substantial sum in liras blocked here. Under Italian law, frozen funds may be invested in production here on a partnership basis up to a limit of 50 per cent production costs, production for third parties, investment in motion picture plants and establishments, building and leasing theaters. Italian production costs are materially under the Hollywood level, and there is lively speculation as to whether other American majors will follow 20th-Fox and Columbia here. The success of pix made by domestic companies in the U. S. attests to the quality of production possible in Italian studios. The following chart gives current rates of pay and rental for necessary facilities, based on the exchange rate of 600 lira to the dollar: 1. Skilled labor, per day $ 1.70 2. Extras, per day 3.00 3. Cameramen, technicians 15.00 4. Studio stage rental, per day . . . 40.00 5. Camera rental (each) 4.00 6. Actors, per picture. . . .$500 to $16,000 At the above rates of expenditure, therefore, first class films can be produced for 70-100,000,000 liras; second class films, 50-70,000,000 liras. Special productions are figured to cost '■'rom 150-200,000,000 liras. Italy is second, the survey shows, in the number of theaters showing films in Europe with 6,980. Novack to Seek Repeal of St. Louis Amusement Tax (Continued from Page 1) ings tax. Novack said the measure was passed by the Board of Aldermen with the understanding that it, along with two other tax laws, would be killed when the city was able to enact an earnings tax bill. Mayor Aloys P. Kaufmann had called a meeting of Aldermen for Tuesday to consider a one-half of one per cent earnings tax, among other measures. Para. Chore for IPR Paramount has engaged The Institue of Public Relations for a special assignment on a forthcoming pic. The work for which the institute has been engaged will be executed by John W. Darr, president, and John Krimsky. Egypt Bans "Best Years" Cairo (By Cable)— The Egyptian censor has banned "The Best Years of Our Lives." With Egyptian troops fighting, it is believed the Government felt a picture showing an armless vet. could dampen morale. BreaUs Precedent On Grand Rapids Duals Grand Rapids, Mich. — Departing from a long standing policy under which this city's first runs have shunned duals, RKO Regent Theater this Summer is experimenting with a two-picture policy. According to William Lutz, manager, such a policy will be followed if acceptance by the public warrants.