Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1941)

6 Motion Picture Daily Thursday, May 15, 1941 Feature Reviews "The Great Swindle" (Columbia) V\7"ORDS are substituted for action for the most part in this film, * » whose sole concern is an arson investigation. It follows two insurance adjusters, Jack Holt and Don Douglas, in their relentless and at times, tedious effort to prove that the warehouse fire in question was the work of arsonists and ultimately to expose the perpetrators. The melodrama is dry with comedy and romance virtually non-existent. Jonathan Hale, Henry Kolker, Douglas Fowley, Sidney Blackmer, Tom Kennedy and Marjorie Reynolds have supporting parts and serve their purpose adequately in spite of dialogue which is not always smooth. In the story, Holt and Douglas finally discover that Kolker, head of a trust company, instigated the fire so that he might take over the insurance company which covered the warehouse, and which is pressed for funds. Larry Darmour produced and Lewis D. Collins directed. Running time, 52 minutes. "G"* "Redhead" (Monogram) Hollywood, May 14 MONOGRAM'S "Redhead" was intended to be a light farce, yet with all the elements necessary for that type of picture embodied in it, it turns out to be a rather heavy-footed comedy never developed to its fullest extent. Starring June Lang and Johnny Downs, both of whom labor with their material, the film contains much trite dialogue. The plot has a girl, just acquitted of murder (whom and why she killed are not disclosed), and a young wastrel marry in an effort to extort $20,000 from the boy's wealthy father. The father refuses to pay off to break the marriage and the girl makes a side deal to reform the youth. They continue their marriage and really fall in love, the youth reformingEric Blore supplies the comedy relief, with support including Weldon Heyburn, Anna Chandler, Frank Jaquet, Zarova, Baron Emerson, Harry Burns and Donald Thompson. I. E. Chadwick produced the film with Herman Wohl as his associate. It was directed by Edward Cahn. Running time, 64 minutes. "G."* Vance King 'Serenade' Is Boston's Lead With $33,200 Boston, May 14. — "The Penny Serenade" and "Trial of Mary Dugan" at Loew's Orpheum and Loew's State drew $18,800 and $14,400, respectively, for a total of $33,200. Estimated receipts for the week ending May 7-9 : "Roar of the Press" (Mono.) "The Invisible Ghost" (Mono.) KEITH BOSTON — (3,200) (28c-33c-44c55c-65c) 7 days. Vaudeville including Low Walters Gay Nineties Revue, Hal Le Roy, Moore and Revel, Sarah Ann McCabe and Harry Spear. Gross: $9,500. (Average, $8,000) "The Devil and Miss Jones" (RKO) "They Met in Argentina" (RKO) KEITH MEMORIAL — (2,907) (28c-33c44c-55c) 7 days. Gross: $13,700. (Average, $16,000) "Pot O' Gold" (U. A.) "The Penalty" (M-G-M) METROPOLITAN — (4,367) (28c-39c-44c55c) 7 days. Gross: $13,900. (Average, $15,500) "The Wagons Roll at Night" (W. B.) "Las Vegas Nights" (Para.) PARAMOUNT— (1,797) (28c-39c-44c-55c) 7 days, 2nd run. Gross: $8,000. (Average, $7,500) "The Wagons RoU at Night" (W. B.) "Las Vegas Nights" (Para.) FENWAY — (1,320) (28c-39c-44c-55c) 7 days, 2nd run. Gross: $4,600. (Average, $4,500) "That Night in Rio" (20th-Fox) "Shadows on the Stairs" (W. B.) SCOLLAY — (2,500) (28c-39c-44c-55c) 7 days, 3rd run. Gross: $4,300. (Average, $4,000) "Penny Serenade" (Colo.) "Trial of Mary Dugan" (M-G-M) LOEW'S STATE— (3.000) (28c-33c-44c-55c) 7 days. Gross: $14,400. (Average, $12,000) "Penny Serenade" (Colo.) "Trial of Mary Dugan" (M-G-M) LOEW'S ORPHEUM— (2,900) (28c-33c-44c55c) 7 days. Gross: $18,800. (Average, $17,500) 'One,' Tucker Band $7,200, Kansas City Kansas City, May 14. — "You're the One," plus Orrin Tucker and his hand and Bonnie Baker on the stage of the Tower, drew $7,200. "The Great Lie" also took $7,200 at the Newman in a week of generally slow business. Estimated receipts for the week ending May 6-11 : "Man Made Monster" (Univ.) "Horror Island" (Univ.) ESQUIRE-(SOO) (28c-44c) 5 days. Gross: $1,400. (Average, 5 days, $1,600) "That Hamilton Woman" (U. A.) "The Trial of Mary Dugan" (M-G-M) MIDLAND— (3,600) (28c-44c) 7 days. Gross: $7,000. (Average, $9,500) "The Great Lie" (W. B.) NEWMAN— (1,900) (28c-44c) 7 days. Gross: $7,200. (Average, $7,000) "Adam Had Four Sons" (Col.) "They Met in Argentina" (RKO) ORPHEUM— (1.500) (28c-44c) 7 days. Gross: $3,000. (Average, $5,000) "You're the One" (Para.) TOWER— (2,200) (30c) 7 days. Stage show: Orrin Tucker and band; Bonnie Baker. Gross: $7,200. (Average. $6,000) "Man Made Monster" (Univ.) "Horror Island" (Univ.) UPTOWN— (2,000) (28c-44c) 5 days. Gross: $1,800. (Average, 5 days, $2,000) Hamilton Bans Carnival Hamilton, O., May 14. — The Sheesley Carnival, booked to play the Fair Grounds here this week, arrived Monday, but was refused a license by County Auditor R. H. Smith, whose action was based on complaints of local merchants that their business in the past has been seriously affected by amusements of this nature. *"G" denotes general classification. Canada Film Board Abolition Expected Toronto, May 14. — The first step toward the abolition of the National Film Board