The Film Daily (1948)

% PCCITO To Aid Battle Against ASCAP Ruling Wednesday, July 28, 1948 iwi DAILY (Continued from Page 1) Judge Vincent Leibell, of Southern iDistrict of New York, handed down El against ASCAP 8(C lu; ^viiham who won a victory in Jan'against ASCAP in Supreme :cli -Coui^E of State of Washington filed ell lan amicus curiae brief on behalf of lllPCC with Judge Leibell at conclutii nsion of the New York trial this jSpring. Graham, who was high in his ipraise of the handling of this case by c*tMilton Weisman, indicated that he iwould give Judge Leibell's opinion further study before advising membership of PCC regarding status of 51 itheir existing license fees with i ;ASCAP. Robert H. Poole, PCC exec«ii lutive secretary, said, "we are proud lof role which Graham has assumed )in this important litigation on behalf of PCCITO." B! II Hygienic Stage Units to Hit Road Starting Aug. 1 Wilmington, O. — Hygienic Prods. ^isntry into the stage entertainment "eld is confirmed by Kroger Babb. "ygienic's president has finalized production plans for a two hour (Stage revue titled, "The Best Is Yet jTo Come" which is scheduled to beiigin a national tour on Aug. 1. The show is to carry a "name"-band and Kfive standard variety acts. Local lacts will be added for each engagement. , Survey by Hygienic disclosed that Htheater ovsmers in towns of 50,000 and less were favorable towards the lexclusive stage revue to play at least one day out of every month. I A new unit of "The Best Is Yet jTo Come" will tour each month, Jack Crouthers producing. I The first road edition of the show (is already set for the following Ohio itowns starting Aug. 1. Wilmington, (Lancaster, Athens, Chillicothe, Kenilton, and Washington Court House. T ^Purchase Minneapolis Lyceum Minneapolis — David Nederlander jind Associates, Detroit, have purchased the Lyceum Theater, Comboegit-pix stand, and will assume manigement Aug. 1. Past two years Ly;eum has been owned by Nicollet iind 11th Company of Detroit, of Jivhich Alex Schreiber associates were Tiajor stockholders. !. i'Emperor" Breaks Chi. Record Chicago — Paramount's "Emperor iWaltz" is reported to have broken 'Chicago's theater weekly box office ecord this year by reaching $70,000. DEATHS SUSAN GLASPELL, 56, Pulitzer Prizevinning playwright, at Provincetown, Mass. GEORGE ROBERT SEACH, 62, RKO salesnan, in San Francisco. REVIEUJS Of nEui films RKO-Rainbow "Good Sam" with Gary Cooper, Ann Sheridan 112 Mins. A SPLENDID, WARM, HUMAN ENTERTAINMENT WITH EMPHASIS ON COMEDY THIS IS LEO McCAREY AT HIS BEST. COOPER AND MISS SHERIDAN IN TOP FORM. A REWARDING DELIGHT OF DELIGHTS FOR BUYER AND SELLER. Good is a word that permeates this Leo McCarey production from start to finish. It is a splendid entertainment with spirited and skillful handling at every turn. One of the superior writing jobs of the year, this one rates way up and above a lot of the screen fare that has been offered as the first half of the year turns the corner. Conceived with imagination, taste, subtlety and an understanding of people and purposes that blends comedy with drama deriving from domesticity and life in current times and terms, the McCarey hand in the production and direction end of the picture keeps the balance shifting from laughter to introspective examination of character and then poignancy and then more laughs. It is the type of story that generates warmth and good feeling at once, then piles comic moment upon comic moment until a high peak of inner satisfaction and delight is the reward of the viewer. "Good Sam" is something that the patron will become enthusiastic about, the exhibitor more so. It is a simple story but it is touched with some great moments of life and living splendidly enacted and delightfully examined and explained away. It is a piece about the good in man and the rewards of goodness and giving although in the process some heart-wracking moments are encountered. This, then, is the story of a good-natured giving guy, who gives and gives, of his money, his time, even unto his shirt. He turns no one away. He gets the dirty end of the stick at times. But the inner light of doing unto others shines brightly and after close to two hours of examining his life, family, home and immediate circle it pays off rewardingly. And not only is it a story that is shaped in the script by McCarey and John Klorer to pay off, it will also pay off where it counts in this business. This "Good Sam" was screened a la Hollywood preview the other night while an air conditioning engineers strike was in progress and the theater a mild version of the well known Black Hole. Yet the house was near capacity. The rafters rung. The humor was latched onto immediately, lasted. At its conclusion there was prolonged applause. In "Good Sam" Gary Cooper is in finest form. Finer is Ann Sheridan who interprets a role with finesse, polish and a naturalness that may well bring on a mirage of an Oscar on the horizon. Playing wife to Cooper and mother to Lora Lee Michel and Bobby