Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1943)

it to the^ytion Picture Industry FILE COPY /fOTION PICTURE^ jjAILY 3 NO. 62 NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1943 Theatre Drive For Red Cross Begins Today Collections to Be Made During Week The industry's seven-day Red Cross drive will open today in more than 13,000 theatres. From coast to coast, uniformed Red Cross workers, women of the AWVS and other volunteer workers are cooperating with participating theatres. District chairmen in the field yesday reported to Barney Balaban, national chairman of the drive, that collections would be made at every performance, every day ; that each theatre would have an ample number of collectors, and that the collections would be conducted in showmanlike atmosphere. An additional quantity of appeal trailers has been printed and rushed to National Screen Service exchanges to meet the requirements of theatres enrolling late. Ilona Massey will open the campaign in New York, accompanied by a grouD of service men, by making the first con (Continued on page 3) Levey Sues Monog'm On 'Jacare' Contract Los Angeles, March 31. — Jules Levey of Mayfair Productions asks an accounting of Monogram expenditures on "Jacare" prior to sale of the incompleted picture to him at reported cost, according to a suit on file in Superior Court here. He asserts that his accountants checked Monogram records and established that the company actually spent $49,783 on the film instead of $91,843 as claimed. The deal obligated Levev to comnensate Monogram for its investment before he finished the picture for United Artists distribution, with Mayfair snd Monogram sharing the proceeds Levey says he paid the full amoun* quoted. Bromberg Gets Share In 4 Mono. Exchanges Hollywood, March 31. — Arthur C. Bromberg has purchased a substantial interest in Monogram's Southern exchanges, the company announced here The exchanges are in Atlanta. Charlotte, New Orleans and Memphis, servicing nine Southern states. Governor of Conn. Presents Fitzpatrick With Quigley Award Hartford, March 31. — "I am proud of this great honor which Edward Fitzpatrick has brought to Connecticut." In those words Gov. Raymond E. Baldwin of Connecticut paid tribute to the winner of the Quigley Bronze Grand Award for showmanship in 1942, and the award itself, in presenting the plaque to Fitzpatrick here today. The presentation took place in the executive offices in the State Capitol. Fitzpatrick is manager of Loew's Poli Theatre, Waterbury, Conn. Among those attending the presentation were Mayor John Monagan of Waterbury ; Sen. Frank Suma, Sen. John Tobin, Sen. Sam Malkan and Rep. Dan Mahoney, members of the Legislature ; Harry F . Shaw, Loew-Poli New England division manager ; Lou Brown, Loew's divi (Continued on page 3) M-G-M Local Sales Spaced for Print Cut Print shortages resulting from restricted raw stock allocations are being met by the M-G-M sales force by the spacing of sales in each exchange center to conform with the number of prints available to each, William F. Rodgers, Loew's vicepresident in charge of distribution, said yesterday. Rodgers explained that sales are not made unless and until prints are in view to supply the account. The procedure, he indicated, is the only practicable one that has been devised {Continued on page 3) 30% Rise in British Ticket Tax Is Seen London, March 31.— A 30 per cent increase in the entertainment tax in Great Britain is regarded in London trade circles as not an impossibility. Whether this will eventuate will be known when the Chancellor of the Exchequer brings up the annnl budget in Parliament, expected shortly. The present tax levied on admissions ranges up to about 50 per cent in the higher brackets. It is passed on to the public. Gross Normal As Montreal Strike Ends By PAT DONOVAN Montreal, March 31. — Exhibitors heaved a collective sigh of relief here today as trolley service throughout the city returned to normal with the settlement of a tram-operator strike. However, AFL union leaders were reported in caucus tonight planning a general strike of all their members in this city, which might affect motion picture projectionists. The trolley employe strike settlement ousted the American Federation of Labor as bargaining agents for the group and installed the CIO in its place. All told, theatres came out better than expected due to the brief duration of the strike. Business lost is expected to be regained the rest of the week. Downtown houses grossed about 70 per cent of normal business (Continued on page 3) Zanuck's Return to 20th-Fox Seen In Army Picture Service Changes Washington, March 31. — That Col. Darryl F. Zanuck is returning to his former post as production chief for 20th Century-Fox is seen in the scheduled appearance of Under Secretary of War Patterson before the Truman Committee next Saturday to testify regarding reorganization of the Signal Corps Picture Service. Several other former Hollywood production men who hold commissions in the Signal Corps are understood to have been placed on the inactive list. The reorganization which, Patterson is expected to tell the Truman Committee, has put the Picture Service under General Harrison instead of Colonel Lawton, is understood to have been actuated by criticisms by the committee and presumably in part by the report of Major John Amen who studied Signal Corps production operations in Hollywood. First indication that Colonel Zanuck would return to his former post was published in Motion Picture Daily in "Heard Around" by Sam Shain on Jan. 21. MPTOA^Crges Self Regulation Plan After War Project to Be Discussed At Board Meeting A postwar program of self-regulation is urged upon the industry by the MPTOA in a bulletin to members made public yesterday. Postwar planning as well as wartime industry problems will comprise the principal topics of discussion at the annual meeting of the MPTOA board of directors to be held here May 4 and 5, according to the bulletin. Describing the problem of theatre operation under the restrictions and regulations of Governmental wartime bureaus as the "most pressing and urgent" one of the day, the bulletin reveals that special conferences with important government officials are being arranged to discuss "mutual problems" at the time of the annual board meeting. The bulletin classifies future release schedules and product supply as the current problem next in importance to exhibitors, one which also will receive (Continued on page 3) Philadelphia House Not Changing Hands Philadelphia, March 31. — Registered letters were received by local film exchanges today from the Arcadia Theatre Corp. denying that there will be a change in management of the house. The Arcadia is a downtown second run theatre operated by a group of independent exhibitors headed by Abe Sablosky and Sam Shapiro. Reports current in industry circles here for weeks had stated that Warner Bros, theatre circuit had either leased or bought the house. These (Continued on page 3) In Today's Issue Ascap dividend for quarter more than one million dollars, Page 8. IATSE asks WMC to defer operators, Page 2. Coast flashes, Page 2. Skouras theatres open play about food in war, Page 3.