FilmIndia (1948)

AT HOME AND ABROAD THE FIGHT IN CELLULOID Calcutta, Dec. 29. According to the United Press of India, a film dealing with the long history of the Freedom movement of India is being prepared in Calcutta under the auspices of the Calcutta Police Club. The film is to cover a span of 200 years beginning with the first planting of the Union Jack in India fol;owing the battle of Plgssey in 1757 and ending with the estab'i:hment of Free India on the menorable August 15, 1947. It will depict various phases of the Congress movement and the activities )f the revolutionary riid terrorist Darties and will also include sceles of the exploits of the Azad rlind Government and the activiies of Xetaji Bose. SMOKING IN CINEMAS? Bombay, Jan. 2. The Bombay Municipal Corwration is shortly inviting the attention of the Commissioner of Police "to the great inconvenience caused to the public by the clouds of smoke from cigars, cigarettes and pipes that lie thick and lead almost to suffocation in local cinemas when a show is on and all the entrances and exits are closed", and requesting the Police Commissioner to consider the desirability of entirely prohibiting smoking in Cinemas. "GOOD DAY, LANDRU!" Paris, Jan. 13. M. Henri Verdoux, a bank clerk in Paris has filed a complaint requesting that Charlie Chaplin's latest film "'Monsieur Verdoux" be banned from Paris cinemas outright or at least its title role be renamed as the picture's hero's name is also M. Henri Verdoux and he too happens to be a bank clerk, played by Chaplin himself, whose special pleasure is killing wives. Taunted, by the duplicity of names linking the film charac ter with the real life Verdoux, the latter threatens, failing satisfaction, to sue for damages on the grounds of '"moral prejudice". "I was living happily until a few months ago when one of my colleagues greeted me with 'good day Landru'," -aid M. Verdoux, who tolerated his colleagues' taunts for several weeks until a large poster advertising the film was placed opposite the bank where he works. There was nothing left for him to do but to appeal to justice. The film is about Landru the notorious criminal seducer who also wrs a bank clerk. Final judgment on the case is eagerly awaited in Paris. IPTA'S DECISION Ahmedabad, Dec. 30. The fifth All-India Conference of the Indian People's Theatre Association which met here during X mas passed a resolution saying "The last remnants of British imperialism working in allipncc with the feudai princes and the vested interests are the enemies of the people and. therefore, the enemies of our culture. In fighting them Ave shall be a 'so defending our culture and bui'ding a cultural movement that sha'l live up to our moft ancient traditions, and carry forward our great heritage, the greatest heritage in Asia." FLIRTING FOR BUSINESS! Washington, Jan. 5. Mr Eric Johnston, President of the tinted States Motion Picture Association, said here that he would fly to India and Pakistan in February after conferences with government leaders in London. Paris and Rome. Mr. Johnston will meet Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Xehru at Xew Delhi and Mr. M. A. Jinnah at Karachi. SLUMP IN HOLLYWOOD Hollywood, Jan. 8. A slump in Hollywood has caused 16,000 unemployed film workers, who queue in long lines, to claim unemployment insurance benefit. They are reported to be losing over $250,000 a week in wages. Vijaylaxmi provides sex-appeal in 'Shanti", a social story produced by Firdaus Art Productions. 51