Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1941)

Motion Picture Daily m Thursday, October 9, 194B Coast Flashes Hollywood, Oct. 8 AFTER 10 weeks, Arch Oboler, radio writer-producer, has asked for and received his release from 20th Century-Fox where he had a producer-director-writer contract. It was reported that disagreement with studio heads over material was the reason for his withdrawal. • Earl Rettig, assistant to Reginald Armour at RKO, today was appointed RKO studio treasurer. • M-G-M today announced the purchase of "The Gentleman from West Indies," story of Alexander Hamilton's life, by Dorothy Thompson and Fritz Kartner, and has set it as a Robert Taylor-Hedy Lamarr vehicle. Sam Zimbalist will produce. • Carmel Myers, D. W. Griffith star who last appeared in films in 1934, was signed today by Republic for "Lady for a Night." • RKO today signed a new contract with Howard Hawks to produce three pictures in addition to John Stein beck's "Red Pony." One will be di rected by Hawks and one will star Ronald Colman. William Hawks left tonight for Mexico to prepare mate rial for "Guilded Pheasant," which will be among the three. • Monogram has announced the closing of a new season deal with the Publix-Nace-Richards circuit in Ari Personal Mention WA. SCULLY, Universal gen• eral sales -manager, and W. J. Heineman, assistant sales manager, returned yesterday from the Coast. • Sherman Germaine, operator of the Fairmount Theatre, New Haven, is recuperating from an operation at New Haven Hospital. • Milton Marx, Warner home office ad department artist, will have a oneman show at the Marie Sterner Art Galleries Oct. 20-Nov. 1. • Ted Jacocks, operator of a theatre at Branford, Conn., is on vacation in Canada. • Jack Findlay, Mystic, Conn., and Westerly, R. I., exhibitor, is vacationing at Woodstock, Vt, recovering from an infected throat. SPYROS SKOURAS expects to be in Washington today. • F. J. A. McCarthy, Southern and Canadian sales manager for Universal, left Dallas yesterday for Toronto, where he will be for the remainder of the week. • Al Santell, Paramount director, is here. • Clara Sheldon Bexham, daughter of Ed Benham, Yuba City, Cal., theatre owner, recently was married to Charles Edwin Binninger. • Andre de la Varre has returned from Alaska after filming a travel subject for Columbia. • Leon J. Bamberger leaves for Montreal today. Pioneers Preparing For Hallowe'en Fete Jack Cohn, house manager of Picture Pioneers, social organization of industry veterans, yesterday named Jack Alicoate chairman of the "ghost and witch-hunting committee" for the Pioneers Hallowe'en dinner at Toots Shor's restaurant, Oct. 29. Leon Bamberger, G. B. Odium and Gilbert Josephson are other members of the committee. Roxy Asks Reduction In Tax Assessment Roxy Theatre Co. yesterday filed a writ in the N. Y. Supreme Court against the N. Y. Tax Commission in which it seeks a reduction of its 1941'42 assessment from $4,000,000 to $2 975,000. Justice Peter Schmuck ordered a hearing on the application for Nov. 3. New Anderson Play Called Propaganda Washington, Oct. 8. — "Just another propaganda play" is "Candle in the Wind," the Helen Hayes starring vehicle which opened last night at the National, according to Bernie Harrison, Times-Herald critic. The Maxwell Anderson drama played to a capacity house. Nelson B. Bell, of the Post, observed that "Mr. Anderson has written conviction into his play only in so far as that can be accomplished by enveloping a doubtful premise in a cloak of eloquent and lovely words." Both Bell and Harrison paid high tribute to the acting of Miss Hayes and the others in the cast. Northwest Film Club Elects New Officers Seattle, Oct. 8.— Officers for the ensuing year were elected at the annual dinner meeting of the Northwest Film Club here. Officers are : Edward Walton, president; A. J. Sullivan and Junior Mercy, vice-presidents; Keith Beckwith, Jack T. Sheffield and Foster Blake, trustees ; Edward Lamb, secretary-treasurer, reelected. Joseph Cooper, manager now on leave because of illness, was retained in his post. Littman on Tour Mack Littman, special sales representative for Guaranteed Pictures, leaves today on a tour of cities extending to Dallas. He expects to be gone three to five weeks. Republic RCA Deal Extended 10 years A 10-year film recording license agreement negotiated in 1938 between Republic Productions and RCA Photophone has been revised to provide for additional