Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1944)

2 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, February 29, 194 Will Start Griffith Depositions Today Taking of depositions in the Government's anti-trust suit against the Griffith Amusement Co., circuit operators in Texas and Oklahoma, will begin here this afternoon or tomorrow, according to Albert Boggess, Special Assistant U. S. Attorney General, who is associated with Robert L. Wright, senior counsel on the case. Paramount witnesses will be followed by those of other distributors. The suit, which has been pending for about three years, was originally brought against all eight majors as well as Griffith. The complaints against the five consenting companies were discontinued when the consent decree was signed, and a few months ago charges against the other three were dropped. Evidence, however, will be taken from all. The suit is the outgrowth of complaints from independent exhibitors in the Griffith territory who alleged they had difficulty getting product. Henry S. Griffing and Charles B. Cochrane, attorneys for the defendant, arrived here last week from Oklahoma City. Daff and Gain Are Leaving for London Alfred E. DafT, Universal's foreign supervisor, is due to leave for England this week for a six-week visit, it was learned here yesterday. It is understood that Barrington C. Gain, director of General Film Distributors and financial adviser to J. Arthur Rank, who has been in this country studying American distribution methods, will accompany Daff. The purpose of Daff's trip is understood to be in connection with Universal's future relations with the Rank organization now that Rank intends to distribute in this country. Universal films are distributed in Eneland through Rank's General Film Distributors. Dr. Alexander Galperson. distribution representative of Two Cities Films Ltd.. will also return to London this week. Ennis Heads Quigley Circulation Sales Bert Ennis, veteran film writer and executive, has been appointed circulation sales promotion manager, effective yesterday, for Quigley Publications here. Ennis has long been active in the industry, having been director of advertising and publicity for Columbia, the Roxy Theatre and Sawver-Lubin Productions and others. He was a writer of Paramount's shorts and has written extensively for fan and national publications and for motion' pictures and more recently did sales promotion for RCA, Pan American Airways, war loan drives, and others. 'Hargrove* for Astor M-G-M's "See Here, Private Hargrove" will have its Broadway premiere at the Astor Theatre on Tuesday, March 21, with notables of the Army. Government and civic circles attending. Personal Mention NATE J. BLUMBERG, Universal president, and Cliff Work, vicepresident and studio head, arrived in New York yesterday from the Coast. • R. S. Coyle has been promoted to assistant to Universal home office contract department manager J. J. Jordan, replacing Jack Huber, now in the Armed Forces. Irwin Sherman has taken over Coyle's duties. • Harry Hiersteiner, Des Moines theatre operator, has announced the engagement of his son, Walter Hiersteiner and Miss Jean Newberger of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. • Louis Nizer will address the Town Hall Club here March 14, and the Philadelphia Authors Club on April 10, on the subject of his new book: "What to Do With Germany." 0 Ben Simon, 20th-Fox New Haven branch manager, is recuperating at Saybrook, Conn., after a recent operation. • Major Thornton Freedland of the U. S. Army Signal Corps arrived from London over the weekend. • Kermit Carr, former manager for Tri-States Theatres, Des Moines, is now at Ft. Sill, Okla. Tony Massella, former assistant at the Poli, New Haven, is now in the Signal Corps in California. • Mike Piccerillo, former assistant at the Globe, Bridgeport, is now a U. S. Army corporal in Ireland. • Jack Glackin of the Arch Street Theatre, New Britain, Conn., is on the sick list. Lou Brown, Loew's theatres New England publicity director, was a recent Hartford visitor. • Corp. Paul Amato, former assistant at E. M. Loew's Hartford, Hartford, Conn., is now in Sicily. • Herman J. Shumow, M-G-M Milwaukee branch manager, is convalescing from a recent illness. e Morris Mechanic, owner of the New Theatre, Baltimore, is visiting here. • V. J. Christensen, assistant studio manager for 20th-Fox, is due in New York from Hollywood. • Henderson M. Richey, M-G-M exhibitor-relations director, has returned from Florida. • Lou Chapman, Quigley Publications' advertising production manager, leaves March 9 for the Army. 0 Jewell Truex of the Clasa-Mohme Film exchange, San Antonio, is recuperating from the "flu." 0 Alfred Vermes, former Cleveland theatre manager, is now an Ordnance lieutenant here. JOHN R. WOOD, March of Time sales manager, and George Roberts, MOT sales representative, left here last night for a Midwest tour, returning late this week. 0 Joseph H. Moskowitz, 20th Century-Fox studio representative here, will leave today for the Coast for conferences with Joseph M. Schenck and Darryl Zanuck. He will return in two weeks. 