Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1941)

2 Motion Picture Daily Friday, September 26, 194 Coast Flashes Hollywood, Sept. 25 CHARLES P. SKOURAS will be inducted Monday night as Chief Barker of the newly organized Southern California Variety Club. Among those scheduled to come here for the ceremony are John H. Harris, national Chief Barker; R. J. O'Donnell, James G. Balmer, Virgil Jackson, Harry Ross, Paul Short and others active in the clubs. "Red" Skelton will be master of ceremonies. • Spencer Tracy will be starred in "Tortilla Flats," from the John Steinbeck novel, M-G-M announced today. Victor Fleming will direct. • Billy Leyser, formerly with several studios and more recently with Erpi, has been named business manager and public relations director for the Society of Motion Picture Art Directors. 20th-Fox Players Honored at Party Five 20th Century-Fox stars now in New York were honored at a cocktail party given by the company yesterday at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The guests of honor were Jack Benny, Carmen Miranda, Betty Grable, Ida Lupino and Carole Landis. Among those attending were Hermann Place, Herman Wobber, W. C. Michel, Terry Ramsaye, Leo Brady, William Sussman, Sydney Towell, William Clark, Irving Maas, Roger Ferri, Clarence Hill, A. M. Botsford. George Raft and Mary Livingstone. NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Rockefeller Center " L Y D I A " MERLE OBERON Released Thru United Artists ON THE STAGE: Russell Markert's spectacular and colorful Autumn Revue. Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Erno Rapee. 1st Mezzanine Seats Reserved Circle 6-4600 IN PERSON KEN MURRAY JUDY CANOVA MITCHELL AYRES and Band PARAMOUNT square MELVYN DOUGLAS RUTH HUSSEY ELLEN DREW Our Wife" TYRONE POWER "A YANK in the RAF." with BETTY CRABLE A 20th Century-Fox Picture ROXY PLUS A BIG STAGE SHOW 7th AVENUE 50th STREET Doors Open 9 a.m IPALACE«"'» t 1 25C7." To 1 P. M . ABBOTT and COSTELLO "HOLD THAT GHOST" & "UNEXPECTED UNCLE" Anne 8hirley — James Crairj — Chas. Coburn Personal Mention BARNEY BALABAN, Paramount president, went to Washington last night. • Lou Jackson, head of AngloAmerican Films, London, arrived from Lisbon on the Dixie Clipper yesterday. • W. A. Scully, Universal vicepresident and general sales manager, and William Heineman, assistant general sales manager, left for Chicago by plane last night and will make several other stops en route to the Coast. • Leonard Golde'nson, head of Paramount theatre operations, will return today from Philadelphia. AM. BOTSFORD, 20th Century• Fox advertising and publicity director, plans to leave for the Coast over the weekend. • Nate J. Blumberg, Universal president, is scheduled to arrive from the Coast by plane on Sunday. Walter Branson, Midwestern district manager for RKO, and Ray Nolan, St. Louis branch manager, are in town. A. A. Schubart, RKO exchange operations manager, is in Dallas and will visit New Orleans, Atlanta and Charlotte. SPG Files Petition For Rep. Employes The Screen Publicists Guild has filed a petition with the NLRB seeking designation as collective bargaining agency for publicists employed at the Republic home office, it was learned yesterday. The SPG previously had been designated by the NLRB for publicists employed at the home offices of the eight major companies, and negotiations with them are now in progress. The SPG claims a majority of the Republic employes as well. A special meeting of the Guild held Wednesday night at the Hotel Piccadilly heard Edward K. Flaherty, A.F.L. organizer, discuss the advantages of A.F.L. affiliation. The members had heard a CIO representatives present the CIO viewpoint at the previous meeting and has under consideration the question of affiliating with one of the two organizations or remaining independent. The Screen Guild Council of New York has recommended CIO affiliation. Robert Joseph, one of the Hollywood delegates to the recently concluded SPG convention here, spoke at the meeting. Pathe Film Holders Approve Stock Plan Pathe Film Corp. announced yesterday that holders of more than the required 662/2 per cent of the outstanding common stock have signified approval of the company's plan to exchange its holdings of duPont Film Manufacturing Corp. common for shares of E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. common and to dissolve Pathe Film. Kenneth M. Young, president of Pathe, said that sufficient proxies have been received by the management to be voted at the special meeting Oct. 1, assuring approval of the plan. 