facilities, and has been extended for an additional 10 years, running until 1951. Two additional mobile film recording units and a disc recording channel are included in the new equipment. The deal was negotiated by M. J. Siegel, Republic Productions president; E. H. Goldstein, secretary, and C. J. Lootens, chief engineer, with Barton Kreuzer of RCA. PRC Closes Deals With Five Circuits Producers Releasing Corp. has announced deals on the 1941 -'42 product lineup with five circuits. They include: Waters Theatres, Atlanta; Kincey Circuit, Charlotte; Ray Allison Circuit, Pittsburgh; Frisina Amusement Co., St. Louis, and Maine and New Hampshire Circuit, Boston. FILM AUDIT SERVICE S. Hacker, C.P.A., Gen.' Mgr. MOTION PICTURE SPECIALISTS Executive Offices: 132 West 43rd St., New York, N. Y. CHickering 4-1812 Branch Offices: Boston Detroit Pittsburgh Buffalo Kansas City Portland Charlotte Los Angeles San Francisco Chicago Milwaukee Seattle Cincinnati Minneapolis Toronto Cleveland Philadelphia Washington COAST TO COAST JACK SHAINDLIN Musical Director II BOMBER (Office for Emergency Mgt. Film Unit) '. . . reel boasts of an eloquent commentary written by Carl Sandburg . . . stirring musical score giving a dramatic depth to the scenes. . . ." — Film Daily. Runyon Leaving For RKO Studio Damon Runyon leaves for California today. Leonard Spiegelgass will accompany him. Runyon goes to the Coast to assume his new work as producer and writer for RKO. Mrs. Runyon will join him on the Coast in about two weeks. dll'JII 1-1 •itt na,r ' '49th Parallel' Is Viewed in London London, Oct. 8. — The film, "49th Parallel," produced by Ortus Films and distributed in this country by General Film and in the United States by Columbia, was previewed here today under elaborate circumstances. Made with the collaboration of the Ministry of Infor tion and partly financed Oscar Deutsch, it is a rem able picture in a Canadian setting, the story concerning the attempted escape across Canada of the crew of a German U-boat. It is an eloquent and convincing portrayal of democracy's case against Nazism. Lawrence Olivier and Anton Walbrook are splendid in a picture packed with thrills. It is a directorial triumph for Michael Powell, and has been brilliantly photographed. It appears destined for box-office success on both sides of the Atlantic. Flanagan Gus Kahn, Veteran M Song Writer, Dies i Hollywood, Oct. 8.— Gus Kahrll lyric writer, whose songs have beefM featured in many films during the pas| 10 years, died at his Beverly Hilll home today. His first song was pub! lished in 1907. He was a member oi Ascap since 1921 and once served oil] its board of directors. Tony Di Lorenzo Dies Hartford, Conn., Oct. 8. — Tony Di Lorenzo, operator with Michael Dall of the Daly Theatre here, is dead. HI is survived by his widow, who is a sis] ter of Michael Daly, and six chjj dren. Di Lorenzo was one of thi state's pioneer exhibitors, startinl with the operation of the Crown her| 25 years ago. WB Resume British Production Today London, Oct. 8.— Warners will resume English production tomorrow at the Warner studio at Teddington, with Richard Greene starring in "Flying Fortress." Zala Supervising Art Rugoff & Becker yesterday announced that Michael Zala, manager of its Eighth St. Playhouse, will also supervise the neighboring Art Theatre, operation of which the circuit recently took over. Both houses are on Eighth St. in Greenwich Village. Rochester Manager Dec Rochester, Oct. 8.— John Jj O'Neill, well known theatre managed here, died yesterday. He served as manager at the old Avon, later go-J ing to the Eastman Theatre as house] manager. In recent years he bad beeq in charge at the Auditorium. 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." Mar-i tin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Colvin Brown, Vice-President and General Manager; Watterson R. Rothacker, View President; Sam Shain, Editor; Alfred Finestone, Managing Editor; James A.j 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 Wil-| Hams, Manager, cable address "QuigpubcoJ London." All contents copyrighted 1941 byl Quigley Publishing Company, Inc. Otherl Quigley publications: Motion Picture Herald,] Better Theatres, International Motion Pic ture Almanac and Fame. Entered as se class matter. Sept 23, 1938, at the office at New York, N. Y.. under the act March 3. 1879. Subscription rates per ye $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign. Siude| copies 10c.