Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1941)

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fednesday, October 8, 1941 Motion Picture Daily 7 Inhibitors in Mexico Face Sharp Decline 1 I {Continued from page 1) •lihuahua City, Guadalajara, the astern metropolis that is Mexico's j I largest city, along the Pacific Pfc^and in many parts of the South, E reported to have asked the Fed" u Board of Conciliation and Arbi/ttion for authorization to reduce rsonnel and pay, explaining that *>r programs are steadily decreasing ;;ir business. It is said that the .ard will be obliged to grant this rmission, though film labor is loudJ protesting against it. Varied Programs ' Local theatres are presenting odd '■ ograms. Only one of the six local st runs, the Magerit, is featuring a l ajor American picture, "Torn, Dick '.d Harry" (RKO). The Olimpia is NBying an American, "Misbehaving :usbands" (PRC) second to a inch film. The Alameda is exhibit^ a Mexican picture. A French film the feature at the Rex. An Argenie has the lead at the Iris. The »lacio Chino is cleaning up with the test Mexican, "Ay, Que Tiempos, irnor Don Simon" ("Those Were B Days, Senor Don Simon"), musi1 comedy produced by Films Muniles, whose manager, Agustin Fink, now in Hollywood. This picture S already set a box-office record for Mexican film, grossing $23,500 in first 15 days at 55 cents for the st two weeks and now, in its third ■tk, at 32 cents. Even stranger fare is the order of ings in the subsequent runs. Such i timers as "Lloyd's of London" are ting exhibited. Lots of Argentines d old Mexican films are being own. But the biggest of them, the me Colonial, seating 6,000, is exhibtig "That Hamilton Woman" J. A.) and oddly, "Kit Carson," lich was recently forbidden by the >vernment on the ground that some its characters disparage Mexicans, ne ban was suddenly but quietly ted. The Colonial top is 32 cents, ?h for a local subsequent. Labor Discontent Discontent is reported increasing long the rank and file of picture 'por. There is sharp criticism of the >or leaders by the workers and seers of the press, because of their fisting that the major Americans ;et all their demands. Picture workers are saying that the i>on their leaders have not held genal meetings of the union in nearly days is because the chiefs fear to their fellows en masse, to avoid inted questions. -Labor difficulties threaten to elimi> te the only two remaining active j?itimate theatres here, the Ideal and e Fabregas. The former has been rved with the notice of a strike to irt Oct. 11 unless it agrees to raise musicians' daily pay to $3.15 from .65, its chorus girls' daily stipend jm SI. 25 to $1.65 and the royalty of riters who supply its plays from 5 r cent to 10 per cent. The manage snt has declared that business does ■t justify these increases. Like de>nds have been made upon the Fabgas, but there is no strike threat as Six Studios Buy 13 Story Properties for Production Hollywood, Oct. 7 C IX studios have announced acquisition of film rights to 13 prop^ erties, Paramount leading the parade by buying four. "Frenchmen's Creek," new Daphne Du Maurier novel, has been purchased by Paramount, following bidding by five studios for the latest output of the author of "Rebecca." The other new properties were "Black Curtain," Cornell Woolrich novel dealing with an amnesia victim who commits murder, then solves the crime ; "The Crystal Ball," by Steven Yas. and "The Passionate Witch," by the late Thorne Smith, as a vehicle for Veronica Lake, with Rene Clair directing and Preston Sturges as producer. Republic bought "Golden Portage," novel serialized by the Saturday Evening Post from the pen of Robert Ormond Case with Ray Middleton tentatively set as the star ; and "Atlantic Patrol," story of destroyers by Martin Williams. The novel, "Above Suspicion," by Helen Maclnness, and which is set in England, Paris and Germany, and a comedy, "Nothing Ventured," by Ian McLellan Hunter and Aileen Hunter, were acquired by M-G-M. "Angel Face," Jean C. Becket's story which appeared in the Saturday yet against this house, which is functioning under a Civic Government subsidy. Mexican producers have stepped up their output. Nearly every week sees a picture started. Maro Aurelio Galindo, author-newspaperman, who with his brother, Alejandro, the director, has been a writer for some time, is arranging a new kind of production of "Romeo and Juliet" which Cinematografica Maga, S.A. is to produce this Fall. Peace was obtained by the Cine Royal, leading theatre in Empalme, a junction in Sonora state of the Southern Pacific Railway of Mexico, with the signing of a contract to end a 15-day strike. The exhibitor granted all demands. Expect Shutdown in Mexico Tomorrow A complete shutdown of major company offices in Mexico City