Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1941)

2 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, January 7, 1941 Coast Flashes Hollywood, Jan. 6 THE ACADEMY of M. P. Arts and Sciences today announced the election of John Aalberg, Farciot Edouart and Thomas T. Moulton as governors from the technicians' branch. The board meets tomorrow for election of officers. Screen Actors Guild over the weekend warned it would bar forever from membership any person who, after notice, performs in a production termed "unfair" by the Associated Actors and Artistes of America. The move was made, officials stated, to prevent the presentation of salacious plays by so-called amateur and nonprofit troupes organized by stage producers desirous of evading Equity regulations. Copies of the order were sent to the Los Angeles City Council and Police Commission which are now considering a local stage and film censorship law. • Election of officers by the A.M. P. P. will be held on Feb. 4, it was decided at a meeting today. John Zinn, of Paramount, was named to the committee to discuss with Screen Actors Guild recommendations of the standing committee of S.A.G. basic agreement for reduction of the number of extras and other moves calculated to increase their employment. Walter Wanger today accepted chairmanship of the Frank Capra 20th Anniversary Tribute Committee which is planning to honor the director for his contributions to the screen. The committee will meet tomorrow to set the nature and date of the tribute. • Al Lichtman and Howard Dietz, advertising and publicity director of M-G-M, arrived today. The latter will stay several weeks for conferences about future production campaigns. • W. Ray Johnston, Howard Stubins and George West leave by the Chief Wednesday for the St. Louis Monogram franchise holders' meeting Saturday. • Lou Pollack, Universal Eastern publicity head, will leave for New York by train tomorrow after 10 days of studio conferences. Bishop Honored at Pittsburgh Dinner Pittsburgh, Jan. 6. — Approximately 225 exhibitors and exchange men honored Burtus Bishop, Jr., tonight at a Variety Club testimonial dinner at the William Penn Hotel. Bishop has been named district manager for M-G-M in Kansas City. The speakers included Michael Shapiro, chairman; C. J. Latta, chief barker of the Variety Club; C. C. Kellenberger, Peter Dana, Arthur Levy, Abe Weiner, James Alexander, Harry Goldstein, Herbert Greenblatt, Harry Kalmine, John Harris, M. A. Rosenberg, Fred Beetle, Edgar Moss and Byron Stoner, new M-G-M manager here. Personal Mention ARTHUR PRATCHETT, Paramount manager for Central America, arrived in New York yesterday for a home office visit. He is scheduled to leave with John W. Hicks, Paramount vice-president and foreign manager, next Sunday for a tour of Mexico, Central and South America. • Joel Levy of the Loew home office booking department, is visiting the 14 Loew-Poli New England houses with Harry Shaw, division manager. • Lou Schaefer, manager of the Paramount, New Haven, and Mrs. Schaefer have announced the engagement of their daughter, Margaretha, to Carl Johnson of Glenbrook, Conn. Edward Sherwood, Ascap district manager in Baltimore, is nursing injuries suffered in a fall. • Ruth Smith, cashier at Warners' State, Philadelphia, is engaged to Jack Owens. • Abe Rovner, Philadelphia exhibitor, has left for a Florida vacation. • Isadore Litwin, assistant to the purchasing agent of the Stanley-Warner Theatres, Philadelphia, has resigned to enter the fur business. • Joseph R. Vogel, Max Weisfeldt, Harry Bernstein and Arche Mayer having lunch yesterday at Lindy's (next to the Rivoli). • Charles E. McCarthy, J. J. Unger, Max A. Cohen, Ted O'Shea, Sam Rinzler, Ralph Austrian, Maurice Bergman, Tom Connors and Russell Holman at Nick's Hunting Room in the Astor yesterday for lunch. • Darryl F. Zanuck, Clarence Eiseman, Maurice Silverstone, James Mulvey, Charles Stern and Harry Brandt having lunch yesterday at Lindy's (Slst St.). DAVID L. LOEW will leave the Coast today for conferences at the United Artists home office. His partner, Albert Lewin, will leave for the East on Friday. • Mrs. W. Ray Johnston, wife of the president of Monogram, is visiting in the East. Philip Ferces of the 20th CenturyFox exchange here and Martin Mullins of the home office will report for duty Jan. 27 with the 258th Field Artillery Medical Corps at Fort Ethan Allen, Burlington, Vt. • Moe Grassgreen, manager of the 20th Century-Fox Albany branch, is scheduled to leave next Monday for a two-week