The Film Daily (1948)

M* P, Product ioji Di^t, ae w. 44th St. 3i0t floor Jerk F. y. DAILY Weekly Polio Cost In N. C. at $100,000 (Continued from Page 1) grosses, so that it is difficult to estimate just how much polio added to the normal decline, adding that $100,000 per week would be a fair figure. As an example of what is happening in North Carolina, Hearn cited one of his small town theaters which played to 14 people at two evening performances of a top attraction. Normal attendance at the house would have been no less than 10 times that number, he stated. Reported polio cases at the weekend were just under the 878 cases for 1944, North Carolina's record polio year. National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis moved medical shock troops into the area late last week. An orthopedic surgeon and three specially trained nurses are touring the state's medical centers to train doctors and nurses in the latest methods of caring for acute cases. Austin, Tex. — Polio incidence continued to grow in Texas last week. Disease struck 75 new victims last week in 30 counties, the State Health Dept. reported. Total cases rose to 811 in 93 counties, compared to 452 cases in 81 counties for the comparable period of 1946, the last bad polio year. Vance Seeks Exhibitor Backing of Cryptix Plan Cincinnati — Exhibitor reactions on the needfor a concealed numbering system are sought by Willis Vance of Cryptix, who is conferring with Internal Revenue Bureau representatives in an effort to get a favorable ruling on the use of his system. According to Vance, it has become evident that the Bureau wants to be certain there is a need for such a system. At a recent meeting between Vance and counsel of IRB, department's refusal to approve Cryptix was backed by counsel on the basis that IRB would be faced with requests for numerous substitutes if it okays the Vance system. Vance, however, argues that there would be no reason or incentive for exhibs. to develop their own systems if Cryptix were available. Bien On NSS Drive Tour William Bien, NSS MidWest division manager and Eastern captain of the NSS sales promotion drive, is on a tour of the Eastern offices, to hypo branch sales activities. DEATHS FRANK V, RENO, assistant manager, Strand Theater, Detroit. HOLLVUIOOD-VinE VflRD By RALPH WILK HOLLYWOOD IF THERE IS ANY TALK of a boxoffice recession, it has never seeped over to the Harry Sherman offices where plans are bursting into fuil 'ilaom for the heaviest picture-making schedule in the producer's long and busy career. . . . Sherman recently acquired rights to W. C. Tuttle's famous series of comedy Western stories centered around the redoubtable Hashknife, who with his cowpoke pal, Sleepy, manages to keep in a mess of trouble. Sherman has now given the order for readying this series which will hit the screen about the same time, but entirely independent of, his Enterprise release schedule. . . . The latter catalogue includes "Tennessee's Partner," Sherman's next for Enterprise, and "Brandy For Heroes," "Tall Man From Texas," "Pride of Palomar," "Ring Horse" and "Carmen of the West." . . . Incidentally, "Ring Horse," which is a circus story by Thomas ("Gus the Great") Duncan, and "Brandy for Heroes," which is Jack Kofoed's period yarn about the Hon. Jim Morrissey, the heavyweight champ who turned to politics, will be the first non-Westerns Sherman has made in his long career of 158 pictures. . . . "Tall Man from Texas" may have Gary Cooper as its central character. . . . The producer talked to Cooper before the star left for the East a few weeks ago and it may work out. . . . • * * THAT OLD PHILOSOPHY about finding what you're looking for right in your own back yard worked out for Director Lloyd Bacon, who is now preparing to start shooting "Mother Is A Freshman," Walter Morosco Production for 20th Century-Fox, the first week in August. . . . Bacon and Morosco had had a discussion about a certain comedy sequence in "Mother Is A Freshman" and Bacon took his 16 mm. camera and went down to "Muscle Beach" at Santa Monica, only a few blocks from his home, to shoot some sequences supporting his contention . . Muscle Beach is the redoubt of the sand and surf Tarzans, the beach Apoilos who usually are accompanied by their muscular girl friends. ... It is a sort of standing joke, and no one ever thought of it having any picture possibilities until Bacon invaded Muscle Beach with his camera. ... He not only used the footage in his discussion with Morosco regarding "Mother Is A Freshman," but the idea has now snowballed into plans for a separate feature called "Muscle Beach," with Bacon and Morosco mutually interested. . . . The comedy-drama about the world capital of the surf Tarzans is now planned as a possible production by producer and director for 1949. . . . Meanwhile, Bacon and Morosco have assigned the two featured ingenue roles in "Mother Is A Freshman" to Betty Lynn and Barbara Lawrence. . . . Rudy Vallee has been handed a great role in the characterization of the family attorney, and the question of who will play the "Mother" of the title is being settled right now. . . . • * * ^^ EORGE PAL, a highly progressive and experimental producer, has just ^"^ taken a breather from his heavy schedule of Technicolor features for United Artists release, plus his commercial productions, to earmark $200,000 for an improvement and expansion program at his studios. . . . Improvements will include new stage facilities, additional administrative housing, and new labs. . . . Among the gimmicks being installed are special individual desk-side projection facilities whereby artists, composers, animators, and others can study and time Audio-Visual screenplays of "The Adventures of Tom Thumb" and other forthcoming Pal Technicolor features. . . . The producer has found that Audio-Visual screenplay to be such an effective production guide that he will use it, with possible refinements, in all his future productions both entertainment and commercial. . . . Although it calls for making a full-length 16 mm. sketchily drawn version of the entire picture, it still is a money-saver because of the means it provides for avoiding expensive sets and sequences which might be cut out of the finished film later due to length. . . . • * * r%IRECTOR JOHN BERRY is becoming an authority on Los Angeles traffic hazards. ... For weeks he has been filming various traffic hazards for sequences in "The Luckiest Girl In the World," W. Reinhardt Production for M-G-M release. He has now covered practically every busy corner in Los Angeles county. . . . Monday, July 26, 1948 Meredith Seeks Three N. Y. Tele Stations (Continued from Page 1) porations formed at Syracuse, Albany and Rochester, N. Y. The Meredith Syracuse TeljB^'on Corp., chartered for SyracuS^las been granted a construction permit while applications are pending for stations at Albany and Rochester. The Syracuse application originally was for the Meredith company but has now been assigned to the Meredith Syracuse Television Corp. The Albany application is for the Meredith Champlain Television Corp., with the Meredith company joining with the Champlain Valley Broadcasting Corp. in the venture. The Rochester application is for the Meredith company. Hearing has been set for Sept. 27 for a channel on the Albany station. The Meredith company previously had made application with the TriStates Theater Corp. of Des Moines for purchase of Station KSO here with plans for a television station but the contract expired on July 15 and notice has been filed with FCC that it does not wish to renew the application for purchase. Syracuse— Meredith Syracuse Television Corp. and two other established stations here, WSYR and WAGE, have received video construction permits from the FCC. Failure of WBFL here to file for a tele cp left a channel open for Meredith without any contest by local interests. In Rochester and Albany, it is understood, there are more local applicants than channels available, which may bar Meredith stations. Kogod-Burka to Oppose Delay in WB Answer Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Kogod-Burka Circuit will appear in Federal District Court here one week from today to argue against Warners motion for delay until the end of September before it answers K-B's anti-trust complaint. The suit arose out of Warner's alleged refusal to implement terms of an ownership agreement for the MacArthur Theater, in Washington, or to step out of the agreement. K-B would be willing to accept a 20 or 30-day continuance, Attorney Robert Sher said last week, but what was asked for is a delay of 100 days from the time the suit was filed. The Warner answer was due on July 15. Reason for the delay, said Warner, is the absence of Attorney Philip Amram, handling the case for Warner. Amram is out of the country and not expected to return until late September. Albee Ducds "Best Years" RKO's Brooklyn Albee currently is double-featuring "The Best Years of Our Lives" with "Mystery in Mexico."