Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1943)

FILE COfi rst idio *4 ecu rate > id npartial v.iON PICTURE DAILY Alert, tion Picture Industry .. 53. NO. 93 NEW YORK, U.S.A., FRIDAY, MAY 14, 1943 TEN CENTS [omersallNew [ riiv. Assistant tales Manager i w Appointments Listed By W. A. Scully . T. Gomersall has been apited to the post of assistant gensales manager for Universal, swas annced yes d a y by 1 1 iam A. By, vice e s i d ent d general s manager. |) m e rsall, nerly Uniisal's Westn division lager, rebes W. J. ineman, re e. t. Gomersall led. U the same time Scully announced following promotions : Allan J. (Continued on page 7) 'oducer'Monopoly' Probed in Britain ^ondon, May 13. — The Films uncil will continue its consideration i trade charges of actual or potential •nopolies in British film production, was decided here this week. The study was begun as a result of )ducer and labor concern over relt trade moves by the J. Arthur .nk interests and proposals which ve been advanced by Philip del Gui (Continued on page 7) egion of Decency ondemns* Burlesque' Hunt Stromberg's United Artists oduction, "Lady of Burlesque," has en placed in the "condemned" classiation by the National Legion of ;cency. The Legion gave the following asons for its action : "The film conins double meaning lines, salacious nces and situations, and indecent stumes, presented against the backound of a sensuous form of enterinment." The film was withdrawn from a rovidence, R. I., theatre last weekid following its condemnation by e Legion in that city. Eight U. A. District, Branch M'gr Meets Start Here Today Eight United Artists district and branch managers' meetings will be held today and over the weekend in New York, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, New Orleans, Kansas City, San Francisco and Toronto, Carl Leserman, United Artists general sales manager, announced yesterday. Company policies and campaigns on forthcoming product will be presented to the men. The New York meeting will open today at the Warwick Hotel with Sam Lefkowitz presiding, the following branch managers, in addition to salesmen, attending : H. G. Bodkin, Philadelphia, and Mark Silver, of Washington. James Winn will conduct the Boston meeting at the Ritz Carlton Hotel with the following managers in attendance : John Dervin, Boston ; Lou (Continued on page 7) Col. Plans Large Westerns Schedule Chicago, May 13. — The Columbia Pictures annual sales convention, originally scheduled to conclude today, will continue through tomorrow at the Hotel Drake here. A Montague, general sales manager, is presiding. The extra day will be devoted to a full discussion of Columbia's plans for the 1943-'44 season. A survey of exhibitor opinion has resulted in a decision to continue with Westerns and serials, with a special series of Western productions starring Charles Starrett, being planned, Mon (Continued on page 7) Shortages Hurting Managers Two Ways New Haven, May 13.— Increasing shortages in all types of civilian goods is making it more difficult daily for theatre managers here to effect exploitation tie-ups with manufacturers and merchants. Another factor in their difficulty is the lack of help available to stores for changing window displays, as a result of which merchants will take no display material which cannot remain for at least two months. Baltin, of DuMont, Sees Television for All After the War By EDWIN LEE Predictions of rapid expansion of elevision stations and theatres throughout the United States immediately after the war, were made last night by Will Baltin, program director of Du Mont television station, W2XWV, at a meeting of the American Television Society at the Hotel Capitol. Reasons for his statement were advanced by Baltin as being the discovery of flexible and compact camera equipment which could be easily handled, enormous developments in the field of electronics, and the fact that economical operation plus low cost equipment will soon become a reality. Baltin further pointed out that regional television stations which are (Continued on page 7) P.R.C. Plans 42 Pictures For '43 '44, Fromkess Says Present Red Cross With Show Receipts A check for $240,642, representing net receipts from the Red Cross benefit show at Madison Square Garden, April 5, was turned over to C. M. Chester, general chairman of the New York City drive, by Barney Balaban, chairman of the industry's Red Cross campaign, yesterday. The show grossed $257,407, Balaban said, making it the "most successful (Continued on page 7) By JACK MORREL A total of 42 pictures, the same number released last year, is scheduled for production during the 1943'44 season, Leon Fromkess, vice-president in charge of production for Producers Releasing Corp., announced yesterday. Fromkess, who is in the Fast conferring with O. Henry Briggs, president, and Arthur Greenblatt, stated that the budget for the forthcoming season will exceed the previous one, two and one-half times. The company will produce four to six musicals and the usual number of Western productions. Approximately 30 per cent of the product will be based on topical material, From(Continued on page 7) WPB Study Of Duals Ban Is Continuing Exhibitor Asks President For Executive Action A governmental directive against the double feature policy in theatres in wartime still is held to be a possibility in Washington, where the subject continues to receive the attention of the War Production Board, Motion Picture Herald states in its current issue. A letter to President Roosevelt written last month by Ewald A. Stein, operator of the Wickenburg Theatre, Wickenburg, Ariz., which requested executive action against double featuring, was the instrument which disclosed the continuing WPB study of the policy. The President referred Stein's letter to the film section of the WPB, the Herald reports, and on April 24 Fred C. Heitman of the products branch informed Stein that as soon as the WPB survey of double featuring "is completed and the possible (Continued on page 7) 20th-Fox Quarter Net $1,751,739 Net profit of $1,751,739 after all charges and provision for Federal income taxes in the amount of $2,885,000, was reported by 20th Century-Fox yesterday for the quarter ended March 27. The result compares with net of $841,561 for the first quarter last year, when provision for Federal income taxes was $650,000. Because of the lifting of British currency restrictions, no reserve against the company's foreign assets was made during the 1943 quarter. Last year a reserve of $1,100,000 was provided in the first quarter. Excess profits taxes for the 1943 quarter were estimated at (Continued on page 7) ITOA Unit Names Jim Walker Counsel Former Mayor James J. Walker has been retained as special counsel for the Resolutions Committee of the Independent Theatre Owners Association, for a period of six months, it was announced yesterday at the annual meeting of the organization held at the Hotel Astor. Walker will cope with the problem of higher rentals being asked by distributors of exhibitors in the Metropolitan area.