vacation in Miami Beach. • William Sussman, Eastern division manager for 20th Century-Fox ; Jack Sichelman, assistant sales manager, and I. J. Smertz, manager of the company's Cleveland branch, are in Miami on their annual vacations. • George A. Roberts, Mideast district manager for 20th Century-Fox, has returned to his headquarters in Cleveland after a vacation visit here. • Ira H. Cohn, manager of the 20th Century-Fox Pittsburgh branch, returns next Monday from a Miami Beach vacation. • Joseph Burstyn returned to his office yesterday after a three-week business trip to Cuba. • Mitchell Wolfson, co-owner of Wometco's Florida theatres, has been appointed a colonel by Governor Spessard Hollard. • George Dembow, Barney Balaban, Leonard Goldenson, Charles M. Reagan, Sylvia Sidney, Marcus Heiman. Lee Shubert, Harold Orlob, AIax Marcin, Arthur Loew, Jacob Wilk and Otto Preminger lunching yesterday at Sardi's. Zanuck Designated Signal Corps Officer Washington, Jan. 6. — Darryl F. Zanuck, vice-president in charge of production for 20th Century-Fox, today was made a lieutenant colonel in the Signal Corps Reserve and designated as a member of the Advisory Council to the Chief Signal Officer. Colonel Zanuck visited Washington today, en route from New York to the Coast. He conferred with Major General Joseph E. Mauborgne, Chief Signal Officer, with regard to training films being produced through the Research Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, of which Zanuck is chairman. William Blumenberg Dies Stroudsburg, Pa., Jan. 6. — William Blumenberg, former manager of the Stroud Theatre here and proprietor of Ye Saylor's Inn at Saylorsburg, Pa., died recently in the Stroudsburg General Hospital. He was a former vaudeville and circus performer. Korda Will Testify In Goldwyn Action Alexander Korda and the London Film Productions, Ltd., were ordered yesterday by Federal Judge Edward A. Conger to testify on Jan. 15 in the suit of Samuel Goldwyn against United Artists Corp. for cancellation of his contract with the defendant. The order provides that if Korda is not available in New York for the examination, his attorney is to notify the court by Jan. 10 and the examination will then proceed in the California District Court on Jan. 28. Kansas City Plans to Restrict Use of Signs Kansas City, Jan. 6. — At the request of the Park Board, the City Manager will not issue permits for operation of sound trucks on boulevards or park department driveways, or in parks. The board also has taken a stand against erection of signs or advertising banners across boulevards or driveways under Park Board supervision. Down to Earth Minneapolis, Jan. 6. A UNION squabble here JJ. threatened to leave the Minneapolis Auditorium with a dirt floor following Larry Sunbrock's rodeo. The contract did not provide for removal of the special dirt floor. When the rodeo personnel began the work, union employes protested. The union won. It removed the dirt floor. 'Africanus' Again Banned in Mexico Mexico City, Jan. 6. — "Scipio Africanus," the Italian-made picture which the Confederation of Mexican Workers banned two years ago on the ground that it is Fascist propaganda, a prohibition which the Confederation recently rescinded, without comment or explanation, has been banned again. This latest ban is the strike of attaches of the Cine Palacio, a leadinglocal house, on the eve of exhibition, after extensive and costly advertising and exploitation. The strikers, members of the National Cinematographic Workers Union, which is affiliated with the Confederation, were accused by exhibitors of sabotage with regard to "Scipio." It was reported that leaders of the union had declared that exhibition of this picture is unseemly for Mexico because it is outright Fascist propaganda and that Scipio is but a representation of Mussolini. The union denied the charges and declared the strike on the eve of exhibition was a coincidence. Settle Warner Action A stipulation settling the $150,000 damage suit brought by M. & G. Amusements, Inc., against Warners has been filed in U. S. District Court here. The plaintiff claimed that it sold the rights to the play "Sh ! The Octopus" for a silent picture and Warners subsequently made a talking film without the plaintiff's consent. Grainger Due Jan. 15 James R. Grainger, president of Republic, is due at the home office on Jan. 15, after stopovers en route from the Coast at Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis and Indianapolis. 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.