Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1942)

Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, February 11, 1942 SAG Defends Douglas; Hits Draft Ruling {Continued from page 1) Wheeler of the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee. Clark asserted Hershey's action was "little short of outrageous," and Wheeler questioned whether the order could have been obtained without political pressure. Protest to Labor Heads Another repercussion of the general situation was the sharp protest of Eddie Cantor, Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson against the alleged attack on the loyalty of the theatrical industry by Congressmen. The protest was addressed to William Green and Philip Murray, presidents of the AFL and CIO, respectively. With reference to the draft ruling, the SAG board of directors said: "It (SAG) does not agree with the classification. It believes actors and everyone else in the motion picture industry should be subject to the same rules for the draft as the rest of the country." W:ith specific reference to the appointment of Douglas as head of the OCD Arts Council, the SAG board pointed out in the last war he had enlisted in the Army, and that now he is giving up "lucrative screen employment" to work without pay coordinating the use of "creative talent to help sell victory bonds, to carry on public information work and otherwise aid the war effort." Cites War Efforts The statement declared that performers have done a great deal and want to do more, have contributed their services since Pearl Harbor, and have raised large sums for defense, the Red Cross and other causes. "In appointing Douglas, the OCD appointed a man with the kind of experience needed to do the job," the SAG continued. "While some Congressmen have been getting publicity breaks by making insulting remarks about actors, actors have been working to win the war. So long as there are war jobs to do, actors will do them." The statement concluded with reference to the late Carole Lombard, who was killed in a plane crash while returning from a defense bond rally. Douglas Denies Salary Douglas in a statement yesterday denied he is being paid for his services in his OCD post but said that he intends to devote as much time as possible to the work. He said he did not solicit the appointment but that James M. Landis, OCD executive director, asked him to serve. He is scheduled to return to the Coast Saturday for film work. Reviews Equity Council Protests 'Slurs' The council of Actors Equity yesterday adopted a resolution condemning provisions of the appropriations bill passed by the House of Representatives. Declaring that "no single "The Courtship of Andy Hardy' (M-G-M) H IGHLY entertaining, with a substantial plot, this latest adventure of Mickey Rooney and the Hardy family ranks well up in this series. The windup, when Rooney finds himself wanted by the FBI, in love with a girl (Ann Rutherford, of course) who doesn't love him, pursued by Donna Reed, whom he doesn't love, and sundry other complications, is a rollicking climax to a story which keeps moving all the time. Everything turns out all right but Rooney is a worried young man until it does. Miss Rutherford is seen only briefly at the end when she proves that a brief sojourn in the big city has not changed her affections for Rooney. Miss Reed turns in an excellent performance as the thoroughly sincere daughter of a divorced couple (Frieda Inescort and Harvey Stephens) whose wrangling disrupts their child's life. Lewis Stone, in his capacity as Judge Hardy, attempts to solve the girl's difficulty and urges Rooney to take her to a dance. Miss Reed comes to the first dance as a homely girl but she is sleek and sophisticated at her second time out. This impresses Rooney but his heart is still with Miss Rutherford. Meanwhile, he accidently takes a car belonging to an FBI man and faces a charge of theft. Other minor developments in the plot keep the story moving. Cecelia Parker returns from the city and disturbs the Hardy family with her advanced notions of how to dress and behave ; Fay Holden buys a formal morning suit for the judge and almost runs afoul of the law, and the divorced parents have a life to be untangled by Stone. Direction by George B. Seitz keeps the varied threads of the plot smoothly in place. Except for the first five minutes, the picture should hold interest throughout for almost any kind of audience, young or old. Running time, 93 minutes. "G."