is expected by many home office foreign departments to materialize tomorrow, the new strike deadline set by the Mexican film workers union against 20th Century-Fox, Universal and United Artists. Those three companies are the only ones which remain open although, according to reports from Mexico City, they have discontinued film service to theatre accounts with the expiration on Sunday of a 30-day notice to their accounts. All distributors are maintaining a united front in the face of the union's demands and unanimously rejected a compromise settlement offer made by the union late last week, it was reported. Mexican theatres may not face a product shortage for another 60 days if the complete shutdown materializes tomorrow, officials of home office foreign departments said yesterday. Evening Post, was purchased by RKO as a vehicle for nine-year-old Joan Carroll. A Ladislas Fodor play, "The Night Before the Divorce," was acquired by 20th Century-Fox as a possible vehicle for Lynn Bari. Warners have bought the screen rights to the life of Charles Dana Gibson, the illustrator, which Robert Buckner will produce, and "Country Lawyer" and its sequel. "Big Family," by Bellamy Partridge. • • Monogram and Republic are having their busiest month in years this month, the former starting six piccures and the latter, seven, by Oct. 31. Leading off Monogram's list will be "Boy of Mine," Scott R. Dunlap production starring John Boles. Pictures which started since the first of the month there are "Bullets and Bullion," "Double Trouble," "I Killed that Man," "Borrowed Hero" and "Forbidden Trails." Republic will get under way : "Tuxedo Junction," Weaver Brothers and Elviry comedy ; "Missouri Outlaw," Don Barry action film ; "Mr. District Attorney and the Carter Case" ; "Marines on Parade," the Al Pearce film ; "Red River Valley," Roy Rogers western ; "West of Cimarron," Three Mesquiteers western, and the musical, "Yokel Boy." • • A new production organization has been formed to produce five pictures based on W. C. Tuttle's famous "Hashknife Hartley" western stories. H. A. Forbes is executive vice-president of the firm, yclept Sunbeam Film Productions, Inc., and Nate Watt will produce and direct the series. Titles of the five are "Twisted River," "The Deadline," "Ghost Trails," "Bluffer's Luck," and "Wild Horse Valley." Robert M. Beche is production manager. • • Another new production company has been formed by Leslie Charteris, author of the famous "The Saint" stories, who dissolved his contract for the series at RKO, and is embarked on his own producing outfit. Frances Langford is definitely set for the feminine lead, and John Carroll, Henry Wilcoxon and others are being tested for the title role. Olivia de Havilland will co-star with Bette Davis in Warners' "In This Our Life," based on the seller by Ellen Glasgow. best Lawrence Named Aide to Selznick (Continued from page 1) Lowell Calvert continues in charge of Selznick-International Pictures, in liquidation, here. Lawrence returned to New York from Europe about a year ago when the war had reduced Continental film operations to a negligible volume. * ■ Wilkes-Barre Area Blackout on Friday Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Oct. 7 — A blackout will be held in this region Friday night, it was announced, after arrangements had been completed with Army officials to check on the area as part of the nationwide test. Theatre fronts and marquees will be darkened during the blackout but the houses will be open. Name Committees for Pa. Allied Convention Pittsburgh, Oct. 7. — M. A. Rosenberg, general chairman of the annual convention of Western Pennsylvania Allied, to be held Oct. 21 and 22 at the Hotel Roosevelt here, has named the following convention committees : Entertainment — M. N. Shapiro, chairman; Ed T. Beedle, Sam Fleishman, F. E. Hasley, Norman Huhn, Robert Lieber, Carl Poke and Harry Walker. Publicity — Frank Panoplos, chairman ; Robert Klingensmith, Harry Rachiele, Jake Soltz, Rudolph Navarri, F. H. Shearer and Archie Fineman. Rosenberg left for Detroit today to attend the Michigan Allied convention there. Fred Beedle is president of the Western Pennsylvania Allied. Will Hear Censor Appeal Albany, Oct. 7. — A subcommittee of the State Board of Regents in New York on Thursday will hear the appeal of Cinema Service Corp. on "They Must Be Told," which recently was rejected by Irwin Esmond, state censor. The film will be screened at that time. THE CONTINENTAL Lv. 5:10 pm. Thru Mainliner sleeper to Los Angeles. No change of planes. Fly the cool, scenic Main Line Airway. Arrive Los Angeles 8:30 am. Four additional daylight and sleeper flights. ★ Call travel agents, hotels or UNITED AIR LINES Airlines Terminal: 80 E. 42nd St. 649 Fifth Ave. 69 Wall St. Pennsylvania Hotel Phone MU-2-7300