Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1944)

FILE Theatres* Red Cross Week Mar. 23-29 MOTION PICTURf DAILY COPY re cmc Theatres' Red Cross Week Mar. 23-29 f OL. 55. NO. 58 NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1944 TEN CENTS Foreign Dep't HeadsApprove 'Global Plan' WorldRepresentation for Industry Up to MPPDA The proposal to provide official representation for the industry in as many world capitals as possible in the early future and in others after the war received the unanimous approval of major company foreign department heads at a meeting held yesterday at MPPDA headquarters. As a result of the foreign managers' indorsement, the plan now will be presented to company presidents at an early {Continued on page 12) $7, 500,000' U' Notes Today Public offering of Universale new $7,500,000 of 33/4 per cent sinking fund debentures, due March 1. 1959, is expected to be made today through a group of 26 pri v a t e banking houses headed by Dillon Read & Co., which on its own will und e r w r i t e $1,000,000 of the debentures. Charles D. Prutzman, Universal vicepresident and general counsel, handled a r rangements for the issuance of the debentures. The new financing will be used to {Continued on page 12) Charles D. Prutzman Skouras, Rank Talk Joint Production London, March 22. — Among topics which Spyros Skouras, 20th Century-Fox president, and J. Arthur Rank, British film leader, are currently discussing here for the mutual benefit of their companies both here and abroad, is a project for joint production of a number of films here, it was learned today. WPB, Army, Navy Seek Deferment of Raw Film Experts Washington, March 22. — Reports showing the employment of skilled men by age groups, production rates, etc., is being secured by Lincoln Burroughs, chief of the War Production Board motion picture section, for submission to the War Manpower Commission, possibly this week, in support of a joint WPB-ArmyNavy plea for modification of present Selective Service policies which threaten to strip raw-film stock manufactures of essential workers. The material is being supplied by the raw-film makers, who also are submitting reports on past experience and their views on the effect on production of the general cancellation of deferments for men between 18 and 26. When Burrow's material is submitted to the WMC, it will be accompanied by a presentation by the Army and Navy of their needs for film of all types : motion picture, x-ray, still camera, etc. Material of this nature has never before been submitted to the WMC and in fact, it has not been necessary, but that agency is represented as facing a new problem because of the (Continued on page 10) Treasury Sets 5th Loan for MayJune Washington, March 22. — A Fifth War Loan drive to raise 14 to 15 billion dollars will be launched at the end of May or the beginning of June, Treasury Department officials said today. Securities to be offered are expected to be almost identical with those offered in the Fourth War Loan which yielded over 16 billions. Kuykendall to Meet Clark on Saturday Reactions of Assistant U S. Attorney General Tom C. Clark to the report and recommendations of the MPTOA executive committee on an industry consent decree are expected to be made known at a meeting between Clark and Ed Kuykendall, MPTOA president, scheduled for Saturday in Washington. The MPTOA views on an industry decree were compiled by the executive committee on Monday and were presented to Clark the following day. Kuykendall arrived in New York from Washington yesterday. Red Cross Collections at 14, 764 Houses Start Today With the best start in the history of motion picture theatre collections, the industry's 1944 Red Cross drive will get under way today in 14,764 houses in the greatest mobilization of theatres in behalf of the war effort or for any other cause. More than 300 theatres "jumped the gun" by initiating collections as far ahead as March 16 and will continue through the regularly designated March 23-29 "Motion Picture Week." Many houses also will continue collections beyond March 29 if necessary to achieve quotas. Early reports show collections well above last year's in practically every instance. A large part of the credit for the strong sendoff, as well as for the all time record participation, it was stated here yesterday by Joseph Bernhard, the industry's national chairman in the campaign, goes to the 15 leading executives, both distributors and exhibitors, who toured the country at their own expense to assist local WAC drive chairmen in conducting rallies in 26 key cities. The speakers included, in addition to Bernhard, Ned Depinet, Harry Brandt, Harry Kalmine, Sam Dembow, Martin Smith, H. M. Richey, Andy Smith, Jr., Ben Kalmenson, E. L. Alperson, Ben Shlyen, Si Fabian, Abe Montague, Bob Mochrie and Francis S. Harmon. Forty regional exhibitor chairmen and the same number of distributor (Continued on page 10) MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY CROSS WSSH MARCH 23rd -29th A.T.&T. Offers Television to Film Industry Asks Hays to Pass Word To the Majors American Telephone and Telegraph, in a bid to enlist the support and cooperation of the motion picture industry in its contemplated immediate and post-war television construction, has asked Will H. Hays, MPPDA president, as head of the organized industry, to present to the majors the Bell System's proposals "to consider on their merits any requests for television facilities." Keith S. McHugh, A.T. & T. vice-president, proposes to provide an exchange of television information with the film indus (Continued on page 12) $2, 796,861 NetforLoew Loew's, Inc., had a net profit after all charges and taxes, of $2,796,861 for the 12 weeks ended Nov. 25, 1943, a gain of $347,805 over the $2,449,056 net in the comparable period in 1942, David Bernstein, vicepresident and treasurer, disclosed here yesterday. This is equivalent t o $1.67 per share on the common stock, against $1.47 per share in 1942. For the 12week period in 1943 after subsidiaries' preferred dividends, Loew's share of op(Continued on page 12) David Bernstein GB Lab Destroyed, Two Studios Bombed London, March 22. — Recent Nazi air raids destroyed the Gaumont-British film laboratory and equipment. In addition, bombs* damaged Sound City and Shepherd's Bush studios, it is now possible to reveal.