Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1943)

0 £> •A #M • 'IS Hlfrfr 1S3M 82 ••rcv io sHOinaiHisia J? SH30fiaOHd *d 'W FILE ■VpQf IN Or *m tn vi ICTURE WAlLY Alert, InteWgei awfy >pWe to the^l cjtion Picture Industry L 53. NO. 90 NEW YORK, U.S.A., TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1943 TEN CENTS apreme Court pholds F.C.C. ontrol of Nets EC, CBS Lose Case by 5 to 2 Decision Washington, May 10.— Regulars for the control of network Stations issued by the Federal nraunications Commission in 1 were held valid today by the ireme Court. By a split vote live to two, with Justices Black Rutledge not participating, the rt rejected all contention of JC and CBS, to rule that the jjC had ample power to issue the filiations under the Communicaiis Act. learly three months were required 'the court to reach the decision ^ded down by Associate Justice {Continued on page 7) •ed Allen Reported saving the Air ! red Allen will not return to the ' this Fall and it is reported that ' has told his sponsor, the Texas 'npany, that he is leaving the air good after a decade spent in adcasting. Allen is said to have tially attributed his reasons to the I that the draft has disrupted his lanization. His last two writers, t Heiken and Bob Weiskopf, leave 1 the service shortly. s.llen has seven more shows to do ore leaving for Hollywood where will do a picture for Leo Spitz and |k Skirball authored by Sally Ben Tunisians Eager For U.S. Pictures The first members of the Allied forces to enter Tunis on Friday were greeted with the question: "Are we going to see American films now?" according to a broadcast by John MacVane, NBC news reporter speaking from Allied headquarters last night. MacVane, who was in the van of the Allied forces, said that the cheering Tunisians •frequeritly asked the question about films. Illness of James And Durante Fail to Stem B'way Gross Illness of Harry James, featured on the stage at the Paramount, and Jimmy Durante, at the Capitol, had no perceptible effect on grosses as fine weather brought out long lines of filmgoers at Broadway houses over the week-end. With Frank Sinatra subbing for Harry James Sunday, the Paramount Theatre with "China," the Alan Ladd picture, on the screen, was expected to gross $85,000 for its third week and holds for a fourth. "Crash Dive" at the Roxy Theatre with Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra featured on the stage is expected to gross $85,000 for its second week ending tonight and holds for a third week. "Flight for Freedom," at the Radio City Music Hall, supported by the short, "Fala" and the stage presentation, "Spring Parade," garnered an estimated $56,000 in the first four days of the fourth and final week. "The More the Merrier," starring Joel McCrea and Jean Arthur, opens Thursday. "Mission to Moscow" at the Hollywood Theatre has grossed an estimated $22,500 for the first four days (Continued on page 4) 'Stage Door Canteen' Tradeshowing May 19 United Artists will hold a trade screening of Sol Lesser's "Stage Door Canteen" in 32 key city exchanges on May 19, it was announced yesterday. The local screening will be held at the Normandie Theatre. U.J.A Luncheon at Hotel Astor Today Arthur Treacher, Arleen Whelan, Carol Bruce, Jan Savitt, Barry Wood, Doris Nolan, Joseph Schildkraut, Sam Jaffee, Alexander Kirkland are among the famous ones expected to appear at the amusement division's 5th annual luncheon for the United Jewish Appeal, today, at 12:30 at the Hotel Astor. About 800 reservations have been made by industry persons. Rabbi Hillel Silver will be the principal speaker. David Bernstein, Barney Balaban and Major Albert Warner head the division. Refinery Area Theatres Will Get Winter Oil Washington, May 10. — Theatres in New England, where coal may be short next year, in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri, near oil refineries, and in Florida and Georgia, will not be required to convert their heating plants to coal but will be supplied with oil next winter, it was announced today by the Office of Price Administration. The convertibility test — making consumers show that they cannot use any fuel but oil — will be continued, (.Continued on page 7) AFRA Orders Cancellation Of 'This Is the Army9 on CBS Exhibitors Win Two Arbitration Awards Arbitration awards in favor of exhibitor complainants have been entered at the St. Louis and Cleveland tribunals, a clearance complaint was withdrawn in New York, and a designated run complaint was filed in Portland, Ore., the American Arbitration Association announced yesterday. The Portland case is the first to be filed at that tribunal in more than 18 months. At St. Louis, Harry G. Erbs, arbi(Continued on page 7) The radio version of "This Is the Army," which was to have been presented in four weekly installments and sponsored by Liggett and Meyers Tobacco Company over CBS beginning May 25, has been cancelled as the result of AFRA objections to an army soldier cast performing. CBS after weeks of negotiation with high officials of the United States Army and Irving Berlin closed the deal last week as exclusively reported in Motion Picture Daily May 6, with the understanding that the proceeds were to go to Army Emergency Relief. AFRA, however, riased objections, and the network and (Continued on page 7) Schenck Will Have Top Spot At 20th Studio 7 Year Pact Analogous to Mayer's at Metro By RED KANN Hollywood, May 10. — Joseph M. Schenck's function at Fox under his new seven-year contract will be analogous to Louis B. Mayer's Metro post. "The arrangement specifically provides that I am to assume more definite production duties," he said today. However, he will not actually or actively produce, thereby leaving open for future determination the top production post in the event that Zanuck is not retired from the Army before the war ends. There will be no question after the war, in view of Zanuck's ten year contract as vice president in charge of production. Schenck, on being questioned, reaffirmed Motion Picture Daily's earlier dispatches to the effect that (Continued on page 7) Col. Opens Chicago Sales Meet Today Chicago, May 10. — Approximately 80 Columbia home office executives and members of the sales staffs from 15 of the company's Midwestern and Southern exchanges are here for the first of a series of annual sales meetings which will open at the Drake Hotel tomorrow. Subsequent meetings will be held in New York and San Francisco. Home office executives here to attend the three-day meeting are : Abe Montague, general sales manager ; Rube Jackter, Lou Weinberg, Lou Astor, Max Weisfeldt, Leo Jaffe, Maurice Grad, George Josephs, Hank C. Kaufman, Bernard Zeeir.an, Vin (Continued on page 7) In Today's Issue Reviews of "Bombardier," "Murder in Times Square," "Sarong Girl" and "Terror House," Pages 2 and 6. Hollywood production news, Page 6. Key city grosses, Page 4.