Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1943)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY to the TVroltion Picture Industry U 54. NO. 12 NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, JULY 19, 1943 TEN CENTS Theatre Bond Booths AreU.S. CashRegisters' Gov't Agent Pays High Tribute at WAC Meet Exhibitor chairmen of regional kVAC committees, representing nore than 8,000 theatres, met in N'ew York on Friday and heard rovernmental acknowledgment that 1.700 authorized theatre War Bond ssuing agents are the "cash registers" of the Treasury Department. They heard, too, that the WAC's war-short film program for 1943-44 will probably include 52 subjects ; that previous subjects averaged between 15,000 and 16.000 bookings. And, in open discussion, they studied the necessity for formulating a program ko enlighten youngsters on their role {Continued on page 7) WPB Liquidates Old Film Permits Washington, July 18.— All but the established Hollywood studios, and newsreels. are affected by a new War Production Board order limiting the validity of authorization to purchase 35mm. raw film to 180, in a move to eliminate a floating demand which threatened the proper scheduling of production to meet current requirements. Board officials explained that prac (Continued on page 7) Grainger Calls For 'Fair' Contracts Chicago, July 18. — In order to be fair with exhibitors who are adversely affected by population shifts as well as to obtain the maximum benefit from increased grosses in other situations, J. R. Grainger said that the five new Republic district managers had been given the greatest latitude in determining contracts. It is the purpose of their appointment to expedite approvals and to eliminate any chance of argument, Grainger stated at the company's sales meeting here this weekend. 1 2 4 Super-E scapist ' Films Coming from Paramount — Agnew Twelve new Paramount productions were cited by Neil F. Agnew, vice-president in charge of distribution, at the closing session on Friday of the company's two-day sales meeting here, as exemplifying the advances that have been made in production under the impetus of wartime demands for advanced entertainment films. The pictures were described by Agnew as "super-escapist films." "The need for escapist films to maintain national morale and entertain our fighting forces has been the greatest incentive for the production of better pictures that Hollywood ever has known," Agnew said. "So far as Paramount is concerned, the result is that we now have ready for release, in production, or in preparation what may be described as 'super-escapist' films, screen entertainment which producers would have viewed with glowing pride two or three years hence under normal conditions. "The war has spurred us to unprecedented efforts. Paramount has achieved noteworthy results, building a program of pictures which not only (Continued on page 6) Photo Equipment Unit in Meeting Washington, July 18. — Members of the newly-established Photographic Equipment Advisory Committee met for the first time Friday with Harold Hopper, chief of the motion picture section, and other officials of the War Production Board, discussing the materials situation as it affected the industry. A spokesman for the board said that the discussions were general and that no decisions for WPB action were attempted or reached. The conference was led by Hopper, as Gov (Continued on page 7) 2 Clearance Cases Are Filed in Boston Two clearance complaints have been filed at the Boston tribunal naming the five consenting companies. The first, filed by Consolidated Theatres, Inc., operator of the Plymouth, Worcester, Mass., seeks a reduction to 30 days of the present 60day clearance of the Warner ; the (Continued on page 6) Para. Mgrs. Told to Heed Complaints "There is need for eternal vigilance that no case of unfairness and inequity occurs inadvertently in your district, or having occurred inadvertently, remains unadjusted," Paramount sales managers were told at their two-day sales meeting here Friday by Claude Lee, director of public relations. "This responsibility," he said, "rests heavily upon your district managers to whom your department heads must look for thorough investigation and intelligent consideration of any complaint that may arise." Schine May Get 6 Months More For Divestiture Washington, D. C, July 18. — Several months additional time, possibly half a year, is expected to be granted the Schine Circuit for the disposition of the nine theatres which it has been trying unsuccessfully to sell during the past year, it was indicated here today in well-informed circles. The Department of Justice has before it a request of the circuit for permission to retain the houses, and there have been conversations between department officials and the company's counsel, which are expected to lead to withdrawal of the request and a grant of three or six months more time in which another effort can be made to sell the properties. The agreement was said to be pretty well settled, but in the event it fails to go through the department (Continued on page 6) U. A, Gives Raise, Warners Gives Bonus Warner employes, on Friday, received a semi-annual bonus averaging half a week's salary to those on company payrolls six months or longer. At United Artists' home office, salary increases, of varying amounts, were given to workers, the raise averaging 15 per cent, as approved by the War Labor Board. It is retroactive to Nov. 1, 1942. U. S. Appeals Crescent Case On Expansion Asks Supreme Court to Remand Decree Nashville, July 18. — With the declared purpose of attempting to obtain a specific prohibition against future theatre acquisitions by Crescent Circuit and its associated exhibitor defendants in the Government antitrust suit in Federal court here, the Department of Justice appealed at the weekend to the U. S. Supreme Court for an order remanding the Crescent decree for a correction to accomplish that end. The appeal incorporates a statement by Charles Fahy, U. S. Solicitor General, which declares that the government's experience in both the New York and Schine Circuit cases has shown that "elimination of independent theatre competition by large circuits by action taken (Continued on page 7) Loew, Lyons Form New Film Company Hollywood, July 18. — Producing Artists, Inc., new production company, has been formed with David L. Loew as president and Arthur Lyons, artists representative, as vice-president. The new company will release through United Artists, having an initial commitment to deliver three pic (Continued oni page 6) W.B. Adds Theatres Around the World Warners has acquired the Park Theatre, Stockholm, Sweden, following upon its recent acquisition of the Opera Theatre, Cairo, Egypt, in what company spokesmen readily admit is a program aimed to assure post war screen time for the company's product in strategic centers throughout the world. Other theatre sites either already have been or are expected to be acquir°d soon in Lima. Peru; Sydney, Australia, and Mexico City.