created two years ago by act of Parliament is seen in the move for the appointment of Leonard W. Brockington of Winnipeg as deputy minister in the External Affairs Department, in a reorganizati^ of the film and publicity branches of the Dominion Government and the Bureau of Public Information. The board was created under strong protest as an unnecessary luxury in view of the then existing Government Motion Picture Bureau. Brockington is now assistant to Premier MacKenzie King. The official announcement regarding the shakeup and the appointment of Brockington will be made in a few days. The recent trip to Hollywood of John Grierson of London, who has been filling the post of Film Commissioner, is regarded as an indication of important changes in which Grierson is involved. New Conn. Company Hartford, May 14. — The Lampert Theatre of Windsor, Inc., operator of the Windsor Theatre, has been formed here with Louis M. Gordon of Boston, president, Arthur H. Lockwood of Boston, treasurer, and Diane Goldman of New Haven, secretary. Receiver Is Named On Cincinnati Strand Cincinnati, May 14.— Common Pleas Judge Alfred Mack has appointed Harry Abrams as receiver for Strand Enterprises, Inc., operating the Strand office building and Strand Theatre, in the downtown business sector, upon application of the Delta Realty Co., in a suit in which judgment for $2,856 also is asked. The petition points out that the defendant company negotiated a 10-year lease for the property March 1, 1938, at total rental of $260,000, payable in weekly installments of $500 each, but is in arrears for $2,690 as rent to April 30. It further sets forth that since the death in March of William H. Vollman, president of defendant company, "the business has been greatly interrupted and it has been impossible to maintain operation thereof in a profitable manner." Keith Drops Company Albany, May 14. — B. F. Keith Corp. has filed papers here indicating a merger with Haton Theatre Corp. At the RKO home office it was explained that this merely disposes of the corporate existence of the Haton company, which nominally operated the RKO Hamilton Theatre in Manhattan. U.S. Decision Soon On Schine Priority Buffalo, May 14. — A definite decision will be made by the Government within the next few days as to whether or not it will elect to try the Schine Circuit anti-trust suit first, Assistant U. S. Attorney General Seymour Simon told Federal Judge John Knight today. Knight said that the present pla'1 of the Department of Justice is to ^ the Crescent Amusement Co. arr^ trust suit in Nashville Federal court first, but added that the Department still is considering the advisability of making the Schine case the first to be tried. The Crescent suit is on the Nashville court calendar for July 7 and Judge Knight already has advised Simon that, if the Government elects to try the Schine case first, no date can be obtained here before September. Judge Knight also has stated that he will not require Columbia, United Artists and Universal, which are defendants in both cases, to defend two suits simultaneously. Ticket Supply Led to Canadian Tax Delay Toronto, May 14. — Insistence on the part of the theatre companies to use Federal Amusement Tax tickets under the war budget measure of the Dominion Government was the cause of the postponement of the effective date of the 20 per cent until next Monday. Circuit executives felt that the use of a tax ticket was essential in order to impress upon the general public that the theatres were not boosting the price of admission for their own profit, the coupons being a constant reminder that theatre patrons were helping to finance the war effort by attendance at film entertainment. When Finance Minister Ilsley formally announced the new tax he omitted to state when it became effective. The move came as a surprise to the theatres and they, too, were unprepared to take immediate steps to collect the new assessment. But the date of May 19 was finally designated, after some negotiations, for the start of the tax, one point being stressed that tax tickets were necessary and that these could not be printed in millions overnight. A few exhibitors in small centers took it upon themselves to inaugurate the tax and placed signs in lobbies to announce the new scale of admissions. 'Ziegfeld' $5,900; Cleveland Is Dull Cleveland, May 14. — "Ziegfeld Girl," earning $5,900 in its second week at Loew's Stillman, was the leader here as the slump continued. Estimated receipts for the week ending May 8-9: "The Great Lie" (W. B.) ALLEN— (3,000) (33c-39c-47c) 7 days, 3rd week. Gross: $2,100. (Average, $4,000) "Penny Serenade" (CoL) WARNERS' HIPPODROME — (3,800) (33c-39c-47c) 7 days. Gross: $10,000. (Average, $11,000) "The Wagons Roll at Night" (W. B.) RKO PALACE — (3,100) (33c-47c-55c) 7 days. Stage: Gypsy Rose Lee. Gross: $13,300. (Average, $13,500) "That Hamilton Woman" (U. A.) LOEWS STATE— (3,500) (33c-39c-47c) 7 days. Gross: $10,400. (Average, $11,000) "Zieefeld Girl" (M-G-M) LOEW'S STILLMAN — (1,900) (33c-39c47c) 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $5,900. (Average, $4,000)