Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1941)

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— Alert, -ilnteWgee €± to the^j Picture Industry tion MOTION PICTURE DAILY First in and Impartial |L. 50. NO. 110 NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1941 TEN CENTS \\°fo Slash In British Quota Is Proposed iatification Expected of Trade Board Plan London, Dec. 3. — The Board of Vade today proposed a two and ne-half per cent reduction in both xhibitor and distributor quotas in m order submitted to Commons, 'arliamentary ratification is exacted to follow the formal recommendations of the Board of Trade. The proposed new quota for exhibitors is 15 per cent, as compared with the present 17'/2 per cent, and the new distributors' quota is 20 per cent, compared with the existing 22Vi per cent. American distributors and others lad hoped for a complete waiver of (Continued on page 5) NBC to Revise Beer Sponsorship Policy A basic revision of NBC program policies concerning the acceptabilities sponsors selling beer or cathartics is in preparation and may be released over the weekend, it was reported yes'terday. The revision is expected to state clearly what has already been accomplished in fact — that such business is acceptable. Some speculation exists, however, on the question of the acceptability of ■this type of business on NBC's Red network. NBC-Blue has recently accepted business from Ballantine Beer & Ale and Ex-Lax, Inc. Although desirable time on the Red is sold out (Continued on page 8) Nazi Propaganda Films Toned Down Ottawa, Dec. 3. — Nazi film propaganda films seized by the British indicate a change in their attitude since the war with Russia began, according to John Grierson, Canadian Film Commissioner. Films of the present campaign show the Nazis have dropped their cocksure attitude of the war on the Western front and that the conflict is now "a grim business." N.W. Allied to Talk With Sales Heads on Minnesota Problems Minneapolis, Dec. 3. — Representatives of Northwest Allied who will attend the all-industry unity meeting in Chicago next Tuesday plan to avail themselves of the opportunity to confer with sales executives of major companies on the serious product shortage and other problems in Minnesota. Fred Strom, executive secretary of Northwest Allied, and Benjamin Berger, who will head the organization's delegation to the unity meeting, emphasized tbat the talks to be held with the sales managers who are expected in Chicago will not be officially representative of Northwest Allied but will be a voluntary effort on the part of individual members of the delega(Continucd on page 5) Taplinger to Col., Harry Cohn Aide Robert S. Taplinger will become executive assistant to Harry Cohn, Columbia president, under a longterm contract with the company, Columbia announced yesterday. Taplinger, who announced his resignation as Warners' national publicity director the day before, will make his headquarters at the Columbia studio, where he will report on Monday. Before coming to the Warner home office several weeks ago, Taplinger was in charge of Warner studio publicity for four years. Prior to that (Continued on page 5) Theatres Ask Probe Of Demand by Union The League of New York Theatres has asked State Attorney General Bennett to investigate a demand by the United Scenic Artists of America that a scene painter be employed continuously during the run of a play. The union plans a referendum which would provide such terms in theatre contracts. The league claims such maintenance men would ask $90 a week minimum. The union claims the work is now done by members of other unions, called an infringement of the scenic artists' jurisdiction. McCoy Named W.B. Division Manager Ralph L. McCoy, Warners' Southeastern district manager and Atlanta branch manager, yesterday was named Southern and Midwestern division manager by Benjamin Kalmenson, Warners' sales head. McCoy arrived from Atlanta yesterday to establish his new headquarters at the home office. Kalmenson announced that Henry Herbel, West Coast district manager, will be given additional duties in that territory, and that W. C. Williamson, Jr., former Warner branch manager at Memphis, has been appointed manager at Atlanta, succeeding McCoy. Henry Krumm, former salesman at the Dallas branch, was promoted to branch manager at Memphis. St Louis, Memphis Pass Garbo Film, Omaha Cuts Move for Control of Freelance Writers Hollywood, Dec. 3. — Plans to control freelance publicity men and photographers whose output reaches publication without studio inspection will be discussed by the Studio Publicity Directors Committee tomorrow. A four-page layout in the current edition of Pic which depicts a dancing troupe in nightgowns with captions giving the impression that these are film people and the scene a motion picture studio, which it is not, is responsible for the move, it was said. St. Louis and Memphis censors yesterday approved M-G-M's "TwoFaced Woman," Greta Garbo picture. The Memphis local censor board, which has been inactive for the past three years, passed the film after requesting a special screening. In St. Louis, Frank Reller, chief probation officer for the Juvenile Court, approving the film, said the scenes were no more objectionable than those found in most pictures. Reller was a member of a selected group headed by Prosecuting Attorney James P. Finnegan which saw the picture privately tuesday. Rex Williams, manager of Loew's State, said in a statement that the confidence of (Continued on page 8) Full Authority In RKO Given To Schaefer Conditions U nderHisNew Deal With Company George J. Schaefer was granted full operating authority over RKO by the company's board, which met yesterday. These conditions are under his new deal with the company. Joseph I. Breen will be the over all authority on production and the board of directors will Hereaf ter serve as a working board, meeting each week, instead of once a month as heretofore. Floyd Odium, president of Atlas Corp., attended yesterday's meeting. This full operating authority was recommended in a report on the com (Continued on page 5) George J. Schaefer Pleas End, Crescent Case Goes to Judge By JOHN SHUMAKER Nashville, Dec. 3. — United Artists and Universal Film Exchanges shared the brunt of the Government's closing argument in the Crescent anti-trust case today, as Robert L. Wright, special assistant to the U. S. Attorney General, asked Federal Judge Elmer Davies not to let the two distributors go free. Judge Davies took the case under advisement this afternoon after a total hearing of nearly eight weeks. A decree holding both in violation of the Sherman Act should be entered, Wright declared. Columbia, third of the "Little Three" defendants, was dismissed during the trial last Summer. The Government's case as to Universal and United Artists is admittedly narrow and is based, in the case of U. A., on alleged discrimination at Rogersville Tenn., and Athens, Ala., and 63 and 71 -situation deals with Crescent. The Government holds that Universal discriminated in film (Continued on page 8)