'Sundown' Opens in Los Angeles Oct. 16 The world premiere of "Sundown," Walter Wangcr production released by United Artists, will be held at the Four Star Theatre in Los Angeles on Oct. 16. Rep. Buys Two Stories Republic has announced the purchase of two original stories, "Spy Woman" by Lynn Mara, and "Look for the Woman" by Edward Steven. Both will go into production shortly, it is planned. Potwin, Acoustical Aide at Erpi, Dies Charles C. Potwiri, 33, acoustical consultant for Erpi and a staff writer for Better Theatres, Quigley Publications theatre equipment monthly, died yesterday at the Park East Hospital here after an illness of two weeks. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Bernice Jennings Potwin, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Julian Potwin. Potwin designed the architectural acoustics in a number of motion picture theatres and buildings around the country. He joined Erpi in 1929. He was treasurer of the Acoustical Society of America, and a member of SMPE and the Architectural League of New York. The funeral will be in Ivoryton. Conn., where he was born. To Delay Release Of 'Hellzapoppin' Jules Levey, head of Mayfair Productions, and Universal, which is releasing the film, have delayed the release date of the Mayfair film, "Hellzapoppin' " from Oct. 10 to the first week in November, at the request of Olsen and Johnson, stars of the film, to avoid conflict with two stage companies now on the road with the musical show. Powers Funeral Held Chicago, Sept. 25.— Funeral services were held here for Harry Powers, Jr., 47, son of the late theatre owner, who died last Sunday at Miami, after a long illness. He was at one time associated in the operation of the Illinois, Powers and Blackstone Theatres here. Three children survive. Mrs. Peskay Rites Today Funeral services for Gladys Welty Peskay will be held at the Knapp Memorial Chapel in Greenwich, Conn., at 4 P.M. today. She was the wife of Edward J. Peskay, Eastern sales representative for Hal Roach. She died on Wednesday. Texas Exhibitor Dies San Antonio, Sept. 25. — Word was received here of the death of Jack Bear, who had owned the Dorothy Theatre for many years in Henrietta, Tex., after a long illness. Funeral services were held in Nocona. UA Releases British Short Without Profit United Artists will release in the U. S. an English tworeel short subject, "A Letter from Home," directed by Carol Reed, on a non-profit basis, f Arthur W. Kelly, acting ' head, announced yesterday. Distribution will begin Oct. 3. Rental fees will be turned over to the British Government for the use of varljy war effort organizations. Johnson stars in the subject. 'Lydia' and 'Blues' Lead BVay Parade Broadway's big business this wee! was garnered by the Radio Musi Hall with "Lydia" and the Stram with "Navy Blues." The Music Hall film, presented wit1 a stage show, finished its first wee! Wednesday night with an impressiv, gross estimated at $99,000, and con tinues. "Navy Blues," with Eddi Duchin's orchestra and the "Nav; Blues Sextette" at the Strand rolle< up an estimated $45,000 for its initial week's tally, and also holds. In its third week, "Sun Valley Sere nade," with a stage show at the Roxy also made a good showing, with ai estimated $39,000. It makes way to day for "A Yank in the R.A.F." Anj other new picture, "Lady Be Good,' brought the Capitol an estimate $26,000 during the first week and wilj remain. At the Astor, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde" drew an estimated $12,200 fo its sixth week. "Smiling Ghost' opened at the Globe yesterday. "Icei Capades" started at the Criterioi Wednesday. Columbia's "Harmon o Michigan" is scheduled to open at thij Criterion next Thursday. Phila. Clearance Hearing Delayec Philadelphia, Sept. 25. — Hearing of the clearance complaint of A. M Ellis, operator of the Liberty, Camden, N. J., scheduled for Oct. 7, ha: been postponed at the local arbitratioi board to Oct. 17. MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered V. S. Patent Office) Published daily except Saturday, Sunday an< holidays by Quigley Publishing Company Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center New York City. Telephone Circle 7-3100 Cable address," Quigpubco, New York." Mar tin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher Colvin Brown, Vice-President and Genera 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; Leon Friedman. Manager; 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 ol March 3. 1879. Subscription rates per year $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign. Single copies 10c,