Harrison's Reports (1945)

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879. Harrison's Reports Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 SIXTH AVENUE Published Weekly by United States ?15.00 RnnmlRI? Harrison's Reports, Inc., U. S. Insular Possessions. 16.50 Koom lou Publisher Canada 16.50 New York 20, N. Y. P. S. HARRISON, Editor Mexico, Cuba, Spain 16.50 . .. _. . _ . . rre»t Britain IS 75 A Motion Picture Reviewing Service Australia New 'Zealand,' Devoted Chiefly to the Interests of the Exhibitors Established July 1, 1919 India, Europe, Asia ... . 17.50 ,. ., _ ,. _ _,. . ,. ■ . , ir. r v ts Edltorial Policy: No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial Circle 7-4622 6t>c a copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor. A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XXVII SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1945 No. 23 A Three-Page Shot in the Arm From all parts of the country exhibitors have been for twenty top-bracket pictures and twenty-four "B's." Before warding to this office copies of a telegram sent to them by we proceed further, let me give you a list of the pictures Abe Montague, general sales manager of Columbia Pic Columbia has thus far allocated to the top-twenty brackets, tures. It seems that Montague, while visiting the Columbia They are as follows: studios in Hollywood, became so elated about his company's 6001 Not set forthcoming productions that he felt the exhibitors should 6Q02 £^ ^ Night'. V. Fe°b. 22 share his enthusiasm, and he forthwith dispatched a three 60Q3 Together Again Dec. 22 page telegram to them, outlining his observations and in 6004 Not set forming the exhibitors of what the future held for them inso 6005 ' ' Not set far as his company's pictures were concerned. This is what 60Q6 CounterAttack ' .' .' .' .' .' .' .' .' .' ." .' .' .' .' .Apr. 26 he had to say, in part: 60Q7 Not set "Since arriving here few days ago have acquired con 6008 Not set siderable information I feel you should like to know about. 6009 Not set They tell me there is nothing of more interest to any theatre 6010 The Fighting Guardsman May 24 operator than really good pictures, and we now have finished 6011 Not set or in the process of shooting at our studio the greatest group 6012 Not set of pictures since we've been a producing and distributing 6013 Not set organization. For the 1944-45 season, and I am referring 6014 Eadie Was a Lady Jan. 23 only to top bracket pictures, we have 'A Thousand and 6015 Not set One Nights' in Technicolor . . . 'Over 21* . . . Rosalind 6016 Strange Affair Oct. 5 Russell ... in what we know will be an outstanding comedy 6017 Crime Doctor's Courage Feb. 27 entitled 'She Had to Say Yes.' These three 1944-45 pic 6018 Rough, Tough and Ready Mar. 22 tures will be released one a month starting in July. Also 6019 Leave it to Blondie Feb. 22 completed is 'Kiss and Tell' taken from the terrific stage 6020 Not set comedy still rocking the nation with laughter Cast includes Lack of gnts ug frQm ^ the »B„ Shirley Temple . Everyone who has seen this outstanding sgt {qj. rdease and allocated t0 the lower bracketSj but the film property, which will be sold separately and apart from , u .u . .u c . . c ,u j , r i ■ • i -ii i record shows that, thus far, nineteen out ot the promised the 1945-46 program, is or the opinion that it will stand . t • r u u j r j r, iiTf-i twenty-four have been delivered, out as one or the greatest comedies ever produced. It 1 am . ,. , wrong about this picture I will buy you and your friends a , The foregoing list shows that nine pictures have so far wine dinner at any place you name. . . ." be,e,n allocated to the top twenty brackets. To these may be added three more — Over 21, A Thousand and One Elsewhere in his telegram Montague tells the exhibitors Nights," and "She Had to Say Yes" (formerly titled "Some that shooting has been completed on "The Bandit of Sher Call it Love"), which Montague identifies in his telegram wood Forest," a Technicolor production starring Cornel as top bracket pictures for the 1944-45 season. This would Wilde, and in the process of shooting are "Pardon My Past," make a total of twelve. And of that number, not all are top with Fred MacMurray, and "The Renegades," a western productions; it is obvious that at least half of them, namely drama in Technicolor. These three pictures, says Montague, "The Fighting Guardsman," "Eadie Was a Lady," "Strange "are the lead-off pictures of our 1945-46 program." Affair," "Crime Doctor's Courage," "Rough, Tough and It would seem that Montague, through the aforemen Ready," and "Leave it to Blondie" are strictly low-budgeted tioned telegram, believed that it would be good psychology program pictures, which would be much more at home in to bring the 1944-45 season to a close by delivering a top the "B" brackets than in the higher film-rental brackets, bracket picture in each o'f the last three months, in order Nevertheless, since Columbia, through its "elastic thinking" that the exhibitors be put in a good frame of mind just prior policy, has seen fit to allocate these "B's" to the top-twenty to the start of his company's selling campaign on the 1945 brackets, in order to make up the total of twelve, there re 46 program. What he did not realize, however, was that the main eight top pictures still to come. But were will they come telegram would insult the intelligence of every thoughtful from? exhibitor in this country, for the very words that comprise Abe Montague admits in his telegram that, for the re the telegram constitute an admission that Columbia will once mainder of the 1944-45 season, and he specifically states that again renege on its promises to its customers. The facts speak he is referring only to top bracket pictures, Columbia will for themselves, and here they arc : deliver no more than three, which we have already included At the time Columbia announced its 1944-45 program, it in the total of twelve. The only other pictures tentatively promised a total of forty-four features, exclusive of westerns, set for release this season are "Boston Blackie's Rendezvous," and stated that "at least twenty top-flight films — the greatest "You Can't Do Without Love," "The Gay Senorita," and number ever offered in a single year by Columbia — will be "I Love a Bandleader." All are of "B" quality, produced produced, with a corresponding reduction in the number of on modest budgets. And in production, other than the picB pictures." In other words, the program was to consist of (Continued on last page)