Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1941)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Off the Antenna MUTUAL yesterday called a meeting of managers of the 125 stations which will carry the Cocoa-Cola show, to be held in Atlantic City Thursday and Friday. The program will start on the network Nov. 3. Officials of the network, the sponsor and the D'Arcy advertising agency will discuss publicity, dealer tieups and promotion. John T. Vorpe, formerly with WHK and WTAM, both in Cleveland, has been named to a newly created post of program service supervisor, and will concentrate on the Coca Cola show. The station managers will also hold a meeting to consider general network problems. • • • Purely Personal: W ally Butterworth yesterday went to the Fort Sanders Hospital, Knoxville, Tenn., until ptomaine poisoning. Bill Divens, WBT, Charlotte, announcer , substituted for him on the "Vox Pop" show last night. . . . Alan Courtney, conductor of the "1130 Club" over WOV, has been signed for a number of musical shorts by Paramount. . . . Phil Cohen has joined WNYC as director of production and acting program director. . . . Dr. Harry J. Skornia has resigned as assistant professor at DePamu University to join WIRE, Indianapolis, as program manager. . . . Richard Eaton will join Mutual Friday to start a series of five-times-weekly commentaries over the network. • • • Bob Trout, CBS special events announcer and commentator, will leave for London by clipper Oct. 14 to act as the network's European news head while Edward R. Murrow takes a vacation. Murrow will remain with Trout until November and then will leave for a visit of several months in this country. • • • NBC yesterday reported that it had broadcast a total of 627 defense programs over the Red and Blue networks in the six-month period ended July 31. NBC itself prepared 180 of these. Of the others 15 were presented with the cooperation of the U. S. Treasury; 10, War Department; 12, Navy Department; 222, Government administrative agencies; 153, special organizations, and 35, various service groups. The Red carried 154 of these shows and 473 were broadcast by the Blue. In addition, WEAF and WJZ carried 60 individual broadcasts and 1,063 spot announcements for defense. Of the spots, 542 were concerned with recruiting ; 491, Defense Bonds, and 12 for Red Cross Reserve, nurse recruiting and blood bank appeals. • • • Program News: WENR, Chicago, has obtained exclusive rights to Sunday and Thursday home hockey games of the Chicago Black Hawks. . . . Lever Bros, will resume "Big Town" with Edward G. Robinson over 53 CBS stations tomorrow 8-8:30 P.M. . . . NBC Symphony concerts will be shortwaved to Latin America by NBC. Announcements will be made in Portuguese' and Spanish. 14 AFM Restriction on RCAF Bands Scored Ottawa, Oct. 6.— W. T. Burford, secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Federation of Labor, strongly condemns the action of the Toronto local of the American Federation of Musicians in attempting to impose restrictions on broadcasting and recordings by Royal Canadian Air Force bands. "This is not the first time this union has shown its indifference to patriotic endeavors in this country," Burford asserted, recalling the union had attempted recently to interfere with the use of a military band at a military funeral. The Toronto local had banned use of the RCAF and Royal Canadian Mounted Police bands from the CBC network and from making recordings for use overseas. CBC officials declared that the local had threatened to cut off all exchange features with CBS, NBC and Mutual if military bands were used on CBC. A Government source disclosed that the Toronto local had demanded $12,000 in extra wage allowances if radio programs were to be transcribed for shipment to troops overseas. American Federation of Musicians headquarters in New York refused comment on the Canadian situation, stating that the matter was entirely in the hands of its Canadian representatives. W.B. Circuit Shifts Chicago Zone Men Chicago, Oct. 6. — A' number of manager changes have been made by the Warner Circuit in this zone. Al Blasko goes from manager of the Parthenon, Hammond, Ind., to manager of the Oriental Milwaukee ; Jerry MacWhorter, former manager of the Hamilton, Chicago, is now manager of the Tower, Milwaukee ; Harry Mintz, manager of the Paramount, Hammond, moves to manager of the Parthenon, Hammond, and Ray Dunn, manager of the Orpheum, Hammond, becomes manager of the Paramount, Hammond ; Tom Bonk, assistant manager of the Parthenon, moves to manager of the Orpheum, Hammond ; Waldon Ryan, assistant manager of the Venetian, Racine, Wis., to manager of the Hamilton, Chicago. Also, Richard Fahey moves from assistant manager of the Hamilton, Chicago, to assistant manager of the Parthenon, Hammond ; Martin Hart, chief of service at the Avalon, Chicago, to assistant manager at the Hamilton, Chicago; George Danek, chief usher at the Stratford, Chicago, to assistant manager at the Frolic, Chicago ; Chris Demos, assistant manager at the Frolic, to assistant manager