Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1941)

Motion Picture Daily Friday, October 24, Report W.B. Put Bernhard Over Sales (Continued from page 1) company owners return to the Coast next week for meetings of the full board. Mary Pickford expects to leave Tuesday and David O. Selznick may leave about the same time. The stumbling block in the discussions for Sears to take over the United Artists' presidency was said to be terms asked by the Warner executive, which were viewed by the United Artists' officials as excessive. Bernhard, according to International Motion Picture Almanac, has been with Warner Bros, since 1929 and formerly was identified with the Stanley Co. of America. He is president and general manager of Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp., operating about 430 theatres. Ascap Delays Setting Nets' Pact Deadline With indications now that the new Ascap-networks licensing agreement may be formally closed early next week, the Ascap board of directors deferred action on setting a deadline for the signing of the pact at its meeting yesterday. It was intimated, however, that the regular monthly meeting of the board next Thursday may take action on a deadline for signing if the agreements with NBC and CBS are not closed by then. Reviews "Weekend for Three" (RKO) Q URRENTLY there appears to be a wave of pictures concerned with the marital problems of young married couples, with jealousy from one source or another rearing its head to provide plot material. This RKO film is of that type and affords a measure of light and unpretentious entertainment. Dennis O'Keefe plays the young husband, with theories on feminine psychology which are not personally practiced; Jane Wyatt is the wife, who gives the husband a few moments' uneasiness, and Philip Reed is the former friend of the wife, who drops in for a weekend, and appears about to stay forever, the while monopolizing the wife and keeping the husband up in night clubs until all hours. Such veterans as Edward Everett Horton, Zasu Pitts and Franklin Pangborn offer excellent support. Irving Reis directed and Tay Garnett produced. Repetitious in plot development, the film nevertheless moves well. Their attempts to get Reed to leave proving useless, O'Keefe and Miss Wyatt resort to trickery. The difficulty with that method, however, is that it sows the seeds of jealousy in the mind of the husband, and later, for similar reasons, in the mind of the wife. The problem resolves itself when the husband and wife leave the house — together. Running time, 65 minutes. "G."* Charles S. Aaronson Para. Petitiojj Decree Escaj On Minn. SaL *"G" denotes general classification. Hard Guy (Producers Releasing) TP HIS is_ a minor melodrama concerning a* night club proprietor who guides his feminine personnel into marrying playboys and then col lects from the victims' social register parents. Jack La Rue, Mary Healy, Kane Richmond, Iris Adrian, Gayle, Mol lott, Jack Mulhall and Ben Taggart are the principals in the film, which was directed by Elmer Clifton with George R. Batcheller in charge of production. Running time, 68 minutes. "A."* Eugene Arneel 'A" denotes adult classification. we to see a \\ tort great owe, Papers— Radio Split Seen Up to Congress Washington, Oct. 23.— Separation of broadcasting and newspapers is desirable but involves problems which probably only Congress can solve, the FCC was told today by Irving Brant, St. Louis Star-Times commentator. Testifying at the hearings on newspaper ownership of stations to which the commission is devoting one or two days a week, Brant said diversity in the ownership of communications media is of general benefit but suggested it might not be possible now entirely to divorce newspapers and stations. The primary motive of a newspaper in acquiring a radio station, he said, is to "exert more power and influence." In many instances, he pointed out, radio advertising revenues have increased while those of the newspapers owning the stations have declined, so that many publishers have come to depend on their radio interests for revenue. (.Continued from page 1) tion might be entered on the grc that if the court were to make an ception of the Minnesota situal similar state legislation might ha acted elsewhere throughout theB try, and that to exempt Pararm alone would not materially relieve product situation in Minnesota. , None of the other consenting c panies has indicated thus far tha intends to follow Paramount's coi by making a similar application Judge Goddard. The Paramount petition was ) by Louis Phillips, home office at ney, and A. C. Bickford of the Si: son, Thacher & Bartlett law firm. Brought Under Decree The action is brought under Seel 23 of the decree which provides an application by consenting C( panies to the court for relief from ligations or prohibitions imposed u them by the laws of any state wl may conflict with the decree. ' Paramount petition asks specific; for release of the company from cc pliance with Sections 3 and 4 of decree, the trade showing and bloc of-five sales provisions, pending det mination of the actions to test constitutionality of the Minnesota 1; Meanwhile, United Artists, wh had planned to close its Minneapi branch tomorrow, has decided to h the exchange open pending the o come of the three test cases in St. P; county court started this week agai Paramount, RKO and 20th Centui Fox. Those cases are expected provide the first determination of 1 constitutionality of the Minnesi anti-block-of-five law, under whi United Artists has stated it cam operate even though it is not bou by the consent decree. Guild Sues Studios On Extras' Overtime (Continued from page 1) atmosphere players, following the final classification of extras as non-exempt from provisions of the Act by the Department of Labor. Apparently those negotiations failed, and the suit is the answer. However, Guild Attorney L. W. Beilenson specified in the action that if the suit is compromised without proceeding to trial, the Guild will forego the law's double penalty provision. Companies Save U. Money on S. A. Trii (Continued from page 1) travel cost of the Motion Pictu Division has been very light. Recognizing that the limited i sources of the division would not pi mit of unlimited travel expense, t companies have been very cooperati and have shouldered the cost of mai trips, it was said. In this way, t expenses of Walt Disney's recent Laf American trip, said to be about $6.' 000, were paid by RKO. The most extensive traveling by c ficials of the office has been by Jol Hay Whitney and his associate, , Francis Altstock. Whitney, as an c ficial of Pan-American Airlines, e] joys the possession of a pass, whi> he has made use of to save the Go ernment money. Altstock's travelii expenses are said to have amount to about $13,500, between New Yoi and California. Mexican Producer Dies Mexico City, Oct. 22. — Armani Vargas de la Maza, 53, producer at member of an old and prominei Mexican family, died here last wee of a heart ailment. He had been pn ducing for 10 years.