The Film Daily (1948)

Ilntimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought r>>\ , The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Thirty Years Old VC->^ 4, NO. 46 NEW YORK, FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 3. 1948 TEN CENTS PR6DICT6D HIGH inCOmCS TO BCnCFIT B. 0. Wanffer to Show^ "Joa.n o£ Axe" at High Scales jSpecial Sales Force To Handle $4,600,000 Technicolor Production "Joan of Arc" which was filmed at a cost of $4,600,000 exclusive of -print and advertising costs, will be shown at advanced prices, Producer Walter Wanger told the trade press yesterday in RKO's home office. Though RKO will release the Sierra Production film, Wanger said he was not certain who would head the special sales force needed to handle the Technicolor production, nor ^had he yet decided on the New York (Continued on Page 3) M-G-Mlo Set Winter, Fall Product at Meet IVest Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — A series of imiportant (Conferences will get under way at M-G M Tuesday as E. J. Mannix, studio executive, returns to the Culver City lot after a three-months absence due to illness. Production and distribution plans for this Winter and next Spring will be under discussion. Attending the talks vnll be Louis (Continued on Page 3) Operators Continue Work As Detroit Pact Expires Detroit — Some 200 local theaters are operating without a contract with the lATSE covering projec Ptionists as the result of failure to arrive at any ground of settlement I of increases sought by the union in 'a preliminary conference. No work 'Continued on Page 31 Depinet May Be IVeu? RWLO President West Coast Bur.. THE FILM DAILY Los Angeles — Belief is strong here that Ned E. Depinet will be made president of RKO, with headquarters in New York, and that Robert Mochrie, vice-president in charge of domestic distribution, will take over Depinet's overall world-wide sales duties. Barbara StanwycU Reverts to Film Role to Telephone Exhihs. About ^"^IVutnber" Opening In a perfect tie-up with her starring role in Hal Wallis' "Sorry, Wrong Number," Barbara Stanwyck yesterday and today is making 40 to 50 personal telephone calls to exhibitors to inform them that the Paramount film did the biggest opening day at the Paramount Theater of any picture in the last 26 months. "Sorry," Paramount reports, drew 19,000 patrons in its Wednesday opening, the greatest number since the New Year's Eve opening of "Star Spangled Rhythm" in 1942, when Benny Goodman and Frank Sinatra were on stage. India GoYernments Probe New Theaters Bombay (By Air Mail) — Several Provincial Governments have put an absolute ban on the construction of new theaters, while the Government of West Bengal has appointed a committee to find out the source of cement and steel used in some 18 new theaters there. Move followed a flood of complaints against the building of theaters in light of the severe housing shortage. Other Provinces are understood to be considering investi(Continued on Page 3) No Immediate WB Action On Chicago "Rope" Ban Warners will take no immediate action against the Chicago censor's ban of Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope," a spokesman said yesterday. Picture goes into release in late September, it was pointed out and a decision on an appeal will be made in the interim. "Rope" has been passed by censors all over the U. S., except the City of (Continued on Page 3) Building Material Output on Increase Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Indicating a ray of hope that materials for theater construction may become more plentiful shortly, the Department of Commerce reported yesterday that building materials in June reached tine second highest monthly output reported since January, 1939. Index reached 152 for June, with the figure based on a 1939 monthly average of 100. June total was four per cent bet( Continued on Page 3) Balaban Sees High Costs, Foreign Uncertainty as Basic Distrib. Problems The nation's box office will give a good account of itself over the next year if the national income continues to maintain itself at recent high levels, Barney Balaban, Paramount president, told The Film Daily yesterday. He predicated his opinion on the assumption that those economists who are predicting continued high levels of production and employment will [ prove to be correct in their forecasts. The Paramount president declared that there was little cause for alarm BALABAN Stein Named Special E-L Rep. on Rank Productions Appointment of Fred Stein as Eagle Lion's sipecial representative for the roadshowing of "The, Red Shoes" and other forthcoming J. Arthur Rank releases in this country was announced yesterday by William J. Heineman, E-L vice-president in charge of distribution. Stein is an industry veteran of more than 25 years having had extensive experience in theater operation, sales and promotion. Japs Still Prefer Own Films Producers Come Back to Make WO a Year Zimanich Heads TV Film Procurement for CBS Net Josef Zimanich has been named manager of the CBS film procurement division in the network's television program department, Charles M. Underbill, director of programs, announced. Recently with Columbia (Continued on Page 3) Tokyo (By Air Mail) — Japan's film production industry, which in 1945 produced fewer than 50 features, has recovered to a point where it is capable of producing nearly 100 pictures a year, a survey indicates. Producers are jubilant in the enthusiastic reception by the Japanese populace of their output. In this connection, observers (Continued on Page 3) (Continued on Page 3) Successor to Gamble Said Still Wide Open Selection of a successor to TOA President Ted R. Gamble is "a vnde open affair," a spokesman for the organization said yesterday, vdth more than a dozen prominent exhibitor leaders considered as possibilities for the post. Election for the office will take place at the organization's forthcoming national convention in Chicago, Sept. 24-25. Gamble having indicated that the pressure of other activities will force him to turn down any offer of an( Continued on Page 31 Return Production To East — Wanger Producer Walter Wanger urged the revival of Eastern production at yesterday's press conference. He opined that Paramount's Long Island studio not only served as a balance wheel to Hollywood production, but many talented film makers were discovered in New York.