Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1941)

2 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Thursday, March 13, 1941 Coast Flashes Personal Mention Hollywood, March 12 D RESIDENT AVILA CAMACHO 1 of Mexico today telegraphed James Roosevelt a formal invitation to open his "Pot p' Gold" in Mexico City for the first Pan-American world premiere. April 12, and Roosevelt accepted. The President's message, transmitted through Secretary of State Aleman of Mexico, stressed the cordial relations between the republics. The exchange of wires brings to a final phase the plans already made known for flying studio and press groups from Hollywood to the Mexican capital for the premiere. • Don Ameche today signed a longterm contract to appear on the Kraft Music Hall show Thursday evenings on the NBC-Red. He will be an addition to Bing Crosby, Bob Burns and other regulars. • Paramount today announced that "Louisiana Purchase," B. G. DeSylva's Broadway show which it recently purchased, will be filmed in Technicolor. DeSylva heads Paramount production. British Trade Hits New Reserve Lists London, March 12. — Representatives of all branches of the industry will meet with the British Minister of Labor tomorrow to ask reconsideration of the new reserve occupation listing, which it is feared will accentuate the industry's already acute shortage of technicians. The new plan, to take effect April 1, will raise the age for reserve occupations as follows: projectionists, 35 ; painters, plasterers, carpenters and electricians, 35. Non-craft workers have been eliminated from the reserve listings entirely. It is estimated the new rules will affect 3,000 projectionists and 1,500 studio technicians. Cleveland Trade to Entertain Shut-ins Cleveland, March 12. — Local exchanges, the operators' union and the Cleveland Variety Club are cooperating 'to provide a series of film programs for shut-ins in Cleveland hospitals and institutions. Mrs. Georgia Moffet of the Variety Club is booking the films, which will be presented at 55 agencies. The union will donate the services of two operators for each showing. /V Y Budget Passes With Censor Fees Albany, March 12. — Tax imposed on original film and prints when submitted for licensing to the New York State censor was continued today under the State budget passed both by the Assembly and Senate. Xo new tax levies were made and the one per cent emergency impost on personal income taxes will be dropped in 1942. RKO Signs Garnett Hollywood, March 12. — Tay Garnett has been signed by RKO to direct "Unexpected Uncle," an Erich Pommer production from the Liberty Magazine serial by Eric Hatch. BARNEY BALABAN returned from Florida yesterday. He was accompanied from Washington by Arthur Israel, his assistant. • Maurice Bergman, 20th CenturyFox advertising manager, was home with a cold yesterday. • Hal Horne, vice-president and Eastern representative of Walt Disney Productions, returned from the Coast yesterday. • George Beattie, recently appointed sales manager of the Paramount Philadelphia exchange, became the father of a son last week. • George A. Nevin, manager of the Capitol in Danville, Pa., has been elected chairman of the Danville Chapter of the American Red Cross. • Maxwell Weinberg, manager of the Little Theatre in Baltimore, and Martha Berman were married early this week. • George Weber of M-G-M's New Haven exchange, has gone to Cleveland. • Lawrence Wynne of the Comerford Theatre, Scranton, Pa., has entered the Army. Maurice Silverstone, Lou Pollock, Hank Linet, Marvin Schenck, Dave Lipton, Mort Wormser Tess Michael, Edward McEvoy, J. H. Hoffberg, Jeffrey Bernerd, Henry Jaffe and Jack Mills lunching at the Tavern yesterday. Hammons Plans to Re-enter Production Work is scheduled to start within the next two weeks at Eastern Service Studio on the first of a short subject series to be known as "Hands of Destiny," Earle W. Hammons, formerly head of Educational Pictures, announced yesterday as part of his plans to return to active production in the East. Al Christie will direct. Hammons also plans to produce a feature on the Coast, he said. No release arrangements have been made yet for the shorts and he is negotiating financing for the feature. The story for the latter has been purchased, he said. Lustig Is Publicity Head for Goldwyn Hollywood, March 12. — Myron Lustig, for seven years publicity and advertising director for M-G-M in Australia, has been named publicity and advertising director for Samuel Goldwyn, effective this week. Acquires British Film American rights to the two-reel documentary film, "Battle of London," have been acquired by