at the Highland, Chicago, and Phil Shire, assistant manager at the Highland to assistant manager at the Venetian, Racine, Wis. Para. Sued on Songs Paramount Pictures, Inc., and Juanita Hall are defendants in a suit for an injunction and $25,000 damages filed in U. S. District Court here by the Clarence Williams Music Publishing Co., Inc. Paramount is charged with using two songs in its film, "Sugar Wind," without the plaintiff's permission. FCC Charged With Attempt to Make Law Washington, Oct. 6. — Charges that it was attempting to invoke a "law-making power" which Congress never intended it to have were leveled against the FCC today in argument on its proposed prohibition against any single interest owning more than one station in any area. Counsel for NBC and the Buffalo Broadcasting Corp. and others who would be affected by the rule contended that it could not be enforced in the absence of specific authority from Congress and that it was both unnecessary and undesirable. The hearing was concluded late this afternoon, with Chairman James L. Fly announcing that the matter would be taken under consideration. Industry to Plan Army, Navy Shows (Continued from page 1) Phillips, executive director, and Eddie Dowling, actor-producer, of the New York Citizens Defense Committee. Discussion at the meeting will center around the series of test shows given by the film industry at a number of camps last summer and will cover the financial, programming, transportation and other problems involved in a long range program of this nature. Jack Cunningham Rites Hollywood, Oct. 6. — Funeral services for Jack Cunningham, 59, veteran screen writer, were held today. He died Saturday after an illness of three years. Tuesday, October 7, 194 Theatre Changes Plan 2 in Philadelphia Area Philadelphia, Oct. 6. — Plans fci the construction of two new houses in the territory with the reopening bj another house, long dark, are axJ nounced. At York, Pa., Charles MatDonald, operator of the Souther r there, plans a new 500-seat house, be called the Mayfair, at a cost $100,000. A new theatre being con* structed in Trenton, N. J., for the Hildinger-Henry Corp. will also be known as the Mayfair. In addition. Max M. Korr, operator of the Eark, Allentown, Pa., has taken over th': long-dark Capitol in Reading. Th<j house will be renovated. Remodel Fox West Coast Units San Francisco, Oct. 6. — Considerable remodelling work has begun in two Fox West Coast houses here, under the direction of Division Manager Arch M. Bowles. Approximately $90,000 will be spent on the California, downtown subsequent run, which will be renamed the State. A new floor and news seats are being installed at the Paramount, downtown first run. with the work being done in sections at night to avoid interruption with regular presentations. Manages Sacramento House Sacramento, Oct. 6. — John O. Fitzsimmonds has been named manager of the Times, new unit of the Blumenfeld circuit, it has been announced by George Ingham, manager of the circuit here. Switch B & K Assistants Chicago, Oct. 6. — Several assistant managers have been switched in the Balaban & Katz circuit. James Ellis, who was assistant manager of the Crystal before his induction into the Army, has returned as assistant manager of the Northshore. Myron Mandy goes from the Riviera to the Belmont ; Roy Brewer goes from the Covent to the Riviera, and Charles Walsh, chief of service at the Covent. becomes acting manager of that house. To Renovate Conn. Theatre Plainfield, Conn., Oct. 6. — Michael Daly will renovate the 638seat Daly. New seats have been installed, and drapes, marquee and carpet are also to be renovated. Reopen House in Florida Orlando, Fla.. Oct. 6.— The Vogue Theatre, Colonialtown, has reopened under the management of the Florida State Theatres, successor to Sparks Theatres. R. M. Saunders is manager. Baltimore Theatre to Open Baltimore, Oct. 6.— The Windsor Theatre, under construction here, owned by Morton Rosen, will be ready soon. A neighborhood house, it will seat approximately 600. Renorate Theatre in Butte Butte. Mont., Oct. 6.— The Rialto here has completed renovation, including the erection of a new marquee and the installation of new carpets and =epts. Florida House to Reopen Venice, Fla, Oct. 6. — The Gulf Theatre, which has been redecorated, will open shortly. FPC Plans Rationing of Power in N.E. and Southeast Due to Drouth Washington, Oct. 6. — Rationing of electric power in New England and the Southeast appears possible as a result of long-continued drouth, officials disclosed here. Federal Power Commission officials are working on details of rationing plans, which will be put into effect "if rains do not arrive very shortly," it was said. In both sections, rainfall has been far below normal, adding to the adverse effects of long drouths last Spring and Summer. Commission officials said their activities would be limited at this time to allocation of power in such a way as to insure continuous operation of defense industries, and that the institution of Daylight Saving Time is not under consideration.