* Edward Greif "This Time for Keeps" {M-G-M) MILD drama with plain characters and uneventful narrative, "This Time for Keeps" lacks important entertainment values which tend to make fare of this type engaging. A fairly competent group of players appears in the picture, but the material is such that their efforts are for the most part unavailing. Robert Sterling and Ann Rutherford are the young couple whose marital bliss is at times interrupted by the well-meaning but disturbing interference of Miss Rutherford's father, Guy Kibbee, in Sterling's business affairs. Irene Rich is Kibbee's sweet and loving wife, and Virginia Weidler, the daughter, who likens herself to the heroine in a story-book love triangle. Henry O'Neill is the prominent business man with whom Sterling finally closes a big real estate deal. Charles Riesner directed and Samuel Marx produced. Running time, 73 minutes. "G."* Eugene Arneel * "G" denotes general classification. 'Victory' to Mark Eclipse of Mikado St. Louis, Feb. 10. — Elaborate ceremonies, including a defense bond rally, will be held Thursday, when the name of the Mikado Theatre, operated by Fanchon & Marco, is changed to the Victory Theatre, a named selected in a contest. Local American Legion posts will sponsor the ceremony, arranged by Joseph J. Goldstein, manager of the house. Each bond purchaser will be given a pass. group in the country is doing more for its war efforts than the people of the theatre, screen and radio," the council said it "deeply resents the slurs cast upon us." The resolution asked for elimination from the bill of "all untrue and scurrilous charges against the people of the entertainment profession and its prohibition against the use of Federal funds in connection with theatrical performances." Bert Lytell, Equity president, sent the resolution to members of the Senate and House committees. New 'Victory' Seats Conserve on Metal "Victory" chairs are being produced by auditorium seating manufacturers to conserve critical materials. The new models announced by American Seating Co., HeywoodWakefield Co., and the Ideal Seating Co. use wood for end standards and other parts normally made of cast iron or steel. Basic construction remains essentially the same, however, so that in hinge action, springs and general design the "Victory" models are essentially standard. The use of wood for the end standards and one or two other components, while not reducing strength or comfort, does effect a substantial reduction in the total amount of metal required per chair. Voteur Appeal Scheduled An appeal is scheduled to be argued today in the Appellate Division of N. Y. Supreme Court in the suit of Ferdinand Voteur against Columbia. Voteur, who alleged that his story "Resurrection Morning" was infringed in "The Man Who Lived Twice," is appealing from dismissal of his suit by Supreme Court Justice Aaron J. Levy. Canada Price Council Setup Is Completed :n€, (Continued from page 1) and a compromise was reached when four of the nine council members wer^ appointed for independents and "se independents." Meanwhile, independent exhibitors from five provinces, in conjunction with the meeting, laid the groundwork for the formation of the National Association of Independent Exhibitors. A. J. Mason, of Springhill, N. S., was named chairman, and Henry Falk of Toronto was named president. This represents the first move to form an association of regional organizations across the Dominion. Named to the council to represent independent exhibitors were Henry Falk, Thomas Walton and B. E. Laxer, the latter as president of the new Independent Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, with B. C. Salamis of Montreal as the fourth to represent unaffiliated and affiliated theatre owners. Circuits will be represented by Clarence Robson for Odeon and Morris Stein for FPC. Distributors will be represented by J. P. O'Loghlin, 20th Century-Fox; Louis Rosenfeld, Columbia, and N. L. Nathanson, M-G-M. Des Moines Board Cases Withdrawn The three complaints filed at the! Des Moines arbitration board last month have been withdrawn following voluntary agreements reached by the parties involved, American Arbitration Association headquarters here was advised yesterday. The complaints, the only ones of record at the Des Moines board, were filed on clearance and some run by Ira Lee and William Tiermeier, operating the Avon, Burlington, and on some run by Jack Kech, operating the. Gem, Charles City, la. RKO, Warners and Paramount, respectively, were named in the complaints. The Palace and Capitol, Burlington, were named as interested parties. Order SPG Election At Loew's Theatres (Continued from page 1) petition was opposed by the Sign, Pictorial and Display Union, AFL. SPG offices here explained that the election will affect only Loew's Thea tres' publicists, as the publicists in the distribution departments had been certified some time ago. Elections are required to be held within 30 days after the NLRB order, under the law. 'Dimes' Drive Checks Now Total $300,000 (Continued from page 1) ards, Louisiana ; $12,000, Randforce, New York, and $24,000 TriStates (A. H. Blank), Iowa. The committee reported indications that the Broadway legitimate theatres will add about $20,000 to the industry total.