Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1941)

2 Motion Picture Daily Friday, February 21, 1941 'John Doe' Premiere March 12 on Coast Hollywood, Feb. 20.— Warners announced today that the world premiere of "Meet John Doe" will be held March 12 at Warners' Hollywood on a reserved seat basis of $2.20 top. The regular run will start on the next day, continuing at the Hollywood and running also at the Downtown here, and in New York at the Rivoli and the 51st Street theatres. The opening of the picture in New York will follow the run of "Back Street" at the Rivoli. A celebrity premiere will usher in the regular showing of the picture in New York, it was announced this week by Gradwell L. Sears, general sales manager. Mort Blumenstock is directing a special campaign on the event. Executives Preview RKO Trenton House John J. O'Connor, vice-president in charge of RKO Theatres ; Fred Meyers, booking head, and Harry Mandel, publicity manager, will "preview" the new RKO Reade's Trent Theatre in Trenton, N. J., tonight, prior to the reopening of the house Saturday afternoon. RKO will handle booking and operation of the house. The theatre, jointly operated by RKO and Walter Reade, was remodeled by Thomas W. Lamb, architect. James Brennan is manager of the house. Walter Reade will be host at a cocktail party in Trenton Saturday evening, following the opening. U. S. Suit Lawyers Form Partnership Robert E. Sher and James V. Hayes, who as special assistant U. S. Attorneys General were active in the negotiations for a consent decree in the Government's New York antitrust suit against the major companies, have resigned and will engage in law practice as partners in Washington, it was learned yesterday. RESTAURANTS 1626 BROADWAY 1655 (Next to the Rivoli Theatre) (51st Street Corner) For over 20 years the luncheon and dinner plaee for Motion Picture People Sole agents in New York for FAMOUS BLUM'S ALMONDETTES from San Francisco, California Personal Mention GEORGE J. SCHAEFER, RKO president, is scheduled to arrive from the Coast by plane today, but will return to the studio in a few days. Joseph I. Breen, Production Code Administrator, is expected from the Coast tomorrow. Leonard Goldenson, Paramount home office theatre executive, will return from Florida early next week. Alexander Korda is expected to arrive from the Coast tonight or tomorrow. Steve Pallos, Korda's Eastern representative, arrived from the Coast yesterday. Louis Astor, Max Weisfeldt, Harry Cosman and Seymour Poe lunching yesterday at Lindy's (next to the Rivoli). • John D. Hertz, Jr., celebrated his birthday yesterday. M. A. ScHLESINGER, WlLLIAM F. Rodgers, Max Dreyfus, Harry Brandt, E. K. O'Shea, Oscar Doob, David Lipton, Max A. Cohen, William Orr, Adolph Zukor, John W. Hicks and George Skouras lunching yesterday at Nick's Hunting Room in the Astor. M ARTIN SMITH of Columbus, president of the I.T.O. of Ohio, is in town. • Max Fellerman, RKO Circuit executive, will leave with Mrs. Fellerman tomorrow for a three-week Southern cruise on the George W ashington. • Jules Lapidus, Eastern district sales manager for Universal, left yesterday with his family for a two-week vacation in Miami. Charles Schwartz has returned from United Artists conferences on the Coast. Haskell Masters, Nate Blumberg, Harry Gold, Joseph Pincus and George Burns lunching yesterday at Lindy's (51st St.). • William Grady, Clayton Bond, Frank Phelps, Charles Sonin, Boris Kaplan, Marcus Heiman, Max Gordon, Sylvia Sidney, Luther Adler, Ben Washer, Al Lewin and Arthur Loew lunching at Sardi's vesterdav. Bltdd Rogers, Ben Jennings, Jack Mills, Douglas Rothacker and Jeffrey Bernerd at the Tavern yesterdav for lunch. Robinson Farewell Luncheon Is Held Thomas Robinson, member of Loew's legal staff and step-son of Sidney Phillips of M-G-M's talent department, was given a farewell luncheon at Sardi's yesterday by associates. He is to be inducted into the army today. Attending were Phillips, Marvin Schenck, Al Altman, Sam Cohen, Irwin Margolies, William Melniker, William Orr, Benn Jacobson, William Deering, David Decker, Sidney Blumberg and others. Will Seek 'Slof Opinion Chicago, Feb. 20. — An opinion from the Corporation Counsel as to the powers of the Police censor board over coin-in-the-slot films will be requested in a few days by Police Commisioner James P. Allman, under whom the board operates. The board collects a license fee of $1 a reel on theatrical films. Joseph Heads Studio Ad Directors' Group Hollywood, Feb. 20. — John Joseph, Universal advertising and publicity director, today was elected chairman of the Publicity Directors' Committee here. He succeeds Harry Brand, studio publicity director for 20th Century-Fox, who completed his term of office. Robert Taplinger, chief of Warners' studio publicity, was elected vice-chairman. 