Mack Littman. The film depicts London before, during and after the heaviest bombardments, and commentary is by Frank Philips, B. B. C. commentator. The subject was reviewed from London in Motion Picture Herald of Jan. 11 under the title, "London's Got Grit." ARTHUR M. LOEW, M-G-M vice-president in charge of foreign activities, is scheduled to return to his office today following a Coast visit. • Monroe Greenthal, David Weshner, Clarence Eiseman, Sam Shain, Emanuel Silverstone, Harry Kosiner, Edward Peskay, Al Margolies and Lou Weinberg having lunch at Lindy's (next to the Rivoli) yesterday. • Laudy Lawrence, Mort Spring, Joseph Rosthal, William Melniker, David Blum, Henry Krecke, I. E. Lopert, Lester Fuller, Charles Sonin, Sidney Phillips, Harry Thomas, George Hale, Dennis King, Clayton Bond and Frank Phelps at Sardi's yesterday for lunch. • Lowell Calvert, Russell Holman, Morris Kinzler, Charles E. McCarthy, John Bvram, George Skouras, William Morris, Jr., Stanton Griffis, E. K. O'Shea, John W. Hicks, George Weltner, Ed Saunders, Oscar Doob, Louis Nizer and Max A. Cohen lunching yesterday at Nick's Hunting Room in the Astor. • William Brandt, Fredric March, Louis Bernstein, Martin Moskowitz and Arthur Gottlieb having lunch vesterdav at Lindv's (51st St.) • Arthur Hornblow. Jr.. is due today from the Coast. • Ruth Goldberg, cashier at the RKO New Haven exchange, is visiting in Washington. Reade Honored by RKO Circuit Heads Walter Reade, Sr., was tendered a luncheon at the Rockefeller Center Luncheon Club yesterday by officials of RKO Theatres on the occasion of completion of alterations on the RKO Trent at Trenton, and the breaking of ground today for the new RKO theatre in Trenton. Reade, some of whose houses are pooled with RKO in New Jersey, was presented a watch by Malcolm Kingsberg, vice-chairman of the K-A-O board. A gift also was presented to Walter Reade, Jr., who enters the Army tomorrow. Others present were J. J. O'Connor, Leon Goldberg, Fred Meyers, L. E. Thompson, Alex Reoch, J. M. Brennan, Richard Huber, Allan Wolf and Charles Bryan. Universal Corp. Reelects Directors All retiring directors of Universal Corp., parent company of Universal Pictures, were reelected at the annual meeting of stockholders at the home office yesterday. Those reelected are : N. J. Blumberg, Paul G. Brown, D. C. Collins, J. Cheever Cowdin, Preston Davie, Peyton Gibson, Ottavio Prochet, Charles D. Prutzman, J. Arthur Rank, Budd Rogers, Daniel M. Schaeffer and W. H. Taylor, Jr. Wis. Senate Kills Daylight Time Bill Madison, Wis., March 12.— After twice being revived, the Wisconsin Senate has finally killed the Murray Daylight Saving measure. Variety Club Party Committees Add^f) Additional committees on arrangements for the National Variety Clubs convention, to be held in Atlantic City, May 15-17, have been appointed by John H. Harris, national chief barker. The appointments include those of George F. Dembow as chairman of the trailers and short subjects committee ; Earle W. Sweigert, chairman of the banquet committee; Harry Kalmine, chairman of the printing supplies committee, and Frank Gravatt, chairman of the pier and theatre courtesies committee. Members of the publicity committee are: Charles E. Lewis, chairman; Maurice Kami, co-chairman : James Cunningham, Abel Green, Chester Bahn, Sam Shain, Eli Sugarman, Ray Lewis, Herb Miller, Arthur Ungar. William Wilkerson, Mo Wax, Lionel Toll, Welford Beaton, P. S. Harrison and James Finn. Tentative program arrangements call for a meeting of national officers and canvassmen on opening day, May 15, with a luncheon and fishing and boating party that afternoon, and boxing and wrestling matches at night. The main business session will run all day May 16. followed by a lobster dinner and night club party and entertainment. On the final day a golf tournament and boardwalk pageant is scheduled, with the farewell banquet following. Washington Club To Honor Berger Washington, March 12. — Rudolph Berger, M-G-M exchange manager, will be honored at a Variety Club testimonial dinner April 7 celebrating his 30th anniversary in the film industry. Sam Wheeler, head of the 20th Century-Fox exhange, is ticket chairman for the event, which will be held at the Willard Hotel. Sidney Lust is general chairman. 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 Genera' 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; Leon Friedman, Manager; London Bureau. 4 Golden Square, London Wl ; Hope Williams, Manager, cable address "Quigpubco. London." All contents copyrighted 1941 bv Quigley Publishing Company. Inc. 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