Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1941)

2 Motion Picture Daily Monday, January 6. 1941 Jarratt En Route on Confidential Mission London, Jan. 5. — Arthur Jarratt, head of the Gaumont British Circuit, and chief of the Royal Naval Film Corp., is en route to the United States by boat. His visit is confidential, and the purpose of his trip is unknown here. Barney Balaban Will Be Honored by Ampa Barney Balaban, Paramount president, will be guest speaker at the next Ampa open meeting, to be held on Thursday at 12 :4S P.M., at the Hotel Edison. On the dais at the meeting, in addition to Balaban, will be: Adolph Zukor, Paramount board chairman ; Stanton Griffis, chairman of the executive committee ; Austin C. Keough, vice-president and secretary ; and John W. Hicks, Jr., vice-president and foreign manager. Jean Hersholt and Osa Massen also will be Ampa guests at the luncheon meeting, according to Leon Bamberger, Ampa president. Metzel Rites Held Philadelphia, Jan. 5. — Funeral services were held today for George W. Metzel, 64, prominent in theatrical circles and former manager of the Erlanger, who died last Thursday. He was also local representative of the Actors Fund of America. His wife survives. Personal AL LICHTMAN, vice-president of Loew's, left by train Friday night for the Coast after home office conferences. Howard Dietz, M-G-M director of advertising and publicity, accompanied him. • Herman Robbixs, president of National Screen Service, returns today from a Miami Beach vacation. • Mr. and Mrs. Max A. Cohen leave for California about Jan. 15. They will visit in Dallas on the way. Edward Sauxders, M-G-M Western division manager, has left for a tour of his territory which will culminate in Los Angeles. He will be gone about three weeks. Charles K. Stekx, assistant treasurer of Loew's, is due back from Honolulu at the end of the week. • Hal Horne, vice-president of Walt Disney Prod., returned from Chicago over the weekend. • Stanley Hand, Altec staff representative, is vacationing in Florida. M . P. Bookers to Install The newly elected officers of the Motion Picture Bookers Club will be installed tonight at a dinner at the Cafe Loyale. Members and guests will attend. Harold Klein is president of the organization. r ■ Mention CHARLES SKOURAS and Andy Krappiian of Fox West Coast Theatres return to the Coast this week. • John P. O'Leary, son of J. J. O'Leary, general manager of Comerford Theatres Corp., was married to Cecelia Frances May at St. Peter's Cathedral, Scranton, Pa., last week. Ben Washer spent the weekend in Boston looking at shows. • H. M. Richey, assistant to William F. Rodgers, M-G-M general sales manager, leaves this week for the studio, with stopovers en route. • Thad C. Barrows, president of the Boston operators' union, Local 182, was a weekend visitor here. • Louis de Rochemont, producer of the March of Time, has returned from his farm near Portsmouth, N. H.. where he spent the holidays. • Mrs. Fred Quatrano. wife of the owner of the Lido, Waterbury, Conn., has returned home after an operation at the Waterbury Hospital. Will Honor Pielow In Albany Jan. 13 Albany, Jan. 5. — A testimonial banquet for Ralph Pielow, newly appointed M-G-M branch manager at New York, and former branch manager here, will be held at the DeWitt Clinton Hotel here Jan. 13. Local theatre and distribution executives are sponsors of the testimonial. Clayton Eastman, Paramount branch manager, is chairman of the dinner committee. Arthur Newman, Republic branch manager, is treasurer. Members of the committee include M. J. Kallett, William Smalley, Moe Silver, Charles Smakwitz, Lou Golding and local exchange managers. 'Fantasia' Opens at Aldine, Phila., Feb. 7 Philadelphia, Jan. 5. — "Fantasia" will open at the Aldine here Feb. 7 on a reserved seat policy. The price scale is not set as yet. The house will go dark after the current run of "The Thief of Bagdad" for renovations and to install the sound system for "Fantasia." It is a United Artists house operated by Warners and leased to Walt Disney for an unlimited engagement of the picture. W. B. Ad Sales Drive Set A special advertising accessories sales drive is under way at Warners in conjunction with the "20th Year for Sears" sales drive now in progress. It will run 17 weeks, from Dec. 28 to April 19. PENTHOUSE AND ATTRACTIVE OFFICES AVAILABLE AT REASONABLE RENTAL 723 Seventh Ave. Inquire Supt. BRyant 9-6067 Committees Named In Paralysis Drive Sub-committees to handle the theatre participation of the New York Exchange Committee in the national drive against infantile paralysis, held in conjunction with the President's Birthday, were appointed on Friday at a meeting at the Hotel Astor. A total of 1,180 theatres, circuit and independent, in the New York exchange territory will participate in the one-week drive, starting Jan. 16. Harry Brandt is chairman of the committee ; C. C. Moskowitz, co-chairman, and Si Fabian treasurer. Committee chairmen in the various areas include : Manhattan — Martin Levine and Leo Brecher ; Bronx — Laurence Bolognino and Joseph Katsh ; Brooklyn — Sam Rinzler and David Weinstock ; Queens — Frank Moscato and Sam Strausberg ; Long Island and Staten Island — Si Fabian ; Upstate — Max A. Cohen; New Jersey — J. J. Thompson and Harry Hecht. Boxes to be placed in the lobbies and other parts of the theatres will be supplied for the contributions of patrons. In addition a one-minute trailer, starring Spencer Tracy, for insertion in the newsreels, will be supplied, and 300,000 buttons have been struck off to be given to contributors. Hays to Coast for Producers' Meeting Will H. Hays, president of the M.P.P.D.A., will leave for the Coast at the end of this week to attend the annual meeting of the Association of Motion Picture Producers later this month. The adjourned meeting of the M.P.P.D.A. board tomorrow, at which Hays is expected to preside, will conclude the final quarterly sessions begun Dec. 15. Elson Named Chief of Trans-Lux Houses Norman B. Elson, general sales manager of Film Alliance of the U.S., has been appointed general manager of Trans-Lux Theatres, Major L. E. Thompson, president of Trans-Lux Movies Corp., announced over the weekend. The position is a newly created one. Elson will retain his Film Alliance post. MOTION PICTURE DAILY {Registered U. S. Patent Office) Published daily except Saturday, Sunday and holidays by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York City. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address, "Quigpubco, New York." Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Colvin Brown, Vice-President and General Manager; Watterson R. Rothacker, Vice President; Sam Shain, Editor; Alfred L. Finestone, Managing Editor; James A. Cron, Advertising Manager; Chicago Bureau, 624 South Michigan Avenue, C. B. O'Neill, manager; Hollywood Bureau, Postal Union Life Building, William R. Weaver, Editor; London Bureau, 4 Golden Square, London Wl, Hope Williams, manager, cable address "Quigpubco, London." All contents copyrighted 1941 by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc. Other Quigley publications: Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres, International Motion Picture Almanac and Fame. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 23. 1938; at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign. Single copies 10c. "DON'T BE SHY. JUNIOR!" Cesar Romero, as the Romeo of the rackets, solves crisis in lives of new-found wards. TALL, DARK and HANDSOME 2oth's natural ! . . . loaded with laughs ! thrills ! tunes !