Dolan, Jr., she is excellent all the way. Surrounding the principals is a smartly selected supporting cast of worthies who more than prove their worth. Something in the nature of cinematic history is made in "Good Sam." Probably for the first time the anatomical aspect, the humor, the problems and the pride and fulfillment of pregnancy and childbirth are treated in realistic, tasteful style with no silly notions involved in the process. Cooper is a department store executive. Miss Sheridan has her heart set on a house of their own. Her brother lives with them. He is a veteran and their home life, what with the children, is no bed of roses. The sleeping problem is just that. Cooper's innate feeling for people gives Miss Sheridan cause for consternation since his actions generally manage to put out the family. But when Cooper's goodness pays off things shape up satisfactorily but not before Christmas Eve becomes a time of momentary precariousness and the Salvation Army brings the potted "Sam" home from still another excursion into goodness. "Good Sam" is a fine thing, and should make a deep impression everywhere — including the box office. CAST: Gary Cooper, Ann Sheridan, Ray Collins, Edmund Lowe, Joan Lorring, Clinton Sundberg, Minerva Urecol, Louise Beavers, Dick Ross, Lora Lee Michael, Bobby Dolan, Jr., Matt Moore, Netta Packer, Ruth Roman, Carol Stevens Todd Karns, Irving Bacon, Williom Frawley, Harry Hayden. CREDITS: A Rainbow Production; Produced and directed by Leo McCarey; Screenplay, Ken Englund; Story, Leo McCarey, John Klorer; Photography, George Barnes; Art, John B. Goodman; Special effects, Russell A. Cullv; Sets, Darrell Silvera, Jacque Mopes; Music score, Robert Emmett Dolan; Editor, James McKay; Sound, John L. Case, Clem Portman; Assistant director, Jesse Hibbs. DIRECTION: Splendid. PHOTOGRAPHY: Fine. NBC Adds Toledo Video Station to Midwest Net NBC's rapidly expanding Midwest Television network has been augmented with tjie signing of WSPDTV, Toledo. WSPD-TV, which is owned and operated by the Fort Industry Co., signed both an interconnected and a non-interconnected television affiliation contract. WSPD, NBC's AM outlet in Toledo, is also owned by tJie Fort Industry Co. WAVE-TV Joins NBC Net Louisville, Ky.— WAVE-TV will be affiliated with NBC Television when it starts operations in midOctober. Video station signed both interconnected and non-interconnected contracts. Kinsman Named Secretary Of New Zealand Exhibs. Wellington, N. Z. (By Air Mail)— A. H. Kinsman has been named secretary of the New Zealand Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, succeeding C. R. Edmond, who announced his resignation as of the end of this week. Kinsman also will be secretary of the Mutual Film Insurance Board and editor of Exhibitors Bulletin. Hellinger Pix Dualled U-I will dual Mark Hellinger's "The Killers" and "Brute Force" at the Winter Garden starting tomorrow. Peso Devaluation to Cut Company $$ 25% (Continued from Page 1) earnings of American companies will decline 25 per cent in terms of dollars, unless distributors can reduce overhead. Virtually all U. S. pix rentals are on percentage, with box office scales believed at the saturation point. One theater owner has observed, "If we raise prices any more, people won't go to the movies." Retrenchment angle was emphasized by M-G-M Manager Carlos Niebla, who declared, "We hope to compensate for devaluation losses by tightening up on expenses. We will cut advertising and personnel, make fewer prints, and reduce donations." Niebla, however, doubts furtJier currency saving measures are in the air as U. S. film earnings here are not sufficient to upset Mexico's trade balance. He pointed out that all U. S. distributors sent only $1,200,000 to their home offices last year, while some $2,000,000 was sent from the U. S. as earnings from 60 Mexican films playing 600 theaters above the border. Mexico City — Fairly active trading in the free market, intended to find a stabilization price for the peso, has been started. Banks report many ta-ansactions, mostly small, with a considerable number of business settlements. Blum-Byrnes Film Accord Ends; Continue Paris Talks (Continued from Page 1) ment has been held back by the change in the French premier and cabinet. Reports are current that the proposals under discussion provide for the remittance to the U. S. of $500,000 every six months until the coin long blocked here has been fully remitted, plus the further remittance of $3,5()0,000 annually iji current earnings. The amount of film coin blocked here haS been variously reported at $9,700,000 to $11,000,000. By a 330-191 vote the National Assembly yesterday upheld the new cabinet of Premier Andre Marie. The new cabinet is made up of 28 men, 19 Ministers and nine Secretaries of State. 30 RKO Features Await Distribution in Britain London (By Cable)— RKO Radio has a backlog of 30 features for British distribution in its vaults here. STORKS Newport, R. I. — Henry MacNamara, manager of the Strand Theater, has a new son.