'Wind' Starts Loew N. F. Runs March 6 "Gone With the Wind" will start popular price runs at the Loew Circuit in Greater New York starting March 6, it was announced by M-G-M yesterday. The picture will play a number of theatres where it had advanced price, reserved seat engagements last year. Freeman Honored at Coast Dinner Hollywood, Feb. 20. — Louis B. Mayer was host last night at a dinner honoring Y. Frank Freeman on his reelection as president of the Association of Motion Picture Producers, attended by ranking studio executives. At the party, held at M-G-M, Freeman was lauded by Mayer and other speakers for "leading the Association of Motion Picture Producers through one of the organization's most difficult years." Freeman, as a Paramount executive, and Cliff Work, Universal production executive, also were praised for being largely instrumental in the progress of their respective companies during the last year. Freeman received an ebony gavel from Mayer in tribute. Other speakers were Will H. Hays, Samuel Goldwyn, Harry Cohn, E. J. Mannix. George Schaefer, Cliff Work, Harry Warner and Mendel Silberberg. Also attending were Fred Beetson, Harry Brand, Pat Casey, William Goetz, B. B. Kahane, Jock Lawrence, J. R. McDonough, J. J. Nolan, Fred Pelton, Hal Roach, Darryl F. Zanuck, Howard Strickling, George Cohen, Herbert Freston, Jack Karp. E. J, Loeb and Alfred Wright. Newsreel Parade rJ1 HE return of Haile Selassie to ■*■ command his ozvn troops against the Italians in Ethiopia is accorded attention in all of the reels' weekend issues. Other war news is covered. Contents follow. MOVIETONE NEWS, No. 48 — Bp I troops capture fort in Libya. Haile 9^rt sie returns to Ethiopia. British exhiuit new fast convoy ships. Wendell Willkie with King George in London. Queen Elizabeth with gifts from the United States. Girls take under-water screen test in Florida. Rodeo in Phoenix, Ariz. Dodgers in training at Havana. DiMaggio starts training in San Francisco. Torgor Tokle wins ski meet in Washington. Ice-boating on Wisconsin lakes. NEWS OF THE DAY, No. 24&-Haile Selassie in Ethiopia. R.A.F. in action over Africa. Japanese mission eyes Indo China's lost city. First films of new British subchasers. Annapolis speeds training of pilots. Easter bonnets. Aquaplaning in Florida. Queen Elizabeth thanks Americans for gifts. PARAMOUNT NEWS, No. 51— Bombers for Britain inspected by British officer in Seattle. Queen Elizabeth examines clothing from the United States. Duke and Duchess of Windsor at benefit in the Bahamas. Selassie takes charge of Ethiopian troops. Nations assemble in Dominican Republic to weigh refugee problem. Dodgers start training in Havana. Baseball school run by Rogers Hornsby in Arkansas. Motorcycle race at Daytona Beach. RKO PATHE NEWS, No. 51— England's Queen inspects gifts from the United States. New destroyer joins American Navy. Air Corps studies captive balloons at Fort Bragg. N. C. U. S. Army works on camouflage art in Florida. Carnival in Tampa. Selassie reviews Ethiopian troops. Tin -Can Tourists hold convention in Florida. Under-water film tests in Florida. Scotch ice game growing in popularity. Jay Rand wins Lake Placid ski contest. UNIVERSAL NEWSREEL, No. 956— Haile Selassie in Ethiopia. Bombers for England inspected in Seattle. Camouflaged air shelters in Tampa. U. S. coin weights tested in Philadelphia. Irish setter has 10 pups. Under-water screen test in Florida. Carnival in Tampa. Dodgers in Havana. DiMaggio in training in San Francisco. Pancake-eating contest at Humboldt, la. Ice-boating in Wisconsin. Ski meet in Washington. E. C. Grainger on Tour E. C. Grainger, president and general manager of the Feiber & Shea circuit, has left on a tour of houses in Newark and Zanesville. O., and Wheeling, W. Va. He will return next week. 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, VicePresident; 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.