The Film Daily (1948)

Mt Friday, August 27, 1948 ■ Vol. 94, No. 41 Fri., August 27, 1948 10 Cts. JOHN W. ALICOATE Publisher DONALD M. MERSEREAU : Associate Publisher and General Manager CHESTER B. BAHN Editor Published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays at 1501 Broadway, New York 18, N. Y., by Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc. J. W. Alicoate, President; Donald M. Mersereau, Vice-President and Treasurer ; Patti Alicoate, Vice-President and Secretary. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 8, 1938, at the post-office at New York, N.Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Terms (Postage free) United States outside of Greater New York $10.00 one year; 5 months, $5.00; 3 months, $3.00. Foreign, $15.00. Subscribers _ should remit with order. Address all communications to THE FILM DAILY, 1501 Broadway, New York 18, N. Y. Phone BRyant 9-7117, 9-7118, 9-7119, 9-7120, 9-7121. Cable address Filmday, New York. WEST COAST OFFICES Ralph Wilk, Manager 6425 Hollywood Blvd. Phone: Granite 6607 WASHINGTON BUREAU Andrew H. Older 6417 Dahlonega Rd. Phone: Wisconsin 3271 CHICAGO BUREAU Joseph Esler, Chief C. L. Esler 6241 N. Oakley Ave. Phone: Briargate 7441 STAFF CORRESPONDENTS LONDON — Ernest W. Fredman, The Film Renter. 127-133 Wardour St.. W. 1. HAVANA— Mary Louise Blanco. Virtudcs 214. BOMBAY — Ram L. Gogtav. Kitab Mahal, 190 Hornby Rd., Fort, Bombay 1. ALGIERS — Paul Saffav. Filmafric. 8 Rue Charras. MONTREAL— Ray Carmlchael, Room 9, 464 Francis Xavler St. VANCOUTER — Jack Droy, 411 Lyrii Theater Bldg. SYDNEYBowden Fletcher, 19 Moxon Ave., Punchbowl, N. S. Phone, ITY 2110. BRUSSELS— Jean Pierre Meys, 110 Rue des Paquerettes. COPENHAGEN— John Lindberg. Jernbanealle No. 3, Copenhagen-Van Loese. ROME — John Perdlcari. Via Ludovlsl 16. Phone, 42758. MEXICO CITY — Jay Kaner — c/o American Chamber of Commerce — San Juan de Letran 24. nnnnciflL (.August 2'6y NEW YORK STOCK Am. Seat Bell & Howell East. Kodak Gen. Prec. Eq Loew's, Inc Paramount RKO Republic Pict Republic Pict. pfd.. 20th Century-Fox 20th Century-Fox pfd. Universal Pict Warner Bros NEW YORK Monogram Picts. . . . High 243/4 181/2 437/8 143/4 163/4 227/8 77/8 33/8 81/4 21 34 101/4 103/4 CURB 41/8 MARKET Net Low Close Chg. 243/4 243/4 — 1/2 181/2 181/2 433/3 437/8 + 3/3 143/4 143/4 """ ' ' Vb Va 73/4 — 1/8 33/8 — l/s 8 1/4 — 1/8 207/8 -f 1/8 34 101/8 — 1/4 105/8 103/4 + 1/8 MARKET 41/8 41/8 165/8 I6V4 225/8 22% 73/4 -33/8 8 1/4 207/8 34 101/8 RKO 13/4 134 13/4 _ 1/g Sonotone Corp 35/3 35/3 35/3 -f 1/3 Technicolor 131^ 13% 1314— 1/3 Trans-Lux 41/4 41/4 414 OVER THE COUNTER Bid Asked Cinecolor 3% 4 Pothe 334 41/4 "Rope" Sets Globe Record Defying one of the hottest days of the Summer, Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope," for Warner release, broke every record for attendance and money taken in at its opening at the Globe Theater yesterday, according to Harry Brandt, owner of the Broadway house. Over two hundred persons were in line well before the 8:30 a. m. opening time, with a packed house recorded for the initial show. Business continued at this pace throughout the day, despite record heat. House Com. to Reopen Film Hearings in Sept. La Falce Gets Additional Duties in WB Realignment Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — ^House Un-American Activities Committee Chairman J. Parnell Thomas has scheduled the reopening of his group's Hollywood investigation for some time next month. At that time, Thomas said, the Committee wall establish that 26 more top-flight industry employes have Communist records. Thomas told reporters that on Sept. 7 his committee would start hearings on a whole series of topics, including Communism in the motion picture industry. He did not state in what order the difi^erent subjects would be taken up, and it is quite possible that some hearing commenced before the Hollywood hearing will unearth material of sufficient importance to push back the film investigation again. The Hollywood hearings have been slated for renewal several times before, and each time have been postponed for some reason. Thomas refused to name any of the witnesses who might be subpoenaed in the new Hollywood investigation, but observers recalled that nine "unfriendly witnesses" were never heard at the hearings last fall. K-B Asks for Summary Judgment in Stanley Suit Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The K-B Amusement Co. yesterday asked for a summary judgment in its efforts to force the Stanley Co. out of the jointly owned MacArthur Theater. K-B contends this is required by the Paramount decision. Stanley replied by a motion to dismiss, on the ground that there is no final judgment in the Paramount case, and K-B answered that it needed no final judgment. Yesterday's motion declared there is no substantial difference between the parties on the facts of the case and that the court can decide the matter immediately on legal issues. K-B Attorney Philip Oppenheim said he expected the motion for summary judgment and the Stanley motion to dismiss would be consolidated for argument, probably late in September or in October. Dembow Drive Captains to Meet William Bein, Central district manager for National Screen Service, and Ben Ashe, Los Angeles branch manager, arrived yesterday for preliminary meetings with George F. Dembow, vice-president in charge of sales, with regard to the George Dembow Tribute Drive, scheduled to begin Sept. 13. Bein and Ashe are Eastern and Western drive captains. RKO Sets Stockholders Meeting West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Before adjourning on Wednesday, RKO Board of Directors set Oct. 19 as the official date for annual stockholders meeting at !Dover, Delaware. Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Frank La Falce, Warner theaters advertising and publicity director in the Washington zone, has been given the additional duties of managing the key downtown houses, the Warner and the Metropolitan. La Falce's new duties came as part of a series of changes announced by the new zone manager, George A. Crouch. Louis F. Ribnitzki has been named film buyer and George Warner head booker. James W. Root will be assistant feature booker as well as short subject booker, and Charles Grimes will assume supervision of the Stanley Theater in Baltimore, as well as the Virginia district theaters. Harry E. Lohmeyer continues as manager of neighborhood houses in Washington, and Nat Glasser continues as district manager of Maryland district theaters. FC Sets "Sofia" Premiere For Rialto on Sept. 3 "Sofia — City of Intrigue," initial Cinecolor release of Film Classics, has its world premiere Sept. 3 at the Rialto Theater, it was revealed yesterday. Future Cinecolor films to be released bv FC include "Unknown Island," "File 649, State Department" and "Daughter of Ramona." Other forthcoming product includes "Inner Sanctum" and "A Date With Murder," next in the Falcon FCC to Initiate Mobile Permit Hearings Oct. 6 Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The FCC yesterday announced that oral arguments on proposed rules affecting industrial and mobile radio licenses and the allocations of frequencies for such use will open here Oct. 6. The Commission added that applications for participation must be filed by Sept. 15. The FCC explained that these statements of intention must be filed in duplicate and state the nature of the applicant's interest and an estimate of the time required for his oral presentation. Motion picture companies have applied to the Commission for mobile transmitter licenses for use on location. Weiner Leaves Film Classics Sidney Weiner has resigned his sales department post with Film Classics, it is announced. He will announce his new affiliation upon returning from a vacation. PUZZLE-BANK A game to be played by theater audiences Enterprise House, Inc., 198 Broadway New York City DIgby 9-1278 cominc nno Gomc la ;iii PAUL MacNAMARA, vice-president of SRC and Vanguard, is in from the Coast for con ferences with Eastern executives. Arriving from Europe today aboard the S. Mauretania are DAVID NIVEN and MRS NIVEN L. J. "LES" KAUFMAN, former , tudi publicity chief, returns to the Coas.^-^ , th. week-end. •i^ CHARLES SIMONELLI, U-l Eastern exploita tion manager, and PHILIP GERARD, publicist, returned from Hollywood yesterday. WILLIAM F. RODGERS, M-G-M vice-presiden and general sales manager, returns today fron 0 two-day visit with Henry L. Nathanson, presi dent of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Films of Canada' in Toronto. ABE OLMAN, general manager of M-G-N music interests, is on the Coast visiting th M-G-M studios and will return to New Yorl Sept. 7. H. M. RICHEY, M-G-M exhibitor relation head, leaves today for a three-day visit !■ Detroit which will be followed by a trip t Toronto. RUSSELL STEWART, of M-G-M's home offlc publicity department, is due back today Washington. HOWARD DIETZ, M-G-M vice-president an director of advertising, publicity and exploita tion, returned yesterday from a 10-day trip Paris. WILLIAM B. ZOELLNER, head of M-G-M shor subject sales, reprints and importations, arrive in Pittsburgh today from the Coast for con ferences with John J. Moloney, Central sale manager. C. J. BRIANT, New Orleans M-G-M monager arrived in town yesterday to spend several day at home office conferences. VICTOR SAVILLE leaves the Coast Sept. 15 en route to London to start preparatory worl on "Conspirator." WILLIAM HEINEMAN, Eagle Lion arrives from Chicago today. s ta:: ese: ppr eiiii oiii •ect rail f rort Hi; ton te^ ■lilt ifcl oni es!' A! veepee Dismiss U-I Holders Suit Suit against U-I execs. Charles D Prutzman, N. J. Blumberg, J. Cheeveiii Cowdin, W. A. Scully and Cliffor(|j Work, brought by Stephen Truncale a minority stockholder, charging vio lation of the SEC Act of 1934, ha^ been dismissed in Federal Court. foiM Detroit Sponsors Football Benefi Detroit — Area theaters are running trailers and selling tickets the professional football game t be sponsored by the Variety Clul Sept. 2, for the benefit of the Tent' charities fund. Attractions will b the Detroit Lions and the Philadel phia Eagles. ac::