0 Joel Levy, Jr., son of Joel Levy, Loew's out-of-town booker, and formerly of the U. S. Army Signal Corps, is now an air cadet stationed at Carbondale, 111. 0 Tom,Baird, head of the motion picture section of the British Information Services here, is expected to return from Washington today. 0 Mabel Drew of 20th-Fox's radio department here is recuperating at the Roosevelt Hospital following an operation. 0 Marjorie Morrow, Eastern head of Warner's talent bureau, leaves Friday on a scouting trip through the South. • Ben Melniker of M-G-M's home office legal department returned yesterday from a Lake Placid, N. Y., honeymoon. 0 Leon Bonoff of Madison and Saybrook, Conn., theatres, and Mrs. Bonoff are en route to Florida to visit two sons in training. 0 Cliff Gieseman, RKO San Francisco theatre zone manager, has been cited for the fifth time for local war work. 0 Bernard Levy, manager of Proven Pictures, Hartford, Conn., was in Boston the latter part of last week on Lieberman Circuit business. 0 George Gompert, 20th-Fox Philadelphia exploiteer, is visiting the home office. 0 Zelma Brookov of Warner's Eastern talent bureau left last night for Boston. 0 Hy.Carnow, member of the Warner press book staff, reports for Navy training on March 7. 0 Rudolph Monter, United Artists producer, will arrive in New York from Hollywood today. 0 Larry O'Toole, formerly manager for Paramount in Panama, is now a captain in the Army, stationed there. 0 Alan F. Cummings, head of MG-M exchange operations, has recovered after suffering a fractured rib. 0 Corp. Louis Jacobson, formerly of Warners' New Haven exchange, and his bride are New York honeymooners. 0 Kenneth Field of the Rivoli Theatre, West Haven, Conn., and his bride are visiting in the city. Film Leaders at 21 Foundation Meetings Emphasizing the importance of the film industry in the affairs of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, Basil O'Connor, its president, is inviting industry leaders to Foundation luncheons and dinners to be held, starting today in the following cities: Louisville, today; Nashville, V; tomorrow; Chattanooga, March 2; Memphis, March 3; Jackson, 4; Birmingham, 6; Montgomery, 7; Winston-Salem, 8; Norfolk, 9; Richmond, 10; Raleigh, 11; Columbia, 13; Charleston, 14; Savannah, 15; Jacksonville, 16; Tallahassee, 17; Orlando, 18; St. Petersburg, 20; Tampa, 20; Miami, 21; Atlanta, 31. Name Archibald BMl Film Division Heat London, Feb. 28. — George Archi bald, who recently resigned as head of the film division of the British In formation Services in New York to return here, has been appointed con troller of the British Ministry of In formation films division. Archibald succeeds Sylvester Gates. Thomas Baird took over Archibald's former activities in New York. I NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL 50th St. & 6th Ave. Joan Fontaine • Orson Welles "JANE EYRE" A 20th Century-Fox Picture GALA STAGE SHOW SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA First Mezzanine Seats Reserved. Circle 6-4600 B WAY & 47th St. PALACE GEORGE SANDERS VIRGINIA BRUCE GENE LOCKHART 'ACTION IN ARABIA' 4h LOEW'S State. On Screen Spencer Irene TRACY . DUNNE "A GUY NAMED JOE" In Person BENNY CARTER and ORCH. PARAMOUNT'S "LADY IN THE DARK" In Technicolor IN PERSON XAVIER CUGAT And BAND DEAN MURPHY PARAMOUNT MOTION PICTURE DAILY. Martin Quigley, President and Editor-in-Chief; Colvin Brown, Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Executive Editor. Published daily except Saturday, Sunday and holidays by Ouigley Publishing Company, inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York, 20, N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address, Quigpubcq. New York. Martin Ouieley, President; Colvin Brown, Vice-President; Red Kann, Vice-President; T. J. Sullivan. Secretary; Sherwin Kane, Executive Editor; James_ P. Cunningham News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager: Chicago Bureau, 624 South Michigan Ave., Leonard Gneier, Correspondent; Hollywood Bureau, Postal Union Lite Bldg., William R. Weaver, Editor; London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London Wl, Hope Burnun, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Quigpubco, London. All contents copyrighted iy44 bv Quigley Publishing Co.. Inc. Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres, International Motion Picture Almanac, Fame. 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